Food Science Commons^™

Essential Amino Acid (Eaa) Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover With Age, Mary Komp

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle (SM) is vital for both long term health and quality of life. Recent research suggests an increase in catabolic signals with age triggers pathologic conditions, such as sarcopenia. Although results from in vitro studies model how EAA can regulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS), the relevance of these models to muscle protein breakdown (MPB) and the presence of physiological EAA concentrations remains to be established. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of a low, normal, and supra physiological dose of EAA (0.2, 1.0, and 3.0 x EAA) in a young (passages 2-10) and aging …

Effects Of One-Pass Microwave Drying On Rice’S Utilization In The Brewing Process., Christopher Stuckey

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Rice is utilized as an adjunct grain by the beer manufacturing industry. Before utilization, the rice has to be dried to a desired moisture content. The drying process employed may have an impact on the rice’s physicochemical properties which influence the rice’s performance in the brewing process. This study focused on investigating the impact of microwave drying on rice’s physicochemical properties and utilization in the brewing process. Rough rice samples at an initial moisture content of 19.7% wet basis were exposed to microwave dryer set to deliver 525 kJ/kg of energy in a single drying pass. The effects of the …

Arkansas Fresh-Market Blackberries: Identifying Unique Attributes And Harvest Practices That Impact Marketability, Andrea Lea Myers

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fresh-market blackberries (Rubus subgenus Rubus) are sold worldwide and have attributes that appeal to consumers. The delicate-nature of the fruit requires hand harvesting, and minimal handling of the fruit postharvest. Objectives of this research on Arkansas fresh-market blackberries was to 1) identify the unique attributes 2) determine the best handling practices to increase postharvest quality, and 3) evaluate the potential of soft robotic gripper for harvesting. For the first objective, blackberry genotypes were harvested from the University of Arkansas System (UA System) Division of Agriculture Fruit Research Station in Clarksville, AR. Nineteen genotypes were harvested in 2020, eight genotypes were …

A Mixed Methods Approach To Context Specific Curriculum Design For Very Small And Small Strawberry Growers In The Southeastern United States, Thomas A. Yeargin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Outbreaks of foodborne illness due to fresh produce are a continued threat to both the publichealth and the economy in the United States. Though there are many factors which influence the perpetuation of foodborne pathogens, the inability of the food industry to curtail this issue indicates systemic failure of interventions aimed at improving food safety practices. In this dissertation, we detail the efforts made over the past few decades to provide training to food producers and food handlers as well as recommendations that have been made for improvement based on these studies. By borrowing from more advanced fields of study …

Editorial: Fat Metabolism And Deposition In Poultry: Physiology, Genetics, Nutrition And Interdisciplinary Research, Volume I, Sami Dridi, Craig W. Maynard, Jie Wen, Elizabeth Gilbert

Poultry Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Editorial on the Research Topic: Fat metabolism and deposition in Poultry: Physiology, Genetics, Nutrition and Interdisciplinary Research, Volume I

Mission Possible, Shashank Shah, Vijaya Sunder M

Asian Management Insights

Overcoming challenges to bring clean water to rural India.

An Investigation Of Social Ecological Barriers To And Facilitators Of Wic Farmers Market Nutrition Program Voucher Redemption, Renata Blumberg, Emily Fowler, Yeon Bai, Pankaj Lal, Alyssa Smolen, Ilana Dubrovsky

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

In the United States, many communities lack sufficient access to fresh produce. To improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides eligible participants vouchers through the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) that can be redeemed directly from farmers at markets or farm stands. However, FMNP voucher redemption rates in New Jersey remain lower than those in neighboring states. This article used the social ecological model to examine differences between FMNP participants who redeem vouchers (Redeemers) and those who do not (non-Redeemers) in the areas of: produce procurement practices and …

