Road blocks to innovation in food technology-Is government a culprit?

Any innovation undertaken by scientific community must have the interests of the citizens upper most in their mind. But in to day's industrialized world, innovations are more often taken up by the industry for furthering the profits of the manufacturers. In the case of foods many innovations in earlier years were undertaken by public funded agencies making available the knowledge to one and all without caring for returns on R & D investments made. If consumers are facing to day a situation where he hardly knows what industry is doing to siphon off money from his purse in the name of good foods because transparency and trust are totally lacking vis-a-vis organized food industry. Look at the multi million dollar battle going on in the US, funded by lobbyists and apologists, to preempt any mandatory provision for declaring GMO food ingredients on the label as being demanded by hundreds of consumer activists organizations. Government policies are intended to protect the consumer from unsafe foods first and then safeguard them against frauds and cheating. Unfortunately government itself seems to be putting hurdles and road blocks in the way of innovations through rigid and archaic standards which should have been dynamic keeping in view the ever expanding knowledge base in food science. Here is a critique on such a situation as reported recently. 

"Years ago, the FDA established Standards of Identity for many products so that consumers were protected from mislabeled food product. But consumers today are more educated about food ingredients, and are demanding ingredients in food products like Just Mayo that are Non-GMO verified, all natural, organic, gluten-free, from cage-free eggs, and less saturated fats to name a few. To me, the FDA's Standards-of-Identity are nothing more than a barrier to new food innovation that is no longer needed. It reminds me of President Reagan walking to the Berlin wall, and asking Russian President Gorbachev to "Tear this wall down." I believe the FDA needs to tear down the barriers to entry in the food business – and become an enabler of new products and not a prevention to new product development. But, is this a hypocritical position since Unilever sells a product called " Can't Believe It's Not Butter?" 

How about Indian situation? There is hardly any meaningful genuine innovation in food products development in India as public funded R & D agencies are more obsessed with "ivory tower" research with no concern for the common man. The FSSAI in the present avatar or PFA in the earlier avatar could not be considered to be  equipped adequately to deal with innovations because of inflexible rules and food identity standards. It is a catch 22 situation where new products cannot be marketed unless there are standards of identity available in the statute books. Of course there is this proprietary food route one can use to get "approval" from the technically "innocent" "babudom" for products deviating from existing standards but such foods will have to be differently named. For example an ice cream must contain minimum limits of sugar and milk fat, both of which are implicated in some life style disorders. If an entrepreneur wants to make an ice cream more healthy by reducing sugar and fat, that product cannot be called ice cream! There are many such examples that can be cited to illustrate this point. Probably it is time for liberating the industry from such shackles with minimum restraints but strict oversight.

V.H.POTTY

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

Fresh Fish and super markets-A big contradiction?

The word "fresh" is one of the most misused terminologies by the food industry as most consumers want to eat their food as fresh as possible. Unfortunately there is no unanimity regarding the exact meaning of the word "fresh", different stake holders meaning different things. Consumer expects that fresh fish should the one caught immediately prior to be sold to him while the sellers aim at selling them before deterioration starts setting in. The arbitrator viz the government wants to ensure it is not dangerous to the health of the consumer. The food scientists and quality experts consider any thing fresh if the eating quality is essentially same as that when the fish was caught. In a food like fish which deteriorates in quality pretty fast the seller cannot afford to delay the time lapse between catching and selling too much though to day's technology has the wherewithal to keep it fresh for a few hours after catching. The reported situation in some of the super markets in the UK indicates that fish branded as "fresh" were actually caught 15 days back and consumers are buying a product with practically 80-90% of its life gone! Here is the low down on this tricky issue. 

"Mr Chivers said: Supermarkets selling 'fresh' fish that's really 15 DAYS old  if not in the past few days. 'They think the fish is going to be fresh and tasty. But some of the samples we tested they are not going to enjoy at all.' He used the Torry scale – an industry standard system to measure freshness – in which experts rate the fish's physical characteristics to estimate how long ago it was caught.  Mr Chivers found some fish was in danger of going off quickly. 'These are not off, but give them a day in a domestic fridge and you would begin to taste an off odour,' he told the Sunday Mirror. Current guidelines say fish can be sold as fresh if it has been kept on ice since being caught. Morrisons' fisheries manager, Huw Thomas, said: 'Careful planning ensures that the time between the fish being caught and then sold on our counters is minimal . In our experience, the Torry scale is a reliable tool for judging quality, but not food safety or how long each fish has been out of the water.' A Tesco spokesman said: 'We ensure all our fish is of good quality.' Asda also defended the freshness of its products, saying: 'We are the only retailer to publish how and where we source our wild fish.'A Sainsbury's spokesman said all its fish would remain 'good quality for the duration of its shelf life'"

