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Date palm is an important plant in arid regions with more than 20 varieties reported all over the world. Date seed is a byproduct of date fruit industry which is normally being discarded, used as animal feed ingredient or turned into non-caffeinated coffee by the Arabs. About 11-18% of date fruit weight is the seed which is composed of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fat, ash and protein. In addition, the antioxidant content in date seed oil (DSO) was found to be comparable with olive oil, which can be as a good source of antioxidant in order to fulfill the consumers demand. Oleic acid is the major fatty acid found in DSO, followed by lauric, linoleic, palmitic and myristic acid. However, different varieties of date fruits have different fatty acid compositions. This paper reviewed the potential use of date seed and date seed oil in order to discover and develop its usage and find out the suitable application of these seed and oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with chemometric techniques to differentiate butter from beef fat (BF) was investigated. The spectral bands associated with butter, BF, and their mixtures were scanned, interpreted, and identified by relating them to those spectroscopically representative to pure butter and BF. For quantitative analysis, partial least square (PLS) regression was used to develop a calibration model at the selected fingerprint regions of 1500-1000 cm-1, with the values of coefficient of determination (R²) and root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) are 0.999 and 0.89% (v/v), respectively. The PLS calibration model was subsequently used for the prediction of independent samples containing butter in the binary mixtures with BF. Using 6 principal components, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) is 2.42% (v/v). These results proved that FTIR spectroscopy in combination with multivariate calibration can be used for the detection and quantification of BF in butter formulation for authentication use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelatin is widely used in food and pharmaceutical products. However, the addition of gelatin especially in food products becomes a controversial issue among Muslims due to its animal origin. Thus, the present study was aimed to detect and differentiate the origin of gelatin added in processed foods using a combination method of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Porcine gelatin had exhibited 11 prominent polypeptides compared to bovine gelatin with 2 prominent polypeptides. Polypeptides of both gelatin sources at molecular weight ranged from 53 to 220 kDa can be used to differentiate between porcine and bovine gelatins using PCA. The efficiency in extracting gelatin from processed foods by different solutions was also evaluated. Extraction of gelatin in processed foods by cold acetone and deionised water had exhibited a similar polypeptide patterns, suggesting both solutions are suitable. The study indicated that approach of a simple gelatin extraction combined with SDS-PAGE and PCA, may provide robust information for gelatin species differentiation of processed foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virgin Coconut Oils (VCO) were prepared from fresh-dry (grated coconut route), chilling and thawing, enzymatic and fermentation method in this study. All of the VCO produced conformed physicochemically to the standards established by the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) and Codex Alimentarius Commission. The highest FA (fatty acid) is lauric acid in all of the VCO and ranged from 46.36 - 48.42 %, while the principal TAG (triacylglycerol) is LaLaLa (La: Lauric) with 17.94 - 19.83 % of the total TAG. Tocopherol analysis showed the presence of beta, gamma and delta tocopherols at low levels. In all, the physicochemical, FA and TAG analyses of the VCO extracted from different methods showed some significant differences, while the tocopherol content does not differ significantly among the different types of extraction methods used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]