Semi-solid Foods Research Articles

Self-assembly of oat proteins into various colloidal states as function of the NaCl concentration and pH

Oats are increasingly used in a range of liquid and semi-solid foods. Insights into the behavior of native oat proteins in aqueous media are crucially important to understand their functionality, but are sorely lacking. Here, for the first time, the impact of varying NaCl concentration and pH on the colloidal state of native oat proteins was systematically studied. Non heat-treated oat groats were used as raw material to produce oat protein isolates (OPI). Upon addition of varying concentrations of NaCl to a native OPI solution, oat proteins self-assembled into different colloidal states. Most notably, at <50 mM NaCl, oat proteins formed protein aggregates with a fractal dimension of 1.8, while at 50–300 mM NaCl, oat proteins microphase-separated to form concentrated protein droplets of ≥1 μm. To allow assessing the impact of pH systematically, titration experiments were performed to establish the relation between pH and protein charge density (α). Upon changing the charge density of a native OPI solution, protein microphase separation was found to occur in the region α = −155 (pH 8.2) to α = −118 (pH 7.1). At lower charge densities (and thus pH values), this phenomenon was no longer observed, but protein aggregation occurred, and pronouncedly so at the protein iso-ionic point (α = 0, pH 5.0). In conclusion, oat proteins self-assemble into different types of colloidal structures at varying NaCl concentration and pH. This could have important implications for the properties of oat proteins in a variety of foods and should be investigated further.

Sociodemographic and health-related factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding in 77 districts of Uganda

BackgroundUganda surpasses many African nations and the global average in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. Yet, malnutrition is a critical issue, with stunting impacting roughly 29% of children under 5 years. Enhancing EBF could mitigate such nutritional challenges. This study focused on determining the current EBF prevalence and identifying associated factors across 77 surveyed districts.MethodsPooled data from the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) surveys conducted in 77 districts in Uganda during 2021 and 2022 were analyzed. The analysis involved 7,210 mothers of children under 6 months, EBF was considered as the proportion of infants who received breast milk only in the 24 hours before the survey. A mother practicing EBF was (1) currently breastfeeding (2) had not started giving foods other than breastmilk (3) had not given any other probed liquids or (4) semi-solid foods the previous day or night. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with EBF, presenting adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals at a 5% significance level.ResultsThe prevalence of EBF was 62.3%. In the adjusted analysis, EBF was more common among older mothers 20–24 years, 25–29 years and 30 + years (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2,1.6), (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.1, 1.6) and (aOR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1, 1.5) respectively compared to teenage mothers. Also, EBF was more likely among mothers who lived in rural areas compared to urban areas (aOR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0, 1.3) and those who attended antenatal care (ANC) (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5, 3.1). On the contrary, EBF was less common for children aged 3–5 months compared to younger (aOR 0.5; 95% CI 0.5, 0.6) and children who had received Vitamin A supplementation (aOR 0.7; 95% 0.6, 0.8).ConclusionThe study suggests that most districts in Uganda might not have made significant strides in improving EBF rates over the last twenty years, pointing to possible ongoing hurdles that need urgent attention. Particularly, there’s a pressing need to focus on teenage mothers. Maintaining and strengthening programs that advocate EBF, such as ANC, is crucial to bridge the gaps and bring about more equitable rates among different groups.

Knowledge and Practices of Mothers’ regarding Weaning of Children and their Relation with Socioeconomic Variables in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Background: Weaning refers to transitioning an infant’s diet from breast milk or formula to other foods and fluids. When the infant stops receiving breast milk, it is considered fully weaned. Aims: To assess the knowledge, and practices of mothers on child weaning in the Aseer region. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 189 mothers in Aseer Region, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Results: Nearly two-thirds of the participants were aware of the terms: weaning, diet, or complementary food (65.1%). Most of the participants (87.3%) knew the nutritional requirements for weaning their infants. There was a non-significant relationship between knowledge of mothers and their sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., their level of education, and socioeconomic condition). More than two-thirds of theparticipants (71.4%) preferred breastfeeding their children associated with semi-solid food during the 6– 9-month period. The majority of the participants (74.6%) initiated weaning with thin-consistency food. There was a significant relationship between the reason for supplementary feeding before six months and mothers’ socioeconomic condition (P &lt;0.05). Conclusions: Mothers’ knowledge and practices were good. There were no significant relationships between mothers’ knowledge level with weaning and socioeconomic characteristics. There was a significant relationship between the reason for supplementary feeding before six months and the socioeconomic condition. Keywords: Knowledge, practice, mothers, weaning, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia.

