Review on potential non-dairy synbiotic beverages: a preliminary approach using legumes

In the past few years, certain functional foods have gained consumer acceptance like those containing synbiotics (a blend of both prebiotics and probiotics) in different food systems. Synbiotics enhance gut functionality and confer health benefits to humans. However, due to the limitations exerted by dairy-based matrices like lactose intolerance, milk allergies, limited shelf life and inclination towards veganism, consumer’s interest in non-dairy foods has increased. Among the non-dairy matrices, legumes (such as chickpeas, kidney beans, lupin) are the less explored areas with the majority focus on only soya beans. The present review gives brief information about the different research associating with various legume-based probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotic foods narrowing down specifically to beverages. The integration of such information will allow the researchers to explore product development using new prebiotic ingredients that have not been studied in much detail and hold an exceptional potential to be employed in the synbiotic food industry.     

A review on selection of fermentative microorganisms for functional foods and beverages: the production and future perspectives

Fermentation has been employed as a traditional means of improving the shelf life and nutritional contents of foods, thus making fermented foods and beverages functional and therapeutic. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) plays a major role in determining the health benefits of fermented milk and related products. This review takes into cognizance numerous investigations reporting certain microbial strains and mixes to contribute safety, quality, stability, health and organoleptic properties to fermented foods, due to increased consumers’ awareness of food products with health claims. A look was taken at selection criteria for the ideal fermentative microbial species and strains, their usefulness and prospective ‘OMICS‘-based approaches to elucidating fermentative complex communities in relation to their effects on fermented food products. Moreover, recommendations were given for improved fermentation of beverages and functional foods. It is projected that fermented foods and beverages will continually be a paramount in the global food and emerging functional food market.     

The use of carbon dioxide in the processing and packaging of milk and dairy products: A review

The upswing in consumer demand for fresh and high quality preservative‐free foods has led to the development of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Increasingly, MAP is being used with high carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration as well as CO₂/N₂ gas mixes. Modified atmosphere packaging or ‘gas flushing’ as it is also known is an increasingly popular technique used to extend the shelf life (both quality and safety) of a number of dairy products. Carbon dioxide is an active constituent of MAP, naturally present in freshly drawn raw milk. Addition of CO₂ to raw milk or flushing the package headspace has proved to be a simple and cost‐effective method, depending upon the initial microbiological quality of the food product. Carbon dioxide addition through MAP or direct injection as an economically affordable shelf life extension strategy is used commercially worldwide for some dairy products. The development of food packaging machines with integrated gas flushing capabilities and the supply of ‘food grade’ gases allow dairy foods manufacturers to enhance the quality of their products. This review presents a broad spectrum of current research and the current trends with respect to CO₂ as a natural microbial hurdle with special focus on its precise mechanism and its role in quality improvement of dairy products.     

Street milk and urban consumers in Turkey: a descriptive study

Milk is important because of its composition, its consumption prevalence, and its use as a raw material for many food products. The milk’s shelf life, reliability during processing, and quality conservation should be considered by the consumer. However, in Turkey, raw milk is sold unpackaged and untreated (by physical processes or heat treatment) by street suppliers without the use of any of the required food conservation techniques. This type of milk is generally called ‘street milk’ (SM). This study was conducted to analyse the Turkish urban consumers’ (UCs) attitudes, behaviours, and perceptions with respect to SM. To achieve a 2.83 % sampling tolerance, 1222 consumers were interviewed in person, and the data were collected. Although 23.6 % of UCs prefer SM, the potential customer rate is 43.1–48.9 %. These UCs tend to choose SM because the product is perceived to be ‘organic’, ‘pure’, and ‘natural’ and because they are suspicious of packaged/processed milk. In this study, the socio-economic statuses (SES) and age differences were identified (P < 0.05), and it was found that the 45+ age group and the low SES group have more positive views about SM. Thus, these groups must be made aware of the differences between ‘raw milk’ and ‘SM’, as well as the safety risks of SM and the importance of the processing and storing of dairy products, including milk.     

