Sistemi per la produzione di enzimi industriali finalizzati alla valorizzazione di scarti agroalimentari

La demolizione idrolitica delle pareti cellulari delle piante tramite enzimi lignocellulosici è quindi uno degli approcci più studiati della valorizzazione di scarti agricoli per il recupero di fitochimici di valore come secondary chemical building block per la chimica industriale. White rot fungi come il Pleurotus ostreatus producono una vasta gamma di enzimi extracellulari che degradano substrati lignocellulosici complessi in sostanze solubili per essere utilizzati come nutrienti. In questo lavoro abbiamo studiato la produzione di diversi tipi di enzimi lignocellulosici quali cellulase, xilanase, pectinase, laccase, perossidase e arylesterase (caffeoilesterase e feruloilesterase), indotte dalla crescita di Pleurotus ostreatus in fermentazione allo stato solido (SSF) di sottoprodotti agroalimentari (graspi d’uva, vinaccioli, lolla di riso, paglia di grano e crusca di grano) come substrati. Negli ultimi anni, SSF ha ricevuto sempre più interesse da parte dei ricercatori, dal momento che diversi studi per produzioni di enzimi, aromi, coloranti e altre sostanze di interesse per l' industria alimentare hanno dimostrato che SSF può dare rendimenti più elevati o migliorare le caratteristiche del prodotto rispetto alla fermentazione sommersa. L’utilizzo dei sottoprodotti agroalimentari come substrati nei processi SSF, fornisce una via alternativa e di valore, alternativa a questi residui altrimenti sotto/o non utilizzati. L'efficienza del processo di fermentazione è stato ulteriormente studiato attraverso trattamenti meccanici di estrusione del substrato , in grado di promuovere il recupero dell’enzima e di aumentare l'attività prodotta. Le attività enzimatiche prodotte dalla fermentazione sono strettamente dipendente della rimozione periodica degli enzimi prodotti. Le diverse matrici vegetali utilizzate hanno presentato diversi fenomeni induttivi delle specifiche attività enzimatiche. I processi SSF hanno dimostrato una buona capacità di produrre enzimi extracellulari in grado di essere utilizzati successivamente nei processi idrolitici di bioraffinazione per la valorizzazione dei prodotti agroalimentari.

Electric techniques for the assessment of quality parameters of foodstuffs

In food industry, quality assurance requires low cost methods for the rapid assessment of the parameters that affect product stability. Foodstuffs are complex in their structure, mainly composed by gaseous, liquid and solid phases which often coexist in the same product. Special attention is given to water, concerned as natural component of the major food product or as added ingredient of a production process. Particularly water is structurally present in the matrix and not completely available. In this way, water can be present in foodstuff in many different states: as water of crystallization, bound to protein or starch molecules, entrapped in biopolymer networks or adsorbed on solid surfaces of porous food particles. The traditional technique for the assessment of food quality give reliable information but are destructive, time consuming and unsuitable for on line application. The techniques proposed answer to the limited disposition of time and could be able to characterize the main compositional parameters. Dielectric interaction response is mainly related to water and could be useful not only to provide information on the total content but also on the degree of mobility of this ubiquitous molecule in different complex food matrix. In this way the proposal of this thesis is to answer at this need. Dielectric and electric tool can be used for the scope and led us to describe the complex food matrix and predict food characteristic. The thesis is structured in three main part, in the first one some theoretical tools are recalled to well assess the food parameter involved in the quality definition and the techniques able to reply at the problem emerged. The second part explains the research conducted and the experimental plans are illustrated in detail. Finally the last section is left for rapid method easily implementable in an industrial process.

