Vanilla Cream Research Articles

Evaluation of the most popular annual flowers sold in the United States and Europe indicates low visitation rates by pollinators and large variation among cultivars.

To better understand how frequently pollinators visit the most popular annuals and the variation among cultivars, we evaluated 3-6 cultivars, each of petunia, impatiens, begonia, geranium, pansy, and New Guinea impatiens. These 6 annuals account for 46.6% of all garden center annual flower sales in the United States. Flower visits by honey bees, bumble bees, syrphids, other Diptera and other Hymenoptera, combined, varied 3 to 10-fold among cultivars within each of the 6 popular annuals. Begonia and impatiens were visited more frequently by pollinators than pansy, petunia, NG impatiens, and geranium. The 4 most visited cultivars, begonia 'Cocktail Brandy', begonia 'Ambassador Rose Blush', impatiens 'Accent Coral', and impatiens 'Super Elfin XP White' attracted as many pollinators as a benchmark annual, marigold 'Alumia Vanilla Cream', considered as moderately attractive to pollinators. Some conclusions from this research may be helpful for homeowners, landscapers, growers, and breeders. First, the most popular annual flowers are not a good choice for the purpose of attracting and supporting pollinators. However, the large variation among cultivars provides an opportunity to select cultivars that are more attractive to pollinators, particularly for begonia and impatiens. If the most pollinator-visited cultivars of begonia and impatiens are labeled and promoted as such, it would be beneficial to pollinators in urban and suburban landscapes in the USA and Europe, where they comprise 10%-20% of all annual flowers purchased from garden centers.

Spoilage potential of Bacillus subtilis in a neutral-pH dairy dessert

The objective of this study was the characterization of the microbiota associated with spoilage of vanilla cream pudding during storage at different temperatures. Commercial cream samples were stored aerobically at 4, 8, 12 and 15 °C for a maximum time period of 40 days. At appropriate time intervals, cream samples were subjected to: (i) microbiological analyses, and (ii) high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, the spoilage microbiota was identified through repetitive extragenic palindrome-PCR, while selected isolates were further characterized based on sequencing of the V1–V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Microbial growth was observed only during storage of cream samples at 12 and 15 °C, with the applied genotypic analysis demonstrating that Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis was the dominant spoilage microorganism of this product. Based on the HPLC analysis results, citric acid and sucrose were the most abundant organic acid and sugar, respectively throughout storage of cream pudding, whereas notable changes mainly included: (i) increase in the concentration of lactic acid and to a lesser extent of formic and acetic acids, and (ii) increase in the concentration of glucose and fructose at the expense of sucrose and lactose. The results of this study should be useful for the dairy industry in detecting and controlling microbiological spoilage in cream pudding and other chilled, neutral-pH dairy desserts.

Online Feature Selection for Robust Classification of the Microbiological Quality of Traditional Vanilla Cream by Means of Multispectral Imaging.

The performance of an Unsupervised Online feature Selection (UOS) algorithm was investigated for the selection of training features of multispectral images acquired from a dairy product (vanilla cream) stored under isothermal conditions. The selected features were further used as input in a support vector machine (SVM) model with linear kernel for the determination of the microbiological quality of vanilla cream. Model training (n = 65) was based on two batches of cream samples provided directly by the manufacturer and stored at different isothermal conditions (4, 8, 12, and 15 °C), whereas model testing (n = 132) and validation (n = 48) were based on real life conditions by analyzing samples from different retail outlets as well as expired samples from the market. Qualitative analysis was performed for the discrimination of cream samples in two microbiological quality classes based on the values of total viable counts [TVC ≤ 2.0 log CFU/g (fresh samples) and TVC ≥ 6.0 log CFU/g (spoiled samples)]. Results exhibited good performance with an overall accuracy of classification for the two classes of 91.7% for model validation. Further on, the model was extended to include the samples in the TVC range 2–6 log CFU/g, using 1 log step to define the microbiological quality of classes in order to assess the potential of the model to estimate increasing microbial populations. Results demonstrated that high rates of correct classification could be obtained in the range of 2–5 log CFU/g, whereas the percentage of erroneous classification increased in the TVC class (5,6) that was close to the spoilage level of the product. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that the UOS algorithm in tandem with spectral data acquired from multispectral imaging could be a promising method for real-time assessment of the microbiological quality of vanilla cream samples.

