Marination is one of the methods that are often used in beef processing in an attempt to obtain high quality of beef. Cashew apple extract marinade (CAM) improves the microbiological characteristics of meat by inhibiting the growth of meat bacteria. The effect of CAM on other aspects such as physical (microbiological, tenderness, cooking loss, water holding capacity and pH) and chemical (moisture, fat and protein content) characteristics of meat have not been evaluated, which would be beneficial for the utilisation of agroindustry waste in the meat industry. In this study, the effect of CAM on the physical and chemical characteristics of beef, including microbiological characteristics, tenderness, cooking loss and water holding capacity, was evaluated. CAM (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) was used during beef processing for 4 h at refrigeration temperature. Significant effects of CAM were observed on the physical and chemical characteristics of beef. CAM increased beef tenderness and reduced total bacteria, cooking loss, moisture, fat, and protein content. The optimum concentration of CAM for which significant changes were observed in the physical and chemical characteristics of beef was 20%. Thus, cashew apple can be utilised as a promising marinade agent in beef processing with the criteria of food for specific health use. This approach will help reduce cashew apple waste and is an eco-friendly approach.

Maritime pine bark (Pinus pinaster Aiton subsp. atlantica) is rich in polyphenols with known bioactive properties which are beneficial for human health. However, biological activities of bark extracts depend on the type of polyphenols extracted and the characteristics of these extractives depend on several factors such as the type of solvents used. The influence of the extraction solvent on the composition and consequently on the properties of the extracts has been poorly described. Thus, in this study the influence of the extraction solvent (water, ethanol and ethanol-water (50/50 v/v%)) on the antibacterial and anticancer properties of P. pinaster bark samples were evaluated. LC-DAD-MS profiling of the different extracts was also carried out to study their polyphenol composition. Results show that extraction solvent must be carefully chosen with respect to foreseeing use of bark extracts, since ethanolic and hydroethanolic extracts displayed the greatest antibacterial activity whereas water extracts showed increased anticancer properties.

Hot Smoked Spiced Catfish (HSSC) samples prepared under optimal conditions (garlic, 7.29 g/100 ml; ginger, 7.50 g/100 ml; turmeric, 2.5 g/100 ml; soaking temperature, 38.68 °C and soaking time, 7.51 min) were stored at ambient temperature (30±2 °C) for a period of 20 days to evaluate storage stability; un-spiced hot smoked catfish served as control. Moisture Content (MC), Thiobarbutric Acid (TBA), Peroxide Value (PV), Free Fatty Acid (FFA), Total Viable Counts (TVC) and Mould Counts (MoC) were monitored at two-day intervals as a measure of the storage stability indices. Sensory attributes of the Optimized Hot Smoked Spiced Catfish (OHSSC), control (unspiced) and commercial hot-smoked catfish were determined using a preference test. The storage stability indices values for HSSC were in the range of 6.64 - 7.01% (MC), 4.50 - 13.77 mg MDA/kg (TBA), 0.20 - 2.84 mEq/kg (PV), 0.72 - 9.64% (FFA), 9.50 - 57.00 cfu/g (TVC), 8.00 - 34.50 cfu/g (MoC). The control sample values were in the range of 6.97 - 7.30% (MC), 5.51 - 14.92 mg MDA/kg (TBA), 0.23 to 2.86 mEq/kg (PV), 2.24 - 11.88% (FFA), 13.50 - 113.00 cfu/g (TVC), and 10.00 - 49.00 cfu/g(MoC). The sensory evaluation indicated that OHSSC was most preferred in all the evaluated sensory parameters. This study established the synergistic effects of garlic and turmeric on the keeping quality and sensory attributes of hot-smoked catfish with the prospect of reducing post harvest losses.

