Industrial applications of selected <i>JFS</i> articles

When I first heard about blockchain, it was not obvious to me that it could have an application in the food industry. I was wrong. As this excellent review article published in this issue of the journal points out, distributed ledgers (such as blockchain) are increasingly being used to trace agrifood supply chains. “Blockchain technology and traceability in the agrifood industry” by Niccolò Patelli and Mauro Mandrioli (https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15477) reviews the major case studies of agrifood supply chain traceability using blockchain and other distributed ledgers technologies. The authors suggest a logical scheme in order to favor the identification of the blockchain structure that is more appropriate for each agrifood supply chain, including the identification of supply chains where complex blockchain technologies are not necessary. Blockchain technologies are trust-proof systems, where non-trusting members can verifiably interact with each other without the need for a trusted authority. They can provide a cryptographically secure and immutable record of transactions and associated metadata (origin, contracts, process steps, environmental variations, microbial records, etc.) linked across the supply chain. Blockchains are a Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), a software tool based on a common database shared among all participants. Unlike centralized systems, blockchain and distributed ledgers are not based on data stored in a single place (e.g., a server) with a single subject controlling and sharing them. In the distributed ledger, each participant owns an identical copy of the ledger and any change in the data is applied to every single copy owned by participants, so that the blockchain acts as a trusted and dependable third party. In a blockchain, every transaction between two participants is recorded permanently and these records take the name of blocks. The addition of a transaction can be performed by mining, which is a process that adds new records to the blockchain using complex computing problems that are at the basis of the security of the technology. A change in one block must be accepted by all the other participants and it is impossible to apply any change without the public consensus. Blockchains allow users to save and trace data at each stage of an agrifood supply chain. For instance, providers can start a blockchain by adding data about cultivated crops, pesticide, and fertilizers used, machinery involved, and so on, together with data regarding the transactions with individual producers. Producers may then add data about the farm and the farming practices employed, also including data related to the crop cultivation process or animals and their welfare. Information about the factory and its equipment can be added, including data about the processing methods for each batch, together with information related to the transactions that occurred with the producers and distributors. In the last phase of the supply chain, blockchains also allow users to save data about shipping details, storage conditions at every transport stage, so that highly detailed information about each food item is available for everyone involved in the supply chain. As a whole, blockchains allow the recording of information about food products at every stage of the supply chain to ensure good hygienic conditions and to identify contaminated products, frauds, and risks as early as possible. The reviewers state that blockchains can enhance existing supply chain data through higher traceability and improve the ability of food companies to mitigate food safety failures by quickly identifying and linking outbreaks back to their specific sources. The authors say that blockchains can facilitate the work of the agencies involved in control of risks along agrifood chains, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and EFSA, allowing a fast and simple tracking in cases of adulteration or contamination problems. In particular, blockchains can assist in the elimination of a largely paper-based system to track food from its source through to packing houses, warehouses, and into stores. With the importance of food supply chains in the news with disruptions caused by the global pandemic, I recommend that food technologists, agency staff, and supply chain managers read this excellent review on blockchain to get up to speed on this rapidly evolving food traceability technology. Highlights in this issue of the Journal include ability to discriminate MSG; the Dessert Flip; development of arrowroot flours; rheological properties of ice cream; characterization of goat milk cake aroma; Brewer's spent grains; and a scientific foundation for the application of tea polysaccharides. These researchers investigated whether ability to taste monosodium glutamate (MSG) is associated with liking and intensity of sodium-reduced vegetable broths with added MSG. They found that a 7% Na reduction was possible by partially replacing NaCl with MSG without influencing intensity or liking in the low NaCl broth, in comparison to the highest liked NaCl only broth (medium NaCl). There was no significant difference in liking of broths between MSG discriminators and non-discriminators. MSG discriminators rated all broths as significantly more intense overall (except for control broth, P > 0.2) than non-discriminators. The ability to discriminate MSG from NaCl does not influence liking of salt-reduced broths with added MSG. MSG discrimination status was associated with NaCl taste intensity, indicating that the sodium ion is dominant in influencing intensity (common to both MSG and NaCl). The addition of MSG to vegetable broths is an effective way to reduce total sodium in the broths without reducing liking of the broths, irrespective of an individual's ability to taste MSG or salt. Salt taste and umami taste (MSG) appear to be associated, indicating the sodium is important in influencing taste intensity for both salty and umami taste. P 3934–3953 American adults consume excess added sugar and saturated fat, and not enough fruit. These researchers suggest a possible solution: the “Dessert Flip,” a shift in which the proportions of more sustainable plant-based garnishes, such as fruit and nuts, are increased, while the proportion of conventional dessert is reduced. They hypothesized that the pleasing properties of fruits and nuts—color, variety, flavor, and texture—would allow the Dessert Flip to be liked as well or better than a conventional dessert by college-aged students in a dining hall. Sensory testing indicated that participants significantly preferred plated flipped desserts—those containing 