Pasta as a Source of Minerals in the Diets of Poles; Effect of Culinary Processing of Pasta on the Content of Minerals

Abstract

Pasta is a product that requires culinary processing which can affect the content of minerals in the finished product. The study aimed to examine how cooking pasta (1) in salted water (1 teaspoon—16 g of salt per 1 litre of water) or unsalted water and (2) rinsing cooked pasta with running water affects the content of minerals. Thirty-five samples of six types of pasta were analysed. The content of minerals was determined using the ICP-OES method. Retention of minerals in the cooked pasta was calculated. Taking the culinary treatment into account, the intake of minerals with pasta was assessed for children, adolescents, and adults, and the values were compared with the recommendations for the population of Poland. The analysed culinary factors had a statistically significant influence on the content of minerals. Adding salt to water when cooking pasta significantly increased the content of Na in the product, which in turn was negatively correlated with the content of other minerals. When pasta was cooked in unsalted water, it contained less Na and more other minerals than pasta cooked in salted water. Rinsing of pasta reduced the content of all minerals. Pasta is an important source of Mg, Cu, and Mn in the diet of Poles. These ingredients are particularly important to ensure correct development and functioning of the human body. The best method of culinary treatment of pasta is cooking in unsalted water without rinsing.

Initiatives to Reduce the Content of Sodium in Food Products and Meals and Improve the Population’s Health

“…In our study, our team noticed that salt added to water while cooking pasta increased the content of Na nearly five times compared to pasta cooked in unsalted water. In turn, using water without salt reduced the content of Na in the cooked pasta by 48% compared to its content in pasta cooked in water with 3.17 g of salt and by 99% compared to its content in pasta cooked in water with 6.34 g of salt [ 157 ]. According to Bianchi et al [ 158 ], due to increasing the content of Na in water by adding salt, Na from the solution penetrates the product, thereby reducing the content of other minerals, while cooking in unsalted water causes Na to penetrate from the product into the water.…”

“…Reducing (or eliminating) the amount of salt added when cooking pasta is a quantitative and straightforward way to reduce dietary Na. It could also be communicated that rinsing after cooking could reduce by one-third the Na content of pasta cooked in salted water, but other minerals, such as Zn, Mn, K, Cu, Fe, Ca and Mg, are flushed at the same time [ 157 , 158 ]. Only additions to pasta, such as sauces, should be seasoned, whilst one should reduce the amount of salt when seasoning, and instead of salt, use herbs and natural spices for flavour [ 157 ].…”

“…It could also be communicated that rinsing after cooking could reduce by one-third the Na content of pasta cooked in salted water, but other minerals, such as Zn, Mn, K, Cu, Fe, Ca and Mg, are flushed at the same time [ 157 , 158 ]. Only additions to pasta, such as sauces, should be seasoned, whilst one should reduce the amount of salt when seasoning, and instead of salt, use herbs and natural spices for flavour [ 157 ]. Because Na in the form of table salt is very soluble in water and easily diffused, the recommendation not to add salt to the water when cooking may also apply to other foodstuffs, such as eggs, rice, groats, vegetables, and legumes [ 54 , 157 ].…”

CNN–LSTM Neural Network for Identification of Pre-Cooked Pasta Products in Different Physical States Using Infrared Spectroscopy

“…Pasta has a neutral taste and can be eaten with meat dishes or added to salads and desserts [ 3 ]. Consumers in the Chinese market can buy a wide variety of pasta.…”

Use of Microalgae Biomass for Fortification of Food Products from Grain

“…Microalgae of the genus Chlorella are a promising source of biologically active substances. Chlorella biomass is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids [ 15 ], contains protein up to 50%, folic acid, niacin, choline, pantothenic acid, as well as more than 10 types of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, including Ca, K, Fe, Na, Mg, Zn, Cu, P, and Se [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. The chlorophyll content in Chlorella reaches 4%, which is 5–10 times more than in the algae Spirulina and Alfalfa ( Medicago ) [ 21 , 22 ].…”