Fancy a new ‘special’ ice cream which promises to be extra nutritious? One rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E?
You get these and more from an ice cream developed using Chia, a super food having the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids from a vegetarian source.
The sweet treat comes with reduced saturated fat and is anti-oxidant rich, according to the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI).
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As part of its initiative to address nutritional deficiencies, the CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru, and Oleome Biosolutions, Bengaluru (a startup), in association with Dairy Classic Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, has developed ‘NutriIce Creams’. Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant launched this ice cream on the CFTRI campus here on Tuesday, in the presence of CFTRI director Ram Rajasekharan and director of Dairy Classic Ice Creams Balaraju. The food laboratory feels access to better and diversified diets is the key to combating problems of nutritional deficiencies.
Prof. Rajasekharan said CFTRI played the role of a facilitator by bringing farmers, scientists, technology developers, and entrepreneurs on a common platform to develop this ‘special’ product, which he claimed is ‘one of its kind’ in the country. Speaking after the launch, Mr. Kant said 39.5 per cent of children in the country had nutritional deficiencies owing to eating less of green leaves and vegetables. The commercial launch of the ice cream is expected in the next couple of months, said Mr. Balaraju.
Oleome Biosolutions developed the technology for extracting omega-3 fatty acids from Chia seeds and integrating it with the ice cream. Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E are sensitive to heat and air and therefore need precise science while being added to other foods.
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