Learn about Sustainable Environment in 2021. Know how to develop your company that is environmentally friendly and sustainable and the world beyond CSR.
Modernism has betrayed the environment by resource depletion and environmental degradation. Growing awareness has made us accept a new concept called “Sustainable development”.
Sustainability is not just making revenue but making the company run for years. We are entering into the period beyond a concept called “Corporate social responsibility”. It is now mandatory to follow sustainable practices beyond CSR to ensure potential outcomes for the business. Focussing on few eco-areas can make a significant change in business practices.
Sustainable practices not only mean developing the product, generating profit but protecting people and the planet.
By doing such practices, it is possible to maintain natural resources, reduce waste, develop, and adopting renewable energy, enriching biodiversity and atmospheric stability as well as economic resources.
Sustainability can be explained in three aspects: Economic sustainability, Social sustainability, Environment sustainability. All these play their role for a business. Applying the strategies will surely impart changes.
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Learn Business Benefits of Practicing Sustainability in 2021
Business Benefits of Practicing Sustainability
A business definition for the concept of sustainable development through received growing recognition, but it is a new idea for many business executives. The concept remains abstract and theoretical. Here are some business benefits by harmonising the business with sustainability practices:
Learn about Three Es of Sustainability and know about the sustainability, functions about the Economics, Environment and Equity
Three Es of Sustainability
Sustainability has three significant components: Economics, Environment and Equity. Sustainability is generalised to the term “system”, where all these three components cannot be analysed one at a time. The concept of sustainability should find solutions to social inequities and environmental degradation to maintain a good economy. Sustainable development is viable only when this individual component functions appropriately. Hence, it is essential to identify the functions of the element to get reliable information for the viability of the system. Unsustainability can be easily distinguished from sustainability. Such identification helps us to take necessary policy actions to find sustainable solutions.
Sustainable economic production is earned by the conservation of natural capital.
A sustainable environment is achieved when the population and consumer demand are limited in scale.
Sustainable social equity is offered when the fundamental health, education and participatory democracy is fulfilled.
Images Courtesy: Mr Dinesh Veerappan Location: Diablo Lake, a reservoir in North Cascades, Washington State, USA
Learn about Air Quality Index in Good Environmentally Sustainability Practices in under 2 mins
It is essential to think about the air quality of the general population. Consumers should think about the consequences and the seriousness of air pollution to find a way to reduce air pollution. In metropolitan urban areas, the pollutants in the air have expanded and caused major respiratory illnesses and breathing issues in little youngsters and grown-up. The essential dangerous pollutants in the air are Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Ozone (O3), Carbon monoxide (CO), Particulate matter (PM<2.5), Particulate matter (PM<10) in air, which causes respiratory sickness, changes in aspiratory safeguard, cardio-vascular malady, disturbance in lungs, Influenza, Asthma and incessant obstructive pneumonic illness.
There are two classes of air pollutants, i.e. indoor or open-air pollutants. Indoor pollutants are Cooking and consuming forms, Volatile natural compound, Smoke, Biological substances, Formaldehyde, Asbestos, Radon. Open-air pollutants are Suspended particulate issue, Ozone (O3), ground level, Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Lead (Pb).
To decide the wellbeing impacts that are brought about via air pollutants, the air quality index (AQI), utilised. The air quality index shows the immaculateness of air and the concentration of pollutants and the ailment related to it. Higher is the AQI esteem, the higher will be the degree of air pollution, which demonstrates more noteworthy the wellbeing concerns. AQI can be introduced in six classifications with a particular colour to each class, which react to another medical issue.
AQI computation Air quality is observed day by day to record the concentrations of the significant pollutants in various areas. This information is converted into AQI values by utilising standard equations created by the Environmental Protection Agency. AQI qualities rely upon the kind of season and time.
Learn more about Triple Bottom Line (TBL) in Good Environmentally Sustainable Practices.
The triple bottom line (TBL), a sustainability concept was coined by Elkington in 1980 who highlighted the importance of accounting for the non-market and non-financial aspects of performance in corporations, including social performance. The triple bottom line is comprised of three parts as social, environmental and financial, which forms a framework that is being adopted by industries and organisations for performance evaluation. TBL not only does the business a greater one but also recommends the organisation to focus on socio-economic issues.
