Papers by Viktorija Stamatovska
ASSESSING FOOD AND NUTRITION LIFESTYLE (ATTITUDES) IN NORTH MACEDONIA, 2024
Despite having a high prevalence of NCDs in their families, the population of North Macedonia has... more Despite having a high prevalence of NCDs in their families, the population of North Macedonia has a relatively unhealthy lifestyle. High frequency of parents discussing healthy food/diet with their children, but only a few of them mention salty and fatty foods, indicating low awareness. Probably parents ignore childhood obesity, equating it with adult obesity, as the main cause. It is more convenient for people to seek nutrition information directly from health workers. People trust nutrition experts but are much less likely to approach them, possibly because of prices/unavailability. In addition, people use social media to look up information about food as the most accessible source but do not rely on it much. Children's eating habits often influence their behavior in adulthood, so adopting healthy eating habits and engaging in physical activity early is essential. This statement is supported by the findings of UNICEF's study (2020) that a higher level of physical activity is linked to a decreased risk of being overweight or obese. Objectives: To explore the current behaviour regarding food buying and ordering: touchpoints of eating/buying food, frequency of using them, and any other behaviour features. To assess the attitudes toward the already existing obesity/overweight prevention policies and more rigorous policies, as well as the perceptions of parents concerning overweight in children when compared to other EU countries. Material and methods: The TAPI research method (Table Assisted Personal Interviewing) was selected for conducting the quantitative research mainly because of the efficiency and preciseness that the personal approach or face-to-face interviewing ensures. Participants in the study were males and females and 18+ years old, representatives of all 8 statistical regions and settlement types in the country. Results and discussion: It was assumed that there is no dramatic difference in food behavior for children of different ages in one family but to confirm this during the interview respondents were asked only about one child (chosen randomly like the last day of birth) with an additional question to check if food behavior of other children differs was asked. Parents rarely talk to their children about salty and fatty food, which accounts for a great share of junk food, and consider the importance of talking about these kinds of food and junk food to be the same. Probably, parents are just not aware of the dangers these types of food pose. One of the main problems detected was the lack of awareness about the dangers of fatty and salty food among children and their parents. Only a small proportion (16%) of families are concerned with obesity among their family members. Households with children under 18 also have little concern about obesity-only 15%. Though it is well known that childhood obesity is as disturbing as adult obesity, it is obvious that parents do not give it the attention it deserves. Conclusions and recommendations: Almost a third of the population of North Macedonia (30%) live a healthy lifestyle. The study showed the same share of people are concerned about their health. Nevertheless, the share of people who indicated that they live a healthy lifestyle and are concerned about their health is much lower-only 12%, which may mean that a healthy lifestyle is not a primary concern for adults. According to the people who rated their lifestyle as 5 or higher, a healthy lifestyle includes the following features: following a healthy diet, controlling sugar and fat, controlling salt levels in food, and practicing sports. We recommend conducting an information campaign to raise awareness of the importance of healthy nutrition in terms of obesity/overweight and its influence on children's health. The information campaign can also focus on general eating habits but with a focus on eating out of the home as children`s habits that concern parents very much. Involving health workers and nutritionists in such an educational campaign (as the most credible, with the potential to change people`s habits) would increase its impact as these specialists are perceived as the most expected and credible distributors of such information.
Yogurt is one of the most popular fermented products. From a nutritious aspect yogurt is very sim... more Yogurt is one of the most popular fermented products. From a nutritious aspect yogurt is very similar to the milk from which it was made, partly changed, with certain therapeutic effects linked with the starter cultures added in the production process. The research includes the examination and presentation of results for the physical-chemical composition, the inhibitory substances and the hygienic quality of the raw milk for yogurt production, the technology, the physical-chemical composition and the microbiological quality of the yogurt. According to the results obtained from the research, the milk fat content amounts to 3.78%, proteins 3.23%, lactose 4.68%, and dry matter 12.76%. The average number of somatic cells in the milk is 248.400/ml, and the total number of bacteria 199.000/ml. No antibiotics had been detected in the milk, and the content of aflatoxins is 0.010μg/kg. The average value of the acidity and pH of the milk are 6.68 and 6.79 0SH respectively. The microbiological...
