Browsing by Author "Oliveira, M.B.P.P."
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- 3-MCPD Occurrence in Vegetable Oils: Impact on Human Nutrition and Future ChallengesPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.Over the last years, the global production of vegetable oils increased, and palm oil is still the most produced vegetable oil, followed by soybean, rapeseed and sunflower oils. Processing of vegetable oils is essential to remove impurities from the oil and to assure their quality and safety. Nonetheless, some of the applied conditions, namely during deodorization, can lead to the formation of contaminants, such as chloropropanols. In this review, an overview of the occurrence of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol in vegetable oils, as well as its potential impact on human nutrition, based on exposure assessment to this contaminant, and future challenges are discussed. According to this literature review, notable differences are found for the occurrence of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol in the different vegetable oils, but also among the same type of oil, which is possibly due to the geographical origin of samples, their composition, but also due to the processing conditions applied. It has been observed that unprocessed oils/fats have non-detectable or very low amounts of 3-monochloropropane-1,2 diol, while the refined oils have high amounts. Amongst the reviewed data, the highest values reported were for rice bran oil (1449 - 2564 mg/kg) and edible blending oil (1367 mg/kg). For instance, for palm oil, which is the most widely consumed vegetable oil, the values for 3 monochloropropane-1,2-diol ranged from not detected to 540 mg/kg. With respect to mitigation strategies, the use of radical scavengers, such as phenolic compounds, is efficient, but there is still a lot of work to be done in this area of research. Regarding exposure assessment to this contaminant, few studies have focused on this subject, but the reported results indicate that the mean exposure value is lower than the tolerable daily intake (2 µg/kg of body weight/day). Nonetheless, among the different food groups evaluated for exposure assessment, vegetable oils/fats were identified as the major contributor for children. In the near future, it is crucial to evaluate other processing conditions, namely cooking methods (e.g. frying and baking), since it can have a significant impact on the occurrence of this hazardous compound. Also, it is necessary to monitor the occurrence of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol in other foodstuffs, to accurately estimate the exposure assessment.
- 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals in foods: a review on risk assessment, analytical methods, formation, occurrence, mitigation and future challengesPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Costa, H.S.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.Undoubtedly, significant advances were performed concerning 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals research on foods, and their formation by double oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. But further studies are still needed, especially on their occurrence in foods enriched with n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, as well as in foods for infants and processed foods. Major factors concerning the formation of 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals were discussed, namely the influence of fatty acids composition, time/temperature,processing conditions, salt, among others. Regarding mitigation, the most effective strategies are adding phenolic extracts to foods matrices, as well as other antioxidants, such as vitamin E. Exposure assessment studies revealed 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals values that could not be considered a risk for human health. However, these toxic compounds remain unaltered after digestion and can easily reach the systemic circulation. Therefore, it is crucial to develop in vivo research, with the inclusion of the colon phase, as well as, cell membranes of the intestinal epithelium. In conclusion, according to our review it is possible to eliminate or effectively decrease 4-hydroxy-2-alkenals in foods using simple and economic practices.
- 4-Hydroxy-2-Alkenals: a Potential Toxicological Concern of Vegetable Oils?Publication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.4-hydroxy-2-alkenals, namely 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) are secondary lipid oxidation products of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. An overview of the current knowledge about HNE and HHE in vegetable oils, including factors influencing their formation, health effects, analytical approaches, as well as mitigation strategies and future challenges are discussed. During the last years, an increased attention is being paid to these mutagenic, cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds. Due to their high reactivity and implication in numerous undesirable reactions, they can be linked with several diseases and medical conditions. Vegetable oils were identified as one of the major sources of these compounds, becoming a potential toxicological concern for public health. Up to now, the fatty acids composition, time, temperature and type of frying, as well as different processing conditions were evaluated in order to find a relationship with the presence of these hazardous compounds in vegetable oils. With respect to mitigation strategies to reduce the occurrence of HNE and HHE in vegetable oils, atmospheres with low oxygen content during frying, carbon dioxide blanketing as well as addition of phenolic compounds to the vegetable oils were studied. In the near future, it is important to exploit other conditions to explain the different amounts reported for the same type of vegetable oil from different origins, as well as to evaluate realistic conditions of frying, especially the presence of food, frying equipment and temperatures, among others.
