Europeans and Traditional Foods: Definition and Image from the Consumers' Perspective

This paper provides a consumer-driven definition of traditional food products (TFP) and investigates the image European consumers have about this food product category. Data were collected from representative consumer samples in six European countries, including Belgium, France, Italy, Norway, Poland and Spain, with a total sample size of 4,828 participants. European consumers define traditional foods as well-know products, products that one can eat very frequently, and products that were already eaten by grandparents. Although positive, association of TFP with naturalness and low processing is less pronounced. Sensory, health- and environment-related attribute perceptions contribute positively to the image of TFP, whereas perceived convenience, price, and availability contribute negatively to the TFP image. Finally, TFP are mainly pictured as foods that agree well with people who love national or regional cuisine, with people living in the countryside, equally so with men and women, though more so with families with children rather than singles or household without children. The empirical findings provide insights with particular relevance for TFP positioning, marketing communications around TFP and further development of the TFP market in Europe.Traditional food, Consumer, Europe, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Hedgerow olive orchards: reality or utopia?

Actualmente las plantaciones de olivar tienen unas densidades que no suelen superar los 330 olivos por hectárea. El mayor coste su cultivo se produce en la recolección, donde se necesita una gran cantidad de mano de obra. Recientemente ha surgido un nuevo tipo de plantaciones cuyas densidades se acercan a las 2000 plantas por hectárea y donde los olivos se disponen en setos continuos separados unos 3,5 m. La mayor ventaja de este tipo de plantaciones es su recolección totalmente mecanizada, mediante máquinas cabalgadoras que pasan por encima de los setos, en un sistema muy parecido al usado en la vid. Además, estas plantaciones son de muy temprana entrada en producción y muy productivas, al menos en los primeros años. La variedad que se utiliza, casi en exclusiva, para este tipo de plantaciones es ‘Arbequina’. En el presente trabajo se describen los resultados de un ensayo comparativo de variedades que se estableció en el año 2000 y del que se han recogido ya 4 cosechas. Este ensayo incluye las variedades ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbequina i-18’, ‘Arbosana’, ‘Koroneiki’, ‘Fs-17’ y ‘UC 2-35’. De ellas, ‘Arbequina’ y ‘Arbosana’ han sido las más productivas y ‘UC 2-35’ la menos vigorosa de las ensayadas. También se describen los resultados de un ensayo comparativo de densidades desde 754 a 2580 plantas/ha que fue establecido en el año 1999. Hasta ahora, la densidad más productiva parece ser la de 2000 plantas/ ha. Habrá que esperar a los próximos años para tener resultados más definitivos sobre éstos ensayos ya que es de esperar que a partir de ahora es cuando aparezcan los problemas relacionados con la competencia entre árboles. En conclusion, en un escenario donde las ayudas de la Unión Europea van a ir disminuyendo progresivamente, y donde la mano de obra es cada vez más difícil de encontrar, la capacidad real de este tipo de plantaciones de ser rentables a largo plazo determinará el futuro éxito de las mismas.Nowadays, olive orchards have a densities not higher than 330 trees/ha. The major cost correspond to harvest operations, which is very labour demanding. Recently, a new type of olive plantations with densities around 2.000 tress/ha has appeared. The major advantage of this type of plantations is their totally mechanised harvest, by vineyards straddle-harvesting machines.These plantations have a very early bearing and very productive, at least in the first years. The most common cultivar used is ‘Arbequina’. In the present work, data of the first four harvest of a variety comparative trial are reported. This trial include ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbequina i-18’, ‘Arbosana’, ‘Koroneiki’, ‘Fs- 17’ y ‘UC 2-35’ cultivars. From the ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Arbosana’ had been the most productive and ‘UC 2-35’ the less vigorous. Results of a trial testing densities between 780 and 2580 trees/ha is also described. Up to now, the higher densities have been the most productive ones. However, more definitive results can be obtained in the coming years, when problems of competence among trees started to appear. In summary, as in the near future is expected that the subsides from the EU are going to be greatly reduced and the labour for harvesting is difficult to find, the ability to this type of plantations to be profitable at long term will determine their success

