Non-thermal Processing for Improvement of Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2021) | Viewed by 12037

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: meat; nonthermal process; quality; bioactivity; cultured muscle

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

An effective method to prevent microbiological contamination in food and food materials throughout their lifecycle is the most important thing for consumer trust and safety. The thermal processing of foods has been used widely with a long history. However, food contains many heat-sensitive components including macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, pigments, and bioactive compounds. Thus, the thermal processing of food causes detrimental effects on the quality of foods and cannot be utilized in certain conditions such as raw meat, vegetables and fruits. To overcome this disadvantage, alternative non-thermal food processes have been developed and implemented. These non-thermal processes not only preserve food quality as a minimal-process concept but have better energy and microbial inactivation efficiency and are environmentally friendly. There are different non-thermal processing methods developed, researched, and commercialized including ionizing irradiation, high-pressure processing, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, and recently interested cold plasma, and they have their own advantages and disadvantages. Recent advances in non-thermal processing technologies in various fields also provide promising applications and innovations for the food industry.

Prof. Cheorun Jo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Non-thermal processes
  • Ionizing irradiation
  • High-pressure processing
  • Ultrasound
  • Pulsed electric fields
  • Cold plasma

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4271 KiB  
Article
Control Measures of Pathogenic Microorganisms and Shelf-Life Extension of Fresh-Cut Vegetables
by Jeong Yeon Lee, So Young Yang and Ki Sun Yoon
Foods 2021, 10(3), 655; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10030655 - 19 Mar 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3008
Abstract
We investigated the combined effect of using slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW), ultrasounds (US), and ultraviolet-C light-emitting diodes (UV-C LED; 275 nm) for decreasing pathogenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (SEA) in fresh-cut vegetables, including carrots, celery, paprika, and cabbage. Survival of pathogenic [...] Read more.
We investigated the combined effect of using slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW), ultrasounds (US), and ultraviolet-C light-emitting diodes (UV-C LED; 275 nm) for decreasing pathogenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (SEA) in fresh-cut vegetables, including carrots, celery, paprika, and cabbage. Survival of pathogenic E. coli and SEA and quality properties of fresh-cut vegetables at 5 and 15 °C for 7 days were also investigated. When combined treatment (SAEW + US + UV-C LED) was applied to fresh-cut vegetables for 3 min, its microbial reduction effect was significantly higher (0.97~2.17 log CFU/g) than a single treatment (p < 0.05). Overall, the reduction effect was more significant for SEA than for pathogenic E. coli. At 5 °C, SAEW + US and SAEW + US + UV-C LED treatments reduced populations of pathogenic E. coli and SEA in all vegetables. At 15 °C, SAEW + US + UV-C LED treatment inhibited the growth of both pathogens in carrot and celery and extended the shelf life of fresh-cut vegetables by preventing color changes in all vegetables. Although the effects of treatments varied depending on the characteristics of the vegetables and pathogens, UV-C LED can be suggested as a new hurdle technology in fresh-cut vegetable industry. Full article
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14 pages, 3014 KiB  
Article
Effect of Low-Temperature-High-Pressure Treatment on the Reduction of Escherichia coli in Milk
by Yifan Li, Zhuoyun Zheng, Songming Zhu, Hosahalli S. Ramaswamy and Yong Yu
Foods 2020, 9(12), 1742; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9121742 - 26 Nov 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2750
Abstract
Non-thermal processing of milk can potentially reduce nutrient loss, and a low-temperature-high-pressure (LTHP) treatment is considered as a promising alternative to thermal treatment, attracting considerable attention in recent years. The effect of LTHP treatment (−25 °C, 100–400 MPa) on the phase transition behavior [...] Read more.
Non-thermal processing of milk can potentially reduce nutrient loss, and a low-temperature-high-pressure (LTHP) treatment is considered as a promising alternative to thermal treatment, attracting considerable attention in recent years. The effect of LTHP treatment (−25 °C, 100–400 MPa) on the phase transition behavior of frozen milk was evaluated. The lethal and injured effects of different pressures and cycle numbers on E. coli in frozen milk were studied by using selective and non-selective enumeration media. Results from the gathered transient time–temperature–pressure data showed that pressures over 300 MPa could induce a phase transition from Ice I to Ice III. The treatment at −25 °C and 300 MPa could achieve a lethal effect similar to the two-cycle treatment of 400 MPa at room temperature. This meant that LTHP conditions can lower the operating pressure by at least 100 MPa or reduce the operation from two cycle to one cycle. Increasing the number of pressure cycles enhanced the lethal effects, which was not additive, but resulted in a transformation of part of the injured cells into dead cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided direct evidence for the breakdown of cell membrane and cell walls by phase transitions. Combined with a designed internal cooling device, the LTHP process can be expected to be a more attractive alternative to non-thermal processing for the dairy industry. Full article
