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Storage conditions influence the nutritive value and quality of many legumes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of beans stored under hermetic conditions as a strategy for preserving the quality of beans post-harvest. Three bean varieties [Rosecoco, small red (Wairimu)], and red mottled (Nyayo)] were adjusted to three moisture levels (12%, 15% and 18%) and stored in hermetic bags and ordinary polypropylene bags and sampled after 0, 45, 90, 135,180, 225 and 270 days for chemical and anti-nutritional analysis. Total soluble sugars, in-vitro starch and protein digestibility, free amino nitrogen, tannin content and phytic acid content of the beans were determined using standard methods. Results showed that the beans in hermetic bags had 22%, 23% and 18% higher total soluble sugars, in-vitro starch and protein digestibility, respectively, than those in polypropylene bag during storage. On day 225 of storage, beans in hermetic bags had the optimal in-vitro starch and protein digestibility, and tannin content. Principal component analysis indicated that nutrient and anti-nutrient retention of the beans was achieved with lower storage moisture and duration in hermetic bags. The results of this study can be used to explain the superiority of the hermetic storage technology over ordinary methods of beans storage, and by extension other legumes, in nutrient retention during storage.

Background The increasing evidences on the relation between diet and human health are driving the consumers toward the choice of foods with high amount of nutrients, considered the molecules responsible for the regulation of several metabolic and biochemical processes, and for the prevention of many chronic diseases. Among food products, fruits represent a natural source of many different nutrients and possess much importance in a balanced diet. The increase of the micro/macronutrient levels and the decrease of antinutrients amount are considered main objectives for the improvement of fruit trees nutritional value. Scope and approach This review summarizes many of the attempts made to increase the nutritional quality of fruit tree species during the last decades through the application of traditional and molecular breeding technologies, and the most recent New breeding techniques (NBTs). Key findings and conclusions New genotypes with improved nutritional quality have been obtained for different fruit tree species, either by increasing the content of well-known beneficial molecules, such as phenolic compounds, vitamins, and carotenoids, or by decreasing the levels of specific antinutrients. The development of molecular techniques and biotechnological tools allowed the identification and validation of candidate genes involved in the regulation of specific classes of nutritional compounds in fruit trees, and useful to obtain nutritionally improved products. NBTs represent alternative tools to classical breeding techniques, to regulate one or more fruit trees key nutrients in a more quick and precise manner. However, genetic engineering approaches still present public and regulatory concerns that strongly limit their exploitation.

Transportation over longer distances could accelerate the chemical changes of fresh produce. Moreover, fresh produce quality is also influenced by temperature conditions during storage. The present study aims to explore the postharvest quality chemical and nutritional changes in tomatoes as affected by transportation distance and storage conditions. Tomato fruit was transported from a local farm to three distances (100, 154, and 205 km) and delivered to the laboratory to undergo chemical and nutritional quality analysis. Tomatoes were stored at two storage temperature conditions at10°C (95 ± 1% relative humidity) and 22 °C (65 ± 5% relative humidity) for 12 days. To record all vibration data signals, a 3-Axis USB vibration/acceleration data logger was used during transportation. The changes in chemical properties of tomato including total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), sugar:acid ratio (TSS:TA), and pH were measured. Furthermore, nutritional changes (i.e., total lycopene and carotenoids) were determined. Vibration data results recorded 41% of acceleration occurrence in the range interval of 0.0099 -0.0116 m/s2 in the longest distance of road travel. Chemical quality indicators like total soluble solids and sugar/acid ratio were mostly affected (p 0.05) by transportation distance. However, TA was significantly affected by all investigated factors and was lower (0.25%) in tomatoes transported from the farthest distance compared to medium and shortest distances (0.26%) stored at 22 °C. Lycopene and carotenoids were highly affected by all studied factors. The highest amount of lycopene and carotenoids was observed in tomato transported from a long distance and stored at 22 °C on day12 with 1.21 and 1.55 mg.100 g−1 FW, respectively. The temperature during storage and long-distance transportation is critical in reducing postharvest chemical and nutritional quality losses of tomatoes.

Microgreens are young, tender greens that are used to enhance the color, texture, or flavor of salads and main dishes. They can be grown in small scales and indoors, making them widely adopted by controlled environment agriculture, an indoor farming practice is particularly important for feeding increasing urban populations. Besides, microgreens are attracting more consumers’ attention due to their high nutritional value and unique sensory characteristics. This review focuses on the nutrition quality, sensory evaluation, pre- and post-harvest interventions, and health benefits of microgreens. Microgreens are rich in vitamins (e.g., vitamin C), minerals (e.g., copper and zinc), and phytochemicals, including carotenoids and phenolic compounds, which act as antioxidants in human body. Pre-harvest interventions, such as illumination, salinity stress, nutrient fortification, and natural substrates, influence the photosynthetic and metabolic activities of microgreens and were shown to improve their nutritional quality, while the effects varied among species. After harvesting, packaging method and storage temperature can influence the nutrient retention in microgreens. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that microgreens have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-hyperglycemia properties, making it a new functional food beneficial to human health. The sensory attributes and overall acceptability and liking of microgreens are primarily influenced by their phytochemical content. Microgreens are only getting popular during the last decades and research on microgreens is still at its early stage. More studies are warranted to optimize the pre- and post-harvest practices for nutrient enhancement and retention and to explore the potential health benefits of different microgreens for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Objectives To identify general characteristics, the use of persuasive techniques, and the nutritional quality of Mexican digital marketing of food and beverages/brand with the greatest number of followers and views (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) with specific appeal to children/adolescents. Study design Cross sectional, quantitative, exploratory, and descriptive study. Methods Multistep process to select a sample of 46 products with a Mexican website and major audiences on social networks. The energy and nutrient content of the foods and beverages were analyzed with the Pan American Health Organization Nutrient Profile Model. Results Cola and soft drinks, sweetened juices were the products with the greatest number of followers on Facebook and Twitter (13,321,274 and 1,020,504). Companies used diverse persuasive techniques combining promotional characters (79.1%), incentives (65.1%), and digital techniques (78.3%). Products with excess critical nutrients were most frequently advertised regardless of the type of social network and the marketing techniques used. Conclusion Digital Marketing represents a major threat for children and adolescents in Mexico, and probably all over the world, because of its persuasive techniques, and it shall be regulated.

Improving product nutrition has become an increasingly important area of innovation in the food and beverage industry. However, the contribution made by a product’s nutritional quality to the firm’s bottom line has been little studied. To fill this gap, we first developed an analytical model to study the relationship between a product’s nutritional quality and the firm’s profit, and then investigated the role of package innovation and advertising in this relationship. The results show that a product’s nutritional quality has a concave relationship with the firm’s profit, and that the relationship is influenced positively by both package innovation and advertising. Finally, we empirically examined product nutrition across a wide range of product categories and corresponding firms’ profits over multiple years to test if the results derived from our analytical models hold for empirical data from real businesses. Furthermore, we empirically investigated how a new product’s nutritional quality impacts the firm’s stock return after the product’s introduction.

