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This study was performed with the aim to investigate and compare the level of pest control knowledge among food handlers in Serbia and Greece and to assess pest control practices in food establishments in the two countries. Total of 695 food handlers were involved in this study with 395 food handlers from Serbia and 300 food handlers from Greece. For each participant, the knowledge score (KS) was calculated by dividing the sum of correct answers by the total number of questions. The average KS for all participants was 63.6%, with better overall KS obtained for Serbian food handlers (65.3%). In total, 62 companies operating in the food chain were included in this research, 32 from Serbia and 30 from Greece. A cluster analysis was conducted in order to classify companies according to the relative level of agreement to various pest control statements. Overall results show that the highest level of agreement was that pest infestation is influenced by past history of pest activities indoors, that ingredients used in the company, neighboring properties and effectiveness of pest control program influence pest infestation. Cereal based food is most likely to be contaminated with pests. This study provides a valuable insight to various stakeholders in the food chain on how food handlers and companies perceive pest control.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of computer vision system (CVS) application in fat content estimation for different types of fermented sausages. Four different types of local fermented sausages with different fat contents were studied: Njeguška, Kulen, Pirotska and tea sausage. Results obtained for CVS-estimated fat content were compared to the results of traditional chemical analysis. Relative errors of fat content estimation in Njeguška, Kulen, Pirotska and tea sausage were 1.47%, 0.46%, 20.84% and 11.19%, respectively. Results of t-test showed a significant (p<0.01) difference between mean fat contents obtained by CVS and chemical analysis in the case of Pirotska sausage. On the other hand, there was no significant (p<0.01) difference between mean fat contents obtained by the two methods for the rest of the analysed sausages. The results indicate CVS has potential for application in the analysis of fat content of fermented sausages.

Eastern European consumers are traditional meat eaters who are still not looking forward in order to substitute their traditional meat-based dishes with meat analogues or their substitutes. In general, vegetarianism is in its infancy if we do not take into account Lenten fasting, the period of the year when in Orthodox countries of Eastern Europe one can find food not containing meat, dairy and eggs, widely available. Chicken meat is the most frequently consumed type of meat, and it is preferred because it is easy to prepare. Eastern European meat consumers believe that meat from castrated pigs is of better quality, and one third of them is indifferent towards animal welfare issues. The highest proportion of Eastern European consumers (42.9%) believes that game meat has many health benefits, is rich in proteins and is more organic than other types of meat. However, two thirds of Eastern European consumers eat game meat less than once a year. Differences in attitudes and beliefs of Eastern European meat consumers compared to their Western European equivalents are evident.

This study aimed to assess the exposure of the Serbian adult population to As, Cd, Pb and Hg through the consumption of eggs and egg-based products and to assess health risks. Coccidiostat residues were also examined, and their contribution to acceptable daily intake was calculated. Egg samples were collected from 2018 to 2020. The consumption survey was conducted during 2020. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed to estimate the intake of toxic elements based on one-day and seven-day recalls of egg consumption. The results obtained showed that the adult population in Serbia is not exposed to health risks from the studied toxic elements when consuming eggs and egg-based products. The presence of anticoccidial agents was detected in 22% of egg samples at concentrations above the limits prescribed by current regulations in Serbia (which do not allow detectable levels of coccidiostats in eggs), with the main risk of exposure being to coccidiostat residues associated with maduramycin.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been incorporating sustainability into education and curricula, where recent research has focussed on sustainability competences, pedagogical approaches, and how to connect them, generally on a single HEI. The process of integrating sustainability into education based on curricula assessment has been explained using adoption of innovations; and has the potential to explain the process of developing competences through pedagogical approaches. The aim of this paper is to investigate this process at academic discipline level. An online survey was developed to investigate teaching sustainability competences in 13 HEIs, from which 678 responses from educators were obtained. The competences and pedagogical approaches from the responses were ranked, and then the connections between the competences and pedagogical approaches per discipline were analysed using a correlations-based framework, from which three disciplines groups were created. The groups were categorised using diffusion of innovations theory, which indicated that some disciplines are more innovative than others in adopting sustainability competence-based teaching. The results are used to propose two frameworks to better understand the adoption of sustainability competence-based teaching: (a) the D-RAPID framework; and (b) the Disciplinary Multi-dimensional Sustainability Influence Change for Academia (D-MuSICA) memework. The adoption of sustainability competence-base education must expand from a single HEI perspective to a disciplinary collaborative one spanning many HEIs, where academic disciplines should learn from each other's insights and mistakes and provide students with more transdisciplinary skillsets to make societies more sustainable.

