DETERMINATION OF ASH CONTENT IN FOOD AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO HEALTH

Abstract

The present work aimed to understand the ash and moisture content present in two different brands of oat and one of corn starch, and its interference in the individual's health. The preference for these foods, given the fact that they have only one mineral in their composition, these prerogative guarantees precision in the result. Oainit (Avena sativa L.) Oat is a species of annual grass belonging to the Poaceae family and Avena genus. Although there are many species, the main ones cultivated are white oats (Avena sativa L.), yellow oats (Avena byzantina C. Koch. This research was carried out at the Chemistry Laboratory of the University of Salvador, the following were chosen: a sample of corn starch and two distinct oat samples. The testing process was carried out on dry matter samples, they were identified and allocated to incineration in the muffle at 600 ºC for 6 hours, this mechanism enabled the burning of the organic matter present in the samples. In the data analyzed, it was possible to see that the ash and moisture contents of the samples were not compatible with the data presented on the labels and in the analyses, showing once again that the information provided to the consumer is not always accurate, thus implying a low nutritional value, and consequently damage to the consumer's health.