Mid-day meal program in schools-Management misdeeds!

School feeding programs world across are considered a win-win situation because it is supposed to attract children from low income population to the schools facilitating the objective of universal literacy besides improving the health of these school going kids. No doubt it is a noble thought and its success, though may cast a huge economic burden on the national budget, can bring in qualitative transformation of the society at large. But the crucial question is whether such programs are efficiently managed or not? From time to time we do hear about many complaints regarding mishaps, some minor and others major, affecting the safety of the beneficiaries. Ever since the idea of school lunch program was mooted there was a debate whether the food should be made and served hot within the school premises or pre-prepared foods in sealed packs should be distributed and even to day this issue has not yet been settled. However the trend seems to be to equip all the schools with the necessary infrastructure to cook the foods in the schools themselves. Though many observers had pointed out the dangers and pitfalls inherent in a gigantic arrangement like this, government seems to have decided to encourage school cooking and massive funding is being proposed to set up or upgrade the infrastructure needed. It is against this background one has to read the latest report of the CAG, placed in the Parliament which makes a sad commentary on the efficiency and seriousness with which this program is managed at present. Read further below: 

"The quality of food served in schools under the Mid Day Meal Scheme continues to remain poor across the country, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said in a report tabled in parliament on Friday. The report raised many red flags such as over-reporting of enrolment figures, financial indiscipline, poor quality of means and inadequate meals. "Cases of cooking of poor quality meals in unhygienic conditions, inadequate and poor quality of infrastructure in terms of kitchen sheds and utensils were rampant across all states exposing children to health hazards," it said. Launched in August 1995 to boost education by increasing enrolment, retention and attendance simultaneously impacting on the nutrition levels of children, the Mid Day Meal Scheme was extended in 2008-09 to students of upper primary classes. The scheme is currently operational in 27 states and seven union territories. According to the report, the Food Corporation of India did not serve the best quality of rice in Uttar Pradesh schools. It said there were several complaints of poor quality meal cooked by Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Development Corporation Limited which is engaged in cooking for schools in Chandigarh. According to the report, the prescribed nutrition to children was not provided in schools of at least nine states, including the national capital. In Delhi, samples of cooked food of the 37 service providers during the period 2010-14 were tested by the Sri Ram Institute of Industrial Research. "Out of the 2,102 samples, 1,876 (89 percent) failed to meet the prescribed nutrition standard," the report said. The report showed a consistent decline of enrolment of children in the Mid Day Meal Scheme from 14.69 crore in 2009-10 to 13.87 crore in 2013-14. Declining trends in enrolments during 2009-10 to 2103-14 were observed across the country in states such as Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. The report also observed that the checks to ensure quality of meals and adequacy of nutritional value of food served to children remained only on paper. The inadequate monitoring of the scheme by the human resource ministry and the states was a major bottleneck in implementation. The funds earmarked for monitoring and evaluation had been grossly underutilized, the report cited."

Though there would be some slip ups in any program of this size, not doing enough to improve upon the existing practices cannot be condoned, especially when we are dealing with school kids who will be tomorrow's citizens. To realize that almost 90% of the samples tested by independent assessors failed the standards laid down for making the foods is indeed shocking. Added to this the enrolment of children to schools is showing a declining trend raising the critical question as to why this is happening at all? The blame game will go on for some time with no one willing to accept the responsibility as passing the buck is a favorite game in this country!  Look at the Parliament and the abominable behavior of the law makers and even a kid can get disgusted because these so called representatives of the people have no time to consider matters affecting the citizens and their children, wasting their time on personal bickerings and narrow political agenda. Probably switching back to packed foods with standard and safe standards may be the only answer. With food technology organizations like CFTRI , DFRL and NIFTEM, all public funded agencies, why not the government demand a time bound development mission to come up with a dozen RTE food products with diverse tastes and long adequate shelf stability that cannot be diverted to open markets? This will ensure adequate safeguards for quality, quantity, safety and accountability.   

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

The bacteria that controls the hunger-A new twist to satiety and hunger in humans.

Thousands of words have been written about the importance of consuming a balanced diet in moderate quantities and many workshops have taken place to impress upon people the need to exercise regularly for maintaining good health. Unfortunately consumers do not seem to be paying too much attention to these cautionary advices as evidenced by the gross indiscipline seen among the consumers regarding their choice of foods. With massive promotion of nutrient light and calorie rich junk foods by the industry, consumers are tempted to go in for foods which are cheap, tasty and satisfying ignoring costlier options like fruits, vegetables, whole grains based products and others. The result is the galloping trend of uncontrolled weight gains often tending to cross the obesity rubicon! Who is to be faulted for this population degeneration-the industry, government or the consumer.? The answer depends on who is going to reply! The industry says that consumer must do necessary exercise to maintain good health, government has not much of an opinion on this and the consumer cannot decide what to eat. With sugary and salty foods now being bracketed with tobacco and alcohol as addictive substances, the onus seems to be on the consumer to shun these types of foods for their own good. But how can they do this unless there is strong will which cannot be expected from every body. Now comes another twist to this food addiction story narrated by some scientists who opine that it is actually the gut bacterial composition that determines the hunger and decision to eat how much. Read further below to get a better idea about the new postulations made by them.   

"Gut microbes could be the one responsible for telling people that dinner is done. Researchers of a new study have found chemical clues suggesting that when certain bacteria in the stomach already had enough to eat, they inform the brain it is time to push away the plate. In animal experiments, researchers found evidence suggesting that certain microbes in the body have a way of letting the brain know they have had enough nutrients. The signals they send also appear to have the ability to turn on and off the hunger of their host. For the new study published in Cell Metabolism, Serguei Fetissov, from Rouen University in France, and colleagues looked at the proteins produced by the E.coli bacteria, which are prevalent in the human gut, and noticed that about 20 minutes after feeding and multiplying in number, the bacteria switch from producing a set of proteins to another. When Fetissov and colleagues injected small doses of the post-meal proteins into rodents, they noticed that they reduced their food intake regardless if they were previously fed or kept hungry. Further analysis likewise revealed that one protein stimulated the release of a hormone that play a role in satiety.  "Our study shows that bacterial proteins from E. coli can be involved in the same molecular pathways that are used by the body to signal satiety, and now we need to know how an altered gut microbiome can affect this physiology," Fetissov said. Once they are provided with nutrients, the bacteria were found to produce more or less a billion more of their kind. Interestingly, they stop growing after producing about one billion and then start producing new proteins that inhibit the effect of appetite. The researchers said that E.coli could be hijacking a molecular pathway to produce signals that make animals feel full. By doing so, the bacteria also find a way to self-regulate their populations. The findings of the study show the microbes have a crucial role in the physiology of appetite and may even help people who suffer from eating disorders. "These data show that bacterial proteins produced after nutrient-induced E. coli growth may signal meal termination," the researchers wrote. "Continuous exposure to E. coli proteins may influence long-term meal pattern."

