Processing of Whole Kernel Tapioca Pearl and Milk Tea BOBA of Fresh Highland Barley: Optimization of Processing Parameters and Quality Evaluation.

Fresh highland barley is difficult to store, leading to a lack of commercial products. To address these problems, the research investigated the effect of different heat treatments (steaming , microwaving , baking , and cooking ) on the quality of fresh highland barley, and used pretreated fresh highland barley as material, combined with the milk tea market, to design and optimize the preparation process of fresh highland barley tapioca pearl and milk tea BOBA. The results showed that the different heat treatments reduced the content of ash and starch significantly, and SFB and MFB decreased the digestibility of fresh highland barley (P < 0.05). In particular, SFB had a significantly higher overall score for fresh barley than the other treatments, with the highest sensory evaluation for aroma, elasticity, and the overall taste of the grain, and the eGI value was the lowest (58.64). The optimal preparation process of fresh highland barley tapioca pearl and milk tea BOBA was designed and optimized by the L9(34) orthogonal test. The optimal tapioca pearl formula contained the following: apioca starch content of 36%, cooking time of 2.5 min, and erythritol stevia content of 1.5%. The optimal milk tea BOBA formula contained the following: sodium alginate content of 1.3%, erythritol stevia content of 0.6%, and calcium lactate content of 2.2%. This not only improves the comprehensive utilization rate of fresh highland barley, but also provides the accessory food, ensuring a lower eGI and increasing the healthiness and diversity of milk tea.

New form of addiction: An emerging hazardous addiction problem of milk tea among youths.

BACKGROUND: Milk tea has experienced tremendous growth in popularity in China, especially among youths. The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether milk tea addiction may have a detrimental impact on youths' mental health, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Additionally, we aim to explore its potential role in influencing various mental health outcomes. METHODS: A large-scale, cross-sectional study was conducted from 5281 college students in Beijing, China. Participants self-reported depressive, anxiety symptoms, suicidal ideation, and milk tea addiction symptoms including milk tea consumption, dependence, guilty feelings, withdrawal, tolerance, unable to stop, craving, and intention to stop. RESULTS: Nearly 77 % of participants consumed milk tea at least 6-11 cups in the last year. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the one-factor structure of the milk tea addiction scale, developed according to DSM-5 substance use guidelines. Moreover, we found that a higher level of milk tea addiction was significantly associated with a higher risk of depression (b = 0.24, p < 0.001), anxiety (b = 0.21, p < 0.001), and suicidal ideation (b = 0.06, p < 0.001), respectively, after controlling confounding variables, among youths consuming milk tea. The possible mediating role of milk tea addiction between loneliness feelings and mental health outcomes was further addressed. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings highlighted that milk tea consumption might lead to addiction, and it is associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Current findings can assist policymakers in developing regulations such as restricting advertising, providing psycho-education, establishing food hygiene standards for such a prosperous youth-dominant consumption industry while protecting their mental health.

Reducing the Flocculation of Milk Tea Using Different Stabilizers to Regulate Tea Proteins.

The regulation of flocs derived from polyphenol-protein formation in milk tea has not been fully explored. In this study, the flocculation of milk tea was regulated by adding 10 kinds of stabilizers with different characteristics. The stability coefficient and centrifugal precipitation rate were used as indexes. The optimal concentration ratio of the complex stabilizer was identified using the response surface methodology (RSM), being 0.04% for Arabic gum, 0.02% for ß-cyclodextrin and 0.03% for Agar. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the characteristics of different stabilizers in milk tea, and our findings were as follows: (1) The relative strength of the peaks in different stable systems was different. The absorption peaks were mainly near the wave numbers 3376 cm-1, 2928 cm-1, 1655 cm-1, 1542 cm-1, 1408 cm-1, 1047 cm-1 and 925 cm-1. (2) The milk tea system was an amorphous structure. The diffraction peak of the composite system was observed to be about 20°. The crystallinity of the milk tea in the compound group was 33.16%, which was higher than that of the blank group (9.67%). (3) The compound stabilizer reduced flocculation, and the stabilizing agents improved the surface order of milk tea. These results indicate that the combination of polysaccharide stabilizers (Arabic gum and agar) and oligosaccharide stabilizers (ß-CD) in certain proportions can regulate the flocculation of milk tea and improve its stability. The potential research avenues involving polyphenol-protein complex instability systems and their applications in food development are expanded by this work.

