Food Service Technology最新文献

It has been recognized that hospital food service could be improved with malnutrition a target concern. The hypothesis of this study is that a food service system that enables patients to see and smell the food on offer and interact with the staff serving the meals will result in better patient nutritional intake and increased meal satisfaction. Data were collected from two wards, Women's Health and Orthopaedic (patients n = 31 in each study), over two 3-day consecutive periods. First, for a pre-ordered, plated meal service; and second, 9 months later, for a trolley service offering choice at the point of consumption. Food was weighed before and after the meal experience. Questionnaires were also administered and interviews were conducted with the patients (n = 614) to evaluate patients’ acceptability of both catering systems. Results show that nutritional intake was not dependent on the catering systems and that possibly in hospital, unlike other ‘eating out’ situations, there are barriers to ‘complete nutrition’. However, patient satisfaction was improved with the trolley system, where 93% of patients were satisfied compared to 76% with the plate system. This research indicates that nutritionally, the method of meal delivery is immaterial but patients do prefer choice at the point of consumption.

It has been suggested that workers in the hotel and restaurant sector are high consumers of alcohol. Larsen (1994), for example, reported that students in restaurant and hotel administration programmes obtained higher scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) than other students. The present study was designed to test whether the self-selection or the learning and socialization explanation better accounts for these findings. Students (n = 172) studying for various careers within the service sector were surveyed. Students in tourism (including hotel and restaurant) programmes and students who had had some work experience from the industry obtained the highest AUDIT scores. However, when controlling for age in a multiple regression model predicting alcohol use, the effects of study group and work experience disappeared. These results are inconclusive, although if workers in the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries actually drink more, the results may be interpreted as supportive of the socialization hypothesis.

The object of this study was to evaluate by descriptive sensory analysis how prior tasting of dry white wine affects the sensory perception of blue mould cheese. Two blue mould cheeses, a Swedish one, Bredsjö Blå (Bredsjö Mjölkfår AB, Sweden), and a French one, Roquefort (Roquefort Société, France), were tasted in combination with five commercial dry white wines. Nine trained assessors assessed the cheeses and the wines in sequential order, with the cheese being assessed before and after tasting the wines. The main findings were that the most pronounced characteristics of the Bredsjö Blå, such as buttery and woolly flavours, and the saltiness and sour taste of the Roquefort, decreased after tasting dry white wine.

A can opener and food/beverage can top survey was undertaken to identify potential microbiological hazards. Results indicated the potential for high levels of bacterial and fungal contamination. Characterization of microorganisms from 10 can openers indicated the most common contaminants as Klebsiella pneumoniae and a variety of Staphylococcus and spore-forming Bacillus species. In contrast to previous commercial food service surveys, no Escherichia coli or Salmonella species were found on the cans or can openers, however, low numbers of Bacillus cereus (22 of 25 cans) and Clostridium perfringens (15 of 25 cans) were identified. The effectiveness of various can-cleaning methods was evaluated using marker bacteria (Serratia marcescens) suspended in soil consisting of tryptone soya broth, ground beef or vacuum cleaner dust. In addition to rinsing under running water, two paper towel types and a paper napkin product were used for wiping, moist wiping and wiping after rinsing. The most effective cleaning method was rinsing and wiping combined (P < 0.0003), while wiping alone was not as effective as moist wiping (P = 0.038) or rinsing with water (P = 0.061). Food cans were more easily cleaned than beverage cans because of the tab area. Soil type influenced the degree of effectiveness of the cleaning methods, with mean log₁₀ reduction values for each type at 3.4 and 3.1 for food and beverage cans (tab area excluded), respectively. No significant difference was observed in the effectiveness of paper products (P = 0.433).

Refrigerator biofilm formation in food environments can result in spoilage and food safety problems. Biofouling of food contact surfaces are difficult to combat, and while there are significant risks involved with tolerating their presence, methods for their removal are not commonly available. In this study, biofilms were grown on plastic refrigerator trays. Cultures of mixed wild strains were started using kitchen scraps suspended in nutrient broth. Biofilms were allowed to mature with approximately 10⁹ CFU per tray test area. Spoilage species identified included Pseudomonas putida, Sphingobacterium multivorum, Citrobacter freundii and Proteus vulgaris. A series of 39 different treatment interventions were trialed during three different biofilm test runs. Results obtained from treatments ranged from a less than 1 log₁₀ reduction for light duty cleaning operations to over a 5 log₁₀ reduction involving more complex treatment methods. The latter included combinations of hot soapy water (75 °C), scrubbing, treatment with high pH (12.0) cleaners followed by acetic acid (vinegar) exposure and included pre- and post-treatment wiping with paper towels.

This study aimed to determine the effects of different cooking methods on white, milled rice. Two methods were evaluated (the Excess, or American method, and the Pilaf method, also known as the Oriental, or calculated-water method), which are commonly used, both domestically and in the catering industry. The effects of the two cooking methods were assessed on four varieties of rice, American Long Grain, American Long Grain Easy Cook, Basmati, and Thai Jasmine rice. The study used sensory evaluation techniques and terminology previously used in the field of rice research. The aim of the study was to assess potential differences in sensory attributes and overall acceptability. Affective testing techniques (hedonic and relative-to-ideal scales) were used to measure consumer preference. A consumer questionnaire also investigated the effects of rice eating, buying and cooking behaviour on the preferred cooking method. The subjects taking part in the study were taken from a typical student population at Bournemouth University. In general, the Pilaf method resulted in rice products that were stickier, firmer and drier in texture, with a more acceptable flavour. Overall acceptability and preference for the Pilaf method was higher, except in the case of Basmati rice. Models of acceptability accounted for up to half the variation so sensory attributes could not be used to predict the acceptability of rice products reliably.

This paper presents the background thinking, needs identification, technology, and user issues that have led to the creation of a self-authoring system for conjoint measurement appropriate to the food service industry. Self-authoring systems allow the user to create the study, deploy it on the Internet, and collect the data, without the help of a professional researcher or programming expert. The technology uses conjoint measurement, and is embodied in an Internet ASP system (application service provider) called IdeaMap^®.Net. The technology empowers the user to do conjoint analysis studies rapidly and cost-effectively, and to solicit new ideas from the same respondents who participate. This paper demonstrates IdeaMap^®.Net for food service issues, but the applications transcend particular issues and problems, finding applicability in a broad range of topics.

Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the effect of serving temperature on the pleasantness of microwave heated ready meals and meal components. Serving temperature clearly affected sensory attributes and the pleasantness of the meal components. However, while instrumental measurements had indicated large differences in temperatures between two microwave heated ready meals with different arrangement of meal components, the consumer panel perceived only small differences in some sensory attributes. Regardless of temperature differences, the overall pleasantness of the two microwave heated meals was judged to be similar. We concluded that serving temperature is critical for the pleasantness of food but, to the extent that it varied in microwave heating, it did not have a major impact on the overall pleasantness of the meal. Possibly in long-term use, very uneven temperature distribution may become a nuisance and therefore, the arrangement of meal components with a more uniform temperature distribution is recommended.