Paula Porrelli Moreira da Silva

Aplicação do método QFD na avaliação do perfil do consumidor de abacaxi 'Pérola'

A busca pela longevidade e a procura por alimentos mais saudaveis fizeram com que os consumidores se tornassem cada vez mais exigentes. Diante disso, procurou-se estabelecer o comportamento de compra dos consumidores de abacaxi no Mercado Municipal de Piracicaba (SP) atraves do metodo de Desdobramento da Funcao Qualidade (QFD) e, com base nas respostas obtidas nos questionarios aplicados, tracou-se o perfil dos consumidores, destacando-se suas preferencias, costumes, reclamacoes e exigencias. Verificou-se que e a mulher que realiza as compras do abacaxi, com preferencia pelo consumo na forma in natura. Encontrou-se insatisfacao de 80,1% dos entrevistados quanto a qualidade do abacaxi, sendo a elevada acidez, a principal causa de descontentamento. Logo, a qualidade do abacaxi nao correspondia aquela indicada pelos consumidores (casca sem defeitos, coloracao amarelada ou mista, tamanho grande, boa aparencia interna demonstrando que esta sadio, textura firme, aroma caracteristico, baixa acidez, sabor doce, maduro do ponto de vista fisiologico e suculento). Diante da insatisfacao dos consumidores e considerando-se que o abacaxi e consumido preferencialmente in natura, deve-se atentar para a preservacao da sua aparencia e qualidade sensorial. A opiniao dos consumidores deve ser considerada na tentativa de identificar os pontos que devem ser melhorados dentro da cadeia de comercializacao, a fim de minimizar as perdas e promover a melhoria e a manutencao da qualidade do produto final.

Sensory quality of Camembert-type cheese: Relationship between starter cultures and ripening molds

Starter cultures and ripening molds used in the manufacture of moldy cheese aimed at obtaining characteristic flavors and textures considerably differ among dairy industries. Thus, the study of variables inherent to the process and their influence on sensory patterns in cheese can improve the standardization and control of the production process. The aim of this work was to study the influence of three different variables on the sensory quality of Camembert-type cheese: type of lactic bacteria, type of ripener molds and inoculation method. Batches of Camembert-type cheese were produced using O or DL-type mesophilic starter culture, ripened with Penicillium camemberti or Penicillium candidum and mold inoculation was made directly into the milk or by spraying. All batches were sensorially evaluated using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) with panelists trained for various attributes. Among the combinations analyzed, those resulting in more typical Camembert-type cheese were those using O-type mesophilic starter culture and P. candidum maturation mold directly applied into the milk or sprayed and those using DL-type mesophilic starter and P. camemberti ripener mold applied by surface spraying. These results demonstrate, therefore, that the combination of different ripener molds, inoculation methods and starter cultures directly influences the sensory quality of Camembert-type cheese, modifying significantly its texture, appearance, aroma and taste.

Sensory descriptive quantitative analysis of unpasteurized and pasteurized juçara pulp (Euterpe edulis) during long-term storage

This study evaluated the effect of pasteurization followed by storage under different conditions on the sensory attributes of frozen juçara pulp using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). Pasteurization of packed frozen pulp was performed by its immersion in stainless steel tank containing water (80°C) for 5 min, followed by storage under refrigerated and frozen conditions. A trained sensory panel evaluated the samples (6°C) on day 1, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90. Sensory attributes were separated as follows: appearance (foamy, heterogeneous, purple, brown, oily, and creamy), aroma (sweet and fermented), taste (astringent, bitter, and sweet), and texture (oily and consistent), and compared to a reference material. In general, unpasteurized frozen pulp showed the highest score for foamy appearance, and pasteurized samples showed highest scores to creamy appearance. Pasteurized samples remained stable regarding brown color development while unpasteurized counterparts presented increase. Color is an important attribute related to the product identity. All attributes related to taste and texture remained constant during storage for all samples. Pasteurization followed by storage under frozen conditions has shown to be the best conservation method as samples submitted to such process received the best sensory evaluation, described as foamy, slightly heterogeneous, slightly bitter, and slightly astringent.

