Volume 10, Issue 4 -

This paper proposes a model aimed at investigating safety and security issues in fresh good supply chain. Particular attention is paid on fresh goods contamination since the increasing complexity of supply chains makes these events more likely to happen. To this end, a discrete event simulator (DES) underpinned by an analytical model has been developed as a support tool for prevention and mitigation. Indeed, the simulation model is able to recreate the disruption wave propagation along the supply chain due to a contamination event as well as the effects on the dynamic evolution of contaminated products demand taking into account complex phenomena like media campaigns. In addition, even the economic impacts in terms of costs (i.e. transportation costs, inventory costs, and lost sales) can be assessed. The potentials of the proposed simulation framework have been investigated in a real case study of a fresh food supply chain located in the north of Italy.

This work presents the result of a research project, concerning the development of a simulation model for a water supply system of a dairy company, located in Parma, Italy. The approach developed allows investigating, through process simulation, the plant areas where the efficiency of the water supply system can be significantly improved by means of some simple interventions. The final objective is to reduce the water consumption of the plant; this represents a relevant issue to the dairy industry. In line with this goal, at first the simulation model was used to reproduce the current (AS IS) system, so as to reach a precise knowledge of the water flows in the plant. In the second part of the work, a series of alternative (TO BE) scenarios was investigated, and the related performance was assessed, thus identifying the best plant configuration. The process simulator was designed under Microsoft Excel, programmed with Visual Basic for Applications. Thanks to the study implemented, an optimal scenario of the water supply system was finally identified, which allows savings up to 7.2% of water compared to the original configuration.

Global concurrence is a topic that affects many companies in most sectors of the economy. In particular, the improvement in the manufacturing, packing, storage, and transportation of food has allowed farming companies from all over the world to compete for customers of a global market. In order to achieve success in this complex environment, it is convenient for the companies to be efficient even before the beginning of their business activity. This paper presents a decision support methodology for improving the design and management of an olive oil manufacturing facility based on the development of a Petri net model of the system, the simulation of its behaviour under a selected set of alternative configurations, and the choice of the most promising one by means of an optimization algorithm.

Adsorption and desorption isotherms of fresh and dried murtilla ( Ugni molinae Turcz) berries were determined at 20, 40 and 60°C using a gravimetric technique. The experimental data obtained were fitted to eight models, namely GAB, BET, Henderson, Caurie, Smith, Oswin, Halsey and Iglesias–Chirife. A non-linear least square regression analysis was used to evaluate the models. The GAB model best fitted the experimental data. Isosteric heat of sorption was determined from the equilibrium sorption data using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation and was found to decrease exponentially with increasing moisture content. The enthalpy–entropy compensation theory applied to the sorption isotherms indicated an enthalpy controlled sorption process. Glass transition temperature of murtilla was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and modelled as a function of moisture content by the Gordon–Taylor equation and as function of water activity by Roos and Khalloufi models, which proved to be excellent tools for predicting glass transition of murtilla.

The coagulant concentration dependence on the rheological properties of acid and salt-induced soft tofu-type gels formed with heated soy protein solutions was investigated. All gels showed a clear gel-like behavior, with acid-induced gels having the highest storage modulus ( G ′). Increase in coagulant concentration resulted in higher G ′ and shorter gelation time ( t gel ). The dependence of t gel on the coagulant concentration could be scaled with a power law model with R 2 varying between 0.9535 and 0.9787. Also the dynamic moduli change over angular frequency fitted well the models: G′∼G0′ωn′$${G^\prime}\sim{\rm{}}G_0^\prime {\omega^{n^\prime}}$$and G′′∼G0′′ωn$${G''}\sim {G^{\prime\prime}_0}^{\omega^{n}}$$. The increase in shear deformation at fracture and shear stress yielding was directly proportional to the increase in coagulant concentration. Both gels were found in the transition regime with varying protein concentration, when experimental data were scaled with a fractal model. Salt-induced gels had more uniform network pore size, finer and smoother surface texture than acid-induced gels. Dynamic moduli analysis of the gels was significantly affected by coagulant type and concentration ( p <0.05).

