Papers by Kurt Rosentrater
Increased understanding amongst scientists and the general public about anthropogenic impacts in ... more Increased understanding amongst scientists and the general public about anthropogenic impacts in general, and climate change in particular, behooves us as educators to adjust our courses and curricula. “Sustainability” and “green” topics are increasingly being discussed and incorporated, but this should be done with deliberation. We undertook this study to understand attitudes, perceptions, and habits of the student body at Iowa State University, with a focus on environmental knowledge and behaviors. Overall, we found that, regardless of demographic, students appear to be interested in environmental topics, reducing their footprint, and improving the environment overall. But, they did not necessarily want to pay more, nor did they fully embrace personal responsibility.
2017 Spokane, Washington July 16 - July 19, 2017, 2017
Maize is a major cereal crop in Tanzania and it is grown in diverse agro-ecological zones. Like o... more Maize is a major cereal crop in Tanzania and it is grown in diverse agro-ecological zones. Like other sub-Saharan countries, postharvest losses of maize during storage in Tanzania remain significantly high, especially for smallholder farmers. Unpredictable weather and poor postharvest practice contribute to rapid deterioration of grain and mold contamination, and subsequent production of mycotoxins. The purpose of this study was to assess the postharvest practices, awareness and knowledge of mycotoxin contamination in maize grain in three agro-ecological zones (Eastern, Central, and Northern) of Tanzania between November 2015 and February 2016. A survey using semi-structured questionnaires was administered to farmers, traders, and consumers of maize. A total of 90 people (30 from each zone) were surveyed with a response rate of was 96% (87). In addition, several samples of maize were collected and analyzed for aflatoxin, fumonisin, and Zearalenone contamination to validate the awareness and knowledge of mycotoxin contamination of maize. The result shows a high level of postharvest losses of maize mainly through insect infestation. Moreover, over 80% of the farmers, traders, and consumers of maize were unaware of mycotoxins contamination. All maize samples collected contained detected levels of mycotoxins. The maximum concentration of aflatoxins, fumonisin, and Zearalenone in maize samples was 19.20 ppb, 7.60 ppm, and 189.90 ppb respectively. Education intervention is necessary to decrease the disconnect observed between actual mycotoxin contamination and the awareness and knowledge of farmers, traders, and consumers of maize in Tanzania. Enhancing awareness and knowledge provide the opportunity to educate on post-harvest practices that reduce postharvest losses and mycotoxin of maize in Tanzania.
Maize is a major cereal crop in Tanzania and it is grown in diverse agro-ecological zones. Like o... more Maize is a major cereal crop in Tanzania and it is grown in diverse agro-ecological zones. Like other sub-Saharan countries, postharvest losses of maize during storage in Tanzania remain significantly high, especially for smallholder farmers. Unpredictable weather and poor postharvest practice contribute to rapid deterioration of grain and mold contamination, and subsequent production of mycotoxins. The purpose of this study was to assess awareness and knowledge regarding mycotoxin contamination in maize grain in three agro-ecological zones (Eastern, Central, and Northern) of Tanzania between November 2015 and February 2016. A survey using questionnaires was administered to farmers, traders, and consumers of maize. A total of 90 people (30 from each zone) were surveyed with a response rate of was 96% (87/90). In addition, several samples of maize were collected and analyzed for aflatoxin, fumonisin, and zearalenone contamination to validate the awareness and knowledge of mycotoxin c...
The physical properties of grain, such as temperature and moisture content are two key factors in... more The physical properties of grain, such as temperature and moisture content are two key factors in grain storage. Temperature and relative humidity are two crucial factors for stored grain. In this study, three different storage conditions (room temperature at , 25°C; cooling at , 4 °C; and freezing at , -20°C) were investigated. Yellow dent corn (Zea mays L.) maize(variety Blue River 571136) from Iowa, harvested in 2011 was used. Maize grain was stored in two hermetical sealed binsarrels (50-cm diameter x 76-cm height). Five logger sensors were installed inside the cylindrical bin to measure temperature and relative humidity of the maize graingrain. The sensors were located at the top, center, bottom, left and right at about 12 cm part. After placing each barrel into storage condition, temperature and relative humidity values were measured every minute for 9 days throughout the duration of the experiment. Model validation was carried out by comparing predicted with measured maize gr...