Bread is a staple food in the human diet and a source of energy and nutrients for the body. The bakery process started with the homemade and artisanal way to produce bread leavened with sourdoughs started prepared from flour and water mixture. However, over the years, technological, microbiological, and nutritional aspects were studied to understand, industrialize, and select the micro-organisms involved in the bread fermentation to offer to the consumers' healthier bakery products. Therefore, this mini-review aims to describe the nutritional quality and the biotransformation observed in the flour during the fermentation process that impacts the nutrients bioaccessibility and the beneficial effects produced by this process to the final product and consumers healthy.

Purpose Meals offered through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) give students access to nutritious foods and have been found to make positive contributions to their diets. Consuming a healthy diet during adolescence is important to ensure that increased requirements for energy and key nutrients are met and to decrease the risk of chronic diseases. This analysis examined whether adolescent NSLP participants consumed more nutritious foods at lunch and over 24 hours than adolescents who ate lunch from home or other places. Methods This analysis used 24-hour dietary recalls for adolescents ages 10–19 (n = 1,311) from the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study. The nutritional quality of adolescents’ diets was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010, where higher scores indicate better conformance with the Dietary Guidelines. HEI-2010 scores for NSLP participants and nonparticipants were compared for lunch and 24-hour intakes. Results Lunches consumed by NSLP participants received significantly higher total HEI-2010 scores than lunches consumed by nonparticipants, and significantly higher scores for the dairy, whole grains, refined grains, and empty calories components of the HEI-2010. Over 24 hours, differences in total scores were not significant, but participants continued to receive higher scores for dairy and whole grains. Conclusions Adolescents who participated in the NSLP consumed higher quality lunches than nonparticipants who consumed lunches from home or other places. However, adolescents’ 24-hour diets were similar regardless of NSLP participation, suggesting that foods participants consumed the rest of the day negatively influenced the quality of their diets.

Accurate knowledge of the actual nutritional value of individual feed ingredients and complete diets is critical for efficient and sustainable animal production. For this reason, feed evaluation has always been in the forefront of nutritional research. Feed evaluation for poultry involves several approaches that include chemical analysis, table values, prediction equations, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy, in vivo data and in vitro digestion techniques. Among these, the use of animals (in vivo) is the most valuable to gain information on nutrient utilization and is more predictive of bird performance. However, in vivo methods are expensive, laborious and time-consuming. It is therefore important to establish in vitro methods that are reliable, rapid and practical to assess the nutritional quality of feed ingredients or complete diets. Accuracy of the technique is crucial, as poor prediction will have a negative impact on bird performance and, increase feed cost and environmental issues. In this review, the relevance and importance of feed evaluation in poultry nutrition will be highlighted and the various approaches to evaluate the feed value of feed ingredients or complete diets will be discussed. Trends in and practical limitations encountered in feed evaluation science, with emphasis on in vitro digestion techniques, will be discussed.

Kenaf is an alternative fiber crop which is economically viable and ecologically friendly. Kenaf seeds oil, kenaf seeds extract, and kenaf leaves extract were found to have a high content of bioactive compounds to offer antioxidants and medicinal benefits, which could be a potential source in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The application of encapsulation technologies on kenaf derivatives can help to develop new highly effective cosmetic formulations. Different encapsulation technologies were applied on kenaf derivatives to improve the stability and functionality for cosmeceutical application. Technologies such as nanoemulsion, nanostructured lipid carriers, co-extrusion, and spray drying of kenaf seed oil were found to enhance its stability and manage the release of unsaturated oils in cosmetic formulations. Besides, the applications of solid lipid nanocarriers, liposomes, niosomes, and Pickering emulsion were discussed in this paper to show its potential in the encapsulation of kenaf derivatives. This review described the chemical composition and nutritional quality of the kenaf derivatives, and the technologies for cosmetic formulation to enhance our knowledge to use these by-products in the cosmetic application and their advantages. This review has important implications to stimulate its possible utilization and application of kenaf in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.

Objectives Non-communicable diseases have increased in Tunisia after the epidemiological transition . That is why the national strategy to prevent and control obesity was elaborated and implemented. Improving the quality of foods is one axis of this strategy. The purpose of this paper was to estimate and evaluate the nutritional profiles of Tunisian foods sold by fast food restaurants, and explore ways for improvement. Material and methods Nutritional quality of 35 average recipes or items was assessed by 70 recipes of dishes sold by fast food restaurants. The SAIN,LIM French scoring system was used. Foods were classified into the four SAIN,LIM classes, i.e. from the healthiest (class 1) to the least healthy (class 4). The recipes were then reformulated and improved by deleting or reducing some unfavorable ingredients like salt. Results Before reformulation, the items were spread over the 4 SAIN,LIM classes (class 1: 42.9%; class 2: 8.6%; class 3: 20.0% and class 4: 28.6%). After reformulation, the items were spread over class 1 (85.7%) and class 3 (14.3%), showing clear improvement of their nutritional quality. Conclusion In Tunisia, an important percentage of foods sold by fast food restaurant have a good nutrient profile (43%). After reformulation, most items were in the healthiest class. This study is the first to show that it is possible to improve the nutritional quality of foods sold by fast food restaurants, and that the SAIN,LIM system can help to that end.

Background Sprouts constitute a novel specialty vegetable and its consumption is becoming popular in various parts of the world due to their nutritional values and health benefits. Ultrasound (US) is an attractive and efficient non-thermal technology that could regulate the growth, physiological metabolism and kill pathogens of sprouts. Scope and approach This review presents the effects of ultrasound on the growth, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity and microbiological quality of sprouts, and the underlying mechanisms were discussed. Further studies of the effects of US on nutritional quality and microbiological quality of sprouts were also investigated. Key findings and conclusions US can promote the growth of root and hypocotyl, raise the germination percentage of seeds, and finally boost yields of sprouts. In addition, US can promote the breakdown of starch, protein and lipids, and accumulate bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds and GABA, in sprouts. The antioxidant capacity is also significantly increased by the action of US on sprouts. Furthermore, US can kill less than 2 log CFU/g of the foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Escherichia coli, but the combined treatment of US and other technology could even result in complete inactivation of pathogens on seeds and sprouts. Therefore, US is an efficient and promising strategy to be used in sprouts industry.

