Publications by authors named "Virginia Giannou"

The aim of this study was to develop functional composite edible films or coatings for fruit preservation by the addition of bioactive components in combinations that have not yet been thoroughly studied, according to the relevant literature. Edible films were initially composed of (i) chitosan (CH), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and beta-cyclodextrin (CD) (50%-37.5%-12.

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Nowadays, as the pandemic has reshaped snacking behaviors, and consumers have become more health-conscious, the need for the incorporation of "healthy snacking" in our diets has emerged. Although there is no agreed-upon definition of "healthy snacking", dietary guidelines refer to snack foods with high nutritional and biological value. The aim of this study was to chemically characterize and determine the nutritional value of an innovative UVB-irradiated and baked snack from mushrooms.

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Aim of this work was the development of integrated and complex encapsulating systems that will provide more efficient protection to the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (BB-12) in comparison to the conventional plain alginate beads. Within the scope of this study, the encapsulation of BB-12 through emulsification followed by external gelation was performed.

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Probiotic strains are claimed to confer health benefits to human organisms when consumed in adequate amounts. Thus, over the last decades there has been an increased interest in the production of functional foods containing probiotic bacteria. However, in order to display optimal probiotic functionality, these bacteria should survive through the gastrointestinal tract (GI) in high populations, reaching 10-10cfu (colony-forming unit)/g or mL at the end of product's shelf life.

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The aim of this work was the evaluation of the breadmaking potential of spelt flour when combined with wheat flour in various proportions, both in freshly baked and frozen form, and determine the optimal ratio for products with satisfactory quality characteristics. Freshly baked samples were prepared using different spelt-wheat flour mixtures ranging from 0 to 100% spelt at 10% intervals, while batches containing 0, 30, 50, 80, and 100% spelt were prepared in the case of frozen dough samples. The characteristics of the final baked products (dough volume expansion, specific volume, crust and crumb color, hardness, and water activity) were evaluated.

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The aim of this study was to enhance the quality and sensory characteristics of bread made from frozen dough. Both white and whole-wheat flour were used. In order to improve dough strength and stability during frozen storage, samples were supplemented with vital wheat gluten at the levels of 2%, 4%, 5%, and 6% of flour weight.

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