My Food and Production Notes

  Vitamin C  Also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription dietary supplement. As a therapy, it is used to prevent and treat scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C deficiency in the Philippines Undernutrition is and has always been, a serious problem in the Philippines. 96% Vitamin C deficiency  is prevalent in the Philippines, with 96% of adults having a below Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) as of 2018.  National nutrition survey in Philippines found that the nutrient intake is inadequate in children and diet is also composed of limited food sources. It was found that  60-90% children in Philippines consume lesser vitamin C than the estimated average requirement.   Insights: As a Filipino, it's still disheartening but not surprising that this issue ex...

  Prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in the Philippines More than half of children in the  Philippines  are deficient (10.3%) and insufficient (50.3%) in  vitamin D , according to an analysis of serum  vitamin D  data collected from six to 12 year old children. This study was based on the 2018 National Nutrition Survey data (NNS 2018), funded by the Government of the  Philippines .  (Angeles-Agdeppa & Tanda, 2021) Vitamin D Status and Usual Nutrient Intake of Filipino Children Aged 6–12 Years in Selected Areas in the Philippines: A 2018 National Nutrition Survey The study aimed to analyze vitamin D status, intake, and food sources among Filipino children aged 6–12 years based on the 2018 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) conducted by the DOST-FNRI, focusing on various geographic regions. I. Introduction Vitamin D, often referred to as the  sunshine vitamin, is crucial for bone health as it aids in calcium absorption and regulates calcium an...

  4 .9: Sugar Substitutes  In Canada, food additives such as sugar substitutes, which cover both artificial sweeteners and intense sweeteners obtained from natural sources, are subject to rigorous controls under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. New food additives (or new uses of permitted food additives) are permitted only once a safety assessment has been conducted and regulatory amendments have been enacted. Several sugar substitutes have been approved for use in Canada. These include acesulfame-potassium, aspartame, polydextrose, saccharin, stevia, sucralose, thaumatin, and sugar alcohols (polyols) like sorbitol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, and xylitol. Please see the Health Canada website for more information on sugar substitutes. Bakers must be careful when replacing sugar (sucrose) with these sugar substitutes in recipes. Even though the sweetness comparison levels may be similar (or less), it is generally not possible to do straight 1-for-1 substitutio...

  4.1: Sugar Chemistry   Chemically, sugar consists of  carbon (C), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (H)  atoms, and is classified as a  carbohydrate . There are three main groups of sugars, classified according to the way the atoms are arranged together in the molecular structure. These groups are the following: Monosaccharides  or simple sugars.  Dextrose (glucose)  is the major monosaccharide. Others are l evulose  or  fructose  (found in honey and many fruits), and  galactose , which is a milk sugar. Such sugars  do not readily crystallize . (Mono means one, indicating that the sugar consists of only one molecule.) Disaccharides  or complex sugars. Sucrose (common sugar) is the primary example of a disaccharide.  Maltose , found in cereals, and  lactose , found in milk, are others. Polysaccharides . Examples are  starches , dextrins, and cellulose. Additional information mentioned during the course,  G...

3.1: Understanding Fats and Oils Fats and Oils Fats  and  oils  are  organic compounds  that, like carbohydrates, are composed of the elements  carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) , arranged to form molecules. There are many types of fats and oils and a number of terms and concepts associated with them, which are detailed further here. Lipids In baking,  lipids  are generally a synonym for fats. Baking books may talk about the “ lipid content of eggs,”  for example. Triglycerides Triglycerides  is another chemical name for the  most common type of fats found in the body , indicating that they are usually made up of  three (tri) fatty acids and one molecule of glycerol  (glycerine is another name) as shown in Figure 3. (The mono and diglycerides that are used as emulsifiers have one and two fatty acids respectively.) Figure 1 Composition of fats (triglycerides) Fatty Acids Each kind of fat or oil has a different combin...