Differential effects of plant and animal fats on obesity-induced dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis in Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is closely associated with obesity through risk factors such as dyslipidemia and chronic low-grade inflammation, which may be affected by diet. Dietary fats have been extensively studied in relation to CVD risk, however these studies have not always yielded consistent results, most likely due to lack in control of experimental conditions and confounding factors. Here we studied the effects of different plant and animal fats on dyslipidemia, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice were fed isocaloric energy-dense diets with translational macronutrient composition for 28 weeks. The diets were identical apart from the type of fat they contained: either (1) a mixture of olive and rapeseed oil, (2) sunflower oil, (3) pork fat, (4) beef fat, or (5) milk fat. The fatty acid composition of the diets was determined and effects on circulating lipid and inflammatory risk factors and atherosclerosis were examined, complemented by adipose tissue histology and liver transcriptomics. While visceral fat mass, adipocyte size, and adipose tissue inflammation were not differentially affected by the diets, atherosclerotic lesion load and severity was more pronounced with increasing dietary saturated fatty acid content and decreasing monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and hence most pronounced with beef and milk fat. These differential effects were accompanied by increases in pro-atherogenic plasma lipids/lipoproteins (e.g., triglycerides, apolipoprotein B), activation of pro-atherogenic cytokine/chemokine signaling pathways in liver, and with circulating pro-atherogenic mediators of inflammation altogether providing a rationale for the differential effects of plant and animal fats.

Classification of Common Food Lipid Sources Regarding Healthiness Using Advanced Lipidomics: A Four-Arm Crossover Study.

Prospective studies have failed to establish a causal relationship between animal fat intake and cardiovascular diseases in humans. Furthermore, the metabolic effects of different dietary sources remain unknown. In this four-arm crossover study, we investigated the impact of consuming cheese, beef, and pork meat on classic and new cardiovascular risk markers (obtained from lipidomics) in the context of a healthy diet. A total of 33 young healthy volunteers (23 women/10 men) were assigned to one out of four test diets in a Latin square design. Each test diet was consumed for 14 days, with a 2-week washout. Participants received a healthy diet plus Gouda- or Goutaler-type cheeses, pork, or beef meats. Before and after each diet, fasting blood samples were withdrawn. A reduction in total cholesterol and an increase in high density lipoprotein particle size were detected after all diets. Only the pork diet upregulated plasma unsaturated fatty acids and downregulated triglycerides species. Improvements in the lipoprotein profile and upregulation of circulating plasmalogen species were also observed after the pork diet. Our study suggests that, within the context of a healthy diet rich in micronutrients and fiber, the consumption of animal products, in particular pork meat, may not induce deleterious effects, and reducing the intake of animal products should not be regarded as a way of reducing cardiovascular risk in young individuals.

Feasibility of Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Assessing Biological Cell Damage during Freezing and Thawing.

This study was performed to test bioimpedance as a tool to detect the effect of different thawing methods on meat quality to aid in the eventual creation of an electric impedance-based food quality monitoring system. The electric impedance was measured for fresh pork, thawed pork, and during quick and slow thawing. A clear difference was observed between fresh and thawed samples for both impedance parameters. Impedance was different between the fresh and the frozen-thawed samples, but there were no impedance differences between frozen-thawed samples and the ones that were frozen-thawed and then stored at +3 °C for an additional 16 h after thawing. The phase angle was also different between fresh and the frozen-thawed samples. At high frequency, there were small, but clear phase angle differences between frozen-thawed samples and the samples that were frozen-thawed and subsequently stored for more than 16 h at +3 °C. Furthermore, the deep learning model LSTM-RNN (long short-term memory recurrent neural network) was found to be a promising way to classify the different methods of thawing.

Are school meals a viable and sustainable tool to improve the healthiness and sustainability of children´s diet and food consumption? A cross-national comparative perspective.

