Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145789
Jesse Dekeyrel, Tinne Mast, Marie Tuerlinckx, Eduardo Chavez, Erik Smolders
{"title":"Soaking cacao beans in water after fermentation can reduce the concentrations of cadmium and nickel in cacao products","authors":"Jesse Dekeyrel, Tinne Mast, Marie Tuerlinckx, Eduardo Chavez, Erik Smolders","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145789","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145789","url":null,"abstract":"The European limits on cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) in cacao products sparked interest in lowering metal concentrations in beans. This study evaluates the potential of soaking freshly fermented beans in water, decanting, and drying. This “bean washing” reduced nib concentrations by factors of 1.17 ± 0.07 for Cd (mean ± 95 % confidence interval) and 1.27 ± 0.11 for Ni at a pilot scale. Water temperature and replenishment had no effect, but the success of washing depended on the cacao variety. Reduction factors up to 1.43 (Cd) and 2.27 (Ni) were reached for powdered beans, suggesting that transport limitations impede metal migration to water. Adding salts to the wash solution further enhanced the Cd reduction factor to 2.47 and was more efficient with MgCl<sub>2</sub> than with CaCl<sub>2</sub>, suggesting Mg<sup>2+</sup>:Cd<sup>2+</sup> competition for phytate. These findings show the potential of bean washing, awaiting further product quality and economic feasibility tests.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144747994","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":"Preparation of oat metal ion chelating peptides via froth floatation: Efficacy, molecular characteristics, and their anti-browning effects","authors":"Xinyue Guan, Xixi Gao, Xiaoyu Yin, Nan Zhang, Bing Yan, Jingyu Huang, Xiangning Chen, Junfeng Fan, Xiuting Li, Bolin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145767","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145767","url":null,"abstract":"Currently, the low purity and complex nature of metal ion chelating peptides (MPs) limit their application effectiveness. This study developed a novel method for the efficient preparation of MPs via zinc ion-chelating froth flotation, achieving a 19.2 % yield of high-purity MPs. The chelating capacities for Cu<sup>2+</sup>, Fe<sup>2+</sup>, and Ca<sup>2+</sup> were enhanced by 22.0 %, 19.4 %, and 38.6 %, respectively. Among 414 identified peptides, amino acids with high chelating activity accounted for 66 % on average. Freshness and enzymology studies showed that MP competitively inhibit polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), effectively reducing browning in fresh-cut apples, bananas, and red cabbage. Further research indicated that MP enter enzyme active sites, forming stable coordination with both endogenous and exogenous Cu<sup>2+</sup>, thereby strongly inhibiting both enzyme-catalyzed and oxidation-induced browning. This study achieved green and efficient MP preparation and pioneered their use in fruit and vegetable preservation.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144747777","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":"Phosphate substitution degree-dependent modulation of stability and steamed bread quality in frozen dough: Insights from phosphorylated long-chain inulin","authors":"Chonghui Yue, Huainan Peng, Junpeng Zuo, Xin Wang, Zhouya Bai, Peiyan Li, Kangyi Zhang, Denglin Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145759","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to investigate the effects of phosphorylated long-chain inulin (PF) with different degrees of substitution on frozen dough. Phosphorylated derivatives with low (PF1), medium (PF3), and high (PF6) degrees of substitution were prepared. PF significantly enhanced the water-binding capacity of frozen dough, yeast activity, gluten protein stability, and the quality of frozen dough steamed bread. Specifically, 3 %PF6 increased the total yeast colony count from 62.5 × 10^5 to 125 × 10^5 CFU/g (0 W), improved fermentation height, significantly reduced the frozen water content in the dough, inhibited ice crystal growth, and enhanced dough stability. After 5 W of freezing, 3 %PF3 significantly promoted the formation of S<img alt=\"single bond\" src=\"https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\"/>S, reduced gluten particle size, and enhanced the continuity of the gluten network. Additionally, 3 % PF6 notably suppressed steamed bun rancidity & mold growth, enhanced porosity, and decreased relative crystallinity from 25.56 % to 15.40 %. These results demonstrate PF's application value in frozen flour products, fostering its implementation in frozen food domains.