NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND QUALITY OF RED CURRANT BERRIES

Berries are exceptionally useful representatives of plant foods owing to a great amount of biologically active substances contained in them. Wild and cultivated currants, gooseberries, sea buckthorn and others are popular in the regions of Siberia. Today, red currants remain insufficiently studied, their biochemical composition and commercial quality depending on the territory of growth of the culture. The aim of the research is to study the nutritional value and to evaluate the quality of red currant berries grown in the Novosibirsk region. The goal is achieved by solving the following tasks: determining the nutritional value of berries of red currant (mass fraction of soluble solids, titratable acids (for apples), carbohydrates, pectin, ash, vitamin C, P-active substances, potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium); quality evaluation according to the requirements of the current national standard (appearance, smell and taste; mass fraction of overripe and crushed berries, green and plant matter, brushes, and berries affected by diseases and damaged by pests; average weight of berries). Generally accepted methods of research have been used. The obtained results have been processed using software products. It has been revealed that nutritional, physiological and organoleptic value of samples of red currant berries is close to available literature data, the quality being of the first grade. Local red currant berries having high physiological value can be recommended for direct consumption or for processing.