Noodle is a traditional food prepared mainly with wheat flour, salt, and water. Antioxidants like phenolics in foods can remove reactive oxygen and protect humans against degenerative illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, it was aimed to improve the noodle formulation by adding ground marjoram (2.5%, 5%, and 10%, w/w) to improve the functional properties of noodles, and to determine the physical properties and chemical composition of control and fortified noodles. Some physical (color, texture), chemical (moisture, ash, fat, protein, extractable and hydrolyzable antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content), sensory quality properties of the noodles were evaluated. The results showed that the additional amount of marjoram caused a significant increase in the antioxidant capacity of the samples. The ash and protein content values of the noodles increased significantly with the addition of marjoram. Noodles containing 10% marjoram had the highest antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content, whereas they had the lowest sensory acceptability compounds.

Heavy metal contamination in food-grade quicklime sourced from various regions of Türkiye was evaluated to assess its safety for applications such as dessert preparation, cheese production, sugar refining, and pH adjustment in the food industry. Quicklime (calcium oxide, CaO), commonly used as a food additive, was tested for heavy metal content to determine compliance with international safety standards. Samples collected from different cities (Mersin, Adana, Bursa, Antalya, Balıkesir, İzmir, Manisa) were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). A total of 17 heavy metals-beryllium (Be), aluminum (Al), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb)-were determined. Concentrations were compared against internationally recognized safety standards, including those of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The results revealed that most heavy metals, including aluminum, arsenic, mercury, lead, and cadmium, were within permissible limits for food-grade materials. However, elevated levels of iron and zinc were observed, with iron ranging from 7.81 ± 0.00 mg/kg (Antalya-1) to 183.38 ± 56.70 mg/kg (Bursa-1), and zinc ranging from 11.78 ± 0.46 mg/kg (İzmir-1) to 18.52 ± 1.34 mg/kg (Manisa-1), although these levels remained below the recommended daily intake values. These findings highlight the importance of sourcing quicklime from reliable suppliers and implementing strict quality control procedures to ensure its safe use in food production. Additionally, environmental factors such as soil composition, industrial activity, and water sources, as well as production practices including raw material selection and processing methods, influence the heavy metal content. Continued monitoring and expanded research are necessary to maintain food safety standards and support regulatory policies for the use of quicklime in food applications.