Household Cooking Research Articles

PERANCANGAN SISTEM PENYIRAMAN TANAMAN CABAI OTOMATIS BERDASARKAN KADAR AIR DAN NUTRISI MENGGUNAKAN ARDUINO UNO

Chili is one of the plants with a characteristic spicy taste and is widely consumed by residents in Southeast Asian countries for household cooking needs as well as for the cooking and food seasoning industry. To obtain optimal chili production results, there are several variables which during the chili treatment process need to be constantly monitored, while these variables include temperature, water content and the amount of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design an automatic watering and monitoring system for chili plants using Arduino Uno based on temperature, water content and the amount of nutrients in the soil. The approach method used in completing this research is the demonstration application. From the results of the tests that have been carried out, it is known that the automatic watering and monitoring system on chili plants using Arduino Uno works well with a success rate of 90%.

Cooking outdoors or with cleaner fuels does not increase malarial risk in children under 5\xa0years: a cross-sectional study of 17 sub-Saharan African countries

BackgroundSmoke from solid biomass cooking is often stated to reduce household mosquito levels and, therefore, malarial transmission. However, household air pollution (HAP) from solid biomass cooking is estimated to be responsible for 1.67 times more deaths in children aged under 5 years compared to malaria globally. This cross-sectional study investigates the association between malaria and (i) cleaner fuel usage; (ii) wood compared to charcoal fuel; and, (iii) household cooking location, among children aged under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).MethodsPopulation-based data was obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for 85,263 children within 17 malaria-endemic sub-Saharan countries who were who were tested for malaria with a malarial rapid diagnostic test (RDT) or microscopy. To assess the independent association between malarial diagnosis (positive, negative), fuel type and cooking location (outdoor, indoor, attached to house), multivariable logistic regression was used, controlling for individual, household and contextual confounding factors.ResultsHousehold use of solid biomass fuels and kerosene cooking fuels was associated with a 57% increase in the odds ratio of malarial infection after adjusting for confounding factors (RDT adjusted odds ratio (AOR):1.57 [1.30–1.91]; Microscopy AOR: 1.58 [1.23–2.04]) compared to cooking with cleaner fuels. A similar effect was observed when comparing wood to charcoal among solid biomass fuel users (RDT AOR: 1.77 [1.54–2.04]; Microscopy AOR: 1.21 [1.08–1.37]). Cooking in a separate building was associated with a 26% reduction in the odds of malarial infection (RDT AOR: 0.74 [0.66–0.83]; Microscopy AOR: 0.75 [0.67–0.84]) compared to indoor cooking; however no association was observed with outdoor cooking. Similar effects were observed within a sub-analysis of malarial mesoendemic areas only.ConclusionCleaner fuels and outdoor cooking practices associated with reduced smoke exposure were not observed to have an adverse effect upon malarial infection among children under 5 years in SSA. Further mixed-methods research will be required to further strengthen the evidence base concerning this risk paradigm and to support appropriate public health messaging in this context.

Effect of various thermal processing methods and pretreatment methods to reduce phosphorus content of chicken meat for CKD patients

PurposeThe management of dietary phosphorus in chronic kidney disease patients is an important issue. Phosphorus is often found with protein in foods. However, excessive protein restriction worsens the nutritional status of the patient; thus, phosphorus must be selectively restricted. This study aims to assess the effects of various pretreatments readily available in ordinary households on phosphorus loss in foodstuffs.Design/methodology/approachThis study evaluated the retention of phosphorus in cooked chicken meat (boiled, baked, steamed and microwaved). In addition, this study incorporated various pretreatments (pounding, stabbing, cutting and enzymatic treatment) to the method exhibiting the lowest phosphorus retention (boiling) and assessed the effects on phosphorus retention.FindingsBoiling (65%, vs baking, p < 0.001; vs steaming, p = 0.013; vs microwaving, p = 0.002) of the chicken meat resulted in the lowest phosphorus retention compared to the other cooking methods (baking [89%], steaming [73%] and microwaving [75%]). In addition, stabbing (58%, p = 0.009) or cutting (46%, p < 0.001) further reduced the retention of phosphorus in boiled chicken meat. The retention of phosphorus in enzyme-pretreated boiled chicken was reduced by approximately 10% compared to untreated chicken (p = 0.01). The cooking method that reduced phosphorus retention to the greatest extent was enzyme treatment prior to cutting and boiling.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the effects of common household cooking methods and combinations of methods on the phosphorus content of meat.

