Journal of Food Engineering and Technology

Effect of Peroxidase on the Physico-chemical, Rheological Properties of Whole Wheat Flour Dough, and Quality Attributes of Chapati and Its Health Benefits

2024-07-31T15:15:35+00:00

Additives are added to wheat flour to improve the quality of its products. Enzymes are preferred as additives over chemical agents, as they are safe and natural. Few studies indicate that incorporation of peroxidase in wheat flour influences the bread quality, however, no report is available on its influence on whole wheat flour and on chapati quality and hence, a study has been carried out on the effect of peroxidase on the protein characteristics and rheological properties of whole wheat flour dough, chapati quality and its health benefits. In the present study, addition of peroxidase to whole wheat flour increased water absorption, dough stability and overall quality of chapatis. Peroxidase treatment increased the puffed height of chapatis by 0.6 cm. Increase in disulfide content resulted in increase of molecular weight of non-gluten proteins on peroxidase treatment of the dough. However, no significant difference was observed in protein digestibility of chapatis, while glycemic index of chapatis prepared from peroxidase treated dough was significantly lower compared to that of control chapatis. Thus, peroxidase treatment improved the quality of chapatis and also the health benefits.

Evaluation of Rice-based Alternatives to Titanium Dioxide for Colour-masking in Iron-Fortified Salts

2024-08-10T15:20:27+00:00

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a common whitening agent used in the food industry, used in candies, baked goods and confectionaries. Several food regulatory agencies have banned or severely restricted TiO₂ use due to potential carcinogenic/ genotoxicity. Rice starch and rice flour were investigated as alternatives to TiO₂, since they are cheap, opaque, white and are widely used in industry. Due to its amorphous granules and resulting low electrostatic forces, the adhesion of rice starch to extruded materials was much weaker than that of TiO₂. Adhesives were synthesized from crosslinking citric acid with rice starch and rice flour through esterification reaction pathways. The results were tested on extruded ferrous fumarate cylinders used in salt fortification and compared with TiO₂ was as control. The results show that rice starch as a whitening agent with a modified rice starch adhesive was a promising option for replacing TiO₂ as a colour masking/whitening agent. It was observed that higher mass fractions of citric acid in the adhesive produced better results. Rice flour performed comparably to the rice starch in adhesives however, the ease of use was poorer due to higher viscosity and clumping. The cost for using rice starch was a cost-effective alternative to TiO₂ as rice starch is a cheaper, widely available food additive.

Towards Sustainable Food Packaging: A Study of Konjac Glucomannan and κ-Carrageenan Synergy

2024-08-30T07:17:03+00:00

This study investigates the synergistic effect of konjac glucomannan (KGM) and k-carrageenan (k-CG) in developing sustainable food films. KGM and k-CG were dissolved at various ratios (20:80 to 80:20 KGM/k-CG ratio), casted, and dried. The resulting films were characterized by their mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and water solubility. The results showed that the combination of KGM and k-CG resulted in a synergistic effect on the water solubility of the films, which decreased significantly compared to the individual components. The tensile strength increased significantly while the elongation at break decreased the more k-CG was added. An optimal point was found at a 60:40 ratio. The water vapor permeability of the films was also significantly higher compared to PVC film or k-CG film, indicating a lesser barrier property. X-ray diffraction investigation shows that films are amorphous (whereas pure kappa is crystallized), and no co-crystallization was observed based on the different KG/ k-CG ratios. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of combining KGM and k-CG to develop sustainable food films with enhanced properties. Using natural polysaccharides in the food industry can contribute to developing eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solutions.

Blotting Method to Determine Oil Content in Mustard Seeds: A Solution to Asymmetries in the Mustard Seed Economy

2024-09-20T01:56:58+00:00

Determining oil content in mustard seeds is a time consuming and expensive process, often inaccessible to the common farmer. The proposed oil blot methodology has the potential to be used in low income, remote settings as a first estimate of the oil content in the mustard seed crop. Oil blots were formed by pressing oil out of the seed onto an adsorptive surface using a repeatable force from a vise grip. The area of the blots was an indicator of oil content. While the oil blot methodology would not replace industry standard methods such as Soxhlet extraction, it serves as an accessible, non-specialized method to provide a first-estimate result. This was proved using a Pearson Correlation test (r = 0.95) and t-statistic comparison. The positive significance values show a strong, positive linear correlation between oil content and blot areas. It was determined that the ideal tool for the oil blot methodology was a vise grip due to its repeatability, portability, and low bulk cost. The total cost of the kit was $0.90 with low recurring costs. The extreme simplicity, low capital, and operating cost, make the oil blotting method a valuable tool for small mustard seed producers for estimating the fair value of their crop, reducing their potential exploitation by middlemen.