RISE OF BARLEY-A GOOD THING

But for the brewery industry barley as a commercial crop would have faced extinction long ago. As it is the main ingredient in the manufacture of beer and a few spirits, cultivation of Barley received a fillip and there is no looking back once alcohol industry started growing in India at a frenetic pace. It is not that all alcoholic beverages need barley for the fermentation because most Indians consume Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), made by fermentation of molasses a by-product of sugar industry. Besides Arrack the distilled product from coconut toddy is the most popular drink in Kerala with practically every person consuming it regularly. Barley has a USP in that when germinated it produces the typical enzymes that convert starch into malt which in turn is a base material for making malt extract and alcohol fermentation. Interestingly Barley got further boost when consumers started getting more and more aware about health and the importance of non-starch polysaccharides like beta glucans in lowering cholesterol in the blood that keeps heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc at bay. Being a grain with low Glycemic Index (GI) it is considered one of the best foods for controlling blood sugar in those persons affected by diabetes. Here is the story of the revival of Barley as illustrated by one of the admirers and what future it has in India. 

Barley, a rabi (winter season) coarse cereal that had lost out to wheat in the post-green revolution period in terms of productivity and consumer preference, is back. The revival of farmers' interest in this versatile cereal has been triggered by increased demand from the malting, brewing, confectionery and pharmaceutical industries, coupled with the evolution of its high-yielding varieties suitable for industrial uses. Besides, it underwent an image makeover to regain consumer appeal as a health food, thanks to its high content of cholesterol-lowering fibres, both soluble and insoluble, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Barley is now increasingly being used as an ingredient in the multigrain health foods, including multigrain atta(flour) and bread, baby foods, cocoa-malt drinks and several other products.

It might not have escaped the notice of consumers who are bombarded with promotional ads in the electronic media regarding the USP of malt based dairy beverages which have very appealing flavor and color attracting every child. Malt extract prepared from barley malt is one of the most sought after flavoring materials in chocolate industry. The original Ovaltine and Horlicks, age old health drinks, owed their popularity to the barley malt extract. It is another matter that there are many new avatars which have appeared in the Indian market, equally popular with kids and adults alike. With prices of rice hitting the roof in India, Barley offers an attractive low cost alternative available at about 70-80% of the price of rice. Cooked whole Barley looks and tastes almost like red rice and the high nutritional content is an added bonus. Probably Barley getting into the mainstream cereal market may dramatically revive its fortunes. The only worry is that it should not go the Oat's way becoming a super hyped gran with all types of health claims priced at three times that of rice!    

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"BOOZY" FRUIT-IN SEARCH OF LONGEVITY!

Ethyl alcohol is one of the most effective disinfectant, being able to destroy most pathogens at relatively less concentrations. Dependence of medical fraternity on alcohol to achieve reliable sterility in hospital environment is considered crucial in saving precious lives during day to day patient management activities. To be effective the minimum alcohol concentration must be about 70% by volume. One of the limitations of alcohol is that it is not very effective against gram negative bacteria and spores of fungi and molds. Gram positive microorganisms lack the outer membrane and rely solely on peptidoglycan as the cell wall to protect them from the environment and there fore they are susceptible to the action of alcohol which damages the plasma membrane of bacterial cells. The reported practice of using spirits to preserve seasonal fruits is some thing evolved locally in some places as it does not find a place under the technological options available to classical food scientists. But concept wise it makes sense as spirits generally contain about 40% alcohol by volume and combined with the sugar and acidity in fruits the resulting cocktail can be a formidable "hurdle" technology system for fruit preservation.

But there is another, easier way: boozy fruit. There are many incarnations but the basic premise is the same — simply mix fruit and sugar with enough hard spirit to keep the fruit well soused, and let it sit. You can sip the liquid as a cordial and eat the sweet, spiked fruit over ice cream or cake. Apart from freezing, it is about the simplest preserving method there is. And not surprisingly, it's lately become somewhat of a trend among the legion of D.I.Y. canners, locavores and fervent gardeners looking to make the most of seasonal produce. For Amy Pennington, a professional gardener in Seattle and the author of "The Urban Pantry" (Skipstone, 2010), using booze to preserve fruit is just one more "branch in the preservation tree." "There's drying, salting, canning and using alcohol, which kills bacteria, meaning you don't need to futz around with creating an anaerobic environment," she said, adding that preserving with alcohol is the "lowest rung of entry for beginning canning enthusiasts" because it's hard to mess up. She's used the technique to preserve raspberries in vodka, which she plans to churn into sorbet, and greengage plums in brandy, to bake into an upside-down gingerbread cake as soon as they are ready — in, oh, about three months.

How far this practice can be acceptable or economically feasible for industry is not certain, especially in a country like India where spirits are often taboo for many besides being expensive. Since fruits are preserved in chunks format in presence of concentrated sugar solution formed from the water present in the spirit, the end product will have alcoholic flavor and some mild intoxicating "effect". Probably this could limit the end use of the product in only a few products. Also to be reckoned with is the excise regulations which can be a considerable constraint in using alcoholic products by the food industry.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"SPIRITS"-LABELING ADVISORY IGNORED!

That alcoholic beverages remain the most favorite drinks is proved by the reported record collections by the spirit retailers during occasions like Christmas, Onam,New Year etc. Whether this is due to addiction or curiosity is a matter of conjecture. In spite of the steep taxation measures which make the liquor costly year after year, substantial numbers are added to the drinkers' crowd. It is true that historically no forceful measures were able to reform the drinkers and governments world over are trying to escalate the cost of drinking, hoping against hope that exorbitant economic cost will progressively reduce the numbers. The premise is that many low income group of people will no more be able to afford drinking. Like smoking, some countries want to include cautionary warnings on the label but such moves are at best half-hearted as the revenue generated by the liquor industry is literally astronomical!

"Drinks firms have snubbed a Government call to put health messages and warnings for pregnant women on their bottles. A leaked official report reveals that just one in ten bottles and cans carry the health messages recommended by the Department of Health two years ago. The most controversial element was a call to include a warning to women who were trying for a baby or already pregnant. Drinks firms were advised to use the wording: 'Avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive' or a logo of a pregnant woman with a red line across it. However, key members of the industry reject the validity of this health advice and some 61.8per cent of products do not have any such warning".

It requires much foresight and vision to plan a sustained program of containing the influence of the liquor industry and free people from its vice-like grip. The evils of drinking need to be drilled into the minds of young people, probably during early years of education and such well informed young citizens may not go beyond occasional drinking out of curiosity.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com