The Effect of Verbal and Iconic Messages in the Promotion of High-Quality Mountain Cheese: A Non-Hypothetical BDM Approach.

To ensure the sustainable development of mountain livestock farming, the adequate remuneration of high-quality dairy products is fundamental. In this sense, communication strategies aimed at promoting mountain products and ensure better positioning and higher market prices are fundamental. The present research seeks to expand the literature regarding consumers' willingness to pay for mountain foods by using an online real auction experiment aimed at evaluating the premium price that consumers are willing to pay for summer over winter mountain cheese, depending on the information provided concerning the taste anticipation or animal welfare. The results showed an overall small premium price given to the higher quality summer cheese; this could be, partially, due to a generally low degree of consumer knowledge about mountain dairy farming. With reference to communication strategies, the results provide evidence about the effectiveness of the rational messages founded upon sensorial characteristics and the anticipated taste of cheese. In addition, this study explored that adding a logo had no main effect on the price premium participants were willing to pay. This may be due to the fact that logos and claims, having a lower information content, are more indicated to lead the choice of consumers with a higher level of awareness. In the conclusion section, policy and agribusiness implications of the findings are provided.

When Industrial Policies Conflict With Population Health: Potential Impact of Removing Food Subsidies on Obesity Rates.

OBJECTIVES: To model the potential impact on obesity of removing butter, cheese, and sugar subsidies in the Canary Islands. METHODS: A simulation model was applied based on a local data set of subsidies and retail prices (2007-2016), data on own-price elasticity estimates, and representative nutritional and health surveys. We estimated marginal obesity prevalence and population attributable fraction to assess the potential impact of the butter, cheese, and sugar subsidies intervention. RESULTS: The intervention was predicted to avoid 10 363 obese adults over the study period, because of the reduction of the obesity prevalence by -0.7 percentage points. Overall, the predicted effect was largest in elderly and male groups, although females with a low socioeconomic status experienced the greatest decrease in the prevalence. The population attributable fraction predicted that 4.0% of population with obesity were attributable to the existence of these subsidies. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides policy makers with the predicted impact on obesity of the butter, cheese, and sugar subsidies disposal, enabling them to incorporate this health impact into decision making across policy areas in the economic and health field. This study aims to model the potential impact on obesity of removing industrial subsidies for butter, cheese and sugar in the Canary Islands.

Production, chemical composition, and economic viability of Minas Frescal cheese from buffaloes supplemented with açai seed.

We aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, production yield, and economic viability of Minas Frescal cheese produced with milk from buffaloes supplemented with açai seed as a substitute for corn meal. The experiment used five Murrah crossbred buffaloes with a mean body weight of 577 ± 20.4 kg, maintained under Megathyrsus maximus cv. Mombaça grazing in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The treatments comprised four concentrate supplements, in which açai seed replaced corn meal at 0, 33, 66, and 100% substitution, and a control with no concentrate supplementation. Replacement of corn meal with açai seed in buffalo diet had no effect on chemical composition of produced cheese (P > 0.05) nor was there any difference in chemical composition between the control group and animals supplemented with concentrate (P > 0.05). The adjusted cheese yield (kg cheese/cow/day) demonstrated a quadratic pattern with maximum production at 33% açai seed substitution (P < 0.05). Hence, the profitability index (percentage of gross revenue) was greatest at this replacement level. In conclusion, 33% açai seed replacement of corn meal in the supplement of buffalo under a grazing regime improved the individual yield of Minas Frescal cheese without changing its chemical composition.

US respondents' willingness to pay for Cheddar cheese from dairy cattle with different pasture access, antibiotic use, and dehorning practices.

