Consumers' response to genetically modified food: an Italian case study.

The agricultural sector could benefit from biotechnologies in addressing challenges such as pests, droughts, and food supply issues. Genetically modified (GM) crops have been developed to offer not only economic advantages to farmers but also to contribute positively to the environment, human health, and consumer well-being. However, consumers' hesitancy in buying GM food may stem from societal reactions to how biotechnologies in agriculture have been regulated so far.

Nutritional Traits, Pasting Properties and Antioxidant Profile of Selected Genotypes of Sorghum, Oat and Maize Eligible for Gluten-Free Products.

The technological and nutritional traits of food-grade sorghum hybrids, hulled/naked oat varieties and maize genotypes of different colors were studied for novel and healthier gluten-free foods. Oat genotypes showed the highest protein content, followed by maize and sorghum. The total starch and the total dietary fiber content were quite similar among the three species.

The Contribution of Minor Cereals to Sustainable Diets and Agro-Food Biodiversity.

Since the second half of the 20th century, the intensification of agriculture by increasing external inputs (fertilizers, pesticides), cropland expansion, and the cultivation of only a few selected cereal species or varieties have caused the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services on farmland [...

Valorization of Two African Typical Crops, Sorghum and Cassava, by the Production of Different Dry Pasta Formulations.

Mediterranean diet is changing to keep up with the increasingly multiethnic Italian society. With food being considered as a means of integration, innovative foods capable of mixing different raw materials could be of interest. In this work, some of the most consumed African foods such as sorghum, cassava, and durum wheat were used to produce wholegrain spaghetti to valorize their nutritional and sensorial aspects and to combine Italian and foreign tastes.

Cooking Quality and Chemical and Technological Characteristics of Wholegrain Einkorn Pasta Obtained from Micronized Flour.

The increased demand for healthier foods, the recognition of dry pasta as an ideal carrier of functional ingredients, and the current interest for ancient wheats such as einkorn motivated the present research. Two varieties of , namely cv Norberto and the free-threshing cv Hammurabi, were milled by ultra-fine milling process (micronization) to produce wholegrain spaghetti. Einkorn pasta was assessed in terms of technological and biochemical properties and cooking and sensorial quality and compared to durum wheat semolina pasta.

Special Issue: Innovative Pasta with High Nutritional and Health Potential.

This editorial summarizes some of the key challenges in the production of novel pasta formulations in order to obtain high nutritional and healthy products [...

Ancient Caucasian Wheats: A Contribution for Sustainable Diets and Food Diversity.

Through the centuries, the domestication and modern breeding of wheat led to a significant loss of genetic variation in the cultivated gene pool with a consequent decrease in food diversity. Current trends towards low-input and sustainable agriculture call for the revitalization and exploitation of ancient wheats, which represent a reservoir of biodiversity useful to ensure sustainable wheat production in the context of climate change and low-input farming systems. Ancient Caucasian wheat species, such as the hulled wheats (tetraploid AAGG) and (hexaploid AAAAGG), are still grown to a limited extent in the Caucasus for the production of traditional foods.

Innovative Milling Processes to Improve the Technological and Nutritional Quality of Parboiled Brown Rice Pasta from Contrasting Amylose Content Cultivars.

The demand for gluten-free products, including pasta, is increasing and rice pasta accounts for the largest share of this market. Usually, the production of rice pasta requires additives or specific technological processes able to improve its texture, cooking quality, and sensory properties. In this work, two rice cultivars, with different amylose content, were subjected to parboiling, micronization, and flour air fractionation to obtain brown rice pasta, without any supplement but rice itself.

Using Einkorn and Tritordeum Brewers' Spent Grain to Increase the Nutritional Potential of Durum Wheat Pasta.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG), the major by-product of the brewing industry, can be used as a functional ingredient to increase the nutritional value of cereal-based products. In this work, micronized BSG from the einkorn and tritordeum brewing processes were characterized and used to produce four macaroni pasta formulations enriched with BSG at ratios of 5 g and 10 g/100 g of semolina. Einkorn BSG showed the highest values for all the parameters analyzed-proteins, total dietary fiber (TDF) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)-except for β-glucan.

Multi-block classification of Italian semolina based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) analysis and alveographic indices.

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) is widely grown in the Mediterranean area. The semolina obtained by this grain is used to prepare pasta, couscous, and baked products all over the world.

How do conventional and organic management affect the healthy potential of durum wheat grain and semolina pasta traits?

The effect of cropping system (conventional vs. organic) and soil tillage (conventional vs. reduced tillage) on the health potential of durum wheat grain as well as on semolina and pasta quality traits was investigated in a long-term field experiment.

Bioactive composition and sensory evaluation of innovative spaghetti supplemented with free or α-cyclodextrin chlatrated pumpkin oil extracted by supercritical CO.

The feasibility of producing durum wheat pasta enriched with a lipophilic phytocomplex, extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO), from ripe pumpkin, as free oil or as ready-to-mix oil/α-cyclodextrins (α-CDs) powder, was explored. Four types of pasta were prepared: (i) control spaghetti (S-CTRL); (ii) spaghetti supplemented with α-CDs (S-α-CD); (iii) spaghetti supplemented with pumpkin oil (S-Oil) and (iv) spaghetti supplemented with the pumpkin oil/α-CD powder (S-Oil/α-CD). The chemical, antioxidant, textural and sensory attributes of the different pasta were evaluated and compared.

Hydrothermal grain pre-processing and ultra-fine milling for the production of durum wheat flour fractions with high nutritional value.

This work describes a process for producing durum wheat flour fractions with high potential nutritional value using grain pre-milling hydrothermal treatment and ultra-fine grinding (micronization), coupled with air classification. The difference of bioactive value of the flour fractions in relation to dietary fibre and phenolic compounds was monitored on four durum wheat cultivars by analysing total arabinoxylans, water extractable arabinoxylans and 5- n-alkylresorcinols. The extractability of the analysed compounds was most significantly affected by hydrothermal treatment.

From seed to cooked pasta: influence of traditional and non-conventional transformation processes on total antioxidant capacity and phenolic acid content.

The aim of this work was to compare the traditional with a non-conventional (i.e. kernel micronisation) durum wheat milling process by monitoring the content of bound, conjugated and free phenolic acids (PAs) and the level of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) occurring in the durum wheat pasta production chain, from seed to cooked pasta.

Effect of 5-n-alkylresorcinol extracts from durum wheat whole grain on the growth of fusarium head blight (FHB) causal agents.

In an approach toward the identification of ecofriendly compounds for fusarium head blight biocontrol, the in vitro antifungal activity of 5-n-alkylresorcinol (AR) extracts, obtained from durum wheat intact kernels, was tested. In comparison with ethyl acetate and acetone extracts containing AR, total inhibition of Fusarium graminearum spore germination was observed with cyclohexane extract, which also exhibited a significant fungistatic activity against F. graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium avenaceum, and Fusarium poae.