Emission profiles of volatile organic compounds from various geological maturity coal and its clean coal briquetting in China

Coal is a dominant energy source used in household cooking and warming in rural China. Its combustions generate a large quantity of gaseous and particulate phase's pollutants. In between, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a critical class of chemical that shows strong environmental and health impacts. In this study, the VOC emission characteristics, influencing factors and briquette technology that affected the combustions of different maturity coals were investigated. Emission factors (EFs) of targeted non-methane VOCs (EFNMVOCs) for different coal samples ranged from 233 ± 89.8 to 1690 ± 722 mg/kg. The EFNMVOCs decreased with volatile content (VC). Besides, EFNMVOCs for the briquette coals showed 5.31–51.5% lower than that of the raw coals except the anthracite. Alkanes and alkenes are the two most dominated chemical groups, accounting for >50% of the total NMVOCs emissions. Coefficient of divergence (CD) values showed that a significant difference (>0.6) between the emissions of high-volatile and low-volatile raw coals, representing that the coal content should be sub-classified for either source apportionment or emission profile database development. Correlation analysis reported that VC is the most significant factor that correlated with EFNMVOCs (R = 0.78), while modified combustion efficiency (MCE) negatively correlated (R = −0.78). The calculations of ozone formation potentials (OFP) and secondary organic aerosol potentials (SOAP) deducted that alkenes and aromatics are the top two contributors to the formations of these secondary pollutants. In addition, the briquette technology has been proved to reduce both OFP and SOAP from coal combustions. Our results perceptibly support that the use of low VC coals could efficiently reduce the emissions of VOC and the formations of more environmental and health harm substances, and the application of briquetting technology also has a certain effect especially in bituminous coals. The key findings provide feasible solutions to improve regional air quality regarding residential coal combustion in northwest China.

Utilization of biogas as a source of electrical energy to support energy independent cages for dairy Cattle Farmers Group Sumber Sari, Ngablak, Magelang

The high monthly costs associated with the use of electrical energy for the production of dairy cowsheds at the KTT Sumber Sari, as well as the problem of PLN blackouts, have a negative impact on the smooth production process. Meanwhile, KTT Sumber Sari already has a 40 m3 biodigester that has only been used for household cooking. Problem identification, socialization, product development, and modification are the methods used in this program. The problem that has been solved as a result of this community service program is the provision of a biogas-fueled electric generator with a capacity of 5 kWatt. To optimize the performance of the engine driving the electric generator, a few changes were made to the standard gasoline-fueled genset propulsion engine, including the construction of the fuel intake and the adjustment of the combustion chamber compression pressure. The KTT Sumber Sari, can use this capacity to support energy-independent cages.

Iron and zinc bioavailability in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is dependent on chemical composition and cooking method

The influence of genotype and domestic processing on iron and zinc bioavailability in common bean germplasm was investigated using an in vitro digestion model. Raw beans exhibited diversity in iron content (50 to >90 mg kg−1) although zinc content was similar (30–40 mg kg−1). Following preparation by different household cooking methods < 5% of the iron in raw beans was recovered in the bioavailable fraction following in vitro digestion. However, up to 20% of zinc present in dry seeds was bioavailable. A high proportion of iron and zinc in raw beans (up to 40%) was lost by leaching into cooking water when beans were prepared by boiling. Although untargeted LC/MS revealed genotype-dependent differences in grain chemistry, correlations between mineral bioavailability and antinutritional phytates and polyphenols were mostly insignificant. Our data highlight the need to consider losses during domestic processing and the related physicochemical traits in biofortification programmes.

