PhD researcher in Agricultural and Food Science. Interested in advanced techniques for food chemical analysis and food flavour. Currently working on hyperspectral imaging applied to food grains for non-destructive quality evaluation. Phone: +39 3297050689 | +44 (0) 7437 878444 Address: Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, UK
The use of olive oil in several food products as been increasing in the past few years due to its... more The use of olive oil in several food products as been increasing in the past few years due to its healthy fatty acid composition, content of phenolic compounds and appreciated flavour. The addition of natural phenolic compounds in foods is also an interesting issue for researchers and food industry, as several challenges have to be addressed, such as lipid oxidation and the effects on the physical stability over storage. Usually, emulsions used as sauce or dressing creams are not formulated with olive oil, mainly due to its price, but its use is interesting for some niche markets. With specific regard to olive oil, there is usually the aim is to preserve its characteristics and its appreciated flavour, both in terms of aroma and taste. However, little is known about the possible interaction of constituent phenolic compounds of virgin olive oil on the emulsions properties, both in terms of physical stability and oxidation rate, but also for its impact on aroma release. The present th...
The meat quality grade of a beef carcass is greatly affected by its visible fat content. In premi... more The meat quality grade of a beef carcass is greatly affected by its visible fat content. In premium beef from Japanese Black (Wagyu) cattle, a high fat content is greatly valued. However, the fatty acid composition, which is linked to the properties of the fat, is not considered in grading. In this paper, we describe the feasibility of an evaluation method based on food composition and its distribution. An intact raw beef cut from Wagyu cattle was used as an evaluation target. A total of 90 samples from various parts of three Wagyu cattle were measured by near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging at wavelengths of 1000–2300 nm at a spatial resolution of 380 urn pixel−1 and were also analysed by conventional physical and chemical methods. The fat and fatty acid content were selected as the objective content, including the proportions of total saturated fatty acid (SFA), total unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and the main fatty acids: myristic [C14:0, where C x: y indicates the number of ...
The production technology of meat-bone paste and its effect on chemical, mineral and amino acid c... more The production technology of meat-bone paste and its effect on chemical, mineral and amino acid compositions of liver pâté were studied. The liver was replaced by meat-bone paste in the concentration of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% for the production of experimental samples. The compositional analysis of pâté manufactured with meat-bone paste showed that the reformulation did not influence the content of moisture (~56%), fat (~28%), or protein (~11%) while producing a significant increase of ash and a decrease of carbohydrates in comparison with control pâtés. The higher amounts of minerals of bone-meat paste, including calcium (3080 mg/100 g), magnesium (2120 mg/100 g), phosphorous (2564 mg/100 g), and iron (7.30 mg/100 g), explained the higher amount of both ash and these minerals in the reformulated samples compared to the control samples. The total caloric value (~300 kcal/100 g) was also unaffected by the addition of bone-meat paste. The content of both essential and non-essential am...
The type of yeast strain used for wine alcoholic fermentation dramatically affects its final vola... more The type of yeast strain used for wine alcoholic fermentation dramatically affects its final volatile composition and, therefore, its sensory properties. In this study, the influence of four oenological Saccharomyces strains (three S. cerevisiae and one S. bayanus) on wine volatile composition was determined on the Fiano variety, a typical cultivar from the Campania region (Italy), fermented in oak barrique. Fiano wines were analyzed by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O). The results showed that the four selected yeast strains had a significant impact on the majority of volatile compounds as shown by the concentration of volatile compounds and based on the Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA) values for many of the odor volatile compounds. This resulted in a dramatic change of the odor impact of the wines, such as the “fruity” attribute, which was higher compared to the control, and caused some changes of other odor att...
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a novel technology for the food sector that enables rapid non-cont... more Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a novel technology for the food sector that enables rapid non-contact analysis of food materials. HSI was applied for the first time to whole green coffee beans, at a single seed level, for quantitative prediction of sucrose, caffeine and trigonelline content. In addition, the intra-bean distribution of coffee constituents was analysed in Arabica and Robusta coffees on a large sample set from 12 countries, using a total of 260 samples. Individual green coffee beans were scanned by reflectance HSI (980-2500nm) and then the concentration of sucrose, caffeine and trigonelline analysed with a reference method (HPLC-MS). Quantitative prediction models were subsequently built using Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression. Large variations in sucrose, caffeine and trigonelline were found between different species and origin, but also within beans from the same batch. It was shown that estimation of sucrose content is possible for screening purposes (R=0.65; pr...
