Fresh Apple Research Articles

Organic heterostructure modified carbon nitride as apprehension for Quercetin Biosensor

An electrochemical quercetin (Q.R.) sensor based on carbon nitride (CN) copolymerized with 2,6-diaminoantandantquinone (DAQ) was assembled. The product has a humongous texture and excellent processability. The as-synthesized samples with uniform surface distribution were characterized by UV-Vis-spectroscopy, PL, XPS NMR, EPR, XRD, FT-IR, BET, and SEM. Furthermore, samples were electrochemically pickled in 0.1 MPBS solution via cyclic voltammetry (CV) for Q.R. electrochemical response, interference research, electrochemical active surface determination, stability, photocurrent and EIS. It was found that current response surges in a linear way with increasing Q.R. concentration from 0.015 µM to 260 µM with less than 2 s of response time and a recognition limit of 0.0025 µM. To assess this sample's feasibility to be used as a sensor, Q.R. content was determined in different real samples comprising green drink, fresh apple, lamella, and reasonable results were achieved. The current study proposed a new approach for identifying Q.R. as well as a novel breed of electrochemical detecting material.

Apple Tepache fermented with tibicos: Changes in chemical profiles, antioxidant activity and inhibition of digestive enzymes

The effect of adding tibicos in traditional beverage (Tepache) made from apple nectar fermentation on microbial populations, phenolic profile, antioxidant activities, and inhibition of digestive enzymes was evaluated. Apple nectar was obtained from fresh apples and fermented at 25°C for 168 hr without initiator inoculum (Te/s) and with tibicos as initiator inoculum (Te/ti). The obtained results of bacterial growth indicate 120 hr to growth without inoculum (tibicos), in comparison with 96 hr in fermentations added with tibicos. The addition of tibicos impacted on the phenolic profile of the beverage, during the fermentation process. In general, levels of protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, catechin, epicatechin, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, and phlorizin were the predominant phenolic compounds in the beverage. Principal component analysis demonstrated that quercetin 3-O-glucoside, quercetin, taxifolin, and phlorizin have the highest reducing power and are closely related to the ability to inhibit α-glucosidase, while the epicatechin and chlorogenic acid levels are related to the highest response on oxygen radical absorbance capacity. Novelty impact statement The use of tibicos to obtain a traditional fermented beverage (Tepache) from apple nectar showed increased level of quercetin 3-O-glucose, quercetin, taxifolin, and phlorizin; in comparison with spontaneous fermented beverages, these phenolic compounds have highest reducing power. Also, epicatechin and chlorogenic acids show higher values in Tepache obtained with starter cultures, and they were related to the high oxygen radical absorbance capacity. On the other hand, important increase in catechin, eriodyctiol, naringenin, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid related with tibicos fermentation showed a positive relationship with free radical scavenging activity.

The Use of Temporal Check-All-That-Apply and Category Scaling by Experienced Panellists to Evaluate Sweet and Dry Ciders

Cider is a growing market in North America, but more studies need to be completed to fully understand ciders’ sensory properties. The primary objective of this study was to identify the differences in the sensory properties of ciders described as “sweet” or “dry” using both static (category scales) and dynamic (temporal check-all-that-apply, TCATA) sensory methodologies. The secondary objective was to evaluate experienced panellists with a familiar methodology (category scales) and an unfamiliar methodology (TCATA). The sweet ciders were characterized by sweet, floral, cooked apple, and fresh apple attributes, and they had a sour aftertaste. The dry ciders were found to be bitter, sour, earthy, and mouldy, and they had a sour and bitter aftertaste. The experienced panellists produced reproducible results using both methodologies; however, they did not find small differences between the cider samples. Future research should investigate a wider range of cider and investigate ciders’ aftertaste. More studies need to be completed on experienced panellists and on when researchers and the food industry should use them.

