Volume 49, Issue 3, 2019

Modern food culture and ecological environment lead to metabolic failures. Cardiovascular and digestive diseases, as well as obesity and diabetes, are becoming younger and younger. The present research featured the development of medical science by promoting the scientific platform of ‘preventive environment’. The priority of the platform is to assess the impact of individual bioactive nutrients on morbidity. The paper starts with a brief overview of the main directions in dietetics. Imbalanced nutrition leads to metabolic syndrome, which results in weight gain and cardiovascular diseases. Scientists associate metabolic disorders with hereditary predisposition, i.e. the presence of polymorphism of certain genes, and with the effect of environment and diet. Modern science knows few medical options for obesity treatment, which means that both pharmaceutical and nutraceutical methods of weight-reducing treatment remain understudied. Functional foods with a modified carbohydrate profile can improve the chemical composition of the diet. The study involved ranking of dairy products according to the obesity risk. The paper describes the effect of various biologically active substances of plant origin on metabolism of an obesity-affected organism. Thypakoids were found to affect satiety and fullness of the gastrointestinal tract through hormones of appetite. They also affect the microbial composition of the gastrointestinal tract without causing side effects, such as steatorrhea. The research results indicate that thylakoids are a new means of natural origin for the prevention and treatment of obesity. A single dose of black tea containing flavonoids was found to reduce peripheral blood flow in the upper and lower extremities after glucose loading, which was accompanied by a lower reaction to insulin. A mixture of curcumin and piperine can increase fat loss and suppress inflammation caused by high fat content. The paper also features the phenomenon of oxidative stress: antioxidant ingredients, such as vitamins, trace elements, and minor biologically active components are mandatory for a balanced diet. The analysis of scientific data made it possible to create a formula for a preventive product – an oat milk with a modified carbohydrate composition and various fruit, berry, and vegetable fillers.

Soybeans are used in various sectors of food and processing industry as an additive that increases the nutritional and biological value of traditional food products. The research objective was to create a technology for a new protein-vitamin-mineral ingredient (PVMI). The new PVMI is a flour based on biotechnologically modified soybeans. The research featured soybeans of Kitrossa variety developed at the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Soybeans (Blagoveshchensk, Russia). The technology included four main stages: preparation of soybeans, germination, drying, and grinding. The process of germination was performed in wet paper using a thermostat at a relative humidity of 85%. The experiment provided the optimal regimes for germination (26°C, 24 h) and drying (50°C, 270 min). The new technology made it possible to increase the protein content in the additive by 7.3 %, lipids – by 2.3 %, and dietary fibers – by 3.6–8.4 %, if compared to the initial soybeans. Regardless of the germination regime, the additive demonstrated the optimal ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ω-6 and ω-3, which was 6.3:1–8.1:1. The PVMI also increased the content of vitamin B1 by 1.6–1.7 times, vitamin E – by 1.7 times, and vitamin C – by 2.2 times, if compared to their content in the original soybeans. The activity of trypsin inhibitor in the PVMI decreased by 21.4–35.6%. The resulting soybean grain and food additive were rich in minerals (7.0–7.6 g per 100 g) with a water content of 9.3–9.8 g per 100 g. The sensory properties of the obtained nutritional additive had an average score of 5.0. The research resulted in a set of technical documentation, which included Standard STO 9146-001-00668442-2018 ‘Protein-vitamin-mineral ingredient. Food additive’ and technological procedures for its production.

