Search

Foodborne pathogen contamination of fermented food is an increasingly concerned problem in food industry. The types and sources of harmful microorganisms in food are discussed in this paper. The main techniques used to detect microorganisms are summarized. In addition, strategies for controlling these harmful microorganisms are discussed. By highlighting these important aspects, this paper aims to contribute to strengthening food quality assurance and promoting safer food practices.

ABSTRACT A sunken solar greenhouse is a unique structure used in China that has good thermal performance and a low cost. To explore the thermal environment and the marginal effect area under the trellis membrane in a sunken solar greenhouse, daytime heat absorption and nighttime exothermic models of the greenhouse were established based on existing theories and hypotheses. An experimental study of the three-dimensional thermal environment of a solar greenhouse was also conducted in the Jinzhong Basin of Shanxi Province. The daytime heat absorption model described how the internal thermal environment of the greenhouse changes in three dimensions, while the nighttime model calculated the amount of heat released at night. The results showed that the rate of change in the maximum temperature difference along the height direction in the greenhouse was 13 times that along the vertical direction, and three times that along the horizontal direction. We also observed that the marginal effect area under the membrane varied over time and by month. The minimum value of the marginal effect area occurred at the middle cross-section, spanning the middle position of the greenhouse, and the maximum height was 2.7 m. The results of this study can provide theoretical guidance and experimental data for the thermal environment of greenhouses of the same type in the Jinzhong Basin of Shanxi Province, thus providing a basis for environmental regulation and low-temperature margins in greenhouses.

ABSTRACT Due to its high nutritional value, broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica Plenck) is one of the most popular vegetables worldwide. This study assessed 36 phenotypic characteristics of 111 broccoli varieties to understand the phenotypic diversity of new broccoli varieties and improve their breeding speed with advantages and characteristics in China, including 108 new varieties and three varieties of common knowledge. The genetic diversity, the principal component, and the cluster of phenotypic characteristics of broccoli varieties were further investigated. The results showed that the coefficients of variation of 36 characteristics ranged between 11.18 % and 94.99 %, with their diversity index between 0.26 and 1.82. The 111 broccoli varieties were further classified into eight groups, primarily attributed to the differences in phenotypic characteristics, including curd weight, main stem thickness, plant development degree, plant height, and anthocyanin coloration. The cumulative contribution rate of the first five principal components reached 81.186 %, corresponding to 12 representative phenotypic traits. The analysis indicated that the phenotypic characteristics of broccoli were rich in diversity, especially for several characteristics appreciated by the market, such as weight, curd firmness, and anthocyanin coloration. This study revealed the basic information on the genetic diversity of new broccoli varieties in China from 2017 to 2019 and provided potential breeding strategies for broccoli to meet diverse market demands.

The combination of HLB and Hurricane Ian have made this a disastrous year for Florida citrus, drastically reducing the quantity and quality of processing oranges. Brix values and yields are the lowest in history. Early season Hamlin juice of lesser quality is generally blended with late-season Valencia to achieve the target 12 Brix and 15 ratio for quality NFC juice. This is not possible when the Valencia crop is coming in around 9-10 brix, even from fully mature trees. The only blending option available to processors this season is to use higher quality imported juice. This article will discuss new options being developed by the UF-CREC Citrus Breeding Team to permanently solve this growing problem for Florida growers.

A growing consumer demand for natural compatible sweeteners have been recognized in recent years. Two effective solutions including using natural non-caloric sweeteners and natural sweetness-enhancing compounds have been proposed. Fruits have been considered as a good source of non-caloric sweeteners, and citrus is one of the most important agricultural commodities especially in the U.S. Until now there is only one sweetness modulator reported in citrus (hesperetin, in 1965). In our study, we have identified six sweeteners, one sweetness enhancer, and one bitter masking compound, among which seven were identified from the Citrus genus for the first time. The sweetener oxime V, which was a synthetic sweetener, was identified for the first time in the natural sources. Information developed in this study can be used to promote citrus consumption and future breeding.

This article mainly focuses on the study recently conducted at the CREC to understand the potential of using HLB-tolerant cultivar Sugar Belle in juice processing. Sensory attributes, consumer preference and their attitude toward mandarin blended juice were discussed.

