[Editor: This post reminds me of the weight loss tip an art therapy undergraduate once shared - eat your food on blue coloured bowls & plates to shed the pounds. Blue is believed to be a colour that suppresses appetite, therefore making you eat less and feel full faster. Have you tried this weight loss advise before? Did it work for you?]

There are no vegetables that are blue.

According to Color Professor J.L. Morton :
“Blue food is a rare occurrence in nature. There are no leafy blue vegetables, no blue meats and aside from blueberries and a few blue-purple potatoes from remote spots on the globe; blue just doesn’t exist in any significant quantity as a natural food color.

Consequently, we don’t have an automatic appetite response to blue. Furthermore, our primal nature avoids foods that are poisonous. A million years ago, when our earliest ancestors were foraging for food, blue, purple and black were “color warning signs” of potentially lethal food.”

Dr Gary Blumenthal, president of International Food Strategies, further explains that “…color and the appeal of various foods is also closely related. Just the sight of food fires neurons in the hypothalamus. Subjects presented food to eat in the dark reported a critically missing element for enjoying any cuisine: the appearance of food. For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried. This means that some food products fail in the marketplace not because of bad taste, texture, or smell but because the consumer never got that far. Colors are significant and almost universally it is difficult to get a consumer to try a blue-colored food — though more are being marketed for children these days. Greens, browns, reds, and several other colors are more generally acceptable, though they can vary by culture. The Japanese are renowned for their elaborate use of food colorings, some that would have difficulty getting approval by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.”

Reference:
Morton, J.L (n.d.). Color Matters: Color and Food Matters. Retrieved from http://www.colormatters.com/appmatters.html

If you want to read more on the topic, here are books that you can check out at our library.

All Rights Reserved, Aspen Publishers 1999

Food color and appearance by John B. Hutchings
Publisher: Gaithersburg, Md. : Aspen Publishers 1999.
Call No.: R 664.062 HUT

All Rights Reserved, Capital Books, c2003.

The 7 Day Color Diet: the new way to health & beauty by Mindy Weisel
Publisher: Sterling, Va. : Capital Books, c2003.
Call No.: 615.89 WEI -[HEA]

All Rights Reserved, Bounty Books, 2008.

The Hamlyn Vegetable Book by Clare Connery.
Publisher: London : Bounty Books, 2008.
Call No.: 641.65 CON -[COO]

All websites are last accessed on Sep 2009. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally Answered by Ms Yasmin Ally
Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Nothing beats having a huge salad bowl of colourfully arranged yellow peppers, luscuious green lettuce topped off with slices of deep red tomatoes for a hearty meal! The myraid of colours present in a normal salad is enough to whet the appetite of anybody!

Some believe that fruits and vegetables are colourful so as to entice children to eat more of these healthy food——but contrary to this popular belief, vegetables and fruits look colourful because of the natural plant pigments found in them (and that is how the ancient cavemen got their paints to draw with!).

For instance, red fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and strawberries are coloured by pigments known as “lycophene” or “anthocyanin”. These pigments also act as powerful antioxidents that protect our body cells from damage. Similarly, dark fruits like grapes and raisins also have “anthicyanin” present in them.

On the other hand, orange fruits like pumplins and carrots are filled with “carotenoids” which are then converted to Vitamin A in our bodies.

 ”Lutein”, another important pigment that helps keep our eyes healthy  is present in green vegetables like celery, cucumber and spinach.

That is why scientists, dieticians and your mother keep reminding you that eating more vegetables and fruits is good for you!

In fact, nutritionists also explain that the more brightly coloured the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamins it has!

For more information, read these wonderful books on fruits and vegetables!

1)  Fruits by Ann Thomas
Call Number: English 641.3 THO

2) Growing Colours by Bruce McMilan
Call Number:English 535.6 MAC

3) Salad On Your Plate by Honor Head
Call Number: English 641.3 HEA

Originally answerd by Mr Kweh Soon Huat
Librarian
Adult & Young People’s Services

Kids ASK! about Anything & Everything

Cereal is cooked at a high temperature, and this creates extremely strong bonds which hold the rice’s starch molecules together. These strong bonds make the rice act like glass.

During the cooking process, each piece of rice expands, causing a network of air-filled caves and tunnels to form within.

