Near Infrared spectroscopy (NIR), in combination with Chemometrics, has been used for many years in diverse scenarios, mostly focused on the classification and quantitation of properties in food, ...pharmaceutical preparations, artwork material, etc. This success has been possible due to their desirable properties: fast, reliable (under certain conditions), non-destructive, easy to implement from a hardware perspective, and able to create robust and transferable multivariate models.
For some years now, another modality has been gaining the attention of NIR users, especially in the Food sector. That is the plausibility of using NIR in the hyperspectral (HSI) domain. This adds to the previously mentioned abilities, the benefit of scanning the whole surface of samples, acquiring much richer spatial information and, therefore, assuring the quality of the final product more accurately by including parameters that depend on the surface distribution of certain components. This is especially relevant in heterogeneous samples. While this statement is generally true, there are certain situations where this oversampling feature is not strictly needed, and the problem can be easily solved with a classical NIR spectrophotometer. Besides, NIR-hyperspectral imaging (NIR-HSI), despite the abovementioned advantages, has several drawbacks that must be highlighted as well, like their measuring speed, instability, or price.
This manuscript will demonstrate that for certain situations, tuning the focal distance of a NIR spectrophotometer is a more feasible, reliable, and inexpensive strategy to collect all the needed information of samples with a certain degree of heterogeneity.
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•Critical assessment of NIR hyperspectral imaging w.r.t. NIR spectrometer.•Providing a simple procedure to evaluate the spot-size area acquired from punctual-NIR.•Planning of appropriate ROI size selection in HSI considering sample heterogeneity.•Tuning the focal distance, a NIR probe can capture an area akin the ROI by NIR-HSI.
•The color and consistency of basil are key factors for its acceptability.•Traditional pesto is originated from Italy and is prepared using green basil.•Purple basil changed the bioactive properties, ...color and appearance to pesto sauce.•Use of different types of cheese gave satisfactory properties of the pesto sauces.
The demand for pesto sauces with different properties (such as color, taste, flavor) has increased recently. This study aimed to investigate the effects of geographically-registered Arapgir purple basil pesto sauce prepared with four different cheese varieties (Beyaz, Tulum, fresh- and aged-Kashar) on physical, rheological characterization and sensory properties. Pesto sauces had an acidic score according to chemical and sensory characterization. Pesto sauce with Tulum cheese exhibited higher bioactivity (total phenolic contents and antioxidant activities) than other sauces (P<0.05). All sauces showed shear thinning behavior and low solid-like structure, elastic properties and weak gel-like characteristics with G′>G″. The Herschel Bulkley model fitted the flow experimental data well (R2>0.9991). All of the pesto sauces prepared with different cheese varieties were appreciated at high levels in sensory evaluation by the panelists.
•In fresh green pesto sensorial results were the more restrictive criterion.•Sensory scores of fresh green pesto showed high correlation with PV.•The temperature dependence of quality deterioration ...follows the Arrhenius law.
The shelf life of fresh green pesto, a traditional Italian sauce, was determined by analysing the evolution of the most important chemical, physical, microbiological and sensory quality attributes during its refrigerated storage at 4, 8 and 12 °C. Colour changes (greenness parameter a*) were fitted by applying an apparent zero-order equation, thus showing strong dependence on temperature. Peroxide values (PV) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, fitted by applying an apparent first-order equation, increased with increasing storage time.
The sensorial results were the most restrictive criterion, rather than microbial spoilage, and their shelf life values at ±95 % confidence limits were calculated from Weibull's distribution.
Taste and overall acceptability scores of fresh green pesto showed high correlation with PV. The temperature dependence of quality deterioration was adequately modelled by the Arrhenius equation. The Q10 value (shelf-life at T°C/shelf-life at T+10 °C) and Ea (activation energy) for PV deterioration of fresh pesto sauce were 3.2 and 77 kJ/mol, respectively. Correlation between a chemical indicator parameter (PV) and sensory probability of product failure was evaluated, and a shelf life plot of fresh green pesto was obtained in order to estimate the shelf life of the product at different refrigerated storage conditions.
The demand for ready-to-eat pesto is increasing day by day. The objective of the present study was to understand the biochemical properties and rheological, sensory, & shelf-life quality of pesto ...samples prepared from soil cultivated basil (SBP), coriander (SCP), and hydroponically cultivated basil (HBP), coriander (HCP). The amount of bioactive compounds was much higher in HBP among the four samples. Rheological characteristics of HBP showed higher shear stress (694.54 ± 27.98 Pa), viscosity (15656 ± 138.32 mPa s), and torque (3.1162 ± 0.71 mN m) as compared to HCP, SBP and SCP. Moreover, HBP showed better sensory qualities over other samples. Both HBP and HCP showed more desired physicochemical (aw, pH, peroxidase value, and titratable acidity) stability throughout the storage period than SBP and SCP. The color quality and microbial stability of HBP and HCP throughout the storage period were better than SBP and SCP. Pesto prepared from hydroponically cultivated herbs works to be a better quality option at the commercial level.
