FNB News - India produces 900,000 tonne of marketed ghee, 37% urban and 21% in rural

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India produces 900,000 tonne of marketed ghee, 37% urban and 21% in rural

Monday, 25 July, 2016, 08 : 00 AM [IST]

Amrita Poonia* and Shikha Pandhi

Introduction
Milk contains large amounts of essential nutrients and has rightly been recognised as nature’s single most complete food. It provides more essential nutrients in significant amounts than any other single food. Milk fat or butter fat is the second largest component of milk and is of major commercial value. It serves nutritionally as an energy source and supplies essential fatty acids.

Ghee has excellent storage stability. Ghee can be defined as a pure clarified fat exclusively obtained from milk, cream or butter, by means of processes involving application of heat at atmospheric pressure, which results in the almost total removal of moisture and solid non-fat and which gives the product a characteristic flavour and physical structure and texture.

According to Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO, 1997, 2006), ghee is defined as a product exclusively obtained from milk, cream or butter by means of processes, which result in almost total removal of water and non-fat solids, with a specially developed flavour and physical structure. Processing and storing milk fat product in good quality from surplus milk is important to ensure distribution of milk fat at affordable price to the society.

Regular consumption of pure ghee enhances physical and mental strength, and keeps the body healthy. It also helps in taking out the impurities from the body. It enhances eyesight, keeps muscles and tendons healthy. For people with cholesterol problems, ghee is a better option as compared to butter as pure ghee is lower in fat than butter. Because of lesser amount of fat in desi ghee, it is easier to digest. Pure ghee can last for a longer duration of time. It can be stored without refrigeration. Due to increasing health concerns among the consumers regarding unhealthy fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oil that give rise to trans fatty acids during the process of hydrogenation, the sales and consumption of ghee has increased.

Nutritional aspects of ghee
Ghee is a complex lipid of glycerides (usually mixed), free fatty acids, phospholipids, sterols, sterol esters, fat-soluble vitamins, carbonyls, hydrocarbons, carotenoids (only in ghee derived from cow milk), small amounts of charred casein and traces of calcium, phosphorus, iron and so on. It contains not more than 0.3% moisture. Ghee may contain high amounts of conjugated linoleic acid, a newly reported anticarcinogen. Flavour is greatly influenced by the fermentation of the cream or butter and the heating processes. Carbonyls, lactones and free fatty acids are reported to be the key ghee flavouring compounds. Ghee is fairly shelf-stable largely because of its low moisture content and possible antioxidative properties.

Ghee is a more convenient product than butter in the tropics because it keeps better under warm conditions. It has low moisture and milk solid non-fat contents, which inhibit bacterial growth (O'Mahony, 1988). The storage stability of ghee is attributed to the low moisture content and the high content of phospholipids (ca. 400 mg/Kg). The low acidity of the ghee and the presence of natural antioxidants are also believed to contribute to the extension of its shelf life (Sserunjogi, et al., 1998). Ghee is primarily used for cooking and frying and as dressing or toppings for various foods. It is also used in the manufacture of snacks and sweets often mixed with vegetables, cereals, fruits, and nuts. In some parts of the world, ghee is considered as a sacred product and is used in religious rites. (Mortensen, 2011)

Ghee contributes significantly towards nourishment of people of all age groups. It is a good source of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and essential fatty acids. Ghee contains about 0.2–0.4% cholesterol. Consumption of ghee and other fat-rich dairy products makes appreciable contribution to cholesterol intake. Recent wave against cholesterol-containing foods is damaging the image and market growth of ghee and other dairy products (Kumar, et al., 2010). Gowardhan, Anik, Milkfood, Madhusudhan,Verka, Amul, Healthhaid, Gopaljee, Nestle Everyday, and Britannia are amongst the Top 10 ghee brands in India.

Unhealthy fats: Trans fats
Trans fats can occur naturally in some foods, especially foods from animals. Most trans fats are made during food processing through partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats. This process creates fats that are easier to cook with and less likely to spoil than are naturally occurring oils. These trans fats are called industrial or synthetic trans fats.

Research studies show that synthetic trans fats can increase unhealthy LDL cholesterol and lower healthy high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Majority of trans fats can be found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, shortenings, margarine and so on.

New advances in ghee production
Low-cholesterol ghee
Cow and buffalo cream was used for the preparation of low-cholesterol ghee. A lab scale process for the extraction of cholesterol from cream was used, which was essentially based on the method of Ahn and Kwak (1999). The cream thus obtained was used for the preparation of anhydrous milk fat (ghee) as per the method of Kumar et al. (2007).

Use of natural antioxidants in ghee
Amr (1990b) studied the effect of addition of four aromatic herbs on oxidative stability of ghee made from Ewe’s milk. Aromatic herbs namely, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Artemisia herballa), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and rue (Rutagra veatons) were added at 7.5 per cent level to the ghee, only rosemary showed an antioxidative effect equivalent to that of BHA+ BHT (1:1, 250 ppm). All these herbs had an antioxidant effect at least for first 24 h of storage.

Gandhi et al. (2013) evaluated antioxidative properties of vidarikand ethanolic extract in ghee and reported that ethanolic extract of the vidarikand was more effective for preventing the development of the peroxide value and conjugated diene value in ghee during storage. Vidarikand ethanolic extract showed higher induction period as compared to control ghee sample.

Herbal ghee
Parmar et al. (2013) reported that ethanolic extract of arjuna bark increased the shelf life of ghee as compared to control sample during storage at 80degreeC. Their findings also suggested that freshly prepared ghee from cow milk added with Arjuna bark had good potentiality to act as free radical scavenger.
Health benefits of using ghee
•   Use ghee to fight inflammation: Ghee has been shown to reduce leukotriene secretion and reduce prostaglandin. Prostaglandin levels and leukotriene secretion both play a role in inflammation.
•   Use ghee if you are lactose- or casein-intolerant: The method of clarifying butter to turn it into ghee removes most of the lactose and casein contained in butter. Many of those who are lactose- or casein-intolerant can enjoy ghee without any negative reactions.
•   Use ghee to boost daily dose of antioxidants: Ghee contains carotenoids and vitamins A and E. These antioxidants fight free radicals and promote skin cell growth, good vision and immune system health, as well as reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.
•   Use ghee to boost micronutrient intake: Ghee is excellent source of vitamin K2 and CLA, nutrients that are not found in very many other foods. Vitamin K2 may help prevent calcification of the arteries.
•   Ghee (unlike other oils) is rich in butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid. Beneficial intestinal bacteria convert fibre into butyric acid and then use that for energy and intestinal wall support. A healthy body therefore makes it own form of ‘ghee’ but one can aid that greatly.

Conclusion
Ghee has been considered immensely superior to other fats mainly because of the presence of characteristic short chain fatty acids, carrier of four fat soluble vitamins viz., A, D, E, K and essential fatty acids such as linolenic acid and arachidonic acid. India produces 900,000 tonne of marketed ghee, valued at Rs 85,000 million. The market penetration of ghee is about 37% in urban areas and about 21% in rural areas. Ghee contains cholesterol, which is one of the suspected culprits in arteriosclerosis. Due to this reason, health-conscious people are scared of taking ghee. But various studies have reversed the misguided beliefs about ghee: “Desi ghee or clarified butter oil often blamed for obesity and heart diseases is not that bad after all and various health benefits related to its consumption have gained consumer interest and have led to increase in the consumption and sales of ghee. Daily consumption of ghee in an adequate amount, imparts various health benefits such as •   Binds toxins; •   Enhances complexion and glow of the face and body; •   A great rejuvenator for the eyes; •   Increases physical and mental stamina; •   Supports learning, retention and recall; •   Increases longevity; •   Cools and lubricates the stomach wall; •   Nurtures and cleanses blood tissue; •   Supports healthy hormone production; •   Supports mineral absorption; •   Provides sustaining energy.

In India, due to poor storage and transport facility large quantities of ghee get spoiled due to off flavour development. Since ghee is a fat-rich product, therefore antioxidants play a major role in preventing rancidity. Synthetic antioxidant are generally used to prevent the oxidative rancidity of ghee but natural antioxidant also plays important role in preventing rancidity. Medicinal centres reported regarding the potential teratogenic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects of synthetic antioxidants in experimental animals including primates. More research is needed in search of natural products that not only provide oxidative stability of ghee during storage but also provide health benefit.

References
AGMARK (1988) Ghee Grading and Marking Rules, 1938 (as amended in 1988). New Delhi: Government of India, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Department of Agriculture.
Amr AS (1990b). Role of some aromatic herbs on extending the stability of sheep ghee during accelerated storage. Egyptian Journal of Dairy Science, 18: 335.
Gandhi K, Arora S, Nilkanth P and Kumar A (2013). Effect of Vidarikand (extracts) on oxidative stability of ghee: A comparative study. Research and Reviews: Journal of Dairy Science and Technology, 2: 1.
Lee D K, Ahn J and Kwak H S (1999) Cholesterol removal from homogenized milk with beta-cyclodextrin. Journal of Dairy Science 82 2327–2330.
PFA (2009) Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and Rules, 1955 (as amended). Delhi: Universal Law Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. Ansal’s Dilkhush Industrial Estate.
Parmar P, Kaushik K, Devaraja HC and Singh RRB (2013). The effects of alcoholic extract of Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna.) bark on stability of clarified butterfat. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 7(35): 2245
Kumar A, Lal D, Seth R and Sharma V (2007) Dilatometric detection of body fats, vegetable oils and hydrogenated fat (vanaspati) added to ghee. Indian Journal of Dairy Science 60 244–247.
Rangappa K S and Achaya K T (1974) Indian Dairy Products. Mysore City, India: Asia Publishing House.
SP:18 (1981) Handbook of Food Analysis. Part XI Dairy Products. Manak Bhavan, New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards.

(Poonia is assistant professor, centre of food science and technology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, and Pandhi is a student. They can be contacted at dramritapoonia@gmail.com)