Digital Media

Students produce a short (3 to 4 minute) group (4/group) video production, detailing a biochemistry concept. The group decides the choice of content during the initial meetings and storyboarding of the idea(s). The content must address, in some way, a biochemical concept related to TFBC2001. This concept could be the basis of an important biochemical experiment, a creative explanation of a biochemical hypothesis, addressing a biochemical misconception, or exploring a biochemical model. The video can contain any form of multimedia (video, sound, audio, animation etc.) but it must be visual, engaging and creative

TrackEngage: Tracking Student Engagment in Learning Resources and its Correlation to their Performance

An important factor in the academic performance of Laboratory based science students is attendance on the basis that practical experience and engagement in teaching activities are necessary to develop skills and competencies. Student attendance also has wider implications for science schools as they are increasingly challenged in providing laboratory based practical teaching in the face of increasing student numbers. The relationship between attendance and academic performance has been studied previously, but mainly limited to classroom-based lectures rather than laboratory activities and self-directed learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between student attendance at laboratory practical sessions and class based activities and their engagement in learning resources with their overall academic performance. The hypothesis that students who engaged in more teaching and learning resources performed better in the overall module grade was proven, with the highest correlation found for lecture attendance to the end-of-semester examinations

Video : Use of recording technology (digital camera, Galaxy tablets)

Use of recording technology (digital camera, Galaxy tablets) to record practical component of Food Sensory Analysis. Students chose software for editing themselves. Students create videos of standard protocols for sensory analysis tests (setting up sensory booth, preparing samples, test sheets etc). Groups of three: Director, camera operator, actor. Practicals were divided up so each student got to work on two videos video. For each practical there were at least three videos produced (the rest of the class carry out the practical in a traditional fashion, not recording it). These were uploaded to YouTube. Subsequent classes will not have access to previous videos, except for a few exemplary examples

Overview of the Irish brewing and distilling sector: processing inputs supply and quality requirements

For any brewing and distilling establishment, the supply and quality of processing inputs is a major determinant in its production output. Accessibility and availability of brewing and distilling inputs drives productivity and quality of products. The Irish brewing and distilling sector have shown increased sales and production output, with a growth rate of 4% between 2014 and 2019. The brewing industry in the republic of Ireland has seen a 22% increase in the number of micro-breweries since 2014, and its total output now stands at 8.3 m hectolitres. The distilling industry witnessed an increase from four to thirty-eight in the number of distilleries between 2010 and 2020 with a local and global sales at 2.4 and 20 million nine litre cases, respectively. As a result of the continued growth of the Irish brewing and distilling sector, demand for different processing inputs has increased proportionately. For a sustainable production process, there is need for a steady supply of the right quantity and quality of the major inputs for brewing and distilling. Sustainable growth of the sector requires establishment of a strong base of processing inputs availability and their effective utilisation to minimise environmental impacts. This review, therefore, looks at the current state of the major processing inputs for brewing and distilling in Ireland, as well as their general characteristics and requirements

Review of the Valorization Initiatives of Brewing and Distilling Byproducts

Beer and spirits are two of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world, and their production generates enormous amounts of by-product materials. This ranges from spent grain, spent yeast, spent kieselguhr, trub, carbon dioxide, pot ale, and distilled gin spent botanicals. The present circular economy dynamics and increased awareness on resource use for enhanced sustainable production practices have driven changes and innovations in the management practices and utilisation of these by-products. These include food product development, functional food applications, biotechnological applications, and bioactive compounds extraction. As a result, the brewing and distilling sector of the food and drinks industry is beginning to see a shift from conventional uses of byproducts such as animal feed to more innovative applications. This review paper therefore explored some of these valorization initiatives and the current state of the art

The Anti-Microbial Efficacy of Plant Essential Oil Combinations and Interactions with Food Ingredients

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of plant essential oils (EOs) in combination and to investigate the effect of food ingredients on their efficacy. The EOs assessed in combination included basil, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Combinations of EOs were initially screened against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the spot-on-agar test. The influence of varying concentrations of EO combinations on efficacy was also monitored using E. coli. These preliminary studies showed promising results for oregano in combination with basil, thyme or marjoram. The checkerboard method was then used to quantify the efficacy of oregano, marjoram or thyme in combination with the remainder of selected EOs. Fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC) were calculated and interpreted as synergy, addition, indifference or antagonism. All the oregano combinations showed additive efficacy against B. cereus, and oregano combined with marjoram, thyme or basil also had an additive effect against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. The mixtures of marjoram or thyme also displayed additive effects in combination with basil, rosemary or sage against L. monocytogenes. The effect of food ingredients and pH on the antimicrobial efficacy of oregano and thyme was assessed by monitoring the lag phase and the maximum specific growth rate of L. monocytogenes grown in model media. The model media included potato starch (0, 1, 5 or 10%), beef extract (1.5, 3, 6 or 12%), sunflower oil (0, 1, 5 or 10%) and TSB at pH levels of 4, 5, 6 or 7. The antimicrobial efficacy of EOs was found to be a function of ingredient manipulation. Starch and oils concentrations of 5% and 10% had a negative impact on the EO efficacy. On the contrary, the EOs were more effective at high concentrations of protein, and at pH 5, by comparison with pH 6 or 7. This study suggests that combinations of EOs could minimize application concentrations and consequently reduce any adverse sensory impact in food. However, their application for microbial control might be affected by food composition, therefore, careful selection of EOs appropriate to the sensory and compositional status of the food system is required. This work shows that EOs might be more effective against food-borne pathogens and spoilage bacteria when applied to ready to use foods containing a high protein level at acidic pH, as well as lower levels of fats or carbohydrates

