#egg powder industry

[transgenderer]

The chicken nugget was developed in the 1950s by Robert C. Baker, a food science professor at Cornell University, and published as unpatented academic work. Bite-sized pieces of chicken, coated in batter and then deep fried, were called "Chicken Crispies" by Baker and his associates. Two problems the meat industry was facing at the time were being able to clump ground meat without a skin and producing a batter coating that could be both deep fried and frozen without becoming detached. Baker's innovations solved these problems and made it possible to form chicken nuggets in any shape by first coating the meat in vinegar, salt, grains, and milk powder to make it hold together and then using an egg- and grain-based batter that could be fried as well as frozen.

Do we still have men at the ivies inventing new foods

[macgyvermedical]

Do you know how our understanding and treatment of diabetes has changed through history?

Oooh good question, anon!

As you may guess, diabetes mellitus is not new.

We've known about it since at least the Ebers Papyrus (1550 BCE) when the disease and a treatment was first described. This treatment was: "a liquid extract of bones, grain, grit, wheat, green lead and earth." I did not look these up, but I would guess they did not do a whole lot for the treatment of diabetes.

Later during the 6th century BCE it was first given a name when it was described by Hindu physician Sushruta as madhumeh or "honey urine."

Honey urine is a very apt descriptor for diabetes. In any type, one of the most measurable symptoms is that the person urinates a lot, and the urine tastes sweet (or, if one didn't feel like tasting, that it ferments, or that it attracts ants). This was also the first test for diabetes.

The reason for the sweetness of the urine (as well as a lot of other general info about diabetes) is spelled out more clearly in my "Don't Be That Guy Who Wrote Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" post.

A Greek physician Apolonius of Memphis named it Diabetes, meaning "to siphon" (referring to the large amount of urine lost).

Roman physician Aretaeus later made the first precise description of diabetes. This included the classic symptoms of incessant thirst, copious urination, and constant hunger leading to emaciation and death. He also notes that if deprived of water, the patient will continue to urinate until they become so dehydrated that they die.

The term "Mellitus" was not added until the 1600s by an English physician Thomas Willis. This was again due to the sweetness of the expressed urine. Willis prescribed a diet of "slimy vegetables, rice, and white starch. He also suggested a milk drink which was distilled with cypress tops and egg whites, two powders (a mixture of gum arabic and gum dragant), rhubarb and cinnamon". Supposedly his patients improved if they kept to this diet, though few managed it long term. I honestly don't know how it would have worked, even temporarily.

A major breakthrough came in 1889 when it was discovered that if you removed the pancreas from a dog, the dog would become diabetic (particularly, that it would urinate large quantities of sweet urine). Up until this point it was thought that diabetes stemmed from the kidneys and bladder, or perhaps the lungs. This was the first time it had been shown experimentally that the pancreas was the problem.

Speaking of this, this was also part of a series of experiments where an English physician named Merkowski implanted a small amount of pancreas in the pancreas-less dog's fat, which reversed the diabetes temporarily. This proved that the pancreas was making something that helped regulate blood (and thus urine) sugar.

What this was wasn't figured out until 1921, when Canadian scientists Banting and Best (with help from McLeod and Collip) isolated something they called insletin (after the islets of langerhans, where the substance was being produced). It's important to note that all of these scientists hated each other so much they almost refused a Nobel Prize over it. Later, Collip would refine the substance and McLeod would rename it insulin.

Prior to insulin existing there was basically 1 vaguely useful treatment for diabetes. Unfortunately, that was starvation. So you could either die a slow and painful death by diabetes or you could die a slightly less slow but still painful death due to eating about 500 calories per day. Either way, diabetes was fatal, usually within a couple of years of diagnosis.

By 1923, the first commercial insulin product, Iletin, had been developed. Iletin was a U10 insulin (10 units per 1 milliliter- less potent than today's U100 and U500 insulins) and was made from pork pancreases. It took nearly a ton of pork pancreas to make 1oz of insulin. Fortunately, as a byproduct of the meat industry, pancreases were readily available.

Now, you might be thinking- no one has mentioned type 1 or type 2 yet in this entire post!

Well, you would be right, because diabetes wouldn't be split into 2 forms (insulin-dependent and non-insulin dependent) until 1979, and wouldn't be classified as types 1 and 2 until 1995. That's right- some of you were alive when there was only one kind of diabetes out there.

Now, there's more about the types in the Hansel and Gretel post, but essentially type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas itself stops producing insulin, usually in childhood. When this happens, the body stops being able to use sugar (insulin, a hormone, acts as a "key" to let sugar into cells for use). Without replacing that insulin, the person dies because their cells starve.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas still produces insulin, but the cells stop responding to it correctly. This causes high sugar levels in the blood, which causes longer-term complications (infections, ulcers, blindness, neuropathy, heart and kidney disease, hyperosmolar syndrome, etc..) which eventually lead to death.

We started discovering oral drugs that worked on what would later become type 2 in the 1950s. Particularly those that worked by increasing the insulin output of the pancreas, but only when the pancreas was still producing some insulin.

Predicting which diabetics would benefit from oral therapies was challenging, but it was recognized that when the onset of diabetes was slow and came on in adulthood, the oral agents would work, while if it came on suddenly in childhood, the oral agents wouldn't. Terms like "adult onset" and "maturity onset" were common:

(Side note: if you have ever read Alas, Babylon (1955) there is a diabetic character who by today's standards clearly has type 1 diabetes, but wants to switch to the "new oral pill" (called "orinase" in the book, though they are likely referring to diabinese pictured above).)

From 1923 into the 1980s, insulin was given once or twice per day, and not particularly titrated to blood sugar. This was probably just because we didn't have a great way to measure blood sugar in real time. Pre-1970s, there was no way to test blood sugar outside of a lab setting.

Urine testing was common starting in the 1940s, but was cumbersome as it required a flame for heating the urine. By the 1950s, a test had been developed that didn't require a flame, but was still not practical for home use. In the 1960s, paper strips were developed that changed color for different amounts of sugar in the urine. The problem with this was that the strips couldn't change color until there was sugar in the urine- a blood sugar level of over 200 by today's measurements. Low blood sugar readings were impossible at this time, and had to be treated based on symptoms.

In the 1970s, blood sugar could finally be measured by putting a drop of blood on a test strip, wiping it off, and matching the color of the test strip to a chart. While less cumbersome than urine tests, this was still something that would generally only be done at a doctor's office.

In 1983, the first home blood glucometer is developed. Finally, it was practical to take one's sugar multiple times per day, and it becomes possible to experiment with "sliding scale" insulin injections that keep tighter control of blood sugar. By the late 90s, continuous glucose monitors became available- though unlike today's CGMs that allow readings in real time on a smartphone or monitor, these had to be downloaded to a computer at regular intervals.

The 1980s were the first decade where insulin pumps become widely available. The very first pump was large and had to be carried in a backpack, but it represented a huge step forward in glucose control, as it more closely mimicked the function of a working pancreas than once-daily injections.

For the next 30 or so years you really had to work to qualify for an insulin pump, but recently it's been found that pumps greatly improve compliance with blood glucose control whether or not the person had good compliance before getting the pumps, and insurance has gotten better about covering them (though CGMs are still a pain to get insurance to cover).

The 1980s was also the decade that recombinant human insulin (insulin made by genetically modified bacteria) was first used. Up until that point the only insulins were pork and beef insulins, which some people had allergic reactions to. Recombinant insulin was closer to regular human insulin than beef or pork, and represented a big change in how insulin was made.

Today for people who take insulin to manage their diabetes, insulin is usually given as a single injection of a long-acting basal insulin, coupled with smaller doses of ultra-short-acting insulins with meals or snacks. This is the closest we've gotten to mimicking the way a pancreas would work in the wild, and keeps very tight control of blood sugar. This can be done by fingerstick blood sugar tests and individual injections of insulin, or it can be done with a CGM and pump- it just depends on the resources available to the person and their personal preference.

