Greta Adamczyk

Margaryna to produkt spożywczy, który stanowi alternatywę dla masła i ma w porównaniu do niego konsystencję bardziej miękką w temperaturze pokojowej przy jednoczesnym zachowaniu kształtu produktu. Ponadto jest zdecydowanie tańszym od masła wyrobem tłuszczowym i zawiera w swym składzie chemicznym mniejsze ilości tłuszczów nasyconych. Produkcja margaryny wiąże się z procesami modyfikacji tłuszczów, przy czym dąży się do tego, aby stosować procesy, w których można wyprodukować margaryny o obniżonej zawartości tłuszczów w konfiguracji trans i o niskiej zawartości tłuszczów nasyconych. Niniejsza praca obejmuje charakterystykę wybranych technologii modyfikacji tłuszczów, w tym innowacji, które pozwalają na transformację technologii produkcji margaryny w celu uzyskiwaniu zdrowszych wersji tego produktu z jednoczesnym zachowaniem jego wysokiej jakości.

Współczesny model żywienia ulega ciągłym przemianom i w obecnie funkcjonującym dominują produkty odzwierzęce. Realistyczne podejście do tej problematyki, wynikające z postępu badań naukowych związanych z wpływem spożywanej żywności na stan zdrowia człowieka, podkreśla znaczącą rolę produktów roślinnych o wysokim potencjale biologicznym w prawidłowym żywieniu. Jednym z rodzajów tego typu produktów są roślinne napoje fermentowane na bazie ziaren zbóż, nasion strączkowych i orzechów, stanowiące obecnie alternatywę dla mlecznych produktów fermentowanych. Powstają głównie z udziałem bakterii fermentacji mlekowej (LAB) Lactobacillus i Bifidobacterium. Za korzyści zdrowotne wynikające z produktów fermentowanych uważa się głównie aktywność metaboliczną mikroorganizmów fermentujących lub ich biologicznie czynne metabolity, takie jak egzopolisacharydy (EPS) czy biologicznie aktywne peptydy (BAP) powstające na skutek odziaływania mikloflory na rodzinne białka produktu. Napoje takie wykazują liczne korzyści prozdrowotne, w tym działanie przeciwcukrzycowe, obniżające poziom cholesterolu, przeciwutleniające oraz immunomodulujące.

Despite their numerous advantages, polyphenolic compounds are characterized by low bioavailability during gastrointestinal digestion and high sensitivity to technological processes during food preparation and storage. Therefore, numerous studies conducted over the past decade have identified overcoming these challenges as the undisputed goal of fully utilizing their functional properties. One solution to these challenges is the use of gelling agents. Their use as carriers for polyphenolic compounds has improved their stability during digestion and subsequent technological applications. This study analyzed the latest available scientific reports to determine the effect of combining polyphenolic compounds with gelling agents on the bioavailability, biological activity, and subsequent technological applications of the resulting ingredients.

The purpose of the study was to analyse the importance of the sharing economy as a tool to reduce food waste in the gastronomy sector. The theoretical part discusses the concept of the sharing economy, food sharing, and the zero waste approach in the context of sustainable consumption. The empirical part included a survey conducted among consumers (n=108) and in-depth interviews with representatives of gastronomic establishments. The results indicate that consumers are significantly more willing to use the services offered by restaurants involved in food waste reduction activities. Restaurant owners perceive food-sharing applications primarily as ideological and image-building tools, as well as a means of reducing financial losses, at the same time pointing out the key barriers to their implementation.

The purpose of the study was to analyse the importance of the sharing economy as a tool to reduce food waste in the gastronomy sector. The theoretical part discusses the concept of the sharing economy, food sharing, and the zero waste approach in the context of sustainable consumption. The empirical part included a survey conducted among consumers (n=108) and in-depth interviews with representatives of gastronomic establishments. The results indicate that consumers are significantly more willing to use the services offered by restaurants involved in food waste reduction activities. Restaurant owners perceive food-sharing applications primarily as ideological and image-building tools, as well as a means of reducing financial losses, at the same time pointing out the key barriers to their implementation.

Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.) is a valuable raw material rich in health-promoting compounds, including anthocyanins, making it an excellent ingredient in food such as bread. In this research, water in the bread recipe was substituted with chokeberry extract (ChE). Dried chokeberry powder was used to obtain extracts with 0 and 7.5 °Brix content. Two types of water chokeberry extracts (0 and 7.5 °Brix ChE) were applied in the wheat bread recipe with doses of 10, 15, 20, and 30% (m/m), replacing water, respectively. The obtained chokeberry extract contributed to the enrichment of the bread in total polyphenol content and the antioxidant capacity. The control bread sample (i.e., without the extract) had a total polyphenol content (TPC) of 25.706 mgGAE/100 g, while the bread samples with the extract had TPC values ranging from 29.037 to 45.282 mgGAE/100 g. At the same time, adding chokeberry extract to the bread matrix contributed to increasing the antioxidant capacity. Bread with ChE was characterized by the same dough yield and loaf volume of bread compared to the control sample, but with changed oven loss, total baking loss, bread yield, specific volume, bread acidity and porosity of the crumb. However, there was no statistically significant effect on the chewiness and cohesiveness of the crumb in the sample texture (α = 0.05). A small effect of anthocyanins on the color of bread was observed, and sugars played the dominant role in the tested samples. Chokeberry in the form of an aqueous extract added to wheat bread can be an excellent ingredient in bread, fulfilling both a nutritional and technological function in the design of functional foods.

