Food Efficiency Research Articles

Finite element modeling in heat and mass transfer of potato slice dehydration, nonisotropic shrinkage kinetics using arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian algorithm and artificial neural network

AbstractThe present study optimized the drying temperature (50–80°C) for potato slices based on color, texture, and visual observations. At an optimized temperature (60°C), a 2D axisymmetric finite element method (FEM) was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics to predict the heat and mass transfer (HMT) in a disk‐shaped potato slice. The nonisotropic shrinkage was predicted for the potato slice by the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian approach. The experimental dehydration results revealed that axial shrinkage (27.44%) was 2.5 times higher than radial shrinkage (67.39%). The simulated outcomes based on FEM revealed the realistic visualization of spatial heat transfer, moisture migration, and nonisotropic slice deformation. The predicted moisture content, surface temperature, and shrinkage properties were in good agreement with the experimental results. The shrinkage behavior was further validated using artificial neural network (ANN) to simulate the slice shrinkage. Results showed that both the COMSOL and ANN approaches can precisely predict the shrinkage‐dependent HMT model. The ANN model outperformed the COMSOL determined by mean absolute error, mean square error (MSE), root MSE, and Chi‐square (χ2) values. The successful application of the presented approach for determining dehydration characteristics may have potential for quality assessment and management of different fruits and vegetables.Practical applicationsThis journal article explores the practical industrial applications of combining finite element method (FEM)‐based heat and mass transfer model and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to improve the efficiency and quality of food drying processes. FEM is employed to simulate and predict the realistic visualization of heat and mass transfer phenomena along with non‐isotropic shrinkage, while ANN serves as a data‐driven modeling tool for process control and prediction. The integration of these two technologies offers significant advantages in the food industry, including quantification of precise temperature and moisture content, as well as to monitor the drying process of various food products, reduced energy consumption, and time.

Antihypertensive effects of the combined extract of Sorghum bicolor, Vigna angularis, and Eleusine coracana in spontaneously hypertensive rats

This study investigated the antihypertensive effects of the combined extract of sorghum, adzuki bean, and finger millet (SAFE) on spontaneously hypertensive rats. The rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): WKY, SHR, SAFE (500 mg/kg SAFE), and CAP (50 mg/kg captopril). SAFE significantly decreased the lean-to-fat mass ratio with no notable changes in body weight, food intake, or food efficiency ratio, and it effectively lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, comparable to CAP. Moreover, it significantly reduced the cardiac mass index and alleviated cardiac fibrosis. SAFE did not induce hepatotoxicity, as indicated by the maintenance of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels in the normal range, confirming its safety. Taken together, these findings suggested that SAFE can be used as a dietary supplement for blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular disease prevention.

Combination of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53 attenuates fat accumulation and alters the metabolome and gut microbiota in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity.

This study evaluated the effects of formulations with Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53 on adiposity, the alteration of microbiota, and the metabolome in high-fat diet-fed mice. The strains were selected based on their fat and glucose absorption inhibitory activities and potential metabolic interactions. The optimal ratio of the two strains in the probiotic formulation was determined based on their adipocyte differentiation inhibitory activities. Treatment of formulations with BEPC22 and BELP53 for 10 weeks decreased body weight gain at 6 weeks; it also decreased the food efficiency ratio, white adipose tissue volume, and adipocyte size. Moreover, it decreased the expression of the lipogenic gene Ppar-γ in the liver, while significantly increasing the expression of the fat oxidation gene Ppar-α in the white adipose tissue. Notably, treatment with a combination of the two strains significantly reduced the plasma levels of the obesity hormone leptin and altered the microbiota and metabolome. The omics data also indicated the alteration of anti-obesity microbes and metabolites such as Akkermansia and indolelactic acid, respectively. These findings suggest that treatment with a combination of BEPC22 and BELP53 exerts synergistic beneficial effects against obesity.

