IntroductionIn 2012, the estimated global prevalence of pre-diabetes was 280 million, and the prevalence is expected to rise to 400 million by 2030. Oat-based foods are a good source of beta-glucans, ...which have been shown to lower postprandial blood glucose. Studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the long-term intake of beta-glucan-enriched bread as part of a habitual diet among individuals with pre-diabetes are needed. Therefore, we designed a multicentre intervention study in adults with pre-diabetes to investigate the effects of consumption of an oat-derived beta-glucan-enriched bread as part of a normal diet on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in comparison to consumption of whole-grain wheat bread.Methods and analysisThe CarbHealth trial is a multicentre double-blind randomised controlled 16-week dietary intervention trial in participants 40–70 years of age with a body mass index of ≥27 kg/m2 and HbA1c of 35–50 mmol/mol. The study is conducted at four universities located in Norway, Sweden and Germany and uses intervention breads specifically designed for the trial by Nofima AS. The aim is to recruit 250 participants. The primary outcome is the difference in HbA1c between the intervention and the control groups. The main analysis will include intervention group, study centre and baseline HbA1c as independent variables in an analysis of covariance model.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol was approved by respective ethical authorities in participating countries. The results of the study will be communicated through publication in international scientific journals and presentations at (inter)national conferences.Trial registration numberNCT04994327.
This study explored the use of eye tracking methods to investigate what underlies perceptions of the healthiness of different fish products. Fifteen different combinations of fish products (fillet, ...nuggets and fishburger) and side vegetables (lettuce, boiled potatoes, tempura and French fries) were presented as stimuli. Consumers had to answer the question: “In your opinion, how healthy is this dish?”
Qualitatively, the results of the eye-tracking heatmaps revealed that the fishburger was an “attractive stimulus” as consumers focused more on a “new or different presentation” in order to decide whether the dish was more or less healthy. Quantitatively, the eye tracking metrics showed that first fixation was not an important variable for explaining the responses. Both the fish products and the side vegetables had a significant effect on the perception of healthiness, but their interaction did not. The findings suggested that unusual presentations and fried products were perceived as being less healthy. Eye tracking proved a successful tool for acquiring a better understanding of perceptions of some quality factors, opening the door to application of this technique in other studies that focus on the consumers' visual perception of food.
•Eye tracking was applied to understand how healthfulness was assessed.•Low familiarity with the product influenced the perception of healthfulness.•Consumers focused more attention on new fish presentation (fishburger).•Unfamiliar presentations and fried products were perceived as less healthy.
Thirty-one bovine cutaneous warts were submitted to macroscopic and histological analyses and to molecular analyses to partial amplification and sequencing of the L1 gene of bovine papillomavirus ...(BPV). Viral types detected were BPV1 (52%), BPV2 (29%), BPV6 (16%) and BPV10 (3%). BPV2 had lower frequency in papilloma in comparison to that in fibropapilloma (
p
= 0.002).
In contrast to taste sensitivity, the assessment of texture or tactile sensitivity has received relatively little attention in the food context. Texture plays an important role in food preferences ...and food intake, and individual differences make it important to understand physiological drivers of perception as tactile sensitivity. The multi‐dimensional and dynamic aspects of texture perception suggest there is not one single method that can explain individual differences. This scoping review aims to systematically map methods assessing tactile sensitivity, in the context of food, highlighting differences in approach and implementation. Eligibility criteria included papers describing methods to assess individual differences in tactile sensitivity, that involved human participants and the context was relevant to food behavior. Sources are peer‐reviewed publications of original research in English. In mapping the methods, we assessed how they relate to food texture parameters (mechanical, geometrical, and surface) and the dynamics of breaking down (touch with hand, first bite/sip, oral processing, residual or after‐swallowing sensations). We also review other parameters associated (oral processing, preference, diet and food intake behavior). The literature in this relatively young area is still very fragmented and it is difficult to have a clear picture regarding best practices or recommendations for the measurement of tactile sensitivity in the food context. Future studies should aim to methodological harmonization for application in the food behavior area, with a design of experiment combining different aspects of tactile sensitivity to food, focusing on the thresholds and perceived intensity of textural parameters as well as affective and behavioral responses, and covering the whole spectrum of tactile texture perception (mechanical, geometrics, and surface), including the dynamics of perception.
