Application of Microgel as a Sorbent for Bisphenol Analysis in Liquid Food Samples

Bisphenols are well-known endocrine disruptors that can easily migrate from plastic and can containers to food. Due to the complicated matrix and ultra-low concentrations of bisphenols in food, samples require extensive preparation before instrumental analysis. In this paper, an environmental sensitive microgel was employed as a sorbent for the preconcentration of four bisphenols, bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol E (BPE) and bisphenol F (BPF), from liquid food samples. Liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD) was used for the quantification of bisphenols. By applying microgel solid-phase extraction procedure, the limits of detections achieved in liquid food samples can be lowered to 0.9 µg·L−1 for BPF and BPA, 2.3 µg·L−1 for BPE and 2.9 µg·L−1 for BPB. Only 5 mg of microgel was sufficient to achieve good recoveries (70.5–109%) with precision (RSD 0.21–5.01%, n = 3) for different analyzed liquid food samples spiked at concentration levels of 50 µg·L−1. In five out of twelve of the analyzed samples (pineapple, mandarin, peach, mushroom and pickles), they were contaminated with BPA, and the determined concentration was in the range of 6.2–22 µg·L−1; however, these results are below the specific migration limit (SML) set for BPA (50 µg·kg−1).

Accuracy of an artificial intelligence-based model for estimating leftover liquid food in hospitals: validation study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The accurate evaluation of the nutritional status of malnourished hospitalized patients at a higher risk of complications, such as frailty or disability, is crucial. Visual methods of estimating food intake are popular for evaluating the nutritional status in clinical environments. However, from the perspective of accurate measurement, such methods are unreliable. OBJECTIVE The accuracy of estimating leftover liquid food in hospitals using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model was compared to that of visual estimation. METHODS The accuracy of obtained using the AI-based model (AI estimation) was compared to that of the visual estimation method for thin rice gruel as staple food, and fermented milk and peach juice as side dishes. A total of 576 images of liquid food (432 images of thin rice gruel, 72 of fermented milk, and 72 of peach juice) were used. Welch's t-test and the confusion matrix were used to examine the difference of mean absolute error between AI and visual estimation. RESULTS The mean absolute errors obtained through the AI estimation approach for side dishes were as follows: fermented milk: 0.63 and peach juice: 0.25. These were significantly smaller than those obtained using the visual estimation approach: fermented milk: 1.40 and peach juice: 0.90. Contrastingly, the mean absolute error for staple food obtained using the AI estimation method (0.99) did not differ significantly from that obtained using visual estimation (0.99). The confusion matrix for staple foods showed variation in the distribution of errors, indicating that the errors in the AI estimation were biased toward the case of many leftovers. CONCLUSIONS AI estimation measures liquid food intake in hospitals more precisely than visual estimation, but its accuracy in estimating staple food leftovers requires improvement.

Chewing increases postprandial diet-induced thermogenesis

Slow eating, which involves chewing food slowly and thoroughly, is an effective strategy for controlling appetite in order to avoid being overweight or obese. Slow eating also has the effect of increasing postprandial energy expenditure (diet-induced thermogenesis). It is still unclear whether this is due to oral stimuli; that is, the duration of tasting food in the mouth and the duration of chewing. To investigate the effects of oral stimuli on diet-induced thermogenesis in 11 healthy normal weight males, we conducted a randomized crossover study comprising three trials: (1) drinking liquid food normally, (2) drinking liquid food after tasting, and (3) adding chewing while tasting. Oral stimuli (i.e., the duration of tasting liquid food in the mouth and the duration of chewing) significantly increased diet-induced thermogenesis after drinking liquid food. This result demonstrates that the increase in diet-induced thermogenesis is due to oral stimuli rather than the influence of the food bolus. Increased diet-induced thermogenesis induced by chewing and taste stimuli may help to prevent overweight and obesity.

