Phosphates are widely used as additives in processed meat foods to maintain their structure, water-holding capacity, and quality. They pose risks to human health if overdosed, resulting in mineral disturbances, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. This study aimed to determine the total phosphorus content, used as an indirect measure of phosphate additives, in processed meat products on sale in Albania and analyze consumers' exposure to them. As total phosphorus includes both natural and added sources, this method does not specifically isolate phosphate additives. A total of 30 samples were randomly selected from various supermarkets of Tirana, including 13 salami, 12 ham, and 5 sausage products representing different commercial brands. The samples were analyzed using a spectrophotometric method based on the reaction between ammonium molybdate and phosphate ions (PO₄³⁻), which, after reduction with ascorbic acid, forms a blue complex that can be measured at 880 nm. The findings showed that the average content of total phosphorus in the products under investigation was 4715 mg P₂O₅/kg, with the highest value found in beef ham (6075.2 mg P₂O₅/kg). About 33.3% of the sausage samples and 41.6% of the ham samples had phosphate levels above the permitted limit of 5000 mg P₂O₅/kg, with ham thus being the product with the highest phosphorus content among the three products, i.e., sausages, salami, and ham. Consumer exposure to phosphates was assessed by the estimated daily intake (EDI) of phosphorus and the risk index (%MTDI) in age groups of 3–4 and 5–9 years. In some products, the %MTDI value was above the safety level, which means that excessive consumption of processed meat could have a harmful effect on children. These findings highlight the need for improved regulation of phosphate additives in the food industry and suggest further monitoring to reduce dietary exposure, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children.

Incorporating the shell of the Portuguese chestnut (Castanea sativa) into chestnut flour is an innovative and sustainable strategy that enables the full utilization of this valuable agri-food resource. This approach contributes to the reduction in agro-industrial waste while enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of the resulting flour, in alignment with the principles of the circular economy and sustainable food systems. The chestnut shell is a natural source of essential amino acids, such as arginine and leucine, and non-essential ones like glutamic and aspartic acids. Its incorporation increases the protein content and improves the amino acid profile of the flour, potentially supporting muscle maintenance, metabolic processes, and overall nutritional value. Moreover, it contains bioactive compounds—including polyphenols and flavonoids—with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, offering added functional benefits. Thermal processing methods—drying, roasting, and cooking—play a key role in determining the flour’s final characteristics. Drying preserves heat-sensitive amino acids, thus maintaining protein integrity. Roasting enhances the bioavailability of free amino acids, which may improve digestibility and nutrient absorption. Cooking promotes the extraction of phenolic compounds, increasing the flour's antioxidant capacity. Each method has specific benefits, allowing for tailored processing depending on desired outcomes. When the incorporation of chestnut shells is combined with optimized thermal treatment, the result is a flour that is not only nutritionally superior but also functionally enhanced and environmentally friendly. Such flours offer applications across various food products, appealing to consumers seeking sustainable and health-promoting alternatives.

Overall, this strategy represents a promising innovation for the agri-food sector, promoting the development of value-added products through the upcycling of by-products. The approach not only enhances the sustainability of chestnut processing but also meets the increasing consumer demand for foods that are both health-promoting and environmentally conscious.

Despite a strong control system based on strict specifications, European regulations and certification systems, the organic food sector remains vulnerable to fraudulent practices. This leads to a lack of consumer confidence to the detriment of all organic stakeholders. Moreover, differences in the chemical composition between organic and conventional products are well identified in the scientific literature. On this basis, the collaborative R&D project TOFoo aims to develop non-targeted analyses to guarantee the authenticity of organic products and reassure stakeholders and consumers at the end. The project began in July 2020, over a period of 5,5 years , and brings together academic institutions and industrial partners from food analysis laboratory to digital sectors.

A few dozen of plant and dairy products, raw or minimally processed, were selected. For each product, several hundred samples were collected and analysed using non-targeted and multi-technical methods like NMR and IRMS. Their overall analytical fingerprints were used to build databases. Statistical analysis of these data enabled the elaboration of mathematical models to discriminate organic and conventional products.

