{"title":"Physicochemical characterization of sugar syrup and ethanol from starch of selected Ugandan-grown cassava and maize varieties","authors":"Ediriisa Mugampoza , Lydia Bwamiki , Samuel Gafuma , Matia Mukama","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101023","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the influence of variety and extraction method, on the yield and characteristics of starch, sugar syrup and alcohol from selected maize and cassava varieties grown in Uganda. Starch was extracted from four cassava and maize varieties using wet alkaline method, saccharified to sugar syrup using acid and enzyme methods and then fermented to alcohol. Maize varieties yielded close to twice as much starch as cassava varieties with no significant difference between the local and improved varieties. The most starch yielding maize variety was ‘Hybrid 2115’ (50.83 %) and cassava variety was ‘Mwezi mukaaga’ (29.17 %). Cassava starches had higher amylose content compared to maize starches with all starches classifying as normal starches with 15 – 24 % amylose content. Acid hydrolysis produced averagely higher sugar concentration (20.08 °Brix) compared to enzyme hydrolysis (15.21°Brix). Enzyme hydrolysis gave distillates with comparatively higher ethanol content, in tandem with the observed higher alcohol by volume and fermentation efficiency. The highest ethanol content was from maize ‘Hybrid 2115’ distillate at 40.95 %. Maize varieties ‘Hybrid 2115’ and ‘Longe 4H’ performed best and ‘Mwezi mukaaga’ and ‘Mukumba’ among the cassava varieties. These can be commercialised for hydrolysis and fermentation. While acid hydrolysis produced sugar syrups with the highest sugar concentration, enzyme hydrolysed syrups performed best for fermentation to alcohol.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101023"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-15DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101027
N.V. Kanimozhi, Chinta Suneetha, L. Sonali, M.P. Drisya Raj, R. Pavithra, B. Roopa Shri, S. Ashok Kumar, R. Palpandi Raja, M. Sukumar
{"title":"Maternal nutrition and metabolic adaptations for healthy pregnancy and fetal programming","authors":"N.V. Kanimozhi, Chinta Suneetha, L. Sonali, M.P. Drisya Raj, R. Pavithra, B. Roopa Shri, S. Ashok Kumar, R. Palpandi Raja, M. Sukumar","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maternal nutrition plays a pivotal role in shaping pregnancy outcomes, influencing both maternal health and the lifelong well-being of the offspring. Dietary patterns and nutrient adequacy before and during gestation modulate metabolic adaptations, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory responses, thereby impacting the risk of pregnancy-related metabolic disorders. This review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between maternal nutrition and metabolic health, beginning with the effects of preconception and early pregnancy nutritional status, including undernutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies. It examines trimester-specific physiological changes, such as alterations in insulin resistance, lipid metabolism, and energy needs, and their nutritional implications. Key nutrient requirements, including macronutrient balance and essential micronutrients such as iron and folate, are discussed alongside global dietary guidelines and supplementation policies that promote metabolic health. Evidence-based nutritional strategies for preventing gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, and excessive gestational weight gain are highlighted, with emphasis on low-glycemic index diets, fiber-rich foods, and individualized counseling. By integrating findings from epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic research, this review underscores the importance of adopting whole dietary patterns rather than isolated nutrient interventions to enhance maternal metabolic resilience and improve intergenerational health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101027"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101028
Maya Fitriyanti , Arienda Elita Amadea , Michael Julian Estefan , Karin Rosalinda , Dea Indriani Astuti , Ignatius Pulung Nurprasetio , Poetro Sambegoro
{"title":"Optimizing thermosonication treatment for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and endospores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus inactivation and fresh milk sterilization","authors":"Maya Fitriyanti , Arienda Elita Amadea , Michael Julian Estefan , Karin Rosalinda , Dea Indriani Astuti , Ignatius Pulung Nurprasetio , Poetro Sambegoro","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ultrasonication is a non-thermal technology capable of inactivating bacteria in food without compromising its quality. When combined with mild heat (thermosonication), the process becomes even more effective for bacterial inactivation. This study optimized the thermosonication process by determining the optimal combination of frequency, temperature, and exposure duration using an ultrasonicator prototype with adjustable frequency, power, and temperature. Response surface methodology with a three-factor Box–Behnken design was employed to inactivate <em>Escherichia coli</em> and <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> cells. Based on the modeling results, the optimal thermosonication conditions for