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A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 16013

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Dr. Laifeng Lu

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College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tianjin 300457, China
Interests: postharvest physiology; ripening and senescence; postharvest pathology; immune response of fruits; storage and processing of agriculture products; fruit microbiome

Prof. Dr. Xia Liu

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tianjin University Science and Technology, Tianjin 300457, China
Interests: postharvest physiology of agricultural products; processing and preservation of grain and oil; development of preservative and preservative film of agricultural products

Dr. Qiya Yang

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Guest Editor

School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: physiology and pathology of postharvest fruits and vegetables; postharvest biological control of diseases of fruits and vegetables; food microbiology, food biotechnology, food quality and safety control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Fangming Deng

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory for Food Science and Biotechnology of Hunan Province, College of Food Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
Interests: food science; agricultural products processing and storage engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High-quality processed and stored agriculture products with minimal changes in nutritional and sensory properties are demanded by consumers. Alternative or novel processing and storage technologies are being explored and implemented to provide safe, fresher tasting and nutritive foods. Recent developments have improved techniques in modern agricultural biology, product handling, processing and preservation, new materials and packaging, etc. Taking modern agricultural biology for example, the genotypic effect is undoubtedly the principle determinant of quantitative and qualitative variation of agriculture products, often surpassing the influence of processing and storage practices and environmental factors. Efforts are being made to enhance key quality factors of products by means of genetic improvements and synthetic biology, but the development of cultivars with enhanced resistance to processing and storage is still in its infancy. In addition, the most important attributes of a food product to consumers are its nutrition and functional characteristics. Thus, food biology, function and analysis technologies are also needed to identify desirable factors or reduce changes in food products during processing and storage.

This Special Issue on “Processing and Storage of Agriculture Products” aims to curate novel advances in technologies related to modern agricultural biology, processing and engineering, new material and biology, and food function and analysis, in order to address longstanding challenges in processing and storage of agriculture products. Topics include, but are not limited to:

The application of modern agricultural biology technology to address challenges in processing and storage of agricultural products (e.g., genetic improvements, synthetic biology, and omic techniques);
Progress in intelligent-processing, deep-processing, precision-processing theories and technologies of agricultural products;
Development of new material, biology and engineering technologies that affect agriculture products’ quality and safety, and bioavailability improvement;
Advances in functional improvement and analysis technology of agricultural products during processing and storage.

Dr. Laifeng Lu
Prof. Dr. Xia Liu
Dr. Qiya Yang
Prof. Dr. Fangming Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biology technology
intelligent processing
deep processing
precision processing
new material and packaging
quality control
safety control
bioavailability improvement
human health

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 11273 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Contact Pressure Distribution and Bruising Prediction of Apple under Compression Loading

by Jiaping Wang, Chao Wang and Jie Wu

Processes 2024, 12(3), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12030543 - 10 Mar 2024

Viewed by 561

Abstract

The pressure distribution characteristics of an apple subjected to compressive loading were investigated using the pressure-sensitive film (PSF) technique combined with apple bruise measurements. Pressure was unevenly distributed in the elliptical contact region. The average pressure had no effect on bruising because it changed slightly in the range of 0.26–0.31 MPa with increasing load. Pressures of 0.20–0.40 MPa accounted for 72% of the total pressure area. Comparatively, the area where pressure over 0.50 MPa was distributed could be ignored and showed little contribution to the bruise area. The contact edge subjected to pressure below 0.10 MPa showed that no bruising occurred. As a result, the relationship between the ≥0.10 MPa pressure area strongly correlated with the bruise area according to a linear equation, with a correlation coefficient of ≥0.99. When this relationship was applied to determine the bruise area with FE, satisfactory predicted results were obtained with minor error rates of 0–7.89% for loads of 54–80 N. But larger prediction errors occurred when the load was above 90 N, suggesting that the linear elastic FE model may not be appropriate for accurately predicting apple bruising. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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12 pages, 1734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tillage Methods Change Nitrogen Distribution and Enzyme Activities in Maize Rhizosphere and Non-Rhizosphere Chernozem in Jilin Province of China

by Ning Huang, Xingmin Zhao, Xinxin Guo, Biao Sui, Jinhua Liu, Hongbin Wang and Jialin Li

Processes 2023, 11(11), 3253; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11113253 - 20 Nov 2023

