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Water is the most abundant nutrient in our body and plays an important transmission function in every body cell and tissue. Sixty percent of our body weight is water. The fact that you can live without food for a long period of time, even months, but live only for a few days without water is true. Under normal conditions, the body releases about one quart of water daily. Therefore, replacement to equal the losses is very important for survival.

Dehydration is the most common problem of water imbalance due to water losses and deprivation. The effects of dehydration on nutrition can adversely affect ones health. Dehydration is the major cause of ones diminished ability to perform during endurance activities. Body water is lost through the stomach, respiration, sweat, and the kidneys. It is recomended that 24oz of water a day should be taken. This amount can double or even triple with endurance type exercise.



A note about water: More and more evidence shows the benifit of being well hydrated.

Studies show that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated (likely applies to half the world's population), leading to possible health problems such as fatigue. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger, leading to over-eating. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.



Bottled Water: Some types of bottled water are not subject to the same regulations as tap water. These are regulated as food products, and their regulations are largely related to sanitary food handling and processing practices. Bottled water manufacturers will provide a detailed report on the quality of their product to consumers who call to request it.

Wheat (Triticum spp.)is a grass that is cultivated worldwide. Globally, it is the most important human food grain and ranks second in total production as a cereal crop behind maize; the third being rice.Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for leavened, flat and steamed breads; cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles and couscous;and for fermentation to make beer, alcohol, vodka] or biofuel. Wheat is planted to a limited extent as a forage crop for livestock and the straw can be used as fodder for livestock or as a construction material for roofing thatch.



Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat



Severe allergic reactions (e.g. anaphylactic reaction) occur when the body's immune system strongly reacts to a particular allergen protein or irritant. These reactions may be caused by food, insect stings and medications. the nine priority food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, fish (including crustaceans and shellfish), soy, wheat and sulphites.



Wheat quality begins with its constituent parts. The hard spring wheat kernel, on average, contains about 68% starch, 18% protein, 2% fats, 2% ash, and 2% cellulose. The proportion of these components varies. The starch, protein, and fats comprise the nutritive components. Cellulose is not digested so its nutritive value is zero



Six Basic Classes



The many varieties of winter and spring wheat are grouped into six official classes. The class a variety fits into is determined by its hardness, the color of its kernels and by its planting time. Each class of wheat has its own relatively uniform characteristics related to milling, baking or other food use.



Hard Red Winter (HRW) is an important bread wheat which accounts for almost forty percent of the U.S. wheat crop and wheat exports. This fall-seeded wheat is produced in the Great Plains, which extend from the Mississippi River west to the Rocky Mountains and from the Dakotas and Montana south to Texas. Significant quantities are also produced in California. HRW has a moderately high protein content, usually averaging 11-12%, and good milling and baking characteristics. There are no subclasses of this class.



Hard Red Spring (HRS), another important bread wheat, maintains the highest protein content, usually 13-14%, in addition to good milling and baking characteristics. This spring-seeded wheat is primarily grown in the north central United States--North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. HRS comprises just over twenty percent of U.S. wheat exports. Subclasses based upon the dark, hard and vitreous kernel content (DHV), include

dark northern spring, northern spring and red spring.



Hard White (HW) is the newest class of wheat to be grown in the United States. It is used for noodles, yeast breads and flat breads and is grown in California, Idaho, Kansas and Montana. There are no subclasses. Currently, HW is used primarily in domestic markets with limited quantities being exported. It is anticipated that exports of this class will increase.



Soft White (SW) is a preferred wheat for flat breads, cakes, pastries, crackers and noodles and is grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Soft white is a low protein wheat, usually about 10%. SW represents just over twenty percent of total U.S. exports, primarily to Asia and the Middle East. Subclasses are soft white, white club and western white.



Soft Red Winter (SRW) is grown in the eastern third of the United States. SRW is a high yielding wheat, but relatively low in protein, usually about 10%. SRW is used for cakes, pastries, flat breads, crackers and snack foods. This fall-seeded wheat comprises about fourteen percent of U.S. wheat exports. There are no subclasses of this class.



Durum, the hardest of all U.S. wheats, provides semolina for spaghetti, macaroni and other pasta products. This spring-seeded wheat is grown primarily in the same northern areas as hard red spring, while smaller winter-sown quantities are grown in Arizona and California. Durum comprises nearly five percent of total U.S. wheat exports. Subclasses are hard amber durum, amber durum and durum.

Wheat flour is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates. Other than gluten flour, all types of wheat flour derive at least 80 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. Depending on the flour type, the percent of calories from protein ranges from 9 to 15 percent, except from gluten, which has a 45 percent protein content. Calories from fat are never more than 5 percent.



