Evaluating the orientation of design elements in product packaging using an online orientation task

We present a novel experimental paradigm designed to enable graphic designers and marketers to assess the response of consumers to changes in the orientation of various design elements (e.g., food images) on product packaging. In Experiment 1, participants (n = 305) rotated one of the visual elements on commercial examples of product packaging (three examples taken from the dried pasta category and one from the wine aisle). In Experiment 2, we assessed how much participants (n = 301) would be willing to pay for stimuli oriented in a more versus less preferred orientation. The results of Experiment 1 revealed that participants have distinct, systematic, preferences when it comes to the orientation that specific stimuli should be presented at on product packaging. In certain cases, multiple preferences were observed in the data, while in others, the participants tended to agree on a single preferred orientation. Interestingly, these preferences do not always align with the orientation of the image as it currently appears on the supermarket shelf. Intriguingly, in Experiment 2, the preferred orientation did not always elicit the highest willingness to pay. These results therefore highlight the complex relationship that exists between liking and willingness to pay, and raise a number of questions concerning the role of orientation in visual aesthetics, preference, and perceived value. Importantly, the orientation task is presented here as a potentially helpful new tool for assessing visual aesthetics and preference for product packaging.     

A regular lycopene enriched tomato sauce consumption influences antioxidant status of healthy young-subjects: A crossover study

Tomato and tomato products are known as potential factors to decrease oxidative stress biomarkers. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of consumption of two tomato sauces with different concentrations of lycopene on oxidative stress markers. Thirty healthy subjects (Men/women: 9/21; Aged 39 ± 6 years old; BMI: 24.5 ± 3.3 kg/m²) were recruited to participate in a double-blind crossover study. Participants had to consume 160 g/day of tomato sauce, while maintaining their usual dietary and physical activity habits.The regular consumption of the high-lycopene tomato sauce induced a significant reduction in the oxidized-LDL cholesterol levels (?9.27 ± 16.8%; p < 0.05). Moreover, total plasma antioxidant capacity tended to increase with the high-lycopene tomato sauce, while it decreased slightly with commercial tomato sauce consumption (2.69 ± 13.4 vs ?0.05 ± 0.4; p = 0.058). Lipid, glucose profile and C-reactive protein concentrations were stable during both intervention periods, as well as anthropometric and body composition variables.Thus, the daily consumption of 160 g of a high-lycopene tomato sauce improved oxidized-LDL cholesterol levels, evidencing the putative role of lycopene in combination with other bioactive compounds in the prevention of oxidative stress related diseases.     

Liking and the orosensory perception of food in a stress vs. rest condition in overweight and normal weight participants

Stress and increased body weight may lead to decreased sensory or hedonic perception. Rewarding value of food consists of liking and wanting; this study emphasizes characterization of orosensory perception and liking during stress. The effect of stress on orosensory attributes of food and liking was tested in overweight and normal weight participants. Thirty-nine participants (26f/13m, age 30 ± 11 y), 24 normal weight (BMI 22 ± 2 kg/m², waist/hip-ratio 0.78 ± 0.02) and 15 visceral-overweight (BMI 29 ± 2 kg/m², waist/hip-ratio 0.87 ± 0.02) tasted 67 food items randomly in a rest and stress condition, subsequently rating orosensory attributes (i.e., sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, sourness, umami, creaminess, crispiness) and liking using visual analog scales. Stress was induced using an unsolvable math task in a noisy context. In overweight participants, orosensory perception was less pronounced, especially with respect to sweetness. Liking was related to orosensory perception, the relationships were the same in both conditions. Liking was scored lower by overweight vs. normal weight participants. Stress vs. rest reduced orosensory perception in normal weight participants. Stress vs. rest reduced liking equally for normal weight and overweight participants. In conclusion, our results show that orosensory perception and liking of food are reduced in overweight compared to normal weight participants; the latter is especially emphasized during stress.     

