Sensory and Nutritional Properties and Stability of Formulated Organic Food Flavour Enhancers

Most food flavours have been shown to contain high quantities of cooking salt, followed by flavour enhancers such as sodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate and hydrogenated oils. Excess of these substances is associated with cardiovascular diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. In an effort to reduce the harmful effects of these synthetic substances, this study therefore aimed to formulate organic, nutritious food flavours with good storage stability from less harmful locally available food ingredients. A survey was carried out in 130 households and restaurants in the city of Yaoundé Cameroon, in order to evaluate the level of consumption of industrial flavours. Certain ingredients such as prawns, onions, garlic, white peppers, gingers and salt were used in some households as organic flavours. These ingredients and others were used to prepare 5 organic flavours. Their sensory and nutritional analyses and stability to storage within 90 days were evaluated. The survey revealed that 74.6% of respondents consume industrial flavours, with the cube flavour being the most widely consumed (81%). Two of the 5 organic flavours (434 and 634) had highest scores for general acceptability. The nutritional analyses of the formulae retained (434 and 634), showed that they contained: 11.08% and 10.68% fresh weight for moisture, 47.63% and 43.53% protein, 16.52% and 13.62% lipids, 2.20% and 2.44% fibres, 11.69% and 16.39% carbohydrates. Formula 434, the most accepted, had higher contents of Ca (257.97), Mg (115.91), K (1163), Zn (2.98), Cu (1.02) and Fe (12.43 mg/100g DM) while the second (634) had higher contents of sodium (3270.48) and manganese (2.18 mg/100g). Their water activity during storage in polypropylene bags for 90 days ranged from 0.39 - 0.58 at a temperature of 26.6˚C - 37˚C. The oxidative stability (90 days), determined by the acid and peroxide indices, was 9.18 - 14.13 mg KOH/g and 1.98 - 6.46 meq O2/Kg, respectively indicating good stability for 90 days of storage. The high levels of proteins and minerals in our two products justify their umami taste and can be used as highly nutritional food flavour enhancers to prevent cardiovascular diseases, especially in the elderly.

Motives Underlying Organic Food Consumption in Turkey： Impact of Health, Environment, and Consumer Values on Purchase Intentions

Raising ecological awareness and health concerns create question marks about healthiness and sustainability of conventional foods in customers＇ minds. Due to augmented mass media coverage of environmental problems, health concerns related to consumption of genetically modified food and/or chemical contaminants in food, and consumers＇ increasing interest in healthy nutrition and environmental protection, there is a growing interest for organic foods in all over the world. Growing interest for organic foods, and increasing production and demand in organic food market has made organic food consumption a significant topic of research. Although organic food market and demand for organic foods have also been growing in Turkey, literature regarding organic food consumption is not very extensive. Therefore, this study aims to understand the underlying motives for organic food consumption in Turkey, and to explore the factors affecting Turkish consumers＇ attitudes towards organic foods and the behavioral intention of Turkish consumers to purchase organic food by the help of the theory of reasoned action （TRA）. The results of 622 successful surveys used for this empirical research indicate that Turkish consumers＇ attitudes towards organic foods are determined by perception of organic foods, consumer values, and price perception, while their purchase intention is determined by health consciousness, perception of organic foods, consumer values, price perception, and environmental concerns.

Analysis of Nitrosamines in Organic Foods

Nitrosamines are classified by IARC as Group 2B carcinogens. Usually they might be present in organic foods as products of reaction between secondary amines and nitrosation system. The aim of the study was to test the concentration of nitrosamines in Bulgarian products. High performance liquid chromatography with UV detector was used for identification and quantitation. A standard solution of N-nitrosodiethanolamine was used as a reference substance and in the validation procedure of samples. The limit of detection of the method was determined to 14× 10^-9 g/mL. The results of the testing showed that analyzed organic foods produced in Bulgaria did not contain nitrosamines above the limit of detection of the method.

