Snacks extrusados funcionais com licopeno e proteína de soja

In this work, the effects of thermoplastic extrusion process parameters (raw material moisture content and temperature) and the addition of functional ingredients (lycopene and soy protein) on quality characteristics of a base-formulation for extruded corn snacks were studied, with the objective of developing an easy-to-eat functional product. A single-screw Labor PQ 30 model Inbramaq extruder was used for extrusion and a central composite rotational design (CCRD) was followed. The independent variables were: i) percentage of soy protein isolate (0-30%); ii) percentage of lycopene preparation (0-0.1%); iii) raw material moisture content (20-30%); and iv) 5th zone temperature (100-150 °C). The expansion index reached maximum values with the lowest raw material moisture content (20%) and intermediate temperatures (approximately 125 °C). Instrumental hardness was higher with high moisture and low temperature; however, increasing the percentage of soy protein was beneficial for the texture of the product, reducing hardness. The red color intensity increased with the increase in lycopene content and moisture, and with the reduction of temperature. Sensory acceptance tests were carried out for two products, with maximum percentages of the functional ingredients, 20% moisture and temperatures of 125 and 137 °C, with greater acceptance for the product extruded at 125 °C.Neste trabalho, estudou-se a influência de parâmetros do processo de extrusão termoplástica (umidade da matéria-prima e temperatura) e da adição de ingredientes funcionais (licopeno e proteína de soja) sobre características de qualidade de uma formulação-base para snacks extrusados de milho, com o objetivo de desenvolver um alimento funcional de fácil consumo. Utilizou-se um extrusor monorrosca Inbramaq, modelo Labor PQ 30, e seguiu-se um planejamento experimental com as seguintes variáveis independentes: i) teor de isolado proteico de soja (0 a 30%); ii) teor de preparado de licopeno (0 a 0,1%); iii) umidade da matéria-prima (20 a 30%); e iv) temperatura do extrusor na zona 5 (100 a 150 °C). O índice de expansão atingiu valores máximos com o menor valor de umidade da matéria-prima (20%) e temperatura intermediária (aproximadamente 125 °C). A dureza instrumental foi mais elevada com umidade alta e temperatura baixa, entretanto, o aumento do teor de proteína de soja foi benéfico para a textura do produto final, reduzindo a dureza. A intensidade da coloração vermelha aumentou com o aumento do teor de licopeno e da umidade, e com a diminuição da temperatura. Foram realizados testes de aceitação sensorial para dois produtos, com os teores máximos dos ingredientes funcionais, 20% umidade e temperaturas de 125 e 137 °C, obtendo-se maior aceitação para o produto extrusado a 125 °C.14315

Failure to detect Plasmodium vivax in West and Central Africa by PCR species typing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Plasmodium vivax </it>is estimated to affect 75 million people annually. It is reportedly absent, however, from west and central Africa due to the high prevalence of the Duffy negative phenotype in the indigenous populations. Despite this, non-African travellers consistently return to their own countries with <it>P. vivax </it>malaria after visiting this region. An attempt was made, therefore, to detect the presence of <it>P. vivax </it>parasites in blood samples collected from the indigenous populations of west and central Africa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Parasite species typing (for all four human malaria parasites) was carried out by PCR on 2,588 blood samples collected from individuals from nine African malaria-endemic countries.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most infections (98.5%) were <it>Plasmodium falciparum</it>, <it>Plasmodium malariae </it>was identified in 8.5% of all infections, and <it>Plasmodium ovale </it>in 3.9%. The prevalence of both parasites varied greatly by country. Only one case of <it>P. vivax </it>was detected from Sao Tome, an island off the west coast of Africa, confirming the scarcity of this parasite in Africa.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The prevalence of <it>P. vivax </it>in local populations in sub-Saharan Africa is very low, despite the frequent identification of this parasite in non-African travellers.</p

Development of a pressurized capillary rheometer and optimization of thermal treatment of fluids at high temperatures

