Impact of cold plasma on the techno-functional and sensory properties of whey dairy beverage added with xylooligosaccharide

Recent updates of probiotic dairy-based beverages

There is a rapid paradigm shift in the food consumption habits of consumers globally. The interest in healthier, safer, minimally processed and nature-identical foods is the driving force of this paradigm shift. Although the roots of this consumer trend go back further, especially the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the acceleration of this process. The effects of probiotics on human health have been known for many years. The commercial success of some probiotic microorganism strains, supported by clinical studies, is also evident. Probiotic microorganisms can be found in commercial products in a wide range of forms including powder, tablets or incorporated into liquid or solid food matrices. Milk and dairy products are suitable vehicles for the delivery of probiotics into the human body. Apart from well-established dairy-based probiotic foods including yogurt and yogurt-type beverages, in recent years some dairy products supplemented or enhanced with postbiotics and paraprobiotics are gaining popularity. The incorporation of next-generation probiotics in probiotic beverage formulations has also attracted the attention of researchers. The current state-of-the art for the utilization of next-generation probiotics, postbiotics and paraprobiotics in dairy-based probiotic beverages is the main focus of this review. Conventional milk-, whey- and buttermilk-based probiotic beverages are also covered.

Cold Plasma-Induced Modulation of Protein and Lipid Macromolecules: A Review

Nowadays, the food industry is prioritizing many innovative processing technologies that can produce minimally processed foods with superior and higher quality, lower costs, and faster operations. Among these advancements, cold plasma (CP) processing stands out for its remarkable capabilities in food preservation and extending the shelf life. Beyond its established role in microbial inactivation, CP has emerged as a transformative tool for modifying food biomolecules through reactive plasma species, addressing the versatile requirements of food industries for various applications. This review focuses on the interactions between reactive plasma species and essential food macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. The novelty lies in its detailed examination of how CP technology triggers structural, functional, and biochemical changes in proteins and lipids and explains the mechanisms involved. It connects fundamental molecular transformations to practical applications, such as enhanced protein functionality, lipid stabilization, and improved oxidative resistance. CP induces alterations in protein structure, especially in amino acid configurations, that can be applicable to the formulation of advanced gel, 3D printing, thermostable emulsions, enhanced solubility, and sensory materials. This review explores the ability of CP to modify protein allergenicity, its different effects on the mechanical and interfacial properties of proteins, and its role in the production of trans-fat-free oils. Despite its potential, a detailed understanding of the mechanism of CP's interactions with food macromolecules is also discussed. Furthermore, this review addresses key challenges and outlines future research opportunities, positioning CP as a sustainable and adaptable approach for innovating next-generation food systems. Further research is crucial to fully understand the potential of CP for food processing, followed by product development.

Recent developments in xylooligosaccharides: Sustainable production, characterization, beneficial properties and applications

Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are functional oligosaccharides with prebiotic activity, offering exceptional nutritional and health benefits and a wide range of applications. The increasing market demand for healthy products has driven interest in XOS, as they are low-dose prebiotics with high added value, fostering developments in their production. In a sustainable production context, XOS can be obtained from low-cost lignocellulosic raw materials, which require adapted pretreatment techniques to produce high-quality XOS with high process efficiency. One- and two-step methodologies are discussed in terms of increasing XOS production while aiming to limit the co-production of toxic compounds. Autohydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis with xylanases stand out as a promising technology for XOS production with high yields. Purification and characterization methodologies are also two important steps to achieve mixtures of XOS with high purity, specific degree of polymerization and substitution to improve their beneficial properties and, consequently, their applications. This review presents the potential of XOS as prebiotics, describing the recent technological production routes, along with advancements in the development of new production processes using alternative substrates, as well as the beneficial effects of their consumption, addressing their latest applications that justify the pursuit of their consolidation in the industrial prebiotic market.