L'internazionalizzazione e le specializzazioni commerciali delle regioni italiane nel settore agroalimentare

Il presente lavoro si compone di tre capitoli, tra loro autonomi e allo stesso tempo intrinsecamente collegati. Nel primo capitolo si è voluto offrire una panoramica dello scenario agroalimentare italiano e della sua rilevanza nel sistema economico nazionale. Per fare ciò si è partiti da una disamina del contesto economico mondiale per poi centrare il discorso sull’andamento congiunturale dell’agroalimentare nazionale, analizzato secondo i principali indicatori macroeconomici. Successivamente vengono presentati gli attori del sistema agroalimentare, rilevando per ciascuno di essi le proprie specificità e tendenze. L’ultima parte del primo capitolo è un focus specifico sul ruolo giocato dall’agroalimentare italiano nel commercio e nei mercati internazionali. Nel secondo capitolo si è approntata una mappatura territoriale e per comparti delle principali specializzazioni commerciali del settore agroalimentare delle regioni italiane. Tramite l'utilizzo di appositi indici di specializzazione si è analizzata la realtà agroalimentare delle regioni italiane, mettendone in evidenza la struttura competitiva e approssimandola tramite l’analisi dei vantaggi comparati di cui gode. Infine, nel terzo capitolo, si è ampliato il campo d'analisi tentando di misurare il livello di internazionalizzazione delle regioni italiane, non solo in ambito agroalimentare, ma considerando l'intero sistema territoriale regionale. Si è tentato di fare ciò tramite tre strumenti: l’analisi delle componenti principali (PCA o ACP), il Mazziotta-Pareto Index e il Wroclaw taxonomic method. I risultati ottenuti tramite le tre modalità di elaborazione hanno permesso di approfondire la conoscenza del livello di internazionalizzazione registrato dalle regioni italiane, mettendo in luce ulteriori filoni di ricerca della tematica osservata.

Reibung – ein unterschätztes Phänomen in der Verpackungslogistik

„Geiz ist geil!“ ist das Motto eines Handelshauses. Aber diese Philosophie erweist sich immer häufiger als ungeeignet, längerfristigen Erfolg zu sichern. Oftmals wird gerade aus diesem Grund wieder verstärkt auf Qualität geachtet, auf die Qualität von Produkten, auf die Qualität von Herstellungsprozessen, auf die Qualität von Logistikprozessen etc. Dieser Sinneswandel beeinflusst auch alle Verpackungsprozesse, da diese untrennbar mit der Sicherung der Produktqualität und der sicheren Abwicklung aller logistischen Prozesse verbunden ist. Neben der Forderung nach einem wirtschaftlichen Produktschutz als Kernaufgabe der Verpackung müssen jedoch auch zwingende Vorgaben – beispielsweise seitens des Gesetzgebers (z. B. im Lebensmittelbereich, in der Gefahrgutlogistik, im Straßenverkehrsrecht) – beachtet werden. Das führt u. a. dazu, dass alle verpackten Güter so geschützt sein sollten, dass sie den Belastungen im Transportprozess, aber auch den Belastungen aufgrund von Ladungs- und Ladeeinheitensicherungsmaßnahmen standhalten können. Da sich jedoch nicht alle Ladegüter oder Packstücke beliebig für form- oder kraftschlüssige Sicherungsmaßnahmen eignen, sollte bei der Auslegung von Verpackungsmaßnahmen insbesondere der hilfreichen Wirkung von Reibungskräften zur Reduzierung zusätzlicher Sicherungsmaßnahmen Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet werden.

Reibung – ein unterschätztes Phänomen in der Verpackungslogistik

„Geiz ist geil!“ ist das Motto eines Handelshauses. Aber diese Philosophie erweist sich immer häufiger als ungeeignet, längerfristigen Erfolg zu sichern. Oftmals wird gerade aus diesem Grund wieder verstärkt auf Qualität geachtet, auf die Qualität von Produkten, auf die Qualität von Herstellungsprozessen, auf die Qualität von Logistikprozessen etc. Dieser Sinneswandel beeinflusst auch alle Verpackungsprozesse, da diese untrennbar mit der Sicherung der Produktqualität und der sicheren Abwicklung aller logistischen Prozesse verbunden ist. Neben der Forderung nach einem wirtschaftlichen Produktschutz als Kernaufgabe der Verpackung müssen jedoch auch zwingende Vorgaben – beispielsweise seitens des Gesetzgebers (z. B. im Lebensmittelbereich, in der Gefahrgutlogistik, im Straßenverkehrsrecht) – beachtet werden. Das führt u. a. dazu, dass alle verpackten Güter so geschützt sein sollten, dass sie den Belastungen im Transportprozess, aber auch den Belastungen aufgrund von Ladungs- und Ladeeinheitensicherungsmaßnahmen standhalten können. Da sich jedoch nicht alle Ladegüter oder Packstücke beliebig für form- oder kraftschlüssige Sicherungsmaßnahmen eignen, sollte bei der Auslegung von Verpackungsmaßnahmen insbesondere der hilfreichen Wirkung von Reibungskräften zur Reduzierung zusätzlicher Sicherungsmaßnahmen Aufmerksamkeit gewidmet werden.

