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Acrylamide (AA), a toxic compound and potential carcinogen, which forms at elevated heating of starchy food stuffs through the Maillard reaction. Thus, the identification and quantification of AA in the fried starchy food stuffs is of great importance in order to prevent cancer causing possibilities. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the effect of frying conditions and utilize PYTHON programming language to quantify the AA content on the Potato Chips (PCs). The PCs were prepared by frying at different time intervals and duration. The digital images of PCs were captured and used to extract significant browning parameter. Here, we employed image processing technique with PYTHON module to quantify the AA content on the PCs. In addition, we studied the influence of frying conditions concerning to the formation of AA, by varying the temperature and duration. As-prepared PC samples’ water content decreased and ash content increased with respect to the enhancement of frying temperature and duration. For image processing, the captured PCs images were subjected to pre-processing in terms of object segmentation, region of interest and feature extraction to quantify the AA content, precisely. The lowest AA content was observed as 0.26 µg/g, and the highest AA content was observed as 4.75 µg/g on the PCs. The results of this study showed that the small/large scale fried starchy food stuffs companies can utilize this cost-effective technique to quantify the AA content in their products.

Yam (Dioscorea spp.), known as an edible and medicinal tuber crop in China, has been used historically for the treatment of diabetes, diarrhea, asthma, and other ailments in traditional Chinese medicine. Moreover, it has been consumed as starchy food for thousands of years in China. Modern phytochemistry and pharmacological experiments have been proved that non-starch polysaccharide is one of the main bioactive substances of yam. Many studies have been focused on the isolation and identification of polysaccharides and their bioactivities of Chinese yam. However, due to the difference in the variety of raw materials and the method of polysaccharides extracting, the structure and biological activity of the obtained polysaccharides also differ. It has been demonstrated that Chinese yam polysaccharide has various important biological activities, such as hypoglycemia, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and antitumor activities. This paper is aimed at summarizing previous and current references of the isolation processes, structural features and bioactivities of yam polysaccharides. The review will serve as a useful reference material for further investigation and application of yam polysaccharides in functional foods and medicine fields.

Nardoo (scientific name Marsilea spp.) is a small freshwater fern, common across semi-arid and arid Australia. While reported as an important starchy food, albeit requiring complex processing in some regions, it is not well known as a food source in the Pilbara of Western Australia. Here we describe plant residues including megaspores, starch grains, cellulose, and fibres on a portable grinding stone from the surface of a rockshelter in the West Angelas region of the Central Pilbara. These residues display physical characteristics that strongly suggest they derive from nardoo. Given these findings, we encourage researchers to consider nardoo processing and consumption in future ethnobotanical and archaeological studies in the Pilbara.

Frying is commonly used by consumers, restaurants, and industries around the globe to cook and process foods. Compared to other food processing methods, frying has several potential advantages, including reduced processing times and the creation of foods with desirable sensory attributes. Frying is often used to prepare starchy foods. After ingestion, the starch and fat in these foods are hydrolyzed by enzymes in the human digestive tract, thereby providing an important source of energy (glucose and fatty acids) for the human body. Conversely, overconsumption of fried starchy foods can promote overweight, obesity, and other chronic diseases. Moreover, frying can generate toxic reaction products that can damage people’s health. Consequently, there is interest in developing alternative frying technologies that reduce the levels of nutritionally undesirable components in fried foods, such as vacuum, microwave, air, and radiant frying methods. In this review, we focus on the principles and applications of these innovative frying technologies, and highlight their potential advantages and shortcomings. Further development of these technologies should lead to the creation of healthier fried foods that can help combat the rise in diet-related chronic diseases.

Hydroxypropylation and cross-linking were carried out on three rice starches with 6.93%, 19.02% and 48.41% AAC respectively. AAC affected the efficiency of modification, with AAC increased, the molar substitution of hydroxypropylated starch decreased while degree of substitution of cross-linked starch increased. Modifications decreased starch relative crystallinity while the impacts were dependent on rice varieties. Starch granules of high AAC rice were liable to be disrupted by modification. High AAC rice starch had better processability, modifications have more pronounced influences on starch properties of high AAC. Different modifications showed different influences on starch properties, cross-linking decreased AAC content, pasting clarity and swelling power of all three starches, while hydroxypropylation increased pasting clarity and swelling power of high AAC starch. High-degree modifications decreased starch digestibility, higher-CLD crosslinked starch showed constant digestion rate and might be a suitable modification for produce starchy food for equilibrium glucose level.

