Mashed Potatoes Research Articles

Zeaxanthin is bioavailable from genetically modified zeaxanthin-rich potatoes

The carotenoid zeaxanthin accumulates in the human macula lutea and protects retinal cells from blue light damage. However, zeaxanthin intake from food sources is low. Increasing zeaxanthin in common foods such as potatoes by traditional plant breeding or by genetic engineering could contribute to an increased intake of this carotenoid and, consequently, to a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration. Our aim was to investigate whether zeaxanthin from genetically modified zeaxanthin-rich potatoes is bioavailable in humans. Three men participated in this randomized, controlled double-blinded, crossover pilot study. All subjects consumed 1,100 g of mashed potatoes, either genetically modified (Solanum tuberosum L. var. Baltica GM47/18; 3 mg zeaxanthin) or wild-type control potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. var. Baltica; 0.14 mg zeaxanthin). A second treatment was followed after a 7-day wash-out period. The concentration of zeaxanthin was significantly increased in chylomicrons after consumption of genetically modified potatoes and 0.27 mg of the 3 mg zeaxanthin dose could be detected in chylomicrons. Consumption of control potatoes had no effect on concentrations of zeaxanthin in chylomicrons. After normalization of chylomicron zeaxanthin for plasma triacylglycerol, the time course of zeaxanthin concentrations peaked at 7 h after consumption of genetically modified potatoes. There were no significant differences in the concentrations of other major potato carotenoids such as lutein and beta-carotene in chylomicrons after consumption of genetically modified and wild type control potatoes. Thus, consumption of zeaxanthin-rich potatoes significantly increases chylomicron zeaxanthin concentrations suggesting that potentially such potatoes could be used as an important dietary source of zeaxanthin.

Oscillatory Rheological Properties of Fresh and Frozen/Thawed Mashed Potatoes as Modified by Different Cryoprotectants

Five different hydrocolloids (amidated low-methoxyl [ALM] and high-methoxyl [HM] pectins, kappa- and iota-carrageenans [κ-C and ι-C], and xanthan gum [XG]) and two dairy proteins (whey protein [WP] and sodium caseinate [SC]) were added at five different concentrations to fresh (F) and frozen/thawed (F/T) mashed potatoes to investigate ways of improving the effects of freezing and thawing. It was found that each hydrocolloid and protein, depending on the concentration, affected the viscoelastic properties of F and F/T mashed potatoes in a different way. Color, drip loss (DL), total soluble solid (TSS) content, and overall acceptability (OA) were also determined. All systems showed weak gel behavior, although the F samples exhibited higher values of G′ and G″ as compared to F/T counterparts. However, the effects were highly dependent on the type and level of biopolymer added. F and F/T mashed potatoes with added WP presented higher values of G′ and G″, and values were lowest in both when XG was added. After freezing and thawing, the addition of ingredients (3 to 5 g kg−1 ALM and HM, 3 to 8 g kg−1κ-C, and 1.5 g kg−1 WP) had the effect of thickening the mash and thus improving freeze/thaw stability. Processed samples were darker than F samples, although this darkening was not detected by the panelists. Color was affected less by κ-C or ι-C than by the other ingredients added. ALM pectin, κ-C and ι-C, XG, and SC all exhibited water-holding capability, whereas HM and WP did not. The product yielded by XG was softer than controls without added cryoprotectants in both F and F/T samples, but samples containing 0.5 and 1.5 g kg−1 added XG were judged more acceptable than the F control because of the creamy mouth-feel it produced.

