In oil-mills, olive-pomace recentrifugation is a common way to reduce pomace moisture and, at the same time, to recover the oil therein. According to current rules, the obtained oil is defined as “crude olive-pomace oil.” The aim of this work is to verify the effect of recentrifugation on specific chemical and molecular parameters of the crude olive-pomace oil, by comparing it with the corresponding virgin olive oil obtained from the same olive lots. In particular, the following were considered: (i) the polar compounds of the oils that include compounds originated from oxidative and hydrolytic degradation, analyzed by highperformance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), and (ii) the profile of DNA microsatellite molecular markers that was analyzed by using theHigh ResolutionMelting (HRM) technique.Theobtained results evidenced the significantly higher hydrolytic degradation of crude olive-pomace oil, compared with the corresponding virgin olive oil, but at an extent unlikely able to allow the detection of fraudulent admixtures with virgin olive oils. In addition, the findings demonstrated the feasibility of the application of the HRM analysis of DNA microsatellites to crude olive-pomace oil, able to reveal the alteration of the declared varietal profile of a virgin olive oil sample by simply checking the HRM curve profiles.

An investigation was carried out on the effect of adding increasing amounts of monoacylglycerols (MAG) - obtained from a purified soybean oil (PSO) - on the oxidation of the same PSO. PSO and the MAG/PSO solutions were subjected, during accelerated oxidation at 60 degrees C, to routine analyses and High-Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatography of polar compounds. The addition of low amounts of MAG ( 5-10 g kg(-1)) caused an increase of oxidation. Adding higher amounts of MAG, the pro-oxidant effect progressively decreased. The solution containing 30 mg kg(-1) showed the lowest oxidative levels. Therefore, the effect of MAG in PSO oxidation is not univocal, being dose-dependent.

Baking process leads to a huge quantity of newly formed volatile compounds, which play a major role in developing the flavor of the final product. The aim of this work was to investigate on the evolution of the volatile profile of taralli as a function of both the kind of oil used in the dough and the storage time. The volatile compounds from the taralli were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Forty-four volatile compounds were identified in taralli, most of which produced by thermically induced reactions occurring during baking process, such as volatiles deriving from Maillard reaction and/or sugar degradation and lipid oxidation. The results obtained demonstrated the essential role played by the type of oil on the formation and on the release of volatile compounds. The volatile compounds significantly increased during storage and their individual levels were in most cases significantly lower in taralli made with extra virgin olive oil than in those made with refined oils. Finally, the taralli made with extra virgin olive oil, compared with those prepared with other vegetable oils, showed to be more resistant to oxidation, probably due to the presence of natural antioxidants.

Several studies have investigated the interaction of free fatty acids with the oxidative phenomena involving oils during processing and storage. Nevertheless, the available information is insufficient and, in some cases, contradictory. The aim of this work was to throw light upon this matter, by evaluating - by means of different analytical approaches - the effect of adding increasing amounts of free fatty acids (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 3%) on the oxidative processes occurring in purified olive oil during oxidation at 60 degrees C. The results obtained showed that oxidized forms of triglycerides and polar oligopolymers of triglycerides increased during oxidation. Low amounts of added FFA caused a further increase of the levels of oxidized triglycerides and triglyceride oligopolymers - pointing out a pro-oxidant activity - while higher doses of added free fatty acids lead to lower amounts of oxidized forms of triglycerides respect to the purified oil. This could be due to an increase in peroxide decomposition exerted by free fatty acids when present in higher amounts.

BACKGROUND: The study of pro-and anti-oxidant compounds is important for their influence on the shelf-life and nutritional value of food. The aim of this research was to evaluate the activity of monoacylglycerols(MAG), obtained by partial saponification of a purified olive oil, added in increasing amounts to the same oil and submitted to the Rancimat test and oven test at 60 degrees C. Besides routine analyses, high-performance size exclusion chromatography analysis of polar compounds was performed. RESULTS: The addition of MAG led in all cases to a significant slowdown of the oxidative processes. These trends were more evident as the oxidation went on. The purified oil added with 30 g kg(-1) of MAG after 9 days of oven test at 60 degrees C presented a level of oxidative degradation significantly lower than the control after only 4 days. CONCLUSION: The data showed a marked antioxidant effect of MAG in purified olive oil, contrary to what has been observed by other authors, who noticed either a pro-oxidant or a non-antioxidant activity of these compounds in soybean oil. A different behaviour of MAG during oxidation could depend on the different fatty acid composition of the oil matter they are added to.

