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Impact of implicit biases on consumer behavioural intention towards meat alternative proteins
Get PDFGrowing concerns about the ethical, health, and environmental impacts of rising meat consumption have driven interest in meat alternative proteins. However, consumer acceptance of meat alternative proteins remains a challenge, particularly in societies with deeply rooted meat consumption traditions. The present study investigated the main drivers and barriers influencing meat alternative protein acceptance and Spanish consumer behavioural intention towards its consumption by means of an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), including Moral Norm and Domain Specific Innovativeness scales. 95 consumers from two distinguished geographical locations participated in the survey, and Implicit Association Test was used to assess their subconscious biases and its effect on their intention to consume meat alternative proteins. Results showed that animal welfare, nutrition and reduction of the environmental impact were among the main drivers towards consumption of meat alternative products, while perception of them being highly processed and artificial raised ambiguity in relation to their health advantages. Consumer beliefs were influenced by age, education level, geographical location, and dietary habits, while gender had no significant effect. The TPB showed that attitude, innovation willingness, and consumers' sense of control regarding their purchase decisions, influenced their intention towards the consumption of meat alternative products. Moreover, the use of implicit techniques enabled the prediction of consumer behavioural intentions regarding meat alternative products based on their subconscious preconceptions, revealing the potential of integrating both techniques to identify specific strategies that encourage meat alternative protein adoption.This work was financially supported by the Horizon 2020 UE programme through the project “COMFOCUS” [grant number 101005259] and by the Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER [grant number PID2021-122285OR-I00, SENSANALOG]. Acknowledgements are extended to the Spanish MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FSE invierte en tu futuro for financing the first author's doctorate studies [grant number FPU20/04009], to the consolidated Research Group (2021 SGR 00461) and CERCA program from Generalitat de Catalunya. The authors also want to acknowledge Maria Costey for her technical support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Peach Peel Extrusion for the Development of Sustainable Gluten-Free Plant-Based Flours
Get PDFThe food industry generates substantial waste, contributing to environmental challenges, such as pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Utilizing by-products, particularly fruit peels that are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins, presents a sustainable approach to reducing waste, while enhancing the nutritional value of food products. Specifically, peach peel can be used to produce gluten-free flours, with increased fiber content and antioxidant properties. Extrusion technology is a highly effective method for developing these functional flours, as it improves digestibility, reduces anti-nutrients, and enhances nutrient bioavailability. This study investigates the potential of combining corn flour with peach peel flour, derived from Royal Summer peachs (RSF), at different concentrations (0%, 5%, and 15%). A factorial experimental design was utilized to evaluate the impact of RSF incorporation on the proximate composition, antioxidant capacity, and functional properties of the flour. The results indicate that flours containing 15% RSF demonstrated significant improvements in terms of the dietary fiber content (5.90 g per 100 g−1) and antioxidant capacity (ABTS•+ 745.33 µmol TE per 100 g−1), meeting the “source of fiber” labelling requirements. The glycemic index of the 15% RSF flour was reduced to 78.09 compared to non-enriched flours. The functional properties of the flour, such as swelling and gelation capacities, were also enhanced with RSF incorporation. These findings highlight the potential of RSF-enriched flours in regard to the development of sustainable, health-promoting, plant-based, and gluten-free flours.Grant PID2019-104269RR-C31/PID2019-104269RR-C32 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
El cultiu del coriandre
Get PDFEl coriandre o celiandre (Coriandrum sativum L.) és una planta anual de la família de les umbel·líferes. És una planta que disposa de propietats interessants en els àmbits alimentari, medicinal, cosmètic, etc. És considerat un cultiu industrial del que es pot aprofitar la planta en fresc o el gra com una espècia i per l’obtenció d’olis vegetals i essencials.GC/ / / CAT/ Grup Operatiu finançat a traves del Pla estratègic de la PAC 2023-2027. Introducció del cultiu del coriandre a Catalunya per l’obtenció d’olis vegetals (CORIANCOOP).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Quantifying the environmental human health burden of food demand in Spain: A life cycle assessment study