The first available results concern tomatoes and UHT milk, for which this new analytical methodology was efficient in ranking samples according to their organic or conventional production process. This non-targeted solution highlighted intrinsic characteristics linked to cultivation or feeding practices specific to the organic sector.

In conclusion, by giving tangible evidence of composition differences between organic and conventional products, analyses developed as part of TOFoo project can contribute to improve the attractiveness of organic products and preserve consumer confidence.

Members of the agri-food system are the target of much criticism, but they are also the bearers of much hope with regard to the challenges facing our society in terms of sustainable development. Their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is a key element of this challenge. In order to achieve these goals, they must improve the quality of their products, practices, and organisation. Their responsibility is greater than ever, and they must lead the change by understanding stakeholder expectations and managing the risks associated with their activities. Here, we show that many issues related to governance, social benefits, environmental impacts, animal welfare, and health and nutrition dimensions can be integrated into a global approach to the food chain. To this end, the simultaneous use of already available tools, methods, guidelines, and standards is recommended. The use of management system requirements, taking into account intrinsic and extrinsic quality attributes, allows the development of an integrated approach with the aim of continuous improvement. This approach is based on risk management tools that are applied to multiple stakeholders, such as product quality, occupational health and safety, and environmental impact, thus enabling better global performance. Among food business operators, small producers, due to harder working conditions and lack of time and opportunities, are not familiar with such approaches, despite being useful for improving their overall performance and long-term viability. In relation to the growing expectations of consumers and society, they must consider diversifying their activity, proposing new products, following different quality schemes, or changing their modes of production. The aim of this paper is to show that the mobilisation of risk management tools by agri-food members is a solution that could allow better management of their activities and significantly improve the resilience of their systems.

The pet food industry is undergoing significant transformation as sustainability concerns, ethical considerations, and nutritional advancements necessitate the transition to alternative protein sources. Traditional protein ingredients such as beef, poultry, and fish contribute to environmental degradation and resource depletion, necessitating the exploration of novel, eco-friendly alternatives. The potential of alternative protein sources in pet nutrition as a response to the dual challenge of meeting high dietary protein requirements and reducing the environmental impact of traditional pet feeds seems promising. Protein is a critical component in pet diets, with requirements ranging from 18% to 22% for dogs and 26% to 30% for cats on a dry basis. However, conventional dry pet food production contributes 56–151 Mt of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually, utilizes 41–58 Mha of agricultural land, and consumes 5–11 km³ of freshwater, accounting for up to 2.9%, 1.2%, and 0.4% of global agricultural resource use, respectively.
Insect-based proteins offer high protein (25–70%) and lipid (10–50%) contents with a lower water, land, and carbon footprint. Single-cell proteins derived from yeast, fungi, or algae can be cultivated using a variety of substrates, including agricultural waste and industrial by-products. The potential of these alternative protein sources is promising in terms of resource-efficient solutions. While these alternatives offer comparable nutritional value and digestibility to conventional protein sources, safety and regulatory challenges remain, particularly concerning allergenicity and anti-nutritional factors, potential contaminants, and strict standards imposed on single-cell proteins. Future research should focus on mitigating potential risks while establishing robust regulatory frameworks to facilitate widespread adoption of sustainable protein alternatives in pet nutrition.

