Wednesday 9 May 2018

Almond Gum

Almond gum is used as a stabilizer and emulsifying agent and natural coolant giving beverages a glassy appearance and better mouthfeel and taste when consumed regularly helps in weight gain and improve muscle strength.
also known as badam Pisin and badam gondh in Hindi it is obtained from the bark of the almond tree. 
Used along with Sabja seeds in rose milk, jigardandha and falooda .

Tuesday 20 March 2018

The humble fruit


Go for gauva, loaded with nutrients,high amount of vitaminc , lycopene and antioxidants, benificial for skin rich in megnisium and folate , flesh varies from white to dark red, 80 percent water content so keeps body hydrated serves as an immunity booster, prevents caner and diabetes friendly with low glycemic index improvement in HDL or cholesterol levels , treats constipation, improves eyesight, helps in weight loss, strengthen the brain prevents cough and cold, clears respiratory track and has anti-aging properties,low in calories and high in fibre, maintains good blood sugar levels, good carbohydrate content,gluten free, brewed gauva tea leaf has been a part of traditional medicine.


Tuesday 22 August 2017

What Happens When Milk Curdles? lets explore the whey

we all have explored the usefulness of curd in food, health, and skin care. Today we will get to know about a liquid that we get when milk curdles. whey is a natural substance,  a light green liquid that precipitates on the top layer of curd or the liquid that is leftover after cheese making. It will be astonishing to know that this liquid which is ignored has numerous health benefits.

when and how it was used for the very first time?
whey was used as a health tonic to boost the immune system prescribed by the father of medicine -Hippocrates to his patients in 330 BC.

Homemade  whey is  found to contain
Lactoferrin: A multifunctional protein with iron binding properties that acts as anti-microbial
Bovine serum albumin: A substance high in amino acids helps improve antioxidant activity and help maintain cholesterol levels.
Probiotic organisms: promote digestion and improves nutrient absorption from food with all essential amino acids
Minerals: zinc and potassium
Vitamins: Riboflavin
whey can be used in  soups and even it can be added while making chappatis to the wheat flour

Food engineering students info corner

whey powders are preferred by sports persons as they help to maintain weight and helps build muscle 

spray drying is a process of converting a mixture in its liquid form to powder this is done by removing the moisture content from the liquid solution . Air in the form of gas is blown in same or concurrent direction depending upon the need and type of dryer used to obtain uniform particle size in the end product.

Processing of whey

raw milk is collected, cooled at 4 degrees Celsius
refrigerated and pasteurized at 72 to 73-degree Celsius, whey is collected as the byproduct of cheese making and spray dried to obtain the final product



China grass

Agna agar or china grass is the next topic of today,  it is a good source of iron, calcium, and fiber
it's known to aid in digestion and help in weight loss, china grass was first used in Japan in the 17th century. 

video section: processing of China grass



 Recipe corner

whey protein-rich chocolate pudding

ingredients needed :
50 grams of china grass
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of chocolate powder or vanilla essence
1 glass of milk
1 glass of homemade and filtered whey

METHOD
1. Boil the china grass in a glass of water until it turns to be a thick transparent liquid
2. Meanwhile, boil milk and add chocolate powder and add sugar to it
3. pour the chocolate milk to the china grass solution and bring to boil for 5 to 10 minutes
4. allow to  cool  down for sometime
5. add the whey to the mixture that is set aside to cool
6. refrigerate for 2 hours, and your dessert is ready, there you go






Monday 16 January 2017

sweet sweet sweet

Today after a long time as I get back to foods probe my blogging spot  I would like to give  it some really sweet start.  Wondering what its all about  "sugar cane  juice" yes as it is the season of Pongal and I hope its is the right time to talk about this delightful drink and here I would like to share a  memory  that happens every year when after the pongal Pooja  at home I and my  cousin brother usually cut sugarcane into small portions  and sit together and enjoy it and enjoy it till my mom says don't it too much in one day....ha ha ha !!! 
How many of you really like it? 
Well, I myself is a big fan of it there was a sugar cane juice shop at my college where I did my U.G  where I would stop to have my mango flavored  sugar cane juice every weekend or whenever I happen to visit java green at SRM well they were the most refreshing  evenings of my life. 
 let me start with the health aspect of  sugar cane juice / கரும்பு  சாறு / गन्ने के रस   
Health benefits of sugar cane juice
  • sugarcane serves as a source of instant energy packed with natural sugars and refreshes body and mind
  • folic acid or vitamin b9 help in easier conception during pregnancy and prevent any neural birth defects in the fetus 
  • sugar cane juice is packed with calcium , phosphorous and whole lot of minerals which ensures healthy nails, teeth,bones and prevents us from tooth decay and bad breath and cures febrile disorders in children and replenishes lost protein.
  • Its the best known juice to treat liver related disorders and improves functioning of liver.
  • potassium present in the cane juice help balance PH of stomach and aids in secretion of digestive juice and acts as a digestive tonic .
  • flavenoids in sugar cane prevents diseases due to free radicals
  • sugar cane juice has low glycemic index and so it can be consumed by diabetic patients in considerably moderate amount.
  • Vitamin C in sugar cane juice helps cure soar throat.
  • sugar cane juice  helps in wound healing and strengthens body organs . sugarcane juice helps eliminate toxins from the body 
  • sugarcane juice helps weight loss by reducing bad cholesterol levels in the body and boosts immunity and improves muscle power and treats acidity as well.
apply cane juice to face and washing with water after 15 mins gives glow and has anti ageing effect