The industry of sport nutrition is actively developing worldwide and includes a wide range of functional products. Healthy lifestyle is being actively promoted, hence the development of new types of products for athletes. Protein mixtures and amino acid complexes occupy a leading position in this market sector. Nutrition plays an important role in physical training, since athletic activity requires a lot of energy and causes neuro-psychological stress. A standard diet cannot meet the needs of athletes, so this group of people uses fortified foods and biologically active food supplements. Today, sport nutrition is widely represented on the shelves of mass markets. However, most of the products are imported. The qualitative composition of the protein is important in determining its suitability for human diet. Products of animal origin have been a traditional source of protein in the diet and, despite its balanced amino acid composition, still have several disadvantages. Plant sources of protein have recently attracted the interest of scientists and nutritionists. Such products possess sufficient biological potential and are more affordable for production and processing. Oats is actively used in the food industry due to its beneficial properties. The present paper features the biological potential of the curd product fortified with an oat protein concentrate and its role in sport nutrition. The paper introduces a new technology for the production of a curd product fortified with an oat protein concentrate. The finished product contains 23.5% of protein and all essential amino acids, which meets the requirements of sport nutrition. A comparative analysis of the content of amino acids in popular sport nutrition products and the developed curd product proved the competitiveness of the latter. Its biological potential appeared to be not inferior to the characteristics of popular commercial products. The curd product fortified with an oat protein concentrate demonstrated a balanced amino acid, vitamin, macro, and microelement composition, which makes it possible to recommend it as a functional food product for people who are actively involved in sports.

For fermented milk products, consistency plays a leading role: it provides a quality product and shapes consumer demand. There have been numerous studies of the effect of the technological process on the properties of sour cream, kefir, etc. However, these studies were performed after the introduction of ferment. Thus, the effect of parameters of thermal and mechanical treatment during the primary stage on the physical and mechanical properties of fermented milk products remains understudied. The research objective was to confirm the following hypothesis: the parameters of homogenization during the primary stage affect the consistency of the fermented milk products. A set of experiments made it possible to expose the dependence of the rheologic properties of sourmilk products from the regime parameters of homogenization. The research featured initial mix for kefir and sour cream production. The milk was preheated to 45C in an Alfa-Laval pasteurizer and separated in an Alfa-Laval separator. The fat-free milk (1% of fat for kefir production) was heated in a pasteurizer to 55–60C and homogenized at 8–16 mPa. The homogenizing device of the manometer was additionally equipped with a phase separator delimiter of the S-homogenizer type. The acidity and viscidity for the sour cream and kefir were measured at different pressure values. The power expenses on homogenization depended on the pressure and the volume of milk. The pressure of homogenization proved to be a meaningful factor and affected the fermentation process. It rendered a substantial influence on the consistency and taste qualities of the fermented milk product. The experiment defined the optimal temperature of fermentation for kefir production. The optimization of pressure decreased the energy consumptions by 4.4 kW/h (24.4%) per ton. Solar thermal collectors were used to preheat the milk before homogenization, which decreased the specific energy consumption by 10.5 kW/h per ton. The new parameters lower the prime cost of the dairy products and raise their competitiveness.

There is a growing demand for rapid cooling in modern food industry. Traditional methods of fish cooling involve cold air, cold liquid, and ice. These methods have a number of disadvantages. For instance, they may have a negative effect on the appearance of the product, require a longer cooling time, or make fish absorb extra moisture. As a result, the quality of the product and its shelf life decrease, which results in demand contraction. Carbon dioxide is becoming increasingly popular in closed refrigeration systems. It is one of the most promising refrigerants, since traditional refrigeration technologies for fish cooling have a number of serious drawbacks. The paper introduces a utilization method for carbon dioxide obtained at alcohol processing plants. The authors analyzed the prospects of using carbon dioxide in combination with a binary mixture for cooling trout. A series of experiments proved the technological advantages of this technology. The paper features heat transfer in roundfish during cooling with water ice, a mixture of water ice and snow-like carbon dioxide, and snow-like CO2 in pure form. The obtained results show the effect of the concentration of snow-like carbon dioxide in water ice on the intensity of the cooling process. A higher intensity of the cooling process reduced the cooling time and the amount of water ice. The study of quality indicators of trout proved that the environment of water ice and carbon dioxide increased its shelf life by several times. The paper contains temperature graphs and duration curves at different concentrations of CO2.

