Foods

Meritking Features the Top 20 European Football Clubs Named by the IFFHS

Real Madrid Ranked No. 1 by IFFHSMeritking (https://meritking.news), the nascent online sports news platform, recently posted an article naming the top 20 football teams listed by the IFFHS based on past year’s performance. IFFHS by the way stands for the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

Inasmuch as this website’s key topic is cooking, we directed our attention to the kinds of popular food that football fans eat during half time. However, since several of the football clubs ranked as top ten represent the same EU nation, our food blog delves on the culinary topic of the nation represented by the Top Ten European football clubs.

Popular Food that Fans of the Top Ten Football Clubs Eat During Half-Time

Spain

Spain tops the list for being the country with the most number of football clubs belonging to the top 10 of the IFFHS list, namely:

Spanish sandwichReal Madrid – Ranked No. 1
Atletico Madrid – Ranked No. 6
Barcelona – Ranked No. 8

When La Liga Spanish football matches are ongoing, the stadium will pervade with the familiar crackling sound of sunflower seeds that fans work on while witnessing the game. Come half time, many of the supporters bring out and unwrap their home made bocadillo.

A bocadillo in Spain is a sandwich made of baguette or a similar type of Spanish bread that is cut lengthwise. It can be savoury when paired with pulled pork, ham, tuna or cheese. Others prefer the bocadillo de guayaba, which is a guava jelly sandwich.

Germany

A country well-known for its Bundesliga football competitions, the matches are dominated by the following IFFHS top German football clubs:
Bayer Leverkusen – Ranked No. 3
Borussia Dortmund – Ranked No. 5
Bayern Munich – Ranked No. 7

Although most regions in Germany have a wide selection of sausages, the most popular is frankfurter. It’s a more savoury version of the American hotdog as it is made from beef or pork slices. At half time, football fans usually eat Stramme Lotte, a sandwich made with bread roll and cooked ham, or Strammer Otto, a sandwich made with slices of beef or salami.

England

England’s Premier League is undoubtedly one of the most followed football competitions across the globe, with two of the nations elite football clubs included in the IFFHS top ten list, namely:

Manchester City – Ranked No. 2
Arsenal – Ranked No. 9

In England and especially during winter, sports fans braving the biting cold of the night games, consider halftime as the right time to have a meat pie, which is downed with a cup of hot beef tea. The tea is actually a traditional broth made from beef and water, usually given to patients to help them get back their strength.

Italy

Italy has that distinction of being the only nation with three professional football leagues: Serie A, Serie B and Serie C. Yet the following football clubs are the elite clubs playing in the Serie A league, and included in the IFFS list of top 10 European teams:

Atalanta – Ranked No. 4
Inter Milan Ranked 10

The most popular half time food that most fans eat during Serie A football matches are sandwiches called salamella or salsiccia, generally made with grilled sausage topped with onions and pepper. During an ongoing match, Italian football fans usually munch on sunflower seeds or Lupino beans as a way of tempering their excitement.

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Foods

Why Sustainable Food Production Must Be Achieved

Making sure there’s enough and sustainable supply of food for the continuously increasing population is a huge challenge for governments around the world. There are numerous issues affecting food security, food production, food consumption and providing proper nutrition; all which requires immediate and sustainable solutions.

Researchers estimate that by 2050, the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, topping the current statistics with an additional 34%. It follows therefore that food production should also increase significantly to feed a larger population. However, factors essential to food production like land, water and energy have tendencies to deplete if nor provided with sustainable solutions/

Nutrition is another obstacles that needs to be hurdled is to provide the growing population with a wide range of nutritious diet that can be obtained from nutrient-packed sustainable food products. Moreover, sustainable food production is also a matter of providing balanced amount of energy-giving food The food products should also be able to provide individuals enough supply of balanced nutrients to promote good health.

What Exactly is Sustainable Food Production?

