Showing papers by "Raquel Guiné published in 2020"

The Link between the Consumer and the Innovations in Food Product Development.

Abstract: New lifestyles, higher incomes and better consumer awareness are increasing the demand for a year-round supply of innovative food products. In past decades, important developments have been achieved in areas related to food and the food industry. This review shows that factors influencing performance in new product development (NPD) are dynamic and continuously guiding project development. The data obtained by direct involvement of consumers can impact positively successful product development and enhance the company's financial performance. The study of consumer behaviour and attitudes towards new foods encompasses multiple aspects, such as preference, choice, desire to eat certain foods, buying intentions and frequency of consumption. Additionally, both the consumers' willingness to purchase and the willingness to pay a premium are important in NPD, launching and success.

Optimization of Infrared-convective Drying of White Mulberry Fruit Using Response Surface Methodology and Development of a Predictive Model through Artificial Neural Network

Abstract: A comparative approach was carried out between artificial neural networks (ANNs) and response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the drying parameters during infrared–convective drying of white ...

Study about Food Choice Determinants According to Six Types of Conditioning Motivations in a Sample of 11,960 Participants.

Abstract: Many aspects linked to personal characteristics, society and culture constitute some of the motivators that drive food choice. The aim of this work was to determine in what extent the eating behaviors of individuals are shaped by six different types of determinants, namely: health, emotions, price and availability, society and culture, environment and politics, and marketing and commercials. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study, involving a non-probabilistic sample of 11,960 participants from 16 countries. The objective of this work was to validate the questionnaire, so as to make it suitable for application in different contexts and different countries. For that, six scales were considered for validation by confirmatory factor analysis with structural equation modelling. The obtained results showed that the six individual scales evaluated presented good or very good fitting indices, with saturation in goodness-of-fit index in all cases. The values of chi-square ratio were 6.921 (for health), 0.987 (environment), 0.610 (emotions) and 0.000 in the remaining cases (convenience, society, marketing). Furthermore, the fit was perfect, with saturation for all indices, in three of the six models (convenience, society and marketing). The results of this wok allowed the validation of the six scales, and the assessing of different types of factors that can influence food choices and eating behaviors, namely in the categories: health, emotions, price and availability, society and culture, environment and politics, and marketing and commercials.

Edible Flowers, Old Tradition or New Gastronomic Trend: A First Look at Consumption in Portugal versus Costa Rica.

Abstract: This study investigated the knowledge and use of edible flowers (EF) in two countries, Portugal, in Europe, and Costa Rica, in Latin America, and aimed to evaluate the similarities and/or differences regarding the utilization of EF in gastronomy. This work consisted of a questionnaire survey, undertaken on a sample of 290 participants. The results indicate that most people surveyed (87%) have heard about EF but believe there is not enough information about them (96%). Only one third of participants consider there are risks associated with the consumption of EF, being those related to toxicity and pesticides. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between participants from the two countries but not with different professional areas. About half (48%) of the participants had already consumed EF, mostly for decoration or confection of dishes (77% positive answers) and in salads (75%). The flowers consumed most frequently were chamomile and rose, respectively, in Costa Rica and Portugal. Reasons pointed out to consume EF include decoration, taste, novelty and aroma, while aspects such as nutritional value or antioxidant capacity are prized by fewer consumers. EF were mostly acquired in supermarkets, cultivated at home or collected in the wild. In general, most participants (85%) consider the use of EF in gastronomy interesting, but less than one third (27%) believe we should eat EF more often. Finally, discriminant function analysis revealed that country was the variable for which the differences in the consumption of EF was more pronounced, while education level and age group showed the lowest variability between groups.

Can we understand food oral processing using Kano model? Case study with confectionery products.

