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Article
Publication date: 18 July 2023

U. Gianfranco Spizzirri, Paolino Caputo, Rosa Nicoletti, Pasquale Crupi, Fabrizio D'Ascenzo, Cesare Oliverio Rossi, Maria Lisa Clodoveo, Francesca Aiello and Donatella Restuccia

This study aims to investigate unripe carob pod as a source of antioxidant molecules useful in the eco-friendly synthesis of a gelatin conjugate. This one was involved in the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate unripe carob pod as a source of antioxidant molecules useful in the eco-friendly synthesis of a gelatin conjugate. This one was involved in the preparation of gummies able to produce remarkable human health benefits.

Design/methodology/approach

Eco-friendly strategies (ultrasound-assisted extraction, low temperatures and eco-friendly solvents) were employed in the extraction of active molecules. Antioxidant molecules were involved in the grafting reaction with gelatin chains (ascorbic acid/hydrogen peroxide couple as initiator system). Gelatin conjugate represents a useful material able to prepare gummies with remarkable rheological and antioxidant performances over time.

Findings

Experimental results confirmed that the green approach allowed the achievement of extracts with remarkable antioxidant properties due to the presence of phenolic moieties. Gelatin conjugate synthesis preserved these functionalities, usefully exploited in the preparation of gummies with significant structural and biological features.

Originality/value

Compared to the literature data the preparation of the gummies with outstanding biological properties was performed by employing functional gelatin synthesized by an eco-friendly approach.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1984

Although the Bible tells us that John the Baptist lived in the wilderness on locusts and wild honey, he could, in fact, have been enjoying the pods of the carob bean. Elizabeth

Abstract

Although the Bible tells us that John the Baptist lived in the wilderness on locusts and wild honey, he could, in fact, have been enjoying the pods of the carob bean. Elizabeth Brand tells us more about this unusual but potentially useful food commodity

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 84 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Article
Publication date: 15 October 2019

Daniela Mariana de Lima Bragion and Helena Maria André Bolini

Carob has been proposed as a healthy, stimulant-free alternative to chocolate in frozen desserts. In order to make carob a viable and attractive alternative, food producers need…

Abstract

Purpose

Carob has been proposed as a healthy, stimulant-free alternative to chocolate in frozen desserts. In order to make carob a viable and attractive alternative, food producers need to know how it interacts with sweeteners and frozen dessert dispersion matrices. The purpose of this paper is to find the optimal sweetener concentration in three plant-based frozen desserts and carob-flavoured milk dispersion matrix ice cream.

Design/methodology/approach

The ideal sucrose concentrations (per cent) were determined through an affective test using the “just-about-right” scale for carob-flavoured frozen desserts made with cashew nut, coconut and soy beverage, as well as milk dispersion matrix. The sweetness equivalence of artificial sweeteners relative to sucrose was determined by the magnitude estimation test.

Findings

The authors identified the concentrations of sucrose, stevia and sucralose that produced ideal sweetness in carob-flavoured frozen desserts. Concentrations for soy-based frozen desserts differed from the other dispersion mediums tested. Plant-based frozen desserts exhibited a higher ratio of sweetening power of stevia and sucralose to sucrose compared to milk-based ice cream by a factor of 1.18 and 1.14, respectively.

Originality/value

This study undertook a comprehensive survey of a dairy-free and chocolate-free alternative to chocolate ice cream and found new sweetener interactions with dispersion matrices in carob-flavoured frozen desserts. The findings in this study can be applied in the development of carob-flavoured soybean-, coconut-, cashew nut- and milk-based frozen desserts.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 121 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2014

Hulya Yuceer and Beser Oktay Vehbi

Scattered mainly along the coast of Cyprus, a series of modest stone built carob warehouses provide a historical legacy of the agricultural, social and economic life of the rural…

Abstract

Scattered mainly along the coast of Cyprus, a series of modest stone built carob warehouses provide a historical legacy of the agricultural, social and economic life of the rural areas of Cyprus during the late 19th and early 20th century. They were constructed of local materials and employed local building techniques, and have become a largely unrecognized part of the local landscape. Most remain in a dilapidated condition through neglect and weathering throughout the years. It is suggested that this is largely due to a lack of understanding of their cultural significance, and a lack of vision as to how a holistic conservation approach could help to address wider strategic policy objectives in the areas of sustainable tourism/place marketing, and rural economic development. More specifically it is suggested that a tourism path incorporating former carob collecting routes could support the adaptive re-use of the former warehouses based upon contemporary cultural needs and opportunities. The development of such an approach will require a multi-agency, cross-sectoral involvement that sees these buildings as a significant cultural resource.

