Evaluating Sweet Potato as an Intervention Food to Prevent Vitamin A Deficiency

Abstract: Vitamin A (VA) deficiency causes over 600000 deaths per year, mostly of young children or pregnant women. Populations prone to VA deficiency obtain about 82% of their VA from plant sources that are rich in pro‐VA carotenoids such as beta‐carotene. Orange‐fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) are an especially good source. We evaluated OFSP carotenoid concentrations, bioaccessibility, and cooking and storage, then used this to estimate the amount of OFSP needed to supply 100% of VA for people at risk for deficiency. The grams/day of OFSP needed to meet VA requirements varies with age and sex, and with the amount of beta‐carotene in the OFSP. Amounts ranged from 6 to 33 g/d (0.02 to 0.13 cups/d) for a 3‐y‐old child with marginal VA status; to 68 to 381 g/d, (0.27 to 1.49 cups/d) for a lactating woman with good status. These are amounts that can be eaten on a daily basis. The amount of OFSP needed to supply the VA requirement to all of the 208.1 million people most in danger of VA deficiency for 1 y is 2.1 to 11.7 million metric tons, or 2% to 11% of current world sweet potato production. The most important factor influencing the effectiveness of sweet potato for preventing VA deficiency, by far, is the variety of sweet potato used. Fat in the diet is also important. We conclude that OFSP could prevent VA deficiency in many food‐deficit countries—if OFSP were substituted for white, cream, yellow, or purple sweet potatoes.     

Effect of a multi‐step preparation of amaranth and palm nut sauces on their carotenoid content and retinol activity equivalent values

The preparation of a traditional sauce based on amaranth leaves cooked palm nuts or red palm oil (RPO) in Benin was described. The recipes included an optional step of leaf blanching at 100 °C, heating the RPO or boiling the palm nuts and finally cooking all the ingredients together. The influence of this multi‐step preparation on the carotenoid content of the final dish was measured. During blanching of amaranth leaves, violaxanthin was the only carotenoid to be significantly affected by the thermal treatment. Retinol activity equivalent (RAE) remained high after blanching even when alkaline traditional potash was added. Heating the RPO was the most critical step because it considerably and very rapidly (in <3 min) decreased α‐carotene, β‐carotene and RAE values (more than 70%). Sauces calling for palm nuts, RPO and amaranth leaves were equally advantageous in terms of final RAE value. These ingredients and sauces can thus be used in programmes to reduce vitamin A deficiency.     

Consumer acceptance of high-fibre muffins and rusks baked with red palm olein

The acceptance of, preference for and consumption intent for high‐fibre muffins and/or rusks baked with either red palm olein (RPO) or sunflower oil (SFO, as control) were evaluated by two consumer groups of 144 and 67 consumers, respectively, in order to determine the possibility of their successful inclusion as carriers for oils in a subsequent nutrition intervention trial. A five‐point hedonic and food action rating scale was used for sensory evaluation. SFO muffins and rusks scored significantly higher than RPO products on a number of hedonic dimensions and were thus more acceptable to the average consumer. Sensory attributes of SFO and RPO products received high scores by consumers from both groups (≥4.0 on five‐point scale), and consumers intended to eat them often (at least one per day). The RPO products were satisfactory in terms of acceptance and complied with requirements for use in the subsequent nutrition intervention trial.     

Contribution of plant-based sauces to the vitamin A intake of young children in Benin

A food consumption survey on 420 children was conducted in four areas in Benin to identify the local vitamin A (VA)-rich foods most frequently eaten and assess their contribution to the coverage of VA requirements of young children. Mangoes, eggs, red palm oil, various leafy vegetable (LV) sauces and palm nut juice sauce appeared to be the main VA-rich foods consumed. The recipes of the most promising sauces were characterised. Sauces with red palm oil/palm nut juice showed high carotenoid contents ranging from 0.9 ± 0.3 to 4.0 ± 0.8 mg Retinol Activity Equivalent/100 g dry matter (DM). Lipid contents were also high (from 39.6 to 66.8 g/100 g DM). When consumed, and taking into account the mean quantity eaten per meal, LV sauces containing red palm oil or palm nut juice contributed to the meeting of more than 70% of the recommended VA intake of young children.     

