Dietary fat intakes in Irish adults in 2011: how much has changed in 10 years?

Imbalances in dietary fat intakes are linked to several chronic diseases. This study describes dietary intakes and food sources of fat and fatty acids in 1051 Irish adults (aged 18-90 years), using data from the 2011 national food consumption survey, the National Adult Nutrition Survey. It also compares current intakes for 18-64-year-olds with those reported in the last such survey in 2001, the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey. Dietary fat intakes were estimated using data from 4-d semi-weighed (2011) and 7-d estimated (2001) food diaries. In 2011, intakes for 18-64-year-olds were as follows: total fat, 34·1 (sd 6·1) % total energy (%TE); SFA, 13·3 (sd 3·3) %TE; MUFA, 12·5 (sd 2·6) %TE; PUFA, 6·1 (sd 2·2) %TE; and trans-fat, 0·511 (sd 0·282) %TE. Apart from MUFA, intakes decreased (P65 years had the highest intakes of SFA; however, intakes were typically higher than UK-recommended values for all groups. In contrast, intakes of long-chain n-3 fatty acids were lowest in younger age groups. Intakes of trans-fat were well within UK-recommended levels. Although there have been some improvements in the profile of intakes since 2001, imbalances persist in the quantity and quality of dietary fat consumed by Irish adults, most notably for total and SFA and for younger age groups for long-chain n-3 fatty acids.

Development of a Microwave-Assisted Bench Reactor for Biomass Pyrolysis Using Hybrid Heating.

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) is a cutting-edge technology that converts biomass into fuels, chemicals, and materials. In this study, an Arduino was used to control and automate a MAP system built from a microwave oven with a cordierite chamber filled with silicon carbide. Sugar cane bagasse was pyrolyzed at 250, 350, 450, and 550 °C to validate the MAP system and obtain pyrolytic products with different yields and chemical compositions. Lower temperatures led to high biochar yields, but the highest surface area of 25.14 m2 g-1 was only achieved at 550 °C. By contrast, higher temperatures favored the recovery of pyrolysis liquids. BET and scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed a porous biochar structure, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that the availability of functional groups on the biochar surface decreased with an increase in pyrolysis temperature. GC-MS analysis quantified valuable low molecular mass compounds in pyrolysis liquids, including aldehydes, ketones, phenols, and alcohols. With its unprecedented hybrid heating device, the MAP system promoted suitable heating rates (31.9 °C min-1) and precise temperature control (only 19 °C of set point variation), generating pyrolysis products devoid of microwave susceptor interferences. Therefore, MAP provided a rapid, safe, and efficient means of depolymerizing biomass, thus holding promise for biorefinery applications.