Search

The aim of the research was to determine consumer perceptions of food products regarding the knowledge about the product’s origin and the potential impact on the sensorical evaluation of other product properties. The research results represent a deeper investigation of the impact of origin on consumer perceptions. An integrated approach to the research of impacts of product origin was chosen in order to form interlinks between knowledge about product origin and its other sensorical properties.

Background Accidental allergic reactions to food are frequent and can be severe and even fatal. Objective We sought to analyze the culprit food products and levels of unexpected allergens in accidental reactions. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted in adults (n = 157) with a physician-confirmed diagnosis of food allergy. During a 1-year follow-up, 73 patients reported accidental allergic reactions and the culprit food products. Food samples received (n = 51) were analyzed for a wide range of suspected noningredient allergens, and risk was quantified. Results A very diverse range of food products was responsible for the unexpected allergic reactions. Thirty-seven percent (19/51) of products analyzed had 1 to 4 culprit allergens identified that were not supposed to be present according to the ingredient declaration. Concentrations varied from 1 to 5000 mg of protein of the allergenic food per kilogram of food product and were greatest for peanut, milk, and sesame. Milk proteins posed the highest estimated risk for objective allergic reactions. The intake of culprit allergens by patients varied considerably. For those cases in which culprit allergens were detected, the intake of at least 1 allergen exceeded the reference dose or a culprit allergen with a yet unknown reference dose was present. Both patient neglect of precautionary allergen labeling statements and omission of using a precautionary allergen labeling statement by food manufacturers seem to contribute to accidental reactions. Conclusion A wide range of food products are causing accidental reactions in patients with food allergy. Eight different allergens not declared on the ingredient lists were detected in the culprit food products, all of which were representative of allergens regulated in the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the highly competitive context of food product sales in supermarkets, consumers may have difficulty processing deeply the information on a given package. This research examines how the number of ingredients depicted on packaging in addition to the picture of the whole product impacts its efficacy depending on consumers’ motivation (hunger), opportunity (via cognitive load), and ability (via need for cognition – NFC) to process information. Three studies find that, under high cognitive load, packages depicting many ingredients induce more mental taste imagery, heighten purchase intention, and improve taste evaluations. For consumers with high NFC (vs low), under high cognitive load, packaging not depicting ingredients (vs five ingredients) is preferred when consumers are motivated by hunger. Under low cognitive load and whatever the NFC, information is processed centrally and evaluation does not depend on the number of ingredient images depicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detecting chickpea was developed. From homologous sequences of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene ( NCED ) among leguminous species, chickpea’s NCED was cloned, and the Southern-blot analysis showed that NCED is a single copy gene in a haploid genome. Its coding sequences at the 5′ terminus were found unique to chickpea and conserved among various chickpea varieties. Developed real-time PCR method targeting the unique sequences was specific to chickpea and had detection limit of approximately 30 copies per a reaction, and applicable for qualitative detection of chickpea in various forms of food products including dried, powdered, retort-packed, canned, fermented and pasted. Our results showed that the developed method enables identification of chickpea in foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical investigation to study the effect of five factors on purchasing food product including brand and reputation, being green product producer, quality of packaging, taste of food products and materials used in products. The study designs a questionnaire consists of 20 questions, distributes 440 questionnaires among some consumers who were regular customers of food chains in west part of city of Tehran, Iran and managed to collect 225 properly filled ones. The study uses binomial test to verify five hypothesis of the survey and it has confirmed the effects of four variables including brand and reputation, quality of packaging, taste of food products and materials used in products. In our survey, there are some positive and meaningful correlations among different pairs of five variables of the survey where the highest correlation is between materials used in products and quality of packaging (r=0.606, Sig. = 0.000) and between Quality of packaging and being green product producer (r=0.545, Sig. =0.000).

Background & Objectives: Giardiasis is one of the parasitic infections in the gastrointestinal tract which caused by flagellate protozoa that called giardia and it causes diarrhea. Giardia cysts defecate from infected people. These cysts can enter the body through contaminated hands, water, and food products. Diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pains, growth failure, malabsorption of carbohydrates, fats and vitamins are the giardiasis symptoms. Methods: In this study, samples were taken from 203 people that were working in different food supply and distribution centers in the South Pars petrochemical. After sampling, samples were analyzed according to standard procedures. The results of examinations were studied after verification them by laboratory chief and their related physicians. Results: Out of the whole examined people in this study, kitchen (28%) and salad maker (14%) centers were the maximum and minimum population, respectively. 8.87% of the total populations were infected by giardia, which salad making center had the greatest share. As well as, the rate of infectious by giardia among the administrative and dishes washing centers was the lowest. Conclusion: Education level and personal hygiene such as hand washing with a detergent can be important in reducing infection due to giardia. So, the training of workers and also periodic testing of individuals can reduce these pollutants.