The current study combined hedonic liking with non-hypothetical experimental auctions to measure consumer preferences for bitter tasting food and identify individual socio-demographic and ...psychographic characteristics that influence bitter aversion. Furthermore, the research analyzed whether consumer preferences for bitter food were influenced by sensory and health-related information. Findings reveal that respondents (
= 205) are not averse to bitter taste; while, socio-demographic traits influence bitter acceptance, as higher education level and gender (female) positively affect preferences, together with specific individual characteristics as high compensatory health beliefs. Moreover, results prove that participants positively respond to health-related information, whereas information on bitterness-taste generates lower preferences.
A risk assessment of basil-based pesto sauces containing methyleugenol and related alkenylbenzenes was performed based on their levels detected in a series of pesto sauces available on the Dutch ...market. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values of alkenylbenzenes as a result of consumption of the different pesto sauces amounted to 1.2-44.3 μg/kg bw for individual alkenylbenzenes, 14.3-43.5 μg/kg bw when adding up the alkenylbenzene levels assuming equal potency, and 17.3-62.9 μg/kg bw when expressed in methyleugenol equivalents using alkenylbenzenes defined toxic equivalency factors (TEF). The margin of exposure approach (MOE), used to evaluate the potential risks, resulted in MOE values that were generally lower than 10000 indicating a priority for risk management when assuming daily consumption. The levels of methyleugenol detected in the pesto sauces would allow consumption of 1.1-29.8, 7.5-208, 15.1-416.5, and 32.4-892.5 g of pesto sauce on a daily basis, once a week, once every two weeks, and once a month, respectively, to achieve MOE values above the 10000 limit indicating low priority for risk management. It is concluded that consumption of pesto sauces would only be of concern if consumed on a daily basis over longer periods of time.
In recent years, the chaotic habits of modern life have favored the consumption of quickly prepared meals, using ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and condiments. The aim of this study was to establish the ...microbiological safety of RTE sauces and pesto from markets analyzed at different stages of shelf life. In the bacterial investigation, all samples were shown to be acceptable, although differences were observed concerning shelf life times. On the other hand, the fungal investigation showed frequent positive results, with concentrations higher than threshold values. Detected microbial diffusion was the lowest when products were far from the expiry date and had just been opened, while high microbial proliferation was observed when analyzing the same package after 48 h, higher than for a product close to the end of its shelf life. This study highlights the discreet microbiological quality of processed and RTE foods, underlining the importance of hygienic–sanitary surveillance of these foods to their shelf life. Consequently, it is necessary to: (1) implement a food control plan for all food categories to carry out risk analysis associated with their consumption; and (2) better adapt the regulations relating to microbiological analysis, and understand the biological significance of each microbial parameter throughout the shelf life of foods.
(sweet basil) is an economically important aromatic herb; in Italy, approximately 1000 ha of "Genovese-type" basil are grown annually in greenhouses and open fields and are subjected to Downy Mildew ...(DM) disease, caused by
, leading to huge crop losses. Mutation of the Susceptibility (S) gene DMR6 (Downy Mildew Resistant 6) has been proven to confer a broad-spectrum resistance to DM. In this work, an effective Genome Editing (GE) approach mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in
'Italiko', the élite cultivar used to produce "Pesto Genovese D.O.P", was developed. A highly efficient genetic transformation method mediated by
has been optimized from cotyledonary nodes, obtaining 82.2% of regenerated shoots, 84.6% of which resulted in Cas9+ plants. Eleven T0 lines presented different type of mutations in
60% were indel frameshift mutations with knock-out of
of 'FT Italiko'. Analysis of six T1 transgene-free seedlings revealed that the mutations of T0 plants were inherited and segregated. Based on infection trials conducted on T0 plants, clone 22B showed a very low percentage of disease incidence after 14 days post infection. The aromatic profile of all in vitro edited plants was also reported; all of them showed oxygenated monoterpenes as the major fraction.
Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.; Fam. Lamiaceae) is an annual herbaceous plant with a high economic value used in folk medicine, pharmacology, and food production. In Italy, most of the varieties ...are used to produce the famous “pesto” sauce; however, almost all of them are susceptible to basil downy mildew (BDM) disease, strongly decreasing the growth of the fresh leaves and the survival of the whole plant. Nowadays, CRISPR/Cas9 technology is recognized to be a prominent way to enhance basil genetic breeding. In this work, we present an optimized protocol for in vitro direct regeneration of an elite cultivar, which is the major limiting factor for the transformation of O. basilicum. Regeneration has been obtained from different explants (leaves, cotyledons, cotyledonary nodes); the highest frequency has been obtained from cotyledonary nodes of seedlings germinated on MS medium containing TDZ. This protocol may be used for biotechnological applications as genome editing techniques to obtain basil-downy-mildew-disease-resistant clones.
A natural antioxidant extract obtained from oil mill wastewater was used for the formulation of basil pesto sauce, with the aim to improve quality and stability during storage. The antioxidant ...extract was added to traditional ingredients (basil, cheese, oil, etc.) and after preparation, packaging, and thermal treatment it was submitted to storage (monitored for 90 days). Fresh samples were stored at 4 °C and pasteurized samples were stored at room temperature. The effect of natural antioxidant addition on basil pesto sauce was evaluated for the main qualitative attributes, such as: physicochemical, microbiological, and antioxidant parameters. The principal results showed that the addition of a natural phenolic extract led to an evident reduction in pH, attaining food safety values under pH 4. The high oxidative stability observed in the basil pesto sauces fortified with the phenolic extract suggests that the incorporation of phenolic compounds delays the propagation phase of lipid oxidation.