Food processing & technology
Development of methods and processes to prolong the food shelf-life and improving the quality, adding nutritional value, etc.
Research publication highlights
Nanocrystalline cellulose for microemulsion stability enhancement
Stability enhancement
Microemulsion (ME) is widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and medical applications. In the formulation of MEs, a substantial amount of surfactant is needed to stabilize the lipo-hydrophilic interface, which may have adverse effects on biological cells. Cellulose and its derivatives have been extensively utilized as solid emulsifying agents, known as pickering agents, which are added to improve the stability of emulsions. In this study, ME made from a mixture of 5 wt% castor oil, 85 wt% surfactant/co-surfactant and 10 wt% water was modified by the addition of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) in the aqueous fraction. The effect of CNC addition on the ME formation area, hydrodynamic diameter, and stability of resulting modified-MEs were investigated. While the addition of CNC did not contribute to the expansion of the ME formation area, the CNC supplementation has a significant influence on the hydrodynamic diameter and stability of ME. The results of this study demonstrate that the supplementation of CNC can reduce the usage of surfactant for ME formulation, with the use of CNC suspension containing 0.7 wt% CNC resulting in the most favorable hydrodynamic diameter and stability.
Check out the article at Journal of Molecular Liquids 325 (2021) 115181
Pulsed electric thawing of Pekin duck meat
Food quality
We determined the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF)-assisted thawing on the texture and muscle tissue of Pekin duck meat. The results indicated that 1–4 kV/cm of PEF shortened the thawing time by 20%–50%. Furthermore, 1–3 kV/cm of PEF-assisted thawing reduced the effect of thawing on meat quality, decreased thawing loss by 28% and protein loss by 19%, and maintained meat quality similar to that of fresh meat. Using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, we confirmed that PEF stabilized the water retention capacity of muscle tissues during thawing. Microstructure and secondary structure analyses revealed that PEF accelerated the melting of ice crystals, reducing the damage caused by ice crystals by 70% and maintaining the stability of the α-helix and β-sheet. These results revealed the potential of PEF-assisted methods for use in thawing meat.
Check out the article at Food Chemistry 390 (2022) 133137
Preservation of bananas to decrease browning
Food shelf life
In this study, a pulsed electric field (PEF) was used to establish the preservation conditions of bananas (Musa spp.) and explore the effect on chilling injury (CI) inhibition. The response surface methodology (RSM) demonstrated that the PEF strength of 50 kV/m has a better inhibition effect on browning; however, adverse effects are caused when the PEF strength exceeds 100 kV/m in comparison with untreated group. Further storage tests indicated that PEF could effectively improve fruit weight loss (18.91%), firmness (10.91%), browning and other changes associated with quality by maintaining the levels of total chlorophyll, carotenoids and ascorbic acid. This suggests that PEF has the potential to delay the CI of bananas stored at low temperatures and can maintain high fruit quality.
Check out the article at Food Packaging and Shelf Life 31 (2022) 100804