Sweet sorghum:agronomic practice for food, animal feed and fuel production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sweet sorghum is a cereal that belongs to the species Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench. Although the crop is reportedly native to Africa, it is grown worldwide largely because it thrives well under wide rainfall regimes, varied day lengths, soil conditions and can tolerate varying degrees of biotic and abiotic factors and stresses. This chapter reviews and discusses the physiology and adaptation of sweet sorghum crops to varied environmental and climatic conditions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Several research works have indicated that numerous improved cultivar types of sweet sorghum are grown across Africa. Virtually all sweet sorghum cultivars are primarily grown to produce grain, sugary stalk juice and forage or fodder. The grains are considered the 3rd most important source of staple food to people living in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Furthermore, the grains may also be malted to produce beverages or utilized as adjunct in beer brewing. However, the sugary stalk juice is most commonly used for sorghum molasses or syrup production. Sorghum molasses or syrup is a suitable alternative to refined cane sugars for beverage consumption; particularly for diabetic patients. Thus, the nutritional value, health benefits and future prospects of sorghum grain consumption to address certain human health challenges are discussed in this chapter. Alternatively, the sugary stalk juice from sorghum may be bio-converted to bioethanol (a fuel alcohol). Sweet sorghum crop residues (i.e., leftovers and after the grains are harvested and stalk juice extracted) can serve as animal feed or utilized as lignocellulosic biomass for second generation bioethanol production. This chapter reviews and discusses literature that demonstrates sweet sorghum is a cereal crop with high tolerance to diverse environmental and climatic conditions. In addition, the crop produces nutritious grains and sugary stalk juice that are of important health and economic benefits for domestic and industrial applications throughout in Africa

Reanimating cultural heritage through digital technologies

Digital technologies are becoming extremely important for web-based cultural heritage applications. This thesis presents novel digital technology solutions to 'access and interact' with digital heritage objects and collections. These innovative solutions utilize service orientation (web services), workflows, and social networking and Web 2.0 mashup technologies to innovate the creation, interpretation and use of collections dispersed in a global museumscape, where community participation is achieved through social networking. These solutions are embedded in a novel concept called Digital Library Services for Playing with Shared Heritage (DISPLAYS). DISPLAYS is concerned with creating tools and services to implement a digital library system, which allows the heritage community and museum professionals alike to create, interpret and use digital heritage content in visualization and interaction environments using web technologies based on social networking. In particular, this thesis presents a specific implementation of DISPLAYS called the Reanimating Cultural Heritage system, which is modelled on the five main functionalities or services defined in the DISPLAYS architecture, content creation, archival, exposition, presentation and interaction, for handling digital heritage objects. The main focus of this thesis is the design of the Reanimating Cultural Heritage system's social networking functionality that provides an innovative solution for integrating community access and interaction with the Sierra Leone digital heritage repository composed of collections from the British Museum, Glasgow Museums and Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. The novel use of Web 2.0 mashups in this digital heritage repository also allows the seamless integration of these museum collections to be merged with user or community generated content, while preserving the quality of museum collections data. Finally, this thesis tests and evaluates the usability of the Reanimating Cultural Heritage social networking system, in particular the suitability of the digital technology solution deployed. Testing is performed with a user group composed of several users, and the results obtained are presented

Optimalisering av mikroalgebiomasse for anvendelser i mat : fermentert drikke som en eksempelstudie

