Human milk provides bioactive compounds such as milk fat globules (MFGs), which promote brain development, modulate the immune system, and hold antimicrobial properties. To ensure microbiological safety, donor milk banks apply heat treatments. This study compares the effects of heat treatments and homogenization on MFG’s physicochemical properties, bioactivity, and bioavailability. Vat pasteurization (Vat-PT), retort (RTR), and ultra-high temperature (UHT) were performed with or without homogenization. UHT, RTR, and homogenization increased the colloidal dispersion of globules, as indicated by increased zeta potential. The RTR treatment completely inactivated xanthine oxidase activity (a marker of MFG bioactivity), whereas UHT reduced its activity by 93%. Interestingly, Vat-PT resulted in less damage, with 28% activity retention. Sialic acid, an important compound for brain health, was unaffected by processing. Importantly, homogenization increased the in vitro lipolysis of MFG, suggesting that this treatment could increase the digestibility of MFG. In terms of color, homogenization led to higher L* values, indicating increased whiteness due to finer dispersion of the fat and casein micelles (and thus greater light scattering), whereas UHT and RTR increased b* values associated with Maillard reactions. This study highlights the nuanced effects of processing conditions on MFG properties, emphasizing the retention of native characteristics in Vat-PT-treated human milk.

Decontamination of bacterial biofilms formed on food-contact surfaces is a serious challenge in the food industry. In this study, a food-grade antimicrobial system was developed using yeast-based microcarriers and essential oil (EOs; thymol) to inactivate bacterial biofilms on food-contact surfaces. A bio-inspired method that involves pretreatment of yeast microcarriers with simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was employed to modulate the release of the encapsulated EOs. The effectiveness of the developed antimicrobial delivery system was evaluated based on physicochemical characterization, antimicrobial activities against planktonic bacterial cells in the presence of organic matter, affinity to bind bacterial biofilms, and co-incubation and residual antimicrobial activities against bacterial biofilms. The results illustrate that pre-treatment of yeast-based microcarriers with SIF significantly (p p <0.05) enhanced the release of the encapsulated EOs without influencing the encapsulation yield and binding of yeast-based microcarriers with bacterial biofilms. Strong antibiofilm activities were exhibited by the thymol encapsulated in the pre-digested yeast cells (pdYC@Thymol) compared to free thymol or thymol encapsulated in the undigested yeast microcarriers. Populations of Listeria innocua in biofilms (ca. 7.54 log CFU/cm2) 2 ) decreased to ca. 2.63 log CFU/cm2 2 after 1 h of co-incubation with the pdYC@Thymol suspensions and further decreased to ca. 0.85 log CFU/cm2 2 after removal of the loosely bound pdYC@Thymol particles. Overall, this study suggests that the combined effects of the targeted delivery of the EOs via encapsulation in yeast-based microcarriers and facilitated release of the encapsulated EOs upon binding with bacterial biofilms can effectively inactivate the bacterial biofilms formed on food-contact surfaces, thereby enhancing the microbiological safety of the food- related environments.

Given the expanding global population and finite resources, it is imperative to explore alternative technologies for food production. These technologies play a crucial role in ensuring the provision of safe, nutritious, and sustainable food options to meet the growing demand. Cellular agriculture plays an important in developing an alternative method for developing food products. While, cellular agriculture is emerging rapidly, food safety aspects and regulatory frameworks stayed behind. Despite developing several regulatory framework papers on cellular agriculture, there is no systematic approach for developing a comprehensive food safety plan (FSP), particularly for cultivated seafood. Thus, the overall goal of this article is to develop a FSP for cultivated seafood. The main differences between the food safety plan for cultivated seafood and the conventional seafood industries were the number of allergens in cultivated seafood products, including soy, wheat, and fish cells, compared to only fish for the conventional seafood industry. In addition, there are several hazards associated with mycoplasma in cultivated seafood, which should be considered. This guidance intends to help regulatory agencies, food safety experts, startup companies, and the cultivated seafood industry by providing a valuable platform to develop regulations, guidance, and food safety plans applicable to most cultivated seafood companies. This article will also help the industry to identify the hazards in their processing line and develop preventive controls, and as a comprehensive food safety plan, it could be easily adapted for other cultivated seafood products. This guidance applied systematic approaches to developing food safety plans using cell culture, pharmaceuticals, fermentation, seafood, meat, and aquaponics safety plans, collaborating with experts with different backgrounds, and working closely with the conventional and cultivated meat and seafood industries.

