Helena Ramos, Ana Margarida Araújo, Isabel MPLVO Ferreira, Miguel A Faria
{"title":"The neurotoxic impact of food chemical contaminants: a growing concern?","authors":"Helena Ramos, Ana Margarida Araújo, Isabel MPLVO Ferreira, Miguel A Faria","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, pose significant global health challenges, with rising prevalence and socioeconomic burdens. While genetic factors play a role, environmental and dietary exposure to toxicants, including food chemical contaminants (FCCs), are modifiable risk factors to disease progression. This work consolidates the evidence linking FCC exposure to ND pathogenesis, emphasizing key neurotoxicity mechanisms and identifying critical areas for future research. FCCs, such as pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and processing- and packaging-related contaminants (e.g. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acrylamide, bisphenols, per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances, and micro/nanoplastics), trigger oxidative responses, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of blood–brain barrier integrity, and activate neuroinflammatory pathways. These mechanisms contribute to hallmark neurodegenerative processes, such as amyloid β aggregation, α-synuclein pathology, and disruptions in synaptic signaling. Additionally, FCCs may act as neurotoxicants through unexplored pathways, including disruptions in gut–brain axis communication, epigenetic regulation, and endocrine signaling. Emerging factors, such as dietary modulation and the role of adipose tissue as an FCC reservoir, are considered potential amplifiers of FCCs' neurotoxic effects. Recent advancements in toxicological evaluation, including new approach methodologies and adverse outcome pathways, offer promising tools for assessing FCC-related neurotoxicity using integrated approaches and realistic exposure scenarios. Addressing the cumulative and synergistic impacts of FCC mixtures remains a critical priority for research and regulatory frameworks. Advancing our understanding of FCC neurotoxicity and integrating innovative assessment strategies will be pivotal in mitigating their contribution to ND risk and safeguarding brain health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 101369"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145739250","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":"Sensory applications of natural language processing and text analysis in practice: a review of recent literature","authors":"Leah M Hamilton , Rebekah J Miller , Jacob Lahne","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101370","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101370","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Collecting and analyzing natural-language or free-text data is increasingly popular in sensory science. Proponents claim these methods are more flexible and holistic, collecting both affective and descriptive data in more naturalistic settings. To comment on the state of text data sources, methods, and research questions in sensory science, we review 27 recent papers (2020–2024) studying the descriptive sensory properties of foods with text analysis. Most reviewed papers either compared text analysis to other sensory methods or used text analysis to determine drivers of liking. Most used central-location test data (<100 subjects, <10 products). Most analyzed their data with semi-manual text normalization, count tables, and dimension reduction, also mirroring traditional sensory analysis. The authors conclude that the nascent field still needs publicly available computational tools for common tasks, standard criteria for validating new methods, and more computational training or long-term collaborations with computer scientists to process larger sensory corpora more efficiently.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 101370"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145739251","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":"Microbiome metabolic modeling as a tool for innovation in fermented foods","authors":"Elham Karimi, Julien Tap, Marie-Christine Champomier-Vergès, Stéphane Chaillou","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101368","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101368","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>At the crossroads of a growing interest in fermented foods as part of a healthy, sustainable diet and advances in multi-omics technologies stands the need for developing new types of fermented foods while improving traditional ones. The scientific path toward these challenges lies in our capacity to rationalize and predict microbial interactions. For this, genome or metagenome-scale metabolic modeling represents a promising approach. We assess its benefits and limits through rare examples in the field of food microbiomes and advocate for community-level metabolic engineering as the superior strategy. We underline their power as a cornerstone in comprehensive and rational strategies for optimization of microbial consortia assembly, whether they are used in bottom-up or top-down approaches. We raise the challenges and bottlenecks of integrating the dynamics of microbial communities and present how we foresee their potential for shaping the future of fermented foods and regulatory science, bridging gaps between knowledge and innovation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"67 ","pages":"Article 101368"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145697908","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}
Greet Schoeters , Stijn Boodts , Ann Colles , Eva Govarts , Thimo Groffen
{"title":"Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in food and their contribution to human exposure","authors":"Greet Schoeters , Stijn Boodts , Ann Colles , Eva Govarts , Thimo Groffen","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and how to reduce exposure is worldwide debated, leads to new regulations and advice for food consumption. PFAS are a complex class of chemicals. These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ are ubiquitous in the environment and consumer products, enter the food chain, and are detected in human bodies worldwide. Human PFAS serum concentrations are associated with dietary intake of certain foods. Seafood and offal consumption, packaged and wrapped foods, and food grown in contaminated areas are often associated with higher serum PFAS levels, while the reverse holds for more plant-based and more fibers containing diets. In contaminated areas, consumption of some local foods should be discouraged. However, for effective reduction of human exposure through food, more information is needed on sources and transfer of PFAS into agricultural products and processed foods, not only for legacy PFAS but also for short-chain PFAS and their precursors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101361"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466558","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":"Back to the future: will today’s new varietal and “free-from” wines shape the wine experience of tomorrow?","authors":"Carole Honoré-Chedozeau , Dominique Valentin","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change and evolving societal expectations have impacted the wine industry, putting pressure on production and sales. In response, the industry has introduced various innovations that break with conventional practices and are beginning to emerge on the global market. In viticulture, three noteworthy strategies involve cultivating grape varieties that can withstand extreme weather, such as developing fungus-resistant varieties, migrating drought-tolerant varieties northwards, and reviving autochthonous varieties. In oenology, wine production is evolving towards more natural and healthier wines, such as sulphite-free or alcohol-free. This opinion-driven review summarises the merits and drawbacks of these innovations, examining professionals’ and consumers’ attitudes through the latest