Search Results (129)

In this study, non-isothermal pyrolysis of a mixture of disposable surgical face masks (FMs) and nitrile gloves (NGs) was conducted, using a heating rate of 100 °C/min, N₂ flowrate of 100 mL/min, and temperatures between 500 and 800 °C. Condensable product yield peaked at 600 °C (76.9 wt.%), with gas yields rising to 31.0 wt.%, at 800 °C. GC-MS of the condensable product confirmed the presence of aliphatic compounds (>90%), while hydrogen, methane, and ethylene dominated the gas composition. At 600 °C, gasoline (C₄ to C₁₂)-, diesel (C₁₃ to C₂₀)-, motor oil (C₂₁ to C₃₅)-, and heavy hydrocarbon (C₃₅₊)-range compounds accounted for 23.7, 46.7, 12.5, and 17.1%, of the condensable product, respectively. Using model-free methods, the average activation energy and pre-exponential factor were found to be 309.7 ± 2.4 kJ/mol and 2.5 ± 3.4 × 10²⁵ s⁻¹, respectively, while a 2-dimensional diffusion mechanism was determined. Scale-up runs confirmed high yields of condensable product (60–70%), with comparable composition to that obtained from lab-scale tests. The pyrolysis oil exceeds acceptable oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and fluorine levels for industrial steam crackers—needing pre-treatment—while other contaminants like sulphur and metals could be managed through mild blending. In summary, this work offers a sustainable approach to address the environmental concerns surrounding disposable FMs and NGs. Full article

Cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae)-based dietary supplements are commonplace, but cyanobacteria-enhanced foods, such as spirulina crackers, are just appearing on New Zealand supermarket shelves. While much research has been devoted to consumer attitudes towards macro-algae-based products, little research has been devoted to micro-algae-based or cyanobacteria-enhanced consumer products. The current study, following the Capability–Opportunity–Motivation to Behaviour theory, examines likely consumer drivers of favouring or disfavouring spirulina crackers. These drivers include food neophilia, food neophobia, perception of sustainability and health-related product attributes, involvement with algae and an exploratory driver, snacking behaviour. Fully supported drivers (related to increased favour and decreased disfavour) included food neophilia and perception of sustainability and health-related product attributes. Algae involvement was only related to increased favour, and food neophobia was not supported. Surprisingly, snacking behaviour was related to increased disfavour of spirulina crackers. Both theoretical and managerial implications are offered. Full article

The agri-food sector faces the challenge of valorizing by-products and reducing waste. The frozen pumpkin industry generates substantial amounts of by-products rich in nutritional value, especially β-carotene. This study evaluates the nutritional and physical impact of incorporating pumpkin pulp flour (dehydrated and freeze-dried) obtained from by-products into cracker formulation. Crackers were prepared by replacing 10% and 20% of wheat flour with pumpkin flour, assessing the effects based on drying method. Physical parameters (expansion, color, and texture parameters) were measured, in the dough and in the baked products. Furthermore, β-carotene content was analyzed by HPLC-DAD, antioxidant capacity was measured with DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC, and total phenolic content was evaluated with the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Proximate composition and mineral content were also analyzed. Additionally, a preliminary sensory evaluation was conducted with 50 untrained consumer judges to assess acceptability of external appearance, texture, and taste. The inclusion of pumpkin flour significantly increased β-carotene content (up to 2.36 mg/100 g), total phenolics, and antioxidant activity of the baked crackers. Proximate analysis showed a marked improvement in fiber content and a slight reduction in energy value compared to wheat flour. Mineral analysis revealed that pumpkin flours exhibited significantly higher levels of K, Ca, Mg, and P, with improved but not always statistically significant retention in the final crackers. Freeze-dried flour retained more bioactive compounds and enhanced color. However, it also increased cracker hardness, particularly with dehydrated flour. Only the 10% freeze-dried formulation showed mechanical properties similar to those of the control. Sensory analysis indicated that all formulations were positively accepted, with the 10% freeze-dried sample showing the best balance in consumer preference across all evaluated attributes. Frozen pumpkin by-products can be effectively valorized through their incorporation into bakery products such as crackers, enhancing their nutritional and functional profile. Freeze-drying better preserves antioxidants and β-carotene, while a 10% substitution offers a balance between nutritional enrichment and technological performance and sensory acceptability. Full article