Down and feather waste represents a promising source of feed protein. The main component of feather is protein, predominantly β-keratine. Keratin is a mechanically durable and chemically unreactive protein with cistein, glutamine, and protein as dominating amino acids in its structure. According to the chemical composition (amino acid content, balance of micro-and macronutrients), the feather raw material is a valuable source of nutrients as a component of feed additives. The aim of this work was to analyze the efficiency and selection of parameters of spray drying of hydrolysate of feather and down waste products. Dry feed additives obtained by spray drying have a lot of advantages, such as dosing accuracy, compactness, storage time, and a possibility of targeted use in dissolved form. In addition, they are easy to package and transport. The most important quality indicators of feed additives include the mass fraction of moisture and the yield of the finished product. The main parameters of spray drying that affect the mass fraction of moisture and the yield of the final product are the drying temperature, aspiration (air flow rate), and the rate of solution feeding to the installation. According to the experiment conducted, the spray drying temperature of 70.0 ± 5.0°C caused no loss of essential amino acids. In addition, no undesirable substances were formed, unlike in other technologies that use hightemperature treatment (90–120 ± 5.0°C) and hydrolysis, which reduces the biological value of the feed product. This temperature was found optimal for keratin hydrolysates during drying. The optimal value of the parameter of the solution flow rate was 6.5 ± 0.5 ml/min. The optimal range of air flow rates during spray drying of hydrolysates of feather raw materials was 20.0 ± 5.0 m3/h. This temperature provides the maximum yield of the finished product and the minimum mass fraction of moisture.

The ratio of ‘bound’ and ‘free’ water plays an important role in the studies of staling of various baked confectionery products. Gingerbread with fruit filling is a traditional flour confectionery product with intermediate moisture, which causes transfer processes during storage. Temperature, relative humidity, light exposure, mechanical stress, and pressure affect the staling speed of such confectionery products. The shelf life of raw gingerbread was increased from 10–20 days to more than two months, which caused microbiological deterioration during storage. Moisture transfer between the filling and the crumb increases water activity and ruins the capillary structure of gingerbread during storage, thus significantly increasing the risk of microbiological damage. The present research featured the changes in the mass fraction of moisture and water activity of individual parts of raw gingerbread with fruit filling during storage at different temperatures and relative air humidity. The samples were packed in a 40-micron polypropylene film. During storage, the mass fraction of moisture and water activity may change in various parts of the product, which can lead to their molding. In this case, starch degradation processes led to the destruction of the structure and a decrease in the content of mechanically-bound moisture, as well as to the release of ‘free’ water and an increase in water activity. As a result, the risk of molding increased significantly. The water activity increased from 0.71 to 0.79 on the sample surface after six weeks of storage at 30°C and a 40% of equilibrium relative humidity. A set of experiments in microbiological indicators revealed no signs of molding in the freshly prepared samples. After one month of storage, the amount of mold reached 10 CFU/g. The quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms in different parts of the crumb increased from 3×10 to 9×102 CFU/g and in the filling – from 1×10 to 2.3×103 CFU/g. After two months of storage, the amount of mold reached more than 103 COE/g, which greatly exceeds safety norms. As the relative air humidity increased from 30% to 40%, the moisture transfer rate between the products and the environment was reduced by half. As a result, the shelf life decreased by 1–2 weeks. The research also studied the patterns of moisture transfer processes in summer and winter conditions. The research results contribute to the development of technology and shelf life forecasting for complex flour confectionery products with intermediate moisture.

In the modern society, terminology is considered as a significant factor that affects the communication process of scientists and specialists in the production and circulation of goods and services. The meanings of terms express scientific concepts that require an accurate definition in accordance with the level of development of a particular branch of knowledge. In the conditions of rapid industrial development, there is an interpenetration of terms and definitions. The development of catering industry resulted in its closer relationship with economy, market, and other food producing industries. The article provides definitions for the term ‘physical distribution of goods’ coined by various authors used to describe processes in the economy and trade. The existing terms mostly express the economic relations arising from the participants in the process when goods move from the producer to the consumer. These definitions consider only the economic component without taking into account the factors that affect the quality and safety of products and services, which is important for the food industry. The authors introduce a definition for the term ‘physical distribution of goods at a atering enterprise’. It takes into account the specifics and features of this process at catering establishments. The paper contains a simplified scheme of product distribution in the enterprise. The process includes five stages of the successive passage of raw materials and goods: delivery of raw materials and goods from the supplier to the enterprise – storage – relocation – production – sales. The authors identified and described features of physical distribution of goods in the conditions of food industry enterprises at all stages and recommended local regulatory documents that can help ensure the quality and safety of catering products.

