Sara Costa

Evaluation of the risk/benefit associated to the consumption of raw and cooked farmed meagre based on the bioaccessibility of selenium, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, total mercury, and methylmercury determined by an in vitro digestion model.

The bioaccessibility of total lipids, EPA, DHA, Se, Hg, and MeHg in raw and cooked meagre (Argyrosomus regius) was studied by using an in vitro digestion method. A risk-benefit assessment of raw and cooked meagre on the basis of the bioaccessibility data was carried out. The bioaccessibility of total lipids was generally high in raw and cooked meagre with exception of grilled fish. For EPA and DHA, bioaccessibility percentages were low never surpassing the 50% in raw, boiled, and grilled meagre. The bioaccessibility percentage of Se was equal or higher than 82% (grilling treatment). Likewise, for Hg and MeHg, high bioaccessibility values were determined with exception of grilled meagre, displaying lower values of 54% and 64%, respectively. The risk-benefit probabilistic assessment brought about a recommendation of a maximum consumption of two weekly meals for boiled or roasted meagre and three weekly meals for grilled meagre.

Survey into the seafood consumption preferences and patterns in the portuguese population. Gender and regional variability

With the purpose of achieving a deeper knowledge of one of the most important seafood markets in Europe, a survey into the seafood consumption preferences and patterns in the Portuguese population was carried out. A thorough, comprehensive, and simple questionnaire was developed. Consumers were asked to state their preferences towards fish products, their consumption frequencies, the average meal portion, and the usual culinary treatments. Respondents provided personal data: gender, age, geographical location, education level, weight, height, and health condition. This paper presents the first part of the studys results, focusing mainly on the gender and regional variables. Portuguese consumers prefer wild to cultured fish as well as fat to lean fish. Chilled fish is preferred over frozen, salted/dried, canned, and smoked fish, being the latter the least preferred. Soaked cod, hake, and canned tuna are the most eaten seafood products. Men prefer to a greater extent wild and smoked fish. Men consume more cephalopods and sardine and women eat more frequently hake, pink cusk-eel, and redfish. Coastal populations prefer wild fish. Algarve (southern Portugal) consumers exhibit a stronger tendency to wild and whole fish and consume more sardine and sole. Madeira archipelago consumers are particularly fond of black scabbard fish.

The emerging farmed fish species meagre (Argyrosomus regius): How culinary treatment affects nutrients and contaminants concentration and associated benefit-risk balance

The effect of cooking methods (boiling, grilling, and roasting) on the proximate and mineral composition, contaminants concentration and fatty acids profile was evaluated aiming to understand the benefits and risks associated to the consumption of the emerging farmed fish meagre (Argyrosomus regius). All the treatments led to lower moisture content. After grilling and roasting, the SFA, MUFA and PUFA contents increased. There was no degradation of EPA and DHA during the culinary processes. Significant retention of minerals in grilled and roasted meagre samples was registered. For Pb and Cd there were no concentration differences between culinary treatments and regarding raw fish. Whereas As level was higher in grilled meagre, total Hg and Me-Hg values were augmented in grilled and roasted meagre. The consumption of meagre is advisable due to the low and healthy fat, high selenium and protein content. Grilling would be the best culinary treatment due to the retention of protein, EPA, DHA and minerals. But as the risk of ingestion of Me-Hg content also increases, based on the risk assessment, intake should not exceed two weekly meals, provided that no other important Me-Hg food source is present in the diet. Otherwise, even this maximum threshold should be lower.

Utilization of Alkaline-Recovered Proteins from Cape Hake By-Products in the Preparation of Frankfurter-Type Fish Sausages

The objective of this study was to prepare a Frankfurter-type fish sausage with different levels of recovered proteins from Cape hake by-products and choose the optimum formulation using the response surface methodology. The simultaneous analysis of added-recovered protein (0–40%), pork fat (5–30%), and water (20–35%) on texture, color, and sensory evaluation was done. Two optimum formulations were determined: R1: 20% recovered protein, 5% pork fat, and 27.5% water; and R2: 20% recovered protein, 17.5% pork fat, and 20% water. Fish sausages prepared with these formulations showed lighter color and softer texture than pork sausages. The sausages prepared following the formulation R1 with two levels of carrageenan (0.5 and 1%) were significantly harder (p  <  .05) than those obtained with the formulation R1. However, no significant differences (p ≥ .05) were observed for work of penetration, elasticity, and cohesiveness. Sausages prepared with the formulation R1 and 3.5% of cod liver oil had 6.4% of fat and 658 mg EPA + DHA/100 g sausage, which was 3.7 times higher than in R1 product. The flavor and overall acceptability of these sausages with cod liver oil added were not affected.

Towards a deeper understanding of fatty acid bioaccessibility and its dependence on culinary treatment and lipid class: a case study of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata).

The bioaccessibility of total lipids and fatty acids (FA) in raw and grilled gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) was determined using an in vitro digestion model. The particular impact of grilling on the FA profile of seabream was also studied. In addition, the influence of lipid class on the bioaccessibility of each FA was analysed. Grilling did not change the relative FA profile, and only the absolute values were altered. However, the relative FA profile varied across lipid classes, being more dissimilar between TAG and phospholipids. Long-chain SFA and PUFA seemed to be less bioaccessible. Moreover, grilling reduced bioaccessibility of protein, fat and many FA, with the highest reductions found in PUFA such as the DHA. Strong evidence supporting a predominantly regioselective action of lipase during in vitro digestion was found, and the impact of this phenomenon on FA bioaccessibility was assessed.

Survey Into the Seafood Consumption Preferences and Patterns in the Portuguese Population: Education, Age, and Health Variability

ABSTRACT A survey into the seafood consumption preferences and patterns in the Portuguese population was carried out. Consumers were asked to state their preferences toward different kinds of fish products, to indicate their consumption frequencies of a total of 23 products, to mention the average meal portion, and to inform about the usual culinary treatments applied to the raw products. It was observed that the sensory characteristics of each product and cultural habits seem to influence serving size. For horse mackerel and canned sardines, an inverse correlation between education level and consumption frequency was found. Moreover, the consumption frequency of soaked cod, the main salted and dried fish in the Portuguese market, decreased with higher education. Older consumers were much fonder of wild fish and much more unwilling to consume farmed fish than the younger ones. It was also found that obese people deviate from other weight groups in that their preferences and consumption quantities are displaced to foods other than seafood.