MICROGREENS-BETTER NUTRITION OR A FAD?

It is universally accepted that eating vegetables in recommended quantities regularly can ensure good health as most of them are rich in many nutrients as well dietary fiber. However with meat products predominating the diet of people in many affluent countries vegetable consumption has fallen dramatically during the last 4-5 decades endangering the health of the population giving rise to a number diseases which can reduce the quality of life and some being fatal. Kids are generally averse to eating vegetables, the main reason being the typical smell and flavor associated with each vegetable. Once the eating habits are established during early stages of life, it becomes impossible to change them unless late realization dawns on them regarding the crucial role vegetables play in longevity and trouble free old age living. Probably the enormous promotion of sugar and fat rich foods during younger days make the kids addicts to these instant pleasure providing foods, leaving no space for scientifically established nutritious items like fruits and vegetables.

What is astonishing is the craze for sprouts in the diet under the impression they are the ultimate sources of good nutrition! There was a time when sprouts were an indispensable part of high quality food preparations whether in the family dining room or in public eating places. Of course sprouts can be as nutritious as the seeds used for producing the sprouts but to infer that they are superior to the seeds may be some what far fetched. After all the basic reservoir of nutrients present in a seed is utilized for germination and there has to be some depletion of carbohydrates, proteins and fat present in the seed for the germination process. If one claims that sprouts are more easily digested, it may be true. A normal human being has all the paraphernalia within the body system to assimilate any edible material without depending on the enzymes present in the seed. Some reports indicate that during germination there is significant increase in some vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, alpha carotene, tocopherol etc but such increased vitamins can be obtained even by mere soaking the seeds for a few hours in water. Another advantage claimed for sprouting is that due to chelation many minerals become more bio-available while nutrition inhibitors like phytins are reduced.

Miniaturization of fruits and vegetables through biotechnological means has been going on in many countries and Baby corn is an excellent example. Bonsai system of gardening is a well established way of making the plant a dwarf through "training", requiring enormous patience. The purpose of Bonsai is to enjoy the pleasure of growing large plants without actually allowing them to grow naturally without any restriction. Thus there is this human tendency to see many things appearing big in nature as mini versions while there are also enthusiasts who enjoy jumbo sized versions of natural plant crops. Also to be borne in mind is the general perception that good quality, especially in vegetables, is linked to their tenderness. Tea leaves are plucked when the "two leaves and the bud" appear because maximum flavor is provided at this stage. Same is true with almost all vegetables, be it Okhra, Beans, Squash, Spinach, Knol Kol or Drumstick. Over mature vegetables invariably are more fibrous and less tastier. For farmers it is a dilemma as to when their produce needs to be harvested to be acceptable without allowing them to grow further to get a higher yield.

While sprouting is fairly popular with many consumers, a new trend is emerging where seeds after germination are allowed to grow further for a week or two till they become 1-2 inches tall with first flush of leaves and harvesting the same for use in food preparations. Decreasing popularity of sprouts lately is attributed to frequent food poisoning episodes caused by contamination with Salmonella and E.coli 0157:H7, deadly pathogens with high mortality potential. Last year there were at least a dozen recalls in the US and more than 50 people were reported to have perished due to such contamination cases. Seed, root and undeveloped leaves form the sprout and contamination mostly comes from poor quality of soaking water and unsatisfactory hygienic conditions prevailing in germination chambers. Many reputed restaurants world over have removed sprouts from their menu because of the potential threat from pathogenic contamination. Compared to sprouts which are produced in moisture medium, 7-14 days old baby plants are grown by regular planting of seeds in specially prepared beds or containers and boxes or indoors. Harvesting is done by sniping the stem at a point just above the soil which avoids carrying any contaminants into the final product. Called Microgreens, this new version of popular vegetables and herbs are becoming increasingly popular as it is perceived that they are more tasty, flavorful and have better textural characteristics loved by most consumers. Most popular Microgreens being marketed are raised from Mustard, Kale, Endive, Arugula, Beet greens, Spinach, Basil, Celery, Cress, Dill and Fennel.

