Sauces, spices, and condiments: definitions, potential benefits, consumption patterns, and global markets.

Spices and condiments are an important part of human history and nutrition, and have played an important role in the development of most cultures around the world. According to the Codex Alimentarius, the category of salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads, and protein products includes substances added to foods to enhance aroma and taste. Spices have been reported to have health benefits as antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, anticoagulant, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory agents. Health claims about the benefits of condiments for disease prevention or health improvement need to be science based and extensively supported by evidence; data on their preventive or protective potential in humans are currently limited. The condiments market has been growing continuously over the last few years, with the quantity of products sold under the category of sauces, dressings, and condiments during the period 2008-2013 increasing from 31,749,000 to 35,795,000 metric tons. About 50 of the 86 spices produced in the world are grown in India. From 2008 to 2013, the United States was the largest importer of spices, followed by Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Russia. The main buyers of fish sauce are Vietnam and Thailand, with purchases of 333,000 and 284,000 metric tons in 2013, respectively. The sauces and condiments category is dynamic, with large differences in consumption in habits and practices among countries. This paper aims to establish definitions and discuss potential health benefits, consumption patterns, and global markets for sauces, spices, and condiments.

Fat composition of vegetable oil spreads and margarines in the USA in 2013: a national marketplace analysis.

Worldwide, the fat composition of spreads and margarines ("spreads") has significantly changed over the past decades. Data on fat composition of US spreads are limited and outdated. This paper compares the fat composition of spreads sold in 2013 to that sold in 2002 in the USA. The fat composition of 37 spreads representing >80% of the US market sales volume was determined by standard analytical methods. Sales volume weighted averages were calculated. In 2013, a 14 g serving of spread contained on average 7.1 g fat and 0.2 g trans-fatty acids and provided 22% and 15% of the daily amounts recommended for male adults in North America of omega-3 α-linolenic acid and omega-6 linoleic acid, respectively. Our analysis of the ingredient list on the food label showed that 86% of spreads did not contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO) in 2013. From 2002 to 2013, based on a 14 g serving, total fat and trans-fatty acid content of spreads decreased on average by 2.2 g and 1.5 g, respectively. In the same period, the overall fat composition improved as reflected by a decrease of solid fat (from 39% to 30% of total-fatty acids), and an increase of unsaturated fat (from 61% to 70% of total-fatty acids). The majority of US spreads no longer contains PHVO and can contribute to meeting dietary recommendations by providing unsaturated fat.

2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole in caramel colours, vinegar and beverages in China.

A survey of 2-acetyl-4-tetrahydroxybutylimidazole (THI) and 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI) concentrations in caramel colours, vinegar and beverages from the Chinese market were performed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). In total, 117 samples, 78 caramel colour samples, 23 vinegar samples and 16 beverage samples, were investigated. The results indicated that 4-MeI was found in all samples. THI was found in a part of the samples and also the level range was lower compared to 4-MeI. In caramel colour samples, the concentration level range of THI was 1.0-74.3 mg/kg and of 4-MeI was 1.5-1291.8 mg/kg. In vinegar samples, the concentration level range of THI was 13.3-119.2 µg/L and for 4-MeI 111.2-2077.8 µg/L. In beverage samples, THI was only found in two samples and the concentration level range of 4-MeI was 10.8-307.1 µg/L. THI and 4-MeI levels in vinegar and beverages were rather low compared with those in caramel colour samples. These observations can be helpful for evaluating individual exposure to THI and 4-MeI from caramel colours, vinegar and beverages in China.

Mercury contamination and exposure assessment of fishery products in Korea.

In this study, total (T-Hg) and methyl mercury (Me-Hg) contamination was investigated in fishery products including canned fish, fish sauces, dried bonito and frozen tuna sashimi, collected from retail markets in Korea, to assess dietary exposure. Direct mercury analyser and gas chromatography-electron captured detector were employed to measure T-Hg and Me-Hg, respectively. The highest T-Hg and Me-Hg contamination was present in tuna sashimi, followed by dried bonito, respectively. Canned tuna showed more frequent detection and higher content than other canned fishery products. The weekly exposure estimate indicates that exposure to mercury from fishery products is safe, showing 2.59% provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for T-Hg, 1.82% PTWI for Me-Hg and 4.16% reference dose for Me-Hg. However, it should be addressed to monitor the mercury contamination in fish and fishery products regularly, to safeguard vulnerable population such as children, to limit intake of these food products.

Synthetic food colours in saffron solutions, saffron rice and saffron chicken from restaurants in Tehran, Iran.

