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Journals
Processes
Special Issues
Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing
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Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 7313

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Renata Różyło

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Engineering and Machines, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: food processing; natural products; application of food byproducts; cereal processing; baking technology; natural colorant; freeze-drying
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Monika Wójcik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Engineering and Machines, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
Interests: food engineering; bakery products; healthy food; plant additives

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recently, there has been an increase in interest in high-quality plant raw materials due to their use in many industries, from food processing to cosmetology and medicine. This Special Issue of Processes, entitled “Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing”, aims to present research on the application of analytical chemistry, biochemistry, physical analysis, molecular analysis, and microstructure observations to study plant materials. Methods for processing plant-based foods and optimizing food and beverage production may also be accepted. As a result, in this Special Issue, we invite authors to provide their most recent scientific advances, insights, and breakthroughs in food plant materials analysis and processing. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics: food processing from low to highly processed and innovative protein products of plant origin, e.g., protein preparations. Also, we invite studies focused on functional foods that are made practically from various plant raw materials through the process of enriching, strengthening, or otherwise changing nutrients, as well as the production of various plant powders of high quality and safety that can be incorporated into food fortification. We also welcome studies focused on food from plant raw materials as meat analogues, considered safe, with a high nutritional value, produced and processed using sustainable methods. Additionally, innovative and traditional methods of food preservation and packaging are also welcomed. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Renata Różyło
Dr. Monika Wójcik
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food processing
  • plant material
  • functional food
  • food quality

