"Cosmetic" food standards-Major causative factor for food wastage

If one can recall the words of late Dr HAB Parpia, doyen of food technology in India,  during sixties food wastage in the country amounted to more than 40% and according to him most of this wastage was taking place at the post harvest phase of the produce when it is transferred to the markets under none too ideal conditions. Probably many sceptics did not subscribe to this view though every one concedes there is "significant" loss of valuable foods in the food chain of the country. Is it not unfortunate that even to day ministers and bureaucrats conveniently quote this figure for food losses in their sterile speeches targeted at the gullible public? The tragedy is compounded by the reluctance or insensitivity all around to study this problem nation wide and arrive at consensus figures regarding wastage in different sectors like perishables including fruits, vegetables, spices, meat and poultry and so called durables like cereals, pulses and oil seeds that take place across the entire spectrum of food handling. It is against such a background that the following publication brought out the scenario in the US where food is wasted consciously by the citizens because they can afford it if not satisfied with the quality as represented by color, shape, size, appearance and texture. Here are further details about the whims of an entire population which has built up a "cult for perfection" in their every day life and throw away precious food that can feed almost a quarter of world population!.

"Americans throw away almost as much food as they eat because of a "cult of perfection", deepening hunger and poverty, and inflicting a heavy toll on the environment. The demand for 'perfect' fruit and veg means much is discarded, damaging the climate and leaving people hungry

Vast quantities of fresh produce grown in the US are left in the field to rot, fed to livestock or hauled directly from the field to landfill, because of unrealistic and unyielding cosmetic standards,according to official data and interviews with dozens of farmers, packers, truckers, researchers, campaigners and government officials as reported by the Guardian "It's all about blemish-free produce," says Jay Johnson, who ships fresh fruit and vegetables from North Carolina and central Florida. "What happens in our business today is that it is either perfect, or it gets rejected. It is perfect to them, or they turn it down. And then you are stuck." Food waste is often described as a "farm-to-fork" problem. Produce is lost in fields, warehouses, packaging, distribution, supermarkets, restaurants and fridges. By one government tally, about 60m tonnes of produce worth about $160bn (£119bn), is wasted by retailers and consumers every year – one third of all foodstuffs. That lost food is seen increasingly as a drag on household incomes – about $1,600 a year for a family of four  and a direct challenge to global efforts to fight hunger, poverty and climate change. Globally, about one-third of food is wasted: 1.6bn tonnes of produce a year, with a value of about $1tn. If this wasted food were stacked in 20-cubic metre skips, it would fill 80m of them, enough to reach all the way to the moon, and encircle it once. Food waste accounts for about 8% of global climate pollution, more than India or Russia. "There are a lot of people who are hungry and malnourished, including in the US. My guess is probably 5-10% of the population are still hungry – they still do not have enough to eat," said Shenggen Fan, the director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington. "That is why food waste, food loss matters a great deal. People are still hungry."

That is not counting the waste of water, land and other resources, or the toll on the climate of producing food that ends up in landfill.

This results in formation of methane gas contributing to climate change due to greenhouse effect."

Looking from another angle, every denizen has a "right" to buy whatever is offered for a price and what they do with it is their business. But can an interdependent global society  hide under such a narrow legal excuse to justify enormous waste of food,  especially in rich countries like the US just because these foods do not satisfy their aesthetic sense? If the above report is to be believed at a global level more than 30% of food is wasted advertently or other wise. While developing countries like India may be helpless to some extent in controlling food wastage because of lack of access to right types of agricultural and post harvest technologies, essential to save foods from the predators, they cannot be exonerated completely because most of them do not have visionaries and humane politicians at the helm of affairs to implement policies that can help prevent or reduce food wastage. This is nothing but callousness and indifference. While food wastes in wealthy countries can be understood because of the high buying capacity of the consumers there, same cannot be justified in poor countries where millions of people are reported to be going to bed every day on empty stomachs because of lack of accessibility to food due to improper cultivation and conservation practices. Why an agency like FAO of the UNO has not been able to do much in this area is baffling in spite of its existence for several decades. Present concerns about global warming and focussed international actions contemplated may be alright but same concern must be evident in ameliorating the hunger conditions of millions of people under starvation of different degree across the five continents through international cooperation. 

