Search

According to the WHO, childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the twenty-first century. In this context, finding ways to make the healthier food choices the preferred ones can be a valuable contribution to solving this multifaceted problem. Sensory and consumer science offers a wide range of tools that can support the development of healthy and well-accepted food alternatives. In traditional sensory and consumer science, children would be involved in the product development process either as testers or informants. However, in our opinion, it would be valuable to extend their role to co-creators or co-designers, an approach already more established in the field of innovation and design, where children actively participate in the idea generation and development of healthy food that they will like and choose. Our own experience has shown that involving children in the idea-generation step for healthy food can be highly motivating and stimulating for them. In this opinion article, we discuss why it is important to include children actively as a relevant consumer segment in product development and suggest a process and methods that could be valuable for brainstorming about food ideas with children.

In the current context of the energy transition, Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) power plants are an alternative that are able to reduce carbon emissions from combined cycle (CC) power plants. In addition, the coupling to an energy storage system based on molten salts benefits hybridization, allowing the energy surplus to be to stored to cover peaks in energy demand. Because it is a recent technology, the determination of the optimal injection points for the solar-generated steam into the combined cycle is a critical issue. In this work, a thermodynamic model of a hybrid natural gas and solar thermal CC power plant has been developed using Thermoflex to analyze the integration effects in terms of efficiency and power. For all the steam injection candidate positions, the effects of 'power boosting' and 'fuel saving' operation modes have been simulated, considering operation conditions that are compatible with the useful range of molten salts. The results show that injection of steam at the high-pressure line before the steam turbine increases the cycle's gross efficiency with respect to the reference case, estimating a reduction of carbon emissions of 6696 kg/h in the 'fuel saving' mode and an increase in gross power of 14.4 MW in the 'power boosting' mode. Hence, adapting current combined cycles for hybridization with solar power is a viable solution in the transition period towards more sustainable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food literacy has emerged as a key individual trait to promote the transformation of food systems toward healthy and sustainable diets. Childhood and adolescence are key periods for establishing the foundations of eating habits. Different food literacy competencies are acquired as children develop different cognitive abilities, skills, and experiences, contributing to the development of critical tools that allow them to navigate a complex food system. Thus, the design and implementation of programs to support the development of food literacy from early childhood can contribute to healthier and more sustainable eating habits. In this context, the aim of the present narrative review is to provide an in-depth description of how different food literacy competencies are developed in childhood and adolescence, integrating the extensive body of evidence on cognitive, social, and food-related development. Implications for the development of multisectoral strategies to target the multidimensional nature of food literacy and promote the development of the 3 types of competencies (relational, functional, and critical) are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to taste sensitivity, the assessment of texture or tactile sensitivity has received relatively little attention in the food context. Texture plays an important role in food preferences and food intake, and individual differences make it important to understand physiological drivers of perception as tactile sensitivity. The multi‐dimensional and dynamic aspects of texture perception suggest there is not one single method that can explain individual differences. This scoping review aims to systematically map methods assessing tactile sensitivity, in the context of food, highlighting differences in approach and implementation. Eligibility criteria included papers describing methods to assess individual differences in tactile sensitivity, that involved human participants and the context was relevant to food behavior. Sources are peer‐reviewed publications of original research in English. In mapping the methods, we assessed how they relate to food texture parameters (mechanical, geometrical, and surface) and the dynamics of breaking down (touch with hand, first bite/sip, oral processing, residual or after‐swallowing sensations). We also review other parameters associated (oral processing, preference, diet and food intake behavior). The literature in this relatively young area is still very fragmented and it is difficult to have a clear picture regarding best practices or recommendations for the measurement of tactile sensitivity in the food context. Future studies should aim to methodological harmonization for application in the food behavior area, with a design of experiment combining different aspects of tactile sensitivity to food, focusing on the thresholds and perceived intensity of textural parameters as well as affective and behavioral responses, and covering the whole spectrum of tactile texture perception (mechanical, geometrics, and surface), including the dynamics of perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food industry has recently been under unprecedented pressure due to major global challenges, such as climate change, exponential increase in world population and urbanization, and the worldwide spread of new diseases and pandemics, such as the COVID-19. The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) has been gaining momentum since 2015 and has revolutionized the way in which food is produced, transported, stored, perceived, and consumed worldwide, leading to the emergence of new food trends. After reviewing Industry 4.0 technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, smart sensors, robotics, blockchain, and the Internet of Things) in Part I of this work (Hassoun, Aït-Kaddour, et al. 2022. The fourth industrial revolution in the food industry—Part I: Industry 4.0 technologies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 1–17.), this complimentary review will focus on emerging food trends (such as fortified and functional foods, additive manufacturing technologies, cultured meat, precision fermentation, and personalized food) and their connection with Industry 4.0 innovations. Implementation of new food trends has been associated with recent advances in Industry 4.0 technologies, enabling a range of new possibilities. The results show several positive food trends that reflect increased awareness of food chain actors of the food-related health and environmental impacts of food systems. Emergence of other food trends and higher consumer interest and engagement in the transition toward sustainable food development and innovative green strategies are expected in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many coffee‐producing countries, the ellipsoidal‐shaped seeds called peaberries are often labeled as a defect because of their shape and reduced size, going against the market demand for large‐sized standard coffee beans. Nevertheless, the peaberry natural occurrence on the coffee plantations is significant, accounting for 5%–7% of the total harvested coffee for Coffea arabica L. and Coffea canephora, the most planted species worldwide. Nevertheless, recent growth in the peaberry market has happened due to exceptional cupping scores for this specific bean type; however, the relationship between these scores and the shape of the bean was not yet recorded in the literature. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate and compare the impact of the shape and size of the peaberry against the standard beans in different postharvest processes: Drying, roasting (colorimetry and inner roasting profiles), grinding (compressive and shear force tests) and overall quality by cupping analysis. Coffea arabica L. var. Cenicafé 1 was used throughout all the experiments, where advanced methods were used to increase the accuracy of the results and deeply characterize the process behavior. The results of this research allow to understand the peaberry postharvest behavior better and add significant value to this often‐underrated bean condition. The peaberries demonstrated shape influence in the different evaluated parameters, allowing them to dry faster, roast evenly, avoid burnt spots, and collapse at homogeneous forces while attaining the same high cup scores as a standard coffee bean. Practical applications: Understanding the peaberries' shape and size influence different postharvest processes is crucial to comprehend their value. By gaining insights, into how these unique beans interact with stages of processing, producers can control and predict their behavior leading to more consistent and optimized results. The findings of this research provide an opportunity to fully incorporate peaberries into the coffee product without considering them as defective beans or expanding market trends. Generally, peaberries were often seen as undesirable because they did not match the bean size and shape. However, their exceptional performance in drying, roasting, grinding and cupping dispels these misconceptions, highlighting their value and contribution to coffee quality. As a result, coffee producers can embrace peaberries as valuable beans without discarding or downgrading them. This newfound appreciation for peaberries does not only reduce waste, but it also diversifies coffee offerings to meet consumer preferences and enriches the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]