Bulk Food Research Articles

How to reduce household food waste during and after the COVID‐19 lockdown? Evidence from a structural model

AbstractThe COVID‐19 lockdown precipitated a fundamental shift in consumer food‐related behaviours. Owing to adherence to stay‐at‐home directives and concerns over potential exposure to the coronavirus, consumers engaged in less frequent in‐person shopping, opting for larger quantities of food purchased per trip, a trend with the potential to exacerbate food wastage patterns among bulk food purchasers. Nevertheless, recent empirical data obtained from the United Kingdom have revealed a 34% reduction in household food waste during the nationwide lockdown in April 2020. To gain deeper insights into the underlying mechanisms governing household food waste behaviours, we employ an infinite horizon dynamic stochastic model that operates on a daily cycle, focusing specifically on household food inventory management. Our analysis demonstrates that absent any improvements in food management practices, panic‐stricken consumers who stockpiled food at home during the early phase of the pandemic generated significantly higher levels of food waste. Conversely, consumers who embraced effective food management techniques and transitioned to online grocery shopping managed to reduce household food waste by about 50% during the pandemic. Additionally, we conduct simulations to envision potential post‐pandemic scenarios and conclude the study with a set of recommendations aimed at curbing household food waste in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Enhancement of emulsion pH stability by Ca2+ modulation: A novel approach for preparing egg white protein fibril cold emulsion gels

Egg white, a crucial ingredient in bulk food production with limited emulsifying properties, can be significantly improved by fibrillation modification. However, resulting emulsions may exhibit instability at critical food processing pH values. In this study, the egg white protein fibril (EWPF) emulsion gel was constructed by Ca2+, and the stability enhancement mechanism under different EWPF and Ca2+ concentrations was investigated. The results showed that higher EWPF concentrations led to improved stabilization of the oil-water interface. At 60 mg/mL EWPF concentration, water loss decreased by 13.86% and oil loss by 35.79%, while the firmness and viscosity of the emulsion gel system were enhanced. The ζ-potential was reduced by 67.98% and the ionic bond content was increased by 22 times with the addition of Ca2+, the droplets showed a uniform cross-linked structure, and the stability and plasticity of the system were improved. By adjusting EWPF concentration to 40 mg/mL and Ca2+ concentration to 30 mM, pH stability of the system was also enhanced. This study provided a reference for the high-value utilization of egg white and a possibility for the application of EWPF in food processing, such as low-fat foods.

ოსცილირებული რეჟიმით მომუშავე საშრობი მოწყობილობა

Based on the analysis of the drying process, it was shown that it is better to dry food raw materials in an oscillating mode, which will take into account the changes in the physical and mechanical properties of the product at different stages of drying. A schematic diagram of a new device for drying bulk food products is presented, in which the friction of the product with the working elements of the device is reduced to a minimum and drying is carried out under conditions of a suspended state of particles in the flow of the working agent. In accordance with the different stages of the drying process, each stage is carried out with the optimal parameters for this stage (temperature, humidity, speed) of the working agent. This ensures maximum preservation of the quality indicators of raw materials during drying, and also reduces the energy costs for the preparation of the working agent.

An outsider on the Antarctic Peninsula: A new record of the non-native moth Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

We report the first record of the microlepidopteran Plodia interpunctella beyond the South Shetland Islands at the Chilean Yelcho scientific station (64°52'33.1428″ S; 63°35'1.9572″ W), Doumer Island, close to the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is notable that P. interpunctella, a globally distributed stored product pest species, exhibits a remarkable capacity for prolonged viability within food storage facilities. The dual challenges of food transportation and storage in the context of Antarctica's challenging operational conditions may have facilitated P. interpunctella's initial arrival to the Antarctic region. Non-perishable food items, such as grains, flour and rice, provide practical options for the bulk food transportation and storage required in the long-term operation of Antarctic research stations. The presence of P. interpunctella in Antarctica, even if restricted to synanthropic environments within buildings, is a clear threat to Antarctic biodiversity, not only through being an invasive species itself but also as a potential vector for other non-native species (bacteria, acari, between others.), which could carry diseases to the native species.

