RESUMO
One of the salting methods in cheese production implies salting the milk before coagulation used in making Domiati-type cheeses and a variety of autochthonous "Licki Skripavac" cheese. The most used sodium replacer is potassium. This study investigated the influence of different added salt concentrations (1%, 1.5%, and 2%) and NaCl to KCl ratios (100%, 50:50%, 25:75%) on the rennet coagulation and curd firmness in bovine milk. The milk coagulation parameters were determined with a computerized renneting meter, Lactodinamograph. The results showed significant interactions between the salt concentrations and NaCl to KCl ratios (p < 0.0001, α = 0.05) by prolonging the beginning of coagulation (10-20 min) and curd firming rate (1-5 min) by an increase in salt concentration for all treatments. The 50:50 treatment values (RCT, k20, a30, a60, amax) were closest to the control (without salt) and had the best results among all treatments in the lower (1%) and medium (1.5%) salt concentration (p > 0.0001, α = 0.05) while in the highest salt concentration (2%) the treatment effect was nonsignificant (p > 0.05). These results should help future studies make a lower sodium product appealing to consumers without losing quality.
RESUMO
BPA is a plasticizer for the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and is widely used in the production of household goods, including food packaging. Free BPA is known to migrate from packaging to food, and its uptake has been associated with adverse health effect, particularly the disruption of endocrine activity. The presence and migration of BPA from plastic consumer products are subject to strict regulation in the EU. The aim of this study is to analyse the migration of BPA from different packaging items and household products sold on the Croatian market. To simulate real life exposure, we treated samples with a food simulant. The analytical performance was confirmed with the EU requirements. BPA levels were assessed in 61 samples by HPLC-FLD and the LOQ of the method was 0.005 mg kg-1 for the food simulant. These results showed that the levels of BPA that migrated to the food simulant were below LOQ and in accordance with the specific migration limit into food, which was defined as 0.05 mg kg-1 for all samples. None of the analysed products presented a health hazard. However, these regulations do not refer to products intended for children's use, in which BPA is banned. Furthermore, regulations require testing before putting products on the market, and previous research shows that possible BPA migration occurs due to various uses, along with a cumulative effect of exposure from even very small concentrations. Therefore, for accurate BPA consumer exposure evaluation and possible health risks, a comprehensive approach is needed.
