Glutamate is a multifunctional amino acid. It plays a key role in central neurotransmission, in intermediate metabolism of carbohydrate as well as in taste, representing the major ligand having the umami taste. Glutamate is one of the main constituents of dietary proteins and is also consumed in many prepared foods ...

The morphology and biomechanics of the vertebrate skull reflect the physical properties of diet and behaviors used in food acquisition and processing. We use phyllostomid bats, the most diverse mammalian dietary radiation, to investigate if and how changes in dietary hardness and loading behaviors during feeding shaped the evolution of ...

Limited data exist regarding nutrient intakes and overall dietary quality in Canadian Arctic populations. This cross-sectional study determined the frequency of consumption of traditional meats (e.g. caribou, polar bear, seal, char and whale) and non-traditional store-bought foods including non-traditional meats (e.g. beef, pork and chicken), grains, dairy, fruits, vegetables and ...

Assessment of safety for a food or dietary ingredient requires determination of a safe level of ingestion compared to the estimated daily intake from its proposed uses. The nature of the assessment may require the use of different approaches, determined on a case-by-case basis. Natural products are chemically complex and ...

The glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) system is a recently established target for type 2 diabetes treatment. In addition to regulating glucose homeostasis, GLP-1 also reduces food intake. Previous studies demonstrate that the anorexigenic effects of GLP-1 can be mediated through hypothalamic and brainstem circuits which regulate homeostatic feeding. Here, we ...

Over the last forty years global aquaculture presented a growth rate of 6.9% per annum with an amazing production of 52.5million tonnes in 2008, and a contribution of 43% of aquatic animal food for human consumption. In order to meet the world's health requirements of fish protein, a continuous growth ...

BACKGROUND: The sensory attributes of foods may have an important influence on intake because of sensory-specific satiety (SSS). Foods with high SSS may aid in body weight maintenance as a result of termination of consumption before metabolic satiety. No studies have investigated whether long-term exposure to a food might change ...

Childhood obesity is emerging as a considerable public health problem with no clear antidote. The school food environment is a potential intervention point for policy makers, with competitive food and beverage regulation as a possible policy lever. This research examines the link between competitive food and beverage availability in school ...

BACKGROUND: Skin-on bone-in chicken drumsticks were processed with isoelectric solubilization/precipitation to recover muscle proteins. The drumsticks were used as a model for dark chicken meat processing by-products. The main objective of this study was conversion of dark chicken meat processing by-products to restructured functional food product. An attempt was made ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the implementation of a controlled, 6-week, environmental and educational intervention to improve dietary intake and body composition, and to study the association of implementation fidelity with diet and body composition outcomes. DESIGN: A process evaluation documented participation, dose of nutrition education delivered, participant satisfaction, fidelity and completeness ...

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, Australians are choosing to consume organically produced food, but only a small percentage consume organic food exclusively, and there is little information in the scientific literature that describes their actual level of intake. In order to provide a more meaningful description of Australian organic consumers the 'Organic Consumption ...

A marine food web in Bohai Bay, China, was selected to study methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation, and an aquivalence-based mass balance model was established to explore the possibility of predicting the MeHg concentrations and quantifying MeHg bioaccumulation in the food web. Results showed that both total mercury (THg) and MeHg were ...

Boldness, a measure of an individual's propensity for taking risks, is an important determinant of fitness but is not necessarily a fixed trait. Dependent upon an individual's state, and given certain contexts or challenges, individuals may be able to alter their inclination to be bold or shy in response. Furthermore, ...

Rabbit pups represent a natural model of food anticipatory activity (FAA). FAA is the behavioral output of a putative food entrainable oscillator (FEO). It had been suggested that the FEO is comprised of a distributed system of clocks that work in concert in response to gastrointestinal input by food. Scheduled ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional quality of lunchtime food consumption among elementary-school children on Prince Edward Island according to the source of food consumed (home v. school). DESIGN: Students completed a lunchtime food record during an in-class survey. Dietary adequacy was assessed by comparing median micronutrient intakes with one-third of ...

Background. Flow cytometry constitutes an alternative for traditional methods of microorganisms identifi cation and analysis, including methods requiring cultivation step. It enables the detection of pathogens and other microorganisms contaminants without the need to culture microbial cells meaning that the sample (water, waste or food e.g. milk, wine, beer) may ...