TBL has 3Ps dimensions commonly called as Profit, People and Planet. In short, TBL for a business is financial return, social impact, and environmental responsibility. Interpretation of TBL in a sectoral context like development, agriculture, fisheries, industry etc. and also in a dimensional context like environmental, social, and economic at a different locality, nation, region, and global region. It is beneficial for businesses, policymakers and economic development practitioners. Triple Bottom Line ensures sustainable development by maintaining a balance between the necessity for the current generation and also preserving for future generations too. Triple bottom line and sustainability concepts have gained attraction in fields related to economic development, including business, planning, finance, and real estate.
Know about the vital aspects of Iron and Calcium for women and children
Iron and Calcium
Iron and Calcium are the essential minerals that are required as an enhancement for Women and children. When all is said, many individuals encourage children to take dairy items for Calcium and Date Palm for Iron.
Dairy items, for example, Milk and Curd, are accounted for to have high calcium substances, and Date Palm is accounted for having high iron substances.
Besides, these two Iron and Calcium are promptly accessible. Although these two Iron and Calcium are plentiful in fundamental minerals, it is improbable that individuals realise that these two Iron and Calcium ought not to be expended simultaneously.
It is a typical practice in India that these two Iron and Calcium are devoured together. By and large, Date syrup is blended in with Milk and served to children during the previous night they rest.
Sources of Calcium-Rich Foods
Milk,
Cheese and other dairy foods.
Yogurt.
Green leafy vegetables – such as curly kale, okra.
Soya drinks with added calcium.
Bread and anything made with fortified flour.
Fish where you eat the bones – such as sardines and pilchards.
Beans and lentils.
Almonds.
Whey Protein
Figs.
Sources of calcium-rich foods
This training will not do the trick to build the iron substance in the body because expanded Calcium aggregated because of admission as Calcium salts or dairy items will restrain iron retention.
The other way around the expanded admission of Iron through nourishment or tablets will repress the ingestion of Calcium.
This has caused a worry as expanded Calcium consumption is regularly suggested for children and ladies, similar peoples in danger of iron inadequacy.
Numerous studies were performed to check whenever delayed admission of Calcium hinders iron assimilation and the other way around. There were conflicting discoveries which do not bolster this announcement.
Nonetheless, it is savvy to control devouring Calcium – using salts, tablets or dairy items – and Iron together since it will probably create a killing impact.
How much calcium a person need?
Adult men 51-70 years: 1,000 mg. Adult women 51-70 years: 1,200 mg. Adults 71 years and older: 1,200 mg. Pregnant and breastfeeding teens: 1,300 mg.
What is Calcium Deficiency Disease?
Calcium is a vital mineral. The body uses it to build robust bones and teeth. Calcium is also required for the heart and muscles to function properly.
When we do not get enough calcium, the risk of developing disorders like:
Osteoporosis
Osteopenia
Hypocalcemia
Children who do not get sufficient calcium may not grow to their full potential height as adults.
People should consume the recommended amount of calcium per day through their food, supplements, or vitamins.
Foods rich in Iron
Sources of Iron Rich Foods
Red meat, pork and poultry.
Seafood.
Beans.
Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach.
Dried fruit, such as raisins and apricots.
Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas.
Peas.
Spinach.
Legumes.
Pumpkin seeds.
Quinoa.
Broccoli.
Tofu.
Dark Chocolate.
How much Iron a person need?
The amount of iron you need is 8.7 mg a day for men over 18. 14.8 mg a day for women aged 19 to 50. 8.7mg a day for women over 50.
What is Iron Deficiency Anaemia?
Anaemia occurs when you have a dwindled level of haemoglobin in your red blood cells (RBCs).
Haemoglobin is the protein in the RBCs that is responsible for carrying oxygen to the tissues.
Iron deficiency anaemia is the most communal type of anaemia, and it occurs when your body does not have a sufficient amount of iron. Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin.
When there is insufficient iron in the bloodstream, the rest of the body cannot get the oxygen it needs.
While the condition may be common, many individuals do not know they have iron deficiency anaemia.
In women of childbearing age, the very common reason for iron deficiency anaemia is a shortfall of iron in the blood owing to heavy menstruation or pregnancy.
An inadequate diet or certain intestinal diseases that affect how the body absorbs iron can also cause iron-deficiency anaemia.
Doctors usually treat the disorder with iron supplements or changes to diet.
Symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anaemia
Fatigue.
Pale skin.
Shortness of breath.
Dizziness.
Weakness.
A tingling and crawling feeling in the legs.
Tongue swelling and soreness.
Cold hands and feet.
Fast or irregular heartbeat.
Brittle nails.
Headaches.
