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An edible spoon is basically a spoon that can be consumed right after use. It is usually prepared with edible ingredients, such as wheat flour, corn flour, or rice flour, and sometimes flavoured-sweet or salty, depending on its use. However, there is still a need for more research related to the shelf life of edible spoons. This study aims to determine the effect of pumpkin flour substitution on shelf life of edible spoon. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 3 formulas, F1 (25%), F2 (50%), and F3 (75% pumpkin flour). The shelf life of edible spoon was determined using the accelerated shelf-life test (ASLT) and calculated using the Labuza equation. The estimated shelf life of edible spoon for each formula was 85 days (control), 211 days (F1), 258 days (F2), and 211 days (F3).

Foodborne bongkrekic acid (BA) poisoning is a fatal foodborne disease in China. From 2010–2020, a total of 19 BA poisoning outbreaks were reported to the China National Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System. These outbreaks involved 146 illnesses, 139 hospitalizations, and 43 deaths, with a case-fatality rate of 29.5%. Approximately 73.3% of the outbreaks occurred in South and Southwest China. Homemade fermented corn flour products, tremella, and sweet potato flour and corn flour products (jelly) caused more early outbreaks, and novel vehicles (wet rice noodles and Auricularia auricula) were associated with later outbreaks in the study period. Outbreaks most frequently occurred at home (79.0%) and in restaurants (21.0%). The prohibition of traditional processed homemade fermented corn flour products and improvement in bongkrekic acid poisoning case identification and early treatment have resulted in a reduction in the case-fatality rate.

The study examines the manufacturing process of flour based bakery products using sprouted barley and maize flour as the functional components. The food sector has seen an increase in the exploration of alternative grains due to the increased focus on health-conscious consumption and sustainability. Barley and corn, two grains of antiquity renowned for their abundant nutritious content, are progressively acknowledged for their capacity to augment the nutritional worth and taste of baked foods. The germination process of barley and maize, focusing on the biochemical alterations that take place during this stage. After germination, the grains are ground into flour, taking into account the size of the particles and the ratios of mixing to enhance the texture and flavor of the end products. The influence of processing characteristics, such as temperature, duration, and moisture content, on the quality of the product and its ability to remain stable on the shelf. It provides valuable information on the technological advancements and potential for innovation in creating healthier and more sustainable baked goods. This research highlights the potential of ancient grains as suitable alternatives in the pursuit of nutritious and tasty food options that meet changing consumer preferences and dietary requirements.

A jamming mechanism for the observed phenomenon of the sudden hardening of suspensions of micrometre-sized particles on impact (enough to enable a person to run over them) is described and quantified. Riddle of the quicksands If you walk fast enough, they say, you can walk over quicksand that would quickly trap the immobile and unwary. The forces involved in that feat are explained in this study. Liquids typically flow around an intruding object, but dense aqueous suspensions of micrometre-sized particles can harden under impact. Shear thickening — a tendency of the sheared suspension to dilate — is often invoked to explain the temporary hardening of such liquids, but is difficult to reconcile with the magnitude of such effects. Here, Scott Waitukaitis and Heinrich Jaeger demonstrate that the remarkable impact resistance is produced by a different mechanism. Using detailed imaging to capture the dynamics of the process — modelled by an aluminium rod striking a dense suspension of cornflour and water — they find that the stresses originate from an impact-generated solidification front that transforms an initially compressible particle matrix into a rapidly growing jammed region. Although liquids typically flow around intruding objects, a counterintuitive phenomenon occurs in dense suspensions of micrometre-sized particles: they become liquid-like when perturbed lightly, but harden when driven strongly 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . Rheological experiments have investigated how such thickening arises under shear, and linked it to hydrodynamic interactions 1 , 3 or granular dilation 2 , 4 . However, neither of these mechanisms alone can explain the ability of suspensions to generate very large, positive normal stresses under impact. To illustrate the phenomenon, such stresses can be large enough to allow a person to run across a suspension without sinking, and far exceed the upper limit observed under shear or extension 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 . Here we show that these stresses originate from an impact-generated solidification front that transforms an initially compressible particle matrix into a rapidly growing jammed region, ultimately leading to extraordinary amounts of momentum absorption. Using high-speed videography, embedded force sensing and X-ray imaging, we capture the detailed dynamics of this process as it decelerates a metal rod hitting a suspension of cornflour (cornstarch) in water. We develop a model for the dynamic solidification and its effect on the surrounding suspension that reproduces the observed behaviour quantitatively. Our findings suggest that prior interpretations of the impact resistance as dominated by shear thickening need to be revisited.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are mycotoxins that contaminate a wide range of grains and crops. In this study, a one-step time-resolved single-channel immunochromatographic test strip based on europium ion polystyrene fluorescence microspheres was first developed for sensitive and quantitative detection of DON and ZEN. The concentration of the artificial antigen and the mass ratio of the monoclonal antibody to fluorescent microspheres for conjugation were optimized to simplify the sample addition process during immunochromatographic assay and improve the on-site detection efficiency. The limits of detection (LOD) of the single-channel immunochromatographic test strip for DON and ZEN detection were 0.17 and 0.54 μg/L, respectively. Meanwhile, the dual-channel immunochromatographic test strip was designed to simultaneously detect DON and ZEN, with LODs of 0.24 and 0.69 μg/L achieved for DON and ZEN, respectively. The developed test strips also yielded recovery results consistent with that obtained by LC-MS/MS for DON and ZEN detection in real samples of wheat and corn flour, confirming the practicability and reliability of the test strip. The developed immunochromatographic test strips realize quick and sensitive detection of DON and ZEN, exhibiting potential for broad applications in the point-of-care testing platform of multiple mycotoxins in agricultural products.