Perception of Agricultural Extension Agents Towards the Performance of Project-Based Extension Delivery on Food Security in Ghana

Agricultural extension agents in Ghana's Upper East Region relied on project-based extension delivery services during the Covid-19 period. Using the perspectives of extension agents, this research looked at the effect of project-based extension delivery services on food security. A sample size of 144 agricultural extension agents from three distinct zones in the Region participated in this research, which used a descriptive correlation survey approach. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviation, correlation coefficients, and regression were used to analyse the data. In terms of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and economics, the project-based extension delivery service performed well. In terms of stability, food security was excellent. Food security and efficiency, relevance, and economics have a favorable and very significant association. Economy, efficiency, and age had 79% explanation for food security. On the perceived degree of food security, there was a substantial difference between male and female agricultural extension agents. The impact of project-based extension delivery services on food security was significant. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture should provide enough logistics, training, and incentive for agricultural extension agents to enhance information delivery.

Gastronomic potential of food at the maulid sasak tribe event in North Lombok Regency

Gastronomy is a habit of eating to elements of religious, cultural, social, historical and economic values for a certain community, especially the sasak tribal community in Lombok. This study aims to identify and analyze: (1) Food gastronomic particle and (2) Food gastronomic processing and presentation techniques at the sasak tribal customary maulid event in North Lombok district. This research is a qualitative research and includes field research. This research was carried out in a certain community environment, namely the sasak tribe, especially in the northern Lombok district. The sampling technique is in the form of purposive sampling with special purposes epen gawe, ran, tribal council, and professional chefs in the field of culinary gastronomy. The data collection techniques used are observation, interview and documentation. The data analysis technique used is triangulation by drawing conclusions from the three data collections. The results showed that: (1) The gastronomic efficiency of food served at the sasak tribal traditional maulid event in North Lombok regency is divided into 3 classifications of types of dishes, namely vegetables (side dish), side dishes (main course), and traditional snacks (dessert) and (2) Processing techniques used in processing maulid nabi dishes, namely the deep fry, grill, steam, sautee, boil and simmer. As for serving dishes using a container in the form of a tray (nare) with begibung eating procedures.

Anti-obesity activity of lactic acid bacteria-starter-based kimchi in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

Previously, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and selected LAB-inoculated kimchi (SK) have anti-obesity activity in vitro. Herein, anti-obesity activity of SK was investigated in vivo. LAB-uninoculated kimchi (NK) and SK were orally administered (70 mg/kg) for 8 weeks to high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. The body weight, food efficiency rate (FER), and body composition were measured. Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), adipocytokine, and lipid profiles and lipid accumulation levels were assessed. The effects of SK on microbiome changes were investigated. In kimchi groups, body weight, body fat, and organ weight and lipid profiles in low GOT and GPT levels significantly decreased (p < 0.05); serum adiponectin and leptin levels increased and decreased, respectively. Kimchi significantly decreased obesity-related gene expression and lipid accumulation (p < 0.05). Kimchi corrected HFD-induced gut microbiome imbalance, notably with more reliable recovery in the SK group. Its in vivo confirmed anti-obesity activity supports using kimchi's health functionalities.

Development of Fortified Biscuit with Acid and Sweet Whey Proteins and Its Effects on Body Weight, Indices of Body Composition and Antioxidant Capacity in Rats

