Jerzy Szakiel

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing blackcurrant pomace in the production of shortbread cookies. Wheat flour was partially replaced with ground pomace at levels of 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90%. Selected properties of the raw dough (hardness and color) and the finished product (geometric dimensions, volume, mass, moisture content, texture, and color parameters) were analyzed. In addition, a 9-day storage test was conducted. It was shown that blackcurrant pomace can be used in shortbread cookie production to a limited extent, with wheat flour substitution of up to 15%. This level of substitution caused a significant change in dough color and increased the hardness of the raw dough. However, this level of supplementation did not significantly affect most physical parameters of the baked cookies, except for their color. During the 9-day storage period, the products absorbed moisture, but the moisture content remained low, and the textural quality did not change significantly. Therefore, pomace—a by-product of blackcurrant processing—represents a promising and valuable raw material for the production of shortbread cookies. Utilizing this raw material can also contribute to sustainable food production.

Objective: Examining the relationship between the country’s ability to implement digital technologies and its logistics performance. Research Design & Methods: To examine the relationship between a country’s digital competitiveness and its logistics efficiency, Pearson’s linear correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis were used. The Digital Competitiveness obtained by a given country in the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking was adopted as an independent variable, and the score obtained by a given country in the Logistics Performance Index: overall and other logistics performance sub-indices as a dependent variable. The analysis was conducted separately on two research samples from 2017 and 2022. Findings: The digital competitiveness of a country has a positive impact on the overall efficiency of logistics, as well as on its component variables, such as: the efficiency of administrative services at borders, the quality of logistics infrastructure, the ease of planning competitively priced shipments, the quality of logistics services, the punctuality of parcel delivery, the ability to track and trace shipments. Implications / Recommendations: An integrated policy for the implementation of Industry 4.0 should be developed, with a special focus on transportation and enterprise logistics. The policy should take into account changes in society, enterprises and government. Company managers should increase investment in the digitisation of logistics processes and take into account the values of digitisation and logistics performance indices in strategic decisions. Contribution: This study is innovative due to the lack of current research on relationships between digital competitiveness and logistics performance.

The aging population and increasing prevalence of oxidative stress-related diseases underscore the need for functional food and pharmaceutical formulations enriched with bioactive compounds. This study aimed to design sustainable emulsion systems incorporating enzymatically modified fats with enhanced functional and bioactive properties. Enzymatic interesterification was employed as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical catalysis, enabling the transformation of natural lipids without generating undesirable trans isomers. The lipid phase was formulated from blends of hemp oil, a plant-derived source rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids with documented antioxidant potential, and mutton tallow, in an effort to valorize meat industry by-products. Systematic evaluation of emulsion stability, viscosity, and textural properties was conducted using Turbiscan analysis and texture profile analysis. The results demonstrated that xanthan gum concentration was the primary determinant of structural stability, physicochemical stability, and structural integrity of the emulsion systems. Formulation no. 38 (0.8% w/w xanthan gum) was identified as the statistically most stable system based on Turbiscan Stability Index values (TSI = 1.4). Although emulsions containing 1.0% w/w xanthan gum exhibited similarly low TSI values and slightly smaller final droplet diameters, formulation E38 showed the smallest increase in droplet size during storage (<1 µm), indicating superior resistance to structural changes over time. Fat composition showed minimal influence on emulsion behavior, suggesting that lipid selection should prioritize nutritional and bioactive value. These findings indicate that emulsions based on enzymatically modified fats and stabilized with natural polysaccharides can serve as physically stable systems with potential applicability in food, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical formulations intended for bioactive compound delivery.

The purpose of this paper was to determine consumer preferences for the acceptance of a new emulsion product containing interesterified fat based on mutton tallow and hemp oil. The survey concerned consumers’ reference to the new emulsion products as pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products. On the basis of the survey, it was concluded that the hypothetical emulsion products would gain consumer acceptance. Acquisition of this knowledge forms the basis for making decisions regarding the implementation of further experimental work, the outcome of which will be the evaluation of the properties of prototype products, including a comparative assessment of the sensory characteristics of prototypes and market products. More than half of the respondents answered that they would be interested in a new emulsion product based on interesterified fat. The most important factors indicated by the respondents that would lead them to purchase cosmetic or pharmaceutical emulsions were improvement in skin condition after application and the possibility of testing a free sample in advance. In the case of a food emulsion containing modified mutton tallow and hemp oil, on the other hand, the most important factors determining a potential purchase were the opportunity to try a free sample of the product in advance and attributes such as taste and texture that corresponded to the respondents.

