Common Food Products Research Articles

B-177 Development of a Contrived Fecal Matrix for Clinical Validation of a LC-MS/MS Assay to Quantify Microbiota-derived Metabolites in Stool Specimens

Abstract Background The gut microbiota plays a critical role in health and its disruption can impact clinical outcomes in a variety of circumstances, including graft-versus-host disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, Clostridioides difficile infections, and liver disease. Metagenomic and metabolomic analyses of fecal material is frequently performed in the research setting; however, evaluation of the gut microbiota is not yet incorporated into routine patient care. One barrier to its implementation is the lack of matrix-appropriate materials for validation of clinical assays. While surrogate fecal matrices are being developed for metagenomic sequencing, matrices specific for targeted metabolomics are currently unavailable. In this study, we designed a contrived fecal matrix to validate a new LC-MS/MS method for measurement of microbiota-derived metabolites from stool specimens. Methods Common food products and mucin were individually analyzed by LC-MS/MS for quantities of three microbiota-derived metabolites - butyrate, deoxycholic acid (DCA) and taurocholic acid (TCA). Food items with the lowest endogenous metabolite concentrations were selected to create a contrived fecal matrix with a consistency similar to human stool specimens. Calibrators and quality controls (QC) were then created by spiking butyrate, DCA, and TCA into either the contrived fecal matrix or 50% methanol (MeOH). The internal standards (ISTD) used were d7-butyrate, d4-DCA, and d4-TCA, respectively. Three human stool specimens were selected and spiked at a range of metabolite concentrations to assess matrix effects. All samples, calibrators and controls were homogenized in 80% MeOH extraction solvent containing the ISTDs using beadruptor tubes. The suspension was centrifuged and 25 µL of supernatant was derivatized using 12.5 µL 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and 12.5 µL 3-nitrophenylhydrazine at 40°C for 30 minutes. For optimal separation of isomers, 2 µL of sample was injected and separated on a CORTECS T3 column (1.6 µm, 2.1 x 100 mm, Waters) at 45°C with a flow rate of 0.350 mL/min and run-time of 20 min using the Exion LC AD (Sciex). Analytes were detected using a Sciex QTRAP 6500 mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization source. Results A contrived fecal matrix containing a mix of avocado, black beans, gluten-free flour, and cornstarch blended in water and mucin was created. The contrived matrix was confirmed to contain minimal to no endogenous levels of the 3 metabolites of interest: butyrate, DCA, and TCA. Validation of the LC-MS/MS assay using the contrived fecal matrix showed a linear analytical measurement range from 25-2000 µM for butyrate, 1-60 µM for DCA, and 0.5-640 µM for TCA. Intra-assay precision at 7 QC levels for all analytes was <10%. The matrix effects from use of the contrived fecal matrix compared to patient fecal samples were 140-148% for d7-butyrate and 101-112% for d4-DCA across multiple spiked analyte concentrations. Conclusions Our LC-MS/MS method quantifies butyrate, deoxycholic acid, and taurocholic acid, metabolites which serve as indicators of microbiota health in liver disease patients. The contrived fecal matrix provides an additional tool for the development and validation of clinical assays to assess the gut microbiota.

Development of recipescooked sausage products enriched with chlorella

The meat industry is constantly undergoing transformations and moves in accordance with global trends and basic consumer requests.Accordingly, there is a problem of increasing the nutritional and biological value of common food products, in particular cooked sausages. Development of health facilitiesof meat products enriched with plant components is the main goal that arose during the performance of this work. Improvement of the recipe of cooked sausage products due to the use of available chlorella seaweedvaluablea source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and minerals is a promising solution. The difference between the developed minced meat recipe and the control is the use of chlorella, the replacement of lard, which is traditionally used in similar recipes, with linseed and olive oils, and the complete replacement of sodium nitrite with ascorbic acid. Comparative studies were performed using three different formulations containing 1% chlorella hydrated with water and milk whey in a ratio of 1:5 for 20 minutes at a temperature of 40º C. During the work, organoleptic (appearance, color, texture, taste and smell) and physical and chemical research methods (moisture, fat, protein, salt content). It was shown that the experimental samples of minced meat contained protein in amounts of 13.51% for sample 3; 12.77% for sample 2 and 12.36% for sample 1. The moisture content of the experimental samples exceeds the control by 2.86% for sample 3, by 1.86% for sample 2, and by 0.69% for sample 1. According to the mass fraction of fat, all samples are within the normal range and amount to less than 30%, which correspondsthe national standard for this type of product. Modification of the recipe using chlorella, linseed and olive oil differs from the control sample, which is reflected in the results of the organoleptic evaluation. According to the results of comprehensive studies, experimental formulation sample 3 can be recommended for implementation.

