ABSTRACT
Bio-based products are a fast-growing market due to increasing consumer consciousness for sustainability. Although this is per se a positive trend, it leads to a higher demand for organic feedstocks which normally comes from primary agricultural sources and can lead to undesired deforestation or other land use changes to farmland. At the same time, Europe is facing another challenge related with the treatment of organic wastes. In this context, the project CAFIPLA developed an integrated process to convert heterogeneous organic materials to building blocks for the bio-based economy. This study performs a life cycle sustainability assessment (life cycle assessment, life cycle costing and social life cycle assessment) of the production of short chain carboxylic acids (SCCA) employing municipal bio-wastes as a feedstock. In addition to a hot-spot identification to detect the main sources of impact, a comparison of the novel technology with the current benchmark is carried out applying a cradle-to-gate approach and using 1 kg of SCCA as a functional unit. Results show the great performance of CAFIPLA in all the environmental categories analysed. Furthermore, the profitability of the plant is also verified, reaching a payback period below 6 years as long as the product is sold above 0.49 /kg. Finally, the potential social risk associated to the supply chain is also improved with CAFIPLA technology.
Subject(s)
Agriculture , Carboxylic Acids , Animals , Europe , Farms , Life Cycle StagesABSTRACT
The nitrate and nitrite content of leaf vegetables (Swiss chard, sea beet, spinach and cabbage), "inflorescence" vegetables (cauliflower) and fruit vegetables (eggplant and vegetable marrow) grown with organic fertilizers have been determined by a modified cadmiumGriess method. Samples were purchased from organic food stores as well as collected directly from an organic farm in Madrid (Spain). Nitrate levels were much higher in the leaf vegetables (especially Swiss chard species; average over the different samples and species of 2778.6 ± 1474.7 mg kg(-1)) than in inflorescence or fruit products (mean values between 50.2 ± 52.6 and 183.9 ± 233.6 mg kg(-1)). Following Swiss chard species, spinach (1349.8 ± 1045.5 mg kg(-1)) showed the highest nitrate content, and nitrite was found above the limit of detection in some samples only (spinach, 4.6 ± 1.0 mg kg(-1); sea beet, 4.2 ± 0.7 mg kg(-1) and Swiss chard, 1.2 ± 0.4 mg kg(-1)). Some vegetables (spinach, cabbage and eggplant) had lower nitrate content in the samples harvested in summer, showing the influence of climatic conditions on the nitrate levels in a plant. The samples taken directly from the organic farm, with the exception of eggplant, had higher or slightly higher average nitrate values than samples purchased in the organic food stores, ranging from 117 to 1077%.
Subject(s)
Food Contamination/analysis , Nitrates/analysis , Nitrites/analysis , Organic Agriculture , Vegetables/chemistry , Vegetables/growth & development , Beta vulgaris/chemistry , Fertilizers , Fruit/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Spain , Spinacia oleracea/chemistryABSTRACT
Contents of moisture, ash and minerals and trace elements (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc and manganese) were determined in vegetable samples--garlic, tomato, white onion, cucumber, pepper--in 'gazpacho', which was elaborated using these vegetables. The mean sodium concentration in 'gazpacho' was much higher than those mean values observed in the fresh vegetables. The mean values of the minerals studied in the 'gazpacho', except sodium and calcium, tend to be lower than the mean values in the vegetables used. Garlic presented significantly higher mean contents of the trace elements than the rest of the vegetables and the 'gazpacho'. Many highly significant correlations between all the minerals analyzed, except calcium, were observed. Factor analysis makes it possible to differentiate the samples of garlic, onion, and 'gazpacho' from one another, and from the rest of the vegetables considered.
