Journal of Food Processing & Technology

Analysis of the chemical composition of selected novel food supplements: Benefits and risks

International Conference on Food Safety and Regulatory Measures

August 17-19, 2015 Birmingham, UK

Eulogio J Llorent-Martínez

University of Jaén, Spain

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Food Process Technol

Abstract:

In recent years, consumerâ??s interest about the health benefits of different exotic berry-type fruits (and their corresponding juices, capsules etc) has rapidly increased. The most extensively consumed berry-type products (commonly called superfoods) in Spain are derived from goji, pomegranate, chia, açaí and mangosteen. All these fruits support the immune system and are nutrient dense. In general, they have a remarkable concentration of antioxidants, monounsaturated fats, dietary fibre, phytosterols, essential amino acids and vitamins. Although these supplements are claimed to present high levels of minerals, there are not enough scientific data to support this statement. In addition, the absence of enough data regarding the levels of toxic trace elements may represent a risk to the consumer. During the research, 26 elements were quantified and the obtained data critically discussed from the point of view of health benefits and potential risks due to the presence of toxic substances.

Biography :

Eulogio J Llorent-Martínez is working as a Research Scientist at the Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry (University of Jaén, Spain). His research interests include the development of automated luminescence sensors with applications in the clinical, food and environmental fields; the analysis of natural products in plants and foods by HPLC-MS/MS; the quantification of trace elements in foods by ICP-MS and the analysis of contaminants in foods by GC-MS. He has published more than 50 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member for different scientific journals.

Email: ejllorent@gmail.com