What is Organic food?
Organic foods are made according to certain production standards. The use of conventional non organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is greatly restricted and avoided as a last resort.
What is Organic Certification?
Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers,farmers, food processors, retailers and restaurants. Requirements vary from country to country, and generally involve a set of production standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging and shipping that include:
i) Avoidance of most synthetic chemical inputs (e.g. fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics food additives, etc.,) genetically modified organisms irradiation, and the use of sewage sludge.
ii) Use of farmland that has been free from chemicals for a number of years (often, three or more)
iii) Keeping detailed written production and sales records (audit trail)
iv) Maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products
v) Undergoing periodic on-site inspections.
What is meant by 'Free-range eggs'?
The main (and in most cases only) difference between free range and factory farmed eggs is that the birds are permitted to roam freely within the farmyard and only kept in sheds or hen houses at night. However, not all countries have legal standards defining what free range means. For example, the US Department of Agriculture has no standards and allows egg producers to freely label any egg as a free range egg. Many producers will label their eggs as cage-free in addition to or instead of free range. In other countries, such as in Australia, strict regulations govern what can qualify to be called free range and those eggs which do not qualify must state that they are cage or barn laid on their container.
Free range does not imply in any way that the hens were fed any better than in factory farms. The "free roaming" does not provide the main feed supplies, which means that free range hens can be fed the same animal derived byproducts or GMO crops, as in factory farming. This is also the main reason why free range eggs are cheaper than organic eggs.
What is a Macrobiotic diet?
A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), from the Greek "macro" (large, long) and "bios" (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Macrobiotics also address the manner of eating, by recommending against overeating, and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.What is a 'Community Garden'?
A community garden is a piece of land gardened by a group of people. Community gardens provide access to fresh produce and plants as well as access to satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment. They are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access and management as well as typically owned in trust by local governments or nonprofits.
Community gardens encourage an urban community’s food security, allowing citizens to grow their own food or for others to donate what they have grown. The gardens also combat two forms of alienation that plague modern urban life, by bringing urban gardeners closer in touch with the source of their food, and by breaking down isolation by creating a social community.
What is Emulsion?
An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible (unblendable) liquids. One liquid (the dispersed phase) is dispersed in the other (the continuous phase). Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life. Examples of emulsions include butter and margarine, milk and cream, and vinaigrettes.
Bio-gas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of biofuel. .
What is Pasteurization?
Pasteurization is a process which slows microbial growth in foods. The process was named after its creator, French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur.
Unlike sterilization, pasteurization is not intended to kill all pathogenic micro-organisms in the food or liquid. Instead, pasteurization aims to reduce the number of viable pathogens so they are unlikely to cause disease.
Pasteurization typically uses temperatures below boiling since at temperatures above the boiling point for milk, casein micelles will irreversibly aggregate (or "curdle"). There are two main types of pasteurization used today: High Temperature/Short Time (HTST) and Extended Shelf Life (ESL) treatment.
What is Homogenization?
Homogenization is a term connoting a process that makes a mixture the same throughout the entire substance.
One of the oldest applications of homogenization is in milk processing, to prevent or delay natural separation of cream from the rest of the emulsion. The fat in milk normally separates from the water and collects at the top. Homogenization breaks the fat into smaller sizes so it no longer separates, allowing the sale of non-separating 1%, 2%, and whole milk. This is accomplished by forcing the milk at high pressure through small holes.
What is BST & rBST?
Bovine somatotropin (abbreviated bST and BST) is a protein hormone produced in the pituitary glands of cattle. It is also called bovine growth hormone, or BGH.
BST can be produced synthetically, using recombinant DNA technology. The resulting product is called recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), or artificial growth hormone. It is administered to the cow by injection and used to increase milk production. Currently Hygene Biopharma Co., Ltd., is the company that markets recombinant bovine somatotropin, under the trade name Hygetropin.
What is Carrageenan?
Carrageenan comes from algae or seaweed, and can be used as a thickening agent in place of animal-based products like gelatin. It is usually derived from either red alga, sometimes called Irish moss. Carrageenan is a common ingredient in many foods, such as milk products like yogurt or chocolate milk. It also is a vegetarian alternative to gelatin.
What is Soy Lecithin?
Lecithin is any of a group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipidsphosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol). (e.g., It may be isolated either from egg yolk or from soy beans, from which it is extracted chemically (using hexane) or mechanically. In cooking, Lecithin is as an emulsifier.
What is Hydrogenation?
Hydrogenation is the chemical reaction that results from the addition of hydrogen. The process is usually employed to reduce or saturate organic compounds. Hydrogenation of unsaturated fats produces saturated fats and, in some cases, trans fats. On food packages you can notice it as Hydrogenated oils.
What is Triglyceride?
TAG or triacylglyceride) is a glyceride in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids. It is the main constituent of vegetable oil and animal fats. Triglycerides, as major components of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and chylomicrons, play an important role in metabolism as energy sources and transporters of dietary fat. They contain more than twice as much energy (9 kcal/g) as carbohydrates and proteins. In the human body, high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to atherosclerosis, and, by extension, the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Don't understand the food labels?
You can check up the US governments FDA(Food and Drug Administration) website for more information.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html#see5
What is high fructose corn syrup and why is it such a common ingredient in the US?
