Search

Cold-pressed hemp seed oil (CP-HSO) has become available on the market and is gaining popularity mainly for its appeal and nutritional profile. The sensory quality largely depends on seed quality and processing as well as oil storage conditions. Given the “native” nature of the product, obtained by cold-pressing, the development of a standardized methodology to evaluate and describe the sensory quality of HSOs is of the utmost importance. To this aim, 16 commercial HSOs were evaluated, covering the main differences in brands and sales channels. A trained panel developed a vocabulary to describe the HSO profile consisting of 44 attributes, and a practical sensory wheel was proposed to classify attributes in different clusters and according to sensory modality. A sensory profile sheet was developed including two color descriptors (yellow, green), seven main positive (sunflower/pumpkin seeds, nutty, toasted nutty, hay, sweet, bitter, and pungent), several secondary positive (herbs, coffee, tobacco, etc.), four main defects (rancid, paint, burnt, and fish), and other secondary negative descriptors (boiled vegetables, cucumber, etc.). Subsequently, specific training of the panelists was carried out, and a satisfactory performance level was reached. This study represents the first attempt to standardize the sensory quality and terminology of HSO.

This study aimed to formulate a Gouda-type cheese from cow’s milk, flavored with lavender flower powder (0.5 g/L matured milk), ripened for 30 days at 14 °C and 85% relative humidity. Physicochemical, microbiological, and textural characteristics, as well as the volatile composition of the control (CC—cheese without lavender) and lavender cheese (LC), were assessed at 10-day intervals of ripening. Consumers’ perception, acceptance, and purchase intention were only evaluated for ripened cheeses. Moisture and carbohydrate contents, the pH, cohesiveness, indexes of springiness and chewiness decreased during ripening in both CC and LC; however, protein, ash, and sodium chloride contents, titratable acidity, hardness, lactobacilli, streptococci, and volatiles increased. Fat and fat in dry matter contents, respectively, the energy value did not vary with ripening time in LC and increased in CC; gumminess decreased in CC and did not change in LC. Lavender flower powder significantly affected the cheese’s microbiological and sensory characteristics and volatile composition but did not considerably impact physicochemical and textural ones. Populations of lactobacilli and streptococci were substantially higher in LC compared to CC. The volatile profile of LC was dominated by terpene and terpenoids, and that of CC by haloalkanes. Sensory scores were slightly lower for LC than CC, even if it did not considerably affect consumers’ acceptance and purchase intention.

Typical salami produced from Mora Romagnola (MR), an autochthonous pig breed extensively farmed within a geographically confined Italian area, are food products of commercial interest. This investigation aimed to highlight elements for the recognition and authentication of such typical salami. Five MR salami were analyzed using a sensory and instrumental approach, and the results were compared with those from eight salami made from a conventional pig breed. The sensory profiles were defined through attributes such as seasoning, pepper, garlic, fermented etc.; no differences in the products ascribable to the pig breed were highlighted. By analyzing volatile compounds, 33 molecules were detected; significant differences were found among samples, probably related to processing methods. Color differences between MR and conventional salami were identified by an electronic eye. According to instrumental texture analysis, large variability among the MR samples was detected, probably related to different types of salami (recipe, casing, size, ripening). Correlations were found among the sensory results, volatile compounds, and textural properties of the samples. Most differences do not appear to be specifically related to MR breed; only red color intensity evaluated by an electronic eye showed a correlation with breed, i.e., MR salami. This study highlights the large variability among the salami analyzed.

The extraction of molecules with high added value plays an important role in the recovery of food waste. This work aimed to valorize tomato pomace, a by-product composed of skin and seeds, through extraction of carotenoids, especially lycopene and β-carotene. The tomato pomace was dried using three different methods (freeze-drying, heat drying, and non-thermal air-drying) to reduce its weight, volume, and water activity and to concentrate the carotenoid fraction. These drying approaches were compared considering the extractive potential. Three solvent mixtures were compared, a traditional one (n-hexane:acetone) and two green deep eutectic solvent mixtures (ethyl acetate:ethyl lactate and menthol:lactic acid) in combination with different drying procedures. The extract obtained using ethyl acetate:ethyl lactate with non-thermal air-drying showed the highest contents of lycopene and β-carotene (75.86 and 3950.08 µg/g of dried sample, respectively) compared with the other procedures.

Several analytical parameters were evaluated to investigate changes in the composition of a cold-pressed hemp seed oil over a period of 3 months of storage. The environmental conditions applied for the conservation were 12 h of light and 12 of darkness at room temperature, to mime a grocery or supermarket shelf, and the oil was stored in amber glass bottles. The peroxide value was quite low on freshly produced oil (2.66 ± 0.29 mEqO2/kg of oil) and decreased after 3 months (1.35 ± 0.08 mEqO2/kg of oil), as confirmed by free radical concentration, while no other statistically significant (one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD test, p < 0.05) differences were observed (e.g. conjugated diene and triene systems, Oxidative Stability Index and free acidity). The fatty acid, cannabinoids and tocopherols composition did not statistically change; expect for δ-tocopherol, for which a decrease was observed. The overall results did not show a strong effect of photooxidation on the oil, despite its high degree of unsaturation.

