This research was designed to propose a report on fermentation metabolomics of CTC (crush-tear-curl) tea wine (TW), a yeast-fermented broth of sugared CTC black tea infusion. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the tea wine revealed the presence of thirty-five metabolites, including the major compound glycerine with some potential antioxidant molecules and other bioactive agents (4H-pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-; furfural; furfuryl alcohol; succinic acid; levulinic acid; palmitic acid; tyrosol, pyruvaldehyde; and 1-hexadecanol). The role of metabolites in the physicochemical, biochemical, and medicinal properties of TW has been discussed. Biomolecules responsible for the flavour of TW were as follows: glycerine derivatives; pyruvaldehyde; furfural; furfuryl alcohol; acetic, levulinic, succinic, and palmitic acids, etc. – which might develop a sweet, caramel-like, astringent, slightly sour and wine-like flavour and taste. Furthermore, on the basis of yeast metabolism, possible biosynthesis pathways of metabolites were designed aiming for fermentation metabolomics. The outcome of this study cross-verified physicochemical, biochemical, and medicinal properties of TW suggesting its acceptability. As the fields of both wine research and tea science continue to evolve, the findings of this study may encourage fermentation technology for product development from tea that may also boost the growth of the tea industry.

Abstract Roselle calyces (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) were evaluated through a critical study of existing research works on health benefits, mineral compositions, bioactive compositions, mechanisms, and possible research gaps. The use of roselle calyces as an alternative to synthetic food dyes, addressing growing global challenges of overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases, was evaluated and encouraged. Studies indicate the attenuation of obesity by chlorogenic acid (the predominant phenolic compound in roselle calyx) via mechanisms associated with the UCP-1 and PGC-1α pathways, resulting in reduced blood lipid levels, reduced fat accumulation in the liver, and increased thermogenesis through fat metabolism. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of known bacteria and fungi, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei, were studied. More research, however, needs to be conducted on organic acids present in roselle calyces to look into their possible applications and maximize their possible benefits.

Abstract This study was aimed at determining the mineral and anti-nutritional properties of naturally fermented millet and pumpkin leaf flour blends. The millet grains were allowed to ferment spontaneously for 24 hrs and 48 hrs and were processed into flour. Dried pumpkin leaves were blended into flour and substituted using D-optimal mixture design, which resulted in ten experimental runs. The mineral content and the anti-nutritional properties of the flour blend formulation were analysed. Duncan’s multiple range test was used to evaluate the mean at p < 0.05 with SPSS version 21.0. Significant differences were observed in the mineral and anti-nutritional composition of the fermented millet and pumpkin leaf flour blends at 24 hrs and 48 hrs of fermentation time respectively. Calcium, potassium, and iron content increased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing the amount of pumpkin leaf flour in the flour blends. The values for tannins and total phenolic composition ranged from 0.089 to 0.162% and from 0.075 to 0.120% for 24 hrs and from 0.080 to 0.141% and from 0.060 to 0.120% for 48 hrs of fermentation time respectively. Results showed that fermentation technique could be used to enrich the nutritional and bioactive potential of millet.

Abstract Due to its nutritional and nutraceutical qualities, wild garlic (Allium ursinum L.) has great potential for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The availability of this plant is limited to the spring season, and it is perishable immediately after harvest. Osmotic dehydration (OD) is verified as an effective pre-treatment to improve sustainability by reducing the water content of raw material with minimal negative effect on its nutritive and sensorial qualities. In this study, OD of wild garlic leaves in aqueous solution of sucrose and salt was analysed at three temperatures and after diverse immersion times. The effects of the processing time and temperature on the dry matter content, water loss, and solid gain were evaluated using response surface methodology and analysis of variance. Some components in the samples were determined before and after OD. The results showed that during OD, the dry matter content of wild garlic increased from 7.91 ± 1.08% to 51.51 ± 1.34%. The maximum achieved values for water loss (0.6189 ± 0.0146 g/g i.s.) and solid gain (0.2417 ± 0.0146 g/g i.s.) indicated a good dehydration level. In the osmotically dehydrated wild garlic, the amount of analysed minerals decreased, sodium and sugar increased, and the content of protein, cellulose, and fat did not change – compared to the fresh sample.

Abstract Camembert-type cheeses are surface mould-ripened soft cheeses obtained with Penicillium camemberti. Soft cheeses are more frequently associa ted with foodborne disease outbreaks than hard and semi-hard cheeses. During our work, three Camembert-type cheeses were prepared on a pilot/small industrial scale. The first cheese was made from bulk milk and pasteurized at 74 °C for 15 seconds. The second and third cheese were prepared from one type of milk and were heat-treated at 72 °C for 60 seconds. The microbial contamination with Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus of the three Camembert-type cheeses was evaluated. The food-related stress survival of Salmonella spp. and S. aureus isolates originated from the cheese samples was assayed. The antibiotic suscep tibility of the bacterial isolates was determined by the disk diffusion method, using 12 and 16 different antibiotics respectively. Based on the results, the first cheese sample contained the highest number of Salmonella bacteria; S. aureus was detected only in the first sample. According to the results of antibiotic susceptibility of the Salmonella, isolates showed susceptibility to the majority of assayed antibiotics and resistance to trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, amikacin, and cefotaxime. The S. aureus isolates showed resistance to trimethoprim and displayed intermediate resistance to levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin.