Adoption and Use of Liquified Petroleum Gas for Household Cooking in Rwanda

Adoption and Use of Liquified Petroleum Gas for Household Cooking in Rwanda

Evolving Food Choices Among the Urban Indian Middle-Class: A Qualitative Study

One of the leading risk factors for an escalating obesity burden in India is non-nutritious choices. Underpinned by the nutrition transition theory, this qualitative inquiry was designed to understand the urban middle-class Indian consumers’ views about processed foods and rapidly changing food choices. The study consisted of two phases, the first phase consisted of focus group discussions pertaining to the definition and conception of processed foods and the second phase consisted of interviews regarding the changing food environment. A convenience sample of Indian consumers aged 40–65 years were recruited from Mumbai and Kochi to participate in focus group discussions (FGD1 – nine participants and FGD2 – seven participants) and semi-structured face-to-face interviews (N = 22). Both discussions and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. Features of processed foods mentioned were chemical and physical processing, prolonged shelf life and poor nutritional quality. Factors influencing food choices and consumption of processed foods reported by participants could be categorized into changes in the socio-cultural environment and changes in the food environment. Changes in the socio-cultural environment included globalization and urbanization, long work days and sedentary living, rise in income levels and decrease in household cooking. Changes in the food environment included increased availability and accessibility of processed foods, replacement of traditional Indian diet with Western food, food as indicators of status, food advertisements and convenience. These results are consistent with nutrition transition theory and provide useful direction for public health policies aimed at promoting healthy diets.

A Comparison of Bioactive Metabolites, Antinutrients, and Bioactivities of African Pumpkin Leaves (Momordica balsamina L.) Cooked by Different Culinary Techniques.

Prior to consumption, African pumpkin leaves (Momordica balsamina L.) are generally cooked. In this study, the effects of common household cooking methods (boiling, steaming, microwaving, stir-frying) on bioactive metabolites, carotenoids, antioxidant activity, antinutrients and inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and α-amylase activities were examined. A set of 14 bioactive metabolites were identified in raw and cooked African leaves using UPLC-QTOF/MS. The results showed that the four different types of household cooking methods had different effects on the bioactive metabolomics profile of African pumpkin leaves. In comparison to raw leaves and leaves cooked in other methods, the concentrations of six phenolic compounds, rutin, cryptochlorogenic acid (4-caffeoylquinic acid), pseudolaroside A, isorhamnetin 3-O-robinoside, quercetin 3-galactoside, and trans-4-feruloylquinic acid, were highest in stir-fried leaves. Of all household cooking methods tested, stir-frying increased the content of lutein, β-carotene, and zeaxanthin by 60.00%, 146.15%, and 123.51%, respectively. Moreover, stir-frying African pumpkin leaves increased the antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS) and the inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase. Compared to all four methods of household cooking, stir-frying reduced the antinutritive compounds compared to raw leaves. This work provides useful information to the consumers on the selection of suitable cooking methods for African pumpkin leaves.

Association of household cooking location behaviour with acute respiratory infections among children aged under five years; a cross sectional analysis of 30 Sub-Saharan African Demographic and Health Surveys

