Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals New Markers of Food Processing for Strawberry and Apple Purees

Abstract

In general, food processing and its conditions affect nutrients, bioactive compounds, and sensory characteristics of food products. This research aims to use a non-targeted metabolomics approach based on UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS to determine how fruit processing can affect the metabolic profile of fruits and, through a comprehensive metabolic analysis, identify possible markers to assess their degree of processing. The present study uses a real case from the food industry to evaluate markers of the processing of strawberry and apple purees industrially elaborated with different processing techniques and conditions. The results from the multivariate analysis revealed that samples were grouped according to the type of processing, evidencing changes in their metabolic profiles and an apparent temperature-dependent effect. These metabolic profiles showed changes according to the relevance of thermal conditions but also according to the exclusively cold treatment, in the case of strawberry puree, and the pressure treatment, in the case of apple puree. After data analysis, seven metabolites were identified and proposed as processing markers: pyroglutamic acid, pteroyl-D-glutamic acid, 2-hydroxy-5-methoxy benzoic acid, and 2-hydroxybenzoic acid β-d-glucoside in strawberry and di-hydroxycinnamic acid glucuronide, caffeic acid and lysoPE(18:3(9Z,12Z,15Z)/0:0) in apple purees. The use of these markers may potentially help to objectively measure the degree of food processing and help to clarify the controversial narrative on ultra-processed foods.

Impact of thermal, high‐pressure and ultra‐shear pasteurisation technologies on beetroot juice metabolites using untargeted nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

“…As shown in the PCA plots in Figure S3, in all the cases, treatments formed individual clusters in the pairwise comparison. In a recent study by Salazar-Orbea et al (2022), it was suggested that processing influenced the metabolites in purees of strawberry and apple that were obtained using cold crushing and hot crushing by a series of preheating, hot or cold pureeing, recirculation, deaeration, pasteurisation and vacuum concentration. In that study, where authors used mass spectrometry untargeted metabolomics, samples of different processing types formed distinct clusters, which agrees with our results.…”

“…At the moment, UST‐treated products are not commercially available. Numerous investigations have found that processing technologies had an effect on the bioactive compounds of food products (Lopez‐Sanchez et al ., 2015; Salazar‐Orbea et al ., 2022), but very limited studies are available on how different process parameters (pressure, heat and shear) affect the metabolites. The processomics approach determines the impact of food processing technologies on food products by identifying the components that are modified, and the process‐induced effects that are most relevant to quality to establish the relationship between the processing factors and the quality changes of the processed foods (Grauwet et al ., 2014; Xia et al ., 2022).…”

Effect of Storage Conditions on the Stability of Polyphenols of Apple and Strawberry Purees Produced at Industrial Scale by Different Processing Techniques

“…A recent publication in the field of metabolomics has led to the determination of some markers that can help identify the degree of processing in strawberry and apple products. 7 Shelf life refers to the length of time that a food product can be stored without becoming unsuitable for human consumption in terms of its safety, nutritional attributes, and sensory characteristics. 8 It can range from a few days to several years, depending on food formulation, degree and type of processing, storage conditions (time and temperature of storage), and packaging type.…”

“…Consumers generally believe that the industrial processing of foods makes these not only less natural but also less healthy. − However, processing makes food more edible, palatable, and safe, extending at the same time the shelf life of products, which in turn, is fundamental to reducing food waste. , But not all types of processing are the same; it is necessary to differentiate the degree of processing of the products. A recent publication in the field of metabolomics has led to the determination of some markers that can help identify the degree of processing in strawberry and apple products …”