Gluten-free is not enough--perception and suggestions of celiac consumers.

The present study investigated the perceptions of individuals with celiac disease about gluten-free (GF) products, their consumer behavior and which product is the most desired. A survey was used to collect information. Descriptive analysis, χ² tests and Multiple Logistic Regressions were conducted. Ninety-one questionnaires were analyzed. Limited variety and availability, the high price of products and the social restrictions imposed by the diet were the factors that caused the most dissatisfaction and difficulty. A total of 71% of the participants confirmed having moderate to high difficulty finding GF products. The logistic regression identified a significant relationship between dissatisfaction, texture and variety (p < 0.05) and between variety and difficulty of finding GF products (p < 0.05). The sensory characteristics were the most important variables considered for actual purchases. Bread was the most desired product. The participants were dissatisfaction with GF products. The desire for bread with better sensory characteristics reinforces the challenge to develop higher quality baking products.

Analysis of ingredient lists of commercially available gluten-free and gluten-containing food products using the text mining technique.

Ingredients mentioned on the labels of commercially available packaged gluten-free and similar gluten-containing food products were analyzed and compared, using the text mining technique. A total of 324 products' labels were analyzed for content (162 from gluten-free products), and ingredient diversity in gluten-free products was 28% lower. Raw materials used as ingredients of gluten-free products were limited to five varieties: rice, cassava, corn, soy, and potato. Sugar was the most frequently mentioned ingredient on both types of products' labels. Salt and sodium also were among these ingredients. Presence of hydrocolloids, enzymes or raw materials of high nutritional content such as pseudocereals, suggested by academic studies as alternatives to improve nutritional and sensorial quality of gluten-free food products, was not identified in the present study. Nutritional quality of gluten-free diets and health of celiac patients may be compromised.

Comportamento consumidor, hábitos alimentares e consumo de televisão por escolares de Florianópolis / Consumer behavior, eating habits and television viewing in students from Florianópolis, Brazil

OBJETIVO: Identificar o comportamento consumidor de escolares em relação aos seus hábitos alimentares e a influência da televisão. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de estudo piloto com 57 escolares com idades entre 7 e 10 anos, do ensino fundamental de uma escola particular localizada em Florianópolis (SC). Foi utilizado um questionário, desenvolvido especialmente para a pesquisa, e realizada avaliação antropométrica. Os dados foram analisados utilizando testes de associação (teste Qui-quadrado de Pearson - c2) e análise de variância. As diferenças foram consideradas significantes quando p<0,05. RESULTADOS: Todos os estudantes tinham televisão em casa, sendo que 75,0 por cento no próprio quarto. A grande maioria costumava beliscar enquanto assistia a televisão (98,0 por cento), ou fazia as refeições com a televisão ligada (89,5 por cento). O consumo semanal de hortaliças e frutas foi muito inferior ao recomendado segundo a pirâmide alimentar. Os espectadores freqüentes de televisão comiam menos verduras semanalmente do que os moderados. De acordo com a avaliação antropométrica, 23,6 por cento dos estudantes apresentavam sobrepeso ou obesidade e 9,1 por cento apresentavam adiposidade central. CONCLUSÃO: Os hábitos dos estudantes indicam a necessidade de empregar estratégias educacionais que promovam a adoção de hábitos e comportamentos mais saudáveis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the consumer behavior of a small sample of students (pilot study), regarding their eating habits and influence of television. METHODS: This is a pilot study with 57 students aging from 7 to 10 years attending the elementary grades of a private school located in Florianópolis (SC). A questionnaire developed specifically for this research was used and anthropometric assessment was done. The data were analyzed using association tests (Pearson´s chi-square test -c2) and analysis of variance. The differences were considered significant when p<0.05. RESULTS: All students had television sets at home; 75.0 percent in their own bedrooms. Most of them snacked while watching television (98.0 percent) or ate their meals with the television on (89.5 percent). Weekly intakes of fruit and vegetables were way below the ideal quantities proposed by the food pyramid. Students classified as frequent viewers (4 or more times a day) ate fewer vegetables than did the moderate ones. Anthropometric evaluation indicated that 23.6 percent were overweight/obese and 9.1 percent presented central adiposity. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that strategies must be employed, such as parent's counseling and development of school programs, in order to prevent possible health problems in the studied population.

Television use and food choices of children: qualitative approach.

This study reports the results of 12 focus group interviews with primary school students (7-10 years old, n=57) in Florianópolis, Brazil, regarding their food choices, television (TV) viewing, and physical activity habits. In 2005, an average Brazilian child aged 4-11 years watched TV almost 5 h per day. Intensive TV use in childhood and adolescence may contribute to sedentarism and unhealthy eating habits, and excessive viewing might have long-lasting adverse effects on health. Results indicated that frequent ingestion of snack foods was not a habit for most students, possibly because of an acknowledged parental interference, but these were the food items they bought with their own money. Daily TV viewing was reported by almost all students, especially during meals and before bedtime, but students still found the time to be physically active. Most of them mentioned going to sports classes and engaging in active play regularly. No attempts by the parents to regulate TV viewing in the household were mentioned. The habit of eating while watching TV, together with the students' behavior as primary consumers of food products, pointed to the need for strategies that will reduce TV viewing and educate the children as consumers.