Compared with three major cereals, underutilized cereals (UCs) are those with less use but having abundant bioactive components and better functionalities after proper processing. As a productive and energy-efficient technology, extrusion has been used for UC modification to improve its technological and nutritional quality. Extrusion could induce structural and quantitative changes in chemical components of UC flour, the degree of which is affected by extrusion intensity. Based on the predominant component (starch), functionalities of extruded underutilized cereal flour (EUCF) and potential mechanisms are reviewed. Considering bioactive compounds, it also summarizes the physiological functions of EUCF. EUCF incorporation could modulate the dough rheological behavior and starchy foods quality. Controlling extrusion intensity or incorporation level of EUCF is vital to achieve sensory-appealing and nutritious products. This paper gives comprehensive information of EUCF to promote its utilization in novel staple foods.

Oral processing behaviour of food is affected by the structural characteristics of the food matrix, including rheological and mechanical attributes as well as the size and shape. Pasta, a staple starchy food, may have a very similar macrostructure (shape) but a very different microstructure in gluten-containing (GC) and gluten-free (GF) products. In this context, this study aims to investigate the effect of pasta shape (in the presence and absence of gluten) on cooking/textural properties, chewing behaviour and structural breakdown during oral processing. The results suggest that the shape and presence of gluten affect not only the pasta texture but also the mastication behavior with gluten significantly increasing the mastication effort whereas a small pasta shape may trigger swallowing of almost not masticated pieces. The shape and gluten can therefore be used as a strategy to modulate chewing behavior, with possible effects on both perception and intake.

The aim of this paper is to present recent advances in the microbotanical analyses of an organic residue on a potsherd from a late Holocene hunter-gatherer site in Argentine Patagonia, which is the first evidence of this kind for the processing of starchy food. Standard methods were carried out for starch grain recovery and morphometric analysis, care being taken in the prevention of cross-contamination and evaluation of post-depositional factors. Diagnostic features of the ancient starch grains recovered were compared against those from a list, available in the bibliography, of plants potentially processed in pottery, but no match was found. An anatomical and starch grain reference collection was established with three of the most frequently consumed traditional wild underground storage organs (USOs) of Patagonia, Alstroemeria aurea Graham, Tropaeolum porifolium Cav. and Diposis patagonica Skottsb., in order to compare these against the archaeobotanical record. We suggest that T. aff. porifolium (and probably also A. aff. aurea) were processed in the pot from which the sherd came, and discuss these results in terms of a better understanding of the role of wild USOs in subsistence and the possible cooking methods used in hunter-gatherer societies in Argentine Patagonia., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo

The human ileostomy model, widely considered the benchmark for determining in vivo starch digestibility, has disadvantages. The ileorectostomised rat model (IRM) is a possible surrogate but evidence as to its validity is scant. In this preliminary study, the resistant starch (RS) content of test breads made from refined low (LAW-R) and high amylose wheat (HAW-R) flours was established in a randomised cross-over trial involving six human ileostomy participants. Starch digestibility of refined breads and diets made from these flours was then evaluated in ileorectostomised rats using a similar experimental format. Physical performance measures and other data were also collected for the rat model. The amount of RS in the low- and high-amylose breads as measured using the human model was 0.8 &plusmn, 0.1 and 6.5 &plusmn, 0.3 g/100 g, respectively. The RS level of HAW-R bread determined using ileorectostomised rats was 5.5 &plusmn, 0.8 g/100 g, about 15% less than that recorded in the human study, whereas for conventional wheat breads the models produced similar RS values. While offering promise, further validation using a wide variety of starchy food products is needed before the IRM can be considered an acceptable alternative for RS determination.

Fermented cassava products are important starchy food staples in South America. The quality of the products is affected by the baking expansion ability of the dough, which is in turn influenced by the starch fermentation process and drying method employed. We investigated the structural properties of cassava starch after different fermentation and drying treatments, and the effect of starch structure on scalding of dough and baking expansion ability. Fermentation combined with either exposure to sunlight or UV light treatment resulted in high cassava starch baking expansion. Moreover, we observed decreased crystallinity and increased disordered crystalline regions with lower molecular weight in the two types of starch—fermented combined with sunlight or UV light treatment—and both appeared to have a continuous network structure and polarized cross in scalded dough, which are conducive to holding gas and losing water, thus promoting high baking expansibility.

