The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has severely impacted the meat processing industry in the United States. We sought to detail demographics and outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome ...coronavirus 2 infections among workers in Nebraska meat processing facilities and determine the effects of initiating universal mask policies and installing physical barriers at 13 meat processing facilities. During April 1-July 31, 2020, COVID-19 was diagnosed in 5,002 Nebraska meat processing workers (attack rate 19%). After initiating both universal masking and physical barrier interventions, 8/13 facilities showed a statistically significant reduction in COVID-19 incidence in <10 days. Characteristics and incidence of confirmed cases aligned with many nationwide trends becoming apparent during this pandemic: specifically, high attack rates among meat processing industry workers, disproportionately high risk of adverse outcomes among ethnic and racial minority groups and men, and effectiveness of using multiple prevention and control interventions to reduce disease transmission.
The food sector includes several large industries such as canned food, pasta, flour, frozen products, and beverages. Those industries transform agricultural raw materials into added-value products. ...The fruit and vegetable industry is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the world agricultural production market, which commercialize various products such as juices, jams, and dehydrated products, followed by the cereal industry products such as chocolate, beer, and vegetable oils are produced. Similarly, the root and tuber industry produces flours and starches essential for the daily diet due to their high carbohydrate content. However, the processing of these foods generates a large amount of waste several times improperly disposed of in landfills. Due to the increase in the world's population, the indiscriminate use of natural resources generates waste and food supply limitations due to the scarcity of resources, increasing hunger worldwide. The circular economy offers various tools for raising awareness for the recovery of waste, one of the best alternatives to mitigate the excessive consumption of raw materials and reduce waste. The loss and waste of food as a raw material offers bioactive compounds, enzymes, and nutrients that add value to the food cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This paper systematically reviewed literature with different food loss and waste by-products as animal feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products that strongly contribute to the paradigm shift to a circular economy. Additionally, this review compiles studies related to the integral recovery of by-products from the processing of fruits, vegetables, tubers, cereals, and legumes from the food industry, with the potential in SARS-CoV-2 disease and bacterial diseases treatment.
Assessment of sustainability will become more relevant for the food industry in the years to come. Analysis based on exergy, including the use of exergetic indicators and Grassmann diagrams, is a ...useful tool for the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the efficiency of industrial food chains. In this paper, we review the methodology of exergy analysis and the exergetic indicators that are most appropriate for use in the food industry. The challenges of applying exergy analysis in industrial food chains and the specific features of food processes are also discussed.
Summary
The manufacturing sector is vital to the blistering economic transformation of developing countries such as Ethiopia. According to Ethiopia's industrial development strategy, one of the ...priority sub‐sectors of the manufacturing sector is the agricultural processing industry. This study focuses on the utilisation prospects, health, and environmental performance of afro‐food processing industries. The data were collected from 71 industry‐level respondents. The data collectors used Open Data Kit (ODK) packages as a data collection mechanism. The average utilisation of the cereal processors in Ethiopia was calculated to be 50.84%, 57.39%, 72.18%, 58.44%, and 42.81% for biscuits, macaroni, maize flour, spaghetti, and wheat flour, respectively. The average efficiency was determined to be 68.27%, 73.72%, 90.49%, 83.38%, and 64.76% for biscuits, macaroni, maize flour, spaghetti, and wheat flour, respectively. It is also noted that among the edible oil processors, peanut oil has the highest average efficiency (90.49%) and utilisation (72.18%). The lowest average efficiency and utilisation were determined to be 64.76% and 42.81% respectively for sunflower oil. From a health and environmental performance perspective, it is noted that 70.83% of oil processors and 59.57% of cereals processors have quality control laboratories. Moreover, 91.48% of cereal processors and 87.5% of oil processors have solid waste disposal systems.
The manufacturing sector is vital to the blistering economic transformation of developing countries such as Ethiopia. According to Ethiopia's industrial development strategy, one of the priority sub‐sectors of the manufacturing sector is the agricultural processing industry. This study focuses on the utilisation prospects, health, and environmental performance of Afro‐food processing industries. The data were collected from 71 industry‐level respondents. The data collectors used Open Data Kit (ODK) packages as a data collection mechanism. The average utilisation of the cereal processors in Ethiopia was calculated to be 50.84%, 57.39%, 72.18%, 58.44%, and 42.81% for biscuits, macaroni, maize flour, spaghetti, and wheat flour, respectively. The average efficiency was determined to be 68.27%, 73.72%, 90.49%, 83.38%, and 64.76% for biscuits, macaroni, maize flour, spaghetti, and wheat flour, respectively. It is also noted that among the edible oil processors, Peanut oil has the highest average efficiency (90.49%) and utilisation (72.18%). The lowest average efficiency and utilisation were determined to be 64.76% and 42.81% respectively for sunflower oil. From a health and environmental performance perspective, it is noted that 70.83% of oil processors and 59.57% of cereals processors have quality control laboratories. Moreover, 91.48% of cereal processors and 87.5% of oil processors have solid waste disposal systems.
High hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) is a non-thermal pasteurization technology which has already been applied in the food industries. Besides maintaining the food safety and quality, HPP also ...has potential applications in the enhancement of the health benefits of food products. This study examines the current progress of research on the use of HPP in the development of health foods. Through HPP, the nutritional value of food products can be enhanced or retained, including promotes the biosynthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the food materials, retains immunoglobulin components in dairy products, increases resistant starch content in cereals, and reduces the glycemic index of fruit and vegetable products, which facilitates better control of blood glucose levels and decreases calorie intake. HPP can also be utilized as a hurdle technology in combination with existing processing technologies for the development of low-sodium food products and the maintenance of microbial safety, thereby lowering the risk of triggering cardiovascular disease. Additionally, HPP can be used to enhance the diversity of probiotic food products. Appropriate sporogenous probiotics can be screened and added to various high-pressure processed food products as a certain bacterial count is still retained in the products after HPP. As HPP causes physical damage to the structures of food products, it can also be used as a synergistic extraction technology to enhance the extraction efficiency of functional components, thereby reducing extraction time. By applying HPP in the extraction of functional components from food waste, the production costs of such components can be effectively reduced. This study provides a summary of the mechanisms by which HPP enhances the health benefits of food products and the current progress of relevant research. HPP possesses huge potential in the development of novel health foods and may provide an abundance of benefits to human health in the future.
Display omitted
•HPP has potential applications in the enhancement of the health benefits of food products.•The nutritional value of food material and products can be enhanced or retained by HPP.•HPP can be a hurdle in combination with existing processing for the development of low-sodium food products.•HPP causes physical damage to the foods, enhance the extraction efficiency of functional components.
Listeria monocytogenes
is a deadly foodborne pathogen that is widespread in the environment, and certain types can be established in food factories. The sequence type ST9 dominates in meat processing ...environments, and this work was undertaken to obtain data needed for the tracking of this subtype. By using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we revealed the presence of cross-contamination routes between meat factories as well as within a single factory, including the spread from different reservoirs within the same room. It was also possible to estimate the time frame of persistence in the factory, as well as when and how new clones had entered. The present work contributes valuable information about the diversity of ST9 and exemplifies the potential power of WGS in food safety management, allowing the determination of relationships between strains both in an international context and locally between and within factories.
ABSTRACT
Listeria monocytogenes
is a pathogen mostly associated with the consumption of ready-to-eat foods and can cause severe disease and death. It can be introduced into food chains from raw materials, but often the contamination source is the food production environment, where certain clones can persist for years. In the meat chain, ST9 is one of the most commonly encountered
L. monocytogenes
sequence types, and for effective source tracking, the divergence and spread of ST9 must be understood. In this study, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize and track 252
L. monocytogenes
ST9 isolates collected from four Norwegian meat processing plants between 2009 and 2017. The isolates formed distinct clusters relative to genomes found in public databases, and all but three isolates clustered into two major clonal populations. Different contamination patterns were revealed, e.g., evidence of contamination of two factories with a clone that diverged from its ancestor in the late 1990s through a common source of raw materials; breach of hygienic barriers within a factory, leading to repeated detection of two clones in the high-risk zone during a 4- to 6-year period; entry through the purchase and installation of second-hand equipment harboring a previously established clonal population; and spreading and diversification of two clones from two reservoirs within the same production room over a 9-year period. The present work provides data on the diversity of ST9, which is crucial for epidemiological investigations and highlights how WGS can be used for source tracking within food processing factories.
IMPORTANCE
Listeria monocytogenes
is a deadly foodborne pathogen that is widespread in the environment, and certain types can be established in food factories. The sequence type ST9 dominates in meat processing environments, and this work was undertaken to obtain data needed for the tracking of this subtype. By using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we revealed the presence of cross-contamination routes between meat factories as well as within a single factory, including the spread from different reservoirs within the same room. It was also possible to estimate the time frame of persistence in the factory, as well as when and how new clones had entered. The present work contributes valuable information about the diversity of ST9 and exemplifies the potential power of WGS in food safety management, allowing the determination of relationships between strains both in an international context and locally between and within factories.