The growing sensibility toward those foods that are characterized by natural and healthy features has raised the interest toward alternative wheat cereals. This research was carried out to compare the technological characteristics and the bread-making quality of Khorasan wheat, type Kamut and spelt (cv. Forenza), to those of common (cv. Rio) and durum wheat (cv. Norba). The results obtained show that both Forenza and Kamut gave an acceptable bread-making performance. A certain variability affected flour characteristics (protein content, carotenoid pigments and alveograph indices) over the 2 years of experimentation, due to environmental effects. This reflected on the corresponding breads but the statistical analysis indicated that, on the whole, Kamut bread was characterized by a high content of carotenoid pigments. Regarding sensory properties (profiled by means of 11 descriptors of visual appearance, texture, odor and flavor) and loaf volumes, breads from Forenza and Kamut appeared different from each other but similar to those obtained from Rio and Norba grown in the same environment, respectively.

Few studies have investigated the effects of frozen storage on processed vegetables. This paper evaluates its effects on the quality characteristics of non-thermally stabilized tomato-based pâtés, in comparison with thermally stabilized pâtés stored at room temperature. Two different kinds of tomato-based pâtés were analyzed in terms of bio-active compounds, colorimetric parameters and oxidative degradation just after processing and for 4, 8, and 12 months' storage.

The aim of this paper is to offer a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the national and European legislative framework regarding the commercial classes of olive oils. The earliest rule in Italy dates back to 1890, while the current commercial classes have been set by the EEC Regulation 2568/91 and its further several amendments. Finally, future trends for European Regulations have been proposed.

Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. [L.] scolymus Hayek), summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) are widely cultivated for their immature inflorescences, fruits and seeds, respectively. Nevertheless, in some areas of Puglia (Southern Italy), other organs of these species are traditionally used as vegetables, instead of being considered as by-products. Offshoots (so-called cardoni or carducci) of globe artichoke, produced during the vegetative growing cycle and removed by common cultural procedures, are used like to the cultivated cardoons (C. cardunculus L. var. altilis DC). The stems, petioles, flowers and smaller leaves of summer squash are used as greens (so-called cime di zucchini), like other leafy vegetables such as chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.). Also the plant apex of faba bean, about 5–10 cm long, obtained from the green pruning, are used as greens (so-called cime di fava) like spinach leaves. Moreover, crenate broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forssk.), a root parasite plant that produces devastating effects on many crops (mostly legumes), is used like asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) to prepare several traditional dishes. In this study ethnobotanical surveys and quality assessment of these unconventional vegetables were performed. For their content of fiber, offshoots of globe artichokes can be considered a useful food to bowel. Summer squash greens could be recommended as a vegetable to use especially in the case of hypoglycemic diets considering both content and composition of their carbohydrates. For their low content of nitrate, faba greens could be recommended as a substitute of nitrate-rich leafy vegetables. Crenate broomrape shows a high antioxidant activity and may be considered as a very nutritious agri-food product. Overall, the results of the present study indicate that offshoots of globe artichoke, summer squash greens, faba greens and crenate broomrape have good potential as novel foods, being nutritious and refined products. Their exploitation aiming to the obtainment of labeled and/or new potential ready-to-eat retail products could satisfy the demand for local functional foods.

Recently, the quantification of fatty acids alkyl esters (FAAE) has become mandatory for the extra virgin olive oil classification. However, the behaviour of such metabolites, during olives processing, is not yet well understood. Thus, the present paper aims to point out the influence of the use of calcium carbonate on the fatty acids alkyl esters content of the oils. The results showed that the content of FAAE was significantly influenced by the technological coadjuvant. The use of calcium carbonate led to a general reduction of FAAE compared to the untreated samples. Methyl esters of fatty acids were more susceptible to the use of processing aid than the ethyl esters.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of cassava flour in bread making, and the sensory acceptability of the final product. Different baking trials were carried out by using egg white and extra-virgin olive oil, in consideration of their high nutritional value with respect to other food additives (i.e., hydrocolloids). Significant (p < 0.05) improvements of loaf specific volume (from 2.24 to 3.93 mL/g) and crumb firmness (from 9.14 to 4.67 N) were achieved by contemporarily including egg white and extra-virgin olive oil in the formulation. Cassava breads containing both these ingredients obtained the best scores from panelists for all the test breads examined and resulted attractive as the wheat bread prepared as reference.

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the use of High Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatography (HPSEC) of polar compounds of refined, mild deodorized, extra virgin olive oils as well as of their blends, in attempting to reveal significant differences in the amounts of the substance classes constituting polar compounds among these oils. Two sets of blends were prepared by mixing an extra virgin olive oil with both refined and mild deodorized olive oils in increasing amounts. The obtained data highlighted that the triacylglycerol oligopolymers were absent or present in traces in the extra virgin olive oil, while their mean amount was equal to 0.04 g/100 g and 0.72 g/100 g in mild deodorized and refined olive oils, respectively. Oxidized triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols were more abundant in mild deodorized oil and refined oil than in extra virgin olive oil. The Factorial Discriminant Analysis of the data showed that the HPSEC analysis could reveal the presence of refined/mild deodorized oils in extra virgin olive oils. In particular, the classification functions obtained allowed designation of mixtures containing at least 30 g/100 g of mild deodorized oil and all those containing refined olive oil as deodorized oil, therefore as oils subjected to at least a mild refining treatment.

Un’indagine sperimentale è stata effettuata su taralli preparati con olio di oliva allo scopo di caratterizzarne il profilo aromatico durante la conservazione sia attraverso la tecnica analitica della microestrazione in fase solida (Solid-Phase MicroExtraction), sia attraverso la valutazione sensoriale eseguita da un panel addestrato. I risultati complessivamente ottenuti hanno evidenziato che l’analisi SPME/GCMS dei composti volatili risultava utile a valutare le caratteristiche sensoriali dei taralli nel corso della conservazione. In particolare, l’ossidazione della frazione lipidica causava un peggioramento complessivo della qualità dell’alimento e ne pregiudicava la conservazione.

Among the compounds deriving from lipid degradation considerable importance should be given to the products of triacylglycerols hydrolysis, as well as those arising from oxidation. It was shown, in fact, that some of these compounds could have pro-oxidant activity, and therefore affect the shelf-life of foods and their nutritional value, with obvious implications to the consumers' health. The aim of the present research was to evaluate the role of partial acylglycerols and free fatty acids on the evolution of oxidation in vegetable oils. At the purpose, purified diacylglyerols, monoacylglycerols and free fatty acids were added in percent amounts between 0.25% and 3% to vegetable purified oils prepared in laboratory; the mixtures obtained were subjected to Rancimat test. The results showed a different behavior towards the oxidative stability of oils of the different partial acylglycerols considered.

Nowadays, olive oil extraction is basically made by means of two-phase decanters, which allow to reduce water consumption and leaching of phenolic compounds. Despite this, most of the working settings derive from studies carried out on three-phase decanters. Hence, aim of the present study has been assessing the influence of two-phase decanter feed pipe position (FP) on the extraction efficiency and chemical-sensory characteristics of virgin olive oil. Three different positions have been considered, at 825 mm (FP1), 610 mm (FP2), and 520 mm (FP3) from the outlet of the oily phase.