马来西亚棕榈油在食品和饲料中的应用及油棕行业可持续发展的研究进展

目前棕榈油是全球第一大产量的植物油,其性状稳定,含有丰富的维生素 E和类胡萝卜素等营养成分,且价格具有竞争力,因此被广泛应用于食品加工及饲料等行业。马来西亚作为世界棕榈油主要生产国和出口国之一,对全球棕榈油市场具有重要贡献。综述了马来西亚棕榈油生产、贸易及可持续发展状况,并对棕榈油在食品和饲料行业的应用进行总结,以期为棕榈油的消费和应用提供参考。     

An Overview of Carotenoids,Apocarotenoids, and Vitamin A in Agro‐Food,Nutrition, Health,and Disease

Carotenoids are fascinating compounds that can be converted into many others, including retinoids that also play key roles in many processes. Although carotenoids are largely known in the context of food science, nutrition, and health as natural colorants and precursors of vitamin A (VA), evidence has accumulated that even those that cannot be converted to VA may be involved in health‐promoting biological actions. It is not surprising that carotenoids (most notably lutein) are among the bioactives for which the need to establish recommended dietary intakes have been recently discussed. In this review, the importance of carotenoids (including apocarotenoids) and key derivatives (retinoids with VA activity) in agro‐food with relevance to health is summarized. Furthermore, the European Network to Advance Carotenoid Research and Applications in Agro‐Food and Health (EUROCAROTEN) is introduced. EUROCAROTEN originated from the Ibero‐American Network for the Study of Carotenoids as Functional Food Ingredients (IBERCAROT).     

Development of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Spread

Pistachio nut (Pistacia vera L.) is one of the most delicious and nutritious nuts in the world. Pistachio spreads were developed using pistachio paste as the main component, icing sugar, soy protein isolate (SPI), and red palm oil (RPO), at different ratios. The highest mean scores of all the sensory attributes were depicted by spreads that were made without addition of SPI. It was found that the work of shear was 0 to 11.0 kg s for an acceptable spread. Sensory spreadability, overall texture, spreadability, and overall acceptability were negatively correlated (R > 0.83) with the work of shear of spreads. The findings indicated that the presence of RPO had a direct effect on the viscoelastic behavior of the pistachio spreads. The a values, which are related to the green color of the pistachio product ranged from 1.7 to 3.9 for spread without addition of RPO, and 4.0 to 5.3 in the presence of RPO. Practical Application The development of pistachio spread would potentially increase the food uses of pistachio and introduce consumers with a healthier snack food.     

Carotenoid deposition in plant and animal foods and its impact on bioavailability

Over the past decades, an enormous body of literature dealing with the natural deposition of carotenoids in plant- and animal-based foods has accumulated. Prominent examples are the large solid-crystalline aggregates in carrots and tomatoes or the lipid-dissolved forms in dairy products and egg yolk. Latest research has identified lipid-dissolved forms in a rare number of plant foods, such as tangerine tomatoes and peach palm fruit (Bactris gasipaes Kunth). In addition, liquid-crystalline forms were assumed in so-called tubular chromoplasts of numerous fruits, e.g., in papaya, mango, and bell pepper. The bioavailability of carotenoids from fresh and processed foods strongly depends on their genuine deposition form, since their effective absorption to the human organism requires their liberation from the food matrix and subsequent solubilization into mixed micelles in the small intestine. Consequently, a broad overview about the natural array of carotenoid deposition forms should be helpful to better understand and modulate their bioavailability from foods. Furthermore, naturally highly bioavailable forms may provide biomimetic models for the improved formulation of carotenoids in food supplements. Therefore, this review paper presents scientific evidence from human intervention studies associating carotenoid deposition forms with their bioavailability, thus suggesting novel technological and dietary strategies for their enhanced absorption.     

