Search Results (506)

Consumers increasingly seek clean-label meat products with improved nutrition and stability. We evaluated a collagen hydrolysate–cranberry mixture (CH-CR) as a functional additive in cooked sausages. Two formulations—control and CH-CR—were assessed for fatty acid profile; lipid and protein oxidation during storage; antioxidant capacity ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50); amino acid composition; and instrumental color. Relative to the control, CH-CR produced a more favorable lipid profile: lower saturated fatty acids (SFAs) 23.9% vs. 28.0%, higher monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) 53.2% vs. 49.3%, slightly higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) 23.3% vs. 22.7%, a higher PUFA/SFA ratio of 0.97 vs. 0.81, and a lower omega-6/omega-3 (n-6/n-3) ratio of 13.5 vs. 27.1, driven by higher alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) 1.6% vs. 0.8%, with trans fats <0.1%. Storage studies showed attenuated oxidation in CH-CR: lower peroxide value (PV) at day 10 8.1 ± 0.4 vs. 9.8 ± 0.5 meq/kg and lower thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) at day 6 0.042 ± 0.004 vs. 0.055 ± 0.006 mg MDA/kg and day 10 0.156 ± 0.016 vs. 0.590 ± 0.041 mg MDA/kg); the acid value at day 10 was similar. Antioxidant capacity increased with CH-CR FRAP 30.5 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g vs. not detected; DPPH inhibition was 29.88% vs. 10.23%; IC50 56.22 vs. 149.51 µg/mL. The amino acid profile reflected collagen incorporation—higher glycine+proline+hydroxyproline 2.37 vs. 1.38 g/100 g and a modest rise in indispensable amino acids (IAAs) 5.72 vs. 5.42 g/100 g, increasing the IAA/total amino acid (TAA) ratio to 0.411 vs. 0.380. CH-CR samples were lighter and retained redness better under light, with comparable overall color stability. Overall, CH-CR is a natural strategy to improve fatty acid quality and oxidative/color stability in sausages. Full article

Oxidative reactions accelerate quality loss in emulsified meats. This study evaluated a clean-label strategy in goat meat pates by co-fortifying Portulaca oleracea powder 1% and honey 4%. Control and treatment batches were cooked to 72 °C and stored as opened packs at ≤6 °C for 10 days. Oxidative stability of lipid and protein was monitored by peroxide value (PV), TBARS, acid value, and baseline protein carbonyls; total antioxidant capacity was assessed by FRAP and DPPH; color was quantified in CIE Lab; fatty acids were profiled by GC-FID; and protein integrity was examined by SDS-PAGE. The treatment modestly increased α-linolenic acid (ALA) (1.2% vs. 0.8%) in the control and markedly enhanced antioxidant status (FRAP 10.5 ± 0.04 mg GAE/g vs. not detected; DPPH 33.02 ± 0.009% vs. 22.33 ± 0.007%; IC₅₀ 106.10 ± 10.01 vs. 138.25 ± 11.15 µg/mL). Across storage, PV showed a small, non-significant delay on day 10 (13.0 ± 0.9 vs. 14.0 ± 0.9 meq/kg), while secondary and hydrolytic indices were consistently lower (TBARS day 10: 1.91 ± 0.13 vs. 3.29 ± 0.23 mg MDA/kg; acid value day 10: 7.0 ± 0.5 vs. 8.5 ± 0.6 mg KOH/g). Protein carbonyls at baseline were comparable (99.19 vs. 95.73 nmol/mg). L* and b* remained similar before and after light exposure, with a modest, non-significant reduction in color stability and greater a* loss in the treatment. These results show that purslane–honey co-fortification nutritionally enriches pates and attenuates oxidative spoilage during refrigerated storage, with minor color trade-offs that merit process optimization. Full article

