Natural biopolymers are an interesting resource for edible films production, as they are environmentally friendly packaging materials. The possibilities of the application of main animal proteins and natural polysaccharides are considered in the review, including the sources, structure, and limitations of usage. The main ways for overcoming the limitations caused by the physico-chemical properties of biopolymers are also discussed, including composites approaches, plasticizers, and the addition of crosslinking agents. Approaches for the production of biopolymer-based films and coatings are classified according to wet and dried processes and considered depending on biopolymer types. The methods for mechanical, physico-chemical, hydration, and uniformity estimation of edible films are reviewed.

The development of approaches for the non-thermal sterilization of instruments is an urgent task to ensure the safety of meat industry products, where the use of hot water leads to the formation of condensates and a deterioration in the hygienic condition of the premises. In this study, an installation for sterilizing knives was created, which works by activating aqueous salt solutions with a glow discharge. The power consumption of the installation reactor is only 125–150 Wh. The temperature rise of the sterilizing agent used is about 1.1 ± 0.2 °C/min/L. The effectiveness of the installation for plasma-activation of aqueous solutions of chloride and sodium sulfate by glow discharge (PAW) in relation to the inactivation of microorganisms, including Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas gessardii and L. monocytogenes, on steel surfaces was evaluated. Samples of stainless steel (parts of knives) were used in two versions (new and artificially aged). Mono- and polyspecies bacterial biofilms were grown on the surface of the samples. The treatment was carried out by immersing samples of steel plates in plasma-activated aqueous solutions. It was found that the treatment of plates in a knife sterilizer for 1 min had an effective effect on the inhibition of all types of studied bacteria.

Reduction of fat in meat products is an important task aimed at solving the problem of excessive fat intake. Different substances are used as fat replacers: plant and animal proteins, and polysaccharides. The aim of the research was a comparative study of the effect of different fat replacers (inulin; a mixture of hydrocolloids; soy protein, and; collagen protein) on the quality of low-fat cooked sausage. In the experimental samples, 50% of backfat was replaced with: inulin gel (exp. 1), a mixture of hydrocolloids (carrageenan, xanthan gum and guar gum) with additional incorporation of water (exp. 2), hydrated soy protein (exp. 3), or hydrated collagen protein (exp. 4). Addition of the fat replacers reduced the fat content by more than 40%. The use of hydrocolloids and soy protein in the hydrated form as fat replacers negatively affected sausage taste and consistency. Addition of the hydrated animal protein had no significant effect on taste, color characteristics, or water activity, but led to a decrease in the sausage shear force. The sausage produced with inulin had the organoleptic, color and strength characteristics closest to the control sausage. Inulin gel, therefore, is recommended as a fat replacer in cooked sausages.

We present the results of determination of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) in foods of animal origin. It is shown that, in addition to the main component, monounsaturated cis-9-octadecenoic (oleic)...

For the first time, by atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods, micro- and nanofragments of micronized powder elastomeric modifier (PEM) formed at the short-term (3 min at 160 °C) interaction of PEM with hot bitumen have been demonstrated. It is the technology of high-temperature shear-induced grinding of a worn-out tire’s crumb rubber or its co-grinding with styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) block copolymer which provides the creation of the PEM structure inclined to rapid degradation in hot bitumen. The formation just after the preparation process of a new structure of a modified binder, more resistant to external effects, is supported by the data of rheological tests. Performance tests for a modified binder using Superpave standard adopted by the road industry for bituminous binders showed an extended temperature range, resistance to rutting, and low-temperature and fatigue cracking. The better resistance to low-temperature and fatigue cracking is certainly related to energy absorption and crack growth stopping in the presence of micron and submicron resilient PEM fragments in accordance with the mechanism of increasing impact toughness in plastics.