Food Processing Innovation: A Case Study with Pressurized Passion Fruit Juice

Tropical fruit juice production shows an annual increase in volume of 15 to 20% in Brazil. Growing demand for processed fruit pulp arouses juice industry interest to search for novel technologies. High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) is an innovative technology which allows juice production with improved sensory characteristics compared to pasteurization, meeting consumer demands for fresh-like foods. Despite recognized advantages of pressurized products described in the literature, a positive consumer attitude towards them is required to guarantee their success in today’s competitive global market. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of packaging attributes on consumer expected liking and purchase intention of passion fruit juice. One hundred and twenty consumers evaluated twelve prototypes for expected liking and purchase intention. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Conjoint and Cluster Analyses. Results showed that information about benefits of used technology (HHP) presented on the package played an important role on consumer attitude, suggesting a positive contribution to his/her satisfaction, a key point for the food industry.Tropical fruit juice production shows an annual increase in volume of 15 to 20% in Brazil. Growing demand for processed fruit pulp arouses juice industry interest to search for novel technologies. High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) is an innovative technology which allows juice production with improved sensory characteristics compared to pasteurization, meeting consumer demands for fresh-like foods. Despite recognized advantages of pressurized products described in the literature, a positive consumer attitude towards them is required to guarantee their success in today’s competitive global market. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of packaging attributes on consumer expected liking and purchase intention of passion fruit juice. One hundred and twenty consumers evaluated twelve prototypes for expected liking and purchase intention. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Conjoint and Cluster Analyses. Results showed that information about benefits of used technology (HHP) presented on the package played an important role on consumer attitude, suggesting a positive contribution to his/her satisfaction, a key point for the food industry.Tropical fruit juice production shows an annual increase in volume of 15 to 20% in Brazil. Growing demand for processed fruit pulp arouses juice industry interest to search for novel technologies. High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) is an innovative technology which allows juice production with improved sensory characteristics compared to pasteurization, meeting consumer demands for fresh-like foods. Despite recognized advantages of pressurized products described in the literature, a positive consumer attitude towards them is required to guarantee their success in today’s competitive global market. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of packaging attributes on consumer expected liking and purchase intention of passion fruit juice. One hundred and twenty consumers evaluated twelve prototypes for expected liking and purchase intention. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Conjoint and Cluster Analyses. Results showed that information about benefits of used technology (HHP) presented on the package played an important role on consumer attitude, suggesting a positive contribution to his/her satisfaction, a key point for the food industry

Effect of partial lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic on PM10 concentration in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Despite their proven effectiveness in combating the pandemic of COVID-19, measures of social isolation, quarantines, and lockdowns have drastic consequences in the social and economic spheres. This paper presents results from an ongoing study in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to evaluate the effect of social isolation on MP10 concentration. The monitoring point was chosen in a wooded area within a university campus. Social isolation was analyzed in terms of vehicle movements recorded by speed cameras, during all phases following the partial lockdown (PL) instituted in the city. The social isolation index (SDI) showed a maximum isolation percentage of 49.5%, reached in the first week of the PL, with a subsequent continuous downward trend. The results showed a 65.2% reduction in PM10 due to the PL, when comparing the mean values monitored before (22.2 ± 3.0 µg m-3) and during (7.7 ± 4.2 µg m-3) the PL. The relationship between vehicle movement and PM10 concentrations in the monitoring region was evidenced and found to be significant (r(XY) = 0.782, p-value = 0.000). Such reduction, observed in such a short term, but due to force majeure, certainly has beneficial effects on the population's health, reinforcing the reflection about the positive impacts that could come with policies that favor the reduction of vehicle movement in the cities