BackgroundCooking location among households using solid biomass cooking fuels may have implications for exposure to harmful levels of Household Air Pollution (HAP). However, little is known about the predictors of cooking location and their association with Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI); a leading cause of mortality in children aged under five years worldwide, which has child nutritional status, vaccination status and season as known risk factors. ObjectivesThis cross-sectional study aimed to ascertain (i) the determinants of household cooking location behaviour and (ii) the association between cooking location and risk of respiratory symptoms and ARIs in children under five years residing in solid biomass cooking households, using Demographic and Health Survey data from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). MethodsData were obtained for 30 SSA countries including of 263,948 children aged under five years living in solid biomass burning households only. The occurrence of respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and fever in the two weeks prior to interview were obtained by maternal-report; generating composite variables for ARI (shortness of breath, cough) and severe ARI (SARI) (shortness of breath, cough, fever). Associations for determinants of household cooking location behaviour, respiratory symptoms and ARIs were determined through logistic regression analysis, adjusting for country, regional, household and individual-level confounding factors. ResultsAfter adjustment, outdoor cooking was more likely among households with lower wealth index, younger and lower educated household heads, fewer household members, cooking fuel type (charcoal, coal), empowered females, urban place of residence, wet season, compared to indoor. Reduced odds ratios of SARI (AOR:0.87[0.80–0.94]), ARI (AOR:0.89[0.83–0.95]), cough (AOR:0.90[0.86–0.95]), shortness of breath (AOR:0.91[0.85–0.89]) and fever (AOR:0.85[0.81–0.89]) were observed among children residing in outdoor compared to cooking in the house. In rural areas only outdoor cooking was associated with reduced odds ratios of cough (AOR:0.89[0.82,0.95]), fever (AOR:0.86[0.79–0.92]), ARI (AOR:0.92[0.87–0.96]) and SARI (AOR:0.86[0.77–0.95]). However, in urban areas cough (AOR:0.90[0.82–0.98]), shortness of breath (AOR:0.89[0.79–0.99]), fever (AOR: 0.81[0.75–0.88]) and ARI (AOR:0.88[0.78–0.99]) were associated with outdoor cooking. DiscussionOutdoor household cooking locations mitigates HAP exposure and is associated with reduced respiratory health impacts among children aged under five years in resource poor settings. Further mixed-methods research is necessary to understand the enablers and barriers of outdoor cooking among those living in biomass fuel households, to develop a health promotion intervention.

Household cooking with seaweed salts and chloraminated tap water produce harmful iodinated disinfection by-products

• Dominate iodine species of seaweed salts are iodide and organic iodine rather than iodate. • Cooking with seaweed salt and chloraminated water produced I-DBPs with hundreds of μg/L level. • Effects of temperature, time, chloramine dose, and salt dose on I-DBP formation were examined. • Cooking with seaweed salts enhanced the toxicity of tap water by 4.6 ∼ 8.7 times on the basis of EC 50 . • The potential risks of I-DBPs generated from cooking with seaweed salts should be spotlighted. Among the harmful halogenated disinfection by-products (DBPs) produced from water disinfection, iodinated DBPs (I-DBPs) are of the highest toxicity. Here we reported for the first time that daily household cooking using seaweed salts and tap water with chloramine residual could produce high concentrations of I-DBPs. At a typical household cooking setting (1-hr heating at 80 °C), the reactions of chloramines (1.0 mg/L as Cl 2 ) with 10 g/L seaweed salt in ultrapure water generated 96.8 ± 3.2 μg/L of iodo-containing trihalomethanes (I-THMs) and 385.3 ± 10.9 μg/L of total organic iodine (TOI). The yields are 1 ∼ 3 orders of magnitude greater than their typical occurrence levels in drinking water. At the unintended scenario, chloramines reacted with iodine and trace dissolved organic matter, both of which derived from seaweed salts containing iodide and organic iodine species. When chloraminated tap water was used at the identical conditions, aliphatic I-DBPs (i.e. I-THMs and iodo-containing haloacetic acids) significantly increased up to 163.5 ± 3.9 μg/L as a result of more natural organic matter, which could serve as DBP precursors, present in the tap water. Speciation and concentrations of different I-DBPs generated relied heavily on temperature, heating duration, chloramine concentration, and salt dose. Following a simulated household cooking in the presence of seaweed salts, the toxicity of tap water to luminescent bacteria ( Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67) increased by 4.6 ∼ 8.7 times on the basis of EC 50 . These findings spotlight the potential risks of I-DBPs generated from daily household cooking with seaweed salts, because salt consumption contributes to more than half of daily iodine intake.

