The postharvest shelf life of fresh corn largely depends on the packaging method and storage temperature. This study investigated the effect of vacuum packaging (VP) with high-barrier (HB) or ordinary (OR) nylon/nylon/polypropylene (PP) composite films and the impact of storage temperature (4, 25, and 38 °C) on the shelf life of fresh corn. The sensory quality and color changes of the corn were evaluated, indicating a significant improvement in the glossiness (GL), sourness (SO), and color changes compared to corn packaged using OR films. The results showed that the HB films preserved corn freshness under refrigerated and normal temperature storage conditions, delaying color changes and SO development. A shelf-life model was established based on the Arrhenius equation. The predicted values of the corn at different temperatures were compared with the experimental data, indicating that the model could accurately predict the shelf life. The shelf life observed via sensory evaluation was more than 50% shorter than the results obtained by instrumental measurements. Therefore, sensory evaluation could be applied to determine shelf life and avoid food waste.

Plant‐based milk alternatives are sustainable, hypoallergenic, and nutrient‐rich, but challenges related to their lower bioavailability compared with animal‐based milk still exist. In this study, we developed a multiple plant‐based milk alternative using germinated soybeans and fermented cereals, and compared the protein digestible behaviors with commercial soy and bovine milk via in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The multiple plant‐based milk alternative possessed a higher level of essential amino acids and amino acid scores than the soy milk and a smaller percentage of low‐molecular‐weight peptides than the bovine milk. It displayed better protein‐digestible responses with no apparent gastric coagulation. Moreover, the relatively larger particles in the multiple plant‐based milk alternative had few effects on protein digestibility, with the highest proteolytic degree and a better free amino acid profile. The findings suggest that the multiple plant‐based milk alternative presents higher protein digestibility behavior, and it could be a promising industrial plant‐based product.

Infant nutrition is crucial for early development, with breast milk regarded as the gold standard. However, replicating its nutrient absorption and metabolic outcomes in infant formula remains challenging. This study utilized transcriptomic analysis to compare human small intestinal organoids (SIOs) and Caco-2 cells as models for nutrient absorption across three types of infant formula and breast milk. RNA sequencing revealed that SIOs exhibited greater Euclidean distance distributions and achieved more precise hierarchical clustering compared to Caco-2 cells. Differential expression analysis identified a higher number of differentially expressed genes in SIOs, along with significant enrichment of growth and developmental pathways, including embryonic morphogenesis, providing a closer approximation of human intestinal processes. Moreover, our analysis demonstrated that breast milk exhibits unique metabolic signatures distinct from all infant formulas evaluated, reinforcing its established role as the nutritional gold standard. Subsequent toxicological assessment revealed elevated oxidative stress-related metabolites in formulas processed via two-step wet blending, suggesting potential long-term metabolic risks. These findings establish SIOs as a superior model for studying nutrient absorption and toxicological effects, emphasizing the need for optimized formula processing techniques and further clinical validation.