Facilitating Trade in Organic Food Products： The Case of India and ASEAN

This paper discusses how India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN） countries can increase their trade in organic food products. With rise in demand for organic food products globally, India and select ASEAN member countries have become key producers and exporters of organic food products. Trade in organic food products is governed by regulations, standards, certification and accreditation procedures, which enables differentiation of organic products from conventional products. Organic standards ensure premium price for the farmers and producers, while consumers are assured of authenticity of the product. Standards can act as a barrier to trade as regulations governing organic food products can vary across countries. Some countries are also in process of developing regulations. This paper discusses the role of different multilateral agencies in designing standards and how countries can address issues of difference in standards by signing unilateral and bilateral equivalence arrangements, trade agreements and harmonizing their standards within regional groups. It also discusses how India and ASEAN countries can align their domestic regulations in line with the global best practices so that they can sign equivalence arrangements to enhance their exports. The paper concludes that measures such as coming up with a comprehensive definition of ＂organic＂, having a uniform standard for organic products encompassing domestic market and trade, having a single nodal agency for both domestic market and exports, developing organic clusters and reducing the cost of third-party certification will help enhance trade in India and ASEAN, and enable these countries to access third country markets.

Direct Marketing and Consumer Trust in Organic Food Products： Vilnius （Lithuania） Case

The market of organic food products has a continuous upward trend though the growth rate and sale channels in individual countries are rather different. This research aims to identify the key factors that influence consumers＇ choice to buy organic food products in Lithuania focusing on the consumer trust in the quality and the most acceptable marketing channels. In order to get the necessary information, the residents of Vilnius （the capital of Lithuania）, as having the greatest potential for the organic food market in the country, were interviewed. The analysis of collected data was done using the methods of mathematical statistics and comparison of relative frequencies. The results of this research prove the increasing consumers＇ interest in organic food products. The majority of consumers consider these products to be healthier, better-tasting and fresher. Only about a third of the purchasers （usually buying frequently） can see differences between organic and non-organic products, therefore, there is a problem to distinguish organic food from conventional products and, consequently, remains a possibility to cheat the consumer. An additional quality control and direct sales from known and familiar farmers might increase trust in the quality of organic food products. So far, supermarkets are the most important place to buy organic foods, however, the greater consumer confidence in the quality of organic products bought at farmers＇ markets and the acceptance of the majority of purchasers to buy organic food products directly from the farmers suppose the need to develop a direct marketing system.

The Influence of Organic and Conventional Food on Human Health

Organic food offers immense benefits to consumers as it contains a higher content of nutrients and antioxidants. The benefits of organic food over conventional products have been demonstrated by in-vitro experiments, whereby statistical analysis has shown that both types of food can have equivalent benefits. One of the important disadvantages of conventional food is that it contains heavy metals and also does not contribute toward prevention of cancer in consumers. It is not clear yet if consuming organic food combats obesity;we have attempted to gather some literature to clarify this aspect as well.

Motivation Factors of Consumers’ Food Choice

Consumer perception of food products is a very complex phenomenon that is influenced by a wide range of characteristics. The major motivation for food science and nutrition should be sensual features, cost/price balance, and consumer health (sufficient/balanced nutrition). However, there are important differences between theory and reality. Food choice is a complex process influenced by a number of factors related to the product, the consumer, and the consumption context. The role of the consumer in determining the market success of a product is of maximum relevance. Consumer perceptions and preferences are in motion and in change. Understanding and analyzing consumers’ motivation factors, perception and preferences are important both food industry and also governments. In this study, some of these factors were discussed and aimed to identify them with reasons.

Estimating the Consumers＇ Benefits of the Demand for Organic Fresh Milk in Taiwan

Certified agricultural standards （CAS） of the organic food label serve to increase food safety and restore the confidence and consumption level in Taiwan. The organic CAS represents food quality without the use of synthetic chemicals to protect consumers＇ health. As a consequence, production costs and consumer prices have increased. The aim of this study is to analyze consumers＇ perception of the organic CAS label and how purchasing behavior for the product is influenced by converting the Fresh Milk Logo to the organic CAS certified label, which is based on contingent behavior analysis. This study adopts factor analysis to extract the perceptions and preferences of the respondents. In addition, the on-site Poisson model to revise the truncated and endogenous stratification and assess consumer welfare precision. The incremental consumer surplus for consumer consumed organic fresh milk is approximately NT$8,979.

