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Polyphenol compounds are very important components of cider -they are responsible for the colour and the bitterness and astringency balance of cider. The polyphenolic profile of apples and apple drinks is influenced by several factors: apple variety, climate, maturity, and technological processes applied. This research paper concerns the influence of apple variety on the phenolic compounds and sensory properties of cider. Fermentation of 12 varieties of apple juice with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast '71B-1122' (Lalvin, Canada) was performed in a laboratory of the Faculty of Food Technology of the Latvia University of Agriculture. The total phenol content (TPC) was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu spectrophotometric method. Individual phenolic compounds were analysed using HPLC. Sensory properties (clarity, the apple, fruit and yeast aroma, the apple and yeast taste, sourness, astringency, and bitterness) were evaluated by trained panelists using a line scale. Special attention was paid to the use of dessert apples for the production of cider. The most important sensory properties of cider are the aroma and taste of apples and fruit. All cider samples showed the intensity of apple aroma ranging from 5.3 to 7.6 points, and higher results were obtained for cider from the variety 'Auksis' apples. The TPC in cider samples varied from 792.68 to 3399.78 mg L -1 : Among crab apples, the highest TPC was detected in ciders made from the 'Hyslop' and 'Riku' varieties, whereas among dessert apples, the highest TPC was detected in ciders made from the 'Antonovka' variety. Among the twelve phenols identified in cider samples, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid were the dominating ones. Variation in the sensory properties of ciders was dependent on the physicochemical composition of the apples used.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic required not only the reorientation of learning to remote form but also a change in the form of state-funded school lunches. One of the forms of school catering allowance was food packs, which obligated parents to prepare a warm lunch for the pupil from products included in food packs. As the responsibility for providing a warm lunch for the pupil was transferred to the parents, it was important to understand the parents’ experience. The survey was used to gather parents’ experiences of school catering allowance received during the pandemic using survey administration software—Google forms; 5166 respondents from different regions of Latvia took part in the survey. The school catering allowance in the form of food packs (83.7%) can be considered successful as over 70% of respondents rated it as positive, giving a rating of 7 (good) or above. Parents from Vidzeme and Latgale had the most positive experience with food packs. The parents appreciated the support they received, stating that it provided a certain sense of security during the crisis. Parental dissatisfaction was related to the composition of food packs, lack of local products and unacceptable products, such as canned meat and fish.

In the study five ciders produced in Latvia, three in France, and one sample from each -Ireland, Finland, South Africa were tested. The best 10 samples differing by raw materials, fermentation and maturation technology were selected from experimentally produced ciders. The total phenolic content was determined spectrophotometrically, but volatile compounds were analysed using SPME followed by GC/MS. The total phenolic content in commercial ciders is from 324. mg L -1 to 3831.33 mg L -1 and significantly higher content in ciders produced in France. In the experimental ciders the total phenolic content was similar: from 793 to 3399 mg L -1 . A lower content of volatile substances was identified in French ciders, while the highest content in the cider produced in Latvia. The main classes of identified volatiles were alcohols (6.53-74.05%), and esters (18.81-73.61%), with the most characteristic ones being ethyl carpylate, hexyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, 3-methylbutyl acetate and ethyl decanoate. Experimental ciders matured with lactic acid bacteria Oenococcus oeni and oak chips showed a content of volatile compounds similar to that of French ciders. Experimental cider sample made from the crab variety 'Kerr', in its turn, showed a profile of volatile compounds similar to Latvian ciders.

Nowadays people more and more often choose to have their meals outside their homes. Therefore, the catering companies shall ensure safe product offer to different guest groups, including guests with food allergy or intolerance. Alongside with the tendency of the increase of allergic people's number, there have been corrections introduced to the European Union legislation in relation to the product labelling. It means that at present one of the compulsory types of information that shall be indicated by catering companies is information on the presence of allergens in food. It is stipulated by Regulations (EC) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food product information to consumers. One of the reasons why allergic reaction to food takes place at catering companies is the lack of knowledge of staff. Therefore, the aim of research was to determine the level of staff's knowledge and to analyse the types of allergen indications at the catering companies. Twenty catering companies took part in the study, there were 60 companies addressed in total, and 154 valid questionnaires were received. The main research results show that the staff has incomplete knowledge (on average 3.8±1.8 out of 10), as well as not all catering companies indicate information on the presence of allergens in the food.

The amount of food waste at schools is a topical issue because it shows the effectiveness of school catering system, dietary quality, pupils' attitudes and satisfaction with the offered food. The objective of this study was to determine the types of food waste, their amounts at schools in Vidzeme region and to analyse the pupils' attitude towards school meals. The study was carried out at five schools in Vidzeme region, making one-week waste food weighing. The survey method was used to determine pupils' satisfaction with school meals. Three kinds of food waste can be distinguished in school canteens, depending on where they are generated: food waste in preparation process, in distribution process and food waste from the left food portion, which accounted for 41%, 20% and 39% respectively. The amount of food waste in preparation process, which is influenced by seasonality, quality of food products, staff experience and working conditions, can be reduced by rational organization of the production process. The amount of food waste from the left food portion was influenced by the individual wishes of the pupils, family eating habits, the quality of food, the atmosphere in the school canteen, the way of serving lunch and the participation of teachers. Whereas a large amount of waste is due to the fact that children prefer novel foods rather than traditional ones, the possible solutions could be: adapting meals to pupils' habits, changing the way of serving, motivating and educating pupils and their parents.

