The aim of this study was to develop a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of acrylamide and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in corn snack products enriched with food industry by-products: brewer’s spent grain (BSG), sugar beet pulp (SBP) and apple pomace (AP). Development of the method included the study of different sources for ionization, different mobile phases, different extraction conditions as well as different methods of sample preparation. Finally, the single LC-MS/MS method was developed for the analysis of both analytes in one step with a duration of 20 min using a simple single-step extraction. The method with apparent recoveries of 91.4 and 90.4 for acrylamide and HMF, respectively, was applied for the analysis of non-extruded and extruded samples. The obtained results shown that the acrylamide content was <LOD (limit of detection) for all raw materials and non-extruded mixtures, while HMF increased proportionally to the content of added by-products in the mixtures. After the extrusion process, quantification of the acrylamide could be done in all samples. A higher amount of by-products entails higher contents of acrylamide and HMF, with the most significant effect in AP extrudates, where the highest content of HMF (6069 ± 789 ng/g) and acrylamide (5.37 ± 0.50 ng/g) in samples with 15% AP was observed.

High dietary sodium intake (DSI) represents a major health-related public issue in most countries all over the world. Such a diet can lead to increased risk of hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases. This situation has resulted in important public policies for various salt reduction strategies. One of these is based on the use of salt substitutes or salts with reduced sodium content. Among several options, potassium chloride (KCl) has proved to be a key nutritional ingredient for this purpose. It provides similar properties like common salt (NaCl), but with several unwanted side effects, of which the most important have relatively offensive side tastes: bitter, acrid, and metallic. To successfully formulate KCl-based salt substitutes, numerous taste-improving agents and formulation concepts have been used. The field of salt substitutes is mainly described in the patent literature. Since patents are both scientific and legal documents, careful and critical consideration is required when using them as a source of scientific information. This review brings a deep insight into the area of KCl-based salt substitutes with a focus on the patent literature through the eyes of food science and technology. The most important classes of taste-improving agents that have been employed in numerous formulation concepts of KCl-based salt substitutes are nutritionally acceptable mineral salts; food acids, amino acids, and their nutritionally acceptable salts; simple carbohydrates and sugar substitutes; food polymers; umami ingredients; spices, vegetables, and flavors; miscellaneous taste improvers; as well as a plethora of their specific combinations. A critical review of the respective patent literature is given.

The aim of this study was to evaluate Croatian pepper seed varieties (Podravka and Slavonka) as a new source of added value ingredients. Pepper seed is mostly considered a by-product. For the first time, the pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds of the Slavonka and Podravka varieties were examined as the source material for oil production by the two methods of extraction: cold pressing (CP) and supercritical CO2 extraction (SC-CO2). Further, fatty acid profile, tocopherols, and sensory analysis of the oils were examined, as well as the chemical characteristics and antioxidant potential of seed flour. The antioxidant potential of pepper seed flour was different between varieties (Podravka 107 antioxidant unit (AU); Slavonka 70 antioxidant unit (AU)). The Podravka variety pepper seed oil has shown higher γ-tocopherol content (CP 80.1 mg/100 g; SC-CO2 extraction 65.3 mg/100 g) than the Slavonka variety (CP 65.3 mg/100 g; SC-CO2 extraction 16.0 mg/100 g). According to the obtained results, cold pressing (CP) would be a more favourable method for pepper seed oil extraction, taking into account sensory evaluation and nutritional quality. The pepper seed oil has potential for culinary application with a nutritional quality comparable to vegetable oils of a higher price class.

Peppers are grown all around the world, usually for fresh consumption, as well as for the industrial production of different products. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seeds are mostly considered a by-product. Recent investigations have shown that pepper seeds have the potential to be a valuable source of edible oil and fiber-rich flour and protein after processing. Pepper seed oil is a high-quality edible oil according to quality analysis (nutritional, chemical, sensory and antioxidant characteristics) and is suitable as an ingredient for use in the food and nonfood industries (pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetic industries). The literature review presented in this paper revealed the high quality of two pepper seed by-products (pepper seed oil and pepper seed flour (Capsicum annuum L.)), which could guide the food industry toward new product development based on the circular bioeconomy.

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