Showing papers on "Beverage industry published in 2019"

Applications of chitosan in food, pharmaceuticals, medicine, cosmetics, agriculture, textiles, pulp and paper, biotechnology, and environmental chemistry

Abstract: Chitosan is a biopolymer obtained from chitin, one of the most abundant and renewable materials on Earth Chitin is a primary component of cell walls in fungi, the exoskeletons of arthropods such as crustaceans, eg, crabs, lobsters and shrimps, and insects, the radulae of molluscs, cephalopod beaks, and the scales of fish and lissamphibians The discovery of chitin in 1811 is attributed to Henri Braconnot while the history of chitosan dates back to 1859 with the work of Charles Rouget The name of chitosan was, however, introduced in 1894 by Felix Hoppe-Seyler Chitosan has attracted major scientific and industrial interests from the late 1970s due to its particular macromolecular structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability and other intrinsic functional properties Chitosan and derivatives have practical applications in the food industry, agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, cosmetology, textile and paper industries, and in chemistry In recent years, chitosan has also received much attention in dentistry, ophthalmology, biomedicine and bioimaging, hygiene and personal care, veterinary medicine, packaging industry, agrochemistry, aquaculture, functional textiles and cosmetotextiles, catalysis, chromatography, beverage industry, photography, wastewater treatment and sludge dewatering, and biotechnology Nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals are actually growing markets, and therapeutic and biomedical products should be the next markets in the development of chitosan Chitosan is also the object of numerous fundamental studies In this review, we highlight a selection of works on chitosan applications published over the past two decades

Physiology of Acetic Acid Bacteria and Their Role in Vinegar and Fermented Beverages.

Abstract: Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have, for centuries, been important microorganisms in the production of fermented foods and beverages such as vinegar, kombucha, (water) kefir, and lambic beer. Their unique form of metabolism, known as "oxidative" fermentation, mediates the transformation of a variety of substrates into products, which are of importance in the food and beverage industry and beyond; the most well-known of which is the oxidation of ethanol into acetic acid. Here, a comprehensive review of the physiology of AAB is presented, with particular emphasis on their importance in the production of vinegar and fermented beverages. In addition, particular reference is addressed toward Gluconobacter oxydans due to its biotechnological applications, such as its role in vitamin C production. The production of vinegar and fermented beverages in which AAB play an important role is discussed, followed by an examination of the literature relating to the health benefits associated with consumption of these products. AAB hold great promise for future exploitation, both due to increased consumer demand for traditional fermented beverages such as kombucha, and for the development of new types of products. Further studies on the health benefits related to the consumption of these fermented products and guidelines on assessing the safety of AAB for use as microbial food cultures (starter cultures) are, however, necessary in order to take full advantage of this important group of microorganisms.

Nanoedible films for food packaging: a review

Abstract: Edible packaging is a thin layer formed on food surface, which can be eaten as an integral part of the food product. While an edible coating is formed as thin layer directly on the food surface for improving shelf life of fruits and vegetables, the edible film is formed as thin layer separately and wrapped on food surface later. The edible films have attracted much interest as it has potential to overcome the problems associated with plastic packaging. However, their film properties are not as good as the conventional packaging materials, such as plastics. The food and beverage industry is showing much interest to incorporate the benefits of nanotechnology. The nanomaterials have unique characteristics (such as, large surface area-to-volume ratio, distinct optical behaviour and high mechanical strength), which, when incorporated with the edible films, could improve the film properties of the edible films. Therefore, the right selection and incorporation of nanomaterials can improve the film properties. Most of the previous review articles on food packaging summarized the research findings of synthetic and/or biodegradable films and coatings. Only few review articles were devoted for edible films and coatings. Among them, very few review articles had discussion about the use of nanotechnology for all kinds of food packaging applications. However, there is no comprehensive review on nanoedible films. The objective of this review article is to cover the recent works on nanoedible films prepared incorporating the nanofillers (such as, nanostarch, nanocellulose, nanochitosan/nanochitin, nanoproteins and nanolipids), the film properties (such as, the mechanical properties, WVP and film colour of some of the recent nanoedible films), and the challenges and opportunities for future research.

