Dynamics of endogenous food production in Cherax destructor Clark culture ponds

This study examined endogenous food production in crayfish culture ponds and the pond dynamics resulting from the interactions of pond bottom and water column parameters under a crop flooding strategy.

Business associations and the food processing industry in Australia : how neoliberalism has reinforced employer collectivism

In this paper I argue that factors such as conflicting pressures for food regulation reform and continuing industry assistance programs have made conditions even more favourable for collective business interest representation in Australia's food processing sector. The push by firms for less onerous and more business-friendly regulation has run up against environmental and social pressures/or more rigorous regulatory controls, as awareness grows ofthe risks ofnew technologies. The case of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) illustrates the issues. The extent to which this association participates directly in the design and implementation of public policy is indicative of a decline in the autonomy of politicians and the state bureaucracy vis-a-vis the ideology and interests of business.

Culture-based fisheries: an underutilised opportunity in aquaculture development

The reasons for considering culture-based fisheries as an aquaculture practice are presented. The need to develop culture-based fisheries, which are basically a nonconsumptive user of water compared to conventional aquaculture practices such as pond culture, to augment the aquatic food supplies, in the wake of increasing consumption of aquatic food, dwindling catches from the wild, and the decreasing rate of growth of conventional aquaculture is evaluated.

The well-documented culture-based fishery practices of a number of countries are reviewed, and the development of these is traced. It is suggested that successful practices occur in mainland China, where the production from culture-based fishery in reservoirs is estimated to be 1,165,075 tons (from a total area of 1,567,971 ha), approximating 743 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, and which is reputed to have recorded a yearly growth of 52% from 1979 to 1997. General features of culture-based fisheries and factors responsible for increasing yields are discussed, and the importance of such practices to rural communities in developing countries is emphasised. The constraints facing the development of the practices and the importance of overcoming such constraints, especially in the wake of the increasing challenges the conventional aquaculture industry is encountering, are evaluated.

Culture-specific variation in the flavor profile of soymilks

A modified quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) method was used to determine sensory profiles of 8 soymilk products: 3 manufactured in Australia, 3 manufactured in Singapore, 1 manufactured in Malaysia, and 1 manufactured in Hong Kong. A panel (n= 7) was selected, trained in descriptive profiling of soymilk, and developed a soymilk language that was used to evaluate the flavor attributes of the soymilk products. A repeated-measure ANOVA showed highly reproducible panel performance, and significant differences in soymilk attributes among all soymilks. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed 2 main groupings among the soymilks that corresponded to cultural origin: Australia and Asia (Singapore and Hong Kong/Malaysia). Products from Australia were significantly stronger in milky, astringent, salty notes and pale in color, while products from Asia were significantly stronger in beany, cooked beans, sweet, and pandan notes (P < 0.05). In addition, the Asian soymilks could be separated into 2 subgroups, with Singaporean soymilks having deeper color, greater viscosity, and less green flavor than Hong Kong/Malaysia soymilks. Australian produced soymilk is bovine-milk-like compared with Asian soymilk, presumably due to bovine milk being the primary source of milk in Australia. We conclude that culture-specific flavor preferences are a determining factor in flavor profiles of soymilks from geographically distinct regions.

Browsing the modern kitchen - a feast of gender, place and culture (part 1)

Assembling 10 essays from around the globe which engage variously with the space in which food preparation occurs—the kitchen—revealed stunning diversity but also commonalities. In this first of two sets of theme papers on this vital but often unexamined domestic space, the discourse of modernity unites the look and use of twentieth-century kitchens in Australia, Britain and Finland. Imbued with notions of scientific management, the modern kitchen had some common designs which prescribed women's place within it—first as the main occupant and then as the family overseer. The construction of this semi-private space also involved particular domestic technologies which, as the new century dawns, now literally connect the kitchen to the world beyond via the internet fridge. This Introduction begins the two-part feast of gender, place and culture—with an overview of Australia and sketch of subsequent essays—Supski on mid-century migrant Australia, Saarikangas on Finland, Bennett on rural Britain and Watkins on the fridge.

