Preventing food wastage-The new French initiative

Food waste is a hot subject that commands a big audience across the world. Obviously wasting any food is considered obnoxious by any one with a common sense or a clean conscience but unfortunately it is precisely these are what one finds lacking in rich countries like USA, Canada, Japan and countries in Europe. Otherwise it is difficult to explain why an average French citizen throws away foods per year sufficient to feed about 100 people and Australians leading the pack with foods wasted capable of feeding 200 people. One of the reasons cited for squandering so much foods is the mandatory declaration of expiry date in all food packs and most people throw the food away after that date believing that they are unsafe to consume. There is greater awareness now that all date expired foods need not be unsafe and consumers can save significantly in their food budget by judicially using such foods. However those who are well to do with high income may not mind suffering economic loss by throwing away date expired food products not wanting to take any risk to them. It is against such a situation that we have to appreciate the lead taken by France to make wasting food unlawful through enactment of mandatory policies. Here is a take on this exciting development which can be a role model for other countries convinced about the unconscionable practice of wasting precious foods.     

"With that in mind, the National Assembly of France (the lower house)recently passed a bill making it illegal for large supermarkets to simply throw away food. The new laws mean that any medium or large supermarket – determined as being 400 square metres or larger – must turn over any edible food to charity. As for food which is no longer edible, it cannot simply be thrown away either, instead it must be turned into compost or biofuel. The former Minister for Food, Guillaume Garot, was quoted in French newspaper L'Express saying, "It's scandalous to see bleach being poured into supermarket dustbins along with edible foods." The law is part of a French plan to cut food wastage in half by 2025. The plan was implemented in 2012, after studies showed the average French person wastes an average of 20 to 30 kilograms of food per year, which translates to between 12 and 20 billion euros ending up in the bin. But don't go feeling smug about how wasteful the Frogs are – Australians are worse! According to FoodWise, Australians waste a staggering $8 billion worth of food every year – 345 kilos per household! And while it's, as Garot said, "scandalous" to think of all that food going to waste when the UN estimates there are 805 million people in the world who are undernourished, there are also environmental factors at play. As food rots in landfill it lets off methane, which Food Wise say "is 25 times more potent than the carbon pollution that comes out of your car exhaust". The French National Assembly passed the bill unanimously – that's 577 politicians representing seven different political parties who all agreed that waste needs to end. Getting almost 600 people to agree on anything is virtually impossible, making the passing of this law all the more impressive. And kind of obvious. Seriously, if almost 600 French politicians can agree that waste is abhorrent, the men and women in Canberra should take note. Indeed, Arash Derambarsh, a councillor from the north-west of Paris who was the lead person who persuaded French MPs to adopt the regulation, is looking to go global. The French MP is planning to table the issue via Bono's campaign group ONE to the UN in September, as well as at the G20 economic summit in Turkey in November, and the COP21 environment conference in Paris in December."

While it is easy to pressurize organized industry, especially the big retail chains into stopping their present practice of sending such foods to landfills, how can any government stop the house holds from throwing foods into the garbage which cumulatively can be substantial? Probably only education and large scale awareness program can reduce such wastage. One crucial issue is how these foods can find gainful use if there is no organized collection mechanism that can ensure regular offtake of thrown foods for immediate delivery to those who need food badly. Food banks which are functioning in the US with good efficiency may be an exception though such institutional mechanism do exist, albeit in a smaller way in many other countries. World has to take notice of this issue a bit more seriously and there must be a global cooperative efforts to save food. Another dimension to food wastage is its impact on global warming caused by large scale dumping of organic matters like foods in landfills where Methane gas is generated, considered to be deadlier than the much maligned carbon dioxide in that it can trap more heat than CO2. Why not some of the major retailers open new counters to give away date expired foods free to those in need of food but have limited means to buy due to economic limitations. Of course they must ensure that these foods are safe before offering to the needy public from special counters.  .  

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

FUELS OF FUTURE-THE MICROBIAL ROUTE

Fast depletion of fossil fuel sources has created a sense of panic among wealthy countries as well as newly emerging economies and this realization has spurred enormous research and development activities to find out suitable alternatives at comparable cost. While non-conventional energy sources like solar, wind, waves, geothermal etc are available in plenty, their commercial exploitation is fraught with enormous challenges to the energy scientists. So far solar energy seems to have an edge and many countries are investing heavily in solar energy projects to generate power. With cutting edge technologies emerging from countries like China, the generation cost and investments are coming down very significantly offering some hope for future. What is not attempted in a big way is the potential capacity of microorganisms to produce energy from cheap sources at economically attractive costs. The horizontal solar panels call for wide areas for their installation and there is some element of unpredictability of availability of sunshine uniformly. Vertical reactors that can grow microorganisms to produce fuels through fermentation route, if successful, can be an attractive alternative. Here is a critique on this important area of futuristic energy front which offers some hope.     

