The current trend in biomass conversion technologies is toward more efficient utilization of biomass feedstock in multiproduct biorefineries. Many life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies of biorefinery systems have been performed but differ in how they use the LCA methodology. Based on a review of existing LCA standards and guidelines, this paper provides recommendations on how to handle key methodological issues when performing LCA studies of biorefinery systems. Six key issues were identified: (i) goal definition, (ii) functional unit, (iii) allocation of biorefinery outputs, (iv) allocation of biomass feedstock, (v) land use, and (vi) biogenic carbon and timing of emissions. Many of the standards and guidelines reviewed here provide only general methodological recommendations. Some make more specific methodological recommendations, but these often differ between standards. In this paper we present some clarifications (e.g. examples of research questions and suitable functional units) and methodological recommendations (e.g. on allocation).

Purpose – Portugal is a country with one of the highest seafood consumption per capita in the world. The purpose of this paper is to understand the Portuguese knowledge and attitudes towards seafood and relate it to consumers’ environmental conscious. Design/methodology/approach – Using an internet-based survey the authors investigated the relation of socio-demographic variables to consumption frequency and how knowledge about seafood is associated with interest in different information when purchasing seafood products. Findings – Results demonstrate consumption of a high diversity of species. Tuna and cod are the top species related to convenience and food traditions. There is a preference to consume seafood mostly at home and prepared grilled. Differences between higher and lower knowledgeable consumers’ related to seafood, show that the first ones have a more diversified use of species and high prevalence of small pelagic fish. Research limitations/implications – The findings are influenced by the sample obtained, which overrepresents well-educated and higher income people. Moreover the self-reported consumption can be biased by individuals own perceptions and different seafood products. Better estimations of consumption frequency could result from asking more detailed information, as such as by species or meal occasions. Practical implications – Portuguese consumers have high knowledge about seafood but it is not necessarily related to sustainable choices. To help in sustainable seafood choices it might be more effective to promote existing habits based on Portuguese traditions that still are good alternatives for the marine environment. Originality/value – A higher consumer’s knowledge does not necessarily mean more sustainability

Portugal has the third highest seafood consumption per capita in the world and current patterns of seafood consumption are linked to how seafood products were embodied in the Portuguese society. The objective of this research is to understand Portuguese seafood consumption's main drivers and its consequences. For that official statistics were analyzed and a literature review on seafood consumption was undertaken. Portuguese seafood consumption is characterized by a wide diversity of species and preparing modes, when compared to other countries in Europe. Cod (salted and dried), does not exist in Portuguese waters but due to several factors, such as politics, religion and tradition, became the main species in Portuguese seafood consumption, representing around 38% of the national seafood demand. Five drivers are suggested to explain why Portuguese eat so much seafood: geography, marine resources, fisheries, social forces and politics; and consequences for the environment, economy and health are discussed. Hence while most dietary recommendations advise an increase in fish consumption is not applicable to Portugal and a more sustainable seafood consumption for the future is advocated.

This study aims to assess the environmental impacts of canned sardines in olive oil, by considering fishing, processing, and packaging, using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The case study concerns a product of a canning factory based in Portugal and packed in aluminum cans. It is the first LCA of a processed seafood product made with the traditional canning method. The production of both cans and olive oil are the most important process in the considered impact categories. The production of olives contributes to the high environmental load of olive oil, related to cultivation and harvesting phases. The production of aluminum cans is the most significant process for all impact categories, except ozone depletion potential and eutrophication potential, resulting from the high energy demand and the extraction of raw materials. To compare to other sardine products consumed in Portugal, such as frozen and fresh sardines, transport to the wholesaler and store was added. The environmental cost of canned sardines is almost seven times higher per kilogram of edible product. The main action to optimize the environmental performance of canned sardines is therefore to replace the packaging and diminish the olive oil losses as much as possible. Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by half when plastic packaging is considered rather than aluminum. Frozen and fresh sardines represent much lower environmental impacts than canned sardines. Nevertheless, when other sardine products are not possible, it becomes feasible to use sardines for human consumption, preventing them from being wasted or used suboptimally as feed.

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and ethyl cellulose (EC) can be used for extended release coatings, where the water-soluble HPC may act as a pore former. The aim was to investigate the effect of the molecular weight of HPC on the microstructure and mass transport in phase-separated freestanding EC/HPC films with 30% w/w HPC. Four different HPC grades were used, with weight averaged molecular weights (Mw) of 30.0 (SSL), 55.0 (SL), 83.5 (L) and 365 (M) kg/mol. Results showed that the phase-separated structure changed from HPC-discontinuous to bicontinuous with increasing Mw of HPC. The film with the lowest Mw HPC (SSL) had unconnected oval-shaped HPC-rich domains, leaked almost no HPC and had the lowest water permeability. The remaining higher Mw films had connected complex-shaped pores, which resulted in higher permeabilities. The highest Mw film (M) had the smallest pores and very slow HPC leakage, which led to a slow increase in permeability. Films with grade L and SL released most of their HPC, yet the permeability of the L film was three times higher due to greater pore connectivity. It was concluded that the phase-separated microstructure, the level of pore percolation and the leakage rate of HPC will be affected by the choice of HPC Mw grade used in the film and this will in turn have strong impact on the film permeability.

