Current issue
Volume 13, Issue 1, 2024
Online ISSN: 2182-1054
Volume 13 , Issue 1, (2024)
Published: 01.05.2024.
Open Access
Dear Readers,
It is a privilege to introduce our first 2024 issue (Vol 13) of the International Journal of Food Studies.
The journal mission was again well addressed, with a diverse research authorship and a stimulating discussion in the area of food education, food research and innovation.
The consumer was one of the main themes through this issue:
- Guo presented an analysis of the power of media to shape consumer attitude towards meat alternatives and the opportunities that policy makers have in this area.
- Un Nisa et al studied the quality assessment of a strawberry juice with prebiotic fibre processed with ultrasound, showing how ultrasound processed samples obtain higher scores in sensory acceptability.
- Acella and colleagues aimed to enhance the knowledge on the perception of quality by consumers of short food supply chain products, with 20 case studies of SFSCs across Europe. Social characteristics of the products such as genuineness were seen as major criteria.
A second main topic in this issue was shelf life:
- Andriani et al studied a traditional Indonesian fish shelf life demonstrating that vacuum packing and salt may contribute to extend the short shelf life of this product.
- Susantia and Kristamtini assessed in vivothe ability of black garlic extracts to maintain blood sugar homeostasis as well as reducing low density lipoprotein levels and increasing the high density lipoproteins.
- Haddad and Bani-Hani assessed the ability of protective cultures to extend the shelf life of Labaneh, a traditional dairy product from Jordan.
- Duc Vu and colleagues presented an analysis of the efficiency of the commercial production of dried Segestid shrimp studying losses and bringing a better understanding of the production of this traditional Vietnamese product.
Finally, food and health was the third underlying theme, where:
- Najat and colleagues discussed the issue of brucellosis in dairy farms in Morocco, identifying a number of knowledge gaps in farmers and potential risks associated.
- Hernandez et al. presented a study highlighting the need to characterise liquids for dysphagia patients and the importance of rheology in these preparations.
- Hasain et al. findings included that energy drinks available in Kosovo may exhibit higher concentrations of caffeine than those levels declared in the label, highlighting the need to potentially secure the food safety and integrity of these products.
I would like to thank all the authors for their contributions, all the Editorial Board who continue to offer their voluntary work to this publication, the journal office that makes possible this issue and (last but not least) the Iseki Association support of the International Journal of Food Studies.
I wish you all a good reading.
Best regards,
Jesus Maria Frias Celayeta
Editor-in-Chief International Journal of Food Studies
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Contents
18.04.2016.
Original scientific paper
Innovation and knowledge transference in a cluster user-driven innovation perspective – the Inovcluster experience
Our purpose with this article is to show the importance of assessing trends and promoting innovation in a real business context, through a cluster ecosystem, mainly composed of micro-enterprises in the agro-industrial Portuguese sector. As many studies show, Inovcluster (which has 158 associates, from which 120 are enterprises) is also a geographic region cluster, which improves innovation performance of businesses seeking to gain competitiveness and ability to improve their exportations in the agro-industrial Portuguese sector. The role of the cluster is fundamental to creating a model for knowledge transfer of innovation capacity, interconnecting its institutional, scientific and business associates. This model has to be adapted to the sector and enterprise characteristics, relying in an interconnecting structure which is more or less decentralized according to the mentioned features. Here we present an experience and case study of the Inovcluster ecosystem and its trends and innovation transfer to business value creation, contextualized within the regional strategy for smart specialization. We have shown how, through the establishment of an Inovcluster network, it is possible to integrate the contribution of different research and academic centres, channelled to assist micro-enterprises by innovating within a geographical constraint.
Teresa Paiva, Claudia Domingues, Luıs Pinto de Andrade
18.04.2015.
Original scientific paper
Training requirements for agro-food industry in Portugal
Agro-food companies are aware that the technical and soft skills of their employees directly influence business performance and, consequently, improving those skills will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their companies. This paper presents the main results of the AgriTraining project “Training requirements for the agro-food industry”. Activities in pursuit of the objectives of this project involved: (1) analysis of the training needs in the agro-food industry in Portugal; (2) analysis of the training provision and the training organizations; (3) analysis of market trends; (4) definition of a training strategy; and (5) adjustment and development of training strategies for the agro-food sector. This last activity comprised the development of training curricula, suitable for the food sector as a whole and adjusted for the specific needs of some traditional industries, in order to promote the development and competitiveness of the agro-food industry in Portugal. Such training curricula aimed to promote the uptake of innovative technologies and methodologies, increase the ability of agro-food industries to invest and take risks, and enable adoption of European Community standards for production and marketing. Gaps in training supply were identified and the training provision was updated according to the needs of the agro-food companies. It was determined that companies need and demand knowledge and innovation to increase their competitive position for internationalization purposes. It was possible to define a training strategy based on market-orientation for agro-food differentiation.
Pedro D. Gaspar, Rita Pinheiro, Claudia Domingues, Celestino Almeida, Teresa Paiva, Carlos D. Pereira, Manuela Vaz Velho
