Other Food Science Commons^™

Effects Of Heat Moisture Treatment On Dietary Fiber Utilization By The Gut Microbiota, Yichen Bai

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

The present study investigates the impact of heat moisture treatment (HMT) on the utilization of dietary fibers from red lentil hulls and wheat bran and its subsequent effect on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acid production. HMT significantly decreased the water absorption index in red lentil hulls but increased it in wheat bran. For resistant starch (RS), HMT elevated its content in red lentil hulls but diminished it in wheat bran. In terms of dietary fiber content, HMT increased soluble dietary fiber in red lentil hulls. However, carbohydrate utilization and SCFA production by gut microbiota did not significantly change after …

Development Of Fortified Blended Food Using Great Northern Bean, Aemiro Tadesse Zula

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

Undernutrition is a global health challenge affecting people across all stages of life. While everyone is susceptible, certain groups face a significant burden. These include those living in poverty, young children, adolescents, older people, and lactating and pregnant women. Food insecurity is another primary global concern affecting billions of individuals worldwide and is closely associated with undernutrition. Implementing interventions to address these two significant global burdens is critical, and international organizations are playing a crucial role through food aid programs using Fortified Blended Foods such as corn-soy blend (CSB), corn-soy blend plus (CSB+), and corn-soy blend plus plus (CSB++). CSB+ …

Microbial Transfer And Cross-Contamination In Milling Facilities And Pathogen Survival In Milled Products And Baking Mixes, Aryany Leticia Peña-Gomez

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

Wheat-based products, traditionally considered low-risk due to their low moisture content, have been involved in numerous foodborne outbreaks in recent decades. Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) present in these products have caused significant numbers of hospitalizations and massive product recalls. The microbiological quality of flour is highly dependent on the incoming wheat, which is vulnerable to contamination from field to milling. Once pathogens are present in flour, they can survive for extended periods. Implementing strategies to mitigate the risk of pathogen contamination throughout the wheat processing chain is critical.

This study evaluated the distribution of E. coli …

Development And Validation Of Aronia Melanocarpa Berry Recipes For Home Canning: Integrating Thermal Lethality Studies, Microbiological Safety, And Antioxidant Analysis, Juan Diego Villegas Posada

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

Aronia melanocarpa, also known as chokeberry, is gaining popularity for its high antioxidant content and health benefits, including reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting cancer gene expression. However, its characteristic bitterness and astringency limit its broader appeal. Chokeberry's low pH places it in the acid foods category, making it ideal for safe home canning. An acidic environment combined with heat treatment inhibits harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Home canning preserves food by sealing it in airtight containers and heating it to destroy spoilage microorganisms.

Developing safe and palatable recipes is essential for making chokeberries suitable for home canning. A …

The Effect Of Fat Content On The Inactivation And Recovery Of Listeria Spp. In Ready-To-Eat Foods After High Pressure Processing, Yhuliana Kattalina Niño Fuerte

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

High-pressure processing (HPP) is recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS) as a post-lethality treatment to control Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products. A scoping review of 603 journal articles, which ultimately was narrowed down to 16 articles, revealed that the efficacy of HPP varies with fat content. The studies demonstrated that L. monocytogenes inactivation by HPP tends to be lower in RTE meats with greater than 5% fat content, compared to products with lower than 5% fat. The wide range of HPP parameters used in these studies …

Utilization Of Probiotics To Compete With Clostridioides Difficile For Nutrient-Niches In A Variety Of In Vitro Contexts, April Elizabeth Johnson

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

Clostridium difficile is a major threat to public health and primarily affects at risk groups such as elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and individuals on antibiotics. Many decades of research have been conducted to figure out ways to exclude or reduce C. difficile colonization and toxin production. Two major proposed mechanisms for colonization resistance are production of secondary bile salts and competition for nutrients.

In Chapter 2, we found that antibiotic treatment disrupted bile salt metabolism increasing the levels of the primary bile salt cholate and decreasing the levels of deoxycholate, a secondary bile salt. However, bile salts were not required …

Development Of An Intact Mass Spectrometry Method For The Detection And Differentiation Of Major Bovine Milk Proteins, Emily F. Harley-Dowell

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

The authentication of products with claims regarding protein sources or compositions is a challenge for traditional analytical methods, which generally lack the required specificity whole protein analysis can provide. For example, the establishment of milk as “A2” is achieved through genetic testing of cows before milk production, with no methods to authenticate milk products themselves. Establishment of A2 milk is completed through genetic testing of the cows before milk production, but with no methods to authenticate the milk products themselves. Intact protein mass spectrometry (MS) has the potential to directly authenticate protein products, including specific proteoform claims. The development of …

Protein Enriched Bread Using Spent Wine Yeast, Zachary Christman

Applied Science Program: Theses

Yeast is a common byproduct of wine production. Wine yeast may be used as a food source. It does not contain bitter and astringent compounds such as those present in spent yeast from making beer The use of nutritional yeast and yeast extract for protein enrichment of bread are presented in this article.

