Results from the monitoring of pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables on the Danish market, 2000-01

To check compliance with the maximum residue levels in foods and to monitor the residue levels to enable an evaluation of the exposure of the Danish population to pesticides, a monitoring programme for pesticides residues in fruit and vegetables was performed. Sampling plans were designed based on previous findings and on consumption data. Samples (n = 4404) of mainly fresh conventionally and organically grown fruit and vegetables were collected at wholesalers and importers and at food processing companies. Of the samples, 3% were frozen products and 5% organically grown. Of the samples, 34% were of Danish origin, with 66% from other countries. Two accredited laboratories performed analyses of the samples using capillary gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and a spectrophotometric method. Reporting levels were set at the lowest calibration level or at the limit of determination. Residues were found in 60% of the samples of fruit but in only 18% of the vegetable samples. Residues above the maximum residue levels were found in 6% of all samples of fruit and in 2% of the vegetable samples.     

Enzymatic Firming of Processed Red Pepper by Means of Exogenous Pectinesterase

The objective of this investigation was to demonstrate that the firmness of a commercial vegetable product, diced and frozen red pepper (Capsicum annum var. Sendt), could be improved by the use of exogenous pectinesterase in an industrially relevant process. The diced pepper pieces 10 × 10 × 7 mm³ were infused under vacuum with a commercially available pectinesterase. The range of optimal process conditions was: 15-20°C, 45 min infusion time, a 10-25 mM CaCl₂ infusion brine, a w/w ratio of pepper fruit to infusion brine of 1.5:1, and an enzyme dosage of 30-60 pectinesterase units (PEU) per kg pepper fruit. The firmness as measured by back extrusion was improved by a factor of two to three. The effect of firming was robust and conserved after freezing and heating in a simulated household cooking process. The firming process seems easily adaptable to industrial conditions and may be applicable to other vegetable and fruit products.     

Consumer categorization of plant-based dishes: Implications for promoting vegetable consumption

Strategies to increase vegetable consumption that go beyond their health benefits and the recommendation to consume a specific number of portions a day are necessary. In this sense, a more in-depth understanding of what consumers consider as “vegetables” is of interest, as it can highlight possible mismatches between guidelines and everyday experiences and contribute to the design of public campaigns and interventions. In this context, the aim of the study were: to explore how the plant-based dish category is represented for consumers, to evaluate differences among consumers with different familiarity towards vegetables, to identify the sensory properties that drive typicality and expected liking, and to investigate the relationship between typicality of the dishes and their expected liking and sensory characteristics. One hundred and twenty three consumers were considered for the study. Consumers were characterized for their level of familiarity toward vegetables and pulses and through two psycho-attitudinal questionnaires: Food Neophobia Scale and Health and Taste Attitudes Questionnaire. A total of 80 pictures of plant-based dishes were evaluated to assess the expected liking, healthiness and preparation level of each dish. Consumers were asked to rate and the typicality of the dishes by rating their agreement with the sentence “This is a plant-based dish”. In addition, the sensory properties characterizing each dish were evaluated using Check-All-That-Apply question. Results indicated a graded structure of the plant-based dish category, with some category members more typical than others. Specific recipe typologies, such as salads and boiled vegetables, were perceived as more typical than others, such as soups and fried vegetables. Expected sensory attributes were found to influence the typicality of a dish. The attributes Bitter, Green, Not very intense flavor, Orange, Sour and Watery positively influenced typicality, while Brown and Creamy negatively influenced it. Typicality affected expected liking for the dishes but its influence depended on consumers’ level of familiarity toward vegetables and pulses. In fact, among consumers with a low level of familiarity, the lower the typicality, the higher the expected liking. A less strong association was found among consumers with a high level of familiarity. These results stress that promotion of vegetable consumption targeted to vegetables dislikers should therefore consider their representation of the category, in order to limit the exposure to features with a negative hedonic value.     

Edible films and coatings to prevent the detrimental effect of oxygen on food quality: Possibilities and limitations

Oxygen has a deleterious effect on the quality of a wide variety of food products. The application of edible films and coatings to food products represents a new approach to solve this problem. Edible films and coatings can include antioxidant agents in their formulation and at the same time, they represent a barrier to oxygen, which results in a better preservation of quality. The water activity of the product, as well as the ambient relative humidity, determines the antioxidant effect of films and coatings. This paper reviews the latest studies dealing with the effectiveness and application of antioxidant films and coatings.     