Evaluation of environmental sustainability of biscuits at the product and sectoral levels

Biscuits are a major product category in the global confectionary sector. Despite this, their environmental impacts are poorly characterised. Therefore, this paper sets out to evaluate the life cycle environmental sustainability of the following widely-consumed types of biscuit, both at the product and sectoral levels: crackers, low fat/sugar, semi-sweet, chocolate-coated and sandwich biscuits with chocolate or vanilla cream. The results obtained through life cycle assessment demonstrate that, in addition to being healthier, low fat/sugar biscuits have the lowest impacts across most of the 18 categories considered. Chocolate-coated biscuits are environmentally the least sustainable. The most significant life cycle stage for all types is the raw materials production, causing 41%–61% of the total impacts, with flour, sugar and palm oil being the key hotspots. Replacing palm with rapeseed oil would improve five impacts but worsen another five, including a 34% increase in agricultural land occupation and marine eutrophication. Therefore, the cultivation and production of palm oil, rather than its replacement, should be targeted for improvements. The second most crucial stage is manufacturing, contributing up to 54% of the impacts, followed by transport with up to 35%. Reducing energy consumption by 25% in manufacturing would reduce primary energy demand by 8%–12%, fossil fuel depletion by 9%–12% and global warming potential by 6%–9%. The latter would increase by 55% if land use change related to cocoa was involved, despite a very small amount of cocoa in the biscuits (∼1%). The analysis at a sectoral level in the UK, the leading consumer of biscuits in Europe, reveals that biscuits contribute 7.4% of primary energy demand and 0.5% of greenhouse gas emissions of the whole UK food sector. These results can help guide manufacturers in mitigating the hotspots in the supply chain and consumers in selecting environmentally more sustainable biscuits.

Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in pasteurized vanilla cream pudding as affected by storage temperature and the presence of cinnamon extract

The objective of the present study was the assessment and quantitative description of the growth behavior of Listeria monocytogenes as a function of temperature in vanilla cream pudding, formulated with or without cinnamon extract. Commercially prepared pasteurized vanilla cream pudding, formulated with (0.1% w/w) or without cinnamon extract, was inoculated with a five-strain mixture of L. monocytogenes (ca. 2logCFU/g) and stored aerobically at 4, 8, 12 and 16°C. At appropriate time intervals, L. monocytogenes populations were determined, and the primary model of Baranyi and Roberts was fitted to the derived microbiological data for the estimation of the pathogen's growth kinetic parameters. The effect of temperature on maximum specific growth rate (μmax) was then modeled for each product type using a square-root-type model, and the developed models were validated using independent growth data generated during storage of inoculated vanilla cream samples under dynamic temperature conditions. Although the kinetic behavior of the pathogen was similar in cream with and without cinnamon extract during storage at higher temperatures, significant (P<0.05) differences were observed between the two product types at 4°C. With regard to secondary modelling, the estimated values of Tmin for cream with and without cinnamon extract were 0.39°C and −2.54°C, respectively, while the dynamic models exhibited satisfactory performance. Finally, as demonstrated by the findings of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, both temperature and cinnamon extract affected the pathogen's strains dominating during storage. According to the collected data, cinnamon extract exhibits an important potential of enhancing the microbiological safety of vanilla cream pudding, provided that efficient temperature control is in place. The developed models should be useful in quantitative microbial risk assessment regarding the studied cream products.

Effects of meal palatability on postprandial sensations.

Food palatability has been shown to influence satiation and meal consumption; our aim was to determine its effects on postprandial satisfaction, ie digestive well-being (primary outcome), and homeostatic sensations (satiety, fullness). Randomized, cross-over trial comparing the postprandial responses to conventional (potato-cheese cream followed by vanilla cream) vs unconventional test meals (mixture of both creams) with identical composition and physical characteristics (color, texture, consistency, temperature) but distinctively different palatability. In 22 non-obese healthy men sensations were measured on 10cm scales before and during the 60-min postprandial period (-5 to +5 score scales for palatability, satiety, well-being, and mood, and 0-10 score scales for fullness and discomfort). Comparisons between meals were performed with a 2-way repeated measures ANCOVA with premeal data as co-variate. As compared to the palatable conventional meal, the unconventional meal was rated unpalatable (-1.8±0.4 score vs 2.8±0.1 score potato cream and 2.9±0.2 vanilla cream; P<.001 for both), induced significantly more fullness sensation [meal effect F (1, 19)=7.389; P=.014] but had less effect on digestive well-being [meal effectF (1, 19)=47.016; P<.001] and mood [meal-effect F (1, 19)=6.609; P=.019].The difference in satiety was not significantly different. Meal palatability influences the postprandial experience: it bears a direct relation to the hedonic response (well-being/mood) but an inverse relation to homeostatic sensations (fullness). These relations could be applicable to influence eating behavior, because at equal conditions, more palatable meals induce less fullness but more satisfaction, and vice-versa.