To The Window, To The Wall: Improving Environmental Monitoring Protocols, Sarah Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Detecting microorganisms on environmental surfaces via an environmental monitoring (EM) program is part of a preventive food safety culture. Environmental monitoring should 1) verify that food safety plans are reducing cross-contamination risk from surfaces to food, 2) pinpoint microbial niches, and 3) prevent the transmission of pathogens. Environmental monitoring programs utilize EM tools, such as sponges, to sample food contact and non-food contact surfaces. However, EM tool selection is determined by the individual food firm. This dissertation evaluated and characterized factors influencing EM program effectiveness in the food industry. Specifically, this dissertation focuses on the release of microorganisms from EM …

The Impact Of Dietary Protein Supplementation As Part Of A Time Restricted Feeding Eating Pattern On Sleep, Mood, And Body Composition In Adults With Overweight Or Obesity, Rebecca L. Bowie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity in the United States continues to increase, and effective, long-term weight loss strategies are limited. Time restricted feeding (TRF) is a dietary intervention that has potential to serve as an effective long-term weight loss strategy, however more data is needed to establish the effectiveness of a TRF eating pattern on obesity and its related health outcomes. To our knowledge, manipulation of macronutrient composition during TRF intervention and the effect of TRF on sleep and mood have not been studied. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of protein supplementation during TRF on mood, sleep, and …

Evaluation Of Human Microbiota-Associated (Hma) Porcine Models To Study The Human Gastrointestinal Microbiome, Nirosh D. Aluthge

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Research conducted in the past couple of decades has showcased the importance of the gut microbiota in human health and well-being. While many studies have reported on the differences in community membership between a disease state and a healthy state, few have investigated the mechanisms through which an aberrant microbiota contributes to a disease phenotype. One of the primary reasons for this are the many technical and ethical barriers to conducting the necessary studies directly in human individuals. Human microbiota-associated (HMA) porcine models have the potential to become important research tools which can enable the testing of hypotheses regarding host-microbiota …

Inactivation Of Salmonella In Black Peppercorn By Fluidization With Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor, Edel Summers

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) at inactivating Salmonella inoculated in whole black pepper when used as fluidizing gas media. HPV treatment was conducted at two different temperatures (45°C and 60°C) and two dwell times (30 min and 60 min). Microbial reduction and residual hydrogen peroxide were measured at three storage times: 0 h (immediately after treatment), 24 h and 48 h post-treatment. The effect of HPV on the quality of whole black peppercorn was evaluated 48 h post-treatment based on changes in piperine content, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, total …

Variations In Consumer Rejection Thresholds Of Water Samples Including Mixed-Berries Flavors, Kathryn Mccullough

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional flavored water has emerged as a major space in the beverage industry in recent years. However, no research has explored the point that consumers begin to reject a specific flavor concentration within a flavored water matrix (i.e., a consumer rejection threshold). The first part of this thesis aimed to determine the consumer rejection thresholds of mixed-berry flavors in both sweetened and unsweetened water samples and examine the effects of demographics, food neophobia status, and personality traits on the consumer rejection thresholds. The second part of this thesis aimed to distinguish and compare consumer rejection threshold methodologies with and without …

Determining Hand-Harvest Parameters And Postharvest Marketability Impacts Of Fresh-Market Blackberries To Develop A Soft-Robotic Gripper For Robotic Harvesting, Andrea Lea Myers, Anthony Gunderman, Renee Threlfall, Yue Chen

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hand-harvesting parameters and postharvest marketability attributes of fresh-market blackberries (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus Watson) were characterized to develop a prototype for a soft-robotic gripper for robotic harvesting. A custom-made, force-sensing apparatus attached to the thumb and fingers of a person hand-harvesting blackberries was developed to quantify forces used to harvest and to identify appendages for harvesting. Four cultivars of blackberries grown in Arkansas were harvested at optimal ripeness and stored at 2 °C for 21 days to determine the impact on marketability attributes (leakage, decay, and red drupelet reversion). The forces during harvest imparted by the thumb and middle …

