Popular Food (popular + food)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


A comparison of two instrumental techniques used to discriminate the cooking quality of spaghetti

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2008
Mike Sissons
Summary Pasta is a popular food whose quality can be measured by appearance, flavour and texture. Several instruments have been devised to measure texture but there is little comparative information. This study compared the TA.XT2i texture analyser with the viscoelastograph of thirty spaghetti samples. There was a high correlation between these instruments and good agreement in ranks. While both instruments provide comparable data it is not the same. Two laboratories used the texture analyser to measure cooked spaghetti firmness using their own procedures. There was good agreement in firmness, however; there were differences in the ranks for samples that fell between the extremes in firmness. We attributed these differences to variations in the instrument settings, cooking method and sample presentation used by the laboratories indicating the need to standardise the method. Using a standard method greatly improved the correspondence between the laboratories improving the r2 to 0.99 with excellent agreement in the ranking of ten samples. [source]


PRESERVATION OF COMMERCIAL FISH BALL QUALITY WITH EDIBLE ANTIOXIDANT-INCORPORATED ZEIN COATINGS

JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, Issue 5 2009
LIAN-SYUN LIN
ABSTRACT Fish ball, a surimi product rich in lipid and protein, is a popular food in Taiwan. Because lipid oxidation is one of the major deterioration reactions for fish ball, the feasibility of preservation of fish ball quality by the application of antioxidant-incorporated zein coating was investigated. Three antioxidants including butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and n-propyl gallate (PG) were used to formulate the antioxidant zein coatings. Infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the successful incorporation of antioxidant with zein protein; peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and weight loss were used as the quality indicators of fish ball stored at 4C. While all three types of antioxidant-incorporated zein coatings significantly retarded the quality deterioration, PG-incorporated zein coating exerted better quality preservation effectiveness than BHA- and BHT-incorporated zein coatings. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Edible coatings have been under research for several decades. However, most of the studies are conducted for the investigations of physiochemical or mechanical properties and usually using simulated food systems. The lack of applications on the commercial food products manufactured from food plants makes the edible coatings somewhat unrealistic. Not prepared in a laboratory for academic purpose only, the fish ball used in the present study was a real commercial product. The promising results of antioxidant-incorporated zein coatings on commercial products presented in this report will enhance the confidence of food manufacturers on the edible coatings. [source]


Determination of Regional Flavor Differences in U.S. Cheddar Cheeses Aged for 6 Mo or Longer

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 5 2008
M.A. Drake
ABSTRACT:, Cheddar cheese is a widely popular food in the United States. This product is produced in facilities across the United States and often marketed based on region of manufacture, implying that regional differences in flavor character of the cheese exist. This study was conducted to determine if regional differences in flavor exist in the aged U.S. Cheddar cheeses. Three times per year for 2 y, triplicate 18-kg blocks of Cheddar cheese (< 60 d old) were obtained from 19 manufacturing facilities located in 4 major cheese- producing regions/states: California, Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast. A trained sensory panel documented the flavor characteristics of cheeses after 6-, 9-, 12-, 18-, and 24-mo ripening at 7 °C. Regional differences were observed for specific flavors for cheeses manufactured in the Northwest, Midwest, and Northeast across ripening (P < 0.05), but the specific flavors responsible for these effects were not consistent across ripening. Similarly, cheese make procedure effects were also observed for specific flavors across ripening (P < 0.05), but these differences were also not consistent across ripening. The impact of region and cheese make procedure on flavor of the aged Cheddar cheeses was small in comparison to consistently documented, facility-specific flavor differences (P < 0.0001). Flavor profiles of aged Cheddar cheeses were most strongly influenced by practices specific to manufacturing facility rather than region of manufacture. [source]


SIMPLIFIED LEXICON TO DESCRIBE FLAVOR CHARACTERISTICS OF WESTERN EUROPEAN CHEESES

JOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 4 2008
MARTIN TALAVERA-BIANCHI
ABSTRACT Many researchers have developed useful lexicons to describe flavor characteristics of different cheeses. The objectives of this study were to determine if the terminology established in previous studies was adequate to evaluate a wide range of European cheeses, and to determine if a simplified "general" lexicon can be developed for the description of cheese. A descriptive panel evaluated the flavor of 65 western European cheeses that varied in region produced, milk source, maturation time and processing method. The panel reviewed previously published cheese attributes, definitions and references prior to beginning the testing. During testing, the panel detected and added new descriptors and eliminated terms which did not appear in any of the cheeses. Data inspection, in addition to factor analysis, suggests that 25 attributes are needed to explain the common flavor characteristics found in cheese. However, 19 additional attributes may be used occasionally to describe targeted specific flavor characteristics. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The flavor of cheese, an increasingly popular food, is critical to producers and consumers. A large number of sensory descriptors can be used to describe flavor characteristics of cheese. The research indicates a lexicon with a reduced number of terms that can be used to describe most general flavor characteristics. Other characteristics are needed occasionally to describe specific characteristics of some cheeses. [source]


