Among the species of the rich algological flora of the North Atlantic, some can be used for direct consumption in human food, although few are currently cultivated on a large scale and/or marketed for this purpose. The European tradition regarding this custom is practically nil and the expression of current eating habits is little different from the past. In Europe, only in times of hunger (for example, during the Great World Wars) was seaweed consumed by the populations closest to the coastline. In addition to the multiple applications described, which expanded enormously in the 1970s, based on phycocolloids (agar, carrageenans, and alginates)—used as thickeners in the food industry, in soups, meat preserves, dairy products, and pastries—there is currently a trend of increasing consumption, both in North America and Europe.

Plants play a key role in the treatment and prevention of diseases since ancient times. Eucalyptus has been traditionally used in the treatment of conditions related to the respiratory system, such as flu, colds, sore throats, bronchitis, as well as neuralgia, and stiffness. Eucalyptus camaldulensis has several phytoconstituents such as ellagitannins endowed with bioactivity, including antioxidant and inhibitory potential on various microorganisms causing foodborne diseases. Tellimagrandin I, pedunculagin, castalagin/vescalagin are among the most representative and have activity against pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus. These antioxidant ellagitannins may have potential application in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The main industrial uses of E. camaldulensis are related to the production of wood, paper, and charcoal, with its leaves and branches considered by-products from these industrial activities. However, these plant by-products could be used to obtain bioactive compounds for the development of new and improved consumer goods. Therefore, the aim of this work was to review the main ellagitannins of E. camaldulensis and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities in foodborne microorganisms, as well as the relevance that these compounds may have in the food industry and related sectors.

The Mediterranean dietary pattern, where extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) takes the central spot, is related to longer life expectancy and lower risk of a number of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular, diabetes, dementias, and cancer. Positive effect of olive oil on a broad spectrum of diseases, including diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2), is usually attributed to its fatty acid content (e.g., oleic acid). Yet, in the last two decades researchers confirmed that, the phenolic compounds (e.g., oleuropein) also significantly alter on glycaemic regulation. Other unprocessed parts of olive plant (fruit and leaves) showed positive impact on glycaemic variability among individuals living with DMT2. The present review focuses on the available research findings on the effect of olive oil, fruits, and leaves on DMT2 treatment. Specifically, the focus is on polyphenols and fats of olive oil, fruits, and leaves with regard to their antidiabetic biological activities.

The on-site, rapid, and intelligence detection methods are the wave in food safety. Recently, intelligent point-of-care test (iPOCT) methods serve as a promising alternative for advanced monitoring in food safety. By integrating smartphones with various detection methods, iPOCT methods demonstrate unique merits. Compared with lab-dependent instruments, iPOCT strategies have a short turnaround time (several minutes), high accuracy (μm level or less), and portability (smartphones). This work discussed principles of optical and electrical iPOCT methods, including absorbing light, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, potentiometry, voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, and amperometry. The review emphasizes the practical applications for testing chemical and biological hazards in complex food matrices. The commercialization, challenges, and future trends of iPOCT are discussed as well.

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder, is the most prevalent form of dementia with an increasingly growing incidence rate worldwide. As no effective therapeutic modalities are still available for the treatment of this serious disabling condition, lifestyle modifications, especially nutritional interventions, have been shown to be important in its prevention and symptomatic alleviation. In this short perspective article, an inverse association between the intake of sunflower seeds and the mortality from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is proposed, showing that in the countries with the highest consumption of sunflower seeds, the death rate from this neurodegenerative disorder is low. The bioactive ingredients of sunflower seeds and their possible neuroprotective mechanisms are further unraveled, highlighting the potent antioxidant, antiinflammatory and neurotrophic effects of tocopherols, unsaturated fatty acids and phytosterols. Among the latter agents, β-sitosterol might be particularly important in combating Alzheimer’s disease by enhancing the levels of nerve growth factor and thereby promoting neurite formation. If future epidemiological studies will confirm the proposed inverse association between the intake of sunflower seeds and the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, it is easy to include appropriate sunflower seed products in the everyday diet to protect against the pathogenesis and progression of this neurodegenerative disorder, especially in individuals with a genetic predisposition. Considering the rather long latency period before clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease, nutritional approaches with specific foods might be a promising strategy for fighting against dementia.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have experienced a dizzying development in recent years, which undoubtedly contributes to various fields of human activity such as biotechnology, engineering, medical sciences, food security, etc. This impact has taken place in the food field too, especially in the role played by nanomaterials (NMs) for producing quality nano-based products, food shelf life, and target-specific bioactive delivery, since traditionally the presence of these materials was not at the nano-scale. Anyway, switching these materials to their nano-forms carries benefits as well as risks that must be assessed. Thus, the evaluation of the presence and quantity of these NMs must be achieved based on reliable physic-chemical-analytical information; hence the impact that analytical chemistry should have in the nanoscience to develop validated methodologies for its control. Currently, this fact represents a significant challenge due to the difficulties of measuring entities at the nanoscale in complex samples such as those of food. This review critically explores these analytical challenges, their difficulties, and their trends within the general framework of NMs’ analytical monitoring in food.