Simultaneous production of biomethane and food grade CO2 from biogas: an industrial case study

Abstract: This work presents a case study on the first large-scale industrial biogas upgrading process with simultaneous purification of methane and CO2 in one of Europe's largest biogas production and purification plants in Northern Italy. A preliminary study was performed on a pilot plant, constructed as a model of the industrial plant where the final experiments were performed. The full-scale anaerobic digestion plant has a digestive capacity of 400 000 tonnes of biomass per year and it can treat 6250 m3 h−1 of biogas. The first objective was a biogas upgrading process that achieves distribution grid-quality methane via different purification steps. The second objective and most innovative aspect is the further purification of CO2 from a useless waste product to a high purity gas for the food and beverage industry. The chemical purity of different process streams was analysed by a certified laboratory and was compared with the guidelines of the European Industrial Gas Association and International Society of Beverage Technologists (EIGA/ISBT) for CO2 used in the food industry. The microbiological purity was found to be far below the limit values defined in the European Collaborative Action. With a purity of 96.3 vol%, methane respects the purity requirement for the household network. With a purity of 98.1 vol% before, and 99.9 vol% after the final distillation process, CO2 proves to be chemically and microbiologically suitable for food applications, thus closing the CO2 loop in biogas production. An evaluation of the economic and energetic aspects and a comparison with alternative purification processes highlights the profitability of the process.

Fundamentals and Applications of Chitosan

Abstract: Chitosan is a biopolymer obtained from chitin, one of the most abundant and renewable material on Earth. Chitin is a primary component of cell walls in fungi, the exoskeletons of arthropods, such as crustaceans, e.g. crabs, lobsters and shrimps, and insects, the radulae of molluscs, cephalopod beaks, and the scales of fish and lissamphibians. The discovery of chitin in 1811 is attributed to Henri Braconnot while the history of chitosan dates back to 1859 with the work of Charles Rouget. The name of chitosan was, however, introduced in 1894 by Felix Hoppe-Seyler. Because of its particular macromolecular structure, biocompatibility, biodegradability and other intrinsic functional properties, chitosan has attracted major scientific and industrial interests from the late 1970s. Chitosan and its derivatives have practical applications in food industry, agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, cosmetology, textile and paper industries, and chemistry. In the last two decades, chitosan has also received much attention in numerous other fields such as dentistry, ophthalmology, biomedicine and bio-imaging, hygiene and personal care, veterinary medicine, packaging industry, agrochemistry, aquaculture, functional textiles and cosmetotextiles, catalysis, chromatography, beverage industry, photography, wastewater treatment and sludge dewatering, and biotechnology. Nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals are actually growing markets, and therapeutic and biomedical products should be the next markets in the development of chitosan. Chitosan is also the object of numerous fundamental studies. An indication of the widespread exploitation and constantly growing importance of this biopolymer is the total of over 58,625 scientific articles published between 2000 and 2017. In this chapter, after a description of chitosan fundamentals, we highlight selected works on chitosan applications published over the last two decades.

A review on coffee leaves: Phytochemicals, bioactivities and applications

Abstract: Coffee leaves have a long history for use as ethnomedicine and tea beverage by locals from countries where coffee plants grow. Recently, attentions have been paid to their health benefits to human beings because of abundant bioactive components in coffee leaves. However, the researches related to the bioactivities, applications, and the impacts of processing methods on the phytochemical composition and activities of coffee leaves are scarce. The reviews specific to coffee leaves in these aspects are rare too. Due to the growing interests to coffee leaves, in this review, the chemical compositions in coffee leaves and the influence of environmental conditions and processing methods on them were summarized. Furthermore, various applications of coffee leaves, including ethnomedicine, coffee leaf tea, therapeutic agent, packaging material, tobacco substitute, organic fungicide, personal hygienic products, and animal feed et al. were presented. The future prospects of coffee leaves are also discussed. In conclusion, coffee leaf is a very promising resource in the areas of food and industry, especially, in the beverage industry. The researches in understanding impacts of the processing methods on the phytochemicals, enzymes, bioactivities, and flavor of coffee leaves are highly needed.

