Performance of cellulose derivatives in deep-fried battered snacks: Oil barrier and crispy properties

The performance of batters containing cellulose derivatives (methyl cellulose (A4M), three hydroxypropylmethyl celluloses (E4M, F4M and K4M) with different degree of hydroxypropyl and/or methyl substitution and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)) to produce crispy deep-fried snacks crusts was studied by using a deep-fried crust model. Their performance was compared in terms of their ability to retain moisture content, to decrease oil content and the effect on crispness. Thermogelation properties of the cellulose derivatives depended on the type and degree of substitution. All increased the water content and decreased the oil content of the deep-fried crusts, except for CMC, which does not thermogelate and did not increase the amount of water retained in the crust, although a decrease in the oil content was found. The highest oil reduction and the lowest water retention were found for the cellulose with the lowest level of methyl substitution (K4M). The sound emitted during fracture of K4M crusts had higher intensity than the other cellulose derivatives indicating a crispier crust.     

Physicochemical,Nutritional, and Functional Characterization of Fruits Xoconostle (Opuntia matudae) Pears from Central-México Region

Abstract: Xoconostle cv. Cuaresmeño (Opuntia matudae) has attracted domestic and international industry attention; however, variations of composition from xoconostle structures have not been evaluated. Industries discard the pulp (endocarp) and peel (pericarp) as wastes and utilize the skin (mesocarp), which is the edible portion. The physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characterization of structures from xoconostle pear from 3 major sites of production in Mexico were assessed. Skin yield ranged from 58% to 64% and was higher to that of peel (22% to 24%) and pulp (12% to 18%) yields. pH, °Brix, and acidity were similar among xoconostle structures. Total fiber showed by peel (18.23% to 20.37%) was 2-fold higher than that of skin. Protein and ether extract were higher in xoconostle pulp compared to that showed by peel and skin. Iron content of xoconostle peel (6 to 9.6 mg/100 g, DWB) was higher to that of skin and pulp and prickly pear pulp. Soluble phenols of peel (840 to 863 mg GAE/100 g, DWB) were almost similar to that of skin (919 to 986 mg GAE/100 g, dry weigh basis); meanwhile, ascorbic acid concentration of skin was 2-fold higher compared to that of peel. The phenolic fraction of xoconostle structures consisted of gallic, vanillic, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids; catechin, epicatechin, and vanillin were also identified by high-performance liquid chromatography–didoe array detection (HPLC-DAD). Xoconostle peel showed higher antioxidant activity (TEAC) compared to that of skin (2-fold) and pulp (6-fold) of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. The potential of xoconostle peel and pulp for the production of feed or food is promissory. Practical Application: Outstanding nutritional and functional properties of xoconostle cv. Cuaresmeño fruits are demonstrated. Increased consumption could contribute positively to improve the diet of rural and urban consumers. The high fiber, mineral, and antioxidant components of xoconostle peel and pulp suggest that these fruit structures, which are currently discarded as waste, have promissory use as feed or food by industry.     

The social benefits of restoring water quality in the context of the Water Framework Directive: A comparison of willingness to pay and willingness to accept

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is by far the most important piece of water legislation in Europe for the coming decades. Its main aim is to achieve “good ecological status” for all water resources by 2015. The economic valuation of the non-market benefits derived from improving water quality is an important input in assisting the design and implementation of efficient and effective water management policies. In this study, the contingent valuation method has been applied with a double purpose. On the one hand, we have estimated the value of a hypothetical improvement in water quality of a river asking individuals about their willingness to pay, and on the other hand, the issue of exemptions contemplated in the WFD has been addressed surveying people on their willingness to accept compensation if projected improvements were not carried out. Finally, a comparison of costs and benefits in a cost-benefit framework shows that the net present value of the water quality policy is positive both if we consider willingness to pay estimates as willingness to accept estimates, therefore this policy appears desirable from a social perspective.     

Ferriere Nord棒卷生产线:工业化运行中的第一台工字轮式卷取设备

安装在现有棒材轧机上的Ferriere Nord工字轮式棒材卷取线是Danieli Morgardshammar工字轮式棒材卷取技术在世界上的第一次工业性应用。该项创新工艺是以热轧棒材无扭卷成高度紧凑／超重棒材卷为基础,在喂给下游冷轧生产线时可提供安全、无废品开卷,同时使其能够将热轧机上直接送来的、“轧制”状态的热轧盘卷喂入生产线。这意味着不再需要传统的离线操作,比如开卷、矫直和重新卷取。介绍的Ferriere Nord工字轮式棒材卷取线自2002年底进入了全面性的工业生产。     

Yogurt enrichment with functional asparagus fibre. Effect of fibre extraction method on rheological properties, colour, and sensory acceptance