This study presents a breakthrough in the field of onsite bacterial detection, offering an innovative, rapid, and ultrasensitive colorimetric biosensor for the detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, using chemically modified melamine foam (MF). Different from conventional platforms, such as 96-well plates and fiber-based membranes, the modified MF features a macroporous reticulated three-dimensional (3D) framework structure, allowing fast and free movement of large biomolecules and bacteria cells through the MF structure in every direction and ensuring good accessibility of entire active binding sites of the framework structure with the target bacteria, which significantly increased sensitive and volume-responsive detection of whole-cell bacteria. The biosensing platform requires less than 1.5 h to complete the quantitative detection with a sensitivity of 10 cfu/mL, discernible by the naked eye, and an enhanced sensitivity of 5 cfu/mL with the help of a smartphone. Following a short enrichment period of 1 h, the sensitivity was further amplified to 2 cfu/mL. The biosensor material is volume responsive, making the biosensing platform sensitivity increase as the volume of the sample increases, and is highly suitable for testing large-volume fluid samples. This novel material paves the way for the development of volume-flexible biosensing platforms for the record-fast, onsite, selective, and ultrasensitive detection of various pathogenic bacteria in real-world applications.

Currently, there is limited knowledge on the survival of bacteria on surfaces during postharvest handling of dry products such as onions. Extended survival of microorganisms, coupled with a lack of established and regular, validated cleaning or sanitation methods could enable cross -contamination of these products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the survival of a potential surrogate, Enterococcus faecium , and Salmonella enterica on typical onion handling surfaces, polyurethane (PU), and stainless steel (SS), under low relative humidity. The in fluence of onion extract on the survival of E. faecium and Salmonella on PU and SS was also investigated. Rifampin-resistant E. faecium NRRL B-2354 and a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella suspended in 0.1% peptone or onion extract were separately inoculated onto PU and SS coupons (2 x 2 cm), at high, moderate, or low (7, 5, or 3 log CFU/cm (2) ) levels. The inoculated surfaces were stored at similar to 34% relative humidity and 21 degrees C for up to 84 days. Triplicate samples were enumerated at regular intervals in replicate trials. Samples were enriched when populations fell below the limit of detection by plating (0.48 log CFU/cm( 2) ). Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the cell distribution on the coupons. Reductions of E. faecium of less than similar to 2 log were observed on PU and SS over 12 weeks at all inoculum levels and with both inoculum carriers. In 0.1% peptone, Salmonella populations declined by 2 to 3 log over 12 weeks at the high and moderate inoculum levels; at the low inoculum level, Salmonella could not be recovered by enrichment at 84 days. Survival of E. faecium and Salmonella was signi ficantly ( P < 0.05) enhanced over 84 days of storage when suspended in onion extract, where cells were covered by a layer of onion extract. E. faecium might have utility as a conservative surrogate for Salmonella when evaluating microbial survival on dry food -contact surfaces.

The growing concerns regarding foodborne illnesses related to fresh produce accentuate the necessity for innovative material solutions, particularly on surfaces that come into close contact with foods. This study introduces a sustainable, efficient, and removable antimicrobial and antifouling coating ideally suited for hydrophobic food-contact surfaces such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Developed through a crosslinking reaction involving tannic acid, gelatin, and soy protein hydrolysate, these coatings exhibit proper stability in aqueous washing solutions and effectively combat bacterial contamination and prevent biofilm formation. The unique surface architecture promotes the formation of halamine structures, enhancing antimicrobial efficacy with a rapid contact killing effect and reducing microbial contamination by up to 5 log10 cfu center dot cm-2 against both Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Listeria innocua (Gram-positive). Notably, the coatings are designed for at least five recharging cycles under mild conditions (pH6, 20 ppm free active chlorine) and can be easily removed with hot water or steam to refresh the depositions. This removal process not only conveniently aligns with existing sanitation protocols in the fresh produce industry but also facilitates the complete eradication of potential developed biofilms, outperforming uncoated LDPE coupons. Overall, these coatings represent sustainable, cost-effective, and practical advancements in food safety and are promising candidates for widespread adoption in food processing environments.

