Consumer attitude towards purchasing intent for ready to drink orange juice and nectar

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the impact of some labeling aspects on the consumer intent to purchase ready to drink orange juice and nectar. Design/methodology/approach: The influence of label information on the consumer intent to purchase was evaluated by conjoint analysis using a convenience sample (n=149). A factorial design with four characteristics, price, brand, information about the product and kind of beverage, was used. Three levels were established for brand and product information, and two for price and kind of beverage. Findings: Low price, product information and market leading brand had positive impact. No preservatives/natural was the information that most influenced consumer's purchase intent. The ideal label showed the leading brand, low price and information no preservatives/natural. These results could be useful for strategic planning of consumer instruction and have important implications for Brazilian orange juice manufactures. Originality/value: Although the most widely consumed beverages in Brazil are ready to drink orange juice and nectar, it was unexpected that consumers did not know the differences between them and that kind of beverage was not an important factor for the purchase decision. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Long-term orange juice consumption is associated with low LDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B in normal and moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects

Abstract. Background: This study investigated the hypothesis that long-term orange juice consumption (≥ 12 months) was associated with low risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adult men and women with normal and moderately high cholesterol blood levels. Methods. The sample consisted of 103 men (18-66 y) and 26 women (18-65 y); all were employees of an orange juice factory with daily access to free orange juice. The results showed that 41% of the individuals consumed 2 cups (480 mL) of orange juice per day for at least twelve months, while 59% of the volunteers are non-consumers of orange juice. Results: Orange juice consumers with normal serum lipid levels had significantly lower total cholesterol (-11%, p <0.001), LDL-cholesterol (-18%, p < 0.001), apolipoprotein B (apo B) (-12%, p < 0.01) and LDL/HDL ratio (-12%, p < 0.04) in comparison to non-consumers, as did the consumers with moderate hypercholesterolemia: lower total cholesterol (-5%, p <0.02), LDL-cholesterol (-12%, p <0.03), apolipoprotein B (-12%, p <0.01) and LDL/HDL ratio (-16%, p <0.05) in comparison the non-consumers counterparts. Serum levels of homocysteine, HDL- cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-1, body composition and the dietary intake of food energy and macronutrients did not differ among orange juice consumers and non-consumers, but vitamin C and folate intake was higher in orange juice consumers. Conclusion: Long-term orange juice consumers had lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, apo B and LDL/HDL ratio and an improvement of folate and vitamin C in their diet. © 2013 Aptekmann and Cesar; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Optimisation of High Hydrostatic Pressure Processing of Pêra Rio Orange Juice

The influence of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on Pêra Rio orange juice was investigated using response surface methodology. A central composite design was used to evaluate the effects of three processing conditions (independent variables), namely pressure (100-600 MPa), temperature (30-60 °C) and time (30-360 s), on the native microflora and pectin methylesterase (PME) activity of orange juice. Analysis of variance showed that second-order polynomial models fitted well with the experimental data for PME residual activity (R2 = 0.9586, p < 0.001) and aerobic microorganism count (R2 = 0.9879, p < 0.001). The optimum HHP processing conditions to produce orange juice with PME residual activity of less than 20 % and low microorganism count (<2 log cycles CFU/mL) were 550 to 600 MPa, 55 to 60 °C and 330 to 360 s. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Viabilidade de uso de um misturador para a análise de propriedades reológicas de produtos alimentícios

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA

Processamento mínimo de melão tipo Orange Flesh e de melancia 'Crimson Sweet'

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Minerais em méis de abelhas Apis mellífera L. produzidos na região do Pólo Cuesta, Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Qualidade do melão 'Orange flesh' minimamente processado e submetido a diferentes métodos de conservação

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Qualidade do mel Apis mellifera L. produzido na região do Pólo Cuesta, Estado de São Paulo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Nutritional balance and yield for green manure orange trees

Intercropping could efficiently prevent soil nutrient losses caused by extensive agriculture. The present study aimed to assess the effect of green manure on the nutritional status of orange trees cultivar 'Pera' (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck). The plants were grafted on 'Cravo' lime trees and were then planted in a 7x4m space. Four different treatments corresponding to the evaluated green manures were employed: jack bean (JB) (Canavalia ensiformis DC), lablab (LL) (Dolichos lablab L.), pigeon pea (PP) (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp), and Brachiaria (BQ) (Brachiaria brizantha Hochst ex A. Rich. Stapf) as control. The experimental design was in randomized blocks, in split-plot time, with six replicates, with four treatments (green manures) and two plants per evaluation. The nutritional status was assessed by using the DRIS method (Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System); the yield and the macro and micronutrient levels contained in green manures and in the control was also determined. The nutritional diagnosis indicated that, in the two years of experiment, plants treated with green manure showed better nutritional balance index compared to Brachiaria. This suggests that, over time, green manure can lead to better nutritional balance. Pigeon pea treatment showed the highest yields, compared to control, in the two evaluated crop cycles (2004/05 and 2005/06).

A simple and rapid screening method for sulfonamides in honey using a flow injection system coupled to a liquid waveguide capillary cell

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effect of honey feeding by thyrinteina arnobia males and females on their reproduction and longevity

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

HYGROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF ORANGE PULP AND PEEL

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Enhanced production of parthenocarpic cucumbers pollinated with stingless bees and Africanized honey bees in greenhouses

Crops have different levels of dependence on pollinators; this holds true even for cultivars of the same species, as in the case of cucumber (Cucumis sativus). The aim of this research was to assess the attractiveness of flowers of three Japanese parthenocarpic cucumber cultivars and evaluate the importance of Africanized bees (Apis mellifera), and the Brazilian native stingless bees, Jata (Tetragonisca angustula) and Ira (Nannotrigona testaceicornis) on fruit production. Several parameters, including frequency of bee visits to flowers as well as duration of nectar collection and fruit set were examined; additionally, fruit weight, length and diameter were evaluated. Three greenhouses located in Ribeirao Preto, SP, were used for planting three cucumber cultivars (Hokushin, Yoshinari and Soudai). The female flowers were more attractive than male flowers; however, Jata bees were not observed visiting the flowers. The Africanized and the Ira bees collected only nectar, with a visitation peak between 10 and 12h. Visits to female flowers had a longer duration than visits to male flower visits in all three cultivars. Africanized bee colonies declined due to loss of bees while in the greenhouse; the native stingless bee colonies did not suffer these losses. When bees were excluded, fruit set was 78%; however, when bees had access to the flowers, fruit set was significantly (19.2%) higher. Fruit size and weight did not differ with and without bees. This demonstrates that even in parthenocarpic cucumber cultivars, which do not require pollination in order to from fruits, fruit production is significantly increased by bee pollination.

Honey bee lines selected for high propolis production also have superior hygienic behavior and increased honey and pollen stores

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)