Identification of chemical markers for the sensory shelf-life of saveloy

The aroma composition, the microbial composition and the sensory profile were measured in sliced saveloy samples packed in modified atmosphere (MA). The main objective was to identify aroma compounds with potential as chemical markers to identify the sensory changes of saveloy. The 60 aroma compounds isolated from the saveloy samples by dynamic headspace extraction and measured by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to model the sensory attributes sour&old odour and meaty odour using partial least squares regression (PLS). 2- and 3-methylbutanal, 2- and 3-methylbutanol, acetoin and diacetyl were found to have the highest impact on both sour&old odour and meaty odour of the samples. The results show that these four aroma compounds have high potential as chemical markers for the sensory shelf-life of sliced and MA-packed saveloy.     

Hygienic significance of patulin in food. 2. Occurrence of patulin in fruit and vegetables]

The analyses of more than 200 samples of various foods of plant origin showed that patulin was contained in 36% of the fresh and canned fruits infested with mould, and in 7% of the vegetables. Besides apples, pears, plums, peaches and tomatoes contained also patulin. In organoleptically impeccable fruit juices, the contamination rates were 40% (for apple juice) and 16% (for the other juices, such as sour cherry, currant, sea buckthorn juices). The patulin content varied from 20 to 200 microgram/l, the mean value being 80 microgram/l. It ranged from 0.1 to 5 microgram/g in apples and sterile apple preserves. The authors discuss the hygienic-toxicologic significance of these findings, and suggest to include patulin in the examination of foods for mycotoxins, stipulating a permissible value.     

Adaptation of the ToxRTool to Assess the Reliability of Toxicology Studies Conducted with Genetically Modified Crops and Implications for Future Safety Testing

To determine the reliability of food safety studies carried out in rodents with genetically modified (GM) crops, a Food Safety Study Reliability Tool (FSSRTool) was adapted from the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods’ (ECVAM) ToxRTool. Reliability was defined as the inherent quality of the study with regard to use of standardized testing methodology, full documentation of experimental procedures and results, and the plausibility of the findings. Codex guidelines for GM crop safety evaluations indicate toxicology studies are not needed when comparability of the GM crop to its conventional counterpart has been demonstrated. This guidance notwithstanding, animal feeding studies have routinely been conducted with GM crops, but their conclusions on safety are not always consistent. To accurately evaluate potential risks from GM crops, risk assessors need clearly interpretable results from reliable studies. The development of the FSSRTool, which provides the user with a means of assessing the reliability of a toxicology study to inform risk assessment, is discussed. Its application to the body of literature on GM crop food safety studies demonstrates that reliable studies report no toxicologically relevant differences between rodents fed GM crops or their non-GM comparators.     

Diagenetic transformation of dissolved organic nitrogen compounds under contrasting sedimentary redox conditions in the Black Sea

Remineralization of organic matter in reactive marine sediments releases nutrients and dissolved organic matter (DOM) into the ocean. Here we focused on the molecular-level characterization of DOM by high-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) in sediment pore waters and bottom waters from contrasting redox regimes in the northern Black Sea with particular emphasis on nitrogen-bearing compounds to derive an improved understanding of the molecular transformations involved in nitrogen release. The number of nitrogen-bearing molecules is generally higher in pore waters than in bottom waters. This suggests intensified degradation of nitrogen-bearing precursor molecules such as proteins in anoxic sediments: No significant difference was observed between sediments deposited under oxic vs anoxic conditions (average O/C ratios of 0.55) suggesting that the different organic matter quality induced by contrasting redox conditions does not impact protein diagenesis in the subseafloor. Compounds in the pore waters were on average larger, less oxygenated, and had a higher number of unsaturations. Applying a mathematical model, we could show that the assemblages of nitrogen-bearing molecular formulas are potential products of proteinaceous material that was transformed by the following reactions: (a) hydrolysis and deamination, both reducing the molecular size and nitrogen content of the products and intermediates; (b) oxidation and hydration of the intermediates; and (c) methylation and dehydration.     

