The object of this research was to determine if an acceptable angel food cake alternative could be produced that had reduced calories and sucrose content. This was accomplished through replacing sucrose in meringue, angel food cake batter, and baked angel food cakes with polydextrose and either sucralose, acesulfame-K, or Rebaudioside A at different replacement levels (25, 50, 75, 100%). Meringue and cake batter properties were measured using rheological techniques. Baked angel food cakes were analyzed based on height, weight loss, moisture content, color, and TPA analysis. With meringue batter, 100% sucrose replacement was unacceptable since undissolved polydextrose made analyzing and end products impractical. While 75% sucralose and acesulfame-K sucrose replacement exhibited comparable air incorporation to the sucrose control in cake batter, baked angel food cakes showed a decrease in functional properties. Polydextrose was likely the cause. 25% sucralose and acesulfame-K sucrose replacement were no different from sucrose cakes in regards to height, overall textural appearance, crumb pore size, and hardness. These cakes resulted in an overall calorie reduction of 18.7%. In every experiment, Rebaudioside A replacement treatments exhibited trends opposite of sucralose and acesulfame-K treatments. Rebaudioside A treatments performed the worst for rheological properties and TPA analysis.

The food that we consume contain many dietary compounds which are biologically active. In this thesis we will discuss the biological effects of dietary compounds and the mechanisms behind their activities. First, we studied on the anti-metastatic effects of curcumin, a dietary compound derived from turmeric, through lymphangiogenesis inhibition. Curcumin inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C)-induced lymphangiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Curcumin inhibited lymphangiogenesis, in part through suppression of proliferation, cell cycle progression and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells. Curcumin inhibited expressions of VEGF receptors (VEGFR2 and VEGFR3), as well as down-stream signaling such as phosphorylation of ERK and FAK. Finally, curcumin sulfate and curcumin glucuronide, two major metabolites of curcumin in vivo, had little inhibitory effect on proliferation of HMVEC-dLy cells. Our results demonstrate that curcumin inhibits lymphangiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, which could contribute to the anti-metastatic effects of curcumin. Next, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic activity of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a widely used synthetic food antioxidant. Here we found that the biological effects of TBHQ are mainly mediated by its oxidative conversion to a quinone metabolite tert-butylquinone (TBQ). Co-addition of cupric ion (Cu2+) enhanced, whereas ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) suppressed the oxidative conversion of TBHQ to TBQ, and the biological activities of TBHQ in MC38 colon cancer cells. Finally, a structure and activity relationship study was done and together, these results suggest that the biological activities of TBHQ and other para-hydroquinones are mainly mediated by their oxidative metabolism to generate more biologically active quinone metabolites.

Temperature and relative humidity of produce throughout the cold chain can greatly affect the quality and safety of the food product. Different packaging systems or containers can provide better cooling environments for food products that could decrease temperature abuse and ultimately safety risks. In this study we compiled temperature and relative humidity profiles of broccoli packed in different shipping containers throughout the produce supply chain. The shipping containers looked at were the wax corrugated box, reusable plastic containers (RPC), and Eco Pack Green Box with and without a lid. Large differences were seen in the temperature profiles of each package during the first 15 hours of the cold chain with the wax-corrugated boxes showing the slowest rate of cooling. Growth rates of Salmonella sp. and Listeria monocytogeneson broccoli at different temperatures were also determined. Salmonella sp.showed a greater ability to grow on inoculated broccoli than Listeria monocytogenesduring higher temperatures such as 20° C and 37° C. Temperature profiles along with microbial counts from produce lots have been previously recorded; this is the first study to record temperature and relative humidity profiles in conjunction with bacterial growth data of lab inoculated produce.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. The global burden of colorectal cancer is also expected to increase by 60%, to over 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million annual deaths, by the year 2030. Jackfruit is known for its packed nutrition including many antioxidants: vitamin C, carotenoids and flavanones. It has also been used in traditional medicine due to its potential protection against many chronic diseases. However, there is limited research studying the potential effect of jackfruit on colorectal cancer. Here, we used a well-established AOM/DSS mice model to investigate the impact of jackfruit-derived extracts on colitis-associated colorectal cancer. After 6-week treatment with diet containing 480 ppm jackfruit-derived extracts, the mice showed significantly alleviated colon tumorigenesis with a 46% decrease in tumor numbers of each mouse compared to vehicle group (2.1 ± 0.31 for 480 ppm jackfruit-derived fraction group vs 3.9 ± 0.67 for vehicle group, P < 0.05). The expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (Il-6 and Inf- γ) and pro-tumorigenic genes (Axin2, Vegf, Myc and Pcna) was also decreased in the group consuming 480 ppm jackfruit-derived extracts compared to the vehicle group. Together the results suggest that the consumption of jackfruit-derived extracts could protect against colitis-associated colorectal carcinogenesis in mice.

