Fats play a key role in the rheological and textural properties of meat products. However, growing awareness of the link between diet and disease has stimulated research on fat replacers that can replicate these functional properties. Inulin, a β-D-fructose polymer available in various degrees of polymerization (DP), is promising as a fat replacer due to its gel-forming ability in aqueous systems and its neutral sensory profile. This study focused on optimizing the formulation of inulin gel-based fat replacers for producing reduced-fat beef burgers. A D-optimal mixture-process design was employed, considering inulin with high-DP (HDP) and low-DP (LDP). The aim was to determine the optimal amount of inulin, water, and guar gum to achieve gels with rheological properties (η, shear viscosity; K, consistency index) similar to beef fat. The optimal formulations consisted of 51.52% inulin, 48.48% water, 1.50% guar gum for LDP gel, and 39.12% inulin, 60.88% water, 1.50% guar gum for HDP gel. These gels demonstrated shear viscosity and consistency indices comparable to beef fat. While rheological behavior at constant temperatures was similar, inulin gels showed increasing viscoelastic moduli (G′ and G″) with temperature, in contrast to the melting behavior of animal fat. When used in beef burger formulations, the optimized gels resulted in improved cooking yields, reduced shrinkage, and better dimensional stability compared to conventional controls. These benefits are attributed to the hydrophilic and stabilizing properties of inulin. The findings support the use of inulin-based gels as effective fat replacers, offering a promising strategy to reduce fat content in meat products without compromising functional quality.

This observational study aimed to investigate the occurrence and distribution of biogenic amines in a representative set of traditional cheeses, grouped by milk origin (bovine and non-bovine) and cheesemaking technology into hard cheeses, pasta filata cheeses, and soft cheeses. For each sample, a wide set of parameters was analyzed, including gross composition, microbial count (culture-dependent), free amino acids, and biogenic amines (BA). Overall, BA content showed a high variability among cheese categories, reflecting differences in milk origin, extension of ripening, and cheesemaking conditions. Non-bovine cheeses, particularly hard varieties produced from raw ewe milk, exhibited the highest levels of BA, whereas bovine cheeses appeared less affected by prolonged ripening. Univariate correlation analysis indicated that BA accumulation is influenced by multiple interacting factors, including physicochemical parameters, microbial dynamics, and metabolic traits, confirming that the simple availability of precursor amino acids is not sufficient to explain BA formation, thus supporting the role of environmentally modulated decarboxylase activity. Multivariate statistical analysis clarified the relationships among specific BA, microbial groups, and compositional features. Cadaverine, putrescine, and tyramine were associated with high enterococci counts and elevated sodium chloride content, predominantly characterizing non-bovine cheeses. Histamine was mainly linked to proteolysis and ripening-related variables and was characteristic of aged hard and pasta filata cheeses. Soft cheeses were differentiated by pH, moisture, nitrogen fractions, and overall microbial densities, highlighting how compositional and microbiological variability drive BA distribution across cheese types. The results underscore the complex interplay among biochemical, microbiological, and environmental factors in BA formation. A holistic, multi-parameter approach is needed to assess BA risk in cheeses, especially in traditional varieties, and future work should include multi-omics and culture-independent methods to better elucidate the drivers of BA biosynthesis.

Olive leaves, an abundant agro-industrial by-product, represent a valuable source of phenolic compounds. Cultivars grown in Brazil remain underexplored at the metabolomic level, particularly regarding strategies for their valorization. Extraction methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction and infusion, offer distinct pathways for utilizing this by-product. This study aimed to characterize the phenolic metabolome (UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS) and antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH assays) of olive leaves from two cultivars grown in Brazil (Coratina and Picual), comparing ultrasound-assisted extracts and infusion. Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering) were applied to evaluate sample discrimination and correlations between phenols and antioxidant activity (Spearman). The phenolic profile was complex, dominated by secoiridoids and including flavonoids, and was more efficiently recovered by ultrasound-assisted extraction. A clear distinction was observed between extraction methods and cultivars, with differences mainly attributed to the relative abundance of medium- and low-abundance metabolites. Correlation analysis indicated positive associations between multiple phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, suggesting a synergistic effect driven by the overall metabolic profile. These findings provide novel metabolomic insights into olive leaves from Brazilian-grown cultivars and demonstrate that extraction strategy plays a key role in their valorization. Ultrasound-assisted extraction maximizes compound recovery, whereas infusions represent an accessible home-based method for enhancing antioxidant intake.