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

MINISTERS MAY CHANGE BUT EMPTY TALK CONTINUES!

It is difficult to decide whether one has to cry or laugh when grandstand statements are made by new ministers in new governments, repeating the same made by many of her predecessors which really means nothing but an empty talk. Neither the minister nor the those who listen to her believe a word of what they say or hear. It is nothing but a charade which has been going on for the last 5 decades in this country without any thing happening at the ground level. The present minister in the highly redundant and irrelevant ministry of food processing industry who must not have been born when the "40% food waste" story was invented by some one which was being repeated ad nauseum by every "tom dick and harry", the last heard being from our erstwhile "silent" prime minister last year. Funnily there is not even an iota of data derived by scientific studies to make such inane statements and it is like a "recorded tape" stored some where in the dusty office of the ministry being made available to every new unfortunate minister who is allotted this portfolio, to speak whenever and where ever there is a seminar, workshop or meeting for inauguration or press briefings! It is the turn of this new young minister to "speak" these words of "wisdom" in a seminar of no consequence recently! Here it is.

Our government is currently working on the National Food Processing Policy to reduce wastage of perishables and improve the supply situation. Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal recommends that agriculture credit should also be connected with food processing sector as the ultimate beneficiary is the farmer. "There is an urgent need of some integrated policy for the food processing sector. We are working on it with the purpose of reducing the wastage of perishable fruits and vegetables so that we can bring down the inflation," the Minister said. She was speaking at the National Cold Chain Summit organized by CII jointly with Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Ministry of Agriculture and National Centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD).

 

Some of the stock words like "reduce wastage", "supply situation", "perishable", "agricultural credit", "cold chain", "integrated policy" etc will always appear in such statements whether the minister understands the nuances of such words! Government does not realize that food industry is capable of developing it self if it does not interfere or puts road block in working smoothly with least control at every level. Of course the Government has a duty to provide infrastructures support for any industry worth the name and facilitatory policies for sustainable growth. Last year this country had to "invite" foreign companies through the FDI incentive for "helping" our farmers without realizing that the MNCs are least interested in the well being either the farmer or the consumer! Probably it is time that the glorified MoFPI is wound up soon for which no one in this country will shed tears!  

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

REDUCING FOOD WASTAGE-A NEW JAPANESE INITIATIVE

Food waste is a topic of intense interest because many critics feel that if such wasted foods are saved it could feed millions of hungry people across the world. Organizations with noble intentions are indeed making voluntary efforts to redeem such foods where ever possible by organizing safe collection, storage and delivery system providing socour  to many needy people but the scale of operation is not very high because of many logistical problems encountered by them. "Expiry Date" or "Best Before Date" printed on the label of every packed food item is by far the most causative factor for food waste as consumers consider it as unfit for consumption once the product is past the declared date. Similarly consumer has always a tendency to avoid buying food products nearing the best before date and invariably such edible foods are destined for the landfills! In to day's well organized marketing system manufacturer, wholesale distributor and the retailer have a well established understanding regarding the time each one takes for delivering the finished product to the next player in the chain. Here is an example of a market in one of the rich countries in Asia, Japan where the present system is sought to be changed for reducing food waste.

"Japan's food industry currently follows a self-imposed "one-third rule" concerning products. For example, under the rule, producers and wholesalers must throw out products made on Jan. 1 that have a best-before date of March 31 if they cannot deliver those goods to retailers by Jan. 31--the first one-third of the period before the expiration date. Even if the wholesalers deliver the products in time, retailers discard the food items if they remain unsold until Feb. 28, which ends the second third of the expiry date. During the experiment, the companies will adopt a "one-half rule." That means the distribution of products made on Jan. 1 would be allowed until mid February, and retailers can sell the food even during March. The success of the experiment depends on whether Japanese consumers, who are known to be picky, are willing to buy the older products. The companies involved in the trial run include snack and beverage manufactures, such as Meiji Co. and Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., as well as Mitsubishi Shokuhin Co., Seven-Eleven Japan Co. and Aeon Retail Co".

