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For many farmers across the USA the opportunity to sell their produce directly to the public in different ways allows them to avoid middle‐men and often reap higher benefits that are vital for their survival. However, to what extent do they fully maximise their produce? For instance, do farmers consider developing value‐added products when they have fruit or vegetable leftovers, or those with blemishes? The present paper aims to explore involvement in value‐added food production from the growers' standpoint.

Data were collected via telephone and face‐to‐face interviews among 30 farm owners located in the state of Alabama.

While the large majority of participating farmers (93.3 per cent) are involved in selling produce directly to the public, only 33.3 per cent are currently maximising their produce left‐overs, or unsellable produce by developing and marketing value‐added products such as jellies, jams and ice‐creams. Almost one fourth of farmers (23.3 per cent) would consider developing value‐added products. However, the lack of a commercial kitchen, a potentially considerable investment, is one significant barrier preventing the development of value‐added products.

Choosing only farmers that are already involved in retailing their own produce, and their low number (30) are limitations that may not allow for making generalisations of the study's findings.

In times where the threat of food crises is latent, the ability for food growers to maximise their harvests becomes critical. Because farm operators play a significant role in providing food for society at large, they should be accordingly supported to maximise their produce, including through the development of value‐added products.

The study provides a different view of value‐added produce, investigating this dimension from the farmers' viewpoint.

Contemporary studies and reports point to the potential of value‐added products as an alternative income stream as well as a means of extending the product line of many agriculturalists. While there is a well documented growth of initiatives and interest in the establishment of commercial kitchen technologies to develop value‐added products in many rural communities, such growth has not been accompanied by research, particularly relating to the producers' perspective on such developments. This study seeks to examine the extent to which small farm operators in one rural Alabama community are interested in becoming involved with value‐adding their product line.

A total of 33 small growers from Chilton County, Alabama, participated in this study by completing a questionnaire.

The findings demonstrate that much of what respondents grow could be further processed into value‐added products. Also, while almost one‐fourth of the participants acknowledge the need for a commercial kitchen, the majority are interested in both selling blemished/unmarketable produce for processing and forming a group to work towards adding value to their produce. The findings also point to the fact that the concept of value‐adding produce and the implications for the same area are little understood amongst many rural farmers.

Both the chosen geographical/physical location of the farms – that is, in one single farming community – and the low number of participating businesses limit the generalisability of the findings. However, the study's overall findings could be of assistance to future research efforts and, in particular, replication studies in other rural areas.

Many farmers could maximise their produce by means of developing value‐added products and could potentially increase their revenues in the process. However, other gains may be of equal or more importance. For instance, extending an area of their business and fully utilising their produce's intrinsic rewards, learning experiences and increased motivation could have important implications for many rural communities and farming industries.

This study seeks to fill the existing gap of knowledge with regard to small farmers' perceptions on maximisation of their produce, an area closely related to value‐added product development. To date, research on the farm operator perspective with regard to these dimensions continues to be limited.

Mango seed, an agricultural food (agri-food) waste obtained during mango processing is generally discarded and causes environmental stress. In the present study, mango kernel was processed into flour and incorporated into macaron formulation. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant potential, physicochemical properties, and sensory qualities of macaron after substitution of almond flour (AF) with 0% (control, MC-0), 20% (MC-20), 40% (MC-40), 60% (MC-60), 80% (MC-80) and 100% (MC-100) (w/w) of mango kernel flour (MKF).

Sensory evaluation was conducted using a nine-point hedonic scale (n = 90 young adults) to evaluate the acceptance towards MC-0 (control), MC-20, MC-40, MC-60, MC-80 and MC-100 macaron shells (without mango-flavoured ganache). The most preferred formulated and control macarons were subjected to proximate analyses according to the methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists for moisture, ash, and protein, and American Oil Chemists' Society for fat. Carbohydrate content was estimated by difference. Physical analyses such as colour, pH and water activity (a_w) were performed using various instrumental techniques. Antioxidant activity of all macaron shell formulations was accessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity (DPPH-RSA). Sensory evaluation was repeated using a five-point hedonic scale to determine the acceptance of the most preferred macaron (with mango-flavoured ganache) among consumer panels of all age groups (n = 80).

The first sensory acceptance test revealed that macaron shell with 40% MKF substitution (MC-40) was the most preferred formulation among young adults aged 18–35 years old. Moisture and ash contents between MC-0 and MC-40 were found to be similar (p > 0.05), while significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed for the fat and protein contents. Antioxidant activity increased proportionally with increasing MKF substitution and exhibited significant improvement (p < 0.05) in MC-40. Approximately 93% of the panellists expressed their liking towards MC-40 in the second sensory acceptance test. Overall, this study demonstrated that 40% MKF substitution in macaron improved its antioxidant performance without compromising consumers' acceptance.