There is little agreement among governments, institutions, scientists and food activists as to how to best tackle the challenging issues of health and sustainability in the food sector. This essay discusses the potential of school meals as a platform to promote healthy and sustainable food behavior. School meal programs are of particular interest for improving public diet because they reach children at a population scale across socio-economic classes and for over a decade of their lives, and because food habits of children are more malleable than those of adults. Current research on the history and health implications of school meal programs is reviewed in a cross-national comparative framework, and arguments explored that speak for the need of a new developmental phase of school meals as an integrative learning platform for healthy and sustainable food behavior. Nutritional, social, practical, educational, economical, political, and cultural perspectives and challenges linked to the implementation of healthy and sustainable school meals are discussed. Finally, the need for long-term interventions and evaluations is highlighted and new research directions are proposed.

Getting Norway to eat healthier: what are the opportunities?

AIM: Increased food consumption and the related problem of obesity have spurred initiatives to motivate consumers to eat healthier. Some strategies have shown positive but only short-term effects, as consumers or other stakeholders do not accept them sufficiently in the long term. The aim of this study was to investigate opportunities for healthier eating in Norway according to both consumers and other stakeholders. METHODS: Five focus-group sessions were conducted with individuals working in the food industry, retail, public health, research and various non-governmental organisations related to food consumption. Topics that were discussed in the focus groups were transformed into a consumer survey, which was conducted with 1178 respondents. RESULTS: The focus groups often indicated a specific responsibility for the food industry to get people to eat healthier. Survey respondents indicated that all actors in the food chain had responsibility for healthier eating in the population, but agreed that the food industry, as well as the health authority, have major responsibilities. Food education was regarded as a favourable strategy in the focus groups and by survey respondents to help people to eat healthier, as were less advertising of unhealthy food and developing new healthy food products. Such strategies should be focused on parents, families, schools and children according to both focus group and survey participants. Implementation challenges include consumers wanting freedom to choose what they eat and consumers wanting food information that is easier to understand. CONCLUSIONS: this study showed that consumers and other stakeholders see opportunities for healthier eating in Norway by providing more food education and clearer food information, targeted towards children, families and parents.

Bioimpedance as an alternative tool for subjective, visual scoring of a prevalent ham quality defect.

The detection of meat quality defects can involve both subjective and objective methods. PSE-like meat is linked to a common pork defect and can be caused by rapid post-mortem damage of muscle fibers. This damage can again be linked to various factors, such as a low ultimate pH or a higher slaughter weight. PSE-like defects are characterized by discoloration, structural damage, and excessive moisture loss. However, the lack of suitable instrument-based methods makes the detection of PSE-like defects difficult, and subjective methods typically suffer from poorer reproducibility. The objective of this study was to establish how subjective visual evaluation correlates with electrical impedance spectroscopy and with traditional quality parameters. To do so, visual scoring was performed together with measurements of bioimpedance, color, and pH in two ham muscles (Adductor, Semimembranosus) for 136 animals 24-hours post-mortem. When comparing with visual scoring, Pearson correlation analysis shows the strongest correlation for bioimpedance (Py , r = -0.46, R2 = 21%), followed by pHu (r = 0.44, R2 = 19%). When using all five quality measures, i.e., Py , pHu, and CIELAB L * a * b *, the multivariate regression model had a prediction error of 0.76 for the visual scores. This was close to the error describing the subjective bias of visual scoring, more specifically the prediction error between the two observers (0.85). In all, Py showed the strongest correlation among instrument-based quality tests and alone may be used for predicting pork ham structural defects, i.e., as an instrument-based alternative for subjective, visual scoring. However, an instrument that combines Py with pH and/or L*a*b* would improve the prediction of PSE-like quality defects.

A Proof-of-Concept Study to Develop a Peptide-Based Vaccine against Salmon Lice Infestation in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.).