The needs of children for health and growth, and avoidance of allergies and intolerances require attention and involvement. Based on national regulation, pre-schools should provide a wholesome diet for children, including children with special diet recommendations by doctor. A child`s disability to eat regular pre-school meal propose to look for specific substitutions. There are needs for various menus in pre-schools which should be introduced additionally to the main menu. For providing special diets, pre-school canteens have to prepare separate meals for small groups of children using a limited number of products. Preparation of various menus may imply complexity of technological processes, needs for specific training, costs, and investments for additional equipment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors which affect the preparation of special diet meals on the physical and social environment of preschools. To achieve the aim, the following objectives were set: 1) to define and analyse factors implementing preparation of special diet meals in pre-schools; 2) to examine the relationship between the demand the special diet meals and additional resources. Quantitative research methods including primary data collection using online survey were applied. A total of 136 pre-schools in Riga filled out the questionnaire, including 121 pre-schools which have children with food allergies or intolerances. The results showed that the three major groups of internal factors affecting the preparation of special diet meals were personnel, physical environment and production capacity. The impact of each factors' value and features should be evaluated in further studies that would allow to solve the problems of providing special diet meals in pre-schools.

Galvenais ēdienu pagatavošanas mērķis ir panākt labas gatavotā ēdiena sensorās īpašības. Ikvienam ēdināšanas uzņēmumam ir svarīgi produkta vai ēdiena ārējais izskats, struktūra, konsistence, krāsa, aromāts un uzturvērtība. Gatavošanas laikā, izmantojot dažādus ēdienu pagatavošanas paņēmienus jeb metodes, izmainās produkta izskats (krāsa, konsistence, struktūra, aromāts) un uzturvērtība (samazinās uzturvielu daudzums). To ietekmē dažādi gatavošanas laikā pieļautie vides apstākļi, piemēram, gaisma, gaiss, augsta temperatūra, pagatavots nevajadzīgi lielā ūdens daudzumā, pārāk ilgi gatavots, gatavots skābā vai bāziskā vidē.Tā kā augu un dzīvnieku valsts produkti satur olbaltumvielas, taukus, ogļhidrātus, minerālvielas, vitamīnus un citus bioloģiski aktīvus savienojumus, kas izmainās līdz ar temperatūras izmaiņām, gatavošanas tehnoloģiju, tad ir svarīgi zināt, kādas izmaiņas ar katru no produktā esošām uzturvielām notiek.Ievadā dots neliels apskats par uzturvielām, ko satur gatavojamā ēdiena izejvielas, un to izmaiņām ēdienu pagatavošanas laikā.Ogļhidrāti. Ciete un cukuri ir ogļhidrāti, kas atrodas pārtikas produktos (augļos, dārzeņos, graudaugos, pākšaugos, riekstos un pavisam nelielā daudzumā gaļā, zivīs) dažādos veidos.Šo produktu gatavošanas laikā ar tajos esošajiem ogļhidrātiem var notikt šādas izmaiņas:  Gaļu pagatavojot skābā vidē (marinējot pirms karsēšanas vai pievienojot skābi saturošus produktus karsēšanas laikā ), notiek straujāks koagulācijas process un iespējams iegūt mīkstāku gaļu. Tauki Tauku daudzums ir dažāds un ir atrodams gaļā, zivīs, olās, piena produktos, riekstos, graudaugos, mazākā daudzumā arī dārzeņos un augļos. Tauku izmantošanai ēdienu pagatavošanā ir liela nozīme, jo to izmanto dažādos cepšanas paņēmienos kā siltuma nesēju. Tauki pēc to struktūras var būt cieti un šķidri un to ietekmē piesātināto un nepiesātināto taukskābju pārsvars. Dzīvnieku valsts produktos ir vairāk piesātināto tauku, kas veido cietāku struktūru / konsistenci. No tauku satura ir atkarīga to kušanas temperatūra. Sildīšanas laikā notiek bioķīmiskās izmaiņas tauku struktūrā. Pie ļoti augstas temperatūras, tiem noārdoties pilnībā, notiek dūmošanas punkta sasniegšana -taukviela sāk dūmot, veidojot veselībai kaitīgus (kancerogēnus) savienojumus.  Ja ūdenim tiek pievienots sāls vai cukurs, izmainās sasalšanas punkts -tas ir zemāks, bet vārīšanās punkts palielinās -ir augstāks. 1.2.Ēdienu gatavošanas metodesTradicionāli, ēdienu gatavošanā izmanto trīs ēdienu gatavošanas pamatmetodes:ēdienu gatavošanai izmantojot ūdeni, sausu gaisu un mikroviļņus. Ēdienu gatavošanas praksē ir aizvien grūtāk atdalīt vienu metodi no otras, jo aizvien vairāk viena ēdiena 10 gatavošanā tiek izmantotas vairākas metodes. Mūsdienās tiek izmantotas aizvien jaunākas, produktu un to uzturvielu, saaudzējošākas metodes. Ēdienu gatavošanas metodes, izmantojot ūdeniKā gatavošanas vidi izmanto karstu ūdeni vai tvaiku. Metodes izmanto, lai, piemēram, gaļas šķiedras, kā arī augu šķiedrvielas padarītu mīkstākas, iegūstot viegli sagremojamu produktu. Ēdienu...