A novel colorimetric/fluorometric dual-channel probe for selective detection of Sn2+ with long-wavelength emission and its bioimaging applications

Tin is a crucial trace element in the human body, playing a significant role in various physiological activities and overall human health. In this study, we present a novel fluorescent probe (CDM) capable of detecting Sn2+ through both colorimetric and fluorometric channels. The probe allows for visual detection by the naked eye and exhibits long-wavelength fluorescence emission. With a detection limit of 4.72 × 10−8 M and 9.95 × 10−9 M, respectively, CDM surpasses the World Health Organization's specified limit of 8.4 × 10−4 M and outperforms previously reported probes. As far as we know, this is the first fluorescent probe to enable naked-eye and long-wavelength emission-based detection of Sn2+. Additionally, a smartphone-based sensing platform was developed to recognize Sn2+. CDM not only demonstrates sensitive detection of Sn2+ in common food products but also successfully imaging Sn2+ in 4T1 cells, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mice.

Machine Learning Approach to Comparing Fatty Acid Profiles of Common Food Products Sold on Romanian Market.

Food composition issues represent an increasing concern nowadays, in the context of diverse food commodity varieties. The contents and types of fatty acids are a constant preoccupation among consumers because of their reflections of nutrition and health problems. This study aims to find the best tool for the rapid and reliable identification of similarities and differences among several food items from a fatty acid profile perspective. An acknowledged GC-FID method was considered, while, for a better interpretation of the analytical results, machine learning algorithms were used. It was possible to develop a recognition model able to simultaneously differentiate, with an accuracy of 79.3%, nine product types using the bagged tree ensemble model. The low number of samples or some similarities among the classes could be responsible for the wrong assignments that occurred, especially in the biscuit, wafer and instant soup classes. Better accuracies values of 95, 86.1, and 97.8% were obtained when the products were grouped into three categories: (1) sunflower oil, mayonnaise, margarine, and cream cheese; (2) biscuits, cookies, margarine, and wafers; and (3) sunflower oil, chips, and instant soup.

Survey of the biogenic amines in typical foods commonly consumed from the Chinese market

High levels of Biogenic amines (BAs) pose health risks to humans. Common food products associated with BAs include cheese, alcoholic beverage, marine fish, and their derived product. This study aimed to obtain data on the levels of BAs in four common food types in the Chinese market to assess their safety and quality. It was found that cadaverine had the highest average level, followed by tyramine, putrescine, histamine, and tryptamine, with histamine being the most frequently detected BA. Cheese and seafood derived product showed higher mean total concentration of BAs (391.9 mg/kg and 89.4 mg/kg, respectively). They were followed by seafood (33.2 mg/kg) and alcoholic beverage (22.1 mg/kg). This survey indicated that the histamine level in mackerel and yellow rice wine exceeded the limits of 50 mg/kg and 10 mg/L set by the US FDA and some European countries, respectively. The results suggest that more food species should be involved in setting standards for BAs limit. This study provides important data for assessing BA exposure in various food species, aiding in the reduction of potential health hazards.

