Restructured products from tilapia industry by products: the effects of tapioca starch and washing cycles

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

The Effects of Processing Non-Timber Forest Products and Trade Partnerships on People's Well-Being and Forest Conservation in Amazonian Societies

This study evaluated whether processing non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and establishing trade partnerships between forest communities and companies enhance the outcomes of NTFP commercialization. In particular, we evaluated whether product processing, partnerships, or their combination was associated with a number of outcomes related to the well-being of forest inhabitants and forest conservation. We based our analyses on ethnographic and quantitative data (i.e., survey and systematic observations) gathered at seven communities from five societies of the Brazilian and Bolivian Amazon. Our results indicated that product processing and partnerships do not represent a silver bullet able to improve the results of NTFP commercialization in terms of well-being and conservation indicators. Compared with cases without interventions, households adopting partnerships but not product processing were most often associated with improved economic proxies of well-being (total income, NTFP income, food consumption and gender equality in income). In comparison, the combination of product processing and partnerships was associated with similar outcomes. Unexpectedly, product processing alone was associated with negative outcomes in the economic indicators of well-being. All of the investigated strategies were associated with less time spent in social and cultural activities. With respect to forest conservation, the strategies that included a partnership with or without processing produced similar results: while household deforestation tended to decrease, the hunting impact increased. Processing alone was also associated with higher levels of hunting, though it did not reduce deforestation. Our results indicate that establishing partnerships may enhance the outcomes of NTFP trade in terms of the financial outcomes of local communities, but practitioners need to use caution when adopting the processing strategy and they need to evaluate potential negative results for indicators of social and cultural activities. With respect to conservation, the three strategies are promising for reducing deforestation, but more pervasive impacts, such as hunting, might increase.

Evidence of contamination by oil and oil products in the Santos-São Vicente estuary, São Paulo, Brazil

Different components of the mixed function oxidase (MFO) system and the levels of fluorescent aromatic compounds in bile (FACs) were measured in Cathorops spixii in order to assess the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Fish were sampled in an estuary (Santos/Sao Vicente) with a history of contamination by PAHs, mainly due to the presence of the industrial complex of Cubatao city and of another of low anthropogenic influence (Cananeia) on the Brazilian coast. FACs were higher in fish from the polluted site, and the PAH 5 and 6-ring metabolites were the most frequent - with 14% and 15%, respectively. Levels of the different components of the MFO system showed the same variation profile as the FACs for both estuaries. Therefore, the values found for somatic indexes and biomarkers with data of bile PAH metabolites indicate the presence of organic contaminants, especially in the area subject to the influence of the industrial complex on the Santos/Sao Vicente estuary.

Regional and socioeconomic distribution of household food availability in Brazil, in 2008-2009

OBJECTIVE: To describe the regional and socioeconomic distribution of household food availability in Brazil. METHODS: Data from the 2008-2009 Household Budget Survey on food and beverage acquisition for household consumption, conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), were analyzed. The amounts of foods, recorded during seven consecutive days in the 55,970 sample households, were converted into calories and nutrients. Food quality indicators were constructed and analyzed according to the regional and socioeconomic strata of the Brazilian population. RESULTS: The amount of energy from protein was adequate in all regional and socioeconomic strata. On the other hand, an excess of free sugars and fats was observed in all regions of the country, especially in the Southern and Southeastern regions. The proportion of saturated fats was high in urban areas and consistent with the greater contribution of animal-derived products. Limited availability of fruits and vegetables was found in all regions. An increase in the fat content and reduction in carbohydrate content of the diet were observed with the increase in income. CONCLUSIONS: The negative characteristics of the Brazilian diet observed at the end of the first decade of the 21(st) century indicate the need to prioritize public policies for the promotion of healthy eating.