The aim of the current work was to use hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the spectral range 1000-250... more The aim of the current work was to use hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the spectral range 1000-2500 nm to quantitatively predict fermentation index (FI), total polyphenols (TP) and antioxidant activity (AA) of individual dry fermented cocoa beans scanned on a single seed basis, in a non-destructive manner. Seventeen cocoa bean batches were obtained and 10 cocoa beans were used from each batch. PLS regression models were built on 170 samples. The developed HSI predictive models were able to quantify three quality-related parameters with sufficient performance for screening purposes, with external validation R of 0.50 (RMSEP = 0.27, RPD = 1.40), 0.70 (RMSEP = 34.1 mg ferulic acid g, RPD = 1.77) and 0.74 (60.0 mmol Trolog kg, RPD = 1.91) for FI, TP and AA, respectively. The calibrations were subsequently applied at a single bean and pixel level, so that the distribution was visualised within and between single seeds (chemical images). HSI is thus suggested as a promising approach to est...
We report on the analysis of volatile compounds by SPME-GC-MS for individual roasted coffee beans... more We report on the analysis of volatile compounds by SPME-GC-MS for individual roasted coffee beans. The aim was to understand the relative abundance and variability of volatile compounds between individual roasted coffee beans at constant roasting conditions. Twenty-five batches of Arabica and robusta species were sampled from 13 countries, and 10 single coffee beans randomly selected from each batch were individually roasted in a fluidised-bed roaster at 210 °C for 3 min. High variability (CV = 14.0-53.3%) of 50 volatile compounds in roasted coffee was obtained within batches (10 beans per batch). Phenols and heterocyclic nitrogen compounds generally had higher intra-batch variation, while ketones were the most uniform compounds (CV < 20%). The variation between batches was much higher, with the CV ranging from 15.6 to 179.3%. The highest variation was observed for 2,3-butanediol, 3-ethylpyridine and hexanal. It was also possible to build classification models based on geographic...
Hyperspectral imaging (1000-2500 nm) was used for rapid prediction of moisture and total lipid co... more Hyperspectral imaging (1000-2500 nm) was used for rapid prediction of moisture and total lipid content in intact green coffee beans on a single bean basis. Arabica and Robusta samples from several growing locations were scanned using a "push-broom" system. Hypercubes were segmented to select single beans, and average spectra were measured for each bean. Partial Least Squares regression was used to build quantitative prediction models on single beans (n = 320-350). The models exhibited good performance and acceptable prediction errors of ∼0.28% for moisture and ∼0.89% for lipids. This study represents the first time that HSI-based quantitative prediction models have been developed for coffee, and specifically green coffee beans. In addition, this is the first attempt to build such models using single intact coffee beans. The composition variability between beans was studied, and fat and moisture distribution were visualized within individual coffee beans. This rapid, non-de...
Journal of the science of food and agriculture, Jan 31, 2018
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) volatile composition is mainly used as a means of characterisation ... more Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) volatile composition is mainly used as a means of characterisation and authentication, especially for protected denomination of origin (PDO) products. This work investigated the volatile compounds from twenty-five EVOOs from four Spanish (Cornicabra, Castellana, Picual, and Manzanilla Cacereña) and four Italian (Ortice, Ravece, Nocellara del Belice and Itrana) cultivars in terms of odour activity value (OAV). Forty-seven volatile compounds were analysed by SPME-GC/MS. OAVs of volatile compounds with similar descriptors were grouped in order to establish eight odorant series: fruity, grass, apple, tomato, floral, woody-spicy, fatty, and mushroom. No difference in sensory descriptors were observed among the EVOOs analysed by official VOO sensory analysis. The method of odorant series herein applied demonstrated to successfully characterise EVOO odour as expected from a sensory panel but just using instrumental analysis of volatile compounds, and giving ad...