Cheese is a widely consumed product in American diets and an important economic driver of US dairy markets. Given the widespread interest in credence attributes of fluid dairy products, the lack of knowledge of demand for animal welfare, environmental, and other credence attributes in cheeses is surprising. Increasing attention surrounding dairy cattle welfare has been placed on the disbudding or dehorning of dairy cattle, in addition to the longer term debates surrounding pasture access and antibiotic use. This work estimates willingness to pay for these attributes of dairy cattle management systems for Cheddar cheese in a nationally representative sample of 749 US household members. Ninety percent of respondents indicated they or someone in their household consumed cheese in the last year. Higher proportions of respondents with children in the household purchased cheese of any kind. Respondents had positive willingness to pay for Cheddar cheese that had the following attributes: USDA-, retailer-, and industry-verified antibiotic use not permitted, required pasture access, and dehorning with pain relief as well as polled (when compared with dehorning without pain relief). As dairy producers face tighter margins and shifting consumer preferences, increasing attention on consumer preferences for cheese may aid in increasing profitability if demanded attributes can be profitability provided.

Consumers' Trade-Off between Nutrition and Health Claims under Regulation 1924/2006: Insights from a Choice Experiment Analysis.

The aim of this paper is to investigate consumers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for functional mozzarella cheese whose health benefits (reduced fat and enrichment in omega-3) are communicated by using nutrition claims (article 8) and health claims (articles 13 and 14) of the EU Regulation 1924/2006. In order to achieve the stated objective a choice survey was developed and administered to a sample of Italian respondents. The product attributes and attribute levels included in the choice experiment were obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with stakeholders working on the development of this new product in the Italian region of Puglia. Results show that many participants were not aware of functional food. Marketing segmentation performed via latent class analysis indicates that the development of this hypothetical product should be based on the addition of naturally enriched omega-3. In terms of health communication under Regulation 1924/2006, heterogeneity of preferences of the nine identified segments reveals that respondents have a clear preference for products from the Puglia region, for the combined nutrition claim over single nutrition claims and for the reduction of disease health claim (article 14) over the health claim (article 13). In monetary terms, willingness to pay for health claims is higher than nutrition claims.

Use of sexed semen and female genotyping affects genetic and economic outcomes of Montbéliarde dairy herds depending on the farming system considered.

Genomic evaluation of cows and the use of sexed semen have recently provided opportunities for commercial dairy farmers to accelerate genetic progress at the herd level by increasing both selection accuracy and selection intensity. Because implementing genomic tests or using sexed semen generate extra costs, a higher investment capacity of the farm is required. In this study, we compared the effect of female genotyping alone or combined with the use of sexed semen on genetic and economic performance of the herds. Three typical Montbéliarde herds with different farming systems were considered: a 77-cow herd producing milk at a high price sold to make cheese with a protected designation of origin, a 60-cow herd producing organic milk at a medium price sold for dairy, and a 120-cow herd producing standard milk at a lower price sold for dairy. Eight alternative scenarios were simulated over a 10-yr period for each herd, with combinations of the following: use (or not) of dairy sexed semen, use (or not) of beef breed semen, use (or not) of female genotyping at 15 d of age. A mechanistic, stochastic, and dynamic model was used to mimic the farmer's daily decisions and the individual cow's biology. Heifers (80%) and first-lactation cows (30%) that ranked highest on the French total merit index (France's national dairy index) were inseminated with sexed semen to ensure replacement and to maximize genetic gain, when sexed semen was used. During the 10 yr of simulation, scenarios that included sexed semen (whether female genotyping was used or not) gained, on average, one extra year of overall genetic gain over scenarios that did not include sexed semen. During the same period, scenarios that used female genotyping (whether sexed semen was used or not) gained, on average, 5 mo of overall genetic gain over scenarios using parent average only. The highest gains in net margin were always obtained when combining use of sexed semen with terminal crossbreeding. Maximum genotyping prices under which routine female genotyping is economically valuable (breakeven prices of genotyping) were under €37. Maximum genotyping prices, such that the female genotyping costs are refunded within 10 yr of investment (investor genotyping price), were under €26. However, they would be higher over a longer period of use because genetic gain is cumulative. Because genotyping price is expected to decrease in the future, female genotyping will be worthwhile if combined with the use of sexed semen and beef breed semen.