A cross-sectional study of feeding practice status in children (6–23 months), association with malnutrition, and impacts of maternal determinants

Background: Inadequate complementary feeding practices lead to poor cognition, stunting, and increased rate of infections. Insight into deficiencies of complementary feeding practices could help in planning and implementing newer approaches at various levels of intersection. Aims and Objectives: The aim and purpose of the study were to determine the complementary feeding practices, to identify maternal determinants of each practice, and to analyze the associations between complementary feeding practices with malnutrition. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, of a tertiary hospital over a 14-week period. All children aged 6–23 months were included in the study. Data were collected using a pre-structured questionnaire based on the World Health Organization Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) indicators for assessing IYCF practices. Results: A total of 400 mothers participated in the study. The mean age of children was 12.58 20±5.02 months, male: female = 1.6:1. The mean age of starting complementary feeding was 6.81±1.79 months. Semisolid food was introduced in 90.2% of children, minimum dietary diversity was received by 61.0%, minimum meal frequency by 83.8%, and minimum acceptable diet by 58.2%, eggs and flesh by 14.2% and 3.5% children, respectively; only 9.2% received vitamin A rich fruits and 38.5% did not receive any vegetable or fruit. Bottle feeding was present in 55.5% of population. Maternal parameters (education, employment access to media) and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with feeding practices (P&lt;0.05). A significant difference was found in the nutritional status (wasting and stunting) of children who did not receive minimum dietary diversity (P&lt;0.01). Conclusion: Wide gap exists in feeding practices even in urban settings and was significantly associated with child’s nutritional status.

Infant and young child feeding practices in refugee settings across 203 population-based surveys from 2013-2019.

Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) plays a crucial role in early childhood growth and development. This study summarizes recent IYCF practices in multiple refugee settings and compares them to those in the host countries. We analyzed 203 surveys conducted among refugees residing in 15 countries and 120 unique sites and assessed eight IYCF indicators available from those surveys. A total of 146 surveys were conducted in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and 50 in Western and Central Africa (WCA) regions. The median prevalence across surveys of all four indicators describing intake of breast milk was relatively high: 96.6% for ever breastfed, 81.2% for initiation of breastfeeding within 1 h of birth, 76.9% for exclusive breastfeeding 0-5 months, and 75.0% for continued breastfeeding 12-23 months. The median prevalence of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding was markedly higher in ESA than in WCA (85.0% vs. 37.5% and 83.5% vs. 56.1%, respectively). Conversely, the overall median prevalence of timely introduction of solid and semisolid foods and flesh food consumption was low: 51.8% and 16.1%, respectively. Flesh food consumption was higher in WCA than in ESA (27.4% vs. 11.6%). The median prevalence of mixed milk feeding at 0-5 months and bottle feeding was very low: 2.4% and 3.8%, respectively. Indicators describing breast milk intake were generally either similar or higher in refugees than in the host country populations, whereas the other indicators were generally higher in the host populations than in refugees. The low prevalence of timely introduction of solids and of flesh food consumption in refugees is concerning and requires substantial improvement.

Spatial variation and determinants of inappropriate complementary feeding practice and its effect on the undernutrition of infants and young children aged 6 to 23 months in Ethiopia by using the Ethiopian Mini-demographic and health survey, 2019: spatial and multilevel analysis.

