Food and Nutrition
Food and Nutrition
With increased emphasis on health and wellness, food and nutrition has become one of the key elements in achieving these health goals. Food, be it fresh or processed (e.g. canned, instant, ready-to-eat, frozen and fast food), has become an integral part of our life. Consumers are concerned of the nutritional values they get and would want to know what is exactly in foods that they consume.
Additives and preservatives are commonly added in processed food to increase the shelf-life and nutrient content and enhance their appeal to consumers. Regulations and guidelines, consisting of a list of permitted types and quantity of additives in food, are established to ensure the safety and quality of food. Manufacturers would need to quantify the major components and additives and satisfy the requirements on food labels.
Health products and supplements are also gaining attention for its efficacy (in term of active ingredients), safety and quality. In all, compositional analysis of food is essential and could provide more insights on food and nutrition.
Vitamins play an important role in metabolism in the body in minute amounts. Because the body cannot synthesize it or cannot synthesize it in sufficient amounts, it must be obtained from food. In humans, 13 types of vitamins are recognized, and each type has a different function. Vitamins are divided into water-soluble vitamins that are easily soluble in water (vitamins B group, C, etc.) and fat-soluble vitamins that are easily soluble in oil (vitamins A, D, E, K). Water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins are usually analyzed separately.
Lipid is a general term for water-insoluble substances isolated from living organisms, and includes fats and oils, fatty acids, glycerin, cholesterol, etc. Among the lipids, omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, which are abundant in blue fish, have been reported to have functional properties such as prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and dementia, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. These are also popular as supplements. In the analysis of fatty acids, the common method is to extract the lipids from foods, convert the constituent fatty acids into methyl ester derivatives, and then analyze them using GC or GC-MS.
Amino acids are the smallest unit of protein synthesis. Many amino acids are known to be taste components, including glutamic acid, which is known as an umami component. Recently, the various physiological activities of amino acids have also attracted attention, and amino acids are being consumed as nutritional and functional foods. HPLC and LC-MS are mainly used for amino acid analysis, and the most suitable system is selected depending on the sample to be analyzed and the purpose.
Organic acids in food are important components that contribute to the deliciousness of foods, such as sourness and umami, and have also recently become a hot topic for their ability to promote digestion and have antibacterial effects. Analysis of organic acids is a useful approach in food development, but know-how is required to detect various organic acids specifically and with high sensitivity from samples containing many contaminants, such as foods. Organic acid analysis systems are used in food development as a simultaneous analysis method for various organic acids.
Sugar is one of the most familiar ingredients used in food raw materials and seasonings as a source of sweetness. However, there are many types of sugar, and their sweet taste and physiological activity vary greatly. In addition, in response to the recent diet and health consciousness, the development of sweeteners and functional foods is attracting attention, and research and development is active. Reducing sugar analysis systems are used in food research and development as a highly sensitive method for analyzing various reducing sugars from samples such as brewed foods.
The freshness of food also affects its taste, aroma, appearance, and physical properties. In order to maintain the freshness of food, improvements are being made in food processing and preservation techniques. As one of the freshness evaluation indicators, the K value is used to evaluate the quality of seafood.