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates Aplysia feeding by novel mechanisms, suggesting new roles for NO in controlling the behavior of higher animals. In Aplysia, (1) NO helps maintain arousal when produced by neurons responding to attempts to swallow food; (2) NO biases the motor system to reject and reposition food that ...

Patterns of coexistence among competing species exhibiting size- and food-dependent growth remain largely unexplored. Here we studied mechanisms behind coexistence and shifts in competitive dominance in a size-structured fish guild, representing sprat and herring stocks in the Baltic Sea, using a physiologically structured model of competing populations. The influence of ...

The prevalence of early childhood obesity has increased dramatically particularly among the Mexican American population. Obesity leads to earlier onset of related diseases such as type 2 diabetes. The Head Start population of Texas is largely Mexican American. Dietary intake in this population demonstrated a diet very low in fiber, ...

Postharvest shrimp is highly susceptible to both microbiological spoilage and endogenous enzymatic browning, so it should be preserved properly using effective and appropriate methods. The effects of 1.0% and 1.5% O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and 1.0% and 1.5% chitosan (CH) coatings on the quality changes of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during ...

The cow and its milk have been held sacred in the world since the dawn of human civilization. Indian ancient Vedic texts describe the virtues of milk and dairy products, as is authenticated by modern scientific principles and proofs. Therefore, milk has been considered as one of the most natural ...

In the light of the growing interest in food and food products obtained through organic and environmentally friendly techniques, the present work represents the first approach to the evaluation of the biological profile of some Sicilian honeys produced in purity by the local black honeybees. Samples exhibited up to 10times ...

The influence of data and recommendations from developed countries on nutrition guidance has overshadowed recognition of the key micronutrients and protein contributed by red meat to the global food supply. Relative to the energy it contributes, the impact of red meat on the nutritional quality of the human diet via ...

Introduction: Palm syrup is a typical product from the Canary Islands, traditionally produced from the sap of the tropical palm tree Phoenix canariensis. Its high caloric content has led to its increasing use as a health food supplement for athletes, children and elderly. Furthermore, demand for this natural syrup is ...

Bran is the outer part of cereal grains that is separated during the cereals de-hulling and milling processes. It was considered in the past a by-product of cereal industry employed mainly as animal feed. Cereal bran, being particularly rich in different functional biopolymers, bio-active compounds and essential fatty acids, attracted ...

This study investigated the association between dietary patterns and oral health in primary-school children from Damascus. A total of 504 children aged 6-12 years were enrolled and food frequency questionnaires were distributed to their guardians to evaluate food consumption. Dental health was evaluated by gingival index and presence of untreated ...

Introduction: Little research has been conducted into the attitudes and knowledge of dietitians-nutritionists (DN) or of experts in human nutrition and dietetics (EHND) regarding functional foods (FFs). Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge of, interest in and predisposition towards FFs in Spanish DN and EHND, and how these professionals rate the ...

Objective-To determine whether withholding of food affects autonomic nervous system balance by analysis of heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), and frequency of second-degree atrioventricular block in horses. Animals-5 healthy Thoroughbreds. Procedures-For two 24-hour periods in a crossover study, food was withheld from horses or horses were maintained on their ...

Global warming leads to increased intensity and frequency of weather extremes. Such increased environmental variability might in turn result in increased variation in the demographic rates of interacting species with potentially important consequences for the dynamics of food webs. Using a theoretical approach, we here explore the response of food ...

The microbiological performance of a food safety management system in a food service operation was measured using a microbiological assessment scheme as a vertical sampling plan throughout the production process, from raw materials to final product. The assessment scheme can give insight into the microbiological contamination and the variability of ...

Nutritional strategies to minimize Salmonella in food animal production are one of the key components in producing safer food. The current European approach is to use a farm-to-fork strategy, where each sector must implement measures to minimize and reduce Salmonella contamination. In the pre-harvest phase, this means that all available ...

Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus is a potentially important yet poorly studied cold-water species inhabiting the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Broad-scale changes in the Arctic ecosystem as a consequence of climate change have led to increased attention on trophic dynamics and the role of potential apex predators such as S. ...