Total Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Organic Vegetables Consumed in Brazil

Organic olericulture differs from conventional agriculture due to the absence of pesticide, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, some food additives and ionizing radiation, producing vegetables with a different chemical composition and with different amounts of bioactive compounds. The objective of this study was to quantify, in organic vegetables consumed in Brazil, the amount of total phenolic compounds using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the antioxidant activity through DPPH method. Among the analyzed vegetables, the effectiveness in the antioxidant capacity was obtained in decreasing order, by the broccoli (69.35), kale (63.20), cabbage (35.72) and carrot (20.39), expressed in % of DPPH consumption after 30 minutes of reaction. The amount of total phenolic compounds (mg GAE/ml of fluid extract-FE) present in the kale (0.606), broccoli (0.511), cabbage (0.214) and carrots (0.124) demonstrates a positive correlation between phenolic amounts and the antioxidant activity of the vegetables analyzed.

Organic Vegetables Quality Arising from the Brazilian Family-Run Farm

The present study has its aim to evaluate the different dimensions of organic vegetables quality from the Brazilian family-run farm, especially the evaluation of composition, antioxidant activity, microbiological characteristics and pesticide residues. There were evaluated carrot, broccoli, kale and white cabbage grown by organic farmers in the highlander region of Rio de Janeiro state. There were determined humidity, lipids grade, total protein content, mineral residues (ashes), soluble and insoluble fibers, soluble solids, total acidity, pH, and pesticide residues. The antioxidant activity was determined using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical removal. Among the analyzed vegetables, the effectiveness of the antioxidant capacity was obtained, in decreasing order, by broccoli, kale, white cabbage and carrot. According to the microbiological parameter, evaluated vegetables have shown satisfactory sanitary quality. Pesticide residues were not found above the detection limit for both authorized and unauthorized analyzed crops.

Identifying the key purchase factors for organic food among Chinese consumers

The current study primarily aims to identify the critical purchase factors that affect Chinese consumer purchase intention and purchase decision with regard to organic food consumption,in accordance with a modified theory of planned behavior and the alphabet theory.Specifically,this study builds a conceptual research framework by which to delve into the relationships between purchase factors and purchase intention,and elucidate the mediating roles of purchase factors in the relationships between purchase intention and purchase decision.Moreover,by leveraging a modified theory of planned behavior and the alphabet theory,the current study also determines the critical roles of subjective norms and reveals the information and knowledge that impact consumer attitude toward the purchase of organic food.The current study leverages the purposive sampling method and captures 310 records within Beijing,China.The results indicate that purchase attitude correlates positively with subjective norms and knowledge,while purchase intention correlates positively with purchase attitude,perceived behavior control,and food therapy culture.Furthermore,purchase intention can significantly mediate relationships between each of purchase attitude,perceived behavior control,food therapy culture,and purchase decision.Finally,we discuss the theoretical and practical significance of the framework,and propose subsequent research directions regarding organic food purchase behavior.

Natural ^(15)N Abundance in Winter Wheat Amended with Urea and Compost: A Long-Term Experiment

We investigated 15N abundance （δ15N） of winter wheat （Triticum aestivum cv. Jinmai 1） plants and soil at different growth stages in a field with a 13-year fertilization history of urea and compost, to determine whether or not the δ15N of plant parts can be used as an indicator of organic amendment with compost. Plant parts （roots, leaves, stems and grains） and soil were sampled at re-greening, jointing, grain filling and mature growth stages of winter wheat. There were significant differences between the urea and compost treatments in 815N of whole plants, plant parts and soil over the whole growing season. Determination of the δ15N of plant parts was more convenient than that of whole plant to distinguish between the application of organic amendment and synthetic N fertilizer.

Organic farming in India: a vision towards a healthy nation

Food quality and safety are the two important factors that have gained ever-increasing attention in general consumers.Conventionally grown foods have immense adverse health effects due to the presence of higher pesticide residue,more nitrate,heavy metals,hormones,antibiotic residue,and also genetically modified organisms.Moreover,conventionally grown foods are less nutritious and contain lesser amounts of protective antioxidants.In the quest for safer food,the demand for organically grown foods has increased during the last decades due to their probable health benefits and food safety concerns.Organic food production is defined as cultivation without the application of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms,growth hormones,and antibiotics.The popularity of organically grown foods is increasing day by day owing to their nutritional and health benefits.Organic farming also protects the environment and has a greater socio-economic impact on a nation.India is a country that is bestowed with indigenous skills and potentiality for growth in organic agriculture.Although India was far behind in the adoption of organic farming due to several reasons,presently it has achieved rapid growth in organic agriculture and now becomes one of the largest organic producers in the world.Therefore,organic farming has a great impact on the health of a nation like India by ensuring sustainable development.