Browsing by department "Avdelningen för livsmedels- och näringsvetenskaper"
Now showing items 61-80 of 95
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(2020)Background: The intake of phosphorus in Western countries is substantial comparing to recommendations. At the same time, consumption of foods with phosphorus-containing additives (P additives) such as processed meats and ready meals has become common. The use of P additives in the food industry is extensive due to their diverse functions in foodstuffs. Inorganic P additives are known to absorb almost completely in the intestinal tract whereas organic phosphorus that is naturally present in foods is less bioavailable. Excessive intake of phosphorus (P) is detrimental especially for chronic kidney disease patients and thus, P restriction diet is needed in maintaining normal serum phosphate concentration and to stop the progression of the disease. In addition, there is evidence suggesting that high dietary intake of P would also be harmful to bone and cardiovascular health in general population. Currently, estimation of the amount of dietary P is difficult due to lacking methods to determine added and natural P chemically in foodstuffs. Moreover, food composition databases do not necessarily take into account the amount of P additives in the total P contents if not analysed chemically. This creates a problem especially to chronic kidney disease patients who should avoid intake of P and especially inorganic P additives. Objective: The aim of this thesis was to determine the prevalence of P additives in the Finnish food supply. Further, the use of inorganic, organic and naturally phosphorus containing additives in different food categories and the labelling methods of P additives were examined. Also, the prevalence of modified starch in the food products was investigated. Materials and methods: The data were obtained from the foodie.fi website containing all the foodstuffs sold in the grocery stores of S Group. Altogether 6176 products were reviewed on foodie.fi and the relevant information was recorded. This information included food category, full product name, presence of P additives and reporting methods of P additives. Minimally processed food categories and categories known not to contain P additives were not reviewed. 1027 foodstuffs were excluded due to lacking package labelling, duplicates or other. Thus, the final data consisted of 5149 foodstuffs. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel. Results: The prevalence of P additives in all the foodstuffs was 36 %. Among food categories the prevalence varied from 4 % in dairy based snacks to 67 % in meat products. Altogether 17 different P additives were observed in the data. Inorganic P additives were the most common P additive type as 20 % of the foodstuffs contained them. Naturally P containing additives were present in 19 % and organic P additives in 2 % of the foodstuffs. The three most often used P additives were lecithin (E 322), pyrophosphate (E 450), and triphosphate (E 451). Modified starch was used in 23 % of the foodstuffs. Of the reporting methods, E code was used in 49 % of the foodstuffs while in 44 % of the foodstuff's, phosphorus-containing food additives were reported using full name. Conclusions: The use of P additives is common in the Finnish food supply as over one-third of the foodstuffs reviewed contained P additives, inorganic P being the most common P additive type. Organic P additives were rare. However, modified starches that can be presented only by group were more common than any P additive types. Of 11 different modified starches, 5 contain phosphorus. Thus, the true prevalence of organic P additives remains unclear. This establishes a challenge especially in the treatment of chronic kidney disease patients and in their adherence on phosphorus restriction diet as well as in the evaluation of total phosphorus intake as the true amounts of P in the foodstuffs are not available. In addition, the reporting methods of P additives in the packaging might not be clear enough and require knowledge of P additives to be understood. For these reasons, there is a need for updated information on chemically analysed phosphorus contents in the foodstuffs but also more visible and comprehensible label information of P additive contents.
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(2020)In this research, lignocellulose decomposition and bioethanol production potentiality of the white rot fungus Phlebia radiata 79 was studied at different atmospheric conditions on several solid substrate mixtures containing spent brewery barley mash (SBBM), barley straw, spruce wood sawdust, and birch wood sawdust. The fungus was capable of growing on all substrate mixtures, subsequently converting them into fermentable sugars like glucose, producing various primary metabolites involving ethanol, acetate, and glycerol. Ethanol accumulation was always dominant under nitrogen flushed anaerobic conditions as well as semi-aerobic conditions. The highest concentration of ethanol accumulated on the second week of cultivation on all solid substrate mixtures. Under anaerobic conditions, the detected amount of ethanol was 88 mmol/l, 87 mmol/l, and 108 mmol/l, after two weeks of cultivation of the fungus on lignocellulose substrates containing SBBM mixed with barley straw, spruce wood sawdust, or birch wood sawdust, respectively. Under semi-aerobic conditions, corresponding concentrations of ethanol - 90 mmol/l, 61 mmol/l, and 105 mmol/l - accumulated in the cultures after two weeks of cultivation on the same substrate mixtures, respectively. Under aerobic conditions, only small amounts of ethanol were detected during the first two weeks of cultivation. Another part of the study was to establish an enzyme assay method for pectin degradation and conversion, in order to measure the activities of specific carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) involving pectinase, as well as cellulolytic β-glucosidase and cellobiohydrolase (CBH) activities. The highest β-glucosidase activity (5.2 nkat/ml) was observed under aerobic conditions in cultures on the substrate mixture of SBBM and barley straw. CBH activity was also prominent under aerobic conditions, and the maximal activity (0.7 nkat/ml) was detected on the substrate mixture of SBBM and spruce wood sawdust, while elevated pectinase activity (83 nkat/ml) was recorded under aerobic conditions on substrate mixtures containing SBBM and barley straw. Thus, the conclusions are that composition of the solid waste lignocellulose substrate mixture affected enzyme production by the fungus, whereas production of ethanol was mainly controlled by the cultivation atmosphere. Interestingly, both anaerobic and semi-aerobic atmospheric conditions supported similar bioconversion efficiency resulting with similar high levels of bioethanol production in the fungal cultures within two weeks.
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(2020)P. freudenreichii has long been used as a secondary starter culture in the production of emmental cheeses and similar Swiss-type cheeses and it is capable of producing human active form of vitamin B12. P. freudenreichii is a traditional bacterium of the dairy group, but it has also been isolated from plant products such as barley. The literature section of the dissertation dealt with propionic acid bacteria and especially P. freudenreichii as well as vitamin B12 and its analytics. The purpose of the experimental part of the dissertation was to investigate the salt and acid tolerance of P. freudenreichii isolates. In addition, the extent to which P. freudenreichii isolates grow on a plant-derived medium and ferment vitamin B12 therein was investigated. The liquid chromatographic UHPLC method validated for vitamin B12 was used to determine vitamin B12. The P. freudenreichii isolates studied in this study did not tolerate acidic conditions but grew better in a neutral or slightly alkaline environment. They also did not tolerate high NaCl concentrations and grew better in lower the salt concentrations. P. freudenreichii isolates grew well in the wheat bran matrix. The best-growing isolates were assayed for vitamin B12 production. The isolates studied produced significant amounts of vitamin B12 in plant-derived medium.
