Giusy Rita Caponio, Fabio Minervini, Grazia Tamma
et al.
Grapes, particularly the species Vitis vinifera L., are one of the most widely grown crops in the world. Winemaking processes generate a high amount of residues, which currently pose an environmental and economic sustainability problem for companies in the sector. For this reason, solutions are being explored for the development of new products with high-added value derived from the valorization of these residues. One of the wastes produced by winemaking processes is grape pomace, which chemical composition is promising because it is rich in compounds with high antioxidant activity, such as polyphenols (anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols, procyanidins), phenolic acids, resveratrol, and fiber. Commonly grape pomace is used to produce distillates and to extract tartaric acid and coloring substances such as enocyanin. Recently, alternative uses of grape pomace have been adopted, such as the production of extracts with antioxidant properties, fermentation substrates, composting and biomass for energy production, and fiber extraction for the development of high-value-added products enriched with bioactive molecules from grape pomace. Here, we discuss how bioactive molecules from grape pomace are involved in various human biological functions and their applications in the agri-food sector.
Gengning Chen, Yasmina Sultanbawa, Nyoman D. Kurniawan
ABSTRACT In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been applied to non‐destructively study tissue changes during fruit development. In this study, MRI was utilized to investigate the structural characteristics of the fruit of Pleiogynium timoriense (Burdekin plum) at four development stages. Fruits were imaged using structural, relaxation, and diffusion MRI acquisition protocols at 9.4T. Results showed that MR images can differentiate major fruit tissues including mesocarp, endocarp, and seeds. Diffusion tensor imaging was able to visualize the water transportation pathways of the fruit. Quantitative imaging results showed that T1, T2, T2*, and ADC maps obtained by MRI reflected the structural differences between major fruit tissues (mesocarp, endocarp, seeds). Their values changed during fruit development, especially during the early stages. T1, T2, T2*, and ADC of endocarp and seed reduced significantly ( p < 0.05) from stage 1 to stage 2, while that of mesocarp increased significantly ( p < 0.05) from stage 1 to stage 2. Principle component analysis showed that T1 changes in mesocarp were correlated to the water content, and T2 changes were correlated to the ADC. This study confirms the utility of MRI for measuring tissue changes non‐invasively in Burdekin plum fruit development.
Technological advances result in new traceability configurations that, however, cannot always secure transparency and food safety. Even in cases where a system guarantees transparency, the actual consumer involvement and a real consumer-based perspective cannot always be ensured. The importance of such consumer centricity is vital, since it is strongly associated with effective supply chains that properly fulfil their end-users’ needs and requests. Thus, the objective of this paper was to explore the level of consumer centricity in food supply chains under a traceability system. The methodological approach employed a framework of two studies validating subsequently a similar set of variables, using initially consumers data and then supply chain actors data. The supply chain of sustainable tomato was selected to design the studies. The level of agreement between datasets suggested the level of the supply chain consumer centricity. Findings showed health, trust, quality, nutrition, and safety-related values to be significant for the consumers towards accepting a traceability system. The supply chain actors also accepted a traceability system based on the fact that their customers’ needs rely on the exact same beliefs, indicating a high level of consumer centricity. The current work underlines the magnitude of consumer centricity in food supply chains and provides an easy and straightforward framework for its exploration. Key implications suggest the design of more effective supply chain and consumer-based strategies for the food industry. Policymakers could also adopt the concept of consumer centricity to further improve the food industry.
Objective: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are well researched chemicals in foods that have been found to exhibit mutagenic and carcinogenic potentials. This study examined available literature on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods, sources, effects and remediation. Methods: Available literature on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in foods, sources, effects and remediation was critically reviewed. Results: The review showed that carcinogenicity of PAHs varies from the potent to moderately carcinogenic PAHs which include 3-methylcholanthrene, Benzo[a]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, 5-methylchrysene, and dibenz[a,j]anthracene, whereas benzo[e]pyrene, dibenz[a,c]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[c]phenanthrene and fluoranthene are relatively weak or inactive carcinogens. Cooking processes have been found to be a major source of PAHs in foods. Although, PAHs can also be formed during curing and processing of raw food prior to cooking, several researchers in recent years have shown that the major dietary sources of PAHs are fish and meat especially where there is high consumption of meat cooked over an open flame. Several procedures and methods have been developed recently to assess and detect PAHs in foods and more recently, bio-monitoring procedures have also been developed to assess human exposure to PAHs. Numerous organizations such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IACR), the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF), the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have been involved in evaluating the occurrence and toxicity of PAHs. Conclusion: Conclusively, taking into consideration the sources of PAHs generation, adequate process and quality control of the processed foods could be a veritable mean to reduce PAHs ingestion in foods.