Antimicrobial Activity of Plant Essential Oils Using Food Model Media: Efficacy, Synergistic Potential and Interaction with Food Components

The aim of this study was to optimise the antimicrobial efficacy of plant essential oils (EOs) for control of Listeria spp. and spoilage bacteria using food model media based on lettuce, meat and milk. The EOs evaluated were lemon balm, marjoram, oregano and thyme and their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined against Enterobacter spp., Listeria spp., Lactobacillus spp., and Pseudomonas spp. using the agar dilution method and/or the absorbance based microplate assay. MICs were significantly lower in lettuce and beef media than in TSB. Listeria strains were more sensitive than spoilage bacteria, and oregano and thyme were the most active EOs. EO combinations were investigated using the checkerboard method and Oregano combined with thyme had additive effects against spoilage organisms. Combining lemon balm with thyme yielded additive activity against Listeria strains. The effect of simple sugars and pH on antimicrobial efficacy of oregano and thyme was assessed in a beef extract and tomato serum model media. EOs retained greater efficacy at pH 5 and 2.32% sugar, but sugar concentrations above 5% did not negatively impact EO efficacy. In addition to proven antimicrobial efficacy, careful selection and investigation of EOs appropriate to the sensory profile of foods and composition of the food system is required. This work shows that EOs might be more effective against food-borne pathogens and spoilage bacteria when applied to foods containing a high protein level at acidic pH, as well as moderate levels of simple sugars

Technological University Dublin\u27s Pathway to Embedding Sustainability in Food Degrees, NEMOS and Beyond

The School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin, commenced a journey to embed Sustainability in its modules and programmes in 2020 with a nationally funded project ‘Sustainable Food Curriculum Co-Create’. The project’s goal was to build capacity for integrating sustainability learning outcomes across Food programmes through educator professional development and co-creation with students. The CPD curriculum design involved several stakeholders in Education for Sustainable Development from across the Food System including enterprise and state organisations who advised on sector-specific sustainability issues, food experts from across several Schools, and sustainability experts from across the University and beyond. It also was informed by industry publications and policy frameworks. In 2021, the School commenced the European Erasmus partnership NEMOS – A new educational model for acquisition of sustainability competences through service-learning. Using a TU Dublin designed sustainability mapping tool, our BSc Food Innovation degree was analysed for current levels of sustainability, based on the AASHE Stars categorisation. Through research involving internal and external stakeholders, barriers to sustainability were identified, and categorised as economical, supply chain issues, labour, knowledge, awareness, investment, government, human nature, climate change, environmental, social sustainability, capitalism, low adoption of Innovation, and food safety. Meanwhile, key food related Sustainability concepts that will be useful to inform the review of food degrees were identified and categorised as Farming Practices, Climate change direct impacts, Environmental, Agrifood Circular Bioeconomy, Waste reduction, Measuring and benchmarking, Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Food product development, Sustainable and Ethical Food Business. In all, 70 competencies were identified. In this special session, TU Dublin will outline the CPD module for enhancing lecturer capacity for embedding sustainability in the curriculum, the TU Dublin curriculum mapping tool for measuring sustainability, and provide an Irish and European context for sustainability competencies

A Study of the Physicochemical and Sensory Properties of Organic and Conventional Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) Before and After Baking

The objective of this study was to investigate if there were any differences in the physicochemical and sensory properties of organic and conventional potatoes (cv. Orla). The conventional potatoes had a lower dry matter content (P \u3c 0.05) and a slightly softer texture (P V 0.05) than the organic potatoes. The trained panel perceived the conventional baked potato to be slightly softer, less adhesive and wetter than the organic baked potato (

Screening of Irish Fruit and Vegetable Germplasm for Novel Anti-tumour and Pesticidal Compounds

Conference paperPhytochemicals are a rich source of novel therapeutic and insecticidal agents (McLaughlin and Chang, 1999). Considerable research effort has been directed at screening exotic and medicinal plants in the search for novel products. However, plants which have traditional food uses have been little explored. In addition the range, type and level of individual bioactive compounds can vary significantly between different species, different cultivars of the same species and different tissue types of the plant (Reilly, in press) Therefore, the objective of this study was to screen a range of fruits and vegetables which can be grown in Ireland for novel bioactive compounds for use in food production and as bio-pesticides.The author wishes to acknowledge the financial support from the Dublin Institute of Technology through an ABBEST fellowshi