Apple fruits are high in phenolic compounds, sugar and dietary fiber content and are rich in malic acid and vitamins, with a significant impact on the organoleptic quality and its health-promoting properties. They can be turned out in value-added product such as apple chips due to the low cost of raw material. The aim of the study was to obtain apple chips, fat-free, healthy, traditionally dried and without added sugar, which can be easily obtained and capitalized economically, as well as the evaluation of their physico-chemical and sensory qualities. The apple chips were produced from three apple cultivars (‘Starkrimson’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Florina’) by drying the apple fruits in an oven and a dehydrator at 65 °C. To inactivate the browning enzymes, the apple slices were immersed in a solution of lemon salt (4%) for 7 min before drying. Apple chips were sensory-evaluated and relevant parameters were analyzed at defined intervals during storage at room temperature up to 21 days. The water activity (aw) values of apple chip samples dried in the oven ranged from 0.544 to 0.650, while for the samples dried in the dehydrator, aw values were between 0.374 and 0.426. During the storage, the pH of apple chips varied very little, while titratable acidity increased for all samples. Compared with fresh apple slices, it was observed that the total soluble solids (TSS) content of all dried apple chip samples decreased. Color parameters and browning and whitening indexes differed depending on the apple cultivars and dryer type used.

Five varieties of vegetable oil underwent oleogelation with two types of wax as follows: beeswax (BW) and rice bran wax (RW). The oleogels were analyzed for their physicochemical, thermal, and textural characteristics. The oleogels were used in the bun dough recipe at a percentage level of 5%, and the textural and rheological properties of the oleogel doughs were analyzed using dynamic and empirical rheology devices such as the Haake rheometer, the Rheofermentometer, and Mixolab. The thermal properties of beeswax oleogels showed a melting peak at a lower temperature for all the oils used compared with that of the oleogels containing rice bran wax. Texturally, for both waxes, as the percentage of wax increased, the firmness of the oleogels increased proportionally, which indicates better technological characteristics for the food industry. The effect of the addition of oleogels on the viscoelastic properties of the dough was measured as a function of temperature. All dough samples showed higher values for G′ (storage modulus) than those of G″ (loss modulus) in the temperature range of 20–90 °C, suggesting a solid, elastic-like behavior of all dough samples with the addition of oleogels. The influence of the beeswax and rice bran oleogels based on different types of vegetable oils on the thermo-mechanical properties of wheat flour dough indicated that the addition of oleogels in dough recipes generally led to higher dough stability and lower values for the dough development time and those related to the dough’s starch characteristics. Therefore, the addition of oleogels in dough recipes inhibits the starch gelatinization process and increases the shelf life of bakery products.

The aim of the study was to characterize the gelling effect of beeswax (BW) using different types of cold pressed oil. The organogels were produced by hot mixing sunflower oil, olive oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil and hemp seed oil with 3%, 7% and 11% beeswax. Characterization of the oleogels was done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the chemical and physical properties of the oleogels were determined, the oil binding capacity was estimated and the SEM morphology was studied. The color differences were highlighted by the CIE Lab color scale for evaluating the psychometric index of brightness (L*), components a and b. Beeswax showed excellent gelling capacity at 3% (w/w) of 99.73% for grape seed oil and a minimum capacity of 64.34%for hemp seed oil. The value of the peroxide index is strongly correlated with the oleogelator concentration. Scanning electron microscopy described the morphology of the oleogels in the form of overlapping structures of platelets similar in structure, but dependent on the percentage of oleogelator added. The use in the food industry of oleogels from cold-pressed vegetable oils with white beeswax is conditioned by the ability to imitate the properties of conventional fats.