Effect of Processing and Storage on the Quality of Beetroot and Apple Mixed Juice.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the development of health-promoting and disease-preventing functional foods. Beetroot is a promising vegetable because of its outstanding antioxidant activity, vivid colour, and content of bioactive compounds. In the present study, the quality of pure beetroot and apple juices as well as that of their mixture was evaluated by measuring changes of colour, betalain content, and antioxidant activity during processing and storage. No perceivable colour changes of the beetroot juice were observed after adding apple juice up to 85% of the total amount. However, the antioxidant activity was proportionally reduced with the addition of apple juice. Pasteurization negatively affected the content of betalains but did not influence the antioxidant activity. Storage led to colour modifications and reduction of betalains and antioxidant activity. Through preliminary shelf-life studies, a durability of 65 days at room temperature for apple and beetroot juice blends was calculated. The novelty of this study lies in an extended description of physico-chemical characteristics of a fresh apple and beetroot blended juice obtained from local products, in the study of the effects of processing and storage on its quality, and in the estimation of its shelf-life after storage at different temperatures.

Metarhizium anisopliae reduces conidial germination and mycelium growth of the apple gray mold Botrytis cinerea

Fresh apple market is affected every year by losses caused by fungi invasion and spoilage, with Botrytis cinerea one of the main responsible pathogens. The objective of this study was the characterization of the in vitro antagonistic activity of Metarhizium anisopliae Ma70 against Botrytis cinerea and its trial on apple fruit. The antagonism was tested by dual cultures, cellophane membrane assay and the effect of M. anisopliae crude extract over conidia germination and mycelium growth of B. cinerea. The trials on apple fruit evaluated crude and semi purified extracts activity against apple gray mold. Antifungal volatile organic compounds produced during the process were determined using GC–MS. We observed that M. anisopliae (Ma70), reduced the B. cinerea growth by 60–63% (P < 0.01). Pathogen’s mycelium is degraded, even without physical contact. Cellophane tests showed that growth inhibition by antibiosis reach a 88%. The Ma70 extracts affects conidia germination (92%) and mycelial growth (50–80%) of B. cinerea. The phytopathogen suffers membrane lipoperoxidation by the effect of antagonist extracts, the malondialdehyde production was increased by a factor of two, in mycelium and in the culture medium. We observed that crude (CE) and semi-purified (SPE) MA70 extracts reduced the damage caused by B. cinerea in apple. The B. cinerea growth inhibition by the VOCs produced by Ma70 was different depending on the culture media, with the highest inhibition effect (75%) seen in sabouraud dextrose agar plus yeast extract. Twenty-eight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified in CE (mainly oxalic acid) and 13 in SPE (mainly octane,1-methoxy). Only 1-Octanol appears in both CE and SPE. M. anisopliae Ma70 can be an effective treatment for biocontrol of the apple gray mold disease, producing compounds that inhibited conidia germination and mycelium growth of B. cinerea.

Alternative postharvest pre-treatment strategies for quality and microbial safety of ‘Granny Smith’ apple

Over the years, chemical pre-treatments have been used intensively to maintain apple quality and reduce decay during postharvest. This conduct has been reported to have a negative impact on environment and human health. This study aimed to investigate alternative approaches such as hot water (HW) and electrolyzed water (WE) treatments for decay management of ‘Granny Smith’ apples. Two different sets of experiments were set up for this study. In experiment 1, the effects of HW treatment (45 °C) under varying dipping durations (5, 10 and 15 min) on physicochemical quality of apple were investigated. In experiment 2, the curative efficacy of slightly alkaline electrolyzed water (SAl-EW) (50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg L−1) against Botrytis cinerea was investigated. Hot water treatment duration (15 min) had beneficial effects on flesh firmness, fruit colour, total soluble solid (TSS) and titritable acidity (TA) by the end of the storage. In contrast, a significant reduction in fruit weight and TA values (p < 0.05) were observed in control fruit. The SAl-EW treatments against B. cinerea resulted in a significant reduction in lesion zones compared to the untreated control fruit. Curative efficacy was most effective at concentrations of 200–500 mg L−1 for 5 °C and 300–500 mg L−1 for 24 °C. These findings suggest the potential of combining lower concentrations of SAl-EW with other hurdle techniques for better preservation of fresh apples.