Inappropriate complementary feeding practices (IACFPs) are major public health issues in Ethiopia, which usually result in stunting and becoming an intergenerational cycle. However, the spatial patterns and determinants of IACFP and its effect on undernutrition are not well understood in Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the spatial patterns and determinants of IACFPs and their effects on the undernutrition of infants and young children (IYC) in Ethiopia. This was a nationwide community-based survey study among 1,463 mothers of IYC aged 6-23 months in Ethiopia. The global spatial autocorrelation was assessed using the global Moran's-I to evaluate the spatial clustering of IACFPs. Significant clusters with high and low rates of IACFPs were explored. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression with cluster-level random effects was fitted to identify determinants of IACFPs with an AOR and 95% CI. The prevalence of IACFPs was 90.22%. The spatial pattern of IACFP in Ethiopia was clustered across regions (Global Moran's I = 0.63, Z-score = 12.77, value of p ≤0.001). Clusters with a high rate of IACFP were detected in southern, northwest, and eastern Ethiopia. Individual and community-level variables accounted for 63% of IACFP variation. Mothers with no education were 3.97 times (AOR = 3.97; 95% CI: 1.64-9.60) more likely to have IACFPs than those with higher education. The poorest HHs had 4.80 times the odds of having IACFPs as the richest HHs (AOR = 4.80, 95% CI: 1.23-18.71). The odds of having IACFPs were 2.18 times (AOR = 2.18; 95% CI: 1.28-3.72) higher among babies with no postnatal checkup. Non-breastfed IYC were 2.8 times (AOR = 2.80; 95% CI: 1.29-6.10) more likely to have IACFP when compared with breastfed ones. IYC with the inadequate introduction of solid, semi-solid, and soft foods, inadequate minimum dietary diversity, and inadequate minimum acceptable diet were more likely to have wasting, underweight, and stunting. This study showed the prevalence of IACFPs was very high, which had an effect on undernutrition and showed spatial variation in Ethiopia. Therefore, the government of Ethiopia and stakeholders should focus on women with no education and the poorest HHs, encourage PNC checkups, and encourage breastfeeding in the hotspot areas to minimize IACFPs in Ethiopia.

Knowledge and practice of complementary feeding among mothers in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania: Community-based cross-sectional study

IntroductionThis study examines mothers' complementary feeding (CF) knowledge and practices for children aged 6–24 months, highlighting links to adverse health outcomes and childhood malnutrition from both delayed and early CF initiation (before six months). MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study collected data from 422 mothers through multistage sampling. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used and analyzed with SPSS software version 20.0, employing descriptive and inferential statistics. Chi-square tests assessed associations at a 95 % confidence interval, with a P < 0.05 signifying statistical significance. ResultsApproximately 66.8 % of mothers initiated breastfeeding within an hour after childbirth, with 71.1 % knowledgeable about 'breastfeeding and hand washing' prior to breastfeeding. Around 64.5 % introduced liquids, and 58.8 % gave semi-solid food to their children before six months. About 41.9 % initiated CF at the recommended age. Associations were observed between maternal education and knowledge of dietary diversification. The study also found a connection between CF-related information and timely CF initiation. ConclusionsInsufficient knowledge of infant and child feeding practices necessitates nutritional education for mothers through effective communication packages to promote proper feeding practices.

Tribology test design for friction measurements with application to oral medicines

In recent years tribology tests have been used to measure friction properties of oral consumables such as semi-solid foods and medicines. The tests aim to simulate thin-film mastication conditions and are intended to correlate with mouth feel or food texture properties. In this paper a new approach is proposed to better simulate shear conditions, fluid supply and friction data capture associated with mastication and swallowing. Two primary changes are suggested: these are the reduction of the inlet influence on lubricant film properties and the ability to measure transient and time-dependent friction. The new test was used to measure friction for a range of oral medicines including a viscous solution (cough syrup) and particulate suspensions (paediatric, calcium carbonate) in combination with an artificial saliva (mucin solution), The tongue-palate was replicated by a PCX glass lens loaded and reciprocating against a textured silicone surface. A short stroke length, comparable to the Hertzian diameter of the contact, was used so the contact operated in a partially replenished lubrication condition. This ensured the film in the contact region has the same composition as the bulk fluid. Friction was measured continuously during reciprocation for up to 5 cycles (comparable to mastication time) and data was sampled at 100 Hz to capture transient friction. Tests were run with and without a mucin layer present. The results showed that tests performed after 20 min adsorption of an artificial saliva solution reduced the friction coefficient from μ = 1 to μ = 0.2–0.3. Tests with the paracetamol suspensions, which contain hard particles, recorded transient friction spikes which were not recorded for the softer calcium carbonate suspensions. Key conclusions for the design of pertinent simulation tests are that the film properties in the oral cavity are not determined by the inlet as for classical lubrication. The (bulk) oral sample is captured in the tongue-palate contact and not continually replenished. When sheared it will exhibit time (transient, longer-term) and speed dependent friction responses which contribute to sensory and texture perception.

