Short pulse laser (SPL) heated matter has opened an avenue to studying matter at conditions previously unattainable. While SPLs can generate matter at extreme densities and temperatures, characterization of the heated matter can be extremely challenging. The conditions are dynamic and require careful monitoring of the plasma evolution. Atomic processes under these conditions can provide a powerful tool to study fundamental plasma properties as they evolve. When utilizing the x-ray emission from these plasmas, it is often useful to resolve spectral details with high resolution. Sub-picosecond, time-resolved, high-resolution spectroscopy has previously been reported. We present a similar diagnostic (STreaked Orion High-Resolution X-ray spectrometer, or STOHREX) to measure the temporal evolution of spectral features with high spectral resolution. The diagnostic is the result of combining a high-resolution x-ray spectrometer with the LLNL sub-picosecond x-ray streak camera. The diagnostic was demonstrated in two campaigns: (1) To study spectral lineshapes using the 40 fs, 400 nm, Colorado State University ALEPH laser, and (2) to study buried layers using the 500 fs, 532 nm Atomic Weapons Establishment’s Orion laser.

The Resolve instrument aboard the X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) is a 36-pixel microcalorimeter spectrometer that provides nondispersive spectroscopy with similar to 5 eV spectral resolution in the soft X-ray waveband. Resolve has a requirement to provide an absolute energy-scale calibration of +/- 2 eV from 0.3 to 12 keV. We describe our ground calibration strategy and results of a subset of the ground calibration campaigns, including a discussion of improvements in the energy scale ground calibration compared with Hitomi's. These improvements include calibration of the low-energy band below 4 keV with the instrument in the flight dewar and the dewar aperture door open, which was not performed for Hitomi, and thorough measurements over an extended high-energy waveband to 22 keV. We also developed an improved technique for gain calibration of "mid-res" secondary events, which have suppressed gain due to proximity to a preceding X-ray event (18 to 70 ms) on the same pixel. We provide a discussion of the on-orbit energy scale monitoring campaigns and an assessment of the Resolve energy scale uncertainties, a key parameter for astrophysics analysis. Energy-scale calibration approaches for future space-based instruments, including the X-ray Integral Field Unit on Athena and microcalorimeter spectrometers proposed or under discussion for future X-ray observatory concepts, have heritage in the calibration of XRISM. We briefly comment on lessons learned from Resolve calibration that are relevant for these future instruments.

This paper presents progress made toward the overarching goal to adapt single-photon-counting microcalorimeters to magnetic fusion energy research and demonstrate the value of such measurements for fusion. Microcalorimeter spectrometers combine the best characteristics of x-ray instrumentation currently available on fusion devices: high spectral resolution similar to an x-ray crystal spectrometer and broad spectral coverage sufficient to measure impurity species from Be to W. As a proof-of-principle experiment, a NASA-built x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer has been installed on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory. For fusion applications, microcalorimeters will provide multi-species impurity ion data and will also contribute to the measurements of impurity ion temperature and flow velocity, Zeff, and electron density. Here, improvements to the microcalorimeter setup at MST and spectra acquired with the upgraded system are presented. Four motor-controlled wheels, loaded with x-ray fluorescence targets for continuous gain-drift tracking and broad energy-scale calibration, filters, and apertures, were added to the diagnostic's beamline. A stronger 55Fe source was added as an additional x-ray source for calibration. The 55Fe source, targets, filters, and apertures can be moved into and out of the optical path. Several configurations are now accessible for shot-to-shot adjustments to the count rate and waveband, enabling the measurement of x-ray photons emitted by a variety of impurity ions in the majority deuterium plasma, including aluminum, carbon, and argon.

Irradiation of ordered nanostructures with ultrafast laser pulses of relativistic intensity creates extreme states of matter and beams of high energy particles. We report ultrafast X-ray K-shell emission measurements of nanowire arrays irradiated at 3x10 21 Wcm -2 and demonstrate rapid lateral electron heat conduction plays a critical role in the plasma dynamics.

