We discuss meal colors, food-drying secrets, and changing consumer demands with Dr. Anna Michalska from the PAS Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research in Olsztyn.

The Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, one of the most robust centers for research on food and its improved quality. This year, the Olsztyn-based Institute celebrates the 30th anniversary of its establishment.

Ionizing radiation applied on food eliminates harmful microorganisms, prevents sprouting and delays ripening. All methods for detection of irradiated food are based on physical, chemical, biological or microbiological changes caused by the treatment with ionizing radiation. When minerals are exposed to ionizing radiation, they accumulate radiation energy and store it in the crystal lattice, by which some electrons remain trapped in the lattice. When these minerals are exposed to optical stimulation, trapped electrons are released. The phenomenon, called optically stimulated luminescence or photostimulated luminescence, occurs when released electrons recombine with holes from luminescence centers in the lattice, resulting in emission of light with certain wavelengths.

In this paper, the results of measurements performed on seven different samples of herbs and spices are presented. In order to make a comparison between luminescence signals from samples treated with different doses, unirradiated samples are treated with Co-60 with doses of 1 kGy, 5 kGy and 10 kGy. In all cases it was shown that the higher the applied dose, the higher the luminescence signal.

Sewage and solid waste can be a valuable source of materials used directly or indirectly in manufacturing of usable products. These processes are associated with elimination of pollutants from liquid and

solid wastes. The best-known methods of waste management are production of biogas and composting. This

paper focuses on the possibility of obtaining biomass as a source of protein feed (whose value, in terms of the

composition of aminoacids and microelements, is comparable with conventional feed, e.g. soymeal, bonemeal

or fishmeal). Sewage components for bacterial, fungal, algal and vascular plants’ culture are characterized as

a source of protein feed. Methods of industrial scale production of enzymes, mainly proteases and lipases that

have broad applications in various industries, are discussed. Development perspectives of inexpensive methods

of usable products from waste production are showed. Interdisciplinary nature of presented issues, which requires cooperation of specialists in biology, chemistry and technology, is emphasized.

Anaphylaxis is an increasing problem in public health. Th e food allergens (mainly milk, eggs, and peanuts) are the most frequent cause of anaphylaxis in children and youth. In order to defi ne the cause of anaphylaxis, skin tests, the determination of the concentration of specifi c IgE in the blood and basophil activation test are conducted. In vitro tests are preferred due to the risk of allergic response during in vivo tests. Component-resolved diagnosis (CRD) is an additional tool in allergology, recommended in the third level of diagnostics when there are diagnostic doubts aft er the above mentioned tests have been carried out. The paper presents 3 cases of patients with anaphylactic response, and the application of CRD in these patients helped in planning the treatment. Patient 1 is a 4-year-old boy with diagnosed atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma reported an anaphylactic shock at the age of seven months caused by cow’s milk and the exacerbation of bronchial asthma aft er eating some fruit. Patient 2 is a 35-year-old woman who has had anaphylactic shock three times: in June 2015, 2016, and 2017 and associates these episodes with the consumption of dumplings with a caramel, bun, and the last episode took place during physical exertion few hours aft er eating waffl e. Patient 3 is a 26-year-old man with one-time loss of consciousness after eating mixed nuts and drinking beer. CRD off ers the possibility to conduct a detailed diagnostic evaluation of patients with a history of anaphylactic reaction.

Analysis of food contents of 784 stomachs was made in 5 species of fishes of the family Nototheniidae: Notothenia coriiceps neglecta. Notothenia rossi marmorata, Notothenia nudifrons, Trematomus newnesi and Pleuragramma antarcticum. In the food of the first two of the mentioned species benthic forms predominated and among them Amphipoda were a decidedly preferred component. The composition of the food of N. nudifrons indicates that they feed at the bottom of the sea, the most preferred component of their diet, however, were pelagic Salpae. T. newnesi and P. antarcticum are characterized by a typically pelagic kind of food. The comparison of food composition and the values of the stomach fullness indices in N. coriiceps neglecta, N. rossi marmorata and T. newnesi in the summer and winter seasons shows a markedly higher feeding intensity in the summer.

During austral summer phytoplankton is the main component of food of E. superba postlarval stages. Diatomeae: Thalassiosira spp., Nitzschia spp. and tiny Pennatae constitue 98% of all consumed food particles. 91% of algae consumed were of 8—40 μm, and their mean size is 21.4 μm. The mean amount of algae found in of Euphausia superba was about 1700 per individual. The differences in species composition and the size of algae eaten by juvenes, preadult and adult individuals decrease the food competition between particular age groups of E. superba.

This study contributes to the knowledge of morphology, biology and ecology of Euphausia crystallorophias. The structure of the filtratory apparatus and analysis of the stomach contents are described. Among 41 identified algae taxa 40 were diatoms. Benthic algae, numbering as many as 12 taxa constituted a high percentage in the total of food content, which may indicate that this species feeds near the bottom in the relatively shallow shelf-waters.