"In a bid to find a substitute to fossil fuels as raw material for the chemical industry, scientists have engineered bacteria, which could help grow chemical precursors for fuels and plastics. "Most chemical feed stocks come from petroleum and natural gas, and we need other sources," assistant professor of chemistry at University of California, Davis and lead author on the study Shota Atsumi said. Biological reactions are good at forming carbon-carbon bonds, using carbon dioxide as a raw material for reactions powered by sunlight, called photosynthesis, and cyanobacteria, also known as "blue-green algae," have been doing it for more than 3 billion years, the Science Daily reported. The challenge is to get the cyanobacteria to make significant amounts of chemicals that can be readily converted to chemical feed stocks. With support from Japanese chemical manufacturer Asahi Kasei Corp., Atsumi's lab at UC Davis has been working on introducing new chemical pathways into the cyanobacteria. The researchers, working a step at a time, built up a three-step pathway that allows the cyanobacteria to convert carbon dioxide into 2,3 butanediol, a chemical that can be used to make paint, solvents, plastics, and fuels. "Because enzymes may work differently in different organisms, it is nearly impossible to predict how well the pathway will work before testing it in an experiment," Atsumi said. After three weeks growth, the cyanobacteria yielded 2.4 grams of 2,3 butanediol per liter of growth medium - the highest productivity yet achieved for chemicals grown by cyanobacteria and with potential for commercial development, Atsumi added. Atsumi hopes to tune the system to increase productivity further and experiment with other products, while corporate partners explore scaling up the technology. The US Department of Energy has set a goal of obtaining a quarter of industrial chemicals from biological processes by 2025".

Though the developmental efforts are on a smaller scale, if the scientists and the corporate honchos who are footing the bill for this futuristic research are to be believed, the results are encouraging enough to invest further to commercialize the findings. 2,3 Butanediol is indeed a valuable source of energy with versatile industrial applications and probably microbes may be playing much bigger role in future to augment the industrial chemicals production. Biological processes such as this using CO2 as the feed stock have the added advantage of helping the world to reduce the carbon foot print considered responsible for the global warming phenomenon. It is only recently that the CO2 level crossed the 400 ppm level which is considered a forewarning about impending disasters if world does not pull back from this brink soon!

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

PLASTIC FROM BACTERIA-TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE?

Fast depleting fossil fuel resources is raising alarms all around with private and public funded research efforts striving to evolve alternate sustainable energy sources. While tapping solar energy, wind energy, wave energy, geothermal energy, etc can help to fill the gap to some extent after the era of easy and cheap fossil fuels, still there is no clear solution to this vexing problem. One of the areas where fossil fuels have contributed enormously is in the manufacture of a variety of plastics for packaging consumer products including food and it is an irrefutable fact that both production and disposal of plastics pose technical, environmental and economic challenges. There are alternate technologies for production of plastics from basic chemicals produced by the plants and some microbiological sources though they have not yet gained universal acceptance. Recent break through in research studies to convert carbon dioxide, the very villain of peace to day in the global warming debate, are considered exciting and here is a critique on this development with some far reaching future potential to clean up the Globe.

Today, the world consumes 120 million tons of the chemical ethylene to make the world's most widely used plastics. Almost all of that ethylene is derived from fossil fuels. Between 1.5 to 3 tons of carbon dioxide is released for every ton of ethylene produced, which is why plastic has such an enormous carbon footprint. Now, researchers have inserted a gene into bacteria that turns it into one of the world's most efficient factories for ethylene by eating carbon dioxide, instead of releasing it into the air. On the opposite end of the plastic production line, a newly discovered fungus in the Amazon eats plastic, finally giving us a way to get rid of the stuff. The new cyanobacterium works in the opposite way of traditional plastic production: Its photosynthetic capabilities means it harnesses today's photons from sunlight (as opposed to old photons stored in the energy of chemical bonds in petroleum) to add carbon from the air to ethylene molecules. This saves six tons of carbon dioxide emissions for every ton of ethylene created: Three tons are absorbed by bacteria and three are avoided from the usual fossil fuels, says the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "Our peak productivity is higher than a number of other technologies, including ethanol, butanol, and isoprene," said NREL principal investigator, Jianping Yu, in a release from the Lab. "We overcame problems encountered by past researchers. Our process doesn't produce toxins such as cyanide and it is more stable than past efforts. And it isn't going to be a food buffet for other organisms."

