Zearalenone in cereals for human nutrition: relevant data for the Swiss population

The aim of this study was the procurement of relevant data concerning the occurrence and concentration levels of zearalenone (ZON) in cereals and cereal products for human consumption in Switzerland. A total of 225 samples (including flour, corn, bread and pasta samples) were analysed between 1999 and 2001. The analytical procedure for the determination of ZON was based on accelerated solvent extraction, followed by a clean-up step with immunoaffinity column and quantification by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorometric detection. The limit of detection was 1 ng ZON/g of sample material. Only 13% of the samples contained detectable amounts of ZON in the range 2–22.6 ng/g. The mean intake for the Swiss population was estimated to be <1 µg/capita/day corresponding to <0.02 µg/kg body weight/day.     

Estimation of weekly intake of cadmium and lead by consumption of commercial ready-to-feed infant foods

The purpose of this survey was to estimate the safety of ready-to-eat infant foods in terms of Pb and Cd content. The studied samples were ready-to-eat infant products: dinners (n = 74), soups (n = 27) and desserts (n = 82) containing components of animal origin: meat and/or milk. Cd and Pb content was determined using a GF-AAS method. The analysed products contained 1.82–3.54 µg Pb and 1.32–1.50 µg Cd per kg. The content of Pb per kg of the product can be represented as dinners > soups > desserts, whereas the content of Cd was dinners > desserts > soups. The analysed ready-to-eat products could be regarded as safe, because they supply 12-month-old infants with Pb in an amount accounting for nearly 22% BMDL01 and Cd accounting for ca. 8.6% of the total weekly intake.     

An evaluation of the reported sodium content of Australian food products

We assessed the sodium content of Australian food items, trends over time and compared this content with sodium targets established by the UK Food Standards Agency and that of similar food items in the UK. The sodium content indicated on food labels were collected from 2005 to 2007. Fifty‐three percent of food products had sodium levels above the targets. Food sub‐categories containing <20% of products meeting the targets were white bread, wholemeal bread, cream cheese, low fibre breakfast cereal, savoury snack biscuits, hot dogs, sausages, canned soup, canned beans and spaghetti and canned vegetables. There was an indication that Australia had a lower number of food products that met the sodium targets compared to the UK (46% vs. 56%) and over half remain above the recommended target. A reduction in the sodium content of bread, low fibre breakfast cereals, and a number of processed snack, meat and canned goods is needed to reduce the average salt intake to 6 g day^?1.     

Predicted dietary intake of selenium by the general adult population in Belgium

The total selenium content of about 800 food products purchased in Belgium was determined and combined with food records to determine the nutritional selenium status of Belgian people. The largest selenium concentrations (>1?mg?kg^?1) were found in Brazil nuts and offal, of which the consumption is limited. Usually consumed food groups with the highest selenium concentrations were fish and shellfish (0.2–0.9?mg?kg^?1), eggs, poultry meat, cheese, mushrooms and pasta (approximately 0.2?mg?kg^?1). The mean dietary selenium intake was calculated to be 60?µg?day^?1, which is at the lower end but within the range recommended by the Superior Health Council in Belgium (60–70?µg?day^?1), and adequate according to the 55?µg?day^?1 recommended by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) of the European Commission. The major sources of selenium intake are meat and meat products (31%), fish and shellfish (20%), pasta and rice (12%), and bread and breakfast cereals (11%).     

Occurrence of deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin in bread and pasta commercialised in Spain

Deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin were extracted from wheat-based bread (n = 75) and pasta (n = 75) samples using a mixture of acetonitrile:water (86:14 v/v); for analysis, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry after derivatisation with trifluoroacetic anhydride was utilised. The recovery of deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin from both food matrixes ranged from 90.1 to 94.0%. The occurrence of these mycotoxins in bread was 28.0% and 2.6% for deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin, respectively, whereas in pasta, the occurrence of both mycotoxins was higher, varying from 9.3 to 62.7%. The mean content of deoxynivalenol (42.5 μg/kg) in bread was lower than the content of T-2 toxin (68.37 μg/kg), while in pasta the content of deoxynivalenol (137.1 μg/kg) was superior. The estimated daily intake of deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin from the consumption of these products represents 8.4% and 0.2% of the tolerable daily intake, respectively. These results back up the necessity to take a vigilant attitude in order to prevent human intake of trichothecenes. This information is necessary and of high priority in order to protect the consumer’s health from the risk of exposure to these toxins.     