Frontiers Research Topics, 2020
Societies around the world are at a critical juncture. As the planetary population grows, there a... more Societies around the world are at a critical juncture. As the planetary population grows, there are increasing demands for expanding available food, more nutritious and healthy foods, and contemporaneously the need for greater efficiencies and decreased impacts upon the environment. The sustainability of food production systems is a complex issue that requires a global and multidisciplinary approach, combining not only agronomy, ecology, nutrition, epidemiology, processing, energy use, but also marketing and sociology. It is within this context that this special issue aims to illustrate, through review articles, case studies, as well as modeling and simulation studies, some means of understanding the integration of food, in a broad sense, within our environment and society.
Frontiers in Nutrition, 2019
Journal of Food Research, 2019
Fast-paced growth in global aquaculture has elevated concerns about the high costs of fish farmin... more Fast-paced growth in global aquaculture has elevated concerns about the high costs of fish farming production and potential water pollution. Thus, finding eco-friendly and more sustainable alternative protein sources for fish diets is of vital importance to the industry. A twin-screw extrusion processing study was performed using three ingredient blends formulated with graded levels of high protein fermented soybean meal (FSBM) (0, 80% and 100% db fishmeal replacement) along with calculated amounts of other ingredients to meet the rainbow trout diets’ requirements. Increasing the FSBM content from 0% to 100% resulted in a substantial increase in brightness, greenness, and yellowness, and a decrease in bulk density, water absorption index, and unit density (UD) values of the extrudates by 12.5%, 73%, 30%, 7.3%, 27.5%, and 10%, respectively. Compared to the control diet (100% fishmeal-based), extrudate moisture contents increased by 15.2% and 22% for the diets containing 80 and 100% F...
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018
Established supply chain management paradigms such as leanness, agility, and sustainability have ... more Established supply chain management paradigms such as leanness, agility, and sustainability have received increased attention in the literature, but mainly as separate topics. However, while the importance of sustainability as a competitive priority has grown significantly in recent years, companies still try to reconcile the pressures of enhancing their supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. Thus, understanding what is the best way for companies to design and implement a system of practices that meets, on the one hand, the environmental and social requirements of a wide set of stakeholders and, on the other hand, the need to be lean (efficient and waste free) and/or agile (fast and flexible to the needs of the market place) is critical. Our paper develops a systematic literature review addressing the integration of lean, agile and sustainable supply chain management paradigms. 73 papers are analysed, deriving 6 types of integration between lean & sustainable and agile & sustainable supply chain paradigms. To achieve each type of integration, a set of practices are highlighted. Interestingly, the same practices can support different integration types. The paper discusses possible reasons behind these differences and provides future research directions. We suggest further studies should be devoted to investigating the agile e sustainable paradigms integration more in depth as well as the effect of including social dimension when considering the integration between established and sustainable supply chain paradigms. Moreover, we address the lack of empirical studies and the need to take an evolutionary perspective when looking at the integration. Finally, we suggest developing conceptual and empirical studies on whether and how integration between paradigms is contingent upon the strategic relevance of sustainability.
Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 2018
Bread is one of the oldest foods known throughout history and even though it is one of the princi... more Bread is one of the oldest foods known throughout history and even though it is one of the principal types of staple around the world, it usually lacks enough nutrients, including protein and fiber. As such, fortification is one of the best solutions to overcome this problem. Thus, the objective this study was to examine the effect of three levels of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) (0%, 10% and 20%) in conjunction with three levels of SSL (sodium stearoyl lactate) (0%, 2% and 5%) on physical and chemical properties of Barbari bread (traditional Iranian bread). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate DDGS and Sodium Stearoyl-2-Lactilate (SSL), as sources of fortification in Barbari bread. The results showed that incorporation of 20% of DDGS and 0% SSL caused a significant increase in the amount of fiber and protein. As for the physical attributes, using higher amount of DDGS caused a darker color, and as for the texture parameters, the highest f...
