Nowadays, the recycling of organic wastes represents a key factor for improving soil and crop quality with socio-economic and environmental benefits. In recent years, the production of digestate significantly increased with a crescent need to be sustainable disposal. The use of digestate as soil amendment has been widely studied but few researches evaluated the digestate effects on crop quality. Since it has been proven that digestate increased soil fertility, we hypothesized that it could increase crop quality as organic fertilizers do. To verify this hypothesis, we analyzed the effects of two digestates on Cucumber quality. Cucumber was chosen because it is an important old crop used worldwide as fresh food, and in cosmetic and pharmaceutic industries. Results showed that digestates increased its content of phenols and flavonoids with antioxidant activity. Neohesperidine and hesperitin with well-known antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties as well as naringin and narirutin with the power of reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications were manifested only in digestate amended cucumbers. These results highlighted the potentiality of digestates not only as crop growth promoter but also as phytochemical inducers representing a good option for the production of high-quality food with reduced chemical mineral fertilizer inputs.

Reggio Calabria province (South Italy) is known for being almost the only area of cultivation of the bergamot fruit, grown principally for its essential oil, but today much studied for the health benefits of its juice. The biometrics and physico-chemical properties of the three (Citrus bergamia Risso) existing genotypes namely Castagnaro, Fantastico and Femminello were studied during fruit ripening from October to March. Castagnaro cultivar had the biggest and heaviest fruit during this harvest period. °Brix (7.9–10.0), pH (2.2–2.8) and formol number (1.47–2.37 mL NaOH 0.1 N/100 mL) were shown to be influenced by both the genotype and harvest date. Titratable acidity (34.98–59.50 g/L) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) (341–867 g/L) decreased during fruit ripening. The evolution of flavonoids such as neoeriocitrin, naringin, neohesperidin, brutieridin and melitidin was studied both in bergamot juice and in the bergamot cloudy juice which is the aqueous extract of bergamot during fruit processing. Bergamot cloudy juice contained a higher quantity of flavonoids compared to the juice. This study gives important information regarding the cultivar and the harvest date for producers who want to obtain the highest juice quantity or the highest juice quality from the bergamot fruit.

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia, Risso) grows exclusively in the province of Reggio Calabria (Southern Italy). Most part of this territory lies on by the Ionian or the Tyrrhenian sea, with over 700 kilometers of coastline, it has one of the highest values of heliophany in Italy and it is protected, from the Northern winds, by the Aspromonte mountain massif. Most part of the bergamot cultivation area is located between Scilla (West) and Monasterace (East) in a coastal strip with a width up to 12 km from the coast. Bergamot fruit is produced between November and March in relation to the geographical area. Over the last decades, environmental climate changes occurred also in this area. This phenomenon, together with new applied industrial processes may have influenced the bergamot essential oil composition. In addition, the modern analytical apparatus gives more detailed information. The aim of this review is to describe the evolution of studies on the volatile fraction of the bergamot peel essential oil over the years.

Deep-fat frying is a widely discussed topic globally in the field of food processing due to the growing consumer demand. These foods are known for their appealing outer appearance, crispy texture, and rich taste. The increased consumption of deep-fat fried foods has raised concerns regarding potential health issues, as they are often high in calories and may contain unfavorable compounds formed during the process of deep frying. This review aims to provide an overview of previous studies examining the physical, chemical, and nutritional changes that occur in fried foods, the mechanisms of fat uptake during frying, and the health implications associated with the consumption of these foods. This increasing rate in consumption has been linked to various adverse health conditions. There has been a significant research focus on reducing the fat content in deep fried foods, particularly investigating the process of fat uptake during deep-fat frying. It is crucial to increase consumer awareness regarding the potential problems arising from excessive intake of deep-fat fried foods. Furthermore, further studies are needed to meet the rising demand for deep-fat fried foods while minimizing the impact on health and preserving their desirable taste. Graphical abstract