Mexico: A new heavy weight in a global world

In the last three decades, obesity has been gaining recognition as a serious public health problem in Mexico. This epidemic developed insidiously in a country that was still focused on chronic under-nutrition in the population. During that same period, macro-economic reforms projected Mexico into the global economic arena. Foreign investments, trade in goods and services, and technological transfers were promoted through participation in numerous trade agreements between Mexico and other countries. The North American Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed in 1994, promised an integrated market between the three North American countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Although these trade policies were likely to have effects on the available food supply in Mexico, this association has not been elucidated. In this case study, we examine how these trade liberalization policies may have influenced the food supply in Mexico.^ Information on the trade of food commodities between the United States and Mexico and the nature of foreign investment in Mexico was compiled using public data available through American, Mexican, and other international published reports for 1986 through 2011. After the implementation of NAFTA, an increase in trade and investments was observed between Mexico and its two North American partners, but most of the trade increase occurred between the US and Mexico. Since the liberalization of trade policies between these counties, exports of fruit and vegetables into the U.S. from Mexico have increased, while exports of cereals, fats, vegetable oils, meat, dairy products and processed foods from the U.S. into Mexico have increased. During this same time period, there has been an increase in the foreign direct investment in the food industry in Mexico, as well as changes in the types and amounts of dietary energy available on a population level. Specifically, between 1990 to 2006, the dietary energy supply per person has increased 6.1% available animal protein has increased 35.8%, and available fat has increased 18.9%.^ Thus, this case study suggests that the recent changes in food-related industries through foreign direct investment and market liberalization may be likely contributors to the obesogenic food environment in Mexico. Although this initial case study provides interesting data, whether trade liberalization policies should be considered hazardous for health as a distal determinant of the obesity epidemic needs to be further examined using a more stringent study design or further follow up of the US Mexico trade data.^

Elite porteña y lógica económica : Un análisis sobre los patrones de acumulación rioplatenses (1650-1750)

Este trabajo intenta resignificar el rol de la elite porteña en la economía ganadera durante el período 1650-1750. Evalúa el impacto de la apertura ultramarina en la estructura agraria y su correlato en el desempeño del sector terrateniente. Analiza la matriz productiva del comercio exterior y el peso de los bienes pecuarios en los patrones de acumulación. Enfatiza la función estratégica de las Salinas de la pampa y la importancia de la industria de bastimentos para la operatoria de la plaza naviera. Propone una revisión crítica de la lógica acumulativa del capital comercial

Elite porteña y lógica económica : Un análisis sobre los patrones de acumulación rioplatenses (1650-1750)

Este trabajo intenta resignificar el rol de la elite porteña en la economía ganadera durante el período 1650-1750. Evalúa el impacto de la apertura ultramarina en la estructura agraria y su correlato en el desempeño del sector terrateniente. Analiza la matriz productiva del comercio exterior y el peso de los bienes pecuarios en los patrones de acumulación. Enfatiza la función estratégica de las Salinas de la pampa y la importancia de la industria de bastimentos para la operatoria de la plaza naviera. Propone una revisión crítica de la lógica acumulativa del capital comercial

Elite porteña y lógica económica : Un análisis sobre los patrones de acumulación rioplatenses (1650-1750)

Este trabajo intenta resignificar el rol de la elite porteña en la economía ganadera durante el período 1650-1750. Evalúa el impacto de la apertura ultramarina en la estructura agraria y su correlato en el desempeño del sector terrateniente. Analiza la matriz productiva del comercio exterior y el peso de los bienes pecuarios en los patrones de acumulación. Enfatiza la función estratégica de las Salinas de la pampa y la importancia de la industria de bastimentos para la operatoria de la plaza naviera. Propone una revisión crítica de la lógica acumulativa del capital comercial

Japanese import survey : descriptive analysis

Food importers, such as wholesalers and food processing firms, play an important role in sourcing food from abroad. They are also responsible for ensuring that imported food meets the food safety standards of the importing country. Often, assurance of conformity is done in collaboration with exporters. Thus, importers can influence how supply chains in developing countries are organized. This paper uses a unique dataset obtained from the Japanese market to examine how importers select suppliers and assure food quality.

