Monitoring of the salt content in cheese and the other dairy products designated for Pre-school children

doi:10.4066/2591-796X-C1-005

Monitoring of the salt content in cheese and the other dairy products designated for Pre-school children

Joint Event on 2^nd International Conference on Food Safety and Hygiene & 7^th International Conference on Nutrition, Food Science and Technology
March 07-09, 2019 | London, UK

Zuzana Dicakova

University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Slovakia

Scientific Tracks Abstracts : J Food Technol Pres

DOI: 10.4066/2591-796X-C1-005

Abstract:

The salt is the most famous flavouring of foodstuff, an important preservative and a necessary supplement for healthy functioning of the organism. However, over average use of salt is a risky factor which influences health of not only adults but children as well. Our usual diet is fairly rich in salt content, whose daily intake doubles the recommended dose. According to recommendations for children under 15 years old, the daily intake of salt should range from 0.5 g/day to 2 g/day, including salt contained in dairy products, meat products, bakery products and many others. Nowadays, daily salt intake exceeds recommended standards. The recommended maximum of daily salt intake for pre-school children is up to 2 g. Our interest is primarily focused on milk products, especially cheese, how they are involved in the salt income. The problem of our era is that the range of dairy products is immensely broad, and no literature or experts knows which specific cheeses are the most suitable for certain age categories. In the sales network, we encounter a number of different types of cheeses, whose graphic design evokes that this cheese is suitable for children, but is it really so? Based on this fact, we experimentally determined the salt content in cheeses and the other dairy products which used to be consumed by children in Slovakia, and the results were compared with the salt content given on the product packaging. The amount of salt was determined by titration through the argentometric method. Based on determined salt concentrations, appropriate portions of each kind of cheese were designed for preschool kids to meet the requirements of healthy nutrition. From our calculations, we can see that choosing the right kind of cheese is important to meet the recommended standards. With a suitable cheese, the proportion of salt in dairy products can be reduced up to 2.5 times. By giving specific examples to parents we can help them choose foods that meet healthy eating requirements for children. The eating habits created in childhood are very important, so it is essential to monitor the family-friendly assortment as well as school meals.

Biography:

Zuzana Dicakova holds PhD in food hygiene from University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Slovakia, where she was employed as a researcher and now as a teacher at the department of food hygiene and technology. She is a guarantor of teaching subjects: food chemistry, food nutrition assessment and production technology and quality of saccharides. Her main research focuses on the hygiene and technology of food of animal origin with relation to amino acid composition and biogenic amines formation. As a member of research teams participated in the determination of amines in meat, meat and dairy products and fish in various national projects related to food hygiene. She deals with the composition of foods with a focus on salt content. Dr. Zuzana Dicakova is also involved in sensory analysis of food and specification of honey based on its colour spectrum. She also works as a tutor of Slovak and foreign students and she is author/coauthor of five textbooks and manuals relating to food hygiene and food chemistry.

E-mail: Zuzana.Dicakova@uvlf.sk

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