The effect of sweet (SW) and acid whey (AW) proteins on body weight (BW) and composition (BC), and antioxidant capacity (AC) is uncertain. We dehydrated SW and AW proteins obtained from local white cheese and labneh production lines, developed biscuits containing these protein powders and evaluated biscuits' sensory attributes and proximate nutrient contents, and investigated their effects on BW, indices of BC, and AC in rats. Four types of biscuit were prepared: plain (PB), albumin (ALB), SWB, and AWB. Five isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets containing Albumin (control), PB, ALB, SWB, and AWB were used. Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, 10 were sacrificed at the start, and the remainder were randomly assigned to the five diet groups (10 rats/ group) and fed for four weeks. BW, food (FI) and water (WI) intake, food efficiency ratio (FER), serum AC, liver weight (LW), Lee index (LI), body mass index (BMI), length, and abdomen (AS) and chest (CC) circumferences were measured following standard protocols. AW was higher in ash and fat whereas lower in carbohydrates but similar to SW in protein and moisture contents. ALB had the highest protein content, AWB had the most increased fat and ash contents, and SWB had the highest moisture content. PB had the highest carbohydrates and the lowest ash contents among the other biscuits. PB and SWB were the best in all sensory attributes tested and the overall acceptability compared to other biscuits. The four biscuit diets kept similar BW, whereas the control diet kept the highest BMI, LI, and LW, which was also not significantly different from the initial group. Animals fed the PB diet had the most increased length, abdomen, AS, and CC, whereas these measurements were lowest in animals fed SWB and AWB diets which were not different from the control. Animals fed the AWB diet had the highest WI, but all other diets were not significantly different from the control diet in FI and FER. Serum AC was the highest in animals fed SWB and AWB diets that were insignificantly different from the initial group, whereas it was the lowest in PB and AWB diets. Given their sensory attributes and effects on AC and BW status, SW and AW may be used as protein substitutes in bakery products; however, further studies are warranted.&#x0D; Keywords: Body weight, Sweet whey, Acidic whey, Proximate nutrients, Body composition, Antioxidant capacity, Rat.

A Survey on Blockchain Based Solution for Agriculture Supply Chain Management

Abstract: Agriculture, a practice that spans thousands of years, has always been at the heart of human civilization. Throughout history, agriculture has continuously adapted to meet the needs of growing populations and ensure food quality, traceability, and efficiency. Recent advancements in blockchain technology have brought about significant positive changes in the agricultural sector. Blockchain has found a valuable role in agriculture, enhancing transparency, traceability, and trust throughout the supply chain. This paper provides an in-depth survey of how blockchain has impacted various aspects of agriculture, discusses the challenges it faces, and considers the promising future it holds for the industry. As blockchain adoption in agriculture continues to evolve, it promises to revolutionize the way we produce and distribute food, ensuring a more efficient, secure, and sustainable supply chain.

A Review on Smart Canteen Management System

Abstract: The Smart Canteen App is a cutting-edge digital solution designed to revolutionize the traditional canteen experience in educational institutions, corporate offices, and other food service environments. This innovative mobile application leverages technology to streamline the entire process of ordering, payment, and food pickup, enhancing convenience and efficiency for both customers and canteen operators. By integrating modern technology, the Smart Canteen App offers an efficient, convenient, and user-centric dining experience, benefiting both customers and canteen operators. In today’s fast-moving world, there is a need of quick and efficient service in every sector of life for public in general. There are many employees and students use canteen and food facilities in their workplace and institutions on daily basis, there is a need to provide quick service at billing counters. This work is focused at developing an efficient smart canteen management system. As canteen in colleges get extremely crowded nowadays, so in this project, concentrate on fast service of food to the users to reduce paper work and save the time of the student by avoiding long queue and to keep things organized. This will satisfy all the customers need and overall sale of the canteen will increase. This application program reduces the manual work for managing the Canteen. Students can place their order through the emenu available on the mobile application which would be further transferred to the canteen. The student can therefore know their order details and the order progress through the mobile application. The canteen manages the students order and keeps updating the progress of the order through their web application. The admin manages the student and canteen through the web application. The app boasts an intuitive user interface that enables users to browse through menus, select food items, and customize their orders with ease. The app facilitates online ordering, enabling customers to place their orders remotely, reducing waiting times, and ensuring their meals are ready when they arrive. Users can customize their orders to accommodate dietary restrictions, allergies, and personal preferences, ensuring a personalized dining experience. Secure payment options are integrated into the app, allowing users to make cashless

A bioactive compound digested chia protein is capable of modulating NFκB mediated hepatic inflammation in mice fed a high-fat diet

