A MASTER FOOD FOR ALL-CAN FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS DESIGN ONE?

Food consumption habits differ from people to people depending on many variable factors and these have been evolved over centuries of traditions, societal interactions and the environment where people have been living. Stresses and strains in the modern society have compelled many people to modify their consumption behavior and adopt foods which are more convenient to make or factory processed foods to save time and focus on their professional career. The busy city lives, opportunities to eat out side home, exciting new products coming to the market and mega promotions by the food industry have all contributed to a slow shift in the emphasis on food from healthines to convenience and this seems to have made a heavy adverse impact on the health status of the people all over the world.  

Advent of diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disorder, high blood pressure, kidney problems, constipation, GI tract ailments all are caused by continued consumption of nutritionally imbalanced foods turned out by the processing industry. Repeated attempts by governments every where, impleading the citizens to consume more fruits and vegetables, high fiber foods, low salt products, low sugar foods, low fat items, coarse cereal based products, less consumption of meat etc are falling on deaf years with practically no impact on the deteriorating health status of the population in general. It is sad that such a helpless condition of the society is being exploited by a section of the industry by touting special foods and functional foods with claims, not substantiated by scientific proof leading to all pervasive criticism about the real intention of the main stream industry.

Imagine the situation in which a consumer finds himself, saddled with any of the diseases cited above with no practical way to get solace and comfort from market products of doubtful benefits. These foods are invariably loaded with too much energy, fat, salt, sugar, refined carbohydrates of high GI values, undesirable and unsafe chemicals etc but with practically no fiber, natural micronutrients and unsaturated fats. It is true that consumer gets lot of useful information from the nutrient labels supposed to be truthful but he is lost completely regarding the importance or irrelevance of such information in taking a decision in the market aisles. The MyPlate icon now being popularized advocates that the fruit and vegetable content in a diet must be almost 50% of the volume of food consumed and how is it possible that a consumer can stick to this advice without spending substantial time in the kitchen? Here is where enlightened industry must come to the aid of consumers who cannot eat most of the commercial food products because one or the other dietary restrictions. 

Those requiring specially designed foods cannot take too much sugar, too much salt, too much saturated fats, too much carbohydrates whereas they need adequate dietary fiber, proteins, natural micronutrients, mono and poly unsaturated fats, low GI food materials besides yearning for high palatability and diversity. Can these requirements be factored into the design of a food product which can be a foundation recipe to build variety into it?  It is time such an attempt is made and the product should have the following characteristics:adaptability to use in the preparation of different types of products and beverages from a single formulation, diverse flavors and tastes to avoid monotony, portioning flexibility, good shelf life, optimum nutrition, depression avoiding, sleep inducing, obesity avoiding etc. 

The ingredients that can go into such a product include coarse grains, pulses, quinoa, oats, barley, low sodium salt, non-metabolized sweeteners, bran fractions, stabilized mono and poly unsaturated fat sources, dehydrated vegetables and fruits, spices and herbs, nuts etc all of which can support life when used in various proportions. Such a master food mix can be converted into various shapes and textures for ready to eat or can be converted into various products similar to mainstream items prepared by cooking, steaming, roasting, baking, frying and other means at the kitchen. There are products in the market that contain multiple grains both as grain blends or in powder form for the consumers to use in their day to day preparations but such product formulations need to be refined further in the light of to day's technological prowess.

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

"HUMMUS"-WHY CAN'T INDIAN CHUTNEY BE PROCESSED SAME WAY?

Hummus is a chick pea based product with wide international popularity and interestingly it is a relatively stable product with reasonable shelf life. high Pressure Processing Technology (HPP), Chemical preservatives like citric acid, benzoate, pasteurization, hot fill, Tetrapack are all suitable for extending shelf life of this product for a few days. Though it is claimed to be an Arab preparation used by the people in the Middle East for centuries as a dip, this is hotly contested by the Jews who consider it their ethnic food. Interestingly Jews are reported to be consuming double the quantity of Hummus as compared to that by the Arab population. Who ever is responsible for the birth of Hummus, the fact remains that it is a ell established dip or spread product through out the world. Major ingredients in preparing a good authentic Hummus include cooked and mashed chick pea, blended Tahini, Olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. There are dozens of variations evolved over the last few decades to suit the palates of different segments of population. 

