Kishk - a dried fermented milk/cereal mixture. 3. Nutritional composition

An investigation of the nutritional properties of 25 commercial samples of Lebanese Kishk was undertaken. Profiling of the carbohydrate-based nutrient s (g.100 g(-1) on dry matter basis [DMB]) in the samples gave the following ranges: fibre 7-12, phytic acid 0.7-1.6, and beta-glucan 0.1-0.6. Some Kis hk samples contained appreciable amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, wh ile the contents of monounsaturated fatty acids of most of the samples were considerably lower than those present in milk and other dairy products. Al l the Kishk samples contained appreciable quantities (mg.100 g(-1) [DMB]) o f the major minerals (K 495, P 397, Ca 243 and Mg 123), and such product wa s a good source of Fe and Mn which originated from the Burghol. Sodium was present in high amounts (similar to 1657 mg.100 g(-1) [DMB]). The amino aci ds composition of the protein from Kishk was good. Vitamins C, pyridoxine a nd beta-carotene were not detected in the Kishk samples, and approximately half of these samples did not contain alpha-tocopherol. The thiamin and rib oflavin contents of Kishk were in the range of what has been reported in th e literature. Kishk has a limiting vitamin factor and is not considered a g ood dietary source. The selenium content of the majority of the Kishk sampl es was good and such a product may represent a potentially good dietary sou rce. (C) Inra/Elsevier, Paris.