High resolution K-shell emission from Ni solid and near solid density nanowire arrays was measured at the ALEPH laser facility using a newly commissioned high resolution x-ray spectrometer. The spectrometer consists of a spherically bent Ge crystal coupled to a CCD. The targets were irradiated with high contrast laser pulses using the 400nm second harmonic beamline which operates at highly relativistic intensities, ao ~ 20. The ion and electron density of the plasmas were varied using arrays of 100nm diameter nanowire arrays with different wire spacings which varied from 7% of solid density to 24%. This parametrizes the collisional and radiative properties of the plasma as well as the temperature. The time integrated, high resolution K-shell spectra, coupled with moderate resolution, time resolved x ray emission reveal that the lower density nanowire arrays reach higher temperatures and radiate for longer durations of time (~25 ps) whereas the higher density nanowire arrays radiate for less than 10 ps, converging with the x-ray emission of the solid density Ni foil. Overall, the x-ray yield of the lower density nanowire arrays exceeds that of the solid density foil by a factor of ~5x. In contrast to this, the average charge state of the solid density foils is greater than that of the nanowire arrays due to the larger collisional ionization rates which occur at solid density. The experimental results will be compared to detailed transient atomic physics computations coupled with radiative hydrodynamic simulations with initial conditions provided by three-dimensional particle in cell simulations.

We present absolute throughput analysis of several crystals for the Orion High-REsolution X-ray (OHREX) imaging crystal spectrometer using ray tracing and experimental measurements. The OHREX spectrometer is a high-resolution x-ray spectrometer designed to measure spectral line shapes at the Orion laser facility. The spectrometer is fielded with up to two spherical crystals simultaneously covering two independent spectral ranges. Each crystal has a nominal radius of curvature of R = 67.2 cm and is fielded at a nominal Bragg angle of 51.3°. To cover different bands of interest, several different crystals are available, including Ge (111), KAP, and several cuts of quartz, whose resolving power λ/Δλ exceeds 10 000. The calibrated response of the available crystals has previously been reported from measurements at the EBIT-I electron beam ion trap at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Here, we model the absolute throughput of each crystal using ray tracing and verify the results using experimental data for the quartz (101¯1) crystal.

A NASA-built x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer has been installed on the MST facility at the Wisconsin Plasma Physics Laboratory and has recorded x-ray photons emitted by impurity ions of aluminum in a majority deuterium plasma. Much of the x-ray microcalorimeter development has been driven by the needs of astrophysics missions, where imaging arrays with few-eV spectral resolution are required. The goal of our project is to adapt these single-photon-counting microcalorimeters for magnetic fusion energy research and demonstrate the value of such measurements for fusion science. Microcalorimeter spectrometers combine the best characteristics of the x-ray instrumentation currently available on fusion devices: high spectral resolution similar to an x-ray crystal spectrometer and the broadband coverage of an x-ray pulse height analysis system. Fusion experiments are increasingly employing high-Z plasma-facing components and require measurement of the concentration of all impurity ion species in the plasma. This diagnostic has the capability to satisfy this need for multi-species impurity ion data and will also contribute to measurements of impurity ion temperature and flow velocity, Zeff, and electron density. Here, we introduce x-ray microcalorimeter detectors and discuss the diagnostic capability for magnetic fusion energy experiments. We describe our experimental setup and spectrometer operation approach at MST, and we present the results from an initial measurement campaign.

During the past few years, the Orion high-resolution x-ray spectrometers have been successful tools for measuring x-ray spectra from plasmas generated in the Orion laser facility. Duplicate spectrometers also operate successfully at the Livermore EBIT-I and SuperEBIT electron beam ion traps for measuring x-ray polarization. We have recently implemented very high-quality, optically bonded, spherically bent quartz crystals to remove the structure in the x-ray image that had been observed in earlier measurements. The structure had been caused by focusing defects and limited the accuracy of our measurements. We present before and after images that show a drastic improvement. We, furthermore, have implemented a spherically bent potassium acid phthalate (KAP) crystal on one of our spectrometers. The KAP crystal was prepared in a similar fashion, and we present measurements of the N Ly-β and Ne Lyβ lines taken in first- and second-order reflections at 600 and 1200 eV, respectively. These measurements confirm that KAP crystals can be produced at a quality suitable for extending the spectral coverage to wavelengths longer than those accessible by different quartz crystals, especially those that cover the astrophysically important lines of iron.

