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Ginger supplementation could be an effective adjuvant treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN). The aim of this clinical trial was to address significant methodological limitations in previous trials. Patients (N = 51) were randomly allocated to receive either 1.2 g of standardised ginger extract or placebo per day, in addition to standard anti-emetic therapy, during the first three cycles of chemotherapy. The primary outcome was CIN-related quality of life (QoL) measured with the Functional Living Index- Emesis (FLIE) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included acute and delayed nausea, vomiting, and retching as well as cancer-related fatigue, nutritional status, and CIN and vomiting-specific prognostic factors. Over three consecutive chemotherapy cycles, nausea was more prevalent than vomiting (47% vs. 12%). In chemotherapy Cycle 1, intervention participants reported significantly better QoL related to CIN (p = 0.029), chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)-related QoL (p = 0.043), global QoL (p = 0.015) and less fatigue (p = 0.006) than placebo participants. There were no significant results in Cycle 2. In Cycle 3, global QoL (p = 0.040) and fatigue (p = 0.013) were significantly better in the intervention group compared to placebo. This trial suggests adjuvant ginger supplementation is associated with better chemotherapy-induced nausea-related quality of life and less cancer-related fatigue, with no difference in adverse effects compared to placebo.

The concept of food addiction has generated much controversy. In comparison to research examining the construct of food addiction and its validity, relatively little research has examined the broader implications of food addiction. The purpose of the current scoping review was to examine the potential ethical, stigma, and health policy implications of food addiction. Major themes were identified in the literature, and extensive overlap was identified between several of the themes. Ethics sub-themes related primarily to individual responsibility and included: (i) personal control, will power, and choice; and (ii) blame and weight bias. Stigma sub-themes included: (i) the impact on self-stigma and stigma from others, (ii) the differential impact of substance use disorder versus behavioral addiction on stigma, and (iii) the additive stigma of addiction plus obesity and/or eating disorder. Policy implications were broadly derived from comparisons to the tobacco industry and focused on addictive foods as opposed to food addiction. This scoping review underscored the need for increased awareness of food addiction and the role of the food industry, empirical research to identify specific hyperpalatable food substances, and policy interventions that are not simply extrapolated from tobacco.

Bariatric surgery remains the most effective treatment for severe obesity, though post-surgical outcomes are variable with respect to long-term weight loss and eating-related psychopathology. Attachment style is an important variable affecting eating psychopathology among individuals with obesity. To date, studies examining eating psychopathology and attachment style in bariatric surgery populations have been limited to pre-surgery samples and cross-sectional study design. The current prospective study sought to determine whether attachment insecurity is associated with binge eating, emotional eating, and weight loss outcomes at 2-years post-surgery. Patients (n = 108) completed questionnaires on attachment style (ECR-16), binge eating (BES), emotional eating (EES), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between attachment insecurity and 2-years post-surgery disordered eating and percent total weight loss. Female gender was found to be a significant predictor of binge eating (p = 0.007) and emotional eating (p = 0.023) at 2-years post-surgery. Avoidant attachment (p = 0.009) was also found to be a significant predictor of binge eating at 2-years post-surgery. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore attachment style as a predictor of long-term post-operative eating pathology and weight outcomes in bariatric surgery patients.

Les changements rapides du système agro-alimentaire vietnamien, avec notamment le développement de la grande distribution, s’accompagnent d’un changement des modes de qualification des aliments. La vue devient un sens dominant pour évaluer la qualité des produits, alors que le toucher, l’odorat, le goût, voire l’ouïe, étaient largement mobilisés autrefois. La distanciation (physique et cognitive) qui s’opère entre les mangeurs et les produits qu’ils achètent est une façon de lire la modernisation et l’industrialisation de l’alimentation en cours dans des pays émergents comme le Vietnam. En analysant les relations sensorielles à l’alimentation dans ce contexte, cet article contribue à la compréhension de la manière dont la réforme économique affecte les “micro-pratiques” de la population urbaine et comment ces changements reflètent les valeurs de la classe émergente des consommateurs urbains. Rapid changes in the Vietnamese food system, including the development of supermarkets, have deeply impacted the sensory experience related to the act of food purchasing. Nowadays, sight plays a major role in qualifying and selecting food while touch, smell, taste, or even hearing were widely mobilised in the past. The increasing distance (physical and cognitive) between products and consumers characterizes the modernization and industrialization processes taking place in an emerging country such as Viet Nam. By analyzing the sensory relationship to food in such a context, this article contributes to the understanding of how economic reforms affect the "micro-practices" of urban populations and how these changes reflect the values of the emerging class of urban consumers.

La majorité du public manifeste une réticence voire une opposition face aux produits génétiquement modifiés. Quant aux arguments avancés à ce propos, la santé occupe la place centrale. En ce sens, ces produits sont considérés comme des entités pathogènes qui nuisent à la santé du consommateur, menacent sa vie et celle des futures générations. Ce qui nourrit le sentiment de peur des OGM (ou organismes génétiquement modifiés), c'est aussi leur caractère « maléfique », global et irréversible. Car ces produits, en affectant la faune et la flore, portent atteinte à l'équilibre de l'écosystème et à la matrice de la vie. Outre ces risques sur la santé et sur l'équilibre de l'écosystème, les OGM sont représentés comme une atteinte à l'intégrité du pays. En ce sens, ils engendrent la dépossession de ses richesses et de ses spécificités culturelles, par conséquent sa misère et sa subordination aux puissances étrangères et aux multinationales détentrices des OGM. Toutes ces considérations font des OGM le synonyme d'un désordre naturel et social. Certains vont jusqu'à les qualifier de « mal total » ou de « véritable désastre ». L'une des conclusions de l'étude est que le discours populaire relatif aux OGM serait la transposition d'un vécu social contesté et le reflet d'un rapport conflictuel à la société moderne.Most people are reticent, even opposed to Genetically Modified products. Among reasons against GMOs we find that health occupies the most important place: such products are considered as harmful entities for consumers' health, a threat to their life and to future generations. What also feeds the feeling of fear towards GMOs is their “evil”, global, irreversible and evolutionary nature since these products, by affecting fauna and flora, can unbalance the ecosystem equilibrium and the core of life. Apart from the danger they represent for the ecosystem, GMOs are perceived as being a threat to the country's integrity, leading to social and cultural misery as well as to the subordination of the country itself to foreign powers and to multinationals, which detain GMOs. All these considerations make GMOs comparable to a natural, economic, social, cultural, and moral disaster. One of the conclusions of the survey is that the public debate about GMOs could be the transposition of a contested social situation as well as the reflection of a controversial relationship to modern society.

La valeur, cette propriété des objets et des personnes, apparaît dans les rapports sociaux de toutes formes, mais l’alimentation en compose un espace privilégié de redéfinition. Se concentrer sur la trajectoire d’un aliment permet ainsi de décrire en détails la mutation de valeurs économiques tout comme le réagencement de normes au quotidien. Dans la Cordillère des Philippines, les changements des rapports sociaux qui traversent la société Ifugao sont particulièrement lisibles dans les normes de production et de consommation du riz. Suivre les oscillations de la valeur attachée au riz dans la province Ifugao, c’est à la fois envisager des adaptations économiques et interroger la fabrique quotidienne de l’appartenance sociale. L’article s’attache à décrire la désingularisation d’un aliment au profit de l’argent, une denrée qui représente la valeur d’échange par excellence. Ce déplacement d’éminence symbolique soulève des questions sur la manière dont le changement social se manifeste dans le rapport aux valeurs économiques et sur les conséquences de la monétarisation du monde. Value, a property of things and people, appears in all forms of social interactions; food, however, is a privileged area of investigation for the study of its redefinitions. Focusing on the trajectory of a specific edible item thus allows for the description of mutations in economic values and the reshaping of everyday norms. In the Philippine Central Cordillera, rice production and consumption norms clearly reveal the change of social interactions in Ifugao society. Following the fluctuations of values attached to the rice, the article tries to shed light on economical adaptations as well as on the daily making of social belonging in Ifugao society. It describes a “desingularization” of an edible in favor of money, a type of good representing exchange value par excellence. The shift of symbolic eminence raises questions about the ways social change manifests in the rethinking of economic values, and about the consequences of worldwide monetarization.

