Acceptance of vitamin D-fortified products in Germany – A representative consumer survey

Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in many countries, including Germany. Some countries have introduced vitamin D food fortification to address the problem, but such fortification is generally prohibited in Germany. While recent changes in legislation have opened the window to a population-wide introduction of vitamin D food fortification, before it can be implemented in Germany, the strategy must be adapted to the German scenario. This requires gathering detailed insights about German consumers’ perceptions of vitamin D-fortified food and the impact of vitamin D knowledge and health awareness on consumers’ acceptance. We gather information on these issues and identify consumers’ preferred sources of nutritional information.The study shows a high level of acceptance of vitamin D-fortified food among the German population, which indicates good prospects for successful implementation of a vitamin D food fortification program in Germany. Moreover, the study shows that consumers’ health awareness is an essential determinant of their acceptance of vitamin D-fortified food, so informing consumers about the health effects associated with vitamin D could be a viable way to raise their awareness and ensure their acceptance of vitamin D-fortified products. The study also shows that physicians, health insurance companies, and the internet/television are consumers’ preferred sources of nutritional information and should be the central communication channels for an information campaign. These insights will be valuable in developing and implementing an effective vitamin D food fortification program that is suitable for the German scenario.     

Basic requirements for the transfer of fermentation technologies to developing countries

Traditional small-scale fermentation technologies offer considerable potential for stimulating development in the food industry of developing countries in light of their low cost, scalability, minimal energy and infrastructural requirements and the wide consumer acceptance of fermented products in these countries. Efficient transfer and adaptation of these technologies is, however, often limited by inadequate basic scientific knowledge of the processes involved and the lack of appropriate biological inoculants and process controls for these technologies. Basic infrastructures, such as suitably equipped laboratories with consistent working conditions, a constant supply of good quality water and reliable power supplies, are critical elements of a minimal technology base for transfer and adaptation of these technologies. Building the institutional capacity in developing countries to facilitate research and development geared toward a better understanding of the technologies applied in small-scale traditional fermentations is essential, as is the encouragement of governments to formulate supportive national policies, which promote small-scale agro-industrial development. Socioeconomic considerations play a critical role in the successful and sustainable transfer and adoption of technologies and their products in developing countries.     

Edible Insects in a Food Safety and Nutritional Perspective: A Critical Review

Increasing world population worsens the serious problem of food security in developing countries. On the other hand in industrialized countries, where the problem of food security is of minor concern, health problems related to food refer to 2 main factors: food safety and environmental sustainability of food production. For these reasons, new ways must be found to increase yields while preserving food quality, natural habitats, and biodiversity. Insects could be of great interest as a possible solution due to their capability to satisfy 2 different requirements: (i) they are an important source of protein and other nutrients; (ii) their use as food has ecological advantages over conventional meat and, in the long run, economic benefits. However, little is known on the food safety side and this can be of critical importance to meet society's approval, especially if people are not accustomed to eating insects. This paper aims to collect information in order to evaluate how insects could be safely used as food and to discuss nutritional data to justify why insect food sources can no longer be neglected. Legislative issues will also be discussed.     

国内外饮用水水质标准中微生物指标的比较综述

本文系统介绍了我国现行的生活饮用水水质标准(GB 5749-2006),并与国外的水质标准(美国EPA《国家饮用水水质标准》、WHO《饮用水水质准则》、欧盟《饮用水水质指令》及其他国家的饮用水标准)中微生物指标进行综述比较,分析了各水质标准中微生物指标及其限量,并对我国饮用水水质标准的实施和发展提出建议。本文认为,与国外水质检测标准相比,虽然我国饮用水水质微生物指标新增致病性大肠埃希氏菌、病原性原生动物贾第鞭毛虫和隐孢子虫,基本与世界水质检测指标接轨,但仍缺少病毒和产毒藻类等影响水质安全、威胁水环境安全和生物健康的微生物项目。考虑到日益严重的食品安全现状,饮用水水质指标的及时更新和采样环节的标准化,检测报告的公正公开已成为保证饮用水水质安全的重要手段。     