Sudan I is a carcinogenic compound containing an azo group that has been illegally utilized as an adulterant in food products to impart a bright red color to foods. In this paper, we develop a facile lab-on-a-chip device for instant, ultra-sensitive detection of Sudan I from real food samples using plasmonics-enhanced diatomaceous thin film, which can simultaneously perform on-chip separation using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and highly specific sensing using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. Diatomite is a kind of nature-created photonic crystal biosilica with periodic pores and was used both as the stationary phase of the TLC plate and photonic crystals to enhance the SERS sensitivity. The on-chip chromatography capability of the TLC plate was verified by isolating Sudan I in a mixture solution containing Rhodamine 6G, while SERS sensing was achieved by spraying gold colloidal nanoparticles into the sensing spot. Such plasmonics-enhanced diatomaceous film can effectively detect Sudan I with more than 10 times improvement of the Raman signal intensity than commercial silica gel TLC plates. We applied this lab-on-a-chip device for real food samples and successfully detected Sudan I in chili sauce and chili oil down to 1 ppm, or 0.5 ng/spot. This on-chip TLC-SERS biosensor based on diatomite biosilica can function as a cost-effective, ultra-sensitive, and reliable technology for screening Sudan I and many other illicit ingredients to enhance food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to identify the role of packaging in the process of purchasing food. The analysis of the literature and selected results of the authors’ own empirical studies were used in the research process. The main goal of the field research was to examine attitudes and behaviours of consumers towards packaging of food products. The analysis of the results showed that the most important features of packaging for consumers are the comfort of use and durability. The results of the study can be used by food producers in their marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) gastroenteritis is a widespread global foodborne disease. To identify the epidemiologic characteristics, sources of food contamination, and risk factors of NTS gastroenteritis, epidemiologic data and stool specimens of diarrheal patients were collected from sentinel hospitals in Baoshan, Shanghai, People's Republic of China, between 2010 and 2014. Food products from nearby farmers' markets and animal feces from live poultry markets and livestock farms were sampled to identify the pathogen; a case-control study was conducted to characterize risk factors of NTS gastroenteritis. Of 3,906 diarrheal patients examined, 266 (6.8%) were positive for Salmonella. The positive rates were higher in summer than in the other seasons. Salmonella Typhimurium (36.1%) and Salmonella Enteritidis (30.8%) were the dominant serovars in the patients. Salmonella was detected in 26.2% pork samples, 7.1 to 7.8% poultry meats, and 3.3 to 8.9% poultry feces. Salmonella Typhimurium was the major serovar in contaminated food and animal feces. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis indicated that consumption of pork and quickly cooked eggs increased, whereas separating kitchen knives for cooked and raw food decreased the risk of NTS gastroenteritis, independently. We believe that NTS in poultry feces contaminated the meat products in the same markets and then infected humans if these foods were not sufficiently cooked. To prevent NTS gastroenteritis, it is necessary to survey Salmonella in meats and poultry feces, to cook eggs and pork sufficiently, to separate kitchen knives for cooked and raw food, and to prohibit live poultry trade in fresh meat markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alignment with the European Union means trying to adapt and facilitate adaptation depending on the resources of our country. For consumers, it is necessary to inform and educate them in accordance with the EU regulations. Foods must meet the quality requirements of consumers. The requirements are constantly changing. In the past 20 years diversifying and fast renewing, creating of the single market, free movement of goods, elimination of trade barriers by developing common European standards, and introduction of certification has resulted in increased consumer confidence on the quality of the products they purchase from advertising. A marketing research was conducted, through a questionnaire, in compliance with the research methodology, with the aim of highlighting consumers' views on the influence of advertising on purchasing foods. The gap reduction between what is intended to be conveyed by advertising and what is necessary, fair, clear, and consistent to be transmitted through advertising, according to EU regulations, leads to competitive advantage afforded by any producer in any country. In any business it is important to measure the feedback of the activity as well, which often is not done. This study sought and measured the feedback on whether consumers are happy of the message regarding food products purchased, transmitted by advertising campaigns carried in the county of Sibiu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A review of the literature on the analysis of pesticide residues in processed foods is presented. • Chromatographic methodologies coupled to Mass Spectrometry have been the most applied. • Advances in sample preparation, including the QuEChERS method, were presented. • Control of residues in fruit juices has been reported. • Legislation needs to cover a greater number of processed products of plant origin. In recent years, the number of publications related to the control of pesticides in food has been increasing, due to the risks associated with the intensive use of pesticides and the requirements of the legislations. This study aims to carry out a bibliographic review of research involving sample preparation and analysis of pesticides in processed foods of plant origin using efficient and modern methodologies for identifying and quantifying pesticide residues. This paper describes the studies related to food security and quality of processed products using chromatographic analysis related to Mass Spectrometry, modern multiresidue methods and the investigation of toxic residues in fruit juices. This study may assist the scientific community on the main advances in techniques for controlling the levels of residues in juices. The data emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring of the processed product chain and seeks to encourage an increase in the scope of legislations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed at the morphological, biochemical, technological and sensorial determination of black mulberry (Morus nigra L. – MN) fruitage and their utilization in the food production branches. For the experimental purposes were selected 50 genotypes of this population grown in the Pukanec surroundings. The medium fruitage weight determined in the selected collection ranged from 7.26 g (MN-1) to 1.42 g (MN-14), fruitage length in a range of 13.51 mm (MN-14) to 29.20 mm (MN-12) and the medium fruitage width 11.88 mm (MN-14) – 21.12 mm (MN-2). The variability of the evaluated traits varried from low to high degree. Juice yield from matured fruitage achieved 62.40 %. From black mulberry fruitages 16 food products were prepared – juice mixed with cream, yoghurt and/or curd (in several proportions) and 3 confectionery products. Sensorial analyses showed significant differences among tested products. In the group of confectionery products was generally preferred the cream-mulberry cake. High values of antioxidative activity has been measured in the chocolate cake with a mulberry jam (36.90 – 28.43 %), followed by the cream-mulberry cake (29.78 – 12.71 %) and the fresh mulberry juice (30.97 – 20.17 %). The antioxidation activities exerted generally higher values with the samples tested in water, when compared with those prepared in ethanol extract. Based on the gained results 4 genotypes were selected and recommended for the use in practice, as these provided relative high values of tested traits.doi:10.5219/234