This article looks at the legacy of the communities created by feminist restaurants and cafés in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Using a mixed methodology of interviews, archives, and a survey of online forums, including Facebook, I explore how the memory of the feminist restaurants and cafés endures through online communities and a new generation of feminist food businesses. The process of remembering feminist restaurants and cafés has the effect of reproducing and promoting the values enacted by the original owners. First, I briefly discuss the kinds of communities feminist restaurant owners fostered during the years of the restaurants’ operation, giving attention to who was included and excluded. Following an explanation of the factors that led to the closure of these businesses, I examine the resurgence of their communities in online spaces and the other ways their legacy has been preserved. I conclude by highlighting the restaurants’ impact on the current food business landscape. Cet article examine l'héritage des communautés créées par les restaurants et cafés féministes aux États-Unis dans les années 1970 et 1980. Grâce à des entretiens et à une étude des forums en ligne, j'explore comment la mémoire des restaurants et des cafés féministes perdure à travers des communautés en ligne et d'une nouvelle génération d'entreprises féministes. Le processus de souvenir qui concerne les restaurants et cafés féministes a pour effet de reproduire et de promouvoir les valeurs promulguées par leurs propriétaires originaux. Tout d’abord, je discute brièvement les types de communautés que les propriétaires de restaurants ont contribué à former au cours des années de fonctionnement de leurs établissements. Je fais particulièrement attention à qui a été inclus et qui a été exclu. Après avoir expliqué les facteurs qui ont conduit à la fermeture de ces entreprises, j’examine la résurgence de leurs communautés dans les espaces virtuels ainsi que d’autres moyens par lesquels ils ont pu préserver leur héritage. Je conclus en soulignant l’impact de ces restaurants sur le secteur alimentaire actuel.

This article elucidates and illuminates food as a powerful device that established and strengthened cultural and commercial relationships among the Guidar of North Cameroon and between the Guidar and their neighbouring ethnic groups. During cultural ceremonies such as traditional wedding, death celebration, funeral entertainment, naming ceremony and group circumcision, the Guidar collectively consumed diverse food items that established and cemented cultural relationships among them. Food also aided in establishing commercial relationships between the Guidar and Moundang, Massa, Tupuri, Bamileke from Cameroon and the Sara from the Republic of Chad. Cet article montre le pouvoir instrumental alimentaire qui établit et renforce les relations culturelles et commerciales parmi les peuples Guidar du nord-Cameroun et différentes entités ethniques voisines. Durant les cérémonies traditionnelles telles que les mariages, les funérailles, les circoncisions en groupes, les peuples Guidar collectivement consomment un large éventail de produits alimentaires qui établissent et renforcent les relations culturelles. La nourriture également favorise l’établissement de relations commerciales entre les peuples Guidar, Moundang, Massa, Toupouri, Bamileke et les peuples Sara de la République du Tchad.

Deux perspectives se dégagent des données exposées de cet article. La première consiste à appréhender les ressorts de l’articulation des rituels et des routines dans la vie quotidienne, soit à penser ensemble des « objets » qui se rencontrent peu dans la littérature. La seconde ouvre la réflexion sur la place des petits rituels de passage au cours de la diversification alimentaire que l’on désigne comme « rituels éphémères ». Dans une perspective diachronique, l’article aborde la pluralité des pratiques rituelles durant la socialisation familiale ordinaire et, d’un point de vue synchronique, il étaye une conception dynamique des rituels, du fait des mutations à l’œuvre au cours de la socialisation alimentaire du jeune enfant. Comme il s’agit de pratiques rituelles domestiques, singulières et éphémères, elles s’apparentent à des « petits riens », ce qui contribue à les invisibiliser. Notre propos est de montrer la place qu’elles occupent, au contraire, non seulement dans la socialisation de l’enfant, mais aussi plus largement dans les socialisations alimentaires familiales. La perspective proposée contribue en filigrane à questionner la position liminale du petit enfant au cours de la diversification alimentaire et à regarder comment la production domestique de rituels fixe des « petits passages » dans la socialisation de l’enfant contribuant à la définition de nouveaux répertoires alimentaires et statuts de mangeur. Two insights can be drawn from the data presented in this article. The first one consists in examining the articulation between daily rituals and routines, two “objects” too often treated separately in scientific literature. The second one allows for a reflection on the impact of the small rites of passage inherent to the diversification of food consumption and which are defined as “ephemeral rituals”. From a diachronic perspective, this article deals with the multiplicity of ritual practices that take place during family socialisation. From a synchronic point of view, it supports a dynamic view of rituals as a result of the changes at work during the food socialisation of the young child. As these rituals and daily habits are unique and ephemeral, they are considered as “little nothings”, and this contributes to their inconspicuousness. This article intends to highlight their importance not only to the child’s individual socialisation process, but also to family food socialisation. This perspective implicitly questions the liminal status of the child during the process of diversification of food consumption. It also examines how the household production of rituals sets “minor transitions” in the children’s socializing phase, thus leading to the definition of new foods and to the acknowledgement of their status as eaters.

L'industrialisation de l'agriculture a entraîné les agriculteurs du monde entier dans le tourbillon d'un système alimentaire mondial commercialise, ce qui a provoqué le déclin massif de l’agriculture traditionnelle à petite échelle et l’appauvrissement de la diversité biologique, organique et durable. Elle a plutôt favorisé la culture mécanisée sur de grandes terres, la monoculture, l'utilisation de méthodes de culture agressive et accrue la dépendance insoutenable vis-à-vis d’apports extérieurs. Il existe de nombreuses controverses autour de ces deux paradigmes et leur recours dans l'avenir. Cet article se concentre spécifiquement sur les tensions entre l'appropriation de l'offre en semences dans le monde et le mouvement pour la lutte contre la souveraineté des semences, ce dernier constituent une dimension clé du débat. Il fait valoir que la mise en œuvre d'une réforme de la deuxième génération, révolution verte basée sur des semences et des techniques liées aux OGM, va exposer les agriculteurs à toujours plus de risques et d’impuissance, alors que l'utilisation prudente de l'open source des semences hybrides pourrait, en réalité, accroître la souveraineté alimentaire des agriculteurs traditionnels. The industrialisation of agriculture has drawn farmers around the world into the vortex of a commercialised global food system. This has caused a massive decline in traditional farming, which tends to be small scale, organic, biologically diverse and sustainable. It has instead favoured mechanised farming on large land holdings, using monocultures, aggressive cultivation methods and external inputs in unsustainable ways. There is much controversy about which of the two paradigms should be used in future. This paper focuses specifically on tension around corporate appropriation of the world’s seed supply and farmer’s counter movements for seed sovereignty, as a key aspect of this broader controversy. It argues that the unrolling of a reformed, second-generation Green Revolution based on GMO seed technologies will expose farmers to further risks and deepen their disempowerment, while careful use of open source hybrid seeds may increase traditional farmers’ food sovereignty.

The paper proposes to carry out a preliminary analysis of the Italian food value chain based on the analysis of social agriculture, in particular social farms associated with “antimafia activities”. The analysis is based on the assumption that social agriculture is multifactorial. The text is based on three case studies from different Italian regions: Sicily, Campania and Lazio. The Sicilian farm is the most developed in terms of production sophistication; the small Campania farm gives great importance to non-commodity results, including well-being and landscape restoration; and the farm in Lazio offers a tangential response to the mafia's activities, although its managers carry out a form of direct resistance to the mafia in Rome. Le texte se propose de mener une analyse préliminaire de la chaîne de valeur de l’alimentation italienne à partir de l’analyse de l’agriculture sociale, en particulier les fermes sociales associées aux « activités antimafia ». L’analyse part du principe selon lequel l’agriculture sociale est multifactorielle. Le texte repose sur trois études de cas issues de régions italiennes différentes : la Sicile, la Campanie et le Latium. La ferme sicilienne est la plus développée en termes de sophistication de la production ; la ferme de Campanie, de petite taille, accorde une grande importance résultats non liés aux produits de base, notamment le bien-être et la restauration des paysages ; la ferme située dans le Latium, enfin, offre une réponse tangentielle aux activités de la mafia, bien que ses gestionnaires les définissent comme une forme de résistance directe à la mafia à Rome.