The effect of drying temperatures on the profile of volatile compounds of pasta was studied. The solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry allowed to identify 72 volatile compounds in the samples of not-dried, low-temperature-dried (LT-dried), high-temperature-dried (HT-dried), and wrongly very-high-temperature-dried (WVHT-dried) pastas. The samples of not-dried pasta contained alcohols, aldehydes, short-chain ketones, esters, furans, and some sulfur compounds. In the LT-dried pasta, the volatile aldehydes derived from lipid oxidation were more abundant than in HT-dried pasta. HT-dried pasta showed higher levels of furan and furan derivatives (especially 2-furanmethanol), derived from the Maillard reaction, than LT-dried pasta (p < 0.05). Pyrazines arose from WVHT treatment. Significant differences were observed also for the color indices when comparing pasta subjected to LT and HT drying (p < 0.001). Several volatile Maillard reaction products were significantly correlated (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) to a* and 100 − L*. The ratio aldehydes/furans allowed distinguishing in a significant way the treatments, independently from the lot characteristics.

The aim of this research was the chemical, microbiological, and sensory characterization of new ingredient formulations of olive-based pâtés, since few studies are present in the literature regarding table olive-based processed products. Three ingredient formulations were selected by consumer test on the basis of the scores of odour and taste descriptors, higher than 6. The chemical and sensory analyses allowed to clearly differentiate all ingredient formulations on the basis of both composition and volatile profile. Microbiological data were in the normal ranges for similar products and excluded the presence of pathogens. Finally, no off-flavour was perceveid in the tested formulations.

Besides the variety of colours and flavours, microgreens show interesting nutritional properties, mainly regarding their contents of mineral nutrients and bioactive compounds. To date, the literature has prevalently focused on the individual nutritional features of microgreens usually belonging to Brassicaceae. The present study reports an articulated nutritional profile of six genotypes of microgreens, belonging to three species and two families: chicory (Cichorium intybus L., Puglia's local variety 'Molfetta', CM, and cultivar 'Italico a costa rossa', CR) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. Group crispa, cultivar 'Bionda da taglio', LB, and 'Trocadero', LT), from Asteraceae; and broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Group italica Plenk, Puglia's local variety 'Mugnuli', BM, and cultivar 'Natalino', BN) from Brassicaceae. All the microgreens, except LB, can be considered good sources of Ca, whilst LT and CM also showed considerable amounts of K. As regards bioactive compounds, Brassica microgreens were the richest in phenolic antioxidants. The microgreens also presented higher amounts of α-tocopherol and carotenoids compared to mature vegetables. In particular, broccoli microgreens and LB showed the highest amounts of vitamin E, while Asteraceae microgreens presented the highest levels of carotenoids. Due to their delicate tissues, fresh cut microgreens showed a shelf life not exceeding ten days at 5 °C. The results obtained highlight the possibility to exploit genetic biodiversity in order to obtain tailored microgreens with the desired nutritional profiles, with particular regard to mineral nutrients and bioactive compounds. Appropriate pre- and post-harvest strategies should be developed, so as to allow microgreens to retain as long as possible their nutritional value.

The aim of thiswork was to characterize the physico-chemical, sensory and volatile profile of functional biscuits enriched with grape marc extract. Control biscuits, without the addition of extract, were produced for comparisons. The enriched biscuits showed higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity than control.Moreover, they had higher sensory scores for color (confirmed by greater values of a* and 100-L*), fruity odor, and sour taste, coupled with lower friability. The volatile analysis pointed out higher amounts of compounds derived from Maillard reaction (with the exception of pyrazines) and from lipid oxidation. The latter, imputable to the presence of grape seeds in rawmaterials, were far fromprovoking off-flavors. The principal components analysis, carried out on the volatile compounds and color data, discriminated biscuit types on the basis of the presence of grape marc extract. PC1 explained 68% of data variability.

An experimental investigation was carried out with the aim to evaluate the pro-oxidant activity of oxidized triacylglycerols and compare it with that observed for polar triacylglycerol oligopolymers. The research on these classes of substances, that form during processing and storage of fats and oils, has a great concern with the study of the effect of heat in technologic processes, such as vegetable oils refining, frying and cooking. Oxidized triacylglycerols and polar triacylglycerol oligopolymers, obtained in purity by preparative gel permeation chromatography, were added in amounts of 0.25e1 g/100 g both to a purified and an unpurified olive oil. Regarding the oxidized triacylglycerols, the accelerated oxidation tests showed that the induction times of both oils significantly decreased at increasing concentrations of these compounds, demonstrating their pro-oxidant effect. Moreover, the data showed that the prooxidant activity of oxidized triacylglycerols was greater than that of polar triacylglycerol oligopolymers.