Cellular agriculture holds the potential to address sustainability, food security, and agricultural resilience. Within the cell-based meat supply chain, one of the key steps is developing sustainable scaffolding. In this study, we evaluated the impact of decellularized banana leaves, various coating materials including soy protein and gelatine, and different cell seeding strategies on cell viability, cell growth, cell alignment, and the response of the materials to thermal processing. Kinetics of the quality degradation of the scaffolds with and without cells were determined through kinetics equations. The efficiency of decellularization was verified through DNA quantification, which decreased from 445 ng/mg in fresh banana leaves to non-detectable levels in the decellularized samples. The alignment of cells on gelatin-coated samples was the highest among the samples, with a dominant orientation of 65.8°, compared to soy-coated and uncoated samples, with dominant orientations of 9.2° and −6.3°, respectively. The kinetics of shrinkage indicated that coating with soy and the presence of cells increased the activation energy due to the higher energy required for protein denaturation. The kinetics of area changes in plain scaffolds without cells followed a first-order pattern, while with seeded cells a second-order pattern was followed. Overall, the results showed that decellularized banana leaves provide sustainable scaffoldings for cellular agriculture applications. In addition, soy coating provided many benefits for decellularized samples by supporting cell adhesion and cell proliferation.

Cell-based encapsulation systems can improve the stability and delivery of diverse bioactives, but predicting encapsulation efficiency is challenging due to various intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In the current study, a full factorial design was used to evaluate the influence of biochemical properties of yeast cells, chemical nature of bioactives, and ethanol level in the compound solution on the encapsulation efficiency of cell-based carriers. All compound-yeast-ethanol combinations showed linear trends between the loading yield and initial compound-to-cell ratio in the range chosen in the current study, implying that the encapsulation efficiency is constant regardless of initial compound-to-cell ratio, making it a good response variable. Higher overall encapsulation efficiency was achieved with a more hydrophobic compound and a lower ethanol level. Yeast cells with higher protein content achieved higher encapsulation efficiency for most of the compound-ethanol combination, except for retinol with 50

Our food system is complex, multifaceted, and in need of an upgrade. Population growth, climate change, and socioeconomic disparities are some of the challenges that create a systemic threat to its sustainability and capacity to address the needs of an evolving planet. The mission of the AI Institute of Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) is to leverage the latest advances in AI to help create a more sustainable, efficient, nutritious, safe, and resilient food system. Instead of using AI in isolation, AIFS views it as the connective tissue that can bring together interconnected solutions from farm to fork. From guiding molecular breeding and building autonomous robots for precision agriculture, to predicting pathogen outbreaks and recommending personalized diets, AIFS projects aspire to pave the way for infrastructure and systems that empower practitioners to build the food system of the next generation. Workforce education, outreach, and ethical considerations related to the emergence of AI solutions in this sector are an integral part of AIFS with several collaborative activities aiming to foster an open dialogue and bringing closer students, trainees, teachers, producers, farmers, workers, policy makers, and other professionals.

Rapid pathogen detection in food and agricultural water is essential for ensuring food safety and public health. However, complex and noisy environmental background matrices delay the identification of pathogens and require highly trained personnel. Here, we present an AI-biosensing framework for accelerated and automated pathogen detection in various water samples, from liquid food to agricultural water. A deep learning model was used to identify and quantify target bacteria based on their microscopic patterns generated by specific interactions with bacteriophages. The model was trained on augmented datasets to maximize data efficiency, using input images of selected bacterial species, and then fine-tuned on a mixed culture. Model inference was performed on real-world water samples containing environmental noises unseen during model training. Overall, our AI model trained solely on lab-cultured bacteria achieved rapid (< 5.5 h) prediction with 80-100% accuracy on the real-world water samples, demonstrating its ability to generalize to unseen data. Our study highlights the potential applications in microbial water quality monitoring during food and agricultural processes.

