Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)最新文献

In response to the rise of Non-communicable Diseases, public policies, such as Front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labeling, have been implemented to clarify information on food labels and promote healthier eating habits. Brazil adopted black magnifier warning label in 2020, which consists of a black rectangle with a magnifier glass followed by the expression "High in" for three critical nutrients: added sugar, saturated fat and/or sodium. This study aims to evaluate the effect of black magnifier warning label, brand, and claims on Brazilian consumers' perceived healthiness. To achieve this, four products were considered: chocolate flavored milk, granola, mate tea, and cookies. A total of 448 Brazilian consumers took part in an online survey. For each product category, a series of packages were designed considering the following 2-level factors: brand (familiar vs. unfamiliar), black magnifier warning label (presence vs. absence), visual claim (presence vs. absence) and textual claim (presence vs. absence). Participants were shown eight pairs of packages from two of four products and were asked to select the healthiest product in each pair. The data were analyzed using a mixed logit model with random parameters, and conjoint analysis was conducted to estimate the main effects, average coefficients, and standard errors. A significance level of 5 % was considered. For all product categories, the presence of the warnings reduced perceived healthiness of products. On the other hand, the presence of familiar brand and nutritional marketing claims had a greater effect on the perceived healthiness compared to black magnifier. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of warning labels, but the need to regulate claims for strengthening label policies in the Brazilian context.

Sustainable seaweed value chains necessitate accurate biomass biochemical characterisation that leads to product development, geographical authentications and quality and sustainability assurances. Underutilised yet abundantly available seaweed species require a thorough investigation of biochemical characteristics prior to their valorisation. Abundantly available Australian seaweed species lack such comprehensive investigations within the global seaweed industrial value chains. Aiming to bridge this gap, this study characterises Phyllospora comosa thallus segments (blades, stipes, and vesicles) and unsegmented samples collected from separate locations in Victoria, Australia using high throughput characterisation techniques and machine learning classification models. Carbohydrate (64-68 %), ash (27-31 %), potassium (31.01 - 65.01 mg/g), sodium (20.36 - 30.59 mg/g), calcium (15.10 - 18.40 mg/g), magnesium (7.71 - 11.81 mg/g) and iodine (1.57 - 2.74 mg/g) were the most abundant nutrients of the P. comosa biomasses, on a dry weight basis. Variations between segments showed that stipes were rich in carbohydrate, blades in glutamic acid, calcium, magnesium, and iodine and vesicles in potassium, suggesting differing valorisation paths. The "rpart" classification separated the collection sites based on cadmium: Bancoora < 84.9 x 10^-6 mg/g (dw) ≤ Port Fairy with a 88 % accuracy and segments, initially based on glutamic acid : blades ≥ 10.61 mg/g (dw) or protein 45.25 mg/g (dw) > stipes and vesicles and then by potassium : vesicles ≥ 44.88 mg/g (dw) > stipes with a 100 % accuracy. These highly accurate characterisation and classification methods, when applied to larger sample sizes will assist in the diversification and expansions of authentic and sustainable Australian seaweed value chains.

Chrysanthemum infusion has gained popularity outside of the East Asian market in recent years. However, despite the growing international demand, standardized methods to evaluate the sensory attributes of chrysanthemum tea, which are essential for guiding consumers and ensuring quality control, remain underdeveloped. In this study, a trained panel conducted a quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA®) of eight chrysanthemum samples, successfully distinguishing between them. Additionally, consumer emotional responses to chrysanthemum infusion were assessed using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method. By mapping the descriptive sensory data with emotional response data through Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), we identified sensory drivers that elicit specific emotional responses. For this analysis, the emotion lexicon from EsSense25 was clustered into six dimensions: pleasant, tame, warm, active, negative, and bored. Our findings indicate that attributes such as smoothness and chrysanthemum-cucumber flavour induce calm and reassuring emotions (e.g., secure, understanding, calm, and tame). Conversely, sweetness and floral flavour are associated with positive emotions such as happiness, joy, and general well-being, suggesting that floral sweet beverages can mitigate negative emotions. However, sensory attributes such as bitterness, astringency, and vegetal aroma were linked to negative emotions and were sometimes associated with feelings of activity. The development of a sensory wheel, integrated with the emotional lexicon for chrysanthemum infusion, provides a tool for identifying sensory drivers behind emotional experiences. This tool offers valuable insights for market applications and product development, enhancing consumer satisfaction by aligning product attributes with desired emotional outcomes.

