Search Results (131)

The 1.9 billion metric tons of steel globally manufactured in 2023 justify the steel industry’s pivotal role in modern society’s growth. Considering the rapid development of countries that have not fully taken part in the global market, such as Africa, steel production is expected to increase in the next decade. However, the environmental burden associated with steel manufacturing must be mitigated to achieve sustainable production, which would align with the European Green Deal pathway. Such a burden is associated both with the GHG emissions and with the solid residues arising from steel manufacturing, considering both the integrated and electrical routes. The valorisation of the main steel residues from the electrical steelmaking is the central theme of this work, referring to the steel electric manufacturing in the Dalmine case study. The investigation was carried out from two different points of view, comprising the action of a plasma electric reactor and a RecoDust unit to optimize the recovery of iron and zinc, respectively, being the two main technologies envisioned in the EU-funded research project ReMFra. This work focuses on those preliminary steps required to detect the optimal recipes to consider for such industrial units, such as thermodynamic modelling, testing the mechanical properties of the briquettes produced, and the smelting trials carried out at pilot scale. However, tests for the usability of the dusty feedstock for RecoDust are carried out, and, with the results, some recommendations for pretreatment can be made. The outcomes show the high potential of these streams for metal and mineral recovery. Full article

Background/Objectives: The majority of Canadian children bring a home-packed lunch to school, and previous research suggests lunches are of poor nutritional quality. This pilot study aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact of an eHealth family-based intervention designed to improve the nutritional quality of home-packed lunches. Methods: In this 12-week intervention, families (n = 20 parents with children aged 4–8 years) received a toolkit which included a cookbook on tips for preparing healthy lunches and 15 tested lunch box-friendly recipes, a lunch box, text messages, and an online cooking class. Feasibility was assessed via documentation of intervention delivery and participant retention rates. Acceptability was assessed via post-intervention surveys and semi-structured interviews in a sub-sample of parents (n = 9). Preliminary impact was assessed using 3-day lunch food records. Descriptive statistics were used to assess feasibility and acceptability, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to evaluate changes in the nutritional content of packed lunches. Results: Findings indicated a high retention rate (85%), and the majority (94%) of participants reported that the intervention was helpful and that they would recommend it to another parent. Qualitative interviews suggest parents found the recipes practical and diverse, the lunch box and the cooking class helpful, and some reported increased confidence and greater awareness of the foods being packed. No changes in the nutritional content of packed lunches were observed (n = 10 children). Conclusions: In summary, a home-packed lunchbox intervention is feasible and well accepted by families, but further refinements are needed to optimize its impact before a full-scale trial. Full article

The growing need for healthy and sustainable food alternatives has led to a rapid increase in vegan burgers on the market. Specifically, plant-based burgers using legumes as a protein substitute are amongst the most widespread choices for consumers. While these products can offer environmental benefits over traditional meat-based options, further optimization in both ecological and economic aspects can be achieved. This study conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) analysis to evaluate and optimize the environmental and economic life cycle of a legume-based vegan burger. LCA was performed in accordance with the recommendations of the ISO 14040 and 14044 series, and ReCiPe 2016 Hierarchist served as the impact assessment methodology. For this purpose, a base case scenario, relying on imported raw materials and conventional packaging for a legume-based vegan burger, was established to serve as the comparison benchmark, and various alternative scenarios were examined, focusing on minimizing the distance between cultivation and processing areas for key legume ingredients and improving packaging materials. The results indicate that reducing transportation distances for raw ingredients and using bio-polyethylene packaging significantly enhance sustainability. Specifically, the legume-based vegan burger of the base case scenario had a carbon footprint of 1.30 kg CO₂ eq. and a total life cycle cost of EUR 2.43 per two pieces. In contrast, the optimized scenario, which incorporated shorter transportation distances and bio-polyethylene packaging, achieved a carbon footprint of 0.51 kg CO₂ eq. and a reduced cost of EUR 2.37. The findings of the present work highlight the potential for further environmental and economic improvements in vegan burger production through logistics optimization and selection of climate-friendly packaging solutions, thus contributing to sustainable development. Full article