Microalgae are renowned as super-foods due to their unique nutritional profiles; however, their applications to human nutrition are still limited to nutraceuticals and food supplements. This is likely due to factors such as high production costs, the complexity of product development, and their impact on the technical and sensory properties of different foods. Producing algal biomass tailored to fit into established production processes is a possible way to tackle all of these issues, expanding the microalgal industry and leading to novel discoveries and improvements in sustainability. This thesis discusses a holistic approach to tailoring microalgal biomass for application in novel products, providing an overview of the current status of microalgal food research and the related challenges, followed by a discussion of possible approaches to enhance biomass composition. The three papers/ manuscripts included in this thesis explore the whole process leading to the development of a novel beverage for human consumption, producing microalgal starch-rich biomass and applying it as an active ingredient in beer brewing. In the first work, starch production in the freshwater species Chlorella vulgaris was studied using High Throughput FTIR spectroscopy to screen for optimal environmental and nutrient conditions on an extensive experimental design. Selected conditions were further tested in a flat panel reactor to assess the role of light through biomass specific photon supply rate, finally achieving a maximum starch concentration of up to 50% of the dry weight in up-scaled 25 L tubular photobioreactors. The second manuscript studied the starch metabolic pathways connected to nitrogen stress and recovery on salt-water species Tetraselmis chui, giving an overview of gene expression analysis during accumulation and subsequent degradation of 60% starch. Finally, the application of starch as an active ingredient was tested in brewing. Starch-rich biomass was developed in a 250 L pilot-scale photobioreactor, following indications from the first two papers, and brewing was successfully performed with support from an industrial partner, the Norwegianbased craft brewery Nøgne Ø. Based on the experiments presented in the current thesis, the production of biomass tailored to a target product proved to be an efficient method to successfully implement microalgae in established food products.Mikroalger er kjent som ’supermat’ på grunn av høyt næringsinnhold, men innen human ernæring er bruken av mikroalger fortsatt begrenset til nutraceuticals og kosttilskudd. Dette skyldes sannsynligvis en kombinasjon av faktorer, som høye produksjonskostnader, kompleksitet i produktutvikling og innvirkning på de tekniske og sensoriske egenskapene til ulike matvarer. Å produsere algebiomasse som er skreddersydd for å passe inn i etablerte produksjonsprosesser har potensiale til å takle alle disse problemene, og dermed føre til en ekspansjon av mikroalgeindustrien, nye oppdagelser og forbedringer i bærekraft. Denne oppgaven diskuterer en helhetlig tilnærming for å skreddersy mikroalgebiomasse for bruk i nye produkter, og gir en oversikt over dagens status innen forskning på mikroalgemat og relaterte utfordringer, etterfulgt av en diskusjon av mulige tilnærminger for forbedring av biomassekomposisjonen. De tre artiklene/manuskriptene som er inkludert i denne oppgaven, utforsker hele prosessen som fører til utviklingen av en ny drikk for humant konsum. I prosessen blir stivelsesrik algebiomasse produsert og brukt som en aktiv ingrediens i ølbrygging. I det første arbeidet ble stivelsesproduksjonen i ferskvannsarten Chlorella vulgaris studert ved bruk av HT-FTIR spektroskopi for å screene for optimale miljø- og næringsbetingelser i et stort eksperimentelt design. Utvalgte dyrkingsbetingelser ble videre testet i flatpanelreaktorer for å vurdere lysets rolle gjennom biomassespesifikk fotontilførsel for til slutt å oppnå en maksimal stivelseskonsentrasjon på opptil 50 % av tørrvekten i oppskalerte 25 L rørbaserte fotobioreaktorer. Metabolismeveiene for stivelse som er knyttet til nitrogenstress og stressrestitusjon, ble studert i saltvannsarten Tetraselmis chui, og manuskript nummer to presenterer resultater fra genekspresjonsanalyse ved akkumulering og nedbrytning av 60 % stivelse. Til slutt ble bruken av stivelse som aktiv ingrediens testet i brygging. Utviklingen av stivelsesrik biomasse ble utført i en 250 L pilotskala fotobioreaktor, etter indikasjoner fra de to første arbeidene, og bryggingen ble vellykket utført med støtte fra en industriell partner, det norske håndtverksbryggeriet Nøgne Ø. Resultatene presentert i denne avhandlingen, viste at produksjon av mikroalgebiomasse med komposisjon tilpasset et spesifikt målprodukt, kan være en effektiv metode for å lykkes med implementering av mikroalger i etablerte matprodukter

Heat recovery and water reuse in micro-distilleries improves eco-efficiency of alcohol production

The number of micro-scale spirit distilleries worldwide has grown considerably over the past decade. With an onus on the distillery sector to reduce its environmental impact, such as carbon emissions, opportunities for increasing energy efficiency need to be implemented. This study explores the potential environmental benefits and financial gains achievable through heat recovery from different process and by-product streams, exemplified for a Scotch whisky distillery, but transferrable to micro-distilleries worldwide.The eco-efficiency methodology is applied, taking into account both climate change and water scarcity impacts as well as economic performance of alcohol production with and without heat recovery. A Life Cycle Assessment, focusing on climate change and water scarcity, is combined with a financial assessment considering investment costs and the present value of the savings over the 20-year service life of the heat recovery system.The proposed heat recovery systems allow carbon emission reductions of 8–23% and water scarcity savings of 13–55% for energy and water provision for 1 L of pure alcohol (LPA). Financial savings are comparatively smaller, at 5–13%, due to discounting of the future savings – but offer a simple payback of the investment costs in under two years. The eco-efficiency of the distillery operations can be improved through all proposed heat recovery configurations, but best results are obtained when heat is recovered from mashing, distillations and by-products altogether. A sensitivity analysis confirmed that the methodology applied here delivers robust results and can help guide other micro-distilleries on whether to invest in heat recovery systems, and/or the heat recovery configuration.Uptake should be enhanced through increased information and planning support, and in cases where the distillery offers insufficient heat and water sinks to use all pre-warmed water, opportunities to link with a heat sink outside the distillery are encouraged. A 10% reduction in heating fuel use through heat recovery has the potential to save 47 kt of CO2 eq. or £7.4 M per annum in United Kingdom malt whisky production alone, based on current fuel types used and current prices (2021)

