Natural ingredients are an important trend in the present day food industry since manufacturers are demanding natural food dyes originating from concentrates of plant origin. However, if the use of plant extracts as technological additives is intended, their stability should be evaluated. This paper presents research on the stability of a 50% ethanolic extract of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) from the Republic of Moldova. The extract was subjected to various thermal regimes, i.e. -2 °C for 12 hours; 4 °C for 12 hours; 40 °C for 15 minutes, 60 °C for 15 minutes, 80 °C for 15 minutes and 100 °C for 2 minutes, after which the antioxidant activity and the colour parameters (CIELab) were evaluated. Three sets of extracts were also stored for 2 weeks at -2 °C; 4 °C; and 25-30 °C and afterwards the parameters mentioned above were measured once again. Furthermore, total content of polyphenols was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The antioxidant activity was stable at temperatures under 0 °C and temperatures as high as 100°C, as well as during storage at -2 °C, 4 °C and 25-30 °C. High temperatures however decreased the value of luminosity, and increased the redness, the yellowness and the chroma value which reached a maximum value of 55.66 after the extract was subjected to 100 °C for 2 minutes. Storage at room temperature significantly affected the luminosity of the extract by increasing its value from 42.36 to 50.22. For most treatments, the colour was stable and was not significantly modified. 

Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seeds have gained interest as a valuable by-product of the date fruit industry and have been identified as a rich source of functional and bioactive ingredients. In this study, date seeds from five varieties (Medjool, Deglet Nour, Barhee, Bou Sthammi and Dayrie) cultivated in Australia were analysed for their total phenolic and flavonoid contents, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and in-vitro inhibition against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The date seed powders (DSP) were extracted with acetone-methanol-water (2:2:1, v:v:v) to obtain free polyphenols. The bound polyphenols were extracted from the residual solids with butanolHCl (97.5:2.5; v/v) treatment at 100 °C. The greatest quantities of total phenols (4166±227 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents 100g−1 DSP), total flavonoids (52.1±9.6 mg Quercetin Equivalents 100g−1 DSP), FRAP (1589±47 µmol Iron (II) Equivalents g−1 DSP) and TEAC (45.2±1.4 µmol Trolox Equivalents g −1 DSP) were detected in seeds from Deglet Nour variety. Both free and bound polyphenol fractions showed significant (p<0.05) inhibition against rat intestinal α-glucosidase with little or no inhibition against pancreatic α-amylase. Bound polyphenols showed stronger α-glucosidase inhibition compared with free polyphenols. The IC50 for α-glucosidase were reported as mg GAE mL−1 ranged from 0.39±0.02 (Deglet Nour ) to 0.68±0.02 (Medjool) for bound polyphenols, and from 0.907±0.08 (Medjool) to 1.75±0.15 (Barhee-khalal) for free polyphenols. Bound polyphenol fraction, with strong α-glucosidase inhibition and weak α-amylase inhibition, was suggested as a significant source of functional food ingredients with anti-hyperglycaemic properties.

The aim of this study was to optimize the extraction of antioxidant compounds from Schinus areira leaves using ultrasound assisted extraction and response surface methodology. The effect of sonication time and plant material:solvent ratio were used to optimize the recovery. Results showed that a high recovery of antioxidant compounds from leaves of three different S. areira specimens was achieved under optimized conditions. The leaf extracts obtained displayed a DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity analogous to the well-known antioxidant trolox (EC50 = 23-46 vs 36.1 µg/mL, respectively). In addition, these extracts showed a good potency to eliminate superoxide and nitric oxide-radicals as well as a moderate antimicrobial activity against gram positive Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis and yeast. HPLC chromatography analysis of the three S. areira leaf extracts showed different high contents of kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, quercetin-3-O-galactoside and 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid. The results showed that the S. areira leaf extracts contained a high amount of antioxidant phenolic compounds, which might be a valuable source to be used as additives in plant-based foods.

Changes in consumer attitudes, behaviours and purchasing preferences towards different types of food highlight the increased demand for better quality information on safety, quality and provenance of food products and on sustainability of food production processes. These changes offer both new opportunities and risks for food producers who require mechanisms to better understand and respond to changing consumers’ decision-making trends on food. In the area of food safety, investigation of consumer and producer responses during recall incidents provide an opportunity to holistically understand existing information flows and elicit user requirements necessary for the development of more effective consumer food safety applications. This paper reports on a case study conducted with an Australian premium manufacturing company that experienced a food recall in 2014. The investigation confirms that current Australian food recall response mechanisms do not guarantee a closed loop of communication with all purchasers of a recalled product. It also highlights that producers still face difficulties in understanding how best to effectively understand and respond to different types of consumers. It emerges that recovery from a food incident relies on many factors including pre-existing brand reputation, effective information management, control mechanisms and supply chain partner response. From a consumer perspective, it is evident that consumers’ responses are influenced by various factors that require sensitivity around the choice of information modality and information platform adopted to enhance communications during food recall. The paper highlights the need for further research into understanding consumer food safety behaviours post-purchase to improve the development of consumer food safety applications.