E.coli is a microorganism not liked by the hygiene scientists and its presence in any food is taken as indication of fecal contamination. This surmise is based on the fact that there are over 500 species of microorganisms which inhabit the human gut. Naturally among these colony of bugs there could be good ones as well pathogens depending on the source of fecal contamination. Thus E.coli is more known as a marker microbe for the microbiological quality of any food. However the revelation by the French scientists that it may be playing a role in controlling the hunger is indeed startling and by this score it deserves our respect. There may be significant implications of these findings for future research on obesity control. A natural question that arises in this context is whether inclusion of favorable nutrients of E.coli in human diet can bring in satiety faster and there fore lesser intake of food? This is a gray area requiring further studies. Of course the results of the animal experiments itself need not be applicable to humans in all cases and naturally the research opens up wide vistas for further studies in the coming years. If confirmed by human trials, there is even the possibility of growing E.coli under controlled conditions for producing the typical protein that is implicated in satiety and including the same in the diet for creating quicker satiety.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

Fast Casual Foods-Evolution of eating out practices in the US

Eating out practice is a part of the societal evolution with the growth of modern industrial and business environment forcing families to spend less and less time in the kitchen to feed them. Such dining out is in vogue all over the world, it is most conspicuous in America and Europe. Over a period of time the concept of eating out has seen a sea change from formal dining to dining on the side of the streets. Remarkably fast food joints and food trucks have grown phenomenally that they are threatening the very foundation of established restaurants which provide ambiance and fine quality food preparations to be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere. Fast food restaurants serving products made mostly from frozen products offer low cost foods at a fast pace. These food caterers, mostly in chain mode, have hundreds of outlets across the country with standardized eateries, characteristic of each chain. A new catering concept called fast casual started a few years ago which seems to have caught the fancy of people as reflected by dramatic growth of this sector and though they are also fast food outlets, their food offerings are much superior in quality to those served by fast food set ups, though they may cost 50% to 100% more. Here is a take on this new trend.

"While fast casual chains do not compare to the robust revenue stream of restaurant giants like McDonalds, the industry has witnessed growth rates not seen in the quick service industry. It is reported that sales of fast casual outlets rose by 10.5% in 2014, compared with 6.1% for fast food chains. Notably, industry leader Chipotle is enjoying 20% annual growth rates. Combining ambience and meal quality comparable to casual dining with the convenience of a quick service chain, the fast casual industry has been a model for current and future success. A number of factors, including affordability in conjunction with quality, taste, convenience, and customer service, form the basis for fast casual outlets.In general, a fast food meal costs between $5 and $7 while offering average food quality, no table service, and limited customization. Conversely, the fast casual concept incorporates affordability with high quality ingredients. While the typical cost of fast casual meals is more expensive than their quick service counterparts, consumers are afforded more natural ingredients and custom meals. As mentioned previously, Chipotle Mexican Grill is at the forefront of the rapid growth. Chipotle offers made-to-order meals with plenty of options for customization. As consumer habits shift to healthier life choices, ingredients labeled organic, fresh, and non-GMO are associated with higher prices. As a result, the average Chipotle customer spends $11.56 per visit with prices continuing to rise as a result of commodity price fluctuations. However, the sector still maintains high volume sales, indicating that people prefer quality and hygiene over low prices. (For more, see: 22 Ways To Fight Rising Food Prices.)"

Rise of fast casual food outlets also saw the emergence of food trucks which offer foods made from fresh raw material though they do not have very comfortable sitting facilities, most of them serving foods to customers on the sides of designated roads. They enjoy the advantage of shifting their operation to places where customer density is high. Fast casual restaurants, on the other hand provide seating facility and serve many customized products prepared in full visibility of the customers! Look at India where fast food restaurant concept is emerging now, most of them being of American origin through some of their offerings are "adapted" to local flavor preferences. There are a few Indian traditional food caterers who have started fast food outlets serving standardized  ethnic foods while road side vending is also growing with millions of cart based and van based caterers doing decent business in almost all towns and cities in the country. Of course these street food vendors cannot be compared to food truck business in the US, especially in terms of hygiene, sanitation and safety.

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

Food quality for children to be come more and more diluted! Disturbing developments

If what is happening in the US legislative bodies is any indication, the citizens have decided to move on a suicidal path after electing representatives during the recent elections most of whom are retrograde politicians and who are captives of powerful vested interests and lobbyists having no regard or sensitivity to their well being.  How else one can explain the recent clearance of a gigantic spending Bill which has several anti-citizen and pro-vested interest riders harming the health of the population there. A classical example is a provision barring the American government in mandating lower salt levels and insisting on use of whole grains in school lunch programs! What a pity! Read further below to realize how far the industry lobby can go in preserving their profits at the expense of the health of the consumers they are supposed to serve.