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked cheese

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 8 2008
Marie Suchanová
Abstract BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a group of organic compounds containing two or more aromatic rings. Their control in the human food chain is required due to the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential, exhibited in vertebrates. In the present study, the occurrence of PAHs in 36 cheeses smoked by various processes was investigated. RESULTS: PAH concentrations (sum of 15 US EPA PAHs) found in samples smoked under controlled industrial conditions were at level 0.11 µg kg,1, whereas in ,home-made' cheeses, the PAH content was up to 10 times higher. A similar trend was observed for B[a]P, a marker compound representing carcinogenic PAHs. While its levels in commercial products prepared by controlled smoking technologies were close to the limit of quantification (0.03 µg kg,1); in household samples, the B[a]P content ranged from 0.6 to 0.9 µg kg,1. Significantly higher amounts of PAHs (up to three to six times) were found in surface layers as compared to internal parts of cheese. CONCLUSION: Although smoked cheese is a popular food, only several papers have focused on PAH levels in these products. This paper evaluates the contribution of different smoking technologies to PAH contamination of several cheeses and thus can help in a risk assessment associated with their consumption. Moreover, the study shows the concentration ratios of selected PAHs, from which the type of smoking technology can be indicated. The results obtained in this study also supported the suggestion of the EU Scientific Committee on Food to use benzo[a]pyrene as an indicator of the occurrence of higher-molecular mass PAHs. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry [source]


The Risks of Everyday Life: Fat content of chips, quality of frying fat and deep-frying practices in New Zealand fast food outlets

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2 2002
Judith Morley-John
Objectives:To collect baseline data on the fat content of hot chips, quality (degradation) of cooking fat, deep-frying practices and related attitudes in fast food outlets in New Zealand. To identify the key determinants of the fat content of chips and quality of cooking fat. Methods:A nationally representative sample of fast food outlets (n=150, response rate 80%) was surveyed between September 1998 and March 1999. Data collected included a questionnaire, observation of cooking practices and analysis of cooked chips and frying fat. Results:Only 8% of independent operators had formal training in deep frying practices compared with 93% of chain operators. There was a wide range of fat content of chips (5%-20%, mean 11.5%). The use of thinner chips, crinkle cut chips and lower fryer fat temperature were associated with higher chip fat content. Eighty-nine per cent of chain outlets used 6,10 mm chips compared with 83% of independent outlets that used chips ,12 mm. A wide range of frying temperatures was recorded (136,233°C) with 58% of outlets frying outside the reference range (175,190°C). As indices of fat degradation, fat acid and polar compound values above the recommended levels occurred in 54% and 5% of outlets respectively. Operators seemed willing to learn more about best practice techniques, with lack of knowledge being the main barrier to change. Conclusions and implications:Deep frying practices could be improved through operator training and certification options. Even a small decrease in the mean fat content of chips would reduce the obesogenic impact of this popular food. [source]


Engineering and biotechnological aspects for the manufacturing of high quality fried potato products

BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2006
Ernst H. Reimerdes
Abstract Fried potato products have become very popular foods over the last decades. High quality standards have been established for these products by the food industry including uniform brown color and crispness. During frying, Maillard reactions takes place which contribute to color and taste development in these products. However, safety aspects are also influenced by these reactions, e.g., acrylamide formation. Maintaining high safety standards as well as the expected quality requires systematic research based on an integrated approach including all relevant variables, e.g., raw material properties, processing conditions and equipment concepts. Selected results of these investigations are presented and discussed, regarding influence of composition, e.g., precursor levels for Maillard reactions, treatment of raw materials and addition of reactants to frying fat. It has been demonstrated that a combined treatment of the potato sticks by coating of product surfaces and partial pre-drying can be successfully applied to produce well-browned French fries with lower acrylamide contents. Reductions up to 75% could be reached compared to samples without treatment. Furthermore, addition of a water/oil emulsion containing glutamine in the aqueous phase has been shown to influence Maillard reactions at the product surface, resulting in lower acrylamide contents at the same state of browning. [source]