[marozzoespabakingcooking]

Mascarpone Fruit Pie

Ingredients list

Sweet almond pie crust

120g butter

70g icing sugar

50g almond flour

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of vanilla powder

1 egg

200g flour

Mascarpone filling

2 gelatin sheets

60g heavy cream

125g sugar

500g mascapone

Fruits for the topping (strawberries, blackberries...)

Material

A pie pan of 24cm of diameter & 2cm of height.

Instructions

Sweet almond pie crust

Put the butter out so it can become soft (alternatively, melt it down).

In a food processor, or with hands, mix together all the ingredients in this order: butter, sugar, almond, salt, vanilla, egg & flour.

Once all ingredients are mixed together, take out of the bowl, and put on floured counter, make a ball with the dough, cover in flour so it is not sticky.

Put some food wrapping around it and put in the fridge so it can harden a bit.

After 1-2h in the fridge, take it out, and work the dough into a pie crust and put it inside a buttered & floured pie pan.

With a fork, make holes all across the surface of the pie crust, so humidity can evaporate.

Put a parchement paper on top of the pie crust, and put dried legumes, or ceramic weights.

Pre-heat the oven at 170°C and cook for about 20min. If after that time, the crust is not cooked enough, take the parchement paper away, and continue cooking it until it's the desired color.

Mascarpone filling & dressing

Put the gelatin sheets in cold water to rehydrate them.

In a sauce pan, put the sugar and cream together to a boil.

Take off the stove, and add the rehydrated gelatin, and mix well.

With a spatula, soften the mascarpone in a big bowl. Then add in the heavy cream-sugar-gelatin mixture, and mix until homogeneous.

Pour it in the cooled down pie crust (it must not be hot or it'll melt the mascarpone), and place it in the freezer for 20min, or the fridge for a couple of hours.

Prepare your fruits (clean your blackberries, cut your strawberries however you desire, etc).

Once the mascarpone has hardened, place your fruits on top of it in the desired way.

Nota Bene

Most berries will work with this pie: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currant, blueberries, etc...

Some other fruits like kiwi & peach can work as well.

You can use also an industrial pie crust, ofc, but the sweet pie crust make the crust not just a support for the pie, but becomes a treat in itself~

[mariacallous]

Kim Kardashian’s newest range of products, launched in late 2022—post SKIMS shapewear, post SKKN facewear—is a menacing set of raw concrete forms for storing bathroom products: a gray tissue box, Q-tip tin, wastebasket. Dry, brutal, and mysterious, the items look like you hired one of Gary Larson’s cavemen to decorate your vanity with found objects.

“Having the concrete material and monochromatic design are important for my mental wellness,” Kim said in a recent interview with Architectural Digest. Concrete … for wellness? I imagine her removing her shoes and socks and planting her feet on the gritty sidewalk, grounding herself on the concrete slab, gathering power from the sprawling gray. Kim abandoning her activated charcoal and turning to powdered concrete to treat her gut problems and ensure clearer skin. Jade egg? No, concrete egg. Wellness concrete!

Concrete does not, objectively, promote wellness. It is responsible for 8 percent of the world’s C02 emissions. Concrete dust ruins the lungs of those who inhale it regularly. Concrete cityscapes exacerbate flooding and degrade joggers’ joints. Thanks to a reliance on concrete for construction, the world is running out of certain types of sand. Other high-end brands have sold home products made of concrete, like Comme des Garçons’ concrete-clad perfume bottles, but these usually use the material for its brutal and rough-hewn qualities, not to promote wellness. Kim is an alchemist though. She has taken a material that is undeniably a product of industrial modernity, imbued with a century’s worth of architectural and ideological baggage, and reconfigured it as healthy, intimate, and integral to self-care.

Always ahead of the curve, Kim may have hit on something the rest of us are just coming around to. The idea that we might stop—stop producing plastic, stop building cement megastructures—seems out of the question. Decades of activism, policy work, and think tank-ery have done little to stem the tide of globalized capitalism and the torrents of plastic water bottles, polyester blend clothing, and Squishmallows that discharge from its perpetual motion machines. Blowing up a pipeline or fomenting revolution requires networks of solidarity and logistical capability that most people can’t imagine acquiring. Meanwhile, the microplastics are already in our blood.

What’s left is the alternative that Kim and her concrete line seem to offer: that we can learn how to metaphorically (or literally) digest the toxic brutality of the built environment and transform it into something else—or let it transform us. “I’m just putting little pieces of fibreglass into my cereal to get my body used to it,” tweets one nihilistic wiseass. We’re entering our metabolic era.

Nonhuman systems offer metaphors to help us comprehend and describe our own existence, and structures of behavior we might mimic to cope with intolerable conditions. Over the past decade, you may have noticed mushrooms and fungi embraced as the objects of this kind of attention. The fungal imaginary is powerful because it envisions a world where endless growth is possible, and might even be environmentally beneficial. We can build anything as long as we make it out of mushrooms. Houses, bridges, burgers, clamshell packages for said burgers. Fungi also offer a powerful, nonhuman other we can turn to for inspiration: Mushrooms can grow at the end of the world, form vast underground networks, and offer mystic insight.

More recently, though, metabolic metaphors and processes are emerging alongside, and sometimes overtaking, fungi’s place in the cultural ether. At the more practical end, digestive processes are cropping up as popular solutions to all kinds of crises: compost, vermiculture, bacteria to digest just about anything, biohacks for your gut microbiome. Elsewhere, the metaphor of metabolism is called on to describe the way people process emotions and build feedback loops, and the growth of cities.

Unlike the fungal model, the metabolic imaginary lets us envision a world in which we can get rid of anything. If the drive for endless growth has led to a world too full of bullshit and toxicity, perhaps we can chew it all up and digest it without harm, engineer bacteria to metabolize it, or transfigure it into something new and strange. There is no big other in metabolism, no consciousness to commune with or learn from. Where the fungal era has been about venerating unknowable nonhuman maybe-intelligence and believing that hope can be dredged from ruin, the metabolic era is about submission, subsumption by the great enzyme, the desire for transformative annihilation. Metabolism is an impulse that makes sense at the end of the usable world. If we’ve exhausted our current ways of being and the planet’s existing materials, we must embrace radical breakdown.

One version of creative, apocalyptic metabolism is on vivid display in David Cronenberg’s most recent film, Crimes of the Future. Set in a near future in which environmental degradation and unspecified climate events have led to generalized decay and deterioration, Crimes of the Future imagines what might happen to human digestion. In the film, a sector of the population is evolving to successfully digest and receive nourishment from plastic. At the beginning, we see a young boy crouched in a bathroom taking bites out of a plastic trash bin like he’s compelled by an insatiable craving. Later, we learn of a whole underground organization of plastic eaters who undergo surgery and other interventions in the hopes of spurring their bodies to better metabolize plastic and other pollutants.

In this world, it’s too late for a cleanup. Toxicity is endemic, and the plastic eaters consider the best path forward to be evolving human biology to flourish in the aftermath. The film captures something essential about our zeitgeist in its oscillation between anxiety about how to metabolize everything toxic we’ve created and desire to experience the bodily and social transformation that might accompany this perverse new digestion.

This scenario is only a half step away from our current reality. Efforts are well underway to metabolize the plastic that suffuses our environment. Scientists have found multiple strains of microbes and bacteria that have evolved to digest plastic. Comamonas testosteroni can metabolize complex waste from plants and plastics. Ideonella sakaiensis enzymatically breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET). With each new study of microbial plastic-phagy comes a spate of hopeful, if hyperbolic, news articles: “a potential breakthrough for recycling,” “This discovery … could help solve one of the world’s most pressing environmental problems.” People love the idea that we can digest our way out of this mess. The jury is still out on whether it’s possible to operationalize plastic-eating bacteria at scale. There is some movement on this front. Carbios, a well-funded French company developing enzymes that break down plastic, recently announced funding and investment for the world’s first PET “biorecycling” plant, for instance. But many scientists are skeptical about the idea that microbial digestion is a viable solution to the problem of oceanic or terrestrial pollution. For now, plastic digestion at scale remains a pipe dream.