Chemical composition, cooking quality, and consumer acceptance of pasta made with dried amaranth leaves flour

Pasta is a staple food in many countries. Amaranth is a pseudo-cereal being re-discovered because of its nutritional properties. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of the green material of the amaranth plant (leaves) as a component for pasta production and its effect on the pasta quality and consumer acceptance. Dried amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) leaves and spinach leaves flours were prepared. Pasta samples were manufactured following a small-scale pilot procedure. Amaranth pasta samples were evaluated for its chemical composition, cooking quality, textural, and sensory/consumer acceptance. Results showed that pasta made with dried amaranth leaves had similar chemical composition (protein content: 14.18 g/100 g, Fe content: 9.1 mg/100 g), cooking quality (2.15 pasta weight increase, 4.47% residue loss), textural characteristics (firmness and adhesiveness), and sensory acceptance than green pasta made with dried spinach leaves. Since amaranth leaves have similar nutritional characteristics to spinach leaves and since this biomass in not currently used for food purposes, this study points out that amaranth leaves could be technically used for pasta production and that consumer acceptance of pasta made with amaranth green leaves flour is similar to that of pasta made with spinach.     

What Do We Know About Chain Actors’ Evaluation of New Food Technologies? A Systematic Review of Consumer and Farmer Studies

New food technologies, such as genetic modification, food fortification, and processing technologies, are of growing interest for future food security and safety. For ensuring successful implementation of such technologies, consumers and other food supply chain actors should embrace them. We present a systematic review to identify and compare key factors of supply chain actors’ evaluation of new food technologies. Evaluation encompasses indicators such as likelihood or intention to perform a behavior, perceived benefits/risks, willingness to pay, acceptance/adoption, and attitudes. Results from 183 studies showed several imbalances in research. Although studies mainly focused on (1) genetically modified foods, (2) by consumers, (3) in developed countries, only very few studies have targeted other food technologies, other supply chain actors such as farmers (13 studies) or processors (two studies), or developing countries (43 studies). With respect to consumers’ evaluation, key determinants were trust in institutions, information assessment, perceived risks and benefits, attitudes toward the product or technology, perceived behavioral control, quality perception of the product, and impact on health. Farmers’ evaluation of new food technologies was explained by the factors of perceived risk and benefits and of actual source of information. For the few processor evaluation studies, no convergence of factors could be reached. This systematic review contributes to a better understanding of consumers’ and farmers’ evaluation behavior and opens up avenues for future research on supply chain actors’ food technology evaluations. The differences in the conceptualization and measurement of extracted factors demonstrate the need for standardized approaches in future studies.     

Disgust,sushi consumption,and other predictors of acceptance of insects as food by Americans and Indians

Insects are an important human food source, especially in developing countries, because of their efficiency at converting plant foods into animal protein, and their relatively low environment impact. The present study builds on some prior research on eating insects by surveying Indian and American adults. A composite measure of insect acceptance is developed. The results confirm prior findings that Americans are more accepting of insects as a potential food than Indians, and that men are more accepting than women. Substantially more Indians than Americans consider insect ingestion a violation of a protected/sacred value, suggesting a moral objection. Attitudes to and beliefs about insects and insect consumption are decomposed through factor analysis into the same five factors in both countries: Benefits, Risks, Disgust, Religion, and Suffering. Multiple regression indicates that for Americans, Disgust is the major predictor, followed by Benefits. For Indians, the best predictor is Benefits, followed by Disgust and Religion. In both countries, frequency of sushi consumption (a food commonly met with disgust when it was first introduced) is also a significant and substantial predictor of insect acceptance.     