Automated Visual Inspection of Glass Bottle Bottom With Saliency Detection and Template Matching

Abstract: Glass bottles are widely used as containers in the food and beverage industry, especially for beer and carbonated beverages. As the key part of a glass bottle, the bottle bottom and its quality are closely related to product safety. Therefore, the bottle bottom must be inspected before the bottle is used for packaging. In this paper, an apparatus based on machine vision is designed for real-time bottle bottom inspection, and a framework for the defect detection mainly using saliency detection and template matching is presented. Following a brief description of the apparatus, our emphasis is on the image analysis. First, we locate the bottom by combining Hough circle detection with the size prior, and we divide the region of interest into three measurement regions: central panel region, annular panel region, and annular texture region. Then, a saliency detection method is proposed for finding defective areas inside the central panel region. A multiscale filtering method is adopted to search for defects in the annular panel region. For the annular texture region, we combine template matching with multiscale filtering to detect defects. Finally, the defect detection results of the three measurement regions are fused to distinguish the quality of the tested bottle bottom. The proposed defect detection framework is evaluated on bottle bottom images acquired by our designed apparatus. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed methods achieve the best performance in comparison with many conventional methods.

Emerging technologies based on artificial intelligence to assess the quality and consumer preference of beverages

Abstract: Beverages is a broad and important category within the food industry, which is comprised of a wide range of sub-categories and types of drinks with different levels of complexity for their manufacturing and quality assessment. Traditional methods to evaluate the quality traits of beverages consist of tedious, time-consuming, and costly techniques, which do not allow researchers to procure results in real-time. Therefore, there is a need to test and implement emerging technologies in order to automate and facilitate those analyses within this industry. This paper aimed to present the most recent publications and trends regarding the use of low-cost, reliable, and accurate, remote or non-contact techniques using robotics, machine learning, computer vision, biometrics and the application of artificial intelligence, as well as to identify the research gaps within the beverage industry. It was found that there is a wide opportunity in the development and use of robotics and biometrics for all types of beverages, but especially for hot and non-alcoholic drinks. Furthermore, there is a lack of knowledge and clarity within the industry, and research about the concepts of artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as that concerning the correct design and interpretation of modeling related to the lack of inclusion of relevant data, additional to presenting over- or under-fitted models.

The impact of corporate social responsibility on firms’ financial performance, evidence from the food and beverage industry

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firms’ financial performance (FP) in the food and beverage (FB on the other side, environmental outcomes show insignificant or non-positive effects depending on different measurements of FP.,Despite the mixed set of results between CSR and a firm’s performance in the literature, this research provides a new framework in which the impact of CSR on FP is analysed through the effectiveness of CSR governance on CSR outcomes (social and environmental). Moreover, this study contributes to the CSR literature understanding the impact of both environment and social concerns by companies on firm’s FP in F&B context.

Stakeholder engagement toward value co-creation in the F&B packaging industry

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore how a food and beverage packaging company manages internal and external stakeholders to achieve sustainable innovation outcomes, as well as to contribute to the spread of sustainability paths along the supply chain, on which it operates.,A case study approach was chosen and applied multiple methods of semi-structured interviews and a documentation review.,Results reveal a structured stakeholder relationship management, according to which the packaging company acts through a stakeholder engagement process to both acquire and share new knowledge to address stakeholder pressure. Co-creation models result in a winning strategy to exploit knowledge, above all in a supply chain context, where actors should act as a part of a strictly interlinked system, involving external stakeholders (also suppliers) and internal stakeholders in joint eco-innovation projects. The case study shows the potential strategic role of a packaging company in affecting relevant actors of the supply chain through the promotion of a sustainability culture.,The first limitation is linked to the chosen case study approach, which does not allow for results to be generalized. Future works could arrange panel data analysis to investigate in depth the behavior of several packaging companies regarding stakeholder relationship management.,Managerial implications mainly underline that, to fully address market stakeholder pressure, managers should recognize the relevance of acquiring and sharing new knowledge from external sources, without underestimating the need to integrate it with internal stakeholders (employees) for its exploitation.,The present work is original for the food and beverage industry, with specific attention on the packaging sector, which, until today, has been widely investigated regarding food and waste loss reduction strategies, but less often from the perspective of stakeholder relationship management in addressing sustainability.

