Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the world we live in, because of the rapid global population growth and climate change (drought, extreme temperature fluctuations). People in developing countries need more sustainable protein sources instead of the traditional, less sustainable meat, fish, egg, and dairy products. Alternative sources (plant-based, such as grains (wheat, rice sorghum), seeds (chia, hemp), nuts (almond, walnut), pulses (beans, lentil, pea, lupins), and leaves (duckweed), as well as mycoproteins, microalgae, and insects) can compensate for the increased demand for animal protein. In this context, our attention has been specifically focused on duckweed—which is the third most important aquatic plant after the microalgae Chlorella and Spirulina—to explore its potential for use in a variety of areas, particularly in the food industry. Duckweed has special properties: It is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world (in freshwater), multiplying its mass in two days, so it can cover a water surface quickly even in filtered sunlight (doubling its biomass in 96 hours). During this time, it converts a lot of carbon dioxide into oxygen. It is sustainable, environmentally friendly (without any pesticides), and fast growing; can be grown in indoor vertical farms and aquaculture, so it does not require land; is easy to harvest; and has a good specific protein yield. Duckweed belongs to the family Araceae, subfamily Lemnoideae, and has five genera (Lemna, Spirodela, Wolffia, Wolffiella, Landolita) containing a total of approximately 36–38 recognised species. Duckweed is gaining attention in nutrition and food sciences due to its potential as a sustainable source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds. However, there are several gaps in research specifically focused on nutrition and the bioaccessibility of its components. While some studies have analysed the variability in the nutritional composition of different duckweed species, there is a need for comprehensive research on the variability in nutrient contents across species, growth conditions, harvesting times, and geographic locations. There has been limited research on the digestibility, bioaccessibility (the proportion of nutrients that are released from the food matrix during digestion), and bioavailability (the proportion that is absorbed and utilised by the body) of nutrients in duckweed. Furthermore, more studies are needed to understand how food processing (milling, fermentation, cooking, etc.), preparation methods, and digestive physiology affect the nutritional value and bioavailability of the essential bioactive components in duckweed and in food matrices supplemented with duckweed. This could help to optimise the use of duckweed in human diets (e.g., hamburgers or pastas supplemented with duckweed) or animal feed. More research is needed on how to effectively incorporate duckweed into diverse cuisines and dietary patterns. Studies focusing on recipe development, consumer acceptance, palatability, and odour are critical. Addressing these gaps could provide valuable insights into the nutritional potential of duckweed and support its promotion as a sustainable food source, thereby contributing to food security and improved nutrition. In summary, this article covers the general knowledge of duckweed, its important nutritional values, factors that may affect their biological value, and risk factors for the human diet, while looking for technological solutions (covering traditional and novel technologies) that can be used to increase the release of the useful, health-promoting components of duckweed and, thus, their bioavailability. This article, identifying gaps in recent research, could serve as a helpful basis for related research in the future. Duckweed species with good properties could be selected by these research studies and then included in the human diet after they have been tested for food safety.

The use of minimal thermal processing techniques such as sous vide technology to improve the quality of meat-based foods has gained a special focus in recent years. A proper combination of temperature and time parameters in sous vide processing plays an important role in the water-holding capacity, texture properties, and juiciness of the meat. The present study aimed to assess the impact of the one-step and two-step sous vide processing on different quality properties of chicken breast with special emphasis on the cooking loss, color, texture properties, protein solubility, and lipid oxidation. According to the results, chicken breast treated with a two-step temperature (50 and 60 °C) showed improved texture parameters (shear force, hardness, chewiness, and gumminess), lower cooking loss, acceptable redness values, and decreased lipid oxidation levels than the chicken breast treated with the one-step temperature of 60 °C. Moreover, the two-step sous vide technique revealed significantly higher total protein solubility of the chicken breast than the one-step sous vide. Based on pasteurization values, the two-step sous vide technique was equally safe as the one-step sous vide technique for vegetative cells’ inactivation for the main pathogens of interest (C. perfringens and L. monocytogenes).