inactivating <em>E. coli</em> were 44.55 kHz, 50 °C, and 30 min, with a power density of 1.2 W/cm<sup>3</sup>, while for <em>S. aureus</em>, the optimal conditions were 38.79 kHz, 50 °C, and 30 min at the same power density. Under these conditions, the predicted log reductions were 3.3 and 2.8 CFU/mL for <em>E. coli</em> and <em>S. aureus</em>, respectively. Furthermore, the optimal thermosonication conditions also reduced the log number of <em>Geobacillus stearothermophilus</em> endospores by 1.4 CFU/mL at the same power density. These reductions were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) and demonstrated a strong fit between the predicted and experimental data, as indicated by high coefficients of determination (R² ≥ 0.97). When applied to milk, the optimized thermosonication treatment resulted in a greater reduction of total bacterial count compared to pasteurization. Additionally, compared with pasteurization, thermosonication extended the shelf life of local fresh milk up to 14 days while maintaining total bacterial counts and pH values below the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) thresholds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101028"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2025-12-08DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100953
Jhunior A. Marcìa-Fuentes , Ricardo Santos Aleman , Franklin Ore Areche , Denis Corilla Flores , Almer Ventura Roman , Daniel Martín-Vertedor , Ismael Montero-Fernández
{"title":"Functional foods: A review of foods ingredient and their health benefits","authors":"Jhunior A. Marcìa-Fuentes , Ricardo Santos Aleman , Franklin Ore Areche , Denis Corilla Flores , Almer Ventura Roman , Daniel Martín-Vertedor , Ismael Montero-Fernández","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100953","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100953","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Consumer demands increasingly focus on products with functional properties that provide, in addition to nutritional value, other components with physiological activity that promote a better physical and mental health, thereby reducing the risk of disease and improving quality of life. Functional foods are defined as foods and ingredients that offer health benefits beyond basic nutritional requirements. Their development centers on improving nutritional components and enhancing potential health effects, primarily due to bioactive molecules such as polyphenols. Vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, herbs, and nuts contain desirable compounds such as antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, phenolic compounds, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, fortified beverages, dairy products and eggs also contain significant amounts of bioactive compounds, mainly minerals and fatty acids, in quantities equal to or higher than those of the aforementioned food. Functional foods and their ingredients are being extensively studied for their role in optimizing human health, and growing scientific evidence indicates that certain foods and components exert biological activity that can provide health benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100953"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145712529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101008
Nafisah Musa , NorulNazilah Ab’lah
{"title":"Bioactive packaging films derived from food industry by‑products: A systematic review","authors":"Nafisah Musa , NorulNazilah Ab’lah","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The valorisation of food-industry by-products as sources of biopolymers and functional additives offers a compelling pathway to enhance food safety, reduce dependence on petroleum-based plastics, and advance circular-economy objectives. This systematic review critically evaluates the capacity of agro-food and seafood waste materials to improve the functional performance of biodegradable films used in bioactive and smart packaging. A structured search of major scientific databases was conducted, followed by rigorous screening and critical appraisal using the Catchii evaluation framework to ensure methodological robustness. Eligible studies were synthesised across four domains: phytochemical-rich plant residues, animal-derived proteins, nano-reinforced hybrid composites, and intelligent packaging systems employing waste-derived pigments and sensing agents. Findings show that plant-based by-products substantially enhance antioxidant activity, microbial inhibition, mechanical properties, and barrier performance. Proteins from animal waste strengthen tensile behaviour, water resistance, and matrix cohesion. Inorganic and carbon-based nanofillers derived from waste streams improve ultraviolet protection, tensile reinforcement, thermal stability, and antimicrobial function, while enabling controlled-release behaviour. Smart packaging systems incorporating natural pigments and carbon nanodots provide real-time visual spoilage detection, demonstrating strong potential for improving food transparency and reducing waste. Despite these advances, major gaps remain, including inconsistent testing protocols, limited real-world stability data, and insufficient toxicological and migration assessments, particularly for nano-enabled systems. Addressing these gaps through methodological standardisation, safety validation, and techno-economic evaluation is essential to transition waste-derived packaging from laboratory innovation to commercially viable, sustainable solutions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101008"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101003
