Development of an Abalone 3D Food Printing Ink for the Personalized Senior-Friendly Foods

Beyond Imitation: How Food Colloids Are Shaping the Next Generation of Biomimetic Foods

In the new global landscape of population, environmental, and energy sustainability, the manufacture of future food products that meet human nutritional and health needs is a major challenge. Biomimetic food, as a new type of food, has made significant progress in the use of plant proteins and other ingredients to mimic animal food, and it has also achieved important results in sensory and nutritional properties. In the study of biomimetic foods, food colloids play an irreplaceable role as the key framework for building food structures. In this paper, we first review the recent research progress on food colloids in the fields of biomimetic plant-based food, biomimetic animal-based food and 3D printed biomimetic food. Then, the mechanism of action, application effects, and quality improvement strategies of food colloids are deeply analyzed. Finally, the future research directions and application prospects are envisioned. This paper aims to give theoretical support and practical guidance for the development of biomimetic food through the above elaboration, to deal with the current problems in food development by means of the unique properties of food colloids, and to open up new ideas for the application of food colloids in future food innovation, and then to promote the further development of the field of biomimetic food.

Additive manufacturing technology in the development of easy to swallow and digest foods for the elderly

The ageing of the population is a major challenge for the world. The elderly face a number of functional deteriorations in the body during the ageing process. Among these, swallowing and digestion are the two biggest challenges that elderly individuals face. The individualized, customized, and digitized approach to food processing offered using additive manufacturing technology also referred to as 3D printing technology-makes it particularly well-suited to the production of foods that are easy to swallow and digest for the elderly. The application of 3D food printing technology for producing foods that are easy to swallow and digest for the elderly is examined in this article. Meanwhile, it is discussed using some texture-improving techniques for making foods that are easier for the elderly to swallow. Additionally, the challenges and solutions associated with 3D food printing in the manufacturing of foods for the elderly are explored. Overall, this review offers some insights from material classification for the use of 3D food printing technology in the production of foods that are easy to swallow and digestible food for the elderly.

Recent advance in modification strategies and applications of soy protein gel properties

Soy protein gel can be developed into a variety of products, ranging from traditional food (e.g., tofu) to newly developed food (e.g., soy yogurt and meat analog). So far, efforts are still needed to be made on modifying the gel properties of soy protein for improving its sensory properties as animal protein-based food substitutes. Furthermore, there is always a need to regulate its gel properties for designing novel and tailored products of soy protein gels due to the fast-growing plant protein-based product market. This review gave an emphasis on the latest modification strategies and applications of gel properties of soy protein. The modifying methods of soy protein gel properties were reviewed from an aspect of composition or processing. Compositional modification included changing protein composition and gelling conditions and using additives, whereas processing strategies can be achieved through physical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments. Several compositional modification and processing strategies have been both proven to alter the gel properties of soy protein effectively. So far, soy protein gel has been applied in the field of food and biomedicine. In the future, more mechanistic studies on the modification methods are still needed to facilitate the full application of soy protein gel.

Development and Quality Characteristics of Jangjorim Prepared Using Long-Arm Octopus (Octopus minor) as an Elderly-Friendly Food

We prepared a long-arm octopus Jangjorim prototype (LOJP) by optimizing the ratio of ingredients for seasoning and establishing heat sterilization parameters. The optimal amounts of purified water (2.9-56.6%, A), starch syrup (0.3-37.8%, B), and soy sauce (25.5-71.5%, C) for the production of seasoning soy sauce were obtained using response surface analysis. The LOJP was prepared by combining A, B, and C under the optimal conditions and evaluated for consumer preferences and physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological properties and compared with Korea's legal management standards for geriatric nutrition. The hardness of the LOJP produced using the optimal mixing ratio of purified water (51.2%, 154.0 g), starch syrup (29.3%, 308.0 g), and soy sauce (19.5%, 256.9 g) was 36.7 × 1000 N/m2. This value was lower than the hardness of raw octopus (2153.6 × 1000 N/m2) by 2116.9 × 1000 N/m2. It received the highest score (8.7) in the preference evaluation of older consumers. The LOJP was classified as level 2, allowing consumption through the gums of elderly consumers per Korea's food standards for the elderly. The LOJP was the product highly preferred by elderly consumers with chewing disorders due to its ease of intake and nutritional content.