Polpa de camu-camu liofilizada e armazenada em diferentes embalagens

O camu-camu, fruto Amazonico, possui altos teores de acido ascorbico alem de outros importantes componentes com atividade antioxidante, a utilizacao desses recursos naturais pode resultar em maior desenvolvimento da regiao de sua origem. No Brasil, sua comercializacao e limitada a frutas frescas, mas muitas pesquisas procuram produtos transformados que podem ser facilmente transportados e armazenados. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a qualidade fisico-quimica de polpa de camu-camu desidratada por liofilizacao e armazenada a 25°C durante cinco meses em bolsas de polietileno, nylon e polietileno revestido com camada de aluminio. A polpa de camu-camu liofilizada embalada em bolsa de polietileno revestida com camada de aluminio foi a que obteve caracteristicas satisfatorias de conservacao durante os 150 dias de armazenamento, pois manteve o produto estavel em virtude da menor aquisicao de umidade, e da prevencao de oxidacao dos pigmentos e alteracoes na coloracao do po. Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE

Physiological and Environmental Aspects of Photosynthesis

Undoubtedly, photosynthesis is one of the most important process for the life planet maintenance. The sun releases radiant energy that is able to boost the photosynthetic apparatus of the plants, which produce carbohydrates that will be used in the respiration. Among the most important reactions of photosynthesis is the release of oxygen, essential for respiration, which happens in photosystem II. The products generated in the first phase of photosynthesis or photochemical phase (ATP and NADPH) are used in the second phase or the carbon fixation phase. In this second phase acts the Rubisco enzyme, the key enzyme of photosynthesis for the production of carbohydrates such as starch and sucrose. Several factors interfere in the photosynthesis, such as temperature, oxygen and carbon dioxide content, light level, water availability and others. The knowledge of these interferences has aided in the development of technologies to maximize agricultural productivity and enable agroclimatic zoning of many cultures.

Gamma Radiation in Plant Foods

Food irradiation is the most studied and evaluated worldwide treatments. The term radiation refers to the physical phenomenon in which radiant energy moves through the space or matter in the form of electromagnetic waves, such as microwave, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays. In foods, the most commonly used technique relies on irradiation using a specific band of electromagnetic energy radiation known as ionizing radiation with gamma rays. The purpose is to sterilize or reduce decay, disinfect vegetables from insects and parasites, delay fruit ripening and inhibit sprouting roots. However, as all technological process, irradiation has disadvantages. It can be said that, as the other postharvest technologies, the use of gamma radiation results in advantages and quality to fruits and vegetables since applied correctly and at the right moment. Current legislation and the specific requirement of the species and cultivar must be respect. If these caution are taken, the use of irradiation results in healthy and safe products without quality degradation and without postharvest losses.

PROCESSO PRODUTIVO DE TOMATE SECO OBTIDO POR ENERGIA SOLAR E CONVENCIONAL A PARTIR DE MINI-TOMATES CONGELADOS

O tomate constitui-se uma das hortalicas mais exploradas cientificamente, devido a sua importância comercial. O tomate pode, atraves de processamento adequado, dar origem a inumeros produtos, alguns deles de elevado consumo no Brasil. Depois da boa aceitacao do tomate cereja pelo consumidor, um novo segmento de mini-tomate, chamado Grape, comeca a despontar nos mercados brasileiros. Nesse trabalho foi avaliado o processo produtivo do tomate seco, a partir de mini-tomates Sweet Grape, congelados desidratados em secador solar e convencional, visando obter um alimento seguro do ponto de vista microbiologico, fisico-quimica, instrumental cor e aceitabilidade. Os tomates foram secos ate teores de umidade entre 35% e 50%, e observadas suas mudancas em relacao aos tomates in natura e seu comportamento nos periodos de armazenamento apos processados de 0, 30, 60 e 90 dias, verificando, assim, a sua estabilidade. A avaliacao da qualidade do produto foi realizada atraves das analises microbiologicas, fisico-quimicas, composicao centesimal e sensorial. Houve diferenca significativa entre os secadores, eletrico e solar, para todos os parâmetros analisados, porem nao houve alteracao significativa para o periodo de armazenamento. Em relacao a avaliacao sensorial, o tomate seco ao sol obteve melhor aceitacao entre os provadores

