Cooked turkey roasts have different processing characteristics then cooked beef roasts

Roasts were manufactured from lean beef and turkey by injecting with brine to 25% above green weight so the raw product contained 1.8% salt and 0.3% sodium phosphate. Meat muscle characteristics (pH and protein solubility) and processing characteristics were measured as cook yields and expressible moisture. The species significantly affects some basic properties of the meat. Turkey meat had significantly higher pH and extractible myofibrillar proteins than beef. The increased cook yield was correlated with higher pH and higher expressible moisture. The differences observed suggest that processors need to treat the starting materials differently

Two phase aqueous extraction of whey proteins in a polyethylene glycol - arabinogalactan system

The whey protein separation potential of aqueous two-phase systems of arabinogalactan [AG] (Lonza FiberAidTM) and polyethylene glycol [PEG], buffered with 10 mmol/g phosphate or citrate buffer, was studied. 100 mmol/g potassium chloride [KCl] was added as required. Previously-published phase equilibrium results were verified and the absorbance of whey protein isolate [WPI] in an AG-PEG solution was measured. The effect of pH, KCl concentration, initial WPI concentrations and upper to lower phase mass ratios on whey partitioning was studied. The best separation system contained 17.20% (w/w) AG, 7.20% (w/w) PEG, 10 mmol citrate buffer (pH 5.4) and 100 mmol KCl per gram of total system. The upper to lower phase mass and volume ratios were 1:1 and 16:11 respectively. Approximately 12 mg (mainly α-lactalbumin) of the 20 mg WPI added partitioned into the AG-rich upper phase. This system has potential to reduce chromatographic requirements in large scale separation of protein mixtures

Work placement reports: Student perceptions

Engineering students complete work placement reports after being on placement in industry, the aim is to increase work place learning and to increase students understanding about the placement, themselves, career direction and skills obtained. Third and fourth year engineering students perceptions on their report writing experience, academic feedback quality, and the effect of completing work placement reports on their learning and report writing ability, were surveyed. Third year students enjoyed the experience more than fourth year students and perceived greater benefits. Fourth year student opinion was mixed, reflecting greater experience and cynicism. Fourth year students rated feedback from academics higher than the third years, perhaps because their reports were more interesting for the academics. The fourth year students were more cynical on the benefits of reflecting and reviewing what they had learned, and many considered this was not important for being an engineer

Analysis of rheological behaviour of titanium feedstocks formulated with a water-soluble binder system for powder injection moulding

Binder selection and formulation are critical in powder injection moulding. Binders play a key role in controlling the rheological properties of a feedstock and influence whether the resulting feedstock can be successfully injection moulded, debound and sintered without defects. A four-step process was used to mix hydride-dehydride titanium alloy (processed) powder (Ti-6Al-4 V) with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) based water soluble binder system. The rheological properties, including flow behaviour index, flow activation energy, fluidity and melt flow index of the homogeneous feedstock, were determined with a capillary rheometer. All feedstock formulations exhibited shear thinning flow behaviour. The optimum feedstock consisting of 60 vol.% powder content, 32 vol.% PEG, 6 vol.% polyvinyl butyryl and 2 vol.% stearic acid was suitable for titanium injection moulding

Fish powder as a low-cost component in media for producing bacterial cellulose

Some bacteria can produce extracellular bacterial cellulose (BC). This polysaccharide is chemically identical to cellulose produced by plants but has no associated lignin and hemicelluloses. The unique mechanical properties, chemical stability and purity allow BC to be exploited for a range of biomedical applications. However, medium costs limit commercial BC production. The suitability of using fish powder as a low-cost media component for producing BC by submerged culture of Gluconacetobacter xylinus in shake flasks was investigated. Fish powder was made by drying and grinding Koi carp (Cyprinus carpio), a pest fish in New Zealand waterways. Fermentations were done at 30oC in a growth medium containing 50 g/L glucose, the required minerals, and either 5 g/L yeast extract or 15 g/L fish powder, The BC yield on both yeast extract and fish powder was 0.04 g/g glucose, demonstrating fish powder was a suitable low cost ingredient for supplying nitrogen and amino acids in the media

Effect of microwave pre-treatment on air-drying orange (Beauregard) kumara slices

The effects of slice thickness, microwave pre-treatment, and drying temperature on drying orange kumara slices were investigated. The highest drying rate, with minimal loss of colour, occurred at 80°C. Slice thickness did not significantly influence colour but drying time increased with slice thickness. The drying curves fitted the Page thin-layer drying model. Two minutes microwave pre-treatment significantly reduced overall drying time and improved colour but increased shrinkage

Osmotic Dehydration of New Zealand Chestnuts with and without Shell and Pellicle

Osmotic dehydration offers an alternative to air-drying for reducing moisture content at ambient temperature. Of four different solutes investigated, 22% (mass basis) sodium chloride (NaCl) and 60% (mass basis) sucrose solutions were the most successful, with each achieving approximately a 10% reduction in wet basis moisture content after 8 h without significant detrimental side effects, although NaCl solutions cause noticeable darkening in the pits on the surface of the chestnuts. The presence of the shell and pellicle did not significantly affect the dehydration rate. Osmotic dehydration by NaCl or sucrose prior to mechanical shell removal produced a small increase in efficiency of the shell removal process

The role of engineering in a career change pathway into technology teaching

The University of Waikato developed an innovative two-year engineering/ education qualification to attract a group of learners traditionally excluded or disadvantaged in their access to tertiary study and secondary teaching as a career choice. The factors that prompted and supported collaboration between the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Education to develop and deliver a programme that enables industry-trained and qualified learners to gain the engineering qualification required for teaching technology in secondary schools is described. A cross-sequential – patch-up research design was used to collect data from students in both years of the two-year programme to assess the effectiveness of the pathway

Is engineering for me? Do girls have enough information to decide?

Increasing the diversity in engineering starts with increasing the proportion of the specific cohort choosing to study engineering. The proportion of women doing engineering is low. Common barriers to increasing the proportion of woman in engineering include not studying the appropriate subjects to meet entry requirements, misconceptions about engineers, and lack of information on possible careers after graduation. Various strategies have been developed to overcome barriers but the proportion of woman studying engineering has not increased significantly over the past fifty years

Girls’ engagement in engineering: Influences, independence and interest

Increasing diversity in engineering, which is a goal of the profession, education and government, starts with increasing the diversity of those choosing to study engineering. This paper focuses on girls’ engagement in engineering. Data is from a survey of girls attending a university open day, and interviews with practicing female engineers. The notion of possible selves is used to explain patterns in the responses. Both prospective and participant groups indicated that family, friends, teachers and messages in the environment informed and influenced their view of what engineering involved and who could be an engineer. Practicing female engineers identified the impact of school subject choices, ‘hands-on’ and practical home experiences, and the nature of the lecturer and peer support. The paper contributes to discussions of when and how to encourage girls into engineering, offering evidence that a comprehensive approach is needed that includes the community, schools, tertiary institutions and the profession