Proteins present in blood samples from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) infected with salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) were analyzed using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Bioinformatic analyses revealed 1820 proteins, of which 58 were assigned to lice. Among these, peroxiredoxin-2, an antioxidant protein, was found relevant with respect to blood feeding of the parasite. The three-dimensional structure analysis of the protein revealed a surface amino acid sequence of interest. A 13-amino-acid peptide was selected as a potential antigen due to its predicted solubility, antigenicity, probable non-allergenic, and non-toxic nature. This peroxiredoxin-2-derived peptide was synthesized, combined with a commercially available adjuvant, and used for vaccination. The test vaccine demonstrated a 60-70% protection rate against early-stage Lepeophtheirus salmonis infection in a challenge trial in Norway. Additionally, the vaccine was tested against salmon lice (Caligus rogercresseyi) in Chile, where a remarkable 92% reduction in the number of adult lice was observed. Thus, in combination with the selected adjuvant, the peptide showed antigenic potential, making it a suitable candidate for future vaccine development. The approach described holds promise for the development of peptide vaccines against various ectoparasites feeding on blood or skin secretions of their hosts.

Potential applications of gut microbiota to control human physiology.

The microorganisms living in our gut have been a black box to us for a long time. However, with the recent advances in high throughput DNA sequencing technologies, it is now possible to assess virtually all microorganisms in our gut including non-culturable ones. With the use of powerful bioinformatics tools to deal with multivariate analyses of huge amounts of data from metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, we now start to gain some important insights into these tiny gut inhabitants. Our knowledge is increasing about who they are, to some extent, what they do and how they affect our health. Gut microbiota have a broad spectrum of possible effects on health, from preventing serious diseases, improving immune system and gut health to stimulating the brain centers responsible for appetite and food intake control. Further, we may be on the verge of being capable of manipulating the gut microbiota by diet control to possibly improve our health. Diets consisting of different components that are fermentable by microbiota are substrates for different kinds of microbes in the gut. Thus, diet control can be used to favor the growth of some selected gut inhabitants. Nowadays, the gut microbiota is taken into account as a separate organ in human body and their activities and metabolites in gut have many physiological and neurological effects. In this mini-review, we discuss the diversity of gut microbiota, the technologies used to assess them, factors that affect microbial composition and metabolites that affect human physiology, and their potential applications in satiety control via the gut-brain axis.

Sugar Kelp (Saccharina latissima) Seaweed Added to a Growing-Finishing Lamb Diet Has a Positive Effect on Quality Traits and on Mineral Content of Meat.

Supplementing ruminants' diet with seaweed has shown positive effect on meat quality and micronutrients important for human health. The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of Saccharina latissima in a lamb diet to improve the eating quality and nutritional value of meat. Six-month-old female Norwegian White lambs (n = 24) were fed, 35 days pre-slaughter, three different diets: a control (CON) and two seaweed diets (SW); supplemented with either 2.5% (SW1) or 5% (SW2). The quality properties of longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and semimembranosus with adductor (SM+ADD) muscles were examined. The dietary inclusion of seaweed reduced cooking loss and shear force of lamb meat, although the effect was not significant at both supplementation levels. SW1 fed lambs showed a significantly (p < 0.05) improved meat color stability and antioxidant potential. Seaweed also reduced lipid oxidation (TBARS) and the warm-over flavor in SM+ADD compared to the CON lamb. Seaweed fed lambs showed an increased content of selenium and iodine in LTL, thereby fulfilling the requirements for the label "source of nutrient" and "significant source of nutrient", respectively. An increased arsenic content in LTL was, however, also observed with seaweed inclusion (to 1.54 and 3.09 µg/100 g in SW1 and SW2 group, respectively). While relevant positive effects were found in meat using seaweed in lamb feed, some optimization of this feed approach will be desirable.

Nutrient-Optimized Beef Enhances Blood Levels of Vitamin D and Selenium among Young Women.