Resource allocation optimization with multi-trait genomic prediction for bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) baking quality

Key MessageMulti-trait genomic prediction models are useful to allocate available resources in breeding programs by targeted phenotyping of correlated traits when predicting expensive and labor-intensive quality parameters.AbstractMulti-trait genomic prediction models can be used to predict labor-intensive or expensive correlated traits where phenotyping depth of correlated traits could be larger than phenotyping depth of targeted traits, reducing resources and improving prediction accuracy. This is particularly important in the context of allocating phenotyping resource in plant breeding programs. The objective of this work was to evaluate multi-trait models predictive ability with different depth of phenotypic information from correlated traits. We evaluated 495 wheat advanced breeding lines for eight baking quality traits which were genotyped with genotyping-by-sequencing. Through different approaches for cross-validation, we evaluated the predictive ability of a single-trait model and a multi-trait model. Moreover, we evaluated different sizes of the training population (from 50 to 396 individuals) for the trait of interest, different depth of phenotypic information for correlated traits (50 and 100%) and the number of correlated traits to be used (one to three). There was no loss in the predictive ability by reducing the training population up to a 30% (149 individuals) when using correlated traits. A multi-trait model with one highly correlated trait phenotyped for both the training and testing sets was the best model considering phenotyping resources and the gain in predictive ability. The inclusion of correlated traits in the training and testing lines is a strategic approach to replace phenotyping of labor-intensive and high cost traits in a breeding program.

Physicochemical characteristics and high sensory acceptability in cappuccinos made with jackfruit seeds replacing cocoa powder

Jackfruit seeds are an under-utilized waste product in many tropical countries. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of roasted jackfruit seeds to substitute for cocoa powder in cappuccino formulations. Two different flours were produced from a hard variety jackfruit by drying or fermenting the seeds prior to roasting. Next, formulations were prepared with 50%, 75%, and 100% substitution of cocoa powder with jackfruit seed flours, totalizing seven with control formulation. The acceptance of cappuccinos by consumers (n = 126) and quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA®) were used to describe the preparations. Physicochemical properties were also evaluated. When 50% and 75% cocoa powder was replaced with dry jackfruit seed flour, there was no change in sensory acceptability or technological properties; however, it is possible to identify advantages tousing dry jackfruit seed flour, including moisture reduction and high wettability, solubility and sensory acceptation of the chocolate aroma. The principal component analysis of QDA explained90% variances; cluster analysis enabled the definition of four groups for six cappuccino preparations. In fact, dry jackfruit seed flour is an innovative cocoa powder substitute; it could be used in food preparations, consequently utilizing this tropical fruit waste by incorporating it as an ingredient in a common product of the human diet.

Atmosfera modificada e refrigeração para conservação pós-colheita de camu-camu

This study aimed to evaluate the postharvest camu-camu by using cooling and modified atmosphere propitiated by the films of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) biaxially oriented polypropylene of 50µm thickness (BOPP50) to evaluate the durability the control (without packaging). The fruits were kept at 5±1°C and 90±2% relative humidity for 25 days and evaluated every four days of storage regarding firmness, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity, vitamin C, anthocyanins, weight loss and CO2 concentration of the atmosphere inside the package. The BOPP50 film showed not be the best alternative for the conservation of camu-camu, because its low permeability to gases caused the accumulation of CO2 inside the package, allowing the fermentation of fruits after 13 days of refrigerated storage. Characteristics of pH, soluble solids, titrable acidity, vitamin C and anthocyanins were not affected by the types of films used, but through the days of storage. The results showed that the use of PVC film with cooling to postharvest camu-camu, was effective to maintain the firmness and reduction in weight loss by keeping the fruit commercially viable for 21 days, while control coated BOPP50 was unviable with 13 days of storage.