Baby Food Purees Obtained from Ten Different Apple Cultivars and Vegetable Mixtures: Product Development and Quality Control

Abstract

As is well known, apples are the most complex fruit in terms of nutritional compounds, with a high content of fiber, vitamins (vitamins C, A, B3), and minerals. Both fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients for infants’ nutrition and healthy development. The purpose of this study was to develop and analyze baby food purees obtained from apples and vegetables. Ten types of baby purees were obtained from the most-consumed varieties of apples from Romania, along with purees of carrots, pumpkin and celery. The resulting samples were analyzed in terms of moisture, ash content, titratable acidity, and vitamin C content. The total polyphenol content was assessed by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, while total antioxidant capacity was determined by the DPPH method; moreover, the color parameters and textural properties were also assessed. Following the results obtained, the purees can be introduced into the diet of infants and children, providing them with the necessary vitamins and minerals for optimal development. The analyses performed on both fresh and sterilized products highlighted the effects of heat treatment on the components of the product. The most important changes were observed in the vitamin C content, which was decreased by 50–70% in all ten purees. Total polyphenol content (TPC) increased in sterilized samples up to 70 mg GAE/100 g. Antioxidant capacity (AC) almost doubled its value in some samples after the thermal process application. Regarding the adhesiveness and deformation at hardness, which represented the main parameters for baby’s food, the value increased in the sterilized product, making the product more suitable for infants. This survey provides a detailed description of the development of baby food purees, showing the conveniences of developing purees for children based on fruits and vegetables.