Electrification is a highly effective decarbonization and environmental incentive strategy for the chemical industry. Nevertheless, it may lead to downstream challenges in the process. This study analyzes the consequences of electrifying compressors within the steam cracker (SC) condensate system, focusing on the reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption without compromising the process’s energy efficiency. The aim is to study the impact that the reduction in steam expanded by turbines has on boiler feedwater (BFW) temperature and, subsequently, the behavior it triggers in fuel gas (FG) consumption and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in furnaces. It was concluded that condensate imports from the Energies and Utilities Plant (E&U) would increase by a factor of four, with approximately 60% of the imported condensate being cold condensate. The study revealed a mitigation of CO₂ emissions, resulting in a 1.3% reduction and a reduction in FG consumption of 1.8% preventing an increase in site energy consumption by 795.4 kW in furnaces. Condenser optimization reduces CO₂ emissions by 60%. Energy integration with quench water resulted in heat saving of 1824 kW in hot utility consumption and generating annual savings of EUR 2.3 M. The global carbon dioxide balance can achieve up to a 25% reduction. Full article

This study explores the phenomenon of nougat cracker syndrome among Korean tourists in Taipei, Taiwan, foregrounding the evolving concept of authenticity in tourism food souvenirs. Using a phenomenological case study approach, the study conducted interviews with 12 tourist groups (21 tourists) and four popular nougat cracker vendors, along with field observations. It investigates how authenticity is achieved beyond local food traditions through entrepreneurial emergence, municipal-level campaigns, social influence via online platforms, and shifts in the local business landscape that diversify tourism experiences. Authenticity, understood as a process of emergence, is examined through various factors: the prominent nougat cracker vendor MIMI and Taipei’s municipal-level campaign as pre-authenticity; memory of taste as the interaction of pre-, proto-, and post-authenticity; the increasing number of nougat cracker vendors in the city, viewed from a phenomenological perspective, as in situ authenticity; and the role of social media in both pre- and post-authenticity. This study contributes to the theoretical expansion of food souvenir authenticity and offers practical implications for developing food souvenir items that transcend conventional notions of authenticity. Full article

This study aims to investigate the sensory characteristics of commercially available vegan mayonnaise using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) methodology and to determine the acceptability factors influencing consumer purchase intention. Six mayonnaise samples were evaluated by 112 consumers: one conventional mayonnaise and five commercially available vegan mayonnaises (labeled OGM, VVM, EBM, VM, SM, and OVM). Except for fatty flavor, rancid odor, artificial flavor, mouthcoating, melting, and mouthfeel, 15 characteristics (yellowness, glossiness, slimness, thickness, smoothness, beany odor, lemon aroma, nutty flavor, sourness, saltiness, sweetness, savory flavor, off-flavor, goes well with vegetables, and spreads well on crackers) were significantly different among 6 samples (p < 0.001). Across all evaluation attributes, OGM and VM had the highest acceptance, with no significant differences between the two samples except for overall taste. The VM was the only vegan mayonnaise that produced results similar to those of OGM, which is regular mayonnaise. The results of the study suggest that vegan mayonnaise can be a substitute for regular mayonnaise. We hope that this research will provide data that can be used as a basis for developing vegan mayonnaise products that meet the needs of consumers and food companies. Full article