Phase separated films with controlled porosity were made from ethyl cellulose (EC) and 30% w/w hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC). The molecular weight of EC can be used to modify the mass transfer rate through coatings by effects on microstructure of the film. Processing conditions are, however, affected by the solution rheology, which could influence the film quality when using different molecular weights.

Two alternatives of computational models to simulate the contamination has been produced in the Mat Lab. The models are based on the transfer of bacteria between the hands, chicken, knife, cutting board, salad, and tap and also reduction of bacteria by washing the cutting board, and growth on cutting board. The input of the transmission, reduction and growth have been adopted on the basis of support from the literature data. In the simpler contamination model the contamination is only calculated in one direction. In the more complex model the transfer of bacteria that occurs from both sides at a touch has been taken into account, ie, if a person touch a cutting board, bacteria is transferred from the hand to the cutting board and also from the cutting board to the hand. Calculations were performed with matrix calculation. The results from the two models differ in the simulations. The more repeated contacts taken with the more bacteria spread from a contaminated hand at the start of the scenario to the final product. Models provide a guide to the factors in the spread of bacteria that are most important.

Hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection are pre-requirements for hygiene management in hospital settings and the food industry. In order to facilitate risk management, different contamination scenarios and interventions need to be evaluated. In the present study data on transfer rates and reductions of Staphylococcus aureus were provided in an experimental set-up using artificial skin. Using this methodology, test persons were not exposed with pathogenic bacteria. An exposure assessment model was developed and applied to evaluate different contamination routes and hygiene interventions. The transfer rates of S. aureus from inoculated VITRO-SKIN® to fomites were calculated from blotting series. The VITRO-SKIN® was more prone to spread bacteria than fomites. When different surfaces were cleaned, the reduction of S. aureus varied between <1 and 7 log CFU. It could not be concluded that a certain coupon material, cleaning agent, cleaning wipe, soiling or humidity consistently resulted in a high or low reduction of S. aureus. The reduction of S. aureus and E. coli during hand washing was evaluated on artificial skin, VITRO-SKIN®. The reduction of E. coli on VITRO-SKIN® was similar to the log reduction obtained when washing human hands. The S. aureus count on a human hand was both calculated in different scenarios describing different contamination routes starting from a contaminated hand using the exposure assessment model, and measured on an experimental setup using VITRO-SKIN® for validation. A linear relationship was obtained between the analysed level of S. aureus and the calculated level. However, the calculated levels of S. aureus on the VITRO-SKIN® in the scenarios were 1–1.5 log lower than the analysed level. One of the scenarios was used to study the effect of interventions like hand washing and cleaning of surfaces.

Under primärproduktionen och vidareförädling via torkning av kryddor kan kontamination ske med sjukdomsframkallande mikroorganismer, vilket kan orsaka att personer som konsumerar produkter blir sjuka. Det är inte säkert att vidare behandling av kryddorna såsom värme sker innan konsumtion och därmed sker ingen reduktion av mikroorganismer. Kryddorna kan, om de är råvara i andra produkter och om de är kontaminerade med sjukdomsframkallande mikroorganismer, kontaminera de nya produkterna. För att minska sannolikheten att detta sker måste smittkällor och spridningsvägar kontrolleras och styras i möjligaste mån. Detta innebär att det måste finnas effektiva grundförutsättningar, det vill säga rutiner för hur odling, bevattning, gödsling, skörd, torkning, lagring med mera utförs för att minimera den mikrobiologiska kontamineringen och tillväxten av mikroorganismer på kryddorna. Om man med dessa grundförutsättningar som bas i processen utför en faroanalys och implementerar åtgärder för att styra farorna enligt HACCP-metodiken får man säkra kryddor som inte medför någon fara för slutkonsumenten oavsett användning.

In the past decade, food waste has received increased attention on both academic and societal levels. As a cause of negative economic, environmental and social effects, food waste is considered to be one of the sustainability issues that needs to be addressed. In developed countries, consumers are one of the biggest sources of food waste. To successfully reduce consumer-related food waste, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the factors influencing food waste-related consumer perceptions and behaviors. The present paper presents the results of a literature review and expert interviews on factors causing consumer-related food waste in households and supply chains. Results show that consumers’ motivation to avoid food waste, their management skills of food provisioning and food handling and their trade-offs between priorities have an extensive influence on their food waste behaviors. We identify actions that governments, societal stakeholders and retailers can undertake to reduce consumer-related food waste, highlighting that synergistic actions between all parties are most promising. Further research should focus on exploring specific food waste contexts and interactions more in-depth. Experiments and interventions in particular can contribute to a shift from analysis to solutions.

Food waste has received increasing attention in recent years. As part of their corporate social responsibility strategies, food supply chain actors have started to act towards avoiding and reducing food waste. Based on a literature review, an expert interview study, and example cases, we discuss food marketing and the role and responsibility of retail. Food marketing and retailing contribute to consumer-related food waste via decisions on date labeling, packaging sizes and design elements, and pricing strategies encouraging overpurchase, as well as communication shifting consumer priorities to the disadvantage of food waste avoidance. Potential actions to tackle food waste relate to improved packaging and information, altering pricing strategies, and cooperation with other actors across the supply chain. Three cases highlight the extent to which moral and strategic motives are interlinked and that there are opportunities for competitive advantage through corporate social responsibility and a business case for sustainability in the area of food waste.

