Quality of ecologically produced foods of animal origin

The production of organic (ecological) food of animal origin is done in many ways and uses many different breeds. Therefore a real comparison with conventionally produced food is difficult. From the limited number of published data it appears, that the characteristics of quality of the products, the nutritional, hygienic, sensorial and technological factors, are not very different in both systems of production. In some factors organic food gets better marks, in others the conventionally produced food. The differences are in the production system (process quality) during lifetime of the animals.     

Sucrosemia in untreated celiac disease: a potential screening test

During studies to develop serum tests of small intestinal permeability, we detected an unidentified disaccharide in HPLC traces of sera from untreated celiacs. This present study aimed to identify the disaccharide and determine whether the presence of the disaccharide in the serum after an oral challenge had potential as a simple screening test for celiac disease. The disaccharide was identified as sucrose by incubation studies of sera with disaccharidases. Twenty untreated celiacs, 15 treated celiacs, and 20 normal or dyspeptic controls were studied for the presence of sucrose in their serum after an oral load (8 g). The results in celiacs were compared with the presence of serum IgA endomysial antibodies. The 10 normal controls were also given a larger sucrose challenge (50 g). Ten of the untreated celiacs and 10 controls had their brush border disaccharidase activities measured. Sucrose eluted in the same position as the unidentified disaccharide in the HPLC trace and the latter could be removed by incubation with sucrase. All untreated celiacs but none of the treated celiacs had sucrose in their serum after the 8-g oral challenge. None of the controls had sucrose in their serum after the 8-g or 50-g challenges. Three untreated celiacs were IgA endomysial antibody negative as were all the treated cases. Brush border sucrase activity was low in untreated celiac disease. The presence of sucrose in the serum after an oral load shows promise as a noninvasive test for celiac disease.     

FTIR estimation of free fatty acid content in crude oils extracted from damaged soybeans

A user-interactive computer-assisted Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) method has been developed for estimation of free fatty acids (FFA) in vegetable oil samples by deconvolution of the infrared (IR) absorbances corresponding to the triglyceride ester and FFA carbonyl bonds. Peak areas were used to determine FFA as a percentage of the total carbonyl areas in weighed standards of refined, bleached, deodorized soybean oil containing from 0 to 5% added oleic acid. These data for percent FFA by FTIR were compared to corresponding FFA data obtained by two titration methods-the AOCS Official Method Ca 5a-40 and the Official Method with a slight modification. Correlation coefficients were 0.999 for the Ca 5a-40, 0.999 for the modified and 0.989 for the FTIR methods. FFA in samples of crude soybean oils extracted from damaged beans (0.5 to 2.1% FFA) were measured by FTIR and compared to data obtained by titration of the same samples (correlation coefficient, 0.869). To whom correspondence should be addressed at National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Agriculture Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1815 North University Street, Peoria, IL 61604. ¹The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned.     

Relative reduction rates of fatty acid isomers by hydrazine

Mixtures of fatty acids and of hydrocarbons have been reduced by hydrazine in ethyl alcohol solution at 50 C. Samples were removed during reduction for analysis and the relative reduction rates calculated by digital computer.cis-15-Octadecenoic acid is reduced 1.3 times as fast as itscis-9-isomer. No differences were found amongcis-6,9- and -12-octadecenoic acids.cis-3-Octadecene was also reduced 1.3 times as fast as thecis-9-isomer andcis-1-octadecene 8.6 times as fast. Elaidic acid was reduced 1.27 times as fast as oleic. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Chicago, October 1967. No. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Flavor and oxidative stability of hydrogenated and unhydrogenated soybean oils: Effects of antioxidants

Flavor and oxidative stabilities were studied by organoleptic evaluation and chemical analysis of three different samples of soybean oil: unhydrogented (I); hydrogenated with nickel catalyst (II); and hydrogenated with copper-chromium catalyst (III). Analyses for these oils were: I II III iodine Value 138 109 113 Linolenate, % 8.3 3.3 0.4 Each oil was deodorized with the addition of either citric acid alone or citric acid plus BHA and BHT antioxidants. Addition of antioxidants did not improve the flavor stabilities of the oils in accelerated storage tests but did improve the flavor stabilities of II and III in light exposure tests. All three oils that received the same additive treatment had equivalent flavor stability in both accelerated storage and light exposure tests. However, both hydrogenation and antioxidant treatment improved oxidative stability as measured by the Active Oxygen Method. There was good correlation between flavor score and the logarithm of the peroxide value determined at the time of tasting. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, New York, May 1977.