Recent Patents on Food, Nutrition & Agriculture - Volume 9, Issue 2, 2018

Background: Limited patents have explored young children's understanding of the connection between food and health. This qualitative study aimed to narrow this gap by investigating young children's health conceptions. Methods: Seventy-two children, 5 to 7 years of age, participated in this study. Two instruments, the demographic survey and child interview survey, were used to collect data. Data were analyzed following the processes of conducting initial coding, specifying categories, and combining categories to develop themes. Results: Children in this age group had certain knowledge about five food categories: Diary, meat, grain, fruit, and vegetables. They believed that food from these five categories were good for them and would make them strong; they also believed that sweets and salty foods were unhealthy, yet many of them preferred sweets and listed them as top snack choices. These children demonstrated awareness of complex nutritional terms such as vitamins, fiber, and protein yet misconceptions became evident when were asked to identify overall health effects of mixed dishes for which various components were not easily recognizable. Conclusion: This study provides new insights into children's understanding about food, nutrition, and health that can impact future education endeavors. Findings from this study can be helpful to inform educators about the development of nutritional education curricula specifically targeting nutritional values regarding foods being processed in different ways.

Background: Although sustainable food consumption is gaining growing importance on the international agenda, research on this subject is still quite fragmented and most studies analyse single aspects of sustainable food consumption with particular reference to environmental sustainability. In addition, the literature highlights the need to take account of the strong heterogeneity of consumers in studying sustainable behaviour. Identifying consumer segments with common profiles, needs and values is essential for developing effective communication strategies to promote sustainability in food consumption. Methods: Consumer segmentation based on the perception of the sustainability attributes of organic and local products was realized using descriptive data collected through a consumer online survey in southern Italy (Campania). K-means cluster analysis was performed to identify different consumer segments based on consumer perception of sustainable attributes in organic and local food. Results: Results confirm the support of consumers for organic and local food as sustainable alternative in food choices even if occasional buying behaviour of these products still predominates. In addition, our results show that an egoistic approach prevails among consumers, who seem to attach more value to attributes related to quality and health than to environmental, social and economic sustainability. Segmentation proves the existence of three consumer segments that differ significantly in terms of perception of sustainability attributes: a large segment of individuals who seem more egocentric oriented, an environmental sustainability oriented segment and a small segment that includes sustainability oriented consumers. Conclusion: The existence of different levels of sensitivity to sustainability attributes in organic and local food among the identified segments could be duly considered by policy makers and other institutions in promoting sustainable consumption patterns. Consumers in the first cluster could be educated about the social and environmental benefits of organic and local consumption, beyond health and quality aspects, by promoting communication strategies aimed at creating a sense of belonging and self-identity in the change process towards sustainability. Consumers in the second cluster could be more informed about the additional social and economic benefits of organic and local consumption that goes beyond the still perceived environmental benefits. The strategic focus should be on attracting interest on the sense of belonging to the local community, in order to further promoting the short supply chain as models based on community building relationships and processes that hold people to place and share responsibility. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the increasing demand for more sustainable food products needs to be coupled with the development and adoption of innovations. In this regards, several patents have been registered for biopesticides/ insecticides and bioactive agricultural products. However, more scientific evidence of higher yields and other benefits and enabling measures that support farmers are required to broaden adoption of innovation for sustainable agro-food production.

Aims and Background: For consumers to make healthy informed decisions (e.g. choose a low nutritional risk food product), they need to receive and exchange information with experts, health authorities, health and risk communicators and other interest groups. However, communicators often face the challenge that consumers avoid such information and have a low engagement with health and risk communication activities. This often results from a lack of consideration of consumers' characteristics and communications customization to them. Methods: A potential approach to increase engagement with communications is providing information that fits consumers' need and goals, particularly their regulatory orientation. We propose that such customization can be applied within a Mental Models' Approach operationalized through a recently patented Mental Modeling Technology PlatformTM (US9262725B2). Results: Drawing results from psychological science and particularly Regulatory Focus Theory, communications can be customized to two global individual's goal orientation: 1) Promotion focus; 2) Prevention Focus. Communications customized into a promotion orientation (vs. prevention orientation) should make salient gains/positive consequences (vs. losses/negative consequences). Regulatory orientation should be measured in Mental Models Approach step two and message customization in step three (communication design). Conclusion: The role of individual psychological factors which influence food perception and choice should be considered in future studies/interventions to promote healthier decisions. Those responsible for designing mass dissemination messages and/or public health interventions, may benefit from using regulatory fit to facilitate behavior change, particularly when cost-effective personalized bidirectional communications are not possible.