Contaminants in organically and conventionally produced winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Belgium

A database has been compiled with the levels of important contaminants (mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides) measured from 2002 to 2005 in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in Belgium according to the organic and conventional farming systems. Assuming no further change in contaminant levels during cereal processing and during the preparation of foodstuffs, conservative intakes are estimated for the consumers of cereal-based products such as flour, bread, breakfast cereals, dough and pastry. The results show that for the consumer of organic foodstuffs, estimated daily intakes are 0.56 µg deoxynivalenol (DON), 0.03 µg zearalenone (ZEA), 0.19 µg Cd, 0.28 µg Pb and 0.0006 µg Hg kg^-1 body weight, taking into account the average contaminant levels in unprocessed grains and the average cereal products consumptions in Belgium. For the consumers of conventional foodstuffs, the corresponding estimated daily intakes are 0.99 µg DON, 0.06 µg ZEA, 0.17 µg Cd, 0.12 µg Pb and 0.0007 µg Hg kg^-1 body weight. In addition, it appears that for the consumers of conventional products, intakes of some post-harvest insecticides have to be taken into account (0.11 µg chlorpyriphos-methyl, 0.2 µg dichlorvos and 0.24 µg pirimiphos-methyl kg^-1 bw). When expressed as a percentage of the tolerable/acceptable daily intake (TDI/ADI), it seems that the corresponding estimated (conservative) intakes are the highest for DON (56% for organic and 99% for conventional cereal products), ZEA (16% for organic and 32% for conventional cereal products), and Cd (19% for organic and 17% for conventional cereal products), all other estimated intakes of contaminants (including pesticides) being lower than 10% of the TDI/ADI.     

Effect of dietary fibre enrichment on selected properties of gluten-free bread

The enrichment of gluten-free baked products with dietary fibre seems to be necessary since it has been reported that coeliac patients have generally a low intake of fibre due to their gluten-free diet. In the present study different cereal fibres (wheat, maize, oat and barley) were added at 3, 6 and 9 g/100 g level into a gluten-free bread formulation based on corn starch, rice flour and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC). Doughs were evaluated based on consistency, viscosity and thermal properties. Results showed that maize and oat fibre can be added to gluten-free bread with positive impact on bread nutritional and sensory properties. All breads with 9 g/100 g fibre increased the fibre content of control by 218%, but they were rated lower than those with 3 and 6 g/100 g fibre due to their powdery taste. The formulation containing barley fibre produced loaves that had more intense color and volume comparable to the control. During storage of breads a reduction in crumb moisture content and an increase in firmness were observed. The micrographs of the crumb showed the continuous matrix between starch and maize and/or oat fibre obtaining a more aerated structure.     

Evaluation of Quality and Digestibility Characteristics of Resistant Starch-Enriched Pasta

Resistant starches (RS) can be used in food industry to enhance the dietary fiber content of different cereal based products such as pasta and bread. The aim of present study was to develop and evaluate the physical and functional properties of starch-based products enriched with RS. The in vitro enzymatic digestibility, cooking properties, and viscometric characteristics (using rapid visco analyzer = RVA) of the pasta products were determined. The results showed that the addition of resistant starches (RS-s) influenced the quality of both the raw and cooked pastas. Enzymatic digestibility and five RVA parameters (peak viscosity, trough, breakdown, setback, and final viscosity) were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in pasta products with added RS. Cooking quality characteristics were unaffected by RS addition. The results also indicated that interactions between RS-s and other flour components may influence the in vitro digestibility of pasta products. According to the sensory evaluation of products, RS-s did not alter the sensory properties of pastas. However, the type of flour had significant effect on the sensory preference.     

