Chinese consumers’ understanding and use of a food nutrition label and their determinants

This paper investigated Chinese consumers’ understanding and use of the Chinese food nutrition label and their determinants. Quantitative data were collected during March 2012 through a self-administrated structured questionnaire conducted in Beijing (n = 213) and Baoding city (n = 447). Questions assessed Chinese consumers’ use and understanding (objective and subjective) of food nutrition labels, nutrition knowledge (objective and subjective), socio-demographic characteristics, diet status, diet-health awareness, body mass index (BMI) and familiarity with food nutrition labels. A moderate degree of subjective understanding and a low degree of objective understanding of food nutrition labels were found among the participants, and 70% of the participants claimed to rarely or never use nutrition labels when shopping for food. Nutrition knowledge (objective and subjective) positively affected participants’ understanding (objective and subjective) of food nutrition labels. Familiarity with food nutrition labels had a strong positive effect on understanding of and use of food nutrition labels. Subjective nutrition knowledge and subjective understanding also played a significant and positive role in Chinese consumers’ label use. Age yielded a negative effect on both subjective and objective understanding, while education only affected participants’ objective understanding. None of the socio-demographic characteristics associated with self-reported use. Implications for future policies to improve Chinese consumers’ understanding and promote their use of food nutrition labels are discussed.     

Survey of sulfites in wine and various Turkish food and food products intended for export, 2007–2010

Surveys were carried out between 2007 and 2010 to determine the total levels of sulfites in 1245 samples of wines, dried apricots, dried vegetables, nuts, juices and purees, frozen foods and cereals containing dried fruit supplied by food inspectors and by food producers for testing or for export certification. Sulfite analysis of wine was carried out using the Ripper method with an LOQ of 5?mg?l^?1 and for dried and other foods the Monier-Williams distillation procedure was employed with an LOQ of 10?mg?kg^?1. In the survey all wines contained measurable sulfites, but with the exception of one sample of white wine they were otherwise below Turkish Food Codex limits of 160?mg?kg^?1 for red wine, 210?mg?kg^?1 to white wine and 235?mg?kg^?1 for sparkling wine. None of the cereal products, frozen foods, juices or purees contained sulfites above 10?mg?kg^?1. However, all dried apricot samples contained significant levels of sulfite with around 40% having levels exceeding the Turkish limit of 2000?mg?kg^?1. Significant levels of sulfite were found in other samples of dried fruit with even a fruit and nut bar containing 1395?mg?kg^?1 of sulfite, suggesting the dried fruit ingredients contained levels above regulatory limits.     

RP-HPLC–DAD analysis of phenolic compounds in pomace extracts from five grape cultivars: Evaluation of their antioxidant,antiradical and antifungal activities in orange and apple juices

Phenolic compounds, related to antioxidative and antifungal properties of ethanolic extracts from five commercial grape cultivars (three red and two white) grown in Turkey were determined. A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) procedure was developed, and a total 18 different phenolic compounds were identified. Total phenolic contents of the extracts were determined using Folin–Ciocalteau method. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging and phosphomolybdenum methods. All extracts exhibited strong antioxidant and antiradical activity. Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of the extracts were variety dependent. Antifungal activities of the pomaces and extracts were screened by both in vitro agar-well diffusion assay and antifungal activity in apple and orange juices in situ using Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Z. bailii. Antifungal activities revealed that the pomaces and extracts of Gamay and Kalecik karasi could be more effective antifungal agents than those of Emir, Narince and Okuzgozu grape cultivars.     

