Slices Of Cheese Research Articles

Effect of the Bioprotective Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains on Quality and Safety of Feta Cheese Stored under Different Conditions.

Lately, the inclusion of additional lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains to cheeses is becoming more popular since they can affect cheese's nutritional, technological, and sensory properties, as well as increase the product's safety. This work studied the effect of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus L33 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L125 free cells and supernatants on feta cheese quality and Listeria monocytogenes fate. In addition, rapid and non-invasive techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and multispectral imaging (MSI) analysis were used to classify the cheese samples based on their sensory attributes. Slices of feta cheese were contaminated with 3 log CFU/g of L. monocytogenes, and then the cheese slices were sprayed with (i) free cells of the two strains of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in co-culture (F, ~5 log CFU/g), (ii) supernatant of the LAB co-culture (S) and control (C, UHT milk) or wrapped with Na-alginate edible films containing the pellet (cells, FF) or the supernatant (SF) of the LAB strains. Subsequently, samples were stored in air, in brine, or in vacuum at 4 and 10 °C. During storage, microbiological counts, pH, and water activity (aw) were monitored while sensory assessment was conducted. Also, in every sampling point, spectral data were acquired by means of FTIR and MSI techniques. Results showed that the initial microbial population of Feta was ca. 7.6 log CFU/g and consisted of LAB (>7 log CFU/g) and yeast molds in lower levels, while no Enterobacteriaceae were detected. During aerobic, brine, and vacuum storage for both temperatures, pathogen population was slightly postponed for S and F samples and reached lower levels compared to the C ones. The yeast mold population was slightly delayed in brine and vacuum packaging. For aerobic storage at 4 °C, an elongation in the shelf life of F samples by 4 days was observed compared to C and S samples. At 10 °C, the shelf life of both F and S samples was extended by 13 days compared to C samples. FTIR and MSI analyses provided reliable estimations of feta quality using the PLS-DA method, with total accuracy (%) ranging from 65.26 to 84.31 and 60.43 to 89.12, respectively. In conclusion, the application of bioprotective LAB strains can result in the extension of feta's shelf life and provide a mild antimicrobial action against L. monocytogenes and spoilage microbiota. Furthermore, the findings of this study validate the effectiveness of FTIR and MSI techniques, in tandem with data analytics, for the rapid assessment of the quality of feta samples.

Effects of industrial slicing on the microbiological quality and safety of mozzarella cheese and ham

Slicing of animal origin food affects the final quality of products and potentially transfers pathogenic microorganisms as it occurs after microorganism control and elimination steps, such as cooking and pasteurization. Therefore, the food industry needs to ensure the safety of food products to reduce the incidence of foodborne diseases. This requires an understanding of the dangers involved in each stage of production, along with the microorganisms transferred during processing. In this study, we aimed to understand the impact of industrial slicing on mozzarella cheese and ham by investigating the quality indicator microorganisms, aerobic mesophiles, psychrotrophs, total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, and pathogens, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Samples were collected from pieces (20) and slices (20) of mozzarella cheese and ham. The number of mesophilic aerobes differed significantly before and after slicing (P < 0.05) for mozzarella. However, no difference was observed in the psychrotrophic microorganism counts during slicing. The counts of total coliforms and S. aureus increased after slicing (P > 0.05). In total, 844 isolates were analyzed for pathogenic genes, and Salmonella spp. were identified in 40% of the piece and 20% of the sliced mozzarella cheese samples and in 30% of the piece and 50% of the sliced ham samples. Furthermore, S. aureus genes with the potential to produce enterotoxins C and D were identified in two sliced mozzarella cheese samples. Slicing of ready-to-eat food is an important step in food microbiology. Our results highlight the importance of maintaining hygienic practices during processing and demonstrate that the microbiological quality of the slicing sample affects the quality and safety of the sliced product.

