Browsing by Author "Pereira, Beatriz Pimentel"
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- Multivariate Analysis applied in the study of the nutritional quality of processed productsPublication . Pereira, Beatriz Pimentel; Trigueirão, Eunice Isabel Ganhão Carrasquinha; Costa, H.S.Recently, the search for processed food has been increasing due to its characteristics and convenience, and accessibility in our everyday life. Regrettably, most of these products have salt and fat content superior to what national and international entities recommend. Following this issue, to contribute to the betterment of the nutritional quality of a diversity of processed products, the contents of their total fat and salt as well as fatty acids were analysed to verify the major differences between them. Under the PTranSALT project, 280 processed products were acquired in supermarkets, restaurants, takeaway, pastry shops, and fast-food chains and analysed as well. The purpose was to prioritize the nutritional parameters with the intent to proceed with the reformulation (if needed) of its composition. This leads to the contribution towards more safe and balanced nutrition. And for that, two multivariate techniques were considered: Cluster Analysis (CA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Once these methods were applied it was verified that some of the products in the category of snacks, fries, and cookies show a poor nutritional profile, having simultaneously elevated levels of salt and saturated fatty acids. These are nutrients that, when consumed excessively, are associated with illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, and some other chronic diseases. In the future, it will be necessary for the topic of food processing to remain in the spotlight to address many of the existing gaps, both in current food classifications and their rather negative impact on public health.