How Does Hanoi Rock? The Way to Rock and Roll in Vietnam

How Does Hanoi Rock?The Way to Rock and Roll in Vietnam Jason Gibbs (bio) The origins of rock music are nearly coincident with Vietnam's 1954 partitioning; Elvis Presley's first single was reaching the radio airwaves as the French agreed to withdraw from Indochina (James 1989, 122). Not long afterward, American advisors and military personnel were arriving in South Vietnam bringing the latest American popular music with them. Rock was the music of the Cold War and was an often unwitting combatant in a larger ideological war. In the West it was seen both as an enemy from within and as an expression of freedom and peace. The Soviet block dreaded it because of its possible ability to focus youth and their rebellion. These confusions of cultural and ideological viewpoints have influenced the reception of rock music in Vietnam. From 1954 there was an embargo on all Western entertainment in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and its capitol, Hanoi. Rock entered Vietnam through Saigon, the capital of the Republic of Vietnam—better known as South Vietnam. Though subject to the scrutiny of a society at war, it was not subject to heavy censorship and was even incorporated into the propaganda engine of the southern state. After the fall of Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, the victorious Communists banned the South's music including rock. Nevertheless, rock remained a part of Saigon's collective memory and its influence traveled north to Hanoi. Although it has always been a minority taste, rock has long found a devoted audience among Vietnam's elite youth attending private schools and universities. In this paper I trace the development of rock music in Vietnam, starting with its origins in the South and a similar evolution in the North. For the past decade, rock has been enjoying a resurgence in Vietnam despite being viewed with suspicion by Vietnam's communist government who have characterized it as a neo-colonial poison. Vietnam's contemporary rock musicians have tried to adapt rock music to local conditions making this music part of a wider struggle between the local and global occurring in Vietnam today. This paper provides a history of Vietnam's encounter with rock in order to provide the context for today's developments. [End Page 5] Rock in South Vietnam The earliest rock music in Vietnam was performed, often by Filipino bands, to entertain Americans and other foreigners in Saigon's nightclubs. These groups provided tutelage to the first Vietnamese musicians who eventually joined them playing in bars and dancehalls. A second stage of Vietnamese rock was a style of music known as action music (kíchnhạc). At the outset these were American and French pop and rock songs sung and played by Vietnamese bands. Beginning in the early 1960s, Vietnamese songwriters began to write Vietnamese language songs using dance rhythms like mashed potato, watusi, a go go, and especially the twist, all then current dance rhythms of rock'n'roll. These rhythms were integrated into the existing variety show and dancehall repertoire. Since the late 1940s, Vietnam's urban music markets had been organized into a Tin Pan Alley—like division of labor. Songwriters, publishers, radio and dance orchestras, arrangers, and singers all played roles in the creation, performance, and promotion of popular music. Songwriters used rock'n'roll and rhythm and blues styles to broaden their creative pallet. The twist in particular, and dancing in general, was at the vortex of South Vietnam's culture wars through the Ngô Ðình presidency (1954–1963). It was condemned and banned as an affront to morality through the energies of Madame Nhu ( Xuân), the president's sister-in-law (New York Times, "Saigon Regime Bans Songs for Twisting," April 2, 1963). The communist National Liberation Front similarly condemned the Americans for "training" Vietnam's teenagers to twist ("Liberation Radio Scores South Viet-Nam's First International Rock Music Festival Held to Benefit Families of Killed Soldiers" 1971). Owing to its drive and upbeat quality, rock'n'roll and rhythm and blues were also incorporated into the music of the Southern regime's psychological-warfare program. Action music was used...

Performance evaluation of aluminum test cell designed for determining the heat resistance of bacterial spores in foods

Thermal inactivation kinetic studies are necessary to determine heat resistances of spores in the development of new thermal processes for low-acid shelf-stable products. Most currently available sample holders used for solid and semi solid samples in the kinetic studies take long time to reach the target sample temperature, hence fail to provide isothermal condition. In this research, novel aluminum test cells were developed to facilitate easy loading and unloading samples in a hermetically sealed 1 ml cavity to evaluate the heat resistance of bacterial spores when heated at temperatures above 100 °C. Design of the test cell was governed by minimum come-up time. A finite element model based on the commercial software ‘FEMLAB’ was used to simulate transient heat transfer and finalize the test cell dimensions. Performance of the new test cell was evaluated against capillary and aluminum thermal death time tube methods in characterizing the heat resistance of Clostridium sporogenes PA 3679 spores in a phosphate buffer and mashed potato at 121 °C. D 121 values of PA 3679 spores in both the phosphate buffer and mashed potato using the new test cells were not significantly different ( P>0.05) from those by the capillary tube method. The results indicated that the new test cell is appropriate for studying the inactivation kinetics of bacterial spores in microbial validation of conventional and novel thermal processes for low-acid shelf-stable foods.