Active antioxidant and aromatic films blended with persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) and orange peel flour (Citrus sinensis) as sustainable packaging

AbstractActive antioxidant and aromatic films based on persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) cultivated according to agroecological precepts with orange peel flour (Citrus sinensis) and glycerol addition were developed by casting technique and characterized. The films were largely red and yellow appearance color, indicating a natural tendency to maintain the color of the persimmon pulp ripe. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a homogeneous and compact structure of the films, which obtained a rougher texture with the addition of glycerol. The addition of orange peel flour to the film‐forming solution proportionally increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of the persimmon puree films. Volatile compounds belonging to different chemical classes were identified, including limonene, β‐ionone, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, and vaccenic acid, which influence the overall aroma, as they were detected above their odor thresholds, and the functional properties of these films. Furthermore, the thermogravimetric analysis showed two important degradation steps related to glycerol and pectin (130–230°C) and decomposition of the polymer structure (above 300°C), guaranteeing the processability of the raw materials under conditions of higher temperatures than those normally used in industrial food packaging products in a circular economy context. This study indicates the potential for formation of persimmon‐based films incorporated into orange peel flour as active antioxidant films for use in drinks and tea bags as a flavoring or as intermediate layers used between slices of cheese, avoiding direct contact with food, facilitating its separation, as some application examples.Highlights Persimmon and orange peel flour films were developed by casting. Antioxidant and sensorial properties of blended films were evaluated. Volatile compounds were identified, including limonene and vaccenic acid. Circular economy principles were used to avoid postharvest fruit losses.

Epicoccum sp. as the causative agent of a reddish-brown spot defect on the surface of a hard cheese made of raw ewe milk

Colour defects can affect the appearance of cheese, its flavour, the safety of its consumption, and the price it can demand. This work reports the identification of five fungal isolates from a dairy plant where the surface of most cheeses was affected by patent, reddish-to-brown stains. One of these isolates was obtained from cheese, two from brine, and two from a bulk tank containing ewe milk. Molecular identification by partial amplification, sequencing, and database comparison of the concatenated sequence of the genes coding for the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), β-tubulin (β-TUB), and the large subunit of the rRNA molecule (LSU), plus the internal transcribed sequence (ITS) regions, assigned the isolates to Epicoccum layuense, Epicoccum italicum, and Epicoccum mezzettii. Features of the growth of these different species on different agar-based media, and of the morphology of their conidia following sporulation, are also reported. The strain isolated from cheese, E. layuense IPLA 35011, was able to recreate the reddish-brown stains on slices of Gouda-like cheese, which linked the fungus with the colour defect. In addition, two other strains, E. italicum IPLA 35013 from brine and E. italicum IPLA 35014 from milk, also produced stains on cheese slices. Epicoccum species are widely recognized as plant pathogens but have seldom been reported in the dairy setting, and never as human or animal pathogens.

Penggunaan Bumbu Andaliman Sebagai Bahan Utama Dalam Pengolahan Makanan (Studi Kasus Pembuatan Pizza Andaliman) Di Restoran Pizza Andaliman Balige Kabupaten Toba

Andaliman pizza has a special taste. Andaliman pizza is processed by gently grinding andaliman, then sliced lemongrass, carrot parts, cabbage flowers, far beans and spring onions. After that the sausage part, soft slices of cheese and the tomato part become a garnish or accessory on the top of the pizza. This study has a purpose, namely to identify customer assumptions about the characteristics of pizza andaliman, to analyze customer attitudes to pizza andaliman, and to analyze customer actions to pizza andaliman. The data analysis procedure used in this study is to use SWOT analysis. There is also a final result from this study if Andaliman Pizza is one of the powerhouses for foreign tourists who are curious about its taste and texture

“Perchoo,” or the Music of Mourning

“Perchoo,” or the Music of Mourning

Assessing the Listeria monocytogenes transference during mechanical slicing of mozzarella cheese

Listeriosis is a foodborne disease caused by Listeria monocytogenes (LM) and has been linked to the consumption of sliced mozzarella cheese. This study aimed to assess the LM transference during mechanical slicing of mozzarella cheese and its growth during refrigerated storage. Mozzarella cheese was contaminated with LM and 100 slices containing approximately 5 log CFU/slice were produced. Next, 100 slices of non-contaminated cheese were sliced using a contaminated blade (3.67log CFU/10 cm2). LM was quantified on the blade and slices right after slicing and after storage at 10 °C for 10 and 15 days. Results demonstrated that increasing counts of LM were transferred to the blade, comparing the first and the fifth slices (2.71 and 3.22log CFU/10 cm2, respectively, p ≤ 0.05), however, transference stabilized after the 50th slice (3.75 CFU/10 cm2). The blade transferred 1.69–2.66 log CFU/g of LM to different slices. At the end of the storage at 10 °C by 10 and 15 days, LM counts increased to 1.51 and 1.69 log CFU/g, respectively, indicating that LM population can increase if the cheese is stored for a long time.

