This study includes information concerning supercritical fluids. Beginning from the general description of the supercritical fluids, their historical background with physico-chemical properties is given. Special properties with the aid of which supercritical characteristics are obtained are attempted to be explained. Also, supercritical CO₂ (SCCO₂), as a solvent for extraction related to the advantages of using such a solvent carrying supercritical properties, is discussed. In order to understand the mechanism of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), the modelling concept of supercritical fluids (SCFs) and the criteria for various separation techniques are redefined.

The paper presents a review of literature databases, paying special attention to the use of advanced statistical method as a tool for data analysis in food and nutrition science. Two bibliographic databases, i.e. CAB and FSTA, were searched thoroughly in the study. A dynamic increase in the number of publications based on artificial intelligence studies was observed. A large body of investigations is devoted to the problems of food quality assurance and food authenticity control.

The survival ability at malt beverage wort with pH 2.0 and 2.5 of tested strains was investigated at the time 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 hours. In general, tested strains of lactic acid bacteria showed high resistance at low pH and after 6 hours of incubation observed viable cells on the range 10⁶-10⁷ cfu/cm³ in case of pH 2.5, and 10²-10⁵ cfu/cm³ for pH 2.0. A number of lactic acid bacteria was examined in 1, 2 and 3 mmol/dm³ of deoxycholate sodium solution after the time of 3, 6 and 24 hours of incubation. After 24 h of incubation in 3 mmol/dm³ solution of deoxycholate sodium the determined amount of bacteria was 10¹-10⁵ cfu/ml.

The aim of this study was to determine the antagonistic properties of six Lactobacillus plantarum strains against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and chosen yeast strain. Agar slab method and well diffusion assays were used in this study. The ability of bacteria to produce the hydrogen peroxide was investigated. All the chosen L. plantarum strains are able to inhibit used indicator bacterial strains. It was concluded that there appeared lack of bacterial growth zones and it resulted in lactic acid production. The chosen lactic acid bacteria did not inhibit growth of C. albicans yeast. Better results – bigger inhibition zones were obtained using agar slab method then well diffusion assays. All the L. plantarum strains did not reveal production hydrogen peroxide.

Grain and flour of three spring and three winter barley cultivars coming from two-years harvests were tested. Weather conditions during the period of the plants growing were found to have influenced the contents of total protein, farinographics properties of dough and qualities of barley bread. The yield of flour from grain of estimated cultivars was low. The spring cultivars Refren and Bryl distinguished themselves by the content of total protein. The gelatinization process of barley flour suspension occurred at temperatures from 56.8 to 92.2°C. Pastes of winter cultivars were of higher viscosity than those of spring ones. Farinographic estimation proved high and differentiated water absorption of flour in the cultivars tested. Time of the doughs development was short and the speed of their softening was different. Quality of the barley breads was good, and addition of dry wheat gluten contributed to their increased volume. Bread with the best properties was that with addition of gluten, sugar, dry skim milk and margarine.

Moisture sorption isotherms of dried and candied fruits (raisins, mango, apricot, pineapple, papaya) were investigated in this work. The experimental data fitted well with Peleg’s equation. The obtained curves represented III rd type of Brunauer et al. [1940] isotherms classification. Most of them were discontinous in the water activity range of 0.4-0.6 which could be due to phase transition of sugars. It was shown that discontinuity should be taken into account for better fitting to the investigated equation.

Alcoholic emulsion creams are characterized with high viscosity and density, which makes the alcohol content and other physical and chemical parameters determination of products significantly difficult. Analytical methods applied for the determination of ethanol, are labor-consuming, they are characterized with low precision, require the sample distillation and the achieved results are mostly underestimated. On a base of comparison of various distillation techniques and determination methods, it can be stated that ethanol concentration measurements in alcoholic creams using pycnometric and DMA-58 density-meter after previous sample distillation (100 cm³ of cream + 200 cm³ of water), are distinguished with relatively high precision and result repeatability. Also applying the SPME extraction in gaseous phase along with chromatographic analysis seems to be advantageous. The method based on the refractometric measurement of toluene and benzene extracts of egg emulsions is characterized with short performance time, sufficient precision and very low costs.

The juice from mixture of apples comprised of 80% ‘Szampion’ variety (high phenol compounds content and high antioxidant activity) and 20% ‘Lobo’ variety (high polyphenol oxidase activity) was characterized during storage by a higher physical and biochemical stability in comparison with homogeneous juices obtained from the same, single apple varieties. It is suggested that the decrease of content of chlorogenic acid and epicatechine induced by polyphenol oxidase activity at the stage of mixed juice preparation, was the main cause for these differences. During one year storage of mixed juice, in contrast to the homogeneous juices stored during 5 months, their antioxidant activity was preserved at the same level whereas the decrease of phenol compounds content characteristic for apples was distinctly lower and refers mainly to chlorogenic acid.

The level of nitrates, nitrites, total and soluble oxalates was determined in dill plants. Analyses of plants, which were 20-60 cm in height, and of their separate parts were carried out. In general the higher the plants, the smaller was the content of nitrates. With the assumption that the content of nitrates in whole plants is 100%, the leaf blade contained 34-49% of nitrates, the leaf petiole 127-188%, the whole leaf 68-94%, and the stem 110-135%. The level of nitrites was very low, varying within the range of 0.01-0.41 in 1 kg of dill. The higher the plants, the greater was the content of total oxalates. With the content found in whole plants taken as 100% the leaf blade contained 104-128%, the petiole 103-117%, and the whole leaf 103-125%, while the content in dill stem was 87-92%. The proportion of soluble oxalates in total oxalates was 61-71% in the leaf blade, 14-19% in the petiole, 47-51% in the intact leaf, 13-40% in the stem, and 25-49% in the whole plant. Only in the case of the stem and whole plant was this proportion greater the smaller the plant.