Background The risk factors for adult female acne (AFA) and their influence on severity are unclear. The aim of this study was to document the role of diet, body mass index (BMI), premenstrual flare, and family history of acne as risk factors and cause of severity of AFA. Methods This was a prospective, cross-sectional, case-control study of 112 women age ≥25 years. The women were clinically evaluated. Sociodemographic data (age, family history of acne, premenstrual flare, weight, and height) and dietary habits were documented. Age, weight, height, and dietary habits of controls were also documented. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 22. Results The mean age of the 56 patients with AFA was 33.4 ± 8.2 years (controls: 24.5 ± 4.4 years). Premenstrual flare of acne was noted in 58.9% of patients, a family history of acne was present in 51.8% of patients, and the mean BMI was 25.2 ± 4.9 (32.1%). A risk factor for AFA was a family history of acne (p ≤ 0.001). Dietary habits (chicken, p = 0.457; beef, p = 0.845; cakes and sweets, p = 0.956; starchy food, p = 0.361; and type of milk, p = 0.919) and BMI (p = 0.486) were not risk factors for AFA. Premenstrual flare (p = 0.178), BMI (p = 0.206), family history of acne (p = 0.592), and diet did not contribute to the severity of AFA. Conclusion Diet and BMI are not risk factors for AFA, but a family history of acne is. Severity of AFA is independent of premenstrual flares, diet, BMI, and a family history of acne.

Introducción. Bacillus cereus es reconocido como un agente patógeno causante de intoxicaciones alimentarias. Se trata de una bacteria de metabolismo aerobio facultativo capaz de formar esporas, lo que le permite sobrevivir a la pasteurización y el calentamiento e, incluso, a la irradiación con los rayos gamma usados para reducir los agentes patógenos de los alimentos.Objetivo. Estudiar la presencia de B. cereus y su toxina diarreica en el arroz y en alimentos a base de cereales, harinas o féculas listos para el consumo en restaurantes escolares de algunos departamentos de Colombia.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio descriptivo y transversal con alimentos listos para el consumo distribuidos en restaurantes escolares de los departamentos que más notifican enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos al sistema de vigilancia, así como en los de menor notificación. Resultados. Se recolectaron 479 muestras en ocho departamentos, 74 municipios y 363 restaurantes escolares; el 63 % correspondió a muestras de arroz y el 37 % a alimentos como coladas. El 9 % de las muestras analizadas fueron positivas para B. cereus y, en el 91 % de estas, se detectó la toxina diarreica.Conclusiones. En todos los departamentos estudiados se encontró B. cereus. El manejo de materias primas y el inadecuado tratamiento térmico de los alimentos fueron los factores directamente relacionados con las enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos. Es importante reforzar la vigilancia e incentivar la investigación y la notificación de los brotes de enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos para mejorar la calidad de la información, llevar a cabo acciones de comunicación, prevención y coordinación intersectorial, y con los manipuladores, con el fin de adoptar las medidas necesarias que garanticen la inocuidad de los alimentos, así como la eliminación de los factores de riesgo de estas enfermedades.

Acrylamide, a starchy food process contaminant is carcinogenic, neurotoxic and genotoxic substance. It is formed at temperatures of 100°C- 220°C. The chips are very popular food items especially among children. Deep Frying of chips may cause production of acrylamide. The presence of acrylamide in chips may result in severe health issues in consumers especially in children. By keeping this aspect in view, the present study was conducted to determine acrylamide in different potato chips of branded and non-branded quality. The highest amount of acrylamide was determined in chips sample K obtained from local store (nonbranded) in Lahore i.e. 2649.80 µg/kg and the lowest concentration of acrylamide was detected in sample taken from local vendor i.e. 390.25 µg/kg. The astounding results were obtained as branded chips have considerable amount of acrylamide. Formation of acrylamide in fried chips is matter of concern as potato chips are widely consumed in Pakistan especially by children. It is dire need to have awareness of this probable carcinogen as consumers and industries still have no knowledge about this chemical’s carcinogenity. Therefore, without delay work should be started to mitigate the acrylamide levels in food commodities during processing.