Applying lean principles in craft brewing to improve quality and reduce costs : two KwaZulu-Natal case studies.

Master of Commerce. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2018.A significant number of companies around the world have implemented lean methodologies in order to remain competitive. Although these were initially developed for large manufacturing companies, the principles that serve as a foundation for these methodologies are, arguably, also applicable to small companies. The proposed research will focus on small craft breweries in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa to determine if they too can benefit from implementing practices that are based on lean principles. The world’s craft brewing industry is well-established and growing rapidly. Most of the beer brewed in South Africa is mass-produced at comparatively low cost. Craft beer brewed by smaller scale breweries is relatively more expensive to produce and consumers have to accept trade-offs between the perceived better quality and higher cost of craft beer. In order to gain and maintain market share, craft brewers need to produce quality beer whilst reducing production costs. The objectives of this study were threefold. Firstly, it sought to identify appropriate assessment tools that may be used to measure waste in craft breweries. Secondly, to identify and measure any sources of waste that may occur in craft breweries. Lastly, to determine if and how craft brewers can introduce lean methodologies based on lean principles in their production processes in order to improve quality and reduce costs. The study was guided by lean theory. The principles derived from this directed the deployment of lean tools and practices to implement lean production methodologies. Lean theory argues that lean methodologies, if implemented correctly, will yield positive results for all firms in all industries. A multi-case study approach was used, supported by five data collection instruments; direct observations, participant observations, documents & records and semi-structured interviews. A convergent, parallel, mixed methods design was used as this allowed both qualitative and quantitative data to be gathered, analysed and then merged to interpret the findings and results. The data was analysed using content analysis with NVivo software. The main findings of this study indicate that: 1. Lean tools, like the Lean Assessment Tool, which consists of several lean improvement programmes and tools (e.g. setup time reduction, visual controls) may be used to assess waste in craft breweries. 2. The sources of wastes and inefficiencies which were identified from the case studies relate to inventory, overproduction, waiting time, unnecessary transporting, processing waste, inefficient work methods, product defects and underutilised human resources. 3. Identifying lean tools and programmes that the company can implement under its current production capabilities is a key success factor in becoming a lean organisation. 4. Having a step by step implementation model which is clear to follow will help companies to implement lean production. 5. To produce good quality beer, the ingredients used must be of good quality. Also, close monitoring of the brewing processes, times and temperatures is essential. 6. The current challenges in the craft beer industry include high levels of competition from the mainstream beer producing giants, distribution problems, maintaining consistent quality and developing effective marketing plans in a highly contested market. The study was concluded by discussing the implications of these findings for theory and literature, as well as for practitioners. Recommendations, specific for these case studies were provided and areas for future research suggested

The colloidal stability of craft beers obtained with gluten-free adjuncts: an assessment of aspects related to technology, composition and analysis

