Is exercise irrelevant for good health? Some seem to think quality of food is more important!

We are being bombarded day in and day out about the crucial importance of physical exercise in maintaining a good health. Of course mention about a "bad" diet invariably is obscured, probably because there are powerful vested interests and influential lobbyists who always get the ears of the policy makers and even biased scientists. It is still fresh in our memories what the CEO of a giant multinational beverages (soda) company said when the industry was criticised for marketing zero calorie products like soft drinks containing only sugar and her argument was that those who take high calorie foods are at the risk of contracting obesity because of their sedentary way of life. Though exercise is important for toning up the body, more crucial is a balanced diet which only can ensure healthy life. What does one understand by a healthy diet? Simply put take more of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses and white meat and fish and avoid imbalanced foods and drinks like white flour based products, sugar dominated beverages, excessive fried foods etc. The issue is amply clarified by a respected journal emanating from the UK and read it carefully to appreciate this line of argument.

"An editorial published Wednesday by the British Journal of Sports Medicine argues diets high in sugars and carbohydrates are largely to blame for the obesity crisis, and do more harm than inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined. "Let us bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity. You cannot outrun a bad diet," the editorial concludes. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the editorial accuses the food industry of persuading people that inactivity, rather than poor diet, is the primary cause of obesity and related illnesses such as diabetes. "The public health messaging around diet and exercise, and their relationship to the epidemics of type 2 diabetes and obesity, has been corrupted by vested interests. Celebrity endorsements of sugary drinks, and the association of junk food and sport, must end," the editorial states. The editorial also takes issue with the idea that all calories are equal — that 150 calories from sugar or carbohydrates equal the same number of calories from fat or protein. It states sugar calories promote fat storage and hunger, while fat calories cause fullness. It takes a similarly dim view of other carbohydrates, stating that restricting carbohydrates should be the first step in managing diabetes, and that even athletes don't benefit from loading up on carbohydrates."

Can we blame the food industry for the faultline that is becoming increasingly becoming clear day by day when people run after foods that stimulate their taste buds rather than their instinct for survival by moderating their consumption? Industry cannot be expected to be working for charity as they have a responsibility to their shareholders to bring in attractive returns for capital invested. With our knowledge about healthiness of foods, it is easy for the industry to come up with recipes and formulations which can ensure sound health. But the million dollar question that begs for an answer is whether people will patronize such products if they do not tinkle their taste buds providing excitement to the pleasure centers in the brain? Industry can change its course only if there is a universal consensus among its members regarding what products they should not make based on sound health considerations. Or there must be mandatory controls for restricting certain foods proven to be unhealthy by the government regulators which is unlikely because of legal considerations. Most ideally it would be the will power of the consumers to shun products considered unhealthy thus putting pressure on the industry to change their product portfolio with increasing health improving potential. The warning that exercise is not a panacea for good health but quality of diet has much more to do with good health is timely indeed.   .

V.H.POTTY
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"Green" plastics-Will Polylactic Acid emerge as a viable choice?

The dominance of synthetic plastics derived from fossil fuels in to day's world is scary as petroleum sources are not going to last for ever and the question as to what then is driving the scientific community feverishly to innovate and come up with viable alternatives based on renewable sources. While cellulose based plastics are manufactured and used for a variety of applications, their functional properties do not come any where near that of synthetic plastics. An yet another problem associated with petroleum based plastics is their near indestructibility and their biodegradability credentials. It takes almost 800 years for most plastics to degrade in nature and disposal in land fills posses enormous dangers to the safety of the environment including water resources. Emergence of poly lactic acid based plastics was thought to be an answer to this problem. Unfortunately these biodegradable plastics cost too high to be commercially viable. The major factor in this cost escalation is the manufacturing technology which appears to be too complex and expensive. Recently a group of scientists from Belgium have come up with a new approach for producing cheaper poly lactic acid base material which if true can be a ground breaking development Read further below.    

