RESURGENCE OF COFFEE AND TEA-HEALTH BENEFITS TO THE FORE

Recent reports implicating drinking of coffee and tea regularly in reducing incidence of brain tumor seem to have attracted world wide attention. Historically consumption of tea has been recognized for its beneficial effect on health while coffee consumption invariably was being frowned upon due to the extreme processing conditions the beans undergo raising uncertainties regarding the risks associated with the artifacts formed during roasting under high temperature conditions. What really makes people opt for coffee or tea as their daily beverage? No one knows! But based on all the studies that have emerged on consumption of these two beverages, there is very little to chooses between them.

In a cohort study enlisting the services of more than 4 lakh subjects, spread over a period of 8.5 years under the aegis of European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutritional project (EPCIN), it is being claimed that both coffee and tea, if consumed daily in quantities more than half cup, about 100 ml, confer some advantages to the consumer. The major conclusion from this survey is that both coffee and tea when consumed as mentioned above reduce the risks associated with Glioma, a type of brain tumor to the extent of 34% in men. Why it is not effective in women is a question that will have to be answered by future studies. Though the above conclusion was not based on real scientific research, the massive nature of the study still offers a glimpse into the possibility of protection by the two beverages against Glioma which can be confirmed with more clinical research. In a separate study it was brought out that coffee drinking can protect from uterine cancer and endometrial cancer in women, the overall risk being reduced by 44%. Similarly a few studies by other research groups have highlighted the usefulness of coffee in preventing heart attacks, reducing the risk by 70%. Other claims of beneficial effects of coffee include protection against Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, liver cancer, gallstone formation and Type 2 Diabetes.

As for tea consumption the major emphasis has been on its antioxidant contents (Flavonoids/Polyphenols/
Catechins/chlorogenic acid), which help in protecting the cells against oxidative damage that can lead to development of cancer. Green tea is considered the most desirable from health point of view though the black,white and milk-whitened tea preparations contain antioxidants in lesser quantities. Experimental evidence suggests that some of the antioxidants present in these beverages such as Chlorogenic acid lactone can protect neuronal cell cultures against Hydrogen Peroxide induced cell death. Tea is also reported to be endowed with the power to reduce decline of cognitive abilities during the aging process. Another report claims that drinking of 3 cups of black tea daily lowers by 70% the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

If these stimulant beverages are so good for consumer health why they have not been promoted as health beverages so far is rather intriguing. Probably presence of Caffeine in the brewed products may be the main reason for the reservation in recommending these beverages as health promoting. It is well known that Caffeine has a tendency to raise blood pressure if taken frequently and its consumption is not encouraged amongst pregnant women, nursing mothers and children because of this factor. One issue that is not clear from the results of the cohort study cited above is how much variation one can expect by drinking coffee prepared by different methods like brewing, drip and espresso because there is significant differences vis-à-vis caffeine content in the end products prepared through the above methods. Drip prepared coffee extracts maximum caffeine about 115-175 mg per cup while brewed and espresso versions contain much less caffeine. Same may be true with regard to concentration of antioxidants also in the final products.

If the global consumption of levels of coffee is considered, highest consumption is in Denmark while Italians consume least coffee. As for Tea, UK is the leader whereas consumption by Spanish people is the least. Probably it might be interesting to survey the incidence of various diseases against which Coffee and Tea are supposed to provide protection, in countries like Denmark, Italy, UK and Spain and validate the findings of the

EPCIN study and other similar reports which brought out the beneficial effect of these beverages on human health. It is quite revealing as to how cocoa industry is exploiting the health credentials of cocoa beans by launching a separate "Functional Chocolate Industry" which produces chocolates containing more than 50% cocoa solids to derive the benefit of antioxidants present in cocoa. To day there are health chocolates containing cocoa solids as high as 85%! Coffee and Tea industry also must consider emulating cocoa industry in putting these beverages and products evolved from them on "health pedestal" with distinctly proven benefits.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

CUTTING DOWN ON VITAMIN LOSSES-NEW PROCESSING PARADIGM

Antagonists who rave against processed foods always point out to loss of vital nutrients like vitamins during processing, besides the propensity of the industry to incorporate synthetic chemicals in the name of "processability" and better sensory quality. In contrast realists view processing as an inevitable step to preserve, conserve and extend food supplies for meeting the increasing needs of ever growing global population. The fact is that food raised in the farms is vulnerable to wastage due to many factors, some of which are beyond the control of man. But a substantial portion that, otherwise go waste, can be saved by application of food technologies available to day.

