Dietary Fiber and Other Constituents of Some Tongan Foods

Components of dietary fiber (soluble nonstarch polysaccharide, pectin, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin), water, energy, protein, lipid and starch were measured in banana, breadfruit, cassava, coconut, mango, pawpaw, plantain, sweet potato, taro and Pacific yam, all from the Pacific Island Kingdom of Tonga. The Tongan foods were generally higher in dietary fiber than New Zealand foods, consistent with the hypothesis that dietary fiber is an important factor contributing to a lower incidence of certain gastrointestinal disorders in Tonga, than in New Zealand.     

Water Holding Capacity of Hemicelluloses from Fruits, Vegetables and Wheat Bran

The water-holding capacities of freeze-dried bean, cabbage, lettuce, onion, peach, pear, pumpkin, tomato, wheat bran and their hemicelluloses were determined by the centrifugation method. Cabbage had the greatest water-holding capacity at 35.8g of water per gram of dry food; bran the lowest at 5.2g water per gram. The waterholding capacity (WHC) of the hemicelluloses from fruits and vegetables varied considerably from 3.3 g/g in beans to 12.0 g/g from cabbage. Hemicelluloses extracted from wheat bran showed a marked increase in WHC from 5.2 g/g of water per gram of‘whole’bran to 22.8 g/g for hemicellulose. This decreased to 15.3g of water bound by hemicellulose that had been extracted after chlorite delignification. WHC of hemicelluloses from wheat bran and cabbage may account for their ability to increase stool weight.     

Computer Techniques to Analyze Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers

This paper outlines computer analyses to predict thermal-hydraulics, flow-induced vibration, and fretting-wear damage in shell-and-tube heat exchangers. The analytical techniques are briefly described and the results arc illustrated by example. It is concluded that computer techniques can do much to improve the reliability and performance of heat exchangers.     

Extrudates of Starch-Xanthan Gum Mixtures as Affected by Chemical Agents and Irradiation

Mixtures of starch, xanthan gum and either polyvinyl alcohol, epichlorohydrin, valeric acid or adipoyl chloride were extruded. Properties of extrudates including apparent viscosity, water solubility, water absorption indices and exrudate expansion were measured for different proportions of xanthan gum, 70% amylose starch (with or without irradiation) and chemical agents. Extrusion with chemical agents and irradiation changed physical properties of both starch and xanthan gum. Expansions of extrudates were higher than that of starch. Viscosity of extrudates increased with xanthan gum concentration. The addition of 1% (w/w) polyvinyl alcohol had the greatest effect of the chemical agents. Irradiation increased the apparent viscosity of starchxanthan gum mixtures.     

Social Disadvantage,Tenure and Location: An Analysis of Sydney and Melbourne

This article focuses on the role that housing markets play in structuring patterns of social disadvantage in Australian cities, specifically Sydney and Melbourne. It explores the relationship between housing tenure and social disadvantage at the local scale (Census collector districts) for the two cities, following a discussion of the various stands of literature on housing tenure and socio-spatial polarisation in Australian cities. It analyses the relationship between areas of high social disadvantage and housing tenure. The analysis, which uses the ABS Index of Disadvantage, distinguishes locations where comparable levels of social disadvantage are associated with very different housing markets, one where public housing is prominent and others which are primarily areas of private sector housing. The social profiles of both types of area are described, drawing out differences between the two cities, as are changes in the extent of these areas over time. The policy implications for the areas of private sector housing are then discussed.     

Elemental Analysis of Fruit and Vegetables from Tonga

Twelve foods from islands in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga were analyzed for eleven elements by plasma emission spectrometry. The foods were green banana, ripe banana, breadfruit, cassava, coconut, mango, pawpaw, plantain, sweet potato, the taros Talo Fatuna and Talo Tonga, and Pacific yam. The elements determined were Ca, K, Mg, P, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na and Zn. There were large differences between foods in their content of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn and Na.     

CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF "FARM RAISED" PRECOOKED ROAST BEEF

A store intercept consumer survey was used to examine consumer willingness to pay for a marinated, precooked roast beef product produced from “farm raised” cattle fed a predominantly forage‐based diet. Consumers were asked to participate and, if they agreed, were provided with a sample of the precooked product. They were asked to compare this product with an existing similar product at various price levels. The data collected suggest there is a consumer willingness to pay premium prices for “farm raised” precooked roast beef. Therefore, creative retail positioning of value‐added, convenient, precooked beef products from forage‐fed cattle could result in increased consumer awareness of the easy convenience of these products, capitalize on the apparent emerging market for forage‐fed beef and potentially increase the overall demand for beef.