This innovative research features the incorporation of MKF in the development of an economical and healthier macaron. The results constitute industrial relevant findings pertaining to its application feasibility and nutritional properties. This research has contributed knowledge to the existing literature as well as benefitted food manufacturers to develop value-added products that could meet the needs and expectations of interested parties, including consumers, governmental organisations, health-cautious advocates and healthcare providers.

This study aims to investigate the use of rose petals rich in bioactive components possessing several health benefits in the form of pigmented sweetened rose petals crush (P SRP C) at varying levels in the formulation of cookies to develop consumerfavored natural flavored food products.

PSRPC was used as functional ingredient in millet cookies at varying levels of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. Developed cookies were evaluated for physical parameters, bioactive components along with their associated antioxidant activity, texture (hardness, fracturability), surface morphology and molecular interactions. Most acceptable cookies were selected on the basis of sensory evaluation.

Cookies formulated from millet flour were significantly different from wheat flour cookies. Furthermore, the incorporation of PSRPC in millet cookies increased the total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. Texture analysis results showed that cookies with higher level of PSRPC had lower hardness and fracturability. PSRPC-incorporated cookies were darker and redder due to the pigments found in rose. Surface morphology and functional groups were altered on addition of PSRPC. Cookies incorporated with 10% PSRPC were highly acceptable on the basis of sensory score.

The current study developed newer conditions for development of cookies from PSRPC. Results foresee the potential of PSRPC as a functional ingredient in value-added food products having health benefits.

The circularity of food waste is gathering considerable pace globally. The present study aimed to explore the awareness, attitude and behaviour of Malaysian young adults towards food waste as a food ingredient. The physicochemical characteristics and sensory acceptance of chicken eggshell powder (CESP)-fortified madeleine cake were also investigated.

A survey on awareness, attitude and behaviour was conducted online amongst young adults (n = 384) in the Klang Valley region. The control and fortified madeleine cakes were subjected to nutritional constituent analyses according to the methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) for moisture, protein, ash and calcium. Fat was determined via Soxhlet method whilst carbohydrate was estimated by difference. Physical analyses such as texture and water activity were assessed using instrumental techniques. Sensory acceptance test was conducted amongst another group of young adults (n = 105) using a nine-point hedonic scale.

The survey revealed that most young adults demonstrated a positive attitude and behaviour in trying food products made using food waste. Taste and texture were deemed important determinants that influenced the young adults' acceptability. Texture profiles of fortified madeleine cakes exhibited no significant differences (p > 0.05) in most attributes compared to the control whilst significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed for fat, carbohydrate, ash and calcium contents with increasing CESP fortification levels.

The survey on awareness, attitude and behaviour was conducted amongst young adults from universities in the Klang Valley, Selangor region Malaysia through self-reports about food waste and the findings might not be applicable to the whole nation.

Knowledge of young adults' perceptions towards waste-to-value food products can contribute to the development of pragmatic framework for effective valorisation of food wastes, which aligns with United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve the targets and indicators for agriculture and food security.

Sustainable management of food waste will minimise the impact of the industry on our environment and contributes to a circular economy. Further, increased awareness of the food waste's potential as a novel food ingredient allows a positive shift in its role to achieve food sustainability.

This innovative study incorporates the element of exploratory research to gain an understanding of young adults' perceptions towards repurposing food waste. This is followed by the practical application of food waste (i.e. CESP) into the end application (i.e. madeleine cake) to gain a holistic view of young adults’ perceptions aligning with the actual acceptance. The results obtained from this study can be considered as a first perspective that provides indications of the plausibility of food products made from food waste in Malaysia.

Multifunctional agriculture, including value-added agriculture, has drawn the attention of different stakeholders (government, farmers) interested in maximising the potential of farming operations and strengthening rural communities. This preliminary study aims to investigate value-added agriculture, including the extent to which food growers consider, or are involved in, this aspect of multifunctional agriculture, from the perspective of orchard operators located in different Australian states.

Orchard operators were contacted through regional growers' associations and by mail. A total of 80, the large majority of whom are small orchardists, participated in the study, completing a questionnaire designed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data.

Overall, there is moderate interest among the participating orchard operators in adding value to food production. Respondents also indicate barriers in the form of added expenses, lack of time, knowledge, and markets, to sell value-added products.

This study has only provided preliminary data from a limited number of participants; future research could broaden the scope to gather the insights of more orchard operators or even study other rural food-growing sectors.

With increasing pressures on the farmland, the findings have several implications, in particular, the need to understand the cost-benefits involved in value adding activities and potential cost-savings strategies.

In the case of Australian agriculture, little has been discussed about the extent to which value-added food production is being considered among food growers, for instance, using commercial kitchens to process foods that do not sell as “premium.” The present study examines this unexplored dimension and seeks to provide useful preliminary information.

Okara, which is the residue of hydrosoluble extract from soybean obtained after soymilk and tofu production, has high nutritional value and can be used for ingredient in specific food products. This study aims to evaluate the production and properties (physicochemical, microscopical and functional ones) of okara flour (OF) obtained from okara as a by-product of soymilk and tofu production.

