Applications of Plant Polymer-Based Solid Foams: Current Trends in the Food Industry

An overview of edible foams in food and modern cuisine: Destabilization and stabilization mechanisms and applications

Foam, as a structured multi-scale colloidal system, is becoming increasingly popular in food because it gives a series of unique textures, structures, and appearances to foods while maintaining clean labels. Recently, developing green and healthy food-grade foaming agents, improving the stability of edible foams, and exploring the application of foam structures and new foaming agents have been the focus of foam systems. This review comprehensively introduces the destabilization mechanisms of foam and summarizes the main mechanisms controlling the foam stability and progress of different food-grade materials (small-molecular surfactants, biopolymers, and edible Pickering particles). Furthermore, the classic foam systems in food and modern cuisine, their applications, developments, and challenges are also underlined. Natural small-molecular surfactants, novel plant/microalgae proteins, and edible colloidal particles are the research hotspots of high-efficiency food-grade foam stabilizers. They have apparent differences in foam stability mechanisms, and each exerts its advantages. However, the development of foam stabilizers remains to be enriched compared with emulsions. Food foams are diverse and widely used, bringing unique enjoyment and benefit to consumers regarding sense, innovation, and health attributes. In addition to industrial inflatable foods, the foam foods in molecular gastronomy are also worthy of exploration. Moreover, edible foams may have greater potential in structured food design, 3D/4D printing, and controlled flavor release in the future. This review will provide a reference for the efficient development of functional inflatable foods and the advancement of foam technologies in modern cuisine.

The Role of Maltodextrin Concentration in Maintaining Storage Stability of Dried Fruit Foams Texturized Using Plant Protein-Polysaccharide Blends

Hydrocolloids are widely used in food processing because of their texture-forming abilities, which help to preserve the quality of sensitive compounds, e.g., in dried fruit foams, which have recently emerged in healthier alternative snacks. Our aim was to investigate the protective role of maltodextrin in improving the storage stability of fruit foams. This study evaluated the effect of maltodextrin concentrations on the stability of the following quality parameters: anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, color, texture, and sensory perception of dried foamed raspberry pulp during storage. This study compared three concentrations (5%, 15%, and 30% w/w) of maltodextrin in mixtures, evaluating their effect on the stability of these parameters over a 12-week storage period. The foam samples were stored at 37 °C to accelerate chemical reactions under vacuum packaging conditions which excluded oxygen. The addition of 30% maltodextrin to the raspberry pulp blend resulted in the highest retentions in all compounds tested, i.e., 74% for ascorbic acid and 87% for anthocyanins. Color and texture were similarly preserved. Adding 30% maltodextrin to the mixture did not negatively influence the acceptability of sensory perception. Maltodextrin thus represents an effective protective agent for preserving nutritional and sensory qualities for a longer storage period. Hence, using MD together with potato protein was optimal for enhancing the storage stability of fruit foam, which is important for the food industry.

Temperature Effect on Ionic Polymers Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Activated Carbons Obtained from Biomass

The main aim of this study was the determination of temperature influence on adsorption mechanisms of anionic poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and cationic polyethylenimine (PEI) on the surface of activated carbons (AC) obtained via chemical activation of nettle (NE) and sage (SA) herbs. All measurements were performed at pH 3 at three temperature values, i.e., 15, 25 and 35 °C. The adsorption/desorption of these polymers from single and mixed solution of adsorbates was also investigated. The viscosity studies were additionally performed to obtain hydrodynamic radius values characterizing polymeric macromolecules conformation in the solution. These data are very important for the explanation of changes of linear dimensions of polymer chains with the rise of temperature caused by the modification of polymer-solvent interactions. Moreover, the XPS studies for the systems showing the highest adsorbed amounts in the specific temperature conditions were carried out. These were the systems containing PEI, PAA and NE-AC activated carbon at 25 °C. In such a case, the maximum adsorption capacity towards PAA macromolecules from a single solution of adsorbate reaches the value of 198.12 mg/g. Additionally, the thermodynamic parameters including the free energies of adsorption, as well as changes in free enthalpy and entropy were calculated.

Valorization of Pineapple Residues from the Colombian Agroindustry to Produce Cellulose Nanofibers

Cellulose nanofiber is the world’s most advanced biomass material. Most importantly, it is biodegradable. In this work, nanofibers were obtained from pineapple leaves, a large solid waste in Colombia, using a combined extraction method (chemical procedures and ultrasound). The native fibers were bleached, hydrolyzed, treated with ultrasound, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared analysis (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As a comparison, a commercial microcrystalline cellulose sample was analyzed, which demonstrated the efficiency of cellulose extraction. The nanofibers had a diameter and a length of 18 nm and 237 nm, respectively, with a maximum degradation temperature of 306 °C. The analysis showed the efficiency of acid treatment combined with ultrasound to obtain nanofibers and confirmed that pineapple residues can be valorized by this method. These results indicate that lignocellulosic matrices from pineapple leaves have potential application for obtaining polymeric-type composite materials. Due to their morphology and characteristic physical properties, the cellulose nanofibers obtained in this work could be a promising material for use in a wealth of fields and applications such as filter material, high gas barrier packaging material, electronic devices, foods, medicine, construction, cosmetics, pharmacy, and health care, among others.

Advances in Food, Bioproducts and Natural Byproducts for a Sustainable Future: From Conventional to Innovative Processes

The world population is expected to reach almost 10,000 million in 2050, which entails the need to focus on sustainability and its three pillars: the economy, the environment, and society [...]