Stability of Filled PDMS Pervaporation Membranes in Bio-Ethanol Recovery from a Real Fermentation Broth.

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) have shown great potential in pervaporation (PV). As for many novel membrane materials however, lab-scale testing often involves synthetic feed solutions composed of mixed pure components, overlooking the possibly complex interactions and effects caused by the numerous other components in a real PV feed. This work studies the performance of MMMs with two different types of fillers, a core-shell material consisting of ZIF-8 coated on mesoporous silica and a hollow sphere of silicalite-1, in the PV of a real fermented wheat/hay straw hydrolysate broth for the production of bio-ethanol.

Pod storage with roasting: A tool to diversifying the flavor profiles of dark chocolates produced from 'bulk' cocoa beans? (Part II: Quality and sensory profiling of chocolates).

The impact of pod storage (PS) and roasting temperature (RT) on the quality parameters and the sensory profiles of dark chocolates were evaluated. Dark chocolates (70%) from ten liquors of different PS and RT combinations as well as six liquors of different origins (Ecuador, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Venezuela and Vietnam) with variable genetic groups were produced under identical conditions and compared. To a greater extent, the range of chocolate quality attributes underscored the generally minimal effects of PS, RT and origin of liquor on the processing conditions.

Non-volatile and volatile composition of West African bulk and Ecuadorian fine-flavor cocoa liquor and chocolate.

Cocoa products are obtained from the seeds of Theobroma cacao L. In this research, cocoa liquor and chocolate produced from cocoa beans from West Africa (Forastero, "bulk" cacao) and Ecuador (Nacional variety, "fine-flavor" cacao), were investigated, using a novel approach in which various analytical techniques are combined in order to obtain in-depth knowledge of the studied cocoa samples. The levels of various classes of primary metabolites were determined and a wide range of secondary metabolites, including volatile organic acids, aldehydes, esters, pyrazines, polyphenols, methylxanthines and biogenic amines, were identified and/or quantified by HS-SPME GC-MS (headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography - mass spectrometry).

Tuning the aroma profiles of FORASTERO cocoa liquors by varying pod storage and bean roasting temperature.

The unique impact of roasting conditions on the aroma quality of cocoa beans has been demonstrated in many studies. However, information on the additional impact of pod storage (PS) and its combined effect with roasting temperature (RT) is unknown. Hence, this study sought to elucidate the collective contribution of these post-harvest/process parameters on the aroma profiles of cocoa liquors produced from Forastero cocoa beans.

Pod storage with roasting: A tool to diversifying the flavor profiles of dark chocolates produced from 'bulk' cocoa beans? (part I: aroma profiling of chocolates).

The impact of pod storage (PS) and roasting temperature (RT) on the aroma profiles of dark chocolates were evaluated. Cocoa liquor samples comprised of ten different combinations of PS and RT, whilst keeping the roasting time fixed at 35 min. Additionally, commercial cocoa liquors from renowned origins (Ecuador, Madagascar, Venezuela, Vietnam, Ivory Coast and Ghana) were acquired for comparison.

Impact of processing on n-3 LC-PUFA in model systems enriched with microalgae.

Microalgae have already shown their potential as an alternative source of n-3 LC-PUFA. In this study, 5 different microalgal species (Isochrysis, Nannochloropsis, Phaeodactylum, Porphyridium and Schizochytrium) were added to an acidic model system and screened on their potential use in acidic food matrices. The impact of mechanical and thermal processing on the model systems was studied by analyzing the amount of n-3 LC-PUFA, free fatty acids, carotenoids, lipid polymers and the oxidative stability.

Assessing the influence of pod storage on sugar and free amino acid profiles and the implications on some Maillard reaction related flavor volatiles in Forastero cocoa beans.

The practice of pod storage (PS) has been applied in many cocoa producing countries, especially by Ghanaian farmers over the years. However, the study of PS has not received much attention, hence, until now, its potential impact on specific flavor precursor development and implications on the flavor of cocoa beans still remains uncovered. The study was therefore aimed at exploring this possibility through physico-chemical and flavor precursor analyses, carried out on equally fermented and dried pod stored (0, 3 and 7 days) Ghanaian cocoa beans.