Nas últimas décadas, há um expressivo interesse acerca dos assuntos relacionados aos alimentos e à alimentação, revelando uma crescente procura por produtos com qualidades diferenciadas que remetem à origem e à produção artesanal. Entre as tendências da gastronomia contemporânea, vem crescendo a utilização de produtos denominados “tradicionais”, “locais” e “orgânicos”, que contem traços de singularidade. Nesse artigo, procuramos entender como se dá a inclusão de alimentos singulares na gastronomia contemporânea a partir da relação entre produtores e chefs. Na cidade de Porto Alegre (no estado de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil), desenvolvimos uma pesquisa junto à um chef que utiliza produtos locais, bem como à um produtor que fornece restaurantes. Os dados da pesquisa mostram que o(s) chef(s) procura(m) produtos locais principalmente pelo sabor e a qualidade, mas também pela busca de identidade e reconhecimento profissional. Percebimos que a interação entre chefs, produtores e consumidores pode estar ocasionando um novo espaço de socialização e de comercialização entre estes atores. Depuis les dernières décennies, il y a un intérêt significatif pour les questions liées à l'alimentation et à la nutrition, révélant une demande croissante pour des produits différenciés qui font référence à une origine et à un savoir-faire artisanal. On observe une tendance croissante dans la cuisine contemporaine à l'utilisation de produits présentés comme “traditionnels”, “locaux” et “biologiques”, que nous englobons dans la catégorie d’ingrédients singuliers. Dans cet article, nous souhaitons comprendre comment ces aliments singuliers s’inscrivent dans la gastronomie contemporaine, et ce à partir de la relation entre chefs cuisiniers et producteurs. Nous avons mené une enquête dans la ville de Porto Alegre (État du Rio Grande do Sul, au Brésil) auprès d’un chef cuisinier qui utilise des produits locaux, ainsi qu’auprès d’un producteur qui fournit les restaurateurs. Les données de l'enquête montrent que les chefs recherchent des produits singuliers principalement pour leur goût et leur qualité, mais aussi dans la recherche d’une identité et d’une reconnaissance professionnelle. On remarque que l'interaction entre les chefs, les producteurs et les consommateurs peut être à l'origine d'un nouvel espace de socialisation et de commercialisation entre ces acteurs. The current worries on food and nutrition have raised the demand of products with particular qualities, especially those which certify their origins and/or handmade production. In the same way, the new trends in contemporary cuisine are increasingly incorporating products referred to as “traditional”, “local”, and “organic”, which we subsume here under the term “singular ingredients”. The aim of this article is to discuss the intersection of these singular products and contemporary, high cuisine, seeking to understand how the relationship between chefs and producers is established. To this end, we present the results of research carried in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with a chef who uses singular products and a producer who provides these products to restaurants. The survey shows that chefs look for local products mainly for taste and quality, but also to achieve professional identity and recognition. We have noticed that the interaction between chefs, producers and diners may concur to the opening up of new spaces for socialization and trade between these actors.

The team of the webjournal Anthropology of Food and the coordinators of the issue devoted to Food and Migration are particularly affected by the death of Annie Hubert. She was to each of us (especially to the members of the Marmite, this informal research group based in Bordeaux, France) an invaluable collaborator, and most of all a great friend. Last April, as we were working on the introduction of this issue questioning the link between migration and food, Xavier Medina, Jean-Pierre Hassoun...

Raw salads are regularly implicated in food-borne disease outbreaks globally. Consumption of kachumbari, a raw vegetable salad, alongside roast meat is widespread in Kenya. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacteriological quality of kachumbari samples (n=39) collected from a cross section of roasted meat eateries in Kenya. The United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency guidelines were used to infer safety of the salads due to lack of local criteria for microbiological safety of ready-to-eat fresh produce placed in the market. Based on Escherichia coli counts, 14 (35.9%) of the samples were of satisfactory microbial quality (2 CFU/g), and 18 (46.2%) unsatisfactory (>102 CFU/g). All samples examined for staphylococci had counts falling within the borderline range (20–≤104 CFU/g). Collectively, 3 (7.7%) of the sampled salads were classified as potentially harmful to health and/or unfit for human consumption due to the presumptive presence of 2 (5.1%) Campylobacter spp. and 1 (2.6%) E. coli O157. Salmonella was not detected in any of the samples. The presence of hygiene indicator microorganisms and pathogens demonstrates that kachumbari salads present a public health risk.

Objective: Laboratory findings indicated that vitamin D might have a potent protective effect on breast cancer, but epidemiology studies reported conflicting results. The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to clarify the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on risk of breast cancer.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and abstracts of three major conferences were searched (up to December 8, 2020). Parallel randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation on risk of breast cancer or change of mammography compared with placebo in females were included. Data were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model. Bayesian meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize the results using data from observational studies as priors.Results: Seven RCTs were identified for effect of vitamin D on risk of breast cancer, with 19,137 females included for meta-analysis. No statistically significant effect of vitamin D on risk of breast cancer was found in classical random-effects meta-analysis (risk ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.84–1.28, p = 0.71). When Bayesian meta-analyses were conducted, results remained non-significant. There was no statistically significant effect of vitamin D on mammography density observed: mean difference = 0.46, 95% confidence interval: −2.06 to 2.98, p = 0.72.Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in breast cancer risk and change of mammography density. The protective effect of vitamin D on risk of breast cancer from previous observational studies may be overestimated.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42019138718.

New Zealand has the second highest overweight and obese child population in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This paper evaluates whether New Zealand&rsquo, s self-regulatory controls on the advertising of unhealthy food and beverages to children and young people adequately protects children from the exposure to, and power of, such marketing in order to limit its impact on children&rsquo, s food and beverage preferences. First, an analysis of the relevant New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Codes was conducted, including the ASA Complaints Board and Appeals Board decisions from 2017&ndash, 2019 to determine the application of the Codes in practice. Second, a public health law framework was applied to the self-regulatory system. Of the 16 complaints assessed, 12 were not upheld, and only one was upheld under the Children and Young People&rsquo, s Advertising Code (CYPA Code). Three complaints were upheld under the Advertising Standards Code (ASC) but not the CYPA Code. An analysis of the Codes and their interpretation by the Complaints Board found that many facets of the public health law framework were not met. The self-regulatory system does not adequately protect children from the exposure to, and power of, unhealthy food and beverage marketing, and government-led, comprehensive, and enforceable marketing restrictions are required.

The pandemic placed extraordinary demands on agricultural producers and created unexpected challenges for southern Missouri farmers, and pushed the University of Missouri Extension (MUE) to implement new and innovative approaches to help farmers persevere through the crisis. In surveys and reports, farmers have indicated several changes caused by the pandemic that impact their businesses, such as increase in local food demand, reduction in on-farm labor, and limitations on hosting on-farm visits with customers. The MUE StrikeForce project team, a U.S. Department of Agriculture strategic initiative, continued to serve farmers by developing alternative educational opportunities that incorporated social distancing and other preventative actions, and were of immediate use to farmers in a crisis. Several of the educational approaches, including video conferencing, online teaching, digital recordings, video repositories, social media communications, pick up and drop off locations, and the use of multiple online viewing platforms such as Zoom recordings have proven to be effective in helping farmers sustain their businesses and have substantially increased access to programming across the state. The convenience of accessing education and learning opportunities online also appealed to more participants. Overall, online educational delivery was positively received by producers, demonstrating the efficacy of digital learning when paired with offline resources and support from the StrikeForce project team. After the pandemic ends, MUE will continue to implement these approaches. Nevertheless, the traditional Extension approach of one-on-one consulting and farm visits cannot be completely replaced by online educational programming. The pandemic has highlighted inequities faced by many rural Missouri farmers that lack dependable internet or cell phone network access, and had no access to StrikeForce programming when face-to-face visits were paused.