Indonesia’s high dependence on rice and imported wheat threatens national food security. This study aimed to develop noodles using >20% modified cornmeal as a partial wheat replacement. The treatment used a Complete Random Design with three repeats: wheat-based noodles with 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% and 0% corn flour substitution. The study showed that the best corn noodles were produced from a formulation of 20% modified corn flour and 80% wheat flour with a protein content of 10.82% and 62.23% carbohydrates. This treatment of organoleptic testing also showed that the panelists liked the modified corn noodle product for its color, taste, aroma, texture, and overall appearance.

Education on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices is usually given in the form of health talks by health workers (HWs). The need for HWs to be well-informed about cultural practices and misconceptions that act as barriers to EBF has been documented in literature. This information can guide HWs in developing interventions such as health talks which are culturally sensitive. However, this has not been explored from the perspectives of HWs in Ghana. In this paper, we report mothers' and grandmothers' misconceptions and cultural practices that are barriers to EBF in two rural districts in Ghana from the perspectives of Community Health Workers and Community Health Volunteers. We used qualitative data collected in the Kwahu Afram Plains South and North Districts of Ghana through nine focus group discussions (FGDs) among HWs and followed the data saturation principle. All FGDs were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and translated from local dialects to English. The emerging themes were used in writing a narrative account, guided by the principles of the thematic analysis. Our main findings included mothers' and grandmothers' perceptions that HWs themselves do not practice EBF. Mothers had the perception that grandmothers did not practice EBF but their children grew well, and gestures of babies suggested their readiness to start eating. Misconceptions revealed included beliefs that breastmilk is watery in nature and does not satisfy infants. Another misconception was that babies gain weight faster when not exclusively breastfed but fed on infant formulas. A custom of giving corn flour mixed with water or light porridge during the first few days after birth to welcome newborns was also reported. The reports of the HWs revealed that several socio-cultural factors and misconceptions of mothers and grandmothers negatively influence EBF practices of mothers. Findings from this study highlight the need for HWs to provide culturally appropriate counselling services on breastfeeding not only to mothers but also to grandmothers and fathers in order to promote EBF and reap its benefits.

Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith, 1797) is considered a key pest of maize. However, the artificial diets used for rearing this insect in the laboratory do not contain corn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biology and to compare the food consumption by S. frugiperda, as well as the food preference of the larvae in the standard diet and the corn-based diet. Three of the following diets were evaluated: a standard diet based on beans (D1), a diet with corn flour as substitute for wheat germ (D2), and a diet replacing beans with green corn (D3). The biological parameters evaluated were period and survival of larvae and pupae; weight of male and female pupae; sex ratio; fecundity; egg incubation period; and adult longevity. The nutritional indices were determined and the biological data obtained were used to determine the parameters of fertility life tables; we also performed a multiple-choice test (feeding test). Larval development of S. frugiperda occurred in all three diets, although without oviposition by females developed from larval fed on D2. There was no difference among the diets in relation to the fertility life table parameters. The diet D2 resulted in better ingestion, digestion, assimilation, and conversion of food, but was associated with a metabolic cost to assimilate the food. Using a multiple-choice test, we observed that the larvae preferred diet D2. Based on our results, the most adequate diets for rearing S. frugiperda in the laboratory are D1 and D3.

Background Cottonseed meal (CSM) is the main by-product of the cottonseed oil extraction process with high protein content, which is an important protein source for feed industry. However, CSM contains free gossypol (FG), a toxic substance that is detrimental to animal health and greatly limits its application. Microbial fermentation is currently considered to be one of the most effective methods to reduce FG and other anti-nutritional factors in CSM. Previously, yeast and bacteria species are used for degradation of FG in CSM, but showing less detoxification efficiency. Bacillus coagulans combines the properties of both lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus , producing both lactic acid and spores, and is considered a potential probiotic. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and optimize the effect of the solid-state fermentation process using a Bacillus coagulans to gossypol removal contained cottonseed meal. Results 36 B. coagulans strains were isolated and found to have the ability to remove free gossypol. Through the evaluation of strains and optimization of fermentation conditions including fermentation temperature, ratio of material to water, inoculation amount, fermentation time and pH, we have established a solid-state fermentation process using a Bacillus coagulans strain S17 on CSM substrate with 1:1 of the material-to-water ratio, 15% (v/w) seed inoculation, 2% expanded corn flour, 1% bran, and 0.3%-0.8% metal irons at 40 °C for 52 h. After fermentation, the FG content in CSM was reduced from 923.80 to 167.90 mg/kg with 81.83% detoxification efficiency. Meanwhile, the crude protein content in CSM increased from 47.98 to 52.82%, and importantly, the spore concentration of strain S17 reached 1.68 × 10 10  CFU/g dry material. Conclusion The study showed that B. coagulans have the potential strong ability to degrade free gossypol through cottonseed meal fermentation. This study presents a feasible process for improving the resource utilization rate and nutritional value of CSM via solid-state fermentation through B. coagulans S17.

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the techno-functional characteristics of composite flours made from corn and bean to design a low glycemic index product. The composite flours were formulated by replacing corn flour with 15% (C:B15), 30% (C:B30), 45% (C:B45), and 60% (C:B60) bean flour. Controls included corn (C) and wheat (W) flours. Water-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and least gelation concentration were analysed to select cookies as the matrix. The cookies’ estimated glycemic index (eGI), sensory profile, and texture were assessed. Exploratory analysis also included profiling the amino acid and phenolic compound content of the final prototypes. All four corn-based cookies qualified as low-GI foods. However, C:B45 and C:B60 had higher proportions of arginine, lysine, and phenolic compounds. These two prototypes also exhibited higher hardness compared to C, though their sensory profiles were comparable to the controls. In conclusion, a low glycemic index cookie with enhanced nutritional properties was successfully developed. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract