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Adding green elements in logistics functions have biggest impact in shaping the supply chains towards sustainability. Business strategies must promote environmentally conscious thinking through continuous integration of green and evaluation of resultant business and environment sustainability performance. The approach is illustrated and validated through the development and analysis of sustainability initiatives implemented in warehouses of frozen food supply chains in Saudi Arabia. Modelled on a case study basis, this three-phase study builds on theoretical concepts of contingency theory and triple bottom line approach. It incorporates identification and ranking of essential sustainable practices of warehousing using literature analysis, participation of practitioners in fuzzy Delphi and Best Worst Method. Further, study establishes its uniqueness by applying combined compromise solution to rank the resultant sustainability performance improvement in warehouses. The results draw attention to green operations for energy and resource conservations, promotes the role of sustainable work culture, sustainable strategies, and policies for their role in encouraging sustainability performance outcomes.

Native starch is subjected to various forms of modification to improve its structural, mechanical, and thermal properties for wider applications in the food industry. Physical, chemical, and dual modifications have a substantial effect on the gelatinization properties of starch. Consequently, this review explores and compares the different methods of starch modification applicable in the food industry and their effect on the gelatinization properties such as onset temperature ( T o ), peak gelatinization temperature ( T p ), end set temperature ( T c ), and gelatinization enthalpy (Δ H ), studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Chemical modifications including acetylation and acid hydrolysis decrease the gelatinization temperature of starch whereas cross-linking and oxidation result in increased gelatinization temperatures. Common physical modifications such as heat moisture treatment and annealing also increase the gelatinization temperature. The gelatinization properties of modified starch can be applied for the improvement of food products such as ready-to-eat, easily heated or frozen food, or food products with longer shelf life.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought speculations on possible transmission routes of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of the pandemic. Air pollution has been linked to increased risks of COVID-19 infection and mortality rates in regions with poor air quality, yet no retrospective study has been reported on foodborne transmission of COVID-19. While studies have shown that low temperature could dramatically prolong the persistence on SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, frozen and refrigerated foods have been widely overlooked as potential vectors in policy frameworks and risk mitigation strategies. Food transmission evidence has been disclosed in China early July 2020 by the detection of SARS-CoV-2 on frozen foods, including their packaging materials and storage environments, with two re-emergent outbreaks linked to contaminated food sources. The contamination risk is augmented by a complex farm-to-table process, which favors exposure to food workers and ambient environments. Moreover, the food cold-chain also promotes contamination because laboratory studies showed that SARS-CoV-2 remained highly stable under refrigerated, at 4 °C, and freezing conditions, from − 10 to − 80 °C, on fish, meat, poultry, and swine skin, during 14–21 days. While data are lacking on long-term survival and infectivity under these conditions, ample evidence has been shown on other coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1. We therefore hypothesize that contaminated cold-storage foods may present a systematic risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission between countries and regions. Here, we review the evidence, risk factors, current policy and knowledge gaps, on food contamination and foodborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Food processors face serious challenges due to contamination. Environmental monitoring is used to control from the processing environment. Although frozen foods do not support the growth of the moist and cold conditions in frozen food production environments are favorable for growth of . The purpose of the study was to determine the current state of awareness and practices applied across a variety of frozen food facilities related to environmental monitoring for . A survey tool was created to elicit information on existing environmental monitoring programs within the frozen food industry. The topics included cleaning and sanitizing applications and frequency, microbiological testing, and environmental areas of concern. The survey was reviewed by academic and industry experts with knowledge of microbiology and frozen food processing and was field tested by industry personnel with extensive knowledge of environmental monitoring. The survey was distributed and analyzed electronically via Qualtrics among 150 frozen food contacts. Data were gathered anonymously with a response rate of 31% ( = 46). The survey indicated that facilities are more likely to test for spp. in environmental monitoring zones 2 to 4 (nonfood contact areas) on a weekly basis. The major areas of concern in facilities for finding -positive results are floors, walls, and drains. At the time of the survey, few facilities incorporated active raw material and finished product testing for ; instead, programs emphasized the need to identify presence of in the processing environment and mitigate potential for product contamination. Recognition of environmental monitoring as a key component of a comprehensive food safety plan was evident, along with an industry focus to further improve and develop verification programs to reduce prevalence of in frozen food processing environments.

Recent studies suggest that nanocelluloses may help protect frozen foods’ structure, thereby preserving quality parameters during storage. This study examined the impact of nanocellulose treatment on the frozen quality of sour cherries. Nanocellulose produced from pistachio hull was incorporated into sour cherries using vacuum impregnation, and its cryoprotective role was assessed using three different freezing techniques: static, air-blast, and individual quick frozen (IQF). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) demonstrated the interactive effects of the parameters. During 6 months of storage, nanocellulose pretreatment resulted in significantly lower drip loss, ion leakage, and color difference while retaining high levels of anthocyanin content and antioxidant capacity compared to the non-treated group. Texture analysis also showed that using nanocellulose could compensate for the disadvantage of slow freezing. Pectin methylesterase (PME) activity values fitted to 2nd order kinetic, and the highest residuals were determined in static freezing. Strong correlations ( P  < 0.01) were found between drip loss and color difference ( r  = 0.662), hardness and ion leakage ( r  = 0.605), and color difference and a w values ( r  = 0.628). Graphical Abstract

