Importance of Food Quality and Nutritional Analysis Services in Chennai

Quality is defined as the totality of features relevant to the ability of a product to fulfill its requirements (ISO 2005) NABL Food Testing Lab. Food quality is the quality characteristics of food that is acceptable to consumers.

The concept of food quality should be consider

- The different demands of the manufacturer & consumer

- The surveillance and the legislative bodies

- Economic and ecological & issues associated with food quality

Factors contributing towards quality of food

• Nutritional value

• Appearance

• Color

• Taste

• Odor

• Adulterants

• Contaminants (Physical, Chemical & Microbiological

Nutrient testing service means any substance normally consumed as a constituent of food:

• Which provides energy; or

• Which is needed for growth and development and maintenance of healthy life.

• A deficit of which will cause characteristic bio- chemical or physiological changes to occur

Proximate analysis of foods refers to determining the major components of foods

• Moisture (db or wb)

• Ash (total minerals)

- AIA, Sulphated ash, Water soluble Ash, Water Insoluble Ash

• Fats/lipids

- Saturated fats

- MUFA

- PUFA

- PUFA

• Protein

• Carbohydrates

- Reducing sugar/ Non reducing sugar

• Crude Fibre

• Energy (Calories)

Benefits of Nutritional analysis- Food quality parameters

• Better quality check

• Increasing Product consistency

• Easy Processing & Formulations

• Better Preservation

• Easing marketing and distribution tasks

• Increases yearly availability of many foods

• Enables transportation of foods across long distances

• reduces the incidence of food borne disease

• Improve the quality of life for people with allergies, diabetics, and other people who cannot consume some common food elements

• Enables better food fortification

Moisture Analysis Testing Services

• Moisture is an important factor in food quality, preservation, and resistance to deterioration.

Moisture is a quality factor:

-Dehydrated vegetables and fruits

-Dried milks

-Powdered eggs

-Dehydrated potatoes

-Spices and herbs

-Jams and jellies to prevent sugar crystallization

Sugar syrups

-Prepared cereals

–conventional and instant mixes

-Concentrated milks

-Liquid cane sugar (67% solids) and liquid corn sweetener (80% solids)

• Dehydrated products (these are difficult to package if too high in moisture)

• Concentrated fruit juices

• Moisture (or solids) content is often specified in compositional standards (i.e., Standards of Identity)

• The percentage of added water in processed foods is commonly specified.

Total Ash/ Minerals

Ash refers to the inorganic residue remaining after either ignition or complete oxidation of organic matter in a foodstuff.

• Ash content represents the total mineral content in foods.

• The ash content of most fresh foods rarely is greater than 5%.

• Pure oils and fats generally contain little or no ash

• Fats, oils, and shortenings: 0.0 to 4.1% ash

• Dairy products: 0.5 to 5.1%

• Fruits- Fruit juice: 0.2–0.6%

• Dried fruits: 2.4–3.5%

• Flours and meals: 0.3 to 1.4%

• Pure starch contains: 0.3%

• Nuts and nut products: 0.8-3.4%

Fat Analysis

Fat analysis is important for:

• Quantitative and qualitative analysis of lipids in foods is important for accurate nutritional labeling

• Determination of whether the food meets the standard of identity

• To ensure that the product meets manufacturing specifications

• Lipids in food are subjected to many chemical reactions during processing and storage

• To ensure product flow and consistency

Protein

• Protein analysis is important for:

1. Nutrition labeling

2. Pricing: The cost of certain commodities is based on the protein content as measured by nitrogen content (e.g., cereal grains; milk for making certain dairy products, e.g., cheese)

3. Functional property investigation:

- gliadin and glutenins in wheat flour for bread making,

- Casein in milk for coagulation into cheese products

- Egg albumen for foaming

4. Biological activity determination:

- The proteolysis enzymes

- Pectinases in the ripening of fruits

Carbohydrate analysis

Carbohydrates analysis is important for:

• Qualitative and quantitative analysis is used to determine compositions of foods, beverages, and their ingredients.

• Quantitative analysis also ensures that amounts of specific components of consumer interest, for example, β-glucan

• To detect adulteration of food ingredients and products

• To control Process Parameters

• To maintain product consistency

• To control Process flow