Utilization of Cheesy Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) Sw. Embutido

This study aimed to utilize Jackfruit into Cheesy Embutido. This research was conducted to determine the level of consumer's acceptability of Jackfruit Cheesy Embutido. Embutido is a Filipino-style meatloaf made with a festive mixture of any type of meat, carrots, and raisins wrapped around slices of eggs, cheese, and sausage. A set of steps were conducted in this research, such as experimentation, evaluation, and data gathering and analysis. Results revealed that there was no significant difference in the level of acceptability of the jackfruit Embutido as to appearance (μ=405, p=0.375), Aroma (μ=405, p=0.370), Texture (μ=350, p=0.122), Taste (μ=338, p=0.089) and General Acceptability (μ=395.50, p=0.386).

New Edible Packaging Material with Function in Shelf Life Extension: Applications for the Meat and Cheese Industries.

Nowadays, biopolymer films have gained notoriety among the packaging materials. Some studies clearly test their effectiveness for certain periods of time, with applicability in the food industry. This research has been carried out in two directions. Firstly, the development and testing of the new edible material: general appearance, thickness, retraction ratio, color, transmittance, microstructure, roughness, and porosity, as well as mechanical and solubility tests. Secondly, testing of the packaged products—slices of cheese and prosciutto—in the new material and their maintenance at refrigeration conditions for 5 months; thus, the peroxide index, color, and water activity index were evaluated for the packaged products. The results emphasize that the packaging is a lipophilic one and does not allow wetting or any changes in the food moisture. The results indicate the stability of the parameters within three months and present the changes occurring within the fourth and fifth months. Microbiological tests indicated an initial microbial growth, both for cheese slices and ham slices. Time testing indicated a small increase in the total count number over the 5-month period: 23 cfu/g were found of fresh slices of prosciutto and 27 cfu/g in the case of the packaged ones; for slices of cheese, the total count of microorganisms indicated 7 cfu/g in the initial stage and 11 cfu/g after 5 months. The results indicate that the film did not facilitate the growth of the existing microorganisms, and highlight the need to purchase food from safe places, especially in the case of raw-dried products that have not undergone heat treatment, which may endanger the health of the consumer. The new material tested represents a promising substitute for commercial and unsustainable plastic packaging.

High lactose whey cheese consumption and risk of colorectal cancer - The Norwegian Women and Cancer Study

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased among Norwegian women, and is among the highest in the world. In order to understand this increase, country specific dietary exposures have been investigated. The aim of this study was to quantify the association between consumption of brown cheese, a common bread topping in Norway, and colorectal, colon, and rectal cancer in the prospective Norwegian Women and Cancer (NOWAC) Study. Data on brown cheese consumption and adjustment factors was available for 82 527 women. During a mean of 14.6 years of follow-up (1.2 million person-years), there were 1360 cases of colorectal cancer (907 colon; 453 rectal). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for colorectal, colon, and rectal cancer sites. We modelled restricted cubic splines with 4 knots, to assess a possible non-linear relationship between brown cheese intake and the investigated cancer sites. In the age-adjusted model, consumption of more than 2 slices (>16 grams) of brown cheese per day was associated with 13% reduced risk of colon cancer (95% CI 4%-21%) compared to women who did not consume brown cheese. The multivariable-adjusted model, however, showed no association between brown cheese consumption and the risk of colorectal, colon, or rectal cancer (colorectal: HR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.76–1.13, p-trend 0.37; colon: HR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.65–1.06; p-trend = 0.10; rectal: HR = 1.16, 95% CI 0.84–1.1.61, p-trend = 0.41). In this large, prospective cohort study of women, consumption of brown cheese was suggestively protective against colon cancer. However, adjustment attenuated the inverse risk association. Brown cheese consumption was not associated with rectal cancer, or colorectal cancer overall.

