Sustainability Update: February 2024
Cambodia-Africa: Cashew Nuts Association of Cambodia (CAC) Signs MoU with African Cashew Alliance (ACA) On February 3, 2024, the Cashew Nuts Association of Cambodia (CAC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), as reported by the Phnom Penh Post. The objective of the MoU is to promote cooperation between the […]
10-Year Analysis of RASFF Notifications for Mycotoxins in Nuts
Notifications have been trending downward in recent years In a study published in Food Research International, researchers analyzed notifications from the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) on nuts and nut products contaminated with mycotoxins over a 10-year period. Mycotoxins —secondary metabolites of various fungi— are observed in a broad range of […]
Water Level at Panama Canal Lake Reaches Historic Low for Start of Dry Season
Daily traffic at the canal is down by nearly 40% compared to last year Gatún Lake, the reservoir that enables the operation of the Panama Canal, is at its lowest water level ever for the start of a dry season, as reported by the New York Times. The extreme drought affecting the region appears likely […]
Agri-Food Associations Navigate the “Jungle” of EU Sustainability Reporting Regulations
Industry webinar explores key features of the CSRD and ESRS On January 24, 2024, the INC attended a webinar on EU corporate sustainability reporting regulations organized by the Agri-Food Chain Sustainability Roundtable, a group of European agri-food industry associations established in March 2022 to exchange information on sustainability-related legislation. The purpose of the meeting was […]
A 10-year analysis of RASFF notifications for mycotoxins in nuts. Trend in key mycotoxins and impacted countries
The demand for tree nuts has significantly grown in recent years as epidemiological studies and clinical intervention trials demonstrated an inverse relationship between tree nut consumption and chronic diseases. However, mycotoxins are one of the main hazards responsible for increased “Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed” (RASFF) notifications and border rejections on nuts and […]
Development of green composites from bio‐benzoxazine and epoxy copolymer reinforced with alkali‐treated pine nut shell particles
In the current study, an isothermal compression molding process was used to develop enhanced green composites made from alkali-treated pine nut shell particles (TPS) reinforced in fully bio-driven benzoxazine (VB) and epoxy (EP) copolymer. Reinforcement with varying weight percent (wt%) of bio-filler enhanced the properties of composites. Composites showed a rise of 75.9 MPa, 5.8 GPa, and […]
Rheological Characteristics of Wheat Dough Containing Powdered Hazelnuts or Walnuts Oil Cakes
This study assessed edible oil industry byproducts, oil cakes (OC) based on hazelnuts and walnuts (HOC, WOC), to replace wheat flour dough (WD) based on farinograph and extensograph parameters and rheological measurements. The research hypothesis of this work is that replacing part of wheat flour with ground nut oil cakes modifies the rheological characteristics of […]
The Cardioprotective Properties of Selected Nuts: Their Functional Ingredients and Molecular Mechanisms
Nuts have been known as a nutritious food since ancient times and can be considered part of our original diet: they are one of the few foods that have been eaten in the same form for thousands of years. They consist of various dry fruits and seeds, with the most common species being almonds (Prunus […]
Effect of walnut consumption on markers of endothelial function in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
The Findings on the effect of walnut consumption on endothelial function are conflicting. Therefore, the present systematic review and meta-analysis summarized available trials in this regard. A systematic search was performed in online databases including PubMed-Medline, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science up to October 2023. Articles that reported the effect of walnut intake on […]
Influence of macadamia nutshell particles on the apparent density and mechanical behavior of cement-based mortars
The production of cement mortar has resulted in significant environmental issues. Many scientists have attempted to reduce environmental pollution by using agricultural waste as a substitute for mortar raw materials. This study creatively investigated the physical and mechanical properties of the new green cement mortar made from macadamia nutshell(MN), including compressive strength, flexural strength, and […]