"Health insurance companies preserved their tax breaks. Farmers and ranchers were spared having to report on pollution from manure. Tourist destinations like Las Vegas benefited from a travel promotion program. Also buried in the giant spending bill that cleared the Senate on Saturday and is headed to President Obama for his signature were provisions that prohibit the federal government from requiring less salt in school lunches and allow schools to obtain exemptions from whole-grain requirements for pasta and tortillas. The watered-down standards for school meals were a setback for the first lady, Michelle Obama, who had vowed to fight "until the bitter end" for tougher nutrition standards. But they were a victory for food companies and some local school officials, who had sought changes in regulations that are taking effect over several years. When an omnibus spending bill pops onto the floor of the House or the Senate in the waning days of a congressional session, some lawmakers invariably express surprise and outrage at special-interest provisions stuffed into the package. Representative Marcy Kaptur, Democrat of Ohio and a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, criticized the $1.1 trillion spending measure as "a Christmas tree bill," decorated with "dangerous and unwelcome, nongermane riders." Such favors often have a long lineage. Lobbyists and lawmakers have, in many cases, been working on them for months or years. Some of this year's provisions originated as free-standing bills, languished on their own and were then revived in the spending package. Others block regulations that have been proposed, adopted and sometimes upheld in court. The School Nutrition Association, representing cafeteria directors, welcomed the bill's language on sodium and whole grains. The lower sodium standards would have been "extremely difficult to achieve," and the government needs more research before compelling schools to make such costly changes, said the association, which receives financial support from food companies. Republicans like Representative Harold Rogers of Kentucky, the committee chairman, said the riders were needed to halt wasteful spending and "overreach" by agencies that generate rules harmful to the economy." 

Implication of salt in blood pressure and other diseases like CVD and kidney disorders are well documented and has been proved beyond doubt through exhaustive scientific studies. It is well known that a major causative factor for ill health in the US is the tendency of the people to eat high fat, high salt, high sugar, high meat diets and though each citizen has liberty to eat what he wants, the government cannot shirk its responsibility to prevent social break down and growth of a population morbid and zombies in their living style which can ruin the country in the long run affecting productivity and entailing huge expenditure for treating such diseases.  If this is the attitude and mindset of the law makers in that country, even the God cannot help that country from committing hara-kiri!

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

THE RAILWAYS' FOOD SERVICE "GAME"-LOCAL PROBLEM, FOREIGN SOLUTION!

With new government in charge at Delhi and a brand new Railway Minister taking over the portfolio of railway "administration", citizens had a ray of hope that things would look up and better days are ahead for the hapless passenger community. When the quality of foods served in premium trains was under attack during the last few years, there has always been wishy washy response from the babus who rule the roost in this government sector organization with no perceptible improvement happening at the ground level. In this context one is shocked by the attempt last year by the Railway Board to bring in "foreign" auditors to prepare a "report" on the quality of foods served in the trains! It is rather ingenious on the part of the Railways to bring in "experts" from abroad who will have no clue regarding the needs of Indian consumers vis-a-vis food quality especially the eating quality. May be they would be able to point out the safety deficiencies based on standard tests and investigations but why foreign experts? Why cannot Indian agencies like CFTRI do the same job and Indian institutions not only would have done a diagnosis but also are capable of suggesting solutions appropriate to the domestic situation. It is interesting to listen to the rationale of the Railways in bringing foreign experts as stated by agency last year.   

"Fed up with complaints about food served on trains, Railways has decided to deploy international food auditing firms who do quality checks at five star hotels to do its quality assessment. On Thursday, it abandoned its one-week-old menu on Rajdhanis and Shatabdis following constant passenger complaints. As a pilot project at present, a Swedish company is carrying out third-party audit of the food and hygiene on the premium trains on the Mumbai-Howrah route. It will present its report to the Railway Ministry on November 5. "There are renowned multinational auditing firms who do quality audits for five star hotels. Once we get the report for this one, we will formalise this policy and call for tenders for all trains. And we will recover the cost from the vendor who serves food on trains," D P Pande, Member (Traffic), Railway Board, told The Indian Express. The firms will not only check quality and quantity of food served but will also assess the condition in which the food is made and served, the hygiene standards and the like, he said. In the past one week, two catering vendors have been fined Rs 1 lakh each based on complaints from passengers. "We will revise the upper limit of the fines to be charged from errant vendors so that the heavy fine becomes a deterrent," he said. After rolling out a new menu with reduced food items and at the same time jacking up their prices on Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains on October 17, Railways quickly reverted to the old menu on Thursday because passengers had been complaining of getting "too less for more money".

Not much was heard about the report of any foreign auditors but the new government's efforts to address the issue is are interesting. in a major announcement recently the concerned Minster announced a series of measures to "improve" food quality and one such attempt is to bring in on-line ordering and delivery of foods from star hotels on some trains if the passengers are computer savvy and after all most travelers in the upper class should have smart phones with 2G/3G facilities and credit card payment provisions. Also being brought in is a system where packed foods from reputed branded processors like ITC, MTR etc would be offered though cost could work out very high. These are good moves but it begs the question regarding the inability of in-house Railway Catering service to meet the aspirations of the traveling public, in spite of decades of experience in this field. It is still not clear why Railways have not made any attempt to use this opportunity where it has millions of captive consumers to build up a thriving public-private partnership in catering with the help of food technology institutions like CFTRI, DFRL, NIFTEM and Universities to back up the safety and quality credentials. Probably this will never happen unless there is a dynamic management cadre with vision, foresight, dedication and commitment. The new government should not fritter away this golden opportunity for a long term effective solution to the serious quality problems being faced by the Railways for the last few years!

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

TEACHERS REFUSE TO BE MEAL MANAGERS TOO- THE BIHAR TRAGEDY AFTERMATH

The chicken has come to roost at last vis-a-vis the food contamination episode in Bihar as more than 300000 teachers across the state have revolted against the State government for the insinuation made by one of the ministers that the incidence was a conspiracy to defame the government! Will any self respecting teacher continue to work any more for the government under such circumstances? After all teachers are forced to undertake management of the feeding program being carried on under most primitive conditions over and above the teaching responsibility for which they are appointed and paid for! The babus and politicians take the credit when any government program is lauded while the blame for any mishap is passed on to the low paid workers like teachers in the present case. With the teachers on the war path what option the so called progressive government now ruling will have to continue the program? Will the school meal program be abandoned as the minister concerned has thrown up his hands in despair? What is most disgusting is the implied insinuation that kids were deliberately poisoned for political gains by the opposition political parties! That means the school teachers have no integrity and humaneness in carrying out the diabolical plan with the support of some politicians to murder 23 kids in broad day light! Here is a take on this latest turn of events in Bihar where the ruling party has no time for development work, spending most of its time in its political maneuver to become a shiny model of secularism in the country, whatever that means!

