<p>Low moisture baked goods (cookies, biscuits, etc.) are known for their high sugar content, low water content, and characteristic texture. The added sugar in baked goods has been a concern of health advocates due to the negative health implications of overconsumption of sugar. To minimize these health implications and support healthier food products, the replacement of sugar, sucrose, in low moisture baked goods with alternative sweeteners is of interest. The goal of this study was to improve understanding on how sweetener alternatives and dietary fiber interact with cookie ingredients and the subsequent cookie texture compared to sucrose containing cookies to aid in developing health-conscious low moisture baked goods.</p><p> The replacement of sucrose with sucrose replacers (SRs) encompassing a variety of structural and physicochemical properties (high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), amorphous sucrose, maltitol, allulose, isomalt, Benefiber, Miralax, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and isomalto-oligosacchrides (IMO)) in wire-cut cookies was investigated in terms of starch thermal properties, model cookie formulations, and sensory descriptive analysis. Starch thermal properties were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) while wire-cut cookie parameters were analyzed through a_w, color (<i>a, b, L</i>), moisture loss, cookie dimensions (height, width, length), and cookie hardness (N) assays. Sensory descriptive analysis was used to ascertain texture perception of wire-cut cookies through five attributes (hardness, fracturability, pastiness, cohesiveness, and crumbliness).</p> The onset gelatinization temperature (T_gel) was increased to a greater extent than sucrose by Miralax and FOS, and to the same extent by IMO, maltitol, and Benefiber at high concentrations (60%w/w). The SRs which performed similar to sucrose in wire-cut cookie baking (spread, moisture loss, hardness) and texture intensity ratings were amorphous sucrose, maltitol, and allulose. No significant differences in descriptive analysis intensity scores were found in crumbliness, cohesiveness, and pastiness between SRs and sucrose formulated wire-cut cookies. FOS, IMO, and Benefiber displayed significantly larger fracture intensity scores compared so sucrose and isomalt cookies were significantly less hard than sucrose cookies. Principal component analysis (PCA) related SRs effect on starch gelatinization, cookie baking properties, and descriptive analysis intensity scores, and indicated the mostly likely candidates for use in reduced sugar cookies are maltitol and allulose.

Background: One key component in the development of sustainable farming and foodstuffs is to increase the cultivation of legumes, due to their environmental and health benefits. Legumes contain several essential vitamins and minerals, protein and fiber, but cultivation can be problematic due to their weak stem strength which results in loss of crops as a result of crop lodging and susceptibility to weed invasion. One possible solution is co-cultivation with cereal crops such as oats as they provide support and outcompete weed growth, however, it is still unknown if co-cultivation will affect the nutrient content of lentils. Aim: The thesis has two aims: first, to compare choline, betaine, folate, resistant starch and dietary fiber content in two different types of lentils: Gotland lentils and Anicia lentils; and second to examine if cocultivation with oats will affect the nutrient content of the two lentil types. Methods: Betaine and choline were analyzed through high pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and folate through high pressure liquid chromatography with fluorometric/UV detection (HPLC-FL/UV). Resistant starch, non-resistant starch and dietary fiber were analyzed according to enzymatic assay kits by Megazyme. Results: Significant differences in nutrient content between Anicia and Gotland lentils were seen regarding resistant starch content, with Gotland showing a 50 % higher content. A significantly greater choline content was found in Anicia lentil samples that were co-cultivated with oats, showing approx. a 15 % higher choline content. Gotland lentils co-cultivated with oats showed a significantly greater choline, resistant starch and dietary fiber content by 15 %, 70 % and 10 %, respectively. Conclusions: There was no reported significant difference in choline, betaine, folate and dietary fiber content, but in resistant starch between the two lentil types, with Gotland lentil showing a higher resistant starch content. There appeared to be a positive effect of co-cultivation with oats since a significantly higher choline content in both lentil types co-cultivated with oats and a significant increase resistant starch and dietary fiber in Gotland lentils co-cultivated with oats was reported. This suggests that cocultivation can lead to an increase in nutritional content for some nutrients in Gotland and Anicia lentils. The dietary fiber analysis confirmed that legumes are a great source of fiber by one portion providing approx. half the recommended daily amount. Cultivation and consumption of lentils can give both environmental and health benefits. Further studies are needed to explore other pulses and effect on other nutrients. / Svenska ekologiska linser

