Progress 10/01/23 to 09/30/24
Outputs
PROGRESS REPORT Objectives (from AD-416): The overall long-term objective of this project is to develop commercially-viable new sustainable processes, preservation technologies, and product concepts for specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes) and co-products of these crops. Specifically, during the next five years we will focus on the following objectives: Objective 1: Enable economical, input-efficient, and sustainable methods for processing and preservation of specialty crops while improving product quality and value. Subobjective 1A: Develop solar thermal alternatives for heat-intensive specialty crop processing unit operations. Subobjective 1B: Develop preservation strategies for reducing or eliminating the use of sulfites in dried fruit crops. Subobjective 1C: Develop more energy-efficient alternatives to conventional drying and freezing unit operations. Objective 2: Increase the commercial value of specialty crop co-products and difficult-to-market (No. 2 grade, for example) fruits/vegetables by processing into functional food ingredients. Objective 3: Enable value-added processing strategies for novel/emerging specialty crops, including protein sources from plants. Subobjective 3A: Develop new, protein-balanced ready-to-eat (RTE) pasta and snack foods with relevant functional attributes and acceptability made from legumes and specialty crops, through environmentally-friendly processing technologies. Subobjective 3B: Design innovative, delicious functional beverages and high-moisture foods from sustainable plant-based protein ingredients, using state-of-the art, minimally-thermal processing technologies to render products that have unique nutritional attributes and health benefits. Subobjective 3C: Leverage the unique advantages of 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo-lithography technology to form optimally-textured meat analogs from plant-based protein ingredients. Approach (from AD-416): 1A: Utilize solar thermal energy in evaporative concentration, blanching, and bin drying, with the goal of deriving up to 100% of the required heat from sunlight. For each system, the processing conditions will be established, an exergetic analysis performed, and the process designed and tested at pilot scale. Product quality will be measured and optimized alongside processing conditions. 1B: Reduce the sulfite content of dried fruits by 50% to 100% while maintaining organoleptic quality and nutrition equivalent to sulfited controls. For each fruit, various preservative ingredients and blanching pretreatments will be screened for individual and synergistic benefits on product quality metrics. Synergistic combinations will be applied to fruits that will be dried using various protocols. Optimal combinations of preservatives, blanching treatments, and drying protocols will be determined. 1C: Utilize infrared drying, isochoric freezing, and other promising technologies to obtain high-quality fruit and vegetable products and assess the energy efficiency of these technologies, with the rationale that these technologies will shorten processing time and operate at milder temperatures than conventional controls. 2A: Determine optimal operating conditions for processing raw co-products and low-grade products into shelf-stable ingredients, balancing throughput and product quality. Raw materials will be processed with pilot-scale unit operations such as drying, blanching, pasteurization, vacuum forming, casting, and freezing. 2B: Incorporate powdered specialty crop co-products with known antioxidant and antimicrobial activities into edible films and coatings applied to perishable foods via casting, dipping, and electrostatic spraying. Cast films will be characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, water vapor and oxygen permeability, mechanical properties, and various other quality metrics. 3A: Process legume pulses⿿ and specialty crops⿿ fractions (peels and hulls) into ready-to-eat, protein- balanced expanded extruded snacks and functional pasta. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder system will be used to process novel-formulated mixed flours into the new products. Processing variables will be studied to optimize product quality and mechanical/thermal energy input. 3B: Transform legume pulse protein concentrates, isolates, and specialty crops into novel healthy beverages and meat analogs. For beverages, legume pulse proteins and other fiber- and phytonutrient-rich specialty crop ingredients will be blended into nutritionally-balanced mixtures, solubilized, and processed by a high-pressure homogenizer. Meat analogs will be developed using high moisture protein fibration extrusion. 3C: Transform plant proteins into meat analogs with desirable functional and sensory properties using 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo- lithography. Various formulations of pulse- and legume-based proteins and other specialty crop-based additives will be tested. Processing parameters will include syringe temperature, extrusion speed, and nozzle temperature/diameter. Chemical, physical, rheological, and sensory properties of the 3D-printed products will be optimized. This report documents progress for project 2030-41000-069-000D, titled, ⿿New Sustainable Processes, Preservation Technologies, and Product Concepts for Specialty Crops and Their Co-Products, which started in December 2020. In support of Sub-objective 1C, researchers in Albany, California, in collaboration with researchers from U.C. Berkeley investigated isochoric or constant volume freezing as one-step process to preserve and pasteurize orange juice and raw bovine milk at subfreezing temperatures. For raw bovine milk, the physicochemical and microbiological changes resulting from isochoric freezing at two different conditions of temperature and pressure were compared with those of refrigerated milk and pasteurized milk. For orange juice, the microbiological and physicochemical quality of isochoric frozen juice at three different conditions of temperature and pressure were compared with those of conventionally frozen juice and pasteurized juice. Overall, the study demonstrated that isochoric freezing can significantly increase the shelf- life of raw bovine milk and orange juice by reducing microbiological activity, whilst maintaining its nutritional content and physicochemical properties. Also, in collaboration with researchers from the produce safety and microbiology unit, in Albany, California, the effect of isochoric freezing at different conditions on pathogens (E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes) inoculated in raw milk and carrot juice was evaluated. Moreover, researchers in Albany, California, partnered with BioChoric LLC to study the impact of isochoric impregnation with CaCl2 on the microbiological, nutritional, and physicochemical properties of blueberries. They also investigated using isochoric freezing to enhance the quality and prolong the shelf-life of blueberries during refrigerated storage. The results showed a positive effect of the synergistic effect of calcium impregnation and isochoric freezing on the quality of blueberries. In support of Objective 3, ARS researchers in Albany, California, have collaborated with the researchers at North Dakota State University to investigate Maillard reaction between high-intensity ultrasound pre- treated pea protein isolate (PPI) and glucose. The impact of reaction time and pH on the conjugation process and the properties of conjugates were determined by browning index and glucose depletion. Secondary and tertiary structures of PPI were measured by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and intrinsic/extrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, solubility and PPI and PPI-glucose conjugates solutions were evaluated. Moreover, significant progress was also made by developing snack extruded food products from by-products of wine making, evaluating their expansion and crunchiness characteristics, bioactive compounds, and sensory evaluation for product acceptability. Significant progress was achieved in Sub-objective 3A by researchers in Albany, California, in collaboration with researchers from the Technological Institute of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. This progress involved creating new formulations containing up to 20% jackfruit by-product. Subsequently, value-added expanded extruded snacks were manufactured and evaluated by 48 individuals of different ages and ethnic backgrounds, leading to positive feedback and high acceptability