In addition, wheat flour provides from 3 g (cake flour) to 15 g (whole-wheat flour) of dietary fiber per 1-cup serving. Wheat flour contains B vitamins, calcium, folacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium zinc and other trace elements, and minimal amounts of sodium.



Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world and ubiquitous in our culture. Bread, pasta, bagels, crackers, cakes, muffins and other wheat containing products line our supermarket shelves and fill our grocery baskets. It is luck for us that this popular grain is available throughout the year.



Classes used in the United States are



Durum - Very hard, translucent, light colored grain used to make semolina flour for pasta.

Hard Red Spring - Hard, brownish, high protein wheat used for bread and hard baked goods.

Hard Red Winter - Hard, brownish, very high protein wheat used for bread, hard baked goods and as an adjunct in other flours to increase protein.

Soft Red Winter - Soft, brownish, medium protein wheat used for bread.

Hard White - Hard, light colored, opaque, chalky, medium protein wheat planted in dry, temperate areas. Used for bread and brewing

Soft White - Soft, light colored, very low protein wheat grown in temperate moist areas. Used for bread.

Hard wheats are harder to process and red wheats may need bleaching. Therefore, soft and white wheats usually command higher prices than hard and red wheats on the commodities market.



Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, features a host of important nutrients.



Therefore, to receive benefit from the wholesomeness of wheat it is important to choose wheat products made from whole wheat flour rather than those that are refined and stripped of their natural goodness.



The health benefits of wheat depend entirely on the form in which you eat it. These benefits will be few if you select wheat that has been processed into 60% extraction, bleached white flour. 60% extraction - the standard for most wheat products in the United States, including breads, noodles and pastas, baked goods like rolls or biscuits, and cookies - means that 40% of the original wheat grain was removed, and only 60% is left. Unfortunately, the 40% that gets removed includes the bran and the germ of the wheat grain - its most nutrient-rich parts. In the process of making 60% extraction flour, over half of the vitamin B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and fiber are lost.



Since 1941, laws in the United States have required "enrichment" of processed wheat flour with vitamins B1, B2, B3 and iron in response to the problems created by 60% extraction. Although not nearly as much of these B vitamins and iron are replaced as are removed from 60% extraction flour, "enriched" seems an odd word to describe this process. If you select 100% whole wheat products, however, the bran and the germ of the wheat will remain in your meals, and the health benefits will be impressive! Our food ranking qualified whole wheat (in its original non-enriched form) as a very good source of dietary fiber and manganese, and as a good source of magnesium.



Bran is made up of the outer layers of the wheat kernel. Bran is used in whole wheat flour. It is also used in breakfast cereals.



The germ is tiny - about 2 1/2% of the whole wheat kernel. The germ is the part that will sprout and grow into a new wheat plant if the kernel is planted. Wheat germ is sold in grocery stores and food markets. Whole wheat flour also contains wheat germ.

Malted barley is barley that has been allowed to germinate (sprout) to a degree and is then dried. This is accomplished industrially by increasing the water content of the seed to 40-45% by soaking it for a period close to 40 hours. The seed is then drained and held at a constant temperature (60 F) for close to 5 days until it starts to sprout. The barley is slowly dried in a kiln at temperatures gradually rising to 122 F for lighter malts and 220 F for darker malts. This kiln drying takes about 30 hours. Finally, the rootlets from the partially germinated seeds are removed.

Wheat (Triticum spp.)is a grass that is cultivated worldwide. Globally, it is the most important human food grain and ranks second in total production as a cereal crop behind maize; the third being rice.Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for leavened, flat and steamed breads; cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles and couscous;and for fermentation to make beer, alcohol, vodka] or biofuel. Wheat is planted to a limited extent as a forage crop for livestock and the straw can be used as fodder for livestock or as a construction material for roofing thatch.



Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat



Severe allergic reactions (e.g. anaphylactic reaction) occur when the body's immune system strongly reacts to a particular allergen protein or irritant. These reactions may be caused by food, insect stings and medications. the nine priority food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, fish (including crustaceans and shellfish), soy, wheat and sulphites.



Wheat quality begins with its constituent parts. The hard spring wheat kernel, on average, contains about 68% starch, 18% protein, 2% fats, 2% ash, and 2% cellulose. The proportion of these components varies. The starch, protein, and fats comprise the nutritive components. Cellulose is not digested so its nutritive value is zero



Six Basic Classes



The many varieties of winter and spring wheat are grouped into six official classes. The class a variety fits into is determined by its hardness, the color of its kernels and by its planting time. Each class of wheat has its own relatively uniform characteristics related to milling, baking or other food use.



