Explore the vast range of titles available.

The aim of this work was to determine selected microbiological and organoleptic changes of vacuum packed cooled beef imported from Argentina as one of the few South American countries which export beef to Europe. The changes were studied during its common shelf life (4 months) and 1 month thereafter in case of longer storage. The storage temperature was -1 deg C to +2 deg C. Four packages of boneless chilled heart of rump were used; all the values of each package were measured five times. Meat and juice weight, vacuum value, numbers of microbes, yeasts and moulds, pH of meat and juice were determined. Some organoleptic characteristics of meat and juice such as taste, aroma, colour, consistency and clearness of both of juice and broth after boiling were evaluated using Czech technical standards. The vacuum value of the first package was 90 kPa; the number of the microbes was increasing adequately to time in all the packages. In the course of the entire shelf life period all the samples fulfilled the allowed limits so the meat was suitable for human consumption. During the tested period neither monitored pathogen microflora nor yeasts and moulds were present; pH of all samples was influenced by storage in the vacuum. Meat stored for 5 months showed changes in odour and presence of coliforms. Commencing spoilage of this sample rendered the meat not suitable for human consumption.

Industrial animal agriculture is a significant driver of climate change, habitat loss, and the ongoing extinction crisis, all of which will continue to accelerate as global demand for animal products grows. Plant-based alternatives to animal products, which have existed for over a thousand years, offer a potential solution to this problem, as the intersection of recent technological innovation and shifting capital investment trends have ushered in a new era of alternative proteins that are redefining food categories like meat, eggs, and milk. To better understand these evolving food forms, their attendant technologies, and the opportunities they afford for ameliorating the impacts of industrial animal farming, this article provides a genealogy of plant-based alternative proteins, with a particular focus on the current era and the role that design principles like biomimicry and skeuomorphism play in reproducing the organoleptic properties (the sensorial, experiential aspects) of animal products. Comparing the alternative protein market to other markets in which more sustainable foods and energy have failed to displace their environmentally destructive counterparts, it concludes by considering if whether creating novel new protein forms, rather than imitating conventional animal products, may afford a more promising path toward transformation of the food system.

The coffee quality is affected by 40% pre-harvest, 40% post-harvest, and 20% export handling. Besides, future risks for the coffee industry are related with climate change and increased pathogens. Considering the importance of the aroma profile and unique flavor of Arabica coffee, most literature focuses on this variety because of the high market share; however, nowadays, Robusta coffee stands out for its increasing industrial value and resistance to drought. In this review, both species are emphasized, highlighting sensory aspects of possible new products mixed with a higher proportion of Robusta given market trends for bitter beverages. In the present work, a systematic search of peer-reviewed literature evaluates how the coffee cup quality and physicochemical characteristics of Robusta and Arabica are influenced by environmental, agronomic, and further processing factors.

Potassium (K ) nutrition is of relevant interest for winegrowers because it influences grapevine growth, berry composition, as well as must and wine quality. Indeed, wine quality strongly depends on berry composition at harvest. However, K content of grape berries increased steadily over the last decades, in part due to climate change. Currently, the properties and qualities of many fruits are also impacted by environment. In grapevine, this disturbs berry properties resulting in unbalanced wines with poor organoleptic quality and low acidity. This requires a better understanding of the molecular basis of K accumulation and its control along grape berry development. This mini-review summarizes our current knowledge on K nutrition in relation with fruit quality in the context of a changing environment.

As a result of climate change, the phenology of grapes has been altered, mainly by increasing the sugar content and decreasing the acidity of ripe grapes. This shift, when the must is fermented, affects the quality of the wine. In this regard, the use of selected Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts to mitigate these undesirable effects in wine fermentations entails new strategies to improve their control and also to obtain wines better adapted to current consumer preferences. This work focuses on the use of a commercially available strain of Lachancea thermotolerans immobilized in biological support to form “microbial biocapsules”, comparing its effect with a free format and spontaneous fermentation on alcoholic fermentation and volatile compound composition. These biocapsules, consisting of yeast cells attached to fungal pellets, are being tested to improve wine sensory attributes and also to facilitate yeast inoculation in fermentative and clarification winemaking processes, as well as to reduce time and production costs. The composition of young wines obtained with L. thermotolerans, inoculated as free or biocapsule formats, were compared with those obtained by the traditional method of spontaneous fermentation using native yeast by quantifying 12 oenological variables and the contents in 12 major volatiles, 3 polyols, and 46 minor volatile compounds. The analytical data matrix underwent statistical analysis to compare and establish significant differences at p ≤ 0.05 level between the different wines obtained. Among the major volatiles and polyols, only ethyl acetate, 1,1-diethoxyethane, methanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, acetoin, ethyl lactate, and glycerol showed significant differences in L. thermotolerans wines. Also, from the minor volatile metabolites, eight showed a significant dependence on the format used for L. thermotolerans, and the other nine volatiles were dependent on both yeast and inoculation format. Only 27 volatiles were selected as aroma-active compounds with odor activity values higher than 0.2 units. Statistical analysis showed a clear separation of the obtained wines into groups when subjected to Principal Component Analysis, and the fingerprinting of wines made with biocapsules shows intermediate values between the two remaining inoculation formats, particularly in the fruity/ripe fruit, green, and floral series. The organoleptic evaluation of wines results in significantly higher values in taste, overall quality, and total score for wines obtained with biocapsules.

