Demographic trends in Switzerland show that, owing to an increased life expectancy, the over-65 population group will continue to grow in the 21st century. A balanced, healthy diet is of vital importance for health and well-being in old age, in order to reduce the risk of various chronic diseases such as diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular ailments. A survey of 632 individuals aged between 50 and 81 years was conducted to determine both the eating habits and behaviours and the nutritional knowledge of this demographic, as well as the frequency with which they consumed various foods, particularly those of animal origin. More on this topic can be found at the link below:
Dairy products: requirements concerning
added fruit
The addition of fruit to dairy products can lead to food-safety risks. As part of a Bachelor’s thesis, an assessment was created for the evaluation and management of potential risks in order to reduce the likelihood of contamination to a minimum. The findings of the thesis are very important for smaller and medium-sized milk-processing establishments in particular, and are to be published as part of the InterLab sampling guidelines.
Bosset, J.O., Jeangros, B., Berger, T., Bütikofer, U., Collomb, M., Gauch, R., Lavanchy, P., Scehovic, J., Troxler, J., Sieber, R.
Comparaison de fromage à pâte dure de type Gruyère produits en région de montage et de plaine. (Comparison of Swiss hard cheese Gruyère-type produced in highland and lowland).
Comparative studies were conducted on highland and lowland Swiss hard cheeses: L`Etivaz cheese made at 2 locations 1300-2100 m above sea level, and Gruyere cheese made at Posieux (600 m above sea level) and Montbovon (approx. 1000 m above sea level). Botanical composition of the pastures differed between the sites studied, but cheesemaking methods were similar, except that milk was heated on open fires in L`Etivaz but in steam heated vats in Montbovon and Posieux. All cheeses were ripened in the same cellar under identical conditions. Composition of the milk, cream and cheese was determined, together with rheological and sensory properties of the cheese. Highland and lowland cheeses showed differences in terpene, trace element and secondary metabolite composition attributable to differences in pasture composition. Other differences, especially in volatile compounds and free amino acids, were attributable to differences in microflora, cheesemaking methods, etc. Cheeses made by heating the cheese milk on an open fire contained smoke constituents such as PAH. Highland cheeses had more intense sensory properties than lowland cheeses
Leafy-green vegetables are a significant source of the carotenoids lutein and beta-carotene, both of which are important for sight. The findings of a recently concluded intervention study point towards lower baseline serum levels and poorer absorption of these carotenoids in short-bowel patients than in healthy individuals. Potential long-term effects on vision owing to malabsorption of these food constituents have yet to be elucidated.
The number of infectious diseases caused by the consumption of vegetables contaminated with human-pathogenic bacteria is on the rise worldwide. The location and potential absorption of such bacteria in vegetable plants as well as the role of input sources such as irrigation water are currently only partially clarified. In a current research project, Agroscope is investigating the colonisation of salad plants with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in cooperation with the University of Hohenheim, Germany.