Removal of several pesticides in a falling water film DBD reactor with activated carbon textile: Energy efficiency.

Bio-recalcitrant micropollutants are often insufficiently removed by modern wastewater treatment plants to meet the future demands worldwide. Therefore, several advanced oxidation techniques, including cold plasma technology, are being investigated as effective complementary water treatment methods. In order to permit industrial implementation, energy demand of these techniques needs to be minimized.

Rapid method for the simultaneous detection of boar taint compounds by means of solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Because of animal welfare issues, the voluntary ban on surgical castration of male piglets, starting January 2018 was announced in a European Treaty. One viable alternative is the fattening of entire male pigs. However, this can cause negative consumer reactions due to the occurrence of boar taint and possibly lead to severe economic losses in pig husbandry.

Non-thermal plasma as preparative technique to evaluate olive oil adulteration.

In recent years adulteration of pure extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with other types of vegetable oils has become an important issue. In this study, non-thermal plasma (NTP) is investigated as an innovative preparative analytical technique enabling classification of adulterated olive oil from an ascertained authentic batch of olive oil in a more sensitive manner. Non-thermal plasma discharges are a source of highly oxidative species such as singlet oxygen, and atomic oxygen.

Inline roasting hyphenated with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as an innovative approach for assessment of cocoa fermentation quality and aroma formation potential.

Today, the cocoa industry is in great need of faster and robust analytical techniques to objectively assess incoming cocoa quality. In this work, inline roasting hyphenated with a cooled injection system coupled to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (ILR-CIS-GC-MS) has been explored for the first time to assess fermentation quality and/or overall aroma formation potential of cocoa. This innovative approach resulted in the in-situ formation of relevant cocoa aroma compounds.

Removal of atrazine in water by combination of activated carbon and dielectric barrier discharge.

Efficiency of modern wastewater treatment plants to remove or decompose persistent contaminants in low concentration is often insufficient to meet the demands imposed by governmental laws. Novel, efficient and cheap methods are required to address this global issue. We developed a new type of plasma reactor, in which atrazine decomposition by atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in dry air is combined with micropollutant adsorption on activated carbon textile and with extra bubbling of generated ozone.

Phase ratio variation approach for the study of partitioning behavior of volatile organic compounds in polymer sample bags: Nalophan case study.

Sorption of volatile organic compounds on the inner surface of polymer sampling bags leads to important underestimations of the real headspace concentration. Introducing a wide range of volatiles in a two-phase system containing Nalophan revealed that recoveries decreased down to 57 % in a period of 22 h. In this work, a phase ratio variation approach is investigated to quantify the degree of scalping, and thus enabling to compensate for sorption phenomena.

Decomposition of atrazine traces in water by combination of non-thermal electrical discharge and adsorption on nanofiber membrane.

In recent decades, several types of persistent substances are detected in the aquatic environment at very low concentrations. Unfortunately, conventional water treatment processes are not able to remove these micropollutants. As such, advanced treatment methods are required to meet both current and anticipated maximally allowed concentrations.

Evaluation of the volatile composition and sensory properties of five species of microalgae.

Due to their high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and proteins, microalgae hold a lot of potential for nutritional applications. When microalgae are integrated into foodstuffs, the aroma is an important aspect to consider. In this study the aroma properties of microalgae were studied by correlating data on the volatile composition with sensory evaluations.

Stability of omega-3 LC-PUFA-rich photoautotrophic microalgal oils compared to commercially available omega-3 LC-PUFA oils.

Microalgae are the primary producers of omega-3 LC-PUFA, which are known for their health benefits. Their oil may thus be a potential alternative for fish oil. However, oxidative and hydrolytic stability of omega-3 LC-PUFA oils are important parameters.

Accelerated solid-phase dynamic extraction of toluene from air.

Solid-phase dynamic extraction (SPDE) belongs to the most innovative sample preparation and enrichment techniques. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on the fundamentals of SPDE and its applicability in the field of environmental monitoring. A homemade sampling device is constructed to make a detailed study of SPDE kinetics for toluene extraction.