scholarly journals Association between Heat-Induced Chemical Markers and Ultra-Processed Foods: A Case Study on Breakfast Cereals

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1418
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Morales ◽  
Marta Mesías ◽  
Cristina Delgado-Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Processed Foods ◽  
Chemical Markers ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Nutritional Profiling

Nutritional composition and neo-formed contaminant content in ultra-processed foods, amongst other factors, may contribute to increasing overall risk of non-communicable diseases and cancer. Commercial breakfast cereals (n = 53) were classified according to the NOVA approach as un-/minimally processed (NOVA-1, 11%), processed (NOVA-3, 30%), and ultra-processed (NOVA-4, 59%) foods. Acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content as heat-induced chemical markers was taken from our research team database. The NutriScore was used as the nutritional profiling system. Samples were distributed between groups A (19%), B (13%), C (38%), and D (30%). No statistically significant differences in acrylamide and HMF were found across the NutriScore groups. Sugar content was the only nutritional descriptor found to be significantly different between processed (11.6 g/100 g) and ultra-processed (23.1 g/100 g) breakfast cereal groups. Sugar content correlated with acrylamide (p < 0.001) and HMF (p < 0.0001). Acrylamide and HMF contents were not significantly higher in the NOVA-4 group when compared with the NOVA-3 group. However, trends towards higher acrylamide and HMF content are observed, amounting to a change of 75 µg/kg and 13.3 mg/kg in processed breakfast cereals, and 142 µg/kg and 32.1 mg/kg in ultra-processed breakfast cereals, respectively. Thus, the NOVA classification may not reflect the extent of the thermal treatment applied to the breakfast cereal but the type and amount of ingredients incorporated. Ultra-processed breakfast cereal does not predict significantly higher toxicological concern based on acrylamide content than processed breakfast cereals; a clear trend is seen whose contributing factors should be further studied.

scholarly journals Assessing nutritional value of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in the province of Quebec (Canada): a study from the Food Quality Observatory

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Julie Perron ◽  
Sonia Pomerleau ◽  
Pierre Gagnon ◽  
Joséane Gilbert-Moreau ◽  
Simone Lemieux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Quality ◽  
Food Supply ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Sales Data

Abstract Objective: The Food Quality Observatory was created in the province of Quebec (Canada) in 2016. In this study, the Observatory aimed to generate a methodology to (1) test the use of sales data combined with nutrient values to characterise the nutritional composition of ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals offered and purchased in the province of Quebec (Canada) and (2) verify the extent to which a front-of-pack label based on the percentage of daily value (DV) for total sugar, as a strategy to improve the food supply, would be distributed in this food category. Design: Nutritional information were obtained by purchasing each RTE breakfast cereal available in the Greater Montreal area. Cereals were then classified according to their processing type. Setting: The nutritional values of 331 RTE breakfast cereals available in Quebec were merged with sales data covering the period between May 2016 and May 2017. A total of 306 products were successfully cross-referenced. Results: Granola and sweetened cereals were the most available (36·6 % and 19·6 %, respectively) and purchased (19·8 % and 40·9 % of sales, respectively). When compared with other types of cereals, granola cereals had a higher energy, fat, saturated fat, protein content and a lower Na content. A larger proportion of chocolate (65 %) and sweetened cereals (49 %) were above 15 % of the DV for sugar. Conclusions: This study showed that the methodology developed generates important data to monitor nutritional quality of the food supply and ultimately contribute to improve the nutritional quality of processed foods.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Furosine and Hydroxymethylfurfural in Breakfast Cereals. Evolution of the Spanish Market from 2006 to 2018

Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Mesías ◽  
Laura Sáez-Escudero ◽  
Francisco J. Morales ◽  
Cristina Delgado-Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Process ◽  
Protein Quality ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Maillard Reaction Products ◽  
Reaction Products ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Damage Indices ◽  
Amadori Compounds

The demand for healthier products has led the breakfast cereal sector to develop new formulations to improve the nutritional profile of breakfast cereals; however, the increase in chemical risks should also be evaluated. Amadori compounds and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are Maillard reaction products applied as heat damage indices in breakfast cereals. Furosine (a synthetic amino acid formed by acid hydrolysis of Amadori compounds) is linked to the loss of protein quality, while HMF has exhibited toxicological effects in cells and animals. Furosine and HMF content was evaluated in Spanish breakfast cereals whereas the effect of protein, fibre, and sugar content, the type of grain, the presence of honey, and the manufacturing process were discussed, as well as compared with a previous prospective study. The average furosine and HMF contents were 182 mg/kg and 21.7 mg/kg, respectively. Protein and fibre content were directly related to the furosine content, whereas sugar level, honey addition, and the manufacturing process affected the content of HMF. Occurrence of furosine and HMF decreased nearly 40% in a decade (2006–2018). These findings are relevant in terms of nutritional score, since lysine availability is preserved, but also from a toxicological point of view, due to the decreased daily exposure to both compounds, which dropped 30%.