Restrictions adopted by many countries in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic had severe consequences on the management of sensory and consumer testing that strengthened the tendency to move data collection out of the laboratory. Remote sensory testing, organized at the assessor’s home or workplace and carried out under the live online supervision of the panel leader, represents a trade-off between adequate control and the convenience of conducting testing out of the lab. The Italian Sensory Science Society developed the “Remote sensory testing” research project aimed at testing the effectiveness and validity of the sensory tests conducted remotely through a comparison with evaluations in a classical laboratory setting. Guidelines were developed to assist panel leaders in setting up and controlling the evaluation sessions in remote testing conditions. Different methods were considered: triangle and tetrad tests, Descriptive Analysis and Temporal Dominance of Sensations tests, all of which involved trained panels, and Check-All-That-Apply and hedonic tests with consumers. Remote sensory testing provided similar results to the lab testing in all the cases, with the exception of the tetrad test run at work. Findings suggest that remote sensory testing, if conducted in strict compliance with specifically developed sensory protocols, is a promising alternative to laboratory tests that can be applied with both trained assessors and consumers even beyond the global pandemic.

11 Páginas.-- 5 Tablas.-- 1 Figura, first_page settings Open AccessArticle Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in Virgin Olive Oils: In-House Validation of a Revised Method by Rosa Palagano 1, Enrico Valli 1 [OrcID] , Matilde Tura 1, Chiara Cevoli 1, María del Carmen Pérez-Camino 2, Wenceslao Moreda 2, Alessandra Bendini 1,* [OrcID] and Tullia Gallina Toschi 1 [OrcID] 1 Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL), Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy 2 Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), 41013 Sevilla, Spain * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Foods 2020, 9(7), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070924 Received: 12 June 2020 / Revised: 6 July 2020 / Accepted: 11 July 2020 / Published: 14 July 2020 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Analytical Methods to Evaluate Quality and Authenticity of Edible Oils and Fats) Download PDF Browse Figures Abstract The content of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) is one of the quality parameters to define if an olive oil can be classified as extra virgin as these compounds are considered markers for virgin olive oils obtained from poor-quality olives. In addition, FAEEs can also be indirect markers to detect soft deodorization treatment. In this study, an off-line HPLC-GC-FID method for determination of FAEEs is presented, revising the preparative step and the GC injector required by the official method (EU Reg. 61/2011). After optimization, the method was validated in-house by analyzing several parameters (linearity, limit of detection LOD, limit of quantification LOQ, robustness, recovery, precision, and accuracy) to determine its effectiveness. Linearity was measured in the 2.5–50 mg/L range; furthermore, intra-day and inter-day precision values were lower than 15%, while the LOD and LOQ were lower than 1 and 1.5 mg/kg, respectively, for all compounds considered. The main advantages of this revised protocol are: (i) significant reduction in time and solvents needed for each analytical determination; (ii) application of HPLC as an alternative to traditional LC, carried with manually packed glass columns, thus simplifying the separation step., This work was supported by the Horizon 2020 European Research project OLEUM “Advanced solutions for assuring the authenticity and quality of olive oil at a global scale,” which received funding from the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Programme (2014–2020), grant agreement no. 635690. The information expressed in this article reflects the authors’ views; the European Commission is not liable for the information contained herein.

The interest in hemp seed oil has recently increased, due to the latest regulations which allow its use as food. Hemp seed oil is characterized by a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are highly prone to oxidation. Accelerated thermal oxidation (60 °C, 18 days) has been applied to nine types of cold-pressed hemp seed oils to monitor the evolution of the samples during oxidative deterioration. The results showed that the only determinations of primary (peroxide value) and secondary (TBARs) oxidation products did not allow a sufficient or correct evaluation of the oxidative changes of hemp seed oils during storage. In fact, samples at the end of the test were primarily characterized by a high presence of oxidation volatile compounds and a significant decrease of antioxidants. Several volatiles identified before the accelerated storage, such as the predominant α-pinene and β-pinene, gradually decreased during the accelerated storage period. On the other hand, aldehydes (hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, heptanal, (E,E)-2,4-hexadienal, (E)-2-heptenal, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E,Z)-2,4-heptadienal, 2-octenal, nonanal, nonenal, 2,4-nonadienal, (E,E)- 2,4-decadienal and 2,4-decadienal), ketones (1-octen-3-one, 3-octen-2-one, (E,E)-3,5-octadien-2- one and 3,5-octadien-2-one), acids (propionic acid, pentanoic acid, hexanoic acid and heptanoic acid) and 2-pentyl-furan increased during the accelerated storage, as principal markers of oxidation.