While consumer is the "King" as far the market is concerned, the manufacturers and marketeers do expect some consideration for their logistical difficulties in procuring and distribution of the product. Industry normally endeavors to minimize the lapse of time between procurement and delivery to the consumer. However consumer is willing to give reasonable time and he expects the industry to be truthful. Where is the necessity of declaring a 15 days old fish as fresh? As long as such declarations are not made consumer may be willing to patronize the brand as long as it tastes good to his palates. Those who sell stale fish cannot be expected to remain in the market for too long and the market will take care of those indulging in  such deceiving practices. Fluid milk vendors often use the words "Dairy Fresh", again to exploit the weakness of consumers to all such things which are fresh (except for liquor). Ultimately under a branded marketing regime, whether fresh or not the quality and safety of the product only can ensure survival of the brands. 

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

War between "Brick and mortar" store retailers and e-commerce market players-Where will this end?

With on -line retailing giants like Amazon.com, Flipkart etc pitching their tent in India there are naturally apprehensions all around in the throbbing $ 600 billion retail market in India regarding the ultimate out come of this churning process. Admittedly unorganized market segment is controlling the market currently while the more sophisticated supermarket players have not been able to penetrate the market as expected leaving the latter with with less than 10% of the market share. During the last one and a half decade many supermarket chains have sprung up in the country, the investments coming mostly from domestic players with some marketing muscle in other sectors. Recent foreign investment policy changes effected by the UPA government raised lot of expectations, hoping for an influx of international giants to tap the ebullient market. This has not materialized due to many reasons though there are a few successful whole sale trading players making a mark for themselves. Under such a situation sudden appearance of another competitor in the form of on-line sellers is causing a churning in the market place with no one sure about the future contours of retailing business in the country in the coming years. Recent street protests in some parts of the country against on-line retailing sector, mostly spearheaded by unorganized traders will not solve the problem, real or imaginary and there is an urgent need for the government, traders and the on-line players to better understand the reality at the ground level. Here is a commentary on the situation which is revealing as far as the common man is concerned.

"At a time when the hotting online-offline war is making headlines in India's retail space, the brick-and-mortar (offline) segment seems to be putting up much less than a spirited united fight against its online challenger. Even as deep discounts by e-tailers are hurting the bottom lines of all companies running physical stores, and smaller offline traders - mostly mom-and-pop stores - are resorting to protests and agitation, the larger ones are looking to leverage the online medium. They see in the e-commerce marketplace model, also followed by the likes of Amazon, Snapdeal and Flipkart, a great opportunity to spread their reach and sales. While brick-and-mortar stores account for the bulk of India's $600-billion retail market - a majority of the total retail trade is still unorganised - online transactions' share stands at three-four per cent. For large groups with deeper pockets, the online marketplace model reduces the real estate cost of opening more physical stores and allows passing of the saving to consumers in the form of chunky discounts, say analysts. By comparison, the smaller traders, wary of the deep discounts they would also have to offer if they went online, are resorting to protests. Recently, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) led a nationwide agitation that saw about 250 unions (primarily of smaller retailers) holding street protests. Major offline retailers chose to stay away from this, in spite of efforts to get them on board. According to CAIT Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal, the larger players form about 10 per cent of the total offline retail trade. "We are trying to communicate to them but many of them are keeping off the protests and favouring discriminatory laws. This is also because of cut-throat competition among themselves," Khandelwal says. Ajit Joshi, chief executive of Croma Retail, Tata Group's electronics and durables chain, says his company is against predatory pricing, but street protests are not the ideal way to address the issue. "We have to reach our consumers and, if some of them are online, we should to take a balanced path and make an attempt to reach them as well... Of course, selling below cost price will do no good to anyone," Joshi says, adding digital presence of media outlets will not kill the traditional medium. Online retail has grown over time, but the recent pre-Diwali mega sales by Flipkart and Amazon, which offered deep discounts, drew severe criticism from offline traders."

Whether one likes it or not on-line trading or buying and selling is loaded in favor of the consumer and there is no way consumer is going to give up this advantage easily. It is well known that mark up in prices between the manufacturer and the retailer can be as high as 35-75% and and naturally the on-line products will incur insignificant promotional, ware housing, distribution and aisle display costs making them pass on the savings to their consumers. How ever if predatory pricing, offering even at prices below the manufacturing cost, is resorted to by the on-line sellers it is reprehensible to say the least. As for the government it will be a big dilemma as to who should be supported in this attrition war. Of course the small traders numbering over 8 million, according to some estimates, cannot be allowed to wither away because of this fierce onslaught on them by the organized trade. Another dimension to this issue is the unevenly loaded advantage for only a section of the consumer community who are computer savvy while denying the same to a vast segment of the population. But how this can be solved is a question that needs further consideration.