This research investigated the use of mushrooms in beef-based products as a means to reduce overall sodium and fat for food service applications. Initial product development used physical characterization analysis (color, moisture, texture, yield, fat, and sodium) to determine initial threshold of mushroom inclusion with minimal differences against an all-meat control. Additional physical analysis then investigated a variety of other factors (mushroom type, blanching, mushroom particle size, salt level, and meat/fat blend) to determine if there were other attributing ingredient characteristics that would yield statistical similarity to the all-meat control. Taco filling formulations with optimized ingredients were then fielded in a hedonic sensory study to untrained consumers to evaluate attributes product (overall liking, aroma, color, flavor, juiciness, saltiness, and texture). Samples with liking scores that closely matched the control where then fielded in paired preference tests to determine acceptance using patrons from the UMass Dining Commons. Based on physical property assessments, an optimized taco filling formulation containing up to 45% un-blanched, white button mushrooms finely chopped (1 to 5 mm) maximized mushroom usage while minimizing differences from the all-meat control. Furthermore, consumers preferred a reduced sodium taco filling containing 45% mushroom over a full sodium taco filling also containing 45% mushroom in a food service fielded paired preference sensory test. The second part of this research investigated the use of mushrooms in burger patties in direct comparison to textured soy protein, which is a well established and used meat extender in the industry, specifically in reduced sodium applications. Again, initial product development used physical characterization analysis to determine initial thresholds of meat extender inclusion with minimal differences against an all-meat control. Optimized patty formulations were then fielded in two hedonic sensory studies to identify favorable meat extenders and concentrations of supplementation in full and reduced sodium patties. Results from the hedonic study showed that reduced sodium meat products extended with mushroom can be equally liked to all-meat full sodium counterparts. The findings from this research showed how mushroom has the potential to be successfully incorporated into meat products to lower sodium and fat without compromising consumer expectation and altering acceptance.

With the growing concern of the accumulation of plastic-based food packaging waste, the search for bio-based biodegradable packages is on the rise. These materials differ from their petro-based counterparts in their degradation rates, which are much higher in the former. Not only do bio-based biodegradable materials degrade faster during post-usage processes but also they age faster during usage and storage, which affects their performance and functionality. The application of noninvasive testing methods with the capability to report on the matrix’s state could assist in the development of a more ubiquitous way to assess ageing in food packaging, particularly in biodegradable ones. To this end, the performance of a luminescence spectroscopy technique based on three luminescent probes, one intrinsic to the matrix and two added, was monitored and the sensitivity of the probes to report on ageing was analyzed. Biodegradable films were made of 2% gelatin (type A) and 0.5% glycerol (plasticizer). Gelatin contains an intrinsic fluorophore, the aromatic amino acid tyrosine (Tyr), which can report on the molecular mobility of a matrix. Additionally, the films were doped with two extrinsic fluorophores, Fast Green FCF (FG) at 0.124 mM and pyranine (Pyr) at 0.05 mM, which can report on the physical state and available free water within a matrix, respectively. Films were casted onto plastic Petri dishes and stored at five relative humidities (RHs), namely 2.5, 25, 33, 53, and 75%, for five weeks with measurement collection every week. Films were tested using fluorescence spectroscopy at excitation and emission range wavelengths optimized depending on the assessed probe. Additional measurements to determine moisture content, changes in secondary protein structure using FTIR spectroscopy, and mechanical properties using a Universal Testing Machine in tensile mode aided in the evaluation of the sensitivity of the luminescent probes in sensing ageing. Luminescent probes, intrinsic or added, have the capability to assess the physical state of the films in situ and can provide molecular level sensing of their local environment. Tyr emission showed a sharp increase in fluorescence intensity in films stored at low RH as a function of time. FG showed a similar pattern to that of Tyr but higher sensitivity to changes along the observed period. The two