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(2019)The aim of this thesis was to study and develop the process hygiene of the new R1 bottling line at Altia Rajamäki alcoholic beverage plant. The products bottled on the line are mainly low- and non-alcoholic beverages that have limited amount of previously studied knowledge about the efficiency of hygienic practices of their production. In addition, the microbiological quality of the products’ raw materials was studied, and an attempt was made to identify the microbes occurring in the products and on the production line. The literature review deals with the legislation of food industry and the microbiological risks related to various types of beverages and their processing. In the experimental part of the thesis the microbiological hygiene of the bottling process was studied by collecting samples from the surfaces of the bottling line using mainly the microbiological swabbing method. The microbiological analyses of the bottled products were conducted by filtering the sample to a filter paper. Various culture mediums and antibiotics were also tested to identify the bacteria from yeasts and molds. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to identify the bacteria frequently occurring in the analyses. DNA isolation and PCR were conducted at the University of Helsinki and the gene sequencing was carried out by the Institute of Biotechnology. Sequence alignment was made using BLAST. The public version of the thesis lacks the confidential information which is provided only for Altia Oyj. Based on the results, the process hygiene of the R1 bottling line is sufficient in case the hygienic practices are followed. No significant microbiological growth was observed in the process hygiene samples. However, endospore producing bacteria were found in the products and these bacteria were presumed to originate from the raw materials of the products or from storage tanks and pipelines of these raw materials. Four bacterial genera, which frequently occurred in the products, were successfully identified. Nevertheless, based on the literature, it was noticed that these bacteria are not able to spoil alcoholic beverages nor to grow in the conditions of bottled products. However, some of these bacteria can substantially form biofilm.
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(2019)Sourdough baking is a process used for thousands of years and it’s still used to this day. Sourdough is a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts and it’s used to leaven the bread. Some of sourdough LAB produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) from sucrose in their metabolism. Dextran, which consists of α-(1→6) linked glucosyl units is the most common EPS. EPS produced by LAB have been widely studied to have different positive impacts on bread texture. The aim of this thesis was to screen the sourdough samples for EPS producing LAB and to analyze the structures of those EPS as accurately as possible. In the experimental part LAB were isolated from the sourdough samples and grown on MRS agar containing sucrose. All EPS forming colonies were then isolated from the plates and purified to obtain pure strains. The EPS produced by the strains were hydrolyzed enzymatically by dextranase and glucosidase after which their monosaccharides and enzyme resistant oligosaccharides were analyzed by HPAEC-PAD. The structures of the EPS were also analyzed with NMR. 13 EPS producing strains were isolated from the sourdough samples. Based on the HPAEC-PAD results all samples were found to be dextran because the enzymes were able to hydrolyze them. From the enzyme resistant oligosaccharide chromatograms it was seen that there were four different chromatographic profiles so there were four different EPS structures. NMR results confirmed that all EPS were dextrans. The NMR results also confirmed that there were four different structures among the EPS samples. All EPS had α-(1→3) linked branches. Two samples also had α-(1→2) linked branches. This research gave information about the EPS production by the sourdough’s LAB and also the structures of those EPS.
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(2020)Uusille elintarvikkeille tai niihin käytetyille uutuusvalmistusaineille on tuottajien määritettävä hyllyikä eli varastointiaika, jonka aikana tuotteessa ei tapahdu laadun muutoksia. Tuotteen hyllyikä on lyhyempi kuin todellinen laadunheikkenemisaika, koska pienestäkin laadun muutoksesta vastaa tuottaja. Hapettuminen on suurimpia huolenaiheita, koska sen seurauksena syntyy primaarisia ja sekundaarisia hapettumistuotteita, jotka voivat pilata tuotteen väriä, makua ja rakennetta. Tämän tutkimuksen toimeksiantaja on kehittänyt uuden valmistusaineen. Valmistusaine on kaura-rypsiöljypohjainen kuivattu emulsio, jonka hapettumisnopeus on hyllyiän määrittämiseksi tarpeen selvittää. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää rasvojen hapettumiskestävyyttä kaura-rypsiöljyseoksessa ja arvioida uuden valmistusaineen hyllyikä. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli selvittää, vaikuttavatko valmistusaineeseen lisätyt antioksidantit tai valmistustavan muutos rasvojen hapettumisnopeuteen. Tutkimusta varten valmistettiin kuivaamalla yhteensä neljä valmistusainetta. Yhteen uusista näytteistä lisättiin tokoferoliseosta ja yhteen rosmariiniuutetta. Toisen valmistustavan näyte valmistettiin eri tavalla kuin muut näytteet. Lisäksi käytössä oli yksi näyte, joka oli ollut kuusi kuukautta tehdastiloissa ennen varastointikokeen alkua. Rasvojen hapettumista seurattiin nopeutetussa varastointikokeessa 12 viikon ajan 40 ℃:ssa. Näytteistä määritettiin alussa ja 2, 5, 8 ja 12 viikon kuluttua rasvahappokoostumukset kaasukromatografilla, peroksidiluku, haihtuvat yhdisteet kiinteäfaasimikrouutto-kaasukromatografialla ja tokoferolit sekä -trienolit suuren erotuskyvyn nestekromatografialla. Tutkimusta varten valmistettujen uusien näytteiden rasvahappokoostumuksissa ei tapahtunut muutosta varastointikokeen aikana. Tokoferolien ja -trienolien kokonaispitoisuudet pienenivät noin 32 %, ja peroksidiluvut nousivat noin kaksinkertaiseksi tasoon 13-15 mekv/kg. Kaikkiin näytteisiin muodostui haihtuvia hapettumistuotteita (heptanaalia, 2-pentyylifuraania, heksaanihappoa ja nonanaalia). Eniten kaikissa näytteissä oli heksanaalia ja 3,5-oktadien-2-onia. Kaikissa uusissa valmistusaineissa hapettuminen oli rajallista, ja käytetyt antioksidanttilisäykset eivät merkittävästi parantaneet säilyvyyttä. Sen sijaan valmiiksi vanhentuneessa näytteessä hapettuminen oli voimakasta kahdeksannen säilytysviikon jälkeen. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella uuden valmistusaineen rasvojen hapettumiskestävyys on hyvä ja hyllyiäksi voi arvioida jopa 7-12 kuukautta. Tutkimuksessa osoitettiin myös, että lisätyt antioksidantit tai erilainen valmistustapa ei lisännyt valmistusaineeseen hapettuvuuden kestoa.