Evaluating The Accuracy And Quality Of Microgreens Training Materials Available On The Internet: A Content Analysis, Supun Chathuranga Nabadawa Hewage

All Theses

Microgreens are the young, edible seedlings of various vegetables, spices, herbs, and considered as the intermediate stage of sprouts and mature greens, suggesting microgreens may share similar food safety risks with both of these produce. Even though there are no known outbreaks due to contaminated microgreens, multiple product recalls have been reported, indicating food safety risks associated with microgreens should not be underemphasized. A recent national survey of the U.S. microgreens industry reported that almost half of growers (48.3% of 176) learned to grow microgreens by viewing websites and videos on the internet.¹ However, it is unknown whether the …

Effects Of Thermal Processing On Peach Puree Of Different Cultivars: Analysis Of Biochemical Alteration, Non-Enzymatic Browning Reaction, And Color Changes, James Hayes

All Theses

The effects of pasteurization temperature and time on the change in seven peach puree variables over a 6-week accelerated shelf-life test (35°C) were evaluated. The variables of interest were three color measures [ L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness)]; two brown pigment measures [spectrophotometric absorption at 420 nm (Browning Index) and 443 nm (Hydroxymethylfurfural)]; °Brix; and pH). Puree was collected from three different cultivars (2 freestone and 1 clingstone) and puree samples from each cultivar were subjected to 20 combinations of pasteurization temperatures (70°C, 80°C, 90 °C, 100°C) and same hold times (0 minutes, 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 …

Effect Of Refrigerated Storage On Meat Quality, Jillian Reid Richardson

All Theses

Maintaining meat quality during cold temperature storage is an important goal for increasing consumer satisfaction and reducing food waste. Following a literature review on the importance of cold meat storage, a study was conducted as a part of Electrolux refrigerator research and development. Chicken breast and beef sirloin filets were stored at -2°C, -5°C, and -18°C and monitored for quality changes over a 7-day period. Temperature fluctuations and relative humidity data were monitored automatically by sensors. Meat quality was evaluated by measuring water activity, moisture content, pH, colorimetry, sensory, and drip loss. Microbial plate counts were used to monitor the …

Physical And Microbiological Characteristics Of Pickled Eggs From Japanese Quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica) Of The Pharaoh Variety, Adair Hoover

All Theses

The quality and microbiological characteristics of quail eggs were evaluated after eggs were pickled in different vinegar brine solutions. Pickling food in vinegar is one of the oldest preservation methods; however, little research has been conducted on pickled quail eggs. Commercial quail eggs obtained from a local producer were boiled, peeled, and placed into various pickling solutions and held for 24 or 48 hours at room temperature. After the holding period, eggs were removed from the solutions, weighed, and tested for pH, water activity, texture, and color. A second experiment was conducted to determine the effects of various pickling solutions …

Preparation Of Proteins And Peptides From Heat-Stabilized Defatted Rice Bran Via Solid State Fermentation And Investigating For Skin Health, Ali A. Bisly

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat-stabilized defatted rice bran (HDRB) is an abundant and inexpensive agro-industrial by-product of rice milling and rice oil extraction process. Furthermore, HDRB is a potential source of proteins. However, the direct protein extraction has low yield of protein due to the impact of heat stabilization and oil extraction process which made the HDRB proteins bound and interact with other components. This research is based on using solid-state fermentation (SSF), which is a natural and cost-effective approach to facilitate protein extraction from HDRB using Bacillus subtilis (natto) Takahashi as a microorganism.