Listeria monocytogenes in Gorgonzola cheese: Study of the behaviour throughout the process and growth prediction during shelf life

As reported on RASFF's portal, in the first 9months of 2016, a total of 13 “alerts/information for attention” were issued concerning the presence of Listeria monocytogenes in mould cheeses throughout Europe. This study analyzes the behaviour of L. monocytogenes in Gorgonzola cheese, a typical Italian soft blue-veined cheese, when contaminated at different time points. In the first challenge test, the pasteurized milk was contaminated and the complete cheese manufacture (cheesemaking, ripening) and shelf life was simulated.After a decrease during the first days of the cheesemaking, the pH remained constant for 35days (5weeks) and then it increased rapidly reaching the final values of 6.8±0.02 in the core and 5.8±0.4 on the rind. At the same time, the pathogen concentration decreased (about 2logCFU/g), although during the last week a rapid pathogen growth was observed after the rise in pH values.When the cheese was stored at thermal abuse condition (8–12°C), the pathogen concentration on the rind was 4.8±0.3 log CFU/g and after 66days (about 9weeks) no significant difference (p>0.05) was observed; whereas, a growth from 5.4±0.4 to 7.1±0.5logCFU/g was observed in the core. A second challenge test was performed using three batches of commercial slices of Gorgonzola cheese inoculated by L. monocytogenes and stored at 8°C. The maximum specific growth rates (μmax, 1/h) of L. monocytogenes estimated ranged from 0.007 to 0.061. The square root model was used to predict the μmax at others temperature and to establish the time necessary to reach the European critical legal limit of 2logCFU/g, in different storage scenarios. The predictions obtained in this study can be applied to any time-temperature profile, and in particular to the conditions to which the product is most likely to be subject in normal use, up to its final consumption. This study can be considered a valuable contribution also aimed at supporting the monitoring surveys carried out by officers of the Regional Veterinary Authority.

Pulsed light and antimicrobial combination treatments for surface decontamination of cheese: Favorable and antagonistic effects

Postprocessing cross-contamination of cheese can lead to both food safety issues and significant losses due to spoilage. Pulsed light (PL) treatment, consisting of short, high-energy, broad-spectrum light pulses, has been proven effective in reducing the microbial load on cheese surface. As PL treatment effectiveness is limited by light-cheese interactions, the possibility to improve its effectiveness by combining it with the antimicrobial nisin was explored. The effect of natamycin, which is added to cheeses as an antifungal agent, on PL effectiveness was also investigated. Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Listeria innocua were used as challenge microorganisms. Bacterial cultures in stationary growth phase were diluted to initial inoculum levels of 5 or 7 log cfu per cheese slice. Slices of sharp white Cheddar cheese and white American singles were cut in rectangles of 2.5 × 5 cm. For cheese slices receiving antimicrobial treatment before PL, slices were dipped in natamycin or nisin, spot inoculated with 100 μL of bacterial suspension, and then treated with PL. Cheese slices receiving PL treatment before antimicrobials were spot inoculated, treated with PL, and then treated with antimicrobials. The PL fluence levels from 1.02 to 12.29 J/cm2 were used. Survivors were enumerated by standard plate counting or the most probable number technique, as appropriate. All treatments were performed in triplicate, and the data were analyzed using a general linear model. Treatment with nisin or natamycin before PL decreased the effectiveness of PL for all bacteria tested. For instance, PL reduced P. fluorescens on Cheddar cheese by 2.19 ± 0.27 log after 6.14 J/cm2, whereas combination treatments at the same PL fluence yielded barely 1 log reduction. Inactivation of L. innocua on Cheddar was only 0.78 ± 0.01 log when using PL after nisin, compared with a 1.30 ± 0.76 log reduction by nisin alone. This was attributed to the absorption of UV light by the 2 antimicrobials, which diminished the UV fluence received by the bacteria. Increased inactivation was obtained when antimicrobials were applied after PL. On process cheese, a maximum reduction of 3.73 ± 0.96 log of L. innocua was obtained at 9.22 J/cm2 for PL followed by nisin, compared with 3.01 ± 0.48 by PL alone. This study demonstrates that antimicrobials may increase the antimicrobial effectiveness of PL on cheese surface, but the order of treatments is critical.

