Gluten-Free Pasta Enriched with Fish By-Product for Special Dietary Uses: Technological Quality and Sensory Properties

Gluten-free pasta enriched with fish can support a nutritive and suitable option for people with celiac disease that allows achieving the benefits of fish consumption, especially the consumption of Ω-3 fatty acids; however, this requires that the pasta has adequate technological and sensory properties. For this purpose, four optimal formulations, obtained with an iterative process, were analyzed to determine the effect of the different ingredients (yellow corn flour, white corn flour, and rice flour) in gluten-free pasta compared to commercial wheat pasta. An evaluation of the color, texture, and technological properties were conducted, and the pasta was sensorially characterized. The enriched gluten-free pasta required shorter cooking times (≈3 min) and was characterized by lower hardness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, and fracturability, and had higher values of adhesiveness than wheat pasta. In addition, the incorporation of yellow corn gives gluten-free pasta a similarity in color to commercial pasta, with a value of ∆E between 5.5 and 8.0. Regarding the sensory analysis, gluten-free pasta was characterized by slight fishy aromas and flavors with some aftertaste compared to commercial pasta. Finally, the use of different cereals to obtain gluten-free pasta could be a good and feasible alternative despite the technological and sensory modifications observed.

Technological and socio-economic study of akandji, a neglected traditional foodstuff made from corn (Zea mays L.) in Benin

Foodcrafts, active in Benin, offer a variety of products including akandji. It is a traditional bread made of corn consumed in South Benin. This work aimed to achieving a technological and socio-economic study related to akandji production and marketing activities in Benin. To do this, the methodology adopted was to conduct a pre-survey and a survey in the form of semi-structured interviews based on a questionnaire in the communes of Abomey, Bohicon and Ouidah (Pahou). After that, production monitoring was carried out with the three oldest akandji producers. The results showed that the production and sale of akandji were secular, exclusively female activities practised by women from Fon socio-cultural and sociolinguistic group. The profit per kg received by akandji producers in Abomey (266 XOF) was similar to that received by akandji producers in Pahou (256 XOF). The daily receipts for weekends and holidays were higher than those for working days in the survey localities. Furthermore, the results of the technological study showed that akandji manufacturing process in Abomey differs from that of Pahou. This process in Abomey involved the malting operation unlike that of Pahou. Fermentation times (12h), cooking times (1h) and production times (6 days) in Abomey exceeded fermentation times (1h30min), cooking times (45min) and production times (6h) in Pahou. In contrast, the fermentation (27oC) and cooking (100 oC) temperatures of akandji at Abomey were lower than those of fermentation (31oC) and cooking (178oC) in Pahou. The production of akandji is a profitable activity that strengthens the social status of the producer and ensures important socio-community functions by providing an appropriate local food for traditional rites and festivals and maintains sales markets firmly rooted in society.

Nutritional Characteristics of Black Lentil from Soleto: A Single-Flower Vetch Landrace of Apulia Region (Southern Italy)

Archaeological remains and historical documents demonstrate that a single-flower vetch has been cultivated in Italy from the early stages of agriculture. Some Italian communities have perpetuated the custom to eat its seeds still to the present. This is the case of people living in some villages of the southern Apulia region. In consequence of the high resemblance of the single-flower vetch (Vicia articulata Hornem.) seeds with those of lentils, the Apulian landrace is locally named “lenticchia nera di Soleto” (black lentil from Soleto). The evaluation of seed nutritional traits of this landrace revealed good macronutrient contents (proteins and starch, 28.4 and 42.4 g/100 g respectively), low trypsin inhibitor levels (4.08 TIU/mg), short cooking times after soaking (24–25 min) and a lack of broken seeds at the end of cooking. The coat content of total phenolic compounds (TPC) of the Apulian black lentil was comparable with that of the lentil cv. Beluga (68.23 vs. 66.14 mg GAE/g, respectively).

The potential for developing local corn from East Nusa Tenggara as raw material for indigenous cuisine and processed products: A mini-review

East Nusa Tenggara is one of the provinces in Indonesia that uses corn as staple food. Bose corn is an indigenous cuisine for people on the island of Timor, East Nusa Tenggara province. The corn used as raw material for this indigenous cuisine is generally local varieties. Local varieties of corn contain high amylose, so it takes a long time to cook. Starch modification is an instantization method which can be used to shorten its cooking time. Nixtamalization and pregelatinization are simple starch modification methods that can be applied by the community using a certain level of calcium hydroxide and appropriate cooking times. Bose corn is one of the indigenous cuisine processing products using local raw materials that can be developed as an instant food.

