Summary report on sensory-related socio-economic and sensory science literature about organic food products

Organic food’s initial attraction to the public was that it was perceived to be healthier and tastier, but scientists and policy makers have mainly stressed the benefits to the environment of organic and sustainable farming. Scientific support for marketing actions addressed to those who want to be healthier and who want to enjoy better taste, and are willing to pay more for these benefits is scarce. Past research has produced little clear evidence about the importance of sensory characteristics such as taste, smell, appearance etc in consumers’ preferences with regard to organic food. The Ecropolis project, funded by the E.U., was set up with the aim of investigating the role of the senses in consumers’ preferences regarding organic food, and leading to research into how best to satisfy those preferences. This deliverable is aimed at providing a solid basis for such research with an in-depth review of, and two reports on, the relevant scientific literature. The first report (Annex I) regards what consumers expect from organic products in terms of taste, smell, appearance, etc and how these expectations are (or are not) met; the second is about the science of the senses (Annex II). The first project tasks included creating and agreeing on a glossary of terms, deciding on search criteria (key words, etc.), setting up a bibliographical data base, preparing then circulating the above-mentioned reports, and finally preparing a summary of the reports. The report on consumers expectations highlights the suggestion that while organic food has traditionally been marketed through specialized retailers, its market share will only grow significantly if it is promoted by multiple retailers. Research literature from all over the world seems to agree in indicating that consumers’ choices are largely motivated by health, the environment, price and social status. Other considerations include ethics, the localness of the product and lifestyle choices. The literature also indicates that the organic market will expand significantly only if consumers are more willing, and able, to recognize quality, but this presents serious issues. When buying the product they cannot personally verify its quality and genuineness and thus must rely on regulation and inspection bodies. The recognition of quality can also be encouraged by effective communication by producers and retailers through appropriate branding, labelling and presentation. There are connections between this information and questions of sense perception, but researchers disagree about how important the latter is in influencing the customer, and in which ways it does so. The following report focuses, in fact, on the science of the senses, which tries to analyze in detail people’s responses to food, despite the many potential pitfalls in carrying out the research which might influence the reliability of the results. There is broad agreement on two points: - there is no proof that organic food is more nutritious or safer, and - most studies that have compared the taste and organoleptic quality of organic andconventional foods report no consistent or significant differences between organic and conventional produce. Therefore, claiming that all organic food tastes different from all conventional food would not be correct. However, among the well-designed studies with respect to fruits and vegetables that have found differences, the vast majority favour organic produce. Organic produce tends to store better and has longer shelf life, probably because of lower levels of nitrates and higher average levels of antioxidants. The former can accelerate food spoilage, while antioxidants help preserve the integrity of cells and some are natural antibiotics. The first conclusion may, however, depend on factors not directly connected to organic farming, such as harvesting and storage methods and the type of land used for growing the food. About the second finding it must be considered that measuring organoleptic quality is difficult and inherently subjective and evaluations may be clouded by the influence of numerous factors on the consumer’s perceptions of the food and not just its appearance and taste. Experimental research indicates that the information that a food is organic confers upon it a “halo effect” (making it seem better sense-wise simply because it is organic) which might make consumers like it more. Ecropolis researchers will analyze in detail which senses are indeed impacted on, and how, and try to match them to consumer needs and expectations in order to be able to offer suggestions for future policy, including how the food is stored, transported and presented, which is also essential for maintaining sensory properties. The workpackage WP1 has also produced a specific report on how organic food sensory aspects are regulated. International standards, with some important exceptions, are largely in line with European ones. Differences in standards usually regard whether there is orientation towards freshness “per se” as opposed to increasing shelf-life, or quality standardization as opposed to quality differentiation. Differences in regulations regard such aspects as ingredients, additives, processing aids and methods, packaging, storage and transport. The lack of harmony among the different regulatory systems often reflects different traditions and market conditions, however, more complicated compliance procedures result in higher costs for importers. Greater homogeneity would not only reduce such costs but would also increase consumer confidence in international standards. Ecropolis will also investigate the effect of different regulations on how people perceive organic goods sense-wise. The work done to date is seen as a starting point for future research aimed at producing practical results in the organic food market. Ecropolis will try to bring together separate strands of research concerning how organic goods are regulated and marketed with regard to taste, appearance, etc., and how consumers themselves are affected by such factors. The aim is to find optimal matches between the two, and thus to greatly increase organic food’s share of the food market

Sensory analysis and consumer acceptance of 140 high-quality extra virgin olive oils

