Toshifumi Udo, Ethan He, Gopinath Mummaleti, Yang Jiao, Jinru Chen, Rakesh K. Singh, Fanbin Kong
While the market for plant-based dairy alternatives is expanding rapidly, most products mainly focus on the sensory attributes of traditional dairy items and lack functional fortification, such as the incorporation of probiotic bacteria. The objective of this study was to develop and characterize novel water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion-based gelled microcapsules for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LRGG) using a soy protein isolate (SPI) (3.0%–6.0% w/w) and sodium alginate (SA) (0.5%–2.0% w/w) composite with Ca 2+ cross-linking, aiming to tailor and customize the microcapsules for cheese-like textural characteristics from spread to semi-hard types, while preserving probiotic viability for incorporation into plant-based cheese analogues. Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) under a 3 2 full factorial design with center-point replication, the complex interactions between the wall materials and their effects on physical, textural, and functional properties were systematically evaluated. The results revealed that SA concentration strongly enhanced bulk firmness and particle size (D 50) through robust calcium cross-linking. In contrast, SPI played a crucial role in providing protection against simulated gastrointestinal fluids during digestion testing. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that the SPI-SA system bridges the gap between macroscopic structural integrity and biological viability, providing a tunable structural base for probiotic-fortified plant-based cheese analogues.
Root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, and sweet potato are central to tropical food systems but remain highly vulnerable to postharvest deterioration because of their high moisture content. Solar drying offers a renewable route to stabilisation, yet practical performance is constrained by fluctuating weather, non-uniform airflow, spatial temperature and humidity gradients, product loading, and strong coupling between external convection and internal moisture transport. This structured narrative mini-review, informed by SANRA and PRISMA reporting principles, synthesises evidence on active solar drying, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), experimental validation, response-surface and multi-objective optimisation, artificial intelligence (AI), sensor systems, and digital twins for tuber-chip processing. Six databases were searched, sources were screened against explicit eligibility criteria, and each of the 45 cited sources was classified by its relationship to tuber-chip drying so that tuber-specific evidence is separated from evidence transferred from other foods and dryer types. Only 12 of the 45 sources were tuber-specific; they concentrate on yam drying kinetics, cassava dryer performance, and one integrated machine-learning and 4E study of sweet-potato solar drying. CFD validation, robust optimisation, surrogate modelling, and digital-twin architectures are, in the evidence assembled, largely transferred from other products or from unloaded or non-tuber systems. Reported effective moisture diffusivities for yam span roughly 6.4 × 10 −9 to 1.6 × 10 −7 m 2 s -1 (up to 4.2 × 10 −8 m 2 s -1 for water yam); an indirect solar dryer for sweet potato achieved 15% overall thermal efficiency, 4.5 kWh per kilogram of moisture removed, and a 29-month payback; and a CFD–ANN–genetic-algorithm framework reproduced no-load airflow and temperature fields to within 7.3% error. Because these values arise from different dryers, products, and metric definitions, they are compared critically rather than ranked. The evidence suggests that CFD is most valuable when it resolves spatial transport phenomena that cannot be inferred from inlet and outlet measurements, and that AI is most defensible when it accelerates validated physics rather than replacing it. A prioritised research agenda is proposed, beginning with tuber-specific property data and loaded-dryer CFD validated against product moisture, and progressing conditionally to robust optimisation, validated surrogates, digital shadows, and multidimensional sustainability assessment for cassava, yam, and sweet-potato chips.