Preserving and valorising Apulian food biodiversity is a key strategy to promote the innovation of agro-food systems associated with regional Marginal Areas, including a diverse range of animals, plants, and micro-organisms (especially those of interest for food fermentation). ‘Gentile di Puglia’’ is an autochthonous sheep breed of millenary origins typical of the South of Italy, particularly associated with Foggia province (i.e., Subappennino Dauno and Tavoliere areas), also recognised for its traditional cheese production. Here, we report a case study related to the marginal area of the Subappennino Dauno/Monti Dauni, in the north of the Apulian Region, i) isolating lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from sheep milk (breed ‘Gentile di Puglia’) and ii) performing a polyphasic characterisation of LAB for the design of a multi-strain starter culture for Pecorino cheese and the design of a cross-over cereal-based fermented beverage (‘Senatore Cappelli’ durum wheat variety). Regarding the characterisation of Pecorino cheese and wheat beverages, the experimental plan included evaluating the pH of the final product, conducting a sensory analysis, investigating volatilomics, antioxidant properties, total phenol content, and rheological properties, and assessing the growth of lactic acid bacteria in the final product. The evaluations concerned protechnological properties, antimicrobial activity, sensorial aspects, and the study of volatile organic compounds. An interesting protechnological variability among the different strains analysed was detected, highlighting the modulation of several of the properties of interest in the context of the crossover between the dairy and plant-based sectors. Mixed strains in Pecorino cheese was found interesting for several of the tested characterisation criteria, supporting the design of a mixed starter culture. MF, HC, GS and VC are supported by the funding of the European Union Next-Generation EU [PNRR—Mission 4 Component 2, Investment 1.4—D.D. 1032 17/06/2022, CN00000022] within the Agritech project. FB and MP received funding PNRR, Investment 1.3-Award Number: Project code PE00000003, Project: ONFOODS.

Honey is a natural product that is highly appreciated for its nutritional and therapeutic properties, but is very susceptible to fraudulent practices. Its high economic value and complex composition make honey an attractive product for fraud., Fraudulent practices may involve adding adulterants, artificial feeding of the bees, or incorrect labelling of the botanical variety and geographical origin. In this context, there is a need for simple, fast, and reliable analytical methods for honey characterization and authentication.

A non-targeted cyclic voltammetry (CV) fingerprinting method using screen-printed (SPCE) electrodes and chemometric analysis to discriminate Spanish honey samples according to their principal typology (blossom or honeydew honey) and its specific botanical variety was developed and validated. One hundred and ten blossom and honeydew honey samples of different botanical varieties (blossom, eucalyptus, heather, lavender, rosemary, thyme, almond, chestnut, forest, holm oak, and mountain) were analyzed after a simple dissolution of 2 g of honey in 20 mL of water. CV measurements were initiated by immersing an SPCE into the honey extract solution while scanning the potential from -1.8 to 1.0 V for three consecutive cycles using a scan rate of 0.05 V/s. The second voltammetric cycle was selected as sample chemical descriptor for chemometrics. Exploratory principal component analysis showed clear discrimination among blossom and honeydew honey samples, except for blossom heather samples, which were grouped with the honeydew ones because of their similar physicochemical properties. Partial least squares discriminant analysis provided in general calibration and cross-validation sensitivity and specificity values higher than 0.9, and percentages of correct classification (PCC) ranging 80-92%. Good results were also achieved when addressing blossom and honeydew groups independently, with PCC values ranging from 70 to 100% and 73 to 93% for blossom and honeydew varieties, respectively, demonstrating the suitability of CV fingerprints as sample chemical descriptors to assess honey botanical variety.

The Portuguese population consumes approximately 2.5 times more fish than the EU average. Black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo, BS) is a popular fish species, commercially available as whole/gutted or in portions/fillets. During processing, approximately 30–40% of by-products are generated (heads, bones, skins). These by-products are often discarded or undervalued, although they can be a valuable source of bioactive ingredients with many applications. The production of protein hydrolysates (PHs) is of great interest as they exhibit a variety of important bioactive and technological properties, making them potential ingredients for new functional foods and supplements. Their incorporation into food and animal feeds offers multiple benefits, yet these by-products can also carry environmental pollutants (EPs).

In this study, 40 EPs were analysed in BS by-products and their freeze-dried PHs. A single QuEChERS extraction followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction clean-up was employed, coupled with gas chromatography using either flame photometric detection or electron capture detection. This approach enabled the determination of organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants, organophosphorus pesticides, organophosphate esters, and dioxins.