of the final products. Important progress was also made under Sub-objective 3B by optimizing the rheological behavior of high protein beverages made from various plant-based protein sources. The rheological profiles of nine selected commercial beverages and ten different formulations containing four to 20% of pea protein concentrate and 2two to 10% rice protein concentrate were evaluated under controlled temperatures of four degrees C (refrigeration temperature) and 22 degrees C (room temperature). After analyzing viscosity profiles at shear rates of up to 1000 reciprocal second (s-1), the viscosity value measured at 4 degrees C and a shear rate of 51.8 (s-1) was chosen. This selected value was closely related to previous studies suggesting that the approximate shear rate in the mouth is close to 50 (s-1). The chosen temperature was based on general acceptance that high-protein beverages are typically consumed at cool temperatures. All beverages evaluated, under the indicated temperatures, presented a non-Newtonian (linear) behavior, with a pseudoplastic characteristic. In support of Sub- objective 3C, ARS researchers in Albany, California, in collaboration with researchers at U.C. Berkeley, developed a new co-axial temperature controlled cryoprinting (TCC) system to produce plant-based printed food designed for dysphagia food. The system allows the food to self-crosslink and generate a gradient structure with complex textures. The technology was applied to print pea protein. ARS researchers are also working on modifying the system for flow production for the industry. Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) ARS researchers in Albany, California, have collaborated with the researchers at Kansas State University on development of pLM4Alg and: protein language model-based predictors for allergenic and antihypertensive proteins/peptides. pLM4Alg is the first model capable of handling prediction tasks involving residue-missed sequences and sequences containing nonstandard amino acid residues, while pLM4ACE provides a valuable reference for peptide discovery and potential application concerning other bioactivities. Bioinformatics can significantly reduce the experiment time and cost of novel bioactive peptide exploration, and fast and accurate prediction models are highly desirable. ACCOMPLISHMENTS 01 Isochoric freezing provides safe raw bovine milk with extended shelf- life. Isochoric freezing can be used as a one-step process to pasteurize and preserve food products at subfreezing temperatures. However, there is a concern that despite potentially serious health risks, demand for raw milk is growing among consumers. ARS researchers in Albany, California, in collaboration with researchers from U.C. Berkeley have evaluated isochoric freezing as a one-step process to pasteurize and preserve raw milk. Isochoric freezing, when compared to refrigeration, and pasteurization resulted in superior milk quality with extended shelf-life. Isochoric freezing also inactivated pathogenic bacteria. This study indicates that isochoric freezing has the potential to pasteurize and significantly increase the shelf life of raw milk, while maintaining its nutritional and physiochemical content. 02 Isochoric freezing with calcium infusion results in high quality blueberries with extended shelf-life. Isochoric freezing allows food preservation at subfreezing temperatures without any ice formation inside the products. In addition, isochoric freezing can be used to infuse bioactive compounds into foods during preservation. Blueberries are a very popular fruit, but compared to other fruits, fresh blueberries are highly perishable. ARS researchers in Albany, California, have assessed isochoric freezing with calcium chloride infusion to preserve blueberries. Isochorically frozen blueberries showed similar appearance to fresh blueberries; the fruits did not lose weight during refrigeration and had higher nutrient content than refrigerated blueberries. 03 Glycation degree of PPI-conjugates prepared from the classic and ultrasound pretreated Maillard reaction. Pea protein isolate (PPI) has emerged as one of the most popular plant protein ingredients and greatly meets market expectations owing to its high nutritional value, competitive price, and sustainability. However, low water solubility has largely limited their broad applications in various food systems. Most studies performed glycation with the mixture of proteins and carbohydrates in the ultrasonic treatment process without subsequent heating. There is no study to assess the impact of high-intensity ultrasound as a pretreatment before the Maillard reaction on the functionalities of PPI. ARS researchers in Albany, California, have collaborated with researchers at North Dakota State University to compare the glycation degree of PPI-conjugates prepared from the classic and ultrasound pretreated Maillard reaction, respectively, and then evaluate the structural and solubility of the conjugates. This study could offer valuable insights into the study of soluble aggregates and the potential of high-intensity ultrasound for improving the solubility of pea protein isolate, thereby facilitating the utilization of pea protein as an alternative protein source in the food industry. 04 Isochoric freezing delivers high quality orange juice with extended shelf-life. The fruit and vegetable juice industries have been adversely affected by the decrease in demand for processed juices over the past few years. Commercial fruit and vegetable juices are traditionally heat-treated to destroy microorganisms. However, heat processing often induces undesirable changes leading to a decrease in consumer acceptance of processed juices. ARS researchers in Albany, California, in collaboration with researchers from U.C. Berkeley have evaluated isochoric freezing to preserve orange juice. Isochoric freezing retained the quality properties of orange juice and inhibited spoilage from microbial growth during refrigerated storage. Therefore, isochoric freezing can effectively be used to extend the shelf-life and improve the product quality in orange juice production with reduced pulp sedimentation, which has been a recognized technological issue in the juice industry. 05 New coaxial temperature controlled cryoprinting confers texture to 3D printed foods. 3D cryoprinting can provide texture to 3D printed foods. Food swallowing problems, a medical condition known as dysphagia, affects 1 of 6 adults in the United States. Studies have shown that dysphagia patients placed on texture modification diets based on pureed foods tend to have between 17-37% lower energy intake than those on regular diets because of the loss of food appeal. ARS researchers in Albany, California, in collaboration with researchers from U.C. Berkeley, have developed a new co-axial temperature controlled cryoprinting system to manufacture printed foods designed for dysphagia food. The new system allows the generation of structures that confer texture to 3D printed food providing dysphagia patients with visually and texturally appealing nutritious foods. 06 Winemaking by-products fortification of formulations based on corn and lentil flour. The latest trends in food products focus on promoting consumer health by incorporating functional components, such as those found in winemaking by-products, into food formulations. This also helps to address the environmental issue of disposing of large amounts of grape by-products generated by the wine industry. ARS researchers in Albany, California, developed various formulations, including a mix of corn and lentil flour with natural flavoring agents, enriched with 5% and 20% of fermented Cabernet Sauvignon grape skin/seed and unfermented Chardonnay grape seed flours. The total phenol, total flavonoid, and anthocyanin content were higher in all formulations with 20% fermented Cabernet Sauvignon skin or unfermented Chardonnay seed flours, regardless of the content of corn and lentil flour in the formulations. This indicates that winemaking by-products have the potential to be used as functional and prebiotic ingredients, adding nutritional value to new functional food products while promoting diversified consumption of lentils and adding value to winemaking byproducts.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Su, X., Jin, Q., Xu, Y., Wang, H., Huang, H. 2024. Subcritical water treatment to modify insoluble dietary fibers from brewer⿿s spent grain for improved functionality and gut fermentability. Food Chemistry. 435. Article 137654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.137654.