The present study explores the role of honey diastase as a texture-modifier in starchy food system using high diastase honey bee honey (HBH) and low diastase kelulut bee honey (KBH). Three types of dodol, namely condol (conventional dodol), keludol (dodol incorporated with KBH), and honeydol (dodol incorporated with HBH) were prepared and assessed for textural, structural breakdown, and mechanical parameters after a 7-day ageing period. Honeydol had a weakened network structure as reflected by the significantly lower (p

Acrylamide and polyacrylamide (PAM) are used in diverse industrial processes, mainly the production of plastics, dyes, and paper, in the treatment of drinking water, wastewater, and sewage. Besides inorganic form, acrylamide is formed naturally in certain starchy foods that were heated to cook a temperature above 120 °C for elongated time. Researches in rats have demonstrated that acrylamide exposure poses a risk as a neurotoxin to humans and also classified as a carcinogenic and mutagenic compound. Acrylamide may be released into drinking water supplies from its wide-ranging industrial use. Acrylamide has high risk of contamination into surface and ground water supplies due to its rapid solubility and mobility in water. Bacterial use of acrylamide as nitrogen and carbon source is the main pathway of its degradation in water. The degradation of acrylamide in water occurs about 8–12 days depending on water conditions. International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared acrylamide as 2A Group carcinogen in 1994. The major concern related to acrylamide contamination is arising from organic source that occurs especially by consumption of heated starchy food. On the other hand, as acrylamide or PAM is commonly used in different industrial processes, inorganic acrylamide contamination into environment is a big threat and has potential hazards for public health. The main objective of the present review is to summarize the routes of acrylamide contamination, degradation, release and transfer into environmental water, as well as to present integrated information on acrylamide chemistry, toxicity, and analyses, together with potential safety risks for public health. Recommended actions and further studies in needed areas are suggested.

Unripe banana flour (UBF) is a starchy food that contains a high proportion of indigestible compounds as resistant starch (RS), and non-starch polysaccharides. Therefore this study was designed to examine the effect of adding unripe banana flour as a source of resistant starch to prepare some bakery products such as cupcake and flat bread of high nutritional quality. The effect of wheat flour substituted with unripe banana flour at the levels of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% were investigated in terms of the physicochemical and Sensory evaluation of cupcake and flat bread. Sensory evaluation revealed that successful replacement of cupcake samples was found at levels 10 , 20 and 30% unripe banana flour ( contained 10.44 , 17.93 and 21.05% RS). While flat bread samples with10, 20 and 30% unripe banana flour (contained 11.19 , 18.62 and 21.02% RS).Obtained results indicated that specific volume reduced with the increasing level of unripe banana flour .Texture profile analysis showed that replacement of wheat flour by unripe banana flour increased hardness and cohesiveness. But resilience, springiness, chewiness and gumminess were decreased of processed cupcake samples. On the other hand the increasing level of unripe banana flour added to wheat flour caused increasing hardness, and decreasing in springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of flat bread. So it can be suggested that unripe banana flour can be used up to 30% in preparation of bakery products such as cupcake and flat bread with good sensory and physicochemical properties

Sago is a starchy food processed from the pith of the sago palm. Although it is their staple in the lean time between the harvests of more savory options, the Abelam people of Papua New Guinea do not relish it. The interlude between yam harvests has been called the “hungry time” (though there is plenty to eat) both because of the perceived unpalatability of sago and the monotony of a sago-based diet. But the sago palm has many advantages: it is long-lived, requires little attention, and can be harvested almost any time. It serves both as seasonal fare and as an emergency food supply for hard times, insuring against crop failure and providing food security. Sago protected the Abelam during the severe drought of 1997–98 and its aftermath, and is now supplementing their diet as they recover from the 2015 El Nino drought. Why, then, is it so disparaged? This article argues that Abelam traditionally regarded themselves as “People of the Yam,” viewing sago as prototypically “Not Yam.” Sago grows in less...

