No abstract

Salt consumption in many countries of the world exceeds the level recommended by WHO (5 g/day), which is associated with negative effects on health. Public health strategies to achieve the WHO's objectives include salt content monitoring, improved nutritional labelling and product reformulation. This study aimed to determine the sodium content in street food (SF), fast foods (FF) and artisanal foods (AF) of the Northwest of Argentina, which is not regulated. Moisture, ash and sodium were determined according to the Official Methods of Analysis (AOAC) in 189 samples from each of the three categories. The average and range values were: SF 520 (R: 74-932); FF 599 (R: 371-1093) and AF 575 (R: 152-1373) mg Na/100 g. Thus, general sodium content is high, which means that the consumption of a serving from most of the studied foods leads to an individual exceeding the recommended daily intake values. This study contributes to the knowledge of sodium content in evaluated foods and its contribution to the population intake. This reinforces the importance of implementing new public policies and regulations, advising consumers to check food nutritional labels andselect foods lower in salt content, raising food manufacturers' awarenessabout the importance of reducing sodium content in foods they produce and in public health.

The physicochemical properties of starches of 16 Andean potato genotypes from the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Jujuy, are studied and possible applications are evaluated. Moisture, protein, ash, phosphorus, amylose/amylopectin ratio, particle size, swelling power, water absorption index, solubility index, syneresis, turbidity, thermal properties, gelatinization, retrogradation, and their corresponding enthalpies are determined. The analysis of principal components allowed obtaining groups of varieties with similar properties. Four groups of genotypes are obtained: one group is characterized by high gelatinization temperatures, so it can be used for products that require high processing temperatures; the second, with greater swelling power, can be applied in products that require water retention; other can be used in the production of edible film because it has higher amylose content which improves its mechanical properties; the latter is characterized by having a high stability and lower syneresis which indicates it is possible to use in processes that require refrigeration and freezing. The information obtained in this study can be useful for the production of potatoes with differentiated characteristics of their starches and with the possibility to be applied both in food and in non‐food products.