The presence of a few kernels with sprouting problems in a batch of wheat can result in enzymatic... more The presence of a few kernels with sprouting problems in a batch of wheat can result in enzymatic activity sufficient to compromise flour functionality and bread quality. This is commonly assessed using the Hagberg Falling Number (HFN) method, which is a batch analysis. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) can provide analysis at the single grain level with potential for improved performance. The present paper deals with the development and application of calibrations obtained using an HSI system working in the near infrared (NIR) region (~900–2500 nm) and reference measurements of HFN. A partial least squares regression calibration has been built using 425 wheat samples with a HFN range of 62–318 s, including field and laboratory pre-germinated samples placed under wet conditions. Two different approaches were tested to apply calibrations: i) application of the calibration to each pixel, followed by calculation of the average of the resulting values for each object (kernel); ii) calculation...
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, Jan 29, 2017
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a pollutant by-product from the virgin olive oil production. Its h... more Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a pollutant by-product from the virgin olive oil production. Its high content in phenolic compounds makes them play an important role for their use in foods, for their high antioxidant significance. The present paper gives an overview on the techniques for OMW valuable ingredient separation, focusing on the most effective ones for their use in food products as functional ingredients. We report on effective methods to recover OMW phenolics, and give several examples on the usethese extracts in foods. When added into vegetable oils, their effect on retarding lipid oxidation improves the oxidative status of the product, whilst several challenges need to be faced. OMW phenolic extracts were also used in food emulsions, milk products or other model systems, showing promising results and little or no negative impact on the sensory characteristics or other properties. Their possible use as antimicrobial agents is also another promising approach, as positive r...
Journal of the science of food and agriculture, Jan 4, 2017
The aim of this research was to study the variability in kernel composition within the canopy of ... more The aim of this research was to study the variability in kernel composition within the canopy of hazelnut trees. Kernel fresh and dry weight increased linearly with fruit height above the ground. Fat content decreased, while protein and ash content increased, from the bottom to the top layers of the canopy. The level of unsaturation of fatty acids decreased from the bottom to the top of the canopy. Thus, the kernels located in the bottom layers of the canopy appear to be more interesting from a nutritional point of view, but their lipids may be more exposed to oxidation. The content of different phytosterols increased progressively from bottom to top canopy layers. Most of these effects correlated with the pattern in light distribution inside the canopy. The results of this study indicate that fruit position within the canopy is an important factor in determining hazelnut kernel growth and composition.
The present paper reports on the use of phenolic extracts from olive mill wastewater (OMW) in mod... more The present paper reports on the use of phenolic extracts from olive mill wastewater (OMW) in model olive oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions to study their effect on their physical and chemical stability. Spray-dried OMW polyphenols were added to a model 20% olive O/W emulsion stabilized with whey protein isolate (WPI) and xanthan gum, in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7. The emulsions were characterised under accelerated storage conditions (40 °C) up to 30 days. Physical stability was evaluated by analysing the creaming rate, mean particle size distribution and mean droplet size, viscosity and rheological properties, while chemical stability was assessed through the measurement of primary and secondary oxidation products. The rheological behaviour and creaming stability of the emulsions were dramatically improved by using xanthan gum, whereas the concentration of WPI and the addition of encapsulated OMW phenolics did not result in a significant improvement of physical stability. The for...
ABSTRACT Molecular gastronomy (MG) is a relatively new scientific discipline, which focuses on fo... more ABSTRACT Molecular gastronomy (MG) is a relatively new scientific discipline, which focuses on food preparation mainly at domestic and restaurant levels. The number of scientific papers on MG has increased in the past few years. It is, however, difficult to differentiate specifically between the MG discipline or other research areas in food science and technology. Otherwise, molecular cooking, i.e., an application of MG principles, seems limited to a few “fancy” techniques supported by famous chefs. This paper aims to critically review the recent developments of MG, the most interesting applications, and the outcomes obtained from the fruitful collaboration among food scientists and innovative chefs. The controversies and merits associated with MG are also presented, e.g., the principle of food pairing and consumers’ appreciation of innovative dishes, and a few research papers promising exciting future developments.
