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The concern for the environment among European consumers is growing and in the future the need for sustainable shopping is expected to increase. Through transparent on-packaging communication with consumers, organic producers have the opportunity to show attributes of organic production system and build a strong market position. The aim of the study was to analyse voluntary packaging information on organic milk from four European markets in the context of organic food quality, i.e., Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Poland. More specifically, the textual content of 106 organic milk packages was analysed and voluntary information on each package was categorized according to process- and product-related organic milk attributes. The assortment and content of voluntary packaging information varied across the four countries. The largest number of products was found on the German market (37) and the smallest on the Polish market (14). Dutch milk had the greatest amount of voluntary information on animal welfare, product locality, environmental protection, quality confirmation, naturalness and nutritional value. German milk had the most information on enjoyment and conditions of processing, while the Italian milk on the social perspective. The products available on the Polish market had the least voluntary information. Pasteurized organic milk had noticeably more information about organic quality attributes than micro filtrated and UHT milk.

Aim To support the development of appropriate policies and actions in the field of missed nursing care (MNC). Background There has been an ever-growing international debate on MNC, interventions that nurses have identified as necessary for their patients, but which for various reasons they are unable to provide or are forced to delay. Despite MNC's relevance, its translation into policies and actions has not been documented to date. Method A consensus development method was employed involving (a) a nominal group composed of experts in the field, policymakers and the President of the Regional Nursing Professional Boards, and (b) 218 nurses appointed primarily at the managerial levels. Results A total of eight consensus statements were approved and organized in a series of sub-statements designed to (1) render the concept of MNC culturally acceptable in the Italian context, with the agreement that compromised nursing care (CNC) is the best term to be used in this field, as a synonym for MNC; (2) measure CNC as a strategy to increase patient safety; (3) select an appropriate CNC measurement tool; (4) optimize CNC measurement; (5) conduct effective CNC data analysis; (6) design and implement interventions to prevent and/or minimize CNC; (7) assess and disseminate findings on interventions' effectiveness; and (8) provide final remarks on the way to move forward. Conclusions We developed a process to introduce the phenomenon of MNC in the Italian culture and agreed firstly on the term compromised nursing care, which better reflects MNC's meaning according to the context and facilitates an open discussion on the phenomenon both within and outside the profession. The following consensus statements emerged represent a systematic approach, starting from the measurement and finishing with the re-measurement of the occurrence of MNC after having implemented concrete actions. Implications for nursing management The approved consensus statements can guide decision-makers to develop concrete policies and actions that promote the improvement of quality of care and patients' safety by minimizing and/or preventing MNC's occurrence.

ObjectivesPoor social conditions are strong determinants of poor health but positive health and healthcare changes caused by social interventions are difficult to demonstrate. In 2006, in Trieste (Italy), a social intervention known as ‘Habitat Microaree’ (HM) project was implemented in eight deprived neighbourhoods. In 2016, an observational study was launched to assess the impact of the HM project on healthcare.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingThe eight geographically defined neighbourhoods of Trieste involved in the 2006 HM project, accounting for a total of 11 380 residents.ParticipantsParticipants were all residents in the intervention areas. By means of a propensity score based on deprivation index, age, sex, Charlson index and drug utilisation, a non-participating, comparison group was defined.InterventionThe community-based intervention consisted of facilitating access to social services and outpatient healthcare facilities, coordinating intersectoral public services and specifically planning hospital discharge. These services were not provided in other areas of the city.Outcome measuresHospital admissions and emergency department access.ResultsWe followed 16 256 subjects between 2008 and 2015. Living in microareas was associated with an HR for first hospital admission, for all causes, of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91 to 0.99); while the HR for urgent admissions in females was 0.92 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.00). The HR for psychiatric disorders, in females, was 0.39 (95%CI 0.18 to 0.82); in particular, the HR for psychosis was 0.15 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.51). The HR for acute respiratory diseases in females was 0.44 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.95). In males, the HR for genitourinary diseases and heart diseases were 0.65 (95% CI 0.42 to 1.01) and 0.72 (95% CI 0.54 to 0.97), respectively. Concerning urgent multiple admissions, the OR for fractures in females was 0.75 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.97).ConclusionIn the study period, the effects on healthcare appear evident, especially in females.

The paper introduces an approach, developed in Agriculture & Quality programme, to evaluate the environmental sustainability of Apulian quality agro-food products that is integrated in the regional quality scheme “Quality Products”. It highlights the methodological approach adopted, the sustainability themes identified and the indicators selected. Indicators measurable at the farm/firm level were selected in relation to the following environmental themes: biodiversity, land use and management, energy use and climate change, use of chemical inputs, and responsible management of by-products and waste. A scoring scale was developed for each indicator; going from 0 (unsustainable) to 10 (very sustainable) with 5 corresponding to the sustainability threshold or reference value. The presented approach is both robust and user friendly and is in line with the principle entailing continuous improvement; the key sustainability thresholds will be periodically reviewed and updated. It represents a practical and innovative way to develop an information scheme for typical agri-food products and can be, with some refinement and contextualisation, easily scaled up to other territories.