It is not realized that best before date is only an indicative date beyond which the product may not have 100% eating quality in comparison to its freshly manufactured counterpart. But it does not mean that such products are unsafe measured by any yardstick. Food industry and the food authorities in many countries are forced to declare such expiry dates to ensure citizens get the best quality foods with minimum safety risks. Unfortunately no manufacturer will take legal responsibility if some thing happens to the consumer after consuming date expired food products. Probably there may be a need to revisit the provision of printing expiry date if a real attempt is to be made to reduce food waste through this route. Is it possible that the industry prints only dates beyond which the food may be unsafe? If this is practical the extent of food discarded can be significantly reduced. It may be worth looking at this option with all its attendant consequences. 

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

PUNISHING THE "WASTERS"-A NEW APPROACH FOR WASTE REDUCTION

On one side over eating is sought to be discouraged because of the fear of obesity and all consequences associated with this body bloating syndrome. On the other hand many people waste food by not eating all they cook or buy due to many reasons and this is also a global issue of serious concern because almost one billion poor people in this Globe go to bed hungry every night! How can one bring about a balance under such a predicament faced by many nations, especially the ones which are wealthy? There are institutions like Food Banks in some countries which are active in making use of foods that are discarded while many non-government voluntary bodies are actively engaged in utilizing such foods to feed the poor. It is against such a background that the new initiative by a few eateries in some parts of the world to punish those indulging in food wastage, are to be appreciated. Here is a report which highlights such a practice on the part of a few courageous restaurants in some countries. 

A restaurant in Saudi Arabia is making headlines for its unusual policy of penalizing customers for 'wastage of food.' According to the owner of the restaurant based in Dammam, in the Eastern Province, the penalty was put into place after many customers failed to consume their large orders of food—the owners stress wasting food goes against the teachings of Islam. In a culture of excess, a 'food wastage' policy may sound absurd, but this isn't the first time a restaurant has opted for this kind of a penalty. Consider the £20 (Dh114) fee owners of the Chinese restaurant Kylin Buffet charge those diners who do not eat all the food of their plates. The restaurant's policy received much coverage after they fined Beverley Clark, a 40-year-old mother, after her son and niece left two onion rings, a prawn toast and a spring roll at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Or consider the standing policy in a Japanese restaurant in New York called Hayashi Ya which fines a customer 3 percent of their bill, if they do not finish what they serve themselves from the all-you-can-eat buffet. Other restaurants opt for forms of positive reinforcement to encourage good eating habits. A Japanese restaurant called Wafu just outside of Sydney, Australia, gives its customers a 30 percent discount if they eat all the food they ordered. The company's website begins with a special plea to its customers to: "Please be mindful of the amount of food you order – consider ordering just the right amount, in harmony with your appetite!" Food wastage fines isn't altogether a strange concept—but Kipp can't help but think it would be very strange if it was every enforced here in the Emirates. After all, for a city like Dubai which has given birth to the institution of the Friday all-you-can-eat-and-drink brunch, it is difficult to think of such penalties being put in place. Yet given the country's burgeoning obesity problem, perhaps a food wastage fee is exactly what is needed.


The initiative of these pioneers deserves kudos because they are swimming against the tide trying to establish and disseminate the bitter truth that wasting food is a social crime. It may difficult for these players to compete with conventional eateries where jumbo sizes and ad libitum food are the norms. Modern marketing mania depends largely on attracting customers using economic parameters, with low prices and large serving sizes ruling in the market place. The New York "rumblings" in the name of a proposed policy by the authorities to ban sale of jumbo size sugar laden beverages there, is a classical example of the dominance of quantity over quality! Probably the restaurants which impose fines for wastage or encourages lesser wastage through hefty discounts in the bills, have full confidence in the quality of their offerings and expect their customers to come back again even under such an environment. They do serve as a focal point to convey a vital message that "eat as much as you want but do not waste"!  

