FOOD PROCESSING and PRESERVATION Before Packing Fresh-Cut Carrots

Synergistic food science

Professor Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile has published over 250 papers in food science, with a focus on packaging design and functional foods. He provides an overview of the diversity of his research, explaining the growing demand for novel products and the challenges of achieving optimal properties PROFESSOR MATTEO ALESSANDRO DEL NOBILE ALESSANDRO MATTEO PROFESSOR

How did you cream called stracciatella. It is a typical loaded mono and multilayer PCL and zein became involved South Italian product, generally produced effectively control pest infestation. with this line of from cow’s milk. Due to its high moisture research? and fat content, burrata is susceptible to Your group is also investigated and microbial spoilage. Our strategy to preserve created functional foods based on meat I started working the product consisted of applying an active and ﬁ sh. What difﬁ culties did this work on mass diffusion in compound to the inner cream during process present and how did you overcome them? polymers, specifi cally and modifi ed headspace packaging (MAP). for food packaging Our results showed that the combination We produced fortifi ed foods from the applications. In that of lysozyme/ethylenediamine tetraacetic combination of minced meat or fi sh with

period, I developed a acid, disodium salt (Na2-EDTA) and MAP extra virgin olive oil and pepper fl our. strong background in prolonged storability effectively reduced Although meat is frequently associated the physical and chemical aspects of polymers. microbial spoiling phenomena that can with a negative health image, it ensures I later moved towards other issues related to render the product unacceptable. adequate delivery of essential micronutrients food, such as processing and preservation. and amino acids. Fish and shellfi sh are Sitophilus granaries infestation in cereal also excellent protein sources, as they Can you discuss your group’s work with products is a major cause of concern for contain important vitamins, minerals and functional foods and food packaging? the food industry, as these insects spoil polyunsaturated fatty acids. What synergy comes from studying these large quantities of food. How are you topics in tandem? using your packaging expertise to solve Red sweet peppers may provide benefi cial this problem? health effects, as they are generally rich in I believe food preservation should be capsanthin, an effective antioxidant. The simultaneously approached from the Most insects enter fi nished products biggest hurdle in combining meat or fi sh, oil processing and the packaging sides. I started through openings caused by sewing, folding and pepper fl our was choosing the correct working on food packaging, in particular or damage – not by chewing through concentration of oil and vegetable fl ours physical-chemical characterisation of packaging. Therefore, the ability of chemical polymeric matrices and development of barriers to prevent insects from invading Analysis of minimally processed fruit. active packaging systems. I later moved the is more effective than the prevention of group’s activity to food processing to prolong penetration. Increasing restrictions on shelf life. Today, the group can be proud of pesticide use have generated considerable its experience in the proper combination interest in fi nding alternative means to of preservation techniques to apply during control storage pests. Therefore, the goal of processing and packaging. our research was to explore the possibility of using propionic acid to prevent S. granarius You are working to prolong the shelf from invading paperboard packaging life of burrata cheese. Can you describe intended for cereal foods. In behavioural the approaches you have taken and the bioassays, zein and policaprolactone (PCL) signiﬁ cance of this work? paperboard coatings – used as propionic acid carriers – were tested for repellency against Burrata is a fresh cheese consisting of a granary weevils. Our study demonstrated ball of pasta ﬁ lata cheese that contains a that cartons coated with propionic acid-

18 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION PROFESSOR MATTEO ALESSANDRO DEL NOBILE

to improve nutritional properties without compromising the sensory attributes. A preliminary screening of flours and different concentrations of oil was carried out. Subsequently, fine optimisation of the product formulation was achieved by elaborating a central composite design. Analytical investigations carried out before and after cooking assessed the preservation of the health-giving compounds derived from the pepper flour.

Are there any packaging innovations of which you are most proud?

There are several active packaging systems we developed and applied with success; however, there is no ideal food packaging solution that doesn’t require prevention strategies during processing. Our most effective solutions are the result of the proper combination of preservative strategies, applied prior to and during packaging. For example, with the right combination of washing solutions, dipping Food with function treatments, coating applications, films with specific mass transport properties A research group based at the University of Foggia, Italy, is working to and appropriate headspace conditions, we identified the optimal conditions for ready- create foods with new properties and health benefits, as well as innovative to-eat kiwis and cactus pears, and ready-to packaging to increase shelf life. This work could improve consumer cook lampascioni. wellbeing and contribute to solving the enduring problem of food waste