We examined the association of physical activity (PA), cardiovascular fitness (CVF) and fatness with total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in European adolescents. The present study comprised 713 European adolescents aged 14.8±1.2 y (females 55.3%) from the multicenter HELENA cross-sectional study. PA was assessed through accelerometry, CVF by the 20-m shuttle run test, and body fat by skinfold thicknesses with the Slaughter equation. Plasma folate, cobalamin, and tHcy concentrations were measured. To examine the association of tHcy with PA, CVF, and fatness after controlling for a set of confounders including age, maturity, folate, cobalamin, creatinine, smoking, supplement use, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 genotype (CC 47%, CT 43%, TT 10%), bivariate correlations followed by multiple regression models were performed. In the bivariate correlation analysis, tHcy concentrations were slightly negatively correlated (p<0.0 5) with CVF in females (measured both by stages: r=-0.118 and by VO 2 max: r=-0.10 2) and positively with body mass index (r=0.10 0). However, daily time spent with moderate and vigorous PA showed a weak positive association with tHcy in females (p<0.0 5). tHcy concentrations showed a tendency to decrease with increasing CVF and increase with increasing BMI in female European adolescents. However, tHcy concentrations were positively associated with moderate and vigorous PA in female European adolescents.

Above the zein glass transition temperature (~40°C), the viscoelasticity of zein-starch dough is similar to that of gluten. This is of interest because this dough might be used to develop gluten-free products, although it has certain limitations such as workability and aging at room temperature. The most effective way to decrease the dough glass transition temperature is to use a plasticizer, which also influences the viscosity. In this study, viscoelastic zein-starch dough samples were prepared with several concentrations of citric acid as the plasticizer, and the effect of viscoelasticity on crumb structure formation during baking was investigated. Extensional viscosity was correlated with the average bubble size after baking. We found that viscosity could be predicted for this system by measuring the shear viscosity, whereby the Trouton ratio was near-constant for the range of plasticizer concentrations investigated. In addition, our dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed that bubble growth occurs mainly when the dough reaches 100°C, due to a combination of steam formation and thermal softening of the matrix. At higher temperatures, hardening occurs due to drying and zein crosslinking.

The rheology of mozzarella and imitation cheese was studied at 60 °C, with small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS), shear and extensional flow measurement at low strain rates in the range 0.01-1 s^-1. These conditions were chosen to replicate those experienced by the cheese during pizza baking and consumption. The extensional viscosity measurements were carried out by means of hyperbolic contraction flow, an alternative method to traditional extensional measurements. The extensional viscosity measured by hyperbolic contraction flow was related to the cheese elasticity and consequently to its stretchability, a major quality characteristic when this is consumed on pizza pies. The rheology of the two cheese materials could be explained by the structural observations made by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).

The viscosity and shear thinning behavior are essential characteristics of tomato ketchup. A real-time monitoring of those characteristics during processing is important to obtain a good quality of the final product and to reduce production waste. This work investigates the measurement of rheological in-line flow properties of tomato ketchup, using a real-time technique that combines ultrasound velocity profiling (UVP) and pressure difference (PD) assessment. In-line data were compared to those obtained off-line using a rotational viscometer. There was a poor correlation with the Bostwick measurement, whereas the flow curves calculated from flow velocimetry data were very similar to those measured off-line. The extensional viscosity of ketchup was determined through the measurement of Hyperbolic Contraction Flow; the curve followed a trend similar to that for the shear viscosity over the deformation rate investigated.

To meet the 2 °C climate target, deep cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be required for carbon dioxide from fossil fuels but, most likely, also for methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture and other sources. However, relatively little is known about the GHG mitigation potential in agriculture, in particular with respect to the combined effects of technological advancements and dietary changes. Here, we estimate the extent to which changes in technology and demand can reduce Swedish food-related GHG emissions necessary for meeting EU climate targets. This analysis is based on a detailed representation of the food and agriculture system, using 30 different food items. We find that food-related methane and nitrous oxide emissions can be reduced enough to meet the EU 2050 climate targets. Technologically, agriculture can improve in productivity and through implementation of specific mitigation measures. Under optimistic assumptions, these developments could cut current food-related methane and nitrous oxide emissions by nearly 50%. However, also dietary changes will almost certainly be necessary. Large reductions, by 50% or more, in ruminant meat (beef and mutton) consumption are, most likely, unavoidable if the EU targets are to be met. In contrast, continued high per-capita consumption of pork and poultry meat or dairy products might be accommodated within the climate targets. High dairy consumption, however, is only compatible with the targets if there are substantial advances in technology. Reducing food waste plays a minor role for meeting the climate targets, lowering emissions only by an additional 1–3%. © 2016 The Authors

Purpose: Seafood life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have adopted the primary production required (PPR) indicator to account for the impact of these production systems (e.g., capture fisheries or aquaculture) on the ecosystems they harvest wild inputs from. However, there exists a large diversity in the application of methods to calculate PPR, and current practice often does not consider species- and ecosystem-specific factors. Here, we critically examine current practice and propose a refined method for applying the PPR metric in seafood LCAs. Methods: We surveyed seafood LCAs that quantify PPR, or its derivatives, to examine the diversity of practice. We then defined and applied a refined method to a case study of the average Norwegian salmon feed in 2012. This refined method incorporates species-specific fishmeal and oil yields, source ecosystem-specific transfer efficiencies and expresses results as a percentage of total ecosystem production that PPR represents. Results were compared to those using previously applied methods based on the literature review, and the impact of uncertainty and natural variability of key input parameters was also assessed using Monte Carlo simulation. Results and discussion: From the literature review, most studies do not incorporate species-specific fishmeal and oil yields or ecosystem-specific transfer efficiencies when calculating PPR. Our proposed method, which incorporated source species- and ecosystem-specific values for these parameters, provides far greater resolution of PPR than when employing global average values. When alternative methods to calculate PPR were applied to marine inputs to Norwegian salmon feeds, resulting PPR values were similar for some sources of fishmeal and oil. For other species, such as Atlantic herring from ecosystems with low transfer efficiencies, there was a large divergence in resulting PPR values. For combined inputs to Norwegian salmon feeds in 2012, the refined method resulted in a total PPR value that is three times higher than would result using the currently standard method signaling that previous LCA research may have substantially underestimated the marine biotic impacts of fishery products. Conclusions: While there exists a great diversity of practice in the application of the PPR indicator in seafood LCA, the refined method should be adopted for future LCA studies to be more specific to the context of the study.

Due to an increase in lifestyle diseases in the developed world, the number of chronic wounds is increasing at a fast pace. Chronic wound infections are common and systemic antibiotics are usually used as a treatment. In this paper we describe an approach to encapsulate antimicrobial agents in hollow microcapsules covered with a nanofilm shell that degrades through the action of a virulence factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The shell was assembled using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique with poly-l-lysine and hyaluronic acid. The microcapsules were loaded with a model substrate or a drug. By crosslinking the components in the nanofilm, the film remained intact when exposed to human wound proteases. However, the film was degraded and the drug exposed when in contact with Pseudomonas aeruginosa's Lys-X specific protease IV. The antimicrobial efficacy of the drug-loaded microcapsules was confirmed by exposure to virulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The current study contributes to the establishment of a release platform for targeted treatment of topical infections with the aim of minimizing both overexposure to drugs and development of bacterial resistance.

Systemic antibiotic and topical antimicrobial overexposure strongly contributes to the development of bacterial resistance. We have assembled nanofilms as a lid for drugs, which respond to the Staphylococcus aureusprotease V8, while remaining intact when exposed to a human wound protease. Hollow microcapsules, loaded with a model drug and with the nanofilm as shell were assembled by template assisted assembly. With a poly-L-glutamic acid-based film, the Glu-X specific V8 caused the film to degrade, leading to release of the model drug, while the human wound protease did not affect the microcapsules. This is an example of triggered release of an active with the wound infection being the trigger.

Food processing is a major part of the modern global industry and it will certainly be an important sector of the industry in the future. Several processes for different purposes are involved in food processing aiming at the development of new products by combining and/or transforming raw materials, to the extension of food shelf-life, recovery, exploitation and further use of valuable compounds and many others. During the last century several new food processes have arisen and most of the traditional ones have evolved. The future food factory will require innovative approaches food processing which can combine increased sustainability, efficiency and quality. Herein, the objective of this review is to explore the multiple applications of high voltage electric field (HVEF) and its potentials within the food industry. These applications include processes such as drying, refrigeration, freezing, thawing, extending food shelf- life, and extraction of biocompounds. In addition, the principles, mechanism of action and influence of specific parameters have been discussed comprehensively.

Salmonella is an important cause of bacterial foodborne infections in Denmark. To identify the main animal-food sources of human salmonellosis, risk managers have relied on a routine application of a microbial subtyping-based source attribution model since 1995. In 2013, multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) substituted phage typing as the subtyping method for surveillance of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium isolated from animals, food, and humans in Denmark. The purpose of this study was to develop a modeling approach applying a combination of serovars, MLVA types, and antibiotic resistance profiles for the Salmonella source attribution, and assess the utility of the results for the food safety decisionmakers. Full and simplified MLVA schemes from surveillance data were tested, and model fit and consistency of results were assessed using statistical measures. We conclude that loci schemes STTR5/STTR10/STTR3 for S. Typhimurium and SE9/SE5/SE2/SE1/SE3 for S. Enteritidis can be used in microbial subtyping-based source attribution models. Based on the results, we discuss that an adjustment of the discriminatory level of the subtyping method applied often will be required to fit the purpose of the study and the available data. The issues discussed are also considered highly relevant when applying, e.g., extended multi-locus sequence typing or next-generation sequencing techniques.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydrocolloids and/or emulsifiers on the shelf-life of composite cassava-maize-wheat (ratio 40:10:50) reference bread during storage. Added hydrocolloids were carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and high methoxyl pectin (HM pectin) at a 3% level (w/w) and/or the emulsifiers diacetyl tartaric acid esters of monoglycerides (DATEM), lecithin (LC), and monoglycerides (MG) at a 0.3% level (w/w). After 4 days of storage, composite breads with MG had comparatively lower crumb moisture while crumb density was similar in all breads. The reference bread crumb firmness was 33.4 N, which was reduced with an addition of DATEM (23.0 N), MG (29.8 N), CMC (24.6 N) or HM pectin (22.4 N). However, the CMC/DATEM, CMC/LC, and HM pectin/DATEM combinations further reduced crumb firmness to <20.0 N. The melting peak temperature was increased from 52 C to between 53.0 C and 57.0 C with added hydrocolloids and/or emulsifiers. The melting enthalpy of the retrograded amylopectin was lower in composite bread with hydrocolloids and emulsifiers, 6.7–11.0 J/g compared to 20.0 J/g for the reference bread. These results show that emulsifiers in combination with hydrocolloids can improve the quality and extend the shelf-life of composite cassava-maize-wheat breads.