The consumption of diets high in saturated fat can induce damages in liver morphology and function, which leads to increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and hepatic steatosis. Chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) is rich in protein, which provides bioactive peptides with potential benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions. Then, this study aimed to analyze the effect of digested total protein (DTP) of chia on inflammation, oxidative stress, and morphological changes in liver of C57BL/6 mice fed a diet rich in saturated fat. Male C57BL/6 mice (n = 8/group), 8 weeks old, were fed standard diet (AIN), high-fat diet (HF), standard diet added digested protein (AIN + DTP) or high-fat diet added digested protein (HF + DTP) for 8 weeks. In animals fed a high-fat diet, chia DTP was able to reduce weight gain, food efficiency ratio and hepatosomatic index. In addition, it presented antioxidant capacity, which reduced catalase activity and lipid peroxidation. DTP was also able to reduce hepatic inflammation by reducing p65-NFκB expression and IL-1β expression and quantification. The APSPPVLGPP peptide present in chia DTP presented binding capacity with PPAR-α, which contributed to the reduction of hepatic fat accumulation evidenced by histological analysis. Thus, chia DTP improved hepatic inflammatory and histological parameters, being an effective food in reducing the liver damage caused by a high-fat diet.

Investigating the Antimicrobial Efficiency of Staple Food Against Enteric Pathogens

Background: The advent of antibiotics has significantly decreased human death rates. However, the problem of antibiotic overuse and the number of individuals who maintain a suspicious and defensive stance towards medicines remain unresolved concerns. Hence, it is important to investigate the antibacterial efficacy of commonly consumed dietary items. Results and Discussion: This research examined the antibacterial activity of thirteen different daily vegetables and fruits. Among them, the extract from Citrus limon (Eureka) had the highest efficacy as an antibacterial agent against Gram-positive bacteria. The study involved quantifying the antibacterial efficacy of Citrus limon (Eureka) extract by measuring the diameter of the antibacterial zone and determining the cell concentration in the sample using an Ultraviolet Spectrometer. The results revealed a positive correlation between the antibacterial ability of the extract and its quantity, as well as a negative correlation between the inhibition degree of S. aureus and the quantity of Citrus limon (Eureka) extract. Conclusion: The study revealed that the extract derived from Citrus limon (Eureka) has robust antibacterial properties against gram-positive bacteria while demonstrating no discernible effect on gram-negative bacteria.

Spatial market integration during a pandemic: Evidence from food markets in Nigeria

AbstractThis paper uses comprehensive and long time series monthly food price data and a panel dyadic regression framework to evaluate the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and associated policy responses on spatial market integration across a diverse set of food items in Nigeria. The empirical results reveal several important insights. First, we show that a significant slowdown in the speed of adjustment and price transmission occurred during the pandemic. For some food items, the speed of adjustment and, by implication, spatial market integration weakened by two‐ to‐threefold after the outbreak of the pandemic. The effect was especially pronounced for perishable food items. Second, lockdown measures and the spread of the pandemic triggered additional dispersion in market prices across markets. For example, lockdown measures were associated with a 5%–10% reduction in the speed of readjustment toward long‐term equilibrium. Third, additional underlying attributes of markets, including lack of access to digital infrastructure and distance between markets, exacerbated impacts associated with the pandemic. For instance, access to Internet service reduced the slowdown in the speed of adjustment caused by the pandemic, but longer distances between market pairs induced greater slowdown in the speed of price transmission. Our findings offer important insights for revitalizing the efficiency of food markets affected by the pandemic. The heterogenous impacts of the pandemic across value chains and markets reinforce the need to properly target post‐pandemic recovery interventions and investments. Finally, we offer some insights to reduce the vulnerability of food and market systems to disruptions in future pandemics or similar phenomena that inhibit food marketing and trade.

Single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy generates sustained improvement of glycemic control compared with sleeve gastrectomy in the diet-induced obese rat model.

