<p> A diet rich in omega-3 fats has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Long chain omega-3 fats found in fatty fish are especially important to cardiovascular health. Consumption of these fats is low, in part because there are few natural sources. This has led to the development of omega-3 fortified foods. Currently available fortified foods demonstrate conflicting nutritional information. Addition of omega-3 fats to an otherwise unhealthy food is perceived by consumers as an advertising gimmick. Mistrust of food companies and confusing ingredient labels negatively impact sales. Careful nutritional guidance, combined with proper sensory analysis, is critical to developing omega-3 fortified food products that are consistent with medical recommendations. Results from this study indicate that a therapeutic dose of fish oil (1000 mg per serving) can be added to two heart-healthy foods without adversely affecting sensory qualities.</p>

<p> Small-scale family farming to meet household food and livelihood needs is a central activity for most households in rural Malawi. Food insecurity and malnutrition are persistent problems for these farmers. Conventional agriculture techniques and maize production are the focus of most household farming, government agriculture policy, and agricultural development programs. However, conventional agriculture and maize production are expensive and unreliable in the short term, and environmentally and financially unsustainable in the long term. As an alternative, some NGOs and farmers in Malawi use permaculture, an agroecology design and low external input agriculture system. Previous research and NGO reports have pointed to benefits and constraints to permaculture adoption in Malawi. </p><p> For this dissertation, I investigated the relationships between agriculture practices and food security among smallholder conventional and permaculture farmers in Lilongwe Rural District in Malawi in partnership with two implementing permaculture organizations. Building on political ecology, the anthropology of food, structural violence, and permaculture literatures, I analyzed the impact of permaculture practice on farmers' agricultural practices, diet, and food security. This analysis showed that farmers who used permaculture experienced agricultural, environmental, livelihood, and food and nutrition security benefits in comparison to farmers who solely used conventional agriculture. These benefits were important given the context of structural violence in which farmers face systemic risk to impoverishment, food insecurity, and malnutrition. However, the benefits of permaculture use were constrained by the broader agro-food system, resource entitlements, and other structural constraints. The findings of this study add to our understanding of how smallholder farmers in Malawi can maneuver within the broader agro-food system, while pointing to potential strategies that farmers and organizations can use to try to address existing constraints.</p>

Current practices for routine milk composition determination employ commercial infrared systems. The use of SW-NIR and NIR FT-Raman spectra coupled with conductivity and refractive index could lead to more frequent and less costly analysis of fat, lactose and protein in milk. / The present study examines the potential of both SW-NIR absorbance spectrophotometry and NIR FT-Raman spectrophotometry to develop a model to estimate fat, lactose, and protein in whole milk of cows. To accomplish this, 79 milk standards, spanning the range of composition seen in practice, were obtained. Acquisition of NIR spectra over the wavelength range of 700 nm to 1018 nm was conducted. Between 0 and 3700 cm-1, NIR FT-Raman spectrophotometric measurements of the milk samples were made using a 1064 nm Nd: YAG laser source. Conductivity and refractive index measurements were also obtained for the milk standards. / A partial least squares calibration with leave-N-out cross validation was made using spectra with conductivity and refractive index to estimate fat, lactose and protein contents. Calibrations were developed using 75% of the milk standards. Models were further validated using an independent test set comprised of the remaining 25% of the data that had been excluded from calibration. A second calibration was conducted using a genetic algorithm approach. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Washington State University, 2005. / (UnM)AAI3184160. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-07, Section: B, page: 3539. Chair: Charles G. Edwards.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Washington State University, 2005. / (UMI)AAI3242022. Adviser: Jan R. Busboom. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6127.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: B, page: 3461. Adviser: Nicki J. Engeseth. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 173-211) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-11, Section: B, page: 6704. Adviser: Nicki Engeseth. Includes bibliographical references. Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: B, page: 3234. Adviser: Kelly A. Tappenden. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-120) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3930. Adviser: Steven R. Eckhoff. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-73) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 3523. Adviser: Hao Feng. Includes bibliographical references. Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.