Thangka paintings, as intricate forms of Tibetan Buddhist art, present unique challenges for image segmentation due to their densely arranged symbolic elements, complex color patterns, and strong structural symmetry. To address these difficulties, we propose SPIRIT, a structure-aware and prompt-guided diffusion segmentation framework tailored for Thangka images. Our method incorporates a support-query-encoding scheme to exploit limited labeled samples and introduces semantic guided attention fusion to integrate symbolic knowledge into the denoising process. Moreover, we design a symmetry-aware refinement module to explicitly preserve bilateral and radial symmetries, enhancing both accuracy and interpretability. Experimental results on our curated Thangka dataset and the artistic ArtBench benchmark demonstrate that our approach achieves 88.3% mIoU on Thangka and 86.1% mIoU on ArtBench, outperforming the strongest baseline by 6.1% and 5.6% mIoU, respectively. These results confirm that SPIRIT not only captures fine-grained details, but also excels in segmenting structurally complex regions of artistic imagery. Full article

Coffee silverskin (CS), the principal solid by-product from coffee roasting, is a promising raw material for sustainable food applications aligned with circular economy principles. Due to its high flammability at roasting temperatures, effective management of CS is not only an environmental but also a safety concern in coffee processing facilities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the chemical composition, bioactivity, safety, and environmental impact of torrefacto (CT) and natural (CN) coffee silverskin. CT (from Arabica–Robusta blends subjected to sugar-glazing) and CN (from 100% Arabica) were characterized in terms of composition and function. Oven-dried CT showed higher levels of caffeine (13.2 ± 0.6 mg/g vs. 8.7 ± 0.7 mg/g for CN), chlorogenic acid (1.34 ± 0.08 mg/g vs. 0.92 ± 0.06 mg/g), protein (18.1 ± 0.2% vs. 16.7 ± 0.2%), and melanoidins (14.9 ± 0.3 mg/g vs. 9.6 ± 0.2 mg/g), but CN yielded more total phenolics (13.8 ± 0.6 mg GAE/g). Both types exhibited strong antioxidant capacity (ABTS: 48.9–59.2 µmol TE/g), and all oven-dried samples met food safety criteria (microbial loads below 10² CFU/g, moisture 7.9%). Oven drying was identified as the most industrially viable, ensuring preservation of bioactives and resulting in a 19% lower greenhouse gas emissions impact compared to freeze-drying. Sun drying was less reliable microbiologically. The valorization of oven-dried CT as a clean-label, antioxidant-rich colorant offers clear potential for food reformulation and waste reduction. Renewable energy use during drying is recommended to further enhance sustainability. This study provides scientific evidence to support the safe use of coffee silverskin as a novel food, contributing to regulatory assessment and sustainable food innovation aligned with SDGs 9, 12, and 13. Full article

This study investigated the incorporation of Salicornia perennans powder as a natural antioxidant and functional ingredient in cooked sausages, with the aim of improving product quality and promoting sustainable production strategies. The inclusion of 3% Salicornia perennans resulted in a nutritionally favorable shift in the fatty acid profile, with a 1.5-fold increase in α-linolenic acid ALA and the presence of long-chain ω-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, along with improved PUFA/SFA and ω-6/ω-3 ratios. Lipid and protein oxidation were significantly suppressed during refrigerated storage, as evidenced by the reduced peroxide value of 10.6 vs. 12.8 meq/kg, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance value of 0.158 vs. 0.210 mg MDA/kg, acid value of 4.6 vs. 5.5 mg KOH/g, and carbonyl compound value of 101.9 vs. 112.3 nmol/mg protein compared to the control. Color stability was enhanced, with ΔE* values remaining below perceptible thresholds in Salicornia perennans-supplemented sausages, highlighting its role in preserving visual quality. Antioxidant capacity was markedly higher, with FRAP values of 14.5 mg GAE/g undetected in the control and improved DPPH radical-scavenging activity of 22.6% vs. 12.5%. These findings demonstrate that Salicornia perennans not only enriches meat products with bioactive compounds and health-promoting lipids but also reduces oxidative spoilage, thereby extending shelf life. The results emphasize the potential of halophyte-based ingredients to support technological innovation, environmental impact reduction, and the development of clean-label functional meat products aligned with sustainable production strategies. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of clove extract powder (CEP) as a natural curing accelerator in pork sausages produced with pre-converted Chinese cabbage powder (PCCP) as a nitrite source. Sausages were prepared using a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design with three levels of CEP (0, 500, and 1000 ppm), two sodium ascorbate levels (0 and 500 ppm), and two nitrite sources (synthetic sodium nitrite and PCCP). Increasing the level of CEP decreased pH, CIE L*, CIE a*, and residual nitrite, whereas CIE b*, cured meat pigment, total pigment, and curing efficiency were increased (p < 0.05). The inclusion of sodium ascorbate decreased (p < 0.05) residual nitrite levels while enhancing CIE b*, cured meat pigment, and curing efficiency. Compared with sodium nitrite, PCCP treatments retained higher residual nitrite (p < 0.05), although no significant differences (p ≥ 0.05) were observed for instrumental color, cured meat pigment, total pigment, or curing efficiency. These results demonstrate that CEP, when combined with PCCP, effectively promotes the development of cured meat color and enhances pigment stability, suggesting that this combination can serve as a promising alternative to synthetic nitrite and ascorbate in clean-label pork sausages. Full article