This study provides an engineering approach in modelling the first bite. Based on the mechanical properties of grilled pork meat obtained by applying compression and Warner Bratzler tests and using the Finite element method, a 3D model of cubic pieces has been created. It was then used for simulating the first bite of pork meat grilled at two temperatures and three positions of the jaws. Stress distribution during impact of upper and lower jaw shows growth of internal stress in the direction of jaw movement, leading to crack development and breaking of meat.

The present study analyzes pungency stimuli during mastication and after swallowing through three perspectives: oral processing, sensory perception and emotion detection. Results may be used by food scientists in understanding different effects that occur while consuming pungent food. Pungency is an interesting sensory stimulus analyzed from different perspectives, in particular the underpinning mechanisms of its sensation and perception. In this study, grilled pork meat coated with three types of hot sauces were investigated regarding its main food oral processing characteristics and evaluated using time-intensity and temporal dominance of pungency sensations methods analyzing the pungency descriptors and intensities. Besides these methods, facial expressions obtained from video capturing were subject to emotion detection. Mastication parameters showed a slight, but not statistically significant, trend of an increased number of chews and consumption time associated with pungency intensity, while saliva incorporation indicated an increasing trend depending on the pungency intensity, especially after 25 strokes and before swallowing. Both time intensity and temporal dominance of pungency sensations showed that the complexity of understanding these sensations is in relation to intensity and type. Finally, the use of emotion detection software in analyzing the faces of panelists during mastication confirmed the increase in non-neutral emotions associated with the increase in pungency intensity.

In recent years, modelling techniques have become more frequently adopted in the field of food processing, especially for cereal-based products, which are among the most consumed foods in the world. Predictive models and simulations make it possible to explore new approaches and optimize proceedings, potentially helping companies reduce costs and limit carbon emissions. Nevertheless, as the different phases of the food processing chain are highly specialized, advances in modelling are often unknown outside of a single domain, and models rarely take into account more than one step. This paper introduces the first high-level overview of modelling techniques employed in different parts of the cereal supply chain, from farming to storage, from drying to milling, from processing to consumption. This review, issued from a networking project including researchers from over 30 different countries, aims at presenting the current state of the art in each domain, showing common trends and synergies, to finally suggest promising future venues for research.

Diversity of food systems and their interaction with the environment has become a research topic for many years. Scientists use various models to explain environmental issues of food systems. This paper gives an overview of main streams in analyzing this topic. A literature review was performed by analyzing published scientific papers on environmental impacts in the food chain. The selection criteria were focused on different environmental approaches applied in the food chain and on the perspectives of future research. This review shows that on the one side there are generic environmental models developed by environmental scientists and as such applied on food. On the other side, there are models developed by food scientists in order to analyze food-environmental interactions. The environmental research in food industry can be categorized as product, process or system oriented. This study confirmed that the focus of product based approach is mainly performed through life-cycle assessments. The process based approach focuses on food processes such as heat transfer, cleaning and sanitation and various approaches in food waste management. Environmental systems in the food chain were the least investigated stream analyzing levels of environmental practices in place. Future research perspectives are the emerging challenges related to environmental impacts of novel food processing technologies, innovative food packaging and changes in diets and food consumption in connection with climate and environmental changes.

This chapter gives an overview of basic quality tools used in the food industry. Quality movement in the food chain introduced various quality tools that help food companies improve different aspects of their food processing performances, including control of final products. Use of different quality tools to improve quality of food is the foundation of developing an effective food-quality assurance system. The basic seven quality tools comprise flowcharts, check sheets, histograms, Pareto diagrams, cause and effect diagrams, scatter diagrams, and control charts. This chapter highlights the practical use of these tools from a food industry perspective. Use of control charts, both for attributes and variables, are the focus of the chapter. Besides basic charts for variables, the chapter employs two other charts to monitor the process location and spread: cumulative sum (CUSUM) control charts and the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control chart. Process capability indices that are widely used in manufacturing industries are explained in terms of their use in the food industry. Finally, the chapter gives an overview of multivariate process monitoring and control.