Objetivo: Este estudio tiene como objetivo diseñar y validar una receta nutricional de snack realizado con harina de cáscara de plátano verde (Musa paradisiaca), como también determinar su composición nutricional y calidad microbiológica de la harina. La cáscara de plátano, un residuo de la industria alimentaria ha sido reportada como nutritiva, material de bajo costo que tiene disponibilidad de uso durante todo el año. Una vez transformada en harina, puede ser utilizada como ingrediente funcional debido a su alto contenido de fibra y buenas propiedades funcionales. En general, los estudiantes universitarios tienen un bajo consumo de fibra, debido a patrones alimentarios alterados. Metodología: la harina de cáscara de plátano verde fue obtenida en un estado pre climatérico, se deshidrató mediante un secador de lecho fluidizado, después, se aplicaron análisis para obtener resultados microbiológicos, proximales y de fibra dietaria. La receta nutricional fue diseñada, ajustada y validada con la población objetivo siguiendo la metodología del Centro Nacional de Alimentación y Nutrición del Perú (CENAN), concluyendo con el análisis nutricional del producto final. Resultados: el contenido de fibra dietaria, carbohidratos totales, proteína, grasa total y grasa total de la harina de cáscara de plátano verde (GBPL) fue: 38.7 g, 76.3 g, 5.9 g y 361.2 kcal por 100 gramos de harina. El snack fue formulado para aportar al menos 5 g de fibra dietaria por porción, teniendo buena aceptación del grupo objetivo basado en las características organolépticas. Conclusión: la harina de cáscara de plátano verde mostró gran potencial como una fuente de fibra dietaria y como ingrediente funcional; por ello, puede ser incluida en recetas nutricionales.. / Objective: This study aims at designing and validating a nutritional recipe for a snack made of green banana (Musa paradisiaca) peel flour and assess the nutritional composition and microbiological quality of the flour. Banana peel, a food industry by-product, is a nutritious, low-cost material available all year round. Banana peel flour could be used as a functional ingredient due to its high fiber content and good functional properties. In general, university students have a very low dietary fiber intake due to altered dietary patterns; thus, we focused our study on this population. Methodology: The green banana peel flour was obtained from the peels of pre-climacteric bananas by fluidized- bed drying, after which, microbiological, proximate, and dietary fiber analyses were applied. The nutritional recipe for the snack was designed, validated and adjusted with the target population following the methodology of Centro Nacional de Alimentación de Perú, concluding with the nutritional and microbiological assessment of the end-product. Results: The dietary fiber, total carbohydrate, protein, total fat and energy contents of the GBPF were: 38.7 g, 76.3 g, 5.9 g, 3.6 g, and 361.2 kcal, per 100 g of flour. The snack was designed to contain at least 5g of dietary fiber per serving size, yet it had 7.74 g of dietary fiber per serving size, having a good acceptance among the panelists based on its sensory characteristics. Conclusion: the green banana peel flour showed great potential as a source of dietary fiber and as a functional ingredient and can be included in nutritional recipes. / Tesis

Different fiber types were incorporated in an extruded expanded high-protein snack food. Three dietary fibers (powdered cellulose, wheat fiber, and oat fiber) were selected based on ease of extrusion, percent total dietary fiber, visible expansion, and commercial availability. A high-fiber, high-protein snack food containing whey protein, normal cornstarch, and pregelatinized waxy cornstarch was extruded using the three selected fibers. The fibers replaced the normal cornstarch at 30, 60, and 80% yielding extrudates with three fiber levels (18, 36, and 48%). Each treatment or combination of fiber type and extrudate fiber level was extruded in triplicate. A control with no fiber added was also extruded in triplicate. Extrudate characteristics were evaluated on physical (expansion ratio, air cell size, density, and breaking force) and chemical (moisture content, water absorption index, water solubility index, water and total soluble protein , and water soluble carbohydrate) parameters. The physical and chemical characteristics of the extrudates were found to be greatly affected by combined interaction of the fiber type and level of fiber in the extrudate. As the amount of fiber in the extrudate increased, moisture content increased (p < 0.0001) associated with a decrease in expansion ratio (p < 0.0001), air cell size (p < 0.0001), and water solubility index (p = 0.0013) and increased extrudate density (p < 0.0001), breaking force (p < 0.0001), and water absorption index (p < 0.0001). Dependent extrusion parameters (pressure, motor torque, barrel and die temperature of the mix, barrel and die temperatures, residence time, and product flow rate) were recorded and analyzed. All dependent extrusion parameters were influenced by the level of fiber incorporation in the extrudates (p < 0.0001). The temperature at the die was also significantly influenced by the type of fiber used, and the level of fiber and fiber type interaction (p< 0.0001). Differences were deemed statistically significant at p < 0.05. The possibility exists to incorporate dietary fiber at levels > 30% in extruded whey and cornstarch products.