scholarly journals Nutritional Composition, Functional and Organoleptic Properties of Breakfast Cereals Formulated from Acha, Wheat, Cashew Kernel and Prawn

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. T. Emelike ◽  
S. C. Achinewhu ◽  
C. O. Ebere
Keyword(s):  
Wheat Flour ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Absorption Capacity ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Organoleptic Properties ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Crude Fibre ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Hedonic Scale

Acha grains and cashew kernels were processed into flour while prawn was processed into powder. Acha flour was used to substitute wheat flour while a constant percentage of cashew kernel flour and prawn was used as an enrichment in the formulation of breakfast cereals at the ratios of 70:0:20:10, 60:10:20:10, 50:20:20:10, 40:30:20:10, 30:40:20:10, 20:50:20:10, 10:60:20:10 and 0:70:20:10 of acha/wheat/cashew kernel/prawn and labeled A-H samples, respectively. The nutritional, functional and organoleptic properties of the formulated breakfast cereal was studied. The result revealed that the proximate compositions of the breakfast cereals ranged between 3.94-9.46% for moisture content, ash 2.09-2.98%, fat 8.30-15.20%, protein 9.17-14.65%, crude fibre 1.28-1.60%, and carbohydrate 60.97-76.66% with significant different (SD) between some samples and no SD in some other samples. Functional properties' result showed that the bulk density of the breakfast cereals ranged between 0.49-0.55 g/g, water absorption capacity 1.74-2.20 g/ml, oil absorption 0.18 - 1.09g/ml and the least gelation capacity of 2% in all the samples. Based on the 9-point hedonic scale used in the assessment of the organoleptic properties of the breakfast cereals, all the samples were acceptable by the panelists but 40:30 of acha/wheat compared very well with the sample substituted with 0:70 of acha/wheat. This is an indication that acha grains can be a useful raw material in the substitution of wheat while cashew kernel and prawn can be used to enrich the product formulated from the flours of these raw materials. This will increase the utilisation of abundant Nigerian raw materials, reduce the importation of wheat flour and hence, improve the economy of the country.

scholarly journals In Situ Monitoring of Sugar Content in Breakfast Cereals Using a Novel FT-NIR Spectrometer

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 8774
Author(s):  
Didem Peren Aykas ◽  
Christopher Ball ◽  
Ahmed Menevseoglu ◽  
Luis E. Rodriguez-Saona
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Total Sugar ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Snack Food ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Reference Analysis ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Cereal Samples

This research demonstrates simultaneous predictions of individual and total sugars in breakfast cereals using a novel, handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic sensor. This miniaturized, battery-operated unit based on Fourier Transform (FT)-NIR was used to collect spectra from both ground and intact breakfast cereal samples, followed by real-time wireless data transfer to a commercial tablet for chemometric processing. A total of 164 breakfast cereal samples (60 store-bought and 104 provided by a snack food company) were tested. Reference analysis for the individual (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and total sugar contents used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chemometric prediction models were generated using partial least square regression (PLSR) by combining the HPLC reference analysis data and FT-NIR spectra, and associated calibration models were externally validated through an independent data set. These multivariate models showed excellent correlation (Rpre ≥ 0.93) and low standard error of prediction (SEP ≤ 2.4 g/100 g) between the predicted and the measured sugar values. Analysis results from the FT-NIR data, confirmed by the reference techniques, showed that eight store-bought cereal samples out of 60 (13%) were not compliant with the total sugar content declaration. The results suggest that the FT-NIR prototype can provide reliable analysis for the snack food manufacturers for on-site analysis.

scholarly journals Free Sugar Content in Pre-Packaged Products: Does Voluntary Product Reformulation Work in Practice?