The new genetically modified bacteria offers exciting possibilities if harnessed properly. The fact that it can create the basic building blocks of plastics by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide has future repercussions for both the packaging industry as well as environmental managers since it will considerably reduce the green house effect due to carbon dioxide while providing an inexhaustible source for making plastics for consumer use. The commercial feasibility part of the research has to be established in no uncertain terms and if technical feasibility is confirmed all countries in this Universe must join hands to evolve this technology further to the point of global use. The technological developments for optimizing the production of ethylene by the bacteria and exploitation of the Amazon fungus must be a common property of the mankind and there should not be any reservation on the part of NREL to share this with the world community at large.

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

"MAP" FOR FRESH MEAT-ACHIEVING INCREASED SHELF LIFE

Fresh meat products industry has been facing serious challenges in maintaining safety of their products when delivered to the consumers. As these foods are highly perishable attracting a variety of pathogenic microorganisms, processors have to be extra cautious in raising the animals, slaughtering them, processing the carcass into consumer products and retailing them in sound condition. Though sanitation in the shop floor and preparation environment can be meticulously maintained, storage and distribution pose hazards of cross infection. Thermal processing can be effective but is fraught with problems vis-a-vis logistics and eating quality and refrigeration has its own limitations in giving required shelf life. Toxicity of CO2 to most pathogens has been exploited in evolving a new technology that protects the meat through in situ generation of this gas in the pack.

"Fresh-Pads use a unique CO2 generating technology incorporated in a physical pad that modifies the atmosphere surrounding perishable food for an extended period of time. The results include less purge, longer shelf life, and improved texture, color and smell, thereby improving the marketability of the food. CO2 Fresh-Pads gradually generate carbon dioxide, a natural atmospheric gas, in a controlled manner to retard bacteria growth from 20%-50% on perishable foods, significantly reducing purge and spoilage to provide safer fresher food. With the government's new Food Safety requirements for food processors, the addition of a product that's proven to reduce bacteria growth in fresh meat, poultry and seafood can be a real benefit. In contrast to other food preservation technologies, CO2 pads provide an all-natural solution without resorting to the use of expensive equipment, chemicals, preservatives or high heat processes that can affect the integrity of the product or add substances that today's consumers find undesirable".

Though this is a patented technology, the principle involved in CO2 generation is well known and there are CO2 generating systems already existing for other products. For example the ubiquitous baking powder is a CO2 generating system used extensively in the bakery industry and any mixture of a carbonate and an acid can generate the gas when coming into contact with moisture. Or take the case of effervescent beverage powders which, when added to water, provide a fizz drink in a jiffy. As CO2 gas is a constituent of air that all living beings inhale and exhale, any question regarding its safety is out of place. The challenge is in designing suitable package modules containing the CO2 yielding source that will generate the gas when in contact with the moist contents without tainting the product.

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

BEST WAY OF DRINKING CHAMPAGNE-TAKE YOUR PICK

Solubility of carbon dioxide in water phase is low at ambient temperatures and pressure conditions and the same can be increased by lowering the temperature of water and at higher pressures. Industry producing aerated water products use the above principle in manufacturing hundreds of beverage products highly popular amongst the consumers. The two global soft drink giants in the beverage sector Coke and Pepsi share between them more than 90% of the market for such beverages. Champagne, the legendary Sparkling Wine originating from the Champagne region of France which comes under the category of aerated alcoholic beverages is derived from grapes by yeast fermentation and is cherished for its association with luxury, power and success. It is made from special varieties of grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot nois and Pinot meunier in France and preparation process is a guarded secret, each manufacturer claiming superiority for his process over the other. Originally used during special occasion of anointment of Kings in France, Champagne is to day a common symbol of victory and festivities.

