The Risk of Undeclared Allergens on Food Labels for Pediatric Patients in the European Union.

The dietary avoidance of allergens has been widely recognized as the key intervention in the management of food allergies, but the presence of undeclared allergens makes compliance difficult. The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of undeclared allergens in food labeling through RASFF notifications in the European Union, focusing on those allergens that frequently affect the pediatric population and the implicated products, so as to provide useful information for its risk evaluation and the development of educational materials for patients. The results showed milk (20.5%), gluten (14.8%), and nuts (10.9%) to be the pediatric allergens with higher presences. In 80% of the notifications concerning milk and milk derivatives, the specific compound present (lactose or lactoprotein) was not identified. They were mainly present in cereal and bakery products, prepared dishes and snacks, and cacao and confectionery products, all of which are frequently consumed by the pediatric population. The large quantity (7.6%) of undeclared allergens in "free-from-allergen" products was also remarkable, especially in regard to the supposedly not-present allergens. Undeclared allergens in food products pose an evident risk for allergic patients and knowledge of them should take a relevant role in a patient's nutritional education. It is also necessary to raise awareness among manufacturers and safety authorities.

Are Food Additives a Really Problematic Hidden Source of Potassium for Chronic Kidney Disease Patients?

Dietary treatment in chronic kidney disease (CKD) recommends limiting the consumption of foods rich in potassium to reduce risk of hyperkalemia. Currently, the increased supply of processed foods on the market could be a new "hidden" source of potassium for these patients, which is causing concern among health professionals who treat them. The aim of this study was to check which EU authorized food additives contain potassium, its conditions of use and classified them according to their risk for CKD patients. In addition, the frequency of appearance of potassium additives in processed foods in a European sample through the analysis of 715 products labeling from France, Germany, and Spain were evaluated. Results showed 41 potassium-containing additives allowed in the European Union, but only 16 were identified, being the most frequent: E202; E252, E340, E450, E452, E508, and E950. The 37.6% of the processed products analyzed contained at least one potassium additive. The food categories that showed the greatest presence of additives were breaded products, meat derivatives, non-alcoholic beverage, ready-to-eat products, and cereal derivatives. Potassium additives are widely distributed in processed foods and therefore pose a risk of hidden sources of potassium in CKD dietary management. These results could be really useful for developing educational tools for CKD patients.

Frying Conditions, Methyl Cellulose, and K-Carrageenan Edible Coatings: Useful Strategies to Reduce Oil Uptake in Fried Mushrooms.

Despite being widely consumed and appreciated, fried food has the unhealthy characteristic of high final oil content. Therefore, alternatives to reduce the oil uptake of fried products are being researched. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 0.5% methyl cellulose and 0.5% kappa-carrageenan edible films, as well as different frying procedure parameters, such as oil temperatures (from 150 to 180 °C), and thickness of slices (from 2 to 6 mm) on the oil uptake of whole fried mushrooms and their parts. The results showed a lower final oil content when lower frying temperature and thicker slices are applied. Hydrocolloid suspensions of methyl cellulose and kappa-carrageenan, used as edible coatings, were effective at reducing moisture evaporation and, consequently, oil uptake independently of the hydrocolloid temperature. A reduction of 10-22% in the final oil content was achieved. Adjusting the frying parameters and the use of methyl cellulose or kappa-carrageenan as an edible coating were useful strategies to reduce the oil uptake in fried products.

How Batter Formulation Can Modify Fried Tempura-Battered Zucchini Chemical and Sensory Characteristics?