Understanding of heat transfer during steaming is important to optimize the processing of steamed bread and to produce desired qualities in the final product. Physicochemical changes occur during steaming of the dough which might be impacted upon by the heat transfer system. In this study, a mathematical model was developed to describe the heat transfer system in the bread being steaming throughout the heating process. The Forward Euler method was employed for solving the three-dimensional partial differential equation set for heat transfer to produce temperature profiles at a number of individual locations in the steamed bread during its steaming. All the comparisons between the model-predicted values and the experimental results produced root mean square error values ranged from 1.391 to 3.545 and R 2 values of all greater than 0.93. Therefore, it is confirmed that the model has a good performance and can be used to predict temperature profiles in the bread during steaming.

Wild sage seed ( Salvia macrosiphon ) has practical amounts of gum with good functional properties. In this work, extraction of gum from wild sage seed was studied. Effect of pH, temperature and water/seed ratio on the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and entropy, enthalpy and free energy of extraction were investigated. The maximum gum yield was 12.5% at 55°C for pH=7 and water/seed ratio 40:1. In this study, the experimental data were fitted to a mathematical model of mass transport and constants were obtained. The kinetic of wild sage seed gum extraction was found to be a first-order mass transfer model. Statistical results indicated that the model used in this study will be able to predict the gum extraction from wild sage seed. It is also found that Δ H and Δ S were positive and Δ G was negative indicating that the extraction process was spontaneous, irreversible and endothermic. The Δ H , Δ S and Δ G values were 0.52–14.99 kJ/mol, 6.3–52.2 J/mol K and 0.14–2.44 kJ/mol, respectively.

Vitamin E (VE) is highly susceptible to autoxidation; therefore, it requires systems to encapsulate and protect it from autoxidation. In this study, we developed VE delivery systems, which were stabilized by Capsul® (MS), a starch modified with octenyl succinic anhydride. Influences of interfacial tension, VE viscosity, molecular weight distribution, and surfactant type (MS versus Tween 80) on stability and droplet size obtained by high-pressure homogenization were investigated. Both surfactants reduced interfacial tension and small droplet diameters (<350 nm) were produced at high VE content (80% oil phase, w/w) and low emulsifier (2.5%, w/w), which was attributed to their molecular distribution and interfacial characteristics and the magnitude of disruptive forces generated within homogenizer. MS nanoemulsions were stable to droplet coalescence at high temperature–short time exposure (30, 55, 80°C; 30 min). Results indicated that MS can be used successfully to stabilize VE nanoemulsions at ambient temperatures. Such nanoemulsions may be incorporated in many food products.

The human small intestine is responsible for virtually all nutrient uptake and more than 95% of the water absorption in digestion, which is attributed to the vast mucosal surface area and the peristalsis of small intestine. Under the broad conceptual framework of bio-inspired chemical process engineering, by mimicking the structure and functions of small intestine, a flexible tubular reactor with villous protrusions distributed evenly on the inner wall was designed and constructed in this study. In order to understand the flow behavior in the reactor, the residence time distribution (RTD) of fluid particles in the reactor was measured by introducing electrochemical active tracer. Also, a simple mechanism of peristalsis was introduced, and its effects on the RTD in the reactor were investigated. The experimental results showed that the tailing of RTD function curve in the small intestine model reactor was extended significantly compared to a normal tubular reactors. The residence time and mixing of fluid (particles) in the reactor can be regulated efficiently by controlling the peristaltic actions (frequency and location).

The main objective of this study was to compare the characteristics of hydroxypropylated (HP) wheat and oat starches. Higher degree of modification was obtained for HP wheat starch. Hydroxypropylation did not change the morphological features of HP oat starch granules, while it had some effects on the granular structure of HP wheat starch. The relative crystallinity of HP oat starch was higher than that of HP wheat starch. The water swelling and solubility of the HP wheat starch were higher than the HP oat starch. In contrast to HP wheat starch, the HP oat starch gel showed improved textural properties. After hydroxypropylation, peak and breakdown viscosity increased while set back viscosity and peak time decreased. Higher onset, peak and conclusion temperatures, and higher enthalpy of gelatinization were obtained for the HP oat starch. HP wheat starch gel had less syneresis than the HP oat starch.

