EFFECT OF 1-METHYLCYCLOPROPENE ON AROMA COMPOUNDS IN "BIG TOP" NECTARINES AFTER SHELF LIFE

“Big Top” nectarines picked at two dates (Pick 1 and Pick 2) and treated at harvest with 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 µL/L 1‐methylcyclopropene (1‐MCP) when fruit ripening had already started were kept at 20 C until control fruit softened. Ethylene production was lowered by 0.25 and 1.0 µL/L doses in Pick 1 fruits and by all the doses in Pick 2 fruits. Fruit softening was delayed, but at the end of shelf life, treated fruits were as soft as the controls. Total volatile production was lowered by 0.25 and 1.0 µL/L doses in Pick 2 fruits. 1‐MCP influenced the aroma composition at the end of shelf life, yet it was not always dose dependent. Consequently, 1‐MCP changed fruit odor pattern by influencing the distribution of lactone odor units, the major odor contributors, reducing the “overmature” note and enhancing the “fresh” note.     

EFFECT OF ANTEMORTEM JOURNEY AND LAIRAGE AT ABATTOIR ON RABBIT MEAT QUALITY

A study was conducted to determine the effects of journey duration (1 versus 3 h) and lairage time at abattoir (0 versus 5 h) on rabbit meat quality traits. Rabbits transported for 3 h produced meat with significantly higher pH values ( P <  0.01), darker (lower L* values, P <  0.01) and less yellow ( P <  0.05) color, as well as lower losses during cooking ( P <  0.01), than those transported for 1 h. Moreover, animals laired for 5 h yielded meat with more ( P <  0.05) yellow color, cooking losses ( P <  0.05) and higher shear values ( P <  0.01) than rabbits not laired before slaughtering. The nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that these differences ( P <  0.05) are mainly related to changes occurring in the distribution of myofibrillar (T₂₁) and extra-myofibrillar (T₂₂) water. In conclusion, this study indicated that journey time and lairage at abattoir may play an important role in determining rabbit meat quality traits.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

In many previous studies that considered the effect of journey and lairage on rabbit meat quality, animals were stress-induced by extreme conditions of journey and/or lairage that were unlikely to occur during commercial operations. The aim of this study is to establish whether meat quality characteristics are still influenced when journey and lairage times match current commercial production practices. Because processing-plant efficiency depends on product uniformity, it will be interesting to test the potential variability effect of rabbit preslaughter practices on meat quality properties.     

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PASTA PRODUCTION IN ITALY

ABSTRACT

In this article, life cycle assessment was used to evaluate the environmental performances of the production and the distribution of durum wheat pasta, in the Italian market. In accordance with a cradle‐to‐grave approach, the environmental impact of the whole manufacturing process was assessed, taking into account the energetic flows, the consumption of materials and the emissions of pollutants. Results revealed that the agricultural production (i.e., cultivation of wheat) and the production of durum wheat semolina were the subprocesses that accounted for most of the environmental load. Therefore, to improve the environmental performance, an alternative production system was designed in which organic agriculture was used to produce wheat; recyclable cardboard was used as the only packaging material, and a more efficient dust collecting system was installed at the mill (for semolina production). The obtained environmental improvements were finally presented and further discussed.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Since the late 90s, the Italian producers of pasta have been striving to improve the environmental performance of their productive process and, nowadays, this effort is being extended to the whole supply chain. This article highlights the stages that account for most of the environmental impact (i.e., hot spots) during the production of durum wheat pasta. Suggestions and insight to reduce the overall environmental load are also provided, and their potential benefits are evaluated, in comparison with the traditional productive process. Therefore, this work can be useful for practitioners of the agri‐food industry, who wish to improve the environmental performance of their productive process.