80% by weight fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and mangoes) and nuts with 20% cake—over the conventional versions of those desserts with 80% cake and 20% fruit and nuts. They conclude that the Dessert Flip offers a feasible option for increasing servings of fruits and nuts in desserts as well as reducing added sugar and saturated fat while maintaining sensory appeal. Future dietary guidelines could include this general strategy as a recommendation for helping adults include more fruits in their diets. P 3954–3968 This study aims to optimize an arrowroot flour fermented by kefir grains. The researchers also assessed the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological characteristics of these flours. The fermentation process positively modified the physicochemical, nutritional, and microbial characteristics of the flours. An increase in antioxidant activity, protein percentage, and organic acid production was observed, as well as modification in color (browning), the conformation of starch structures, and carbohydrate reduction. These results suggest that the “arrowroot kefir flours” could be introduced as a new product on the market for use as an ingredient for making bread, biscuits, pasta, and so on, showing microbiological safety and functional properties. P 3667–3669 Although the ice phase greatly influences the properties of ice cream, other structural components also affect its rheological behavior, particularly after melting. In this study, mix viscosity, extent of fat destabilization, and overrun were manipulated to produce different microstructures. The effects of these structural components were evaluated on the rheological properties of the ice creams and melted ice creams. When the ice phase decreased (between −10 and −2.7°C), mix viscosity had reduced effects, but continued to strongly affect G’ and tanδ and with lower effects from overrun. When the ice phase was completely melted at 0°C, fat destabilization had the most influence on G’ and tanδ, followed by overrun, and with lower effects from mix viscosity. According to the researchers, the understanding of how structural components, such as mix viscosity, fat destabilization, and overrun, affect the ice cream matrix can help manufacturers to control its rheological behavior. Elucidation of these mechanisms on the rheological properties can directly assist in quality control and new product development in the ice cream industry. P 3885–3898 Goat milk cake is a popular acid-curd cheese in Yunnan, China; however, according to the researchers, a limited knowledge of its key aroma compounds restricts its development and industrial production. In this study, a sensory-directed flavor analysis was used to characterize the key aroma compounds of Yunnan goat milk cake. The researchers found that GC-MS results revealed 53 compounds with aroma characteristics in all the samples. A further comparison of odor activity values and aroma intensities (AI) revealed 25 of these compounds as the initial key aroma compounds. The contributions of these key aroma compounds to the sensory attributes were determined using a partial least squares regression. Of these compounds, 2-heptanone and 2-nonanone were closely related to the “milky” and “cheesy” attributes and were highly abundant in the samples from Kunming. Fatty acids, including butanoic acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, and decanoic acid, were the most abundant compounds detected in the milk cakes. P 3981–3997 Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is the major byproduct of brewing beer, rich in protein and dietary fiber. The researchers investigated the benefit of an impingement drying method for the retention of physicochemical quality and bioactive compounds of brewer's spent grains produced from three different brewers in comparison with hot-air drying. Results indicated that muffins fortified with brewer's spent grains flours (15% replacement of wheat flour) yielded a 23% increase in total dietary fiber and 13% increase in protein without affecting consumer acceptance of the products. The results could be used in developing value-added applications of brewer's spent grains, a byproduct from the brewing industry, as a functional ingredient to make nutritive baking goods, such as muffins. P 3943–3953 Potato color turns brown after peeling, cutting, and slicing. In this research, the effect of acid-heat coagulated whey and commercial whey solutions on the color, polyphenol oxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide content of potatoes were compared with pure water (control) immersion and a sodium hydrogen sulfide solution. According to color results, there was no significant difference found in the L* and b* values, browning index, and whitening index of the treatment groups. The polyphenol oxidase activity of the sulfide and commercial whey solution groups decreased from the initial values on day 3 then increased over that value. The use of the whey solution in preventing polyphenol oxidase activity showed a similar curve with the use of the sulfide solution. A rapid increase was observed in the malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide values of all treatment groups during the first 3-day storage. The researchers indicate that the immersion of potato cubes in whey protein solution prevents the browning and inhibits polyphenol oxidase activity. P 3858–3865 These researchers investigated the morphological, physicochemical, and biochemical properties of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber from seven types of algae. The soluble dietary fiber (SDF) contents (6.48 to 60.90% of the total fiber) in most of the investigated algae were significantly lower than the insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) contents (39.10 to 93.52% of the total fiber). It can be inferred from the infrared and UV-Vis spectra that the SDF and IDF of algae may contain cellulose, hemicellulose, various monosaccharides, phenolic compounds, and quinone pigments. The research is useful to those developing seaweed-based functional foods. P 3843–3851 Both fermentation degree and preparation method of polysaccharides could influence the bioactivity of tea polysaccharides. This study compared the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of the polysaccharides isolated by ultrafiltration method from three kinds of tea (green tea, oolong tea, and black tea). The results suggested that the degree of fermentation of tea could improve their bioactivities. According to the researchers, the study can provide a scientific foundation for the application of tea polysaccharides and related functional products. P 4025–4032 James Giese, jhgiese@gmail.com