Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 45833

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite recognised researchers to submit high level review papers to a Special Issue dealing with all subjects related to food physics, chemistry and biochemistry, as well as their interconnection and interface aspects. Review papers can focus on topics from state-of-the-art knowledge to new advances and trends, including, but not limited, to the following:

  • Chemical structure and biological activity of food components (including phytochemicals, bioactives, allergens and food additives, among others);
  • Food design to improve quality and sensory aspects of foods and/or develop healthier products;
  • Relationship between the physical properties of food and nutrition and health;
  • Interactions between ingredients and their influence on food properties, sensory perception and/or compounds’ bioavailability;
  • Chemical reactions or changes in the structure and properties of foods induced by processing, storage or handling of foods;
  • Advanced techniques to identify/characterize/quantify components with impact on the structure, sensory, functional and nutritional aspects of foods;
  • Innovative approaches (genomics, proteomics or metabolomics) towards food authentication and traceability;

We look forward to receiving your contribution to this Special Issue, which will host review papers providing valuable insights into all aspects, with respect to food physics, chemistry and biochemistry and their relationship with nutrition, health and food technology.

Prof. Dr. Joana S. Amaral
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Properties and structure of foods
  • Food design
  • Functional properties
  • Structure and activity
  • Bioactive compounds
  • Bioaccessibility and bioavailability
  • Chemical reactions in foods
  • Stability of food components
  • Interactions between ingredients
  • Food processing and storage
  • Food allergens

