Abstract: The aim of this paper is to draw up a description of the Polish consumer via psychographic variables determining his nutritional habits and to define the relationship between descriptive and psychographic determinants for consumer behaviours. Such psychographic features were chosen: personality (measured by susceptibility to marketing influences and nutritional knowledge); beliefs (as concern for one's health and the attitude towards the general health of one's diet); ability to identify risks (understood as a feeling of food risk and nutrition risk) and innovativeness (described with food neophobia).

Abstract: Effect of food preparation technique on antioxidant activity and plant pigment content in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, white cabbage, kale, chard, spinach and garden patience were studied. The highest content of chlorophyll a was detected in garden patience (0.837 mg/g f.v.) and the lowest was in brussels sprout (0.047 mg/g f.v.), while chlorophyll b and carotenoid content was lower. Boiling had influence on pigment content in selected vegetables. Different food preparation technique showed influence on antioxidant activity of vegetables extracts. Boiled vegetables extracts showed highest antioxidant activity, which indicates that valuable phytochemicals remains in water during cooking process. Highest reducing power is detected for frozen garden patience extract (16.775 AAE/10 g f.v.), while DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays showed highest antioxidant activities for boiled and microwave cooked vegetables. Correlations among antioxidant activities based on ABTS, DPPH, FRAP and TRP assays were positively high and r ranged between 0.68 and 0.99.

Abstract: This study examined the effect of whey protein concentrate and cornstarch on the chemical, rheological, and sensorial properties of feta cheese. Four combinations were tested: C (control; no additive), A (1.5% cornstarch), B (1.5% whey protein concentrate), AB (0.75% cornstarch and 0.75% whey protein concentrate).Sampling was done at 3, 7, 14, 28 days after production and sensory testing was performed 28 day after production. All treatments exhibited significant differences in sensory (flavor, appearance, overallacceptance), chemical (acidity, pH, dry matter, lactic and acetic acid content), and rheological properties (p< 0.05). Results showed positive effects from these two components on cheese properties. The addition of either cornstarch whey protein or a mixture of them increased dry matter in the cheese samples. The addition of whey protein increased lactic and acetic acid and softness. The mixture of whey protein concentrate and cornstarch scored the highest grade on the sensorial evaluation.

Abstract: Effect of pre-germination on antioxidant activity and quantity of some antioxidative compounds of a set of different types of brown rice was investigated. Quantification of these antioxidative compounds by GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS revealed that the contents of tocopherols, tocotrienols, and γ-oryzanols, as well as some simple phenolic and heterocyclic compounds increased in all rice samples in the same range after the pre-germination process. Differences in variety, growing location, and amylose content of the rice samples had little effect on these chemical alterations. The findings in this work indicate that the pre-germination process is an effective economical procedure to improve nutritional benefits of rice grain as being a functional food product.

Abstract: Hawk tea is one of the most popular beverage in southwest of China. In the present study, the effects of alkaline protease on the formation and characteristics of protein hydrolysates from different mature degree Hawk teas were investigated. For antioxidant activity in vitro, Hawk mature leaf tea protein hydrolysates (MPH) had the strongest 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and reducing power. And MPH also showed the highest iron chelating activity among the three samples. With regard to functional property, MPH and Hawk primary leaf tea protein hydrolysates (PPH) had higher solubility than that of Hawk bud tea protein hydrolysates (BPH). And the same trend was found in emulsifying property. The amino acid composition of MPH, PPH and BPH was very dissimilar. MPH and PPH mainly contained low molecular weight peptides, while BPH majorly included high molecular weight peptides. MPH may have potential applications in food industries as natural antioxidants.