Abstract Virgin olive oil (VOO) aroma is one of the main quality attributes, to be maintained and... more Abstract Virgin olive oil (VOO) aroma is one of the main quality attributes, to be maintained and preserved from the production to the use. We investigated the changes in VOO volatile compounds in a model system, made by refined olive oil spiked with selected VOO volatile molecules representative of its aroma, and the effect of VOO phenolic compounds addition upon storage to simulate the home consumption. Storage up to 7 days was carried out under conditions simulating the home-use/storage of the oil, at 10 °C in darkness, by sampling periodically an aliquot of oil by opening the bottle. SPME–GC/MS was used to quantify headspace concentration of 12 target volatile compounds. Storage resulted in a general lowering of most of the key aroma compounds. The presence of phenolic compounds resulted in a lower loss (17–44%) of aroma compounds with respect to the system without phenolics, whereas the strength of the effect depended upon the chemical classes and specific volatile compounds considered. Our results showed how the volatiles changes in 1 week of use and that biophenols reduce the loss of positive odor notes of VOO also during home/restaurant consumption and storage once the bottle is opened.
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 2014
The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of different types of vegetable oils, namely e... more The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of different types of vegetable oils, namely extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), olive oil, and sunflower oil, on the chemical properties and volatile profile of traditional Neapolitan pizza, produced by using tomato sauce and EVOO. The quality indices and polyphenols in vegetable oils were analyzed to assess the lipid oxidation as affected by cooking in traditional wood-fired ovens. Peroxide value significantly increased in all vegetable oils, particularly in sunflower oil. EVOO polyphenols decreased about 30% their initial level, particularly simple phenolics. Total individual phenolic compounds decreased from 254.6 to 172.0 mg/kg. Pizza cooking caused the development of some neo-formation volatile compounds caused by lipid oxidation and Maillard reaction. Some positive key odor compounds were found in pizza cooked with EVOO, and the addition of tomato sauce and EVOO caused a dramatic change in its volatile pattern.
The use of olive oil in several food products as been increasing in the past few years due to its... more The use of olive oil in several food products as been increasing in the past few years due to its healthy fatty acid composition, content of phenolic compounds and appreciated flavour. The addition of natural phenolic compounds in foods is also an interesting issue for researchers and food industry, as several challenges have to be addressed, such as lipid oxidation and the effects on the physical stability over storage. Usually, emulsions used as sauce or dressing creams are not formulated with olive oil, mainly due to its price, but its use is interesting for some niche markets. With specific regard to olive oil, there is usually the aim is to preserve its characteristics and its appreciated flavour, both in terms of aroma and taste. However, little is known about the possible interaction of constituent phenolic compounds of virgin olive oil on the emulsions properties, both in terms of physical stability and oxidation rate, but also for its impact on aroma release. The present th...
The meat quality grade of a beef carcass is greatly affected by its visible fat content. In premi... more The meat quality grade of a beef carcass is greatly affected by its visible fat content. In premium beef from Japanese Black (Wagyu) cattle, a high fat content is greatly valued. However, the fatty acid composition, which is linked to the properties of the fat, is not considered in grading. In this paper, we describe the feasibility of an evaluation method based on food composition and its distribution. An intact raw beef cut from Wagyu cattle was used as an evaluation target. A total of 90 samples from various parts of three Wagyu cattle were measured by near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging at wavelengths of 1000–2300 nm at a spatial resolution of 380 urn pixel−1 and were also analysed by conventional physical and chemical methods. The fat and fatty acid content were selected as the objective content, including the proportions of total saturated fatty acid (SFA), total unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) and the main fatty acids: myristic [C14:0, where C x: y indicates the number of ...