The phytogenic food composition in the stomachs of Euphausia superba Dana, caught at 18 sampling stations in the Antarctic part of the Atlantic Ocean, was analysed. The material used was taken from krill catches made from the board of the r/v "Profesor Siedlecki" in the sector "A" of the BIOMASS-FIBEX Programme, in February and March 1981. In the food of Euphausia superba 70 algal taxa were identified, including 68 taxa belonging to Bacillariophyceae and two to Chrvsophyceae. Planctonic diatoms were the main component of the food of Euphausia superba. Single benthic diatoms were found occasionally.

During marine ecological surveys conducted by Polish expeditions in South Spitsbergen area 14 fish species were collected. The length frequency, the diet and some other ecological informations are presented for the most common species.

Spectrometry, especially spectrophotometry, is getting more and more often the method of choice not only in laboratory analysis of (bio)chemical substances, but also in the off-laboratory identification and testing of physical properties of various products, in particular - of various organic mixtures including food products and ingredients. Specialised spectrophotometers, called spectrophotometric analysers, are designed for such applications. This paper is on the state of the art in the domain of data processing in spectrophotometric analysers of food (including beverages). The following issues are covered: methodological background of food analysis, physical and metrological principles of spectrophotometry, the role of measurement data processing in spectrophotometry. General considerations are illustrated with examples, predominantly related to wine and olive oil analysis.

The relatively limited application of lean in the food process industries has been attributed to

the unique characteristics of the food sector i.e. short shelf-life, heterogeneous raw materials,

and seasonality. Moreover, barriers such as large and inflexible machinery, long setup time,

and resource complexity, has limited the implementation and impact of lean practices in

process industries in general. Contrary to the expectations in the literature, we bring in this

paper a successful experience of lean implementation in a company of the food-processing

sector. By focusing on two lean tools (VSM and SMED), the company reduced changeover

time by 34%, and increased the production capacity of the main production line by 11%.

This improvement enabled the company to avoid the use of temporary workers by extending

the worktime of its workforce during peak months. Moreover, the reduction of setup time

avoided the use of large lot size in production, which, in turn, reduced the total cycle time

of production and the incidence of quality problems.

The production of domestic protein for feed in Poland is insufficient. The import of feed raw materials, especially soybean, which is genetically modified (GM) is necessity. In 2016, Poland imported about 2 million tonnes of GM soybean. In Poland was introduced a ban for using and production of GM feed (Law – animal feed from 2006). This ban has already been suspended few times, mainly due to the fact, that the complete replacement of imported GM soybean meal with other components was impossible. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development appointed “Team for alternative sources of protein”, responsible for finding solutions that will impact on reducing imports and will increase the share of domestic sources of protein in animal feed. To achieve this aim research are needed to indicate plants and their possibilities for using. The aim of the article is to analyse selected feed components such as: soybean and rapeseed meal, sunflower meal and oilcakes. This analysis concerns the area of cultivation of soybean, rapeseed and sunflower, purchase costs of meals and oilcakes, properties of these components and foreign trade in Poland.

This article explores caring through feeding as an important aspect of transnational family life, and analyzes the practices connected to sending food products home, supervising what the family eats, and changing consumption patterns. It focuses on Filipino migrants to the United States who maintain transnational ties with their families. With a history of colonial encounter, the United States has been a popular migration destination, and has also strongly influenced food consumption.

The study shows the ways in which packages from abroad (balikbayan boxes) express love and care, and how they allow migrants to control food consumption of the family in the country of origin. By looking at the goods the immigrants put in the packages, and the way these are received, it is possible to uncover the dynamics of love, care, and intimacy in transnational families, which often translate into power, tensions, and control among family-members. The article analyses how food products sent in the packages work, bringing with them new ideas and practices, creating imaginaries of migration, and building the social prestige of the immigrant. Using the concept of “social remittances”, the article also shows the changing patterns of food consumption in the Philippines.

Food additives, especially E numbers, are widely perceived by consumers as artificial and harmful. However, the fact is that they are an essential ingredient in numerous products, many have “natural” origins and none of them pose a risk to health.

Fumonisins are highly toxic metabolites produced by Fusarium proliferatum and Fusarium verticillioides. Little is known about the effects of a chronic low level of fumonisins on intestinal structure and innervation in monogastric animals, even though the intestine is the first organ exposed to fumonisins. The influence of the most prevalent strains of fumonisins, FB1 and FB2, on intestinal and liver morphology, the enteric nervous system and intestinal epithelial cell prolif- eration was investigated in an experimental rat model of fumonisin intoxication. Adolescent (5-weeks-old), male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (C group) not treated with fumonisins or intoxicated with fumonisins (FB group). FB1 together with FB2 were daily administered intragastrically at a dose of 90 mg/kg body weight for 21 days. The damaging effect was assessed by determination of the activity of ALAT and AspAT. Samples from the small intes- tine and liver were taken and blood samples were collected to determine the activity of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and amylase. The exposure to FBs resulted in histopathological degenerative alterations in hepatocytes, including mild vacuolar degeneration and ballooning. FB exposure was also toxic in the duodenum and jejunum, where significant changes in morphology, cell proliferation, collagen wall fibres and innervation were observed. Taken together, the results obtained strengthen the hypothesis that chronic exposure to FBs could induce intestinal damage, including damage to the enteric nervous system and may have consequences for general health.