Abstract: This study had two objectives, to determine oral processing parameters and its correlation with mechanical properties of selected confectionery products and to categorize oral processing and sensory attributes based on a Kano model. Thirteen panelists analyzed five confectionery products in the oral processing part of the study. In parallel, 327 interviews participated in a field survey to enable analyzing responses to food quality and oral processing attributes. It has been confirmed that oral processing parameters are interrelated with most of the mechanical properties of confectionery products. Average number of bites is correlated with consumption time per bite, chewing rate, and bite size. Consumption time and chewing rate were negatively correlated for Brownie cake. Satiation was associated with eating rate and calorie intake rate for Jelly Candy and Waffle. All food quality requirements were categorized as "attractive" and "one-dimensional." Oral processing parameters-food breakdown and eating rate are aligned to "attractive" category, bite size was identified as a "must-be" category, and number of chews is outlined as a "reverse" category. The Kano model results show that oral processing parameters have a strong influence on consumer satisfaction in parallel with well-known sensorial characteristics associated with food quality.

Perceptions about Healthy Eating and Emotional Factors Conditioning Eating Behaviour: A Study Involving Portugal, Brazil and Argentina

Abstract: This study analysed the perceptions about healthy eating as well as some emotional factors conditioning eating behaviour in a sample of people from Portugal, Brazil and Argentina. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving a non-probabilistic sample of 2501 participant. Data was collected through a questionnaire applied to adult citizens residing in their respective countries. For data analysis chi-square tests were used, and associations were evaluated by Cramer’s coefficients. Moreover, a tree classification analysis was conducted for variables related with perceptions about healthy eating and emotional conditioning of eating behaviour. The results revealed that participants’ perceptions are generally in agreement with healthy eating. However, significant differences were found between countries (p = 0.018) and by levels of education (p < 0.0005), with a more accurate perception for Portugal and at the university level. The existence of statistically significant associations between all sociodemographic variables considered and the conditioning of eating behaviour by emotional motivations should be noted. Tree classification analysis showed that the most important discriminant sociodemographic variable for perceptions about healthy eating was education, followed by professional area and country, while the most relevant discriminants for emotional conditioning of eating behaviour were country and then living environment and sex. Thus, it is important to consider these variables in initiatives that aim to promote adherence to behaviours that contribute to the health and well-being of the population.

The drying process of Sarcocornia perennis: impact on nutritional and physico-chemical properties

Abstract: The Sarcocornia genus is an extreme salt-tolerant plant that can be cultivated in saline habitats almost worldwide. To preserve Sarcocornia perennis, convective drying experiments were conducted and their effects on the physico-chemical properties and phenolic content of the plant were studied using conventional and vibrational spectroscopy techniques. The drying process of Sarcocornia perennis at temperatures of 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C revealed three periods of convective drying process with drying times ranging between 4.5 and 24.9 h, respectively to higher and lower temperatures. The heating-up period can be neglected as compared with the drying process, and the duration of constant rate period, as a percentage of the total drying time, ranged between 34 and 20% respectively at 40 °C and 70 °C. The Modified Page model was proposed to describe the drying process at the different temperatures. From a nutritional point of view, this halophyte plant may be considered as a good source of fibres, phenolic compounds and natural minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The convective drying, in the temperature range currently used, was found to preserve the colour, nutritional characteristics and phytochemical value of Sarcocornia perennis. These results were confirmed by FTIR-ATR and highlight the potential use of the dried plant in novel food products.

Evaluation of phenolic and antioxidant properties of strawberry as a function of extraction conditions

Abstract: Abstract We studied the extraction of antioxidant phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and the evaluation of antioxidant activity of strawberries in different extraction conditions, varying the type of solvent (ethanol:water (50%) and acetone:water (60%), the extraction time (15 and 60 min) and the solvent volume to sample mass ratio (5 mL/g and 20 mL/g). In addition, we performed principal component analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that, although the two solvents tested had similar influence on total phenolic compounds extraction and antioxidant activity, the 60 minutes of extraction and the use of the solvent volume/sample mass ratio of 20 mL/g were the best extraction conditions, both for the 1st and 2nd recovered extracts. However, the solvent had a marked effect on anthocyanins’ extraction, so that acetone/water extracted almost the double as compared to ethanol/water, for the same extraction conditions. Finally, factor analysis allowed identifying a grouping structure of two components, which was confirmed by the dendogram obtained from cluster analysis.