Efficacy and Safety of Self-Expandable Metallic Stent Placement for Malignant Esophageal Fistula.

Patients with malignant esophageal fistulas often experience dysphagia and infection, resulting in poor prognoses. Self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement is a palliative treatment option; however, its efficacy and safety are unclear. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of SEMS placement for malignant esophageal fistulas. We retrospectively investigated patients who underwent SEMS placement for malignant esophageal fistulas between 2013 and 2022 at the Cancer Institute Hospital. Dysphagia scores (DSs) before and after SEMS placement, adverse events, and overall survival from SEMS placement until death were evaluated. A total of 17 patients underwent SEMS placement, including 12 and 5 patients with esophageal and lung cancers, respectively. Prior treatments included chemoradiotherapy (n = 11), radiotherapy (n = 4), and chemotherapy (n = 4); two patients underwent palliative radiotherapy after chemotherapy. All procedures were technically successful. After SEMS placement, 14 (82.4%) patients were able to consume semisolid or solid food (DS ≤ 2). Major adverse events were encountered in only one case. The median survival time after SEMS placement was 71 days (range 17-247 days). SEMS placement allowed most patients to resume oral intake with a low rate of major adverse events. SEMS placement is a reasonable palliative treatment option for patients with malignant fistulas who have poor prognoses.

The Effect Of Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata D.) And Peel Of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Balance On The Characteristics Of Jam Produced

Jam is a semi-solid food ingredient made no less than 45 parts by weight of crushed fruit with 55 parts by weight of sugar. The mixture is thickened until it reaches a content of a dissolved solid substance of not less than 65% for all types of jam. The main components or conditions for making jam are pectin, sugar and acid. Pectin requirements for the manufacture of jams are a maximum of 0.75% and a minimum sugar of 55%. Ideal fruits in the manufacture of jam should contain enough pectins and acids to produce jams with appropriate characteristics.Research on the jam characteristics of various yellow pumpkin and watermelon peel balances has been tried with the aim of establishing the right balance. The method used in this study was an experimental method using a Randomized Block Design. The balance treatment of yellow pumpkin and watermelon peel consists of balancesA (100: 0) , B (90 : 10), C (80 : 20), D (70 : 30), E (60 : 40) and F (50 : 50), each treatment is repeated four times. Inter-treatment testing using duncan multiple range test at a real level of 5%.The results showed that the balance of yellow squash and watermelon peels gave a noticeable difference in the effect on the moisture content, vitamin C, total soluble solids, the degree of liking for the color, taste, aroma and consistencyof the jam. The balance of yellow pumpkin and watermelon peel (70:30) produces good jam characteristics, this determination is based on a color favorability level of 4.16 , taste of 4.04 and consistencyof 3.63 out of a maximum value of 5.00 and a total soluble solid of 70.03%.

