Volume 48, Issue 4, 2018

The dairy market is currently evolving very fast, and the cooperation between countries is developing. As a result, the most popular dairy products are those with better storage stability. In this regard, one of the main tasks of the producers is a year-round supply of high-quality dairy products. Refrigeration is the most effective, environmentally safe, and affordable way of preserving food. Low temperature of minus 20°C increases the shelf life of cottage cheese, curd products, and cream cheeses, preserves their quality, and reduces the microbiological risks. The present research features the specifics of cold storage of protein dairy products at chilled, subfrozen, and frozen modes. The experiment involved a multiple freezing unit. The authors studied the organoleptic and physico-chemical indicators of multi-component dairy products based on processed and cottage cheeses that were fortified with plant material (cranberries, nettle, ramson, sorrel, wild rose, etc.) during prolonged storage. The taste and composition of dishes based on the dairy products mentioned above were assessed by panelists. The quality indicators helped to establish the best terms and conditions for fridge storage of the protein dairy products in question.

Aerated products are popular all over the world, especially those with a foam structure. They are widely represented in the range of the global food market, including that of the Russian Federation. Traditionally, milk proteins are added to stabilize various foods. The present research explains how the concentration of skimmed milk proteins affects the foaming properties of concentrates. The experiment featured the influence of various protein concentrations (from 3.4 to 16.0%) on the foaming properties of reduced skim milk (9.2%) and of milk protein concentrates obtained by ultrafiltration. The research established their practical application for aerated products. The quality of protein foam was evaluated by foaming characteristics and foam stability. The distribution of protein foam bubbles by size was modelled using Erlang distribution. According to the simulation, the foams of protein solutions with a concentration of 12% were more stable. Concentrates with the highest protein content (16%) had not only a greater foaming, but also a greater stabilizing property. The protein samples density increased together with protein concentration. Similarly, the foaming characteristics of protein solutions (multiplicity and density of the foam) increased together with protein concentration. The stability of the foam structure was estimated by the half-life of the foam volume and the average diameter of the foam bubbles in the protein solutions. The most stable foams were those with the highest protein content in the concentrate. The protein concentrates from reduced skim milk were inferior in foaming characteristics to concentrates from milk that was not subjected to drying. However, the results suggest that the reduced skim milk and its protein concentrates are ideal for the production of aerated dairy products because they provide both good foaming and stability.

Domestic and international experience confirm the expediency of enzymes in meat industry. Enzymes are used for biomodification proposes when it goes about raw materials with the high-content of connective tissue, e.g. chopped semi-finished products, delicatessen, sausages, etc. Ostrich meat is an advantageous source of functional food products due to its high content of native protein, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, and group B vitamins and low contents of cholesterol. However, a significant amount of connective tissue makes it rigid. Application of collagenase improves the functional and technological properties of minced meat and product yield. The purpose of the present research was to optimize the technological parameters of fermented ostrich minced meat by the method of multifactorial experiment planning. The ostrich thighs parts were produced on the territory of the Leningrad Region. The authors used the fractional factorial experiment to study the influence of three factors on response functions: the mass fraction of collagenase (C, the coded variable X1), the holding time (τ, the coded variable X2), and the holding temperature (t, the coded variable X3). The values of moisture-holding ability (Y1) and the content of amino nitrogen (Y2) were chosen as response functions. The study had the following parameters of fermentation at the main level and the interval of variation: C0 = 0,04%, ΔC = 0,02%; τ0 = 4 hr, Δτ = 2 hr; t0 = 12o C, Δt = 7oC. The experiment resulted in a matrix of experiment planning and several regression equations, which describe the process in question. The study revealed the optimal technological parameters of minced meat fermentation with collagenase: mass fraction of collagenase was 0.05% while the duration of exposure of minced meat was 4.5 hours at t = 13°C. These technological parameters allowed the authors to obtain minced meat with better organoleptic characteristics and functional and technological properties in comparison with those of the control sample. The obtained fermented minced meat and the selected regimes are recommended for chopped semi-finished products, cooked sausages, and meat-vegetable canned foods.