When milk is poured into your breakfast bowl, the cereal absorbs the milk. The milk flows into the crispy kernel, putting pressure on the air inside and pushes it around. The air knocks against each pocket’s walls until they shatter, causing a snap, or a crackle, or, sometimes a pop. Tiny air bubbles trapped inside the kernels also escape to the surface.

Source: (2006, April 24). Why Rice Krispies go Snap, Crackle, Pop! Retrieved February 10, 2009, from Live Science website: http://www.livescience.com/environment
060424_MM_rice_krispies.html

Does cereal tickle your taste buds? You may be interested in these books:

From corn to cereal by Roberta Basel
Mankato, MI : Capstone Press, c2006
Call No.: J P 664 BAS

The life of W.K. Kellogg by Tiffany Peterson
Publisher: Oxford : Heinemann Library, 2003.
Call No.: J P 338.7 PET

Eureka! Great inventions and how they happened by Richard Platt
Publisher: Boston, Mass. : Kingfisher, c2003.
Call No.: J 608 PLA

Glorious grasses : the grains by Meredith Sayles Hughes
Publisher: Minneapolis : Lerner Publicatons Co., c1999.
Call No.: J 641.3 HUG

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally answered by Hussain Bachek
Librarian
Children’s Services

Posted by Galvin Soh
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email it to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

One of the earliest news reports on the melamine scare was by the New York Times in March 2007:

“The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that it had not found rat poison in pet food that has been killing animals, but that it had found melamine, a chemical commonly used to make plastic cutlery that is also used in fertilizer.Hours after the announcement, the nationwide pet food recall, which had involved only so-called wet foods — all manufactured by Menu Foods and sold under a variety of brand names — was expanded to include one brand of dry cat food, Prescription Diet m/d Feline, made by Hills Pet Nutrition.The brand was found to have been made with a batch of wheat gluten shipped to the United States from China that the F.D.A. said was laced with melamine. Scientists found melamine, which is used as a slow-release fertilizer in Asia, in the urine of cats sickened by the recalled pet foods made by Menu Foods, officials said at a news conference. The recalled pet food has been blamed for at least 16 deaths of pets.”
(Source:  “Pet Food Contained Chemical Found in Plastic, F.D.A. Says”  by Brenda Goodman.  31 March 2007.  The New York Times)

WHAT IS MELAMINE?
Melamine is a white powder used in plastic-making. It was first synthesised by a German scientist in the 1830s. Its most common form, melamine resin, a mix of melamine and formaldehyde, is used in the manufacture of formica, floor tiles, whiteboards and kitchenware.

WHY ADD MELAMINE TO MILK POWDER?
Melamine is rich in nitrogen, and relatively cheap. Adding it to sub-standard or watered-down milk makes the milk’s protein level appear higher. Standard quality tests estimate protein levels by measuring nitrogen content.

IS THIS WHY IT WAS ADDED TO PET FOOD?
Yes. Melamine was linked to the deaths of cats and dogs in the United States last year after it was added to wheat gluten and other pet food ingredients exported from China, in another attempt to boost the products’ apparent protein content.

WHO HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THE TOXIC MILK?
So far four infants have died in China, and about 13,000 more have been hospitalised after drinking the contaminated milk. Four Hong Kong children have also become sick after consuming toxic Chinese milk powder. More than 80 percent of the sick are under two years old. Young babies that depend solely on milk are most vulnerable.

WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM HEALTH EFFECTS?
Little scientific information exists about the compound’s effects on humans. However, even if victims who have developed have kidney stones due to tainted milk consumption have these removed, the melamine could crystallise in small kidney tubes and block connecting ducts, resulting in kidney damage or even renal failure, health experts fear.More than 20 mostly Asian and African countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, Britain, Brunei, Burundi, Canada, China, France, Gabon, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Vietnam, and Yemen — have all either pulled products off shelves, banned China dairy imports, or stepped up their tests.

WHICH CHINESE COMPANIES ARE IMPLICATED?
22 Chinese companies have been listed as producing the tainted milk powder.

