AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN CONSUMERS' WILLINGNESS-TO-PAY FOR AN IRRADIATED MEAT PRODUCT

In a nonhypothetical laboratory experiment, participants were willing to pay an average of $0.71 for the right to exchange a typical meat sandwich for a sandwich irradiated to eliminate the potential risk of foodborne bacteria. Forty-one of sixty participants (68.3%) were willing to pay some positive amount. Tobit analysis was used in order to allow for the fact that Willingness To Pay (WTP) was censored at zero. WTP was interpreted as the demand for irradiation to control foodborne disease. A positive WTP was interpreted as acceptance of irradiation. The aggregated WTP greatly exceeds the estimated direct costs of foodborne disease, and the estimated costs of irradiation for many food products. There was a positive relationship between WTP and the perceived risk of foodborne disease, and a negative relationship between WTP and years of education.     

Cowpeas Tannins Related to Cultivar, Maturity, Dehulling and Heating

Tannins were analyzed on three cultivars of cowpeas at three maturity stages. Cultivars differed in testa darkening which increased during maturation. Darker testa had greater tannin concentrations. Testa tannins increased up to 7-fold during maturation and up to 96% of the tannins were found in the testa. The sum of tannins in individually tested cotyledon and testa was up to 10.7 times greater than that found from analysis of whole cowpea after grinding to 20-mesh. Heating in water reduced whole cowpea tannins 38–76%; cotyledon 53–59%, and testa 66–75%.     

Diffusion Properties of Salt and Acetic Acid into Herring and Their Subsequent Effect on the Muscle Tissue

The diffusion of sodium chloride and acetic acid into herring muscle and their subsequent effects on the myotibrillar proteins were studied at different temperatures and fish:cure ratios. Acid was found to penetrate tissue more quickly than salt. The acid and salt cause an initial “hardening” of the tissue, the extent of which is proportional to the concentration of each, but it is considered that the resultant fall in pH activates muscle cathepsins. SDS PAGE indicated that proteolysis of the myosin heavy chains was concomitant with subsequent tissue softening. Electron microscopy detected little disintegration of myofilaments, but extensive break-up of Z-lines.