The world food system is experiencing a period of radical change with the complex combination of population growth, climatic uncertainty, technological turmoil, and consumer demands. The joint influence of these factors has enhanced the importance of food science and technology as an important solution to some of the most pressing problems of our time including food security, nutritional sufficiency, environmental sustainability, and economic stability. Issues like structural inefficiencies, low technological adoption, and regulatory shortfalls, are common and often remain unaddressed in developing countries, such as Pakistan. In this case, scientific institutions, professional societies, and academic platforms play a primary role of paramount importance in shaping the development of the country. It is a privilege and at the same time my duty as the President of the Pakistan Society of Food Scientists and Technologists (PSFST) to make a statement about our institutional heritage, as well as to provide a vision of the future of the Pakistan Journal of Food Sciences.
Jams are semi-solid food items made from seasonal fruits, but they often contain fewer nutrients as a result of thermal treatment. Nutraceuticals, like chia seeds, can help address this issue by fortifying jam with phytochemicals and tocopherols. This study aimed to make chia seed-fortified apple jam and assess its physical, chemical, and sensory properties as well as storage stability. Five different types of apple jam were developed, starting with the fundamental formulation (control), which contains no chia seeds. The other four jams included 5g, 10g, 15g, and 20g of chia seed. The protein content increased from 0.41% to 6.61%, while fiber content increased from 2.81% to 14.02%. Sensory evaluation of samples was done using a 9-point hedonic scale by a panel of 5 expert persons. The chia seed-fortified apple jam sample was dark, moderate red compared to the control sample's bright orange color. The results of this study proved that the addition of chia seeds does not have a significant influence on the value of pH. Chia seeds do not have a significant effect on °Brix and the titratable acidity value of jam. The values of titratable acidity and total phenolic content increased with the length of storage duration. Chia seeds help to lower bacterial load in the product. Chia seeds fortified apple jam exhibits good storage stability during 2 months of study. The findings suggest that apple jam fortified with chia exhibits good sensory qualities that can be used for jam production and other processed products to take advantage of the functional components in chia seeds.
Malnutrition is increasing worldwide, particularly among women and children. The use of fast food is trending among youth nowadays, and sauce is an inevitable component of fast food. Moringa leaf powder (1-5%) was used as a supplement in tamarind sauce to provide essential nutrients, while plain tamarind sauce was considered the control. Supplemented sauce as well as the control was analyzed for titratable acidity, TSS, pH, antioxidant capacity, bioactive compounds like total phenols and ascorbic acid, as well as total plate count during 28 days of storage. It was observed that pH (2.11-2.48), TSS (38.64-44.880B), ascorbic acid (36.37-40.90 mg/100 g), antioxidant activity (39.28-46.98%), and total phenols (108.38-119.40 mgGAE/100g) increased with the rise in level of moringa leaf powder. Acidity (1.76-1.08 %), color value L (26.22-25.97), a* (4.83-3.98), b* (3.78-3.33), and total plate count (1.68-1.35 log CFU/ml) showed a gradual declining trend in sauce samples with rising level of moringa leaf powder. Sensory evaluation scores varied between 7.89-6.83, 7.46-7.03, 7.36-6.96, and 7.66-6.58, respectively, for taste, texture, color, and overall acceptability. Sensory perception scores decline with increasing levels of moringa leaf powder. T1 with 1% moringa leaf powder was considered the best based on sensorial scores. However, leaf powder incorporation up to 3% was acceptable based on sensory perception along with the improved nutrient profile.
Dietary habits are widely reported as a determinant of students’ health, limited research has been conducted in Pakistan on how poor dietary habits affect academic performance. This study investigates the impact of poor dietary habits of female undergraduate students on academic performance. A self-structured questionnaire assessing dietary habits and academic outcomes, such as self-reported GPA, Overall Academic Performance Rating (OAPR), and an Academic Performance Index (API) assessing focus, attentiveness, alertness, recall, task completion, and satisfaction with results, was filled by 384 participants in a cross-sectional survey at the University of Management and Technology, Lahore. The results showed a high prevalence of meal skipping practice, especially breakfast (71.9%), as well as excessive consumption of junk food (53.6%) and snacks (59.6%). The daily consumption of fruits (3.9%) and vegetables (2.9%) was extremely low. GPA, OAPR, and API were all significantly correlated with poor dietary habits, according to chi-square analyses. Poor dietary habits were significantly negatively correlated with GPA (ρ = −0.479, p 0.001), OAPR (ρ = −0.420, p 0.001), and API (ρ = −0.390, p 0.001), according to Spearman correlations. Skipping lunch and breakfast as well as substituting meals with snacks or beverages were consistent negative predictors in multiple regression analyses. Higher meal frequency positively predicted all academic indicators, while fast food consumption was associated with lower GPA and OAPR. In conclusion, poor dietary habits were found common in students and closely linked to lower academic achievement. These results highlight the need of institutional strategies and nutrition education initiatives to encourage better eating habits and academic success.
The incidence of diabetes has been increased significantly in recent years attributed to sedentary lifestyle and associated behavioral factors. However, this condition can be effectively managed through targeted modifications in lifestyle and dietary patterns. In response to increased consumer demand for healthier snack foods, this study focused on development and characterization of papaya enriched snack bars providing both energy and functional bioactives simultaneously. Papaya pulp powder and papaya leaf powder were added in different concentrations to formulate papaya-based energy bars (T0-T3). Roasted chickpea powder, apricot paste, and date paste were used as base ingredients. The papaya pulp, papaya leaf and the developed papaya-based bars were evaluated for proximate composition, antioxidant potential, sensory qualities. The bars were also tested for in vitro inhibitory activity of α-glucosidase, α-amylase for the evaluation of antidiabetic potential. The findings indicated a significant difference in the proximate composition, antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of the bars. The bars with added papaya pulp and papaya leaf (T1-T3) had higher levels of ash and crude fiber and better antioxidant activity as compared to the control (To). Amongst bars, T3 showed the highest antioxidant potential determined by DPPH and FRAP assay. The enzymes inhibition activity of bars revealed that T3 was more effective in inhibiting both α-glucosidase and α-amylase indicating the strongest antidiabetic potential. Conclusively, the addition of papaya pulp and leaf powder improved the functional and nutritional properties of chickpea-based bars, without affecting the sensory attributes, indicating their suitability in development of functional snacks.