The Cass Clay Food Partners is a network of professionals, stakeholders, and residents serving Cass County, North Dakota, and Clay County, Minnesota, in creating a healthier, more just local food system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cass Clay Food Partners quickly implemented a multipronged response that leveraged three critical assets of our network: (1) our unique structure, (2) our nuanced understanding of the social ties across overlapping networks, and (3) our ability to quickly pivot our work to address community needs. In this paper, we describe how our network re­sponded to both the challenges and opportunities presented to our food system by the COVID-19 crisis. We also provide tools and recommendations for other food policy and food network practitioners.

The biochemical process of fermentation (zymology) is widely practical for foods and beverages. This metabolic process involves microorganisms (bacteria) and their enzymes in the preparation and preservation of foods. Many studies have shown that fermented foods and beverages have various documented health benefits to humans, such as being high in vitamin b, and, among other benefits, having atherogenic and anticarcinogenic properties. This communication discusses the significance of fermentation in Haitian cuisine by focusing on pikliz—a spicy fermented meal garnishment that is widely popular among Haitian dishes. This analysis provides relevant information on Haitian cuisine while examining the underlying mechanisms, compositions, properties, nutritional values, and potential health benefits of pikliz. This spicy meal garnishment represents the regional, ethnic, and national identity of Haitians living in Haiti and abroad.

Flake is consumed in many parts of the world. Flakes are majorly prepared from cereals. However, most flakes are deficient in protein and some other healthful substances. High-protein soymeal is rich in protein, mineral, amino acids, antioxidants, and other healthful substances. Formulating flakes with high-protein soymeal would improve the health status of consumers. This work investigated consumer-ready flake from amaranth, high-protein soymeal, and modified corn starch produced under the optimized condition and characterized with the aim to develop models that would give a healthful consumer-ready flake. Amaranthus viridis, corn, and soybean grains were sorted, wet-cleaned, and dried. Soybean grains were processed into high-protein soymeal, starch was extracted from corn grains while A. viridis grains were processed into flour. Formulated flour mixtures were developed into flakes using three-level factorial categoric factor design of response surface methodology. The flakes were analyzed using standard procedures. Optimal flour mixtures of high-protein soymeal (34.78 g/100 g), amaranth (56.52 g/100 g), and modified corn starch (8.70 g/100 g) were established. Results showed the optimized flakes contained per 100 g: 29.05 g protein, 6.00 g fat, 4.10 g fibre, 3.84 g ash, 8.96 g moisture, 249.74 mg calcium, 272.35 mg magnesium, 12.08 mg iron, 618.42 mg phosphorus, 6.41 mg niacin, 4.85 mg pyridoxine, 0.21 g tannin, 1.85 mg phytate, 2.96 mg alkaloids, 908.24GAE total phenolics and 12.75mgRE flavonoids with good quality characteristics in amino acids. The study illustrated the feasibility of formulating quality consumer-ready flakes from amaranth, high-protein soymeal, and modified corn starch. The production process is scalable and could be employed for both domestic and industrial purposes. Graphical abstract

Background & aim No study is available that explores the association of dietary phytochemical index (DPI) with glioma. The objective of the current study was to assess this association in Iranian adults. Methods This hospital-based case-control study included 128 newly-diagnosed cases of glioma and 256 age- and sex-matched controls. Data collection on dietary intakes was done using a 123-item validated food frequency questionnaire. Calculation of DPI was done as (dietary energy derived from phytochemical-rich foods (kcal)/total daily energy intake (kcal)) × 100. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between DPI and glioma. Results Individuals in the top tertile of DPI were more likely to be older and female. Before taking potential confounders into account, subjects in the top tertile of DPI tended to have a 40% reduced chance of glioma than those in the bottom tertile (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.35–1.02, P = 0.06). After controlling for age, sex, energy intake, several demographic variables and dietary intakes, the association between DPI and glioma became strengthened (OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.19–0.97, P = 0.04). Conclusion High intakes of phytochemical-rich foods were associated with a lower risk of glioma in adults. High consumption of phytochemical-rich foods might be recommended to prevent glioma. However, further studies with a prospective design are needed to confirm our findings.

Abstract Soy whey, a liquid nutritional by-product of soybean manufacture, is rich in proteins, oligosaccharides and isoflavones. Soy whey can be used to produce functional beverages, instead of discarding it as a waste. In this study, unfermented soy whey (USW) and Cordyceps militaris SN-18-fermented soy whey (FSW) were investigated and compared for their physicochemical and functional properties by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and DNA damage assay. Results show that C. militaris SN-18 fermentation could increase the contents of essential amino acids, total phenolic and flavonoid and isoflavone aglycones and eliminate the oligosaccharides in soy whey. Furthermore, C. militaris SN-18 could significantly enhance the ABTS radical scavenging ability, reducing power and ferric reducing power of soy whey, and its fermented products could prominently attenuate Fenton reaction-induced DNA damage. These findings indicate that soy whey can potentially be converted into a novel soy functional beverage by C. militaris SN-18 fermentation. Graphical abstract

The current study aimed to investigate antifungal activities of two commercially available essential oils (EOs), specifically Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia; TTEO) and St. John's wort oil (Hypericum perforatum; HPEO) against three Penicillium (P.) species: P. citrinum, P. expansum, and P. crustosum in in situ conditions. For this purpose, EOs were applied in the vapor phase to determine the growth inhibition of fungi artificially inoculated on sliced bread. Changes in colony growth rate were evaluated as markers for the mycelial growth inhibition (MGI) effect of the EOs. The antioxidant activities of the EOs were evaluated using the DPPH method. The moisture content (MC) and water activity (aw) of bread as a substrate for fungal growth were also measured. From the DPPH assay, we have found that both EOs (TTEO, HPEO) exhibited strong antioxidant activity (64.94 ±7.34%; 70.36 ±1.57%, respectively). The values for bread MC and aw were 43.01 ±0.341% and 0.947 ±0.006, respectively. Our results suggest that HPEO is the only weak inhibitor of P. citrinum and P. crustosum colony growths. Also, the highest concentrations of TTEO display only the weak capability of mycelial growth inhibition of P. citrinum and P. crustosum. By contrast, the colony growth of P. expansum was enhanced by both EOs at all levels used. In conclusion, the application of both EOs in the vapor phase against selected Penicillium species seems not to be a promising alternative to chemical inhibitors used for bread preservation.

This study assessed factors influencing consumer's preferences on rice attributes in Indonesia using data collected from a sample of 329 consumers in South Sumatra Province in Indonesia. This study used two variables such as independent variables and dependent variables. Independent variables as a predictor of attributes of consumer preferences include social-demographic variables. On another side, dependent variables include attributes of rice-based on the preferences of the consumer. Social demographic factors such as gender, age, number of families, occupation, education, and income are mentioned to influence consumer's preference for rice. Rice attributes such as small broken, chalky grains, higher broken, varieties, family reference, friend reference, suppliers, advertisement, foreign object, residue, packaging, brand, volume expansion, head rice, flavor, aroma soft texture, durability, and whiteness. This study employed the multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the effects of these variables on rice preference. This study revealed that among household characteristics that influence consumers' preference for rice attributes were household income and the type of occupation of the household head.