A total of 96 pigs (Yorkshire; 54.3 +/- 3.4 kg body weight) were used to investigate the effect of dietary lipid (0 or 1% flaxseed oil + 1, 3, or 5% poultry fat for the diets supplemented with lipids) and vitamin E (11 or 220 IU vitamin E/kg) supplementation in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments on the physical and organoleptic characteristics and fatty acid (FA) profile of pork, and the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism. Forty-eight pens containing 2 gilts or 2 castrated males were randomly assigned to 8 treatments with 3 gilt pens and 3 castrated male pens per treatment. Pigs were harvested when they reached approximately 110 kg. Muscle and adipose tissue samples at the last rib were collected to determine the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism. Loin muscle samples were collected for the determination of the physical and organoleptic characteristics and FA profile of pork. The percentage of the saturated FA and monounsaturated FA decreased linearly (P < 0.012), while the percentage of omega-6 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), total PUFA, and C18:2 omega 6c increased linearly (P < 0.001) as dietary lipids increased. Flaxseed oil supplementation increased C18:3 omega 3, Cc20:3 omega 3, and C20:5 omega 3, and decreased the omega-6 to omega-3 FA and the linoleic acid to alpha-linolenic acid ratios (P < 0.001). The content of omega-3 PUFA or highly unsaturated omega-3 FA was greatest in pigs fed the diet containing 2% lipids (quadratic, P < 0.001). Serum alpha-tocopherol content was greater (P < 0.001) in pigs fed the diet containing 220 IU than those fed the diet containing 11 IU vitamin E/kg. Dietary lipid supplementation had no effect on serum alpha-tocopherol content. Dietary treatments had no effects on Wamer-Bratzler shear force, cooking loss, lipid content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content of the loin muscle. Similarly, no major differences were observed on the organoleptic characteristics of pork or the expression of genes associated with lipid metabolism. In conclusion, feeding flaxseed oil and poultry fat to finisher pigs was effective in improving the nutritional value of pork as indicated by omega-6 to omega-3 FA ratio without negatively affecting organoleptic characteristics or oxidative stability of pork.