Climate change and their resulting impacts are becoming a concern for winegrowers due to the high socioeconomic relevance of the winemaking sector worldwide. In fact, the projected climate change is expected to have detrimental impacts on the yield of grapevines, as well as on the quality and properties of grapes and wine. It is well known that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve the nutritional quality of edible parts of crops and play essential roles in the maintenance of host plant fitness under stressed environments, including grapevines. The future scenarios of climate change may also modify the diversity and the growth of AMF in soils as well as the functionality of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. In this review, we summarize recent research progress on the effects of climate change on grapevine metabolism, paying special attention to the secondary compounds involved in the organoleptic properties of grapes and wines and to the levels of the phytohormones implied in the control of berry development and fruit ripening. In this context, the potential role of AMF for maintaining fruit quality in future climate change scenarios is discussed.

• In grapevine, climate changes lead to increased berry potassium (K⁺) contents that result in must with low acidity. Consequently, wines are becoming ‘flat’ to the taste, with poor organoleptic properties and low potential aging, resulting in significant economic loss. Precise investigation into the molecular determinants controlling berry K⁺ accumulation during its development are only now emerging. • Here, we report functional characterization by electrophysiology of a new grapevine Shaker-type K⁺ channel, VvK3.1. The analysis of VvK3.1 expression patterns was performed by qPCR and in situ hybridization. • We found that VvK3.1 belongs to the AKT2 channel phylogenetic branch and is a weakly rectifying channel, mediating both inward and outward K⁺ currents. We showed that VvK3.1 is highly expressed in the phloem and in a unique structure located at the two ends of the petiole, identified as a pulvinus. • From the onset of fruit ripening, all data support the role of the VvK3.1 channel in the massive K⁺ fluxes from the phloem cell cytosol to the berry apoplast during berry K⁺ loading. Moreover, the high amount of VvK3.1 transcripts detected in the pulvinus strongly suggests a role for this Shaker in the swelling and shrinking of motor cells involved in paraheliotropic leaf movements.

In the Americas’ leading cocoa-producing countries, more productive clonal cultivars than traditional biclonal hybrids have been created. In Brazil, several disease-resistant and self-compatible clones such as PS 1319, FA 13, and SJ 02 have been selected on producer farms. The CCN 51 clone from Ecuador is also significant in Brazil. This study aimed to analyze these clones concerning their genetic structures using single-nucleotide polymorphisms, productive potential, disease resistance, and the physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the beans. Clone SJ 02 has ancestry from Contamana (40.7%), Iquitos (34.5%), and Amelonado (23.5%). PS 1319 is primarily Amelonado (67.9%), with Criollo (15.7%) and Contamana (15.6%). FA 13 mainly consists of Amelonado (53.5%) and Iquitos (44.1%). Local cultivars of Bahia are mostly Amelonado, with 99.8% in Comum and Parazinho, 97.4% in Maranhão, and 95.5% in Pará. PS 1319, SJ 02, and FA 13 clones were significantly more productive than CCN 51 but did not differ in disease resistance levels. Significant differences were noted among the cultivars in physicochemical traits (fat, caffeine, and theobromine content). Sensorially, SJ 02 outperformed the other cultivars and was comparable to the reference clone BN 34. The findings indicate that Brazil’s elite clones, derived from complex crosses involving Amelonado, Contamana, Iquitos, and Criollo groups, are productive, resistant, and exhibit favorable physico-chemical and organoleptic qualities, making them valuable for future clonal breeding programs.

Table olives are one of the most established Mediterranean vegetables, having an exponential increase consumption year by year. In the natural-style processing, olives are produced by spontaneous fermentation, without any chemical debittering. This natural fermentation process remains empirical and variable since it is strongly influenced by physicochemical parameters and microorganism presence in olive drupes. In the present work, Cypriot green cracked table olives were processed directly in brine (natural olives), using three distinct methods: spontaneous fermentation, inoculation with lactic acid bacteria at a 7% or a 10% NaCl concentration. Sensory, physicochemical, and microbiological alterations were monitored at intervals, and major differences were detected across treatments. Results indicated that the predominant microorganisms in the inoculated treatments were lactic acid bacteria, while yeasts predominated in control. As a consequence, starter culture contributed to a crucial effect on olives fermentation, leading to faster acidification and lower pH. This was attributed to a successful lactic acid fermentation, contrasting the acetic and alcoholic fermentation observed in control. Furthermore, it was established that inhibition of enterobacteria growth was achieved in a shorter period and at a significantly lower salt concentration, compared to the spontaneous fermentation. Even though no significant variances were detected in terms of the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, the degradation of oleuropein was achieved faster in inoculated treatments, thus, producing higher levels of hydroxytyrosol. Notably, the reduction of salt concentration, in combination with the use of starter, accented novel organoleptic characteristics in the final product, as confirmed from a sensory panel; hence, it becomes obvious that the production of Cypriot table olives at reduced NaCl levels is feasible.

The path from viticulture to viniculture has witnessed substantial improvements in perspectives related to design, process, innovations, technology, and organoleptic attributes. The conventional substrates and culture have been expanded with a plethora of phytochemical-rich natural resources for producing wine with enhanced nutritional and health advantages. The accorded health benefits shall confluence the benefit of being cardioprotective, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancerous. Leveraging the use of blend microbes, non- Saccharomyces strains could potentially increase yield segment with substantial reduction in toxic metabolite synthesis. The technological design, application, and commercialization must be optimized with numerous factors like process optimization and existing processing constraints, without harming the sensory acceptability. Moreover, the safety and quality of wines produced shall be adhered to at a highest standard aligning to the consumer health. The present review highlights the prospects of wine production with respect to its explored diversified sources, and cultures available for innovative wine production, followed by technological insights in wine industry in view to enhance the quantity, quality, and safety of product and process. Graphical Abstract