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In this study, we investigated the effects of osmotic process with or without ultrasound on solid gain (SG) and water loss (WL) of cranberries. Response surface methodology was used to model and determine the optimum processing conditions for WL and SG during osmotic dehydration of samples. Sucrose (40-60%) and salt (0-8%) concentrations, temperature (30-50°C) and frequency of ultrasound (0-130 kHz) were the factors investigated with respect to WL and SG. Experiments were designed according to a second-order Central Composite Design (CCD) in the form of a Face-Centered Cube (FCC) with these four factors, each at three different levels, including central and axial points. All experiments were conducted in triplicate. Experiments were conducted in a shaker with constant 150 rpm agitation and solution to sample mass ratio of 10/1 (w/w). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to check the adequacy and accuracy of the fitted models. Statistical analysis of results showed that the linear terms of all the process variables had a significant effect on WL. Except for temperature, all other parameters had a significant effect on SG. Optimum operating conditions were found to be sucrose concentration of 50.1%, salt concentration of 8%, temperature of 50°C and ultrasound frequency of 130 kHz.

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Interaction of menthol with polyethylene terephthalate bottles during storage time was tested at three different temperatures. Menthol is a mint flavor agent added to yogurt drinks in Iran and is considered as a factor affecting consumer acceptance. Absorption of menthol to packaging material could cause a loss of quality in the final product due to diminished flavor intensity. Tests were done on the effects of environmental conditions (storage for three months at temperatures of 4, 25, and 45°C) on flavor stability of yogurt drink samples. Absorbed flavor was extracted from PET bottles after the specified time periods and quantified using gas chromatography coupled with FID detector. Then, the diffusion coefficient of menthol into PET bottles (D_p) was determined using concentrations of absorbed menthol. Results showed different absorption levels under various conditions. After 90 days, the absorption quantities at 4, 25, and 45°C were 38.21, 186.66 and 700.50 ng g^-1 of PET bottle, respectively. It was concluded that amounts of menthol absorption into PET bottles increased with storage time and higher temperature. Elevation of storage temperature resulted in significant increase in diffusion coefficient of menthol in PET bottle.

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In this study, the effect of addition of three different levels of microbial lipase (0, 4, and 8.0 g lipase in 100 kg milk) was investigated on the physiochemical properties, free fatty acids, textural properties, and microstructure of Lighvan cheese during ripening. The addition of lipase did not significantly affect pH, acidity, moisture, and salt content of Lighvan cheese, but increased its free fatty acid content considerably. It also increased hardness and decreased the brittleness of Lighvan cheese in all stages of ripening. The number and the mean diameter of fat globules, which were entrapped in casein network, were affected by all levels of the added lipase. Following the addition of lipase to Lighvan cheese and after 90 days of ripening, individual fat globules or their aggregates totally disappeared and some fingerprints of fat were observed. Disappearance of fat globules along with increase in protein matrix junctions leads to uniform structure of casein consisting voids which are produced from fermentation.

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Among the different classes of physical properties of foods, color is considered the most important visual attribute in quality perception. Consumers tend to associate color with quality due to its good correlation with physical, chemical and sensorial evaluations of food quality. This study used an inexpensive method to predict sweet cherries color parameters by combining image processing and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. The color measuring technique consisted of a CCD camera for image acquisition, MATLAB software for image analysis, and ANN for modeling. To demonstrate the usefulness of this technique, changes of cherry color during ripening were studied. After designing, training, and generalizing several ANNs using Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, a network with 7-14-11-3 architecture showed the best correlation (R²= 0.9999) for L*, a* and b* values from Chroma meter and the machine vision system. L* and b* parameters decreased during ripening of cherries and a* parameter increased at first and then decreased. Evaluation of L*, a* and b* values showed the possibility of reliable use of this system for determination of absolute color values of foodstuffs with a much lower cost in comparison with Chroma meter.

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 In this study investigated the use of modified atmosphere packaging ( MAP ) to extend the shelf life of Iranian flat bread (Taftoon). Four treatments of atmospheres including 100% CO2, 70% CO2 – 30% N2, 30% CO2 – 70% N2 , normal air and a coveraged samples as a control were used .The bread samples were packaged in pouches of polyamid / polyethilen (PA/PE). Results showed that it is possible to prolong the shelf life of breads to about 17 days by using modified atmosphere packaging with high carbon dioxide concentration and high-barrier laminated . However, significant differences (P<0.05) were obtained in the firmness of control bread compared to another treatment. In addition, firmness rate of breads packaged in normal air during storage was more than that compared to the samples stored in MAP , but there were not significant differences between samples packaged under atmospheres 100% CO2, 70% CO2 – 30% N2 and 30% CO2 – 70% N2. Modified atmosphere packaging extends shelf life of Taftoon as a flat bread and avoids mold growth in it.