Dietary lipid supplementation can reduce de novo lipogenesis and increase intramuscular fat content of pork simultaneously, and vitamin E supplementation can increase the oxidative stability of pork. A total of 96 pigs (Yorkshire) were used to investigate the effect of dietary lipid (0 or 1% flaxseed oil + 1, 3, or 5% poultry fat for diets supplemented with lipids) and vitamin E (11 or 220 IU/kg) supplementation in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments on growth performance, serum metabolites, and carcass traits of finisher pigs, and physical characteristics of pork. Forty-eight pens containing 2 gilts or 2 castrated males per pen were randomly assigned to 8 diets with 3 gilt pens and 3 castrated male pens per treatment. Pigs were switched from finisher-1 [initial body weight (BW): 54.3 +/- 3.4 kg] to finisher-2 diets when the average pen BW reached 84.1 +/- 4.0 kg. Standardized ileal digestible Lys and Ca and P were adjusted with the DE content accordingly to maintain constant Lys, Ca, and P to DE ratios. Pigs were harvested when they reached the target BW of 110.0 +/- 3.0 kg. There were no lipid x vitamin E interactions in growth performance. As dietary lipids increased from 0 to 6%, average daily feed intake decreased linearly (P < 0.018) and gain to feed ratio improved linearly (P < 0.001) during the finisher-1, finisher-2, and overall phases. Supplementation with 220 IU vitamin E/kg reduced the efficiency of feed, Lys, and DE utilization for BW gain (P < 0.036) during the finisher-1 and overall phases. As dietary lipids increased, serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations increased linearly (P < 0.003). Supplementation of the diet with 1% flaxseed oil + 1, 3, or 5% poultry fat resulted in greater serum total protein, albumin, cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations (P < 0.037) compared with no lipid supplementation. Pigs fed the diets containing 0, 2, and 4% lipids and supplemented with 220 IU vitamin E/kg had greater 10th rib BF and lower fat-free lean than those fed the dies contained 11 IU vitamin E/kg, whereas 10th rib BF was lower and fat-free lean was greater in pigs those fed the diet containing 6% lipids and supplemented with 200 IU vitamin E/kg than those fed the diet contained 11 IU vitamin E/kg (lipid x vitamin E, P < 0.020). Dietary lipids had no effect on subjective marbling score and ether extract content of loin muscle or most other pork and loin muscle characteristics, but belly thickness and width increased (linear, P < 0.040) as dietary lipids increased. Vitamin E supplementation increased marbling score (P = 0.042), but it had no clear effect on loin muscle color (subjective, and L*, a*, and b*), ham and loin muscle pH, loin muscle characteristics, or belly firmness. As expected, feed intake decreased and feed efficiency improved progressively with increasing dietary lipid supplementation from 0 to 6%. Although there were interactions, dietary lipids seemed to have no clear effects on the carcass BF or fat-free lean. Similarly, dietary supplementation with 1% flaxseed oil + 1, 3, or 5% poultry fat had no effect on subjective marbling score or ether extract content of loin muscle. Supplementation with 220 IU vitamin E/kg increased carcass leanness with 6% dietary lipids, but increased carcass BF with 0 to 4% dietary lipids. Vitamin E supplementation increased subjective marbling score, but seemed to have no clear effects on loin muscle color, ham and loin muscle pH, loin muscle characteristics, or pork belly firmness.

The warm electron beam ion trap (WEBIT) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is being developed as a pre-launch, ground calibration source for space-borne, high-throughput, high-resolution x-ray spectrometers, such as the x-ray imaging and spectroscopy mission Resolve quantum calorimeter. Historically, calibration sources for calorimeter spectrometers have relied on characteristic line emission from x-ray tubes, fluorescing metals, and radioactive sources. The WEBIT, by contrast, relies on emission from x-ray transitions in highly charged ions, for example, hydrogen-like and helium-like ions, whose energies are well known and whose line shapes are relatively simple. The WEBIT can create astrophysically relevant ions whose x-ray emission falls in the 0.3-12 keV science bandpass of Resolve and has a portable design advantageous for a calibration source. The WEBIT will be used to help calibrate Resolve's instrumental line shape and gain scale as a function of various operational parameters during both detector subsystem level testing and instrumental level testing.

The Orion high-resolution x-ray (OHREX) spectrometer has been a successful tool for measuring the shapes of density-broadened spectral lines produced in short-pulse heated plasmas at the Orion laser facility. We have recently outfitted the instrument with a charge-couple device (CCD) camera, which greatly increased the accuracy with which we can perform line-shift measurements. Because OHREX is located on the outside of the Orion target chamber, no provisions for the shielding of electromagnetic pulses are required. With the CCD, we obtained a higher signal-to-noise ratio than we previously obtained with an image-plate detector. This allowed us to observe structure in the image produced by the diffraction from the two OHREX crystals, which was highly reproducible from shot to shot. This structure will ultimately limit the accuracy of our spectroscopic measurements.

The Orion high-resolution X-ray (OHREX) imaging spherically bent crystal spectrometer, operated with both image plates and CCD cameras, provides time-averaged plasma diagnostics through high-resolution spectroscopy with good signal-to-noise at the Orion laser facility. In order to provide time-resolved spectra, the OHREX will be outfitted with a streak camera, and in this case, even higher signal to noise will be desired. Using the OHREX's sister instrument, the EBIT High-resolution X-ray (EBHiX) spectrometer, at the LLNL electron beam ion trap EBIT-I, we therefore compare the efficiency of a high-quality Ge (111) crystal (2d = 6.532 Å) with that of a higher integrated reflectivity, but lower-resolution highly annealed pyrolytic graphite (HAPG) crystal (2d = 6.708 Å) in the energy range 2408-2452 eV. We find that the HAPG provides overall more signal across the entire image; however, because of the much better focusing properties of the Ge crystal, the latter provides more signal within the central 100 μm of the spatial profile in the cross-dispersion direction and is thus more suitable for the narrow entrance window of the Livermore-built streak camera.

