Whole chickpea flour as an ingredient for improving the nutritional quality of sandwich bread: Effects on sensory acceptance, texture profile, and technological properties

ABSTRACT The inclusion of pulse flours with higher dietary fiber content in bakery products, such as chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) flour, has been exploited by the food industry due to its nutritional and sensory characteristics. This work aimed to develop a sandwich bread with a partial substitution (7.5%, 15%, and 30%) of refined wheat flour by whole chickpea flour (WCF) and also to evaluate the effects on sensory acceptance, physicochemical parameters, and texture profile during the shelf life. Four methods for obtaining WCF were assessed and the best condition was used to produce the sandwich bread. Sensory evaluation was carried out with 65 consumers using a 9-point hedonic scale and a purchase intention scale. Firmness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewability, and fracturability was evaluated by the Texture Profile Analysis (TPA). The specific volume, total fungi count, pH, titratable acidity, and moisture content were also determined. The nutritional composition was estimated by mass balance. Data demonstrated that there was no difference (p>0.05) in sensory evaluation of the products elaborated with different concentrations of WCF, and all samples presented good acceptance. The addition of WCF did not cause negative effects on the texture and volume characteristics of the bread. The sample with 30% WCF had adequate technological characteristics, resulting in a product with higher nutritional value, especially dietary fiber, and was well accepted by the consumers. This formulation can be used by the food industry and also in domestic preparations, contributing to the diversification and nutritional enrichment of sandwich bread.

RESUMEN La inclusión de harinas de granos no convencionales con mayor contenido de fibra dietética en productos de panadería, como la harina integral de garbanzo (HIG) (Cicer arietinum L), es utilizada por la industria alimentaria debido a sus características nutricionales y sensoriales. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo desarrollar un pan para sándwich (PPS) con sustitución parcial (7.5%, 15% y 30%) de harina de trigo refinada por HIG así como evaluar la aceptación sensorial, parámetros fisicoquímicos y el perfil de textura durante su vida útil. Fueron evaluados cuatro métodos para la obtención de HIG, utilizándose la mejor condición para producir el PPS. Sesenta y cinco consumidores realizaron la evaluación de aceptación sensorial e intención de compra con una escala hedónica de 9 puntos. La firmeza, la elasticidad, la cohesión, la masticabilidad y la fracturabilidad se evaluaron mediante el análisis de perfil de textura (TPA). También se determinó el volumen específico, el recuento total de hongos, el pH, la acidez titulable y el contenido de humedad. La composición nutricional se estimó por balance de masa. Todas las muestras presentaron buena aceptabilidad sin diferencias estadística. La adición de HIG no causó efectos negativos en la textura ni el volumen del PPS. La muestra con 30% de HIG tubo características tecnológicas adecuadas, resultando en un producto con mayor valor nutricional, especialmente por la fibra dietética. Esta formulación podría ser utilizada por la industria alimentaria y también en preparaciones domésticas, contribuyendo a la diversificación y al enriquecimiento nutricional del pan para sándwich.

Gaseous Ozonation to Reduce Aflatoxins Levels and Microbial Contamination in Corn Grits.

Corn is one of the most cultivated cereals in Brazil. However, its grains are constantly exposed to contamination by mycotoxins. Corn grits are used by the food industry to produce a large variety of corn products such as canjiquinha, a cultural food easily purchased by the Brazilian consumer at low prices. Some studies have demonstrated high contamination of this product by aflatoxins (AFs), representing a potential risk of exposure due to such a contamination. In this study, the efficacy of gaseous ozonation was evaluated on the levels of aflatoxins and on the microbial contamination of corn grits. The application of gaseous ozone was tested in different combinations of exposure time, ozone concentration, and canjiquinha mass. After the ozonation treatment, samples were collected for aflatoxin and microbiological analyses. Aflatoxins were evaluated using a high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) system using pre-column derivatization, and the microbiological analyses were carried out for toxin-producer fungi and mesophilic bacteria. After ozone detoxification, results showed reductions up to 57% in aflatoxin levels. Total fungal count was reduced around 3.0 cycles log CFU g-1 and total mesophilic counts were reduced to non-detectable levels. These results demonstrated that ozonation is an effective alternative for reducing aflatoxin and microbial contamination in products like canjiquinha, thereby improving food safety.

Aflatoxin M1 contamination in grated parmesan cheese marketed in Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

This study aimed to determine the occurrence of AFM1 contamination in the samples of grated parmesan cheese marketed in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro -Brazil. Thirty samples representing 10 major brands marketed in the region were analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) after purification with immunoaffinity column. The method showed recovery values within the range of 70-90%, with RSD lower than 15% and limits of detection and quantification below the maximum level allowed by the European Commission for the presence of AFM1 in cheeses. The mycotoxin was identified in 18 (60%) of the grated cheese samples tested. The highest value corresponded to 0.69 ± 0.02 µg/kg and the mean for all the analyzed samples was 0.16 µg/kg. All the samples were lower than the limit established by the Brazilian legislation (2.5 µg/kg) for AFM1 in cheeses in general. However, eight samples (26.7%) presented AFM1 levels above the tolerance limit of 0.25 µg/kg adopted by the European Commission. These results indicated that AFM1 levels in the grated cheese consumed in Rio de Janeiro -Brazil were relatively high and it could provide a potential hazard for the public health.