Saffron solutions, saffron rice and saffron chicken samples were considered for synthetic colours as additives, which are forbidden according to Iranian national standards. Samples were taken from restaurants of three locations and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Of the total 573 samples, 52% were positive for at least one colour. The most prevalent colours were Tartrazine, Quinoline Yellow and Sunset Yellow, with 44%, 9.1% and 8.4% of the samples testing positive for these colours, respectively. Carmoisine and Ponceau were both detected only in 0.5% of the positive samples and found only in saffron solution. In conclusion, synthetic food colours, especially Tartrazine should be regarded as a potential risk in saffron and its related food. Therefore, new attempts for food safety and quality should be undertaken to eliminate the use of these colours in restaurants.

Benzoic and sorbic acid in soft drink, milk, ketchup sauce and bread by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled with HPLC.

Benzoic acid and sorbic acid are widely used for food preservation. These preservatives are generally recognised as safe. The aim of this study was to determine the level of benzoic and sorbic acid in food samples that are usually consumed in Iran. Therefore, 54 samples, including 15 soft drinks, 15 ultra-high-temperature milk, 15 ketchup sauces and 9 bread samples, were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Benzoic acid was detected in 50 (92.5%) of the samples ranging from 3.5 to 1520 µg mL⁻¹, while sorbic acid was detected in 29 (50.3%) samples in a range of 0.8 and 2305 µg mL⁻¹. Limits of detection and limits of quantification for benzoate were found to be 0.1 and 0.5 µg mL⁻¹, respectively, and for sorbate 0.08 and 0.3 µg mL⁻¹, respectively. The results showed that benzoic acid and sorbic acid widely occur in food products in Iran.

Stable isotope ratio analysis for verifying the authenticity of balsamic and wine vinegar.

In this paper, we investigate whether the analysis of stable isotope ratios D/H and ¹³C/¹²C in ethanol and acetic acid and of ¹8O/¹6O in water can be applied to the ingredients of "aceto balsamico di Modena IGP" (ABM) to evaluate their authenticity. We found that impurities in the extraction solution do not affect the ¹³C/¹²C of acetic acid and the D/H values of acetic acid are not affected under a composite NMR experiment. The standard deviation of repeatability and standard deviation of reproducibility are comparable in wine vinegar and ABM and generally lower than those quoted in the official methods. This means that the validation parameters quoted in the official methods can also be applied to the ingredients of ABM. In addition, we found no changes in the isotopic values from wine to vinegar and to ABM, and from the original must to the ABM must, providing experimental evidence that reference data from wine databanks can also be used to evaluate the authenticity of vinegar and ABM.

Determination of caramel colorants' by-products in liquid foods by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).

2-Methylimidazole, 4-methylimidazole (2-MI and 4-MI), 2-acetyl-4-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl) imidazole (THI) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) are neo-formed compounds generated during the manufacture of caramel colours and are transferred to the processed food. These contaminants are known to have a toxicological profile that may pose health risks. Hence, to characterise THI, 2- and 4-MI and 5-HMF levels in liquid foods, an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and sample preparation was divided into two analytical strategies depending on the concentration range expected in the type of foods targeted. For the determination of the imidazole substitutes (THI, 2- and 4-MI), a sample enrichment and clean-up step by strong cation solid-phase extraction was developed. This method is capable of quantifying over a range of 5 ng ml⁻¹ (LOQ) to 500 ng ml⁻¹ with recoveries of 75.4-112.4% and RSDs of 1.5-15%. For determination of 5-HMF, a standard addition method was applied covering the linear range of 0.25-30 µg ml⁻¹ with RSDs from 2.8% (for intraday precision) to 9.2% (for intermediate precision). The validated analytical methods were applied to 28 liquid food samples purchased from local markets. THI was found only in the beer samples at levels up to 141.2 ng ml⁻¹. For 2-MI, non-quantifiable traces were observed for all samples, while 4-MI was observed in all samples with large concentration variations (from < LOQ to 563.9 ng ml⁻¹). 5-HMF was found at expected concentrations, except for a sherry vinegar sample (113 µg ml⁻¹), which required a high level of dilution before following the standard addition protocol.

Simple and sensitive analysis of histamine and tyramine in Japanese soy sauces and their intermediates using the stable isotope dilution HILIC-MS/MS method.

