{"title":"Machine learning models for terroir classification and blend similarity prediction: A proof-of-concept to enhance cocoa quality evaluation","authors":"Eloisa Bagnulo, Felizzato Giorgio, Caratti Andrea, Cristian Bortolini, Chiara Cordero, Carlo Bicchi, Erica Liberto","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144620","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144620","url":null,"abstract":"Flavour is a key quality attribute of cocoa, essential for industry standards and consumer preferences. Automated methods for assessing flavour quality support industrial laboratories in achieving high sample throughput. Targeted and untargeted HS-SPME-GC–MS chromatographic fingerprints of cocoa volatiles from fermented beans and liquors, combined with machine learning (ML), are used for terroir qualification, enabling effective origin classification with both approaches. The targeted method, which aims to identify chemical patterns associated with sensory attributes is used for flavour comparison of origin with a reference. The similarity analysis successfully identified the most suitable origin to create new blends with a similar flavour to the industry standard. The resulting ML, model based on odorants distribution, enabled the prediction of similarity of blends to the industrial reference with an accuracy of 88 %, a sensitivity of 90 % and a specificity of 84 %.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"19 1","pages":"144620"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-03DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144456
Maria Santamaria, Raquel Garzon, Adriana Skendi, Maria Papageorgiou, Cristina M. Rosell
{"title":"Examining the role of polyphenols in the in vitro starch hydrolysis of gluten free enriched flatbreads","authors":"Maria Santamaria, Raquel Garzon, Adriana Skendi, Maria Papageorgiou, Cristina M. Rosell","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144456","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144456","url":null,"abstract":"Polyphenols have been often related with reducing starch digestibility. Gluten free breads are rich in starch, their enrichment in phenolic acids can modulate starch digestibility. Aim is to evaluate the effect of three powdered ingredients (artichoke, tomato, lemon) at varying concentrations (2, 5, and 10 g/100 g) on the technological and <em>in vitro</em> digestibility of gluten free flatbreads (FB). The polyphenols profile content of the FB was quantified, and they were correlated with <em>in vitro</em> starch digestion parameters. The incorporation of artichoke, tomato, lemon powders in FB reduced luminosity and hardness. Specific phenolic compounds were identified in artichoke FB (apigenin-7-O-glucoside, syringic acid, catechin gallate, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and luteolin-7-O-rutinoside), and in lemon FB (eriocitrin and hesperidin). The principal component analysis indicated that lemon-enriched FB exhibited the lowest starch hydrolysis, potentially due to its acidic pH and polyphenols content. These functional ingredients provide a promising alternative to obtain innovative gluten free bakery products.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"44 1","pages":"144456"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901399","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144601
Jiahui Li, Yiwei Wu
{"title":"O-phenylenediamine triggered two-step sequential fluorescence-enhanced sensor for speciation of Cr(VI)/Cr(III) in red wine/waters and photoreduction of Cr(VI)","authors":"Jiahui Li, Yiwei Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144601","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144601","url":null,"abstract":"Speciation of Cr(VI)/Cr(III) and degradation of Cr(VI) with high toxicity to Cr(III) are required. We constructed a technique of <em>o</em>-phenylenediamine (OPD) triggered two-step sequential fluorescence-enhanced sensor for speciation of Cr(VI)/Cr(III) and photoreduction of Cr(VI). With Fe<img alt=\"single bond\" src=\"https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\"/>N chelation between Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> QDs and OPD, the fluorescence intensity of Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> QDs was not only enhanced by 1.5 times, but that of Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> QDs/OPD sensor further increased by Cr(VI), and showed no response to Cr(III). Hence, OPD is the key triggered factor for establishing the sensor, and the detection limit of Cr(VI) by Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> QDs/OPD sensor was 2.44 μg L<sup>−1</sup>. Furthermore, under the irradiation at 385 nm, Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> QDs were activated and generated e<sup>−</sup>, which played a leading role in the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). The reduction efficiency of Cr(VI) was over 99 % within 2 h. This work provides an efficient, green and convenient method for rapid monitoring and treatment of Cr(VI).","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"41 1","pages":"144601"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimization and characterization of a novel oleofoam using mixed structuring agents based on sheep tail stearin, glycerol monostearate, and sorbitan monostearate","authors":"Maryam Abdollahi , Sayed Amir Hossein Goli , Nafiseh Soltanizadeh , Federico Basso , Sonia Calligaris","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oleofoam is an innovative aerated system for designing low-fat lipid-based food products. This study optimized oleofoam formulation by adjusting