2017 UBT International Conference
The strawberries have a significant place among the berries family. It can be used fresh or for p... more The strawberries have a significant place among the berries family. It can be used fresh or for production of different products, available for consumption during the whole year. The aim of this research is to compare the quality changes of fresh and dried strawberries. The strawberries of variety: elsanta, humi grande and mesecharka, from Skopje region were used for drying. Before drying, the following treatments were applied: V0not treated, V1-with vitamin C, V2-with sugar solution. The drying was performed in Armenian solar dryer. During research the chemical components of fresh and dried strawberries: the total dry matter, the sugars, the total acids, the proteins, the vitamin C and the mineral matter were examined. On the solar dried strawberry was performed microbiological analysis according to appropriate regulations. Based on the results of this research, the Armenian Solar Dryer showed very good characteristics from the economical and ecological aspect, as well as good quality properties.
The purpose of this paper is to determine the sensory properties of lamb meat according to conven... more The purpose of this paper is to determine the sensory properties of lamb meat according to conventional and organic breeding systems. The research was carried out on 120 lambs, out of which 60 were reared in a conventional and 60 in an organic system. During the research done by the heat treatment of lamb meat at a temperature of 175°, a significantly greater (p<0.05) weight loss of the meat from the conventional system as compared to organic system was found. The shrinkage during thermal processing of meat from organic system is of 31.45±0.97%, being of 2.59% smaller than the meat shrinkage from conventional system 34.04±0.78%. The overall acceptability score for sensory attributes (smell, juiciness, taste, aroma, texture and softness) was significantly (p < 0.01) higher for meat from group I and II from the organic system, as compared to meat from group I and II from conventional system. The results showed that the breeding system had a significant effect in lamb's sensory profile.
Ukrainian Food Journal, Dec 1, 2022
Journal of Hygienic Engineering and Design, 2013
Mixed feed is the product obtained by mixing nutritional supplements and additives permitted, ser... more Mixed feed is the product obtained by mixing nutritional supplements and additives permitted, serving as a full or extra food for feeding animals. Raw material with good quality allows production of effective and qualitative animal feed, allows cultivating healthy animals, which will be basic raw material in the food industry. High quality raw material in the process of food production leads to production of final food products with good quality, which is helpful in the efforts for sustaining people wellbeing and health. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the quality of raw materials for mixed feed production, as well as the quality of mixed feed, as final product according to the required standards. Raw materials for feed production: corn, barley and sunflower meal and different types of mixed feed, were material used in our study. They were obtained from AGRIA. To evaluate the quality of these feed a lot of parameters have been tested: moisture, crude ash, crude protein, and cru...
The presence of microorganisms in the aquatic environment has a variable character and differs fr... more The presence of microorganisms in the aquatic environment has a variable character and differs from one aquatic ecosystem to another. The main goal of this research was to determine the microbiological characteristics of the water in Black River in the Pelagonija region near the city of Bitola, North Macedonia and thus to determine the quality of water from a hygienic-sanitary aspect. The material for work was the water from Black River. The survey was conducted in May and November. Measuring points from which the sample was taken for analysis were: Measuring point 1 (MM1) Black River near the village Novaci, measuring point 2 (MM2) Black River near the village Kravari, measuring point 3 (MM3) Black River after the junction with Fifth channel and measuring point 4 (MM4) Black River in the village of Skochivir. Microbiological analysis included examination of the following groups of microorganisms: determination of total number of Coliform bacteria-colimetric method according to Most...
The aim of this research is to conduct a comparative analysis and to verify the quality propertie... more The aim of this research is to conduct a comparative analysis and to verify the quality properties of meat of the Macedonian trout (Salmo macedonicus) and the Ohrid trout (Salmo letnica), from aquaculture production, bred on a fish farm under controlled conditions. In order to determine the quality of meat of the Macedonian and Ohrid trout, analyses of the chemical composition have been conducted: the amount of proteins, fat, water, minerals, as well as a determination of the energy value of the meat. The analyses have been made on samples from Macedonian and Ohrid trout, with size of consumption between 200g and 300g. By these analyses, it has been confirmed that in the meat of the Macedonian trout, the amount of water is 77.122%, 17.800% proteins, 3.333% fat and 1.667% minerals, whereas in the meat of the Ohrid trout 75.923% water, 16.783% proteins, 5.403% fat and 1.080% minerals. Though the established difference in the amount of water and fat is not significant, the differences ...
