Ricerc@Sapienza

Among grains, rice is one of the most widely consumed cereals in the world; it represents a staple food in great part of Asia and Africa, and it is also broadly diffused in America and Europe. One of the main issues of storing rice is to protect it from animal attacks; in particular, it is prone to insect infestation. Despite all the attempts made to avoid it (developing new physical barriers, traps and repellants), often food pests manage to break into granary and parcels, contaminating stored commodities.

Pasta is a typical Italian food item obtained by durum wheat semolina/flour well-known and widely consumed all over the world. Since 2013, Gragnano Pasta, a typical aliment produced in a specific area in the South of Italy, has been awarded with the P.G.I. mark, remarking the high value of this product. Due to its peculiarity and its market value, it is important to characterize and authenticate the Gragnano Pasta. Considering this rationale, the present study aims at developing a non-destructive analytical methodology suitable for this goal.