Exposure to household air pollution from cooking fuel in Ugandan households and associated household factors: a retrospective analysis of demographic and health survey data

BackgroundHousehold air pollution is mostly caused by cooking fuel. We describe the trend in household air pollution (HAP) caused by several types of cooking fuel used in Ugandan households from 2001 to 2016 and explore the household factors associated with it. MethodsWe did a retrospective analysis of data from four Ugandan demographic and health surveys (UDHS) that were conducted from 2000–01 to 2016, with the household as the unit of analysis. We included all households that were in the UDHS dataset. We included variables that described the households, the type of cooking fuel, and where the food was cooked. A household was considered to have exposure to HAP if they used cooking fuels such as coal; charcoal; wood; straw, shrubs, or grass; crops; or animal dung. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the association between household characteristics and exposure to household air pollution (HAP) from the most recent UDHS of 2016. The DHS programme obtained relevant ethics approval within Uganda and informed consent was provided by the participants. FindingsIn this study, 45 376 households were included and surveyed. In all the surveys, most households were in rural areas (from 74·3% to 85·1%) and had a male as a head of household (from 69·0% to 72·5%. Wood was the most used household cooking fuel (from 71·7% to 82·1%). Other cooking fuels used were charcoal (from 15·3% to 26·3%), kerosene (from 0·7% to 2·5%) and electricity (0·1% to 0·8%). Exposure to HAP remained high in all the surveys ranging from 96·7% to 99·8%. From the multivariate logistic regression analysis, households with a household head having attained either complete secondary education (adjusted odds ratio 0·13, 95% CI 0·03–0·58; p=0·008) or higher education (0·11, 0·03 – 0·48; p=0·003) were less likely to be exposed to HAP than households with a household head having no education. InterpretationThis study revealed that most households in Uganda have exposure to household air pollution caused by different types of cooking fuel used in the household. This underscores the need for innovations in cooking fuels such as clean energy stoves that are cost-effective and cause less exposure to household air pollution. FundingNone.

Time-series analysis of the effects of building and household features on residential end-use energy

This study aimed to comprehensively consider dwelling and household features, analyze their influence on the energy consumption and derive valid determinants for each end-use: heating, cooling, DHW, lighting, electric appliances, and cooking. To this end, information about dwelling and household features was collected through a field survey of 154 households in apartment complexes, representative of residential buildings in South Korea. In addition, a system was installed to measure energy consumption separately for each end-use. The end-use energy consumption data were collected during two periods: 2017 (May 2017–Apr. 2018) and 2019 (Jan.–Dec. 2019). Four models were created to analyze the influence of features on end-use energy consumption for each period. Model 1 was designed to analyze variables with the greatest influence, and Models 2–4 were designed to analyze the influence of physical building features, sociodemographic features, and household appliance-use characteristics. Multiple regression analysis was performed to derive the variables with the greatest influence and the valid variables for each characteristic category, and the influence magnitude was analyzed. These variables with the greatest influence were the same for 2017 and 2019, except for DHW. These variables were the area for exclusive use for the energy consumption of heating and electric appliances; the number of household members for lighting and cooking; the air conditioner operating hours for cooling. Regarding influence by the characteristic category, heating energy consumption was dominantly affected by physical building factor, cooling and electric appliances were mainly affected by household appliance-use characteristics, and DHW and cooking were greatly affected by sociodemographics. As for lighting it was evenly influenced by physical building factors, sociodemographics, and household appliance-use characteristics.