Acrylamide–asparagine relationship in baked/toasted wheat and rye breads

Acrylamide in baked and toasted wheat and rye bread was studied in relation to levels of asparagine in flour, dough, bread and toasts. Asparagine was consumed during bread preparation resulting in reduced acrylamide content in the products. In wheat bread, 12% of the asparagine initially present in the flour (0.14 g kg^?1) remained after yeast fermentation and baking; for rye bread, 82% of asparagine remained after sourdough fermentation and baking. Asparagine present in untoasted wheat bread had totally reacted after hard toasting. Toasted wheat and rye bread slices contained 11–161 and 27–205 µg kg^?1 acrylamide, respectively, compared to untoasted wheat and rye bread with <5 and 7–23 µg kg^?1 acrylamide, respectively. The dietary intake of acrylamide from bread (untoasted) of 2 µg day^?1 is relatively low; however, acrylamide exposure from bread increases several fold for people eating toasted bread.     

Protein profile and sensorial properties of rye breads

The protein profile of four types of traditional rye breads formed on rye flours with the extraction rate of 100, 95, 85 and 70% and baked at 260 °C for 40 min was investigated as a nutritional quality indicator. A fractionation process was applied to discriminate high-molecular- (HMW >3 kDa) and low-molecular weight compounds (LMW <3 kDa) present in extracts of rye bread and its crumb and crust. The content of soluble proteins, available lysine, carbohydrates and total phenolic compounds was analysed before and after ultrafiltration in both retentates (HMW >3 kDa) and filtrates (LMW <3 kDa). The dependence between sensory quality of rye breads and composition on soluble proteins, available lysine, carbohydrates and total phenolic compounds was provided. Baking caused a decrease in rye bread protein content. The content of available lysine was the lowest in crusts and it was dependent on the rye flour extraction rate taken for rye bread making. The SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the primary structure of the rye bread proteins was modified in the highest extent in the crust’s bread of all types. The analyses of both retentates and filtrates after ultrafiltration demonstrated that the most of carbohydrates and phenolic compounds were incorporated into the HMW fraction suggesting their conjugation with proteins due to the Maillard reaction. Compounds able to react with Folin Ciocalteu reagent were also detected in filtrates of crust’s extracts (MW ≤3 kDa) from all breads indicating their distribution between LMW and HMW fractions. About 22.5, 27, 11.2 and 46.8% of the phenol compounds forming crusts of breads based on the flours with extraction rates of 100, 95, 85 and 70% were recovered in the corresponding LMW fractions.The sensory analysis of the four types of rye breads indicated for a high correlation between overall quality of breads and their content of carbohydrates. The highest correlation was noted for a rye bread formed on flour with extraction rate of 95%. This finding suggested that the content of carbohydrates as a substrate for Maillard reaction has had an influence on palatability by consumers of rye bread formed on flour with the extraction rate of 95% which had also the highest overall quality.     

Dietary fibre fractions in cereal foods measured by a new integrated AOAC method

The reliable determination of soluble, insoluble and total dietary fibre in baked goods and cereal flours is an important issue for research, nutritional labelling and marketing. We compared total dietary fibre (TDF) contents of selected cereal based foods determined by AOAC Method 991.43 and the new AOAC Method 2009.01. Fifteen bread and bakery products were included in the study. Our results showed that TDF values of cereal products determined by AOAC Method 2009.01 were always significantly higher than those determined by AOAC Method 991.43. This was explained by the inclusion of low molecular weight soluble fibre fractions and resistant starch fractions in the TDF measurement by AOAC 2009.01. This documents that nutritional labelling of cereal products poses the challenge how to update TDF data in nutrient databases in a reasonable time with an acceptable expenditure.     