Details

Open House International, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 June 2019

Georgia S. Papoutsi, Stathis Klonaris and Andreas Drichoutis

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to evaluate the claim that consumers are willing to compromise on taste in order to obtain the potential health benefits from…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to evaluate the claim that consumers are willing to compromise on taste in order to obtain the potential health benefits from functional snacks; and second, to investigate the effect of expectations for the snacks, blind tasting and product information on hedonic judgments and willingness to pay (WTP).

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 160 subjects was recruited to participate in a lab experiment that combined hedonic evaluations and a series of non-hypothetical second-price Vickrey auctions, under blind or informed tasting conditions. Participants were also asked to complete a questionnaire about consumer preferences, purchasing habits and demographics.

Findings

Results indicate that tasting and information have economically and statistically significant effects on overall food assessment with respect to prior product expectations. Provision of information regarding functional food components shortly before consumption makes consumers less strict on their taste evaluation and increases their WTP. This indicates that consumers are willing to partly sacrifice the pleasure of taste in order to improve the healthfulness of their diet. When information is provided after taste, it only exerts influence with respect to the carob-based snack. Furthermore, blind tasting has a negative effect on liking, irrespective of the product being evaluated. Finally, the econometric results reveal that older respondents tend to bid higher for functional snacks.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature not only on the basis of the novelty of results but also on the methodological front, since it showcases the combined use of hedonic tests and auctions with real monetary incentives as a state of the art technique on eliciting consumers’ overall assessment for functional snacks. It also highlights important elements in the toolkit that marketers can use to influence products’ perceived health benefits, and thus consumption choices.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2015

Elias Hadjielias and Panikkos Poutziouris

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the conditions underpinning the cooperative relationships between family businesses. The role of trust is also explored, given the…

1236

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the conditions underpinning the cooperative relationships between family businesses. The role of trust is also explored, given the focus on informal conditions nested within the cooperation between firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study research method is adopted in this paper. This research is conducted within a cooperative association in Cyprus where 40 retail family businesses trade under the same brand.

Findings

The findings suggest that cooperation between family businesses emerges and unfolds as a result of the presence and interrelationships between a number of critical conditions: trust, altruism, collective thinking, stewardship, friendship, and family values congruence. The work illustrates that trust becomes a catalyst to the emergence and maintenance of cooperative relations between family businesses. Trust between family leaders is important in building altruism, collective thinking, and stewardship norms amongst them, and helps in sustaining the cooperation between their respective firms. At the same time, trust (stemming from past friendship and values congruence between diverse family leaders) becomes important in bringing family businesses to cooperate together at first instance. Further, the findings stress the role of critical events and self-interest in moderating the role and influence of trust on the cooperation between family businesses.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the family business field through new knowledge on the relations between family businesses and the unique conditions that shape their long-term cooperation.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 21 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1990

Rob Silverstone

The Consumers' Association is designing a campaign which will encourage catering establishments to introduce more healthy dishes onto their menus. In preparation for this…

Abstract

The Consumers' Association is designing a campaign which will encourage catering establishments to introduce more healthy dishes onto their menus. In preparation for this initiative, catering students at Brighton Polytechnic were asked to devise a dessert trolley that would be both appetising and nutritious. This part of a menu presents health‐conscious caterers and customers with perhaps their greatest challenge, as typically all the best intentions seem to dissolve into oodles of cream, lashings of syrup and coatings of chocolate.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 90 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1947

In the good old days, before civilisation and artificial eating habits caught up with mankind, the majority of people in the world got all the Vitamin B and protein their bodies…