Environmental impact of the main household cooking systems—A survey

The food cooking energy may represent the primary hotspot in the cradle-to-grave life cycle of several foods and drinks. It is mainly affected by the type of food and its cookery method, cooking appliance and the fuel selected as well as the number of portions to be cooked. The primary aim of this survey was to demonstrate the basic characteristics of the main cooking methods, appliances, and fuels as well as energy required for some key foods. The secondary aim was to assess the environmental impacts of a generic cooking system as a function of few household cookers fueled by different fuels (i.e., firewood, charcoal, coal, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene and biogas) and electricity in the Italian scenario by using the ReCiPe 2016 and product environmental footprint (PEF) standard methods and Ecoinvent v. 3.7 database. A functional unit equal to per capita useful energy delivered to the pot for cooking (1.41 gigajoule [GJ]) in 27 European Union countries in 2019 was used as the basis of comparison. The use of natural gas resulted in minimum impact in nine of the 18 mid-point impact categories of ReCiPe 2016 method and two damage categories (human health and ecosystem quality) with a minimum overall weighted damage score (OWDSR) of ~5 Pt. Thus, such a cookstove appeared to be more apt to minimize both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Even if the electric cookstove yielded a greater OWDSR (8.6 Pt) because the Italian electricity grid mix was mainly based on fossil sources, it was possible to forecast that new-generation, smart cooktops driven by hydro- and wind-power electricity would minimize OWDSR to as low as 0.9 and 1.4 Pt, respectively, thus not only avoiding the consumption of any fossil energy source but also improving people’s health.

Dietary Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease among Low-Income Haitian Adults: Findings from a Population-Based Cohort.

Poor diets are responsible for a large burden of noncommunicable disease (NCD). The prevalence of modifiable dietary risk factors is rising in lower-income countries such as Haiti, along with increasing urbanization and shifts to diets high in sugar, salt, and fat. We describe self-reported dietary patterns (intake of fruits, vegetables, fried food, sugar-sweetened beverages, and added salt and oil) among a population-based cohort of low-income adults in Port-au-Prince and assess for associated sociodemographic factors (age, sex, income, education, body mass index). Among 2989 participants, the median age was 40 years, and 58.0% were women. Less than 1% met the World Health Organization recommendation of at least five servings/day of fruits and vegetables. Participants consumed fried food on average 1.6 days/week and sugar-sweetened beverages on average 4.7 days/week; young males of low socioeconomic status were the most likely to consume these dietary risk factors. The vast majority of participants reported usually or often consuming salt (87.1%) and oil (86.5%) added to their meals eaten at home. Our findings underscore the need for public health campaigns, particularly those targeting young males and household cooks preparing family meals at home, to improve dietary patterns in Haiti in order to address the growing NCD burden.

Simultaneous kinetics formation of heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in phenylalanine model system

A combination of chemical model system with kinetics study was used to investigate the simultaneous formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Heating a mixture of phenylalanine, creatinine, and glucose at a commonly practiced household cooking time and temperature successfully differentiated the rate formation (k) of HCAs and PAHs. The good fit suggested that the simultaneous formation was an endothermic bimolecular reaction, and followed the first-order model. The rate formation (k) of HCAs and PAHs significantly increased with increasing heating time and temperature. Only 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ) and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) showed degradation rate (k) at higher heating temperatures of 210 °C and 240 °C respectively. Increasing phenylalanine concentration increased the possibility of higher HCAs and PAHs formation. The activation energy (Ea) showed that heating phenylalanine mixture resulted in higher rate of formation of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) and benzo[b]fluoranthen (BbF).

Iodine in household cooking salt no longer plays a crucial role in iodine status of residents in Tianjin, China.

The contribution of household cooking salt to population iodine status is decreasing in China, the applicability of the coverage rate of iodized salt (IS), proportion of adequately iodized salt (AIS), and salt iodine concentration (SIC) of household cooking salt used for iodine status assessment of residents requires further investigation. Through the IDD control project, 16,445 children and 4848 pregnant women were recruited from Tianjin, China and the relationship between the coverage rate of IS, proportion of AIS, SIC, and population iodine status was analyzed. Additionally, through the thyroid health survey project, 856 children with IS or noniodized salt were recruited. The effects of different household cooking salts on individual iodine status and thyroid health were analyzed. After adjusting for confounding factors, no relationship was found between the coverage rate of IS, proportion of AIS, SIC of household cooking salt, and iodine status of children and pregnant women (all P > 0.05). No differences in levels of thyroid function and structural indicators were found in children with different household cooking salts (all P > 0.05). Additionally, no relationship was found between noniodized salt exposure and goiter, overt hyperthyroidism, overt hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, antibody single positivity, or subclinical hypothyroidism (all P > 0.05). Iodine in household cooking salt no longer plays a crucial role in iodine status in Tianjin, China. Other indicators must be identified as beneficial supplements for precise iodine status evaluation not only in Tianjin but also in other large cities in China.