Consumer insights on prepackaged Cheddar cheese shreds using focus groups, conjoint analysis, and qualitative multivariate analysis.

This study established attractive attributes and drivers of purchase for prepackaged Cheddar cheese shreds. Seven focus groups of Cheddar cheese shred consumers (n = 61) were conducted to probe consumer beliefs regarding packaging, ingredients, label claims, and applications of prepackaged Cheddar cheese shreds. Subsequently, an online survey was developed utilizing the key attributes from the focus groups. The survey (n = 1,288) included maximum difference scaling, Kano questions, and adaptive choice-based conjoint analysis. Additionally, 9 different commercial Cheddar cheese shreds varying in color, shred thickness, brand, and price were selected for a follow-up qualitative multivariate analysis to gain further consumer insight on attribute importance. Consumers (n = 13) were provided with commercial packages of shreds to evaluate over a 4-week period. Consumers journaled their likes and dislikes after use of each cheese shred and subsequently participated in a final 2.5-h focus group and projective mapping exercise. Consumers placed highest importance on price, followed by nutrition claims, color, sharpness, thickness, and label claims. Four consumer clusters were identified from conjoint utility scores. One consumer cluster exhibited preference for value-added features such as nutrition claims and brand, and another consumer cluster placed importance on shred color, whereas the other 2 groups were driven primarily by price. The qualitative multivariate analysis results confirmed the focus group and survey results: meltability, orange color, lack of clumps, ability to reseal the bag, and desirable "Cheddar" flavor were also preferred Cheddar shred qualities.

High pressure processing effect on different Listeria spp. in a commercial starter-free fresh cheese.

In this study, both microbial inactivation and growth of Listeria spp. inoculated in commercial free-starter fresh cheese was evaluated after high-pressure processing (HPP). HPP conditions (300, 400, 500 and 600 MPa at 6 °C for 5 min) and inoculum level (3-4 or 6-7 log CFU/g of cheese), as well as differences among strains inoculated (Listeria innocua, L. monocytogenes CECT 4031 and L. monocytogenes Scott A) were investigated. Inactivation and generation of sublethal injury were determined after HPP using ALOA (Agar Listeria according to Ottaviani and Agosti) and TAL (Thin Agar Layer) plating methods, respectively. Listeria inactivation increased with the pressure applied, presenting some statistical differences between the employed strains, inoculum level and sublethal injury. The highest lethality values were obtained at 600 MPa for the three strains tested, although the 500 MPa treatment presented high lethality for L. innocua and L. monocytogenes CECT 4031. After treatment, L. innocua and L. monocytogenes CECT 4031 counts in fresh cheese increased gradually during cold storage. By contrast, counts in cheeses inoculated with L. monocytogenes Scott A did not change significantly (p ≥ 0.05), being this strain the most pressure resistant and with the slowest growth rate. The manuscript present information supporting that, strains with high-level resistance should be employed during inactivation studies, instead of surrogate microorganisms. Application of HPP treatments of 500 MPa and especially 600 MPa on fresh cheeses would be effective to eliminate the most resistant microorganism to a level that should not present a public health risk under normal conditions of distribution and storage.

Testing commercial biopreservative against spoilage microorganisms in MAP packed Ricotta fresca cheese.