The Energy Crisis and Its Real Impact on the Inflation Rate

Abstract In the year 2022, inflation has become a global phenomenon. According to the World Bank, inflation affected developed countries (100%) and emerging markets/developing economies (87%). About two-thirds of advanced economies and just over half of emerging markets exceeded forecast inflation for 2021. This drove interest rates higher and helped tighten monetary conditions. As a result of the increasing costs of loans, this fact can lead to financial crises. The main causes on account of which the political factor justifies the increase in inflation refer to the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. However, the direct effect of energy prices on inflation is low, as the share of energy costs in the consumption basket is low, according to the calculation formula used at the European level. Moreover, the population’s perception reinforces this aspect, considering the fact that the prices of the most common food products in the daily basket have doubled or even tripled. Even in these conditions, energy companies continued to make high profits, which is why the need to overtax them at the European level arose. Although the energy crisis is recognized as one of the main causes of inflation, despite the importance of this topic, academic studies have neglected to analyze the real impact on inflation of energy shocks resulting from price increases. In such a context, the present study starts from the premise that the current energy crisis cannot be considered to be the only determining cause of the growth of the inflationary phenomenon. This could be the result of macroeconomic policies perpetuated over several decades, without a positive echo in the economy.

Check Your Shopping Cart: DNA Barcoding and Mini-Barcoding for Food Authentication.

The molecular approach of DNA barcoding for the characterization and traceability of food products has come into common use in many European countries. However, it is important to address and solve technical and scientific issues such as the efficiency of the barcode sequences and DNA extraction methods to be able to analyze all the products that the food sector offers. The goal of this study is to collect the most defrauded and common food products and identify better workflows for species identification. A total of 212 specimens were collected in collaboration with 38 companies belonging to 5 different fields: seafood, botanicals, agrifood, spices, and probiotics. For all the typologies of specimens, the most suitable workflow was defined, and three species-specific primer pairs for fish were also designed. Results showed that 21.2% of the analyzed products were defrauded. A total of 88.2% of specimens were correctly identified by DNA barcoding analysis. Botanicals (28.8%) have the highest number of non-conformances, followed by spices (28.5%), agrifood (23.5%), seafood (11.4%), and probiotics (7.7%). DNA barcoding and mini-barcoding are confirmed as fast and reliable methods for ensuring quality and safety in the food field.

The use of yellow mealworms in common food products

In many cultures around the world, eating insects is a traditional practice known as entomophagy. In general, it has been discovered that insects are very nutrient-dense and good sources of protein, fat, minerals, vitamins and energy. Given their high nutritional value and minimal impact on the environment, edible insects are increasingly being recognized as potential sources of food for humans. The green light for using edible insects was given for the following species - Tenebrio molitor, Acheta domesticus, Alphitobius diaperinus and Locusta migratoria. Out of them Tenebrio molitor is the most widely researched and used species. Considering many of the potential uses of Tenebrio molitor in commercial food, this paper will summarize the potential of their use in food such as bread, meat products and sauces. This paper will also provide an overview of the nutritional value of dried Tenebrio molitor.

Comparison of Commonly Carried Liquids Against Commercial Ultrasound Gel for Use in the Backcountry Setting.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is utilized in austere environments because it is lightweight, durable, battery powered, and portable. In austere settings, weight and space constraints are limitations to carrying dedicated ultrasound gel. Few studies have assessed commonly carried liquids as gel alternatives. The study objective was to assess the suitability of common food and personal care products as ultrasound coupling agents compared with that of commercial gel. A noninferiority study compared 9 products to commercial gel. Each substance was independently tested on 2 subjects by 2 sonographers covering 8 standardized ultrasound windows. Clips were recorded, blinded, and independently graded by 2 ultrasound fellowship-trained physicians on the ability to make clinical decisions and technical details, including contrast, resolution, and artifact. A 20% noninferiority margin was set, which correlates to levels considered to be of reliably sufficient quality by American College of Emergency Physicians' guidelines. The substances included water, soap, shampoo, olive oil, energy gel, maple syrup, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and lotion. A total of 300 of 318 (94%) clips met the primary endpoint of adequacy to make a clinical decision. All media, except sunscreen, were noninferior to commercial gel in the ability to make a clinical decision (α=0.05). In terms of secondary outcomes, resolution, artifact, and contrast, all substances were noninferior to commercial gel (α=0.05). The sonographers concluded that all gel alternatives' usability performed similarly to commercial gel, with the exception of energy gel. Of the 9 substances tested, 8 were noninferior to commercial gels for clinical decisions. Our study indicates that several POCUS gel substitutes are serviceable to produce clinically adequate images.