There are many opportunities in the global food market for innovations, through the valorization of artisanal technologies based on the local raw material. In this context we were interested in the development of cookies based on a local variety of sorghum from northern Cameroon, the so-called S35 sorghum variety and a local cowpea from northern Cameroon the so called "sekem variety". During the production of flours for cookies, the extraction yields were as follows: 46.67% for sorghum flour and 55.60% for cowpea flour. It was found that it was technically possible to produce these types of cookies. Several production trials were done and submitted to a panel for sensory analysis. The results showed that amongst different produced cookies, the one with 45% sorghum, 40% wheat, and 15% cowpea was the most appreciated by the members of the test panel. 70% of panelists considered them as "very good" against 30% who considered them as "good". 60% of test panelists indicate that cookies with 50% sorghum, 40% wheat and 10% cowpea were "good", against 40% who thought they were "not too bad". Meanwhile 50% of the test panelists considered that the cookies made of 55% sorghum, 40% wheat and 5% cowpea were "good" against 50% who indicate this as "bad" and "not too bad". Proximate analysis of the cookies of trial 3 showed that it contained about 12.50% proteins, 84.10% carbohydrates, 27.34% lipids and 1.50% fiber.

Three types of mills (Buhler, Quadrumat, and industry mill) have been used to determine the effect of mill type on the quality of the produced flour. Quadrumat and Buhler mills are usually used to produce flour at a laboratory level. Flour quality has been determined physically, chemically, and rheologically. Results showed that the particle size of flour produced by Buhler mill (FPB) was finer (mostly less than 132 μm) than other produced flour, while flour produced by Quadrumat mill (FPQ) had 8% particle size bigger than 50gg, which is more than Iraqi accepted limit (5%). The moisture content of FPQ exceeded the moisture content limit (14%). While, all flour produced by industry mills (FPI) was within the Iraqi standard in term of particle sizes and moisture content. Gluten content of FPB was higher than other produced flours; however, most increments were not significantly different. The results also showed that using different mills has no clear effect on the gluten index and alpha-amylase activity. Farinogram and extensogram results showed that FPQ was stronger than other produced flour followed by FPI. In conclusion, the quality of FPQ was closer to the quality of FPI, however, Quadrumat mill needs to be adjusted to produce flour with finer particle sizes and lower moisture content. The Buhler mill, on the other hand, needs to be adjusted to produce flour with bigger particle size. Both laboratory mills (Quadrumat and Buhler) need to be adjusted to produce flour that expresses FPI correctly.

Increasing consumption of instant noodles with high sodium content could elevate the risk of cardiovascular disease. Making instant noodle seasoning in the form of an oil-in-water emulsion was expected to improve the perception of salty taste without increasing the use of salt. However, the oil concentration in the emulsion affects the perception. The addition of antioxidant and retort processing was needed to overcome the nature of the emulsion that was quite susceptible to oxidation and microbial contamination. Preliminary research determined the optimum concentration of oil and antioxidant based on physical characteristics, the perception/gustation of saltiness, and emulsion oxidative stability and the results were used for further research. The final part of the research determined the effects of retort processing on emulsion stability, the perception of saltiness, and the degree of microbial contamination. Three different oil concentrations (26, 27, and 28%) and three types of antioxidants (natural vitamin E, ascorbyl palmitate and mixed tocopherol) were applied to the instant noodle seasoning oil-in-water emulsions. The results showed that using 28% oil and mixed tocopherol had the most stability, was more viscous, and had optimum salty taste perception, which significantly extended the shelf-life of the emulsion compared with the others. Retort processing for 21.5 minutes in 123.5 °C was applied to the seasoning emulsion with 28% oil content and mixed tocopherol. Although, the microbial contamination was significantly reduced, neither the stability of emulsion nor the perception of salty taste was significantly changed by the process.

Consumption pattern among indigenous groups is usually influenced by consumers' sociocultural and perceptual factors. This study employs the binary logit model to analyse the factors that influence the consumption of sunflower oil in Kumasi, Ghana. A cross-sectional approach was used to obtain data from 200 consumers who were selected using a multi-stage sampling method. The results showed that a majority (93%) of the respondents were aware of the availability of sunflower oil on the local market and a third (69.5%) had used it for cooking before. The respondents agreed with the perception statements that sunflower oil is healthy, expensive, reduces the risk of heart diseases and cancer and has better frying performance. The empirical results of the logit regression model showed that consumption of sunflower oil is influenced by household size, awareness of the product and perceptions on health benefits, price and frying performance of sun ower oil. The price of the oil was identified as the most important constraint to its use albeit it had no negative effect on its consumption. Investments in the production and promotional strategies on the use of sunflower oil should consider the significant variables that have influence on its consumption.