Radiofrequency Inactivation of Salmonella in Black Pepper and Dried Basil Leaves Using In-package Steaming

Radiofrequency (RF) heating has been extensively studied for pasteurizing low-moisture foods. Currently, bulk foods are treated with radiofrequency; potential cross-contamination may occur during packaging of pasteurized products. As an alternative, in-package RF processing was evaluated for Salmonella inactivation on black peppercorns and dried basil leaves and prevention of cross-contamination during storage postprocessing. In-package steaming refers to the process in which the samples were heated in a steam vent package to generate and retain steam during the treatment. This treatment achieved good heating uniformity which could be because of the circulation of steam within the package. One-way steam vent allowed the release of excess steam once a threshold pressure was achieved and later returned to its original position to seal the package, when the RF energy was removed. In-package RF steaming of black peppercorns and dried basil leaves for 135 s and 40 s, respectively, resulted in more than 5 log reduction of Salmonella. The steam vent remained stable posttreatment and properly sealed the package to protect the product from any external contamination. These results indicate that the use of steam vent could effectively pasteurize black peppercorns and dried basil leaves could be beneficial in preventing the potential cross-contamination postprocessing.

RESEARCH OF TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BULK FOOD MIXTURES

The development of technologies and modern equipment for the agricultural sector, as well as growing competition in the field of growing major agricultural products, lead agricultural producers to try to optimize their own production. The process of mixing can be thought of as the volumetric movement of particles of two or more components to obtain a homogeneous medium (in terms of composition, physical, mechanical, and other properties). To mix bulk materials, external forces must be applied to allow the particles of the components to be mixed to move relative to each other. The heterogeneity of the mixture depends on a number of reasons, in particular: the supply of the initial components to the vibrating mixer; insufficient mixing of the bulk mixture causes a deviation in the distribution of component particles, etc. An analysis of existing mixer designs has shown that most technological processes use rotary drum mixers and mixers with rotating working bodies - paddle, screw, frame. To study the process of mixing bulk food mixtures, a laboratory and experimental setup was developed, consisting of a vibration-centrifugal mixer, a loading hopper, and a control panel. The developed machine (mixer) is based on the task of intensifying the process of mixing materials by reducing the adhesive forces between material particles through the use of the gravitational effect. Vibrational impact on the mixing of materials and the mixer's working bodies significantly increases the process productivity, reduce energy consumption and improves the quality of the mixture. The developed design can be widely used in various industries in the production of spices, bakery mixes, feed, protein and vitamin supplements.

Bulk food purchase: The effect of food package waste literacy, a deontic perspective of justice, anticipated emotions, and subjective norms

Bulk food purchase: The effect of food package waste literacy, a deontic perspective of justice, anticipated emotions, and subjective norms

Food Safety Controls during Bulk Food Preparation-An Observational Analysis.

Seeing the palpable impact of food poisoning associated with catering operations, we surveyed caterers with and without past hygiene violations to examine staffing, food safety practices and correlations with microbial counts in food and the processing environment. Past infringements did not negatively impact the current execution of food safety measures nor the microbial quality of food. In preference to added stringencies for errant operators, we discuss alternative efforts to augment food safety, as well as the policy implications thereof.

