Food

  2010 SEP 9 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to recent research published in the Journal of Food Quality, "Improvement of storage quality of fresh-cut cantaloupe using a combination precut heat treatment and a modified underwater cutting treatment was determined. Eating quality was evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis, and fruit integrity was measured with respiration, cell leakage and product weight loss."

  "Treatments included (1) control (no treatment); (2) making the first longitudinal cut underwater; (3) mild precut heat treatment in a water bath at 60C for 60 min; and (4) combination of precut heat treatment and the underwater cutting methods. Precut heating and processing underwater resulted in more intense fruity/melon flavor compared to conventional processed fresh-cut fruit. Reduced electrolyte leakage and enhanced membrane integrity were observed in all three experimental treatments, as evidenced by lower conductivity measurements. The underwater cut and combined treatments significantly reduced respiration during fresh-cut storage, reflecting less physical stress and membrane damage. Weight loss was not significantly affected by any treatment during fresh-cut storage," wrote K.L. Bettgarber and colleagues, Department of Agriculture ...read more

  2010 SEP 9 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to recent research published in the Journal of Food Quality, "A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of partial fish oil replacement with vegetable oils at two levels of dietary lipid on growth performance and muscle lipid quality of Indian white shrimp Fenneropenaeus indicus. Final weight of shrimp fed control diet (100% fish oil) was higher than that of shrimp fed the other diets. ...read more

  2010 SEP 9 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to a study from Rome, Italy, "Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic element and its presence in food is a matter of concern for the well-being of both animals and humans. Arsenic-contaminated groundwater is used in agriculture to irrigate crops for food and animal consumption with a potential contamination of the food chain."

  "The purpose of this study was the evaluation of arsenic effect on radish tuber (Raphanus sativus L.). Experimental plots with sandy and clay-loamy soil were cultivated with radish and treated with three different concentrations of As water solution: 19, 44 and 104 mu g/L. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to visualize the tuber structural changes, and the content of elements and the As amount were evaluated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The data obtained demonstrate that As contamination in radish tuber is underlined with the dual approach," wrote S. Marconi and colleagues ...read more