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It is well established that cold storage results in increased resistant starch and a reduced glycemic index in carbohydrate food. However, the effects of cold storage on the glycemic response of the second meal of cereals remain unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the postprandial glycemic responses between the paired glutinous and non-glutinous grains, either fresh-cooked or refrigerated, after both the first and second meals. In this randomized crossover trial, eighteen healthy female participants consumed eight test meals, each containing 50 g of carbohydrate, including fresh-cooked non-glutinous and glutinous rice, non-glutinous and glutinous millet, and their refrigerated counterparts (4 °C for 24 h). Postprandial blood glucose and insulin were measured at 240 min and 120 min after breakfast. After a standard lunch, the participants’ blood glucose concentrations were measured within 180 min. The rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS) contents of the samples were determined by in vitro enzymatic analysis. Cold-stored non-glutinous rice (CR) and cold-stored non-glutinous millet (CM) had a 24.4% and 29.5% lower incremental area under the curve (iAUCglu) of glucose within 240 min compared to the control (fresh-cooked rice non-glutinous, FR), respectively (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between either the cold or hot glutinous grains and FR with respect to postprandial glycemic and insulinemic parameters. After a standard lunch, the fresh-cooked non-glutinous millet (FM) achieved a 39.1% lower iAUCglu0–180 compared to the FR (p < 0.05). FM had the highest percentage of SDS (64.8%, p < 0.05) among all grain samples. Refrigeration treatment reduced the glycemic excursion only in non-glutinous grains at the first meal, but the FM instead of CM demonstrated a significant second meal effect.

Oat is a main feed crop in high- altitude areas of western China, but few studies have been done on its silage making. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of silage additives on fermentation, aerobic stability, and nutritive value of different oat varieties (OV) grown in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. Two OV (Avena sativa L. cv. Longyan No.1 (OVL1) and Avena sativa L. cv. Longyan No.3 (OVL3)) were planted in a randomized complete block design, harvested at early dough stage with 32.6% and 34.1% DM, respectively. The fresh material was chopped to 2-cm length and treated with additives (0, Sila-Mix (MIX), Sila-Max (MAX) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with three replicates. Both additives contained a mixture of lactic acid bacteria and supplied a final application rate of 2.5 × 108 of lactic acid bacteria per kg of fresh forage weight. After 60 d of ensiling, the number of lactic acid bacteria in treated silages was about 10-fold greater than the control and generally resulted in a lower pH and ammonia-nitrogen (P < 0.001), greater total acids and ratios of lactic acid/acetic acid (P < 0.001), and DM recovery (P = 0.028). Treatment with additives also decreased (P < 0.001) the number of yeasts, which resulted in marked (P < 0.001) improvements in aerobic stability with the effect being greatest with MAX. Both additives improved (P ≤ 0.036) the 48-h in situ DM digestion in OVL1, but not in OVL3 (P ≥ 0.052). Treatment with both additives also increased (P ≤ 0.003) NDF digestion in OVL1 while it was improved (P < 0.001) only by MAX in OVL3. In contrast, the additives did not affect (P ≥ 0.088) in situ hemicellulose digestion in OVL1, but it was improved (P = 0.048) by MIX and further improved (P = 0.002) by MAX in OVL3. Treatment with MAX improved yields of digestible DM and digestible NDF in both varieties. Dry matter recovery was not affected (P = 0.121) by variety. Compared to CTRL, silage treated with MAX had a greater (P = 0.015) DM recovery (96.7% vs. 93.9%). Inoculation improved (P < 0.001) aerobic stability. The MAX was the most effective for both varieties, while MIX was intermediate and was more effective in OVL3 than OVL1 silage. The results also showed that in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, compared to OVL1, OVL3 resulted in greater (P ≤ 0.002) yields of digestible nutrients; specifically, treated with MAX improved silage fermentation efficiency, DM recovery, and provided excellent aerobic stability for feeding to ruminants.