Nutritionally it is a well balanced food adjunct containing 166 kC of energy per 100 gm, 14.3% carbohydrate, 9.6% fat and 7.9% proteins. Besides it is also a significant source of iron, Vitamin C, Folates and Pyridoxine. Since it contains solids derived from Sesame, its Methionine content gives a high protein efficiency value to the product while its monounsaturated fat content further boosts up its nutritive value. no wonder Hummus is a $ 300 million business in the US and growing fast among the ethnic foods. One of the variations of Hummus contains coriander making it distinctly Indian reminding many about the chutney preparations in South India, used as an adjunct for ethnic foods like Idli, Dosa, Vada etc. The product is highly perishable with hardly a couple of days shelf life under ambient conditions. It is further known that the life can be extended in the refrigerator up to 7 days while it can last up to 2 months in a freezer chest. Also reported is its ability to stay long if pasteurized and stored at 4C up to 3-18 months. Tetrapack technology claims that the product can be preserved for months if properly processed. Same is true with High Pressure Processing Technology which is recommended for long term storage of Hummus.

According to some experts if packed Hummus is unopened, some pasteurized Hummus brands keep well for periods up to 18 months!. In general, pasteurized brands are known to keep well for 2-3 months. The differences in shelf life between brands can be attributed to variations in the recipe as well as pasteurization methods. While Citric acid and salt are preferred natural preservatives, artificial preservatives like sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate find extensive use by the industry. A growing number of pasteurized Hummus brands are shelf stable and do not require refrigeration. Brands that contain preservatives are safe for up to 60 days while those without preservatives are often marketed as natural or organic, provided they adhere to the standards  required for such labeling. Preservative-free Hummus brands must be stored under refrigerated conditions for good shelf life. Some processors of unpasteurized foods contend that pasteurization destroys nutrients and this is true with any food processing when there is lowering of nutritive vale to some extent. After all processing is based on the concept that there is a trade of between nutritive value and convenience. Because Hummus is marketed as a healthful snack it is natural to expect most brands claiming they are free from artificial preservatives.

Chutneys in South India are many in varieties but commonly they suffer from microbial spoilage, rancidity, staling, discoloration etc and they have never been standardized to the extent that any single product can be said to represent typical home made product in traditional homes in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. While scientific work on Chutneys is far and few, its popularity is such that most people find it difficult to eat traditional break fast foods without this ubiquitous adjunct. Why Indian Food Scientists have not looked at the preservation technology used by the Hummus industry is really baffling. The similarities between Hummus and Chutney are so much that even in the profile of ingredients used there is some commonality. These preparations have a protein source, a fat source, a spice source, a sourant or a pH modifier and salt. In Chutney coconut serves as a source of fat as well as protein while the sourant may be tamarind, amchur or lime juice. The spice component in Hummus is Garlic while in Chutney it is Chilli. 

The above comparison makes it clear that whatever technologies are used by the Hummus industry can be effective in preserving Chutneys also without any major change. Of course the vulnerability of coconut oil to hydrolytic rancidity is a problem that needs to be tackled. Probably roasting the coconut gratings sufficiently to inactivate lipase enzyme may retard such rancidity. Pasteurization, use of preservatives, Tetrapack technology, HPP Technology, Gamma irradiation, Hurdle technology all may work in getting reasonable extension of shelf life for Indian chutneys. Food industry must put pressure on Public R & D institutions in the country to take up some basic work as well as evolving preservation commercial processes by giving priority it deserves.