Rapid Assessment of the Microbiological Quality of Pasteurized Vanilla Cream by Means of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy in Tandem with Support Vector Machine Analysis

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as a rapid and non-invasive technique for the automated microbiological quality evaluation of pasteurized vanilla cream, a ready-to-eat milk-based product. Vanilla cream samples were subjected to (i) microbiological analyses for the determination of aerobic plate count (APC), (ii) sensory evaluation, and (iii) FTIR spectroscopy measurements. The analyses were undertaken in cream samples obtained directly from the manufacturer and stored at different isothermal conditions (4, 8, 12, and 15 °C), as well as from retail outlets. Spectral data collected from cream samples were correlated with microbiological and sensory data to discriminate the samples in two quality classes, namely class 1 (accept, APC < 4.5 log CFU/g) and class 2 (reject, APC ≥ 4.5 log CFU/g). Support vector machine classification (SVM-C) models were developed to provide qualitative estimations of the cream samples’ microbiological status based on FTIR spectral fingerprints. The developed SVM models were further validated against independent samples obtained from the market and exhibited a satisfactory performance. Specifically, overall classification accuracies above 90% were obtained for various SVM kernels assayed (linear, polynomial, radial basis function) for the test datasets analyzed, indicating that FTIR spectroscopy could be a promising method for the real-time assessment of vanilla cream’s microbiological quality.

Variety enhances food intake in humans: Role of sensory-specific satiety

Twenty-one subjects were studied to evaluate the effect of renewal of sensory stimulations of previously eaten foods on sensory-specific satiety and intake. The subjects ate French fries then brownie cakes ad libitum in three situations: “monotonous” — fries then brownies were consumed alone; “simultaneous” — condiments (ketchup and mayonnaise for the fries, vanilla cream and whipped cream for the brownies) were added during intakes; “successive” — after intake of fries alone, ketchup then mayonnaise were available with fries and, after intake of brownies alone, vanilla cream then whipped cream were offered with brownies. The quantities eaten in the “simultaneous” and “successive” situations were higher ( p < 0.001) than those in the “monotonous” one (1485 ± 582 and 1682 ± 777 kcal vs 1195 ± 552 kcal, respectively). In the “successive” situation, hedonic ratings for fries diminished during intake but increased after the introduction of ketchup, leading to additional intake of fries. Similarly, hedonic ratings for brownies diminished during intake and increased after the introduction of vanilla cream leading to additional brownie intake (mayonnaise and whipped cream had no significant effect). Food variety, obtained by adding condiments can increase food intake in the short term. The mechanism by which food consumption is increased after the addition of condiments is introduced is at least partly related to the attenuation of sensory-satiety for a given food.

Dynamic Modeling of Listeria monocytogenes Growth in Pasteurized Vanilla Cream after Postprocessing Contamination

