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Element content analyses in the Institute for Food Sciences, Quality Assurance and Microbiology
203-207Views:478The role of chemical elements to ensure and promote our health is undisputed. Some of them are essential for plants, animals and human, others can cause diseases. The major source of mineral constituents is food, drinking water has a minor contribution to it, so the knowledge of elemental intake through food is crucial and needs continuous monitoring and by this way it promotes the food quality assurance and dietetics.
With the evolution of spectroscopic methods increasingly lower concentrations could be determined, so the elemental composition of a sample could be more precisely and fully described. Due to the results the gathered knowledge up to the present is supported and new observations can be done helping us to understand such complex systems as biological organisms are.
The quality of a food is determined by the full process of its production, consequently it starts with agricultural production so elemental-analysis usually cover the whole soil – plant – (animal) – food chain, by this way the „Fork-to-Farm” precept is true in elemental analysis field also.
The history of elemental analysis in the University of Debrecen, Centre for Agricultural and Applied Economic Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, Institute of Food Processing, Quality Assurance and Microbiology goes back to 1980s when the so called Regional Measurement Central gave the background for research. The continuous deployment resulted in an obtain of an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) in 1988, which extended the scope of examinations due to its excellent performance characteristics
compared to flame atom absorption (FAAS) and flame emission spectrometers (FES). The instrumental park retain up to date correlate to the developing analytical techniques due to acquiring a newer ICPAES in 1998 and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer in 2004 – which sensitivity is three order of magnitude better compared to ICP-AES. The Institute supports the work with its own ICP-AES and ICP-MS since 2011. -
Microbiological quality of bulk tank raw milk from two dairy farms in Hajdú-Bihar County, Hungary
105-112Views:748Two main channels have been identified to be responsible for microbiological contamination of raw milk and milk products. Firstly, contamination has occurred due to udder infection from the cow or the blood which harbours most bacteria that come in contact with the raw milk. Secondly, via external factors (may include faeces, skin, contaminated water, environment etc.) which are associated with the operation of milking. There is direct contact with the milk and/or surfaces before, during or after the milking, posing public health risk and economic decline. The aim of this study was to examine the bacteriological quality of bulk tank raw milk samples collected from two different size dairy farms (Farm 1 and Farm 2) of different housing forms (cubicle loose and deep litter) in Hajdú-Bihar County, Hungary in July, 2017. Three samples were taken from each farm, and the total plate count, coliform count, Escherichia coli count, Staphylococcus aureus count, and yeast and mould count were determined in them.
The results clearly showed low level of all measured bacteria group load in Farm 1 samples in comparison to Farm 2 with the exception of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) which represented high level in general, indicating significant difference (P<0.05). The mean value of total plate count in Farm 2 samples was higher (1.0 × 105 CFU/mL) than Farm 1 samples (2.8 × 104 CFU/mL). There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in mean count of coliforms in raw milk samples between Farm 1 and Farm 2. Similarly, results of E. coli were significantly different (P<0.05) with mean count of 1.44 × 102 CFU/mL and 2.02 × 103 CFU/mL for Farm 1 and Farm 2 respectively.
Results of Staphylococcus aureus also showed significant difference (P<0.05) with mean count of 9.7 × 101 CFU/mL for Farm 1 and 6.28 × 102 CFU/mL for Farm 2. The mean of mould count recorded was 1.07 × 102 CFU/mL and 4.93 × 102 CFU/mL for Farm 1 and Farm 2 respectively. The recorded mean of yeast count was 1.68 × 103 CFU/mL and 3.41 × 103 CFU/mL for Farm 1 and Farm 2 respectively; however, both farms showed no significant difference (P>0.05) in terms of mean of mould and yeast count. Although Farm 2 produced six times lower milk quantity than Farm 1, the measured microbial parameters were high. Both farms’ microbiological numbers were higher above the permitted limit values as stated by Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, Hungarian Ministry of Health (MoH) 4/1998 (XI. 11.).
This could be an indication of non-conformance to effective GMP, ineffective pre–milking disinfection or udder preparation, poor handling and storage practice, time and temperature abuse and inadequate Food Safety Management System Implementation. Therefore, our recommendation is as follows; establish control measures for pre- and postharvest activities involved in the milking process which would be an effective approach to reduce contamination of the raw milk by pathogenic microorganisms from these farms, strict sanitation regime and hygiene protocol be employed and applied to cows, all equipment, contact surfaces and minimize handling of the milk prior, during and after milking. This will also serve as scientific information to the producers for continual improvement in their operations.
