Throughout the supply chain, food waste and loss occur, resulting in the production of huge volumes of by-products that are rich in bioactive compounds. These by-products can be used to develop value-added food products. 3D food printing (3DFP) has garnered attention as a promising method for transforming food waste from different sources into functional and customized food. This review introduces 3DFP as a sustainable approach to the valorization of food waste within the context of circular economy principles. Driven by sustainability and circular economy activities, bibliometric study showed a rapid increasing research interest in food waste valorization by 3DFP, especially since 2023. The review critically assesses the impact of printing techniques, feed material formulations, and processing parameters on the quality and printability of waste-derived 3D printed foods. It identifies extrusion stability, rheological behavior, and structural integrity as the primary determinants of successful product development. It also emphasizes the necessity of integrated technological and policy approaches to facilitate commercial adoption, as well as significant challenges related to regulatory frameworks, consumer acceptance, product safety, and industrial scalability.

The detrimental effects of petroleum-based packaging materials on the environment are well-known and to combat this problem, biodegradable materials are constantly being analyzed to determine their suitability as packaging systems. Packaging material decides the success of farm to fork journey in the food industry, especially for the perishable foods. A number of materials derived from natural sources have been identified and studied for their packaging potential, and carrageenan is one of them. Chemically, a sulfated polysaccharide, carrageenan is not a new entry in the food industry; it is in use from a long time as a gelling and thickening agent and currently it is being investigated as a biodegradable packaging material. This review explores the need of biodegradable packaging materials and highlights why carrageenan is a good alternative to the conventional packaging systems. It integrates the film-forming properties and structural characteristics of carrageenan with its functionalization for active packaging applications. It provides a comprehensive overview of the film composition, properties, and overall benefits, as well as a discussion of numerous studies that have effectively employed carrageenan-based films as an active packaging material. The future prospects and limitations have also been briefly addressed.

Population growth and changing diets have increased global protein demand, prompting interest in sustainable plant-based proteins such as soy. This review examines downstream processing methods for soy protein ingredients, comparing conventional (solvent, acid/alkali, isoelectric precipitation, dry fractionation) and emerging techniques (membrane filtration, enzyme-assisted extraction, high-pressure processing, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, microwave, and supercritical/subcritical fluid extraction). We evaluate each method’s impact on protein yield, functional properties (solubility, emulsification, gelation), anti-nutritional factor reduction, scale-up potential, and environmental footprint. The review highlights promising approaches—notably membrane processes, HHP, and enzyme-assisted extraction—for producing high-quality soy protein ingredients with improved sustainability and functionality. Key challenges and research gaps, including scalability, process integration, and data on digestibility and bioavailability, are identified to guide future work in sustainable soy protein production.

Conventional food packaging faces critical challenges, including a heavy reliance on synthetic plastics and limited biodegradability. Additionally, the absence of freshness indicators highlights the need for sustainable and intelligent materials that can both protect food and signal quality changes. In this study, pH-sensitive films were developed using sorghum starch (5

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation, highlighting the need for safe and effective nutraceutical interventions. This study evaluated the antidiabetic effects of pumpkin seed protein hydrolysate (PSPH), an underexplored plant-derived bioactive ingredient, in a high-fat diet- and streptozotocin-induced Wistar rat model of T2DM. Diabetic rats were orally administered PSPH at three dose levels for 28 days, with pioglitazone serving as the reference treatment. PSPH significantly improved glycemic control, body weight, serum lipid profile, and hepatic function while enhancing endogenous antioxidant defenses through increased catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione levels and reduced lipid peroxidation. PSPH further attenuated systemic inflammation by suppressing TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and preserved pancreatic and hepatic histoarchitecture. PSPH treatment was also associated with increased pancreatic PPAR-γ and GLUT2 expression, indicating preliminary molecular associations with altered glucose homeostasis. Collectively, these findings suggest that PSPH may mitigate diabetes-associated metabolic dysfunction, with improvements observed in oxidative status, inflammatory responses, and glucose homeostasis. The observed changes in PPAR-γ and GLUT2 should be considered preliminary molecular associations and warrant further investigation using direct functional and insulin-signaling assessments. These findings support the potential of PSPH as a promising functional food ingredient candidate for the dietary management of T2DM.