Steady shear and yield stress data of fresh and frozen/thawed mashed potatoes: Effect of biopolymers addition

Five different hydrocolloids (amidated low-methoxyl (ALM) and high methoxyl (HM) pectins, kappa- and iota-carrageenans ( κ-C and i-C), xanthan gum (XG)) and two dairy proteins (whey protein (WP), sodium caseinate (SC)) were added, at five different concentrations to fresh (F) and frozen/thawed (F/T) mashed potatoes to investigate their effectiveness in preventing deleterious effects caused by processing. Rheological behaviour was characterized using steady shear measurements, and instrumental colour and sensory analysis were also carried out. All tested biopolymers can be used to improve viscosity/consistency of F and F/T mashed potatoes. The effects were highly dependent on the type and level of biopolymer added. Adding higher levels of ALM and HM pectins (3–8 g kg −1) increased rheological properties of F/T mashed potatoes as compared to their fresh counterparts, suggesting their usefulness as texturizers in F/T mashed potatoes. F and F/T samples with added κ-C and i-C were more structured. Freezing and thawing did not significantly affect the steady data of the product with added carrageenans and xanthan, highlighting the potential of these gums to stabilize the texture of frozen and microwave-thawed mashed potatoes, as compared with fresh counterparts. Addition of biopolymers affected parameter a* (greenness) more than yellowness index (YI), although XG and WP affected less the colour of the mashed potatoes. When (0.5–1.5 g kg −1) XG were added XG, both F and F/T samples were judged more acceptable than F control thanks to their creamy mouthfeel. Conversely, WP and SC affected the taste and odour of the mashed potatoes and were judged unacceptable.

Effect of addition of cryoprotectants on the mechanical properties, colour and sensory attributes of fresh and frozen/thawed mashed potatoes

Cryoprotectants such as hydrocolloids (amidated low-methoxyl (ALM) and high methoxyl (HM) pectins), kappa- and iota-carrageenans (k-C and i-C), xanthan gum (XG)) and dairy proteins [whey protein (WP), sodium caseinate (SC)] were added to mashed potatoes to investigate ways of improving the effects of freezing and thawing. It was found that each hydrocolloid and protein, depending on concentration, affected the mechanical properties [instrumental textural profile analysis (ITPA), cone penetration (CP) test], the total colour difference (ΔE*) with respect to fresh control (FC) and the sensory attributes of fresh (F) and frozen/thawed (F/T) mashed potatoes in a different way. In the F/T samples, adding 5 and 8 g kg−1 ALM, 3, 5 and 8 g kg−1 k-C, 1.5, 3, 5 and 8 g kg−1 i-C and 1.5, 5 and 15 g kg−1 WP significantly increased ITPA consistency. Also, adding 2.5 and 5 g kg−1 XG significantly increased ITPA consistency of the F/T product. In both F and F/T samples, k-C provided the highest ITPA consistency and also high CP average force evidencing a stronger synergistic effect in κ-C/denatured milk protein systems, although the excessive thickening and stickiness provided was judged undesirable by the panellists. Adding 8 g kg−1 HM pectin had a disruptive effect on the mashed potatoes and decreased both ITPA consistency and CP average force. In all cases, freezing and thawing reinforced the gel structure of the products as compared to F and FC counterparts. The ΔE* values were higher in F samples containing ALM and HM pectins. Dairy proteins affected the taste and odour of the mashed potatoes and were judged unacceptable in the sensory analysis. Samples containing 0.5 and 1.5 g kg−1 added XG were preferred organoleptically due to the creamy mouthfeel it produced. ITPA consistency correlated well with sensory texture attributes.

THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE, GEOMETRY, GAP AND SURFACE FRICTION ON OSCILLATORY RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF MASHED POTATOES

