Goat milk contains an abundance of different macro and micro-nutrients. Compared with other milk, goat milk is a viable option due to its low allergy levels and is preferred for infants with cow milk allergies. A wide variety of goat milk-based products, including yoghurt, ice cream, fermented milk, and cheese, are available on the market. They are produced using effective processing technology and are known to exhibit numerous health benefits after consumption. However, goat milk consumption is limited in many nations (compared with cow, buffalo, camel, and sheep milk) due to a lack of awareness of its nutritional composition and the significance of its different byproducts. This review provides a detailed explanation of the various macronutrients that may be present, with special attention paid to each component, its purpose, and the health benefits it offers. It also compares goat milk with milk from other species in terms of its superiority and nutritional content, as well as the types, production methods, health advantages, and other beneficial properties of the various goat milk products that are currently available on the market.

The advancement within the food and nutrition sector has resulted in the development of a special category of food, particularly referred to as “superfoods”. Superfoods are special kind of foods capable of exhibiting different positive effects involving prevention of different ailments, provide impetus to the immune system, and essential macro- and micro-nutrients in ample quantities. Nowadays, these are gaining considerable attention due to the increased health consciousness of consumers. In contrast to their exceptional health or even medicinal benefits, which are based on their long history of use, the concept of superfoods is still little understood. The category of superfoods mainly comprises different types of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. This review sheds light on the nutritional composition as well as the possible intervention in the prevention of various chronic ailments of some significant superfoods. This manuscript could help consumers to use superfoods as part of their diet more often and very effectively.

The quality and safety of fruits and vegetables are the major concerns of the food industry. The quality of these foods depends on their safety during storage and processing. The current research was designed to improve the quality by optimizing the safety parameters to minimize the microbial load of carrots during processing and storage. Three process variables including ultrasonication time, ultrasonication temperature, and calcium chloride concentration were optimized, each at five levels, to find the minimum optimal response of microbial load in terms of total plate count (TPC), total coliform count (TCC) and yeast mold count (YMC) using response surface central composite design. The selected factors showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) linear negative effect on TPC and linear positive effect on YMC. The total plate count, total coliform count, and yeast mold count were reduced to 6.117, 5.689, and 6.021 log CFU/mL respectively, under the optimum conditions i.e., ultrasonication time (17.97 min), temperature (43.885 °C), and CaCl₂ concentration (181.211 mg/L). The non-significant interaction or quadratic effect of selected factors was observed on any of the studied responses. Concludingly, the reduction in studied parameters can improve the safety measurements of foods.

Plums (Prunus domestica) are widely known fruits that are consumed worldwide. Their phenological cycle is favored in temperate regions. Among the most representative varieties are German prunes, Stanley prunes, Prune d’Agen, and Italian prunes. This chapter focuses on gathering information on the factors that influence the performance of an orchard, such as planting density, the season of the year, agricultural soil preparation, atmospheric conditions, agronomic management, fertilization, irrigation, and association of crops. Research is currently being carried out to improve the quality of plums and produce attractive fruits with good nutritional quality, which results in profitable marketing.