Masoumeh Bejaei

The rising global demand for seafood products has increased the need for aquafeed ingredients from both traditional and novel sources, as fishmeal and fish oil production cannot significantly expand to support the industry growth. In light of this challenge, our study investigated the feasibility of the partial replacement of fishmeal and fish oil by black soldier fly larvae meal ( Hermetia illucens , BSFLM), with and without supplemental algal oil (AO), in diets for Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ). The control diet (Diet 1) contained higher amounts of fishmeal and fish oil than the experimental diets. In Diet 2, 10% of the diet was replaced with BSFLM, resulting in 26.9% fish oil reduction. Diet 3 included both 10% BSFLM and 4.2% AO, leading to 46.3% fish oil reduction. Six hundred Chinook salmon were randomly distributed across 12 tanks, with each tank assigned to one of the three diets. The experiment spanned 52 weeks, allowing the fish to grow to near-market size. A 19-member sensory panel performed the evaluations of difference from control (DFC). Additionally, the physical properties of fillets were assessed, and nutrient compositions of diets and muscle tissues were analysed. Panellists reported several differences related to salmon colour, overall appearance and overall taste attributes in the fish fed the experimental diets. Specifically, the fish from the experimental diets exhibited weaker salmon colour and less overall taste. Physical-chemical analyses further reported differences among the diets: the fatty acid profiles in muscle tissues closely resembled those of their respective diets, and cooked muscle tissues from the Diet 3 were softer, corresponds to their lower shrinkage and higher moisture content. Results indicated the feasibility of the use of BSFLM and AO for partial replacement of fishmeal and fish oil. Exploring these alternative ingredients helps enhance aquafeed sustainability and meet the rising demand for aquaculture products.

Despite the recognized impact of brand names on consumer behavior, limited research has specifically explored how brand names affect customers' fruit quality perceptions and preferences. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of apple brand names, as a case study, on consumers' brand recognition and preferences, considering their purchase and consumption behaviors and demographics. Consumer preferences toward four apple brand name categories were specifically investigated: sensory component names (SCN), metaphoric names (MN), non‐metaphoric names (NMN), and innovative spelling names (ISN). A total of 526 Canadian residents participated in an online survey, and 517 submitted responses were accepted. Names from the SCN category were liked the most and disliked the least. Names from the MN category were disliked less than those from NMN and ISN categories. Names from the ISN category were disliked the most. Overall, the results highlighted the significance of brand names, with SCN being associated with greater recognition and preference.

Globally, fruit breeders and marketers create trademarked brand names for new varieties which can be protected indefinitely, extending returns on breeding investments. Brand names help promote and differentiate fruits, acting as quality signifiers and simplifying consumer choices. This study introduces brand name evaluation criteria, identifies name classification frameworks, and audits North American and international apple names, covering plant varietal denominations and both trademarked and non-trademarked names. Key criteria for a good brand name include trademarkability, memorability (simplicity, distinctiveness, meaningfulness, sound associations, mental imagery, and emotional impact), and marketability (appropriate brand image and marketing support). Two modified frameworks were used to classify apple names. The audit revealed that the prevalence of using ‘Namesake’ names associated with ‘Real or Fictitious Persons/Places’ has significantly decreased (North America: 4.9 times since the 1920s). The use of ‘Compounding’ names has remained frequent (North America: 25% in the 2020s). Some categories have seen an increased usage as follows: ‘Product Unrelated—Metaphoric’ (North America: 17.5 times) and ‘Unusual Spellings’ (not recorded until the 1980s, recently 6%) names. Since the 1960s, the following categories have remained consistent: ‘Sensory’, ‘Product/Benefit Related’, ‘Product Unrelated—Non-Metaphoric’, and ‘Blending’ names. The findings support fruit and vegetable industries in distinguishing their products through effective brand naming.

Identifying alternative feedstuffs to replace conventional nutrient sources in poultry diets is crucial to supplying the growing demand for animal feed. A 17-week-long feeding experiment with three diets, including 0% (control), 10%, and 18% full-fat dried black soldier fly larvae (DBSFL), was conducted to evaluate the production efficiency and feed safety of using the larvae for partial (50%) and full (100%) substitutions of soybean meal and 90% replacement of soybean oil in free-range laying hen diets. Thirty hens (18–36 weeks old) were housed in two mobile poultry trailers per treatment level. The weight gain of hens, their feed intake, egg production, egg weights, feed conversion ratios, bird welfare parameters, hematology and blood metabolites, fecal microbiology, and digestive tract weights were examined. Control hens had higher weight gains, laid more and bigger eggs while consuming less feed, and had lower feed conversion ratios than 18% DBSFL hens. However, the production performances of 10% DBSFL hens were not significantly different from the control in many of the parameters considered (e.g., hen-day egg production or HDEP). In conclusion, partial replacement of soybean meal and oil with DBSFL in layer diets maintains production efficiency, feed safety, and hen health and welfare status.