- 4-Hydroxynonenal: a parameter of quality and safety of vegetable oilsPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Silva, M.A.; Costa, H.S.Due to several factors, namely social, economic and technical, people have less time to spend in food preparation. Consequently, the consumption of fried and pre-fried foods has been increasing due to its easy preparation. This behaviour has been linked to an increase in the intake of fats and oils subjected to high temperatures. Oils and fats are previously processed (refining) to improve their quality, stability and safety. Despite the removal of a large amount of impurities from the oil that influence negatively their quality, some processing conditions can often originate new compounds with additional health hazards.
- Accuracy of labelled nutrition declaration among cereal productsPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Nunes, M.A.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.Introduction: In the last years, consumers are paying increasing attention to the nutritional composition of foods, in order to make healthier food choices, and therefore to prevent chronic diseases. The European Union has faced the challenge of standardizing the nutritional declaration of prepacked foods. Therefore, in 2011, Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers was published (1). Accordingly, and concerning the declared values on the nutrition declaration, they should be an average and can be obtained by: (a) the manufacturer’s analysis of the food; (b) a calculation from the known or actual average values of the ingredients used; and (c) a calculation from generally established and accepted data. However, the food nutrient content should not deviate markedly from labeled values, otherwise consumers can be misled. Therefore, a tolerance guide regarding the deviations of labeled values for the different nutrients for analytical control purposes has been set up (2). In our study, an analysis regarding the accuracy of labeled nutrition declaration in cereal products was performed. Materials and Methods: In 2015, twelve samples of cereal products (cereal bars and breakfast cereals) were selected from the major supermarket chains in Portugal. An Excel® form was filled out with the labeled information for each one of the selected foods. Afterwards, the same foods were analysed concerning their salt, total fat and fatty acids composition, according to the methods described by Albuquerque et al. (3). Then, all the information was used to perform an analysis of the accuracy of the declared values, considering the tolerance limits defined for salt, total fat and saturated fatty acids (SFA). Results: Considering salt, in two (17%) of the selected foods, the declared values were not in compliance with the tolerance limits, being the analytical values lower than the lower tolerance value. The comparison between declared and analytical values for total fat shows that all the selected foods were within the tolerance limits fixed for this nutrient. On the other hand, for SFA, 33% of the samples were out of the tolerance limits, but from those samples, only one had an analytical value (10.3 g/100 g) higher than the upper tolerance value (4.7 g/100 g). Discussion and Conclusions: Food labels, namely nutrition declaration, are the most direct source of information for consumers. Therefore, it is very important that these labels provide accurate information in order to allow consumers to make informed and healthier dietary choices. In our study, SFA values were the ones for which a higher number of samples was out of the tolerance limits. References: (1) European Parliament/Council of the European Union. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers. Official J Eur Union, 2011; L304: 18-63. (2) European Commission. Guidance document for competent authorities for the control of compliance with EU legislation. 2012. Available at: https://www.fsai.ie/uploadedfiles/guidance_tolerances_december_2012.pdf. (3) Albuquerque TG, Oliveira MBPP, Sanches-Silva A, Bento AC, Costa HS. The impact of cooking methods on the nutritional quality and safety of chicken breaded nuggets. Food Func. 2016; 7: 2736-46.