The aim of the study was to compare selected quality features of liver patés manufactured from different raw materials. Three batches of seven products of different manufacturers were assessed (four poultry liver patés, two red meat liver patés and one venison liver paté). Water, protein, fat and NaCl contents, pH, apparent viscosity and colour values were determined in the patés. Sensory properties of the products were also investigated. All products met the chemical requirements of Polish Standards. Water content (69.0-71.0%) was higher and the fat content (9.9-17.2%) lower in the poultry liver patés compared to liver patés manufactured from red meats or venison (55-62.5% and 20.5-25%, respectively). One of the poultry patés obtained the highest sensory scores. Taste was scored the worst in the case of venison paté. Significant correlation (r = –0.44, p ≤ 0.05) was observed between sensory scores for taste and fat content in the patés.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of modified starch on quality of comminuted scalded sausages. Increased levels of modified starch led to decrease drip loss and smokehouse shrinkage. The highest value of water holding capacity (63.14%) was observed in sausages containing 6% addition of starch. The addition of the starch increased the lightness and the yellowness of the experimental sausages, but did not significantly alter their redness. Increasing the starch level from 2% to 6% significantly grew up rheological features of final products. The sausages produced with starch additon at the level of 4% had the best organoleptic quality. It is not recommended to use starch at levels higher than 4% because of its harmful effect on hardness and guminess of sausages.

Plants processing food of animal origin like dairy, meat or fish products need usually large quantities of clean water in production. More than 90% of clean water is converted into wastewater demonstrating very high potential risk of environmental pollution. The present study was undertaken to compare, under the same analytical conditions, the efficiency of ferric sulfate used as coagulant (dose: 450 g/m³) in chemical treatment of raw technological wastewater collected from three various food industry plants (dairy processing, meat processing and fish processing). Results of visual and physicochemical evaluation of chemically treated wastewater indicated significant improvement of their selected characteristics, however different response to the coagulant treatment was observed within the tested samples. Removal efficiencies for individual parameters varied in the wide range between 20.9 and 97.2%. Since bacterial bioluminescence inhibition used as biotoxicity indicator of effluents collected after treatment with ferric sulfate was less than 20%, they should be considered as non-toxic samples.

The purpose of the study was determination the usefulness of the meat of adult sheep – ewes rejected from the breeding flock, to manufacturing of salami type sausages, taking into particular consideration the age and the fatty grade. Animal materials were 1-year and 4-years old East Frisian ewes and carcasses obtained from them (40 pieces). Referring to fatty grade there were given off 4 groups essentially varying in meat-to-fat proportion. The quality of carcasses, quality of meat and finished product were evaluated. Statistical significant differenced were found in percentage of round-kidney fat and covering fat contents of carcasses. In the age groups the level of carcass fat contents was increasing with ewes’ bodies’ weights. Values of pH of searched muscles were on medium, not differing standards, level. Losses arising during storing and cooking were directly increasing according to meat maturation period. Losses levels were higher in M. semimembranosus than in M. longissimus. Significant influence of age group on losses was found during storage of M. longissimus after 4 days of maturation. Values of sharing force measured in 11-th day p.m. for M. longissimus were 2.8 or 3.1 kg/cm². These values are characteristic for delicate meat comparable to lamb meat. Sharing force measured after 11 days of maturing for M. semimembranosus was higher and was 3.9 to 4.1 kg/cm². Salami produced in two flavoring versions, independently on the maturation period, met the high acceptance of consumers. As a rule salami matured during 28 days was better assessed. Sausage made of carcasses of ewes of higher fat content had better sensory assess. Age of animals had negligible influence, statistical insignificant, on results of carried out evaluation.

Phytosterols are one class of food constituent with serum cholesterol-lowering properties by inhibiting cholesterol absorption. These reasons led to an increasing availability of phytosterol-enriched foods. The content of phytosterols in rapeseeds ranged from 4.7 mg/g to 6.3 mg/g of seeds depends on variety. After pressed in industrial conditions their content in the oil was 8.7 mg/g. In extracted oil the level of phytosterols was 25% higher then in pressed oil. During refined process, especially neutralization, the decrease of phytosterols content was 20%. Using the rapeseed oil to multiple deep frying of French fries generated next 64% losses. The most important reasons for phytosterols content decrease are their autoxidation processes. Autoxidation of sterols is theorized to be a free radical process. Some processes, such as refining plant oils and deep frying or storage, intentionally induce oxidation to produce phytosterol oxidation products (oxyphytosterols). They were determined in rapeseeds on the level 10-15 μg/g of seeds. During industrial production of rapeseed oil the content of oxyphytosterols systematically increased and after refining it was 100-110 μg/g. During multiple deep-frying of French fries in rapeseed oil oxyphytosterols content increased and after 14^th frying their content was 200 μg/g in used oil and 150 μg/g in French fries. Oxyphytosterols are absorbed by humans and their subsequent metabolic conversions may be of toxicological significance.