This study conducts a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) analysis of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and gasoline vehicles (GVs) in Heilongjiang Province, China, under cold climate conditions and a coal dominated electricity grid. Environmental impacts were assessed using SimaPro with the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method, while cost performance was evaluated over 5-, 10-, and 15-year ownership periods. Results show that BEVs offer lower total ownership costs than GVs, even without subsidies, primarily due to reduced energy and maintenance expenses. In terms of global warming potential, BEVs show a 4.52% reduction compared to GVs. However, BEVs demonstrate higher impacts in several non-climate categories—including ionizing radiation, particulate matter formation, eutrophication, toxicity, and water use—largely due to emissions from coal-based electricity. The derived grid emission factor of 1.498 kg CO₂/kWh underscores the critical role of regional energy structure. These findings suggest that while BEVs provide economic and climate benefits, their overall environmental performance is highly dependent on local grid carbon intensity and seasonal energy demand. Policy recommendations include accelerating grid decarbonization, improving cold weather efficiency, and incorporating multidimensional environmental indicators into transport planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Improving one’s diet for the purpose of promoting health is constrained by people’s ingrained eating habits, as the eating patterns that align with their established habits do not necessarily correspond to a healthy way of eating. In addressing the issue of improving diet while taking both health and habits into consideration, this paper focuses on three concepts of complementarity related to food combinations and presents an approach using Japanese data. Methods: This paper first organizes three concepts of complementarity related to food combinations. The three concepts of complementarity are formulated based on (i) nutrients, (ii) habits, and (iii) recipes. The definitions of measurement scales corresponding to these concepts are also discussed. Results: Using data from a specific region in Japan, we analyzed three types of complementarities related to food combinations across different gender and age groups. This approach enabled us to visualize the potential for dietary improvements and identify effective strategies tailored to each group. For instance, among females aged 50 and above in this region, it was found that recipes incorporating combinations such as (α) milk and pasta, (β) salmon and pasta, (γ) horse mackerel or sardines with carrots, and (δ) onions with taro can efficiently support dietary improvement for this demographic, building upon their established dietary habits. The differences in recommended recipes for each group are due to variations in nutrients that tend to be insufficient and differences in established eating habits. Conclusions: A combination of foods with high (i) complementarity of nutrients constitutes a healthy diet, whereas a combination of foods with low (ii) complementarity in habits reflects dietary behaviors that are not sufficiently practiced within the relevant sub-population at present. Meanwhile, combinations of foods with high (iii) complementarity in recipes can serve as tools to bridge the gap between healthy eating patterns and established dietary habits. Full article

Background: The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends using herbs and spices in cooking to decrease salt, added sugars, and saturated fats (SFA). To promote a healthier eating pattern, there is a need to teach consumers how to do this. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of five short (~1 min) nutrition education videos to five longer (~5 min) videos by evaluating participants’ interest, knowledge, confidence, and likeliness to use herbs and spices in their cooking before and after the videos. To evaluate participant perceptions of the videos and barriers to using herbs and spices in cooking. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a sample of American adults through Dynata. Pre-and post-survey questions inquired about participants’ interest, knowledge, confidence, and likeliness to use herbs and spices in cooking. Participants were randomized to view either short or longer videos that included recipe instructions on how to use herbs and spices in cooking. The content of both videos was the same but the format (short and longer video included ingredients and directions while the longer video also included food safety and handling) and duration differed. The videos featured recipes that were lower in salt, added sugars, and SFAs, and herbs/spices were used as a replacement. We also evaluated participants’ perceptions of the videos. Results: Participants (n = 201) were 59% female, 80% White, and had a mean age of 51 (SD = 15) years. All participants reported higher interest, knowledge, confidence, and likeliness to use herbs and spices in cooking after watching the short and longer videos (p < 0.05). Furthermore, participants reported that both short and longer videos were interesting, engaging, conveyed educational information, were easy to follow and understand, and an effective method to increase the use of herbs and spices in cooking. Our analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between short vs. longer videos. Conclusions: Overall, both short and longer videos appeared to have a similar impact on consumer interest, knowledge, confidence, and likeliness to use herbs and spices in cooking. Future research should assess changes in dietary intake in response to the videos. Full article