sheep tail stearin (STS; 15–35 wt%), glycerol monostearate (GMS; 0–10 wt%), and sorbitan monostearate (SMS; 0–10 wt%) proportions using an optimal mixture design. The best formulations giving oleogels with maximum oil binding capacity (>93.4 %) and intermediate hardness (3.0–9.4 N), and oleofoams with high overrun (56.7–92.4 %) and stability after 7 days (95.5–99.4 %) resulted from those containing 27 wt% STS and 8 wt% GMS/SMS was selected for further analysis. Mixed oleogels exhibited two crystallization peaks, with GMS/SMS as nuclei for more crystal formation, leading to greater G'<sub>LVR</sub> than STS-based control sample. After whipping, STS-GMS-based oleofoam displayed uniformly smaller air bubbles (30.42 μm) within oil network, stable against heating up to 50 °C. It also maintained ultrastability (>97 %) during 40 days, with air incorporation not affecting oxidative stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"486 ","pages":"Article 144605"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143897631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144615
, , Pranjal Chandra
{"title":"Caffeine detection in green tea and coffee samples using nanoelectronic device based on bimetallic FeNi-metal organic framework","authors":", , Pranjal Chandra","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144615","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144615","url":null,"abstract":"Caffeine is a stimulant of central nervous system that is normally found in a range of foods, drinks and medications including tea, coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, and syrups. The levels of caffeine play an important role on the impact of its effect on human health. Hence, in this work, we have developed a nanoelectronic device employing the bimetallic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for the rapid detection of caffeine. The fabricated probe has been characterized through various physical characterization techniques, including SEM, EDX, FTIR, XPS, and electrochemical techniques. The developed chip was able to detect caffeine in a linear dynamic range of 50 to 1 × 10<sup>−5</sup> mM with a detection limit of 1.26 (±0.06) nM. The developed probe was also tested against various interferants and its practical applicability was evaluated using green tea and coffee samples as real matrices. Further, 3D-printed cascade model was used for the device development and the developed chip shows its promising advantage in monitoring caffeine in diverse beverages.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"22 1","pages":"144615"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144616
Zhiyi Chen, Yuting Xia, Guizhao Liang
{"title":"Screening of antioxidant peptides from soy protein isolate: In vitro activity validation and structure-activity relationships investigation through quantum chemical calculations","authors":"Zhiyi Chen, Yuting Xia, Guizhao Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144616","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144616","url":null,"abstract":"Soy protein isolate (SPI) holds significant potential for providing antioxidant peptides. In this study, we optimized the hydrolysis conditions to obtain SPI hydrolysates with high antioxidant activity. Subsequently, we isolated, identified and screened three antioxidant peptides through ultrafiltration, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and bioinformatics methods, respectively. Among them, DHHDPIMPYL demonstrated higher antioxidant activity. Quantum chemical analysis further revealed the key antioxidant activity sites as N1-H2 for SPDIFNPQ, N1-H2 for SSPDIFNPQ, and O145-H146, N48, and S107 for DHHDPIMPYL. Additionally, these antioxidant peptides maintained cellular redox balance by clearing reactive oxygen species (ROS), increasing the ratio of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and activating glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. Our results highlight the value of quantum chemistry methods in elucidating the antioxidant mechanisms of peptides and support the potential application of SPI-derived peptides as promising antioxidants in the food industry.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"111 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143897997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144607
Dhayanithi Senthilkumar, Chih-Yu Kuo, Samar A. Aldossari, Mani Govindasamy
{"title":"Advanced highly precise simultaneous electrochemical detection of toxic azo dyes with Nanoengineered yttrium Iron oxide decorated functionalized carbon nanofibers","authors":"Dhayanithi Senthilkumar, Chih-Yu Kuo, Samar A. Aldossari, Mani Govindasamy","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144607","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144607","url":null,"abstract":"It is essential to monitor the concentration of synthetic coloring agents in food and beverages due to their potential severe side effects on human health. In this study, yttrium iron oxide (YFO) nanoparticles were synthesized via a hydrothermal method, followed by modification with functionalized carbon nanofibers (f-CNF) through a simple sono-chemical process. The synthesized YFO/f-CNF was thoroughly characterized using various analytical techniques. Concurrent electrochemical detection of sunset yellow (SSY) and tartrazine (TRT) was achieved using a glassy carbon electrode modified with the YFO/f-CNF nanocomposite, enabling highly effective detection of SSY and TRT in food samples. Under optimized conditions, the modified electrode demonstrates a wide linear range (0.05 μM – 466.15 μM) and very low limits of detection (LOD) for SSY (1.5 nM) and TRT (3.2 nM). Additionally, the modified electrode exhibits significantly higher sensitivity (7.23 μAμM<sup>−1</sup> cm<sup>−2</sup>) for SSY and (3.01 μAμM<sup>−1</sup> cm<sup>−2</sup>) for TRT compared to other reported values. This work showcases excellent sensitivity and selectivity, capable of identifying trace amounts of azo dyes in complex food matrices such as fruit juices, soft drinks, and packaged foods. The sensor's performance in real food samples, including both beverages and solid food products, was comparable to traditional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), with a strong correlation in detection limits and accuracy (95.7–99.1 %). Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated exceptional stability and reproducibility in food matrix analysis, providing a reliable and efficient tool for routine monitoring of azo dye contamination in food and beverage industries.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"8 1","pages":"144607"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144617
Shulan Xiao, Dong Uk Ahn
{"title":"Formulation and characterization of protein-based complexes for nutrient delivery: Impact of polysaccharides on the encapsulation of curcumin with ovalbumin","authors":"Shulan Xiao, Dong Uk Ahn","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144617","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144617","url":null,"abstract":"Curcumin (CUR) has many bioactive functions and is susceptible to environmental stresses. Ovalbumin/polysaccharide complexes are widely used in CUR encapsulation. However, no comprehensive report on how the complexation of different polysaccharides will affect the encapsulating properties of ovalbumin (OVA) is available. The present study analyzed the effect of polysaccharides, alginate (AL), gum arabic (GA), or carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on the encapsulation properties of OVA. The particle size of OVA was increased upon complexing with polysaccharides or CUR. SEM and CLSM of all the CUR-loaded complexes showed irregular and sponge-like or layered structure and CUR and OVA were co-localized. CUR demonstrated significantly improved light and thermal stability, especially at pH 7.0. An enhanced (<em>p</em> < 0.05) antioxidant activity of CUR upon encapsulation with OVA was observed. Polysaccharides did not affect CUR encapsulation or stability but may delay the release rate of CUR.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"43 1","pages":"144617"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Improvement of water retention and storage quality of frozen sea bass fillets and its molecular mechanism through ectoine","authors":"Zheng Chen, Wenhui Zhang, Huarui Yang, Yinfan Zhu, Jiaqiang Zhu, Yuwei Wu, Xiaoju Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144623","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144623","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the water retention properties and the effects of ectoine on the storage quality of frozen sea bass fillets. Ectoine solution with mass fractions of 0.25 %, 0.35 %, 0.45 % and 0.55 % were prepared, using distilled water as a control, and compared with phosphate as a water retaining agent. Periodic assessments of water retention indices and storage quality were conducted during frozen storage. The results demonstrated that ectoine treatment reduced the thawing loss rate and freezing loss rate while improving the storage quality of sea bass fillets. Correlation analyses and molecular docking revealed the molecular mechanism underlying ectoine's enhancement of water retention. Chemical forces such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions and ionic bonding between ectoine and muscles maintain water retention and inhibit quality deterioration.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"34 1","pages":"144623"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144604
Lin Lv, Hongmei Liu, Lei Wang, Sikai Wang, Yue Li, Guoqi Zhang, Yan Zhao
{"title":"Metal-organic framework UiO-66-NH2 functionalized polydopamine-modified magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes for convenient magnetic solid-phase extraction of sixteen quinolones","authors":"Lin Lv, Hongmei Liu, Lei Wang, Sikai Wang, Yue Li, Guoqi Zhang, Yan Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144604","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144604","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, an innovative magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbent based on metal-organic framework UiO-66-NH<sub>2</sub> functionalized polydopamine-modified magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Fe<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>@MWCNTs@PDA@UiO-66-NH<sub>2</sub>) was developed for the selective extraction of trace amounts of quinolones (QNs) from milk and honey. Under optimal conditions, when coupled with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), the developed approach demonstrated excellent linearity in the concentration range of 0.1–100 μg kg<sup>−1</sup> (R<sup>2</sup> ≥ 0.9916). The recoveries for sixteen QNs ranged from 72.4 % to 108.9 %, with relative standard deviations less than 9.40 %. The limits of detection were 0.012–0.450 μg kg<sup>−1</sup> for milk and 0.023–0.690 μg kg<sup>−1</sup> for honey. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the quantification of QNs in milk and honey samples.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"53 1","pages":"144604"},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143901526","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}