Enzymatic production of xylooligosaccharide from lignocellulosic and marine biomass: A review of current progress, challenges, and its applications in food sectors

Over the last decade, xylooligosaccharides (XOS) have attracted great attentions because of their unique chemical properties and excellent prebiotic effects. Among the current strategies for XOS production, enzymatic hydrolysis is preferred due to its green and safe process, simplicity in equipment, and high control of the degrees of polymerization. This paper comprehensively summarizes various lignocellulosic biomass and marine biomass employed in enzymatic production of XOS. The importance and advantages of enzyme immobilization in XOS production are also discussed. Many novel immobilization techniques for xylanase are presented. In addition, bioinformatics techniques for the mining and designing of new xylanase are also described. Moreover, XOS has exhibited great potential applications in the food industry as diverse roles, such as a sugar replacer, a fat replacer, and cryoprotectant. This review systematically summarizes the current research progress on the applications of XOS in food sectors, including beverages, bakery products, dairy products, meat products, aquatic products, food packaging film, wall materials, and others. It is anticipated that this paper will act as a reference for the further development and application of XOS in food sectors and other fields.

Evaluating the galactooligosaccharide stability in chocolate milk beverage submitted to ohmic heating

Among the emerging prebiotics, galactooligosaccharide (GOS) has a remarkable value with health-promoting properties confirmed by several studies. In addition, the application of ohmic heating has been gaining prominence in food processing, due to its various technological and nutritional benefits. This study focuses on the transformative potential of ohmic heating processing (OH, voltage values 30 and 60 V, frequencies 100, 300, and 500 Hz, respectively) in prebiotic chocolate milk beverage (3.0 %w/v galactooligosaccharide) processing. Chemical stability of GOS was assessed along all the ohmic conditions. In addition, microbiological analysis (predictive modeling), physical analysis (color and rheology), thermal load indicators assessment, bioactivity values, and volatile compound was performed. HPAEC-PAD analysis confirmed GOS stability and volatile compound evaluation supported OH's ability to preserve flavor-associated compounds. Besides, OH treatments demonstrated superior microbial reduction and decreased thermal load indicators as well as the assessment of the bioactivity. In conclusion, OH presented was able to preserve the GOS chemical stability on chocolate milk beverages processing with positive effects of the intrinsic quality parameters of the product.

Quality and antioxidant activity of dandelion root infusions as affected by cold plasma pretreatment

Ground and unground dandelion roots were subjected to dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (DBDCP) at 40 kV for 0 (control), 10, or 20 min. Then, infusions of the pretreated dandelion roots in water were prepared, and the changes in color, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and sensory properties were investigated. The 20-min pretreatment increased the b* value, TPC, antioxidant activity, and sage odor of the ground dandelion root infusions compared with the control, whereas decreases in the TPC, antioxidant activity, and sage odor were noted in the 10-min pretreated infusions of the unground roots. DBDCP pretreatment did not affect the overall likeliness of infusions of ground and unground roots. In addition, the TPC, antioxidant activity, and overall likeliness of infusions of the ground dandelion roots were higher than those of the unground samples. In conclusion, it can be said that the DBDCP pretreatment can be utilized to improve the TPC and antioxidant activity of ground dandelion roots.

Coconut milk treated by atmospheric cold plasma: Effect on quality and stability

Commercial sterilization plays an important role in extending the shelf-life of coconut milk. However, thermal sterilization affects the quality of coconut milk. This study was initiated to evaluate the effects of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) treatment on some important quality parameters of coconut milk. ACP treatment had a slight effect on physicochemical characteristics and nutritional ingredients while it obviously reduced the colony count. Furthermore, ACP treatment obviously promoted the formation of lactone, an indispensable volatile substance in coconut milk. Insufficient or moderate ACP treatment had subtle effect on the sensory quality. Notably, moderate ACP treatment reduced the droplet size from 28.0 μm to 18.6 μm, and improved the stability during storage and centrifugation, especially at 60 kV 60 s. Overall, sterilization of coconut milk by ACP at 60 kV 60 s was the most ideal. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the application of ACP in liquid food.

The impact of cold plasma innovative technology on quality and safety of refrigerated hamburger: Analysis of microbial safety and physicochemical properties

Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an innovative non-thermal decontamination technology that is considered a great alternative to conventional preservation methods. Most importantly, improving microbial safety along with maintaining the sensory and quality properties of the treated foods, especially for perishable products. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial effects of novel dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and Jet cold plasma systems and their impact on the physicochemical, color, and sensory properties of refrigerated hamburger samples. In the current study, hamburger samples were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Molds and Yeasts microbial suspension (~10⁶ CFU/mL), and then were treated with argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N), and atmosphere (Atm) gases at different times (s) (0, 30, 60, 90, 180, 360). Similarly, uninoculated samples were considered for total viable count (TVC) testing. The results exhibited that plasma system type, gas type, and treatment time had a significant antimicrobial effect with a microbial reduction ranging from 0.01 to 2 log CFU/g and 0.04-1.5 log CFU/g for DBD and Jet plasma systems, respectively. Also, a treatment time longer than 90 s for DBD and 180 s for jet resulted in a significant reduction in microbial count. The ability of atmospheric cold plasma to inactivate tested foodborne pathogenic bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) was stronger than other gases because the concentration of O₃ and NO gases in atmospheric plasma is higher than other used plasma gases. Surface color measurements (L*, a* and b*) of samples in both methods (DBD and Jet) were not significantly affected. Moreover, samples treated with various plasma gases have indicated insignificant oxidation changes (Thiobarbituric acid assay). These outcomes can assist to reduce microbial contamination and oxidation of hamburgers as a high-consumption and perishable product using ACP technology. Owing to the non-thermal nature of ACP, samples treated with ACP have exhibited no or least effects on the physical, chemical, and sensory features of various food products. As a result, cold plasma innovative technology can be proposed and used as an efficient preservative method to increase the shelf life of food products.

Non-thermal Processing Technologies for Dairy Products: Their Effect on Safety and Quality Characteristics

Thermal treatment has always been the processing method of choice for food treatment in order to make it safe for consumption and to extend its shelf life. Over the past years non-thermal processing technologies are gaining momentum and they have been utilized especially as technological advancements have made upscaling and continuous treatment possible. Additionally, non-thermal treatments are usually environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, hence sustainable. On the other hand, challenges exist; initial cost of some non-thermal processes is high, the microbial inactivation needs to be continuously assessed and verified, application to both to solid and liquid foods is not always available, some organoleptic characteristics might be affected. The combination of thermal and non-thermal processing methods that will produce safe foods with minimal effect on nutrients and quality characteristics, while improving the environmental/energy fingerprint might be more plausible.

The future of functional food: Emerging technologies application on prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics

This review was the first to gather literature about the effect of emerging technologies on probiotic, prebiotic, and postbiotic products. Applying emerging technologies to probiotic products can increase probiotic survival and improve probiotic properties (cholesterol attachment, adhesion to Caco-2 cells, increase angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities, and decrease systolic blood pressure). Furthermore, it can optimize the fermentation process, produce or maintain compounds of interest (bacteriocin, oligosaccharides, peptides, phenolic compounds, flavonoids), improve bioactivity (vitamin, aglycones, calcium), and sensory characteristics. Applying emerging technologies to prebiotic products did not result in prebiotic degradation. Still, it contributed to higher concentrations of bioactive compounds (citric and ascorbic acids, anthocyanin, polyphenols, flavonoids) and health properties (antioxidant activity and inhibition of ACE, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase). Emerging technologies may also be applied to obtain postbiotics with increased health effects. In this way, current studies suggest that emerging food processing technologies enhance the efficiency of probiotics and prebiotics in food. The information provided may help food industries to choose a more suitable technology to process their products and provide a basis for the most used process parameters. Furthermore, the current gaps are discussed. Emerging technologies may be used to process food products resulting in increased probiotic functionality, prebiotic stability, and higher concentrations of bioactive compounds. In addition, they can be used to obtain postbiotic products with improved health effects compared to the conventional heat treatment.

Impact of alkaline electro-activation treatment on physicochemical and functional properties of sweet whey

The impact of alkaline electro-activation (EA) on the protein solubility, foaming, and emulsifying characteristics of whey was investigated. EA caused protein aggregation and conjugation. At low electric current and holding time, proteins aggregation through disulfide bonds was observed, whereas increasing currents and holding times caused proteins to conjugate with sugars such as lactose, lactulose and galactose. The EA process improved the protein solubility at the pH range of 4.0-7.0. Compared to untreated whey, which produced micron-sized and unstable emulsions at pH 3, whey samples treated under 750 mA and 24-48 h holding time formed nano-sized and stable emulsions at this pH. Furthermore, although both untreated and EA-whey produced stable emulsions at pH 7, those emulsions prepared with EA-whey had smaller particle size and were more stable against droplet flocculation. EA-treated whey tended to generate foams with significantly higher overrun and stability. The present study demonstrated that EA can enhance the functionality of whey.