Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
11:30
Automating Citrus Budwood Processing for Downstream Pathogen Detection Through Instrument Engineering
Published on: April 21, 2023
Sweet Basil Raw Material Functionality as a Framework for Industrial Pesto Quality: A Field-to-Fork Perspective
Giulia Tapparo1, Giorgia Botta1, Andrea Caratti1
1Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Giuria 9, 10124 Turin, Italy.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 13, 2026
Summary
This review introduces "raw material functionality" to assess sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) quality for pesto production. It links agronomic and processing factors to key attributes like color and aroma for better industrial outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Agronomy
- Postharvest Physiology
Background:
- Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is crucial for pesto production, but knowledge is fragmented across disciplines.
- Industrial demand for basil necessitates a unified understanding of its quality attributes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose "raw material functionality" as a framework for evaluating basil's suitability for high-quality pesto.
- To integrate knowledge from agronomy, postharvest physiology, and food processing.
Main Methods:
- Critical analysis of existing literature connecting preharvest, postharvest, and processing factors to basil quality.
- Evaluation of key functional attributes: pigment stability, phenolic content, volatile composition, enzymatic activity, microbial quality, and oxidative stability.
Main Results:
- Agronomic and technological variables significantly impact basil's color retention, aroma preservation, shelf-life, and product consistency.
- Identified knowledge gaps in linking basil composition to industrial performance.
Conclusions:
- "Raw material functionality" provides a measurable framework for basil quality assessment.
- Future research should focus on predictive, quality-by-design approaches integrating compositional markers with processing behavior and shelf-life for sustainable pesto production.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Production of Biopesticides
Biopesticides offer a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides, utilizing microbial agents to control agricultural pests. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a widely employed bacterium known for its potent insecticidal activity. Bt biopesticides are favored for their specificity to insect pests, minimal environmental impact, and natural degradability.Mechanism of Bt Toxin Action Bt produces insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins during its sporulation phase. These proteins form parasporal...
01:27Microbes in the Production of Fermented Foods
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and molds are instrumental in fermenting plant-based foods to enhance preservation and ensure year-round availability. These microbial processes convert plant carbohydrates into organic acids and other metabolites that inhibit spoilage organisms and contribute to the sensory qualities of the final product.In sauerkraut production, cabbage goes through a microbial succession that starts with cocci such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These microbes begin fermentation by...
01:59Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Crop cultivation has a long history in human civilization, with records showing the cultivation of cereal plants beginning at around 8000 BC. This early plant breeding was developed primarily to provide a steady supply of food.
02:35Key Elements for Plant Nutrition
Like all living organisms, plants require organic and inorganic nutrients to survive, reproduce, grow and maintain homeostasis. To identify nutrients that are essential for plant functioning, researchers have leveraged a technique called hydroponics. In hydroponic culture systems, plants are grown—without soil—in water-based solutions containing nutrients. At least 17 nutrients have been identified as essential elements required by plants. Plants acquire these elements from the atmosphere, the...
01:29Sources of Food Contamination
Contamination of food by microbial agents and natural toxins poses significant risks to public health. These hazards can be introduced at various points across the food supply chain, ranging from environmental sources to processing and storage stages. Understanding these contamination pathways is critical for developing strategies to ensure food safety.Seafood is particularly vulnerable to contamination through both environmental exposure and microbial colonization. Toxins from harmful algal...
01:27Microorganisms in Agriculture and Food industry
Microorganisms play a crucial role in agriculture and the food industry, contributing to soil fertility, crop protection, and food production. Their functions range from nitrogen fixation and biopesticide production to fermentation and food preservation, making them indispensable to sustainable farming and food safety.Role in AgricultureNitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Rhizobium (symbiotic) and Azotobacter (free-living), convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia through biological nitrogen...