Get PDFThe negative impacts of current dietary patterns in Spain on both human health and the environment are well documented. While the strong connection between environmental degradation and human health is widely recognized, no studies have evaluated how environmental disruption generated specifically by Spain's food systems translates into health outcomes. To address this gap, this study quantifies the human health burden linked to the environmental impacts of Spain's food demand, assessing the potential benefits of changing consumer behavior. A life cycle assessment study of the environmental human health impacts of food consumption and waste in Spain during 2022 was performed, applying the IMPACT World + v2.1 Life Cycle Impact Assessment method, and ReCiPe 2016 v1.1 as sensitivity analysis. Scenarios involving the partial or full replacement of red and processed meat with white meat, meat and dairy with plant-based options, and the mitigation of consumers' food waste were analyzed in terms of environmental human health and nutritional outcomes. The findings showed that meat and fish were the food groups with higher environmental human health impact, both on a weight and protein content basis. Meat, fish, and dairy contributed 55 % of dietary environmental human health damage, with total food demand resulting in 447,152 disability-adjusted life years. Replacing meat and dairy with plant-based options could reduce this burden by up to 30 % in a scenario of full substitution. Eliminating consumers' food waste could further lower it by an additional 5 %. Nutritional analyses showed that these dietary changes would result in diets more closely aligned with World Health Organization nutritional guidelines. Transitioning towards more plant-based diets and reducing food waste can significantly decrease environmental human health damage while fostering healthier, more nutritious, and more sustainable dietary practices in Spain. Policymakers should consider these strategies in public health initiatives to mitigate planet and human health crises.No specific funding was received for this study.UF acknowledges support from the grant CEX2023-0001290-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, from the Generalitat de Catalunya through the CERCA Program, and from Fundación Daniel y Nina Carasso, through the Daniel Carasso postdoctoral fellowship. MN and RR acknowledge the financial support of the CERCA program (Generalitat de Catalunya), and AGAUR (Generalitat de Catalunya) to the Consolidated Research Group “Sustainability in Biosystems” (no. ref. 2021 SGR 01568). MN thanks the Ramon y Cajal grant (RYC 2020) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Social Fund, “ESF Investing in your future”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Speculative Review on the Feasibility of Porcine Circovirus 2 Elimination
Get PDFPorcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) is still infecting pigs after almost 20 years of massive vaccination all over the world. Vaccines are highly effective at counteracting the clinical signs of systemic disease caused by PCV2 and can significantly reduce the number of subclinically infected pigs. However, current vaccination programs based on one single dose in piglets are insufficient to prevent infection in a proportion of animals. Moreover, systematic vaccination of the herd changes viral epidemiology and, consequently, can cause modifications in infection timing. Such a scenario may prompt intrauterine and piglet early infections, thus facilitating viral circulation even before vaccination takes place. Considering the demonstrated high vaccine efficacy, it would be legitimate to explore the possibility of eliminating PCV2 from swine herds, but only one attempt to eliminate the virus from a herd has been published so far. The present speculative review evaluates the existing scientific literature regarding the feasibility of getting rid of this virus under commercial farm conditions. The use of PCV2 vaccination in all swine populations within a herd and the implementation of regional or national control programs are foreseen as compulsory for the eventual successful elimination of this endemic viral infection.This research received no external funding.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Improved techniques for monitoring Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), an endoparasitoid of Tuta absoluta, in tomato fields
Get PDFThe tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta is a major pest threatening global tomato production, particularly in the Mediterranean basin. Biological control strategies using predators and parasitoids, such as the braconid parasitoid, Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris, have been developed, yet efficient field sampling methods for D. gelechiidivoris are lacking. This study evaluates improved monitoring techniques, including yellow sticky traps (YSTs) and laboratory-based detection methods, to enhance parasitoid assessment. Field trials in commercial tomato greenhouses revealed no significant correlation between parasitoid captures on YSTs and actual parasitism rates, limiting their reliability for decision-making in IPM. In contrast, two laboratory techniques—sodium hypochlorite and sodium chloride dissections—significantly improved detection efficiency (~ 83%) compared to conventional methods based on adult emergence from tomato leaflets galleries collected from the field (~ 45%). Additionally, these techniques reduced detection time from 2-3 weeks to a few hours, providing a rapid and accurate identification of parasitized larvae. Thermal treatment and lactic acid methods showed limited effectiveness, with lactic acid completely failing at early parasitism stages and thermal treatment unable to distinguish parasitized larvae. These findings highlight the importance of optimized sampling techniques to enhance T. absoluta IPM strategies and underscore the limitations of YSTs for parasitoid monitoring. The proposed dissection-based methodologies represent a major advancement, facilitating timely decision-making in biological control strategies. Moreover, these methods contribute to the conservation of D. gelechiidivoris by improving detection accuracy and enabling targeted parasitoid management in tomato crops.Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This research was supported by the ADOPT-IPM project funded by the European Union programme Horizon Europe (grant Number 101060430) and funded through Operation 16.01.01 for Innovation Cooperation under the Rural Development Program of Catalonia 2014–2022. The authors were also funded by the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Long-Term Residual Infection as a Source of Bovine Tuberculosis Reemergence: A Phylogenetic and Epidemiological Investigation of Recurrent Outbreaks