The objective of this research was to understand carcass and meat quality characteristics of pigs fed a combination of poultry fat, flaxseed oil and Vitamin E. Yorkshire pigs (n = 96) weighing 50kg were allocated to pens based on weight and sex (2 gilts or 2 barrows per pen). Forty-eight pens were randomly assigned to 8 dietary treatments in a 4x2 factorial arrangement. Corn-soybean meal finisher diets (n = 2; 1-50 to 80kg, 2-80 to 110kg) contained 0, 2, 4 or 6% lipids and 11 or 220 IU Vitamin E/kg (VE). 1% flaxseed oil was included in all diets with lipids and remaining lipids supplied by poultry fat. Pigs were harvested at an average pen weight of 110 ± 3kg. Carcass characteristics including: last rib fat thickness (LRFT), tenth rib fat thickness (TRFT), loineye area (LEA), muscle score (MS), percent fat-free-lean (FFL), color (L*, a*, b*), pH ham (pHH) and loin (pHL), National Pork Producers Council color (NPPCCol) and marbling score (NPPCMar) were determined on the loineye at the 10th/11th rib after chilling 24h at 4 ± 2°C prior to carcass fabrication. Pork chops (2.54-cm) were fabricated, individually vacuum packaged, and frozen at -20 ± 2°C for further analysis. Belly firmness, skin-side up (SSU) and skin-side down (SSD) was determined following carcass fabrication. Chops were thawed at 4 ± 2°C for analysis of drip loss (DL), vacuum purge loss (VP), marinade uptake (MU), marinade cook loss (MCL), cook loss (CL) and WBS. Statistical analysis was conducted with Proc GLM in SAS (2002) using pen as experimental unit. Lipid and VE had no effect (P > 0.05) on; LRFT, LEA, MS, FFL, L*, a*, b*, pHL, pHH, NPPCCol, SSD, SSU, VP, MU, MCL, CL or WBS. VE concentration affected (P < 0.05) TRFT and NPPCMar. There was a Lipid*VE interaction for TRFT (P = 0.0483) and FFL (P = 0.0309); Trial*VE interaction for pHH (P = 0.0350) and DL (P = 0.0460). Feeding low levels of VE in combination with low levels of fat increases FFL by decreasing TRFT. Trial 1 had higher (P < 0.001) values of pHH (5.84 vs. 5.53), pHL (5.65 vs. 5.45), and NPPCMar (P < 0.05) (1.90 vs. 1.48). Trial 2 had higher (P < 0.05) values for NPPCCol (3.21 vs 2.81) and DL (4.10 vs. 3.36). There was an abnormal temperature fluctuation during the month pigs from trial 1 were harvested. A feeding program utilizing poultry fat in combination with flaxseed oil, and VE at these levels will not negatively affect meat quality but further analysis is needed before producer recommendation can be made.

X-ray emission spectroscopy has been used to study hot dense plasmas produced using high power laser irradiation of dot samples buried in low Z foils of plastic or diamond. By combining a high contrast short pulse (picosecond timescale) laser beam operating in second harmonic with long pulse (nanosecond timescale) laser beams in third harmonic, and with pulse shaping of the long pulse beams, a range of plasma temperatures from 400eV up to 2.5keV and electron densities from 5e22 up to 1e24/cc have been accessed. Examples are given of measurements of dense plasma effects such as ionization potential depression and line-broadening from the K-shell emission spectra of a range of low Z elements and mixtures and compared to model prediction. Detailed spectra from measurements of the L-shell emission from mid-Z elements are also presented for an example spectrum of germanium. These data are at conditions found in stellar interiors and in particular in the radiative zone of the sun. The plasma conditions are inferred from comparison of the measured spectra to detailed modeling using atomic kinetics and spectral synthesis codes.