The production technology of meat-bone paste and its effect on chemical, mineral and amino acid c... more The production technology of meat-bone paste and its effect on chemical, mineral and amino acid compositions of liver pâté were studied. The liver was replaced by meat-bone paste in the concentration of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% for the production of experimental samples. The compositional analysis of pâté manufactured with meat-bone paste showed that the reformulation did not influence the content of moisture (~56%), fat (~28%), or protein (~11%) while producing a significant increase of ash and a decrease of carbohydrates in comparison with control pâtés. The higher amounts of minerals of bone-meat paste, including calcium (3080 mg/100 g), magnesium (2120 mg/100 g), phosphorous (2564 mg/100 g), and iron (7.30 mg/100 g), explained the higher amount of both ash and these minerals in the reformulated samples compared to the control samples. The total caloric value (~300 kcal/100 g) was also unaffected by the addition of bone-meat paste. The content of both essential and non-essential am...
The type of yeast strain used for wine alcoholic fermentation dramatically affects its final vola... more The type of yeast strain used for wine alcoholic fermentation dramatically affects its final volatile composition and, therefore, its sensory properties. In this study, the influence of four oenological Saccharomyces strains (three S. cerevisiae and one S. bayanus) on wine volatile composition was determined on the Fiano variety, a typical cultivar from the Campania region (Italy), fermented in oak barrique. Fiano wines were analyzed by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O). The results showed that the four selected yeast strains had a significant impact on the majority of volatile compounds as shown by the concentration of volatile compounds and based on the Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA) values for many of the odor volatile compounds. This resulted in a dramatic change of the odor impact of the wines, such as the “fruity” attribute, which was higher compared to the control, and caused some changes of other odor att...
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a novel technology for the food sector that enables rapid non-cont... more Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a novel technology for the food sector that enables rapid non-contact analysis of food materials. HSI was applied for the first time to whole green coffee beans, at a single seed level, for quantitative prediction of sucrose, caffeine and trigonelline content. In addition, the intra-bean distribution of coffee constituents was analysed in Arabica and Robusta coffees on a large sample set from 12 countries, using a total of 260 samples. Individual green coffee beans were scanned by reflectance HSI (980-2500nm) and then the concentration of sucrose, caffeine and trigonelline analysed with a reference method (HPLC-MS). Quantitative prediction models were subsequently built using Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression. Large variations in sucrose, caffeine and trigonelline were found between different species and origin, but also within beans from the same batch. It was shown that estimation of sucrose content is possible for screening purposes (R=0.65; pr...
The aim of the current work was to use hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the spectral range 1000-250... more The aim of the current work was to use hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the spectral range 1000-2500 nm to quantitatively predict fermentation index (FI), total polyphenols (TP) and antioxidant activity (AA) of individual dry fermented cocoa beans scanned on a single seed basis, in a non-destructive manner. Seventeen cocoa bean batches were obtained and 10 cocoa beans were used from each batch. PLS regression models were built on 170 samples. The developed HSI predictive models were able to quantify three quality-related parameters with sufficient performance for screening purposes, with external validation R of 0.50 (RMSEP = 0.27, RPD = 1.40), 0.70 (RMSEP = 34.1 mg ferulic acid g, RPD = 1.77) and 0.74 (60.0 mmol Trolog kg, RPD = 1.91) for FI, TP and AA, respectively. The calibrations were subsequently applied at a single bean and pixel level, so that the distribution was visualised within and between single seeds (chemical images). HSI is thus suggested as a promising approach to est...
We report on the analysis of volatile compounds by SPME-GC-MS for individual roasted coffee beans... more We report on the analysis of volatile compounds by SPME-GC-MS for individual roasted coffee beans. The aim was to understand the relative abundance and variability of volatile compounds between individual roasted coffee beans at constant roasting conditions. Twenty-five batches of Arabica and robusta species were sampled from 13 countries, and 10 single coffee beans randomly selected from each batch were individually roasted in a fluidised-bed roaster at 210 °C for 3 min. High variability (CV = 14.0-53.3%) of 50 volatile compounds in roasted coffee was obtained within batches (10 beans per batch). Phenols and heterocyclic nitrogen compounds generally had higher intra-batch variation, while ketones were the most uniform compounds (CV < 20%). The variation between batches was much higher, with the CV ranging from 15.6 to 179.3%. The highest variation was observed for 2,3-butanediol, 3-ethylpyridine and hexanal. It was also possible to build classification models based on geographic...
