Learning to Cook and Other Things

Purpose: Replace vitamins and minerals lost in processing (enrichment), add nutrients that may be lacking in the diet (fortification) Application: Flour, breads, cereals, rice, macaroni, margarine, salt, milk, fruit beverages, energy bars, instant breakfast drinks Common Label Names: Thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin (Vitamin B2), niacin, niacinamide,folate or folic acid, beta carotene, potassium iodide, iron or ferrous sulfate, alpha tocopherols, ascorbic acid, Vitamin D, amino acids (L-tryptophan, L-lysine, L-leucine, L-methionine)

Purpose: Provide expected texture and a creamy “mouth-feel” in reduced-fat foods Application: Baked goods, dressings, frozen desserts, confections, cake and dessert mixes, dairy products Common Label Names: Olestra,cellulose gel,carrageenan, polydextrose, modified food starch, micro-particulated egg white protein, guar gum, xanthan gum, whey protein concentrate

Purpose: Enhance flavors already present in foods (without providing their own separate flavor) Application: Many processed foods Common Label Name: Monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate or inosinate

Purpose: Add sweetness with or without the extra calories Application: Beverages, baked goods, confections, table-top sugar, substitutes, many processed foods Common Label Name Sucrose (sugar),glucose, fructose,sorbitol, mannitol,corn syrup,high fructose,corn syrup,saccharin,aspartame,sucralose,acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K),neotame

Purpose: Add specific flavors (natural and synthetic) Application: Pudding and pie fillings, gelatin dessert mixes, cake mixes, salad dressings, candies, soft drinks, ice cream, BBQ sauce Common Label Name: Natural flavoring, artificial flavor, and spices

According to research Following are some reasons why ingredients are added to foods: * To Maintain or Improve Safety and Freshness: Preservatives slow product spoilage caused by mold, air, bacteria, fungi or yeast. In addition to maintaining the quality of the food, they help control contamination that can cause foodborne illness, including life-threatening botulism. One group of preservatives — antioxidants — prevents fats and oils and the foods containing them from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor. They also prevent cut fresh fruits such as apples from turning brown when exposed to air. * To Improve or Maintain Nutritional Value: Vitamins and minerals (and fiber) are added to many foods to make up for those lacking in a person’s diet or lost in processing, or to enhance the nutritional quality of a food. Such fortification and enrichment has helped reduce malnutrition in the U.S. and worldwide. All products containing added nutrients must be appropriately labeled. * Improv

My daughter left me her Sony DSC32 digital camera. It is practically her first digital cam which we gave her as a Christmas present years ago. Two years ago, when she left to work in another country she decided to leave it with me. She knows very well that my old, reliable SLR Nikon needs to be brought to the repair shop. So good. I have a camera. But here's the problem, the batteries are all spent. Meaning, every time I need to use it I need 6 hours to charge the batteries. That's kindda tedious, yes? On the other hand, I am not sure if I want to leave it charging overnight. I don't want to risk that. Perhaps, when I get a new pair of Sony batteries will I be able to take photos for my food blog. I will just have to temporarily borrow from the web if ever there's a pressing need for photos. Cheers!