Trade-Off Analyses of Food Loss and Waste Reduction and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Food Supply Chains

Food losses and waste (FLW) reduction and mitigating climate impact in food chains are priorities in achieving sustainable development goals. However, many FLW-reducing interventions induce additional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, for example, from energy, fuel, or packaging. The net effect of such interventions (expressed in GHG emissions per unit of food available for consumption) is not obvious, as is illustrated in a number of case studies. We recommend that in the decision to take on FLW-reducing interventions, the trade-offs on sustainability impacts (such as GHG emissions) are taken into consideration. Since FLW induce demand and extra operations in all stages along a supply chain, adequate representation of cumulative GHG emissions along the production and supply chain, including ‘hidden parts’ of the chain, is required, which is challenging in full LCA studies. As a workaround, the case studies in this paper are based on a generic tool, the Agro-Chain greenhouse gas Emission (ACE) calculator that includes metrics and data for common food product categories and supply chain typologies. The calculator represents the structure of a generic (fresh food) supply chain and offers data sets for, amongst others, crop GHG emission factors and FLW in different stages of the production and distribution chain. Through scenario calculations with different chain parameters (describing pre and post-intervention scenarios), the net effects of an intervention on GHG emissions and FLW per unit of food sold to the consumer can be compared with little effort. In the case studies, interventions at the production stage as well as in post-harvest operations, are analyzed. Results show that post-harvest activities (especially FLW) contribute substantially to the carbon footprint of supplied food products. The FLW-reducing interventions are considered to induce additional GHG emissions. In most case studies, FLW-reducing interventions lower total GHG associated with a unit of food supplied to a client or consumer. However, in one case study, the extra emissions due to the intervention were higher than the prevented emission from lowering food losses. Consequently, in the latter case, the intervention is not an effective GHG emission reduction intervention.

The development of technology and research of quality indicators of nachos from non-traditional raw materials

Currently, due to lifestyle changes, ready-made snacks are a popular and in-demand food product. The use of a large number of snacks leads to the development of a number of negative changes in human health. According to WHO, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are among the five most common diseases in the world. Most often these diseases affect children, preschool, school age and students. The reason for this may be, first of all, the uncontrolled use of «dry rations», that is, various types of snacks. But snacks can serve as a technological basis for designing innovative food products with excellent consumer characteristics (organoleptic and physico-chemical properties). Therefore, replacing the harmful component of snacks with balanced raw materials, a useful product is obtained. The article describes the technology of nachos obtained by changing the component of the recipe, and with the addition of unconventional raw materials. When preparing nachos, cottage cheese was used to increase its nutritional value. To check the quality indicators of raw materials and finished products, standard visual-sensory and laboratory research methods were used, the results of the studies were described in detail and recorded. To date, the most common fast food product as an alternative to chips has been offered Mexican nachos. Non-traditional raw materials and natural additives were included in the nachos recipe. As an unconventional raw material, cottage cheese was chosen as the main component according to the recipe. Cottage cheese, fat content 4.1%, was obtained from natural cow's milk by fermentation by thermophilic bacteria. The article presents a balanced nachos recipe. According to the calculated recipe, the nachos product was prepared. The organoleptic and qualitative indicators of raw materials and finished products are determined. According to the results of the studies, the lead content in nachos was 0.019 mg/kg, cadmium-0.003 mg/kg, manganese-0.051 mg/kg and iron-0.038 mg/kg. The results obtained comply with the requirements of regulatory documentation. At the same time, the protein content in the finished product was 9.6 g, fat 5 g, carbohydrates 40.9 g, total energy value-249.67 kcal. The results of the study actually showed that there are grounds to recommend nachos on the market as alternates for fast food products.