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(2020)Johdanto Ikääntyneiden ravitsemukseen liittyy monia haasteita, ja erityisesti ympärivuorokautisessa hoidossa olevilla ikääntyneillä virheravitsemus on yleistä. Tutkimuksissa on havaittu, että ympärivuorokautisessa hoidossa olevilla ikääntyneillä varsinkin energian, proteiinin ja mikroravintoaineiden saanti on usein vähäistä. Heikentyneen ravitsemustilan ja riittämättömän ravinnonsaannin on havaittu olevan yhteydessä gerasteniaan ja voivan lisätä sen riskiä ikääntyneillä. Tavoitteet Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli tarkastella ravinnonsaannin yhteyttä gerastenian asteeseen pitkäaikaisessa ympärivuorokautisessa hoidossa olevilla helsinkiläisillä ikääntyneillä. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin erityisesti energian, proteiinin ja joidenkin mikroravintoaineiden saantia ruokavaliosta, ja sitä eroaako näiden saanti eri gerastenian asteilla olevien ikääntyneiden välillä. Aineisto ja menetelmät Tutkittavina oli 486 pitkäaikaisessa ympärivuorokautisessa hoidossa olevaa ikääntynyttä 17 helsinkiläisestä ympärivuorokautisen hoidon yksiköstä. Tutkittavien energian, proteiinin ja mikroravintoaineiden saanti ruokavaliosta selvitettiin hoitajien täyttämien 1–2 vuorokauden ruokapäiväkirjojen avulla. Gerastenian aste määriteltiin gerasteniaindeksin avulla. Gerasteniaindeksin muodostamiseksi tarvittavat tiedot sekä tutkittavien taustatiedot kerätiin strukturoidulla kyselylomakkeella. Energian, proteiinin ja mikroravintoaineiden saannin ja gerastenian asteen välistä yhteyttä tarkasteltiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Tulokset Tutkittavista 73 %:lla oli gerasteniaindeksin mukaan gerastenia ja 27 %:lla oli joko gerastenian esiaste tai ei ollut gerasteniaa. Ikääntyneillä, joilla oli gerastenia keskimääräinen energiansaanti oli pienempi kuin ikääntyneillä, joilla oli gerastenian esiaste tai ei ollut gerasteniaa (p=0,002). Myös keskimääräinen proteiinin saanti oli pienempi ikääntyneillä, joilla oli gerastenia kuin niillä, joilla oli gerastenian esiaste tai ei ollut gerasteniaa (p<0,001). Lisäksi gerasteniset ikääntyneet saivat ruokavaliosta vähemmän A-vitamiinia (p=0,047), D-vitamiinia (p=0,032) ja folaattia (p=0,015) kuin ikääntyneet, joilla oli gerastenian esiaste tai ei ollut gerasteniaa. Kun energian ja proteiinin saantia tarkasteltiin erikseen naisilla ja miehillä, havaittiin, että naisilla, joilla oli gerastenia energian (p<0,001) ja proteiinin (p<0,001) saanti oli merkitsevästi vähäisempää kuin naisilla, joilla oli gerastenian esiaste tai ei ollut gerasteniaa. Miehillä energian ja proteiinin saannissa ei ollut eroa eri gerastenian asteilla olevien ikääntyneiden välillä. Johtopäätökset Energian, proteiinin ja joidenkin mikroravintoaineiden saanti oli yhteydessä gerastenian asteeseen ympärivuorokautisessa hoidossa olevilla ikääntyneillä. Erityisesti naisilla energian ja proteiinin saanti oli vähäisempää niillä, joilla oli gerastenia kuin niillä, joilla oli gerastenian esiaste tai ei ollut gerasteniaa. Lisäksi myös A- ja D-vitamiinin sekä folaatin saanti ruokavaliosta oli gerastenisilla ikääntyneillä vähäisempää kuin muilla. Pitkäaikaisessa ympärivuorokautisessa hoidossa tulisi kiinnittää huomioita gerastenisten asukkaiden, erityisesti gerastenisten naisten, riittävään energian, proteiinin ja mikroravintoaineiden saantiin.
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(2020)Introduction: Recent studies in 3–6-year-old children indicate that micronutrient intake from the diet is adequate apart from iron and vitamin D. Therefore, the recommended vitamin D supplementation is necessary all year round for children under the age of 18. The use of other supplements is necessary only in cases of food allergy or special diet or if the diet in unbalanced for some other reason and dietary supplements should not be used to replace a balanced diet. There are little studies on dietary supplement use in Finnish children, especially aged 3–6-years. Therefore, there is a need for a study on supplement use and sociodemographic factors associated with it. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine the use of dietary supplements and micronutrient intake from the supplements in 3–6-year-old children. Additionally, this study aimed to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors, special diets and dietary supplement use. Materials and methods: The data in this thesis is from the cross-sectional study of DAGIS -research project. 3–6-year-old participants (n=864) were recruited from 66 daycare centers from Uusimaa and South Ostrobothnia. Parents reported the supplement use of the child and filled in a background questionnaire. 822 of 864 families completed the FFQ-form and formed the study population of the thesis. The supplement use during the previous month, including brand name, dose, and frequency was surveyed. Dietary supplement database containing the nutritional content of 678 different supplements was compiled. Dietary supplements were categorized in to seven categories for the analysis: vitamin D, other single vitamin, single mineral, multivitamin-mineral, probiotics, fatty acids, and other supplements. In addition, the use of all supplements containing vitamin D were examined. The dietary supplement use in different age groups was tested with χ2-test. The association between dietary supplement use and sociodemographic factors was analyzed with logistic regression. The statistical analysis was conducted with IBM SPSS Statistics (version 25). Results: 85% of the children used at least one dietary supplement during the previous month. Vitamin D (58%) and multivitamin-multimineral (30%) supplements were the most used supplements in all age groups. 83% of the children used any supplement containing vitamin D. There was no statistically significant difference between the age groups in the use of different types of dietary supplements (p0.05). The children received 20 different micronutrients from the supplements. The mean daily intake of vitamin D from supplements in supplement users was 14 µg. Compared with the recommended 7.5 µg per day the intake from supplements was adequate. However, 17% of the children did not use vitamin D supplement and on the other hand, six children received vitamin D more than the upper tolerable level. Household income was positively associated with supplement use. The vitamin D use was associated with a higher household income and time of year. The use of more than one supplement was associated with the area of residence but also with higher age and having less children in the family. The use was more likely in South Ostrobothnia than in Uusimaa. Conclusions: The supplement use varied from non-users to children using six different supplements. The prevalence of recommended vitamin D supplement use was high but still there were children who did not receive any vitamin D from the supplements. Child Health Clinics play an important role in making the importance on vitamin D supplement use known. Every child should use vitamin D supplement all year round, despite the socioeconomic status or the area of residence.
