At the end of August, South Africa hosted the latest World Conference of Food Science and Technology, organised by the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). The general theme of the conference was the concept "Food Solutions in an Evolving World", with the aim of highlighting the role played by food research in guaranteeing the security, sustainability and nutrition of all.

The conference's scientific programme encompasses a number of different food-related areas of interest, including nutrition and health, food security, nanotechnology, engineering and canning, consumer trends and gastronomic sciences, among others. The event was attended by 1,700 people, and featured over 200 oral presentations and 800 posters.

The researchers Juan Carlos Arboleya and Clara Talens from AZTI-Tecnalia gave two oral papers during the session dedicated to gastronomic sciences, presenting the results of some of the work carried out as part of the collaborative agreement established between AZTI-Tecnalia, Restaurante Mugaritz (2 Michelin stars) and Restaurante Etxanobe (1 Michelin star).

Under the title "New trends for food design: interactions between science and cooking", the two researchers presented an alternative to the traditional process of designing a new food product, in which the involvement of chefs may have a positive impact on the development of new healthy products with improved sensorial characteristics. By means of a demonstration of two specific examples, the methodology for optimising the chef's great idea was explained. The initial creative phase is followed by scientific development, knowledge transfer in the kitchen and finally, the result on the plate presentation.

Also, under the title "Industrial approach to chef's creativity", the researchers explained the results of a gourmet pre-cooked meal industrialisation project which seeks to generate added value in the form of sensorial quality. The dishes are created by chefs at the Etxanobe Restaurant in collaboration with the company INDARGENIA. The aim was to present a more industrial perspective of the collaboration between science and cooking, complementing the first paper, which had a more scientific-gastronomic approach and which focused more on the early stages of product development.

In short, the presentations strove to outline a strategy for combining chefs' creativity with scientific-technological knowledge in the development of new products, turning recipes into formulas, adapting culinary technology to industrial processes and using analytical tools such as sensorial analysis or rheology to optimise the formulas, in an attempt to create a common language shared by both technologists and chefs alike.

The papers were enthusiastically received by an audience made up by representatives from both the scientific community and the food industry, and the complementary nature of the two presentations proved a key element in providing answers for both groups, showing the scientific world how useful the interaction between science and cooking can be, and demonstrating to the industrial world the enormous economic potential of this merger.

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Under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) (Directive 2000/60/CE), member states are required to achieve Good Water Status for water (continental, estuarine, subterranean and coastal water bodies) in Europe by 2015. Surface water quality is assessed taking into account the ecological and chemical status.

The quality of aquatic systems is more accurately assessed using the status of both the water column and the underlying sediment. A recent study by researchers of AZTI-Tecnalia concluded that water bodies risk being misclassified if, on evaluating their chemical status, only the water column is considered and sediment assessment is not included. Hence, this can lead to unnecessary recovery costs in the zone under study and detracting from any ecological gain that might accrue. The study was published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

The ecological status of a body of water involves the study of a number of indicators: biological (the composition and abundance of phytoplankton, macroalgae, angiosperms, macrobenthos and fish); hydromorphological (depth, tides, etc.); as well as the chemical and physical conditions that affect the water's biological quality (oxygenation, salinity, nutrients, priority substances, and so on). The chemical status is also determined according to environmental quality standards (EQS) of important pollutants, these including metals found in the water and organic compounds, as listed under the 2008/105/EC Directive on priority and dangerous substances.

Spillages and hydromorphological pressure

Researchers of the Marine Research Division of AZTI-Tecnalia investigated the quality of coastal and estuarine waters in the Basque Country, between 1995 and 2007. According to their report, the river catchments, estuaries and coastal waters of the area have been polluted by urban and industrial discharges. All this has resulted in an increase in organic material, oxygen consumption, metals and organic compounds. Further hydromorphological pressure comes from the construction of ports, dredging, sediment disposal and land reclamation.

The study focused on the trends of water and sediment contamination by metal pollutants (arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead and zinc) and the response of these areas to water treatment programmes in recent years.

Two methodologies

The chemical status of these water bodies was assessed using two approaches: (i) following the principle of one out, all out as established by the WFD -any metal in waters over the EQS will result in the whole body of water failing to achieve the chemical status-, and (ii) combining an analysis of the chemical quality of both the surface waters and the underlying sediment, using a weighted methodology proposed by these researchers previously.

Using the first approach, few of the water bodies achieved good chemical status, and the percentage of systems meeting this status falls over time, having reached values close to zero in recent years. Using the second approach, more than 50 per cent of the water bodies achieved Good Status, with the percentage of systems meeting this status remaining steady over time.

The researchers argue that the second approach is more accurate in assessing chemical status as it is better at discriminating between less polluted water and that which is highly polluted, and more in line with the responses of the biological indicators. Moreover, when all the information was incorporated -at the level of water bodies- from various biological, hydromorphologic, physico-chemical and chemical indicators, the ecological quality of water bodies in the Basque Country showed progressive recovery, especially since 2000, when most of the water treatment plans were completed.

By considering both water and sediment analysis in determining the status of water quality, resources could better be targeted at those water bodies where levels of pollution have a greater negative effect on the biological elements. However, the researchers say further research is needed on EQS measurements in water and the interpretation of chemical concentrations of contaminants in sediments.

*Source: Tueros, I., Borja, A., Larreta, J., Rodriguez, J. G., Valencia, V., Millán, E., (2009). Integrating long-term water and sediment pollution data, in assessing chemical status within the European Water Framework Directive. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 58:1389-1400

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Esta jornada, organizada por la Oficina de Proyectos Europeos e Internacionales (OPEI) de TECNALIA, se centrará en el 7º Programa Marco de Investigación de Medio Ambiente (FP7-ENV), donde se tratarán los aspectos más relevantes del programa de trabajo, mecanismos de participación y claves de éxito. Se presenta como una oportunidad para contrastar las ideas a llevar a la próxima convocatoria FP7-ENV con expertos del programa, para refinamiento de ideas con el fin de la elaborar propuestas y consorcios con éxito. El próximo 16 de septiembre en el Parque Tecnológico de Miñano, Álava.

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AZTI- Tecnalia researchers involved in the development of a new method for evaluating the quality of phytoplankton in estuaries of the Basque Country , according to the European Water Framework Directive . This innovative approach is reflected in the latest issue of Journal of Marine Research.

Since 2002 , within the context of European Water Framework Directive (DMA ) has been applying the method of Ifremer , with modifications, to evaluate the quality of phytoplankton in estuaries of the Basque Country . This method , which derives from a tool for assessing water quality for shellfish , has certain limitations for the DMA, because the method is aimed at protecting public health, while the DMA is focused on quality of ecosystems.

Therefore, during the intercalibration exercise of the DMA that occurred in 2009 , experts from Asturias , Cantabria and the Basque Country , led from AZTI -TecnaliaAgreed on a new method for assessment of phytoplankton in the transitional waters of northern Spain .

The study , published in the Journal of Marine ResearchCompares the previous method (Ifremer -modified ) with the new method, using a series of recent data collected in 12 major estuaries of the Basque Country . It also measures the consistency between the rankings resulting from eutrophication and the risk posed by such estuaries, taking into account the anthropogenic pressure and hydrographic conditions , physical and chemical .

The result shows that the new method is more effective for classifying water bodies in relation to their risk of eutrophication. This new method includes indicators based on biomass ( chlorophyll a ) and frequency of blooms . However, the study concludes, still need further investigation of indicators based on the composition of the phytoplankton community, to fully meet the requirements of the WFD.

Translation: scienceknowledge.org

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