Mineral composition, nutritional properties, total phenolics and flavonoids compounds of the atemoya fruit (Annona squamosa L. x Annona cherimola Mill.) and evaluation using multivariate analysis techniques.

The atemoya is a hybrid fruit obtained by crossing of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) with sweet sop (Annona squamosa L.). The information about chemical composition of atemoya is scarce. The mineral composition was evaluated employing Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES) and the centesimal composition and the physico-chemical parameters were assessed employing procedures described in the AOAC methods. The total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoids (TF) were determined using spectroanalytical methods. Considering the Reference Daily Intake (RDI), the concentrations of K, Cu and Vitamin C found in atemoya were the highest, representing about 32, 23 and 37% of the RDI, respectively. The total carbohydrates were 32 g 100g-1 and the soluble solids was equivalent to (32.50 ± 0.03) °Brix. The result for TPC was 540.47 ± 2.32 mgGAE 100 g-1 and the TF was 11.56 ± 1.36 mgQE 100 g-1. The exploratory evaluation of 42 atemoya samples was performed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which discriminated green and ripe fruits according to their mineral composition. The elements that contributed most for the variability between green and ripe fruits were: Ba, Ca, Cu, K, Mg and P.

Effect of Controlled Microbial Fermentation on Nutritional and Functional Characteristics of Cowpea Bean Flours.

This study aimed to optimize bean flours fermentation through the use of appropriate technological procedure and, thereby, to obtain a high quality and safe product. In this line, cowpea bean flours with different moisture conditions (10, 20 and 30%) were incubated with (1) a single culture of Lactobacillus plantarum, or (2) a consortium of lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria, together with one strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Effects of inoculation of cowpea beans flours on stability (i.e., evaluated by the decrease in pH), and variations in nutritional characteristics (i.e., protein, starch, water soluble carbohydrates, total dietary fibre) were investigated. In both fermented flours, the effect of fermentation was more noticeable in total water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration during the fermentation process (P < 0.001), accounted for by metabolic activity of the microorganisms. The pH values progressively decreased (P < 0.001) through the fermentation process, particularly in flours fermented with a single culture of L. plantarum. By contrast, titratable acidity increased (P < 0.001) throughout the fermentation process in F2 and F3, although more noticeable in F3. Total dietary fibre (TDF) was not variable over the time. In relation to the protein content, the fermentations behaved very similarly; F2 had a variation over the time, but the effect was not significant (P = 0.0690). Results revealed small changes in chemical composition except in the case of pH and sugar contents with the values lower in the fermented products (i.e., single- or mixed-culture fermentation), leading to a more stable and safety product. These results indicate that fermented dry beans flours have the potential as functional ingredients for new food formulations.

Segurança alimentar em estabelecimentos processadores de alimentos / Food security in food handling establishments

A vida moderna imprimiu um ritmo acelerado no cotidiano dos indivíduos; no aspecto alimentação teve como repercussão a mudança de hábitos alimentares, com a introdução de refeições rápidas e a utilização de alimentação fora do ambiente doméstico. Estes fatores levaram ao crescimento da atenção para com a segurança alimentar. O conceito de que o alimento pode ser o seu próprio remédio ganhou um outro enfoque, ou seja, o alimento pode ser um medicamento, mas também pode ocasionar surtos de Enfermidades Transmitidas por Alimentos – ETA. O surto de ETA é diagnosticado quando duas ou mais pessoas apresentam sintomas semelhantes após a ingestão de um mesmo alimento. A Organização Mundial de Saúde considera as enfermidades transmitidas por alimentos como um problema de saúde pública, uma vez que atinge grande número de indivíduos em todas as partes do mundo, causando prejuízos não somente à saúde do consumidor como também incapacidade laboral temporária, gastos com tratamento médico, perdas emocionais, dentre outros. O controle higiênico-sanitário tanto dos estabelecimentos quanto dos manipuladores de alimentos é essencial para garantir a qualidade dos alimentos, tornando-se o principal instrumento de defesa contra os surtos de enfermidades veiculadas pelos alimentos.

Hortaliças acidificadas / Acidify vegetables

Elaborou-se um produto à base de hortaliças acidificadas avaliando suas características. Foram realizadas análises físico-químicas, microbiológicas e o teste de preferência. Pelos resultados apresentados, verificou-se uma variaçäo na acidez total e pH, ausência de contaminaçäo microbilógica e uma aceitabilidade de 78,6 por cento no teste de aceitaçäo, após o período de 120 dias à temperatura ambiente.