It may surprise you to learn that citrus trees can get too much sunshine in the Sunshine State. In fact, manipulating the light environment around the plants can have several surprising benefits. Shade can both suppress the HLB cycle and enhance citrus health and yield in Florida. Overall, a mildly shaded citrus plant is likely to have fewer HLB-spreading psyllids, less severe HLB symptoms, fewer signs of stress, and higher yield.

Breeding and screening of HLB tolerant scion and rootstock cultivars have been recognized as one of the effective ways to control the disease and increase the supply of quality citrus fruit under these adverse circumstances. In order to make sure fruits from the new cultivars meet the conusmer demand, we characterized the flavor and consumer preference of HLB-tolerant scion/rootstock combinations. Orie Lee late (OLL) sweet oranges grafted on different rootstocks were used in this study. As a result, rootstocks could affect sweetness, consumer liking and overall flavor. Freshness and overall orange flavor were significantly influenced by the scion varieties. For maximum juice quality from HLB-impacted trees, such relationships should be considered when we choose the scion/rootstock combinations in the future.

The UF-CREC Citrus Variety Display Days have been a unique platform to fulfill the core mission of the Florida citrus industry, which is to identify new selections with superior traits to improve Florida’s competitive position in the marketplace. In the past year, five displays were conducted. In this article, we list the top 5 or 10 varieties from the current season’s displays by category, along with their sensory attributes and consumer preferences. In addtion, challenges and refining the process is dicussed for the future work.

Minor revision: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs169

Minor revision: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs169

Minor revision: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fs169

ABSTRACT Background: primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients with a suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) have a significantly worse survival rate. Fenofibrate has been shown to improve the short-term biochemical response in this group of patients. However, there is limited data available on the safety and efficacy of its long-term use, especially in patients with cirrhosis. Methods: in this retrospective cohort study, fenofibrate was given to PBC patients with a suboptimal response to at least 12 months of UDCA (13-15 mg/kg/d) therapy. Biochemistry data, GLOBE score and UK-PBC risk score at baseline and at different time points of treatment were compared. The safety profiles were also compared between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patient groups. Results: fenofibrate (200 mg/day) was given to 39 PBC patients with a suboptimal response to UDCA (15 cirrhotic and 24 non-cirrhotic patients). In the 26 patients who completed more than one year of combination therapy, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were 215 (185, 326) U/l, 122 (110, 202) U/l, 128 (106, 194) U/l, 124 (100, 181) U/l and 120 (82, 168) U/l, at baseline, three months, six months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively. All p values were < 0.01 when compared to baseline values. After two years of combination therapy, the UK-PBC risk score and GLOBE score did not significantly improve. The overall rates of adverse events were not significantly different between the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic group. The elevation of liver enzymes was the most frequent side effect (n = 7), leading to a discontinuation in four patients. Furthermore, after two years of combination therapy, the serum creatinine levels and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were significantly worse in both groups. Conclusion: fenofibrate add-on therapy could improve ALP and -GT levels in both non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic PBC patients with a suboptimal response to UDCA. However, patients need to be monitored carefully for a potential liver injury and nephrotoxicity.

This essay explores the nationalization of beer in twentieth-century China. Using the theoretical framework of “culinary infrastructure,” it shows how the physical facilities and technologies of brewing and marketing interacted with local drinking cultures to shape the understandings of beer in China. It begins by describing how a western consumer good originally marketed to colonial representatives was gradually adopted by the urban Chinese as a symbol of modernity in the first half of the twentieth century. It then reviews the nationalization of foreign-owned breweries and the growth of domestic production in the first decades of Communist rule. The essay concludes that the Chinese acquired a taste for beer as an everyday marker of urban privilege that survived Maoist radicalism and remains to this day a defining feature of Communist China.

Grapefruit production in Florida has been drastically reduced by huanglongbing (HLB) disease, from 40.9 million boxes in 2003–04 to 4.5 million boxes in 2018–19, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Grapefruit varieties are particularly vulnerable to HLB due to cumulative losses from stunted tree growth, low fruit yield, high-percentage fruit drop, small fruit size, low percentage packout and compromised internal quality. The resulting low net revenue generated by HLB-impacted grapefruit groves and their inflated production costs compromise the economic viability of growing grapefruit for the fresh fruit market in HLB-endemic Florida.