In light of the increasing interest in the economic and socio-political impact of the ‘traditional food’ trend, it is essential to understand the determinant factors that lead to traditional consumer choices. The standardization of sensory quality evaluation methods marks the pressing need for food product certification, particularly foods with specific sensory characteristics, such as those with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Consumer perception of particular foods, especially for foods that are culturally and socially contingent, such as cheese, must be understood as both a psychophysical reflex and a learned social practice. Consumers create their own perceptions based on the overall intrinsic or extrinsic cheese characteristics, mainly sensory characteristics that reflect others' attributes. These characteristics are normally linked to the specific cheese manufacture process. Some patents propose the use of adapted cheesemaking equipment (EP1982582A2), suitable for the manufacture of small-scale cheeses, such as some PDO cheese. Thus, sensory evaluation of any kind of cheese is based, in the initial phase, on knowledge of the sensory methods for cheese evaluation and, in a second phase, on the familiarity of the cheese characteristics and verbalization of desirable and undesirable attributes. This paper presents a case study based on the traditional food product, Évora cheese, assembled with PDO cheeses, whose sensory and physicochemical quality attributes are essential in order to obtain this designation and ensure the genuine properties that characterize them, as well as ascertaining exactly how they are perceived and further accepted by the consumer.

Background: This study aimed to verify the influence of different substrates with and without addition of nutrient solution on the roostocks production of Capdeboscq cultivar and grafted peach plants of 'Chimarrita' scion. Methods: In the first experiment, the height and stem diameter of the rootstocks were evaluated every two weeks, up to 90 days after transplanting (DAT). At 90 DAT, dry weight of shoots and roots, total dry mass and Dickson Quality Index were evaluated. In the second experiment, seedlings of ‘Capdeboscq’ were grafted with ‘Chimarrita’ scion. The growth of the scions and the percentage of living grafts were evaluated. At 146 DAT, the stem diameter of the scions, the SPAD index, the chlorophyll and nitrogen balance index were evaluated. Discussion: The greatest mean values for the stem diameter of seedlings of the cv. Capdeboscq were obtained with the substrates T4 (5.53 mm); T2 (5.47 mm) and T1 (5.23 mm) with addition of nutrient solution, with seedlings reaching the plant standards according to the ordinance number 173 of May 27th of 1984, which recommends that rootstocks have to have a minimum stem diameter of 5.0 mm. Thus, the substrates which received the addition of nutrient solution, except the soil substrate, were adequate considering the rules that governing the peach tree production in Brazilian Nurserioes. Conclusion: The nutrient solution already avaliblabe for Recent patents is highly indicated to obtain seedlings of 'Capbdboscq' rootstocks with high mophophysiological quality in less time during nursery cycle of plant production. The largest stem diameter for 'Capdeboscq' was obtained with substrate 35% sand + 15% soil + 50% bovine manure (5.53 mm); 75% sand + 25% soil (5.47 mm) and 100% sand (5.23 mm) with addition of nutrient solution. The best morphophysiological characteristics of 'Chimarrita' plants grafted on 'Capdeboscq' seedlings was obtained with the use of substrates 75% sand + 25% soil and 35% sand + 15% soil + 50% bovine manure, whose plants reached a morphological standard for sale, in just four and a half months DAT, that is 56 days after grafting.

Objective: The sharp increase of pro-inflammatory cytokine becomes a severe problem in some degenerative diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Cherry Leaf Extract (CLE) on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in hyperglycaemic mouse model. A recent patent mentioned that Muntinga calabura is a flavonoid-containing plant which is capable of reinforcing the stomach, appetizing, helping digestion (CN 201611138374), and improving stomach distention (CN106071017A). The efficacy of this miracle plant has inspired this experiment. Methods: In this study, we induced hyperglycemia with high-fat diet and 20% fructose drink. Hyperglycemic mice were orally administered with CLE with the doses 420, 700, and 28000 mg/kg BW for two weeks. After treatment, the pro-inflammatory molecule was analyzed by flow cytometry from splenic cells. Results: This study showed that CLE decreased the production of pro-inflammatory molecules such as IL-6, NF-ΚB, TNF-α, and IFN γ. In hyperglycemic mice, we found CD68+IL-6+, NK1.1+IL- 6+, B220+NFΚB+, CD4+TNF-α+, and CD4+IFN γ + increased significantly (p < 0.05) compared to control mice without manipulation. After treatment with 420, 700, or 2800 mg/kg BW of CLE, the pro-inflammatory molecules decreased significantly (p < 0.05), and reached a normal physiology level. Conclusion: CLE can suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines in hyperglycemic mouse model, suggesting this medicinal herb may be beneficial as a potential strategy for future therapeutic interventions in degenerative diseases or a disease involving cell activation.