Nutritional and healthful aspects of cultured and culture-containing dairy foods

Nutritional and therapeutic qualities of fermented dairy products are reviewed. Partial hydrolysis of milk constituents (proteins, fats, and lactose) in yogurt, cheese, and other cultured dary foods appears to contribute to their increased digestibility. Lactase and other constituent enzymes of various culturing organisms should contribute to assimilation of lactose by lactose intolerant individuals. Several lactic cultures synthesize certain B-vitamins in fermented dairy products. In contrast, directly acidified dairy products do not exhibit such enhancement in B-vitamins. The hypocholestremic effect of milk is enhanced by fermentation or inclusion of lactic cultures. Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and other lactic organisms produce antimicrobial agents and natural antibiotics. However, production of natural antibacterial substances by different strains of the same species vary widely. These metabolites in cultured dairy products may be responsible for increased shelf life of the foods by inhibiting a wide spectrum of food spoilage organisms. Also, consumption of cultured products containing such natural antibacterial substances may provide the consumer with protection against disease organisms. Unfermented milk containing a specific culture or strain may be consumed to invest organisms for projected beneficial effects.     

The consumption of genetically modified foods in Italian high school students

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms in which the DNA has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. Such methods are used to create GM plants – which are then used to grow (GM) food crops. GM foods have the potential to solve many of the world’s hunger and malnutrition problems, and to help protect and preserve the environment by increasing yield and reducing reliance upon chemical pesticides and herbicides. Nevertheless, the consumption of GM foods provokes doubts and hesitations among consumers, especially in Italy. This paper has two aims, the first is to investigate genetically modified (GM) foods consumption in Italian high school students through a large sample size survey on 2122 students randomly selected in 39 schools of a metropolitan area (Naples, South-Italy). The second, by examining the behavioural process that drives individual’s perceptions of GM food taking advantage of an empirical choice methodology that corrects for endogeneity in decision making relationships, namely structural equation model (SEM). The results show that a very large percentage of students never or rarely eat GM food and a lot of them do not suggest the consumption of GM food. The proposed SEM is a full formative measurement model and shows that GM foods consumption in Italian students depends on the knowledge of GMO and on the impact of the GMO on the men’s health and on the environment. Therefore, in order to orient population it could be realized a standardized evaluation systems relative to human health and environment consequences produced by GM organisms and GM foods.     

Consumer attitudes and purchase intentions in relation to organic foods in Taiwan: Moderating effects of food-related personality traits

There is an increasing emphasis on understanding the consumer’s motives for the choice of food types. Meanwhile, an individual’s food-related personal traits are suspected of playing a moderating role in influencing personal food choice. This study aims to understand what motives determine the consumer’s attitude to organic foods in Taiwan, which in turn influence the subsequent purchase intentions. Moderated regression analysis (MRA) is used to ascertain the personality traits of food neophobia and food involvement separately in the behavioral intentions model. The results vindicate the use of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining the consumer’s organic foods choice behavior. Moreover, the findings suggest that the food-related personality traits of food neophobia and food involvement exert moderating effects on the relationships between some of the food choice motives and the consumer’s attitude to organic foods. However, only food involvement exerts moderating effects on the relationships between the consumer’s intentions to purchase organic foods and the antecedents of the TPB except for the subjective norm in this case. Based on the empirical results and findings, some suggestions are provided to the institutions concerned so as to facilitate this organic sector’s on-going expansion in Taiwan’s food industry.     