ABSTRACT Oscillatory data obtained for mashed potatoes made from fresh tubers from measuring geometries of different designs and sizes were analyzed and compared at the sample temperatures of 25 and 55C. The measuring geometries used were smooth parallel plates (PP40 and PP20, 40‐ and 20‐mm‐diameter plates, respectively); truncated cone and plate (CP 4/40, 40‐mm‐diameter cone having an angle of 4°); FL25 four‐bladed vane tool (diameter: 25 mm, height: 55 mm); and serrated parallel plate (SPP40, 40‐mm‐diameter plate). Three different gaps between plates were used (2, 1.5 and 1 mm) to simulate the range of aggregate spacing in fresh mashed potatoes. The measured oscillatory rheological properties were significantly affected not only by the sample temperature but also by the test geometry used and the friction of and gap between its shearing surfaces. Dynamic parameter values were higher at 55 than at 25C, possibly indicating the onset and propagation of gelatinization of the potato starch grains. Unexpectedly, test geometries with higher friction capabilities, such as the serrated plate and vane tool, presented lower viscoelastic properties compared with results of other test geometries with lower friction capabilities. This result provides evidence of the influence of other factors on the measured oscillatory rheological properties of the mashed potato, such as measurement accuracy of the rheometer at different very small strains, homogeneity of the temperature for the different samples, existence of a complex dependency on the possibly complex stress condition that is imposed on the material upon loading, or even samples being prone to drying. The effect of the variation of the gap between parallel plates on oscillatory parameters depended on the shearing wall friction. The study highlights the difficulty in reconciling rheological results from different sources and the need for standardized rheological test methods so that rheological interlaboratory results can be critically analyzed and compared.

Influence of Heat Transfer with Tube Methods on Measured Thermal Inactivation Parameters for Escherichia coli

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of heat transfer on measured thermal inactivation kinetic parameters of bacteria in solid foods when using tube methods. The bacterial strain selected for this study, Escherichia coli K-12, had demonstrated typical first-order inactivation characteristics under isothermal test conditions. Three tubes of different sizes (3, 13, and 20 mm outer diameter) were used in the heat treatments at 57, 60, and 63°C with mashed potato as the test food. A computer model was developed to evaluate the effect of transit heat transfer behavior on microbial inactivation in the test tubes. The results confirmed that the survival curves of E. coli K-12 obtained in 3-mm capillary tubes were log linear at the three tested temperatures. The survival curves observed under nonisothermal conditions in larger tubes were no longer log linear. Slow heat transfer alone could only partially account for the large departures from log-linear behavior. Tests with the same bacterial strain after 5 min of preconditioning at a sublethal temperature of 45°C revealed significantly enhanced heat resistance. Confirmative tests revealed that the increased heat resistance of the test bacterium in the center of the large tubes during the warming-up periods resulted in significantly larger D-values than those obtained with capillary tube methods.

A computer vision method to locate cold spots in foods in microwave sterilization processes

A major challenge in developing advanced thermal processess based on electromagnetic heating is to determine the location of cold spots in foods. A rapid and reliable method was developed in this study with the aim to effectively locate the cold spot in model food sterilized in microwave systems. The developed method involved application of chemical marker M-2 yield to a model food, mashed potatoes, using computer vision system and an image processing software IMAQ Vision Builder to capture and analyze color patterns after thermal processes. A systematic study was conducted to establish relationships among M-2 yields, color values from captured images of cut food samples, and thermal lethality ( F 0 ) . Several factors including consistency of imaging background and positions of lights over the diffuser box were considered to standardize the method. To facilitate the comparative study of heating characteristic for different combinations of power levels and F 0 , a mapping scale using unheated and saturated mashed potato samples was developed by fixing the lowest and upper most gray-scale values. Color values equivalent to gray-level values were positively correlated to F 0 and M-2 yield. The specified cold spot location determined by computer vision method was validated in a 915 MHz single-mode microwave sterilization system. The results showed that the computer vision method can potentially be used as an effective tool in microwave sterilization process development for regulatory acceptance and industrial applications.

Effect of modified starch concentration and freezing and thawing rates on properties of mashed potatoes (cv. Kennebec)

AbstractEffects of modified cornstarch concentration, freezing rate and thawing mode on quality properties of mashed potatoes were examined. The product was tested by oscillatory rheometry, instrumental texture profile analysis (ITPA) and cone penetration, colour, dry matter (DM) and sensory analyses. Oscillatory parameters showed that increasing starch concentration resulted in a softer product in which gel strength decreased in direct proportion to concentration in quick‐frozen and microwave‐thawed product. Quick freezing made for firmer mashed potatoes, whereas oscillatory, ITPA and penetration parameters were lower in the samples thawed at 4 °C. Starch concentration and instrumental consistency and firmness were directly proportional to one another. Adding starch at the highest concentration, quick freezing and slow thawing produced a lighter‐coloured mashed potato, although the loss of colour in the processed product was not detected by panellists in the microwave‐thawed samples. DM was higher in the quick‐frozen samples and lower in air‐thawed samples. The factors studied affected different sensory texture parameters but had hardly any effect on attributes perceived during final and residual phases of mastication. Only starch concentration had a significant effect on sensory acceptability, but interactions between factors showed that starch addition followed by quick freezing was judged undesirable by the panellists due to excessive softening. Oscillatory parameters correlated well with sensory texture attributes and proved quite precise. They would therefore appear to be the best test to monitor properties of frozen mashed potatoes. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry

