3,138 research outputs found
Food safety and environmental risks based on meat and dairy consumption surveys
This paper gives an overview of the possibilities of using meat and dairy consumption studies in food safety and environmental risk scenarios. For both types of risk-based scenarios, common denominators are consumption patterns such as frequency and quantity of consumed food, demographic profile of consumers and food safety hazard or environmental impact of a specific type of food. This type of data enables development of simulation models where the Monte Carlo method is considered as a useful mathematical tool. Synergy of three dimensions - field research used in consumption studies, advanced chemometric tools necessary for quantifying chemical food safety hazards or environmental impacts and simulation models - has the potential to adapt datasets from various sources into useful food safety and/or environmental information
Meat freshness revealed by visible to near-infrared spectroscopy and principal component analysis
Increasing concerns about adulterated meat encouraged industry looking for new non-invasive methods for rapid accurate meat quality assessment. Main meat chromophores (myoglobin, oxy-myoglobin, fat, water, collagen) are characterized by close comparable absorption in visible to near-infrared (NIR) spectral region. Therefore, structural and compositional variations in meat may lead to relative differences in the absorption of light. Utilizing typical fiber-optic probes and integrating sphere, a degradation of pork samples freshness was observed at room temperature referring to the relative changes in absorbance of main meat chromophores. The application of principal component analysis (PCA) used for examination of measured absorbance spectra revealed more detailed sub-stages of freshness, which are not observed by the conventional analysis of the reflectance spectra. The results show a great potential of the combined application of optical-NIR spectroscopy with complementary use of PCA approach for assessing meat quality and monitoring relative absorbance alternation of oxymyoglobin and myoglobin in visible, and fat, water, collagen in NIR spectral ranges
The emergence of international food safety standards and guidelines: understanding the current landscape through a historical approach
Following the Second World War, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) teamed up to construct an International Codex Alimentarius (or 'food code') which emerged in 1963. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) was charged with the task of developing microbial hygiene standards, although it found itself embroiled in debate with the WHO over the nature these standards should take. The WHO was increasingly relying upon the input of biometricians and especially the International Commission on Microbial Specifications for Foods (ICMSF) which had developed statistical sampling plans for determining the microbial counts in the final end products. The CCFH, however, was initially more focused on a qualitative approach which looked at the entire food production system and developed codes of practice as well as more descriptive end-product specifications which the WHO argued were 'not scientifically correct'. Drawing upon historical archival material (correspondence and reports) from the WHO and FAO, this article examines this debate over microbial hygiene standards and suggests that there are many lessons from history which could shed light upon current debates and efforts in international food safety management systems and approaches
Preliminary assessment of black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ) larval meal in the diet of African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ): impact on growth, body index, and hematological parameters
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens ) larval meal (BSF) in practical diets of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus ). Four diets were formulated to contain levels of fishmeal replacement at 0, 25, 50, and 100% with BSF. A total of 360 fingerlings (2.67 ±â0.0 g/fish) were randomly distributed into 12 tanks (30âL capacity) containing 30 fish each and fed with the respective diet to apparent satiation. After 6âweeks of feeding, growth performance and nutrient utilization indices of the groups fed 25 and 50% BSF diets were not significantly different (p â>â.05) from the group fed the fishmealâbased control diet. However, further increase in the replacement of fishmeal with BSF (100%) led to a significant (p ââ.05) compared with the control group. From the current study, it was clear that fishmeal could be replaced with BSF up to 50% without affecting the growth performance, nutrient utilization, survival, and welfare of C. gariepinus fingerlings
Effect of water yam (Dioscorea alata) flour fortified with distillers spent grain on nutritional, chemical, and functional properties
It was envisaged that the inclusion of treated distiller â s spent grain ( DSG ) to
yam fl our might increase its nutritional value, with the aim of reducing nutritional
diseases in communities consuming yam as a staple. Hence, yam fl our
was fortifi ed with DSG at 5â35%. The effects of this fortifi cation on the
nutritional, chemical, and functional properties of yam fl our were investigated.