A case study of an organic food company in the Slovak Republic involved in producing and sourcing inputs, food processing and distribution is presented. The case is based on a June 2014 “live” case study prepared for students in International MBA in Agribusiness programs at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Warsaw University of Life Sciences and the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev. The company was established in 2001 with the objective to bring organic food to health conscious consumers. The company grows organic spelt grain, wheat, rye, buckwheat, herbs and apples on its 156 ha and 400 ha of owned and rented farmland. The company further processes these crops into more than 40 finished products. Students are presented with company information and summaries of a company visit and discussions with management. Students perform PEST and SWOT analyses, identify a shortage of owned and leased land as a problem the company must address, conduct research and analysis, and recommend product specification contracts as a solution to the problem.

Food quality and safety belong to the most important factors of building the image of the product, brand, or country of origin at the local, regional or global markets. The main aim of the paper is to compare the food products quality perception in the selected countries of Central Europe: Poland, the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. Different aspects of the food products quality perception were considered during our research as food hygiene, product safety, taste, brand, quality mark and safety processes in food manufacturing. The methodical approaches of the paper are based on the questionnaire survey, and, consequently, the cluster analysis defining the consumer's perception typology. The computations were processed by using the statistical program SAS. The research results point at the food hygiene as the most important qualitative factor for the respondents in all three countries. On the other hand, the packing as a factor is considered as of either a less importance or an irrelevant one in terms of the product quality perception.

The prediction of product acceptability is often an additive effect of individual fuzzy impressions developed by a consumer on certain underlying attributes characteristic of the product. In this paper, we present the development of a data-driven fuzzy-rule-based approach for predicting the overall sensory acceptability of food products, in this case composite cassava-wheat bread. The model was formulated using the Takagi-Sugeno and Kang (TSK) fuzzy modeling approach. Experiments with the model derived from sampled data were simulated on Windows 2000XP running on Intel 2Gh environment. The fuzzy membership function for the sensory scores is implemented in MATLAB 6.0 using the fuzzy logic toolkit, and weights of each linguistic attribute were obtained using a Correlation Coefficient formula. The results obtained are compared to those of human judgments. Overall assessments suggest that, if implemented, this approach will facilitate a better acceptability of cassava bread as well as nutritionally improved food.

In this paper a comprehensive review of trans-fatty acid levels reported in different types of food products is offered. The lowest levels are found in some types of bread (0,1%) while the highest levels (up to 40%) are found in fried potatoes. Some foods like shortenings, cakes and pastries may have up to 30% of these fatty acids. In milk and dairy products the reported levels are between 1.50% and 5.20%, in meat and derived products between 0.20% and 21,30%; in chocolates from 0% to 15, 70%. The greatest variability is found in margarines, where a variety has been reported from “trans-free products” to products containing up to 34. 30%. In relation to the trans-fatty acid profile, 18:1t is the most abundant fatty acid found in the majority of foods, followed by C18:2t, C18:3t, C18:1t y C14:1t. Due to the negative health effects of these fatty acids, there is a trend to reduce their levels in food products and to include them in the nutritional label of food packaging.

