eChapters

6.1    Phytochemicals
    
6.2    Health Benefits  and Therapeutic Properties of Banana
    
6.3    Validation of Health and Therapeutic Claims

Previous Year Questions

1. Discuss the iron and protein malnutrition in India. Describe the dietary pattern for mitigating the above-said malnutrition. (15M, IFoS-2022)

2. What is protein energy malnutrition? Give micronutrient deficiency in women and children. (20M, CSE 2017)

3. How are vitamins classified? Name the blood clotting vitamin. Give its various functions and sources. (10M, 150W, CSE 2019)

4. What do you mean by nutrient deficiency? Explain the micro-nutrient deficiency in context of work capacity of women and children. (12.5M, CSE 2015)

Previous Year Questions

1. What is food security? Why is it essential? Describe the current food security system in India. (10M, CSE 2022)

2. What is food security? Indicate the major constraints in food procurement and distribution. (10M, CSE 2017)

Difference Between Production and Productivity

• Production is total quantity produced in an area.

• Productivity is the quantity produced in one unit area.

• For example, total area is 10 hectares and the quantity produced is 15000 kg.

Introduction

Different dairy development programmes are working in various parts of the country. But the dairy development programmes which are confined only to the production activities can not give the best results unless they are supported by the marketing facilities and other infrastructure.

Need for Estimation of Milk Production Potential

Estimation about the milk production potential of any region is required for establishing milk processing plant and helps in making the planning and policy for developing marketing infrastructure in that area. In fact the marketed surplus depends on the marketing facility available in the region. If there are marketing facilities in the area like good cooperative societies are operating in the region, and good prices are offered to the milk producers which covers their cost of production and margins, the marketed surplus is bound to be higher than that of the regions where marketing facilities are not existing.

A cut-out examination is conducted for the evaluation of canned fruit and vegetables and other products for various quality attributes, viz., physical, chemical, sensory, and microbiological attributes. The examination is conducted by following the undermentioned steps: External/physical examination of unopened Can
1. External Appearance of the tin can: Note the external condition of the tin can like dents, rusty spots, scratches, leakage around seams, and the condition of ends. Based on external appearance describe the condition of the tin can by using the following terms:
i. Flat Can: A can where both ends are concave. The vacuum is high enough to maintain the ends concave.
ii. Flipper Can: A can where the vacuum is so low that mechanical shock will produce distortion of one or both ends.
iii. Springer Can: A can in which one end is distorted and the other end is flat and pressure on the convex end will cause the flat end to spring out when pressed.

Cape gooseberry is the native of Peru and Chili (South America), but widely cultivated in Cape of Good Hope and hence called so. It is known by different name in various parts of the world. It is commonly called ‘Poha’ in Hawaii; ‘Golden berry’,’ Pompelmoes’ or ‘Apelliefie’ in South Africa; ‘Lobolobophan’ in the Philippines. In India it is commonly called ‘Rasbhari’, ‘Makoi’, ‘Tiparee’ or ‘Tepari’. Cape goose berry (Physalise peruviana L.) belongs to the family solanaceae. Out of 80 species of genus physalis, only three are well known for their fruit value. These are: (i) P. pubescen L. (ii) P. Peruviana L., and (iii) P. ixocarpa Brot. However these three species, Physalise peruviana L is the most popular due to its pleasant flavour and acid-sweet taste.

SYNOPSIS

Human health is defined as a state of physical, mental, physiological and social well being. It is also considered as a state of body and mind, where there is a balance of body humors or secretions. The paper introduces the readers to common diseases caused through various agents like deficiency disorders, food and water, air-borne, vector, viruses, and life-styles. It also describes healthy food, health management, food management, and healthy life style.

Introduction

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global federation of national standards bodies. Its primary goal is to promote the development of standardization and related activities worldwide, thereby facilitating the international exchange of goods and services. Additionally, ISO focuses on fostering cooperation in intellectual, scientific, technological, and economic fields. The outcomes of ISO’s technical work are published as International Standards.