Rapid sample preparation procedure for As speciation in food samples by LC-ICP-MS

This paper describes a rapid method for arsenic (As) speciation by LC-ICP-MS in several types of food samples. Prior to analysis, samples were milled and the As species extracted from biological tissues by sonication in only 2 min with a solution containing MeOH (10%, v/v) plus HNO3 (2%, v/v). As species were separated by LC using an anion exchange column. Method detection limits for AsB, As3+,DMA, MMA and As5+ were 1.3, 0.9, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 ng g(-1), respectively. Method accuracy and precision were traceable to Certified Reference Materials SRM1577 bovine liver from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, CE278 mussel tissue from the Institute of Reference Materials and Measurements and DOLT-3 dogfish liver tissue and DORM-3 fish protein from the National Research Council of Canada. Finally, the method was applied to speciate As in food samples (egg, fish muscle, beef and chicken) purchased in Brazilian markets.

US Food and Drug Administration approval of generic versions of complex biologics: implications for the practicing physician using low molecular weight heparins

Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) have shown equivalent or superior efficacy and safety to unfractionated heparin as antithrombotic therapy for patients with acute coronary syndromes. Each approved LMWH is a pleotropic biological agent with a unique chemical, biochemical, biophysical and biological profile and displays different pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles. As a result, LMWHs are neither equipotent in preclinical assays nor equivalent in terms of their clinical efficacy and safety. Previously, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned against using various LMWHs interchangeably, however recently, the FDA approved generic versions of LMWH that have not been tested in large clinical trials. This paper highlights the bio-chemical and pharmacological differences between the LMWH preparations that may result in different clinical outcomes, and also reviews the implications and challenges physicians face when generic versions of the original/innovator agents are approved for clinical use.

Fibers from fruit by-products enhance probiotic viability and fatty acid profile and increase CLA content in yoghurts

This study evaluated the effect of the supplementation of total dietary fiber from apple, banana or passion fruit processing by-products on the post-acidification, total titratable acidity, bacteria counts and fatty acid profiles in skim milk yoghurts co-fermented by four different probiotics strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus L10 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL04, HN019 and B94. Apple and banana fibers increased the probiotic viability during shelf-life. All the fibers were able to increase the short chain and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of yoghurts compared to their respective controls. A synergistic effect between the type of fiber and the probiotic strain on the conjugated linoleic acid content was observed, and the amount of alpha-linolenic acid was increased by banana fiber. The results of this study demonstrate, for the first time, that fruit fibers can improve the fatty acid profile of probiotic yoghurts and point out the suitability of using fibers from fruit processing the by-products to develop new high value-added fermented dairy products. (C) 2012 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.

Antecedents of the Intent to Recommend: a problem with fast food restaurants

The fast and strong social and economic transformations in the economies of many countries has raised the competition for consumers. One of the elements required to adapt to such scenario is knowing customers and their perceptions about products or services, mainly regarding word of mouth recommendations. This study adapts, to the fast food business, a model originally designed to analyze the antecedents of the intent to recommend by clients of formal restaurants. Three constructs were considered: service quality, satisfaction, and social well-being, the latter comprised of positive and negative affections. Six hypotheses were considered, three of which relating to social well-being (that it influences satisfaction, service quality, and the intent to recommend), two relating to service quality (that in influences the intent to recommend and satisfaction), and one relating to the influence of satisfaction on the intent to recommend. None was rejected, indicating adherence and adjustment of the simplication and adaptation of the consolidated model. Through a successful empirical application, the main contribution made by this research is the simplification of a model through its application in a similar context, but with a different scope.

Impacts of Trade in Non-timber Forest Products on Cooperation among Caboclo Households of the Brazilian Amazon

Trade in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has been touted as promoting forest conservation and enhancing the well-being of local residents through increased cash income, which is considered a positive outcome. However, research on cooperation has demonstrated that increased market access and income may strengthen or weaken cooperation. Because cooperation is essential for community resilience in small-scale societies, negative effects on people's well-being can be expected if increased NTFP trade reduces cooperation. To evaluate whether NTFP trade affected cooperation, we used household data (survey and systematic observations) to compare the frequency of cooperation in two communities of Brazilian Amazon Caboclos, one of which engaged in NTFP trade, while the other did not. Cooperation was less frequent in the community trading NTFPs, but neither household cash income nor household participation in NTFP exploitation was associated with cooperative behavior. Decreased frequency most likely derived from indirect effects of NTFP trade, such as less time to fish or socialize, or other outcomes observable only at the community level, such as income inequality, the influx of new residents and consequent population growth. Our results indicate that conservation and development projects based on NTFP trade may negatively impact social and economic well-being of local communities.

