Czech Journal of Food Sciences - In Press
What’s the future of sustainable foodOriginal Paper
Yue Wu, Andrea Tick, Katalin Takács-György
With the growing population, increasing income, and high-speed lifestyle, people pay more attention to a healthy diet and nutritional food. Organic food, also regarded as healthy, sustainable, or eco-friendly eating, has gained global popularity. This trend has been particularly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a surge in demand for nutritious foods worldwide. Organic food originated in Europe, with the highest development globally. Its progress varies by country. China’s organic food industry began decades ago, growing rapidly. As globalization advances and China’s economy accelerates, it is valuable to examine the organic food industries in Hungary and China. In order to understand the willingness of consumers to buy organic food, we conducted a survey for a month in 2021 from 581 respondents in Hungary (185), China (374), and other countries, compared the respondents’ demographic data, organic food consumption and their buying willingness and attitude to recommend organic food to other consumers. The decision tree analysis was deployed to analyze the statistics data via SPSS software. It showed that organic food has a positive demand in both Hungary and China, but some purchase habits are different in these two countries.
Ginger Essential Oil-Infused Pectin-Alginate Films for Extending Sliced Bread Shelf LifeOriginal Paper
Nguyen Hong Khoi Nguyen, Nam Quoc Tran, Thuan Huynh Dinh Nguyen, Quyen Phuong Huynh
This study examines composite films made from pectin and alginate, enhanced with ginger essential oil (GEO) at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5% The films were analyzed for their structure, physical properties, antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and effectiveness in preserving sliced bread over 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 days. The results presented that the addition of GEO improved the properties of pectin-alginate films. SEM images revealed an increase in essential oil distribution on the film surface with higher GEO concentrations, indicating good compatibility. Higher GEO concentrations enhanced the films' abilities to scavenge free radicals (DPPH and ABTS) and inhibit bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli). Furthermore, increasing GEO concentrations in the films helped maintain key quality attributes of sliced bread, such as moisture content, water activity, microbial counts, and firmness. Films with 1.0 and 1.5% GEO concentrations were the most effective in preserving bread, potentially inhibiting mold formation and maintaining sensory properties over the 8-day storage period. This study demonstrates that pectin-alginate films supplemented with GEO at concentrations of 1 and 1.5% are suitable for storing sliced bread.