Development of people with disabilities (PWD)-friendly module for bakery production

People with disabilities (PWDs) are often excluded from the surrounding community due to their physical or mental health deficiencies. This special group needs special care to enable them to have equal opportunities in all aspects. This project aims to develop PWDfriendly modules specially designed to train and build PWD skills on basic bakeries products including pizza bread, red bean bun, sausage bread and “paung” bread (plain bun). Considering their disabilities in reading for most of the PWD, the modules are more focused on visual presentations rather than instructions. To access the functioning of the modules, direct practical experience was conducted in a series of workshops in community-based rehabilitation (CBR). The effectiveness of the modules was evaluated in terms of their feasibility and acceptability including colour scheme, language used, skills and knowledge enhancement, user friendly and attractiveness level. Most of the respondents either strongly agreed or agreed on the components of feasibility and acceptability of the PWD-friendly modules. The modules were said to user friendly, helpful and recommended to be used by others. Not only these modules could improve the PWD skills on bakeries products for commercialization but also increased their motivation and self-confidence to get involved with the community.</jats:p

The ramification of Arabic gum and gelatine incorporation on the physicochemical properties of Belimbing Buluh (Averhoa belimbi) fruits pastilles

Pastille is a type of small round sweet confectionery product categorized in the Gummy Candies family that can be sucked or chewed. The goal of this research was to determine the physicochemical features and sensory profile of five pastille samples (F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5) produced with a mixture of belimbing buluh fruit juice and distinct concentrations of Arabic gum and gelatine. The pastilles were developed from the mixture of belimbing buluh fruit juice, sorbitol, sugar syrup using separate concentrations of Arabic gum (0%, 4%, 8%, 12% and 16%) and gelatine. The physicochemical analysis shows that, F1 using 16% of gelatine obtained 19.48% moisture content, 0.25% crude fat, 20.60% crude protein, 0.45% crude fiber, 0.34% ash, 58.87% carbohydrates and 3475.3 kcal calorie content, while F5 using 16% of Arabic gum obtained 13.52% moisture content, 0.688% crude fat, 0.69% crude protein, 0.188% crude fiber, 0.92% ash, 84.01% carbohydrates and 3174.1 kcal calorie. The physical analysis showed that belimbing buluh fruit pastilles properties were influenced by the addition of Arabic gum and gelatine. The sensory study showed that the overall acceptance for sensory analysis showed that sample F3 (3.87) and sample F5 (3.63) were moderately liked by the panellists. However, more effort is needed in order to improve the quality of the belimbing buluh fruit pastilles, using other ingredients.</jats:p

Nanotechnology and Plant Extracts as a Future Control Strategy for Meat and Milk Products

Plant extracts, well known for their antibacterial and antioxidant activity, have potential to be widely used preservatives in the food industry as natural alternatives to numerous synthetic additives which have adverse impacts on health and the environment. Most plant compounds and extracts are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). The use of preservatives is of great importance for perishable foods such as meat and milk, which, along with their products, are commonly consumed food items globally. However, the bioavailability of plant compounds could be diminished by their interaction with food components, processing, and storage. Nanoencapsulation of plant extracts, especially essential oils, is an effective method for their application in food model systems. This technique increases the bioactivity of plant compounds by increasing their physical stability and reducing their size, without negative effects on organoleptic properties. Furthermore, a recent study showed that plant extracts act as good bioreductants for biosynthesis of nanoparticles. This so-called green synthesis method using plant extracts is a rapid, relatively inexpensive, safe, and efficient method for synthesis of nanoparticles including silver, gold, iron, lead, copper, cobalt, palladium, platinum, zinc, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, magnetite, and nickel. Some of these nanoparticles have antimicrobial potential which is why they are of great interest to the food industry. In this chapter, the nanoencapsulation of plant extracts and plant extract-mediated synthesis of nanoparticles and their potential application in order to improve the safety and quality and prolong the shelf life of meat and milk products are reviewed and discussed