Phenolic,apparent antioxidant and nutritional composition of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) seeds

Quinoa, a gluten-free pseudocereal, has a nutrient and phytochemical profile which may benefit health. Our aim was to investigate the variability in the phenolic and apparent antioxidant content of different quinoa varieties to identify a variety with a high phytochemical content to use in a quinoa-enriched bread. The results showed that free phenolics contributed most (50–83%) to total phenolic content compared with conjugated or bound forms. Apparent antioxidant activities measured by FRAP, ABTS+• and DPPH of free, conjugated and bound extracts were broadly similar, except for free antioxidants when determined by FRAP, which were higher. Phenolic content was positively correlated with FRAP and ABTS+• apparent antioxidant activity. Quinoa samples had a high protein content (13.5 g/100 g dry weight), with a well-balanced amino acid profile. Incorporation of quinoa into baked products such as bread is proposed as a way to deliver this healthy whole-grain cereal into the diet.     

Exposure of consumers to deoxynivalenol from consumption of white bread in Hungary

In view of the frequent occurrence of mycotoxins in cereals, a study was initiated to assess the exposure of the Hungarian adult population. Consumption data for 1360 individuals, based on a 3-day questionnaire, indicated that white bread accounted for the major intake of cereal-based products. Various cereal products were analysed for 16 mycotoxins by a LC/MS/MS multi-toxin method with LOD of 16?µg?kg^?1 and LOQ of 50?µg?kg^?1. Deoxynivalenol (DON) was most frequently detected, but no acetyl-deoxynivalenol was present in detectable concentrations. Consumer exposure was calculated with standard Monte Carlo probabilistic modelling and point estimates, taking into account bread consumption and DON contamination in independently taken wheat flour and wheat grain samples. Over 55% of cases the DON intake were below 15% of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 1?µg/(kg?bw)/day. However, in 5–15% of cases, the intake from bread consumption alone exceeded the PMTDI. Wheat grain data led to the higher percentage. Intakes estimated from both data sets were at or below the acute reference dose (ARfD) of 8?µg/(kg?bw)/day in 99.94–99.97% of cases.     

Composite flour blends: Influence of particle size of water chestnut flour on nutraceutical potential and quality of Indian flat breads

Different sieve particle sizes P1 (Whole), P2 (≤0.212 mm) and P3 (≤0.125 mm) of water chestnut flour (WCF) were studied for proximate composition, mineral content, physico-chemical, functional, pasting and antioxidant properties in comparison to refined wheat flour (WF). WCF had significantly higher levels of fiber, resistant starch, mineral (K, Mg, Zn, and Cu), phenolics and flavonoids than WF in the order (P1?>?P2?>?P3?>?WF). Increase in flour fineness decreased antioxidant activity (P1?>?P2?>?P3) with P1 having highest phenolic (4.72 mg GAE/g), flavonoid (2.46 mg QE/g) content. Pasting properties of P1 were significantly lower than WF but significantly increased with increase in flour fineness. Quality of flat bread produced from WCF-WF blends significantly varied with particle size and blending. Bake loss and baking time significantly decreased while shrinkage increased with decrease in particle size. L* value decreased with blending but showed an irregular trend with variation in particle size. (WF?>?P2?≥?P3?>?P1). Baking decreased DPPH scavenging activity more in WF bread (46.68%) than WCF bread (P1?=?17.71%, P2?=?16.45%, P3?=?19.63%). Baking decreased total phenolic and flavonoid content by 49 and 20% in wheat & 38 and 16% in WCF respectively while significantly increased the resistant starch content in the order (P3?>?P2?>?P1?>?WF). This shows better retention of antioxidant activities and greater stability of WCF phenolics than WF phenolics during baking. Sensory analysis showed WCF breads had fair acceptability due to their characteristic flavor. Thus, gluten free WCF bread is also antioxidant rich with ample resistant starch content than WF breads.     