This study aims to design and validate a nutritional recipe for a snack made of Green Banana (Musa paradisiaca) Peel Flour (GBPF) and to assess the nutritional composition and microbiological quality of the flour. Banana peel, a food industry by-product, is a nutritious, low-cost material available for all year. Banana peel flower could be used as a functional ingredient due to its high fiber content and good functional properties. In general, university students have a deficient dietary fiber intake due to altered dietary patterns; thus, this study was focused on this population. The GBPFs were obtained from the peels of pre-climacteric bananas by fluidized bed (FDB) dryer, after which, microbiological, proximate, and dietary fiber analyses were applied. It was designed the nutritional recipe for the snack taking into account the energy and dietary fiber nutritional requirements of the target population. It could be validated and adjusted the recipe following the methodology of Centro Nacional de Alimentaci n y Nutrici n, concluding with the determination of dietary fiber in the end-product. The dietary fiber, total carbohydrate, protein, total fat and energy contents of the GBPF were as following: 38.7 g, 76.3 g, 5.9 g, 3.6 g, and 361.2 kcal, per 100 g of flour. The snack contained 7.74 g of dietary fiber per serving size, having a good acceptance among the university students' panelists based on an organoleptic test. In conclusion, the GBPF showed great potential as a source of dietary fiber, and it was an excellent source of carbohydrates and other nutrients to a lesser degree. When included as a functional ingredient in the nutritional formulation of a snack, it had an overall positive effect on the product's organoleptic characteristics. / Revisión por pares

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome, elevated blood pressure (BP), elevated cholesterol and type 2 diabetes mellitus are health conditions that increase cardiometabolic risk (CMR). Sleep, physical activity, diet, are modifiable risk factors for the prevention of cardiometabolic disorders. Dietary fiber which is associated with higher fruit and vegetable intakes is known to lower the effects of obesity-related health issues. Further, these foods have an abundance of beneficial vitamins and minerals as well as low energy density. There is controversial, however, regarding the effect of fruit juice intake on CMR, particularly due to its lower fiber content. The objectives of this research were to estimate the effect of intakes of whole fruit and fruit juice on CMR, including effects on Body Mass Index (BMI), overweight/obesity, hypertension/prehypertension, lipid, and blood glucose levels. METHODS: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s National Growth and Health Study (NGHS) cohort of white and black girls ages 9-10 years at baseline participated in a 10-year longitudinal study. Cardiometabolic outcomes included repeated measures of adiposity (e.g., body mass index (BMI)), and blood pressure, as well as laboratory measures such as fasting glucose and lipid levels. Linear regression and logistic regression were used to assess the association of fruit intake and fruit juice intake on CMR, while adjusting for age, race, tv/video, total vegetables, lean meat, and % calories from fat. Statistical Analysis Software (SAS Institute 15.2) analysis of data was performed. Results were considered statistically significant when p-value was <0.05. RESULTS: For girls in NGHS, BMI at the end of adolescence (ages 17-20 years) averaged to 21.3 kg/m2 for those who ate ≥0.75 cups of fruit and 22.1 kg/m2 for girls who ate <0.25 cups fruit. Similarly, girls with higher fruit juice consumption (≥0.75 cup-equivalents of juice per day) had a statistically significantly lower BMI than those with the lowest juice intake (<0.25 cup-eq/day). For each additional cup of whole fruit consumed on average per day between the ages of 9-17 was associated with 0.18 kg/m2 lower BMI (p<0.0001), after adjusting for age, race, tv/video viewing, total vegetable, lean meat intake, and % calories from fat. Adolescent girls (17 years or older) who drank < 0.25 or 0.25 - < 0.5 cup equivalent fruit juice were 1.60 or 1.63 (respectively) times more likely to become overweight (p-value 0.0005). Neither fruit intake nor fruit juice was associated with elevated fasting glucose risk or with high LDL risk. Whole fruit consumption was associated with a beneficial effect on HDL-cholesterol. Those with low whole fruit intake had a 1.42-fold increased risk of low HDL. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that 100% fruit juice and whole fruit consumption are both associated with beneficial effects on BMI and blood pressure among adolescent girls, suggesting that these foods may aid in the prevention of obesity and hypertension in the early adult years. KEY WORDS: adolescents, adiposity, body mass index, blood pressure, cardiometabolic health, dietary fiber, dyslipidemia, juice, glucose, metabolic syndrome, obesity, fruit.

