Hebert Jair Barrales-Cureño

Marine-derived edible biopolymer coatings are increasingly investigated for seafood preservation, yet their reported performance remains difficult to compare because polymer characteristics, coating formation, interfacial behavior, and preservation outcomes are frequently evaluated independently. This critical narrative review synthesizes literature published primarily from January 2016 to June 2026, while retaining earlier foundational studies when mechanistically relevant. Collagen, gelatin, chitosan, alginate, carrageenan, and emerging marine-derived materials are examined through a structure–property–interface–performance framework that distinguishes evidence from isolated polymers, preformed films, model substrates, and coatings applied directly to seafood. The available evidence shows that polymer identity and dry-film properties alone do not reliably predict coating performance on moist seafood surfaces. Molecular characteristics, solution rheology, wettability, spreading, adhesion, hydration stability, coating continuity, and active-compound retention and release jointly determine preservation efficacy. Direct seafood studies demonstrate meaningful shelf-life extensions in selected systems, but remain highly heterogeneous and frequently lack quantitative characterization of coating thickness, adhesion, interfacial stability, and release behavior. Evidence is concentrated mainly in refrigerated fish and crustaceans, whereas mollusks, cephalopods, processed aquatic products, frozen systems, and pilot-scale applications remain underrepresented. Future progress requires standardized molecular and formulation reporting, direct quantitative characterization of the coating–seafood interface, integrated microbiological, oxidative, physicochemical, and sensory validation, and demonstration of safety, scalability, economic feasibility, and environmental benefit.

Food safety systems are undergoing a profound and urgent transformation, shifting from traditional end-product inspection models toward integrated, preventive, and predictive approaches supported by digital, genomic and data-driven technologies. Conventional frameworks face increasing limitations in the context of globalized supply chains, climate variability, emerging hazards, and growing sustainability demands. This structured narrative review critically examines the technological and governance trends driving the transition toward digital and predictive food safety systems, with particular emphasis on their implications for sustainability. Key enabling technologies (including artificial intelligence (AI), whole-genome sequencing (WGS), Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring, blockchain-enabled traceability, and predictive analytics) are analyzed in terms of their capacity to enhance early hazard detection, real-time surveillance, and risk anticipation across the food supply chain. Beyond a descriptive overview, this review integrates technological, regulatory, and governance dimensions to identify convergence points, implementation barriers, and sustainability trade-offs, with particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises and low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, a four-level Digital Maturity Framework is proposed to conceptualize progressive stages of technological integration, providing a structured pathway for the evolution from reactive to predictive food safety systems. While digital and predictive approaches offer significant potential to reduce food losses, improve transparency, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making, their effective implementation remains constrained by infrastructure gaps, data governance challenges, regulatory fragmentation, and unequal access to digital capabilities. Achieving resilient and sustainability-oriented food safety systems will therefore require coordinated innovation, regulatory harmonization, and inclusive digital transformation strategies.

Vanilla (Vanilla spp.) belongs to the Orchidaceae family and is native to Mexico and Central America. Currently, vanilla is one of the most sought-after and expensive plants in the culinary and soft drink industries. Vanilla is the pod of a tropical, aromatic, terrestrial climbing orchid. The Vanilla genus includes species that produce edible fruits. Vanilla is classified as a flavoring spice and, along with saffron (safranin) and cardamom, is the third most expensive spice in the world. and is the second most important natural flavoring in the food industry. A ton of gourmet vanilla costs $4,000,000 pesos, and extracted vanilla ranges from $3,500,000 pesos per ton. Vanilla production is labor intensive. The flowers are pollinated by hand and grow for more than six years on family plantations and are harvested once a year. Vanillin has uses in the medical field for its anticarcinogenic and anticlastogenic properties (prevention of chromosome breakage or damage). Natural vanillin (obtained from the pods), as well as synthetic vanillin, are mainly used in the food industry and in perfumery. Significantly, despite the low price of synthetic vanillin compared to natural vanillin, consumers prefer the latter. Therefore, the objectives of this review are: to mention the origin, type of pollination, pests, curing, uses, natural conservation, phenotypic characteristics, national and global production, as well as the chemical composition characteristics of vanilla.