Short communication: Influence of pulsed light treatment on the quality and sensory characteristics of Cheddar cheese

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of pulsed light (PL) treatment on the color, oxidative stability, and onset of molding of Cheddar cheese. Slices of sharp white Cheddar cheese of 2.5 × 5 cm were treated on one side with PL doses from 1.02 to 12.29 J/cm2, sealed in polyethylene bags, and stored at 6°C for up to 1 mo. Peroxide value, color parameters, and the onset of molding were evaluated. No significant changes in color or peroxide value were observed for PL-treated samples compared with the untreated controls. Pulsed light was able to significantly delay surface molding during refrigerated storage, with a PL dose of 9.22 J/cm2 delaying the onset of molding by 7 d. The effect of PL on the taste, appearance, and acceptability of Cheddar cheese slices treated with a PL dose of 9.22 J/cm2 on each side was assessed. In triangle tests, 60 untrained panelists were unable to detect significant differences between the control and PL-treated samples, although PL had a significant effect on overall liking, flavor, and appearance. These findings suggest that although PL can be effective for surface decontamination of cheese, it may have some detrimental effects on sensory properties.

The Influence of Communication About Safety Measures on Risk-Taking Behavior

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper SPE 179255, “The Influence of Communicating About Safety Measures on Risk- Taking Behavior,” by Jop Groeneweg, SPE, and Emma ter Mors, Leiden University, prepared for the 2016 SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social Responsibility, Stavanger, 11–13 April. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Risk-taking behavior is an important contributing human factor to incidents and is notoriously difficult to influence. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people have a hard-wired optimal perceived risk level. People compensate for risk-reducing measures by behaving in a riskier fashion until the desired level of risk is reached again. This study looked at the effect of the number of shields of protection and uncertainty on the risk-taking behavior of the participants. Introduction The main aim of safety research is to identify ways to prevent accidents and to ensure the safety of workers. Human error—or, in other words, unsafe behavior—has been found to be a major cause of accidents, and its elimination, therefore, is a prime goal for improving safety. The human factor is most effectively addressed by tackling the organizational system instead of focusing on incorrect actions by individuals. An effective strategy is to increase the level of protection or the number of safety barriers. The concept of the safety barrier features most prominently in the Swiss-cheese metaphor of accident causation. The Swiss-cheese model describes accidents as being caused by unchecked hazards that are allowed to cause losses. A series of barriers is placed between the hazard and that which may be harmed. The barriers keep the hazard under control and prevent it from causing harm. However, these barriers are always less than 100% adequate and contain weaknesses or holes. The barriers, therefore, often are compared to slices of Swiss cheese. Unlike real Swiss cheese, the holes in the barriers are dynamic and open and close at random. When these holes in the barriers are aligned, a path is created, leading to a potential accident. Intuitively, one would assume that safety improves proportionally both to the protection measures taken and to the improvements in the design of such measures. The more protective equipment given to the workers, the safer they will be, either because of a reduced risk of accident or because such measures mitigate the effects of accidents. This approach assumes that human error can arise from unintended actions such as memory lapses and attention failures. However, it can also be attributed partly to intended actions such as risk taking. The question addressed in this paper is related to the extent to which people’s risk-taking behavior was influenced by their awareness of the numerous preventive interventions in place. The pivotal issue that arises is whether people adapted their risk-taking behavior as a result of their awareness of the number, and of the effectiveness, of the barriers in place.

Thermal Inactivation of Shiga Toxin‐Producing Escherichia coli Cells within Veal Cordon Bleu

AbstractVeal cutlets were surface inoculated with ca. 6.6 cfu/g of an eight‐strain rifampicin‐resistant cocktail of Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O104:H4, O111:H‐, O121:H19, O145:NM and O157:H7). Cutlets were mechanically tenderized and cordon bleu was prepared by adding slices of ham and cheese between two cutlets prior to batter/breading and cooking. Fully assembled cordon bleu were cooked in preheated (191.5C) extra virgin olive oil (45 mL) on a griddle. Cooking for 4, 5 or 6 min per side reduced STEC levels by ca. 1.3, 2.2 or 3.4 log cfu/g, respectively, whereas cooking for 7–10 min per side resulted in reductions of ca. ≥6.2 log cfu/g. These data validated that cooking tenderized veal cordon bleu for at least 7 min per side in 45 mL of olive oil on a griddle maintained at ca. 191.5C is sufficient to achieve an internal cordon bleu temperature of 69.0 ± 3.3C and a ≥5‐log reduction of STEC.Practical ApplicationsVeal cordon bleu is a popular meal prepared by placing a slice of cheese and a slice of cured pork between two cutlets and then coating/breading the resulting turnover‐type product. We evaluated time and temperature cooking regimens for lethality toward Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) inoculated onto mechanically tenderized multicomponent veal cordon bleu. Our results confirmed that a 5‐log reduction of STEC was achieved by cooking veal cordon bleu to an internal temperature of 69.0 ± 3.3C for at least 7 min per side on a griddle maintained at 191.5C. Reductions of ca. 1.5–3.5 log cfu/g were also achieved following cooking for 4 to 6 min per side. These data establish guidelines for cooking veal cordon bleu, which, in turn, may decrease the potential risk of STEC illnesses associated with this product if pathogens are present and if these products are undercooked or mishandled.