Sustainable food production refers to ways of producing food products that uses systems and processes designed to conserve natural resources and non-renewable energy, As such, a sustainable food production is one that does not contribute to air, land and water pollution.

Ideally, a sustainable food production plant is safe for workers and customers as well as economically efficient for the community.

More importantly, a sustainable food production system does not apply the carbon-trade off approach because sustainability must happen from start to finish and not as an after thought.

Examples of Actions that Work Toward the Development of Sustainable Food Production

While there are technologies and broader knowledge about food production, the European Commission wants food companies to include the following actions in the development of their food production sustainability goals:

Make sure to optimize only agricultural land for food production by efficiently utilizing natural resources;

Do not use chemically formulated pesticides and fertilizers as their runoffs will contaminate waterways and soils;

Plan and develop food manufacturing sites that allow for efficient water and energy use.

Avoid soil loss by returning organic matter into soil. During construction of food manufacturing plants or factories, make certain crane operations are provided with a crane mat to protect the soil from compaction, salinization or contamination,

Help protect and preserve marine resources, by preventing accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes in coastal areas.

Minimize food wastes by using technical innovations that use functional packaging to reduce spoilage; or consider product reformulation to lengthen the shelf life of a food item.
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Uncategorized

Online Communities – An Integral Part of the Internet’s Information System

Participation in online forums and social communities where like-minded netizens meet has become part of the Internet culture as it has proven to be beneficial. Actually, most developers of programs and applications get their ideas from online communities because they serve as integral part of the Internet’s information systems.

Cooking or foodie communities for one, serve as rich resources when looking for information about consumer preferences, needs, cooking tips, techniques and other issues related to food preparations and cooking innovations.

Part of a food product development process involves getting insights from posts, forum discussions and exchanges of opinions. That way they can proceed with confidence in launching projects that aim to improve the quality of a company’s food products, or to enhance the reputation of their brands. In a sense, foodie communities allow for collaborative ways of working with consumers and different food cultures.

Most anthropologists believe that through the study of food culture of people, insights about a country’s economic and political values can be derived. An understanding of what, how and when humans produce food give indications about the value of food in the different levels of a community.
Similarly, an understanding of how like-minded people consume, prepare, innovate and discover ways of improving meals indicate the type of food culture pervading in a foodie or cooking community. This in turn reflects the political, economic and/or social values supported by the food group, regardless of demography or ethnicity.

That is why online communities in general can serve as linchpins for entrepreneurs and business organizations, since they provide a link to the social, economic and political outlooks of large groups of food consumers.

Origins of Online Communities

There was a time when manufacturers and innovators produced goods based on what they believed as what consumers needed or would be interested to own or have. Through TV and print advertisements, marketers tried to convince the buying public about the importance of their new products and of how their innovations cam improve quality of life.

However, such products eventually failed because consumers came to realize that the benefits promised were mostly marketing hype. It was only upon the advent of the World Wide Web and Internet that producers, distributors and retailers realized the potential benefits of knowing what most consumers want before developing a product.

In its early days, eBay was just an online marketplace where sellers and buyers meet. However, eBay became successful because eBay platform creator, Pierre Omidyar, made it necessary to impose rules for governing and policing the activities of sellers and buyers.

Another successful early adopters of forum sites are the game developers, as the forum sites provided genuine feedback from players who liked, disliked or hoped to see as improvement in a specific game.
In time, gaming communities centric to particular video game titles emerged. They proved to be important lifeline in maintaining the sustainability of a video game. Still, participating in a community of gamers presented risks, since some members were being bullied or bashed.

It became apparent that for an online gaming community to be useful, productive and reputable, there must also be regulation and oversight in place. Otherwise, game feedback would be limited as they will come only from those who tend to dominate discussions.