Hard Red Winter (HRW) is an important bread wheat which accounts for almost forty percent of the U.S. wheat crop and wheat exports. This fall-seeded wheat is produced in the Great Plains, which extend from the Mississippi River west to the Rocky Mountains and from the Dakotas and Montana south to Texas. Significant quantities are also produced in California. HRW has a moderately high protein content, usually averaging 11-12%, and good milling and baking characteristics. There are no subclasses of this class.



Hard Red Spring (HRS), another important bread wheat, maintains the highest protein content, usually 13-14%, in addition to good milling and baking characteristics. This spring-seeded wheat is primarily grown in the north central United States--North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. HRS comprises just over twenty percent of U.S. wheat exports. Subclasses based upon the dark, hard and vitreous kernel content (DHV), include

dark northern spring, northern spring and red spring.



Hard White (HW) is the newest class of wheat to be grown in the United States. It is used for noodles, yeast breads and flat breads and is grown in California, Idaho, Kansas and Montana. There are no subclasses. Currently, HW is used primarily in domestic markets with limited quantities being exported. It is anticipated that exports of this class will increase.



Soft White (SW) is a preferred wheat for flat breads, cakes, pastries, crackers and noodles and is grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Soft white is a low protein wheat, usually about 10%. SW represents just over twenty percent of total U.S. exports, primarily to Asia and the Middle East. Subclasses are soft white, white club and western white.



Soft Red Winter (SRW) is grown in the eastern third of the United States. SRW is a high yielding wheat, but relatively low in protein, usually about 10%. SRW is used for cakes, pastries, flat breads, crackers and snack foods. This fall-seeded wheat comprises about fourteen percent of U.S. wheat exports. There are no subclasses of this class.



Durum, the hardest of all U.S. wheats, provides semolina for spaghetti, macaroni and other pasta products. This spring-seeded wheat is grown primarily in the same northern areas as hard red spring, while smaller winter-sown quantities are grown in Arizona and California. Durum comprises nearly five percent of total U.S. wheat exports. Subclasses are hard amber durum, amber durum and durum.

Sugarcane, or sugar cane, is any of six to thirty-seven species (depending on taxonomic system) of tall perennial grasses of the genus, Saccharum, (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae). Native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar and measure two to six meters (six to nineteenfeet) tall. All sugar cane species interbreed, and the major commercial cultivars are complex hybrids.

There are over 1,000 varieties of this nutritious LEGUME, ranging in size from as small as a pea to as large as a cherry. Soybean pods, which are covered with a fine tawny to gray fuzz, range in color from tan to black. The beans themselves come in various combinations of red, yellow, green, brown and black. Their flavor is generally quite bland, which may explain why they weren't embraced by Western cultures until their nutritive value was discovered. Unlike other legumes, the soybean is low in carbohydrates and high in protein and desirable oil. Because they're inexpensive and nutrition-packed, soybeans are used to produce a wide variety of products

Omega-3's

Certain fatty fish, like salmon and tuna, contain the best source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. But certain plant foods, like flaxseed and soybeans, also contain these fatty acids. Soybeans are one of the best non-fish sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Compared to other beans like pinto beans and navy beans, soybeans have a higher fat content, but this fat contains these heart-healthy omega-3's.

Wheat (Triticum spp.)is a grass that is cultivated worldwide. Globally, it is the most important human food grain and ranks second in total production as a cereal crop behind maize; the third being rice.Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for leavened, flat and steamed breads; cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles and couscous;and for fermentation to make beer, alcohol, vodka] or biofuel. Wheat is planted to a limited extent as a forage crop for livestock and the straw can be used as fodder for livestock or as a construction material for roofing thatch.



Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat



Severe allergic reactions (e.g. anaphylactic reaction) occur when the body's immune system strongly reacts to a particular allergen protein or irritant. These reactions may be caused by food, insect stings and medications. the nine priority food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, milk, eggs, fish (including crustaceans and shellfish), soy, wheat and sulphites.



Wheat quality begins with its constituent parts. The hard spring wheat kernel, on average, contains about 68% starch, 18% protein, 2% fats, 2% ash, and 2% cellulose. The proportion of these components varies. The starch, protein, and fats comprise the nutritive components. Cellulose is not digested so its nutritive value is zero



Six Basic Classes



The many varieties of winter and spring wheat are grouped into six official classes. The class a variety fits into is determined by its hardness, the color of its kernels and by its planting time. Each class of wheat has its own relatively uniform characteristics related to milling, baking or other food use.