Convenience may increase vegetable intake among young consumers

Current food trends such as healthy eating, plant-based diets and sustainability encourage consumers to eat more vegetables. However, it is a challenge for many, including the younger generations, to meet the dietary recommendations regarding vegetable intake. The purpose of this study was to investigate if vegetable convenience products can increase the daily intake of vegetables among young consumers. A total of 100 participants were randomly allocated to receive either regular or convenience vegetables for a week and filled in questionnaires about vegetable use and consumption before after the intervention. Results showed that participants who received convenience vegetable products significantly increased their daily vegetable consumption by 19% (p = 0.005), but there was no significant difference between the groups during the intervention period. Furthermore, convenience vegetable products were used and perceived differently from regular vegetables. It was found that especially the preparation of the convenient vegetable products had an impact on how the products were perceived. Participants indicated that they were not willing to buy or pay more for convenience in relation to vegetables. In conclusion, convenience vegetable products may increase vegetable intake among young consumers. However, this specific consumer group may find barriers within their values regarding food, consumerism and sustainability, which prevent them from buying convenience food products.     

Okara treated with high hydrostatic pressure assisted by Ultraflo® L: Effect on solubility of dietary fibre

Okara is an abundant and inexpensive by-product from soybean, rich in total dietary fibre (> 55% dry weight), but poor in soluble dietary fibre (SDF, < 5% dw). A combined method of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) aided by the food grade enzyme Ultraflo® L was used for SDF maximization. At atmospheric pressure, incubation time was not a key factor, and a ratio of 1:40 (enzyme:Okara, v/w) was able to saturate the enzyme within 120–150 min. When HHP plus Ultraflo® L were applied, a synergy between both treatments was observed. Thus, at 600 MPa, 0.025% Ultraflo® L and 30 min treatment, soluble carbohydrate added up to 15.64 ± 0.32%, consisting of two peaks (9.14 ± 0.18 and 0.57 ± 0.01 kDa), determined by HPLC-ELSD. The combination of HHP plus Ultraflo® L on Okara improved the solubility of the dietary fibre, making it more suitable to be used in functional foods.Industrial relevanceThere is an increasing interest in finding new prebiotics from food industrial waste. Okara has been simultaneously treated with Ultraflo® L and HHP, taking into account the industrial costs of the procedure, and adjusting the quantity of enzyme and time of treatment to the minimum, by a Response Surface Methodology and an enzymatic activity assay. Besides, an HPLC-ELSD direct analysis (High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Evaporative Light Scattering Detector) was employed to monitor soluble fibre, as an easy and fast analytical method.     

Effect of die material on engineering properties of dried pasta

Extruding wheat semolina dough through a Teflon die allows to process pasta with a smooth and even surface, whereas bronze die can be used to obtain a product with a rough texture. Little is known about the impact of the die material on pasta properties other than surface characteristics. Knowledge of pasta properties would be relevant to better understand pasta digestibility. The aim of this work was to analyse the impact of the die material on engineering properties of dried pasta. Pasta were processed with fine semolina using a pasta extruder equipped with a 2.5 mm Teflon or bronze die. They were dried inside an environmental chamber under a controlled atmosphere at 40 °C or 80 °C for 20 hours. Pasta shrinkage, porosity and effective moisture diffusivity were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed to characterize the external structure of pasta. Results showed that extrusion with a bronze die induces the production of more porous and less dense pasta, but does not have an impact on pasta shrinkage and volumetric percentage of water lost replaced by air during drying. Effective moisture diffusivity coefficients were higher for pasta extruded with a bronze die compared to a Teflon die for both drying temperatures studied, which indicates that the use of a bronze die could induce a diminution of the drying time. SEM observations at 50X and 500X clearly showed that pasta microstructure was affected by processing conditions. These results highlight the importance of food processing and their impact on the microstructure and characteristics of food matrices. Since pasta can be regarded as a good matrix for the incorporation of bioactive compounds beneficial to health and well-being, further studies are needed to better understand how processing would affect pasta digestibility and the release of bioactive compounds in terms of bioaccessibility into the gastro-intestinal tract.     

Evaluation of factors affecting the food consumption levels of inpatients in a Turkish armed forces training hospital

The aims of this study are to determine how patients hospitalized in a Turkish Armed Forces Training Hospital perceive different attributes of food and food services and to determine factors affecting the level of food consumption.This study was conducted in Gulhane Military Medical Academy Training Hospital, with 1000 beds. A questionnaire was used to determine the patients’ perception of the food quality and levels of food consumption.It was found that 44.4% of the patients consumed all of the food provided, 28.9% of patients consumed the half, 23.5% of patients consumed some and 3.2% of patients did not consume any of their meals. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify patients who did not consume 50% or more of their food. It was found that non-surgical patients (OR = 0.498; p = 0.022), and those dissatisfied with the taste and smell of food (OR = 4.272; p = 0.000) and the appearance of food (OR = 3.161; p = 0.003) were more likely to be in the patient group who reported not consuming at least 50% of the food provided.     

