Use of High-Protein and High-Dietary-Fibre Vegetable Processing Waste from Bell Pepper and Tomato for Pasta Fortification

There is worldwide wastage of 1.3 billion tons of food annually. It is recommended that food waste should be reduced at every phase of production. By-products from food processing have high nutritional value so their use in new products is advisable. The aim of the study was to enrich the nutritional value of pasta using waste from the food industry. By-products from tomato processing (tomato waste-TW) and pepper (defatted pepper seeds-DPS, pepper placenta-PP) were used at a level of 10-30% to produce pasta. The farinographic characteristics, chemical composition, cooking quality, and colour of the pasta were studied. The results show a significant (p < 0.05), up to 27%, increase in the protein content of the TW30 samples, compared with the control (16.16% d.m. vs. 20.61% d.m.). The TDF content increased over five times in DPS30 and TW30 (27.99% d.m. and 25.44% d.m.). The amino acid composition of the pasta improved with the fortification but failed to achieve complete protein by FAO. The DPS30, PP20, PP30 and all TW samples can be considered high-protein products according to the EU definition (a minimum of 20% energy from protein). Vegetable waste can be a valuable additive for the improvement of the nutritional value of food.

Enzyme Conditioning of Chicken Collagen and Taguchi Design of Experiments Enhancing the Yield and Quality of Prepared Gelatins

During the production of mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM), a by-product is created that has no adequate use and is mostly disposed of in rendering plants. Due to the high content of collagen, it is a suitable raw material for the production of gelatin and hydrolysates. The purpose of the paper was to process the MDCM by-product into gelatin by 3-step extraction. An innovative method was used to prepare the starting raw material for gelatin extraction, demineralization in HCl, and conditioning with a proteolytic enzyme. A Taguchi design with two process factors (extraction temperature and extraction time) was used at three levels (42, 46, and 50 °C; 20, 40, and 60 min) to optimize the processing of the MDCM by-product into gelatins. The gel-forming and surface properties of the prepared gelatins were analyzed in detail. Depending on the processing conditions, gelatins are prepared with a gel strength of up to 390 Bloom, a viscosity of 0.9-6.8 mPa·s, a melting point of 29.9-38.4 °C, a gelling point of 14.9-17.6 °C, excellent water- and fat-holding capacity, and good foaming and emulsifying capacity and stability. The advantage of MDCM by-product processing technology is a very high degree of conversion (up to 77%) of the starting collagen raw material to gelatins and the preparation of 3 qualitatively different gelatin fractions suitable for a wide range of food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications. Gelatins prepared from MDCM by-product can expand the offer of gelatins from other than beef and pork tissues.

An insight into the principles of lignocellulosic biomass-based zero-waste biorefineries: a green leap towards imperishable energy-based future

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is an energy source that has a huge impact in today's world. The depletion of fossil fuels, increased pollution, climatic changes, etc. have led the public and private sectors to move towards sustainability i.e. using LCB for the production of biofuels and value-added compounds. A major bottleneck of the process is the recalcitrant nature of LCB. This can be overcome by using various pretreatment strategies like physical, chemical, biological, physicochemical, etc. Further, the pretreated biomass is made to undergo various steps like hydrolysis, saccharification, etc. for the conversion of value-added products and the remaining waste residues can be further utilized for the synthesis of secondary products thus favouring the zero-waste biorefinery concept. Currently, microorganisms are being explored for their use in biorefinery but the unavailability of commercial strains is a major limitation. Thus, the use of metagenomics can be used to overcome the limitation which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The review deliberates the composition of LCBs, and their recalcitrance nature, followed by the structural changes caused by various pretreatment methods. The further steps in biorefineries, strategies for the development of zero-waste refineries, bottlenecks, and suggestions are also discussed. Special emphasis is given to the use of metagenomics for the discovery of microorganisms efficient for zero-waste biorefineries.