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Zupanič ◽  
Maša Hribar ◽  
Nataša Fidler Mis ◽  
Igor Pravst
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Free Sugar ◽  
Processed Foods ◽  
Sugar Consumption ◽  
Free Sugars ◽  
Packaged Goods ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Sugar Source

Ultra-processed, pre-packaged foods are becoming a growing part of our diet, while displacing whole and minimally processed foods. This results in an increased intake of free sugar, salt, and saturated fats, that have a profoundly negative effect on health. We aimed to assess the trend in free sugar content in pre-packaged foods in Slovenia and evaluate the efficacy of industry self-regulations designed to combat the excess consumption of free sugar. A nation-wide data collection of the Slovenian food supply was performed in 2015 and repeated in 2017. In 2017, 54.5% of all products (n = 21,115) contained free sugars (median: 0.26 g free sugar/100 g). Soft drinks became the main free sugar source among pre-packaged goods (28% of all free sugar sold on the market) in place of chocolates and sweets, of which relative share decreased by 4.4%. In the categories with the highest free sugar share, market-leading brands were often sweeter than the average free sugar value of the category. This indicates that changes in on-shelf availability towards a greater number of healthier, less sweet products are not necessarily reflected in healthier consumers’ choices. Relying solely on voluntary industrial commitments to reduce free sugar consumption will likely not be sufficient to considerably improve public health. While some further improvements might be expected over the longer term, voluntarily commitments are more successful in increasing the availability of healthier alternatives, rather than improving the nutritional composition of the market-leading products. Additional activities are, therefore, needed to stimulate reformulation of the existing market-leading foods and drinks, and to stimulate the consumption of healthier alternatives.

scholarly journals Evaluating the ≤10:1 wholegrain criterion in identifying nutrient quality and health implications of UK breads and breakfast cereals

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1186-1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahar Ghodsian ◽  
Angela M Madden
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nutrient Quality ◽  
Breakfast Cereals ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the nutrient quality of breads and breakfast cereals identified using the wholegrain definition of ≤10:1 carbohydrate:fibre ratio.DesignFollowing a cross-sectional study design, nutritional information was systematically gathered from food labels of breads and breakfast cereals that met the ≤10:1 carbohydrate:fibre criterion. The median nutrient content was compared with the UK Food Standards Agency’s nutrient profiling standards and the associations between carbohydrate:fibre ratio and other nutrients were analysed. Subgroup analyses were undertaken for products with and without fruit, nuts and/or seeds.SettingProducts from four major supermarket stores in the UK.SubjectsBreads (n 162) and breakfast cereals (n 266).ResultsBreads which met the ≤10:1 criterion typically contained medium fat, low saturated fat, low sugar and medium Na. Breakfast cereals typically contained medium fat, low saturated fat, high sugar and low Na. In both groups, as the carbohydrate:fibre ratio decreased, fat content increased (bread: P=0·029, r=−0·171; breakfast cereal: P=0·033, r=−0·131) and, in breakfast cereals, as the ratio increased, sugar content increased (P<0·0005, r=0·381). Breakfast cereals with fruit, nuts and/or seeds contained, per 100 g, more energy (P=0·002), fat, saturated fat and sugar (all P<0·0005), while seeded breads had more energy, fat and saturated fat (all P<0·0005).ConclusionsOverall, breads and breakfast cereals meeting the ≤10:1 criterion have good nutritional quality, suggesting that the criterion could be useful in public health and/or food labelling. The utility of applying the ≤10:1 criterion to products containing fruit, nuts and/or seeds is less clear and requires further research.

Mapping the snack and drink landscape in a large UK hospital site

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Allan ◽  
Maureen Heddle ◽  
Fiona McKenzie ◽  
Susan Webb ◽  
Marie Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Food Retail ◽  
Hospital Site ◽  
Baked Goods ◽  
Calorie Content ◽  
Product Sales

Hospitals offer snacks and drinks for sale to patients, staff and visitors. As food choice is heavily influenced by the options on offer, the present study audited the availability and purchase of snacks and drinks available in all NHS hospital sites across a large UK city. Data on the type and nutritional composition of all single-serve snacks (n=407) and drinks (n=238) available for sale in 76 hospital-based food retail units were collected. Purchasing data were obtained for products sold from a subset of food retail units over 4 weeks (6 units; 68,274 product sales). Single-serve snacks and drinks varied markedly in calorie content (snacks 18-641kcals; drinks 0-270kcals), fat content (snacks 0-39g; drinks 0-9g), sugar content (snacks 0.1g-76g; drinks 0-56g) and salt content (snacks 0.2g-2.9g; drinks 0-1.1g). Baked goods were the least healthy snack option (mean content: 383 kcals, 17g fat, 29g sugar and 0.4g salt). Most of the top selling products were crisps, confectionary, baked goods and hot drinks. Only 5/20 top selling snacks were healthy options. While healthy snacks and drinks are readily available in NHS sites, there is scope to reduce the availability of unhealthy options further and to support consumers to make healthier choices.