To estimate the prevalence of online grocery shopping in a nationally representative sample and describe demographic correlates with online grocery shopping. The Nielsen COVID-19 Shopper Behavior Survey was administered to a subset of Nielsen National Consumer Panel participants in July 2020. We used survey weighted-multivariable logistic regression to examine demographic correlates of having ever online grocery shopped. Online survey. 18 598 Nielsen National Consumer Panel participants in the USA. Thirty-nine percent of respondents had purchased groceries online, and among prior purchasers, 89 % indicated that they would continue to online grocery shop in the next month. Canned/packaged foods were the most shopped for grocery category online, followed by beverages, fresh foods and lastly frozen foods. In adjusted analyses, younger respondents (39 years or less) were more likely (47 %) to have ever shopped for groceries online than older age groups (40-54 years, 55-64 years and 65+ years) (29 %, 22 % and 23 %, respectively, all < 0·001). Those with greater than a college degree were more likely to have ever grocery shopped online (45 %) than respondents with some college education (39 %) and with a high school education or less (32 %) (both < 0·001). Having children, having a higher income and experiencing food insecurity, particularly among higher income food-insecure households, were also associated with a higher probability of prior online grocery shopping. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to online grocery shopping. Future research should explore the nutrition implications of online grocery shopping.

Lowering postprandial glucose and insulin responses may have significant beneficial implications for prevention and treatment of metabolic disorders. Bread is a staple food consumed worldwide in a daily basis, and the use of different baking technologies may modify the glucose and insulin response. The aim of this review was to critically record the human studies examining the application of different bread making processes on postprandial glucose and insulin response to bread. Literature is rich of results which show that the use of sourdough fermentation instead of leavening with Saccharomyces cerevisiae is able to modulate glucose response to bread, whereas evidence regarding its efficacy on lowering postprandial insulin response is less clear. The presence of organic acids is possibly involved, but the exact mechanism of action is still to be confirmed. The reviewed data also revealed that the alteration of other processing conditions (method of cooking, proofing period, partial baking freezing technology) can effectively decrease postprandial glucose response to bread, by influencing physical structure and retrogradation of starch. The development of healthier bread products that benefit postprandial metabolic responses is crucial and suggested baking conditions can be used by the bread industry for the promotion of public health.

Market demand for affordable frozen foods has grown due to changes in consumer lifestyle. The quality of frozen food must be maintained throughout production, storage, transport, and distribution. Recent developments in the science and technology of food freezing have led to improvements in the quality of frozen foods. Examples include the control of ice nucleation (by anti-freeze proteins and ice nucleation agents) and advances in freezing technologies (such as electric and magnetic freezing). Progress in the technology of frozen food distribution systems (such as use of time-temperature indicators) has enabled the delivery of high-quality, high-value, and safe frozen foods to consumers. However, unavoidable temperature fluctuations occur during the handling of frozen food. State and phase transitions in frozen food lead to ice recrystallization and quality changes, requiring optimized management strategies such as packaging-based and location-based approaches. Therefore, an understanding of ice recrystallization in frozen food, especially the physical and chemical properties of food matrices, is important. In this review, we evaluate the impact of temperature fluctuation and ice recrystallization on the quality of frozen food, based on characteristic thermal transitions.

PurposeFreezing extends the shelf life of food. Home freezing of fresh foods and the purchase of frozen foods have been advocated as approaches to reduce food waste in US households. This paper discusses how commonly US households apply these practices, quantifies frozen food waste and relates these practices to food waste.Design/methodology/approachWe add questions to the summer 2022 wave of the US Household Food Waste Tracking Survey. The novel survey data provide important baseline information and household behaviours, such as food waste, home freezing of fresh food and the purchase of frozen foods. We analyse the association among these behaviours from more than 1,000 US households.FindingsWe find that US household wastes about 26 g per person per week of food that was once frozen, which is about 6% of all household food waste. The finding indicates that a small portion of food waste in US households comes from frozen food. Vegetables and meats are the most commonly discarded frozen foods. Among the frozen items reported as discarded, about 30% were purchased as frozen rather than purchased fresh and then frozen at home by the consumer and about 30% more were reported as discarded from the refrigerator rather than directly from the freezer. The findings are important for informing strategies to reduce household food waste.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the data provide important baseline information and correlate the use of freezing with lower waste levels, more work is needed to understand if interventions encouraging frozen food purchase or home freezing would reduce household food waste.Originality/valueWe provide unique, detailed information about the quantity of frozen food waste in US households and the relationships between consumer food waste and the practices of frozen food purchasing and home freezing.

Ice cream is a multiphase frozen dessert that often melts during distribution and upon consumption. The meltdown phenomenon is one of the concerns in the quality preservation of ice cream for consumer convenience in the frozen food industry. In this context, X-ray tomography was used to visualise and quantify 3D ice crystal and air bubble evolution during the meltdown of ice cream. Two ice cream products, namely I and II, with varying air volume fractions, were evaluated for this study. The results indicated a small mean diameter of 66.43 ± 2.07 µm at 0 min and decreased to 45.74 ± 3.92 µm during 10 min of the meltdown of ice cream II. A large mean diameter of ice crystals of 75.02 ± 3.14 µm was found in ice cream I, at 0 min that decreased significantly (p < 0.05) to 54.30 ± 2.63 µm during 10 min of the meltdown. The air bubbles were also observed to decrease in mean diameter. The 3D datasets on the ice crystals and air bubbles described in this work provide more insight into the 3D microstructural evolution during the meltdown and are useful in controlling the sensory quality attributes of ice cream desserts.