A large number of studies has demonstrated health benefits deriving from a high consumption of fruits and vegetables. It is therefore of great importance to understand consumers’ expectations about this kind of food as well as to explore the aspects that influence their interpretation of freshness. The objective of this research was to gain insight into consumers’ conceptualization of vegetables freshness, by analyzing the underlying variables that summarize various consumers’ beliefs and expectations on sensory and non-sensory attributes of vegetables. The study considered different stages in which consumers could interpret freshness of three vegetables (tomato, wild rocket, and spinach): at purchase and consumption, with none or some degree of processing and transformation between harvesting and final use. The overall category of ‘fruit and vegetables’ was included in order to examine beliefs towards freshness, without any reference to a specific product. According to the consumers’ opinions, sensory properties were confirmed as the most important indicators of freshness for all products. However, interesting cues relating to non-sensory components have come to light. Particularly, this study provided evidence that freshness is no longer an attribute commonly associated with raw products. Also minimally processed vegetables can be perceived as fresh, on condition that consumers can easily visually assess the integrity and color of the product inside. Frozen spinach is considered as fresh, as long as the whole leaves have been frozen soon after harvest. These findings may contribute to strategic marketing decisions by vegetables and packaging industries, and be important for policy makers in designing public health interventions.

Consumer testing in re-created purchase or consumption contexts may produce results with a higher external validity than laboratory testing and be a valid alternative to consumer testing in real-life contexts. Hence, the present study evaluates the utility of a novel immersive approach in sensory consumer testing. An immersive multisensory room was designed to reproduce consumption conditions close to real life, with large wall screen projections, audio and olfactory stimuli and furniture consistent with the video scenario. Overall liking and perceived freshness of two vegetable products (salad tomato and wild rocket) at different storage time were evaluated by a group of volunteers, regular consumers of the products. Evaluations were performed both in a immersive environment setting - the scenario was the dining room of a holiday farm overlooking a patio and the countryside - and in a traditional sensory lab setting, as a control. The magnitude of liking was higher when evaluations were performed in the immersive environment setting than in the traditional lab setting. However, the discrimination efficacy for freshness and liking of stored and un-stored vegetables was reduced in the immersive environment with respect to the control lab. Additional research, aimed at exploring other products and other consumption or purchase immersive scenarios, will further clarify whether these findings are product-dependent or determined by the contingent immersive situation.

The volatile profile of crushed rocket leaves (Eruca sativa and Diplotaxis tenuifolia) was investigated by applying Headspace Solid-Phase MicroExtraction (HS-SPME), combined with GC-MS, to an aqueous extract obtained by homogenization of rocket leaves, and stabilized by addition of CaCl2. A detailed picture of volatile products of the lipoxygenase pathway (mainly C6-aldehydes) and of glucosinolate hydrolysis (mainly isothiocyanates), and their dynamics of formation after tissue disruption was given. Odor-active compounds of leaves were characterized by GC-Olfactometry (GC-O) and Aroma Extract Dilution Analysis (AEDA): volatile isolates obtained by HS-SPME from an aqueous extract and by Stir-Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) from an ethanolic extract were analyzed. The most potent odor-active compounds fully or tentatively identified were (Z)- and (E)-3-hexenal, (Z)-1,5-octadien-3-one, responsible for green olfactory notes, along with 4-mercaptobutyl and 4-(methylthio)butyl isothiocyanate, associated with typical rocket and radish aroma. Relatively high odor potency was observed for 1-octen-3-one, (E)-2-octenal and 1-penten-3-one.

Tomato fruits of cv. Caramba harvested at the pink ripening stage were cold stored for 4 and 7 days at 6 °C, then allowed to fully ripen at ambient temperature, and finally evaluated for eating quality, and compared with fruit fully ripened on the vine. In addition, fruits harvested at full ripeness were subjected to cold storage at 6 °C by a conventional or the innovative passive refrigeration PRS™ system for 2, 4, and 7 days, and then evaluated. Tomato quality evaluation included sensory, chemical (volatile compounds, sugars, and organic acids), and physical (flesh texture and skin colour) attributes. Fruit harvested at the pink stage, and then subjected to cold storage, when attained full external red colour showed less intense tomato odour, red ripe tomato odour, and flavour when compared to fruit fully ripened on the vine, and, at the same time, developed a perceptible mould off-odour. These differences were consistent with those observed in the levels of aroma compounds and fermentation metabolites. Main effects associated with cold storage of red ripe fruits by both conventional and passive refrigeration were increased skin toughness and decreased sourness. Passive refrigeration caused a more pronounced toughening of the skin, but no development off-odours were detected. Analysis of alteration of volatile synthesis confirmed recent findings on the molecular mechanism underlying chilling-induced loss of flavour in tomatoes.