"A week after the death of 23 children from eating a contaminated mid-day meal in Saran district, teachers are in no mood to assist the government in running the scheme. "It was unanimously decided at a meeting of the Bihar State Primary Teachers' Association to boycott the scheme," its president, Barajnandan Sharma, told IANS. "We had repeatedly requested the government in writing to involve teachers in academic work only and employ some agency for the scheme, which was ignored. Teachers should not be burdened with all kinds of non-academic work," he said. Teachers are blamed for anything that goes wrong with the scheme, Sharma said, adding: "It is giving a bad name to teachers due to rampant corruption." He said that it is a well-known fact that teachers and headmasters have to invariably manage the mid-day meal scheme with third-grade food stuff and corruption at every level. "Top to bottom, officials have information about it. But when something happens, a teacher or headmaster is solely blamed for it despite the fact that there are several officials involved in it," he said. Refering to the Saran tragedy, Sharma said: "There may be some mismanagement. Even human error cannot be ruled out. But putting the blame on teachers even before an inquiry has completed surprised us." In the wake of teachers' decision to boycott the scheme, Bihar Education Minister P.K. Shahi said it was difficult to arrange for an agency to run the scheme in 72,000 schools across the state. "The government does not have the resources to hire an agency for the huge task of serving mid-day meals to 1.60 crore students," Shahi said".

The minister has no business to lament about the helplessness of the government in continuing with the program of feeding 16 million kids every day after making the allegation of sabotage in the poisoning episode. Did he not think about the consequences of his irresponsible uttering about sabotage? If the state government does not have the ability to continue with the program why not stop it right now and think of other alternatives to reward the kids for showing their face in the school. Both the governments at Delhi and in the states will have to bear the responsibility for the latest tragedy because they were cornering all the credits being showered on the country by international agencies for "running" the largest "feeding" program in the world! When will the government of India wake up to the reality that schools are not meant to cook foods and teachers cannot manage such hot food programs without affecting the quality of education? There is no other alternative, whether one likes it or not, to supplying processed packaged foods, ready to eat, prepared by established manufacturers with guaranteed quality and safety. Government of India must wake up to this reality before more such tragedies as that happened in Bihar are repeated over and over again across millions of schools in the country.

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

CRAZY IDEAS FOR CRAZY SITUATION!-SUGGESTION FOR FOOD STOCK LIQUIDATION

Food grain surplus available with Government of India is increasing every year due to the diligence of the farmers and decent procurement prices ( MSP) offered to them. On one hand MSP provides the farmer a safety net so that he is not exploited by the traders while increasing flow of grains into government granaries is creating an infrastructure jam in the form of inadequate safe storage facility and lack of quality and management factors. In spite of strictures from the Supreme Court on the wastage of grains year after year, very little has been achieved so far address the storage problem. Suggestions are made from time to time regarding the best way to get rid of the stored grains held beyond the food security linked storage level though Government is still not sure as to how this food surplus is to be tackled. Latest view on this subject is bizarre in that it suggests that eligible consumers are to be supplied with their 3 years' grain requirement at one go to get rid of the grain stock! Here is a take on this "hilarious" suggestion.      

The paper noted central agencies had excess stock even after taking into account what was needed for the FSB. The authors calculated that stocks with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) would be in excess of 30 million tonnes as on July 1. The value locked in these ranges from Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 92,000 crore. The paper suggested states where the Public Distribution Systems have been integrated with Aadhaar, the citizen identification number, be allowed to lift 36 months of their off take requirements at a discounted price. The discount, the authors suggested, would be equal to the cost of carrying by FCI. These states can ask consumers to lift their 36 months' quota at one go, with a discount on the PDS price. That way, consumers can get a larger quantity of grain and FCI would have more storage space. One of three other alternatives suggested is an open market sale scheme at last year's MSP, beside a maximum of five per cent taxes, cess and others.

Those who make the above suggestion must be out of their mind because they have no idea as to what will happen to the quality of grains if they are stored at the consumer end. Food grains are vulnerable to infestation by insects, prone to attack by rodents and can cause irreversible changes in quality and nutrition progressively with time. Even the FCI, government's food grain procurement and storage arm finds it difficult to prevent spoilage in spite of their scientifically constructed storage structures and how can one expect that a family can keep the grains safe for 3 years? One should not forget the oft repeated claims by food experts that post harvest food losses in the country can be any where from 25% to 40%! Both Planning Commission as well as the government officials including the Prime Minister routinely talk about such food wastage in the country though at the ground level not much is being accomplished to save these grains from spoilage! This suggestion is outlandish and it only will enable the government to shift its responsibility of protecting the food to the poor citizens.  

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

FOOD QUALITY MONITORING-THE AWESOME TASK!

India is a large country with 1.2 billion plus population with diverse culture and economic standards. Any thing to be done on a pan-India scale is fraught with insurmountable problems and only dedication, commitment, perseverance and high investment can show positive result at the ground level. In spite of good intentions and massive investments, the income gap between the rich and the poor is widening and poor people in the country are increasingly being mired in endless miseries and agony which do not seem to give them much hope about their future. Food is an area where the country has done reasonably well, at least with regard to production of staple grains like wheat and rice. Of course the story of oil seeds and pulses is one of many missed opportunities and billions of rupees are being spent to bring these foods from out side the country every year. The onus on the government to protect the food supply is indeed awesome and the special purpose vehicle created for the country's food safety is still in its formative stage trying to prove its mettle during the last 5 years. Unfortunately this outfit under the name Food Standards and Safety Authority (FSSAI) has been created with a heavy bureaucratic structure with doubtful capability for showing any dynamism at the ground level. As this agency is heavily dependent on the state governments with no authority to enforce its writ, the policies often do not get implemented. Here is a take on this important area of concern to the Indian citizen, viz how food is the food taken by him!

"
The agency is working to bring on board about 55 million people engaged in various food businesses and register them with the organisation by February 2014, Chandramouli said. Currently, only one million licences have been issued to food and beverage operators. To check and maintain food standards, FSSAI is in the process of setting up testing laboratories, he said. "Our aim is to have at least one laboratory in each state initially. Later, we plan it to increase this to at least one lab for every 20 districts in the next five years," he added. There are currently 72 government laboratories, which are to be upgraded during this period. Simultaneously, 33 new such testing centres will be set up. On food imports, Chandramouli said: "Our country imports lot of food items now. Though there is no fixed figure available, but Rs2-3 lakh crore of foods come to India every year." "We don't have food and safety standards in the country which deal with food products across the spectrum. For this, we need to get the state governments and other stakeholders on board," Chandramouli said, adding implementation of the FSSAI Act continues to remain a challenge".

