The article provides data on the development of microbiology as a science and on the importance of training microbiologists for the development of the food industry, agriculture, medicine, and pharmacology. The requirements for such specialists are given. Information is provided on what program the BIOTECH University offers to meet the demands of the food industry in the training of highly qualified microbiologists who can not only ensure the production of completely safe high-quality food products, but also effectively solve research and development tasks for the creation of new food products, domestic starter cultures for the production of a full range of food products in modern production facilities.

Introduction. Currently, the Russian market of products with special health effects (POVZ) is not developing dynamically enough; the real benefits of such products often do not meet consumer expectations. It is assumed that one of the reasons for this is the lack of reliably confirmed effectiveness, dosage, duration of exposure to the body and aftereffects.

Purpose. The authors set a goal to present a modern methodology for solving these problems at various levels, including cellular and organismal, based on an analysis of domestic and foreign publications in recent years.

Materials and Methods. To write this review, peer-reviewed original articles, reviews and monographs published in Russian and English between 2003 and 2023 were used. The studied selection of sources included 112 publications posted in domestic and foreign databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, SciHub, PubMed, Google scholar, e-library and RISC. When analyzing publications for relevance to the topic, 56 sources were selected, which were further examined in detail.

Results. The authors presented the state of legal regulation of the effectiveness of POVZ in Russia and abroad, and also discussed the following issues: biological models in vitro and in vivo for testing the effectiveness of POVZ, an integrated approach to studying the immunotropic activity of POVZ, foodomics and artificial intelligence for analysis efficiency of POVZ.

Conclusions. Experiments on in vitro biomodels will remain in the future importance for assessing the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of POVZ, as well as the magnitude of the effect, while in vivo experiments will not only provide a systematic analysis of the results obtained, but will also specify the dose, the required duration of exposure and the duration of the aftereffect, as well as other characteristics of the health product being studied.

Introduction. The production of cooled semi–finished products is one of the priority areas of industrial processing of raw meat. It should be particularly noted that the industrial production of semi-finished products facilitates the solution of the tasks of state and consumer quality control of products sold through the system of retailing and public catering. Currently, the issue of extending the shelf life of minced meat is relevant, as well as preserving the initial quality of the product. The technology of packaging in a modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is one of the ways to preserve the quality of cooled food products and it has been used for a long time. Also, the composition of gases for certain product groups is known. It has been proved that the species composition of microorganisms affecting the storage capacity of minced meat depends on the % content of gases in MАР.

Purpose. To demonstrate under what conditions pork semi-finished meat products can have maximum shelf life while maintaining high-quality. The article presents a review of research by Russian and European scientists on the influence of the composition of gaseous media on the development of microbiological processes in semi-finished meat products. The research and conclusions of scientists on the development of certain strains of bacteria in minced meat in MAP packaging without oxygen and with a high oxygen content are presented. The information presented in research articles concerning the effect of the ratio of gases in a modified gas medium on the storage capacity of minced pork is very limited. This circumstance determined the relevance of further in-house research of minced pork packed in gas mixtures of 30 % СО2, 70 % О2 и 30 % СО2, 70 % N2.

Results. The results of the conducted studies indicate that in minced meat in a gas mixture of 30 % СО2 , 70 % О2, the shelf life is two times less than in 30 % СО2 , 70 % N2. Moreover, the color of minced meat in a gas mixture of 30 % СО2 , 70 % N2 after packaging began to change due to the lack of oxygen which is necessary for the oxidation of meat myoglobin. We can avoid this effect using food additives. Based on the analysis of the literature data and our own research, it was found that in order to ensure a long shelf life of cooled meat, it is necessary to select an effective ratio of gases in the MАР technology and a combination of food additives, considering the species composition of microorganisms and the conditions of a particular production. It should be particularly noted that in order to achieve maximum storage capacity of products using MAP, it is important to follow an integrated approach and take into account the most important factors influencing the successful implementation of the technology.

Introduction. Due to the increasing demand for the production of functional food products in our country and abroad, new types of such products are being developed, as well as the search for ingredients with functional properties. Such ingredients include betaine trimethylaminoacetic acid. One of the potential sources of natural betaine is the beetroot.

Purpose. The aim of the study was to develop the technology and formulation of fermented dairy products of yogurt and curd enriched with betaine-containing ingredients in order to give them functional properties.

Materials and Methods. Freshly squeezed beet juice, the food additive "Betaine anhydrous", and the enzyme preparation Acidin-pepsin, containing 80% betaine hydrochloride.

Results. The formulation and technological parameters of the production of these products have been worked out, and the enzyme preparation Acidin-pepsin is used instead of the milk- converting enzyme in the production of curd by the acid-rennet method. The quality examination and organoleptic evaluation of the products obtained showed that the experimental samples met the requirements of the relevant standards.

Conclusions. Thus, the possibility of using beetroot juice and betaine as functional ingredients in the technology of fermented milk drinks and cottage cheese, representing the Beta-ONE product line enriched with betaine-containing components, has been proven.

Introduction. Over the past decades, the interest of the scientific community in modern technologies of thermal and non-thermal processing has grown significantly. Reducing processing time and the negative impact on product quality allows us to consider these technologies as an effective alternative to traditional thermal methods. 

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to conduct a critical analysis, systematization and generalization of the results of scientific research on the fundamental principles and advantages of thermal and non-thermal processing technologies and their impact on the textural properties of food grains.

Materials and Methods. The review includes foreign articles published in English for the period 2015-2024. The search for foreign scientific literature in English on this topic was carried out in the bibliographic databases Scopus, Web of Science, Elsevier and Google Scholar. The materials for the study included 143 articles. When selecting publications for review, priority was given to highly cited sources.

Results. Modern non-thermal and thermal methods are an environmentally friendly and effective alternative to traditional chemical and thermal processing of food grains. A review of scientific research has shown that in addition to food safety and quality, the use of new technologies is, in most cases, positively correlated with the textural quality of food grains. Sonication causes the internal hydrogen bonds between protein molecules to break, thereby weakening their tertiary and quaternary structures. In addition, ultrasound treatment enhances the hydrolysis of starch and reduces its viscosity. Treatment with a pulsed electric field can cause configurational and molecular changes in the biomacromolecules of raw materials. As a result of radio frequency heating, an increase in the swelling of granules occurs, which leads to easier gelatinization and retrogradation of starch, while reducing the stability of the starch dough. Microwave heating results in the formation of denser and more uniform pores and structures within the sample, thereby promoting the formation of a starch hydration gel network. However, there are unresolved problems in the process of using modern grain processing technologies. Differences in equipment design, modes, and operating conditions do not allow us to fully assess the impact of these methods on the consistency of food grains.

Conclusions. In order to maximize the benefits of modern non-thermal and thermal technologies, in-depth studies of their influence on the textural properties of various types of grains and legumes are required, while ensuring the selection and development of processing parameters for each type of food grain. The results of this review may be of interest for further scientific research, as well as for food industry specialists in order to introduce these advanced technologies. Industrial implementation of modern technologies can become an effective alternative to traditional methods of processing grains and legumes.