Among the relevant studies on lactic acid bacteria there are projects devoted to the multienzyme complexes of starter cultures, new competitive bacterial concentrates and their use in fermented functional milk products. In fermented milk production, the process of albuminolysis has a significant impact on the consistency, taste, and smell of the product. Therefore, lactic acid bacteria with high proteolytic properties are of the greatest interest for fermented milk industry. The present research features long- term methods for preservation of the properties of lactic acid microorganisms. The experiment defined the regime parameters of combined starter lyophilisation. The results prove that fermented milk production requires high-quality starter strains. The authors developed a long-term method for preservation of properties of particular strains of lactic acid microorganisms. The method presupposes freeze-drying with the following parameters: freezing temperature – minus 25°C in a protective 5%-glycerol medium (90 minutes); the drying temperature – 30°C (6 hours); refrigerating load – 5.45 kW/m²; residual pressure – 0.6‒0.8 kPa, bed depth – 2 mm. The authors also developed the necessary documentation (No. 9225-096-02054145-2013), procedures, and formula of the fermented milk product with a combined direct application starter.

Sodium isoascorbate is one of the most popular antioxidants in food industry. Russia imports it from abroad. Thus, import substitution requires a thorough research into the patterns of isoascorbate technology production and development. The mass fraction of the main substance in the solution and crystals of the target product was determined by iodometric titration. It was established that the rate of oxidative degradation of sodium isoascorbate solutions is from 0.01%/h at 25°C to 0.80%/h at 82°C, depending on the temperature and duration of the process, as well as contact with metal and oxygen of the air. The experiment substantiated the choice of metal equipment and the temperature limit of 60°C. The equivalent pH values during the interaction of isoascorbic acid solutions with sodium hydroxide, carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate solutions were 7.5, 7.0, and 5.6, respectively. The author also defined the influence of equilibrium concentrations of aqueous solutions of isoascorbic acid and sodium isoascorbate on temperature. The optimal method was to add a solution of sodium hydroxide into a solution of isoascorbic acid with a ratio between the masses of sodium hydroxide solution, crystalline isoascorbic acid, and prepared water, respectively, 1:2.11:6.13. The solution obtained at such ratios had a supersaturation coefficient of 1.05 at a temperature of 60°C. The experiment revealed the time required to establish equilibrium in the crystallizing system and the dependence of the solubility of sodium isoasorbate on the mass fraction of ethyl alcohol in solution. It was proposed to separate the target product from the solution by isohydric crystallization followed by isothermal crystallization, followed by washing the crystals with ethyl alcohol. According to the proposed technology, sodium isoascorbate was obtained with a mass fraction of the basic substance of at least 99.0%. The obtained data can be used in the development of industrial technology for the production of sodium isoascorbate.

The competent choice and use of packaging materials is one of the most urgent tasks of the dairy industry, i.e. the feedstock; production technology and applied processing; organoleptic characteristics of the product; its weight; conditions, modes, and duration of transportation, storage, and sale. There is a long list of requirements for packaging materials in dairy industry. It includes high strength, resistance to wear, sufficient rigidity, an ability to weld; formation of strong and sealed seams; an aesthetic design that can attract the consumer; standard labeling, etc. The present article features the objectives and requirements of packaging; types of packaging; innovative technologies used for packaging whey protein concentrate and its products; modes and conditions of transportation and storage. Today, Russian packaging manufacturers have developed and mastered a wide range of packaging materials, closures, transport and consumer packaging of domestic raw materials; innovative packaging technologies for dairy products that take into account the sensory, structural, and mechanical characteristics of packaged products; the timing of implementation and storage. The main prospect is the development and production of packaging materials with an improved and predictable set of safety indicators and barrier level, e.g. multilayer and combined materials, such as polymer, based on innovative technological solutions.