Proximate and Cholesterol Composition of Selected Fast Foods Sold in Nigeria

Fast foods consumption has been on the increase in Nigeria raising concerns about the nutritional and health implications. This study was carried out to determine the proximate composition and cholesterol contents of four commonly consumed fast foods (doughnut, chicken pie, roasted chicken, and Jollof rice) sold in Nigeria. Commonly consumed fast foods and most widely patronized fast food outlets were determined by a preliminary survey. There was a wide variation in the proximate composition and cholesterol contents of the food samples. Average dry matter ranged between 68.8 – 84.0 g while the range of values for ash, crude fibre, crude fat, crude protein and nitrogen free extract were 0.89 – 2.45%, 0.56 – 7.53%, 10.99 – 18.52%, 1.81 – 9.71% and 43.32 – 66.98% respectively. Energy content of the fast foods ranged between 304.9 and 400.8 Kcal/100 g. Cholesterol levels ranged between 10.40 – 117.80 (mg/100 g) in the food samples. This study has established the fact that fast foods are concentrated sources of energy, low fibre and high dietary cholesterol and could significantly contribute to dietary cholesterol intake with implications for cardiovascular health.     

Incorporation of bovine dry blood plasma into biscuit flour for the production of pasta

Spray-dried blood plasma (DBP) (10.9 g/100 g [w/w] nitrogen) was added to medium-protein biscuit flour (1.4 g/100 g N) during pasta manufacture. High-protein durum semolina (2.0 g/100 g N) was used to produce the control pasta. Sensory data indicated that the addition of DBP produced pasta with significantly better colour intensity and acceptability, aroma intensity, flavour intensity, textural strength, texture acceptability, aftertaste intensity, aftertaste acceptability, and overall acceptability. The DBP/biscuit flour formulation that gave the optimum balance between pasta protein content and organoleptic acceptability contained 2.2 g/100 g DBP. A higher content of DBP resulted in increased protein levels, but these pasta formulations were less acceptable organoleptically.     

Food matrices affect the bioavailability of (n − 3) polyunsaturated fatty acids in a single meal study in humans

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the food matrix on bioavailability of (n − 3) PUFA and oxidative stress in plasma. The study was a randomized, cross-over study and included 12 healthy male participants. The participants ingested a test meal, which consisted of a fitness bar, a yoghurt drink, eight oil capsules, bread and butter; 4 g of fish oil was incorporated into one of the matrices. Blood samples were collected and fatty acid composition of chylomicrons was determined together with plasma levels of conjugated dienes and α-tocopherol. Fish oil incorporated into food products were absorbed differently from those simply administered as supplements alongside of food products, and yoghurt was the best matrix for providing fast absorption of lipids in general, including (n − 3) fatty acids. No significant difference was observed in the level of plasma α-tocopherol after ingestion of test meals.     

Short-term appetite-reducing effects of a low-fat dairy product enriched with protein and fibre

The objectives of this work were to investigate short-term appetite-reducing effects of an innovative low-fat yogurt enriched with protein (8 g/serving) and fibre (2.6–2.9 g/serving). Two studies were conducted using randomised cross-over designs. Healthy women consumed a mid-morning snack consisting of either the test or the control yogurt product (Study 1, n = 24: iso-energetic, not iso-weight conditions; Study 2, n = 121: iso-weight, not iso-energetic conditions) under laboratory conditions. Subjective appetite ratings (of hunger, fullness, desire to eat and prospective consumption) were recorded throughout the morning; sensory and hedonic ratings were also collected. In Study 2, two hours after consumption of the dairy snack, subsequent food intake at lunch was also measured. The test product reduced subjective appetite compared to the control (all ratings, P < 0.05). Energy intake at lunch was reduced by 274 kJ after the test compared to the control (P < 0.001). These two studies demonstrated that a low-fat dairy product enriched with protein and fibre can significantly reduce short-term appetite.     