Sustainability has become a concern in transportation of food. This paper provides an analysis of transportation sustainability performance using fuzzy logic. Recognizing the lack of evidence for claiming that "local food" is more sustainable, the challenge before transportation was how to evaluate two opposed dairy distribution systems - local and cross-country. The proposed model presented in this paper compromises four criteria resource depletion, climate impact, economy and society with a total of 13 indicators into one transportation sustainability index. The model was validated for two dairy products from data presented by four dairy plants representing 32% of total raw milk processed annually in Serbia. The novelty of this approach lies in identifying economic and social factors applicable to local and big dairy companies. Findings suggest that big dairy plants with a developed distribution system, joint with social and economic indicators have better results in terms of transportation sustainability. As a conclusion, ideas hidden behind term "localism" in food systems in relation to transportation impacts may need to be reconsidered. The results indicate that this model is capable of assessing transportation sustainability and has practical relevance in the food dairy sector. The strength of this approach is its practical applicability and the ability for researchers to deploy this model to other food sectors.

Food fraud becomes one of the main hazards throughout the food chain. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perception of food fraud from a food industry perspective and to analyse attitudes of the production/service food sectors in Serbia and Croatia. In total, 53 companies operating in the food chain were included in this research, 36 from Serbia and 17 from Croatia. A cluster analysis was conducted in order to classify companies according to the relative level of the agreement they attach to food fraud. Also, food fraud risk associated with types of food was calculated. Findings identify mislabelling, counterfeiting and substitution as top three types of food fraud. Cluster analysis confirmed differences in perception of food fraud by different types of companies in respect to their size and food sector they operate. Meat products, dairy products, fruit products and honey are types of food most vulnerable to food fraud. On the contrary olive oil, grain products, spices and sauces are products perceived as least likely to be fraud detected. The risk model recognised olive oil and spices as products with the highest perceived fraud risk. This study provides a valuable insight to companies and food technologists operating in the supply chain on how companies perceive food fraud.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the hygienic design of a scalable unit for supercritical carbon dioxide drying of food. Design/methodology/approach For the purpose of this study, a checklist has been developed, covering requirements from sanitary standards and industry-tailored guidelines. Beyond hygienic design, failure mode and effects analysis of the results were performed to assess the potential food safety risks that may arise from failures to hygienic design requirements. Findings The overall score of the hygienic design was 46 percent. This kind of evaluation revealed two types of nonconformities. The first type was related to inadequate sanitary procedures. The second type was associated to design failures. Research limitations/implications The highest risk was designated to problems related to cleaning and sanitation followed by risks associated with the formation of dead zones and biofilms. Practical implications This study provides valuable insight to engineers and food technologists on hygienic design issues. Originality/value Application of a similar methodology was used for evaluating hygienic design of other non-thermal food technologies.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze perceptions of quality in the chicken meat supply chain. Design/methodology/approach This survey covered 74 different farms, slaughterhouses, meat processors, and retailers and 500 consumers, using two methods. From the farm to retail, analysis covered customer - supplier viewpoints in different stages of the supply chain. From the consumers to the farms, the quality function deployment method was used. Five houses of quality have been developed using the Delphi method to synthesize the opinions of experts. Findings Farm-slaughter comparison shows that final weight at farm gate and animal welfare are the most important quality attributes. The quality aspect important for slaughterhouses and meat processors is the cold chain. Retailers and meat processors highlight the portfolio of various chicken meat products as their most important quality attribute. At the points of sale, shelf illumination and product placement are prevailing. Research limitations/implications The results suggest that there are different views on quality by all actors in the supply chain, from quality of chicken meat, food safety and quality of service in retail to profitability and animal welfare. Practical implications The paper enhances simplicity in analyzing quality aspects of different types of meat supply chains. This methodology enables a synergy of value chain promotion with other quality development approaches. It also creates possibilities for policy makers to improve competitiveness strategies. Originality/value Application of a similar approach to other parts of the food chain could offer a better insight into the transformation of quality.

The aim of this study was to develop a quality index and examine the effects of drying apples using three technologies (supercritical CO2 drying, air drying and freeze drying) during a period of six months in ambient conditions. Based on nine quality parameters (textural, colour and sensory properties), a mathematical model for calculating a single total quality index (TQI) of dried apples packed in different types of packaging in normal and modified atmosphere has been introduced. At the beginning of the study, apples dried in supercritical CO2 had the best scores. After six months, samples dried in supercritical CO2 and freeze dried apples, both packed in polyethylene coated aluminium with 100% N-2, scored similarly. The six month shelf-life research revealed that measurable changes occur during the second half of the shelf-life when it is possible to clearly distinguish differences in the overall quality index of different dried apple slices.