The Development of a Digital Twin to Improve the Quality and Safety Issues of Cambodian Pâté: The Application of 915 MHz Microwave Cooking

Foodborne diseases are common in Cambodia and developing good food hygiene practices is a mandatory goal. Moreover, developing a low-carbon strategy and energy efficiency is also a priority. This study focuses on pâté cooking, a very common food product in Cambodia. In this paper, the authors chose to develop a digital twin dedicated to perfectly predict the temperature for cooking in a 915 MHz single-mode cavity, instead of using a classical and energy-consuming steaming method. The heating strategy is based on a ramp-up heating and a temperature-holding technique (with Tylose® as the model food and Cambodian pâté). The model developed with COMSOL® Multiphysics software can accurately predict both local temperatures and global moisture losses within the pâté sample (RMSE values of 2.83 and 0.58, respectively). The moisture losses of Cambodian pâté at the end of the process was 28.5% d.b (dry basis) after a ramp-up heating activity ranging from 4 to 80 °C for 1880 s and a temperature-holding phase at 80 °C for 30 min. Overall, the accurate prediction of local temperatures within Cambodian pâté is mainly dependent on the external heat-transfer coefficient during the temperature-holding phase, and is specifically discussed in this study. A 3D model can be used, at present, as a digital twin to improve the temperature homogeneity of modulated microwave power inputs in the future.

Determining the qualitative parameters of powder from the stalks of garden purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) and its application in the production of functional bakery products

Bread and bakery products are the most common food products that have a significant impact on the biological and energy value of the human diet. The presence of proteins, fats, vitamins, mineral components, and dietary fiber in them depends on the assortment, recipe, and cooking technology. The use of dried purslane in powder form as a semi-finished product (raw material and additive) and the development of various technologies with it at the same time can provide the population with a wide range of food products in the diet. The aim of this work is to determine the quality indicators of the powder from the stems of garden purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) and its application in the production of functional bakery products. This will make it possible to use them as a protein-carbohydrate-mineral and multicomponent fortifier to obtain functional bakery products. This paper reports the results of studying in a laboratory the powder from the stalks of garden purslane (PP), growing under the conditions of the Absheron district of Baku, Azerbaijan. Its general chemical and mineral composition, some physical-mechanical and microbiological indicators and safety indicators of PP have been studied, the doses of its introduction into yeast dough have been substantiated. By organoleptic and physical-chemical methods, the technological indicators of the quality of yeast dough and finished products with PP powder for the production of functional bakery products were determined. Powder from garden purslane stems was used in the production of functional bakery products, and a recipe and technological scheme for the production of "Health" buns using purslane powder were devised

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ПЛАЗМОНІКИ ДЛЯ АНАЛІЗУ ПОЛІДИСПЕРСНИХ СИСТЕМ (ОГЛЯД)

Modern sensor technologies have advantages compared to other classical methods of analysis of liquid and gas environments, in particular, fast analysis and a small volume of the analyzed sample, high sensitivity, the ability to detect the analyzed substance in a polydisperse environment due to the specificity of the sensor. Plasmonics is one of the leading scientific directions, which is actively used in sensor technologies for the development of highly sensitive analytical devices and systems. Precision analytical devices based on SPR are used for research in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, medicine, and ecology. However, the interpretation of the measurement result is somewhat complicated when analyzing complex polydisperse systems and the presence of an interferent in the sample, which affects the value of the sensor signal. Therefore, there is a need to study, in particular, liquid polydisperse systems using models of approximate environments and using additional technologies to increase the specificity of the analyzed component by using receptor surfaces. The review provides information on the current state of polydisperse systems research using the example of milk - one of the most common food products. Sensitive, fast and efficient quantification and monitoring systems play a key role in the determination of harmful impurities in dairy products. The need to detect antibiotics with a minimum concentration in food products, in particular in dairy raw materials, which are complex polydisperse systems, is an important scientific problem. Such requirements give rise to the need to develop reliable, highly sensitive analytical methods. In addition, there is a huge demand for rapid analytical devices to detect antibiotic residues in milk samples on the farm before the raw material is sent to the factory, because after sending directly to the factory, in case of antibiotic detection, a large batch of milk is missing, which leads to excessive costs.

