Nutritional and functional profiles of aquaponic leaf lettuce across seasons.

Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that combines aquaculture and hydroponics. However, limited studies have focused on the nutritional and functional properties of aquaponic produce. Thus, this study aimed to explore the nutritional and functional components of 4 leaf lettuce lines with different colors cultivated in a commercial aquaponic farm in 4 seasons from summer 2022 to spring 2023.

High-Pressure Treatment in Combination with Reduced Sodium for Improving the Physicochemical Properties and Sensory Qualities of Pork Gels.

High-pressure treatment was utilized in this study to produce high-quality, reduced-sodium pork gels with desirable texture and sensory properties, addressing the challenge of maintaining quality in low-sodium meat products to meet health-conscious consumer demands. High-pressure treatment applied within the range of 150-200 MPa significantly reduced cooking loss while maintaining moisture content and provided an ideal network structure for reduced-sodium pork gels. High-pressure treatment at up to 100-200 MPa, in combination with added sodium chloride and sodium polyphosphate, was evaluated for its effects on gel texture, with results indicating that high-pressure treatment significantly improved breaking stress (increased by 10.

Effective degradation of various bacterial toxins using ozone ultrafine bubble water.

Infectious and foodborne diseases pose significant global threats, with devastating consequences in low- and middle-income countries. Ozone, derived from atmospheric oxygen, exerts antimicrobial effects against various microorganisms, and degrades fungal toxins, which were initially recognized in the healthcare and food industries. However, highly concentrated ozone gas can be detrimental to human health.

Long-term storage under pressure in deep sea improved the microbiological safety and physical properties of whale meat.

This study aimed to clarify the effects of deep-sea pressure storage on the quality of whale meat, especially microbiological safety and physical properties, to examine the effectiveness of deep-sea storage for long-term aging of whale meat. Microbiological safety, physical properties, color and appearance, water content, water activity, and pH of whale meat were examined after storage in the deep sea at depths of 2200-6000 m (22-60 MPa) for 4 months. During storage under high pressure at a depth of >4000 m (40 MPa), the growth of aerobic bacteria was inhibited in whale meat.

Toughness Variations among Natural Casings: An Exploration on Their Biochemical and Histological Characteristics.

We investigated the mechanical, biochemical, and histological properties of hog and sheep casings produced in different countries to elucidate the responsible factors for the toughness quality of natural casings. The toughness and collagen characteristics of sheep and lamb casings were also investigated to elucidate the effect of animal slaughter age on the relationships between connective tissue and the mechanical properties of natural casings. The results showed that the main component of hog and sheep casings was collagen with many layers of sheets.

Relationship between lactose utilization of lactic acid bacteria and browning of cheese during storage.

To produce processed cheese turning hardly brown during transportation and storage at room temperature, natural cheese showing less discoloration should be used as a raw material. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between the lactose utilization of lactic acid bacteria and the browning of cheese during storage. Three type-cultures ( and ) and five isolates from Japanese pickles ( spp.

Differences in the validity of a visual estimation method for determining patients' meal intake between various meal types and supplied food items.

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to examine differences in the validity of a visual estimation method for determining patients' meal intake between various meal types and supplied food items in hospitals and to find factors influencing the validity of a visual estimation method.

Methods: There are two procedures by which we obtained the information on dietary intake of the patients in these hospitals. These are both by visual assessment from the meal trays at the time of their clearing, by the attending nursing staff and by weighing conducted by researchers.

Why food-poisoning bacteria attached to shredded cabbage are not efficiently disinfected by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO).

The aim of this study was to determine why food poisoning bacteria attached to cut cabbage are not efficiently disinfected by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO). Pretreatment of shredded cabbage with diethyl ether definitely decreased the survival numbers of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. after disinfection with 100 ppm of NaClO.

Temperature dependence of the production of staphylococcal enterotoxin A by Staphylococcus aureus.

We incubated 11 strains of Staphylococcus aureus in a brain heart infusion broth at 10-37 °C with two inoculum sizes and examined their enterotoxin A (SEA) production by a Western blot analysis to clarify the effect of incubation temperature on SEA production. Although SEA was detected in the exponential phase at 15-37 °C, it was also detected in the stationary or death phase at 10 °C. The maximal SEA concentrations of most strains increased as the temperature was increased, although some strains produced as much at 15 °C and 20 °C as they did at 37 °C.

[Temperature dependence of staphylococcal enterotoxin A production by Staphylococcus aureus].

Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) results from the consumption of foods containing sufficient amounts of one or more preformed staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs). SEs are heat stable and can withstand heat at 121 degrees C for 10 min. Therefore, after SEs were produced in food, reheating of food is ineffective in preventing SFP.