• Energy Research

The interest in high homogenization pressure technology has grown over the years. It is a green technology with low energy consumption, not generating high CO2 emissions or polluting effluents. The main food applications derive from its effect on particle size, causing a more homogeneous distribution of fluid elements (particles, globules, droplets, aggregates, etc.) and favouring the release of intracellular components; and its effect on the structure and configuration of chemical components such as polyphenols and macromolecules such as carbohydrates (fibres) and proteins (also microorganisms and enzymes). The challenges of the 21st century lead food industry processing towards obtaining food with high nutritional quality and taking advantage of waste to obtain ingredients with specific properties. For this purpose, soft and non-thermal technologies such as high pressures homogenization have a huge potential. The objective of this work is to review how the need to combine safety, functionality and sustainability in food industry has conditioned the last decade applications of high-pressure homogenization technology.

Recovering waste from industrial food processes and developing new healthy foods as plant protein sources has been a major focus of scientific research and industrial innovation in food. Thus, the consumption of plant-based beverages from soy, oat, or almond has been promoted. In the case of almonds, the resulting solid bagasse has an interesting nutritional profile and its transformation into a powdered product could be a valuable option for the food industry. The main objective of this work was to determine the effect of hot air drying at 60 and 70 °C and freeze-drying on the physicochemical, water interaction, emulsifying and antioxidant properties of powdered almond bagasse. Furthermore, hot air-drying curves have been modelled and isotherms at 20 °C have been performed. The proximate composition of the powder revealed a protein content of 15% and a fat content of 25%, which makes it a remarkably different powder from those obtained from other vegetable residues such as fruits and vegetables. This composition was decisive in the effect of the drying method and drying temperature, and no significant differences were observed on the physico-chemical or antioxidant properties regardless of the drying method used. However, freeze-drying resulted in a powder with a more homogeneous particle size distribution and better oil-interaction properties, especially with higher emulsifying activity and stability.

Food science and technology plays a very important role in designing and developing new foods, and in improving the safety, nutritional and organoleptic quality of processed foods [...]

[ES] Hoy en día, la sostenibilidad de un producto, un proceso o un sistema se evalúa en función de sus dimensiones medioambiental, social y económica. Los retos de la sostenibilidad se plantean en todas las fases del sistema alimentario, desde la producción hasta el consumo y la eliminación de residuos, pasando por la transformación, la distribución y la venta al por menor. En consecuencia, la promoción de alimentos orgánicos y locales no es el único camino, existe otra posibilidad que implica continuar con la hegemonía de la producción, haciendo hincapié en la biotecnología y las panaceas tecnológicas. La investigación se centra cada vez más en el desarrollo de productos alimentarios sanos, de calidad y seguros, adaptados a las necesidades de los consumidores y a procesos más respetuosos con el medio ambiente. Los procesos que consumen energía de forma más eficiente, generan menos residuos y emiten menos gases de efecto invernadero, entre otras características, son más deseados. Este capítulo contiene información detallada sobre algunas innovaciones, estrategias y tendencias seguidas por los agentes del sistema alimentario para garantizar una producción sostenible de alimentos funcionales. Se analizan algunas técnicas empleadas en el desarrollo de alimentos funcionales, como la formulación y la mezcla, el cultivo y la cría, la microencapsulación, la aplicación de películas y recubrimientos comestibles, la impregnación al vacío y la nutrigenómica, para aumentar la sostenibilidad del sistema alimentario. [EN] Nowadays, the sustainability of a product, a process, or a system is assessed according to environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Sustainability challenges occur at all stages in the food system, from production through processing, distribution, and retail to consumption and waste disposal. Consequently, the promotion of organic and local food is not the only way, there is another possibility that implies continuing the production hegemony, emphasizing biotechnology and technological panaceas. Increasing research is being focused on developing healthy, quality, and safety food products adapted to consumer's needs and more environmentally friendly processes. Processes consuming energy more efficiently, generating less waste, and emitting less greenhouse effect gases, among other features are more desired. This chapter contains detailed information about some innovations, strategies, and tendencies followed by food system stakeholders to ensure sustainable functional foods production. Some techniques employed in the development of functional foods, such as formulation and blending, cultivation and breeding, microencapsulation, application of edible films and coatings, vacuum impregnation and nutrigenomics, to increase the sustainability of the food system are discussed.