Andrew Plunkett

Iron and the female athlete: a review of dietary treatment methods for improving iron status and exercise performance.

Iron is a functional component of oxygen transport and energy production in humans and therefore is a critically important micronutrient for sport and exercise performance. Athletes, particularly female athletes participating in endurance sport, are at increased risk of compromised iron status due to heightened iron losses through menstruation and exercise-induced mechanisms associated with endurance activity. Conventionally oral iron supplementation is used in prevention or/and treatment of iron deficiency. However, this approach has been criticised because of the side effects and increased risk of iron toxicity associated with the use of supplements. Thus, more recently there has been a growing interest in using dietary modification rather than the use of supplements to improve iron status of athletes. Dietary iron treatment methods include the prescription of an iron-rich diet, or/and haem iron-based diet, dietary advice counselling and inclusion of novel iron-rich products into the daily diet. Although studies using dietary modification are still scarce, current literature suggests that dietary iron interventions can assist in maintaining iron status in female athletes, especially during intensive training and competition. Future research should focus on the most efficient method(s) of dietary modification for improvement of iron status and whether these approaches can have a favourable impact on sports and exercise performance.

Influence of extrusion variables on the protein in vitro digestibility and protein solubility of extruded soy tarhana

Tarhana, supplemented with 150 g kg−1 full-fat soy flour, was extruded at different extrusion conditions (barrel temperature: 80–120°C; screw speed: 100–300 rpm; feed rate: 10–20 kg h−1 ) using a twin-screw extruder. The effect of extrusion conditions on the in vitro digestibility (PD) of the protein and protein solubility (PS) was investigated using response surface methodology. Regression equations for predicting PD and PS were developed. While the barrel temperature had a significant effect on PD (P <0.1), feed rate was the most significant variable on PS of the samples (P<0.05). Since the protein solubility should be high for the instant properties of extruded soy tarhana soup, it is suggested that soy tarhana should be extruded at low feed rates (ie high residence times) while high barrel temperatures should be achieved for the inactivation of antinutritional factors present in the soy flour. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry

The use of dry Jerusalem artichoke as a functional nutrient in developing extruded food with low glycaemic index

This study considers the use of dry Jerusalem artichoke (JA) as a functional nutrient in developing food products with enhanced nutritional characteristics and low glycaemic index (GI). Three different formulations based on buckwheat and JA were developed and processed using extrusion technology. Nutritional properties including the levels of total dietary fibre (TDF), protein, inulin, total carbohydrates and lipids were analysed. A clinical study was performed on ten healthy volunteers (aged between 21 and 56) to determine the level of GI and glycaemic load (GL). The results revealed that JA significantly (P<0.05) increased the levels of TDF and inulin whilst decreasing carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The resulting products had a significant (P<0.05) effect on IAUC between reference food and extruded products, GI and GL. Samples containing 80% of Jerusalem artichoke were considered as a low GI food whilst samples containing 30% and 60% of Jerusalem artichoke as a medium GI food. A similar trend was seen in terms of GL.

Dietary iron intervention using a staple food product for improvement of iron status in female runners

BackgroundAdequate nutrient intake is critically important for achieving optimal sports performance. Like all athletes, female runners require a nutritionally balanced diet to maintain daily activities and a successful training regime. This study investigates the effects of cereal product based dietary iron intervention on iron status of recreational female runners (n=11; 32 ± 7yr; 239 ± 153 minutes exercise/week, of which 161 ± 150 minutes running activity/week; VO2max 38 ± 4 ml/kg/min).MethodsParticipants completed a 6-week dietary intervention study. They were asked to replace their usual bread with iron-rich Teff bread as part of their daily diet. During this period, their dietary habits were assessed by multiple pass 24-hr recalls; iron status was determined by venous blood analysis for serum transferrin, serum transferrin receptor, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity and transferrin receptor/ferritin log index.ResultsPre-intervention a cohort of 11 female runners reported inadequate daily dietary iron intake of 10.7 ± 2.7 mg/day, which was associated with overall compromised iron status. Over a third of all participants showed depleted bodily iron stores (serum ferritin < 12 μg/L). Pre-intervention macronutrient assessment revealed adequate energy, protein and fibre intakes, whilst total fat and saturated fat intake was above the recommendations at the expense of carbohydrate intake. A 6-week dietary intervention resulted in significantly higher total iron intakes (18.5 mg/day, P < 0.05) and improved iron tissue supply but not enlarged iron stores. Improvements in heamatological indices were associated with compromised baseline iron status, prolonged intervention period and increase in dietary iron intake.ConclusionDietary iron interventions using a staple cereal product offer an alternative way of improving dietary iron intake and favourable affecting overall iron status in physically active females.

Bimodal Method of Determining Fat and Salt Content in Beef Products by Microwave Techniques

A bimodal microwave technique is presented as a rapid analytical method of estimating the fat and salt content of beef products. The dielectric properties of lean meat, fat, salt, and other nonmeat ingredients (dry and aqueous solutions) and meat blends of typical ingredients used in meat product manufacture are all separately investigated. A broadband coaxial probe technique is used to select frequencies of maximum sensitivity. The optimum frequency for fat determination lies between 8 and 20 GHz, and the optimum frequency for salt determination lies below 4 GHz. For example, by using a WR-90 cell, either the real or imaginary part of the complex permittivity can effectively resolve fat content, whereas the imaginary part of the permittivity correlates well with salt content when using a WR-284 cell. The technique is sufficiently robust to ensure that the dielectric effects of other nonmeat ingredients, temperature, and density do not adversely affect this measurement approach.

Implementation of Lean Principles in a Food Manufacturing Company

Lean is a powerful tool, which can bring significant benefit to manufacturing industries by creating value through reduction of waste. Although the lean concept has become very popular in mass production industries such as the automotive industry, more recently the concept has been adopted in different batch processing industries and service sectors. The application of lean tools into the food processing industry has not received the same level of attention compared to the traditional manufacturing industries. The paper focuses on implementation of lean tools in a food manufacturing company in UK. The company produces diverse ranges of meat-free and dairy-free food products such as vegetable burgers, sausages, cutlets etc., and supply to the major supermarket chains in UK. In general, the typical manufacturing cycle includes raw material preparation, cooking, mixing, forming into a desired shape, coating with a crumb mixture, and frying. Finally, the products are frozen and then packaged. First, lean tools and lean practices in food manufacturing industries have been briefly presented. The implementation of lean into the company started with reviewing the products, manufacturing processes, technical facilities, and process flow charts. Key areas have been identified to achieve tangible benefits by implementing lean tools such as waste elimination, 5S, single minute exchanges of dies (SMED), Andon system, visual management, work standardisation etc. The results have been presented in the form of a case study. The paper concludes that lean tools can be successfully implemented in a food manufacturing company to improve production efficiency, to improve product quality, and to reduce production cost by reducing waste and adding value. The information presented will be of interest to general food manufacturers and in particular to frozen food manufacturers.

Reducing salt in snack products.

Publisher Summary Historically, salt has been used in foods for its preservative action as well as its distinctive flavor and ability to enhance the flavor of other ingredients. With a low cost and high availability, it is still used extensively within the food industry. While salt is essential in human diet, its widespread use in processed foods has caused health concerns and it has prompted groups in the UK and US to put pressure on the food industry to reduce salt levels. The growth in the consumption of savory snack foods has increased greatly over recent years. Many of these snacks are perceived as being high in salt and thus possibly contribute to the high salt intake. This chapter discusses snack foods, the growth of the snack food market and salt levels in snacks. It also discusses the ways in which different savory snack foods are manufactured, the function of salt in snacks and the possible ways in which salt levels can be reduced. The chapter focuses on the role of salt in savory snacks, in particular crisps, pretzels, extruded products and popcorn.

An Automated Microwave Waveguide Measurement Technique

The tedious and often difficult measurement of dielectric permittivity and permeability as a function of microwave frequency has been simplified using an automated microwave waveguide cell measurement system. The measurement system comprises a microwave VNA under PC control and a data processing section. The overall experimental setup and computer program for the automation of data acquisition are fully discussed. This includes the automatic solution of the transcendental equation to determine the dielectric properties for a frequency band. Experimental data taken using this system is presented to show the feasibility of this automated system for material characterisation. The simplicity, applicability and robustness of this proposed system has applications throughout manufacturing and food processing industries.

Iron-rich Teff-grain bread: an opportunity to improve individual's iron status

.The aims of the present study were therefore to incorporate teff grain into bread, to determine the Fe content, texture qualities, sensoryattributesandcostofteffbreadsandtocomparethemwithcontrolwheatbread.Teffsourwasincorporatedintobreadsatthelevelsof10,20and30%(w/w).Fecontentoftheteffandwheatsoursandallbreadswasdeterminedusingthedipyridylmethod

An Overview of Microwave Techniques for the Efficient Measurement of Food Materials

There is critical demand for rapid, low-cost methods to determine food composition to provide a responsive control mechanism and an efficient quality control system in food processes. Four non-destructive microwave techniques used to measure the relative complex permittivity (e*) of food components are reviewed. The open-ended coaxial probe is found to be quick and effective for broadband measurements of liquids and pastes. Narrowband waveguide cells require careful sample preparation but they provide accurate permittivity measurements for solids, particulates and liquids. The resonant cavity method provides a high Q measurement at a single frequency and is suitable for low loss samples that can be inserted into the resonator. For scanning and conveyer belts we describe a horn antenna, free-space transmission line method. Each method is described and real examples are demonstrated for the characterisation of a range of foodstuffs.