I Sverige, liksom i övriga Europa och större delen av världen, ökar andelen äldre stort. Mellan 2010 och 2030 beräknas antalet européer över 65 år att öka med nästan 40%. Vidare beräknas alltfler att uppnå en ålder av minst 100 år. Men gruppen äldre är stor och heterogen, den omfattar allt från nyblivna pensionärer till mycket gamla personer. Oberoende av ålder är de individuella variationerna stora. Det är av stor vikt att beakta den heterogenitet som präglar gruppen och se den äldre delen av befolkningen som bestående av många olika undergrupper med differentierade krav, önskemål och behov. Aktivt Åldrande – individuellt anpassade måltidslösningar för hälsa och livskvalitet hos äldre är ett treårigt projekt som startades i januari 2014 för att finna nya vägar för måltider och måltidsdistribution för äldre. En av projektets sex ”work packages” har syftat till att utveckla mat- och måltidskoncept där stor vikt har lagts vid matens och måltidens sensoriska egenskaper, dess textur och näringsinnehåll. Med utgångspunkt i tre olika varianter av kommersiella färdigrätter (A-kosträtter), togs tre närings- och proteinberikade E-kosträtter (energität kost) fram i projektet. Dessa sex rätter utvärderades av en grupp äldre respondenter (rp) med syfte att jämföra A-kosträtten med motsvarande E-kosträtt avseende; om det förelåg en objektiv skillnad på såserna i smak- och/eller konsistens samt utvärdera acceptansen av rätterna och måltidskonceptet ”en liten varmrätt med dessert”. Resultatet visade att rp kunde skilja de tre såserna åt när det gällde smak och/eller konsistens. Två E-kostsåser uppfattades generellt sett som mildare i smaken samt tjockare/gräddigare i konsistensen än motsvarande A-kostsås. De testade A-kosträtterna fick generellt sett högre medelvärden än motsvarande E-kost i acceptanstestet men de statistiska skillnaderna var få. Parametrarna som skilde sig åt statistiskt var olika för de testade rätterna, men främst skilde utseendet och konsistensen på sås och mos sig åt för A-kost och E-kost. I fokusgruppen framkom dels att måltidskonceptet ”en liten varmrätt med dessert” uppfattades som något positiv och dels framkom flera förslag på förbättringar av E-kosträtterna. Generellt sett skulle utseendet vara färgrikt och aptitligt utan en alltför täckande sås, och såsen vara god och välkryddad. Det innebär att efter en optimering av både varm- och efterrätt skulle de testade färdigrätterna inte bara kunna bidra till ett behov av näring och energi, utan också glädje och njutning.

There is currently a need in developing new decontamination technologies for spices due to limitations of existing technologies, mainly regarding their effects on spices’ sensory quality. In the search of new decontamination solutions, it is of interest to compare different technologies, to provide the industry with knowledge for taking decisions concerning appropriate decontamination technologies for spices. The present study compares infrared (IR) and microwave decontamination of naturally contaminated paprika powder after adjustment of water activity to 0.88. IR respectively microwave heating was applied to quickly heat up paprika powder to 98°C, after which the paprika sample was transferred to a conventional oven set at 98°C to keep the temperature constant during a holding time up to 20 min. In the present experimental set-up microwave treatment at 98°C for 20 min resulted in a reduction of 4.8 log units of the total number of mesophilic bacteria, while the IR treatment showed a 1 log unit lower reduction for the corresponding temperature and treatment time. Microwave and IR heating created different temperature profiles and moisture distribution within the paprika sample during the heating up part of the process, which is likely to have influenced the decontamination efficiency. The results of this study are used to discuss the difficulties in comparing two thermal technologies on equal conditions due to differences in their heating mechanisms

During infrared processing, transmitted energy is attenuated exponentially with penetration distance, and its intensity is gradually lost while passing through absorbing or scattering media. Penetration depth is a complex function of chemical composition of a food product, its physico-chemical state and physical properties and wavelength spectrum of energy source. Knowing penetration depth leads to better designing commercial sterilization processes for food products like spices. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine penetration depth of various spices (paprika powder, black pepper and oregano) as a function of water activity under infrared processing conditions. For this purpose, spice samples were prepared at various water activity (aw) levels, and heat flux measurements were carried out to determine the penetration depth. Penetration depth was determined to increase with increasing aw for black pepper seeds and paprika powder while there was no significant change for oregano leaves as a function of aw. Knowing penetration depth is important to design an effective infra-red processing system and an important issue for surface pasteurization processes since infrared radiation effects on microbial inactivation decrease with sample thickness

