Assessing the potential of portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a rapid, onsite screening tool in the assessment of cadmium surface decontamination effectiveness.

Portable X-ray fluorescence has successfully been used to effectively evaluate occupational exposure to airborne and surface metal contaminants nondestructively. Traditional methods of assessing metal surface contamination involve the costly, time-consuming collection and laboratory analysis of wipe samples, making portable X-ray fluorescence an attractive alternative method for screening worksites by reducing delays in risk assessment decision-making. Existing research into this use of portable X-ray fluorescence has primarily been centered on the analysis of airborne and surface lead contamination. The extant literature is sparse on the use of portable X-ray fluorescence with other metals for surface contamination with respect to occupational exposure. The present study evaluated the use of portable X-ray fluorescence in the screening of cadmium surface contamination to determine if the effectiveness of decontamination measures can be ascertained by this technique. Wipe samples were collected and screened with portable X-ray fluorescence before being sent to the laboratory for definitive analysis to assess the correlation between portable X-ray fluorescence readings in percent mass with laboratory results in µg/ft2. Portable X-ray fluorescence readings demonstrated a strong linear correlation with laboratory results, as indicated by the R2 value of 0.993. Therefore, this technique may be further developed and deployed as a screening tool for wipe samples used for evaluating contamination and decontamination of metal-contaminated areas.

The Dessert Flip: Consumer preference for desserts with a high proportion of fruit and nuts.

American adults consume excess added sugar and saturated fat, and not enough fruit. A possible solution is the "Dessert Flip," a shift in which the proportions of more sustainable plant-based garnishes, such as fruit and nuts, are increased, while the proportion of conventional dessert is reduced. We hypothesized that the pleasing properties of fruits and nuts-color, variety, flavor, and texture-would allow the Dessert Flip to be liked as well or better than a conventional dessert by college-aged students in a dining hall. In a sensory test, participants (n = 118) significantly preferred plated flipped desserts-those containing 80% by weight fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and mangoes) and nuts with 20% cake-over the conventional versions of those desserts with 80% cake and 20% fruit and nuts. No significant differences were found in overall liking. In a second experiment, after eating an entrée, participants (n = 150) chose pictures of multiple varieties of flipped cakes with 60% fruit and 40% cake significantly more than pictures of conventional 80% cake for dessert. Based on the U.S. average fruit prices, the Dessert Flip can be equal or lower in price per serving compared to an ungarnished typically sized cake. We conclude that the Dessert Flip offers a feasible option for increasing servings of fruits and nuts in desserts as well as reducing added sugar and saturated fat while maintaining sensory appeal. Future dietary guidelines could include this general strategy as a recommendation for helping adults include more fruits in their diets. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The Dessert Flip offers an appetizing way for foodservice to promote healthier eating by increasing servings of fruits and nuts in their desserts while reducing added sugar and saturated fat. Consumers can try this strategy at home by cutting a smaller piece of cake and adding fruit on the side.

Student consumer acceptance of plant-forward burrito bowls in which two-thirds of the meat has been replaced with legumes and vegetables: The Flexitarian Flip™ in university dining venues.

Negative health and environmental implications call for a shift from the traditional Western diet to a healthier, more sustainable diet; a suggested method for implementing such a shift is the consumption of more plant protein and less animal protein. This research tested the Flexitarian Flip™ with student consumers (n = 150) in a full meal-sized mixed dish (burrito bowls) in the dining venue context, by partially replacing meat (two-thirds replacement) with legumes and vegetables. Hedonic, satisfaction, and satiation measures were collected for three versions of a burrito bowl recipe: HM Mild (high meat control, with mild salsa), LM Mild (low meat, with mild salsa) and LM Spicy (low meat, with spicy salsa). Overall, the dishes that were lower in meat and higher in vegetables and legumes (LM Mild and LM Spicy) were found to be just as acceptable, satiating, and satisfying as the control meat-centric dish (HM Mild), demonstrating parity in student acceptance of the plant-forward dishes. Five consumer preference segments were identified and characterized using the preferences in this study as well as information collected in an extensive exit survey. Based on the outcome of this work and previous research, a mixture of legumes and vegetables is recommended as a partial replacement for meat in mixed dishes such as burrito bowls, with a trigeminal boost to maintain consumer acceptability and perceived saltiness and flavor complexity. The present study demonstrates that this concept translates to full meal portions. Further testing of the Flexitarian Flip™ is recommended in other recipes and cuisines.

The Flexitarian Flip™ : Testing the Modalities of Flavor as Sensory Strategies to Accomplish the Shift from Meat-Centered to Vegetable-Forward Mixed Dishes.

The American diet is lacking in plant-based foods and vegetables, higher in protein than necessary, and too centered on meat and poultry. Two major dietary shifts recommended by the 2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines are to increase vegetable intake and to increase the variety of protein food sources. One suggested strategy for doing this is to partially replace meat and poultry with vegetables and plant-based ingredients in mixed dishes. This research tested the potential of flavor modalities (taste, aroma, trigeminal, and their combination) as strategies to increase the sensory appeal of plant-forward dishes. Consumer testing (n = 141) was conducted in a cross-sectional design in a laboratory setting on 24 recipe variations. Three factors were tested: cuisine (Latin American, Mediterranean, and Asian), meat proportion (high-meat/low-vegetable versus low-meat/high-vegetable), and flavor strategy (taste, aroma, trigeminal, and a reduced-intensity trimodal combination). Statistical analysis was performed in R and XLSTAT-Sensory® 2017. Four consumer preference segments were uncovered. The low-meat dishes achieved parity or higher in consumer acceptance across all recipes and flavor strategies. The taste and trigeminal strategies both had higher overall acceptability scores than the aroma strategy, and the differences were significant (P < 0.05) in some consumer preference segments. The consumers successfully characterized the samples using a Check-All-That-Apply task, verifying the flavor strategy design. This research provides insight into consumer preferences regarding flavor strategies to partially replace meat with vegetables in mixed dishes. The trigeminal and trimodal combination strategies were found to be the most promising flavor modalities to use to implement this shift. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is little knowledge of American consumer preferences regarding vegetables in mixed dishes. Mixed dishes are a strategy recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to increase vegetable consumption and variety of protein sources. This research explores various flavor and culinary strategies with which to carry out the mixed dish meat-vegetable swap and to test the potential of the Flexitarian Flip™ (the shift from meat-centric to plant-centric diets). This research shows that individuals have different preferences regarding the type of flavor they prefer in mixed dishes (for example, some consumers prefer salty and some prefer spicy), so if the dietitian can recommend recipes that cater to that client's food and flavor preferences, the client will be more likely to adhere to their diet.

Using Single Free Sorting and Multivariate Exploratory Methods to Design a New Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel.

The original Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel was developed by the Specialty Coffee Assn. of America over 20 y ago, and needed an innovative revision. This study used a novel application of traditional sensory and statistical methods in order to reorganize the new coffee Sensory Lexicon developed by World Coffee Research and Kansas State Univ. into scientifically valid clusters and levels to prepare a new, updated flavor wheel. Seventy-two experts participated in a modified online rapid free sorting activity (no tasting) to sort flavor attributes of the lexicon. The data from all participants were compiled and agglomeration hierarchical clustering was used to determine the clusters and levels of the flavor attributes, while multidimensional scaling was used to determine the positioning of the clusters around the Coffee Taster's Flavor Wheel. This resulted in a new flavor wheel for the coffee industry.