Development of sugar free cookies with novel biodegradable packaging film

The use of alternative sweeteners can help manage weight and normal blood glucose levels of diabetics. Development and standardization of sugar free, low glycemic index and high fibre cookies using wheat flour, oats, trans free bakery shortening, and almonds.  Physiochemical analysis of the raw materials used for cookie preparation and the finished product was conducted.   Cookies were analysed for diameter, height, spread ratio, texture, and water activity. Sensory analysis using semi-trained panellists was done to establish the acceptability of the product. The formulated cookies were well accepted by the semi-trained panellists as well as the people with diabetes who were randomly selected for the study. The overall appearance, texture and flavour of the cookies were moderately liked by the panellists as indicated in the qualitative descriptive analysis. The product did not change much with the storage of 90 days. The cookies were high in dietary fibre (2.5g per serving), out of which ?- glucan, a soluble fibre was found to be 0.8g per serving which offers a healthy alternative for consumers. The biodegradable polymer used for packaging the cookies was prepared using terpolymer. The chemical and physical properties of the polymer were determined using acid value which was between 0.0195 and 0.0200, hydroxyl value; 0.0260 and 0.023 and the molecular weight was in the range of 10,256 ? and 10,000 ? of the terpolymer A and B, respectively. The polymer demonstrated good mechanical strength as well as and water vapours barrier properties to be used as a primary package for cookies

PHENYLTHIOCARBAMIDE (PTC) TASTE PERCEPTION: A STUDY CORRELATING THE SENSITIVITY TO BITTER TASTE AND THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS DEMOGRAPHIC AND PSYCHOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS

<p>The current study sought to elucidate the relationship between taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) in a group of 157 people of both sexes (67 males and 90 females), representing a random sample of the population over the age of 18, with diverse food preferences and dietary habits. The taste sensitivity to (PTC), a bitter-tasting compound (determined to be a genetically controlled trait) was carried out with the help of PTC strips. The study also exploited the fact that the various demographic variables such as age, sex, and psychographic parameters like food choices, lifestyle, etc., significantly influenced the taste perception of phenylthiocarbamide and therein other bitter-tasting compounds. The results expressed a clear demarcation (p0.5) between the taster and non-taster status between both the sexes; with the females being more sensitive to PTC (72.2% as tasters) than the males (64.2 %). A significant rise was observed in the taster status among individuals aged 18–24 years, with 75.49 % as tasters. PTC taster status and beverage consumption frequency were found to be negatively correlated; the opposite was observed for non-tasters. The study also extrapolated the finding that phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) tasters have a higher rejection of strong-tasting foods, whereas non-tasters have a higher acceptance of these foods. PTC can be used as a genetic marker to pinpoint risk factors related to and a reliable determinant of susceptibility to weight gain. Individuals who are sensitive to bitter tastes often have a fairly low orientation for bitter-tasting foods. The key findings of this study indicate a link between PTC perception and variables such as age, gender, food choices, and dietary habits.</p&gt

Search for Scalar Diphoton Resonances in the Mass Range 65−60065-600 GeV with the ATLAS Detector in pppp Collision Data at s\sqrt{s} = 8 TeVTeV

A search for scalar particles decaying via narrow resonances into two photons in the mass range 65–600 GeV is performed using $20.3\text{}\text{}{\mathrm{fb}}^{-1}$ of $\sqrt{s}=8\text{}\text{}\mathrm{TeV}$ $pp$ collision data collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The recently discovered Higgs boson is treated as a background. No significant evidence for an additional signal is observed. The results are presented as limits at the 95% confidence level on the production cross section of a scalar boson times branching ratio into two photons, in a fiducial volume where the reconstruction efficiency is approximately independent of the event topology. The upper limits set extend over a considerably wider mass range than previous searches