College Students' Preferences for Milk Tea: Results from a Choice Experiment.

(1) Background: Although China is one of the largest tea-producing countries in the world, the Chinese tea industry is facing a decline in profits. However, an explosive market, namely milk tea, has garnered the attention of certain famous tea companies, several of which have launched milk tea products through sub-branding or co-branding. However, there is a scarce amount of literature on consumers' attitudes toward these marketing strategies of the milk tea market. (2) Methods: Utilizing the choice experiment (CE) approach, the aim of this study was to explore consumer preferences for milk tea and investigate consumers' socio-demographic characteristics regarding the preference for milk tea. (3) Results: Firstly, although consumers show positive attitudes toward tea bases that come from famous tea companies, they barely pay attention to the types of tea bases of milk tea products. As for ingredients, consumers show significantly negative attitudes toward non-dairy creamers when compared with fruit bases. Moreover, new brands could undermine consumers' evaluations of milk tea. Secondly, education, the weekly frequency of drinking milk tea, and monthly allowance have a significant influence on consumer preferences. (4) Conclusions: Tea bases from famous tea companies can enhance consumer utility and promote consumer preference for milk tea. Thus, famous tea companies could seek cooperation with milk tea manufacturers, which would be a win-win strategy for both sides. On the other hand, tea companies should make use of their established reputations to gain consumers in the milk tea market, and co-branding or sub-branding strategies could be cost-effective methods to achieve this goal in the highly competitive milk tea market.

Nutrient content of 122 kinds of retail handcrafted milk tea products in Shanghai / 环境与职业医学

Background The retail milk tea industry is in a period of rapid development, but there is little research on its nutrient content, which restricts the nutritional guidance of milk tea. Objective To determine the levels of nutrients in best-selling handcrafted milk tea in Shanghai and analyze the nutritional characteristics. Methods In 2018 and 2021, a total of 13 handcrafted milk tea brands with ≥3 branch stores in Shanghai were selected by searching for milk tea on Meituan and Ele.me food delivery platforms, and a total of 122 types of handcrafted milk tea products were collected from the top three sales [milk tea (including all sweetness levels available), milk cover tea, and fruit tea]. National standard methods were used to detect energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, sugar, trans fatty acid, calcium, caffeine, and tea polyphenol. Results The median energy of the milk tea samples was 310 kJ (per 100 g sample). The main sources of energy were carbohydrate and fat. The levels of energy, protein, and fat in milk cover tea and milk tea were significantly higher than those in fruit tea (P＜0.05), and there was no significant difference in carbohydrate among them. The total sugar, fructose, and glucose levels in milk tea were significantly lower than those in milk cover tea and fruit tea, and the lactose level in fruit tea was significantly lower than those in milk tea and milk cover tea (P＜0.05). Themedian trans fat acid level in milk cover tea was higher than that in milk tea (P＜0.05). The median levels of caffeine and tea polyphenol were higher in milk tea than in milk cover tea (P＜0.05). The levels of energy, carbohydrate, sucrose, total sugar, and calcium in milk tea were positively correlated with the number of ingredients added (0-3) (r=0.386, 0.371, 0.238, 0.698, 0.466, respectively, P < 0.05). The levels of energy, carbohydrate, and total sugar tended to increase with increasing sweetness (P<0.05), and total sugar was mainly sucrose, followed by fructose and glucose. The total sugar levels of the samples labeled sugar free, light sugar, half sugar, less sugar, and regular sugar were 3.40 (2.20, 4.9), 4.97 (4.25, 5.97), 5.80 (4.31, 6.88), 6.59 (5.17, 8.53), and 7.96 (6.82, 9.20) g, respectively; the proportions of the samples containing more than 0.5 g of total sugar were 93.3% for sugar free milk tea, 47.4% for light sugar milk tea, and 94.0% for regular sugar milk tea; the proportion of the regular sugar samples with sugar content greater than 10 g was 18.0% (all samples with nominal sugar content were measured per 100 g). Conclusion The retail handcrafted milk tea in Shanghai is characterized by high energy, high added sugar, high fat, and low protein. It is necessary to standardize the added sugar content and sweetness labeling, strengthen the nutrition education of milk tea, and guide residents to limit its intake.