Get PDFBovine tuberculosis (TB), primarily caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is a chronic infectious disease of cattle with significant public health and economic implications due to its zoonotic potential and impact on livestock productivity. The control of the disease is hindered by complex epidemiological dynamics and the chronic, and often slow-progressing nature of the disease. The recurrent outbreaks of bovine TB in endemic areas are common and threaten the success of eradication programs. To address this issue, long-term reemergent outbreaks in Catalonia (Northeastern Spain) were retrospectively investigated in depth. In 2009, an outbreak caused by M. bovis spoligotype SB0120 was detected in four extensively managed cattle herds. Following intensive eradication measures, all herds recovered the officially TB-free status by 2012. In 2021, 9 years later, a new outbreak involving the same spoligotype was detected in three herds located in the same area, one of which had been affected in the previous outbreak. Extensive sampling of TB-positive slaughtered cattle and hunted wild ungulates was conducted. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of M. bovis isolates from cattle affected in both outbreaks, as well as from two culture-positive wild boars was performed. Epidemiological and phylogenetic analyses were conducted to elucidate the origin and transmission dynamics of the outbreaks. The results revealed a long-term residual infection in the cattle herd that linked the first and second outbreaks. This herd was also the most likely source of transmission of M. bovis to wild boars. Since residual infections can jeopardize the final stages of the eradication in low-prevalence settings, thorough investigation of reemerging strains is essential for risk assessment and for guiding TB control decisions.This work was funded by the Grant INNOTUB II/EFA115/04 of the Interreg POCTEFA 2021-2027 program (European Commission), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (DARPA) of the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA). IRTA is supported by Centres de Recerca de Catalunya (CERCA) Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya (www.cerca.cat)
Development of a PCR-based method to discriminate between live and dead insect pests present in stored paddy rice
Get PDFMolecular diagnostics offer a significant advancement over conventional methods for detecting insects in stored grain. However, current approaches cannot discriminate between living and dead individuals, which is key for grain management. This study developed a PCR-based method to differentiate between live and dead individuals of insect pests using two pairs of primers: a short fragment (153 bp) expected to amplify DNA from both live and dead insects, and a long fragment (2034 bp) expected to amplify only in live insects. The method was first tested on major pests of stored rice following exposure to high temperatures. After, the methodology was applied to artificially infested paddy rice to evaluate a potential matrix interference. Three species—Plodia interpunctella, Sitophilus zeamais, and Tribolium castaneum—were subjected to high temperature, elevated CO2 concentration, and deltamethrin—under varying exposure and post-exposure durations. PCR amplification of dead insects with the long-fragment primers declined with increasing exposure and post-treatment time when tested with the matrix of paddy rice. High temperatures caused faster DNA degradation than CO2 or deltamethrin. After 4 h of heat, S. zeamais and T. castaneum were undetectable, whereas P. interpunctella persisted up to 16 h. Under CO2 or deltamethrin treatment, insects remained detectable up to 7 days post-exposure. The short-fragment primer pair consistently amplified DNA from all individuals tested. This PCR-based method shows promise for distinguishing between live and dead insects present in stored rice. However, further refinement is needed to shorten post-mortem interval detections, to be use with other stored pest species, and to address other grains to provide the food industry with a more accurate tool to assess insect infestations.This research was funded by the Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grants RTI2018- 095526-R-100 and PID2021-1252840R-I00) and by the CERCA Program (Centres de Recerca de Catalunya) of the Generalitat de Catalunya. L. del Arco is grateful for her scholarship, funded by the grant PRE2019-087497 from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Fatty acid profiles of two pelagic fish species in the NW Mediterranean: Reproductive and environmental implications
Get PDFThe present study examines the fatty acid (FA) profiles of the Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) and the
Mediterranean horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus), from the NW Mediterranean, focusing on FA distribution
across maturity stages in three lipid fractions: reserve lipids, membrane lipids, and free fatty acids (FFAs).