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Review

22 pages, 1394 KiB  
Review
Single-Cell Proteins Obtained by Circular Economy Intended as a Feed Ingredient in Aquaculture
by Antia G. Pereira, Maria Fraga-Corral, Paula Garcia-Oliveira, Paz Otero, Anton Soria-Lopez, Lucia Cassani, Hui Cao, Jianbo Xiao, Miguel A. Prieto and Jesus Simal-Gandara
Foods 2022, 11(18), 2831; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11182831 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5539
Abstract
The constant increment in the world’s population leads to a parallel increase in the demand for food. This situation gives place the need for urgent development of alternative and sustainable resources to satisfy this nutritional requirement. Human nutrition is currently based on fisheries, [...] Read more.
The constant increment in the world’s population leads to a parallel increase in the demand for food. This situation gives place the need for urgent development of alternative and sustainable resources to satisfy this nutritional requirement. Human nutrition is currently based on fisheries, which accounts for 50% of the fish production for human consumption, but also on agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture. Among them, aquaculture has been pointed out as a promising source of animal protein that can provide the population with high-quality protein food. This productive model has also gained attention due to its fast development. However, several aquaculture species require considerable amounts of fish protein to reach optimal growth rates, which represents its main drawback. Aquaculture needs to become sustainable using renewable source of nutrients with high contents of proteins to ensure properly fed animals. To achieve this goal, different approaches have been considered. In this sense, single-cell protein (SCP) products are a promising solution to replace fish protein from fishmeal. SCP flours based on microbes or algae biomass can be sustainably obtained. These microorganisms can be cultured by using residues supplied by other industries such as agriculture, food, or urban areas. Hence, the application of SCP for developing innovative fish meal offers a double solution by reducing the management of residues and by providing a sustainable source of proteins to aquaculture. However, the use of SCP as aquaculture feed also has some limitations, such as problems of digestibility, presence of toxins, or difficulty to scale-up the production process. In this work, we review the potential sources of SCP, their respective production processes, and their implementation in circular economy strategies, through the revalorization and exploitation of different residues for aquaculture feeding purposes. The data analyzed show the positive effects of SCP inclusion in diets and point to SCP meals as a sustainable feed system. However, new processes need to be exploited to improve yield. In that direction, the circular economy is a potential alternative to produce SCP at any time of the year and from various cost-free substrates, almost without a negative impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry)
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31 pages, 1925 KiB  
Review
Animal Species Authentication in Dairy Products
by Isabel Mafra, Mónica Honrado and Joana S. Amaral
Foods 2022, 11(8), 1124; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods11081124 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3353
Abstract
Milk is one of the most important nutritious foods, widely consumed worldwide, either in its natural form or via dairy products. Currently, several economic, health and ethical issues emphasize the need for a more frequent and rigorous quality control of dairy products and [...] Read more.
Milk is one of the most important nutritious foods, widely consumed worldwide, either in its natural form or via dairy products. Currently, several economic, health and ethical issues emphasize the need for a more frequent and rigorous quality control of dairy products and the importance of detecting adulterations in these products. For this reason, several conventional and advanced techniques have been proposed, aiming at detecting and quantifying eventual adulterations, preferentially in a rapid, cost-effective, easy to implement, sensitive and specific way. They have relied mostly on electrophoretic, chromatographic and immunoenzymatic techniques. More recently, mass spectrometry, spectroscopic methods (near infrared (NIR), mid infrared (MIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and front face fluorescence coupled to chemometrics), DNA analysis (real-time PCR, high-resolution melting analysis, next generation sequencing and droplet digital PCR) and biosensors have been advanced as innovative tools for dairy product authentication. Milk substitution from high-valued species with lower-cost bovine milk is one of the most frequent adulteration practices. Therefore, this review intends to describe the most relevant developments regarding the current and advanced analytical methodologies applied to species authentication of milk and dairy products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry)
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15 pages, 1769 KiB  
Review
Food Ingredients and Nutraceuticals from Microalgae: Main Product Classes and Biotechnological Production
by Regina Kratzer and Michael Murkovic
Foods 2021, 10(7), 1626; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10071626 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 5217
Abstract
Microalgal products are an emerging class of food, feed, and nutraceuticals. They include dewatered or dried biomass, isolated pigments, and extracted fat. The oil, protein, and antioxidant-rich microalgal biomass is used as a feed and food supplement formulated as pastes, powders, tablets, capsules, [...] Read more.
Microalgal products are an emerging class of food, feed, and nutraceuticals. They include dewatered or dried biomass, isolated pigments, and extracted fat. The oil, protein, and antioxidant-rich microalgal biomass is used as a feed and food supplement formulated as pastes, powders, tablets, capsules, or flakes designed for daily use. Pigments such as astaxanthin (red), lutein (yellow), chlorophyll (green), or phycocyanin (bright blue) are natural food dyes used as isolated pigments or pigment-rich biomass. Algal fat extracted from certain marine microalgae represents a vegetarian source of n-3-fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), γ-linolenic acid (GLA)). Gaining an overview of the production of microalgal products is a time-consuming task. Here, requirements and options of microalgae cultivation are summarized in a concise manner, including light and nutrient requirements, growth conditions, and cultivation systems. The rentability of microalgal products remains the major obstacle in industrial application. Key challenges are the high costs of commercial-scale cultivation, harvesting (and dewatering), and product quality assurance (toxin analysis). High-value food ingredients are commonly regarded as profitable despite significant capital expenditures and energy inputs. Improvements in capital and operational costs shall enable economic production of low-value food products going down to fishmeal replacement in the future economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry)