Viewed by 740

Abstract

The tillage method in farming systems is essential to develop strategies to increase fertilizer uptake by plant roots and to avoid environmental pollution. The field study aimed to investigate the characteristics of nitrogen and enzyme activities in rhizosphere soil with different tillage methods. Four treatment plots applied with fertilizers were established: continuous rotary tillage (CR), plowing-rotary tillage (PR), continuous no-till (CN) and ploughing-no-till (PN). The total content of nitrogen in chernozem was high during early stages of plant growth, and then it decreased with the maize growth. In the rhizosphere soil, the total N accounted 1314.45, 1265.96, 1120.47, 1120.47, 1204.05 mg·kg⁻¹ of CR, PR, CN, and PN, respectively, which were markedly greater than that of non-rhizosphere soil (1237.52, 1168.40, 984.51, 1106.49 mg·kg⁻¹ of CR, PR, CN, and PN, respectively). At first growth stages, content of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N in two soil regions was low, then increased gradually, which followed the order of CR < PR < PN < CN. The rhizosphere soil showed slightly higher concentration of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N than non-rhizosphere. The soil enzymes were more active in the rhizosphere soil than that of non-rhizosphere during the whole maize growth stages. Due to minimal damage to the soil environment and optimal soil moisture and temperature, the urease and catalase activities were greatest in the rhizosphere for CN treatment. Therefore, CN was recommended to be used by farmers for the improvement of macronutrient availability and soil enzyme activities in the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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16 pages, 5923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bond Parameter Calibration and Crushing Process Analysis of Brown Rice Kernels

by Ziang Shi, Xiaopeng Liu, Yonglin Zhang, Jin Zhou, Hui Li and Feng Duan

Processes 2023, 11(10), 2992; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11102992 - 17 Oct 2023

Viewed by 792

Abstract

Aiming to resolve the practical problem of brown rice kernels being easily broken due to overprocessing during processing (milling and polishing), brown rice kernels of Japonica rice, after hulling, were used as the research object in this study. Firstly, through a texture meter test, the discrete element bonding parameters (K_n is normal stiffness per unit area, K_τ is tangential stiffness per unit area, C_n is critical normal stiffness, C_τ is critical shear stiffness) were obtained. Secondly, a brown rice kernels’ bonding particle model was established by EDEM, and then a second orthogonal rotational combination test was carried out to calibrate the discrete bonding parameters, K_n = 4.43 × 10¹² N/m³, K_τ = 6.13 × 10¹¹ N/m³, C_n = 2.55 × 10⁷ Pa, and C_τ = 7.92 × 10⁷ Pa. The error of parameter calibration was within 5%, and the results were able to reflect the actual situation more realistically. Finally, analysis of the crushing process of brown rice kernels showed that their ability to withstand shear damage was not as great as their pressure-bearing capacity. The design of the relevant mechanism and the setting of parameters should be based on the critical shear stiffness of brown rice kernels, and the actual shear force F_τ* set during the processing should be smaller than the theoretical critical shear force F_τ (F_τ* < F_τ = 9.11 N). This study can provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the key structure and operating parameters of rice milling machines and polishing machines to effectively solve the practical problem of increased crushing of brown rice kernels due to overprocessing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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14 pages, 2133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Oxidizing and Non-Oxidizing Biocides on Enzymatic and Microbial Activity in Sugarcane Processing

by Evan Terrell, Yunci Qi, Gillian O. Bruni and Emily Heck

Processes 2023, 11(9), 2693; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11092693 - 08 Sep 2023

Viewed by 838

Abstract

Processing aids are utilized during raw sugar manufacturing at sugarcane processing facilities to mitigate unwanted contamination from microorganisms and their associated exopolysaccharides (EPS). Microorganisms in processing facilities contribute to sugar losses through sucrose inversion and consumption, with many bacteria strains subsequently producing dextran and fructan EPS that can cause downstream issues related to viscosity and crystallization. Similar issues also result from the presence of unwanted starches from plant material in cane juices. Processing aids include biocides for bacterial inhibition, and enzymes (e.g., dextranase, amylase) to break down polysaccharides in juices. However, oxidizing biocide processing aids (e.g., sodium hypochlorite) may inhibit enzymatic processing aid activity. In this study, biocides (sodium hypochlorite, carbamate, and hop extract) and enzymes (dextranase and amylase) were simultaneously added to sugarcane juice to measure residual enzymatic activity for dextranase and amylase. The same biocides were also tested to estimate minimum inhibitory concentrations against bacterial strains isolated from Louisiana sugarcane processing facilities. These experiments provide evidence to suggest that sodium hypochlorite may interfere with enzymatic processing aid activity, with lesser/limited enzymatic inhibition from carbamates and hop extracts. Biocide susceptibility assays suggest that sodium hypochlorite has limited effectiveness against tested bacterial strains. Hop extract biocide was only effective against Gram-positive Leuconostoc while carbamate biocide showed more broad-spectrum activity against all tested strains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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18 pages, 808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tropical Red Fruit Blends: The Effect of Combination of Additives on Foaming, Drying and Thermodynamic Properties

by Yaroslávia Ferreira Paiva, Rossana Maria Feitosa de Figueirêdo, Alexandre José de Melo Queiroz, João Paulo de Lima Ferreira, Francislaine Suelia dos Santos, Carolaine Gomes dos Reis, Lumara Tatiely Santos Amadeu, Antônio Gilson Barbosa de Lima, Josivanda Palmeira Gomes, Wilton Pereira da Silva, Patricio Borges Maracajá and Caciana Cavalcanti Costa