Comparative Study on Nutrient Composition, Functional Property and Glycaemic Index of “Ogi” in Healthy Rats Prepared from Selected Cereal Grains

One of the most common traditional fermented food products consumed by all class of people in Southern part of Nigeria is Ogi. Ogi is a gurel made from different types of cereal ranging from maize, sorghum, millet among others. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate nutrient, phytochemicals, functional properties, and glycemic index of Ogi produced from different grains. Grains such as yellow maize (YM), white maize (WM), popcorn maize (PC), red sorghum (RS), white sorghum (WS) and finger millet (FM) were processed into Ogi samples, packaged in airtight container prior to analysis and stored at –20 °C. Proximate results showed that Ogi sample produced from PC significantly contained the highest protein content followed by sample YM. Potassium was observed to be the most abundant mineral elements in Ogi (14.50–19.10 mg/100 g). The phytochemical composition (mg/g) of the experimental samples ranged from 0.34–1.62, 53.82–177.09, 0.00–0.10, 3.71–69.22 and 2.08–6.08 mg/g in oxalate, saponin, flavonoid, phytate and tannin, respectively. The glycemic index ranged 48.83% in YM to 50.71% in WS, while the glycemic load ranged 31.96% in YM to 37.82% in WS, respectively. The result revealed that Ogi samples, especially YM was high in calcium, Ca/P ratio, iron, zinc but low in phytate and tannin content. Sample YM also exhibit lower glycemic index, when compared with other Ogi samples. Hence, YM may be a better grain for the production of Ogi samples.

Repeated cross-sectional study identifies differing risk factors associated with microbial contamination in common food products in the United Kingdom

All foods carry microbes, many of which are harmless, but foods can also carry pathogens and/or microbial indicators of contamination. Limited information exists on the co-occurrence of microbes of food safety concern and the factors associated with their presence. Here, a population-based repeated cross-sectional design was used to determine the prevalence and co-occurrence of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Salmonella spp. and Vibrio spp. in key food commodities - chicken, pork, prawns, salmon and leafy greens. Prevalence in 1,369 food samples for these four target bacterial genera/species varied, while 25.6% of all samples had at least two of the target bacteria and eight different combinations of bacteria were observed as co-occurrence profiles in raw prawns. Imported frozen chicken was 6.4 times more likely to contain Salmonella than domestic chicken, and imported salmon was 5.5 times more likely to be contaminated with E. coli. Seasonality was significantly associated with E. coli and Klebsiella spp. contamination in leafy greens, with higher detection in summer and autumn. Moreover, the odds of Klebsiella spp. contamination were higher in summer in chicken and pork samples. These results provide insight on the bacterial species present on foods at retail, and identify factors associated with the presence of individual bacteria, which are highly relevant for food safety risk assessments and the design of surveillance programmes.

A novel single step method to rapidly screen for metal contaminants in beverages, a case study with aluminum

Portable electroanalytical devices for metal ion sensing towards assessing food quality is an emerging high impact research area. Herein, we demonstrated for the first time, a portable electrochemical platform to measure the threshold aluminum content in packaged acidic food products. The sensor consists of a gold screen printed electrode (Au-SPE) modified with the exfoliated Pd/C catalyst (5% Pd on vulcan carbon). The electrochemical activity of the Pd/C catalyst modified Au-SPE electrode, influenced by the added/spiked Al (III) ions in the range 5 μ g/mL–1000 μ g/mL was analyzed using Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in two buffer media of citrate and ascorbic acid in the pH 3.5 and 4.5. The sensor was further tested for the Al(III) ions doses spiked in real fruit samples viz. canned tomato juice (pH 4.2) and the orange juice (pH 3.5). The sensor showed sensitivity in the concentration 5 μ g/mL–1000 μ g/mL (linear response 5–100 μ g/mL) with the limit of detection (LOD) of 5 μ g/mL. The modified sensor is selective with respect to the common interfering monovalent and divalent cations present in the juice samples viz. Na + , K + and Ca 2＋ . To validate the possible translation to the portable device, the performance of the sensor was then tested using portable electrochemical device for spiked Al (III) ions doses in tomato juice, which showed a correlation (Pearson’s) r of 0.95 when compared to the laboratory benchtop method (Gamry instrument). An electroanalytical tool developed using this testing approach can be an efficient and accurate qualitative testing method for Aluminum poisoning and alternate metals in common food products. • Aluminum detection in food and beverages. • Portable electrochemical device to track metal leaching. • Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) based environmental sensing platform.