棕榈油加工技术研究进展

油棕是世界四大木本油料之一,从其果实中获得的棕榈油年产量已超过大豆油,成为世界第一大油脂。近年来,热风、微波、连续式等杀酵技术,溶剂浸提、超临界萃取、水酶法等油脂提取技术,物理法、化学法及分子蒸馏法油脂精炼技术,以及干法、溶剂法、表面活性剂法等油脂分提技术的突破与应用大大促进了棕榈油加工业的发展。阐述了油棕鲜果杀酵、油脂提取、精炼、分提等工序,对棕榈油加工技术的研究进展进行综述。     

Factors impacting the formation of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) fatty acid diesters during palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil production

Recently, organic and inorganic chlorinated compounds were detected in crude and commercially refined palm oils. Further, the predominant formation mechanism of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) diesters at high temperatures (>170-180°C) was revealed. The present study involved the development and comparison of solutions to mitigate MCPD diester levels in oils from various stages of palm oil production. Partially refined palm oil samples and oil extracted from fresh palm fruits were submitted to bench-top deodorisation experiments. Application of glycerol and ethanol as refining aids during the deodorisation of refined-bleached palm oil proved to be moderately effective; about 25%-35% reduction of MCPD diester levels was achieved. Washing crude palm oil with ethanol-water (1:1) prior to deodorisation was also an effective strategy yielding an ～30% reduction of MCPD diester contents. Washing palm fruit pulp before oil extraction, however, was most impactful, resulting in a 95% reduction of MCPD diesters when compared to the deodorised control oil. This suggests that intervention upstream in the process chain is most efficient in reducing levels of these contaminants in refined oils. Following the study, a root-cause analysis was performed in order to map the parameters potentially responsible for the occurrence of MCPD diesters in refined palm oil and related fractions.     

Factors impacting the formation of Monochloropropanediol (MCPD) fatty acid diesters during palm (Elaeis guineensis) oil production

Recently, organic and inorganic chlorinated compounds were detected in crude and commercially refined palm oils. Further, the predominant formation mechanism of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) diesters at high temperatures (>170–180°C) was revealed. The present study involved the development and comparison of solutions to mitigate MCPD diester levels in oils from various stages of palm oil production. Partially refined palm oil samples and oil extracted from fresh palm fruits were submitted to bench-top deodorisation experiments. Application of glycerol and ethanol as refining aids during the deodorisation of refined-bleached palm oil proved to be moderately effective; about 25%–35% reduction of MCPD diester levels was achieved. Washing crude palm oil with ethanol–water (1:1) prior to deodorisation was also an effective strategy yielding an ～30% reduction of MCPD diester contents. Washing palm fruit pulp before oil extraction, however, was most impactful, resulting in a 95% reduction of MCPD diesters when compared to the deodorised control oil. This suggests that intervention upstream in the process chain is most efficient in reducing levels of these contaminants in refined oils. Following the study, a root-cause analysis was performed in order to map the parameters potentially responsible for the occurrence of MCPD diesters in refined palm oil and related fractions.     

Effect of tocopherols,tocotrienols, β-carotene,and chlorophyll on the photo-oxidative stability of red palm oil

Effect of tocols, β-carotene, and chlorophyll on photo-oxidative stability of red palm oil (RPO) were studied. Model systems of triacylglycerols+tocols, triacylglycerols+β-carotene, triacylglycerols +tocols+β-carotene, and triacylglycerols+tocols+β-carotene+chlorophyll were exposed to fluorescent light at intensities of 5,000, 10,000, and 15,000 lux for 7 h at 30±2°C. Changes in concentrations of tocopherols, tocotrienols, β-carotene, chlorophyll, and peroxide values were evaluated every hour. Light intensity accelerated degradation of tocols in the triacylglycerols+tocols system and β-carotene in the triacylglycerols+β-carotene system. Gamma-tocotrienol showed the highest degradation rate and β-carotene was the most sensitive compound to changes in light intensity, indicated by the lowest light intensity coefficient (z_i) value. The presence of tocols and β-carotene together showed protective effects for the photo-oxidative stability of RPO. The presence of chlorophyll increased the rate of photo-oxidation at high light intensities. Interactions between tocols and β-carotene contributed to the photo-oxidative stability of RPO.     