Hyperspectral imaging (1000-2500 nm) was used for rapid prediction of moisture and total lipid co... more Hyperspectral imaging (1000-2500 nm) was used for rapid prediction of moisture and total lipid content in intact green coffee beans on a single bean basis. Arabica and Robusta samples from several growing locations were scanned using a "push-broom" system. Hypercubes were segmented to select single beans, and average spectra were measured for each bean. Partial Least Squares regression was used to build quantitative prediction models on single beans (n = 320-350). The models exhibited good performance and acceptable prediction errors of ∼0.28% for moisture and ∼0.89% for lipids. This study represents the first time that HSI-based quantitative prediction models have been developed for coffee, and specifically green coffee beans. In addition, this is the first attempt to build such models using single intact coffee beans. The composition variability between beans was studied, and fat and moisture distribution were visualized within individual coffee beans. This rapid, non-de...
Journal of the science of food and agriculture, Jan 31, 2018
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) volatile composition is mainly used as a means of characterisation ... more Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) volatile composition is mainly used as a means of characterisation and authentication, especially for protected denomination of origin (PDO) products. This work investigated the volatile compounds from twenty-five EVOOs from four Spanish (Cornicabra, Castellana, Picual, and Manzanilla Cacereña) and four Italian (Ortice, Ravece, Nocellara del Belice and Itrana) cultivars in terms of odour activity value (OAV). Forty-seven volatile compounds were analysed by SPME-GC/MS. OAVs of volatile compounds with similar descriptors were grouped in order to establish eight odorant series: fruity, grass, apple, tomato, floral, woody-spicy, fatty, and mushroom. No difference in sensory descriptors were observed among the EVOOs analysed by official VOO sensory analysis. The method of odorant series herein applied demonstrated to successfully characterise EVOO odour as expected from a sensory panel but just using instrumental analysis of volatile compounds, and giving ad...
The presence of a few kernels with sprouting problems in a batch of wheat can result in enzymatic... more The presence of a few kernels with sprouting problems in a batch of wheat can result in enzymatic activity sufficient to compromise flour functionality and bread quality. This is commonly assessed using the Hagberg Falling Number (HFN) method, which is a batch analysis. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) can provide analysis at the single grain level with potential for improved performance. The present paper deals with the development and application of calibrations obtained using an HSI system working in the near infrared (NIR) region (~900–2500 nm) and reference measurements of HFN. A partial least squares regression calibration has been built using 425 wheat samples with a HFN range of 62–318 s, including field and laboratory pre-germinated samples placed under wet conditions. Two different approaches were tested to apply calibrations: i) application of the calibration to each pixel, followed by calculation of the average of the resulting values for each object (kernel); ii) calculation...
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, Jan 29, 2017
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a pollutant by-product from the virgin olive oil production. Its h... more Olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a pollutant by-product from the virgin olive oil production. Its high content in phenolic compounds makes them play an important role for their use in foods, for their high antioxidant significance. The present paper gives an overview on the techniques for OMW valuable ingredient separation, focusing on the most effective ones for their use in food products as functional ingredients. We report on effective methods to recover OMW phenolics, and give several examples on the usethese extracts in foods. When added into vegetable oils, their effect on retarding lipid oxidation improves the oxidative status of the product, whilst several challenges need to be faced. OMW phenolic extracts were also used in food emulsions, milk products or other model systems, showing promising results and little or no negative impact on the sensory characteristics or other properties. Their possible use as antimicrobial agents is also another promising approach, as positive r...
Journal of the science of food and agriculture, Jan 4, 2017
The aim of this research was to study the variability in kernel composition within the canopy of ... more The aim of this research was to study the variability in kernel composition within the canopy of hazelnut trees. Kernel fresh and dry weight increased linearly with fruit height above the ground. Fat content decreased, while protein and ash content increased, from the bottom to the top layers of the canopy. The level of unsaturation of fatty acids decreased from the bottom to the top of the canopy. Thus, the kernels located in the bottom layers of the canopy appear to be more interesting from a nutritional point of view, but their lipids may be more exposed to oxidation. The content of different phytosterols increased progressively from bottom to top canopy layers. Most of these effects correlated with the pattern in light distribution inside the canopy. The results of this study indicate that fruit position within the canopy is an important factor in determining hazelnut kernel growth and composition.