Hard Red Winter (HRW) is an important bread wheat which accounts for almost forty percent of the U.S. wheat crop and wheat exports. This fall-seeded wheat is produced in the Great Plains, which extend from the Mississippi River west to the Rocky Mountains and from the Dakotas and Montana south to Texas. Significant quantities are also produced in California. HRW has a moderately high protein content, usually averaging 11-12%, and good milling and baking characteristics. There are no subclasses of this class.



Hard Red Spring (HRS), another important bread wheat, maintains the highest protein content, usually 13-14%, in addition to good milling and baking characteristics. This spring-seeded wheat is primarily grown in the north central United States--North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana. HRS comprises just over twenty percent of U.S. wheat exports. Subclasses based upon the dark, hard and vitreous kernel content (DHV), include

dark northern spring, northern spring and red spring.



Hard White (HW) is the newest class of wheat to be grown in the United States. It is used for noodles, yeast breads and flat breads and is grown in California, Idaho, Kansas and Montana. There are no subclasses. Currently, HW is used primarily in domestic markets with limited quantities being exported. It is anticipated that exports of this class will increase.



Soft White (SW) is a preferred wheat for flat breads, cakes, pastries, crackers and noodles and is grown primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Soft white is a low protein wheat, usually about 10%. SW represents just over twenty percent of total U.S. exports, primarily to Asia and the Middle East. Subclasses are soft white, white club and western white.



Soft Red Winter (SRW) is grown in the eastern third of the United States. SRW is a high yielding wheat, but relatively low in protein, usually about 10%. SRW is used for cakes, pastries, flat breads, crackers and snack foods. This fall-seeded wheat comprises about fourteen percent of U.S. wheat exports. There are no subclasses of this class.



Durum, the hardest of all U.S. wheats, provides semolina for spaghetti, macaroni and other pasta products. This spring-seeded wheat is grown primarily in the same northern areas as hard red spring, while smaller winter-sown quantities are grown in Arizona and California. Durum comprises nearly five percent of total U.S. wheat exports. Subclasses are hard amber durum, amber durum and durum.

Oat Bran has received considerable attention in the medical community for its role in helping reduce blood cholesterol.

Nutrition experts believe that Beta glucans, the water-soluble fibers present in oat bran act as an active agent for cholesterol inhibition. Since oat bran is a food, after all, and supplies beneficial fiber to assist in regulating gastro-intestinal function as well, nutritionists also recommend increased daily intake.

For a while, oat bran was touted as a miracle food, a sort of Roto-Rooter for your veins. Predictably, food manufacturers rushed to pump their breads and cereals with oat bran. In truth, oat bran is not proven to be more effective at lowering cholesterol than several other brans or, for that matter, other high-fiber foods. And the results are not as miraculous as claimed. Fiber is, however, definitely beneficial because it keeps the gastrointestinal tract in good working order (it also contains no calories).

Flax is an amazingly useful plant. Flax seeds and flax seed oil are a great source of alpha linolenic acid, or LNA.It is a small herb (Linum usitatissimum) grown in the prairies of North America and Russia, with little five-petaled blue (sometimes white or pink) flowers. The plants are harvested when the seed pods have dried and the fibers of the inner stems are processed to make thread for linen. This process dates back to ancient Egypt.

Each cell membrane structure in the brain includes two components, which also help control nutrient transfer in and out of brain cells. These two components are both essential polyunsaturated fatty acids: alpha linolenic acid (LNA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids) and linoleic acid (LA, one of the omega-6 fatty acids). LNA is used by the body to make DHA, or docasahexaenoic acid. Nursing mothers can be assured human milk contains DHA in perfect amounts. Adults and older children need to obtain it from other sources (cold water oily fish like salmon and tuna), or manufacture it from LNA.



Omega-3s are like, well, antifreeze for our bodies. They keep our blood relatively thin and circulating well, especially in cold weather.

The ground flaxseed meal can be added to salads, mixed in with hot or cold cereals, or used in recipes for baked goods. One ounce of ground flaxseed meal (about four tbsp or about 60mls) provides about six grams of protein and eight grams of fiber.

A thick, sweet liquid made by bees from flower nectar. Contrary to what many people think, a honey's color and flavor does not derive from the bee, but from the nectar's source. In general, the darker the color the stronger the flavor. There are hundreds of different honeys throughout the world, most of them named for the flower from which they originate. The flowers that produce some of America's most popular honeys are clover, orange blossom and sage

A type of salt extracted from seawater through the use of a vacuum evaporation process. Sea salt has small amounts of various minerals contained within the salt that are naturally in the waters from which the salt was derived. Thus, the taste of the sea salt will vary depending on the area water producing the salt. As an example, minerals such as red clay provide a pink tint to sea salts from Hawaii.