We evaluated milk quality during the sheep dairy period in the year 2018. The study was performed at fifteen dairy farms with differed breeds and crossbreds under Slovakian usual practical conditions (milking and pasture). At the first and seventh farm purebred Tsigai (TS) ewes were kept, at the eight to twelve farm there were purebred Lacaune ewes (LC) and the thirteen farm were kept crossbred Improved Valachian x Lacaune ewes (IV/LC, with a higher proportion of Improved Valachian), the fourteen farm crossbred Lacaune x East Friesian ewes and the last farm were ewes of the synthetic population of Slovak dairy ewe (SD). The milk yield recording and milk sampling were performed once a month during evening milking as a part of milk recording services. The basic milk composition was determined by MilkoScan FT120 (Foss, Hillerød, Denmark) and somatic cell count was determined using a Fossomatic 90 (Foss Electric, Hillerød, Denmark) after heat treatment at 40 °C for 15 min. We found the highest incidence of SCC on farm 14 with crossbred LC/EF 3.940 x 103 cells.mL-1. Followed by farms 12 and 9 with purebred LC (SCC value of 3.318 and 2.489 x 103 cells.mL-1). Farm 7 with purebred TS reached the lowest value (831 x 103 cells.mL-1). The highest fat content was reached by the purebred TS, with gradual growth from March to July. Crossbreds and the synthetic population of Slovak dairy ewe (SD) had the lowest average fat content, which could be affected by feeding. Similar tendencies were found in protein content.

Since the 1990s of the 20th century, the Slovak dairy industry has undergone many significant changes which have been related to the reduction of the herds of cattle and milk cows, the decrease of quantity of milked milk, low purchase prices of milk, the decline of a great number of milk producers and processors. The consumption of cow´s milk and dairy products in Slovakia is very low in comparison with the countries of the European Union (about 320 kg), Europe (293 kg), the Czech Republic (280 kg), and the rest of the world. It varies around 170 kg per capita per year, which is also considerably lower consumption than the dose of 220 – 240 kg per capita per year recommended by doctors. Since 1990 the production and consumption of dairy products and cheeses have decreased significantly. In Slovakia, the consumption is twice even three times less than in the developed countries of Europe. The reason for this situation is the behavior of a consumer and the factors having an impact on the consumption of cow`s milk and dairy products. The objective of the paper is to indicate the impact of the personal consumers` characteristics on the purchasing decisions on the market of the products of cow`s milk origin, based on the processed answers of the respondents participating in the questionnaire survey. The primary data were obtained via the questionnaire survey, which was conducted with 786 respondents. The questionnaire consisted of four parts – Eysenck`s personality test, the questions targeted at the detection of factors influencing the consumers` purchasing behavior and decision making, the questions related to expressing opinions about cow`s milk and dairy products, and the classification questions providing the information about the respondents. The data were processed by the methods of quantitative and qualitative statistics – Chi-square statistic χ2 test of square contingency, Chi-square χ2 goodness of fit test, two proportion test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the test of hypotheses of relative proportion.

Children with protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) need a food product that can be easily absorbed by the body because they have impaired nutrient utilization and lipid profile disorder. The provision of fermented products such as tempeh is an alternative approach. Seeds of tree bean (Parkia timoriana (DC) Merr.) are a good source of various nutrients needed by children with PEM. This study aimed to prove the effectiveness of the administration of tempeh flour from tree bean (Parkia timoriana (DC) Merr.) seeds on the lipid profile in PEM rats. PEM in rats was induced by a zero-protein diet containing granulated sugar (20 g), vegetable oil (1 g), and cornstarch (24 g). The animals were categorized into a normal control group (K+), a PEM group without treatment (K−); a group fed tempeh flour from tree bean (Parkia timoriana (DC) Merr.) seeds 1.5 g.kg-1 BW (P1); and a group fed tempeh flour from tree bean (Parkia timoriana (DC) Merr.) seeds 3 g.kg-1 BW (P2). The intervention was administered for 30 days. There was a significant increase in HDL levels (p = 0.001) and significant decreases in cholesterol (p = 0.001), triglyceride (p = 0.001), LDL levels (p = 0.001), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) (p = 0.000) in treatment groups. In conclusion, the administration of tempeh flour from tree bean (Parkia timoriana (DC) Merr.) seeds increases HDL levels and decreases cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL level, and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) in rats with PEM.

In water reservoirs, the size and characteristics of fish, in the first place, affect – the composition and clarity of food objects, the number of food competitors and predators, their numbers, industry, and others. Besides, the rate of linear and weight growth are the arteries that determine the value of the species as an object of commercial fishing. The hybrid of silver and bighead carp easily adapts to different growing conditions (from the point of view of the formation of fish-biological indicators), protein in different years depending on feeding conditions, in one reservoir indicators of length and body weight of ribs are inadequate. Evaluating the influence of feeding conditions on the linear growth of the rib, the method of generalized evaluation was used. An indicator equal to the sum of potential fish productivity for phyto-zooplankton was used to characterize the foraging status of a particular condition in a certain period. In terms of the quality of growth indicators, the indicator of the absolute weight of nature with differentiation of farms, age groups, and years was used. The results of the research revealed significant variability in the size and weight characteristics of different groups of silver and bighead carp, which were isolated from ponds and reservoirs. According to the results of experimental studies established for the cultivation of hybrid silver and bighead carp in reservoirs, relatively high rates of linear and weight growth are expected, higher than for similar species, which is provided in the conditions of fish ponds.

A comparative analysis of the seeds ash composition of the breed Rif (Brassica napus L.) rapeseeds grown in the Lipetskaya region was held. The plants were grown in the conditions of the agroecological experiment using mineral (NPK and zeolite) and organic (hen droppings) fertilizers. 6 variants of the experiment were studied – the plants are grown without fertilizers application (the control); the mineral fertilizer (N60:P60:K60) separately and together with zeolite (5 t.ha-1); the zeolite in pure form (5 t.ha-1); hen droppings (5 t.ha-1) separately and together with zeolite (5 t.ha-1). We studied the accumulation of 9 basic elements (in mass %) contained in Brassica napus. seeds ash using the method of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The accumulation order of the elements was determined: P ≈ K > Mg ≥ Ca > Mo > S > Zn > Mn > Fe. The proportion of P fluctuated from 10.852 to 11.855 mass %; the proportion of K – from 9.933 till 12.343 mass %. The rapeseeds contained Mg, Ca, and Mo in similar concentrations within the range of 4.0 -5.8 mass %. The combined application of zeolite with organic fertilizer ensured the accumulation of the minerals in the seeds. Correlations between the elements were established. High correlation between elements K and Mo was found (r = 0.96); P and Mg (0.86); P and Fe (r = 0.94); C and Mo (r = 0.86). The positive effect of the combined organic-mineral fertilizers with poultry farms wastes usage on the mineral elements accumulation in rapeseeds was stated. It is noted that the accumulation of P, Ca, Mo, and S in rape seeds leads to a decrease in Zn.

First paragraph: Garth and Reese’s edited volume Black Food Matters paints a vivid picture of the evolution of Black food culture as it negotiates the socio-cultural and political complexities surrounding food and race in America. This work centers around the manifestation of Black food in all its stages, from seed to plate, recognizing that it is both a reflection of the lived experiences of Black people in America and an outright rejection of the harm inflicted on them through a persistently anti-Black structural context. The authors trace the resistance and sur­vival praxis of Black food culture from its earliest origins in the practices of slaves on the Middle Passage to the contemporary practices of local-food–based economies in Black urban and rural communities across the nation. In doing so, each of the authors highlights the ongoing threat that racial capitalism poses to the cultural integrity and socio-economic sustainability of Black com­muni­ties. Readers are able to draw valuable com­parisons between the past and present as they see how Black alimentary and economic autarky have consistently been met with multifaceted exploita­tion by mainstream, white-dominated society. And yet, the stories told by the book’s authors are ones of resilience and dignity, highlighting the innova­tion, adaptability, and forti­tude of Black people, as reflected in both African-American and Afro-diasporic food culture. . . .