Smartphone-based strain monitoring of structural components is an emerging approach to structural health monitoring. However, the existing techniques suffer from limited accuracy and poor cross-device adaptability. This study aims to optimize the smartphone-based Micro Image Strain Sensing (MISS) method by replacing the traditional Connected Component Labeling (CCL) algorithm with the arc-support line segments (ASLS) algorithm, thereby significantly enhancing the stability and adaptability of circle detection in micro-images captured by diverse smartphones. Additionally, this study evaluates the impact of lighting conditions and lens distortion on the optimized MISS method. The experimental results demonstrate that the ASLS algorithm outperforms CCL in terms of recognition accuracy (maximum error of 0.94%) and cross-device adaptability, exhibiting greater robustness against color temperature and focal length variations. Under fluctuating lighting conditions, the strain measurement noise remains within ±0.5 με and with a maximum error of 7.0 με compared to LVDT measurements, indicating the strong adaptability of the optimized MISS method to external light changes. Barrel distortion in microscopic images induces a maximum pixel error of 5.66%, yet the final optimized MISS method achieves highly accurate strain measurements. The optimized MISS method significantly improves measurement stability and engineering applicability, enabling effective large-scale implementation for strain monitoring of civil infrastructure. Full article

The quality of water supply and its contamination remain global issues. In this work we aim to propose a concept of a novel integrated device for label-free and real-time monitoring of water contaminants that may be performed without specialized equipment. By employing an effective model for describing interactions of a plasmonic nanoparticle-based sensing reflector and using a transfer matrix approach to determine optical properties of the complete system, we demonstrate that our integrated sensing device is able to change the color of emitted light in response to the change of optical properties of the surrounding medium, which enables naked-eye detection of water contaminants. Additionally, by employing dual plasmon resonance arising from resonances of nanoparticles and metal substrate, as well as interactions between them, it is possible to engineer emission efficiency and colorimetric properties of the sensor. We believe that the proposed device, due to its compactness, integrated form, and naked-eye and real-time detection capabilities, will address the current challenges in water quality monitoring. Full article

Few-shot instance segmentation (FSIS) is devised to address the intricate challenge of instance segmentation when labeled data for novel classes is scant. Nevertheless, existing methodologies encounter notable constraints in the agile expansion of novel classes and the management of memory overhead. The integration workflow for novel classes is inflexible, and given the necessity of retaining class exemplars during both training and inference stages, considerable memory consumption ensues. To surmount these challenges, this study introduces an innovative framework encompassing a two-stage “base training-novel class fine-tuning” paradigm. It acquires discriminative instance-level embedding representations. Concretely, instance embeddings are aggregated into class prototypes, and the storage of embedding vectors as opposed to images inherently mitigates the issue of memory overload. Via a Region of Interest (RoI)-level cosine similarity matching mechanism, the flexible augmentation of novel classes is realized, devoid of the requirement for supplementary training and independent of historical data. Experimental validations attest that this approach significantly outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in mainstream benchmark evaluations. More crucially, its memory-optimized attributes facilitate, for the first time, the conjoint assessment of FSIS performance across all classes within the COCO dataset. Visualized instances (incorporating colored masks and class annotations of objects across diverse scenarios) further substantiate the efficacy of the method in real-world complex contexts. Full article