Trace amounts of EPs were detected in all by-products and PHs analysed. However, most concentrations remained below the EC’s maximum residue limits, except for DDE in the PH one-stage enzymatic hydrolysis with ProtanaPrime® (PH_P). These findings suggest that PHs from BS by-products can be safely incorporated into food products and animal feed (PH_P up to 30% due to DDE). Continued surveillance and regulatory action of EPs are crucial to promote a blue circular economy aligned with OneHealth principles.

This work received support and help from FCT/MCTES(LA/P/0008/2020-DOI10.54499/LA/P/0008/2020,UIDP/50006/2020-DOI10.54499/UIDP/50006/2020,UIDB/50006/2020-DOI10.54499/UIDB/50006/2020), through national funds. This work has been developed within the scope of the BlueBioeconomyInnovationPact (NºC644915664-00000026), financed by NextGenerationEU, under the incentive line “Agendas for Business Innovation” of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Fruit waste-derived substances, particularly from Passiflora edulis (passion fruit) peels, have long been recognized as promising sources of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. This plant is typically grown in Malaysia in both purple and yellow varieties. It is a perennial vine with a distinct flavour and scent that grows well in locations that suit it. The phytochemicals of P. edulis exhibit a range of pharmacological effects, notably antioxidant properties, highlighting the value of P. edulis peels as a functional food. In this study, the antioxidant capacity of P. edulis peel extracts was assessed using the DPPH assay. Peels dried at room temperature significantly inhibited free radical DPPH by81.20 %. The phytochemical content was quantified through Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) analyses, which showed that peels dried at room temperature contains high TPC and TFC values, 23.71 ± 3.86 GAE/g and 35.43 ± 0.10 QE/g, respectively. The results from LCMS-QTOF found that the extract contains 18 potential major compounds including oleamide, 6E,9E-octadecadienoic acid, C16 Sphinganine, dodecanamide, and 2-hexyl-decanoic acid. Swiss Target Prediction was employed to identify potential molecular targets, while oxidative stress-related targets were retrieved from the DrugBank, GeneCards, and DisGENET databases. A component–target-pathway network was constructed, encompassing 12 bioactive compounds after initial ADMET screening and 10 target genes. Key hub genes identified included TP53, AKT1, CASP3, BCL2, STAT3, HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, BCL2L1, ESR1, and MDM2. The implicated antioxidant-related pathways involved intrinsic apoptotic signaling, mitochondrial membrane organization, and mitochondrial transport, among others. These findings reinforce the potential of P. edulis peels as a valuable antioxidant-rich functional food for disease prevention and health promotion.

Geotrichum candidum is a fungus that is commonly associated with dairy products and plays an important role in the ripening of Natural Bloomy Rind Artisanal Minas Cheese (NBRAMC), where it is naturally predominant. G. candidum is linked to proteolysis and is responsible for the production of many compounds that are essential for flavor and aroma. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the proteolytic capacity of G. candidum strains exhibiting distinct phenotypic characteristics and isolated from NBRAMC and the environment. Five strains were isolated from Artisanal Minas Cheese, and one was obtained from the wild environment. Qualitative evaluation of protease activity in the different G. candidum strains was performed using skim milk agar tubes. A volume of 6 µL of spore suspension at a concentration of 10⁵ spores/mL was inoculated into the agar, followed by incubation at 25 °C for 22 days. Proteolytic activity was assessed by measuring the length of the transparent region beneath the colony, resulting from the hydrolysis of milk proteins. Penicillium roqueforti and a non-identified bacterium isolated from milk were used as positive controls. Analysis of variance and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05) were performed using Sisvar software. Protease activity was found to vary among the G. candidum strains. Five out of six strains produced clear zones of different length, although all were smaller than those observed for the positive controls, P. roqueforti and the bacterium, at 48.7 mm and 52.7 mm, respectively. Notably, the G. candidum strain isolated from the environment was among those with the highest proteolytic activity, with lengths ranging from 17.7 mm to 23.3 mm. These findings highlight the intraspecific variability of G. candidum. This variability may explain the diversity of sensory profiles observed in NBRAMC, a cheese whose production relies on the natural, uninoculated development of G. candidum, which is not controlled during the process.