Sea salts are available as a fine-grained crystal, as a larger, coarse crystal, or as a flakes of salt. The size and thickness of the crystal will affect how quickly it dissolves when added to foods, with the sea salt flakes dissolving very quickly and the larger coarse crystals requiring a longer amount of time. Typically, sea salts are used to enhance the flavors of foods after they have been cooked or prepared.

(Reprint:

http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=34338&catitemid=)

Yeast is a living, microscopic, single-cell organism that, as it grows, converts its food (through a process known as fermentation) into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This trait is what endears yeast to winemakers, brewmasters and breadbakers. In the making of wine and BEER, the yeast's manufacture of alcohol is desired and necessary for the final product; and carbon dioxide is what makes BEER and CHAMPAGNE effervescent. The art of breadmaking needs the carbon dioxide produced by yeast in order for certain doughs to rise. To multiply and grow, all yeast needs is the right environment, which includes moisture, food (in the form of sugar or starch) and a warm, nurturing temperature (70° to 85°F is best).

A flatbread is a simple bread made with flour, water, and salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened—made without yeast or sourdough culture, although some flatbread is made with yeast, such as flatbread made with whole wheat flour. There are many other optional ingredients that flatbreads may contain, such as curry powder, diced jalapeños, chili powder or black pepper. Olive oil or sesame oil may be added as well. Flatbreads can range from one millimeter to a few centimeters thick. Flatbread was already known in Ancient Egypt and Sumer.

Most milk packs a nutritional punch and contains protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A and D, LACTOSE (milk sugar) and riboflavin. On the minus side, milk's natural sodium content is quite high. Most milk sold in the United States today is PASTEURIZED, which means the microorganisms that cause diseases (such as salmonella and hepatitis) and spoilage have been destroyed by heating, then quick-cooling, the milk. Pasteurization eliminates the possibility of disease and gives milk a longer shelf life. Most commercial milk products have also been HOMOGENIZED, meaning that the milk fat globules have been broken down mechanically until they are evenly and imperceptibly distributed throughout the milk. The end result is that the CREAM does not separate from the milk and the liquid is uniformly smooth.

Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. Cheese is made by curdling milk using some combination of rennet (or rennet substitutes) and acidification. Bacteria acidify the milk and play a role in defining the texture and flavor of most cheeses. Some cheeses also feature molds, either on the outer rind or throughout.



There are hundreds of types of cheese produced all over the world. Different styles and flavors of cheese are the result of using milk from various mammals or with different butterfat contents, employing particular species of bacteria and molds, and varying the length of aging and other processing treatments. Other factors include animal diet and the addition of flavoring agents such as herbs, spices, or wood smoke. Whether the milk is pasteurized may also affect the flavor. The yellow to red coloring of many cheeses is a result of adding annatto. Cheeses are eaten both on their own and cooked as part of various dishes; most cheeses melt when heated.



For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such as vinegar or lemon juice. Most cheeses, however, are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn milk sugars into lactic acid, followed by the addition of rennet to complete the curdling. Rennet is an enzyme mixture traditionally obtained from the stomach lining of young cattle, but now also laboratory produced. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available; most are produced by fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehei, but others have been extracted from various species of the Cynara thistle family.



Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Natural food enzymes that, when taken with gassy foods, help reduce flatulence-sometimes even stopping it before it begins. Gas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, grains and onions cause trouble because they contain hard- or impossible-to-digest complex sugars (see CARBOHYDRATE) that ferment in the large intestine. Digestive enzymes help break down these complex sugars into simple sugars that are more easily digestible.



Proteins produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme has a specific function. The two classes of enzymes are metabolic and digestive. Metabolic enzymes catalyze the many chemical reactions in the body. Digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down food into smaller absorbable units. There are specific enzymes that break down protein, fat and carbohydrate; these are protease, amylase and lipase respectively.

Originaly eaten by early egyptians, Anthony discovered this native cheese while visiting Cleopatra. He then sent water buffalo (whos milk the chesse is made) to ceasar in rome as a gift. The Cheese became wide spread in Italy and beyond.

A 1-ounce serving of lite mozzarella cheese provides: 59 calories, 8 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 2.5 g total fat with 2.4 g is saturated fat, 9 mg cholesterol, 0.1 mg iron, 211 mg calcium, 192 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 24RE vit A

Two types of mozzarella are produced in the USA. Low moisture mozzarella that has a moisture content of less than 50% and high moisture mozzarella that contains more than 52% moisture. The former was developed in the USA to fit our transportation and distribution systems, and it has been available in grocery stores for years. This is the cheese that the huge factories produce for the pizza industry. Fresh mozzarella is different. It is soft and moist and more perishable.

