Czipa, NikolettAljeratly, Ali2025-06-192025-06-192025-05-05https://hdl.handle.net/2437/393469This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the nutritional profile, safety characteristics, and regulatory framework surrounding tahini (sesame paste), a traditional Middle Eastern food product increasingly recognized for its health-promoting properties. Through an integrative approach that combines literature analysis and laboratory-based elemental profiling using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICPOES), the study examines tahini samples from diverse geographic origins, including Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, and a Non-EU manufacturer in Germany. Tahini is explored not only as a staple of culinary heritage but also as a nutritionally dense food with significant potential as a plant-based protein and mineral source. Findings from the elemental analysis highlight considerable variability in macro- and microelement concentrations among samples, suggesting the influence of raw material quality, seed variety, and processing methods. Notably, high levels of calcium, phosphorus, and iron position tahini as a valuable component in vegetarian and vegan diets. The literature review underscores tahini’s role in cultural gastronomy, historical use, and functional food applications. It also identifies key safety concerns, particularly contamination with Salmonella spp., mycotoxins, and heavy metals, which have prompted food recalls and the introduction of strict EU import regulations. Codex Alimentarius and Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 are evaluated as benchmarks for food safety compliance (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, 2023). The thesis further reviews modern and traditional tahini production practices, examining their impact on nutritional integrity and sensory quality. Emphasis is placed on factors such as roasting conditions, seed dehulling, and emulsification, which directly influence product stability and consumer acceptability. The role of sesame bioactives - lignans, sesamin, sesamolin, and antioxidants - is explored in the context of tahini’s health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective effects. In conclusion, the study affirms tahini’s dual importance as both a traditional cultural food and a modern functional food ingredient. It advocates for improved production standards, safety controls, and nutritional profiling in the global sesame value chain to ensure quality, sustainability, and consumer trust.59enSesame Seed PasteTrace ElementsTahiniICP-OESElemental CompositionNutritional ProfilingMacronutrientsMicronutrientsAgricultural SciencesHozzáférhető a 2022 decemberi felsőoktatási törvénymódosítás értelmében.