  • see that you drink freshly prepared cane juice within half an hour after preparing as it easily spoiled by microorganisms and do not consume more than two glasses of sugarcane juice in  a day. 

processing of sugar cane juice 

1. Reception
2.Peeling
3. Blanching
4.Pressing
5.filtration 
6. Centrifugation
7. treatment 
8. packaging 

high pressure processing 

high pressure processing is a cold pasteurization technique by which product already sealed in its final package are introduced into a vessel and subjected to a high level of isostatic pressure transmitted by water 


Pressures above 400 MPa / 58,000 psi at cold (+ 4ºC to 10ºC) or ambient temperature inactivate the vegetative flora (bacteria, virus, yeasts, molds and parasites) present in food, extending the products shelf life importantly and guarantee food safety.
High Pressure Processing retain the sensory and nutritional properties of food, because of the absence of heat treatment, and maintains its original freshness throughout the shelf-life 




Hpp is discussed because some abroad countries use high pressure processing for cane juice .


Don't miss out  on sugarcane enjoy it stay happy and healthy go for this natural drink this pongal 





















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Friday 9 September 2016

WHAT THE TRUE HEROES OF NATION EAT ( A small gist)

As its said what you eat makes you who you are lets see what the true saviors of our nation eat . Before world war 1 Indian soldiers got only cash allowances . The nutritive value of food given to our soldiers were totally neglected .
During  the second world war supply of rations became difficult due to the rise in the cost of living and our soldiers got affected by malnutrition the authorities recommended foods of higher nutritive value to our soldiers
After independence the Indian soldiers were supplied with food preserved by traditional methods there were difficulties in transporting ,storage, handling and packaging because these foods were prone to physical and chemical deterioration during these stages

DFRL : The defence food research laboratory Mysore was established on 28th December 1961 under defence research and development organisation to fulfill
food needs of army. navy and air-force. The prime aim is to engineer light weight convenient packaged food with longer self life that suits for varied climatic conditions .

VARIOUS FOODS DEVELOPED BY DFRL 
FOOD BARS 
Different varieties of food bar DFRL has developed array of nutritious  bars to meet the energy needs of soldiers such as compressed tasty bar, protein rich composite cereal bar,, sweet and sour tasty bar, flax oat tasty bar rich in soluble fibers, ergogenic energy rich bar , barley bar  rich in  glucan , omega 3 rich bar , cocoa delight bar rich in antioxidants and fiber , bar for high altitudes  and each bar serves a specific nutrition need  with help of a specific functional ingredient with a calorific range of 400-540 k cal with shelf life of about 6-15 months. 

BARLEY BAR
life style changes have led to decrease in intake of fibre DFRL food scientists have developed bars using barley grains in order to provide the amount of fibre content needed to be provided in individual's daily diet.

COCOA DELIGHT BAR 
The most preferred chocolate bar is developed by DFRL is made from cocoa powder butter and sugar and cocoa is rich in antioxidant and flavenoids  owing to be a healthy and tasty delight as well.

COMPOSITE CEREAL BAR 
The bar is made of a number of cereals  including barley, maize, wheat and soy and contains the essential amino acids and protein needed to a balanced nutritious diet alleviating protein energy malnutrition

COMPOSITE TASTY BAR
During emergency, survival situations . long patrol duties troops need continuous supply of energy this protein rich nutritious bar has been developed by DFRL which is light in weight, easy to carry and provides sufficient energy in the form of calories.

SOY FORTIFIED OAT BAR
The bar developed by DFRL  has a long shelf life of about 15 months the beta glucan and amino acids  known to provide health benefits

ERGOGENIC BAR
This bar is prepared by using jaggery walnut, cinnamon, pepper, ginger , turmeric powder etc known to warm the body of army troops in extreme cold conditions.

FLAX OAT TASTY BAR
This bar is prepared by using flax-seed  and oats and are rich in fibers both soluble and insoluble in the diet .