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Effect of molybdenum treatment on the element uptake of food crops in a long-term field experiment
75-79Views:583Molybdenum, as a constituent of several important enzymes, is an essential microelement. It can be found in all kind of food naturally at low
levels. However, environmental pollution, from natural or anthropogenic sources, can lead to high levels of the metal in plants. Our study is based on long-term field experiments at Nagyhörcsök, where different levels of soil contamination conditions are simulated. Plant samples were collected from the experiment station to study the behavior of elements: uptake by and transport within the plants, accumulation in different organs, phytotoxicity and effects on the quantity and quality of the crop. In this study, we present the effect of molybdenum treatment on the uptake of other elements. Molybdenum is proved to be in an antagonist relationship with copper and sulphur, while molybdenum-phosphorus is a synergist interaction. However, in most of the plants we studied, increasing molybdenum-treatment enhanced cadmium uptake. We found the most significant cadmium accumulation in the case of pea, spinach and red beet. -
The effect of breed and stage of lactation on the microbiological status of raw milk
37-45Views:815The microbiological quality of the milk is important not only for food safety, but it can also influence the quality of dairy products. The microbiological status of raw cow milk can be influenced by many factors. Our aim was to determine whether there was a difference between the microbiological quality of milk of two different cow breeds (Holstein Friesian and Jersey) kept and milked in the same conditions, and how the microbiological quality of the raw cow milk changed during lactation (beginning, mid, and end). Samples were taken and analysed in July, August and September in 2018 from two dairy farms in Hajdú-Bihar county. During the conducted studies, the total plate count (TPC), the coliform count, the Staphylococcus aureus count and the coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) count of raw milk samples were determined.
There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the milk of the Holstein Friesian and Jersey breeds in the case of TPC. However, the mean coliform count of milk samples taken from Holstein Friesian cows was significantly lower (P<0.05) than the mean coliform count of milk samples taken from Jersey cows. S. aureus was detected in one of the twelve milk samples taken from Holstein Friesian cows, and in two of the eleven milk samples taken from Jersey cows. CNS was found in larger amount in milk samples taken from Holstein Friesian cows, and the difference was significant (P<0.05). Both TPC and CNS count were significantly higher (P<0.05) in individual milk samples taken at the end stage of lactation, than in samples taken in the earlier stages of lactation from Farm “A”. However, in the case of Farm “B”, there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in colony counts at different stages of lactation. S. aureus was only present in milk samples that collected from cows, which were at the beginning and middle stages of lactation. Testimg the hemolysin production ability of S. aureus strains isolated from the raw milk samples, only weak hemolysis was observed on blood agar. In case of antibiotic resistance testing, it was found that all strains were susceptible to cefoxitin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, penicillin G, tetracycline and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole.
Based on the results of our studies, staphylococci were detected in a higher amount in the milk of Holstein Friesian cows, and coliform bacteria were detected in a higher number in the milk of Jersey cows. Summing up the results of the milk samples taken from the different stages of lactation in one of the farms, it can be concluded that higher TPC and CNS count could be detected at the end stage of lactation than in the samples taken from the earlier stages of lactation. The fact that at the end of lactation the microorganisms could be detected in a higher colony count may be related to the fact that teats could be damaged during lactation by the milking machine, which increased the chance of imvading the microorganisms into the udder.
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Effect of anthocyanin-rich sour cherry extract on the level of IL-8 in LPS-induced endothelial cell
27-30Views:648The anthocyanin content of the Hungarian sour cherry is remarkable. Nutraceutical and pharmaceutical effects of the anthocyanins and their role in disease prevention have been studied extensively. Endothelial cells are involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases. The objective of this work was to investigate pure sour cherry extract on human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as an inflammatory model. HUVECs were treated with 100 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and 50 mg/mL sour cherry extract or M199 medium as control. The optimal concentration range of the sour cherry extract was investigated and selected based on MTT assay measuring the conversion of the tetrazolium salt to formazan by mitochondrial dehydrogenases. The level of interleukine-8 (IL-8), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, was measured in Luminex MagPlex assay. LPS treatment significantly increased the secretion of IL-8. The pure sour cherry extract was able to attenuate this increment indicating the potent anti-inflammatory effect of pure sour cherry extract. Our results emphasize that pure sour cherry extract could reduce the LPS-induced inflammatory response thereby may improve endothelial dysfunction.
