In the past, the type of diet gave many clues as to the position of everyone in the hierarchical pyramid of society. As a rule, the diet of individuals belonging to higher strata was based mainly on the consumption of foods of animal origin, especially big game meat. In contrast, the common peoples diet consisted mainly of plant-based foods, such as cereals, pulses, vegetables, and fruit.
Today, with the foundations of dietetics in place, it is known that regular consumption on plant-based foods prevents the onset of different types of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and colon cancer. That said, it can be affirmed that the common people ate healthier.
Pulses and their benefits in the diet
Of all plant-based foods, pulses are the ones that most closely resemble the composition of meat thanks to their high protein content, which makes them an excellent substitute in the diet. Currently, dietary guidelines in different countries recommended that people increase their consumption of pulses, as well as containing a high percentage of protein, they are rich in fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.
Traditionally, pulses have been associated with winter food. A good plate of cooked or stewed pulses combats the cold and comforts body and soul. This is not entirely true, as there are a multitude of ways to eat them cold: sprouted, seasoned or in the form of hummus, among many others.
Nutritional composition and shelf life of hummus
Hummus, a very old and common recipe from Middle Eastern countries, has become internationally popular in recent years. Hummus consists mainly of chickpeas, olive oil, sesame paste, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and paprika.
In terms of its composition, as can be seen in Table 1, hummus contains a large amount of fat, mostly unsaturated. As this type of fat can oxidise very easily, the lemon juice in its composition slows down this process, thus extending the shelf life of the product somewhat.
At BTSA we are aware of the problems that the food industry has associated with the preservation and shelf life of this type of products that are so susceptible to oxidation due to its high fat content. For this reason, the company develops 100% natural antioxidant solutions to further extend the shelf life of foods.
Antioxidant properties of TOCOBIOL applied to hummus
TOCOBIOL® is a natural antioxidant made from the distillation of a single raw material: Non-GMO soybean oil. It naturally contains tocopherols, sterols, squalene and monoglycerides, which provide its unique antioxidant and dispersing properties.
The following test carried out by the company on a vegetable oil is intended to show the antioxidant efficacy of TOCOBIOL®. This test has been carried out on a RANCIMAT® device, which has the capacity to perform a comparative study of accelerated oxidation with samples at different antioxidant doses.
According to the data shown in Graph 1, a dose of 1500 ppm of TOCOBIOL® increases significantly the shelf life of the product. Therefore, TOCOBIOL® can be a great alternative of 100% natural origin to further extend the shelf life of this type of food.
BTSA is the leading European manufacturer offering innovative natural antioxidant solutions and has more than 25 years of experience in the sector.
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