MEXICAN FOODS FOUND TAINTED-NEW FOOD POISONING OUT BREAK

No matter how stringent the food safety regulations are, as long as human beings handle food there is bound to be health risks associated with such mass manufactured food products. It is a wonder that instances of food poisoning are not as alarming as it could be, considering the massive volumes handled by the food industry, especially in a high consumption country like the US. The new regulations which are supposed to be more stringent, based on past experience being enforced in that country are giving, probably, false hopes to the consumers that they can relax with no possibility of any danger from the foods they access from the market. Probably such a feeling is misplaced as there is nothing in this world which is absolutely safe, the whole life being a balance of risks and benefits associated with day to day activities. Recent food poisoning episode in the US that affected about 69 people in 10 states has been attributed to foods consumed in Mexican restaurants but it is not yet certain that those affected consumed the food from one or more restaurants belonging to established Mexican food chains. Investigation should pin point the source from where Salmonella was able to gain access to the stomach of the affected consumers so that such incidences are not repeated else where in future. 

"Food Safety News has found that six fast food "Mexican-style" restaurant chains -- Taco Bell, Chipotle, Qdoba, Del Taco, Taco John's and Taco Del Mar -- have locations in at least 7 of the 10 states reporting victims tied to the outbreak. Three chains - Chipotle, Qdoba and Taco Bell - have locations in all 10 states. Because the CDC lists outbreak victims by the state in which their illnesses were reported, it is possible that some of the victims ate contaminated food in one state and fell ill in another state -- meaning "Restaurant Chain A" does not necessarily have a franchise in each state that reported an outbreak-related case of salmonellosis. Food Safety News attempted to contact representatives from each of the six restaurant chains. Thus far, only representatives from Qdoba and Chipotle have stated their chains were not involved in the outbreak. "There is no connection to Chipotle and we have not been contacted by CDC or any other health officials regarding this incident," said a representative for Chipotle in an emailed statement to Food Safety News Monday.  "No, we have not been linked by the CDC to any Salmonella outbreaks at any of our locations," Lauren Preston of Qdoba told Food Safety News Monday. Taco Bell, Del Taco, Taco John's and Taco Del Mar did not return any of Food Safety News's requests for comment, despite repeated attempts. Last week, Food Safety News called the health departments in each of 10 states involved in the outbreak, and the CDC and FDA, and none of these public agencies would provide the name of the restaurant. The list of states where Salmonella enteriditis illnesses were reported is as follows: Texas (43), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (2) Iowa (2), Michigan (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Mexico (1), Ohio (1) and Tennessee (1)". 

Has the above episode a lesson to offer to restaurants catering ethnic foods? It is widely known that those catering ethnic foods from China, India, Korea, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka etc are less rigorous in their adherence to standard hygienic and sanitary practices raising the chances of contamination in the preparations made by them. While Indian customers with "strong" stomach might not react to foods marginally tainted, local population trying such foods occasionally may not have the required "immunity" to resist even mild contamination resulting in illness. The message from the above episode is that ethnic food caterers must see the writing on the wall and make their establishment truly safe for every customer who walks in for enjoying their food with no danger of falling sick.

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

"TRACEABILITY" IN FOOD CHAINS-THE DNA TECHNOLOGY

Eating in a restaurant is becoming increasingly complicated with the customers being bombarded with threat perceptions regarding the "healthiness" of the menu and safety of the preparations offered by the caterer. Enjoying the food in one's favorite restaurant needs an atmosphere not marred by tension, suspicion and fear and that is why people frequent some restaurants regularly after experiencing the pleasure of eating good and safe food. Unfortunately time has changed, especially in western countries where "healthiness" has overtaken the eating quality of the foods served. Foods rich in salt or sugar or fat are being increasingly shunned because of the fear that they can damage the health from diseases like CVD, blood pressure, diabetes, over weight syndrome and obesity. Trust in the ability of a caterer to provide safe food is progressively ebbing and regulatory authorities are stepping in for safety enforcement. Latest fad that is being promoted is the DNA reading instruments which can trace the ingredients used in a food preparation and help the processor to decide on the quality of products like meat. When such "traceable" ingredients are used and when the customer is informed about it, the restaurants can charge premium prices for preparations made from them. Here is a take on this development that is taking place using modern electronic and biotechnology techniques.