Status of infant and young child feeding in China in 2016-2017

To describe the feeding status and related factors of infant and young child aged 6-23 months in China. Data was from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance among 0-17 Years Old Children and Lactating Women in 2016-2017, and 20 423 children aged 6-23 months were involved in 275 surveillance sites from 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities). The introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency were analyzed with WHO and UNICEF 2021 updated infant and young child feeding indicators. Data analyses were conducted using the complex weight based on national census from National Bureau of Statistics in 2010. Rao-Scott Chi-square was used test for statistical difference. The percentage of infants 6-8 months of age who consumed solid, semi-solid or soft foods was 83.2%(95%CI 80.5%-85.9%) in 2016-2017. No significant difference were observed between boys and girls; there was significant difference in different areas(Rao-Scott χ~2=30.85, P&lt;0.01), it was 90.3% in medium and small cities, and reached 75.0% even in poor rural areas. The proportions of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum dietary diversity(MDD) was 60.6%(95%CI 58.1%-63.1%). It was 71.1% in medium and small cities, and 50.5% in poor rural areas. Except for breast milk, the percentage of eggs(34.4%) and legumes(19.0%) consumption was low, the percentage of grains, vitamin A-rich fruits or vegetables consumption was 89.7%(95%CI 88.4%-91.1%). The percentage of consuming egg and/or flesh food was 76.4%(95%CI 74.2%-78.7%). The percentage of zero vegetables or fruits consumption was 9.1%(95%CI 7.8%-10.4%). The proportions of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum meal frequency(MMF) was 72.4%(95%CI 70.1%-74.7%). It was over 70% in large cities, medium and small cities, general rural areas; and 60.2% in poor rural areas. The proportions of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum acceptable diet was 43.4%(95%CI 40.7%-46.1%), it was over 50% in urban areas, and less than 40% in rural areas, 30.1% in poor rural areas. No consistent differences were observed between boys and girls for all 3 indicators(MDD, MMF and MAD), and there was significant difference in different areas and various months of age(P&lt;0.01). There was no gender difference in the feeding status of children aged 6-23 months in China, the complementary feeding was relatively timely, and the minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency of children were relatively ideal, but the minimum acceptable diet of children in poor rural areas was poor.

Versatile Polysaccharides for Application to Semi-Solid and Fluid Foods: The Pectin Case

Pectin is a versatile polysaccharide produced mainly from natural food sources and agro-industrial wastes, adding value to these by-products. For food applications, it is necessary that pectin first interacts with water for technical purposes. As a food additive, pectin acts as a solution thickener and gelling agent for food formulation, even in concentrations of less than 1 (g/100 mL or g/100 g), and it is sufficient to influence food products’ stability, rheology, texture, and sensory properties. Therefore, this review paper attempts to discuss the versability of pectin use, focusing on food application. It starts by showing the chemical structure, the sources’ potential, thickening, and gelling mechanisms and concludes by showing the main applications to the food sector and its rheological properties.

The Effect of Egg Yolk on the Physical and Organoleptic Properties of Mayonnaise from Virgin Coconut Oil and Coconut Water

Mayonnaise is a semi-solid food ingredient produced by mixing vegetable oil with an emulsifier consisting of vinegar and egg yolks, and sugar or salt can also be added to taste. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of egg yolk on the physical and organoleptic properties of mayonnaise made of virgin coconut oil (VCO) and coconut water. Mayonnaise is typically produced by mixing egg yolk (0, 5, 7, 9, 11) %, salt, sugar, xanthan gum, mustard, lime, coconut water and VCO (coconut water : VCO ratio = 4:1). Furthermore, homogenization was carried out using ultra turrax for 4 minutes at 15000 rpm until mayonnaise was formed. Analysis was carried out on viscosity, stability, organoleptic tests (color, taste, aroma, and texture) and chemical tests (moisture/water content, fat content, and protein content) as well as total plate number. The results showed that mayonnaise made of virgin coconut oil had stable properties. The highest viscosity value was 1040 cP in the concentration of 7% egg yolk. An increase in egg yolk content decreases the viscosity of mayonnaise. In organoleptic testing, it was found that the combination of coconut water and 7% egg yolk had a neutral preference for taste. For the color aspect, the results found were included in the like category, while for the aroma aspect, the results was included in the neutral category. The result found was classified as like for texture aspect. When compared to SNI 01-4473-1998, mayonnaise with a combination of coconut water and 7% egg yolk had a water content of 76.75% higher than SNI (max 30%), fat content 12.49% lower than SNI (min 65%), protein content 2.21% meets SNI requirements (min 0.9%), and total plate count (TPC) 2.7x102 colonies/gr meets SNI standards (max 1x104 colonies/g). Therefore, the mayonnaise produced in this study is classified as low fat.