Wet okara resulted from the soymilk process underwent convective drying up to reach mass stability (60°C for 12 h). OF properties were analyzed by official methods by AOAC, i.e. mineral composition was evaluated by atomic absorption equipment; color; water absorption index (WAI); milk absorption index (MAI); oil absorption capacity (OAC); and foam capacity (FC) required mixtures with water, milk and oil, separation and gravimetry, respectively; and microstructure was determined by a scanning electron microscope.

Results showed the potential OF has as a source of protein (24.74 g/100 g) and dietary fiber (58.27 g/100 g). Regarding its color after the drying process, OF was markedly yellow (b* parameter 20.16). Its WAI was 3.62 g/g, MAI was 4.33 g/g, OAC was 3.68 g/g and FC was 1.32 per cent. The microscopic analysis of OF showed that both loose and agglomerated particles had irregular structures and indefinite forms.

Production of flour from wet okara can be an alternative use of this by-product. This study showed important characteristics of OF and its possible application to the food industry. Thus, OF was shown as a potential ingredient with high nutritional value.

The aim of the paper is to present a preliminary study for the design of a new functional food by the incorporation of a collection of ingredients which are all based on an inexpensive by‐product of the food industries: apple pomace. The new product design was considered as a novel gelled dessert formulation which is functional, and totally nature‐based. In fact, the article reviews various raw materials obtainable from the source of apple pomace and gradually supports the hypothesis of such product design.

The current study was designed on the structural basis of paying attention to apple pomace as a byproduct and idea generation for product design, reviewing several ingredients based on apple pomace (available data from the literature) and discussing the suitability of such ingredients for a new functional product. Exclusive attention was made for the development of an apple‐pomace‐based gelled dessert targeting consumers on restricted diets such as diabetics and obese individuals. In these kinds of diets consumption of caloric sweeteners should be abandoned or decreased while increasing the amounts of dietary fibers and polyphenolic compounds can be health‐beneficial.

As an appropriate preliminary formula, amidated low methylester pectins were selected as gelling agents. High methylester pectins, phloridzin and quercetin were used as functional ingredients. Arabinose and fructose were considered as sweetening agents. Also, POPj (phloridzin oxidation product), which is a recently developed natural pigment, was offered as a colouring agent and citric acid for adjusting the pH. Apple specific flavours were also suggested to improve the consumer acceptance of the product. In each case, the evidences of functionalities considered for the target consumers (diabetics and obese individuals) were also discussed.

This fresh formula is novel and can attract both food industry and the consumers because of its natural and functional properties.

The concept of positional innovation – as one of the four innovation types of the Francis and Bessant’s “4P’s” model – is an effective product innovation strategy for producers of mature and credence goods as food products are. Despite the acknowledgement as one of the major industries worldwide, positional innovations about the food products are underexplored in the managerial literature. To fill this gap, this paper first develops a theoretical analysis of the concepts. Then, by adopting a case-study research methodology, it discloses the way a bakery small enterprise manages positional innovation. Theoretical and practical implications are finally introduced and discussed.

After a literature review about the role and the characteristics of the positional innovation, the paper presents a case study of definition and implementation of managerial actions and initiatives driven by positional innovation. The aim is not to report on an inductive study, but to use this example as a picture to clarify theory and show how the various conceptual issues may be operatively applied and provide more contextual insights.

It emerges how a small food enterprise manages positional innovation to survive and compete in the national and international markets; the positional innovation sources are tapped into culture, social responsibility, tradition and other territorial assets of tangible and intangible nature, effectively combined to innovate the product perception and/or the utility in a use context.

“Non-technological”, simple products, like food, are underexplored and rarely seen as relevant context to investigate along the strategic and innovation management literature. Nonetheless, positional innovation is a perspective that values and credits the innovation efforts of small food products, revealing interesting managerial concepts and inspiring entrepreneurs and managers for activating and sustaining new strategies of innovation for their businesses.

The purpose of this review is to address the consumer’s preferences that have varied greatly in the past decade appraising the use of flavor and aroma compounds in the development of functional foods rather than consuming artificial additives. A growing interest in natural flavoring agents and preservatives have made the researchers to explore the other bio-functional properties of natural flavors beyond their ability to give a remarkable flavor to the food.

In this review, five major flavoring agents used significantly in food industries have been discussed for their bioactive profile and promising health benefits. Vanilla, coffee, cardamom, saffron and cinnamon, despite being appreciated as natural flavors, have got impressive health benefits due to functional ingredients, which are being used for the development of nutraceuticals.

Flavoring and coloring compounds of these products have shown positive results in the prevention of several diseases including carcinoma and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Such effects are attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds, which possesses free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory antiviral and antimicrobial properties. These properties not only show a preventive mechanism against diseases but also makes the food product shelf-stable by imparting antimicrobial effects.

This paper highlights the opportunities to increase the use of such natural flavoring agents over synthetic aroma compounds to develop novel functional foods. Phenols, carotenoids and flavonoids are the major health-promoting components of these highly valued aroma ingredients.