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

SMART REFRIGERATORS-CHANGING THE FACE OF MODERN KITCHEN

To day's house wife must be eternally grateful to that smart kitchen appliance going by the name "Fridge" because it gives her tremendous freedom to buy and stock foods that will remain safe for days together if not for weeks. The Freezer chest that is an integral part of a Refrigerator helps her further to keep some foods for several months without getting spoiled. It is another matter that with the advent of Fridge the proportion of foods wasted has gone up because of the difficulty in keeping track of the "stock" of different foods that has been pushed into the "Box"! A common feature of all kitchens is that bigger the Fridge more difficult it becomes to use all that is stocked leading to periodic cleaning to throw out unused materials not edible any more. Here comes a savior for the humble house wife in the form of a "smart fridge" with features that can delight any one because it spares the house wife the need to be eternally alert about foods going waste due to difficulties in keeping track of the stock.

"One appliance creating quite a buzz in the industry is the smart fridge. With Wi-Fi-enabled computer screens built right into the refrigerator door, these appliances are so smart they can tell users when their carton of milk is set to expire or how much butter to buy at the store. The fridge can send recipe lists to smartphones or even activate an alarm if the door is left open. Touch screen apps provide weather information, headline news, photo slideshows and Pandora radio stations. Since the kitchen is a central location for most families, these computers can even organize calendars and notes, all available on smartphones, tablets and computers to keep the family connected. Technology like this is not going to be accessible to everyone, pointed out Cogburn. Don't throw away cookbooks and refrigerator magnets yet. The price tag on these smart appliances are going to deter most buyers. However, fridges on the lower end are still making advances in technology, with LCD touch screens that can set the temperature inside the fridge as well as determine how much ice and water are needed for a single glass, allowing for hands-free filling. New fridges, equal in total space to old fridges, now have more storage space as new technology has made the insulated sides narrower and the ice maker more efficient. Cogburn said some of the higher-end technology might come to Northeast Colorado eventually, but right now it's very limited in certain areas. While smart refrigerators use convenient computer systems as their selling point, other appliances focus on energy efficiency. Some products come with the Energy Star label, a program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. These appliances have met strict energy efficiency guidelines to help Americans save on their energy bill as well as greenhouse gas emissions".

Of course what is not told about this appliance is that one has to be computer savvy to operate them and their cost can be foreboding to most families, at least for now. But imagine the advantages of owning such a fridge which can even convert the kitchen into a mini office that can run many chores! The million dollar question that can befuddle any one is whether these appliances will eventually affect the quality of foods cooked, at least from the taste and flavor angles because of too much pre-occupation of the house wife with the new Gizmo! While computer applications in general can improve the quality of life in many ways, the quality of results will depend ultimately on the operator and in this case also, human element in programming the fridge and equipping it with data can be a tough job and how many house wives will have the skill and patience remains to be seen. For those house wives who are familiar with latest developments in chip applications, the Smart Fridge will indeed be a boon!

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

REDUCING FOOD WASTAGE- ONUS IS ON THE CONSUMER

Lot has been written and spoken about the enormity of food wastage that goes on with no self consciousness among most denizens in this world but very little is done to arrest this "habit" ingrained especially in the population considered rich and super-rich. True a small proportion of the food that eventually would end up in the garbage is being salvaged by the Food Bank system that is in vogue in some of the wealthy countries but wastage of food is still enormous which if saved can feed millions of hungry people. Another dimension to this waste is the impact such dumping of food can have on the environment. It is known that food wastes can generate the much dreaded Methane gas through the action of microorganisms in substantial quantities and this gas is capable of destroying the ozone zone that protects the earth from too much warming. Thus the need to control food wastage is of utmost importance for the very survival of mankind. While some wastage can be justified because of their uncertain safety credentials, most of the food heading for the garbage dump can still be saved through modern technological tools like refrigeration, freezing, controlled atmosphere packing etc. A human being with some conscience will not throw away food and what is needed is the awareness about the negative implications of wasting food.

