Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 207 Document Number: D13037
Notes:
6 pages, Kefirs are fermented beverages containing yeast and bacteria produced by the fermentation of water or milk with kefir grains. Because microorganism density may influence a product's health benefits, label accuracy regarding viable bacterial density and taxonomy of fermented foods is important. In this study, the microbiota of 5 commercial kefir products were measured quantitatively using standard plating techniques and characterized using high-resolution, long-read 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. To enumerate viable lactic acid bacteria, 2 lots of each product were plated on de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe agar upon opening and following 14 d and incubated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Results revealed that 66% of products with a guaranteed count of colony-forming units per gram overstated microorganism density by at least 1 log, with only product E exceeding 1 × 109 cfu/g. Sequencing results demonstrated moderate product label accuracy in regard to taxonomy, yet several products contained bacterial species above the minimum detectable threshold (0.001% relative abundance) that were not included on the labels (e.g., Streptococcus salivarius, Lactobacillus paracasei). Our results demonstrate a moderate level of labeling accuracy for commercial kefir products intended for human consumption. Regulatory agencies and consumers must continue to scrutinize these products and demand a higher level of accuracy and quality.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12142
Notes:
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly. 1 page., Brief summary of findings from a data analysis by Catalina Marketing based on consumer behavior during the past year of the pandemic. Findings concluded that "several categories have experienced strong sales spikes, while others continue to struggle." Eight of the 15 top categories of sales growth during the past year involved food or beverages offering convenience and/or comfort.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 202 Document Number: D12014
Notes:
Online from website of SpinSucks.com. 4 pages., Author briefly describes two case examples of crisis management (one effective, one ineffective), emphasizes the importance of a plan, and describes four steps to get started in planning.
Via UI online subscription., This article discusses food fraud as not a phenomenon of modern times. The author notes that illegal manipulations occurred as soon as humankind started to trade with food. Examples feature various kinds of manipulations by ancient Greeks and Romans.
Via online issue. 2 pages., Introduction and description of Golden ARC Award in social media for the Moo Lab entry submitted by Midwest Dairy and FLM Harvest.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 30 Document Number: D10557
Notes:
2 pages., via website, AgriMarketing Weekly., A Wisconsin judge on Friday ordered Anheuser-Busch to stop suggesting in advertising that MillerCoors’ light beers contain corn syrup, wading into a fight between two beer giants that are losing market share to small independent brewers.
Austin, Lucinda L. (author / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Schultz, MaryClaire (author / Elon University), and Gaither, Barbara Miller (author / Elon University)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10898
Notes:
See also D10895., Pages 95-103 in Brigitta R. Brunner and Corey A. Hickerson (editors), Cases in public relations: translating ethics into action. Oxford University Press, New York City, New York. 359 pages., Reports on goals of McDonald's to increase transparency with consumers. While their goals are clear, their actions fall short."
Brunner, Brigitta R. (author) and Hickerson, Corey A. (author)
Format:
Book
Publication Date:
2019
Published:
USA: Oxford University Press, New York City, New York.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10895
Notes:
Book contains 35 case studies about this topic, some of them related to food and drink, the food industry, and environmental quality and natural resources.
First published May 7, 2019. In press., We analyzed comedy series for food and beverage references, with particular attention to their type of presentation, along with the characteristics of actors associated with the references. Because the generally positive tone of comedy series can exert affective influence over audiences, the result that clearly unhealthy products appeared more often (food: 51.6%; beverage: 40.5%) than clearly healthy ones (food: 11.2%; beverage: 19.6%) could be especially problematic. Moreover, women (56.5%; men: 47.4%) and African American characters (62.7%; Caucasians: 51.5%; Other: 44.7%) were significantly more often associated with unhealthy foods, which could prompt stereotypes of such individuals.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 151 Document Number: D10054
Notes:
1 page., Via AAEA Byline newsletter. From the website, "Freelancer by Contenting.", Announces a calculator which provides an estimate for freelance rates on written assignments across multiple publications, verticals, and formats. Article provides live link to the calculator.
20 pages., Online via UI e-subscription, Researchers used the Theory of Reasoned Action as foundation for investigating how a firm's choices related to brand identity and country of manufacture influenced purchase decisions. Results suggested that while both affect attitudes toward purchasing a product, a positive attitude toward buying a particular brand might offset a negative attitude toward buying from a particular country. This study focused on appliance brands. The review of literature cited examples of research involving ice cream, wines, and leather products.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 131 Document Number: D11333
Notes:
Online from the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. 22 pages., Report of a national online survey among a representative sample of 18- to 37-year old residents in the United States. Invited information about science topics and other related and unrelated content areas, then build a picture of science relevance and connection from the full pattern of survey responses. "...this investigation represents a crucial first step toward a more data-driven, audience-centric approach to doing public engagement with and for young adults - an approach that is necessary and appropriate for the 21st century."
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D09233
Notes:
Research poster presented at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association annual meeting, Chicago, Illinois, July 30-August 1, 2017. 2 pages., Findings indicate that online advertising of alcohol weakens the effectiveness of alcohol marketing restrictions.
