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Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are environmental pollutants, and dietary intake is a major route of human exposure to them. We aimed to see the effects of washing, soaking, and cooking (grilling, braising, frying, and steaming) on the change of PFCs in mackerel fillets and PFCs before and after each treatment were analyzed using LC‐MS/MS. Washing resulted in a decrease in the PFC content of mackerel (average 74%) comparing to control. Among the 19 PFCs detected, perfluorobutanoic acid and perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) were found to be abundant after washing. Soaking mackerel in sake reduced its PFC content by 51%, whereas soaking in rice‐washed solution reduced by 80% comparing to control. All the four cooking methods were effective in reducing the PFC content of mackerel. The degree by which the PFC content decreased varied with the cooking method: grilling (91%), steaming (75%), frying (58%), and braising (47%) comparing to uncooked sample. In addition, when mackerel was braised with potato, PFCs decreased more in fillet than the ones without potato. PFCs in potato increased after cooking with mackerel. The excessive consumption through the mackerel was 0.1997 ng/kg bw/day and 0.7987 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. These exposure levels were well below the tolerable daily intake values of both compounds (PFOS, 150 ng/kg bw/day; PFOA, 1,500 ng/kg bw/day). The results of this study indicated that employing appropriate pretreatment and cooking methods could be an effective way to reduce the dietary exposure to PFCs in mackerel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary fiber from Chinese cabbage outer‐leaf powder, which is a main by‐product of kimchi, on the quality, texture properties, and sensory evaluation of muffins. The kimchi by‐product powder (KBP, 36.2% dietary fiber) was added at 1%–4% dietary fiber content, by replacing wheat flour (w/w basis). The physico‐chemical and sensory properties of the baked muffins were measured. The height and volume of the muffins decreased with the addition of KBP. Increasing the KBP content resulted in increased hardness and reduced chewiness. No significant difference was observed in the overall acceptance among the muffins, up to the 2% added dietary fiber group, and the positive effect of the incorporated KBP was also confirmed in the sensory evaluation. These results indicate that it is possible to produce functional muffins with increased dietary fiber content by adding KBP in place of flour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we prepared candied paprika from various coloured fresh paprika and compared the changes in phytochemicals and quality for 42 days by analysing carotenoids, ascorbic acids and total phenolic content, and by assessing sensory and instrumental qualities. We identified five types of carotenoids from candied red paprika ( CRP) and three from candied orange paprika ( COP) and candied yellow paprika ( CYP). At 0-day storage, capsanthin and β-carotene in CRP were quantitatively analysed to 26.96 μg g−1 fw and 3.81 μg g−1 fw, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in COP were 9.35 μg g−1 fw and 4.16 μg g−1 fw, and lutein and β-carotene in CYP were 0.27 μg 100 g−1 fw and 0.70 μg 100 g−1 fw, respectively. After 42-days storage, CRP retained approximately 68.6% carotenoids, COP retained 40%, and CYP retained 33%. Ascorbic acid and total phenolic content decreased during storage as carotenoids did. However, rates of decrease were different in different coloured paprika, especially, ascorbic acid in COP and phenolic acid in CRP were considerably conserved for 42 days. Hardness, springiness and chewiness in all samples were significantly increased by 14-days storage and maintained until 42-days storage, and all the sensory parameters, including colour, appearance, odour, texture, paprika flavour and overall consumer preference showed no differences until 28 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the antibacterial mode of action of T axus cuspidata leaf essential oil ( TCEO) against foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of microwave-extracted TCEO resulted in examination of 34 different compounds, representing 81.63% of the total oil. The TCEO (1,000 μg per disc) showed antibacterial effect against B acillus cereus ATCC 13061, S taphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, L isteria monocytogenes ATCC 7644, S almonella typhimurium ATCC 43174 and E scherichia coli ATCC 43889 as diameters of inhibition zones (22.0 ± 0.4 to 34.0 ± 1.2 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values of TCEO against the tested pathogens