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(2019)Suomalainen henkilöstöruokailujärjestelmä on kiinteä osa suomalaista ruokakulttuuria. Yli puolella suo-malaisista työssäkäyvistä on mahdollisuus henkilöstöravintolassa ruokailuun, mutta vain neljä kymme-nestä hyödyntää tätä mahdollisuutta. Henkilöstöravintolaympäristö voi tukea terveellisten valintojen te-kemistä, mutta ruokailija vastaa itse valinnoistaan. Valintoihin vaikuttavat mm. yksilöiden henkilökohtai-set mieltymykset, arvostukset ja tarpeet. Pro gradu -työ on osa ”Minä valitsen ja ympäristö tukee” -hanketta, jonka tarkoituksena on selvittää hen-kilöstöravintolan asiakkaiden ruokavalintoja ohjaavia tekijöitä. Tulokset auttavat kehittämään ruokai-luympäristöä täysipainoisen ja terveellisen ruoanvalinnan tukemiseksi. Pro gradu -työn tarkoituksena on selvittää, mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat ruokavalintoihin henkilöstöravintolan asiakkailla sekä kuvata ruoanva-lintaa käyttäen Furstin ym. (1996) Käsitteellistä mallia ruoanvalinnan prosessista. Lisäksi tarkoituksena on selvittää, miten ruokailijat huomioivat terveellisyyden valinnoissa ja mikä merkitys lounaalla on heille osana päivän muita aterioita. Kuuttakymmentäkahta satunnaisesti valittua henkilöstöravintolan asiakasta pyydettiin ajattelemaan ää-neen ruoanvalintaperusteitaan lounaslinjastolla ruokaa ottaessa. Lisäksi tutkittavia haastateltiin struktu-roituja ja puolistrukturoituja kysymyksiä käyttäen mm. lounasruoan valintaan yleisesti vaikuttavista teki-jöistä, terveellisyyden merkityksestä valinnoissa sekä lautasmallin tuntemisesta ja noudattamisesta. Aineiston analysoinnissa käytettiin aineistolähtöistä sisällönanalyysimenetelmää. Ruokavalintoihin vaikuttivat tutkittavien makumieltymykset. Ruoka valittiin aiempien kokemusten ja ulko-näön perusteella. Oleellista monille oli vähähiilihydraattisuus, vähärasvaisuus tai runsasproteiinisuus. Allergiat, sairaudet ja ruoka-aineiden koettu sopimattomuus vaikuttivat valintoihin. Osa suosi kevyttä ruokaa paremman töissä jaksamisen tai painonhallinnan vuoksi, ja osa halusi syödä täyttävästi. Muita ruoanvalintaan vaikuttaneita tekijöitä olivat mm. lisäaineiden välttely, ekologisuus ja uusien makujen kokeilemisen mahdollisuus. Suurin osa otti terveellisyyden huomioon valinnoissa. Tutkittavat pyrkivät ottamaan runsaasti kasviksia tai noudattamaan lautasmallia. Moni vältteli lihaa tai punaista lihaa tai suosi kasvis- tai kalaruokaa terveellisyyden vuoksi. Terveellisyyteen liitettiin myös ruokavalion kokonaisuus, täysipainoisuus ja kohtuullisuus. Tutkittavien ruoanvalintaan vaikuttavissa tekijöissä näkyivät 2010-luvun ravitsemuskeskustelun teemat, kuten vähähiilihydraattisuus ja gluteenittomuus. Ruoan terveellisyys oli tutkittaville tärkeää. Tutkittavien terveystietoisuutta selitti korkea koulutustaso. Lisäksi henkilöstöravintolassa ruokailivat ne, jotka halusi-vat syödä terveellisesti. Tulokset ovat pääosin yhteneväisiä muiden ruoanvalintaan liittyvien tutkimusten kanssa ja mahdollista esittää Furstin ym. Ruoanvalinnan mallin avulla.
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(2020)Tutkimusten mukaan NEET-nuoret kokevat kokonaisuudessaan terveytensä heikommaksi kuin muut nuoret. Terveellinen ruokavalio edistää terveyttä, mutta kohderyhmän nuoret ovat jääneet ulkopuolelle monista ravitsemukseen kohdistuvista terveyden edistämisen toimenpiteistä, kuten joukkoruokailuun liittyvistä alennuksista tai ruokailusuosituksista. Työn ja koulutuksen ulkopuolella olevien nuorten ruokavalion laadusta ja ruoan valinnasta on saatavilla hyvin vähän tietoa. Olemassa oleva vähäinen tieto antaa kuitenkin viitteitä siitä, että nuorten ruokavalio ei ole täysin suositusten mukainen. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on lisätä ymmärrystä työn ja koulutuksen ulkopuolella olevien nuorten ruoan valinnasta. Työn tavoitteena on tutkia, miten erilaiset ruoanvalintamotiivit vaikuttavat nuorten ruoan valintaan ja mitkä motiiveista ovat keskeisimpiä, miten erilaiset ruoan valinnan vaikuttimet, erityisesti ruoan valinnan resurssit vaikuttavat nuoren ruokavalintoihin ja millaisia motiivipuntarointeja nuoret tekevät ruoanvalintatilanteissa. Tutkimus on toteutettu laadullisena tutkimuksena hyödyntämällä teemahaastattelua aineistonkeruumenetelmänä. Tutkimusta varten haastateltiin Vamos-palvelujen toiminnassa mukana olevia 16- 29 -vuotiaita nuoria (n=10). Aineiston analysoinnissa käytettiin teemoittelua. Analyysi toteutettiin aineistolähtöisesti työn teoreettisen viitekehyksen ohjaamana. Työn teoreettisena viitekehyksenä toimii Furstin ym. (1996) luoma ruoan valinnan malli sekä Steptoe ym. (1995) tutkimus ruoanvalintamotiiveista. Haastattelujen perusteella kaikki Steptoen ym. (1995) nimeämät ruoanvalintamotiivit olivat tunnistettavissa aineistossa nuorten ruoan valintaan vaikuttavina tekijöinä. Keskeisimmät ruoan valintaan vaikuttavat motiivit olivat ruoan hinta ja ruoan sensorinen miellyttävyys. Sensorinen miellyttävyys vaikutti olevan tinkimätön vähimmäisvaatimus tapahtuvalle ruoan valinnalle. Lisäksi hinta näytti vaikuttavan lähes jokaisessa ruoanvalintatilanteessa nuorten ruoan valintaan. Nuoret käyttivät erilaisia hintaan liittyviä strategioita helpottaakseen ruoan valintaansa. Tällaisia strategioita olivat ruokien sekä kauppojen luokittelu kalliisiin ja halpoihin sekä alennustuotteiden käytön suosiminen. Nuorten resursseista tulotaso vaikutti keskeisesti ruoan valintaan asettaen raamit valinnoille. Tulotason lisäksi resursseista ruoan valintaan näyttivät vaikuttavan yksilön ruokaan liittyvät tiedot ja taidot sekä aika. Aineiston analyysi toi esiin, että sekä tietojen ja taitojen että ajan puute vaikutti ruoan valintaan niin, että näiden resurssien puute korosti ruoan kätevyyden, nopean ja helpon saatavuuden sekä valmistamisen, tärkeyttä ruoanvalintatilanteissa. Tutkimustulosten perusteella johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että hinta on nuorille hyvin keskeinen ruoan valinnan motiivi ja jos halutaan vaikuttaa kohderyhmän nuorten ruoan valintaan, tulisi siihen vaikuttaa hintaan liittyvien keinojen kautta. Tulotason lisäksi osalla nuorista ilmeni tutkimuksessa resurssivajeita ruoan valmistamiseen liittyvien tietojen ja taitojen osalta. Näiden parantamiseen tulisi myös kohdentaa toimenpiteitä, jotta tietojen ja taitojen puute ei rajoittaisi nuorten ruoan valintaa. Työ toi esiin jatkotutkimustarpeita etenkin nuorten ruokavalion terveellisyyteen liittyen. Olisi tärkeää tutkia systemaattisesti, mitä kohderyhmän nuoret käsittävät terveelliseksi ruoaksi sekä miten hyvin nuorten ruokavalio vastaa suosituksia. Lisäksi myös nuorten mielialan vaikutusta ruoan valintaan olisi syytä tutkia lisää.