Plant carbohydrates currently constitute 55–80% of the modern human diet (FAO and WHO, 1997) and some of today's key global health issues are associated with excessive carbohydrate consumption. However, starch carbohydrate is still a poorly understood element of modern human diet and our past starch diet may provide insights for future research. Despite an archaeological narrative that links our early hominin ancestors to a diet that is rich in roots and tubers, there is little deep time archaeological evidence of human plant starch consumption. Geneticists hypothesise that the duplication of starch digestion genes in early Homo sapiens (∼300 kya), is an adaptive response to an increased starch diet. Here we offer the earliest evidence of identified fragments of charred starch plant tissue (parenchyma) from cave and rock shelter hearths dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e and MIS 4, from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) site of Klasies River main site, South Africa (34.06°S, 24.24°E).

Cereals, one of the starch sources, have a tremendous and steady production worldwide. Starchy foods constitute the major part of daily calorie intake for humans. As a simple and green modification approach, heat-moisture treatment (HMT) could change the granular surface characteristics and size, crystalline and helical structure, as well as molecular organization of cereal starch. The changing degree is contingent on HMT parameters and botanical origin. Based on the hierarchical structure, this paper reviews functionalities of heat-moisture modified cereal starch (HMCS) reported in latest years. The functionality of HMCS could be affected by co-existing non-starch ingredients through non-covalent/covalent interactions, depolymerization or simply attachment/encapsulation. Besides, it summarizes the modulation of HMCS in dough rheology and final food products' quality. Selecting proper HMT conditions is crucial for achieving nutritious products with desirable sensory and storage quality. This review gives a systematic understanding about HMCS for the better utilization in food industry.

Starch is an important functional component in many foods and a major source of calories in the human diet. Steaming, cooking, extrusion, deep frying, stir-frying and baking, as the six traditional thermal treatments commonly used in starchy food processing, induce changes in the molecular architecture of starch granules, which alters their functional properties, such as their ability to thicken, gel, or stabilize foods. However, knowledge about how these traditional thermal treatments affect the structure and properties of starch during cooking is diffuse. In this paper, the mechanism of heat and mass transfer of traditional thermal treatments is reviewed, and their effects on the structure and functional properties of starch are discussed. Water phase (steaming, cooking, and extrusion), lipid phase (frying, stir-frying) and air phase (baking) thermal treatments are considered. The main structural changes induced by these treatments are gelatinization and retrogradation, which alter the textural properties of starchy foods, as well as their digestibility. This review provides a single resource that may be beneficial for those trying to control and improve the processing conditions of starchy foods. Finally, future developments and challenges in the thermal processing of starchy foods are highlighted.

Starchy food is quiet common in human diet. Starch is often modified to be endowed with specific functionalities. Making flour by milling is almost inevitable during starch-based food processing. So milling modified starch, i.e. milling damaged starch (MDS) is discussed in this paper. Starch damage degree depends on both milling conditions and raw materials. In comparison with native starch, MDS has changed granular structure, disrupted crystalline region and molecular degradation. Hence, its functionalities are modified, including gelatinization, pasting property, digestion and water hydration properties. Furthermore, this review summarizes the effect of MDS on flour, dough and starchy food products. Controlling MDS at a moderate level is essential for the production of starch(y) foods with desirable quality. The measurement of MDS is also summarized. This paper provides a comprehensive knowledge of MDS in order to promote the flourishing of novel starch(y) foods production.

In this study, the effect of berry polyphenols on starch digestion was tested in vitro both by co-digestion of berry extract with bread or by fortifying bread with berry extract. Results show that the co-digestion of bread with berry extracts significantly reduce the rate and extent of starch digestion. Sixty one percent of starch digestion is inhibited by co-digesting 1 g of raspberry extract with 4 g of the bread. The inhibition obtained by co-digesting berry extracts and bread is much higher than the inhibition obtained by digesting berry-fortified bread. Interactions of polyphenols with matrix reduce polyphenols bio-accessibility, thus reducing the amount of polyphenols available for α-amylase inhibition. The interaction of polyphenols and starch seems also a crucial mechanism for the inhibition of starch digestion. This study shows that the co-ingestion of berry polyphenols with bread is a promising strategy to reduce glycaemic index of starchy food.