Endogenous feeding management practices on small ruminant farms in the Peri-urban areas of kaya city, Burkina Faso

The objective of this study was to analyze the endogenous practices of optimization, conditioning and conservation of food resources for small ruminants in the peri-urban areas of Kaya’s commune. The surveys were based on 128 rural households. The results showed that the processing/value-adding practices of the fodder produced were chopping (79.7% of producers), tedding (85.9%), grinding (52.3%) and salting (1.6%). The food resources produced were packaged in different ways. The faggots/sheaves were composed of large quantities of cereal stalks and legume tops. Bags were used for the packaging of agro-industrial by-products (AIBP) (88.3%), cowpea pods (99.2%), local concentrates and woody pods (73.5%). Bunching was mainly made by natural straw. Storage facilities were in the majority traditional. The physical form or nature of the packaging of the food resources indicates the most suitable means of storage. Food packaged in bundles and bundles was stored in sheds (72.5% of quantities), on trees (14.83%), on house roofs (2.04%) and in racks (12.63%). The stores were mainly used for bags (96.28%), dishes and drums (100%) and bulk food (89.12%). Stored feeds were used for dry season supplementation when natural pastures are in decline and for fattening animals. The data obtained will facilitate the intervention of technicians in the field.

What counts? Adding nuance to retail food environment measurement tools in a Canadian context.

Limitations of traditional geospatial measures, like the modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI), are well documented. In response, we aimed to: (1) extend existing food environment measures by inductively developing subcategories to increase the granularity of healthy v. less healthy food retailers; (2) establish replicable coding processes and procedures; and (3) demonstrate how a food retailer codebook and database can be used in healthy public policy advocacy. We expanded the mRFEI measure such that 'healthy' food retailers included grocery stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, wholesalers, bulk food stores, produce outlets, butchers, delis, fish and seafood shops, juice/smoothie bars, and fresh and healthy quick-service retailers; and 'less healthy' food retailers included fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops, dollar stores, pharmacies, bubble tea restaurants, candy stores, frozen dessert restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks. Based on 2021 government food premise licences, we used geographic information systems software to evaluate spatial accessibility of healthy and less healthy food retailers across census tracts and in proximity to schools, calculating differences between the traditional v. expanded mRFEI. Calgary and Edmonton, Canada. N/A. Of the 10 828 food retailers geocoded, 26 % were included using traditional mRFEI measures, while 53 % were included using our expanded categorisation. Changes in mean mRFEI across census tracts were minimal, but the healthfulness of food environments surrounding schools significantly decreased. Overall, we show how our mRFEI adaptation, and transparent reporting on its use, can promote more nuanced and comprehensive food environment assessments to better support local research, policy and practice innovations.

Smartly Packaged

Smartly Packaged

Numerical investigation of the temperature distribution inside the cold room with and without duct arrangement

ABSTRACT Cold rooms are primarily used to preserve food produce in bulk volume. The presence of bulk food produce creates a non-uniformity in cold air flow distribution. This non-uniformity in cold air results in the uneven cooling of the food produce inside the cold room. Furthermore, the ceiling-type cooling units are used in a cold room where the air flow distribution is influenced by the air entrainment effect (generating secondary air flow), resulting in temperature inhomogeneity inside the cold room. An induced duct arrangement is proposed in the present study to suppress the effect of secondary airflow and enhance the cooling uniformity. A numerical investigation of the 3D CFD model of the cold room with an induced duct arrangement is presented in this paper. A cold room of about 81.86 m3 volume is considered. A numerical study is performed for 20 h in transient cooling conditions. Air velocity and temperature are determined at various locations for two different cold room arrangements. It is found that the introduction of a duct arrangement at the rear wall of the cold room reduces the half cooling time by 10% compared to the normal cold room condition due to the elimination of the entrainment of air. The convective heat transfer coefficient is seen to be increased by 12.7% compared to the normal cold room, while the temperature inhomogeneity inside the room decreases by 14.3% with the introduction of duct arrangement.