Edible weeds are becoming more widely acknowledged that edible weeds are underutilized natural resources with substantial potential to promote circular bio-economy initiatives and sustainable food systems. Many weed species have nutritional content, a variety of bioactive chemicals, and numerous uses in human nutrition, livestock feeding, and value-added agro-food products, while being historically considered unwanted elements of agricultural landscapes. The nutritional makeup, phytochemical profile, functional characteristics, and agro-food usage of a few edible weed species that are frequently found in agricultural habitats are all critically summarised in this narrative review. Major scientific databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, were used to retrieve literature published between recent years. The selection of species was based on their documented edible use, the availability of peer-reviewed information about their nutritional composition and potential applications, and their frequent occurrence as agricultural weeds. Evidence suggests that edible weeds are abundant in vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids, essential amino acids, dietary fibre, weeds are abundant in vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, carotenoids, essential amino acids, dietary fibre, and other phytochemicals with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and metabolic regulating qualities. Although interesting biological activities have been shown in experimental research, there is still a dearth of solid clinical evidence to support many of these health advantages. Edible weeds provide prospects for value-added applications in circular agricultural systems, such as livestock feeding, compost generation, natural food additives, and nutraceutical development, in addition to human nutrition. However, before broader commercialisation is possible, issues with food safety, anti-nutritional elements, processing method uniformity, regulatory approval, and customer acceptance must be resolved. In conclusion, rather than taking the place of traditional crops, edible weeds should be seen as complementary resources that help diversify food systems, increase resource-use efficiency, and support sustainable agricultural growth. To enable their responsible incorporation into resilient agro-food systems, future research should give priority to clinical validation, standardised processing technologies, safety assessment, economic feasibility studies, and commercialisation strategies.
Kiran M., Md. Yousufuddin, B. Manojkumar, Ravindra B. Dombar, Jamadar Deepika
Batter coating systems in fried poultry products are primarily designed to enhance sensory attributes, such as crispiness and flavor; however, their potential role as functional matrices for improving frying performance and nutritional quality remains largely unexplored. This study investigated the effect of incorporating finger millet flour (FMF) as a functional batter ingredient on the frying behavior, oil uptake, and storage stability of chicken popcorn. Batter formulations were developed by replacing cornflour with FMF at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%, designated as Control, T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The enrobed products were evaluated for proximate composition, cooking quality parameters, physicochemical characteristics, microbiological quality, and sensory attributes during four weeks of refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C). Incorporation of FMF significantly influenced frying performance (p < 0.05), resulting in improved cooking yield and moisture retention while reducing fat uptake during frying. The formulation containing 10% FMF (T2) exhibited the most favourable technological performance, with the highest cooking yield (86.38%) and moisture retention (83.01%) alongside reduced fat content in cooked samples compared with the control. During storage, progressive increases in pH, tyrosine value, thiobarbituric acid value, free fatty acids, and microbial counts were observed across all treatments, reflecting typical storage related spoilage. However, FMF treated samples exhibited comparatively lower oxidative and proteolytic changes, indicating modest improvement in physicochemical stability. Sensory evaluation further revealed that chicken popcorn coated with 10% FMF achieved the highest overall acceptability. Overall, the results demonstrate that FMF can serve as an effective functional batter coating ingredient capable of modulating frying behaviour, reducing oil absorption, and improving storage stability of fried poultry snacks without compromising sensory quality. This approach provides a promising strategy for developing nutritionally improved fried meat products using millet-based functional ingredients.
Adeshina Fadeyibi, Azeez Ayinla Adebayo, Zinash Delebo Osunde, Mohammed Gana Yisa
Smart nanocomposite packaging has emerged as a promising approach for enhancing food preservation by improving barrier performance, enabling active functionality, and supporting intelligent quality monitoring. Its integration with non-thermal preservation technologies, including pulsed electric fields, cold plasma, ultraviolet irradiation, and high-pressure processing, offers new opportunities to extend shelf life while minimizing thermal damage to food products. This review examines the interactions between smart nanocomposite packaging and non-thermal processing, with emphasis on the transport phenomena governing mass transfer, permeability, and interfacial stability that influence food quality and microbial safety. Recent advances in nanocomposite materials are discussed in relation to improved mechanical strength, gas and moisture barrier properties, and compatibility with non-thermal treatments. The review also highlights emerging intelligent packaging systems incorporating nanosensors, Internet of Things connectivity, and artificial intelligence for real-time quality monitoring and predictive shelf-life assessment. Current challenges, including nanomaterial migration, regulatory considerations, industrial scalability, and long-term stability, are critically evaluated. Finally, future research directions are proposed to facilitate the development of sustainable, intelligent packaging systems that complement non-thermal food processing technologies. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive perspective on the synergistic integration of smart nanocomposite packaging and non-thermal preservation strategies for improving food quality, safety, and sustainability.