Response surface methodology (RSM) analysis was used with Box-Behnken design …

Effects Of Cognitive Style On Food Perception And Eating Behavior, Thadeus Lyndon Beekman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the fields of psychology, notably cultural psychology, the analytic-holistic cognitive style theory has been introduced, developed, fine-tuned, and validated across a wide range of situations, stimuli, and populations. This research, combined with recent applications of the analytic-holistic theory, suggests that the differences in analytic or holistic tendencies of individuals in food, sensory, and consumer tests can impact food perception and associated behaviors. This dissertation aimed to investigate the impact of analytic-holistic cognitive styles of consumers in food situations. The first objective to accomplish this goal was to conduct exploratory research to identify if and where the analytic-holistic theory may …

Potato Processing In The Home: Sustainability And Nutritional Impacts, Aubin Payne

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Potatoes are the world's fourth most consumed crop. Their versatility and long shelf-life make them a staple food for millions of people worldwide. Still, the increasing consumption of highly processed potato products in developed countries has damaged the public's appreciation of potatoes as a valuable source of essential nutrients. Additionally, as public awareness of environmental sustainability increases, the average consumer is more likely to value processing methods that mitigate environmental damage.

Researchers simulated several home storage and processing conditions to find out how nutrition and environmental impact are affected by the home processing timeline. Then, a nutrient analysis, life cycle …

Development Of An Equation To Correlate Brite Tank Temperature And Pressure To Beverage Carbonation Concentration, Devyn Meyer

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Carbo Rock-It™ is an invention created to carbonate beverages at craft breweries. One of the Carbo Rock-It’s main features is that it does not add a significant volume of undissolved gas bubbles to the brite tank in which the beverage is carbonated. This may allow temperature and pressure readings from the brite tank to be used to determine the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in the beverage continuously in real time. This eliminates the need for manual samplings, which could save breweries time and allow for more controlled, accurate carbonation. The goal of this project was to develop an …

Assessment Of The University Of Rhode Island's Dining Halls And Student Perceptions Of On-Campus Dining, Maria Cherry

Senior Honors Projects

University dining halls are understudied food environments that affect student diet quality. This study (1) assessed dining hall offerings at the University of Rhode Island (URI) using the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Healthier Campus Initiative (PAHA) criteria for healthier campus food environments and (2) evaluated student perceptions of the dining hall through a campus-wide survey (n=165). We evaluated breakfast, lunch, and dinner using spring cycle menus (16 weeks in 2019 and 4 in 2021) from two full-service dining halls totaling 29 meals in 2019, and 84 meals in 2021 to determine adherence with PAHA criteria for availability of: 1) …

Calcium Intake Among Parents And Caregivers Of Children With A Milk Allergy Or Intolerance : A Comparative Analysis, Ilana Dubrovsky-Razam

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Food allergies have become a global epidemic, affecting over 10% of the general population and 8% of children worldwide. Eliminating or limiting a food group from the diet can have adverse effects on micronutrient consumption. Milk allergies, for instance, can influence the amount of calcium consumed in the diet, particularly when limiting or excluding milk/milk-containing products from the diet. As milk products tend to be a primary source of dietary calcium, a milk allergy can serve as a barrier to meeting daily calcium needs.

Previous literature has analyzed the influence parents and caregivers have on their children’s diet, however, there …

A Broken Market: Can Increased Access To Broken Rice Decrease Food Insecurity In Haiti?, Matthew Greer Richardson, Lawton L. Nalley, Alvaro Durand-Morat, Philip G. Crandall, Andrew Scruggs, Lesly Joseph, Jerome Chouloute, Wei Yang

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Haiti is a unique rice market in the sense that, despite the high poverty rates and dependency on rice as a staple, it relies on imports (80% of total consumption) of high-quality milled rice for which it pays a premium price. Haiti requires that all imported rice have a maximum of 4% broken kernels, which results in Haiti importing one of the most expensive non-fragrant long grain rice in the world. This study implements a non-hypothetical field experiment (300 observations) to elicit which rice attributes Haitians valued as revealed by their purchasing behavior in an open-air market setting. Specifically, we …

Evaluating The Microbial Quality And Use Of Antimicrobials In Raw Pet Foods, Leslie Pearl Cancio

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Raw meat-based diets (RMBDs) are emerging pet foods that pose food safety risks because of the potential presence of pathogens that could cause illness to humans. In this research, the microbial quality of select RMBD products sold by pet food companies online and the use of chemical antimicrobials to reduce the microbial load in chicken liver, a common RMBD ingredient, were evaluated.