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(2020)Introduction: Food insecurity (FI) is a quite common problem in high income countries. Many studies have indicated that some groups tend to be more vulnerable for FI than the others, for example food pantry clients. Aim of the study: To determine the prevalence of FI among Finnish food pantry clients, and to define if there were sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with FI. We also aimed to assess if FI is associated with dietary diversity. Materials and methods: A convenience sample of 129 food pantry clients (43% men and 57% women) was collected around Finland. Most of the participants were over 54 years old (77%), retired (72%) and had secondary education (58%). Participants completed a questionnaire which included questions about their gender, age, nationality, level of education, employment status, mode of housing, smoking and drinking habits, adequacy of income and perceived disadvantage. Questionnaire included also a seven-item food frequency questionnaire. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) based on 9 validated questions was used to determine the prevalence and severity of FI. Results: The prevalence of FI was 72%. Of the participants, 46% were severely food insecure. Gender and mode of housing were associated with FI. Men were twice likely to experience severe FI compared to women (OR 2,29; 95% CI 1,09−4,80). Participants who were homeless or living in a rented property were more likely to experience severe FI compared to them who were owner-occupiers (OR 7,12; 95% CI 2,42−20,95). Severely food insecure participants consumed less often fruits and berries (OR 0,36; 95% CI 0,15−0,90), vegetables (OR 0,33; 95% CI 0,13−0,82), dairy products (OR 0,22; 95% CI 0,08−0,63) and edible fat (OR 0,24; 95% CI 0,09−0,65) compared to food secure participants. Conclusions: FI seems to be quite common among Finnish food pantry clients. Severely food insecure clients had poorer dietary diversity than the others, which indicates that food pantries cannot respond to the needs of food pantry clients.
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(2020)Tausta ja tavoitteet: Maailmalla on tehty vasta muutamia tutkimuksia, joissa on hyödynnetty kattavaa terveys- ja elämäntapakartoitusta. Vielä ei ole tiedossa, auttaako monipuolinen henkilökohtainen tieto omasta terveydestä parantamaan ruokavaliota, jotta se noudattaisi paremmin suomalaisia ravitsemussuosituksia. Aiemmat tutkimukset ovat osoittaneet, että yksilöllinen hyvinvointivalmennus parantaa ruokavalion laatua kuvaavien ruokavalioindeksien (Healthy Eating index ja Mediterranean Diet) pisteitä, vähentää tyydyttyneiden rasvojen saantia ja punaisen lihan käyttöä sekä parantaa serumin D-vitamiiniarvoja. Tämä tutkielma oli osa Digital Health Revolution (DHR) -tutkimusta ja tavoitteena oli kuvata tutkimukseen osallistuneiden ihmisten ruokavalion laatua ja niiden muutoksia sekä tutkia, oliko tutkimuksen aikana annettu tieto henkilökohtaisista terveysriskeistä yhteydessä ruokavaliomuutoksiin. Aineisto ja menetelmät: DHR-tutkimus kesti 16 kuukautta ja se sisälsi viisi tutkimuskäyntiä. Tutkielmassa käytettiin aineistoa 96 tutkittavalta, joista 69 % oli naisia ja 75 % korkeasti koulutettuja. Ruokavalion tutkimisessa hyödynnettiin DHR-tutkimuksen ruoankäyttökyselyä ja terveellisen ruoankäytön ruokavalioindeksiä (Healthy Food Intake Index, HFII), joka koostui yhdeksästä ruokakomponentista. Indeksin maksimipisteet olivat 15. Pisteytys perustui pohjoismaisiin ja suomalaisiin ravitsemussuosituksiin sekä ruokien käyttötiheyden kolmanneksiin tai mediaaniin. Terveysriskien ja ruokavaliomuutosten yhteyden selvittämiseksi tutkittavat jaettiin kahteen ryhmään. Toiseen ryhmään luokiteltiin ne, joilla oli toisella tutkimuskäynnillä vähintään yksi viidestä terveysriskistä (painoindeksi ≥30kg/m², vyötärönympärys ≥80cm, naiset tai ≥94cm, miehet, paastoglukoosi ≥6,1 mmol/l, kokonaiskolesteroli/HDL-kol.>4 mmol/l, verenpaine ≥130/85 mmHg, n = 47) ja toiseen ne, joilla ei ollut näistä yhtäkään (n = 41). Tulokset: Indeksipisteiden keskiarvoissa ei havaittu muutoksia tutkimuksen aikana. Heikkolaatuisen ruokavalion omaavien (2–5 p, n = 17) indeksipisteiden keskiarvo kuitenkin parani tutkimuksen aikana 1,2 (± 2,0, p = 0,009) pistettä ja paremman ruokavalion laadun omaavien (11–13 p, n = 16) pisteet huononivat 1,3 (± 1,8, p = 0,02) pistettä. Yksilötasolla havaittiin suuriakin muutoksia indeksipisteissä. Neljäsosalla tutkittavista tulos parantui ja viidesosalla heikentyi vähintään kahdella pisteellä. Tieto terveysriskeistä vaikutti myönteisesti ruokavalion laatuun lyhyellä (3,5 kk) aikavälillä mutta ei pitkällä (10,5 kk) aikavälillä. Johtopäätökset: Työssä ei havaittu systemaattista ruokavalion laadun parantumista. Henkilökohtaiset terveysriskit kuitenkin olivat yhteydessä indeksipisteiden parantumiseen lyhyellä aikavälillä. Yksilötasolla useammalla kuin kolmella neljästä pisteiden muutokset olivat vaatimattomia ja niiden käytännön merkitys ruokavalion laadun kannalta voi olla vähäinen. Puutteet ruokavalioindeksissä, kontrolliryhmän puute ja rajallinen aineiston koko heikentävät yleistettävyyttä ja tulosten merkitystä.