Effective capture of antibiotic residues from different fluidic sources is still a challenge in dealing with existence of the chemicals in nature, especially with presence of other pollutants and suspended solids in the systems. Here, we report preparation of a novel macroporous metal - polyphenol/melamine foam (MF) composite (FTBS@MF) as a filtration matrix. The FTBS@MF matrix has rapid and effective adsorption to tetracycline (TC) in aqueous systems and could provide 99% TC removal efficiency from wastewater with a maximum capacity (650 mg & BULL;g- 1) within 30 min. The TC adsorption on FTBS@MF are basically via multiple types of chemical interactions between TC and the functionalized MF surfaces, these mechanisms were confirmed by confocal imaging, XPS and fluorescence spectra. The FTBS@MF could reach 100% removal of TC at a flow rate 60 mL & BULL;h- 1 with a dynamic adsorption capacity 600 mg & BULL;L-1. Furthermore, the FTBS@MF showed proper thermal and chemical stability and reusability of up to 20 cycles of reuses, and the recycling process was environmentally friendly. In addition, the FTBS@MF showed >95% removal efficiency of TC from real milk and dairy manure wastewater through a dynamic adsorption system. The macroporous framework matrix with rapid and efficient removal of antibiotics from milk and wastewater present great potential for practical applications of removing other emerging pollutants from various fluidic streams.

Bacterial transfer during postharvest handling of fresh produce provides a mechanism for spreading pathogens, but risk factors in dry environments are poorly understood. The aim of the study was to investigate factors influencing bacterial transfer between yellow onions (Allium cepa) and polyurethane (PU) or stainless steel (SS) under dry conditions. Rifampin-resistant Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 or a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella was inoculated onto onion skin or PU surfaces at high or moderate levels using peptone, onion extract, or soil water as inoculum carriers. Transfer from inoculated to uninoculated surfaces was conducted using a texture analyzer to control force, time, and number of contacts. Transfer rates (ratio of recipient surface to donor surface populations) of E. faecium (4-5%) were significantly higher than those of Salmonella (0.5-0.6%) at the high (7 log CFU/cm2) but not moderate (5 log CFU/cm2) inoculum levels. Significantly higher populations of E. faecium transferred from onion to PU than from PU to onion. The transfer rates of E. faecium were impacted by inoculum carrier (61% [onion extract], 1.6% [peptone], and 0.31% [soil]) but not by inoculation level or recipient surface (PU versus SS). Bacterial transfer during dry onion handling is significantly dependent on bacterial species, inoculation levels, inoculum carrier, and transfer direction.

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) and plasma-activated water (PAW) are emerging nonthermal technologies. Due to the complexity of plasma-generated species as a function of plasma generation conditions, there is a need to develop process validation. This study aims to evaluate plasma interactions with DNA-based surrogates using infrared spectroscopy and gradient boosting decision tree, a machine learning algorithm, for data analysis to validate the decontamination effectiveness of CAPP and PAW. Chitosan-DNA films were developed and treated with CAPP or PAW. Changes in the spectral properties of DNA were characterized with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and correlated to the dosage levels of CAPP and PAW and decontamination efficacy. Using the LightGBM algorithm, both plasma dosage and the inactivation efficacy against bacteria and biofilms were predicted with high accuracy (>89%) based on the spectral features of DNA. In summary, this study illustrates a novel approach for validating the decontamination efficacy of plasma processing.