When new food processing technologies are investigated as alternative to traditional thermal pasteurization processes, conventional cultivation-based methods are usually applied to evaluate microbial concentration before and after the treatment to determine the process efficiency. However, these standard methods lead to a typical underestimation of the microbes present in the sample, which may represent an issue when pathogenic strains have to be detected. Here, the efficiency of SC-CO2 pasteurization treatment in the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes spiked on cured ham skin surface was evaluated using plate counts, flow cytometry (FCM) coupled with SYBR-Green I (SYBR-I) and propidium iodide (PI), and propidium monoazide quantitative PCR (PMA-qPCR), at different process conditions. SC-CO2 best performed at 12 MPa, 45 and 50 °C, resulting in a 7.5 log reduction of cultivable cells quantified by plate counts after 15 min of treatment, while FCM and PMA-qPCR revealed a 4 log and 2 log reduction of intact cells, respectively. This striking difference between culture-based and culture-independent quantification methods was independent from treatment time and indicated that a large fraction of the cells lost cultivability after treatment but maintained an intact membrane, likely entering in a so-called Viable But Not Culturable (VBNC) state. Our study highlights the usefulness of FCM and PMA-qPCR to assess the viability status of microbial populations and support their application in microbiological quality control in the food industry, in particular when mild pasteurization technologies are used.

The rheological properties of fura extrudates with different pearl millet and cowpea ratios (80:20, 70:30 and 100% pearl millet flours) were studied. Extrusion cooking was performed in a single screw extruder. Gelatinization temperatures (Tg) were 72 oC for Millet: Cowpea (70:30) and 71 oC for 100% pearl millet flour indicating that the Tg increased with inclusion of cowpea flour. The time taken to reach gelatinization temperature (Mg) was 27 minutes for 100% pearl millet flour higher than Millet: Cowpea 80:20 and 70:30 flour blends which recorded 25.3 minutes. Gelatinization temperatures for fura extrudates were 62, 64.7, 65 and 66.8 oC for millet: Cowpea 80:20, 100% traditional fura, millet: Cowpea 70:30 and 100% extruded fura respectively. There was general decrease in gelatinization temperature of all products, which can be attributed to previous gelatinization of their starches. There were significant differences in the viscosities of samples at each of the temperature considered from (30o - 90oC). At 30oC the viscosities ranged from (4.2-17.6 Nsm-2). Traditional fura indicated the highest viscosity at all temperatures. The k values increased as the temperature of fura samples decreased generally. Flow behaviour for all fura samples exhibited non-Newtonian types of fluids at the test conditions since flow behaviour index (n) for each fura sample were found to be different from one. Traditional fura recorded the highest value for yield stress 18.67 Nm-2, with millet: cowpea 80:20 fura recording 8.6 Nm-2 as the least value.

The climate impact of food consumption corresponds to about 2 tons of CO2eq. per capita, representing around 25 % of the total consumption-driven climate change impact in Sweden. There are several diverse ongoing trends of food consumption in Sweden, and their primary drivers are environmental and health considerations. The results of a market research carried out by YouGov (2010) indicated that nearly 75 percent of respondents would buy climate-labeled food, and nearly 50 percent of the respondents would be willing to pay a higher price for such a product.The climate impact from meals could be significantly decreased through small changes in recipes by reducing the amount of ingredients with high carbon footprints or substituting them with other ingredients with the same function but lower carbon footprints. By making more climate-conscious choices, e.g. eating more vegetables as well as poultry, egg and seafood instead of red meat, the climate impact per person and year could be reduced by half.Several recent studies suggest that dietary changes can reduce food-related environmental impacts significantly (e.g. Tilman and Clark, 2014; Hallström et al., 2015; Stehfest, 2014; Röös et al., 2015; Bryngelsson et al., 2016). These studies have mainly explored theoretical dietary scenarios, and not what people actually eat; for example, in one study a model-based theoretical diet, which reduced GHGs by 90%, included unrealistic amounts of only seven food items (Macdiarmid, 2012). Still, this information is important when aiming to guide food producers, public authorities and consumers towards more sustainable and healthy options. The national food agency Sweden updated their dietary advice in 2015, which now also takes environmental consideration into account, besides health impact (SLV, 2015).To combat climate change, recommendations need to be realized and incorporated into applications in daily practices. There has been an optimistic belief that the availability of information could boost environmentally sound behavior among the general public, but there is a rather weak link between knowing and doing. Feedback directly tied to people's own behavior has been shown to be more effective than general information (Lundgren, 2000), for example by making the information available directly in the decision making moment e.g. when shopping food or planning a meal. If such information is timely communicated, it can have considerable contribution to more sustainable consumption. In a field experiment conducted by Matsdotter et al. (2014) in 17 food stores in Sweden, the results show that climate labeling increased demand for climate-labeled milk by 7%. In another recent research project (Kamb et al, 2015), households in Uppsala were able to reduce their climate footprint by 31% by having access to climate friendly information and inspiration, e.g. the participants could get direct feedback on GHGs for certain products and services via a mobile application. This project was conducted at a very small scale, but still proves the potential of influencing behavioral change by using interactive applications at the point of decision making.