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(2020)Background: Foodservices have a significant role in the Finnish food culture. For many Finnish people the food produced by the mass catering industry is the only hot meal for the day. Foodservices are present throughout the life from kindergarten children to the elderly people at nursing homes. But working career is the longest singular time period in life in which foodservices are present. Every day over one third of Finnish employees choose to have their lunch at a staff canteen. The role of worksite eating in sustaining public health is important. The food served at staff canteens should be healthy, diverse and nutritionally well composed. Nutrition quality is a term that describes how well the nutrition guidelines are met in the meals served by foodservices. Aim: The aim of the research was to assess the nutrition quality of the meals served by staff canteens and eaten by the employees. Data and methods: The data of the research consisted of menus for two weeks by a foodservice company`s three restaurants, photos of employees’ meals (n=350) and questionnaires, observations at the staff canteens and the self-evaluations made by the restaurant managers. The evaluation of nutritional quality of the served meals was based on two nutrition quality criteria: Heart Symbol and Arkilounaskriteerit. Arkilounaskriteerit is a questionnaire filled by the restaurant manager. Arkilounaskriteerit is a tool that answers the question whether or not the diner has a chance to eat according to national food recommendations at the staff canteen. The criteria of the Heart Symbol are more specific than Arkilounaskriteerit with regards to the nutrition quality of the meal. The Heart Symbol criteria includes the nutrient level of the meal, it has criteria for the amounts of fat and saturated fat but also for the amounts of salt and nutrition fiber. On the basis of the photos of the employees’ meals and questionnaires I assessed how the Heart Symbol criteria were met and to what extent it was composed by a plate model. Using the plate model I assessed from the meals the proportions of vegetables, sources of protein and carbohydrates, and also what kind of a drink and how many glasses they had, did they have salad dressing, bread, bread spread or a dessert. Both Arkilounaskriteerit and Heart Symbol criteria include a statement that they must inform customers about the healthier food choices. This information criteria were assessed at the staff canteens. Results: The four fields of Arkilounaskriteerit were fulfilled “well” or “moderately”. The menus had a combined number of 224 food items (155 sources of proteins, 46 sources of carbohydrates and 26 other side dishes), of which 45 items (20 %) were marked with a Heart Symbol. After analysing the food items it was discovered that the criteria of the Heart Symbol were fulfilled by 74 food items (33 %). The Heart Symbol criteria were met by 31 % of the sources of protein, 37 % of the sources of carbohydrate and by 9 % of other side dishes. In those cases where the Heart Symbol criteria were not met the reason was most commonly in the amount of salt (over 40 % had salt above the criteria limit). In 10 % of the employees’ meals there were vegetables, sources of protein and carbohydrates according to the plate model. The meals were composed almost by the plate model. On average plates had 30 % source of protein, 20 % source of carbohydrate and 50 % vegetables. Typically the meal also contained salad dressing, one glass of water but no bread or dessert. Conclusions: Given the criteria of the Heart Symbol and the drive of the company, the nutrition quality of the served food items was low in most cases. Two thirds of the food items did not meet the criteria of the Heart Symbol, even though the company informs that they have nutrition guidelines in use. To enhance the nutritional quality of the meals the diners should make only minor changes in the proportions of sources of protein and carbohydrate. According to the criteria used in this research the staff canteens should have a plate model on display (criteria of informing the client). Regardless of the criteria this was not the case. The nutrition quality of food at staff canteens should be researched on a wider spectrum to have a deeper understanding of the subject. Research should be done all over Finland in several different foodservice companies - in this way it would be possible through staff canteens to tackle the greatest challenges of the Finns’ nutrition: too much salt and too little vegetables in their diets.
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(2020)Background and aims: Childhood obesity has increased worldwide and is a public health concern. Overweight and obese children have a higher risk of being obese and having adverse health outcomes also later in life. Obesity can also have an adverse effect on the quality of life in children and can reduce life expectancy. One of the main risk factors for childhood obesity is lifestyle such as poor diet quality and lack of physical activity. Maternal lifestyle factors, obesity and gestational diabetes (GDM) during pregnancy are also associated with a higher risk of obesity and adverse health outcomes in the offspring. One potential explanation is the theory of developmental programming and epigenetic mechanisms. There is a need for effective methods for preventing childhood obesity in the society. The aim of this thesis was to examine the association between overall diet quality and adiposity in children aged 4—6 years in a cross-sectional analysis. The other aim was to explore in a prospective analysis if maternal pre-pregnancy BMI modifies this association. Material and methods: The data used in this thesis is from the RADIEL-study (The Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study). It was a multi-center randomized intervention study that recruited women at high risk for GDM before or in early pregnancy. The 720 women that participated had a BMI≥30 kg/m2 and/or a history of GDM. The study also includes a follow-up cohort study five years after delivery with 379 participating mother-child pairs. The follow-up visit included measurements of anthropometrics and body composition, as well as laboratory analyses from both mothers and children. Food records and background questionnaires were also collected. In this thesis, diet was measured with 3-day food records. The overall diet quality of the children was measured with the Finnish Children Healthy Eating Index (FCHEI). The indicators describing offspring adiposity were body fat percentage ((BF%) measured with bioimpedance method), ISO-BMI, and waist circumference (WC). The association between FCHEI and variables for adiposity were tested with multivariate linear regression models. To examine if the maternal pre-pregnancy BMI modifies this association the interaction between maternal BMI and FCHEI for the adiposity indicators were examined. If an interaction was found, the associations were analysed in two groups based on the BMI of the mother (BMI<30 and BMI≥30 kg/m2). The models were adjusted for age, sex, education of the mother, total family income, and energy intake. The association between the separate food groups included in the FCHEI and indicators of adiposity were also analysed in the whole group and adjusted for covariates. Results: A positive association between the FCHEI-score (points) and BF% (β 0,11; 95 % CI 0,01, 0,21) was found. There was also a positive association between FCHEI (points) and ISO-BMI (no unit) (β 0,08; 95 % CI 0,02, 0,14) and between FCHEI (points) and WC (cm) (β 0,08; 95 % CI 0,01, 0,15). Maternal BMI modified the association between FCHEI and BF% (p for interaction = 0,048). A positive association between FCHEI (points) and BF% was found in the group with maternal BMI≥30 kg/m2 (β 0,18; 95 % CI 0,05, 0,30) but not in the group with maternal BMI <30 kg/m2 (p>0,05). The consumption of skimmed milk (food group, points) was associated with higher BF% (standardized β 0,12; 95 % CI 0,00, 0,54), ISO-BMI (no unit) (standardized β 0,18; 95 % CI 0,10, 0,43), and WC (cm) (standardized β 0,13; 95 % CI -0,41, 1,75) in the whole group. No other associations were found between food groups and adiposity indicators. Conclusion: A higher FCHEI score was associated with higher BF%, ISO-BMI, and WC in 4-6-year-old children. The association between FCHEI and BF% was modified by maternal BMI before pregnancy. The consumption of skimmed milk was associated with higher adiposity.