Background: Coconut jelly is a popular dessert among Asian people. However, it contains high levels of sugar. The recent patents on steviol glycoside (WO2015014969A1), steviol glycoside compositions for oral ingestion or use (WO2017095932A1) and sweetener composition for preventing and improving obesity, containing glycolysis inhibitor ingredient (EP2756764B1) help to select the sweetener for development of coconut jelly. Objective: Therefore, the purposes of this study were to develop a healthier coconut jelly formula by using stevia as a natural sweetener as well as to investigate the short-term effects of Modified Coconut Jelly (MCJ) compared to Control Formula (CCJ) consumption on glycemic and insulin responses in twelve healthy participants. Methods: The sensory evaluation found that MCJ with 50% sugar replacement using stevia obtained the highest acceptability score compared to other formulas. In a cross-over design, participants were required to consume MCJ and CCJ containing 50 g of available carbohydrates. Blood samples were collected at 0 (baseline), 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes for postprandial blood glucose, insulin, and C-peptide. Results: The incremental Areas Under the Curve (iAUC) of blood glucose and insulin of MCJ had a lower trend than CCJ by 15.7 and 5.4 percent, respectively. MCJ consumption had blood glucose slowly decline after 60 to 120 minute. MCJ tended to decrease in postprandial blood glucose level without inducing insulin secretion. Conclusion: This might be an effect of stevia. Nutrient composition is lower in total sugar and higher in fiber, which has been reported as antihyperglycemia in humans. Therefore, MCJ might be an optional food product for healthy people or patients with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes mellitus.

Background: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the most important tool for implementing Sustainability Guidelines for Business (US20030018487A1), delivering economic, social and environmental benefits for all the stakeholders and is currently the focus of international studies and debates (US7260559B1), especially in the agri-food sector as demonstrated by recent patents (CA2862273A1). In most agri-food businesses operating in Italy, there is little effectiveness in the communication strategies of this instrument to the stakeholders since they are often not advanced. Methods: Identifying the first two food companies in the European ranking of the 6th CSR Online Awards, through an empirical survey on consumers, their level of perception of the CSR strategies communication of these companies will be analyzed. Results: In both case studies analyzed, there is the presence of a Sustainability Orientation and the evolution of CSR tools within such companies and their promotion and communication to all the stakeholders. Despite this, the level of perception of respondents on the CSR strategies communication of these companies and the promotion of CSR instruments is not optimal. Conclusion: The interviewed consumers have not enriched their knowledge on CSR due to the lack of an adequate communication strategy for both case studies. Consequently, to raise awareness on the subject, there is still a great deal of cooperation needed between public institutions, local communities, businesses and citizens.

Background: The photosynthetic unicellular microalgal strain, Chlorella vulgaris is considered as a robust biomass and lipid producer for human food and feed and also green energy production. The culture media composition plays a crucial role in biomass and lipid production and productivity. Methods: The photosynthetic green microalga C. vulgaris was studied in three distinct cultivation experiments each for 22 days, using BG11 and f/2 culture media to investigate the effects of different levels of nitrogen and culture media replacement on cell growth, lipid production and productivity. Results: In f/2 culture medium, the total lipid production reached was 0.246 g L-1 (41.55%) which was 147% higher than its counterpart in BG11 medium (0.298 g L-1). On the other hand, the highest biomass (1.492 g L-1) was attained in BG11-3 medium with 6.00 g nitrate L-1 and this was correlated with higher total chlorophyll content (15.189 mg L-1) and cell number (3.812 106 cell mL-1). A fatty acid profile, composed of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids was detected and included stearic acid, oleic acid, α-linolenic acid and γ-linolenic acid which have nutritional or combustion importance. Conclusion: These data suggest that this C. vulgaris strain may be considered as a robust source for biomass, lipid and green energy production. The newly established patents have shed light on the future directions to achieve higher lipids and fatty acids with improved properties through different bioprocess and genetic engineering approaches.