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

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OBESITY? INDIVIDUALS, SOCIETY OR THE GOVERNMENT?

The word "Obesity" is one of the most widely used jargon in modern times because of the concern in many parts of the world regarding the health and economic consequences of this human affliction. Though tons of papers have been published during the last 2 decades, nothing concrete has been achieved to control the obesity epidemic as no consensus exists regarding the root cause that is responsible for this modern tragedy. It is true that obesity is caused by undisciplined eating by a section of the population while hereditary factors also play some part. Governments in various countries are breaking their heads as to how this epidemic can be controlled and a few well meaning intervention programs were launched in different countries with some what indifferent results. It is now being realized as reflected by the report below that consumers them selves are to be blamed for causing this havoc though government agencies can contribute in some measures to help him out with suitable policies.

"A new survey by two food economists confirmed that even obese people don't blame restaurants, grocery stores, farmers, or government policies for obesity, which means that creating and enforcing public policies to reduce obesity or encourage/mandate healthier food is probably not going to be effective. University of Illinois researcher Brenna Ellison and Jayson Lusk at Oklahoma State University note that many of the food policies designed to improve food choices, such as requiring calorie information on restaurant menus and taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, don't produce the intended results. Their question: Why aren't these policies working? Why aren't consumers responding to increased soda prices or calorie information on menus"Obesity is in the news every day so it would be hard to say that people are unaware of the policy initiatives in place to reduce U.S. obesity rates," Ellison said. "Based on our study results, the more likely conclusion is that consumers' beliefs about who is to blame for obesity don't necessarily align with the beliefs of policy makers and public health advocates. In the United States, we're known for being an individualistic-based society, so it's  so it's not exceptionally surprising that we would put this responsibility for obesity on ourselves." An online survey was administered by Clear Voice Research whose registry of panelists is representative of the U.S. population in terms of socioeconomic characteristics, gender, and region. Of the more than 800 people in the United States who took the survey, 774 were usable. The main question of interest asked survey participants was, "Who is primarily to blame for the rise in obesity?" Respondents were asked to classify seven different entities (individuals, parents, farmers, food manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, and government policies) as either primarily to blame, somewhat to blame, or not to blame for obesity.  Results of the study showed that 94 percent of people believed individuals are primarily or somewhat to blame for the rise in obesity, with parents coming in second at 91 percent primarily or somewhat to blame. Survey respondents felt farmers and grocery stores were relatively blameless for the rise in obesity."

While obesity is a choice by individuals, one has to define what makes a responsible individual? After all a new born child has neither the will nor the means to choose his foods and depends heavily on the parents to give him good food. Is it possible then that parents who do not fulfill their responsibility to provide balanced and nutritious foods to their children during early years of development, has to bear the brunt of the blame for creating a population with wide spread obesity? There are indications proved by science that children who are lean and normal with respect to BMI during their preschool days invariably escape obesity later when they grow into adults. No wonder that the above study brings out emphatically the role of parents in the obesity saga while normal adults becoming obese due to their sedentary life style and gluttony have to bear the responsibility themselves. The blame game however does provide a solution to this vexed problem though ultimately salvation lies in preparing a future citizenry well educated vis-a-vis the nuances of obesity. 

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

ALL ABOUT TOILETS AND CLEANLINESS-THE NEW CAMPAIGN

During the last 2-3 days citizens in India are bombarded with the three words-"Swachh Bharath Abhiyan" by the voracious media, electronic as well as the news papers through saturated news coverage of the Gandhi jayanti celebrations. For an average citizen such high visible and high decibel coverage can only create skepticism whether any thing will happen to the cherished dream of Mahatma Gandhi to make India a clean country so that people can live without diseases and other adverse consequences of filthy environment. Whether it is Swachh Bharath or Nirmal Bharath, the name has very little relevance as long as there is tangible progress at the ground level. With a massive out go of more than Rs 2 lakh crore over a 5-year period, this particular program will definitely make some impact though no one can be sure regarding the potential, inherent in such a massive  government scheme for misappropriation of funds and mega financial scams. But the purpose behind the Abhiyan is noble and its successful implementation can change the face of this country. Here is one of the reports that highlight the details of this latest initiative from the new central government.        