2015 ASABE International Meeting, 2015
Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzanian economy. It accounts for about one-third of the gross do... more Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzanian economy. It accounts for about one-third of the gross domestic product (GDP), provides 85 percent of all exports and saves as a livelihood to over 80 percent of the total population. Maize is the primary staple crop; it's grown in nearly all agro-ecological zones in the country. Tanzania is a major maize producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the last four decades, Tanzania has ranked among the top 25 maize producing countries in the world. In the 2013/14 growing seasons Tanzania produced over half billion metric tons of maize of these maize smallholder farmers produced around 85%. Despite the steady production of maize over the past three decades, post-harvest losses of maize remained significant, up to 30-40 % in some rural areas. Post-harvest handling, poor infrastructure, weather variability, biotic factors such as insects and pests, bacteria, pathogens, viruses, and fungi, often aggravate such losses. Mycotoxin producing fungi pose a major risk. Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of fungi that frequently contaminate the maize in the field and/or during storage. Mycotoxin contamination of maize poses a health risk to humans and animals if not properly managed. The most important mycotoxins in Tanzania are the aflatoxins, fumonisins and Ochratoxin. The objective of this paper was to review current literature on the production trends, consumption, post-harvest losses, and mycotoxins contamination of maize and to provide strategies to control and prevent postharvest losses and mycotoxins contamination in Tanzania.
2014 ASABE Annual International Meeting, 2014
Sitophilus zeamais (maize weevil) is one of the most destructive pests of maize stored in tropica... more Sitophilus zeamais (maize weevil) is one of the most destructive pests of maize stored in tropical and subtropical regions. This study determined the resistance of flint corn and dent corn to infestation by S. zeamais (Motschulsky), the maize weevil. Improved King Philip hybrid flint corn and Fontanelle 6T-510 hybrid dent corn were used in this experiment. Two temperature conditions (10 °C and 27 °C) and two storage times (15 days and 30 days) were used. Results showed that flint corn was more resistant to insect damage than dent corn at 27 °C and 30 day storage time. After 30 days storage time and 27 ºC death rate was significantly higher in flint corn (R2 = 0.945) compared to (R2 = 0.634) in dent corn. Damaged seed was 10% higher in dent corn then in flint corn at 27 ºC and 30 days. However, no significant difference was observed for seed weight loss between flint corn and dent corn at the same storage conditions. Both dent and flint corn are extensively cultivated in developing countries. It appears that storage of flint corn may be one promising solution to reducing corn damage and infestation problems in the tropics and in developing countries, but more research is needed.
Insects, Jan 29, 2016
Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky is the most important insect pest of stored maize in tropical regi... more Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky is the most important insect pest of stored maize in tropical regions. The objective of this study was to determine the practicality of periodic physical disturbance on S. zeamais mortality and its adoption by smallholder farmers in developing countries. In this experiment, treatments and control were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications and three storage times in three regions of Tanzania. Region was used as the blocking variable. A total of 108 clean 20-L plastic containers were each loaded with 10 kg of fresh white dent corn and 0.50 kg of maize infested with S. zeamais. For the treatment, containers were disturbed twice a day, whereas for the controls the containers were not disturbed until the end of storage. The overall mortality rate (%) after 30, 60, and 90 days of storage were 88%, 96%, and 98%, respectively. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed for the number of live S. zeamais between the...
International Journal of Food Properties, 2015
The aim of this study was to identify suitable starch sources that can improve the structural int... more The aim of this study was to identify suitable starch sources that can improve the structural integrity of plant protein-based extruded feeds, specifically aquatic feeds. Extrusion trials were performed, using a single-screw extruder. Extruder temperature, screw speed, and moisture content were varied in a factorial design with a replicated central composite point. The effects of these variables on functional and structural properties of the extrudates were evaluated. Temperature had the dominant effect on all properties. Increasing extruder temperature resulted in notable increases in onset temperature of gelatinization and glass transition temperature of all extrudates. The lowest water absorption, alkaline viscosity, and the highest water solubility, in addition to the lowest Rapid Visco Analyzer profile were found for corn starch extrudates. The lowest thermal stability was observed for the potato extrudate. It is expected that cassava and potato starches can contribute better in the formation of a cohesive structure and the generation of more expanded extrudates, specifically in the production of aquafeed. The higher enthalpy transition of corn extrudates indicated the higher thermal stability of corn starch which can lead in production of more durable aquafeed extrudates.