Baking process leads to a huge quantity of newly formed volatile compounds, which play a major role in developing the flavor of the final product. The aim of this work was to investigate on the evolution of the volatile profile of taralli as a function of both the kind of oil used in the dough and the storage time. The volatile compounds from the taralli were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction and analyzed by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Forty-four volatile compounds were identified in taralli, most of which produced by thermically induced reactions occurring during baking process, such as volatiles deriving from Maillard reaction and/or sugar degradation and lipid oxidation. The results obtained demonstrated the essential role played by the type of oil on the formation and on the release of volatile compounds. The volatile compounds significantly increased during storage and their individual levels were in most cases significantly lower in taralli made with extra virgin olive oil than in those made with refined oils. Finally, the taralli made with extra virgin olive oil, compared with those prepared with other vegetable oils, showed to be more resistant to oxidation, probably due to the presence of natural antioxidants.

In a future scenario where the world population will have doubled by 2050, legumes will be playing an important role in human nutrition since they are an inexpensive, protein-rich food source. In order to increase legume consumption, innovative solutions are needed to meet the needs of modern consumers. In this context, the aim of this study has been to set up pre-cooked legume-based burgers that couple high nutritional value and good sensory features and to evaluate their chemical, nutritional and textural profile, as well as the consumers acceptance based on the type of cereal used. The proposed legume-based burgers were characterized by fatty-acid and amino acid profile fulfilling the dietary guidelines. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids accounted for about 61% of the total fatty acids, so that more than 20% of the total energy values of the burgers were provided by MUFA. Moreover, fiber content was comprised between 5.58% and 7.88% of fresh matter, so as to meet the requirements for ‘high fiber’ and/or for ‘source of fiber’ nutritional claims. Through a careful choice of the ingredient ratios we achieved a good level of consumer's appreciation, with scores higher than 6.5 for all the parameters considered, indicating good possibilities for industrial upscaling.

In previous investigations natural antioxidants were proven to be effective in slowing down oxidative processes in breakfast cereals and limiting, as a consequence, the onset of off-flavours during storage. The list of the ingredients, on the other hand, is one of the aspects that can be taken in consideration in order to preserve the product properties during its shelf-life: the choice of a suitable packaging, in fact, should be considered with the same attention, since the extreme market segmentation lead to many different packaging solutions. The present work was aimed to investigate on the behaviour of natural antioxidants in breakfast cereals stored for 180 days in different commercial packages: a double-layer coextruded polypropylene bag and a high density polyethylene bag combined with a cardboard box. Qualitative descriptive sensory analysis was performed on these products. The results obtained showed interesting interactions between antioxidant and packaging: the polyethylene packaging sensibly improved the sensory properties of the product, acting in synergy with the employed antioxidants.

An experimental investigation was carried out with the aim to understand the oxidative and hydrolytic phenomena involving the lipid fraction of vacuum-packed sausages during long-term storage (5 months) and to verify their influence on the sensory characteristics. The data obtained pointed out that the oxidation was more pronounced in the initial stages of storage than in the further period, while the hydrolysis of lipid fraction significantly advanced during the whole storage time, supported by the high moisture level of the product. Both these phenomena resulted to be correlated with the sensory decay of the product. In particular, in the first stage of vacuum storage overall acceptability was found to be negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with rancid taste, acid value, and oxidized triacylglycerols. In the further stage the oxidative processes slowed down and affected in a lesser extent the sensory properties, which were more distinctly characterized by the onset of pungent perception attributed to compounds arising from multiple origins such as carbohydrate fermentation. This investigation confirmed the unreliability of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test and the usefulness of high performance size exclusion chromatography analysis of the polar compounds of the lipid fraction to correctly determine the levels of the oxidative and hydrolytic degradation of the lipid fraction of vacuum-packed ripened sausages during long-term storage.