Nitrite reduction in sausage using tomato powder and Satureja bachtiarica Bunge essential oil by response surface methodology

Background & Aim: The use of synthetic additives is one of the main approaches for preventing microbial growth and oxidative reactions in meat products. These preservatives were recently marked as unhealthy to humans; therefore, the consumers demand for fresh, natural, and negligibly processed products with lower content of artificial additives is increasing. Experimental: The effect of Satureja bachtiarica Bunge essential oil (EO) and tomato powder (TP) to optimize sausage formulation with reduced nitrite content was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the effects of different levels of EO (200-400 ppm), TP (5-15%) as Hurdles, and sodium nitrite (SN) (0-300 ppm) in sausage formulation during storage (0- 24 days). Dependent variables including residual nitrite, pH, color indices, microbial load, and hardness were investigated and finally model optimization and validation were conducted. Results: The results showed that residual nitrite was strongly depending on initial added nitrite and storage time (p<0.001), so the use of nitrite substituent was undeniable to have an improved sausage formulation without microbial defect. RSM represented a quadratic model for all responses except in texture which was linear and the pH and microbial load showed interaction. The optimized predicted values for SN, EO and TP were 56 ppm, 378 ppm and 5%, respectively. The model validation revealed that the results of the experiments were in good agreement with the predicted values. Recommended applications/industries: The results of the present study can be useful for consideration in meat products industry to reduce the nitrite level in sausage formulation

Urban and river flooding: Comparison of flood risk management approaches in the UK and China and an assessment of future knowledge needs

Increased urbanisation, economic growth, and long-term climate variability have made both the UK and China more susceptible to urban and river flooding, putting people and property at increased risk. This paper presents a review of the current flooding challenges that are affecting the UK and China and the actions that each country is undertaking to tackle these problems. Particular emphases in this paper are laid on (1) learning from previous flooding events in the UK and China, and (2) which management methodologies are commonly used to reduce flood risk. The paper concludes with a strategic research plan suggested by the authors, together with proposed ways to overcome identified knowledge gaps in flood management. Recommendations briefly comprise the engagement of all stakeholders to ensure a proactive approach to land use planning, early warning systems, and water-sensitive urban design or redesign through more effective policy, multi-level flood models, and data driven models of water quantity and quality

An intercontinental analysis of food safety culture in view of food safety governance and national values

Taking food safety culture into account is a promising way to improve food safety performance in the food industry. Food safety culture (FS-culture) research is expanding from an organisational perspective to include characteristics of the internal and external company environment. In this study, the prevailing food safety culture in 17 food companies from four countries on three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) was assessed in view of food safety governance and national values. The internal environment characteristics, i.e. food safety vision, food safety program and food production system vulnerability, were also assessed. Statistical analysis revealed little variation in FS-culture scores between the companies within the same country. Overall the FS- culture for Greek and Zambian companies was scored proactive, while for Chinese and Tanzanian companies an active score was achieved. Both the internal and external company environment seemed to influence the pre- vailing FS-culture. Cluster analysis showed that Tanzanian and Zambian companies exhibited similarities in the implementation of food safety programs, and in their national values and food safety governance as compared to Greece and China. Food safety governance was reflected in the food safety programs and supportiveness of the organisation to food safety and hygiene. All cultural dimensions were correlated with risk perceptions, with masculinity and long-term orientation also significantly correlated with the enabling conditions and attitude. Understanding how national values and food safety governance approaches differently influence food safety culture is expected to enable formulation of best approaches tailored for companies operating in countries with different company environments, to improve food safety performance

Measurement of Food Safety Culture using Survey and Maturity Profiling Tools

Organizational culture is defined by dimensions and characteristics that can be used to measure food safety culture in food manufacturing through a food safety maturity model. Maturity models from quality, health care, and information technology have been used since early 1970 and this work presents a novel food safety culture maturity model with five capability areas and food safety pinpointed behaviours specific to functions and levels in a food manufacturing company. A survey tool linked to the model is used to measure a company’s position within the maturity model framework. The method was tested with a Canadian food manufacturer and proved valuable to measure food safety culture across the five capability areas, which provides the manufacturer with a map for prioritizing future efforts to strengthen food safety culture

