Regarding neonates and infants, the videofluoroscopy swallowing study is always conducted with liquids impregnated with a radiopaque material in varied proportions and thickenings. Variations in thickening and barium concentration are known to change the swallowing function. The present study aimed to analyze the rheological and macroscopic properties of barium contrast and liquids commonly used in Brazil with infants under six months old. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee under certificate number 63361616.2.0000.5482. Rheological measurements were performed on samples of breast milk and infant formulas, pure, with thickener, impregnated with liquid barium sulfate, as well as a pure barium sulfate sample. The data collected showed similar viscosity rates between breast milk and the infant formulas Aptamil and Enfamil. Impregnating them with 20% and 33% liquid barium sulfate increased their viscosity. However, they remained in the same classification, despite the quantitative differences in their apparent viscosity. The regular products, in formulation with thickener and thickener plus 20% barium, showed an increase in apparent viscosity close or twice to that of Enfamil A.R. impregnated with 33% barium sulfate. The study allowed a more in-depth understanding of how the products behave at strain rates consistent with the conditions when swallowing. The results indicated in this study confirm the need for knowledge and care in preparing liquids to be offered in videofluoroscopy swallowing studies with neonates and infants. They also emphasize the importance of objectively measuring the viscosities of videofluoroscopic fluids, matching them with the liquids to be prescribed in their diets.

Our study focuses on describing the zootechnical characteristics of dairy cattle farms and conducting serological research on brucellosis in ruminants. To this end, a survey was conducted in 119 dairy farms, collecting 363 serum samples from March to December 2022. The study was carried out in the Doukkala region, within the province of El Jadida and Sidi Bennour, Morocco. The results indicate that 90.8 % of operators are owners with 37.8 % having no formal education. The cattle population consists of 67.8 % crossbreed and 31.4 % imported breed. A significant proportion of cows are purchased from the souk (57.5 %). The proportion of cows with a history of abortion is higher (p=0.01) in crossbreed cattle than in the imported breed. Notably, only 10.2 % of farmers are aware of bovine brucellosis. The detection of brucellosis was carried out using the Rose of Bengal test on serum samples collected from the blood. The study revealed a low rate of brucellosis cases (0.8 %) in a sample of 363 cows. This is attributed to the previous enforcement of health and hygiene measures by dairy farms. However, the lack of education and awareness about this disease and the importance of hygiene in dairy production could pose risks to production and consumer safety.

Labaneh (strained yogurt) is a traditional dairy product. It is usually produced without chemical preservatives as Jordanian standards for this product prevent their addition. Its shelf life is limited to two weeks. This research aims to develop the shelf life of labaneh using eco-friendly methods, via the addition of protective probiotic cultures. Protective probiotic cultures were prepared by activating DVI freeze-dried Propionibacterium freuendereichii, subsp. shermanii and Lactobacillus paracasei in sterilized skim milk. Fifty kg of fresh milk was divided into two portions, the first containing the traditional yogurt starter culture (2%) and the second processed by adding both the starter (2%) and protective probiotic cultures (1%). After fermentation, two types of yogurts were produced, and refrigerated for several hours. They were then salted, strained separately to about 25% total solids in a special cloth to produce labaneh paste. The paste was then distributed into two groups of sterilized jars (21 for each) and placed in refrigerated storage. Both types of labaneh (traditional and developed) were evaluated at different time intervals of refrigerated storage (0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21, 30 days) for their counts of coliform bacteria, yeast and mould, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and for their pH, ash, acidity, moisture, protein, fat and titratable acidity. The probiotic count was also evaluated for the developed labaneh. The shelf life of the developed labaneh was determined based on the acidity, yeast and mould counts and organoleptic characteristics. No obvious and significant undesirable changes were seen at 30 days of refrigeration or went beyond the Jordanian standard for the developed labaneh, compared to the traditional one which started to spoil after 14 days. No coliform bacteria were found after 30 days of refrigerated storage in the traditional and developed labanehs. The counts of yeast and mould were generally higher in the traditional labaneh than in the developed one, while the number of LAB was lower in the traditional labaneh than in the developed one. The pH and moisture of the developed labaneh were generally lower than that of the traditional labaneh, but the titratable acidity, ash, protein and fat were higher in the developed one. Regarding the sensory properties, most of the panelists organoleptically preferred the developed one during the storage period. Therefore, it is concluded that the protective probiotic cultures were effective in extending the shelf life of labaneh.

Non-alcoholic beverages often contain various constituents and additives, influencing both their nutritional profiles and functional attributes. Given the ubiquity of these beverages and their potential health implications, rigorous quality checks are indispensable to ascertain compliance with health and safety standards. This research aimed to quantify caffeine and phosphoric acid levels in a diverse array of soft drinks from Kosovo’s market. To achieve this, 41 distinct non-alcoholic beverage samples from the local market were scrutinized. Caffeine concentrations were determined via UV-Vis spectrophotometry, while potentiometric titration was employed to assess phosphoric acid levels. As expected, energy drinks in Kosovo contained markedly higher caffeine concentrations compared to carbonated soft drinks and ice-tea variants. On the other hand, based on the results, analysed energy drinks showed somewhat greater caffeine contents than those reported in packaging of the beverage samples. Our study showed that a significant portion of the samples (21.95% for caffeine and 9.76% for phosphoric acid) did not conform to the standards set by EU 1169/2011 regulation or the EU 1333/2008 regulation. These findings underscore the urgency for relevant food safety authorities to implement rigorous oversight and enact appropriate protective measures. It is also imperative for the Kosovo National Food Safety Authority to craft specific regulations stipulating permissible additive concentrations, especially for caffeine and phosphoric acid, in non-alcoholic beverages.