Impact attribution models to evaluate drought effects: economic impacts, risk analyses and management strategies in Spain and Chile

La sequía es un fenómeno natural que se origina por el descenso de las precipitaciones con respecto a una media, y que resulta en la disponibilidad insuficiente de agua para alguna actividad. La creciente presión que se ha venido ejerciendo sobre los recursos hídricos ha hecho que los impactos de la sequía se hayan visto agravados a la vez que ha desencadenado situaciones de escasez de agua en muchas partes del planeta. Los países con clima mediterráneo son especialmente vulnerables a las sequías, y, su crecimiento económico dependiente del agua da lugar a impactos importantes. Para reducir los impactos de la sequía es necesaria una reducción de la vulnerabilidad a las sequías que viene dada por una gestión más eficiente y por una mejor preparación. Para ello es muy importante disponer de información acerca de los impactos y el alcance de este fenómeno natural. Esta investigación trata de abarcar el tema de los impactos de las sequías, de manera que plantea todos los tipos de impactos que pueden darse y además compara sus efectos en dos países (España y Chile). Para ello se proponen modelos de atribución de impactos que sean capaces de medir las pérdidas económicas causadas por la falta de agua. Los modelos propuestos tienen una base econométrica en la que se incluyen variables clave a la hora de evaluar los impactos como es una variable relacionada con la disponibilidad de agua, y otras de otra naturaleza para distinguir los efectos causados por otras fuentes de variación. Estos modelos se adaptan según la fase del estudio en la que nos encontremos. En primer lugar se miden los impactos directos sobre el regadío y se introduce en el modelo un factor de aleatoriedad para evaluar el riesgo económico de sequía. Esto se hace a dos niveles geográficos (provincial y de Unidad de Demanda Agraria) y además en el último se introduce no solo el riesgo de oferta sino también el riesgo de demanda de agua. La introducción de la perspectiva de riesgo en el modelo da lugar a una herramienta de gestión del riesgo económico que puede ser utilizada para estrategias de planificación. Más adelante una extensión del modelo econométrico se desarrolla para medir los impactos en el sector agrario (impactos directos sobre el regadío y el secano e impactos indirectos sobre la Agro Industria) para ello se adapta el modelo y se calculan elasticidades concatenadas entre la falta de agua y los impactos secundarios. Por último se plantea un modelo econométrico para el caso de estudio en Chile y se evalúa el impacto de las sequías debidas al fenómeno de La Niña. iv Los resultados en general muestran el valor que brinda el conocimiento más preciso acerca de los impactos, ya que en muchas ocasiones se tiende a sobreestimar los daños realmente producidos por la falta de agua. Los impactos indirectos de la sequía confirman su alcance a la vez que son amortiguados a medida que nos acercamos al ámbito macroeconómico. En el caso de Chile, su diferente gestión muestra el papel que juegan el fenómeno de El Niño y La Niña sobre los precios de los principales cultivos del país y sobre el crecimiento del sector. Para reducir las pérdidas y su alcance se deben plantear más medidas de mitigación que centren su esfuerzo en una gestión eficiente del recurso. Además la prevención debe jugar un papel muy importante para reducir los riesgos que pueden sufrirse ante situaciones de escasez. ABSTRACT Drought is a natural phenomenon that originates by the decrease in rainfall in comparison to the average, and that results in water shortages for some activities. The increasing pressure on water resources has augmented the impact of droughts just as water scarcity has become an additional problem in many parts of the planet. Countries with Mediterranean climate are especially vulnerable to drought, and its waterdependent economic growth leads to significant impacts. To reduce the negative impacts it is necessary to deal with drought vulnerability, and to achieve this objective a more efficient management is needed. The availability of information about the impacts and the scope of droughts become highly important. This research attempts to encompass the issue of drought impacts, and therefore it characterizes all impact types that may occur and also compares its effects in two different countries (Spain and Chile). Impact attribution models are proposed in order to measure the economic losses caused by the lack of water. The proposed models are based on econometric approaches and they include key variables for measuring the impacts. Variables related to water availability, crop prices or time trends are included to be able to distinguish the effects caused by any of the possible sources. These models are adapted for each of the parts of the study. First, the direct impacts on irrigation are measured and a source of variability is introduced into the model to assess the economic risk of drought. This is performed at two geographic levels provincial and Agricultural Demand Unit. In the latter, not only the supply risk is considered but also the water demand risk side. The introduction of the risk perspective into the model results in a risk management tool that can be used for planning strategies. Then an extension of the econometric model is developed to measure the impacts on the agricultural sector (direct impacts on irrigated and rainfed productions and indirect impacts on the Agri-food Industry). For this aim the model is adapted and concatenated elasticities between the lack of water and the impacts are estimated. Finally an econometric model is proposed for the Chilean case study to evaluate the impact of droughts, especially caused by El Niño Southern Oscillation. The overall results show the value of knowing better about the precise impacts that often tend to be overestimated. The models allow for measuring accurate impacts due to the lack of water. Indirect impacts of drought confirm their scope while they confirm also its dilution as we approach the macroeconomic variables. In the case of Chile, different management strategies of the country show the role of ENSO phenomena on main crop prices and on economic trends. More mitigation measures focused on efficient resource management are necessary to reduce drought losses. Besides prevention must play an important role to reduce the risks that may be suffered due to shortages.