临夏市面制品和焙烤食品中铝含量检测及危害分析

目的初步了解临夏地区面制食品中铝的污染情况,并以此来评估消费者可能从食物中摄入铝的情况和相关的健康风险。方法对临夏各销售渠道地区生产销售的不同品种面制品进行市场监查、样品采集和测定分析。结果 1000份样品中检出铝残留238份,检出率为23.8%;铝含量超标样品59份,对应不合格率为5.9%;检测最大值为540mg/kg,是限定值的5倍以上;蒸馍面制品铝超标问题较为严重,检测最大值为540mg/kg;生湿面制品铝含量都低于检出限;其他类都有不同程度的铝检出问题。结论临夏市面制品中铝超标情况较为严重,建议有针对性的对不同地区不同种类面制品中铝添加剂的监管,如临夏县和积石山保安族县的面点坊及早餐摊位,所生产的蒸馍食品、油炸食品、焙烤食品。     

我国3岁及以上城市居民焙烤食品消费量及其游离糖摄入评估

目的 了解我国3岁及以上城市居民焙烤食品消费量、来源于焙烤食品游离糖摄入量及其供能比。方法采用多阶段分层与人口成比例的整群随机抽样方法,在我国18个省,采用非连续3天24小时回顾方法,收集13 083名3岁及以上城市居民的焙烤食物消费量。焙烤食品糖含量数据来源于国家食品安全风险评估中心开展的焙烤食品专项监测数据。采用简单分布评估方法计算我国3岁及以上城市居民通过焙烤食品的糖摄入量及供能比。结果 我国3岁及以上城市居民(一般人群)的焙烤食品消费率为24.11%,女性略高于男性,分别为25.69%和22.42%。随年龄增加,各年龄组焙烤食品消费率总体呈下降趋势,3～5岁组最高为39.09%,60岁以上组最低,为17.57%。一般人群焙烤食品平均消费量为10.25 g/d,女性(10.58 g/d)略高于男性(9.92 g/d);各年龄组焙烤食品平均消费量最高为13～17岁组(16.36 g/d),6～12岁组和3～5岁组次之,分别为15.22 g/d和13.25 g/d。一般人群通过焙烤食品游离糖的平均摄入量为1.54 g/d,平均供能比为0.37%(0.37%TE),女性(1.60 g/d,0.41%TE)高于男性(1.47 g/d,0.33%TE);各年龄组,13～17岁组游离糖摄入量最高,为2.21 g/d(0.52%TE),6～12岁组和3～5岁组摄入量次之,分别为2.14 g/d(0.59%TE)和1.94 g/d(0.65%TE)。焙烤食品消费人群平均供能比为1.53%TE(1.43%TE～1.67%TE),焙烤食品消费人群的高消费者(P₉₅)为3.86%。一般人群,通过面包和糕点摄入的游离糖平均值分别为0.68 g/d和0.73 g/d,远高于饼干(0.13 g/d)。结论 我国3岁及以上城市居民一般人群,女性的焙烤食品消费率、游离糖摄入量、游离糖供能比均高于男性,通过焙烤食品摄入的游离糖水平较低。焙烤食品减糖时,建议重点关注3～5岁、6～12岁、13～17岁人群,重点关注面包和糕点这两类食品。     

Applications of imaging systems for the assessment of quality characteristics of bread and other baked goods: A review

One of the most widely researched topics in the food industry is bread quality analysis. Different techniques have been developed to assess the quality characteristics of bakery products. However, in the last few decades, the advancement in sensor and computational technologies has increased the use of computer vision to analyze food quality (e.g., bakery products). Despite a large number of publications on the application of imaging methods in the bakery industry, comprehensive reviews detailing the use of conventional analytical techniques and imaging methods for the quality analysis of baked goods are limited. Therefore, this review aims to critically analyze the conventional methods and explore the potential of imaging techniques for the quality assessment of baked products. This review provides an in-depth assessment of the different conventional techniques used for the quality analysis of baked goods which include methods to record the physical characteristics of bread and analyze its quality, sensory-based methods, nutritional-based methods, and the use of dough rheological data for end-product quality prediction. Furthermore, an overview of the image processing stages is presented herein. We also discuss, comprehensively, the applications of imaging techniques for assessing the quality of bread and other baked goods. These applications include studying and predicting baked goods' quality characteristics (color, texture, size, and shape) and classifying them based on these features. The limitations of both conventional techniques (e.g., destructive, laborious, error-prone, and expensive) and imaging methods (e.g., illumination, humidity, and noise) and the future direction of the use of imaging methods for quality analysis of bakery products are discussed.     

