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- Knowledge about consumption of milk: Study involving consumers from two European Countries – France and PortugalPublication . Bréjon, Marius; Tavares, Francisca; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; C. Goncalves, J.; Barroca, Maria João; Guiné, RaquelMilk assumes a pivotal role in human nutrition from early stages of life, although when going into adulthood the consumption habits can vary according to different perceptions from the consumer or even due to the presence of some intolerances. In this context, this research focuses on the consumption knowledge about the composition and nutritional value of milk and its effect on human health. The objective was to investigate how informed are the French and Portuguese participants and detect similarities or differences according to the country. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey was set up to recruit participants from two countries: France and Portugal. The total number of participants was 543, of which 333 were French and 210 were Portuguese. For treatment of data basic statistics and tests were used to compare the results between the two countries, using the software SPSS. The results showed significant differences between the two countries in what concerns the participant’s knowledge about milk composition and nutritive value and also the effects of milk on human health. From the 13 items used to assess knowledge about composition and nutritive value of milk, significant differences were found between countries for six of them. Regarding the ten items used to evaluate the effects of milk on human health, significant differences were found for seven of them. As so, the knowledge about the effects on human health are more differentiated between the participants from France and Portugal, than the knowledge about the milk composition. Factor analysis showed six groups of questions, with good internal reliability (values of alpha varying from 0.707 to 0.825). It is concluded that participants from different countries, exposed to different environments (societal, political, or educational) can have different perceptions about milk and its effects on health.
- Food safety in portuguese Companies in Covid-19 Pandemic ContextPublication . C. Goncalves, J.; Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Correia, Paula; Tomasevic, I.; Djekic, I.
- Consumer Knowledge about Dietary Relevance of Fruits and Vegetables: A Study Involving Participants from Portugal and FrancePublication . Le Turc, Nolwenn; Silva, Ana Jaquelina; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Raposo, António; C. Goncalves, J.; Lima, Maria João; Teixeira de Lemos, Edite; Guiné, RaquelFruits and vegetables are recommended as low-calorie foods that contribute to the proper intake of necessary micronutrients, macronutrients, and bioactive compounds with health benefits. However, the recommendations for the dietary intake of these foods fail to be attained in most European countries. For this reason, promoting more knowledge about the health effects of fruits and vegetables is essential to decrease the incidence of chronic diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the knowledge of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables among the population of Portugal and France. The present work involved a questionnaire survey of 639 participants (257 from Portugal and 382 from France). The results revealed that most participants were young females (68.9%) with good education (76%) and an average weight range. They consumed a varied diet (57%) but had body dissatisfaction (63.2%). The respondents had good knowledge about the health effects of fruits and vegetables. However, the French population knew more about the theme than the Portuguese. Portuguese individuals were more likely to have incomplete information. Gender and education significantly influenced knowledge levels, with females and highly educated individuals demonstrating greater understanding. Dissatisfaction with body weight drives individuals to seek nutrition information. This investigation enhances our comprehension of the factors that affect knowledge of vegetable and fruit consumption among young adults in Portugal and France. Moreover, it highlights the importance of implementing focused educational programs to enhance nutrition literacy, particularly for less-aware demographic groups. Going forward, a more in-depth analysis of these factors could assist in creating more efficient strategies to encourage healthier dietary habits and improve nutrition literacy among these communities.
- Fruit and vegetable consumption: Study involving Portuguese and French consumersPublication . LE TURC, Nolwenn; Silva, Ana Isabel; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; C. Goncalves, J.; Lemos, Edite Teixeira de; Lima, M. J. Reis; Guiné, RaquelThe regular consumption of vegetables and fruits has been indicated as part of a healthy diet. They are considered healthy foods because they are sources of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Adequate intake of these foods can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and various types of cancer. The objective of the present study was to determine the consumption habits of vegetables and fruits in two different countries, Portugal and France. For this descriptive study, it was used a questionnaire survey, applied to individuals over 18 years old and carried out through the internet, being disseminated on social networks and by email. The sample was constituted by 640 participants (257 from Portugal and 383 from France). Statistical tools were used for the treatment of data, like the T-Test and chi-square test utilised to compare the results between Portuguese and French consumers. The results showed that the Portuguese eat out more often than the French. Portuguese and French like vegetables equally but the French eat more vegetables and fruit per week on average than the Portuguese. The French like soup as much as the Portuguese but the Portuguese eat soup more regularly than the French and prefer soup with cut pieces, unlike the French which prefer soup with grounded vegetables. The global consumption of vegetables and fruits is low in both countries and should be increased, most especially in Portugal, where the consumption is lower. In conclusion, despite some differences found across consumers according to country, the consumption of these foods is still below the recommendations of the World Health Organisation, and therefore, some more actions are necessary to incentivise a higher consumption of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy lifestyle.
- Flour from drone broods: A viable alternative?Publication . Correia, Paula; Vouga, C; Coelho, Catarina; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Gonçalves, Fernando Jorge; C. Goncalves, J.