Cadmium and lead are toxic metals occurring in the environment naturally and from anthropogenic activities and can lead to chemical contamination of products entering in the human food chain. The consumption of polluted food is the main source of lead and cadmium intake in the non-smoking population. Lead is a ...

The last decade has witnessed the development and arrival of novel nano-based food materials, innovative food packaging, intelligent delivery mechanisms of nutrients and bioactive materials, implementation of green nanotechnologies for crop production and nano-biosensors to provide safer foods and waste reduction. Opportunities to exploit and develop nanotechnologies in the food ...

As in many other countries, Australian consumers have recently had to accommodate increases in costs of basic food, and during the financial year 2007-2008 overall food prices rose by nearly 4%. Food costs are mediating factors in food choice, especially for low-income groups, where food security is often tenuous. There ...

Obesity is remarkably refractory to treatment. Despite a plethora of quantitative studies, little qualitative research has been conducted on the topic of weight loss maintenance. This study used six focus groups to explore which factors promoted or prevented maintaining weight loss among a diverse, urban population. Eligible participants were those ...

Early environmental conditions can influence the pattern of growth and development. While poor conditions generally cause slower growth, normal adult size can still be reached if growth accelerates or is prolonged once conditions improve, but such catch-up growth may have deleterious effects later in life. Here we investigate for the ...

This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810) at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing ...

Some fast food chains have introduced healthier options, however sales data for these menu items are not publicly available. This study aimed to observe healthy and unhealthy meal purchases in Australian fast food stores. An observational study was conducted comparing the purchases of healthy and unhealthy meals at 20 McDonald's ...

The food chain, from production to the consumer's kitchen, can be an important contributor to the development, persistence and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant (ART) microbes, including both ART foodborne pathogens and commensal bacteria. Many factors in the food chain, such as the antimicrobial compounds used and how they were used, microbial ...

  Although it is recognized that marine wild-capture fisheries are an important source of food for much of the world, the cost of sustainable capture fisheries to species diversity is uncertain, and it is often questioned whether industrial fisheries can be managed sustainably. We evaluated the trade-off among sustainable food ...

Several variables lead to changes in human and animal eating behaviour and food choices. A pivotal role is played by food palatability, represented by food, smell, taste, texture, appearance and temperature. The aim of our study is to assess the potential differences in palatability and digestibility of four different flavoured ...

Meat-eating is an important aspect of human evolution, but how meat became a substantial component of the human diet is still poorly understood. Meat-eating in our closest relatives, the great apes, may provide insight into the emergence of this trait, but most existing data are for chimpanzees. We report 3 ...

In each of three experiments animals received blocking, A+ AX+, in which food was always presented after one stimulus, A, that was occasionally accompanied by another stimulus, X. They also received a simple discrimination, AX+ BX-, in which the presence and absence of food was signaled by two compounds that ...

Issue addressed: Train stations provide opportunities for food purchases and many consumers are exposed to these venues daily, on their commute to and from work. This study aimed to describe the food environment that commuters are exposed to at train stations in NSW. Methods: One hundred train stations were randomly ...

The rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as ginger, is one of the most widely used spice and condiment. The nonvolatile pungent compounds (namely gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and zingerone) are some of the extensively studied phytochemicals and account for the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, and gastro protective activities. This ...

We studied reflection of artificially induced and amplified food motivation in impulse activity of the masticatory muscles during electrostimulation of "hunger center" of the lateral hypothalamus in the absence and presence of food. The threshold stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus in hungry and satiated animals in the absence of food ...

This article reviews the patents showing the use of antimicrobial agents in processing plants to eliminate the growth of the microorganism that affects on the quality and safety of the end products. Several materials have unique antimicrobial effects, especially towards biofilms in the processing equipments. The selection of a proper ...

The relative contribution of aquatic vs. terrestrial organic matter to the diet of consumers in fluvial environments and its effects on bioaccumulation of contaminants such as mercury (Hg) remain poorly understood. We used stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in a gradient approach (consumer isotope ratio vs. periphyton isotope ratio) ...

Consumption of sugary beverages has been identified as a contributor to childhood obesity. Studies have established the importance of specific parenting practices to children's beverage consumption; however, no study has examined multiple operationalizations of parenting to better understand where to focus future interventions. The present study examined the relationship between ...