The Effects of Storage Time and Environmental Storage Conditions on Flour Quality, Dough Rheology, and Biscuit Characteristics: The Case Study of a Traditional Italian Biscuit (Biscotto di Prato)

Comprehension of drying kinetics and stone milling process of chestnuts: a focus on moisture content, milling speed, and energy evaluation

BACKGROUND

Chestnut flour plays an important role in the production of bread, bakery products, and gluten-free foods. Most of the references in the literature focus on the drying process itself and not on the effects of the drying and milling processes. Moreover, the literature is lacking recommendations regarding optimal moisture content and milling speed, thus motivating the present study. The first aim is to understand the chestnut drying process through an in-depth evaluation of drying kinetics; the second aim is to assess the effects of three different moisture content (2%, 4% and 6%) and three different stone rotational speeds (120, 220 and 320 rpm) on operative milling parameters (flour yield, milling time, energy consumption, temperature increase, average power, specific milling energy), flour particle size distribution, and chestnut flours characteristics.

RESULTS

The results show that moisture content and stone rotational speed have statistically-significant effects on milling operative parameters, flour particle size and chestnut flour composition. In particular, stone rotational speed affected almost all the tested variables (mill operative parameters, flour particle size distribution, and flour characteristics). Therefore, as the stone rotational speed increases, energy consumption, average power, specific energy, and damaged starch content significantly increase.

CONCLUSION

These findings clearly show that moisture content and stone rotational speed are powerful tools that allow the exploiation of the milling process to modulate the characteristics of the obtained flours. In conclusion, two different approaches for chestnut milling were suggested depending on the type of flour to be produced. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of a Whole-Cell System Based on the Use of Genetically Modified Protoplasts to Detect Nickel Ions in Food Matrices

Heavy metals are dangerous contaminants that constitute a threat to human health because they persist in soils and are easily transferred into the food chain, causing damage to human health. Among heavy metals, nickel appears to be one of the most dangerous, being responsible for different disorders. Public health protection requires nickel detection in the environment and food chains. Biosensors represent simple, rapid, and sensitive methods for detecting nickel contamination. In this paper, we report on the setting up a whole-cell-based system, in which protoplasts, obtained from Nicotiana tabacum leaves, were used as transducers to detect the presence of heavy metal ions and, in particular, nickel ions. Protoplasts were genetically modified with a plasmid containing the Green Fluorescent Protein reporter gene (GFP) under control of the promoter region of a sunflower gene coding for a small Heat Shock Protein (HSP). Using this device, the presence of heavy metal ions was detected. Thus, the possibility of using this whole-cell system as a novel tool to detect the presence of nickel ions in food matrices was assessed.

Pasta Drying Defects as a Novel Ingredient for Hard Dough Biscuits: Effect of Drying Temperature and Granulation on Its Functionality

Various drying temperatures impact the texture of pasta and cause different drying defects. These by-products could reflect techno-functional characteristics which are suitable for cereal products. This research addresses the influence of low (LT) and high (HT) drying pasta defects with two granulations on the theoretical and functional characteristics of hard dough biscuits. By shifting from a LT to HT drying temperature, a higher onset and peak temperature was found due to the higher mobility of starch molecules with increasing crystalline stability. The lowest transition enthalpy of biscuit formulation was also observed for higher incorporation of fine HT pasta regrinds. The algebraic model of dough with consistography determined the poor-extensible gluten and a high resistance with a greater value of P/L and P indices for LT regrinds. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a heavy and dense texture with immersed starch granules for additional fine regrinds while coarse samples caused swell granules with greater diameter. Moreover, fine HT regrinds reflected the lowest L* value for biscuit due to heat gradient tension with the hard milling process which leads to protein denaturation with decreasing nitrogenous.

Research progress on the formation mechanism and detection technology of bread flavor

With a long history of fermentation technology and rich flavors, bread is widely consumed by people all around the world. The consumer market is huge and the demand is wide. However, the formation mechanism of bread baking flavor has not been completely defined. In order to improve the breadmaking process and the quality of bread, the main flavor substances produced in bread baking, the formation mechanism, and the detection technology of bread baking flavor are carefully summarized in this paper. The generation conditions and formation mechanism of flavor substances during the bread baking process are expounded, and the limitations of some current bread flavor detection technologies are proposed, which will provide theoretical basis for effectively regulating the generation of flavor substances in the bread baking process and making bread with good flavor and rich nutrition in the future.