Quality of and Mold Growth on White Enriched Bread for Military Rations Following Directional Microwave Treatment

The Effect of Microwave Irradiation on the Representation and Growth of Moulds in Nuts and Almonds

Microwave (MW) irradiation is a non-destructive method that can be applied as an alternative method to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. The present study evaluated the effect of MW irradiation on the occurrence of moulds in nuts and almonds. Samples of unshelled natural almonds, pistachios, and in-shell peanuts were treated with different doses of MW irradiation (2400–4000 W). The effect of MW irradiation on mould counts was evaluated by cultivating immediately after irradiation and after 3 and 6 months of storage. The most represented genera in all analysed samples were Aspergillus (68%), Penicillium (21%), and a small amount of Cladosporium (3%). Mould numbers significantly decreased after MW treatment. The treatments with MW irradiations at 3000 and 4000 W significantly reduced the mould colony counts, and their effect persisted during storage; irradiation at 2400 W was partially effective. The strongest effect of MW irradiation was observed in in-shell peanuts. MW irradiation seems to be a promising method for maintaining the microbiological quality of nuts.

Effects of thermal properties and behavior of wheat starch and gluten on their interaction: A review

Starch and gluten, the most important macromolecules in wheat flour, vary in thermal properties. The thermal behavior of starch, gluten and their complexes during the manufacture and quality control of flour products need to be accurately understood. However, the high complexity of starch-gluten systems impedes the accurate description of their interactions. When heated within varying temperature ranges and when water molecules are involved, the behaviors of amylose and amylopectin change, and the properties of the starch are modified. Moreover, important indicators of starch granules such as gelatinization temperature, peak viscosity, and so on, which are encapsulated by the gluten matrix, are altered. Meanwhile, the high-temperature environment induces the opening of the intrachain disulfide bonds of gliadin, leading to an increase in the probability of interchain disulfide bond formation in the gluten network system. These behaviors are notable and may provide insights into this complex interaction. In this review, the relationship between the thermal behavior of wheat starch and gluten and the quality of flour products is analyzed. Several methods used to investigate the thermal characteristics of wheat and its flour products are summarized, and some thermal interaction models of starch and gluten are proposed.

Progresses in processing technologies for special foods with ultra-long shelf life

Foods for special applications have recently received much attention due to rapid development of space and military industries as well as to frequent occurrence of natural and man-made disasters. Since the way such foods are processed clearly and directly affects their consumer's acceptability and shelf life, it is of interest to explore in detail how these special foods can be processed. This article presents a review on the difficulties in the processing, application and storage as well as on how to ensure the shelf life and acceptability of special foods through the use of efficient processing technologies. Emphasis is made on the use of both conventional and alternative thermal processing and irradiation technologies. Appropriate packaging technologies for each of the discussed special foods are also mentioned along with the way to overcome the problem of product quality degradation. Through comparison and analysis, it is found that foods with different attributes require different technologies and processes to achieve desirable results. Combined use of multiple technologies has also noted to be advantageous.