Background: Sensory analysis is a crucial tool for evaluating the quality of extra virgin olive oils. One aim of such an investigation is to verify if the sensory attributes themselves – which are strictly related to volatile and phenolic compounds – may permit the discrimination of high-quality products obtained by olives of different cultivars and/or grown in various regions. Moreover, a crucial topic is to investigate the interdependency between relevant parameters etermining consumer acceptance and objective sensory characteristics evaluated by the panel test. Results: By statistically analysing the sensory results, a grouping – but not discriminatory – effect was shown for some cultivars and some producing areas. The preference map shows that the most appreciated samples by consumers were situated in the direction of the ‘ripe fruity’ and ‘sweet’ axis and opposite to the ‘bitter’ and ‘other attributes’ (pungent, green fruity, freshly cut grass, green tomato, harmony, persistency) axis. Conclusion: Extra virgin olive oils produced from olives of the same cultivars and grown in the same areas shared similar sensorial attributes. Some differences in terms of expectation and interpretation of sensory characteristics of extra virgin olive oils might be present for consumers and panellists: most of the consumers appear unfamiliar with positive sensorial attributes, such as bitterness and pungency

Emergencia de viejos temas en un contexto modernizado: marco teórico metodológico en un estudio de migrantes estacionales al sur de Argentina

This article deals with carrying out the theoretical and procedural developments in the social construction of data and analytical thinking. From the back room of research, it is shown the progress of a traditional topic in a modernized context. This time, empirical research is situated in a region of intensive production under the influence of Southern Argentina, word market oriented, with high requirements of seasonal migrants and opacity in the records and social images. From a critical social science by breaking the obvious, we proceed to build data and findings in order to denaturalize representations and to dissect situations through the combination of methodological procedures. The purpose of this paper is therefore to show the theoretical and methodological decisions underlying in the research and to respond with substantive content and empirical inquiry to the central questions about seasonal migration in a fruit production chain.Este artículo se ocupa de realizar los recorridos teóricos y procedimentales en la construcción social de los datos y su reflexión analítica. Se muestra, desde la trastienda de la investigación, el devenir de un tema tradicional en un contexto modernizado. En esta ocasión, la investigación empírica se sitúa en una región de producción intensiva bajo riego en el Sur de Argentina orientada al mercado mundial, con elevados requerimientos de migrantes estacionales y con opacidad en los registros y en las imágenes sociales.Desde una ciencia social crítica y mediante la ruptura de lo obvio hemos procedido a construir datos y hallazgos para desnaturalizar representaciones y desmenuzar las situaciones a través de la combinación de procedimientos metodológicos. El propósito de este trabajo consiste, pues, en mostrar las decisiones teórico-metodológicas que subyacen en este camino y dar respuestas con contenido sustantivo y empírico a las preguntas de indagación central acerca de la migración estacional en una cadena frutícola

Pain-related Somato Sensory Evoked Potentials: A potential new tool to improve the prognostic prediction of coma after cardiac arrest

INTRODUCTION: Early prediction of a good outcome in comatose patients after cardiac arrest still remains an unsolved problem. The main aim of the present study was to examine the accuracy of middle-latency SSEP triggered by a painful electrical stimulation on median nerves to predict a favorable outcome. METHODS: No- and low-flow times, pupillary reflex, Glasgow motor score and biochemical data were evaluated at ICU admission. The following were considered within 72 h of cardiac arrest: highest creatinine value, hyperthermia occurrence, EEG, SSEP at low- (10 mA) and high-intensity (50 mA) stimulation, and blood pressure reactivity to 50 mA. Intensive care treatments were also considered. Data were compared to survival, consciousness recovery and 6-month CPC (Cerebral Performance Category). RESULTS: Pupillary reflex and EEG were statistically significant in predicting survival; the absence of blood pressure reactivity seems to predict brain death within 7 days of cardiac arrest. Middle- and short-latency SSEP were statistically significant in predicting consciousness recovery, and middle-latency SSEP was statistically significant in predicting 6-month CPC outcome. The prognostic capability of 50 mA middle-latency-SSEP was demonstrated to occur earlier than that of EEG reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Neurophysiological evaluation constitutes the key to early information about the neurological prognostication of postanoxic coma. In particular, the presence of 50 mA middle-latency SSEP seems to be an early and reliable predictor of good neurological outcome, and its absence constitutes a marker of poor prognosis. Moreover, the absence 50 mA blood pressure reactivity seems to identify patients evolving towards the brain death

Techniques and Technologies for Countrymen, Case Study: Coca-Coffee Growers in Miranda (Cauca, Colombia)

