Current Status, Recent Advances, and Main Challenges on Table Olive Fermentation: The Present Meets the Future

Table olives are among the most well-known fermented foods, being a vital part of the Mediterranean pyramid diet. They constitute a noteworthy economic factor for the producing countries since both their production and consumption are exponentially increasing year by year, worldwide. Despite its significance, olive’s processing is still craft based, not changed since antiquity, leading to the production of an unstable final product with potential risk concerns, especially related to deterioration. However, based on industrial needs and market demands for reproducible, safe, and healthy products, the modernization of olive fermentation processing is the most important challenge of the current decade. In this sense, the reduction of sodium content and more importantly the use of suitable starter cultures, exhibiting both technological and potential probiotic features, to drive the process may extremely contribute to this need. Prior, to achieve in this effort, the full understanding of table olive microbial ecology during fermentation, including an in-depth determination of microbiota presence and/or dominance and its functionality (genes responsible for metabolite production) that shape the sensorial characteristics of the final product, is a pre-requisite. The advent of meta-omics technology could provide a thorough study of this complex ecosystem, opening in parallel new insights in the field, such as the concept of microbial terroir. Herein, we provide an updated overview in the field of olive fermentation, pointing out some important challenges/perspectives that could be the key to the olive sector’s advancement and modernization.

The Effect of Salinity on Fruit Quality and Yield of Cherry Tomatoes

Hydroponic cultivation of vegetables avoids problems with soil-borne plant pathogens and may allow higher yield. In arid climates and particularly on islands, high concentrations of sodium chloride can be present in the groundwater. For instance, in many sites of Malta, the groundwater contains more than 10 mM sodium chloride. Here we investigated the effects of sodium chloride at levels typically found in Malta on yield, physiology and fruit quality of tomato, the economically most important vegetable. We selected cherry tomatoes since their production is attractive due to their high marketing value. While the yield declined at higher salinity levels tested (17 and 34 mM), the quality increased significantly as indicated by higher total soluble solids and fructose and glucose levels. The type of substrate—coco peat, perlite or Rockwool—had only minor effects. Although the concentration of citric acid and malic acid remained unaffected, the pH dropped by approximately 0.1 unit and the titratable acidity increased slightly. This might be explained by a high uptake of chloride but a lower increase of the sodium content and a reduced potassium level in the fruits, shifting the equilibrium of the organic acids more to their protonated forms. Proline increased significantly, while the level of glutamic acid, which is crucial for the taste, remained unchanged. Our results show that cherry tomatoes can be cultivated in nutrient solutions prepared with salt-containing groundwater, as found in Malta. The yield declined to some extent but the quality of the produced fruits was higher compared to cultivation in salt-free media.

Influence of Waste Glass Powder Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Autoclaved Building Materials

Lime quartz samples in which ground quartz sand was gradually substituted with waste glass powder (GP) were obtained under hydrothermal conditions to determine the influence of GP addition on the microstructure (observed by SEM), phase composition (analyzed by XRD), and compressive strength of autoclaved building materials. An additional series containing analytical grade NaOH and no GP was formed to evaluate the effect of sodium ions on tobermorite formation and its impact on the mechanical properties of the samples. GP addition hindered the formation of tobermorite during autoclaving. Instead, a higher amount of an amorphous and semi-crystalline C–S–H phase formed, leading to the densification of the composite matrix. Nevertheless, tobermorite-like structures were found during both XRD and SEM analyses, proving that the presence of small amounts of Al3+ ions allowed, to an extent, for the stabilization of the phase despite the high sodium content. The compressive strength values indicate that the presence of alkali in the system and the resulting formation of additional portions of C–S–H have a beneficial influence on the mechanical properties of autoclaved composites. However, the effect fades with increasing glass powder content which, together with a slight expansion of the samples, suggests that at high sand substitution levels, an alkali–silica reaction takes place.