Agriculture constitutes a foundational pillar of the Indian economy, contributing nearly 18% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and ranking second globally in horticultural output. Beyond its economic significance, the sector underpins rural employment, food security, and a wide range of agro-based downstream industries. Despite these strengths, Indian agriculture continues to encounter critical bottlenecks—most notably, post-harvest losses in fruits, which are estimated to range between 6.02% and 15.05%. These losses are predominantly attributed to the lack of accessible and decentralized cold storage infrastructure. Maintaining optimal temperature and humidity levels throughout the cold chain is essential to curtail physicochemical degradation and suppress microbial growth, both of which substantially diminish the quality and shelf life of perishable produce. This study introduces a solar photovoltaic (PV)-driven micro cold storage (MCS) system, specifically engineered for seamless integration with electric vehicles (EVs) to effectively mitigate post-harvest losses in perishable agricultural commodities. The research undertakes a comprehensive performance evaluation of the proposed system, which employs a thermoelectric cooling mechanism powered entirely by solar energy. Emphasis is placed on assessing the system’s thermal, electrical, and microbial preservation capabilities under both static and dynamic operational conditions, highlighting its potential for sustainable and mobile cold chain applications in rural agricultural contexts. The system comprises a 100 Wp polycrystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) module, which supplies power to a 12 V/6A shunt-configured thermoelectric cooler with a 12 L storage capacity via a 12 V/8A solar charge controller. Functioning as an off-grid refrigeration unit, the system is supported by a 12 V/40Ah battery energy storage system. The experimental analysis focuses on assessing the shelf life of Vitis vinifera (grapes) over a one-week storage period by measuring physiological loss in weight (PLW) as the key parameter for evaluating storage efficiency. The refrigeration chamber maintains a controlled temperature range of + 2 °C to + 8 °C. Findings indicate a controlled weight reduction of up to 87.6% in refrigerated grapes compared to those stored under ambient conditions. Also, the system’s performance to maintain proper storage conditions during short-distance transportation (six hours) is evaluated to demonstrate effective farm-to-market connectivity through electric vehicle utilization. The study evaluates the electrical and thermal performance of a system for renewable energy-integrated electric vehicle applications. It also investigates the effectiveness of a solar-powered modified controlled storage (MCS) system in preventing microbial growth and maintaining agro-produce quality during storage and transport. The microbial load, including bacterial, fungal, and yeast populations, was quantified using colony-forming unit (CFU) counts per millilitre to evaluate the system’s efficacy in ensuring food safety. The findings underscore the environmental sustainability and practical applicability of the MCS system in the preservation of perishable agricultural produce. By enabling access to affordable, reliable, and renewable energy sources, the system directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, while simultaneously addressing food waste reduction and improving the efficiency and resilience of agro-supply chains.

The management of a food supply chain is difficult and complex because of the product's short shelf-life, time-sensitivity, and perishable nature which must be carefully considered to minimize food waste. Temperature-controlled perishable food supply chain provides the highly crucial facilities necessary to maintain the quality and safety of the product. The storage temperature is the most vital factor in maintaining both the quality and shelf-life of a perishable food. Adequate storage temperature control ensures that perishable foods are transported to the end-users in good quality and safe to consume. This paper presents perishable food storage temperature control through mathematical optimal control model where the storage temperature is regarded as the control variable and the deterioration of the perishable food’s quality follows the first-order reaction. The optimal storage temperature for a single perishable food is determined by applying the Pontryagin's maximum principle to solve the optimal control model problem. For multi-temperature commodities supply chain, an unsupervised machine learning (ML) method, called k -means clustering technique is used to determine the temperature clusters for a range of perishables. Based on descriptive analysis, it is observed that the k -means clustering technique is effective in identifying the best suitable storage temperature clusters for quality control of multi-commodity supply chain.

Blueberries, besides having commonly-recognized taste properties, are also a valuable source of health-promoting bioactive compounds. For several decades, blueberries have gained in popularity all over the world, and recent years have seen not only an increase in fresh consumption, but also in the importance of blueberries for the processing industry. Blueberry processing mostly consists of freezing and juicing. Recently, more attention has been drawn to dewatering and drying, which are promising areas for developing novel blueberry products. Processing affects each biologically-active compound in a different way, and it is still unknown what changes those compounds undergo at the molecular level after the application of different processing technologies. This work presents the most recent state of knowledge about the pre-treatment and processing methods applied to blueberries and their influence on the content of biologically-active compounds. The presentation of methods is preceded by a brief overview of the characteristics of the blueberry species, a description of the chemical composition of the fruit and a short note about the main growing areas, production volumes and the management of fruit crops.

Synthesis of antifreeze proteins (AFPs) is one of the adaptations of psychrophilic yeast to live in cold environments. AFPs demonstrate thermal hysteresis (TH) activity and inhibit the recrystallization of ice (IRI) during periodic temperature fluctuations. In this study, the Antarctic yeast strain 186, identified as Glaciozyma martinii , was found to synthesize an extracellular, glycosylated ~27 kDa ice-binding protein (GmAFP) exhibiting IRI activity. It is the first evidence of AFP secretion by the psychrophilic yeast Glaciozyma martinii . To scale up protein production, a synthetic gene from a closely related cold-adapted species, Glaciozyma antarctica , was expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 strain. The recombinant 26.57 kD protein (GaAFP) displayed IRI activity and a cryoprotective effect in food storage. The addition of GaAFP to the stored frozen vegetables and fruits (carrot, kohlrabi, and blueberry) markedly reduced the drip loss during the thawing process and positively affected their structure, with an effect similar to glycerol. Moreover, GaAFP increased the cell survival of Saccharomyces cerevisiae after freezing. The insights from this study provided proof that AFPs from natural sources may serve as competent biodegradable, eco-friendly, non-cytotoxic and biocompatible substitutes for traditional cryoprotectants in enhancing the quality of frozen foods.