Problems of rational and balanced nutrition for children and teenagers attract the attention of scientists around the world. Nowadays, pediatricians, nutritionists, and parents are interested in researches that study the nature and structure of children’s diet. The food market is wide and diverse. However, most foods, including confectionary products for children, do not correspond with the principles of healthy nutrition, food legislation, and the achievements of modern food science. As a result, it is difficult for consumers to select physiologically important products for their children. The government of the Russian Federation has defined the main directions for the development of food products designed for children. The program involves expanding their range and improving their quality and safety. In addition, domestic food industry should be based on echnical regulations, the latest scientific achievements, and global trends in production management and choice of raw materials, as well as in the design of specialized confectionery products and healthy foods. The present paper describes how specialized confectionery products for children of preschool and school age can be improved and fortified with vitamins and minerals. The authors introduce some criteria that distinguish this category from mass products. In this connection, the paper also covers some basic problems of the development of food for children in the Russian Federation. It describes the regulatory legal acts for confectionery products for children in the countries of the Customs Union. The authors believe that there is a need for a single regulatory document to control the development and sales of specialized products for children. The results of the research confirm the relevance of the work performed by the All-Russian Research Institute of Confectionery Industry on the development of State Standards for cookies for preschoolers and schoolchildren.

Sheep’s milk contains fatty acids that have a positive effect on human health. Besides, its production is economically profitable. Thus, fatty-acid profile of cheese and its transformation during maturing remain relevant for scientific research. The present research featured the quality of lipids during the fatty phase of soft-ripened Camembert-type cheese. Its fatty-acid profile was studied using a method of gas chromatography. A set of experiments established significant changes in the concentration of fatty acids during maturing. The concentration of short chain fatty acids increased, namely that of butyric acid (C4:0), butylacetic acid (C6:0), and hexylacetic acid (C8:0). The trend can be associated with the specific lipases produced by microorganisms during ripening. On day 14, the concentration of lauric acid (C12:0) increased by 30% and that of myristic acid (C14:0) – by 13%, as compared with day 1. The initial concentration of 18:1n9t isomer was about 70% of the total amount of trans-isomers of fatty acids. After maturing, its concentration decreased by 98%. The concentration of C10:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1t11, and C18:1c9 fatty acids equaled 73% of the total amount of fatty acids during all periods of ripening. The concentration of hypercholesterolemic fatty acids increased and that of hypocholesteremic fatty acids decreased during ripening, which raised the Atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. Fatty acids with ≤ 12 carbon atoms were found characteristic of fatty acid profile of sheep’s milk Camembert. They can be used to detect other milk in sheep’s milk cheese.

Sorghum syrup has a saturated carbohydrate composition, which includes cellobiose, maltose, mannose, rhamnose, ribose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. The present research featured the physicochemical properties of sugar sorghum syrup, i.e. average molecular weight, density, solubility in water, and melting point, and its prospective use in the production of soft ice cream. The carbohydrate composition of sugar sorghum syrup was defined by the method of normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant activity of sorghum syrup was determined using the amperometric method. The study of its physicochemical properties proved that it can be used in soft ice cream technology. The sweetness coefficient was determined in comparison with sugar solution and by a taste panel. With an average number of panelists equal to 5, the value of equivalent sweetness was 1.5. This sweetness of sorghum syrup was equivalent to the sweetness of the sucrose solution with minimal concentration. The assessment of the antioxidant activity of sorghum syrup indicated the possibility of its use in functional products with antioxidant properties. The paper introduces a recipe for soft ice cream: cream (20% of fat), milk (3.2% of fat), skimmed milk powder, sorghum syrup, stabilizer ‘Cremodan® SE 334 VEG’, Citri-Fi dietary fiber. The overrun was studied by the method of determining the volume fraction of air; the acidity was determined by the titrimetric method. The resistance to melting was assessed using a cylindrical sample with a diameter of 35 mm and a height of 5 cm. The sample was thermostated at 25 ± 1°C, while the sample area was fixed at regular intervals. The overrun of soft ice cream was 85%, the resistance to melting equaled 20 minutes. Soft ice cream is a popular product among all groups of the population and is widespread in cafes, restaurants, and health-resorts.