- Du, Z., Xu, Y., Liu, C., Li, Y. 2023. pLM4Alg: Protein language model- based predictors for allergenic proteins and peptides. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 72(1):752-760. https://doi.org/10.1021/ acs.jafc.3c07143.
- Gao, K., Chang, L., Xu, Y., Rao, J., Chen, B. 2023. Water-soluble fraction of pea protein isolate is critical for the functionality of protein- glucose conjugates obtained via wet-heating Maillard reaction. Food Research International. 174. Article 113503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. foodres.2023.113503.
- Gao, K., Xu, Y., Rao, J., Chen, B. 2023. Maillard reaction between high- intensity ultrasound pre-treated pea protein isolate and glucose: Impact of reaction time and pH on the conjugation process and the properties of conjugates. Food Chemistry. 434. Article 137486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. foodchem.2023.137486.
- Xu, Y., Sismour, E., Tucker, F., Rasberry, J., Zhao, W., Rao, Q., Zhao, Y., Haff, R.P., Yousuf, A., Gao, M., Chen, A. 2024. Structural and functional properties of Kabuli chickpea protein as affected by high hydrostatic pressures. ACS Food Science and Technology. 4(2):528-536. https://doi.org/ 10.1021/acsfoodscitech.3c00640.
- Du, Z., Ding, X., Hsu, W., Munir, A., Xu, Y., Li, Y. 2023. pLM4ACE: A protein language model based predictor for antihypertensive peptide screening. Food Chemistry. 431. Article 137162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. foodchem.2023.137162.
- Zhao, W., Xu, Y., Dorado, C., Bai, J., Chau, H.K., Hotchkiss, A.T., Yadav, M.P., Cameron, R.G. 2023. Modification of pectin with high-pressure processing treatment of fresh orange peel before pectin extraction: Part II. The effects on gelling capacity and emulsifying properties of pectin. Food Hydrocolloids. 149. Article 109536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd. 2023.109536.
- Zhao, W., Xu, Y., Dorado, C., Chau, H.K., Hotchkiss, A.T., Cameron, R.G. 2023. Modification of pectin with high-pressure processing treatment of fresh orange peel before pectin extraction: Part I. The effects on pectin extraction and structural properties. Food Hydrocolloids. 149. Article 109516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2023.109516.
- Bilbao-Sainz, C., Olsen, C.W., Chiou, B., Rubinsky, B., Wu, V.C., McHugh, T.H. 2024. Benefits of isochoric freezing for carrot juice preservation. Journal of Food Science. 89(3):1324-1336. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750- 3841.16963.
- Chiou, B., Cao, T.K., McCaffrey, Z., Bilbao-Sainz, C., Wood, D.F., Glenn, G.M., Orts, W.J. 2024. Properties of gluten foam composites containing different fibers and particulates. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-024-03295-5.
