Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

The food technology

One of the basics of staying healthy is eating in a balanced way. This idea is becoming more and more popular in society. But not only that: the consumer is looking for quality food, and natural and non-additive raw materials are becoming increasingly important and important in the market. Consumers want to know what they are eating. At the Universidad Pública de Navarra, work is being done in this regard. On the one hand, research is being carried out to find alternatives to chemical additives. On the other hand, in order to prevent the loss of nutrients in raw materials, they investigate new technologies for the preparation of foods. Let's try the dishes they've cooked.

Natural foods, safe, without chemical additives, and with a long shelf life. The 21st century society demands healthier and healthier foods. They know this in the Food Technology Department of the Public University of Navarra and, in collaboration with the food industry, they are dedicated to the development of new foods from a health and safety perspective.

PALOMA VÍRSEDA; NUP: Many times, the companies themselves contact us because they know us through the website. Sometimes they ask us for simple things: a result of our work or the provision of advice. Other times, they tell us about a problem.

Scientists then develop this necessary knowledge for the industry to apply innovations.
The oxidation of potatoes is a good example of one of these problems that requires a response.

PALOMA VÍRSEDA; NUP: The thing about potatoes is that they turn black. To avoid that obscuration, we need to put something on it. There are sulfur-based products, but they are harmful. We started using a non-harmful chemical, but since it came from chemical synthesis, we also wanted to avoid it. Now we’re starting to use spices like cinnamon. We've seen that after 16 days, the potato is as fresh as a freshly cut.

Scientists compare freshly cut potatoes with those stored without treatment, those stored with chemical treatment and those treated with cinnamon. With this tool, they measure the structure of the potatoes to see how much they have softened with each treatment. With this one, they measure the color to determine the degree to which it has blackened. The data obtained will be offered to companies that want to produce potatoes without chemical additives.

PALOMA VÍRSEDA; NUP: With the use of cinnamon, we have managed to have the same characteristics as the potatoes treated with the chemical that gave the best results. The potatoes have no smell and we lack the tasting phase to confirm that they don’t even taste. Moreover, by modifying the spice, we could obtain different properties: potatoes that are more suitable for making tortillas, for example.

The objective of this other working group is also to ensure food safety without the use of chemical additives. In this laboratory of the School of Agricultural Engineers, their goal is to keep raw meat free of microorganisms for years and without the need for cold. To do this, they combine for the first time several techniques that until now were used one by one.

In the case of meat, the main problem is bacterial degradation. Ozone kills these bacteria, or at least lowers them to levels that humans can consume.

IOSUNE CANTALEJO; NUP: Inside this refrigerator, we have some stainless steel trays. This is important because ozone is a strong oxidant. Here, we put some steaks. And here we have an ozone generator and an analyzer to measure the concentration of ozone at all times. We also monitor time, temperature and relative humidity.

Ozone is obtained by applying ultraviolet light or electric discharges to oxygen. Its most notable advantage is that it leaves no residue in the flesh, since it decomposes back into oxygen.

IOSUNE CANTALEJO; NUP: That wouldn't be enough for the meat. The water contained in the meat spoils the product and prevents it from surviving over time. That’s why we have to go to the freeze-dryer to remove the water. The
water that is frozen is passed directly to the gaseous state by the freeze-dryer. By removing the water, the microorganisms are prevented from growing again.

Chicken breasts, after ozone treatment and lyophilization, are packaged in a modified atmosphere.

IOSUNE CANTALEJO; NUP: We work with modified atmospheres. We also use ozone. But what really interests me is the composition of the gases. We have also found that we can improve the structure of the product. We are now working on improving the packaging conditions to achieve perfect protection. Thus, if one of the barriers that we propose were broken, the others would protect the product and maintain it over time.

This freeze-dried chicken is not intended to be a substitute for the traditional chicken breast, but is intended to be consumed in stews, stews or sauces. It can be useful for military campaigns, disasters or mountaineers, since it occupies very little space and does not need the cold.

Chicken is also the raw material of this other research in the department. Edible coatings are being made to prevent microbial growth. These are thin membranes based on biopolymers such as protein, cellulose or starch isolated from milk serum.

IDOYA FERNÁNDEZ; NUP: One of the applications we are working on is that of meat products. The development of microbes reduces their useful life, which has a great impact on companies. We have used protein isolated from milk serum to create membranes. It is insoluble and is not visible to the naked eye when applied to the chicken. This breast is covered with membrane, while this other breast is not.

Thanks to the edible coating, they have managed to extend the shelf life of the chicken from five to thirteen days. Like cinnamon-treated potatoes, the chicken will be subjected to sensory analysis to ensure that the coating has not altered the taste or structure of the meat.

But the possibilities of these edible membranes are not limited to meat products.

IDOYA FERNÁNDEZ; NUP: In this other line of research, we cover seeds, nuts and things like that. Here we have prepared an example of the seeds of alkachofa. This is uncoated seed, and this is coated with chitosan. Chitosan has antifungal properties that favor the germination and storage of seeds. From the
research thread on membranes and edible coatings, the company Proinec was born, a spin-off of the department two years ago. They work in these laboratories.

RAQUEL URRUTIA; Proinec: We sell tailor-made coatings to companies that market ready-to-eat products.

MAITE ROYO; Proinec: We work in a number of areas, including under-treated fruits and vegetables. We make coatings for fruits and vegetables that are peeled, chopped and ready for consumption, so that they do not blacken and do not develop fungi or bacteria. In this way, we maintain the characteristics of the product and extend its useful life. Here’s an example: this apple has a coating. This other apple, which has no cover, has blackened after several days of storage. The apple with the coating, on the other hand, has a more beautiful, healthier appearance.

They also work with coatings for nuts. They are intended to maintain their organoleptic characteristics and to keep them crunchy when mixed with yoghurts or confectionery products.

In addition to working to improve the quality of raw materials, these scientists also investigate new techniques for food processing. For example, they want to use pressure to cook food. In fact, the temperature, a common cooking technique, causes a loss of some of the nutrients. In this high-pressure machine, they're doing experiments with rice.

PALOMA VÍRSEDA; NUP: With respect to the rice currently on the market, there are two improvements: that it loses no nutrients and that an allergenic component contained in the rice is eliminated. Once the pressure is applied, we can either keep the rice raw or cook it. In this way, we will obtain rice for microwaving, as nutritious as usual.

They apply eight or nine times the pressure at the deepest point of the sea - the Mariana Fosan - through this machine. The main advantage of the pressure treatment of food products is that it is transmitted homogeneously and not layer by layer, as is the case with temperature.

In addition to rice, experiments are also carried out with flam and potato omelette. They then compare the conventional product with the pressure cooker to measure nutrients, color, smell and taste.

PALOMA VÍRSEDA; NUP: It is very clear to us that in order to finish all the research we do, we must carry out a sensory analysis. Making improvements that are not valued would not make sense. We have people who are willing to taste what we do. They come to the tasting room and value the products. Many times we realize the things we need to keep improving, and this opens up a new line of research. But before we introduce ourselves to the tasters, we have to be our own guinea pigs. First, the product must pass our filter and then receive the consumer’s appraisal.

Sensory analysis is performed in a professional tasting room. Here you can control the light, the temperature and the smell of the air so that nothing affects the results.

Scientists transmit the results of their research to the food industry and, finally, the consumer receives healthier and more technologically advanced products.