Directory of Federal Funding Sources for Adult Education

Lists funding sources for adult education and literacy services. Describes forty-nine federal programs in ten agencies that authorized expenditures for adult basic education services during the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years, including to state agencies

Effect of fresh pork meat conditioning on quality characteristics of salami

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of pork meat conditioning under different relative humidity (RH) values on salami quality characteristics. During a 6 days conditioning period at 0 \ub0C under two levels of RH (95% vs. 80%), meat pH and weight loss were measured. Salami characteristics (moisture, weight loss, texture, appearance properties) were evaluated during 20 days of ripening. Results showed that conditioning at 80% RH yielded a significantly drier meat, being the weight loss rate 1.6 times higher than at 95% RH. The lower water content of meat allowed a shorter salami ripening phase, guaranteeing an appropriate weight loss and the development of the desired texture, while maintaining good appearance properties. The acceleration of this production phase represents a clear economic advantage for producers and consumers, leading to higher profit margins and lower retail prices. The possibility of using FT-NIR spectroscopy as a valid tool for the rapid evaluation of salami ripening was also demonstrated

Fish fillet authentication by image analysis

The work aims at developing an image analysis procedure able to distinguish high value fillets of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) from those of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). The images of fresh G. morhua (n \ubc 90) and M. aeglefinus (n \ubc 91) fillets were collected by a flatbed scanner and processed at different levels. Both untreated and edge-based segmented (Canny algorithm) regions of interest were submitted to surface texture evaluation by Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix analysis. Twelve surface texture variables selected by Principal Component Analysis or by SELECT algorithm were then used to develop Linear Discriminant Analysis models. An average correct classification rate ranging from 86.05 to 92.31% was obtained in prediction, irrespective the use of raw or segmented images. These findings pave the way for a simple machine vision system to be implemented along fish market chain, in order to provide stakeholders with a simple, rapid and cost-effective system useful in fighting commercial frauds

Effects of ohmic heating on technological properties of whole egg

The aim of this work was to study the effects of different ohmic heating conditions on color, rheology, foaming, and gelling properties of whole egg. Industrial products treated by conventional heat pasteurization and the corresponding raw materials were also evaluated. Ohmic treatments accomplished in a static cell (65.5 \ub0C 73 min, 70 \ub0C 71 min, and 67 \ub0C 74.5 min) increased whole egg apparent viscosity (up to 190%), but also foam overrun (up to 28%) and gel hardness (up to 15%). The performance improvement was confirmed by treatments carried out in a continuous pilot plant (71 \ub0C 70.6 min, 68 \ub0C 71.4 min) and the products resulted stable during storage at 4 \ub0C for 30 days. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that ohmic heating is a suitable alternative to conventional pasteurization. Low temperature treatments are preferable to avoid possible rheological issues due to protein denaturation. Industrial relevance: Whole egg is a protein ingredient with multiple technological properties, used in many foods. Due to safety reasons, food manufacturers often use pasteurized liquid egg products, microbiologically safer and easier to handle with respect to shell eggs. In order to satisfy the required sanitary levels for liquid egg products, thermal pasteurization treatments are needed. However, since egg proteins are very sensitive to high temperatures, attention must be paid to avoid coagulation entailing deleterious effects against egg quality. In this study, different ohmic heating treatments were evaluated as milder alternatives to conventional pasteurization. The lab- and pilot-scale experiments and the subsequent statistical analyses of the obtained results contributed to assess the effects of the different ohmic treatments on technological features (e.g. color, rheology, foaming, and gelling properties) of liquid whole egg. This study demonstrated that ohmic heating is a suitable technology for whole egg treatment, paving the way for new opportunities in order to produce safe food ingredients with improved technological functionalities

An exploratory study for the technological classification of egg white powders based on infrared spectroscopy