Green is no longer the only color used to describe tea leaves. As tea plants with different leaf colors-white, yellow, and purple-yield significant economic benefits, scholars are growing increasingly curious about whether these differently colored leaves possess unique aromatic characteristics. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with GC-MS was used to analyze the volatile metabolites of buds and leaves from 7 white-leaf tea plants, 9 yellow-leaf tea plants, 4 purple-leaf tea plants, and 7 normal (green) tea plants. A total of 125 aroma metabolites were identified. The aroma compounds of heterochromatic tea leaves and green-leaf tea were compared separately. It was found that white-leaf tea had the most upregulated compounds (63 up), mainly floral and fruity aromas, including nerol, Z-isogeraniol, and E-3-hexen-1-yl acetate. Purple-leaf tea had the most downregulated compounds (31 down), including β-myrcene, benzyl alcohol, and methyl salicylate, which are related to fresh and fruity aromas. According to variable importance in projection (VIP > 1) and a p-value < 0.05, a total of 40 differential compounds were detected, among which Z-3-hexenol, 1-nonanol, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, and 2,6,10,15-tetramethyl-heptadecane were common in all heterochromatic tea. The random forest model constructed using differential metabolites screened out five aroma metabolites, including Z-3-hexenyl isobutyrate, E-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, Z-jasmone, and Z-isogeraniol. These metabolites demonstrated high accuracy in the model (AUC = 1) and have the potential to serve as characteristic aroma compounds for distinguishing tea leaf colors.

The present study aim to investigate the effects of three drying processes on the flavor-related compounds and sensory quality of summer black tea. A total of 234 flavonoids and 1200 volatile compounds were identified in tea samples by using UPLC-MS/MS and HS-SPME-GC-MS, respectively. It was found that the combining hot-air and roasting drying process increased the level of epigallocatechin, epicatechin, gallic acid, theaflavins, and umami and sweet amino acids in tea samples. Conversely, the contents of epigallocatechin gallate, caffeine, kaempferol and acylated kaempferol glycosides, and quercetin and acylated quercetin glycosides were found to decrease. Analysis of the volatile compounds revealed that combined drying process enhanced the contents of volatile substances with sweet, nutty, and floral properties while reducing those with green attributes. Sensory evaluation results showed that the combined drying process improved the mellow taste and pure aroma, decreased the bitterness and astringency, and weakened the unpleasant flavor of summer black tea. Overall result indicated that the combined drying process could improve the flavor quality of summer black tea. This study may provide data support and feasible strategies for improving summer congou black tea quality.

Adding value to food by-products, such as pumpkin seeds, is an important strategy for the complete utilization of plant foods and advancing sustainability goals. This study aimed to maximize the production of bioactive peptides from pumpkin seed protein (PSP) by combining ultrasonic (US) pretreatment (40 kHz, 23.8 W/L) with enzymatic hydrolysis. The PSP's structure after sonication and its effects on the commercial proteases (Brauzyn®, Flavourzyme®, Neutrase®) activity and degree of hydrolysis were studied. The hydrolysis consequences regarding solubility and antioxidant activity of the resulting peptides were also evaluated. Sonication of PSP increased enzymatic activity by up to 21.3 % for Brauzyn®, 24.8 % for Flavourzyme® and 19.2 % for Neutrase®. Consequently, there was an increase in the degree of hydrolysis (up to 89 %) using sonicated PSP, particularly at 60 min/40 °C. These effects can be attributed to ultrasound-induced protein conformation changes, including increased intrinsic fluorescence intensity (<22 %), shifts in UV spectra, and alterations in FTIR amide bands, especially a decrease in β-sheet content (<7.14 %). Additionally, ultrasonic pretreatment reduced particle size (<43.9 %) and polydispersity index (<58 %), enhancing enzyme accessibility by fragmenting protein aggregates, as observed via scanning electron microscopy. As a result, the peptides obtained from the hydrolysis of sonicated PSP exhibited higher protein solubility (12 % to 49 % at pH 6.0) and improved antioxidant activity (5.6 % to 77 %). Overall, sonication of PSP for 60 min at 40 °C followed by hydrolysis with Neutrase® proved to be the most effective strategy for producing highly soluble peptides with enhanced antioxidant properties, highlighting the potential of ultrasound as a valuable tool for optimizing bioactive peptide production. Based on these results, the developed process is ready for scale-up by the food industry, aiming to obtain protein hydrolysates with improved functional and/or nutritional properties from a low-cost raw material. In parallel, further researches can focus on the potential application of these hydrolysates as ingredients in bakery, meet or dairy products.