The urban component of the Mission is proposed to be implemented over 5 years starting from October 2, 2014 in all 4,041 statutory towns. The total expected cost of the programme is Rs 62,009 crore, out of which the proposed central assistance will be of Rs 14,623 crore. The Cabinet had last month decided to merge the 'Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan', a campaign for rural sanitation with Swachh Bharat Mission. The Prime Minister countered Congress criticism that his government behaves as if everything happened only after he came to power. "I do not make any claim that the government, which has been elected to power just now, has done everything." Congress has been attacking Modi accusing him of taking credit of initiatives undertaken by the UPA regimes and trying to give an impression that every good work was done only by him. Recalling that he had congratulated all governments even from the ramparts of Red Fort, Modi said,"even today from this stage, I greet and salute all the governments--central, state and municipal, social organizations which have worked in this direction, whether they are leaders from Sarvodaya or workers of Seva Dal. I launch this programme with their blessings." Maintaining that everybody deserves kudos, the Prime Minister asked not to get into making political barbs on the issue. "Everybody before us has worked for it. Under Mahatma Gandhi's leadership, the Congress had led it...Who was successful, who was not. Let us not get into it who has done it, who has not. We should work responsibly," he said. While ruing that 60 percent of populace in rural areas still defecate in open, the Prime Minister said the stigma of women lacking toilet facilities has to be removed. Modi said that he has requested the corporates to evolve plans under corporate social responsibility to build clean toilets specially for girl students in schools. India, he said, should learn from foreign countries, where people are disciplined and do not litter in public places. He said though it is a difficult task, it can be achieved and for that people will have to change their habits. The Prime Minister said that a campaign has been unleashed on the social media as well where a separate website for the mission has been launched and he is tweeting about the drive on his Twitter handle. Expressing confidence that the nation can achieve the target of becoming one of cleanest in the world, the Prime Minister dwelt upon the low cost success of the Mars Orbiter Mission. "If people of India can reach Mars with minimal expenditure, why can they not keep their streets and colonies clean," he said asking people to take up the responsibility to make the mission a success. He also wondered whether the task can only be left only to the government to accomplish. "If we make it a public movement, we can make our country being counted as one among the cleanest nations," he said. The Prime Minister, who earlier in the day visited the 'samadhi' of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary, said while the countrymen launched a movement and achieved freedom realizing one of the slogans of Father of the nation, there is now a need to fulfil his other vision of 'clean India'. He also chose the occassion to compliment two persons Anant from Maharashtra and Bhagyashree from Gujarat, who designed the logo of the campaign (Gandhi's spectacles) and the slogan "Ek Kadam Swachhata Ki Or" respectively. "I am seeing that Gandhi is looking through these specs that whether we have made India clean or not, what we have done and what we have done," he said. Quoting a WHO estimate, he said a person in India loses about Rs 6,500 per annum due to illness and poor health as he is unable to perform day-to-day duties.He said if the surroundings are kept clean, then people will remain healthy and such losses can be minimised."

According to the Prime Minister average spending by a typical citizen in this country on medical bills to fight diseases caused by filthy living environment works to about Rs 6500 per year and the financial out lay for the Abhiyan can be justified if the disease incidences are brought down by undertaking appropriate projects to clean up the rural and urban areas over the next 5 years. Government intent to transfer Rs 20 lakh each per year over the next 5 years to 2.47 lakh gram panchayats in the country for constructing covered toilets is very laudable provided there is strict monitoring of expenditure and financial accountability. The shame of this country that almost 49% of the population defecate in the open even after 67 years of Independence is a stigma on the politicians and administrators who governed this country during this period. Similarly spending Rs 62000 crore on 4401 urban entities to improve the environmental and living conditions of people can achieve a lot if it is spent responsibly. As the PM said rightly, no amount of financial out lay can achieve any thing lastingly unless people change their attitude towards hygiene and sanitation. It is here that the schools have to play a vital role by inculcating among kids about the significance of cleanliness in every aspect of life if they are to become a responsible citizen of tomorrow. The new government will do well by better focusing on this important area to reform the schools, the teaching community and the syllabus on a mission mode.

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

IS SUGAR BECOMING BITTER?-A MINISTER'S PRIORITY!

In India the citizens are left wondering as to how many caps a minister can wear simultaneously, miserably failing to do any thing properly and efficiently! Any one watching the sordid cricket "circus" on the electronic media during the last one week must have noticed that it is the politicians who "manage" cricket in this country though none of them would have even handled a bat or a ball in their life. Same is true with all sports bodies where politicians, even in their seventies and eighties refuse to allow others younger and more knowledgeable than them to assume responsibility. Analogous to this, the cooperatives in this country also are "infested" with politicians of all hues and colors and even when they assume ministerial responsibilities , their industry interests are above that of the poor citizens. Here is an example of the agriculture minister of the country canvassing for the interests of the cooperative sugar industry by demanding from his own government to make sugar more expensive to the consumer through import policy manipulation! Probably he must be thinking that the citizens affected by such rise in sugar prices, will forget it during election time! Further he must be sure that electorates are just fools not capable of punishing him for his misdeeds and will reelect him every 5 years without fail! Here is his case.