Bovine meat provides healthy nutrients but has also been negatively linked to greenhouse gases and non-communicable diseases. A double-blind intervention study was carried out to compare beef meat from bulls fed with feed supplemented with selenium, vitamin D, E, K (SeDEK-feed), and n-3, or REGULAR feed. Thirty-four young healthy women (19-29 years old) consumed 300 g of these beef types per day for 6 days in a cross-over design. Diet registrations, blood samples, anthropometric measurements, and clinical data were collected four times. Both beef diets were higher than their habitual diet in protein, fat, saturated fat, and several micronutrients; contained more vegetables and fewer carbohydrates and were followed by a higher feeling of satiety. The SeDEK beef had higher amounts of selenium, vitamin 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), E, and K (MK4), and increased serum selenium and 25(OH)D3 from the participants' normal values if they were below 85 µg/L of selenium and 30 nmol of 25(OH)D3/L, respectively. Our study showed that optimized beef increased serum selenium in young women having moderate selenium levels and improved blood 25(OH)D3 in a woman having low to normal 25(OH)D3. Meat should be optimized to increase specific consumer groups' needs for selenium and vitamin D.

Beyond standard PSE testing: An exploratory study of bioimpedance as a marker for ham defects.

During post-mortem conversion from muscle to meat, diverse quality anomalies can emerge. Recent pork defects are often accompanied by deteriorating fibre structure. Here we investigate how bioimpedance response, an indicator of structural disintegration, can help in detecting quality defects. We, first, measured the relationship between standard meat quality variables (pHu, CIELAB, drip loss) and bioimpedance (BI) response. To screen for defect-biomarkers that are linked to aberrant bioimpedance and physicochemical indicators of quality decline, we performed LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis on samples, classified with a multivariate-based separation into good versus poor quality. We found that BI correlated significantly with, e.g., colour and drip loss. Proteomics revealed eleven proteins to be unique for either, good or poor ham quality groups, and maybe linked to structural degradation. In all, our data supports a wider integration of BI testing in pork quality testing to assess structural disintegration, which can render ham unsuitable for, e.g., costly curing.

Bioimpedance-based Authentication of Defrosted Versus Fresh Pork at the End of Refrigerated Shelf Life.

Correct food labeling is a legal requirement and helps consumers to make informed purchasing choices. Mislabeling defrosted meat as fresh is illegal in the EU. However, there are no standardized technologies to authenticate fresh versus defrosted meat. We address this by testing if bioimpedance-based measurements can separate defrosted meat from refrigerated-only meat at the end of shelf life, i.e., when also fresh meat shows deterioration. Pork sirloin samples from 20 pigs were first tested at 12 days postmortem ('fresh group'). This time point was chosen to represent a typical use-by date for refrigerated storage of fresh pork. Then, all samples were transferred to a -24°C freezer for 3 days and thawed for 2 days before final testing ('frozen-thawed group'). Bioimpedance analyses (BIA) were done in a frequency range of [102-106 Hz]. Weight, pH and electrode positioning were assessed to test for potential confounding effects. Statistics for treatment dependent differences were based on the established Py parameter and phase angle, which were extracted from the BI spectra. We found that using bioimpedance testing with tetrapolar electrodes, Py and phase angle allowed almost complete separation of fresh and previously frozen samples. However, within the whole sample population, there was some overlap between the spectra of fresh and frozen samples. Yet, based on Py, only one fresh sample (5% of Ntotal=20) fell in the lowest Py class with all the frozen samples. We used a multifactorial design that allowed to test the effects of potential confounding factors, such as electrode positioning and meat quality parameters. We found a relatively low explained variance for the Py parameter, indicating that confounding effects from other factors or quality defects in fresh pork may affect the detection capacity of bioimpedance-based authentication of fresh pork. Our data, therefore, suggest that reliable fresh-label authentication with bioimpedance testing should be based on testing a small number of samples to represent a specific lot of pork that is to be inspected.

Seaweed Inclusion in Finishing Lamb Diet Promotes Changes in Micronutrient Content and Flavour-Related Compounds of Raw Meat and Dry-Cured Leg (Fenalår).