While the food justice movement was initially asso¬ciated with increasing availability of fresh produce in low-income communities of color through insti¬tutions such as farmers markets, scholars have cri¬tiqued this as imposing a right way of eating. Food justice scholarship has moved away from a focus on healthy eating toward a focus on community economic development, as food enterprises can stimulate job creation. This paper investigates the dual goals of the food justice movement through a case study in San Diego. While food justice has moved beyond promoting a love of produce and is increasingly oriented toward good jobs, for the urban gardeners in this study, the movement is still a lot about vegetables. They see food as medicine, and note the health benefits of moving toward a plant-based diet. Yet, they are reluctant to push this way of eating on others, as they do not want to come across as elitist. Instead, they spread aware¬ness that plant-based diets are an African tradition that should not just be associated with rich white folks. Rather than leading with nutrition, they lead with tradition, taste, and buying Black. To encour¬age consumption of vegetables, they aim to in¬crease the supply of prepared food options in the community, and to market dishes as delicious rather than healthy, all the while supporting Black food entrepreneurs. When selling produce direct to the consumer through farmers markets does not achieve their vision of promoting health or sup¬porting livelihoods, they re-imagine a strategy of promoting food justice through a neighborhood food supply chain.

Local food production (LFP) can play an impor­tant role in ensuring access to food during supply chain disruptions. Because the drafting, adoption, and implementation of policies regulating LFP is under the purview of local governments in many U.S. states, researchers at University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Exten­sion conducted a study to assess whether COVID-19 affected local government stakeholders’ (LGS) (N=92) perspectives on LFP and the role that LFP can play in responding to public health emergen­cies. LGS who oversee the drafting, adoption, and implementation of LFP policies include staff responsible for code enforcement, sustainability initiatives, and planning, as well as elected and ap­pointed leaders, such as mayors, city and county managers, and city and county commissioners. The survey assessed LGS’ attitudes and knowledge about LFP. The survey also asked LGS about their perceptions and awareness of LFP in their commu­nities, including their perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to LFP and the ways in which LFP producers were using the food they produced. Sur­vey questions also focused specifically on COVID-19 and the role of LFP in public health emergen­cies. In particular, survey questions asked whether LGS perceived a change in their own attitudes, knowledge, and perspectives; whether there had been a change in the LFP activi­ties in their communities following COVID-19; and what they thought the role of LFP was in responding to public health emergencies. Direct comparisons of LGS who responded to a 2019 survey (N=43) were assessed for statistically sig­nificant changes in overall attitudes, knowledge, or perceived benefits of LFP following COVID-19. This study found that LGS have generally positive attitudes and perceptions of benefits of LFP, including its role in public health emergencies, but have limited knowledge about LFP or awareness of barriers to its implementation. The results of this study indicate that LGS understand the potential benefits of LFP in public health emergencies but would benefit from information and training to support the development of policies and programs in their communities.

Community food security and food systems resili­ence have received much emphasis in the last two decades, at least partially in response to mounting challenges and pressures on the global food system. While empirical research shows strong evidence that direct-to-consumer relationships in the food system predominantly serve affluent commu­nities, during the COVID-19 pandemic local food providers have become a necessity through their provision of essential services, such as hunger relief and home deliveries for vulnerable populations. In this paper, we examine the challenges and opportunities of food hubs—innovations in local food systems that help connect small farmers with local markets—during the COVID-19 pandemic using quantitative and qualitative data from practitioners on the ground. The hubs were not necessarily equipped or experienced in the response needed, but they quickly adapted to the situation and demonstrated success during the pandemic, as illustrated by 200–300% growth in performance metrics such as revenues generated, employees retained, customers served, and farmers supported. The performance of the hubs in response to the multiple challenges accompanying the pandemic demonstrates their key role in food system resilience through features of diversity, functional redundancy, and connectivity, suggesting that disaster preparation should consider local food hubs a necessary service. We provide policy suggestions for supporting their role in local food system resilience beyond the pandemic.

COVID-19 has highlighted the dynamic relationship between pandemic threats and global food systems. Despite important connections, research and policy-making on food systems and pandemics largely operate in silos. We propose a framework that integrates food systems and pandemic planning and response, exploring the role of the food system in shaping pandemics and, consequently, the role of pandemics in disrupting a now global food system. This framework highlights important connections between food production, distribution, and consumption at each stage of the pandemic cycle: preven­tion, response, and recovery. We use recent experiences with COVID-19 to illustrate vulnerabilities in systems interaction during the prevention and response phases. Over the long term, in the recovery phase, food systems must transform, adopting an enhanced level of functioning to improve resilience. To reduce population health risks and promote sustainable food systems, we call for implementation of surveillance systems for both emerging infections and food systems functioning in order to strengthen global food supply chains, create stakeholder resource coordination mechanisms, and address underlying socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Multidisciplinary global actors should draw on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent the inevitable next one.

In this work, water-soluble zein/sodium caseinate (SC) nanoparticles were prepared as a delivery system of antimicrobials through anti-solvent procedure. Two model antimicrobials (nisin and thymol) were coencapsulated into zein particles by different interaction. Release properties indicate that zein colloid particles can be used not only in neutral food but also in acidic foods. It is worth mention that the release of thymol was delayed simply by adding nisin. To investigate the antimicrobial properties of zein/SC particles, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes were selected as gram-negative and gram-positive indicator bacteria. CO2 produced by incubated germs was detected by headspace gas chromatography. Long-term effective antimicrobial activities of zein particles in Luria broth was attained by burst release of nisin and slowly sustained release of thymol. Synergistic antimicromibial properties against L. monocytogenes of thymol and nisin loaded by zein/SC particles in milk were also observed. The antimicrobial property of zein/SC particles could enhance microbial safety of food, giving this delivery system promising applications in food industry.

The genus Bidens (Asteraceae) encompasses over 240 different species. One of them is Bidens pilosa L. that is an easy‐to‐grow perennial, and broadly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This plant has been regarded as an edible plant by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations since 1975, and has been traditionally used as a food and medicine in America, Africa, and Asia. B. pilosa has been claimed to possess active compounds with more than 40 distinct bioactivities. Although considerable progress has been made in studying the phytochemistry and biology of B. pilosa and its compounds over recent years, a critical review of its dietary functions for metabolic syndrome is unavailable. The present review summarizes the nutrition, benefits, phytochemistry, and safety of B. pilosa with respect to metabolic syndrome. As well as highlighting studies of the use of B. pilosa for metabolic syndrome, scientific evidence regarding the antimetabolic action, mechanism, and application of this species and its active phytochemicals are discussed. This review consolidates information for further study into the medicinal benefits of the compounds in this plant.

Background: Muscle cramp is a painful, involuntary muscle contraction, and occurs during or following exercise, which is referred to as exercise-associated muscle cramp (EAMC). The causes of EAMC are likely to be multifactorial, but dehydration and electrolytes deficits have been considered to be factors. This study tested the hypothesis that post-exercise muscle cramp susceptibility would be increased with spring water ingestion, but reduced with oral rehydration solution (ORS) ingestion during exercise. Methods: Ten men performed downhill running (DHR) in the heat (35–36°C) for 40–60 min to reduce 1.5–2% of their body mass in two conditions (spring water vs ORS) in a cross-over design. The body mass was measured at 20 min and every 10 min thereafter during DHR, and 30 min post-DHR. The participants ingested either spring water or ORS for the body mass loss in each period. The two conditions were counter-balanced among the participants and separated by a week. Calf muscle cramp susceptibility was assessed by a threshold frequency (TF) of an electrical train stimulation to induce cramp before, immediately after, 30 and 65 min post-DHR. Blood samples were taken before, immediately and 65 min after DHR to measure serum sodium, potassium, magnesium and chroride concentrations, hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), and serum osmolarity. Changes in these varaibles over time were compared between conditions by two-way repeated measures of analysis of variance. Results: The average (±SD) baseline TF (25.6 ± 0.7 Hz) was the same between conditions. TF decreased by 3.8 ± 2.7 to 4.5 ± 1.7 Hz from immediately to 65 min post-DHR for the spring water condition, but increased by 6.5 ± 4.9 to 13.6 ± 6.0 Hz in the same time period for the ORS condition (P0.05) for both conditions, but osmolarity decreased (PConclusions: These results suggest that ORS intake during exercise decreased muscle cramp susceptibility. It was concluded that ingesting ORS appeared to be effective for preventing EAMC.