"The minister said that despite drought in Maharashtra, India's sugar production in the 2012-13 crop marketing year that will end on September 31 is expected to be around 25 million tonnes. When these are added to the season's opening balance of six million tonnes, it will leave the country with around eight million tonnes in stocks when the current  season ends. "Therefore, availability of sugar will be much more than domestic consumption , despite the drought in Maharashtra. Hence, we do not need imports at this stage," Pawar is believed to have written. According to industry officials, usually, the country's opening balance of sugar is around 4.5 million tonnes. Giving another reason for increasing the import, officials said the minister let as international prices of sugar have been falling in the last few months, the Indian market has also dropped. The domestic price has seen a steady fall since October 2012, which has led to the accumulated cane arrears and hence, the import duty should be hiked, Pawar wrote. India's sugar production has stabilised at  23-25 million tonnes because of a declining recovery ratio. Recently, the government partially removed some of the decades-old curbs on the  Rs 80,000 crore sector, which is expected to boost its efficiency in the coming years. It abolished the levy sugar mechanism, under which millers had to sell a fixed portion of their annual produce to the government for distribution through ration shops at cheap rates. It also gave the mills freedom to sell any quantity of sugar at any point of time."

More concessions government gives, higher is the appetite for making money at a faster pace as far sugar industry is concerned. It was very recently that government decontrolled the sugar sector, removing the levy sugar system for two years and with this one policy change sugar sales by the manufacturers are now driven purely by supply-demand dynamics. Though this sector was happy initially, it soon realized that its fortunes are influenced by international sugar market prices as India, being a member of WTO has to ensure free trade as a part of its commitment to the world body. As the global sugar prices are falling, imports are cheaper than that expected by the industry. The domestic industry is not able to make killing profits as it has hoped and hence this demand by the minister who is also a prominent sugar baron to increase import duty substantially so that domestic prices can also be raised! Why the poor sugarcane producers are being used as a pawn in this dirty game should e understood in this context. The rich sugar barons have money for every thing in life but plead  that liquidity problems prevent them from paying the mandated minimum price for the sugarcane crop to the farmers when it is delivered at their factory gate. It is time that the government stands up to their machination, does not buckle under their lobby and does not sacrifice the interest of the poor farmer.  

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

THE GRAIN OF "TRUTH"!-NATION'S FOOD "WOES" AND POLITICAL APATHY!

Indian nation has to thank the Supreme Court of the land for rapping at the knuckles of the political masters who claim they are "governing" the country, for the awfully sorry situation vis-a-vis food grain storage and mindless food wastage. It is a reflection of the total apathy of the political class, irrespective of their class or color or creed, that adequate precautions were not taken to save the food grains so painfully produced by the teeming millions of farmers through their sweat and blood by not expanding the storage capacity in commensurate with ever increasing production. Probably no where in the world except India one can witness the colossal loss of food year after after year through sheer negligence and callousness of unbelievable magnitude. In the latest report, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has made a scathing indictment of the government of the day for its continued neglect of food grains and granaries of the country.

'The national auditor highlighted the increasingly inadequate storage capacity of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the government agency entrusted with food management and the procurement of food grains. This storage gap and other policies of the FCI led to food spoiling in a nation where millions still go hungry everyday. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said in its report that was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday that the storage gap widened to 331.85 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) from 59.95 LMT in the six-year period between 2007 and 2012. The report said efforts to address the issue were inadequate. "The storage gap in FCI against the central pool stock witnessed a steady increase during the period 2006-07 to 2011-12," it said. "Against the storage gap of 332 LMT (March 2012), GoI (government of India)/FCI envisaged capacity addition of only 163 LMT during the six-year period under various augmentation programmes. Of this, only 34 LMT was completed (March 2012)." Even as storage capacity remained inadequate, existing capacity was not completely utilized. The auditor observed that utilization of existing storage capacity in various states and union territories was less than 75% in the majority of the months between 2006-07 and 2011-12. This amounted to unnecessary expenditure of Rs.376 crore during the period as FCI didn't use the space it had in Punjab and Haryana, the auditor said. Though there was a steady increase in the food stock procured by government agencies, it didn't match allocation requirements under various government schemes. "The average food grains procurement of 514 LMT during the period 2006-07 to 2011-12 was lower than the average allocation of 593 LMT made by the government to states under the targeted public distribution system (TPDS) and other welfare schemes (OWS)," the report said. CAG highlighted the absence of specifications for maximum and manageable stock levels to be maintained in the central pool and of minimum buffer norms. It added that the existing buffer stock policy does not indicate which agency is primarily responsible for maintaining the minimum buffer stock level for the country as a whole, which adversely affects accountability and transparency in the management of food grains. The report said the government doesn't follow a specific policy for fixing the minimum support price (MSP) relative to the cost of production. "It was observed that the margin of MSP fixed over the cost of production varied between 29% and 66% in case of wheat, and 14% and 60% in case of paddy during the period 2006-07 to 2011-12. Increase in MSP had a direct bearing on statutory changes levied on purchase of food grains by different state governments," said the report, adding that this eventually resulted in the rising acquisition cost of food grains".