Cost-Effectiveness of a US National Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax With a Multistakeholder Approach: Who Pays and Who Benefits.

Abstract: Objectives. To estimate the health impact and cost-effectiveness of a national penny-per-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax, overall and with stratified costs and benefits for 9 distinct stakeholder groups.Methods. We used a validated microsimulation model (CVD PREDICT) to estimate cardiovascular disease reductions, quality-adjusted life years gained, and cost-effectiveness for US adults aged 35 to 85 years, evaluating full and partial consumer price pass-through.Results. From health care and societal perspectives, the SSB tax was highly cost-saving. When we evaluated health gains, taxes paid, and out-of-pocket health care savings for 6 distinct consumer categories, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ranged from $20 247 to $42 662 per quality-adjusted life year for 100% price pass-through (incremental cost-effectiveness ratios similar with 50% pass-through). For the beverage industry, net costs were $0.92 billion with 100% pass-through (largely tax-implementation costs) and $49.75 billion with 50...

Opinion Mining on Social Media Data: Sentiment Analysis of User Preferences

Abstract: Any brand’s presence on social networks has a significant impact on emotional reactions of its users to different types of posts on social media (SM). If a company understands the preferred types of posts (photo or video) of its customers, based on their reactions, it could make use of these preferences in designing its future communication strategy. The study examines how the use of SM technology and customer-centric management systems could contribute to sustainable business development of companies by means of social customer relationship management (sCRM). The two companies included in the study provide a general consumer good in the beverage industry. As such, it may be said that users interacting with the posts these companies make on their official channels are in fact customers or potential customers. The study aims to analyze customer reaction to two types of posts (photos or videos) on six social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and Youtube. It brings evidence on the differences and similarities between the SM customer behaviors of two highly competitive brands in the beverage industry. Drawing on current literature on SM, sCRM and marketing, the output of this study is the conceptualization and measurement of a brand’s SM ability to understand customer preferences for different types of posts by using various statistical tools and the sentiment analysis (SA) technique applied to big sets of data.

Lobbying against sugar taxation in the European Union: Analysing the lobbying arguments and tactics of stakeholders in the food and drink industries:

Abstract: Aims: This study investigates the lobbying actors of the food and drink industry (FDI), their web lobbying arguments used in the sugar taxation debate and the tactics deployed when facing legislative restrictions on their products to curb the burden of non-communicable diseases in Europe Methods: A stakeholder analysis was performed to identify the FDI's actors lobbying against sugar taxation within the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health during December 2015 Qualitative content analysis was applied to assess the FDI's web lobbying claims related to three main concepts (sugar as a product, sugar's association with non-communicable diseases and sugar taxation), guided by a framework for corporate political activity Results: The web site content of a front organization and six FDI lobbyists was analysed Some new strategies emerged alongside known corporate strategies ('questioning the effectiveness of regulation and promoting benefits of a withdrawal', 'promoting sugar's good traits and shift the blame away from it' and 'establishing relationships with trade unions') The lobby tactics were similar to those previously applied by the tobacco industry in Europe, although the argument that sugar is a natural ingredient in many foods was unique to the FDI Conclusions: The observed tactics and arguments presented by the FDI in opposition to sugar taxation have striking similarities with those previously used by the tobacco industry An improved understanding of the stakeholders' mandate and resources and their most important tactics will strengthen the position of public health experts when debating sugar taxation with the FDI, which may contribute to improving population health

Support for, and perceived effectiveness of, the UK soft drinks industry levy among UK adults: Cross-sectional analysis of the International Food Policy Study

