Search Results (41)

Wine and food tourism has increasingly embraced the principles of the circular economy and sustainability. During the bottle-fermented production of sparkling wine, yeast encapsulated in calcium alginate beads gradually loses viability. After the secondary alcoholic fermentation, these beads are usually discarded. This pilot-scale study investigates how the wasted beads can be valorised by incorporating them into vegan vinaigrettes. The vegan vinaigrettes were developed on a laboratory scale with distinct flavour profiles, all containing 3.5% (w/w) calcium alginate beads: mint (V-Air), seaweed (V-Water), spicy (V-Fire) and mushroom (V-Earth). Forty untrained panellists assessed the samples on a nine-point hedonic scale and with Just-About-Right (JAR) scale. Viscosity and colour were also measured in the final samples. Vf-Fire and Vf-Earth vinaigrettes stood out in terms of overall appreciation, particularly colour and consistency, with Vf-Earth receiving the highest average score (7.10 ± 1.58). The presence of alginate beads was well appreciated, with an average score of 6.26 ± 2.14. Across all formulations, the average pH decreased from 3.75 ± 0.01 to 3.37 ± 0.01. This pH reduction benefits food safety. These vegan vinaigrettes offer a sustainable and innovative alternative for reusing sparkling winemaking waste as a by-product, with strong potential for gastronomic appeal among wine or food tourists. Full article

Since its introduction into the USA, the spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, (White) (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) has spread across the landscape relatively unchecked. With a wide host range, it is considered a serious pest of native forest species, as well as agricultural crops. Circle traps placed on Ailanthus altissima (Miller) Swingle (Sapindales: Simaroubaceae) are passive traps collecting SLF as they walk up and down the tree trunk. These traps are successful at detecting new populations of SLF, but this can be challenging to implement at a large scale due to costs and host availability. To improve and facilitate SLF trapping practices, we investigated three key trapping components: improved collection containers, placement on alternative hosts, and lure (methyl salicylate) impact. In initial trials comparing collection jars to removable plastic bags, the adult SLF catch was four times higher using the bag design. In a multi-state survey at varying population densities, the bag traps were comparable to the jar traps but were significantly more effective than BugBarrier^® tree bands, especially during the adult stage. Catch and detection in circle traps placed on alternative hosts, Acer spp. L. (Sapindales: Sapindalaceae) and Juglans nigra L. (Fagales: Juglandaceae), were comparable to those placed on the preferred host A. altissima, especially in the earlier life stages. Additionally, detection rates of methyl salicylate-baited traps on all three hosts were comparable to those on non-baited traps. These results suggest that circle traps fitted with bags provide higher trap catch and an improvement in sample quality. In addition, circle traps were equally effective when placed on maple and black walnut, while methyl salicylate lures do not enhance trap catch or detection. Full article

A copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydoxyhexanoate (3HHx), PHBHHx, is a practical biodegradable plastic, and at present, the copolymer is produced at commercial scale via heterotrophic cultivation of an engineered strain of a facultative hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium, Cupriavidus necator, using vegetable oil as the carbon source. In our previous report, we investigated PHBHHx production from CO₂ via pH-stat jar cultivation of the newly created recombinants of C. necator under autotropic conditions, feeding the inorganic substrate gas mixture (H₂/O₂/CO₂ = 80:10:10 v/v%) into a recycled-gas closed-circuit (RGCC) culture system. The dry cell weight (DCW) and PHBHHx concentration with the best strain MF01/pBPP-ccr_MeJ_Ac-emd increased to 59.62 ± 3.18 g·L⁻¹ and 49.31 ± 3.14 g·L⁻¹, respectively, after 216 h. In this study, we investigated the high-concentration production of PHBHHx with a shorter cultivation time by using a jar fermenter equipped with a basket-shaped agitator to enhance oxygen transfer in the culture medium and by continuously supplying the gases with higher O₂ concentrations to maintain the gas composition within the reservoir at a constant ratio. The concentrations of ammonium and phosphate in the culture medium were maintained at low levels. As a result, the DCW and PHBHHx concentrations increased to 109.5 ± 0.30 g·L⁻¹ and 85.2 ± 0.62 g·L⁻¹ after 148 h, respectively. The 3HHx composition was 10.1 ± 0.693 mol%, which is suitable for practical applications. Full article