Local vegetable raw materials have good prospects in developing new balanced foods with high nutrition value. As a rule, local vegetable raw materials are environmentally friendly and contain a wide range of biologically and physiologically active agents. Fruit liqueurs possess a balanced chemical composition and a high nutrition and physiological value. They produce a recreational or preventive effect on human organism. However, the level of consumption of fresh fruit and berries remains low because of their seasonality. Moreover, the range of fruit and berry products is usually very poor, and very few of them are beneficial for human health and can prevent diseases. The research featured the formulations and production technology for new multicomponent fruit liqueurs of high nutrition value. The liqueurs were made from Dagestan garden and wild fruit and berries with a high content of macro- and micronutrients. The nutrition value and quality of the liqueurs were estimated according to the mass concentration of sugars, titrable acids, vitamins C and P, β-carotene, mineral elements, and phenolic and pectinaceous substances. The sensory properties were measured according to a 10-score system. The paper introduces formulations and technologies for three types of liqueur (Zhivitel’naya, Garmoniya, and Uslada). They involved alcoholized and fermentation-alcoholized juices of grapes, fruit and berry fruit drinks and extracts that mutually complemented each other according to valuable components. The new liqueurs have a high nutrition since 100 cm3 of the liqueur per day partially satisfies the daily requirements for some nutrients: phenolic substances – for 37.5–55.0%; pectinaceous substances – 17.5–32.5%; in vitamin C – 13.7–38.7%, β-carotene – 17.6–43.0%, and a microelement iron – for 14.0–26.0%. The multicomponent fruit liqueurs possess a wide range of biologically and physiologically active agents. As a result, they improve physical activity and increase resistance to bad ecological environment.

The present paper features a comparative analysis of the biological value of milk obtained from cows, goats, mares, and camels. The biological value of the milk was estimated by protein and lipid components using computational methods of food combinatorics. According to the chemical composition of the milk, camel’s milk proved to have the highest protein content (4.0%). Cow’s and goat’s milk were much poorer in protein: its content was by 0.8 and 1% lower, respectively. The lowest weight fraction of protein was in mare’s milk, which was by 1.8% lower than in camel’s milk, and also by 0.8 and 1% lower if compared to goat’s and cow’s milk. In addition, mare’s milk differed from other types of dairy raw products by its lowest fat content (1.0%), which was 4.1, 3.2, and 2.6% lower than the fat content of the milk obtained from camels, goats, and cows, respectively. The high fat content of camel’s milk was associated with its highest energy content (82 kcal), while the energy content in goat’s milk was 14 kcal, cow’s milk – 17 kcal and mare’s milk – 41 kcal. Camel’s and goat’s milk had a high content of solids (15% and 13.4%, respectively), whereas mare’s milk had only 10.7% and cow’s milk – 11%. The paper also introduces some data on the protein component of the milk obtained by using the amino acid scoring method. Mare’s milk proved to have the highest value of the amino acid composition index (0.6), which over-indexed the values for cow’s, goat’s, and camel’s milk by 0.13, 0.14 and 0.18, respectively. The biological value of the lipid component of the product is characterized by its qualitative composition of fatty acids. The highest values of the index of fatty acid composition belonged to mare’s milk: 0.58 and 0.42, taking into account the 3 and 5 calculation components. Camel’s milk was found inferior to mare’s milk by 0.9. The lowest values of the lipid composition index were observed for cow’s and goat’s milk. The research involved a complex calculation of the level of balance in the composition of milk. All the livestock animals were rated according to the Harrington’s scale of desirability as ‘satisfactory’ by the third component of the estimation, but the highest numerical values of the level of balance belonged to mare’s milk. To optimize this indicator, the authors recommend livestock animal milk as an ingredient of complex raw commodity products.