EFFECT OF PE/AG2O NANO‐PACKAGING ON THE QUALITY OF APPLE SLICES

ABSTRACT

Effects of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) packaging and nano‐structured silver‐polyethylene (PE/Ag₂O) packaging on the overall sensory quality, color, weight and solute loss of fresh‐cut apples stored at 5 and 15C were studied in this research. Results showed that, compared with normal LDPE packaging, the PE/Ag₂O packaging helped to maintain the freshness of apple slices. Nano‐structured PE/Ag₂O bag delayed apple browning and decreased the weight loss of apple slices during storage. In addition, it can also prevent apple slices from microbial spoilage. As a result, the quality of apple slices saved at 5C in PE/Ag₂O bag was acceptable in 12 days, while those held in LDPE bag showed some deterioration in 6 days. Furthermore, considering the potential health risk resulting from silver leak, the safety of PE/Ag₂O bag was evaluated, and the result indicated an acceptable safety for food packaging.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Types of nano‐structured bags are recently commercialized for food packaging in many countries, but few documents report their performance in quality maintenance. This study indicates that nano‐structured PE/Ag₂O bag is effective in maintaining the freshness of apple slices with extended shelf‐life. Results of this work may be useful for promoting the acceptance and application of similar nano‐packaging in the quality maintenance of fresh‐cut products.     

Food formulation and not processing level: Conceptual divergences between public health and food science and technology sectors

Observed changes in eating and drinking behaviors in economically developing countries are associated with increase of obesity and related chronic diseases. Researchers from field of public health (PH) have attributed this problem to food processing and have created new food classification systems to support their thesis. These classifications conceptually differ from processing level concepts in food science, and state to people that food processing is directly related to nutritional impact of food. Our work aims to compare the concept of food processing from the standpoint of food science and technology (FST) and public health and to discuss differences related to formulation or level of processing of products and their impact on nutritional quality. There is a misconception between food processing/unit operation/food technology and formulation or recipes. For the public health approach, classification is based on food products selection and the use of ingredients that results in higher consumption of sugar, sodium, fat, and additives, whereas in FST, processing level is based on the intensity and amount of unit operations to enhance shelf life, food safety, food quality, and availability of edible parts of raw materials. Nutritional quality of a product or preparation is associated with formulation/recipe and not with the level of processing, with few exceptions. The impact of these recommendations on the actual comprehension of food processing and quality must be considered by the population.     

The importance of plant health to food security

Rapid food price rises have highlighted serious concerns about food security globally and have had a huge impact on achieving Millennium Development Goal 1. Since 2007, an estimated 100 million more people have fallen into absolute poverty. Most live in developing countries where low incomes (less than $1 per day) make it difficult to access food. Access to sufficient food for dietary needs and food preferences defines food security. However, whilst price rises have brought food security into sharp focus, underlying problems need to be addressed. Over the last three to four decades, there has been chronic under-investment in agriculture at all levels. Development aid to agriculture has declined and often in-country policies do not support the sector. Low crop yields are common in many developing countries and improved productivity is vital to reducing rural poverty and increasing food security. Whilst the causes of low productivity are complex, one major contributory factor is crop losses due to plant health problems. Often accurate information on the extent of these losses is missing but estimates of 30–40% loss annually from “field to fork” are common. Any future solution regarding improved global food security must address these losses and that means improving plant health. Two trans-boundary diseases, wheat stem rust race Ug99 and Coffee Wilt Disease of Coffea are highlighted. CABI has a number of plant health initiatives and one radical approach (Global Plant Clinic) involves partnership with in-country services to deliver plant health advice to farmers at the point of demand. Such innovations are entirely consistent with a proposed new “Green Revolution” which would need to be “knowledge intensive”.     

Culture based fisheries in Asia are a strategy to augment food security

Fish account for nearly 30 % of the animal protein intake in developing countries. Until very recently the great bulk of food fish supplies were of hunted origin, although farmed supplies have been growing at a steady rate of about 6 % per year over the last two decades. It is estimated that nearly 40 million t of food fish will be required to meet the increasing demand by the year 2050. The shortfall in supplies are unlikely to be met through intensive aquaculture alone as the drain on primary resources, physical and biological, will be excessive and environmental integrity will also be at stake. On the other hand, it is estimated that there are nearly 67 million ha of small water bodies in Asia alone, that are primarily irrigational. Small water bodies are ideal for culture based fisheries (CBF) development, a form of extensive aquaculture practice based on the principle of stock and recapture, and often managed communally. Significantly higher production levels have been obtained in developing countries that have adopted CBF, such as, for example, China. If 20 % of the available area of small water bodies were mobilised for CBF in the next decade, with the aim of achieving 50 % of the mean yield attained in CBF practices in China (1746 kg/ha/yr), the food fish production in Asia alone would be increased by approximately 10.72 million t /yr. The pros and cons of adopting CBF practices to augment the global food fish supplies are discussed and the advantages of CBF over intensive aquaculture in the context of use of natural resources and maintaining environmental integrity are also dealt with. Furthermore, small water bodies suited for CBF development are often located in rural areas of developing countries where the local populations, which often tend to be impoverished compared to their urban counterparts, stand to benefit most.     