Growing evidence reveals strong overlap between microbiomes of flowers and bees, suggesting that flowers are hubs of microbial transmission. Whether floral transmission is the main driver of bee microbiome assembly, and whether functional importance of florally sourced microbes shapes bee foraging decisions are intriguing questions that remain unanswered. We suggest that interaction network properties, such as nestedness, connectedness, and modularity, as well as specialization patterns can predict potential transmission routes of microbes between hosts. Yet microbial filtering by plant and bee hosts determines realized microbial niches. Functionally, shared floral microbes can provide benefits for bees by enhancing nutritional quality, detoxification, and disintegration of pollen. Flower microbes can also alter the attractiveness of floral resources. Together, these mechanisms may affect the structure of the flower-bee interaction network.

Consumer perceptions towards healthier meat products are now mainly associated with how meat is produced and processed; the physical and chemical composition; nutritional quality; sensory properties, and social, ethic, or religious aspects. The main purpose of this condensed review was to summarise the most recent studies on the consumer perceptions towards healthier meat products and contribute to a better knowledge and social awareness about the healthiness of meat products by disseminating the available information. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). Authors are members of the HealthyMeat network, funded by CYTED (ref. 119RT0568). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Background As highlighted in the FAO definition, nutritional quality is an important aspect of food security which has not been thoroughly addressed to date. There is an urgent need to measure the ability of alternative proteins to replace or supplement traditional sources in terms of both quality and quantity. Protein quality scores such as PDCAAS or DIAAS are available as quantitative measures of protein quality, incorporating both the digestibility of the protein and its content of indispensable amino acids. Scope and approach This paper addresses the challenge of framing nutritional security in quantitative terms. The mass consumption of key protein-containing foods in Singapore was plotted against their respective PDCAAS scores, giving a snapshot of the protein quality profile for these major food types. For the purpose of analysis, protein quality was classified into four ranges in terms of PDCAAS values: >1, 0.8–1.0, 0.6 to 0.8 and Key findings and conclusions The plot of mass of protein consumed vs protein quality provides an estimate of the nutritional shortfall for the different protein quality ranges, which can be supplemented by alternative proteins. The use of scaffolds in food product development offers benefits such as protein structuring, combining different food components and creating nutritional equivalents of traditional food products, all of which increase the level of consumer acceptance. Existing methods to make tissue engineering scaffolds can potentially be scaled up to fulfil the requirements for this new application.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a widely distributed mycotoxin that frequently contaminates crops and animal feed. ZEN can cause serious health problems in livestock and humans alike, leading to great economic losses in the food industry and livestock farming. Therefore, approaches for efficient ZEN decontamination in food and feed are urgently needed. Traditional physical and chemical methods may decrease the nutritional quality of food and palatability of feed, or leading to residues and safety concerns. By contrast, biological methods for the removal or degradation of ZEN overcome these problems, especially for biological degradation by microorganisms and specific enzymes extracted from strains that can convert ZEN to less toxic or even completely harmless products. In this review, we comprehensively describe methods for ZEN degradation, focusing especially on biological strategies. Finally, emerging strategies and advice on remaining challenges in biodegradation research are also briefly discussed.

International audience; Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) are molecules produced at the basis of marine food webs and essential for ecosystem functioning. This study reports detailed fatty acid (FA) composition including the two LC-PUFA 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3, in suspended organic matter (SPOM) from the upper 300 m collected in the Kerguelen Island region in the Southern Ocean during the post-bloom period (February–March 2018; project MOBYDICK). FA profiles were largely dominated by PUFA (53–69% of Total Fatty Acid, TFA) regardless of stations and among PUFA, proportions of LC-PUFA were especially high, making up 27–44% of TFA both in the ML and upper mesopelagic. 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 co-occurred in the ML as a result of the post-bloom phytoplankton community showing a mixed composition dominated by small size phytoplankton (prymnesiophytes and prasinophytes) supplying 22:6n-3, and with diatoms in lower proportions supplying 20:5n-3. Elevated levels of LC-PUFA were observed both inside the iron-fertilized area on the Kerguelen Plateau and downstream, and outside in High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll waters located upstream of the Plateau, and appeared unrelated to site. In the upper mesopelagic, both LC-PUFA were maintained at high relative proportions suggesting an efficient and possibly fast vertical transfer from the surface. Transfer with depth seems to proceed via distinct pathways according to LC-PUFA. 20:5n-3 may be exported along with diatoms, presumably in the form of large intact cells, aggregates as well as resting spores. For 22:6n-3, transfer may involve a channeling through the heterotrophic food web resulting in its association with fecal material at depth. Channeling of 22:6n-3 could involve heterotrophic protists such as dinoflagellates and ciliates grazing on small phytoplankton, as well as larger zooplankton such as copepods and salps, possibly feeding on microzooplankton and producing fecal pellets rich in 22:6n-3. According to LC-PUFA content, SPOM present throughout the upper water column (0–300 m) appeared of high nutritional quality both on- and off-plateau, and represented a valuable source of food for secondary consumers and suspension feeders.

OBJECTIVES: To examine (1) parental perceptions of school meals and (2) student meal participation before and after the implementation of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA). DESIGN: Data were collected from telephone surveys of 2 independent cross-sectional panels in New Jersey (2009–2010 and 2016–2017). PARTICIPANTS: Households with children aged 7–18 years (pre-HHFKA: n = 1,027; post-HHFKA: n = 324). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parental perception of school meals and parental reports of student participation in school meals. ANALYSIS: Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to examine outcome variables. For school meal participation, nested models were analyzed first controlling for sociodemographic variables, followed by parental perception, and then the interaction between perception and time. RESULTS: Parental perceptions of school meals did not change significantly after the HHFKA. At both time points, school meal participation rates were significantly higher for children of parents who perceived school meals as healthy compared with children whose parents perceived meals to be unhealthy (pre-HHFKA: 89.9% vs 75.1%, P < 0.001; post-HHFKA: 87.3% vs 64.9%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Because higher perception of school meal quality is associated with higher participation, it is important for school food programs to inform parents about the improved nutritional quality of school meals.

Background Studies indicate a 30% increase in demand for all types of food and non-food grade gelatins in the world. The largest volume of gelatin production comes from mammal sources (cows and pigs). Nowadays, health, cultural, and religious concerns have arisen due to consumption of mammalian gelatin. This has prompted scientists to look for non-mammal sources that closely resembles the desirable physicochemical, functional, and sensory characteristics of mammalian gelatins. Non-mammalian gelatin from poultry and fish by-products are also gaining importance in food industry. Over the past decade, poultry production has increased by about 37.34%. Poultry by-products have good potential for replacing mammalian sources for gelatin extraction. Scope and approach This paper reviews in detail the fundamental properties of poultry gelatins (PG), including rheological, functional and physicochemical properties. This study provides a perspective on their potential food, pharmaceutical, medical and industrial applications. Key findings and conclusions The highest quality PG was extracted through acid treatments. PG extracted in this way exhibited favorable rheological, fat replacement, film formation, foaming, emulsifying and sensory properties, and nutritional quality. PG films showed better barrier properties than mammal-origin gelatin, making them ideal for food and medical applications. The amino acids composition of PG, especially the imino acid and hydrophobic amino acids, which determine the physicochemical and functional properties of gelatin, are higher than gelatin obtained from mammals and fish that classifies them in the upper Bloom category.