Using stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) values from feces and breath to infer shorebird diets

The use of stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) from feces and breath offers potential as non-destructive tools to assess diets and nutrition. How stable isotope values derived from breath and feces compare with those from commonly used tissues, such as blood fractions and liver, remains uncertain, including understanding the metabolic routing of dietary nutrients. Here, we measured δ13C and δ15N from feces and δ13C of breath from captive Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis) and 26 species of wild-caught migratory shorebirds (n = 259 individuals) and compared them against isotopic values from blood and feathers. For captive birds fed either cereal- or fish-based diets, differences in δ13C between feces and lipid-free diet were small, − 0.2 ± 0.5‰ and 0.1 ± 0.3‰, respectively, and differences in δ15N, − 0.7 ± 0.5‰ and − 0.5 ± 0.5‰, respectively. Hence, δ13C and δ15N values from feces can serve as proxies for ingested proteinaceous tissues and non-soluble carbohydrates because isotopic discrimination can be considered negligible. Stable isotope values in plasma and feces were strongly correlated in wild-caught shorebirds, indicating feces can be used to infer assimilated macronutrients. Breath δ13C was 1.6 ± 0.8‰ to 5.6 ± 1.2‰ lower than bulk food sources, and breath C derived from lipids was estimated at 47.5% (cereal) to 96.1% (fish), likely underlining the importance of dietary lipids for metabolism. The findings validate the use of stable isotope values of feces and breath in isotopic assays to better understand the dietary needs of shorebirds.

SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus persists on the surface of multiple produce but can be inactivated with gaseous ozone

Due to the immense societal and economic impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the most important priorities at this time. The global interconnectedness of the food industry makes it one of the biggest concerns for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Although fomites are currently considered a low-risk route of transmission for SARS-CoV-2, new variants of the virus can potentially alter the transmission dynamics. In this study, we compared the survival rate of pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 on plastic with some commonly used food samples (i.e., apple, strawberry, grapes, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, parsley, Brazil nut, almond, cashew, and hazelnut). The porosity level and the chemical composition of different food products affect the virus's stability and infectivity. Our results showed that tomato, cucumber, and apple offer a higher survival rate for the pseudotyped viruses. Next, we explored the effectiveness of ozone in deactivating the SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped virus on the surface of tomato, cucumber, and apple. We found that the virus was effectively inactivated after being exposed to 15 ppm of ozone for 1 h under ambient conditions. SEM imaging revealed that while ozone exposure altered the wax layer on the surface of produce, it did not seem to damage the cells and their biological structures. The results of our study indicate that ozonated air can likely provide a convenient method of effectively disinfecting bulk food shipments that may harbour the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Indigo Carmine in a Food Dye: Spectroscopic Characterization and Determining Its Micro-Concentration through the Clock Reaction.

Indigo carmine is a commonly used industrial blue dye. To determine its concentration in a commercially available food dye composed of a mixture of indigo carmine and D-glucose, this paper characterizes it through (ATR, KBr) FTIR micro-Raman as well as UV/Vis and clock: Briggs–Rauscher (BR) oscillatory reaction methods. The indigo carmine was detected in the bulk food dye only by applying micro-Raman spectroscopy, indicating a low percentage of the indigo carmine present. This research provides an improvement in the deviations from the experimental Raman spectrum as calculated by the B97D/cc-pVTZ level of theory one, resulting in a better geometrical optimization of the indigo carmine molecule compared to data within the literature. The analytical curves used to determine indigo carmine concentrations (and quantities) in an aqueous solution of food dye were applied by means of UV/Vis and BR methods. BR yielded significantly better analytical parameters: 100 times lower LOD and LOQ compared to commonly used UV/Vis. The remarkable sensitivity of the BR reaction towards indigo carmine suggests that not only does indigo carmine react in an oscillatory reaction but also its decomposition products, meaning that the multiple oxidation reactions have an important role in the BR’s indigo carmine mechanism. The novelty of this research is the investigation of indigo carmine using a clock BR reaction, opening new possibilities to determine indigo carmine in other complex samples (pharmaceutical, food, etc.).

