Purpose Soybean has great nutritional potential. Its high protein content makes it an alternative protein source to milk in situations where milk cannot be used due to allergic reactions or intolerance. However, the potential benefits of soybean might be limited by the presence of antinutritional factors, including trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA). The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of dehulling and germination on the nutritive value of the soy flour and on the factors that could negatively affect the nutritional potential of the bean. Design/methodology/approach Soybean seeds were soaked for 24 h and allowed to germinate for one to three days. Soaked soybeans were manually dehulled and the flours obtained were evaluated for nutritional and antinutritional factors. Findings Dehulling and germination produce significant increase in crude protein and crude fiber and ash content (p = 0.05). Crude fat and starch content decreased, but the reduction was insignificant. Trypsin inhibitor levels were significantly lower after germination and dehulling of the seeds (p = 0.05). Originality/value Dehulling and germination are cost-effective processing techniques to improve the nutritional quality of the legume.

PurposeTrans fatty acids (TFA) are deleterious to health and can lead to multiple diseases. The purpose of this paper is to study their content in Indian sweets and snacks (fast foods).Design/methodology/approachThe paper used the food composition and analysis tables of the Indian National Institute of Nutrition to determine fatty acid composition of common nutrients. Separate tables provide nutrient composition of various Indian sweets and snacks including methods of preparation and amount of ingredients used. The paper calculated detailed nutritive value of these fast foods with focus on fatty acid composition using these tables. The nutritive values of more than 200 Indian sweets and snacks were determined and are presented.FindingsThe study shows that Indian sweets and snacks are very energy‐dense with calorie content varying from 136 to 494 kcal/100 g in sweets and 148‐603 kcal/100 g in snacks. TFA content of sweets varies from 0.3 to 17.7 g/100 g and snacks from 0.1 to 19.8 g/100 g. This translates into 1.9‐53.0 fat energy per cent in sweets and 1.8‐52.0 fat energy per cent in snacks.Research limitations/implicationsThe study consists of analysis of secondary data obtained from raw ingredients. Many chemical changes occur during cooking and were not estimated.Originality/valueHigh dietary intake of TFA leads to cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and many chronic diseases. This is possibly the largest attempt to determine TFA content of commonly used fast‐foods in India and shows that some of the traditional Indian sweets and snacks have high levels.

Dietary and nutrient intakes of adult women have not been studied extensively which may contribute in increasing burden of morbidity and mortality in women. Present study assessed the diet and nutrient intake of women in the age group of 35 -70 years. Door to door personal contact was done with women in identified locations and background was elicited using a questionnaire. Average intake of different foods and nutrients were recorded using semi quantitative FFQ and compared with Indian standards. Results revealed that average cereal, pulse, fruits, and vegetable intakes were below recommendations. Both energy and protein intakes were inadequate among subjects. Total fat, SAFA, and TFA intakes were higher and PUFA, MUFA, fibre, dietary iron, and folic acid intakes were lower than the recommendations. It was concluded that high fat intake and low fibre, PUFA, MUFA, iron, and folic acid intake may prone this community to diet-related chronic diseases.

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Purpose -The purpose of this study is to investigate the lipid profile and prevalence of dyslipidemia, as serum lipid levels have a major contribution in the development of cardiovascular diseases, in adult urban women of Jaipur district, Rajasthan, India. Design/methodology/approach -A house-to-house survey was done in four urban locations, and 501 women in the age group of 35-70 years were enrolled in the study. A general questionnaire was used to gather background information and general health status. Fasting blood samples were collected to determine the level of serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Dyslipidemia was assessed based on the criteria given in the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (NCEP ATP-III). Findings -Mean age of the women was 45.63 Ϯ 9.91 years. Population mean levels of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TGs were 183.9 Ϯ 15.3, 111.8 Ϯ 18.0, 44.0 Ϯ 6.2 and 140.6 Ϯ 30.9 mg/dl, respectively. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 33.9 and 18.7 per cent, respectively. Of a total of 500 subjects, 13.8 per cent had TC ϭ 200 mg/dl, 12.6 per cent had LDL ϭ 130 mg/dl, 85.4 per cent had HDL-C Ͻ 50 mg/dl and 23.0 per cent had TG ϭ 150 mg/dl. An increase in serum lipids was most prominent in the 40-59 year age group. Originality/value -High prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed in the community. Prevalence of low HDL-C was very high among the subjects.