The stewed pork balls with brown sauce (SPB-BS) in China is well known for its delicacy and preferred by consumers. Maillard reaction (MR) is widespread in SPB-BS due to the use of sugar, meat and sauce in the thermal process. However, there is a lack of research on its risk and flavor by MR. By solid phase extraction combined with HPLC-MS, 4 kinds of harmful compounds including acrylamide (AA), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) and furan were analyzed in SPB-BS and their amounts ranged 0.05–0.50 mg/kg. The quantitative formula was proposed to evaluate the risk value of the SPB-BS, after taking into account the content, acceptable daily intake (ADI) and carcinogenicity of each compound. The risk values were in range of 0.57–37.93, suggesting that the risk caused by MR in SPB-BS was low. By head space-solid phase microextraction combined with GC-MS, 57 volatile compounds in SPB-BS were identified with the dominant contribution of alcohols, aldehydes, acids and esters. Based on the structures of these compounds and the composition of SPB-BS, lipid oxidation and MR are inferred to be responsible for the formation of the harmful and volatile compounds. In addition, the added sauces and oil provides the main precursors to form the harmful and volatile compounds in SPB-BS, so it is necessary to point out a balance between them in the further study.

With the global warming, the cultivation and storage of northern Chinese cabbage has been infected by Sclerotium bacteria, resulting in the whole plant rot. In this study, in order to develop a bio-inhibitory agent with antibacterial effect and no toxicity and no residue, three strains with high inhibition rate against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were screened from 69 samples of Doenjang collected in different regions. By observing culture characteristics and physiological and biochemical tests, three strains were identified through 16S rDNA sequence and phylogenetic tree. The results showed that SP-6 was Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, SP-13 was Bacillus methylotrophicus, and SP-14 was Bacillus subtilis. Meanwhile, the inhibition rate of the aseptic fermentation filtrate of three strains against S. sclerotiorum was determined and the fermentation conditions of SP-14 strain was optimized. Results showed that all of three fermentation filtrates inhibited S. sclerotiorum. Data showed that the best conditions for fermentation for the antibacterial substances of SP-14 strain is as following: 1% maltose, 1% ammonium oxalate or beef extract, 1% ferrous sulfate, fermentation at 32 °C for 36 h, initial pH 8–9 and the inoculation amount 5%. The living bacteriostatic test showed that SP-14 strain had good inhibitory effect on S. sclerotiorum and the inhibitory effect was more significant when the bacteria concentration was 1.2 × 1011 CFU/mL.

This study aimed at investigating the effects of polishing conditions on the physicochemical properties of polished yellow konjac flour (PYKF) with a centrifugal mill using Central Composite Design-Response Surface Methodology (CCD-RSM). Micro-mill milled yellow konjac flour (MMYKF) mass and polishing cycles were the independent variables, with four observed responses (calcium oxalate, viscosity, degree of whiteness (DoW), and glucomannan). The lower limit (-1) and upper limit (+1) for MMYKF mass in this study are 10 and 15 kg, respectively, while the -1 and +1 for the polishing cycle are three times, and seven times, respectively. The optimum prediction occurred at 10 kg of MMYKF mass and six times the polishing cycle with the following characteristics: 0.52 ±0.00% w.b. calcium oxalate, 20362.00 ±16.00 cP viscosity, 62.22 ±0.01 DoW, and 69.43 ±0.02% d.b. glucomannan content, which agreed with the verification data with p-value >0.05 for all observed responses using the paired T-test. Polishing using a centrifugal mill is feasible and promises to be scaled up to industrial scale for yellow konjac flour polishing before the wet extraction process.

Long-term high cholesterol intake is one of the most critical risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). As milk and dairy products are rich in cholesterol and are consumed on a large scale, the production of low-cholesterol content products could decrease effectively high cholesterol intake what would be one of the crucial steps in CVD prevention. Thus, this study is aimed at optimization of treatment conditions (mixing speed, time, and temperature) and β-cyclodextrin addition affecting the measure of cholesterol removal in milk. As found, the optimal conditions were identified such as mixing speed 840 rpm, mixing time 10 min, and the temperature of mixing 25 °C while the most effectivity in cholesterol decrease content (98.1%) was observed after 2.0% β-cyclodextrin addition. The cholesterol removal process did not affect considerably the lightness values L* of treated milk, slight differences were noticed in terms of a* and b* color values but ΔE values were statistically insignificant, i.e., the process of cholesterol removal did not affect visual characteristics of treated milk. So, these conditions can be applied for the production of milk base functional foods with the decreased cholesterol content.

Background Air pollution exposure is one of the major threats to skin health and accelerates skin ageing mainly through oxidative stress mechanisms. Since it is difficult to minimize skin exposure to air pollutants, especially in urban areas, strategies to protect the skin are needed. Plant phenolic compounds have been found to be effective in attenuating cellular oxidative stress and inflammation induced by different air pollutants and a dietary approach based on these compounds could provide an efficient protection measure. Objective Here we investigated the efficacy of a commercially available polyphenol-enriched dietary supplement (Zeropollution®) in reducing pollution-induced oxidative stress and in improving different skin parameters related to skin ageing of Caucasian and Asian subjects exposed to air pollution. Zeropollution is composed of four standardized herbal extracts: Olea europaea leaf, Lippia citriodora, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Sophora japonica. Design A double-blind randomized, parallel group study was carried out on 100 outdoor workers living in a polluted urban European area (Milan) to assess the efficacy of the dietary supplement. The total antioxidant capacity on saliva (FRAP), the oxidative damage on skin (lipoperoxides content), skin moisturization (corneometer), transepidermal water loss (tewameter), skin radiance and colour (spectrophotometer), skin elasticity (cutometer), skin sebum content (sebumeter), and the skin roughness (image analysis) were measured. Results Both inter-group and intra-group analysis proved that the dietary supplement improved all clinical and biochemical-monitored parameters, in both Caucasian and Asian individuals. Some of the positive effects such as decreased wrinkle depth, increased elasticity and firmness, improved skin moisturization and transepidermal water loss, and reduced dark spots pigmentation were statistically significant as early as 2 weeks of product consumption. Conclusions The results of the study indicate reduced oxidative stress-induced skin damage in both Asian and Caucasian women living in a polluted urban area. Therefore, the oral intake of this four-plant based supplement could be considered a complementary nutrition strategy to avoid the negative effects of environmental pollution exposure.

Background The literature showed that Grape Products Containing Polyphenols (GPCP) had anti-oxidant activity. However, the effects of GPCP on different biomarkers of oxidative stress are still controversial. In this regard, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of Grape Products Containing Polyphenols (GPCP) intake on oxidative stress markers. Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar data bases were searched up to August 20, 2020. A random-effects model, weighted mean difference (WMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied for data analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted over 17 eligible RCTs with a total of 633 participants. The study registration number is CRD42019116696. Results A significant increase was observed in Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 1.524 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83, 2.21). Intake of GPCP enhanced Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) (WMD = 0.450 mmol/L, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.66), TAC (WMD = 2.829 mmol/L, 95% CI: 0.13, 5.52), and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) (WMD = 0.524 μmol/L, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.62) among healthy participants. Higher GPCP doses increased SOD (WMD = 0.539 U/mgHb, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.82) and ORAC (WMD = 0.377 μmol/L, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.67), whereas longer intervention periods enhanced ORAC (WMD = 0.543 μmol/L, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.64). Conclusion GPCP intake may partly improve status of oxidative stress, but further well-designed trials are required to confirm these results.