Influence Of Overcooking On Food Digestibility And In Vitro Fermentation, Wensheng Ding

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

Areas of char or overcooking commonly appear in foods people consume. It has been reported that overcooked food is harmful to human health. However, little research exists on the effect of overcooking on in vitro protein and starch digestibility and gut microbial fermentation. This study aimed to reveal the connection between overcooking and in vitro protein and starch digestibility and gut microbial fermentation. In vitro protein digestibility of an overcooked ground beef patty was almost half that of a standard cooked sample (27 ± 2% versus 48 ± 6%, respectively; p = 0.02). Whole wheat bread protein digestibility was also …

Evaluating Salmonella Cross Contamination In Raw Chicken Thighs In Simulated Post-Chill Tanks, Raziya Sadat

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

Salmonella contamination poses a significant risk to food safety, particularly in poultry products and public health. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of peracetic acid (PAA) treatment in mitigating Salmonella cross-contamination in chicken thighs within simulated post-chill tanks, considering different inoculum concentrations and organic matter (OM) levels.

The experiment involved the use of five distinct Salmonella serovars to inoculate chicken thighs, which were categorized into two groups: higher inoculation level (ca. 7 log CFU/mL) and lower inoculation level (ca, 4 log CFU/mL). These groups underwent treatment with four different solutions, including 540 ppm PAA with 1.5% OM, 540 ppm …

Assessing The Release Of Microplastics And Nanoplastics From Plastic Containers And Reusable Food Pouches: Implications For Human Health, Kazi Albab Hussain, Svetlana Romanova, Ilhami Okur, Dong Zhang, Jesse Kuebler, Xi Huang, Bing Wang, Lucia Fernandez-Ballester, Yongfeng Lu, Mathias Schubert, Yusong Li

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

This study investigated the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic containers and reusable food pouches under different usage scenarios, using DI water and 3% acetic acid as food simulants for aqueous foods and acidic foods. The results indicated that microwave heating caused the highest release of microplastics and nanoplastics into food compared to other usage scenarios, such as refrigeration or room-temperature storage. It was found that some containers could release as many as 4.22 million microplastic and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from only one square centimeter of plastic area within 3 min of microwave heating. Refrigeration and room-temperature storage …

Optimizing Soil Nutrient Management To Improve Dry Edible Bean Yield And Protein Quality, Emily Jundt

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

Soil nutrient management is of the utmost importance to ensure crop yields are maximized to feed the world’s growing population. Micro and macronutrient deficiencies can be detrimental to plant growth and cause a drastic reduction in yield. Optimization of nutrient management needs extensive research. Nutrients such as nitrogen increase crop yield, even in legumes capable of using a large amount of nitrogen (N) via biological N fixation. Iron (Fe) fertilizers are also crucial for legumes as they are susceptible to Fe deficiency induced chlorosis.

Dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are leguminous plants and excellent dietary protein sources. Great …

Multilingual Zambia - Language Issues In Primary/Secondary Schools Of The Eastern/Southern Provinces, Kenzie Steiner

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Introduction: Zambia is a multilingual country that uses 8 different languages for instruction including English and 7 other indigenous languages.

Methods: Survey research conducted between May-June 2022 on 6-7th graders within 9 Zambian schools. Classroom observations made and teachers interviewed.

Results: In Eastern and Southern Provinces, Zambian teachers speak an average of 5 languages while students speak an average of 2. Both teachers and students say English remains the most important language followed by first languages.

Conclusion: Continued research on language-in-education policies and impacts on student performance must be conducted if “One Zambia, One Nation” is meant to promote all …

Maize, Fish, And Leafy Greens: Agricultural Diversity In Rural Zambia, Claire Gillespie

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

In Zambia, where 40% of children are stunted, there is limited interest in farming among primary school children as they consider their future. As grocery stores replace open-air markets, access to indigenous foods will become more difficult. Although 73 different types of foods were found in open-air markets, Zambian diets tend to be monotonous. Maize is the staple food and maize-based foods such as nshima are consumed daily, perpetuating low nutritional intake. Increasing crop diversity can increase balanced diets in Zambian school children and better support a growing population.