Abstract Alginate, a renewable polysaccharide produced by brown seaweeds and selected bacterial species, has gained significant attention due to its tunable gelation behavior, biocompatibility, and wide utility in food, biomedical, and packaging applications. This review systematically explores the biological origins of alginate, emphasizing commercially important seaweed genera and emerging microbial producers, while evaluating how species variability, environmental conditions, and extraction parameters influence alginate yield, molecular composition, and techno‐functional attributes. The review provides the first integrated comparison of marine‐ and microbially derived alginates, offering a multidisciplinary assessment of traditional versus green extraction technologies and their impact on structure–function relationships. Alginate's characteristic calcium‐induced gelation supports its effective use in encapsulating probiotics, micronutrients, and polyphenols, as well as in advanced applications such as 3D food printing and bio‐composite development. Despite its versatile functionality, major gaps persist, including the absence of standardized extraction protocols, limited structural benchmarking across biological sources, and inadequate optimization of chemical and physical modification strategies, all of which hinder industrial reproducibility and sustainable scalability. Future perspectives underscore the need for environmentally benign extraction approaches, improved microbial fermentation systems, and targeted alginate engineering to meet emerging technological and regulatory demands, thereby enabling high‐performance, sustainable alginate systems for next‐generation food and nutraceutical applications.

Aims This study evaluated the impact of gamma irradiation (0-10 kGy) on the physicochemical, functional, antioxidant, microbiological, and structural properties of pearl millet flour, with an emphasis on quality improvement. Methods Pearl millet flour was exposed to 0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, or 10 kGy doses. The physicochemical properties (pH, color, reducing sugars, and peroxide value), functional properties (water and oil absorption and foaming capacity), antioxidant indices (total phenolic content, % DPPH inhibition, and FRAP), and microbiological load were assessed. Results Irradiation decreased the pH from 6.11 (control) to 5.75 (10 kGy) and reduced the lightness (L*) from 68.3 to 67.8. The reducing sugars increased from 0.41% to 0.47% during storage, and the peroxide values increased from 6.92 to 11.71 meq/kg lipid (petroleum ether extract). The microbial counts decreased sharply: TBC (6.87 log CFU/mL) and TYMC (5.16 log CFU/mL) were reduced > 50% at 5 kGy and nearly eliminated at 10 kGy. The functional properties improved, with the water absorption capacity increasing from 1.31 to 1.72 g/g and the oil absorption capacity increasing from 1.12 to 1.74 g/g, although the foaming capacity decreased. The antioxidant activity increased markedly: the total phenolic content peaked at 206.48 mg GAE/100 g (5 kGy), the % DPPH inhibition doubled (10.85%-21.15%), and the FRAP values rose from 0.23 to 0.87 mmol AAE/100 g. FTIR confirmed irradiation-induced structural shifts in the hydroxyl, carbonyl, and protein-associated bands. Conclusions Gamma irradiation significantly (p < .05) enhanced the functional, antioxidant, and microbiological qualities of pearl millet flour. These improvements highlight irradiation as a promising nonthermal technology to increase flour stability, safety, and usability in cereal-based food systems.

The growing environmental and regulatory concerns associated with synthetic plastic packaging have intensified research on biodegradable packaging films derived from renewable biopolymers. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the functional properties, applications, technological advancements, and safety considerations of biodegradable packaging films used in food packaging systems. This review integrates and evaluates the material design, performance metrics, and application-driven requirements within a single framework, which is directly aligned with the scope of sustainable food packaging. The mechanical strength, barrier performance, and structural properties are critically discussed in relation to formulation parameters such as polymer type, plasticization, blending, crosslinking, and nanofiller incorporation. Studies indicate tensile strength values ranging from approximately 0.7 to 32 MPa, elongation at break from about 1 to 370

