Conventional protein extraction techniques such as alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation encounter limitations, including negatively affecting protein properties and significant environmental impact. In this study, the potential of pulsed-ultrasound extraction techniques was investigated as an alternative protein extraction technique with improved physico-chemical, functional and structural properties.

A conventional method involving alkaline extraction followed by isoelectric precipitation was employed as a control. A slurry (1:8 w/v) of navy bean flour was made with distilled water and after pH adjustment (pH 9), stirring, and centrifugation, the resulting supernatant was adjusted to isoelectric pH (4.5), further centrifuged, and the protein. Pulsed lyophilized to produce the navy bean protein concentrates (NBPC). Pulsed-ultrasound extraction was conducted at varying time (5–20 min) with 5 sec pulses on and 3 sec off time, followed by centrifugation and lyophilization. The impact of ultrasound treatment on protein recovery, solubility, emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, in vitro-protein digestibility, amino acid profile, and protein microstructure, were analyzed and compared.

Conventional method poses the highest protein recovery while for pulsed-ultrasound technique, protein functionality, amino acid profile and physico-chemical properties improved significantly. due to high energy and cavitation effect of ultrasonication, the extraction efficiency was improved with time. Protein microstructure changed significantly, creating holes in ultrasound treated samples. Hence, pulsed ultrasound-based extraction could be a sustainable and efficient technology for obtaining proteins from navy beans for various food processing applications.

Papaya, a perishable yet nutritious fruit, presents a challenge in maintaining nutritional integrity during the off-season’s prolong storage. Food scientists are seeking effective drying techniques for year-round availability of nutritious papaya, recognizing its importance in a balanced diet. This study was carried out under Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) supported "Secondary Agriculture Entrepreneurial Network (SAEN) Punjab" to provide a reliable protocol for a consistent supply of nutritious papaya in dried form. Therefore, the present study proposes a comparative analysis of papaya fruit using the refractance window and convective tray drying technique. The crop after preliminary examination was blanched (3, 4 and 5 min), pureed and dried using two different techniques i.e. convective tray (50, 60 and 70 ˚C) and refractance window (designed and fabricated in Punjab Agricultural University) maintaining water temperature: 60, 70 and 80 ˚C for drying. Refractive window drying (RWD) was found to be better drying method than convective drying (CD) with reduced drying time. Reduction in value of moisture ratio was observed with drying time regardless of drying method. Among the five selected thin layer models for analyzing drying behavior, the Logarithmic model and the Wang and Singh model for CD and RWD, respectively described the drying kinetics very well. Therefore, the outcomes of present study suggested that refractance window dried product had better quality, color and functional component retention in a shorter time at a minimum expense, as compared to conventional drying method.

Selecting optimal processing conditions during food processing is necessary for preventing structural collapse. The glass transition theory enables the selection of optimal drying temperature, tempering period, and processing time and it explains fissure formation in processed crop grain kernels. For example, during freeze drying, the structural stability of a frozen food can be explained using the glass transition theory. Glass transition temperatures are used to construct state diagrams. A state diagram provides information about the different states of food. It is constructed as a function of water content or solid content and temperature. It identifies state/ phase transition temperature and water content or solid content, freezing curve, solubility curve, glass transition curve, melting curve, eutectic temperature, glass transition temperature (GTT), and maximal freeze concentration. Although various techniques like dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and others are used to determine the GTT and to construct state diagrams, the common technique used for food is differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This review is focused on understanding glass transition, state diagrams, and its applications for low-temperature operations. The application, advantages, and limitations of DSC are also reviewed.

Analyzing the volatile profile of food, especially dairy products, plays a major role in the flavor and acceptability of foods. Variations in human sensing qualities, in addition to being costly, laborious and time consuming can be replaced with E-nose (Electronic nose) for getting uniform analysis of volatile components in the dairy products, especially milk. This paper reviews the working of E-nose system for milk based on three main broad categories: data collection by sensors, data transmission and finally data analysis that leads to smell recognition as output. The gas sensors used in E-nose are usually made of conducting polymers, metal oxide sensors, metal oxide semiconductor field effective sensors, and quartz. The sensor data along with the machine learning techniques namely principal component analysis, support vector machine, discriminant function analysis, and partial least square regression have been frequently used in milk quality determination. More than 90% accuracy was yielded in classification of contaminated and uncontaminated milk samples, and even 100% accuracy for bacterial strain classification in milk. If used in industrial scale, the information analyzed by E-nose would need to be secured as it could reveal the details of the food processing industry if tampered. Thus, cloud computing along with block chain implementation would serve as a promising tool in real-time analysis of volatilome analysis of milk.

Paper-based microfluidics have emerged as a promising platform due to their low cost, ease of use, and environmentally friendly attributes. Wax printing, inkjet printing, and flexographic printing are commonly used for the fabrication of these devices. However, these methods require specific fabrication facilities and involve high cost. This study introduces a stamp-based manufacturing method to address these challenges. Fluid flow simulation was conducted to identify a suitable paper substrate (Whatman filters 1 to 5) for the safety analysis of liquid milk samples. Whatman filter 4 was found to be a superior fabricating material. Design of experiment was conducted using StatEase Design-Expert software to optimize the influence of process parameters, namely molten wax temperature (100-160°C), pressure (0.1-6 g/mm2), stamp width (0.5-2 mm), and holding time (1-10 sec), on the printing quality and wax spreading. An SLA 3D printer was used to print the stamps with varying widths according to the experimental design. The pattern of the stamped microfluidic channels on paper was evaluated using ImageJ software. Results indicated that the optimal conditions for achieving higher printing quality and lower wax spreading were observed at 145°C, 4.525 g/mm2, 0.875 mm, and 3.25 sec for temperature, applied pressure on the stamp, stamp width, and holding time, respectively. The obtained optimum process parameters were utilized to develop a pH indicator device capable of detecting pH levels in the range of 2 to 10 in various liquid food samples within 5 minutes. This study provides a simple and cost-effective fabrication method of paper-based microfluidic devices.

An existing solar dryer and drying pavement were used to compare the drying of scotch Bonnet pepper and Roma tomatoes. A known weight of 33grams (divided into groups of 3.0 g) was placed in the solar dryer and another outside. Temperature readings was automatically taken by a data logger and the weight recorded at thirty minutes’ interval. The control sample was not subject sun or solar drying. After drying, the nutritional quality (crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash content, carotenoid and vitamin c) of the sun and solar dried pepper and tomatoes where compared with that of the fresh undried sample. Results gotten showed that the samples dried using the solar dryer dried faster than that dried with open sunlight. The nutritional content of the control sample was also higher than that of both sun and solar dryers, with nutrient loss in open sun dried samples significantly higher than observed in the solar dried sample.