Indonesian consumers are fond of commercially sterilized milk as indicated by increasing product sales. High demand for products intensifies the need to increase productivity, generally achieved by minimizing product defects. This study aimed to reduce the number of defects in commercially sterilized milk produced using overpressure rotary retorts. Based on Pareto analysis, the percentage of defective products was 5.14% of which 2.37% were dented bottles. A cause-effect diagram (Ishikawa Diagram) was used to find the root cause of dented bottles. The pressure difference between the retort chamber (external pressure) and inside the product packaging (internal pressure), and the number of bottles stacked inside the retort basket (bottle density) were found as major factors for causing dented bottles. The internal pressure was 1.20 bar higher than the external pressure. By reducing the pressure difference to 0.40 bar, the percentage of dented bottles could be reduced to 0.79%. Applying the low-est bottle density (73% of the retort basket area occupied by bottles) during the sterilization process could decrease the number of dented bottles, however, it also increased the appearance of striped lids. The best conditions for sterilization (pressure difference = 0.40 bar; number of bottles/basket = 1938 bottles) which were used in the three-month full-scale production trial reduced the percentage of defective products from 5.14% to 2.24% of which 0.76% were dented bottles. Setting the retort pressure at 2.80 bar could avoid 52,920 defective bottles of commercially sterilized products per month.

Worldwide, there is a current need for new sources of vegetable oils. The natural content of total carotenoids in Acrocomia aculeata palm oil (up to 378 µg.g-1) surpasses that of many other tropical fruits, making it one of its main compositional characteristics. As far as can be verified, there is no available information on the degradation kinetics of carotenoids for A. aculeata oil, which is required to describe reaction rates and to predict changes that can occur during food processing. The present study considered prediction abilities that have emerged with the use of specific kinetic data and procedures to understand thermal processing better, as an essential unity operation. Two kinetic mechanisms were proposed to describe the overall thermal degradation of carotenoids in the oil; the first one consists of three reaction steps while the other presents only one-step reaction. Mass balance equations were numerically solved by a Backward Differentiation Formula technique. The kinetic parameters from both models were estimated through a hybrid optimisation method using the Particle Swarm Optimization and the Gauss-Newton method, followed by statistical analyses. The model with more than one reaction was shown to be overparameterized and was discarded. The model with a single reaction was highly suited to handle the experimental data available, and the dependency of its rate constant on temperature was expressed according to Arrhenius law. As far we know, this is the first time the kinetics of carotenoids thermal degradation in A. aculeata oil is investigated through modelling simulation.

A second nutrition transition seems to be emerging towards more plant-based diets, curbing meat consumption in developed countries at the beginning of the 21st century. This shift suggests that rational arguments tend to influence an increasing number of individuals to adopt vegetarian diets. This work aimed to understand and simulate the impact of different types of messages on the choice to change food diets at the individual level, and the impact of the diffusion of opinions at the collective level. It provided two results: (1) a network of arguments around vegetarian diets is modelled using an abstract argumentation approach. Each argument, formalized by a node, was connected with other arguments by arrows, thus formalizing relationships between arguments. This methodology made it possible to formalize an argument network about vegetarian diets and to identify the importance of health arguments compared to ethical or other types of arguments. This methodology also identified key arguments as a result of their high centrality in being challenged or challenging other arguments. The results of constructing this argument network suggested that any controversy surrounding vegetarian diets will be polarized around such high centrality arguments about health. Even though few ethical arguments appeared in our network, the health arguments concerning the necessity or not of animal products for humans were indirectly connected with ethical choices towards vegetarian diets; (2) an agent-based simulation of the social diffusion of opinions and practices concerning meat consumption is then introduced. The purpose of this simulation was to capture the balance of vegetarian vs. meat-based diets. It contributes to modelling consumer choices by exploring the balance between individual values and external influences such as social pressure, communication campaigns and sanitary, environmental or ethical crises.