The metabolic turn isn’t just about learning to digest toxicity. It also plays out in fantasies—both desirous and anxious—about being digested. In times of stress, it’s a relief to imagine being crushed and consumed by some other metabolic system. “Why Does Everyone Want Their Crush to Run Them Over?” asked The Cut a few years ago. Being pulverized by your crush is a dream of being relieved of your own agency, destroyed and reconfigured, freed from the pain of consciousness so that you can be reshaped for someone else’s uses. A version of this obliterating impulse is made more explicit in vore, the erotic desire to be swallowed or devoured whole (or, conversely, to swallow or devour another), which is often expressed in role-play or illustrations. In vore, the process of digestion is imagined as a relationship between devoured and devourer—a desire for the kind of intense intimacy only possible when one is literally consumed by another.

Only a short jump from vore is the transhumanist fantasy of having your brain uploaded into the cloud, outrunning death by being absorbed into another system and transformed into bits and bytes. Ray Kurzweil famously advocated for brain uploads to achieve technological immortality, estimating in The Singularity Is Near that “the end of the 2030s is a conservative projection for successful uploading.” Russian entrepreneur Dmitry Itskov’s now mostly defunct 2045 Initiative aimed “to create technologies enabling the transfer of an individual’s personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier, and extending life, including to the point of immortality.” The desire to be consumed and immortalized by technology reveals a belief that your consciousness is uniquely important and your own creation is uniquely powerful. It’s no surprise technologists like Kurzweil lust to be dissolved by their own machines.

Similarly, some of the recent hype around generative AI reveals a conflicting set of responses to metabolic machinery. Large language models and image generators are enormous digestive systems that ingest and transform the raw materials of cultural output and behavioral data on behalf of voracious corporate interests. They suck down the sprawling detritus of human effort and swallow it into the great black box stomach of the AI system, which converts it into something uncanny and instant and profitable. As with transhumanism, some may find this extremely exciting, the emergent opportunity to create the world’s biggest digestive tract, and hence the world’s biggest (and most profitable) collective intelligence. For others, the idea that their labor and creativity is nothing but grist for the generative mill owned and controlled by unaccountable companies is a cause for great anxiety. It’s harder to be optimistic about the future of technological digestion if you’re forced to be an unwilling participant in a voracious process of corporate metabolism.

Kim’s wellness concrete and Crimes of the Future highlight the ambivalence of digestive politics. If the environment is inescapably suffused with pollutants emitted by the biggest and worst companies on earth, then learning to digest this toxicity is a sensible coping mechanism. Of course, there are creative and aesthetic possibilities within the process of toxic digestion—minimalist home goods in Kim’s case, strange new forms of sex and performance art in Cronenberg’s film. We can eke pleasure and art from all kinds of wretched situations—and we should. As Boots Riley put it in a recent interview, “Culture is what we do to make our survival normal.” Still, these visions of metabolism leave us stuck absorbing the excretions of a system that hates us. We have sprawling digestive capabilities. What might it look like to embrace our role as part of a massive and massively weird ecological and metabolic system, and to experiment with the creative and expressive potential of digestion?

Nothing is more natural or strange than metabolism. It happens on many scales, around us and within us, via processes that involve human bodies and microbes and other flora and fauna. I move through the world, digesting it as I go—material entering the mouth hole at one end, exiting the anus at the other—and in between my body does the work of processing, sorting, excreting. I am also here to be digested—built cell by cell inside another’s body and extruded into the world, only to exit back into the earth via a final hole (the grave, the furnace, the mouth of the bear) where I provide fodder for the next stomach. What a trip, what a pleasure.

Digesting with and on behalf of the earth’s ur-metabolic system means wanting more than to function as the unhappy stomach that processes capitalism’s excesses. Embracing digestion as a tool and a metaphor can help us to not only accommodate the horrors of the existing system, but to dissolve it and break it down until it no longer exists in its current form. Some ideas for earth-first digestion are already familiar, thanks to proponents of the circular economy: recapturing waste streams from one process to become inputs for another, designing to ensure reusability. However, ideally digestion wouldn’t just be mobilized to enable human industry and profit. I’m also interested in more creative and psychedelic experiences of metabolism, like collaboration with enzymes, embrace of rot, and joyful submission to the knowledge that humans are just one digestive node of the material world, rather than its apex.

Metabolism can be framed through the lens of mutual aid. While the mainstream medical industry is now catching up, biohackers and anarchist IBS sufferers alike have been experimenting with DIY fecal transplants for years, trading advice and healthy poop samples in the interests of helping each other digest better. It can also be seen as a kind of collective destruction, where communities decide a system or an infrastructure that causes them harm should no longer exist and work together to metabolize it, dissolve it, and perhaps transform its constituent matter into something entirely new. Outside of human-centered processes, composting and rot provide inspiration for rich and generative multispecies metabolism, like worms and microbes working with chemical heat and leafy greens to produce rich and unrecognizable loam. If we’re brave enough, we can even look forward to our own bodies being digested. It’s hard to know what that experience will be like, but let’s try to imagine. Space travel is uncertain, and the singularity is a mirage, so why not stay here, nestled into the cool damp ground. There is much to learn from becoming compost for the original stomach.

[helen0086]

Tomato powder, as a food additive, is made from dehydrated tomatoes. It not only retains the classic flavor of tomatoes, but also contains lycopene, vitamin C, and various protective nutrients. The diverse usage scenarios of this product, such as pairing with eggs, soups or sauces, and even as an ingredient in smoothies, are widely used in the food industry, such as snacks, baked goods, pastries, baby food coloring and seasoning, making it widely used in the food industry.

#Tomatopowder #naturalfoodadditive #healthyfood #healthyliving

[thoughtlessarse]

In recent years, research has found or pointed to the presence of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in a range of staples, products and beverages across the food system. Among them are kale, eggs, butter, protein powder, milk, ketchup, coffee, canola oil, smoothies, tea, beef, juice drinks and rice. Evidence suggests they’re most widely contaminating carryout food, seafood and even pet food. So, how can you avoid PFAS in your diet? Well, you can’t. “It’s almost impossible to shop your way out of contamination,” said Sarah Woodbury, vice-president of policy with Maine-based Defend Our Health, which has worked on issues around PFAS in the state’s food. “I genuinely do not think there is a way to 100% know what you’re getting into with contamination.” Even if it may be impossible to avoid the chemicals altogether, there are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure and protect your health. How are you exposed to PFAS in food? PFAS are a class of about 15,000 compounds typically used to make products that resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down and accumulate, and are linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, birth defects and other serious health problems. While regulators have focused on reducing PFAS in water, there is general agreement that food represents the largest exposure route – though it’s not a settled question. No food is totally safe from contamination because PFAS are used across thousands of consumer products and industrial processes, pollution is so widespread and there are myriad entry points in the food system.

continue reading

[warningsine]

Nothing appears remarkable about a dish of fresh ravioli made with solein. It looks and tastes the same as normal pasta.

But the origins of the proteins which give it its full-bodied flavour are extraordinary: they come from Europe’s first factory dedicated to making human food from electricity and air.

The factory’s owner, Solar Foods, has started production at a site in Vantaa, near the Finnish capital of Helsinki, that will be able to produce 160 tonnes of food a year. It follows several years of experimenting at lab scale.

Solar Foods has already gained novel food approval for solein in Singapore, and is seeking to introduce its products in the US this autumn, followed by the EU by the end of 2025 – and the UK too, if the regulator can get through the deluge of cannabis-related products.

The factory’s output may be small in terms of the global food industry, but Pasi Vainikka, the Solar Foods co-founder and chief executive, hopes that proving its technology works will be a crucial step in revolutionising what humans eat.

Food and agriculture is responsible for about a quarter of all planet-heating carbon emissions. Its share of pollution is likely to grow as other industries shift to using green electricity, and ever-expanding middle-classes demand more meat for their tables. Up to now the focus for some climate campaigners has been to try to persuade people to eat less meat and more plants. Non-farmed proteins such as solein might make that approach more appealing.