Tempura-fried vegetables are widely consumed and are greatly appreciated because of their characteristic dry and crispy crust, flavor and a golden-brown color. This study examined the effect of slice thickness, frying time and partial ingredient substitution in tempura batter with maltodextrin, ethanol, baking powder and cornflour on the rheological characteristics, moisture, oil uptake, color, texture and sensory characteristics of tempura-fried zucchini. The results showed an improved golden-brown coloring of the crust without affecting oil uptake when maltodextrin was included in the batter formulation. Moreover, dough viscosity and % pick-up lowered with maltodextrin addition. The partial substitution of water and wheat flour with ethanol, cornflour and baking powder resulted in a crispier and rougher crust that remained more stable over time but with less moisture and higher oil uptake. The substitution of certain tempura batter ingredients depending on the desired purpose could represent an interesting strategy to improve the quality of battered fried vegetables.

Is It Possible to Include Potato in the Diet of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients? New Culinary Alternatives for Limiting Potassium Content.

OBJECTIVE(S): Despite the nutritional benefits of potato tuber, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) should limit the consumption because of its high potassium content. Some culinary treatments have previously been suggested to reduce the final content of this mineral; however, these are either not effective enough or involve very long procedures that affect the final flavor of the food. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of culinary treatments on the reduction in potassium content in potatoes, offering new alternatives for minimizing the final content of this mineral to allow the increase of potato intake by patients with CKD. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fresh potatoes, canned potatoes, and frozen french fried potatoes were submitted to three different culinary treatments: soaking, normal cooking, and frying. Two types of cut were studied: strips and dice. Initial and final potassium content and % humidity in each cooking treatment applied on the three types of potatoes were analyzed. Potassium content was analyzed using flame photometry. RESULTS: Results show that potato soaking was ineffective for fresh raw potato, while normal cooking achieved insufficient reduction of potassium. However, when a soaking procedure was applied after normal cooking, it was found to be possible to leach up to 70% of the potassium, to final values of under 130 mg/100 g edible portion in both cut types studied. Subsequent frying did not leach potassium but rather increased potassium content; however, without reaching the 150 mg/100 g edible portion threshold. Similar results were observed for canned potatoes and frozen french fries. CONCLUSIONS: With this new proposed culinary method, the potassium content of potatoes is reduced to an acceptable limit. Additionally, the technique maintains a low-potassium content even after frying potatoes, thus allowing potatoes to be incorporated into the CKD dietary pattern.

Cooking Legumes: A Way for Their Inclusion in the Renal Patient Diet.

OBJECTIVE: It has been observed that the consumption of legumes within a varied and Mediterranean diet has beneficial effects in prevention and control of many diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recently, legumes have also been considered a good source of protein for CKD patients. However, despite their benefits, guidelines still recommend a limit to their consumption by these patients because of legumes' high potassium and phosphorus content, which are minerals whose intake must be controlled. The aim of this work is to analyze and compare the effect of different cooking methods in the reduction and final content of minerals in legumes to evaluate a possible increase in the frequency of their consumption by CKD patients. METHODS: Dried and canned chickpeas and lentils were cooked using different cooking techniques: (1) soaking, (2) pressure cooking, and (3) normal cooking. Initial and final potassium and phosphorus content and the percentage of humidity in each cooking technique were determined in both legumes. Mineral content was analyzed using flame photometry and nitro-vanado-molybdate colorimetry. RESULTS: The results showed potassium content reductions of up to 80% after soaking and cooking with final values under 120 mg/100 g edible portion. The initial potassium content in canned legumes was low enough, 100 mg/100 g edible portion, but with the application of a subsequent culinary treatment, it was possible to leach up to 95% of the potassium to almost negligible values. Reductions in phosphorus content were not as marked as those of potassium, but culinary treatments reach a phosphorus/protein ratio,11. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that culinary processing of legumes is a very useful tool to reduce potassium and phosphorus content to acceptable levels for their consumption by renal patients, allowing an increase in intake frequency. But, this also reveals the need to update CKD dietary guidelines.

