Food Science Commons^™

Forum: Alternative Strategies For Keeping Animals Healthy, Cyril G. Gay

Agricultural Research Magazine

The general public needs to know more about the importance of preventing and controlling livestock diseases and the financial impact they would have on our lives and food supply if left unchecked. Part of our mission at the USDA Agricultural Research Service is to conduct research to protect the safety of our nation’s agriculture and food supply through improved disease detection, prevention, and control.

Antibiotics are recognized as one of the most important biomedical discoveries for treating infectious diseases of animals and humans. The use of antibiotics has had a major impact on increases in food-animal production and has resulted …

New Insights Into Irrigation Management, Ann Perry

Agricultural Research Magazine

Pacific Northwest potato and sugar beet farmers who irrigate their crops with sprinklers need to know a lot more than when to turn on the faucet. The region’s powdery silt loam soils don’t contain much stabilizing organic matter, and existing soil aggregates that facilitate water infiltration can be broken up during irrigation. Afterwards, the loose particles of sand, silt, and clay that remain can dry to form a solid crust that greatly limits infiltration into the soil.

This means that growers not only need to calculate how much water should be supplied during irrigation, but they also need to ensure …

Genetics And Bermudagrass: It's Not Easy Being Uniformly Green, Dennis O’Brien, Karen Harris

Agricultural Research Magazine

Golfers and golf course superintendents expect a lot from their putting greens. They want fine, lush, carpetlike surfaces that a ball will roll smoothly across. They also want a grass that tolerates frequent low mowing, has uniform color and texture, tolerates pests and cold temperatures, and offers a dense canopy that shades out weeds to minimize the need for herbicides.

Southern putting greens are made up of single cultivars of bermudagrass, but golf course superintendents have complained for years about the appearance of nonuniform plants, or “off-types,” that can throw off the green’s appearance and “playability.” The bermudagrass cultivar Tifgreen, …

New Tool Opens A Bigger Window To Insect-Plant Warfare, Dennis O’Brien, Elaine Backus

Agricultural Research Magazine

When an aphid, leafhopper, or psyllid lands on a plant to feed, it begins a process of chamical welfare. As piercing-sucking insects, they use needlelike stylets to insert saliva into plant tissues and open a pathway to ingest fluids critical to the plant’s survival. When punctured, the plant senses the attack and secretes proteins and other chemical defenses to prevent fluids from being pulled out, thus creating a stress on the plant. This warfare costs growers billions of dollars each year in lost ornamentals, vegetables, citrus, and other important agricultural crops.

Because much of the action takes place in the …

Table Of Contents May-June 2012 Agricultural Research Magazine

Agricultural Research Magazine

4 Strategies That Work: Alternatives to Antibiotics in Animal Health

8 New Insights Into Irrigation Management

10 150 Years of Making History: USDA’s 150th Anniversary, May 15, 2012

20 New Tool Opens a Bigger Window to Insect Warfare

22 ARS Assists in Fight Against Kudzu Bug

23 Genetics and Bermudagrass: It’s Not Easy Being Uniformly Green

150 Years Of Making History, Don Comis, Tara Weaver-Missick, Robert Sowers

Agricultural Research Magazine

The only thing that stands between the United States and an invasion of cattle-killing screwworms is a daily flight of airplanes flooding a 100-mile-wide section of the Isthmus of Panama with male screwworm flies raised in a laboratory and sterilized with radiation in Panama. The screwworm infestations of the past would probably come back if the releases stopped for a couple of months or so, says Dan Strickman, Agricultural Research Service national program leader for veterinary and medical entomology.

“This is a great example of agricultural research changing the history of this country, and it’s a cutting-edge example of integrated …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Sweetener Properties And Variations In Both Functionality And Final Product Characteristics, Danielle Lynn

All Theses

Scientific research and media attention regarding possible health concerns related to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption has led to a negative consumer perception of this ingredient. Therefore, the baking industry, which commonly uses HFCS as a sweetener, needs to identify appropriate replacements. Even though invert sugar (IS) is nutritionally similar to HFCS, its use in product formulations would allow HFCS to be removed from ingredient lists. Light agave nectar (LA) and amber agave nectar (AA) are two potential replacement ingredients, with the added benefit of low glycemic indexes for products targeting the diabetic community. This study was designed to …

Development Of Methods For Assessing The Effect Of Moisture And Aging On Sliceability Of Cheese, Jess Perrie

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Sliceability is a cheese’s ability to cut cleanly into thin slices, resist breakage or fracture at slices edges, and undergo a high level of bending before breaking. Intuitively, sliceability depends on the chemistry, microstructural, and rheological properties of the casein network. Currently there is no reported scientific research investigating evaluation methods of cheese slice quality, as well as properties that influence a cheese’s ability to slice.