The result showed a signifi cant increase ( P 0.001) in fat, ash, protein, total
amino acids, total dietary fi ber, and insoluble dietary fi ber contents of the blends
as DSG increased except for starch and soluble dietary fi ber contents, which
decreased. The functional properties showed a signifi cant ( P 0.001) reduction
with DSG inclusion. The inclusion of DSG increased both the tryptophan and
methionine contents of the blends. Therefore, the DSG fortifi ed yam fl our could
contribute to quality protein intake in populations consuming yam as a staple,
due to its indispensible amino acid content
Selection of Bread Wheat for Low Grain Cadmium Concentration at the Seedling Stage Using Hydroponics versus Molecular Markers
The excessive accumulation of Cd in harvested crops grown on high-Cd soils has increased public concerns for food safety. Due to the high consumption of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) per capita, high concentrations of Cd in wheat grain can significantly affect human health. Breeding is a promising way to reduce grain Cd concentration. However, a lack of efficient selection methods impedes breeding for low grain Cd concentration in bread wheat. In this study, a recombinant inbred population segregating for grain Cd concentration was used to assess the efficacy of two selection methods for decreasing grain Cd concentration in bread wheat: a hydroponic selection method used shoot Cd concentration in 2-wk-old seedlings growing in Cd-containing medium, and a marker-based selection method using markers linked to heavy metal transporting P1B-ATPase 3 (HMA3), the gene underlying Cdu1. Both methods effectively selected low-Cd lines. The HMA3-linked marker-based selection was superior to hydroponic selection in terms of both simplicity and response to selection. The HMA3-linked markers explained 20% of the phenotypic variation in grain Cd concentration with an additive effect of 0.014 mg kgâ1. The hydroponic selection and marker-based selection may target two different and independent processes controlling grain Cd accumulation, and they had no effect on grain Zn and Fe concentrations. The ALMT1-UPS4 marker associated with Al tolerance was not associated with grain Cd concentration but increased grain Zn and Fe concentrations. The 193-bp allele of the Rht8-associated marker, GWM261, was associated with increased grain Cd concentration
Socio-Economic Factors Affecting the Income of Small-scale Agroforestry Farms in Hill Country Areas in Yemen: A comparison of OLS and WLS Determinants
Yemen is a less-developed country in the Arabian Peninsula, with only 3% arable land. An agroforestry land-use system has been practiced traditionally by small-scale farmers, but is associated with low productivity and income. A study has been undertaken to determine the socio-economic attributes of farmers that influence the financial performance of agroforestry and nonagroforestry farms in the Buraâa Mountain region. A survey was conducted of 150 farmers involved in both agroforestry and non-agroforestry. Both OLS and WLS regression were applied, and coefficients compared in terms of consistency and goodness of fit. Incomes of farmers were found to be influenced by education, area of land, livestock holding, family size, and whether coffee is grown, but not farmerâs age. The WLS method produced efficient and consistent results, whereas OLS regression was affected by the heteroscedasticity. The findings of the study indicate that the farmers of the study area are in need of financial and technical support from government to increase their income. Infrastructural development and public intervention in developing farmersâ technical know-how could enhance production and ensure the optimum use of land as well as soil and water conservation
Probiotic yogurt with brazilian red propolis: physicochemical and bioactive properties, stability, and shelf life
This study aimed to evaluate the quality parameters in probiotic yogurt produced with Brazilian red propolis
to replace potassium sorbate used in conventional yogurt (CY). Microbiological stability and shelf life, physicochemical
properties (pH, acidity, chemical composition, and fatty acids), and bioactive properties (phenolic compounds and
antioxidant activity) were evaluated. The addition of red propolis (0.05%) to replace the potassium sorbate did not change
the pH, acidity, fatty acid profile, chemical composition, or shelf life. Microbiological stability of at least 28 days was
achieved, while a drastic reduction in the lactic acid bacteria content was observed in the CY during refrigeration storage.
Phenolic total contents were higher than those of the control, and consequently, yogurt with red propolis showed higher
antioxidant activity.We thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de NĂvel
Superior (CAPES), Brazilian government, for scholarship support
(Finance Code 001), the Dr CĂĄtia Ionara Santos Lucas (INSECTA
laboratory, UFRB, Cruz das Almas, Brazil), and the technical team
of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança laboratory (Bragança,
Portugal) for their support during the research.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
The incentive gap: LULUCF and the Kyoto mechanism before and after Durban
To-date, forest resource-based carbon accounting in land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol (KP), European Union (EU) and national level emission reduction schemes considers only a fraction of its potential and fails to adequately mobilize the LULUCF sector for the successful stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations. Recent modifications at the 2011 COP17 meetings in Durban have partially addressed this basic problem, but leave room for improvement. The presence of an Incentive Gap (IG) continues to justify reform of the LULUCF carbon accounting framework. Frequently neglected in the climate change mitigation and adaptation literature, carbon accounting practices ultimately define the nuts and bolts of what counts and which resources (forest, forest-based or other) are favored and utilized. For Annex I countries in the Kyoto Mechanism, the Incentive Gap under forest management (FM) is significantly large: some 75% or more of potential forestry-based carbon sequestration is not effectively incentivized or mobilized for climate change mitigation and adaptation (Ellison etal. 2011a). In this paper, we expand our analysis of the Incentive Gap to incorporate the changes agreed in Durban and encompass both a wider set of countries and a larger set of omitted carbon pools. For Annex I countries, based on the first 2years of experience in the first Commitment Period (CP1) we estimate the IG in FM at approximately 88%. Though significantly reduced in CP2, the IG remains a problem. Thus our measure of missed opportunities under the Kyoto and UNFCCC framework - despite the changes in Durban - remains important. With the exception perhaps of increased energy efficiency, few sinks or sources of reduced emissions can be mobilized as effectively and efficiently as forests. Thus, we wonder at the sheer magnitude of this underutilized resource
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