Plantain or unripe banana is a starchy food that contains a high proportion of indigestible compounds, such as resistant starch, non-starch polysaccharides and is gluten free. The objective of this study was to analyze the functional and pasting properties of plantain flour (PF) for preparation of gluten free muffins. Plantain flour had more water absorption (2.62 g/g), oil absorption (1.92 g/g), swelling power(10.75) and better pasting properties as compared to wheat flour (WF). Muffins were prepared from whole plantain flour and compared with wheat flour muffins. Muffins were evaluated for specific volume, color and sensory parameters. PF muffins had more content of Ca (27.18 mg/Kg), Mg (17.21 mg/Kg), K (122.2 mg/Kg), specific volume (2 cc/g), lighter in color and liked more by sensory panel as compared to WF muffins. The possibility of developing gluten free products with PF can expand the product supply for people with celiac disease and contribute to a more diverse diet.

Starch is the main carbohydrate in human nutrition and shows a range of desired food properties. It has been demonstrated that fast digestion of starchy food can induce many health issues (e.g., hyperglycaemia, diabetes, etc.); therefore, how to modulate its digestion is an interesting topic. Previous studies have revealed that the microstructure and digestibility of starchy food of different botanical origin or from multiple processes are quite different; modulating starch digestion by retaining or altering its microstructure may be effective. In the present review, the current knowledge of the relationship between microstructural changes to starchy food and its digestibility at molecular, cell and tissue, and food processing levels is summarized. New technologies focused on microstructure studies and ways to manipulate food microstructure to modulate starch digestibility are also reviewed. In particular, some insights focusing on the future study of microstructure and the digestibility of starchy food are also suggested.

Starch retrogradation is a process in which disaggregated amylose and amylopectin chains in a gelatinized starch paste reassociate to form more ordered structures. Starch retrogradation has been the subject of intensive research over the last 50 years, mainly due to its detrimental effect on the sensory and storage qualities of many starchy foods. However, starch retrogadation is desirable for some starchy food products in terms of textural and nutritional properties. To better understand the effect of starch retrogradation on the quality of starchy foods, measurement methods of starch retrogradation and factors that influence starch retrogradation have been studied extensively. This article provides a comprehensive review of starch retrogradation including the definition of the process, molecular mechanisms of how it occurs, and measurement methods and factors that influence starch retrogradation. The review also discusses the effect of retrogradation on the in vitro enzyme digestibility of starch. Spectroscopic methods such as FTIR and Raman are considered to be very promising in characterizing starch retrogradation at a molecular level, although more studies are needed in the future.

Frequent high postprandial glucose concentrations could be a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease. Starchy products can play a role in the prevention of these hyperglycemic events, if starch-derived glucose is released into the circulation in a more slow and attenuated manner (slowly available starch). In this chapter, we describe the mechanisms that operate to maintain normal plasma glucose levels and the causes and consequences of hyperglycemia. Secondly, possible targets to slow down the rate at which starch-derived glucose becomes available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract are discussed in more detail. Thirdly, we give an overview over the methods to monitor starch digestion in vitro and in vivo and the current (nutritional) strategies to prevent hyperglycemia. We conclude by describing promising approaches to better characterize starchy food products and to extend the choice of products with slowly available starch.

Neurotoxin substance acrylamide is commonly formed in starchy food stuffs like potato during deep frying. This is a problem especially for small manufacturers. Conventionally identification of acrylamide is done by chemical based LC-MS analysis which is destructive, expensive procedure and may need expert manpower. Automated and non-destructive detection of such toxic substances like acrylamide in food stuffs is of great significance. The proposed work presents non-destructive imaging system for objective estimation of acrylamide in potato chips, which can be processed by most current smartphones. To find out discrimination between healthy and acrylamide affected potato chips, the area of chip (ROI) is automatically segmented from input image followed by feature analysis for machine learning. Statistical features were extracted from different components of ROI segmented color chip images. Extracted prominent features were subjected to artificial intelligence classifier for classification of healthy and acrylamide affected potato chip samples. The proposed imaging system is tested on a comprehensive dataset consisting of 84 samples and achieved 99% area under curve which is encouraging.

Fried starchy food is rich in oil that may pose a risk to health. For controlling of the oil uptake, a rapid and accurate method for the determination of oil content in the fried starchy food is important. In this study, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was applied to simultaneously determine water and oil contents in the model fried starchy system. The proton signals from oil and water were verified and distinguished by desiccation at 105 °C. There was no superposition between oil and water signals in the fried starch, making it possible for quantitative analysis of water and oil in a single test. Compared with Soxhlet extraction, the LF-NMR analysis provided a more accurate result of oil content in the fried starchy system, confirming the practicability of the application of LF-NMR technology as a fast and accurate method for the quantification of water and oil in the fried starchy system.

