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Visual density, defined as the number of identifiable elements per unit area within a visual design, significantly influences consumer perceptions. This study investigates the effects of varying visual densities in pizza packaging, encompassing both food-related and decorative elements, on consumers' expectations regarding taste and texture, ultimately influencing their purchase decisions. We conducted a controlled experiment where participants were presented with pizza boxes of differing visual densities. Participants rated their expectations regarding the taste and texture of the pizza, as well as their purchase intentions. Additionally, we measured consumption frequency to evaluate its moderating influence on the observed effects. Results indicate that high-visual-density packaging significantly heightened expectations of taste and texture, independent of the element's nature—whether food-related or decorative. Enhanced sensory expectations fully mediated the relationship between visual density and purchase intentions. Additionally, high consumption frequency amplified the effect of high visual density on sensory expectations and purchase intentions. These findings contribute to sensory marketing theory by highlighting the importance of visual density in packaging design and the role of consumption frequency. They provide practical implications for food packaging strategies aimed at enhancing consumer experience and satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies, highlighting that dining out forms an important part of public cultures in India, have focused on the growing influence of consumer cultures on India's middle classes and their identity formation. However, insufficient scholarly attention has been paid to the distinctly different ways in which middle-class experiences with modernity and cosmopolitanism unfold across different cities in India and in the worldwide South Asian diaspora. This article argues that in the major Gujarati city of Ahmedabad, middle-class engagement with new and global culinary practices is couched within dominant, regionally coloured vegetarian cultures, redefining vegetarianism as integral to the project of modern middle-class identity among certain upwardly mobile social groups. This ethnographic study of popular pizzerias sheds light on the transformative capacity and significance of vegetarian food. From being a symbol of exclusionary bourgeois hegemonic cultures, it has turned into a consumer item regarded as accessible and desirable for supporting middle-class aspirations to experience 'global' forms of consumption. The concluding analysis suggests that, since there are many diverse, cosmopolitan urban spaces like Ahmedabad, more research is needed especially on how global Gujarati food culture has been developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to validate a simulated commercial baking process for traditional crust pepperoni pizza to inactivate Salmonella when contamination was introduced through inoculated flour and pepperoni slices. The unbleached flour and pepperoni slices were inoculated (separate studies) with a 3‐serovar Salmonella cocktail and dried back to their respective pre‐inoculation water activity level to achieve 6.14 and 6.84 log CFU/g, respectively. The inoculated traditional crust pizza was baked at 260°C (500 °F) for 12 min followed by 15 min of ambient cooling. In both cases, a >6 log CFU/g reduction in Salmonella population was achieved by the first 8 min of baking. The pH (5.23–5.25) and water activity (0.958 ± 0.001–0.938 ± 0.005) of the pizza in this study did not change significantly. The D‐values of 3‐serovar Salmonella cocktail in traditional crust pepperoni pizza dough were 23.2 ± 1.82, 7.50 ± 0.32, and 2.0 ± 0.15 min at 56°C, 59°C, and 62°C, respectively, with a z‐value of 5.7°C. The study validated that traditional crust pepperoni pizzas when baked at 260°C (500 °F) for at least 12 min will reduce Salmonella populations by ≥5 log CFU/g if prebaking contamination occurs via flour and/ or pepperoni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In wheat‐derived bakery products, the quantity of free asparagine (fAsn) has been identified as a key factor in acrylamide (AA) formation. Based on this assumption, four varieties of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Stromboli, Montecarlo, Sothys and Cosmic, selected for their different fAsn content inside the grain, were studied to evaluate their potential in the production of pizza with reduced AA levels. To this purpose, wholemeal and refined flours were obtained from each variety. Results: The fAsn content ranged from 0.25 to 3.30 mmol kg−1, with higher values for wholemeal flours which also showed greater amount of ash, fibre and damaged starch than refined wheat flours. All types of flours were separately used to produce wood oven baked pizza base, according to the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed EU Regulation (97/2010). AA reduction in the range 47–68% was found for all the