Amira Haddarah

• Professor in food biotechnology
• Professor at Lebanese University

To fulfill consumer trends in sustainable and healthy food choices, this study explored the application of edible insects and carob powder as sustainable and nutritious ingredients in developing a high‐protein snack, known as a protein ball. Four formulations were developed and characterized in terms of moisture content, water activity, color, text...

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the effects of heat treatments and water removal by freeze-drying after different time intervals (6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h) on the molecular structure of potato tubers. SEM images show structural differences between raw...

High-protein snacks appeal to consumers seeking to increase the protein intake in their diet. The high environmental impact of conventional protein sources is urging the need to explore more sustainable alternatives such as edible insects. In this study, the willingness to pay for yogurt enriched with insect protein was estimated. It also determine...

Amino acids and sugars, along with the thermal processing, are considered the main parameters to control acrylamide formation in fried potatoes. To evaluate which of these parameters had the greatest influence, 10 synthetic potato‐starch‐based models formulated in different amino acid and/or sugar combinations and three potato cultivars were assign...

Abstract: Although mineral chelates are widely produced to be used as food fortifiers, the proof that these complexes are chelates is still missing. In our present work, iron II complexes using citric acid in different ratios are produced, and the occurrence of chelation is investigated along with its behavior according to a molar ratio between the...

This study unveiled the effect of the suspected precursors of acrylamide (asparagine, glutamine) combined/separated with different formulations of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. To better understand the interaction between acrylamide precursors, cooking technique (deep vs air frying), and temperature (170 °C vs 190 °C), seven potato models from st...

Acrylamide is classified as a toxic food contaminant, and it is formed in carbohydrate rich food when heated > 120 °C through the Maillard reaction. The main parameters that affect acrylamide formation in foods are the composition of the raw food, and time–temperature of food processing. International organizations have warned against the existence...

Food fortification has been used for many years to combat micronutrient deficiencies; the main challenge with food fortification is the combination of a bioavailable, affordable fortificant with the best (food) vehicle as a carrier to reach at-risk populations. This paper considers mineral deficiencies, especially iron, food fortification, target p...

Edible insects are being considered as a sustainable source of protein and are continuously appearing in markets in the West. The impact of COVID-19 on the willingness to consume (WTC) two products enriched with insect ingredients, jam and yogurt, was analyzed. A semistructured questionnaire was applied using the Qualtrics© consumer panel. Data...

Edible insects are being considered as a sustainable source of protein and are continuously appearing in markets in the West. The impact of COVID-19 on the willingness to consume (WTC) two products enriched with insect ingredients, jam and yogurt, was analyzed. A semistructured questionnaire was applied using the Qualtrics© consumer panel. Data was...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three Lebanese wild plant extracts on acrylamide (AA) content in French fries, and to investigate the impact of air frying (AF) and deep frying (DF) techniques against AA formation. HPLC showed higher level of AA in DF (1384.79 ng/g) than in AF (163.1 ng/g). Indeed, the plant extracts of ginger, b...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three Lebanese wild plant extracts on acrylamide (AA) content in French fries, and to investigate the impact of air frying (AF) and deep frying (DF) techniques against AA formation. HPLC showed higher level of AA in DF (1384.79 ng/g) than in AF (163.1 ng/g). Indeed, the plant extracts of ginger, b...

The effects of agar, alginate, butter, olive oil, and carrots on the mechanical and rheological properties of potato puree prepared by two different cooking methods (microwave heating (MP) and boiling (BP)) were investigated and interpreted in terms of starch microstructural changes. Microscopic observations revealed more aggregated and densely con...

In the food industry, some additives such as carob bean gum are highly sought after thanks to their power to present, even at low concentrations, a particular texture, guaranteeing stability, attending sanitary quality, and improving the taste and appearance of food. The main problem in the valorization of such seeds is the presence of shrinkage ph...

This paper studies the applicability of extrusion-based 3D printing for constructing novel shapes from potato puree and the effects of four additives (agar, alginate, lecithin, and glycerol) added separately at three concentrations (0.5, 1, 1.5%) on the internal strength, mechanical properties, microstructure, and color of potato puree. The printab...

In the food industry, some additives such as carob bean gum are highly sought after thanks to their power to present, even at low concentrations, a particular texture, guaranteeing stability, attending sanitary quality, and improving the taste and appearance of food. The main problem in the valorization of such seeds is the presence of shrinkage ph...

Background: Digitalizing food using 3-Dimensional (3D) printing is an incipient sector that has a great potential of producing customized food with complex geometries, tailored texture and nutritional content. Yet, its application is still limited and the process utility is under the investigation of many researchers. Scope and approach: The main o...

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to study the effect of four food additives, agar, alginate, lecithin and glycerol, at three different concentrations, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%, on the molecular structure of potato puree prepared from commercial potato powder. Vibrational spectra revealed that th...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of new plant extracts on acrylamide (AA) formation in French fries with both deep frying DF and electric air frying EF, and to reveal the effect of the frying techniques on acrylamide concentration in treated and untreated samples.

The effects of agar, alginate, lecithin and glycerol on the rheological properties of commercial potato puree were investigated and interpreted in terms of starch microstructural changes, and the applicability of the Cox-Merz rule was evaluated. Each additive was applied separately at two concentrations (0.5 and 1%). Microscopic observations reveal...

Le caroubier est considéré comme l'un des arbres fruitiers et forestiers qui présente le plus grand potentiel de valorisation puisque toutes les parties de cette plante sont utilisables dans plusieurs applications industriels. Le caroubier est cultivé dans plusieurs régions du Liban mais peu d'études sont disponibles sur les voies de valorisation e...

Morphological variation (pod length, width, thickness, seed number, volume, weight and specific gravity measurements) and chemical composition (protein, sugar, fiber, ash and total phenol content) of nine carob varieties from different regions of Lebanon were investigated. The obtained results showed that these two criteria exhibit significant diff...