Excessive sugar intake can lead to poor health outcomes. The use of sweeteners is considered as a strategy to reduce added sugar consumption. The presence of sweeteners in food products has increased significantly in many countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the added sugars and sweeteners in packaged products. 1550 (57.9%) out of 2676 food products contained at least one added sugar. Confectionery and desserts (35.38±24.82 g/100 g), and snack foods (20.70±16.20 g/100 g) were the main categories containing the highest amount of added sugar. 229 (8.6%) out of 2676 food products contained various types of sweeteners. The most popular added sugar was sucrose (62.9%), while the most popular sweetener was sorbitol (28.2%). This is the most comprehensive study in the city center of Edirne province in Türkiye reporting on the types and frequency of added sugars and sweeteners in packaged products. This study offers monitoring to improve the legislation of Türkiye on added sugars and sweeteners used in the food supply.

A cassava starch extraction machine was designed and fabricated to perform a quadruplet action of grating, washing, sieving and separation. The study was necessitated based on concerns that most locally manufactured cassava processing machines are without provision for the extraction of starch. Food processors mainly depend on the manual pressing of cassava to obtain starch and this has significantly increased the cost of the product in the local market. Materials for construction were locally sourced and the machine was powered by a 2 hp electric motor through a v-belt-pulley transmission system and operating at a speed of 547 rpm. Fresh cassava tubers were harvested from Ikot Akpaden, a rural community in Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom, South-South of Nigeria, and used for the experiment. Results from the experiment showed that the quantity of wet starch extracted increased from 0.64 to 1.48 kg as the volume of water mixed with 2 kg of the product increased from 1 to 5 Liters. The rate of water usage and throughput capacity increased from 0.0005 to 0.0025 m3/kg and 35.29 to 46.75 kg/h respectively as volume of water increased. The optimum machine efficiency was 74%. The machine was fabricated at a cost of N 150,200 (equivalent of $100). Minimal time consumption, ease of operation and low production cost were some of the features that made the machine economically viable when compared to other conventional methods of extracting starch from cassava.

Implementing the right strategies in the agricultural supply chain in the supply of seeds, pesticides, fertilizer, energy, fuel and agricultural mechanization tools and equipment has a great role in increasing agricultural productivity. The main purpose of the study is to rank and evaluate alternatives in choosing a sustainable fertilizer supplier in the agricultural supply chain by using AHP-F and ARAS-F techniques. In an environment of uncertainty and complex supply chain structure, multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods are widely used to solve supplier selection problems. In this study, the importance levels and weights of the criteria in the selection of sustainable fertilizer suppliers were measured by the AHP-F method. The criteria that are important for fertilizer supplier selection were evaluated by taking expert opinions, the uncertain and uncertain opinions of the decision makers were modeled with the AHP-F approach and the weights of the criteria were determined. Among the criteria, resource consumption (FSC05) has the highest weight. Then, alternative rankings were obtained with the ARAS-F method. Fertilizer supplier alternatives in the agricultural supply chain were ranked with the ARAS-F method, using the criterion weights found with AHP-F. In the ranking of alternatives, alternative fertilizer supplier FS03 ranked first with the highest value. This study provides a resource for businesses and other stakeholders to make decisions regarding sustainable fertilizer supplier selection.

Hemp plants are notable for their climate resilience, and hempseed meal (HSM) is a potential high-protein feed for poultry. However, HSM has high levels of the antinutritional factor phytic acid (PA). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of heat and soaking treatments on the protein and PA content of HSM. HSM was obtained through cold pressing of whole hempseed and then subjected to heat treatment at 70°C for 24 hours. Soaking treatments involved water, water-vinegar mix, and vinegar for 1, 7, and 24 hours, followed by drying and analysis of PA and protein content. Results indicated that heating increased PA content without affecting protein levels. Soaking duration did not significantly alter protein content but did affect PA levels, with 24-hour soaking significantly increasing PA compared to 1-hour and 7-hour durations. The soaking material also influenced PA content: water soaking increased PA, while a 1-hour vinegar-water mix and 7-hour vinegar soaking significantly reduced PA. The highest PA concentration occurred with 24-hour water soaking. The protein content was highest with 7-hour vinegar soaking. In conclusion, acidic soaking solutions, particularly vinegar and vinegar-water mix, effectively reduced PA in HSM without protein loss.

This study endeavors to elucidate the factors influencing protein preference and consumption patterns in the Ga South Municipality of Ghana. Understanding these determinants is pivotal for promoting environmentally sustainable and healthy dietary habits. Utilizing a random sampling approach, the study collected 150 meticulously structured questionnaires from a representative sample of municipality residents. It delved into the socio-cultural and economic factors shaping protein preferences and consumption behaviors, alongside investigating the impact of awareness, knowledge, and availability of protein sources on dietary choices. The findings unveiled that respondents partake of protein daily, albeit with variations in patterns based on sources: plant protein consumption occurred weekly, while animal protein was consumed daily. Moreover, respondents exhibited awareness of the nutritional benefits associated with protein consumption. While awareness for protein nutrition is high, the price remains a deterrent to accessing protein in Ga South Municipality. Calling on policymakers to support local food production and supply, invest in food literacy, and develop good transportation to reduce logistics bottlenecks that often create a massive difference between farm gate and market prices.