Bariatric surgery has become a recognized and effective procedure for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our objective was to directly compare the caloric intake-independent effects of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and single anastomosis duodenoileal bypass with SG (SADI-S) on glucose tolerance in rats with diet-induced obesity (DIO) and to elucidate the differences between bariatric surgery and caloric restriction.A total of 120 adult male Wistar rats with DIO and insulin resistance were randomly assigned to surgical (sham operation, SG, and SADI-S) and dietary (pair-feeding the amount of food eaten by animals undergoing the SG or SADI-S surgeries) interventions. Body weight and food intake were weekly monitored, and 6weeks after interventions, fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose and insulin tolerance tests, plasma insulin, adiponectin, GIP, GLP-1, and ghrelin levels were determined.The body weight of SADI-S rats was significantly (p < 0.001) lower as compared to the sham-operated, SG, and pair-fed groups. Furthermore, SADI-S rats exhibited decreased whole body fat mass (p < 0.001), lower food efficiency rates (p < 0.001), and increased insulin sensitivity, as well as improved glucose and lipid metabolism compared to that of the SG and pair-fed rats.SADI-S was more effective than SG, or caloric restriction, in improving glycemic control and metabolic profile, with a higher remission of insulin resistance as well as long-term weight loss.

Ensuring Food Safety In The Digital Age: IoT Solutions For Food Quality Monitoring

This paper presents an IoT-based food quality monitoring system designed to enhance food safety and quality control. The system integrates sensors to collect real-time data on parameters like temperature and humidity, and utilizes it for analysis. It offers real-time alerts when deviations from quality standards occur. This research explores the system's architecture, sensor choices, and potential benefits in improving food safety and efficiency in the food supply chain. This IoT system holds the potential to transform food quality control and ensure safer food products.

How to Achieve Profit Growth by Optimizing Operational Resources Based on Total Efficiency in Food and Beverage Companies in Indonesia

This study aims to analyze resource optimization on the basis of total efficiency in achieving profit growth in manufacturing companies in Indonesia. Detailed investigations are empirically focused on external financing strategies and the effectiveness of asset management oriented on the basis of total efficiency to achieve profit growth.&#x0D; This study uses a quantitative approach to the explanation of intermediation regression. With a total sample of 12 manufacturing companies in the national food and beverage sector for five years. Financial data analysis methods include descriptive analysis and inferential analysis.&#x0D; The results of this study indicate that Profit Growth can only be significantly affected by Total Efficiency. Leverage is not able to significantly influence Total Efficiency, while Asset Management is able to significantly influence Total Efficiency. Intervening variable Total Efficiency is not able to mediate the relationship between Leverage on Profit Growth and Asset Management on Profit Growth.

Exogenous inoculants enhance anaerobic digestion of food and kitchen waste: Metabolic and microbial mechanisms

Anaerobic digestion (AD) of food and kitchen wastes requires breaking the restriction of hydrolysis and improving efficiency. Hydrolytic microbiomes are often used to enhance the AD process, while the interaction of exogenous inoculants with indigenous communities is uncertain. This study investigated Lactobacillus lactis and Bacillus velezensis inoculants introduced in the strategy of biopretreatment and bioaugmentation to reveal the interaction of microbiomes and metabolic mechanisms. Results showed that both bioaugmentation (+47.8–58.7 %) and biopretreatment (+36.9–57.1 %) significantly enhanced the removal rate of crude cellulose. Whereas, introducing strategies elevated AD in different domains. Based on representative sequences and taxonomy, functional analyses indicated that bioaugmentation of Lactobacillus lactis could multiply the methanogenic pathway and promote the methane yield by 22.7–33.6 %, owing to the enhancement of syntrophic metabolism and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Bioaugmentation of Bacillus velezensis promoted the last key step of the methanogenesis process that related to heterodisulfide reductase and used COB-S-S-COM as the terminal electron acceptor. While biopretreatment groups were dominated by strict acetotrophic methanogenesis, Methanosaeta was above 76 %. Biopretreatment, which added inoculant for hydrolysis, was tactically superior in reducing the digestion retention time by enhancing the pathway of β-oxidation butyrate fermentation, shortening the lag time for 43.6–60.1 %. However, the methane yield decreased by 29.0–30.0 % due to the chemoheterotroph consumption. The combination of physicochemical pretreatment and bioaugmentation can achieve the highest methane production (+33.6 %). These results are expected to contribute to the rational application of exogenous inoculants and improve the AD efficiency of food and kitchen wastes.