Therefore, both Iron and Calcium plays a major role as vital supplements in woman and children. So, all adults including males and females and especially children should follow adequate amounts of iron and calcium on daily basis.
Know about the vital aspects and importance of Vitamin D and deficiency caused in absence of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is conceivably the absolute most undervalued supplement in the world of sustenance. That is presumably, cause it is free.
The body makes it when sunlight contacts the skin. Drug organisations cannot sell sunlight, so there is no advancement of its health benefits.
Indeed, the vast majority do not know the accurate description of “Vitamin D and health.”
Vitamin D is generated by the skin in retort to contact with ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.
The recuperating beams of natural sunlight (that create vitamin in your skin) cannot infiltrate glass. In this way, the body does not generate Vitamin when sitting in a vehicle or home.
It is almost difficult to get adequate measures of Vitamin from the diet. Sunlight presentation is the first dependable approach to produceVitamin in your own body.
An individual would need to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin fortified milk every day to get least degrees of Vitamin into their food.
The further, you subsist from the equator, the more prolonged presentation you need to the sun to produce this particular vitamin. Canada, the UK and most U.S. States are a long way from the equator.
Individuals with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 – 30-fold the amount of introduction to sunlight as reasonable skinned individuals to produce a similar measure of Vitamin D. That is the reason the prostate disease is epidemic among dark men – it is an essential, yet widespread, sunlight deficiency.
Sufficient degrees of Vitamin D is critical for calcium assimilation in digestion tracts. Without adequate Vitamin, the body cannot assimilate calcium, rendering calcium supplements pointless.
Chronic deficiency cannot be reversed medium-term: it takes a very long time of Vitamin D supplementation and sunlight introduction to rebuilding the body’s bones and sensory system.
Sunlight is the chief source
Even feeble sunscreens (SPF=8) hinder your body’s capacity to produce Vitamin D by 95%. It is how sunscreen products cause disease by making an underlying Vitamin D efficiency in the body.
It is challenging to create a lot of this particular vitamin in your body from sunlight introduction: your body will self-control and produce what it needs.
If it damages to press immovably on the sternum (chest/bosom bone), you might be experiencing ceaseless deficiency at present.
Vitamin D is ” triggered ” in your body by your kidneys and liver before it tends to be used.
Having kidney disease or liver damage can significantly weaken the body’s capacity to actuate flowing Vitamin D.
The sunscreen industry does not need, to realise that the body needs sunlight introduction since that acknowledgement would mean lower offers of sunscreen products.
Even however, it is one of the most dominant mending synthetic substances in the body, the body makes it free. No solution required. Other ground-breaking antioxidants with this capacity include super-organic products like Pomegranate, Acai, Blueberries.
Diseases and Deficiency
Osteoporosis caused by an absence of this particular vitamin, which incredibly disables calcium ingestion.
Sufficient Vitamin D counteracts prostate malignancy, bosom disease, ovarian malignancy, depression, colon malignant growth and schizophrenia.
“Rickets” is the name of a bone-squandering disease caused by this vitamin deficiency.
Rickets
Deficiency may intensify type 2 diabetes and debilitate insulin production in the pancreas.
Obesity debilitates Vitamin D use in the body, which means stout individuals need twice as a lot of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is used around the globe to treat Psoriasis (a persistent skin disease).
Types of Psoriasis
A seasonal affective disorder caused by a melatonin irregularity initiated by the absence of presentation to sunlight.
Chronic deficiency frequently misdiagnosed as “Fibromyalgia” because its manifestations are so comparable: muscle shortcoming, a throbbing painfulness.
The danger of developing certain diseases like Diabetes and Cancer reduced by half – 80% through a primary, reasonable presentation to natural sunlight 2-3 times every week.
Infants who get supplementation (2000 units daily) have an 80% reduced danger of developing Type 1 Diabetes throughout the following twenty years.
Healthy foods containing vitamin D. Top view
Vitamin D Deficiency facts
32% of doctors and medical school students are deficient.
40% of the U.S. populace are deficient.
42% of African American ladies of childbearing age are deficient.
48% of youngsters, especially girls from 9-11 years of age, are deficient.
60% of all medical clinic patients are deficient.
76% of pregnant moms are seriously deficient, causing prevalent deficiencies in their unborn children, which influences them to Type 1 Diabetes, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and Schizophrenia sometime down the road. 81% of the children destined to these moms were deficient.