The use of natural solutions has gained increasing attention as a sustainable alternative for water treatment. In this study, an Aloe vera-based coagulant was evaluated through jar test experiments and a laboratory-scale hydraulic system consisting of an alternative flocculator (such as a helically coiled tube) followed by sedimentation and filtration processes. The jar test experiments demonstrated high turbidity removal efficiency, achieving final turbidity values of 5 NTU or lower under all the tested conditions, in accordance with international environmental regulations and standards. Moreover, in some conditions, turbidity was completely eliminated, highlighting the remarkable coagulation performance of Aloe vera. In the hydraulic system, the results indicated a significant turbidity reduction, with turbidity removal efficiencies of up to 97%, coagulation/flocculation times under 2 min, and sedimentation times of 60 min. However, the combined coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation processes were not sufficient to reduce the final turbidity to below 5 NTU, demonstrating the need for an additional rapid filtration step. The inclusion of this process further enhanced the particle removal, resulting in final turbidity values below 1 NTU, well within the regulatory limits. These results highlight the potential of the tested natural coagulant for application in water treatment systems, establishing it as a sustainable and cost-effective solution for water clarification, with promising prospects for large-scale implementation. Full article

This study investigated consumer perceptions of raw cashew nuts from two different private labels (private label A, PLA, and private label B, PLB), employing a combination of explicit (sensory analysis) and implicit (consumer neuroscience) methods. The objective was to analyse both conscious and unconscious responses to understand consumer preferences. Participants (n = 80) evaluated the samples, with electroencephalography (EEG) and electrodermal activity (EDA) as implicit methods, and hedonic scales, JAR scales, and the EsSense25 questionnaire used for explicit evaluations. The results revealed a clear preference for PLB, supported by higher global hedonic scores and a significant majority (65%) choosing PLB over PLA. EEG metrics calculated for participants’ valence, frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) for flavour indicated greater activity in the left frontal lobe for PLB, associated with positive emotions. Task engagement (TE) measurements revealed higher engagement with PLB during flavour evaluation. Penalty analysis identified that PLA was mainly penalised for a “too weak” aroma and flavour. The EsSense25 analysis showed that cashew consumption evoked predominantly positive emotions such as “pleasant”, “satisfied”, and “calm”. In conclusion, the combination of implicit and explicit methods provided a comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences, highlighting the value of both approaches and the importance of sensory attributes in driving the overall liking of raw cashews. The findings have implications for product optimisation, market segmentation, and the development of marketing strategies in the cashew industry. Full article

Chlorobenzene is an industrial chemical with relatively high vapor pressure and has been used in the past to produce pesticide DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). In this study, chlorobenzene was demonstrated to be an effective fumigant against two stored product insects: the confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum) and rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae). In small-scale fumigations in 1.9 L glass jars, the complete control of adults of both the confused flour beetle and rice weevil was achieved in 24 h at a dose of 150 μL/L at 21 °C. LC₉₅ values of chlorobenzene vapor concentration for adults of the confused flour beetle and rice weevil were estimated to be 1121 and 1114 ppm, respectively. In large-scale fumigations in a 60 L chamber, all life stages of the confused flour beetle and rice weevil in 20 kg of corn were fumigated for 24 h with 30 mL (500 μL/L) chlorobenzene at 21 °C. The complete control of adults and immature stages of the confused flour beetle was achieved. For the rice weevil, adults had 100% mortality, and immature life stages had 97.8% mortality. These results demonstrated that chlorobenzene is effective as a fumigant against stored product insects, and it is technically feasible to conduct large-scale fumigations for postharvest pest control on stored products. Full article

South Africa produces high-quality maize, yet food insecurity and malnutrition are prevalent. Maize is a staple for most South Africans and is often eaten as pap, gruel cooked from maize meal (corn flour) and water without diet diversification. Considering the reliance on maize in low-income communities, could nixtamalised maize products be developed that are nutritious, homemade and consumer-acceptable? Nixtamalisation could offer a solution. However, its acceptability and nutritional benefits remain in question. We aimed to develop a product using consumer-led methods. Consumer panels evaluated and selected products using overall acceptability (9-point hedonic scale), Just-About-Right (JAR) and penalty analysis. Consumer-acceptable nixtamalised chutney-flavoured maize chips were moderately liked (7.35) and reached acceptable JAR scores (74.2%). The nixtamalised products were liked and liked very much (56%), 61% of panel members agreed and strongly agreed to purchase and prepare, and 50% to consume nixtamalised products. Nutrient analysis of the chutney chips showed high energy (2302 kJ/100 g) and total fats (23.72), of which saturated fats were 11.47%. Total fibre (17.19 g/100 g), protein (6.64 g/100 g), calcium (163.3) and magnesium (53.67 g/100 g) were promising, while high phosphorous (566.00 mg/100 g) may indicate anti-nutrients present. Nixtamalisation can alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition in countries such as South Africa. Full article