OMEGA 3 RICH BAR
This bar is made from walnut and flax seeds which are rich sources of  omega 3 fatty acids which are known to be heart healthy foods and provides calories in a healthy way increasing HDL in the body.

READY TO EAT NUTRI FOOD BAR
These bars provides fullness and is a chewy, dense nutrition rich  compressed bar prepared from readily assimlable sources of carbohydrates and proteins and serves as meal supplement in packed army rations

SWEET SOUR TASTY BAR
In order to provide change in taste sweet band soar bars are developed by DFRL and contains salt, sugar, chilli powder and nuts etc.  


FOOD BARS DEVELOPED BY DFRL


CHICKEN BISCUITS 

Chicken is a good source of readily digestible proteins,essential amino acids, fatty acids and B complex vitamins and hence help cater the protein needs of armed force at high altitudes as a high protein snack .

EGG PROTEIN BISCUITS
Protein rich biscuits has been developed from real egg solids in three known flavors vanilla, pineapple and orange. The biscuits have nearly 20%  protein and provide energy of about 475kcal/100g




HOLIBITE

DFRL has developed  this instant health oriented RTE product for emergency use after exertion. It provides 108kcal for 30g capsule and 4-6 are enough to help during emergency situation. Product contains 70% honey.
 
Performance enhancement drink : Aloevera is known to have various health benefits. Its known to improve blood circulation helping in supply of nutrients to the cells and thus enhances the nutrient absorption across the endothelial cells to blood stream. These two properties have been utilized to develop this pomegranate to enhance physical performance.

SPICED LOW CALORIE ALOE VERA BEVERAGE:
spiced  aloevcra  beverage developed by DFRL  aims to reduce blood sugar level in type 2 diabetic patients  owing to its anti- diabetic property and known to have proven health health benefits in other people.

ALOEVERA FRUIT SPREAD AND BAR 
Aloe Vera  gel with a fruit base of mango helps improve colon health and serves as a bread spread with health benefits.
APPETIZERS
Appetizers solve the problem of lack of appetite faced at high altitudes.The development of ready  to eat  appetizers with a shelf life of 8 months is a unique contribution to the field of food technology
and requirements of defense forces as well . these RTE appetizers include ginger munch, fruit munch, peeper munch, lemon munch and ajwain munch.
SHELF STABLE CHAPATIES

After extensive research DFRL has successfully developed chapaties with natural sensory attributes with extended shelf life using thermal processing with additives and flavors and are of different varieties.


Did you know : all these covenience foods which works miracle for today's working woman were first invented for 3 armed forces of our nation  .
 for more information and deeper insight do visit  dfrl official website .
  I dedicate my post to the food scientists who have went a long way in engineering foods of great comfort .

My dear readers the post contains just a few of interesting foods and it will be continued in a short while, however posts will be updated through out september and emphasise will be given on nutrition and different technologies involved in food as well until then tc and stay happy

Saturday 2 April 2016

A JOURNEY TO EXPLORE SPACE FOODS

Space foods being the first post after a new beginning of food probe I want to take all my readers on a space journey to explore space foods and the technologies involved I hope all my readers  would enjoy this journey so let us give it a start…
Have you ever wondered what astronauts in space eat?
come let’s explore together 



NASA’S the first scientist to eat food in space was John Glenn First food to be eaten in space was apple sauce however  in the second space program NASA food scientists included shrimp, cocktail, chicken, vegetables and pudding.

There are special rules for space foods
1. Minimize the crumbs
2. Minimize packaging and thrash volume
3. Minimize the weight of the food 

FOOD TECHNOLOGY AT SPACE 

RE HYRDATABLE FOODS or freeze-dried foods: Most foods in space was packaged in a dehydrated form and thus rehydrated before consumption(hot  cup noodles is one fine example ) these foods are packed in special containers to help them last longer 
dehydration or removal of water is done to prevent spoilage due to microorganisms and extend shelf life.  
The straws used for consumption of liquid food in space has a special one-way valve to prevent the liquid from escaping when not in use. (eg)soups, ravioli and even fruits and fish and eggs, chicken, cheese cereals, etc are packaged dehydrated form and rehydrated before consumption
Freeze-drying technology: freeze-drying is a process of dehydrating frozen food under vacuum condition so that the moisture content in food directly changes to gaseous form without having to undergo the intermediate liquid state through sublimation the  food product thus maintains good quality and acceptance
Meals and even ice-creams that are made available to astronauts in space are freeze-dried 
 













THERMO-STABILIZED FOODS The foods that are heated to high  temperatures to prevent bacterial growth and are packaged in bimetallic or aluminum cans or flexible retort pouches mushrooms, tomatoes, eggplant are few examples of thermostabilized foods.