Processes 2023, 11(3), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030888 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1039

Abstract

Blends combine advantageous characteristics of each species, resulting in products with different flavors and nutritional substances. Moreover, transforming them into powder provides numerous advantages. This work evaluated the properties of three blended foam formulations made from the pulps of tropical red fruits (acerola, guava and pitanga) to determine the foam layer drying kinetics and thermodynamic properties. The foam formulations were prepared by mixing the three pulps in equal proportions (1:1:1), all added with 6% albumin and 1% stabilizing agent. The foams were analyzed for density, volumetric expansion, stability and porosity in six mixing times. Subsequently, they were subjected to drying in an oven with forced air circulation at 4 temperatures, with a layer 0.5 cm thick. Seven mathematical models were fitted to the drying kinetics experimental data to determine the effective diffusivity and thermodynamic properties of the samples. The best mixing times were 5 min for the E2 sample and 30 min for the others. Formulation E2 presented the best results in the foam physical properties, and E3 presented the shortest drying times. All models tested were satisfactorily adjusted, but Page’s model was the most adequate to describe the process. Sample E3 showed the highest diffusivity and sample E2 the lowest activation energy. The drying temperature increase caused reductions in enthalpy and entropy, as well as an increase in Gibbs free energy, indicating an endergonic process. The combination of additives incorporated into the blend influences the drying process: formulation E2 shows greater efficiency in removing water, and formulation E1 presents the highest energy demand. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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10 pages, 524 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Application of High Pressure Processing on Ultrasonically Treated Extract from Wild Bitter Gourd

by Chang-Yi Huang and Su-Der Chen

Processes 2022, 10(10), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10101926 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1326

Abstract

Wild bitter gourd extracts, such as saponins, polysaccharides, and peptides, could be used to adjust blood sugar. The objective of this research was to explore the use of high pressure processing (HPP) for sterilization and acceleration of enzyme hydrolysis in the ultrasonic preparation of peptide extracts from wild bitter gourd. The results showed that the wild bitter gourd powder could be extracted via ultrasonic processing with water at 70 °C for only 20 min with a solid to liquid ratio of 1:20 to obtain the total protein content of 1.514 mg/g. The two sterilization methods for wild bitter gourd extract treated with papaya enzyme—for 2 h in the traditional autoclave at 121 °C for 15 min, or under HPP 300 MPa for 5 min—showed no significant effect on protein content, and both sterilization methods were effective. However, the extract sterilized with HPP had a significantly higher ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals. In addition, HPP (300 MPa for 5 min), combined with papaya enzyme to hydrolyze the wild bitter gourd extract, simultaneously pasteurized the extract and acquired the peptides from the wild bitter gourd extract Therefore, the ultrasonic extraction of wild bitter gourd, combined with HPP and enzyme hydrolysis, could greatly shorten the operation time (to only 5 min) for extracting the active peptides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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12 pages, 1264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Fungal Communities and Volatile Flavor Components during the Traditional Chinese Fermentation of Capsicum annuum L. Var. Dactylus M

by Ding Ma, Yong Li, Jiaqi Wang, Lina Pan, Wenli Kang, Zengguang Wang, Zhongkun Wu, Zhiyong Dai, Fangming Deng and Lingyan Zhao

Processes 2022, 10(8), 1513; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10081513 - 01 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1627

Abstract

Microbial diversity and dynamic changes play an important role in the production of fermented peppers. In this study, the relationship between fungal communities and the volatile flavor compounds of traditional Chinese fermented peppers was investigated by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that Hanseniaspora was a dominant fungus during the whole fermentation course and accounted for 82.22% of the fungal community on average (ranging from 50.44% to 98.15%). Bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis between fungal community and volatile flavor compounds showed that Pichia, Hanseniaspora, Cryptococcus, Debarvomvces, and Trichosporon were closely correlated with the concentrations of the volatile flavor components such as α-terpineol, trans-3-tetradecene, 4-methylpentyl 3-methylbutanoate, and 11 other volatile flavor compounds. This study elucidated the dynamics of fungal communities and volatile flavor compounds during pepper fermentation and the correlation between them. Our analysis of the relationships between fungal communities and volatile flavor compounds advanced our understanding of the formation mechanism of volatile flavor compounds in fermented peppers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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12 pages, 3832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Fungi Community Variation during Rice Storage through High Throughput Sequencing

by Wanting Li, Jie Cui, Jiafeng Li, Jian Guo, Tao Huang, Jiaojiao Zhang, Hao Hu and Xingquan Liu

