An Artificial Intelligence Approach Toward Food Spoilage Detection and Analysis

Aiming to increase the shelf life of food, researchers are moving toward new methodologies to maintain the quality of food as food grains are susceptible to spoilage due to precipitation, humidity, temperature, and a variety of other influences. As a result, efficient food spoilage tracking schemes are required to sustain food quality levels. We have designed a prototype to track food quality and to manage storage systems at home. Initially, we have employed a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model to detect the type of fruit and veggies. Then the proposed system monitors the gas emission level, humidity level, and temperature of fruits and veggies by using sensors and actuators to check the food spoilage level. This would additionally control the environment and avoid food spoilage wherever possible. Additionally, the food spoilage level is informed to the customer by an alert message sent to their registered mobile numbers based on the freshness and condition of the food. The model employed proved to have an accuracy rate of 95%. Finally, the experiment is successful in increasing the shelf life of some categories of food by 2 days.

Effects of Food and Temperature on Drosophila melanogaster Reproductive Dormancy as Revealed by Quantification of a GFP-Tagged Yolk Protein in the Ovary

When exposed to harsh environmental conditions, such as food scarcity and/or low temperature, Drosophila melanogaster females enter reproductive dormancy, a metabolic state that enhances stress resistance for survival at the expense of reproduction. Although the absence of egg chambers carrying yolk from the ovary has been used to define reproductive dormancy in this species, this definition is susceptible to false judgements of dormancy events: e.g. a trace amount of yolk could escape visual detection; a fly is judged to be in the non-dormancy state if it has a single yolk-containing egg chamber even when other egg chambers are devoid of yolk. In this study, we propose an alternative method for describing the maturation state of oocytes, in which the amount of yolk in the entire ovary is quantified by the fluorescence intensity derived from GFP, which is expressed as a fusion with the major yolk protein Yp1. We show that yolk deposition increases with temperature with a sigmoidal function, and the quality of food substantially alters the maximum accumulation of yolk attainable at a given temperature. The Yp1::GFP reporter will serve as a reliable tool for quantifying the amount of yolk and provides a new means for defining the dormancy state in D. melanogaster.

Structure and properties of pectin substances of wild sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) growing in Azerbaijan

The use of sea buckthorn fruits in medicine, cosmetology and as a source of ingredients that improve the quality of food has already been studied and continues to be studied. One of these ingredients can serve as pectin substances of sea buckthorn, isolated from it in its pure form. Considering the relevance of this direction, the main task of this work was the study and identification of pectin substances isolated from the fruits of wild sea buckthorn growing in Azerbaijan. Using cavitation-membrane technology, samples of pectin substances from sea buckthorn pomace were obtained under optimal technological conditions, after which the physicochemical characteristics were studied and their identification was carried out using physicochemical methods - elementary analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy. Data have been obtained indicating that sea buckthorn pectin is a low-esterified pectin, which consists of a mixture of linear and highly branched polymers of α-D-galacturonane and other polysaccharides, whose macromolecules include galacturonic acid residues and neutral sugars. The high complexing ability of the obtained pectin in relation to lead ions has been established, which makes it possible to recommend it as an active ingredient for therapeutic and prophylactic products. The data obtained allow us to get a more complete picture of the biotechnological potential of local sea buckthorn as a source of pectin substances.

Risk Factors of Stunting in Children Aged 6–59 Months: A Case-Control Study in Horticulture Area

BACKGROUND: Stunting is a critical public health problem in Indonesia because it affects cognitive and physical development and contributes to child mortality. AIM: This study aims to identify risk factors for stunting in children aged 6–59 in the horticultural area. METHODS: A casecontrol study was conducted to compare previous exposure between stunted children and non-stunted children. Measurements and interviews were conducted with 160 participants (120 controls and 40 cases), including mothers or caregivers. SPSS was used for χ2 statistical analysis, multiple logistic regression, and odds ratios. RESULTS: The study identified four risk factors for stunting: children who were born short (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 17.57; 95% confident interval [CI]: 5.02–61.51), LBW (AOR = 4.35; 95% CI: 1.38–13.78), and got a low protein intake (AOR = 4.96; 95% CI: 1.22–20.26). Significantly, a relationship between stunting and access to sanitation was also found (AOR = 6.06; 95% CI: 1.25–29.35). CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for stunting in children aged 6–59 are related to nutrition during pregnancy and the child’s quality of food. Nutrition interventions should emphasize improving the nutritional status of pregnant women and children and women empowering to affect access to resources and allocations for children’s nutrition.