Ricotta fresca cheese is susceptible to secondary contamination and is able to support the growth of pathogens or spoilage psychotrophic bacteria during storage. The aim of the present study was to evaluate which among three commercial biopreservatives was suitable to be used to control the growth of spoilage microorganisms in sheep's milk MAP ricotta fresca cheese. 144 Ricotta fresca cheese samples were inoculated either with the bioprotective culture Lyofast FPR 2 (including Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus plantarum e Lactobacillus rhamnosus) or Lyofast CNBAL (Carnobacterium spp) or the fermentate MicroGARD 430. Not inoculated control and experimental ricotta were MAP packed (30% CO2 and 70% N2) and stored at 4 °C. Triplicate samples were analyzed after 5 h and 7, 14 and 21 days after inoculation for total bacterial count, mesophilic lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp, Listeria monocytogenes, moulds and yeasts. Among the tested biopreservatives only Carnobacterium spp was able to control Pseudomonas spp and Enterobacteriaceae. The maximum reduction in the concentration of Pseudomonas spp and Enterobacteriaceae was respectively 1.93 and 2.66 log10 cfu/g, observed 14 days after production. Therefore, Carnobacterium spp was selected as the culture of choice to conduct a challenge study against Pseudomonas spp.

Relating rheology and tribology of commercial dairy colloids to sensory perception.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between rheological and tribological properties of commercial full fat and fat-free/low fat versions of liquid and soft solid colloidal systems (milk, yoghurt, soft cream cheese) with their sensory properties. Oscillatory measurements (strain, frequency), flow curves and tribological measurements (lubrication behaviour using Stribeck analysis) were conducted. Oral condition was mimicked using artificial saliva at 37 ○C. Discrimination test was conducted by 63 untrained consumers, followed by a qualitative questionnaire. Consumers significantly discriminated the fat-free/low fat from the full fat versions (p < 0.01) in all product classes, with most common verbatim used being "creamy", "sweet" for the full fat versus "watery", "sour" for the fat-free samples. Flow behaviour of both versions of milk showed overlapping trends with no significant differences identified both in absence and presence of saliva (p > 0.05). Full fat and fat free yoghurts had similar yielding behaviour and elastic modulus (G'), even in simulated oral conditions. However, in case of soft cream cheese, the full fat version had a moderately higher G' than the low fat counterpart. Even in presence of artificial saliva, there was slight but significant difference in viscoelasticity between the cream cheese variants depending on fat content (p < 0.05). Stribeck curve analyses showed that at lower entrainment velocities (1-100 mm s-1), both full fat yoghurt and soft cream cheese exhibited a significantly lower traction coefficient when compared to fat-free/low fat versions (p < 0.05), which might be attributed to the lubricating effect of the coalesced fat droplets. Surprisingly, whole and skim milks showed no significant difference in traction coefficients irrespective of the entrainment speeds (p > 0.05). Results suggest that sensory distinction between fat-free and full fat versions, particularly in semi-solid systems could be better predicted by lubrication data as compared to bulk rheology.

Exploratory study of acid-forming potential of commercial cheeses: impact of cheese type.

Due to their composition, cheeses are suspected to induce an acid load to the body. To better understand this nutritional feature, the acid-forming potential of five cheeses from different cheese-making technologies and two milk was evaluated on the basis of their potential renal acid load (PRAL) index (considering protein, P, Cl, Na, K, Mg and Ca contents) and organic anions contents. PRAL index ranged from -0.8 mEq/100 g edible portion for fresh cheese to 25.3 mEq/100 g for hard cheese Cantal and 28 mEq/100 g for blue-veined cheese Fourme d'Ambert. PRAL values were greatly subjected to interbatch fluctuations. This work emphasized a great imbalance between acidifying elements of PRAL calculation (Cl, P and proteins elements) and alkalinizing ones (Na and Ca). Particularly, Cl followed by P elements had a strong impact on the PRAL value. Hard cheeses were rich in lactate, thus, might be less acidifying than suspected by their PRAL values only.