"The bioplastic PLA is derived from renewable resources, including the sugar in maize and sugarcane. Fermentation turns thesugar into lactic acid, which in turn is a building block for polylactic acid. PLA degrades after a number of years in certain environments. If it is collected and sorted correctly, it is both industrially compostable and recyclable. In addition, PLA is biocompatible and thus suitable for medical use, for instance in absorbable suture threads. PLA is also one of the few plastics that are suitable for 3D printing. However, polylactic acid is not yet a full alternative for petroleum-based plastics due to its cost. The production process for PLA is expensive because of the intermediary steps. "First, lactic acid is fed into a reactor and converted into a type of pre-plastic under high temperature and in a vacuum. This is an expensive process. The pre-plastic – a low-quality plastic – is then broken down into building blocks for polylactic acid. In other words, you are first producing an inferior plastic before you end up with a high-quality plastic. And even though PLA is considered a green plastic, the various intermediary steps in the production process still require metals and produce waste," said Prof Bert Sels from the Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis. The KU Leuven researchers developed a new technique. Michiel Dusselier, a postdoctoral researcher, explained, "We have applied a petrochemical concept to biomass. We speed up and guide the chemical process in the reactor with a zeolite as a catalyst. Zeolites are porous minerals. By selecting a specific type on the basis of its pore shape, we were able to convert lactic acid directly into the building blocks for PLA without making the larger by-products that do not fit into the zeolite pores. Our new method has several advantages compared to the traditional technique: we produce more polylactic acid with less waste and without using metals. In addition, the production process is cheaper, because we can skip a step."

Whether this development can lead to large scale production of the new plastic materials remains to be seen. At least there is a hope that an alternative option is available on the table. Of course lactic acid production from biomass materials through intervention of microbes can still pose a logistical problem because of competition from fuel industry which also is working on fermentation route for making green fuel. Already there is some criticism regarding diversion of food materials like corn, plant oils and other organic carbon sources for production of alcohol and other fuels to replace fossil fuels. World has to take a holistic view of this critical area and only cooperative endeavors can succeed ultimately.  

V.H.POTTY
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A PORTABLE BEER AT LAST! WILL IT PASS SCRUTINY OF PUNDITS?

In food technology parlor concentration of any aqueous  liquid generally means removal of water using different techniques without affecting the original flavor of the product. In terms of quality freeze drying is considered the most satisfactory process for concentration or drying but it is more expensive than other alternatives like air drying, vacuum evaporation etc. Considering this fact the claim by an innovator in the US that he has developed a technique to make portable beer drinks without using any concentration technology is some what intriguing. Here is an expose' on his claims which seem to be feasible prima facie.  

"For decades, centuries probably, folks have dreamed of a more convenient way of transporting beer on distant adventures supported by back, boat and bike. The problem is, no one was able to shrink a full serving of legit beer into a package much smaller than a 12-oz can, and 12-oz cans are bulky and heavy. Pat's Backcountry Beverages has broken through and done it, creating a beer concentrate that can fit into a pocket and mix a 16 oz ale with the help of plain water and an easy-to-use carbonation system. Beer is now a whole lot easier to carry ... but how does an ultra-portable brew taste?"

Though the technical details are not provided due to economic reasons, the fact that a 49 % alcohol containing beer concentrate is used to get the final 5% alcohol containing readily drinkable beer gives a clue to the principle involved in the process. While traditional beer contains the gas CO2 generated by the yeast from the cocktail of substrates used, in the portable beer CO2 is generated in the final product chemically which probably will make a big difference in the taste and flavor of this version of beer. What is intriguing is how he gets a 49% alcohol concentrate by brewing with yeast as most yeast strains known to man cannot survive beyond 15% alcohol concentration. Possibly what is being done may be adding of pure alcohol to the conventional recipes at some stage of the fermentation or removing CO2 from the conventional beer before adding the alcohol. This is the reason why the portable beer has less body compared to standard beer. Though it may not pass muster as a beer, it can still be an alternative or substitute to genuine beer under certain circumstances. Nonetheless the innovative mind of the entrepreneur deserves applause. 

V.H.POTTY
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ALCOHOL IN SODAS?-NEW REVELATIONS!

Alcoholic drinks are taboos for many people on grounds of religious and other considerations and therefore foods containing alcohol also receive critical attention from safety authorities. But under the testing protocols traces of alcohol are invariably ignored because many natural foods are known to contain small levels of alcohol formed as a part of the metabolic reactions in the fresh produce materials. Alcohol is also a part of many flavoring substances and when externally flavored products are made, alcohol gets into the products also. Whether it is semantics or genuine apprehension, presence of alcohol in foods and beverages evoke strong reactions and recently there was a furor about its presence, albeit at extremely small levels in many soft drinks marketed by almost all major players in this sector. How this report is going to affect the soft drinks market is still not clear. Here is a gist of the above report.   

"According to tests carried out by the Paris-based National Institute of Consumption, more than half of leading colas contain traces of alcohol, Daily Mail reported Wednesday. These include the brand leaders Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola, while it is mainly only cheap supermarket versions of the drink which are alcohol-free. "60 Million Consumers", the French magazine, published the results of the tests in its latest issue. The tests suggest that the alcohol levels are as low as 10 mg in every litre, and this works out at around 0.001 per cent alcohol. But the figures will still be enough to upset the thousands of Muslims who regularly drink Cola because their religion forbids them from drinking alcohol, the daily said". 