Abstract

In the good old days, before civilisation and artificial eating habits caught up with mankind, the majority of people in the world got all the Vitamin B and protein their bodies needed through micro‐organic foods. Before the discovery of tea and coffee as beverages, European man drank beer and ale, and the people of Africa, Asia and Australasia drank palm wines. These drinks were prepared by the use of micro‐organisms or fermentation, and supplied large quantities of high‐grade protein and Vitamin B, so essential for health and growth. With the discovery of food yeast and the proposed manufacture of this remarkable food in the British Colonies, the modern diet is going to be revolutionised. The manufacture of bakers' yeast is a simple process and has been known to man for hundreds of years. Into a certain weight of yeast is. introduced a solution of sugars, nitrogen and phosphates and this is allowed to multiply and grow until it has increased its weight fourfold. During this time air is pumped into the solution so the micro‐organisms can breathe, and at the end of nine hours the yeast in the vat is separated from the bulk of the used food solution, washed and pressed ready for use. Yeast has become in recent years increasingly popular as a food, and research workers, knowing the value of yeast in the diet to correct deficiencies, have not been idle in this field. For many years Dr. A. G. Thaysen, Ph.D., M.Sc., has been conducting experiments with yeast, and now, under the auspices of the Colonial Products Research Council, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is setting up a Micro‐biological Research Laboratory to carry out further experiments. As a result of visits to the West Indies by Sir R. Robinson and Professor Simonsen, it has been decided that this laboratory should be built in St. Clair, Port of Spain, where Dr. Thaysen will conduct experiments for an initial period of three years. Dr. Thaysen is of Danish origin, a naturalised British subject. He went to England early in 1914 to work at the Lister Institute on micro‐organisms, and when World War I. broke out the Admiralty secured his services for special war work. After the war he continued his research work with the Admiralty, and in 1936 his laboratory was transferred to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Recently the Colonial Products Research Council, by arrangement with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, secured Dr. Thaysen's services for the study of food yeast in the West Indies. Whereas bakers' yeast will only increase fourfold in nine hours, it has been possible to increase the weight of food yeast 64‐fold in the same time, and this yeast shows the same behaviour in its life cycle as is characteristic of all free living bacteria. The aim of these experiments is the manufacture of food yeast on an industrial scale, and some years ago a small pilot plant was started at Teddington, England, where some 100 to 150 lb. of food yeast could be produced weekly. With the experience gained at this plant, the Colonial Office has set up a commercial scale plant in Jamaica with funds provided under the Colonial Development and Welfare Act. Jamaica was chosen for the site of this first pilot plant in the West Indies because the West Indies Sugar Company had the available accommodation, surplus power and technical staff to manufacture food yeast economically, and also had adequate supplies of molasses, sugar and cane juice close at hand. A similar plant is under construction in India. In planning for a wide scale manufacture of food yeast it is necessary to select localities where there is an abundant and cheap supply of the necessary sugars or other carbohydrates. The West Indies and India, for instance, can supply molasses; Africa, maize and other grains; the Middle East, citrus fruit and carob beans; and Canada, Newfoundland and the United States, waste sulphite liquor from the manufacture of paper. Food yeast, as produced in the pilot plant, is a light, straw‐coloured flaky powder with a pleasant nutty or meaty flavour. It has a protein content of between 40 and 45 per cent., contains some 2 per cent. of phosphorus, a balanced proportion of Vitamin B, riboflavin and nicotinic acid, and is superior to liver and the various yeast extracts at present on the market. One ton of food yeast can be produced from 1·7 tons of sugar products or other carbohydrates. Food yeast has been fed successfully to livestock with remarkable results, and for human consumption it can be incorporated into flour for bread and biscuits and used for flavouring soups and stews. To quote Dr. Thaysen : “ It is essential to produce food yeast at the lowest possible price if it is to serve its primary purpose of supplying those sections of humanity who are least blessed with worldly riches with a wholesome and abundant protein and Vitamin B food.” In other words, it can well be seen that the discovery of food yeast is going to be one of the greatest contributions science has made in our own time, the atomic bomb notwithstanding, and with so many people in the world at the moment suffering from years of malnutrition in varying degrees, food yeast is going to be one of the Allied Nations' greatest contributions to the rehabilitation of the world and the immediate need to feed Europe, after years of war, can be faced confidently now that Jamaica is producing it in sufficient quantity.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 49 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1988

Christophoros P. Pappas

Differences in the laws and regulations with respect to basic materials, optional ingredients and food additives authorised in ice‐cream manufacture in the EC members states were…

Abstract

Differences in the laws and regulations with respect to basic materials, optional ingredients and food additives authorised in ice‐cream manufacture in the EC members states were studied. No substantial differences exist regarding most of the basic materials. However, there are differences in certain of these materials, e.g. non‐milk fats, skimmed milk powder or sweetners other than sucrose. More differences exist among the optional ingredients and food additives. Most of the food additives authorised by each state ae in the list of additives approved by the EC Council. Compositional requirements for different ice‐cream types were also studied.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 90 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2000

Michael Szenberg

The paper discusses several elements of the definition of sustainability and focuses on the common theme running through a number of domestic and international cases presented…

677

Abstract

The paper discusses several elements of the definition of sustainability and focuses on the common theme running through a number of domestic and international cases presented: the conflicting societal goals and the importance of the moral sense. The sustainable development paradigm can deepen our insights of how to explore problems of choice so that one can advance environmental policies that would be both equitable and efficient.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 27 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

1 – 10 of 55