Air-frying (AF) is a novel method of producing low-fat containing fried foods using hot-air. This study investigated the effects of AF parameters (time, temperature) on mass-transfer, texture, surface structure and color changes during air-frying of parfried-frozen batter coated products; and mathematically modeled their kinetics. Wheat and rice flour-based batters were used to coat a meat-analog model food. Coated products were partially-fried at 180°C for 1 min in canola oil and subsequently frozen at -18°C before they were stored for 1 week. Frozen-products were fried for different time (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 min) by hot-air of different temperature (160, 170, 180, 190°C). This study revels, the mass-transfer, texture and color development during air-frying of parfried-frozen coated products are intertwined with both AF parameter and batter-formulation. At varied air-frying temperatures, moisture content of frozen-products declined with frying time. To predict moisture-loss of parfried-frozen products, the fitness of Newton, Page, modified Page, and Henderson & Pabis model were statistically tested (R2, sum square error). Zero-order and first-order kinetic model described the kinetics of textural and color changes, at varying level of statistical fitness. Rate-constant (min-1) of moisture, texture and color changes are correlated with AF temperature. Temperature-dependency of rate-constants of the studied parameters were sufficiently modeled by Arrhenius-expression. Effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), activation energy (Ea) and rate constant (k) of textural and color changes of coated products, are intertwined with the formulations of batter system. Scanning electron microscopy based microstructural analysis (surface opening, fractal dimension) demonstrated the impacts of frying-parameter and batter-formulation on mass-transfer during AF.

This article discusses the crisis of plastic waste and the need for innovative solutions. Bioplastics, made from renewable sources like biomass or microbes, offer a promising alternative to traditional plastics. Among these materials, polylactic acid (PLA) stands out as a versatile and multifunctional choice for packaging applications due to its biodegradability and other favorable properties. The article also explores the potential of sustainable agriculture in Saskatchewan and the use of unutilized agricultural by-products as constituents of novel materials to mitigate environmental impacts associated with conventional plastics. The incorporation of these by-products into composites presents a promising avenue for repurposing and transforming them into a remarkable material. The article emphasizes the need for further research and innovation to reduce waste and dependence on petrochemical plastics and pave the way to a cleaner, greener future.

Adverse effects from prolonged occupational whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure during agricultural machinery operation include alterations in proprioception, reaction time, sensory response, and decrements in musculoskeletal health. Although it may not be possible to fully eliminate WBV exposure, operators may break up extended exposure with short yet effective activity breaks. Our aim was to determine if selected activities can minimize cognitive, proprioceptive, and musculoskeletal decrements related to occupational WBV exposure in agriculture.

Eleven healthy adults participated in four sessions of 1-hour of in-lab WBV exposure followed by one of four 5-minute activities: sitting, walking, 2 minutes of gaze stabilization exercise (GSE) with 3 minutes of trunk mobility exercises (GSE+MOBIL), or 2 minutes of GSE with a 3-minute walk (GSE+WALK). Baseline and post-activity measurements (musculoskeletal discomfort, balance, psychomotor vigilance test) were submitted to a paired t-test to determine the effect of activity on health outcomes. We used a repeated measures ANOVA to determine health outcome differences across activities.

We observed decreases in the slowest 10% reaction speeds after walking (7.3%, p<0.05) and sitting (8.6%, p<0.05) activities. There were no differences in mean reaction time across activities, but slowest 10% reaction speed after GSE+MOBIL activity was faster than all other activities (15 to 25%, p<0.05).

An activity incorporating GSE with walking or trunk mobility exercises, resulted in maintenance of reaction time after WBV exposure. If confirmed in occupational environments, GSE may provide a simple, rapid, and effective activity to help protect against decrements in reaction time after WBV exposure.