The fruit, juice, and pomace of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) are a rich source of phenolic compounds and can be used to obtain enriched dairy products. Chokeberry fruit, due to its astringent taste, is less favorable or even unacceptable to consumers and is usually processed into juice, resulting in large quantities of pomace, which is often discarded as waste. The aim of this study is to valorize chokeberry fruit, juice, and pomace by incorporating them in different percentages (1, 2, and 3%) into yogurt as functional ingredients. The physicochemical (total solids content, fat, protein, titratable acidity, pH, color), textural (hardness, adhesion, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness), antioxidant (DPPH scavenging activity and total phenolic content), and sensory characteristics of supplemented yogurts were investigated. The results showed that the addition of chokeberry pomace in yogurt increased their total solids content (from 11.46 ± 0.18% for the plain yogurt sample to 13.71 ± 0.18% for the yogurt sample with 3% chokeberry pomace), while the addition of fruit and juice decreased the protein content of the yogurt samples (from 4.35 ± 0.11% for the plain yogurt sample to 3.69 ± 0.15% for the yogurt sample with 3% chokeberry fruit and to 3.84 ± 0.1% for the yogurt sample with 3% chokeberry juice). There was no statistically significant change in the fat content of all samples of chokeberry-supplemented yogurt compared to plain yogurt. The pH of the yogurt samples decreased with the increase in the percentage of chokeberry fruit, juice, and pomace added to the yogurt (from 4.50 for the plain yogurt samples to 4.35, 4.30, and 4.20 for the yogurt samples supplemented with 1, 2, and 3% black chokeberry pomace). Inhibition of DPPH radical formation was higher in the yogurt samples with chokeberry fruit (57.84 ± 0.05%, 73.57 ± 0.11%, and 75.38 ± 0.05% inhibition for the samples with 1, 2, and 3% fruit) and pomace (up to 64.8 ± 0.11% inhibition for the sample with 3%), while total phenolic content decreased (from 392.14 ± 2.06 to 104.45 ± 2.63 µg/g) as follows: yogurt with chokeberry pomace > yogurt with chokeberry fruit > yogurt with chokeberry juice. The yogurt samples with the highest acceptance scores were the samples with 3% and 2% black chokeberry fruit, while the lowest acceptance score was obtained for the yogurt sample with 3% black chokeberry pomace. Chokeberry fruit, juice, and pomace can improve the physicochemical, textural, and antioxidant characteristics of yogurt, emphasizing that the antioxidant effect of yogurt could be substantially improved by the addition of chokeberry pomace due to its high phenolic content, while incorporation into yogurt is another way to valorize this by-product.

Vinegar is a fermented food with a diversity of uses seasoning, salad dressing and flavouring for foods. Since ancient times it is considered a remedy for health and today there are different types of vinegar on the market, and many others are under development. Determination of the physicochemical characteristics of the new types of vinegar is necessary in order to improve them. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to compare the physicochemical characteristics of vinegar obtained from banana peels (with or without boiling peels) at different ages, with those of commercial vinegars. The vinegar from banana peels was obtained and aged in our laboratory, while the commercial vinegars were purchased from a local market. The physicochemical characteristics of all the samples were investigated before and after gastric and intestinal digestion. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the mineral content of the vinegars. Additionally, statistical analysis of the results was performed by applying a one-way analysis of variance. Results showed that vinegar obtained from banana peels is clearer and total dry extract values are lower than those of commercial vinegars. Banana peel vinegars have higher antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content similar to the commercial balsamic vinegars. This study advances the knowledge in the field of vinegar production by using raw agricultural by-products.

The objective of this study was to develop candelilla wax oleogels with hemp seed oil and olive oil and use them as a fat source in the development of new plant-based ice cream assortments. Oleogels were structured with 3 and 9% candelilla wax and characterized by oil-binding capacity, peroxide value and color parameters. The oil-binding capacities of 9% wax oleogels were significantly higher than those of 3% wax oleogels, while peroxide values of oleogels decrease with increasing wax dosage. All oleogel samples are yellow-green due to the pigments present in the oils and candelilla wax. Physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, fat, protein) and rheological (viscosity and viscoelastic modulus) parameters of plant-based ice cream mixes with oleogels were determined. Also, sensory attributes and texture parameters were investigated. The results showed that titratable acidity and fat content of plant-based ice cream samples increased with increasing wax percentage, while pH, soluble solids and protein values are more influenced by the type of plant milk used. The plant-based ice cream sample with spelt milk, hemp oil and 9% candelilla wax received the highest overall acceptability score. The hardness of the plant-based ice cream samples increased as the percentage of candelilla wax added increased.