Sensory characteristics are of great significance for all food products. These are features which... more Sensory characteristics are of great significance for all food products. These are features which every consumer evaluates on a daily basis and based on that assessment decides whether to buy or not a product. The aim of this paper is to examine the sensory characteristics of peach and plum jams, prepared with different sweeteners (sucrose, fructose, sorbitol and agave syrup) and determine which of them is the most acceptable one for consumers. Sensory analysis was conducted by applying the scoring system, which assessed individual quality criteria (smell, taste, color and consistency). The results of analysis showed that the color, smell, taste and consistency of tested jams are acceptable. Jams with sorbitol, assessed with the highest average total grade have better sensory characteristics as compared with jams prepared with other sweeteners.
Inulin is highly studied and has already been accepted as a prebiotic. Due to its recognized preb... more Inulin is highly studied and has already been accepted as a prebiotic. Due to its recognized prebiotic properties, it is increasingly used in the development of new food products. Often different types of biscuits do not have a prebiotic effect, but by adding ingredients such as inulin, their biological value can be increased. In order to determine the characteristics of the biscuits with inulin two types of biscuits were produced: control (regular) biscuits and biscuits prepared with inulin. The raw materials used include: integral rye flour, buckwheat flour, oat flakes, flaxseed, sucrose, salt, sodium bicarbonate, cinnamon, sesame seed, water, olive oil and inulin. The biscuits production includes the following operations: measuring raw materials, mixing the powdery raw materials, adding water and oil, stirring, resting the dough in a refrigerator for 15 min., rolling out the dough and forming the biscuits, baking (150 С, 10 min.), cooling at room temperature and packing. The prep...
A segment of our research was focused on examining the impact of the frequency of milk and dairy ... more A segment of our research was focused on examining the impact of the frequency of milk and dairy products’ (MDP) consumption on bone mineral density (BMD) of Macedonian female population. BMD was measured by DEXA-densitometer in 210 females at the Public Institution “Borka Taleski” in Prilep and a Questionnaire about their dietary habits was performed. Females were categorized into 3 groups according to MDP consumption: those who consume MDP on a daily base; 3 - 5times/week; or 1 - 2 times/ week, and those who did not consume MDP were a reference category. Data analysis was performed by multiple regression analysis (R), while the significance was determined by p<0.05. The results indicated that daily consumption of milk and dairy products was most beneficial for BMD of the females, then 3 - 5 times/ week, and the worst impact on BMD was present in females of 1 - 2 times/ week MDP consumption. Females on a daily MDP consumption had in average 0.17 g/cm 2 significantly higher BMD a...
Journal of Hygienic Engineering and Design, 2013
The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality properties of raspberry and peach jams during st... more The aim of this study is to evaluate the quality properties of raspberry and peach jams during storage. Jams were prepared with a reduced amount of sucrose, citric acid and low-estrified pectin with the addition of calcium ions in the form of calcium citrate. Physico-chemical parameters, such as total dry matter, soluble solids, sugars, total acids, pH, vitamin C, fats, proteins and ash after storage of 15 and 90 days were tested. The jams were exposed to microbiological analysis also. Results showed that the values of ash, fats and vitamin C were not changed regardless the storage period of the analysed raspberry and peach jams. The period of storage increased the values of total dry matter from 44.97% to 45.86%, soluble solids from 40.17 °Brix to 41.5 °Brix and total acids from 1.47% to 1.49% in raspberry jam. In peach jam these results changed from 42% to 44.1%, from 41.92 °Brix to 42.9 °Brix, and from 0.92% to 0.97% respectively. Microbiological examinations indicate that jams a...