Influence of Cooking Method on the Nutritional Quality of Organic and Conventional Brazilian Vegetables: A Study on Sodium, Potassium, and Carotenoids

Vegetable consumption is associated with increased health benefits, and vegetables are consumed both in cooked form and raw form in salads. All cooking techniques cause changes in a vegetable’s the nutrient content. Consumers are increasingly health-conscious and have less time to prepare meals, and they do not know which cooking times and cooking methods are best suited to preserve the nutrients. This study aimed to determine the best method of cooking vegetables to maintain minerals (potassium and sodium) and carotenoids. The studied vegetables were broccoli (Brassica oleracea, var. Italica), carrots (Daucus carota), and zucchini (Cucurbita moschata). The cooking methods were: boiling, steaming, combined oven, microwave steaming, and microwave cooking. Samples of organic and conventionally grown vegetables were prepared in triplicate. Samples were analyzed to determine the availability of target minerals and carotenoids in the raw food and in each recommended cooking situation according to technical standards. Only the carrot showed a higher concentration in organic cultivation for carotenoids in raw vegetables, with both zucchini and broccoli having higher concentrations when grown by conventional cultivation. The zucchini from organic cultivation presented a reduction of potassium and sodium, almost consistently, in all cooking techniques. Regarding the conventionally cultivated zucchini, potassium remained stable in boiling. Broccoli from organic and conventional cultivation showed similar potassium levels for boiling and traditional steam cooking. Organic carrots showed easier sodium extraction compared with conventional cultivation. Heat treatment, in general, improves the accessibility of carotenoids.

Simulation of the Cooking Organic Aerosol Concentration Variability in an Urban Area

<p>Cooking operations can be an important fine PM source for urban areas. Cooking emissions are a source of pollution that has been often ignored and are not included or are seriously underestimated in urban emission inventories. However, several field studies in cities all over Europe suggest that cooking organic aerosol (COA) can be an important component of the total organic PM. In this study we propose and evaluate a methodology for the simulation of the COA concentration and its variability in space and time in an urban area. The city of Patras, the third biggest in Greece is used for this first application for a typical late summer period. The spatial distribution of COA emissions is based on the exact location of restaurants and grills, while the emissions on the meat consumption in Greece. We estimated COA emissions of 150 kg d<sup>-1</sup> that corresponds to 0.6 g d<sup>-1</sup> per person. The temporal distribution of COA was based on the known cooking times and the results of the past field studies in the area. Half of the daily COA is emitted during dinner time (21:00-0:00 LT), while approximately 25% during lunch time (13:00-16:00 LT). The COA is simulated using the Volatility Basis Set with a volatility distribution measured in the laboratory and is treated as semivolatile and reactive. The maximum average COA concentration during the simulation period is predicted to be 1.3 μg m<sup>-3</sup> in a mainly pedestrian area with a high density of restaurants. Peak hourly COA concentrations in this area exceed 10 μg m<sup>-3</sup> during several nights. The local production of secondary COA is predicted to be slow and it represents just a few percent of the total COA.</p><p> </p>

Papermaking as Potential Use of Fibers from Mexican Opuntia ficus-indica Waste

The papermaking potential of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) waste fibers was studied in this research. Alpha cellulose, lignin, hollocellulose, ethanol/benzene extractives and ash content were determined as 53.7±0.1%, 2.4±0.3%, 61.6±5.7%, 7.1±0.3% and 26.4±0.1%, respectively. The average fiber length, width, lumen and cell wall thickenss were found to be 1.1±0.3 mm, 18.8±6.1µm, 12.1±5.4 µm, 4.3±1.0 µm. Soda pulping was conducted using 20 and 28% sodium hydroxide, cooking temperatures of 160 and 175 °C, cooking times of 60 and 120 min, and liquor- to fiber ratio of 9:1. Soda pulping with 28% sodium hydroxide, 175 °C and 120 min showed a lower Kappa number of 29.60±1.7 and a total yield of 32.2±1.6 %. In general, tensile strength index (36.0±5.0 Nm/g), stretch (1.7±0.3%), breaking length (3.7±0.5 km), burst index (3.2±0.4 KPa.m2/g), tear index (7.3±0.0 mN.m2/g), folding endurance (166 times) and porosity (> 120 s) of OFI pulp were comparable with wood and non-wood pulps.

EVALUATION OF COOKING TIMES OF EGYPTIAN AND INTRODUCED COWPEA (VIGNA UNGUICULATA) GENOTYPES UNDER DIFFERENT COOKING CONDITIONS

Cooking times of fourteen Egyptian and introduced cowpea genotypes were evaluated under different cooking conditions. Soaking treatments manifested shorter time than unsoaked treatments. Adding sodium bicarbonate or baking powder to soaking and cooking solutions gave more shorter cooking time. Microwaves treatment gave the shortest cooking time than all other treatments and conserved as a new approach. All studied cowpea genotypes and all cooking treatments exhibited significant variations. The blacked colored seeds needed shorter cooking time than the red seeds, while round or small seeds needed longer time to complete cooking. The observed significant differences among the genotypes were reflected to genotypic and phenotypic variations and consequently to high broad sense heritability estimates and to high values of genetic advances. Such estimates suggested the ability to achieve possible improvement in cooking time of cowpea seeds which might eventually reflect on their cooking quality.