Leather tanning generates substantial amounts of solid waste and effluents, posing significant environmental challenges due to the presence of hazardous chromium compounds. The aim of this study was to develop and optimize a method for recycling chromium-tanned leather waste by utilizing it as a raw material in the retanning process. Collagen hydrolysate was extracted from chrome-tanned leather shavings through acid hydrolysis and subsequently incorporated, together with melamine, into novel retanning compositions. The experimental design, based on the Kleeman method, involved varying the hydrolysate content (25%, 30%, 35%) and melamine concentration (2.5%, 3.0%, 3.5%, 4.0%) to assess their impact on the physicochemical properties of retanned wet-blue leathers. An innovative aspect of the study was the integration of the Kateskór computer program, employing the Kleeman experimental planning method, to optimize the formulation of retanning compositions. This computational approach enabled the precise determination of hydrolysate and melamine quantities required to achieve leather properties that meet both producer and consumer expectations. The optimized formulation identified the hydrolysate content in the range of 28.78–29.63% and melamine in the range of 3.61–3.68% as optimal for obtaining leathers with the desired mechanical strength, shrinkage temperature, and water vapor permeability. The study presents a practical model of a circular economy within the leather industry, aligning with the European Green Deal Strategy by promoting resource efficiency and minimizing hazardous waste. The proposed methodology provides a viable pathway for sustainable leather production through waste valorization and process optimization.

Porous wood-based boards, like any lignocellulosic material, are susceptible to biocorrosion caused by mold fungi. Their durability can be extended by using biocides. Due to the fact that porous boards are considered an ecological material, it would be beneficial to also use natural agents to protect them. For this purpose, the surface of softboards was protected with a 30% solution of cinnamon bark oil in ethanol. Three application levels were used: 75 g/m², 120 g/m², and 200 g/m² of solution. It has been shown that the cinnamon bark oil solution used at an application rate of 200 g/m² is an effective fungicide, protecting softboards (SBs) against the development of mold fungi: T. viride and C. globosum. The dominant volatile component of cinnamon oil identified in the boards turned out to be cinnamaldehyde. Three months after treatment, this substance constituted 74% of the volatile components. The proposed treatment method allows for short-term preventive protection of boards against mold fungi.

It has been shown that structured lipids, formed in the process of enzymatic modification of natural hard fat with walnut oil, are capable of stabilizing emulsion systems without the need to add additional emulsifiers. This is especially true for emulsions containing fat formed during enzymatic modification when the amount of added water to the reaction catalyst was in the range of 12–16 wt%. Physicochemical evaluations, i.e., the average particle size, its growth, distribution, and dispersity coefficient, were comparable with the reference emulsion where the emulsifier was lecithin, well-known for its emulsifying properties. Microstructure studies also confirmed the above observations. Rheological studies performed on a set of emulsions containing structured lipids of variable composition confirmed that interesterified lipid blends can be directly utilized as a fat base in the preparation of stable emulsions. The consistency, thixotropic behavior, long-term shelf life, and thermal stability of these emulsions were found to be comparable to systems stabilized with conventional emulsifiers, i.e., sunflower lecithine. Our approach offers the opportunity for the preparation of stable emulsion systems, free from additional emulsifiers, for the food or cosmetics industry, which is extremely important from the point of view of the preparation of products free from allergens.

The work mainly focused on a validation of the method for determining the content of salicylic acid and individual unknown impurities in new pharmaceutical product—tablets containing: 75, 100 or 150 mg of acetylsalicylic acid and glycine in the amount of 40 mg for each dosage. The separation of the components was carried out by means of HPLC, using a Waters Symmetry C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm) as the stationary phase. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of 85% orthophosphoric acid, acetonitrile and purified water (2:400:600 V/V/V). Detection was carried out at a wavelength of 237 nm, with a constant flow rate of 1.0 ml min⁻¹. In order to verify the method, linearity, precision (repeatability and reproducibility), accuracy, specificity, range, robustness, system precision, stability of the test and standard solution, limit of quantification and forced degradation were determined. Validation tests were performed in accordance with ICH (International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) guidelines. The method was validated successfully. It was confirmed that the method in a tested range of 0.005–0.40% salicylic acid with respect to acetylsalicylic acid content is linear, precise and accurate.

The study investigated the quality of emulsions containing rabbit fat modified with vegetable oil. The modification of the fat and introducing it as a fatty base into the emulsion was dictated by consumer preferences. Emulsion systems containing various fatty bases and viscosity modifier contents were evaluated in the terms of their stability (by means of Turbiscan test), texture properties, color, and viscosity. Moreover, the emulsions were assessed by a sensory panel in the context of the intensity of the following parameters: color, fragrance, consistency, greasiness, and hydration. The same characteristics were also subject to consumer evaluation. The results of the sensory assessment showed the sensory panel attributed higher scores to consistency and skin hydration to the emulsions formed with modified fats; these systems were more appreciated by consumers as well. The results confirmed a major role of sensory determinations in the development of new emulsion products. They also provide knowledge on modifications to product characteristics that would lead to the best possible quality and consumer acceptance. This research has also reaffirmed that looking for new fats among waste fats is becoming a solution to finding new fatty bases for emulsions. The natural origin of these components, and thus their agreeability with the human body, appear noteworthy as well. Enrichment with unsaturated fatty acids is an added advantage of the enzymatic modification of rabbit fat with pumpkin seed oil and can be applied not only for food but also for skin applications.