Glycaemic and satiating properties of potato products

To investigate glycaemic and satiating properties of potato products in healthy subjects using energy-equivalent or carbohydrate-equivalent test meals, respectively. Thirteen healthy subjects volunteered for the first study, and 14 for the second. The tests were performed at Applied Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Lund University, Sweden. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND TEST MEALS: All meals were served as breakfast in random order after an overnight fast. Study 1 included four energy-equivalent (1000 kJ) meals of boiled potatoes, french fries, or mashed potatoes; the latter varying in portion size by use of different amounts of water. The available carbohydrate content varied between 32.5 and 50.3 g/portion. Capillary blood samples were collected during 240 min for analysis of glucose, and satiety was measured with a subjective rating scale. Study 2 included four carbohydrate-equivalent meals (50 g available carbohydrates) of french fries, boiled potatoes served with and without addition of oil, and white wheat bread (reference). The energy content varied between 963 and 1534 kJ/portion. Capillary blood samples were collected during 180 min for analysis of glucose, and satiety was measured using a subjective rating scale. Study 1: boiled potatoes induced higher subjective satiety than french fries when compared on an energy-equivalent basis. The french fries elicited the lowest early glycaemic response and was less satiating in the early postprandial phase (area under the curve (AUC) 0-45 min). No differences were found in glycaemic or satiety response between boiled or mashed potatoes. Study 2: french fries resulted in a significantly lower glycaemic response (glycaemic index (GI)=77) than boiled potatoes either with or without addition of oil (GI=131 and 111, respectively). No differences were found in subjective satiety response between the products served on carbohydrate equivalence. Boiled potatoes were more satiating than french fries on an energy-equivalent basis, the effect being most prominent in the early postprandial phase, whereas no difference in satiety could be seen on a carbohydrate-equivalent basis. The lowered GI for french fries, showing a typical prolonged low-GI profile, could not be explained by the fat content per se.

Orally administered penicillamine is a potent inhibitor of neointimal and medial thickening in porcine saphenous vein–carotid artery interposition grafts

In patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting, blood copper levels are elevated for 6 weeks after surgery. Copper is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherogenesis and promotes oxidative stress, lipid oxidation, cell proliferation, and matrix formation, all components of vein graft disease. This project therefore examined the effect of the copper chelator penicillamine on saphenous vein graft thickening in a pig model. Saphenous vein-carotid artery interposition grafts were carried out in Landrace pigs. Penicillamine (10 mg/kg once daily, n = 8) was administered orally incorporated into small amounts of mashed potato for 1 month (n = 8 controls). Vein grafts were then excised and fixed at 100 mm Hg, histologic sections were prepared, and morphometry and measurement of proliferating cell nuclear antigen count were carried out. In vitro studies on the effect of copper or penicillamine on human vascular smooth muscle cell replication was carried out with bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Administration of penicillamine had a potent inhibitory effect on both neointimal and medial thickness and proliferating cell nuclear antigen count but elicited a marked increase in luminal area and reduced serum copper concentrations. In vitro, copper augmented vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, an effect blocked by penicillamine. Penicillamine alone also inhibited in vitro vascular smooth muscle cell replication. The administration of penicillamine reduces vein graft thickening and promotes positive remodeling through negation of copper-induced cell proliferation. Copper chelators may therefore be therapeutically useful in preventing late vein graft failure in patients undergoing reconstructive arterial surgery.