Controlling textural attributes of plant-based emulsions using heteroaggregation of cationic and anionic potato protein-coated oil droplets

There is a need for semi-solid food matrices constructed from plant-derived ingredients to formulate plant-based foods, like egg, cheese, meat, and mayonnaise analogs. This study showed that heteroaggregation could be used to create plant-based semi-solid matrices by blending cationic and anionic droplets together. Heteroaggregation was induced by mixing 10 wt% olive oil-in-water emulsions containing either cationic potato protein-coated oil droplets (PPI300E) or anionic potato protein-coated oil droplets (PPI200E). Extensive droplet aggregation occurred at intermediate mixing ratios (25–75 wt%) because of electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged oil droplets. Heteroaggregation led to a large increase in shear viscosity and elastic modulus, which was attributed to the formation of a network of protein-coated oil droplets held together by electrostatic attraction. The highest viscosity and elastic modulus were observed in the emulsions containing 75 wt% PPI200E and 25 wt% PPI300E. When the mixed emulsions were heated from 25 to 90 °C and then cooled back to 25 °C, there were pronounced changes in their rheological properties. The shear modulus of the mixed emulsions tended to increase when they were heated above their thermal denaturation temperature, which was attributed to strengthening of hydrophobic attractions between the droplets. In contrast, the shear modulus tended to decrease steeply during cooling, which suggested that the network of aggregated oil droplets partially collapsed. Rearrangement and consolidation of the oil droplets in the particle network during storage led to gravitational separation. Our results show that semi-solid emulsified foods can be formed from plant-derived ingredients using relatively low concentrations of protein and oil using heteroaggregation. These emulsions may be useful as structuring agents in some plant-based foods.

Ball milling alters the extractability and colloidal state of oat proteins

Oat protein must be extractable to play a functional role in liquid and semi-solid foods. Also relevant in this context is the colloidal state of the extracted oat protein, which is however rarely considered. Here, the impact of ball milling of defatted oat whole meal (DOW) on its protein extractability, composition and colloidal state in water, in a 1.0 M NaCl solution and in a medium at pH 9.0 was investigated. Overall, ball milling caused a decrease in DOW particle size and an increase in protein extractability, i.e. the protein recovery in the supernatant after extraction and centrifugation. Interestingly, for both control and ball milled DOW, increasing the applied centrifugal force after extraction led to a decreased protein extractability. Thus, a fraction of proteins – mainly 12S globulins as revealed by chromatography – remained in suspension at lower centrifugal force but precipitated at higher centrifugal force. This effect was more pronounced for ball milled DOW. These findings indicate that part of the 12S globulins in oat protein extracts, especially after prior ball milling, occur as protein aggregates. In conclusion, ball milling and altered centrifugation conditions after extraction can result in oat extracts with pronounced differences in protein level, composition and colloidal state.

Strengthening Nutrition Interventions during Antenatal Care Improved Maternal Dietary Diversity and Child Feeding Practices in Urban Bangladesh: Results of a Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Study

BackgroundBangladesh is urbanizing rapidly, facing challenges of malnutrition, low coverage and poor quality of urban nutrition services. ObjectivesWe assessed the effect of integrating maternal, infant, and young child nutrition interventions, delivered at urban Maternal Neonatal and Child Health facilities, on maternal dietary diversity, iron and folic acid (IFA) and calcium consumption, and child feeding practices. MethodsWe used a quasi-experimental design with a nonrandom assignment of 20 health care facilities in Dhaka to intensive and standard service arms. We conducted facility-based observations and community-based surveys at baseline (2020) and endline (2022) (n = 2455 observations and surveys with 1678 pregnant women [PW] or recently delivered women [RDW] at endline). We derived difference-in-difference (DID) estimates, adjusted for characteristics that differed at baseline or endline, and accounted for clustering. ResultsExposure to antenatal care (ANC) was similar in both arms: two-thirds of RDW received ANC during the first trimester and three-fourths received ≥4 ANC checkups. Compared to the standard arm, a higher proportion of PW in the intensive arm received counseling on dietary diversity (DID: 45 percentage points [pp]), and a higher proportion of RDW received IFA (25 pp) and calcium supplementation (19 pp), showed adequate weight gain (44 pp), and recorded appropriate child feeding (27 pp). Improvements were greater in the intensive than the standard arm for the number of food groups consumed (DID: 1.1 food groups) and minimum dietary diversity (23 pp); no effect was observed for IFA and calcium consumption during pregnancy. However, effects were observed for early initiation of (20 pp) and exclusive breastfeeding (45 pp), introduction of solid or semisolid foods (28 pp), and egg and/or flesh food consumption (33 pp) among children. Minimum dietary diversity and acceptable diet remained low in both arms. ConclusionsIntensifying nutrition in government-aligned health care services delivered by experienced nongovernmental organization-run facilities is a feasible model to address the urban health gap, nutrition services coverage, and improve practices.The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03882268.

