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Projeto de investigação
GreenUPorto - Research Center in Sustainable Agri-food Production
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Incorporating sardine cooking water aromas into plant-based diets for European seabass
Publication . Resende, Daniela; Velasco, Cristina; Pereira, Maria J.; Sá, Tiago; Rocha, Célia; Cunha, Luís M.; Lima, Rui C.; Brazinha, Carla; Pintado, Manuela; Valente, Luísa M. P.; DQ - Departamento de Química; LAQV@REQUIMTE; Elsevier BV
Sardine cooking wastewaters are by-products of the canning industry with great potential for valorisation. We have hypothesized that they can be a source of aromas to enhance appetite when added to plant-based diets. The poor palatability of such diets often described in carnivorous species poses a recurring problem in fish farming, with harsh consequences on fish growth performance and flesh quality. Aromas from sardine cooking wastewaters were collected without processing (CW-A), processed through vacuum distillation (VD-A), or processed through liquid/liquid extraction with soybean oil (LLE-A) into plant-based diets. Each aroma was added to a plant-protein based diet for European seabass, at a concentration of 2 μg of 1-penten-3-ol/g diet, resulting in 3 experimental diets (CW, VD and LLE). A non-supplemented diet was used as a control. Each diet was assigned to triplicate fish groups (initial weight 95.7 g), that were hand-fed twice daily until apparent satiation in a recirculating saltwater system at 21 °C. After 18 weeks, fish growth performance and nutrient utilisation were evaluated. The expression in the brain of neuropeptides involved in feed intake regulation was also analysed. Moreover, flesh colour and texture were assessed instrumentally and by sensory analysis using a consumer panel. Fish fed LLE displayed a significantly higher feed intake than those fed CW which was correlated with an increased neuropeptide Y expression in the hypothalamus. However, LLE slightly hindered lipid metabolism, leading to lower available glucose and resulting in statistically similar final weights among diets. Despite variations in fillet hardness, the sensory panel revealed similar overall liking across all treatments. The findings indicate that aromas from sardine cooking wastewaters can modulate feed intake, but further refinement in processing or incorporation levels is required to potentiate their efficacy.
Food Waste Perception of Workplace Canteen Users
Publication . Pires, Iva; Machado, Jerusa; Rocha, Ada; Martins, Margarida Liz; Departamento de Sociologia (DS); Centro Interdisciplinar de Ciências Sociais (CICS.NOVA - NOVA FCSH); Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Background: Food waste occurs in all stages of the food supply chain, namely in the food service sector. Understanding how much and why food is wasted and whether consumers are aware of it is essential to design effective interventions in this setting. This case study aims to compare the food waste perception by consumers and measure plate waste in a Portuguese workplace canteen in order to recognize if trained consumers can estimate his/her food waste. Methods: Data were collected from 160 users randomly selected attending a workplace canteen during one month. Plate waste was evaluated by the weighing method. Visual estimation was performed by each participant to evaluate food waste perception at the end of the meal. Consumers were also asked about reasons for wasting food. Results: Plate waste was 8.4% for soup, 9.0% for the main course, and 4.0% for dessert. These values follow the same trend of waste perceived by consumers for soup (R = 0.722; p < 0.001), main course (R = 0.674; p < 0.001), and dessert (R = 0.639; p < 0.001), showing a high relation between self-assessment and measured plate waste. Excessive portions (46.1%), dislike of meal flavor (18.6%), cooking method (8.8%), and texture (3.9%) were identified as the main causes for plate waste. Conclusions: Canteen users showed an accurate perception of their plate waste for all meal components. Excessive portions were identified by consumers as the main reason for plate waste.
Production of Aroma-Rich Extracts from Sardine Cooking Wastewaters
Publication . Resende, Daniela; Pereira, Maria J.; Sá, Tiago; Brazinha, Carla; Pintado, Manuela; Valente, Luísa M. P.; Velasco, Cristina; DQ - Departamento de Química; LAQV@REQUIMTE; Springer Verlag (Germany)
Managing the canning industry’s nutrient-rich and odorous liquid waste is a hurdle. Concurrently, the growing use of vegetable ingredients in aquafeeds diminishes palatability and feed consumption in carnivorous fish. Thus, we hypothesized that aromas could be extracted from cooking wastewaters at canning factories and added to plant-based diets to stimulate intake in European seabass. Sardine cooking wastewaters were collected and tested directly (CW-A) or after vacuum distillation (VD-A) or liquid/liquid extraction with soybean oil (LLE-A). Despite losses in aldehydes and short-chain alcohols, both processes were effective in removing off-flavours. VD-A displayed a higher concentration of most aromas compared to LLE-A. Extracts were included at 2 μg g−1 of 1-penten-3-ol, the most abundant compound in all extracts, in diets (CW, VD, LLE). A non-supplemented diet was used as control. Each diet was assigned to six groups of juvenile fish, fed a single meal until apparent satiation. Our emphasis was on this initial feeding to comprehend the hedonic control of feed intake, minimizing habituation effects and the impact of the long-term metabolic requirements. Feed intake was highest for the control group. No differences on plasma metabolites were observed, suggesting feed intake was primarily regulated by hedonic rather than homeostatic mechanisms. Moreover, the lower intake in the supplemented diets was partially associated with a lower expression of orexigenic (intake-promoting) neuropeptides and higher expression of anorexigenic (intake-reducing) neuropeptides in the brain, despite the lack of significant diet-related differences. Overall, this study presents a novel approach to valorise cooking wastewater from the canning industry, since cooking wastewaters extracts rich in aromas were successfully produced, however, in the tested concentration, had no positive impact on the short-term feed intake response of European seabass. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)
Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector
Publication . Scandurra, Federica; Salomone, Roberta; Caeiro, Sandra; Moura, Ana Pinto de; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Springer
Relevant cultural and financial factors hamper circularity in Portuguese agri-food sector companies. To capture so, an empirical analysis of circular practices in agri-food companies was carried out. Being the agri-food sector central to the Portuguese economy and the numerous circular economy initiatives in the Country, the study aims to comprehend how circularity is achieved from an environmental, social, and financial perspective in Portuguese companies of the sector. Therefore, a survey of a selected sample of companies identified 9 examples of organisations involved in circularity to interview. Results evidence: (i) strong cultural and financial barriers in implementation and evaluation; (ii) generation of social value through community-centred initiatives and collaborations with local companies; (iii) urgency to valorise and communicate financial impact to conquer new funding opportunities. The analysis contributed with new knowledge on the social value-creating capacity of circularity and the impact on companies’ financial performance in the agri-food sector, providing interesting future insights into academia and policymaking.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Número da atribuição
UIDB/05748/2020