New fresh citrus fruit selections continue to be developed and released by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, promising new varieties are being brought into Florida from other regions of the nation and internationally. This report focuses on evaluation fruit quality and shelf life of new selections developed by the UF/IFAS breeding program and released through the FAST TRACK program.

It’s no secret that HLB has challenged our juice industry to maintain the outstanding quality associated with Florida orange juice. Moreover, increased prices and competition from new juice products and blends have reduced Florida orange juice consumption. We believe that improving the quality, especially flavor and color, of our juice products, can help turn the situation around. The UF/CREC citrus improvement team has been engaged in sweet orange improvement since the mid-1980’s. Because the complex biology of sweet orange makes it difficult to directly breed new sweet oranges, our program has exploited other reliable sources of genetic variation, in addition to conventional breeding. Last year our group published an article in Citrus Industry describing how HLB-tolerant mandarin hybrids we are developing could be used to improve Florida orange juice (http://citrusindustry.net/2018/09/17/could-hlb-tolerant-mandarins-be-used-in-florida-orange-juice/). That article focused on research to gain a better understanding of the genetics that control fruit flavors, using sensory analyses (taste tests) to decipher flavor perception. Here, we provide an overview of our progress and strategies regarding the development of true processing sweet oranges with potential to enhance the Florida NFC portfolio, as well as the development of sweet orange-like hybrids that could be used to enhance Florida juice quality, or to produce new high quality stand-alone juice products.

This article focused on the potential of using HLB tolerant mandarin cultivars for orange juice processing. The sensory study showed the aroma compounds differentiated mandarin and orange flavor. In order to use mandarin in the orange processing, aroma compounds should be manipulated. In addition, the regulation challenge was also discussed in this article.

Although contraindicated for certain medications, grapefruits are also known for their numerous health benefits. Both these effects come from, in part, natural chemicals called furanocoumarin. Numerous studies have shown that furanocoumarins, reduce inflammation and stop cancer cells from multiplying. Furthermore, they may also help repair damaged DNA that would otherwise contribute to the development of tumors. FSHN18-8/FS311: The Health Benefits of Grapefruit Furanocoumarins (ufl.edu)

Although contraindicated for certain medications, grapefruits are also known for their numerous health benefits. Both these effects come from, in part, natural chemicals called furanocoumarin. Numerous studies have shown that furanocoumarins, reduce inflammation and stop cancer cells from multiplying. Furthermore, they may also help repair damaged DNA that would otherwise contribute to the development of tumors. FSHN18-8/FS311: The Health Benefits of Grapefruit Furanocoumarins (ufl.edu)

Although contraindicated for certain medications, grapefruits are also known for their numerous health benefits. Both these effects come from, in part, natural chemicals called furanocoumarin. Numerous studies have shown that furanocoumarins, reduce inflammation and stop cancer cells from multiplying. Furthermore, they may also help repair damaged DNA that would otherwise contribute to the development of tumors. FSHN18-8/FS311: The Health Benefits of Grapefruit Furanocoumarins (ufl.edu)

Este estudo explora a nacionalização da cerveja na China no século XX. Usando o quadro teórico da “infraestrutura culinária”, mostra como as instalações físicas e tecnologias de fabricação e comercia­lização interagiram com culturas locais de bebida para moldar os entendimentos de cerveja na China. Começa por descrever como um bem de consumo ocidental originalmente comercializado por repre­sentantes coloniais foi gradualmente adotado pelo chinês urbano como símbolo da modernidade na primeira metade do século XX. Em seguida, analisa a nacionalização das cervejarias de propriedade estrangeira e o crescimento da produção doméstica nas primeiras décadas do regime comunista. O estudo conclui que os chineses adquiriram o gosto pela cerveja como marca diária de privilégios urba­nos que sobreviveu ao radicalismo maoísta e permanece até hoje uma característica definidora da China comunista.

The increased prevalence of obesity in recent decades has sparked tremendous concern worldwide. Obesity, a chronic disease that increases the risk for a myriad of diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, as well as certain types of cancers, results from a persistent excess of energy intake versus energy expenditure and is characterized by an increase in both adipose cell size and number. Treatments to date consist of medications that cause various adverse side effects. This has led to the recent shift in focus towards investigating natural alternatives to treat obesity. The use of phytochemicals as a safe and natural alternative to treat obesity is under current investigation as citrus flavonoids haven been shown to monitor energy intake versus expenditure, regulate lipid metabolism and adipose tissue, and inhibit amylase function.