In this study, a method for slice quality evaluation was developed on purchased cheese and performed on commercial cheeses and experimental cheeses manufactured at three different moisture contents (40.6%, 37.0%, and 33.9%). In addition, …

The Effect Of Chlorine And Ozone In Controlling Microbes On Organically Grown Cilantro And Carrots, Adam Holtz

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project investigates the relative efficacy of ozonated water and chlorinated water for the purpose of sanitizing freshly-harvested organic produce. The aim of this study was to assist the Cal Poly Organic Farm in deciding whether or not to invest in an ozone generator. The crops used for testing were grown organically in the same field. Carrots and cilantro were harvested and promptly treated with 5 ppm ozone solution or 25 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution. Carrots were sampled at 0, 7, and 14 days storage to determine microbial populations. Cilantro was similarly tested at 0, 6, and 12 days …

Biological Properties Evaluation And Chemical Profiles Of Phenolic Compounds In Muscadine Grapes (Vitis Rotundifolia), Qi You

All Dissertations

Phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins in muscadines have attracted much attention due to their diverse biological activities. With bioassays of antioxidant activities in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) total anthocyanin content (TAC), total procyanidin content (TPA), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ABTS radical scavenging Activity (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and oil peroxidation inhibitory capacity of all muscadine samples, the muscadine grapes showed strong antioxidant activities. The liquid-liquid organic solvent extraction successfully separated the anthocyanins and other phenolics to different fractions. Strong linear relationship between responses of TPC, TAC and TPA versus their antioxidant activities …

Sanitation Assessment Of Food Contact Surfaces And Lethality Of Moist Heat And A Disinfectant Against Listeria Strains Inoculated On Deli Slicer Components, Sabelo Muzikayise Masuku

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overall objectives of this study were to: evaluate the efficacy of different cleaning cloth types and cloth-disinfectant combinations in reducing food contact surface contamination to acceptable levels; determine the optimum moist heat and moist heat + sanitizer treatments that can significantly reduce the number of Listeria strains on deli slicer components; and investigate if the moist heat treatment used in this study induced the viable-but-non-culturable (VBNC) state in Listeria cells. The efficacy of wiping cloths was measured using ATP-bioluminescence and total plate count methods using four different wiping cloths and silver dihydrogen citrate sanitizer on food contact surfaces. The …

The Effect Of Natural Antioxidants On Cla Yield During The Photoisomerization Of Soy Oil Linoleic Acid, Camille Schaffner

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is known to be effective in avoiding many obesity related diseases. Conjugated linoleic acid is a product of ruminant fermentation and 3.4g/day are needed to obtain the clinical benefits. However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient CLA to realize these benefits from a healthy diet containing dairy and beef products, without increasing levels of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. A 20% CLA soy oil with low saturated fat and no cholesterol has been produced by the photoisomerization of linoleic acid in the triacylglyceride oil. Further increasing the CLA yields has been possible by addition of …

Effect Of Chlorogenic Acid And Neochlorogenic Acid On Human Colon Cancer Cells, Taylor Thurow

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Prune consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer, yet there has been confusion as to which chemical component(s) of the prune are responsible for its anticarcinogenic properties. Previous studies have evaluated chlorogenic acid as a chemotherapeutic agent, however only a limited amount of studies have investigated neochlorogenic acid, the predominant phenolic compound found in the prune. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that chlorogenic acid and neochlorogenic acid have as anticarcinogenics on the human adenocarcinoma, Caco-2 cell line. The anti-colon cancer effects or chlorogenic acid and neochlorogenic acid were analyzed by experiments …

Effect Of Enzymatic Treatments On The Physiochemical Properties Of Different Corn Starches, Curtis Robert Luckett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amylose readily reassociates to form films and crystalline structures that are resistant to digestion by amylolytic enzymes and known as resistant starch type III (RS3). This study investigated the RS3 formation and cereal coating properties from enzyme-modified corn starches with varying amylose contents, including Hylon VII (70% amylose), Hylon V (50% amylose), and common corn (25% amylose). For RS3 formation, corn starches were first gelatinized and then hydrolyzed using β-amylase to varying degrees. The resultant hydrolyzed starch was debranched with isoamylase and then exposed to 3 times of temperature cycling at 135/133/133°C for 30 min and 95°C for 24 hr …