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

    

AGE AND THE AGRICULTURE-AN OMINOUS TREND

Agriculture is vital to the survival of this planet and as long as each human being needs 2000 kC energy equivalent of food every day, the land has to provide it not only for the present generation but also for all those arriving in future perpetually. Historically agricultural practices have evolved from a purely manual operation into industrial scale deploying many mechanized contraptions for tilling, harvesting, threshing, cleaning and storage. Of course the degree of mechanization may vary from country to country depending on the extent of manpower involved in agriculture. In an affluent country like the US a very minuscule segment of the population is associated with food production with high degree of agricultural mechanization becoming inevitable while in India more than 70% of the population living in rural areas are involved in one way or the other with agricultural avocation. In such a diverse situation how is this planet going to meet its food needs in the coming years? An interesting question indeed!

If one looks at the evolution of agriculture in most industrialized countries, there have been sufficient incentives and opportunities for the farming community members to migrate to industrial areas to make fortunes. A farmer family invariably lost its able bodied members who did not opt for agriculture and progressively the number of farming people started dwindling with fewer men available for tilling the land. This was the driver for mechanization which required fewer and fewer people to manage cultivation and larger and larger farms emerging during this transition period. Naturally those who still continue tilling their land are aging and naturally with progress of time average age of the farmer tends to go high. If this trend is continued how many farmers will be left to manage the land and how long these "old" hands continue to be active? Naturally such an attrition trend can grievously hurt food production adversely when the need of the hour is increasing the production to keep in step with the population growth.    

In a provocative report recently, California, the biggest state in the US had an introspection regarding the future of its agriculture in the light of its aging farmer population. As the average age of farmers in this state inch toward 60, the state which contributes 12% of that country's exports of agri-products is at its wits end as to how agriculture can be made more attractive to younger generation who only can sustain its pre-eminent role in the country. According to the experts this state will have to double its food out put by 2050 to meet the increasing food needs which can be achieved only if new players emerge in the agri-sector. More over the agri-industry employs more than 0.8 million people indirectly highlighting its economic importance for the state. The realization, that the age profile of the farmer population needs to be reversed for the survival of the industry, is prompting the state to consider taking pro-active actions now so that any major crisis in the food front is avoided.

One redeeming feature in the political and social environment in the US is the new awakening among the citizens regarding the critical importance of food safety and adequacy which has spawned citizen led movements in many urban areas to plunge into agriculture and produce foods locally from available urban lands. Though this phenomenon cannot be viewed as a movement back to the land but reflects the concern of average citizen to contribute his might to solve the food problem. More aptly it can be called some sort of a revolution happening in American agriculture production front with its own humble contribution. One can only appreciate the new spirit among new entrepreneurs who are installing mini-farms on rooftops in urban areas and market gardens in back and front yards across the country. Vacant city lots are more and more being employed as community gardens, with plots available for any resident to rent. Many suburban residents are combining their capital to lease land, and organize community-supported agriculture programs where shares of farm produce are sold directly to the public, cutting out expensive corporate middlemen like packers, distributors and grocers. In short, demand for local food is booming and so is production. 

Spare a thought to a country like India where the planners are blissfully engaged in activities of self perpetuation ignoring the future. All that the government is concerned centers around vote banks and massive subsidies and distributing foods at throw away prices in the name of hunger and poverty to increase the vote share of the ruling parties. There is not even a whiff of reforms in the agricultural sector and mass suicides of farmers continue unabated with no one at Delhi too much bothered about it. While two decades of open economy has served to boost the industry, both manufacturing as well as service sectors, agriculture is progressively being marginalized putting the national food security at grave risk.

With Green Revolution practically killing the soil health across the width and length of the country, increased productivity remains a pipe dream and added to this the farmer population is aging fast with no replacement in sight due to high rate of urban migration. Look at the two critical food areas-edible oil and pulses where perennial imports are sustaining the population and in spite of the knowledge that these two areas required critical government inputs for the last two decades, nothing much has been done. While China has seized its opportunities to expand agriculture dramatically during last few years, Indian efforts have been too meager to make any impact. At this rate, just like the farmer looking at the heaven praying for rains, the citizens in this country may also have to do the same to have a decent life keeping the hunger pangs away!