Know about the causes, factors controlling and control measures of Eutrophication Water Blooming
The procedure of extreme growth of algae and cyanobacteria because of the overabundance of supplements causing algal blossoms is called Eutrophication Water Blooming. The impact of an expanding phosphate focus by the presentation of pollutants is an explanation behind water blooming. In the deep waters of some enormous lakes and oceans, the amassing of nitrates and phosphates happens because of heterotrophic microorganism exercises. Algae may store phosphorous in their cells in sums, surpassing the prerequisite. Water blooming is a result of eutrophication, and it is brought about by the propagation of algae in the upper layers of water. The above procedure causes changes in water shading, turbidity, water quality falls apart, and dangerous mixes are created.
The procedure of natural eutrophication continues gradually; it takes up to a thousand years. Quickened eutrophication, in any case, is brought about by human exercises. Therefore, abundance measures of nitrogen advertisement phosphorus get into water from different sources, for example, modern and city squander, just as fields that have been prepared with phosphorus and nitrogen composts. Such exercises altogether increment the convergence of biogenes, making ideal conditions for algae propagation. In such dirtied waters, faecal and pathogenic microscopic organisms may make do for a progressively broadened period. Precipitation in profoundly mechanical and contaminated territories has likewise affected eutrophication Water Blooming.
All water bodies are subject to a biological and sluggish eutrophication process, which in recent years has undergone very rapid progress because of the presence of man and his activities. This eutrophication process consists of a continuous increase in the role of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen until it exceeds the capacity of the water body.
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These changes mainly depend :
The utilisation of fertilisers
Agricultural practices and the utilisation of composts in the soil contribute to the accumulation of nutrients. When these nutrients reach high-intensity levels and the ground is no longer ready to absorb them, they are carried by rain into streams and groundwater that flow into lakes or oceans.
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Discharge of wastewater into water forms
In several parts of the biosphere, and particularly in emerging countries, squander water is discharged directly into water bodies such as streams, lakes and oceans. The consequence of this is the arrival of a high quantity of nutrients which invigorates the excessive growth of algae. In industrialised countries, on the other hand, squander water can be illicitly discharged directly into water bodies. When instead water is treated utilising water treatment plants before discharge into the environment, the treatments applied are not in every case such as to reduce the organic load, with the consequent accumulation of nutrients in the ecosystem.
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Reduction of self-purification capacity
Over the years, lakes accumulate enormous quantities of solid material transported by the water sediments. These sediments are such as ready to absorb a lot of nutrients and pollutants. Consequently, the accumulation of sediments begins to fill the basin and, compounding the interactions between water and sediment; the resuspension of nutrients presents at the lowermost of the basin is facilitated. This phenomenon could lead to a further deterioration of water quality, accentuating the processes connected with eutrophication Water Blooming.
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Mechanism
Eutrophication Water Blooming is characterised by a substantial increase of algae (microscopic organisms like plants) because of the more prominent accessibility of one or more growth factors necessary for photosynthesis, such as sunlight, carbon dioxide and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). When algae begin to grow in an uncontrolled manner, increasingly enormous biomass is formed which is destined to debase. In deep water, much organic substance accumulates, represented by the algae having reached an incredible end cycle. To destroy all the dead algae, excessive consumption of oxygen is required, in some cases almost total, by microorganisms.
An anoxic (without oxygen) environment is thus created on the lake bottom, with the evolution of organism’s adept of living in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic), responsible for the deprivation of the biomass. The microorganisms, decompose the organic matter in the lack of oxygen, free compounds that are toxic, such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). The absence of oxygen decreases biodiversity causing, in some instances, even the death of animal and plant species. This happens, when the pace of degradation of the algae by microorganisms is more noteworthy than that of oxygen rejuvenation, which in summer is as of now present in low concentrations.
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Factors Controlling eutrophication
Nutrients
Sources of nutrients like C, H, N, O, P are required for the growth of microbes. Natural sources like excreta of winged animals and animals, manures runoff from agricultural fields, detergents rich in phosphates, get accumulated.
Light and Temperature
The intensity of light and current temperature in the aquatic habitats affects the algal groups. During summer, green algae and cyanobacteria dominate, and in spring the diatoms dominate.
Toxins
The dominance of the algal groups is also affected by the production of various toxins which inhibit other algal forms.
Effects of Eutrophication
Potent algal toxins are produced which are consumed by the shellfish and humans consume the same fish as food which is infected with these toxins. For example, Nostoc microcystis and Anabena produce potent toxins which can kill a fish. An earthy smelling organic compound is known as Geosmin is produced by blue-green algae like Oscillatoria that produces odour and taste in drinking water.