The adult game genre for one continues to thrive since gaming communities like the f95zone provide adult game players a suitable online forum. After all, adult games require mature levels of understanding that will enable players to maintain a balanced perspective of sensitive contents. The f95zone Gaming Community provides a safe space for those who want to share ideas about adult-oriented games, and for those looking to discover new Adult Only games, without fear of being judged or bullied for their gaming preferences.

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Health, Kitchen

Rats in the Kitchen : A Very Serious Problem!

Once you see a rat scurrying outside or anywhere near your home, there’s a great deal of chance the rats will soon be invading your kitchen and other parts of your home. In fact if those rats are already in your neighborhood, it’s high time for you to make your home less attractive to rats by eliminating, securing or covering everything that rats find attractive in a house, particularly in the kitchen.

What Lures Rats Inside Kitchens?

As is common with most wildlife nuisances, rats enter houses to search for food, water and in some cases shelter, and the kitchen often comes complete with these elements.

Food on the table, on countertops and even food scraps in the kitchen sink and the kitchen garbage can, are the first things that attract rats to the area. At some point they will also explore your pantry and as soon as they discover that there’s an abundance of edibles inside, the rat that made the discovery will likely stay there for quite some time, until its misdeeds are discovered.

Rats are also attracted to leaky pipes and other sources of water, since they also need to satisfy their thirst after partaking of the food they get to discover in your home.

If you have pets, and there are morsels of dog or cat food left in bowls, rats still consider them food and will keep in mind that those bowls can be a source of food.

The Need to Prevent Rat Infestation

Rats are perilous creatures and any sign of rats invading your home should not be taken lightly. They are nuisance animals known to carry various disease-causing viruses that can be transmitted to people via food contamination and by way of the droppings and urine they leave behind.

Rat infestation problems can escalate because rodents have this nasty habit of chewing on anything that they can use to keep their teeth sharp and maintained in the right length. They’ll chew on wood, plastics, cardboard and even electrical wires. Oftentimes, if they discover a small opening, they will work their teeth on that as well and for another purpose, to make the opening large enough for them to use as entry into a house.

The worst part however is when rats find entries inside walls, into pipes, into ventilation and drainage systems, because they are likely to cause damage that will require costly repairs.

That is why, once rats get to discover the good things they’ll find in your kitchen, an infestation issue should be cut short by calling on a rat control professional to immediately prevent the problem from getting worse.

How San Antonio Rat Control Professionals Take Care of Rat Infestations

San Antonio rat control experts do not immediately carry out extermination and removal actions. Using their skills and knowledge, they first locate the areas where rats are known to enter and then seal all identified entry points. They also cover other openings that need to stay open by securing the open areas with steel wire mesh, to make it impossible for any wild animals to squeeze through.

After all pathways have been blocked, they will then proceed with exterminating rats by setting snap traps that can accomplish the job quickly. In San Antonio, Texas rat control companies like the AAAC Wildlife Removal of San Antonio exterminate rodents in accordance with the manner prescribed by Texas state laws.

The use of rat poison for one is deemed dangerous, especially if for use inside houses particularly the kitchen. Rats could scatter the poisonous substance and endanger family members, especially curious toddlers and family pets. Rats could also carry the toxin inside the water system. Poisoned rats tend to dehydrate and their first survival instinct is to look for any source of water.

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Foods, Health

Why Feeding Raw Meat to Pet Animals is Contentious

Feeding pet dogs and cats with raw meat is fast becoming a popular but contentious trend. After all, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been actively warning the public about the dangers of eating uncooked food, particularly raw beef, chicken and pork, as well as eggs.

Background of the CDC and FDA Warnings

Scientific studies have already proven that raw meat contains two of the most harmful bacteria, salmonella and campylobacter. Both pathogens have been established as the most common causes of food contamination. When meat is consumed raw, or if cooked at a temperature not enough to kill the harmful bacteria, the risk of bacterial infection manifested by way of diarrhea or other foodborne illness, is high.

