Vegetable proteins derived from legumes, cereals or pseudocereals have increased in popularity in recent years, becoming very interesting for the food industry. In addition to their nutritional interest, these products have techno-functional properties that allow them to be used in the production of a wide variety of foods. This research has studied the nutritional and mineral composition of 12 samples of rice, pea and soy concentrates. The objective was to investigate the influence of this nutritional composition, mainly mineral components, on the techno-functional properties (water- and oil-binding capacity, swelling, emulsifying, gelling and foaming capacities) of these concentrates. For this purpose, a Pearson correlation matrix and a GH biplot method were applied. The results showed that there is a correlation between mineral content and functional properties. Mg, K and Ca were positively correlated with protein solubility index, oil absorption capacity and swelling capacity. Na and P contents were positively related to water absorption capacity and emulsifying capacity. Gelling capacity was positively correlated with Mg contents and negatively correlated with Cu and Fe contents. The preliminary results reported in this study highlight the necessity to further assess the influence of non-protein components on the techno-functionality of protein concentrates.

The following study analyzed the potential of Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict the metal composition (Al, Pb, As, Hg and Cu) of tea and for establishing discriminant models for pure teas (green, red, and black) and their different blends. A total of 322 samples of pure black, red, and green teas and binary blends were analyzed. The results showed that pure red teas had the highest content of As and Pb, green teas were the only ones containing Hg, and black teas showed higher levels of Cu. NIRS allowed to predict the content of Al, Pb, As, Hg, and Cu with ratio performance deviation values > 3 for all of them. Additionally, it was possible to discriminate pure samples from their respective blends with an accuracy of 98.3% in calibration and 92.3% in validation. However, when the samples were discriminated according to the percentage of blending (>95%, 95–85%, 85–75%, or 75–50% of pure tea) 100% of the samples of 10 out of 12 groups were correctly classified in calibration, but only the groups with a level of pure tea of >95% showed 100% of the samples as being correctly classified as to validation.

Wheat germ is a byproduct of the cereal industry that contains high levels of protein, fiber, B vitamins, minerals, and other functional microcomponents. However, so far, few applications have been found in the meat industry despite the growing interest in replacing meat with vegetable proteins. Therefore, the use of wheat germ for the production of low-fat frankfurters was considered. Five different formulations were prepared: control with pork meat and the following four to achieve 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% lean meat substitution by wheat germ. Proximal composition, color, texture, emulsion characterization, fatty acid profile, fat oxidation, and consumer acceptance were then analyzed. The results showed that the incorporation of wheat germ improved emulsion stability, decreasing significantly total expressible fluid and jelly/fat separation, although increasing the back extrusion force. In terms of the final product, the progressive substitution of meat by germ resulted in significant increases in carbohydrates, in special of fiber, and ash as well as significant decreases in moisture and total fat. Sausages made with germ were darker (L*), as well as harder, chewier, and gummier, but less cohesive and elastic. Similarly, wheat germ substitution improved the quality of the lipid profile showing higher levels of, but decreased acceptability for replacements > 25%. Substitution of meat was feasible up to 25%, a formulation for which there was hardly any significant difference with the control.

The estimation of the water status in the vineyard, is a very important factor, in which every day the winegrowers show more interest since it directly affects the quality and production in the vineyards. The situation generated by COVID-19 in viticulture, adds importance to tools that provide information of the hydric status of vineyard plants in a telematic way.In the present study, the stem water potential in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, is analysed in a vineyard belonging to the Rias Baixas wine-growing area (Vilagarcia de Arousa, Spain), with 32 sampling points distributed throughout the plot, which allows the contrast and validation with the remote sensing methodology to estimate the water status of the vineyard using satellite images.The satellite images have been downloaded from the Sentinel-2 satellite, on the closets available dates regarding the stem water potential measurements, carried out in the months of June to September, because this dates are considered the months in which vine plants have higher water requirements.With satellite images, two spectral index related to the detection of water stress have been calculated: NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index) and MSI (Moisture Stress Index). Stem water potential measurements, have allowed a linear regression with both index, to validate the use of these multispectral index to determine water stress in the vineyard.Determination coefficients of r2=0.62 and 0.67, have been obtained in July and August 2018 and 0.54 in June of 2019 for the NDWI index, as well as values of 0.53 and 0.63 in July 2018 and June 2019 respectively, when it has been analysed the MSI index.Between both seasons, the difference observed, that implies slightly greater water stress in 2019, is reflected in the climate conditions during the summer months, with an average accumulated rainfall that doesn’t exceed 46 mm of water. Although, the NDWI index has allowed to establish better relationships in the 2018 season respect to the MSI index and the 2019 season, (r2=0.60 NDWI in 2018), as well as greater differences in terms of water stress presented in the vineyard.With the spectral index calculated, it has been possible to validate the use of these index for the determination of the water stress of the vineyard plants, as an efficient, fast and less expensive method, which allows the application of an efficient irrigation system in the vineyard.

The sustainability of livestock farming is becoming a key consideration in the European pork industry, particularly regarding the balance between intensive and extensive farming practices. This study focuses on the Iberian pig breed, assessing the pure breed and the Iberian × Duroc crossbreed and three production systems: intensive indoor fattening, outdoor intensive fattening, and free-range fattening, with an emphasis on their impact on both sustainability and pork quality. The quick-scan sustainability assessment tool developed within the H2020 project mEATquality was used to evaluate the environmental, social, and economic performance of each system. The results revealed that the free-range system performed best in environmental and economic sustainability, while the intensive indoor system showed higher economic stability. Significant differences in meat quality were observed based on the production system, including pH, fat and protein content, colour, texture, and fatty acid profiles. Notably, the free-range system produced pork with higher levels of MUFA and omega-3 fatty acids while intensive indoor showed a more favourable texture, while the intensive systems were associated with paler meat and higher SFA content. Indeed, the results highlighted a significant interaction between the production system × breed, indicating that the 100% Iberian is better adapted to the extensive systems. This study highlights the importance of integrating sustainability assessments with meat quality parameters to identify production methods that are both environmentally responsible and capable of meeting the consumer demand for high-quality pork.

Vegetable proteins derived from legumes, cereals or pseudocereals have increased in popularity in recent years, becoming very interesting for the food industry. In addition to their nutritional interest, these products have techno-functional properties that allow them to be used in the production of a wide variety of foods. This research has studied the nutritional and mineral composition of 12 samples of rice, pea and soy concentrates. The objective was to investigate the influence of this nutritional composition, mainly mineral components, on the techno-functional properties (water and oil binding capacity, swelling, emulsifying, gelling and foaming capacities) of these concentrates. For this purpose, a Pearson correlation matrix and a GH biplot method have been applied. The results showed that there is a correlation between mineral content and functional properties. Mg, K and Ca were positively correlated with protein solubility index, oil absorption capacity and swelling capacity. Na and P contents are positively related to water absorption capacity and emulsifying capacity. Gelling capacity was positively correlated with Mg contents and negatively correlated with Cu and Fe contents. The preliminary results reported in this study highlight the necessity to further assess the influence of non-protein components on the techno-functionality of protein concentrates.