Headspace gas measurements of ready-to-eat THE PROCESSING AND packaging of food is Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile, Professor in the table grapes. an essential part of modern life. However, food Department of Agricultural Sciences, Food, and production is a rapidly changing field, based Environment at the University of Foggia, leads on shifting consumer demands. Consumers are an expert research group offering solutions turning to food more frequently to contribute in both of these areas. His research centre in to their health. It is no longer enough for Italy hosts pilot plants for food types including food to simply satisfy hunger and provide cereals, dairy products, meat and fish where essential nutrients, food producers are now his team develops custom-made products. As being asked to prevent disease and improve well as creating new products, Del Nobile’s physical wellbeing. work provides tools and techniques for their characterisation, and the materials used to While society is asking more of its food, it package them. continues to throw huge amounts of it away. Food waste is a major problem worldwide. CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS While millions go starving, Europeans discard 100 million tonnes of food per year – a figure Functional foods are a growing market. In line that could be reduced if shelf life could with consumers rising nutritional expectations be extended. and advances in food and nutrition science,

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these foods offer new possibilities for WASTE NOT, WANT NOT modulating physiology and improving health status. Del Nobile’s group conducts wide- Truly making the most of the materials ranging research in this arena. A particular available to them, the research group has also focus of its work is food made with fl our. established a set of systems to extract phenolic The team aims to optimise pasta and bread compounds from agricultural and food waste, produced with non-traditional fl ours, such as such as leaves, damaged fruits, peels and gluten-free fl our, which do not currently match pulps. These compounds are found naturally up to products made with wheat fl our. This in products including chocolate, coffee and involves enrichment with fi bres and bioactive berries, and can be added to beverages to compounds. Using pilot plants for both pasta improve colour and taste. Furthermore, there and bread, the team is able to study the effects is evidence to suggest that they may provide of the different process variables involved in antioxidant protection against heart disease their production. and cancer. Using innovative extraction techniques such as ultrasound, the isolated Pasta, obtained from semolina, is one of the What are functional foods? functional compounds can be directly added most heavily consumed foods worldwide. to food, or added in the formulation stages via Along with the drive for healthier food Food can be given a function, such as a microencapsulation. products, more and more people are seeking health benefi t, by adding new ingredients. gluten free alternatives. In addition, pasta’s The EC Concerted Action on Functional POSITIVE PACKAGING widespread appeal makes it a good vehicle for Food Science in Europe (FUFOSE) proposed highly nutritious compounds. a working defi nition of functional food: Packaging is a vital part of food production and a “A food that benefi cially affects one or key research area in food technology. It protects Existing gluten-free pastas are of low quality, more target functions in the body beyond food from the external environment, provides with poor texture and fl avour. As gluten is the adequate nutritional effects in a way that convenience, and – perhaps most importantly main structure-forming protein in fl our, its is relevant to either an improved state of – increases shelf life. Del Nobile’s team has removal causes signifi cant issues. Recognising health and wellbeing and/or reduction of extensive expertise in this area, spanning the the need for better alternatives, in 2011 Del risk of disease. It is consumed as part of physical-chemical characteristics of polymeric Nobile and his team optimised the formulation a normal food pattern. It is not a pill, a matrices (plastics), shelf-life extension and of gluten-free spaghetti – both dry and fresh capsule or any form of dietary supplement”. active packaging. – based on quinoa, maize and soy fl ours. Analysis of the dough samples showed that Health conscious consumers are now Plastics are pervasive in the food industry. those with a high maize content had better demanding foods with potential health Although public perception is focused on elongation and shears viscosity, as well as benefi ts beyond basic nutritional plastics’ poor recyclability, they actually play increased fi rmness. The overall acceptability requirements; examples of functional an important role in reducing food waste. To of the spaghetti improved with increased components include carotenoids, dietary achieve this feat, the researchers are studying maize content and decreased quinoa fl our, fi bre, fatty acids, minerals, phenolic acids the mechanisms by which a food product can reaching a compromise of components with and probiotics. become unacceptable to the consumer. It then health benefi ts and structural characteristics. employs mathematical models that simulate The team’s dry and fresh non-conventional the behaviour of packaged food under real-life pasta could in fact be a promising alternative conditions. These models enable the team to to traditional pasta, based on its superior Del Nobile’s team created a cheese containing reduce optimisation time and create packaging nutrition content. probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus, lactic acid specifi cally designed to meet the requirements bacteria able to stay alive until reaching the of a particular food product. intestine. This well-known bacterial strain PROBIOTIC CHEESE is widely used as a probiotic culture in dairy SHELF LIFE PROLONGATION The researchers also maintain a laboratory foods and has been shown to have positive dedicated to dairy products. They specialise digestive effects. The researchers have also One area of which the group is particularly in pasta ﬁ lata, a technique in the manufacture used fructo-oligosaccharide substances as a proud is its work in the extending shelf life of of Italian cheeses and known in English as prebiotic, coating both in sodium alginate as products based on meat, fi sh, dairy and cereal. stretched curd. The team is presently working an edible carrier – ideal due to its non-toxicity, On one hand, the researchers accurately on enriching cheese with probiotic and biocompatibility and affordability. combine preservation techniques that can be prebiotic compounds. applied during food processing (such as coating Aiming to contribute to scarce knowledge treatments) and during packaging (such as Earlier this year, Del Nobile’s group reported a on the simultaneous addition of pre- and material choice). They also dedicate signifi cant new method of producing symbiotic fi ordilatte probiotics to fresh cheese, the team conducted time and effort to so-called active packaging cheese – mozzarella made from cow’s milk. In analyses in trials using three different batches – fi nding ways to contain constituents to the context of rising nutritional expectations, of coated and uncoated cheeses stored at enhance the performance of the food product. probiotics and prebiotics are important three different temperatures. After assessing An extension of the protective function of additives and may help prevent illness. the viability of the lactic acid bacteria, packaging, active packaging is frequently used Probiotics – live microbial feed supplements the team assessed its effects on product to protect against oxygen and moisture. that improve host intestinal balance – have a quality. The results showed that the quality benefi cial effect on the natural gut microfl ora. remained viable in all cases. Moreover, the Del Nobile’s team has created active packaging By contrast, prebiotics are selectively addition of pre- and probiotic substances in using both natural and synthetic antimicrobial fermented ingredients that enable specifi c the coating provoked an antimicrobial effect and antioxidant compounds, as well as more changes to the composition or activity of against bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae, novel nanocomposite systems. When added to the microfl ora, both of which improve the improving the fi nal taste of the product a polymer, nanoparticles offer reinforcement, wellbeing of the consumer. Fiordilatte cheese and extending its shelf life – fi ndings with antimicrobial activity, enzyme immobilisation is an ideal substrate for both. signifi cant implications for industry. and biosensing capabilities.