Effect of the intake of lean Red-Meat from beef-(Pirenaica Breed) versus lean White-Meat on body composition, fatty acids profile and cardiovascular risk indicators: a randomized cross-over study in healthy young adults

The main dietary guidelines recommended a restriction of total and saturated fat intake in the management of cardiovascular risk. These recommendations are overgeneralized, and all red meats should be limited and replaced by white meat. The aim is to assess the effect of the consumption of beef (from the Pirenaica breed) or chicken-based diets on body composition, fatty acid profile and cardiovascular (CV) risk indicators in healthy adults. A randomized cross-over study was carried out in three University accommodation halls. Participants consumed either the Pirenaica breed beef or chicken three times per week for 8-week periods with their usual diet. Body composition, clinical, biochemical and dietary variables were evaluated at baseline and at the end of each period. A validated diet questionnaire was used to assess nutrient intake and monitor compliance. Intervention and control group comparisons were done with the general linear regression model for repeated measures. Forty-seven healthy adults were included (51.6% males, mean age 19.9 ± 1.75 years). No significant differences were found in body composition, fatty acid profile or CV risk indicators from baseline in either diet group. Consumption of lean red meat (Pirenaica breed) or lean white meat (chicken) as part of the usual diet is associated with a similar response. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT 04832217 (accessed on 6 September 2022)

Solitons and instantons in vacuum stability

We investigate the instanton solutions and soliton-like bubbles in vacuum dynamics. We show that the results of recent CERN experiments lead to the fact that our vacuum is safe. We present a new mechanism, where the space-time dimension plays an important role, that explains why our Universe is stable. We provide new evidence that supports a process for the origin of Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry recently introduced by other scientists. We examine confinement in the context of escape problems. We discuss multiverse, string theory landscape, and extra-dimensions using our framework. We use our solutions to introduce some hypotheses about Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Multiple and Precessing Collimated Outflows in the Planetary Nebula IC 4634

With its remarkable double-S shape, IC 4634 is an archetype of point-symmetric planetary nebulae (PN). In this paper, we present a detailed study of this PN using archival HST WFPC2 and ground-based narrow-band images to investigate its morphology, and long-slit spectroscopic observations to determine its kinematics and to derive its physical conditions and excitation. The data reveal new structural components, including a distant string of knots distributed along an arc-like feature 40"-60" from the center of the nebula, a skin of enhanced [O III]/H-alpha ratio enveloping the inner shell and the double-S feature, and a triple-shell structure. The spatio-kinematical study also finds an equatorial component of the main nebula that is kinematically independent from the bright inner S-shaped arc. We have investigated in detail the bow shock-like features in IC 4634 and found that their morphological, kinematical and emission properties are consistent with the interaction of a collimated outflow with surrounding material. Indeed, the morphology and kinematics of some of these features can be interpreted using a 3D numerical simulation of a collimated outflow precessing at a moderate, time-dependent velocity. Apparently, IC 4634 has experienced several episodes of point-symmetric ejections oriented at different directions with the outer S-shaped feature being related to an earlier point-symmetric ejection and the outermost arc-like string of knots being the relic of an even much earlier point-symmetric ejection. There is tantalizing evidence that the action of these collimated outflows has also taken part in the shaping of the innermost shell and inner S-shaped arc of IC 4634.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

The constant-velocity highly collimated outflows of the planetary nebula He 2-90

We present high-dispersion echelle spectroscopic observations and a narrow-band [N II] image of the remarkable jet-like features of He 2-90. They are detected in the echelle spectra in the H-alpha and [N II] lines but not in other nebular lines. The [N II]/H-alpha ratio is uniformly high, ~1. The observed kinematics reveals bipolar collimated outflows in the jet-like features and shows that the southeast (northwest) component expands towards (away from) the observer at a remarkably constant line-of-sight velocity, 26.0+-0.5 km/s. The observed expansion velocity and the opening angle of the jet-like features are used to estimate an inclination angle of ~5 degrees with respect to the sky plane and a space expansion velocity of ~290 km/s. The spectrum of the bright central nebula reveals a profusion of Fe lines and extended wings of the H-alpha line, similar to those seen in symbiotic stars and some young planetary nebulae that are presumed to host a mass-exchanging binary system. If this is the case for He 2-90, the constant velocity and direction of the jets require a very stable dynamic system against precession and warping.Comment: 8 pages (emulate ApJ), 5 figure, 1 tabl