Development and Quality Characteristics of Elderly-Friendly Pulpo a La Gallega Prepared Using Texture-Modified Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) Arms

Considering the need for developing new senior-friendly processed seafood, this study aimed to develop octopus pulpo with high preference and excellent quality characteristics for elderly individuals by optimizing the vinegar immersion and sous vide softening treatment conditions for octopus (Octopus vulgaris) arms. The optimal sous vide heating temperature (70.0-100.0 °C), time (69.5-170.5 min), and vinegar concentration (0.2-0.8%) were established using response surface methodology (RSM). The pulpo prototype was produced using an octopus arm softened under optimal conditions and seasoned with a potato and olive oil sauce. The physicochemical and nutritional properties of the prototype were evaluated, followed by sensory evaluation and safety assessments. The hardness of softened octopuses obtained by 0.48% vinegar immersion and sous vide treatment (84.3 °C, 139.8 min), determined using RSM, was 394.5 × 1000 N/m2, showing a reduction of 83.0%; this was confirmed by electron microscopic observation. The texture of the pulpo prototype with softened octopus arms showed the highest preference (8.4 points) and high physicochemical and nutritional properties. Overall, the octopus pulpo a La Gallega prototype produced using texture-modified octopus arms was suitable for consumption by elderly people with chewing disorders and could help improve their quality of life.

The Influence of κ-Carrageenan-R-Phycoerythrin Hydrogel on In Vitro Wound Healing and Biological Function

Wound healing is widely recognized as a critical issue impacting the healthcare sector in numerous countries. The application of wound dressings multiple times in such instances can result in tissue damage, thereby increasing the complexity of wound healing. With the aim of tackling this necessity, in the present study, we have formulated a hydrogel using natural polysaccharide κ-carrageenan and phycobiliprotein R-phycoerythrin from Pyropia yezoensis. The formulated hydrogel κ-Carrageenan-R-Phycoerythrin (κ-CRG-R-PE) was analyzed for its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The wound healing potential of the κ-CRG-R-PE was evaluated in Hs27 cells by the wound scratch assay method. The hydrogel showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity and significant antimicrobial activity at 100 μg/mL concentration. κ-CRG-R-PE hydrogels promoted more rapid and complete wound closure than κ-Carrageenan (κ-CRG) hydrogel at 24 and 48 h. κ-CRG-R-PE hydrogels also filled the wound within 48 h of incubation, indicating that they positively affect fibroblast migration and wound healing.

Advances in the Potential Application of 3D Food Printing to Enhance Elderly Nutritional Dietary Intake

The contradiction between the growing demand from consumers for "nutrition & personalized" food and traditional industrialized food production has consistently been a problem in the elderly diet that researchers face and discuss. Three-dimensional (3D) food printing could potentially offer a solution to this problem. This article reviews the recent research on 3D food printing, mainly including the use of different sources of protein to improve the performance of food ink printing, high internal phase emulsion or oleogels as a fat replacement and nutrition delivery system, and functional active ingredients and the nutrition delivery system. In our opinion, 3D food printing is crucial for improving the appetite and dietary intake of the elderly. The critical obstacles of 3D-printed food for the elderly regarding energy supplements, nutrition balance, and even the customization of the recipe in a meal are discussed in this paper. By combining big data and artificial intelligence technology with 3D food printing, comprehensive, personalized, and customized geriatric foods, according to the individual traits of each elderly consumer, will be realized via food raw materials-appearance-processing methods. This article provides a theoretical basis and development direction for future 3D food printing for the elderly.