WHICH JOINT VENTURES ARE INVOLVED?
New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, the business partner of Sanlu Group, China’s top seller of infant milk powder and the first to go public with melamine contamination, has cut the value of its 43 percent stake in Sanlu to about $42 million. It said the writedown reflected the damage done to Sanlu by the scandal. Danish-Swedish dairy cooperative Arla’s Chinese joint venture Mengniu Arla’s baby formula is also implicated.
(Source:  Reuters, last accessed 9 December 2008)

Melamine situation in Singapore
The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is the local gate-keeper in ensuring the safety of food imports coming into Singapore.  With regards to the products which are contaminated with melamine, AVA gives updates in its website.  The last media update on this matter was the Media Release dated 27 November 2008 which states:

“The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has completed batch-testing of the products in the remaining categories - biscuits and crackers, liquid milk, ice-cream, and milk and whey protein products, under the planned phased release of recalled China milk products. With the exception of six (6) biscuit products that tested positive for melamine, products in these categories have cleared the pre-release testing and will be released for sale with immediate effect…”
(Source: Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, last accessed 9 December 2008)

Contributed by Kweh Soon Huat, Librarian, Adult and Young People’s Services

ASK! about Health and Fitness

Garlic is known to have health properties like lowering blood cholesterol.  It also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. These are attributable to a compound called allicin in it.

Thing is, how do we ingest garlic to receive all these wonderful benefits? Raw, or cooked? According to a recent experiment by some scientists, whether baked or boiled, garlic will retain the same health benefits as if its raw. And if you crush it, its even better. 

Now if you embrace quick fix methods like the microwave, its time perhaps to re-think your cooking methods. Microwaving actually destroys the health benefits of garlic.

Reference:
- Cousin, Pierre Jean, Food is medicine:  the practical guide to healing foods, London :  Duncan Baird,  2006.
-”Garlic: The raw truth”, Reader’s Digest Interactive, Oct 2008, 7 Nov 08, http://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-and-recipes/
garlic-the-raw-truth/article101577.html

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,

Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Health & Fitness

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C. They also contain vitamin A and B, potassium, iron and phosphorus, as well as antioxidants. A medium-sized tomato also contains the same amount of fibre as a slice of wholemeal bread, with less the calories!

To enjoy their antioxidant value, cooked tomatoes are actually better, as cooking breaks down the tough cellular walls, releasing the lycopene (antioxidant in tomato) for the body’s use.

Reference:
- Herbst, Sharon Tyler, The new food lover`s companion: more than 6,700 A-to-Z entries describe foods, cooking techniques, herbs, spices, desserts, wines, and the ingredients for pleasurable dining, Hauppage, N.Y.: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., c2007.
- Graimes, Nicola, Brain foods for kids : over 100 recipes to boost your child`s intelligence, New York : Delta Trade Paperbacks, 2005.
- “Serve those greens right”, Straits Times: Mind You Body supplement, 6 Aug 08, Factiva.com, 08 Aug 08, www.factiva.com
- Encyclopedia of foods : a guide to healthy nutrition / prepared by medical and nutrition experts from Mayo Clinic, University of California Los Angeles, and Dole Food Company, San Diego, Calif. ; $aLondon : Academic, c2002.
- McGee, Harold, On food and cooking : the science and lore of the kitchen, New York : Scribner, 2004.

Posted by Ang Mei Jun,

Librarian, Adult & Young People’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Kids ASK! about Cookery

Editor Writes: I absolutely love cheese but I must confess I never wondered about the difference between the colour of milk and cheese. I have also seen some fairly white cheese for the records but of course there is a logical answer to every question that falls within the human scope of knowledge and here it is.

Cheese is often pale yellow or white. This is because milk contains a yellow pigment, which is gotten from the grass cows and goats eat. When cheese is made, the liquid part of milk is removed, leaving the solids behind. The yellow colour stays with the solids, resulting in a more yellow colour in cheese, compared to milk.

There are some cheeses though, that have added colouring into them. This website [http://pearlvalleycheese.com] has a list of cheeses and their ingredients. Bring your cursor over “Cheese FAQ” and click on “Cheese ingredients”.

Source:
Why is cheese yellow?. Retrieved April 30, 2008, from Food-Info.net Web site: http://www.food-info.net/uk/qa/qa-fp108.htm

Check out this website http://www.cheesemaking.com, click on Recipes, on the left side, and you’ll find step-by-step pictures of how cheese is made.

If you want to read more about cheese, here are books that you can check out at our library.