The article features the problems of improving the range of pasta products. The quality of food and the overall balance of the human diet are crucial in the state of health and quality of life. Macaroni products are in great demand among all population groups, so it can be considered as an object for the introduction of enriching and functional components. Pasta industry produces scores fortified products with dietary and/or functional orientation, but their percentage remains insignificant. Given the popularity of pasta, it can be a promising direction to include non-traditional raw materials in the pasta dough in order to change its chemical composition and increase nutritional value. The research employed methods of systematization, analysis, and generalization. The research was conducted on the premises of the Scientific Research Institute of Food-Concentrate Industry and Special Food Technology, Branch of Federal Research Center of Nutrition and Biotechnology. The article contains an overview of the scientific works by Russian and foreign researchers on improving the range of pasta products, namely pasta with functional properties, using non-traditional raw materials. It also describes some ways of expanding the use of existing raw materials, new formulations and technologies for the production of functional pasta with non-traditional raw materials. The research revealed some problems and trends in the pasta industry. The study is of theoretical importance and can be useful for scientists and producers in the development of new formulations and/or technologies of pasta with desired functional properties using non-traditional raw materials.

An acute deficiency of food fibers is one of the most urgent problems of balanced diet. Food status can be increased by fortifying food formulae with natural raw ingredients that are rich in alimentary fibers. Dry residue of fruit and vegetable husks is a by-product of mother juice. Pumpkin husks were selected as an ingredient for cracker dough as a result of preliminary comparative researches of its structure and functional and technological properties. Pumpkin husks are a powdery product of cream color with an orange shade, humidity = 5.3%, cellulose = 19.6%, hemicelluloses = 3.5%, pectin = 5.4%. The research objective was to establish the effect of pumpkin husks on the dough fermentation process, since fermentation is one of the major factors that define the quality of the finished product. Methods of mathematical planning were used to calculate the optimal dose of pumpkin husks as 83.53 kg per ton of finished product. A set of experiments defined the biotechnological processes during dough maturation. Pumpkin husks proved to promote acid accumulation; they also increased the quantity of yeast cells and budding yeast cells. The effect can be due to the high content of digestible yeast cells of sugars. In addition, pumpkin husks are rich in magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and other substances that produce a favorable impact on yeast microflora. The experimental dough sample demonstrated a better dimensional stability, which is connected with redistribution of moisture due to the water absorbing properties of food fibers and the reducing sugars in pumpkin husks. The cracker dough with pumpkin husks had a better plasticity, which helped to form the layered structure of the finished products. The effect can be explained by the more intensive process of acid accumulation. The results of the biotechnological fermentation processes of the cracker dough with pumpkin husks were confirmed by test baking. The paper features a comparative analysis of the crackers with pumpkin husks and the control sample. Introduction of pumpkin husks into the cracker formulation proved to have a favorable effect on the activity of yeast microflora, which improved the biotechnological processes and partially leveled the strengthening effect of food fibers of pumpkin husks on the cracker dough. As a result, the quality of the finished products met the standard requirements.

