Fermentation is one of the ancient technological processes used in food production which influences the shelf-life of meat and meat products, also significantly affects the sensory properties like aroma and flavour. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the elaborated technology for a new fermented sausage production on the product quality and sensory properties. Sausages were produced by the standard technology using glucono-delta-lactone or starter culture. The drying of samples differs from 3 to 4 weeks at the same conditions; samples were dried for 4 weeks which produced with the starter culture, and 3 weeks which produced with glucono-delta-lactone. The sausages were tested at the end of the production, analysing pH, water activity, moisture and salt content, as well as the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, colony forming units of Listeria monocytogenes and Enterobacteriaceae in the sausage samples were analysed. The sensory evaluation was organised after getting Listeria monocytogenes testing results. The moisture content, water activity and salt content significantly differed (p is less than 0.05) among samples, no differences were established in pH, taste and flavour liking. The presence of Listeria monocytogenes was not established in samples which indicates that the producer properly applies a hurdle technology in fermented sausage production. Sensory evaluation results showed higher scores for texture and appearance in fermented sausages with glucono-delta-lactone. The study results confirmed that fermented sausages with glucono-delta-lactone during 3 weeks of drying can achieve corresponding safety criteria and sensory properties which are set for semidry fermented sausages.

The technical inspection of a building carried out by an expert in civil engineering can identify and classify the physical conditions of the real estate; this generates relevant information for the protection and safety of users. Given the real conditions of the property, and for the real estate valuation universe, using artificial intelligence and fuzzy logic, it is possible to obtain the market price associated with the physical conditions of the building. The objective of this experiment is to develop a property evaluation model using a civil engineering inspection form associated with artificial intelligence, and fuzzy logic, and also compare with market value to verify the applicability of this inspection form. Therefore, the methodology used is based on technical inspection of civil engineering regarding the state of conservation of properties according to the model used in Portugal and adapted to the reality of Latvia. Artificial intelligence is applied after obtaining data from that report. From this, association rules are obtained, which are used in the diffuse logic to obtain the price of the apartment per square meter, and for comparison with the market value. For this purpose, 48 samples of residential apartments located in the city of Jelgava in Latvia are used, with an inspection carried out from October to December 2019. The main result is the 9% error metric, which demonstrates the possibility of applying the method proposed in this experiment. Thus, for each apartment sample consulted, it resulted in the state of conservation and a market value associated.

Fresh-cut herbs satisfy consumer demand owing to the convenience of buying them in food shopping malls as quickly accessible products. Food packaging has an important role in the food industry nowadays, because it helps to preserve the quality of fresh-cut food products at the production and sales sites and provides safety during storage. The aim of this research was to evaluate the quality changes of fresh-cut rosemary packed and stored in biodegradable film packaging. Rosemary has been packed in several materials – two biodegradable packaging materials, NatureFlexTM NVS INNOVIA film, Nature Works® PLA P-360 containers with hermetically pressed PLA cap and “breathable” conventional BOPP PropafilmTM P2GAF film. The samples were analysed over time at 0, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 days of storage at a temperature of +5 ±1 °C in terms of physicochemical quality: O2 and CO2 concentration, mass loss, pH, content of soluble solids (ºBrix) and tested sensory evaluation. The analysis of the obtained results showed that the cellulose based biodegradable NatureFlexTM NVS INNOVIA film was a good way to prolong the storage time of fresh-cut rosemary and ensuresensory quality and high physiochemical quality during the preservation period.

Pesticides have been used for a long time in agriculture to prevent the growth of undesired organisms. However, depending on the type of production (i.e., conventional, organic, and regenerative), they might not be applied. Adequate types and uses of pesticides should not cause any damage to any non-target species or environments due to the exposure to it, especially if all farming operations have been done properly. Reversely, when pesticides are applied in inappropriate time, amount or technique, they may cause several impacts, among which is water contamination. Brazil stands out worldwide for its agricultural potential, but it is exposed to risks concerning the water supply security to its population. The current study is a comparison of the Maximum Permissible Concentrations (MPC) for pesticides in potable water supply in Brazil with the values set in the United States, Canada, European Union countries, Japan, and the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. The regulations of each country were used, as well as the trading, consumption and agricultural production data. The Brazilian regulation is the one accounting for the largest number of pesticides. However, their MPC is 5,000 times more permissible than that from the European Union for the herbicide known as glyphosate, 300 times than that for 2,4-d and 20 times than that for atrazine. Finally, it was possible to observe the relevance of revising the regulation and public policies in place to minimize the indiscriminate use of pesticides in Brazil and adapt these compounds to the standards in a global level.

Consumers’ growing demand for vegan products creates a need for new nutrient-dense products. Amaranth seeds are characterised as a nutritious product due to the content of proteins, fats, etc. Considering the high-quality fats and their amount in amaranth seeds, the aim of this study was to analyse the profile of fatty acids in amaranth pasta which was developed for a vegan diet. Seven samples: amaranth, amaranth-oat, and amaranth-buckwheat pasta in different ratios, were analysed in the study. The preparation of samples for analysis was carried out according to LVS EN ISO 6498:2012; fatty acid composition was determined using thug/MS analytic method. The highest total fat content was determined in the amaranth pasta – 5453.62 mg 100 gE−1 of product, followed by the amaranth-oat pasta (85%/15%) – 4988.14 mg 100 gE−1 of product and amaranth-oat pasta (70%/30%) – 4772.93 mg 100 gE−1 of product. In the developed pasta samples, over 70% of total fat was unsaturated fatty acids and more than one-third of total fat was PUFA. The highest PUFA/SFA ratio was determined for amaranth-oat pasta (70%/30%), amaranth-buckwheat pasta (85%/15%), and amaranth-buckwheat pasta (70%/30%). Quantitatively, the essential fatty acids were oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid. The triterpene squalene was detected with a probability of 90% in all amaranth, amaranth-oat, and amaranth-buckwheat pasta samples. The developed pasta for a vegan diet contains good-quality fat.

There is an increasing demand for natural and healthy food products that play a multifunctional role in human diet. Pine cone syrup has long been known and used for its medicinal purposes. As part of the research, a syrup was developed from green pine cones, which can be used not only in cases of colds, but also in everyday life. The aim of the research was to evaluate different pine cone syrups produced by brown and white sugar and analyse their physical parameter changes during storage. Syrups were characterised by volatile compounds and their changes depending on the type of sugar used. The content of soluble solids, pH, viscosity and titratable acid during storage were analysed as well. A total of 33 volatile compounds were detected in syrup made with white sugar (SWS) and 36 in syrup with brown sugar (SBS). Of the compounds detected, sample SWS was characterised more by compounds giving a pine and resinous aroma, while sample SBS was characterised by a pine and citrus aroma. The determination of the soluble solids content of syrups, irrespective of the type of sugar chosen, using the t test analysis there is no significant differences (p>0.05). The average soluble solids of 63.2 ± 0.6 °Bx for sample SBS and 62.7 ± 0.6 °Bx for sample SWS, complies with the legislation on soluble solids content of syrups (62 °Bx). No significant difference was found between sample pH, which for both samples was 3.5. Sample SBS on average had a higher viscosity (0.102 ± 0.001 Pa·s) than sample SWS (0.09 ± 0.001 Pa·s) and it was noticed that the sample became more viscous during storage.