Table olives are a pickled food product obtained by a partial/total debittering and subsequent fermentation of drupes. Their peculiar sensory properties have led to a their widespread use, especially in Europe, as an appetizer or an ingredient for culinary use. The most relevant literature of the last twenty years has been analyzed in this review with the aim of giving an up-to-date overview of the processing and storage effects on the nutritional and sensory properties of table olives. Analysis of the literature has revealed that the nutritional properties of table olives are mainly influenced by the processing method used, even if preharvest-factors such as irrigation and fruit ripening stage may have a certain weight. Data revealed that the nutritional value of table olives depends mostly on the balanced profile of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and the contents of health-promoting phenolic compounds, which are best retained in natural table olives. Studies on the use of low salt brines and of selected starter cultures have shown the possibility of producing table olives with an improved nutritional profile. Sensory characteristics are mostly process-dependent, and a relevant contribute is achieved by starters, not only for reducing the bitterness of fruits, but also for imparting new and typical taste to table olives. Findings reported in this review confirm, in conclusion, that table olives surely constitute an important food source for their balanced nutritional profile and unique sensory characteristics.

The present study investigates the effect of partial or total substitution of rice flour (RF) with quinoa flour (QF) (at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) on the chemical-physical, nutritional, and sensory characteristics, as well as the volatile compounds, of ladyfinger biscuits. All quinoa-based formulations positively affected the crust colour, endowing it with lower ‘lightness’ and higher ‘redness’ values, giving the biscuits a more appealing crust colour. Biscuits with higher percentages of QF also had better structure, as they were softer. The substitution of RF with QF significantly improved the nutritional profile of the biscuits, as a result of the increase in protein, lipid, ash, total soluble (SP) and insoluble polyphenol (IP), flavonoid, and antioxidant activity levels, which increased linearly with the substitution rate. Quinoa supplementation led to an increase in volatile compounds that were nearly always characterised by positive olfactory attributes. Sensory analysis revealed that the maximal substitution rate of QF able to maintain an adequate consumer acceptability rating is probably 50%, as higher percentages impaired acceptability due to the presence of herbaceous and bitter tastes, even if the consumers also rated these samples as healthier and softer to touch.

Nowadays, food processing by-products, which have long raised serious environmental concerns, are recognized to be a cheap source of valuable compounds. In the present study, incorporation of phenolic-rich extracts (500 and 1000 mg kg⁻¹) from olive leaves (OL) and olive mill wastewater (OMW) into conventional gluten-free formulations has been exploited as a potential strategy for developing nutritious and healthy breadsticks with extended shelf-life. To this end, moisture, water activity (a_w), visual and textural properties, the composition of biologically active compounds (soluble, insoluble, and bio-accessible polyphenols), antioxidant activity, oxidation stability, and consumer preference of the resulting breadsticks were investigated. Fortified breadsticks had higher moisture and a_w, lower hardness, and similar color in comparison to the control, especially in the case of OL extract supplementation. All enriched formulations significantly affected the phenolic composition, as evidenced by the decrease in insoluble/soluble polyphenols ratio (from 7 in the control up to 3.1 and 4.5 in OL and OMW, respectively), and a concomitant increase in polyphenol bio-accessibility (OL: 14.5–23% and OMW: 10.4–15% rise) and antioxidant activity (OL: 20–36% and OMW: 11–16% rise). Moreover, a significant shelf-life extension was observed in all fortified breadsticks (especially in case of OMW supplementation). Sensory evaluation evidenced that 61% of the assessors showed a marked, but not significant, tendency to consider the sample supplemented with high levels of OL as a more palatable choice.

The nutritional and physicochemical properties of sorghum proteins and starch make the use of this cereal for food production challenging. Sprouting is a cost-effective technology to improve the nutritional and functional profile of grains. Two drying treatments were used after sorghum sprouting to investigate whether the drying phase could improve the protein and starch functionalities. Results showed that the drying treatment at lower temperature/longer time (40 °C for 12 h) extended the enzymatic activity that started during sprouting compared to the one performed at higher temperature/shorter time (50 °C for 6 h). An increased protein hydrolysis and water- and oil-holding capacity were found in the flour obtained by the former treatment. Higher protein matrix hydrolysis caused high exposure of starch to enzymes, thus increasing its digestibility, while worsening the technological functionality. Overall, modulating drying conditions could represent a further way, in addition to sprouting, to improve sorghum flour’s nutritional profile.

Poorly emphasized aspects for a sustainable olive oil system are chemical analysis replacement and quality design of the final product. In this context, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can play a pivotal role. Thus, this study aims at comparing performances of different NIRS systems for the prediction of moisture, oil content, soluble solids, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of intact olive drupes. The results obtained by a Fourier transform (FT)-NIR spectrometer, equipped with both an integrating sphere and a fiber optic probe, and a Vis/NIR handheld device are discussed. Almost all the partial least squares regression models were encouraging in predicting the quality parameters (0.64 < R²_pred < 0.84), with small and comparable biases (p > 0.05). The pair-wise comparison between the standard deviations demonstrated that the FT-NIR models were always similar except for moisture (p < 0.05), whereas a slightly lower performance of the Vis/NIR models was assessed. Summarizing, while on-line or in-line applications of the FT-NIR optical probe should be promoted in oil mills in order to quickly classify the drupes for a better quality design of the olive oil, the portable and cheaper Vis/NIR device could be useful for preliminary quality evaluation of olive drupes directly in the field.

Celiac disease is increasing all over the world. In this context, most recent research in this area is addressing and attempting to improve the nutritional value and sensory characteristics of gluten-free (GF) food products and to enhance their technological properties. Here, amaranth flour was studied as a potential healthy ingredient for the development of an innovative GF flat bread. Starting from two different basic formulations (rice flour:corn starch and rice flour:tapioca starch, 50:50), the impact of partially replacing rice flour (6%) and starch (6%) with amaranth on the nutritional characteristics, polyphenol composition, textural, and sensory properties of the resulting GF flat breads was explored. The substitution with amaranth led to detrimental effects on the doughs’ viscometric properties, especially in the case of tapioca starch, but significantly improved the doughs’ textural properties. All the amaranth-enriched flat breads showed a better color and a significant increase in all polyphenols fractions but lower antioxidant activity. During bread storage for three days, a detrimental effect on both starch retrogradation, toughness, and extensibility properties were observed, especially when tapioca starch was used. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) sensory test results showed that the incorporation of amaranth increased yeast odor and yeast flavor perception and decreased the softness in mouth-only in tapioca-based samples. A better compromise among technological, nutritional, and sensory properties was achieved when amaranth flour was added to the basic rice and corn formulation.