It is most often made from cow's milk; however it can be made from a combination of other milks such as cow's milk and goat's milk mixed.



There are two basic ways to make mozzarella: direct acidification of the milk to form the curds or the culture/rennet method. In both methods, raw milk is pasteurized and then coagulated to form curds. Once the curds reach a pH of 5.2 they are cut into small pieces and then mixed with hot water and "strung" or "spun" until long ropes of cheese form. This "stringing of the curd" is unique to cheeses in the "pasta filata" family, such as mozzarella, scamorza and provolone. When the proper smooth, elastic consistency is reached, the curds are formed by machine or hand into balls which are then tossed into cold water so that they maintain their shapes while they cool. They are then salted and packaged. It is a short making process, usually less than 8 hours from raw milk to finished cheese. The critical moment is determining exactly when the cheese is mature and ready to be strung...waiting too long can result in a mushy cheese, while stringing too early can result in a tough dry cheese.

Pigs, also called hogs, swine, boars (male) or sows (female), are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. The nearest relatives of the swine family are the peccaries and hippopotami.



The majority of pork in the marketplace today is CURED-like BACON and ham--while the remainder is termed "fresh." Today's pork is leaner (about 1/3 fewer calories) and higher in protein than that consumed just 10 years ago. Thanks to improved feeding techniques, trichinosis in pork is now also rarely an issue.

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Pungent or aromatic seasonings obtained from thebark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees (whereasHERBS usually come from theleafy part of a plant). Spices were prized long before recorded history. Thoughthey've always been used to flavor food and drink, throughout the eons spiceshave also been favored for a plethora of other uses including crowning emperors,making medicines and perfumes, religious ceremonies and as burial accoutrementsfor the wealthy. Over 3,000 years ago the Arabs monopolized the spice trade,bringing their rare cargo back from India and the Orient by arduous camelcaravans.

Sugar produced from cornstarch; comprised of glucose (dextrose), maltose and higher sugars; 70 percent to 80 percent solids

Sugar based sweeteners are those such as that developed from corn starch. The development of the various types of corn syrups, maltodextrins, and high-fructose corn syrup from corn starch sources could be called one of the greatest changes in the sugar and sweetener industry over several centuries. In the late 1800s it was found that corn starch could be hydrolyzed and a sugar formed. It was not until the 1970s that it became commercially a major product bringing about changes in the food industry. Over-reliance in the food industry and over-indulgence by consumers of these processed sugers, particularly high fructose corn syrup, has most likly contributed to obesity in many western countries.



These sweeteners are processed and refined using a series of separation, and grinding processes. Finally, the products are converted and fermented. From this processing a five classes of corn sweeteners are formed. This does not include the corn syrup conversion into high-fructose corn syrup.

Yeast Extract Autolyzed

Also called Yeast Autolysate, autolyzed yeast extract is the result from the water-soluble components of the yeast cell breaking down proteins under acidic and cold environments. It contains free glutamic acid, the source of the flavor enhancing properties of the yeast extract. The product is used as a flavor enhancer and can be found as a liquid, paste, powder, or granular form. See Monosodium Glutamate.

Food Chemicals Codex. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 2006. Print.

BHA

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is used as an antioxidant to prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid. BHA and BHT can be found in butter, meats, chewing gum, dehydrated potatoes, and beer. To be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the food product must have at maximum .02% of BHA to be considered safe. BHA is a known carcinogen in rats, mice, and hamsters. However, the cancer developed from cells in the forestomach in the rodents that humans do not have. BHA did not cause tumors to develop in dogs, pigs, and monkeys tested who do not have forestomachs. Although the true effects of BHA on the human body is not known, BHA is not a stable compound and people are at risk for triggering a reaction upon consumption.

Magnuson, Bernadene. “What is the evidence for a link between preservatives and cancer and other toxic effects?” ExtoxNet FAQs. 1997. Web.

17 May 2011. .

“The Top 12 Harmful Food Additives You Need To Eliminate From Your Diet.” Diet & Fitness. The Zoo.. 1 July 2009. Web. 17 May 2011.

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a common leavening agent used in baked goods. Used for fireproofing, in baking powder, and as an antirheumaticalso used as a fire retardant and in fertilizers.

A colorless, crystalline organic compound belonging to the family of carboxylic acids, present in practically all plants and in many animal tissues and fluids. It is one of a series of compounds involved in the physiological oxidation of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water.



