Reduction of fat and Na content in takeaway food by recipe reformulation

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that the poor nutritional quality of takeaway foods may contribute to a variety of negative health outcomes(1). Simultaneously, food prepared out of the home is making up an increasing component of the Western diet and there is no expectation that this will stop expanding(2,3). Therefore, it seems that the most effective approach to reduce the impact of takeaway food on public health is an improvement in the nutritional quality of food prepared outside the home by reformulation of recipes and changes in preparation practices.The aim of this study was to reduce Na and fat content of takeaway foods by recipe reformulation and alterations to preparation processes. A Chinese meal (Chicken Chow Mein) was chosen and detailed information regarding ingredients and preparation methods of the dish were collected from four different Liverpool takeaway outlets. Recipe development work was undertaken to produce modified versions of the dishes (specific to each of the outlets) with improved nutritional profiles. The nutrient content of original and modified recipes was evaluated using 'Microdiet'TM nutritional software. Sensory evaluation of original and modified dishes was also undertaken.Subjects who tested a single sample of a meal, either modified or original, were asked to rate their overall acceptability of the tested dish. Each meal was evaluated by at least eight participants. Acceptability was rated using a 9 point hedonic scale where 1 = dislike extremely and 9 = like extremely. A t-test was used to compare the acceptability of modified and original meals, statistical significance P<0.05.