ANALISIS NILAI TAMBAH KERIPIK APEL DI INDUSTRI RUMAH TANGGA ANDHINI KOTA BATU

Apple fruit is the icon of Kota Batu. Some agroindustries in Kota Batu have been processing apple fruit to another food products, like apple juice, apple chips, and ‘dodol apel’. Andhini home industry is the one of some agroindustries in Kota Batu which have been processing apple fruit to apple chips. By processing apple fruit to apple chips would provide added value to apple fruit, raising its economic value, and longer its shelf life. In one month Andhini home industry could produce 1.160 kg apple chips from 6.000 kg apples. This study purposed to determine the value added of apple chips production from fresh apple fruit at Andhini home industry. Interviews and field observations were done to collect data. Hayami Method was used to analyze the value added of processing fresh apple fruit to apple chips. The analyzes results showed that processing fresh apple fruit to apple chips at Andhini home industry was Rp 2.899,09 per kilogram and the ratio of value added is 19,69 persen. This value added was classified in medium added value. Fringe benefit of the production factor, that is the labor was 15,59%, other inputs was 74,18%, and the company owner was 10,23%.

Effect of the Addition of Non-Saccharomyces at First Alcoholic Fermentation on the Enological Characteristics of Cava Wines

Background: Cava is considered to be a high-quality wine internationally. Hence, it has undergone consistent improvement and/or the preservation of its aromatic qualities, bouquet, color, and foamability, throughout its elaboration and aging. Methods: This study investigates the use of different Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts strains (Torulaspora delbrueckii and Metschnikowia pulcherrima) in Chardonnay and Xarel.lo cava wines. The usual enological parameters, the volatile composition, the protein contents, and foamability were determined, and sensory analyses were also performed for all of the vinifications (both before tirage and after 18 months of aging on the lees). Results: the protein and foamability results show that there is a direct relationship between both parameters, with better foam persistence achieved in some non-Saccharomyces fermentation. M. pulcherrima base wines showed a high protein content, improving foamability and foaming persistence. In addition, the results of the aromatic composition and the sensory analysis showed that the use of T. delbrueckii at first fermentation produced interesting cavas from an aromatic perspective. These cavas showed the highest values of ethyl isovalerate (120–126 µg/L), providing aromatic fruity notes, especially fresh green apple. Conclusions: the use of non-Saccharomyces yeasts in the base wine fermentation can be an alternative to produce cavas with differentiated aromatic characteristics and interesting foaming ability.

Conocimiento cinético y termodinámico de una poligalacturonasa: Un biocatalizador para la clarificación industrial de jugos de frutas

In this study, complete purification, characterization, and immobilization of polygalacturonase (pectinase) from Penicillium notatum were carried out to achieve an economical and suitable alternative for industrial fruit juice clarification. Biosynthesis of polygalacturonase was carried out under pre-optimized conditions employing solid-state fermentation at a pilot scale using wheat bran. The enzyme was subjected to a series of steps for purification including ion-exchange chromatography. After that, the purified enzyme was characterized and its kinetics and thermodynamic parameters along with the effect of immobilization on its performance were studied. Finally, a purified acidic enzyme was tested for its clarifying abilities on fresh apple juice. Purification fold of 2.98 was attained with increased specific activity of 256U/mg. Purified polygalacturonase showed a molecular weight of 38 kDa, optimum temperature of 50°C, optimum pH of 5, 50% stability at 50°C, and 84% stability at pH 5. The “Vmax” and “Km” of the enzyme were evaluated to be 250U/mg and 0.11mg/mL, respectively for hydrolyzing pectin. From the Arrhenius plot, activation energy (Ea), enthalpy of activation (ΔH), and entropy of activation (ΔS) were found to be 6.35 KJ/mol, 3.67 KJ/mol, and -1.1KJ/mol, respectively. Among metal ions, most of the tested Organic solvents and inhibitors inhibited the activity. Nano emulsion-based pectinase exhibited better stability. The enzyme was found to be an effective agent for the clarification of fresh apple juice.

