ARS | Publication request: APPLICATION OF A FUNCTIONAL MATHEMATICAL QUALITY INDEX TO ASPARAGINE, FREE SUGAR AND PHENOLIC ACID CONTENT OF 20 COMMERCIAL POTATO VARIETIES

Submitted to: Journal of Food Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: October 1, 2010
Publication Date: January 5, 2011
Citation: Finotti, E., Bersani, E., Vivanti, V., Friedman, M. 2011. APPLICATION OF A FUNCTIONAL MATHEMATICAL QUALITY INDEX TO ASPARAGINE, FREE SUGAR AND PHENOLIC ACID CONTENT OF 20 COMMERCIAL POTATO VARIETIES. Journal of Food Quality. 34:74-79.

Interpretive Summary: The goal of the described mathematical analysis is to detect critical points during the entire production chain of factors that adversely or beneficially influence the quality of potatoes. In this article, we apply a derived functional mathematical index (FMI) to 20 commercial potato varieties. The application of the index to the experimental data contributes to the evolution of quality indices during the different phases of growth, transport, storage, and processing of potatoes. The index allows evaluation of nutritional, safety and processing “quality parameters” of different potato cultivars. The index has been used to assess FMI values of 20 commercial potato cultivars in terms of their content of asparagine and reducing sugars, which form heat-induced potentially toxic acrylamide and of antioxidative phenolic compounds, which participate in nonenzymatic browning reactions and may exert beneficial effects after consumption.

Technical Abstract: In this article, we apply a functional mathematical index (FMI), introduced in a previous publication, to 20 commercial potato varieties. The index allows evaluation of nutritional, safety and processing “quality parameters” of different potato cultivars. The main goal of the index is to link the quality of the chemical composition with factors that may affect the growth, production, distribution and processing of potatoes and potato products for commercial use. The index has been used to assess FMI values of 20 commercial potato cultivars in terms of their content of asparagine and reducing sugars, which form heat-induced potentially toxic acrylamide and of antioxidative phenolic compounds, which participate in nonenzymatic browning reactions and may exert beneficial effects after consumption.