Solubilized Cellulose and Dehydrated Potato Extract in Cooked, Low-fat Comminuted Beef

ABSTRACT The optimal level of use of NP-5, a dehydrated potato extract, and solubilized cellulose (SC), a highly functional form of cellulose in a comminuted beef product was determined so that water holding capacity (WHC), cooking yield and resistance to rancidity would be maximized. NP-5 was a very effective antioxidant and water binding ingredient at 1.5%. Addition of SC resulted in a more moist product and improved the cooking yield compared to the control. Addition of NP-5 and SC resulted in extended overall storage stability.     

Acrylamide in Romanian food using HPLC-UV and a health risk assessment

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of acrylamide from coffee, potato chips and French fries in Romanian food. According to the European Food Safety Authority, coffee beans, potato chips and French fries have the highest levels of acrylamide. For this survey, 50 samples of coffee beans, 50 samples of potato chips and 25 samples of French fries were purchased from different producers from the Romanian market. Acrylamide levels have been quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method, using water as mobile phase. Health risk assessment was achieved by computing the average daily intake, hazard quotient, cumulative risk, carcinogenic risk and cancer risk. For coffee, potato chips and French fries, acrylamide was not shown to pose a health risk in Romanian food.     

Report on the second prototype of non-imaging focusing heliostat and its application in food processing

Following our previous report on the first prototype of non-imaging focusing heliostat, this second prototype has presented much improvement not only in the respect of structure but also in the method of controlling. The principle and practice of these changes have been reported in the article. The development of the new heliostat which is closer to cost effectiveness may bring some commercial interest. Solar potato peeling studied here is provided as one example.     

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam ‘Tainong 57’) storage root mucilage with antioxidant activities in vitro

Sweet potato storage root mucilage was extracted and purified by SDS and heating treatments. Total antioxidant activity, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) staining, reducing power method, metal ion-dependent hydroxyl radical, FTC (ferric thiocyanate) method, and protection of calf thymus DNA against hydroxyl radical-induced damage were studied. Half-inhibition concentrations, IC₅₀, were 0.08 mg/ml and IC₅₀ > 0.1 mg/ml, respectively, for the crude and purified mucilage in the total antioxidant activity test. In the DPPH staining, the crude and purified mucilage appeared as white spots when they were diluted to 50 and 100 μg per application, respectively. Like total antioxidant activity, reducing power, scavenging capacity against hydroxyl radical, FTC activity and protection of calf thymus DNA against hydroxyl radical-induced damage were found in the mucilage. It is suggested that the mucilage might contribute its antioxidant activities against both hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals.     

生理条件下PDF对Pb2+、Cu2+、Zn2+、Ca2+的吸附研究

在生理条件下(pH2和pH7，37℃)，用马铃薯膳食纤维(PDF)对金属离了Pb^2 、Cu^2 、Zn^2 、Ca^2 进行吸附试验。结果表明，两种酸度条件下PDF对Pb^2 的吸附较大，对Cu^2 、Zn^2 的吸附较小，对Ca^2 吸附很小；PDF用量增大(减小)，吸附量(qe)减小(增大)。PDF对重金属离了的吸附表明PDF具有较好的生理活性。用作膳食纤维时应根据需求，按照已研究的用量与吸附量关系配制。其吸附作用是化学吸附与物理吸附的综合结果。PDF的疏松结构和红外光谱中较多的醛羧基团证明了这一点。吸附数据线形拟合表明物理吸附符合Ligniur单分子层吸附机理。     

The effect of washing on physicochemical changes in packaged, sliced green peppers

Whole green bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) were obtained through a local fresh‐cut company. They were washed in a 100 ppm chlorine solution, dried and then sliced into 0.5‐cm wide strips. A bulk sample of slices was divided into four treatments: (1) no wash, (2) one wash in fresh distilled water, (3) two sequential washes in fresh distilled water, and (4) three sequential washes in fresh distilled water. Retention of firmness of the pepper slices during storage at 7 °C improved with the number of washes after cutting. The modification of package atmosphere was less in all wash treatments than in the ‘no wash’ control. The sliced tissues of ‘no wash’ controls had higher levels of acetaldehyde and ethyl acetate. Analysis of the wash water revealed that sequential washes with water removed incremental amounts of acetaldehyde and soluble phenols from the cut surfaces of the tissue. These results show that washing has a dramatic effect on physicochemical measures of quality in green pepper slices, and it is likely that this effect is mediated by the removal of stress‐related compounds produced during the cutting operation. While acetaldehyde and total phenolics were the two stress‐related compounds measured in the wash water, it may be that other compounds removed in the wash water could have contributed to the beneficial effects on quality reported in this study.     

Yield response and nitrogen utilization efficiency by drip-irrigated potato

Two field experiments were conducted in the Jordan Valley to evaluate potato response to N fertigation. Nitrogen as ammonium sulphate was supplied through irrigation water (fertigation) at rates of 0, 35, 70 and 105 mg N l^-1. Soil N application treatment equivalent to the fertigation treatment of 70 mg N l^-1 was included. ¹⁵N labelled ammonium sulphate was used to evaluate the N recovery and utilization efficiency. Yield increased by the N rate. The soil N application gave higher yield than the zero N and lower than the fertigated treatments. The increase in yield was due to the increase in the size of the tubers. The specific gravity was the highest with the zero N. The index ratios of potato tubers were similar with all treatments. The N derived from fertilizers by both tubers and shoots, increased with the N rate regardless of the method of application. The soil application treatments had fertilizer utilization as high as the fertigation treatments and produced total tuber yield not significantly different from that obtained by the fertigation treatment with similar rate. This might be attributed to the poor fertilizer distribution in the root zone in the fine textured soil. The low value of the fertilizer utilization of the plant receiving the ¹⁵N in the preceding season suggested possibilities of rapid transformation and immobilization by the soil microorganisms.