Role of labels referring to quality and country of origin in food consumers’ decisions

Within a survey made of Hungarian awareness of, attitudes towards, and preferences for food labels and pricing, this study focused on consumers’ reactions to quality and country of origin labels. Data were collected with a standard questionnaire, face-to-face interviews (1000 participants) in the respondents’ home. It became obvious that consumers were looking for information about quality (rating its importance at 4.04) on packages, but information about origin (3.94) and production (3.89) was also important to them. The capability of respondents to spontaneously recall country of origin and quality labels was very limited: 35.5% of all respondents could not name any such labels. The best known label was “Hungarian Product” (30.5%), which was recognized by up to 90% of the respondents after they were shown it. Many consumers were ready to pay premium for products bearing this label (31.7%). According to our results, information about quality is important to consumers, but they do not look for it deliberately, and only a few consumers ascribe a higher value to products with labels bearing this information. There is a pressing need to increase consumers’ confidence for trademarks through dissemination of reliable information

Application of electronic tongue to discriminate white wines originated from different regions of Hungary

In this work, the application of an electronic tongue (ET) based on a specific ion-selective sensor array for discrimination of different white wine types is presented. The electronic tongue equipped with specific sensor array containing seven IFSET sensors was used to analyze wine samples. The obtained ET responses were evaluated using different pattern recognition methods. Principal component analysis (PCA) provides the possibility to identify some initial patterns. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to build models to separate white wine samples based on wine regions and grape cultivars. The results showed that every group was distinguished from each other with no misclassification error. Furthermore, the sequence of the wine sample groups was similar to the increasing total acidity content. Partial least square (PLS) regression was used to build models for the prediction of the main chemical compositions of the wine samples based on the electronic tongue results. The closest correlation (R2=0.93) was found in case of ‘total acidity’, and the prediction error (RMSEP) was 6.9%. The pH of the wine samples was predicted with good correlation (R2=0.89) but higher prediction error (RMSEP=10.71%) from the electronic tongue results. The ET combining these statistical methods can be applied to determine the origin and variety of the wine samples in easy and quick way

Anti glutamate-decarboxylase antibodies: A liaison between localisation related epilepsy, stiff-person syndrome and type-1 diabetes mellitus

We present two patients with partial epilepsy, type-1 diabetes and stiff person syndrome associated with high serum autoantibody levels to glutamate-decarboxylase (anti-GAD). Both patients were or have suffered from additional autoimmune conditions. The presence of stiff person syndrome and elevated anti-GAD levels have to make clinicians look for additional autoimmune conditions including type-1 diabetes. On the other hand, the co-morbidity of partial epilepsy with autoimmune conditions in patients with elevated serum anti-GAD suggests an autoimmune mechanism of partial epilepsy in these cases

Hazai élővizekből származó halak összes-higany és metilhigany tartalmának vizsgálata

A szerzők jól reprodukálható gázkromatográfiás módszert dolgoztak ki a halakban előforduló metilhigany minőségi és mennyiségi meghatározására. A hazai élővizekből származó halak higanytartalmának átfogó vizsgálatához az ország 8 megyéjéből 90 halmintának (14 halfajból) határozták meg mind az összes-higany, mind a metilhigany tartalmát. A halak metilhigany tartalma az összes-higany tartalomra vonatkoztatva általában 7 0 - 100% között változott. Ez az arány egyezik a nemzetközi szakirodalomban leírtakkal. Az eredmények alapján nagy folyóinkból és a Tokaj halastóból származó halak átlagos higanytartalma megközelíti, illetve néhány esetben meghaladja a vonatkozó 0,3 mg/kg-os határértéket. A többi vizsgált élővízből származó halak higanytartalma általában jóval a megengedett szint alatt van. Authors developed a gaschromatographic method for qualitative and quantitative determination of methyl-Hg in fishes. For the complete investigation of Hg contant in fishes from Hungarian waters both the total Hg eontant and methyl-Hg contant were determined in 90 fish samples (14 fish sorts) from 8 Hungarian districts. The methyl-Hg contant in fishes amount generally 70-100% of the total Hg contant. This proportion correspond with international data. The average Hg contant in fishes from the Hungarian big rivers and from the fish-pond Tokaj is near and in some cases over the lim it value of 0,3 mg/kg. The Hg contant in fishes from other tested waters is found considerable under the lim it. Verfasser haben eine gut reproduzierbare gaschromatographische Methode für die qualitative und quantitative Bestimmung des in Fischen vorkommenden Methyl-Hg-Gehaltes ausgearbeitet. Zur umfassenden Untersuchung des Quecksilbergehaltes der aus einheimischen Gewässern stammenden Fische wurden sowohl der Gesamt-Hg-, als auch dei Methyl-Hg-Gehalt in 90 Fischproben (14 Fischsorten) aus 8 Komitaten des Landes bestimmt. Der Methyl-Hg-Gehalt der Fische bewegte sich im allgemeinen zwischen 70 und 100% bezogen auf den Gesamt-HgGehalt. Dieses Verhältnis stimmt mit den Angaben in der Fachliteratui überein. Aufgrund der Ergebnisse kann festgestellt werden, daß der durchschnittliche Quecksilbergehalt der aus unseren großen Flüssen und aus dem Fischteich Tokaj stammenden Fische dem Grenzwert von 0,3 mg/kg nahekommt bzw. darüber liegt. Der Quecksilbergehalt der aus den anderen untersuchten Gewässern stammenden Fische liegt im allgemeinen wesentlich unter dem zulässigen Wert

Vision system and electronic tongue application to detect coffee adulteration with barley

Time consuming and expensive methods have been applied for detection of coffee adulteration based on the literature. In the present work, an optical method (vision system) and the application of an electronic tongue is proposed to reveal the addition of barley in different proportion to coffee in ground and brewed forms. In a range of 1 to 80% (w/w) Robusta coffee was blended with roasted barley. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) accomplished on vision system image data showed a good discrimination of the adulterated samples. The results of Polar Qualification System (PQS) data reduction method revealed even small differences in the right barley content order by point method approach. With Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression the amount of barley in Robusta was predicted with high R2 (0.996) and relatively low RMSEP (∼2%) values in case of vision system data processing. Considering electronic tongue measurements, PCA results showed a good discrimination of samples with higher barley concentration. Misclassification was found in the low concentrated area by Lienar Discriminant Analgsis (LDA). To obtain an accurate model for barley content prediction in coffee, the most sensitive sensor signals were used to apply PLS regression successfully (R2=0.97, RMSEP=3.99% (w/w))

Obsessive and harmonious passion in physically active Spanish and Hungarian men and women: a brief report on cultural and gender differences

Increased research on passion in physical activity calls for direct examination of possible mediating variables that could influence the research outcome. The present study using a two by-two (nation by gender) between-participants design, examined whether gender and/or cultural differences in obsessive- and harmonious passion were present in Spanish and Hungarian physically active individuals. Participants (n=1,002) completed the Passion Scale, reported their gender, age, and weekly hours of physical activity. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that the experiencing of physical activity-related obsessive- and harmonious passion differed between the two countries and Hungarian women scored significantly higher on harmonious and obsessive passion than Spanish women. However, Hungarian men only scored significantly higher on obsessive passion, but not harmonious passion compared to Spanish men. These results suggest that the moderating role of gender and cultural differences should be addressed more carefully in conducting and interpreting results of research concerned with passion in physical activity