There will be blame game and "passing on the buck" statements regarding the reasons for this sordid affair but fact still remains that those culpable for this criminal negligence are never brought to books for their shirking of responsibility. Government "spin doctors" adept at interpreting any indictment as unavoidable, will continue to present a picture as not so discouraging, though more than 200 million people in this country are supposed to be going to bed every day on a hungry stomach! Even to day a non-repentant ruling regime does not seem to be serious about the plans to expand storage capacity and in stead trotting out tall claims about future plans to remedy the situation without really meaning a single word of what they are saying! This raises the logical question as to when this country is going to be ever salvaged from the self seeking politicians parading under the garb of democracy!  

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

WAR ON SCIENCE-A COUNTRY'S WRONG PRIORITIES!

It is really worrisome for the denizens of this planet that there are still people who are not convinced about the adverse impact of carbon pollution and other green house gases on global weather conditions. The fact that global warming is raising the temperature of this planet to catastrophic levels affecting the rain pattern, drought on set, storms and hurricanes sea level etc does not seem to be registering with people, especially in developed countries who continue with their conspicuous consumption of fossil fuels which by fa is the biggest contributor to disastrous weather changes. Enormous scientific data supporting the linkage between fossil fuel burning and atmospheric warming cannot be ignored any more and the latest Doha round of talks has not helped to bring any sanity to this pressing problem. It is against this context that the efforts of an insensitive government in one of the rich countries, Canada, in snubbing scientific community engaged in research in environmental and climate studies are to be viewed with some alarm. Here is a take on this unfortunate development which deserves to be frowned upon by the whole world.     

Canadian campaigners are calling it a "war on science" – a slow and systematic unravelling of environmental and climate research budgets under the Conservative government of Stephen Harper. Hundreds of researchers have lost their jobs, with those remaining reportedly forbidden from talking to the media without a government minder. The government says the cuts are part of a wider, deficit-reducing austerity programme. But green groups instead accuse Harper of trying to stifle criticism of Canada's development of its oil sands fields in Alberta which hold huge reserves. "The climate policy in Canada is actually getting much weaker, and it's no secret that this is all in the name of protecting the tar sands industry … [which] is becoming a major barrier to Canada being a climate leader." - Danielle Droitsch, the Natural Resources Defense Council On Friday, Canada gave the go-ahead for a $15.1bn takeover by Chinese state-owned oil firm, CNOOC, of Canadian company Nexen to develop the fields.
Environmentalists say it is this desire to extract the oil from the tar sands that is driving Canadian government policy. In recent years, Harper has weakened green regulations and pulled Canada from the Kyoto Protocol, the global treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Environmental groups say the government has stepped up its attack on climate scientists in recent months, as seen by some of the measures taken so far: * The elimination of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, a body that for years urged the government to take more action on climate change * Slashing funding for more than a dozen research stations that monitor greenhouse gas and other pollutants * The non-profit Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences lost all its government funding since Harper took office in 2006; several other climate study bodies also suffered budget cut * Nature magazine reported that 12,000 government jobs, including thousands of scientists, will be affected by the latest cuts Last week, the Climate Action Network, a leading environmental group, ranked Canada as the worst performer in the developed world when it comes to climate change policies, coming in at 58th out of 61 countries measured. It led Greenpeace to describe Canada as "the poster child of climate inaction". Inside Story Americas asks: How bad is Canada when it comes to climate change? Is Harper's government recklessly fixated on developing its Alberta oil sands?