The CDC recently reported that of the average 48 million Americans who fall ill on a yearly basis, about 128,000 were hospitalized as a result of bacterial infection due to food contamination. Even worse is that around 3,000 had died from foodborne illness caused by harmful pathogens like salmonella, campylobacter, listeria or Escherichia Coli (E. coli).

It follows that if raw or uncooked meat is unsafe for human consumption, the same is true for pet animals. In addition, nutrition researchers say there is evidence that raw meat diets can cause intestinal injuries and dental problems.

However, proponents of the raw-meat-for-dogs movement argue that raw meat is a better alternative to feeding their pet with food containing additives, or contaminated as a result of processing. Moreover, they assert that feeding their pets with raw meat helps solve health disorders such as allergies and skin problems. Researchers though, refute such benefits; as they have not found evidence supporting those claims.

How Does Food Contamination Happen?

Cross contamination occurs when bacteria and viruses are transferred from a contaminated food or surface; such as when juices from raw meat drip onto other foods while in shopping carts, bags or on countertops. In some cases bacterial transfers happen when the same chopping board and utensils were used in preparing other food items. Handling and touching food with unwashed hands can also result in cross contamination.

Although bacteria can be killed when food is cooked at the right temperature, those that have been transferred to ready-to-eat edibles like fruits and vegetables not requiring high cooking temperature, can be ingested upon consumption. .

However, cross contamination can occur right from the very source and during distribution to grocery stores, restaurants, diners, cafeteria and even in hospitals. Pathogens and bacteria that thrive in farm animals can also spread in the environment through their feces. If not properly cleaned, it will allow the transfer of the harmful bacteria to other animals.

Hens with bacterial infection on the other hand will transfer the disease-causing pathogen through the yolk of the eggs they produce. If germs contaminate bins, surfaces, vans or food processing lines, those that are placed or that passed through the contaminated areas will likewise be defiled.

Now if dogs or pets regularly consume raw meat, and as a result suffer from diarrhea, their feces will become pathogen-carriers; likely putting a home under greater threats of cross contamination. The risks are greater if pets are allowed to wander inside the kitchen and/or dining area, as well as sit on couches or lie in bed with their owners.

In such cases, pets that regularly eat raw meat tend to exude strong, unpleasant smell that cannot be removed by ordinary deodorizers. Most homeowners faced with such problems find it necessary to call on a professional who renders pet odor and urine removal services.

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Business

Why and What Makes In-Person Surveys Important for Food Businesses

In diners, fast food chains and restaurants, the trend with taking in-person surveys today is to offer some kind of treat to customers; usually a dessert or beverage. The approach pretty much follows the paid surveys that market research firms use when gathering data as a representative sample of a population of target consumers.

So if you are wondering if it is possible to make money taking surveys, wonder no more. Know that there are legitimate paid survey platforms that recruit consumers as well as skilled individuals to complete survey questionnaires.

Importance of Surveys for Restaurants and Other Food-Related Businesses

In-person surveys carried out by restaurants and fastfood chains are important for determining ways by which they can improve their menu or the dishes served, the quality of service rendered by their crew, as well as the efficacy of their venue. The goal is not to find out ways with which to increase profits, but to promote customer retention that works toward word-of-mouth promotion for their business establishment.

Market research surveys on the other hand are critical for organizations that need to find ways on how they can keep up with stiff competition; or better yet, on how a business can be ahead or stay ahead of their closest competitors. The food industry is one of the most competitive types of commercial business, to which market research is necessary as a means to stay on top of emerging changes and trends.

Paid survey platforms serve as recruiting agencies for research firms and business organizations. They look for target consumers who will fill-up and complete surveys with honest-to-goodness answers. In understanding the importance of surveys, those looking to earn extra bucks from answering survey questionnaires should know that not all are deemed qualified to answer every poll they choose to complete.