The above report laments about lack of allocation of funds to FSSAI during the 12th Plan and one is afraid that this could as well become an excuse for non-performance or under performance.It is common knowledge that the quality of food made in India and imported at great cost is suspect because of grossly under developed infrastructure and shortage of critical personnel to run the monitoring program sincerely and effectively. With legal system delaying trials of food fraudsters for years, many are able to get away with blatant violations of existing laws and wide spread adulteration.  One of the excuses trotted out for under performance is lack of standards available to enforce but this argument cannot be sustained when it is realized that international standards under FAO-WHO as well by different global organizations are in place for thousands of foods which can easily be adopted till domestic-specific ones are evolved. FSSAI seems to be over obsessed with licensing and wants more than 55 million food handlers to be brought into its licensing system! Is it practical? What next after registration? Does it have adequate capability to undertake surveillance of these players regularly? Millions of home scale processors, cottage units and micro enterprises cannot be expected to register with FSSAI which is both time consuming and cumbersome. Since the retailers who sell the food articles are all licensed by local civic authorities, it is easier to make them accountable vis-a-vis quality of food sold by them. The onus of selling safe food must be put on these retailers who must be punished if he peddles bad food even unintentionally. Such an environment will starve the fraudsters of a market eventually. No doubt a body like FSSAI is a necessity for the country but it must be made to work hard and diligently for the welfare of the common man.  

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

NEW MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER PROCESSING-COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE?

Rapid development of microwave heating process during the last 25 years has enabled food processing industry and the house hold kitchens to prepare foods rapidly without the conventional electric or gas based heating systems. There is no doubt that microwave ovens have become a ubiquitous part of almost all kitchens in most developed countries because of the great convenience factor associated with their use. Ever since Raytheon developed its monstrous 1.8 meter tall, 340 kg, 3 kWh energy guzzling Radarange oven in 1947 based on microwave radio frequency, to day's sleek models with hardly 1100 watts energy load and looking almost like a small television set in a kitchen has come a long way to capture the imagination of every house holder. From just 1% of families owning a microwave oven in 1971 in the US, to day more than 90% have this modern gizmo improving the quality of their lives dramatically during the last 3 decades. Most microwave ovens operate under 2450 Mega Herz frequency which is universally recognized as a ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) radio frequency reserve for purposes other than communication. Out of the four ISM bands of 24125, MHerz, 5800MHerz, 2450 MHerz and 915 MHerz only 2450 MHerz is used for designing domestic microwave ovens. Recent emergence of 915 MHerz as an attractive alternative for large scale food processing has opened up opportunities for deploying this technology for heating and sterilization of many food products. Here is a report highlighting the importance of this technology to the industry.

"For decades, realizing the promise of rapid sterilization using microwaves has been a dream of the shelf-stable food industry.  Washington State University in collaboration with Natick Soldier Center formed an industrial consortium to obtain regulatory acceptance for 915 MHz single-mode microwave sterilization.Upon receiving that acceptance, the technology was licensed to Food Chain Safety who developed the technology into a commercial reality.  Rob Wilson, CEO Food Chain Safety said, "This MATS-B installation represents the culmination of years of development work and the start of an exciting new era in food processing."Major benefits of the MATS microwave sterilization system:• It delivers food that not only looks better but also tastes much better than canned foods. • Maintains nutritional value of the food.• Uses high-power microwave energy to heat packaged food to sterilization in a fraction of the time required with traditional canning processes. • Consistently heats products in a repeatable, measurable pattern. • The continuous process allows manufacturers to achieve higher throughput and lower production costs and provide workers with better work environments vs. traditional canning operations. • The new preservation technology offers great opportunities to create new and high quality products that are not possible with conventional methods".

It is not that microwave heating technology was not being used by the industry in the past but often the results have not been entirely satisfactory with energy costs being higher, non-uniform heating, design insufficiency and some food handling problems hampering its wide scale adoption. The new 915 MHerz technology is supposed to address these problems and with the approval from authorities for use of this frequency food industry may be tempted to use the microwave energy more widely in the coming years provided the system is cost effective. Though electric energy conversion into heat is only about 65%, microwave technology still is superior to other modes of heating. Models with capacity as high as 1800 kg per hour continuous processing now being offered, large scale processing is now possible.

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

THE POWER OF "SEEING" THE QUALITY-A FOOD TESTING DEVICE FOR CONSUMERS

It is the ultimate dream of any consumer to be equipped with the power to see through the nutritive benefits of packed foods as the trust between the industry and the consumer is continuously being eroded due to frequent food related health afflictions all over the world. According to some reports the nutrition labeling practices being followed by a major segment of food industry are suspicious in the eyes of the consumer because of lack of transparency in the working of the industry in general. Claims not sustained by irrefutable scientific evidence are the order of the day and it is no wonder that the EU food safety council rejected more than 98% of the label claims submitted by the industry last year! Development of a spectrometer that can be used by a lay man for gauging nutritional quality of a packed food offered for sale in the supermarket, as reported recently, if true may be a powerful tool in the hands of the consumer. Here is a take on this exciting development.    

'A new spectrometer is being developed that will allow consumers to gauge food quality, where they physically purchase it, before they buy it. The device is very small, very inexpensive, and may be able to be installed in smartphones. The researchers envision consumers being able to hold their smart phone above a product, activate the app, choose the food type in question from within the app, and the device will make its recommendation. The device measures starch, water, sugar, fat, and protein content within consumer products. The device works by seeing several centimeters below the surface of the outer packaging of the product, reflecting different wavelengths of light near the infrared range with different intensities. Commenting on the device, Dr. Heinrich Grüger of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresdent, where the device is being developed, said, "We expect spectrometers to develop in the same way that digital cameras did."

