Higher value-added foods: in vitro digestion simulation for minerals bioacessibility estimation and detection of adulterations by infrared spectroscopy and chemiometry

Abstract

High value-added foods presents, generally, relevant bioactivities and nutritional properties and consequently high commercial value. In this context, goat's milk and frescal cheese, plant based beverages and açai, have been highlighted in commercial scenario with good advise by nutrition professionals. Goat milk and dairy products have interesting nutritional characteristics as good digestibility because of them small micelles. The planted based beverages has been used as replacement of milk by people who are allergic and/or intolerant to milk, vegans and vegetarians, against this context, it has increasing his production and consumption, and already considered a tendency in health style life. Açai pulp is a result of a extraction of the edible part of açai fruit and has been featured in the past few years in national and international scenario per his "superfruit" status based on his functional properties. It is know that a suitable ingestion of minerals is essential for healthy human system, even though, the deficiency of iron and calcium are still serious public health issues. In order to supplement these minerals many food have been fortified, however the positive effects in decreasing diseases because of this procedure it is not always proved, in order to verify it is necessary the evaluation of the absorption of these elements. This analysis can be performed according several in vitro methods, the dialysis and solubility are the most commonly used. Nowadays, the INFOGEST proposed a standard model to evaluate the nutrients availability in vitro, nevertheless comparative studies about this method and those traditionally applied were not reported yet. On the other hand, expensive products as goat's milk and dairy products, plant based beverages and açai pulp are subject to fraud that can cause financial and health losses to consumer. In this scenario, quick and green methodologies as Near Infrared (NIR) with chemometrics can be applies as an alternative technique in food control process in replacement of traditional waste-timing, toxic and not efficient methods. Against this context, this research project aims evaluate the bioaccessibility of essential minerals of goat's milk and cheese and rice beverage and perform a comparison between traditional method of dialysis and INFOGEST method, and develop classification models using chemometric tools to analyze NIR spectra data to quantify/detect adulteration in goat's milk and cheese, plant based beverages and açai pulp. (AU)