Consumption of highly processed foods: Effects on bioavailability and status of zinc and copper in adolescents

The effects of consuming diets with different Maillard reaction products (MRP) content on zinc and copper bioavailability and status were examined. In a 2-week randomised 2-period crossover trial, 18 male adolescents consumed two diets, named white diet (WD) and brown diet (BD), which were poor and rich in MRP, respectively. A 3-day balance was performed at the end of each period and fasting blood samples were collected. Zinc bioavailability did not vary significantly between the diets (%WD: 21.0 ± 5.0, %BD: 15.1 ± 5.1), but BD consumption increased copper faecal excretion (~ 1.8-fold) and significantly decreased its bioavailability (~ 3.0-fold). Biochemical parameters related to zinc metabolism remained unaltered whereas copper in serum and erythrocytes significantly decreased after consumption of the BD (72.47 ± 2.42 μg/dl and 0.93 ± 0.01 μg/ml in serum and erythrocytes with WD compared to 65.87 ± 3.11 μg/dl and 0.84 ±0.02 μg/ml with BD). The present results suggest that the high presence of MRP in the diet does not affect zinc but negatively affects copper bioavailability. As both minerals are essential trace elements involved in adolescents' growth and development, possible long-term effects of excessive MRP intake during adolescence warrant attention.     

Aluminium in foodstuffs

The aluminium content of a comprehensive food assortment typical of German nutritional habits was determined within the framework of market basket studies. Carried out in 1988 and 1991, a total of 128 items out of 12 groups of foodstuffs were included in this investigation. Aluminium content of the food assortment was low and comparable with literature data. Most investigated foodstuffs contained <5 μg Al g⁻¹ FM. Highest concentrations were determined in cocoa/cocoa products (33 μg g⁻¹), spices (145 μg g⁻¹) and black tea leaves (899 μg g⁻¹). In general, aluminium content of frequently consumed food, increased in the following order: beverages, food of animal origin, food of plant origin. With this low level of aluminium concentration in food, there is no danger of aluminium exposure in healthy persons.     

Measuring eating capability,liking and difficulty perception of older adults: A textural consideration

Malnutrition in older adults is partly attributable to decreasing muscle strength leading to inadequate intakes. It is therefore important to investigate ways of identifying eating capability both through objective measures of strength and subjective measures of perceived difficulty and liking. In addition, food texture design might affect the oral processing and the difficulty perceived. Therefore the present study sets out to examine the relationship between various quantitative measures of eating capability (EC) and perceived difficulty of processing foods and gels varying in hardness in older adults. Tests were conducted on 30 participants (mean age 79 ± 9.4 years) using non-invasive techniques (hand gripping force, tongue pressure, biting force, and hand dexterity) in conjunction with frame-by-frame video recording analysis of chewing and swallowing of food stimuli and ratings of eating difficulty. The EC scores were computed to grade the population into three different groups. Stimuli were classified into two categories: food products and flavourless hydrocolloid gels with different inhomogeneity (textures). The EC parameters did not correspond to oral residence time, or the difficulty perceived. Bite force differed by EC group, and was significantly different by dental status [F(3,4.26) = 3.842, p = 0.022], and influenced both liking and number of chews. The food hardness (r = 0.915, p = 0.01) was significantly correlated with the number of chews. Gel heterogeneity influenced food oral processing behaviour. Oral residence time was significantly correlated with number of chews, liking and difficulty perceived. In summary, dental status and bite force of older adults are determining EC parameters to design optimized food-texture.     

Sensory profiles and consumer acceptability of a range of sugar-reduced products on the UK market

Current UK intake of non-milk extrinsic sugars (NMES) is above recommendations. Reducing the sugar content of processed high sugar foods through reformulation is one option for reducing consumption of NMES at a population level. However, reformulation can alter the sensory attributes of food products and influence consumer liking. This study evaluated consumer acceptance of a selection of products that are commercially-available in the UK; these included regular and sugar-reduced baked beans, strawberry jam, milk chocolate, cola and cranberry & raspberry juice. Sweeteners were present in the reformulated chocolate (maltitol), cola (aspartame and acesulfame-K) and juice (sucralose) samples. Healthy, non-smoking consumers (n = 116; 55 men, 61 women, age: 33 ± 9 years; BMI: 25.7 ± 4.6 kg/m²) rated the products for overall liking and on liking of appearance, flavor and texture using a nine-point hedonic scale. There were significant differences between standard and reduced sugar products in consumers' overall liking and on liking of each modality (appearance, flavor and texture; all P < 0.0001). For overall liking, only the regular beans and cola were significantly more liked than their reformulated counterparts (P < 0.0001). Cluster analysis identified three consumer clusters that were representative of different patterns of consumer liking. For the largest cluster (cluster 3: 45%), there was a significant difference in mean liking scores across all products, except jam. Differences in liking were predominantly driven by sweet taste in 2 out of 3 clusters. The current research has demonstrated that a high proportion of consumers prefer conventional products over sugar-reduced products across a wide range of product types (45%) or across selected products (27%), when tasted unbranded, and so there is room for further optimization of commercial reduced sugar products that were evaluated in the current study. Future work should evaluate strategies to facilitate compliance to dietary recommendations on NMES and free sugars, such as the impact of sugar-reduced food exposure on their acceptance.     

