An urgent issue in the development of food technologies is the creation of biologically complete foods. It is well known that deficiency of various elements has noticeable effects on human health. One of these areas is devoted to solving the problem of preventing iron deficiency states. Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are common medical conditions worldwide. The analysis of statistics and the accumulation of new scientific facts about the pathological processes associated with iron deficiency provide grounds for confirming the fact that the fight against this phenomenon is an actual process. Current strategies for the prevention of this condition are one way or another related to food. The analysis of scientific publications made it possible to identify the main food-based intervention strategies: food and nutrition education with food diversification, biofortification, iron supplementation, iron fortification of certain foods, and food-to-food fortification. Finally, we discuss these strategies for the prevention of iron deficiency.

This paper investigates the effect of precursors on the formation of 3-MCPD esters (3-MCPD-E) and glycidol esters (GE) and discusses ways to reduce the concentration of these toxic esters in deodorised oils. As the content of oxidation products in sunflower oil increases, the amount of MCPD esters formed after deodorisation increases too: from 560 μg/kg (for oil with the peroxide value 1.06 mmol 1/2О/kg and the anisidine value 0.55) to 1290 μg/kg (for oil with PV=6.73 mmol 1/2O/kg and PAV=10.38). Thus, peroxides and aldehydes should be classified as the initiators of the formation of 3-MCPD-E. Accordingly, a way to reduce toxic 3-MCPD-E in deodorised oils is by preventing the formation of oxidation products during the extraction and processing of oils, or by reducing the content of oxidation products in oils before deodorisation. On the contrary, there is no correlation between the content of oxidation products and the amount of glycidol esters in deodorised oil. No relationship has been found between the content of natural antioxidants of oils, tocopherols, and the amount of 3-MCPD-E and GE. Increasing the pH of oils leads to a higher content of 3-MCPD-E resulting from deodorisation. As the number of acid groups increases, the amount of 3-MCPD-E increases too. Conversely, with bigger amounts of acid introduced into the oil, no additional quantities of glycidol esters are formed in the course of deodorisation.

Muffins are sweet, high-calorie baked products with a typical porous structure and high volume, which confer a spongy texture. Because of this texture and good taste, these products are highly valued by consumers. However, muffins have low nutritional value. The aim of this study was to develop a technology of muffins as a functional product with hepatoprotective activity using defatted milk thistle powder (DMTP). The incorporation of this dietary supplement was carried out by the partial replacement of flour in the classic formulation. Physico-chemical and sensory analyses were performed to evaluate muffins with and without defatted milk thistle seed powder. The moisture sorption isotherms of the porous structure were determined by the gravimetric method with a MacBen microbalance over a 0.05–1.0 water activity range, and the data were fitted to Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) and Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB) models. It was established that the addition of milk thistle powder reduces baking, increases the drying out of products and the water-holding capacity, and increases the volume and crumb density of muffins. The microstructure of the muffins was examined using a moisture sorption isotherm. The moisture sorption isotherms of muffin samples presented a sigmoid shape and belong to type II of classification. The hysteresis loops of the samples are almost the same, which indicates similar structural data. The capacity of the monolayer according to the BET models varied in the range of 1.63–2.15 mmol/g of the dried sample, showing a slightly decreasing trend for muffins with DMTP. The GAB model accurately fits the adsorption isotherms in the water activity range from 0.05 to 0.88. The sensory results from a consumer evaluation indicate that both samples were characterized by the traditional pleasant appearance of the muffin, without visible flaws and with a pleasant taste and a good flour aroma. The result is a muffin with the same texture and sensory characteristics but as a potential functional food.

Every year, the interest in functional nutrition is growing in the world. Consumers are increasingly rejecting products containing sugar, artificial preservatives, dyes, flavorings, flavor enhancers, etc. There is a growing public interest in healthy food products and the ingredients used in these products. Despite the increase in the price of such products, marketing research confirms the demand for them and the willingness of the population to "overpay for naturalness". The article is devoted to the development of the formulation and technology of a pastila-type product with a functional purpose using non-traditional raw materials (coconut sugar, fructose and blueberry powder) instead of sugar. The organoleptic and physicochemical indicators of the quality of new products were determined. The pastila-type products are enriched with protein, dietary fibers, minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc) and vitamins (C, PP, groups B, A).

A significant part of vitamin D, which is necessary for important vital processes, a person receives with food. Vitamin D affects the proper functioning of the lungs and the immune system, which can be important in the development, severity and course of allergic diseases (asthma, eczema and food allergies). The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the presence of vitamin D-containing foods in the diets of young people and the appearance of allergic diseases symptoms. The study is a cross-sectional descriptive survey of 223 first-year students of the Kharkiv State University of Food Technology and Trade (Ukraine). Using questionnaires, the frequency of consumption and food preferences were assessed in relation to 22 vitamin D-containing foods and for the screening of allergic diseases. The analysis of the results shows that the consumption of foods rich in vitamin D is at a lower level than the respondents’ desire to consume them. It is revealed that the main food source of vitamin D is chicken eggs. This fact speaks in favor of the fact that young people in Ukraine experience a certain lack of vitamin D. The analysis of questionnaires for screening for allergic diseases shows that, depending on the year of the survey, about 69% of the respondents had symptoms of allergic diseases. The survey suggests that foods rich in vitamin D are not among the preferences of young people. As a consequence, there is a definite relationship between the presence of vitamin D deficiency in young people and a high percentage of respondents with allergic diseases symptoms.

Over the past two years, a significant number of studies and statistical reports have appeared that prove the relationship between the level of vitamin D in the body and the severity of COVID-19. The main sources of vitamin D in the human body are food and sunlight. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intake of vitamin D in daily food rations by the students. As an applied aspect, consider the effect of the frequency of consumption of vitamin D-containing foods on the occurrence of symptoms of allergic diseases. The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey of students from two universities in the city Kharkiv (Ukraine). The data collection was carried out by a conducting questionnaire with three sections: frequency of consumption for 22 vitamin D-containing foods, identification of allergic symptoms, and an estimate of the average duration of exposure time to sunlight by season. The survey suggests that the rations of students are poor for consuming products vitamin D-containing foods. The classification of these products was carried out using statistical analysis of data and chemometric techniques. There was a lack of consumption of vitamin D-containing foods and a critical time spent in sunlight, regardless of the season. At the same time, a positive correlation between the presence of vitamin D deficiency in young people and a high percentage of respondents with symptoms of allergic diseases was obtained.