SAT430 Effect Of Organochlorine Pesticides On Brown Adipose Thermogenesis

Abstract Disclosure: S. Huang: None. J.A. Jugan: None. J. Harrigan: None. A. Singla: None. V. Huang: None. C.M. Mann: None. M. La Merrill: None. Mammalian non-shivering thermogenesis is canonically controlled by β-adrenergic signaling in brown adipose tissue. The β-adrenergic receptors Adrb1, Adrb2, and Adrb3 receive the signals from upstream sympathetic neurons, activate adenylyl cyclase, and increase the expression of uncoupled protein-1 (UCP1) which dissipates energy to produce heat. The banned but persistent pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) along with its metabolite, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), jointly referred to as DDX, are consistently associated with increased risk of present-day obesity and type II diabetes. In addition, DDX reduced body temperature by reducing sympathetic axons innervation in mice. However, the effect of DDX on the expression of β-adrenergic receptors and thermogenesis in brown adipocytes and other mammals is unclear. Therefore, the association between DDX exposure and the expression of β-adrenergic receptors and thermogenesis in vitro and in vivo was investigated. To this aim, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed high-fat diet and gavage of either a very low dose DDX mixture (5.6μg/kg weekly for 4 weeks) or olive oil vehicle control. DDX caused a significant reduction in body temperature after two weeks without significant changes in caloric intake or food efficiency. Notably, among all the β-adrenergic receptors, only Adrb3, and Ucp1 were downregulated in the brown adipose of DDX-treated rats. These results suggest that DDX reduces body temperature by attenuating Adrb3 expression in rat brown adipose tissue. To test whether this could explain the previously observed risk of human obesity associated with DDX exposure, we used immortalized human brown adipocytes to evaluate the effect of DDX on the RNA expression of β-adrenergic receptors, UCP1, and thermogenic function. As observed in rat brown adipose, DDT and DDE each reduced the expression of ADRB3 and UCP1, but not ADRB1 or ADRB2 in immortalized human brown adipocytes. Further, DDT and DDE each decreased heat produced by the human brown adipocytes. In addition, the reduced expression of UCP1 in DDX-treated human brown adipocytes was dependent on the presence of adenylyl cyclase (AC) activator, forskolin, demonstrating that the expression of UCP1 can be rescued by bypassing the upstream β3-adrenergic receptor. In conclusion, this evidence supports the hypothesis that obesogenic pesticides, DDT and DDE, attenuate thermogenesis by impairing brown adipocyte expression of the β3-adrenergic receptor and UCP1 in several mammalian species. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Anti-Obesity Effects of the Larval Powder of Steamed and Lyophilized Mature Silkworms in a Newly Designed Adult Mouse Model.

Recently, "mature" silkworms (MS) of Bombix mori have been considered a potential nutraceutical, with a number of health benefits reported for steamed and lyophilized MS powder (SMSP). However, no obesity-related effects have been reported for SMSP. In the present study, anti-obesity effects of SMSP were investigated in adult mice in vivo, aged 12 weeks at the onset of SMSP treatment, fed a normal diet (ND) and a high-fat diet (HFD), respectively, for 12 weeks. SMSP significantly suppressed body weight gain, intra-abdominal adipose tissue, and food efficiency in both ND-fed and HFD-fed adult mice. In addition, SMSP significantly decreased food intake and liver weight in HFD-fed mice, indicating that SMSP suppressed appetite and simultaneously reduced the conversion of feed into body weight in HFD-fed mice. SMSP also significantly lowered the serum levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, asparagine transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase. However, SMSP had no significant effect on the weights of the kidney, spleen, or thymus or the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Taken together, the above results suggest that SMSP has potent anti-obesity effects and is safe for long-term use as a potential therapeutic and/or nutraceutical in both obese patients and non-obese individuals.