Improving the Storability of Cod Fish-Burgers According to the Zero-Waste Approach

This research explored the potential of the zero-waste concept in relation to the storability of fresh food products. In particular, the prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) peel (usually perceived as a by-product) and the pulp were dehydrated, reduced in powder, and used as food additives to slow down the growth of the main spoilage microorganisms of fresh cod fish burgers. The proportion between peel and pulp powder was such as to respect the zero-waste concept. The antibacterial activity of the peel and pulp in proper proportion was first assessed by means of an in vitro test against target microorganisms. Then, the active powder was added at three concentrations (i.e., 2.5 g, 7.5 g, and 12.5 g) to cod fish burgers to assess its effectiveness in slowing down the microbial and sensory quality decay of burgers stored at 4 °C. The results from the in vitro test showed that both the peel and pulp were effective in delaying microbial growth. The subsequent storability test substantially confirmed the in vitro test results. In fact, a significant reduction in growth rate of the main fish spoilage microorganisms (i.e., Pseudomonas spp., psychrotrophic bacteria, and psychrotolerant and heat-labile aerobic bacteria) was observed during 16 days of refrigerated storage. As expected, the antimicrobial effectiveness of powder increased as its concentration increased. Surprisingly, its addition did not affect the sensory quality of fish. Moreover, it was proven that this active powder can improve the fish sensory quality during the storage period.

New Edible Packaging Material with Function in Shelf Life Extension: Applications for the Meat and Cheese Industries

Nowadays, biopolymer films have gained notoriety among the packaging materials. Some studies clearly test their effectiveness for certain periods of time, with applicability in the food industry. This research has been carried out in two directions. Firstly, the development and testing of the new edible material: general appearance, thickness, retraction ratio, color, transmittance, microstructure, roughness, and porosity, as well as mechanical and solubility tests. Secondly, testing of the packaged products-slices of cheese and prosciutto-in the new material and their maintenance at refrigeration conditions for 5 months; thus, the peroxide index, color, and water activity index were evaluated for the packaged products. The results emphasize that the packaging is a lipophilic one and does not allow wetting or any changes in the food moisture. The results indicate the stability of the parameters within three months and present the changes occurring within the fourth and fifth months. Microbiological tests indicated an initial microbial growth, both for cheese slices and ham slices. Time testing indicated a small increase in the total count number over the 5-month period: 23 cfu/g were found of fresh slices of prosciutto and 27 cfu/g in the case of the packaged ones; for slices of cheese, the total count of microorganisms indicated 7 cfu/g in the initial stage and 11 cfu/g after 5 months. The results indicate that the film did not facilitate the growth of the existing microorganisms, and highlight the need to purchase food from safe places, especially in the case of raw-dried products that have not undergone heat treatment, which may endanger the health of the consumer. The new material tested represents a promising substitute for commercial and unsustainable plastic packaging.

A Pilot Study on Anti-Obesity Mechanisms of Kappaphycus Alvarezii: The Role of Native κ-Carrageenan and the Leftover Sans-Carrageenan Fraction

Kappaphycus is a commercially important edible red alga widely cultivated for carrageenan production. Here, we aimed to investigate the anti-obesity mechanism of Kappaphycus alvarezii by comparing the effects of whole seaweed (T), extracted native κ-carrageenan (CGN), and the leftover fraction sans-carrageenan (SCGN) supplementations (5%, w/w) on diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. A high-fat diet induced both a raised body fat percentage and serum cholesterol level, increased adipocytes size, abnormal levels of adipocytokines, and promoted gut dysbiosis. Our results showed that, overall, both CGN and SCGN were more effective in reversing obesity and related metabolic syndromes to normal levels than T. Furthermore, these findings suggested that CGN- and SCGN-modulated gut dysbiosis induced by a high-fat diet, which may play an influencing role in adiponectin dysregulation. Our data also showed some evidence that CGN and SCGN have distinct effects on selected genes involved in lipid metabolism. In conclusion, both κ-carrageenan and SCGN have novel anti-obesity potential with possible different mechanisms of action.