Food and Beverages Containing Algae and Derived Ingredients Launched in the Market from 2015 to 2019: A Front-of-Pack Labeling Perspective with a Special Focus on Spain

Bioprospection of the Antarctic Diatoms Craspedostauros ineffabilis IMA082A and Craspedostauros zucchelli IMA088A

In extreme environments such as Antarctica, a diverse range of organisms, including diatoms, serve as essential reservoirs of distinctive bioactive compounds with significant implications in pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and biotechnological fields. This is the case of the new species Craspedostauros ineffabilis IMA082A and Craspedostauros zucchellii IMA088A Trentin, Moschin, Lopes, Custódio and Moro (Bacillariophyta) that are here explored for the first time for possible biotechnological applications. For this purpose, a bioprospection approach was applied by preparing organic extracts (acetone and methanol) from freeze-dried biomass followed by the evaluation of their in vitro antioxidant properties and inhibitory activities on enzymes related with Alzheimer's disease (acetylcholinesterase: AChE, butyrylcholinesterase: BChE), Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM, α-glucosidase, α-amylase), obesity (lipase) and hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase). Extracts were then profiled by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-HR-MS/MS), while the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were established by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results highlighted strong copper chelating activity of the acetone extract from C. ineffabilis and moderate to high inhibitory activities on AChE, BChE, α-amylase and lipase for extracts from both species. The results of the chemical analysis indicated polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and their derivatives as the possible compounds responsible for the observed activities. The FAME profile showed saturated fatty acids (SFA) as the main group and methyl palmitoleate (C16:1) as the predominant FAME in both species. Overall, our results suggest both Antarctic strains as potential sources of interesting molecules with industrial applications. Further studies aiming to investigate unidentified metabolites and to maximize growth yield and natural compound production are required.

Microplastics - A major contaminant in marine macro algal population: Review

Microplastics (MPs) are a significant concern in this modern environment, and the marine environment is a sink for them now. Researchers have taken an interest in marine microplastic studies recently, which has opened the door to research in macroalgae and microalgae. Macroalgae are the primary producers in maritime ecosystems and are economically significant. This review aimed to identify the microplastic interactions with marine macroalgae and the impacts of microplastics on macroalgae based on existing literature while also recognizing knowledge gaps. MPs were mostly fibers and polymers with notable production and application levels; their abundance differed among species. More MPs were found in filamentous species than in other types. The results of this study indicated that, in maritime environments, macroalgae contribute to MP biomagnification and bioaccumulation. Adequate studies are needed to fill the research gaps in this area of MPs in macroalgae and their effects.

Sustainable Nonfarm Approaches to Achieve Zero Hunger and Its Unveiled Reality

Millions of people worldwide are deprived of sufficient, safe, and nutritious food required for an everyday and healthy life. The hunger crisis is worsening over time, even though many attempts have been made to minimize it. Increasing world population and competition for natural resources, climate change, natural disasters, urbanization, poverty, and illiteracy are the main causes that need to be addressed to reduce the hunger crisis. Various nonfarm technologies are being used to eradicate hunger but their long-term impact on the environment should also be considered. The real sustainability of several novel technologies being implemented to deal with hunger is an issue to tackle. This paper discusses the potential applications of storage facilities, underutilized crops, waste valorization, food preservation, nutritionally enriched novel food products, and technological advancement in food processing to achieve zero hunger. An attempt has also been made to address the sustainability of various nonfarm technology utilized to minimize the global hunger crisis.

Protein Quality and Protein Digestibility of Vegetable Creams Reformulated with Microalgae Inclusion

Microalgae are considered a valuable source of proteins that are used to enhance the nutritional value of foods. In this study, a standard vegetable cream recipe was reformulated through the addition of single-cell ingredients from Arthrospira platensis (spirulina), Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraselmis chui, or Nannochloropsis oceanica at two levels of addition (1.5% and 3.0%). The impact of microalgae species and an addition level on the amino acid profile and protein in vitro digestibility of the vegetable creams was investigated. The addition of microalgae to vegetable creams improved the protein content and the amino acid nutritional profile of vegetable creams, whereas no significant differences were observed in protein digestibility, regardless of the species and level of addition, indicating a similar degree of protein digestibility in microalgae species despite differences in their protein content and amino acid profile. This study indicates that the incorporation of microalgae is a feasible strategy to increase the protein content and nutritional quality of foods.

Algae as Nutritional and Functional Food Sources

Algae are a large and diverse group of autotrophic eukaryotic and photosynthetic aquatic organisms [...].

Advancing quantification methods for polyphenols in brown seaweeds-applying a selective qNMR method compared with the TPC assay

INTRODUCTION

Brown seaweeds are a sustainable biomass with a potential for various industrial applications. Polyphenols are an important contributor to this potential.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was total quantification of polyphenols in brown seaweeds from different tidal zones, using a selective 1 H quantitative NMR (qNMR) method, comparing the results with the colorimetric Folin-Ciocalteu total phenolic content (TPC) assay.