First isolated from lemon juice by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, in 1784, citric acid is manufactured by fermentation of cane sugar or molasses in the presence of a fungus, Aspergillus niger. It is used in confections and soft drinks (as a flavoring agent), in metal-cleaning compositions, and in improving the stability of foods and other organic substances (by suppressing the deleterious action of dissolved metal salts)."



Citrus fruits are notable for their fragrance, and most are juice-laden. They contain a high proportion of citric acid giving them their characteristic astringent odour and flavour. They are also good sources of vitamin C. In botanical terms, "The fruit of all Citrus trees, in which the true fruit is the peel, [is] made up of an outer layer, brightly colored and rich in glands, a spongey whitish mesocarp, and a membraneous endocarp surrounding the segments. The succulent parts we eat is only a secondary tissue developed as a filler"



List of citrus fruits:

Amanatsu

Bergamot orange

Bitter orange (Seville Orange)

Calamondin (Calamansi)

Citron

Clementine

Golden Lime - hybrid between the genus Citrus and the genus Fortunella

Daidai

Dancy

Grapefruit

Ichang Lemon

Iyokan

Kaffir lime

Key lime

Kumquat - in the related genus Fortunella, not Citrus; forms hybrids with Citrus

Lemon

Lime

Limequat

Mandarin Lime

Mandarin Orange

Meyer Lemon

Mikan

Minneola

Natsumikan

Orange

Orangelo (Chironja)

Orangequat

Persian lime (Tahiti lime)

Pomelo (Pummelo, Shaddock)

Ponkan

Rangpur (Lemanderin)

Rough Lemon

Satsuma

Shekwasha (Taiwan Tangerine)

Sudachi

Sweetie

Tachibana Orange

Tangelo

Tangerine

Tangor

Ugli

Yuzu



Some brands of Citric Acid may be made from wheat, however this is very rare.

A sausage is a prepared food, usually made from ground meat, animal fat, salt, and spices (sometimes with other ingredients such as herbs), typically packed in a casing. Sausage making is a traditional food preservation technique.



Traditionally, sausage casings are made of animal intestines, though in modern times the casings are often synthetic. Some sausages are cooked during processing, and the casing may be removed after that. Sausages may be preserved by curing, drying in cool air, or smoking.



Care must be taken when cooking to avoid burning sausages unless they are desired in that state, as with all burnt meats, burnt sausages are possibly carcinogenic (can cause cancer) due to elevated levels of benzopyrene.



source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sausage

Currently, tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables eaten by Americans. Tomatoes are members of the fruit family, but they are served and prepared as a vegetable. This is why most people consider them a vegetable and not a fruit. They are high in vitamin C and also provide beta-carotene. The National Cancer Institute published a study that showed an association between consuming a diet rich in tomato-based foods and a decreased risk of prostate cancer.



Tomatoes contain large amounts of an antioxidant called lycopene, which may be responsible for this possible positive effect. Tomato paste and sauces contain a greater amount of lycopene, because they are more concentrated than fresh tomatoes.



Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment (phytochemical) found in tomatoes and other red fruits. Lycopene is the most common carotenoid in the human body and is one of the most potent carotenoid antioxidants. Its name is derived from the tomato's species classification, Solanum lycopersicum. Ironically, the highest natural concentrations of lycopene in food are found not in tomatoes, but in watermelon. Almost all dietary lycopene comes from tomato products, however.



Recent research has indicated that lycopene, a carotenoid with potent antioxidant effects which is found in raw tomatoes, may be responsible for the protection against cancers. This is possibly the reason why people living in the Mediterranean who eat lots of tomatoes have a lower rate of some cancers.

Currently, tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables eaten by Americans. Tomatoes are members of the fruit family, but they are served and prepared as a vegetable. This is why most people consider them a vegetable and not a fruit. They are high in vitamin C and also provide beta-carotene. The National Cancer Institute published a study that showed an association between consuming a diet rich in tomato-based foods and a decreased risk of prostate cancer.



Tomatoes contain large amounts of an antioxidant called lycopene, which may be responsible for this possible positive effect. Tomato paste and sauces contain a greater amount of lycopene, because they are more concentrated than fresh tomatoes.



Lycopene is a bright red carotenoid pigment (phytochemical) found in tomatoes and other red fruits. Lycopene is the most common carotenoid in the human body and is one of the most potent carotenoid antioxidants. Its name is derived from the tomato's species classification, Solanum lycopersicum. Ironically, the highest natural concentrations of lycopene in food are found not in tomatoes, but in watermelon. Almost all dietary lycopene comes from tomato products, however.



Recent research has indicated that lycopene, a carotenoid with potent antioxidant effects which is found in raw tomatoes, may be responsible for the protection against cancers. This is possibly the reason why people living in the Mediterranean who eat lots of tomatoes have a lower rate of some cancers.