"Just how much food goes to waste each year in the U.S.? In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated 33 million tons of food was thrown away. In 1996, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that if even 5 percent of the total food waste stream were recovered, that quantity would represent the equivalent of a day's food for 4 million people. "There are a number of plastic packaging innovations making it possible to keep food fresher longer, so less is wasted and sent to landfills," said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council. "From resealable plastic bags and airtight plastic storage containers to portion-controlled plastic pouches for your favorite foods, the plastics industry offers many ways for American families to reduce the amount of food wasted in their homes, making it more affordable for them as well." Food waste also has a significant impact on the environment. The EPA confirms that methane gas produced by discarded food waste in landfills is 21 times more harmful to the ozone than the carbon dioxide emitted from cars. In fact, landfills account for more than 20 percent of all harmful methane gas emitted in the US contributing to global warming. "The issue of post-consumer food waste is a massive problem and arguably the most pressing issue regarding waste disposal," says food packaging consultant and author Dr. Paul Butler. "Focusing on packaging material weight reduction and recyclable food packaging materials is important; however, developing new innovations in packaging to help consumers manage their food inventory better and contribute to a more sustainable supply chain can have an even more significant impact on our environment." Consumers can help protect their wallets and the environment by using plastic innovations that help keep food fresher longer and looking for smart packaging innovations that ensure every last bit of the food is used before packaging is discarded. Plastics Make it Possible® has compiled a few simple tips to help consumers reduce food waste":

The role of labeling on the packed foods play some part in causing unnecessary waste of food. The precise implication of words like 'best before", "expiry date", "consume before", "sell before" etc is not well known to and too confusing for the lay man. Religiously date expired foods are thrown away though they may still be edible. If food scientists are to be believed most such foods are safe, though slightly inferior in quality and many of them can be cooked at home into different types of products which will ensure destruction of pathogens if any. Whether rich or poor wasting of food should be considered as a criminal act and must be frowned upon.

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

PACKED FOODS-THE IMPONDERABLES!

That a country like the UK, seriously thinking about changing its labeling regulation for avoiding unnecessary waste of foods by the retailing system there and at consumer homes is a matter that deserves consideration world-wide. It all started with a minister there starting the ball rolling by asking the consumers not to throw food even if they are "date expired" and it was rather odd to hear a government official contradicting the law of the land that is framed to protect the health of the consumer. Of course there is a point in what is said about date expired foods and their edibility but it is only proper that the law is changed to reflect the new reality. Unfortunately this may not be easy as it involves legal and logistical issues which will have to be dealt with. It is true that meat and dairy industries are already using the "use by" date to indicate that beyond that date the products are not safe to consume. But will the main stream food industry accept such a provision as it may open up a Pandora's box with divergence of views all around?. The UK "debate" is a welcome development and one has to wait and see what will emerge eventually.

"One exception is eggs, which the FSA says should not be eaten after their "best-before" date because they can contain salmonella bacteria, which could multiply. The agency cautions that the date is only reliable if the product is stored according to the instructions on the label, such as "keep refrigerated" or "store in a cool, dry place". These are distinct from "use-by" dates, which are the most important in terms of safety. Typically found on meats, soft cheeses and dairy-based items, "use by" refers to a time period after which a product should never be eaten, even if it still appears fresh. Sell-by and display-until dates are for the benefit of the retailer, rather than the customer, and are mainly used for stock control. However, the "best-before" label as we know it could be in for major reform as the government has been consulting on ways to simplify food labelling. According to the advisory body Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), consumers can end up binning up to a quarter of their weekly food and drink purchases - worth £680 to the average British household each year. Wrap says it has identified confusion over date labelling, with consumers being unclear of the difference between "use-by" and "best-before", as one of the major causes for this".