For Children:

Image Retrieved from http://www.powells.com

See how it’s made: clothes, toys, shoes, food, drinks, skateboards byPenny Smith
Publisher: London : Dorling Kindersley, 2007
Call Number: J English 670 SMI

Image Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca

From milk to cheese by Roberta Basel
Publisher: Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, 2006
Call Number: JP 664 BAS

For Adults:

Image Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/

Guide to the cheeses of the world: choosing, recognizing, tasting 1200 cheese from around the world by Roland Barthélemy
Publisher: London : Hachette Illustrated, 2005
Call Number: English 641.373 BAR

All websites are last accessed on 20 May 2008. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally Answered by Verena Lee,
Librarian, Children’s Services

Posted by Felicia Chan,
Librarian, Children’s Services

ASK! about Cookery

The Chinese Lunar New Year is just next week and it’s an excellent time for family reunions and gathering of friends and loved ones.  And what’s a festive season without delicious food? Bak kwa, melon seeds, pineapple tarts, New Year cookies…just typing these food names have made my stomach grumble!

But, how many of us out there really know the significance of the most well-known dish eaten during Chinese New Year, “Yu Sheng”? And that’s the question which blogger, Johanna or thruhereyes, posed on her blog post, http://thruhereyes.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/chinese-new-year-february-6th-2008/.

Well, Johanna, here’s what Singapore Infopedia had to say about the various ingredients of “Yu Sheng” and the special sayings said during “Lo Hei”.

“Step 1: All at the table offers New Year greetings. Words: Gong xi fa cai meaning “Congratulations for your wealth” or Wan shi ru yi meaning “May all your wishes be fulfilled”.

Step 2: Fish, symbolising abundance or excess through the year, is added. Words: Nian nian you yu and You yu you sheng.

Step 3: The pomelo is added over the fish, adding both luck and auspicious value. Words: Da ji da li.

Pepper is then dashed over the ingredients in the hope of attracting more money and valuables. Words: Zhao cai jin bao.

Then oil is poured out, circling the ingredients to increase all profits 10,000 times and encouraging money to flow in from all directions. Words: Yi ben wan li and Cai yuan guang jin.

Step 4: Carrots are added to the fish indicating blessings of good luck. Words: Hong yun dang tou.

Then the shredded green radish is placed on the fish symbolising eternal youth. Words: Qing chun chang zhu.

After which the shredded white radish is added - prosperity in business and promotion at work. Words: Feng sheng shui qi and Bu bu gao sheng.

Step 5: The condiments are finally added. First, peanut crumbs are dusted on the dish symbolising a household filled with gold and silver. As an icon of longevity, peanuts also symbolise eternal youth. Words: Jin yin man wu.

Sesame seeds quickly follow symbolising a flourishing business. Words: Sheng yi xing long.

Deep-fried flour crisps in the shape of golden pillows is then added with wishes that literally the whole floor would be filled with gold. Words: Pian di huang jin.

Step 6: All toss the salad an auspicious 7 times with loud shouts of lo hei and other auspicious New Year wishes. Words: Lo hei which is Cantonese for “tossing luck”.

The ingredients mixed by pushing them toward the centre, an encouragement to push on the good luck of all at the table. ”

Source: Tan, B (2002). Yu Sheng. Retrieved January 31, 2008, from Singapore Infopedia Web site: http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_177_2004-12-30.html 

Ahhh, I sure am enlightened now about the meanings behind each ingredient in “Yu Sheng”. I hope that you are too, Johanna.

Here are some book recommendations on Chinese New Year recipes guaranteed to get your mouth watering.

The festive food of China by Deh-Ta Hsiung; photography by Will Heap
Publisher : London : Kyle Cathie, 2006Call No. : 641.5680951 HSI -[COO] 

Chinese feasts & festivals: a cookbook / recipes & illustrations by S.C. Moey
Publisher : Periplus Editions, 2005
Summary: The rich culinary tradition of China is largely inspired by a calendar year filled with joyous occasions for eating, drinking and making merry. Food, fittingly enough, plays a leading role in everything from festivals to reunions and weddings to anniversaries. The combination of flavors and symbols, such as wealth, happiness, luck, and prosperity, involved in many of these dishes are a spiritual celebration and an earthly pleasure.     
Call No. : J 641.5 MOE

Foods of China by Barbara Sheen
Publisher: Detroit, Mich. : KidHaven Press, 2006
Summary: Take a delicious trip to a fascinating and ancient country where food is woven into every aspect of life. This book takes the reader on an entertaining, enlightening, and edible tour of China. Through a look at Chinese foods, the reader learns about Chinese culture, history, geography, and folklore, all in a hands-on, fun-filled way.
Call No.: J 394.1 SHE

 
Cooking the Chinese way by Ling Yu 
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co., c2002
Summary: Introduces fundamental of Chinese cooking, including special ingredients and cooking utensils. Also provides recipes for suggested dishes.           
Call No.: Y 641.5951 YU

So whatcha waiting for? Go down to your nearest library and borrow these books to start your very own Chinese feast!

