Methods and devices for researching the energy value of food products

Abstract

Rational nutrition is the main factor in ensuring optimal physical and mental health of a person. The balanced diet development requires reliable information about the nutritional and energy value of raw materials, semi-finished products, and ready-made food products and dishes. Determining the energy value of food products is carried out in several ways: chemical, taking into account the caloric content of individual components, the amount of which requires preliminary determination, calculation, and tabulation according to normative and technical averaged parameters, and experimental method of direct calorimetry. This paper shows that experimental studies of the energy value of food products can be carried out using specialized combustion calorimeters designed for measuring the calorific value of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. The standard procedure for determining the combustion heat of fuels has been analyzed and the expediency of using it for studies of the caloricity of other organic substances, in particular, food products, has been proven. Two main types of combustion bomb calorimeters used for laboratory research in Ukraine are considered – a liquid enthalpy calorimeter and a more modern aneroid conductive calorimeter, their design features and principle of operation are described, and advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Approbation of the products energy value measuring technique using a liquid calorimeter is carried out on samples of sausage products developed according to an experimental recipe. The results of the research, processed according to the author's algorithm, showed the adequacy of the obtained caloricity values within 8-10% in comparison with known indicators. It should be noted that the research procedure is quite complicated, and the final results have low accuracy due to significant heat losses and energy dissipation. However, although liquid calorimeters are considered morally and physically obsolete, this device can be recommended for calorimetric studies of products and recipes in educational laboratories. Using an anhydrous conductive calorimeter does not require distilled water preparation and the maintenance of constant normal conditions in the laboratory room, automation of measurement processes and processing of results excludes possible subjective errors of the operator. The results of studies of practically pure carbohydrate-sugar showed convergence with the reference data within the device measurement error ±3%. Direct calorimetric studies on the newest metrologically certified aneroid combustion calorimeter allow us to determine the energy value of innovative food products, developed according to new recipes or with the addition of atypical ingredients, with high accuracy, which is an undeniable advantage and a necessary condition for scientific research.