Efficiency Analysis of the Food and Beverage Industry in Tanzania: A Comparative Analysis

Purpose: This study examined the performance of food and beverage industries in Tanzania in terms of productive and technical efficiency. The specific objectives of the study were to evaluate the productive efficiency performance of food and beverage industries in Tanzania, to determine the level and trend of efficiency of food and beverage of food and beverage industry in Tanzania, and to assess the levels of productive efficiency performance in the food and beverage subsectors in Tanzania&#x0D; Methodology: The study used secondary data to achieve its objectives. The study employed a Panel data analysis technique using 40 companies in the manufacturing sector over a period of three years, 2018-2020. A stochastic frontier production model was applied using a linearized Translog production function to determine the performance elasticity coefficients of inputs and technical efficiency. The study used production theory advanced by Koutsoyiannis (1979) to explain the relatonship between input and output factors.&#x0D; Findings: One of the key findings was that the level and trend of efficiency in food and beverage industry demonstrated an upward trend for the period between 2018 and 2020 as evidenced by the changes in average in both food and beverage sub-sector which grew from 0.776 in 2018 to 0.7557 in 2019 and finally to 0.7746 in 2020. Another finding of the study was that, the individual productive efficiency distribution between food and beverage sub-sector revealed that beverage sub-sector performs much better than food sub-sectors, with an average technical efficiency of 77.85% and 81.36% for both food and beverage sub-sectors, respectively.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study’s unique contributions to theory include its assessment of efficiency levels, analysis of efficiency trends, and exploration of sector-specific variations. Its practical contributions encompass policy recommendations, guidance on modernization and technology adoption, and the importance of skills development and export promotion. These insights have direct implications for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and practitioners in Tanzania's food and beverage sector, aiding in the formulation of effective strategies to enhance efficiency and competitiveness.&#x0D; The study recommends that the government and other stakeholders comes up with policy reforms to address the underlying factors contributing to the underutilization of each firm’s production capacity. This includes reforming the input market in the manufacturing sector in order to increase the level of efficiency to 100%. There should be establishment of an efficient marketing mechanism that reduces the involvement of many parties in the supply chain and hence high transaction costs.

Effect of dietary supplementation of vitamin C-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on growth, immune-physiological parameters, and resistance of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei to Vibrio harveyi challenge

The goal of this research was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of vitamin C-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (VC-CSNPs) on the antioxidant activity, disease resistance, non-specific immunity, and gene expression of the whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei which was fed for eight weeks and challenged with Vibrio harveyi. Antioxidants included in food were believed to reduce oxidative stress and boost immunity. CSNPs and VC-CSNPs were prepared by ionotropic gelation method and the particles were characterized by FTIR, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Zetasizer analysis. The results confirmed the formation of spherical structure of VC-CSNPs with a mean particle size in the range of 95–100 nm, respectively having positive zeta potential (+ 29.84 mV). Vitamin C (VC), a crucial antioxidant was incorporated into Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) to increase its bioavailability and was treated orally to L. vannamei which was both challenged and nonchallenged by Vibrio harveyi. These experimental tests showed that nonchallenged shrimp fed vitamin C-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (VC-CSNPs) showed considerably improved (p ≤ 0.05) body weight, level of food efficiency, and survival percentage. Shrimp fed VC-CSNPs showed a significant improvement (p ≤ 0.05) in immunological parameters such as phenoloxidase, transglutaminase, respiratory burst, total hemocyte counts, and disease resistance. In addition, substantial improvement of relative gene expression of lectin, lysozyme, and cMnSOD was detected in the VC-CSNPs fed groups. Results pointed out that the combination of vitamin C and CSNPs exerted immunostimulatory effects on shrimp (L. vannamei) and could be used as a dietary supplement for pathogenic aquatic organisms.