Non-gene-editing microbiome engineering of spontaneous food fermentation microbiota—Limitation control,design control,and integration

Non-gene-editing microbiome engineering (NgeME) is the rational design and control of natural microbial consortia to perform desired functions. Traditional NgeME approaches use selected environmental variables to force natural microbial consortia to perform the desired functions. Spontaneous food fermentation, the oldest kind of traditional NgeME, transforms foods into various fermented products using natural microbial networks. In traditional NgeME, spontaneous food fermentation microbiotas (SFFMs) are typically formed and controlled manually by the establishment of limiting factors in small batches with little mechanization. However, limitation control generally leads to trade-offs between efficiency and the quality of fermentation. Modern NgeME approaches based on synthetic microbial ecology have been developed using designed microbial communities to explore assembly mechanisms and target functional enhancement of SFFMs. This has greatly improved our understanding of microbiota control, but such approaches still have shortcomings compared to traditional NgeME. Here, we comprehensively describe research on mechanisms and control strategies for SFFMs based on traditional and modern NgeME. We discuss the ecological and engineering principles of the two approaches to enhance the understanding of how best to control SFFM. We also review recent applied and theoretical research on modern NgeME and propose an integrated in vitro synthetic microbiota model to bridge gaps between limitation control and design control for SFFM.     

Flavor–food ingredient interactions in fortified or reformulated novel food: Binding behaviors,manipulation strategies,sensory impacts,and future trends in delicious and healthy food design

With consumers gaining prominent awareness of health and well-being, a diverse range of fortified or reformulated novel food is developed to achieve personalized or tailored nutrition using protein, carbohydrates, or fat as building blocks. Flavor property is a critical factor in the acceptability and marketability of fortified or reformulated food. Major food ingredients are able to interact with flavor compounds, leading to a significant change in flavor release from the food matrix and, ultimately, altering flavor perception. Although many efforts have been made to elucidate how food matrix components change flavor binding capacities, the influences on flavor perception and their implications for the innovation of fortified or reformulated novel food have not been systematically summarized up to now. Thus, this review provides detailed knowledge about the binding behaviors of flavors to major food ingredients, as well as their influences on flavor retention, release, and perception. Practical approaches for manipulating these interactions and the resulting flavor quality are also reviewed, from the scope of their intrinsic and extrinsic influencing factors with technologies available, which is helpful for future food innovation. Evaluation of food–ingredient interactions using real food matrices while considering multisensory flavor perception is also prospected, to well motivate food industries to investigate new strategies for tasteful and healthy food design in response to consumers’ unwillingness to compromise on flavor for health.     

Ethanol in food: liquid–vapour partition in model systems containing Maillard reaction products

The effect of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) with different browning degree on the liquid–vapour partition of ethanol was studied in model systems. In particular, glucose–glycine aqueous solutions subjected to different heat treatments, which consequentely had different water activity values, were added to increasing amounts of ethanol and analysed for ethanol vapour pressure. In order to study the effects of the water activity change and of melanoidins' formation on the ethanol partition, experiments were also carried out on samples equilibrated at the same water activity. Ethanol vapour pressure decreased as the Maillard reaction proceeded. This result was attributed to the increase in water activity rather than to binding effects of melanoidins towards ethanol. Changes in water activity were mainly due to reagent consumption, water molecule formation and melanoidin production.     

Potential interactions among phenolic compounds and probiotics for mutual boosting of their health-promoting properties and food functionalities – A review

Several foods are rich sources of phenolic compounds (PC) and their beneficial effects on human health may be increased through the action of probiotics. Additionally, probiotics may use PC as substrates, increasing their survival and functionality. This review presents available studies on the effects of PC on probiotics, including their physiological functionalities, interactions and capability of surviving during exposure to gastrointestinal conditions and when incorporated into food matrices. Studies have shown that PC can improve the adhesion capacity and survival of probiotics during exposure to conditions that mimic the gastrointestinal tract. There is strong evidence that PC can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota in hosts, improving a variety of biochemical markers and risk factors for chronic diseases. Available literature also indicates that metabolites of PC formed by intestinal microorganisms, including probiotics, exert a variety of benefits on host health. These metabolites are typically more active than parental dietary PC. The presence of PC commonly enhances probiotic survival in different foods. Finally, further clinical studies need to be developed to confirm in vitro and experimental findings concerning the beneficial interactions among different PC and probiotics.     