Summary Background and aims Previous studies have reported associations between higher potato intake and higher blood pressure (BP) and/or risk of hypertension and obesity. These studies rarely considered preparation methods of potatoes, overall dietary pattern or the nutrient quality of the meals. These factors may affect the association of potato intake with BP and body mass index (BMI). This study investigated potato consumption by amount, type of processing, overall dietary pattern, and nutrient quality of the meals in relation to BP and BMI. Methods Cross-sectional analyses were conducted among 2696 participants aged 40–59 y in the US and UK samples of the International Study of Macro- and Micro-Nutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP). Nutrient quality of individual food items and the overall diet was assessed with the Nutrient-Rich Foods (NRF) index. Results No associations with BP or BMI were found for total potato intake nor for boiled, mashed, or baked potatoes or potato-based mixed dishes. In US women, higher intake of fried potato was associated with 2.29 mmHg (95% CI: 0.55, 3.83) higher systolic BP and with 1.14 mmHg (95% CI: 0.10, 2.17) higher diastolic BP, independent of BMI. Higher fried potato consumption was directly associated with a +0.86 kg/m2 difference in BMI (95% CI: 0.24, 1.58) in US women. These associations were not found in men. Higher intakes of fried potato meals with a lower nutritional quality (NRF index≤ 2) were positively associated with systolic (3.88 mmHg; 95% CI: 2.63, 5.53) and diastolic BP (1.62 mmHg; 95% CI: 0.48, 2.95) in US women. No associations with BP were observed for fried potato meals with a higher nutritional quality (NRF index> 2). Conclusions Fried potato was directly related to BP and BMI in women, but non-fried potato was not. Poor-nutrient quality meals were associated with intake of fried potatoes and higher BP, suggesting that accompanied dietary choices are key mediators of these associations.

Background There is a growing demand for gluten-free bakery products from groups with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and/or health consciousness. Besides bread products, chemically leavened gluten-free products such as cookies, biscuits, cakes, muffins, and crackers are receiving increasing interests due to their convenience and unique taste and texture. Many research papers have been published in recent years; however, no comprehensive review has yet been available in this area. Scope and approach This review examines various gluten-free non-bread bakery goods with respect to formulation, preparation, and properties of dough and batter and the resultant products. Other functional ingredients such as proteins, fibers, hydrocolloids, and emulsifiers used to improve product properties are discussed. Challenges of developing the gluten-free bakery products, such as technological limitation, nutritional quality, and sensory properties are addressed. Knowledge and information gaps in this research area are identified, and future research needs are recommended. Key findings and conclusions Rice flour is the mostly used gluten-free flour for these purposes, and it is often formulated with flours, starches, and proteins from cereals, pulses, pseudocereals, and other plant materials to achieve optimal batter or dough properties and bakery product quality. Although the composition of gluten-free composite flours and formulation dominate product texture and sensory traits, other factors such as grain milling methods, flour particle size, and flour treatment could also have some impact. The current gluten-free cookies, biscuits, cakes, muffins, and crackers are still less desirable than wheat-based products. Further research is warranted in developing and evaluating more palatable and nutritious gluten-free products.

Background Proteins are essential macronutrients of the human diet. Currently, major dietary sources in developed countries are of animal origin. However, the association of red meat consumption to the increased risks of some health conditions and its unsustainable pressure on the environment have increased the interest in plant proteins as healthier and sustainable alternatives. Of these, legumes have a great potential, but part of their proteins are indigestible due to interaction with other components such as phytate and polyphenols. As such, the quest to improve protein accessibility has become of interest to many researchers. Germination is proposed to be a bioprocess method to improve protein digestibility and protein biological properties. Scope and approach This review discusses the importance of plant proteins and the hindrance of protein digestibility. This paper also highlights the role of germination in the deactivation of antinutritional factors, hydrolysis of indigestible proteins, and improvement of properties and content of proteins of different legume seeds. Key findings and conclusions Protein digestibility is dependent on the nature of antinutritional factors (e.g. trypsin inhibitors and phytate) in the food matrix. Germination represses the activity of trypsin inhibitors and removes the phytate-related inhibition through hydrolysis. Protein content increases in germinated seeds when compared to non-germinated ones, suggesting that proteins were either hydrolysed or dissociated from antinutritional factors. Germination seems like an adequate bioprocessing method to improve the content and nutritional quality of legume seed proteins.

Pasta is healthy, cheap, versatile, and convenient as a carrier of bioactive components. The present work focused on increasing the nutritional quality of pasta via chickpea flour and protein isolate in addition to monitoring the influences of this fortification on the physicochemical, texture and sensory attributes of functional pasta. Eight fortified pasta products were prepared of durum semolina wheat with partial replacements of 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10% of chickpea flour (CF)/or chickpea protein isolate (PI). Cooking quality, moisture content, swelling index, starch content, in-vitro protein digestibility, texture and sensory properties were evaluated. CF and PI fortifications decreased optimum cooking time (Min. 5 min) and starch content (Min. 62%) with overall increases in cooking losses (Max. 5.79%), swelling index (SI) (Max. 31.69%), hardness (Max. 22.13 g), cohesiveness (Max. 1.13), springiness (Max. 1.11 cm), gumminess (Max. 21.34 N) and doubled the chewiness (Max. 21.36 g cm−1). The impact of pasta enrichment on its in-vitro protein digestibility against control (91.89%) was varied where CF substitution resulted increased protein digestibility (Max. 95.57%), while counter results have been announced by PI that significantly decreased pasta protein digestibility to (48.55%). Absorbed water was increased along with CF or PI substitutions resulting in higher moisture cooked pasta (Max. 68.83%). Panelists’ opinion summed the upraised differences positively affecting chickpea fortified pasta sensory attributes to gain high acceptance scores. Enrichment the nutritional quality of pasta by fortification with chickpea flour and protein isolate can be recommended supported by enhancements in rheological and sensorial properties.

A substantial proportion of African population is food-insecure, of low socioeconomic background. While much effort is made to address cost, safety and nutritional quality of food for economically vulnerable consumers, research specifically focusing on food acceptance and preference is seriously lacking. Here, we present examples of recently published studies to demonstrate the value of food research involving African consumer testing. A systematic search of the literature was performed and 44 studies reviewed. Gaps in research on the topics and approaches used by researchers when conducting consumer tests with these consumers were identified. The review concludes with a discussion about modifications of test methodologies that may be required when conducting consumer tests with low-income, food-insecure consumers. The consumer studies with undernourished or vulnerable individuals have clearly demonstrated the importance of doing such studies to formulate foods adapted for these target markets. These studies are important to fight undernutrition.