Potential of grape byproducts as functional ingredients in baked goods and pasta

Wine making industry generates high quantities of valuable byproducts that can be used to enhance foods in order to diminish the environmental impact and to obtain more economic benefits. Grape byproducts are rich in phenolic compounds and dietary fiber, which make them suitable to improve the nutritional value of bakery, pastry, and pasta products. The viscoelastic behavior of dough and the textural and the sensory characteristics of baked goods and pasta containing grape byproducts depend on the addition level and particle size. Thus, an optimal dose of a finer grape byproducts flour must be found in order to minimize the negative effects such as low loaf volume and undesirable sensory and textural characteristics they may have on the final product quality. In the same time, an enrichment of the nutritional and functional value of the product by increasing the fiber and antioxidant compounds contents is desired. The aim of this review was to summarize the effects of the chemical components of grape byproducts on the nutritional, functional, rheological, textural, physical, and sensory characteristics of the baked goods and pasta. Further researches about the impact of foods enriched with grape byproducts on the human health, about molecular interactions between components, and about the effects of grape pomace compounds on the shelf life of baked goods and pasta are recommended.     

Non-dioxin-like PCBs in crops and related products: Levels and intakes in Serbia

Levels of six non-dioxin-like indicator PCBs in 36 composite samples of agricultural crops, related by-products and foodstuffs were pooled from a total of 938 individual samples collected in Serbia in 2002 and 2004. After extraction and cleanup, PCBs were determined by capillary GC using ECD. The highest total PCB levels were found in dried sugar beet pulp (2.89 ng g^-1 whole weight (ww)) and crude sunflower oil (1.83 ng g^-1 lipid), while the lowest levels were found in molasses (0.05 ng g^-1 ww). The calculated daily intake of PCBs for the crop products included in this study were compared with the maximum permissible risk (MPR) level established by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. Cereal products (flour, bread, pastry, pasta, cookies) were made a relatively large contribution (23% of MPR), while sugar (2% of MPR) and oil (4% of MPR) made a low and fairly uniform contribution to intake. The levels and intake of PCBs in Serbia were compared with data from other recent international surveys.     

Reducing the glycaemic index and increasing the slowly digestible starch content in gluten‐free cereal‐based foods: a review

Commercially available gluten‐free (GF) cereal‐based foods are generally characterised by a lower nutritional quality than their gluten‐containing counterparts, relatively lower resistant starch (RS) content, along with higher glycaemic index (GI) often being reported. To overcome this nutritional imbalance, extensive research has been conducted to investigate the preparation of a new generation of staple GF products. This review reported the main strategies currently adopted in GF cereal‐based food recipes to formulate products with overall slowly digestible starch properties. They are mainly obtained by the utilisation of alternative ingredients to be incorporated into standard food formulation (including native starch and GF flours) or by technological treatments that may contribute to impact starch digestibility. Considering data from in vitro digestion trials, indications suggested that, aiming to obtain a RS content of about 5% (dry weight) and lowering the in vitro GI values, the minimum high amylose starch (amylose >60%) replacement level in GF bread and cookie formulations should be in the order of 20% by weight of total flours. Overall, with respect to un‐substituted GF foods, two‐ to three‐times higher RS contents, along with a parallel in vitro GI decrease (up to ?50%), were obtained for GF pasta and ready‐to‐eat snacks enriched with legume flours at inclusion levels from 40% to 100% by weight of total flours. The use of flours from pseudocereals (e.g., quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat) with and without sourdough did not always guarantee favourably slowly digestible starch GF foods.