Solein comes in the form of a yellowish powder made up of single-cell organisms, similar to yeast used in baking or beer-making. The company is hoping for those proteins to be used in meat alternatives, cheese and milkshakes, and as an egg replacement ingredient in noodles, pasta and mayonnaise.

The ravioli it served up this week was made with solein replacing egg, with a solein version of cream cheese. The Finnish confectioner Fazer has already sold chocolate bars in Singapore with added solein (which is also a handy source of iron for vegans). A Singaporean restaurant last year created a solein chocolate gelato, replacing dairy milk.

Vainikka was researching renewable energy systems at a Finnish research institute in 2014 when he met his co-founder, Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, a bioprocesses scientist. Pitkänen told him of soil-dwelling microbes that release the energy they need to live from oxidising hydrogen (rather than the glucose used by humans, for instance).

Together they built a 200-litre fermenter in a garage near Helsinki, to prove the technology could be used for food, but then went into the wild “finding new potatoes to grow”. All Vainikka will say on solein’s origins is that they found it somewhere “close to shore” in the Baltic Sea.

Almost all food consumed by humans at the moment ultimately comes from plants, which use energy from the sun for photosynthesis. That process converts carbon dioxide and water into the molecules they need to grow. Solar Foods instead uses the same renewable electricity from the sun to split water apart. It then feeds the hydrogen and oxygen to the microbes in a brewing vessel, plus carbon dioxide captured from the air from the company’s office ventilation system.

The claim that the proteins are made out of thin air is “never more than 95% true”, says Vainnika: 5% of the mixture in the brewing vessel is a solution containing other minerals needed by cells, such as iron, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. The microbes are then pasteurised (killing them), then dried in a centrifuge and with hot air. That leaves a powder that can be used in food.

The process could also use CO2 from, for instance, burning fuels – although the molecule would end up back in the atmosphere once humans eat the solein and breathe out the carbon again. The real climate benefits from solein come from cutting the vast tracts of land used – and abused through deforestation on an epic scale – for animal feed and pasture. Instead, renewed forests could trap carbon.

Efficient US farmers get 3.3 tonnes of soya beans from each harvest of a hectare, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. By contrast, Solar Foods’ pilot factory takes up a fifth of a hectare to produce 160 tonnes a year.

“As we can relieve pressures on agricultural land, they can rewild and return to being climate sinks,” Vainikka says.

Other companies are pursuing the same dream. Dozens are using microbes to create animal feed, although they often require sugars or fossil fuel feedstocks. One US rival, Air Protein, has opened a factory in California using similar “hydrogenotrophs” – hydrogen eaters. It has the backing of the food multinational Archer-Daniels-Midland, the British bank Barclays and GV (formerly Google Ventures).

The Dutch company Deep Branch, which is making fish food, claims its Proton protein will be 60% less carbon-intensive than conventional proteins. Deep Branch is looking at taking the CO2 produced by the UK biomass power generator Drax.

The companies have produced their test products. Now they face the challenge of proving their technology works at scale.

Vainikka says that is the key problem for cultured meat, or lab-grown meat. The market value of newly listed companies such as Beyond Meat soared during the coronavirus pandemic bubble, only to come crashing down as sales slumped. The opening of Solar Foods’ first factory will be crucial in persuading investors that the company will not suffer the same fate.

With meat protein, which is much more expensive than plants or cellular agriculture, there is simply no competition on price for each kilo. But Solar Foods and rivals could face other problems. Conservative politicians particularly in the US and Italy have identified lab-grown food as a threat to their ranching and farming cultures.

Vainikka argues that these fears are misplaced. He wants “coexistence of new and old”, with artisanal, high-quality farms remaining alongside cell farming that can deliver cheap, bulk foods. He argues it is “the opportunity of the century for the meat industry” to focus on quality rather than churning out as much cheap (and heavily subsidised) meat as possible. And plant agriculture will also remain, he argues.

“The future is not powder: the main body of food will still come through plants,” he says. The occasional “salami with the cultural heritage, that can remain. The meat in your lasagne during lunch will be done by cellular agriculture.”

[wildsidejazz]

The fish sausage sounds like a good meat substitute because in Beastars universe fishing is not done on an industrial level and the two worlds are mostly separate, and for the seafolk exporting some of their dead could be for sanitary reasons - after all decomposing bodies fill the water with CO2. But other than that there could be other ethical animal protein consumption.

Like there are plenty of empty shells left behind by predators, akin to the shell of eggs, once sterilized and crushed to powder they can safely be consumed for their calcium.

Certain reptiles could offer parts of their own bodies as harvesting tails for example can be done without killing and they can later regrow them. Same for shed skin and leathery egg shells.

In case of some mammals after giving birth the placenta could be consumed without dilemma since it would just go for disposal.

[mintymemesandrpshop]

Tips from a grocery worker/foodsafe certified waiter!

The temperature 'danger zone' for food and drink is 40-140F, with 2 hours being the limit without refrigeration/cooking.

Open container, Public Intoxication, and Driving Under Influence are all separate broken laws. Establishments that serve alcohol in the US are required to cut you off the moment you are visibly drunk. 'Open container' can also be a misnomer and vary by state- bottles and cans in anything less than a glued blox may need to be in a bag.

Raw flour has E. Coli bacteria, factory farmed eggs will have salmonella due to poor hygiene (sitting in their own shit).

Speaking of eggs, grocery eggs are 2 weeks old due to needing to properly settle to a baking standard. Eggs from a local farmer may be safer, but will also be somewhat different and not have enough air for baking until they are also that age.

Steak is safe to eat rare due to its thickness and proximity away to any nasties in the body waste; hamburger is not. Burger is ground up with various cuts and intestines so needs to be cooked properly well done. Chickens are too small to have this effect, so salmonella is a risk no matter what. Pork is somewhat in between, as there is a risk for trichinosis, but the larvae are much easier to spot, making this start to go extinct in domestic pigs.

Dogs and Cats in general cannot have spices or seasonings, grapes, chocolate, or milk.

Most creatures are lactose intolerant due to the fact that they will not grow up into 1000 lb animals. Goats however, are closer to human size so their milk and cheese is more digestible. Smaller animals will need dilluted goat's milk, into a custom formula. (your grocery store may have this in a can, powdered.)

Pasta noodles mainly exist to hold sauce flavor in proportion; thicker noodles like rotini are usually recommended for thicker sauces such as tomato/marinara.

It is safer for pizza chefs to not wear gloves, actually! Gloves cannot be washed, only changed, and they are trained anyways to not touch someone's food once cooked. Cooking trays/pans, industrial sized knives, spatulas, and boxes all make this possible.

Humans are very dense and weighty creatures proportionally, that they can essentially tank a lot of poison damage that other animals cannot. This is one of many reasons we are not picky eaters as a whole!

Kids instinctively dislike bitter foods due to not having grown up into this said tankiness; vegetables and things that may be good for them can taste like poison, and they cannot tell the difference yet.

Electric Kettles are more efficient at boiling water than stovetops. I'll let the video guy speak for himself, but they boil water directly rather then heating a pot/pan which then heats the water. This is great for things such as small meals, partially unclogging drains, or heating bathwater.

Keurig or similar machines do not boil the water for your coffee! They heat to 100 degrees, so if your town has a boil order up, do not pour unboiled water into their tanks!

Large packs of water and soda often have bar codes on the top- you may not have to lift them if a laser-gun can get involved!

chicken nuggets from the golden arches are beer battered, the way fish are. They're fish-fried chicken.

Grocery Register Belts can have some really dumb design- with the computer /register itself taking up half the width of the goddamn belt. Keep your food safer by loading the belt heavy to light if you can- or light to heavy. Also, putting your food in a straight line towards the checker. You cannot trust the infared camera to stop the belt unless your items are opaque- your beer will crush your bananas in front of them unless they can slide over the scanner zone. You will prefer a fixable scan error until we can perform alchemy.