François-Joseph Fétis: Musicographe by Rémy Campos (review)

Reviewed by: François-Joseph Fétis: Musicographe by Rémy Campos Peter Bloom François-Joseph Fétis: Musicographe. By Rémy Campos. (Musique et Recherche, vol. 2.) Geneva: Librairie Droz, 2013. [831 p. ISBN 9782600017053. CHF 40 (Swiss francs).] Music examples, illustrations, appendices, bibliography, index. As a graduate student in the 1960s, I was encouraged by professors who were specialists in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to pursue a doctoral dissertation on the work of François-Joseph Fétis (1784–1871). Aware of the profundity of his understanding and the breadth of his research, my mentors were at once intrigued and infuriated by Fétis because of the gentleman’s apparent habit, embodied in his long celebrated Biographie universelle des musiciens, of inventing the “facts” when the facts were not to hand. Fifty years ago, Fétis’s reputation was not pure. Like Luigi Cherubini (his colleague and protector), the magniloquent professor furthermore suffered in the musicological arena from the ridicule heaped upon him in the Mémoires of Berlioz in passages utterly unforgettable and arguably unjust. Since that time, Fétis has risen to a place sufficiently honored such that Rémy Campos, professor of music history at the Conservatoire de Musique, in Paris, director of research at the Haute École de Musique, in Geneva, and author of books and articles on a wide variety of historical and theoretical subjects, has been able plausibly to construct upon his oeuvre a major metamusicological study of the nature of writing and writing about music. His book offers a far-reaching, original, and uniquely comprehensive view of one of the seminal musical figures of the long nineteenth century. Fétis played the violin, harpsichord, piano, and organ; he sang, he composed a not inconsiderable quantity of music, he became a conductor; he knew the art, though we have a tendency to forget it in the fog of his furious activity, from the inside out. His identity, now, is that of the founder of the musical press in France (he pushed his promotional and polemical pen to the end), of the prescient theorist of modern tonality, and of the creator and curator of an international laboratory and library of music history and historiography that became a lieu de savoir and a beacon of light whose rays reached across the continent and the Channel that he more than a few times traversed. His image, I might add, once that of the devilish director of the Brussels Conservatory in caricatures by such artists as Dantan jeune and Félicien Rops, is now more that of the humanistic twenty-six-year-old in the painting by Jacques Albert Senave reproduced on the cover of the Fétis exhibition catalog (Bruxelles: Bibliothèque Royale Albert Ier, 1972), and that of the steadfast scholar in his sixties in the drawing by Jean Joseph Bonaventure Laurens that graces the cover of Campos’s monumental tome. Still, for those unable to think of Fétis as anything other than a flatulent old fuddy-duddy, Campos includes in one of twenty useful appendices the autobiographical sketch in which the budding Belgian describes in disarming detail his dépucelage at fourteen by an older woman of twenty. This 831-page book, with its 48-page bibliography, is divided into four large parts, each with an attractive title (“L’atelier du musicographe,” “Le texte musical,” “Les gestes du musician,” “Le musée sonore”), each stuffed with particulars and amplifications too numerous to detail. It is “meta-musicological” in its wise and adroit maneuvering from fact to interpretation, from close-up to panorama. One example must stand for many. Demonstrating beyond a shadow of a doubt that Fétis cut out [End Page 465] paragraphs from the Lione Allacci’s Drammaturgia of 1755 in such a way as to turn the pages of that catalog into slices of square-eyed Swiss cheese (shown in the photograph on p. 258), and asking us to restrain our indignant and “biblio-economic morality” (Fétis was librarian at the Conservatoire at the time, but no one is perfect), Campos reflects (in my free translation which, I hope, properly conveys his point): The transformation...