The study aimed to assess the influence of two packaging methods (under vacuum, VP vs. air, AP) on the quality of fish balls from carp (Cyprinus carpio) stored at +4 °C up to 14 days after preparation. The air-packed and vacuum-packed fish balls were analyzed for physicochemical parameters, microbiological status, and sensory characteristics. The packaging method and storage time interaction significantly (p < 0.05) affected the acid value (AV) and peroxide value (PV), as well as the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance index (TBARS), with lower values of these parameters observed in vacuum-packed samples at 7 d (AV, PV, TBARS), 9 d (TBARS), 12 d (PV) and 14 d (TBARS) of storage. Moreover, vacuum packaging helped maintain a beneficial oil absorption and pH, and partially slowed down the occurrence of undesirable changes in color, i.e., the decrease in redness of semi-raw fish balls or increase in yellowness of deep-fried products. Based on the overall quality values, the air-packed fish balls were sensory acceptable for up to 9 days, while the vacuum-packed fish balls were acceptable up to 12 d. The bacterial counts (total viable counts—TVC, psychrotrophic bacterial counts—PBC, total staphylococcal counts—TSC, sulfite-producing bacteria counts—SPBC, and lactic acid bacteria counts—LABC) increased during storage. Although the rate and pattern of growth varied depending on the packaging, fish balls maintained the recommended microbiological quality throughout the entire storage period. The VP method inhibited the growth of TVC, PBC, TSC, and SPBC relative to the AP method, while the VP method showed a higher increase in LABC. The results indicated that vacuum packaging appears to be an effective approach to prolong the shelf life of fish balls made from carp. Additionally, developing this convenient food product could be a valuable strategy to enhance consumer acceptance and promote the use of widely farmed carp species.

Melatonin has been reported to alleviate chilling symptoms in postharvest peach fruit during cold storage, however, the mechanism involved is largely unknown. To better understand its role in chilling tolerance, here we investigated the effects of melatonin on oxidative damage in peach fruit subjected to chilling after harvest. Chilling injury of peaches was dramatically reduced by melatonin treatment. Melatonin induced hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) content at the early stage of storage but inhibited its accumulation thereafter. Meanwhile, melatonin also up-regulated the expression of genes involved in antioxidant responses in peaches. In addition, compared to the control fruit, peaches treated with melatonin displayed higher transcript abundance of ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthetic genes and consequently increased the AsA content. Our results suggested that in response to melatonin during chilling, the high H 2 O 2 level in the treated peaches at the initial time of storage, may work as a signaling molecule to induce protective mechanisms via up-regulating the expression of antioxidative genes and increasing AsA content. On the other hand, after the transient increase in the treated peaches, H 2 O 2 was efficiently removed because of the activated antioxidant systems, which was associated with the higher chilling tolerance induced by melatonin.

This study investigated the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, as well as the volatile compounds, of Lactobacillus bulgaricus ( L. bulgaricus ) postbiotics (at concentration of 150 and 300 mg/L) and their combination with chitosan coatings (0.5% and 1%) on sausage quality (with 100 ppm nitrite) during 40 days of cold storage. The results were compared to a control group, as well as to sausages containing commercial formulation (120 ppm) and reduced (100 ppm) levels of nitrite. To further assess the antimicrobial effects, it also inoculated E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) into the sausages in order to examine how the postbiotics and chitosan coatings impacted the growth of these foodborne pathogens during the 40-day cold storage period. The reults indicated that those containing 300 mg/L postbiotic and 1% chitosan generally met the desired condition for pH, moisture, fat, and total volatile base-nitrogen. These samples also showed the strongest inhibition of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria, mold and yeast. Notably, no E. coli or S. aureus were detected in any of the samples, indicating that the postbiotic and chitosan combination effectively inhibited the growth of these pathogens in sausages. The findings suggest that using chitosan coatings and L. bulgaricus postbiotic can enhance the quality of sausages, ultimately lowering the risk of contamination by harmful bacteria and improving overall food safety.

Mycotoxins in small grains are a significant and long-standing problem. These contaminants may be produced by members of several fungal genera, including Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Claviceps, and Penicillium. Interventions that limit contamination can be made both pre-harvest and post-harvest. Many problems and strategies to control them and the toxins they produce are similar regardless of the location at which they are employed, while others are more common in some areas than in others. Increased knowledge of host-plant resistance, better agronomic methods, improved fungicide management, and better storage strategies all have application on a global basis. We summarize the major pre- and post-harvest control strategies currently in use. In the area of pre-harvest, these include resistant host lines, fungicides and their application guided by epidemiological models, and multiple cultural practices. In the area of post-harvest, drying, storage, cleaning and sorting, and some end-product processes were the most important at the global level. We also employed the Nominal Group discussion technique to identify and prioritize potential steps forward and to reduce problems associated with human and animal consumption of these grains. Identifying existing and potentially novel mechanisms to effectively manage mycotoxin problems in these grains is essential to ensure the safety of humans and domesticated animals that consume these grains.