BIS Vs FSSAI-Why this dichotomy?

When Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was created with great fanfare, it was expected that food industry in India could deal with one single government agency from licensing to product monitoring. It is another matter that what the industry got was a thoroughly bureaucratized top heavy obese organization with no technical expertise to carry out the awesome task of protecting the citizens from fraudulent practices by some of the unscrupulous segment of the food processing industry which is bent on making a fast buck ignoring the health perils posed by their sub-standard and unsafe products. Honest industry players who want to play strictly by the rule books are unnecessarily harassed as seen recently by the brutal action to ban a particular brand of noodles based on unreliable and questionable test results. To add to the burden posed by FSSAI, another irritant has been introduced by way of bringing another government agency viz Bureau of Indian Standards "BIS"  to approve tin plate quality. Here is a take on this latest development against which the industry is protesting.    

"The Bureau of Indian Standards' (BIS) quality control order on tin plates issued in April will affect India's metal packaging industry of around Rs 5,000 crore. The Draft Steel Quality Control orer includes 'Cold Reduced Electrolytic Tinplate', an import component used in packing baby food, milk power, mango pulp, coffee among other edible and non edible items. Industry body Metal Container Manufacturers Association (MCMA) feels that the order, which will come into force by next month, needs to be reviewed as it will impact the metal packaging industry, which employs over a lakh people. According to MCMA President Sanjay Bhatia tin can is an "industrial product and not an item of mass consumption". Industry consumes around 550,000 tonnes of tin mill products (tinplate/tinfree steel etc), of which about 60 per cent is prime and 40 per cent non-prime. Domestic availability is about 325,000 tonnes and the balance is imported from different countries such as Japan, Korea, Brazil, Europe, USA, China, Venezuela, etc. "The firms in these countries follow rigorous global quality control orders and since we do not import large quantities they will not take pains to get BIS certification, which will impact us as we will not get good material at competitive rates," Bhatia told PTI. Prime material is mainly required for edible products like processed food, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, edible oil etc while non-prime (secondaries arising out of Prime) are required for non-edible products such as in packing of paints, industrial oils among others. "The order brings a non-tariff barrier in order to protect the domestic producers, but the production in the country is not sufficient enough to meet the demand of the industry both in terms of volume as well as grades," he countered. In certain applications industry requires continuous annealed material, high precision shearing in terms of squareness for products like battery jackets, scroll tinplate sheets which the domestic producer is not in a position to supply, he said. "We have approached the Prime Minister's Office, Steel Ministry, Commerce Ministry, Ministry of Medium and Small Enterprises with our demand. A similar order had come in 2007-08 and the government had taken it back. We are hopeful that something can happen this time as well," he added. The order will also reduce the competitive strength of metal packaging industry as it is likely to result in increase in cost of raw material involved in BIS marking fees and other related expenses as compared to other packaging material like plastic, paper, glass, Bhatia said."

It is unfortunate that bureaucracy in the country is trying again to overlord the manufacturing sector putting such types of hurdles reminding one of the old days of "inspector raj". Sympathize with poor Prime Minister who is talking day in and day out about strengthening the industry by removing impediments so that his "Make in India"  dream takes off in a big way. Probably he has not reckoned with the vice-like grip of bureaucracy in this country which does not see any thing beyond its self interest-that is wielding power without accountability. Why should there be any standards set by BIS when tha responsibility of food standards management is vested with FSSAI? Industry has a case when they are protesting against such arbitrary policy decisions affecting their functioning in a serious way. It is not that BIS is inferior to FSSAI as both organizations are epitome of inefficiency and unreliability when it comes to protecting the consumer. Ultimately industry has to blame itself for its subservient attitude to babus in the government by their behavior bordering on sycophancy! It must stand up with no fear or favor from the government for causes which are right and sensible.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

STRAINED FOODS-FROM JARS TO SQUEEZABLES, THE DOWNSIDES!

Strained baby food products serve the admirable purpose in seeing through the transition of a child from a diet based purely on mother's milk to that consuming solid foods. Such a transition is necessary to train the child in using its tongue, tender teeth and the oral cavity for preparing the food for swallowing and further digestion in the GI tract. Canned versions of strained vegetables, fruits, meat, cereals and different combinations were the first ones to be launched and being adequately processed they provided safe food to the child without danger from contamination. Then came the bottled version which had the advantage of no migration of any soluble contaminants into the contents unlike metal containers. With the advent of plastics and laminates squeezable pouches appeared on the scene which were readily accepted by mothers finding them more convenient than the earlier versions of containers. Questions are now being raised regarding the possible draw backs these pouches might have on the development of the oral ingestion system and impact on teeth heath. Here is a commentary on the same by knowledgeable pundits based on their experience.   

"Those squeeze pouches full of organic pureed food in clever combos like plum, berry and barley have become a lifesaver for busy parents. The colorful foil packets with the built-in feeding tips have only been on the market about five years. They cost about twice as much as the average prepared baby food in jars — nearly $2 a pop — but many people say they beat the old-fashioned stuff by a spoon, because they don't require refrigeration or heating or even a utensil. And they appeal to kids who would rather run around than stop and eat. (We've even witnessed older kids snag their younger siblings' fun-to-squeeze snacks.) These assets make them popular at playgrounds, parks and with car seat jockeys everywhere, but is there a downside to all that slurping? Actually, there might be a couple of downsides for developing teeth and mouths, but they may not be any worse in some ways than what lots of toddlers already do: suck on sippy cups full of milk or juice all day. "The constant exposure of sugar on their teeth is detrimental," says Paul Casamassimo, the oral health research and policy center director at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. "My concern would be if the child walks around with this little pouch, then they might be doing the same thing," he says. In fact, the academy recommends ditching the sippy cup and going straight from bottle to cup between 12 and 15 months because of the potential risk of tooth decay. Casamassimo calls them "baby bottle methadone."Carbohydrates in all foods are used by bacteria to produce acid, and the acid eats away at the enamel of the teeth, creating the potential for cavities — a growing problem among all children, he says. And the pouch food, because of its consistency, may be particularly tough on teeth if it's allowed to sit there for long periods. "We know that tends to stick on teeth and prolong the opportunity for the bacteria to build," he says. Brushing kids' teeth twice a day and making them rinse with water after eating the pouch foods or drinking juice can help, Cassamassimo says. But what about potential injuries to children if the plastic feeding tip should jam into their teeth or gums while they're running around?"

Surprisingly the well established concept of training the child on sippy cups is also being challenged because of the likely impact it may have on tooth development. Of course strained foods with lot of sweetness can be a possible hazard by way of fostering growth of microbes that contribute to dental decay. The suggestion to brush the teeth twice a day may provide some relief but making the child consume water after each feeding also will go a long way to wash out the adhering food residue from the mouth avoiding dental decay. Weaning of a child from breast milk to semi-solid foods is a dedicated task and there is no scope for compromise on the desirable practices. A well looked after child is a sound citizen of tomorrow with healthy mind and body.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com