Corn is widely used as animal feed as well as for fuel ethanol production. Fiber present in corn is not digested well by non-ruminants such as chicken and swine. Also, this fiber does not participate in conversion of starch to ethanol. Fiber separation from corn flour using the Elusieve process, a combination of sieving and air classification, would result in high starch animal feed and increase ethanol productivity. The objective of the first part of this dissertation was to understand the effect of retention screen size in the hammer mill on fiber separation from corn flour using the Elusieve process. Four different retention screen opening sizes were studied. The highest starch content of 65.2% was in the enhanced flour obtained by using 3.2 mm (8/64") retention screen; starch content of the original corn flour was 62.5%. The objective of the second part was to evaluate Elusieve process for sorghum flour. The combination of hammer milling and Elusieve process was less effective for sorghum flour compared to corn flour. The objectives of the third part were to determine the operating air velocities for corn particles and to compare physical properties of corn particles with that of Distillers’ dried grains with soluble (DDGS) particles. The operating air velocities for large, medium and small corn size fractions were 2.9 to 3.8, 2.8 to 3.0 and 2.5 to 2.6 m/s, respectively. Densities of nonfiber particles for corn flour were higher than for DDGS (earlier study). Compared to DDGS, the difference between fiber and nonfiber particle terminal velocities was higher for corn, signifying relative ease of operability for fiber separation from corn flour. The objective of the fourth part was to study the effect of corn moisture content on fiber separation. There was no effect of moisture content on fiber separation. The objective of the fifth part was to assess the economics of the Elusieve process. For ethanol plant of 50 million gallons/year capacity (50 MGY), payback period would be 3.1 years. The payback period for implementing Elusieve process in an integrated broiler operation with 8 million birds capacity would be 0.4 to 1.3 years.

The US and Japanese populations do not meet recommended DF intakes. This study indicated the relationship between the variety of vegetables available in markets and vegetable consumption in the US and Japan. The number of vegetables available in markets was determined using online resources from five markets in each country. Mean number of vegetable products in the US was 104.4 products (SD: ±36.8) and mean number of vegetable products in the Japanese markets was 120.2 products (SD: ±15.6). There was no significant relationship between the variety of vegetables in markets and vegetable consumption between the US and Japan. This study identified how to measure the variety of vegetables available in markets through online resources. Future studies should consider more effective methodology to measure the variety of vegetables, increase sample size, and find accurate resources, such as for the measurement of food diversity and more detailed data from NHANES and NHNS.

