COMPARING TRANS-FAT AND TRANS-FAT-FREE DOUGHNUT SHORTENINGS BASED ON SENSORY EVALUATION AND OIL DEGRADATION

This is an initiative study on the use of trans -fat-free products in the bakery industry. A standardized doughnut product was cooked in three doughnut shortenings, one containing trans fat and two that were trans fat-free. Six hundred forty-one panelists, students, faculty and staff of a large northeastern university rated each of the three doughnuts on a variety of categories, including texture, moisture content and overall liking. Results showed that there were no significant differences between doughnuts cooked in the three shortenings – this was true for all attributes tested.
The results from this study have many significant implications for the foodservice industry, as they work to cut down or eliminate the use of trans fats in their establishments because of the significant health risks they have been proven to cause.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This study demonstrates the variances on texture, taste, appearance and overall liking characteristics of doughnuts fried in different doughnut shortenings. The nutritional breakdown of the doughnuts and the shortenings are also addressed. In the case of shortenings, the ideal type of fat is a mixture of canola, soybean and hydrogenated cottonseed. This shortening mixture, which is trans fat-free, produced the most preferred doughnut.     

Ontogeny of the Behavior of Strombus maculatus (Gastropoda: Strombidae)

The ontogeny of strombid behavior was studied by observing thebehavior of Strombus maculatus veligers collected from the planktonand reared past metamorphosis to adults, and by observing juvenilestrombids collected in the field. Complete adult modal actionpatterns (MAP's) associated with locomotion, feeding, and rightingof overturned shells are performed by S. maculatus juvenilesimmediately after metamorphosis. There are changes in the frequencyof the use of certain MAP's which are associated with variationsin shell shape and size. The unique strombid escape response to molluscivorous gastropods(Conns spp.) is not released until juvenile S. maculatus arethree weeks past metamorphosis and two millimeters in shelllength. At that stage, the complete response is released uponthe first encounter with a predator. Experience with a predatordoes not seem to lower the age or size criteria. During ontogeny there is a trend toward an increasing complexityof behavior which is paralleled by an increasing complexityof neural structure and general morphology. There are majorsteps in the ontogeny of strombid behavior which probably coincidewith neural and morphological stages.     

Breeding success and chronology of Wood Storks Mycteria americana in northern and central Florida, U.S.A.

The breeding success and chronology of Wood Storks Mycteria americana were studied at eight colonies in northern and central Florida during 1981–1985. Mean ± s.d. clutch size for all colony-years was 3.07 ± 0.56 (n = 2694 nests), with three-egg clutches (72%) most frequent. Mean clutch size among all colonies and years ranged from 2.73 ± 0.55 to 3.41 ± 0.61. Many colonies exhibited significant negative trends in clutch size with, hatching date because of a proportional decrease in four-egg clutches later in the season. Mean colony clutch size was not correlated with nest numbers, nesting density or mean hatching date within most years. Mean ± s.d. number of fledglings for all colonies and years was 1.29 ± 1.16 fledglings per nest (n = 2812 nests). Mean annual fledging rates in colonies ranged from 0 (colony failed) to 2.66 fledglings per nest. Most breeding failure occurred prior to egg hatching, and the second highest mortality occurred between hatching and 2 weeks of age. Four-egg clutches fledged more storks than three-egg clutches, which in turn were more successful than two-egg clutches. However, all clutch sizes showed similar fledgling per egg rates. The seasonal decline in productivity was associated proportionally with smaller clutch sizes later in the breeding season. An increase in mean hatching date was correlated with an increase in latitude. There was greater within-year breeding synchrony among colonies than interyear breeding synchrony within each colony. Breeding synchrony was not correlated with mean hatching date, latitude, longitude, nest numbers or nesting density.