Abstract: Objectives To answer four questions: What are attitudes, knowledge and social norms around sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs)? What are current levels of trust in messages on SSBs? What is current support for, and perceived effectiveness of, the UK soft drinks industry levy (SDIL)? What is the association between attitudes, knowledge, social norms, trust, SSB consumption and sociodemographic factors; and support for, and perceived effectiveness of, the SDIL? Design Cross-sectional online survey. Setting UK. Participants UK respondents to the 2017 International Food Policy Study aged 18-64 years who provided information on all variables of interest (n=3104). Outcome measures Self-reported perceived effectiveness of, and support for, the SDIL. Results Most participants supported the SDIL (70%), believed it would be effective (71%), had a positive attitude to SSBs (62%), had knowledge of the link between SSBs and obesity (90%), and trusted messages from health experts (61%), but not those from the food and beverage industry (73%). Nearly half (46%) had negative social norms about drinking SSBs. In adjusted models, older age, non-consumption of SSBs, social norms to not drinks SSBs, knowledge of the link between SSBs and obesity and trust in health expert messages were associated with greater support for the SDIL, whereas having dependent children and trusting messages from the food and beverage industry were associated with less support. In adjusted models, older age was associated with lower perceived effectiveness of the SDIL, whereas social norms to not drink SSBs, negative attitudes to SSBs and trusting messages from health experts and the food and beverage industry were associated with greater perceived effectiveness. Conclusions There was strong support for the SDIL and belief that it would be effective. Those with more 'public health' orientated norms and trust were generally more likely to support the SDIL or believe that it would be effective.

Grown to be Blue—Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Colored Vegetables. Part I: Root Vegetables

Abstract: During the last few decades, the food and beverage industry faced increasing demand for the design of new functional food products free of synthetic compounds and artificial additives. Anthocyanins are widely used as natural colorants in various food products to replenish blue color losses during processing and to add blue color to colorless products, while other compounds such as carotenoids and betalains are considered as good sources of other shades. Root vegetables are well known for their broad palette of colors, and some species, such as black carrot and beet root, are already widely used as sources of natural colorants in the food and drug industry. Ongoing research aims at identifying alternative vegetable sources with diverse functional and structural features imparting beneficial effects onto human health. The current review provides a systematic description of colored root vegetables based on their belowground edible parts, and it highlights species and/or cultivars that present atypical colors, especially those containing pigment compounds responsible for hues of blue color. Finally, the main health effects and antioxidant properties associated with the presence of coloring compounds are presented, as well as the effects that processing treatments may have on chemical composition and coloring compounds in particular.

Influence of Transformational and Transactional Leadership Style toward Food Safety Management System ISO 22000:2018 Performance of Food Industry in Pati Central Java

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of transformational and transactional leadership styles to the performance of the implementation of a food safety management system ISO 22000: 2018 at PT. SPN a food packaging beverage industry located in Pati Central Java. The study population are employees at PT. SPN as many as 88 people and data collection methods by giving a census questionnaire to all employees. The analysis tool this study uses SEM (Structural Equation Model) the LISREL program version 8.70. The results show that the transformational leadership style have positive and significant affected to the performance of implementation ISO 22000: 2018 and the transactional leadership style also have significant and positive affected the performance of implementation of the food safety management system ISO 22000:2018.

Corporations' use and misuse of evidence to influence health policy: A case study of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation

Abstract: Sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) are a major source of sugar in the diet. Although trends in consumption vary across regions, in many countries, particularly LMICs, their consumption continues to increase. In response, a growing number of governments have introduced a tax on SSBs. SSB manufacturers have opposed such taxes, disputing the role that SSBs play in diet-related diseases and the effectiveness of SSB taxation, and alleging major economic impacts. Given the importance of evidence to effective regulation of products harmful to human health, we scrutinised industry submissions to the South African government’s consultation on a proposed SSB tax and examined their use of evidence. Corporate submissions were underpinned by several strategies involving the misrepresentation of evidence. First, references were used in a misleading way, providing false support for key claims. Second, raw data, which represented a pliable, alternative evidence base to peer reviewed studies, was misused to dispute both the premise of targeting sugar for special attention and the impact of SSB taxes on SSB consumption. Third, purposively selected evidence was used in conjunction with other techniques, such as selective quoting from studies and omitting important qualifying information, to promote an alternative evidential narrative to that supported by the weight of peer-reviewed research. Fourth, a range of mutually enforcing techniques that inflated the effects of SSB taxation on jobs, public revenue generation, and gross domestic product, was used to exaggerate the economic impact of the tax. This “hyperbolic accounting” included rounding up figures in original sources, double counting, and skipping steps in economic modelling. Our research raises fundamental questions concerning the bona fides of industry information in the context of government efforts to combat diet-related diseases. The beverage industry’s claims against SSB taxation rest on a complex interplay of techniques, that appear to be grounded in evidence, but which do not observe widely accepted approaches to the use of either scientific or economic evidence. These techniques are similar, but not identical, to those used by tobacco companies and highlight the problems of introducing evidence-based policies aimed at managing the market environment for unhealthful commodities.

