Experimental Research on

Agricultural Mountain
Products
Brindusa Covaci, Mihai Covaci
Centre for Mountain Economy / Hyperion University
  mountain products in terms of nutritional value;
 mountain vegetable, animal and apicultural products;
 products from mountainous areas of Romania (except BI);
 products analyzed in terms of nutritional and physico-chemical properties;
 the context: similar studies in European Union countries;
 mountain products: superior in quality to the plain agricultural product;
Abstract  the nutritional value of mountain foods: ensure the optimal immune level;
 quantification of essential macronutrients such as carbohydrates (glucides),
lipids, proteins, minerals / trace elements and vitamins: elements found in
high quality in mountain products;
 the research: explorative and experimentally (2020-2021), by various
methods mentioned for each product;
 the results confirm the high quality of the mountain products, in the present
Romanian case.
 The article analyze some Romanian mountain products, the research spectrum
belonging to
 vegetable products
 Allium sativum (garlic) / Allium cepa (onion) Individual Producer Constantin
Oniga (North-East Region)
 Apple Juice (Malus pumila) Parmen (South-Muntenia Region)

 animal products
 Fermented dairy products (Yogurt / Kefir ADO - Western Region and Yogurt /
Introduction Sana / Kefir Gordon - Central Region)

 beekeeping products
 mountain honey (Popa Tudor Ionuț PFA - North-West Region, Vinereanu Adrian
Authorized Individual - South-West Oltenia and Radu Ion PFA - South-East
Region)

 the study confirms the high nutritional value of foods consumed daily by
humans must be verified through analyzes specific to essential
macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals / trace
elements and vitamins in the mountain products considered.
  A group of Spanish and Canadian researchers, interested in presenting the
mountain product as a nutritional superior, analyzed dairy products in the
mountainous area of Spain compared to those in the plains.
 Their study captured the importance of the mountain area in ensuring
exceptional quality for mountain dairies. The nutritional qualities of the fats
in mountain and plain milk were compared.
 The results confirmed the high quality of mountain dairy products, given that
Literature review no additional interventions were made such as milk production in the plains.
Spain The results contribute to the understanding of the effect of pasture
management conditions on mountain and plain farms on the nutritional
quality of milk fat.
 During the studied milking period, sheep's milk from mountain farms
provided a higher fat content, generally being healthier from a nutritional
perspective.
 The differences in the fatty acid profile between mountain and valley milk
samples were related to the nutritional content of the botanical species under
extensive grazing.
  However, supplementing the grass-based diet with concentrate in plain farms
has increased the differences observed in the composition of milk fatty acids
between plain and mountain farms.
 The approach of these authors was a spearhead in researching the nutritional
importance of mountain products.
 Research has shown that milk produced on mountain farms in northern Spain
Literature review is much healthier than milk produced in lowland areas.
Spain  Extending these results to the dairy sector could contribute to the added
value of mountain products, including, for example, nutritional information
from "mountain product" labels.
 The authors of this study believe that these results could be used to promote
the marketing of dairy products in mountain areas and, at the same time, to
contribute to rural development in deserted mountain areas in northern Spain
and also in other European countries.
 (Bravo-Lamas et al., 2018)
  In a research on milk recovery, an exploratory analysis of consumer
purchasing options, conducted on 606 mountain producers in the Italian Alps,
the authors managed to notice the high nutritional value of mountain
products. It has been observed that individuals who emphasize the protection
of their own health and the development of the local economy are more
inclined to consume mountain products. (Bentivoglio et al., 2020)
Literature review
 Another study on mountain dairy products, carried out by a group of Italian
Italy,
and Danish teachers, took into account the preferences of educated
Netherland, consumers in the spirit of the nutritional quality of food. These consumers
Germany, consider that mountain farms organized in a specific mountain way are
the UK producers of high quality mountain milk. Thus, in Italy 78% of mountain
farms are small-scale enterprises with less than 20 cows and can provide easy
access to grazing during the summer. The study also shows that the freedom
of movement of farm animals (ie not kept long in the stable), climatic and
topographic conditions are important dimensions in ensuring the nutritional
quality of mountain products for Dutch, German or British consumers.
(Zuliani et al., 2018)
  Several Austrian and Slovenian mountaineers conducted a qualitative research
on local mountain products, studying the long supply chain, by interviewing
some farmers in the Austrian and Slovenian Alps.
 The mountain entrepreneurs who participated in the study pointed out that in
order to ensure a good quality of the food product, in this case Tolminc cheese,
some defining ecosystem elements are needed, such as soil, meadows,
precipitation, climate. The specific mountainous soil in correlation with the
Literature review composition of the grass, the higher precipitations with colder climate and
Austria, shorter vegetation growth period lead to a mowing cycle of only two or three
times. All these factors give the feed superior qualities.
Slovenia
 Another quality factor of the mountain dairy products studied in this research is
the hygiene of the silo in the studied areas, this defining influentially in the case
of the Austrians / Slovenes the cheese processing. Other mountain entrepreneurs
considered the mountain product to be higher quality if the breeds used for
production are better and the feed is in smaller quantities, ie less silage, less corn
and more grazing. Milk produced in higher altitude mountain farms, with
intensive grazing, is superior in quality to other types of milk.
 Some farmers emphasize the importance of the microbiological quality of milk,
hygiene, proper cooling and the absolute need for proper pasteurization.
(Schermer et al., 2010)
  A Romanian researcher consider that for Romanian
mountain products, the keys for superior nutritional
values is to use organic fertilizers.
 According to this study could be a quantitative growth of
Literature review
potential of about 50%.
Romania
 ”Organic fertilizers improve poor and acidic mountain
soils, through organic matter and alkalinity, with minimal
costs and the economic effect of maintaining the floral
structure and valuable biodiversity.”
 (Rey, 2014)
  Research method 1 – vegetable products
 In the first stage of the Soxhlet Method, the sample is placed in a disposable finger that
is positioned in the Soxhlet apparatus.
 The Kjeldahl method is a widely used procedure for estimating the nitrogen content of
foods, fertilizers and other substances, invented in 1883 by a Danish chemist, Johan
G.C.T. Kjeldahl.
 Research method 2 – animal products
 The most commonly used methods for determining proteins in these mountain products
are the Kjeldahl Method or the Spectrophotometric Method.
Methodology  Research method 3 – apicultural products
 - PS-LC-01 Determination of moisture / dry matter
 - PS-LC-03 Determination of acidity / acidity index
 - PS-LC-05 Determination of HCl insoluble ash
 - PS-LC-11 Determination of moisture / dry matter – refractometric
 - PS-LC-12 The determination of the diastase index
 - PS-LC-14 Determination of carbohydrates
 - PS-LC-17 Determination of nitrogen (protein)
 - PS-LC-23 The determination of hydroxymethylfurfural
  Result and discussion 1 – Allium sativum & Allium cepa
 Fat lipids, 0.29 g / 100 g produced for Allium sativum (garlic)
and 0.21 g / 100 g produced for Allium cepa (onion)
 Saturated fatty acids - 0.10 g / 100 g produced for Allium
sativum (garlic) and 0.13 g / 100 g produced for Allium cepa
Result and (onion)
discussion
 Proteins, in a volume of 5.96 g / 100 g produced for Allium
sativum (garlic) and 1.20 g / 100 g produced for Allium cepa
(onion)
 Apple juice (Malus pumila) Parmen has high nutritional values,
ensuring a balanced intake of calories (10.5 kcal per 100 g),
protein (0.45% per 100 g), carbohydrates (10.15% per 100 g)
and fats (0% per 100 g)
  Result and discussion 2 – Yogurt, Kefir and Sana