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Progress 10/01/22 to 09/30/23
Outputs
PROGRESS REPORT Objectives (from AD-416): The overall long-term objective of this project is to develop commercially-viable new sustainable processes, preservation technologies, and product concepts for specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes) and co-products of these crops. Specifically, during the next five years we will focus on the following objectives: Objective 1: Enable economical, input-efficient, and sustainable methods for processing and preservation of specialty crops while improving product quality and value. Subobjective 1A: Develop solar thermal alternatives for heat-intensive specialty crop processing unit operations. Subobjective 1B: Develop preservation strategies for reducing or eliminating the use of sulfites in dried fruit crops. Subobjective 1C: Develop more energy-efficient alternatives to conventional drying and freezing unit operations. Objective 2: Increase the commercial value of specialty crop co-products and difficult-to-market (No. 2 grade, for example) fruits/vegetables by processing into functional food ingredients. Objective 3: Enable value-added processing strategies for novel/emerging specialty crops, including protein sources from plants. Subobjective 3A: Develop new, protein-balanced ready-to-eat (RTE) pasta and snack foods with relevant functional attributes and acceptability made from legumes and specialty crops, through environmentally-friendly processing technologies. Subobjective 3B: Design innovative, delicious functional beverages and high-moisture foods from sustainable plant-based protein ingredients, using state-of-the art, minimally-thermal processing technologies to render products that have unique nutritional attributes and health benefits. Subobjective 3C: Leverage the unique advantages of 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo-lithography technology to form optimally-textured meat analogs from plant-based protein ingredients. Approach (from AD-416): 1A: Utilize solar thermal energy in evaporative concentration, blanching, and bin drying, with the goal of deriving up to 100% of the required heat from sunlight. For each system, the processing conditions will be established, an exergetic analysis performed, and the process designed and tested at pilot scale. Product quality will be measured and optimized alongside processing conditions. 1B: Reduce the sulfite content of dried fruits by 50% to 100% while maintaining organoleptic quality and nutrition equivalent to sulfited controls. For each fruit, various preservative ingredients and blanching pretreatments will be screened for individual and synergistic benefits on product quality metrics. Synergistic combinations will be applied to fruits that will be dried using various protocols. Optimal combinations of preservatives, blanching treatments, and drying protocols will be determined. 1C: Utilize infrared drying, isochoric freezing, and other promising technologies to obtain high-quality fruit and vegetable products and assess the energy efficiency of these technologies, with the rationale that these technologies will shorten processing time and operate at milder temperatures than conventional controls. 2A: Determine optimal operating conditions for processing raw co-products and low-grade products into shelf-stable ingredients, balancing throughput and product quality. Raw materials will be processed with pilot-scale unit operations such as drying, blanching, pasteurization, vacuum forming, casting, and freezing. 2B: Incorporate powdered specialty crop co-products with known antioxidant and antimicrobial activities into edible films and coatings applied to perishable foods via casting, dipping, and electrostatic spraying. Cast films will be characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, water vapor and oxygen permeability, mechanical properties, and various other quality metrics. 3A: Process legume pulses⿿ and specialty crops⿿ fractions (peels and hulls) into ready-to-eat, protein- balanced expanded extruded snacks and functional pasta. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder system will be used to process novel-formulated mixed flours into the new products. Processing variables will be studied to optimize product quality and mechanical/thermal energy input. 3B: Transform legume pulse protein concentrates, isolates, and specialty crops into novel healthy beverages and meat analogs. For beverages, legume pulse proteins and other fiber- and phytonutrient-rich specialty crop ingredients will be blended into nutritionally-balanced mixtures, solubilized, and processed by a high-pressure homogenizer. Meat analogs will be developed using high moisture protein fibration extrusion. 3C: Transform plant proteins into meat analogs with desirable functional and sensory properties using 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo- lithography. Various formulations of pulse- and legume-based proteins and other specialty crop-based additives will be tested. Processing parameters will include syringe temperature, extrusion speed, and nozzle temperature/diameter. Chemical, physical, rheological, and sensory properties of the 3D-printed products will be optimized. Significant progress was made under Objective 1, by ARS researchers in Albany, California, by investigating the use of isochoric freezing as a non-thermal technology to enhance the safety and shelf life of pomegranate juice and carrot juice. The effects of isochoric freezing on the microbiological and physicochemical quality of fresh pomegranate juice and fresh carrot juice during storage were evaluated and compared to those obtained by using conventional pasteurization followed by refrigerated storage. The research shows the suitability of isochoric freezing to preserve the quality of the juices and maintain their microbiological stability. Relevant progress was made under Objective 3, by evaluating the influence of cross-linking order (before or after directional freezing) and freezing rates on the microstructure, rheological and textural properties of the 3D cryo-printed protein sample, with emphasis on the suitability of the product for a dysphagia diet. Temperature-controlled 3D cryo-printing led to the generation of microstructures that conferred texture to the 3D printed samples. The Temperature-controlled 3D cryo- printing technology can be also used for one-step process that combines manufacturing and freezing of foods. Also, under this Objective, the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HPP) on structural and functional properties of isolated Kabuli chickpea proteins was investigated under different pressure levels and holding times. Protein⿿s structure, including amino acid profile, secondary structure, surface hydrophobicity, zeta potential, total free-sulfhydryl content, SDS-PAGE protein profile, and functional properties, including protein solubility, water and oil absorption capacities, emulsifying properties, and foaming capacity and stability were evaluated. Moreover, significant progress was made also under Sub-objective 3B, by developing an innovative healthy and delicious gluten-free and lactose-free plant-based beverage. The novel beverage was made from hydrolyzed pea and rice proteins, soluble fiber, and other natural food ingredients. Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) Artificial Intelligence was used on the development of UniDL4BioPep, a universal deep-learning model architecture for transfer learning in bioactive peptide binary classification modeling to identify potent peptides. This is the first time that a pretrained biological language model is utilized for peptide embeddings and successfully predicts peptide bioactivities through large-scale evaluations of those peptide embeddings. UniDL4BioPep has the potential to be applied to fit various bioactive peptide datasets and is expected to achieve cutting-edge performance and reduce benchwork in wet experiments. ACCOMPLISHMENTS 01 New preservation technology extended the shelf-life of pomegranate arils, pomegranate juice and carrot juice. Extended shelf-life and low microbial load are main hurdles facing fruit juice producers. ARS researchers in Albany, California, discovered that isochoric freezing effectively increased the shelf-life of extracted pomegranate arils from 11 days in refrigeration to 33 days. Also, isochoric freezing reduced native microbial load below the limit of detection in pomegranate juice and in carrot juice. Furthermore, isochoric freezing inhibited microbial growth during storage which resulted in extended shelf-life when compared with pasteurized juice. The overall quality of the juice was better for the isochoric frozen juice than for the pasteurized juice. Isochoric freezing could be a beneficial alternative to conventional pasteurization. 02 3D printed ground meat. ARS scientists in Albany, California, used temperature-controlled 3D cryoprinting (TCC) to provide texture to 3D printed ground meat. Texture is a major factor in the sensory evaluation of meat quality. TCC incorporates freezing to the conventional 3D printing technology, so that each deposited element during printing is frozen upon deposition. Directional freezing resulted in ice crystals growing forward as branches. Upon thawing, those ice crystals became directional pores with inserted beef material. This led to the generation of structures that conferred texture to the 3D printed ground meat. The technology can be used to provide texture to ground meat or meat analogues and provides patients experiencing swallowing difficulties with visually and texturally appealing nutritious foods. 03 Effect of high-pressure processing technology on the structure and function of chickpea protein isolates. The task proteins perform in food applications depends on their functionality. The efficacy of high hydrostatic pressure treatment on modifying the structure and function of chickpea protein isolates was demonstrated by ARS researchers in Albany, California. High pressure increased surface hydrophobicity, disulfide bonds and total sulfhydryl content. As a consequence, the protein⿿s functionality including water/oil absorption, emulsification and foaming capacities significantly increased, which plays a critical role in conveying desirable qualities and functionalities to food products. The study provides the baseline information for scientific community and food industry in improvement of functional properties of plant-based proteins through the use of high hydrostatic pressure technology.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Inzunza-Soto, M., Avena Bustillos, R.D., Thai, T.T., Roman, V., Whitehill, L.J., Tam, C.C., Rolston, M.R., Aleman-Hidalgo, D.M., Teran-Cabanillas, E., Yokoyama, W.H., McHugh, T.H. 2022. Health benefits of high protein and dietary fiber dry-fractioned brewery spent grain fines. ACS Food Science and Technology. 2(12):1870-1878. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech. 2c00255.