20 INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION its biocidal effects. Astoundingly, it was shown INTELLIGENCE that shelf life could be prolonged by more than two months using this active coating FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION before packing fresh-cut carrots. OBJECTIVE STOPPING SPOLIAGE To offer the research group’s expertise In its recent work with fi ordilatte cheese, and professional services in the fi eld of the team developed a novel preservation functional foods. technique in line with the trend towards more The laboratories contain pilot plants for sustainable packaging. As plastics build up in many food categories, making it possible to landfi lls, the industry is search for more natural realise new products with tailored health materials. Bio-based polymers could be the characteristics. Revolutionising ready meals solution; these packaging products are made from raw materials from agricultural or marine In addition, traditional and novel tools In 2012, Del Nobile’s group created a sources. Among these, polylactic acid (PLA) for food characterisation are available. functional ready meal based on precooked is receiving considerable interest due to its The group’s facilities for characterising gluten-free pasta, with a yoghurt-based biodegradability and low toxicity. packaging materials and extending shelf life sauce enriched with probiotic bacteria. are also accessible. This work could help to develop industrial Utilising this emerging technology, the KEY COLLABORATOR processes focused on optimising nutrition team developed novel nanocomposites, and improving eating habits. incorporating copper nanoparticles into Dr Amalia Conte, University of PLA to integrate the bioactivity of copper Foggia, Italy nanoparticles into a biodegradable medium. CONTACT In vivo tests showed antimicrobial effects As a result of their efforts in this area, the on fi ordilatte, inhibiting the process of Dr Matteo Alessandro Del Nobile researchers created a pioneering packaging spoilage without compromising the sensory Professor in the Department of Agricultural coating loaded with silver nanoparticles. They characteristics of the cheese – paving the way Sciences, Food, and Environment applied this to vegetables, one of the hardest for the more widespread use of copper in the food types to preserve. Minimally processed food packaging industry. University of Foggia carrots are one of the most popularly Via Napoli 25 consumed vegetables, but the operations Thus, through diverse research efforts spanning 71122 Foggia required to obtain fresh-cut carrots promote multiple food types, Del Nobile’s team is Italy rapid deterioration, signifi cantly limiting shelf helping to increase the quality and nutritional T +39 320 4394 676 life. Tackling this with nanotechnology, the value of food and reduce the amount society E [email protected] team used tiny particles made of silver, due to throws away. www.unifg.it/laiff

MATTEO ALESSANDRO DEL NOBILE obtained his PhD in Polymer Science from the University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Italy, and he now works at the University of Foggia as Full Professor. His academic background involves mass diffusion in polymers, and he is currently working on the development of functional foods and improving on food packaging design. To date, Del Nobile has published over 250 papers on topics related to polymer science and food science. The facts on food waste

1/2 of all food is wasted worldwide

Food waste is caused by problems in production, processing, retailing and consumption, with a major cause being food packaging

In developed countries, about 100 kilograms per person per year is wasted at the consumption stage

Wasted food costs US $750 billion every year

39 per cent of household food waste is fruit and vegetables

100 million tonnes of food is thrown away in Europe each year, while 840 million people live in chronic hunger