BOOK REVIEWS

SENSORY EVALUATION OF FOOD — Principles and Practices , Harry T. Lawless and Hildegarde Heymann, Chapman & Hall, MARGERY A. EINSTEIN, Sens Tek, Inc., Tampa, Florida
INTERACTIONS: THE KEYS TO CEREAL QUALITY. Edited by R.J. Hamer, and R.C. Hoseney. MELISSA FITZGERALD, Yanco Agricultural Institute Australia     

Urban Threads

"Urban Threads" was an architectural installation that explored the ways in which those without land, money, and power shape the urban fabric, in particular the private territories that are staked out in the public realm and the spatial practices that connect them. All creative works in the installation were produced by women who were homeless in the context of a support group, TimeOut @ The Place, run by a collaboration of welfare agencies in Melbourne. Nine sites, located in minor lanes and alcoves in Melbourne's Central Activities District, each housed "bedrooms" and "WAR(d)robes," a "dining room," and a "Living Room." The "Path of Most Resistance (and Least Distance)" was marked out between them. The installation was conceived of and curated by the author as part of a PhD by Creative Works. The question "to what extent can architecture be 'tactical' (de Certeau's definition)" is at the basis of the project.     

GUAR AND LOCUST BEAN GUMS AS PARTIAL REPLACERS OF ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR IN BREAD: AN OBJECTIVE AND SENSORY EVALUATION

All purpose flour was partially replaced with locust bean (LBG) and guar gums at 0% (control), 2% and 4% replacement levels in a bread product. All bread treatments were evaluated objectively and subjectively. Two percent LBG replacement significantly increased standing height. Firmness of bread was significantly firmer. Crumb color was not significantly different for any of the 5 bread treatments. Crust color was not significantly different for any of the 5 bread treatments. Crust color, however, was significantly lighter for the control in comparison with the 2% and 4% guar and 4% LBG breads. Two percent guar produced a more even cell size distribution throughout the bread crumb. For all 5 bread formulations moistures were not significantly different. Sensory evaluation revealed a significant difference between the control and 4% LBG. Neither the control nor 4% LBG breads were not significantly preferred. Both gums were found to retard bread staling; 2% LBG was the most effective.     

THE COMPROMISE DECISION SUPPORT PROBLEM: MODELING THE DEVIATION FUNCTION AS IN PHYSICAL PROGRAMMING

The Archimedean and preemptive formulations that are currently used in the goal formulation of the Compromise Decision Support Problem (DSP) suffer two major drawbacks related to the arbitrary definition of priority levels and targets for multiple objectives. The Archimedean formulation is very difficult to implement because there is no consistent way to determine a prioria correct set of weights. Thus, choosing weights is either done arbitrarily or by cumbersome iterations. In the preemptive approach one objective is assumed to be infinitely more important than the others. Also, in the Compromise DSP it is necessary to define targets for each goal, and usually those targets are selected based on “educated guesses” or through an inefficient process of iteration. These shortcomings undermine the effectiveness of the Compromise DSP as a design tool. These problems can be amended by modifying the Compromise DSP according to the Linear Physical Programming (LPP) formulation. In this paper the modification of the Compromise DSP and its advantages are described, and the method is illustrated with a case example of the preliminary design of an absorption chiller.     

CORN MEAL/SOY FLOUR BLENDS: CHARACTERISTICS AND FOOD APPLICATIONS

SUMMARY –Protein quantity and quality of degermed corn meal were improved by supplementation with toasted defatted soy flour. Taste panel results indicated no significant change in preference, acceptability and similarity to corn meal when as much as 20% toasted defatted soy flour was contained in the blend. Flavor stability was adequate in blends containing toasted defatted, commercial processed full-fat or extrusion-cooked full-fat soy flours at the 15% level. Product color was changed more by the inclusion of toasted defatted than of full-fat soy flour in the blends. Satisfactory performance was found in chapatti and northern corn bread containing degermed corn meal with and without 15% toasted defatted, 20% commercial processed full-fat or 35% extrusion-cooked full-fat soy flours.     

Spoilage of Rested Harvested King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

ABSTRACT Laboratory-reared king salmon were harvested using CO₂ anesthetizing (CO₂) or by rested harvesting techniques using AQUI-S(tm) anesthetizing (AQUI-S). Fish were killed by spiking, and flesh portions were stored in air packs (0°C) for 22 d. Headspace oxygen levels, sensory characteristics (raw and cooked), tensile properties, drip loss, gaping, pH, nucleotide derivatives, color, and bacterial counts were determined after 5 to 22 d of storage. All parameters except tensile properties showed significant trends with storage time. Oxygen levels were consistently lower in CO₂ packs whereas, on average, drip was lower in AQUI-S samples, and L*-values and bacterial numbers were higher in AQUI-S samples. Overall, harvesting effects had minimal impact on the quality parameters measured.