A product-specific model was developed and validated under dynamic temperature conditions for predicting the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in pasteurized vanilla cream, a traditional milk-based product. Model performance was also compared with Growth Predictor and Sym'Previus predictive microbiology software packages. Commercially prepared vanilla cream samples were artificially inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of L. monocytogenes, with an initial concentration of 102 CFU g−1, and stored at 3, 5, 10, and 15°C for 36 days. The growth kinetic parameters at each temperature were determined by the primary model of Baranyi and Roberts. The maximum specific growth rate (μmax) was further modeled as a function of temperature by means of a square root–type model. The performance of the model in predicting the growth of the pathogen under dynamic temperature conditions was based on two different temperature scenarios with periodic changes from 4 to 15°C. Growth prediction for dynamic temperature profiles was based on the square root model and the differential equations of the Baranyi and Roberts model, which were numerically integrated with respect to time. Model performance was based on the bias factor (Bf), the accuracy factor (Af), the goodness-of-fit index (GoF), and the percent relative errors between observed and predicted growth. The product-specific model developed in the present study accurately predicted the growth of L. monocytogenes under dynamic temperature conditions. The average values for the performance indices were 1.038, 1.068, and 0.397 for Bf, Af, and GoF, respectively for both temperature scenarios assayed. Predictions from Growth Predictor and Sym'Previus overestimated pathogen growth. The average values of Bf, Af, and GoF were 1.173, 1.174, and 1.162, and 1.267, 1.281, and 1.756 from Growth Predictor and Sym'Previus, respectively.

Twinkie, deconstructed: My journey to discover how the ingredients found in processed foods are grown, mined (yes, mined), and manipulated into what America eats

Twinkie, deconstructed: My journey to discover how the ingredients found in processed foods are grown, mined (yes, mined), and manipulated into what America eats

A foodborne outbreak of Salmonella infection due to overproduction of egg-containing foods for a festival

A large outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred in Catalonia in June 2002 with 1435 cases and 117 hospitalizations. Consumption of a hard pastry with vanilla cream was strongly associated with illness. Stool samples from cases and food-handlers were analysed. The premises of the food manufacturer were inspected and food samples were taken for microbiological analysis. Salmonella serotype Enteriditis was isolated from 154 cases, three food-handlers and nine food samples. Outbreak-associated strains showed a coincident phage type, antibiotype and pulse-field gel electrophoresis pattern. Inadequate handling of foods containing eggs occurred because the establishment exceeded its safe food production capacity to meet demand for the pastry, which was consumed on the day of a traditional festival. Excessive production of foods for holidays or special events represents a potential public health threat.

INTERACTIONS OF FOOD STARTER CULTURES AND FOOD-BORNE PATHOGENS: STREPTOCOCCUS DIACETILACTIS VERSUS FOOD PATHOGENS

The ability of Streptococcus diacetilactis to inhibit a variety of food spoilage organisms and pathogens in milk and broth cultures was demonstrated. Test organisms included Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes species, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In general, approximately 99.0% and 99.9% inhibition was observed in milk and broth, respectively. Possible practical applications of the inhibition were examined. Addition of S. diacetilactis extended the shelf life of artificially contaminated cottage cheese and prevented proteolysis in milk at 7.5 C by Pseudomonas fluorescens. Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited greater than 99% in vanilla cream filling, ham sandwich spread, chicken gravy, soy milk, and ground beef stored at 25 C for 24 hr. Development of the gram-negative flora of ground beef was also inhibited greater than 99% after storage at 7.5 C for 7 days. Possible roles for several factors in the mechanism of inhibition by S. diacetilactis are briefly discussed. The effects of pH reached and acids produced by S. diacetilactis on the growth of S. aureus are described. A greater role for the lactic acid bacteria in fermentations in the food industry is suggested.

養殖ニジマスに香味をつける試み

During the experimental period of 32 days, diets each containing 0.8% by weight of anyone of the following commercial flavors: vanilla cream (I), nutmeg oil (II), clove oil (III), anis oil (IV), and sausage aroma (V), were fed to groups of rainbow trout differentiated in this order. On tasting the sample fishes, eviscerated and broiled with salt, the odors introduced from the dietal flavors were most outstanding on groups III and IV, followed by II and V, with I being the faintest. Though the odors were not found harmonizing with the Japanese style of cooking, it is thought possible to produce fish with a desirable flavor for western styles of cooking when better flavor materials are found. On roasting the livers of sample fish, a disagreeable odor besides that of the dietal flavor was percepted more strongly on III and IV than the others. None of the livers of sample fish, when roasted, smelled so appetizingly as did the liver of control fish. The fact may be interpreted that the sample fish had the liver which more or less suffered from the overdosed flavors. Similar odors to those of the livers were noticed on roasting the pyloric caeca of both the control and sample fishes. A reverse tendency of the odors of the liver and pyloric caeca was noticed in roasted visceral adipose tissue: a heavy suffocating odor in the adipose tissue of the control and I, but less unpleasant smell in those of II, III, IV, and V.