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conferenceseries.com
October 27-29, 2016 Rome, Italy
15th International Conference on
Food Processing & Technology
Volume 7, Issue 12 (Suppl) J Food Process Technol 2016
ISSN: 2157-7110 JFPT, an open access journal Food Technology 2016
October 27-29, 2016
Food fraud detection in commercial pomegranate molasses syrups by spectroscopic and HPLC methods
Nada El Darra1, Hiba N Rajha2, Nicolas Louka3, Richard G Maroun3 and Fatima Saleh1
1Beirut Arab University, Lebanon
2Sorbonne University, France
3Université Saint-Joseph, Lebanon
Food fraud is a serious ethical andeconomicproblemaffecting the food industry everywhere. As pomegranatemolasses’ consumption
continues to increase due to its unique taste and antioxidant activity, its adulteration is taking several forms. Most commercial
pomegranate molasses are labeled as containing 100% pomegranate, giving the customer the impression that they are benefitting
from the healthful and nutritional effects associated with pomegranate. The purpose of this study was to detect for the first time the
adulteration of commercial pomegranate molasses with date molasses, which will be important not only to the regulatory agencies and
to manufacturers, but also to consumers who might purchase it for its health-beneficial effects. To differentiate pomegranate molasses
from the date syrup, different parameters that could signal adulteration, such as total acidity content, polyphenol yield, anthocyanins
concentration, color intensity and antiradical activity were determined. UV-VIS spectroscopy was used as a screening method to
detect fraud and high-performance liquid chromatography was conducted for a quantitative analysis. Our findings support the
hypothesis that some of the commercialized pomegranate molasses in the Middle East area are adulterated with cheaper date syrup.
Biography
Nada El Darra obtained her BSc in Life and Earth Sciences from Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon in 2007. She earned her MSc in Food Chemistry with Honors
from Saint-Joseph University, Lebanon in 2009. Then, she worked as a Quality Manager at Conserves Moderns Chtaura, Lebanon. In 2013, she obtained a
certificate entitled “ISO 22000:2005” Food Safety Management System Lead Auditor from RABQSA. She was subsequently awarded a scholarship to pursue her
PhD under a joint program between Saint-Joseph University and University of Technology of Compiègne, France. She obtained a PhD in Food Chemistry from
Saint-Joseph University (2013) and a PhD in Industrial Process Engineering and Sustainable Development from University of Technology of Compiègne, France.
After completing her PhD, she worked in 2014 as a Quality Manager at Abido Spices, Neemeh, Lebanon. She has a number of publications in peer-reviewed
journals. In 2014, she was appointed as an Assistant Professor at Nutrition & Dietetics Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, at Beirut Arab University.
Nada El Darra et al., J Food Process Technol 2016, 7:12 (Suppl)