Prevalence of Listeria Species on Food Contact Surfaces in Washington State Apple Packinghouses.

The 2014 caramel apple listeriosis outbreak was traced back to cross-contamination between food contact surfaces (FCS) of equipment used for packing and fresh apples. For Washington state, the leading apple producer in the United States with 79% of its total production directed to the fresh market, managing the risk of apple contamination with Listeria monocytogenes within the packing environment is crucial. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of Listeria spp. on FCS in Washington state apple packinghouses over two packing seasons and to identify those FCS types with the greatest likelihood to harbor Listeria spp. Five commercial apple packinghouses were visited quarterly over two consecutive year-long packing seasons. A range of 27 to 50 FCS were swabbed at each facility to detect Listeria spp. at two sample times, (i) postsanitation and (ii) in-process (3 h of packinghouse operation), following a modified protocol of the FDA's Bacteriological Analytical Manual method. Among 2,988 samples tested, 4.6% (n = 136) were positive for Listeria spp. Wax coating was the unit operation from which Listeria spp. were most frequently isolated. The FCS that showed the greatest prevalence of Listeria spp. were polishing brushes, stainless steel dividers and brushes under fans/blowers, and dryer rollers. The prevalence of Listeria spp. on FCS increased throughout apple storage time. The results of this study will aid apple packers in controlling for contamination and harborage of L. monocytogenes and improving cleaning and practices for sanitation of the FCS on which Listeria spp. are the most prevalent.IMPORTANCE Since 2014, fresh apples have been linked to outbreaks and recalls associated with postharvest cross-contamination with the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes These situations drive both public health burden and economic loss and underscore the need for continued scrutiny of packinghouse management to eliminate potential Listeria niches. This research assesses the prevalence of Listeria spp. on FCS in apple packinghouses and identifies those FCS most likely to harbor Listeria spp. Such findings are essential for the apple-packing industry striving to further understand and exhaustively mitigate the risk of contamination with L. monocytogenes to prevent future listeriosis outbreaks and recalls.

From biorefinery of microalgal biomass to vacuum impregnation of fruit. A multidisciplinary strategy to develop innovative food with increased nutritional properties

A multi-disciplinary approach based on the biorefinery of microalgae biomass (Chlorella sorokiniana) to remove the lipid fraction responsible of the green color and the ‘fishy’ aroma and vacuum impregnation technique to create innovative apple snacks with improved nutritional properties has been investigated. The pressure (150 mbar – 650 mbar), vacuum time (1–7 min) and relaxation time (3–13 min) were modulated by using a Box-Behnken experimental design. The filling of apple pores occurred with a maximum gaining weight of 19.5% and a reduction of porosity fraction from 15.32% to less than 5% but only the pressure and relaxation time significantly affect the level of impregnation. While the texture did not show any difference compared to fresh apples, the color of impregnated apple was affected with minor change in comparison. Industrial relevanceResults positively fuel the food chain sustainability by proposing multidisciplinary tools that combine microalgae cultivation, biorefinery and vacuum impregnation processing capable to improve the nutritional quality of fruit products. Biorefinery is proved to be an essential technology for fractionating chemical compounds from raw microalgae and improving their potential use in food industry as source of nutrient by eliminating some undesired components such as lipid fractions related to the fishy aroma. Finally, the obtained results may be used as basic protocols for the optimization of VI treatments aiming to enrich fruit product of proteins and micronutrients.