Complementary feeding practices and their determinants among children aged 6–23 months in rural Bangladesh: evidence from Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) 2018–2019 evaluated against WHO/UNICEF guideline -2021

BackgroundAppropriate Complementary feeding (CF) practices play a crucial role in determining child nutrition, growth, and development. This study seeks to examine CF practices and their predictors among children aged 6 to 23 months in rural Bangladesh according to the most recently updated WHO/UNICEF guidelines for CF.MethodsA total of 665 children aged 6 to 23 months from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) 2018–2019 dataset were analyzed. The WHO/UNICEF guidelines for CF were followed to evaluate each of the nine CF practice indicators. We also examined the effect of the child, maternal, household, and community-level factors on different CF components using multiple logistic regression analyses.ResultsApproximately two-thirds of the children initiated complementary feeding on time (63.5%) but had zero vegetable or fruit consumption (63.2%). More than half (52.4%) and the majority (86.5%) of children had minimum meal frequency and minimum milk feeding frequency, respectively. On the other hand, the proportion of minimum dietary diversity was quite low (18.3%), as reflected in the alarming prevalence (16.3%) of minimum acceptable diet. Egg and/or flesh food, sweet beverage, and unhealthy food consumption were 23.3%, 2.5%, and 12.2%, respectively. Child age, mothers’ education level, antenatal care visit, household food security, monthly household income, and place of residence were found to be associated with CF practices.ConclusionWhen compared to results obtained using the previous guideline, the new one has resulted in a lower prevalence of Introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods (ISSF), Minimum dietary diversity (MDD), Minimum meal frequency (MMF), and Minimum acceptable diet (MAD). It is crucial to convey the new knowledge for better child feeding and nutrition as the country prepares to apply the new guideline.

A Study to assess the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge and Practices regarding Complementary Feeding among mothers of infants at rural and urban area, Navi Mumbai

Background: Complementary feeding is a gradual process starting with semisolid foods between the ages of 6 months and gradually progressing over a period of months to the age of one year, when child should be managing similar food to the rest of the family. The healthy child represents the sound relationship of physical, mental, social and psychological development and maintains a good balance among the variables of the life. Healthy child always belongs to the healthy food or he/she is a symbol of healthy environment. Good nutrition is essential for the comprehensive development of child.1 Objectives: 1. To assess the knowledge of mothers regarding complementary feeding. 2. To assess the practices of mothers about complementary feeding. 3. To compare the effectiveness of structure teaching programme in terms of knowledge gain among mothers on complementary feeding at rural and urban area. 4. To find out the association between knowledge and practices of mothers regarding complementary feeding with selected specific demographic variables. Hypothesis: H0- There is no significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test knowledge and practice among mothers regarding complementary feeding. H1- There will be a significant difference between area of study, level of knowledge and practice among mothers regarding complementary feeding. H2- The mean post –test knowledge regarding complementary feeding will be significantly higher than the mean pre-test knowledge. H3-There will be significant association between the selected demographic variables and the mean knowledge of mothers regarding complementary feeding. Materials and methods: The data were collected from 30 mothers, out of which 15 from urban area (ramabai and sambhaji nagar) and 15 from rural area (wavanje village), by using A non probability convenient sampling technique, , semi-structured questionnaire were used to assess knowledge and rating scale was used to assess practices related to complementary feeding. Result: The overall mean score for pre knowledge of rural mothers were 1.95 while in urban it was 2.1, After giving structured teaching programme the knowledge of rural mother increased by 2.1 while in urban it increased by 2.7. The overall mean score for pre practice of rural mothers were 1.50 while in urban it was 1.53. After giving structured teaching programme the practice of rural mother improved by 1.53 while in urban it was1.47.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Extract of Typha domingensis Pers. Pollen (qurraid) and Evaluate its Antibacterial Activity