Background/Objectives: The problems with following a gluten-free (GF) diet result from the high cost of GF products, their limited availability for celiac disease (CD) patients, and their disputable quality. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the frequency of buying and availability of GF cereal products in a population of Polish female CD patients. Methods: This study was conducted in a population of Polish female CD patients who were members of the Polish Celiac Society, and n = 547 respondents were included in this study. Participants were asked about the frequency of buying and problems with the availability of GF cereal products, which were compared by sub-groups stratified by age, place of residence, place of purchasing major grocery shopping and purchasing GF products online. Results: The majority of the studied female CD patients declared often purchasing GF flour, pasta, and bread, as well as never purchasing GF puff pastry, fried baked goods, dumplings, and crackers. The only product for which the majority of the studied participants declared problems with availability was dumplings. For younger respondents, a higher share declared often buying GF pasta (p = 0.0073), chips, crisps and puffs (p < 0.0001), and Asian-style noodles (p = 0.0269), as well as declared problems with the availability of GF wraps/tortillas (p = 0.0001), puff pastry (p = 0.0294), fried baked goods (p = 0.0008), biscuits/cookies (p = 0.0148), and Asian-style noodles (p = 0.0046) compared to older respondents, while for older respondents, a higher share declared often buying GF flour (p = 0.0358), and never buying GF wraps/tortillas (p = 0.0181). For respondents living in big cities, a higher share declared problems with the availability of GF pasta compared to respondents living in small towns/villages (p = 0.0245). For respondents purchasing major grocery shopping in hypermarkets, a higher share declared often buying GF biscuits/cookies compared to respondents purchasing in other shops (p = 0.0039), while for respondents purchasing in other shops, a higher share declared never buying puff pastry (p = 0.0076), dumplings (p = 0.0002), and wraps/tortillas (p = 0.0038), as well as declared problems with availability of GF puff pastry (p = 0.0246), biscuits/cookies (p = 0.0002), and breakfast cereals (p = 0.0011). For respondents not purchasing GF products online, a higher share declared never buying GF fried baked goods compared to respondents purchasing online at least occasionally (p = 0.0284), as well as a lower share declared problems with the availability of GF wraps/tortillas (45% vs. 33%, p = 0.0411). Conclusions: The population of Polish female CD patients seems quite diverse in terms of the chosen GF cereal products, with age, primary place of purchasing major grocery shopping and purchasing GF products online, but not the place of residence, as the major determinants. The declared problems with the availability of GF products are probably associated with two diverse mechanisms—either frequent purchasing (as individuals not purchasing may not be interested in such a product at all) or rare purchasing (which may result from poor availability). Increasing the availability of GF cereal products for a population of Polish female CD patients may allow them to obtain a more diverse diet. Full article

In order to achieve a good generalization ability across different prediction tasks and ensure the reliability of prediction results, this paper proposes a GAC-BiLSTM-AM prediction method based on ensemble learning. This method employs a dual-channel convolutional neural network to comprehensively extract and integrate sample features, which are then input into a composite analysis module consisting of a bidirectional long short-term memory, an attention mechanism, and a fully connected layer to achieve in-depth analysis and processing of information, jointly constructing an efficient base learner. Meanwhile, during the parameter iteration tuning process of the base learner, a mistake correction mechanism is introduced to dynamically adjust sample weights in order to correct potential attention biases, and further combined with the gold rush optimizer to optimize the key structural parameters of the model. The application evaluation in multiple benchmark prediction tasks confirms that the GAC-BiLSTM-AM method possesses excellent generalization performance. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study examines the relationship of eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) with child sex, food preference, and body mass index (BMI) percentiles in primarily Hispanic preschoolers, an understudied population. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data from 211 children (79% Hispanic) aged 3 to 5 years from low-income families who completed a cluster randomized controlled trial from September 2017 to June 2020. Weight and height were used to calculate BMI percentiles. Sweet (animal crackers) and salty (pretzels) snacks were used to conduct a validated classroom-based EAH assessment. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach investigated associations between the grams of snacks consumed and BMI percentiles. A set of nested multivariable GEEs were estimated, while adjusting for potentially important covariates. Results: Boys significantly consumed more snacks than girls (13.34 ± 9.71 g vs. 8.13 ± 7.36 g; p < 0.001). Children who indicated greater preference for sweet snacks consumed more sweet snacks (r = 0.19; b = 2.05, p < 0.001) and total grams of total snacks (r = 0.18; b = 2.42, p = 0.004) but not salty snacks (pretzels). Consuming more sweet snacks was significantly associated with higher BMI percentiles (b = 0.55; p = 0.024). Conclusions: The findings suggest that a preference for sweet snacks is associated with EAH, and eating sweet snacks in the absence of hunger is related to higher BMI percentiles. Obesity prevention programs may focus on addressing eating sweet snacks in the absence of hunger starting in early childhood. Full article