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13 pages, 2319 KiB  
Article
Inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium by Non-Thermal Plasma Bubbles: Exploring the Key Reactive Species and the Influence of Organic Matter
by Ki Ho Baek, Ye Seul Heo, Joo Young Park, Taemin Kang, Yee Eun Lee, Junghyun Lim, Seong Bong Kim and Cheorun Jo
Foods 2020, 9(11), 1689; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9111689 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2618
Abstract
The key reactive species generated by non-thermal plasma bubbles for the inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium and the effects of organic matter on the inactivation efficacy were investigated. Plasma, which is primarily composed of ozone (O3), was generated by dielectric barrier discharge [...] Read more.
The key reactive species generated by non-thermal plasma bubbles for the inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium and the effects of organic matter on the inactivation efficacy were investigated. Plasma, which is primarily composed of ozone (O3), was generated by dielectric barrier discharge and injected into a solution (400 mL) as a bubble. The surviving population of S. Typhimurium decreased in proportion to the treatment time, resulting in a 5.29 log reduction after 5 min of treatment. Verification tests to specify key reactive species were conducted using an O3 destruction unit and reactive oxygen species scavengers. The results indicated that singlet oxygen (1O2) contributes substantially to the inactivation of S. Typhimurium, and that the presence of superoxide anion radicals (O2·) from O3 is essential for the production of 1O2. When a S. Typhimurium suspension containing organic matter (final concentration: 0, 0.005, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5 g/L), consisting of beef extract and peptone, was treated with plasma bubbles for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min, respectively, the potential of the plasma bubbles for inactivating S. Typhimurium successfully was verified with longer contact time, despite organic matter attenuating the inactivation efficiency in a dose-dependent manner. Full article
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17 pages, 2395 KiB  
Article
Increasing γ-Aminobutyric Acid Content in Vegetable Soybeans via High-Pressure Processing and Efficacy of Their Antidepressant-Like Activity in Mice
by Sz-Jie Wu, Chia-Yu Chang, Yen-Ting Lai and Yuan-Tay Shyu
Foods 2020, 9(11), 1673; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9111673 - 16 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2904
Abstract
This study applied high-pressure processing (HPP) technology to enrich the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in vegetable soybeans and evaluated its antidepressant efficacy on mice, with depression induced by the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model. The optimal conditions for HPP, storage time, [...] Read more.
This study applied high-pressure processing (HPP) technology to enrich the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in vegetable soybeans and evaluated its antidepressant efficacy on mice, with depression induced by the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model. The optimal conditions for HPP, storage time, and storage temperature, as well as antidepressant-like effects of vegetable soybeans, were evaluated and discussed. HPP could effectively and significantly increase GABA content in soybean, with optimum conditions at 200 MPa. The GABA content in the whole vegetable soybean was 436.05 mg/100 g. In mice animal tests, the tail suspension test (TST) showed that the immobility time of the GABA group was significantly shorter than that of the control group. The total travel distance in the open field test (OFT) showed that depressed mice fed with the GABA feed exhibited exploratory behavior. The GABA group showed a significantly higher degree of sucrose preference than the control group. Both results indicate that the GABA feed could effectively alleviate depressive symptomatology. Regarding biochemical parameters, the fecal and serum corticosterone (CORT) levels in the control group increased to 104.86 pg/mg after the onset of depression. In contrast, the fecal CORT level in the GABA group was significantly reduced to 23.98 pg/mg and was comparable to that in the control group (33.38 pg/mg). Reduced serum CORT level in the GABA group suggests an improvement in depressive symptomatology. The serotonin concentration was maintained in the GABA group after the induction of depression, suggesting its preventive activity. The HPP GABA-enriched soybeans exerted modulatory effects on the behaviors of depressed mice and displayed a potential for commercialization. Full article
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