Designer morsels-1
Dr
HN Mishra concludes his discussion on convenience foods
During
recent years, the importance of B complex vitamins, beta-carotene and
vitamin C have been realised in terms of their antioxidative and anticarcinogenic
properties. Fruits and vegetables are the rich sources of these vitamins.
Fermented foods and beverages possess various nutritional and therapeutic
properties. Lactic acid bacteria play a major role in determining the
positive health effects of fermented milks and related products. The
L. acidophilus and Bifidobacteria spp are known for their use in probiotic
dairy foods. Cultured products sold with any claims of health benefits
should meet the criteria of suggested minimum number of more than 106
cfu/g at the expiry date. Anti-tumour activity is associated with the
cell wall of starter bacteria and so the activity remains even after
drying. Other health benefits of fermented milk products include prevention
of gastrointestinal infections, reduction of serum cholesterol levels
and anti-mutagenic activity. They are recommended for lactose-intolerant
individuals and patients suffering from atherosclerosis.
Health
drinks
Health drinks are formulated taking into account the nutritional requirements
or recommended dietary allowances for the target group. It is not only
essential to balance the energy protein and vitamin requirements but
also to make it palatable, sparkling and thirst-quenching. Singh et
al. (2003) have discussed the formulation of a whey-based geriatric
health drink. The calorie, protein and carbohydrate contents are fixed
at 70 kcal, three per cent and 12 per cent, respectively for 100 ml,
while the mineral profiles of Ca, P, K, Fe and Zn are adjusted to 67,
135, 335, 4 and 3 mg, respectively, per 100 ml. The available literature
suggests the feeding of one vitamin capsule per day (Swaminathan, 1974).
A milk-based health drink mix marketed by Nestlé for children
above two years claims to provide protein, fat, calcium, iron, B vitamins
(B1, B2, B6, B12) required to meet 65, 50, 100, 46, 100 and more than
90 per cent, respectively, of RDA requirement in two servings.
Energy
drinks and sports drinks
Energy drinks and sports drinks are distinctively different products
(Amendola et al., 2004). However, the terms are often used interchangeably.
While sports drinks are mainly designed to replace fluid and to provide
carbohydrates, energy drinks are marketed for their mental stimulant
effect. Ingredients like caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone are distinctive
for energy drinks as they are not present in sports drinks. Energy drinks
represent a relatively new category of beverages that contain caffeine
in amounts that exceed those in soft drinks and approach the low end
of concentration range found in coffee. A number of scientific reports
during the first half of 20th century have provided considerable evidence
that caffeine may enhance exercise capacity and recovery from fatigue;
they attributed these effects mainly to its central stimulating actions.
Available evidence from well-controlled experiments confirms that caffeine
can indeed be an effective ergogenic aid over a wide range of athletic
activities involving both aerobic and resistance types of exercise.
Technology
of formulation
There are several methods of manufacturing functional foods, based
either on the method used to produce them or on their purpose. Functional
foods may be processed by modification or they may be fortified with
different substances and the functionality of a product can be targeted
to a special disease or just to improve overall well being (Roberfroid,
1997). A particular food may be made more functional by increasing or
adding a potential health promoting entity. Alternatively, concentration
of adverse components may be reduced or there may be a partial interchange
between toxic and beneficial ingredients.