- Alimentos funcionais: perceção e hábitos de consumoPublication . Silva, M.A.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Alves, R.C.; Costa, H.S.Introdução: O aumento da exigência dos consumidores em relação aos alimentos e aos seus benefícios para a saúde promove a necessidade de desenvolver alimentos funcionais com ingredientes que, de alguma forma, melhorem a saúde de quem os consome. Esses ingredientes podem contribuir para reduzir o risco de algumas doenças, como doenças cardiovasculares, cancro, obesidade, osteoporose, entre outras. Objetivos: Este trabalho teve como objetivo a avaliação da perceção do consumidor e os seus hábitos de consumo relativamente a alimentos funcionais. Métodos: Em 2019, foi aplicado um questionário online, disponibilizado através de email e redes sociais. O questionário era composto por 2 partes: i) dados gerais e sociodemográficos e ii) alimentos funcionais. No final do questionário, e após a submissão da resposta, foi disponibilizada uma breve explicação sobre o tema. Resultados: Participaram 233 indivíduos (18 aos 77 anos). Apenas 58% dos inquiridos dizem saber o que são alimentos funcionais, apesar de 87% referirem que sabem que existem alimentos com atributos adicionais e efeitos positivos na saúde e bem-estar. Desses 87%, 80% referem que já consumiram este tipo de alimentos, e 85% indicam que o principal motivo do consumo são os seus benefícios para a saúde. Noventa e sete por cento (97%) da população inquirida considera importante melhorar o nível de informação relativamente a este tipo de alimentos, indicando as campanhas de informação, criação de símbolos para a rápida identificação do produto/benefício e educação nas escolas como algumas das possíveis medidas a tomar. Conclusões: Com os resultados obtidos neste trabalho foi possível verificar a importância da criação de medidas que possibilitem melhorar o nível de informação da população em relação aos alimentos funcionais e aos seus potenciais benefícios para a saúde.
- Alimentos processados: aspectos nutricionais e toxicológicosPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.É relativo ao trabalho de doutoramento de Tânia Gonçalves Albuquerque, nutricionista no Departamento de Alimentação e Nutrição, que teve como principal objetivo desenvolver e aprofundar o conhecimento científico relativo à qualidade nutricional e segurança dos alimentos processados, com vista à identificação de áreas prioritárias de intervenção. Este estudo pretendeu ainda contribuir com informação fundamental para a formulação de políticas alimentares e de nutrição que visem melhorar o estado de saúde e nutricional da população.
- Alimentos processados: avaliação da conformidade da rotulagemPublication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Nunes, M.A.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.A rotulagem dos alimentos é crucial para o consumidor fazer, caso queira, uma escolha informada e consciente dos produtos alimentares que adquire. Com a entrada em vigor do Regulamento (UE) n.º 1169/2011, foram estabelecidas regras relativamente à rotulagem dos géneros alimentícios que são aplicáveis a todos os Estados-Membros da União Europeia. No entanto, existem por vezes desvios entre os valores dos nutrientes declarados na informação nutricional e os presentes no alimento. Em 2012, para ultrapassar esta situação, foram fixadas as tolerâncias aplicáveis aos valores de nutrientes declarados no rótulo, uma vez que tais desvios poderiam levar a que os consumidores fossem induzidos em erro. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a conformidade da rotulagem de 10 categorias de alimentos processados (snacks, fast-food, frutos secos e sementes oleaginosas, refeições prontas-a-comer, cereais, molhos, sopas, produtos de pastelaria, produtos de panificação, batatas fritas e outros produtos à base de batata) amplamente disponíveis no mercado nacional e internacional. Foram incluídos 209 alimentos recolhidos em grandes superfícies e restaurantes de fast-food. Determinou-se quantitativamente os teores de sal, gordura total e ácidos gordos, pelos métodos de Charpentier-Volhard, hidrólise ácida com extração em Soxhlet e cromatografia gasosa com deteção por ionização de chama, respetivamente. Foram aplicadas as tolerâncias de acordo com a legislação em vigor, utilizando os valores declarados no rótulo das embalagens. Apenas 50% das amostras analisadas estavam dentro dos limites de tolerância para o teor de sal. O menor número de amostras fora dos limites de tolerância foi observado para a gordura. Para os ácidos gordos saturados, 26% das amostras estavam fora dos limites de tolerância. A categoria dos cereais foi a única em que 100% dos produtos estavam em conformidade para os teores de gordura e sal. Conclui-se, assim, ser de extrema importância que a indústria alimentar atualize continuamente os valores declarados nos rótulos, pois essa informação é crucial para os consumidores e para a elaboração de políticas alimentares. As maiores diferenças foram encontradas nas categorias snacks e fast-food. Os resultados apresentados podem ser importantes não só para os consumidores, como também para organizações de saúde pública e indústria alimentar.