Evaluation of a GC–MS method for benzyl chloride content in processed food,meats, and marine products distributed in Korea

Food Science and Biotechnology - Benzyl chloride is a harmful chemical that contaminates air, water, and food. A static headspace GC–MS method for determining benzyl chloride in food was...     

Potato bacterial wilt in Rwanda: occurrence,risk factors,farmers’ knowledge and attitudes

Potato is an important food commodity and efforts to increase its productivity should focus on addressing production limiting factors. Potato bacterial wilt (PBW) caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the major constraints to potato production in Rwanda and no single method effectively controls the disease. Development of a sustainable management approach requires understanding of PBW distribution, risk factors, farmers’ knowledge and management attitudes. Therefore, we surveyed PBW disease and interviewed farmers in eight districts of Rwanda during March–April 2015. We detected PBW in all the surveyed districts and it was ranked as the major potato disease constraint. Among districts, disease incidence and severity varied from 5 to 24% and 3 to 13%, respectively, and was significantly higher in minor compared to major potato growing districts. Low PBW incidence and severity were associated with high altitude and low planting density, intercropping, crop rotation and avoidance of sharing farm tools. In all districts, farmers had little knowledge about PBW detection and spread, and the farmers’ awareness of PBW management was often inconsistent with their practices. This incomplete knowledge about PBW was likely caused by inadequate extension services since most information about PBW was acquired from fellow farmers, parents or other relatives. Thus raising awareness of PBW and integrated disease management, including practices that are associated with low PBW, could limit the impact of this disease and help to secure food and income for potato growing farmers in Rwanda.     

Future perspectives in Orbitrap™-high-resolution mass spectrometry in food analysis: a review

A literature search from 2007 to 2014 was conducted to identify publications where principally LC-Orbitrap?-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) has been employed in food analysis. Of a total of 212 relevant references, only 22 papers were from 2007–10, but in subsequent years there has been a steady growth in publications with 38–55 relevant papers being published each year from 2011 to 2014. In the food safety area, over 50% of the published papers were equally divided between pesticides, veterinary drug residues and natural toxins (including mycotoxins) focused primarily on multi-analyte target analysis. LC-Orbitrap-HRMS was also found to be increasingly important for the analysis of bioactive substances, principally phenolic compounds in foods. A number of studies reported for the first time the identification of new fungal metabolites, predominantly various conjugated forms of known mycotoxins. Novel process contaminants were also identified by LC-Orbitrap-HRMS, as were various substances used for food adulteration and bioactive substances in herbal products and dietary supplements. Untargeted analysis is seen as a major future trend where HRMS plays a significant role. Retrospective analysis of scanned high-resolution mass spectra in conjunction with relevant databases can provide new insights. Metabolomics is also being increasingly used where foods are being profiled through fingerprinting using HRMS. All evidence points towards future growth in the number of applications of HRMS in food safety and quality, as the power of this technique gains wider recognition.     

Ultrasound-assisted hydrolysis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometric determination of phenolic compounds in cranberry products

An ultrasound-assisted hydrolysis and gas chromatography–mass spectrometric (GC–MS) method has been developed for determination of phenolics in cranberry products. Prior to GC–MS separation and characterisation, the phenolics in samples were hydrolysed by hydrochloric acid with ultrasound-assistance, extracted with ethyl acetate, and derivatised with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) + 1% trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) reagents. The application of ultrasonication significantly accelerated the acidic hydrolysation of the conjugated phenolics. A baseline separation of the 20 phenolics and internal standard was achieved in 25 min. Standard calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.0–50 μg/mL and detection limits were 0.06–0.70 μg/mL. Twenty phenolics were identified in cranberry samples and all of them occurred mainly in conjugated forms. Of those, the benzoic acid, quercetin, and myricetin were most abundant phenolics. The total phenolics were 12.4 mg/g in cranberry fruits, 9.1 mg/mL in 100% cranberry juice, and 11.1 mg/g in cranberry sauces, respectively.     