The present study was designed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial properties of nine bioactive compounds (BACs). Applying the disc paper and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays, we found that the BACs with the widest spectrum of in vitro antibacterial activity against the studied bacteria were carvacrol and α-terpineol (αTPN). Subsequently, αTPN was selected and applied at different concentrations into the fresh minced chicken meat. The meat was then vacuum packaged and stored for 14 days at 4 °C. Physicochemical properties, lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), electronic-nose-based smell detection, and microbiological characteristics were monitored. At day 14, meat treated with higher concentrations of αTPN (MIC-2 and MIC-4) exhibited a significantly increased pH and lightness (L*), increased yellowness (b*), decreased redness (a*), caused a significant decrease in water holding capacity (WHC), and decreased lipid oxidation by keeping TBARS scores lower than the control. Although αTPN showed perceptibly of overlapped aroma profiles, the E-nose was able to distinguish the odor accumulation of αTPN between the different meat groups. During the 2-week storage period, αTPN, particularly MIC-4, showed 5.3 log CFU/g reduction in aerobic mesophilic counts, causing total inhibition to the Pseudomonas lundessis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium. These promising results highlight that αTPN is exploitable to improve the shelf life and enhance the safety of meat and meat products.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of the low level of Schizochytrium limacinum marine algae (daily 5 g per animal) on the milk, cheese, and whey composition; fatty acid profile of milk and cheese; and the sensory profile of goat milk using an e-nose device. Thirty Alpine goats were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (C, n = 15)—fed grass with daily 600 g concentrate and the experimental group (MA, n = 15) who received the same forage and concentrate supplemented with 5 g/head/day marine algae. Animals were kept indoors and the investigation period lasted 52 days, including the first six weeks as the period of adaptation and the last 10 days as the treatment period. During the adaptation period, bulk milk samples from each group were collected once a week (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 d), while during the treatment period (10 days), bulk milk samples from each group were taken every day, and cheese samples were processed from bulk milk each day from both groups. Marine algae supplementation had no negative effect on milk composition. In contrast, the marine algae inclusion significantly elevated the fat and protein content of whey and the protein content of cheese, as well as the recovery of fat and protein in the curd, while increasing the cheeses’ moisture content on a fat-free basis. The marine algae supplementation significantly increased the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the rumenic acid (CLA c9t11) concentrations and decreased the n-6/n-3 ratio in the milk and cheese. There were no significant differences between the C and the MA group with regard to the sensory profiles of the milk. It can be concluded that the milk obtained from goats given daily supplementation of 5g of MA has a fatty acid profile more beneficial to human health, without any negative effects on the milk’s aromatic components.

Background: The pursuit of longevity has long been central to nutritional science, with growing evidence underscoring the profound influence of dietary patterns on lifespan and overall health. While various diets have been associated with improved well-being, their comparative effects on longevity remain to be synthesized comprehensively. Main Findings: This review examines the scientific evidence linking major dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), plant-based, Blue Zones, intermittent fasting, caloric restriction, and Nordic diets, to longevity and mortality outcomes. The Mediterranean and DASH diets consistently demonstrate reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, while plant-based and Blue Zones diets emphasize whole, minimally processed foods that enhance metabolic and cardiovascular health. Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction emerge as metabolic modulators with anti-aging potential. The Nordic diet, rich in locally sourced foods like berries and fish, also contributes to lower mortality and improved cardiovascular function. Conclusions: This paper uniquely integrates comparative insights from diverse dietary frameworks, emphasizing their shared principles of nutrient density, moderation, and metabolic balance. By adopting evidence-based elements from these dietary models, individuals can optimize health span and longevity, reinforcing the pivotal role of diet as a cornerstone of preventive and personalized nutrition.

Intestinal digestion and absorption are complex processes; thus, it is a challenge to imitate them realistically. There are numerous approaches available, with different disadvantages and advantages. The simplest methods to mimic absorption are the non-cell-based transport models but these lack important characteristics of enterocytes of the intestine. Therefore, the most often used method is to measure absorption through viable mammalian cells (most commonly Caco-2 cells, cultured on membrane insert plates), which not only assures the incorporation of brush border enzymes (responsible for the final digestion of peptides and disaccharides), it also simulates the absorption process. This means that influx/efflux transporter-facilitated transport, carrier-mediated transport, endocytosis, and transcytosis is also imitated besides passive diffusion. Still, these also lack the complexity of intestinal epithelium. Organoids or ex vivo models are a better approach if we want to attain precision but the highest accuracy can be achieved with microfluidic systems (gut-on-a-chip models). We propose that more research is necessary, and food absorption should also be studied on gut-on-a-chips, especially with fragmented organoids. Our review supports the choices of a proper intestinal epithelium model, which may have a key role in functional food development, nutrition studies, and toxicity assessment.