Pectinases: Production and Applications for Fruit Juice Beverages

Abstract: Beverage industry for its fruit juice products and fruit softening has been using cell wall degrading enzymes such as pectinases, cellulases, and proteases. The pectin in the middle lamella of plant tissues is enzymatically degraded by protopectinase, pectin methylesterase, pectin lyase, and polygalacturonase to completely hydrolyze the galacturonan polymer to its constituent galacturonic acid. This improves the yield and clarification of various fruit juices. The acidic pectinases are used extensively in fruit juice manufacturing individually or synergistically with cellulases and proteases. Various microbial—fungal and bacterial—sources have been employed for production of pectinases using solid state as well as submerged fermentation. The purified or partially purified polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase have been employed for clarification of various fruit juices in solutions or by using bioreactors. Pectinases are an important biochemical tool for fruit liquefaction, pressing, clarification, and production of clear concentrated fruit juices. This chapter contemplates the pectin structure, the hydrolyzing enzymes, their sources, production, and their application in the beverage industry.

Antibacterial activity and mechanism of cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris vegetative cells in apple juice

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity and mechanism of cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid were 0.375 and 2.0 mg mL⁻¹, and the minimum bactericidal concentrations were 0.50 and 4.0 mg mL⁻¹, respectively. The apple juice ingredients had little influence on the inactivation of A. acidoterrestris. After treatment with cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid, the morphology of A. acidoterrestris cells were severely destroyed; the leakage of nucleic acids and proteins increased significantly. SDS‐PAGE investigation of bacterial proteins proved that the loss of soluble proteins was obvious as well. These results demonstrated that cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid exerted their antibacterial activity mainly by an action mode of membrane disruption. This study provides an alternative method for the control of A. acidoterrestris‐related spoilage in the fruit juice/beverage industry.

An Overview on Biogenic Amines in Wine

Abstract: Biogenic amines (BAs) are low molecular weight compounds formed from precursor amino acids, mainly by microbial decarboxylation. The presence of these compounds is important in the food and beverage industry because, in high amounts, they can lead to negative effects on consumers. In this review, we illustrate the critical aspects needed to control the formation of BAs during winemaking and their presence in the final product. Recent biotechnological approaches related to microorganisms and their ability to reduce BAs are illustrated. The current methods used for BA detection and quantification are also presented. These methods are very important to consider, as BAs can serve as markers for the quality assessment of products. The information presented here offers an overview useful for identifying specific parameters and conditions which should be controlled to minimise BA content in wine; knowledge about BAs in foods and beverages has been accumulating in recent years, not only to ensure and improve quality (since BAs have been used as an indicator of spoilage) but especially to guarantee consumer safety due to the potential toxic effects of BAs on humans.

Pulsed electric field inactivation of microorganisms: from fundamental biophysics to synergistic treatments

Abstract: The growth of antibiotic resistant microorganisms and the increasing demand for nonthermal antimicrobial treatment in the food and beverage industry motivates research into alternative inactivation methods. Pulsed electric fields (PEFs) provide an athermal method for inactivating microorganisms by creating nanometer-sized membrane pores in microorganisms, inducing cell death when the PEF duration and intensity are sufficient such that the pores cannot reseal after the PEFs through a process referred to as irreversible electroporation. While PEF inactivation has been studied for several decades, recent studies have focused on extending the technique to various liquids in the food industry and optimizing microorganism inactivation while minimizing adverse effects to the treated sample. This minireview will assess the biophysical mechanisms and theory of PEF-induced cellular interactions and summarize recent advances in applying this technology for microorganism inactivation alone and synergistically in combination with other technologies, including temperature, pressure, natural ingredients, and pharmaceuticals.