One can understand the dilemma for any responsible government in choosing between the necessity to prevent enormous wastage of food and the need to protect the health of its citizens. If the "use by" date declaration is enforced, the industry is at a disadvantage because any consumer falling sick by consuming a food even a day earlier than that date, can sue the manufacturer for damages! Probably the present provision of "best before' date is better to be continued but the consumer can be given directions regarding the signs of spoilage for guidance and decision as to whether products after the date is safe or not. Also industry must be allowed to reprocess such date expired products as they are not unfit for consumption. It is interesting to see the retail marketing logistics in a country like the US where there is the differential pricing practices that enables the manufacturer to recover the cost within about a month of putting the products on the super market shelves by charging higher prices during that period and progressively reducing the retail price as the products approach "best before" date. For this to happen in a country like India, the present provision of declaring "MRP" must be scrapped so that differential pricing system will facilitate faster uptake of the products with practically no waste, at least at the retail level. If smart packs, now being developed with "spoilage sensors" inside the pack, are introduced the provision for declaring expiration date can be dispensed with

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

"DATE EXPIRED" FOODS - PUTTING THEM TO BETTER USE

What to do with date expired packed foods is an issue that has been debated for long ever since the present front of the pack labeling provision became mandatory in many countries. While manufacturers have the moral and legal responsibility to with draw such products and replace with fresh packs in the retail market shelves, some highly popular brands, in great demand, do not extend this service to its retailers. Probably retailers who depend on these products heavily to sustain their business have no choice but to allow them being wasted or adopt the dubious practice of repacking them to hoodwink the consumer. Therefore the problem becomes more of the retailer than that of the manufacturer. It was no long ago a Minister in the British Cabinet exhorted the consumers there not to waste the date-expired foods by throwing them away. It is rarely understood that expiry date often refers to the eating quality of the contents rather than their safety. Still consumers have a tendency to prefer food products with long expiry date, imagining rightly or wrongly, that they are much safer and of course they cannot be faulted. If the manufacturers are able to give same date information with respect to safety, lot of foods could be saved from going waste which is an inexcusable act considering the fate of millions of people who go hungry every day for want of access to affordable food. The Food Bank movement which has taken roots in many developed country are doing a yeoman service by redeeming date expired foods and distributing the same to poor people, after ascertaining they are safe. Those who work in this movement are "Angels" in this, other wise despicable, planet!

"According to Kate Mudge, the director of Food Rescue, almost every retailer in the Twin Cities participates. "It doesn't cost anything to participate, if anything it saves money from trash collection," she said. Companies also have tax incentives for participating. Major retailers include Cub Foods, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart and Byerly's, along with many other food sellers. The program has existed since 1984, but has taken off in the last five years. Similar programs exist across the country, but according to Mudge, this is one of the more formalized organizations. Food Rescue has eight refrigerator trucks in the metro collecting food from stores daily, and it is one of the largest programs of its kind in the country. Though the eight trucks run in the Twin Cities area, they also set up connections between stores and food shelves in rural areas. Food Rescue is completely safe and protected by federal law under the Good Samaritan Act. The program also offers a way for retailers to be green and increase sustainability efforts. Working with 224 donors across Minnesota and Wisconsin, they collected and saved around 12 million pounds in 2010. Second Harvest Heartland collects a total of 60 million pounds of food and year, with nearly 25 percent coming from Food Rescue. With the program still growing, they hope to collect 15 million pounds this year. The largest of their kind in the Upper Midwest, Second Harvest Heartland says on their website that they wish to relieve hunger through leadership and innovation. They are also a member of "Feeding America," a network of more than 200 food banks across the country. Collecting, storing, and distributing millions of pounds of food to those in need are the main goals of the organization. This innovative process of distributing food has a way to take what would end up being unnecessary landfill contents and feeding those who need it. Manufacturers refuse to let this food go to waste, and Food Rescue helps to make sure that doesn't happen".