Rapid diagnostics for the diagnosis of COVID-19 are urgently needed in offices, residences, and other public places due to the new Covid epidemic stages. A portable and easy-to-use immunosensing platform was developed and evaluated for a point-of-care and self-detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein without the need for extraction, separation, or amplification steps using clinically isolated samples (n = 40 samples). The sensing platform was fabricated based on functionalized nylon nanofibrous membranes and a commercial glucose meter to enable easy deployment of the sensing technology. The fabrication of the immunoreaction vial using nylon nanofibrous membranes as a support matrix for the tethering of antibodies significantly improved the sensitivity of the detection platform in contrast to the use of conventional nylon casted membranes. The sensitivity of the nanofibmus membrane attached antibody was at least an order of magnitude higher (similar to 12 times) compared to the sensitivity of detection with regular casted membrane-based immunoreaction vial. The feasibility of the designed sensing platform was investigated using saliva as a non-invasive and self-administered sample for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. With a detection limit of 9 ng mL(-1) and no pretreatment processes required, the sensing platform demonstrated its suitability for the direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in the spiked saliva samples. In addition, the developed platform depicted high agreement with RT-qPCR data in the analysis of the clinical samples with good stability over the storage time and reusability for three cycles with maintaining more than 95% of its original activity.

The emerging infectious diseases have created one of the major practical needs to develop active packaging materials with durable antibacterial and antiviral properties for the food industry. To meet this demand, the development of new technologies applicable to food contact surfaces is highly desired but challenging. The recent discovery of the photoactive properties of vitamin K (VK) derivatives has raised great expectations as promising candidates in functional film development due to the generation of biocidal reactive oxygen species (ROS) by these compounds. Inspired by the excellent photoactivity of one of the light-stable VK derivatives, menadione (VK3), under visible daylight irradiation, we demonstrate a protocol for the fabrication of daylight-mediated biocidal packaging materials by incorporating VK3 into a poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) matrix. The VK3 (i.e., 1-5% w/w) incorporated EVA films successfully demonstrated the production of ROS and antibacterial and antiviral performance against Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and T7 bacteriophage, respectively, under daylight exposure conditions. The results revealed that the addition of a proper percentage of VK3 significantly enhanced the ROS productivity of the films and created a novel daylight-induced microbial killing performance on the films. The biocidal functions of the films are long-lasting and rechargeable when exposed to light repeatedly, making them a viable contender for replacing currently available conventional packaging films.

This study develops a novel low-cost microbial delivery system by transforming common food materials such as apple tissue into a 3D scaffold. Apple tissue scaffold was constructed by decellularization of intact tissue using a minimal amount of sodium dodecyl sulfate (0.5 % w/v). Vacuum-assisted infusion of model probiotic Lactobacillus cells led to a high encapsulation yield of probiotic cells (1010 CFU/g of scaffold) in 3D scaffolds on a wet basis. The bio-polymer coated 3D scaffolds with infused cells significantly enhanced the survivability of infused probiotic cells during simulated gastric and intestinal digestions. In addition, imaging and plate counting results validate the growth of the infused cells in the 3D scaffold after 1-2 days of fermentation in MRS media, while cells without infusion in the scaffold had limited attachment with the intact apple tissue. Overall, these results highlight the potential of the apple tissue-derived 3D scaffold to deliver probiotic cells and include the biochemical compositions to support the growth of delivered microbial cells in the colon.

Contamination of fresh produce by microbial pathogens is a critical food safety challenge, as it has been associated with nationwide outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. In this chapter, the sources of microbial contamination of fresh produce during pre- and postharvest are overviewed, and the underlying mechanisms of microbial adhesion are discussed. The microbial cross-contamination of fresh produce can be caused by improper processing and handling in the postharvest stage, where the contamination sources include contaminated plants, food contact surfaces, and wash water. Various methods and set-ups have been designed to explore the mechanisms of microbial cross-contamination during fresh produce processing and handling. Given the current challenges in effectively sanitizing fresh produce and food contact surfaces, this chapter also overviews the novel antimicrobial compositions for effective sanitation of wash water and fresh produce, as well as new antimicrobial coatings for reducing the risk of cross-contamination in the postharvest processing of fresh produce.

