RESUMEN
Date seeds are a major waste product that can be utilised as a valuable and nutritional material in the food industry. The aim of the present study was to improve cookies quality in terms of functional and textural value and assess the effect of date seed powder flour substitution on the physical and chemical characteristics of cookies. Three substitution levels (2.5, 5 and 7.5%) of flour by fine date seed powder from six varieties locally named Khalas, Khinaizi, Sukkary, Shaham, Zahidi and Fardh were prepared. Two types of flour were used (white flour and whole wheat) at two different baking temperatures: 180 and 200 °C. The incorporation of date seed had no or slight effect on moisture, ash, fat and protein content of the baked cookies. On the other hand, incorporation significantly affected the lightness and hardness of cookies; the higher level of addition, the darker and crispier the resulting cookies. The sensory analysis indicated that the produced cookies were acceptable in terms of smell, taste, texture and overall acceptability. The results indicate that the most acceptable cookies across all evaluated parameters were produced using whole wheat flour with 7.5% levels of date seed powder using Khalas and Zahidi varieties. Overall, the analysis indicated that cookies with acceptable physical characteristics and an improved nutritional profile could be produced with partial replacement of the white/whole wheat flour by date seed powder.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: Waste identification plays a vital role in lean healthcare applications. While the value stream map (VSM) is among the most commonly used tools for waste identification, it may be limited to visualize the behaviour of dynamic and complex healthcare systems. To address this limitation, system modelling techniques (SMTs) can be used to provide a comprehensive picture of various system-wide wastes. However, there is a lack of evidence in the current literature about the potential contribution of SMTs for waste identification in healthcare processes. METHODS: This study evaluates the usability and utility of six types of SMTs along with the VSM. For the evaluation, interview-based questionnaires were conducted with twelve stakeholders from the outpatient clinic at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. RESULTS: VSM was found to be the most useful diagram in waste identification in general. However, some SMTs that represent the system behaviour outperformed the VSM in identifying particular waste types, e.g., communication diagram in identifying over-processing waste and flow diagram in identifying transportation waste. CONCLUSION: As behavioural SMTs and VSM have unique strengths in identifying particular waste types, the use of multiple diagrams is recommended for a comprehensive waste identification in lean. However, limited resources and time, as well as limited experience of stakeholders with SMTs, may still present obstacles for their potential contribution in lean healthcare applications.