“Welfare” is often defined as “the set of public policies aimed at improving the living conditions of citizens”. The “welfare state” is today unsustainable considering the number of requests and the resources that countries have at their disposal. The problem must be overcome by changing to a welfare model that is able to regenerate the resources that are already available, giving responsibility to the people who receive help in order to increase the performance of social policy interventions for the benefit of the entire community. As seen in the vast scientific literature in the field of health and healthcare, well-being is not the mere product of individual genetic factors. Wellness also stems from social determinants of health such as education, the home environment, as well as a person’s job, income, social network and accessibility to services. Trieste’s rather unique demographic distribution makes the city a natural laboratory of what will quite likely be the Italian demographic situation in ten years’ time. However, this is not the city’s only distinctive trait. In September 2015, the ASUITs [Integrated University Healthcare Companies of Trieste] implemented a systematic set of actions and interventions in order to maximize transparency towards stakeholders and ensure increasingly effective and efficient management. This approach was defined by effective participation at all levels of the organization and oriented to the pursuit of strategic objectives. This initiative gave birth to the “Company Catalogue” of Projects and Participatory Local Welfare Interventions and Actions.

“Micro-areas” arose from the project entitled “microwin-microareas”, a project aimed at developing community welfare starting in 2005 by the Healthcare Services Company n. 1 “Triestina”. The project includes the collaboration of the municipal area, of the territorial company for residential construction and housing (ATER) and of other social and healthcare facilities. The micro-area is a physically aggregated area (district, small municipality, cluster of houses) which includes between 500 and 2500 inhabitants, defined by ATER blocks of flats. From the point of view of the organizational analysis we can also define a “magnifying glass” focused on about 5% of the population of Trieste. Each micro-area is managed by a full-time nurse with the appropriate skills. The nurse’s main role is to analyse the life context of the person, carrying out a general assessment of the person and their family. Moreover, this role works to identify the rights and needs not met, priorities for intervention, the institutional and innovative resources needed, as well as the different roles to be involved in the process of taking on social and health care.

Packages of ready-to-eat (RTE) wild rocket and lettuce baby leaves were subjected during 8 days of cold storage to a chronic temperature abuse (CTA) at sub-optimal storage temperature (10 °C) or to a shortterm (6 h) abuse at ambient temperature (STA) to evaluate the impact of two temperature abuse scenarios on gas composition within the packages, leaf sensory quality and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In both species, the CTA scenario had a markedly higher impact on gas composition, sensory quality and off-odour formation than the STA, and the limit of sensory acceptability was reached in the CTA scenario 4 days or more earlier than in the STA. Sulphur compounds were the main responsible for offodour perception in both leafy salads. Results from the present study may be useful in the assessment of critical points in the cold chain of RTE fresh produce and in prioritising actions towards improved coldchain management.

A non-destructive analytical method based on HeadSpace-Solid Phase MicroExtraction/GC-Olfactometry-MS (HS-SPME/GC-O-MS) for characterisation of odour-active compounds released within packages of rocket leaves was developed. Then it was applied, along with sensory olfactory evaluation, to ten commercial products, close to the expiration date, to identify the volatiles responsible for the off-odour perception upon the opening of the bag. Twenty-nine volatiles were detected by GC-MS within the packages, whereas only eleven odour-active regions were detected by GC-O in at least three of the commercial products. Besides dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide, also methanethiol was identified as major odour-active compound associated to off-odour notes, such as rotten leaves and faecal. Acetic acid and 2,4-dithiapentane were also tentatively identified as major off-odorants. Four structurally related volatile compounds, characterised by a solvent-like note and still unidentified, were clearly detected as odour-active but their role in off-odour perception remained to be elucidated. Among the different classes of volatiles detected in the headspace of rocket stored under modified atmosphere packaging, in the present and in previous studies, only the group of sulfur compounds consistently appeared to be related to off-odour perception and thus may be considered the best candidate as indicator of off-odour formation.

Missed nursing care and italian nursing practice: preliminary findings of a consensus conference. In recent years in Italy there has been renewed interest in missed nursing care due to various factors, such as participation in the RANCARE project, with 28 European and non-EU countries, the opportunity to develop international exchanges, specific projects and field based research. We explored a range of ideas and processes, culminating in a conference designed to address specific issues relating to missed nursing care, in the Italian nursing practice. After a preliminary review of the literature on the psychometric properties of the available tools, with the intent of further deepening our understanding of the concept of missed nursing care, its implications for practice, management, education and research. After two days of presentations and discussions, the more than participating nurses agreed on a set of preliminary recommendations regarding missed nursing care and Italian nursing practice. This paper reports on the preliminary consensus findings from the conference.

BACKGROUND The anti-hail nets are widely used to protect apple fruit against hailstorms and hail damage. They can have also beneficial effects against pests in apple orchards, in particular codling moth (Cydia pomonella). However, covering the trees with anti-hail nets can modify the orchard microclimate and reduce the interception of light, thus potentially causing negative consequences on the organoleptic quality of apple fruits. RESULTS A consistent reduction of the percentage of apple fruits infested by codling moth was registered as a result of the use of anti-hail nets during two consecutive harvest years. Their use did not affect fruit maturity, but reduced the skin colour, sugar content, pulp total phenol content, volatile compound composition and sensory characteristics. However, the results were inconsistent over the two years apart for total phenols, formation of two volatile compounds (butyl and hexenyl acetate, the first being one of the main odorants in most apple cultivars), sensory attributes of ‘flavour of lemon’ and ‘juiciness’. For these parameters, the fruits from plots where the trees were not covered showed higher values than those from plots where anti-hail nets were used. CONCLUSIONS The use of anti-hail nets was effective in preventing the attack of codling moth to apple fruits, suggesting their use in organic management where conventional insecticides are prohibited. Under the conditions tested, anti-hail nets showed a negative effect on some of the quality characteristics measured on apple fruits, which could influence consumer acceptability. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry

Quality traits are highly focused upon in the marketing of organic food products. There is a need to define and measure quality as consumers seem to have preconceived notions about the superior health value and taste of organic compared to non-organic products. A commonly held opinion among many consumer groups is that organic farming guarantees optimum quality, despite the fact that this remains unproven. The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of quality traits in a plant-based food product, using carrots as an example. Selected designated quality aspects are presented to describe the complexity of quality and discuss the challenges of using these aspects in differentiating between organic and conventional products. The paper concludes we have insufficient tools to be able to adequately authenticate organically produced carrots. The same may be the case for most vegetables and fruit products. Suggestions for further studies include the soil and location aspect (terroir), in order to trace a product back to its origin in an organically or conventionally farmed field by finding a unique fingerprint for chemical constituents of samples.

Consumer testing in re-created purchase or consumption contexts may produce results with a higher external validity than laboratory testing and be a valid alternative to consumer testing in real-life contexts. Hence, the present study evaluates the utility of a novel immersive approach in sensory consumer testing. An immersive multisensory room was designed to reproduce consumption conditions close to real life, with large wall screen projections, audio and olfactory stimuli and furniture consistent with the video scenario. Overall liking and perceived freshness of two vegetable products (salad tomato and wild rocket) at different storage time were evaluated by a group of volunteers, regular consumers of the products. Evaluations were performed both in a immersive environment setting - the scenario was the dining room of a holiday farm overlooking a patio and the countryside - and in a traditional sensory lab setting, as a control. The magnitude of liking was higher when evaluations were performed in the immersive environment setting than in the traditional lab setting. However, the discrimination efficacy for freshness and liking of stored and un-stored vegetables was reduced in the immersive environment with respect to the control lab. Additional research, aimed at exploring other products and other consumption or purchase immersive scenarios, will further clarify whether these findings are product-dependent or determined by the contingent immersive situation.

Although several meta-analysis studies have been published comparing the quality of food derived from organic and non-organic origin, it is still not clear if food from organic production per se can guarantee product-related added value to consumers. This paper aims to summarize the status quo in order to identify research gaps and suggest future research challenges. Organic food is described according to a quality model already published. The influence of organic production on food quality is structured in primary production and processing. Furthermore, organic food authentication is discussed. Organic food seems to contain fewer pesticide residues and statistically more selected health-related compounds such as polyphenols in plant products and polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk and meat products, but the health relevance for consumers is not clear yet. Comparing food from organic origin with so called ‘conventional’ food seems not to be appropriate, because ‘conventional’ is not defined. In organic food quality research a system approach is needed from which systemic markers can be selected. Research on the impact of processing technologies on the quality according to organic principles seems of high relevance, since most of the food is processed. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

In 2007 EU Regulation (EC) 834/2007 introduced principles and criteria for organic food processing. These regulations have been analysed and discussed in several scientific publications and research project reports. Recently, organic food quality was described by principles, aspects and criteria. These principles from organic agriculture were verified and adapted for organic food processing. Different levels for evaluation were suggested. In another document, underlying paradigms and consumer perception of organic food were reviewed against functional food, resulting in identifying integral product identity as the underlying paradigm and a holistic quality view connected to naturalness as consumers' perception of organic food quality. In a European study, the quality concept was applied to the organic food chain, resulting in a problem, namely that clear principles and related criteria were missing to evaluate processing methods. Therefore the goal of this paper is to describe and discuss the topic of organic food processing to make it operational. A conceptual background for organic food processing is given by verifying the underlying paradigms and principles of organic farming and organic food as well as on organic processing. The proposed definition connects organic processing to related systems such as minimal, sustainable and careful, gentle processing, and describes clear principles and related criteria. Based on food examples, such as milk with different heat treatments, the concept and definitions were verified. Organic processing can be defined by clear paradigms and principles and evaluated according criteria from a multidimensional approach. Further work has to be done on developing indicators and parameters for assessment of organic food quality.

The market for processed food is rapidly growing. The industry needs methods for “processing with care” leading to high quality products in order to meet consumers’ expectations. Processing influences the quality of the finished product through various factors. In carrot baby food, these are the raw material, the pre-processing and storage treatments as well as the processing conditions. In this study, a quality assessment was performed on baby food made from different pre-processed raw materials. The experiments were carried out under industrial conditions using fresh, frozen and stored organic carrots as raw material. Statistically significant differences were found for sensory attributes among the three autoclaved puree samples (e.g. overall odour F = 90.72, p

