The impact of parameters of store illumination on food shopper response.

Customer behavior in sales areas is strongly influenced by the perception of surroundings and feelings of well-being. By using dynamic retail solutions of basic, accent and dramatic lighting it is possible to attract attention, create a unique in-store environment and give customers a reason to stay and return to the store. The simplest and also the most successful method to reach customer attention in food selection (buying) process is through eye-catchingly illuminated visuals of products. Visual senses has evolved to top ranks in the sensory hierarchy, therefore visual stimuli have a tendency to overcome all other senses. The paper deals with a comprehensive interdisciplinary research of the influence of light and color on the emotional state of consumers (valence) on the food market. It integrates the measurement of light intensity, color temperature or emitted color spectrum in grocery stores, recognition of emotional response and the time of its occurrence among respondents due to different lighting types and color in simulated laboratory conditions. The research is focused on accent lighting in the segment of fresh unpackaged food. Using a mobile 16-channel electroencephalograph (EEG equipment) from EPOC company and a mini camera we observed the response time and the emotional status (valence), in order to reveal true consumer preferences in different lighting conditions (color temperature and color rendering index) and their non-traditional color (yellow, purple, red, blue and green) for the selected food type. The paper suggests possibilities for rational combination of the effective, efficient and energy-saving accent lighting, by which the retailer can achieve not only an eye-catching and attractive presentation of merchandised products, but also significant savings within operating their stores.

Antifungal activity of essential oils against selected terverticillate penicillia.

The aim of this study was to screen 15 essential oils of selected plant species, viz. Lavandula angustifolia, Carum carvi, Pinus mungo var. pulmilio, Mentha piperita, Chamomilla recutita L., Pinus sylvestris, Satureia hortensis L., Origanum vulgare L., Pimpinella anisum, Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Abietis albia etheroleum, Chamomilla recutita L. Rausch, Thymus vulgaris L., Origanum vulgare L. for antifungal activity against five Penicillium species: Penicillium brevicompactum, Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium expansum and Penicillium griseofulvum. The method used for screening included the disc diffusion method. The study points out the wide spectrum of antifungal activity of essential oils against Penicillium fungi. There were five essential oils of the 15 mentioned above which showed a hopeful antifungal activity: Pimpinella anisum, Chamomilla recutita L., Thymus vulgaris, Origanum vulgare L. The most hopeful antifungal activity and killing effect against all tested penicillia was found to be Origanum vulgare L. and Pimpinella anisum. The lowest level of antifungal activity was demonstrated by the oils Pinus mungo var. pulmilio, Salvia officinalis L., Abietis albia etheroleum, Chamomilla recutita L. Rausch, Rosmarinus officinalis.

Antibacterial activity against Clostridium genus and antiradical activity of the essential oils from different origin.

In the present study, the antimicrobial and antiradical activities of 15 essential oils were investigated. The antimicrobial activities were determined by using agar disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods against Clostridium genus and antioxidant properties of essential oils by testing their scavenging effect on DPPH radicals activities. We determined the antibacterial activity of Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium hystoliticum, Clostridium intestinale, Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium ramosum. We obtained the original commercial essential oils samples of Lavandula angustifolia, Carum carvi, Pinus montana, Mentha piperita, Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Pinus sylvestris, Satureia montana, Origanum vulgare L. (2 samples), Pimpinella anisum, Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Abies alba Mill., Chamomilla recutita L. Rausch and Thymus vulgaris L. produced in Slovakia (Calendula a.s., Nova Lubovna, Slovakia). The results of the disk diffusion method showed very high essential oils activity against all tested strains of microorganisms. The best antimicrobial activity against C. butyricum was found at Pimpinella anisum, against C. hystoliticum was found at Pinus sylvestris, against C. intestinale was found at Satureia hortensis L., against C. perfringens was found at Origanum vulgare L. and against C. ramosum was found at Pinus sylvestris. The results of broth microdilution assay showed that none of the essential oils was active against C. hystoliticum. The best antimicrobial activity against C. butyricum was found at Abies alba Mill., against C. intestinale was found at Abies alba Mill., against C. perfringens was found at Satureia montana and against C. ramosum was found at Abius alba and Carum carvi. Antioxidant DPPH radical scavenging activity was determined at several solutions of oil samples (50 µL.mL(-1)-0.39 µL.mL(-1)) and the best scavenging effect for the highest concentration (50 µL.mL(-1)) was observed. The antioxidant properties were different in particular plant species. The highest% of inhibition after 30 min. of reaction was observed at Origanum vulgare (93%), Satureia montana (90.66%) and Lavandula augustifolia (90.22%).

The effect of vacuum packaging, EDTA, oregano and thyme oils on the microbiological quality of chicken's breast.

The effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), oregano (Origanum vulgare) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) oils, on the chicken breast fillets was examined in this study. The chicken breast fillets were stored under vacuum packaging (VP), at 4 ± 0.5 °C for a period of 18 days. There were used the following treatments of chicken breast fillets: Air-packaged (AC, control samples), vacuum-packaged (VPC, control samples), VP with EDTA solution 1.50% w/w (VPEC, control samples), VP with oregano oil 0.20% v/w (VP + O) and VP with thyme oil 0.20% v/w, (VP + T). The quality assessment for vacuum packaging of the product in accordance with the terms above and EDTA treatment, oregano and thyme oil was established by microbiological analyzes. The microbiological properties as the total viable counts on Plate Count Agar, after incubation for 2 days at 37 °C and coliform bacteria on Violet Red Bile Glucose agar incubated at 37 °C for 24 h, lactobacilli on Rogosa and Sharpe agar after incubation 48-78 h at 37 °C in an aerobic atmosphere supplemented with carbon dioxide (5% CO2) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on Pseudomonas Isolation agar (PIA, Oxoid, UK) after incubation at 48 h at 35 °C were monitored. The using of oregano, thyme oil and EDTA with combination of vacuum packaging has significant effects to reduction of all followed groups of microorganisms compared with control group without vacuum packaging and untreated control group. The natural preservatives can be used as alternatives to chemical additives which could extend the meat and meat products shelf life. The knowledge about them can have an important economic feedback by reducing losses attributed to spoilage and by allowing the products to reach distant and new markets. This study shows how using of natural antimicrobials can extend the shelf-life of the meat product.