A classification system to assist compilers in the evaluation of digestion methods for the determination of mineral contents in pseudocereals
13th International Food Data Conference (IFDC 2019), International Network of Food Data Systems, 5-18 outubro 2019, Oct 1, 2019
Plant based diet pseudocereals, as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat, are a rich source of minerals ... more Plant based diet pseudocereals, as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat, are a rich source of minerals that gained increasing attention of scientific community, especially due to their high nutritional value and health benefits. A rigorous analytical determination is necessary to guarantee an estimation of dietary intake as close as possible of real mineral intake. Reliable food composition data is a crucial tool to avoid incorrect estimation of mineral deficiency. Previously to analysis, a sample decomposition is required, which, can be undertaken by different digestion methods. The destruction of organic matter is a slow step of the overall analytical process mostly dependent on the content of significant components. Although due to the lack of certified reference materials for pseudocereals analysis, little information is available to assist compilers and analysts in selecting or comparing the adequacy of digestion method for mineral determination. This work aimed to identify the suitable digestion method for accurate determination of Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn, Mg, P, Ca, K and Na in pseudocereals assessing in terms of accuracy and precision framed by a quality system. Analysis, were performed according with ISO 17025. Mineral levels obtained, by ICP-OES, with the three procedures were compared. The adequacy of digestion methods to assist instrumental analysis on determination of mineral contents was score based on three categories of method performance: limit of detection, uncertainty and statistical comparability test. A classification system was rated based on method performance: the digestion method was rejected if results failed in two categories, classified as “use with caution” if results were not satisfactory in one category or accepted if the results passed in all the categories. All the methods were adequate for the determination of Mg and P. It was possible to obtain comparable results, with caution, from all digestion methods. This classification system is a useful and pioneer effort to assist compilers and analysts to scrutinize pseudocerals mineral analysis.N/
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Papers by Carla Motta