New Product Development and Regulatory Challenges in Nutraceutical Industry

Functional food ingredients and dietary supplements are essential for health promotion and disease risk reduction. The demand for various food products is increasing day by day due to ever increasing population. Different multinational companies have invested to meet the demands of the people all over the world. However, some miscreants have adultered different food products that caused various concerns to the people and the government. Hence, different laws in different countries have been regulated to maintain the quality of food. However, there is major legislation and product approval challenges which should be aligned by global common regulations to move forward by reducing the scope for conflict between our regulatory approaches and by forging closer cooperation that can only be addressed by appropriate and accurate ingredients understanding, safety legislation, clinical studies benefits, advanced food processing technologies and various analytical studies. The nutraceutical revolution will direct us into a new era of medicine and health, in which the food industry will become a research oriented, analogous to the pharmaceutical industry. The present review article discusses the recent status of nutraceuticals and their importance to prevent various diseases.

Food Adulteration

Food adulteration is a prevalent issue in the food industry. It affects safety and quality of food and causes harm to the health of the consumer. To reduce incidence of adulteration in food, it is necessary to study adulterants being added to food. Food safety concerns arise when adulteration occurs for a variety of reasons. The act includes use of expired ingredients, deceptive adulterated food labels, addition of harmful compounds to food, and more. Tests and techniques for suspected food items that are commonly adulterated with certain food or non-food products are studied and described here. The detection of adulteration in food sectors can be done qualitatively and quantitatively. Various methods like chemical analysis, spectroscopic, and chromatographic techniques used to detect adulteration are reviewed. Various laws and regulations are in effect around the world in order to prevent adulteration and ensure food safety to protect the consumers. Regulatory agencies play an important role in putting a check to food adulteration by monitoring the quality of food and penalizing defaulters.

Efficacy of Guduchi Swarasa (Bhavaprakasa) in the Management of Madhumeh

Nowadays due to change in lifestyle, a human beings is attracting many diseases because of poor quality of food, eating more than necessary, sleeping during day time, eating fast food and improved stress in society. Madhumeha can be linked with Diabetes mellitus in modern medicine, which is attracting the whole world as a non-infectious epidemic. A total of 25-patients with classical symptoms of Madhumeh, irrespective of sex, occupation, etc was chosen for the clinical trial. The assessment was done on the basis of evolution in Rogabala, Dehabala, Chetasabala, and Agnibala by specific scoring patterns. The results were analyzed statistically by Paired t-test. In symptom-wise statistical analysis, it is seen that Guduchi Swarasa is significantly effective in the symptoms of Madhumeha. Guduchi Swarasa has major hypoglycemic action and it is more on post-meal blood sugar level.

Procreation Right of Prisoners

Prisoners form the most ignored community, and their rights are most overtly denied and treated as degraded human beings. Prisons are looked down as burden on state exchequer. Allocation for welfare activities of prisoners formed only 0.6 % of total prison budget. Prisons are highly congested with minute care toward maintenance, hygiene, sanitation, and quality of food along with severe staff crunch. Currently, prisons are the hub to the suppression of human dignity and natural rights. Mostly overlooked, extremely stigmatised and least cared and discussed for, and mostly coming from the already marginalised sections, prisoners get trapped in the vicious circle of living a hell life. It’s the crime which needs to be shaded off not the criminal per se. Only with such improvements availability of procreation right would bring respite especially toward the women and children involved. Things need to be moved hand in hand. In this article author tries to throw light own issues that must be looked into while drafting policies for prisoners’ rights.