Innovative food processing technologies have been widely investigated in food processing research in recent years. These technologies offer key advantages for advancing the preservation and quality ...of conventional foods, for combatting the growing challenges posed by globalization, increased competitive pressures and diverse consumer demands. However, there is a need to increase the level of adoption of novel technologies to ensure the potential benefits of these technologies are exploited more by the food industry. This review outlines emerging thermal and non-thermal food processing technologies with regard to their mechanisms, applications and commercial aspects. The level of adoption of novel food processing technologies by the food industry is outlined and the factors that impact their industrial adoption are discussed. At an industry level, the technological capabilities of individual companies, their size, market share as well as their absorptive capacity impact adoption of a novel technology. Characteristics of the technology itself such as costs involved in its development and commercialization, associated risks and relative advantage, and level of complexity and compatibility influence the technology's adoption. The review concludes that a deep understanding of the development and application of a technology along with the factors influencing its acceptance are critical to ensure its commercial adoption.
The need for renewable and sustainable sources of proteins is growing. Diets containing more plant protein are increasing due to several reasons: the negative environmental impacts of animal protein ...production, the increasing vegetarianism and veganism trends, and inadequate consumer acceptance of food grade insects.
This paper links the isolation of valuable proteins from sustainable sources – by-products from processing industry of plant origin and eco-innovative technologies which are emerging for this purpose (electrostatic separation, subcritical water extraction, reverse micelles extraction, aqueous two-phase systems extraction, enzyme-, microwave-, ultrasound-, pulsed electric energy- and high pressure-assisted extraction). In this way, not only the key challenges of modern food processing are met-the assurance of cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly production, but also the concept of zero food waste seems more achievable.
A number of different techniques have emerged with high potential to assist protein extraction of preserved techno-functional properties, but they are still in the early stage of its industrial applications. In the EU, its industrial application may be hindered by legislative issues. The respective Novel Food Regulation classifies food obtained in a production process not used for food production before 15 May 1997, as “novel food’’ and the regulatory status for each single case must be sought. On the other hand, the utilization of novel processing technologies is regulatory encouraged in EU due to their potential to reduce the environmental impact of food production, enhance food security and bring benefits to consumers.
•Renewable protein sources of plant origin are listed.•Eco innovative technologies for protein extraction are reviewed.•Production of safe, chemical-free proteins of preserved functional properties is enabled.•Factors hindering commercial exploitation of eco innovative technologies are listed.
Cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin (carbohydrate), and lignin (noncarbohydrate) polymers are the main substrates of lignocellulose‐degrading enzymes. They are present in large amounts in the primary ...cell wall and dietary fibers of major fruits and vegetables. During processing of fruits and vegetables to the corresponding final food products, lignocellulosic substrates are hydrolyzed by different lignocellulolytic enzymes. Currently, lignocellulolytic enzymes such as cellulases, xylanases, pectinases, and laccases are extensively used during the processing of fruits and vegetables, in applications like texturizing and flavoring of products in the food industries. The present article provides an updated overview of functional applications of lignocellulolytic enzymes in the juice processing, oil extraction, and alcoholic beverage processing industries. Extensive use of lignocellulolytic enzymes in different food processing industries not only accelerates the production rates but also improves product quality. It is also possible to ensure the efficient use of fruits and vegetables globally by employing lignocellulolytic enzymes in the corresponding processing industries to convert them into food commodities, which will not only raise their economic value in the global market but also increase food availability, which will help mitigate nutritional problems worldwide.
Practical Application
Lignocellulosic substrates (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and lignin) are abundantly present in fruits and vegetables. Various lignocellulolytic enzymes have been used to hydrolyze these substrates during fruit and vegetable processing. Lignocellulolytic enzymes are widely used in the conversion of fruits and vegetables into various food commodities, from texturizing to flavoring, and their immense potential for such applications makes them very attractive to food manufacturers. Lignocellulolytic enzymes have been extensively used in fruit and vegetable juice processing, vegetable oil extractions, and wine processing.
Imaging sensors are largely employed in the food processing industry for quality control. Flour from malting barley varieties is a valuable ingredient in the food industry, but its use is restricted ...due to quality aspects such as color variations and the presence of husk fragments. On the other hand, naked varieties present superior quality with better visual appearance and nutritional composition for human consumption. Computer Vision Systems (CVS) can provide an automatic and precise classification of samples, but identification of grain and flour characteristics require more specialized methods. In this paper, we propose CVS combined with the Spatial Pyramid Partition ensemble (SPPe) technique to distinguish between naked and malting types of twenty-two flour varieties using image features and machine learning. SPPe leverages the analysis of patterns from different spatial regions, providing more reliable classification. Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), J48 decision tree, and Random Forest (RF) were compared for samples' classification. Machine learning algorithms embedded in the CVS were induced based on 55 image features. The results ranged from 75.00% (k-NN) to 100.00% (J48) accuracy, showing that sample assessment by CVS with SPPe was highly accurate, representing a potential technique for automatic barley flour classification.
PDF