This research was conducted to determine the compositional and textural characteristics and sensory profile of ‘Ambrosia’ apples with different dry matter content (DMC) as estimated using a Felix-750 Produce Quality Meter (Felix Instruments Inc., Camas, WA, USA). Fruits were harvested from a commercial orchard in Cawston and an experimental field in Summerland Research and Development Centre (SuRDC) in British Columbia, Canada, when the average absorbance difference index/coefficient of fruit skin δAbsorbance (δA) dropped under 0.45 ± 0.10. DMC levels were estimated after harvest at the blush/background transition zone for fruit categorization on 300 fruits from each location. Fruits were coded with an individual number and grouped in different DMC categories. The distribution of the estimated DMC levels obtained from two locations was different. The results indicate that DMC levels were strongly and positively correlated with the soluble solids content (SSC) of the fruit (r = 0.81). Sensory evaluations also demonstrated that apples in the lowest DMC category (12.5% ± 0.5 from Cawston) were considered the least sweet apples with the least overall flavour quality by panellists compared to the apples from the other DMC categories included in the sensory evaluations from the two locations. Panellists also perceived less-than-expected “fresh apple” and “tropical” flavours but more-than-expected “no flavour” and “bland” off flavour from the lowest-DMC-category apples. The non-destructive DMC measurements show a potential to be used to sort apples for SSC, sweetness and flavour; nevertheless, they were not related to firmness or textural attributes.

In an effort to protect intellectual property beyond patent and plant breeders’ rights and as a marketing tool to increase and maintain sales, the creation and trademarking of brand names for fruit is growing and gaining importance in the fruit industry. New fruit varietals, especially from long-lived tree fruits and vines, take many years of research to develop and bring to market. Differentiating what is essentially a commodity product is difficult, especially given bulk sales and packaging limitations. A distinctive brand name can be a powerful method of differentiating a new fruit from its competitors. To the best of our knowledge there has not been any study examining the process of brand name creation for fruits. This English language literature review examines the brand name creation process overall. A step-by-step process is discussed and situated in the context of fruits. Research on the overall process is dated: We propose a new preliminary research step to improve the process and discuss the need for future research on the role of the Internet and social media in the naming process. An overview of trademark considerations is provided. Knowledge of this process will assist breeders and marketers with brand name creation whether achieved internally or through an external agency or combination thereof.

Textural attributes of apple impact consumers’ acceptance of the fruit, and are frequently measured by researchers and industry experts to evaluate the fruit quality at different stages of production and marketing. Various instruments are used to conduct these textural evaluations in research and industry settings. The application of different instruments makes the comparison and integration of results extremely difficult. The main objectives of this study were to compare data obtained from three widely used textural instruments, investigate their relationships with each other and with sensory evaluations, and develop models to convert data among instruments. Three penetrometers were included in the study: (1) Fruit Texture Analyzer (FTA); (2) Mohr Digi-Test-2 (MDT-2); and (3) TA.XTplus Texture Analyzer (TA.XTplus). Eight apple varieties with a range of textural attributes were selected. Eleven sensory judges evaluated three apple slices (1/8 apple) from each variety. The instrumental measurements were conducted on 10 apples per instrument from each variety, with two measurements on each apple. Results of principal component analysis indicated that 95.82% of the variation in the texture data could be explained using only two principal components. Linear and nonlinear regression models were developed to convert data obtained from an instrument to those from other instruments.

Textural characteristics of fruit are important for their quality, storability, and consumer acceptance. While texture can be evaluated instrumentally or sensorially, instrumental measurements are preferred if they can be reliably related to human perception. The objectives of this research were to validate instrumental measurements with sensory determinations, develop a classification scheme to group apples by their textural characteristics, and create models to predict sensory attributes from instrumental and compositional analyses. The textural characteristics (crispness, hardness, juiciness, and skin toughness) of 12 apple cultivars were evaluated on new and established cultivars. Fruit was also evaluated using five instrumental measurements from TA.XTplus Texture Analyzer, and three compositional determinations. The experiment was repeated for analysis and validation purposes. Principal component (PC) analysis revealed that 95.88% of the variation in the instrumental determinations could be explained by two components (PC 1 and PC 2); which were highly correlated with flesh firmness and skin strength, respectively. Four textural groups of apples were identified, and the accuracy of classification was established at 94.44% by using linear discriminant analysis. The predictive models that were developed between the sensory and instrumental-compositional data explained more than 85% of the variation in the data for hardness and crispness, while models for juiciness and skin toughness were more complex. The work should assist industry personnel to reduce time-consuming and costly sensory testing, yet have an appreciation of the textural traits as perceived by the consumer.