Alegação de propriedades funcionais aumentam a aceitação de muesli de aveia por consumidores / Functional claim increases the acceptance of oat muesli by consumers

Introdução: Mueslis de aveia contêm betaglucanas, uma fibra solúvel com propriedades hipocolesterolêmicas e hipoglicêmicas. Os benefícios do muesli de aveia podem ser alegados em produtos para atrair potenciais consumidores. Objetivos: Este estudo avaliou a influência de uma alegação funcional na aceitação de um muesli de aveia. Além disso, avaliou-se o efeito da aveia do muesli sobre as percepções de saciedade e humor. Métodos: Formularam-se dois produtos: muesli de aveia e muesli de flocos de arroz (controle), para a realização do estudo. Para os testes sensoriais, o muesli de aveia foi apresentado com duas codificações: uma com alegação de alimento funcional e outra sem alegação. Aos consumidores (n=160) foram abordadas questões sobre gosto, interesse de consumo e benefício antes e depois da degustação do mueslis, utilizando escalas hedônicas. Para entender os efeitos do muesli na saciedade e humor, foi realizado um ensaio clínico com 9 mulheres adultas saudáveis (aproximadamente 22 anos). Um desenho cruzado foi usado, com um período de washout de uma semana entre as intervenções. Os indivíduos preencheram um questionário de humor e saciedade usando escalas analógicas visuais antes e após consumir o mueslis no café da manhã. Resultados: O muesli de aveia com alegação foi apontado como o produto mais benéfico entre as amostras (p<0,05), apresentando maiores escores para gosto e interesse de uso. O consumo de muesli de aveia não influenciou o humor e a saciedade dos participantes pois não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre as intervenções (p>0,05). Conclusão: A alegação funcional influenciou a aceitação dos benefícios do muesli de aveia para a saúde dos consumidores.

Background: Oats-based mueslis contain beta-glucans, a type of soluble fiber known for its hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic properties. The claim of these health benefits, oat muesli products may attract potential consumers. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of a functional claim on consumers' acceptance and attitudes toward oat muesli. Additionally, the study evaluated the effects of muesli containing oats on satiety and mood perceptions. Methods: Two muesli products were formulated: one with oats and another with rice flakes (control) for sensory analysis. The oat muesli was presented with two codings (n=160): one with a functional food claim and another without the claim. Consumers were asked about their liking, interest in usage, and perceived benefits before and after tasting the mueslis using hedonic scales. Furthermore, a clinical trial was conducted with 9 healthy adult women subjects (average age 22 years) in a crossover design with a one-week washout period between interventions. The subjects completed a self-perceived mood and satiety questionnaire using visual analog scales (VAS) at Results: The oat muesli with the functional claim was perceived as the most beneficial product among the samples (p<0.05), receiving high scores for liking and interest in use. However, oat muesli consumption did not significantly influence participants' average mood and satiety during the trial (p>0.05), as no significant differences between interventions were found. Conclusion: The inclusion of a functional claim positively affected the acceptance of the health benefits associated with oat muesli.

Assessment of tomato-based thick fluid diet for patients with dysphagia using a simple and cheap test.

Swallowing difficulty, also known as dysphagia, is a health condition that can be managed by different approaches, such as changing the viscosity of fluid foods with thickener agents. Tomato-based beverages such as "gazpacho" and "salmorejo" are common foods much appreciated by the populations that adopt a Mediterranean diet, mainly in Spain. These beverages usually present a low viscosity, challenging to include in diets for dysphagia patients. Thus, this work aimed at evaluating the flow properties of tomato-based beverages with or without the addition of thickener agents (based on maltodextrin or gum) using a simple and cheap method proposed by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) to verify the suitability of using those products in a diet of patients with dysphagia. The study also evaluated the differences in using BD-type syringes on the test. Results indicated that the type of thickener significantly (p < .05) affects the samples' flow properties, enhancing their rheological behavior. The type of syringe can also affect the results, as they present different Luer slip tips. The results revealed that tomato-based beverages may have their properties improved simply by using low amounts of thickener agents (1.2-3.0 g 200 ml-1 ) and that the IDDSI test can be an alternative, cheap and straightforward method for evaluating these types of foods in hospital environments. Including tomato-based beverages in the diet of patients with dysphagia may present many benefits as these products have a rich nutritional composition (fiber) in addition to biocompounds such as lycopene and phenolic compounds.

Chemical Properties, Rheological Behavior, and Melissopalynological Analysis of Selected Brazilian Honeys from Hovenia dulcis Flowering

Abstract Monofloral honeys are high-added-value food, a reason for constant cases of fraud. This study investigated Brazilian monofloral honeys from Hovenia dulcis flowering produced by Apis mellifera and Tetragonisca angustula bees. Chemical, physicochemical, rheological, and melissopalynological analysis were assessed. Properties such as moisture, pH, ashes, total acidity, total available carbohydrate, and soluble sugars of all analyzed honey samples agreed with the established by the legislation. All the honey samples were satisfactorily fitted by both Ostwald-de Waele and Casson rheological models revealing homogenous products, mostly presenting pseudoplastic character. The melissopalynology confirmed the presence of H. dulcis pollen in the MH samples; however, some honeys did not show >45% pollen of H. dulcis, thus revealing mislabeling cases. Continuous evaluation of honey is necessary, once this is a valuable food frequently involved in frauds, hence causing problems to consumers.

Factors affecting mushroom Pleurotus spp.

Pleurotus genus is one of most extensively studied white-rot fungi due to its exceptional ligninolytic properties. It is an edible mushroom and it also has several biological effects, as it contains important bioactive molecules. In basidiomycete fungi, lignocellulolytic enzymes are affected by many typical fermentation factors, such as medium composition, ratio of carbon to nitrogen, pH, temperature, air composition, etc. The survival and multiplication of mushrooms is related to a number of factors, which may act separately or have interactive effects among them. Out that understanding challenges in handling Pleurotus species mushroom requires a fundamental understanding of their physical, chemical, biological and enzymatic properties. This review presents a practical checklist of available intrinsic and extrinsic factors, providing useful synthetic information that may help different users. An in-depth understanding of the technical features is needed for an appropriate and efficient production of Pleurotus spp.