THE EFFECT OF METAL ADDITIVES ON CONVERSION HEMATITE IN THE PROCESSING OF BAUXITE BY THE BUYER METHOD

Работа посвящена изучению влияния моно- и сложносоставных металлических добавок на процесс переработки бокситов гидрощелочным способом. Изучен химический качественный и количественный состав, морфология красных шламов (КШ) полученных в условиях автоклавного высокотемпературного выщелачивания. Проведены рентгенофазовые исследования, направленные на определение состава и структуры соединений в красном шламе. Показана перспективность метода автоклавного выщелачивания трудновскрываемых бокситов с одновременным извлечением глинозема и конверсии гематита в магнетит газообразным водородом. Установлено, что способ позволяет переработку бокситов с высокой степенью извлечения глинозема и позволяет получать красные шламы с различным содержанием магнитной фракции и низким содержанием натрия. Полученный магнетизированный красный шлам пригоден для переработки с помощью магнитной сепарации и делает перспективным сырьем для черной металлургии. Определена зависимость степени конверсии гематита в магнетит от вида восстанавливающего агента. По результатам исследований был получен патент на изобретение. The work is devoted to the study of the influence of mono - and composite metal additives on the process of processing bauxite by the hydro-alkaline method. The chemical qualitative and quantitative composition, morphology of red mud (RM) obtained under conditions of autoclave high-temperature leaching were studied. X-ray phase studies aimed at determining the composition and structure of compounds in red mud were carried out. The prospects of the method of autoclave leaching of hard-to-open bauxites with simultaneous extraction of alumina and conversion of hematite to magnetite by hydrogen gas are shown. It was found that the method allows the processing of bauxite with a high degree of alumina extraction and allows to obtain red mud with different magnetic fraction content and low sodium content. The resulting magnetized red mud is suitable for processing by magnetic separation and makes it a promising raw material for the ferrous metallurgy. The dependence of the degree of conversion of hematite to magnetite on the type of reducing agent is determined. According to the results of the research, a patent for the invention was obtained.

The Quality of Yellow Fin Tuna Powder (Thunnus Albacores) as a Natural Flavoring Alternative

Flavoring is already commonly used by the community, but on the market, flavoring generally contains monosodium glutamate (MSG). Alternative processed yellow fin tuna (Thunnus albacores) into natural flavoring fish powder without MSG becomes interesting and very useful for reducing MSG intake in the people of North Maluku. This type of research is experimental research conducted in September - November 2018 in the SIG Laboratory, Bogor for chemical quality testing (sodium, water, protein, and total fat) and Food Organizing Laboratory for Nutrition Department of Health Ministry of Ternate for making fish powder and organoleptic quality tests (color, texture, aroma, and taste). Chemical test results obtained sodium content of 3204.79 mg / 100 g of sample, moisture content of 6.08%, protein of 48.76%, and total fat of 3.28%; and the organoleptic test results obtained a mean ± SD of the color aspect of 4.0 ± 0.7, texture of 3.5 ± 0.9, aroma of 4.1 ± 0.8, and taste of 3.7 ± 1, 0. It was concluded that the heating process (roasted and oven-dried) affected the chemical quality of yellow fin tuna powder, and obtained sodium 3204.79 mg / 100 g, Water content 6.08%, protein content 48.76%, and total fat 3.28%; and in terms of organoleptics, the average panelist likes color and aroma, while aspects of taste and texture are only part of the panelists who say they like.

Healthy Food Environments in Food Pantries: Lessons Learned from a Sodium Reduction Intervention

In the United States, food pantries increasingly serve as regular food sources for low income households experiencing high rates of chronic disease, including hypertension. Sodium consumption is a modifiable risk factor for hypertension, so pantry customers would benefit from access to low-sodium foods. Pantry customers often experience difficulty acquiring healthy foods, however; little is known about pantry foods’ sodium content specifically. This study assesses the sodium content of pantry foods and lessons learned from an adaptable intervention to support pantries in adopting policies and environmental changes to make healthy, lower-sodium foods appealing and accessible. We conducted sodium assessments of food at 13 food pantries, tracked implementation of intervention strategies, and interviewed 10 pantry directors. More than half of food items in 11 categories met sodium standards for foods to be chosen “often”. Pantry directors reported valuing the intervention approach and implemented six of nine behavioral economics strategies, especially those targeting the visibility and convenience of foods, along with layout changes and expanded customer choice. One pantry adopted an agency-specific nutrition policy and 12 adopted a coalition-level policy. Results can inform intervention efforts to make available healthy options appealing and easy to select while also improving the customer experience in food pantries.