Snacks such as puffed corns are tasty and favorite food products of many people. These products usually have low content of bioactive compounds with high starch and oil contents. To overcome these drawbacks, in the present study, the mixture including the corn grit incorporated with barberry (Berberis vulgaris) fruit powder (BFP), as a rich source of bioactive components and fibers, at level of 0 (control) to 10% were fed into the extruder to make a puffed product. Quality properties of the produced samples were determined during 90 days of storage at ambient condition. Results showed that by incorporation of BFP there were an increase in fiber (from 2.9 to 6.2%) and decreases in oil (from 25.5 to 19.5%) and protein (from 7.2 to 5.8%) levels. BFP could decrease oil hydrolysis and oxidation during storage, and acidity and peroxide values of fortified samples were lower than control during storage. Vitamin C content of samples were increased from 0.28 to 3.4 ppm in samples containing BFP. In the fortified samples, pelarogonidin-3-monoglucoside was the main anthocyanin followed by petunidin-3-monoglucoside and cyanidin-3-monoglucoside. Expansion ratio, brittleness and breaking strength of the fortified samples was also decreased significantly (P

Camel milk is a valuable source of nutrition with a wide range of therapeutic effects. Its unique composition helps to regulate the blood glucose level. The current study is aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects, as well as lipid profile restoration of camel milk in the diabetic mouse model. This innovative study evaluates the therapeutic effects of camel milk in diabetic mice by simultaneous measurement of blood glucose, HbA1c, ALT, AST, TG, cholesterol, and histopathological studies. The results showed that camel milk has significantly reduced blood glucose, HbA1c (p, Camel milk as a natural safe product can be used as an alternative treatment regimen in diabetes therapy. Potency of camel milk is to restore the activity of hepatocyte enzymes such as ALT and AST. Camel milk is an effective approximately as much as glibenclamide to normalize blood TG and cholesterol concentrations.

Dihydromyricetin (DHM), as a bioactive flavanonol compound, is mainly found in “Tengcha” (Ampelopsis grossedentata) cultivated in south of China. This study aimed to investigate the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-dyslipidemic activities of DHM using type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) rats, which was induced by feeding with high fat and fructose diet for 42 days and intraperitoneal administration of streptozocin. Forty-eight freshly-weaned rats were randomly assigned into the negative control (Blank), low dose (100 mg/kg), medium dose (200 mg/kg), high dose (400 mg/kg), and positive (40 mg/kg, met) groups. Fasting blood glucose and body weight were measured at weekly interval. Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on days 42. The results revealed that DHM possessed significant antihyperglycaemic and antihyperinsulinemic effects. Moreover, after the DHM treatment, p-Akt and p-AMPK expression was upregulated, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) expression was downregulated, indicating that the potential anti-diabetic mechanism of DHM might be due to the regulation of the AMPK/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is a sweet-tasting tuber, grown in the Andes Mountains and considered a functional food because of its fructooligosaccharide (FOS) content. The objective of the research was to characterize physicochemically and sensorially sweet biscuits made with a mixture of wheat flour and yacon flour. The selected yacon fruits were washed with sodium hypochlorite (200 ppm), peeled, sliced and dried at 55 °C/72 h in a forced convection tray dryer (Binder UDK 250) to obtain flour; then their approximate centesimal composition and color were determined, and subsequently sweet biscuits were made using three wheat/yacon flour mixtures in the following proportions (w/w): 100:00 (control), 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50; a completely randomized design with three repetitions was used. The biscuits were physicochemically characterized using AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) techniques; their caloric intake was calculated and an acceptance test was performed with 50 consumer tasters using a 9-point hedonic scale. The yacon flour presented a moisture and protein content lower than some references, and ethereal extract, fiber and ash were similar to those reported in the literature; in terms of color the flour presented a lower value than wheat flour, indicating that it is darker. Cookies with mixed wheat flour/yacon flour had a high content of ethereal extract, fiber, ash and carbohydrates, and statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) when compared with the control; the caloric value of cookies was between 375.32 and 386.04 Kcal/g. The sensory acceptance test showed significant differences for all the attributes evaluated, highlighting the treatment with 70:30 wheat/yacon flour with the highest scores for the attributes of appearance, aroma, texture and flavor. Based on the results, it is concluded that obtaining flour and making cookies with mixtures of wheat flour/yacon flour can be an alternative use of the fruit.

Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle, including poor diet. Indices reflecting the overall quality of diets are more effective than single food or nutrient-based approaches in clarifying the diet disease relationship. The present study aims to use latent variable modeling to examine the longitudinal joint relationships between the latent profiles of CVDs risk factors and the diet quality index (DQI). Methods A total of 4390 Iranian adults aged 35 and older within the framework of the Isfahan Cohort Study were included in the current secondary analysis. DQI focused on food groups, including fast foods, sweets, vegetables, fruits, fats, and proteins, based on a validated food frequency questionnaire. The score of DQI has a range between 0 (indicating healthy and high diet quality) and 2 (indicating unhealthy and low diet quality). Blood pressure (BP), anthropometric measurements, blood glucose, serum lipids, and high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) were measured according to standard protocols in 2001, 2007, and 2013 to evaluate the profiles of CVDs risk factors. A Bayesian Multidimensional Graded Responses Linear Mixed Model was used for data analysis. Results At baseline, the participants’ mean ± standard deviation age was 50.09 ± 11.21, and 49.5% of them were male. Three latent profiles of CVDs risk factors were derived: (1) Fit Pre-Metabolic Syndrome (FPMS) profile characterized by normal anthropometric indices and some impaired metabolic risk factors; (2) DysLipoproteinemia Central Obese (DLCO) profile with abdominal obesity and impaired low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as other normal risk factors; (3) Impaired Laboratory Inflammatory State (ILIS) profile with impaired high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and hs-CRP and other normal risk factors. In general, higher scores of the extracted latent profiles indicated more impaired function in the related risk factors. After controlling for various potential fixed and time-varying confounding variables, a significant positive longitudinal association was found between FPMS, DLCO, and ILIS profiles and DQI (β (95% CrI): 0.26 (0.03,0.51), 0.14 (0.01,0.27), and 0.24 (0.11,0.38), respectively), demonstrating that lower overall diet quality was associated with more impaired function of the related risk factors. Conclusions More adherence to a healthy quality diet is associated with lower levels of all emerging latent profiles of CVDs risk factors. Increasing the knowledge of the community about the importance of the quality of consumed foods may help to prevent CVDs. It is recommended that further investigations, particularly interventional studies, be conducted to confirm our results.

Latar Belakang: Perubahan gaya hidup dan pola makan menyebabkan tingginya angka kejadian obesitas di seluruh dunia yaitu 13% padat tahun 2016. Perbaikan status obesitas dapat dilakukan melalui jalur farmakologik ataupun non farmakologik. Metformin dan meniran (Phyllanthus niruri Linn.) mempunyai fungsi untuk menurunkan penyerapan asupan makanan.Tujuan: menganalisis pengaruh kombinasi metformin dan ekstrak air meniran (Phyllanthus niruri Linn.) terhadap perbaikan status obesitas tikus Sprague Dawley jantan.Metode: multigroup time series design. Dua puluh empat ekor tikus dibuat obesitas dengan cara diberi pakan tambahan lemak sapi cair dan fruktosa terhadap pakan dasar AIN93G selama 5 minggu. Obesitas ditentukan dengan indeks Lee > 300. Sampel dikelompokkan menjadi 4 kelompok, kelompok 1 diberi metformin 45 mg/kg BB/hari, kelompok 2 diberi ekstrak air meniran 400 mg/kg BB/hari, kelompok 3 diberi kombinasi keduanya, dan kelompok 4 kontrol.Hasil: Selama penelitian ada perbedaan berat pakan dan asupan kalori pada setiap kelompok perlakuan. Setelah 28 hari perlakuan ada perbedaan kenaikan berat badan dan perubahan indeks Lee antara ketiga kelompok perlakuan (ρ < 0,05), walaupun indeks Lee > 300.Kesimpulan: pemberian kombinasi ekstrak air meniran dan metformin dapat mengendalikan kenaikan berat badan dan menurunkan indeks Lee.