Innovative feeding strategies tend to improve the quality properties of raw material and dry-cured products. In the present study, Norwegian White female lambs (n = 24) were finished during 35 days on three different diets: control (CD), control supplemented with seaweed (5% DM) (SD), and pasture (PD). The quality of raw meat (Semimembranosus + Adductor) and deboned dry-cured lamb leg (fenalår; n = 24) was studied. The heme, SFA, MUFA, and PUFA content in raw meat was not affected with finishing diet. The SD significantly increased the selenium, iodine, and arsenic content in raw meat and in the dry-cured leg the iodine and arsenic. The dry-cured leg from SD-lamb had the highest amount of iodine with 130 µg I/100 g which corresponds to 60% of Adequate Intake. Aldehydes, ketones, and esters in raw meat and dry-cured lamb leg were significantly affected by finishing diet; CD showed increased esters in raw meat and aldehydes in the dry-cured leg compared to SD and PD. The significantly higher content of simple sugars, mannose being the most dominant, was found in the dry-cured leg from SD-lamb compared to CD and PD. Finishing diets had no effect on the taste profile of dry-cured lamb leg. This study showed the potential of seaweed in iodine biofortification of lamb meat and dry-cured products. Iodine-rich meat products should reduce iodine-deficiency among humans.

Understanding metabolic phenomena accompanying high levels of yeast in broiler chicken diets and resulting carcass weight and meat quality changes.

The use of yeast as a protein source was investigated in broiler chicken diets on carcass quality, storage stability, and metabolite changes in leg meat. Male Ross 308 chickens (n = 100) were fed with one of 5 diets: control, control added 0.6% formic acid, or 3 diets where soybean meal was substituted with 10, 20, and 30% crude protein from inactivated yeast Cyberlindnera jadinii (CJ10, CJ20, CJ30, respectively). The yeast-containing diets reduced carcass weight, linoleic acid, and warm-over flavor in chicken leg meat. Protein degradation-related metabolite biomarkers were upregulated in the leg of chickens that were fed yeast-containing diets, indicating an adaptive response to the loss of appetite. Chill-stored leg meat of birds fed yeast diets showed increased browning and metallic taste compared with those fed the control diet. The use of formic acid in the diet reduced cooking loss and had a positive effect on vitamin B content.

Correction: Grabez et al. Seaweed Inclusion in Finishing Lamb Diet Promotes Changes in Micronutrient Content and Flavour-Related Compounds of Raw Meat and Dry-Cured Leg (Fenalår). Foods 2022, 11, 1043.

"Alemayehu Kidane" was not included as an author in the original publication [...].

Oxidative Stability of Polyunsaturated Edible Oils Mixed With Microcrystalline Cellulose.

The oxidative stability of mixtures of edible oils containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was investigated. The mixtures studied consisted of oils of either camelina (CAM), cod liver (CLO), or salmon (SO) mixed with either colloidal or powdered MCC. A 50:50 (w/w) ratio of oil:MCC resulted in an applicable mixture containing high levels of PUFA edible oil and dietary fiber. The oxidative stability of the formulated mixtures and the pure oils was investigated over a period of 28 days. The peroxide value (PV) was assessed as a parameter for primary oxidation products and dynamic headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze secondary volatile organic compounds (VOC). CAM and the respective mixtures were oxidatively stable at both 4 and 22 °C during the storage period. The marine oils and the respective mixtures were stable at 4 °C. At 22 °C, an increase in hydroperoxides was found, but no increase in VOC was detected during the time-frame investigated. At 42 °C, prominent increases in PV and VOC were found for all oils and mixtures. Hexanal, a common marker for the degradation of n-6 fatty acids, propanal and 2,4-heptadienal (E,E), common indicators for the degradation of n-3 fatty acids, were among the volatiles detected in the headspace of oils and mixtures. This study showed that a mixture containing a 50:50 ratio of oil:MCC can be obtained by a low-tech procedure that does not induce oxidation when stored at low temperatures during a period of 1 month.

