No abstract

Pseudocereals and cereals are plant materials that have similar final uses as flours for bakery products. However, these plants are different botanically, as pseudocereals they are broadleaf plants, whereas as cereals they are grasses. The use of pseudocereals is of great nutritional interest because of their composition. Besides the high starch content, pseudocereals contain dietary fibre, good quality protein, vitamins, minerals, lipids rich in unsaturated fatty acids and other phytochemicals such as saponins, phytosterols, squalene, fagopyritols and polyphenols. This composition describes their potential as supplements or common cereal replacers. Because their content of gluten is low or there is no content of gluten, pseudocereals can be considered as gluten-free products, which can be incorporated in diets for coeliac disease. The incorporation of these seeds in the diets of coeliac patients should help alleviate the deficit in fibre intake. Their applicability in foods includes bread, biscuits, cakes and pasta which are mostly consumed. The three main species referring to pseudocereals are amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat. The aim of this study is to provide their applications in food products.

Carotenoids are pigments giving the yellow, orange and red colours to the fruits, vegetables, as well as products manufacturing from them. They belong to bio-active compound, being of special interest for the food scientists, nutritionists and food industry due to its positive effect on human health. They function as secondary antioxidants in the food, with ability for significant reduction of the oxygen. Their provitamin role is also very important. Human body has no ability to synthesize them, so those compounds should be taken through diet. Carotenoids are widespread in plants, but they could be found in poultry, eggs and fish, as well. The most common carotenoids in the food include β-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and astaxanthin.

Biscuits hold an important position in food industry due to variety of taste, nutrition, crispiness and digestibility. The nutritional value of biscuits can be enhanced by fortification with a wide variety of protein rich cereal such as barley. Colour is essential to the manufacture of biscuits of good quality. During baking, complex chemical reactions take place in the biscuits, such as the Maillard reaction and caramelization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in colour of biscuits during baking. Biscuits were produced according to AACC 10-50D method. Wheat flour was replaced with barley flour at varying levels (30, 50, 70 and 100%) in biscuit formulations. Color measurement of biscuits was carried out using a colorimeter on the basis of CIE L*, a*, b* color system. Some of the biscuits were stored in room temperature and change of their color was determined after 6 and 12 months.

Whey is a by-product in the process of cheese production, represented with 85-90% from the total milk volume and contains 50% of the milk’s dry matter: lactose, whey proteins, minerals and vitamins. The high quality whey proteins are a source of energy and nutrients, rich with essential amino acids which makes them biologically essential proteins. The healing properties of whey are due to the presence of immunoglobulin and immunologically active substances which strengthen the immune system, protect the organism from different bacterial infections and allergic reactions. Only a small part of the whey produced in dairies in Macedonia is used for the production of albumin cheese, while the rest is left unused. The goal of this work is to show the therapeutic and functional properties of whey as well as the possibility of its use in production of functional and probiotic whey based drinks, with the use of new innovative technologies and scientific findings.