Influence of Mashed Potato Dielectric Properties and Circulating Water Electric Conductivity on Radio Frequency Heating at 27 MHz

Experiments and computer simulations were conducted to systematically investigate the influence of mashed potato dielectric properties and circulating water electric conductivity on electromagnetic field distribution, heating rate, and heating pattern in packaged food during radio frequency (RF) heating processes in a 6 kW, 27 MHz laboratory scale RF heating system. Both experimental and simulation results indicated that for the selected food (mashed potato) in this study, the heating rate decreased with an increase of electric conductivity of circulating water and food salt content. Simplified analytical calculations were carried out to verify the simulation results, which further indicated that the electric field distribution in the mashed potato samples was also influenced by their dielectric properties and the electric conductivity of the surrounding circulating water. Knowing the influence of water electric conductivity and mashed potato dielectric properties on the heating rate and heating pattern is helpful in optimizing the radio frequency heating process by properly adjusting these factors. The results demonstrate that computer simulation has the ability to demonstrate influence on RF heat pattern caused by the variation of material physical properties and the potential to aid the improvement on construction and modification of RF heating systems.

APTITUD DE VARIEDADES DE PATATA PARA SU TRANSFORMACIÓN EN BARRITAS PREFRITASAPTITUDE OF VARIETIES OF POTATO FOR ITS INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION IN FRIED POTATOES SLICES

Six varieties of potatoes (Agria, Désirée, Europe, Hérmes, Kennnebec and Stemster) grew in Xinzo de Limia (Ourense) were studied to consider their industrial transformation feasibility. All the varieties were checked to ensure fulfilment of the characteristics of each kind according to the NIVAP. The following determinations were made: reducing sugars, dry matter, aptitude for frying in olive oil and sunflower and colours, yield, absorption of lipids and resistance to browning in raw and cooked. The industrial demands are: oval-extended shape, greater diameter of 55 mm, reducing sugars < 2.5 g/kg, dry matter > 200 g/kg, and resistance to browning. Only Agria fulfilled all the established requirements. Désirée and Kennebec were not resistant to browning of raw mashed potatoes and Europa and Stemster had a dry matter lower than the required for the industries, obtaining the worse yields and the greater percentage of retained fat. Resumen Se estudió la aptitud para la transformación industrial de 6 variedades de patata (Agria, Désirée, Europa, Hérmes, Kennnebec y Stemster) producidas en Xinzo de Limia (Ourense). Para ello se comprobó el cumplimiento de las características varietales del NIVAP y se realizaron las siguientes determinaciones: azúcares reductores; materia seca; aptitud para frito en aceite de oliva y girasol midiendo el color final, rendimiento, absorción de lípidos y evaluación del oscurecimiento del puré crudo y cocido. Los requisitos exigidos por la industria son: forma oval-alargada, calibre mayor de 55 mm, azúcares reductores < 2,5 g/kg, materia seca > 200 g/kg y resistencia al oscurecimiento en crudo y cocido. Solamente Agria cumplió todas las exigencias establecidas. Désirée y Kennebec resultaron sensibles al pardeamiento en crudo y Europa y Stemster presentaron valores de materia seca inferiores a los exigidos, los rendimientos más bajos y el porcentaje de grasa retenido más alto. Palabras clave: Patatas, transformación industrial, azúcares reductores, fritura

Almonds decrease postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, and oxidative damage in healthy individuals.

Strategies that decrease postprandial glucose excursions, including digestive enzyme inhibition, and low glycemic index diets result in lower diabetes incidence and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, possibly through lower postprandial oxidative damage to lipids and proteins. We therefore assessed the effect of decreasing postprandial glucose excursions on measures of oxidative damage. Fifteen healthy subjects ate 2 bread control meals and 3 test meals: almonds and bread; parboiled rice; and instant mashed potatoes, balanced in carbohydrate, fat, and protein, using butter and cheese. We obtained blood samples at baseline and for 4 h postprandially. Glycemic indices for the rice (38 +/- 6) and almond meals (55 +/- 7) were less than for the potato meal (94 +/- 11) (P < 0.003), as were the postprandial areas under the insulin concentration time curve (P < 0.001). No postmeal treatment differences were seen in total antioxidant capacity. However, the serum protein thiol concentration increased following the almond meal (15 +/- 14 mmol/L), indicating less oxidative protein damage, and decreased after the control bread, rice, and potato meals (-10 +/- 8 mmol/L), when data from these 3 meals were pooled (P = 0.021). The change in protein thiols was also negatively related to the postprandial incremental peak glucose (r = -0.29, n = 60 observations, P = 0.026) and peak insulin responses (r = -0.26, n = 60 observations, P = 0.046). Therefore, lowering postprandial glucose excursions may decrease the risk of oxidative damage to proteins. Almonds are likely to lower this risk by decreasing the glycemic excursion and by providing antioxidants. These actions may relate to mechanisms by which nuts are associated with a decreased risk of CHD.