BIA-Obesity (Business Impact Assessment-Obesity and population-level nutrition): A tool and process to assess food company policies and commitments related to obesity prevention and population nutrition at the national level.

Abstract: Addressing obesity and improving the diets of populations requires a comprehensive societal response. The need for broad-based action has led to a focus on accountability of the key factors that influence food environments, including the food and beverage industry. This paper describes the Business Impact Assessment-Obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity) tool and process for benchmarking food and beverage company policies and practices related to obesity and population-level nutrition at the national level. The methods for BIA-Obesity draw largely from relevant components of the Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI), with specific assessment criteria developed for food and nonalcoholic beverage manufacturers, supermarkets, and chain restaurants, based on international recommendations and evidence of best practices related to each sector. The process for implementing the BIA-Obesity tool involves independent civil society organisations selecting the most prominent food and beverage companies in each country, engaging with the companies to understand their policies and practices, and assessing each company's policies and practices across six domains. The domains include: "corporate strategy," "product formulation," "nutrition labelling," "product and brand promotion," "product accessibility," and "relationships with other organisations." Assessment of company policies is based on their level of transparency, comprehensiveness, and specificity, with reference to best practice.

Connection or competence: Emotional labor and service quality’s impact on satisfaction and loyalty

Abstract: As a service segment, the food and beverage industry has great potential for intensive interface between the consumer and the service provider and between the service provider and the back of the house staff. Given the significance of the perception of the provision of service to the consumer, it is important to study every aspect of the interaction. With this in mind, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between emotional labor, service quality, purpose of consumption, satisfaction and customer loyalty as seen through the perceptions of the consumer.,Survey data were collected from 400 respondents using an online market research firm in the USA. This research used three independent variables (emotional labor, service quality and purpose of consumption), each with two levels in a between-subjects 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experimental design. Eight scenarios were used to represent the eight different combinations of variables to test their effects.,Two very interesting findings emerged from this study. The first was that consumers’ purpose of consumption, whether dining for leisure or business, had no significant impact on their satisfaction or loyalty, either independently or in conjunction with emotional labor or service quality. The second most interesting finding was that the interaction of service quality and emotional labor did have a significant impact on satisfaction but not loyalty.,A restaurants’ standards of service should be the same, regardless of the business or leisure demographic being served. Authenticity matters, and therefore, employers should incorporate personality evaluation into the hiring process. Perhaps, focusing more on attitude and less on skill would lead to great customer satisfaction and loyalty.,This article furthers the relatively young research stream examining the impacts of emotional labor on the consumer.

Critical analysis of microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity as a green tool for extraction of essential oils: Time to replace traditional distillation

Abstract: Background In the recent year's essential oils has found profound use in agriculture industry, food and beverage industry, flavor and fragrance industry, furniture industry and undoubtedly pharmaceutical industry and is currently an important entity for commerce and business around the globe. In this context a green extraction technology suitable for large scale extraction of essential oil with increased yield becomes the need of the hour. Scope and approach This review article is an amalgamation of all research registered in Scopus till 2018 pertaining to extraction of essential oil using microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity. The technique is a solvent free extraction method based on puncturing of oil glands and subsequent drainage of oil by the action of gravity. The article critically analyzes the factors affecting extraction performance and takes detailed note on the quality of essential oil extracted using the proposed technique and its comparison with traditional methods. A work model has been proposed and key takeaways are presented as concentrate of the researches done so far on MHG. Key findings and conclusions With the growing concerns on environmental issues and climate change it is highly important to switch to greener mode of operation for industrial sustainability. The key takeaways suggested shall serve as vital leads for researchers and act as statutory guidelines for method development and scale up. The article also intends to promote capacity building in this filed to popularize adoption of greener methods.