Modern agro-industrial and food industry enterprises require continuous improvement of management systems. The complexity and specificity of the agro-industrial production determine the approaches and management methods, which have to be innovative. The research objective was to examine the role of innovation in controlling, as well as innovative technologies of controlling that can improve management efficiency of food industry enterprises. The research was based on the neosystemic approach. This fundamental method of scientific knowledge was applied to all aspects of the innovative fundamental theory of agroindustrial complex organizations, the role of innovation in the controlling system, and innovative controlling technologies. According to the neosystemic approach, the controlling system was considered as a single system that consists of initial subsystems and uses knowledge and achievements of various fields of science to solve specific problems. As controlling implements the management process at agricultural enterprises, it means that relevant innovations should be developed in the field of agricultural enterprise management. To understand the role of innovation in the controlling system, the authors introduced the concept of ‘managerial innovation’. The choice of specific areas of managerial innovation in controlling should be based on the analysis of the external and internal environment, as well as on the strategic goals and objectives of the specific agricultural enterprise. In terms of its role and functionality, the controlling system is central to the management of the enterprise and, at the same time, has strong relationships with other systems and subsystems. Therefore, in order to select innovative technologies to be used in controlling, it is necessary to designate a range of tasks solved by the main elements of controlling. The paper describes the tasks of the main elements of controlling. The authors suggest innovative management technologies that can be used in controlling in the context of the main management functions such as planning, accounting, monitoring, and analysis. The approach takes into account the system of goal setting and the decision-making process in food industry. Thus, the main task of the modern controlling system is to form management technologies that use innovation as an element of the management cycle. Innovative technologies can be used in controlling both to achieve a strategic goal and to move to a new level of enterprise development.

Drinking water holds a valuable place in human ration. When choosing a water brand, the consumer is guided by a number of factors. Customers place various demands on a product. Thus, during the market launch the manufacturer needs to know the consumer’s attitude to a given product. The determinant factors for product purchase include consumer’s knowledge of product trade names, information awareness, recognition of the product among other manufacturers, and advertising response. The marketing research was conducted in the city of Biysk (Altai Krai, Russia) and pursued the following goals: to determine public attitudes to bottled drinking water; to assess the factors that influence buying decisions; to evaluate the perspective presence of Altai Krai’s manufacturers at the bottled water market. The research was done through questionnaire survey and provided fairly complete information on consumers’ opinions, choices, and behavior. This survey covered different consumer categories, a total of 300 respondents of different age groups, income level, and social class. The survey results demonstrated that 56.6% of the respondents still use tap water. However, only 15.8% actually give their precedence to tap water value account; the remaining 84.2% can therefore be viewed as potential customers. The survey revealed that the major consumer’s criterion for water is the product price (42.8%). The second criterion in order of importance is the water quality, which constituted 16.7% of the total number of respondents. The paper contains data on consumers’ preferences by water manufacturers. The consumers were found to use water of manufacturers from other regions (51.6%). Only 42.4% gave their preference to local manufacturers, though Altai Krai is famous for its environmentally-clean drinking water sources. Price choices for drinking water were ascertained, and 53.6% of the respondents were found to be ready to pay 40 to 60 rubles per liter, which corresponds with the local manufacturers’ pricing policy. When asked if the quality of local water brands is trustworthy, the great majority of the consumers (86.4%) gave credit to the local manufacturers’ water quality. Based on the data on favourite brands, the most popular brands turned out to be the most promoted ones. The local manufacturers’ efforts in this direction require available persuasion means, such as ad placement in mass media and promotional events at sales places.

The paper features digital technologies in satellite farming and introduces a quantitative methodology to evaluate various types of their effectiveness. The authors determined the main types of efficiency and components of evaluation and substantiated the algorithm of analysis. The paper also contains a list of related economic, environmental, and social components, as well as a set of formulas and dependencies. The methodology for assessing the effectiveness of digital technologies has a two-block structure. The first block determines the needs and opportunities for the implementation of digital technologies and helps to define the enterprises that may benefit from digital technologies. The second block involves a direct evaluation of the results and efficiency of the digital technologies to be implemented and substantiates management solutions. The paper describes approaches and procedures that help to assess the biological, technological, and economic benefits of digital technologies for an agricultural enterprise. The authors quantified the structure of the environmental effect of the introduction of digital technologies and introduced some dependencies can determine profitability and cost recovery indicators. The research used the methodological approach to assess the environmental and social efficiency of digital technologies for an agricultural enterprise. The approach corresponds with the requirements of sustainable agricultural development declared by the UN. The results can be used by enterprises of the agro-industrial complex and suppliers of digital technologies.