An outdoor experiment was performed for six months to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizers obtained from marine residual materials on strawberry plants. Three types of organic fertilizers were used, i.e., cod (Gadus morhua) bone powder, common ling (Molva molva) bone powder, and pellets obtained by mixing small cod bone powder and rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) residues. A tabletop system for strawberry cultivation was designed, in which two bare-root strawberry plants of cultivar ‘Albion’ were planted in a peat substrate in each pot. Five treatments were applied, i.e., cod bone powder (F1), common ling bone powder (F2), small cod bone powder and rockweed residue pellets (FA), chemical fertilizer (E), and a control (C). The number of leaves and their nutrient content, fruit yield and quality characteristics of the strawberries grown using the organic fertilizers were similar or better than those corresponding to treatments E and C. Organic fertilizers derived from the residues of fish and macroalgae could be a promising alternative to chemical fertilizers in strawberry production.

This paper explores the broad probiotic and functional properties of two non-Saccharomyces strains (MI120 and MI125) and one Saccharomyces cerevisiae BB06 strain (as a reference probiotic). Torulaspora delbrueckii MI120 and Starmerella bacillaris MI125 were identified via 5.8S rDNA sequencing. All the strains survived well in simulated gastrointestinal conditions and had strong antioxidant activity (>68%). S. bacillaris MI125 excelled in antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. S. bacillaris MI125 and Sacch. cerevisiae BB06 resisted all the tested antibiotics. No strain displayed hemolytic behavior. The freeze-dried yeast strains achieved survival rates between 76.62% and 93.38%. Based on our physiological characterization analysis (carbon assimilation, ethanol tolerance, acetic acid and H₂S production, temperature and low pH tolerance, enzymatic pattern, and killer phenotype), all the strains showed interesting attributes, with Sacch. cerevisiae BB06 fermenting vigorously in malt extract medium. Beer fermented with T. delbrueckii MI120 had the highest phenolic content (96.02 μg GAE·mL⁻¹) and antioxidant activity (90.43%), matching commercial Sacch. cerevisiae US-05 in sensory traits such as taste and aroma. However, after two months in bottled beer, the yeast viability decreased to 2–3 log CFU·mL⁻¹. The pilot brewing and the assessments of the strains’ technological, physico-chemical, and sensorial properties confirmed their suitability for industrial brewing. Overall, T. delbrueckii MI120 emerges as a promising brewing strain, and S. bacillaris MI125 is a potential probiotic.

In recent years, people have become increasingly interested in adopting a healthy diet, which also extends to healthy snacks, such as chips. Understanding the interplay of factors that influence the preference decisions concerning food products is very helpful in market segmentation for identifying specific groups of consumers with similar needs. This study aims to obtain a better understanding of Romanian consumers’ preference for organic vegetable chips vs. classic potato chips. The research involved a transversal, cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory, and correlational design. Data were collected based on a questionnaire (1060 participants) and processed with the SPSS 22 program, using the Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression as statistical procedures. Significant differences were found regarding the distribution of the respondents who prefer organic vegetable chips vs. classic potato chips based on socio-demographic characteristics. The results of the binary logistic regression analysis (χ² = 102,906, df = 22, N = 909, p < 0.001) indicate that education level and frequency of consumption have a statistically significant impact on the preference for organic vegetable chips. The obtained results can contribute to a better understanding of Romanian consumers’ preferences, acting as a knowledge stage in the adoption of a healthy eating style.

The grape surface hosts a complex community of yeast Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces species responsible for spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in wine industry. The yeast strains used for this study were isolated from ‘Tămâioasă Românească’ and ‘Busuioacă de Bohotin’ grape varieties from Pietroasa vineyard, and the isolates were identified through a molecular method. Identification of yeast strains through the BLASTn analysis of the 5.8S-ITS region revealed that PFE5 strain showed the best sequence match to Saccharomyces cerevisiae (98% similarity) and PFE15 strain to Starmerella bacillaris (99.78% similarity), respectively. In this first micro-pilot study, the differences between Sacharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts in batch (for Starmella bacillaris) and fed-batch fermentation system (for S. cerevisae) and how these regimes influence the culture growth were assessed. The applied fed-batch process was capable for producing two times more S. cerevisae yeast biomass than Starmella bacillaris through a batch process. In addition, the yield of S. cerevisiae converting the substrate into biomass was 42.3%, almost double compared to the yield of Starmella bacillaris. Moreover, the cell wet weight (WCW) for S. cerevisae was 32.5 g/L and for Starmella bacillaris 15.35 g/L, respectively. Both yeast biomass will be used at Pietroasa winery for inoculation separately or mixed as co-culture for ‘Tămâioasă Românească’ and ‘Busuioacă de Bohotin’ grape juice.

This study presents the behavior of the identified yeast strain S. cerevisiae, isolated from Busuioacă de Bohotin grapes from the Pietroasa winery, during the process of fermentation to obtain dry active yeast biomass for the winemaking process. In this respect, we promoted an optimization strategy for obtaining active dry yeast biomass. The cultivation conditions for micropilot fermentation (temperature, pH, carbon source, and nitrogen source) were selected and designed according to a Taguchi design with four factors and three levels. Reproducibility testing was conducted under specific fermentation parameters: temperature (32 °C), pH (4.5), carbon source (12%), and nitrogen source (0.7%). Following the optimization process, two combinations of cultivation parameters were selected, and one of them, based on the results, was selected for further analysis. Quantitative data were obtained, showing dry yeast biomass (DCW) at 1.39 g/100 mL and protein content at 45.57%. The active yeast was then used in the winemaking process for Tămâioasă Românească and Busuioacă de Bohotin varieties at Pietroasa winery for validation. This optimization aims to facilitate easy and rapid production of fresh wine yeast tailored to the local winemaking practices of Pietroasa winery, with real application potential in other viticultural areas, aligning with the terroir concept.

Sensory attributes like colour, flavour and texture are makers in the consumer's purchasing decision of minimally processed organic apples. Drying using low temperatures represent a simple and easy way for minimally processing of organic fruits, moreover this procedure is accepted in organic agriculture. The aim of this study is to establish the consumer acceptance of organic apples dried using two different temperatures and how they characterize the final product. In order to accomplish the proposed purpose, three organic apples cultivars ‘Rubinola’, ‘Topaz’ and ‘Gemini’ were sliced and dried in a professional dryer with air distribution, using temperatures like 35°C and 50°C. Consumer general impression regarding obtained dried organic apples was based on a questionnaire, which contain several questions about colour, flavour, texture and size, in two sessions organized during two different scientific events. Dried organic apples were tasted and evaluated by consumers of both genders with ages between 22 and 66 years old. The slice size of organic dried apples was preferred by over 50% of consumers for all apple varieties. Consumers preferred more the taste of ‘Gemini’ cv. apples dried at 50°C compared to those dried at 35°C. The consumer’s acceptance of minimally processed organic apples was oriented towards those dried at 50°C. Obtained results suggest that sensory attributes are very important in consumer acceptance of a minimally processed product by drying technology and more studies are required.