The taste of a healthy and sustainable diet: What is the recipe for the future?

The world faces serious challenges and many of those involve current food behaviour. People have been seduced into liking food and drinks that are neither healthy nor good for the environment. Clearly we need a robust food system that is able to feed the growing population of the world. This food system should also be sustainable and good for the planet. What is the recipe for the future? There are no easy answers; everything is connected. According to the World Health Organization, the world needs bold and innovative solutions. This article gives an insight into the reasons the present food system is organised in the way it is and signals the problems. Climate change is a symptom of the malfunctioning of the present system. The food system, from farm to fork, is a major contributor to climate change. We need a systems change to fight climate change. This article presents a systems approach for food systems change and suggests a formula: C.A.T. The foods that are healthy both for the people and planet need to be: Convenient, Affordable and Tasty. These aspects influence food behaviour and are often overlooked. Nobody objects to eating something delicious; cooking, using fresh ingredients to create delicious dishes and to avoid ultra-processed foods, seems to be an important ingredient in the recipe for the future.Keywords: climate change, dietary guidelines, food, food system, gastronomy, system change, tasty, ultra-processed foo

Sustainable restaurants: A research agenda

There is growing emphasis on sustainability within the hospitality industry. For restaurants, which are often small businesses, that emphasis is poorly structured and rarely based on scientific evidence. Research is needed into what factors could promote sustainability in restaurants. We propose three distinct fields within that research. The first field concerns the restaurant as a product supplier. What factors promote or obstruct restaurant owners in coming up with a sustainable menu? Within this field, it is essential to look at the motivation, opportunities and abilities that they possess, both internally and externally. The second field is about demand. What is the role of sustainability in a guest’s choice of restaurant and satisfaction with the menu? Existing research models for looking at consumer behaviour can be useful for this. The third field concerns the product itself: how sustainable is the restaurant’s offering? This question can be answered with a simplified and adapted life cycle assessment (LCA). Research into these fields should help strengthen the hospitality industry and make its products more sustainable.Keywords: sustainability, life cycle assessment, motivation, opportunity, abilit

Lubrication behavior of ex-vivo salivary pellicle influenced by tannins, gallic acid and mannoproteins

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of tannins and gallic acid on the salivary lubrication behavior. Furthermore, the effects of pH and mannoproteins in combination with gallic acid on the lubrication of saliva were studied. The addition of gallic acid and tannins were found to increase friction caused by the removal of the saliva film. Tannins resulted in higher friction compared to gallic acid. Lowering pH increased friction of gallic acid mixtures with saliva, due to stronger interactions between gallic acid and saliva. The increased friction caused by gallic acid was inhibited by the addition of mannoproteins due to the hydrogen bond interactions between gallic acid and mannoproteins, thereby decreasing the complex formation between gallic acid and salivary proteins. A correlation of 0.96 was found between the hydrodynamic diameter of the aggregate and the delta friction suggesting that the formation of aggregates determined the lubrication behavior

The effect of cations and epigallocatechin gallate on in vitro salivary lubrication

Ionic valency influences oral processing by changing salivary behavior and merits more attention since little is known. In this study, the influence of three ionic valences (monovalent, divalent and trivalent), ionic strength and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on lubricating properties of saliva were investigated. Tribological measurements were used to characterize the lubrication response of KCl, MgCl2, FeCl3, and AlCl3 in combination with EGCG to the ex vivo salivary pellicle. KCl at 150 mM ionic strength provided extra lubrication via hydration lubrication. Contrarily, trivalent salts aggregated together with the salivary mucins via ionic cross-link interactions, which led to a decrease in salivary lubrication. FeCl3 and AlCl3 affected the salivary lubrication differently, which was attributed to changes in the pH. Finally, in presence of EGCG, FeCl3 interacted with EGCG via chelating interactions, preventing salivary protein aggregation. This resulted in less desorption of the salivary film, retaining the lubrication ability of salivary proteins.</p

Lubrication behavior of ex-vivo salivary pellicle influenced by tannins, gallic acid and mannoproteins

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of tannins and gallic acid on the salivary lubrication behavior. Furthermore, the effects of pH and mannoproteins in combination with gallic acid on the lubrication of saliva were studied. The addition of gallic acid and tannins were found to increase friction caused by the removal of the saliva film. Tannins resulted in higher friction compared to gallic acid. Lowering pH increased friction of gallic acid mixtures with saliva, due to stronger interactions between gallic acid and saliva. The increased friction caused by gallic acid was inhibited by the addition of mannoproteins due to the hydrogen bond interactions between gallic acid and mannoproteins, thereby decreasing the complex formation between gallic acid and salivary proteins. A correlation of 0.96 was found between the hydrodynamic diameter of the aggregate and the delta friction suggesting that the formation of aggregates determined the lubrication behavior

Lubrication behavior of ex-vivo salivary pellicle influenced by tannins, gallic acid and mannoproteins

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of tannins and gallic acid on the salivary lubrication behavior. Furthermore, the effects of pH and mannoproteins in combination with gallic acid on the lubrication of saliva were studied. The addition of gallic acid and tannins were found to increase friction caused by the removal of the saliva film. Tannins resulted in higher friction compared to gallic acid. Lowering pH increased friction of gallic acid mixtures with saliva, due to stronger interactions between gallic acid and saliva. The increased friction caused by gallic acid was inhibited by the addition of mannoproteins due to the hydrogen bond interactions between gallic acid and mannoproteins, thereby decreasing the complex formation between gallic acid and salivary proteins. A correlation of 0.96 was found between the hydrodynamic diameter of the aggregate and the delta friction suggesting that the formation of aggregates determined the lubrication behavior

Trade-off between high performance and long life due to nanofiller effects in polymer LEDs: MEH-PPV/Al2O3 nanocomposite study

This work presents the effect of nanofiller (Al2O3) in the polymer matrix MEH-PPV - Poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] on optical, optoelectronic, and electrical properties. These properties were investigated using UV–Vis absorption, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Exciton diffusion length was examined using the surface photovoltage (SPV) method, mobility of charge carriers was evaluated with charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage (CELIV) measurements. Information concerning the band structure was obtained using energy resolved-electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (ER-EIS). The influence of nanoparticles on the development of the micro structure in thin layers was examine with grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS). Prepared nanocomposite thin films were subsequently used as active layers in polymer light-emitting diodes. Luminance, current efficiency, and stability of prepared polymer light emitting diodes were tested. The presented work clarifies the effect of non-conductive nanofiller on the properties of the polymer matrix and on the performance of OLEDs with an active layer made of nanocomposite material.DKRVO, (RP/CPS/2022/007); Internal Grant Agency of Tomas Bata University, (IGA/CPS/2023/006, IGA/CPS/2024/002); Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT; Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja, APVV, (APVV-22-0132); Vedecká Grantová Agentúra MŠVVaŠ SR a SAV, VEGA, (2/0165/22)Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic [RP/CPS/2022/007]; Internal Grant Agency of Tomas Bata University in Zln [IGA/CPS/2023/006, IGA/CPS/2024/002]; Slovak Scientific Grant Agency VEGA [2/0165/22]; Slovak Research and Development Agency [APVV-22-0132