Quantification of Fatty Acids and their Regioisomeric Distribution in Triacylglycerols from Porcine and Bovine Sources Using 13 C NMR Spectroscopy.

The uptake of specific fatty acids in humans is dependent on their position on the glycerol backbone. There is a great interest in methods that can access this information fast and accurately. By way of high-resolution NMR, we have analyzed TAG extracted from pig and beef tissues and obtained quantitative data for the composition and regioisomeric distribution of all major unsaturated fatty acids usually found in these source materials, using a combination of manual integration and deconvolution of 13 C NMR spectra. In addition, we have developed a method for determining composition and regioisomeric distribution of the two main saturated fatty acids found in pork (16:0, 18:0). The results are discussed in relation to species-specific genetic characteristics of fatty acid and TAG biosynthesis. The developed method could support decisions related to breeding for desired fatty acid profiles, and stimulate further methodology developments using high field NMR.

Identifying labelling and marketing advantages of nutrients in minced beef meat: A case study.

In 2006, the European Commission approved nutrition and health claim regulations of foods to stimulate healthier choices. To document how commercial, minced beef meat complied with regulations, meat samples from 72 carcasses were analysed. These samples were a source of niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), phosphorus and iron (cow meat only), and a rich source of protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin B12 and zinc. A potential exists for establishing beef meat as a source of vitamin K, iron and selenium. The meat's nutrient relevance for young women when ingesting 150 g of raw beef mince/day was estimated. Increased levels of riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid (B5), iron and selenium beyond presently observed, would better support this group's recommended nutrient intake. If the bioactivity of 25-OH-vitamin D3 could be used in calculations, vitamin D3 in the minced meat would add positively to the intake of vitamin D3 that was 49% of the recommended intake.

Replacing soybean meal with rapeseed meal and faba beans in a growing-finishing pig diet: Effect on growth performance, meat quality and metabolite changes.

Rapeseed meal and faba beans (RSM/FB) can serve as an alternative to imported soybean meal (SBM). In this study, forty Norwegian crossbred ([Landrace x Yorkshire] x Duroc) growing-finishing pigs (108.7 ±â€¯4.2 kg final BW) were fed a diet with either SBM or RSM/FB as protein sources. RSM/FB increased feed conversion ratio (P = .04) in the finishing period, reduced lightness (P = .04) and yellowness (P = .004) of meat, changed amounts of individual fatty acids, but not of total SFA, MUFA and PUFA. Importantly, RSM/FB reduced the glucose level (P < .05) in meat. Lower pyroglutamic acid (P = .06) in RSM/FB indicate lower oxidative stress in pre-rigor muscle cell. Increased abundance of free amino acids, sweet tasting metabolites, reduced warmed-over flavor and flavor attributes indicated desirable properties of RSM/FB meat. To conclude, RSM/FB in pig diet supported growth performance and carcass quality comparable to SBM and had a positive effect on meat quality.

Detectability of the degree of freeze damage in meat depends on analytic-tool selection.

Novel freezing solutions are constantly being developed to reduce quality loss in meat production chains. However, there is limited focus on identifying the sensitive analytical tools needed to directly validate product changes that result from potential improvements in freezing technology. To benchmark analytical tools relevant to meat research and production, we froze pork samples using traditional (-25 °C, -35 °C) and cryogenic freezing (-196 °C). Three classes of analyses were tested for their capacity to separate different freeze treatments: thaw loss testing, bioelectrical spectroscopy (nuclear magnetic resonance, microwave, bioimpedance) and low-temperature microscopy (cryo-SEM). A general effect of freeze treatment was detected with all bioelectrical methods. Yet, only cryo-SEM resolved quality differences between all freeze treatments, not only between cryogenic and traditional freezing. The detection sensitivity with cryo-SEM may be explained by testing meat directly in the frozen state without prior defrosting. We discuss advantages, shortcomings and cost factors in using analytical tools for quality monitoring in the meat sector.