Sarcocornia perennis: A Salt Substitute in Savory Snacks

Salt is the primary source of sodium in the human diet, and it is associated with hypertension and increased risk of heart disease and stroke. A growing interest in halophyte plants and food products containing this type of ingredient have been observed, to reduce the NaCl daily intake. In the present work, Sarcocornia perennis was incorporated as a food ingredient into crackers to replace the salt (NaCl) and to evaluate its impact on physical properties, water activity, nutritional composition, mineral profile, total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and sensory evaluation. Concentrations of powder dried S. perennis from 1 to 10% were tested by replacing the initial salt content and adjusting the flour incorporation to the initial formulation. The incorporation of S. perennis had no relevant impact on cracker firmness, but it induced an increase in their crispness. Furthermore, the incorporation of this halophyte originated darker crackers, which was revealed by a decrease of L* and an increase of b* values. In terms of nutritional composition, the incorporation of S. perennis leads to the improvement of the snack’s nutritional profile, namely in terms of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and minerals, highlighting the high content in potassium, magnesium, and phosphor. Crackers with a content of 5% of S. perennis were sensorily well accepted and this level should be considered the limit of incorporation accepted by the panelists. However, by substituting 1% NaCl for an equal amount of S. perennis, it is possible to obtain a 70% reduction in sodium content, which is an important contribution to reducing the overall salt content of the diet.

The efficacy of a multi-strategy behavioral intervention on improving the nutritional quality of high school students’ lunch purchases from online canteens (Click & Crunch High Schools): a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial. (Preprint)

BACKGROUND High school canteens are a recommended setting for public health nutrition intervention. The rapid uptake of online lunch ordering within school canteens provides a unique opportunity to support the purchase healthier lunch items via the use of choice architecture strategies. Despite this, no trial has tested the efficacy of choice architecture strategies within an online lunch ordering system on improving the nutritional quality of high school student lunch purchases. OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of embedding choice architecture strategies into an online lunch ordering system (menu labelling, prompts, item positioning, and feedback) on the nutritional quality of the school canteen lunch purchases of high school students (aged 12-19 years). METHODS A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted with nine high schools in one Australian state. Schools were randomized to receive either the choice architecture intervention, or usual online ordering. Nutrient quality was assessed using routine data collected by the online ordering system. Primary outcomes were the proportion of ‘Everyday’, ‘Occasional’, and ‘Should Not Be Sold’ items purchased, categorized using the state healthy canteen policy. Secondary outcomes were the mean energy, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium content of purchases. Linear mixed models were analyzed to assess outcomes. RESULTS There were significant between group differences over time for the intervention group for the mean percentage of online lunch items per student that were ‘Everyday’ (+5.5%; [95% CI 2.2, 8.9]; P <0.001) and ‘Should Not Be Sold’ (-4.4%; [95% CI -7.0, -1.8]; P <0.001). There were no between group differences over time in the mean percentage of online lunch items that were ‘Occasional’ or the average energy, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium content of lunch orders. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that a low intensity, choice architecture intervention embedded within an online ordering system can increase the purchase of healthier food items for high school students. CLINICALTRIAL This trial was prospectively registered on Open Science Framework on 23rd October 2020 as osf.io/h8zfr.

Structure, Morphology and Electrochemical Characteristics of Na x MnO2 (x = 0.44, 0.67 and 0.8) as Cathode Materials for Na-Ion Batteries

The paper presents the results of the investigations of structural, morphological and electrochemical characteristics of Na x MnO2 (x = 0.44, 0.67 and 0.8) .It is shown that the crystal structure of the resulting materials is determined by the sodium content and is tunnel in a case of Na0.44MnO2 and layered in a case of Na0.67MnO2 and Na0.8MnO2. In addition, the materials obtained are characterized by different morphology. The initial discharge capacity of the materials obtained increases with the increase of sodium content in oxide phase and is 117, 139 and 151 mAh/g for Na0.44MnO2, Na0.67MnO2 and Na0.8MnO2, respectively, however, at the same time the stability of the specific capacity decreases. Using Na0.44MnO2 as an example, the effect of the electrolyte composition, in particular the presence of FEC, on its electrochemical characteristics is shown.