Colourants From Hibiscus Rosella

Scientists in Taiwan have persued the potential of the bright crimsom colour of hibiscus and developed a feeze dried, stabilised product that shows promise.

In this time of a growing demand (although from a small part of the world's population) for natural food ingredients, could this develop into a market for West Africa's experience in producing hibiscus

               photo by JIGGS on www.flickr.com

Link to Full Article in Food Navigator.com

Hibiscus extracts show extra potential as colourant powders

By Stephen Daniells

14/12/2007 - Freeze-dried extracts from hibiscus stabilised by trehalose or maltodextrin can provide colourants for a range of food applications with superior stability, report researchers from Taiwan.

When formulated into a model beverage, lead author Kiattisak Duangmal from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok reports that the hibiscus extracts performed well in comparison to commercially used colorants: San Red RC and synthetic carmoesin.

Hibiscus extracts are already used by the food industry to give colour and flavour to beverages. The new research, published in the journal LWT - Food Science and Technology, indicates that when the extracts are freeze-dried as powders, they could offer a stable colourant for industry.

DAYS TO GO!

DAYS TO GO!

DAYS TO GO!

DAYS TO GO!

Stappled Condoms-others' Joke our Reality !

Isn't it sad and maybe reflective when what other see as a joke and blog about, has actually happened in South Africa and maybe effected the life of those who relied on the service!

http://www.iambetterthanu.com/2007/11/13/safe-sex-for-idiots/#comment-771

Africa & The CDM

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) arrises from the Kyoto agreement and is essentially a mechanism that finances renewable energy projects. As part of the mechanism Designated National Authorities are established as focal points. Looking at the map below of all CDM projects Africa is clearly a looser.

Without South Africa, there are only 5 projects in sub Saharan Africa. The dot in Mali is an error, its a Honduran project.

Africa has 33% percent of the DNAs and manages just 2.5% of the projects!

With all our talk about not wanting handouts and the massive rural energy and sanitation problems, why don't we perform better? Maybe its because we spend our time enthusing about a one off junk windmill and how it shows how brilliant we are and leave it to the politicians to be a DNA and presumably spend their time strategising & concretising.