Development of a bidimensional analysis approach for n–butanol and electricity production in apple pomace biorefineries in a Mexican context

Apple pomace (AP) is a by-product generated from the transformation of fresh apple into different products of the food industry; however, it remains largely underutilized. This work presents a proposal and bidimensional analysis (economic and environmental) for biorefineries to produce n–butanol, acetone, and ethanol, utilizing AP in a Mexican context. The biorefinery was simulated by using the software SuperPro Designer v.11.0 ®. This study evaluated the impact of seasonality, plant capacity, and the fermentation technology on n–butanol total production cost (TPC). The two proposed fermentation schemes were evaluated as follows: (a) standard fermentation biorefinery (SFB) that proposes the use of a pure culture for the fermentation of soluble sugars into ABE and the cellulosic fraction is burned to produce steam and power; and (b) a hybrid biorefinery fermentation scheme (HBFS) that produces ABE from soluble sugars and the cellulosic fraction is fermented to produce additional ABE employing an anaerobic consortium. Seasonality impacts at higher extent TPC than the plant capacity by 80% compared with 60%, respectively. Results have shown a n–butanol TPC of $1.32/kg and $0.71/kg for SFB and HBFS, respectively, for a plant capacity of 500 metric tons of AP per day. The environmental indicators for SFB and HSBF are 4.05 × 102 and 0.61 × 102 gCO2eq/MJout; 2.2 and 1.1 LFresh water/MJout; and 2.3 × 102 and 6.2 × 103 kgdisposable waste/MJout, respectively. The economic indicators for SFB and HSBF are 5.41 and 5.41 MJout/kgsoluble sugar; 7.99 × 107 and 2.04 × 107 USD/MJout; 2.04 × 10−4 and 6.2 × 10−4 MJout/MJTransport; and 8.30 × 10−5 and 1.7 × 10−3 ΔUSD/USDTotal Import, respectively.

Determination of the mixing extent of sugar from C4 plants in juice using the isotopic signature of carbon (δ13C) in sugar

The objective of this study was to apply a method for estimating the mixing extent of C4 sugar in juice (apple) based on the fingerprinting of carbon stable isotope (δ13C). The values of δ13C in sugar separated from fresh apples, pure apple juices as well as sugar produced from C4 plants (plants conduct C4 cycle photo-synthesis, in this case, it was sugar canes) were analysed on an isotope ratio mass spectrometer equipped with an elemental analyzer (EA IRMS). The results showed that the δ13C in sugar separated from fresh apples was in the range of -27.00 to -24.00‰ with an average of -25.47‰ (n=6) vs. VPDB standard (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite). Meanwhile, the δ13C in sugar cane products ranged from -13.00 to -11.00‰, with an average of -12,47‰ vs. VPDB. Based on the isotope signature of carbon (δ13C) and the two end-members mixing model, the extent of mixing C4 sugar in apple juice available on the market could be estimated precisely. It was found one out of 9 apple juice samples available in the Hanoi markets to have a high content of C4 sugar mixed in the product, it was up to 96% instead of 5% as proclaimed on the label. The developed method seems to be of high accuracy so it was advisable to wider its application in the evaluation of the quality of juices available at the markets in Vietnam to ensure the right of the consumers.

Intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation pattern in wethers fed total mixed ration silage containing dry or fresh apple pomace

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Oral birch pollen immunotherapy with apples: Results of a phase II clinical pilot study

BackgroundSeventy percent of patients suffering from birch pollen allergy (BPA) develop a pollen‐related food allergy (prFA), especially to apples, due to a clinically relevant cross‐reactivity between the major allergen in birch Bet v 1 and Mal d 1 in apples. Therefore allergen‐specific immunotherapy with fresh apples (AITA) could be a promising natural treatment of both BPA and prFA.ObjectiveTo assess the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy by daily apple consumption for patients with BPA and prFA.MethodsA daily defined increasing amount of selected cultivars (Red Moon®, Pink Lady®, Topaz, Golden Delicious) was continuously consumed by 16 patients (12 female; median age; 50; range, 23–68 years), leading to increased intake of allergen over a period of at least 8 months. Specific IgE and IgG4 to Bet v 1 and Mal d 1, conjunctival and oral provocation tests, skin reactivity, and the average daily rhinoconjunctivitis combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) were measured during the peak birch pollen season.ResultsAfter 8 months of therapy, patients showed increased tolerance to apples (p < .001) and a decreased skin reactivity to apples. Oral allergy syndrome to other birch prFA than apple also decreased (p < .05). Moreover, daily rhinoconjunctivitis CSMS declined by 34% (p < .001), as did conjunctival reactivity to birch pollen extract by 27% (p < .01), while specific IgG4 to Mal d 1 and Bet v 1 increased (p < .01).