Formaldehyde inhalation reduces respiratory mechanics in a rat model with allergic lung inflammation by altering the nitric oxide/cyclooxygenase-derived products relationship

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness is a hallmark of asthma and many factors modulate bronchoconstriction episodes. A potential correlation of formaldehyde (FA) inhalation and asthma has been observed; however, the exact role of FA remains controversial. We investigated the effects of FA inhalation on Ovalbumin (OVA) sensitisation using a parameter of respiratory mechanics. The involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and cyclooxygenase-derived products were also evaluated. The rats were submitted, or not, to FA inhalation (1%, 90 min/day, 3 days) and were OVA-sensitised and challenged 14 days later. Our data showed that previous FA exposure in allergic rats reduced bronchial responsiveness, respiratory resistance (Rrs) and elastance (Ers) to methacholine. FA exposure in allergic rats also increased the iNOS gene expression and reduced COX-1. L-NAME treatment exacerbated the bronchial hyporesponsiveness and did not modify the Ers and Rrs, while Indomethacin partially reversed all of the parameters studied. The L-NAME and Indomethacin treatments reduced leukotriene B4 levels while they increased thromboxane B2 and prostaglandin E2. In conclusion, FA exposure prior to OVA sensitisation reduces the respiratory mechanics and the interaction of NO and PGE2 may be representing a compensatory mechanism in order to protect the lung from bronchoconstriction effects.

Global trade, food production and ecosystem support : Making the interactions visible

Modern food production is a complex, globalized system in which what we eat and how it is produced are increasingly disconnected. This thesis examines some of the ways in which global trade has changed the mix of inputs to food and feed, and how this affects food security and our perceptions of sustainability. One useful indicator of the ecological impact of trade in food and feed products is the Appropriated Ecosystem Areas (ArEAs), which estimates the terrestrial and aquatic areas needed to produce all the inputs to particular products. The method is introduced in Paper I and used to calculate and track changes in imported subsidies to Swedish agriculture over the period 1962-1994. In 1994, Swedish consumers needed agricultural areas outside their national borders to satisfy more than a third of their food consumption needs. The method is then applied to Swedish meat production in Paper II to show that the term “Made in Sweden” is often a misnomer. In 1999, almost 80% of manufactured feed for Swedish pigs, cattle and chickens was dependent on imported inputs, mainly from Europe, Southeast Asia and South America. Paper III examines ecosystem subsidies to intensive aquaculture in two nations: shrimp production in Thailand and salmon production in Norway. In both countries, aquaculture was shown to rely increasingly on imported subsidies. The rapid expansion of aquaculture turned these countries from fishmeal net exporters to fishmeal net importers, increasingly using inputs from the Southeastern Pacific Ocean. As the examined agricultural and aquacultural production systems became globalized, levels of dependence on other nations’ ecosystems, the number of external supply sources, and the distance to these sources steadily increased. Dependence on other nations is not problematic, as long as we are able to acknowledge these links and sustainably manage resources both at home and abroad. However, ecosystem subsidies are seldom recognized or made explicit in national policy or economic accounts. Economic systems are generally not designed to receive feedbacks when the status of remote ecosystems changes, much less to respond in an ecologically sensitive manner. Papers IV and V discuss the problem of “masking” of the true environmental costs of production for trade. One of our conclusions is that, while the ArEAs approach is a useful tool for illuminating environmentally-based subsidies in the policy arena, it does not reflect all of the costs. Current agricultural and aquacultural production methods have generated substantial increases in production levels, but if policy continues to support the focus on yield and production increases alone, taking the work of ecosystems for granted, vulnerability can result. Thus, a challenge is to develop a set of complementary tools that can be used in economic accounting at national and international scales that address ecosystem support and performance. We conclude that future resilience in food production systems will require more explicit links between consumers and the work of supporting ecosystems, locally and in other regions of the world, and that food security planning will require active management of the capacity of all involved ecosystems to sustain food production.