En el presente artículo, resultado de investigación financiada por la Universidad del Cauca, se evalúan algunas acciones ambientales de comunidades campesinas cafeteras-cocaleras en Miranda, Cauca. Para tal fin, se realizó un diagnóstico rural participativo y un análisis econométricoa través de modelos de regresión multivariados estimados por Mínimos Cuadrados Ordinarios Robustos a la White. Los resultados muestran que, sobre el uso y control de agua y suelo en ambos cultivos, las acciones de aprovisionamiento de agua para agricultura dependen en mayor grado de las acciones de aislamiento de las fuentes de agua y del manejo de coberturas vegetales y orgánicas en el suelo. Las acciones de aprovechamiento arbóreo dependen en mayor grado de las acciones de reforestación y de las conexiones entre áreas boscosas en la finca. Las prácticas de los campesinos cafeteros-cocaleros son más sustentables y sostenibles que las de los campesinos cafeteros que no son cocaleros.In this article -the result of a research work sponsored by Universidad del Cauca- several environmental actions from rural coffee-coca growing communities are assessed in Miranda, Cauca. For this purpose, a participative rural evaluation and an econometric analysis were conducted through multivariate regression models estimated through the White’s Robust Ordinary Least Squares. Results show that, in relation to use and control of water and soil in both cultivations, water supply actions for agriculture mostly depend on isolation actions of water springs and handling of plant and organic areas in the soil. Tree exploitation actions mostly depend on reforestation actions and connections between forested areas at the farm. Coffee-coca growing countrymen’s practices are more sustainable than those of coffee growing countrymen who do not grow coca at all

Regiões agrícolas, mercado de trabalho e migrações: novas áreas produtivas de frutas, casos do Brasil e da Argentina.

El objetivo del artículo es analizar cómo el proceso de valorización de espacios para a agricultura intensiva produce impactos en la estructura agraria, en el mercado de trabajo y en los centros urbanos regionales como consecuencia de la movilización territorial de trabajadores, y cómo este proceso influye en la organización do trabajo agrícola en regiones productoras de frutas frescas en Argentina y en Brasil, atendiendo a mercados segmentados y exigentes según estrategias específicas. La cuestión que se enfatiza es: Cuáles son las diferencias y las semejanzas que se constituyen en regiones distantes, pero sujetas a los mismos imperativos del mercado de productos frescos, haciendo hincapié en los procesos migratorio

E-Government sebagai Strategi dalam Meminimalisir Penyebaran Covid-19 di Dinas Kependudukan dan Catatan Sipil Kota Makassar

The purpose of this article is to discuss E-Government as a strategy in minimizing the spread of Covid-19 at the Makassar City Population and Civil Registry Office. The type of research used is qualitative research method and the type of research is descriptive. Data collection techniques using observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques include data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The informants in the study consisted of four people. The results of this study show 3 elements of success in implementing E-Government as a strategy to minimize Covid-19 at the Makassar City Population and Civil Registry Office, namely: 1). Support element, namely the support or willingness of the leadership of the Makassar City Population and Civil Registry Agency to implement E-Government and the existence of rules that support the implementation of E-Government. 2). Capacity elements which include the availability of financial resources from the APBD, the availability of infrastructure resources that support the implementation of E-Government such as computers, print, wifi etc., and the availability of competent human resources in the implementation of E-Government or online services, 3). The value element (benefits) is the benefits felt by the Makassar City Population and Civil Registry Office as a provider of online services to the public in the midst of Covid-19, where this service provides significant benefits in terms of effective and efficient services and is able to minimize the spread of Covid-19 within the scope of the Makassar City Population and Civil Registry Office, while the benefits felt by the community as service recipients are the ease of getting services because they no longer need to come to the office to get services which will also reduce the risk of crowds that will cause new clusters of Covid-19

PRELIMINARY CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF TUNISIN MONOVARIETAL VIRGIN OLIVE OILS AND COMPARISON WITH SICILIAN ONES.

Work was carried out on the characterization of monovarietal virgin olive oils (VOO) from Tunisia and Sicily (Italy). The two main Tunisian VOO (cvv. Ch\ue9toui of the North and cv. Chemlali grown in the Center and some regions of the South) and three principal Sicilian VOO (cvv. Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla and Cerasuola) were studied. Moreover, the Ch\ue9toui oils were tested in a rain-fed control and an irrigation regime. All olive samples were picked at three different stages of ripeness. Analyses of major components (fatty acids and triacylglycerols) and minor ones (squalene, tocopherols and phenolic compounds) were carried out. Ch\ue9toui oils had a higher level of phenolic compounds followed by Chemlali. Generally, in the Sicilian oils these natural antioxidant contents were lower. These preliminary results indicate that it was possible to classify the Tunisian and Sicilian oils tested in their original growing area based on their chemical composition