William S. Whiteside

The Effects of Residual Air and Viscosity on the Rate of Heat Penetration of Retort Food Simulant in Pouch When Using Static and Oscillating Motions: The effects of residual air and viscosity…

The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of 3 levels of residual air and 2 different retort motions on the value of the average heating slope of the rate of heat penetration of 3 different viscosities of a food simulant in flexible retort pouches. Pouches were thermally processed in a water spray automated batch retort system using 2 different methods of motion: static and oscillating continuously at a speed of 10.5 rotations per min (RPM) with an angle of 15°. Nine residual air and viscosity combinations were processed during each experimental run: low viscosity with no residual air (LV-NRA), medium viscosity with no residual air (MV-NRA), high viscosity with no residual air (HV-NRA), low viscosity with medium residual air (LV-MRA), medium viscosity with medium residual air (MV-MRA), high viscosity with medium residual air (HV-MRA), low viscosity with high residual air (LV-HRA), medium viscosity with high residual air (MV-HRA), and high viscosity with high residual air (HV-HRA). As the amount of residual air in the pouches increased, the average heating slope value decreased in both static and oscillating motions. As the viscosity of the product increased the amount of residual air affected the average heating slope less in static and oscillating motions. Overall, the oscillating motion resulted in faster rates of heat penetration in all viscosities compared to static mode. The oscillating motion reduced processing times up to 27% compared to static mode. PRACTICAL APPLICATION This research can be applied to food manufacturers that are retorting foods in pouches. Residual air in pouches has been studied previously; however, with the development of new retort motions, more research needs to be conducted about the effect of residual air in a pouch using the different motions. Food manufacturers can use this information to optimize their amount of residual air based on their product viscosity and retort motion. This could dramatically lower processing time which would save money and increase output as well as potentially increases product quality. This research is aimed at influencing food manufacturers, process authorities, and product developers.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) Diet Affects the Gut Microbiome and Obesity Markers in Rat

Lentil, a moderate-energy high-protein pulse crop, provides significant amounts of essential nutrients for healthy living. The objective of this study was to determine if a lentil-based diet affects food and energy intake, body weight, percent body fat, liver weight, and body plasma triacylglycerols (TGs) as well as the composition of fecal microbiota in rats. A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either a standard diet, a 3.5% high amylose corn starch diet, or a 70.8% red lentil diet for 6 weeks. By week 6, rats fed the lentil diet had significantly lower mean body weight (443 ± 47 g/rat) than those fed the control (511 ± 51 g/rat) or corn (502 ± 38 g/rat) diets. Further, mean percent body fat and TG concentration were lower, and lean body mass was higher in rats fed the lentil diet than those fed the corn diet. Fecal abundance of Actinobacteria and Bacteriodetes were greater in rats fed the lentil or corn starch diets than those fed the control diet. Fecal abundance of Firmicutes, a bacterial phylum comprising multiple pathogenic species, decreased in rats fed the lentil and high-amylose corn starch diets vs the control diet. The lentil-based diet decreased body weight, percent body fat, and plasma triacylglycerols in rats and suppressed intestinal colonization by pathogens.