Technical and economic study of plantain food products

Plantain (Banana-Musa AAB) is a widely growing but commercially underexploited tropical fruit. This study demonstrates the processing of plantain to flour and extends its use and convenience as a constituent of bread, cake and biscuit. Plantain was peeled, dried and milled to produce flour. Proximate analysis was carried out on the flour to determine the food composition. Drying at temperatures below 70ºC produced light coloured plantain flour. Experiments were carried out to determine the mechanism of drying, the heat and mass transfer coefficients, effect of air velocity, temperature and cube size on the rate of drying of plantain cubes. The drying was diffusion controlled. Pilot scale drying of plantain cubes in a cabinet dryer showed no significant increase of drying rate above 70ºC. In the temperature range found most suitable for plantain drying (ie 60 to 70ºC) the total drying time was adequately predicted using a modified equation based on Fick's Law provided the cube temperature was taken to be about 5ºC below the actual drying air temperature. Studies of baking properties of plantain flour revealed that plantain flour can be substituted for strong wheat flour up to 15% for bread making and up to 50% for madeira cake. A shortcake biscuit was produced using 100% plantain flour and test-marketed. Detailed economic studies showed that the production of plantain fruit and its processing into flour would be economically viable in Nigeria when the flour is sold at the wholesale price of NO.65 per kilogram provided a minimum sale of 25% plantain suckers. There is need for government subsidy if plantain flour is to compete with imported wheat flour. The broader economic benefits accruing from the processing of plantain fruit into flour and its use in bakery products include employment opportunity, savings in foreign exchange and stimulus to home agriculture.

The effect of genetically-mediated taste acuity for 6-N-propylthiouracil (PROP) on food choice and diet-related disease

Taste acuity for the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is a heritable trait. Some individuals perceive concentrated levels of PROP to taste extremely bitter (supertasters) or moderately bitter (medium tasters), whereas others detect only a mild taste or none at all (non-tasters). Heightened PROP acuity has been reported to be associated with greater acuity for a variety of compounds found in ordinary foods, although there are some inconsistent findings. The extent to which these compounds are perceived may affect food likes/dislikes and dietary intake. The majority of studies have tended to measure food likes and intake using questionnaires or laboratory preparations of a single taste quality. The present study used food diaries and sensory responses to real foods to be better able to generalise to real eating situations. There was no substantial evidence that genetically mediated taste acuity for PROP had a direct influence on food likes/dislikes or intake, although there was evidence that dietary restraint could have influenced these findings among the female samples. However; investigation of PROP tasting among individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD) and a control group suggested that PROP acuity could function as a genetic taste marker for heart disease and potentially other diet-related conditions. CHD was associated with decreased PROP acuity among men. This is consistent with the findings that decreased PROP acuity tended to be associated with increased likelihood to be a smoker and higher body mass index. It is concluded that there is not a simple and direct relationship between PROP tasting ability and food choice. An interaction between PROP acuity and other mediating factors may be involved in a more complex model of food choice. The evidence that PROP taste acuity may function as a genetic taste marker for coronary heart disease could have wide implications for understanding the aetiology, and ultimately the prevention, of diet-related disease.

Does online information drive offline revenues? Only for specific products and consumer segments!

While many offline retailers have developed informational websites that offer information on products and prices, the key question for such informational websites is whether they can increase revenues via web-to-store shopping. The current paper draws on the information search literature to specify and test hypotheses regarding the offline revenue impact of adding an informational website. Explicitly considering marketing efforts, a latent class model distinguishes consumer segments with different short-term revenue effects, while a Vector Autoregressive model on these segments reveals different long-term marketing response. We find that the offline revenue impact of the informational website critically depends on the product category and customer segment. The lower online search costs are especially beneficial for sensory products and for customers distant from the store. Moreover, offline revenues increase most for customers with high web visit frequency. We find that customers in some segments buy more and more expensive products, suggesting that online search and offline purchases are complements. In contrast, customers in a particular segment reduce their shopping trips, suggesting their online activities partially substitute for experiential shopping in the physical store. Hence, offline retailers should use specific online activities to target specific product categories and customer segments.

The psychosocial impact of food allergy and food hypersensitivity in children, adolescents and their families:a review

Food allergy affects 6% of children but there is no cure, and strict avoidance of index allergens along with immediate access to rescue medication is the current best management. With specialist care, morbidity from food allergy in children is generally low, and mortality is very rare. However, there is strong evidence that food allergy and food hypersensitivity has an impact on psychological distress and on the quality of life (QoL) of children and adolescents, as well as their families. Until recently, the measurement of QoL in allergic children has proved difficult because of the lack of investigative tools available. New instruments for assessing QoL in food allergic children have recently been developed and validated, which should provide further insights into the problems these children encounter and will enable us to measure the effects of interventions in patients. This review examines the published impact of food allergy on affected children, adolescents and their families. It considers influences such as gender, age, disease severity, co-existing allergies and external influences, and examines how these may impact on allergy-related QoL and psychological distress including anxiety and depression. Implications of the impact are considered alongside avenues for future research.

Consumers’ biased perceptions of the environmental impact of products, and their influence on advertising efficiency

This paper investigates the main perceptual biases developed by consumers regarding the environmental impact of products. It shows that these biases make consumers unable to distinguish between advertisements for highly versus less sustainable products, but that the inclusion of relevant information can increase the efficiency of arguments for true sustainability.