Food choice motivations and perception of a healthy diet in a developing Mediterranean country

Abstract: Abstract This study investigated the Lebanese consumers’ knowledge about healthy food perception and their food motivations according to gender and also to environmental, social, and health behaviors. The survey consisted of a longitudinal study undertaken on a sample of 450 participants from which only 410 questionnaires were considered to be valid. For the analysis of the data, basic descriptive statistics were used, complemented with statistical tests (Student t-test for comparisons between two groups and ANOVA for comparisons between three or more groups). Finally, analyses were done to evaluate the importance of healthy food perception among these people, and the possible sociodemographic variables are as follows: age group, level of education, gender, and living environment. The results allowed identifying which types of factors mostly influence people's food choices. They revealed that both the economic and availability motivations (mean scores 2.83 and 2.98 for female and male participants, respectively) and the social and cultural motivations (mean scores 2.90 and 3.09) have less impact on the perception of a healthy diet than the healthy motivations (mean scores 3.48 and 3.29) and the environmental and political motivations (mean scores 3.35 and 3.43), this last being also the highest expression and without statistical gender differences. This work is relevant because it highlights the food motivation factors that influence people’s perception about a healthy diet in a developing country, facing social and economic crisis in addition to many gender inequalities, yet having the highest education levels in the region in addition to its multiethnical diversity and religiosity.

Influence of Environmental and Political Determinants on Food Choices in a Sample of Portuguese Population

Abstract: There is an increasing concern regarding the impacts of food choices in the environment. Therefore, in order to plan actions to promote more sustainable diets, it is crucial to understand the influence of environmental and political determinants on people’s food choices. This work aimed at studying the extent to which environmental and political determinants influence people’s food choices in a sample of the Portuguese population. A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken on a non-probabilistic sample of 1314 participants living in the Centre of Portugal. The questionnaires were applied after informed consent only to adults (aged 18 or over) and the data were collected from January and December 2017 among the Portuguese population. The participants’ food choices were, in general, influenced by environmental and political determinants (0.77 ± 0.53, in a scale from -2 to +2). It was also observed that the elderly, men and the participants who had a university degree were more influenced by these determinants. These findings were similar for those who lived in urban areas, the retired, the participants who had a professional activity or studies in agriculture areas and those who were responsible for buying their own food. Furthermore, there were found significant differences between age groups, genders and the levels of education. There were also observed significant differences between the different living environments, professional status, regarding the areas of work or studies and also between the participants who were responsible for buying their one food and the ones who were not. These findings are very important because they highlight the complicity of people’s food choices and are determinant for the development of strategies that can improve people’s eating habits. This paper fulfills an identified need to study the environmental and political determinants underlying the Portuguese food choices.

Development of New Dairy Products with Functional Ingredients

Abstract: The object of the present work was to develop yogurts with functional ingredients, such as vegetables, fruits, herbs or seeds, commonly known for their biological activities, and which were then su...

Influence of sociodemographic factors on eating motivations - modelling through artificial neural networks (ANN).

Abstract: This study aimed at investigating the influence of some sociodemographic factors on the eating motivations. A longitudinal study was carried conducted with 11960 participants from 16 countries. Data analysis included t-test for independent samples or ANOVA, and neural network models were also created, to relate the input and output variables. Results showed that factors like age, marital status, country, living environment, level of education or professional area significantly influenced all of the studied types of eating motivations. Neural networks modelling indicated variability in the food choices, but identifying some trends, for example the strongest positive factor determining health motivations was age, while for emotional motivations was living environment, and for economic and availability motivations was gender. On the other hand, country revealed a high positive influence for the social and cultural as well as for environmental and political and also for marketing and commercial motivations.

Study of the Influence of Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors on Consumption of Dairy Products: Preliminary Study in Portugal and Brazil.

