The quality of cooking oil used in informal food processing in Malawi: a preliminary study

A survey was conducted in Lilongwe city urban markets in Malawi, to assess the quality of cooking oil used for frying potato chips. Purposive sampling was performed to come up with respondents who were using vegetable oils. A stratified random sampling was used to select the 32 informal food processors who were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Oil samples were collected from the most commonly used brand of oil. Fifteen respondents were selected and these were divided into three categories of five: those who were not reusing the oil, those who were reusing the oil and those who were preparing potato chips and chicken in the same oil, for chemical analysis. The preliminary results showed that while the majority (59.4%) of the informal food processors discarded the oil after 1 day, 3.1% discarded it after 4 days and another 12.5% after 3 days. A larger proportion of the respondents (40.6%) used the leftover oils at home, 37.5% kept it in oil bottles, 3.1% kept it in plastic papers for reuse the following day. Also, most respondents (57%) indicated dark colour as the sign of oil deterioration, 29% discarded the oil after noticing foam formation while 8.2% and 6.1% said they discarded the oil after noticing a bad smell and food absorbing the oils respectively. A physical observation of the various oils showed that for most of the respondents (34%), the oils were dark brown in colour, in 22%, the oils were slightly dark brown and 16%, the oils were brown. Foam formation was noticed in 13% of the respondents. It was also noted that 91% of the respondents had not been trained or briefed of food quality and safety issues. A chemical analysis of the oils showed high values of free fatty acids (range, 0.84–1.4112 compared with 0.42 in the fresh oil) and peroxide values (range 14.7–16.6 compared with 9.0 in the fresh oil). It may be concluded that the oils being used by the informal food processors in Malawi are of poor quality and so the foods cooked in them may be a health hazard to the consumers and the processors themselves. Although this work in ongoing, it may be recommended at the outset that the health department of the city assemblies should inspect these oils for the good health of the consumers.     

Domestic Support and Border Measures for Processed Horticultural Products

In horticultural markets, trade barriers often apply to the processed products whereas domestic support applies to farm-produced raw commodities. Here we assess the effects of such trade barriers and domestic support by simulating the effects of policy reform on global processing tomato markets, which are faced with modest processed product tariffs and high domestic support in the European Union (EU). Both protection and EU subsidy drive down world welfare, but we find that reducing import tariffs for tomato products would yield greater effects on markets and larger welfare impacts outside Europe than would reductions in EU domestic support.     

构建高职计算机专业实践教学的信息化平台

构建实践教学信息化平台是解决高职实践教学中存在问题、提高教学质量和效率的有效方法。该文以一个信息化平台设计实例说明了信息化平台的设计过程。     

重心定理在进度控制中的运用

该文主要讲述重心定理的含义以及在进度控制中如何运用它来解决两个平行工序顺序化的问题，并用一个例子说明其步骤，最后给出三条结论。     

分布式并行计算网格系统的设计与实现

基于网格计算技术提出了一种分布式的有限元并行计算网格系统的原型DPFEM的构建方法.探讨了DPFEM的系统设计目标,系统平台,软件配置以及系统运作机制.     

3自由度并联机器人的研究现状和应用前景

3自由度并联机器人具有结构相对简单、高刚度、低惯性力、大载荷和高速能力的特点,在工业生产及其他领域有着广阔的应用前景,引起了越来越多的学者的广泛兴趣。     

市场分割下中国加工贸易出口主体分化问题研究

外部采购与加工贸易是近年来出现的新贸易现象,对中国来说,低廉的劳动力成本是取得加工贸易比较优势的主要原因,加工贸易发展进程中出口主体的分化是中国从城乡二元劳动力市场向城市二元劳动力市场转变的结果,要继续保持加工贸易比较优势,就应该增强劳动力市场的流动性,实现劳动力市场的统一。     

加工贸易银行保函的法律性质与效力

加工贸易是一种重要的贸易方式,我国正逐步成为世界加工生产的基地,我国将对加工贸易进口料件实施保税的具体做法辅以银行保证金台帐制度共同执行,实行加工贸易进口料件银行保证金台帐制度。加工贸易税款保付保函是一种海关事务担保,应属于银行的一种独立担保。但我国《民法通则》、《担保法》等立法中没有为独立担保的运作提供具体的规则,独立担保制度尤其是加工贸易税款保付保函方面的制度的完善建立势在必行。     

设置三角形阻流件的通道内流体流动特性研究

对常物性流体在通道内的周期性充分发展层流流动特性进行二维数值计算分析,所研究的通道是由两平行平板和交错布置于两平行平板上的多个三角形阻流件构成。给出了不同阻流件高度、顶角和间距以及不同Re 数下的流函数图和阻力特性曲线。     

项目总控的应用及其信息处理规划

随着国内大型建设项目的增多，大型建设项目的实施遇到诸多问题，其原因主要是业主对项目的控制能力不强，从而导致大型建设项目不能实现其质量、进度、投资等预期目标，甚至会导致整个项目的失败，项目总控模式的应用很大程度地解决了这一问题，另外，由于信息处理是项目总控的主要工作，因此，本也讨论了项目总控模式下的信息处理规划。