- Numerical study of the optimal nozzle width and jet orientation in a downward blowing air curtainPublication . C. Goncalves, J.; Costa, José Joaquim Da; Gameiro Lopes, Antonio; Figueiredo, A. RuiThis paper presents a numerical study of the performance of an air curtain device (ACD) installed on top of the access door of a refrigerated room, aiming to quantify the influence of some parameters (nozzle width, initial orientation and discharge velocity of the jet) towards the maximization of the sealing effect. For this purpose, a numerical model was developed to simulate the turbulent non-isothermal 3D airflow generated by the ACD jet, focusing on the period after the door is opened. The situation when the ACD is switched off is taken as the reference for the performance evaluation. The results allow identifying an optimum jet nozzle width corresponding to maximum sealing efficiency and lower jet airflow rate (lower energy consumption in the air curtain operation). For the present conditions (ACD installed outside the refrigerated room), the sealing efficiency is highest with the ACD oriented vertically and is practically unaffected if the jet discharge is directed towards the warmer space. On the contrary, a jet discharged towards the cooler space is very detrimental to the ACD sealing effect
- Insect flour as milk protein substitute in fermented dairy productsPublication . Neves, Vítor; Campos, Lara; Ribeiro, Nuno; Costa, Rui; Correia, Paula; C. Goncalves, J.; Henriques, MartaFermented dairy products (FDP) are consumed worldwide, due to their nutritional attributes and sensory properties. In the last decade, edible insects have been the subject of research as a sustainable source of protein to be introduced into the food industry. This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of black soldier fly (BSF) and drone brood (DB) flours in FDP, with or without probiotics, as a viable substitute of milk powder during refrigerated storage for 21 days. The nutritional composition of the products remained unchanged despite the addition of insect flour, with a fat content of ~0.95% and a protein content of ~4.7%. The products acidity increased from 0.78 to 1.06% lactic acid during storage. The colour of the FDP was typical yellowish-white, except for those containing BSF flour which had a darker colour. For all FDP, syneresis values were below 10% after the first day of storage, particularly for those with DB flour with syneresis as low as 5%. The probiotics had the highest values of Lactobacillus spp. (>6 log CFU/g) and Streptococcus spp. (>10 log CFU/g). The addition of the BSF flour was found to have a negative impact in the consumers’ perception of the products, according to the sensory analysis.
- Exploring prebiotic properties and its probiotic potential of new formulations of soy milk-derived beveragesPublication . Rana, Ananya; Taneja, Neetu Kumra; Raposo, António; Alarifi, Sehad N.; Teixeira-Lemos, Edite; Lima, M. J. Reis; C. Goncalves, J.; Dhewa, Tejpal
- Consumers’ attitudes toward refrigerated ready-to-eat meat and dairy foodsPublication . C. Goncalves, J.; Guiné, Raquel; Djekic, Ilija; Smigic, NadaThe constant variation of people’s lifestyle has been linked to changes in people’s eating habits. The consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) food products, such as fresh vegetables, salads, dairy, pre-cooked meat, or pre-cooked meals, has increased in all western countries. This study aims at characterization of the Portuguese consumers’ attitude toward chilled RTE meat and dairy foods consumption. The study was performed using a questionnaire survey disclosed through an internet platform. The sample consisted of 350 individuals, who voluntarily answered the questionnaire. The survey included questions to characterize the Portuguese purchase and food safety attitudes related to dairy and meat RTE food products. The questionnaire also included questions for the sociodemographic characterization of the sample involved. According to the results, it is not clear to the customers as which is the safer refrigerated RTE food selling format, pre-packed or foods on request. The participants consider refrigerated RTE dairy and meat food products safer when purchased at the delicatessen department in the supermarket than those purchased at open markets or bazaars. With respect to the customers’ habits, they usually purchase RTE dairy or meat food products mainly from the supermarket, and in pre-packed format. Globally, the results reveal that Portuguese consumers are conscious and follow assertive attitudes toward food safety, contributing to maintain the refrigerated food chain, even when they take the product home.
- Characteristics of enrichment of fresh pasta with bee drone broods flourPublication . Correia, Paula; Teixeira, G; Silva, A; Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Moitinho, A; Pitacas, I; C. Goncalves, J.Background: The fortification of staple food is one of the goals of modern technologies. Aim: In this study, preparation of pasta replacing wheat semolina flour with drone brood flours, rich in protein (27-38%), was tested. Method: The drone brood flour (DF) was obtained by the cold (CE) and hot (HE) extraction processes. After several trials, it was possible to incorporate 10% DFCE, and 20% DFHE. Pastas were evaluated in terms of its technological characteristics (optimum cooking time, cooking losses, swelling index), physical characteristics (colour and texture), chemical characteristics (nutritional composition) and sensory characteristics, and compared with a control pasta (0% dwarf flour). Results and discussion: The addition of DF increased the optimum cooking time, cooking loss and swelling index. The water absorption increased in the case of 10% DFCE pasta. The incorporation of DFCE caused a darker final product, however the incorporation of DFCE resulted in a slightly lighter product when compared to the control sample. In general, the addition of DF led to an increase in the hardness of pastas, particularly in the 20% DFHE samples. Moreover, pasta with added DF had a higher protein and ash content, thus increasing its nutritional quality. Sensorially, the DF pastas had an overall appreciation and a preferential purchase intention by the tasters, standing out in terms of the intensity of colour and aroma compared to the control pasta. Conclusion: DF is a promising ingredient in pasta production, contributing to human health and at the same time promoting economic returns.