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Examination of the efficacy of different fungicides against Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in laboratory conditions
21-24Views:715Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum are two significant fungal pathogens of sunflower. M. phaseolina causes charcoal rot and ashy stem blight in several important crop species. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes white mold disease which can occur as middle stalk rot, head rot and premature plant death. Due to the wide host range of the two pathogens and their survival structures, crop rotation cannot provide sufficient protection against them. In our experiment, we selected two fungicides, Mirage and Prosaro, which are widely used in practice, and we tested their efficacy against the two pathogens. The efficiency of these fungicides was tested at a concentration of 10; 20; 50; 100 and 500 ppm. The Prosaro totally inhibited the mycelial growth of both pathogens at a concentration of 50 ppm, 100 ppm and 500 ppm. The Mirage caused total mycelial growth inhibition in all treatments against both pathogens.
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Balancing chemical fertiliser application for optimal maize yield and environmental safety
65-76Views:291Chemical fertilisers play a crucial role in enhancing maize productivity by supplying essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. However, excessive and imbalanced application of these fertilisers may result in soil degradation and environmental pollution. This review presents a comprehensive, bibliometric, and literature-based analysis of research on the balanced use of chemical fertilisers in maize production, spanning 2000 to 2025, and uses VOSviewer 1.6.20 as the analytical tool. The study analysed data from the Web of Science to examine publication trends, the configuration of keyword networks, and the dynamics of international research collaborations. The Mann-Kendall test revealed a significant positive trend (p = 0.001) in the volume of publications focused on chemical fertiliser balancing, with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.5153. A total of 549 relevant studies were identified globally, with no language restrictions applied, indicating sustained growth in research output over time. Field studies demonstrate that reducing chemical fertiliser use by up to 25% when combined with biological amendments can maintain or enhance yields across diverse agroecological conditions. The emphasis is placed on sustainable fertilisation practices that balance productivity and environmental safety, highlighting challenges and future directions for adoption. Balanced fertiliser management is crucial for sustainable maize production systems, which simultaneously contribute to food security and environmental conservation. This study is significant as it systematically maps the evolution and current state of research on balanced chemical fertiliser use in maize production, providing valuable insights into publication trends, collaborative networks, and practical agronomic outcomes. Despite the progress, there remains a significant gap in region-specific guidelines and long-term impact assessments of integrated fertiliser management practices, which future research should address to optimise sustainable maize production tailored to diverse agro-ecological zones.
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Preliminary results of the combined production of duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in an aquaponic system
83-89Views:575As a result of population growth, increasin amount of food is needed, and agriculture is under an increasing burden to meet these needs. Traditional agriculture is often attacked due to its environmental impact. We must find alternative, environmentally friendly ways to produce more food. Aquaponics is a closed system in which we can produce both fish and plants at the same time. Duckweed species are small, aquatic, floating plants belonging to angiosperms. It can potentially be an alternative protein source, due to its high protein content, good amino acid supply, and rapid growth. Under suitable conditions, it doubles its weight in 2–4 days, and can reach a yield of 30 t ha-1 year-1in dry matter. It forms a carpet on top of the water and can be found in slow-moving or still waters. Since they are resistant to a wide range of nutrient concentrations, they are also suitable for cleaning wastewater (such as eutrophicated lakes, sewage reservoirs, liquid manure storage). Fish feed is the primary nutrient source for aquaponic systems, which usually contains fishmeal. If duckweed can be used as an alternative for fishmeal in the feed, it could improve the sustainability of the aquaponic and aquaculture systems. In this study, the aim was to develop an optimal harvesting protocol for duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza under aquaponic conditions. In a four weeks experiments, four harvesting protocols were set up, a control where only biomass measurements were made, a 25% group where 25% of the biomass at the time of measurement was harvested, and a 50% and a 75% group where at the time of measurement 50% and 75% of the biomass was harvested. Three replicates were used per treatment. We weighed the biomass every week and removed the amount corresponding to the group. Based on the preliminary results, it can be said that more biomass was obtained in the groups with the 25% harvesting protocol and the control group.