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

FURAN UPDATE-LATEST RISK ASSESSMENT

There are increasing concerns among the consumers regarding the safety of many processed food products they consume every day. In many wealthy countries processed foods form more than 80% of their daily diet and it is easy to comprehend what would be the consequences if unsafe foods are ingested day in day out. While most concerns are based on the food industry practices of using hundreds of chemicals while manufacturing or cross contamination of foods with deadly bacteria and mold, there is also grave apprehension regarding the potential health damage some of the artifacts generated during processing can cause. Recent focus on such chemicals like acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene and furan is because of the above concerns. 

Furan is not a new chemical discovered as it was known for ages and lot of studies regarding its synthesis and properties have been published. Furan and its derivatives are naturally occurring compounds found at very low levels in many foods and drinks and their association with the typical flavor of many foods is well known. They are a major class of compounds formed during the Maillard reactions and under pyrolytic conditions. Ascorbic acid and related compounds and Maillard type systems containing amino acids and reducing sugars, lipid oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids or triglycerides and carotenoids all contribute to formation of Furan during processing. Ionising radiation on the Furan formation in apple and orange juice products as well as in model systems has also been reported. Of course these basic knowledge did not raise much concern earlier but their detection in many industry processed foods became a matter of speculation regarding their effect on human health.

What is new is the detection of Furan in some foods using sophisticated analytical techniques in 2004 which raised some alarm regarding its impact on human health. It is rather surprising that a simple hetero cyclic organic compound like Furan with a 5-membered aromatic structure, made of 4 carbon atoms and an oxygen atom, can be a potentially toxic artifact capable of causing harm to human beings. Furan should not be confused with Furans, a separate category of chemical compounds broadly called Chlorinated di benzofurans coming under Dioxins. They however do not occur in any foods and hence not of much concern to the food industry as of now. According to International Agency for Research on Carcinogens, Furan is considered a carcinogen in human beings though evidence is yet to emerge with studies using human subjects.

Of a number of food samples from the industry analysed by the US Authorities, occurrence of Furan was confirmed in all products in concentrations in the range of 3 parts per billion (ppb) to 112 ppb. Almost all these products are either canned or bottled having undergone the sterilization process at high temperatures. Interestingly products containing sweet potato as a component invariably showed higher levels of Furan. Also Coffee, meat soups, stews, Chilli are other major sources of Furan. One redeeming feature in this scenario is that Furan is highly volatile and due to this furan is easily analyzed using a head space or SPME coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Furan is rapidly and extensively absorbed from the intestine and the lung. It can pass through biological membranes and enter various organs.  Experiments have shown that furan is carcinogenic to rats and mice, showing a dose-dependent increase in hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas, though preliminary exposure data suggest that the levels of Furan found in foods are well below the levels that would cause harmful effects.

What is the consumer to make out of these startling revelations? Probably sufficient data still do not exist to try for a zero tolerance level of Furan in foods though efforts are being made to find more about the safety aspects of this chemical. Since Furan is highly volatile normal open pan cooking and vigorous stirring can be expected to expel most of it through evaporation. A safe guideline is not to consume foods found to be very rich in Furan  and for maintaining good health consumer is well advised to eat a balanced diet, choosing a variety of foods that are low in trans-fat and saturated fat, and rich in high-fibre grains, fruits, and vegetables. Of course this easier said than done!

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

IS DIABETES CURABLE?-A MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION!

Calorie restricted diet regime has been known to extend the life span significantly at least in animal experiments and a 1200 kC diet is generally considered beneficial for achieving sound health, freedom from diseases and longevity. Now comes the startling news, though very pleasant, that such a diet with limited calories, if practiced religiously, can even reverse Type II Diabetes within a matter of 16 weeks! If this is true this finding will give hope to millions of people suffering from this debilitating disease, if one call it a disease at all. To day diabetic people are not handicapped from this disease, being able to go on with their life practically normal. There are very effective medicines which are available in the market with minimum side effects. Life span of diabetics is not significantly affected if the blood glucose levels are not allowed to go beyond the safe limit and sugar peaks and surges due to uncontrolled eating are avoided consciously.

