Theses and Dissertations - Department of Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations - Department of Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management by Author "Crowe-White, Kristi M."

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    The monetary impact of grocery tax in Alabama on fruit and vegetable purchases in a variety of demographics
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2011) Dunn, Caroline Glagola; Knol, Linda L.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Fruits and vegetables are important to a healthy diet, decreasing risk for chronic disease and reducing obesity. However, consumption of fruits and vegetables is low nationally and in Alabama. A commonly listed barrier to adequate consumption is high cost of these items. In addition to cost, the $0.04 Alabama sales tax increases cost of these items for individuals and households. To determine financial impact of taxes, prices for popular fruit and vegetable items were gathered from 43 retail outlets in the highest and lowest poverty counties of 11 Alabama public health regions. Average prices were computed for items and an average was calculated for all fruits ($0.69) and vegetables ($0.68). This data was used to calculate cost and tax cost for individuals in all age-gender groups set out by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to consume adequate servings of fruits and vegetables annually, which varied for by group. This was combined with 2010 US Census for Alabama data to estimate the possible $215,494,732.16 that could be generated if each Alabama citizen purchased adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables annually. The possible fruit or vegetable servings each individual could consume with the amount of money they pay in tax for these goods were also determined. For individuals and households, especially low-income individuals and households, these additional tax costs could serve as a barrier to adequate consumption. Alabama could be the first state to implement a targeted tax reduction to examine the impact of price reduction on fruit and vegetable consumption.
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    Sensory comparison of low-protein recipes with glycomacropeptide-containing BetterMilk and liquid non-dairy coffee creamer among adults with phenylketonuria
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2014) Foster, Amelia L.; Crowe-White, Kristi M.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Phenylketonuria (PKU) results from deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase enzyme which is responsible for converting the essential amino acid phenylalanine to the non-essential amino acid tyrosine. PKU is treated with a low-protein diet and medical food/ formula providing supplemental protein without excess phenylalanine. Naturally phenylalanine-free, Glycomacropeptide (GMP) used in PKU medical foods/ formulas contains four essential amino acids and is fortified with methionine, leucine, histidine, tryptophan, and tyrosine to provide a near complete protein. Although sensory research has been conducted on GMP-based foods, sensory evaluation of commonly utilized low-protein recipes substituted with GMP-based formulas is undocumented. Such research is critical to development of appealing means for formula consumption. Study objectives were to compare sensory attributes (taste, aroma, texture, and overall acceptability) and preferences for low-protein cream of tomato soup, lemon pudding, and vanilla ice cream containing either a GMP-based formula or unflavored liquid non-dairy coffee creamer as the primary liquid ingredient and to solicit medical formula/food procurement information among adults with PKU. Data were subjected to paired t-tests with the Bonferroni correction (p< 0.0125) and analysis of variance. Thirty-one adults (80% female, 93% white) completed the study. Significantly higher scores (p<0.01) were reported for aroma, taste, and overall acceptability of the control soup and for all four sensory attributes of the control pudding. Control ice cream was ranked significantly higher (p<0.01) in taste and overall acceptability. No significant differences existed among scores of the four sensory attributes within each control or experimental recipe. Control samples were preferred over experimental samples for all recipes. Experimental samples for each recipe were on average scored in the "like" range. Only 23% of the sample reported they frequently consume medical foods, while equal numbers of participants reported they were/were not interested in using a medical food in preparation of low-protein recipes. These data may partially explain why control samples were preferred. Additionally, lower sensory scores for taste and aroma of the experimental soup, pudding, and ice cream may be attributed to the probiotics and docosahexaenoic acid within the GMP-based formula as both of these functional ingredients are capable of imparting strong flavors and aromas to foods. Additional research is needed to investigate the use of GMP-based formulas without added functional ingredients and isolated GMP, not GMP-based formulas, in low-protein recipes in order to expand dietary offerings for individuals with PKU.
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    Sensory testing of protein-enhanced soups among older adults
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Donahue, Elizabeth; Crowe-White, Kristi M.; Lawrence, Jeannine C.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Preference and acceptability of protein-enhanced soups among an older adult population has not been well investigated. The purpose of this research was to examine the sensory attributes of aroma, texture, taste, overall acceptability, and preference of protein-enhanced soups (TRIO® Chicken Noodle and TRIO® Cheddar Broccoli) compared to flavor-matched institutional equivalents among older adults living in assisted living facilities. Sensory attributes were evaluated using sensory questionnaires with a modified paired preference test and 5-point facial hedonic scale. Results are based on data collected through sensory questionnaires completed by forty-four older adults in assisted living facilities in Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties. Data was subjected to descriptive statistics, multivariable linear regression, independent t tests, and paired t tests for the purpose of determining acceptability and preference of tested soups. The sample was comprised of 32 women and 12 men of an average age of 81.4 ± 8.0 years. Approximately 75% of the population were self-reported Caucasians, 20.4% were African American, and 4.5% were from other ethnic groups. No significant differences (P>.05) were noted between either of the TRIO® soups compared to its flavor-matched control soup for any of the sensory attributes evaluated. Statistically significant gender-specific differences were present for the acceptability (P=.009) of TRIO® Chicken Noodle as well as statistically significant age-related differences in aroma (P=.045), texture (P=.049), taste (P=.006), and acceptability (P=.0009) scores for the control chicken noodle. For TRIO® Cheddar Broccoli, statistically significant gender-specific differences were present for texture (P=0.009) and significant age-specific differences were found for both taste (P=.03) and acceptability (P=.03). Although no significant differences in preference were found between either protein-enhanced soup and its flavor-matched control, the majority of participants (61.36%) preferred TRIO® Chicken Noodle Soup over the control. In contrast, only 38.63% of participants preferred the TRIO® Cheddar Broccoli Soup product over the control. Although preference was greater for the control cheddar broccoli soup, it is important to emphasize that no significant differences (P>.05) existed between the two cheddar broccoli soups for any sensory attribute evaluated. Results of this research suggest that the TRIO® Chicken Noodle product was well accepted and preferred by older adults. Thus, the use of this product may assist in optimizing nutritional status of older adults by assisting with protein consumption. This study highlights the need for future research to examine if protein-enhanced soup products succeed in increasing protein intake among older adults.