Four different levels (25-100%) of culled goat meat were used in frankfurter formulation (frankfurters G25, G50, G75 and G100) instead of beef (CON). Technological properties, fatty acid profile and sensory properties were examined during the 6-week cold storage. The formulation had significant impact of fatty acids profile - n-6/n-3 ratios progressively decrease from 14.63 in CON to 6.63 in G100. Higher goat meat content led to progressively higher lightness and lower redness in frankfurters. This was also observed by consumers but not negatively perceived. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) analysis shows that more than 80% of consumers marked pleasant colour as present in goat frankfurters and CON. The similar was observed for pleasant appearance, pleasant odour, tasty, soft and juicy. Moreover, atypical taste and odour were mostly not marked as present (73.8% and 62.5%, respectively). The panellists pointed at G50 as the most preferred, while consumers most frequently marked G75.

Potentially toxic elements are persistent in the environment and plants have the ability to absorb and transfer them from soil in edible parts. The objectives of this study were to characterize the distribution of Cd and Pb in quinoa tissues and to investigate their accumulation and transfer from irrigated water in edible parts of quinoa. For the purpose of this study experiment and simulated pollution in the form of different metal concentration in water that was used for irrigation was designed. Distribution of metals in quinoa were determined and analyzed in seed formation and maturation stage. Bioaccumulation and translocation factors were calculated to characterize the efficiency of quinoa to absorb metals. The results of our study indicated that quinoa adopts potentially toxic metals from substrate but does not accumulate them. The potential of such a conclusion is useful for exploring the use of quinoa as lead and cadmium excluders.

This investigation provides an important insight into the Central and Eastern European food industry, beyond traditional food safety management and reflects on its food safety (FS) climate or the human route of its FS culture. Investigation was conducted in 10 Central and Eastern European countries involving more than 500 food companies. Overall FS climate was assessed as good. The availability of infrastructure was perceived the same in all countries although "resources" was the lowest scored climate component. Uncertainty avoiding national cultures had a stronger preference towards written FS procedures and instructions. FS climate was better assessed in bigger companies because small companies observed weaker availability of resources, smaller number of procedures and instructions and reduced risk awareness. FS communication and commitment were not affected by company size. The share of food companies without FS system was five times higher in small compared to big companies. No effect of FS management level or riskiness level on FS climate scores was apparent. Food companies seemed to avoid problems in cooperation and trust between FS leaders and other employees, since they have perceived FS climate similarly. The strongest FS climate segmentation in Central and Eastern Europe food companies was observed in terms of the EU membership status. EU operating food companies managed to develop a very good and distinctive FS climate, with better-perceived leadership, communication, commitment, resources and risk awareness than non-EU food companies. Transitional economic environment of non-EU countries have undesirably influenced the organisational and technological support in their companies and employees perceptions of FS climate.

The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Boletus edulis decoction and the effect of mushroom addition on the physicochemical and microbiological properties of frankfurters during refrigerated storage were studied. The addition of mushroom delayed the increase in the total number of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms during the storage. The incorporation of B. edulis in cooked sausages resulted in the significantly higher hardness of frankfurters in comparison with control, during chilled storage. Mushroom addition significantly affected the color of sausages throughout storage, but no deficiencies in sensory acceptance test were obtained. Generally, this mushroom can be used as a natural antioxidant to interfere with microorganism growth and extend the shelf life of cooked pork sausages during refrigerated storage. Practical applications In this study, the addition of B. edulis has proven to be a potent antioxidant and antimicrobial ingredient that extends the shelf life of frankfurters. That could be an interesting finding in potentially reducing or replacing commercial antioxidants with a natural, healthier variant of food additives.

The aim of this study was to compare the sensory quality and acceptance of dried ready-to-eat beetroot snacks as a result of different drying methods applied: supercritical CO2-drying (scCO(2)-drying), frying, and freeze-drying. Descriptive sensory analysis, quality rating (10 assessors), and consumer acceptance testing (n= 102) were performed. Mean overall quality scores within the range of "very good" quality were found only in non-precooked scCO(2)-dried samples which were characterized by typical magenta color, low level of shape and surface deformations, pronounced brittleness and crispiness, and good rehydration during mastication. The other samples were in the range of "good" quality. The pre-cooking step before scCO(2)-drying negatively influenced the sensory quality parameters, particularly appearance. Around 60% of tested consumers showed a preference for the fried and non-precooked scCO(2)-dried samples. The drivers of liking were mostly related to the characteristics of the product, which was salted, fried, and crispy, with an oily and overburnt flavor, i.e., the product most similar to commercial potato chips products. Freeze-drying had a negative effect primarily on appearance and flavor. According to the sensory evaluation conducted, direct scCO(2)-drying without a pre-cooking step showed itself as a promising alternative drying technology in the production of dried beetroot snacks.