Yeast strains used in traditional breadmaking are designed to produce the best substrate fermentation and a high-quality product that meets all the requirements. However, the use of brewing yeast strains makes it possible to increase the biological value of the finished product rich in various vitamins and micro- and macroelements. Thus, the research objective was to investigate the effect of a new yeast strain on the physicochemical and organoleptic quality indicators of test semi-finished products and wheat bread in order to develop a technology for using yeast strain Y 3194 in baking industry. The control and experimental samples were made with the use of sponge, straight, and quick dough methods, as well as the concentrated milk ferment method. The authors studied the baking properties of the brewery yeasts and selected the dosage with the best physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of the finished product. By measuring the intensity of gas-producing and gas-retaining power during the dough fermentation, the fermentation in the control sample was found more intense, but there was a slight difference in the gas-retaining ratio (98.4% for the control sample and 99.4% for the experimental sample). The physicochemical parameters of bread made with the help of the new yeast strain and straight and quick dough methods did not exceed the permissible values: the crumb humidity was ≤ 44%; crumb acidity was ≤ 3%; crumb porosity was ≥ 72%. The research proved that yeast strain Y 3194 can be used in baking.

The research features the effect of salting methods on the physical, chemical, and biochemical properties of maral (Siberian red deer) meat in the manufacture of fermented products. Meat salting is considered to be the most significant process in the formation of organoleptic and qualitative properties of whole muscle meat products. The authors measured the changes in the mass fraction of moisture in the products. After that they studied the effect of dry, wet, and mixed salting on mass transfer processes in the maral meat according to the fermentation period. The study revealed the dynamic pattern in pH and water-binding capacity of meat during salting, as well as the differences in the colloidal-chemical state of protein substances. The best results were achieved in mixed salting samples after short-term massaging. This method changed the degree of hydration and the solubility of proteins, which improved the structural and mechanical properties. The experiment showed that fermented products require preliminary mechanical processing of meat in massagers, which makes it possible to soften raw materials, accelerate the redistribution of saline substances in meat, and intensify biochemical processes. According to the present research, the best results were achieved by mixed salting when the salting mixture was applied to the meat surface. The mixture contained the starting cultures of microorganisms “Bitec LC-30”. The meat was aged under dry salting at 0–4 °C for 24 hours and then in the pickle. This changed the rheological properties of the meat and resulted in a gentler consistency of the fermented products. The proposed technology of maral meat salting increases the efficiency of meat fermentation processes while improving the quality of manufactured products and their organoleptic properties.

Barrier storage technologies are a promising means of increasing the shelf life of meat products, in particular, food wrap. The authors developed an edible food film with antioxidant and antibacterial properties and tested its efficiency in storage of semi-finished meat products. The formula includes nutrients available for industrial production: structure-forming polysaccharide nature-agar-agar, thickener, stabilizer, antioxidant-arabinogalactan, plasticizer-food glycerin, and universal solvent-distilled water. The food film was produced by extrusion dosing of bulk components and distilled water. Then suspended mixture of agar-agar and arabinogalactan was prepared, followed by preparation of film-forming mixture. The film was blown through a narrow slit head of the extruder; after that it was cooled, calibrated, and dried. The films appeared to have a thickness that varied from 28.5 to 54.0 microns, depending on the concentration of the basic prescription components. The thickest film (54 µm) was observed in the sample with the maximum agar content (2%); an increase in the concentration of arabinogalactan in the film solution contributes to the film thickening to a lesser extent (47.1 µm). An increase in the glycerol content of the film formulation to 2% allowed the authors to obtain a film with a minimum thickness (28.5 microns). An increase in agar concentration raises the tensile strength to 36.2 MPa and elongation at break to 29.2%. However, with an increase in glycerol content, these indicators deteriorate to 25.3 MPa (24.6%). High structural and mechanical properties of the film and a high degree of decomposition were observed in the film sample with 2% agar-agar content. As an antimicrobial component, a liquid extract of chamomile flowers was introduced into the film. On the basis of the conducted organoleptic, physico-chemical, and microbiological studies, packaging of semi-finished meat products in a biodegradable film helps to increase their shelf life.