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The unique properties of camel milk, qualify this product to be used as a nutraceutical. In this study, functional synbiotic yogurt made from camel milk has been investigated in three levels of fat (0, 2.5 and 5% (w/v)). Probiotic bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacilus delbrueckii and ssp. bulgaricus.) and β-glucan (prebiotic agent) were added in three levels of concentration (0.5, 1 and 1.5 % (v/v)) and (0, 1 and 2% (w/v)), respectively. The physicochemical properties of the product and viability of probiotic bacteria were measured on the 0, 7th and 14th days. Beta-glucan, fat and storage time had significantly (P< 0.05) increasing effects on viscosity, Water-Holding Capacity (WHC) and the viability of probiotic bacteria. These parameters caused decrease in syneresis and pH of yogurt. It was concluded that the addition of oat β-glucan to camel milk to make functional synbiotic yogurt could result in a product of acceptable physicochemical properties.

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The aim of this work was to optimize the spray drying conditions for the production of ice cream mix powder. A lab-scale spray dryer was employed for the spray drying process, the mix of salep and k-carrageenan was used as stabilizer and black mulberry juice added to ice creams as a natural flavor. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was performed to examine the influence of inlet air temperature (120, 140, and 160°C), feed flow rate (5, 10, and 15%) and black mulberry concentration (15, 30, and 45%) on drying yield and total anthocyanin content of powders, overrun and melting rate of ice creams prepared from the reconstituted powders. Scanning electron microscope was used for monitoring the structure of the powders. The following optimum process conditions were determined: inlet air temperature of 138 °C, feed flow rate of 8% and juice concentration of 35%. These parameters led to the process yield, total anthocyanin content, overrun and melting rate of 76.14%, 54.11 mg L^-1, 74.50%, and 1.52 g min^-1, respectively.

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Microwave assisted fluidized bed drying is a novel drying technique which reduces drying time and yields higher quality products. In this study the effect of this method on color changes of whole and cut hazelnut kernels was investigated. The parameters of color and resulting total color change, chroma, Hue angle and browning index were also calculated during drying in three temperatures (40, 50 and 60°C) and microwave power levels (0, 450 and 900W). Comparison was made to investigate the effect of drying condition on browning of hazelnut surface and internal cavity. The zero and first order kinetic models were also fitted to whole and cut kernel color parameters. The results showed similar behavior in color parameters of whole and cut kernels. L value and Hue angle decreased with increasing drying time, drying air temperature and microwave power but a, b, ΔE, chroma and browning index increased. L and b values of whole kernels were higher than cut kernels but the a value was lower. Zero-order model was selected as the best model for predicting a, b and ΔE while first order model best described the kinetics of color changes of L, chroma, Hue angle and browning index.

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Scientific evidence suggests an association between high fat intake and obesity, hardening of the arteries, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, tissue damage and certain types of cancer. The growth of pizza cheese production and consumption in the preparation of many foods from one On the other hand, the increasing growth of cardiovascular diseases as well as obesity in many developed western countries has made low-fat mozzarella cheese one of the topics studied and researched all over the world. In this study, the effects of using rice starch as a fat substitute hydrocolloid on the rheological properties of low-fat mozzarella cheese were investigated. Thus, in two concentrations of 0.05% and 0.025%, the above hydrocolloids were examined and low-fat mozzarella cheese without fat substitute was considered as a control sample. All experiments were performed in three time periods: production, 3 months after production and 6 months after production, which is the date of consumption of cheese. The results showed that the use of this hydrocolloid led to obvious differences in the rheological properties of low-fat mozzarella cheese. So that it increased the moisture content of low-fat cheese and as a result the melting of this cheese increased and caused a significant decrease in the percentage of oil level and due to the increase in moisture content and protein percentage the elasticity of the cheese increased significantly and the cheese texture. The hardness improved and the hardness decreased, resulting in a more desirable cheese-like mouthfeel.

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The mixture of cellulose acetate (CA), and poly (ethylene oxide) was electrospun into Nanofibrous webs using an acetic acid solution. The impact of cellulose acetate (CA)/ polyethylene oxide (PEO) ratio (1, 1.5, 2 wt %), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (0, 1.5, 3%, w/w) and ammonium oxalate (3%, w/w) on the diameter, tensile strength, elongation and porosity (PO) of the Electrospun Nano-fibers (ENFs) were enhanced applying response surface methodology-central composite rotatable design (RSM-CCRD). The ENFs were formed of non-woven fibers with a maximum diameter of 163 nm. Second-order polynomial models with high R² values (0.86–0.97) were developed using Cubic analysis. The outcome revealed that the ENFs morphology and diameter were noticeably affected by CA, PEO, and SDS. The overall optimum condition was identified to be at the compounded level of CA to PEO ratio of 2 wt % and SDS content of 3% (w/v). At the best point, diameter, surface tension, elongation, and porosity of the fabricated electrospun nanofibers (ENFs) were 99 nm, 0.017 N/mm², 5 mm and 17.54 respectively. The most fabricated ENFs were uniform and bead-free with high active sites and mechanical strength, which could be used in different fields.