"Pouring champagne down the side of the glass might stop the bubbles overflowing too quickly but is the best way? According to French scientists, it is, preserving both its taste and fizz — and the bubbly should be well chilled. Researchers from the University of Reims in France set out to settle a long-standing disagreement over the best way to pour a glass of champagne by measuring the losses of dissolved carbon dioxide gas during champagne serving. Past studies have indicated that the bubbles formed during the release of large amounts of dissolved carbon dioxide gas help transfer the taste, aroma, and mouth-feel of champagne. But Gerard Liger-Belair and his University of Reims colleagues set out to see how the act of pouring a glass of bubbly could impact the gas levels in champagne and its quality. The scientists studied carbon dioxide loss in champagne using two different pouring methods. One involved pouring champagne straight down the middle of a glass while the other involved pouring champagne down the side of an angled glass. "Pouring champagne down the side preserved up to twice as much carbon dioxide in champagne than pouring down the middle, probably because the angled method was gentler," they wrote in their study that was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. They also showed that cooler champagne temperatures — ideally, 39 degrees Fahrenheit —helped reduce carbon dioxide loss. "Low temperatures prolong the drink's chill and help it to retain its effervescence during the pouring process," they said.

The preparation of Champagne involves in situ generation of CO2 due to secondary fermentation after bottling of the wine and unlike external infusion of CO2 in soft drinks, it has the special characteristics of enhancing the natural aroma of wine. The above findings that pouring champagne on the side of the class as a better way of enjoying the drink makes eminent sense considering that Champagne is "aged" for at least 1.5 years, some times for a number of years to develop rich flavor and the volatile aromatic organic chemicals tend to be on the top of the bottle. The aroma tends to escape as soon as the bottle is open along with CO2 and slow pouring with out too much disturbance in the fluid system will enable slow and sustained release of the flavor. One wonders whether same "fad" holds good for fizz drinks also, most of which have distinctive aromatic flavor except plain soda and probably drinking directly from the container immediately after opening may be more enjoyable.

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

MARINE ECO-SYSTEM-IMPACT OF CO2 EMISSION

CO2 emission due to human activity, especially fossil fuel burning, is supposed to cause global warming and consequent damage to the ecosystem and human life. Now comes the report that the oceans act like a vast sink for CO2 absorption as more than two thirds of earth's surface is covered by water and the acidity of the oceans is increasing perceptibly due to dissolved CO2. According to eco scientists, such a change can bring about unprecedented changes in the marine life with catastrophic consequences.

"The level of acid in the oceans is increasing at an unprecedented rate and threatening to change marine ecosystems, says a new study by the US National Research Council. It says the oceans are absorbing more than 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide an hour - one-third of today's carbon dioxide emissions - and are 30 per cent more acidic than before the Industrial Revolution started roughly 200 years ago. Unless emissions are reduced, ocean acidity could increase by 200 per cent by the end of the century and even more in the next century, said James Barry, a senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California and one of the study's authors".

It is amazing how a mere drop in pH from 8.2 to 8.1 in two hundred years could have such serious repercussions on the marine eco system affecting practically every species that is sheltered by the sea. What is more alarming is the prediction that the pH drop can be steeper during the present century unless CO2 emission is brought under control through inter country cooperation and renewed resolve.

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

CO2 IMPACT ON FOOD-THE LURKING FEAR

CO2 is a much reviled gas because of its green house effect and consequent contribution to global warming or 'climate change' as some like to put it. However its effect on quality of crops is not so very well understood. During the beginning of this millennium some scientists did predict that rising levels of this gas in the atmosphere will reduce the nutritive value of staple crops like wheat significantly. More alarming is the finding that high levels of CO2 increases the cyanide content in the root crop cassava besides making plants like eucalyptus produce more terpenes in the atmosphere, considered undesirable. The new findings reported in Germany confirm how CO2 can reduce the nutritive value of wheat when grown in open fields in an environment containing CO2 at levels anticipated to be reached by the year 2050.

According to the group which organized the studies "the discovery that staple crops like wheat have less protein when grown in high concentrations of CO2 has already caused concern, but the bad news doesn't stop there. Ramping up CO2 also changes the balance of amino acids and several trace elements."

The 8% drop in protein may not be that alarming but reducing the concentration of essential amino acids can have significant adverse impact, especially for small children. Reduction of iron content is also some thing to be worried about considering the wide spread prevalence of anemia in many parts of the world. The14% reduction in Cadmium, one of the heavy metals, is a positive news and this area calls for more extensive multi country investigations by WHO to bring out other adverse consequences of rising CO2 levels caused by industrial activity and uncontrolled deforestation, on the food supply chain..

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