Nana Adwoa Nkuma Johnson

The rapid evolution of analytical techniques has revolutionized spice quality assessment, offering unprecedented opportunities for ensuring the safety, authenticity, and desirable characteristics of these valuable commodities. This review explores the innovative integration of advanced chromatographic, spectroscopic, sensory and molecular methods, combined with chemometrics and machine learning, to provide a comprehensive and standardized approach to spice analysis. The development of portable, rapid screening devices and the application of cutting-edge technologies, such as hyperspectral imaging, molecular and electronic sensory technologies, and their combined applications with other technologies are discussed in the review. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the importance of global collaboration and the shift toward non-targeted approaches to detect novel adulterants and contaminants. By adopting these innovative strategies, the modern food industry can effectively address the challenges of spice quality control, safeguarding consumer health and maintaining the integrity of these essential ingredients in the global culinary landscape.

Mulberry is renowned for its medicinal properties and bioactive compounds, yet its high moisture content renders it highly perishable and challenging to transport over long distances. This inherent limitation to its shelf life poses sustainability challenges due to potential food waste and the increased carbon footprint associated with transportation. To address this issue sustainably, mulberry vinegar emerges as a biotechnological solution. Utilizing a fermented mixture of crushed mulberries, sugar, and mixed acid, transforms the highly perishable raw material into a more stable product. However, conventional methods of mulberry vinegar production often involve heat-intensive processing, which poses environmental concerns and energy inefficiencies. Recognizing the need for sustainable practices, this review delves into alternative non-thermal technologies (NTTs) that can revolutionize mulberry vinegar production. These technologies, such as ultrasonication, ultra-high-pressure homogenization, pulsed light treatments, enzyme-assisted pretreatment, and membrane filtration, offer eco-friendly alternatives by eliminating the need for excessive heat. NTTs enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in mulberry vinegar production by deactivating the microbes and extending the shelf life, thereby enhancing product stability and quality without using thermal methods. Ultrasonication, for example, plays a pivotal role in improving bioactive compound extraction, contributing to the overall quality enhancement of mulberry juice. Enzyme-assisted pretreatment, specifically with Pectinex Ultra SP-L and Viscozyme L, not only enhances juice quality, but also holds promise for sustainable vinegar production. Furthermore, ultra-high-pressure homogenization and pulsed light treatments positively influence mulberry processing, offering additional sustainable alternatives. Membrane filtration, especially ultrafiltration, not only enhances the phenolic content, but also contributes to stability in mulberry juice, showcasing potential benefits for vinegar production. In conclusion, exploring these NTTs represents a transformative shift from traditional heat treatment methods in mulberry food processing. By providing energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and high-quality alternatives, this review offers valuable insights into sustainable practices, particularly in mulberry vinegar production, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future for the mulberry food industry.

Producing starch gels with superior mechanical attributes remains a challenging pursuit. This research sought to develop a simple method using ethanol exposure to produce robust starch gels. The gels’ mechanical properties, rheology, structural characteristics, and digestion were assessed through textural, rheological, structural, and in vitro digestion analyses. Our investigation revealed an improvement in the gel’s strength from 62.22 to178.82 g. The thermal transitions were accelerated when ethanol was elevated. The exposure to ethanol resulted in a reduction in syneresis from 11% to 9.5% over a period of 6 h, with noticeable changes in size and color. Rheologically, the dominating storage modulus and tan delta (<0.55) emphasized the gel’s improved elasticity. X-ray analysis showed stable B- and V-type patterns after ethanol exposure, with relative crystallinity increasing to 7.9%. Digestibility revealed an ethanol-induced resistance, with resistant starch increasing from 1.87 to 8.73%. In general, the exposure to ethanol played a crucial role in enhancing the mechanical characteristics of kudzu starch gels while simultaneously preserving higher levels of resistant starch fractions. These findings have wide-ranging implications in the fields of confectioneries, desserts, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, underscoring the extensive academic and industrial importance of this study.

To improve the quality of fermented chickpea beverages, a highly nutritious substitute for dairy, the Box-Behnken design and the response surface methodology were used to obtain optimized ultrasonic parameters for producing ultrasound-assisted fermented chickpea beverages. The determining parameters were the lactic acid, reducing sugar content, and the cell viability of the treated product. The most significant parameters obtained were frequency and treatment duration, while power density was relatively insignificant. The optimum fermentation parameters obtained were a treatment start time of 3 h, treatment duration of 80 min, frequency of 27.5 kHz, and power density of 100 W/L with optimum yields of 0.23096 mg/mL, 2.92898 mg/mL, and 0.488189 for reducing sugar, lactic acid, and cell viability index, respectively, with desirability above 0.95. Further analysis of the ultrasound treatment’s effect on the product’s structure showed the ultrasound-assisted fermented chickpea beverage was more structurally stable and homogenous, with even distribution of macromolecules present.

Ultrasound-assisted fermentation is a promising approach for improving food products’ nutritional and sensory qualities. This study compared the effects of ultrasound-assisted fermentation on chickpea-based beverages’ nutritive and sensory components. Proximate, phytochemical, and microstructural data were examined to evaluate the effectiveness of the processing techniques. The processed samples demonstrated significantly higher (p < 0.05) nutritional and sensory outcomes compared to the unfermented sample. The unfermented sample had a total phytochemical level of 55.41 g/mL, whereas the fermented and ultrasound-assisted fermented samples had phytochemical contents of 66.71 and 64.51 µg/mL, respectively. With values of 8.37 ± 0.11 and 7.21 ± 0.06, respectively, on a 9-point hedonic scale, the sensory evaluation revealed that the traditionally fermented sample had a greater acceptability rate than the ultrasound-treated sample. The presence of organic acids in the final product was shown to be significantly impacted by fermentation, with propanoic having the highest concentrations of 1.79 ± 3 × 10^−5a, 5.56 ± 2 × 10^−5b, and 3.50 ± 0.00344^c mg/mL for the unfermented, fermented, and ultrasound-assisted fermented beverages, respectively. According to these results, using ultrasound-assisted fermentation with reduced fermentation time can improve chickpea-based beverages’ nutritional and functional benefits.