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Correlation analysis of relative chlorophyll content and yield of maize hybrids of different genotypes
211-214Views:559In 2021, correlation between relative chlorophyll content and yield in three maize hybrids of different genotypes was examined. The data were collected at the Látókép Experimental Station of the University of Debrecen located on the Hajdúság loess ridge in Hungary. The soil of the small plot field strip plot trial, which was set up in 2011, was calcareous chernozem. Apart from the control treatment (without fertilisation), N fertiliser is applied in the form of base and top dressing. The base fertiliser containing 60 and 120 kg ha-1 N of nutrient applied in spring was followed by top dressing containing +30–30 kg ha-1 N in V6 and V12 phenophases. SPAD values measured at different phenological stages of the growing season increased by an average of about 28% up to 10 leaf stage for all three hybrids. In the pre-silking period (Vn), the relative chlorophyll content decreased by 8% on average. After an average increase of 14% in the tasselling and silking period, SPAD decreased by an average of about 29% at full maturity (R6).
For the different fertiliser treatments, higher N doses resulted in higher yields. In the basal fertiliser treatment, the A 60 N dose resulted in an average 34% increase in yield, and the A 120 N dose resulted in an average 94% increase in yield compared to the control. The 60 kg ha-1 N basal fertiliser (A60) increased in the V6 phenophase with an additional 30 kg ha-1 N resulted in an average yield increase of 26%. When 120 kg ha-1 N of basal fertiliser (A120) was increased by an additional 30 kg ha-1 N in the V6 phenophase, only the Merida hybrid showed a significant yield increase (7%). No further yield increase was observed when V690 and V6150 treatments were increased by an additional 30 kg ha-1 N in the V12 phenophase. The yield of the Armagnac hybrid decreased by almost 20%, the yield of Fornad by 3% and the yield of Merida by 1%.
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The effect of sous-vide cooking on the antioxidant properties of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus L.)
177-184Views:1069Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus L.) are renowned for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and prebiotic properties. This study explores the antioxidant characteristics, activity, and β-glucan content in freeze-dried mushroom samples, investigating the influence of sous-vide cooking. Uncooked freeze-dried P. ostreatus and three pre-cooked freeze-dried samples (70, 80, 90 °C through 4 hours) were analysed for Total Polyphenol Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), Radical Scavenging (DPPH), Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and β-glucans content via HPLC and Total Dietary Fiber (TDF) via enzymatic gravimetric method. Results indicate that uncooked mushroom powder exhibited superior antioxidant capabilities compared to cooked samples. The sous-vide cooked (80 °C) mushrooms displayed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. Moreover, pre-cooked (70 °C) mushroom powder demonstrated the highest β-glucan content, significantly surpassing the uncooked control sample. Notably, pre-cooked groups (80, 90 °C) demonstrated significantly higher TDF levels compared to uncooked sample. This research offers valuable insights into the potential use of mushrooms as high-antioxidant, antimicrobial, and prebiotic food or feed supplements, with broad implications across various fields.
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Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) as a remedy to human livelihood challenges: a review
5-11Views:730Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is a unique plant predominant in different ecosystems in Africa. This review assessed its value in relation to human nutrition, health, and related aspects. Our synthesis shows that baobab leaves, seed oil, and fruit pulp were utilised in different forms. Baobab tree products such as fruit pulp, leaves, and seed oil contain high levels of macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, carbohydrates, and proteins. Therefore, promoting the utilization and processing of baobab products for improved human nutrition is key. However, the determination of optimal parameters through elemental traceability as well as the relationship between geographical locations and nutrient composition of the baobab plant is required. Altogether, promoting innovative utilization of baobab products by exploring processing techniques to develop novel food and product formulation from Adansonia digitata tree products sheds a green light to sustain human livelihoods.