Post-migration food habits of sub-Saharan migrants in Victoria: a cross-sectional study

Objective: (i) To describe sub-Saharan African (SSA) post-migration food habits and eating patterns; and (ii) to examine how the food habits of SSA households in Victoria reflect post-migration acculturation.
Design: A cross-sectional survey using a snowball sampling technique. Data on food habits and eating patterns were obtained using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews from November 2001 to April 2002.
Subjects: A total of 139 households of demographically diverse recent migrants from across sub-Saharan Africa.
Setting: Melbourne metropolitan and Melbourne fringes.
Analysis: Data were summarised using descriptive statistics.
Results: SSA migrants and refugees indicated dietary acculturation characterised by three processes: substitution, supplementation and modification of recipes. They experienced difficulty locating their traditional foods, in particular, African vegetables (34.2%), unprocessed maize meal (29.1%), camel milk (23.1%) and maize grain (13.7%). The new foods adopted since arrival were pizza, breakfast cereals and fast foods, but also included new fruits and vegetables. Takeaway food such as Pizza Hut or McDonalds featured prominently in the SSA post-migration diet. Reasons for eating out were favourite food (48.3%), routine family outing (38.3%), special occasion (33.3%) and no time to cook (25%). A significant change in meal pattern was the inclusion of breakfast, although 21% reported skipping breakfast.
Conclusion: Many of the observed dietary changes were not consistent with good health and may predispose this population to rapid weight gain and chronic disease. Rapid modernisation and the Anglo-Australian culture interact in a complex way with traditional eating and socialisation practices of SSA migrants. Understanding these forces can allow effective health promotion and community development strategies to be developed for the future health of SSA migrants and their communities.

An exploratory analysis of the factors that influence food choice among young women

Food sales represent a significant proportion of hospitality industry income; however, little research has been conducted into the factors that influence food purchasing behaviour. This study employed a sequential mixed method research design to identify the factors that influence food choice among 18-30-year-old females. The study is important because this age group has considerable spending power and has been found to have different consumption priorities to their male counterparts. While confirming the importance of previous studies, this study found that physical health, time, marketing, price, and the quality of food are major factors of influence in the purchasing and consumption decision.

Bio-economical and ethical impacts of alien finfish culture in European inland waters

Since 1989, and in comparison to the global trend, inland aquaculture production of European finfish has declined. To date, the yearly European freshwater aquaculture production is 371,727 tons, valued at over US$1 billion. Indigenous species accounted for less than one-third of the production, whereas alien species (a species that has been moved beyond its natural range of distribution) accounts for the remainder. However, in general, indigenous species command a higher market price. Currently, food quality and food safety are leading concerns of consumers, and European consumers are also becoming alert to environmentally detrimental practices. Therefore, to aim at economic sustainability, the sector needs to satisfy consumer expectations of environmentally friendly practices. It is believed that farming alien finfish species can threaten local biodiversity through escapes, and this represents a current environmental concern relative to aquaculture. In this context, an attempt is made in this paper to understand and quantify the impacts of alien finfish cultivation in European inland waters, and to suggest remedial measures.

‘We should change ourselves, but we can’t’: accounts of food and eating practices amongst British Pakistanis and Indians with type 2 diabetes

Objective(s). To look at food and eating practices from the perspectives of Pakistanis and Indians with type 2 diabetes, their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to dietary change, and the social and cultural factors informing their accounts.

Method. Qualitative, interview study involving 23 Pakistanis and nine Indians with type 2 diabetes. Respondents were interviewed in their first language (Punjabi or English) by a bilingual researcher. Data collection and analysis took place concurrently with issues identified in early interviews being used to inform areas of investigation in later ones.

Results. Despite considerable diversity in the dietary advice received, respondents offered similar accounts of their food and eating practices following diagnosis. Most had continued to consume South Asian foods, especially in the evenings, despite their perceived concerns that these foods could be 'dangerous' and detrimental to their diabetes control. Respondents described such foods as 'strength-giving', and highlighted a cultural expectation to participate in acts of commensality with family/community members. Male respondents often reported limited input into food preparation. Many respondents attempted to balance the perceived risks of eating South Asian foodstuffs against those of alienating themselves from their culture and community by eating such foods in smaller amounts. This strategy could lead to a lack of satiation and is not recommended in current dietary guidelines.

Conclusions. Perceptions that South Asian foodstuffs necessarily comprise 'risky' options need to be tackled amongst patients and possibly their healthcare providers. To enable Indians and Pakistanis to manage their diabetes and identity simultaneously, guidelines should promote changes which work with their current food practices and preferences; specifically through lower fat recipes for commonly consumed dishes. Information and advice should be targeted at those responsible for food preparation, not just the person with diabetes. Community initiatives, emphasising the importance of healthy eating, are also needed.

Final report : food@school resource pilot

It’s Your Move! was a 3-year community-based obesity prevention project conducted in secondary schools across the Barwon-South West Region in Victoria. The project ran from 2005-2008, with five intervention schools from the East Geelong/ Bellarine Peninsula area as well as seven comparison schools.