Why Some Paid Survey Applicants are Rejected or Disqualified

Rejection or disqualifications can be frustrating because answering as many surveys as frequently as possible is the only way to earn big from this side job. Disqualification though does not necessarily mean lacking qualifications to provide relevant results. It can also be due to certain conditions of which an applicant is not aware of as important.

Giving Honest Opinions or Genuine Information – Paid survey platforms have a way of analyzing responses coming from respondents who contradict their background or results of their personality assessments. Rather than respond with honest opinions, they furnish answers they think the related business wants to hear or support.

Take Time to Generate Quality Output – Do not be too concerned with the rush to beat cut-off periods, as doing so can affect the way you complete questionnaires. In one way or another, haphazard manners of completing surveys will show, and can be a point against you as a qualified survey taker. If you want to increase the number of polls with which you take part as responder, choose only short surveys that you can complete efficiently and quickly.

Learn How to Respond like Ordinary Folks Do – A setback to becoming a professional paid survey-taker is that your opinion will later project nothing but generic and typical answers, to reach a point that your opinion will have less value for researchers.

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Cooking

Let Your Cooking Skills Shine via the Instagram Stories Feature

Showing mastery in the art of cooking presents a lot of opportunities for you to shine when socializing online via Instagram. Here, you can post videos or stream your actual cooking demonstrations via Instagram Stories. After all, avid followers of the food niche in nearly all demographics of Instagrammers, constantly seek for new gastronomic adventure.

Food that looks so delicious and expensive are of course the subject of envy as they denote lifestyle. That is why some share IG photos and videos of their high-end dining experience to impress those in their social circle; as a way of saying “Look at where I am now!”

Yet if you are seeking followers outside of your clique, the best way to go about it is to share posts that convey “Look, this is how I made these!” As a food niche follower yourself, you know that your Instagram socializing experience is enhanced when you discover content that shows how you can whip up a food find, so you can serve it on your own dining table.

Share Cooking Demos via Instagram Stories to Enhance Your Authenticity

Perhaps the cooking demo videos at YouTube has inspired you to share a video of you, actually cooking your recipe. If the only thing that is keeping you from nurturing that inspiration is that you do not have the right recording equipment for making one, then it means you are still new to Instagram. Know that with Instagram, a smartphone or any mobile device will suffice.

Awesome even is that Instagram offers an array of filters and basic video-editing tools to use right at the Instagram platform. However, you have to face the reality that your cooking demo video will have to compete with hundreds of thousands of other content showing Instagrammers sharing their culinary skills. Most of whom upload professional-looking videos that they themselves polished and enhanced.

Know that they use an external video-editing app that mobile device users can use for creating high-quality video content in Instagram Stories.

Keep in mind that once you have shared a recording of your cooking demonstration, you can no longer make any adjustments to improve the quality of your video. The only editing options that Instagram allows for shared videos, are changing the caption and adding as well as deleting names of people tagged to the shared content.

When choosing an app for editing your Instagram video, select one that furnishes a wide range of editing options for polishing your video content, before uploading it at Instagram Stories.

More importantly, be sure to add and save the Stories video to your profile’s “Highlights.” That way, they will not disappear from your profile and from Feed circulation within 24 hours after you uploaded a video in Instagram Stories.

Also, keep in mind that instagram users prefer to follow those who offer authentic content, and not looking to promote a particular brand. Not unless you IG followers asked for the info during the course of their engagement, and not as part of your cooking demonstration. If you are looking to monetize your cooking video you can always create a YouTube channel where you can share Ig VIDEO and earn from the YouTubeAds.

Still, before setting your sights on other possibilities, you need to grow your Instagram followers so you will have greater visibility as a news feed. If you are in a hurry, you can consider the services offered by woogram at https://woogram.io. This company can quickly boost your following at Instagram by connecting your account and your posts to audience whose interests are similar to yours.

In addition, since those followers will likely engage with you, woogram’s basic services include assigning a personal assistant to manage your Instagram interactions.

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