The demand for ready-to-use functional foods is high, which encourages manufacturers to develop new, nutritionally valuable products. As an excellent source of biologically active compounds, beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is considered to have highly beneficial effects on health. This research aimed to evaluate the impact of replacing spelt flour (SF) with 15%, 20% and 25% beetroot powder (BP). The physicochemical and functional properties of biscuits baked at different temperatures (150 and 170 °C) were followed at the beginning, and after 3 and 6 months of storage as standard conditions. Moisture content and water activity (aw) gave insight into the biscuits’ shelf life. The value of aw from 0.35 to 0.56 indicated appropriate storability. Dietary fiber content in fresh biscuits ranged from 6.1% to 7.6%, protein from 9.2% to 8.9% and sugar from 30.6% to 35.9%. The content of betalain, total polyphenols and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity (DPPH, FRAP) increased with beetroot powder content incorporated. A slight decrease of all the mentioned parameters during the storage indicated satisfied retention of bioactive molecules. The content of prevalent phenolic compounds gallic and protocatechuic acid, identified by HPLC, decreased from 22.2–32.0 and 21.1–24.9 in fresh biscuits to 18.3–23.4 and 17.3–20.3 mg/100 g upon six months of storage, respectively. An increase of the L* and a* and a decrease of the b* coordinate values, compared with the control sample without beetroot values, was noticed as well as the expected level of their change during the storage. The obtained results indicated that biscuits enriched with beetroot powder showed a significantly improved functional, nutritional and antioxidant potential during storage.

This work aimed to examine the influence of the storage period on the content of toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb, and Hg), in five types of canned meat products, which are regularly used in the Serbian Armed Forces. Cans of beef goulash (BG), pork ragout (PR), spam (SP), liver pate (LP), and meatballs in tomato sauce (MB), produced according to military standards, and stored under regular conditions (temperature up to max 25 °C and relative humidity up to max 75%), were analyzed in this research. Meat products were made according to the special military requirements, packed in tinplate cans, and stored for up to 6 years. The highest average contents of toxic elements were found to be 10.00 µg/kg for arsenic in BG, 35.91 µg/kg for cadmium in LP, 15.04 µg/kg for mercury in PR, and 8.00 µg/kg for lead in PR. The storage period did not significantly affect the level of toxic elements, although higher concentrations were found in samples stored for more than two years. The influence of raw materials, spices, and additives on the level of toxic elements in some meat products was also examined. None of the samples contained toxic elements at levels exceeding the currently maximum permitted levels. The consumption of this type of food represents a small risk to human health because the exposure of soldiers to toxic elements, calculated as weekly intake, is far below legal PTWI/TWI limits, established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

This work aimed to examine the in uence of the storage period on the content of toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb, and Hg), in ve types of canned meat products, which are regularly used in the Serbian Armed Forces. Cans of beef goulash (BG), pork ragout (PR), spam (SP), liver pate (LP), and meatballs in tomato sauce (MB), produced according to military standards, and stored under regular conditions (temperature up to max 25 °C and relative humidity up to max 75%), were analyzed in this research. Meat products were made according to the special military requirements, packed in tinplate cans, and stored for up to 6 years.The highest average contents of toxic elements were found to be 10.00 µg/kg for arsenic in BG, 35.91 µg/kg for cadmium in LP, 15.04 µg/kg for mercury in PR, and 8.00 µg/kg for lead in PR. The storage period did not signi cantly affect the level of toxic elements, although higher concentrations were found in samples stored for more than two years. The in uence of raw materials, spices, and additives on the level of toxic elements in some meat products was also examined. None of the samples contained toxic elements at levels exceeding the currently maximum permitted levels. The consumption of this type of food represents a small risk to human health because the exposure of soldiers to toxic elements, calculated as weekly intake, is far below legal PTWI/TWI limits, established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Macroelements such as Na, K, Ca, and Mg play a significant physiological role, and their inadequate intake has been linked to severe diseases, such as high blood pressure. Data on risk assessment for human health in Serbia, from the intake of these macroelements through the consumption of canned food, are minimal. Therefore, the content of Na, K, Ca, and Mg in five types of canned meat that members of the Serbian Armed Forces regularly use was examined. Macroelements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in cans of beef goulash, pork ragout, spam, liver pate, and meatballs in tomato sauce, which were stored from one month to six years. The sodium content was significantly higher than the potassium content in all types of food, so the Na/K ratio below 1, desirable for good health, was not found in any of the analyzed products. Also, a significant number of samples had an unfavorable Ca/Mg ratio above 1. However, due to the low consumption of canned food by members of the Serbian Armed Forces, its contribution to the average daily intake of macroelements is almost negligible. The concentration of macroelements decreased with the shelf life, while a significant source of Ka and Mg, among analyzed ingredients, was ground red pepper.