Reducción del contenido de potasio de las judías verdes y las acelgas mediante el procesado culinario. Herramientas para la enfermedad renal crónica / Reduction of potassium content of green bean pods and chard by culinary processing. Tools for chronic kidney disease

Introducción: Con el fin de prevenir una posible hiperpotasemia, los enfermos renales crónicos, especialmente en fases avanzadas, deben seguir una dieta baja en potasio. Para ello, las guías alimentarias para la enfermedad renal crónica recomiendan limitar el consumo de muchas verduras, así como aplicar laboriosas técnicas culinarias para reducir al máximo la cantidad de potasio. Objetivos: El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el contenido de potasio de varios productos vegetales (frescos, congelados y en conserva), así como comprobar y comparar la efectividad en la reducción de potasio de distintos procesos culinarios, algunos de ellos recomendados en las guías alimentarias, como son el remojo o la doble cocción. Métodos: Se analizó el contenido de potasio de las muestras por triplicado mediante espectrometría de emisión atómica de llama. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron reducciones significativas en el contenido de potasio en todos los procesos culinarios estudiados. El grado de disminución varió según el tipo de verdura y el procesado al que fue sometida. En los productos congelados se alcanzaron mayores reducciones que en los frescos, y en algunos casos se lograron pérdidas de potasio superiores al 90%. Además, se observó como en muchos casos la simple aplicación de una cocción normal dio lugar a reducciones de potasio hasta niveles aceptables para la inclusión en la dieta del enfermo renal. Conclusión: Los resultados mostrados en este estudio son muy positivos, ya que aportan herramientas a los profesionales que tratan con este tipo de pacientes, lo que les permite adaptarse más fácilmente a las necesidades y preferencias de sus pacientes, así como incrementar la variedad en su dieta (AU)

Introduction: In order to prevent a possible hyperkalemia, chronic renal patients, especially in advanced stages, must follow a low potassium diet. So dietary guidelines for chronic kidney disease recommend limiting the consumption of many vegetables, as well as to apply laborious culinary techniques to maximize the reduction of potassium. Objective: The aim of this work is to analyze potassium content from several vegetable, fresh products, frozen and preserved, as well as check and compare the effectiveness in potassium reduction of different culinary processes, some of them recommended in dietary guidelines such as soaking or double cooking. Methods: Sample potassium content was analyzed by triplicate using flamephotometry. Results: The results showed significant reductions in potassium content in all culinary processes studied. The degree of loss varied depending on the type of vegetable and processing applied. Frozen products achieved greater reductions than the fresh ones, obtaining in some cases losses greater than 90%. In addition, it was observed how in many cases the single application of a normal cooking reached potassium reductions to acceptable levels for its inclusion in renal patient diet. Conclusion: The results shown in this study are very positive because they provide tools for professionals who deal with this kind of patients. They allow them to adapt more easily to the needs and preferences of their patients and increase dietary variety (AU)

Reduction of potassium content of green bean pods and chard by culinary processing. Tools for chronic kidney disease. / Reducción del contenido de potasio de las judías verdes y las acelgas mediante el procesado culinario. Herramientas para la enfermedad renal crónica.

INTRODUCTION: In order to prevent a possible hyperkalemia, chronic renal patients, especially in advanced stages, must follow a low potassium diet. So dietary guidelines for chronic kidney disease recommend limiting the consumption of many vegetables, as well as to apply laborious culinary techniques to maximize the reduction of potassium. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to analyze potassium content from several vegetable, fresh products, frozen and preserved, as well as check and compare the effectiveness in potassium reduction of different culinary processes, some of them recommended in dietary guidelines such as soaking or double cooking. METHODS: Sample potassium content was analyzed by triplicate using flamephotometry. RESULTS: The results showed significant reductions in potassium content in all culinary processes studied. The degree of loss varied depending on the type of vegetable and processing applied. Frozen products achieved greater reductions than the fresh ones, obtaining in some cases losses greater than 90%. In addition, it was observed how in many cases the single application of a normal cooking reached potassium reductions to acceptable levels for its inclusion in renal patient diet. CONCLUSION: The results shown in this study are very positive because they provide tools for professionals who deal with this kind of patients. They allow them to adapt more easily to the needs and preferences of their patients and increase dietary variety.