Wheat starch is among the most widely used ingredients in food products. Adding phytochemicals to wheat starch-based foods impacts their properties during processing and influences their quality during storage. This research aimed to investigate the impact of aqueous extract from chokeberry fruits on pasting and textural properties of starch pastes/gels. The extracts from chokeberry with different total extract content (0 and 7 °Brix) were obtained and applied at various doses (10, 20, and 30% w/w) as a natural additive to the 5% (w/w) wheat starch suspension. Furthermore, the obtained starch gels with chokeberry extracts were stored for 14 days at 4 °C. The pasting characteristic process showed that wheat starch pastes containing chokeberry extracts (0 and 7 °Brix) had a higher tendency towards retrogradation. Moreover, the results of the texture analysis confirmed this observation because the hardness values of the wheat starch gels with chokeberry extracts were higher compared to starch gels without the extract (during their 14-day storage). On the other hand, the stability of the gels during storage was also determined by the form of the extract used. The course of changes in hardness values observed during storage indicated that the sugar contained in the extract contributed to smaller fluctuations in these changes. Such observations are important from the point of view of designing starch-based gels that are subjected to storage under refrigerated conditions.

The retrogradation of starch strongly influences the texture and stability of starchy foods. This study applied low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR) to examine the effect of buckwheat hull (BH) fiber and green barley (GB) on water dynamics in normal (NPS) and waxy (WPS) potato starch gels. Relaxation times (T₁, T₂) and mean correlation times (τ_c) were monitored during 15 days of storage to evaluate changes in water mobility and starch–polymer interactions. Results showed that WPS, with its high amylopectin content, retrograded earlier than NPS. The addition of BH inhibited conformational changes associated with water binding in WPS gels, indicating that insoluble fiber entrapped water within the amylopectin network. Conversely, GB promoted higher τ_c values in WPS, reflecting enhanced ordering and reduced water mobility, while its impact on NPS was minor. In NPS systems, BH decreased τ_c, suggesting disruption of amylose-driven structural reorganization. These findings demonstrate that BH and GB exert opposite effects on starch retrogradation and highlight their potential as functional additives for tailoring texture and stability in starch-based food systems.

This study explored the synthesis and characterization of pectin-based composites containing encapsulated propolis and sea buckthorn oil. Both propolis and sea buckthorn oil are well known for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. To mitigate their sensitivity to environmental degradation, these compounds were encapsulated within a pectin matrix. The composites were prepared using an emulsification technique and subsequently for their physicochemical properties via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as color and mechanical testing. The results showed that freeze-dried samples exhibited heterogeneous, bubble-like structures containing nanocapsules (800–2000 nm), whereas for the film samples, the capsules were visibly embedded within the matrix. The study shows that this three-component system exhibits synergistic potential. Encapsulation significantly improved the UV barrier properties and the antioxidant activity of the nanocomposites, which demonstrated greater antioxidant capacity. Microbiological assays revealed that the pectin-based composites containing encapsulated propolis and sea buckthorn oil exhibited strong antibacterial activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria such as Streptococcus and Staphylococcus spp. The composites also demonstrated hydrophobic surface characteristics and reduced crystallinity, which correlates with their potential for controlled release. These results underscore the applicability of pectin–propolis–sea buckthorn oil composites as effective natural preservatives or functional ingredients in food systems, due to their high antioxidant and antimicrobial efficacy.

Secondary products of the oilseed industry such as sunflower cake, meal and flour have a wide range of functional and technological properties and their use in the food industry as innovative raw ingredients contribute to the efficient disposal of fat-and-oil industry waste and the successful implementation of the concept of a circular economy “waste-food.” Flour from extruded sunflower seed kernels is a unique protein–mineral food ingredient containing polyunsaturated fatty acids, a complex of water- and fat-soluble vitamins, and can be a valuable raw material for use in flour confectionery. The chemical composition, and functional and technological properties of flour from the extruded kernel of sunflower seeds were studied to be used in the production of flour confectionery of increased nutritional value. It is shown that the partial replacement of wheat flour with flour from the extruded kernel of sunflower seeds in the technology of gingerbread baking provides, along with an increase in nutritional value, the formation of improved structural–rheological, physicochemical and sensory properties of products and makes it possible to extend their freshness and shelf life.