Important insight into the Central and Eastern European food industry, beyond traditional food safety (FS) management and reflects on its food safety climate or the human route of its food safety culture is provided. Novel FS climate self-assessment tool was developed and validated by 65 FS experts from governmental agencies, third party certification bodies, food sector associations, universities and food industry. Three original FS climate components: FS knowledge, business priorities and FS legislation, were introduced and their nine components were assessed in nine Central and Eastern European countries involving 470 food companies. FS knowledge was better assessed in big and medium sized than in small companies. Knowledge component was equally assessed as good, irrespective of the FS risk profile of the food company surveyed while certified FS management system was charted by higher FS knowledge scores within a same food company. Business priorities in Central and Eastern European food organizations were related to hygiene and food safety and were always put before profit regardless of the company size. Hygiene and food safety were seen equality as a critical business success factor irrespective of the associated level of riskiness. FS climate legislation component in all food organizations surveyed was assessed affirmatively. Central and Eastern European food companies seemed to avoid problems in cooperation and trust between food safety leaders and other employees, since they have perceived FS climate highly and similarly. EU operating food companies had comparable overall FS climate to non-EU companies mostly because they have equally perceived their business priorities and appropriateness of associated FS legislation. The only exception was the FS knowledge that was better assessed in EU than non-EU food enterprises.

Supercritical CO2 food drying technique was investigated on red bell pepper with a lab-scale reactor equipped with CO2 recirculation. Box-Behnken design was used as experimental design to analyze the impact of temperature (313-333 K), pressure (10-14 MPa), CO2 flow rate (80-220 kg/h), and treatment time (6 and 16 h) on the final water activity. The results demonstrated that temperature was the most influential variable, reaching the lowest value of water activity (a(w) = 0.262) at 333 K, 12 MPa, and 100 kg/h. Efficient drying with a similar final water activity could be achieved at the lowest temperature considered (313 K) and longer drying time (16 h) with an appropriate combination of pressure (14 MPa) and flow rate (160 kg/h). Sc-CO2 samples showed similar values of color changes compared with freeze-dried samples with main differences corresponding to the "a" and "b" axes, i.e., in red and yellow. Textural properties of Sc-CO2 dried samples were not statistically different compared with freeze-drying. Sensory evaluation showed promising evidence for the use of supercritical CO2 as an alternative drying method to produce dried bell pepper products.

Castration of male piglets is a common practice to avoid boar taint but is being questioned. The present work has an exploratory character and aims to investigate the beliefs and attitudes of Eastern European consumers regarding boar taint, surgical castration immunocastration and perception of meat from castrated pigs and to find out possible segments of consumers regarding these attitudes and beliefs. For this purpose, a consumer study was carried out involving 5508 consumers from 13 Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine). The questionnaire included statements related to beliefs about castration and perception of meat from castrated pigs, attitudes towards meat from castrated pigs. Results show that in general beliefs and attitudes of the consumers are not defined, probably because of the lack of knowledge (information was not provided to the consumers) towards these issues. Three different clusters of consumers were obtained with different beliefs towards castration.

This study aimed at investigating the influence of some sociodemographic factors on the eating motivations. A longitudinal study was carried conducted with 11960 participants from 16 countries. Data analysis included t-test for independent samples or ANOVA, and neural network models were also created, to relate the input and output variables. Results showed that factors like age, marital status, country, living environment, level of education or professional area significantly influenced all of the studied types of eating motivations. Neural networks modelling indicated variability in the food choices, but identifying some trends, for example the strongest positive factor determining health motivations was age, while for emotional motivations was living environment, and for economic and availability motivations was gender. On the other hand, country revealed a high positive influence for the social and cultural as well as for environmental and political and also for marketing and commercial motivations.

The activities related to food production, processing, handling, transportation, storage and disposal of food products have an important impact on sustainability. Hence, people's food choices also contribute for the definition of the extension of this impact and therefore this work aimed at studying some motivations that influence people's eating habits. This was an observational, cross-sectional study, undertaken on a non-probabilistic sample of 11960 participants form 16 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, United States of America). The survey was undertaken by means of a questionnaire of self-response, applied only to adult citizens. The results obtained indicated that a great number of participants admit to shape their food choices according to some environmental concerns, like, for example, they prefer foods from the season or those that comply with sustainable processing and packaging. Regarding the food surplus, this seems a priority to avoid at home, but not so much when it comes to restaurants. Factor analysis indicated two types of concerns: Purely Environmental Concerns (PEC) and Sustainability allied to Quality Concerns (SQC), and cluster analysis showed that 54% of the participants tend to make their food choices considering both types of concerns, which is very expressive and positive towards sustainability of the food chain.