In this study, the main concern is to complete a performance analysis, a mathematical modelling and an environmental analysis of tomato flakes drying in a modified greenhouse dryer under active mode. Experimentation was conducted simultaneously in the designed dryer and also with natural drying processes. Tomato flakes were dried from an initial moisture of 96.0% w.b. to a final moisture of 9.09% w.b. for 15 h in the dryer. In this communication, mathematical modelling and environmental analysis were done for tomato flakes drying in the designed dryer. In the environmental analysis, various environmental and economic parameters have been evaluated, including the payback period by cost, energy payback time (EPBT), embodied energy, CO2 emission and the earned carbon credit. Seven existing drying kinetics models have been applied and one mathematical model has been proposed. The coefficient of determination for the proposed model is 0.9985, which is higher than all other existing models. The payback period by the cost of the dryer is only 1.9 years. The embodied energy of the dryer is 628.7287 kWh. The EPBT is only 1.14 year, and CO2 emission per year is 17.6 kg per year. The net CO2 emission is 38.06 tonnes and the earned carbon credit varies from 12,561.70 INR to 50,245.49 INR during its lifespan. The nutrient content of the dried tomato – in the dryer as well as in open sun drying – was examined. Tomato dried in the dryer was found to have more nutrient content than with open sun drying. The total experimental uncertainty is 23.41%.

With an objective of developing a safe and efficient method to extract proanthocyanidins products from pomegranate peel for use in nutraceuticals or as food additives, the effects of extraction parameters on the production efficiency, product properties, and extraction kinetics were systematically studied. The results showed that both extraction temperature and water–material ratio had significant effects on the proanthocyanidins content, but the yield was significantly affected only by temperature. The moderate temperature and water–material ratio were beneficial to maintain high proanthocyanidins scavenging activity and good product quality. The second-order extraction and Arrhenius kinetic models were developed and successfully used to predict the proanthocyanidins yield for given conditions tested. Extraction temperature of 60°C, water–material ratio of 30:1 g g −1 , and time of 10 min are recommended for proanthocyanidins extraction from pomegranate peel, which corresponded to the highest yield of 40.6 mg g −1 and content of 89.1 mg g −1 having a scavenging activity of 31.5 g g −1 , and an attractive reddish yellow color.

In this research, drying of a medicinal plant (chamomile) in a hybrid photovoltaic–thermal solar dryer with and without heat pump was investigated. The experiments were performed at three air speeds (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s), three levels of air temperature (40, 50, and 60°C), with and without using a heat pump. Results of analysis indicated that adding a heat pump to the photovoltaic solar dryer decreases drying time, energy consumption, and required specific energy. Solar energy fraction increased with decreasing air temperature and velocity. Analysis of the dryer-related parameters showed that the maximum and minimum thermal efficiencies were 33.8 and 16.4%, respectively, both in the no-heat-pump mode while with the heat pump, its maximum and minimum values were 38.4 and 19.7%, respectively. Moreover, the highest and lowest electrical efficiencies for the no-heat-pump mode were 13.4 and 9.1%, respectively; while using the heat pump, its maximum and minimum values were 14.1 and 10.4%, respectively. Results of analyzing the dryer’s coefficient of performance for drying chamomile showed that the highest and lowest coefficients of performance were 3.41 and 1.82, respectively. Eleven mathematical models were tested, and Page’s model was selected as the best for describing the drying behavior of chamomile flower.

Modifying processes of clay of Veselovskoe deposits with acetic acid (AA) and liquid sodium glass and adsorption of undesirable impurities from sunflower oil on granulated sorbent in a dynamic mode were studied. It was shown that the modification of clay with AA increases the number of Brönsted sites and yields granulated sorbent with a mesopore structure. The composition of clay and liquid glass is characterized by the basic sites. The composition of the clay modified with AA and the liquid glass produces all kinds of surface sites and yields the bipore structure. It was established that the modification of clay with liquid glass provides highest degree of adsorption of the fatty acid (84.6–87.7%), and the modification of clay with AA leads to increasing adsorption of the peroxide compounds (70.0–81.7%). Both acid and alkaline modification of clay allows increasing the phosphorated substances extraction degree to 77.2–89.4%.