Consumers' willingness to pay for nutritional claims fighting the obesity epidemic: the case of reduced-fat and low salt cheese in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for cheeses bearing reduced-fat and low salt claims in Spain. STUDY DESIGN: An experiment with 219 cheese consumers was conducted in the period March-May 2015. We used different versions of cheese bearing reduced-fat and low salt claims. METHODS: A choice experiment was used to estimate WTP for reduced-fat and/or low salt cheeses. Participants faced eight choice sets, each consisting of two packages of cheese with different combinations of two claims. Individuals chose one of the two packages of cheese in each choice set, or decided not to choose either. Moreover, to consider possible heterogeneity in WTP across consumers, a random parameters logit model (RPL), a Chi-squared test, and analysis of variance tests were used. RESULTS: Spanish cheese consumers were willing to pay a positive premium for packages of cheese with reduced-fat claims (€0.538/100 g), and for cheese with reduced-fat and low salt claims (€1.15/100 g). Conversely, consumers valued low-salt content claims negatively. They preferred to pay €0.38/100 g for a conventional cheese rather than one low in salt content. As there was heterogeneity in consumers' WTP, two different consumer segments were identified. Segment 1 consisted of normal weight and younger consumers with higher incomes and levels of education, who valued low salt cheese more negatively than those individuals in Segment 2, predominantly comprising overweight and older consumers with low income and educational level. This means that individuals in Segment 1 would pay more for conventional cheese (€1/100 g) than those in Segment 2 (€0.50/100 g). However, no difference between the two segments was found in WTP for reduced-fat cheese. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that consumers are willing to pay a price premium for a package of cheese with a reduced-fat claim or cheese with reduced-fat and low salt claims appearing together; however, they are not willing to pay for a package of cheese with only a low salt claim. In comparison with overweight people, normal weight consumers would prefer to pay more for conventional cheese than low salt cheese. Finally, the results of this study contribute to insights in the promotion of healthier food choices among consumers. In this regard, outreach activities promoted by food companies could drive consumers to increase their knowledge of the benefits of eating reduced-fat and low salt food products in relation to their health status.

Assessing Projection Bias in Consumers' Food Preferences.

The aim of this study is to test whether projection bias exists in consumers' purchasing decisions for food products. To achieve our aim, we used a non-hypothetical experiment (i.e., experimental auction), where hungry and non-hungry participants were incentivized to reveal their willingness to pay (WTP). The results confirm the existence of projection bias when consumers made their decisions on food products. In particular, projection bias existed because currently hungry participants were willing to pay a higher price premium for cheeses than satiated ones, both in hungry and satiated future states. Moreover, participants overvalued the food product more when they were delivered in the future hungry condition than in the satiated one. Our study provides clear, quantitative and meaningful evidence of projection bias because our findings are based on economic valuation of food preferences. Indeed, the strength of this study is that findings are expressed in terms of willingness to pay which is an interpretable amount of money.

Case study of a commercial sheep flock under extensive mountain grazing: Pasture derived lipid compounds in milk and cheese.

Terpenoid, fat-soluble antioxidant and fatty acid (FA) composition of pasture as well as those of milk and cheese from a commercial sheep flock managed under extensive mountain grazing in the east region of the Cantabrian mountain (Northern Spain) was investigated. The grazing period lasted for 2 months and ewes were at late lactation stage. Plants, feces, bulk milk and cheese samples were collected on two sampling dates. The abundance of the dominating botanical families in the mountain pasture prevailed in the sheep diet of the commercial flock. Major terpenoids and tocols in the pasture appeared as major ones in milk and cheese, whereas C18 unsaturated FAs in milk and cheese were derived from the intake of C18 polyunsaturated FAs which were prevalent in the pasture. No carotene was detected in the dairy samples but retinol (free or esterified), derived from the intake of ß-carotene present in pasture plants, was found in milk and cheese.

The effect of extrinsic attributes on liking of cottage cheese.