Natural variations in a pectin acetylesterase gene, MdPAE10, contribute to prolonged apple fruit shelf life.

Room-temperature shelf life is a key factor in fresh market apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) quality and commercial value. To investigate the genetic and molecular mechanism underlying apple shelf life, quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified using bulked segregant analysis via sequencing (BSA-seq). Ethylene emission, flesh firmness, or crispness of apple fruit from 1,273 F1 plants of M. asiatica Nakai 'Zisai Pearl' × M. domestica 'Golden Delicious' were phenotyped prior to and during 6 wk of room-temperature storage. Segregation of ethylene emission and the flesh firmness or crispness traits was detected in the population. Thirteen QTL, including three major ones, were identified on chromosome 03, 08, and 16. A candidate gene encoding pectin acetylesterase, MdPAE10, from the QTL Z16.1 negatively affected fruit shelf life. A 379-bp deletion in the coding sequence of MdPAE10 disrupted its function. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MdPAE10 promoter region reduced its transcription activity. These findings provided insight into the genetic control of fruit shelf life and can be potentially used in apple marker-assisted selection.

Classification and Grading of Multiple Varieties of Apple Fruit

Fruit safety plays an important role in the economy of the world for the agriculture field. Recently, it has been noticed that fruits are affected by various diseases. This creates economic failure in the agriculture field across the world. The manual investigation of multiple varieties of an apple fruit is a burdensome task that can be minimized for quality evaluation for fresh and rotten fruits using automatic computerized methods. In this work, a novel method is implemented for multiple varieties of apple fruit quality evaluation. The six different varieties of apples i.e. Fuji, York, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Jonagold are used for image acquisition. Firstly, images are segmented by the grab-cut method and fuzzy c-means clustering. Secondly, multiple features statistical, textural, geometrical, discrete wavelet transform, a histogram of the oriented gradient, and Laws’ texture energy are extracted and selected by principal component analysis from the feature space. Lastly, the classification of fresh and rotten apples is done by applying k-NN, LR, SRC, and SVM classifiers. The cross-validation technique with distinct values of k is used to validate the performance of the system. The proposed method achieves 92.90% (k = 5), 98.42% (k = 10), and 95.27% (k = 15) accuracy by SVM classifier. It has been seen that the extraction of proper features and selection of features results in upgraded performance. Also, the state of the art techniques are comparable with the proposed algorithm showing the probability to use for multiple fruits.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on apple orchards in Europe

CONTEXTThe COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has affected global agricultural chains and intensified the issue of food insecurity worldwide. OBJECTIVEWe propose a short retrospective of the reported effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from its beginning in March 2020 in Europe, on orchard management and harvest, sales and agricultural chains, monitoring and research in orchards, and we expose some of the solutions undertaken to tackle down these issues. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONIn Europe, the fruit and vegetable sector has been affected by the pandemic in terms of production, distribution, and disturbance in market performance. Concerning apple, the most harvested and exported fruit in Europe, national governments, European institutions, the industry and producers have undertaken actions to ensure production and supply demand. Yet, stakeholders have faced several difficulties and additional costs for growth and harvest, sales, but also monitoring and research. However, European Union demand for fresh apples has increased during the pandemic. In addition, apple harvest has started a couple of months after the end of the first lockdown in most countries, and European apple orchards are usually in more flexible smallholder or family farms. Finally, the fruit itself has relatively long shelf-life comparatively to other fruits. For these main reasons, we argue that the apple sector might be more resilient than other fruit sectors or other cultures, despite the negative effects of seasonal workforce shortage and unstable market. The apple sector may suffer more from side-effects such as increasing labor, distribution, and packaging costs, than from actual stock and production issues. SIGNIFICANCEThe pandemic could be an opportunity to reconsider production modes and to innovate for the future of food production in different crop systems in Europe, including apple orchards.