Fermented cassava products like fufu and usi are important staple foods in many African homes. Natural fermentation time is usually long resulting in slower acidification and inconsistent nutritional composition of products which could be overcome with the use of starter culture. However, most available starters are used for single food fermentation and are uneconomical. This necessitates the development of a starter culture for multiple related food products to reduce cost. Hence, this study aimed at screening for potential starters in the development of a common starter culture for fufu and usi. Fresh, peeled, chipped and grated cassava tubers were spontaneously fermented and lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the fermenting mash at 24 hour intervals. Ninety eight (98) isolates were randomly picked. Lactobacillus plantarum had highest occurrence (50.0%) in both fermentations. All selected isolates did not hydrolyze starch, but produced linamarase and pectinase. Fermenting pH ranged between 6.50 and 3.58 during 72 hours fermentation. Lactic acid concentration ranged from
1.10 g/L to 1.78 g/L at 24 hours, 1.22 g/L to 2.45 g/L at 48 hours and 0.57 g/L to 2.55 g/l at 72 hours. The highest hydrogen peroxide concentration produced was 629 µg/L at 24 hours while the least was 136 µg/L at 72 hours. 1.08 g/L of diacetyl was the least concentration produced at 24 hours while the highest was 2.86 g/L at 48 hours. Five potential starters were identified as Lactobacillus pentosus F2A, L. plantarum subsp. argentolarensis F2B, L. plantarum F2C, L. plantarum U2A and L. paraplantarum U2C.

In this study, sorghum Feterita malt extract was used to prepare carbonated beverages flavored with traditional Hulu-mur spices extract. The beverages produced were assessed for their physicochemical,sensory, and nutritional qualities. Malting (3–5 days) of the Feterita grains showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences in proximate composition from that of unmalted grains. Protein and sugars increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) with increased the malting time (days), while there was a significant (P ≤ 0.05) reduction in oil and starch content during malting progress. The kilning temperature of 150 °C for 20 minutes was found to produce the most acceptable Hulu-mur carbonated beverage analogue in terms of flavor and taste. Significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were observed in physicochemical and nutritional qualities between the Hulu-mur analogue carbonated beverage and commercial non-alcoholic beverage. The Hulu-mur carbonated beverage analogue was rich in Na, K, Ca, and Fe (26.45, 21.84, 24.00, and 0.57 mg /100 g, respectively) compared to levels of the same minerals in the non-alcoholic beverage (22.31, 8.19, 22.00 and 0.15 mg/100 g, respectively). The Hulu-mur analogue also had a higher calorific value (35.85 kcal /100 mL) compared to the non-alcoholic beverage (32.96 kcal/100 mL).

Despite globalization there still are food patterns which are clearly differentiated from one region to another in Europe and elsewhere. In this study the Atlantic Diet is considered as the traditional diet in Portugal and Galicia, a region in northwest Spain. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Atlantic Diet food pattern in order to fully exploit the potential of this Atlantic gastronomical heritage. The background of the Atlantic Diet concept, the characterization of Atlantic Diet foods and a compilation of scientific findings related to the consumption of these foods are covered. A brief description of the Mediterranean Diet, the primitive pattern and the updated Mediterranean pyramid are also included in order to aid understanding of the globalization of this previously local health food pattern.
Final remarks and suggestions for further studies are made. 

Elephant foot yams make a significant contribution to diets in tribal people of India. However, there is insufficient study of their nutritional and antioxidant value. In this paper the various traits of eleven cultivars of elephant foot yam: BCA-1, BCA-2, BCA-4, BCA-5, BCA-6, NDA-4, NDA-5, NDA-9, IGAM-1, AC-28 and Gajendra were studied and observed during the growth and development stage. The cultivar of BCA-6 contained the maximum amount of starch and total phenol at 100 Days After Planting (DAP) while cv., NDA-9 and NDA-5 showed the maximum content of starch and total phenol at 250 DAP respectively. However, the cultivar BCA-1 stored the maximum amount of carbohydrate at 100 DAP whereas ascorbic acid and β-carotene content was highest at 250 DAP. The protein amount was maximum in cv., BCA-2 and AC-28 at 100 and 250 DAP respectively. This information will provide breeders with the ability to develop desirable types of elephant foot yams having high yields and better nutritional profiles.

Food technology innovation has the potential to deliver many benefits to society, although some technologies have been problematic in terms of public acceptance. In promoting the commercial success of innovative technological processes and resultant products it will be important to incorporate information relating to consumer preferences and concerns during their development. The barriers to the utilisation of consumer information during technological development was explored using a two round Delphi study involving 75 experts with an interest in new food technology (food technologists and consumer scientists). There was overall agreement that consumer information should be used in technology implementation and product design, and that good communication between key actors at pivotal stages during the development of new food technologies and products was important. However disciplinary differences were perceived to be a barrier to communication, as were difficulties associated with producing consumer information usable by food technologists. A strategy to improve inter-disciplinary communication is proposed, involving the creation of multi-disciplinary teams working together throughout the development project’s duration, including those with interdisciplinary experience. Deficiencies in the specification of the information required from consumer scientists need to be overcome. Consumer science results need to be concrete and presented as salient to and usable by food technologists.

Some of the products generated by the Maillard reaction are desired and very important for defining consumer acceptance of breakfast cereals. However, in recent years there has been an increased concern about compounds that are potentially harmful such as furfurals. The aim of this work was to analyze the effectiveness of protein hydrolysis with pronase as a pretreament for the evaluation of furfurals generated by the Maillard reaction during toasting of cornflakes and the parallel development of brown and fluorescent compounds. Furfurals were more accurately quantified with the pronase hydrolysis pretreatment because the protein matrix binds furfurals and fluorescent compounds. For control of the early reaction steps in the toasting process, the most sensitive parameter was fluorescence.