Objective. To establish current knowledge about Colombian bee-pollen from a point of view nutritional and functional, contributing towards creating national technical standards and the identification of chemical differentiation factors for further researches. Material and methods. One hundred ninety-six samples of dried bee pollen were collected in the center region of Colombia known as Cundi-boyacense high plateau, where nearly 90% of total bee pollen production is concentrated in this country. Performed physicochemical analyses in this study were: moisture, pH, acidity, ash, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, dietary fiber, fatty acid profile and mineral elements. Results. Bee pollen from this region had 7.7±5.2 g/100 g moisture content, and a following centesimal composition based on dry matter: ashes 2.5±0.4 g; lipids 6.90±3.5 g; proteins 23.8±3.2 g and total dietary fiber 14.5±3.5 g. The most abundant fatty acids were α-linolenic, palmitic and linoleic. Carbohydrates were the main components and fructose and glucose the most concentrated sugars. The predominant minerals assessed here were potassium, calcium and magnesium. The results were also discussed in terms of the characteristics found in Colombian bee-pollen in comparison to international regulations and findings for other varieties of commercial bee-pollen from eight different countries. Conclusions. The results found in this study suggest that bee-pollen may be used as a dietary supplement and agree with bibliographical reports and international regulations. Such characterization will enable to be proposed technical standards in line with Colombian bee-pollen properties and it is expected to improve marketing and production chain conditions.

Quantitative analysis of carotenoids has been extensively reported using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and chromatography, instrumental techniques that require complex extraction protocols with organic solvents. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a potential alternative for simplifying the analysis of food constituents. In this work, the application of FTIR with attenuated total reflectance (ATR) was evaluated for the determination of total carotenoid content (TCC) in Cucurbita spp. samples. Sixty-three samples, belonging to different cultivars of butternut squash (C. moschata) and pumpkin (C. maxima), were selected and analyzed with FTIR- ATR (attenuated total reflectance). Three different preparation protocols for samples were followed: homogenization (A), freeze-drying (B), and solvent extraction (C). The recorded spectra were used to develop regression models by Partial Least Squares (PLS), using data from TCC, determined by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The PLS regression model obtained with the FTIR data from the freeze-dried samples, using the spectral range 920–3000 cm⁻¹, had the best figures of merit (R²_CAL of 0.95, R²_PRED of 0.93 and RPD of 3.78), being reliable for future application in agriculture. This approach for carotenoid determination in pumpkin and squash avoids the use of organic solvents. Moreover, these results are a rationale for further exploring this technique for the assessment of specific carotenoids in food matrices.

The optimal high pressure processing treatments (200–400 MPa, 5–15 min) of a pasty matrix of bee-pollen mixed with peptone water (1.5 g/mL) and bee-pollen added to a pineapple juice-based beverage matrix (0–10% (w/v)) were studied in order to guarantee food safety and maximum retention of bioactive compounds. Salmonella and yeasts were used as target microorganisms, while total carotenoid content (TCC), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (FRAP) were studied from the food quality point of view. For the pasty matrix of bee-pollen, the results showed a significant influence of pressure and time, increasing the levels of TPC, FRAP, and TCC, in comparison with a control sample. A treatment of 395 MPa for 15 min was found as the optimal. For the pineapple juice-based beverage matrix, the factors pressure and bee-pollen concentration increased the levels of TPC, FRAP and TCC. Optimal conditions were found at 315 MPa for 14.5 min with 8% (w/v) of bee-pollen.The authors thank the Colombian Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (COLCIENCIAS) and the Research Direction of Universidad Nacional de Colombia for their support, project AGL 2013-48993-C2-2-R and FEDER funds for resources.Peer reviewe

This review aims to study the alternatives to conventional industrial starches, describing uncommon sources along with their technological characteristics, processing, and performance on food products. Minor components remaining after extraction play an important role in starch performance despite their low percentage, as happens with tuber starches, where minerals may affect gelatinization. This feature can be leveraged in favor of the different needs of the food industry, with diversified applications in the market being considered in the manufacture of both plant and animal-based products with different sensory attributes. Hydrocolloids, different from starch, may also modify the technological outcome of the amylaceous fraction; therefore, combinations should be considered, as advantages and disadvantages linked to biological origin, consumer perception, or technological performance may arise. Among water-based system modifiers, starches and nonstarch hydrocolloids are particularly interesting, as their use reaches millions of sales in a multiplicity of specialties, including nonfood businesses, and could promote a diversified scheme that may address current monocrop production drawbacks for the future sustainability of the food system.

Dough is the first step to create baked goods that are known for their variety of presentations, textures, and flavors, divided into different groups such as bread, cakes, cookies, pizza, and puff pastries, among others. These products are mainly made from cereals or cereal-based flours. Particularly, starch and gluten from wheat help develop the characteristic textures of these products. Since the ingredients used to make these products are susceptible to damage during storage, alternatives such as freezing have been sought. However, storage at temperatures below the freezing point of water often affects the sensory quality of the final product, especially by minimizing the development of the texture after baking, resulting in a food with a limited volume because of the reduction of the number of viable yeast cells, or by the presence of overlapping layers which do not develop in the baking stage of the puff pastry because of fat syneresis. To mitigate the negative effects of low temperatures, the application of cryoprotectants has been investigated in the industry to improve the quality of frozen dough. In consequence, this review analyzes the relevant advances for the frozen storage of dough for baked products based on the use of additives such as cryoprotectants and the scientific evidence available to date to indicate the perspectives toward improving dough in aspects related to the development of sensory attributes, their technological feasibility, and shelf life.