Pesticides are chemical substances which used to ensure high crop yields. From year to year the s... more Pesticides are chemical substances which used to ensure high crop yields. From year to year the sales of plant protection products (fungicides, herbicides, insecticides) in agriculture are increasing. The use of pesticides during production often leads to the presence of pesticide residues in fruit after and during harvest. Exposure to food pesticide residues through the diet can negatively affect the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system and respiratory system. For these reasons, monitoring the presence of pesticides in food is of great importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the residues of pesticides in apples from Resen. The UPLC-TQ/MS method was used for determining pesticide residues. The pesticide residue is extracted with QuEChERS. From the total number of samples, it was noted that in the apples from the Evla location, the most abundant pesticide is chlorpyrifos with 20 %, then pyrimethanil and dimethoate with 13.33 %, in comparison with other pesticid...
The pomological characteristics are very important for each type of fruit. The different types of... more The pomological characteristics are very important for each type of fruit. The different types of fruits are being classified according to their shape, size, dimensions and the other features. The purpose of this paper is to examine the pomological characteristics of the peach fruits from ‘‘Cresthaven’’ cultivar, from Rosoman, Republic of Macedonia. The fruits are being collected in full technological maturity. The following characteristics have been determined: height, width and thickness of the fruit (using a caliper with an accuracy of 0.01 mm), weight of the fruit and weight of the mesocarp and pit (using an analytical balance with an accuracy of 0.001 g), and the yield is also mathematically calculated. Also, during the research have been conducted an analysis for the presence of heavy metals (Pb, As and Cd) in the fruits (using atomic absorption spectrometer). The research was repeated three times, in a period of three years (2011, 2012, 2013). In the three-year period of exam...
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2021
The aim of the present paper is to establish the influence of sucrose on the basic properties of ... more The aim of the present paper is to establish the influence of sucrose on the basic properties of the cookies – losses during baking, thickness, volume, specific volume, colour, as well as on their texture and sensory characteristics. A total of six kinds of cookies were prepared from wheat four, barley flour and mixture of them in ratio 50:50, in two groups according to the sweetener used – with and without sucrose. The results obtained indicated that sucrose and the barley flour exert certain effect on the basic physical properties of the cookies, as well as on their texture and sensory characteristics. When sucrose is used for preparation of cookies, beside that it imparts sweet taste, the baking losses decreases (13.64 %), thicker cookies are produced (15.95 mm), diameter (68.90 mm), expansion factor (44.43), volume (40 cm3) and specific volume (1.65 cm3/g) compared to the cookies prepared without sucrose. The sucrose containing cookies are harder, darker and have more intense red and yellow colour. It was found from the sensory analysis carried out that these cookies are preferred by the consumers. The addition of barley flour to the cookies composition results in higher loss during the baking but the cookies obtained have bigger diameter compared to these which do not contain barley flour. The cookies prepared from mixture of wheat and barley flour in ratio had the best sensory properties.
LWT, 2020
b Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria-Centro di Ricerca Zoo... more b Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria-Centro di Ricerca Zootecnia e Acquacoltura (CREA-ZA), Via Forlani 3, 26866 S. Angelo Lodigiano (LO), Italy.
Journal of Central European Agriculture, 2019
Nowadays, flaked product became quite popular. The aim of the present paper is to study the effec... more Nowadays, flaked product became quite popular. The aim of the present paper is to study the effect of the process of flaking of einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) on some basic chemical properties, the biologically active substances and the antioxidant activity of the flaked product. The chemical parameters (contents of moisture, ash and fats) were determined according to ISO standard methods. Protein content was determined by the method of Lowry. The following biologically active compounds were also determined: total polyphenols, antioxidant activity (% DPPH) and total carotenoids. The analyses carried out showed that the flaking has certain effect, although to small extent, on the values of the properties of the flaked einkorn studied. The moisture content and the total amount of carotenoids were found to decrease while the amounts of fats, proteins and total polyphenols increased. The results obtained from the analyses of the flaked product were compared to these of wholegrain einkorn flour and it was found that the differences were considered to be immaterial although some of them were statistically significant. It was found also that the process of flaking does not affect the amount of mineral substances and the antioxidant activity of the flaked einkorn compared to einkorn flour.
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Papers by Viktorija Stamatovska