Abstract: Sociodemographic characteristics, including regional variations, have been associated with different food consumption patterns. Behavioral factors and lifestyle variables may also contribute to different food dietary trends. In this way, the present study intended to investigate the consumption habits of the most relevant types of dairy products around the world and relate them to sociodemographic factors, for example, age, sex, education and country as well as with some anthropometric and behavioral aspects, for example, body mass index, satisfaction with body weight and exercise or sedentary lifestyles. One other objective of the study was to categorize the lifestyles of the participants, according to measured variables linked with hours of inactivity or exercise, in order to use these as possible differentiating variables for the consumption of dairy products. The study involved a questionnaire survey undertaken on a non-probabilistic convenience sample of participants from Portugal (PT) and Brazil (BR), and participation was voluntary and anonymous. The data analysis involved different statistical techniques: basic statistics, chi-square tests, factor analysis, cluster analysis and tree classification analysis. The results showed that semi skimmed milk is never consumed by about half of the participants (47.4% for PT and 46.7 for BR), and those numbers increase for skimmed (64.8% for PT and 50.9% for BR), chocolate flavored milk (82.6% for PT and 65.6% for BR) and enriched milks (94.8% for PT and 85.3% for BR). Cheeses are also consumed in the two countries by small numbers of people. The number of participants consuming imported cheeses in both countries was particularly low (only 4.0% consume these more than once a week in both countries), suggesting national products may be preferred. It was further observed that those who consume cheese do it seldom (once a week) or sometimes (2–3 times per week). Butter is also consumed by only about half of the adult population (43.8% for PT and 49.5% for BR), but the percentage of those who never consume butter increases for skimmed butter (66.0% for PT and 82.6% for BR) and unsalted butter (70.2% for PT and 69.1% for BR). The consumption of yogurts also follows similar low consumption patterns. The most frequently consumed yogurt types in Portugal are liquid (30.5% consume regularly) and natural yogurts (34.8% consume regularly), while in Brazil the most frequent are creamy fruit pulp yogurt (14.4% consume regularly), liquid (13.7% consume regularly) and Greek type yogurt (10.2% consume regularly). A factor analysis and a cluster analysis established groups according to lifestyles, as follows: 1—Screeners, 2—Exercisers, 3—Travelers and 4—Others. These lifestyles were found to be influential in the consumption of dairy products for all classes of dairy tested: milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. For example, the screeners were found to consume more milk, more butter, more cheese and more yogurt. Additionally, other influential factors were age, sex, education, BMI and satisfaction with body weight. Nevertheless, country was not a meaningfully discriminant variable in relation to the other variables included in the classification analysis. The results concluded that, despite some small differences in the patterns of consumption of dairy products in both countries, the levels of consumption of dairy products are extremely low, for all classes studied (milk, cheese, yogurt or butter). Additionally, it was concluded that some factors are influential on the level of consumption of dairy products, and therefore decision makers can plan their interventions according to the characteristics of the targeted segments of the population, according to lifestyle, age, sex, education, BMI and satisfaction with body weight.

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Sensory Properties, and Emotions Induced for the Consumers of Nutraceutical Beverages Developed from Technological Functionalised Food Industry By-Products.

Abstract: This study aims to develop nutraceutical beverages containing food processing by-products in their formulation, and determine the opinion of consumers. This is done by testing whether they know that the main ingredients of the product are by-products, performing an overall acceptability test of the developed beverages, and evaluating the emotions induced by the newly developed beverages for consumers. The main ingredients used for the preparation of added-value beverages were fermented milk permeate (containing galactooligosaccharides), extruded and fermented wheat bran (WB) (containing ≥6.0 log10 CFU g−1 viable antimicrobial properties showing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains), and different fruit/berry by-products (FBB) (as a source of compounds showing antioxidant properties). The definition of the quantities of bioactive ingredients was based on the overall acceptability of the prepared beverages, as well as on emotions induced in consumers by the tested beverages. Functional properties of the developed beverages were proofed by the evaluation of their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, as well as viable LAB count during storage. Desirable changes in extruded and fermented WB were obtained: Fermentation reduced sugar concentration and pH in samples with predominant lactic acid isomer L(+). In addition, the viable LAB count in the substrate was higher than 6.0 log10 CFU g−1, and no enterobacteria remained. By comparing the overall acceptability of the beverages enriched with WB, the highest overall acceptability was shown for the samples prepared with 10 g of the extruded and fermented WB (7.9 points). FBB showed desirable antimicrobial activity: Shepherd inhibited—2, sea buckthorn—3, blueberries—5, and raspberries—7 pathogens from the 10 tested. Comparing different beverage groups prepared with different types of FBB, in most cases (except sea buckthorn), by increasing FBB content the beverages overall acceptability was increased, and the highest score (on average, 9.5 points) was obtained for the samples prepared with 5.0 and 7.5 g of blueberries FBB. Moreover, a very strong positive correlation (r = 0.8525) was found between overall acceptability and emotion “happy” induced in consumers by the prepared beverages enriched with extruded and fermented WB and FBB. By comparing the samples prepared with the addition of WB with samples prepared with WB and FBB, it was observed that most FBB increased total phenolic compounds (TPC) content (on average, by 9.0%), except in the case of samples prepared with sea buckthorn. A very high positive correlation (r = 0.9919) was established between TPC and antioxidant activity. Finally, it can be stated that the newly developed nutraceutical beverages were acceptable for consumers, induced positive emotions, and possessed desirable antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, while being prepared in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.