Brewer’s spent yeast (BSY), a significant brewing by-product, poses environmental challenges and opportunities for valorization as a sustainable protein source. This study focuses on transforming BSY into high-value functional ingredients for food applications. A green, sustainable, and scalable process was developed to extract bioactive compounds from BSY at both laboratory and pilot scales, yielding peptide-rich fractions with robust antioxidant properties. These extracts were incorporated into prototype formulations, including protein-enriched crackers, demonstrating their potential as natural, nutritious ingredients. Physicochemical, compositional, and functional characterizations validated their application viability. The antioxidant potential of BSY fractions was confirmed through total phenolic compounds and ABTS and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays, where the retentate from the 10 kDa ultrafiltration fraction on the pilot scale exhibited superior bioactivity, supporting its selection as the most suitable fraction for food formulations. Additionally, the transition from laboratory to pilot scale revealed slight variations in protein retention and bioactive compound recovery, emphasizing the need for process optimization. These findings highlight BSY’s potential to support circular economy practices by reducing waste while enhancing the nutritional and functional value of food products. Full article

Technological issues with the production of gluten-free rice crackers with spirulina powder were examined in this work through their rheological, textural, color, sensory, and nutritional aspects. A part of gluten-free whole-grain rice flour was replaced with 5, 10, and 15% spirulina powder in an appropriate recipe for crackers. The rheological analysis presented obtained dough samples as viscoelastic systems with dominant elastic components (G′ > G″ and Tan δ = G″/G′ is less than 0). The addition of spirulina contributed to a softer dough consistency according to a statistically significant (p < 0.5) decrease of Newtonian viscosity during the creep phase for a maximum of 43.37%, compared to the control dough. The 10 and 15% quantities of spirulina powder led to a statistically significant (p < 0.5) increase in the viscoelastic parameter J_max, which indicated a greater dough adaptability to stress. The textural determination of the dough pointed statistically significantly (p < 0.05) to decreased dough hardness and improved dough extensibility and confirmed all rheological measurements with high correlation coefficients, indicating good physical dough properties during processing. Spirulina certainly affected the change in the color of the dough from a yellow-white to intense green, which also had a significant impact on the sensory quality of the baked crackers. Many sensory properties of the crackers were improved by the addition of and increasing amounts of spirulina (appearance, brittleness, hardness, graininess, and stickiness). The results for the dough and for the final crackers pointed to very good technological aspects for the development of a gluten-free bakery product with high nutritional value, such as increased polyphenolic content (with the majority of catechins), protein, total dietary fibers, and mineral content compared to the control sample. Full article

The conventional diagnostic techniques for ethylene cracker furnace tube coking rely on manual expertise, offline analysis and on-site inspection. However, these methods have inherent limitations, including prolonged inspection times, low accuracy and poor real-time performance. This makes it challenging to meet the requirements of chemical production. The necessity for high efficiency, high reliability and high safety, coupled with the inherent complexity of the production process, results in data that is characterized by multimodal, nonlinear, non-Gaussian and strong noise. This renders the traditional data processing and analysis methods ineffective. In order to address these issues, this paper puts forth a novel soft measurement approach, namely the ‘Mixed Student’s t-distribution regression soft measurement model based on Variational Inference (VI) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC)’. The initial variational distribution is selected during the initialization step of VI. Subsequently, VI is employed to iteratively refine the distribution in order to more closely approximate the true posterior distribution. Subsequently, the outcomes of VI are employed to initiate the MCMC, which facilitates the placement of the iterative starting point of the MCMC in a region that more closely approximates the true posterior distribution. This approach allows the convergence process of MCMC to be accelerated, thereby enabling a more rapid approach to the true posterior distribution. The model integrates the efficiency of VI with the accuracy of the MCMC, thereby enhancing the precision of the posterior distribution approximation while preserving computational efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate that the model exhibits enhanced accuracy and robustness in the diagnosis of ethylene cracker tube coking compared to the conventional Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), Gaussian Mixture Regression (GMR), Bayesian Student’s T-Distribution Mixture Regression (STMR) and Semi-supervised Bayesian T-Distribution Mixture Regression (SsSMM). This method provides a scientific basis for optimizing and maintaining the ethylene cracker, enhancing its production efficiency and reliability, and effectively addressing the multimodal, non-Gaussian distribution and uncertainty of the coking data of the ethylene cracker furnace tube. Full article