characteristics emission bands of Pyr provide information on the state of water within the matrix. Although the results on this probe hinted microstructural rearrangements within the films as a function of time, the sensitivity of this probe was not high enough at the conditions evaluated and provided limited information on films’ solvation. The sensitivity of the luminescent probes to changes during ageing were revealed through correlation of the photophysical properties of the two effective probes, Tyr and FG, and the mechanical properties of the films at different RH through storage. Both methods, mechanical and optical, were similarly sensitive to changes during ageing particularly after 3-week storage. However,, it can be speculated that because of the different scales at which optical and mechanical measurements report (local vs. bulk), the methods, they could also complement each other. These findings suggest that, in principle, a luminescence spectroscopy technique using intrinsic and extrinsic probes can replace mechanical testing to noninvasively monitor structural changes and stability of biodegradable packaging as a function of time.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of key process parameters on the flow properties of a novel High Protein Dairy Food (HPDF). HPDF was manufactured by an approach similar to that of manufacture of Halloumi cheese (a semi hard cheese originally from Cyprus). The effect of pasteurization condition, pH of acidification and homogenization were investigated on flowability, composition and texture of the HPDF. The study consisted of three different stages. After each stage of experimentation, the HPDF was analyzed for compositional, textural (by texture profile analysis) and flow properties during heating by microwave, oven and hot water was measured by Schreiber melt test. The first stage of experimentation screened 18 batches of HPDF under three levels of pasteurization conditions (191°F/16 sec, 175°F/16 sec and 161°F/16 sec), three levels of pH of acidification (5.8,6.2 and 6.6) and two levels of homogenization conditions (two stage homogenization (2000 psi/500 psi) and no homogenization). Based on the results of the first stage, a statistically powerful second stage of experiment was designed in which two levels of pasteurization condition (191°F/16 sec and 161°F/16 sec) and three levels of pH of acidification (5.8, 6.2 and 6.6) were employed in duplicate to manufacture HPDF. The third stage of experimental design was to investigate the effect of two-stage homogenization treatment (2000 psi/500 psi) with two levels (homogenization and no homogenization). The results of all three stages of experimentation proved that HPDF made from milk pasteurized under higher pasteurization condition (191°F/16 sec) had significantly higher flow resistance under all three heating conditions. There was significant interaction between pH of coagulation of milk and pasteurization condition on flow properties of HPDF with pH of coagulation 5.8 restriction flow of HPDF under all three heating conditions. The role of homogenization in restricting flow of HPDF was not significant, although the mean flow of HPDF, made from homogenized milk, decreased. The mean protein content and mean moisture content of HPDF was significantly affected by all three processing conditions, although the mean fat content of HPDF was not influenced by any of these conditions. The mean fat, protein and moisture content of HPDF were in the range of 10.5-11, 26-34 and 47-54 percent respectively. The primary textural properties affected significantly by the processing condition were hardness, chewiness and gumminess. Particularly, hardness was influenced by higher pasteurization condition and lower pH of acidification. Further, to judge the consumer acceptability of HPDF, various recipes made out of HPDF with different heating applications (baking, stir-frying and soup) were served to 12 panelists of DPTC. Their opinions were collected and analyzed statistically. The analysis of limited focus group survey showed that consumer liking for HPDF recipe was significantly influenced by prior familiarity with the recipe, although there was some preference for HPDF over tofu due to its ‘dairy’ flavor. When the texture of HPDF manufactured from milk pasteurized at 191°F/16 sec and pH of acidification 5.8 and 6.2 were compared with various commercial protein sources, the hardness of the HPDF was very close to extra firm tofu. All the other textural properties of HPDF were significantly different from firm, silken, baked or reduced fat tofu. From this project, it is evident that a high protein food, which can be part of day-to-day human diet and potential tofu alternative, can be obtained using halloumi approach by optimizing pasteurization condition (191°F/16 sec) and pH of coagulation (5.8).

