GHEE- The Most Delicious Golden Liquid..!
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that
originated in India and is commonly used in South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi,
Nepali, Sri Lankan, and Pakistani) cuisine. Ghee is also lactose-free and
contains no salt.
Ghee or pure
butterfat, looks like liquid gold and is the most soothing and delicious
ingredient imaginable. The word Ghee comes from Sanskrit: word of ghrta,
with the meaning of 'sprinkled’.
Definition
of ghee (as per Food Safety and
Standards Regulations.2011)
Ghee means the clarified fat derived soley
from milk or curd or from desi (cooking)butter or from cream to which no
coloring matter or preservatives has been added .
Nutrition
Value of Ghee
Ghee
made from organic butter of pastured cows is one of the highest natural sources
of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), 9 phenolic anti-oxidants, as well as
numerous other minerals present in ghee.
Ghee has one of the highest flash points (4820F) which make
this oil the best choice for high temperature cooking.
Value
of Ghee
Unlike other butter-based products, ghee
has a high smoking point and can be stored without refrigeration for weeks. As
long as ghee is stored in air-tight containers, it does not spoil easily
Health
Consequences of Ghee and Butter
At levels under 10% of total calories,
however, ghee appears to help lower cardiovascular risks, especially when other
fats consumed during the day are exclusively from plants .
Butter, like ghee,
can increase risk of cardiovascular disease when consumed in excessive amounts.
Use
of Ghee in Ayurvedic Medicine
Many Ayurvedic formulations contain ghee.
Though eight types of ghee are mentioned in Ayurvedic classics, ghee made of
human breast milk and cow's ghee are claimed to be excellent among them.
Further, cow's ghee has intellect promoting and vitalizing properties. Ghee is
also used in Ayurvedas for constipation and ulcers.
The
Health Benefits of Using Ghee
1.
Use ghee to fight
inflammation: Ghee has been shown to reduce leukotriene secretion and reduce
prostaglandin. Prostaglandin levels and leukotriene secretion both play a role
in inflammation.
2.
Use ghee if you’re lactose
or casein intolerant: The method of clarifying butter to turn it into ghee
removes most of the lactose and casein contained in butter. Many of those who
are lactose or casein intolerant can enjoy ghee without any negative
reactions.
3.
Use ghee to boost your
daily dose of antioxidants: Ghee contains carotenoids and vitamins A and E.
These antioxidants fight free radicals and promote skin cell growth, good
vision and immune system health, as well as reduce the risk of certain cancers
and heart disease.
4.
Use ghee to boost your
micronutrient intake: Ghee is excellent source of vitamin K2 and CLA, Nutrients that aren’t found
in very many other foods. Vitamin K2 may help prevent calcification of the
arteries.
5.
Ghee (unlike other oils)
is rich in butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid. Beneficial intestinal
bacteria convert fiber into butyric acid and then use that for energy and
intestinal wall support. A healthy body
therefore makes it own form of ‘ghee’ but you can aid that greatly by just
consuming it.
Increasing the shelf life of ghee
Ghee
samples treated with 1% curry leaves were found to be most resistant up to 135 days.
The betel leaves at 1% concentration appeared to be most acceptable and stable
even after 147 days of storage at 30°C.
It
is observed that the plant leaves (curry and betel leaves) contain phenolic
compounds such as hydroxychavicol, eugenol, and certain amino acids such as
aspargine, glycine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, threonine, alanine,
proline, and tryptophan which might possess antioxidant properties and help to
improve the shelf life of ghee.
COMPARATIVE
TESTING..!
Comparative
Testing is a formal process by which different brands of a product category is
tested for Quality; tested for conformance to the minimum standards laid out by
BIS and other standards and how much the brand exceeds these minimum standards;
test for potential health and safety hazards even under not-normal usage of the
product; verify the special claims of the manufacturers, if any; and publish
the results for all the tested brands.
As part of the testing, we provide
consumer education on the various features, proper usage and how-to-buy guides.
CONCERT is undertaking to do this Comparative Testing for Southern Region under
a grant from Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India. One of the
products selected for testing for the year 2014 is Ghee.