Background Sprouts and microgreens, which are tender, flavourful, rich in nutrients, have a short growth cycle, and have been recognized as functional foods in the human diet. Culturing under artificial light sources could regulate the growth, the phytochemical compound content and antioxidant capacity of sprouts and microgreens. Scope and approach In this review, the effects of light-emitting diode (LED) light on growth, phytochemical compound content and antioxidant capacity, as well as the post-harvest quality of sprouts and microgreens were overviewed, and the underlying mechanisms were discussed. The future applications and research, which aim to improve the growth and nutritional quality of sprouts and microgreens, were also investigated. Key findings and conclusions LED light can promote the accumulation of different phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds, vitamins, glucosinolates, chlorophyll and carotenoids. Meanwhile, the antioxidant capacity could also be significantly increased by growth under LED light, in particular UV-B light. The accumulation of mineral elements (Ca2+, Fe2+, K+) increased after light exposure. The effects of LED light on the growth was species dependent. Therefore, growth under LED light is an efficient and promising strategy for producing sprouts and microgreens with higher nutritional values.

Objective In October 2017, substantial changes were made to improve the nutritional quality of meals served in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). This study describes the experience of child care providers and sponsors during the first year of implementation. Methods A 1-time survey was administered to CACFP sponsors in Delaware 1 year after implementation of the changes. Data analysis included frequencies and chi-square tests of independence. Results Among respondents (n = 137), 21% faced moderate or significant challenges. Food cost (53.1%) and communicating with parents about changes (44.6%) were the most common challenges faced. The majority reported that parents supported the changes and that children and teachers generally ate the new food. Conclusions and Implications A minority of providers in Delaware faced significant challenges, suggesting that broad changes to CACFP may be feasibly implemented across settings. Training focused on food cost and parent communication may be warranted.

BACKGROUND: Meals from full-service restaurants (FS) and fast-food restaurants (FF) are an integral part of US diets, but current levels and trends in consumption, healthfulness, and related sociodemographic disparities are not well characterized. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess patterns and nutritional quality (using validated American Heart Association [AHA] diet scores) of FS and FF meals consumed by US adults. METHODS: Serial cross-sectional investigation utilizing 24-h dietary recalls in survey-weighted, nationally representative samples of 35,015 adults aged ≥20 y from 7 NHANES cycles, 2003–2016. RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2016, American adults consumed ∼21 percent of energyfrom restaurants (FS: 8.5% in 2003–2004, 9.5% in 2015–2016, P-trend = 0.38; FF: 10.5%; 13.4%, P-trend = 0.31). Over this period, more FF meals were eaten for breakfast (from 4.4% to 7.6% of all breakfasts, P-trend

The impact of compliance with the new French food-based dietary guidelines on nutrient intakes was tested, and compared according to the number of portions of dairy products: 2/d (current recommendation) or 3/d (previous recommendation). For each observed diet of adults in the INCA2 survey, two new diets (iso-energetic with the observed) were modeled, one respecting all the dietary recommendations with 2 portions of dairy products/day (PL2 model), the other with 1 additional portion (PL3 model). On the basis of global indicators (Mean Adequacy Ratio, Mean Excess Ratio and energy density), the PL2 and PL3 diets had a better nutritional quality than the observed diets. Total SFA decreased with both models, but more with PL2 (13.8%, 11.9% and 12.8% of energy, for observed, PL2 and PL3, respectively). The main difference between the two models concerned calcium: the PL2 model degraded the situation while the PL3 model improved it (51; 58 and 16% of inadequate calcium intakes, for observed, PL2 and PL3, respectively).; L’impact du respect des nouvelles recommandations alimentaires françaises sur les apports nutritionnels a été testé, et comparé selon le nombre de portions de produits laitiers : 2 p/j (recommandation actuelle) ou 3 p/j (recommandation précédente). Pour chaque diète observée des adultes de l’enquête INCA2, deux nouvelles diètes (iso-énergétiques) ont été modélisées, l’une respectant l’ensemble des nouvelles recommandations alimentaires avec 2 portions de produits laitiers/j (PL2), l’autre avec 1 portion supplémentaire (PL3). Sur la base d’indicateurs globaux (Mean Adequacy Ratio, Mean Excess Ratio et densité énergétique), les diètes PL2 et PL3 avaient une meilleure qualité nutritionnelle que les diètes observées. Les AGS totaux diminuaient avec les deux modèles, mais plus avec PL2 (13,8 %, 11,9 % et 12,8 % de l’énergie pour les diètes observées, PL2 et PL3, respectivement). La différence la plus importante entre les deux modèles portait sur le niveau d’inadéquation des apports en calcium : par rapport au niveau dans les diètes observées (51 % d’inadéquation), PL2 dégradait légèrement la situation (58 % d’inadéquation) alors que PL3 l’améliorait nettement (seulement 16 % d’inadéquation).

Background Adequate human nutrition depends on the ingestion of many nutrients present in the diet. Proteins are indispensable macronutrients, including the essential amino acids. A protein source can vary its nutritional quality in terms of digestibility, amino acid profile, and its bioavailability. There are several disadvantages claimed to livestock and traditional animal protein sources. Thus, in a continuous increasing world population, a current challenge is the consumption of proteins with low-cost and easily supply, meeting environmental and social aspects. Scope and approach Plant proteins may be a critical step for reducing animal protein dependence by humans. This critical review contributes to facilitating the choice of a plant protein source based on the amino acid composition. Additionally, this overview can give insights into the development of new food products and add value to agro-industrial wastes and by-products. Furthermore, this paper shows the wide variety of sources of plant proteins, with balanced nutritional quality and high protein content as a potential protein supply for the human population and industrial applications. Key findings and conclusion A significant challenge is encountering the most suitable protein source since it depends on consumers' preferences, industrial availability, geographical location, and cultural elements. Nevertheless, it is possible to select a plant protein source comparing the essential amino acid composition of each source to the reference pattern.

The domestic donkey is a unique equid species with specific nutritional requirements. This article examines the importance of feeding strategies that mimic the donkey's natural environment using poor nutritional quality fibers and access to browsing materials. The relationship between nutrition and health is examined and practical approaches to the healthy and sick donkey are discussed.