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

All websites were last accessed on 31 January 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All book summaries were taken from book descriptions listed at www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.
All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Science & Technology

Spam ® is the trademark of a type of canned pork and ham, created and produced by Geo. A. Hormel company of Austin, Minnesota, USA.

The same word, ’spam’ also refers to ‘unsolicited commercial email’, that is the junk mail we received sent to us without our consent. Such mail were named after the famous ham as it was parallel to how offensive “SPAM®” thrown at the walls of a restaurant would be for diners looking at it.

In the begining, ’spam’ was conceived from a competition held by its creators to find a catchy name for the canned pork. The convenience and shelf life of Spam made it an important food during the Second World War, when fresh meats were scarce. Spam fed many civilians and militray men.

References:

Spam
Call No.: 641.664 PAT - [COO]
A cookery book containing a brief history of Spam and its role in WWII.

Credo Reference
A NLB e-Database containing links to information from various sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias. useful for getting concise information.
“spam.” Hargrave’s Communications Dictionary, Wiley. 2001. CredoReference. 12 January 2008
You can access the databases by going to www.nlb.gov.sg>eResources>eDatabases. To find out more about the NLB databases, visit our ASK guide .

Posted by Ms Ang Mei Jun

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sginstead of sending a comment.

ASK! about Health & Fitness

Do you take note of what you eat? If you are concerned about eating healthy foods, here are some websites offering nutrition advice and basic nutrition information to keep you updated:

Food & Nutrition
As many of us are aware, with changing social habits, like increasingly sendatry livestyles, and preferance for taking outside food, health problems like obesity and heart disease are on the rise. If you are concerned about whether what you eat is healthy, her are some nutrition websites you may like to refer ot for more information:

Health Promotion Board
Singapore’s HPB website contains updates and information about nutrition, mental health, exercise and smoking.

Ministry of Health
You can find latest general health updates here. Health statistics of Singapore are compiled by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and can be accessed here.

Nutrition.gov
This website offers links to US government websites that contain health and nutrition related information.

MedlinePlus
The MedlinePlus website brings together information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM, US), the National Institutes of Health (NIH, US) and other government agencies and health bodies. Apart of nutrition information, the directory of drug and supplement information is user-friendly and helpful. The Medical Encyclopaedia also simplifies cchecking up on medical facts and jargon. The website also contains charts and images for you to better understand the biology of the issues described.

British Nutrition Foundation
The BNF is “charitable organisation which raises funds from the food industry, government and a variety of other sources”. It works with the academic insititues, food industry and the government, and strives to provide scienticially sound nutrition information and advice.

National Health Services
The National Health Service (NHS) is the health agency of UK. While the website offers information and recommendations of typical health problems. While there is no nutrition category, the website is categorised by demograph and common health issues. Nutrition information can be derived from there.

World Health Organisation
The WHO website contains the information on the international statistics, research and government health initiatives, statements and guidelines released by WHO agencies.

To read about food and nutrition, look for books with call numbers 613.2 and 641.1, in the health and Young People (YP) sections of the libraries. Some books you may find are:

Basic nutrition by Lori A. Smolin, Mary B. Grosvenor
Call No.: Y q613.2 SMO

Encyclopedia of foods : a guide to healthy nutrition prepared by medical and nutrition experts from Mayo Clinic
Call No.: q613.2 ENC -[HEA]

American Dietetic Association complete food and nutrition guide by Roberta Larson Duyff
Call No.: 613.2 DUY -[HEA]

Fats, sugars, and empty calories : the fast food habit / by Autumn Libal
Call No.: Y 616.398 LIB

Posted by Ms Ang Mei Jun

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to mailto:ask@nlb.gov.sginstead of sending a comment.