The aim of this research was to analyze intellectual capital in Serbian fruit companies with respect to size, fruit sector, and certification status. Representatives from 75 companies were interviewed. Survey data were analyzed through 56 items, grouped into three sub-categories of intellectual capital: human capital, structural capital, and relational capital. This study provides insight into how the fruit industry in a developing country perceives intellectual capital and demonstrates the use of developed models from other industries in the food industry. The novelty of this approach was the dimension reduction of intellectual capital factors into two distinct directions, namely, customer quality' and stakeholder quality', confirming quality as a dominant basis for both customers and stakeholders. Micro companies and non-certified companies are focused on customers, while medium-sized and certified companies are focused on satisfying requirements from all stakeholders. This study provides insight for engineering managers engaged in using intellectual capital models in the food/fruit industry. The presented model explores the potential of intellectual capital in determining quality improvement opportunities and improving company performance.

This paper contains a comprehensive review of different types of foreign matter reported in Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) during the period 1998-2015. It provides information on 1446 incidents of foreign matter contamination discussed and mined in terms of types of foreign bodies, food products involved and geographic distribution within indicated European regions. Regional distribution shows that the scattering of number of notifications is rather similar between regions, with the most notifications coming from Eastern Europe. The top three foreign bodies are pests, glass and metals. Main food categories in which foreign bodies occur are fruits and vegetables, nuts, nut products, confectionery and bakery products.

The aim of this study was to analyze application of quality function deployment on examining the shelf life of Agaricus bisporus Portobello packed in modified atmosphere packaging stored for 22 d at 4 degrees C. Mushrooms were packaged under three modified atmosphere packaging conditions: high nitrogen packaging (HNP); low carbon dioxide packaging (LCP); low oxygen packaging (LOP). Packaging with air inside initially was used as the atmosphere treatment (AIR). In respect to color changes, total color difference and browning index showed the greatest range for HNP and the smallest range for LOP. Regarding sensory analysis, LOP and AIR had the best results for overall quality compared to LCP and HNP. Odor characteristics were best scored for LOP while AIR had the worst impact on this feature. The highest level of quality deterioration was observed for LCP and HNP mushrooms while AIR mushrooms had the lowest level of deterioration. Quality function deployment showed that the best 'Quality Score' was for LOP, followed by AIR. LCP and HNP had the worst 'Quality Score' during the entire shelf-life.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop a total quality index and examine the effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms stored for 22 days at 4 degrees C. Mushrooms were packaged under three MAPs: high nitrogen packaging (HNP), low carbon dioxide packaging (LCP) and low oxygen packaging (LOP). Passive MAP with air inside initially was used as the atmosphere treatment (AIR). RESULTSThis research revealed two phases in quality deterioration of A. bisporus mushrooms. During the first week, most of the quality parameters were not statistically different. Thereafter, odor intensities were stronger for all four types of packaging. Color difference and browning index values showed significantly lower color changes for AIR and LOP compared with HNP and LCP mushrooms. CONCLUSIONThe best total quality index was calculated for LOP, followed by LCP and AIR. The findings of this study are useful with respect to examining two-component MAPs, separating the limiting factors (O-2 and CO2) and evaluating quality deterioration effects and the total quality index of A. bisporus mushrooms.

The current research was undertaken to estimate the in vitro antioxidant activity of Cantharellus cibarius mushroom extracted by boiling in water for 30 minutes. Several previous studies have shown that the addition of edible mushrooms in meat products affects the reduction of lipid oxidation and prolongs the shelf-life of the final products. Antioxidant capacity of C. cibarius was measured using the following methods: reducing power ability, lipid peroxidation assay, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Reducing power and antioxidant activity assays of C. cibarius hot water extract showed low antioxidant activity. CUPRAC assay demonstrated positive effect only at the concentration of 10 mg/mL, whereas DPPH radical scavenging activity showed moderate antioxidant activity in comparison with culinary-medicinal mushrooms, with the effective concentration (EC50) from 7.41 mg/mL.