Hydrogen (H₂) production from biomass has emerged as a promising alternative to fossil-based pathways, addressing the global demand for low-carbon energy solutions. This study compares the environmental impacts of two biomass-based H₂ production processes, biogas reforming and agricultural residue gasification, through a life cycle assessment (LCA). Using real-world data from the literature, the analysis considered key system boundaries for each process, including biogas production, reforming, and infrastructure, for the former, and biomass cultivation, syngas generation, and offgas management, for the latter. Environmental impacts were evaluated using SimaPro software (Version 9.4) and the ReCiPe midpoint (H) method. The results revealed that biogas reforming emits approximately 5.047 kg CO₂-eq per kg of H₂, which is 4.89 times higher than the emissions from agricultural residue gasification (1.30 kg CO₂-eq/kg H₂), demonstrating the latter’s superior environmental performance. Gasification consumes fewer fossil resources (3.20 vs. 10.42 kg oil-eq) and poses significantly lower risks to human health (1.51 vs. 23.28 kg 1,4-DCB-eq). Gasification water consumption is markedly higher (5.37 compared to biogas reforming (0.041 m³/kg H₂)), which is an important factor to consider for sustainability. These findings highlight gasification as a more sustainable H₂ production method and emphasize its potential as an eco-friendly solution. To advance sustainability in energy systems, integrating socio-economic studies with LCA is recommended, alongside prioritizing agricultural residue gasification for hydrogen production. Full article

Navigating cross-cultural food choices is complex, influenced by cultural nuances and various factors, with flavor playing a crucial role. Understanding cultural flavor preferences helps individuals make informed food choices in cross-cultural contexts. We examined flavor differences across China, the US, and Germany, as well as consistent flavor preference patterns using online recipes from prominent recipe portals. Distinct from applying traditional food pairing theory, we directly mapped ingredients to their individual flavor compounds using an authorized database. This allowed us to analyze cultural flavor preferences at the molecular level and conduct machine learning experiments on 25,000 recipes from each culture to reveal flavor-based distinctions. The classifier, trained on these flavor compounds, achieved 77% accuracy in discriminating recipes by country in a three-class classification task, where random choice would yield 33.3% accuracy. Additionally, using user interaction data on appreciation metrics from each recipe portal (e.g., recipe ratings), we selected the top 10% and bottom 10% of recipes as proxies for appreciated and less appreciated recipes, respectively. Models trained within each portal discriminated between the two groups, reaching a maximum accuracy of 66%, while random selection would result in a baseline accuracy of 50%. We also explored cross-cultural preferences by applying classifiers trained on one culture to recipes from other cultures. While the cross-cultural performance was modest (specifically, a max accuracy of 54% was obtained when predicting food preferences ofthe USusers with models trained on the Chinesedata), the results indicate potential shared flavor patterns, especially between Chinese and US recipes, which show similarities, while German preferences differ. Exploratory analyses further validated these findings: we constructed ingredient networks based on co-occurrence relationships to label recipes as savory or sweet, and clustered the flavor profiles of compounds as sweet or non-sweet. These analyses showed opposing trends in sweet vs. non-sweet/savory appreciation between US and German users, supporting the machine learning results. Although our findings are likely to be influenced by biases in online data sources and the limitations of data-driven methods, they may still highlight meaningful cultural differences and shared flavor preferences. These insights offer potential for developing food recommender systems that cater to cross-cultural contexts. Full article