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144747778","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":"Development of chondroitin sulfate-modified quinoa protein isolate-dihydromyricetin composite nanoparticles: Focus on naringenin delivery, cell cytoprotective ability and anti-inflammatory effects","authors":"Ying-Ying Chen, Xue-Ying Li, Qiang-Ming Li, Li-Hua Pan, Jian-Ping Luo, Xue-Qiang Zha","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145761","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145761","url":null,"abstract":"The development of nanocarriers utilizing macromolecules as targeted delivery systems has received significant interests. In this study, chondroitin sulfate (CS), quinoa protein isolate (QPI), and dihydromyricetin (DHM) were selected to form ternary polysaccharide-protein-polyphenol complexes (DHgQC). The DHgQ/CS mass ratio of 2:1 and pH of 6.0 were optimized for fabricating nanocomplexes. We further investigated the potential of DHgQC nanocomplexes as carriers for encapsulating and delivering hydrophobic substance naringenin (Nar), achieving a high encapsulation efficiency (90.64 %) and loading capacity (13.27 %). Meanwhile, the Nar-encapsulated nanocomplex (Nar@DHgQC) demonstrated excellent photothermal stability, and controlled release characteristics. Furthermore, Nar@DHgQC exhibited remarkable capabilities in clearing RONS, maintaining cell viability, and mitigating oxidative stress. Importantly, cellular uptake assays confirmed the targeting of inflammatory macrophages by Nar@DHgQC nanoparticles, resulting in strong anti-inflammatory activity. This work presents a novel paradigm for the development of food-grade biopolymer nanoparticles as functional carriers for applications in the food and biomedicine fields.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144747780","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 : 2025-07-30DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145771
Lu Mi , Kewen Wang , Shini Yang , Zhenzhen Xu
{"title":"Proteomics analysis reveals differences in fresh and processed fruit juice: A case of not from concentrate orange juice","authors":"Lu Mi , Kewen Wang , Shini Yang , Zhenzhen Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145771","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145771","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Comparative proteomics of fresh versus processed orange juice was analyzed using tandem mass tag pro-labeled nano-UHPLC-Orbitrap Fusion MS, achieving comprehensive annotation of 4793 proteins. Quantitative analysis identified 90 and 37 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in pasteurized and high-pressure-processed juice, compared to the fresh juice. Gene ontology enrichment revealed that DAPs with higher abundance in processed juice were predominantly associated with cellular component of organelles, indicating cell disruption during processing. Greater disturbances in cell structure were observed in pasteurized juice, which may contribute to enhanced protein release. Notably, the 12 proteins that decreased in processed juice were primarily enzymes, with fructose-bisphosphate aldolase exhibiting significant variation and selected as processing marker. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that processing led to structural change of the marker, manifesting as <em>α</em>-helix reduction and random coil elevation, probably resulting in conformational destabilization prone to degradation. This study firstly differentiates the fresh and processed orange juices using proteomics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"493 ","pages":"Article 145771"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144747850","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 : 2025-07-30DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145766
Nathalie El Deghel, Michael Rapinski, Priscilla Duboz, Richard Raymond, Damien Davy, Nuno Durães, André-Marie Dendievel, Eduardo Ferreira da Silva, Pascal Jean Lopez, Vincent Vaccher, Anaïs Vénisseau, Julie Anne Nazare, Anne-Laure Badin, Jean-Philippe Bedell
{"title":"Persistent organic pollutants in food systems: A comparative study across four contrasting socio-ecosystems: Portugal, Senegal, French Guiana, and Guadeloupe","authors":"Nathalie El Deghel, Michael Rapinski, Priscilla Duboz, Richard Raymond, Damien Davy, Nuno Durães, André-Marie Dendievel, Eduardo Ferreira da Silva, Pascal Jean Lopez, Vincent Vaccher, Anaïs Vénisseau, Julie Anne Nazare, Anne-Laure Badin, Jean-Philippe Bedell","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145766","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145766","url":null,"abstract":"This study quantifies persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in food across four territories undergoing dietary