There is no documented evidence proving that the meat products produced by “gloved” hands are safer than those produced by “bare” hands. Thus, this paper proposes to conduct a microbiological investigation to assess cross-contamination between handlers and poultry products in three distinct processing situations: without the use of gloves (bare hands), with the use of reusable gloves and using disposable gloves. The microbiological results showed that the use of hands protected by disposable gloves was significantly better ( p < 0.05) compared to the use of bare hands and hands containing reusable gloves. Thus, the adoption of disposable gloves combined with good manufacturing practices training seems to be the most reliable alternative to reduce handler–food contamination during the preparation of poultry products.

In the current work, physicochemical properties of arrowroot starch and thermal properties of glycerol/arrowroot starch membranes were investigated. Arrowroot starch exhibited high purity (starch content >99%) with amylose content >40% and granule size dispersion between 29 and 126 μm. Arrowroot starch has a gelatinization temperature of 63.94°C and a B-type crystalline structure. Arrowroot starch, in combination with three levels of glycerol, was used to manufacture membranes by casting method. Increasing the plasticizer effect due to glycerol content increased the water weight loss of the membranes at temperatures higher than 110°C. Additionally, the onset temperature of the endothermic peak observed by differential scanning calorimetry and associated to water removal from the membranes changed with glycerol content. Physicochemical and thermal properties of arrowroot starch and glycerol/arrowroot starch membranes were similar to those reported previously for other starch sources. From the data obtained in this study, it is clear that arrowroot starch could have promising industrial applications.

In this study, the possible usage of chestnut flour in gluten-free cake formulation was investigated. Response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effects of water, xanthan and guar gum mixture and potato starch. Crust and crumb attributes, sensory and textural properties of the cake samples were investigated. Considering all cake properties, better results were obtained by increasing xanthan gum in the gum blend. Increasing the amount of potato starch in the chestnut flour–potato starch blend decreased the batter density, consistency, hardness and chewiness, but increased the specific volume, cohesiveness and scores of the interior and exterior attributes. Optimum concentration of gum mixture was found as 0.225% xanthan gum, 0.075% guar gum and ratio of chestnut flour to potato starch was 7:3. Then, four different levels of transglutaminase were added to control and optimized gluten-free cake formula. The highest desirability value was obtained in gluten-free formula containing 0.25% transglutaminase. According to the results of the sensory analyses, no significant difference was observed between control and gluten-free cake.

In this study, two intelligent tools of genetic algorithm (GA) and artificial neural network (ANN) were employed to use experimental data to predict equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of Persian pistachio powder. Initially the moisture sorption isotherms of pistachio powder were determined by gravimetric method at different temperatures (15, 25, 35 and 40°C) and constant relative humidity’s (0.11, 0.23, 0.36, 0.49, 0.62, 0.75 and 0.88 a w values) and then traditional mathematical models including BET, Iglesias and Chirife, GAB, Caurie and Freundlich were used to check the fitness of experimental data. Later the experimental data were compared with similar data obtained from GA and ANN models. The overall results showed that the Caurie model had high performance to predict EMC and revealed that GA model had greater accuracy to predict EMC of pistachio powder with very high R 2 values (equal to 0.9996).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different pretreatment and reducing sugar content on furfural (F) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) contents of fermented lotus root by vinegar. The lotus root samples were fermented using vinegar for 15 days, at different solution concentrations and temperatures. The processing conditions were considered as inputs of neural network to predict the F and HMF contents of lotus root. Genetic algorithm was applied to optimize the structure and learning parameters of ANN. The developed genetic algorithm-artificial neural network (GA-ANN) which included 23 and 17 neurons in the first and second hidden layers, respectively, gives the lowest mean squared error (MSE). The correlation coefficient of ANN was compared with multiple linear regression-based models. The GA-ANN model was found to be a more accurate prediction method for the F and HMF contents of fermented lotus root than linear regression-based models. In addition, sensitivity analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were also analyzed to find out the relation between input and output variables.