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(2020)Introduction: Individual’s physiological functions and behavior are controlled by biological and social rhythms, as well light-dark-rhythm. The biological, intrinsic circadian rhythm is synchronized to follow the 24-hour day by external cues, mainly by light-dark-rhythm. Despite the synchronizing, there are inter-individual changes in this rhythm partly due the genetics. Chronotype expresses these differences and can vary from extreme morning type to extreme evening type. In addition, social rhythms, such as work schedules, control behavior as well. Sometimes these biological and social rhythms are not aligned causing social jet lag (SJL). From SJL can be distinguished two different phenomena; sleep debt caused by changes in sleep-awake-rhythm and the misalignment between biological and social rhythm without the effect of sleep debt. Especially evening types have been considered to suffer more of SJL and therefore, SJL has been thought to explain adverse health outcomes, such as obesity, and unhealthy behavior, such as poor quality of total diet, of evening types. However, the amount of previous studies considering the association between SJL and quality of the diet and prevalence of obesity of different chronotypes is scarce. Objectives: The objectives were to study the association between chronotype and SJL, as well the association between SJL and quality of the diet evaluated by Baltic Sea Diet Score and obesity by chronotypes in Finnish adult population. The purpose was also to study differences of two SJL formulas, of which are meant to distinguish the sleep debt and misalignment between biological and social rhythms. There are not previous studies to examine the differences between these two formulas. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study based on two national population-based studies (FINRISK 2012, DILGOM 2014) which included 6779 men and women aged 25─74 years. Chronotype was evaluated by shortened Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) and it was categorised into three group (morning, intermediate, evening). SJL was calculated by the original SJL formula and the sleep corrected SJL formula and was categorised into three groups by the degree of SJL (< 1h, ≥ 1h, < 2h and ≥ 2h). Participants’ habitual food consumption was evaluated by validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the quality of the diet by Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS). Body weight, height and waist circumference (WC) was measured by study personnel and BMI was calculated (kg/m2). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) followed by Bonferroni multiple comparison post hoc test and logistic regression were used to analyse the differences between the lowest (< 1h) and the highest (≥ 2h) SJL groups by chronotypes. Results: Among evening types were more participants in the SJL-group of at least 2 h by both of SJL formulas compared to morning types (p < 0.001). Participants in the highest SJL group (≥ 2 h) tended to have lower adherence to Baltic Sea Diet, however this association was statistically significant only among morning types (p = 0.006) as SJL was calculated by the sleep corrected formula. Participants in the lowest SJL-group consumed more berries, fruits and cereals and less alcohol compared to the participants in the highest SJL-group, but those were significant findings only among morning types (< 0.05). Participants in the highest SJL group were more obese measured by BMI and WC compared to the lowest SJL group (< 1 h) only among morning types (BMI, p = 0.016; WC, p = 0.012) by the sleep corrected SJL formula. Among evening types, there were not differences between SJL groups considering the obesity measurements. Results were similar about nutrition and obesity when SJL was calculated by the original SJL formula. Conclusion: Evening types suffer more of SJL, but it does not seem to be relevant for the quality of the diet or obesity as it is among morning types of which SJL is associated to the quality of the diet and prevalence of obesity. However, sleep debt does not seem to explain these findings.
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(2020)Introduction: Dry January and meatless October are campaigns or phenomenon that promote people to abstain from alcohol or meat for one month. Most people in Finland drink alcohol and meat has traditionally been a part of every meal. These campaigns challenge people to consider if these traditions and cultural manners are relevant. In this master’s thesis these campaigns are referred as social challenges. This thesis is part of the LoCard research project, which aims to investigate the possibilities of loyalty card data in health research. Objects: The aim of this study was to examine associations between social challenges and alcohol or meat purchases, and if the associations differed by gender, age, education and region. Materials and methods: This study was based on the LoCard purchase data from September 2016 to December 2018. The data consisted of purchases of 23 279 maincardholders who reported making more than 60 % of their purchases in S-group shops, and who had bought alcohol or meat. Given large data and long time span, visual observation of monthly changes in food purchases was used. Sociodemographic determinants of social challenges were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Both analyses were conducted separately for alcohol and meat. Results: Almost 60 % of consumers did not buy any alcohol in January 2017 and 2018. About a quarter of subjects cut out their meat purchases by 30 % comparing to the average of whole 28-month period. Women, youngest age group (18–29) and consumers with high education compared were most likely to quit alcohol purchases during January. Youngest age group (18–29), people living in Greater Helsinki, and ones with high education most likely to reduce their meat purchases in October. Conclusion: There is a possible association between social challenges and alcohol and meat purchases, and it varies between different sociodemographic factors. The purchase data do not directly indicate true consumption of alcohol and meat and, therefore, it was not possible to measure actual participation to social challenges. People also buy alcohol and meat from restaurants and other shops. It might be possible to change food behaviour using social challenges.
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(2020)Background: In middle-income countries, such as Kenya there are signs of a nutrition transition towards a Western diet. From the public health perspective, it is important to understand the sociodemographic factors behind the whole diet. The nutrition research should therefore focus on the big picture of the diet rather than on the single nutrients. Dietary patterns can be used to explore the whole diet. With data-based dietary patterns, it is possible to investigate which food items are used or disused together. Based on previous studies, the differences in dietary patterns might be explained by sociodemographic factors. However, there are only few studies examining the association between sociodemographic factors and children’s dietary patterns in middle-income countries. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate what kind of dietary patterns can be recognized among Kenyan children living in Nairobi. Additionally, this study aimed to investigate the association between sociodemographic factors (gender, education, wealth and living area) and dietary patterns. Materials and methods: The data used in this study is from the cross-sectional study of KENFIN-EDURA project. The data was collected with a food frequency questionnaire and background forms. 160 participants were recruited and 149 (93 %) of them completed the questionnaire. The participants were 914-year-olds, of whom 52 % were girls and 48 % were boys. Participants lived in Nairobi, either in a low-income area called Kayole or in a middle-income area called Langata. The participants reported the consumption frequencies of 174 food items, of which 39 were left out from the analyses. The food items that no one or only one person used were left out from the analyses. Also, the food items for which a big variance on reporting was suspected, were left out. The remaining 135 food items were collapsed into 19 food groups. Dietary patterns were formed with principal component analysis, and factor scores for participants for each dietary pattern were calculated. A higher value for factor score indicates a higher correlation between participant’s diet and dietary pattern. The mean factor scores were investigated by t-test for area and gender, and by analysis of variance for parent’s education and household’s wealth. The associations between sociodemographic factors and dietary patterns were examined by linear regression analysis. Finally, the examination was done separately for both areas. Results: Three dietary patterns were recognized, and these explained 36 % of the total variance in food consumption of the study population. The recognized dietary patterns were named based on food items loading most strongly in the patterns. The patterns were labelled 1) snacks, fast food and meat, 2) dairy products and plant protein, and 3) traditional Kenyan. Snacks, fast food and meat and traditional Kenyan dietary patterns were associated to living in Langata. The children from wealthier families scored higher on the dairy products and plant protein dietary pattern. When analyses were done separately for both areas, the only statistically significant result was the positive association between snacks, fast food and meat dietary pattern and wealth in Langata. Conclusions: Three dietary patterns were recognized among Nairobian children and two of these were similar to the patterns recognized in previous studies. One of them included energy-dense foods and meat, and the other plant-based products and dairy products. Living area and wealth appeared to be the most important sociodemographic factors associated with children’s diet. Nevertheless, the association between sociodemographic factors and children’s dietary patterns should be investigated more in order to reduce sociodemographic differences in diets.
