Selected Mineral Contents in Wheat from Paraguay by X-ray Fluorescence

The two fold purpose of this paper is to determine the composition of selected elements in Paraguayan wheat and flour as well as to analyse the implications of the bromine/bromate content on bakery products： the use （malpractice） of KBrO3 as an additive in the bakery dough to improve the whiteness and other characteristics of bread is well known. Accordingly, selected minor and trace elements in eight varieties of wheat from the center and south areas of Eastern Paraguay as well as commercial flour samples and bakery products were analyzed by XRF （X-ray fluorescence） techniques. The examined elements were K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr. The results on wheat and commercial flour were consistent with those found elsewhere. With regard to the bakery products, in about 35% of the samples, the bromine/bromate content exceeded the normal Br values of Paraguayan flour showing bromate malpractice. From dietary point of view, it should be emphasized that KBrO3 is a complete carcinogen and its use as food additive has been banned. The employment of XRF to analyze bromine is easy, simple and reliable.

Microbiological Assessment and Shelf-Life Determination of Wheat Muffins Enriched with Domesticated African Emperor Moth (Gonimbrasia zambesina Walker) Caterpillar Flour

African emperor moth (Gonimbrasia zambesina) caterpillars are considered healthy food as they are rich in protein and unsaturated fats. In Kenya, G. zambesina caterpillars are predominantly found along the coastal region, where they emerge in during the short and the long rains. The caterpillars forage in the wild on mango (Mangifera indica) leaves and Euclea natalensis (Ericales: Ebenaceae) leaves. The caterpillars are consumed whole or may be transformed into fine flour. The caterpillars’ flour can be utilized in the bakery industry for the enrichment of bakery products since wheat (the major component of bakery products) is low in protein. However, consumers are concerned about the microbiological quality of bakery products enriched with insect flour. There are also concerns about the effect of these insects’ flour on the shelf life of bakery products since they have unsaturated fats. Therefore, this study evaluated the microbial quality and shelf life of wheat muffins enriched with G. zambesina caterpillar flour at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. For all the samples analyzed, total viable count (TVC) was <30 cfu/g, total coliform count (TCC) was Salmonella spp, and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected. The colonies for yeast and moulds were <30 cfu/g throughout the evaluation time of 21 days. The PVs of wheat muffins increased with an increase in the substitution level. The PVs of enriched wheat muffins increased with an increase in storage time and temperature. The shelf-life of the wheat muffins decreased with an increase in the substitution level of wheat flour with G. zambesina caterpillar flour. The predicted shelf life of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% wheat muffins was 120.0 days, 111.0 days, 103.0 days, 102.0 days and 90.0 days, respectively. Therefore, wheat muffins enriched with G. zambesina caterpillar flour have good microbiological quality and shelf life.

How Baking Process Conditions Influence on Occurrence of Furan and Its Derivatives in Typical Polish Breads

Bread is still the most important food in Polish households. Staropolski and Pytlowy are two typical Polish breads, prepared with wheat and rye flour. The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of volatile contaminants such as furan and its derivatives, and present a volatile profile of the most common furan derivatives in the described products. To measure concentration of chemical compounds such as furan and furan derivatives, fast and effective solid-phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry （SPME/GC/MS） methods were adapted. This study showed the differences in furan occurrence between Pytlowy and Staropolski, however, the greater differences were observed between different times and temperatures of baking rather than between the bread types. Clearly, the higher concentrations were found in products prepared during the longest baking time period of 50 min, and temperatures of 230 ℃ and 240 ℃. The highest furan level was detected in Staropolski 28.89 ± 1.16/μg/kg, baked for 50 min at 230 ℃ in bread crust. The volatile fraction of bread crust was composed of 5-9 furan derivatives while crumb layer contained only furan-2-pentyl. It was concluded that furan is present in almost each type of bread and percentage of furan derivatives in all volatile fractions ranged from 0.5 % to 60.6% in crust of examined bars.

Controlling the Risk of Bacillus in Food Using Berries

Introduction: Increasing the shelf life of foods without the addition of synthetic additives is a demand from both producers and consumers. Spore-forming bacteria are a problem in the food industry. To reduce their impact, it is necessary to use complex technologies, as well as ingredients with antibacterial or antibiotic properties. The aim of this study was to develop initial symbiotic combinations between lactic acid bacteria and berries to control food quality. The relevant ability of lactic acid bacteria in the presence of berry additives to inhibit the growth of Bacillus strains that degrade bakery products and dairy products was investigated. The antibacterial effect of berries on the growth of Bacillus mesentericus was studied. Methods: In this study was used inhibition zone test, also called Kirby-Bauer Test. The growth rate of bacteria was based on the measurement of the optical density at 600 nm (OD600). The method of Thompson et al. has been used to research the development of ropiness disease in wheat bread samples. Results: The diameter of the Bacillus pumilus growth inhibition zones under the berries action was as follows: aronia -18.0 ± 0.6 mm;raspberry -16.0 ± 0.4 mm;strawberry -15.0 ± 0.5 mm. Lactic bacteria in the presence of berry additives showed a growth rate, measured by optical density (OD) at 600 from 0.073 to 0.651 (for aronia) from 0.071 to 0.609 (for raspberries), from 0.073 to 0.597 compared to the increase in environments without added fruit, which amounted to -0.050 to 0.410. In the yogurt with added fruit, a synergism was formed with Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus, Lactococcus lactis subsp Lactis biovar diacetilactis. The influence of fat-soluble extracts of sea buckthorn, rose-hip, and hawthorn fruits on the development of ropiness disease when storing wheat bread was investigated. The general Pearson coefficient (microbial count and pH) for all fruit yogurt samples is 0.95066. Conclusion: The combined use of lactic acid bacteria and berries (aronia, raspberry and strawberry) had a synergistic effect on the risk posed by Bacillus bacteria. 1% of fat-soluble extract from the vegetable matter reduced the risk of ropiness disease in wheat bread. This is due to the cumulative effect of the berries chemical composition (antioxidants, organic acids, etc.), increased acidity, lowered pH, and water activity of the food environment, below the development values of Bacillus.