Methodologic considerations in the measurement of glycemic index: glycemic response to rye bread, oatmeal porridge, and mashed potato

Methodologic choices affect measures of the glycemic index (GI). The effects on GI values of blood sampling site, reference food type, and the number of repeat tests have been insufficiently determined. The objective was to study the effect of methodologic choices on GI values. Comparisons were made between venous and capillary blood sampling and between glucose and white bread as the reference food. The number of tests needed for the reference food was assessed. Rye bread, oatmeal porridge, and instant mashed potato were used as the test foods. Twelve healthy volunteers were served each test food once and both reference foods 3 times at 1-wk intervals in a random order after they had fasted overnight. Capillary and venous blood samples were drawn at intervals for 3 h after each study meal. GIs and their CVs based on capillary samples were lower than those based on venous samples. Two tests of glucose solution as the reference provided stable capillary GIs for the test foods. The capillary GIs did not differ significantly when white bread was used as the reference 1, 2, or 3 times, but the variation was lower when tests were performed 2 and 3 times. Capillary GIs with white bread as the reference were 1.3 times as high as those with glucose as the reference. The capillary GIs of rye bread, oatmeal porridge, and mashed potato were 77, 74, and 80, respectively, with glucose as the reference. Capillary blood sampling should be used in the measurement of GI, and reference tests with glucose or white bread should be performed at least twice.

Early Learning in the States

I KNOW them all too well--the confused stares, smirks, silent jeers. For some, curiosity is too great. They can't resist asking, What are you doing? I put down my fork and calmly explain that I have to eat one portion of meal at a time--all of steak, for example, before I'll even look at that creamed spinach, before I'll even acknowledge mashed potatoes. Why? Because, when I was in preschool, teachers told us to eat only one thing at a time. In retrospect, I realize they were probably directing that edict toward boys, who insisted mixing their green Jell-O with their creamed corn, but I interpreted directive another way. And though I was just 4 years old when I heard these instructions, I follow them unconsciously to this day. Food just doesn't taste right any other way. Policy makers in recent years have awakened to a fact that some of us have known all along: what you learn in your earliest years, for better or worse, can stay with you for rest of your life. And seemingly every month, research and business communities provide additional confirmation of truth of this observation. Just this past summer, a report was published by Committee for Economic Development, a D.C.-based public policy organization, summarizing findings of well-known early education as well as those of state prekindergarten efforts. Based tremendous benefits to individual learners and to society at large, report encourages states to make publicly funded, high-quality preschool an economic and educational and to require such publicly funded operations to conform to the quality standards necessary to deliver promised economic benefits. States have acted to expand early learning in a variety of ways: by mandating that prekindergarten be offered, by increasing funding, by focusing policies teacher preparation and professional development, and by creating councils or other governance structures to oversee reform issue. Earlier this year, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed first-of-its-kind legislation that created a two-year pilot pre-K program, Preschool for All, will offer services to both 3- and 4-year-olds. The legislature's allocation of $45 million to program will provide slots for 10,000 more children in state to benefit from pre-K instruction. Top priority for grants in Illinois program will go to that primarily serve children at risk of academic failure, while second priority will be accorded to that primarily serve children whose family income is less than four times federal poverty level. (This translates into annual incomes ranging from $52,800 for a family of two to $134,400 for a family of eight, making state-supported prekindergarten available to middle-class families for first time.) The requirement that pre-K meet a number of specified quality criteria suggests pilot has tremendous promise for improving educational opportunities in state. Among mandatory components: all instructors must hold certification in early childhood education, must provide for parent education and involvement in specified areas, and state board must report to legislature on results and progress of students who were enrolled in preschool educational programs and must indicate which have been most successful in promoting academic excellence and alleviating academic failure. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is also helping his state become an emerging leader in pre-K programs. In 2005, Volunteer State used $25 million in lottery earnings to transform its pilot pre-K initiative into statewide, voluntary Pre-K for All Program. This past July, Gov. Bredesen and state department of education went even further, announcing availability of $20 million to create 227 additional pre-K classrooms to extend benefits of early learning to some 5,000 additional 4-year-olds. …