We established a simple, sensitive, and reproducible method to analyze the histamine and tyramine levels in Japanese soy sauce and its mash (called moromi) using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS). Histamine and tyramine quantification was performed using their stable isotopes for electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry in the selected reaction monitoring mode. The sample pretreatment process was a simple, one-step liquid-liquid extraction. HILIC separation was performed with a gradient elution of aqueous ammonium formate and acetonitrile. Because of validation tests, the linearity, the accuracies, and precisions were sufficient. The limit of detection and the limit of quantification were 0.09 and 0.29 ppm for histamine and 0.13 and 0.42 ppm for tyramine, respectively. We successfully applied this method to histamine and tyramine determination in four kinds of commercial Japanese soy sauces and also in moromi samples during soy sauce production.

Printing ink compounds in foods: UK survey results.

Three hundred and fifty foodstuffs packaged in printed paper/board were purchased from UK retail outlets. Solvent extracts of all foods and associated quality assurance samples were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the presence and concentrations of 20 printing ink compounds: benzophenone, 4-methylbenzophenone, 2-methylbenzophenone, 3-methylbenzophenone, 4-hydroxybenzophenone, 2-hydroxybenzophenone, 4-phenylbenzophenone, methyl-2-benzoylbenzoate, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2-isopropylthioxanthone, 4-isopropylthioxanthone, 2,4-diethyl-9H-thioxanthen-9-one, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, 2-methyl-4'-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone, 4-(4-methylphenylthio)benzophenone, ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate, 2-ethylhexyl-4-(dimethylamino)benzoate, N-ethyl-p-toluene-sulphonamide, triphenyl phosphate and di-(2-ethylhexyl) fumarate. The presence of one or more of the compounds benzophenone, 4-phenylbenzophenone, methyl-2-benzoylbenzoate, 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, 4-(4-methylphenylthio)benzophenone, ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate, 2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate and triphenyl phosphate was confirmed in some food samples. Analysis of the associated packaging material was also carried out to confirm whether or not it was likely that the occurrence of these compounds in the foods was due to migration from the printed paper/board packaging. With the exception of triphenyl phosphate, detected in one foodstuff, all the packaging material contained the substance(s) found in the food.

3-Monochloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) in soy sauce from the Bulgarian market.

The 3-monochloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) levels in soy sauces which contained hydrolysed vegetable protein were evaluated for the Bulgarian market. For analysis of 3-MCPD, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method was applied with a linear range of 0.03-2.00 µg mL⁻¹ and a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.3 µg kg⁻¹ and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.4 µg kg⁻¹. At these levels, the standard deviation was 5.1%, with recoveries between 81% and 102%. The method was applied to the analysis of 21 samples of soy sauce from the Bulgarian market. Results ranged from 3.7 to 185.6 µg kg⁻¹. Soy sauces produced from hydrolysed soy protein contained higher levels of 3-MCPD than naturally fermented sauces. In 38.4% of samples of Bulgarian origin, the 3-MCPD content was above the EU limit of 20 µg kg⁻¹. In all analysed samples, 33.3% had a 3-MCPD content above the EU limit.

LC-TOF/MS determination of phthalates in edible salts from food markets in Korea.

Residual quantities of 12 phthalates have been monitored in edible salts (raw salts, refined salts, refined salts with additives and baked salts) available in Korean food markets. Liquid-liquid extraction followed by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF/MS) was used to analyse the samples. The method was validated and showed linear correlation (R² > 0.996) in the range 0.5-100 ng g⁻¹ for all target analytes. Recoveries were 85.9-108.4%, except for diethyl phthalate (DEP). Relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 2.7-6.0% and the limits of detection (LODs) were 1.2-2.8 ng g⁻¹. Although the contamination of phthalates in salt would be trivial in comparison to those of other main foods and below the reference dose of the Chronic Oral Exposure recommended by US-EPA, the availability of reference data could be valuable for food chemists and salt manufacturers.

Sorbate and benzoate in Turkish retail foodstuffs.

From 2008 to 2011, surveys were conducted to determine the levels of benzoic and sorbic acids and their respective salts in 983 retail food samples which included sauces, vegetable and fruit preparations, flavoured syrups, food supplements, cereals, bakery products, jelly, synthetic cream, sprays, mustards, jam and preserves, molasses, chewing gum, confectionery, non-alcoholic beverages, tea, wine, vinegar, brine and beers. The analysis involved methanol extraction of the foodstuff and direct determination by HPLC with UV detection. Quality assurance was employed with each batch of samples. Accuracy was ensured through regular participation in proficiency tests. Over this four-year period, a total of 23 samples (2.3%), some syrups, tomato sauces and fruit contained individual or combined levels of sorbic and benzoic acids above regulatory limits. Unauthorised use of benzoic acid was also detected in a syrup sample, bakery products and fruit preserves.