Journal of Stored Products Research, 2015
Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky), the maize weevil, is a serious pest of economic importance in s... more Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky), the maize weevil, is a serious pest of economic importance in stored products in tropical and subtropical countries; infestation often starts in the field, but serious damage is done during maize storage. This study evaluated S. zeamais infestation on seven varieties of maize. Seven commercial maize varieties (white dent, yellow dent, orange flint, Indian flint, white popcorn, yellow popcorn and sweet corn), two temperature conditions (10 and 27 C) and three storage times (30, 60, and 90 d) were used. The moisture contents of all maize samples were adjusted to 15.5 ± 0.5% (wet basis) prior to initiating storage trials. Numbers of live weevils, e seed damage, weight loss, and weight of powder produced were assessed at the end of each storage time. As expected, severe damage was observed at 27 C and 90 d for all maize varieties. Exponential growth rates of S. zeamais were observed in almost all maize varieties. Among seven varieties evaluated, orange flint corn, yellow and white popcorn show resistance to S. zeamais. Nevertheless, sweet and dent corn were most susceptible to S. zeamais-infestation-Higher numbers of live S. zeamais were observed on Indian flint corn, sweet corn and yellow dent corn. Consequently, there was higher seed weight damaged and weight loss. Further, seed damaged, percentage seed weight loss and weight of powder produced was significantly and positive correlated with number of live S. zeamais (r ¼ 0.91, P < 0.05), (r ¼ 0.88, P < 0.05), and (r ¼ 0.89, P < 0.05) respectively. Thus, some varieties of flint corn and popcorn can be considered as potential maize varieties to be used to reduce postharvest loss of maize in tropical countries due to natural resistance to S. zeamais infestation.
2006 Portland, Oregon, July 9-12, 2006, 2006
The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical ... more The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical presentation does not necessarily reflect the official position of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), and its printing and distribution does not constitute an endorsement of views which may be expressed. Technical presentations are not subject to the formal peer review process by ASABE editorial committees; therefore, they are not to be presented as refereed publications. Citation of this work should state that it is from an ASABE meeting paper. EXAMPLE: Author's Last Name, Initials. 2006. Title of Presentation. ASABE Paper No. 06xxxx. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE. For information about securing permission to reprint or reproduce a technical presentation, please contact ASABE at
2012 Dallas, Texas, July 29 - August 1, 2012, 2012
A pilot-plant twin screw extrusion study was performed in two twice-replicated trials with the go... more A pilot-plant twin screw extrusion study was performed in two twice-replicated trials with the goal of producing vegetable-based protein feeds for juvenile yellow perch. Two isocaloric (3.06 kcal/g) experimental diets were balanced to contain 20% and 40% DDGS, and a constant amount (20 %) of fermented high protein soybean meal (PepSoyGen, PSG), as the fishmeal protein replacers, in combination with appropriate amounts of other required ingredients; crude protein content was targeted at 40 %. A fishmeal-based diet was used as a control. To obtain cohesive extrudates, extrusion processing conditions were varied, including conditioner steam (0.11-0.16 kg/min), extruder water (0.11-0.19 kg/min), and screw speed (230-300 rpm). Increasing DDGS from 0 to 40% led to a considerable rise in bulk density, L*, b*, and unit density, but to a decrease in aw and expansion ratio by 12.6, 14.4, 23, 21, 31, and 13 %, respectively. Compared to the control diet, the lowest unit density and the highest bulk density of 791.6 kg/m3 and 654.5 kg/m3 were achieved with the diets containing 20 and 40% DDGS, respectively; changes in DDGS content did not affect the extrudate moisture content, absorption index, or thermal properties. Raising DDGS content from 0 to 40% resulted in a curvilinear increase in water solubility and a* of the extrudates by 13.4 and 35%, respectively. All extrudates had high durability of more than 98%, and low aw of less than 0.5. Overall, this initial study yielded physically viable feeds for yellow perch. Further extrusion studies are needed to determine optimal DDGS-based diet for yellow perch.