This study focused on developing novel compositions for the simultaneous delivery of probiotics and phenolic bioactives. These novel compositions were generated by biosorption of phenolic-rich plant extracts produced using jabuticaba peel, guaran & PRIME;a seed, and pure catechin in three probiotic strains using vacuum-assisted and passive incubations. Vacuum-assisted biosorption using jabuticaba peel in 25% of ethanol solution (JP25%) provided the maximum loading of phenolic compounds (PC), around 9 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/g of cells in less than 5 min without significantly influencing probiotic cell viability. In contrast, the total phenolic content of probiotic cells loaded with guaran & PRIME;a seed extract (GSE) and catechin solution ranged between 3.5 and 5 mg GAE/g of cells. The PC content of probiotic cells using vacuum-assisted biosorption was around 2-4 fold higher than that obtained via passive biosorption for 24 h. The biosorption of PCs in probiotic cells was also confirmed by multiphoton microscopy. The viability of freeze-dried cells at 25 degrees C up to 30 days loaded with plant extracts by vacuum assisted biosorption was 1-2 log CFU/g higher than cells passively loaded with plant extracts. Furthermore, PC release from Lacticaseibacillus cells ranged between 55% and 75% of biosorbed PCs during simulated gastrointestinal digestions. Overall, this study illustrates a novel approach to formulate combination of probiotics and PCs and their potential to deliver viable probiotics and bioactive PCs.

Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide. Although glyphosate is not acutely toxic, the intake of glyphosate-based herbicides has caused many accidents. Some studies have suggested that surfactants might be the cause. The purpose of this study was to compare the toxicokinetic (TK) properties of glyphosate according to different vehicles in rats. Glyphosate (1%) was dissolved in distilled water (DW), polyoxyethylene tallow amine (POEA), and Tween 20. After a single oral treatment of glyphosate (50 mg/kg), blood was collected at time intervals, and glyphosate concentrations in the target organ (liver and kidney) were determined 24 h after final blood collection. All samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. The TK parameters of glyphosate were similar in the DW and Tween 20 groups. However, there were significant differences in Tmax and volume of distribution (Vd) between the DW and POEA group (p < 0.05). Glyphosate was absorbed about 10 times faster in POEA group rather than DW, and exhibited a higher distribution. However, other important TK parameters of T1/2, AUC, and Cmax were not statistically different among the different vehicle groups. Although glyphosate concentration in the liver was significantly higher in the POEA group than in the DW group, there was no significant difference in the kidney. These results indicate that the toxicokinetics of glyphosate are not significantly affected by POEA. It can be concluded that POEA toxicity itself can be attributed to the acute toxicity of glyphosate-containing products.

Immobilized yeast cells are used industrially in winemaking processes such as sparkling wine and Sherry wine production. Here, a novel approach has been explored for the infusion and immobilization of yeast cells into filamentous fungal pellets, which serve as a porous natural material. This was accomplished through vacuum application to force the yeast cells towards the core of the fungal pellets followed by culture in YPD medium to promote their growth from the interior. This method represents an improved variation of a previous approach for the assembly of "yeast biocapsules," which entailed the co-culture of both fungal and yeast cells in the same medium. A comparison was made between both techniques in terms of biocapsule productivity, cell retention capacity, and cell biological activity through an alcoholic fermentation of a grape must. The results indicated a substantial increase in biocapsule productivity (37.40-fold), higher cell retention within the biocapsules (threefold), and reduction in cell leakage during fermentation (twofold). Although the majority of the chemical and sensory variables measured in the produced wine did not exhibit notable differences from those produced utilizing suspended yeast cells (conventional method), some differences (such as herbaceous and toasted smells, acidity, bitterness, and persistence) were perceived and wines positively evaluated by the sensory panel. As the immobilized cells remain functional and the encapsulation technique can be expanded to other microorganisms, it creates potential for additional industrial uses like biofuel, health applications, microbe encapsulation and delivery, bioremediation, and pharmacy. KEY POINTS: • New approach improves biocapsule productivity and cell retention. • Immobilized yeast remains functional in fermentation. • Wine made with immobilized yeast had positive sensory differences.