Avaliação físico - química e da textura (instrumental e sensorial) de salsichas elaboradas com diferentes níveis de quitosana - poli - (a 1 4) n acentil d glucosamina / Physico chemical evaluation and instrumental and sensory texture analysis of low fat sausages with different levels of chitosan poly (a 1 4) n acetyl d glucosamine

Fueron evaluados los efectos de la adición de diferentes niveles de quitosana en salchichas tipo frankfurter con bajo contenido de gordura sobre la composición química, rendimiento y perfil de textura instrumental (TPA) y sensorial en relación a la salchicha control (C), sin adición de quitosana y con el mismo porcentaje de gordura. Después del procesamiento las salchichas fueron empacadas al vacío y almacenadas a 4ºC para análisis posterior. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que la adición de quitosana, con los porcentajes utilizados, no presentaron diferencias significativas (p<0.05) sobre la composición química y rendimiento, cuando comparadas con la salchicha control. El perfil de textura instrumental de la salchicha control con relación a las demás con adición de quitosana, no presentó diferencias significativas (p<0.05) para las características de adesividad, elasticidad y coesividad, mientras que hubo diferencias con relación a la dureza, gomosidad y masticabilidad. El perfil sensorial no mostró diferencias (p<0.05) entre el control y las salchichas con diferentes niveles de quitosana, en todas las propiedades sensoriales evaluadas. La matriz de correlación entre las variables instrumental y sensorial demostró que no hubo correlación entre la dureza sensorial y la dureza instrumental. El coeficiente de correlación sensorial mostró alta correlación entre la elasticidad con la gomosidad, y buena correlación entre la dureza con fracturabilidad, adhesividad y liberación de humedad.

Effects of addition of several concentrations of chitosan to low-fat Frankfurter-type sausage on the chemical composition, yield, Textural (instrumental) and sensory perfil analysis were evaluated. The sausages were processed, vacuum packed and stored at 4ºC. There were no significant differences in chemical composition and yield for the sausages with and without chitosan. According to the textural instrumental analysis there were no significant differences in adhessiveness, elasticity, and cohesiveness. However, there were significant differences for hardness, gumminess and chewiness. The sensory analysis profile was similar for the control and the chitosan containing samples according to all the characteristic evaluated. The correlation matrix between instrumental and sensory analysis showed that there was no correlation between the instrumental and the sensory hardness. The sensory correlation coefficient showed a strong correlation between elasticity with gumminess, and a good correlation between hardness and with fracturability, adhesiveness e moisture loss.

Ampliando a compreensäo do processo de vida do idoso e de suas necessidades / Amplifying the understanding of elderly´s life proccess and needs

Contempla alguns aspectos psicossociais e fisiológicos do idoso, com a indicaçäo de uqe esta populaçäo deve ser privilegiada como um mercado consumidor específico pois, embora tenha havido um expressivo crescimento populacional desta faixa etária, no Brasil e no mundo, os idosos ainda se encontram discriminados como mercado de consumo. Aponta para a necessidade de haver uma adequaçäo dos produtos alimentares oferecidos à especificidade alimentar das pessoas idosas, explicitando algumas das características de seu status nutricional e fisiológico ao qual deveria corresponder e dar suporte

Rendimento e avaliaçäo sensorial de hamburgueres de carpa (Cyprinus carpio) com diferentes condiçöes de processamento e armazenamento sob congelamento / Income and sensorial evaluation of fishburgers of carp (Cyprinus carpio) with differents conditions of processing and storage under frozen

Hambúrgeres de carne de pescado (Cyprinus carpio) produzidos em tres diferentes condiçöes, congelados e armazenados a -18C foramanalisados para determinar o rendimento desde a carpa "in natura" até a obtençäo da polpa. Estudou-se a estabilidade do produto na estocagem sob congelamento mediante perfil sensorial hedônico. Os hambúrgueres produzidos com carne moída näo lavada (NLV), lavada uma vez e tres vezes (LV1 E LV3) tiveram rendimento de 49,87 por cento, 44,50 por cento e 37,75 por cento respectivamente, considerando-se o peso inicial da matéria-prima (carpas inteiras). Näo foi observada diferença estatisticamente significativa em relaçäo às avaliaçöes do perfil sensorial hedônico de NLV, NL1 e NL3, mesmo após 247 dias de armazenamento sob congelamento. O aparecimento de odor e gosto näo característicos foi retardado, provavelmente, pela presença de temperos diversos e de glutamato monossódico na formulaçäo dos hambúrgueres

Microscopia de fluorescencia para detectar fraudes en cafe tostado y molido / Fluorescence microscopy for detection of frauds in ground coffee

Un método nuevo basado en fluorescencia, y que es más eficiente y rápido que el actualmente utilizado por órganos fiscales para evaluación de la pureza del café tostado y molido, se propone en este trabajo. Para estos análisis, se comparó café puro con café adulterado con 2,5, 5,0 y 10,0 por ciento de centeno, cebada, maiz y trigo. En todos los análisis microscópicos de fluorescencia del café adulterado, se detectó inmediatamente la presencia de almidón, lo que no ocurrió con microscopía óptica. Este método propuesto para la detección de adulterantes de café es más eficaz y simple que el método oficial utilizado actualmente.

Avaliaçäo da qualidade microbiológica da pescadinha (Cysnoscion Striatus) inteira e em filés nos principais pontos críticos de controle de uma indústria de pescado congelado / Evaluation of microbiology quality of fishes (Cysnoscion Striatus) entire and in filet in the principles critical points of the frozen fishes industry

Avaliou-se a qualidade sanitária de pescadinha (Cyanoscian striatus) mediante pesquisa de bactéria patógena e de microrganismos indicadores de contaminaçäo, em amostras colhidas na forma inteira e em filés, "in natura" e congeladas. Em 80 por cento das amostras de filé e 40 por cento do pescado inteiro "in natura", constatou-se Salmonella spp, situando-se a contagem padräo do psicrotróficos entre limites aceitáveis pelo ICMSF. Näo se constatou presença de bactérias coliformes fecais, apenas coliformes totais e número näo significativo de Staphylococcus aureus. Os resultados indicam deficiência de higiene e sanificaçäo nas operaçöes rotineiras do processamento