Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are bidirectional terms that are interrelated as two sides of a c... more Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are bidirectional terms that are interrelated as two sides of a coin. Nutritional genomics is the latest scientific discipline that uses modern genomics technology to study the relationship between genes, nutrition, and health. It explores the effects of nutrients on the entire genetic makeup (genome), proteome, and metabolome. Simply, nutrigenomic defines how the diet acts on genes and changes gene expression which is commonly prominent in cancer like non-communicable diseases. Nutrigenetics explains how the genes affect the diet which is generally notable in illnesses like phenylketonuria and lactose intolerance. Nutritional genetics combines the study of nutrition and genetics to discover the different ways people respond to food based on their genetic makeup. Even though humans are similar in genetics, we all have slight differences in our genetic blueprints due to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that make us unique from each other. These t...
Purpose: Coconut oil is one of the commonest and profusely used plant oils in Asian cuisine. Many... more Purpose: Coconut oil is one of the commonest and profusely used plant oils in Asian cuisine. Many studies are being carried out aiming at preventing/eliminating potential aflatoxin contamination of the oil or its products along the value chain. The present review analytically provides an overview of aflatoxin occurrence, contamination, detection, and decontamination of vegetable oils with special emphasis on coconut oil. Research Method: Findings and conclusions of studies related to aflatoxins, that are published in authentic sources were reviewed and presented in a chronological manner. Based on the information, current detection and decontamination methods for aflatoxins in edible plant oils were demonstrated. Findings: Complete decontamination of aflatoxins from edible oils seemed impossible, but reducing the accumulated concentrations below the permissible levels seemed possible. The use of chemical agents like alkalis, the most commonly practiced method on a commercial scale, ...
In recent years, Circular Economy (CE) has captured vast global attention with regard to its pote... more In recent years, Circular Economy (CE) has captured vast global attention with regard to its potential in mitigating contemporary economic, social, and environmental challenges. This study aims to present the barriers that impede the application of CE concepts in the food supply chain (FSC) which received limited literature recognition. A systematic literature review is utilized to scrutinize challenges, resulting in 17 factors that burden CE adoption. The challenges were categorized under six subsets and were prioritized based on two perspectives: literature importance and empirical importance. A combination of literature frequency analysis and Field-Weighted Citation Impact was employed to derive the rankings related to literature importance. The pragmatic importance of challenging factors is derived using the Fuzzy Best-Worst method. Both rankings reveal that cost efficiency consideration is the most critical barrier that hinders the transition to CE in FSC. Thus, this paper high...
American Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2017
Gherkin (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable. The pickling type gherkins... more Gherkin (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable. The pickling type gherkins are produced in Sri Lanka since 1988 for export market and it expanded over several agrological regions. Locally grown two gherkin varieties (Ajax and Vlasset) were tested for proximate composition (moisture, dry matter, ash, mineral, protein, fat, dietary fibre and carbohydrate) of raw fruits (AOAC methods) and within 6 month of brine fermentation, firmness measurements (FTA) were recorded and varieties were evaluated. Vlasset and Ajax varieties contained 96.30% and 95.54% moisture, respectively. The ash, protein and fat were higher (p) and dietary fibre, carbohydrate lower in Ajax. Mg, K and Zn content were higher (p) in Ajax noted as 16.60 ± 1.47, 194.0± 7.80 and 14.69± 0.40 respectively while Vlasset was noted lower values. Ca (10.62± 0.59 ) and Na (13.46 ±0.43) were greater in Vlasset while Ajax was given lower values. Both varieties showed K to be highest followed by Zn, Na and Ca...
Yogurt is a popular fermented dairy product and the study was designed to access the possibilitie... more Yogurt is a popular fermented dairy product and the study was designed to access the possibilities to develop a dairy free cereal based coconut (DFCBC) yoghurt which broadens the diversity of yoghurts, while enhancing its health benefits. DFCBC yoghurt with naturally formed vitamin B12 was produced by incorporating four different ratios of coconut milk and rice milk (cooked rice fermented with coconut water for 12 hours) while replacing cow’s milk. Yoghurt was produced with inoculating starter culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus (0.025%) to achieve a pH of 4.5 while replacing gelatin with different combinations of agar-agar, carrageenan and pectin. Best combination of coconut milk: rice milk having product was further succeeded with different flavor components (vanilla, coconut honey and banana) to obtain the best quality product. Proximate analysis [moisture, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrates (AOAC methods), total solids (TS), vitamin B12 (HPLC method)...