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Bacteria in the milk of sheep with or without mastitis- mini Review
47-52Views:796From a nutritional point of view, sheep milk is more valuable than cow and goat milk and the interest for sheep milk is increasing in many countries. However, sheep milk is easily contaminated during milking, handling, and transport and it is an ideal medium for bacterial propagation. Consequently, sheep milk spoils quite quickly. The proper, clean handling of milk is not only of sanitarian interest, but it also serves the farmers’ interests, because contaminated milk may not be distributed, and is unsuitable for producing good quality products. Following this technological trend, this review addresses the bacterial composition of sheep milk with and without mastitis. Even though sheep milk contains a lot of bacteria, this review article highlighted total plate count, Enterobacteriaceae, coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, Salmonella spp. and Streptococcus spp. Mastitis in sheep is a vital cause of mortality, reduction in milk production and early culling. The reported risk factors for mastitis in sheep were age, a case of mastitis, breed, husbandry systems, and location. The main priority should be implementation of programs to minimize human pathogenic bacteria and mastitis in raw ewe milk.
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Individual cage housing affects feed intake and induces sex-specific effects on body weight in Japanese quails
137-142Views:714Individual cage housing in poultry production could be a potentially stressful environment for the birds that can alter feed intake, consequently induce negative effects on performance. Previous studies used individual bird-based experiments to extract the detailed molecular, physiological, and fitness outcomes of treatments. Understanding sex-specific effects of isolation on social birds such as Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) may reveal important considerations. To understand this phenomenon, birds were kept in groups of 10 for one week and they were kept in individual cages for another week. Daily feed intake (DFI) was measured each day and body weight was measured at the beginning, middle, and end of group rearing and at the beginning and end of individual rearing. It was found that both males and females showed a reduction DFI in response to individual rearing (p<0.0001). Females consumed on average 29.38% higher amount of feed than males. Additionally, females showed a pronounced reduction in body weight after isolation, while the effect on males was not significant. Similarly, females had on average 17.61% higher body weight than males. The body weight to DFI ratio was higher in males than females. The finding of this research revealed an important implication of isolation and sex differences.
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Maize stem diameter variation under precision drip irrigation and foliar micronutrient treatments
87-92Views:227Foliar application of micronutrients has gained research interest due to the growing need to efficiently and precisely deliver plant nutrients at the most critical growth stages. Stem diameter has proved to have a positive significant correlation with yield across many crop species such as maize, due to its vigorous and robust ability to transport water and micronutrients. Therefore, this study examined the effects of precision drip irrigation and foliar application of micronutrients on stem diameter of FAO490 maize hybrid. A field experiment laid as a split–split-plot design with treatments consisting of foliar treatment and control under irrigation and non-irrigation was conducted. Stem diameter data were collected at the 12-leaf stage (V12), tasseling stage, R1, and R6. ANOVA results showed that precision drip irrigation significantly influenced stem diameter (P<0.001), while foliar fertilisation and its interaction with precision drip irrigation showed meaningful effects. The mean stem diameter under precision drip irrigation was 26.96 mm compared to non-irrigated conditions (24.24 mm). Foliar fertilisation treatment had a higher mean stem diameter (26.63 mm) compared to control (24.57 mm), representing an 8.4% growth difference. Foliar fertilisation was more effective under precision drip irrigation with the mean stem diameter significantly high (28.83 mm) for treatment over the control (25.08 mm) thus a 14.9% stem diameter enhancement. Foliar fertilisation under non-irrigated conditions recorded a 1.6% stem diameter increase between treatment (24.43 mm) and control (24.05 mm). This study indicates that precision drip irrigation primarily influenced stem diameter growth and development, however foliar fertilisation further enhanced stem growth under adequate water supplementation, suggesting a positive significant synergistic effect under precision drip irrigated conditions.
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Essential oil extraction from herbs and their use in the food industry
59-74Views:663Essential oil extraction of wild caraway and thyme was performed using a classical (HD) and microwave hydro-distillation (MWHD) and a laboratory supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with a carbon dioxide as solvent. Our experiments demonstrated that the extraction yield of the essential oil performed in same conditions was influenced by the location of growth area; the maximum extraction yield of 10 ml 100 g-1 caraway was obtained from dried seeds collected from Csíkmadaras. This quantity far exceeded the yield of the Újtusnád samples. In the case of wild caraway (Carum carvi L.), the extraction method influenced thecomposition of the essential oil (carvone/limonene ratio), the highest limonene content being achieved by classical hydro-distillation. In the case of thyme, this effect was not detected, the thymol/carvacrol ratio was independent from the given extraction method. The obtained thyme essential oil possesses high antimicrobial activity demonstrated by agar diffusion test. The thyme extract provides a good protection against microorganisms collected on the surface of fresh vegetables following bacterial stains: Citrobacter portucalensis, Pseudomonas hunanensis, Pseudomonas baetica, Pseudomonas parafulva, Bacillus mojavensis and Enterobacter cloacae. Protective effect was also detected on the vegetable surface of by chitosan-based edible film coating during a 6-day-long storage period at a temperature of 4 °C. The caraway essential oil used as soft cheese seasoning with a direct, dilution-free method, proved to be unsuitable because the uneven distribution and confer a strong, unpleasant taste to the product in comparison with the ground wild caraway seed-dressed cheese.