BACKGROUND: There is a need to advance the study of the effects of organic and conventional systems on product quality. In particular, little is known about the importance of different farming practices concerning nutrient cycling and the use of external inputs within organic farming for the quality characteristics of the products. In this study the quality characteristics of carrot grown under different farming practices (conventional and three organic cropping systems) over a two-year period were analysed with the aim of discriminating between organic and conventional and investigating the effect of different organic farming practices concerning nutrient recycling and use of external nutrient input. RESULTS: All quality characteristics measured did not give a clear differentiation between the carrots from the different growing systems, even when multivariate statistical evaluation (principal component analysis) was applied, because of the significance of the differences between the field replicates within each management system and of the seasonality. Only some tendencies were emphasised over the two years that could be related to the fertilisation practices and the external inputs used. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that it was not possible to discriminate over the years between carrots from conventional and different organic cropping systems even though controlled conditions and a multi-method approach of analysis were adopted. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

The anthocyanin composition of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) fruit ('Record' and 'Nora') was analysed as a function of production system (integrated versus organic) and plant type (cold stored versus fresh plug). This study occurred over two harvest years. 'Record' and 'Nora' were characterised by the same four main anthocyanins (pelargonidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside-succinate, pelargonidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside). Pel-3-glu represented 80% of the total anthocyanins in 'Nora' and about 65% in 'Record'. With the exception of the plant type for 'Nora', all the variables affected anthocyanin content. However, significant interactions among the variables indicated the existence of non-uniform behaviour and made it impossible to isolate each variable's effect.

Organically grown apples cv. Pinova harvested at two different dates were stored at 1.3 degrees C for up to 4 months in air, up to 7 months in ULO (1.5 kPa of O(2) and 1.3 kPa of CO(2)) and in dynamic controlled atmosphere (DCA) conditions (0.4-0.6 kPa of O(2) and 0.6-0.8 kPa of CO(2)); the DCA storage method involved the use of a chlorophyll fluorescence monitoring system in order to detect low-O(2) stress in apples and to allow for the dynamic adaptation of storage atmosphere to O(2) levels that were lower than in ULO but still tolerated by fruits. A postharvest 1-MCP treatment (for 24 h at 1.3 degrees C) and a hot water treatment (for 180 s at 50 degrees C) were also tested on apples stored afterward in ULO and air, respectively. Volatile compounds isolated from the pulp of fruits were measured after 4 and 7 months, just upon removal from storage and after 11 days at 22 degrees C. Total amount of aroma compounds detected in apples stored in DCA was markedly higher (from 2- to 4-fold) than in fruits exposed to 1-MCP + ULO but, at most sampling times, significantly lower than in ULO fruits. Moderate differences in storage atmosphere composition between ULO and DCA significantly affected both total amount and profile of volatile esters. Analogous effects were observed on the alcohol precursors of the main esters. Exposure to 1-MCP inhibited biosynthesis of straight-chain esters more than that of branched-chain esters. The hot water treatment did not seem to produce marked changes in volatile composition after four months of air storage, except for a sharp accumulation of aldehydes during the shelf-life time. DCA storage technology, besides avoiding any chemical treatment, can preserve apple aroma compounds better than 1-MCP + ULO during long-term storage.

The stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) technique was used to determine volatile constituents in two peach cultivars, one yellow-fleshed (cv. Spring Lady) and one white-fleshed (cv. Regina Bianca). For both cultivars four distinct experimental samples were considered, each formed by fruits obtained with four different cultivation practices. In order to investigate the effects of cold storage on the volatile profile, on all peach experimental samples changes in aroma compounds after 1 and 2 weeks of storage at 1°C, plus 1 day at ambient temperature, were monitored; moreover, only on the four experimental samples from cv. Regina Bianca, the effect of a prestorage hot water treatment (46°C for 25 min) was also evaluated. On the isolate obtained by SBSE, 24 compounds were identified and quantified by GC-MS: saturated and unsaturated lactones, aldehydes, C13 norisoprenoids, monoterpenes, alcohols and esters. The profile of the white-fleshed cultivar was characterised by a higher level of C13 norisoprenoids, and, in particular, of 8,9-dehydrotheaspirone. In all experimental samples after 1 week of storage, plus 1 day at ambient temperature, a marked increase (on average by 89%) in total lactones was observed. This increase was due to a noticeable accumulation of saturated lactones with longer side chains (γ- and δ-decalactone) and unsaturated lactones ((Z)-dec-7-en-5-olide and γ-jasmolactone). Peaches analysed after 2 weeks of storage showed total lactone levels close to those detected in the samples at harvest, suggesting that increasing storage times reduced fruit ability to accumulate these character impact compounds of peach aroma. A similar effect of cold storage, although less marked, was also observed on C13 norisoprenoid fraction, but only on cv. Regina Bianca. On the other hand, we did not find univocal effects of cold storage on C6 aldehydes, whereas linalool, detected only in samples of cv. Spring Lady at harvest, disappeared quickly during the first days of storage. In samples of cv. Regina Bianca peaches subjected to hot water treatment, after 1 week of storage, lactone level was significantly reduced in comparison with untreated fruits, denoting a possible inhibition effect on lactone accumulation and on aroma development.

