Challenges for Upcycled Foods: Definition, Inclusion in the Food Waste Management Hierarchy and Public Acceptability

Upcycled foods contain unmarketable ingredients (e.g., damaged food produce, by-products and scraps from food preparation) that otherwise would not be directed for human consumption. Upcycled food is a new food category and thus faces several challenges, such as definition development, inclusion in the food waste management hierarchy and public acceptability. This review provides an overview of these three challenges. The upcycled food definitions have been developed for research, food manufacturers, and multi-stakeholders use. Thus, there is a need for a consumer-friendly definition for the general public. A simplified definition is proposed to introduce these foods as environmentally friendly foods containing safe ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption such as damaged food produce, by-products and scraps from food preparation. Moreover, an updated version of the food waste management hierarchy has been proposed by including the production of upcycled foods as a separate waste management action that is less preferable than redistribution but more favourable than producing animal feed. Furthermore, consumer sociodemographic characteristics and beliefs, as well as food quality cues and attributes, were identified as crucial factors for the public acceptability of these foods. Future research should address these challenges to facilitate the introduction of upcycled foods.

Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed).

H. mantegazzianum has spread rapidly in a number of European countries after introduction as an ornamental from its native area in Russia and Georgia. It continues to be available as an ornamental, and also occurs as a contaminant of food produce in international trade, and is therefore likely to spread further. It is an undesirable invader on account of its large size, prolific seed production and vigorous growth leading to gross changes in vegetation, obstruction of access to river banks, soil erosion, and serious dermatological effects on skin contact. A large volume of information on this weed is incorporated into the volume by Pysek et al. (2007b).

Rural-Urban Food Movement

The production of the food is majorly composite to the rural setting, and the consumption of this food is not only restricted to the rural area. This rural food production and urban area demand/consumption emphasises the need for rural-urban market linkages. This study employed mixed methods to investigate the role of road transport in the flow of food products from rural areas to the urban markets. Ten urban markets were sampled and 250 respondents from urban markets in Ibadan. The study revealed that household collaboration in the production and marketing of food produce exists in Ibadan. It was established that distance and transportation cost plays a vital role in supply volume, pricing, and delivery price. The variance in delivery cost is dependent on factors such as bargaining power, the season of the year, demand, destination, and road condition. In conclusion, improved roads condition and workable traffic policies that eliminate roadblocks are recommended.

Incredible edible selenium nanoparticles produced by food-grade microorganisms

Background: Microorganisms commonly employed in food industry, such as Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are also excellent natural nanotechnologists. They reduce selenite (SeO3 2- ) to form nanoparticles of red selenium (Se0 ) of exceptional quality and with interesting physical and (bio-)chemical properties. Objectives: The production of these nanoparticles has been studied in several relevant microorganisms to gain a better picture of the overall properties and quality of these particles, possible differences between producers, ease of production and, in particular, biological activity. Methods: Several common microorganisms, namely L. plantarum, S. cerevisiae and Escherichia coli have been cultured under standard conditions and 1mM concentrations of SeO3 2- have been converted to red particles of elemental selenium. These particles have been characterized extensively with respect to uniformity, size, shape, consistency and, in particular, biological activity against infectious microbes. Results: Highly uniform amorphous spherical particles of 100 nm to 200 nm in diameter could be produced by several microorganisms, including Lactobacillus. Although originating in bacteria and yeast, these particles exhibit antimicrobial activity when employed at concentrations of around 100 µM. This activity may in part be due to the inherent chemistry of selenium and /or of the protein coating of the particles. Interestingly, yeast also forms larger rod-like structures. These micro-needles with around 85 nm in diameter and up to 3 µm in length exhibit considerable antibacterial activity, possibly resulting from additional, physical interactions with cellular structures. Conclusion: Common microorganisms traditionally employed in the preparation of food produce nanoparticles of selenium which may be harvested and explored as natural antimicrobial agents or antioxidants. These particles provide a fine example of and lead for natural nanotechnology with biological activity and applications in food and food supplementation, medicine, agriculture and cosmetics.

The Potential of Aloevera Gel and Cinnamon Oil Coating for Improving the Shelf Life of Pomegranate Arils

Ongoing global drive for a healthier diet has led to a rise in demand for convenient and fresh food produce, with high nutritional value and free of additives. Shelf life of pomegranate is lessened beneath 4°C or above 10°C temperatures because of increased parching and rate of rot resulting changes in physiochemical attributes and physiological disorders. Use of edible coating involving aloevera gel and an essential oil in the arils of Pomegranate reduces the respiration rate and exposure to microbial growth due to their ant oxidative and antimicrobial activities. In present study, the coated 0.25% cinnamon oil and 20% aloevera gel pomegranate arils were being packed in different Polymers under cold storage temperature (5oC) and assessed for physiochemical attributes such as physiological loss in weight (PLW), pH, acidity, TSS, hue angle and chroma, enzymatic activity which include L - phenylalanine ammonia lyase assay (PLA), Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), microbial load and organoleptic attributes to assess the effect of coating in enhancing its shelf life. This study also shows the best combination of edible gel-oil coating and packaging material that would be more suitable for prolonging the shelf life of pomegranate arils. Among the three packaging materials used, LDPE 50, HDPE 30 and HDPE 50, the coated pomegranate when stored in HDPE 30 has shown to be the most desirable results.

Initial Survey of Pesticide Residues in Baby’s food and The Exceedances of Maximum Residual Limit (MRLs)

Remnant or by-products of pesticides arising from the field or storage pest applications sometimes find their ways into the final food produce. They are called pesticide residues. Studies have shown the occurrence of these residues in various food produce including tea, fruits, vegetables, beverages and even baby and infants food. With about 800 pesticides permitted for use globally, residue becomes almost inevitable. For the infants, and young children, the health effects at that critical developmental phase could be severe and irreversible. This is because quantitative and qualitative differences in pesticides absorption, metabolism, detoxification and excretion relative to adults, make the children more susceptible due to much higher kg per body weight. This study assessed the pesticide residues in the common baby food and compared with international maximum residual limits. Using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, five infant and baby’s food tagged A, B, C, D and E were analyzed. In all, multiple residues involving various twenty five pesticides were detected in the five food products. Fifteen of the pesticides including resmethrin (0.0002 µg/g), chlorpyrifos (0.0002 µg/g), allethrin (0.0004 µg/g), piperonyl butoxil (0.0003 µg/g), cyfluthrin (0.0001 µg/g), chlorpyrifos methyl (0.0002 µg/g), diclorovos (0.0001 µg/g), fluridane (0.0002 µg/g), fludioxonil (0.0002 µg/g and 0.0001 µg/g), lindane (0.0002 µg/g), daminozide (0.0002 µg/g), methy paraoxon (0.0001 µg/g) and DDE.p.p (0.0002 µg/g and 0.0001 µg/g) were above the WHO and USEPA maximum residual limits. The potential interaction of different mixtures for those pesticides that are below international residual limits as well as the occurrence of those at concentrations above these standards called for serious concerns, giving their critical effects on nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Further studies must be encouraged to determine the status of residue in other foods and the elimination of these residues, particularly in the infants and baby’s food.