Citric acid pretreatment (2% and 4% citric acid) and high pressure processing (200–400 MPa for 3 min) were conducted to elucidate quality characteristics and shelf life of abalone during chilled storage. Physicochemical properties, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and total viable count (TVC) were used as indicators of quality and the shelf life of abalone. Citric acid pretreatment caused a decrease in pH and lightness, and 4% citric acid pretreatment exhibited a positive effect on TVB-N and TVC. Pressurization suppressed the formation of TVB-N and the growth of TVC in abalone. However, excessive modification in physicochemical properties of abalone resulted from processing at a pressure higher than 300 MPa. To achieve microbial inactivation without severe modification in abalone quality, citric acid pretreatment with high pressure processing offered a potential advantage in maintaining characteristics of chilled abalone during prolonged storage period.

A synergetic method integrating both pulsed electric field (PEF) and ozone treatment was developed as a novel approach to investigate the degradation of high molecular weight chitosan ( M w =4.5×10 5 Da). A device integrating both components was designed and assembled for the experiments. Results showed that the highest degradation percentage of chitosan was achieved with PEF/ozone co-treatment generated at experimental conditions of 1.2 L/min of ozone flow rate, 100 mL/min of 0.6% (w/v) chitosan solution flow rate, and 26.7 kV/cm of PEF intensity. The degradation percentage after 60 min PEF treatment was 24.89%, whereas it was improved to 94.89% by ozone treatment for 60 min. Combining the two treatments resulted in enhanced degradation percentage of 99.56%, with low molecular weights sample ( M w <2,500 Da) obtained. FTIR analysis demonstrated that the amide structure of the degradation products was minimally affected by the co-treatment. XRD pattern indicated that the crystallinity of the degradation products decreased. In addition, it could complete dissolve in water after 60 min PEF/ozone co-treatment. These results demonstrated the synergetic PEF/ozone co-treatment as an effective method for degradation of high molecular weight chitosan.

Passion fruit seeds are an important by-product of the juice industry. In this study, physical, thermal and water-sorption properties of passion fruit ( Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener) seeds were determined. The knowledge of such properties is useful to design equipment or operations for storage or processing purposes. The physical properties of bulk density, particle density and bulk porosity, and the thermal properties of conductivity, diffusivity and specific heat were determined between water and mass fractions of 0.126 and 0.493. The thermal properties were determined for packed beds of seeds (effective properties), by means of which the thermal properties of the seeds (particle properties) were estimated. Different empirical models were evaluated for modeling the physical and thermal properties as function of moisture content. Physical and thermal properties were successfully described by a second-order polynomial, except by the specific heat which was described by a second-order logarithmic relationship. The isosteric heat, the differential entropy and the Gibbs free energy of water sorption were estimated using the Henderson model, which best fitted the experimental desorption isotherms at temperatures between 30°C and 70°C and relative humidities between 2% and 90%.

Hazelnut shells are generated in large amounts from hazelnut processing. Currently, it is used as fuel. However, reuse in bioprocessing can release remarkable content of sugars, which can be used for production of additives such as enzymes widely used in the food industry. Thus, the present study was undertaken to determine the effect of single and combined chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis on the production of fermentable sugars from hazelnut shells. Batch hydrolysis was carried out under various conditions to select optimal conditions. The results revealed that an optimal sugar concentration of about 19.2 g/l was achieved after 3.42% (w/w) dilute acid pretreatment conducted at 130°C for 31.7 min and enzymatic load of 200 U/g for 24 h. The overall sugar yield was calculated as 72.4% (g reducing sugar/g total carbohydrate). Therefore, hazelnut shells can be considered a suitable feedstock to compete with synthetic sugars used in fermentations.

The present study investigated the variations in main flavor compounds of a Chinese brandy during the second distillation process using headspace–solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 97 volatile compounds involving esters, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, furans, benzene derivatives and terpenes were quantified, and 28 components were identified as key ingredients. By monitoring the second distillation process, it was found that most ethyl esters (ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, etc.), alcohols (3-methylbutanol, etc.), terpenes (linalool, etc.), acetaldehyde and ionone all had higher values at the beginning of the distillation, but declined gradually or sharply along with the distillation process. However, two esters (ethyl lactate and diethyl succinate), acids (acetic acid, hexanoic acid), benzene derivatives (2-phenylethanol, etc.) and furan (furfural) showed lower levels when the distillation was just started, and gradually increased, accumulating as a large quantity at the end of the distillation.