 

Dietary control does play a role in controlling ill effects arising out of Diabetes, though reversing the disease has never been an option available to the affected people so far. Diets based on complex carbohydrates, pulses, nuts, coarse and unrefined cereals, dietary fiber, resistant starch etc are known to be effective in controlling diabetes reasonably well. The concepts of GI (Glycemic Index) and GL (Glycemic Load) have helped in designing diets with slow release of glucose from the food ingested thereby preventing peaks in blood glucose level after a meal. Similarly changing the pattern of eating by pacing food ingestion every 3-4 hours in stead of the conventional 3 meal system also can help managing diabetes reasonably well. Diabetes is now considered to be linked to accumulation of fat in the body which some how upsets the insulin activity and over weight and obese people are the major victims of this disorder. In the past there have been special dietary formulations and treatment clinics for those whose BMI is beyond the magical figure of 25-30 which are supposed to help the "patients" loose weight over a period of few weeks. Similarly surgical intervention like bariatric surgery or gastric banding also is resorted to by people with BMI beyond 34. Liposuction is another technique to reduce the body fat and attain healthy weight. However none of these remedial measures is known to reverse the disease.

 

India is considered the diabetes capital of the world though percentage wise the figure may not be as high as that obtained in advanced countries like the UK, USA and others. There are about 300 million diabetic people in the world to day which is slated to increase to 450 million by the year 2030. In India as a percentage of country's population only 3.35% are reported to be affected which works out to about 40 million people! It was reported that in a tiny country like the UK with a population of 63 million, the number of diabetes has crossed 3 million while each year more than 117000 people are diagnosed with this disease. Imagine that country spending almost 9 billion pound sterling per year to treat this category of citizens under the National Health Service program! While Type I diabetes is genetically inherited and the numbers are rather limited, What is alarming is the extent of undiagnosed cases world over which is any body's guess! Type II diabetes is caused by the life style characterized by sedentary habits with no appreciable physical activity and dietary over indulgence with nutritionally unbalanced foods.

 

While diabetes is at least manageable, what is more disconcerting is the on set of other diseases like Heart disease, Stroke, kidney disease, neuropathy, retina detachment and other complications when diabetes is not properly managed through diet and exercise. It is estimated that diabetic people are 5 times more prone to heart attacks and strokes compared to normal individuals. The restricted calorie diet being advocated by scientists in the Netherlands is being hailed as a breakthrough and it is in the interest of the world community to give adequate attention to these scientific findings for adoption world wide. Restricted calorie diet has the twin advantages of preventing as well as reversing the diabetes while significantly extending the life span. How such a "dieting" can be achieved is a million dollar question considering that food has become an addiction in the modern society like tobacco and alcohol and specialized de-addiction centers may have to be set up in hospitals for treating people affected under the medical insurance coverage.

Food industry must step in to help diabetic people to manage the disease with appropriate designer foods with low calorie content but at the same time providing satiety with no feeling of the hunger pangs. One of the most difficult steps in controlling diet is the inability of people to gauge the calorie content of the servings though labels do indicate this information if packed foods are being consumed. Reported development of Mandometer, a device that tells the consumer about the calorie consumed with each mouthful and guides regarding the pace of eating. Slower the food is ingested, better will be the control on food intake. But it may take years before people take devices like Mandometer seriously. It is here where food industry must step in to evolve hundreds of variations of complete meals with serving size limited to provide less than 300-400 kC per serving. 

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

 

 

FACTS, FICTION, MYTHS AND CONFUSION-THE FOOD "CAULDRON"

"Ignorance is bliss", so goes an old saying and to day's food landscape provides ample evidence about the validity of this dictum in the modern world. With millions of words spoken, written and published through the media, food remains an enigma to day as far as the citizen is concerned. It is true that education must educate people about the realities that confront the society and remove myths, superstitions and misconceptions in the minds of the citizen. When it comes to food there are lot of misconceptions compounded by gross ignorance regarding various facets of food including processing, preservation, packing, nutrition, health, safety, toxic effects, hygiene and sanitation etc and no doubt at specialized levels these are dealt with while training the practitioners. How about the common man who is bombarded with thousands of pieces of information blared through the popular media, often contradictory and confusing, making him apprehensive about the very food he takes day in day out?   

