Nutritional value and quality aspects of wheat produced and consumed in Albania

Abstract

Wheat and its flour-processed foods constitute the staple food of the Albanians. Nutritional importance relates to its role as an essential source of microelements and its flexibility to be processed in a wide range (e.g., bread, pasta, pastry, baked products). Global wheat markets have become increasingly demanding concerning wheat quality indicators. The country has a tradition of wheat cultivation connected with politics in the past decades. The study has analyzed the wheat quality according to physicochemical indicators: protein, gluten, starch, moisture, and sedimentation index, by Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). A non-destructive technique based on electromagnetic wave interactions of molecules in the analyzed matrix. Seventy-five wheat samples were collected from agricultural regions during the harvesting season 2022. Protein content varied in the interval 9.6-15.0 %, with an average of 12.7 %. The gluten content analyzed was 19.4-37.5%, with an average of 27.5%. Starch content varied in the interval 66.3 -71.5 %, with an average of 68.9%. The sedimentation index was measured in the interval 21.1-57.8 with an average value of 37.6. Finally, the moisture level varied at 9.8-12.5%, indicating no wheat sample exceeded the threshold max level of 14.5%, in accordance with national and EU food legislation.