College Students’ Experience Utilizing a Food Scholarship Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ObjectivesIn 2020, students reported a high prevalence of food insecurity during the recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic at a public university. Despite closure of the campus during the pandemic, a Food Scholarship Program (FSP) continued to provide students with food twice a month to help mitigate food insecurity. The purpose of this study was to assess the diet quality among college students participating in the FSP during the pandemic and their experience with the program using mixed methods. MethodsStudents were recruited for this cross-sectional study by email and flyers. Students participating in FSP completed: 1) an online survey including the 6-item USDA food security survey and sociodemographic questions; 2) ASA-24 dietary recall; and 3) Zoom interviews to discuss their experience during the pandemic. In-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded by two people using thematic analysis. Nutrient intake and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores were calculated. ResultsThe thirteen participants were primarily females (77%), Asian (54%), graduate students (54%), and average age was 26 years. Food insecurity was high (46%). HEI scores (57 ± 16) indicated diets did not align with the 2015 dietary recommendations. Intake of added sugar (66 ± 24 g/d) averaged 17% (11% - 23%) of total caloric intake and exceeded recommendations of <10% per day. Finances impacted student food choices (40%). Interviews revealed that students decreased shopping frequency (40%), bought more food in bulk (40%), prepared more food at home (40%), reduced take-out food/eating in restaurants (80%), decreased the amount of food eaten (30%), and increased more curbside ordering (20%). Students utilized the FSP primarily for financial reasons (90%) and convenience (30%). Overall, students reported a positive experience (70%) with the FSP. ConclusionsThe qualitative responses from the interviews support the quantitative results regarding food insecurity and diet quality. Nevertheless, food insecurity remained high, and diet quality remained suboptimal. More work is warranted to improve food security and diet quality among college students, especially during situations such as COVID-19. Funding SourcesMoore-Khourie Grant, USDA Children’s Nutrition Research Center.

Genome of a giant isopod, Bathynomus jamesi, provides insights into body size evolution and adaptation to deep-sea environment

BackgroundThe deep-sea may be regarded as a hostile living environment, due to low temperature, high hydrostatic pressure, and limited food and light. Isopods, a species-rich group of crustaceans, are widely distributed across different environments including the deep sea and as such are a useful model for studying adaptation, migration, and speciation. Similar to other deep-sea organisms, giant isopods have larger body size than their shallow water relatives and have large stomachs and fat bodies presumably to store organic reserves. In order to shed light on the genetic basis of these large crustaceans adapting to the oligotrophic environment of deep-sea, the high-quality genome of a deep-sea giant isopod Bathynomus jamesi was sequenced and assembled.ResultsB. jamesi has a large genome of 5.89 Gb, representing the largest sequenced crustacean genome to date. Its large genome size is mainly attributable to the remarkable proliferation of transposable elements (84%), which may enable high genome plasticity for adaptive evolution. Unlike its relatives with small body size, B. jamesi has expanded gene families related to pathways of thyroid and insulin hormone signaling that potentially contribute to its large body size. Transcriptomic analysis showed that some expanded gene families related to glycolysis and vesicular transport were specifically expressed in its digestive organs. In addition, comparative genomics and gene expression analyses in six tissues suggested that B. jamesi has inefficient lipid degradation, low basal metabolic rate, and bulk food storage, suggesting giant isopods adopt a more efficient mechanism of nutrient absorption, storage, and utilization to provide sustained energy supply for their large body size.ConclusionsTaken together, the giant isopod genome may provide a valuable resource for understanding body size evolution and adaptation mechanisms of macrobenthic organisms to deep-sea environments.

Colour Based Object Sorting Machine

Sorting is a process in which two or more objects of similar, yet different characteristics are arranged in a systematic order. This is generally carried through manually or by using sensors in automation. Automatic color sorting is very much convenient in industry. Color and size are the most important features for accurate classification and sorting of product which can be done by using some optical sensors or analyzing their pictures. Color sorting machines are machines that are used on the production lines in bulk food processing and other industries. They separate items by their colors, detecting the colors if things that pass before them and using mechanical or pneumatic ejection devices to divert items whose colors do not fall within the acceptable range. The Color sorting machine using microcontroller is a fascinating and renowned project for techies, who would like to combine electronics, machine building and programming. The Color Sorting Machine is used for sorting mainly RGB colors. A simple robot arm is used to apply a color sorting to a physical system. The objects are placed to the conveyor belt using robot arm with servo motors. One conveyor belt is used, which is controlled by DC motors.