Point-of-sale nutrition information has been adopted by numerous grocery stores to respond to the demand for easy-to-understand nutrition labeling by consumers. Although there is conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of providing nutrition information, previous research indicates simplified shelf nutrition labels may lead to healthier choices. However, these studies have not examined how different consumer segments respond to these labels, nor the differential impacts across foods. Using household purchase data from a store that voluntarily adopted the (now defunct) NuVal shelf nutrition labels (a 1-100 numeric score derived from a nutrition-profiling algorithm), we assess NuVal impacts across different consumers and foods. NuVal scores potentially influence not only purchase quantity but also likelihood of buying. Thus, the effect of NuVal was measured by estimating a two-part model and predicting consumers' unconditional purchase responses. We found evidence of heterogeneous impacts of NuVal across consumers and foods. High-income households and households with children shifted their yogurt and frozen dinner purchases to more healthful items. In contrast, households with children and households headed by heads with college education slightly shifted their canned soup purchases to less healthful options. Our findings suggest that specific foods and consumer segments are influenced by simplified shelf nutrition information and further research is necessary to better understand its effect on consumer dietary quality.

Directed evolution (DE) is a powerful approach for generating proteins with new chemical and physical properties. It mimics the principles of Darwinian evolution by imposing selective pressure on a large population of molecules harboring random genetic variation in DNA, such that sequences with specific desirable properties are generated and selected. We propose that combining DE and genome-editing (DE-GE) technologies represents a powerful tool to discover and integrate new traits into plants for agronomic and biotechnological gain. DE-GE has the potential to deliver a new green (r)evolution research platform that can provide novel solutions to major trait delivery aspirations for sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient crops, and improved food security and nutritional quality.

Today's society is increasingly aware of food consumption patterns. Under the perspective that real consumption trends are often not in line with healthy recommendations, this research focuses on the study of the environmental and nutritional sustainability of two types of food consumption habits present in the northern Atlantic area of Spain (Galicia). The main objective is, therefore to detect the existing deviations between the current Galician diet (GD) and the traditional and increasingly relevant Recommended Atlantic Diet (RAD), allowing verifying whether current consumption patterns ensure an optimal and sustainable nutritional profile. In this sense, the carbon footprint from a Life Cycle Assessment perspective has been estimated as environmental indicator of both dietary patterns and, the nutritional quality has been determined by the Nutrient Rich Diet 9.3 index and the Health gain score. The carbon footprint of both dietary models is moderately high compared to recommended diets such as the Mediterranean one. Comparing the two scenarios, the associated greenhouse gas emissions are about 15% higher for GD than for RAD, mainly due to the higher intake of beef and dairy products. On the other hand, nutritional quality is comparatively higher for RAD than for GD, associated with higher consumption of vegetables and fruits. An additional objective of this work has been to consider a sensitivity analysis to determine the effect of replacing beef with alternative sources. Having in mind this study, it can be concluded that the real consumption pattern in Galicia is far from the recommended one, with worse environmental and nutritional quality. The promotion of social awareness policies to guide consumers in the choice a healthier and more environmentally sustainable dietary pattern should be advisable for regional decision-makers as well as for those who wish to promote adherence to the Atlantic diet in other regions and countries This research has been supported by a project granted by Xunta de Galicia (project ref. ED431F 2016/001). Dr. S. González-Garcia would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for financial support (grant reference RYC-2014-14984). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC 2013-032 as well as to CRETUS (AGRUP2015/02), co-funded by Xunta de Galicia and FEDER (EU) SI

Novel processing technologies have been under study to improve pasteurization and to meet consumer demands for safe foods with fresh-like characteristics. Twelve processing conditions using two heating technologies (microwave and conventional) were carried out in a pilot-scale unit and an evaluation of flavour (sugar, acid and volatile) and nutritional (phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity) attributes was performed in cloudy apple juice samples with similar holding conditions. Volatile profiles of the microwave-pasteurized juice were more similar to the non-pasteurized juice compared with conventionally pasteurized juices using multivariate analysis. Sugar-acid ratios were not different between fresh and pasteurized juices. In general, changes in the phenolic contents of pasteurized samples were independent of the processing technology, but increased during thermal treatment due to the extraction from the juice material in suspension. Outcomes of this study suggested the potential of microwave processing technology to retain the fresh-like qualities after thermal processing because of the shorter heating time.

Ficus Carica L., or more commonly known as figs, is one of the first cultivated fruits in human history that is consumed worldwide today. As one of the apparent efforts to increase its production to meet the market demand, it is important to reduce wastage by preventing post-harvest losses. These wastages can be eliminated by ensuring harvested crops receive proper preservation techniques that is accessible and available, especially in rural areas. Solar thermal application offers numerous potentials as agricultural preservation techniques, regardless of geographical and technological challenges. Drying has proven to be a reliable preservation method for figs, in terms of technical feasibility and nutritional quality. Across the three major drying systems; natural sun drying, artificial drying and solar assisted drying, the key parameters that determine successful drying for fig remain the same which are drying temperature and duration of drying. In contrast to the expensive, energy intensive artificial drying and unreliable, slow sun drying, solar drying is able to provide an alternative with adequate drying capacity. It has been shown that this system can be further modified and improved to achieve shorter drying time and constant heat supply, which should be the focus of future studies.

Food avoidance is common with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and adherence to dietary guidelines is poor, contributing to under and over nutrition. Reasons for food avoidance have not been previously explored in detail. This study of IBD outpatients aimed to describe food avoidance patterns and rationale behind this, and describe source and confidence with dietary advice.A prospective cross-sectional study using structured interview, nutritional assessment and medical record review was conducted in patients with confirmed diagnosis of IBD (n = 117) attending outpatient clinics over a six-month period. Participants were interviewed on foods avoided, rationale for food avoidance and previous dietary advice (source and confidence). Means ± SD or medians (IQR), percentages and counts were used to describe participant characteristics, food avoidance, and source and confidence in dietary advice. Bivariate analysis was used to explore relationships between food avoidance and disease factors (IBD subtype; disease activity: active disease vs remission), and between confidence in dietary advice and disease activity.Almost all participants reported food avoidance (90%), with more foods avoided during active disease (5.2 ± 3.6 foods/food categories, versus remission 2.9 ± 2.5, p 0.001). Lactose-containing foods were avoided by 40% of patients in active disease and 33% in remission. Pain/cramping, increased bowel motions and diarrhea were the most common reasons for avoiding foods/food categories during both active disease and remission. Participants were most confident in advice received from the internet (3.3 ± 1.2; dietitian: 2.8 ± 1.5) in active disease; in remission participants had greatest confidence in advice received from gastroenterologists (4.1 ± 0.8; dietitian: 3.5 ± 1.2).High prevalence of avoidance of nutritious foods and low confidence in dietetic advice amongst people with IBD is of concern. Further work is needed to build trust and ensure patients are provided with evidence-based nutrition recommendations to manage their symptoms whilst optimizing nutritional quality of their diet.