Contextual acceptance of insect-based foods

Insect-based foods have gained much attention as an alternative source of protein in recent years because of their high nutritional content and low production costs. However, consumer acceptance of insect-based foods still poses a big challenge in many societies. Across three studies, we examined how social companions (alone, friend, family, acquaintance, partner) and location (cafe, bar, pub, food festival) are associated with people’s willingness to eat insect-based foods. We also examined the positive arousing (fun, excitement) and positive calming (romance, tranquility) emotions that were evoked by several eating contexts. The results of Studies 1 and 2 revealed that participants expected that they would be more willing to eat insect-based foods with friends (vs. alone, family, acquaintance, partner) and in pubs and at food festivals (vs. in a cafe, bar). The results of Study 3 replicated the main findings of the first two studies using the actual names (not pictures) of insect-based food products, namely ‘mealworm burger’ and ‘cricket chocolate bar’. Moreover, these contexts, where people would be more willing to eat insect-based foods, were associated with positive arousing emotions (fun, excitement) rather than positive calming emotions (romance, tranquility). Taken together, then, these findings reveal the role of contexts associated with positive arousing emotions in eating insect-based foods and provide practical advice concerning the situations in which the consumer’s acceptance of insect-based foods may be increased.     

The development of fruit‐based functional foods targeting the health and wellness market: a review

Functional foods and their health benefits beyond individual nutrients present challenges to the traditional ‘nutrition’ approach to foods. Epidemiological studies suggest that regular or increased consumption of fruits may promote general health and well‐being as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, a broad range of research amongst academic, industry and government institutes has been stimulated in attempts to add the goodness of fruits into popular consumer foods. This article provides a brief overview of the research opportunities in the emerging functional foods area, with an emphasis on fruit‐derived products. Based on recent research in the fruit‐based functional food area, a structured approach for designing and developing functional finished products is presented. Included are the technical challenges and their associated solutions during food design, formulation, processing and storage. A consumer‐oriented food product development process is highlighted. Controlling the interactions among the targeted bioactives and other food components during food processing, handling and storage is the key to ensure that a stable and appealing functional food is produced. Manipulating the beneficial synergies among food ingredients, and among food formulation and processing methods, has the potential to lead to substantial food innovations.     

A harmonised approach for identifying core foods for total diet studies

Total diet studies (TDS) are used to gather information on chemical substances in food, thereby facilitating risk assessments and health monitoring. Candidate foods for inclusion in a TDS should represent a large part of a typical diet to estimate accurately the exposure of a population and/or specific population groups. There are currently no harmonised guidelines for the selection of foods in a TDS, and so the aim of this study was to explore the possibility of generating a harmonised approach to be used across Europe. Summary statistics data from the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Comprehensive Food Consumption Database were used in this research, which provided data from national food consumption surveys in Europe. The chosen methodology for the selection of foods was based on the weight of food consumed and consumer rate. Using the available data, 59 TDS food lists were created, representing over 51 000 people across 17 countries and seven population groups. All TDS food lists represented > 85% of the populations’ diets (85.9–96.3%), while the number of foods in the TDS food lists ranged from 15 to 102. Comparison of the TDS food lists indicated that the most commonly consumed foods included wheat bread and rolls, pastries and cakes, tomatoes, apples, bananas, and chicken, while cow’s milk, tap water and orange juice were the most commonly consumed beverages across Europe. This work was complete to support EFSA and other institutions in the development of harmonised TDS into the future.     

The role of peers,siblings and social media for children’s healthy eating socialization: a mixed methods study

Growing rates of childhood obesity constitute a worldwide public health crisis. Consumption of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables could help to prevent obesity and related non-communicable illness. A prominent role in children’s food-related consumer socialization is played by social agents such as peers, siblings and social media. This study aims to explore the importance of peers, siblings and social media for children’s food-related consumer socialization. Using a parallel, mixed-methods approach, the study finds that peers’ influence on children’s eating behavior is more prominent for children’s healthy eating behavior than the influence of siblings. Siblings’ influence becomes important in the context of eating together with the whole family. Social media contributes to children's consumer socialization by exposing children to food and drink products shown on social media platforms that are frequently used by children to interact with peers and share experiences. Peer, sibling and social media influence can be used in creating marketing strategies to promote healthy eating behavior among children.     