- Avena Bustillos, R.D., Klausner, N.M., Milczarek, R., Terán-Cabanillas, E., Alemán-Hidalgo, D.M., McHugh, T.H. 2022. Evaluation of predrying steps, cadmium, and pesticide residues on dried powders from romaine lettuce outer and heart leaves. ACS Food Science and Technology. 3(1). Article 41- 49. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00234.
- Bilbao-Sainz, C., Chiou, B., Takeoka, G.R., Williams, T.G., Wood, D.F., Powell-Palm, M., Rubinsky, B., McHugh, T.H. 2022. Novel isochoric impregnation to develop high-quality and nutritionally fortified plant materials (apples and sweet potatoes). Journal of Food Science. 87(11) :4796-4807. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.16332.
- Zhong, C., Feng, Y., Xu, Y. 2023. Production of fish analogues from plant proteins: Potential strategies, challenges, and outlook. Foods. 12(3). Article 614. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12030614.
- Du, Z., Ding, X., Xu, Y., Li, Y. 2023. UniDL4BioPep: A universal deep learning architecture for binary classification in peptide bioactivity. Briefings in Bioinformatics. 24(3). Article bbad135. https://doi.org/10. 1093/bib/bbad135.
- Lou, L., Bilbao-Sainz, C., Wood, D.F., Rubinsky, B. 2023. Temperature controlled cryoprinting of food for dysphagia patients. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. 86. Article 103362. https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.ifset.2023.103362.
- Bilbao-Sainz, C., Chiou, B., Takeoka, G.R., Williams, T.G., Wood, D.F., Powell-Palm, M., Rubinsky, B., McHugh, T.H. 2022. Novel isochoric cold storage with isochoric impregnation to improve postharvest quality of sweet cherry. ACS Food Science and Technology. 2(10):1558-1564. https:// doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00194.
- Bilbao-Sainz, C., Chiou, B., Takeoka, G.R., Williams, T.G., Wood, D.F., Powell-Palm, M., Rubinsky, B., Wu, V.C., McHugh, T.H. 2022. Isochoric freezing and isochoric supercooling as innovative postharvest technologies for pomegranate preservation. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 194. Article 112072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.112072.
- Zhao, Y., Powell-Palm, M., Wang, J., Bilbao-Sainz, C., McHugh, T.H., Rubinsky, B. 2021. Analysis of global energy savings in the frozen food industry made possible by transitioning from conventional isobaric freezing to isochoric freezing. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews. 151. Article 111621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111621.
- Carvalho Ferreira, K., Correia Bento, J.A., Caliari, M., Zaczuk Bassinello, P., Berrios, J.D. 2021. Dry bean proteins: Extraction methods, functionality, and application in products for human consumption. Cereal Chemistry. 99(1):67-77. https://doi.org/10.1002/cche.10514.
- Castaneda-Ruelas, G.M., Fajardo Lopez, A.J., Berrios, J.D., Mendoza-Lopez, I.A. 2022. Growth yield and health benefit of farm shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) fed in a pre-fattening phase with a diet based on wheat (Triticum sativum) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) enriched with spirulina (Spirulina maxima). Veterinaria Mexico. 9. https://doi.org/10.22201/fmvz. 24486760e.2022.966.
- Berrios, J.D., Losso, J.N., Albertos, I. 2021. Extrusion processing of dry beans and pulses. In: Siddiq, M., Uebersax, M.A., editors. Dry Beans and Pulses: Production, processing, and nutrition. 2nd edition. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. p. 225-246.
- Zhao, H., Kim, Y., Avena Bustillos, R.D., Nitin, N., Wang, S.C. 2023. Characterization of California olive pomace fractions and their in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. LWT - Food Science and Technology. 180. Article 114677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2023.114677.