Subject(s)
Cooking , Food Analysis , Minerals/analysis , Trace Elements/analysis , Vegetables/chemistryABSTRACT
Several jujube varieties from the southeast of Spain were analyzed for fatty acid and carotene contents. Triglycerides having medium-chain fatty acids were most abundant in all samples. The main fatty acids were 12:0 (18.3 +/- 9.97), 10:0 (12.5 +/- 19.0), 18:2n6 (9.27 +/- 7.26), 16:1n7 (8.50 +/- 5.77), 16:0 (7.25 +/- 4.35), and 18:1n9 (5.34 +/- 2.52) on total saponifiable oil. The fruits yield 1.33 +/- 0.17 g/100 g saponifiable oil on a dry weight basis. Fatty acid profiles of fruits were found to be influenced by their developmental stage. Multivariable data analyses show that the samples could be grouped on the basis of their fatty acid content. Carotenes were found to be in good agreement with other fruits, varying from 4.12 to 5.98 mg/100 g on a dry weight basis. The contribution to vitamin value reach a mdium of 38 microg RE/100 g on a fresh weight basis.
Subject(s)
Carotenoids/analysis , Fatty Acids/analysis , Ziziphus/chemistry , Food Analysis , Nutritive Value , Plant Oils/analysis , Plant Oils/chemistry , Spain , Triglycerides/analysisABSTRACT
En la primera parte de este trabajo se recogen los antecedentes analíticos que se refieren a las aguas del balneario de "Alhama de Granada", sito en la población del mismo nombre (Granada). A continuación se incluyen los datos obtenidos en los diferentes análisis efectuados recientemente, y se establece la clasificación de las aguas motivo del trabajo (AU)
Subject(s)
24968 , 24961 , Water Physicochemical Characteristics , Thermal Water , BalneologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To describe the main characteristics of the diet of Marrocan immigrants in the Autonomous Community of Madrid, and to explore the factors that may influence their selection of foods. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. Two-stage cluster sampling of 179 immigrants. SETTING: Health Area number 6 of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. PARTICIPANTS: Marrocan immigrants, older than 14 years of age who had lived in Spain more than 3 months. INTERVENTIONS: Personal interview including a 24-hours recall of food consumption. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression using SPSS 8.0 for Windows. RESULTS: The factors that have a larger influence in the food consumed are the age of the person, whether the person lives in a couple or not, and whether the person is able to read and write in Spanish. Gender and number of years living in Spain had very limited or no influence in the food items referred to as consumed by the person. Conclusions. The results of our study contrast with findings from studies conducted in other countries. The diet of the immigrants in our study would seem to become more varied and balanced, and therefore improve, with the progression of the acculturation process, with age and in people who live with their partners. People who have migrated recently have a less varied diet and may be proned to suffer nutritional deficiences.
Subject(s)
Food , Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Transients and Migrants , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Morocco/ethnology , SpainABSTRACT
Objetivo. Conocer las características alimentarias de la población marroquí de la Comunidad de Madrid, explorando los factores que pueden estar influyendo en la selección de alimentos. Diseño. Estudio transversal de base poblacional, muestreo por conglomerados bietápico. Emplazamiento. Área Sanitaria 6 de la Comunidad de Madrid. Participantes. Inmigrantes marroquíes, mayores de 14 años, con un tiempo de estancia en España 3 meses. Intervenciones. Entrevista que incluye un recordatorio de 24 horas de los alimentos consumidos. Análisis descriptivo y regresión logística con SPSS 8.0 para Windows. Mediciones y resultados principales. Los factores que más influyen en la selección de los alimentos son la edad, el hecho de vivir o no con la pareja y el hecho de saber leer y escribir en español. El sexo y el tiempo de estancia en España tienen una muy escasa influencia en la selección de alimentos. Conclusiones. Los resultados contrastan con los obtenidos en estudios realizados en otros países, observando en nuestro caso una mejora de los hábitos y una dieta más variada y equilibrada entre aquellas personas con una aculturación más avanzada, de mayor edad o que viven con su pareja. Las personas que llevan menos tiempo en España siguen una dieta menos variada, que podría dar lugar a problemas nutricionales importantes (AU)
Subject(s)
Adult , Male , Female , Humans , Food , Transients and Migrants , Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Spain , Morocco , Cross-Sectional StudiesABSTRACT
The importance of the research works on mate rests on the fact that this is greatly consumed in many South American countries. Our interest in this subject has increased because, in Europe, it use as an infusion seems to be increasing. The Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry techniques. Prior to this, samples were incinerated and dissolved in an acid mixture (HCl/HNO3). Results apparently show a high content of mineral elements, especially K. Mg and Mn, in mate, findings which we consider to be of great relevance.