Washing bleached palm oil to reduce monochloropropanediols and glycidyl esters

The formation of toxic compounds, potentially carcinogenic, during food processing has been considered an important food safety issue. Among them, particular attention has been given to 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE), 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol esters (2-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE), which can be formed during vegetable oil refining, especially palm oil. These substances may pose a health risk to humans due to their toxicity and carcinogenicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of washing bleached palm oil (BPO) with different solvents, and evaluate the reduction of 3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE and GE as well as assess the quality parameters of the final product. For this purpose, we used two types of washing with different solvents. A single washing was carried out in one step and a double washing in two steps using a solvent gradient. Single washing had a limited reduction in the levels of 3-MCPDE and 2-MCPDE and resulted in an increased level of GE, whereas double washing slightly reduced 3-MCPDE and 2-MCPDE and resulted in a significant reduction of GE levels. The reduction achieved in this study was up to 17.1% for 3-MCPDE, 56.4% for 2-MCPDE and 76.9% for GE levels. The reduction of 3-MCPDE and 2-MCPDE might be due to the removal of part of the ethanol-soluble chlorinated precursors from the oil which suggests that highly lipophilic forms of these substances are present in BPO. The substantial reduction on GE levels might be associated with the removal of the precursors present in the oil such as diacylglycerols. Thus, the washing treatment could be used as a supplementary strategy to reduce processing contaminants from palm oil, especially GEs.     

Sensory odour profiling and physical characteristics of edible oil blends during frying

Edible oil blends containing 80 parts of mustard oil (MO) or groundnut oil (GNO) or sunflower oil (SNO) and 20 parts of sesame oil (SO) or refined red palm oil (RPO) or rice bran oil (RBO) were studied to determine the changes in their physical and sensory characteristics during deep fat frying. Odour evaluation by the trained sensory panel revealed that successive fryings subdued the intensity of typical odour notes of the oil blends. Intensity of sulphury, pungent and vinegar (sour) notes of MO, nutty and sweet notes of GNO, sweet and seedy notes of SNO, seedy and earthy notes of SO, husk-like note of RPO and beany and branny notes of RBO decreased significantly by end of the 7th frying. Apparent viscosity of the oil blends increased on successive frying. Colour measured in CIE system indicated that the dominant parameters were a+ (redness) in RPO blends, b+ (yellowness) in blend containing SO or MO and a− (greenness) in RBO blends. The redness component decreased and yellowness increased with successive frying in SNO + RPO blend and GNO and RBO blend, respectively. Applying principal component analysis (PCA) to the data showed seggregation of various oil blends as distinct groups exhibiting their typical and characteristic attributes. PCA also revealed the pathway of change of oils during different frying cycles. MO and blend of MO + RPO were characterised by sulphury, pungent, harsh odour notes and red colour; GNO occupied a quadrant with fresh-oil-like, green and sweet notes, and SNO was characterised by fresh-oil-like, seedy odour and yellow colour. Addition of SO increased earthy note and lightness value, while blends containing RBO had distinct yellow colour, increased heated note and higher apparent viscosity.     

Optimization of the refining process of camellia seed oil for edible purposes

Processing conditions during degumming, alkaline refining, bleaching, and deodorization of crude camellia seed oil were optimized to obtain high-quality edible camellia oil. Physicochemical properties of camellia oil were monitored during refining steps. RBD (refined, bleached, and deodorized) camellia oil obtained using optimized refining conditions fully satisfied Korean quality standards for edible oil. The iodine value of camellia oil was 84.2 mg I₂/100 g of oil. Camellia oil contained an exceptionally high level of oleic acid (83.1%), along with minor quantities of other fatty acids (8.9% palmitic acid, 4.8% linoleic acid). The total saponin content in crude oil was 437 ppm, as determined by gravimetric analysis. Most (99.8%) of the saponin in crude oil was removed during the refining process. The physicochemical properties of camellia oil were similar to olive oil. RBD camellia oil is virtually colorless and bland tasting and is suitable for edible purposes.     