In this study, the aqueous extract of (Typha domingensis Pers.) pollen grain (qurraid) to know its ability to manufacture silver nanoparticles. Qurraid is a semi-solid yellow food substance, sold in Basra markets and eaten by the local population. It is made from the pollen of the T. domingensis Pers. plant after being pressed and treated with water vapor. The Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) reaction was done to identify the active compounds of qurraid aqueous extract. The ability of the aqueous extract of qurraid to manufacture silver nanoparticles was tested, and the construction of silver nanoparticles was inferred by the reaction mixture's color, which ranged from yellow to dark brown. The synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were described by UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDX. Then its anti-bacterial activity was estimated by the agar well diffusion method. The findings of the GC-MS analysis of the qurraid aqueous extract showed the major components with their ratio were: 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural with RT% 13.6196, 3-Deoxy-d-mannoic lactone 6.4285,. alpha.-L-lyxo-Hexopyranoside, methyl 3-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy- 4.264, 4H-Pyran-4-one, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl- 3.2078, and 1,3-Methylene-d-arabitol 3.1257. The construction of silver nanoparticles was described by spectroscopic methods, where the highest peak was recorded at 400nm by UV-Vis spectrum, which indicates the silver spectrum. The mineral nature of AgNPs was confirmed by XRD analysis, in which the highest peaks were, 111, 300, and 330 were recorded. In addition, the qrdAgNPs nanoparticles were spherical with sizes ranging from 20-70nm. The results of the EDX confirmed that the chemical composition of AgNPs was silver. The ability of the AgNPs was tested against four bacterial species, three of which were Gram-negative Escherichia coli A1, Escherichia coli A2, Alcaligenes faecalis AL1, and the fourth was Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus zanthoxyli B1 , which were identified by traditional and molecular methods using 16SrRNA gene sequencing, antibacterial activity results of AgNPs showed that it increases with increasing of AgNPs concentration, and the most sensitive species to silver particles was Alcaligenes faecalis AL1bacteria.

Modeling of radio frequency heating of packed fluid foods moving on a conveyor belt: A case study for tomato puree

Computer simulation models were used to study radiofrequency heating of liquid foods moving on a conveyor belt between staggered-through field electrodes of non-uniform electric field distribution. Voltage across the electrodes was estimated using a finite-element model and a one-dimensional model, and these were utilized to simulate heating of tomato puree mixtures of varying dielectric and thermal properties, at various nominal voltages and electrode gaps. The experimental results for volume average temperatures showed good agreement with the outcome of both simulation models. Although the temperature profiles indicate a concentration of heat at the bottom and edges of the bottle, natural convection and the shape of the container helped mitigate heat localization. It was determined that, while simple models could provide accurate volume average temperatures, incorporating convectively enhanced conductivity was necessary to accurately predict temperature distribution. The heating rate was found to decrease with an increase in salt concentration. Industrial relevanceIn-package tunnel pasteurization is preferred over continuous-flow pasteurization for certain commercial products such as carbonated beverages or semi-solid foods of high viscosity. Dielectric heating can be applied in these cases with much lower requirements of floor space, water, and energy, while reducing heat losses and localized overheating. However, the radiofrequency heating of liquid foods has not been extensively studied, especially for in-package thermal treatments. A better understanding of the effect of various processing parameters on temperature distribution and heating rates could support a wider adoption of this technology in industrial processes.