were found in the range of 250-1,000 μg/mL. Also, the TCEO had potential inhibitory effect on the viable counts of test pathogens. The TCEO revealed its mode of action on membrane integrity as confirmed by marked release of extracellular adenosine triphosphate, 260 nm absorbing materials and potassium ion efflux. The scanning electron microscopy analysis using TCEO further confirmed severe morphological alterations on the cell membrane of test pathogens. Practical Applications Because of frequent foodborne outbreaks and rising concern of consumers on the use of chemical preservatives in foods, the food industry is emphasizing the use of natural antibacterial agents from plant origin as safe food preservatives. Some selected plant materials are used as natural antimicrobials in food systems to prevent the growth of foodborne pathogens, resulting in the extension of shelf life of processed foods. T axus cuspidata leaf essential oil ( TCEO) is shown by this study to elicit its antibacterial action against foodborne pathogens through membrane permeabilization and can be used to control the growth of several foodborne pathogens. Hence, it is anticipated that TCEO may have greater potential for its practical application as an affective food preservative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four types of cutting boards (wood, polyethylene, polypropylene and acrylic) were contaminated with grated fish fillet inoculated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. To simulate a used cutting board, wood cutting boards were treated with sandpaper for 20 min in the same direction. The initial populations of V. parahaemolyticus without and with 3% (w/v) salt were 6.10 and 6.57 log cfu/g, respectively. After 1 h, levels of V. parahaemolyticus transferred to cutting board surfaces without and with 3% salt were 2.8-4.1 and 1.6-3.6 log cfu/g, respectively. Transfer levels of V. parahaemolyticus from the cutting boards to cucumber were 3.36 and 3.27 log cfu/unit area on the wood cutting boards at 25C indicating high levels could cross-contaminate to cucumber. For evaluation of cleaning methods, wiping with paper towels (dry, wetted with water, wetted with alcohol and wetted with chlorine) reduced levels of V. parahaemolyticus on the cutting boards to <2.38 log cfu/unit area. Washing with water was less effective at reducing levels of V. parahaemolyticus on cutting boards than towel wiping methods. However, a combined cleaning method with an alcohol paper towel and running water was the most effective at eliminating V. parahaemolyticus on the surface of cutting boards under normal use conditions. Practical Applications Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection has been implicated in a number of illness outbreaks linked to food consumption. When raw fish contaminated with V. parahaemolyticus is handled in the kitchen, the surface of cutting boards can be easily contaminated. We investigated levels of V. parahaemolyticus cross-contamination from grated fish fillet to cutting boards along with the effects of cleaning method for reducing V. parahaemolyticus. Although wiping with alcohol towel was effective, one-step cleaning methods did not completely eliminate attached V. parahaemolyticus on the cutting boards. Therefore, a combined cleaning method with an alcohol paper towel and running water was suggested as the most effective way to eliminate V. parahaemolyticus on the surfaces of cutting boards under normal use conditions. These results can be used to develop kitchen safety guidelines for preventing foodborne outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of salt type and preheating temperature on the texture and quality of pickled cucumber were studied. Four types of salt were used: bay salt, purified salt, and 2 prepared salts, 1 containing the same amount of Ca2+ and Mg2+ as those of bay salt, and the other containing a 3-fold higher concentration of Ca2+ and Mg2+ than bay salt. Two different temperatures were used for the salt solutions: 98 °C and 65 °C. All samples were fermented for 30 d at 25 °C. To evaluate the quality of the pickled cucumber with fermentation, the pH level, total acidity, alcohol insoluble solids, and mineral contents were analyzed. Texture and sensory evaluation as well as a microscopic observation were performed to observe the textural change of the pickled cucumber during fermentation. Pickled cucumbers with 98 °C of preheated brine showed better texture than the ones with 65 °C. The pickled cucumbers brined with prepared salt, 1 which had the same amount of Ca2+ and Mg2+ to bay salt, displayed the best result among the samples tested, in terms of sensory, textural, and physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]