Moisture content of food material is a key factor influencing the quality of storage and extendin... more Moisture content of food material is a key factor influencing the quality of storage and extending the quality of a food product. Manufacturers develop new technologies to process sensitive food materials to supply new products with improved properties and high quality. The process in which the air is cooled sensibly while the moisture is removed from food is called cooling with dehumidification process. The system fundamentally acts as a heat pump, which pumps the heat from the dehumidified air to a different air stream in another area, with the aid of a refrigerant gas to carry the heat. This article reviews the potential of low-temperature heat pump dehumidifier drying used in the food industry. Moreover, this describes the principle of cooling with dehumidification (CWD) process, the importance of studying psychrometric charts to understand CWD process, measures used in identify energy efficiency, comparison of this method over common dryers, applications, advantages and limitations of the CWD drying method. Practical applications Multiple measures have been taken to increase the drying efficiency of convection drying, especially by the application of cooling with dehumidified techniques. This drying technique has comparably higher energy efficiency, better and consistent product quality and the ability to control drying temperature and humidity over other conventional methods. Low-temperature heat pump dryers are used increasingly applications in the food industry for the drying of grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, fish, meat, pet foods, and other heat-sensitive food products in several countries.
ABSTRACT Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.Jansen belongs to the family Asteraceae is generally called “t... more ABSTRACT Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.Jansen belongs to the family Asteraceae is generally called “toothache plant”. Though Acmella genus has complex patterns, the cylindrical discoid capitula which owe a golden yellow color with red tip make it unique. It is an annual herb, occurring around the world and, is cultivated for horticultural, pharmacological (anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anesthetic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antiobesity and anticancer), insecticidal, personal care and culinary purposes. Spilanthol is the major alkamide available in Acmella plant, responsible for its unique sensorial effects. There have been remarkable promote in A.oleracea herb in multidisciplinary studies, and anumber of commercial products have been invented over the years. Its application in the food industry has been scarcely explored and make opportunities for further research. This review provides an updated overview of the growing conditions of the plant, identification methods, edibility as food, functional properties, phytochemicals, and other applications which opens future applications in food production.
Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are bidirectional terms that are interrelated as two sides of a c... more Nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics are bidirectional terms that are interrelated as two sides of a coin. Nutritional genomics is the latest scientific discipline that uses modern genomics technology to study the relationship between genes, nutrition, and health. It explores the effects of nutrients on the entire genetic makeup (genome), proteome, and metabolome. Simply, nutrigenomic defines how the diet acts on genes and changes gene expression which is commonly prominent in cancer like non-communicable diseases. Nutrigenetics explains how the genes affect the diet which is generally notable in illnesses like phenylketonuria and lactose intolerance. Nutritional genetics combines the study of nutrition and genetics to discover the different ways people respond to food based on their genetic makeup. Even though humans are similar in genetics, we all have slight differences in our genetic blueprints due to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that make us unique from each other. These t...
Purpose: Coconut oil is one of the commonest and profusely used plant oils in Asian cuisine. Many... more Purpose: Coconut oil is one of the commonest and profusely used plant oils in Asian cuisine. Many studies are being carried out aiming at preventing/eliminating potential aflatoxin contamination of the oil or its products along the value chain. The present review analytically provides an overview of aflatoxin occurrence, contamination, detection, and decontamination of vegetable oils with special emphasis on coconut oil. Research Method: Findings and conclusions of studies related to aflatoxins, that are published in authentic sources were reviewed and presented in a chronological manner. Based on the information, current detection and decontamination methods for aflatoxins in edible plant oils were demonstrated. Findings: Complete decontamination of aflatoxins from edible oils seemed impossible, but reducing the accumulated concentrations below the permissible levels seemed possible. The use of chemical agents like alkalis, the most commonly practiced method on a commercial scale, ...
In recent years, Circular Economy (CE) has captured vast global attention with regard to its pote... more In recent years, Circular Economy (CE) has captured vast global attention with regard to its potential in mitigating contemporary economic, social, and environmental challenges. This study aims to present the barriers that impede the application of CE concepts in the food supply chain (FSC) which received limited literature recognition. A systematic literature review is utilized to scrutinize challenges, resulting in 17 factors that burden CE adoption. The challenges were categorized under six subsets and were prioritized based on two perspectives: literature importance and empirical importance. A combination of literature frequency analysis and Field-Weighted Citation Impact was employed to derive the rankings related to literature importance. The pragmatic importance of challenging factors is derived using the Fuzzy Best-Worst method. Both rankings reveal that cost efficiency consideration is the most critical barrier that hinders the transition to CE in FSC. Thus, this paper high...
American Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2017
Gherkin (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable. The pickling type gherkins... more Gherkin (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable. The pickling type gherkins are produced in Sri Lanka since 1988 for export market and it expanded over several agrological regions. Locally grown two gherkin varieties (Ajax and Vlasset) were tested for proximate composition (moisture, dry matter, ash, mineral, protein, fat, dietary fibre and carbohydrate) of raw fruits (AOAC methods) and within 6 month of brine fermentation, firmness measurements (FTA) were recorded and varieties were evaluated. Vlasset and Ajax varieties contained 96.30% and 95.54% moisture, respectively. The ash, protein and fat were higher (p) and dietary fibre, carbohydrate lower in Ajax. Mg, K and Zn content were higher (p) in Ajax noted as 16.60 ± 1.47, 194.0± 7.80 and 14.69± 0.40 respectively while Vlasset was noted lower values. Ca (10.62± 0.59 ) and Na (13.46 ±0.43) were greater in Vlasset while Ajax was given lower values. Both varieties showed K to be highest followed by Zn, Na and Ca...
Yogurt is a popular fermented dairy product and the study was designed to access the possibilitie... more Yogurt is a popular fermented dairy product and the study was designed to access the possibilities to develop a dairy free cereal based coconut (DFCBC) yoghurt which broadens the diversity of yoghurts, while enhancing its health benefits. DFCBC yoghurt with naturally formed vitamin B12 was produced by incorporating four different ratios of coconut milk and rice milk (cooked rice fermented with coconut water for 12 hours) while replacing cow’s milk. Yoghurt was produced with inoculating starter culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus (0.025%) to achieve a pH of 4.5 while replacing gelatin with different combinations of agar-agar, carrageenan and pectin. Best combination of coconut milk: rice milk having product was further succeeded with different flavor components (vanilla, coconut honey and banana) to obtain the best quality product. Proximate analysis [moisture, ash, fat, protein, carbohydrates (AOAC methods), total solids (TS), vitamin B12 (HPLC method)...
Moisture content of food material is a key factor influencing the quality of storage and extendin... more Moisture content of food material is a key factor influencing the quality of storage and extending the quality of a food product. Manufacturers develop new technologies to process sensitive food materials to supply new products with improved properties and high quality. The process in which the air is cooled sensibly while the moisture is removed from food is called cooling with dehumidification process. The system fundamentally acts as a heat pump, which pumps the heat from the dehumidified air to a different air stream in another area, with the aid of a refrigerant gas to carry the heat. This article reviews the potential of low-temperature heat pump dehumidifier drying used in the food industry. Moreover, this describes the principle of cooling with dehumidification (CWD) process, the importance of studying psychrometric charts to understand CWD process, measures used in identify energy efficiency, comparison of this method over common dryers, applications, advantages and limitations of the CWD drying method. Practical applications Multiple measures have been taken to increase the drying efficiency of convection drying, especially by the application of cooling with dehumidified techniques. This drying technique has comparably higher energy efficiency, better and consistent product quality and the ability to control drying temperature and humidity over other conventional methods. Low-temperature heat pump dryers are used increasingly applications in the food industry for the drying of grains, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, fish, meat, pet foods, and other heat-sensitive food products in several countries.
ABSTRACT Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.Jansen belongs to the family Asteraceae is generally called “t... more ABSTRACT Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K.Jansen belongs to the family Asteraceae is generally called “toothache plant”. Though Acmella genus has complex patterns, the cylindrical discoid capitula which owe a golden yellow color with red tip make it unique. It is an annual herb, occurring around the world and, is cultivated for horticultural, pharmacological (anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anesthetic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antiobesity and anticancer), insecticidal, personal care and culinary purposes. Spilanthol is the major alkamide available in Acmella plant, responsible for its unique sensorial effects. There have been remarkable promote in A.oleracea herb in multidisciplinary studies, and anumber of commercial products have been invented over the years. Its application in the food industry has been scarcely explored and make opportunities for further research. This review provides an updated overview of the growing conditions of the plant, identification methods, edibility as food, functional properties, phytochemicals, and other applications which opens future applications in food production.
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Papers by T.G.G. Uthpala