- Alimentos processados: onde estamos e para onde precisamos ir?Publication . Albuquerque, T.G.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.Introduction: In the last decades, with the industrialization and globalization of food systems, food processing has grown rapidly, contributing to the wide variety of foods, with different health impacts. Furthermore, consumers are increasingly looking for processed foods, which are practical, tasty, attractive, and economic. The inadequate consumption of this type of food is associated with the early development of noncommunicable diseases. It is estimated that inadequate eating habits contribute, in the Portuguese population, to the loss of 15.4% of healthy life years. The Portuguese population has an average salt intake of 10.3 g/day, which is more than the double of WHO recommendations, and it is linked with hypertension, a Public Health concern. Regarding trans fats, since the nineties, the occurrence data for Portuguese foods was not updated. The main objectives of this work were to develop and deepen the scientific knowledge regarding the nutritional quality and safety of processed foods; to deepen knowledge about the formation, occurrence and mitigation of potentially carcinogenic and toxic compounds; and to contribute with fundamental information for the implementation of food and nutrition policies aiming to improve the health and nutritional status of the population. Materials and Methods: Around 300 processed foods were acquired in the main commercial surfaces, fast-food restaurants, pastries and bakery stores of Portugal. The selected foods were evaluated concerning salt, fat and fatty acids composition; influence of cooking methods on overall nutritional quality, accuracy of labelling information and potentially carcinogenic and toxic compounds occurrence. Results: The obtained results allowed to conclude that trans fats content decreased over the years; the contents of salt and saturated fat are still high; more data on the influence of cooking methods on the nutritional quality and safety of processed foods is needed. Nevertheless, it is notable that food industry is making efforts to enhance the overall quality of their products and the information provided to consumers by means of the label. Discussion and Conclusions: The results reported wherein will be used as a starting point to know the current amount of salt, saturated and trans fats in processed foods commercialized in Portugal, as well as to monitor how their reduction in processed foods is being achieved, or to evaluate the current intake of these nutrients by the Portuguese population. Due to the high consumption of processed foods by the different age groups of the population, and their impact on health, it is fundamental to promote strategies that involve the food industry and authorities with responsibilities in Public Health and Human Nutrition, aiming to contribute to safer and nutritionally balanced processed foods.
- An innovative food product based on melon by-product: mineral profilePublication . Silva, M.A.; Albuquerque, T.G.; Santo, L.E.; Alves, R.C.; Oliveira, M.B.P.P.; Costa, H.S.The demand for foods with positive health effects has increased as a result of the notable expansion in interest in health, food, and well-being in Europe and other developed countries. Fruit by-products are a good source of important nutrients like dietary fiber, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive elements. In recent years, research has been conducted to determine whether these by-products may be used to enrich food products, with the goal of producing foods that are more nutritious and may have positive health effects. The objective of this study was to develop a muffin formulation based on melon peel flour and evaluate its composition regarding macroelements and trace elements (essential and non-essential). In 2021, melon peels were recovered from melon production and distribution companies, located in Torres Vedras and Rio Maior (Portugal). The melon peels were manually separated, dehydrated (50 ºC, 18h), homogenised, and sieved until a fine powder (melon peel flour) was obtained. A traditional recipe for muffins (control sample) and an innovative muffin, where the wheat flour was replaced by melon peel flour were prepared. The macroelements (Ca, Mg and P) and trace elements were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and sodium and potassium were analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Regarding the results obtained, the main macroelements present in the melon peel flour were potassium (26 ± 0,7 mg/g) and calcium (8 ± 0,1 mg/g) and the most abundant essential trace elements were iron, manganese and zinc. By replacing wheat flour with melon peel flour, the magnesium, calcium and potassium contents increased. The highest increase was observed for potassium content (4 mg/g). Regarding essential trace elements, the incorporation of melon peel flour increased the content of iron, manganese and molybdenum. The melon peel flour can be considered a good source of macroelements such as potassium, calcium and phosphorus, and essential trace elements such as iron, manganese and zinc. The incorporation of melon peel flour allowed the development of a formulation rich in potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. This by-product has the potential to improve food security, nutrition, and economic well-being on a global scale, as well as the general health and well-being of people, animals, and the environment, supporting the One Health concept.