K shell X-ray emission measurements have been used to diagnose plasma conditions in short-pulse heated buried microdot targets on the Orion high power laser. These experiments have been used to validate simulations of short pulse laser-solid interaction that combine hybrid PIC modelling of the laser absorption with radiation-hydrodynamics simulations including an electron transport model. Comparison of these simulations with streaked K shell spectroscopy show the importance of including radial gradients in fitting the spectra. An example is presented of the emission of sulphur from a 50µm diameter microdot sample buried in a plastic foil. Previously agreement between simulation and experiment was obtained only by treating the absorbed energy, electron temperature and beam divergence as fitting parameters. The good agreement obtained in this work used the measured laser energy and laser pulse length and calculated the laser-solid target interaction from first principles.

Two spectrometers were installed to measure tungsten emission in the core of DIII-D plasmas during a metal rings experimental campaign. The spectral range of the high-resolution (1340 spectral channels), variable-ruled grating X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (XEUS) extends from 10-71 angstrom. The spectral range of the second spectrometer, the Long-Wavelength Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (LoWEUS), measures between 31-174 angstrom. Three groups of tungsten lines were identified with XEUS: W38+ -W45+ from 47-63 angstrom, W27+-W35+ from 45-55 angstrom, and W28+ -W33+ from 16-30 angstrom. Emission lines from tungsten charge states W-28+,W- W43+, W44+, and W45+ are identified and the line amplitude is presented versus time. Peak emission of W43+ -W45+ occurs between core T-e=2.5-3 keV, and peak emission of W28+ occurs at core T-e <= 1.3 keV. One group of tungsten lines, W40+ -W45+, between 120-140 angstrom, was identified with LoWEUS. W43+ W-45 (+) lines measured with LoWEUS track the sawtooth cycle. Sensitivity to the sawtooth cycle and the correation of the peak emission with core electron temperature show that these spectrometers track the on-axis tungsten emission of DIII-D plasmas.

ObjectivesThe objective of this research is to understand the meat quality characteristics of pigs fed a combination of poultry fat, flaxseed oil and supplemented with Vitamin E.Materials and MethodsYorkshire pigs (n = 96) weighing approximately 50 kg were allocated to pens based on their weight and sex from the same genetic lines with 2 gilts or 2 barrows per pen. Forty-eight pens (24 gilt pens and 24 barrow pens) were assigned randomly to 8 dietary treatments in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 gilt pens and 3 barrow pens per treatment. Two trials were conducted for a total of 96 pigs. Corn-soybean meal finisher diets (n = 2; 1: 50 to 80kg, 2: 80 to 110kg) were formulated to contain 0, 2, 4, or 6% lipids and 11 (NRC, 2012) or 220 IU Vitamin E/kg. For all diets with lipids, 1% flaxseed oil was included and the remaining lipids supplied by poultry fat. Pigs were harvested (n = 8 groups) at an average pen weight of 110 ± 3 kg. After chilling for 24 h at 4 ± 2°C, 1-in thick pork chops were fabricated from the left side of the carcass and individually packaged in vacuum sealed bags and frozen at -20 ± 2°C for further analysis. Color values (L*, a*, and b*) and ultimate pH on the ham (pHH) and loin (pHL) were determined on the loin eye at the 10th/11th rib interface after chilling for 24 h at 4 ± 2°C prior to carcass fabrication. Belly firmness, both skin-side up (SSU) and skin-side down (SSD) was determined after chilling for 24 h at 4 ± 2°C immediately following carcass fabrication. Chops were thawed at 4 ± 2°C for analysis of drip loss, vacuum purge loss, marinade uptake, marinade cook loss, cook loss and WBS. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Proc GLM procedure in SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Pen was the experimental unit.ResultsThe main effect(s) of lipid content and Vitamin E concentration had no effect (P > 0.05) on, L*, a*, b*, pHL, pHH, SSD, SSU, vacuum purge, marinade uptake, marinade cook loss, cook loss, or WBS. Trial 1 had higher (P < 0.001) values of pHH (5.84 vs. 5.54), pHL (5.66 vs. 5.45) and WBS (4.49 vs. 3.96). There was an abnormal temperature fluctuation during the month that pigs from trial 1 were harvested. There was a Trial × VE interaction for drip loss (P = 0.0335). Feeding low levels of Vitamin E (11 IU E/kg) in trial 2 increased drip loss. Trail 2, with lower pHH and pHL and a higher drip loss could be attributed to the protein interaction related to pH.ConclusionA feeding program utilizing poultry fat in combination with flaxseed oil, and Vitamin E at these levels will not negatively affect the variables for meat quality assessed in this project. With the exception of the Trial × VE interaction, but only for Trial 2. Further analysis of additional meat quality assessment coupled with carcass data need to be evaluated before recommendation can be made to producers on the advantages of using this feeding system.