Fruits and Vegetables have 4 digit international trade codes! unless you know what breed your apple is or are bad with numbers, these are probably easier to input if you happen to be ringing these up yourself. It is perfectly possible for a self-check system to sell you the wrong kind. Same thing with the numbers on a bar code- they also work, if your code is faded or corrupted. (or, for whatever fucking reason a brand decides, light colors like silver, or cute shapes. those suck. looking at you, bud fucking weiser with your fucking ribbon.) The laser guns are a bit more accurate than the belt as a second resort.

[ethereal-writes]

Going Shopping (Ft. Beelzebub, Belphegor and GN!MC)

Warnings: Mild romantic implications

Length: 0.9k words

Genre: Fluff

Summary: The twins and MC go shopping in the human world.

A/N: Alright, here's the Christmas fic! One of them, anyways. This is the only one with a follow-up, part two will be going up as soon as possible! These two fics are my favorite, so I figured we'd get the best ones out first :D

-Ethereal (✿◡‿◡)

Story below, please don’t claim as your own!

Being in the Devildom, you weren’t exactly expecting a traditional holiday season. That being said, not everything needed to be different.

For example, you could still totally bake for everyone.

It wasn’t that surprising that Beel loved the desserts you’d make. Nearly every weekend, he would beg you to bake whatever it was he happened to be craving that week. He claimed your desserts helped tide him over during school days better than anything else.

His twin was no better. In fact, Belphie might have been worse. While Beel was the Avatar of Gluttony, Belphie didn’t care whether you found him annoying or not. He would hang off your arm— sometimes literally— until he got his way. And though he often blamed Beel for his cravings, you knew the youngest had a pretty big sweet tooth himself.

You usually made them Devildom desserts. It was what they were used to, plus human world ingredients were few and far between.

But this time, you were baking for yourself as much as them. You wanted a taste of home. And to do that, you had to go home. And by that, you meant a grocery store in the human world.

Getting Diavolo’s permission for inter-realm travel wasn’t that difficult. All you had to do was promise to bring back some ingredients for the castle, as well as bring a bodyguard. Or two.

Which is how you ended up in this situation.

“Yeah!” Belphie shouted from inside the cart. Beel was the one pushing him, sprinting down the aisle towards you. This was their third lap. 

“Guys!” You shouted. “Be careful, you’re gonna hit someone!”

They finally slowed beside you.

"We have one hour to get this done till the portal closes, and I'm not gonna be the one to tell Barbatos we need another hour because we were playing with the carts." You weren’t too mad though, watching them mess around was pretty amusing.

"Sorry," Beel apologized, looking genuinely sorry, unlike his twin.

"It's alright. Okay, we're in the baking aisle. From here, we need brown sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, white sugar and chocolate chips."

Belphie oriented himself in the shopping cart to look at one of the shelves.

"There's the baking powder and the chocolate chips." He pointed them out on the shelves, and you grabbed them and put them into the cart with him.

"I found the flour!" Beel announced, carrying two industrial sized bags.

"Wait, wait, I think that's too much,” you said.

“There’s no such thing as too much food!” Beel declared, tucking them underneath the basket part of the cart.

“Well, we’re going to need more of the other ingredients, then.” You paused a second, attempting to do the calculations mentally. One thing of baking powder was probably enough…but…

Giving up, you grabbed a few more bags of chocolate chips and threw them into the cart. Worst case scenario, you ended up with too many ingredients, and you could do more baking with them later. It’s not like any of this stuff expired for a while.

"Okay, now we just need the sugars." You scanned the shelves quickly, grabbing what you estimated would be more than enough. You then carefully placed the sugars in the cart next to Belphie.

"I'm getting kind of squished in here," he complained.

"It's made for the groceries, not for you," You teased him lightly, ruffling his hair. He pouted a little.

"Okay, so next we've got to get the eggs and milk, which will be in the fridge section, so-"

"I'm on it!" Beel began to push the cart again and turned off.

"I-ah, other way!" You called, running to catch up with them.

***

Finally, the three of you had gathered the baking supplies, as well as the items that Barbatos and Diavolo had requested. You’d also ended up getting something for each of the brothers.

You’d never gone grocery shopping for the House of Lamentation by yourself before, and you were suddenly very grateful for that. Even though you had only bought the ingredients to make cookies, you still had an overflowing cart.

This forced Belphie to walk, much to his dismay.

The portal to take you back to the Devildom was going to open in the back parking lot of the store in about fifteen minutes, so the three of you were sitting on some benches just inside the doors, since it was ridiculously cold outside.

Belphie was draped across your lap— Beel was probably going to have to carry him— and you were leaning into Beel’s side.

“I’m tired,” Belphie whined, nuzzling into your stomach.

“And I’m hungry,” Beel complained. “Can I eat some of the chocolate chips?”

You shook your head. “Sorry, we need those to make the cookies.”

Beel’s stomach growled, and he pouted.

Belphie sighed.

You sighed, too. Despite the fact that these people were probably tens of thousands of years older than you, sometimes it felt like you were dealing with children.

“Fine. When we get home, we’ll have a snack, then take a nap, okay?” Your offer was half-sarcastic, but if either of the twins noticed, they didn’t care.

Both of them nodded enthusiastically. Oh well, that didn’t seem like a terrible way to spend the rest of the afternoon, anyways.

Part 2! (Link will be up in a few minutes!) Update: When I finish running errands-

[hasufin]

Recipe sins

We're all familiar with the online recipe which consists of 87 pages of some awful story about the author's supposed relationship with their grandmother and how important this food is to them, yada yada, and you have to scroll through all of it, close 18 popups, and maybe eventually get to the recipe.

But I'm thinking other sins in the recipes themselves which ought be banned, or at least consign the recipe writer to 18 days of eating nothing but dry cereal. Sins like:

Calling for multiple fresh ingredients which cannot all be acquired at the same time. Yes, I'm sure your tomato-strawberry-basil salad is a lovely thing. But tomatoes are a late summer/early fall thing, while strawberries are in the spring. The produce shipping industry thanks you.

Using trivial amounts of obscure ingredients which are only sold in large quantities. That tablespoon of pomegranate molasses surely brings the barbecue sauce together, but I've never seen the stuff sold in anything less than 300ml quantities.

A recipe which was obviously scaled up or down and never tested. It's cute that this is actually what Red Lobster uses to make 8 dozen biscuits, but when you scale it down you may observe that eggs do not come in halves.

When different parts of the recipe are not on the same scale. I do not know what magic makes you believe that 2 cups of dough will hold 12 cups of filling, but I guess I'm going to be doing something else with all this ravioli filling, aren't I?

Made entirely to look good in pictures but allergic to spices, apparently. For some reason this is a particular flaw of vegan recipes. Herbs and spices are vegan and do not contain calories. Food does not have to taste like cardboard to be healthy.

Ingredients ambiguous as to whether they should be cooked or uncooked. This especially happens with grains: 1 cup rice: cooked? Uncooked?

Wildly underrepresenting the cook times. No, onions cannot be caramelized in ten minutes. Well, they can if you're using a closed timelike curve in a Lorentzian Manifold, but those are not found in a typical home kitchen.

Randomly calling for an ingredient in a step without listing it in the ingredients list. I will forgive you for water, but nothing else.

Clustering steps into long and ridiculous paragraphs. No, the step cannot be "Cream the butter with the sugar, then combine, alternating the milk and dry ingredients. Scrap into a prepared loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean." That's at least three steps, hon.

Including ingredients which were not using in the instructions. If it's in the list, it's supposed to be used!

Using stock photos for your result. No, seriously, this is a thing they do. And the people who do this should have an eye removed for doing so.

Substituting a different and unusable ingredient because you assume your audience won't be able to find the thing you used in your home country. Yes, I get it, sahlab powder is a lovely thickening agent. And cornstarch is a lovely thickening agent. The two are not the same, and you cannot substitute one for the other.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Some online recipes just... won't work. And it's really frustrating.

[nunuisancenewt]

Plant based foods people claim are unethical/not vegan/proof vegans are bad/ whatever, ordered by least to most " legitimate".

