Goat milk is an interesting product from a nutritional and health standpoint, although its physico-chemical composition presents some technological challenges, mainly for being less stable than cow’s milk at high temperatures. As pasteurization and ultra-high temperature processing are universally employed to ensure milk quality and safety, non-thermal methods, such as pulsed electric fields (PEFs), reduce the microbial load and eliminate pathogens, representing an interesting alternative for processing this product. This study demonstrates how the combined use of a PEF with short thermal processing and moderate temperature can be effective and energy-efficient in goat milk processing. A combination of thermal treatment at 63 °C after a low-intensity PEF (50 µs pulses, 3 Hz, and 10 kV·cm−1) caused the same reduction effect on the population of Listeria monocytogenes (goat’s raw milk artificially spiked), as compared to a thermal treatment at 72 °C without a PEF. However, z values are significantly higher when PEF is used as a pre-treatment, suggesting that it may induce heat resistance in the survival population of L. monocytogenes. The sensitivity of L. monocytogenes to high temperatures is less pronounced in goat’s milk than cow’s milk, with a more pronounced impact of a PEF on lethality when combined with lower temperatures in goat’s milk. The effect of a PEF on Escherichia coli viability was even more pronounced. It was also observed that thermal treatment energy needs with a PEF as a pre-treatment can be reduced by at least 50% of the total energy requirements.

To reduce the microbial load in goat’s milk, which is less thermally stable than cow’s milk, an alternative processing method was used in this study. This involved treating the milk with pulsed electric fields (PEFs) (at 10 kV·cm−1, with 50 µs pulses for 3 Hz) and then heat-treating it at 63 °C for 6.0 s, as well as using heat treatment alone at 75 °C for 3.4 s. Cheeses were made using both types of milk treatment, and samples were collected after 5, 15, and 25 days of ripening for DNA extraction and purification, followed by high-throughput sequencing on the MiSeq Illumina sequencing platform. Analysis of the bacterial populations in the two types of cheese using various diversity indices revealed no significant differences in species richness and abundance, although there was a trend for the PEF-treated cheese to have a less diverse set of species with an uneven distribution of relative abundance. However, when examining the composition of the microbial communities in the two types of cheese using Weighted UniFrac analysis and Analysis of Similarities, there were significant differences in the presence and abundance of various species, which could have implications for the development of starter cultures. Concerning physicochemical properties (pH, aw, moisture content, total acidity and L, and a and b color parameters), the results also reveal that, generally, no significant differences were found, except for the color parameter, where cheeses treated with PEF demonstrated more whiteness (L) and yellowness (b) during ripening. Sensory scores for typicity (caprylic, goaty, and acetic) increased over time, but between treatments, only small differences were perceived by panellists in cheese with 5 days of ripening. Concerning texture firmness and cohesiveness, the PEF+HT samples presented lower values than the HT samples, even over storage time. In general, concerning quality parameters, similar behavior was observed between the treatments during the ripening period.

The Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is a globally favored fish due to its abundance, nutritional value, and affordability, but it faces quality preservation challenges. To address this, this study aimed to enhance its value by creating low-salt smoked products with natural bioactive compounds from seafood and forest sources. The fish filets were divided into four groups: one as a control, and the others were treated with various bioactive extract solutions, specifically pine bark, mussels, and microalgae. After 15 days of storage at 4°C, significant differences in properties were observed. Moisture and salt had an inverse relationship, with decreasing moisture and pH over time. Oxidation levels remained acceptable, although sensory quality was affected by storage. Microbiological analysis uncovered high contamination levels in certain samples at specific points in time, although no pathogens such as Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes were detected. While microalgae extract was the most powerful antioxidant, its performance was hampered by the poor sensory scores. On the other hand, pine bark extract was the most acceptable from a sensory point of view and revealed some antimicrobial inhibition. Using natural antioxidants provides an appealing solution for consumers seeking products with clean labels.

The influence of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, 10% O2 and 45% CO2) on the quality characteristics of fresh-cut green, red and yellow bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L. var annuum) was investigated. Packaging film bags (Krehalon MLF40-PA/PE) with fresh-cut bell peppers were stored for up to 17 days at 5 °C. The in-package O2 level ranged between 10 and 15%, respecting the current recommendations for fresh-cut vegetable products. Initial CO2 levels were higher than commonly used (from 5 to 10%), decreasing progressively over time due to the permeability of the selected polyethylene film. At the end of the storage period, they stabilized between 2 and 5%. A small variation in texture, moisture, titratable acidity, pH and microbial growth was observed during the storage period, as well as a good color retention and sensory properties maintenance. Negligible losses in the antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds (total phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin and carotenoid content) were noted at the end of the study. Sensory analysis showed that panelists could not detect significant differences among sampling periods. A PCA with predictive biplots confirmed the existence of significant correlations. The products retain their initial characteristics without severe loss of quality until at least the 17th storage day. Given the current commercial shelf life of fresh-cut bell peppers, ranging from 9 to 14 days, the described treatment enabled an increase of at least 3 days (20%) of the products shelf life, reducing food waste and contributing to food security.

Purpose: To clarify the different types of data likely to occur in any service or industrial process, the main applicable statistics for each type of data and the Six Sigma metrics that allow characterising and benchmarking organisational processes.Methodology/Approach: A short reference to the statistical process control is carried out, from Shewhart’s works to Motorola’s achievements, followed by a short discussion of the use of Six Sigma tools as a part of today’s total quality approaches, and by a discussion of the continuous, attribute and counting data worlds and their main applications in process analysis. Because many quality professionals may have difficulties dealing with engineering perspectives, a review of main classic and Six Sigma process metrics is done with examples. Complementing discussions, four functions written in the R language are presented, which can deal with real organisational data, or can be used for training purposes.Findings: The functions developed provide useful graphical displays and calculate all necessary metrics, having the ability to let the user provide theoretical values for training activities. Real and simulated case studies help understanding data worlds and respective Six Sigma metrics.Research Limitation/implication: This paper reports an intentionally simple theoretical perspective of Six Sigma metrics and friendly software which is available to all interested professionals on request to the authors.Originality/Value of paper: The paper presents clear definitions of main data types and metrics and is supported by a set of four new functions that can be used by any researcher with a minimum knowledge of the R software.