The use of freeze‐drying and high‐intensity ultrasound can ensure better gastrointestinal stability and higher antioxidant activity of blueberry phenolics.

Natural phenolic compounds are recognized as bioactive ingredients in food but can also have a role as effective alternatives to synthetic antioxidants in stability improvement of foods prone to oxidation, such as edible oils. This study aimed at the preparation and HPLC-DAD characterization of phenolic extracts from Vaccinium corymbosum L. (raw, pasteurized, freeze-dried and treated with high-intensity ultrasound), and at testing their antioxidant potential in the prevention of olive oil oxidation in the native state and encapsulated into microemulsions and liposomes systems. Water-in-oil structured microemulsions used in this study were prepared using mechanical, ultrasonic, and high pressure homogenization. Liposomes with the average size of 589.1±2.9 nm were produced with the proliposome method using commercially available phosphatidylcholine-Phospolipon 90G. The obtained results showed signifi cant prolongation of the oxidative stability of extra virgin olive oil enriched with encapsulated blueberry phenolic extracts than with native phenolic extracts, regardless of the method used for blueberry processing. Phenolic extracts encapsulated in microemulsions had a stronger effect on the prolongation of olive oil oxidative stability in comparison with the extracts encapsulated in liposomes. The average prolongation rate of oxidative stability was 45.65% by phenolic extracts encapsulated in microemulsions prepared by mechanical homogenization (p=0.012), and 58.72% by microemulsions prepared by ultrasound homogenization (p=0.011). Phenolic extracts encapsulated in microemulsions prepared by high pressure homogenization had no effect on oil oxidative stability prolongation.

Fish is an essential component of a balanced and healthy diet and the present demand for fish cannot be sustained by capture fisheries. Consequently, aquaculture is currently the fastest growing food production industry in the world, contributing to more than half of the global fish production intended for human consumption. Although the image of aquaculture is not necessarily negative per se, consumers around the world still have a greater preference for wild fish. Therefore, the aim of this review is to critically evaluate some of the factors which may affect consumer preferences: socio-demographic characteristics of consumers, quality and safety perception of products from aquaculture, price of aquaculture products and socio-economic aspects of aquaculture, and concerns about the negative impact of aquaculture on the environment and about the sustainability of the production method. A literature review confirmed that age is the most influential sociodemographic variable. Being younger, female or having higher income and a higher education level can result in greater preference for aquaculture products. The image of farmed fish suffers from a perception of lower quality in terms of taste, health and nutritional value and, in some cases, even from low safety perceptions. On the other hand, farmed fish is believed to have lower prices and greater availability. Additionally, economic benefits are one of the main advantages of aquaculture. Mixed results emerge, however, with regard to the environmental impact of aquaculture, but sustainable production may compensate for possible environmental concerns and drive preference for farmed fish. Depending on how consumers weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of both aquaculture and its products, this will result in a preference for wild or farmed fis

Due to its numerous health benefits, fish consumption should be strongly encouraged. Fish consumption, however, is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors. The aim of this research is to examine the influence of knowledge, product information, and satisfaction with product attributes on fish consumption in a nationally representative sample of people responsible for food purchasing within households in Croatia (n = 977) and Italy (n = 967). Fish consumption was well predicted (R2 = 15%) by the proposed structural model, using the partial least squares structural equation modelling method (PLS-SEM). The obtained results confirm that subjective knowledge (β = 0.277, p < 0.001) and satisfaction with product attributes (β = 0.197, p < 0.001) are predictors of fish consumption. Subjective knowledge was influenced by product information (β = 0.161, p < 0.001), as well as by satisfaction with product attributes (β = 0.282, p < 0.001), while objective knowledge had an influence on product information (β = 0.194, p < 0.001). Although satisfaction with product attributes was the strongest predictor of subjective knowledge in both countries (βCRO = 0.244, βIT = 0.398), it had a greater effect among Italians (p = 0.001), while the impact of product information (βCRO = 0.210, βIT = 0.086) was more pronounced among Croatians (p = 0.010). Since the mediating role of subjective knowledge in all models was confirmed, action focused on enhancing subjective knowledge should be taken to increase fish consumption.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between nutrition knowledge and grocery store nutrition label use, with using nutrition information disclosure on menu selection in a group of hospitality management students, who shall be responsible for menu labelling in their future careers. Design/methodology/approach A between-subject design included 324 students, who were randomly assigned to choose from a menu labelled as follows: unlabelled; kcal label only; graphical label providing information on the per cent of the recommended daily intake of energy and four nutrients. Their nutrition knowledge and habit of reading grocery store nutrition labels were tested using an additional questionnaire. Findings The results showed that the provision of energy value information resulted in the selection of less energetic, less fat and less salted food, while a graphical label additionally led to the selection of food having a lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) and sugar content. Multiple regression analysis showed that the habit of packaged food nutrition label reading was a significant predictor of choosing food having a lower energy (p<0.001), fat (p<0.001), SFA (p<0.001), sugar (p<0.001) and salt (p=0.003) content, while the influence of nutrition knowledge on food selection was proven insignificant. Originality/value Given the established positive impact of menu labelling, these findings support the future European policy mandating energy and nutrient content disclosure on menus, but also point to the need for more-intense consumer education.