Kissel - liquid food

В книге описана история появления киселя, дана общая характеристика киселя, приведена технология промышленного производства сухих сладких киселей и характеристика основных ингредиентов киселей (нативного крахмала, сахарозы и воды). Представлено большое количество кулинарных рецептов приготовления киселей овсяные, рисовые, ячменные, льняные, конопляные, зерновые, хлебные, квасные и из семян чиа, гороховые, чечевичные, соевые, а также простые сладких киселей из черной смородины, клюквы, малины, вишни, черешни, крыжовника, лимона, фиников, кизила, абрикосов, кураги, шиповника, бузины, облепихи, ежевики, калины, голубики, щавеля, тыквы, ревеня, черники, яблок, апельсин, груш, костяники, моркови, морошки, черемухи, меда, дыни, персиков, клубники, красной смородины, брусники, винограда, арбуза, грейпфрута, свеклы, земляники, рябины красной, ананаса, айвы, мандарин, слив, бананов, манго, авокадо, сухофруктов, боярышника, киви, черноплодной рябины, хурмы, шелковицы, маракуйи, граната, ирги, картофеля, топинамбура, сложных сладких киселей и киселей сладких из молочных продуктов. Для всех ингредиентов приводимых в рецептах киселей даны таблицы химического состава и калорийности. Представлены рецепты киселей на растительных настоях (на настоях лекарственных растениях и на чае), целебного киселя «Синий крахмал» или «Синий йод». Приведены правила получения нативного (картофельного и кукурузного) крахмала, а также правила заваривания крахмального клейстера Подробно описано возможное использование киселей в диетологии – в диетах для похудения. Данная книга может представлять интерес для пищевых технологов, работников сферы общественного питания, шеф-поварам, а также широкому кругу читателей интересующихся приготовлением вкусных и полезных блюд – киселей с минимальными затратами времени.

Erosion potential of ultrasonic food processing

Introduction. Cavitation is the most significant factor that affects liquid food products during ultrasound treatment. Ultrasonic treatment intensifies diffusion, dissolution, and chemical interactions. However, no physical model has yet been developed to unambiguously define the interaction between ultrasonic cavities and structural particles of liquid food media. Physical models used to describe ultrasonic interactions in liquid food media are diverse and, sometimes, contradictory. The research objective was to study ultrasonic devices in order to improve their operating modes and increase reliability. Study objects and methods. The present research featured ultrasonic field generated in water by the cylindrical emitter, the intensity of flexural ultrasonic waves and their damping rate at various distances from the emitter. Results and discussion. The paper offers a review of available publications on the theory of acoustic cavitation in various media. The experimental studies featured the distribution of cavities in the ultrasound field of rod vibrating systems in water. The research revealed the erosion capacity of ultrasonic waves generated by the cylindrical emitter. The article also contains a theoretical analysis of the cavitation damage to aluminum foil in water and the erosive effect of cavitation on highly rigid materials of ultrasonic vibration systems. The obtained results were illustrated by semi-graphical dependences. Conclusion. The present research made it possible to assess the energy capabilities of cavities generated by ultrasonic field at different distances from the ultrasonic emitter. The size of the contact spot and the penetration depth can serve as a criterion for the erosion of the surface of the ultrasonic emitter.

Comparison of foraging tool use in two species of myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Many ant species are known to exhibit foraging tool use, during which ants place various debris items (e.g., pieces of soil, leaves, pine needles, etc.) into liquid food, and then they carry the food-soaked tools back to the nest. In the present study, we compared the tool-using behavior in captive colonies of two closely related myrmicine ants with different feeding preferences: Aphaenogaster subterranea, an omnivorous species, and Messor structor, a mainly granivorous seed-harvester species. We supplied foraging ants with honey-water baits and six types of objects they could use as tools: sand grains, small soil grains, large soil grains, pine needles, leaves, and sponges. We found that the workers of A. subterranea both dropped more tools into honey-water baits and retrieved more of these tools than the workers of M. structor. While A. subterranea preferred smaller tools over larger ones, tool preferences for M. structor did not differ significantly from random. In addition, tool dropping was significantly faster in A. subterranea, and both the dropping and retrieving of tools began significantly earlier than in M. structor. For Aphaenogaster species that regularly utilize and compete for liquid food sources, the ability to efficiently transport liquid food via tools may be more important than it is for seed-harvester ants. Dropping tools into liquids, however, may still be useful for seed-harvester species as a means to supplement diet with liquid food during periods of seed shortage and also to serve as a means of getting rid of unwanted liquids close to the nest.