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Innovative food ingredients and their uses
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Wednesday, 22 June, 2022, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Sumit Rohilla
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Food is one of the basic three needs of an individual, the source of food may vary from flora to fauna depending upon the religion, culture, habits, weather, region and so on. Food is the only source of the energy for the human body no one can skip this indeed requirement of a human. Everyone needs their plate based on their routine work and the physical needs of an infant require a different category compared to an adult or an old person.
As food is the only source of energy it also plays a vital role in the smooth functioning of the human body by providing various macro-nutrients & micro-nutrients. The current consumer is much more aware of their diets, What?, When?, Where?, How? and most important Which? food is to be consumed. Answering the above question marks is not easy for anyone but people find their way to get the answers from experts. While concluding the answers to the questions one cannot forget to keep the 6 tastes given by Ayurveda, on which food is categorised: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter, Pungent, and Astringent.
After keeping in mind the above-written story or facts people are transforming from junk food to organic food and also finding or trying innovative food ingredients to make their meals appealing and healthy at the same time.
Apple, blackcurrant, acai, acerola, guarana, mango, bilberries, grapes, cherries, kiwifruits, strawberries, feijoa, peach, plums, cranberry, blueberry, and pomegranate are among the fruits utilised. Polyphenols, vitamin A, vitamin C, minerals, and dietary fibre are among the nutrients and health-promoting bioactive components found in these fruits.
Whole fruits, minimally processed fruit preparations including juice, and wastes (e.g. pomace) are used in a variety of foods, including smoothies, yoghurts, beverages, and ice creams. Different physical forms of fruits or fruit ingredients, for example, have been employed to track satiety. Dried fruit was utilised as a pre-meal snack to minimise overall energy intake and dessert eating.
Superfood: According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a superfood is "a food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is high in chemicals (such as antioxidants, fibre, or fatty acids) considered good to a person's health." However, there is no formal definition of a superfood in scientific terms, other than that it is a food that has high quantities of desirable nutrients that are connected to improving human health and wellness or preventing disease and illness. The idea of designating a portion of food as a superfood appears to be more in line with promoting a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains.
Some brands are working hard towards the innovative use of ingredients for example Carolina Innovative Food Ingredients: This brand worked with sweet potatoes and is used in various ways such as sweetener, juice or juice concentrate, colour, syrup, starch or even as dehydrated sweet potato ingredients, which include granules and fine and mid-grain flours.
Sunkist: Have opted for the fruit-based sauces & dressing and broke the wall of traditional tomato ketchup.
Herbs & Spices are also in the practice for medicinal purposes as well as for the taste.
1. Anantamul: From South Asia is traditionally used for treating digestive problems, anorexia, blood disorders, cough, fever, diarrhoea, asthma, itching and skin diseases like leprosy. In Ayurveda, the plant is used in the treatment of bone loss, stress, topical wound, low body weight, fever, the pharmacological uses of anantamul are anti-diabetic, cardio-protective, antioxidant.
(Source: https://svasthaayurveda.com/anantamul-indian-sarsaparilla-and-its-multitude-of-health-benefits/)
2. Chilli: Capsaicin, found in chillies, is used to treat neuralgia, a form of pain (shooting or burning pain in the nerves). Capsaicin is also used to treat minor rheumatoid arthritis discomfort, as well as muscular sprains and strains.
(Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/737254)
3. Flower: Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, mental health, stress relief, skincare, sleep aid, hair care, immune booster, weight loss, vision improvement, detox, digestion last but not the least oral health. Osmanthus Flower, Jasmine, rose, camomile etc are the best known flower based teas.
(Source: https://theteahaus.com/teajournal/blog/8-floral-tea-blends-that-are-delicious-for-making-iced-tea/)
4. Tincture: An alcohol extract of fresh or dried botanical material is known as a tincture. Most are single extraction tinctures created with just alcohol, but some use a double extraction procedure that extracts both the water and alcohol soluble elements first with alcohol and subsequently with water. A tincture made from reishi mushrooms is an example of a double extraction tincture.
5. Infused Vinegar: Vinegar is similar to a tincture in that it is used to retain plant material and extract its medicinal components.
(Source: https://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/blog/posts/herbal-basics-vinegar-infusions/)
6. Infused Honey: Made by infusing a small amount of herbal material into honey. By volume, 1 part herbs to 2-5 parts honey is typical.
(Source: https://id.pinterest.com/pin/548454060866554658/visual-search/?x=10&y=108&w=313&h=374&cropSource=6&imageSignature=fbd43a12850d4d47dd924d6e51182a98)
7. Electuary — A honey-and-dry-herb mixture that can be turned into herb-and-honey packets or pills if enough dried herbal material is added.
(Source: https://www.etsy.com/market/electuary)
8. Succus: A plant's newly produced juice, often consumed by the drop in the same way tinctures are. They're not commonly available because they're perishable, but they were traditionally served fresh in season and can still be easily made at home.
(Source: https://theherbalacademy.com/how-to-make-a-succus/)
Many more Innovative styles of uses of ingredients are available in the market, we just have to explore those and know the basics about them and how can be they used in our daily life.
(The author is assistant professor, Sunder Deep College of Hotel Management, Ghaziabad, UP. He can be reached at sumitrohlla2@gmail.com)
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