Control measures of Eutrophication
Ecological Management
Limits the flow of nutrients and fertilisers. Advanced treatments are applied such that plants are not flooded with water.
Chemical Algicides
Spraying of algicides with CuSO4 which are not toxic to fish and humans reduces algal blooms.
Biological Algicides
Algae predate the bacteria in short of food. Viruses also are active against green algae and control the growth of plants.
Destratification
Artificial destratification occurs by physical mixing of aeration.
Water is anything but a business item like some other yet rather a legacy that must be safeguarded and secured, particularly within sight of a worldwide decrease in the accessibility of drinking water and increment in its interest. Regardless of the impressive endeavours made to improve the water quality by constraining supplement advancement, social eutrophication and the subsequent algal blossoms keep on being the primary driver of water contamination.
The counteractive action and assurance activity that nations must receive to defend the nature of surface water as mentioned not just by established researchers and different specialists yet to an expanding degree additionally by residents and ecological associations is in this manner progressively significant. The board of the eutrophic procedure is an unpredictable issue that will require the aggregate endeavours of researchers, arrangement producers and residents.
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know in detail about the preparation storage and preservation of laboratory samples for food analysis is explained
Preparation of Samples for Food Analysis
The preparation of the samples for food analysis involves reducing the amount and simultaneous reduction in particle size by thorough mixing.
To obtain precise analytical results, the laboratory samples for food analysis must be made as homogeneous as possible so that the results are reproducible within the limits of the analytical method used.
The method of homogenisation will depend on the type of food being analysed. Usually, the samples for food analysis are abstracted from different portions of the food material, mixed and blended, and the representative sample is taken.
A number of very effective electrical, mechanical devices are available to slash the size of food particles and to mix food products thoroughly, mincers, graters, blenders and homogenisers for dry, moist, and wet foods, and several types of powder mills or grinders are all essential pieces of equipment.
Mechanical devices produce heat, so care must be taken not to alter the sample’s composition by losing moisture due to overrunning the equipment.
Coning and Quartering for sample preparation
Dry foods
Pulses and cereals
The sample for food analysis is cleaned free of sand, stone and other extraneous material and powdered. The size of powdery food can be reduced by a process called Quartering.
Pulses and cereals
Flesh foods
Either the whole tissue or a representative protein is minced and then blended with double its weight of water. Portions of the slurry are then removed into weighed containers which are then reweighed to determine the amount of tissue used.
Meat
Fluid foods
The top or bottom-drive blenders best emulsify the sample for food analysis.
Oils and fats
They are prepared by gentle warning and mixing. Faty mixed-phase products such as cheese, butter, margarine and chocolate are challenging to be prepared by gentle warming and mixing. Cheese and chocolate are best grated, followed by hand mixing of grated material. Butter and margarine may be re-emulsified by blending by hand in a glass jar after warming to 35ºC to melt the fat.
Butter
Fruits and vegetables
The samples for food analysis are taken small in size. However, big ones should be cut, and portions of the edible material should be used. The non-edible portions are rejected, and the edible portions are cut into small pieces. Samples are taken from the mixture of these pieces by Quartering. It is preferable to use stainless steel trays, knives and scissors for preparing the sample.
Fruits and Vegetables
Prepared samples for food analysis may change composition through evaporation or absorption of moisture or by the action of enzymes or microorganisms. The components which are likely to change should be analysed immediately after preparation.
Various Ways of Food Preservation
Preservation of samples for food analysis
The prepared samples for food analysis are stored in hermetically sealed inert containers like glass jars or wide-mouthed bottles with screw caps or friction top tin containers.
The dried fruits and fruit products containing 20-30% moisture are stored in glass or plastic containers.
Hydrolytic changes caused by the enzymes may be prevented by dropping the sample into boiling alcohol. The alcoholic extracts are stored below 0ºC to avoid changes in composition.
Products likely to undergo microbial spoilage may be preserved using acetic acid or sodium benzoate as a preservative by freezing or drying.
Food Preservation
Freezing of samples for food analysis
Freezing of samples for food analysis in air and moisture-proof containers by rapid freezing and storage at less than -6ºC prevents microbial activity, but not enzyme activity, which continues to occur although at a slower rate temperature down to -40ºC.
