Existing date marking tools, such as use-by and sell-by dates, fail to inform decision-making throughout food distribution because they do not adapt to storage conditions such as temperature. Polymer-based sensors can be incorporated into food packaging to provide an indication of food quality in real time, which can greatly reduce waste. This work identifies free fatty acid (FFA) as a marker for the quality of plant-based milk and demonstrates the first detection tool for the freshness of almond milk using phospholipid-doped polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles. The sensor discriminates between triglycerides and FFA by a visible color change and can therefore be used to track fat metabolism during food spoilage. The interaction between FFA and PDA is investigated by electron microscopy and dynamic-light-scattering studies. PDA vesicles are then fabricated in agarose and used to discriminate between fresh and spoiled almond milk. Upon exposure of the PDA/agarose sensor to spoiled almond milk, a visible blue-to-red color change is induced in the film, which is correlated with FFA concentration in the samples. Incorporation of this technology into food packaging can be used to indicate food quality in real time, surpassing the efficacy of current date marking tools to reduce food waste.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/marc.202000172 | DOI Listing |
Food Technol Biotechnol
December 2024
National Technological Institute of Mexico / Technological Institute of Tepic, Av. Tecnológico 2595, Col. Lagos del Country, C.P. 63175, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.
Plant-based beverages are water-soluble extracts of cereals, pseudocereals, seeds and legumes that resemble milk in appearance. However, these products have important differences compared to normal liquid milk, such as nutritional composition, sensorial properties and shelf-life stability. Increasing number of consumers are opting for these beverages due to lactose intolerance, milk protein allergies or lifestyle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere is a growing demand for a plant-based diet (meat analogue/plant-based milk) due to an increase in awareness towards health issues, environmental sustainability, and animal ethical issues. The replacement of dairy has recently been one of the market efforts to fulfill such demand. Yet, challenges arise when consumers are reluctant to accept plant-based milk (PBM) due to the mismatch of organoleptic profile between PBM and the actual dairy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Res Int
January 2025
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
While reducing the consumption of animal-source foods is recommended for planetary and human health, potential emerging food safety risks associated with the transition to dietary patterns featuring plant-based meat (PBMA) and dairy alternatives (PBDA) remain unexplored. We assessed the exposure to mycotoxins and ranked the associated health risks related to the consumption of PBMA and PBDA. We simulated diets by replacing animal-source proteins with their plant-based alternatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Res Int
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy.
In this work, the lipidomic analysis on polar components of almond, coconut, and soy beverages was performed by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A comparison with bovine milk was also performed. A total of 30 subclasses of polar lipids, belonging mainly to glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids, and a total of 572 molecular species were identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEClinicalMedicine
October 2024
Toronto 3D Knowledge Synthesis and Clinical Trials Unit, Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
Background: Use of health applications (apps) to support healthy lifestyles has intensified. Different app features may support effectiveness, including gamification defined as the use of game elements in a non-game situation. Whether health apps with gamification can impact behaviour change and cardiometabolic risk factors remains unknown.
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