It was a joke when Americans wanted to spend millions of dollars in India and other poor countries to evolve a design for smokeless "chula", spreading the canard that global warming is more due to smokes coming from traditional chulas than indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels! Of course a point that needs to be considered in this context is that smoke does contribute to human ill health over a long period, though it is doubtful whether the Americans are really concerned about the health of poor India house wife who spends hours together in front of such chulas under utterly humiliating living conditions! Similarly India's millions of free roaming cattle which are normally not culled, are also being blamed for global warming because of the high content of green gases supposed to be emitted during farting! Even if there is some truth in this stand, it it not the responsibility of the rich nations to reduce their own emissions and then demand action by poor nations to make attempts to reduce green house gas emissions?. Sacrifice seems to be a one way phenomenon in the parlor of wealthy countries, the word equity never being in their lexicon! Peace on this planet can never be assured unless there is equity in what ever humans do to avert future tragedies.

V.H.POTTY

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

"CHAOS'-THY NAME IS GOVERNMENT!

It is only in India that governments, whether local, regional or federal,come in the way of developing entrepreneurial talents to its full blossom. Though the old "Permit and Licensing"  regime was supposed to have been progressively brought down after the bold economic liberalization policy of early nineteen nineties, nothing much seems to have changed at the ground level when it comes to small scale entrepreneurs in the food sector struggling to eke out an existence against the powerful MNCs and big fish already well established with many incentives by the government to increase investment in food industry at "any cost". The corrupt bureaucracy which holds the power strings to make or break an industry through manipulation of rules, obviously has less sympathy for the small players because of the limited capacity of the latter to pay "grease money" for getting what is legitimately due as per constitution. Here is a typical example of what is happening in the country under the very nose of the Prime Minister who rarely sees such things except for expressing his sympathies belatedly through "hollow" words!   

The Delhi high court on Monday put DDA and MCD on notice over the absence of a coherent policy for parking and licensing of food catering vans in the city. Justice Hima Kohli pulled up both the agencies for "complete chaos" and wondered why there is no single-window clearance system in place for van owners to obtain required permissions. Giving a day's time to MCD and DDA to come clear, HC noted, "There is complete chaos whenever two agencies are involved. Why isn't there a system in place for parking and licensing of the vans, why can't there be a single-window clearance so that people don't have to go to authorities for clearance," Kohli said, posting the matter for hearing on Tuesday. HC was hearing a plea by a group of van owners who moved the court challenging the "arbitrary and unjust" manner in which they were evicted out by the civic agencies from Dwarka. According to the authorities these vans parked in various sectors of Dwarka were responsible for traffic congestion and caused a parking mess and were therefore shifted. However, the petitioners through advocate Manjit Singh Ahluwalia argued that the civic agencies had no policy to follow with respect to mobile food vans that permitted them to resort to high-handedness.

Catering is a business dominated by micro enterprises which are omnipotent by their presence in every corner of the country and the street vending phenomenon is traditionally accepted by the consumers, especially those coming from the "aam admi" category with low income. Why should the government agencies harass them is a point that must be addressed at the national level. Licensing is an unavoidable feature of safety management system but it must be simple and affordable. How many violations the Delhi Government had detected vis-s-vis food safety during the last 3 years and how many culprits had been brought to book?  Wielding power comes with responsibility which is rarely "understood" and if the court finds these babus of dereliction of duty they must be punished severely for failing in their assigned role of facilitating the small scale food business activities. While the above case focuses on Delhi, same is true every where in the country. One can hope that suitable lesson will be learned from the strictures from Supreme Court

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

MEGA DREAMS GOING SOUR?-WHO IS TO BE BLAMED?

It is rare that a government admits that any of its program is not doing well in spite of massive budgetary provisions made under grandiose plans with little realism. The so called "Mega Food Park" plans envisaged setting up specialized industrial estates with high quality infrastructure for entrepreneurs to move in with minimum hassle so that considerable time is saved in chasing the various agencies to get the required permission and support. Alas, the program seems to have fallen flat in the absence of any determination and perseverance at the ground level by those vested with the task. Here is a take on this issue.

"Your ministry has admitted to non-functionality of most of the mega food parks barring two or three. Will investment still go into this project? Projects like mega food parks are infrastructural projects which take time. There were land related issues which delayed execution. However, we are receiving a lot of interest from the industry. The government has now approved 30 mega food parks. The plan is to have one mega food park in each state and if the proposal is good enough we can even have two parks subject to the availability of space".

Many countries like Singapore, China and others have used this concept very effectively to boost production of value added food products, especially for exports, India seems to have found a way to "fritter" away this opportunity by the heavy bureaucratic muddle associated with government schemes. Imagine how effective and convenient it would be for a spirited entrepreneur to be housed in such a Food Park with common facilities for power, water, waste disposal, quality assessment, storage, marketing and global communication. Unless there is a priority and deep commitment such mega schemes cannot be expected to succeed no matter how much hype is generated!


