One can observe the sustainability of traditional food products (TFPs) consumption in terms of their market, production, and technical characteristics. These characteristics must be acknowledged by the management section of a catering facility responsible for purchasing and consuming these products. Consequently, this research was conducted among the management of catering facilities (chefs, managers, and owners) in Vojvodina (northern region of Serbia) from 300 different facilities. The research was conducted using a questionnaire. The data acquired were statistically processed using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests and presented in this paper. Special attention was given to differences in perceiving the characteristics of TFP of Vojvodina (TASQ) as seen from the socio-demographic aspects of the respondents and the characteristics of catering facilities. The research deduced that the sensory quality of a product, menu diversity, freshness, local production, price, and seasonality are the prominent characteristics that affect the TFP’s choice of purchase and consumption. The least essential characteristics are organic production and brand. The differences in perception of the characteristics were based on the respondent’s age, education level, and working position, as well as catering offer (domestic, national, international, and combined) and the location of a catering facility (urban/rural).

The aim of this study was to examine the microbiological quality of raw donkey milk of an indigenous Serbian breed as well as the changes in the microbial populations during storage at 4 °C. In addition, antibacterial activity of donkey milk against E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus at 15 °C as well as the content of the two main antibacterial proteins lysozyme and lactoferrin were investigated. Microbiological examination of 137 individual milk samples collected over a period of 21 months showed good microbiological quality since foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not detected in any of the analyzed samples, while the number of E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, total coliform bacteria, sulfite-reducing Clostridia and aerobic sporogenic bacteria was below the limit of quantification (<1 cfu mL⁻¹). During the six-days storage at 4 °C, total bacterial counts and the counts of lactic acid bacteria remained at the initial level while pathogenic bacteria were not detected. The strongest antibacterial activity of the tested milk was observed against E. coli, while S. aureus was the least sensitive to milk antibacterial compounds. Although further research is needed to fully elucidate the antibacterial mechanism and synergistic activity of different compounds in donkey milk, the high content lysozyme (2.63 ± 0.03 g L⁻¹) and lactoferrin (15.48 mg L⁻¹) observed in tested milk could contribute to its strong antibacterial activity and extension of the storage period during which it can be safely consumed.

The objective of this study was to identify consumers’ attitudes about the consumption and certification of traditional food products, special characteristics to which they pay attention when buying food products, and their opinions regarding what traditional food products are to them. The research was based on an online questionnaire conducted on a sample of 540 respondents in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The results showed that 98.3% of the respondents consume traditional food products in their households, 95.2% of the consumers decide to buy food products based on their quality, and 68.2% of the consumers believe that certain types of certification can improve product placement on the market. The specific characteristics that consumers mostly prioritize when buying food products are products with no added sugar (41.2%), traditional production processes (38.8%), GMO-free products (36.9%), organic products (36.4%), and additive-free products (34.9%). The results of this research indicate that consumers primarily perceive traditional food products as items produced using traditional methods (72.8%), characterized by the absence of additives (53.2%), specific to a certain geographic area (49.9%), sourced from small farms or facilities (49.5%), and products with long production tradition (49%).

This study aimed to analyze the physicochemical properties and nutritional quality of oil extracted from the camelina seed genotypes NS Zlatka and NS Slatka, grown in Serbia, using both Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane and the cold-pressing technique. Extraction technique did not have an effect on oil yield. Camelina oils exhibited satisfactory physicochemical characteristics, which were influenced by the extraction methods. The oils were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, with α-linolenic acid being the most abundant. They were characterized by a balanced ω-6 to ω-3 ratio (0.5), low atherogenicity index and thrombogenicity index values, and a relatively high hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio. Cold-pressed oils contained significantly higher amounts of α- and γ-tocopherols and showed greater oxidative stability at moderate temperatures, as confirmed by the Schaal oven test. Despite this, their oxidative stability decreased at elevated temperatures (Rancimat test) compared to solvent-extracted oils. Conversely, solvent-extracted oils had higher levels of β-carotene and showed superior resistance to high-temperature conditions. Due to its unique characteristics, nutritional properties, and health-promoting attributes, cold-pressed camelina oil presents significant potential for application in food, nutraceutical, feed, and cosmetic industries.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety parameters, nutritional value and sensory profile of the meat from spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus), captured from the Danube River in Serbia. To achieve this, we determined their microbiological safety, chemical composition, minerals and heavy metals, fatty acid and amino acid profile, as well as a sensory profile of the meat. The obtained results showed that the meat from crayfish was microbiologically safe. Crayfish meat has a high nutritional quality, high protein content (18.12%) and a total of 17 detected amino acids, of which essential amino acids constituted 6.96 g/100 g sample. Additionally, the crayfish meat was characterized by high levels of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly n-3 PUFA, at an optimal ratio of n-3/n-6 and with low values of atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. Predominant macrominerals in the meat are K, followed by Na, Ca, P and Mg, whereas the content of microminerals was in the following order: Zn > Cu > Fe > Mn. The concentrations of accumulated toxic metals (Cd, Pb, As and Hg) did not exceed the maximum allowed levels. Sensory analysis confirmed that the meat from spiny-cheek crayfish has the potential to become a new food source of essential nutrients.

Traditional food products comprise an important part of the gastronomic identity of every nation. Their significance for national culture is major, which is why they are increasingly studied and included in the development strategies of many countries. This research focuses on the factors—economic, sociocultural, ecological, and tourism—that influence the offering of dishes made with traditional food products. The objective of the research is to examine whether certain characteristics of catering establishments in the Bačka region (Republic of Serbia) and their managers affect the appraisal of the factors that affect the offering of dishes prepared with traditional products. By conducting a survey (n = 187) and analyzing the data using the non-parametric techniques of the Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests, it was found that, although all the factors have a significant influence on the offering of dishes prepared with traditional food products, tourism-related factors were distinguished as the most important. The research also showed that the characteristics of managers like the length of work experience in hospitality, employment tenure at the specific establishment, the work position of the respondent, as well as the type of gastronomic offering and the location of the catering establishment affected the appraisal of the factors that influence the offering of dishes prepared with traditional products.