Effect of brewing conditions on the chemical and sensory profiles of milk tea.

The brewing conditions of beverage milk tea determine the taste of milk tea. This study investigated the changes in sensory characteristics and small molecule compounds in milk tea made from large-leaf yellow tea under different brewing conditions by sensory analysis, colorimeter, and LC-MS. The results show that the tea to milk ratio is the most important process affecting the taste, and the color values of b* (+yellow, - blue) can be used to evaluate the taste of milk tea made from large leaf yellow tea. The composition of small molecular compounds is affected by tea to milk ratio, which can change the taste of milk tea. l-cysteine and 8-methylsulfinyloctyl glucosinolate are significantly positively correlated with taste by metabolomics analysis. l-cysteine was used to verify the analysis results by LC-MS. The total acceptance of milk tea is improved by adding l-cysteine at a low level (0.025-0.035 mM).

The effect of beer and milk tea on the shear bond strength of adhesive precoated brackets: An in vitro comparative study.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the long-term effects of beer and milk tea on the shear bond strength (SBS) of adhesive precoated brackets and conventional adhesive on brackets. Methods: The 150 metal brackets were bonded to maxillary permanent premolars and divided into two groups based on adhesive type: (1) Transbond PLUS Color Change Adhesive (TP) and (2) Flash-Free adhesive precoated (APC FF). The bonding processes were carried out exactly as recommended by the manufacturer. Each group's samples were randomly divided into five subgroups with different immersion solutions and thermal cycles (n = 15): (1) at 24 h after bonding, (2) milk tea at 6 months, (3) milk tea at 1 year, (4) beer at 6 months and (5) beer at 1 year. The SBS differences between groups were analyzed using an independent-sample T test and one-way ANOVA with Dunnett's T3 as a post hoc analysis. Results: The SBS of TP were 20.66 ± 4.88 (X ± SD MPa), 23.14 ± 2.33, 17.54 ± 5.12, 24.64 ± 2.26, and 20.91 ± 6.19 for subgroups 1 to 5, respectively. The SBS of APC FF were 13.86 ± 4.14, 17.02 ± 4.04, 13.74 ± 4.40, 15.77 ± 4.11, and 16.21 ± 3.51 for subgroups 1 to 5 respectively. However, the SBS of APC FF was significantly lower than TP for all subgroups (p < 0.05). Beer showed a minor influence on the SBS (p > 0.05). The TP milk tea subgroup increased significantly throughout the 1-year thermal age period (p = 0.028). Both TP and APC FF showed higher values in the milk tea subgroups after 6 months of thermal age than in the beer subgroups (p < 0.05). Significance: The APC FF group showed significantly lower SBS than the TP group. We found that milk tea increased the SBS in both the TP and the APC FF groups. However, beer had no significant effect on either group.

Consumer Preference Analysis on Attributes of Milk Tea: A Conjoint Analysis Approach.

Milk tea is a famous drink that has been heavily consumed since 2011. This study aimed to determine the combination of milk tea attributes that were most preferred using a Conjoint Analysis Approach. Specifically, this study utilized different attributes such as the size of tapioca pearls, sugar level, price range, brands, type of milk tea, cream cheese inclusion, and the amount of ice. Conjoint analysis with the orthogonal design was utilized to evaluate the preference of milk tea among consumers. The results showed that pearl size was the attribute most considered by consumers (29.137%), followed by sugar level (17.373%), the amount of ice (17.190%), the type of drink (13.421%), price (11.207%), and the least considered were cream cheese inclusion (9.525%) and the brands (2.147%). The findings of this study will be beneficial to milk tea firms about consumer preferences regarding the various attributes of milk tea. Finally, the result of this study could be applicable to different beverage-focused studies worldwide.