Mohammad Nazrul Islam Bhuiyan
{"title":"Chemosensory and biointeractive landscapes of food: Bridging flavour chemistry and gut ecology","authors":"Mohammad Nazrul Islam Bhuiyan","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The interplay between flavour chemistry and gut ecology is redefining the boundaries of food science. This review integrated emerging insights into how sensory-active compounds—volatiles, tastants, and trigeminal agents—interact with the gut microbiota, influencing both microbial composition and host chemosensory pathways. We highlighted key receptors, including TAS1Rs, TAS2Rs, olfactory receptors, and TRP channels, which function beyond the oral cavity to mediate gut sensing. Microbial metabolism of dietary compounds yields bioactive metabolites—such as short-chain fatty acids, indoles, and phenolics—that modulate appetite, immunity, and sensory signaling. Advancements in multi-omics, <em>in vitro</em> gut systems, and AI-driven modeling now enable a systems-level understanding of the food–microbiota–host axis. By bridging molecular flavour profiles with microbial dynamics, this review outlines strategies for designing functional foods that are both sensorially engaging and health-promoting, paving the way for personalized nutrition and next-generation dietary interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101003"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.100996
Amandeep Dhaliwal
{"title":"Deconstructing contemporary consumer decision-making towards culinary consumption patterns: A multidimensional analysis of dine-in services in the age of cloud-based food service ecosystems","authors":"Amandeep Dhaliwal","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.100996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.100996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Cloud Kitchens, or Ghost Kitchens, revolutionized the restaurant industry during the pandemic. Even with the high convenience of this format, it is seen that consumer loyalty for dine-in options is quite strong. Thus, the study’s objective was to unveil the factors that influence customers' preference for dine-in options as compared to ordering from cloud kitchens and further predict future visit intentions. The study utilizes a quantitative methodology, employing a structured questionnaire to survey 397 patrons of restaurants and cloud kitchens in Delhi, NCR. This approach ensures a comprehensive collection of data, providing insights into customer preferences, behaviors, and satisfaction levels.The results reveal that there are significant associations between dining preferences and age, education, and employment status. Further, factor analysis identified four influential factors: Habitual preference, service value, experience, and quality assurance, which impact their preference for dine-in options, and the predictive power of dining intentions. This research paper provides a novel exploration of consumer choices and preferences in current times. The findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge by presenting evidence-based recommendations that can drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage in the hospitality sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100996"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927054","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101006
Yoshiyasu Takefuji
{"title":"Methodological pitfalls in food security analytics: Addressing biases in regression, SHAP, and feature importance analyses","authors":"Yoshiyasu Takefuji","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper critically examines methodological challenges in food security research through analysis of 576 articles published in the Global Food Security journal, introducing a novel \"leave-top1-out\" validation approach to assess feature importance reliability. Using a public dataset of 12,564 instances with 195 features, we demonstrate how supervised models achieve high prediction accuracy while producing unstable feature importance rankings. Our empirical findings reveal that unsupervised methods and non-target-prediction approaches maintain remarkable consistency in feature rankings despite perturbation, while supervised models and their SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) variants exhibit dramatic shifts in feature importance hierarchies when top predictors are removed. These results substantiate our identification of primary methodological misapplications in ground truth challenges in model interpretation. The supervised models' focus on demographic characteristics rather than direct food security indicators further demonstrates how optimization for prediction accuracy can compromise reliable feature identification without consistency and dose-response relationships validation. To address these limitations, we advocate for a multifaceted analytical framework combining unsupervised techniques with nonlinear nonparametric methods to achieve greater stability in identifying reliable food security determinants. Our complete methodology and implementation code are publicly