A Coffee consumer is pulled from opposing sides regarding the bad and good aspects of regularly drinking it every day. While it is consumed by millions of people in different parts of the world as a stimulating drink, its effect on health remains controversial. Its caffeine content is supposed to be making this drink addictive, pregnant women are advised not to take it, causing acid reflex, adversely affecting the absorption of some drugs taken regularly for some afflictions etc. While these are of negative implications, its beneficial effects include preventing depression, providing antioxidants, and many other benefits. Where lies the truth? Probably daily drinking a couple of cups of coffee cannot be considered dangerous!

Probiotic and Prebiotic foods have been considered the most useful products for counteracting many bowl disorders and prevent serious diseases but recently the European Union has rejected all such claims as not proven. Where does the consumer stand? Probably one can take these foods if one likes them and if there is some health benefit it could be a bonus! 

Has any one heard about Arsenic containing Apples? This is a hot current concern in the US and there has been numerous views regrading this issue. In spite of the denial by the FDA, many still consider Apple dangerous! What is lost in this debate is that presence of Arsenic in any natural food material depends largely on the soil in which they are raised and with Arsenic content in many places rising alarmingly there might be some cases where Apple grown in such soil has a higher Arsenic content. Does this mean people should avoid eating Apples altogether? Added to this confusion Apple was at the receiving end when scientists reported that eating Apple is "bad" for the teeth because of its acidity which can destroy the enamel coating of the tooth! Dentist seem to be recommending that in stead of biting the whole fruit, it would be better if its juice is swallowed or if the mouth is washed immediately after eating an Apple! What will the consumer do? If eating Apple is enjoyable one must continue to eat the same without any reservation. Unfortunately in India Apple is any how beyond the reach of most citizens as the price is as high as Rs 20 a piece!

Talking about Arsenic, recently Rice has been implicated as a high Arsenic containing food. True, Rice has the ability to absorb Arsenic more efficiently and Rice is a bulk food or a staple item of consumption. Fortunately it transpires that only Rice grown in industrially predominant places like Texas in the US contains high Arsenic levels and this country is not known as a Rice exporter. After all, the US population does not consume Rice to the same extent as Asians do, for whom it is staple cereal. If at all one wants to reduce Rice consumption, it should not be because of Arsenic scare but as a desirable step to cut down on refined carbohydrates for good health. 

Resveratrol is a chemical being touted as an "elixir" for long life and it is supposed to be present in some varieties of purple grapes. This has led to the promotion of Red Wine as a health drink that can ensure extension of life span if consumed regularly. It is rather queer that this wonder chemical is hardly soluble in water and it is beyond any body's comprehension as to how much Resveratrol can pass from the pomace into the fermented wine! Similarly Peanut is supposed to contain Resveratrol and when boiled the concentration is reported to increases ten fold. Does it make the boiled Peanut a magical food that will ensure long life? Probably true if it is taken in kilogram amounts which is not feasible. Eating peanuts is good for the health and also from the culinary senses. As long as it does not develop flatulence or increases body fat, one can eat the same with pleasure!

How about the safety of sugar substitutes, several of them safety cleared in many countries? Unfortunately the jury is still out on this issue, with no unanimity in sight. While those affected by Diabetes depend heavily on sugar substitutes for which they have to endure some risks, people wanting to reduce calorie intake for body weight reduction for a better health need to be sure that taking sugar substitutes should not have consequences worse than that due to over weight!. Recent decision by the EU to undertake a review regarding the safety of the most popular synthetic sweetener Aspartame and the clamor for similar review in the US can affect the confidence of the consumer regarding its safety. What is the alternate option? Simply try to take foods without any sweetener, natural or synthetic, if one can!