This study aims to determine the functionality and benefits of blockchain technology in food procurement. Within the scope of the study, Migros Trade Inc., a retail food supply company implementing blockchain technology in Türkiye, was examined as a case study. The study employed a qualitative research case study design, asking expert participants from Istanbul and Izmir to give their opinions on pre-designed themes, and conducting descriptive analyses of the data collected. The themes of the research are food supply chain, good agricultural practices, sustainability in food, blockchain applications in food supply and food safety. At the end of the study, it was found that the transparency and traceability principles of blockchain have a positive impact on consumers and supply chain stakeholders. However, challenges such as technical infrastructure and performance, as well as the reasons for not starting the process directly from the field, were the problems experienced. The data shows that blockchain technology is an efficient system that should be expanded in the food supply chain.

This study examines the relationships between authentic leadership perceptions and organizational commitment levels of public personnel working in the agriculture and forestry sector. Within the scope of this research, surveys consisting of ready-made scales were used. The authentic leadership scale is a scale consisting of four dimensions and 16 items. The answers given to the surveys were interpreted using the SPSS package program. When the results of the research are evaluated in general; It appears that the perception of authentic leadership has a significant effect on organizational commitment. Looking at the demographic results; According to gender, it has been determined that men have more authentic leadership perceptions than women. According to education level; It appears that authentic leadership perception and organizational commitment do not differ. When examining whether employees’ authentic leadership perceptions and organizational commitments vary according to their age; It is seen that the perception of authentic leadership and organizational commitment differ according to age. While employees between the ages of 36 and 40 have higher perceptions of authentic leadership; Organizational commitment of those between the ages of 41 and 45 was higher.

Animal manure pollution constitutes a significant environmental issue, particularly in areas with intensive livestock activities. Manure, due to its various pollution loads such as nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, and pathogens, can have adverse effects on soil, water resources, and air quality. Among manure management practices, sustainable methods such as composting, biogas production, and advanced treatment techniques stand out. These methods offer effective solutions for reducing the environmental impact of manure, while also holding the potential to be valued as valuable resources for agriculture and energy production. The growth in the global population along with urbanization has intensified the demand in commerce, industry, and agriculture sectors. This need to satisfy the supply-demand dynamics has led to increased production activities, subsequently giving rise to significant waste management challenges. This review examines the environmental impacts of pollution originating from animal manure, current management strategies, and research developments (R&D) in this field.

The diverse nutrients found in sweet potato leaves, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, offer a range of health benefits. The presence of carotenoids and polyphenols, both powerful health-promoting compounds, highlights their potential contribution to medical science. The main objective of this study was to ascertain essential functionals substances of antioxidant, phenolic compounds, and β-carotene in the leaves of 14 distinct sweet potato lines cultivated in open field. A comprehensive analysis of antioxidant capacity, phenolic content, and β-carotene was conducted using ABTS, Folin-Ciocalteu, and HPLC techniques, respectively. The study showed that the concentrations of total antioxidants, phenols, and β-carotene differed markedly among the leaf materials. Among the lines, SP-13 stands out with the highest concentration of phenols (124.64 mg/g dry weight), while SP-14 comes in at the opposite end with the lowest amount (62.97 mg/g dry weight) under field conditions. In the case of antioxidant content in line SP-3 showed the highest with 3.55 mg/g dry weight, while SP-14 brings up the lowest with 1.88 mg/g dry weight. Line SP-5 showed the most β-carotene (0.51 mg/g dry weight), while SP-11 had the least (0.05 mg/g dry weight). Therefore, it can be concluded that sweet potato leaves are a valuable dietary source of antioxidants, phenolic compounds, and β-carotene which have beneficial health elements.

The purpose of this study was to assess the anti-genotoxic potential of thymoquinone (TQ) against DNA damage in NRK-52E cells treated with high glucose using the comet assay technique single cell gel electrophoresis method. Cells were propagated by regular passages in in vitro conditions. TQ proliferative concentration (10μM) and IC25 (3rd-hour: 550 mM, 12th-hour: 240 mM, 24th-hour: 200 mM) and IC50 (3rd-hour: 760 mM, 12th-hour: 400 mM, 24th-hour: 280 mM) values for each hour of high glucose and were determined separately with MTT method. At these concentrations, the cells were divided into control(C), Thymoquinone (TQ), high glucose(G) and high glucose plus thymoquinone (GT) groups; It was incubated with the indicated substances for 3, 12, 24 hours. DNA damage was evaluated by applying the comet assay protocol and the results were calculated as DNA damage index (DDI). While DDI levels were observed to be significantly higher (p<0.05) in all groups administered high glucose compared to the control, a significant decrease was determined in all groups in which TQ was added along with high glucose. It was determined that high concentrations of glucose had genotoxic effects on kidney cells, and TQ administration together with high glucose, depending on concentration and time, had a significant effect on reducing DNA damage. However, it was concluded that the application of only thymoquinone significantly increased the DDI value compared to the control, and this was a data worth investigating in future studies. Additionally, TQ inhibited DNA damage. These results demonstrated the importance of TQ against nephrotic syndrome with its high antioxidant properties.