鲜湿糙米线品质劣变机理及调控技术研究进展

全谷物以其对营养健康的重要作用在全世界得到了广泛关注。鲜湿糙米线作为营养健康的全谷物主食食品存在更易腐败、老化变硬、易断条、蒸煮损失率高等问题。系统阐述了鲜湿米线品质影响因素,鲜湿糙米线在储藏过程中的水分含量、pH值、蒸煮品质、水分迁移、质构、微观结构等品质变化规律,分析了鲜湿糙米线品质劣变机理;并进一步对选择糙米原料、外源添加物、糙米全籽粒磨粉及回填法制备工艺等鲜湿糙米线品质调控技术2016—2023年最新研究进展进行了综述,为鲜湿糙米线的品质调控和品质提升提供参考。     

A well balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio in developing flax bolls after heating and its implications for use as a fresh vegetable by humans

Flax seed (Linum usitatissimum L.) can be used for both industrial and food products including a wide variety of nutraceuticals and health foods and for which a restricted and specific fatty acid (FA) profile is required. As functional foods, flax meal is provided to humans in the form of ground vacuum-packed grains or flaxseed-enriched baked products. However, no reports are yet available on the potential food use for fresh flax products. A comparative study was conducted using two flax cultivars, AC McDuff and Linola, to evaluate FA accumulation in developing bolls at 12 different developmental stages and to determine stages having well balanced omega-6/omega-3 FA ratio. The lipid hydroperoxide level in fresh bolls and seeds, and the cyanogenic glucoside content in developing bolls were also measured in AC McDuff following different heating treatments. The findings indicated and suggested that the use of flax bolls as health promoting vegetable can be considered if adequately processed and palatable food attributes are obtained.     

光动力技术及其在生鲜食品保鲜中的应用研究进展

生鲜食品产量很大,其在贮运过程中极易受到微生物的污染而产生腐败变质,引发食用安全风险并造成经济损失。热杀菌是目前常用的一种杀菌方法,但会影响生鲜食品的风味、色泽和营养,且不适用于热敏感性的食品物料。非热杀菌方法可以在一定程度上弥补这个不足,光动力技术就是其中之一。目前针对光动力技术在生鲜食品中的应用已经开展了一定的研究,基于此,作者概述了光动力技术的定义和杀菌原理,总结了其对不同微生物的杀灭效果和作用机制,并介绍了该技术在水产品、果蔬、乳品和肉制品中的应用及其对这些食品品质的影响,为光动力技术在水产品、果蔬、乳制品、肉制品等生鲜食品保鲜和安全控制中的应用提供一定的借鉴和参考。     

Soils for Sustaining Global Food Production

ABSTRACT: Soil is commonly described as the mantle or the skin covering the landmass of planet Earth. Soils perform 6 main functions (biomass production, water quality maintenance, biological habitat, physical infrastructure support, raw materials for human use, and maintaining cultural heritage) and a soil is evaluated by its ability to perform one or more of these functions. The ability of the land to feed and clothe people and to maintain ecological functions is being impeded by demographics. The global land area that is generally free of constraints for most agricultural uses is about 12.6%. Agricultural land, however, is unequally spread around the globe with a larger portion in the temperate countries of the world. In addition to poorer land quality in tropical regions, land degradation is also well entrenched, thus aggravating food security. There are 11.9 million km² of such lands and about 1.4 billion people are involved and most of these areas are in the developing countries. Countries of the developing parts of the world have to make a conscious decision to better manage their land resources. The paradigm shift that poorer countries need to make to sustain food production is to implement holistic and sustainable land management programs by adopting technologies that have already been validated in other parts of the world.     