A study of the degree of customer satisfaction with hotel services during COVID

The purpose of the article is to develop proposals to increase the degree of satisfaction of hotel services consumers during COVID among residents of Kazakhstan and Russia. The article examines the issues of service, service, cost and quality of services of hotel enterprises, including measures to counteract coronavirus infection. Marketing research was conducted in the third quarter of 2021, the methodology for determining the degree of satisfaction consisted of six stages. The research results have shown that, despite the existing mobility restrictions in the studied countries, the economically active population feels the need for attractive emotions, rest, and a change of scenery. The survey data showed that the epidemiological situation in the examined countries impacted tourist trips over the past year and a half. The respondents noted the need to comply with health safety measures. The choice of recreation and accommodation facilities was influenced by the cost of PCR analysis, especially for families traveling with children, and the availability of a vaccination passport. Also, in the conditions of COVID, the choice of consumers was made in favor of personal vehicles. This period has increased the demand for domestic tourism facilities. However, most previous consumers’ requirements for services have remained the same – for quality of service, cost, and friendly attitude. The respondents attributed to the key factors: hotel location, clean rooms, and quality of food. 85% of respondents are satisfied with the hotel services and measures of safe stay. Conclusions and recommendations based on the study findings can be applied by the enterprises providing hotel and catering services.

Mathematical and Analytical Evaluation of Paste Products Quality

Topicality. In modern conditions, the society feels a growing demand in products made from natural ingredients of high nutritional value. Such products include meat pastes, the quality of which depends on their recipe, technological processes, equipment, and modes of its operation. With the implementation of innovative technological regimes and new equipment, there is a necessity to determine and prognosticate the quality of food products at all stages of their production and sale. According to the mentioned above, as well as economic feasibility of using automated systems for technological processes management, there is a need to elaborate a new mathematical and analytical approach to assessing and prognosticating changes in the quality of meat paste with various additives. Aim and research methods. The aim of this research is to elaborate a method for modeling the material system state, based on differential equations of kinetics of biochemical processes, assessment, and prognostication of food quality. Research methods. The method of mathematical and analytical evaluation of the paste products quality is grounded on modified mathematical models, differential equations, visualisation of research results in the form of 3D graphs, obtained by using symbolic computer mathematics. The quality of new meat paste products is compared with the quality of the paste, which is assumed to be relatively optimal according to the main organoleptic parameters of sensory quality assessment and control sample. The control sample of the paste is cooked according to the classical technology, and the recipe (GSTU 4424:2005). The prototype samples are cooked according to the innovative technology, which involves adding mechanically deboned poultry meat to the main raw material. Results. New results of analytical and experimental studies of the quality of meat paste products, cooked according to the classic recipe with the use of mechanically deboned poultry meat, are offered. The method for determining the coefficients, included in the mathematical model for assessing the meat paste products quality, their analytical relation with the optimization parameter, is elaborated. The expediency of using modern methods of symbolic computer mathematics for solving and analysing differential equations, presenting results in 3D graphs, is proved. The conducted research makes it possible to prognosticate the quality of food products, to control possible changes in their recipe while using various additives, to carry out elaborating new paste products. Conclusions and discussion. Based on the results of theoretical and experimental studies, a new mathematical model for estimating the quality of meat paste products in the form of the first-order differential equation, is offered. Its analogue is the equations, recommended for modeling the processes of biochemical kinetics. It is proved that the computer programme of mathematical and analytical research and prognostication the foodstuff quality (Goots et al., 2018) is universal. The offered mathematical model makes it possible to envision the quality of meat paste products, based on organoleptic evaluation. With its help, it becomes possible to determine the vector of possible changes in product quality and its optimisation, while elaborating the 3D graph. Mathematical and analytical assessment of the new paste products quality highlights that the partial replacement of the main meat raw by mechanically deboned poultry meat, and in pastes, made according to classical technology and the GSTU recipe (4424:2005), does not really reduce the parameters of organoleptic evaluation. In some cases, they are even higher than in the control paste samples, and very close to optimal ones. This new mathematical and analytical approach to assessing the paste products quality is promising in new culinary products elaboration in the restaurant business.