Preference mapping studies with cottage cheese have demonstrated that cottage cheese liking is influenced by flavor, texture, curd size, and dressing content. However, extrinsic factors such as package, label claims, and brand name may also influence liking and have not been studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of package attributes and brand on the liking of cottage cheese. A conjoint survey with Kano analysis (n=460) was conducted to explore the effect of extrinsic attributes (brand, label claim, milkfat content, and price) on liking. Following the survey, 150 consumers evaluated intrinsic attributes of 7 cottage cheeses with and without brand information in a 2-d crossover design. Results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and multivariate analyses. Milkfat content and price had the highest influence on liking by conjoint analysis. Cottage cheese with 2% milkfat and a low price was preferred. Specific label claims such as "excellent source of calcium (>10%)" were more attractive to consumers than "low sodium" or "extra creamy." Branding influenced overall liking and purchase intent for cottage cheeses to differing degrees. For national brands, acceptance scores were enhanced in the presence of the brand. An all-natural claim was more appealing than organic by conjoint analysis and this result was also confirmed with consumer acceptance testing. Findings from this study can help manufacturers, as well as food marketers, better target their products and brands with attributes that drive consumer choice.

Detection of Virulence Genes and Growth Potential in Listeria monocytogenes Strains Isolated from Ricotta Salata Cheese.

Ricotta Salata is a traditional ripened and salted whey cheese made in Sardinia (Italy) from sheep's milk. This product is catalogued as ready-to-eat food (RTE) since it is not submitted to any further treatment before consumption. Thus, foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, can represent a health risk for consumers. In September 2012, the FDA ordered the recall of several batches of Ricotta Salata imported from Italy linked to 22 cases of Listeriosis in the United States. This study was aimed at evaluating the presence and virulence properties of L. monocytogenes in 87 samples of Ricotta Salata produced in Sardinia. The ability of this product to support its growth under foreseen packing and storing conditions was also evaluated in 252 samples. Of the 87 samples 17.2% were positive for the presence of L. monocytogenes with an average concentration of 2.2 log10 cfu/g. All virulence-associated genes (prfA, rrn, hlyA, actA, inlA, inlB, iap, plcA, and plcB) were detected in only one isolated strain. The Ricotta Salata samples were artificially inoculated and growth potential (δ) was assessed over a period of 3 mo. The value of the growth potential was always >0.5 log10 cfu/g under foreseen packing and storing conditions. This study indicates that Ricotta Salata supports the L. monocytogenes growth to levels that may present a serious risk to public health, even while stored at refrigeration temperatures.

A decision-making tool to determine economic feasibility and break-even prices for artisan cheese operations.

Artisan cheese makers lack access to valid economic data to help them evaluate business opportunities and make important business decisions such as determining cheese pricing structure. The objective of this study was to utilize an economic model to evaluate the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return, and payback period for artisan cheese production at different annual production volumes. The model was also used to determine the minimum retail price necessary to ensure positive NPV for 5 different cheese types produced at 4 different production volumes. Milk type, cheese yield, and aging time all affected variable costs. However, aged cheeses required additional investment for aging space (which needs to be larger for longer aging times), as did lower yield cheeses (by requiring larger-volume equipment for pasteurization and milk handling). As the volume of milk required increased, switching from vat pasteurization to high-temperature, short-time pasteurization was necessary for low-yield cheeses before being required for high-yield cheeses, which causes an additional increase in investment costs. Because of these differences, high-moisture, fresh cow milk cheeses can be sold for about half the price of hard, aged goat milk cheeses at the largest production volume or for about two-thirds the price at the lowest production volume examined. For example, for the given model assumptions, at an annual production of 13,608kg of cheese (30,000 lb), a fresh cow milk mozzarella should be sold at a minimum retail price of $27.29/kg ($12.38/lb), whereas a goat milk Gouda needs a minimum retail price of $49.54/kg ($22.47/lb). Artisan cheese makers should carefully evaluate annual production volumes. Although larger production volumes decrease average fixed cost and improve production efficiency, production can reach volumes where it becomes necessary to sell through distributors. Because distributors might pay as little as 35% of retail price, the retail price needs to be higher to compensate. An artisan cheese company that has not achieved the recognition needed to achieve a premium price may not find distribution through distributors profitable.

Mandatory labels, taxes and market forces: An empirical evaluation of fat policies.

