Improving the Nutritional Value of Foods by Using the Essential Fatty Acids Obtained from Soybean Seeds Through the IR Spectroscopic Method

• Main Authors: Steluța Radu, Mihaela Constandache, Liliana Nicodim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ovidius University Press 2019-01-01
• Series: Ovidius University Annals: Economic Sciences Series
• Subjects: soybean; oils; consumer’s health
• Online Access: http://stec.univ-ovidius.ro/html/anale/RO/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Section%20III/27.pdf

Soybeans have an oil content of 34-45%, containing about 15% saturated fatty acids and 85% unsaturated fatty acids, of which between 14-43% oleic acid and 44-75% linoleic acids. In recent years, high quality soybean oil has been produced with a diverse range of compositions by developing mid-oleic (43.1% -81.8%) and high-oleic (75-90,7%) soybean varieties. For the correct use of soybean oils in food and other industries, the content of oil, moisture and protein, fatty acid compositions and quality characteristics, must be evaluated both at harvesting and at marketing and processing and a study on consumer behavior regarding consumption of soybean oil. More than 40% of the investigated samples know the nutritional benefits of soybeans oils and the benefits of using it in a healthy diet. The sociological study was carried out on 154 consumers where the sociological research indicated the categories of consumers, nutrition criteria, food safety. Experimentally followed the behaviour of consumers to detect or group the types of consumers according to their gastronomic style.