A survey of levels of ethyl carbamate in alcoholic beverages in 2009-2012, Hebei Province, China.

Results of a survey of levels of ethyl carbamate (EC) (urethane) in alcoholic beverages carried out in four successive years from 2009 to 2012 by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) are presented. The beverages were purchased for sampling from Hebei Province of China, including eight main areas of production. The samples comprised wines (n = 212), grain spirits (n = 143) and wine sauces (n = 164). The data show that the average EC content in these kinds of alcoholic beverages remains nearly constant over the years. The results provide valuable data for food authorities to establish maximum limits for EC in China.

Ethyl carbamate levels in wine and spirits from markets in Hebei Province, China.

Ethyl carbamate (EC) in wine, grain spirits and wine sauce (145 samples) was analysed using solid-phase extraction and stable isotope dilution GC/MS. Samples were obtained from markets in eight areas (Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Handan, Qinhuangdao, Langfang, Zhangjiakou, Xingtai and Cangzhou) of Hebei Province, China. The method had a limit of detection of 2 µg kg⁻¹, with recoveries varying from 95.7 to 102% and RSD ranging 2.3-5.6%. The average concentrations of ethyl carbamate in wines, grain spirits and wine sauce were 14.7 (<2.0-44.5) µg kg⁻¹, 33.8 (2.9-129) µg kg⁻¹ and 8.7 (<2.0-63.3) µg kg⁻¹, respectively. The results led to the development of limit standards that can be used to predict the concentration of ethyl carbamate in Chinese fermented wines.

Sensory optimization of a mayonnaise-type spread made with rice bran oil and soy protein.

The optimum formulation for mayonnaise-type spreads containing rice bran oil (RBO) and soy protein concentrate (SPC) was determined based on sensory acceptability. RBO and SPC were used due to their health benefit claims such as lowering risk of heart disease. The effects of the proportions of high-impact ingredients (RBO, SPC, and water) on sensory acceptability of the spreads were determined. The 10 spread formulations, prepared following a 3-component constrained simplex lattice mixture design, were subjected to a consumer acceptance test to identify sensory attributes driving consumer acceptance and purchase intent. Predictive regression models were used to plot mixture response surfaces of the critical sensory attributes (taste, mouthfeel, and overall liking) that influenced purchase intent. Areas within the contour plots of these critical sensory attributes, having acceptability scores > or = 68 ("moderately like" on the 100-mm bidirectional labeled affective magnitude scale) were chosen and superimposed to obtain a predicted optimum formulation range (37% to 43% RBO, 4% to 7% SPC, and 52% to 57% water). The formulation containing 37% RBO, 6% SPC, and 57% water, which was located within the optimum region, was selected as a base for further developing flavored (sour cream & onion, cheddar & sour cream, or Monterrey Jack dried cheese) products. All flavored spreads were significantly more acceptable than the plain formulation. Purchase intent of all flavored products also significantly increased once consumers had been given the information about potential health benefits associated with RBO and SPC in the spreads.

Maple syrup-production, composition, chemistry, and sensory characteristics.

Maple syrup is made from sap exuded from stems of the genus Acer during the springtime. Sap is a dilute solution of primarily water and sucrose, with varying amounts of amino and organic acids and phenolic substances. When concentrated, usually by heating, a series of complex reactions produce a wide variety of flavor compounds that vary due to processing and other management factors, seasonal changes in sap chemistry, and microbial contamination. Color also forms during thermal evaporation. Flavor and color together are the primary factors determining maple syrup grade, and syrup can range from very light-colored and delicate-flavored to very dark-colored and strong-flavored.

Cardamom--production, technology, chemistry, and quality.

Cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum Maton var. Miniscula Burkill (Fam. Zingiberaceae) known as true or lesser cardamom is the widely cultivated variety and important in the world trade. It occupies a high second or third place in world trade, being a high priced spice. It belongs to the sweet spices group and is used predominantly to flavor sweets, baked goods, and coffee, particularly in the Arab countries. This monograph critically reviews the post-harvest handling and processing and the chemistry of the volatiles. The components contributing to the characteristic aroma for which the spice is valued are specifically considered. Gas chromatographic analysis for quality control and attempts are evaluating the aroma quality by sensory profile are discussed in relation to regional varieties, and processing variables. The areas in which further research is required are indicated. The botanical and cultivation aspects and production and trade of the different growing and consuming regions are briefly considered. Available information on other "cardamoms" from related species and genera are summarized.