Insects have been proposed as a sustainable alternative to livestock to help feed the growing population. Edible insects such as mealworms require less land and resources and can utilize food by-products to grow. While insects are consumed by over 2 billion people worldwide, they are not widely accepted in developed countries like the United States because of their unfamiliarity and the perception of disgust associated with entomophagy. The objectives of this research are to 1) grow mealworms using carrot pomace and determine an optimum diet for growth and nutritional composition, 2) identify and classify early adopters of insects, and propose a product form, and 3) assess the acceptability of frozen, ready-to-cook mealworms with early adopters. A response surface design was used to evaluate the use of carrot pomace in various percentages in the substrate and as the moisture source in a mealworm growing system. Mealworms were grown under controlled conditions in a climate chamber until they began to pupate, and statistical models were fitted to predict mealworm mortality, weight, days to pupation, protein content, fat content, and moisture content. An algorithm in Design Expert was used to optimize mealworm growth based on maximizing mealworm weight and minimizing mortality and days to pupation, and the optimum diet was found to be 36% carrot pomace in the substrate with carrot pomace as the moisture source. Early adopters of insects were identified through a survey using Red Jade Sensory Software. Participants were segmented using partitioning around medoids clustering algorithm based on responses to questions on willingness to consume insects in a variety of forms. Four segments were identified: No-thank-you’s, Hideaways, Daredevils, and Peekaboo’s. Daredevils, Peekaboo’s, and Hideaways are early adopters of insects in the nonvisible form, and Daredevils and Peekaboo’s are also early adopters of insects in the visible form. Based on these insights, frozen, ready-to-cook mealworms were selected to target Daredevils and Peekaboo’s as a product to serve as a sustainable alternative to traditional livestock protein. Participants from each of the four segments were shown a video of mealworm cooking and asked their willingness to buy the product and the motivation behind their response. The majority of respondents were unwilling to buy this product, driven by unfamiliarity and the perception of disgust. However, over half of Daredevils were willing to buy the product, driven by the novelty and ease of preparation. Marketing a product towards this group may be a feasible route for entry into the market and increase the familiarity of edible insects, thereby contributing to long-term acceptability.

As many of the dairy powders manufactured have to travel long distances to reach their customers, both domestically and internationally, there is considerable interest among dairy powder manufacturers to maintain the quality of their products for relatively long storage periods. Dairy powders can have a long shelf life if packaged and stored properly. Vacuum packaging can be an attractive packaging strategy to maintain the quality of dairy powders and provide added value by improving the efficiency of using the storage space; because of the inherent compactness of these products. Vacuum packaged dry dairy ingredients may also have added ease of handling for end users. However, little is known about the impact of vacuum packaging on the physical properties of dry dairy ingredients. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of vacuum packaging over 12 months storage on particle size, particle density, bulk density, tapped density, flowability, compressibility, color, moisture content, surface morphology, and solubility of six types of dairy powders. In addition, the effect of dairy ingredients type was also assessed. Commercial samples of nonfat dry milk powder, whole milk powder, buttermilk powder, milk protein Isolate, whey protein concentrate#80, and sweet whey powder were repackaged in duplicate using multi-wall foil side gusseted bags under varying degrees of vacuum (1, 0.7, 0.4 bar) and a control with no vacuum, then stored for 3, 6, and 12 months at 25°C and 60% relative humidity. Each powder was sampled and analyzed in duplicate for all the above listed quality attributes, upon receiving the powder and after 3, 6, and 12 months of storage. Moreover, the effect of vacuum packaging on storage space was evaluated comparing three different models; Model (1) represented a 25 kg bag of atmospheric packaged non fat dry milk with the actual dimensions of a commercial 25 kg bag of non fat dry milk. Model (2), a hypothetical model, represented a 25 kg bag of vacuum packaged non fat dry milk with a length and a width equal to those of model (1). Model (3), another hypothetical model, also represented a 25 kg bag of vacuum packaged non fat dry milk with a length equal to half of a pallet width and a width equal to one third of a pallet length, in order to achieve the highest pallet efficiency possible. The pallet used for all three models was considered to be a (48 × 40) pallet. The height of models 2 and 3 was allowed to reflect the bulk reduction effect of vacuum packaging and was determined based on the weight, density and the known dimensions of the bags. It is important to note that the density of models 2 and 3 was assumed to be equal to the density