Wheat bran (WB) is a rich source of phenolic compounds (PCs) with antioxidant capacity (AOX). Approximately 90% of these PCs are bound to the cell wall matrix, which limits their bioavailability. Fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an effective strategy to release these bound phenolics. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fermentation on the release of bound PCs in WB and their AOX during an in vitro digestion system. WB was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 2, 4, and 6 days and subsequently subjected to simulated digestion. Free PCs were extracted with methanol, while bound PCs were obtained through alkaline hydrolysis. Total PCs were quantified using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, and AOX was assessed through DPPH, TEAC, and FRAP assays. The content of bound PCs significantly increased after fermentation (p < 0.05): 30.24 ± 0.06 mg GAE/g (day 2), 27.18 ± 0.40 mg GAE/g (day 4), and 28.41 ± 0.40 mg GAE/g (day 6), compared with unfermented WB (7.7 ± 0.21 mg GAE/g) (p < 0.05). AOX was notably enhanced; DPPH reached its peak on day 4 (47.38 ± 0.07 µmol TE/g) (p < 0.05). TEAC was highest on day 2 (26.20 ± 0.43 µmol TE/g) compared with the control (20.14 ± 0.22 µmol TE/g) (p < 0.05) and FRAP showed a slight improvement on day 6 (57.38 ± 0.10 µmol TE/g) relative to the control (56.22 ± 0.13 µmol TE/g) (p < 0.05). Fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae promotes the release of bound PCs in WB and enhances its AOX, highlighting its potential as a functional food ingredient.

La producción de berries a nivel internacional es de gran importancia por su rentabilidad económica. En el año 2020, se obtuvo una producción de 555,514 ton con un valor económico de $10,720,443.96. Los principales Estados productores de fresa son Michoacán, Baja California y Guanajuato. A nivel mundial, se cultiva principalmente en China, Estados Unidos de América, España y México, seguidos de Turquía, Egipto, República de Corea, Japón, Polonia y Rusia. La fresa sirve como fuente de nutrientes esenciales y fitoquímicos tales como antocianinas y elagitaninos. Actualmente, existe una plaga que acecha a los cultivos de frutillas, entre ellos la fresa. Esta enfermedad de la plaga se conoce como “secadera” ocasionada por el hongo Neopestalotiopsis. En el presente trabajo se menciona la importancia de la fresa y la plaga del hongo que ocasiona pérdidas del 100%.

Spinach belongs to the taxonomic family Amaranthaceae. It is an annual, fast-growing leafy vegetable considered to havehigh nutritional value. Its international production according to FAO estimates was 14 million tons, with China being thefirst producer (85%), followed by the United States (2.6%), Japan (2.2%) and Turkey (1.6%); while, in Mexico, in 2020 it was49,313 tons (+27.3% compared to 2019) obtained from 2,853 ha harvested (+16.6%), so the national average yield was 17.3ton/ha ( +9.2%). The main phytochemical constituents of spinach predominantly associated with the quality of spinach aretotal flavonoids, total phenolics and total carotenoids, due to their antioxidant activity (Bergquist, 2006). Its valuablemedicinal properties include anticancer, antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anticancer, antibacterial,hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, and suppressors of the Central Nervous System. The present work is a review on theorigin, medicinal properties, agronomic profile, profile of biosynthesized primary and secondary metabolites, in vitro cultureof Spinacea oleracea and data on the phytochemical composition of the secondary metabolites of spinach detected byanalytical techniques

Fish represent one of the most perishable food groups. Therefore, it is important to find viable alternatives that contribute to the preservation of quality and increase the shelf life of fishery products, and one alternative is to use natural extracts with antimicrobial activity. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a natural extract prepared with garlic (NGE) on the quality and shelf life of tilapia fillets stored on ice for 18 days. For this purpose, NGE was prepared by homogenizing peeled garlic cloves with distilled water, which were then centrifuged to obtain the extract (NGE); then, the fish fillets were immersed in the extract and were coated in NGE. The fillets with NGE were packed in high-density polyethylene bags and stored in crushed ice for 18 days. The adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) and degradation products, K-value, color, texture, water holding capacity, pH, total mesophilic count, and total volatile bases (TVB-N) were monitored during storage. The ATP content, K-value, pH, total microbial count, and TVB-N changed with respect to ice storage time, and the results between fillets with NGE and control fillets differed. In conclusion, the application of NGE increased the shelf life of fillets stored on ice by 6 days, obtaining a shelf life of 18 days on ice, which shows its potential to improve the utilization of the species.