Ground meat blends and livers from four animal species (beef, pork, chicken, turkey) were purchased from four online companies that delivers directly to consumers through parcel businesses. Products were procured at three different times during one year and …

Healthy Eating At Providence College, Katelyn Breen, Alexis Carabetta, Lilah Milton, Katharine Shaughnessy

School of Business Student Scholarship

Katelyn Breen ’24, Major: Marketing

Alexis Carabetta ’24, Major: Marketing

Lilah Milton ’24, Major: Marketing

Katharine Shaughnessy ’24, Major: Marketing

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Newman, Marketing

Our marketing group surveyed 100 Providence College students about their healthy eating choices and level of satisfaction of Ray Dining Hall’s healthy eating options. From the data collected, we discovered most students are unsatisfied with Ray Dining Hall and they suggested the need for a greater variety of healthy eating options. Based on this information, our group put together three recommendations that Providence College Dining should implement: 1) provide students with healthy eating instructions; …

Development And Characterization Of Physicochemical Properties And Consumer Perception Of Gluten-Free Oat-Based Snack Bars Containing Orange Peel, Andrea R. Muela Negrete

LSU Master's Theses

Orange peel (OP) is a major byproduct from orange juice production, and is a good source of fiber and flavonoids, particularly nobiletin. Nobiletin has been reported to exhibit pharmacological activities including anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Incorporating orange peel into food products would harness economic benefit of this industrial byproduct and support a sustainable food chain. This study was performed to evaluate consumer perception of gluten-free oat-based snack bars (GFOSBs) containing orange peel.

In the first study three GFOSBs were formulated to contain 17%, 20%, and 23% orange peel by weight. Consumers (N=103) evaluated GFOSBs for sensory liking (9-point hedonic scale) and …

A Cookbook For The Trendy Chef, Katja Roberts

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

A Cookbook for the Trendy Chef contains a compilation of recipes which fall under 8 major food trends for 2021. These trends were determined to be vegan, keto, and gluten-free diets, along with “viral foods”, easy recipes, functional foods, international flavors, and comfort foods. These trends were selected based on predictions made by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Washington Post.

Knowledge-Informed Data-Driven Modeling Of Microbial Inactivation In Food, Steve Zhang, Firnaaz Ahamed, Hyun-Seob Song

UNL Student Research Days Posters, Graduate

Prevention of the growth of harmful microorganisms in food products is an important requirement for ensuring food safety and quality. Mathematical models to predict the quantitative changes in microbial populations in food to the variations of environmental conditions are useful tools in this regard. Current approaches that use empirical formulation generate arbitrary forms of model equations, impeding systematic analysis towards identifying key factors governing microbial growth and inactivation in food. To address this challenge, we present a data-driven modeling pipeline that enables automatic discovery of model equations (through parsimonious selection of relevant terms in a pre-built library) without having to …

Comparison Of Flavonoid Intake Assessment Methods Using Usda And Phenol Explorer Databases: Subcohort Diet, Cancer And Health-Next Generations—Max Study, Fabian Lanuza, Nicola P. Bondonno, Raul Zamora-Ros, Agnetha Linn Rostgaard-Hansen, Anne Tjønneland, Rikard Landberg, Jytte Halkjær, Cristina Andres-Lacueva

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Flavonoids are bioactive plant compounds that are widely present in the human diet. Estimating flavonoid intake with a high degree of certainty is challenging due to the inherent limitations of dietary questionnaires and food composition databases. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of reliability among flavonoid intakes estimated using four different approaches based on the two most comprehensive flavonoid databases, namely, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Phenol Explorer (PE). In 678 individuals from the MAX study, a subcohort of the Diet, Cancer and Health-Next Generations cohort, dietary data were collected using three 24-h diet recalls over 1 …