selected wheat cultivars, compared with a commercial flour, with significantly lower values registered when refined flour was used. Moreover, refined leavened dough samples showed decreased levels of fAsn and reducing sugars due to the fermentation activity of yeasts. Furthermore, it was confirmed that pizza made with wholemeal flours exhibited lower rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and rapidly available glucose (RAG) values compared to that prepared with the refined flour. Conclusion: This study clearly shows that a reduced asparagine content in wheat flour is a key factor in the mitigation of AA formation in pizza base. Unfortunately, at the same time, it is highlighted how it is necessary to sacrifice the beneficial effects of fibre intake, such as lowering the glycaemic index, in order to reduce AA. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to ISO norm 14044, life cycle assessment (LCA) calculations should be based on a functional unit (FU) that is representative of a product's function. Despite this, LCAs of food products rarely deviate from a mass-based FU. This study aimed to evaluate how the use of different nutritional FUs might influence analyses of the environmental performance of food products within the same food category. Methods: Different FUs were used to conduct LCAs of two sets of food products: 80 industrial pizzas and 44 artisanal cheeses. For both food categories, we investigated FUs based on energy content, protein content, and a French nutritional index (SAIN). For pizza, we assessed additional FUs based on portion size, fiber content, and a combination of protein and fiber content; for cheese, we also calculated FUs for calcium content and a combination of protein and calcium content. LCAs were performed using SimaPro software. We then examined how the relative environmental performance (ranking) of the 80 pizzas and the 44 cheeses changed depending on the FU used for analysis. Results and discussion: The use of a FU based on a particular nutrient always improved the apparent environmental performance of products that were rich in that nutrient. This phenomenon was particularly pronounced in cases where a mass-based FU revealed only small variation in environmental impacts between products, when products were rich in the nutrients analyzed by the FU, and when there was a range in the nutrient content of products. Therefore, different nutritional FUs yielded different results depending on the product and the environmental indicator studied, and proper interpretation also required critical analysis of the reference flows involved. Finally, we found that products from the same category were not necessarily nutritionally similar, and that nutritional and environmental dimensions could be contradictory, meaning that both should be evaluated together. Conclusions: Using nutritional FU can influence greatly the results when the goal is to compare different food products from the same category. Each of the nutritional FU used in this study brings out different information and could therefore be used complementary in order to get a deeper understanding of the environmental performance of the products. However, different FUs can yield contradictory results, potentially complicating interpretation by stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the possibility of changing the composition of the covering liquid in which mozzarella cheese is stored. The characterisation of mozzarella cheese consumed fresh and during later culinary use as a pizza topping was carried out. Mozzarella cheese from cow's milk and reconstituted sheep's milk were used for this study. The cheese was stored in whey-based covering liquid to which single or double amounts of lactose and/or citric acid (w/w) were added. The results obtained during laboratory analysis showed that the addition of lactose and/or citric acid to the covering liquid significantly impacted the mass of the cheese and the changes that can occur during later culinary use. The observed changes in the cheese during storage in the covering liquid were confirmed by the characteristics of the liquid itself. The smallest mass changes were related to cheeses stored in a covering liquid with double the amount of lactose and a single amount of citric acid. This cheese also displayed positive changes in all assessed descriptors (texture, melt, and colour). The amount of leachate from the cheese was small and occurred relatively late after unpacking and quartering. Based on the results of the study, changes made to the composition of the covering liquids can positively affect the characteristics of mozzarella cheese. Additionally, this data allows for the creation of specialised mozzarella cheeses that can pique the consumer's interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A high‐glycaemic index diet can lead to elevated blood glucose levels and chronic diseases. In this study, Dictyophora indusiata powder, oats powder and Polygonatum kingianum powder were substituted for some wheat flour to make pizza crust. The aim was