Organic vs Conventional Suckling Lamb Production: Product Quality and Consumer Acceptance

Samples of suckling lambs (n=40) of two breeds reared under conventional and organic conditions were analysed to asses physico-chemical characteristics, including instrumental texture, and nutritional quality in terms of fatty acid composition. Consumer acceptance was also studied using the home-use test. Results revealed that organic suckling lamb meat is healthier as shown by the lower saturated fatty acid levels, the higher polyunsaturated fatty acid contents and the higher 6/3 ratiko. The organic meat had lower instrumental hardness, received higher scores in all sensory parameters, and had statistically better fat sensation and higher ratings for overall liking. These results lend support to the notion among consumers that organic products are healthier and tastier

Consumer Appreciation of Carcass Quality of Organic vs Conventional Suckling Lamb Production

Carcass characteristics of sucking lambs (n= 40) of two breeds reared under conventional and organic conditions were analysed including objective and subjective parameters for fatness and conformation, meat and fat colour. Consumer acceptance was also studied using the home-use test. Results showed that the characteristics of the carcass of suckling lamb were similar for both types of production systems pointing out that organic production system did not affect fatness or muscle development. However, organic meat was darker (higher L* and a* values) probably related with the higher amount of exercise, although fat was not more yellow. In contrast consumers did not consider organic meat darker and there were not significant differences in appearance related with the similar conformation. These results reflect that consumer perceive organic meat as at least as good as conventional production not only regarding environmental quality but also regarding carcass quality

Servicio de Control Microbiológico (SCM), como Estrategia Didáctica para el laboratorio de Tecnología de Alimentos [Microbiological Control Service, as Didactic Strategy for Food Technology Lab]

Servicio de Control Microbiológico (SCM) es una Estrategia Didáctica dirigida a alumnos de Laboratorios de: Tecnología de Alimentos (LABTEC) y Microbiología de Alimentos (LMA), en la Facultad de Química (FQ) de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Se basa en el desempeño de roles profesionales, donde alumnos de LABTEC que elaboran alimentos actúan como productores que requieren análisis microbiológicos; los alumnos de LMA actúan como proveedores del servicio de control microbiológico. Se elaboran solicitudes y reportes formales, basados en normas de referencia, para que se pueda concluir sobre la calidad higiénica del alimento. La estrategia ha permitido a los participantes, una experiencia muy cercana al ejercicio profesional, para evaluar buenas prácticas de manufactura, trabajo individual y en equipo. Todos desarrollaron habilidades de comunicación profesional, solución de problemas y conciencia sobre la importancia de la calidad higiénica de los alimentos. El control microbiológico en LABTEC se ha realizado sin recursos adicionales, pues se aplican aquellos destinados a las prácticas de LMA. Además de la experiencia de aprendizaje, se está generando mejora continua en ambas asignaturas. [Microbiological control service (SCM) as a didactic strategy is aimed to those students in laboratories of food technology (LABTEC) and food microbiology (LMA), at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México’s School of Chemistry (FQ). It is based in professional role playing; LABTEC students elaborate the products and act as food producers in need of microbiological analysis; LMA students perform as service providers, for microbiological control. They elaborate formal requests and microbiological analysis report, based on mandatory standards, which can lead to conclusions about product’s hygienic quality. The strategy has given students an experience close to professional practice, to evaluate good manufacturing practices, individual and team work. All developed professional communication skills, problems identification and proposals for solving them, as well as consciousness about the importance of hygienic quality of food. The microbiological control in LABTEC has been carried out without the need for additional resources, since those intended for LMA practices are applied to these real samples. The experience is generating continuous improvement in both courses.

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Search for supersymmetry in events with one lepton and multiple jets in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for anomalous couplings in boosted WW/WZ -> l nu q(q)over-bar production in proton-proton collisions at root s=8TeV

Peer reviewe

Flavor and TASTE attributes and nutritional insights of maize tortillas from landraces of Mexican races

Maize tortilla is the best-recognized food product of Mexican gastronomy. Artisanal maize tortillas (AMT) are prepared with native maize varieties and a traditional process. The aims of this study were to identify sensory attributes, texture, and color in AMT that allow them to be differentiated from commercial tortillas, and to determine the chemical and mineral composition of both types of tortillas. Six landraces related to four Mexican maize races were used. Two commercial tortillas were included as references (tortillería and supermarket). Tortillas were subjected to sensory analysis by the modified Flash technique, texture and color were measured objectively and chemical and mineral analysis of all tortillas were evaluated. Lime taste and lime smell attributes were relevant to differentiate AMT from commercial tortillas; aftertaste and fracturability attributes were highly associated to supermarket tortillas. The fracturability attribute of tortillas is consider undesirable for taco preparation. Five of the six AMT were characterized by the presence of a layer, a characteristic that is associated with traditional tortilla made by Mexican consumer. Regarding chemical composition, supermarket tortillas exhibited the highest dietary fiber content (17.09%), but showed 30% more Na than AMT, with the exception of tortillas from Purepecha native variety. Besides, supermarket tortilla had 48.9% less Ca than AMT. The sensory attributes relevant to differentiate native maize tortillas from the commercial maize tortilla references were appearance, smell, and taste, while textural and color attributes played a lesser role

Comparison of the Sensory Characteristics of Suckling Lamb Meat: Organic vs Conventional Production

40 L. dorsi muscles from the left half carcass of suckling lambs raised under both organic and conventional systems were evaluated by a sixteen-member trained panel, following QDA methodology. After developing a common vocabulary for the evaluation of characteristics, 30 meat descriptors in raw and grilled meat were selected. Additionally,overall appreciation was evaluated by 140 consumers in a home-use test. The results obtained show that the appearance of the organic meat was more fibrous, darker, and with a lower aroma intensity than the conventional counterpart, but with no differences in homogeneity or juiciness. In grilled meat, the organic samples had less subcutaneous fat,less fatness, a less fibrous texture and less aroma intensity, but also less juiciness. Regarding overall appreciation, the consumers gave higher scores to the organically produced samples

Agave fructans as fat and sugar replacers in ice cream: Sensory, thermal and texture properties

The principal aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility of replacing fat and sugar with agave fructans to produce both low-fat, and low-fat and sugar ice cream. For this purpose, agave fructans (0–3.0%) were added to several ice cream formulations to explore relationships between their sensory perception, and their previously reported thermal and texture properties. Formulations with less than 1.2% of agave fructans contributed sensory attributes linked to the amount and size of ice crystals, such as crystallized (both texture and appearance), grainy and cold sensation. These were related to frozen water, ice fraction, enthalpy and maximum temperature, as well as hardness, melting rate and compression force. On the other hand, the samples with concentrations between 1.2 and 3.0% of agave fructans showed ice cream formulations with longer melting times, smooth, creamy and fluid texture, and with fatty sensation. These properties were directly related to low non-frozen water concentrations, high glass transition temperatures and ΔCp values, as well as textural properties, such as apparent viscosity and overrun. Even though consumers liked the samples with higher amounts of fat and sugar, all the samples showed liking values in a quite narrow range around the neutral point on the liking scale. Thus, agave fructans were able to enhance several sensory, thermal and textural properties, making them a feasible alternative as a fat and sugar replacer.The authors are grateful for the financial support of DGAPA-PAPIIT (projects IT201417 and IT201220), UNAM, Mexico. A. Pintor-Jardines thanks CONACYT (México) for her Ph.D. scholarship in the Biotechnology Postgraduate Program (grant 246848). H. Escalona-Buendia acknowledges the AGARED research network sponsored by CONACYT (No. 281618)