Rise of eating disorders and obesity in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dear Madam, COVID-19 has taken the world by storm, brought everything to an alarming halt and has put forward a plethora of challenges into the life of everyday people. These challenges include an outbreak of Eating Disorders (ED) during the pandemic, which inevitably leads to obesity; it was found that 41.7% of adolescents had gained more unhealthy weight; which would tether towards obesity during the period of COVID-19.1 The pandemic has brought many problems into the lives of the Pakistani population. Social isolation and stress from lockdown and uncertainties brought forth from COVID-19, and the restrictions enforced by the governmental bodies have been contributing factors in increasing the rising rate of eating pathologies amongst young adults.2 These disorders, if left untreated, will develop into a multitude of life-threatening diseases due to a sudden increase in body weight. In a study done in Pakistan, around 40% of the participants gained weight during COVID-19 lockdown, and 67% saw decreased physical activity.3 It is difficult to maintain healthy eating in low-income countries where access to unhealthy food in bulk is easier compared to healthy foods. Physical activities are almost non-existent in places without a culture of walking or exercising outdoors. In a study by Rodgers et al., it is stated that people’s food choices during COVID-19 are influenced by isolation, disrupted routines, a lack of physical activity, and emotional distress in their lives. The authors also state that social media plays a role, worsening young people’s relationship with food by calling for specific diets either because of diet culture or the fear of contamination. Media also covers stressful events that increase anxiety in individuals and contribute to eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder.4 These eating behaviours that affect people during a lockdown are predicted to have far-reaching effects in the future through indirect consequences of COVID-19. Unhealthy lifestyle habits could impair immunity and even decrease the effectiveness of vaccines.5 It is clear that the rise of eating disorders in young adults during the pandemic needs to be examined further. Underlying causes such as unavailability of healthy food, stress, and isolation should be addressed in further research. Advice regarding lifestyle modification should be tailored accordingly for lockdown: for example, home workouts replacing gyms, easy access to healthy food, and telemedicine that replaces in-clinic therapy for EDs.

Enabling Traceability in Agri-Food Supply Chains Using an Ontological Approach

Abstract Traceability of food products to their sources is critical for quick responses to food emergencies. US law now requires stakeholders in the agri-food supply chain to support traceability by tracking food materials they acquire and sell. However, having the complete and consistent information needed to quickly investigate sources and identify affected material has proven difficult. There are multiple reasons that food traceability is a challenging task, including diversity of stakeholders and their lexicons, standards, tools, and methods; unwillingness to expose information about internal operations; lack of a common understanding of the steps in a supply chain; and incompleteness of data. The objective of this work is to address the traceability challenge by developing a formal ontology that can provide a shared and common understanding of the traceability model across all stakeholders in bulk food supply chains. A formal ontology can support semantic mediation, data integration, and data exploration, thus improving the intelligence and reliability of trace and track process. The Industrial Ontologies Foundry (IOF) procedures and principles are employed in the development of the supply chain traceability ontology. Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) is selected as the top-level ontology. A bottom-up approach is also adopted in a sense that a real use case related to the bulk grain domain is selected to be used for requirements definition and ontology validation. A software tool for visualization of the traceability graph is developed to validate the developed ontology based on simulated data. The test and validation results indicate that the developed ontology has the expressivity needed to represent the semantics of traceability data models within the scope of the selected use case. Also, it was observed that the developed supply chain traceability tool can effectively facilitate the track and trace process through visualizing the Resource Description Framework (RDF) triples, thus eliminating the need to formulate complex SPARQL queries for information retrievals.