The results obtained in the present study show that TB consumption may help to maintain serum iron levels, especially when phytase is added. The findings from the study also demonstrate there may be potential to further improve the bio-availability of iron from non-haem food sources.

Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC3PUFA) have been linked to a spectrum of health benefits, including healthy ageing (1). Dietary surveys indicate that LC3PUFA are currently under consumed, particularly amongst non-fish eaters and vegetarians (2). New food vehicles i.e. micro algae oils have been developed to bridge this gap (3). Nanoemulsions are systems with droplet sizes in range of 20 to 500 nm (4). The incorporation of algae oil into foods using nanoemulsion has the potential to improve LC3PUFA bioavailability (5). However, nanoemulsion may also affect the acceptability of foods, as oil flavour is enhanced due to increased droplet surface area (6). The aim of the present single-blinded sensory evaluation study was to determine whether study participants (n = 96) could detect differences when an algae oil nanoemulsion versus a bulk oil was integrated with a strawberry yogurt and tasted. All samples were prepared using a breakfast drinking yogurt, agave nectar and natural strawberry flavouring. A non-enriched control product with the same formulation was used for the consumer test. For the fortified products a dose of 750 mg DHA/100 g yogurt was added as either bulk oil or nanoemulsion. The triangular test was used as a compulsory choice procedure to determine differences between the bulk oil and nanoemulsion fortified products. To determine how the products may differ, seven attributes were chosen to assess consumer acceptability: 1) smell, 2) appearance, 3) flavour, 4) texture, 5) consistency, 6) aftertaste and 7) overall acceptability. Attributes were rated using a 9-point hedonic scale.

No abstract

Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC3PUFA) have been linked to a range of health benefits, throughout the life cycle (1) . Dietary surveys indicate that LC3PUFA are currently under consumed, particularly amongst vegetarians/vegans, adult men, pregnant/breast feeding women, infants, non-fish eaters and certain ethnic groups (2)(3)(4) . New food vehicles such as micro algae oils have been developed to bridge this gap (5) .Nanoemulsions are systems with droplet sizes in range of 20 to 500 nm (6) . The incorporation of algae oil into foods using nanoemulsion has the potential to improve LC3PUFA bioavailability (7) . However, nanoemulsion may also affect the shelf life of foods as increased droplet surface areas may lead to lipid oxidation (8) .The aim of the present single-blinded sensory evaluation study was to determine whether study participants (n = 62) could detect differences when an algae oil nanoemulsion was integrated with a strawberry yogurt and tasted after storage over 2, 9 and 16 days at 4°C. All samples were prepared using breakfast drinking yogurt, natural sweetener and strawberry flavouring. Products were fortified with nanoemulsified high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) algae oil to give a dose of 632 mg DHA/100 g yogurt. A full microbial analysis over 23 days established product safety.To determine how shelf life may be affected, seven sensory attributes were chosen to assess consumer acceptability: 1) smell, 2) appearance, 3) flavour, 4) texture, 5) consistency, 6) aftertaste and 7) overall acceptability. Attributes were rated using a 9-point hedonic scale.Results were analysed using one and two-factor repeated measures ANOVA tests with Tukey and Duncan's tests and a Bonferroni correction at 5 per cent. No statistically significant differences were found within the 3 samples when the appearance and consistency was compared. The consistency of the day 16 sample was rated closest to 'just right' (midscale). However, refrigerated storage significantly improved the aroma, flavour, texture, aftertaste and acceptability of the enriched strawberry yogurt drink when compared at 3 intervals over a 16 day period. This may be due to the use of yogurt as a carrier vehicle, the strawberry flavouring and/or changes in nanoemulsion particle sizes over the storage period (9) .

The iron-rich bread (2.2 mg iron per 50 g slice) used in the study was developed using Eragrostis tef flour, naturally rich in iron. Iron deficiency is prevalent in pregnancy and compliance with supplements can be low. In this double-blind, randomized trial 34 Caucasian, primiparous antenatal patients were randomized to receive intervention bread or a placebo for 6 weeks. Women consumed on an average of 2.3 slices per day, providing a total of 5.0 mg iron. Using World Health Organisation (2001) haemoglobin cut-offs, 12% of participants eating the iron-rich bread were iron deficient by the end of the study compared with 27% in the control group. For other markers of iron status, these were improved in the placebo versus the treatment group. For example, a significant decline in serum iron and transferrin saturation was not observed in this group. Findings demonstrate that other modes of delivery, i.e. food fortification, may be needed to generate 'physiological effects', or further measures are taken to improve intervention compliance.