Beginning with the age old preservation techniques like pickling, sugar preserves, drying and other simple processes, there are a range of modern technologies which make use of principles like low water activity, thermal treatment, irradiation, low temperatures, low O2 tension, CO2 infusion, N2 packing, etc and large scale equipment with automated features characterize to day's food industry. During processing there is bound to be destruction of some of the nutrients, change in the nutrition value of the products and generation of some artifacts which may or may not be of health hazards. While developing the processes, care is taken to minimize such changes to the greatest extent possible. Fortification and enrichment techniques were evolved to meet such contingencies and it is another matter that almost all foods processed in western countries contain added nutrients, giving an impression that much of the original nutrients have been lost during processing, which is, of course, not rue.

Recent findings that Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is linked to longevity due to its beneficial effect on Telemeres and it has important role in strengthening dental structures, make it one of the most valuable vitamins. Its role as a natural antioxidant in food processing to protect against oxidation in presence of atmospheric oxygen lends it further credence as an important processing aid. Involvement of ascorbic acid in slowing down Telemeres shortening by 52-62% and thereby preventing aging has been well documented. Telemeres are the end caps of DNA that shorten with many generation and limit the number of replications of DNA.The irrefutable fact that mammals with capacity to make their own ascorbic acid live 8-10 times their age of physical maturity while in humans it is only 3-4 times, further confirms the role of ascorbic acid in conferring longevity. Production and repair of Dentine, the calcareous portion of tooth lying beneath the outer enamel layer, is aided by ascorbic acid and dental surgeons do use ascorbic acid therapy for fast post-surgery healing.

Processes like blanching, pasteurization, sterilization UHT, freezing, dehydration, canning and irradiation cause loss of ascorbic acid to the extent of 10% to 60%. Food industry does take some steps in cutting down such losses but much more needs to be done to prevent the loss of this important vitamin which can be considered the elixir of life. Excluding O2 during processing can cut down loss of ascorbic acid significantly while EDTA, cysteine and riboflavin increase its stability. Increased use of vacuum for processing or use of nitrogen atmosphere can be expected to stabilize ascorbic acid in the food. Future developments will have to keep this in mind in order to ensure that maximum benefit of natural ascorbic acid in native condition is delivered to the consumer. A daily intake of 60 mg, present in about about 200 ml of fresh orange juice can do wonders as ascorbic acid has may other roles also such as protecting against free radicals that damage cell DNA, aiding synthesis of collagen in muscles, boosting immune system, improving gum health and facilitating absorption of iron in the GI tract.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

FROM ROLLED OATS TO MUESLI-HEALTH FOOD INDUSTRY ON A "ROLL"

It is by now well established that oats serve the purpose of reducing cholesterol levels in people having hypercholesterolemia as it contains high concentration of soluble fiber, beta glucans. To day even normal healthy consumers are developing the habit of consuming oats regularly in their daily diet, though its full impact is still uncertain. Like any other cereal, oats contains proteins (15-17%), carbohydrates (59-70%), fat (4-9%), dietary fiber (5-13%) and other nutrients. But for the presence of soluble dietary fiber, beta glucan (2-6%), oats would have remained still a horse feed, as it was during the nineteenth century. It was during eighties of the last millennium, oats attained celebrity status as a healthy supplementary food in daily diets and Quaker company of the US, the oats giant lent its marketing muscle to make it a formidable product.

Though the health claims were being made for many years, oats started commanding attention only relatively in recent years thanks to recognition by the FDA of USA, conditionally allowing certain health claims on labels of packets containing oats or products based on it. 3 gm of soluble fiber like beta glucans in conjunction with a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol and fat may reduce risk of heart disease as per FDA guidelines. In order to permit such claims to be printed on labels, each serving must contain a minimum of 0.75 gm of soluble fiber. Therefore a serving size should have about 25 gm of oats in it to make the health claim. Being a temperate zone crop, oats production and regular consumption in the diet are mainly in countries like Russia, Canada, USA, Poland, Finland and others but it became universally accepted only as a health food. There is more or less a consensus that oats can reduce serum cholesterol levels significantly in those with high cholesterol levels during the first few days, say about 30 days but its impact on long term consumption is uncertain, though it does not cause any harm.

Any product boasting of health advantages can be expected to be priced high and oats is no exception.As a horse feed it would not have fetched even a fraction of the price it commands to day and why it should cost almost 3-4 times the price of wheat, can be attributed to market opportunities. Not to be satisfied with such high prices, health food industry is constantly striving to add further "value" to the already high cost and the Bircher Muesli recipe of Maximilian Bercher-Benner of Switzerland evolved in 1900 has come handy and to day there are hundreds of products being marketed under the Muesli banner at costs almost double that of simple rolled oats. Muesli basically refers to a preparation from oats, developed to make it tastier and more nutritious and a typical recipe is based on rolled oats, soaked in water to make it soft and mixed lemon juice, cream or condensed milk and apple topped with hazelnut or almond powder.

To day there are many ingredients that have found their way to Muesli formulations. These include wheat, rye, malts, sugar, whey solids, honey, corn syrup, invert syrup, nuts, pieces of fruits such as banana, mango, grapes, berries, apple, peach and many others, coconut gratings, chocolate, soy lecithin and any thing and every thing which are edible and tasty. No doubt, Muesli is more nutritionally balanced and healthy, compared to just oats but the cost has to come down if its benefit has to percolate down to more consumers who, at present, cannot afford it.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

REVIVING A TRADITIONAL TECHNOLOGY-THREE CHEERS FOR THE PIONEERS!

Grown in many countries spread across all the continents, sugar cane is the main source of white sugar which has become an integral part of any diet. It is another thing that sugar, along with fat and salt are becoming synonymous with many diseases of the mankind we see to day. While Brazil is the largest producer of sugar cane with an annual production of 514 million tons (mt), accounting for almost one third of the world production, India ranks number two with a production of 356 mt and China is a distant third producing 106 mt. While a substantial portion of production in Brazil is routed for ethanol production for use as a biofuel, India makes products like white sugar, brown sugar, jaggery, molasses and ethyl alcohol. A unique product from sugar cane is its juice being made and sold fresh by small vendors in some countries like Hong Kong, Zanzibar, Pakistan, India,Vietnam, Brazil etc.

According to some scientific studies, sugar cane juice is a rich source of some unique phytochemicals which include policosanol a very long chain aliphatic alcohol and antioxidants like chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, umbelliferone kaempferol and sinapic acid. Its antioxidant activity as measured on ORAC scale, is very high, 1.26 to 2.61 million units per 100 gm dry weight, reflecting its property to protect health. Regular consumption is claimed to be effective in reducing LDL cholesterol and it is a useful antiinflammatory, antiviral, neuroprotective material. Traditionally it is used for treating sore throat, cold, flu, fever, jaundice, urinary tract problems and blood pressure, strengthening stomach, kidneys, heart, eyes and brain,combating prostate and breast cancers.

Many educated consumers shun sugar cane juice because of the unhygienic environment where it is made and served, uncertain health status of the vendor, doubts about the safety of sugar cane used to extract juice and the hygienic condition of the extraction equipment, utensils and serving glasses used by the vendor. Realizing the business opportunities, an organized attempt is being made in Bangalore to offer the consumer a high quality version of the product with assured safety and there are 19 outlets now in different localities in the city where it is available with flavors like mint, lime, ginger, salt & pepper and chaat masala. With an investment of Rs 8-20 lakh for each kiosk, these outlets use imported S S peeling and extraction equipment for making the juice fresh. More fascinating is the backward integration this entrepreneur was able to achieve for sourcing suitable quality cane by paying higher prices to the growers. This is a classic example of a visionary entrepreneur who sensing the need for such a wonderful product in the market, invested wisely with thorough knowledge about the dynamics of food processing and consumer expectations.