Differential contributions of left-hemispheric language regions to basic semantic composition

Semantic composition, the ability to combine single words to form complex meanings, is a core feature of human language. Despite growing interest in the basis of semantic composition, the neural correlates and the interaction of regions within this network remain a matter of debate. We designed a well-controlled two-word fMRI paradigm in which phrases only differed along the semantic dimension while keeping syntactic information alike. Healthy participants listened to meaningful (“fresh apple”), anomalous (“awake apple”) and pseudoword phrases (“awake gufel”) while performing an implicit and an explicit semantic task. We identified neural signatures for distinct processes during basic semantic composition. When lexical information is kept constant across conditions and the evaluation of phrasal plausibility is examined (meaningful vs. anomalous phrases), a small set of mostly left-hemispheric semantic regions, including the anterior part of the left angular gyrus, is found active. Conversely, when the load of lexical information—independently of phrasal plausibility—is varied (meaningful or anomalous vs. pseudoword phrases), conceptual combination involves a wide-spread left-hemispheric network comprising executive semantic control regions and general conceptual representation regions. Within this network, the functional coupling between the left anterior inferior frontal gyrus, the bilateral pre-supplementary motor area and the posterior angular gyrus specifically increases for meaningful phrases relative to pseudoword phrases. Stronger effects in the explicit task further suggest task-dependent neural recruitment. Overall, we provide a separation between distinct nodes of the semantic network, whose functional contributions depend on the type of compositional process under analysis.

Decline of Listeria monocytogenes on fresh apples during long-term, low-temperature simulated international sea-freight transport

Listeria monocytogenes has caused outbreaks of foodborne illness from apples in the USA, and is also a major issue for regulatory compliance worldwide. Due to apple's significance as an important export product from New Zealand, we aimed to determine the effect of long-term, low-temperature sea-freight from New Zealand to the USA (July) and Europe (March–April), two key New Zealand markets, on the survival and/or growth of L. monocytogenes on fresh apples. Temperature and humidity values were recorded during a shipment to each market (USA and Europe), then the observed variations around the 0.5 °C target temperature were simulated in laboratory trials using open (‘Scired’) and closed (‘Royal Gala’ for the USA and ‘Cripps Pink’ for Europe) calyx cultivars of apples inoculated with a cocktail of 107–108 cells of seven strains of L. monocytogenes. Samples were analysed for L. monocytogenes quantification at various intervals during the simulation and on each occasion, an extra set was analysed after a subsequent 8 days at 20 °C. When both the sea-freight simulations concluded, L. monocytogenes showed 5 log reductions on the equatorial surface of skin of apples, but only about 2.5 log reduction for USA and about 3.3 log reduction for Europe in the calyx. Cultivar type had no significant effect on the survival of L. monocytogenes for both sea-freight simulations, either in the calyx or on the skin (P > 0.05). Most of the reduction in the culturable cells on the skin occurred during the initial 2 weeks of the long-term storage simulations. There was also no significant difference in the reduction of L. monocytogenes at 0.5 or 20 °C. No correlation was observed between firmness or total soluble solids and survival of L. monocytogenes. Because the inoculated bacterial log reduction was lower in the calyx than on the skin, it is speculated that the risk of causing illness is higher if contaminated apple cores are eaten. The result suggested that the international sea-freight transportation does not result in the growth of L. monocytogenes irrespective of time and temperature. The results of this study provide useful insights into the survival of L. monocytogenes on different apple cultivars that can be used to develop effective risk mitigation strategies for fresh apples during long-term, low-temperature international sea-freight transportation.