Food computing refers to the integration of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and data-driven approaches, to address various challenges in the food sector. It encompasses a wide range of technologies that improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of food systems, from production to consumption. It represents a transformative approach to addressing challenges in the food sector by integrating AI, the IoT, and data-driven methodologies. Unlike traditional food systems, which primarily focus on production and safety, food computing leverages AI for intelligent decision making and the IoT for real-time monitoring, enabling significant advancements in areas such as supply chain optimization, food safety, and personalized nutrition. This review highlights AI applications, including computer vision for food recognition and quality assessment, Natural Language Processing for recipe analysis, and predictive modeling for dietary recommendations. Simultaneously, the IoT enhances transparency and efficiency through real-time monitoring, data collection, and device connectivity. The convergence of these technologies relies on diverse data sources, such as images, nutritional databases, and user-generated logs, which are critical to enabling traceability and tailored solutions. Despite its potential, food computing faces challenges, including data heterogeneity, privacy concerns, scalability issues, and regulatory constraints. To address these, this paper explores solutions like federated learning for secure on-device data processing and blockchain for transparent traceability. Emerging trends, such as edge AI for real-time analytics and sustainable practices powered by AI–IoT integration, are also discussed. This review offers actionable insights to advance the food sector through innovative and ethical technological frameworks. Full article

Waste management in most parts of Africa is characterized by the disposal of mixed waste in unengineered landfills. The aim of this study is to assess the environmental impact of mixed waste received at a waste-to-energy plant in Ghana relative to the current model of landfilling. A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted using OpenLCA software version 2.3.1 based on the ReCiPe Midpoint method. For landfilling, LandGEM software version 3.03 was used. The results indicate that waste-to-energy has the potential to provide carbon savings of 3.52 tCO₂eq/ton of waste treated compared to landfilling. Pyrolysis is observed to have high avoided burden across all impact categories, with the lowest Global Warming Potential of −2.3 kgCO₂eq. Anaerobic digestion shows a near neutral environmental impact with the highest value of 47.56 kg 1,4DCB for Terrestrial Ecotoxicity, while Refuse-Derived Fuel and segregation processes show low environmental burdens. The net avoided burden is highest for global warming and non-carcinogenic human toxicity potential. Overall, the hybrid waste-to-energy model is concluded to be an environmentally preferred waste management option compared to conventional landfilling methods, and we recommend that decision-makers facilitate investments into it. It is also recommended for the development of local inventories and databases to encourage more country-specific environmental impact studies and to reduce uncertainty. Full article

In the production of meat products, animal fats, which are rich mainly in saturated fatty acids, are used as a recipe ingredient. To improve the quality and fatty acid profile of meat products, it is possible to partially replace animal fat with vegetable oils. This approach aims to achieve a more favorable PUFA/SFA ratio and n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio, bringing them closer to the values recommended by nutritional organizations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the impact of replacing 20% and 40% of animal fat with selected plant fats on the change in the fat fraction composition of liver pâté-type processed meat and its oxidative stability. Fatty acid content was analyzed in the oils purchased from retailers and in experimental samples. During refrigerated storage of the experimental sausages, changes in the content of primary (peroxide value (PV)) and secondary oxidation products (TBARS), as well as changes in sensory quality, were evaluated. The analysis included cross-sectional color, aroma, texture, saltiness, and taste. The study showed that replacing 20% of animal fat with vegetable oils resulted in products with high sensory attractiveness and oxidative stability, outperforming those with 40% replacement. Among the tested vegetable oils, samples with rapeseed oil demonstrated the highest oxidative stability and the most favorable, nutrition-recommendation-approaching n-6 to n-3 fatty acid ratio, compared with samples with flaxseed, corn, sunflower, and soybean oils. Full article

Choosing nutritious foods is essential for daily health, but finding recipes that match available ingredients and dietary preferences can be challenging. Traditional recommendation methods often lack personalization and accurate ingredient recognition. Personalized systems address this by integrating user preferences, dietary needs, and ingredient availability. This study presents Pic2Plate, a framework combining Vision-Language Models (VLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to overcome these challenges. Pic2Plate uses advanced image recognition to extract ingredient lists from user images and RAG to retrieve and personalize recipe recommendations. Leveraging smartphone camera sensors ensures accessibility and portability. Pic2Plate’s performance was evaluated in two areas: ingredient detection accuracy and recipe relevance. The ingredient detection module, powered by GPT-4o, achieved strong results with precision (0.83), recall (0.91), accuracy (0.77), and F1-score (0.86), demonstrating effectiveness in recognizing diverse food items. A survey of 120 participants assessed recipe relevance, with model rankings calculated using the Bradley–Terry method. Pic2Plate’s VLM and RAG integration consistently outperformed other models. These results highlight Pic2Plate’s ability to deliver context-aware, reliable, and diverse recipe suggestions. The study underscores its potential to transform recipe recommendation systems with a scalable, user-centric approach to personalized cooking. Full article