A human oral phase followed by a dynamic gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation (simgi®) has been applied to wholemeal rye bread (WRB) and PS-enriched WRB (PS-WRB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of these solid and high-fiber food matrices on the metabolism of PS, modulation of the microbiota and production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and ammonium ion after a simulated chronic intake (5 days). In both breads, campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, sitostanol, Δ5-avenasterol, Δ5,24-stigmastadienol, Δ7-stigmastenol, and Δ7-avenasterol were identified, of which only β-sitosterol was metabolized to sitostenone after PS-WRB treatment. The presence of fiber in both breads exerted a prebiotic effect after fermentation by the increase in Firmicutes (Lactobacillus genus, maximum abundance of 89-99 %) and Actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium genus, maximum abundance of 30-31 %), reflected in an increase of SCFA content. The reduction of proteolytic activity confirmed by the decrease in ammonium ion contents is related to a reduction in the Proteobacteria phylum. Thus, PS-WRB could be considered as a healthy staple food choice since, besides the known hypocholesterolemic effect of PS, rye bread fiber preserves the beneficial microbiota and exerts a positive impact on markers of gut health.

This study investigated the edible quality differences in muscle segments of silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and established an evaluation model for processing suitability. The results showed that steamed dorsal meat had the highest levels of total free amino acids, umami amino acids, and total volatile compounds. Fried tail meat exhibited the highest content of sweet amino acids and equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values, which were superior in all fried meat parts compared to those that were steamed. Key quality indicators for steaming included L*, crude protein, 5'-inosine monophosphate (IMP), (E)-2-Nonenal, and lysine, while IMP, moisture, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, and proline were key quality indicators for frying. The established processing suitability evaluation model accurately predicted overall sensory acceptability. Dorsal and belly portions of H. molitrix were best suited for steaming, whereas the tail was more suitable for frying.

Periweissella beninensis LMG 25373^T, belonging to the recently established Periweissella genus, exhibits unique motility and high adhesion capabilities, indicating significant probiotic potential, including resilience under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. This study demonstrates for the first time that P. beninensis LMG 25373^T produces a dextran-type exopolysaccharide (EPS) with a distinctive high degree of branching (approximately 71 % of α-(1 → 6)-linkages and 29 % α-(1 → 3)-linkages). Growth performance, acidification, and proteolytic activity were investigated in various plant-based substrates (lentil, chickpea, and rice flours water soluble extracts and semi-liquid mixtures), in comparison with the well-characterized lactic acid bacteria strains Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 (EPS-producing) and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (probiotic). The strain displayed effective pro-technological properties, especially in gelatinized and non-gelatinized legume-based substrates, achieving EPS synthesis levels of up to 1.3 g/100 g and 2.7 ± 0.2 g/100 g, respectively. When used as a starter for a plant-based yogurt-type ("gurt") prototype, compared to the control, P. beninensis LMG 25373^T produced a substantial increase in viscosity which remained stable during refrigerated storage, confirming the role of its unique structure pattern as a hydrocolloid. Furthermore, the strain demonstrated high viability throughout storage, an essential trait for probiotic food applications.

Bacillus cereus is a common pathogen responsible for gastrointestinal and other complicated disorders, yet epidemiological data and public health measures remain scarce. To bridge these gaps, a bilingual search spaning 50 years identified 266 relevant studies on global B. cereus infection, encompassing 6,135 cases. The global mortality rate for B. cereus infection is 0.9 %. Food poisoning cases account for 94.31 % (5786/6135) of the total infections, with a mortality rate of 0.05 %. B. cereus infections were primarily reported in East Asia, Europe, and North America, with frequent studies in eastern and southern China. Rice was recognized as the highest-risk food category for B. cereus-associated food poisoning, with 43 reported incidents. Younger populations, particularly infants and toddlers (<2 years) and school-age children (6-18 years), tend to exhibit more severe symptoms. These symptoms include fulminant liver failure, rhabdomyolysis, and metabolic acidosis. The outcomes of severe cases are associated with specific toxin types, with cereulide-producing strains linked to complicated clinical disorders and outcomes. These findings highlight the need for targeted epidemiological surveillance and public health interventions to mitigate B. cereus-associated infections.