Quinoa-One news article said foreigners buying quinoa would make a staple crop inaccessible to locals, this is stupid cause we grow crops to meet demand, also being from the Andes Quinoa grows in temperate places as well as potatoes do. Also, the locals already transitioned to a western diet.

Agave- The Greater long nosed bat is an endangered species that relies partially but not exclusively on Agave plants for nectar. Agave or "century" plants are long lived and die after blooming. They are mainly grown and harvested before flowering for Tequila production. a very small amount of wild agave in harvested for bootleg mescal in some regions. The main threats of the bats are habitat loss to agriculture, roost disturbance, and persecution as mistaken for vampire bats. If anything, the agave is threatened by a shortage of bats.

Figs- the inside of a fig consists of flowers that are pollinated by a fig-wasp, which lay their eggs in figs. Female wasps go on to lay eggs in other figs while males are trapped inside and are digested inside the fig. wild wasps obviously aren't harmed by fig harvest. and most fig trees grown today don't rely on pollination too fruit.

Cashew-The outside of a raw cashew contains a shell that contains anacardic acid, a major skin irritant. Workers are exposed to it when the outer shell is peeled before the cashews are cooked. workers are sometimes given gloves but not always, the only mentions of slave-labor I could find in the Cashew industry involved prisoners.

Palm oil- Palm oil has been the main crop behind the deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia in the 21st century, but considering Indonesia's population size and rapid industrialization, the deforestation feels almost inevitable. Is far from the best oil (look at pongame oil trees, or algae) but it produces more calories per land area than the most dominant competitors like canola/corn/soy/coconut/olive etc. Additionally, though trace amounts of Palm oil may show up in many western products, it is mainly being used as a cooking oil in Asia.

Soybeans- Occasionally I'll see someone (presumably British) jump to soy as an example of an exotic food that is harmful cause it's imported. As an American I find this surreal cause soy is a boring standard crop, the second largest in land use after corn, mainly grown as the default legume for nitrogen fixation, but I understand an export market means an import market somewhere else. additionally, over 3/4s of soy is fed to livestock. Soy production alongside cattle ranching are major drivers of Amazon deforestation, but again most is fed to livestock. It also has a higher yield per acre than beans, peas or peanuts.

Rice- Rice is sometimes considered a major source of agricultural emissions, Rice is one of the most important crops, and the still water it grows in is a source of methane as anaerobic bacteria decompose matter. Since wetlands are generally considered better at carbon capture than dry land, I question rice farms net impact compared to other crops, and rice produces more tons per acre than wheat (though admittedly less than corn), so it is unclear.

Tea- tea is a very labor-intensive crop as young leaves are harvested by hand by workers, and slavery seems relatively common in the tea industry. having people walk through thick shrubbery, reaching hands in bushes, is a recipe for wildlife conflict. Leopard attacks on and venomous snake bites on tea plantations are an issue. However, all the tea in the west is just the powder at the bottom from actual tea production for the Asian market. so, it doesn't increase demand.

Chocolate/Coffee (not counting Kopi-Luwak)- I am lumping these two together because they are broadly similar in many ways. Both have very high carbon footprints, land use, and eutrophying emissions per Kg of food produced compared to other plant-based foods. both are primarily grown in former tropical forests, both contain high levels of caffeine and are neither produce nor staple crops, and both are well known to have very high rates of child labor and slavery in them for anyone paying attention. Thankfully these problems are well known enough that many certification schemes (Fair Trade, Rainforest alliance certified, bird friendly coffee, etc.) that can be used to guide purchases. If anything, I would prioritize coffee over chocolate because 1) assuming your already Vegan you're already selecting for higher end dark chocolate/specialty vegan chocolate that is likely better in other ways and 2) I am assuming most people consume more coffee than chocolate.

Almonds- 55% of the world's almonds are grown in the US. Almonds are sometimes scapegoated for water shortages, but Animal agriculture is far the main driver, and all nut trees are very water thirsty. Almonds need hot dry climates but the same is true of pistachios. More interesting is bees. only 2.9% of captive honeybee hives are in the US. 40.8% of Beekeeper profit in the US is from pollination service, with 82.2% of that coming from Almonds. Almonds may contribute more to bee exploitation per serving than other crops. avocados, blueberries, blackberries, canola, cocoa, cranberries, cherries, cucumbers, honey dew melons, kiwis, pears, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelons, among many others, are also pollinated by managed honeybees. because American honeybees are such a small share of the global population, and the share of Almonds grown in the US is so high compared to other crops, I do believe, but only with a low degree of confidence, almonds are worse for honeybees than the average honeybee pollinated crop. The good news is between new self-fertilizing verities catching on, pollination being 5% of an almond producer's production costs, pollinating machines, and native bee conservation measures, the importance of honeybees to almond production will likely gradually diminish.

Coconut- It seems that kidnapped wild southern pig-tailed macaques are used to produce nearly all coconuts in Thailand, being used as labor picking coconuts. The practice is likely present in other Southeast Asian countries as an American practically all coconut products I could readily access come from Latin America, but it's something it would be a good idea for Old Wolders to be aware of.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

The only thing better than pecan pie is pecan pie with chocolate. Make your own, or find a bakery that sells chocolate pecan pie for this rare and tasty treat.

For those who have an incurable sweet tooth, National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day is the perfect opportunity to indulge. It isn’t even necessary to feel too guilty about grabbing a piece of pie, because pecans have all kinds of health benefits in them that they come by naturally. In fact, pecans contain more valuable antioxidants than any other type of nut, plus plenty of fibre, minerals and vitamins to round out their nutritional value.

So grab some friends and get ready to celebrate National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day!

History of National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

The word pecan comes from the Native American Algonquin language. As the only nuts native to north America, pecans have been eaten for generations in both the USA and Mexico, but they’ve only been grown commercially since the late 19th century.

Of course, chocolate itself is derived from the cacao plant that has a history dating back approximately 4000 years to Mesoamerica. Originally it was probably used as a medicine or part of cultural rituals. Hundreds of years later, chocolate was consumed as a beverage, often known as “the drink of the gods”.

Cocoa beans were later used in certain cultures as currency, and some historians record it as reaching Europe sometime in the 16th century as it made its way to Spain. But it wouldn’t expand throughout the rest of the continent for another 100 years or so.

Once the industrial revolution came around, chocolate processing became easier and the treat was eventually solidified into the chocolate that is known and loved today.

As for the combination of chocolate and pecans being made into a pie? Well, that’s a much more recent invention. No mentions of this type of a recipe seem to have been published in any cookbooks until the early parts of the 20th century. But whoever started it, the world is sure glad!

How to Celebrate National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day is a delicious, fun-filled day that can be chock full of activities and tasty treats! Try out these ideas for enjoy the day with family and friends:

Bake a Chocolate Pecan Pie at Home

One of the most popular ways to enjoy these buttery, crunchy nuts is to bake them in a pie, and adding chocolate makes it just that much more delicious. The perfect way to celebrate National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day is to bake a pie for family and friends.

Pie making doesn’t have to be super difficult, especially for those who are willing to throw a premade refrigerated pie crust into the mix. Ingredients for the pie include corn syrup, butter, semi-sweet chocolate, eggs, brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and, of course, pecans.

The butter and chocolate are melted together, then added to the rest of the ingredients (minus the pecans) and mixed together. The mix is then poured into the pie crust and the pecans are arranged to float on top of the mixture. To protect them the edges of the crust can be covered with aluminum foil.

Bake in a 350 F oven for approximately 60-70 minutes (or until pie is set). Let cool for 2 hours and then enjoy eating this scrumptious dessert!

Host a National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day Event at Work

If the office contains a few people who enjoy baking, this would be a great day to host a Chocolate Pecan Pie Bakeoff! Have a few different people take a stab at baking their own pies (set the rules about whether the crusts need to be homemade or not) and then see whose pie is the best.

To make it a charity event, try auctioning off some pies or selling pieces individually as an afternoon snack.

Try a New Twist on an Old Favorite

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with making and eating just a typical Chocolate Pecan Pie on this day, certainly there are ways to make it even more fun! Try out a few of these variations on this classic pie:

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon. Just adding a few tablespoons of bourbon to this pie can change everything! The alcohol bakes out, leaving the sweet scent and taste that is a bit like caramel and super delicious.