There can be many a slip between the cup and the lips but the very possibility that such a tool can be feasible is itself some solace for the much harried consumer who has no where to go if not satisfied by the service provided by the industry. Whether the figures recorded by this gadget will have any legality is a question that will emerge once its use becomes widespread. Even other wise use of the spectrometer for selecting foods which are superior to others will itself provide some teeth to the consumer in demanding better products. It will make every industry to think twice before fooling around with nutritional content figures on the label. Hopefully truthful labeling practices may thus be achievable over a period of time after the advent of this new instrument.  

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

NATURE'S BARCODE-A NEW TOOL FOR DETECTING IDENTITY OF FOOD

Food fraud is now acknowledged to be a universal phenomenon and safety management agencies in many countries are exasperated by the ingenuity shown by the fraudsters in thumbing the government vigilance system with more and more sophistication in their strategy. It is true government agencies with enormous resources and facilities invariably catch up with the criminals but due to tremendous diversity of foods manufactured and complex chemical composition of many of these organic cocktails, it is next to impossible to have an iron-clad case against adulterated or quality compromised foods. Recent development of a low cost technology that makes use of the presence of isotopes of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in almost all foods may provide an answer to the prayers of food safety vigilante for such a tool to hunt down adulterators and fraudsters indulging in such crimes. Here are some details about the new development which is pregnant with long term implications for the food industry. 

"Until now bar codes, certification seals and electronic ID chips have been the main tools to cement consumers' confidence in food products. But as the recent fish and olive scandals show, they're far from foolproof. Food can be substituted or adulterated at any point in the supply chain, often without companies knowing. Enter the "optical stable isotope analyzer," a not-too-sexy name for a device that could provide a lot more certainty about a product near the end of its long journey to the consumer. Already in use to measure air quality and detect gas leaks, the technology, created by the Silicon Valley firm Picarro, can also detect isotopes in food. Hydrogen, oxygen and carbon — found in everything from hamburger to oranges — leave a detailed signature behind illustrating the weather, plant type, growing conditions and manufacturing processes. Picarro calls it "nature's barcode." By analyzing the isotopes — versions of common atoms that have slightly different masses – in this barcode, the Picarro device can detect minute differences in the chemical composition of foods".

Food adulteration is more common with high cost foods like olive oil, honey, caviar, saffron, spices etc and the incentive for tampering with these foods is extraordinarily high. While economically motivated adulteration can be tolerated to some extent, it is the activity of fraudsters indulging in food adulteration using unsafe substances that poses real challenge. Of course ideally no adulteration can be condoned and those who indulge in such practices must be punished severely and mercilessly as part of a deterrent policy. Whether availability of techniques such as the above will still guarantee safe foods to the denizens is still an uncertainty because unless there are adequate technical personnel and physical infrastructure put in place for safety monitoring of products at the processing place as well as the market place, no matter how efficient the instrument may be, the fraudsters will still get away!

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

THE DAY OF RECKONING FOR FOOD TRUCKS-SAFETY ASPECTS FOCUSED

The Food Truck phenomenon has spread far and wide in the United States and customers are increasingly patronizing these mobile eating joints almost bordering on frenzy! Sociologists, psychologists, economists and health experts are baffled by this trend while established restaurants are fretting and fuming because of its impact on their bottom line. After witnessing literally the explosive growth of Food Trucks during the last couple of years, regulatory authorities are lately waking up to the potential for food poisoning and food related afflictions due to this lightly regulated catering system. Many civic authorities are trying to tighten the monitoring regime for these trucks though in practice it poses enormous logistical problems. These are highlighted in a recent report emanating from the west coast of the US. 

"Food trucks have rapidly become a delicious mealtime staple around San Diego County, with new trucks and locations popping up on a daily basis. This semester, USD has even decided to jump on board the movement with the installment of Torero Tu Go, the West Coast's very first campus-run food truck. These gourmet meals on wheels range in specialties from prime grass-fed burgers, fresh pasta, modern Asian cuisine, seared ahi tuna, all the way to New England lobster rolls. Food lovers of all types can follow their favorite trucks on Facebook and Twitter to find their exact location each and every day. Currently there are nearly 1,100 food trucks and coffee carts roaming throughout the entire San Diego County, and the numbers continue to grow. Despite their hungry and grateful customers, food trucks have been subject to scrutiny and skepticism. The trucks are subjected to surprise health inspections on a yearly basis where the overall quality of both the food and truck itself are examined. In addition to the upkeep of the truck, inspectors also consider the temperature of the food storage, whether there is a proper hand washing area and whether or not all surfaces are sufficiently cleaned."

With established chefs and food connoisseurs getting into Food Truck business, there seems to be a perception among eating out diners that the foods served here are much better in terms of quality while very little concern is evident about the safety aspects. Probably a fool proof system of safety monitoring will have to be evolved in the coming days to pre-empt any unwanted health fiasco due to deficiencies in hygiene and sanitation. Since the United States has more than 50 states with different local laws a national consensus will have to emerge regarding regulating this nascent industry.

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

THE REAL "FAST" FOOD-GLOBALIZATION OF CATERING

With major cuisines from China, Mexico, India and other countries becoming universally sought after, the national boundaries are getting blurred more and more and the ease of travel across the globe has further accentuated this trend. Restaurants specialized in the traditional cuisines of many countries are springing up every where in the world and there is no dearth of customers for these joints. The explosive development of Food Truck industry, especially in the US, has taken eating experience to a different level with customers patronizing these mobile food caterers in great numbers. It is in this context one has to appreciate the novel approach to catering by an entrepreneur in London with his offer of the foods prepared in his restaurant any where in the world using a renovated Jet fighter acquired from Iraq. According to the claims made by him the foods are much sought after by many celebrities from many countries and he seems to have developed the necessary skill to deliver these foods in prime condition. Here is a take on this new phenomenon.  

"The owner of an Indian restaurant in Britain has bought a fighter jet to deliver his food to celebrity clients across the world. Rob Abdul, 40, who runs the Cafe Taj restaurant in Gravesend, Kent, bought the now abandoned Iraqi warplane with a pilot friend, and has spent 35,000 pounds ($55,000) restoring it. "One thing you cannot do as a businessman is disappoint your customers. I regularly get requests from around the world," Abdul was quoted as saying by the Daily Express. Abdul has previously sent food from his restaurant to the England cricket team on tour to Australia".