Abstract Ready-to-eat salads are becoming more and more popular. However, due to their ingredients, they represent a suitable growth environment for different microbes. In the prevention of foodborne diseases, hygienic food preparation and appropriate storage conditions are very important. During this study, ten different ready-to-eat salads were analysed for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. Five different selective agar mediums were used for the enumeration and isolation of Listeria monocytogenes. The isolated bacterial strains were subjected to morphological and biochemical confirmation tests. The antibacterial effects of five different freshly squeezed vegetable juices (carrots, celery, beets, horseradish, and onions) and of five essential oils (dill, thyme, oregano, lemongrass, and sage) were determined against Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, and L. monocytogenes strains isolated from ready-to-eat salads. Based on the results obtained from fresh vegetable juices, carrot juice exerted the highest antibacterial effect, while the others showed no or slight inhibitory effect (horseradish, beets, onions) against Listeria species. Among the essential oils, thyme, lemongrass, and oregano showed the strongest antibacterial effect against the studied Listeria species.

Abstract The physico-chemical and sensory qualities of pupuru analogues produced from co-fermented cassava and breadfruit blends were investigated. Cassava and breadfruit were processed separately and cofermented at different proportions to produce pupuru and pupuru analogues. Seven different samples were produced with the ratios of 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 50:50, 20:80, 10:90, and 0:100 cassava:breadfruit respectively. The proximate composition, bulk density, hydrogen cyanide, pH, TTA, and sensory properties of the sample were determined using standard methods. The results showed that the protein (2.86–6.41%), fat (0.43–2.05%), ash (0.36–1.17%), crude fibre (0.68–2.83%), and energy values (393.84 to 399.38 kcal/100 g) increased together with breadfruit substitution. The bulk density, pH, total titratable acidity, and hydrogen cyanide content of the sample was in the ranges of 0.47–0.60 g/ml, 4.30–5.30, 0.18–0.31%, and 0.56–1.68 mg/100 g respectively. The pupuru analogues had lower hydrogen cyanide content than pupuru. The pupuru analogues up to 50% breadfruit substitutions had acceptable sensory attributes, comparable to pupuru. The study concluded that pupuru analogues of acceptable quality can be produced from co-fermented cassava and breadfruit; this entails increasing the utilization of breadfruit.

Abstract The manufacture of dairy products is an important sector of the food industry. From milking to processing, a number of hygiene rules must be strictly followed. During processing, dairy products can be contaminated with different microorganisms, causing spoilage, infectious diseases, and alterations in the sensory characteristics. There are strict requirements for the quality assurance of milk products. In spite of this, there occur infections linked to milk and dairy product consumption. The analysis of the microbiological quality of these products is a health concern, and it also has an economic impact. The increase and development of the global market of processing technologies require rapid monitoring and controlling systems for food products. In our study, we investigated the microbiological quality of some fresh dairy products with the Soleris® test system. For instrument setting, calibration curves were realized with test bacterial strains. With known initial microbial load of the samples, the microbial growth versus time was measured by the above-mentioned system. The occurrence of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated in ten dairy products. Results obtained by the Soleris system showed that the system is efficient for this purpose. Calibration curves with high correlation coefficients permitted the quantitative determination of the aimed bacteria in the dairy product samples.

Abstract Heat resistant thermophilic spore-forming bacteria, such as Aeribacillus (A.) pallidus, may contaminate the surfaces in food facilities resulting food spoilage of the products. The aim of this work was to determine the heat and disinfectant resistance of an A. pallidus strain that was isolated from a canning factory environment. Compared to other heat-resistant spore-forming bacteria, it did not prove to be very resistant to heat with a D10-values of A. pallidus from 12.2 min to 2.4 min (at 102 °C and at 110 °C), with a calculated z-value of 11.6 °C. Not only spores but vegetative cells showed resistance against all investigated disinfectants.

Abstract The role of selenium has been changed over the last decade. The element that was previously considered to be toxic turned out to be present in the human body in amounts of 10–15 mg, and almost every cell of our body contains it. Selenium contributes to growth, supports healthy muscle activity, reproductive organs, reduces the toxicity of certain elements such as mercury, supports the immune system, and even delays the spread of certain viruses (influenza, Ebola, HIV). Selenium-deficient areas of Europe could be a risk for their populations. The recommended daily intake (RDA) of selenium is 55 µg/day, while WHO and FAO have set up the daily tolerable dose at 400 µg/day. We must count with the harmful effects of selenium overdose, but it is almost impossible to introduce this amount into our body solely with food. Our selenium sources can be refilled with food supplements or selenium-enriched functional foods. In the review article, we report about the role of selenium in the environment, selenium-enriched plants, selenium-enriched yeast, the role of selenium in animal feed and in the human body, the opportunities of selenium restoration, selenium-enriched animal products, and the selenium content of milk.