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27 pages, 448 KiB  
Review
Brown Algae Phlorotannins: A Marine Alternative to Break the Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Cancer Network
by Marcelo D. Catarino, Sónia J. Amarante, Nuno Mateus, Artur M. S. Silva and Susana M. Cardoso
Foods 2021, 10(7), 1478; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10071478 - 25 Jun 2021
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 3818
Abstract
According to the WHO, cancer was responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018, making it the second global leading cause of death. The main risk factors that lead to the development of this disease include poor behavioral and dietary habits, such [...] Read more.
According to the WHO, cancer was responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018, making it the second global leading cause of death. The main risk factors that lead to the development of this disease include poor behavioral and dietary habits, such as tobacco use, alcohol use and lack of fruit and vegetable intake, or physical inactivity. In turn, it is well known that polyphenols are deeply implicated with the lower rates of cancer in populations that consume high levels of plant derived foods. In this field, phlorotannins have been under the spotlight in recent years since they have shown exceptional bioactive properties, with great interest for application in food and pharmaceutical industries. Among their multiple bioactive properties, phlorotannins have revealed the capacity to interfere with several biochemical mechanisms that regulate oxidative stress, inflammation and tumorigenesis, which are central aspects in the pathogenesis of cancer. This versatility and ability to act either directly or indirectly at different stages and mechanisms of cancer growth make these compounds highly appealing for the development of new therapeutical strategies to address this world scourge. The present manuscript revises relevant studies focusing the effects of phlorotannins to counteract the oxidative stress–inflammation network, emphasizing their potential for application in cancer prevention and/or treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry)
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17 pages, 2546 KiB  
Review
Coffee By-Products and Their Suitability for Developing Active Food Packaging Materials
by Gonçalo Oliveira, Cláudia P. Passos, Paula Ferreira, Manuel A. Coimbra and Idalina Gonçalves
Foods 2021, 10(3), 683; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods10030683 - 23 Mar 2021
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 14552
Abstract
The coffee industry generates a wide variety of by-products derived from green coffee processing (pulp, mucilage, parchment, and husk) and roasting (silverskin and spent coffee grounds). All these fractions are simply discarded, despite their high potential value. Given their polysaccharide-rich composition, along with [...] Read more.
The coffee industry generates a wide variety of by-products derived from green coffee processing (pulp, mucilage, parchment, and husk) and roasting (silverskin and spent coffee grounds). All these fractions are simply discarded, despite their high potential value. Given their polysaccharide-rich composition, along with a significant number of other active biomolecules, coffee by-products are being considered for use in the production of plastics, in line with the notion of the circular economy. This review highlights the chemical composition of coffee by-products and their fractionation, evaluating their potential for use either as polymeric matrices or additives for developing plastic materials. Coffee by-product-derived molecules can confer antioxidant and antimicrobial activities upon plastic materials, as well as surface hydrophobicity, gas impermeability, and increased mechanical resistance, suitable for the development of active food packaging. Overall, this review aims to identify sustainable and eco-friendly strategies for valorizing coffee by-products while offering suitable raw materials for biodegradable plastic formulations, emphasizing their application in the food packaging sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry)
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19 pages, 634 KiB  
Review
Fighting Iron-Deficiency Anemia: Innovations in Food Fortificants and Biofortification Strategies
by Ângela Liberal, José Pinela, Ana Maria Vívar-Quintana, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira and Lillian Barros
Foods 2020, 9(12), 1871; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/foods9121871 - 15 Dec 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 12063
Abstract
Iron deficiency remains one of the main nutritional disorders worldwide and low iron intake and/or bioavailability are currently the major causes of anemia. To fight this public health problem, the scientific challenge is to find an iron form with sufficient bioavailability to increase [...] Read more.
Iron deficiency remains one of the main nutritional disorders worldwide and low iron intake and/or bioavailability are currently the major causes of anemia. To fight this public health problem, the scientific challenge is to find an iron form with sufficient bioavailability to increase its levels in humans through food fortification. In turn, biofortification appears as a comparatively advantageous and bearable strategy for the delivery of vitamins and other micronutrients for people without access to a healthy and diverse diet. This approach relies on plant breeding, transgenic techniques, or agronomic practices to obtain a final food product with a higher iron content. It is also known that certain food constituents are able to favor or inhibit iron absorption. The management of these compounds can thus successfully improve the absorption of dietary iron and, ultimately, contribute to fight this disorder present all over the world. This review describes the main causes/manifestations of iron-deficiency anemia, forms of disease prevention and treatment, and the importance of a balanced and preventive diet. A special focus was given to innovative food fortification and biofortification procedures used to improve the iron content in staple food crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviews on Food Physics and Food (Bio)Chemistry)
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