 "Omega-3 rich vegetarian ice creams enter the market")
Omega-3 fats are generally associated with fish and not favourable to the taste pallets of vegetarian. However, the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) has developed a vegetarian version of the same using chia seeds. The chia seeds developed by CFTRI are a white variety.
"Internationally, black chia variety is used. The gamma irradiated black chia seeds were grown and selected for the white chia seed bearing plants rich in Omega 3 fats. This was then distributed to 1,200 farmers in Karnataka by a farmer produce company Raita Mitra," said, Ram Rajasekharan, director CFTRI.
The oil from the seeds was extracted and stabilised by Oleome Biosolutions. The oil could be stabilized only in cold temperature and hence it was added as an ingredient in ice creams by Dairy Classic Ice Creams Private limited. To stabilize the oil further vitamin E was also added to it. The combination of Vitamin E and Omega-3 oil makes the product very good for the heart.
The NutriIce Creams was launched on Tuesday after about four years of research and development. It will be available Polar Bear Ice Cream outlets in all flavours.
While ice creams are the first step, CFTRI plans to use the white chia seeds further and develop more products that are Omega-3 fats rich. "A huge number of people are deficient in Omega-3 as they are vegetarians. We are now working on making the vegetarian version of the Omega-3 become a common ingredient in all basic food items. This will not only ensure good health for people but also encourage farmers to grow it widely," added, Rajasekharan.