Trans fatty acid content in Malaysian supermarket foods: a field-to-laboratory approach in assessing food risk

The extent of industrial trans fatty acids (TFA) in the food supply is unknown in Malaysia, whilst TFA disclosure on food labels is not mandatory by Malaysian food standards. Supermarket foods such as dairy products, fats and oils, meat products, snack foods, soups, and confectionery are commonly cited to be major contributors of TFA in the diet. A consumer survey (n = 622) was used to develop a food listing of these ‘high risk’ foods. TFA content of high-risk foods were analysed by gas chromatography. Food samples (n = 158) were analysed and their total TFA content were compared with Malaysian Food Standards. A wide variation in TFA content within food categories was indicated. Of the foods containing TFA, many food labels did not cite TFA content or the use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO) as an ingredient. Hypothesised estimates of TFA intake from these supermarket foods in a sample day’s menu providing 2000 kcal projected a minimum intake of 0.5 g and a maximum intake of 5.2 g TFA. This study found there was no voluntary disclosure of TFA content on food labels or identifying PHVO as an ingredient. It appears that health education targeting consumers to minimise TFA consumption is required supported by mandatory PHVO disclosure on the food label.     

Design and preparation of market baskets of European Union commercial baby foods for the assessment of infant exposure to food chemicals and to their effects

The assessment of acute and chronic dietary exposure to contaminants in baby foods is needed to ensure healthy infant growth. Monthly European Union market baskets of commercial baby foods were designed for the first 9 months of life by the ‘babyfood’ study group of the CASCADE Network of Excellence for the specific purpose of assessing exposure to potentially toxic substances in infants fed with such foods. The present paper reports the different steps that led to the preparation of monthly pooled samples of commercial baby foods (‘Infant formulae and follow-on formulae’ and ‘Other baby foods’) that may constitute the extreme case of the diet for an infant who would not be breast fed at all. Several market baskets were generated for an ‘average European Union infant’ and for infants of four selected countries (Italy, Sweden, Spain, and the Slovakia), fed with either milk infant formulae, soy infant formulae or hypoallergenic infant formulae and weaned (at the fifth month) with commercial baby foods and beverages available on the European Union market. Market share data for 2007 for baby foods were used to design the baskets. Holding companies and the name of all their products were identified. Monthly diets for European Union infants were elaborated in terms of food categories (e.g. infant cereals) of typologies of products (e.g. infant cereals without gluten) and of a specific product. The number of baskets generated was 30 for ‘Infant formulae and follow-on formulae’ (including 62 products) and 13 for ‘Other baby foods’ (including 35 products). These market baskets were designed to be used for the determination of certain contaminants and nutrients in the diet of European Union infants and for the assessment of their effects on infant health.     

Functional foods from the perspective of the consumer: How to make it a success?

Functional foods have become the corner stone of food innovation in the past few years. All big food companies are investing in functional foods because the mega trends in society seem to require healthy food with added benefits to improve the health, wellness and quality of life of people. The food companies have not only adapted their strategies and their communication to the health awareness and request of consumers but they have also changed their innovation process. And yet, there are more failures of functional food products out in the markets than there are global successes. The analysis of this phenomenon shows that the invention of new food products has to start in the mind of the consumers. A consequent orientation at consumer insights, translated into relevant, noticeable benefits, added to trustworthy and adequate brands, may be one potential route to market success.     

Techno-environmental and life cycle assessment of ‘oat-milk’ production in Ecuador: A cradle-to-retail life cycle assessment

There is an increase in consumer demand for plant-based alternatives to common food products. A critical segment of the food industry is the dairy market, where milk alternatives are becoming the choice of many people throughout the world. Consumers purchase milk alternatives as they provide an environmentally friendly and healthier option than cow’s milk. The beef and cattle industry's negative impact on the environment has been well reported. The cattle industry accounts for almost 3% of the overall greenhouse gases emitted each year in climate change. This study analyses the life cycle assessment for the cradle-to-retail system in the production of oat-based milk in Ecuador. Importing the oat was considered, and a techno-environmental perspective was applied to the system modelling. It introduces oat milk as a new alternative to plant-based beverages. Soy and almond milk are compared as established options in the market. Results showed better environmental performance from the oat beverage when compared to the traditional cow’s milk (+80% lower GHG emitted). Also, it can be established as a competitor for plant-based alternatives. For instance, it requires significantly less water consumption than almond milk. The oat-milk beverage has a better environmental performance than the traditional cow milk-based options.     