ISO 9000 The

ISO 9000 family of standards represents an international consensus on good management practices, aiming to ensure that organizations consistently deliver products or services that meet clients’ quality requirements. These practices are condensed into standardized requirements for a quality management system, applicable regardless of the organization’s nature, size, or whether it operates in the private or public sector. The ISO 9000 standards family includes:

A laboratory is essential for research work in science and development. Most of the research institutes have dedicated laboratories for researchers and students to conduct experiments, perform research work, as well as to provide hands-on learning/training to students. There are certain rules and regulations laid down by the laboratory in-charge which need to be followed strictly for safety purposes. Some of the laboratories keep ‘safety manual’ for researchers to read before entering into the laboratory to conduct experiments. Whenever safety is compromised in a laboratory, there is increase in risk of unwanted incidents in the laboratory. Storing food/beverages in the same refrigerator where laboratory chemicals are kept may lead to disastrous effects on health. This chapter aims to provide instructions in brief on the things to be performed (Do’s) before and after entering onto a laboratory as well as the things never to be done (Don’ts) in a laboratory for the safety reasons.

Good Laboratory Practices (Do’s)

• P Wear apron/labcoat while working in the laboratory.
• P Use gloves/respiratory mask/fumehood while handling toxic/volatile/inflammable chemicals/reagents.
• P Use pippet or pippetor for safety in transfer of solutions.
• P Protect eyes, face and naked parts of the body from UV radiations. Use safety goggles or face mask/apron.
• P Keep your eyes away from Liquid Nitrogen and use cryogloves while handling it.
• P Arrange all the necessary materials/solutions before starting the experiment.
• P Periodically fumigate/ozonize culture and inoculation rooms.
• P Autoclave all contaminated materials before discarding.
• P Pre-treat gel or solution containing Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) before discarding into laboratory waste-disposal bin, and use gloves while handling them.
• P Burn all the transgenic plant materials in an incinerator after taking necessary observations.
• P Make entry in the designated log-book and clean the instrument after using it properly.
• P Switch-off the instrument after use or when not in use.
• P Wash hands with soap and remove the labcoat before leaving/going out of the laboratory7.
• P Ensure that switches for fans/lights, and water taps are off while leaving the laboratory.
• P Follow the biosafety guidelines suggested for handling and disposal of the hazardous chemical.

On different occasions I have expressed my views on hunger and food security. Here are some of the views published earlier.

1. Food Security bill: Why it is an opportunity lost

Several years ago I and Dr M S Swaminathan were speaking at a conference on hunger at Rome. Also speaking at one of the sessions was the Brazilian Minister for Zero Hunger Programme, the dream programme of ex-President LuizInácio Lula da Silva. After he had listened to us, he sat down with us to know of how India was battling hunger, specially the way India was managing its food self-sufficiency and the massive food procurement programme.

The paddy grain contains a rough outer covering called husk. It accounts for about one-fifth to one - fourth of the weight of paddy. The inner kernel, called brown rice or dehusked rice, again contains some soft outer layers, jointly called bran. It accounts for about 6-8% of the brown rice weight, including the small germ (1-2% by weight) located in one corner. Rice milling is the process of removing the husk and a part of the bran from paddy in order to produce edible rice. Rice milling system ranges from the home-scale to the large, complex modern rice-processing installations. They include hand-pounding equipment, single hullers, emery sheller-cum-huller mills, emery sheller-cum-cone polisher mills and the modern rubber – roller rice mills. Rice milling industry does not only mill rice but it also carries many other essential functions, such as cleaning and grading, drying, storage, quality control etc. for the production of better quality rice. All these processes are discussed in this paper.

Unlike other food grains, rice is mostly consumed as cooked whole grain, Milling technology is therefore geared to obtain maximum outturn of milled rice and to reduce breakage to the minimum. The single huller mills are by and large located in villages or in localities where paddy is custom milled for produces and they still handle the bulk of the country’s production. The large-capacity rice mills located in urban or semi-urban areas for commercial milling are of ½ to 4 tones per hour capacity and handle the rest of the paddy milled. Some battery hullers are still in operation as large commercial mills, specially for milling parboiled paddy.