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The effect of herbs on the microbiological stability and nutritional quality of pariser
101-104Views:285The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional properties of dried herbs (Thymus vulgaris L., Origanum vulgare L., Salvia officinalis L.) to improve the quality characteristics and microbiological stability of Hungarian meat product, pariser. The addition of herbs did not affect the microbial properties of the product. According to the Decree No. 4 of 1998 of the Ministry of Health, pariser can be considered safe. The nutritional quality of the different forms of pariser was also acceptable. However, the addition of oregano, sage and thyme changed the flavor characteristics of the parisers and the higher meat content would increase the final price of the product.
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New and innovative consumer demands and expectations on the Hungarian food market
485-499Views:214Food and eating have always encompassed more than the simple intake of nutrients; therefore, when thinking about food consumption, we need to examine several groups of influencing factors whose correlations from the aspect of the consumer are described by a complicated matrix. This paper focuses on the selection of signs indicating new and innovative consumer behaviours, and on the megatrends that are the driving forces of transitions and that lead to the consequences of strikingly reconsidered consumer decisions nowadays. The authors stress that there are qualitative and structural changes in food consumption in Hungary, with an increasing quantity of differentiated consumer demands appearing, a few of them influencing our everyday decisions even at
the concept level. The findings of primary research originated from a personal questionnaire survey consisting of 2001 respondents, in which we also focused on the attitude towards eating and media consumption related to gastronomy.
This paper is an introduction to the market segments detectable in the present Hungarian population aged 15–74 in the topics concerned. -
Food safety of plant origin food
161-164Views:584Expectation regarding changes related to food production, transportation, distribution and marketing have changed considerably in several regions of the world over the past decades. It is especially true for highly industrialized countries where not only the food security is important but the food safety is essential too. The concentration of production – processing – distribution involves the danger on the one hand products of unsuitable quality from point of view of nutritional physiology and the other hand ones that may contain substances harmful to human health will become widespread among consumers. We investigated the heavy metal, pesticide remains and mycotoxin content of different plant products.
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Influencing the growth kinetics of yeast strains with vitamin supplementation
113-115Views:339The aim of the current experiment was to optimize the creation process of single cell protein on plant-based substrate solution with the intention to improve end-product turn out by means of adding vitamin solution. Based on the results of the fermentation processes of yeast strains, it was concluded that the vitamin-supplementation produced its greatest effect on the dry matter production, primarily on the K. marxianus DSM 4908 strain, while it was less beneficent when it comes to the figures of wet cell mass. In addition, it can be assumed that vitamin supplementation increased the maximum specific rate of growth (μmax) and decreased the generation time (tg) significantly. In the case of the K. marxianus yeast strain on corn steep liquor treated with vitamin-supplementation, the highest (μmax) and the lowest (tg) data were observed [(0.226 h-1) and (4.4 h), respectively]. Based on the results it was found that K. marxianus DSM 4908 is expedient to be applied on corn steep liquor medium in order to determine its suitability to produce additive for feeding.
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Some aspects of food safety from animal origin
153-155Views:288The relationship between the civilisation illnesses and incorrect nutrition can be considered as demonstrated. The functional foods having one or several nutritional- biological advantage can contribute to the healthy nutrition and to improving the quality of life. Beside the healthy nutrition it is an another important requirement that the food does not contain pathogens or substances of chemical and biological origin namely it has to be safe.
In this publication the foods of animal origin were investigated in the point of view of public health hazards arising during their production and processing.