There is growing interest from researchers, the food industry, and consumers in reducing or eliminating synthetic preservatives such as nitrites in meat products. In this context, medicinal plants have emerged as promising sources of natural compounds with multifunctional roles. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of medicinal plant extracts as natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, and color-preserving agents in the meat industry. A systematic literature search was conducted using the PubMed and Lens databases, complemented by a bibliometric analysis with the VOS viewer, to identify research trends and key contributors in the field. The incorporation of plant-based ingredients in meat and meat analogues has the potential to enhance flavor, nutritional value, and shelf life while responding to the demand for clean-label and health-oriented products. Particular attention is given to the phytochemical composition, bioactivity, and practical application of selected medicinal plants that have demonstrated efficacy in preserving the oxidative stability, microbial safety, and visual quality of meat. Furthermore, the review highlights emerging plant species with potential in meat preservation and discusses the challenges related to their incorporation into meat matrices. These findings support the strategic use of plant-based bioactive compounds as sustainable and functional alternatives to synthetic additives in meat systems. Full article

The search for natural alternatives to sodium nitrite in meat products is driven by concerns about consumer health and the need to maintain product quality and safety. In this study, the effect of sodium nitrite reduction on the quality parameters of canned pork meat with 1% lyophilized cell-free supernatant (CFS) from L. paracasei B1, during 30 days of storage, was assessed. Reduction of sodium nitrite content led to measurable changes in the color, texture, and oxidative stability of canned pork; however, the presence of 1% CFS helped preserve color, alleviated the negative impact on textural parameters, and limited lipid oxidation, thereby counteracting the typical consequences of nitrite reduction. Among the tested variants, S_75, containing 75% of the standard nitrite dose, showed the best overall balance between color retention, textural integrity, and oxidative stability. Samples without nitrite (S_0) exhibited a noticeable increase in lightness (L*) and decrease in redness (a*) over time, accompanied by a shift towards yellow-brown hues (b*, C*, H°). Importantly, the total color difference (ΔE) was least pronounced in the S_75 variant, with values of approximately 2.5 after 1 day and 2.7 after 30 days, which was markedly lower than in S_50 (ΔE ≈ 6.0 and 3.9) and S_0 (ΔE ≈ 7.9 and 8.5), thereby confirming superior color retention and overall stability during storage. Texture analysis showed that initial hardness and chewiness were higher in nitrite-free samples (S_0), suggesting that the complete omission of nitrite may negatively affect product structure. Nevertheless, all variants softened during storage, and samples with higher nitrite content, particularly S_75, retained better elasticity and cohesiveness. Lipid oxidation, expressed as TBARS values, progressed fastest in samples completely depleted of nitrite (S_0), increasing from 0.31 mg MDA/kg (day 1) to 1.35 mg MDA/kg (day 30), which confirms the antioxidant role of sodium nitrite. Interestingly, the presence of 1% CFS in the variants with reduced nitrite content partially mitigated this effect, as TBARS values in S_75 increased only from 0.29 to 0.46 mg MDA/kg, and, in S_50, from 0.45 to 0.66 mg MDA/kg, compared to the nitrite-free variant. This suggests that CFS may also have contributed to antioxidant protection. Fatty acid profiles remained relatively consistent across methods. Microbiological analysis revealed no significant differences between groups. These results demonstrate that partial nitrite reduction combined with CFS is effective, highlighting the potential of CFS as a promising functional additive in clean label meat preservation. Furthermore, reducing the sodium nitrite content in canned pork products may contribute to improved consumer health by reducing exposure to potentially harmful nitrosamine precursors. Full article

pH-sensitive intelligent films offer a novel strategy for real-time monitoring of food freshness via visible color changes. This study valorizes onion peel powder (OPP), a polyphenol-rich agro-industrial by-product, by incorporating it into cassava starch-based films at three concentrations (1O, 2O, 3O). Increasing OPP content led to significantly higher total phenolic and flavonoid levels, enhancing the films’ antioxidant properties (p < 0.0001). While the films exhibited selective antibacterial effects, pronounced inhibition zones were observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, two relevant meat spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. The films displayed clear and gradual color shifts from light to dark brown across a wide pH range (1–13), confirming their suitability as pH indicators. When applied as labels in minced beef packaging stored at 4 °C, the films successfully tracked freshness over 13 days. Film color changes were strongly correlated with microbial load and pH variations, accurately flagging spoilage onset. These findings support the potential of cassava starch/OPP films as biodegradable, cost-effective intelligent packaging tools, contributing to food safety, waste reduction, and circular bioeconomy principles. The system provides a practical, non-invasive solution for meat freshness monitoring without requiring instrumentation. Full article