One is curious to know the over head cost incurred in supplying food out side England by air and whether the eventual price tag would not be too high. Probably for celebrities who earn thousands of dollars every minute through their talent, any price tag might not be too high. 

Modern food technologies like modified atmosphere packing, freezing, aseptic filling, high pressure processing etc, capable of preserving the quality of food for significantly longer periods, there may not be any technological challenge for the venture. Logistical problems like phyto-sanitary clearance and border controls between countries may still pose some uncertainties, especially under the present security concerns for international travel and freighting. All said, the new initiative deserves to be applauded and it is worth watching the experience of this entrepreneur to guide future developments in this area. 

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

HOSTEL FOODS-NEW QUALITY MANAGEMENT MOVES

Lately lot of unrest and agitations are reported from university campuses across India because of the perceived low quality of foods prepared and served in these institutions. Any one who has gone through the university education system can understand the turmoil going on in the minds of students who yearn for good foods with diverse tastes which help them to focus on studies. Typically university canteens are run by contractors for different periods and invariably they try to run the show with least cost and maximum profit. One is reminded of the cattle feed industry which has computerized programs to arrive at "least cost" formulations based on the nutritive formula and market prices of various ingredients that go into animal feeds. But the university canteen contractors are forgetting that students cannot be expected to be passive and have the capacity to discern taste with their own preferences. In stead of cost as the basis food preparations, it is advisable to try and use as diverse ingredients as possible with varying taste profiles so that "food monotony" never sets in. There are hundreds of ethnic food preparations in the country liked universally by Indians and those with most acceptable ones must be chosen for forming the menu. The experiment by the Punjab University in forming an inspection group involving students will go a long way in addressing this latest Campus irritant.

'A significant decision by Punjab University to form a students' food inspection committee to check quality of hostel food has got a thumbs up from pupil. From issuing first warning in case of poor quality of food to eventually imposing fine and subsequently recommending termination of contract of the mess contractor, the committee would have power to do it all. A team of four students and a teacher, comprising one member of student council and three others from various boys and girls' hostels and a warden, will conduct inspections. The decision has come from the PU authorities in a bid to pacify the students' unrest over the hiked prices of hostel food. "The committee of four students and a teacher can conduct surprise raids in all hostels at any time to check the hygiene and quality of food. In case the committee finds something serious, they can issue a warning, on the second chance a fine can be issued," said Amrik Singh Ahluwalia, PU dean Student Welfare. He added that on the recommendation of this committee, the contract of the mess in charge who repeatedly fail to keep up cleanliness or maintain quality of food will be terminated. Common students, on the other, hand are a happy lot and insist on sincere implementation of the decision by PU authorities. "The price hike issue has been a political eyewash by student leaders. The onus of ensuring the quality of food falls on PU. Only if the common students are made a part of the team with sincerity will improvement take place," said Vikas Sharma, a student of boys' hostel 4 on PU campus".

Having said the above one has to appreciate the predicament of a sincere and honest canteen contractor who has to satisfy the palates of students coming from different parts of the country with widely divergent taste preferences. This is where the contractor has to show ingenuity and imagination. Probably this calls for some "trial and error" experiments at the initial stages during the beginning of each year to have a better comprehension regarding the "likes and dislikes" of the students who are going to be the "masters" for a few months in deciding the menu matters. One area where students committee can do well is to ensure there is cleanliness and raw materials used are of desired quality. At least this will help to avoid diseases and health adversities caused by the canteen food.

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

"GASTROPUBS"-A DECLINING TREND

In what way a pub is different from a restaurant? The answer is very simple. Pub is the place where one goes for having a "drink" that is inebriating while people depend on the restaurants to experience gastronomical pleasure from the fares served there. What can be a Gastropub different from the above two institutions? Well this is a place where one can have both drinks and food! Though the term Gastropub started popular only during the last two decades, there has been a silent change in the industry with many pubs quietly starting food service without calling themselves Gastropubs. To day most people expect good food service in pubs and it is very difficult to survive i the market without pampering to the taste buds of the patrons who frequent such establishments.

The gastropub is off. The formerly much-loved eateries and watering holes of choice of metropolitan foodies look to have had their day. This week the death knell will be sounded when The Good Food Guide, which has chronicled the nation's best restaurants for 60 years and is about to publish its 2012 edition, will deem the word unpalatable in these tough economic times. It has banned it from this and future editions of the guide. Widely credited with launching the gastropub revolution in 1991, the Eagle in Clerkenwell, London, began offering customers quality food from an open kitchen alongside the bar, starting a trend that many followed. But Elizabeth Carter, consultant editor for the guide, believes that the term had become a byword for an establishment's ambitions and, at a time when pubs have been hit hard by the recession, this inflexible attitude was becoming a thing of the past. "Our feeling with the gastropub was that it was a bit of a bandwagon that a lot of people have jumped on to. A lot of chains have taken that gastropub style. "I think customers are getting bored with it. Pubs have to be socially diverse, they have to offer many things whether you pop in for a drink and a snack or you want a proper meal." This view is supported by a Leisure Wallet report released last week by financial advisers Zolfo Cooper, which showed that the average number of pub visits per person a month had dropped from five to four in the past year and that the average spend per visit was down by 19 per cent to £15.08

There is an impression that those who frequent bars and pubs, care more about the drinks and food is only secondary in their scheme of things. Besides those who take a couple of drinks can hardly distinguish between good and indifferent quality dishes! But one thing that makes gastropubs a more acceptable place is that when drinks are consumed along with foods, the alcohol in these drinks may be less dangerous to the health. Generally the safety and hygiene aspects in any food and beverage establishment are monitored by food safety personnel while bars and pubs do not come under any government overseeing department though Excise officials have the responsibility for checking the quality and safety of alcoholic drinks served in there. Whether effect of unsafe foods will be less harsh if alcohol is also consumed along with is not certain.