The contamination and infection of food raw materials, the consequence of chemical substances getting in or developing it the food, the judgement of food deviring from genetically modified or cloned animals are discussed. -
The potential use of Pediococcus spp. probiotic in aquaculture: A review
99-106Views:756Aquaculture production has significantly increased over the previous few decades. However, antibiotics have been implemented regularly and extensively to overcome outbreaks of pathogens in aquaculture to cover the human needs for animal protein, leading to the appearance of resistant strains that may cause serious damages in the environment and also human health. In the last few years, the implementation of probiotics as an alternative technique to antibiotics use in fish production has achieved promising results in aquaculture due to their beneficial impact on fish health and growth performance. Among different types of probiotics, the Pediococcus spp. bacteria stand out as a promising probiotic for their beneficial impact to aquaculture. Thus, the current study has been conducted to give an overview about the interactions between Pediococcus spp. and aquaculture. In addition, this review highlights the role of Pediococcus spp in promoting growth performance, improving feed conversion ratios and the intestinal architecture, enhancing the immune response and inhibiting fish pathogens, thereby preventing or at least reducing the use of antibiotics. Practical use of Pediococcus spp. probiotic in aquaculture as feed additives through selected case studies is also considered.
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Comparison of macroelement and microelement contents of conventionally and organically grown crops
87-92Views:693Nowedays one of the most important issues to discuss is the healthy nutrition: feeding our bodies with high quality nutrients, which is free of chemical residues. The demand for healthy and nutritious food is increasing worldwide, that results in the growing popularity of consumption of organic food. Several studies dealing with the nutrient content of traditional and organic food have been published lately, since it became clear that eating food contaminated with chemical residues damage to health, food and the environment. Therefore it would be desirable to find out if organic food is really superior to conventional one. In our study we analyzed the dry matter, ash, macroelement and trace element content of organically and conventionally grown crops (carrot root, potato tuber and parsnip). Our results provide further information to consumers about the nutritional value of organic and conventional crops.
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The energy balance of maize production – alternative approaches
59-63Views:340Agricultural production is a crucial area, perhaps the most important for humanity. This is the only area which cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to know how sustainable the system is in the long run as regards energy consumption. We have chosen the maize production sector as the main focus of this study. This crop is especially important all over the world, therefore; it requires significant input also in terms of energy. Currently, the system of maize production (as with the others) operates as an open energy system.This study aims to examine how much of the agricultural land’s energy demand could be met with the help of the byproducts of 1 hectare of agricultural land - operating as a closed system, using only the remaining maize stalk and cob byproducts for energy - under the conditions of Hungarian maize production.Energy demand is largely determined by the land’s fertilizer requirement, followed by the input factor of the energy demand of the machinery during earthwork and transport.The study assumes that the energy from the byproducts of maize production will be used exclusively with biogas technology. This can even be implemented on a county level. The final question is whether the maize production system will be able to sustain itself solely by using its own byproducts. -
The effect of the supply chain exerting physical stress on the microbiological status of bottled natural mineral water
189-193Views:371Mineral water consumption increased dramatically in the last 30 years. One reason for this change lies in the changing consumer behaviour: consumers are increasingly recognizing the importance of healthy nutrition and appreciate the beneficial nutritional physiological properties of mineral water. Local mineral water harmonizes well with imported waters. Bottled mineral water may travel several hundred kilometres until it reaches consumers. In the present study, the dynamic mechanical vibration caused by transporting on public roads was simulated in laboratory vibration tests then samples were subjected to microbiological examinations in compliance with legislations currently in force. Due to this vibration, the initial microbe count increased by two orders of magnitude, while after terminating the 4-hour mechanical action it decreased gradually. Growing dynamics of microbes constituting the total germ count at 22 °C and 37 °C were almost similar.
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Modern Food Safety and Product Identification
339-345Views:234In the beginning of the 21st century the matter of food safety plays an accentuated role in the food industry. Important issues in this topic are the risk of bioterrorism, impurities in the food chain and the ascendancy of customer needs. The solutions of these problems are the introduction of modern quality assurance systems, traceability and identification of products. I review in this paper the possibilities of these systems, the potential advantages and incidental costs. In the tight frame of this paper – omitting the descriptions of technologies – I discuss the most important criterions of systems, which may be able to solve today’s quality food industry problems.