This work aims at the evaluation of FT-NIR and FT-IR spectroscopy as rapid, easy, and cost-effective tools for the classification of egg white powder (EWP) based on its technological properties. Up to 100 commercial spray-dried EWP samples with known gelling and foaming properties were used to acquire FT-NIR and FT-IR spectra. An appropriate data-splitting algorithm (Duplex) was applied in order to create, for each dataset, a calibration set and a representative validation test set for prediction. Different spectral pre-treatments and their combinations were investigated for the calculation of Partial Least Squares\u2013Discriminant Analysis models in order to classify samples according to gel strength, foam height, and foam instability. A variable selection strategy based on the so-called Variable Importance in Projection scores was also evaluated. Both FT-NIR and FT-IR spectroscopy showed good potential in discriminating EWP samples with different technological properties. Correct classification percentages in prediction ranging from 59% to 89% were obtained with the best models calculated with selected wavenumbers. These results show a promising industrial perspective, demonstrating the possibility of developing cheap and fast instruments spanning a limited spectral range, which can be implemented on the production lines for EWP sorting and quality control

Effects of processing parameters on chemical and physical properties of enzymatically interesterified beef tallow–corn oil blends

The purpose of this study was to improve some physical and chemical characteristics of tallow through enzymatic interesterification process with corn oil and to investigate effects of process parameters on chemical and physical properties of obtained products. Full factorial design was constructed using blend ratio and reaction time as process parameters. Enzymatic interesterification was catalyzed with sn-1,3-specific lipase. Interesterified lipids have higher free fatty acid content and lower oxidative stability compared to initial blends. Interesterification did not cause trans-fatty acid formation and products mostly contained \u3b2 crystals. Solid fat content and slip melting point decreased up to 6 hr of interesterification; however, longer reaction times have negative effects on these parameters. Statistical analyses\u2019 results confirmed that reaction time is highly important for enzymatic interesterification. Practical applications: Some of interesterified lipids can be utilized as alternatives to margarines or butterfat due to their lower trans-fatty acid content and crystal morphology

The effects of novel pasteurization technologies on egg product functionalities

Egg products are protein ingredients with multiple functional properties such as gelling, foaming, binding adhesion and emulsification. Because of such properties, these ingredients are desirable in many foods, such as bakery products, meringues, meat products and cookies. Pasteurization of liquid egg products is commercially performed in conventional high-temperature-short-time equipments, that can negatively affect product functionalities. The recent development of alternative processing technologies, such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultraviolet radiation, pulsed electric fields, high pressure homogenization, microwave-assisted pasteurization, and ohmic heating, offers the potential to inactivate microorganisms, reduce loss of essential nutrients, and maintain functional properties. The aim of this review is the discussion of results reported in the literature about the effects of these novel pasteurization technologies on egg product functionalities. Moreover, preliminary results of an ongoing research aiming at the study of the ohmic heating effects on gelling and whipping properties of liquid whole egg will be illustrated

Sunflower oil-based organogels for the production of healthier ice creams

Consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of a healthy diet for their well-being and the risk reduction for certain diseases. Therefore, food products are often reformulated in order to guarantee a healthier composition. For instance, animal fat substitution with vegetable oils helps to increase the intake of unsaturated fatty acids, which have been associated with lower levels of blood cholesterol and lower risks for coronary heart disease. However, many foods (such as ice cream, cheese, bakery and confectionery products) need the presence of structured fats in order to achieve the proper texture. In these fields, the use of organogels can be particularly interesting. They are solid-like systems based on the gelation of a liquid oil by means of oil soluble polymers able to build a three-dimensional network which entraps the liquid fraction. Thus, the aim of this work was to study the possibility to develop a healthier ice cream with a good structure, by using a sunflower oil-based organogel, obtained with phytosterols and gamma-oryzanol as gelators. Six ice cream formulations differing for the amount (4 or 8%) and the type (cream, sunflower oil and sunflower oil-based organogel) of fat used were produced in duplicate using a plant for artisanal ice cream. Soluble solid content, viscosity and density were measured on ice cream mixes before freezing, while on the finished products overrun, instrumental firmness, colour, melting behaviour, and shape retention were evaluated. The work demonstrated that the use of the organogel in ice cream formulations improved the quality characteristics of the final product with respect to sunflower oil. Even if the best features were obtained with cream, it has to be pointed out that the sunflower oil-based organogel produced a healthier ice cream, with high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and natural antioxidants

Sviluppo di prodotti "light": non solo le calorie contano

Dopo l'illustrazione dell'attuale legislazione in termini di indicazioni nutrizionali, verranno puntualizzati gli aspetti legati alla definizione di prodotti light. Verranno poi mostrati gli approcci sperimentali utilizzati nello sviluppo e ottimizzazione di formulazioni alimentari. Infine, si discuteranno alcuni casi applicativi