Estudio de viabilidad para instalar una planta de cogeneración

En el presente proyecto se estudia la viabilidad, tanto técnica como económica, de la instalación de una planta de cogeneración, en una industria alimentaria en Aldaya (Valencia). El diseño de la central de cogeneración se basa en la demanda energética de la fábrica, atendiendo a los requisitos necesarios para acogerse al Régimen Especial de producción de energía eléctrica establecidos en el Real Decreto 661/2007, de 25 de mayo. En cuanto a la viabilidad económica, se ha elegido la alternativa de venta de electricidad a la red a tarifa, (a un precio fijo y regulado) con el fin de asegurar los ingresos en el estudio económico y reducir la sensibilidad del proyecto a las variables del mercado. Como resultado se obtienen la reducción de los costes de energía de la fábrica, mejora de la fiabilidad de suministro, reducción de emisiones globales de CO2, y una elevada rentabilidad del proyecto. ABSTRACT The aim of this project is to study the technical and economic feasibility of a cogeneration plant in a food industry in Aldaya (Valencia). The design of the cogeneration plant is based on the energetic demand of the factory, attending to the requirements specified in the Special Regime of production of electric power established in the R.D. 661/2007. The studied alternative in terms of economic viability is selling electricity to the net by tariff, which is a fixed and regulated price in order to assure the revenue in the economic study and to reduce the project sensitivity to the market variation. The results obtained are: reduction in energy costs of the fabric, improvement of reliability in the electrical supply, reduction of global CO2 emission, and high profitability of the project.

The Phase Space as a New Representation of the Dynamical Behaviour of Temperature and Enthalpy in a Reefer monitored with a Multidistributed Sensors Network

The study of temperature gradients in cold stores and containers is a critical issue in the food industry for the quality assurance of products during transport, as well as forminimizing losses. The objective of this work is to develop a new methodology of data analysis based on phase space graphs of temperature and enthalpy, collected by means of multidistributed, low cost and autonomous wireless sensors and loggers. A transoceanic refrigerated transport of lemons in a reefer container ship from Montevideo (Uruguay) to Cartagena (Spain) was monitored with a network of 39 semi-passive TurboTag RFID loggers and 13 i-button loggers. Transport included intermodal transit from transoceanic to short shipping vessels and a truck trip. Data analysis is carried out using qualitative phase diagrams computed on the basis of Takens?Ruelle reconstruction of attractors. Fruit stress is quantified in terms of the phase diagram area which characterizes the cyclic behaviour of temperature. Areas within the enthalpy phase diagram computed for the short sea shipping transport were 5 times higher than those computed for the long sea shipping, with coefficients of variation above 100% for both periods. This new methodology for data analysis highlights the significant heterogeneity of thermohygrometric conditions at different locations in the container.