METHOD

qNMR was performed with integration of selected peaks in the aromatic region (7-5.5 ppm). Deselection of non-polyphenolic 1 H signals was based on information from 2D (1 H-13 C, 1 H-15 N) NMR spectra. 13 C NMR phlorotannin characterisation facilitated the average number of protons expected to be found per aromatic ring used for the 1 H quantification.

RESULTS

Selective qNMR and the TPC assay showed similar results for the three sublittoral growing species from the Laminariaceae; lower amounts for Laminaria hyperborea and Laminaria digitata (qNMR: 0.4%-0.6%; TPC: 0.6%-0.8%, phloroglucinol equivalents (PGE), dry weight (DW)) and higher amounts for Saccharina latissima (qNMR: 1.2%; TPC: 1.5%, PGE, DW). For the eulittoral Fucaceae, Fucus vesiculosus (qNMR: 1.1%; TPC: 4.1%; PGE, DW) and Ascophyllum nodosum (qNMR: 0.9%; TPC: 2.0%; PGE, DW), the TPC results were found to be up to three times higher than the qNMR results. The 13 C NMR characterisation showed the highest phlorotannin polymerisation degree for F. vesiculosus.

CONCLUSION

The TPC assay provided similar polyphenolic amounts to the selective qNMR method for sublittoral species. For eulittoral growing species, the TPC method showed amounts up to three times higher than the qNMR method-most likely illustrating the lack of selectivity in the TPC assay.

On-the-Pack Voluntary Well-Being Messaging for Milks Targeting Chinese Older Adults: A Content Analysis

China is experiencing severe population aging. Given that milks targeting older adults are one of the most popular foods designed for Chinese older adults (COA), this study investigated on-the-pack (OTP) voluntary well-being messaging (VWM, ways of communicating a product's broad well-being benefits through information on food content or statements linked to favourable components, functions, or well-being outcomes) for milk targeting COA. Over 200 products identified from two sources (JD.com and Mintel's global new products database), were analysed for type, content, and VWM frequency for different brand origins and milk sources of various animal species, nutrition claim regulation compliance and alignment with nutrition facts. The results suggested: (1) different brand origins (domestic vs. international) and milk source (cow vs. goat) highlighted different well-being aspects of products, (2) three products failed to comply with government regulations made for nutrition labelling of pre-packed foods (GB 28050-2011), but (3) excepting fat, all 'contains' claims and most 'high' claims did not reflect significantly greater levels of nutrients, compared to products with no claims. The findings create a comprehensive picture of OTP VWM for milks targeting older adults in China, providing useful information for consumer, domestic, and international dairy industries, and policymakers.

Algae as Food in Europe: An Overview of Species Diversity and Their Application

Algae have been consumed for millennia in several parts of the world as food, food supplements, and additives, due to their unique organoleptic properties and nutritional and health benefits. Algae are sustainable sources of proteins, minerals, and fiber, with well-balanced essential amino acids, pigments, and fatty acids, among other relevant metabolites for human nutrition. This review covers the historical consumption of algae in Europe, developments in the current European market, challenges when introducing new species to the market, bottlenecks in production technology, consumer acceptance, and legislation. The current algae species that are consumed and commercialized in Europe were investigated, according to their status under the European Union (EU) Novel Food legislation, along with the market perspectives in terms of the current research and development initiatives, while evaluating the interest and potential in the European market. The regular consumption of more than 150 algae species was identified, of which only 20% are approved under the EU Novel Food legislation, which demonstrates that the current legislation is not broad enough and requires an urgent update. Finally, the potential of the European algae market growth was indicated by the analysis of the trends in research, technological advances, and market initiatives to promote algae commercialization and consumption.

Meat alternatives: A proofed commodity?

The demand for meat alternatives has been growing in the recent years and it is expected to keep expanding. Motives driving this growth are diverse and are mostly related to the health and ethical concerns over animal welfare and the possible impact of meat production on the environment. Meat alternatives are not anymore a niche market (i.e., vegetarians and vegans) but going mainstream (also consumed by meat eaters and flexitarians). This can be attributed to advances in formulations and ingredients and innovative technologies resulting in improved quality of products. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge about meat alternatives (from plant, fungi or/and algae). Plant-based alternatives are already a proofed commodity with a wide range of products available in the market. The search for more sustainable sources had put the spotlight on other sources such as fungi and algae due to their limited need to land, energy and water for biomass production. Fungi-based alternatives are steps ahead of those algae-based owing to fungi neutral flavor, comparable nutritional profile to meat and no need to masking agents. Consumer acceptance is still a key challenge boosting research and development efforts to ensure a better quality, affordability, and sustainability.