Orientador: Flávio Luis SchmidtTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de AlimentosResumo: A importância de se utilizar tratamento térmico de alimentos a altas temperaturas e curto tempo é que este garante a segurança microbiológica do produto e leva a uma maior preservação das características de qualidade, devido a parâmetros cinéticos que permitem que os fatores de qualidade tenham uma velocidade de destruição menor do que a de microrganismos. Dados reológicos em geral são obtidos a partir de ensaios realizados em equipamentos não pressurizados até temperaturas em torno de 90°C, devido à ebulição da água A altas temperaturas podem ocorrer alterações no produto causando mudança de viscosidade não prevista ao se extrapolar equações obtidas até 90°C. O aumento ou diminuição de viscosidade pode modificar o regime de escoamento do fluido, podendo chegar a causar um sub ou sobre-processamento, dependendo do caso. Por estas razões, é importante conhecer, às temperaturas de processo, as propriedades reológicas do produto, microrganismos alvo de tratamento térmico, pH, cinéticas de degradação de parâmetros de qualidade para que se possa otimizar o dimensionamento de tratamentos térmicos para produtos específicos. O objetivo deste projeto foi a realização de medidas reológicas de soluções-modelo e fluido alimentício a altas temperaturas e obtenção de dados cinéticos de alteração de qualidade como escurecimento, construindo-se, para este fim, um equipamento, que possa ser utilizado como um reômetro capilar pressurizado e como um reator. Um reômetro capilar foi dimensionado e construído com aquecimento por meio de tecnologia de microondas. Foi possível a utilização do equipamento para realização de medidas de propriedades reológicas acima de 100°C de soluções de sacarose a 64 e 63,5°Brix e de purê de banana a 22°Brix. Observou-se um desvio da curva de Arrhenius para o comportamento reológico do purê de banana acima de 100°C, mas não para a solução de sacarose. Foi desenvolvida e aperfeiçoada a metodologia para obtenção da região ótima de tratamento térmico e aplicada para purê de banana com minimização de escurecimento (valor de L menor ou igual a 56,2) e garantia de segurança microbiológica baseado em dados cinéticos para Clostridium botulinum. Esta região compreende temperaturas de tratamento térmico acima de 123°C e tempos abaixo de 2 minutosAbstract: The importance of using food thermal processing at high temperatures and short time (HTST) is that it guarantees the microbiological security of the product and leads to a higher preservation of quality characteristics, due to kinetic parameters that allow quality factors to have a lower destruction rate than that of microorganisms. There is a lack of data on rheological fluid behavior at high temperatures due to the difficulties brought by the experimental assembly and originated from the thermal degradation that the product can undergo during the long time required for reaching the equilibrium temperature. Product alterations can occur at high temperatures causing unexpected changes of viscosity, invalidating extrapolations obtained from equations that are true just for around 90°C (rheological measurements in non-pressurized equipment due to boiling of water). The increase or reduction of viscosity can modify the flow behavior of the fluid, thus causing an under or over-processing, depending on the case. For these reasons, it is important to know the rheological properties of the product, thermal treatment target microorganisms, pH, degradation kinetics of quality parameters at process temperatures, such as to make possible the design of optimized thermal treatments for specific products. The objective of this project was to study the rheological properties and degradation kinetics at high temperatures of products (food and model solutions) and to obtain quality degradation kinetic data such as browning, in order to optimize thermal treatments. In order to perform the experiments, the objective is to build a device (pressurized capillary rheometer and heat exchanger) capable of rapidly increasing the product temperature, thus minimizing changes due to heat. The capillary rheometer could be built, using microwave as the heating device. It was tested with sucrose solution and banana puree. It was observed a deviation from the Arrhenius curve for the rheological behavior of banana puree above 100°C, but not for sucrose solution. It was possible to model and study the dielectric properties at 915 MHz for different formulations of banana puree at thermal treatment temperatures. The methodology for obtaining the optimal region of thermal treatment was developed and improved. It was tested for banana puree in order to minimize browning (L value lower or equal to 56.2) and to guarantee safety based on Clostridium botulinum kinetics data. This region has 123°C as lower thermal processing temperature and 2 minutes as higher thermal treatment timeDoutoradoTecnologia de AlimentosDoutor em Tecnologia de Alimento

Influence of aseptic surge tank venting on equipment sterilization

Abstract Aseptic surge tank (AST) systems are applied to aseptic production in order to store sterile product until aseptic filling, maintaining the commercial sterility condition achieved from previous production steps. To avoid microbial recontamination of the product, a sterility condition must be achieved in the aseptic tank system through the application of a heating, venting, and sterilization cycle. This cycle must follow specific validation protocols to ensure operational integrity - FDA 21 CFR Part 113.40g (ii). The demand for larger capacity systems and the implication of this volume increase on sterilization efficiency require a review of results obtained from current validation protocols. The purpose of this work was to evaluate aseptic surge tank’s venting cycles, studying internal pressure and temperature distribution to better understand this operation and its efficiency. Tests carried out at an industrial setting showed that the venting cycle was insufficient, with 13%-23% of air remaining inside the tank. Consequently, the subsequent sterilization process was not conducted under saturated steam condition. This different condition may change the kinetics for thermal destruction of microorganism spores from a moist heat state to a drier state in which its thermal resistance is higher. This finding raises a question regarding the true efficacy of the sterilization process and validation protocols currently used by the industry. The apparent success of current sterilization processes could be due to the application of excessive temperature and longer times. New operational and validation criteria will result in improvements in product integrity protection and operational cost reductions