Pasta is a staple food with daily recommended consumption; thus, it can be an excellent vehicle for delivering bioactive compounds like phenols. However, the high-temperature drying process in pasta production, combined with cooking in boiling water, can significantly reduce the concentration of phenolic compounds. This study aimed to enhance the phenolic content of traditional semolina pasta by incorporating tomato and spinach powder into the recipe. High-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-QqQ-MS) was employed to analyse the free and bound phenolic content in the raw materials, as well as in both dried uncooked and cooked pasta. The addition of tomato and spinach powders, known for their high content in bioactive compounds, increased the overall phenolic content of the final enriched pasta by three and two times, respectively, compared to the semolina and whole-wheat semolina pasta. These findings suggest that pasta enriched with tomato and spinach could serve as a functional food with a greater nutritional profile and health benefits through the enhanced delivery of phenolic compounds. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pentacyclic triterpenoids, as bioactive phytochemicals, have proven to exhibit significant bioactivity (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and anticancer) and low cytotoxicity. This study developed convenient methods for extracting and characterizing a birch bark extract enriched in pentacyclic triterpenoids (betulin, betulinic acid, and lupeol) and entrapped in two bioavailable nanoformulations. The performance of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy as a cost-effective and non-destructive method was evaluated comparatively with accurate HPLC-based methods. Methods: The bark extract and pure betulin or betulinic acid were used to obtain PEGylated liposomes and nano lipid carriers (NLCs). Their size was characterized by light scattering diffraction. UV–Vis spectrometry was applied as a preliminary evaluation (1), as well as UHPLC-QTOF-ESI⁺-MS for structure identification (2), ATR-FTIR spectroscopy (for semi-quantitative evaluation) (3), and HPLC-DAD for an accurate quantification of each component, either in the organic solvents or in the nanoformulations (4). Results: The PEGylated liposomes had smaller sizes, and higher entrapment efficiency, significantly correlated between the three analytical methods. The performance of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was positively correlated with HPLC-DAD data and confirmed the potential of this cheaper and reliable semi-quantitative method to evaluate the entrapment efficiency of TTs in liposome and NLC nanoformulations. Conclusions: The results recommend using liposomal nanoformulations for the entrapment of bioactive terpenoids and their characterization by ATR-FTIR after validation by HPLC-DAD. The ATR-FTIR spectroscopy also offers the possibility of screening in a short time different recipes of nanoformulations as well as their stability and bioavailability, which is useful for investigations in vitro and in vivo, which may confirm their efficacy as therapeutic agents. Full article

This study examined how eating out behavior and variety-seeking tendency in food choice (VARSEEK) differ depending on social network service (SNS) use and recommended information utilization (SURU), focusing on Korean generation Z youth. To this end, participants were categorized as high, middle, or low based on their SURU score; eating out behavior, as well as VARSEEK, were then compared across the three groups. The results indicated that higher SURU scores were associated with a higher frequency of cooking, a higher frequency of eating out, a higher average cost of eating out per person, and a greater tendency to perceive oneself as gourmet. In relation to VARSEEK, the high and middle SURU score groups demonstrated significantly higher mean scores than the low group. This finding suggests that the greater the SURU level, the greater the food neophilic inclination, expressing an affinity for unique, unfamiliar, or exotic cuisine and a willingness to experiment with novel recipes. Consequently, SURU leads to more frequent eating out, resulting in consumers expanding into a food neophilic tendency to try more diverse and new foods. Based on these results, SURU can be a useful indicator for segmenting food- and restaurant-related markets; consumers with a high level of SURU are a group to pay attention to in marketing as they can be tested when introducing new foods into the market. Full article