Metallic off-flavors are a frequent theme in discussions of food product quality, with publications dating back over 90 years. The causes of this unpleasant perception are diverse, ranging from unfavorable concentrations of micronutrients, the use of artificial sweeteners, processing, packaging, and storage, to side effects of pharmaceutical or chemotherapeutic agents. However, the mechanisms behind metallic sensing and its contributions to taste, smell, and trigeminal nerve sensations are still poorly understood. Although even defining oral/nasal metallic sensation has proven difficult, thought should also be given to possible biological activities of food constituents eliciting a metallic sensation though activation of ectopically expressed chemoreceptors. This perspective seeks to summarize and connect research conducted on different food-borne stimuli of metallic sensation, their sensory evaluations up to more recent contributions addressing the mechanistic approaches to identify chemosensory-active food constituents, and their biological effects mediated by ectopically expressed chemosensory receptors. With this perspective, we hope to spark interest in fully characterizing the mostly unwanted metal off-flavor, thereby laying grounds for increased product quality on one hand and providing novel insights into chemosensory-associated biological functions of metallic sensation on the other hand, which might help to understand and combat these sensations experienced in various diseases and therapies, e.g., platinum-based chemotherapy.
The tree Moringa oleifera Lam. provides its leaves, pods, flowers and seeds for human nutrition. The chemical profile of all these Moringa products varies substantially, not only among the different parts of the plants used. Cultivating, processing as well as storage conditions chiefly determine the contents of nutrients and anti-nutritive constituents. Anti-nutrients, e.g., phytic acid or tannins, are present in notable amounts and may affect micronutrient bioavailability. Although Moringa oleifera products have been promoted for several health benefits and are discussed as an alternative treatment in various diseases, risk assessment studies evaluating contamination levels are scarce. Recent investigations have demonstrated alarming contents of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and mycotoxins in Moringa oleifera products, indicating the need for a comprehensive risk assessment and contingent legal regulation of these products. In this mini review, we briefly outline pivotal, food chemistry and nutrition related data on Moringa preparations in order to stimulate in-depth research to close the presented knowledge gaps.
Regular consumption of hen eggs can help to prevent deficiencies of essential nutrients, such as essential amino acids, vitamin A and E or trace elements zinc and selenium, for vulnerable populations. This study focused on assessing the nutritional value of spray-dried eggs, favored by their manufacturability, storability and ease of addition to (complementary) foods. Using a wide range of analytical techniques, we recorded and compared the nutrient profiles of commercially produced pasteurized whole eggs and their respective powder samples spray-dried at 160°C. Important nutrients that were not significantly affected by spray-drying include total fat content, several amino acids, α- and δ-tocopherol, lutein, zeaxanthin, essential trace elements and cobalamin. The most notable mean losses were found for unsaturated fatty acids, e.g., linoleic (by −38.7%, from 4.11 ± 0.45 to 2.52 ± 0.75 g/100 g DM) and linolenic acid (by −60.8%, from 0.76 ± 0.05 to 0.30 ± 0.04 g/100 g DM). Despite recording significant retinol losses in two out of three batches, the overall low reduction of −14% recommend spray-dried eggs as a valuable source of vitamin A. A daily intake of spray-dried egg powder corresponding to one medium sized egg meets dietary reference values for children, e.g., by 100% for vitamin E, by 24% for retinol, by 61% for selenium and by 22% for zinc. In conclusion, even though a dry weight comparison favors supplementation with pasteurized whole eggs, our results demonstrate a high potential for spray-dried eggs as nutritional supplement. However, the spray-drying process should be optimized toward higher retentions of unsaturated fatty acids and retinol.
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