Outcome measurements following palatal soft tissue graft harvesting : a review

Free gingival graft (FGG) and connective tissue graft (CTG) are two of the most commonly techniques performed in periodontal and peri-implant plastic surgery. Although several outcome measurements have been proposed for evaluation of palatal wound healin

Effect of L-Hyp supplementation on collagen muscle histology, gene expression, growth performance, body composition and fillet texture on big size European sea bass (Dicentrarchux labrax)

Hydroxyproline (L-Hyp) is amply present in fishmeal but limited in plant-protein sources. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation with dietary L-Hyp on the distribution of collagen types in the muscle, and on the texture, survival rate, growth rate, feed utilization, body composition as well as the expression of the gene that encodes the pro-alpha2 chains of type I collagen (Col Iα2) of large European sea bass (initial body weight 609.21 ± 75.39 g) from high plant-protein diets. Four isoproteic (42 % crude protein) and isolipidic (20 % crude lipid) experimental diets were formulated adding 0.6 (HL diet), 1.2 (HM diet), and 2% (HH diet) L-Hyp, respectively. Three periods of feeding of 45, 99 and 143 days were studied. L-Hyp supplementation at 1.2 % and 2 % significantly improved specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). In the white muscle, type I, IV collagen and trichromic stain were significantly higher in HH feed than the control diet. In the red muscle, only type I collagen was higher. HH diet, also increases Col Iα2 mRNA levels in muscle significantly. It can be concluded that the addition of crystalline l-Hyp at 1.2 % or 2 % in high plant-protein diets indicates positive effects on growth performance of adult European sea bass and increase in muscle total collagen deposition.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relationships among Consumer Liking, Lipid and Volatile Compounds from New Zealand Commercial Lamb Loins

Loin sections (m. Longissimus lumborum) were collected at slaughter from forty-eight lamb carcasses to evaluate consumer-liking scores of six types of typical New Zealand commercial lamb and to understand the possible underlying reasons for those ratings. A consumer panel (n = 160) evaluated tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking, and overall liking of the different types of lamb loins. Consumer scores differed among the types of lamb meat for all the evaluated attributes (p < 0.05). Further segmentation based on overall liking scores showed two consumer clusters with distinct ratings. Correlation and external preference map analyses indicated that one consumer cluster (n = 75) liked lamb types that had lower total lipid content, a lower proportion of branched-chain fatty acids, oleic and heptadecanoic acids; and a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids and volatile compounds (green and fruity descriptors). Consumer liking of the other segment (n = 85) was less influenced by fatty acids and volatiles, except hexanoic, heptanoic and octanoic acids (rancid, fatty, and sweaty descriptors). Thus, the fatty acid profile and the volatile compounds derived from their oxidation upon cooking seem to be a stronger driver of consumer liking of lamb for some consumers than others.EEA BalcarceFil: Pavan, Enrique. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina.Fil: Pavan, Enrique. Massey University Campus. AgResearch Limited, Te Ohu Rangahau Kai; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Yangfan, Ye. Massey University Campus. AgResearch Limited, Te Ohu Rangahau Kai; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Yangfan, Ye. Massey University. School of Agriculture and Environment. Animal Science; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Eyres, Graham T. University of Otago. Department of Food Science; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Guerrero, Luis. IRTA-Monells; España.Fil: Reis, Mariza G. Massey University Campus. AgResearch Limited, Te Ohu Rangahau Kai; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Silcock, Patrick. University of Otago. Department of Food Science; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Johnson, Patricia L. AgResearch Invermay; Nueva Zelanda.Fil: Realini, Carolina E. Massey University Campus. AgResearch Limited, Te Ohu Rangahau Kai; Nueva Zelanda