Children and adolescents spend a substantial amount of time in school; consequently schools have been identified as a key setting for influencing their nutrition behaviour [1]. In the face of increasing obesity levels among children and adolescents, it is essential that the school environment is conducive to encouraging healthy eating.

The Food@School Resource was developed in response to baseline results from the It’s your Move! project in order to facilitate the implementation of intervention strategies around creating whole-of-school healthy eating environments. Using the Health Promoting Schools Framework, teachers and students were involved in the development and implementation of a number of initiatives and environmental changes to their school around healthy eating. This process of engagement and collaboration ensured that the interventions complemented their existing structures and support e.g. curriculum, canteen and culture. The Food@School Resource is a document to help secondary schools through the process of developing a healthy eating policy.

In order to ensure that the resource was valid beyond the confines of the It’s Your Move! schools, the Department of Human Services funded a six-month pilot project. The Food@School Resource was pilot tested in six diverse secondary schools across both rural and metropolitan Victoria as well as being expertly reviewed by Home Economics Victoria.

Correlation between acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence and in vitro cell culture assay : physiologically meaningful antioxidant activity

There is great interest in the activity of antioxidant molecules, including polyphenols, from food and plant sources. Acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence signal intensity was shown to predict the ability of polyphenols to positively act on cellular redox state and attenuate oxidative stress in cultured skeletal muscle cells.

Changes in oil content, lipid class and fatty acid composition of the microalga Chaetoceros calcitrans over different phases of batch culture

 Abstract
The diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans is a microalgal species used as food for larva in aquaculture for many species worldwide. Chaetoceros calcitrans is an important source of omega 3 long chain (C ≥ 20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA), chiefly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3). This article reports lipid content, lipid class composition and fatty acid profiles of each lipid class during the growth cycle of batch cultures of C. calcitrans. Total lipid content and the concentration of neutral lipid were highest in the late stationary growth phase (day 12). However, the amount of EPA was highest during the logarithmic growth phase (1.24 pg/cell on day 4). EPA was initially concentrated in the glycolipid fraction, but this fraction decreased during logarithmic growth, coinciding with the increase in neutral lipid. Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) (0.91 pg/cell) was reported as a major fatty acid (>10 mg/100 g) in all lipid classes on day 1. DHA was depleted quickly from the neutral lipid and glycolipid classes, but at a slower rate from the polar lipid fraction. This work confirms that C. calcitrans is a good source of lipid, in particular EPA, for larval and adult filter feeders in aquaculture.

Determinants of green supply chain implementation in the food and beverage sector

Using a grounded theory approach, this paper extracts emerging concepts in the implementation of green supply chain management from case data of New Zealand food and beverage (F&B) companies. In search of factors that may lead to theory-building, the study relates case studies in fruit, juice, and dairy product companies through in-depth interviews with ranking general and line managers. We uncover the outline of a theoretical framework focusing on determinants of GSCM behaviour. These include strategic and operational planning; management structure, systems, and decision-making; management of people and company culture; and relationships with supply-chain members.

Introduction: of turtles, dining and the importance of history in food, food in history

Feasting on North American moose or Caribbean turtle in Renaissance Italy, Ancient Rome, or the colonial working-class pub, is Social and Cultural history in a new and exciting form. Dining on Turtles traverses time and place to open up food and drink as a new field of historical enquiry. In chapters covering the heritage landscapes of sugar canefields, the reform of popular drinking customs, the importance of eating and drinking culture to Olympic Games planning, and the significance of cookbooks to civic society, historians here break new ground in locating food's importance. From the exploration of French tavern rituals, Scottish feasting on haggis, and memories of food traditions in Cyprus come themes of identity and nationalism, change and continuity.

Reducing the risk of heart disease among Indian Australians: knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding food practices - a focus group study

BACKGROUND: Australia has a growing number of Asian Indian immigrants. Unfortunately, this population has an increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Dietary adherence is an important strategy in reducing risk for CHD. This study aimed to gain greater understanding of the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs relating to food practices in Asian Indian Australians. METHODS: Two focus groups with six participants in each were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. Verbatim transcriptions were made and thematic content analysis undertaken. RESULTS: Four main themes that emerged from the data included: migration as a pervasive factor for diet and health; importance of food in maintaining the social fabric; knowledge and understanding of health and diet; and elements of effective interventions. DISCUSSION: Diet is a complex constructed factor in how people express themselves individually, in families and communities. There are many interconnected factors influencing diet choice that goes beyond culture and religion to include migration and acculturation. CONCLUSIONS: Food and associated behaviors are an important aspect of the social fabric. Entrenched and inherent knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and traditions frame individuals' point of reference around food and recommendations for an optimal diet.