Water kefir is a product obtained through the fermentation of sucrose solution, usually with some kind of dried fruit addition, by a combined culture of micro-organisms which are contained within kefir grains. Its popularity is rising because of the simplicity of its preparation and its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, probiotic, and antibacterial effects. In this research, the water kefir production was studied in 250 mL jars, as well as in a horizontal rotating tubular bioreactor (HRTB). The first part of the research was conducted in smaller-scale (jars), wherein the optimal fruit and fruit portions were determined. These experiments included the addition of dried plums, apricots, raisins, dates, cranberries, papaya, and figs into 150 mL of initial sugar solution. Also, the optimal ratio between dried fruit and sucrose solution (0.2) at the beginning of the bioprocess was determined. The second part of this research was conducted using HRTB. The experiments in the HRTB were carried out by using different operational modes (constant or interval bioreactor rotation). A total of six different bioreactor setups were used, and in all experiments, figs were added at the beginning of the bioprocess (0.2 ratio between dried figs and sucrose solution). On the basis of the obtained results, the interval bioreactor rotation mode proved to be the better HRTB mode for the production of the water kefir, as the yield of the main fermentation products was higher, and their ratios were the most adequate for the quality of water kefir drink. The optimal results were obtained via HRTB setup 3/57 (3 min rotation, 57 min pause within 1 h) and rotation speed of 3 rpm. Furthermore, it is clear that HRTB has great potential for water kefir production due to the fact that HRTB experiments showed shorter fermentation times (at least five times) than water kefir production in jars. Full article

The aim of this study was to compare the yeast microbiota occurring during cabbage fermentation, along with selected parameters important for the quality of sauerkraut, depending on the vessel used. For this purpose, glass jars were used, in which anaerobic conditions are quickly created, and stoneware vessels, whose appearance and characteristics are similar to tanks used on an industrial scale. WL nutrient agar with chloramphenicol and 10% NaCl was used to enumerate yeast. Isolates were differentiated using RAPD-PCR and identified by sequencing of the 5.8S-ITS rRNA gene region and PCR-RFLP. Selected organic acids, sugars, and polyols were analyzed using UHPLC-UV-Vis and -RI. Sauerkraut obtained in stoneware vessels was characterized by the presence of a larger amount of yeast, including those considered spoilage, such as Rhodotorula and Wickerhamomyces. It also contained 50% less lactic acid and a few times more acetic acids than that obtained using glass jars. A pH around 3.8 and 1.5% lactic acid, which are parameters indicating the end of fermentation of sauerkraut, were obtained in glass jars on the tenth day of fermentation. The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus may be an indicator of the presence of oxygen during sauerkraut fermentation, while Clavispora lusitaniae may indicate anaerobic conditions. Full article

This essay discusses the more potent forces driving the West toward a future of war which is civil war centred upon the destruction of ‘global’ cities through exploitation of their intrinsic instability. The first part of this essay will establish the plausibility of its main premise, namely the inevitability of outright, active, and wide-scale civil war in North America and Western Europe. I shall demonstrate that there are well-understood indicators showing that our current societal arrangements are failing at an accelerating rate. The second part will briefly address the strengths and weaknesses of the extant future war literature, focusing mainly upon influential works of fiction rather than the quasi-rigorous outpourings of the ‘futurology’ discipline. In the third part, I will describe the shape or character of the wars to come which, in short form, I expect to exhibit the following: a distinctive rural versus urban dimension; jarring societal splits along the fracture lines of multiculturalism; a ‘hi-lo’ mix of weapons featuring extensive innovative reuse of civil tech for military purpose, particularly attacks on infrastructure; and a ‘shock of the old’ reversion-mutation to savage tactics, notably the use of famine and destruction of shelter as tools of coercion. This last section of the paper is partly based on approximately ten years of examining the darker corners of the internet listening to what incipient revolutionaries, neo-anarchists, and want-to-be militiamen think and talk about. Full article

This study investigated the sensory characteristics and overall acceptability of turmeric- and black-pepper-enriched ice creams. For this purpose, a control sample (C) and a series of flavoured ice creams were prepared as follows: samples with 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% of turmeric powder (T0, T1, and T2), and samples with a mixture of turmeric (0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0%), and 0.02% of black pepper (T0p, T1p, and T2p). Participants (n = 103) were asked to rate the acceptability of the ice creams using a nine-point hedonic scale, the liking of attributes by a five-point scale, the evaluation of attributes intensity by a just-about-right (JAR) scale, and attribute characterisation through a CATA test. They were also asked about their purchase and consumption intention of prepared ice cream samples. The addition of turmeric powder significantly (p < 0.05) affected the sensory properties of the ice cream, whereas no correlation was found between the addition of black pepper and consumers’ ratings of the evaluated samples. According to the results, besides the control sample, the ice cream with 0.5% of turmeric powder and 0.02% black pepper (T0p) had the most desired attributes and the highest score for overall liking (6.94). In conclusion, these valuable spices could be used in the production of ice cream with potential functional properties. Full article

