Pilot scale production of functional foods using red palm olein: Antioxidant, vitamins' stability and sensory quality during storage.

The objective of this research work was to produce acceptable quality functional foods, namely, extruded snacks, digestive biscuits and pan bread, on a pilot scale, using vitamin E and ß-carotene-rich red palm olein (RPOL) and red palm shortening (RPS). These products were evaluated for their chemical composition and sensory quality along with the antioxidants and vitamin contents during the six months of storage at room temperature (22 ±â€¯1 °C). Extruded snacks and digestive biscuits prepared with RPOL and RPS were found to be good sources of these antioxidant vitamins. The average ß-carotene content of the control and test snacks at the end of six months of storage ranged from 26.8 to 56.1 mg/kg fat, and from 430.9 to 468.9 mg/kg fat, respectively. The total vitamin E content in control and test snacks made in Plant No. 1 decreased after six months of storage from 786.1 to 704.4 mg/kg fat, and from 765.1 to 695.4 mg/kg fat, respectively. As expected, the total tocotrienol content was four to five times higher than the total tocopherols in control biscuits. The RPOL containing 600-750 ppm of carotenes (mainly α- and ß-carotenes), 710-774 ppm of vitamin E, was found to be suitable for industrial application in producing acceptable quality pan bread, digestive biscuits and snacks. These functional foods contained significant amounts of ß-carotene and total vitamin E, indicating the possibility of producing such foods rich in these two of the important antioxidant vitamins coming from a natural source. The research findings strongly indicate that good-quality pan bread, extruded snacks and digestive biscuits can successfully be produced to offer healthier eating choices to the consumers of this region, thereby promoting better health and productivity among the population.

The nutritive value of selected commonly consumed Kuwaiti dishes.

The nutritive value of 33 dishes commonly consumed in the state of Kuwait was analyzed. On a fresh weight basis, the moisture content of the dishes ranged from 0.29% to 94.37%, protein content from 0.65% to 24.80%, and fat content from 0.03% to 59.22%. The crude fiber ranged from a low value of 0.04% to a maximum of 2.31%; with the exception of four dishes-Sw-20 (Samsamia), Sw-26 (Harda), V-31 (Hameesat Mushroom), V-32 (Hameesat Fagae)-all dishes had a low fiber level, <1 g/100 g. The ash content ranged from 0.09% to 3.66%. Carbohydrate showed a variation between 3.98% and 81.37%; the highest carbohydrate values were in sweets and rice-based dishes, while the lowest values were in soup and cheese dishes. The energy content of the dishes varied between 19 and 675 kcal/100 g (80-2,823 kJ/100 g). The dishes contributed 5-90%, 1-46% and 1-83% of the total food energy from carbohydrate, protein and fat, respectively.