9.0. Introduction

Enzymes are organic biocatalysts which initiate and control biological reactions. A catalyst is an agent affecting the velocity of a chemical reaction without appearing among the final products of the reaction. Unlike general catalysts, enzymes are specific in nature and function at a temperature of approximately 37^o C and pH close to neutrality. All enzymes are proteins but all proteins are not enzymes. These are distributed among the cell and tissues of plants and animals. Use of malted barley in brewing, yeast in the production of alcoholic beverages and wrapping of meat in the bruised leaves of papaya tree for tenderizing meat are techniques that have been used for centuries. In bread and cheese making also, enzymes have been exploited from generation to generation. Thus, enzymes have been used without knowing the nature of enzyme as catalysts and reactions involved. However, it is only recently that nature and action of enzyme is known and its importance in food industry is realized.

1.1 Introduction

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a well-known table fruit of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The Romans received it from Carthage, hence the name of the genus Punica. Some botanists place it in the family Lythraceae, of the peculiar type of fruit, called as balausta, most authorities make it the only genus in the family Punicaceae. It belongs to genera Punica and family Punicaceae (Chatterjee & Randhawa, 1952; Joshi, 1956). It is a small tree, measuring less than 4 m when cultivated, although it can reach 7 m in the wild. Recent research findings corroborate traditional use of pomegranate as a medical remedy as all parts of this plant have several bioactive metabolites (Holland et al. 2009). Consequently, its demand has increased tremendously not only in the western world but also in other parts of the globe.

Introduction

The gut microbiota is the complex and dynamic community of microorganisms that includes various bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, proliferate and lead a symbiotic/mutual relationship with the host system. These microorganisms protect the host against pathogens by unique mechanisms, helps to maintain shape and strengthen the intestinal epithelium and boost immune response. Diverse bacterial metabolites can immigrate the host bloodstream and other parts of the body via various channels in humans and animals, such as gut-microbiota-brain, gut microbiota-skin, gut-vagina, gut liver, gut-bones etc. However, many aspects of modern lifestyle would alter the gut microbiota and lead to numerous diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Probiotics and other beneficial microbes exert many beneficial effects on their hosts by modulating the gut microbiota. While the term probiotic is reserved only for well-characterised strains with clinically proven health benefits, other beneficial microorganisms include, organisms responsible for the fermentation of foods viz. yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi and many others that have been shown to have distinct health benefits. Interestingly, major group of these beneficial organisms belong to lactic acid bacteria.

Sample Preparation

 Cheese sample is prepared by passing through 8 mesh sieve three times or

grate sample and mix thoroughly or grind to a uniform mass in a glass pestle

and mortar. Keep the sample in an airtight container until the time of analysis.

 1 Determination of Moisture Content in Cheese

 Introduction

The moisture content of cheese is defined as the loss in mass, expressed as a

percentage by mass when the product is heated in a hot air oven at 102 ± 2°C

to constant mass.

Definition: Food preservation can be defined as the science which deals with the process of prevention of decay or spoilage of food thus allowing it to be stored in a safe condition for future use. All foods gradually undergo deterioration or spoilage from the time they are harvested or manufactured. Some commodities spoil rapidly, while others can keep for longer but limited periods.
Preservation is a set of techniques used to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables, maintaining their quality, nutrition, and safety. Proper preservation methods are crucial in post-harvest management to reduce wastage, meet consumer demands, and ensure food security. Let us explore the principles and methods of preservation using easy vocabulary
Principles of Preservation
• Temperature Control: Preservation involves maintaining low temperatures to slow down enzymatic and microbial activity. Lower temperatures can inhibit the growth of spoilage microorganisms and extend the freshness of fruits and vegetables.
• Removal of Air and Moisture: Air and moisture can accelerate deterioration and spoilage. Preservation methods often involve vacuum sealing or drying to remove air and reduce moisture content.