scholarly journals The “Zero Miles Product” Concept Applied to Biofuel Production: A Case Study

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 565
Author(s):  
Nikolaj Kaae Kirk ◽  
Clara Navarrete ◽  
Jakob Ellegaard Juhl ◽  
José Luis Martínez ◽  
Alessandra Procentese
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Content ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Transport Costs ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Product Concept ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Production Platform ◽  
High Sugar Content

To make biofuel production feasible from an economic point of view, several studies have investigated the main associated bottlenecks of the whole production process through approaches such as the “cradle to grave” approach or the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis, being the main constrains the feedstock collection and transport. Whilst several feedstocks are interesting because of their high sugar content, very few of them are available all year around and moreover do not require high transportation’ costs. This work aims to investigate if the “zero miles” concept could bring advantages to biofuel production by decreasing all the associated transport costs on a locally established production platform. In particular, a specific case study applied to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) campus is used as example to investigate the advantages and feasibility of using the spent coffee grounds generated at the main cafeteria for the production of bioethanol on site, which can be subsequently used to (partially) cover the campus’ energy demands.

scholarly journals Development and Evaluation of Geostatistical Methods for Estimating Weather Related Collisions: A Large-Scale Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110200
Author(s):  
Andy H. Wong ◽  
Tae J. Kwon
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
High Ratio ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Geostatistical Methods ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Statistical Measures ◽  
Weather Events

Winter driving conditions pose a real hazard to road users with increased chance of collisions during inclement weather events. As such, road authorities strive to service the hazardous roads or collision hot spots by increasing road safety, mobility, and accessibility. One measure of a hot spot would be winter collision statistics. Using the ratio of winter collisions (WC) to all collisions, roads that show a high ratio of WC should be given a high priority for further diagnosis and countermeasure selection. This study presents a unique methodological framework that is built on one of the least explored yet most powerful geostatistical techniques, namely, regression kriging (RK). Unlike other variants of kriging, RK uses auxiliary variables to gain a deeper understanding of contributing factors while also utilizing the spatial autocorrelation structure for predicting WC ratios. The applicability and validity of RK for a large-scale hot spot analysis is evaluated using the northeast quarter of the State of Iowa, spanning five winter seasons from 2013/14 to 2017/18. The findings of the case study assessed via three different statistical measures (mean squared error, root mean square error, and root mean squared standardized error) suggest that RK is very effective for modeling WC ratios, thereby further supporting its robustness and feasibility for a statewide implementation.

scholarly journals Nutritional profile of ultra-processed foods advertised in small food retailers

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C A Borges ◽  
C Kikuta ◽  
P C Jaime
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Processed Foods ◽  
Nutritional Profile ◽  
Saturated Fats ◽  
Food Retailers ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background It is necessary to analyze the nutritional profile and advertising claims of ultra-processed foods available in small food retailers. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional study that carried out an audit on small food businesses. Information was collected on advertising, price, ingredient list, nutritional composition and portion size. All investigated foods were grouped according to the NOVA food classification. Food advertising was categorized into 11 different consumer appeals. The relationship between the type of advertising appeal of the ultra-processed food and its nutritional profile was analyzed. A comparison was made between the nutritional composition of the advertised food and the recommendations of sugar, saturated fat and sodium of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Results The most prevalent ultra-processed foods in small retailers were sweets and treats (18.5%); sugary sweetened beverages (15.7%), sausages (12.0%) and baked goods (11.1%). Most of the advertising on the packaging of ultra-processed foods was about healthy eating and physical activity and sensory aspects of the product (color, flavor, texture). Foods classified as high in sugars had the highest number of advertisements related to healthy eating and physical activity, foods high in sugar and saturated fats, had the highest number of advertisements related to sensory aspects, healthy eating and physical activity and foods high in sodium and / or saturated fats, had more advertising related to convenience. Conclusions Identifying that advertising for ultra-processed foods is associated with health and well-being, physical activity and sensory aspects leads us to a better understanding of the factors that influence consumer perception in small businesses. Advertising for foods rich in sugar, saturated fat and sodium based on health and well-being should be better regulated by public agencies in Brazil, supporting consumers to make healthier choices. Key messages Ultra-processed foods induce to consume large quantities, due to the convenience and the advertising present in their packaging that stimulate a healthy life, physical activity and sensory aspects. It is necessary support and defend changes in nutrition labeling, in order to clarify the nutritional information to consumers.

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