To achieve dual functionality that can monitor both Al³⁺ levels in food and the freshness of fish, rice straw fibers (RSFs) were treated in NaOH solutions and then cationized with 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride, onto which alizarin red S molecules were immobilized through electrostatic interaction to develop a smart felt-like label. An optimized treatment in 5 wt% NaOH solution effectively removed lignin and hemicellulose, facilitating quaternary ammonium group grafting and stable ARS anchoring. The ARS@BRSF-5NaOH exhibited high pH sensitivity, showing visually discernible color changes (ΔE > 5, perceptible to the naked eye) under acidic (pH ≤ 6) and strongly alkaline (pH > 12) conditions. During the storage of the fish, the label transformed from yellow to dark purple (ΔE increase) as TVB-N levels approached 20 mg/100 g, enabling real-time freshness monitoring for protein-rich products. Additionally, the label achieved a detection threshold of 1 × 10⁻⁵ mol·L⁻¹ for Al³⁺ through a coordination-induced chromatic transition (purple to pale pink). This research highlights the feasibility of utilizing an agricultural waste-derived material to develop cost-effective, visually responsive, dual-functional intelligent labels for food safety, offering significant advancements in on-site quality assessment. Full article

The terms fillenoert, villemort, feulje mort, and fillemot are obsolete historical color names derived from the French feuille morte (dead leaf), referred to a broad spectrum of brownish, yellowish, greenish, and reddish hues in early modern textile dyeing. This study investigates the visual identity and chromatic range of dead leaf by reconstructing dye recipes from seventeenth- and eighteenth-century European dyeing manuals. Using historically accurate materials and techniques, wool samples were dyed and analyzed through CIELAB color measurements to quantify their hue values. The results reveal that dead leaf does not correspond to a single, fixed color but represents a flexible and metaphorical category, reflecting both the natural variation in dead foliage and the diversity of historical dyeing practices. In early modern Europe, colors were often descriptive, frequently referencing the natural world or objects. These descriptors offered a nuanced vocabulary that extended far beyond today’s basic chromatic terms. Reworking these recipes reveals the complex interplay between chromatic language, material practices, and color perception. Historical color names served not merely as labels but encoded information about dye sources, cultural associations, and socio-economic contexts. Understanding and reviving this terminology deepens our appreciation of early dyeing traditions and bridges past and present conceptions of color. Full article

Nut-based plant beverages are gaining recognition for their functional properties and nutritional value in bakery applications. This study evaluated the effects of substituting water with hazelnut (BH), walnut (BW), and almond (BA) beverages in wheat bread formulations at four substitution levels (25–100%). Thirteen bread variants, including a control, were produced using the straight dough method. The impact of substitution on dough performance, crumb structure, texture, color, physicochemical composition, and sensory attributes was evaluated. All nut beverages improved bread yield, with BA100 and BW100 showing the highest values. Crumb moisture was well retained, and baking losses were reduced in some high-substitution variants. Medium-sized pores (0.1–0.9 mm²) dominated crumb structure, particularly in almond-enriched breads, which contributed to desirable loaf volume and crumb elasticity. Walnut beverage significantly darkened the crumb due to natural pigments, while BA and BH maintained lighter tones and enhanced yellowness. Nut-based beverages increased ash and fat content, with BW breads showing the highest caloric values—mainly due to beneficial unsaturated fats. Sensory evaluation confirmed high consumer acceptability, with the highest ratings observed for breads containing 100% walnut and 50–75% almond beverage. These variants demonstrated the most favorable balance of technological performance and nutritional enhancement, underscoring their potential as optimal formulations for clean-label, plant-based bread products. Full article