The quality of poultry meat offered to the consumer depends mainly on the level of hygiene during all stages of its production, storage time, and temperature. This study investigated the effect of refrigerated storage on the microbiological contamination, color, and pH of turkey thigh muscles stored at 1 °C over six days. Microbial growth, including total mesophilic aerobes, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae, significantly increased, impacting the meat’s sensory attributes and safety. On the 6th day of meat storage, the content of total mesophilic aerobes, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae was 1.82 × 10⁷ CFU/g, 1.00 × 10⁴ CFU/g, and 1.87 × 10⁵ CFU/g, respectively. The stability of color was assessed by quantifying the total heme pigments, comparing myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, and metmyoglobin concentrations, analyzing color parameters L*, a*, b*, and the sensory assessment of surface color, showing a decline in total heme pigments, three myoglobin forms, redness (a*) and lightness (L*). In contrast, yellowness (b*) increased. These changes were correlated with the growth of spoilage microorganisms that influenced the meat’s pigmentation and pH, with a notable rise in pH associated with microbial metabolization. Based on the conducted research, it was found that the maximum storage time of turkey thigh muscles at a temperature of 1 °C is 4 days. On the 4th day of storage, the total mesophilic aerobe content was 3.5 × 10⁵ CFU/g. This study underscores the critical need for maintaining controlled refrigeration conditions to mitigate spoilage, ensuring food safety, and preserving turkey meat’s sensory and nutritional qualities. There is a need for further research to improve turkey meat storage techniques under specific temperature conditions by studying the impact of using varying packaging materials (with different barrier properties) or the application of natural preservatives. Additionally, future studies could focus on evaluating the effectiveness of cold chain management practices to ensure the quality and safety of turkey products during storage. By addressing these research gaps, practitioners and researchers can contribute to developing more efficient and sustainable turkey meat supply chains, which may help mitigate food wastage by safeguarding the quality and safety of the meat.

Insects are a conventional food in many cultures worldwide. Why therefore are they treated with aversion by the majority of people in Western countries? The aim of this work is to understand cultural norms and historical practices related to insects that can explain why in the countries of the West it is so difficult to accept them as a foodstuff, and why the disgust that they arouse is more common than in other regions of the world. Insects in Western countries are associated with negative experiences resulting from cultural and religious beliefs, traditions, stories, myths and individual experiences. Although there are species of insect that have positive associations, the high number of negative terms popularized the negative image of these creatures in people’s minds, as a result of which the concept of insects as a foodstuff arouses disgust in the culture of the West. Understanding the aversion to insects will contribute to the broader understanding of consumer attitudes, cultural influences on consumption, or potential shifts in food choices. It also can help develop strategies or methods that will assist in changing this reluctance and encourage the utilization of insects as a food source.

The fortification of bakery products with alternative protein sources, including edible insects, offers a promising approach to improving nutritional quality while addressing sustainability challenges. This study evaluated graded replacement of type 750 wheat flour with Acheta domesticus (house cricket) powder—together with an extreme 100% cricket-powder formulation—on the nutritional composition, color, particle size distribution, fermentative properties, baking loss, crumb hardness, and sensory quality of bread. Fifteen baked variants were prepared: a 100% wheat flour control; thirteen wheat–cricket blends containing 5–90% cricket powder; and an extreme formulation with 100% cricket powder. Increasing cricket-powder levels significantly increased protein, fat, fiber, zinc, and riboflavin contents while decreasing carbohydrate and starch levels. Technologically, higher substitution levels resulted in darker crumb color, a shift toward coarser particle size distribution, reduced gas retention during proofing, and increased baking loss. Sensory analysis indicated that up to 15% inclusion maintained full consumer acceptability, while 20–25% was at the acceptance threshold. Above 35%, acceptability declined sharply due to intensified earthy flavors and textural changes. The findings highlight 15% inclusion as the optimal balance between enhanced nutritional value and sensory quality, with potential for higher incorporation if appropriate technological modifications are applied.

Obesity is one of the most pressing global public health challenges of the 21st century, affecting over a billion people worldwide. Poland, like many industrialized countries, is experiencing a rapid increase in obesity prevalence across all age groups. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the obesity trends in Poland in relation to global patterns, emphasizing the complex interplay of dietary habits, physical inactivity, screen time, socioeconomic determinants, and gut microbiota composition. Special attention is given to the health and economic consequences of obesity and the inefficiencies in Poland’s public health response. The article also discusses novel research directions, including the role of hypothalamic BNC2 neurons and NK2R receptors in appetite regulation and energy expenditure, as well as the cellular heterogeneity of adipose tissue. These discoveries may open new avenues for personalized obesity therapies. The findings underscore the urgent need for coordinated, interdisciplinary strategies at the national and international levels to reduce the burden of obesity and improve long-term health outcomes.

Nauki Inżynierskie i Technologie = Engineering Sciences and Technologies, 2023, Nr 39, s. 95-103

Background: The rapid development of edible insect research and the growing use of insect-based ingredients in food technology, human nutrition, and the food industry have not yet been accompanied by harmonized terminology. In the scientific literature, regulatory documents, and expert materials, the terms “insect flour” and “insect powder” are used interchangeably. In Polish-language sources, additional terms such as “mąka z owadów”, “mączka z owadów”, and “sproszkowana postać” are also used. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the use and contextual meaning of the terms “insect flour”, “insect powder”, and “insect meal” in scientific literature, European Union regulations, and Polish-language sources. Methods: The study combined bibliometric, regulatory, and linguistic analysis. Bibliometric analyses were performed using the Web of Science and Scopus databases for the years 2015–2025. Keyword co-occurrence networks and temporal trends were analyzed using VOSviewer. In addition, European Union legal acts and selected Polish-language scientific, institutional, and implementation-oriented sources were evaluated. Results: The results showed clear differences in the use of the analyzed terms. “Insect powder” appeared mainly in regulatory and formal product-description contexts, whereas “insect flour” was more common in food technology and food formulation studies. In contrast, “insect meal” was strongly associated with feed applications, aquaculture, and animal nutrition. The analysis also showed that the terms powder and flour frequently co-occurred in the same publications, suggesting that their use depends primarily on context rather than on strict terminological differences. Conclusions: The study indicates that complete terminology unification may not be necessary. Instead, clearer, more consistent use of terms that depend on the scientific, technological, regulatory, and communication context appears to be more practical.