Starch-Derived Products for Detergents

Recent developments in the formulation of detergents have been driven by a strong consumer demand for natural and biodegradable products. Detergent manufacturers responded to this demand with corresponding products and advertising slogans such as “fully biodegradable”, “natural” or even “double natural” to oust their competitors. In a detergent formulation, starch- derived products can in principle be used for the following purposes: as the hydrophilic head group in surfactants, as the starting material for (poly)carboxylate co-builders and as the backbone of bleaching activators. Non-ionic classical surfactants can be replaced by alkylpolyglucosides (APGs), a class of products completely based on renewable resources such as glucose and fatty alcohols derived from natural fatty acids. Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), the product responsible for the eutrophication of surface waters, can be substituted by a combination of an inorganic zeolite and highly oxidised starch (dicarboxylic starch) or by citrate. Acetylated polyols derived from hydrogenated carbohydrates such as sorbitol can take over the function of the petrochemically-based tetraacetyl ethylene diamine (TAED) used as activator to allow perborate bleaching at lower washing temperatures.     

New Carbohydrate Derivatives from Biotechnical and Chemical Processes

Starch, its derivatives and hydrolysis products are well established as industrial products for the food and technical industries. More advanced products, based on starch, are available today, manufactured by biotechnical and chemical processes. They comprise a variety of monomeric compounds like polyols, hydroxycarboxylic acids, glycosides and their derivatives obtained by esterification, etherification and amination. In addition, interesting oligomeric and polymeric products are accessible, based on starch and its derivatives. Selected examples of these products are described as well as their respective production methods. For some products the chemicals synthesis will be compared with the fermentation route, analysing the relative advantages and disadvantages of both. The wide application potential of these “new” products is illustrated with reference to their use in different industries, e. g. in the manufacturing and processing of resins, polymers, detergents, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and processed foods. Special emphasis will be given to the structural peculiarities of these carbohydrate derivatives, for example chirality, which enables them to act as unique intermediates in the production of biologically active products.     

New Industrial Products from Starch

The industrial (non-food) use of starch and starch-based products as renewable raw materials is discussed together with examples, in the following application areas:

• –Starch as auxiliary raw material: binder, adhesive, thickener, protective colloid.
• –Starch as raw material for new products in chemical or biotechnical processes: polyols, acids, polysaccharides, enzymes.
• –Starch as filler with specific functionality for synthetic polymers to improve application properties in e. g. polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyurethane-foams, styrene/butadiene copolymers, polyvinylchloride.
• –Starch as reactive component to be incorporated during production of synthetic polymers leading to synergistic effects: urea/formaldehyde resins, phenolic resins, alkyd- and melamine resins.
• –Starch-based active materials which either exhibit direct functionality themselves, (e. g. as surfactants, sequestrants and bleaching boosters) or which represent building blocks for the synthesis of chiral compounds for the pharmaceutical or the agro-industries.

     

Herstellung von Phenolharzen unter Verwendung von Stärkeprodukten

Usage of Starchy Products for Preparation of Phenolic Resins. Incorporation of starches and starch hydrolysates in phenolic resins of novolak and resol type has been investigated via acid catalyzed dehydration to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the presence of phenol and formaldehyde. Due to formation of HMF/phenol-condensates savings up to 40% phenol and 65% formaldehyde are possible in comparison to commercial resins. Besides very low amounts of residual monomers, curing is accelerated with increased carbohydrate incorporation, which can be used to reduce time consuming manufacturing processes. Especially starch hydrolysates with different average molecular weights can be used in a very flexible way to achieve special requirements like softening points, mol weight distributions, viscosities and curing behaviour.     

Photooxidation von Leukofarbstoffen. X. Untersuchungen zur Photooxidation von Di-kalium-anthracen-9,10-ylen-bis-sulfat

Photooxidation of Leuco Dyes. X. Investigation of the Photooxidation of Di-potassiumanthracene 9,10-ylene-di-sulfate Photolysis of the title compound (DHAE) in water or ethanol produces anthraquinone and anthrone. In deoxygenated solutions 9,10-dihydroxyanthracene is detected as a long lived intermediate. Laser and conventional flash photolysis reveals three short-lived transients with lifetimes of 200 ns, 2 and 410 ms. Different temperature dependencies are observed for the fluorescence and the photolysis quantum yields. This is interpreted by two successive thermally activated processes: photohomolysis of O S bond and escape of the radical pair from the solvent cage. The results are discussed with the help of a reaction scheme proposed for the photolysis of DHAE.