Imagine a life without consuming salt! That is what many nutritional and health pundits want the consumers to do for the sake of a good health. There are campaigns all over the world for cutting down salt in the diet limiting to about 5 gm a day per person.  While there was near unanimous agreement among scientists and medical practitioners regarding this restraint on salt consumption, now comes a large study by a reputed organization with unquestionable credibility that salt consumption does not influence the blood pressure and there is no connection between salt and a host of diseases including kidney damage. Where does the consumer stand in this controversy? Simply take the salt as required by the palate and nature has put a constraint that man cannot use too much salt that is not tolerated by the tongue! 

Modern day health experts consider sugar as white poison! Is there any valid scientific basis to call this food ingredient the "villain of peace"? Added to this there is the controversy about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) derived from corn starch and there is a belief that 

HFCS is responsible for the obesity epidemic that permeates the American society. The argument that fructose is metabolized differently than sucrose, which after all is a disaccharide containing glucose and fructose, may need undisputed evidence through unbiased human metabolic studies. What is the choice for the consumer? Take sugar in moderate quantities as per some suggestions, not exceeding 50 gm a day per person but ensure that this is "spent" by enough physical activity.

Coconut oil was once decried because it was "full" of saturated fats which are implicated in triglyceride and cholesterol build up in the human body. On the other hand Coconut is also hailed as one of the major sources of Medium Chain Fatty (MCF) acids with potential beneficial effects and has now become a most sought after edible oil. Scientifically MCF acids directly enter the liver to get metabolized without any chance to go through the heart for any possible deposition in the arteries and development of plaques.The global escalation in the price of this oil speaks volume about its present popularity all over the world. If one can tolerate the typical smell of Coconut oil there cannot be a better cooking oil than this one.

GM foods have become so omnipotent in the US there is an impression that they are absolutely safe. Are they really safe, beyond a shadow of doubt? If so why most countries including the EU have banned cultivation and import of GM foods? Unless the safety question is settled once for all, there is an element of risk in consuming these "unnatural" foods about which consumer must be aware of.

There are many other areas like safety of eggs from cage raised birds, direct consumption of raw milk, presence of fluoride in some foods, leaching of Bis-phenol A and some endocrine disruptors from plastic bottles, can coatings and packaging films used to day, hyper claims about the usefulness of tender coconut water, etc on which consumers find it difficult to believe or disbelieve the reports emanating from hundreds of sources. Is there no way to wade through these information bits and evolve a dietary practice that can protect the health from many problems associated with modern foods? But one thing is sure, that is, as long as a normally healthy person adopts a life style based on a mixed diet containing about a dozen commonly available foods, reasonable physical activity of walking for about 30 minutes daily and does not indulge in over eating, the chances of living long and comfortable without any major health afflictions are very high!      

V.H.POTTY

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

PROTEIN QUALITY-NEW INSIGHT INTO ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

Food industry in almost all countries are being forced to include nutritional information on the label so that consumers can have an idea as to the foods they are buying. Prominent nutrients to be declared include Protein, Sugar, Fat and dietary fiber besides the energy value per serving. While quantitative figures do give the extent of the nutrient present, there is no provision to indicate their quality. In the case of fat at least there is a direction to declare the extent of trans fats and sat fats. With wide variations in the quality of proteins from different sources and also the pace of  release of glucose from carbohydrates, a time has come probably to indicate the efficacy of these components in the food vis-a-vis nutrition. Probably the time has come to at least insist on stating the quality of the protein in the food on the label of the package and this assumes all the more significance when it comes to high protein foods being marketed by the well being industry.  

Even a child in to day's modern world knows how critical is protein in the food they consume for ensuring growth and high protein food products lead the portfolio of well being foods in the market. However what is not known so very well is the importance of quality of protein consumed that can make a difference in their effectiveness. In almost all food science courses it is dinned into the ears of the students that animal proteins are superior in quality to that contained in plant foods. Probably this assumption is based on the fact that the nutritional quality of a protein is closely related to the proportion of essential amino acids present in them and it may be true that some plant proteins do lack some of theses amino acids and different proteins may have different "limiting" amino acids bringing down their overall value as a complete protein source.