This review maps methods for assessing tactile sensitivity, in the food context, discussing the association to preferences, diet and food intake behavior. Approaches covered are instrumental, food models and questionnaires, with diverse protocols, measuring different texture dimensions (mechanical, geometrical, and surface), and responses (thresholds, perceived intensity, affective, or behavioral).
In some regions, little is known about exposure to viruses in coastal marine mammals. The present study aimed to detect viral RNA or DNA in 23 free-ranging fur seals on the northern coastline of Rio ...Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect nucleic acids of circoviruses, adenoviruses, morbilliviruses, vesiviruses, and coronaviruses in the feces from twenty-one South American fur seals (
Arctocephalus australis
) and two Subantarctic fur seals (
A. tropicalis
). Adenovirus DNA fragments were detected in two South American fur seals; nucleotide sequences of these fragments revealed a high degree of similarity to human adenovirus type C.
Circovirus
DNA fragments were detected in six animals of the same species. Two were phylogenetically similar to the
Circovirus
genus, whereas the other four nucleotide fragments showed no similarity to any of the known genera within the family Circoviridae. RNA fragments indicating the presence of coronavirus, vesivirus, and morbillivirus were not detected. These findings suggest that adenoviruses and circoviruses are circulating in fur seal populations found along the coast of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.
Primarily formed by the microbial decarboxylation of the amino acid histidine, histamine is the leading global cause of food poisoning from fish consumption worldwide. In the present work, the ...quality of 12 fresh and 12 frozen marketed sardines (Sardinella brasiliensis) were evaluated for histamine concentration using High-performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD), while the detection and quantification of histamine-producing bacteria were performed via quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), and the microbiota composition of sardines was assessed through amplification of the 16S rRNA gene using high-throughput sequencing (HTS). According to the results obtained by HPLC-DAD, histamine concentration ranged from 226.14 to 583.87 mg kg−1. The histidine decarboxylase (hdc) genes from gram-negative bacteria (Morganella morganii, and Enterobacter aerogenes) were identified. The most abundant microorganisms present in fresh sardines belong to the genera Macrococcus spp., Acinetobacter spp., and Pseudomonas spp., while the genera Phyllobacterium spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Acinetobacter spp. were most abundant in frozen sardines.
Food science; Food analysis; Food safety; Microbiology; Histamine; Histidine decarboxylase; High throughput sequencing (HTS); Microbiota; qPCR; HPLC-DAD
•The arguments against the use of consumers for analytical tasks are revisited.•The strengths and weaknesses of consumer and trained panels are discussed.•Recommendations to practitioners are ...provided.
Sensory evaluation has traditionally been divided into two clearly defined areas: analytical tests, aimed at objectively evaluating the sensory characteristics of products, and hedonic tests, in which consumers evaluate their acceptance/preference. One of the central dogmas of the field has been matching these two types of tests to different types of assessors respectively: selected and trained assessors and regular consumers of the target products. For years, consumers have been regarded as not capable of performing analytical tasks. However, the development of various alternative methods for sensory characterization in the last couple of decades has agitated the debate about the use of untrained assessors for analytical tasks in sensory science. Lately, the line between trained and consumer panels for analytical tests has blurred and is expected to continue to do so. The present opinion paper discusses some of the most relevant issues around the debate of whether consumer or trained assessor panels are appropriate for analytical testing in specific application and provides recommendations for practitioners on this respect.
Alongside proteins, soluble fibres are the most promising ingredients for formulating foods with high satiating capacity. Because of the considerable complexity and variety of composition and ...structure of polysaccharide gums, it is not easy to decide which ingredients are most effective in which products. They can often act in combination on more than one level. Moreover, the research results are often contradictory as it is extremely difficult to draw comparisons between different studies. The complexity of the methods and the absence of necessary information on the substances used for satiating purposes pose additional difficulties. This review aims to clarify the mechanisms governing the satiating effect of gums in formulated foods, update the information and draw attention to points that require further investigation.
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► Gums play an important role in designing food with enhanced satiating capacity. ► Three principal mechanisms govern their action: viscosity, gelling capacity, and fermentability. ► More information on gum characteristics would improve the criteria for selecting them for satiety. ► Appropriate gum blending in one food item can maximize satiating power by acting at several levels.
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