Understanding the importance of fresh mango quality attributes from the perspective of Indonesian domestic consumers

The domestic market is the primary market of the Indonesian locally produced mango. There is a positive transition in the economy in this market, highlighting the increase of healthy lifestyles and changes in fresh agri-food product preferences, including fresh mango. Understanding how consumers in this community have a variation in preferences is essential to formulate the strategy to improve the performance of the Indonesian mango value chain. This study aims to identify quality attributes of fresh mango considered important by Indonesian domestic consumers. An online consumer survey involving 435 consumers was conducted in February 2021 in Jakarta, the biggest city in Indonesia. Based on the hierarchical cluster analysis, consumers are divided into four clusters based on their perception of the importance of mango quality attributes. The results highlight the differences between four clusters of respondents in giving importance to intrinsic and extrinsic mango quality attributes, where three out of four clusters concern with quality attributes importance. The differences in respondent characteristics in each cluster can represent how different consumers give importance to a mango quality attribute. It can be valuable information to improve mango value chain performance by understanding that most consumers are concerned about mango quality attributes’ importance.

Quantitative N-Glycan Profiling of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies Performed by Middle-Up Level HILIC-HRMS Analysis

The identification and accurate quantitation of the various glycoforms contained in therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is one of the main analytical needs in the biopharmaceutical industry, and glycosylation represents a crucial critical quality attribute (CQA) that needs to be addressed. Currently, the reference method for performing such identification/quantitation consists of the release of the N-glycan moieties from the mAb, their labelling with a specific dye (e.g., 2-AB or RFMS) and their analysis by HILIC-FLD or HILIC-MS. In this contribution, the potential of a new cost- and time-effective analytical approach performed at the protein subunit level (middle-up) was investigated for quantitative purposes and compared with the reference methods. The robustness of the approach was first demonstrated by performing the relative quantification of the glycoforms related to a well characterized mAb, namely adalimumab. Then, the workflow was applied to various glyco-engineered mAb products (i.e., obinutuzumab, benralizumab and atezolizumab). Finally, the glycosylation pattern of infliximab (Remicade®) was assessed and compared to two of its commercially available biosimilars (Remsima® and Inflectra®). The middle-up analysis proved to provide accurate quantitation results and has the added potential to be used as multi-attribute monitoring method.

Is “Wild” a Food Quality Attribute? Heavy Metal Content in Wild and Cultivated Sea Buckthorn and Consumers’ Risk Perception

Globally, the consumption of herbal supplements is on an upward trend. As the food supplement industry thrives, so does the need for consumers’ awareness of health risks. This contribution is grounded on two assumptions. Firstly, not always “wild” is a food quality attribute, and secondly, the food chain is judged as a noteworthy route for human exposure to soil contamination. Sea buckthorn (SBT) was selected for investigation due to its versatility. In addition to its wide therapeutic uses, it is present in ecological rehabilitation which may raise concerns regarding its safety for human consumption as a consequence of the accumulation of contaminants in the plant. The study aims to discover if the objective contamination of SBT with toxic residues is congruent with people’s subjective evaluation of SBT consumption risk. A quantitative determination of heavy metals was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The metals abundance followed the sequence Fe > Cu > Zn > Mn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd. Quantitative data on consumers’ subjective risk evaluations were collected through an online survey on 408 Romanians. Binary logistic shows that the consumption of SBT is predicted by the perceived effect of SBT consumption on respondents’ health. The study confirms that the objective contamination of wild and cultivated SBT is in line with the perceived contamination risk. It is inferred that a joint effort of marketers, media, physicians, and pharmacists is needed to inform consumers about the risks and benefits of SBT consumption.