Success is bound to follow such entrepreneurs and if the future plans of the enterprise in Bangalore are any indication, it is a question of a few months before such kiosks start sprouting all over the country. Let this breed of small scale players with farsighted vision and commitment multiply manifold to make India the entrepreneurial capital of the world!

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE APPLE 'STORY'-A REALITY CHECK

The statement that"an apple a day keeps the doctor away", is literally taken as true and consumers do not mind buying this fruit even at sky high prices varying from Rs 60 to Rs 120 per kg in India. While consuming apple as a part of the daily servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for good health is understandable, how far the health tag attached to it, is justified cannot be easily discerned. No doubt the typical aroma and texture associated with apple are truly enjoyable and its suitability for long term storage under modified atmosphere conditions have made it possible to organize its cultivation and marketing into a successful industry in India. Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh account for almost all the apple production in the country. Consequent to economic liberalization and globalization under the WTO regime, apples grown in USA, Australia, China etc are available in the Indian market though the imported fruits cost almost double compared to that of the domestic produce.

Apple has the reputation of being associated with the healing God of Greeks and Romans Apollo who lived in 700 BC and probably the name must have been derived from this association. Cooked apple was a popular ameliorant for bowel disturbances, lungs and nervous system and ancient physicians Hippocrates and Galen recommended apple for facilitating digestion. Of course these legendary references to apple must have some basis and probably cannot be rubbished straight away. The fact that apple fruit is still revered by many reflects its popularity. With to day's scientific knowledge, it can be safely said that apple is a desirable fruit with some pro-health and healing properties. Many believe that regular consumption of apple helps in over coming anaemia, digestion problems, heart diseases,head aches, eye disorders, kidney stones and many other every day afflictions. There are apples with tints of green, yellow and red. While green apple is considered good for strong bones and teeth, vision and prevention of cancer, yellow ones are associated with heart and eye health, immune system and the red variety is linked to benefits of good memory, anti cancer traits and urinary tract health.

According to fruit 'astrologers', those who like apple are endowed with a personality that reflects their extravagant nature, impulsiveness, persistence, out spoken quality, moderate temper, good organizing capability, quick decision taking ability, travel craze, charming personality and infectious enthusiasm! It is not clear whether such a prediction is based on science or any statistical study. A look at the nutritive profile of apple does not reveal any thing extraordinary quality that qualifies it for any particular mention. Each 100 gm of its edible portion contains 10.39% sugar, 50 kC of energy, 2.4% of dietary fiber (1-1.5% pectin), 0.17% fat, 0.26% protein, besides small levels of micronutrients most predominant being vitamin C, about 4.6 mg% equivalent to just 8% of daily value. But where apple scores over other fruits is the extent of valuable phytochemicals present in it with many health protecting properties. Flavonoids and phenolics contained in apple makes it the second highest ranked source amongst fruits. Querceitin (mostly in the peel portion), catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid in apple have very strong antioxidant effects and especially the relatively high content of free phenolics which are much more easily bioavailable to humans must have conferred on this fruit the awesome power to claim 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'. In fact the antioxidant activity of the phytochemicals in one apple is equivalent to that from 1500 mg of vitamin C.

China is blessed with world's largest apple orchards, its production being 40% of the global out put of 55 million tons worth $ 10 billion while in India J & K and Himachal grows apple to the extent of 2 million tons. Considering that human DNA gets on an average 10000 hits per cell every day which can have high potential for derailing some of the important metabolic functions, apple phytochemicals, with its high density contents of flavonoids and phenolics, can provide the protection when consumed regularly without peeling. Technology for extending the life of apple is well developed in the country and the growers must be supported with necessary infrastructure to market the fruit at affordable prices to make it within reach of the common man of this country.