 ADO (SC Ferma Denis SRL) ADO Chefir 3,3%

Nutritional Nutritional
Result and information/100g
ADO Yogurt 2,8% ADO Yogurt 10%
information/
discussion 100 ml
237 kJ / 57 kcal 508 kJ / 122 kcal 261 kJ / 63 kcal
Energetic value

2,8 g 10 g 3,3 %
Lipid

4,6 g 4,6 g 4,6 %

Glucides

3,3 g 3,3 g 3,6 %

Proteins
  Result and discussion 2 – Yogurt, Kefir and Sana

Nutritional Gordon Yogurt

Gordon Sana 3,6% Gordon Kefir 3,5%
information/100g
GORDON 2,8%
227 kJ / 54 kcal 275 kJ / 66 kcal 275 kJ / 66 kcal
Result and Energetic value

discussion Fats
2,8 g 3,6 g 3,50 g

- Saturated fatty 1,86 g 2,41 g 2,27 g

acids
4,05 g 4,62 g 4,93 g
Glucides

2,29 g 2,39 g 2,82 g

- Sugars

3,2 g 3,75 g 3,65 %

Proteins
  Result and discussion 3 – Apicultural products
 POPA TUDOR IONUT PFA (Natural Honey)
Test, method of analysis / Acacia honey Chestnut honey Polyfloral honey
Performance parameters results results results

Humidity (Umid) - SR 784-3: 2009, 16,8% 17,6% 18%

PS-LC-01B

73,97% 75,33% 74,96%

Result and Invert sugar (ZaIn) - SR 784-3: 2009,

discussion PS-LC-11.3. PS-LC-14

0,94% 2,46% 1,41%

Sucrose (Zaha) - SR 784-3: 2009, PS-
LC-11.3 / PS-LC-14

38,5 cm3/g 50 cm3/g 50 cm3/g

Diastase Index (InDi) - SR 784-3:
2009, PS-LC-11.1 / PS-LC-12

0,384 mg/100 g 0,336 mg/100g Valoare

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) - SR nedetectabilă
784-3: 2009, PS-LC-11.2 / PS-LC-23
  Vinereanu Adrian Authorized Individual - polyfloral honey: the
results show its benefits in human nutrition, respectively Umid
- 17.5%, ZaIn - 79%, Zaha - 2.37% and InDi - 23.8%.
Result and
discussion  Conclusion
 The superior nutritional properties of mountain products make
them competitive in several economic branches, such as
entrepreneurship, classic / medicinal tourism, agribusiness,
Conclusion etc. In this context, it is necessary to re-evaluate and apply
healthy behavior in agri-food and service models, and the
transition from one pattern to another must be made from
individual (private) to general (public), but through the massive
involvement of public decision makers in agrobusiness.
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Q&A
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