application of alternative food-preservation - Bentham Science

2 Application of Alternative Food-Preservation Technologies Bevilacqua et al.
A good answer for this demand could be the use of natural compounds, as well as the employment of some notthermal
treatments (homogenization, high hydrostatic pressure, microwave and irradiation), able to assure safety
and quality.
A drawback of the literature for these topics is that the most of books and reviews available are referred to data
collected in model systems or laboratory media or, when the in vivo information is present, there is a lack on the
practical use in foods.
This book offers an overview of the most recent findings on the topics of natural compounds and not-thermal
approaches, focusing on the practical application and implications of these alternative methods in foods.
Chapters 2 and 3 report a theoretical background, useful to understand how manage the concepts of safety and
quality (quantitative risk analysis, food safety objectives, use of microbiological criteria), along with a brief
description of the most important pathogens and spoiling microorganisms recovered in foods and the
biochemical changes occurring throughout food storage and spoilage.
After these two chapters, that can be considered as a necessary introduction, there are the key chapters of the
book, divided into two groups: in the section I (chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7) readers can find an exhaustive description
of the most important natural compounds used for food preservation (i.e. essential oils, nisin, lysozyme and other
enzymatic systems and chitosan); otherwise, the chapters 8 and 9 (section II) focus on the not-thermal
approaches (high pressure, microwave and irradiation).
Each chapter includes one or more paragraphs covering the basic aspects of the topic (mode of action, details on
the antimicrobial activity, equipments) and then the information on the use of the proposed approach in foods,
along with a description of food changes, if the data are available. Finally, in the case of the natural compounds,
there is always a final paragraph covering the toxicological data and legal aspects.
Chapter 10 proposes another theoretical and necessary background, i.e. the predictive microbiology and the
mathematical approach for shelf life prediction and evaluation. After a brief description of the most important
primary models (both growth and survival functions), the chapter goes on some new approaches, like the S/P
models, along a brief synopsis of the most important secondary models. An appendix to the chapters reports
some details on the design of experiments, focusing on the Central Composite Design and Centroid Approach.
Finally, the book proposes two appendices, focusing on the microencapsulation of active ingredients, as a new
way for shelf life prolonging, and the use of not-conventional atmospheres, as a convenient approach to control
microbial growth and preserve food quality.
In summary, we feel that this book will be a useful mean for students, researchers and people acting in food
chain with the spectrum of current knowledge, practical implications and applications and perspectives, along
with some provoking issues.
We hope that it can contribute to increase consumer awareness towards some alternative approaches for food
preservation, as well as the firm belief amongst food producers and governments that natural compounds and
not-thermal approaches have really a practical significance and can be the future in the field of food technology,
thus assuring safety, quality and low impact on human health and environment.
Table 1: Keywords of green consumerism
Keyword Why
Health
A sentary lifestyle combined with health impacts of environmental pollution and emissions, use and
abuse of pesticides, antibiotics and chemicals, could have dramatic consequences.
Energy
Every source of energy has an environmental impact. Energy efficiency is not just technology, but also
cutting back.
Water Water use is increasing at twice the rate of population increase. Much can be done at individual level.
Chemicals
Pesticides, preservatives and other chemical hazards have long term effects on human health and wellbeing.
Genetic
engineering
Natural world
Includes many ethical and moral issues. Genetic engineering is not necessarily bad, but consumer
should be given the choice.
Considerable pressures are put on the natural world due to population increase and rise in consumption.
Nowadays, it has been esteemed that ca. 40% of all plant is consumed by humans. Somewhere,
something should stop!