INTERMEDIATE MOISTURE FOODS
These are foods that do not remove water completely but here the water is restricted to an amount to keep the food at desired texture but the percentage of water in IMF foods does not support microbial growth  and the water content in IMF foods ranges from  15 to 30 % thus the water present chemically bound to salt or sugar not available for microbial growth thus prevents spoilage due to micro-organisms dried peaches, pears and apricots are some examples of IMF foods in space

VACUUM PACKAGING Some foods are consumed in natural form but there is an interesting technology that is involved here too. Here the air is completely removed from the packaged food.  The package is sealed so that food stays fresh for a long time.

Condiments: Condiments  are made available suspended in oil or dissolved in water pepper is suspended in oil while salt is dissolved in water these liquid salt and liquid pepper are stored polyethylene bottles.

MODIFIED ATMOSPHERIC PACKAGING: Bread sandwiches are not possible in space  as the bread slices tend to float so food scientists at NASA developed tortillas - a flatbread made of wheat flour to serve the purpose they kept it fresh up to  one year by the use of oxygen scavengers which helps in removing the oxygen in the package and thus creating a modified atmosphere ethylene is an example of oxygen scavenger.

FOOD IRRADIATION  Some foods are exposed to radiation to kill mold or bacteria on food also to extend its shelf life
Exposure of ionizing radiation in the form of x rays, gamma rays and electron beam to destroy microorganisms safety limits of radiation are set according to the type of food and the purpose of irradiation. 


SPACE FOODS FOR ISRO  food scientists at  DRDO and CFTRI Mysore are exploring new technologies to make available the specialties of  Indian cuisine DRDO has created initial success in biscuits, pastries and  dried juice and lemon rice with a list of innovative technologies which are to be later discussed in the blog food scientists can formulate even chicken biriyani which is supplied to astronauts and its shelf life is up to one year.


Some more interesting facts

TANG one  of the well-known juice brands became famous when it was supplied to astronauts  in the space shuttle it served as a vitamin C  supplement

As the space shuttle is shielded from Cosmic rays the scientist does not get enough of the sunshine vitamin so special care should be taken to provide vitamin D in the diet of space scientist.

Have a look at mm a fun snack of  astronauts







This is a soap bubble which holds the chocolate candy in space




Friday 25 December 2015

Santa to gift you the box of joy

Hi friends I wish you all a merry Christmas  let Santa grant you health wealth happiness . I am here to share something about chocolates the favorite of most people . It of different varieties , originated as royal drink,  now chocolates which are sweet are symbol of love and joy but they contribute to good heath too. But when the question of  health arises always remember the "bitter the better "health of chocolates  depends on the flavanols present in cocoa powder theobromine the poly phenol has beneficial effects  because of nothing but anti oxidants present in them. Dark chocolates according to research contributes to health so keep in mind the joyful chocolates can make you heather too . Please do have a watch on the amount of chocolates you consume every day as they contribute to calories . Further dark chocolate prevent blood platelets from clumping together and increase blood vessel flexibility . 3.5 ounce of dark chocolate is recommended per day

 My  favorite dark chocolate  my way at home
6 table spoon of cocoa powder
3 table spoon of honey
1 spoon of milk powder
4 table spoon of coconut or olive oil stir the mixture cook in low flame for 6 minutes . Wait to become warm and make balls and leave in freezer for 1 hour and you can enjoy the dark chocolate
There you go the home made dark chocolate



For food engineering students

Chocolate are of different variety
 Milk chocolates
cocoa butter , sugar , soy lecithin 
 Dark chocolate
 cocoa powder chiefly present milk solids are not present  further classified as  semi sweet and bitter sweet chocolate  based on cocoa powder content .


An image showing all the four varaities of chocolates known






Processing :`

Step 1   

 Cocoa beans are cleaned
Step 2
Roasting of cocoa beans is done to develop desired flavor , 20 to 25 mins roasting at a temperature of 250°c to 350°c  
Step 3
Winnowing is done to remove the shell and the nib - the part which is sent for further processing is separated
Step 4
Grinding
Beans are ground and sugar is added and finely ground   for 90 hours to 90 micron size which forms cocoa liquor  and desired consistency is obtained .
Step 5
Couching
Couching process involves exposing chocolate liquor to air to drive away the volatile and get the desired final product's flavor and texture.
Step 6
Tempering
It is done by tempering machine where  melted chocolate is heated to 110°F to 117°F  further cooled to 90°F where seedling  or small pieces of chocolate are added to get the uniform size of particles in the final chocolate and to give the shiny finish to mouth melting chocolate.
Step 7
Molded by pouring to trays and left for freezing in freezer where it is solidified.
 Vedio showing processing
 This is how the hersley's do