This project aims to study issues related to the physical and chemical stability of craft beers. Specifically, the plan is to analyze how some variables in the malting process (i.e., pH of the first steeping water) and formulation (use of gluten-free adjuncts) can contribute to the colloidal stability (shelf-life) of the final beer. The primary aim of the study was to carry out micro malting tests in the laboratory on four gluten-free cereals/pseudocereals (millet, amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa) in order to identify the optimal conditions for obtaining malts suitable for the production of craft beers. The use of an alkaline solution in the first steeping may facilitate the extraction of proteinaceous and phenolic fractions from seeds; for this reason the pH of the first steeping water was modified. Quality of malts was checked analysing diastatic power, beta glucans content and Kolbach index (soluble nitrogen content as a percentage of total nitrogen). Nine beers with different formulations were produced in the laboratory (2 L, micro-brewing): beer made with 100% barley malt (reference sample), beers with 40% substitute gluten-free malt using the best malts obtained from the micromalting tests and 60% of barley malt. The use of gluten-free substitutes was intended to reduce the base level of the protein fractions rich in proline. The evaluation of beer stability was carried out analyzing some indices validated by EBC (European Brewery Convention) (sensitive proteins and cold turbidity respectively), and two unconventional methods (gluten analysis and antioxidant activity, AA) to verify the possible correlation among these analyses and the official methods. Measurements of beer AA, which is mainly due to the polyphenol content, could give useful information on the colloidal stability of the final beer product. Subsequently, the experimental plan was transferred on a larger scale; three beers were produced at the pilot plant of University of Udine (capacity of 200 L) using only the malt with the highest diastatic power (buckwheat): the first with 100% malted barley (reference sample), the other two with increasing amounts of malted buckwheat (20 and 40%). The colloidal stability of beer samples was tested with the same four analyses used to verify physico-chemical stability of the laboratory produced samples. The results obtained from the micromalting tests were in line with the expectations: the four gluten-free cereal/pseudocereals were under-modified if compared to traditional malts, but potentially suitable as adjuncts (especially buckwheat). The unconventional methods used to study the physico-chemical stability of craft beers provided encouraging results: either gluten analysis or the crocin test (AA) data showed trends correlated with those obtained with the validated method (alcohol chill haze). Specifically, the gluten analysis discriminated the beers produced at the pilot plant better than sensitive proteins (EBC method). Based on the collected results, it can be concluded that the use of gluten-free adjuncts, combined with relevant process conditions (i.e. alkalinized first steeping water in the malting process), could lead to more stable final products with a gluten content less than 100 mg/L and so potentially suitable by coeliacs. The colloidal stability monitoring of the beers produced at the pilot plant has already been planned, as well as the descriptive sensory analysis of the same samples

Разнообразие типов самбала в Индонезии

Sambal is a processed chili paste with a spicy taste. The history of sambal begins with the arrival of chili seeds brought by the Portuguese in the 16th century, which was like a cultural renaissance of spicy foods. The methodology used for this research included analysis of food ethnographic literature, origin, function and types of sambal found in relevant articles and book chapters. The results show that the population with the highest consumption of sambal lives on the Sumatra Islands. There are two types of sambal preparation methods, namely slicing and mashing. Some chili sauces can be cooked or eaten raw. Sambal diversity is influenced by several factors, namely resources, geographical factors, history, and culture. Thus, sambal is considered to be an important contributor to food diversity in Indonesia because every local cuisine includes sambal and it is never left behind.Самбал — это переработанная паста из чили с острым вкусом. История самбала начинается с появлением семян чили, ввезенных португальцами в XVI веке, что было подобно культурному ренессансу острой пищи. Использованной для данного исследования методологией был анализ этнографической литературы по пищевым продуктам, происхождения, функций и типов самбала из релевантных статей и глав книг. Результаты показали, что наиболее высокое потребление самбала было у жителей о. Суматра. Существует два типа методов приготовления самбала, а именно нарезка и растирание. Некоторые соусы чили могут быть термообработаны или потребляться сырыми. На разнообразие самбала влияют несколько факторов, а именно, ресурсы, географические факторы, история и культура. Таким образом, самбал рассматривается как важный фактор, вносящий вклад в разнообразие блюд в Индонезии, т. к. каждая кухня включает самбал и от него никогда не отказываются

Drinking locally: The implications, from a sustainability perspective, of emerging Belgian microbreweries

In similarity to other European countries and the USA, Belgium, has been facing an emergence of microbreweries in the last decade. However, given the environmental footprint and, particularly, the water footprint of beer as well as the fact that microbreweries can sometimes lag behind in energy efficiency or water usage, it is worth considering the sustainability implications of this trend. The sample of visited breweries reflects the variety, in beer volumes and geographic dispersion, of the Belgian beer sector. The data analysis is framed by a three-pillared approach to sustainability and guided by the concept of Natural Resource Accounting and Maintenance Social Sustainability, respectively, to answer the questions pertaining to the environmental performance and the local culture dimensions of microbreweries. It was observed, by comparing small- and large-scale breweries that there are differences in water consumption. Usually, higher beer volumes suggest lower water consumption levels per litre of beer produced. This can be attributed to differences in cleaning procedures, water treatment and recycling. Breweries also have varying reusing practices. The research concludes that it is important, from an early stage for breweries to embrace a holistic approach towards water consumption and waste generation in their facility. This, in turn, can contribute to breweries’ resilience and the sustainability of brewing activities, especially in light of the growing numbers of microbreweries whose aim is to satisfy the demand for a local product