ObjectivesThere is increasingly a demand for affordable, all-natural products in the food service industry. The objective of this study is to evaluate a blend of clean label functional ingredients for use in an affordable smoked sausage for food service. Materials and MethodsResearchers at Auburn University used texture profile analysis (TPA) and consumer sensory panels to evaluate sausages made with 3 blends of oat fiber (OF) and modified corn starch (MCS) over 4 wk of storage. All sausages were made with mechanically separated chicken (MSC; 0.0625% NaNO₂, 1.75% salt) in a hog intestine casing. Treatments included a positive control (0.43% sodium phosphate), negative control (no sodium phosphate, OF, or MCS), 90:10 blend (3.15% OF, 0.35% MCS), 50:50 blend (1.75% OF, 1.75% MCS), and 10:90 blend (0.35% OF, 3.15% MCS). All treatments included 18% water, 1.7% seasoning, 1.3% vinegar, and 0.5% salt. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the treatments. Sausages were formulated and then cooked in a smokehouse in 2 batches, dividing by trial, in which every treatment was equally represented and uniformly positioned. Five sausages were selected randomly from each treatment for each trail for sensory and 1 sausage was randomly selected for TPA. Following cooking and chilling, sausages were vacuum sealed and stored at 1°C ± 2°C in a cardboard box. Three sensory sausages were reheated in an oven to 79.4°C, cut into 2.54 cm segments, and cut in half lengthwise for sensory analysis while the remaining 2 were evaluated for objective color and pH using a Hunter Colorimeter and a pH Stab probe. Treatments were given a unique, random 3-digit code. Thirty consumer sensory panelist evaluated juiciness, cohesiveness, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability on a 9-point rating scale. TPA sausages (not reheated) were cut into three 2.54 cm segments and evaluated using a TA-XT2i Texture Analyzer and 25 mm cylinder press. Parameters evaluated include hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience. Data were analyzed using the least squared means function of Proc GLM procedure of SAS 9.4 (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Sensory, texture, pH, and color evaluations were performed every 7 d contingent on microbial and sensory analysis of spoilage. ResultsSensory panelist found no difference (P > 0.05) in texture among treatments within the same week or among weeks with the exception of 90:10 (P ≤ 0.05) by week. The treatments with OF:MCS blends were less juicy (P ≤ 0.05) than controls and were more cohesive (P ≤ 0.05) within weeks. Adding OF at 3.15 and 1.75% had a negative effect on flavor acceptability and overall acceptability. TPA analysis indicates numerous significant (P ≤ 0.05) week by treatment interactions for OF:MCS blends for all parameters measured. All treatments experienced an increase in pH between wk 0 and 1 and a decrease between wk 2 and 3. No differences (P > 0.05) were observed for a* over weeks. L* and b* showed differences (P ≤ 0.05) over weeks. ConclusionSensory properties of the 90:10 and 50:50 blend were lower than other treatments, but the 50:50 blend performed that best for TPA analysis. Further research evaluating the sensory, texture, pH, and color parameters is needed across an additional 9 wk of product storage to make recommendations on the best blend of OF:MCS for an optimal product.