Mass-defect filtering of isotope signatures to reveal the source of chlorinated palm oil contaminants

This paper reports new insights at the molecular level into the route of a worldwide problem of the food industry: the occurrence of monochloro-propanediol (MCPD) esters. The application of mass defect-driven workflows is described to generate a hypothesis on the identity and occurrence of those thermally labile, chlorinated contaminant precursors that may act as chlorine donors during the formation of MCPD esters. For the first time, holistic mass-defect filtering of isotope signatures is used to pinpoint completely unknown and unexpected chlorine-containing substances naturally present in various extracts of palm fruit and partially and fully refined oils. Supervised multivariate analysis showed the effective classification of samples from various stages of industrial processing, suggesting that these steps strongly impact a complex and dynamic pool of chlorinated substances. In-vitro experiments confirmed that several of these naturally occurring chlorinated plant constituents decompose upon heat treatment, thus potentially being a source of chlorine for further reactions with palm oil lipids in a subsequent chlorination cascade. It is hypothesised that during oil refining the organochlorines naturally present in palm fruits act as a 'chlorine source' for the generation MCPD diesters. This discovery implies that industrial efforts targeting the mitigation of chlorinated substances must intervene at the earliest possible production stage or preferably even prior to oil processing. Current performance and limitations of mass-defect filtering are discussed and future developments are outlined.     

Stabilization of astaxanthin in edible oils and its use as an antioxidant

Astaxanthin, a ketocarotenoid (3,3′‐dihydroxy‐β,β‐carotene‐4,4′‐dione), is produced in high concentration in the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. It constitutes 85–88% of total carotenoid and exists in the monoester, diester and free form. Astaxanthin in its ester form is fairly stable in all edible oils such as rice bran, mustard, groundnut, gingelly, coconut and palm oil at room temperature with variation in terms of its loss in content and colour during a 4 month period. Rice bran, gingelly and palm oil retained 84–90% of astaxanthin when heated at 70 °C for 8 h while palm oil was effective in retaining 90% of astaxanthin at 90 °C for 8 h without any change in its ester form in comparison to 90% carotenoid loss in aqueous form. At 120 and 150 °C, carotenoid loss was significant (60–90%) without change in the fatty acid profile of the edible oils. The antioxidant activity of carotenoids stored in oils was comparable to standard butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA). Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Short communication: Effect of blackberry and pomegranate oils on vaccenic acid formation in a single-flow continuous culture fermentation system

A single-flow continuous culture fermenter system was used to study the effect of blackberry and pomegranate oils on vaccenic acid (trans-11 C18:1; VA) formation. Four continuous culture fermenters were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with 4 periods of 10 d each. Diets were (1) control (CON), (2) control plus soybean oil (SBO), (3) control plus blackberry oil (BBO), and (4) control plus pomegranate oil (PMO). Oil supplements were added at 30 g/kg of diet dry matter. Effluents were collected from each fermenter during the last 3 d of each period and analyzed for nutrient and fatty acid composition. The concentration of VA in effluents increased with oil supplements and was greatest with the BBO diet. The concentration of stearic acid (C18:0) increased with the addition of soybean oil but decreased with the addition of pomegranate oil compared with the CON diet. The concentration of cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid increased with oil supplements and was greatest with the PMO diet. In conclusion, all 3 oil sources were effective in increasing the production of VA. The effect of PMO and BBO on VA may have resulted in part from inhibition of the final step in the biohydrogenation of VA to stearic acid.     

Influence of chemical refining process and oil type on bound 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol contents in palm oil and rapeseed oil

The formation of bound 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD-ester) in oils during chemical refining process was investigated for two palm oils and one rapeseed oil. Additionally, contents of mono- and diglycerides as well as total chlorine and chloride were determined. For all oils the deodorisation step representing one part of the refining process had the main impact on formation of 3-MCPD-esters whereas a direct effect of the other process steps could be neglected. 3-MCPD values in the range of 4–5 ppm for palm oil and 1 ppm for rapeseed oil were found. The chloride content was below detection limit. However, measurable amounts of total chlorine were found in palm oil with the highest 3-MCPD-ester contents. A considerable part of this total chlorine in the refined palm oil was embedded in the 3-MCPD-esters. On the other hand, content of diglycerides as the other potential pre-cursor was between 1% and 10% exceeding the 3-MCPD-ester contents by up to five magnitudes.