Changes in antioxidants (ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds and carotenoids) and in taste-related compounds (sugars and organic acids) content were monitored in fresh-cut red sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L., local ecotype “Peperone Cornetto di Pontecorvo”) during 9 days of cold storage. Pepper slices were placed in polystyrene trays, wrapped with a polyvinyl chloride film, and stored at 4 °C or at 8 °C; besides, to evaluate the effect of a prestorage hot water treatment, half of the slices were subjected to a dipping treatment in water at 53 °C for 4 min, before packaging and storage. During storage limited changes in O2 and CO2 concentrations were observed within all packages. Storage temperature strongly affected weight loss: at the end of the storage time it was 10% in fruits stored at 4 and 8 °C, respectively. Sugars (glucose and fructose) content showed a significant increase (+11%) only in fruits stored at 8 °C; this change was due to a concentration effect associated to water loss. A higher increase (+23 and +17% in fruits stored at 8 and 4 °C) was observed in organic acids (citric and malic) content. Minimal processing and storage produced only a quite limited degradation of ascorbic acid. Both hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and flavonoids accumulated in fruits stored at 8 °C (and not heat treated), whereas at 4 °C phenolics accumulation appeared to be partially inhibited. All the main carotenoids (capsanthin, cucurbitaxanthin A, zeaxanthin, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin) markedly accumulated in fruits stored at 8 °C (not heat treated), and showed a general decrease at 4 °C. Hot water treatment did seem to affect organic acids metabolism, though it did not promote ascorbic acid degradation. In addition, it inhibited both phenolics and carotenoid accumulation in fruits stored at 8 °C.

Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g., organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards, and useful metrics. By 2015, data for organic production and consumption are recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic food system puts the land (agri-cultura) back into the diet; it is the land from which the diet in toto is shaped. Therefore, the organic food system provides essential components of a sustainable diet.

Physical (weight, firmness) and compositional (sugars, organic acids, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds and carotenoids) changes of red sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) were monitored during 21 days of cold storage (at 7.5 °C); fruits were stored without packaging, packaged in low density polyethylene bags, or after hot water dipping (53 °C for 4 min) and packaging. Packaging prevented water loss, and preserved the firmness of the fresh product. Sugars (fructose and glucose) content was practically constant throughout the whole storage time, for all treatments. A moderate accumulation of citric acid was observed during storage, but no marked effects of packaging and hot water dipping on citric and malic acid content. Ascorbic acid content slightly increased in unpackaged and packaged fruits, but not in treated+packaged peppers. Hydroxycinnamics total content seemed not to be affected by cold storage, packaging or hot water treatment, whereas glycosylated flavonoids showed somewhat lowered levels during storage, particularly in the case of unpackaged and packaged+treated fruits. Regarding carotenoids content, the effect of the considered storage conditions seemed to be much smaller than that due to ripening stage. Provitamin A content showed an increasing trend in unpackaged and packaged fruits; packaged+treated peppers were characterised by a lower retention of provitamin A and a higher level of capsanthin and cucurbitaxanthin A with respect to not treated fruits. On the whole, packaging and hot water treatment did not produce noticeable adverse effects on the majority of the examined compositional quality parameters.

Internal quality of fresh and cold stored celery petioles of four different accessions (two green cultivars, one yellow cultivar and one yellow local ecotype) was characterised by descriptive analysis of sensory properties of aspect, flavour and texture, chemical determinations (organic acids, sugars, dietary fibre, flavonoids, carotenoids) and instrumental measurements of texture (stiffness, fracture toughness, maximum shear force). In the growing conditions as adopted in the experiment, different genotypes produced petioles with quite similar and low levels of dry matter, but with significant differences in some texture (flexibility, fracturability, hardness, crunchiness and fibrousness), flavour (odour and total flavour) and taste (saltiness and bitterness) attributes. After fortnight of cold storage (2 °C, 75–85% RH) differences between genotypes were still perceived in some texture attributes, particularly flexibility, fracturability and hardness. On the other hand, significant differences were no longer observed in total flavour, whereas lowered differences were still perceived in odour. Green type cultivars distinguished for higher fibrousness, bitter taste and harsh after effect. Sweetness was not linearly correlated to total and individual sugar contents, whereas organic acids content was probably too low to cause perceivable sourness; moreover, the sensory perception of fibrousness during chewing seemed to be related to other constituents in addition to fibre. Finally the low contents of flavones (apigenin 0.76–3.11 mg/kg and luteolin 0.50–1.74 mg/kg) and carotenoids (lutein 0.60–1.58 mg/kg and β-carotene 0.20–0.71 mg/kg) in all genotypes suggested a poor relevance of celery petioles devoid of leaves as dietary sources of these bioactive compounds.

Four types of Altamura bread, obtained by using semolina from four pure durum wheat cultivars (Appulo, Arcangelo, Duilio and Simeto), were prepared and compared to evaluate the influence of durum wheat cultivar on the sensory properties and staling rate of the final product. Pure semolina samples showed marked differences in chemical and rheological properties, with semolina from cv. Simeto characterised by higher protein content, alveograph data (tenacity/extensibility ratio and deformation energy) and rate of hydration at the farinograph test. The durum wheat cultivar seemed to significantly affect staling rate, as determined by crumb water loss and firming, the bread from cv. Simeto showing a markedly lower crumb moisture loss and firming than the other breads during 8 days of storage. On the other hand, the sensory profile of bread was scarcely affected by durum wheat cultivar; among the 19 sensory descriptors defined to describe differences between bread samples, only crumb colour, grain and humidity, and crust crispness showed significant differences.