The advantages of these tiny leaves present in Microgreens, less than 14 days old, can be many. According to food connoisseurs they make excellent garnishes to salads, sandwiches and soups and whether they're spinach, pea, beet or purple mustard, microgreens are supposed to pack even more nutrients that their adult versions. According to USDA scientists who have conducted the first scientific analysis of nutrients in 25 different Microgreens, especially with regard to vitamins and other phytochemicals, there is some substance in the claim that they are rich in many vitamins. The contents of vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene in the leaves of Microgreenst leaves were almost four to six times more compared to the mature leaves of the same plant. Wide variations were observed in nutrition levels and a vegetable like red cabbage was highest in vitamin C while the green daikon radish microgreens had the most vitamin E. This is an emerging area where further studies are needed to confirm many claims of superior nutrition for Microgreens. Interestingly most consumers rate the Microgreens for their special eating quality, nutrition taking a back seat in their calculations.

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

   

"THEY VS US"-THE ETERNAL DEBATE ON FOOD SAFETY!

Whether one likes it or not there is a wide chasm dividing the developing and developed countries and no camouflage can mask this bitter truth. It is not for charity that wealthy countries are buying foods from poor nations and the former does it as an unavoidable necessity for their own survival. In to day's world no country can be 100% self-reliant, depending on others for supply of many products needed by their citizens. Take the instance of Japan, a country with limited land availability, which is heavily dependent on buying most of their food needs from countries all around the world or for that matter the US and Canada which import more than 80% of its needs for meat and fish products from Asia.

When developing countries are repeatedly being hauled up for unsatisfactory quality or suspect safety credentials of the foods exported by them, the industrialized nations do not think for a moment the historic reasons for such a situation. During colonial days those countries who had the ownership right on many of those countries under their subjugation could loot their resources shamelessly and ruthlessly and there were no reservations in consuming the foods made there vis-a-vis quality or safety! Though under WTO regime there should not be any technical barrier to trade between member countries, developed world invariably use the technical "route" probably to get favorable terms for buying the same products indicted once! If this is the attitude what will happen to the so called "free trade" regime? How can it work to the mutual benefit for all? There has to be a fundamental change in the mindset of these rich countries and they should consider poor countries as equal partners in protecting the free trade philosophy to which everybody is committed.

In a recent tirade against imported foods in Canada, it was claimed that most foods imported into the West are inferior and unsafe for consumption and locally made foods are discriminated against by the authorities there by insisting on stiffer standards while imported foods are not subjected to any severe scrutiny! What an insinuation! It is a common knowledge that most food poisoning cases in the West had their origin within the country and the broken safety vigilance systems there are unable to cope up with violations indulged by the domestic industry. Look at the recent German episode involving E.coli contamination resulting in at least 51 deaths so far and remember it was not caused by imported foods from Asia. The very feces blamed for contaminated foods from Asia was responsible for the food poisoning but the source was from German feces! They may blame Egyptian Fenugreek for the tragedy but such buck passing does not cut ice any more.

Read the arrogant statement by a western spokesman who proclaimed with a flamboyance that food producers in China regularly use untreated human and animal waste for feeding farmed fish meant for eating and for fertilizing land to grow produce and most of the cases of contamination involving imported food in the U.S. are related to fecal matter! Further it is claimed that chicken coops with as many as 20,000 birds are often suspended in rows above ponds used for farming shrimp and fish in countries like Thailand. The chicken waste that falls in the water is a nourishment for the aquatic life and provides food for the shrimp. Similarly Chinese are supposed to be using feces for raising Tilopia which is exported to the US. One wonders what is the role of FDA officials posted in China if such practices are really in vogue.

As per common sense it is incumbent for those having arrangements to obtain food products and ingredients from any third parties out side to ensure they have appropriate oversight of the food that's being produced or processed for imports into their country. It is fair to argue that those importing food from overseas, and those with production operations there, should be held responsible for the quality of food making it to any country including western markets. Listen to what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has to say about such insinuations. A spokesperson of the agency asserted that the country's rigorous food safety requirements apply equally to imported and domestic foods. Further safety and quality of imported food is ensured through "equivalency agreements" with other countries and random inspections at various points in the supply cycle ranging from when the product first gets to Canada to the testing of food already on store shelves. If there is any genuine concern about the safety of imported foods in countries like Canada, which imports 70% of its food needs worth $ 22 billion annually from other countries, it is in the interest of that country to help the exporting countries in upgrading their safety vigilance infrastructure through technical and economic assistance on a long term basis.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com