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(2020)Literature review of the thesis introduces the characteristics of selenium and its importance in human diet. It also gives an overview on different analytical methods used in speciation of selenoamino acids. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and rapid mass spectrometric method which could be used to detect and specify low molecular weight selenoamino acids from different food materials in order to find and quantify probable cancer protective species. Total selenium content was determined by GFAAS from garlic and Brazil nut samples. The selenium concentration in garlic was 0.1 µg/g and 4.4 µg/g in Brazil nuts. Also, the precipitates and supernatants from the sample extractions (hot water, diluted HCl and proteinase K) were analyzed. There were only about 10% of the total selenium in the supernatants (which were further used in analysis). Samples were derivatized by AccQ·Tag reagent (AQC) and analyzed with UHPLC-ESI-MS method. Even though the method was easy and fast to use, it was applicable only for selenoamino acid standards (MeSeCys and SeMet). No results were obtained from the real samples. Therefore, a more sensitive piece of equipment, HPLC-ICP-MS was applied with Hamilton PRP-X100 column and 5 mmol/l ammonium citrate buffer (pH 5.2). Hot water and diluted HCl extracted samples showed no signs of selenium. At last, proteinase K digested Brazil nut sample showed a small peak of SeMet which was identified by retention time matching with the standard and quantified semi quantitatively from standard curve (0,06 µg SeMet /g Brazil nut). This study showed that the sensitivity of the UHPLC-ESI-MS method was not sufficient to detect such low concentrations of selenoamino acids in garlic and Brazil nut samples. However, the AQC derivatization together with UHPLC-ESI-MS offers a fast, linear and repeatable method for future amino acid analysis.
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(2020)Lipid oxidation presents one of the most important challenges for the processing and storage of edible oils by lowering the shelf life, nutritional value, and organoleptic properties of oils. Microencapsulation is a process where oil droplets are coated within a wall material matrix, and it offers a suitable solution to protect edible oils against oxidative deterioration. This study aimed at exploring the effects of wall material composition and relative humidity (RH) on the potential of microencapsulation to protect camelina and blackcurrant seed oils against lipid oxidation. Camelina and blackcurrant seed oils were emulsified using whey protein isolate (WPI) and maltodextrin (MD) as wall materials in 1:1, 1:3, and 1:9 ratio, and the total solids content and wall-to-oil ratio were kept constant. Microencapsulation was conducted by spray drying, and various parameters were analyzed, including emulsion viscosity, water sorption properties, and the surface oil content of microencapsulated powders. The powders were conditioned at 11% and 44% RHs at 21 °C, after which the sample vials were closed to maintain constant water content. The oxidative stability of the conditioned microencapsulated powders was analyzed over 10 weeks of accelerated storage conditions at 40 °C by measuring the volatile secondary lipid oxidation products every two weeks by headspace-solid phase-microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The results showed that the best oxidative stability during the storage period was obtained by WPI-MD 1:1 ratio in both of the microencapsulated oils, even though this wall material composition resulted in the highest surface oil content and the lowest encapsulation efficiency. In blackcurrant seed oil powders, the water content obtained at 44% RH seemed to provide better protection against lipid oxidation than that of 11% RH. Regarding camelina oil powders, water content obtained in different RHs did not seem to affect the oxidative stability of the powders. However, based on the peak areas of volatile compounds detected at week 10, the water content obtained at 44% RH might provide better storage stability for camelina oil containing powders in long-term storage than that of 11% RH.
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(2020)Introduction: Nutrition in early childhood is related to normal development and has an impact on health over the long term. Childhood is a key stage in food education and nutrition and food behaviours for the whole life span are learnt during childhood. In addition to home the day care strongly determines the eating habits the child learns. More than 250 000 Finnish children attend early childhood education and care such as preschool. The meaning of food eaten in preschool to a child’s diet is not yet fully known. Aims: The aim of the study was to asses food consumption and nutrient intake of the same children in and outside preschool. Additionally, this study aimed to examine the quality of the diet in preschool compared to other food environments. Material and methods: The material of this thesis is a part of the DAGIS research cross sectional study. A total of 545 preschoolers aged 3–6 from Southern and Western Finland participated in the study. 3-d food record was used as a food research method. Food consumption between different food environments was compared by using Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar-test. Differences in nutrient intake were compared by using a paired t-test. Results: There was a higher proportion of consumers of vegetables (p=0,000), fruits and berries (p=0,000), meat (p=0,0219, fish (p=0,000), cereals (p=0,000), dairy products (p=0,042) and dietary fats (p=0,000) in preschool than other food environments. More than half of the food was eaten in the preschool during the day. Only the consumption of beverages and sugary foods was higher outside the preschool. Food consumed in preschool contained less fat (p=0,009), less saturated fat (p=0,000) and more unsaturated fatty acids (p=0,018 and p=0,000) in relation to energy. Children ate more than half of all rye bread, porridge, vegetable oils and margarine and skimmed milk, less than one-fifth of sugary foods and less than 1 % of butter and fat mixtures in preschool throughout the measurement period. Intake of protein (p=0,000), unsaturated fatty acids (p= 0,000), fiber (p=0,000), vitamin D (p=0,000), folate (p=0,000) and sodium (p=0,000) was higher in relation to energy in preschool than other food environments. Conclusions: During the weekday food consumption was more diverse in preschool compared to other food environments. At the day level of food intake, the food eaten in preschool contained half of the energy, which does not meet the given recommendation. Intake of nutrients that indicate the quality of the diet was divided among food environments. Meals eaten in preschool contained a significant portion of fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids but also sodium. The results suggest that food served in preschool plays a vital role in children’s nutrition and brings plenty of health-promoting elements to their diets.
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