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Since the microwave technology is well considered in food processing due to the speed and mechanism, in this study, cupcake was baked at different levels of MicroWave (MW) power (150, 300, 450 and 600W) and the effects of different kinds of operational time (3.5, 5, 8, 16 minutes) and power on physical properties (density, porosity, colour and height) and textural properties (crispness, hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, resilience, gumminess and chewiness) of cupcake were investigated. Results showed that the MW baking time to obtain desirable baking properties was affected by MW power. The obtained results showed that the total differences in colour from the reference batter (∆E) and colour intensity increased with increasing of MW power. Moreover, the MW cupcake baked at a power of 600W had the least hardness, density, chewiness, gumminess values, the shortest baking time, and the highest values of cohesiveness, resilience, porosity, height, and browning index. Also, it had the highest cohesiveness, resilience, porosity, height and browning index, compared to the other powers. Therefore, the best operational power for desirable quality obtained during baking was 600W.

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Pectin as a hydrocolloid located in the cell wall of plants can be a secondary product in food industry processing. Canola after de-oiling has high amounts of pectin. To extract pectin from rapeseed meal, the comparison method of enzymatic hydrolysis extraction was used with and without the presence of microwaves (with power of 600 W at three times 1, 3, and 5 minutes). The effect of microwave irradiation time on extraction performance and physicochemical and mechanical characteristics of extracted pectin was investigated. Physical, mechanical, and chemical characteristics showed that the presence of the microwave process improved the functional properties of the extracted pectin and facilitated the extraction process (p<0.5). The highest yield of pectin extraction was 9.1% (W/W) in 5 minutes of radiation with 600 W power in the microwave-assisted process with 600 W power. This auxiliary process affected the degree of esterification and galacturonic acid content of pectin so that it can form a gel in the presence of low sugar amounts and is suitable in diet products. The content of galacturonic acid in all samples was higher than 60%, which indicates a high gel formation capacity. Pectin extracted during 5 minutes of microwave irradiation with 600 W power presented the best characteristics with the maximum content of galacturonic acid (76.51%), the highest emulsifying activity (58.01%), and emulsion stability (95.03%). The presence of the microwave-assisted process reduced the surface tension values ​​of the pectin aqueous solution (43.11% in 5 minutes of irradiation) and affected and improved the foaming capacity of pectin (the highest value in 5 minutes of irradiation was 84.13%). Irradiation during microwave time caused significant changes in pectin properties, such as intrinsic viscosity, mean viscosity, and water holding capacity, to form a higher-quality gel.

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This study investigated the effect of adding Mozafati date seed powder and wheat bran on the quality parameters of Brotchen bread and dough. For this purpose, the values ​​of physical and chemical characteristics (volume, specific volume, weight, moisture, ash, protein, dietary fiber, water activity, particle size, percentage of biota, Falling number, gluten, gluten index, zelenic sedimentation, delayed sedimentation) and examining the color of the crust and the central part of the bread), farinograph and extensograph characteristics of the prepared doughs, mechanical characteristics (texture profile analysis) and sensory characteristics (appearance, color, flavor, texture) of the bread produced with additional date kernel powder ( 0, 5, and 10 %) and wheat bran (0, 2.5, and 5%) were investigated in two resting periods of 90 and 180 minutes during 7 days of storage. The results showed that the amount of water absorption, development time, stability, tensile strength and maximum dough strength increased with the increase in the amount of added date kernel powder and wheat bran. It also decreased in softening degree, extensibility and energy levels. The values ​​of L* and a* color of the crust and the Crumb part of the bread decreased with the addition of PKP (p<0.05). The change in softening degree and stability values ​​was statistically significant (p<0.05). The addition of the two mentioned substances caused a firmer structure in the bread samples and reduced the staleness of the bread. It was observed that resting time of 180 minutes compared to 90 minutes had better results in texture and physical characteristics of bread (p<0.05). Although the sensory acceptance by the descriptors decreased (p<0.05), it was placed in a good grade. The result of this study showed that the presence of wheat bran and date kernel powder provides good quality bread and helps to increase fiber in the diet.