In the asparagus-processing industry, the by-products constitute around 50% of the total weight. These by-products are rich in fibre and bioactive compounds which could be advantageously employed in human nutrition. In the present work, yogurts were enriched with fibre obtained from the non-edible part of asparagus shoots to assess how the method of extraction (water or ethanol) and then drying (oven or lyophilisation) affects its performance. Fibre incorporation increased the consistency of the yogurts (higher η, G′, G″), especially if the fibres had been extracted in ethanol and lyophilised. However, there were no significant changes in the viscoelastic behaviour (tan δ) for any of the fibre types. Fibres diminished the clarity and imparted a yellow-greenish colour to the yogurt, which also varied depending on the method of extraction and drying, the yogurts with water-extracted fibres being more colourful. The sample more liked according to a consumer test was the yogurt containing water-extracted and oven-dried fibre for aroma, taste, texture, and overall acceptance, and ethanol-extracted and lyophilised for colour. The consumer panel scored all the samples around to the neutral point “neither like nor dislike”, demonstrating that fibre obtained by all methods were equally compatible with yoghurt enrichment.     

Chemical Characterization of Virgin Almond and Hazelnut Oils and Their By‐Products

Various cultivars of almonds (“Ferragnes,” “Guara,” “Largueta,” and “Marcona”) and hazelnuts (“Negret,” “Pauetet,” and “Tonda”), particularly their virgin oils and by‐products, are evaluated in this study. The almond and hazelnut virgin oils present high contents of oleic acid (59–73% and 76–80%, respectively) and α‐tocopherol (420–542 and 310–378 mg kg^–1, respectively), as compared with other virgin vegetable oils. Aldehydes are the major contributors to their aromatic profile (54–74% almond oil and 30–40% hazelnut oil of total content), especially, benzaldehyde in almond oils (1.35–7.52 mg kg^–1), and hexanal in hazelnut oils (0.99–1.27 mg kg^–1). Statistical differences exist between the virgin almond and hazelnut oils and their varieties, for most of the chemical compounds studied. While all the nut varieties are high in polar phenolic compounds, “Ferragnes” almonds (1262 mg kg^–1) and “Negret” hazelnuts (1720 mg kg^–1) stand out. Accordingly, high antioxidant activity is also observed. Finally, the residual cakes may be considered a good source of polar phenolic compounds (823–2064 mg kg^–1 almond cakes, 2261–4179 mg kg^–1 hazelnut cakes), possessing high antioxidant capacity with potential applications of these by‐products as functional ingredients in food and non‐food formulations. Practical Applications: Virgin nut oils are gaining consumers’ preference due to their unique organoleptic attributes and potential health effects. It is therefore very relevant to establish their specific chemical composition, directly related to their properties, and that are greatly affected by the cultivar.     

Consumers’ texture vocabulary: Results from a free listing study in three Spanish-speaking countries

Considering the great impact of texture on consumers’ liking of several products, it is important for food companies to understand how consumers describe the texture of food products. The aim of the present study was to get an insight on consumers’ texture vocabulary in three different Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Spain and Uruguay. A free listing task was carried out in each country with 107-120 consumers. Participants were asked to list all the texture characteristics of food products they knew about. Between 80 and 112 terms were elicited by consumers, comprising mainly words related to texture characteristics of food products. By simultaneously considering frequency of mention and average order of elicited terms, the most familiar texture terms in each country were identified, being the most frequently used texture terms similar. Results from the present work would contribute to a greater knowledge of the vocabulary used by consumers to describe the texture of food products and show the existence of cross-cultural differences in word usage within a same language.     

Microwave-assisted solution synthesis,microwave sintering and magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite

A simple, soft, and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal method was used for the preparation of nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite powders from commercially-available Fe(NO₃)₃?9H₂O, Co(NO₃)₂?6H₂O, ammonium hydroxide, and tetrapropylammonium hydroxide (TPAH). The synthesis was conducted in a sealed-vessel microwave reactor specifically designed for synthetic applications, and the resulting products were characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, and HR-TEM. After a systematic study of the influence of the microwave variables (temperature, reaction time and nature of the bases), highly crystalline CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles with a high uniformity in morphology and size, were directly obtained by heating at 130?°C for 20?min using the base TPAH. Dense ceramics of cobalt ferrite were prepared by non-conventional, microwave sintering of synthesized nanopowders at temperatures of 850–900?°C. The magnetic properties of both the nanopowders and the sintered specimens were determined in order to establish their feasibility as a permanent magnet.     

FOS: a low-power cache organization for multicores

The Journal of Supercomputing - The cache hierarchy of current multicore processors typically consists of one or two levels of private caches per core and a large shared last-level cache. This...