title: Nutritional value of traditional Italian meat-based dishes: influence of cooking methods and recipe formulation.
abstract: The present study provides a picture of the compositional figure and nutritive value of meat-based dishes typical of Italian culinary tradition. Recipes specific for a bovine meat cut (top-side) were selected among the most widespread ones in Italy: in pan, pizzaiola, cutlet, meat ball, and escalope. The total fat and cholesterol content varied depending on the ingredients utilized (extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan, egg). Meat-based dishes that utilized extra-virgin olive oil showed a significant reduction in palmitic and stearic acids and a parallel increase in oleic acid compared with raw meat; furthermore, the ratio among saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids shifted in favour of monounsaturated fatty acids. B vitamins were affected at different extent by heating; by contrast, vitamin E content increased because of the new sources of this vitamin, which masked losses due to heating. Ingredients (parmesan, discretionary salt) induced significant increases in the calcium and sodium concentrations compared with raw meat. The total iron content did not show marked differences in most of the meat-based dishes compared with raw meat; by contrast, losses in the heme-iron concentration were detected depending on the severity of heating treatments. Our findings suggest that heme iron, because of its important health aspects, might be a useful index of the nutritional quality of cooked meats.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research, Via Ardeatina 546, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Evoli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salvatore
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucarini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguzzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi-Boccia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000032:analysis; D002417:Cattle; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000032:analysis; D055927:Cookbooks as Topic; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D006418:Heme / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000032:analysis; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D012982:Sodium, Dietary / Q000032:analysis; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000032:analysis; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D014867:Water; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D014810:Vitamin E; D006418:Heme; D007501:Iron