Evaluation of Phenolic Compounds, Antioxidant Activity and Bioaccessibility in Physalis Peruviana L.

Abstract: This work evaluated phenolic compounds in Physalis peruviana as well as their antioxidant activity and bioaccessibility, using an in vitro model of the gastrointestinal system. Three combinations o...

Study of the drying kinetics and calculation of mass transfer properties in hot air drying of Cynara cardunculus

Abstract: Abstract In the present work, mass transfer properties of thistle flower (Cynara cardunculus L.) were evaluated for the convective drying carried out at temperatures between 35 and 65°C, with an air flow of 0.5 m/s. The calculations followed two different algorithms, based on mathematical models derived from the thin layer drying equation and Fick’s second law of diffusion. The results obtained indicated that different methodologies resulted in different values of mass transfer properties, which is an alert that care must be taken when choosing which calculation method might be more appropriate in a specific practical application. In all cases, the values of moisture diffusion and mass transfer coefficient were found to increase with increasing operating temperature. The values of diffusivity increased from 2.7866 × 10−9 to 1.4027 × 10−8 m2/s for the thin layer model-based algorithm and from 1.9256 × 10−10 to 1.2033 × 10−9 m2/s for Fick’s equation model. The values of the mass transfer coefficient increased from 8.4335 × 10−8 to 8.4400 × 10−7 m/s and from 5.8277 × 10−9 to 7.2398 × 10−8 m/s, respectively, for the thin layer and Fick’s law-based models.

Plant-based proteinaceous snacks: Effect of fermentation and ultrasonication on end-product characteristics.

Abstract: The study aimed at the development of a sufficient technology to improve sensory, textural, physical, and microbiological properties of peas snacks (Ps) using solid-state fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation (SMF) with two different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains (Lactobacillus casei LUHS210 and Lactobacillus uvarum LUHS245) for 24 hr and ultrasonication (10, 20, and 30 min). To ensure safety of the used technologies, microbiological characteristics and biogenic amines (BAs) content in treated Ps were analyzed. Additionally, a different salt content (3.6 and 1.0 g/100 g) was used for snacks preparation. The obtained results revealed that used treatments reduced enterobacteria in Ps, while in fermented Ps, yeast/moulds were not found. Ps with the lower salt content were more acidic and harder (0.90 mJ), and there was a significant effect (p < .05) due to the fermentation method, LAB strains, and ultrasonication on the texture of final product. Different salt content significantly affected the color coordinates of the Ps tested (p < .05). The predominant biogenic amines in Ps were phenylethylamine and spermidine. However, the reduction of some BAs after samples fermentation was observed. To conclude, acceptable formulations of Ps can be obtained with 1.0 g/100 g salt, and by using fermentation, as the end-product is more attractive to consumers than those prepared with 3.6 g/100 g salt and using ultrasonication.

