Evaluation of Dairy Sector Safety and Security in Three Hypermarkets (A, B, C) from Transylvania County

The safety and  security of milk and dairy products were monitored in three hypermarkets from Transylvania County by evaluation of  several essential key parameters. Results showed variations of quality indicators and this leaded to nomination of each source of interference in order to determine the responsibility of each supermarke

Boletus Edulis Mushroom Flour-Based Wheat Bread as Innovative Fortified Bakery Product

Mushroom powder was added to bread in different proportions, namely: 3%, 6% and 9%, in order to improve the nutritional properties of bread. Thus, the new products, had increased contents of protein from 6.60% to 7.79% and fat from 0.78% to 1.43%. Moreover, the content of polyphenols also increased from 39.88 to 84.46 mg GAE/100 g, and the antioxidant activity increased from 16.81% to 27.91%. According to the sensory analysis, performed by means of the hedonic test, the most appreciated bread was that fortified with 6% of mushroom powder. In terms of texture profile, the sample with 6% of mushroom powder recorded the best results. Nowadays, this product has a positive impact on the consumers, who take a growing interest in functional products, that are rich in active compounds. Bread enriched with more than 3 % mushroom powder is a product with high nutritional value

Obtaining a Functional Product Through the Exploitation of Mushroom Flour in Pasta

The present study focuses on the influence of adding mushroom powder on a certain assortment of pasta. The research comprises two major directions: the study of the raw materials used to produce pasta from a compositional point of view and the quantification of some biologically active compounds of interest; emphasizing the potential of using Boletus edulis mushroom powder in the composition of pasta and evaluating the quality of the product from a nutritional and sensorial point of view. For this purpose, two types of pasta have been created, with different percentages of mushroom, 10% and 20%, but also a blank sample obtained in the same conditions, but without mushroom powder. To achieve the goal the following analyzes were conducted: proteins, total polyphenols, antioxidant activity, fat, humidity, ashes, acidity, increase in volume of the boiled pasta and customers’ preferences.By using sensory analysis has been established that the consumers preferred pasta enriched with 10% mushroom powder. In conclusion, the addition of mushrooms flour assures an enhancement of the nutritional value, as well as of the organoleptic characteristics of the final product

Evaluation of Physical-Chemical Indexes, Sugars, Pigments and Phenolic Compounds of Fruits from Three Apple Varieties at the End of Storage Period

Apples are the most cultivated and consumed fruits in the world. They not only taste great, but there are also rich sources of monosaccharides, pigments, fibers, functional compounds such as polyphenols which are well-known for their antioxidant action. Due to the high level of apples consumption, it is important to monitor and know the detailed chemical composition of this fruits on the market shelf. The aim of this paper was to study the detailed chemical composition of apples from three varieties. Samples from three varieties (Ionathan, Golden Delicious and Starkrimson) were taken from the Romanian market. Individual sugars composition was performed by HPLC, total polyphenols content by Folin Ciocalteu method, antioxidant capacity by using the DPPH test, while pigments were analysed by spectrophotometric specific methods and the total starch content measured by a polarimetric method. Water content, acidity, total soluble solids and pH were also monitored through specific methods. There were found differences between varieties particularly in relation to the polyphenols content, carotenoids and chlorophyll. Regarding the individual sugars composition, fructose and glucose were predominant followed by sucrose for all samples. Values of starch, moisture, acidity, total soluble solids and the pH were according to other apple varieties found in literature. These results provide important information regarding the chemical composition of apple varieties from Romanian market, for both human direct consumption and industrial processing.Â

Preliminary Assessment of the Nutritional Quality of two Types of Lentils (Lens Culinaris) by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy Technology (Nirs)

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the nutritive value of two varieties of lentils (Lens culinaris), namely green and red varieties. For this purpose the chemical components: crude protein, starch, ash, sugars (monosaccharides and oligosaccharides), crude fat, total fibers and dry matter of two lentils varieties (green and red) were determined by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy technology (NIRS). Results show that green lentils had higher contents in ash (minerals), crude protein and total fibers, while the red lentils had higher contents in crude fat and total carbohydrates. The metabolizable energy (MJ/kg) of the red lentils was slightly higher than green lentils. In conclusion both type of lentils (green and red) revealed good nutritional quality with slight differences

Evaluation of Extraction Methods for the Analysis of Carotenoids for Different Vegetable Matrix

In this study, different solvents were used to achieve the maximum extractibility of total carotenoids. The extracted total carotenoids were estimated using UV- visible spectrophotometer. Carotenoids from vegetable matrix can be used as a food colorant, food additive, cosmetics, antioxidants and nutraceuticals