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Progress 10/01/21 to 09/30/22
Outputs
PROGRESS REPORT Objectives (from AD-416): The overall long-term objective of this project is to develop commercially-viable new sustainable processes, preservation technologies, and product concepts for specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes) and co-products of these crops. Specifically, during the next five years we will focus on the following objectives: Objective 1: Enable economical, input-efficient, and sustainable methods for processing and preservation of specialty crops while improving product quality and value. Subobjective 1A: Develop solar thermal alternatives for heat-intensive specialty crop processing unit operations. Subobjective 1B: Develop preservation strategies for reducing or eliminating the use of sulfites in dried fruit crops. Subobjective 1C: Develop more energy-efficient alternatives to conventional drying and freezing unit operations. Objective 2: Increase the commercial value of specialty crop co-products and difficult-to-market (No. 2 grade, for example) fruits/vegetables by processing into functional food ingredients. Objective 3: Enable value-added processing strategies for novel/emerging specialty crops, including protein sources from plants. Subobjective 3A: Develop new, protein-balanced ready-to-eat (RTE) pasta and snack foods with relevant functional attributes and acceptability made from legumes and specialty crops, through environmentally-friendly processing technologies. Subobjective 3B: Design innovative, delicious functional beverages and high-moisture foods from sustainable plant-based protein ingredients, using state-of-the art, minimally-thermal processing technologies to render products that have unique nutritional attributes and health benefits. Subobjective 3C: Leverage the unique advantages of 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo-lithography technology to form optimally-textured meat analogs from plant-based protein ingredients. Approach (from AD-416): 1A: Utilize solar thermal energy in evaporative concentration, blanching, and bin drying, with the goal of deriving up to 100% of the required heat from sunlight. For each system, the processing conditions will be established, an exergetic analysis performed, and the process designed and tested at pilot scale. Product quality will be measured and optimized alongside processing conditions. 1B: Reduce the sulfite content of dried fruits by 50% to 100% while maintaining organoleptic quality and nutrition equivalent to sulfited controls. For each fruit, various preservative ingredients and blanching pretreatments will be screened for individual and synergistic benefits on product quality metrics. Synergistic combinations will be applied to fruits that will be dried using various protocols. Optimal combinations of preservatives, blanching treatments, and drying protocols will be determined. 1C: Utilize infrared drying, isochoric freezing, and other promising technologies to obtain high-quality fruit and vegetable products and assess the energy efficiency of these technologies, with the rationale that these technologies will shorten processing time and operate at milder temperatures than conventional controls. 2A: Determine optimal operating conditions for processing raw co-products and low-grade products into shelf-stable ingredients, balancing throughput and product quality. Raw materials will be processed with pilot-scale unit operations such as drying, blanching, pasteurization, vacuum forming, casting, and freezing. 2B: Incorporate powdered specialty crop co-products with known antioxidant and antimicrobial activities into edible films and coatings applied to perishable foods via casting, dipping, and electrostatic spraying. Cast films will be characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, water vapor and oxygen permeability, mechanical properties, and various other quality metrics. 3A: Process legume pulses⿿ and specialty crops⿿ fractions (peels and hulls) into ready-to-eat, protein- balanced expanded extruded snacks and functional pasta. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder system will be used to process novel-formulated mixed flours into the new products. Processing variables will be studied to optimize product quality and mechanical/thermal energy input. 3B: Transform legume pulse protein concentrates, isolates, and specialty crops into novel healthy beverages and meat analogs. For beverages, legume pulse proteins and other fiber- and phytonutrient-rich specialty crop ingredients will be blended into nutritionally-balanced mixtures, solubilized, and processed by a high-pressure homogenizer. Meat analogs will be developed using high moisture protein fibration extrusion. 3C: Transform plant proteins into meat analogs with desirable functional and sensory properties using 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo- lithography. Various formulations of pulse- and legume-based proteins and other specialty crop-based additives will be tested. Processing parameters will include syringe temperature, extrusion speed, and nozzle temperature/diameter. Chemical, physical, rheological, and sensory properties of the 3D-printed products will be optimized. In support of Objective 1, ARS researchers in Albany, California, investigated the effects of isochoric freezing on the physicochemical, nutritional and microbiological qualities of sweet cherry and pomegranate and compared those with refrigeration and conventional freezing. Researchers also evaluated isochoric impregnation as a potential novel technology to infuse bioactive compounds into solid foods for the development of fortified functional food products during isochoric freezing preservation. Significant progress was made towards commercialization of the previously patented Pop Oats snack product, including processing equipment upgrades, the introduction of packaging equipment, shelf life evaluation, and sensory testing. In support of Objective 2, ARS researchers developed novel intermittent infrared drying (IRD) technology for brewery spent grain (BSG) that was shown to be as efficient as more costly hot air-drying technology. Dense nutrient concentration, low cost and large volume availability makes dried BSG a desirable potential value-added waste product. The novel intermittent infrared drying (IRD) with mixing requires less time and thermal energy than hot air drying (HAD), while achieving a safe water activity, crispy texture, and roasted aroma. BSG dried via IRD and HAD were compared by chemical and physical analysis. A mice-feeding study was conducted in which BSG dried by the two drying methods was incorporated into diet at three concentrations to determine potential health benefits. Also, dry fractionation by particle size was demonstrated as a practical technology to increase protein and dietary fiber in dried BSG fine fractions and was evaluated relevant to nutritional and health benefits of high protein and dietary fiber dry-fractioned BSG fines in comparison to regular dried BSG powder. In support of Objective 3, ARS researchers used novel ingredients from specialty crops and original extrusion cooking processing conditions to develop gluten-free snack products with added functional properties. The influence of the adding fiber-rich ingredients, such as soluble corn fiber and passion fruit, was also evaluated. The incorporation of these ingredients in gluten-free formulations based on chickpeas and rice could provide functional formulations for innovative, gluten-free, extruded snack products as an alternative for people with celiac disease. ACCOMPLISHMENTS 01 Influence of drying methods on health indicators of brewers spent grain for potential upcycling into food products. Brewers spent grain (BSG), a by-product of beer brewing, is known to be high in nutritional content including protein and fiber. It can be dried and used as a nutritional supplement or food additive, but the cost of traditional hot air drying can be prohibitive. ARS researchers in Albany, California, applied a novel infrared drying technology to BSG and demonstrated that nutritional content of the dried product was not significantly different as compared to hot air drying. This research provides the means for more economical use of BSG to add value and nutrition to other food products. 02 The effect of isochoric freezing on fruit quality. Bacterial and fungal infection are among the leading causes of reduced quality in fruits. ARS researchers in Albany, California, have demonstrated the efficacy of isochoric freezing to prevent infection in cherries and pomegranates while maintaining quality typically affected by traditional freezing. Isochoric frozen fruits were successfully preserved for 30 days with similar properties to fresh fruits. This technology provides the means for higher quality fruit and reduced food waste.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Vega-Galvez, A., Uribe, E., Pasten, A., Vega, M., Poblete, J., Bilbao- Sainz, C., Chiou, B. 2022. Low-temperature vacuum drying as novel process to improve papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) nutritional-functional properties. Future Foods. 5. Article 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. fufo.2022.100117.