Improving the safety of human life is one of the main tasks of scientific and technological progress. A dangerous situation occurs when a person is in a dangerous area, i.e. in a space where constantly, periodically, or occasionally there are situations caused by factors that lead to gradual or instantaneous damage to human health. Fire is one of these situations. The safety of technical systems is solidly linked to their reliability. In firefighting automation, the main purpose of calculating reliability is to determine the probability of failure-free operation of the equipment of the system. The value obtained is subsequently used to calculate individual fire risk. To ensure technical safety, it is a universal practice to use system approach and system analysis, which allows us to consider technical security as a system. One of the specific characters of determining the reliability of computer-aided systems is the difference between the reliability indicators of the main elements of the system and the automation system as a whole. The more complex the system, the less reliable it is. The article considers the main problems leading to the efficiency loss of particular items of equipment included in the technical safety systems and formulates the tasks and methods for their reliability assessment. The research features the fire safety system of an industrial building, which includes an automatic fire alarm system and a warning and evacuation system. The paper contains an example of calculating the reliability for an automatic fire alarm system. The authors propose some ways of improving the existing system. The results are processed and presented by the main indicators of system reliability, which are the failure rate and the failure-free operation probability for particular items of equipment and the system as a whole. The research revealed that a manual detector, used as a standby item in the system of thermal and smoke fire detectors, makes it possible to reduce the failure rate of the system and increase the average time of failure-free operation. Thus, it improves the indicators of the system reliability and increases the safety of industrial buildings.

There are a number of technologies and business applications that identify nucleic acids of various microorganisms. Technologies based on DNA analysis are the most promising direction in the molecular-genetic identification of the microbiota in food substrates. The present paper is a review of various aspects of microorganism identification in food substrates, their advantages and disadvantages. It features modern regulatory, scientific, and methodological sources, as well as patented solutions. The authors pay considerable attention to the classical methods and describe the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in microbiota analysis. Then, they trace the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) of DNA and how it can be used to identify pathogens in food substrates. So far, NGS proves to be the most advantageous method that identifies prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, as well as pathogens.

The Food Industries Research Institute of Vietnam is one of the leading research institutes in the country, which study the use of microorganisms in food production. One of the main goals of the Institute is to collect and search for new strains for further research and production. Recently, the Institute has focused on products that use biomasses of microorganisms, such as zinc- and selenium-forified yeast biomass. The present research features new yeast strains for the production of high-zinc-containing preparations. The studies examined the properties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae A112 and its stability under laboratory conditions. The research was conducted at the Food Industries Research Institute of Vietnam. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae A112 was found to contain up to 12.88 mg of zinc per gram of dry biomass when 1 g/l sulfate salt was added to the medium. The results allowed for industrial use of zinc-enriched yeast biomass. The new strain is resistant to temperatures up to 35°C while the optimal growth temperature is 28–33°C.

The research features new processing methods of extraction of active antibacterial components from Siberian berries. The paper describes the content of biologically active agents and antibacterial dynamics in blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) and common sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) extracts. The study involved an analysis of the bactericidal biologically active agents in the extracts. The experiment revealed the main effect and synergism of the principal components, i.e. flavonoids, tannins, and vitamin C. It also established the leading role of the phenolic substances (flavonoids, tannins, phenolic acids, and glycosides) in the antibacterial influence on cultures of some kinds of pathogenic, potentially pathogenic, and unwanted microflora. The authors revealed some regularities of useful substances extraction in the conditions of ultrasonic processing. The optical density indicator of extracts during extraction helped to establish the optimum parameters of the process: mash ratio – 1:15; ultrasonic exposure frequency – 22 kHz. The experiment determined the mass fraction of extractive substances and active components, as well as the values of extraction coefficients of the berry raw material. Tannins and vitamin C were more extractable than flavonoids. The research also touched upon the impact of ultrasonic processing on the acceleration of extraction. When processing water-alcohol solutions of the raw material by ultrasonic irradiation with an intensity of 2 W/cm2 and a frequency of 22 kHz, the extraction duration fell from 300 to 15–20 minutes before the comparable values of balance concentrations of extractives were reached, in comparison with the control samples.