If the target of the report is consumers belonging to Islam religion, there is going to be some debate regarding the question whether such beverages containing minuscule amount of alcohol, are Halal or Haram. According to some religious pundits alcohol in manufactured products, added during the processing, make the final products Haram where as products containing alcohol naturally formed as an artifact of metabolism or natural fermentation can pass the Halal test. How far the food and beverage industry can avoid alcohol is some what difficult to predict as of now but the fact still remains that alcohol is one of the most affordable and safest solvents available to the industry and the alternative options of organic solvents may not be as safe as alcohol. It is time that those involved in Halal certification consider these facts before coming to any conclusion regarding the advisability of declaring beverages like Colas as Haram.

V.H.POTTY
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THE GREAT MEAT EATERS OF INDIA-KERALA'S UNIQUE "DISTINCTION"

"God's own country" some times jocularly referred to as Dog's own country is distinct from other parts of India in many ways. Foremost it is the first state which became 100% literate showing the world that such feats can be achieved even in a developing country if there is a will. Ironically schools in Kerala are being shuttered because of inadequate students! Kerala also occupies the pride of place when it comes to earning foreign exchange for the country, their citizens bringing the largest chunk. Remember Kerala is also the "alcohol" barrel of the country, the liquor consumption being the highest in entire India! Added to this is the latest "feather" in its cap that puts the state in the fore front as far as meat consumption is concerned, if the Animal Husbandry Department of the state is to be believed.

Kerala - which leads the country in several indicators including literacy - is also the highest consumer of meat with a daily requirement of over 5,000 tonnes, according to the state animal husbandry department. Animal husbandry director R. Vijayakumar does not find the figure of 5,034.96 tonnes a day surprising as 80 per cent of the state's residents are non-vegetarians. "The sad part is that the domestic production of meat (beef, mutton and chicken) is just around 264.31 tonnes," Vijaykumar said, adding: "The rest comes from nearby states." The department has collected this data for a national meeting in Gujarat later this month to review the production of meat and allied products. The survey finds chicken to be the most preferred. In fact, from a mere six per cent share in 1990, it now accounts for 45 per cent of the meat consumed in Kerala. "The eating profile of our people has undergone a huge change," Vijayakumar said.

"With a large number of IT professionals working in key centres, the fast food habit has picked up hugely. Hence meat is the most preferred item." In fiscal 2009-10, Keralites spent a staggering Rs. 2,844 crore on chicken, of which Rs. 1,752 crore went to poultry farms outside the state. "There is a golden opportunity here as there is immense potential to rear chicken, pig, goats and even rabbit," Vijaykumar said. "Now all the money is going to neighbouring states," Vijaykumar said. "We are going to give huge emphasis to this sector in our plans." Kottayam, Thrissur and Malappuram lead the state's 14 districts in meat consumption. In fiscal 2009-10, a record 6.1 million cattle came into the state through various check posts; another 1.8 million are estimated to have entered unchecked.
Of the 33 million people in Kerala, according to Vijaykumar, Christians and Muslims together constitute around 47 per cent and most of the meat eaters are from these communities. "If people in our state take to animal husbandry seriously, it would only benefit them," Vijayakumar said.

What is intriguing about the above figures is that taking them at face value Kerala's consumption works out to almost 27% of the country figure of 6.8 million tons of meat production annually. According to Planning Commission, average meat consumption in India as a whole is 5 kg per capita per year and Keralites seem to be consuming four times this quantity, working out to about 20 kg per capita. World wide the average corresponding figure is 43 kg and as such neither Kerala nor India as a country, is any where near the world average. Probably huge consumption of liquor and prevalence of predominantly non-vegetarian population must be accounting for this phenomenon. There is a point in the assertion of the animal husbandry department that scope for establishing meat based industry in the state is enormous as most of the meat animals are brought from neighboring states. Such meat based projects need to be based on the concept of integrated farms with breeding and rearing facilities and slaughtering infrastructure. In a land starved state like Kerala, is this feasible? Unlikely!

V.H.POTTY
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"CAFFEINATED" BEER-HOOKING THE YOUNGSTERS!

That Caffeine is an intoxicant is well known and its consumption by vulnerable population like children and pregnant women are universally frowned upon. Similarly alcohol consumption is restricted only to adult population in many countries because of the inebriating effect on the consumer of beverages containing alcohol. Imagine what will happen if these two intoxicants are formulated into a beverage, that too cheaper than the conventional soft drinks. Recent industry adventure into this "dangerous" area in some countries is raising all round concern regarding the repercussions on the health of younger generation.