The volatile composition of six Chinese sugarcane varieties has been analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 40 volatile compounds were identified by the optimized HS-SPME procedure. It was found that the sugarcane juice from Daheixiong variety contained the highest amount of volatile compounds (108.48 mg/L), followed by Tai 22 (90.13 mg/L), 94128 (87.19 mg/L), Gui 00122 (80.16 mg/L), Yue 00236 (79.43 mg/L) and Taiyou (22.54 mg/L). Ethyl alcohol, limonene, hexanol, (s)-2-heptanol and acetic acid were the most abundant compounds present in sugarcane juice. Interestingly, these compounds were also selected by principal component analysis (PCA) to discriminate the sugarcane juices in terms of their varieties. Overall, the identification of aromatic compounds in sugarcane juice could provide useful information for determining sugarcane varieties and be used as a reference for choosing the suitable sugarcane variety as raw material for producing other product, like rums.

The effect of citric acid pretreatment on the drying characteristics of peach slices was investigated in a cabinet dryer. The experiments were conducted on peach slices with a thickness of 5 mm at temperatures of 45, 55, 65 and 75°C with an air velocity of 2.0 m/s. The drying time of peach slices pretreated with citric acid solution was shorter than the control ones. The drying data were fitted to five thin-layer drying models. The results show that the Midilli et al. model was the most appropriate model for drying of peach slices. The values of effective moisture diffusivity were found to range between 1.94 × 10 −10 and 8.49 × 10 −10 m 2 /s over the temperature range studied. The values of activation energy were calculated as 36.82 and 37.12 kJ/mol for control and pretreated samples, respectively. Superior rehydration was noticed for citric acid pretreated slices dried at 65°C.

In this study, the drying kinetics of pomegranate arils, the degradation kinetics of some bioactive compounds, and changes in color values during the drying process were investigated. The drying process was performed by a forced air circulating oven at 55, 65, and 75°C. Drying times were calculated to be 1,020, 520, and 330 min, respectively. Effective moisture diffusivity values ranged from 5.39×10 −11 to 1.70×10 −10 m 2 s −1 and increased with increases in temperature. Six different thin-layer drying models were applied to evaluate the goodness of the model. The degradation rate of bioactive compounds increased at higher temperatures; however, remaining amounts of phenolic, anthocyanin, and flavonoid compounds after drying were higher in samples dried at 75°C. The highest antioxidant capacity value was observed in the pomegranate arils dried at 75°C. While the L* values of pomegranate arils decreased after the drying process, the a * values increased.

The effect of sucrose at different concentrations (0, 10, 20, and 30% w/w) on rheological and thermal properties of 5% (w/w) rice starch (RS) pastes mixed with guar gum (GG) and xanthan gum (XG) was examined. The flow behavior index ( n ) values of RS–gum mixtures in the presence of sucrose were higher than those of the control (0% sucrose), whereas their K and σ oc values were lower. The RS–XG–sucrose mixtures showed much higher dynamic moduli values than the control, while the RS–GG–sucrose mixtures, except for the 30% sucrose concentration, showed lower values, indicating that the viscoelastic properties of RS–XG mixtures were greatly affected by the addition of sucrose. In general, differential scanning calorimetry studies showed that the presence of sucrose resulted in an increase in the gelatinization temperatures and a decrease in gelatinization enthalpy. These results could facilitate the development of RS-based products with improved thermal and rheological properties.

The influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the drying behavior of potato was investigated, and the optimal parameters were determined. Drying experiments were conducted with different PEF pre-treatments. The effects of process parameters of PEF pre-treatment were examined with respect to drying rate, drying time, productivity per unit area, and energy consumption. Results showed that the three parameters investigated were significant in the following sequence: pulse number, electric field strength, and pulse width. The optimal electric field strength, pulse width, and pulse number were 1,500 V cm −1 , 120 μs, and 45 pulses, respectively. Under these optimal conditions, productivity per unit area increased by 32.28%, specific energy consumption decreased by 16.59%, drying time was shortened by 31.47%, and drying rate improved by 14.31% compared with the control group.