- Inzunza-Soto, M., Thai, T.T., Sinrod, A., Olson, D.A., Avena Bustillos, R. D., Li, X., Rolston, M.R., Wang, S.C., Teran-Cabanillas, E., Yokoyama, W.H. , McHugh, T.H. 2021. Health benefits of first and second extraction drum- dried pitted olive pomace. Journal of Food Science. 86(11):4865-4876. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15925.
- Thai, T.T., Avena Bustillos, R.D., Alves, P., Pan, J., Osorio-Ruiz, A., Miller, J.D., Tam, C.C., Rolston, M.R., Teran-Cabanillas, E., Yokoyama, W. H., McHugh, T.H. 2022. Influence of drying methods on health indicators of brewers spent grain for potential upcycling into food products. Applied Food Research. 2(1). Article 100052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2022. 100052.
- Zhao, H., Avena Bustillos, R.D., Wang, S.C. 2022. Extraction, purification and In Vitro antioxidant activity evaluation of phenolic compounds in California olive pomace. Foods. 11(2). Article 174. https://doi.org/10. 3390/foods11020174.
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Progress 10/01/20 to 09/30/21
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): The overall long-term objective of this project is to develop commercially-viable new sustainable processes, preservation technologies, and product concepts for specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes) and co-products of these crops. Specifically, during the next five years we will focus on the following objectives: Objective 1: Enable economical, input-efficient, and sustainable methods for processing and preservation of specialty crops while improving product quality and value. Subobjective 1A: Develop solar thermal alternatives for heat-intensive specialty crop processing unit operations. Subobjective 1B: Develop preservation strategies for reducing or eliminating the use of sulfites in dried fruit crops. Subobjective 1C: Develop more energy-efficient alternatives to conventional drying and freezing unit operations. Objective 2: Increase the commercial value of specialty crop co-products and difficult-to-market (No. 2 grade, for example) fruits/vegetables by processing into functional food ingredients. Objective 3: Enable value-added processing strategies for novel/emerging specialty crops, including protein sources from plants. Subobjective 3A: Develop new, protein-balanced ready-to-eat (RTE) pasta and snack foods with relevant functional attributes and acceptability made from legumes and specialty crops, through environmentally-friendly processing technologies. Subobjective 3B: Design innovative, delicious functional beverages and high-moisture foods from sustainable plant-based protein ingredients, using state-of-the art, minimally-thermal processing technologies to render products that have unique nutritional attributes and health benefits. Subobjective 3C: Leverage the unique advantages of 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo-lithography technology to form optimally-textured meat analogs from plant-based protein ingredients. Approach (from AD-416): 1A: Utilize solar thermal energy in evaporative concentration, blanching, and bin drying, with the goal of deriving up to 100% of the required heat from sunlight. For each system, the processing conditions will be established, an exergetic analysis performed, and the process designed and tested at pilot scale. Product quality will be measured and optimized alongside processing conditions. 1B: Reduce the sulfite content of dried fruits by 50% to 100% while maintaining organoleptic quality and nutrition equivalent to sulfited controls. For each fruit, various preservative ingredients and blanching pretreatments will be screened for individual and synergistic benefits on product quality metrics. Synergistic combinations will be applied to fruits that will be dried using various protocols. Optimal combinations of preservatives, blanching treatments, and drying protocols will be determined. 1C: Utilize infrared drying, isochoric freezing, and other promising technologies to obtain high-quality fruit and vegetable products and assess the energy efficiency of these technologies, with the rationale that these technologies will shorten processing time and operate at milder temperatures than conventional controls. 2A: Determine optimal operating conditions for processing raw co-products and low-grade products into shelf-stable ingredients, balancing throughput and product quality. Raw materials will be processed with pilot-scale unit operations such as drying, blanching, pasteurization, vacuum forming, casting, and freezing. 2B: Incorporate powdered specialty crop co-products with known antioxidant and antimicrobial activities into edible films and coatings applied to perishable foods via casting, dipping, and electrostatic spraying. Cast films will be characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, water vapor and oxygen permeability, mechanical properties, and various other quality metrics. 3A: Process legume pulses� and specialty crops� fractions (peels and hulls) into ready-to-eat, protein- balanced expanded extruded snacks and functional pasta. A co-rotating twin-screw extruder system will be used to process novel-formulated mixed flours into the new products. Processing variables will be studied to optimize product quality and mechanical/thermal energy input. 3B: Transform legume pulse protein concentrates, isolates, and specialty crops into novel healthy beverages and meat analogs. For beverages, legume pulse proteins and other fiber- and phytonutrient-rich specialty crop ingredients will be blended into nutritionally-balanced mixtures, solubilized, and processed by a high-pressure homogenizer. Meat analogs will be developed using high moisture protein fibration extrusion. 3C: Transform plant proteins into meat analogs with desirable functional and sensory properties using 3D multilayer lithography and 3D cryo- lithography. Various formulations of pulse- and legume-based proteins and other specialty crop-based additives will be tested. Processing parameters will include syringe temperature, extrusion speed, and nozzle temperature/diameter. Chemical, physical, rheological, and sensory properties of the 3D-printed products will be optimized. This is the first progress report for project 2030-41000-069-00D, which started in December 2020 and continues research from expired project 2030- 41000-066-00D. For additional information, see the expired project�s report. Due to pandemic-related closure of the laboratory and pilot plant during fiscal year (FY) 2021 and the continuation of a critical vacancy in the project team, very limited progress was made toward Objectives 1 and 2. Literature reviews and experiment planning were conducted for the solar thermal energy project, but no physical