The increased prevalence of obesity in recent decades has sparked tremendous concern worldwide. Obesity, a chronic disease that increases the risk for a myriad of diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, as well as certain types of cancers, results from a persistent excess of energy intake versus energy expenditure and is characterized by an increase in both adipose cell size and number. Treatments to date consist of medications that cause various adverse side effects. This has led to the recent shift in focus towards investigating natural alternatives to treat obesity. The use of phytochemicals as a safe and natural alternative to treat obesity is under current investigation as citrus flavonoids haven been shown to monitor energy intake versus expenditure, regulate lipid metabolism and adipose tissue, and inhibit amylase function.

The increased prevalence of obesity in recent decades has sparked tremendous concern worldwide. Obesity, a chronic disease that increases the risk for a myriad of diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, as well as certain types of cancers, results from a persistent excess of energy intake versus energy expenditure and is characterized by an increase in both adipose cell size and number. Treatments to date consist of medications that cause various adverse side effects. This has led to the recent shift in focus towards investigating natural alternatives to treat obesity. The use of phytochemicals as a safe and natural alternative to treat obesity is under current investigation as citrus flavonoids haven been shown to monitor energy intake versus expenditure, regulate lipid metabolism and adipose tissue, and inhibit amylase function.

In Florida, it is necessary to produce large quantities of high quality citrus fruits in order to keep pace with the projected market growth, as well as to maintain viability of the citrus industry. Successful development of new varieties and pre- and post-harvest practices should be consumer-driven. However, consumer behavior is often affected not only by individual factors (genetics, age, gender, culture, etc.), but also by product specific factors (sensory) and environmental factors (marketing) as well. The University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center’s (CREC’s) Flavor Program is taking steps to systematically study these factors to understand the market, develop informational resources that can be used directly by the industry (growers, packers, shippers, and marketers) and promote the production and marketing of competitive new varieties grown in Florida.

A series of nitramino-derivatives of pyrrole were designed through introducing the nitramino group into pyrrole ring to look for high-energy-density compounds. The molecular stabilities are explored thoroughly based on the calculated heats of formation, bond dissociation energy, and bond order at the B3PW91/6-311+G(d,p) level. The results indicated that the molecules designed in this paper have enough stability not only thermally but also kinetically. To evaluate the potential application as high-energy-density compounds, the detonation velocity and detonation pressure are calculated by using the Kamlet-Jacobs equation. Based on the calculation both of stability and detonation characters, four nitramino-derivatives of pyrrole (D1: 2,3-trinitramino-1H-pyrrole, D2: 2,3,4-trinitramino-1H-pyrrole, D3: 2,3,5-trinitramino-1H- pyrrole and E: 2,3,4,5- tetranitramino- 1H-pyrrole) are screened out as potential high-energy-density molecules for further study.

The aim of this study was to contribute to the knowledge of the richness and distribution of the lichens in the Bío-Bío Region. A total of 120 samples were collected in the surroundings of Termas de Chillán and Las Trancas, Bio-Bio region. The sampling was realized at random considering the high diversity of available substrates. Taxonomical identification was performed on the basis of the analysis of morphological, reproductive and chromatographic (TLC) characters. A total of 41 species were identified, which include 18 families and 31 genera. Out of the total of identified species, 49 % are corticolous, 34 % saxicolous and 17 % terricolous. Of the total of species found, four are new records for Chile: Menegazzia confusa P. James, M. pertransita (Stirt.) R. Sant., Rinodina sophodes (Ach.) A. Massal. and Usnea sinensis Motyka. For each species, information on lichen name, family, substratum, altitude, global distribution, and sampling site is provided. Also, keys to identify the genera found in the study area are included. Pictures for the new records of lichens for the country are also presented. The work contributes to extend the knowledge on the taxa’s distribution in the region. The results suggest that the lichenological expeditions should be continued in unexplored localities of Chile in order to increase the knowledge of the richness, ecology and distribution of lichen biodiversity.