Economic Consequences of Holstein Artificial Insemination Sire Selection by Independent Culling

Objectives were to estimate the profitability changes in AI sire selection by using alternative independent culling restrictions. Net present values of semen were calculated for 439 Holstein sires available for purchase after the 1987 USDA Sire Summary. This measure of profit was used to quantify the net incomes from milk sacrificed by choosing bulls by independent culling restrictions in PD and repeatability for milk, fat test, and type score. Selections were the highest ranking bulls for PD milk or PD dollars that exceeded selection restrictions and cost < $40 per unit of semen.Profits were reduced from $13 (.4 SD) when PD for type score was required to be > 0 to $59 (1.6 SD) when it exceeded 1.5 points. Additional restrictions on repeatability of PD type score and PD of fat percent and milk did not decrease further profit. Culling for fat percent resulted in net income losses ranging from nil when PD > −.05% to $39 (1.0 SD) when PD > .15%. Profits were not reduced by culling for PD milk except when repeatability was required to be greater than 50%. If independent culling is used in sire selection, profit losses would be minimized by selecting on net income rather than gross income or milk.     

Studies on the Characteristic Properties of Fermented,Sun-Dried Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Flour

Microbiological, functional, chemical and sensory properties of flours of two (2) cultivars of orange-fleshed sweet potato (centinnial and CIP 440293) being multiplied for distribution in South East and South-South Nigeria were investigated using standard techniques. The flours were observed to have good functional properties and high dry matter contents which were respectively 88.09 ± 0.00% and 86.0 ± 0.00%. The respective values for fat content (0.85 ± 0.00% and 1.75 ± 0.00 %), ash content (2.04 ± 0.00% and 2.40 ± 0.42%) and crude fibre content (2.90 ± 0.28% and 2.67 ± 0.00%) were low but the respective levels of carotenoids values (3.74 ± 0.00 and 5.28 ± 0.00 μg/g) were high indicating a promising source of pro-vitamin A. The sensory evaluation had no statistical difference among the parameters. The flours had high nutritive values with good functional and sensory properties. The microbial loads were within the acceptable limit of < 10⁵ recommended by ICMSF, making the flour samples microbiologically safe and with appropriate packaging, the shelf life could be extended under good storage conditions.     

Nanoindentation study on apple tissue and isolated cells by atomic force microscopy,image and fractal analysis

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of apple tissue (Malus domestica var. Golden Delicious) and isolated cells. Young's modulus (E) obtained for the tissue was 0.86 ± 0.81 MPa, while for isolated cells an average value of 0.63 ± 0.42 MPa was found. The fractal dimension of the distribution of E (FD_E) was estimated to be 1.81 for tissue and 2.47 for isolated cells, which indicates more anisotropic structures in single cell topography in comparison with the tissue. Finally, an image texture analysis was performed and different values were obtained; for roughness Ra = 49.70 ± 23 and 18.00 ± 3, entropy Ent = 5.26 ± 0.66 and 5.70 ± 0.23 and for the fractal dimension of the texture image FD_T = 2.55 ± 0.02 and 2.62 ± 0.03, for tissue and isolated cells respectively.Industrial relevanceAFM is rarely used to evaluate the structural and mechanical properties of food materials. AFM studies could provide insight on food properties. For example, the nanoindentation of cells by AFM could be used to follow-up changes to the mechanical properties that occur during the processing and storage of fruits with industrial relevance such as apple. Study of the nanostructure and nanomechanical properties of vegetable cells could lead to a more in-depth understanding of the relationship structure–functionality in foodstuffs. This could be applied to address several issues, such as extending the storage life of climacteric fruits, verifying the structural modifications of the tissues when they are chemically treated and having a better control of mechanical and structural properties. Currently, fractal and image analysis is gaining attention in the food science industry. Their application allows one to obtain quantitative information from nanoindentation data and AFM images which can be related to structural modifications which occur during ripening and processing of climacteric fruits. This methodology could be extended to other food materials.