experiments were performed. For sulfite reduction in dried fruits, various preservative ingredients, blanching pretreatments, and drying protocols were identified from the literature and mixture experiments were designed. The outer leaves of Romaine lettuce were identified as a co-product that could be processed into a shelf-stable ingredient, and preliminary experiments were performed to determine nutritional quality changes during drying. Considerable progress was made under Objective 3, by identifying novel ingredients from specialty crops and evaluating their performance and production using high temperature and cold extrusion for the production of expanded snacks and pasta products with acceptable flavor, taste, appearance, shelf life, and overall nutritional and functional properties. Also, progress was made in designing innovative, tasty, functional beverages based on legume pulse protein concentrates and isolates and special food ingredients rich in dietary fiber. Under Sub-objective 3A, a functional pasta (spaghetti) was developed using cold extrusion, from native and modified chayotextle (Sechium edule Sw.) flour. The proximal composition of the developed pasta was shown to have lower content of protein and fat but higher content of ash and resistant starch (RS). The results obtained in the study demonstrated the possibility for producing spaghetti containing up to 40% modified chayotextle flour, with acceptable quality and functional properties. Additionally, using high temperature extrusion processing, expanded gluten-free extruded snacks were developed from a mixture of tiger nut (TN, cyperus esculentus) and rice flours. Extrudates containing 10% TN showed the best overall texture profile. Viscoamylograph of the raw formulations showed that TN addition increased (p < 0.01) onset temperature and delayed peak viscosity. In the extruded flours, TN contributed to limit the starch degradation during extrusion. Moreover, TN addition enhanced the ash and protein content of the snacks and increased their total antioxidant activity. Under Sub-objective 3B, seven out of a total of 16 commercial beverages were selected based on their protein and dietary fiber content to be evaluated by their physical, chemical and nutritional value and compared to an improved beverage with higher protein and dietary fiber content. The protein content of the commercial beverages ranged between 3.38 and 9. 23 grams per 100 milliliters and dietary fiber between 0.60 and 2.25 grams per 100 milliliters. The newly developed beverage contained up to 12 grams of protein per 100 milliliters and 9 grams of dietary fiber per 100 milliliters. Additionally, based on a visual stability index, the new beverage showed to be totally in solution, while the commercial beverages showed precipitation of their components. The viscosity, pH, and sensory properties of the novel beverages were found to be in acceptable ranges for this type of product. Visiting scientists from the Universities of AgroSup, LaSalle, and Reunion Island, France, collaborated with ARS researchers in the development of the new improved beverage with higher protein and dietary fiber content. Record of Any Impact of Maximized Teleworking Requirement: The maximized telework posture has had an overwhelmingly negative impact on the research team�s ability to carry out laboratory and pilot plant work. Sun-drying experiments planned for Fall 2020 and Summer/Fall 2021 were cancelled, setting this component of the research a second year behind schedule. Laboratory analyses of raw and processed fruit, vegetable, and nut samples have been stalled since mid-March 2020. Sensory studies of frozen fruits and fruit juices have also been stalled since that time. Maximized teleworking halted all operations in the Food Processing Laboratory (FPL - pilot plant) until Spring 2021. The inability to generate new, reportable research results is likely to negatively impact the researchers� ability to present at the analogous conferences in 2022. There have been some minor positive impacts of the maximized telework posture. This period permitted researchers to advance the interpretation of data and the report of results in the form of draft manuscripts for publication. Technicians have conducted digitization of pencil-and-paper data, which will facilitate future analyses. The lab group has adapted to meeting on a weekly basis in a virtual format, and a backlog of safety-related documentation (standard operating procedures and job hazard analyses) was worked through during these meetings. ACCOMPLISHMENTS 01 Chayotextle: a rich source of resistant starch (RS) in healthy pasta. Having low insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance, the responsiveness of the body�s cells to insulin) is believed to be a major risk factor for several serious diseases, including metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer�s. Luckily, several studies have shown that resistant starch (RS) can improve insulin sensitivity. Also, RS is very effective at lowering blood sugar levels after meals. By improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood sugar, resistant starch may help consumers avoid chronic disease and improve their quality of life. ARS researchers in Albany, California, developed a healthy pasta (spaghetti) from novel formulations containing nonconventional and underutilized native and modified chayotextle with 31-36 % RS. The study demonstrated the possibility for producing spaghetti containing up to 40% modified chayotextle, with acceptable quality and functional properties. The healthy pasta could provide a healthy alternative to commercial pasta (which has a negligible content of RS), for people suffering from low insulin sensitivity and high blood sugar.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Cotapallapa-Sucapuca, M., Vega, E.N., Maieves, H.A., Berrios, J.D., Morales, P., Fernandez-Ruiz, V., Camera, M. 2021. Extrusion process as an alternative to improve pulses products consumption. A review. Foods. 10. Article 1096. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10051096.
- Kim, S., Lee, J., Kwon, K., Jang, Y., Kim, J., Yu, K., Lee, S., Friedman, M. 2021. A bioprocessed black rice bran glutathione-enriched yeast extract protects rats and mice against alcohol-induced hangovers. Food and Nutrition Sciences. 12:223-238. https://doi.org/10.4236/fns.2021.123018.
- Chavarria-Hernandez, S.M., Berrios, J.D., Pan, J., Alves, P.L., Palma- Rodriguez, H.M., Hernandez-Uribe, J.P., Aparicio-Saguilan, A., Vargas- Torres, A. 2021. Native and modified chayotextle flour effect on functional property and cooking quality of spaghetti. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.15058.
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