The present paper reports on the use of phenolic extracts from olive mill wastewater (OMW) in mod... more The present paper reports on the use of phenolic extracts from olive mill wastewater (OMW) in model olive oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions to study their effect on their physical and chemical stability. Spray-dried OMW polyphenols were added to a model 20% olive O/W emulsion stabilized with whey protein isolate (WPI) and xanthan gum, in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7. The emulsions were characterised under accelerated storage conditions (40 °C) up to 30 days. Physical stability was evaluated by analysing the creaming rate, mean particle size distribution and mean droplet size, viscosity and rheological properties, while chemical stability was assessed through the measurement of primary and secondary oxidation products. The rheological behaviour and creaming stability of the emulsions were dramatically improved by using xanthan gum, whereas the concentration of WPI and the addition of encapsulated OMW phenolics did not result in a significant improvement of physical stability. The for...
ABSTRACT Molecular gastronomy (MG) is a relatively new scientific discipline, which focuses on fo... more ABSTRACT Molecular gastronomy (MG) is a relatively new scientific discipline, which focuses on food preparation mainly at domestic and restaurant levels. The number of scientific papers on MG has increased in the past few years. It is, however, difficult to differentiate specifically between the MG discipline or other research areas in food science and technology. Otherwise, molecular cooking, i.e., an application of MG principles, seems limited to a few “fancy” techniques supported by famous chefs. This paper aims to critically review the recent developments of MG, the most interesting applications, and the outcomes obtained from the fruitful collaboration among food scientists and innovative chefs. The controversies and merits associated with MG are also presented, e.g., the principle of food pairing and consumers’ appreciation of innovative dishes, and a few research papers promising exciting future developments.
Abstract Virgin olive oil (VOO) aroma is one of the main quality attributes, to be maintained and... more Abstract Virgin olive oil (VOO) aroma is one of the main quality attributes, to be maintained and preserved from the production to the use. We investigated the changes in VOO volatile compounds in a model system, made by refined olive oil spiked with selected VOO volatile molecules representative of its aroma, and the effect of VOO phenolic compounds addition upon storage to simulate the home consumption. Storage up to 7 days was carried out under conditions simulating the home-use/storage of the oil, at 10 °C in darkness, by sampling periodically an aliquot of oil by opening the bottle. SPME–GC/MS was used to quantify headspace concentration of 12 target volatile compounds. Storage resulted in a general lowering of most of the key aroma compounds. The presence of phenolic compounds resulted in a lower loss (17–44%) of aroma compounds with respect to the system without phenolics, whereas the strength of the effect depended upon the chemical classes and specific volatile compounds considered. Our results showed how the volatiles changes in 1 week of use and that biophenols reduce the loss of positive odor notes of VOO also during home/restaurant consumption and storage once the bottle is opened.
Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 2014
The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of different types of vegetable oils, namely e... more The aim of our research was to evaluate the effect of different types of vegetable oils, namely extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), olive oil, and sunflower oil, on the chemical properties and volatile profile of traditional Neapolitan pizza, produced by using tomato sauce and EVOO. The quality indices and polyphenols in vegetable oils were analyzed to assess the lipid oxidation as affected by cooking in traditional wood-fired ovens. Peroxide value significantly increased in all vegetable oils, particularly in sunflower oil. EVOO polyphenols decreased about 30% their initial level, particularly simple phenolics. Total individual phenolic compounds decreased from 254.6 to 172.0 mg/kg. Pizza cooking caused the development of some neo-formation volatile compounds caused by lipid oxidation and Maillard reaction. Some positive key odor compounds were found in pizza cooked with EVOO, and the addition of tomato sauce and EVOO caused a dramatic change in its volatile pattern.
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Papers by Nicola Caporaso