Research challenges and methods to study food preferences in school-aged children: A review of the last 15 years

Until only a few decades ago, there was little interest in research about children as consumers. Today, the food market for ‘‘the small consumers’’ is continuously growing and many foods and beverages are developed specifically for this target group. Furthermore, a better understanding of children’s food preferences could help design strategies to reduce obesity and malnutrition. The present review examines the main research domains in which measurements of children’s food preferences are applied. It also gives an overview of the progress made during the last 15 years in the field of consumer testing with children, highlighting the need of investigating and using new methods in addition to existing ones. Attention is devoted to the choice of specific methods according to the child’s age.An intense interest in consumer and sensory research with children is demonstrated by the systematic increase of scientific publications on this topic. A shift in research methodology has been observed in the last 15 years, being research more focused on feeding behavior and healthy eating. Recent investigations confirm that children in the age range of 4–11 years are able to perform most traditional consumer tests in addition to more sophisticated methods (e.g. projective mapping, memory and emotion evaluation) if age-appropriate procedures are adopted.     

Opportunities for product innovation using authorised European Union health claims

For authorisation of a health claim in Europe, applicants must follow the procedures in the legislation and in the guidelines for submission of a dossier, as well as the guidance in the European Food Safety Authority's opinions on the scientific requirements for health claims. In addition to the authorised functional benefits of the vitamins and minerals, certain foods and food constituents offer beneficial physiological effects that extend beyond traditionally accepted nutritional effects. The elucidation of these effects is becoming more important, as reflected by the increasing amount of nutrition research and number of product innovations. Provided that they are scientifically substantiated, health claims linked to food and food supplement products can help consumers make well‐informed food choices. The present review focuses on scientific substantiation and consumer understanding of health claims, and it aims to help those involved in academic research, food product development and consumer education about food and health.     

Radiation preservation of meat and meat products: A review

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1980 clarified the position regarding the medical acceptability of irradiated foods when it said‘…no health hazard results from consuming any food irradiated up to a dose of one megarad (1 Mrad)’. This resulted in renewed interest in irradiation as a cost-effective alternative to traditional preservation methods such as canning and freezing. Thus, radurisation (the application of ionising radiation at a dose level which substantially reduces the microbial population) increases the shelf life of poultry, comminuted meat and meat dishes significantly. Low dose irradiation, or radicidation, eliminates parasites such as Trichinae and cysticerci in pork and, very importantly, salmonella organisms in poultry and red meat. Therefore, irradiation has an important rôle to play in public health protection. High dose irradiation, or radappertisation (‘cold sterilisation’), uses doses in excess of 1 Mrad and is analogous to retorting as understood in the canning industry. However, it can adversely affect quality in producing ‘free radicals’ in high protein foods such as meat. To prevent this, special precautions are necessary, e.g. irradiation is conducted at very low temperatures and the product is usually vacuum packed.A further potential use of irradiation is its ability to reduce the quantity of nitrite necessary in cured meats. This may become of practical significance if legislation further reduces the amount of nitrite permitted in these products.     

冰鲜鸡肉腐败微生物检测技术研究进展

作为餐桌上常见食材,鸡肉质地鲜美且富含必需氨基酸,脂肪、胆固醇含量低,日渐成为重要的消费食品之一。冰鲜鸡肉极易受到微生物污染而发生腐败,影响货架期,危害人体健康。本文主要介绍冰鲜鸡肉中优势腐败菌的传统分析检测方法、分子印迹技术、聚合酶链式反应技术、高通量测序技术等研究进展,为冰鲜鸡肉的食品安全和贮藏保鲜提供参考。