Preference for salts in cooking as perceived by sensory panelists

AbstractThis study was conducted to determine if consumers have a preference for sea, table or kosher salt. Mashed potatoes were tested and accepted as an adequate carrier. Preliminary sensory research was conducted over two trial days in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department. The panelists (n = 100) conducted evaluations on three samples of mashed potatoes seasoned with three types of salt (sea, kosher and noniodized table) using preference testing. A control sample, unsalted mashed potatoes, was presented with each set. The objective of this study was to determine the ‘best overall salt flavor’. Consumers preferred the table and sea salt samples more than the kosher salt, but there was not a distinguishable difference between the table and the sea salts. However, there was no statistical preference by the participant for either of the salts.

Presence and Growth of Bacillus cereus in Dehydrated Potato Flakes and Hot-Held, Ready-to-Eat Potato Products Purchased in New Zealand

Potato products prepared from dehydrated potato flakes have been implicated in foodborne illness incidents involving Bacillus cereus intoxications. B. cereus can survive as spores in potato flakes and can germinate and multiply in the rehydrated product. This study assessed the frequency and concentration of B. cereus in dehydrated potato flakes and hot-held, ready-toeat mashed potato products. Of 50 packets of potato flakes tested, eight contained greater than 100 CFU/g B. cereus (maximum 370 CFU/g). The temperature of the potato portion of 44 hot-held food products was measured immediately after purchase, and 86% were below the safe hot-holding temperature of 60°C. The potato portions were subsequently tested for B. cereus. Only two of the potato portions contained B. cereus at greater than 100 CFU/g, a potato-topped pastry (1,000 CFU/g) and a container of potato and gravy (120 CFU/g). To assess multiplication of B. cereus in this food, we held rehydrated potato flakes with naturally occurring B. cereus at 37, 42, and 50°C and tested them over 6 h. By 6 h, the number of B. cereus in potato stored at 37°C had exceeded 103 CFU/g, was greater than 104 CFU/g at 50°C, and was close to 106 CFU/g at 42°C. Growth data were compared to predictions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pathogen Modeling Program (PMP 7.0). The PMP predictions were found to simulate the measured growth better at 42°C than at 37°C. Hot-held potato products should be safe for consumption if held at 60°C or above or discarded within 2 h.

Effects of Fat on Gastric Emptying of and the Glycemic, Insulin, and Incretin Responses to a Carbohydrate Meal in Type 2 Diabetes

Gastric emptying (GE) is a major determinant of postprandial glycemia. Because the presence of fat in the small intestine inhibits GE, ingestion of fat may attenuate the glycemic response to carbohydrate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of patterns of fat consumption on GE and glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) concentrations after a carbohydrate meal in type 2 diabetes. This was a randomized, cross-over study in which GE of a radioisotopically labeled potato meal was measured on 3 d. The study was performed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Six males with type 2 diabetes were studied. Subjects ingested 1) 30 ml water 30 min before the mashed potato (water), 2) 30 ml olive oil 30 min before the mashed potato (oil), or 3) 30 ml water 30 min before the mashed potato meal that contained 30 ml olive oil (water and oil). GE, blood glucose, plasma insulin, GLP-1, and GIP concentrations were the main outcome measures. GE was much slower with oil compared with both water (P < 0.0001) and water and oil (P < 0.05) and was slower after water and oil compared with water (P < 0.01). The postprandial rise in blood glucose was markedly delayed (P = 0.03), and peak glucose occurred later (P = 0.04) with oil compared with the two other meals. The rises in insulin and GIP were attenuated (P < 0.0001), whereas the GLP-1 response was greater (P = 0.0001), after oil. Ingestion of fat before a carbohydrate meal markedly slows GE and attenuates the postprandial rises in glucose, insulin, and GIP, but stimulates GLP-1, in type 2 diabetes.