Co-Application of Milk Tea Waste and NPK Fertilizers to Improve Sandy Soil Biochemical Properties and Wheat Growth.

Desert soil is one of the most severe conditions which negatively affect the environment and crop growth production in arid land. The application of organic amendments with inorganic fertilizers is an economically viable and environmentally comprehensive method to develop sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to assess whether milk tea waste (TW) amendment combined with chemical fertilizer (F) application can be used to improve the biochemical properties of sandy soil and wheat growth. The treatments included control without amendment (T1), chemical fertilizers (T2), TW 2.5% + F (T3), TW 5% + F (T4) and TW 10% + F (T5). The results showed that the highest chlorophyll (a and b) and carotenoids, shoot and root dry biomass, and leaf area index (LAI) were significantly (p < 0.05) improved with all amendment treatments. However, the highest root total length, root surface area, root volume and diameter were recorded for T4 among all treatments. The greater uptake of N, P, and K contents for T4 increased for the shoot by 68.9, 58.3, and 57.1%, and for the root by 65.7, 34.3, and 47.4% compared to the control, respectively. Compared with the control, T5 treatment decreased the soil pH significantly (p < 0.05) and increased soil enzyme activities such as urease (95.2%), ß-glucosidase (81.6%) and dehydrogenase (97.2%), followed by T4, T3, and T2. Our findings suggested that the integrated use of milk tea waste and chemical fertilizers is a suitable amendment method for improving the growth and soil fertility status of sandy soils.

The Effect of Limiting Tapioca Milk Tea on Added Sugar Consumption In Taiwanese Young Male and Female Subjects.

Tapioca milk tea, the most popular beverage in Taiwan, is consumed a lot by Taiwanese which contributed to their daily sugar intake. Our study purpose is to investigate whether limiting intake of tapioca milk tea is useful for the control of sugar intake in Taiwanese. The study was conducted in questionnaires selected 38 subjects, 20-24 y, from 341 university students in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. Subjects were match-paired by sex, age, department, and randomly divided into two groups for cross-over design in which each group had 1 week with or without tapioca milk tea. Other beverages and foods were allowed freely in both periods. Each group member recorded their own daily sugary intake for two weeks and was confirmed by researchers the next day. The average sugar intakes with or without tapioca milk tea were similar between the two treatments (p 0.05), 58.4 23.2 g/day and 56.5 22.2 g/day (glucose 25%, fructose 19%, sucrose 53%, lactose 3%). With or without tapioca milk tea, 85% of sugar intakes came from beverages. Even by limiting tapioca milk tea, the subjects took the same sugar amount from other beverages, suggesting that an established sugar intake level is hard to change. J. Med. Invest. 65:43-49, February, 2018.

Investigation on Fluoride Intake in Residents in Pastoral Area of Beier Lake / 环境与健康杂志

ve To investigate the intake of fluoride of residents in pastoral area of Beier Lake and its main source. Methods Two of the typical endemic fluorosis villages were selected as observation sites in Xinbaerhuyouqi County of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The amount of milk-tea drank by residents was investigated, the drinking water samples, brick-tea samples and milk-tea samples were collected from 10 families randomly selected as observation families. The contents of fluoride of 3 kinds of samples were determined by iron selective electrode method. Results The contents of fluoride in drinking water samples, brick-tea samples and milk-tea samples reached higher levels, namely, 4.12-4.37 mg/L, 780.3-800.0 mg/L and 5.80-5.88 mg/L respectively in two investigation sites. The intake of fluoride from milk-tea of adults was (8.70 ?3.91) mg/d and (9.50?3.22) mg/d respectively, of which, 75.34% and 70.07% came from drinking water, 24.66% and 29.93% came from brick-tea in two observation sites. Conclusion The two observation sites with the higher levels of fluoride intake far exceeding the related Na-tional Standards were composite endemic fluorosis area with a fluoride exposure route mainly via drinking water.