to investigate the effects of the three powders on the chemical composition, physical quality, antioxidant properties, in vitro digestibility of starch and sensory characteristics of pizza crust. The addition of the three powders enhanced the nutritional value of the pizza crust, especially the dried Dictyophora indusiata flour and oats powder were rich in dietary fibre and protein, the three powders also increased the total phenolic content (214%) and antioxidant activity (ABTS+185%, DPPH30.5%) of the pizza crust and improved the shelf‐life of the pizza crust. In addition, the three powders increased the slowly digestible starch (25.9%) and decreased the reducing sugar levels and hydrogenation index, and expected glycaemic index of the pizza crust compared to the control group. The results suggest that the three powders could be used as functional ingredients to enhance the nutritional value and lower the glycaemic index of pizza crusts. This study provides new ideas for the development of nutritious and hypoglycaemic functional bakery products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: According to Neapolitan Pizza Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) regulation, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Fiordilatte mozzarella are the exclusive cheeses to be used, together with tomato and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), to season pizza in the "Margherita" variant. However, the so-called "Pizza mozzarella", that is a diary product having lower moisture content and a longer shelf life than Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Fiordilatte mozzarella, is widely used in many pizzerias, both in Italy and abroad. Therefore, we investigated its quality, in comparison with Mozzarella di Bufala and Fiordilatte mozzarella, as well as its effect on the quality of the Margherita pizza. Methods: Chemical and sensory analyses were conducted on mozzarella samples and on baked pizza topping samples. Results: The results revealed a better quality of pizza with Mozzarella di Bufala and Fiordilatte mozzarella for their higher antioxidant activity, oxidative stability and lower amount of undesired volatile compounds. Conclusions: The use of Mozzarella di Bufala and Fiordilatte mozzarella in the preparation of Margherita pizza improves its quality, especially if these mozzarella types are combined with other high-quality ingredients, namely tomato sauce and EVOO, characterized by the presence of antioxidant compounds (e.g., α-tocopherol not affected by the heat treatment of pizza baking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The study focused on utilising the flours of the Poaceae family to replace whole wheat flour (WWF) in pizza. The millet blend (MB) was prepared using finger millet and pearl millet flours and mixed in a 1:1 ratio. The WWF was replaced with MB at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels and studied its effect on empirical rheology, technical aspects of processing, micro‐structural and nutritional characteristics of pizza base (PB). The incorporation of MB to WWF significantly diminished the water absorption capacity (80–40%) and increased the dough development time (4.27–14.37 min) and stability (2.35–11.07). Starch pasting studies indicated that with the incorporation of MB, the gelatinization temperature increased (63.6–76.3 °C), and all the other viscosity parameters decreased with the incorporation of MB. Texture profile studies showed that the hardness of the PB increased and lost visco‐elastic properties due to the presence of MB. The sensory score indicated that up to 50% incorporation of MB was acceptable, with a 7.5 (MBPB) score. The protein matrix was disrupted, and starch granules leached out due to MB addition. The results of nutritional studies revealed a significant increase in ash (2.01–2.73%), dietary fibre (9.40–11.19), protein (4.96–6.88%) and in‐vitro protein digestibility (41.77–49.80), and decrease in in‐vitro starch digestibility (28.41–17.97%) and estimated glycemic index (59–56) values in MBPB indicating the benefits of utilising millet flours in the new generation foods such as pizza bases for diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a powerful statistical technique for reducing the complexity of data and making patterns and relationships within the data more easily understandable. By using PCA, students can learn to identify the most important features of a data set, visualize relationships between variables, and make informed decisions based on the data. As such, PCA can be an effective tool to increase students data literacy by providing a visual and intuitive way to understand and work with data. This article outlines a teaching strategy to introduce and explain PCA using basic mathematics and statistics together with visual demonstrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE YEAR WAS 2014, and Doug Tuthill remembers taking a call from a top state lawmaker just after the Florida legislature had authorized its first education savings accounts--the type of [...]