The sun-dried method is popular for producing dried Sergestid shrimp in Vietnam, but maintaining consistent product quality across seasons is challenging due to its dependence on weather conditions. A previous study used convection drying at a laboratory scale. In this study, the laboratory scale was upgraded to a commercial scale, and recovery efficiency and Sergestid shrimp images were recorded during production stages. Parameters were adjusted for economic efficiency and convenience. Results showed a decrease in recovery efficiency on the laboratory scale, while the commercial scale improved with washing and blanching. Overall, there was no significant difference in recovery efficiency between the commercial production (15.76 %) and laboratory scale (16.29 %). The commercial-scale dried Sergestid shrimp exhibited better colour than the laboratory-scale product. The product met food safety and quality criteria according to Vietnamese standards. Microorganisms such as Coliforms, E. coli, B. cereus, C. perfringens and salmonella, and total number of yeast and mold spores, were not detected in the product. On the other hand, the product of commercial production contained 256 kcal 100 g−1 of energy and a protein content of 55.50 ± 0.33 %. These findings form a foundation for scaling up production and assessing economic feasibility. Adjusting production parameters using larger equipment contributes to achieving optimal production efficiency and economic benefits.

The global food industry is a useful domain for examining ethical challenges and exploring paradoxes. The authors make the case for the use of art, design, and aesthetic experiences to provoke students to see the world differently and take action. Issues of consumer consciousness, cultural identity, environment, politics, and the growing separation from the developed and less developed countries are considered with suggested activities to bring these to life. The paper offers suggestions for future research, teaching ideas, and a set of food industry resources for the classroom. 

In this paper, resilience is defined as the ability of food production entities to respond to, withstand and learn from short-term shocks and long-term stresses. Little ist known about the resilience in the food production sector. There also is a lack of information on which resilience measures companies see the greatest need for investment. Therefore, the focus of the explorative survey was to gain insight into current challenges and influences on the resilience of primary food producers and food processors, to identify topics for resilience management and related gaps. Representatives from 84 companies in food production in Germany responded on topics of resilience, including factors that influence product safety and availability of machinery, status of preparation for disruptive events and possible measures to improve resilience. The responses collected were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that most companies believe that they are not well prepared for disruptive events and that they require measures to improve their resilience. Most indicated that organizational factors such as the company’s production capacity or the availability of raw materials, among others, have a particular influence. Every second primary food producer plans to adapt or optimize machinery and equipment as a resilience improvement measure. While slightly more than half of the respondents from the food processing sector implement measures for information procurement and training, or intend to implement such measures in the future. This area is seen as the most important aspect for improving resilience by respondents from primary food production. Overall, it also became clear that there is a need for tools to assess and evaluate resilience.

One of the processed products from Javanese grasshopper (Valanga nigricornis Burm.) flour that is being developed is snack bars. This product was designed to introduce processed Javanese grasshopper flour (JGF) products with high protein content to consumers. However, the shelf life of the grasshopper snack bar and the best type of packaging to store the product are not yet known. This research aimed to determine the shelf life of Javanese grasshopper snack bars packaged in three different types of packaging and to identify the most effective packaging for these products. The three types of packaging chosen were plastic packaging in the form of a standing pouch (SP), aluminium foil packaging without folds (alufo), and aluminium foil packaging with folds (alumina). This research used the accelerated shelf life testing (ASLT) method with the Arrhenius approach. The parameters measured were moisture, fat, and water activity (aw) content during eight measurement periods with three different storage temperatures (20^oC, 30^oC, 45^oC). There were differences in estimated shelf life based on parameters for each type
of packaging. The shelf life of Javanese grasshopper snack bar products based on packaging type and estimation parameters varied from 0.68 months to 14.81 months. The best parameter to estimate shelf life was the fat content in the alufo packaging, which had the highest R² value from the order 1 equation in the Arrhenius method with a value of R² 0.999. The shelf life of the Javanese grasshopper snack bar product estimated by measuring the fat content parameters on the alufo packaging was 14.81 months if stored at a temperature of around 30^oC.

The European Association for Integrating Food Science and Engineering Knowledge Into the Food Chain (Iseki-Food) conference is a biannual event that presents an opportunity for a discussion in education, research and engagement in the food science and technology area. The organising committe aims to provide an environment to exchange ideas and experiences, establish bussiness and research relations and create collaborations. On behalf of the Editorial Team we are announcing an special issue of the International Journal of Food Studies (IJFS) that will receive relevant applications from the conference. We are cordially inviting applications to become Editor and manuscript submissions for this Issue. Applications to become a Special Issue Editor are open for Iseki-FOOD associates. Please email your interest and details to the editor.in.chief@iseki-food.net by the 5th of July 2023.

The purpose of this research was to investigate avoidable food waste among households of students studying in higher education in Sein¨ajoki. The focus was to quantify the avoidable food waste in different-sized households. The focus was also to specify food categories wasted, and the main reasons for avoidable food waste accumulated. The participating households weighed all their food waste during the one-week monitoring period recording the data on an Excel spreadsheet. The university students taking part in the study were introduced to the work by video instruction. In total 421 households with 918 persons took part in this study. It was found that the average amount of avoidable food waste was equal to 25.2 kg/person/year. In single person households, the amount was 36.6 kg/year. The amount for households with five or more persons was 80.0 kg/household i.e. 14.1 kg/person. This research showed that 25 % of the households caused 56 % of the avoidable food waste, which means that main efforts should be targeted to this ’heavy wasting’ group. One way of improving the good practices would be to share good habits related to lowering food waste among university students through peer learning. This study is aimed to awaken the ’heavy wasting’ university student to change their attitude and behaviour.