Application of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques in the evaluation of the lipid fraction of animal products

Lipolysis and oxidation of lipids in foods are the major biochemical and chemical processes that cause food quality deterioration, leading to the characteristic, unpalatable odour and flavour called rancidity. In addition to unpalatability, rancidity may give rise to toxic levels of certain compounds like aldehydes, hydroperoxides, epoxides and cholesterol oxidation products. In this PhD study chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques were employed to determine the degree of rancidity in different animal products and its relationship with technological parameters like feeding fat sources, packaging, processing and storage conditions. To achieve this goal capillary gas chromatography (CGC) was employed not only to determine the fatty acids profile but also, after solid phase extraction, the amount of free fatty acids (FFA), diglycerides (DG), sterols (cholesterol and phytosterols) and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). To determine hydroperoxides, primary products of oxidation and quantify secondary products UV/VIS absorbance spectroscopy was applied. Most of the foods analysed in this study were meat products. In actual fact, lipid oxidation is a major deterioration reaction in meat and meat products and results in adverse changes in the colour, flavour and texture of meat. The development of rancidity has long recognized as a serious problem during meat handling, storage and processing. On a dairy product, a vegetal cream, a study of lipid fraction and development of rancidity during storage was carried out to evaluate its shelf-life and some nutritional features life saturated/unsaturated fatty acids ratio and phytosterols content. Then, according to the interest that has been growing around functional food in the last years, a new electrophoretic method was optimized and compared with HPLC to check the quality of a beehive product like royal jelly. This manuscript reports the main results obtained in the five activities briefly summarized as follows: 1) comparison between HPLC and a new electrophoretic method in the evaluation of authenticity of royal jelly; 2) study of the lipid fraction of a vegetal cream under different storage conditions; 3) study of lipid oxidation in minced beef during storage under a modified atmosphere packaging, before and after cooking; 4) evaluation of the influence of dietary fat and processing on the lipid fraction of chicken patties; 5) study of the lipid fraction of typical Italian and Spanish pork dry sausages and cured hams.

Determinants of specific food consumption in the Canary Islands (Spain)

The consumption of specific functional foods (FF) and some determinants of FF item selection were assessed using a questionnaire administered to 1112 individuals in the Canary Islands (Spain). Food items considered were Milk products: easily digestible milk (or milk low in lactose), milk enriched with vitamins and/or minerals, skimmed milk with soluble fiber, milk with royal jelly, milk with modified fatty acids (omega 3), milk products low in fat, pro-biotic foods (yoghurt and fermented milk) and yoghurt with phytosterols; Cereals: fortified breakfast cereals, wholemeal cereals and energy bars; Drinks: juices and enriched drinks, stimulating drinks and isotonic drinks; DHA-enriched, low cholesterol eggs; Meat products: low salt sausages and cooked low fat ham; Fats: enriched margarine, margarine rich in phytosterols and

Plant food supplement (PFS) market structure in EC Member States, methods and techniques for the assessment of individual PFS intake

The popularity of herbal products, especially plant food supplements (PFS) and herbal medicine is on the rise in Europe and other parts of the world, with increased use in the general population as well as among specific subgroups encompassing children, women or those suffering from diseases such as cancer. The aim of this paper is to examine the PFS market structures in European Community (EC) Member States as well as to examine issues addressing methodologies and consumption data relating to PFS use in Europe. A revision of recent reports on market data, trends and main distribution channels, in addition an example of the consumption of PFS in Spain, is presented. An overview of the methods and administration techniques used...

Determinants of specific food consumption in the Canary Islands (Spain)

[EN]The consumption of specific functional foods (FF) and some determinants of FF item selection were assessed using a questionnaire administered to 1112 individuals in the Canary Islands (Spain). The results indicated that the highest prevalence was fortified drinks (63.6%; 95%CI: 60.7–66.5). Overall FF consumption prevalence was 80.1% (95%CI: 77–83): single FF item consumption being rare. There were significant inter-group relationships, and some group intakes (milk products, cereals and drinks) were related to age but with no overall relationship between consumption and age. The education level was significantly related to the consumption of cereals, drinks, meat products and condiments (c2 test p ¼ 0.04).