Juniperus communis and Satureja montana essential oils (EOs) were chemically characterized and their activity against Listeria monocytogenes was evaluated. Antilisterial effect was determined in vitro and in situ, in red winemarinated beef, where the effect against common meat contaminants (aerobic heterotrophic mesophyll bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria) was also monitored. Microdilution assay on L. monocytogenes (strain ATCC19111 and three primoisolates) showed that minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) varied in the range 0.5-1% for both EOs. Effect of EOs mixtures was monitored in checkerboard assay revealing that all types of interactions including synergism were obtained only for isolates. In vitro time kill assay confirmed the mode of interactions: synergism for isolate from beef carcass (LMB), and its absence for ATCC19111 strain. The analysis of concentration dependent growth rates showed that estimated curve MIC values were notably lower than in microdilution assay (0.03-0.14%). In situ time kill assay against inoculated L. monocytogenes (ATCC19111 and LMB strains) and pre-existing meat spoiling contaminants was performed on marinated beef using EOs concentrations that were confirmed to be sensory acceptable. Basic red wine marinades and the ones containing each EO or their combination remarkably decreased the counts of all monitored groups comparing to saline control. The most pronounced effect was obtained with the marinade containing EOs mixture. For all monitored bacteria, the bactericidal effect during marination was followed by bacteriostatic effect during subsequent meat storage. Our results demonstrate for the first time the in situ efficacy of J. communis EO against meat contaminants and provide additional data on the preservation potential of S. montana EO.

This paper shows a model for food oral processing using quality function deployment. Modelling consists of two phases. In the first phase, authors constructed a generic flow chart of solid foods oral processing, based on which five oral processing quality demands were derived. These five characteristics were inputs in the second phase where a house of quality has been constructed translating oral processing characteristics into useful information for research and development of solid food. As a conclusion, authors suggest methods to validate this model with the aid of a qualified sensory panel and results of a consumers' survey. When validated, this method can be of interest in the product development process, especially for developing special purpose products such as food for denture wearers, food for healthy aging or food for sportsmen., U ovom radu prikazan je model oralnog procesiranja primenom metoda planiranja kvaliteta usmerenog ka potrebama kupaca (QFD - Quality Function Deployment). Modelovanje se sastojalo iz dve faze. U okviru prve faze, autori su predstavili uopšteni dijagram toka oralnog procesiranja čvrste hrane. Na osnovu njega, izvedeno je pet zahteva za kvalitetom. Ovih pet karakteristika predstavljaju ulaze u drugu fazu koju čini kuća kvaliteta koja je konstruisana kako bi se prevele karakteristike oralnog procesiranja u informacije koje bi mogle biti od koristi pri istraživanju i razvoju čvrste hrane. Kao zaključak, autori predlažu metode za validaciju ovog modela uz pomoć kvalifikovanog senzornog panela i istraživanja stavova potrošača. Kada se validira, ova metoda može biti korišćena i u procesu razvoja novog proizvoda, posebno za razvoj proizvoda posebne namene kao što su hrana za nosioce proteza, hrana za zdravo starenje ili hrana za sportiste.

The ability of a computer vision system (CVS) to evaluate game meat color was investigated by a comparison study with color measurements from a traditional colorimeter. The experiment involved five different species: quail, wild boar, rabbit, deer and pheasant. The total color difference (AEI between the methods employed was so great that the generated color's) could be considered more opposite then similar. Positive correlation was observed between the calculated total color differences and differences ranked by the panelists. The CVS-generated color chips were more similar to the sample of the game meat visualized on the monitor, compared to colorimeter-generated color chips in all (100%) individual trials performed. Using colorimeter for color evaluation of lighter colored game meat was unrepresentative. CVS-generated colors were found moderately to highly similar to the actual color of all samples evaluated. Therefore, the use of a CVS should be considered a superior alternative to the traditional method for measuring color of game meat.

The aim of this study was to analyze the stability of sensory properties and secondary metabolites in supercritical-CO2 (scCO(2)) dried 'Elstar' apple cuts/snacks during twelve months of storage at 'room' temperature. Air-drying and freeze-drying were used as reference methods. ScCO2-dried apple packed in aluminum-polyethylene bags under nitrogen gas retained a high sensory and nutritional quality, and acceptance level until the end of the observed period. The overall acceptance scores of these apples after 6 and 12 months of storage remained in the range of neutral consumer attitude "neither like nor dislike". Packaging under nitrogen gas preserved the content of flavonols ( >= 0.14 g/kg), dihydrochalcones ( >= 0.10 g/kg), hydroxycinnamic acids ( >= 0.18 g/kg), triterpenes ( >= 5.72 g/kg), and proanthocyanidins ( >= 0.08 g/kg) in dried apple irrespective of the drying method applied. The comparison with the conventional drying processes demonstrated that scCO(2)-drying represents a promising alternative technology for the production of dried apple snacks. The study was assisted by the evaluation of consumer attitudes towards dried fruit and drying technologies. Freeze-drying, air-drying and scCO(2)-drying were recognized by the tested consumers as trustful drying-processes, with expressed interests in buying scCO(2)-dried products if the technology was scientifically proven as excellent in preserving nutrients, color and taste of food products.