Free radical reaction products and antioxidant capacity in beating heart coronary artery surgery compared to conventional bypass

Oxygen-derived free radicals are important agents of tissue injury during ischemia and reperfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in protein and lipid oxidation and antioxidant status in beating heart coronary artery surgery and conventional bypass and to compare oxidative stress parameters between the two bypass methods. Serum lipid hydroperoxide, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, nitrotyrosine, vitamin E, and β-carotene levels and total antioxidant capacity were measured in blood of 30 patients undergoing beating heart coronary artery surgery (OPCAB, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting) and 12 patients undergoing conventional bypass (CABG, on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting). In the OPCAB group, nitric oxide and nitrotyrosine levels decreased after reperfusion. Similarly, β-carotene level and total antioxidant capacity also decreased after anesthesia and reperfusion. In the CABG group, nitric oxide and nitrotyrosine levels decreased after ischemia and reperfusion. However, protein carbonyl levels elevated after ischemia and reperfusion. Vitamin E, β-carotene, and total antioxidant capacity decreased after ischemia and reperfusion. Significantly decreased nitration and impaired antioxidant status were seen after reperfusion in both groups. Moreover, elevated protein carbonyls were found in the CABG group. The off-pump procedure is associated with lower degree of oxidative stress than on-pump coronary surgery. © 2011 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

Parental self-efficacy in managing food allergy and mental health predicts food allergy related quality of life

BACKGROUND: Food allergy has been shown to have a significant impact on quality of life (QoL) and can be difficult to manage in order to avoid potentially life threatening reactions. Parental self-efficacy (confidence) in managing food allergy for their child might explain variations in QoL. This study aimed to examine whether self-efficacy in parents of food allergic children was a good predictor of QoL of the family. METHODS: Parents of children with clinically diagnosed food allergy completed the Food Allergy Self-Efficacy Scale for Parents (FASE-P), the Food Allergy Quality of Life Parental Burden Scale (FAQL-PB), the GHQ-12 (to measure mental health) and the Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM), which measures perceived likelihood of a severe allergic reaction. RESULTS: A total of 434 parents took part. Greater parental QoL was significantly related to greater self-efficacy for food allergy management, better mental health, lower perceived likelihood of a severe reaction, older age in parent and child and fewer number of allergies (all p<0.05). Food allergy self-efficacy explained more of the variance in QoL than any other variable and self-efficacy related to management of social activities and precaution and prevention of an allergic reaction appeared to be the most important aspects. CONCLUSIONS: Parental self-efficacy in management of a child's food allergy is important and is associated with better parental QoL. It would be useful to measure self-efficacy at visits to allergy clinic in order to focus support; interventions to improve self-efficacy in parents of food allergic children should be explored. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

'Their tummys don't really suit that food':children and young teenagers understanding of food allergy

Background: Food allergy (FA) is aunique chronic condition as sufferers aregenerally well unless they accidentally ingest an allergen, whereupon symptoms can be life threatening. A good under-standing of the condition is essential forsuccessful self-management, however little is known about children and young teenagers' understanding. This study aimed toexplore understanding of FA in childrenwith and without FA and whether under-standing changes as children get older.Method: Participants aged 6–14 years (53with FA; 89 without), recruited from loc evidence of a prospective associationbetween maternal, perinatal or infant VDIand subsequent IgE-mediated FA schools and allergy clinics took part insemi-structured interviews; data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Three themes were identified fromthe data across the different age groups andallergy statuses: food allergy as a sickness, food allergy as an illness and food allergy asintolerance to food. Children aged 6–8 years described FA as a sickness; you were not allowed the food because it makes youpoorly. Children aged 9–11 years also talked about FA as something that makesyou poorly, but many also described it as anillness and understood that symptoms were caused by food. Children aged 12–14 yearsdescribed it as an intolerance or that FA was your body's response to a particularfood. These age-related differences wereseen in children with and without FA. Conclusion: Although sophistication ofknowledge of FA increases with age, it is still a little understood condition by chil-dren and young teenagers. Clear, age-re-lated information about food allergy andhow it should be managed is needed forthose with and without allergy, to avoidmisunderstanding, and aid awareness andbetter self-management of the condition

Validation of the English version of the Scale for Psychosocial Factors in Food Allergy and the relationship with mental health, quality of life, and self-efficacy

Background. The Scale for Psychosocial Factors in Food Allergy (SPS-FA) is based on the biopsychosocial model of health and was developed and validated in Chile to measure the interaction between psychological variables and allergy symptoms in the child. We sought to validate this scale in an English speaking population and explore its relationship with parental quality of life, self-efficacy, and mental health. Methods. Parents (n = 434) from the general population in the UK, who had a child with a clinical diagnosis of food allergy, completed the SPS-FA and validated scales on food allergy specific parental quality of life (QoL), parental self-efficacy, and general mental health. Findings. The SPS-FA had good internal consistency (alphas = .61-.86). Higher scores on the SPS-FA significantly correlated with poorer parental QoL, self-efficacy, and mental health. All predictors explained 57% of the variance in SPS-FA scores with QoL as the biggest predictor (β = .52). Discussion. The SPS-FA is a valid scale for use in the UK and provides a holistic view of the impact of food allergy on the family. In conjunction with health-related QoL measures, it can be used by health care practitioners to target care for patients and evaluate psychological interventions for improvement of food allergy management.