The density and composition of a food matrix affect the rates of oral breakdown and in-mouth flavor release as well as the overall sensory experience. Agar gels of increasing concentration (1.0, 1.7, 2.9, and 5% agarose) with and without added fat (0, 2, 5, and 10%) were spiked with seven aroma volatiles. Differences in oral processing and sensory perception were systematically measured by a trained panel using a discrete interval time intensity method. Volatile release was measured in vivo and in vitro by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Greater oral processing was required as agar gel strength increased, and the intensity of flavor-related sensory attributes decreased. Volatile release was inversely related to gel strength, showing that physicochemical phenomena were the main mechanisms underlying the perceived sensory changes. Fat addition reduced the amount of oral processing and had differential effects on release, depending on the fat solubility or lipophilicity of the volatiles.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a “network” framing of food supply arrangements. Such frameworks have been asked for in previous research as supplements to prevailing supply chain conceptualizations.

Design/methodology/approach – The framework builds on industrial network theory. According to this approach, business reality is analyzed in three inter-related dimensions: the activities undertaken, the resources used for this undertaking, and the actors controlling resources and activities. For each dimension, relevant concepts are derived for analysis of the features of food supply and food waste.

Findings – The network framing was useful for analyzing the prerequisites and consequences for two approaches to reduce food waste: one based on extension of shelf-life, the other relying on enhanced responsiveness in the supply arrangement. The framework was then used for suggesting managerial actions to reduce food waste through increasing activity coordination, resource combining, and actor interaction with consideration of potential consequences of such actions.

Practical implications – Managerial issues in food supply are discussed with regard to the role of activity coordination, the role of resource combining, and the role of actor interaction in efforts to prevent food waste.

Originality/value – The paper suggests a novel approach for analyzing food supply networks with particular focus on food waste reduction. Such framings are applied in other supply systems, and requested by food supply researchers.

Biofilm-associated infections, particularly those caused by Staphylococcus aureus, are a major cause of implant failure. Covalent coupling of broad-spectrum antimicrobials to implants is a promising approach to reduce the risk of infections. In this study, we developed titanium substrates on which the recently discovered antibacterial agent SPI031, a N-alkylated 3, 6-dihalogenocarbazol 1-(sec-butylamino)-3-(3,6-dichloro-9H-carbazol-9-yl)propan-2-ol, was covalently linked (SPI031-Ti). We found that SPI031-Ti substrates prevent biofilm formation of S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro, as quantified by plate counting and fluorescence microscopy. To test the effectiveness of SPI031-Ti substrates in vivo, we used an adapted in vivo biomaterial-associated infection model in mice in which SPI031-Ti substrates were implanted subcutaneously and subsequently inoculated with S. aureus. Using this model, we found a significant reduction in biofilm formation (up to 98%) on SPI031-Ti substrates compared to control substrates. Finally, we demonstrated that the functionalization of the titanium surfaces with SPI031 did not influence the adhesion and proliferation of human cells important for osseointegration and bone repair. In conclusion, these data demonstrate the clinical potential of SPI031 to be used as an antibacterial coating for implants, thereby reducing the incidence of implant-associated infections.

In Europe the percentage of citizens aged 65 and over is increasing at an unprecedented rate, and is expected to account for over 30% of the population by 2050. Coupled with an increase in life expectancy, this massive demographic change calls for a major effort to ensure quality of life in our older population. A thorough understanding of the elderly as food consumers, their nutritional needs, their food perception and preferences is increasingly needed. The role of food in healthy aging was a prominent theme at the 6th European Conference on Sensory and Consumer Research, which had quality of life across the life span as a focal point. This short paper is based on a workshop held at the EuroSense meeting, focusing on research from sensory and consumer scientists. The workshop featured contributions focusing on food-related perception, needs and behavior of the elderly, and aimed at demonstrating the relevance of sensory and consumer scientists in promoting food-related well-being in an aging population. The workshop contributions are here reviewed and summarized three main themes: nutritional needs, food perception and aging, and behavioral drivers of food consumption.

The objectives of this work were to evaluate infrared (IR) dry blanching in comparison with conventional water blanching prior to hot air drying of mango to inactivate polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) enzymes, and to study its effect on color change and retention of vitamin C and β‐carotene. Mango cylinders were blanched under similar temperature–time conditions either by IR heating or by immersion in a water bath during 2 min at 90 °C (high‐temperature‐short‐time—HTST) or for 10 min at 65 °C (low‐temperature‐long‐time—LTLT). After blanching mango was hot air dried at 70 °C. PPO was completely inactivated during the blanching treatments, but AAO had a moderate remaining activity after LTLT treatment (∼30%) and a low remaining activity after HTST treatment (9% to 15%). A higher retention of vitamin C was observed in mango subjected to IR dry blanching, 88.3 ± 1.0% (HTST) and 69.2 ± 2.9% (LTLT), compared with water blanching, 61.4 ± 5.3% (HTST) and 50.7 ± 9.6% (LTLT). All‐trans‐β‐carotene retention was significantly higher in water blanched dried mango, 93.2 ± 5.2% (LTLT) and 91.4 ± 5.1% (HTST), compared with IR dry blanched, 73.6 ± 3.6% (LTLT) and 76.9 ± 2.9% (HTST). Increased levels of 13‐cis‐β‐carotene isomer were detected only in IR dry blanched mango, and the corresponding dried mango also had a slightly darker color. IR blanching of mango prior to drying can improve the retention of vitamin C, but not the retention of carotenoids, which showed to be more dependent on the temperature than the blanching process. A reduction of drying time was observed in LTLT IR‐blanching mango.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are an important class of materials with a wide range of applications. This paper presents a simple protocol for synthesis of particles as small as 40. nm and with a pore size that can be as large as 9. nm. Reaction conditions including type of surfactant, type of catalyst and presence of organic polymer were investigated in order to optimize the synthesis. An important aim of the work was to understand the mechanism behind the formation of these unusual structures and an explanation based on silica condensation in the small aqueous microemulsion droplets that are present inside the drops of an oil-in-water emulsion is put forward.

