Milk is an animal-origin food with high nutritional value. After the milk is obtained, its composition is affected by the tools and equipment used (such as filter, holding tank) its environment and heat treatments applied to milk. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different heat treatments on the concentration of certain minerals and heavy metals in milk. Raw cow's milk, pasteurized milk (control, microwave, and infrared-assisted microwave), and UHT milk samples were used in the study. Al, As, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fr, Mg, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Se, and Zn concentrations were investigated in these samples. Al and Ni concentrations of whole samples were statistically significant (p < .05). No significant differences have been found in terms of other heavy metal concentrations. Furthermore, there was no statistical difference between the pH values of the samples (p > .05). Both Al and Ni concentrations were found to be very low in infrared-assisted microwave applications. As a result, infrared-assisted microwave application revealed that the level of Al and Ni concentrations in milk was low. Besides, heavy metal toxicity can cause a variety of diseases in humans. Therefore, the effects of heavy metal levels below or above permitted limits in milk on human health were discussed in this study. Practical applications In our study, it was found that both Al and Ni concentrations were found to be very low in infrared-assisted microwave applications. There was no significant difference between applications in terms of the contents of other heavy metals and minerals. For all these reasons, it was concluded that infrared-assisted microwave application may be capable of reducing the danger of heavy metals such as Al and Ni concentrations in milk. Further research is needed on the subject.

Stuffed pasta (manti) is one of the famous and nutritious traditional foods produced and consumed in Turkey. Traditional foods are special products having some cultural aspects of specific regions of countries. In addition to home-made traditional production, industrial production of manti has increased in recent years. Industrial production of manti using various techniques is likely to result in some risks or modifications in terms of its sensory and microbiological features. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine quality properties of manti samples produced by sole or combined applications of infrared (IR) and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiations and vacuum drying as compared to the traditional oven drying method. With this aim, some food-borne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes) were inoculated into the manti recipe prior to the production. Afterwards, the samples were dried with 17 different IR, UV-C and vacuum drying combinations, including the traditional oven drying method. In addition to the, total microorganisms and food-borne pathogens, some chemical analyses like Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) measurement as an indicator of lipid oxidation was also studied. In the results, application of 500 W IR drying method produced satisfactory results in terms of microbiological quality. Again, a bar-type IR drying method at constant temperature (150 ºC) seems to be a promising drying method for the industrial manti production. In conclusion, it might be suggested that IR drying method can be an alternative to the conventional method in industrial manti production.

Stuffed pasta or ‘manti’ is a traditional food consumed fondly in Turkey. For consumption, it is produced as fresh, frozen or dried manti. Frozen manti is cooked directly without thawing. The present study investigated the effects of different thawing processes on physicochemical properties and sensory qualities of frozen stuffed pasta (manti). The following five thawing processes were used individually: (1) infrared, (2) microwave (3) infrared-assisted microwave, (4) dry hot air and (5) running water thawing. The storing temperatures of manti found in the market were 10°C and 24.5°C. Consequently, manti samples were thawed up to these temperatures. It was determined that the shortest thawing period (20 sec) was that of infrared-assisted microwave process. The longest process was dry hot-air thawing (420 sec) in manti samples that were thawed until refrigerator (+4°C) and room temperatures (24.5°C). Thawing methods did not change pH, moisture values and weight gain (p > 0.05). It was found that sensory qualities and amount of dry matter passing into the water of samples were different (p < 0.05). It was concluded that thawing was necessary for frozen manti, and the best method was microwave thawing.