The public-health community views mandatory Front-of-Pack (FOP) nutrition labels and nutritional taxes as promising tools to control the growth of food-related chronic diseases. This paper uses household scanner data to propose an ex-ante evaluation and comparison of these two policy options for the fromage blanc and dessert yogurt market. In most markets, labelling is voluntary and firms display fat labels only on the FOP of low-fat products to target consumers who do not want to eat fat. We here separately identify consumer preferences for fat and for FOP fat labels by exploiting an exogenous difference in legal labelling requirements between these two product categories. Estimates of demand curves are combined with a supply model of oligopolistic price competition to simulate policies. We find that a feasible ad valorem fat tax dominates a mandatory FOP-label policy from an economic perspective, but both are equally effective in reducing average fat purchases.

Folate bioavailability from foods rich in folates assessed in a short term human study using stable isotope dilution assays.

Different sources of folate may have different bioavailability and hence may impact the standard definition of folate equivalents. In order to examine this, a short term human study was undertaken to evaluate the relative native folate bioavailabilities from spinach, Camembert cheese and wheat germs compared to pteroylmonoglutamic acid as the reference dose. The study had a single-centre, randomised, four-treatment, four-period, four-sequence, cross-over design, i.e. the four (food) items to be tested (referred to as treatments) were administered in sequences according to the Latin square, so that each experimental treatment occurred only once within each sequence and once within each study period. Each of the 24 subjects received the four experimental items separated by a 14-day equilibrium phase and received a pteroylmonoglutamic acid supplement for 14 days before the first testing and between the testings for saturation of body pools. Folates in test foods, plasma and urine samples were determined by stable isotope dilution assays, and in urine and plasma, the concentrations of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate were evaluated. Standard non-compartmental methods were applied to determine the biokinetic parameters C(max), t(max) and AUC from baseline corrected 5-methyltetrahydrofolate concentrations within the interval from 0 to 12 hours. The variability of AUC and C(max) was moderate for spinach and oral solution of pteroylmonoglutamic acid but high for Camembert cheese and very high for wheat germs. The median t(max) was lowest for spinach, though t(max) showed a high variability among all treatments. When comparing the ratio estimates of AUC and C(max) for the different test foods, highest bioavailability was found for spinach followed by that for wheat germs and Camembert cheese. The results underline the dependence of folate bioavailability on the type of food ingested. Therefore, the general assumption of 50% bioavailability as the rationale behind the definition of folate equivalents has to be questioned and requires further investigation.

Short communication: Estimation of the financial benefit of using Jersey milk at different inclusion rates for Cheddar cheese production using partial budgeting.

Partial budgeting was used to estimate the net benefit of blending Jersey milk in Holstein-Friesian milk for Cheddar cheese production. Jersey milk increases Cheddar cheese yield. However, the cost of Jersey milk is also higher; thus, determining the balance of profitability is necessary, including consideration of seasonal effects. Input variables were based on a pilot plant experiment run from 2012 to 2013 and industry milk and cheese prices during this period. When Jersey milk was used at an increasing rate with Holstein-Friesian milk (25, 50, 75, and 100% Jersey milk), it resulted in an increase of average net profit of 3.41, 6.44, 8.57, and 11.18 pence per kilogram of milk, respectively, and this additional profit was constant throughout the year. Sensitivity analysis showed that the most influential input on additional profit was cheese yield, whereas cheese price and milk price had a small effect. The minimum increase in yield, which was necessary for the use of Jersey milk to be profitable, was 2.63, 7.28, 9.95, and 12.37% at 25, 50, 75, and 100% Jersey milk, respectively. Including Jersey milk did not affect the quantity of whey butter and powder produced. Although further research is needed to ascertain the amount of additional profit that would be found on a commercial scale, the results indicate that using Jersey milk for Cheddar cheese making would lead to an improvement in profit for the cheese makers, especially at higher inclusion rates.