of a small bag of nonfat dry milk. The saved space per bag and pallet efficiency of vacuum packaging and atmospheric packaging were compared using the three models described above. Physical properties analyses of the dairy powders revealed statistically significant effect of vacuum pressure on only color values: L-, a-, and b but none of the other powder quality attributes examined. Powders packaged under vacuum showed a significantly higher mean of L- color value (p-value = 0.003 < 0.01), but significantly lower means of (a- and b-) color values (p-values = 0.005, and 0.001, respectively). This effect was more dramatic in high fat containing powder such as whole milk powder. In fact, vacuum packaged whole milk powders were significantly whiter, less red, and less yellow. It is likely that vacuum packaging has prevented color changes due to lipid oxidation in whole milk powder. Physical properties analyses of the dairy powders also revealed statistically significant increases in the particle density, particle size, bulk density, and tapped density due to the effect of storage time (all p-values = 0.000 < 0.01), statistically significant decreases in the angle of repose and compressibility due to the effect of storage time (p = 0.000 < 0.01) and (p = 0.004 < 0.01), respectively. The physical properties analyses also revealed a statistically significant effect of the powder type on particle density, particle size, bulk density, and tapped density, angle of repose, compressibility, and color values: L-, a-, and b- (all p-values = 0.000 < 0.01). In other words, particle density, particle size, bulk density, and tapped density of the powders increased over the storage time, while angle of repose (AOR) and compressibility decreased over the storage time. The powder type had a significant effect on particle density, particle size, bulk density, tapped density, AOR, compressibility, and color values: L-, a-, and b; however, it did not have any significant effect on solubility and moisture content. In addition, observations of the surface morphology of dairy powders were made using a scanning electron microscope. This evaluation demonstrated the differences in powder particle shape and surface morphology which are believed to be partially responsible for the significant differences observed in the physical properties, due to the effect of powder type. It was shown that vacuum packaging does increase the efficiency of using the storage space by removing the interstitial air and increasing the density of the powder. As described above, the height of model (2) and the length of model (3) both were expectedly shorter compared to those of model (1). Storage space calculations for non fat dry milk were performed based on comparing the volume of the 3 models and showed 15 % saving in storage space per bag and per pallet, due to vacuum packaging. The effect of space saving on the number of bags per pallet was evaluated using CAPE PACK v2.09 software and showed an increase from 45 bags/ pallet in model (1) to 50 bags/ pallet in model (2) and 54 bags/ pallet in model (3). Overall, this study demonstrates the impact of vacuum packaging on physical properties, solubility, and storage properties of dairy powders. The data suggest that the proposed vacuum packaging method may be beneficial to maintain the quality of the powders studied and it results in space savings per unit of dairy powder compared to conventional atmospheric packaging.

Descriptive sensory analysis is essential to understanding how differing varietals, viticultural techniques, enological techniques, vintage, regions, etc. impact the sensory characteristics found in wines. These studies analyzed the sensory impacts of vine age, whole cluster and stem addition influences, the frequency of cap management regimes, and selected fermentation variables, on 2019 Zinfandel, 2020 Syrah, 2020 Tannat, 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2021 Graciano wines respectively, from the Central Coast of California, USA. The investigation of Old vine Zinfandel indicated that these wines were defined as complex due to the wide variety of descriptors used to characterize them, having high color saturation and long length, while the Young vine wines were described as considerably less aromatically diverse, yet being defined by high intensity wet topsoil and pomegranate aromas. Acknowledging the absence of literature on classifying Californian Tannat, descriptors such as high color saturation, purple hue, cooked blue fruit, violet, raisin, bitterness, and astringency may serve as descriptors to these uncommon wines. Regarding stem addition, Dried stem wines exhibited the highest color saturation, purple hue, and astringency intensities in both the Syrah and Tannat wines. Generally, the Green stem wines were less lifted, however the presence of stems added a sense of freshness. The Whole cluster and Control wines generally opposed each other. With reference to cap management, as punch down (PD) increased, perceptions of the overall astringency, bitterness, and velvety characteristics increased. Concerning the various fermentation variables, dirty (unwashed grapes prior to fermentation) wines were described by the earthy aroma, washed (washed grapes prior to fermentation) wines by the floral aroma, and spontaneous (uninoculated) wines by the fruity aromas; however, fruity was the predominant aroma across most wines.