Utilization Of Natural Green Tea And Grape Seed Extracts And Nisin To Reduce Conventional Chemical Preservatives And To Inhibit The The Growth Of Listeria Monocytogenes In Ready To Eat Low And High Fat Chicken And Turkey Hotdogs, Amara Venkata Sunil Perumalla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ready-to-eat meat (RTE) products such as hotdogs represent a popular segment in convenience food purchases. Increased demand has led the processors to extend the shelf life by minimizing lipid oxidation and post-processing contaminants such as Listeria monocytogenes. There is a growing interest in the food processors and consumers regarding the use of natural alternatives in place of synthetic food additives to control the growth of foodborne pathogens and (or) lipid oxidation. In recent years, green tea (GTE) and grape seed extracts (GSE) are increasing choices as they have demonstrated antioxidant as well as antimicrobial properties in various food applications. …

Validation Of Thermal Processing To Control Salmonella Spp. And Clostridium Perfringens During Prime Rib Preparation From Intact And Non-Intact Meat, Maria A. Calle

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

Beef prime rib is a delicacy cooked at low temperatures for long period and extended hot holding prior to consumption. Due to the potential survival and outgrowth of foodborne pathogens, this process may pose a public health risk. Considering an increase in the availability of non-intact beef, the microbial safety of the preparation of prime rib from intact and mechanically tenderized beef was evaluated.

In the first study, lethality of the prime rib (from intact and non-intact, blade tenderized beef) cooking process to Salmonella spp. was evaluated. Boneless beef rib eye was surface inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella …

Influence Of Dietary Fibers And Whole Grains On Fecal Microbiota During In Vitro Fermentation, Junyi Yang

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

There has been a dramatic increase in obesity, which presents a risk of many chronic health problems. Recent studies have shown that obese individuals harbor an abnormal gut microbiota (dysbiosis), which has sparked interest in the gut microbiota as a target for weight management. Dietary fiber and whole grains that can be metabolized by gut microbiota have been shown to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Increased consumption of dietary fiber and whole grains may improve host / gut microbiota interactions in obesity and other metabolic diseases by normalizing gut dysbiosis. The present thesis describes two research …

Characterization Of Igg And Ige Binding To Parvalbumin Derived From Commercially Important Fish Species, Poi-Wah Lee

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

Parvalbumin is a calcium-binding muscle protein that is present in all vertebrates. Despite being a pan-allergen in fish and frog, fish-specific IgE and antiparvalbumin IgG antibodies displayed varying cross-reactivity among fish species. In this research, the parvalbumin-binding characteristics of several antibodies were investigated, including 3 IgG antibodies against frog, carp, and cod parvalbumins, and human IgE.

By immunoassay and IgG-immunoblotting, 3 antiparvalbumin antibodies revealed inconsistent specificity among 29 raw fish muscle extracts, which may be partially attributed to the decreased levels of fish muscle parvalbumin from anterior to posterior positions. Parvalbumin-binding by antibodies was unaffected in 112 days of frozen-stored …

Role Of Lactic Acid Bacteria As A Bio-Sanitizer To Prevent Attachment Of Listeria Monocytogenes On Deli Slicer Contact Surfaces, And The Influence Of Listeria Innocua On The Attachment Of L. Monocytogenes On Selected Materials Located In The Food-Processing Environment, Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes an important foodborne pathogen that continues to be a serious problem for the food industry. This pathogen contaminates food primarily during post-harvest in the food-processing environment. Its ecology in the food-processing environment is not well understood but previous research has demonstrated the ability of L. monocytogenes to survive on food contact surfaces after cleaning and disinfection. The current study explored the attachment of three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, Lactobacillus animalis , Lb. amylovorus and Pediococcus acidilactici , their combination in a cocktail, and their influence to prevent the attachment of L. monocytogenes at room temperature by examining …

Integration Of Nutrition Education Classes Into English As Second Language Classes For Refugees, Sarah Gunnell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Each year approximately 73,000 refugees are resettled into the United States because it is unsafe for them to return to their country of origin. Resettlement agencies help refugees learn about their new environment and provide assistance with housing, food, English classes, and job skills training. The goal of resettlement programs is to help refugees become self-sufficient as quickly as possible.

Recently resettled refugees face many challenges that make it difficult to eat healthy food. Transportation, English skills, and conflicting work hours are some of the barriers to receiving nutrition education. This research evaluated the integration of nutrition lessons into English …