Functional implications of bound phenolic compounds and phenolics–food interaction: A review

Sizeable scientific evidence indicates the health benefits related to phenolic compounds and dietary fiber. Various phenolic compounds-rich foods or ingredients are also rich in dietary fiber, and these two health components may interrelate via noncovalent (reversible) and covalent (mostly irreversible) interactions. Notwithstanding, these interactions are responsible for the carrier effect ascribed to fiber toward the digestive system and can modulate the bioaccessibility of phenolics, thus shaping health-promoting effects in vivo. On this basis, the present review focuses on the nature, occurrence, and implications of the interactions between phenolics and food components. Covalent and noncovalent interactions are presented, their occurrence discussed, and the effect of food processing introduced. Once reaching the large intestine, fiber-bound phenolics undergo an intense transformation by the microbial community therein, encompassing reactions such as deglycosylation, dehydroxylation, α- and β-oxidation, dehydrogenation, demethylation, decarboxylation, C-ring fission, and cleavage to lower molecular weight phenolics. Comparatively less information is still available on the consequences on gut microbiota. So far, the very most of the information on the ability of bound phenolics to modulate gut microbiota relates to in vitro models and single strains in culture medium. Despite offering promising information, such models provide limited information about the effect on gut microbes, and future research is deemed in this field.     

Some pesticides occurrence in air and precipitation in Québec, Canada

Air and precipitation samples were collected in three stations located in Quebec between January 1993 and March 1996 to determine spatial and seasonal variations of several organochlorine pesticides and metabolites (alpha-HCH, gamma-HCH, HCB, gamma-chlordane, DDT, DDE, Mirex). alpha-HCH, gamma-HCH, and HCB were more or less measured in large amounts at all sites, whereas gamma-chlordane, DDT, and DDE concentrations were lower and Mirex was undetectable. Higher concentrations levels were observed in air during hot spring/summer periods except for HCB, indicating a probable temperature dependence. Ln concentrations vs reciprocal temperature plots and Henry's law determinations helped to highlight the contribution of soil and/or water volatilization of those compounds. Itwas observed that alpha-HCH came mainly from Atlantic Ocean volatilization at Mingan, whereas sources of gamma-chlordane and DDE were mostly due to volatilization from soils in southern Quebec. DDT may be present in the atmosphere by the way of transport from remote regions. Lindane sources were multiple: it may be found in the atmosphere bythe processes of transport and volatilization coming from soil or water. Finally, a negative correlation between HCB and air temperature implies that processes other than volatilization are involved in transport of this compound.     

Activity of caprylic acid, carvacrol, ε-polylysine and their combinations against Salmonella in not-ready-to-eat surface-browned, frozen, breaded chicken products

