Comparison of nutritional composition, chemical preservative, and glutamic acid content of canned food with freshly cooked and home-cooked food products

Abstract

Thermal preservation using the canning method is a promising alternative for retaining the maximum quality of the foods. Recently, the rising awareness of the nutritional value of canned products has received the attention of various researchers, as canned food can offer both healthy and convenient solutions to consumers. The present study reported the nutritional values and presence of food additives and preservatives in different Ayam BrandTM canned foods in tomato sauce namely sardines (CS), mackerel (CM) and baked beans (CB), canned tuna flakes in water (CTF) and canned tuna in mayonnaise (CTM) compared to the fresh and home-cooked food samples. The canned products, CS and CM contain significantly higher (p<0.05) amounts of Omega-3 but are lower in protein compared to their fresh counterparts. The calcium compositions of canned sardines and mackerels are 10-fold higher than fresh and home-cooked, contributed by the soft and brittles bones which enriched with calcium. The nutritional values of canned products were maintained throughout the storage period throughout the span of 3 years, with insignificant changes (p>0.05). Regardless of canned or fresh food samples, there was no total dietary fiber, benzoic acid, sorbic acid and sulfur dioxide detected in all samples except for the dietary fiber in the baked beans. CS and CTM contained significantly (p<0.05) higher amounts of glutamic acid than their fresh counterparts and the glutamic acid in all canned products ranging from 0.001-0.37 mg/g which is within the acceptable daily intake of 13 g/day. The natural glutamic acid was contributed by the raw materials of fish and tomato sauces themselves. No MSG was detected in all canned products. Therefore, it is safe to consume canned food products that greatly representing fresh and home-cooked foods without compromising with the nutritional values