The anti-hail nets are widely used to protect apple fruit against hailstorms and hail damage. They can have also beneficial effects against pests in apple orchards, in particular codling moth (Cydia pomonella). However, covering the trees with anti-hail nets can modify the orchard microclimate and reduce the interception of light, thus potentially causing negative consequences on the organoleptic quality of apple fruits.A consistent reduction of the percentage of apple fruits infested by codling moth was registered as a result of the use of anti-hail nets during two consecutive harvest years. Their use did not affect fruit maturity, but reduced the skin colour, sugar content, pulp total phenol content, volatile compound composition and sensory characteristics. However, the results were inconsistent over the two years apart for total phenols, formation of two volatile compounds (butyl and hexenyl acetate, the first being one of the main odorants in most apple cultivars), sensory attributes of 'flavour of lemon' and 'juiciness'. For these parameters, the fruits from plots where the trees were not covered showed higher values than those from plots where anti-hail nets were used.The use of anti-hail nets was effective in preventing the attack of codling moth to apple fruits, suggesting their use in organic management where conventional insecticides are prohibited. Under the conditions tested, anti-hail nets showed a negative effect on some of the quality characteristics measured on apple fruits, which could influence consumer acceptability.

We investigated the effects of dietary zinc deficiency on skeletal metabolism in an animal model. Thirty 21-d-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 28 d either a zinc-deficient (ZD) diet (1 mg zinc/kg) or a normal diet ad libitum (AL, 50 mg zinc/kg) or in the same quantity as the ZD (pair-fed, PF). Only in the ZD group were general physical signs of zinc deficiency observed. Compared with the AL and PF rats, ZD rats showed significantly lower mean values in ponderal growth rate, femur weight and length, circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I, bone mechanical properties and concentration of zinc and, on histomorphometry, a decrease in the thicknesses of the overall growth plate and hypertrophic cartilage. In contrast, although bone volume was significantly lower in the ZD and PF rats than in the AL rats, no difference was observed between the ZD and PF rats. Osteoclast surface/bone surface and osteoclast number/bone surface ratios were significantly greater in PF rats than in the other two groups and not different in ZD and AL rats. Collectively, these data indicate that zinc deficiency has profound effects on the skeletal system of growing rats. In particular, the effects of zinc deficiency on bone growth and mass are the result of the reduced activity of the growth plate, likely mediated by impairment in the insulin-like growth factor-I system. We did not demonstrate an effect on bone mass via increased bone resorption.

The effect of the use of different organic fertilizers on formation of aroma compounds in cv. Golden Delicious apples was investigated. Results from the first year of the study suggested that the application of three different organic fertilizers did not reflect on marked univocal differences in the profile of aroma compounds in the fruits. Nevertheless, some effects of the fertilization were observed; therefore the use of different organic fertilizers, characterized by different efficiency in N mineralization, seemed to have the potential to significantly affect the formation of aroma compounds in apple fruits.

A postharvest experiment was designed and carried out in order to evaluate the effects of distribution chain conditions and length on flavor-related quality attributes of fresh tomatoes. Three tomato cultivars characterized by intermediate susceptibility to postharvest handling were evaluated for their response to the conditions of distribution chains of different length. For two of them, these conditions and times produced significant effects on the formation of flavor compounds, suggesting that fruits coming from a medium or long distribution chain did not develop the same flavor profile as those exposed to a short chain.

The effects of the application of different organic and conventional fertilisers on some flavour quality attributes (aroma volatiles, sugars and organic acids) of cv. Golden Delicious apples were investigated by an experimental field trial in two harvest years (2010 and 2012). Through a balanced randomised block design, five organic fertilisation treatments (three different fertilisers at the same nitrogen dose, increase and fractionation of dose for one of the fertiliser) were compared to each other, to a conventional treatment based on a mineral fertiliser and to a non-fertilised control. Fertilisation treatments significantly affected the level in fruits of several flavour related compounds, such as some aroma volatiles, sugars and organic acids, but few of these responses were consistent across the two harvest years and of remarkable size. Even when treatments gave place to marked differences in the soil mineral nitrogen level, this reflected in a limited impact on flavour related compounds in the fruit, the strongest effect being a 45% change in C6-aldehydes level. The different organic fertilisation treatments weakly affected the considered fruit quality attributes. Significant differences were observed for several sensory attributes between apples coming from different fertilisation treatments and characterised by a quite similar chemical profile.