Health advocates and others have increasingly worried in recent years about sweet malt beverages known as "alcopops," which often mask the flavor of alcohol and tend to be marketed to younger drinkers. Michael Scippa, a spokesman with the Marin Institute, an alcohol industry watchdog group, said the drinks have only become more dangerous since companies began adding stimulants such as caffeine and guarana. Scippa noted that many of these products come in 23-ounce cans that contain the equivalent of five to eight cups of coffee, are 12 percent alcohol and are sold for $1.99. A regular energy drink, by contrast, can cost $2.99, he said. "The bottom line is they create a low price point entry drink for a lot of youth that brilliantly keeps them alert and wanting to keep drinking the product," he said, adding that up to 60 percent of the caffeinated malt beverages sold in California are consumed by underage drinkers. "It's a marketer's dream, but I don't know how they sleep at night."

Serving alcohol requires age proof in many bars but these new generation drinks which mask the alcohol smell are freely available in the market attracting young consumers in hordes. It is incredible that the industry can be so irresponsible as to offer a drink which will infuse more caffeine into the consumer than that caused by several cups of coffee at one go. Such socially unacceptable behavior by one segment of the industry can bring bad name for the entire food and beverage sector in no time. It is a wake up call for this industry to exercise self restraint and discipline those who try to make a fast buck through unfair, unhealthy and unethical means.

V.H.POTTY
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FOODS COOKED IN ALCOHOL-THE BAN REVISITED!

Serving food in a multi cuisine restaurant, especially in a country with cosmopolitan population can be nightmarish. Take for example India. There are many taboos and food habits that make the job of the Chef very difficult. Pork, onion, garlic, beef, cooking oil used, type of rice cooked etc can both attract as well as drive away customers depending on their food preferences. Same is true with foods served to different religious groups. While Muslims do not take Pork, Hindus detest beef. Similarly Halal and Kosher meats are essential for attracting some customers. Alcohol which is shunned by followers of Islam is used some times in cooking of some foods. Recently such foods being served in the Emirates have attracted the attention of regulatory agencies and guidelines have been issued when such foods are served.

"Khaled Sharif al Awadhi, director of Dubai municipality's food control department, said food containing alcohol could be served on condition it was segregated from other food and clearly labeled, The National reported. "We have found violations where hotels are not clearly stating alcohol content in their food," it quoted him as saying. Awadhi added that alcohol should be handled like other "non-halal products" such as pork".

The stipulation that alcohol comes under the non-halal food category may be a new approach that will insulate the followers of Islam from such undesirable items on the menu. It is a tribute to the progressive thinking of the rulers of Emirates that they do not blindly ban foods on one or the other consideration giving relative freedom to the multi faith community that contributes to the development of the region.

V.H.POTTY

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CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL IN ENERGY DRINKS-HOOKING THE CONSUMER!

For succeeding in the market, management pundits do not consider any means as unfair. To some extent playing around with the economic quality of a product can be tolerated, but when it comes to consumer safety blatant violations should never be condoned. Money cannot be more precious than lives of human beings and those who opt for "money at any cost" deserve to be accorded the severest forms of punishment that exist in the statute book. With food safety issues bedeviling every country, it is time the vested agencies overhaul their surveillance and punishment protocols with no mercy on defaulters.

"The Food and Drug Administration is challenging makers of alcohol-infused energy drinks to prove their beverages are safe, citing complaints that the products can cause risky behavior and injury. The FDA issued a letter Friday to 30 beverage manufacturers, giving them 30 days to provide evidence that the combination of caffeine and alcohol is safe. FDA has listed caffeine only as an ingredient for use in soft drinks. The agency has not approved caffeine for use in alcoholic beverages. FDA officials stressed they have not reached a conclusion about the safety of beverages like Joose and Charge. Instead they are questioning the companies' legal rationale for marketing the products. There are some unusual safety questions raised by the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages. So the burden is on the companies to provide evidence that supports the conclusion this use is safe."

First of all the so called energy drinks, atrociously priced, attractively branded and promoted heavily, should have no place in the menu of a normal healthy person. After all the energy is derived in these drinks from sugar which is one of the cheapest commodities in the global market. Adding alcohol and caffeine to such ridiculous drinks in the name of value addition and better "performance" cannot be considered logical. It is puzzling as to why the authorities tolerated these products for so long!

V.H.POTTY
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