Increasing the efficiency of electric stoves currently remains an unsolved problem. The present study proposes a new design scheme for the electric convection stove with an air ionization device (Electric Stove PE-UIEV). This will reduce energy costs and speed up the cooking process. The stove in question is based on the method of electrothermal convection of heat-exchange surfaces of the frying deck. The proposed design reduces the formation of carcinogenic substances and improves the taste of fried and stewed dishes. The improved device increases the heat transfer coefficient from the burner surface to the cooker by 3 times since it creates better conditions for electrothermal convection. Treating air with electricity gives it adhesive properties: the air sticks to grounded surfaces of boilers. Ionized air intensively performs the function of heat carrier. Ionization reduces carcinogenic substances by 2–4 times and disinfects of ready-made dishes. The practical significance of the technical solution lies in the fact that the proposed design reduces the load on the ventilation and air conditioning system. In addition, the stove can be used for cooking in restricted (closed) spaces, and it improves the taste quality indicators. Unlike other stoves, this one reduces hot air circulation and, thus, its losses.

The agro-industrial complex is the leading sector of the country’s economy, which forms its agri-food market, as well as its food and economic security. Enterprises of the agro-industrial complex are currently facing certain difficulties, which are caused by the imposed sanctions and problems of import substitution. The agro-industrial complex, like any other complex multi-level system, needs effective management. It can function and develop successfully only if its management makes timely and reasonable strategic and operational decisions and coordinates the activities of all structural divisions in order to achieve common goals. The difficulties mentioned above have shaped the need to develop new approaches for more efficient management of agricultural enterprises. One of the ways to improve management in agribusiness enterprises is to build a controlling system. Controlling integrates accounting, control, planning, and analysis into a single, self-managed system. The article features the concept and essence of controlling, which is the basis for the effective management of any agricultural enterprise. One of the main reasons for the introduction of controlling in the enterprises of the agro-industrial complex is the need for a system integration of various aspects of business process management in the organizational structure of the enterprise, as controlling provides a methodological and instrumental base to support the main management functions: planning, control, regulation, accounting, and analysis. The organization, production, and development of timely high-quality controlling not only determines the efficiency of the agro-industrial complex enterprise management, but also ensures the processes of making sound management decisions that are aimed at stabilizing the financial situation, smoothing the risks of bankruptcy, as well as the preservation of assets, intellectual property, and innovation.

Tuberculosis remains a widespread social disease, both in Russia and in the Republic of Buryatia. According to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Buryatia, the region ranked 8th according to tuberculosis morbidity in 2017 in the Siberian Federal district. It was preceded by the Republic of Tuva, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo regions, Altai territory, Omsk region, and Krasnoyarsk region. The Republic ranked 18th among all the federal entities of the Russian Federation. Tuberculosis remains one of the top 10 mortality factors in the world. The disease affects various organs, a fairly easy mode of infection, and a long treatment period. Therefore, it requires an intensive medical treatment and a high-calorie diet provided by nutrition departments of medical institutions. The present paper features the experience of nutrition departments of the Republican Clinical Tuberculosis Dispensary, i.e. the aspect of food production for a certain population group. The research defines the critical control points of the technological stage of production, taking into account the existing risks and maximum permissible values. The authors developed some elements of the HACCP program in the form of maps and block diagrams of each stage of the technological process. The research results make it possible to create a quality management program based on the principles of HACCP fat nutrition department of the Republican Clinical Tuberculosis Dispensary.

In all animals, the hide mass increases together with live body weight. At the age of 6 months and 3 years, the total weight of yak hide is almost two times higher than in other cattle. At 6 months, the thickness of yak hide in all topographical points exceeds that of cowhide by almost two times. By one and three years, the difference in the reference point disappears. However, the neck and the bellous hides of yak remain 25–40% thicker, and the skin area of other breeds of cattle exceeds that of yak at all ages by 35–40%. For the yaks of the Aininks Region, the optimal hide removal period is from birth to 3–4 years. For the animals over 4 years old, the hide yield by weight becomes relatively low. As far as thickness uniformity is concerned, the best skins for leather processing are those obtained from yaks under 3 years old, since they have the lowest degree of slackness. As for the chemical composition, the moisture of yak hide is 2.0–2.5% higher and the hide substance is 7.0–18.5% lower than in cowhide. This is, probably, connected with a certain reserve of water, or the so-called “depot moisture”, in the skin of the animal. For all age periods, the moisture of the bellous yak hides is lower and fat content is by 1.5–2.2% higher than in other topographical areas. Apparently, this is due to the thermal adaptation of animals to the habitat conditions.