transitions: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Senegal, and Portugal. A total of 200 local and imported food samples from 12 categories were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).Concentrations varied by food matrix, region, and origin. The highest PCDD levels were found in butter from Senegal (16.64 pg/g), and the highest PCDFs in leafy vegetables from Portugal (2.4 pg/g). Fish showed the highest levels of dioxin-like PCBs (600.7 pg/g) and non-dioxin-like PCBs (3.6 ng/g). All values complied with EU Regulation 2023/915.To estimate dietary exposure, the maximum allowable daily intake (g of food/day) was calculated using Toxic Equivalents (TEQ), EFSA's tolerable weekly intake (TWI: 2 pg TEQ/kg bw/week), and compared to national food consumption data. In Portugal, exposure from fish exceeded the TWI, highlighting the influence of regional contamination sources and dietary habits.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144748057","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 : 2025-07-30DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145763
Huajian Ou , Lu Chen , Qiaohui Zeng , Zhiyun Peng , Zihao Lin , Ping Qi , Konglong Feng , Jing Jing Wang
{"title":"A photodynamic inactivation-mediated 5-aminolevulinic acid-grafted chitin film for preserving salmon: antibacterial efficiency and storage quality maintenance","authors":"Huajian Ou , Lu Chen , Qiaohui Zeng , Zhiyun Peng , Zihao Lin , Ping Qi , Konglong Feng , Jing Jing Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145763","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145763","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-grafted chitin film (O-CT/ALA film) with a photodynamic inactivation (PDI) against bacteria was previously fabricated, and its preservation efficiency and mechanisms against salmon were explored. Results showed that the PDI-mediated O-CT/ALA film exhibited sustained generation capability of ROS, which had potent antibacterial activity in vitro under blue LED irradiation. Moreover, this film significantly inactivated the native bacteria and suppressed their growth in salmon fillets during storage at 4 °C and 25 °C, extending the shelf-life by >2 days compared to commercial polyethylene film. Consequently, the O-CT/ALA film retained the textural integrity of salmon muscle, stabilized the physicochemical properties of pH value, electrical conductivity, color appearance, and reduced the level of protein and lipid oxidation. Notably, it obviously reduced the accumulation of microbial metabolites and oxidation-related volatile compounds in salmon. Therefore, the PDI-mediated film shows a valid ability in preserving the storage quality of aquatic products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"493 ","pages":"Article 145763"},"PeriodicalIF":9.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144747993","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 : 2025-07-29DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145752
Muhammad Hussnain Afzal, Wajeeha Pervaiz, Zhuo Huang, Nomair Elahi, You Xu, Guangfang Li, Shufang He, Yuan Xiang, Hongfang Liu
{"title":"Enhancing food safety with zirconium-based electrochemical sensors: A comprehensive review","authors":"Muhammad Hussnain Afzal, Wajeeha Pervaiz, Zhuo Huang, Nomair Elahi, You Xu, Guangfang Li, Shufang He, Yuan Xiang, Hongfang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145752","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145752","url":null,"abstract":"Food safety is a global concern due to contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues, which pose significant health risks. The demand for rapid, cost-effective and reliable detection methods continues to grow. Electrochemical sensors are promising for food safety monitoring due to their high sensitivity, ease of use and real-time detection capabilities. Zirconium-based materials including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zirconium oxides (ZrO<sub>2</sub>) and zirconium phosphates (ZrP) offer high surface area, excellent chemical stability and strong analyte interactions, making them ideal candidates for sensing applications. This review summarizes advancements in Zr-based electrochemical sensors for detecting food contaminants. First, the synthesis strategies and material properties are discussed, followed by an overview of their electrochemical sensing mechanisms. Developments in sensor performance, including improvements in stability, selectivity and sensitivity are highlighted. Finally, challenges such as large-scale fabrication, long-term stability and real-world applicability are addressed, along with future perspectives on eco-friendly synthesis and enhanced detection.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719824","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}