Food Technology Updates

Green banana fibres could give noodles nutrient boost

• Green fruits of plantain and banana contain resistant starch that may boost the fibre content of foods such as instant noodles
  
• Noodles formulated with durum wheat flour and isolated plantain starch contained double level of resistant starch compared to those obtained in standard noodles
  
• They may represent a dietary option for sectors of the population with particular caloric and glycemic requirements such as diabetic patients and overweight individuals
  
• Starches can be divided into three groups: rapidly digestible starch (RDS, digested within 20 minutes), slowly digestible starch (SDS, digested between 20 and 120 minutes), and resistant starch (RS). The latter is not digested but is fermented in the large intestine and has 'prebiotic' properties.
  
• Analysis of the cooked noodles showed that as the plantain starch level increased, the total starch (TS) decreased. In addition, the soluble fibre fraction was higher than the insoluble fraction in all the samples prepared
  
• Results indicate that in spite of the increased starch digestion rate, plantain starch noodles are a better source of indigestible carbohydrates than pure wheat starch pasta.
  

Hibiscus Extract

• Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.
  
• Flowers and herbs are particularly popular as ingredients in Asian products
  
• A new natural hibiscus extract is introduced to give a bright red colour to beverages that also comes with standardised anthocyanin content, well known antioxidants - a minimum of 16g per kg of the extract powder. A soft drink would typically contain between two and five grams of powder, depending on the hue and brightness required for the product.
  
• Anthocyanins from various fruits have been studied for their potential role in reducing the risk of cancer, ageing and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and bacterial infections.
  
• Flavour-wise, the hibiscus extract "has a typical flower flavour, not strong but with a slight bitterness".
  
• French natural ingredients firm Burgundy has been building up the science behind its hibiscus extract to support its use to combat urinary tract infections.
  
• Preliminary data suggests regular and premium 200 mg doses of the hibiscus sabdariffa extract may cut the incidence of urinary tract infections by 60 per cent, Burgundy says
  

Source: http://www.apfoodtechnology.com