The permeability of oleic and acetic acid through low density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene acrylic acid (EAA) have been measured using diffusion cells. In addition, the permeability through combinations of LDPE and EAA in the form of laminates with different numbers of layers has been determined. Oleic acid shows an almost 30 times higher permeability compared to acetic acid, which was partly explained by the adsorption of oleic acid to the film surface during the permeability experiment. In addition, the permeability is lower for both oleic and acetic acid in the laminates compared to the pure films. The decreased permeability can be explained by the presence of crystalline domains close to the interface. This is supported by SAXS data which suggests an ordering of polymer chains in the EAA film close to the interface. In summary, the results show that it is possible to create barrier materials with decreased permeability, which is interesting for example in the packaging industry.

The fouling structure and composition is dependent on the product, but also on the heating process applied to it. The structure will have profound effect on the cleaning process and the down time in the production plant. Here, the structure of high temperature (137 °C) milk fouling has been investigated, which so far has not been sufficiently studied in a systematic way. This particular fouling has a high content of the mineral calcium phosphate and a relatively low concentration of protein. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) reveals a crystalline structure of calcium phosphate in agreement to the chemical analysis of the bulk layer. Microscopic investigations visualize the heterogeneous structure and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) shows a spatial variation of the elements through the radius of the sample.

Material structure has great impact on mass transport properties, a relationship that needs to be understood on several length scales. Describing and controlling the properties of flow through soft materials are both challenges concerning the industrial use of gel structures. This paper reports on how the porous structure in nanoporous materials affects the water transport through them. We used three different silica gels with large differences in the pore sizes but of equal silica concentration. Particle morphology and gel structure were studied using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and image analysis to estimate the pore size distribution and intrinsic surface area of each gel. The mass transport was studied using a flow measurement setup and nuclear magnetic resonance diffusometry. The average pore size ranged from approximately 500 nm down to approximately 40 nm. An acknowledged limit for convective flow to occur is in the pore size range between 100 and 200 nm. The results verified the existence of a non-linear relationship between pore size and liquid flow at length scales below 500 nm, experimentally. A factor of 4.3 in flow speed separated the coarser gel from the other two, which presented almost identical flow speed data despite a factor 3 in pore size difference. In the setup, the mass transport in the gel with the largest pores was flow dominated, while the mass transport in the finer gels was diffusion dominated. Besides providing new insights into mass transport as a function of pore sizes, we conclude that three-dimensional analysis of the structures is needed for a comprehensive understanding of the correlation between structure and mass transport properties.

The influence of the mixture of water and alcohols on the solubility and properties of alginate and its calcium-induced gels is of interest for the food, wound care and pharmaceutical industries. The solvent quality of water with increasing amounts of ethanol (0-20%) on alginate was studied using intrinsic viscosity. The effect of ethanol addition on the rheological and mechanical properties of calcium alginate gels was determined. Small-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the network structure. It is shown that the addition of ethanol up to 15% (wt) increases the extension of the alginate chain, which correlates with increased moduli and stress being required to fracture the gels. The extension of the polymer chain is reduced at 20% (wt) ethanol, which is followed by reduced moduli and stress at breakage of the gels. The network structure of gels at high ethanol concentrations (24%) is characterized by thick and poorly connected network strands.

The effect of oscillatory shear during heat-induced gelation of whey protein isolate has been investigated. For each gel sample, a single oscillating strain was applied during the gelation process from within the range of 0-1.0. A strain sweep was then used to evaluate the linear viscoelastic region as well as the fracturing properties of each gel. The application of strains lower than ∼0.01 during gelation did not affect the storage modulus while larger strains resulted in lower storage moduli in the linear viscoelastic region. Furthermore, gels produced under small (<0.01) strain amplitudes showed a single fracture point, while gels produced under high (>0.01) amplitude strain were characterised by a two-step fracture pattern. Between the fracture steps, strain hardening behaviour was observed. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to identify structural differences between the gels. Greater inhomogeneity was found in gels produced under large amplitude compared to small amplitude strain. It is suggested that localised redistribution of aggregates due to shear during gelation increases the average pore size and possibly creates two distinct types of aggregate structure with differing moduli. The combined effect of heating rate and oscillatory strain was also investigated. We postulate that the mechanism underlying our observations is generic to many gel systems.