Energetic and exergetic analysis of a convective drier: A case study of potato drying process

Abstract: Abstract This research work focused on the evaluation of energy and exergy in the convective drying of potato slices. Experiments were conducted at four air temperatures (40, 50, 60 and 70°C) and three air velocities (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s) in a convective dryer, with circulating heated air. Freshly harvested potatoes with initial moisture content (MC) of 79.9% wet basis were used in this research. The influence of temperature and air velocity was investigated in terms of energy and exergy (energy utilization [EU], energy utilization ratio [EUR], exergy losses and exergy efficiency). The calculations for energy and exergy were based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Results indicated that EU, EUR and exergy losses decreased along drying time, while exergy efficiency increased. The specific energy consumption (SEC) varied from 1.94 × 105 to 3.14 × 105 kJ/kg. The exergy loss varied in the range of 0.006 to 0.036 kJ/s and the maximum exergy efficiency obtained was 85.85% at 70°C and 0.5 m/s, while minimum exergy efficiency was 57.07% at 40°C and 1.5 m/s. Moreover, the values of exergetic improvement potential (IP) rate changed between 0.0016 and 0.0046 kJ/s and the highest value occurred for drying at 70°C and 1.5 m/s, whereas the lowest value was for 70°C and 0.5 m/s. As a result, this knowledge will allow the optimization of convective dryers, when operating for the drying of this food product or others, as well as choosing the most appropriate operating conditions that cause the reduction of energy consumption, irreversibilities and losses in the industrial convective drying processes.

Environmental and Political Determinants of Food Choices: A Preliminary Study in a Croatian Sample

Abstract: Production, processing, transporting, selling, and consumption of food are highly resource intensive. Therefore, if they are not well managed the consequences for the environment are far-reaching. This study aimed at investigating behaviors and attitudes of the Croatian population concerning the influence of environmental and political determinants of food choices, and the socio-demographic factors associated with pro-environmental behavior. Data analysis involved a non-probabilistic sample of 1534 adult participants from Croatia who responded to a validated questionnaire from November 2017 to March 2018. To test differences between sociodemographic groups, Welch’s t-test (two groups) and ANOVA (multiple groups) were used. The relationship between age and motivators of food choices was analyzed with Pearson’s r correlation coefficient. Participants reported a neutral rate of agreement with the items, with the exception of items related to food waste and food origin, for which they expressed a moderate amount of agreement. Socio-demographic factors that influence environmentally or politically concerned food choices in our study were age (older participants, p < 0.001), gender (women in comparison to men, p < 0.05), education level (higher education in comparison to elementary/high school, p < 0.05), marital status (married/cohabiting in comparison to unmarried, p < 0.05), responsibility for food supply (those who are responsible for food supply in comparison to those who are not responsible for food supply, p < 0.05), eating practices (participants with specific eating practices in comparison to participants without specific eating practices, p < 0.05), and smoking (those who have never smoked score and those who used to smoke in comparison to active smokers, p < 0.05). The results show that there are no statistically significant differences in environmental and political determinants of food choices based on the place of residence and employment status. The findings indicate that environmental and political determinants do not play a significant role in the food choices among the Croatian population.

Evaluation of consumer habits and knowledge about dietary fibre and fibre-rich products in Turkish population

Abstract: Abstract This study investigated the Turkish consumers’ knowledge about dietary fibres and purchasing behaviours about fibre rich foods and also their attitudes towards food labelling with specific emphasis on dietary fibre. The survey consisted of a longitudinal study undertaken on a sample of 293 participants. For the analysis of the data, basic descriptive statistics was used, complemented with statistical tests (U-Mann Whitney [UMW] for comparisons between two groups and Kruskal–Wallis [KW] test for comparisons between three or more groups). Finally, a tree classification analysis was done to evaluate the relative importance of each of the possible influential variables on knowledge: age group, level of education, gender or living environment. The results revealed that both the level of knowledge about dietary fibre and foods and also the level of knowledge about dietary fibre and health effects were considered high for the general population. The classification analysis revealed that gender was the major discriminant for knowledge about dietary fibre and foods, while the most important discriminant for knowledge about dietary fibre and health effects was age. The importance of this study resided in the highlight of the pivotal factors that influence people’s knowledge about dietary fibre sources and the health benefits of its ingestion.