Caprylic acid (CAA), carvacrol (CAR), ε-polylysine (POL), and their combinations were evaluated for reduction of Salmonella contamination in not-ready-to-eat surface-browned, frozen, breaded chicken products. Fresh chicken breast meat pieces (5 × 5 × 5 cm) were inoculated with Salmonella (7-strain mixture; 4-5 log CFU/g) and mixed with distilled water (control) or with CAA, CAR, and POL as single or combination treatments of 2 or 3 ingredients. Sodium chloride (1.2%) and sodium tripolyphosphate (0.3%) were added to all formulations, followed by grinding of the mixtures and forming into 9 × 5 × 3 cm portions. Sample surfaces were brushed with egg whites, coated with breadcrumbs, surface-browned in an oven (208 °C, 15 min), packaged, and stored at -20 °C (7 d). Total reductions of inoculated Salmonella in untreated (control) surface-browned, breaded products after frozen storage were 0.8 to 1.4 log CFU/g. In comparison, single treatments of CAA (0.25% to 1.0%), CAR (0.3% to 0.5%), and POL (0.125% to 1.0%) reduced counts by 2.9 to at least 4.5, 3.4 to at least 4.4, and 1.4 to 2.3 log CFU/g, respectively, depending on concentration. Pathogen counts of products treated with 2- or 3-ingredient combination treatments (0.03125% to 0.25% CAA, 0.0375% to 0.3% CAR, and/or 0.5% POL) were 0.4 to at least 3.3 log CFU/g lower (depending on treatment) than those of the untreated controls. The antimicrobial activity of 2-ingredient combinations comprised of 0.125% CAA, 0.15% CAR, or 0.5% POL was enhanced (P < 0.05) when applied as a 3-ingredient combination (that is, 0.125% CAA + 0.15% CAR + 0.5% POL). These data may be useful for the selection of antimicrobial treatments to reduce Salmonella contamination in not-ready-to-eat processed chicken products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Findings from the study may be useful for the selection of suitable antimicrobials, concentrations, and combinations to reduce Salmonella contamination in not-ready-to-eat surface-browned, frozen, breaded chicken products.     

The role of processing and matrix design in development and control of microstructures in dairy food production—a survey

New options to process dairy products by means of new single unit operations or combinations thereof are presented. The innovative possibilities discussed in this paper mainly refer to novel ways of influencing product microstructures or textures as perceived during consumption, by means of contributions of single molecule fractions of complex systems derived from membrane fractionation techniques. In addition, options to integrate physiologically active components which also have a structure forming effect in fermented or other dairy products are highlighted. Alternatives derived from thermal, mechanical and enzymatic processing and from fractionation techniques by means of membranes are presented which can be exploited for fractionation and compositional matrix design of dairy products.     

Halogenated natural products in five species of Antarctic sponges: compounds with POP-like properties?

Purified extracts of five species of Antarctic sponges (Demospongiae: Kirkpatrickia variolosa, Artemisina apollinis, Phorbas glaberrima, and Halichondria sp. and Calcarea: Leucetta antarctica) from King George Island were analyzed by GC/MS for the presence of persistent and lipophilic halogenated compounds to identify bioaccumulative halogenated natural products. Sample extracts were prepared using methods identical for the determination of POPs, namely, microwave-assisted extraction with organic solvents, gel permeation chromatography, and column chromatography on deactivated silica. In addition, samples were treated with sulfuric acid to remove acid-destructible compounds. PCBs were not detectable and only traces of lindane, p,p'-DDE, and alpha-HCH were detected in these samples in decreasing order of abundance, underscoring their uncontaminated state. In contrast, 146 brominated compounds were identified by correct isotopic ratios m/z 79 and 81, 50% of which eluted prior to lindane including the most abundant peaks. Each sponge sample contained > or = 35 brominated compounds of natural origin, 14 of which were detected in all species. Estimated concentrations ranged from the high ng/kg to mg/kg (air-dried weights) and relative distributions of the same compounds in different sponges were highly variable. The high abundance of these compounds relative to known anthropogenic pollutants strongly suggests a natural origin. Multiple mode (EI-, ECNI-, and PCI-) GC/MS enabled identification of an aliphatic ketone tentatively identified as 1,1,2-tribromo-oct-1-en-3-one, present in all species but highest in Phorbas glaberrima. Several halogenated phenols including 2,4,6-tribromophenol were also abundant in Phorbas glaberrima as were halogenated anisoles in lower relative abundances. The halogenated phenols were analyzed without derivatization. The sample of Halichondria sp. contained the dibromotrichloro monoterpene MHC-1, a recently described environmental contaminant in fish and seals. Retrospective analysis of other marine samples confirmed that 2,4,6-tribromophenol was present in seal blubber from both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The presence of naturally occurring organohalogens such as 2,4,6-tribromophenol and MHC-1 in Antarctic marine invertebrates thus provides a link to their occurrence in marine mammals.