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1656 KiB  
Article
Pre-Treatment Impact on Freeze-Drying Process and Properties of Dried Blueberries
by Ewa Jakubczyk, Ewelina Tryzno-Gendek, Anna Kot, Anna Kamińska-Dwórznicka and Dorota Nowak
Processes 2025, 13(2), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020537 - 14 Feb 2025
Viewed by 540
Abstract
This study has aimed to determine the effect of pre-treatment with enzymes, ultrasound, and fruit skin perforation on the kinetics of the freeze-drying process and selected properties of the dried blueberries. The dry matter, water activity, maximal compression force, and content of flavonoids, [...] Read more.
This study has aimed to determine the effect of pre-treatment with enzymes, ultrasound, and fruit skin perforation on the kinetics of the freeze-drying process and selected properties of the dried blueberries. The dry matter, water activity, maximal compression force, and content of flavonoids, polyphenols, and anthocyanins after the pre-treatment and drying process were measured. The enzymatic, ultrasonic, and puncture treatments reduced the hardness of the blueberries by 2.5-fold, while the content of most bioactive compounds remained similar. The structure analysis has shown that freeze-dried blueberries without pre-treatment, but subjected to sonication, were almost hollow inside due to tissue rupture. It resulted in a decrease in the hardness of dried blueberries from 324.2 N (punctured) to 107.5 N (fresh) and 184.5 N (sonicated). The content of polyphenols ranged from 173.2 to 251.0 mg GAE/g d.m. in the fruits subjected to the enzymatic treatment and perforation, respectively. The application of pre-treatment with enzymes and puncturing may be recommended for the freeze-drying of blueberries as it reduces drying time by half. Moreover, the obtained products had a similar content of most bioactive compounds to those observed for freeze-dried blueberries without pre-treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing)
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13 pages, 2445 KiB  
Article
Processing and Shelf Life of Cold Brew Organic Coffee
by Eduardo Alessandro Soares, Giovanni Ponzo Bento, Letícia Carmelindo Nogueira, Thainá Leonardo Calia Arismendes, Carolina Lollato de Oliveira Machado, Eloiza Leme Guerra, Marta Regina Verruma-Bernardi and Rodrigo Rodrigues Petrus
Processes 2025, 13(1), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010243 - 16 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1106
Abstract
The cold brew method consists of soaking roasted and ground coffee beans either in cold or ambient water (4–23 °C) for up to 24 h. Using this technique, a drink with a unique sensory profile is obtained. This study was conducted to determine [...] Read more.
The cold brew method consists of soaking roasted and ground coffee beans either in cold or ambient water (4–23 °C) for up to 24 h. Using this technique, a drink with a unique sensory profile is obtained. This study was conducted to determine the shelf life of a cold brew organic coffee drink (pH~5.0) made from organic beans subjected to three roast levels: light, medium and dark. The drink was pasteurized at 90 °C/30 s, ultra-clean filled into high-density polyethylene bottles, and stored at 4 °C in the dark. Physicochemical, enzymic tests, instrumental color analysis, and microbiological and sensory assays were carried out. The product remained microbiologically stable under refrigeration for all roast levels; however, the beverage made from light roasted beans failed at the beginning of the study, in contrast to the those prepared from medium and dark roasts, which achieved 150 days of shelf life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing)
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13 pages, 1461 KiB  
Article
The Use of Bamboo Fiber in the Production of High-Fiber, Low-Carbohydrate, and Gluten-Free Bread: Physicochemical and Spectroscopic Properties
by Monika Wójcik, Arkadiusz Matwijczuk, Lidia Ślusarczyk and Renata Różyło
Processes 2025, 13(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13010083 - 2 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1473
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding bamboo fiber on the basic physical properties of gluten-free and low-carbohydrate bread. The control bread was made from buckwheat, flax, and walnut flour. Bamboo fiber was introduced to the bread recipe in proportions ranging [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding bamboo fiber on the basic physical properties of gluten-free and low-carbohydrate bread. The control bread was made from buckwheat, flax, and walnut flour. Bamboo fiber was introduced to the bread recipe in proportions ranging from 0 to 10% (every 2%). The results showed that adding from 4 to 6% bamboo fiber to the control bread resulted in a slight rise of around 3% in volume, but a larger addition resulted in a drop in volume. The pH changes were also not significant; after more than 6% addition, the pH increased by about 2%. After adding more than 4% fiber, the color of the crumb changed noticeably (∆E >3), owing mostly to a significant increase in the lightness (L*) coefficient. The incorporation of the fiber had the greatest impact on the textural parameters when the storage time was increased to 48 h. The addition of 6% fiber resulted in unfavorable alterations in the hardness. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that bamboo fiber can serve as a beneficial component for enriching gluten-free and low-carbohydrate bread, but its proportion should not exceed 4%. This developed bread with 4% addition of bamboo fiber can be classified as a functional bread for special diets; in addition to its very low carbohydrate content (15.3%), it was also characterized by a high fiber content (12.2%) and a low caloric value (176.7 kcal/100 g FM). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing)
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14 pages, 6524 KiB  
Article
Effect of Microwave–Vacuum Drying and Pea Protein Fortification on Pasta Characteristics
by Nam Phuong Michalina Nguyen and Agata Marzec
Processes 2024, 12(11), 2508; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12112508 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 2159
Abstract
The widespread popularity of pasta has driven innovations in formulations and production technologies to enhance its versatility. Techniques such as alternative drying methods and fortification of wheat pasta seek to improve the nutritional value and functional properties of pasta products, thereby increasing their [...] Read more.
The widespread popularity of pasta has driven innovations in formulations and production technologies to enhance its versatility. Techniques such as alternative drying methods and fortification of wheat pasta seek to improve the nutritional value and functional properties of pasta products, thereby increasing their attractiveness to consumers. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of microwave–vacuum drying versus conventional drying on the characteristics of durum wheat semolina pasta, including moisture content, water activity, microstructure, colour, texture, weight gain factor, and cooking loss. Three types of pea protein concentrates (80, 84, and 88% dry matter) were used at levels of 3, 6, and 9% (g/100 g flour). Results indicated that microwave–vacuum drying had a significant impact on the physical properties and cooking quality of pasta. Microwave–vacuum drying caused material puffing, resulting in microstructure with high open porosity (64.1%) and minimal closed porosity (0.1%). This has likely contributed to the short rehydration time (2 min in boiling water) of produced pasta, effectively transforming it into an instant food product. All pasta samples had low water content (<9%) and water activity (<0.4), which ensure food safety. The microwave–vacuum-dried pasta weight gain factor (2.2) was lower than in the conventionally dried pasta (2.8). The firmness of microwave–vacuum-dried pasta was significantly higher (135 g) than that of conventional pasta (16 g). Fortification with pea protein enhanced porosity but did not affect pasta’s culinary parameters, such as weight gain or cooking loss, although it resulted in darker pasta (p = 0.001), especially notable with a 9% pea protein addition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing)
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11 pages, 1560 KiB  
Article
Assessing Quality Attributes and Antioxidant Effects in Chocolate Milk Formulated with Gum Arabic and Desert Truffle
by Khalid A. Alsaleem, Khalid H. Musa, Mahmoud E. A. Hamouda and Essam M. Hamad
Processes 2024, 12(8), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081714 - 15 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1621
Abstract
The increasing demand for functional and nutritious beverages necessitates the exploration of novel ingredients and formulations. This study evaluated the impact of supplementing chocolate milk with desert truffles powder and varying concentrations of gum arabic on its chemical composition, viscosity, color characteristics, antioxidant [...] Read more.
The increasing demand for functional and nutritious beverages necessitates the exploration of novel ingredients and formulations. This study evaluated the impact of supplementing chocolate milk with desert truffles powder and varying concentrations of gum arabic on its chemical composition, viscosity, color characteristics, antioxidant activity, and sensory attributes. Desert truffles powder was consistently incorporated at 2% across all treatments, while gum arabic concentrations varied from 0% to 1.5%. The results revealed significant enhancements in the nutritional profile, particularly in treatments with higher gum arabic concentrations, which showed increased solids-not-fat, protein, and carbohydrate contents. Additionally, the viscosity and shear stress values of the chocolate milk improved with the addition of gum arabic, enhancing its texture and stability. Color analysis demonstrated a darker and more intense coloration in samples with higher gum arabic levels. Antioxidant activity, assessed through total phenolic content, DPPH, and ABTS scavenging activity, was highest at moderate gum arabic concentrations but declined at higher levels. A high correlation was observed between total phenolic content and both DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities. Sensory evaluation indicated no significant differences in flavor, consistency, color, and overall acceptability across treatments, suggesting that the nutritional enhancements did not compromise sensory qualities. Overall, this study highlights that incorporating desert truffles powder and gum arabic can effectively improve the functional and nutritional properties of chocolate milk, presenting it as a viable option for health-oriented consumers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Plant Raw Materials and Their Processing)
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