Cytokinin Activities of Dihydrozeatin in Several Bioassays (A. NATURAL SCIENCE)

(±)-Dihydrozeatin was tested for its cytokinin activities in several bioassays and compared with different cytokinins. Dihydrozeatin stimulates the growth of tobacco callus at the concentrations of 10^-10^M with the optimum at 10^M, shoot development on tobacco callus at 10^M with 2×10^M IAA, the germination of lettuce seeds at 10^-10^M, the growth of radish leaf at 5×10^-5×10^M, and the development of lateral buds in pea seedlings at 5×10^M. This cytokinin inhibits the elongation of pea stem segment and delays senescence in detached wheat leaves at 10^-10^M. Dihydrozeatin is less active than zeatin and N^6-(isopentenyl) adenine (2iP) in these bioassays used, but it is of stronger activity than kinetin in the growth of tobacco callus and radish leaf and less effective in the germination of lettuce seeeds and the retention of chlorophyll

Social Value of Marine and Coastal Protected Areas in England and Wales.

The U.K. government is committed to establishing a coherent network of marine protected areas by 2012 and the recentMarine and Coastal Access Act, 2009 will designate marine conservation zones and provide wider access rights to the coast. To fulfill these goals, this article argues the need for a clearer, shared understanding of the social value of protected areas in creating new designations and managing existing ones. Although marine and coastal environments attract many people and are vitally important in terms of realized and potential social value, the majority of the public in the United Kingdom lacks understanding and awareness regarding them. Combined with this, the social value of marine and coastal protected areas (MCPAs) have been largely ignored relative to conservation and economics, with the latter invariably taking precedence in environmental policymaking. Social value reflects the complex, individual responses that people experience in a given place. Many reasons determine why one area is valued above another, and this research investigates the social value of MCPAs from a practitioner’s perspective through a series of interviews. Understanding why we “socially” value MCPAs will ultimately equip managers with an informed understanding of these spaces, influence management decisions, and, potentially, policymaking. This article defines social value in the context of MCPAs in England and Wales from a practitioner perspective, explores key concepts, and suggests possible improvements in decision-making

Exposure Assessment Approaches for Engineered Nanomaterials

Products based on nanotechnology are rapidly emerging in the marketplace, sometimes with little notice to consumers of their nanotechnology pedigree. This wide variety of nanotechnology products will result (in some cases) in unintentional human exposure to purposely engineered nanoscale materials via the dermal, inhalation, ingestion, and ocular pathways. Occupational, consumer, and environmental exposure to the nanomaterials should be characterized during the entire product lifecycle—manufacture, use, and disposal. Monitoring the fate and transport of engineered nanomaterials is complicated by the lack of detection techniques and the lack of a defined set of standardized metrics to be consistently measured. New exposure metrics may be required for engineered nanomaterials, but progress is possible by building on existing tools. An exposure metric matrix could organize existing data by relating likely exposure pathways (dermal, inhalation, ocular, ingestion) with existing measurements of important characteristics of nanoscale materials (particle number, mass, size distribution, charge). Nanomaterial characteristics not commonly measured, but shown to initiate a biological response during toxicity testing, signal a need for further research, such as the pressing need to develop monitoring devices capable of measuring those aspects of engineered nanomaterials that result in biological responses in humans. Modeling the behavior of nanoparticles may require new types of exposure models that individually track particles through the environment while keeping track of the particle shape, surface area, and other surface characteristics as the nanoparticles are transformed or become reactive. Lifecycle analysis could also be used to develop conceptual models of exposure from engineered nanomaterials.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79200/1/j.1539-6924.2010.01446.x.pd