Detection of the residues of nineteen pesticides in fresh vegetable samples using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

In this study, we investigated the presence of 19 different agricultural pesticides in 210 samples of eight types of domestic vegetables collected from several vegetable-growing regions in Bangladesh. A multiresidue method was developed to detect the pesticide levels in the collected samples using gas chromatography with mass spectrophotometry (GC–MS). Pesticide residues were detected in 51.30% of the total samples, and among the positive samples, 38.89% contained levels above the maximum residue levels (MRLs). The most frequently detected pesticides were chlorpyrifos (34) followed by carbofuran (17), diazinon (16), carbaryl (14), malathion (11), endosulfan (8), cypermethrin (7) and dimethoate (6). Some (10.47%) of the samples contained multiple residues. It is concluded that the continuous monitoring and strict regulation of pesticide use on food crops, especially vegetables, are necessary.     

How neutral coloured backgrounds affect the attractiveness and expensiveness of fresh produce

The colour of the background on which products are presented may affect their perceived attractiveness. In order to find out on which type of background various fresh food products look most attractive, we presented five different vegetables (tomato, carrot, yellow bell pepper, eggplant, mushroom) on five different backgrounds with neutral grey colours varying in degree of blackness: 5, 30, 50, 65, and 90%. Forty-six participants provided colour matches for the vegetables and evaluated them on 10 attributes.Overall, the blackness of the backgrounds had little or no effect on the perceived colour of the vegetable. Only for carrots we found a small but significant difference, mainly between the 5% and 90% blackness backgrounds. On the darkest background, the carrot would be perceived as a bit lighter, more saturated, and more yellow rather than red, compared to the lightest background.Differences in perceived attractiveness on the grey backgrounds varied between 0.3 and 1.0 units on a 9-point scale. Attractiveness and expensiveness ratings for most vegetables were highest on the 90% blackness background. In comparison to our previous study where we presented vegetables on hued backgrounds, differences between mean attractiveness ratings were smaller. Because mean attractiveness ratings in the current study were higher, we expect that grey backgrounds are more likely to present vegetable assortments with a variety of hues in an attractive way than hued backgrounds.     

一些果蔬对活性自由基和亚硝酸盐的消除作用

对29种新鲜水果和蔬菜的一般营养成分和过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶活性以及对H_2O_2和NaNO_2的消除能力进行了测定。结果表明,在模拟胃液条件下,各种供试的新鲜果蔬对活性氧自由基和亚硝酸盐均具有不同程度的消除能力,其消除量与新鲜果蔬中的蛋白质含量呈极显著正相关。谷胱甘肽、还原型辅酶Ⅰ、维生素E、维生素C和半胱氨酸等还原性食品成分对NaNO_2和H_2O_2都有良好的线性消除关系。煮沸处理后,有机酸含量高的果蔬对NaNO_2和H_2O_2的消除能力增强,有机酸含量低时,其消除能力下降。提示果蔬对活性氧自由基和亚硝酸盐的消除能力取决于果蔬中还原性食品成分的种类、含量及其氧化还原特性。     

Identification and quantification of polyphenolic compounds from okra seeds and skins

The aims of the present work were to identify and quantify the polyphenolic profile of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), a vegetable almost worldwide consumed. Since the knowledge about the okra polyphenolic compounds is limited, the seeds and the skins of okra were separately analyzed. The seeds, which represent the 17% of the vegetable and are richer in phenolic compounds, were mainly composed by oligomeric catechins (2.5 mg/g of seeds) and flavonol derivatives (3.4 mg/g of seeds). The skins polyphenolic profile was composed principally by hydroxycinnamic and quercetin derivatives (0.2 and 0.3 mg/g of skins). These findings in associations with the high content of okra in carbohydrates and proteins enhance the importance of this foodstuff in the human diet.     

The effect of cooking on Brassica vegetables

Assessing antioxidant intake requires a food antioxidant database. However, cooking may affect antioxidant content due to antioxidant release, destruction or creation of redox-active metabolites. Here, effects of boiling, steaming and microwaving of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and choy-sum (Chinese cabbage) were explored by measuring antioxidant contents of raw and cooked vegetables. Cooking water was also tested. For all cooked vegetables, antioxidant content was highest in steamed > boiled > microwaved, and decreased with longer cooking time, regardless of method. All steamed vegetables had higher antioxidant contents than had matching raw vegetables. Effects were variable for boiling and microwaving. Microwaving caused greater antioxidant loss into cooking water than did boiling. Marked losses of anitoxidants occurred in microwaved cabbage and spinach. To assess food antioxidant content/intake accurately, cooking effects need detailed study. Steaming may be the cooking method of choice to release/conserve antioxidants. The cooking water is a potentially rich source of dietary antioxidants.