Humans are directly or indirectly dependent on plant foods for their nutritional health. Hence it is important to characterize the macro and micro nutrients and mineral-elements of commonly consumed dietary vegetables like Capsicum (Chilli). In the present study global metabolites, total ascorbic acid, phenols, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, mineral-elements and antioxidant activities were determined on different developmental stages of Capsicum fruits (immature, breaker and mature) belonging to three Capsicum species namely Capsicum chinense, C. frutescens, and C. annuum. The results obtained from the present study showed the maturity dependent increase in the sugar and fatty acid metabolites, capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid and phenol content, and antioxidant activities. Similarly, essential mineral-elements also increased during the fruit maturation in C. chinense, however, contrasting results was observed in C. annuum. In addition to that some health beneficial compounds such as antibacterial and antifungal metabolites exclusively observed in matured C. chinense. These interesting observations have opened the possibility to understand and manipulate biosynthesis of macro/micronutrients and mineral elements in order to improve nutritional quality of Capsicum (Chilli) species.

Ultrasound has potential to modify physicochemical properties of food systems. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) has become more popular due to the attractive nutritional quality. Whole grain quinoa flour was treated by ultrasound (20 kHz, 250 W) to different time length (up to 19 h). The treatment for more than 5 h significantly increased the water solubility and in vitro starch digestibility of quinoa flour, while decreasing the gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy change, viscosity during pasting event, gelling capacity, in vitro antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content. These changes were seen to depend mostly on treatment time, and indicated degradation and modifications of the chemical components (starch in particular) of quinoa flour. This study suggests the potential of ultrasound as a non-thermal processing tool to modify grain flour functionality.

A new method is proposed to design fortified pasta enriched with food by-product. The method is based on the optimization of a whole quality index (WQI) that accounts for the nutritional and the sensory quality of a specific functional food. The method has been tested using three different types of durum wheat semolina-based pasta: a) adding maize bran; b) adding grape marc flour; c) adding brewers' spent grain flour. The sensory, as well as the nutritional quality of pasta, were assessed and the WQI was calculated for each of them, as a function of the food by-product concentration. The optimal food by-product was calculated first by fitting a modified version of the Weibull function to the data set (i.e., WQI vs food by-product); afterwards, the parameters obtained from the fitting procedure were used to determine the food by-product concentration at which the WQI reached its maximum value. The three different types of pasta were produced at the optimal food by-product concentration and their sensory and nutritional quality determined, thus confirming that the proposed method allows determining the best formulation of fortified pasta to optimally balance sensory and nutritional aspects.

Sorghum, a staple food crop for millions of people in Africa and South Asia, is mainly consumed for the calorific value of its starch content, while the protein, mineral, lipid and fiber contents are important for flavour and nutritional quality. The starch structure largely controls cooking properties, processing quality, and digestibility. In this study, the Alkali Spreading Value (ASV) assay was modified to identify variants in sorghum starch quality. The modified ASV test was then used to identify sorghum genotypes with contrasting phenotypes for the trait. Sorghum EMS mutants with strong ASV phenotypes (ASV+) exhibited a range of starch gelatinization temperatures (GT) that were lower or higher than the wild-type Tx623 or Sepon82. Significant point biserial correlations were found between ASV and two starch-related traits: enthalpy (r = −0.53) and range of starch GT (Tc-To) (r = 0.60). ASV scores (ASV+ in mutants vs ASV- in controls) correlated with lower enthalpies and greater starch GT ranges (Tc-To). These results suggest that the ASV mutants have mutations in genes involved in starch biosynthesis or processing that cause changes in starch GT.

High-intensity pulsed UV light is a non-thermal treatment used in the sanitization of fruits. As a secondary effect to sanitization, the energy of the pulses is absorbed by the fruit and converted into internal energy, which results in partial evaporation of the water of the fruit. In this work, we have applied high-intensity pulsed UV light as a pretreatment for convective air-drying evaluating its advantages and disadvantages on the drying process and nutritional quality of the dried product. Mangoes were subjected to pulses of UV light and dried in a convective oven-drier. The pulsed UV light pretreatment reduced the water content in the samples but did not affect the kinetics or apparent water diffusivity of the subsequent drying process. The concentration of vitamin C and carotenoids in dried mangoes subjected to fluences between 3.6 and 10.8 J/cm2 in the pretreatment were between 10 and 40% higher than the untreated dried mango. The concentration of vitamins B1, B3 and B5 increased by 10 to 25% in dried mangoes subjected to fluences between 3.6 and 7.2 J/cm2, in comparison with the untreated dried mango. Vitamin B6 was highly affected by pulsed UV light decreasing by 40 to 50% in the pretreated mangoes.

Consumers' concern regarding possible negative health effects of food products produced with intensive farming methods has led to a great interest in the health benefits of organically-produced fruits, vegetables and animal products. Given the significant increase in consumer interest toward this area, there is a need to determine to what extent there is a scientific basis for claims made for organic products. In this sense, studies comparing organic food products and conventional ones were assessed for the key area, nutritional quality. While the assessed articles have shown differences among organic and conventional foods in favour of organic ones, still the information is limited and more research needs to be done in order to draw unwavering conclusions that organic food products are superior compared to conventional ones.

Home-packed lunches have been found to be of lower nutritional quality than school-bought lunches, yet little is known about family-based factors associated with lunch packing. The current exploratory study examines parental and family predictors of fruits and vegetables packed in lunches, hypothesizing parents' nutrition knowledge and authoritative parenting as well as children's involvement in lunch decisions would relate to packing more fruits and vegetables, while financial difficulties would relate to packing fewer. Ninety parent-child dyads from 4th-6th grade participated for 5 consecutive school days. Lunch contents were recorded using a digital imaging procedure to capture the number of days a fruit or vegetable was packed, and servings of fruits and vegetables in lunches each day. Parents completed family and parenting questionnaires and daily reports of child involvement in lunch decisions. Count-based regression models and longitudinal analyses within a multilevel modeling framework were used to examine predictors of lunch contents. Higher nutrition knowledge was associated with packing more fruit across the week and more vegetables on Monday. Authoritative parenting was associated with packing fewer vegetables on Monday, but more servings across the week. Financial stress was related to higher rates of never packing vegetables and when vegetables were packed including fewer servings, while child involvement in lunch decisions was associated with packing more fruits across the week, packing vegetables on more days and more servings of vegetables on Monday. Findings suggest parental and family factors impact the foods in packed lunches, with implications for children's dietary intake at school. Outreach programs can help parents pack more fruits and vegetables by providing nutrition education and suggestions for affordable, healthy lunch options as well as encouraging child involvement in the lunch packing process.