Cluster analysis to the factors related to information about food fibers: A multinational study

Abstract: Abstract The adequate intake of dietary fibers is essential to human health. Hence, this study intended to evaluate the level knowledge of about food fibers and investigate what factors might be associated with it. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample composed of 6,010 participants from ten different countries. The survey was based on a questionnaire of self-response, approved and complying with all ethical issues. The data collected were subjected to the factor analysis (FA) and the cluster analysis (CA). Validation was done by splitting the data set into two equal parts for confirmation of the results. FA concluded that ten from the 12 variables used to measure the knowledge about dietary fibre (DF) should be grouped into two dimensions or factors: one linked to health effects of DF (α = 0.854) and the other to its sources (α = 0.644). CA showed that the participants could be divided into three groups: Cluster 1 – good knowledge both about sources and health effects of DF; Cluster 2 – good knowledge about the sources of DF but poor knowledge about its health effects; Cluster 3 – poor knowledge both about sources and health effects of DF. The data were appropriate for the analysis by means of factor and CA, so that two factors and three clusters were clearly identified. Moreover, the cluster membership was found varying mostly according to the country, living environment, and level of education but not according to age or gender.

Evaluation of texture in jelly gums incorporating berries and aromatic plants

Abstract: Abstract In the confectionery market, jelly gums are one of the most relevant sectors, being frequently consumed by many people, from children to adults. The present work intended to evaluate the textural properties in newly developed jelly gums made with berry fruits and herbs, given the critical role of texture in products with a gel-like structure. Four types of gums were developed (Strawberry & Anise, Strawberry & Mint, Raspberry & Mint, Blueberry & Mint) and their texture was evaluated through two types of tests (compression with a 75 mm probe and puncture with a 2 mm probe) allowing to calculate several textural properties. The results showed some differences between the two faces of the jelly gums analysed, i.e. on the top and on the bottom. As for the compression test, the Strawberry & Anise gums were among the softer (25.6 N) and with lower resilience (36.3%) and chewiness (16.9 N), despite being more adhesive (−0.5 N s). As for the puncture test, the sample Strawberry & Mint had the highest adhesiveness (−2.0 N s) but the lowest stickiness (−0.38 N). Additionally, very strong correlations were encountered between some of the properties studied (r = 0.861 or r = 0.822), and the factor analysis allowed defining three factors, the first clearly associated with the puncture properties while the other two were related to the compression properties. This work allowed concluding that the jelly gums presented different textural properties, particularly when assessed through different types of measurements. Hence, the use of different types of tests for texture analysis is recommended, since the results are complementary. This is relevant when developing food products intended for industrial production and commercialization.

Textural Properties of Newly Developed Cookies Incorporating Whey Residue

Abstract: Cookies vary considerably in composition, shapes, flavours or textures, being much appreciated by consumers, and providing easy ways of supplying nutrients and energy, besides bioactive components....

Hazelnut: A Valuable Resource

Abstract: Hazel (Corylus avellana L.) nutshell is one of the most consumed and most appreciated nut fruit all over the world. It is believed to have constituted a basic food in early prehistory, in temperate zones of the globe, such as for example Europe. Presently the hazelnut production is mainly concentrated on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, but other countries are also important producers, like for example Portugal, situated on the western Europe, in the Iberian Peninsula. The objective of this work is to make a review about the worldwide importance of hazelnut, their usages, including gastronomic and industrial applications, as well as some ways that allow adding value to this fruit, making it an even more valuable resource. The advantages include higher income for produces, lower environmental impacts and valorisation of residues improving sustainability and providing valuable products for consumers and/or ingredients to incorporate into those

Contribution of fruit, vegetables, whole cereals, and legumes to total fibre intake in adult Croatian Dalmatian population.

Abstract: There is compelling evidence that fruit, vegetables, whole cereals, and legumes make about 80 % of the total food fibre intake and have a potential to help in the prevention of a number of diseases The aim of our study was to estimate total fibre intake from consumption of this fibre-rich food, partly reported in our earlier study in Croatian adult population Current data analysis involved a non-probabilistic sample of 1,034 adult participants from Dalmatia, Croatia who responded to a validated food frequency questionnaire between October 2014 and March 2015 We also analysed the sales data obtained from three shopping centres in the Zadar area (Croatian coast) to establish a list of most frequently bought fruit, vegetables, whole cereals, and legumes and to calculate dietary fibre (DF) intake for each of the top-selling items and conversion factors for each food group We then used these conversion factors to calculate individual total fibre intake (TFI) in our population It was 114 g per person per day, which is less than half the recommended dietary requirements On average, respondents reported to consume one piece of fruit and one meal of vegetables a day, which is less than half the daily recommendation for either 258 % of respondents reported no consumption of whole cereals at all, and only 02 % of the population consumed the recommended 3-5 servings of whole grains or legumes a day We also observed significantly higher consumption of fruit and whole grains/legumes in women than men Our findings alert to poor dietary fibre intake in Croatian adult population, which is similar to other western countries and points to issues deeply rooted in these economies However, our findings may be either an over- or under-estimation and need to be verified through longitudinal research on a wider sample using more precise tools

