Electrolyzed water (EW) is a new technology that emerged in the last years with potential application in foods, mainly in microbiological aspects, with variation in application modes, dipping the food in solution, where variation of time can be changed and be apply in the form of spray. Because EW characteristics, its action in microorganisms are still been studied for mechanism elucidation and possible damages, as well its influence in the intrinsic characteristics of food, like color and oxidation. This unconventional or ‘green’ technology has the purpose to prove microbiological quality of food and decrease the use of natural resources like water with minimal generation of chemical/toxic residues. More studies are necessary in relation to this technology and its possible applications in food industry, as well characteristics and mechanisms.

The structured food systems (i.e. cellular tissues) are dissipative structures whose functionality mainly concerns their properties (physico-chemical properties, chemical and biochemical reactions), external interactions with surroundings (interactions with micro-organisms, heat and mass transport pathway) and especially, their interactions with consumers (nutritional value, quality, taste and flavour, texture, appearance: size, shape, colour). Dehydration or rehydration processes concern heat and mass transport phenomena (water, solutes) coupled with micro and macrostructure changes both producing important effects on food functionality. Control of these changes is the major concern in food product development. This control must be applied not only to the changes in physico-chemical properties but also to those related with consumers' issues. Food matrixengineering is a branch of food engineering which aims to apply the knowledge of the food matrixcomposition, structure and properties to promote and control adequate changes which can improve some sensorial and/or functional properties in the food. These changes, which are caused by some basic operations, are related to the phenomena of heat and mass transfer, vaporization-condensation, internal gas or liquid release, structure deformation-relaxation and phase transitions in matrixcomponents, and are usually coupled throughout the operation's progress. The final product may be a new product with improved composition and sensorial properties and/or more stability. All these concepts are discussed in this paper using several examples related to the application of combined food dehydration techniques.

Groundwaters are increasingly viewed as resource-limited ecosystems in which fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from surface water are efficiently mineralized by a consortium of microorganisms which are grazed by invertebrates. We tested for the effect of groundwater recharge on resource supply and trophic interactions by measuring physico-chemistry, microbial activity and biomass, structure of bacterial communities and invertebrate density at three sites intensively recharged with surface water. Comparison of measurements made in recharge and control well clusters at each site showed that groundwater recharge significantly increased fluxes of DOC and phosphate, elevated groundwater temperature, and diminished dissolved oxygen (DO). Microbial biomass and activity were significantly higher in recharge well clusters but stimulation of autochthonous microorganisms was not associated with a major shift in bacterial community structure. Invertebrate assemblages were not significantly more abundant in recharge well clusters and did not show any relationship with microbial biomass and activity. Microbial communities were bottom-up regulated by DOC and nutrient fluxes but trophic interactions between microorganisms and invertebrates were apparently limited by environmental stresses, particularly DO depletion and groundwater warming. Hydrological connectivity is a key factor regulating the function of DOC-based groundwater food webs as it influences both resource availability for microorganisms and environmental stresses which affect energy transfer to invertebrates and top-down control on microorganisms.

Available information regarding the occurrence and public health significance of Escherichia coli and other sanitary indicator organisms in raw and commercially processed foods and water is reviewed. Some strains of E. coli are pathogens capable of eliciting diarrhea and cholera-like diseases in humans. These organisms have been incriminated in outbreaks of food- and waterborne gastroenteritis, in both the U.S. and other parts of the world. A table shows numbers of confirmed outbreaks in the U.S. from 1968 to 1976.

Co-digestion of press water from organic municipal wastes and of homogenized food residues with defibered kitchen wastes (food waste) as the main substrate was examined to improve biogas production. Although the biowaste digester was operated already at high organic loading (OLR) of 12.3kgCODm⁻³ d⁻¹ during the week, addition of co-substrates not only increased biogas production rates but also improved total biogas production. By feeding the two co-substrates up to 20kgCODm⁻³ d⁻¹ gas production followed the increasing OLR linearly. When the OLR was further increased with food waste, not more gas than for 20kgCODm⁻³ d⁻¹ OLR was obtained, indicating the maximum metabolic capabilities of the microbes. During weekends (no biowaste available) food waste could substitute for biowaste to maintain biogas production. Addition of press water or food waste to biowaste co-digestion resulted in more buffer capacity, allowing very high loadings without pH control.