Rural income growth, ethnic differences, and household cooking fuel choice: Evidence from China

This paper investigates the associations between rural income growth, ethnic differences, and household cooking fuel choice, using the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey data. We consider the presence of fuel-stacking behavior (using multiple fuels) among survey households and categorize cooking fuels into clean fuels, non-clean fuels, and mixed fuels. Data collected from 6461 rural households are estimated using a multinomial logit model. Findings suggest that relative to households at the lowest income quintile 1, those at the income quintiles 2–5 are more likely to use clean fuels but are less likely to use non-clean fuels for cooking, and the magnitudes of the effects increase across the income quintiles. Compared with the majority Han Chinese households, ethnic minority households are more likely to use mixed fuels but are less likely to use clean fuels for cooking. Only those ethnic minority households at the highest income level (quintile 5) appear to be more likely to use clean cooking fuels.

Transformation in culinary behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: In-depth interviews with food gatekeepers in urban India

COVID-19 and its associated regulatory measures including lockdowns, curfews, and physical distancing norms have significantly affected individual's dietary and culinary behaviours. Although there is ample empirical evidence available on dietary changes within the Indian context, very limited evidence exists about the factors influencing these dietary modifications and changes in culinary behaviours during COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was to explore the views of Indian household food gatekeepers towards meal planning, food purchasing, and meal preparation during the pandemic and its associated lockdowns. A convenience sample of 34 female gatekeepers from the Mumbai metropolis participated in online interviews. Interviews were conducted in English and Hindi (then translated in English), audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Underpinned by Template Analysis technique, transcribed data were analysed manually and using the NVivo software program. The interview structure guided the development of themes. The emerging themes included were: Increased household cooking; Involvement of children and male members in food-related activities; Experimentation in the kitchen; Adoption of meal planning skills; Increase in online food shopping; Bulk buying; Shortage of food items; Reduced consumption of outside home food; Increased variety of home-cooked meals; Increase in snacking and overall food intake; Determinants of food choices; and Family meals-a new norm. In the light of these findings, developing family-focussed, web-based nutrition programs to enhance gatekeepers' and their families' food literacy including declarative and procedural nutritional knowledge would be beneficial. The importance of organisational culinary behaviours such as planning meals in advance, shopping with a food list should be promoted to prevent hoarding and subsequently reduce strain on the food supply system. With a surge in domestic cooking, low cost nutritious recipes with the use of local and seasonal produce should be emphasized promoting healthy eating among the gatekeepers and their family members. The inclusion of food studies in the school curriculum will facilitate the development of culinary skills among children and youth. Also, there is a need for further research and surveillance to strengthen understanding of sustainability of healthy culinary behaviours practiced during the pandemic.

Techno-economic analysis of an enhanced anaerobic digester in the Andean area of Peru

This paper aims to determine the economic and technical feasibility of developing a thermally enhanced digester in the Andean area using solar collectors. Communities in the rural area of the Andes lack access to electricity and other basic services which impact negatively on their everyday life and exposes them to harmful and inefficient fuels. Several experiences with anaerobic digestion prove that this technology could be applied in the Andean area, although its performance is limited due to low temperatures. To overcome this constraint, an enhanced digester was modelled and simulated using TRNSYS Software. The system consisted of two solar collectors, a storage tank and a digester with a wrapped-around heat exchanger. The average digester temperature in the simulation was 30.7 °C. The enhanced temperature was used in a model to calculate the daily biogas production. The Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return were calculated and confirm the economic viability of the project. The biogas production fully covers the requirements of the system for household cooking and lighting, making a significant social impact. This simulation indicates that it is technically possible to develop an enhanced digester in the Andean area that is economically viable as well.