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

FOOD QUALITY ASSESSMENT EXPERTISE-A GLOBAL TRAINING CENTER LAUNCHED

Food safety failures leading to hundreds of cases of food related poisoning episodes all over the world are time and again focusing on the inadequacy of the existing vigilance system. While scientists are continuously improving the methodologies involved in detecting and quantifying food contaminants on a continuous basis, the efforts do not seem to be catching up with the emergence of new dangers from newer vectors. E.coli is a classical example and it is amazing how fast it has metamorphosed into more and more virulent stereotypes causing death and misery to thousands of unwary consumers across the world. One of the critical inputs in managing food safety surveillance is the infrastructure and experience needed to monitor these contaminants in time with sufficient reliability. As the Analytical chemistry and electronic instrumentation interfaced with IT are making tremendous advances, the safety enforcement personnel cannot afford to be left behind and will have to be well versed with them. The global food safety lab being promoted for skill upgrade of surveillance personnel through PPP efforts in the US deserves applause. Here are some details about this latest endeavor in the field of analytical pathology .

"The IFSTL ( www.ifstl.org ) is the world's only permanent food safety lab that provides hands-on lab training on detection methods and classroom lessons on regulatory standards, educating governments and food exporters so they can ensure food is safe before it reaches the table. This will enable food safety standards to rise globally. Food producers across the globe face an increasing challenge to ensure safe food supplies. As global food trade grows to nearly $1 trillion this year, triple what it was just 20 years ago, food safety regulations and technologies are evolving and consumer demand for safe, high-quality food continues to grow. Governments and food manufacturers around the world have sought the training the IFSTL provides, believing it is essential if we are to meet today's food safety challenge. Said Waters® Executive Vice President Art Caputo: "Waters is committed to improving the availability, quality and consistency of food safety testing capacity. We learned from our customers that there is a real need for help and support in understanding the diverse food safety technologies and standards that exist around the globe. Serving as a bridge between governments and industry, Waters approached the FDA and the university with the solution: a powerful public-private partnership that leverages the best expertise and resources to help build trust, collaboration and ensure the safety of our food." As a U.S.-based global company that delivers analytical solutions for governments and name brand companies in 150 countries, Waters understands the challenges that governments around the world face to ensure safe food supplies. The FDA has publicly identified the need for government and private industry to work together. The IFSTL will provide critical support to helping the FDA and foreign food producers meet requirements, such as the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act signed into law earlier this year. Said Michael Landa, Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA: "FDA looks forward to this opportunity to build global laboratory capacity. The International Food Safety Training laboratory will help to address food safety challenges world-wide through training and technical assistance." U.S. government scientists from FDA and USDA, along with university experts, will lead intensive trainings focused on detecting both chemical and microbiological contaminants, preparing and testing samples according fit-for-purpose methods that allow scientists to validate and use results to make the right decisions about whether food is safe and meets regulations. Trainees can sign up for courses that address specific issue of concern to the U.S. and global communities. The IFSTL will have the ability to teach 200 professionals per year and will be operated by JIFSAN".

Though one of the partners is a "for profit" organization, its strong expertise and experience cannot be belittled and with the fervor and commitment shown so far the project for global training can be expected to make an impact especially in third world countries where the need is felt to be highest. Though FDA regulations and product specifications mostly apply to domestic US situation, the methodologies and analytical equipment cannot be much different. Of course when products are pre-prepared for analysis, interference from the ingredients can be troublesome and assessing many ethnic food samples with complex composition may need some modification of the methodology for which adequate scope for R & D must be available, if the Global label for this unique Lab is to be justified.

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

FOOD TRUCK PHENOMENON-CAN IT WITHSTAND THE FATIGUE FACTOR?

Street foods always had their following in many countries and no matter what steps are taken to discourage people from patronizing these foods, many of them prepared and served under some what indifferent hygienic conditions, the phenomenon is here to stay. It is very difficult to understand the precise reasons why people flock around these mobile eateries though taste and economic factors must be playing a major role. World over the focus has shifted from uprooting these vendors to rehabilitate them through training and better infrastructure. Whether it is in Thailand or in India road side vending plays a crucial role in catering to mostly low income customers while the so called Food Truck business in the US is a recent development being patronized by those requiring fast service with minimum over head cost on their fare. In the last few years the Food Truck business has been growing at a phenomenal rate in the US and naturally the policy makers are in a fix to decide whether this is just a passing fancy or there will be continued growth of this sector in the coming years. Here is a take on this developing scenario.

"It finally dawned on me that the sole reason people repeatedly ask this question is because of the rapid growth of the food truck movement over the last two years. Does rapid growth necessitate a rapid and nearly instantaneous decline in growth? That's really what I think people are asking. It could be more simply stated as "When is this ending?" which, in my opinion, is totally natural as the mind wants to reconcile any new phenomena under some form of restrictive time classification. So, in order to dissect this question, I will attempt to answer a few questions on food trucks and fads in general. First, how long must something stay in popular demand before being considered a fad? My instinct tells me that in order for a thing to pass out of fad-dom, its ascent to the top must last significantly longer than its descent into oblivion. Was MySpace a fad? Silly Bandz? Whether or not Justin Timberlake can revive the social network to its former glory is to be seen, but that's another discussion altogether. Not to say both weren't wildly successful, but they both went away nearly as quickly as they came. Eventually, hype wears off and actual value of a good or service is measured against feasible alternatives. This is truly the core of the fad question, determining the actual value versus the perceived value (layered in by hype.) With food trucks, there is an actual need being fulfilled, the convenience of quality food at an affordable price. This is probably the easiest to identify as a primary reason for frequenting food trucks and carts. The long lines and the overextended hype for certain vendors may antagonize the fad argument, but new restaurants are not immune to the same treatment of popularity at launch. Good luck getting a reservation to the newest restaurant you just read about in The New York Times this Saturday night".

Doubts about the sustainability of food trucks have arisen because new developments always face the fatigue factor due to which consumers develop disinterest over a period of time or the new players take their customers for granted affecting the quality of service. Added to this the bureaucratic procedures and controls increasingly being applied for starting new joints may discourage new entrepreneurs from venturing into this area. There is also the pressure from the established catering industry for restricting expansion of food trucks because of apprehension regarding the economic impact on their traditional type of catering business. If rules and regulations that govern food truck business are tightened further and brought on par with regular catering industry, cost of the service is bound to go up significantly. However involvement of reputed Chefs in starting food truck business can still be an attractive factor that can pull in customers who like novelties in food preparations. The biggest advantage for food trucks is their mobility and use of IT enabled Tweeter service to keep the customers informed about their whereabouts.

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