available on GitHub to promote reproducibility and methodological transparency in food security research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101006"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mineral composition, proximate analysis, and health risk assessment of onion (Allium cepa L.) from the lower wabi Shebelle River basin irrigation schemes, Ethiopia","authors":"Fikadu Siyum Mekonon , Yared Shewarega Lemma , Getahun Abraham Tesfaye , Dereilo Bekere Belitibo , Mulusew Birara Yizengaw , Kebede Mamo Adera , Medidi Raja Sekhar , Mola Botaw Deres , Gidena Gebreegziabiher Tsegay","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Minerals are vital micronutrients that the human body needs in appropriate amounts to facilitate various physiological processes and maintain normal functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proximate composition, mineral content, and associated health risk with consumption of onion cultivated in lower Wabi Shebelle river basin irrigation schemes. In this study, a total of 28 samples were analyzed within four categories. The onion bulbs (0.5 g) were wet digested using 69 % HNO₃ and 30 % H₂O₂ in a microwave digestion system prior to elemental analysis. The mean levels of the mineral elements (mg/kg) were found in the range of 1583.3–3080.0 (calcium), 1.80–1.90 (chromium), 3.00–5.00 (copper), 16.67–83.67 (iron), 15250.0–19125.0 (potassium), 574.4–745.3 (magnesium), 4.33–6.67 (manganese), 142.7–264.7 (sodium), 0.250–0.333 (nickel), 291.8–320.0 (phosphorus), 0.018–0.033 (selenium), and 15.00–24.33 (zinc). However, cobalt was not detected. The trace elements analyzed in this study were all below the FAO/WHO recommended maximum permissible limit. The proximate compositions of the onion bulb (% w/w) ranged from 86.66 to 88.08 (moisture), 0.46–0.60 (ash), 1.18–1.65 (protein), 0.18–0.24 (fat), 0.35–0.51 (fiber), 9.85–10.78 (carbohydrate), 12.30–13.00 (dry matter), and 45.66–49.68 (energy in kcal/100 g). While the target hazard quotient (THQ) value for individual trace metals was below 1, the cumulative non-carcinogenic effects of multiple elements, estimated by the hazard index (HI) ranged from 1.16 to 1.56, exceeding the safe threshold unity. The cumulative incremental lifetime cancer risk (<span><math><mrow><mo>∑</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>ILCR</mi></mrow></math></span>) values for chromium and nickel ranged from 1.9 × 10<sup>–3</sup> to 2.3 × 10<sup>–3</sup>. Accordingly, the study revealed that prolonged consumption of onion cultivated from the study area may pose both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks to consumers, as the HI and ILCR values exceed the threshold limit established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Thus, an effective strategy is required to reduce exposure to trace metals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101024"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100959
Enrico Alecce , Mariangela Garritano
{"title":"SAFE-NOVA: A practical and scalable framework to modernize food-safety control beyond HACCP","authors":"Enrico Alecce , Mariangela Garritano","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100959","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100959","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>SAFE-NOVA (Systematic Adaptive Food-safety Enhancement – New Operational Value Approach) is introduced as a methodological framework designed to complement and strengthen the traditional Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system by incorporating proportional requirements, digital tools, shared technical assistance, and a graded performance-based certification scheme. The framework is grounded in two main principles—adaptivity and operational value—and is operationalized through core elements such as tiered obligations, Shared Technical Assistance Hubs (STAHs), microlearning-based training, environmental integration, and the SAFE-NOVA Quality Certification (SN-QC) rubric. The methodological approach combines conceptual analysis with a structured comparison to HACCP and ISO-based models, supported by a simulated pilot constructed from published parameters and plausible operational assumptions. The simulation integrates quantitative indicators, behavioral aspects, and environmental variables, and outlines a quasi-experimental pre–post design with a non-randomized control group as a foundation for future empirical testing. Simulated results indicate the potential for reductions in administrative burden, improved staff training retention, more consistent monitoring activities, and increased responsiveness to environmental deviations. Although these findings derive from expected rather than observed data, they provide initial insight into the feasibility and operational coherence of the framework. Overall, SAFE-NOVA is proposed as an adaptive evolution of HACCP, aligning preventive food-safety management with contemporary digital, environmental, and organizational needs. Further multi-site empirical pilots will be necessary to validate its effectiveness, refine the certification model, and assess the scalability of the approach across diverse food business contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100959"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145739281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}