Protein-polysaccharide conjugates were prepared via dry-heated Maillard reaction using pumpkin seed protein isolate (PSPI) and cherry gum exudate (CGE) in a 1:1 weight ratio. The mixture was placed in sealed glass containers with a saturated potassium chloride (KCl) solution to maintain 79 % relative humidity and incubated in a laboratory oven maintained at 60 °C for one week. The conjugated sample (PSPI-CGE CG) exhibited a 32.61 % grafting degree and a decrease in free amino groups from 0.87 to 0.74 mM/mL, confirming successful conjugation. The solubility increased from 16.26 % to 22.38 %, while emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsion stability index (ESI) improved from 52.48 m2/g to 98.35 m2/g and 53.55 min to 87.59 min, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activity enhanced significantly from 34.20 % to 48.50 %. Circular dichroism revealed a reduction in α-helix content (7.80 → 5.70 %) and an increase in random coils (34.30 → 49.50 %), indicating greater structural flexibility. Thermal analysis showed improved denaturation enthalpy (47.87 → 59.75 J/g), while the zeta potential became more negative (-11.47 → -19.77 mV), reflecting enhanced colloidal stability confirmed moderate crystallinity from Maillard-induced covalent bonding, forming a denser matrix in grafted PSPI. Morphological analysis showed a porous, rough structure, while HPSEC and rheological studies verified covalent linkage and enhanced molecular cross-linking in PSPI-CGE CG. Overall, Maillard-type conjugation effectively improved the functional, structural, and thermal properties of PSPI, suggesting its potential as a multifunctional ingredient for food applications.

Lactose intolerance, casein allergies, and related cholesterol issues have led to an increased interest in nondairy-based probiotic foods. Consequently, legume-based products could serve as a better alternative. In the present study, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG was incorporated into a microwave-roasted chickpea flour (Sattu) beverage, which was then spray-dried to prepare probiotic Sattu powders (Samples A, Sample B, and Sample C). The spray drying conditions for “Sample A” included an inlet temperature of 115 °C, a feed rate of 160 mL/h, and a maltodextrin concentration of 10

The rising global population and increasing food demands necessitate the exploration of sustainable protein sources that can minimize environmental impact. Sorghum protein is gaining attention as a viable alternative, due to crop's adaptability, high protein content, and the presence of bioactive compounds such as tannins in certain genotypes. Therefore, the present review was designed to provides a comprehensive analysis of biochemical composition, nutritive value, and functional attributes of sorghum proteins. The review further explores developments in extraction and purification methods, including enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrasonication, and novel solvent-based methods, aimed at enhancing protein yield, digestibility, and solubility. Despite its potential, the utilization of sorghum proteins in the food industry is hindered by challenges such as poor digestibility, hydrophobicity, and the presence of antinutritional factors. However, recent innovations in protein modification and food formulation strategies offer promising solutions to enhance their usability in gluten-free foods, emulsifiers, biodegradable packaging, and nutraceutical delivery systems. This review also includes the challenges limiting the broader adoption of sorghum proteins in the food industry, along with innovative approaches to overcome them. Therefore, this review will provide valuable insights into the potential of sorghum proteins as sustainable and alternative functional ingredients for food applications.

Plant-derived proteins are increasingly recognized as sustainable substitutes for animal-based proteins; however, their broader application in foods and nutraceuticals is often constrained by limited functional and bioactive properties. The present study aimed to optimize the enzymatic hydrolysis of pumpkin seed protein isolate (PSPI) to generate bioactive pumpkin seed protein hydrolysate (PSPH) with superior antioxidant activity and improved functional characteristics. Optimization was performed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on a Central Composite Design (CCD) to evaluate the influence of enzyme concentration (1–3 %) and hydrolysis time (30–90 min) on antioxidant capacity, determined through DPPH and FRAP assays. The optimal conditions—2.5 % enzyme concentration and 60 min hydrolysis time—produced PSPH with significantly enhanced antioxidant activity and a high degree of hydrolysis (17.89 %). Hydrolysis resulted in substantial reductions in particle size (436 nm), polydispersity index (0.69), turbidity (0.21), and zeta potential (–28.03 mV) compared to the native PSPI. Structural analyses confirmed protein degradation and conformational alterations, as indicated by SDS-PAGE (appearance of low-molecular-weight peptides), FTIR (amide I band shifts), and NMR (release of free amino acids). XRD analysis revealed decreased crystallinity, SEM micrographs showed a porous surface morphology, and DSC analysis indicated an increased denaturation temperature (99.5 °C), reflecting improved thermal stability. This work presents a cost-effective, eco-friendly processing approach for upgrading underutilized pumpkin seed proteins into functional hydrolysates with enhanced bioactivity and physicochemical properties. The combination of multi-technique structural characterization (FTIR, XRD, DSC, SEM, NMR) with RSM-guided optimization underscores both the methodological innovation and industrial applicability of the study. The developed PSPH demonstrates strong potential as a natural antioxidant for incorporation into functional foods, dietary supplements, and clean-label nutraceutical formulations.