Processes 2022, 10(4), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040754 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2030

Abstract

Rice storage conditions include location, granary depth, storage time, temperature and atmosphere. The fungi community varies during storage, but how these communities change remains unexplored so far. This study collected rice samples from granaries in different horizontal and vertical directions and storage time over two years. High-throughput ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) sequencing analysis revealed that Ascomycota (73.81%), Basidiomycota (6.56%) and Mucoromycota (9.42%) were the main Eumycota present during rice storage. The main fungi communities were Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp., Rhizopus sp., Gibberella sp., Tilletia sp. and Penicillium sp. The contribution of storage time, horizontal orientation and vertical depth effect on fungi community relative abundance were 17.18%, 5.98% and 0.11%, respectively. Aspergillus sp. was the predominant Eubacterium during this process. The horizontal A was mainly occupied by Paraconiothyrium sp. and the location S, had Clavispora sp. Both of these varied dramatically during storage. Furthermore, Aspergillus sp., as a main mycotoxin producer, was the dominant fungi at vertical L1. This study comprehensively analyzed fungi community variation in horizontal and vertical directions to elucidate fungi community variation on rice during storage and to find the detrimental fungi. Therefore, it is important to improve granary ventilation systems and to ensure a uniform atmosphere to control fungi growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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Review

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16 pages, 2202 KiB

Open AccessReview

Recent Advances in Research into Jasmonate Biosynthesis and Signaling Pathways in Agricultural Crops and Products

by Ruixi Shi, Jinlan Yu, Xiaorong Chang, Liping Qiao, Xia Liu and Laifeng Lu

Processes 2023, 11(3), 736; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030736 - 01 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2093

Abstract

Jasmonates (JAs) are phospholipid-derived hormones that regulate plant development and responses to environmental stress. The synthesis of JAs and the transduction of their signaling pathways are precisely regulated at multiple levels within and outside the nucleus as a result of a combination of genetic and epigenetic regulation. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the regulation of JA biosynthesis and their signaling pathways. The biosynthesis of JAs was found to be regulated with an autocatalytic amplification mechanism via the MYC2 regulation pathway and inhibited by an autonomous braking mechanism via the MYC2-targeting bHLH1 protein to terminate JA signals in a highly ordered manner. The biological functions of JAs mainly include the promotion of fruit ripening at the initial stage via ethylene-dependent and independent ways, the regulation of mature coloring via regulating the degradation of chlorophyll and the metabolism of anthocyanin, and the improvement of aroma components via the regulation of fatty acid and aldehyde alcohol metabolism in agricultural crops. JA signaling pathways also function in the enhancement of biotic and abiotic stress resistance via the regulation of secondary metabolism and the redox system, and they relieve cold damage to crops through improving the stability of the cell membrane. These recently published findings indicate that JAs are an important class of plant hormones necessary for regulating plant growth and development, ripening, and the resistance to stress in agricultural crops and products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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26 pages, 1033 KiB

Open AccessReview

Extraction of Oils and Phytochemicals from Camellia oleifera Seeds: Trends, Challenges, and Innovations

by Guihui Li, Li Ma, Zhipeng Yan, Qinhe Zhu, Jiangtao Cai, Saiyu Wang, Yuan Yuan, Yongzhong Chen and Senwen Deng

Processes 2022, 10(8), 1489; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10081489 - 28 Jul 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3906

Abstract

Camellia seed oil, extracted from the seeds of Camellia oleifera Abel., is popular in South China because of its high nutritive value and unique flavor. Nowadays, the traditional extraction methods of hot pressing extraction (HPE) and solvent extraction (SE) are contentious due to low product quality and high environmental impact. Innovative methods such as supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) and aqueous extraction (AE) are proposed to overcome the pitfalls of the traditional methods. However, they are often limited to the laboratory or pilot scale due to economic or technical bottlenecks. Optimization of extraction processes indicates the challenges in finding the optimal balance between the yield and quality of oils and phytochemicals, as well as the environmental and economic impacts. This article aims to explore recent advances and innovations related to the extraction of oils and phytochemicals from camellia seeds, and it focuses on the pretreatment and extraction processes, as well as their complex effects on nutritional and sensory qualities. We hope this review will help readers to better understand the trends, challenges, and innovations associated with the camellia industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agriculture Products Processing and Storage)

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