Storage of dried products at 0ºC to 10ºC minimises deterioration. While taking samples stored at low temperature for analysis, either the entire sealed container should be warmed to room temperature or a portion transferred quickly to a clean, dry stoppered container to avoid changes in moisture content.
Canning
Moisture
Water in plant foods may occur in any of three different forms
As a dispersing medium for the colloids and as a solvent for crystalloids, i.e. as free water.
It may be absorbed on the surfaces of colloidal particles in the protoplasm, the cell walls, and cell constituents such as proteins, starches, cellulose which hold water tenaciously.
As the water of hydration in chemical combination, with various substances like carbohydrates and hydrates of salts.
The “bound water” found in biological materials and the water in colloidal systems may exist as
Occluded water
Capillary water
Osmotic water
Colloidal water bound by physical forces
Chemically bound water
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know in detail about food analysis procedures and their techniques
Food Analysis
Food analysis is concerned with the development of criteria of quality and identity, with techniques suitable for use in the laboratory.
Food Analysis
In earlier times, the food analyst was mainly concerned with gross adulteration. Nowadays, since there is an increasing tendency to manufacture foods about market requirements, processed foods, and fast foods are fast developing.
The food analysis is done with one or more of the three different objectives.
Developing safe foodstuffs with consumer acceptance.
The legal point of view for the sake of prosecution
From the research point of view in educational institutions and research organisations
Processed foods are produced within the units of prescribed manufacturing standards, also set to comply with legal or other recognised requirements.
This is attained by standardising as far as possible, the process at each stage, from the farm to the dining table. This has resulted in the development of analytical techniques which are suitable for rapid assessments and control.
Earlier methods are about subjective criteria like flavour, texture, colour, and other qualities were preferred. However, now methods that give quick, reproducible, accurate and objective procedures are replacing the subjective methods for the evaluation of food quality.
Many of the food analysis procedures have been empirically developed with special reference to the particular food product. Such methods are precise or reproducible. Most of these procedures also yield accurate results.
The procedure is given for the analysis of a particular compound need not be applicable for a similar compound. In many food laboratories, most of the routine work comprises methods of proximate analysis and the study of colour additivesand contaminants.
The main compositional components of interest are moisture, fat, protein, ash available and unavailable carbohydrates. The moisture value obtained by drying methods may include other volatile matter such as essential oils, traces of volatile acids and amines.
The preparation of the samples plays a vital role in food analysis. Sugars from natural sources such as fruits are conveniently expressed as total soluble solids as measured by refractometric determination.
Protein can be calculated from the total nitrogen as determined by Kjeldahl’s method. In many estimations, allowance has to be made for interference arising from the food itself or contamination of the reagents, and blank determination must be performed. Allowance may sometimes have been made for changes that occur during storage.
Internationally recognised reference procedures have been published by bodies such as ISO, IUPAC, Codex Alimentarius and the AOZC in the UK, the British standards institution and the analytical division of the chemical society.
As in other fields of analysis, the availability of suitable methods is essential if accurate results are to be obtained. Good results depend on the choice of the experiment, the analytical procedures used and the accurate determination and interpretation of the results.
The food analyst should be acquainted with the theory of each estimation and should strive for accuracy. With the available equipment, the food analyst decides on the feasible methods to be used in the laboratory.
Sampling – Food Analysis
The perfect sample is 100% of the food material being analysed. This is possible only when the quantity of the food to be analysed is small enough.
For a high quantity of food, a representative sample is usually obtained. When the food particle is homogeneous, a sample can be taken.
However, when the food is heterogeneous, the problem of getting a sample is difficult. Hence the food analyst should be familiar with the sampling procedures.
The value of the result of chemical analysis on a well-prepared laboratory sample depends on how representative of the sample is of the lot, batch, package, or consignment of the particular food from which it was taken and on the kind of chemical information that is required.
Foodstuffs and food ingredients are relatively heterogeneous materials, so it is difficult to obtain a single representative sample for sample analysis.
The problem may be minimised by selecting, either randomly or according to a plan several samples from the lot. These samples may be analysed separately to yield results from which the average composition of the lot may be computed.
In some instances, the samples may be thoroughly mixed to give a single large representative bulk sample from which a sample may be taken for laboratory analysis.
The process of sampling is one facet of statistics, and most books on statistics include chapters describing the elementary mathematical principles involved.
There are ISO standards for the sampling of various foodstuffs. Because of the practical difficulties and economic aspects of full statistical sampling, and the natural variation in the composition of foodstuffs, food analysis is often out randomly chosen single samples.
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