The concept of mutual supplementation evolved when limiting amino acid issue came to the fore and in order to overcome deficiency of any amino acid two or three sources of proteins are blended to neutralize such a draw back. For example it is presumed that groundnut protein is deficient in Lysine while cereal proteins do not contain adequate Methionine. Soybean is rich in Lysine A blend of groundnut protein and soy protein, therefore can be expected to be a more or less complete protein product, nearly equivalent to egg protein. In spite of the rapid advances made in the field of Biochemistry, there are widely differing perceptions regarding quality of protein and the vested interests in boosting one protein over others from different sources have clouded the understanding of real value of proteins in general. No matter what sophisticated instruments or techniques are employed for protein analysis ultimately what influences the real effectiveness is the extent of proteins that get into the body across the digestive tract which is influenced by many variable factors. This is a problem ignored when high protein foods are designed, produced and marketed by most of the players in this field.

Classically protein was always deduced by estimating the nitrogen present in the sample using the age old Kjeldahl Method and multiplying it with a factor varying from 5.46 to 6.38 which reflects the extent of Nitrogen present in relation to carbon, oxygen and hydrogen moieties in the protein under consideration. Nitrogen content is influenced by the extent of different amino acids present in the protein. Thus the factor used for Milk products is 6.38, for meat and egg 6.25, for grains 5.8 and for nuts 5.46. Unfortunately presence of nitrogenous compounds other than proteins vitiate the results so obtained, often giving a higher value for the protein content. Direct methods are also available based on specific chemical reactions but they are also influenced by chemical substances in the complex food system that can interfere with the results. As for quality of the protein both Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and Biological Value (BV) are the preferred tools in the hands of Biochemists and Nutritionists but they need experimental animals and require a few days to get the results. Net Protein Utilization ( NPU) is another indicator of protein quality and used by many to compare quality of different proteins in relative terms.

In a recent new study the present scenario vis-a-vis protein quality assessment has been critically evaluated and it has been found that most traditional assay methods do not present the real picture regarding the protein quality in foods. It was pointed out that the current methods  for determining protein quality shows most plant proteins as of lower quality compared to animal-based proteins. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) as a simple and scientific procedure for assessing protein quality. This methodology focuses on three different parameters which include the amount of each essential amino acid present in the protein, how easily it is digested and by taking both of those parameters into account, whether the protein meets the FAO/WHO's amino acid requirements set for children aged 2 to 5 years, as they have higher needs to support growth and development than adults.

According to the above method, a protein having a score of 1 in the PDCAAS scale is supposed to be the highest in quality whereas a zero scale makes it the lowest quality. Measured on this scale Casein, Egg White, Soy protein isolate and Whey proteins have PDCAAS scores of 1, Beef protein scores 0.92 while all proteins from plant sources have scores between 0.42 (whole wheat) and 0.9 (soybean). What is interesting is that when PDCAAS score is determined for plant sources except soybean, proteins were not isolated but assessment was made with the food materials themselves which could have vitiated the results very significantly. Also to be noted is that no human diet is made of a single protein source and when different food sources are combined in evolving a diet there is the distinct possibility that a mixed diet may have PDCAAS scores even beyond 1 if properly assessed.

It must be realized that precise methods for determining protein quality are critical for planning any healthy diet. Currently there is lot of interest in including plant-based proteins in the diet and accurate information on protein quality is needed to demonstrate that a diet can include quality plant-based proteins to achieve same results as with animal based proteins. Variations do occur in results from laboratory to laboratory in the amino acid analysis but if the PDCAAS determinations take nitrogen recovery into account necessary corrections can be made to counter act the analytical method error. Isolated soy proteins and soy concentrates are reported to have a PDCAAS of 1.00 indicating that plant proteins can also be as good as that in meat, egg and dairy products. Same may be true with many other plant proteins if they are isolated and quality assessed by the PDCAAS Method. Already Quinoa and Amaranth Seed have established themselves as sources containing high quality proteins similar to animal proteins. All said and done, consumers need not be too much concerned about protein quality if normal mixed diets are consumed regularly. However industry which designs high protein products must consider PDCAAS score of ingredients used in formulating their products and declare the same for justifying the claim that the high protein foods marketed by it is really efficient.

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