The challenges for global harmonisation of food safety norms and regulations: issues for India

Safe and adequate food is a human right, safety being a prime quality attribute without which food is unfit for consumption. Food safety regulations are framed to exercise control over all types of food produced, processed and sold so that the customer is assured that the food consumed will not cause any harm. From the Indian perspective, global harmonisation of food regulations is needed to improve food and nutrition security, the food trade and delivery of safe ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods at all places and at all times. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) put forward to transform developing societies incorporate many food safety issues. The success of the MDGs, including that of poverty reduction, will in part depend on an effective reduction of food‐borne diseases, particularly among the vulnerable group, which includes women and children. Food‐ and water‐borne illnesses can be a serious health hazard, being responsible for high incidences of morbidity and mortality across all age groups of people. Global harmonisation of food regulations would assist in facilitating food trade within and outside India through better compliance, ensuring the safety of RTE catered foods, as well as addressing issues related to the environment. At the same time, regulations need to be optimum, as overregulation may have undue negative effects on the food trade. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Brief survey of EPA standard-setting and health assessment

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgates standards for air pollutants and drinking water contaminants, as part of its mandate to protect public health and welfare. The Agency also assesses the health risks associated with hundreds of chemical substances, often developing quantitative toxicity and cancer potency benchmarks. This article compares EPA standards and benchmark values to those of other countries and other agencies. This includes the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), the national primary drinking water regulations (NPDWR), and benchmark values from the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Results show that the NAAQS are generally comparable to or less strict than the air quality standards of other countries and international organizations. The NPDWR tend to be less strict than the water quality standards of other countries for inorganic chemicals, and they are more strict about as often as they are less strict for organic chemicals. Reference values for toxicity and cancer potency derived in EPA health assessments posted in the IRIS database are less stringentthan those of other agencies about as often as they are more stringent, and they are often identical. Revisions to these values more often than not made them less stringent. These results suggest that EPA's standards and quantitative health assessments are not out of line with those of other agencies and other countries.     

保健食品微囊藻毒素污染的探讨

微囊藻毒素为富营养化淡水中最常见的藻类毒素。对微囊藻毒素的性质、毒理学、危害、在保健食品中的污染情况、限量标准等进行综述,并对是否在保健食品中制定微囊藻毒素限量标准提出几点意见。     

Using Fish Sauce as a Substitute for Sodium Chloride in Culinary Sauces and Effects on Sensory Properties

Historically, fish sauce has been a standard condiment and ingredient in various Southeast Asian cuisines. Moreover, fish sauce imparts umami taste, which may enhance perceived saltiness in food. This quality suggests that fish sauce may be used as a partial substitute for sodium chloride (NaCl) in food preparation, which may present a valuable option for health‐conscious and salt‐restricted consumers. However, the degree to which NaCl can be decreased in food products without compromising taste and consumer acceptance has not been determined. We hypothesized that NaCl content in food may be reduced by partial replacement with fish sauce without diminishing palatability and consumer acceptance. Preparations of 3 types of food were assessed to test this hypothesis: chicken broth (n = 72); tomato sauce (n = 73); and coconut curry (n = 70). In the first session, the percentage of NaCl that could be replaced with fish sauce without a significant change in overall taste intensity was determined for each type of food using the 2‐Alternative Forced Choice method. In the second session, subjects rated 5 samples for each food with varying NaCl and/or fish sauce content on 3 sensory attributes: deliciousness; taste intensity; and saltiness. Our results demonstrate that NaCl reduction was possible in chicken broth, tomato sauce, and coconut curry at 25%, 16%, and 10%, respectively, without a significant loss (P < 0.05) in deliciousness and overall taste intensity. These results suggest that it is possible to replace NaCl in foods with fish sauce without reducing overall taste intensity and consumer acceptance.