Running From Malnutrition: Zambian Children And Growth In The Eastern And Southern Provinces, Cole Murphy

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Although malnutrition rates remain high in Zambia, there are limited data for primary school children on factors that contribute to poor growth. This study was designed to examine one factor rarely considered in research about stunting, i.e., energy expenditure among primary school children and its contribution to short stature. § §Historically, stunting has been a major public health issue in much of sub-Saharan Africa and continues to yield severe consequences for physical and mental development throughout the lifespan (Iversen et al., 2022). §Both household food insecurity and dietary diversity are significantly associated with stunting in Sub-Saharan Africa (Gassara et al., …

Antimicrobial Efficacy Of A Citric Acid/Hydrochloric Acid Blend, Peroxyacetic Acid, And Sulfuric Acid Against Salmonella On Inoculated Non-Conventional Raw Chicken Products, Emma Nakimera

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

The utilization of non-conventional chicken parts as human food varies widely across countries. The high prevalence of Salmonella, especially in the giblets, poses a high risk to public health. Poultry processors have implemented multiple hurdle technology to reduce this gram-negative pathogen in chicken parts. This study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of a commercial blend of citric acid/ hydrochloric acid (CP), peroxyacetic acid (PAA), and sulfuric acid (SA) in reducing Salmonella inoculated on two chicken giblets: livers and hearts. Chicken hearts and livers were inoculated (6 log CFU/ml of rinsate) by individually immersing them in a cocktail …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Germination And Fermentation In Producing Biologically Active Peptides From Pulses, Ashley Newton

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

Recently, there has been a profound increase in demand of plant-based proteins, especially pulse proteins. However, pulses contain high concentrations of antinutritional factors that hinder the digestibility of proteins. Processing techniques such as enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, and physical processing modulate nutritional quality and functionality of pulses. Processing also releases peptides from parent proteins that exhibit health-beneficial bioactivity against various disease risk factors. In this study, germination, gastrointestinal digestion, and microbial fermentation were evaluated to determine the nutritional quality and release of bioactive peptides during and after processing.

Germination of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) modulated the protein profile, and …

Safety Assessment Of Novel Foods And Food Proteins, Niloofar Moghadam Maragheh

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

The global food market needs to grow and supply food demand to feed the growing world population. Alternative food proteins, including novel sources of safe foods and ingredients, are the candidates that could provide more environmentally sustainable choices, animal welfare, and consumers health. Novel foods and food proteins must undergo premarket safety evaluations including allergenicity assessment to reduce the risk of cross-reactivity with known allergens and uncharacterized risk to food allergic individuals. This research addressed the safety assessment of some novel foods and food ingredients using the study of stability of proteins in pepsin and sequence identity analysis in the …

Occurrence Of Hydroxyproline In Proteomes Of Higher Plants, Olivia Huffman

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

Food allergies affect millions of individuals across the United States and worldwide. Peanut allergies are among the most severe food allergies because of their potentially life-threatening symptoms and lifelong persistence. Potent peanut allergen, Ara h 2, is known to contain an amino acid motif containing the posttranslational modification, hydroxyproline (HyP). HyP is associated with immunogenic response when present both in Ara h 2 and in timothy grass pollen allergen, Phl p 1. To further explore the presence of HyP in higher plants and specifically to investigate its potential presence in commonly allergenic plants, a study of 26 plant seeds was …

Comparative Assessment Of Human Exposure To Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella Due To The Consumption Of Various Food Products In The United States, Yifan Wu

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

Antibiotic resistance (AR) was increasingly recognized as a global and national problem. Prevention efforts are hampered by a lack of complete understanding of how transmission pathways contribute to human AR exposure. Many reports have indicated the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in foods at retail, suggesting that food consumption, animal-derived foods in particular, can represent a significant source of AR exposure among consumers. The presence of Salmonella, including antibiotic-resistant Salmonella, has been frequently reported in terrestrial animal-derived foods such as meat, poultry, and dairy products, as well as in aquaculture products. Identification of the significant food sources that harbor …

High Pressure Processing Of Cashew Milk, Rachel Coggins

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

Plant-based foods are becoming increasingly popular because of changing consumer preferences. Most plant-based milks are not a direct replacement for cow’s milk because they do not have the same nutritional value and physicochemical properties. However, these properties could be modified and enhanced through processing. For example, high pressure processing (HPP) can affect irreversibly protein structure and functionality and potentially enhance enzymatic hydrolysis. HPP is used widely in the beverage industry for cold pasteurization. In this study, the effects of HPP treatment on (a) the inactivation of Listeria innocua, a commonly used surrogate for Listeria monocytogenes in HPP research, in …

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 …

Influence Of Fertilizer Rate On Swollen Stem Formation (“Bulbing”) And Vitamin C Content In Different Kohlrabi Cultivars, Mark Iradukunda, Paul E. Read

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) is a vegetable crop found in the Brassicaceae, and it is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C. Vitamin C helps in oxidative damage repair and strengthens the immune system, so exploring vitamin C sources may contribute to improving human health. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different fertilizer rates on kohlrabi yield, in terms of the swollen stem and the vitamin C content, and if those effects are similar in different kohlrabi cultivars. In this greenhouse study, we fertilized four potted kohlrabi cultivars with a common water-soluble greenhouse fertilizer …

Don’T Forget To Wash! Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Among Zambian Students, Katie Schmitz

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Introduction: Water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in sub-Saharan Africa, including Zambia, have not met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and remain inadequate to improve the overall health and wellbeing of most populations.