Vegan Egg: A Future-Proof Food Ingredient?

Vegan eggs are designed with the aim to provide a healthier and more sustainable alternative to regular eggs. The major drivers of this industry are the increasing prevalence of egg allergies, awareness towards environmental sustainability, and the shift to vegan diets. This study intends to discuss, for the first time, the vegan egg market, including their formulation, nutritional aspects, and some applications (i.e., mayonnaise and bakery products). Recreating the complete functionality of eggs using plant-based ingredients is very challenging due to the complexity of eggs. Current, but scarce, research in this field is focused on making mixtures of plant-based ingredients to fit specific food formulations. Nutritionally, providing vegan eggs with similar or higher nutritional value to that of eggs can be of relevance to attract health-conscious consumers. Claims such as clean labels, natural, vegan, animal-free, gluten-free, and/or cholesterol-free can further boost the position of vegan eggs in the market in the coming year. At present, this market is still in its infancy stages, and clear regulations of labeling, safety, and risk assessment are deemed mandatory to organize the sector, and protect consumers.

Development of High-Protein Vegetable Creams by Using Single-Cell Ingredients from Some Microalgae Species

The aim of this paper was to develop high-protein vegetable creams through the incorporation of microalgae. Single-cell ingredients from Arthrospiraplatensis (spirulina), Chlorella vulgaris, Tetraselmis chui, and Nannochloropsis oceanica were incorporated at two levels of addition (1.5% and 3.0%) to a standard vegetable cream (STD). Effects of incorporation were assessed in terms of physicochemical and rheological attributes as well as nutritional labeling facts. Creams formulated with 3% A. platensis, N. oceanica, or T. chui showed strong color differences (6 < ΔE < 12) compared to STD; creams formulated with 1.5% A. platensis, T. chui, or N. oceanica showed perceptible differences (3 < ΔE < 6); and those made with C. vulgaris at 1.5 and 3% exhibited small differences (ΔE < 2). Moisture content, water activity, pH, syneresis, and °Brix did not show significant changes. Adding microalgae increased Bostwick consistency and decreased the consistency coefficient (K) except in creams made with A. platensis, which showed comparable values to STD. Principal component analysis indicated that creams made with 1.5% C. vulgaris were the most similar to STD considering all evaluated parameters. Estimation of the nutritional labeling facts showed that the four formulations could be labeled as having "high protein content" following the present EU legislation.

Chlorella vulgaris functional alcoholic beverage: Effect on propagation of cortical spreading depression and functional properties

Recent advances in microalgae biotechnology have proven that these microorganisms contain a number of bioactive molecules, that can be used as food additives that help prevent disease. The green microalga Chlorella vulgaris presents several biomolecules, such as lutein and astaxanthin, with antioxidant capacity, which can play a protective role in tissues. In this study, we produced and analyzed a C. vulgaris functional alcoholic beverage (produced using a traditional Brazilian alcoholic beverage, cachaça, and C. vulgaris biomass). Assays were conducted in vitro by radical scavenging tests, and in vivo, by modeling cortical spreading depression in rat brains. Scavenging radical assays showed that consumption of the C. vulgaris alcoholic beverage had a DPPH inhibition of 77.2%. This functional alcoholic beverage at a concentration of 12.5 g L^-1 significantly improved cortical spreading depression velocity in the rat brains (2.89 mm min^-1), when compared with cachaça alone (3.68 mm min^-1) and control (distilled water; 3.25 mm min^-1). Moreover, animals that consumed the functional beverage gained less weight than those that consumed just alcohol and the control groups. These findings suggest that the C. vulgaris functional alcoholic beverage plays a protective physiologic role in protecting brain cells from the effects of drinking ethanol.

Advances in Extraction Methods to Recover Added-Value Compounds from Seaweeds: Sustainability and Functionality

Seaweeds are a renewable natural source of valuable macro and micronutrients that have attracted the attention of the scientists in the last years. Their medicinal properties were already recognized in the ancient traditional Chinese medicine, but only recently there has been a considerable increase in the study of these organisms in attempts to demonstrate their health benefits. The extraction process and conditions to be used for the obtention of value-added compounds from seaweeds depends mainly on the desired final product. Thermochemical conversion of seaweeds, using high temperatures and solvents (including water), to obtain high-value products with more potential applications continues to be an industrial practice, frequently with adverse impact on the environment and products’ functionality. However more recently, alternative methods and approaches have been suggested, searching not only to improve the process performance, but also to be less harmful for the environment. A biorefinery approach display a valuable idea of solving economic and environmental drawbacks, enabling less residues production close to the much recommended zero waste system. The aim of this work is to report about the new developed methods of seaweeds extractions and the potential application of the components extracted.