Italian Journal of Food Science

Quality perception and willingness to pay: The case of red wine with health-beneficial effects

2021-01-07T09:14:23+00:00

This paper attempts to identify consumers’ preferences toward red wine quality cues and willingness to pay (WTP) for wine with health-beneficial effects, thus clarifying the complex process of purchasing habits and patterns. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings from a case study conducted in Serbia show that consumer health-effect consciousness and household income are significant predictors of their WTP. On the other hand, health-conscious consumers are more inclined to intrinsic quality cues, while those who are willing to pay a higher price for a bottle of red wine are prone to extrinsic wine quality cues.

The influence of starter cultures on the lactic acid bacteria microbiota of Petrovac sausage

2020-11-24T12:07:03+00:00

Petrovac sausage (Petrovská klobása) is a high-quality fermented dry sausage produced traditionally in the municipality of Ba?ki Petrovac (Vojvodina, Serbia). The product is characterised by specific and recognised texture, aroma and colour, produced without additives or preservatives. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) microbiota plays an important role in production of the sausage. The aim of the paper is to monitor the changes in LAB during the production of Petrovac sausage. Samples of sausages were prepared without and with the addition of starter culture Staphylococcus xylosus as well as combined starter culture Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and S. xylosus, and produced at two different temperature ranges. A total number of 495 strains were isolated from 33 samples of Petrovac sausage during 120 days of production process. Characterisation of the isolates was performed by phenotypic tests, while molecular identification of the representative strains was done by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing. The total number of LAB was about 8 log (Colony Forming Unit (CFU))/g in all samples, while the number of staphylococci was about 4 log CFU/g. Molecular identification confirmed that all isolates belonged to the following species: Levilactobacillus brevis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus. Lactobacilli and Leuconostoc spp. dominate the total LAB strains, while P. pentosaceus was isolated at the lowest frequency.

Quality and safety evaluation of new tomato cultivars

2020-06-29T12:42:13+00:00

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a dietary source of bioactive compounds and breeding programs continuously create new cultivars with different nutritional and organoleptic characteristics. The aim of this work is to provide a quality and safety assessment of new tomato cultivars: Bamano, Dulcemiel and Sugarland. Eight biogenic amines, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS assays) have been determined. Tyramine was not detected in any samples. Sugarland was characterized by a high content of serotonin (266.87 ± 11.16 mg/kg) and phenolic compounds (303.15 ± 21.62 mgGAE/kg). Moreover, multivariate statistical analyses were applied to the data matrix.

Composition and nutritional evaluation of amino acids in Mimai Qu rice wine

2021-03-04T15:58:16+00:00

An amino acid analyzer was used to detect free amino acids (FAA) in Mimai Qu rice wines (SMW and DMW) and control wine samples (Chinese rice wine [CRW] and Japanese sake [JNS]). It was found that CRW had the highest total amino acid (TAA) content (~2814 mg/L), followed by SMW (~2509 mg/L) and DMW (~1474 mg/L), while JNS had the least (~917 mg/L). Amino acid ratio coefficient method (SRCAA), linear regression method, cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used for evaluating the nutritional value of amino acids in wine samples, giving similar results. SMW had the highest nutritional value, followed by CRW and DMW and JNS.

Comparison of social media platforms in terms of marketing performances of food companies

2021-03-16T14:34:26+00:00

The objective of this study was to evaluate to what extent social media platforms are effective on the marketing performances of food companies. Facebook was the most effective platform in terms of some performance criteria such as time-saving, easy access to customers, customer feedback, brand awareness, marketing costs, order taking frequency, and sales amount. The most effective platforms after Facebook in terms of marketing performance are Instagram and Twitter, respectively. Marketing costs and product sales are factors that affect the attitude of food companies towards social media platforms.

Anti-staphylococcal effect of cinnamaldehyde in milk

2021-03-01T12:06:22+00:00

The survival of Staphylococcus aureus in inoculated (105 colony forming units [CFU]/mL) 3.2% and 0.5% fat ultra-high temperature-pasteurized milk samples containing 0%, 0.05%, or 0.1% cinnamaldehyde stored at 4°C or 10°C was evaluated within 15 days. S. aureus populations reached 7.92 (0.5% fat) and 7.95 (3.2% fat) log CFU/mL in control milk samples stored at 10°C, while in milk sample stored at 4°C, S. aureus counts remained almost unchanged. At the end of the study, the number of this pathogen decreased by 1.52–4.04 log CFU/mL in milk treated with cinnamaldehyde. The greatest anti-staphylococcal effect was achieved in low-fat milk at 10°C and treated with 0.1% cinnamaldehyde.

Riboflavin removal by commercial bentonites and charcoals in white and red wine

2020-08-29T08:10:07+00:00

Riboflavin (RF) represents one of the primary molecules undergoing photo-degradation in wine and its excited form act as intermediate in light-induced oxidation reactions responsible for the light-struck fault. A recent study revealed bentonites (BENs) and charcoals (CHAs) as the most promising fining agents for riboflavin removal in model wine. This work explored their potential on both white and red wine. Eleven BENs and eleven CHAs were compared. BENs exhibited a limited capacity, while decolouring carbons confirmed a great attitude to RF removal in white wine even at low dosages. Nevertheless, CHAs efficiency shows a sensible reduction in red wine.

Citrus species: Modern functional food and nutraceutical-based product ingredient

2021-04-07T18:24:49+00:00

Citrus is the most cultivated fruit crop in the world and occupies a place of considerable importance in the country’s economy. Almost 33% of the citrus fruits are processed for juice production; however, a great amount of wastes, including peels, segment membranes, and seeds are also produced. Indeed, citrus fruits consist of 45% juice, 26% pulp, 27% peels, and 2% seeds. Pruning, a cultural practice involving the removal of tree branches and limbs, was applied to improve fruit’s quality. A large amount of leaves are produced through pruning. These agri-food matrices contain a wide range of bioactive phytochemicals compared to fruits. The present review covers the past 5 years of research carried out in chemistry, health properties, and applications in food and nutraceutical industries of all portions of citrus fruit and its major bioactive compounds. Additionally, patents are also included.