Newer technologies involve fermentation by specific strains of lactic acid bacteria which bring specific fermentation under controlled conditions to a specific fermented product with enhanced organoleptic, nutritional and therapeutic qualities. Today health is of primary concern. It is important to have nutritionally balanced food with good bacteria. For this, probiotic foods top the list. The functional food concept was initially developed in Japan in 1990‘s as there were many side effects of allopathic medicines. A regulatory system has been initiated by the ministry of health and welfare to approve certain foods to improve health. These are now recognized as Foods for specialized health use (FOSHU). According to American dietic association (ADA) these foods are potential healthful food or food ingredients that may provide health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients. Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms. Probiotic foods as yogurt and sauerkraut are very well known. Fermentation increases the nutrient content and taste with the shelf life.

The 20^th century had seen unprecedented increase in fishing capacity; in terms of the vessel number, increase in size of the vessels and advances in the electronic and navigational equipment coupled with easily manufactured and durable fishing nets. The effect of these innovations sequentially, was the burgeoning in the fish production, plateauing of catches and the myth of inexhaustibility of fishery resources in the sea was proven wrong. A large number of stocks world over have declined and the stock status of many are now alarming, but still the trend towards larger, more powerful and faster vessels continues.

Global fisheries production has reached a plateau and is now hovering around 80 million tonnes during the last decade. It is also noted that the status of world’s marine fish stocks have not improved overall. About 31.4% of assessed fish stocks are fished at a biologically unsustainable level and therefore overfished. Fully fished stocks accounted for 58.1% and underfished stocks 10.5%. It is evident that most of the stocks are fully fished with no further potential for increase in production.

The importance of reducing bycatch and minimizing ecological impacts of fishing operations has been emphasized by scientists and fishery managers and recognized by fishermen. Trawl fisheries in different parts of the world are now being required to use bycatch reduction devices as result of pressure from conservation groups and legal regimes introduced by the governments. The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (FAO, 1995), which gives guidelines for sustainable development of fisheries, stresses the need for developing selective fishing gears in order to conserve resources, protect non-targeted resources and endangered species. Although the problems of using non-legal gears and designs often with smaller mesh sizes are reported. Most of the problems due to generation of bycatch and damage to the ecosystem function, has been implicated due to trawling.

1.1 Introduction
The rural economy has greatly benefited from dairy farming. In rural India, milk has become a substantial source of revenue. Dairy products, including milk, are vital components of modern diets. India holds the title of being the greatest milk producer and consumer globally. Together with native cattle, crossbred cattle, and water buffalo, it also has the biggest dairy herd. Since 2000, there has been a steady and substantial annual growth rate of 4.2 percent in both milk production and consumption. Additionally, second, respectively, in terms of population (GoI, 2014). It accounts for around 25% of the global bovine population. India has emerged as the leading global producer of milk, with a remarkable production of over 155.5 million tonnes during the 2015- 16 period. This translates to a per capita availability of 337 grammes per day, according to the Government of India (GoI, 2017). Dairy farming serves as a primary means of subsistence for more than 100 million individuals. A significant percentage of small-scale livestock keepers lack access to land, and the prevalence of rural landless households is expected to rise due to the continued subdivision of land holdings. Livestock are increasingly vital for the income of smallholder and landless farmers. These initiatives have positively impacted the farmers’ food production, nutrition security, and household income. Additionally, they have played a crucial role in creating employment opportunities in rural areas.

Quality of fish raw material plays an important role for the quality of the end-product. Once the fish raw material freshness and nutrition value is lost, it cannot be recovered in the processing stages. Products that are processed from low quality raw material are not always a safety risk, but the quality (nutrition value) and shelf life is significantly decreased. The quality deterioration can start right away during fishing and it continues all the way to the final user. Time-temperature abuse should be avoided at all stages of handling till landed fish reaches the consumer or the processor. In tropical countries more care in handling is necessary as fishes thrive in high ambient temperature has high body temperature and hastens spoilage.

Fish is highly perishable because of their chemical composition. It has high content of soluble substances in the flesh (many of which contain nitrogen and triglycerides characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids) and high level of autolytic enzyme. After the death of the fish, spoilage starts due to the action of microbes, enzyme and oxidation. It is therefore, necessary to preserve fish after harvest if not consumed or disposed immediately.