Different foods are to be found on three shelves in a fridge. Butter is kept below the eggs while cheese is kept above the milk. The butter is also above the milk, but the eggs are on the same shelf as the yoghurt. The ice cream is above the cheese. What is on the bottom shelf?
Different foods are to be found on three shelves in a fridge. Butter is kept below the eggs while cheese is kept above the milk. The butter is also above the milk, but the eggs are on the same shelf as the yoghurt. The ice cream is above the cheese. What is on the bottom shelf?
Passage 3
Fermented Foods for Babies Malnutrition during weaning age-when breast milk is being replaced by semi-solid foods-is highly prevalent in children of poor households in many developing countries. While the etiology is complex and multifactorial, the immediate causes are recognized as feeding at less than adequate levels for children’s growth and development, and recurrent infections, including diarrhea, resulting mainly from ingestion of contaminated foods. As a result, many young children, particularly between six months to two years of age, experience weight loss and impaired growth and development.
Studies by investigators in various countries have concentrated on traditional food preparation methods and have resulted in offering cheap and practical answers to these problems based on familiar, indigenous and culturally acceptable home processing practices.
Two such answers have arisen. Firstly, cereal fermentation is used for reducing the risk of contamination under the existing inappropriate conditions for food preparation and storage in many households. Secondly, a tiny amount of sprouted grains flour is used in preparation of weaning foods as a magic way to lessen the viscosity without decreasing energy density.
A method to eliminate pathogenic bacteria and inhibit their growth during storage of weaning preparations can benefit nutrition and health in young children considerably. Use of fermented foods for feeding children of weaning age appears to be an effective solution. Fermented foods have lower levels of diarrhoeal germ contamination, they are suitable for child feeding, and can be safely stored for much longer periods of time than fresh foods.
The practice has been a traditional way of food preservation in many parts of the world. The anti-microbial properties of fermented foods and their relative higher safety-documented since the early 1900’s-have been indicated in a number of studies.
In Ghana, it is common to ferment maize dough before cooking it as porridge. In Kenya, cereal-based porridge and milk are traditionally fermented. Preserving milk in the form of yoghurt has been known to many households living in hot climates.
What are the underlying mechanisms by which fermentation processes help to prevent or reduce contamination? A possible answer suggests that during the fermentation process foods become more acid. This explains why diarrhoea-causing bacteria are not able to grow in fermented foods as rapidly as in unfermented ones. It is also hypothesized that some of the germs present in the foods are killed or inhibited from growing through the action of anti-microbial substances produced during fermentation (Dialogue on Diarrhoea, 1990). The fermented foods can, therefore, be kept for a longer time compared to fresh ones. It has been shown that while contamination levels in cooked unfermented foods increase with storage time, fermented foods remain less contaminated.
Whatever the underlying mechanisms, the fact is that the exercise reduces contamination without adding to the household cost both in terms of time and money. Its preparation is easy. The cereal flour is mixed with water to form a dough which is left to be fermented; addition of yeast, or mixing with a small portion of previously fermented dough is sometimes needed. The dough can then be cooked into porridge for feeding to the child.
Although beneficial, unfortunately the practice is going out of fashion, partly because of current emphasis on the use of fresh foods, particularly for children. For example, a study on the use of fermented foods for young children in Kenya (Dialogue on Diarrhoea, 1990), demonstrated that while foods are still frequently fermented at home for child feeding, their use is becoming less popular, particularly in urban areas where commercial products are more available. Clearly they now need to be promoted.
Complete the summary with the list of words A-N below. Write your answers in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.
Malnutrition and the resulting impaired growth and development in children of weaning age in developing countries result not only from 1______ but also from infections caused by 2______. Studies have addressed the problem of inadequate intake by using sprouted grains in food preparation. Contamination has been tackled with 3______. Both of these methods are, or were, used traditionally and are practical and inexpensive.
Fermented foods have higher 4______ and also have anti-microbial qualities. This means that contamination is decreased and that their 5______ is increased. Fermentation occurs when 6______ is left to stand, occasionally with simple additives. There is, however, a trend away from this 7______ to commercial products.
A. porridge H. storage life
B. malnutrition I. sprouted grains
C. fermentation J. inadequate food intake
D. new technology K. acidity
E. contaminated food L. unfermented food
F. diarrhoeal germs M. weaning
G. traditional food N. dough
Different foods are to be found on three shelves in a fridge. Butter is kept below the eggs while cheese is kept above the milk. The butter is also above the milk, but the eggs are on the same shelf as the yoghurt. The ice cream is above the cheese. What is on the bottom shelf?
Practice 1
Are organically grown foods the best food choices? The advantages claimed for such foods over conventionally grown and marketed food products are now being debated. Advocates of organic foods—a term whose meaning varies greatly—frequently proclaim that such products are safer and more nutritious than others. The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of the typical North American diet is a welcome development.
However, much of this interest has been sparked by sweeping claims that the food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional needs. Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, the preponderance of written material advancing such claims makes it difficult for the general public to separate fact from fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting entirely of organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become widely publicized and form the basis for folklore.
速冻调制食品(quick-freezing prepared foods)
冷藏调制食品(chilled prepared foods)