Grammatical number of English nouns in English Learners' Dictionaries

Chinese and English belong to different language families, so they often have different forms of expression. Chinese has no definite grammatical category of number and has almost no number inflection. Plural meaning is usually implied in the syntactic structure or in the context by a bare noun, or is expressed through the plural marker 们 and the numerical adjectives such as many, numerous and each, as well as by quantifiers and reduplications. However, English nouns express number category by inflection as well as by quantifiers at times, so their grammatical number is far more complicated than that of Chinese nouns. From the point of view of grammatical form, English nouns are often considered as countable and uncountable nouns. Uncountable nouns cannot be directly modified by a numeral without unit specification, nor can they be combined with an indefinite article. Thus, cheese is quantified as three slices of cheese. However, uncountable nouns can also be quantified without specifying a unit of measurement, such as much coal. A number of uncountable nouns can be used in the plural form to mean ‘a large amount of’ as in the following example from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (hereinafter, LDCE) ‘The ship drifted into Turkish territorial waters’. In such cases, although water is uncountable, it has the plural form. In some cases, native English speakers can turn the theoretical uncountable nouns into countable ones (Landau, 2001). There seems to be no absolute boundary between countable and uncountable nouns.

Survival of Listeria monocytogenes Cells and the Effect of Extended Frozen Storage (−20 °C) on the Expression of Its Virulence Gene

Listeria monocytogenes is the main bacteria incriminated in contaminating cold storage food and ready-to-eat products. Survival of four L. monocytogenes food isolates was examined during freezing and cold storage. Slices of artisanal cheese were inoculated with Listeria strains and incubated at -20 °C. Their survival rate was recorded during the storage period. Then, transcript levels of four virulence genes (hlyA, iap, fri, and flaA) were evaluated using a semiquantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Our results revealed that after 6 months of frozen storage, the number of L. monocytogenes cells had declined by 2.04 ± 0.1 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) g(-1), 2.52 ± 0.1 log10 CFU g(-1), and 2.58 ± 0.1 log10 CFU g(-1) for the strains S2, S3, and S4, respectively. Our data revealed that all the studied genes (hlyA, iap, fri, and flaA) were expressed after 6 months of incubation in artisanal cheese at -20 °C, and the transcript level has been affected by the factor freezing, whether for the reference strain ATCC 19115 or for other isolates. The iap gene expression was decreased for the four strains after 6 months of storage, and hlyA expression rate was consistently slightly lower. Transcript levels of fri and flaA genes were consistently higher in L. monocytogenes cells before cold exposure than in stressed cells and were significantly affected by the freezing process.

Canned Peaches and Chicken Parts: Postmodern Food in Don DeLillo's White Noise

Descriptions and interactions with food serve as signifiers of cultural values in the postmodern society of Don DeLillo's novel, &lt;em&gt;White Noise&lt;/em&gt;. Amid a constant stream of name brand advertisements and flashy television commercials, characters struggle to find substantive meaning in their lives. DeLillo presents a consumer culture swamped in excess, belongings, and commodities, where food items characterize their buyers and even commodify their outlooks on life. From family bargain packs of potato chips indicating success and well-being, to plastic-wrapped slices of cheese facilitating an efficient yet isolated life, this essay discusses DeLillo's different uses of food imagery throughout the novel. DeLillo's portrayal of a postmodern consumer society is put into dialogue with acclaimed experts and critics Jean Baudrillard and Thorstein Veblen, as well as artistic work that comments on the role of 'pop foods' in contemporary American culture, incluidng works by pop artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and poet Allen Ginsberg.

Changes in the textural quality of selected cheese types as a result of frozen storage (1999)

The change in textural quality of cheese during frozen storage is of concern to the frozen food industry. Many food products such as frozen pizza and dinner entrees are stored at !0.5EF or below for extended periods of time. Food manufacturers have noted detrimental changes including reduced elasticity of cheese on pizza or the absence of melt in filled products. Dynamic rheological testing was used to determine the changes in Cheddar, Colby, and Mozzarella cheeses during frozen storage. Slices of cheese were tested at day 0 and after 30 days of storage at !0.5EF. Elastic attributes were measured at 40, 70, and 194EF. Results indicated that frozen storage reduced the elastic properties of all three cheeses. When cheeses were subjected to higher temperatures, the elastic properties decreased. These changes could be attributed to proteolysis, chemical composition, and component interactivity. Dynamic testing is rapid and may be a method of choice for cheese manufacturers to determine shelf life and quality.; Dairy Day, 1999, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 1999;