Results show that the reserve FA fraction primarily influences the total FA profile during reproductive stages.
PERMANOVA analysis indicated that 82.45 % of the variance was explained by species, lipid fractions, maturity
stages and their interaction, with DHA, C18:1n-9, and C16:0 identified as key contributors. In total FA, the
predominant FA were polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) (37.19–54.72 %). The highest values for monounsaturated
FAs were found in the reserve FA fraction (20.17–38.27 %). PUFAs were predominant in the membrane lipids
(>60 % for each species), especially DHA (49.89–56.51 %) and were also substantial (27.68–43.10 %) in the
reserve lipids. Saturated FAs were predominant in the FFA fraction (48.84–64.77 %). A comparative analysis
with other small pelagic fish in the region addresses the influence of environmental factors, seasonality, and
feeding strategies in lipid profiles of pelagic fish in the NW Mediterranean. These findings contribute to our
understanding of how environmental stressors, such as rising sea temperatures, affect the health and condition of
marine fish, with broader implications for marine food webs and trophic interactions in a changing climate. The
results also support that monitoring PUFAs (particularly EPA and DHA) in pelagic fish could serve as indicator of
the health of both the stock and the pelagic environment they live.The authors thank S. Minuto, E. Cañada, and F. Aguer, as well as E. Lloret, E. Falgueras, S. Martínez, G. Quinteros, P. Carpio and G. Sabeña for their assistance with sample processing and laboratory analyses. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of all the fishermen and fishmongers who participated in the study. This research has benefited from a PhD fellowship awarded to M. Vila-Belmonte by Roses Town Council. This study was supported by GALP-Costa Brava project Ref. ARP/1498/2018 and Gremi de Peixaters de Catalunya ACC/3393/2021 financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) of the European Union. This work also acknowledges the grant ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2024-001494-S) to the Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) funded by AEI 10.13039/501100011033.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Base and upper temperature thresholds to support the calculation of growing degree days aiming at their use with the FAO56rev crop coefficients curve: A review
Get PDFGrowing Degree Days (GDD) are a fundamental tool for supporting crop and water management, estimating crop development and growth and, in particular, defining the crop coefficient curve, thus computing crop evapotranspiration and deciding on irrigation scheduling, a key issue in precision irrigated agriculture. GDD can provide a timely estimation of key crop growth stages such as germination, flowering, fruit setting, and maturity, which are relevant for decision making. This review article examines the principles and methods of calculation, focusing on the base and upper temperature thresholds (Tbase and Tupper), which are the basis for calculating GDD and then implementing it in irrigation scheduling. The review discusses the concepts and the procedures for determining Tbase and Tupper and presents the tabulation of their values for 117 crops. These include vegetable crops, herbs and spices, grasses, grain legumes, fiber, sugar and oil crops, cereals and pseudocereals, fruit trees and vines. The GDD estimation using the results of this review is dealt with in a companion paper (Paredes et al., (2025)), which focuses on supporting their applicability to compute the crop coefficient curves as now used in the new FAO56rev crop water requirements guidelines. The resulting computation of crop evapotranspiration, namely in real time, is expected to lead to improved performance of irrigated agriculture, efficient water use, and water savings.The support of the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the projects UIDB/04129/2020 of LEAF-Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Research Unit, LA/P/0092/2020 of Associate Laboratory TERRA, and WaterQB “Integrated web-based platform for supporting irrigation management aiming at coping with climate variability and changes” project (2022.04553.PTDC), https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.54499/2022.04553.PTDC) is acknowledged. The study was also funded through an agreement between FAO and the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa. RLU and FM are also grateful for the support from the Education, Culture and Sports Council (JCCM, Spain) (Projects SBPLY/21/180501/000070) and the Agencia Estatal de Investigación with FEDER (Project PID2021-123305OB-C31), and NextGenerationEU (Project TED2021-130405B-I00) co-financing.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio