Innovative Ingredients Fortified Nutrients Enriched Biscuits and Cookies: Quality and Sensory Analyses

Global suffering from COVID-19 has necessitated augmenting the immunity systems of humans through consumption of macro-micro-nutrients and antioxidant-enriched fortified foods. In this article, fortifications of popular bakery products, viz. biscuits, cookies, have been reviewed, encompassing the novel fortifying ingredients and innovative methods employed with an emphasis on the overall enrichment in the final product quality. A few notable features concerning novel fortified biscuit and fortified cookie have been decisively summarized. Wheat flour blended with 40% sesame-cake flour resulted in a fortified biscuit possessing higher protein (16.6%), crude fat (16.95%), and dietary fiber (8.2%) with acceptable sensory characteristics. About 9% toting up of chicken-eggshell dried-powder could result in high Ca content in biscuits with customary changes in texture and sensory properties. A remarkable 5% addition of bee pollen to wheat flour appreciably improved the nutrient compositions (carbohydrate 65.18%, protein 7.32%, and total dietary-fiber 1.47%) along with high polyphenol and antioxidant potentials. Notably, mixing fish fillet protein concentrate with wheat flour could yield enhanced nutritional content (protein 14.63-19.52%, fat 16.2-16.5%), as well as augmented amino acids. Remarkably, wheat flour fortified with fermented jack bean flour resulted in an overall fortified biscuit with substantial carbohydrate, crude protein, fat, fiber, ash, and appreciable macro-micro mineral contents and sensory characteristics. Innovative fortified cookies were made by blending wheat flour or Brewer's spent grain flour with one or more ingredients, e.g. full fat soya, mushroom, cardamom powder, moringa leaves, coconut, sweet potato flour rendering amplified values of nutrients, superior physical properties, increased mineral and flavonoid contents and organoleptic qualities.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.

Increase of nutritional security in Sub-Saharan Africa through the production of dried products from underutilized crops

Currently, an estimated 20% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa is food insecure with the incidence of hunger and malnutrition still rising. This trend is amplified by the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, more than a third of the harvestable perishable produce is lost due to a lack of preservation or failure to utilize preservation as is the case for underutilized crops (UCs). Moreover, some of the preservation techniques utilized are poor, leading to the deterioration of food quality, especially the micronutrients. In this study, we thus exemplarily investigated the impact of different drying settings on the quality of two highly nutritious UCs, namely cocoyam and orange-flesh sweet potato (OFSP) (40, 60, and 80 °C for cocoyam and 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C for OFSP) to deduce the optimum quality retention and further develop a theoretical design of processing units and processing guidelines for decentralized food processing. Drying cocoyam at 80 °C and OFSP at 60 °C, respectively resulted in a relatively shorter drying time (135 and 210 min), a lower total color difference (2.29 and 11.49-13.92), greater retentions for total phenolics (0.43 mg GAE/100 gDM and 155.0-186.5 mg GAE/100 gDM), total flavonoid (128 mg catechin/100 gDM and 79.5-81.7 mg catechin/100 gDM) and total antioxidant activity (80.85% RSA and 322.58-334.67 mg AAE/100 gDM), respectively for cocoyam and OFSP. The β-carotene, ascorbic acid and vitamin A activity per 100 gDM of the OFSP flours ranged between 6.91- 9.53 mg, 25.90 − 35.72 mg, and 0.53 − 0.73 mg RAE, respectively. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Evaluation of Three Abundant Indonesian Traditional Tubers as Carbohydrate-Rich Food Alternatives for Diabetic Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Diabetes is the tenth most common comorbidity in coronavirus disease, hence COVID-19 patients with this disease showed higher mortality rates and worse outcomes. Therefore, Management of diabetes during the pandemic became more critical, especially in ensuring patients consume functional foods containing diets, such as sweet potato, cassava, and taro, among the top ten abundant-traditional tubers in Indonesia. These foods are rich in protein, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and dietary fibre. Carbohydrate-rich foods, which constitute around 60% of the average diet should be considered. This study evaluated the potential of the three most consumed Indonesian tubers;sweet potato, cassava, and taro, as functional foods for managing diabetes during the pandemic. These foods were selected based on their chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and in silico molecular docking against COVID-19 and diabetes-related target proteins. The target proteins are ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), TMPRSS-2 (transmembrane serine protease 2), DPP IV (dipeptidyl peptidase IV), and α-glucosidase. The results showed that sweet potato has the highest phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity, valued at 7.40 ± 0.20 mg/g GAE and 9.39 ± 0.3%, respectively. Moreover, molecular docking results indicated that sweet potato phenolic compounds, namely isorhamnetin, peonidin, and catechin against DPP IV, isorhamnetin, peonidin, and quercetin against ACE2, isorhamnetin and quercetin against α-glucosidase, and epicatechin against TMPRSS2 strongly interacted with the target proteins. In conclusion, cassava, taro, and sweet potato were the most potential functional foods for diabetes management during the pandemic.

Increase of nutritional security in Sub-Saharan Africa through the production of dried products from underutilized crops

Currently, an estimated 20% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa is food insecure with the incidence of hunger and malnutrition still rising. This trend is amplified by the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, more than a third of the harvestable perishable produce is lost due to a lack of preservation or failure to utilize preservation as is the case for underutilized crops (UCs). Moreover, some of the preservation techniques utilized are poor, leading to the deterioration of food quality, especially the micronutrients. In this study, we thus exemplarily investigated the impact of different drying settings on the quality of two highly nutritious UCs, namely cocoyam and orange-flesh sweet potato (OFSP) (40, 60, and 80 degrees C for cocoyam and 40, 50, 60, and 70 degrees C for OFSP) to deduce the optimum quality retention and further develop a theoretical design of processing units and processing guidelines for decentralized food processing. Drying cocoyam at 80 degrees C and OFSP at 60 degrees C, respectively resulted in a relatively shorter drying time (135 and 210 min), a lower total color difference (2.29 and 11.49-13.92), greater retentions for total phenolics (0.43 mg GAE/100 g(DM) and 155.0-186.5 mg GAE/100 g(DM)), total flavonoid (128 mg catechin/100 g(DM) and 79.5-81.7 mg catechin/100 g(DM)) and total antioxidant activity (80.85% RSA and 322.58-334.67 mg AAE/100 g(DM)), respectively for cocoyam and OFSP. The beta-carotene, ascorbic acid and vitamin A activity per 100 g(DM) of the OFSP flours ranged between 6.91- 9.53 mg, 25.90 - 35.72 mg, and 0.53 - 0.73 mg RAE, respectively.

Development of a Ladder-Shape Melting Temperature Isothermal Amplification (LMTIA) Assay for the Identification of Cassava Component in Sweet Potato Starch Noodles.

Food authenticity has become increasingly important as a result of food adulteration. To identify the authenticity of sweet potato starch noodles, the ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (LMTIA) method of determining cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) DNA in sweet potato starch noodles was used. A set of primers targeted at the internal transcription spacer (ITS) of cassava was designed, genomic DNA was extracted, the LMTIA reaction temperature was optimized, and the specificity of the primer was verified with the genomic DNAs of cassava, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), Solanum tuberosum L., Zea mays L., Vigna radiate L., Triticum aestivum L., and Glycine max (L.) Merr. The sensitivity with the serially diluted genomic DNA of cassava and the suitability for the DNA extracted from sweet potato starch adulterated with cassava starch were tested. The LMTIA assay for identifying the cassava component in sweet potato starch noodles was established. At the optimal temperature of 52 °C, the primers could specifically distinguish a 0.01% (w/w) cassava component added to sweet potato starch. Additionally, the LMTIA method was applied to the cassava DNA detection of 31 sweet potato starch noodle samples purchased from retail markets in China. Of these, 14 samples were positive. The LMTIA assay could be a reliable method for the rapid detection of cassava components in sweet potato starch noodles, to protect the rights of consumers and to regulate the sale market order of starch noodles.

Linseed allergy in an infant: A rare but increasing allergen

Case Report: With the growing trend of incorporating seeds in diet, hypersensitivity reactions have been progressively occurring but are rarely suspected. Linseed is a plant from the Linaceae family, and its seeds are increasingly used in bread. Despite being identified as an allergen capable of causing anaphylaxis, case reports are scarce. Female infant, 11 months old, with atopic dermatitis (AD), has been under cow's milk (CM) avoidance diet in the last 3 months due to CM allergy. At 10 months old, 15 minutes after ingesting a maze and sweet potato's bread, a perioral, axillar, and ear's pruriginous erythema developed, as well as nasal, palpebral, and malleolar angioedema. It was medicated with second-generation H1 antihistamine with symptom resolution after 6 hours. She avoided that bread and tolerated wheat bread. Prick to prick tests were positive for the suspected bread but negative for maze flour and raw and cooked sweet potato. After a detailed analysis of the bread's composition, linseed was identified, and prick to prick tests were positive with it. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the patient has not yet performed oral challenge. A linseed allergy was the most likely diagnosis. Thus, we recommended avoiding this seed or any food that can contain it. Crossreactivity with other foods (wheat, peanut, rapeseed) and rape pollen is poorly understood, and its clinical relevance has not yet been determined. Hence, we did not perform any further investigation. This was a rare finding, and we did not find any report on infancy. This case should raise awareness for a growing trend of seed hypersensitivity. Therefore, this group of foods should be taken into account while we're investigating suspected allergic reactions to cereals and other grains.