The objectives of this study were to optimize the conditions for cell growth and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production by using pure and mixed microbial cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of EPS in vitro. The mixed cultures of two strains showed a higher cell growth whereas the higher EPS production was detected in pure culture with S. thermophilus. The optimal medium were determined as follows (g/l): sucrose 50, yeast extract 10, KH2PO4 3 , MgSO4.7H2O 0.05 and pH initial 6.5 at 30°C. Under the optimized conditions, the values of dry cell weight (DCW) and EPS were 5.2± 0.8 g/l and 56.8 ± 0.62 mg/ml, respectively.  The EPS demonstrated a positive antioxidant potential on DDPH radical scavenging. The agar diffusion assay showed that purified EPS exhibited antibacterial activities against tested pathogens such as Escherichia coli ATCC 250922 and Staphyloccocus aureus ATCC 250923 at (62-1000) μg/mL. In conclusion, EPS have an antioxidant activity and could have applications in the food industry.

The food sector frequently faces difficulties in implementing food safety standards. Indeed, there are many barriers to appropriation of quality management standards which make effective implementation difficult for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), such as limited access to information, lack of financing and cognitive resources, food hazard perception, and insufficient access to adequately trained personnel. Consequently, one fundamental objective for practitioners such as managers, public bodies and development agencies is to help these food SMEs in improving their implementation capacity, which is usually done through the launch of different forms of collective initiatives such as associations, clubs, learning platforms, regional actions and other forms of collaboration. Globally speaking, the objective of these initiatives typically is to develop a step by step approach providing guidance on good practices associated with the implementation of these systems. The objective of the article is to explore and test the validity of this hypothesis, rooted in a general idea of “organizational network learning”: the capacity of SMEs to adopt new food safety schemes is seen as a whole and necessitates mobilizing, at the same time, 1) formal innovation networks, which bring cognitive resources and institutional credibility, and 2) the practice by managers of informal network activities through interactive exchanges of information, benchmarking, knowledge transfer and translation, and experiential learning.

Grape berries are a good source of nutrients and nutraceuticals and have many benefits for human health. Growing interest in the export potential and consumption of a new grape (cv. Karaerik), cultivated as a table grape in Turkey, encouraged us to profile its major nutrient contents from six different locations. Due to its popularity, the nutritional value of this grape berry needs to be investigated to ascertain its potential economic and health benefits. The most abundant sugars in the grape berry were fructose and glucose (peel/whole fruit; averages 236.57 and 127.87, and 183.36 and 108.60 (g kg-1 fresh weight), respectively), while the major organic acids were tartaric and malic acids (7.17 and 2.81, and 2.61 and 1.76(g kg-1 fresh weight), respectively). Linoleic acid (peel/whole fruit/seed; 37.14, 33.12 and 57.83%, respectively) was the predominant fatty acid, while potassium (peel/whole fruit/seed; 9331.5, 10226.33 and 5354 mg/g dry weight, respectively) was the predominant mineral, followed by phosphorus (1592.8, 2672 and 3072.67) in the berry. Our results demonstrate that the nutrient components and physicochemical parameters varied significantly among the sampling locations. The grape berry contains considerable quantities of potentially beneficial healthy nutrients worthy of further evaluation.

Coconut water is currently being considered as an elixir for patients suffering from diseases like dengue and malaria as well as chikungunia to provide hydration properties to the body. It has become a popular beverage for many people owing to its palatability and high mineral content. In this study, the growth, survival and fermentation performance of the probiotic bacterium Bacillus coagulans in coconut water was assessed in order to produce a novel non-dairy, probiotic beverage. The species was characterized on the basis of morphology, physiology and biochemical parameters and its probiotic attributes were assessed. Batch fermentations were carried out for 2 days at a constant 37°C, thereafter the samples were subjected to microbiological and chemical analysis. The results suggested that the specie produced lactic acid and was acid and bile tolerant. The pH and titratable acidity of probiotic fermented coconut water were found to be 4.4 and 0.53 % lactic acid, respectively. The viscosity of fermented coconut water increased significantly from an initial 5.13 mPa.s to 5.35 mPa.s because of the increase in soluble solids content due to exopolysaccharide production by B. coagulans during fermentation. Also, the overall acceptability score of probiotic coconut water was higher than tender coconut water, suggesting its feasibility for use as a probiotic beverage.

The purpose of this study was to investigate optimum test conditions of acoustical-mechanical measurement of wafer analysed by Acoustic Envelope Detector attached to the Texture Analyser. Forcedisplacement and acoustic signals were simultaneously recorded applying two different methods (3-point bending and cutting test). In order to study acoustical-mechanical behaviour of wafers, the parameters “maximum sound pressure”, “total count peaks” and “mean sound value” were used and optimal test conditions of microphone position and test speed were examined. With a microphone position of 45° angle and 1 cm distance and at a low test speed of 0.5 mm/s wafers of different quality could be distinguished best. The angle of microphone did not have significant effect on acoustic results and the nu

The manufacture of food during distribution, a concept known as “made-in-transit” (MIT) manufacture, has the potential to expand the distribution range, extend shelf-life, and provide the customer with the freshest possible product. Benefits for the manufacturer include maximising throughput while minimising manufacturing space and inventory. This concept is new, with mushrooms being the only MIT food developed so far. The feasibility of developing an MIT product from a fermented food was reviewed using yoghurt as a model system. Through the alteration of some of the yoghurt manufacturing parameters (e.g. milk base formulation, heat treatment, starter culture composition and fermentation temperature) it is possible to develop this form of yoghurt production. A predictive microbiology approach is suitable for predicting the effects of both time and temperature on designing and predicting the fermentation process. This review demonstrates the potential of the MIT concept for a fermented food.