Natural food products

Members : Xavier de las Heras, Dolors Grau, Concepció Lao, Josep Torras.

Research contents and social projection :

The group of Natural Products of the Department of Mining Engineering and Natural Resources was created in 2004. In the group there are researchers with different educational backgrounds: chemists (analytical, organic and industrial) and phamacists.

The four axes of applied investigation are:

1. Characterization of different chemotypes from aromatic and medicinal plants and the study of the optimal conditions for an efficient production of essential oil.

2. The chemical composition of the aromas.

3. Characterization of wine and champagne.

4. The toxicology of food.

1. A determined vegetal species often has different varieties with different chemical composition that corresponds to an essential oil with different properties. According to the use that is desired (alimentary or medicinal), it will be necessary to choose the variety correctly, which demands to have suitable analytical techniques. On the other hand, suitable edaphic and climatic conditions will allow to increase the yield in essential oil and/or in the components of interest for a certain use.

2. The natural aromas and those formed after a certain process, like a culinary treatment, can be characterized from a suitable analytical methodology. This characterization allows to reproduce the aromas with the greatest reliability or to know what is the cause that a certain aroma has not appeared.

3. The aroma of a wine is integrated by several chemical substances that have a different origin. Some compounds are contributed by the variety of grape and are influenced by edaphic characteristics and pesticide treatments. This variety of aroma becomes rich in compounds which are similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables and spices. In our department, we work in the study of the influence of technology in the quality of wines and champagnes, especially in the aroma.

4. Food can act as a vehicle of entrance of toxic substances to the organism. There are several polluting agents that are added to food: fertilizers, insecticides or herbicides used in agriculture and medicines that are used in the farming sector or diverse industrial pollutants that have been absorbed by food in the course of their treatment. A suitable analytical control allows determining the presence of toxic substance in food over the security threshold, and also it guarantees the fulfillment of certain quality standards. This control allows guaranteeing the security of the consumer, at the same time that allows to correct the process that corresponds to the alimentary product.

Email Address : dolors@emrn.upc.edu