Wooden Breast (WB) anomaly on poultry meat causes changes in appearance, reduction of technological and nutritional quality, and consumer acceptance. The objective of this study was to identify and classify chicken with WB using a Computer Vision System (CVS) and spectral information from the Near Infrared (NIR) region by linear and nonlinear algorithms. Moreover, it was characterized the physicochemical and technological parameters, which supported a decision tree modeling. Pectoralis major muscle (n = 80) were collected from a poultry slaughterhouse, spectral information was obtained by NIR and CVS, and WB of chicken was characterized. Combining image analyses with a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification model, 91.8% of chicken breasts were correctly classified as WB or Normal (N). NIR spectral information showed 97.5% of accuracy. WB showed significant increases in moisture and lipid contents and value of a*, decreases of protein and ash contents, and water holding capacity. The shear force of raw WB was 49.51% hardness, and after cooking was 31.79% softer than N breast. CVS and NIR spectroscopy can be applied as rapid and non-destructive methods for identifying and classifying WB in slaughterhouses.

WDGS production in Argentina substantially increased in the last 5 years and become a frequent constituent for feed diets. However, due to the extremely high moisture content of the product, quality deterioration occurs in a few days under aerobic conditions; which creates a series of logistical problems for expanding the use of WDGS far away from production plants. Silo bag technology, a flexible hermetic storage system extensively used in Argentina, could be a good alternative for extending the storage time of WDGS. Thus, the main goal of this research was to compare the effect of hermetic and non-hermetic storage of WDGS using several quality parameters. Samples of WDGS from three different ethanol production plants were stored in hermetic (small scale silo bags) and non-hermetic conditions at 16 °C (60 days hermetic and 20 days no-hermetic). WDGS quality evolution was evaluated through sensory, microbiological, biochemical, nutritional and toxicological parameters. Results indicated that in the nonhermetic treatment, even though no evidence of nutritional quality losses was found in the mass of WDGS, spoilage developed at the surface after 10 day of storage. Additionally, evidence of mycotoxin formation was found (DON) during aerobic storage, implying that mycotoxin tests should be routinely implemented. On the contrary, hermetic storage in silo bag allowed a proper ensiling process, extending the shelf life of the product and preventing mycotoxins development for at least 60 days. Fil: Alvarez, Estefania. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Cardoso, Marcelo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina Fil: Depetris, Gustavo Jesus. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina Fil: Castellari, Claudia Carla. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Cristos, Diego Sebastián. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; Argentina Fil: Montiel, María Delfina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina Fil: Bartosik, Ricardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina

Background Improving the nutritional quality of food, including beverages, served in early care and education settings should enhance children's diet quality. However, few studies have explored the relationship between what is served and consumed in family child-care homes (FCCHs). Objective To describe the nutritional quality of food served to children in FCCHs and to assess the extent to which children eat what is served. Design This study was a cross-sectional analysis using baseline data (n=166) from a cluster-randomized controlled trial (2013-2016). Participants/setting Eligible FCCHs in central North Carolina had to have at least two children between 18 months and 4 years, have been in business for at least 2 years, and serve at least one meal and one snack. Main outcome measures Food was captured using the Diet Observation at Child Care protocol. Statistical analyses Frequencies, means, and multivariate analysis were used to examine the relationship between food served and consumed by food groups and by Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010). Results Children consumed between 61% and 80% of what was served, with vegetables having the lowest percent consumed (61.0%). Total HEI-2010 score for food served was 63.6 (10.4) and for food consumed was 61.7 (11.5) out of a 100-point maximum. With regards to food served, FCCH providers came close to meeting HEI-2010 standards for dairy, whole fruit, total fruit, and empty calories. However, providers appeared to fall short when it came to greens and beans, seafood and plant proteins, total vegetables, whole grains, and fatty acids. They also exceeded recommended limits for sodium and refined grains. Conclusions Although FCCHs are serving some healthy food, mainly fruit, dairy, and few empty calories, there is room for improvement with regards to vegetables, grains, seafood and plant protein, fatty acids, and sodium. Future trainings should help providers find ways to increase the serving and consumption of these foods.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a significant source of substances able to provide human health benefits. From the 18th century in the Salento area (Apulia region), the cultivation of melon varieties (C. melo L.) has always been intense. Over the years, the production of this fruit has involved a large number of selected and preserved varieties in the different local districts. Unfortunately, most of the characteristics of locally grown vegetable varieties do not match the food industry requirements. Moreover, the agricultural land abandon leads these varieties to quickly disappear, thus affecting the intraspecific biodiversity. In order to characterize the inter-variety diversity of sweet melon (C. melo L. ssp. melo group inodorus) and the potential differences in the nutritional quality of fruits, a first investigation on the juice of five sweet melon varieties (locally known as "allungato", "scurzune", "egiziano", "minna de monaca", "pinto"), cultivated exclusively in the Salento area, was performed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and Multivariate Analysis (MVA). The analysis grouped the samples into clusters according to the different variety. Interestingly, a different sugar (mono and disaccharides) content was observed among the grouped varieties, being sweetness the main characteristic of sweet melon quality and taste. A relative higher accumulation of monosaccharides (α-d and β-d glucose and α/β-d fructose) was found, in particular for the "minna de monaca" with respect to "allungato", "egiziano" and "pinto" varieties. Moreover, a marked high content of polyphenols and aromatic aminoacids as phenylalanine and tyrosine characterize the "allungato", "minna de monaca" and "pinto" varieties. An NMR-based metabolomic approach was used for the first time to describe these local landraces. This method may integrate other actions in order to achieving a reduction in the current rate of erosion of the biodiversity of Apulian horticultural species.

Squid viscera are one of the predominant by-products of squid and its lipids and proteins are of high nutritional quality and economic value. The objective of this work was to evaluate an electrical treatment for efficient extraction of lipids from squid viscera. Electrical treatments were carried out with various electric field strengths (5 V/cm, 10 V/cm, and 15 V/cm) for different time durations. By using this electrical method, the lipid extraction efficiencies reached 71.2 ± 1.0%, 72.1 ± 1.2%, and 71.7 ± 1.5% at electric field strengths of 5 V/cm for 12 h, 10 V/cm for 2.5 h, and 15 V/cm for 50 min, respectively. The electrical method exhibited a powerful ability to disrupt the cell membrane, which was observed by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. In the meantime, crude proteins were also recovered from squid viscera. Altogether, this work clearly demonstrated that this electrical method is an efficient technique for lipid extraction from squid viscera. This study developed a new approach as an alternative to the traditional method to extract lipids from squid viscera. The application of a low-voltage direct-current electric field for lipid extraction from squid viscera is of great importance both from the view of environmental interests and economic interests, and provides new ideas for lipid extraction from other food wastes.