An assessment of the texture of acidified sodium caseinate gels with added inulin using response surface methodology

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)This work evaluated the effect of inulin concentration (0-6.0% w/w) on the mechanical properties and microstructure of gels composed of sodium caseinate (CN) (1.5-6.5% w/w) at pH 4.6. Inulin did not statistically affect the elastic modulus and rupture properties of the studied gels but affected the nonlinear mechanical behaviour. Samples with higher inulin concentrations (6% w/w) presented strain-weakening deformation behaviour, whilst gels with lower inulin concentrations were strain hardening. The presence of inulin resulted in a more closed-pores network. Gel deformability increased as CN concentration was enhanced, reaching a maximum of 0.60 at 5.58% (w/w) CN, but was not affected by inulin concentration.643353359Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq [301869/2006-5

Feasibility of a Novel Industrial-Scale Treatment of Green Cold-Pressed Juices by UV-C Light Exposure

A novel industrial-scale ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light processor from AseptoRay (MGT, Israel) was used to treat a raw cold-pressed green juice blend (GJB) consisting of kale, romaine, celery, apple, and lemon. The effect of UV-C light energies of 0.88 kJ L−1 and 2.93 kJ L−1 on microbial, enzymatic, nutritional, quality, and sensory parameters of the GJB was studied. Using 2.93 kJ L−1, 3.7 log reduction in aciduric bacteria and 3.9 logs in aerobic colony count were achieved, while lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, yeasts, and moulds were reduced by &gt;3, &gt;2, 2.1, and 2.1 logs, respectively. A minor increase in polyphenoloxidase (PPO) enzyme activity was seen with 0.88 kJ L−1 and a slight change in colour (not visually observed) was detected using 2.93 kJ L−1. No other significant change in nutritional and quality parameters or enzyme activities was detected. Further, the stability of the GJB was explored. Kale and romaine contributed the most significant source of spoilage enzyme activity, cloud loss, and browning in the GJB. These stability parameters were shown to be affected by pressing temperature and pH. The commercial UV-C treatment process explored in this study is a viable alternative to high pressure processing (HPP) for improved microbial safety of fresh green juice blends

Rheological analysis of sucrose solution at high temperatures using a microwave‐heated pressurized capillary rheometer

Thermal process design, optimization, and deviation require the knowledge of engineering properties of food, such as rheological behavior, which is highly dependent on temperature. If a process is calculated based on the parameters obtained by extrapolation, it might lead to over‐ or underprocessing. The long time required for the product to reach the desired temperature, which is usual in many rheometers, may induce unexpected changes on the product. Model solutions are often used in engineering projects in order to simulate characteristics of real products. Thus, the objective of this study was to obtain rheological data of sucrose model solution at the actual high UHT (ultra‐high temperature) process temperatures using a pressurized capillary rheometer, heated by a microwave system. The results provide the rheological behavior of the sucrose solutions and show that there is no deviation of the linearity of the Arrhenius plot above 100 °C for this product. This work was useful to illustrate the use of the applied methodology and to validate the newly built microwave‐heated capillary rheometer. The data obtained confirm the stability of nonsaturated sucrose solution when treated above 100 °C and presents an important contribution to the literature database, since sucrose solutions are used as models for many table syrups, such as maple and sorghum syrups794E540E545FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPSem informaçã

Rheological Analysis Of Sucrose Solution At High Temperatures Using A Microwave-heated Pressurized Capillary Rheometer.

Thermal process design, optimization, and deviation require the knowledge of engineering properties of food, such as rheological behavior, which is highly dependent on temperature. If a process is calculated based on the parameters obtained by extrapolation, it might lead to over- or underprocessing. The long time required for the product to reach the desired temperature, which is usual in many rheometers, may induce unexpected changes on the product. Model solutions are often used in engineering projects in order to simulate characteristics of real products. Thus, the objective of this study was to obtain rheological data of sucrose model solution at the actual high UHT (ultra-high temperature) process temperatures using a pressurized capillary rheometer, heated by a microwave system. The results provide the rheological behavior of the sucrose solutions and show that there is no deviation of the linearity of the Arrhenius plot above 100 °C for this product. This work was useful to illustrate the use of the applied methodology and to validate the newly built microwave-heated capillary rheometer. The data obtained confirm the stability of nonsaturated sucrose solution when treated above 100 °C and presents an important contribution to the literature database, since sucrose solutions are used as models for many table syrups, such as maple and sorghum syrups.79E540-