Spiced Chocolate Pecan Pie. Multiply the decadence of this tremendous treat with the addition of ground spices such as cinnamon, clove and ginger. The flavor gives a nod to the Mexican roots of chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie. While many people like to use semi-sweet or milk chocolate for their pies, the use of high quality dark chocolate can really bring out the flavors of the cocoa.

Mayan Chocolate Pecan Pie. Just a bit of ground ancho chili powder and a tablespoon of coffee liqueur creates a beautiful spicy, chocolate contrast that is perfectly balanced by pecans and sweetness.

Attend the National Pecan Day Festival

While this festival is not specifically geared toward National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day, per se, that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of chocolate pecan pies to enjoy at this festival, located in Albany, Georgia. Other activities include a parade, a contest for pecan-cooking, a special race and the crowning of the National Pecan Queen.

Try Different Toppings for National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

Those purists who like Chocolate Pecan Pie just as it is are to be respected, of course. But others might prefer just a little more adventure when it comes to enjoying this tasty treat! Try these ideas for making the day even more delicious:

Chocolate Pecan Pie A La Mode. It’s amazing what just a scoop of vanilla ice cream can do to make a great piece of pie even better.

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Whipping Cream. Of course, a dollop of homemade, sweetened whipping cream tastes absolutely divine as well.

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Spiked Cream. Instead of putting bourbon in the pie and then cooking it (or in addition to, no-one is judging!), add a few spoons full of bourbon to homemade whipping cream for a delightful flavor.

Learn a Bit of Chocolate and Pecan Trivia

For National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day celebrations, be sure to be armed with these fun facts about pecans and chocolate to impress friends and family alike:

The pecan capital of the United States is highly contested, but one place that calls themselves this is Albany, Georgia. The area contains more than 600,000 pecan trees and also hosts a festival.

Some pecan trees can grow as tall as 150 feet! However, most run in the range between 70 and 100 feet, which is still pretty darn tall. The nuts are often harvested by shaking the trees and collecting what falls to the ground.

It takes around 400 cocoa beans to make just one pound of chocolate, and each tree produces somewhere around 2500 cacao beans.

While Albany, Georgia is considered by many to be the pecan capital of the United States, the state of Texas has also staked its claim when it adopted the pecan tree as its official state tree in 1919.

Go nuts and enjoy this day with neighbors, friends, co-workers and family! Happy National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day!

Source

[bloggervibes1]

Egg Shell Calcium Benefits for Pharma and Nutraceuticals

Calcium is an essential mineral to human health; it is critical for the maintenance of sound bones, heart health, and muscle function. Egg Shell Calcium has become a significant source in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries by virtue of being natural, sustainable, and bioavailable.

In the blog, we explore the benefits of Egg Shell Calcium and understand why it has unique advantages in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical formulations as Caltron Clays is the leading Pharmaceutical Raw Material Manufacturer and Supplier for high-quality Egg Shell Calcium powder.

What is Egg Shell Calcium?

Egg Shell Calcium: It is a highly bioavailable form of calcium carbonate obtained from eggshells-a natural by-product of the food industry. Unlike synthetic sources of calcium, Egg Shell Calcium is processed to a minimum level to retain its natural properties, hence, eco-friendly and sustainable for pharma and nutraceutical applications.

Why Egg Shell Calcium is the Need for Pharmaceuticals

1. High Bioavailability

One of the major benefits of Egg Shell Calcium is its superior bioavailability. This makes it completely accessible to the body, which qualifies it as the ultimate ingredient for pharmaceutical calcium supplements with the aim of correcting calcium deficiencies or supporting bone health.

2. Natural and Sustainable Source

Originated from waste eggshells, Egg Shell Calcium provides an eco-friendly option for other calcium supplements. Its preparation reduces wastes during the production process of pharmacy products.

3. Formulation Flexibility

Egg Shell Calcium is applied in a range of pharmacy usages, such as:

Calcium chewables.

Effervescent calcium powders.

Bone-related capsules.

It can easily be mixed with different excipients, which makes it flexible for nutraceutical manufacturers to use.

Advantages of Using Egg Shell Calcium for Nutraceuticals

1. Bone Support

Egg Shell Calcium is a great source of raising density, which prevents osteoporosis. Since it contains high amounts of calcium, it provides the mineral in the most available form, which means stronger skeletons.

2. Stronger Teeth and Nails

Egg Shell Calcium includes calcium carbonate, which supports solid tooth and nail development, placing the mineral at the forefront of nutraceutical products aimed at improving body health.

3. Promotes Digestive Health

Egg Shell Calcium is rich in minerals and also helps to suppress stomach acids, hence it performs a function in digestive apparatus function improvement, making it highly useful for formulations within nutraceutical gut products.

Why Egg Shell Calcium is a Game-Changer

1. Richly MineralNatural

Egg Shell Calcium boasts the presence of other trace minerals that include magnesium and phosphorus, among others. These minerals combine with calcium to give better strength to bones and a more efficient mineral absorption process.

2. Safe and Non-Toxic

Being a natural source, Egg Shell Calcium has no artificial additives or impurities that are noxious, hence safe for pharmaceutical as well as nutraceutical users.

3. Environmentally Responsible

By incorporating eggs that would have been otherwise disposed of into production, Egg Shell Calcium contributes to a reduction in environmental impact, catering to an increasing interest in the use of sustainable raw materials in the pharma and nutraceutical industries.

Applications of Egg Shell Calcium in Pharmaceutics

1. Supplements against Calcium Deficiency

Egg Shell Calcium is extensively used as an ingredient in tablets and capsules meant for treating calcium deficiency. The natural composition of egg shell calcium ensures maximum absorption for the end user.

2. Bone Health Meds

Egg Shell Calcium is used by pharmaceutical companies in the development of drugs designed to either prevent or treat osteoporosis, fractures, and other bone disorders.

3. Fortified Drinks

Egg Shell Calcium could be employed in liquid products such as fortified beverages that are easily absorbed in the body, for instance, for patients requiring calcium supplements.

Use of Egg Shell Calcium in Nutraceuticals

1. General Health Multivitamins

It is actually a dominant ingredient in most multivitamin preparations to supplement other vitamins and minerals with critical calcium content.

2. Sports Nutrition Supplements

Egg Shell Calcium supports the functioning and recovery of the muscle in athletes as well as in sports and fitness enthusiasts.

3. Women's Health Supplements

Most women's health supplements contain Egg Shell Calcium due to its role in addressing calcium deficiency, particularly in pregnancy, lactation, or during menopause.

Why Choose Caltron Clays for Egg Shell Calcium?

1. High-Quality Standards

Caltron Clays ensures that its Egg Shell Calcium powder meets the highest industry standards for purity, bioavailability, and safety. Our rigorous testing protocols guarantee that only the best reaches our clients.

2. Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing

Sustainable operations: This company sources Egg Shell Calcium from natural by-products and minimizes waste during production. It meets the growing focus on raw materials that are friendly to the environment.

3. Pharmaceutical Raw Material Expertise

With years of experience, Caltron Clays established itself as a trusted manufacturer and supplier of pharmaceutical raw materials. Our powder in eggshell calcium is designed to meet the requirements of pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals companies.

Egg Shell Calcium: A Sustainable Solution for the Future

With the increased demand for organic and effective raw materials, Egg Shell Calcium stands out as a dependable answer to the needs of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers worldwide. From high bioavailability to sustainability, it is one of the must-have raw materials for modern formulations.

Caltron Clays offers its valued customers premium-quality Egg Shell Calcium powder with all the confirmed, universal quality standards and also supports environmentally responsible practices.

Frequently Asked Questions About Egg Shell Calcium

1. Why is Egg Shell Calcium superior to synthetic sources of calcium?

Egg Shell Calcium is naturally bioavailable, easily absorbed by the body, eco-friendly, produced from sustainable agriculture, and additive-free synthetic alternatives.