Methods: Survey research, interviews, WASH observations, and anthropometric assessment were conducted between May-June 2022 on 6-7th grade students within 6 Zambian schools.

Results: While hygiene knowledge was prominent, and handwashing stations and pit latrines were available, schools rarely supplied soap or toilet paper. Diarrheal and respiratory diseases were common and water shortages remain problematic with some students traveling long distances to reach a water source.

Discussion: As in …

Dental Decay In Zambian School Children In Eastern And Southern Provinces, Elizabeth Graham

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Introduction: Dental caries is the most prevalent and infectious disease worldwide. Zambia has a high rate of vitamin A deficiency, and this deficiency is associated with dental caries.

Methods: Visual dental checks, interviewing, and anthropometric assessments were done on 781 Zambian primary school children.

Results: Caries rates are 20% among sample populations, males have more decay than females, first molars are the most decayed, a majority use toothbrushes to clean their teeth, and children who eat vitamin A rich foods are less likely to have dental caries.

Discussion: Caries’ rates in the Southern and Eastern provinces are higher than in …

Sources Of Variability And Uncertainty In Food-Energy-Water Nexus Systems, Heydi Calderon-Ambelis, Deepak R. Keshwani

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A nexus approach contributes to the strategic allocation of resources to secure food, energy, and water for the world population. Integrated models considering the complex interactions across food, energy, and water (FEW) enhance decision-making and strategic planning towards resilience. However, a significant number of the existing integrated models leave unaddressed the inherent variability and uncertainty present in the FEW sectors. Here, we review the importance of characterizing variability over spatial and temporal scales and the importance of decreasing the uncertainty present within a FEW nexus systems. The review also discusses existing modeling tools that address variability and uncertainty on single …

Dietary Fiber Utilization In The Gut: The Role Of Human Gut Microbes In The Degradation And Consumption Of Xylose-Based Carbohydrates, Elizabeth Drey

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

Xylans are a family of xylose-based polysaccharides naturally present in fruits, vegetables, and cereal grains. Resistant to digestion by host enzymes, xylans reach the large intestine intact, where they are utilized by members of the gut microbiome. They are initially hydrolyzed by primary degraders that utilize extracellular xylanases to cleave xylan into smaller oligomers. These xylooligosaccharides (XOS) can then either be further hydrolyzed by primary degraders or can cross-feed secondary consumers, including Bifidobacterium. While several Bifidobacterium species have metabolic systems for XOS, studies have shown these species grow poorly on longer XOS and xylan substrates. In this thesis, …

Food Sensitivity In Individuals With Altered And Unaltered Digestive Tracts, Walker Carson

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

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) against food proteins has become the subject of much discussion with regards to its role in adverse food reactions. An estimated 20% of the population suffers from some type of food intolerance. Food sensitivity can present with a vast range of symptoms and severities. Diet can have a substantial impact on the wellbeing of individuals with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Incidentally, these diseases have been associated with elevated levels of food-specific IgG as well an increased likelihood of food sensitivity. The presence of food-specific IgG and food sensitivity in …

Rejection Of African Indigenous Food: The Case Of Rwanda, Eugene Baraka

NUTR/GLST 498b: Global Research Experiences in Nutrition and Health

Rwanda has one of the highest stunting rates among children globally, and malnutrition remains one of the most pressing public health issues. Lack of diversified diets, due to colonialization and nutrition transition, is the leading cause of the double burden of malnutrition in the country where the progress to reduce undernutrition is slow and obesity rates are rapidly rising. Consumption of indigenous foods has proven to diversify diets, but very few studies have been conducted to assess which ones are available for consumption in Rwanda. The purpose of this study was to assess the availability and use of indigenous foods …

Pickle And Other Condiment Recipes From Backyard Farmer, Wayne C. Whitney, Sue Ann Gardner

Zea E-Books Collection

Compiled by Wayne C. Whitney, Extension Horticulturist University of Nebraska Extension Publication CC-245 (1972) With a new Preface by Sue Ann Gardner Here are the favorite pickle and other condiment recipes submitted by viewers of Backyard Farmer, a television program of the Extension Service, University of Nebraska College of Agriculture. On this program, questions pertaining to the home, yard and garden are answered by specialists in the areas of Horticulture and Forestry, Entomology, Plant Pathology and Agronomy. This publication resulted from an on-the-air request for pickle recipes. Some 536 recipes were received from interested viewers from Nebraska and surrounding states. …