This study evaluates the antioxidant activity of cannabidiol (CBD), added to model systems of refined olive (ROO) and sunflower (SO) oils, by measuring the peroxide value, oxidative stability index (OSI), electron spin resonance (ESR) forced oxidation, and DPPH&bull, assays. Free acidity, a parameter of hydrolytic rancidity, was also examined. CBD was compared using the same analytical scheme with &alpha, tocopherol. CBD, compared to &alpha, tocopherol, showed a higher scavenging capacity, measured by DPPH&bull, assay, but not better oxidative stability (OSI) of the oily systems considered. In particular, &alpha, tocopherol (0.5%) showed an antioxidant activity only in SO, registered by an increase of more than 30% of the OSI (from 4.15 &plusmn, 0.07 to 6.28 &plusmn, 0.11 h). By ESR-forced oxidation assay, the concentration of free radicals (&mu, M) in ROO decreased from 83.33 &plusmn, 4.56 to 11.23 &plusmn, 0.28 and in SO from 19.21 &plusmn, 1.39 to 6.90 &plusmn, 0.53 by adding 0.5% &alpha, tocopherol. On the contrary, the addition of 0.5% CBD caused a worsening of the oxidative stability of ROO (from 23.58 &plusmn, 0.32 to 17.28 &plusmn, 0.18 h) and SO (from 4.93 &plusmn, 0.04 to 3.98 &plusmn, 0.04 h). Furthermore, 0.5% of CBD did not lower dramatically the concentration of free radicals (&mu, M) as for &alpha, tocopherol, which passed from 76.94 &plusmn, 9.04 to 72.25 &plusmn, 4.13 in ROO and from 17.91 &plusmn, 0.95 to 16.84 &plusmn, 0.25 in SO.

Objective In 2017, the Italian Ministry of Health issued the new 2017-19 National Plan of Vaccine Prevention and pregnant women were targeted to be vaccinated against influenza and pertussis. Our study aim was to assess the barriers and facilitators regarding maternal immunization acceptance among pregnant women after the launch of this program. Study design We conducted a multi-center survey in three Italian cities between March and June 2018. Collected data were analyzed anonymously, and included information about current recommendations of maternal immunization, antenatal care characteristics and reasons for accepting or rejecting vaccination. Results A total of 743 pregnant women completed the survey. Half of the study population were aged 25–35 years and 88 % were Italian. Only 18 % pregnant women received advice to be vaccinated. In this group, the vaccine was recommended in most cases by an obstetrician-gynecologist (68 %) and during a routine antenatal visit (74 %). Self-reported influenza and pertussis vaccination coverage was 6.5 % (95 % confidence interval, 4.9 %–8.5 %) and 4.8 % (95 % confidence interval, 3.5 %–6.6 %), respectively. The main vaccination barriers identified were lack of vaccine recommendation by any health-care provider (81 %) and safety concerns (18 %). Respondents mentioned the willingness to protect their offspring (82 %) and themselves (66 %) and having received immunization advice by a maternal care provider (62 %), as the main vaccination facilitators. Conclusions Lack of immunization advice by health-care providers and safety concerns were the main vaccination barriers against influenza and pertussis, among surveyed pregnant women. Vaccine delivery in the antenatal care setting could lead to increase of vaccine acceptance among pregnant women.

Cannabis has regained much attention as a result of updated legislation authorizing many different uses and can be classified on the basis of the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychotropic substance for which there are legal limitations in many countries. For this purpose, accurate qualitative and quantitative determination is essential. The relationship between THC and cannabidiol (CBD) is also significant as the latter substance is endowed with many specific and non-psychoactive proprieties. For these reasons, it becomes increasingly important and urgent to utilize fast, easy, validated, and harmonized procedures for determination of cannabinoids. The procedure described herein allows rapid determination of 10 cannabinoids from the inflorescences of Cannabis sativa L. by extraction with organic solvents. Separation and subsequent detection are by RP-HPLC-UV. Quantification is performed by an external standard method through the construction of calibration curves using pure standard chromatographic reference compounds. The main cannabinoids dosed (g/100 g) in actual samples were cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), CBD, and &Delta, 9-THC (Sample L11 CBDA 0.88 &plusmn, 0.04, CBD 0.48 &plusmn, 0.02, &Delta, 9-THC 0.06 &plusmn, 0.00, Sample L5 CBDA 0.93 &plusmn, 0.06, CBD 0.45 &plusmn, 0.03, &Delta, 0.00). The present validated RP-HPLC-UV method allows determination of the main cannabinoids in Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences and appropriate legal classification as hemp or drug-type.