2. What is the use of Egg Shell Calcium in pharmaceuticals?

It is used in the manufacture of calcium tablets, capsules, chewables, and fortified beverages for bone health, calcium deficiency, and overall mineral balance.

3. Egg Shell Calcium safe for long-term use?

Yes, Egg Shell Calcium is a natural and non-toxic raw material, hence safe for regular consumption in prescribed doses.

4. Why should I choose Caltron Clays as my supplier?

Caltron Clays offers quality Egg Shell Calcium powder that meets the world's standards in terms of purity and safety. Our commitment to sustainability and customer satisfaction cements Caltron as a partner in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies.

Conclusion

About Egg Shell Calcium: it's revolutionising pharmaceuticals and the nutraceutical industry with its natural mix, high bioavailability, and sustainable source. Whether it's to develop bone health supplements or multivitamin, Egg Shell Calcium is the best choice for your needs.

Partner with Caltron Clays, the leading pharmaceutical raw material manufacturer and supplier, for high-quality Egg Shell Calcium powder at your next formulation. Contact us today to enhance your products with sustainable and effective raw materials.

[bakematebiscuits-blog]

BAKEMATE- A premium treat for the special moments| Biscuit Manufacturer

Butter cookies are a beloved type of cookie made primarily with butter, sugar, and flour, known for their soft, rich texture and melt-in-the-mouth quality. Originating from Denmark, these cookies are also called “Danish butter cookies” and have since become popular worldwide, enjoyed both as a daily treat and as a special gift, especially during the holiday season. Here’s an overview of their characteristics, history, and appeal.

Key Ingredients and Characteristics

Butter cookies, true to their name, use butter as the main fat source, which imparts a smooth, rich flavor and gives the cookies their distinctive creamy taste. Other key ingredients include sugar, which provides sweetness, and flour, which creates the structure. Some variations might include eggs for added richness or leavening agents like baking powder for a lighter texture, but traditional recipes rely solely on the basic trio of butter, sugar, and flour.

Typically, butter cookies are characterized by:

Crisp Edges and Tender Centers: A perfect butter cookie should have a light, crisp exterior with a slightly chewy center.

Subtle Sweetness: Unlike other cookie varieties that can be heavy on sweetness, butter cookies have a more subtle, balanced taste, making them versatile for enjoying on their own or paired with tea or coffee.

Distinctive Shapes and Patterns: Often, butter cookies are shaped into intricate designs or piped into rounds, pretzels, or rectangular shapes. These designs not only make them visually appealing but also help in achieving an even bake.

Historical Background

Butter cookies trace their roots back to Denmark, where they are a staple and cultural classic. The Danish butter cookie industry gained global recognition in the 20th century, with iconic brands exporting these treats worldwide. The cookies became especially popular in the U.S. and Europe, where they were sold in distinctive blue tins, a tradition still associated with premium butter cookies today.

Baking and Variations

While the traditional recipe is simple, butter cookies can be adapted in many ways to create different flavors and textures. Here are some popular variations:

Vanilla Butter Cookies: Adding vanilla extract enhances the sweetness and aroma.

Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies: Dipping one side of the cookie in melted chocolate adds a luxurious twist.

Spiced Butter Cookies: Cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom are sometimes added for a warm, festive flavor.

Sugar-Dusted Butter Cookies: Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar after baking gives them a snow-kissed appearance and extra sweetness.

Popularity and Appeal

Butter cookies are enjoyed around the world for several reasons:

Gift-Worthy Packaging: Traditionally sold in decorative tins, they make excellent gifts, especially during the holiday season.

Universal Appeal: Their mild sweetness and buttery flavor appeal to a wide audience, making them perfect for sharing across ages and tastes.

Versatility: Butter cookies can be enjoyed as a standalone treat, with coffee or tea, or even crumbled as a topping for desserts.

Butter Cookies in the Market

Brands like BakeMate and other leading manufacturers have expanded their butter cookie lines to include various flavorings, shapes, and packaging. High-quality butter and other ingredients distinguish premium butter cookies from regular shortbread or sugar cookies, contributing to a refined taste and texture.

Conclusion

Butter cookies continue to captivate people across the globe with their rich taste, simplicity, and versatility. Whether enjoyed at home with family or given as a holiday gift, these cookies remain a timeless indulgence.

· For more details contact https://bakemate.in

· Email: enquiry@bakemate.in

[thankyouforthefunny]

I halved this when I made it and it completely filled my kitchen aid mixer to the brim so be careful! Here are the halved measurements

1 pound of SALTED butter

8 oz of white sugar

12 oz of brown sugar

4 whole eggs

2 pounds of flour

2.5 tablespoons baking soda

1.5 tablespoons baking powder

1lb 5.5 oz milk chocolate chips

I definitely could not fit 9 cookies on my cookie sheets, I did about 4 and made 4 batches (plus one extra cookie’s worth of cookie dough because that shit is delectable). I’d also advise that I baked them for probably closer to 19 minutes and they were very pale and soft, which I personally liked, but I know it depends for people. With my non industrial oven I think I would try upping the temp from 290 to 300°F for the best results.

Crumbl Cookies Actual Chocolate Chip Recipe from a former employee who is no longer bound by their NDA:

to make approximately 35 cookies (or 140 minis!):

ingredients:

2 pounds of SALTED butter

1 pound of white sugar

1.5 pounds of brown sugar

8 whole eggs

4 pounds of flour

*half an ingredient pack* Crumbl has an ingredient packet that goes into their cookies to make sure that no one but corporate officially knows their recipes. however based on what is missing from a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe and what happens to the cookies if you forget the packet I have come up with this solution

5 tablespoons baking soda

5 tablespoons baking powder

2.75 pounds milk chocolate chips *** Crumbl originally used Ghirardelli but switched to their own brand in the summer of 2021.

Instructions:

preheat your oven to 290 degrees F or 143 C

soften your butters in your microwave, this step is crucial. you want them NOT at all melted, but soft enough to mold with your hands easily

put your butters and sugars into a large bowl, it’s easiest if this is a stand mixer, but if not an electric hand mixer is fine. you *may* attempt this by hand but i would recommend you don’t.

if you have levels choose your most medium level and beat your butter and sugar for 10 minutes. seriously. and it’s probably not done. scrape the sides, if there is any resistance it’s not done. the texture you’re going for is like passing your spatula through a cloud. you should feel no resistance, the mixture will be light, fluffy and if you feel it between your fingers it will be silky with *slight* sugary texture. imagine applying it to your face, it’s a daily cleanser not a weekly exfoliant.

when you’re pretty sure you got it to the right texture go for 1 more minute just to be safe.

now that’s over with turn your mixer down to 1, and add half of your eggs. let them mostly incorporate. all yolks should be broken and you should only see slight streaks of yellow. then add your second half of the eggs and look for the same consistency.

scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure no yolks are hiding down there!

now add your flour all once! yup! mix it on low *just* until you see a dough start to form. There should still be plenty of unincorporated flour!!!

then add your chocolate chips.

mix until you have a smooth and consistent mixture.

crumbl cookies weighs each chocolate chip cookie at 5.5 ounces.

my best approximation is that you’ll be making about 35 cookies so go for that if you don’t have a scale.

the shape of the crumbl cookie can be achieved by making a large ball of dough then tearing off the top to leave a ripped top. those cracks and spikes are part of the signature. so you can skip this step if you just want a good cookie recipe.

*if you want to make the minis like Crumbl does for catering the weight is 1.3 ounces and the bake time is 10 minutes*

place on a parchment lined baking sheet leaving 2 inches between each cookie and the edges of the baking sheet. You can fit 9 on a standard cookie sheet.

bake your cookies for 16 minutes, rotating the pan 11 minutes in! (Crumbl has ovens the rotate while baking constantly so this will help even cooking times)

*important* i know the temptation to eat the cookies directly out of the oven is great. BUT. the cookies actually are not done baking fresh out of the oven! they bake outside of the oven in their own heat for 5 minutes while they cool! so wait at least 5 minutes or 10 if you have self control!

enjoy!!!