The technology can determine not only where the meat came from, but also whether it's organic or Angus — or whatever the label says. Workers take DNA samples at processing and other places along the supply chain. The samples are gathered to determine the specific animals each product came from. Information kept by farmers and others involved in the raising and processing of the animals can be added to give a more complete history. DNA tracing also provides a faster way to identify the source of contaminated meat in the event of a recall, speeding the process from weeks or months to just hours. For example, it can identify the multiple animals whose parts were used in ground beef, which Holm said may be made from 1,000 different animals in a 10-pound box. The technology's ability to pinpoint particular animals could even reduce the amount of meat affected by recalls, which generally are tremendously costly for producers, suppliers and others. "In more recent years, food safety issues have become much more prominent in the supply chain here," said Ronan Loftus, co-founder of IdentiGEN Ltd., which is working with Performance Food Group on its DNA tracing. Countries like the United Kingdom and others turned to the technology because of food safety concerns, including worries about mad cow disease.

How far such "gimmicks" will impress the customers remains to be seen. Probably over the years DNA tracing may become an industry standard, especially for meat products which are accessed from different sources and it could be helpful for the industries, both processing as well as catering, to trace the source of meat supplied to them by the distributor. Besides this technique can also prevent false claims about the type of meat supplied and reveal whether good meat is adulterated with inferior ones.

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

"DESI" FOOD CHAINS-EMULATING GLOBAL PLAYERS

It took more than 60 years for the independent India to realize that food can be big money, thanks largely to the international fast food giants who entered the country some time back. Even to day except for a small minority of restaurants, mostly Delhi- based, most restaurant chains do not think of providing their customers the much admired ambiance though their offerings are highly appreciated by their patrons. Similarly hygiene, sanitation, service quality and presentation are aspects mostly ignored, till the pan-India coffee chain, Cafe Coffee day showed the potential for modern food outlets in India. It is really exciting to see a traditional sweet-meat vendor like Bikanervala breaking into the big league through hiked up investments in creating state of the art catering facilities not only in India but also in some foreign countries. Here is a glimpse of what is "cooking" in the domestic fast food sector.

"Home-grown food chains are setting a scorching pace in terms of expansion plans, giving their MNC counterparts like McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC a tough challenge. Having learnt a marketing lesson or two from their MNC counterparts, several Indian food chains have adopted international standards and have spruced up their menus, hygiene levels and premises to evolve as spanking new brands. So, now when you walk into a mall, a Bikano outlet looks as inviting as a McDonald's. In fact, the catalyst for this revival was a McDonald's store. When the first one opened in Delhi, it prompted Bikanervala MD Shyam Sunder Aggarwal to think if right ambience and quality standards, marinated with desi food, could produce similar results. And, so began the journey of Bikanervala, which today has sweet shops-cum-restaurants all over India and even New Zealand, Dubai and London. It will soon be opening its doors in the US, living up to its tagline for overseas outlets, 'Pardes Me Des Ka Swad'. Here are some appetising numbers underlining the expansion story: Street Foods of India (SFI) is targeting a total of 120 outlets in the next five years; renowned chef Jiggs Kalra's Punjab Grill intends to have 30-35 dining restaurants in the same period. Pind Balluchi, with 25 restaurants at present, will open seven more in the next year".

The slogan "Pardes Me Des Ka Swad" must be replaced by a more appropriate one, keeping an eye on attracting not only Indian immigrants but also local population. If Mexico or China can establish a firm foot hold in many countries of the world out side their borders, why not India? The common impression that Indian foods are greasy, spicy, unhygienic, etc must be dispelled and high ambiance and a see-through kitchen that can instill confidence about safety of the foods offered, can go a long way in establishing the supremacy of Indian foods in the world arena. There are many reputed restaurant players in India and they must look beyond the border to popularize Indian foods giving it a universal aura. A restaurant chain like Rajdhani is a role model for others and there is considerable scope for further improvement and diversification of the menu to suit the palates of most customers across the world. The health and nutrition aspects of many Indian foods are the USP features which must be exploited to the hilt to gain acceptance and further promote them in a big way.

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