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to provide scientific and technical guidance on foods for special medical purposes in the context of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 609/2013. The guidance presented in this document is to assist in the preparation and presentation of well‐structured dossiers. It presents a common format for the organisation of the information and outlines the information and scientific data which could be included in the dossier, as well as the key issues which should be addressed in the dossier in order to assess the extent to which a food product notified as FSMP falls under the scope of Regulation (EU) No 609/2013, under the proposed use. It is intended that the guidance will be kept under review and will be further amended and updated as appropriate in the light of experience gained from the evaluation of dossiers for specific food products notified as FSMP, and in the light of future Community guidelines and legislation. The scope of this guidance is limited to FSMPs in the context of Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 609/2013. Out of the scope of this guidance are: a) other categories of food falling under Regulation (EU) No 609/2013, such as infant formula and follow‐on formula, processed cereal‐based food and baby food, and total diet replacement for weight control; b) meal replacements for weight control; c) “gluten‐free” and “lactose‐free” foods.

Copyright of Pasos: Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural is the property of Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We examined the influence of dynamic thermal treatment (variation of cooling/heating rates) on the polymorphic crystallization and transformation pathways of 1-palmitoyl-2,3-dioleoyl glycerol (POO), 1-stearoyl-2,3-dioleoyl glycerol (SOO), and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-linoleoyl glycerol (POL), which are major saturated-unsaturated-unsaturated (SUU) triacylglycerols (TAGs) of vegetable oils and animal fats (e.g., palm oil, olive oil, and Iberian ham fat). Using mainly a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD), we analyzed the polymorphic behavior of TAGs when high (15 °C min − 1 ), intermediate (2 °C min − 1 ), and low (0.5 °C min − 1 ) cooling and heating rates were applied. Multiple polymorphic forms were detected in POO, SOO, and POL (sub-α, α, β’ 2 , and β’ 1 ). Transient disordered phases, defined as kinetic liquid crystal (KLC) phases, were determined in POO and SOO for the first time. The results demonstrated that more stable forms were directly obtained from the melt by decreasing the cooling rates, whereas less stable forms predominated at high cooling rates, as confirmed in our previous work. Regarding heating rate variation, we confirmed that the nature of the polymorphic transformations observed (solid-state, transformation through KLC phase, or melt-mediation) depended largely on the heating rate. These results were discussed considering the activation energies involved in each process and compared with previous studies on TAGs with different saturated-unsaturated structures (1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol, 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol, trioleoyl glycerol, and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-linoleoyl glycerol). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A special significance to human health is the potential contamination or otherwise called the biological, chemical and physical insalubrity of food products. The main interest regarding this pollution is determined by the magnitude of this phenomenon and especially the prospect of its expansion. This paper aims to outline a summary of the main sources of chemical and/or physical contamination of food. The objective is to signal the main categories of contaminants and bring awareness to those involved in order to prevent them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities (AOA and ABA) of broccoli sprout extract (BSE) nanoliposomes co-encapsulated into basil seeds gum (BSG). The characteristics of the BSE-loaded nanoliposomes and nano-capsules were firstly determined. Their functional (antioxidant and antibacterial) properties were tested in vitro , and their anti- Listeria effect (at 0.4 and 0.8% w/w) on ricotta cheese was evaluated. The produced nanoliposomes and nano-capsules were spherical in shape and did not tend to accumulate. The mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI) and encapsulation efficiency (EE) were observed about 39.60 and 69.00 nm, 0.279 and 0.496, 85.73 and 88.46% for nano-capsules and nanoliposomes, respectively. The zeta potential (ζ) values were observed at −65.73 and −71.16 mV and therefore the nanoparticles had good stability and uniform particle size distribution. Encapsulation had no significant effect on total phenol and flavonoids content of the BSE. The amounts of these active compounds were in the range of 25.12–26.97 mg GAE/g dw and 6.84–6.95 mg QE/g dw, respectively. The free and encapsulated BSE displaying good AOA in the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. Results of the ABA measured by inhibition zone diameter and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) demonstrated that the free BSE had antibacterial action against the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and the nano-encapsulation process led to improved ABA of this extract. The organic acids in BES indicated the presence of high levels of citric, malic and oxalic acids at 613, 98 and, 45 (mg/g dw), respectively. The BSE-loaded nanoparticles showed remarkable anti- Listeria activity in ricotta cheese, which their activity increased with increasing their concentration. In conclusion, BSE-loaded nanoliposomes and nano-capsules have potential interest to be used as natural antioxidants and preservatives for food applications. [Display omitted] • Co-encapsulation of nano-liposomes BSE into basil seed gum BSG was successfully achieved. • The co-encapsulated nano-liposomes had good stability and size distribution. • The liposomes were able to maintain the functional properties of the core. • Co-encapsulation of BSE as nano-liposomes showed anti- Listeria properties in Ricotta cheese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]