Chemometric analysis of minerals in gluten-free products

Investigating the effect of sensory properties of black plum peel marmalade on consumers acceptance by Discriminant Analysis

One of the goals of producing and developing new products is to provide desirable features to the target community, followed by promoting marketability and gaining more market share in similar products basket. In this study, in order to investigate the effect of sensory characteristics of black plum marmalade on its acceptance, sample data with 180 observations and discriminant analysis method were used. The sensory properties that were evaluated in this product included color, flavor, firmness, adhesiveness and spreadability. Discriminant analysis classified 89% of observations correctly in the acceptance and non-acceptance classes. Accordingly, the characteristics of color, consistency, flavor, hardness and spreadability had a positive and significant effect on the acceptance of the product by the respondents and adhesiveness had a negative and significant effect on the acceptance of the product. Also, based on these results, the largest contribution in discriminating the acceptance and non-acceptance of this product is related to the spreadability, flavor and hardness, respectively. Therefore, in order to attract customers and market effectiveness, it is suggested to pay special attention to these characteristics in the production of black plum marmalade.

Micronutrient Analysis of Gluten-Free Products: Their Low Content Is Not Involved in Gluten-Free Diet Imbalance in a Cohort of Celiac Children and Adolescent

Data about the nutritional composition of gluten-free products (GFP) are still limited. Most studies are based on ingredient and nutrition information described on the food label. However, analytical determination is considered the gold standard for compositional analysis of food. Micronutrient analytical content differences were observed in a selection of GF breads, flakes and pasta, when compared with their respective gluten-containing counterparts. In general terms, lower iron, piridoxin, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, folate, manganese and vitamin B5 can be underlined. Variations in biotin and vitamin E content differed among groups. In order to clarify the potential contribution of the GFP to the gluten-free diet's (GFD) micronutrient shortages, analytical data were used to evaluate GFD in a cohort of celiac children and adolescent. Participants did not reach recommendations for vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, vitamin D, biotin, iodine, and copper. It does not seem that the lower micronutrient content of the analyzed GFP groups contributed to the micronutrient deficits detected in GFD in this cohort, whose diet was not balanced. Nevertheless, GFP fortification for folate and biotin is proposed to prevent the deficiencies observed in GFD, at least in the case of pediatric celiac disease.