In the current research an attempt was made to evaluate the impact of different iron fortificants (Sodium Iron Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid, ferrous fumarate and ferrous sulphate) on the physico-chemical properties of chickpea and refined wheat flour. Highest iron bioaccessibility (%) 87 and 90.5 was found in the wheat and chickpea fortified with Sodium Iron Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (NaFeEDTA) respectively. The highest iron bioaccessibility, 87 % and 90.5 %, was found in wheat and chickpea fortified with NaFeEDTA, respectively. Fortification resulted in an increase in the water absorption capacity, with the highest values observed in samples fortified with ferrous sulphate (69.97 % for wheat and 82.27 % for chickpea). However, a decreasing trend was noted in the oil absorption capacity of wheat flour upon fortification. A non-significant change in the percentage of DPPH center dot inhibition and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) values was observed in fortified samples. In chickpea flour, fortification led to a non-significant decrease in pasting properties. However, in wheat flour, a significant decrease in peak viscosity was observed in samples treated with ferrous fumarate (4645.5 mPas) compared to the control sample (5630 mPas). A decreasing trend in the values of flow behaviour index was observed upon fortification, indicating more shear thinning behaviour. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed no change in the amorphous region of the starch or any functional group in fortified flours. This study presents a simple and practical approach to enhance the nutritional profile of chickpea and refined wheat flour through iron fortification while simultaneously evaluating its impact on physico-functional and rheological properties.

Food security faces growing challenges due to population growth, resource limitations, economic pressures, and industrialization-induced lifestyle changes. Traditional food systems struggle to adapt, necessitating innovative solutions and sustainable practices to meet future food demands. This review article explores emerging food system models and alternative food sources, including edible insects, seaweeds, plant-based and lab-cultured meats, underutilized crops, hydroponics, and next-generation fish farming. It highlights the role of food processing technologies such as blockchain, biotechnology, and robotics in enhancing sustainability, reducing waste, and improving food system efficiency. Consumer acceptance of engineered and fortified foods emerges as a critical factor in driving these innovations. The review also emphasizes the need for a transformative approach to food production, incorporating innovative technologies and sustainable practices to ensure food security by 2050. A coordinated effort to integrate alternate food sources and advanced processing methods will be vital for achieving a secure and sustainable global food future.

The World Health Organization declared SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) a global pandemic, leading to unprecedented levels of mortality and morbidity worldwide. This health crisis has driven a major shift in global healthcare priorities, moving the focus from treatment to disease prevention and underscoring the importance of maintaining a strong immune system. It has also highlighted the potential of dietary interventions to improve health outcomes, prompting healthcare providers and policymakers to adopt a more holistic approach that integrates nutrition as a key pillar of disease prevention and health promotion. This shift is rooted in the recognition of nutrition’s crucial role in managing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a global movement towards viewing food as medicine, reinforcing the role of diet in supporting immune health, preventing chronic diseases, and promoting overall well-being. In this narrative review, we assess the impact of various food sources on health by examining existing literature, highlighting the benefits of nutrition in both preventive healthcare and disease management. Furthermore, this study outlines a comparative analysis of dietary perspectives before and after the pandemic, illustrating the shift in focus from treatment to prevention. It also discusses advancements in personalized nutrition and the integration of functional foods and nutraceuticals into daily diets. This review emphasizes the urgent need for effective nutritional strategies to combat hunger and improve health outcomes, particularly in the context of ongoing and future health crises.