An increasing number of people in the United States are finding it difficult to access a safe, personally acceptable, nutritious diet. Urban agriculture is seen as an important avenue for increasing their food security. For better or worse, urban agriculture is subject to the urban setting, agriculture must complete with other socially and economically viable land uses. Establishing and maintaining a robust system of urban agriculture will require a constant seeking out of urban open spaces that, at least for a time, are available for food production. This study focuses on golf courses as one such type of open space. Due to market saturation, a fairly significant number of golf courses are presently experiencing financial difficulty. Tone potential an emerging land use type catagor that is experiencing is increasing. Developing a robust and reliable system of urban agriculture is one strategy for improving food security. In the urban setting, agriculture must complete with other socially and economically viable land uses. Consequently, much of the research completed to date focuses on using abandoned lots as food growing sites. Fewer studies seek to identify the broad range of urban open spaces that might eventually contribute to a system of urban agriculture that is economically and socially viable. This thesis focuses on a newly emerging class of abandoned urban lands – golf courses. Countryside Golf Course located in Roanoke, Virginia is the case study site that is deeply investigate for its potentional of contributing to food security. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Hibiscus calyces have anti-inflammatory effects, reduce metabolic risk factors, and act as a prebiotic in the human gut. Bioactive compounds in hibiscus include dietary fiber, polyphenols and vitamins and hibiscus calyces have a well appreciated flavor. Preparation of juice from hibiscus is done using hot or cold aqueous maceration procedures. When hibiscus beverages are made, the remaining biomass, the spent calyces, is discarded. Little information is available on the composition of the spent calyces. To determine whether the spent calyces have potential value, it is important to evaluate the composition of major bioactive elements and other potentially valuable components like aromas. The overall goal of this work was to determine if hibiscus spent calyces have components that would be of nutritional value, and to investigate consumer interest in hibiscus consumption in the U.S. The first objective was to measure the contents of sugar, fiber, anthocyanins, other phenolics, vitamin C, and organic acids (hibiscus/garcinic, citric, succinic, fumaric acid) in spent calyces. The second objective was to identify and quantify flavor compounds in the spent calyces. The third objective was to assess American consumers knowledge and perception of hibiscus products. Cold and hot aqueous extractions were carried out on whole calyces of red and white hibiscus using a calyces:water ratio of 1:15. The spent calyces were freeze-dried and analyzed for sugar, fiber, anthocyanins, total phenolics, vitamin C, organic acids and flavor compounds and compared to whole calyces. Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber were measured using sequential enzymatic digestion and gravimetric filtration according to the AOAC method. HPLC was used to determine sugars, anthocyanins and vitamin C, acids. UPLC to identify polyphenols and GCMS with SPME to identify and quantify aroma compounds. Results of the survey show that most of the American consumers who participated in this study have consumed hibiscus products before and were aware of the health attributes of hibiscus products. The most liked products were tea and juices. Main reason for hibiscus consumption was in order: taste, health, flavor, and trend. The health statement provided to the participants of the survey did not affect their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for hibiscus beverages. Spent calyces contained significant amounts of sugars, anthocyanins, total phenolic, organic acids, vitamin C, dietary fiber, and aroma compounds. More fiber was found in the spent calyces than in the raw ones; volatiles profile and phenolics profile were similar to those of the raw calyces. These important nutritional compounds make hibiscus spent calyces useful as a functional ingredient in food products or for producing nutraceutical products. Use of spent calyces will increase value of hibiscus products benefit to both consumers and industrials and help reduce economic and environmental issues related to food waste management. / Doctor of Philosophy / Hibiscus is a plant native to the tropics. Two types of hibiscus plants exist: red and white; both have been used in traditional medicine, in cooking and for making beverages. Both share the following characteristics: sour taste, pleasant natural flavor, refreshing properties, and high content of elements such as dietary fiber and antioxidants that promote health. Hibiscus calyces are reported to have potential to retard early aging, fight against inflammation, and reduce metabolic risk factors (diabetes, obesity, and high blood cholesterol). Fiber acts as prebiotic in the human gut and therefore facilitate bowl movement. Hibiscus calyces are consumed in the forms of tea, juice, smoothies, jam and marmalade and are highly appreciated by consumers. However, despite these attributes and possible uses, the whole calyces' byproducts, spent calyces, are discarded after obtaining the juice from the whole calyces. They are considered as a waste product. As hibiscus is mostly produced and mainly known in places like India and Africa, we were interested in learning about American consumers knowledge and perception of hibiscus products. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the spent calyces' major components and investigate American consumers' knowledge of hibiscus. Red and white hibiscus were obtained from Senegal. Nutrients in spent calyces obtained from cold or hot aqueous extraction of each type of hibiscus was determined. The waste calyces obtained from both hibiscus types contain significant amounts of fiber, sugars, acids, anthocyanin pigments and other phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds were idenuutified and many are known to have positive effects on health. Many aroma compounds were present in the waste product as well. The results revealed that most American consumers were familiar with and had consumed hibiscus products before. They were most interested in teas followed by juice. Taste was the prime reason why they consume hibiscus products then health properties. participants` willing to pay (WTP) did not increase after they were provided with information on hibiscus health benefits. Hibiscus spent calyces could be used for new food products manufacturing as they can add value to our diet and help consumers stay healthy. The findings can help in the promotion of hibiscus products consumption and commercialization and in reducing food waste.