Sl.No
|
Tamil Nadu
|
Kerala
|
Karanataka
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
1.
|
Udhaya
Krishna Ghee
|
Milma
Ghee
|
Nandhini
pure Ghee
|
Nandgokul
Ghee
|
2.
|
Hatsun
Agmark Ghee
|
Nambisans
agmark Ghee
|
GRB
Ghee
|
MGS
Ghee
|
3.
|
Aavin
Agmark Ghee
|
Saranam
Ghee
|
Milky
Mist Agmark Ghee
|
Durga
Fresh ghee
|
4.
|
Sakthi
Ghee
|
RKG
Agmark Ghee
|
Nilgiris
cow Ghee
|
Heritage
Cow Ghee
|
5.
|
AAC
Ghee
|
Quality
pure Ghee
|
Revathi
Ghee
|
Vijaya
Cow Ghee
|
CRITERIA
AND PARAMETERS FOR TEST
Three Major Criteria against which the Ghee
samples rated are.
(1) Packaging and Labeling,
(2) Safety and Health, and
(3) Quality.
Group A overall opinion about Ghee..
·
41%
of the consumers look for Best before date while 29% give preference to
manufactured date.
·
74%
of the consumers prefer only branded ghee while the 24% non-brand items.
·
39%
purchase 200 gram pack while 18% go for 100 grams packet.
·
84%
of the consumers did not prefer homemade ghee while 13% give purity to homemade
items.
·
76%
have the knowledge of adulteration of Ghee with
vanaspathy.
·
55%
of the users have the knowledge about the impact of Vanaspathy on human health.
·
52%
of the users have no idea about the vegetable ghee, (i.e) Vanaspathy sold in
the name of ghee.
·
81%
have the knowledge of quality mark and 77% preferred Agmark graded ghee while
3% looked for ISO.
·
47%
informed that they judged the quality by smell, while 16% by taste.
·
While
45% complain to authority 39% to the shopkeeper.
Some
Safety Tips for Ghee Users:
1.
Ghee is also sometimes
called desi (country-made) ghee or asli (genuine) ghee to distinguish it from
vegetable ghee. In some parts of the
country especially in Andhra Pradesh Vanaspathy
is sold in the name of Vegetable Ghee.
It is a misnomer since
technically “Ghee” is referred to only milk product. Associating the word
“Ghee” with products of plant origin is scientifically not correct.
2.
Indian restaurants and
some households may use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (also known as
vanaspati, dalda, or "vegetable ghee") in place of ghee because of
its lower cost. This vegetable ghee may contain trans fat. Trans fats have been
shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Therefore be aware
of purchase of ghee and ensure
the purchased ghee is pure ghee .
3.
Consume pure ghee if you
are free from cardiovascular diseases, or not overweight.
4.
The recommended amount of
fat to be consumed in the entire day is 10 to 15 grams per person.
5.
Completely avoid ghee if
you are obese.
6.
Ghee is made in the same
manner as clarified butter but heated longer.
Learn how to: make Ghee in your kitchen
7.
The two things that will
degrade ghee are water and sunlight.
8.
Storage: Always store your
ghee in a container with a good seal in the dark. It is best not to store ghee
in the refrigerator if you are using it often.
When you open it up to the warm
air, water will condense on the ghee and cause oxidation. Ghee will keep its
qualities 2-3 months if you keep it in an airtight container. When kept in a
refrigerator, without opening, ghee can last up to a year. Properly made ghee,
and properly stored ghee remains good and does not become rancid for several months at room temperature.
9.
For long term storage, use
an opaque container with an air tight closure and store in darkest cool dry
place.
10.
'Properly-made' ghee must
meet all the three following criteria
·
All the moisture must have
been removed.
·
After the moisture has
evaporated, the milk-solids must have been toasted at 250° F till fully
caramelized.
·
All the milk-solids must
have been removed.
11.
The ghee must be
butter-fat without any moisture and milk-solids.
For more details
Mr. M. Somasundaram
CONCERT Trust
(A Centre for
Consumer Education, Research, Teaching, Training and Testing)
3/242, Rajendra
Garden,
Vettuvankeni,Chennai-
600 115
Tel: 044 2449
4575 / 76 / 77
Email:
somumeena@ymail.com
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