V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

'MICRO' MESSAGE AND 'MACRO' BENEFITS

The famous James Bond novel, "live and let live', if modified to "let us live and you live well"can very well apply to the probiotic microorganisms which are considered man's true friends. In the microbial world there are thousands of species of organisms known to man and while some are beneficial in one way or the other, many are pathogenic in nature causing a plethora of diseases and toxicity which can be even fatal at times. Of course a large number of them are benign with no known harm to mankind. It is the beneficial organisms man wants to exploit for a variety of purpose. Bacteria, fungi and yeast are sources from which more than 80% of the industrial enzymes are manufactured and these enzymes are the driving engine for to day's biotechnology dependent world. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be rightly hailed as man's best friend in protecting his health and their consumption in active form is a desired goal pursued by the food industry. L.acidophilus, L.rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum, B.bifidum. L.palatarium etc are some examples.

Probiotcs are living organisms which upon ingestion in certain numbers exert health benefits beyond inherent basic nutrition. They can produce metabolites that are essential to maintain intestinal health, reduce or eliminate ailments like colon irritation, constipation and diarrhea, inhibit pathogenic bacteria, synthesize B-complex vitamins, lower blood ammonia levels, reduce cholesterol inhibition and inhibit tumor formation. While a normally healthy person consuming foods rich in probiotic bacteria may not require supplementary foods rich in them or capsules containing stabilized organisms, modern day eating habits have practically eliminated dairy products rich in probiotics depriving the consumers of the benefits associated with them. World over there is a disturbing trend of younger generation consumers chucking the habit of milk consumption and probiotic organisms cannot flourish in a medium containing no lactose, an inherent component of milk. In India consumption of products like curd, butter milk, lassi, mistidohi, srikand etc containing active cells of probiotic organisms is still common though growing fast food culture is luring younger population away from these health-friendly dairy products.

Probiotic organisms are vulnerable to low pH conditions, pepsin enzyme, bile salts, pancreatic enzymes in the GI tract and significant reduction of viable cells can happen by the time they pass through the digestive system. Food products that can augment the population of probiotics in the intestine must contain a minimum of 1 million live cells per gm at the point of consumption and it should deliver at least 1 billion viable cells per serving. Even such products cannot guarantee full benefit because of possible destruction during passage through the stomach. Here comes the role of technology which can ensure safe passage for the probiotic cells through the hostile environment of the digestive system. Pharmaceutical industry employs encapsulation technique to seal freeze dried preparations inside capsules which ensures no contact with stomach contents but releases the contents after crossing the stomach by degradation of the capsule material. Smelly food materials like fish oil, garlic extract etc are also made odorless through encapsulation process.

Food industry has been depending on micro encapsulation technology (MET) for a number of years to deliver temperature sensitive flavors for incorporation into foods which can keep well for long periods. MET is a process in which tiny particles or droplets are surrounded by a coating to give small capsules with useful properties. A micro capsule is a small sphere( core, internal phase or fill) with a uniform wall (shell. coating or membrane) around it. MET can be based on Pan Coating, Air-suspension in water, centrifugal extrusion, vibration nozzle, spray drying, inter facial polymerization, in-situ polymerization, matrix polymerization etc. Probiotic cells grown under controlled conditions are harvested and incorporated as core in micro capsules. Membrane of micro capsule permits the entry of small molecules such as nutrients and electrolytes while allowing exit of toxic metabolites, hormones and other small bio active compounds. Antibodies and T-cells are excluded thus protecting the encapsulated cells. Chitosan, polyacrylates, alginates, poly amino acids, poly amides are some of the coating materials used in MET. Some of the products developed with probiotics, coated by MET, include yogurt coated raisins, nutrient bars, dietary supplements, infant formulas, yogurt products, soups and cereals. It is time food industry in India wakes up to the potential for exploiting this technology and develop indigenous processed foods with local flavor preferences for making them popular amongst younger generation consumers

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/