food science studies. Developing resistant varieties and reviving forgotten ones appear to offer great potential for growth, which professionals and consumers seem willing to support. Reducing the alcohol content would also be beneficial for the future, given the trend towards moderation in consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101367"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145618059","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":"Current perspectives on the survival and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in the fresh produce processing industry","authors":"Michael Arthur , Maria I Gil","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent outbreaks and recalls linked to <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> in fresh produce have raised serious food safety concerns, underscoring the need to understand its survival and persistence in processing environments. This review discusses recent produce-related outbreaks and examines the implications of zero-tolerance regulatory policies. It explores emerging and sometimes conflicting findings on <em>L. monocytogenes</em> survival under adverse conditions during handling and processing operations. The review highlights biofilm formation on various surfaces as a key factor in the pathogen’s persistence and resistance to eradication. It also addresses environmental adaptation via the viable but nonculturable state. Additionally, interactions between <em>L. monocytogenes</em> and the surrounding microbiota, including microbial succession, quorum sensing, and competitive exclusion, are discussed as part of a dynamic ecological process. By synthesizing findings from the past five years, this review identifies some gaps and proposes targeted directions for future research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101359"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145326275","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}
Ping Zhang , Peng Wu , Changyong Li , Renpan Deng , Xiao Dong Chen
{"title":"Modeling age-related gastrointestinal changes in food digestion: progress and challenges in transitioning from in vivo studies to physiologically relevant in vitro systems","authors":"Ping Zhang , Peng Wu , Changyong Li , Renpan Deng , Xiao Dong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aging induces physiological changes that impair gastrointestinal (GI) function, which together compromise digestion and nutrient absorption and increase the risk of malnutrition. Although the general impact of aging on GI health is recognized, quantitative and mechanistic comparisons with younger populations remain limited. This review highlights recent progress and challenges in assessing elderly digestion, with emphasis on the transition from <em>in vivo</em> studies to physiologically relevant <em>in vitro</em> systems. Innovations such as dynamic models with tunable enzyme activities, age-adjusted motility, altered mucus properties, and realistic oral-phase simulation are advancing the field. The integration of features like reduced salivary flow, slower peristalsis, and microbial shifts has improved model fidelity, while mastication simulators, fermentation modules, and co-culture cell models further enhance predictive capacity. Nonetheless, replicating the complex interplay between digestion, absorption, and microbiota remains difficult. Future modular, responsive models will better inform nutritional strategies to support healthy aging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101357"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363226","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}
Tanja Kostic , Gabriele Berg , Paul D Cotter , Wisnu A Wicaksono
{"title":"Edible microbiome and dietary microbiota: bridging two interrelated concepts","authors":"Tanja Kostic , Gabriele Berg , Paul D Cotter , Wisnu A Wicaksono","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ‘edible microbiome’ concept, introduced in 2015, hypothesised that plant-associated microbiota may, after consumption, significantly impact human health. In parallel, several studies have focused on the potential benefits of ‘live dietary microbe intake’, with a particular focus on foods and supplements that contain high levels of live microorganisms, i.e., fermented foods and probiotic products. Over the past decade, scientific research, including retrospective analysis of dietary surveys and microbiome sequence data, has uncovered new evidence about the roles that food-associated microorganisms play in impacting health after ingestion. In this review, we evaluate the scientific advances that have emerged since the ‘edible microbiome’ concept was proposed, offering insights into how new findings support and expand upon its original premise. We will also propose an evolution of the concept to broaden its scope, incorporating ‘live dietary microbe intake’ more generally, and key research and development opportunities to propel this field forward.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101356"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363222","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":"Decoding the visual aesthetics of bubble trains in sparkling drinks","authors":"Gérard Liger-Belair, Florian Lecasse","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bubbling is indeed the hallmark of every sparkling beverage. When poured into a glass, the consumer’s very first visual contact with the sparkling drink lies in the presence of bubbles rising gracefully in the form of very characteristic bubble columns, or bubble trains. To the naked eye, bubbles seem to continuously nucleate from several specific sites of the glass wall, called <em>nucleation sites</em>. Many preconceived ideas are nevertheless still spread today about the visual characteristics of these trains of bubbles and the organoleptic properties of the drink. In this overview, the many relevant physicochemical parameters at play impacting the visual aspect of these bubble trains, a real hallmark of sparkling drinks, are presented, discussed, and put into perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101360"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363225","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}
Handray Fernandes de Souza , Ricardo Donizete Teixeira , Adriano Gomes da Cruz , Igor Viana Brandi , Eliana Setsuko Kamimura
{"title":"Associating probiotics and alcohol for the production of fermented alcoholic beverages","authors":"Handray Fernandes de Souza , Ricardo Donizete Teixeira , Adriano Gomes da Cruz , Igor Viana Brandi , Eliana Setsuko Kamimura","doi":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cofs.2025.101358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This review article emphasizes the existence of an association between probiotics and alcohol with a view to developing alcoholic beverages as a source of probiotics. We can highlight that recent advances show that different types of fermented alcoholic beverages have already been produced with probiotic species, which is a scientific reality. Among these products are different types of beers, wines, mead, and melomel. Thus, promoting constructive discussion to broaden thinking in this area of scientific knowledge is of paramount importance to create real and current perspectives on the relationship between probiotics and alcohol and enable the development of functional alcoholic beverages. In conclusion, it is emphasized that the consumption of alcoholic beverages with probiotics should not be encouraged at the population level, but rather directed at niche markets, such as differentiated options with probiotics and functional beverages with minimal alcohol content.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54291,"journal":{"name":"Current Opinion in Food Science","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 101358"},"PeriodicalIF":9.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363209","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}