Introduction: Basic education about nutrition can be extremely beneficial for medical and dental professionals. It is very important that, dental students are taught about nutrition during their course of study as this will help in developing a holistic approach in treating patients. As limited literature is available regarding the nutritional knowledge among dental students, the present study was done to assess the same among students in a dental teaching institution. Materials and Methods: The awareness of dietary recommendations, knowledge of food sources and nutrients and diet–disease relationship was assessed among clinical students of a dental teaching institute in Kerala, through a 13-point self-administered questionnaire. Analysis was done based on two groups (undergraduate [UG] students and post-graduate [PG] students). Results: A total number of 140 responses were obtained. UG students comprised 31.4% while PG students comprised 68.6% of the study population. Majority (>75%) of the participants in both groups (UG and PG) felt that there is a need to consume more vegetables and fibers and less amounts of sugary and fatty foods. Among the PG students, most respondents (36%) opined that sugar contained more calories for the same weight while 34% of PG students and 44% of UG students reported that starchy food contained more calories. While more than 95% of participants associated diabetes to sugar consumption, there was a mixed response for kidney disease (47.7% in PG and 53.1% in UG; P

In ethnohistorical records, tree nuts are frequently referred to as important food sources for Aboriginal people in the tropical rainforest region of northeast Queensland. Experimental processing and chemical analyses were undertaken of nuts from yellow walnut (Beilschmiedia bancroftii), black walnut (Endiandra palmerstonii), black pine nut (Sundacarpus amara) and black bean (Castanospermum australe). Their energy values and potential dietary benefits were analysed through replication experiments that followed traditional Aboriginal processing techniques. Results indicate these species were all high energy-high return food sources. We propose that, despite the relatively intense preparation required, they would have provided an important and reliable source of starchy food within a varied rainforest diet. Findings support the proposal that processed toxic and noxious rainforest nuts may have played a significant role in the late Holocene permanent settlement of the rainforest region and in the development of a unique Aboriginal rainforest culture.

Plant origin, processing, and domestic preparation may affect the postprandial glycemic response (PGR) of starchy foods. The objective of this study was to examine the possibility of integrating domestically cooked non-cereal starchy foods commonly consumed in Northeast Asia into glycemic management diet, and compare their glycemic characteristics with those of waxy and non-waxy whole grains and starchy beans. In a randomized crossover trial, ten healthy subjects consumed dried lily bulb (LB), lotus seed (LS), adlay (AD), waxy black rice (BR), millet (MI), and adzuki bean (AB), pre-soaked and each cooked for two time durations. Acute PGR tests and in vitro carbohydrate digestion were carried out for each test food. Both the LS and AB meals achieved low glycemic index (GI 21&ndash, 51), while the other starchy foods failed to show significant difference with rice (GI 83&ndash, 109). The hydrolysis indexes of LS and AB were 37.7%&ndash, 61.1%, significantly lower than other test foods. The in vitro tests indicated that pre-soaking resulted in high rapidly digestible starch (RDS) and low resistant starch (RS). Careful choice of whole grain materials, minimized pre-soaking, and moderate cooking may be critical factors for successful postprandial glycemic management for diabetic and pre-diabetic.

In Africa a variety of indigenous cereals, legumes, and tubers are cultivated as starchy food crops. These include sorghum, millet species including pearl millet, finger millet, teff, and white and black fonio, and African rice as cereals; cowpea, Bambara groundnut, African yambean and West African locust bean as legumes; and Zulu round potato and the Livingstone potato as tubers. Many of these plants are considered as "lost crops of Africa." This paper critically reviews the literature on the physical, chemical, and functionality of their starches. Information is essentially limited to the native starches of sorghum, some millets, and cowpea. Livingstone potato starch information is essentially absent. Notable characteristics of African starches include that teff and finger millet have compound starch granules. Some of the starches have unique properties which could be valuable. The very small granular size of teff and its functional properties can be exploited as a fat replacer. The high retrogradation of cowpea starch has potential in gluten-free pasta and noodles. Nonfood applications for the African starches should be considered in the growing mining and oil industries in Africa.