A review:Health benefits and physicochemical characteristics of blended vegetable oils

Oil blending is the method of choice used worldwide to improve oxidative stability and nutritional value.There is no such edible oil/fat that meets all the recommendations from the health point of view.The fatty acid composition of vegetable oils decides the fate of the oil.Pure single oil is unable to provide a balanced amount of fatty acids(FAs)required/recommended on a daily intake basis.Blending oils/fats is an appropriate procedure of physically mixing multiple oils in suitable proportions which may provide functional lipids with improved antioxidant potential and desirable physical and chemical properties.This review piled up the accessible data on the blending of diverse oils/fats in the combination of binary,ternary,quaternary,or other types of oils into a single blended oil.Blending can be found very convincing towards appropriate FA profile,enhancement in physicochemical characteristics,and augmented stability for the period of storage or when used as cooking/frying processes which could ultimately serve as an effectual dietary intervention towards the health protectiveness.

Nutrition impacts of non-solid cooking fuel adoption on under-five children in developing countries

This paper examines the nutrition impacts of using non-solid cooking fuel on under-five children in developing countries.We draw on data from more than 1.12 million children in 62 developing countries from the Demographic and Health Surveys(DHS).Results from both fixed effects(FE)and instrumental variable(IV)estimates show that using non-solid cooking fuel significantly improves the nutrition outcomes of under-five children.Compared with their peers from households mainly using solid fuel,children from households mainly using non-solid fuel exhibit a lower probability of experiencing stunting(by 5.9 percentage points)and being underweight(by 1.2 percentage points).Our further investigation provides evidence for several underlying mechanisms,such as improved indoor air quality,induced reduction in children’s respiratory symptoms,benefits on maternal health,and reduction in maternal time spent on fuel collection or cooking.Heterogenous analyses suggest that the nutrition benefits of using non-solid cooking fuel are more prominent among boys,children above three years old,and those from households of lower socioeconomic status,rural areas,and Southeast Asia.

Functional Ice Cream with Coffee-Related Flavor

In this study, Siwi roasted date seeds (pits) as a by-product of the date factories were used in powder form for ice cream fortification to produce a new product with coffee-like flavor. Also, this product possesses functional, nutritional and health benefits as it contains, minerals, phenolic compounds and possess antioxidant activity. Six ice cream mixes were prepared: plain ice cream without additives (control), five ice cream treatments supplemented with powder of the Nescafé (3%), Coffee (3%) and Roasted Date Seeds Powder (RDSP) with ratio of 3%, 4% and 5%, respectively. The results showed that increasing the added percentage of Roasted Date Seeds Powder (RDSP) to the ice cream mixes leads to an increase in the total solids, fibers, total nitrogen and ash content of the final product. It also increases viscosity, specific gravity, weight per gallon and increase the depression of freezing point of the mixes. The overrun and melting resistance of the final ice cream also increased compared with the control. The sensory evaluation was improved by adding RDSP comparing to control. So in this study, it is recommended to use RDSP as the source of minerals and health-promoting for ice cream making, as it contains bioactive compounds and also gives the ice cream desirable color and coffee-like flavor, but free of caffeine.