Dietary free L-glutamate contributes to maintaining a low sodium intake among Vietnamese.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommend the consumption of less than 2,000 mg of sodium/day to reduce blood pressure and the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. The sodium intake among Vietnamese was reported to be 7,200 mg/d or more. Free L-glutamate enhances flavor when it is added to food and improves the taste of sodium-reduced foods.

Effect of light-touch intervention and associated factors to microbial contamination at small-scale pig slaughterhouses and traditional pork shops in Vietnam.

Traditional pork value chains dominate the production and distribution of pork in Vietnam; however, the high level of microbiological contamination in pork may increase the risk of food-borne disease for consumers. There is limited evidence about how to feasibly and scalably reduce microbial contamination in pork sold in traditional markets. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of light-touch interventions for changing worker behaviour in small-scale slaughterhouses and vendors at traditional pork shops, as well as to identify risk factors for pork contamination.

Cassava Witches' Broom Disease in Southeast Asia: A Review of Its Distribution and Associated Symptoms.

Cassava witches' broom disease (CWBD) is one of the main diseases of cassava in Southeast Asia (SEA). Affected cassava plants show reduced internodal length and proliferation of leaves (phyllody) in the middle and top part of the plant, which results in reduced root yields of 50% or more. It is thought to be caused by phytoplasma; however, despite its widespread distribution in SEA still little is known about CWBD pathology.

Microbial contamination and associated risk factors in retailed pork from key value chains in Northern Vietnam.

Pork and pork products are important staple food in the diet of Vietnamese consumers. The safety of pork, including biological contamination, is a concern to several public authorities and value chain actors. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify Salmonella and total bacterial count (TBC) contamination of cut pork sold in different outlets, and determine the potential factors leading to contamination.

Solvothermal fabrication of rubidium tungsten bronze for the absorption of near infrared light.

For fabricating the crystal of Rb(x)WO3, the solvothermal process was performed using a mixed medium of water and ethanol as solvent. It has been found that the morphological evolutions of samples were greatly changed as disordered nanoparticles, bundle of nanorods and microfibers with increasing content of water in the starting solution. Among them, sample synthesized with assistance of 3 ml water consisted of the nanorods with a diameter in the range of 80-150 nm, showing suitable size and morphology as near-infrared shielding material.