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Calcium chloride is a colorless or white solid that is produced as a by-product of the manufacture of sodium carbonate or from reactions between hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate. The anhydrous compound is commonly used as a drying agent, absorbing water until it dissolves into a liquid. This characteristic makes it effective in settling road dust. When spread in the form of a powder or flakes, it absorbs more than its own weight of water, forming a liquid that keeps the road wet. It also is used as a food preservative, treating aquarium water, and for de-icing roads.

Pungent or aromatic seasonings obtained from thebark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees (whereasHERBS usually come from theleafy part of a plant). Spices were prized long before recorded history. Thoughthey've always been used to flavor food and drink, throughout the eons spiceshave also been favored for a plethora of other uses including crowning emperors,making medicines and perfumes, religious ceremonies and as burial accoutrementsfor the wealthy. Over 3,000 years ago the Arabs monopolized the spice trade,bringing their rare cargo back from India and the Orient by arduous camelcaravans.

Though pepper now nonchalantly graces virtually every dinner table, it was once so valued that the search for new pepper trade routes spurred the accidental exploration of the new world. Native to India's Malabar coast, the once-precious pepper vine is now cultivated near the equator around the globe, from Thailand to tropical Africa to Brazil. Black pepper, our most ubiquitous spice, is the sun-dried version of the unripe green peppercorns popular in Thai cooking (white peppercorns are ripened and hulled versions of the same fruit). Tellicherry and the Lampong are considered the best varieties of black pepper.

Sheep's milk (or ewe's milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. Though not widely drunk in any modern culture, sheep's milk is commonly used to make cultured dairy products. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the Feta of Bulgaria and Greece, Roquefort of France, Manchego from Spain, the Pecorino Romano (the Italian word for sheep is pecore) and Ricotta of Italy. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep milk. Though sheep produce a far smaller volume of milk than cows, it is richer in fat, solids, and minerals. This makes it ideal for the cheese-making process. It is not an alternative for people with (severe) lactose intolerance, due to the fact that it contains even more lactose than cow milk.



A minority of sheep breeds are kept primarily for dairy purposes, but these few have been selectively bred for milk production, and thus produce a higher volume than most other sheep. The most common and prolific dairy sheep breeds include the Lacaune, the East Friesian, and Awassi.

Beginning with the basics, cheese is a concentrated dairy food made from milk. A starter culture of bacteria is first added to convert some lactosethe primary milk sugarto lactic acid. An enzyme, commonly chymosin, is next added to coagulate caseinthe major milk proteininto a soft solid, or curd, that consists of calcium caseinate and milkfat. Milkfat exists as globules of a triglyceride wrapped in a phospholipid-protein membrane

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Natural food enzymes that, when taken with gassy foods, help reduce flatulence-sometimes even stopping it before it begins. Gas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, grains and onions cause trouble because they contain hard- or impossible-to-digest complex sugars (see CARBOHYDRATE) that ferment in the large intestine. Digestive enzymes help break down these complex sugars into simple sugars that are more easily digestible.



Proteins produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme has a specific function. The two classes of enzymes are metabolic and digestive. Metabolic enzymes catalyze the many chemical reactions in the body. Digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down food into smaller absorbable units. There are specific enzymes that break down protein, fat and carbohydrate; these are protease, amylase and lipase respectively.

Anticaking agents keep powders such as milk powder, tea, coffee, sugar salt etc. flowing freely, rather then sticking together in lumps. For example Magnesium carbonate is used in icing sugar. They prevent agglomeration of powdered solids and allows them to remain free flowing. The list of such agents include starch, magnesium carbonate and silica.



There are other products like non dairy creamers and toppings like parmesan cheese that need to flow freely but coagulate in their natural form. Anticaking agents are used to prevent this.



Some of the natural anticaking agents are talc and bentonite and others are manufactured, like silicon dioxide, calcium silicate and sodium aluminosilicate. There action is a physical one and not chemical. They are generally harmless with a flat bland taste.



Many anti-caking agents are natural products such as Anticaking agents are physical rather than chemical agents and as such are bland and harmless.

There are several different styles of Romano CHEESE, all of which take their name from the city of Rome. Probably the best known is the sharp, tangy pecorino Romano, made with sheep's milk. Caprino Romano is an extremely sharp goat's-milk version, vacchino Romano a very mild cow's-milk cheese. Most U.S. Romanos are made of cow's milk or a combination of cow's milk and goat's or sheep's milk. In general, the pale yellow Romano is very firm and mostly used for grating.