In 2007 EU Regulation (EC) 834/2007 introduced principles and criteria for organic food processing. These regulations have been analysed and discussed in several scientific publications and research project reports. Recently, organic food quality was described by principles, aspects and criteria. These principles from organic agriculture were verified and adapted for organic food processing. Different levels for evaluation were suggested. In another document, underlying paradigms and consumer perception of organic food were reviewed against functional food, resulting in identifying integral product identity as the underlying paradigm and a holistic quality view connected to naturalness as consumers' perception of organic food quality. In a European study, the quality concept was applied to the organic food chain, resulting in a problem, namely that clear principles and related criteria were missing to evaluate processing methods. Therefore the goal of this paper is to describe and discuss the topic of organic food processing to make it operational. A conceptual background for organic food processing is given by verifying the underlying paradigms and principles of organic farming and organic food as well as on organic processing. The proposed definition connects organic processing to related systems such as minimal, sustainable and careful, gentle processing, and describes clear principles and related criteria. Based on food examples, such as milk with different heat treatments, the concept and definitions were verified. Organic processing can be defined by clear paradigms and principles and evaluated according criteria from a multidimensional approach. Further work has to be done on developing indicators and parameters for assessment of organic food quality.

A double back-extrusion test was used to study the differences in the rheological behaviour of WPC stabilized emulsion. Emulsions were prepared with protein concentrations of 25 and 40 g/L in distilled water at pH 7 and volume fractions of dispersed phase of 0.67 and 0.80. After the first thrust, the emulsions were manually mixed and underwent a second thrust immediately, or after 15 and 60 min, to quantify the degree of reversible thixotropy. From the curves obtained the slope, the mean area under the curve and the force at the change of slope were determined and compared for the first and second thrust. The results indicated that the emulsions showed a different behaviour according to the protein concentration and the volume fractions of dispersed phase. The curves and the parameters measured for the first and second thrust were significantly different, thus providing a measure of thixotropy. Moreover, it was possible to determine that the emulsions with a volume fraction of dispersed phase of 0.80 presented a degree of reversible thixotropy.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits of three cultivars picked at different ripening stages were subjected to conditions in the laboratory simulating both short and long distribution chains as occurring in commercial practice and to recommended storage conditions. At the end of the postharvest experiments, a flavor quality profile of fruits was obtained by chemical determination of volatile compounds, sugars, and organic acids, and physical measurement of texture properties. In two of the three cultivars, the overall profile and many of the individual quality attributes was significantly affected by the distribution chain conditions, the effect being more pronounced in tomatoes marketed at full ripeness than in those marketed at an intermediate ripening stage. In these cultivars, tomatoes harvested at the Breaker stage, subjected to long chain conditions and then allowed to achieve full ripeness at room temperature, did not develop the same overall profile observed on fruits fully ripened on the vine and exposed to a simulated short chain. Fruits subjected to recommended commercial storage conditions, cold stored above the chilling range (10 or 13 °C) and at high relative humidity (95%), developed a different profile when compared to fruit exposed to the simulated long distribution chain (6 °C and 55-80% RH), suggesting that these changes in temperature and relative humidity may remarkably affect flavor formation in tomato fruits. Major drivers of profile differentiation between tomatoes subjected to different postharvest scenarios were the levels of some aroma compounds derived from aminoacids (1-nitro-2-phenylethane, 2-isobutylthiazole, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-phenylethanol, and 2- and 3-methylbutanal) and lipids ((E,E)- and (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal), and, among nonvolatile flavor compounds, of organic acids (citric and malic).

There is a need to advance the study of the effects of organic and conventional systems on product quality. In particular, little is known about the importance of different farming practices concerning nutrient cycling and the use of external inputs within organic farming for the quality characteristics of the products. In this study the quality characteristics of carrot grown under different farming practices (conventional and three organic cropping systems) over a two-year period were analysed with the aim of discriminating between organic and conventional and investigating the effect of different organic farming practices concerning nutrient recycling and use of external nutrient input.All quality characteristics measured did not give a clear differentiation between the carrots from the different growing systems, even when multivariate statistical evaluation (principal component analysis) was applied, because of the significance of the differences between the field replicates within each management system and of the seasonality. Only some tendencies were emphasised over the two years that could be related to the fertilisation practices and the external inputs used.The results indicated that it was not possible to discriminate over the years between carrots from conventional and different organic cropping systems even though controlled conditions and a multi-method approach of analysis were adopted.

Selected commercial apple cultivars (Golden Delicious, Stark Delicious, Renetta, Annurca, Granny Smith, Emperor) were studied to discriminate among the cultivars and the different levels of merceological quality for their mechanical and texture characteristics, by instrumental and sensory methods. Single compression, double compression and penetration tests were carried out to determine mechanical and texture properties of the apple flesh (failure stress and strain, modulus of deformability, juiciness, cohesiveness and firmness). Sensory responses were obtained by the descriptive technique of texture profile analysis and by the pairwise ranking test (paired comparisons of more than two samples) for the following parameters: fracturability, firmness, cohesiveness, mealiness and juiciness. Annurca and Granny Smith cultivars showed the highest values for almost all the instrumental and sensory parameters measured. The instrumental methods indicated that the internal variability of flesh structure influenced the differences among the cultivars, although some significant differences were clear. Results from the correlation study between instrumental and sensorial parameters were affected by the non-homogeneous distribution of the values in the correlation plots, probably due to the low number of samples considered. Principal component analysis applied to the instrumental results showed that the first two components described about 85% of the total variance. The first component was a linear combination of five variables, excluding the failure strain, while the second was a failure strain factor. It seems that only two parameters, the failure stress for instance and the failure strain, would be sufficient to point out differences among the cultivars and the merceological quality levels considered.