Consumption of fibre rich foods: comparative study in different countries

Abstract: Foods such as fruit, vegetables, and cereals, and particularly whole grain, are rich in dietary fibre and have been proved to have multiple beneficial effects for the human health. The present research was designed to assess some eating practices related to fibre-rich foods in different countries, namely Argentina, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, and Romania. A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken on a sample of 4905 adult participants, obeying all ethical guidelines for this type of research. Regarding the data treatment, basic statistics was complemented with the tree classification analysis. Generally, the results show a low consumption of salads and vegetables, i.e., up to 11 servings/week (for 78.2% of participants), with Croatia in the lead (86.6%). Regarding fruit, a great majority of data also indicated low consumption (92.3%), most especially for Latvia (98.3%). The level of consumption of whole cereals was also low (72.6%), particularly for Latvia (90.0%). The tree classification analysis showed that while the first discriminant variable for the consumption of salads and vegetables was country, followed by education, for the consumption of fruit, it was country and then sex, and finally, for the consumption of whole cereals, it was sex and followed by country. The results allowed the conclusion that the consumption of foods rich in dietary fibre was very low for these countries, highlighting the necessity to implement strategies that incentivise the consumption of such foods, which are very important for a healthy diet.

Romanian population perception about food risk behavior starting from their social and cultural profile.

Abstract: Our goal was to assess the Romanian’s food behavior according to their socio-cultural profile, in order to identify food behavior at risk and implement educational prevention methods. We performed a study based on the assessment of lifestyle and social aspects, based on an international project validated questionnaire of 26 questions, applied online in 2018 to a group of 821 adults, in Romania. The results underlined that socio-economic status was a contributing factor in food choices, people with low socio-economic status opted for low-price food, especially the elderly (40%). Regarding the preference for eating alone related to gender, both the female respondents (37.8%) and the males (50.6%) mostly disagreed, with statistical significance for males (p<0.022), also males were more influenced about what other people are eating (p<0.045). It is needed to implement new educational strategies, both in schools and adults communities, in order to reduce the risks for future chronic diseases.

Whey-Bread, an Improved Food Product: Evaluation of Textural Characteristics

Abstract: The diversity in bread all around the world is enormous and enriched breads are a trend to follow in the next years. The aim of this work was to develop new breads incorporating whey residu...

Post-harvest characterization of the hazelnut sector

Abstract: Introduction: Hazelnut is one of the most consumed nuts in the world, and its consumption is associated with numerous health benefits. Objectives: This study aimed to analyse the post-harvest practices in the hazelnut sector in a sample of Portuguese producers living in the Viseu district and also in the unique Portuguese industry in this sector. Methods: It was undertaken a descriptive cross-sectional study on a sample consisting of 11 participants (10 hazelnut producers and one hazelnut industry in Portugal). The surveys were applied by personal interview after informed consent only to adults (aged 18 or over). Results: The results obtained showed that 80.0% had their hazelnut plantation in the form of an orchard, with areas under 10 hectares, and in most cases aged 20 years or more. The main varieties used by the producers were Grada de Viseu and Segorbe. For the industry, the main varieties were Grada de Viseu, Ennis and Tonda de Giffoni. For the majority of participants (87.5%), the harvest was done manually, with the fruits being stored in warehouses at room temperature and without relative humidity control. In the case of industry, hazelnut kernels were stored at a controlled temperature (0-10 ⁰C) and with relative humidity control (<70%). The material used for transport/sale was different for industry and producers. Conclusions: This study clarified the post-harvest practices, as well as some of the difficulties experienced by hazelnut producers in Portugal.