2011 Louisville, Kentucky, August 7 - August 10, 2011, 2011
A fractional factorial design with a replicated central composite point was used to investigate t... more A fractional factorial design with a replicated central composite point was used to investigate the effects of extrusion processing on physical properties of DDGS-based aquafeeds using a twin screw extruder. Extrusion cooking trials were performed using an ingredient blend for Nile tilapia, with 2 levels of screw speed (350 and 450 rpm), 2 levels of extruder water (0.236 and 0.302 kg/min) and 2 levels of conditioner steam (0.1 and 0.15 kg/min). The central point was 400 rpm screw speed, 0.271 kg/min extruder water, and 0.12 kg/min conditioner steam. Effects of these processing conditions on extrudate characteristics were extensively analyzed, and included moisture content, water activity, thermal properties, expansion ratio, unit density, bulk density, color, water stability, sinking velocity, water absorption and solubility indices and pellet durability index. Increasing the screw speed from 350 to 400 rpm resulted in a decrease in mass flow rate by 5.3%; while increasing the screw speed from 400 to 450 rpm led to a 2.8% increase in mass flow rate. Increasing the extruder water and conditioner steam resulted in a 5.3% decrease and nearly 8.6% rise in mass flow rate, respectively. On the other hand, increasing screw speed from 350 to 400 rpm had no significant effect on some of the extrudate properties such as moisture content, bulk density, water absorption index, and pellet durability. However, as screw speed increased from 350 to 400 rpm, water stability and water activity increased by 13 and 58%, respectively. Increasing screw speed from 400 to 450 rpm decreased water stability and water activity significantly. Increasing extruder water from 0.236 to 0.302 kg/min led to a significant increase in water stability, and a decrease in water absorption index, water activity and expansion ratio by 12.5, 13, 21, and 5.5%, respectively. As conditioner steam increased from 0.1 to 0.15, sinking velocity and water absorption index decreased by 25 and 15%, respectively. Increasing conditioner steam from 0.1 to 0.12 kg/min resulted in a 20%, 5.5%, 10% and 3% decrease in moisture content of the products, brightness(L*), water stability and expansion ratio, respectively. It also increased bulk density by 5.8% and unit density by 4.2%. Overall, all trials produced viable extrudates with properties appropriate for Nile tilapia production.
2005 Tampa, FL July 17-20, 2005, 2005
The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical ... more The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical presentation does not necessarily reflect the official position of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE), and its printing and distribution does not constitute an endorsement of views which may be expressed. Technical presentations are not subject to the formal peer review process by ASAE editorial committees; therefore, they are not to be presented as refereed publications.
2010 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 20 - June 23, 2010, 2010
For centuries, cereals have been major food stuffs used all around the world; because of that, th... more For centuries, cereals have been major food stuffs used all around the world; because of that, there are many different kinds of breads produced from different types of flours. Despite the variety of flours available, there are still many challenges to produce ingredients which maximize nutrient components, and with which healthier breads and other products can be produced. As studies have shown, traditional wheat flour has some nutritional deficiencies (although this is a matter of perspective), which depend on the level of consumption. Additionally, gluten intolerance and Celiac disease are growing problems. The nutritional value of breads can be enhanced through the use of a variety of alternative flours. The objective of this study is to review and discuss alternatives to traditional wheat flour, with an emphasis on improved nutritional characteristics. Oat, for instance, has been used to improve the protein and fiber content of bread. Fortification of breads with soybean flour can also dramatically improve their protein quality. Barley, flaxseed, and rye flours can be used to increase the amount of dietary fiber in breads. Dietary fiber can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes. Rye flour is recommended as an integral part of the diet as a source of biologically active substances. There are also other materials which can be used to add value to flour. One of them is DDGS, which is a co-product from the production of fuel ethanol from corn. By using alternative materials, traditional wheat flours can be fortified and their nutrient profiles enhanced.
ASABE/CSBE North Central Intersectional Meeting, 2009
The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical ... more The authors are solely responsible for the content of this technical presentation. The technical presentation does not necessarily reflect the official position of ASABE, and its printing and distribution does not constitute an endorsement of views which may be expressed. Technical presentations are not subject to the formal peer review process, therefore, they are not to be presented as refereed publications.
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Papers by Kurt Rosentrater