This research analysed attitudes related to food waste sustainability and estimated amounts of animal origin food waste and food packaging waste discarded in Serbia. The field survey covered 494 respondents from Belgrade, Serbia. Results present their degree of agreement with nine selected food waste sustainability statements and their reported quantities of discarded animal origin food waste and food packaging waste. Our study showed respondents have a higher rate of agreement related to the negative social and environmental dimensions of food waste, while they have no opinions associated with the economic dimensions. Regarding animal origin food waste quantities, it is estimated that households dispose around 200 g of waste every week (11.3 kg per year) and slightly under 30 different pieces of food packaging. On an annual basis, 7,234 tons of CO2 emissions can be associated with animal origin food waste and 706.4 tons with food packaging waste in Serbia.

The aim of this study was to examine the possibility of tensile-test application at three strain rates (0.01/s and 0.001/s and 0.001/s) on suitable samples of grilled pork meat (musculus psoas major). Differences in the stress-strain curves were observed between the two directions of the muscle fibres (i.e. strain parallel to and transverse to the fibres). However, the strain rate of 0.001/s resulted in the most linear stress-strain curves for strain in both muscle fibre directions. Also, results confirmed that specimens tested transversally to the muscle fibre direction required less stress to fracture. We also concluded that specimens stretch more in the direction transverse to the muscle fibre direction for strain rates of 0.01/s and 0.001/s. Gaining knowledge from different methods of empirical mechanical testing of meat should enhance the possibility of forming material constitutive laws to be used as input to finite element simulations of industrial processes of meat such as cutting or of human oral processing.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of the computer vision system (CVS) to evaluate the colour of poultry meat. The advantages of the CVS over traditional methods were also explored. Design/methodology/approach -The research was carried out on m. pectoralis major samples of three animals for each of the following four species: chicken, turkey, duck and goose. The total colour difference (.E) and the degree of difference of hue, chroma and lightness between the methods were calculated. In addition, a trained panel of 14 people was used to carry out three different similarity tests analysed using.2 one sample test and one-way ANOVA. The correlation coefficient between CVS and colourimeter measures was evaluated using the Spearman rank correlation test. Findings -The total colour difference (.E) between the methods employed was so large that the generated colour(s) could be considered more opposite than similar. The CVS-generated colour chips were more similar to the sample of the meat products visualised on the monitor compared to colourimeter-generated colour chips in all (100 per cent) individual trials performed. The use of the colourimeter for colour evaluation of lighter coloured poultry meat (chicken and turkey) was unrepresentative. Practical implications - In this study, a CVS was developed to measure the colour of poultry meat as an alternative to conventional colourimeters. Originality/ value - The research has demonstrated that the use of a CVS should be considered a superior alternative to the traditional method for measuring colour of chicken, turkey, duck and goose meat.

Purpose - This paper aims to present results from a research that analyzed the quality of labels available in the Serbian food market and consumers' attitudes toward food labels. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 899 food labels have been analyzed in relation to the presence of legally required information, their readability to average consumer and presence of nutritional/health claims and/or nutritional information. In parallel, 400 respondents were interviewed in the survey of consumers' attitudes regarding labels. Findings - Results revealed that 38.2 per cent of food products hold labels that are not fully readable to average consumers. Regarding basic label information, 11 per cent of foods have missing information in terms of series/lot identification. The majority of the products (87.4 per cent) have only basic nutritional information with 4.6 per cent of products holding nutritional claims. Consumers with active sport activities showed higher awareness of nutritional information. There were no statistically significant differences between smokers and non-smokers regarding their attitudes toward nutritional information. Age and education play a significant role in ranking nutritional facts. The most important nutritional information is fat content, followed by sugar and vitamins. Research limitations/implications - The nature of the study did not allow conclusions regarding causal relationship between food products and consumers as well as if nutritional information affects consumers' choices and purchasing patronage. Originality/value - The findings of this study are worthy, as they report the Serbian consumers' understanding of labels and nutritional information as well as the status food labels sold in the Serbian market.