A recent news item in print media in India claimed that GOI is "considering" the waste of foods in the country though the bland statement by a junior minister in the Parliament does not say where food is wasted and how they are going to be prevented. It took 64 long years after Independence for the "ruling elite" to realize "food is wasted" in large quantities in the country! This is while no less an agency like the Supreme Court indicted the very same government regarding its propensity to allow food grains to rot out side their storage Goddowns under their very nose! Do these political chicaneers have any more credibility left amongst the honest citizens in Indian republic, after the series of scams surfaced recently, involving siphoning of billions of rupees from the common man, obviously to line their own pockets and slash it away in Tax Havens?

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

EXPIRATION DATE-THINK BEFORE DISCARDING

Food spoilage and the consequent effect of its consumption on health are issues that worry many consumers. Food safety authorities world over thought about labeling as a transparent way of communication between the processor and the consumer and the system works more or less satisfactorily helping the buyers with many critical information on the contents of any given package. While technical information such as nutrient composition, ingredient details, food additives used and others are not easily comprehended by the buyer, "date of expiry" or "best before use" readily strikes a chord with the consumers. Invariably such declarations on the label are taken as absolute because of compliance to food regulations which mandate the manufacturers to make such declarations on the label of each packet. Ideally the industry should generate actual data on product shelf life before making a declaration whereas in practice this information is at best based on "guestimates". Manufacturers even reduce the expiry period in many cases to safeguard their interests against violations and legal hassle after the product is placed on the super market shelf. How can the consumer know whether any product, after the expiry of date is over, can still be safe or not?.A difficult option indeed considering the risks associated with microbial spoilage of foods. There are helpful tips from consumer activists regarding this issue which may help to take decisions under such circumstances.

"Are you one of those people who pour the milk down the drain on the expiration date? Expiration dates on food products can protect consumer health, but those dates are really more about quality than safety, and if not properly understood, they can also encourage consumers to discard food that is perfectly safe to eat.A recent poll of more than 2,000 adults showed that most of us discard food we believe is unsafe to eat, which is a good thing, of course, but it is important that we understand what food expiration dates mean before we dump our food -- and our money -- down the drain or into the garbage. Which five foods are most often feared as being unsafe after the printed date? According to ShelfLifeAdvice.com, we are most wary of milk, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, and eggs, and offers these helpful explanations":

Is it not strange that the very government which stipulates mandatory declaration of shelf life, some time feel that the system is leading to unnecessary waste of precious foods? It was only recently a minister in the UK government implored people not to throw away packed date expired foods blindly without looking at the contents just because the label says so. But how can a consumer with his limited knowledge of food spoilage and its implications decide whether a date expired food is safe or not. It is unlikely that any consumer will take such a risk considering the consequences of a mistake in taking the decision. There is one cardinal principle old grandma used to follow while deciding about the safety of food, that is to smell first and taste a little bit without swallowing to detect any off flavor or off taste which would be sure signs of deterioration. Also practiced is to heat the old food before consumption to ensure destruction of pathogens if any in the food. While avoiding waste is important, by being judicious in deciding about the edibility of many date expired food products makes eminent sense in reducing the food bill of the house hold.

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

NEW MARKET STRATEGY-CUTTING DOWN ON FOOD WASTE

Food materials being perishable with finite shelf life require intensive marketing efforts to dispose off them from the shelves in minimum time. Modern marketing strategy involves almost saturated advertisements through various means to reach the consumer highlighting the USP features including the price advantages. Selling schemes like BOGOF offer the consumer the choice of "buy one, get one free"(BOGOF) that effectively boils down to getting the product at half the labeled price. Realizing that people are buying more than what they can eat, the government in UK is advising the retailers to reduce their price by 50% to avoid unnecessary wastage of valuable foods as is being reported below:

"The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is asking supermarkets to offer half price deals on these products rather than BOGOFS, as part of tough targets on reducing food waste, reported Advertising Age".

According to the above report British consumers waste food, about 6.7 million tons (mt) annually, valued at 10 billion pound sterling out of which 4.1 mt could still be eaten. This amounts to a wastage rate of 420 pound sterling worth of food per house hold. Phenomenal wastage of foods in western countries is a well known phenomenon reflecting the wealth and affluence amongst their population and one report even claims that the food thrown away by them can feed all the hungry people on this planet.

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