Nutritional composition of commercial orange juices

Extended AbstractsIn the context of a healthy diet, fruits contribute to a decrease in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer. They are considered to have multiple beneficial health effects and are an essential part of the Mediterranean Diet. Orange in particular, is broadly consumed worldwide by different age groups, but mainly as juice. Food composition databases (FCDB) are resources providing detailed information on the nutritional composition of foods, usually from a particular country. The aim of the study was to determine the nutritional composition of four samples of commercial orange juices (one nectar, and three concentrated juices) and to contribute for the update of Portuguese FCDB. The orange juices were acquired in local supermarkets. Packages of the analysed samples were randomly chosen and corresponded to different batches. According to the label the concentrated juices were 100% orange juice (juice and pulp). The content of water, ash, total protein, total fat, total dietary fibre and sugars were determined. The energy value (kJ/kcal) was calculated. Water was the major constituent in the analysed samples and varied between 88.6 ± 0.0 g/100 g of edible portion (nectar), and 93.0 ± 0.0 g/100 g of edible portion (concentrated juices). Regarding the total protein and total fat contents, the lowest value was observed in the nectar, and the highest values in the concentrated juices. The present study will contribute with new and reliable data for inclusion in the Portuguese FCDB. Food composition data are important in many fields, namely government nutrition policies, public health and education, and for the food manufacturing industry.This work was funded by National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), I.P. under project “Compostos bioactivos e os seus benefícios para a saúde” (2012DAN730). Tânia Gonçalves Albuquerque is grateful for the research grant (BRJ/DAN-2012) funded by INSA