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – Comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to increase its fructose content, and then been mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucose). HFCS is ubiquitous in processed foods and beverages, including soft drinks, yogurt, cookies, salad dressing and tomato soup.
High-fructose corn syrup is produced by milling corn to produce corn starch, then processing that corn starch to yield corn syrup which is almost entirely glucose, and then adding enzymes which change the glucose into fructose.
In the United states, a system of tariffs and sugar quotas imposed in 1977 significantly increased the cost of importing sugar, and producers sought a cheaper alternative. High-fructose corn syrup, derived from corn, is more economical because the American and Canadian prices of sugar are twice the global price and the price of #2 corn is artificially low due to both government subsidies and dumping on the market as farmers produce more corn annually. HFCS became an attractive substitute, and is preferred over cane sugar among the vast majority of American food and beverage manufacturers. For instance, soft drink makers like Coca-Cola and Pepsi use sugar in other nations, but switched to HFCS in the U.S. in 1984.
Other countries, including Mexico, typically use sugar in soft drinks. Some Americans seek out Mexican Coca-Cola in ethnic groceries, because they feel it tastes better or is healthier than Coke made with HFCS, or because they believe it will have less effect on obesity.
What is Guar gum?
It is primarily the ground endosperm of Guar beans or cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonolobus), an annual legume. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free flowing, pale, off-white colored, coarse to fine ground powder.
Guar gum is more soluble and is a better emulsifier. Guar gum is economical because it has almost 8 times the water-thickening potency of cornstarch - only a very small quantity is needed for producing sufficient viscosity. Thus it can be used in various multi-phase formulations: as an emulsifier because it helps to prevent oil droplets from coalescing, and/or as a stabilizer because it helps to prevent solid particles from settling.
Applications include:
* Baked goods, since it increases dough yield, gives greater resiliency, and improves texture and shelf life; in pastry fillings, it prevents "weeping" (syneresis) of the water in the filling, keeping the pastry crust crisp.
* Dairy - thickens milk, yogurt, kefir, and liquid cheese products; helps maintain homogeneity and texture of ice creams and sherbets.
* Meat - functions as lubricant and binder.
* Dressing and sauces - improves the stability and appearance of salad dressings, barbecue sauces, relishes, ketchups and others.
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Metric to US Conversion Chart
Metric to U.S. Conversion Chart
1 ml = 1/5 teaspoon
5 ml = 1 teaspoon
15 ml = 1 tablespoon
30 ml = 1 fluid oz.
100 ml = 3.4 fluid oz.
240 ml = 1 cup
1 liter = 34 fluid oz.
1 liter = 4.2 cups
1 liter = 2.1 pints
1 liter = 1.06 quarts
1 liter = .26 gallon
Weight
1 gram = .035 ounce
100 grams = 3.5 ounces
500 grams = 1.10 pounds
1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds
1 kilogram = 35 oz.
U.S. to Metric Conversion Chart
1/5 teaspoon = 1 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 15 ml
1 fluid oz. = 30 ml
1/5 cup = 50 ml
1 cup = 240 ml
2 cups (1 pint) = 470 ml
4 cups (1 quart) = .95 liter
4 quarts (1 gal.) = 3.8 liters
Weight 1 oz. = 28 grams
1 pound = 454 grams
Cooking Measurement Equivalents
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 2/3 cup
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
6 tablespoons = 3/8 cup
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon = 1/3 cup
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons = 1/8 cup
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons = 1/6 cup
1 tablespoon = 1/16 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
48 teaspoons = 1 cup
6 teaspoons = 1 ounce
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons = 1 ounce
Common Recipe Measurement Conversion Chart
1 cup = 24 centiliter (cl) or 240 milliliter (ml)
1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 milliliter (ml)
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 milliliter (ml)
1 fluid ounce (oz) = 30 milliliter (ml)
1 pound (lb) = 454 grams (gm) 1glass=220ml
Weight
1 ounce = 28.35 grams
1 pound = 453.59 grams
1 gram = 0.035 ounce
100 grams = 3.5 ounces
1000 grams = 2.2 pounds
1 kilogram = 35 ounces
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
Temperature
Conversion chart formulas:
°C = (°F - 32) X 5/9
°F = (°C X 9/5) + 32
32°F = 0°C
40°F = 4.4°C
100°F = 37.7°C
200°F = 93.3°C
225°F = 107.2°C
250°F = 121.1°C
275°F = 135°C
300°F = 148.9°C
325°F = 162.8°C
350°F = 176.7°C
375°F = 190.6°C
400°F = 204.4°C
425°F = 218.3°C
450°F = 232.2°C
475°F = 246.1°C
500°F = 260°C
Distance 1 inch = 2.5 centimeters
1 foot = 30 centimeters
1 millimeter = 0.04 inch
1 centimeter = 0.4 inch
1 meter = 3.3 feet
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Dollar Table:
1 Dollar = 100 cents
1 Quarter = 25 cents
1 Dime = 10 cents
1 Nickel = 5 cents
1 Penny = 1 cent
Weights: 1 Pound (lb) = 0.453 Kg
1 Ounce = 28.349 gms
2.20 Pounds = 1 Kilogram
Volume: 1 Ounce (OZ) Fluid = 29.57 ml
1 Gallon = 3.785 Liters
1 Quart = 0.94635 Liters
Kamakshi's Kitchen