Consumer Awareness of the Degree of Industrial Food Processing and the Association with Healthiness-A Pilot Study.

Consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) has been associated with lower diet quality, obesity, and adverse health effects. Not much is known about how consumers evaluate the degree of processing of a food product and how they relate this to healthiness. An online questionnaire was completed by a total of 277 Dutch, 204 Italian, and 181 Brazilian consumers. Consumers were aged 18–65 year, mean 38 ± 13 year, 31% were males, and 71% were highly educated. Pictures of several common food products were evaluated on the degree of industrial processing and healthiness. Thirteen food categories were included, each including one minimally processed food (MPF), one High NS_UPF (Nutri-Score A or B), and one Low NS_UPF (Nutri-Score D or E). Lastly, knowledge and attitude about UPFs were assessed. Ultraprocessing was perceived as unhealthy by the majority of consumers (Dutch, Italian: 55%; Brazilian: 75%) and contributed to weight gain according to: 38% Dutch, 51% Italian, and 70% Brazilian consumers. Low NS_UPFs were correctly rated toward “processed” and “not healthy” in all countries. High NS_UPF were rated as processed but showed large variations in healthiness scores. In conclusion, consumers rated UPFs relatively low in healthiness compared with MPFs with similar Nutri-Scores within the same food category. These preliminary findings suggest that consumers incorporate, to some extent, the degree of industrial processing while assessing the healthiness of food products.

The perception of food products in adolescents, lay adults, and experts: A psychometric approach.

Almost 40% of global mortality is attributable to an unhealthy diet, and adolescents and young adults are particularly affected by growing obesity rates. How do (young) people conceptualize and judge the healthiness of foods and how are the judgments embedded in people's mental representations of the food ecology? We asked respondents to rate a large range of common food products on a diverse set of characteristics and then applied the psychometric paradigm to identify the dimensions structuring people's mental representations of the foods. Respondents were also asked to rate each food in terms of its healthiness, and we used the foods' scores on the extracted dimensions to predict the healthiness judgments. We compared three groups of respondents: adolescents, lay adults, and nutrition experts. Naturalness levels (e.g., processing, artificial additives) and cholesterol and protein content emerged as the two central dimensions structuring respondents' mental representations of the foods. Relative to the other two groups, the adolescents' representations were less differentiated. Judged food healthiness was determined by multiple factors, but naturalness was the strongest predictor across all groups. Overall, the adolescents' responses showed considerable heterogeneity, suggesting a lack of solid food knowledge and the need for tailored nutrition education on specific food products and content characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A Hands-on Recommendation of Artificial Lighting for Promoting Product Appeal in Fresh Markets

This descriptive study aims to help sellers in fresh markets be aware of the importance of artificial lighting in promoting the appeal of their products and apply it at their stalls. This study was conducted in three stages, with two objectives, to 1) gain insights regarding types of artificial lights used at the stalls and common product types sold at the selected fresh markets, and 2) identify the artificial lighting that suits each type of the common products. Insights from four popular markets in Bangkok were gained during the Exploration Stage. Most sellers were using fluorescents in cool white, warm white, and mixed white, and incandescents provided by the market management. Vegetables, fruits, seafood, meats, and desserts were the common food products sold. The dimensions of the stalls at the markets were in a similar range. Such information was used to design mockup stalls at the Design Stage; they were installed with each type of artificial lighting. The mockups were used during the Testing Stage when the lighting was shining on the food products. The respondents rated that mix-white fluorescents helped vegetables, fruits, and seafood look appealing, and so did the warm white fluorescents for meats and desserts. The results of this study led to a recommendation addressing the Correlated Color Temperature effects on the appeal of products and how sellers can select off-the-shelf light bulbs suiting their products.