This study aimed to determine whether and how three demographic factors—age group, gender, and consumption frequency—affect texture perception and liking of two staple foods—cooked rice and wheat bread. In total, 346 adults evaluated three cooked rice and four wheat bread samples in terms of three (hardness, stickiness, and chewiness) and four textural attributes (hardness, moistness, chewiness, and softness), respectively, on both 9-point intensity and 5-point Just-About-Right (JAR) scales. Liking of test samples was also rated on 9-point hedonic scales. Age group and gender differed in mean ratings, standard deviations, and JAR responses regarding textural attribute intensity and overall liking of test samples, while the effect of consumption frequency was minimal in this regard. Significant contributors of textural attributes to overall liking of cooked rice and wheat bread differed with age group, gender, and consumption frequency. Effects of age group, gender, and consumption frequency on texture perception and overall liking also varied with test samples. This study provides agricultural and food systems professionals with systematic evidence of how textural attribute perception and liking of foods can change based on demographics and test samples. Full article

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a large-scale Horizontal Tubular Flocculator (HTF) as an easy-to-implement technology for potable water provision compared to the efficiency of a traditional baffle flocculator. The HTF was built with a 4-inch diameter PVC pipe and coupled to a sedimentation and filtration process. Experimental tests were performed using lengths of 68.4 m and 97.6 m for the HTF. These lengths were combined with raw water flow rates of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2 L/s and five turbidity ranges <10 NTU, 10–20 NTU, 21–50 NTU, 51–100 NTU, >100 NTU, giving a total of 100 tests for one year. Jar tests were performed to determine the optimal dose of aluminum sulfate used as a coagulant. Hydraulic characteristics such as time of retention (TR) and velocity gradient (G) were evaluated; likewise, plug flow, dead volume, and short-circuit ratios were determined by tracer tests using the Wolf–Resnick model. The average results determined a removal of 98.8% of turbidity and 99.93% of color. The TR varied between 4.62 and 36.97 min and G varied between 6.15 and 109.62 s⁻¹. The results showed that HTF can be useful as a flocculation unit in a purification system. Full article

This article focuses on the study of the mass transfer involved in the application of a bacterial antifouling technique for membrane bioreactors (MBR), via the addition of solid media. These alginate objects can contain a biological system capable of producing an enzyme that degrades the signal molecules responsible for membrane fouling. The objective of this article is to quantify the mass transfer by distinguishing two main types: the transfer from the liquid to the solid media and the transfer from solid media to the liquid phase. For this purpose, a model molecule was chosen, and experiments were specifically developed with an optical device to track the concentration of the dye in the liquid phase, considering three different shapes for the particles (beads, hollow cylinders, and flat sheets). The experiments were first performed in jar tests and then in a lab-scale reactor. The results of this study revealed that the total amount of dye transferred into the sheets was greater than that transferred into the cylinders or the beads, which was attributed to the sheets having a larger exchange area for the same volume. When the dyed media were implemented in the MBR (loading rate of solid media: 0.45% v/v—no biomass), the global transfer coefficient from the sheets to the liquid was found to be greater than for the other shapes, indicating a faster transfer phenomenon. The effect of aeration in the MBR was investigated and an optimal air flowrate for fostering the transfer was found, based on the highest transfer coefficient that was obtained. This study provided key information about mass transfer in MBRs and how it is affected by the particle shapes and the MBR operating conditions. Full article

Lactose-free products are crucial in the diet of lactose-intolerant elderly consumers, one of them being kefir due to its unique chemical composition and diversity of valuable microflora. The study aimed at determining the volatile compound profile and the corresponding sensory attributes of lactose-free kefir (LFK) as compared with the traditional one (TK). The perception of main sensory attributes and hedonic acceptability of LFK by elderly were also studied. The LFK contained two times more ketones, especially 3-hydroxy-2-butanone and 2,3-butanedione, that probably contributed to the high intensity of creamy aroma. A substantial share of acetic acid in LFK was not associated with high intensity of sour aroma, probably being masked by the creamy aroma, perceived as dominating. LFK was sensed as sweeter and more milky than the traditional one. The intense sweet taste of LFK was due to higher amounts of glucose and galactose than in TK, and was perceived as “just about right” by 63% of elderly subjects in the just-about-right (JAR) scale. The lower acidity of LFK than that of TK, assayed both instrumentally and by sensory assessment, was highly appreciated by 73% of elderly subjects as “just about right” in JAR scale. These two taste attributes dominated in liking the lactose-free kefir by elderly subjects. Full article