Background: The growing consumption of snack foods such as chips driving demand for healthier, more nutritious alternatives. This study investigated the effect of frying temperature on oil absorption, oil binding capacity, and fatty acid composition of fish-based snacks made from a 1:1 ratio of tapioca starch and carp meat obtained after the separation of the remains of its industrial filleting. Methods: The snacks were deep-fried at 160 °C, 170 °C, and 180 °C, and analyzed for expansion, oil absorption, oil binding capacity, fatty acid profiles, and nutritional indices. Oxidation levels and free fatty acids were also measured, ensuring compliance with legal limits. Results: Deep-frying at 180 °C resulted in significantly higher snack expansion (95.20%) than the 50% expansion observed at 160 °C and 170 °C. However, snacks deep-fried at 180 °C absorbed the most oil (29.07%) and exhibited the lowest oil binding capacity (8.84%), whereas deep-frying at 160 °C and 170 °C led to oil binding capacities of 15.83% and 18.58%, respectively. Fatty acid profiles also showed temperature-dependent changes, with increased oil absorption reducing omega-3 to omega-6 ratios. Importantly, deep-frying for 45 s at all temperatures did not lead to excessive oxidation or free fatty acid levels beyond regulatory thresholds. Nutritional indices of the deep-fried product were comparable to those of vegetable oils, while before deep-frying, they resembled those of seafood products like shellfish and seaweed. Conclusions: While higher frying temperatures improve the texture and expansion of fish-based snacks, they also increase oil absorption and reduce oil binding. Based on these findings, deep-frying at 180 °C was suggested as the optimal condition to balance product texture, oil absorption, and nutritional quality, making the snacks a healthier alternative to conventional deep-fried products. Full article

Fermentable oligosaccharides, di- and monosaccharides, and polyols defined as FODMAPs readily trigger the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects up to 23% of the population, through several mechanisms. A low-FODMAP diet is a short-term solution due to significant nutrient deficiencies, especially in dietary fibre (DF). IBS patients must avoid cereals, especially wholegrain cereals such as wheat and rye, which are an important natural source of DF and therefore FODMAPs (part of soluble DF). This study is the first of its kind to employ biotechnological tools for the creation of wholegrain low-FODMAP cookies and crackers based on wholegrain wheat and rye flours with high FODMAP contents. Endogenous enzymes activated via prolonged dough resting and exogenously activated enzymes originating from chicory extract, wheat malt, and baker’s yeast were employed. The prolonged dough resting time and the addition of wheat malt reduced the FODMAP content in the wholegrain wheat and rye cookies by 46% and 99.5%, respectively. The best result was achieved in the wholegrain wheat crackers, with a FODMAP content reduction of 59.3% based on the combination of a prolonged dough resting time and the addition of wheat malt and baker’s yeast. In the wholegrain rye crackers, a prolonged resting time alone was sufficient to achieve an 83.6% reduction in the total oligosaccharide content. Full article

Background: The relationship between consuming Thai desserts—predominantly composed of carbohydrates—and gut microbiome profiles remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of consuming various Thai desserts with different GI values on the gut microbiomes of healthy volunteers. Methods: This open-label, parallel randomized clinical trial involved 30 healthy individuals aged 18 to 45 years. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Phetchaburi’s Custard Cake (192 g, low-GI group, n = 10), Saraburi’s Curry Puff (98 g, medium-GI group, n = 10), and Lampang’s Crispy Rice Cracker (68 g, high-GI group, n = 10), each consumed alongside their standard breakfast. Fecal samples were collected at baseline and 24 h post-intervention for metagenomic analysis of gut microbiome profiles using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: After 24 h, distinct trends in the relative abundance of various gut microbiota were observed among the dessert groups. In the high-GI dessert group, the abundance of Collinsella and Bifidobacterium decreased compared to the low- and medium-GI groups, while Roseburia and Ruminococcus showed slight increases. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between sugar intake and Lactobacillus abundance in the medium- and high-GI groups, but not in the low-GI group. Additionally, a moderately negative association was observed between Akkermansia abundance and sugar intake in the high-GI group. These bacteria are implicated in energy metabolism and insulin regulation. LEfSe analysis identified Porphyromonadaceae and Porphyromonas as core microbiota in the low-GI group, whereas Klebsiella was enriched in the high-GI group, with no predominant bacteria identified in the medium-GI group. Conclusions: The findings suggest that Thai desserts with varying GI levels can influence specific gut bacteria, though these effects may be temporary. Full article