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

LEAD POISONING IN CHINA-AN INDIFFERENT GOVERNMENT AND A HAPLESS POPULATION!

Is there any country in this world which does not bother about the well being of its ordinary citizens? The answer is loud and clear, it is the newly anointed economic power China! It is a common knowledge that Communist China does not believe in individual liberty and rights and considers the State as supreme! Otherwise it is very difficult to believe the recent report about lead poisoning in some parts of that country with the government not doing much to alleviate the situation. How can a country that aspires to replace the US as the Super Power can be so indifferent to the sufferings of its citizens? In its relentless pursuit of economic superiority, China is trampling over the rights of its population to be normal and healthy like any one else in the world but the regime there is totally insensitive to global outcry regarding the latest episode of lead poisoning.

"Chasing the political dividends of economic development, local officials regularly overlook environmental contamination, worker safety and dangers to public health until forced to confront them by episodes like the Haijiu factory riot. In the past two and a half years, thousands of workers, villagers and children in at least 9 of mainland China's 31 province-level regions have been found to be suffering from toxic levels of lead exposure, mostly caused by pollution from battery factories and metal smelters. The cases underscore a pattern of government neglect seen in industry after industry as China strives for headlong growth with only embryonic safeguards. "What we are trying to underscore is how little has been done to address the massive impact of lead pollution in China," Joe Amon, the organization's health and human rights director, said in an interview. "It really has affected a whole generation of kids." In more developed nations, where lead pollution has been tightly regulated for decades, a pattern of lead poisoning like China's would most likely be deemed a public-health emergency. High levels can damage the brain, kidney, liver, nerves and stomach and, in extreme cases, cause death. Children are particularly susceptible because they absorb lead more easily than adults. A report by Human Rights Watch released Wednesday states that some local officials have reacted to mass poisonings by arbitrarily limiting lead testing, withholding and possibly manipulating test results, denying proper treatment to children and adults and trying to silence parents and activists. "No blood lead level has been found to be safe for a child," Dr. Mary Jean Brown, chief of the lead poisoning prevention branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview last week.Here, Chinese leaders have acknowledged that lead contamination is a grave issue and have raised the priority of reducing heavy-metal pollution in the government's latest five-year plan, presented in March. But despite efforts to step up enforcement, including suspending production last month at a number of battery factories, the government's response remains faltering".

If pleas from the world community is continuously ignored, some thing needs to be done to bring them to their senses. Of course past experience is any indication, China cares two hoots for world opinion as it is powerful enough to withstand any punishment that may be meted out to them by the the global community for their criminal negligence. All they are interested is to show piece the achievement of communism to the world and the whole world knows how they "organized" the Beijing Olympics in 2009 and what methods they employ to produce "champions". The million dollar question is what purpose it serves such "accolades" are achieved if they are at the expense of the common man who continue to lead a life of low quality!

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

THE "TAX CRAZY" GOVERNMENT-AIR IS NEXT TARGET?

During the last six decades there has been incessant chanting by every government that ruled India that food processing is critical to the development of country's economy. Every politician with every hue does not lose an opportunity to give an expose regarding the low value addition to agricultural commodities achieved in the country and predominance of low value food items in the basket of national exports. That food industry is a logical corollary to agricultural sector is indisputable and GOI did recognize this truth when the specialized MFPI was set up in late 1980s. That this ministry was invariably "managed" by a junior minister. is another matter that reflects the gap between preaching and practice. Umpteen number of seminars, conferences, workshops, meetings with GOI babus have been making the point that processed food must not be taxed at all for at least for a few years to enable the processing industry to establish itself on a firm foundation and making packed foods available to the consumer at the lowest cost possible. Every Finance Minister (FM) of GOi had ignored this so called sun-rise industry and tried to milk it as much as possible to enrich its coffers! Here comes the latest blow to the industry with the present FM putting another economic burden on the food sector through his ill-advised levy in the form of excise duty which ought to be condemned in no uncertain terms.

"The entire food processing industry is feeling the pinch of this announcement (excise duty). We have written a letter to the Finance Minister. I hope he will look into it," Minister of State for Food Processing Harish Rawat told reporters here. He said that industry bodies have complained that the 130 items on which 1% excise duty has been increased include food items as well and this will lead to an increase in prices. Food inflation came down to 9.52% for the week ended February 26 from 10.39% in the previous week. Rawat, while inaugurating the National Seminar on food ingredients and additives on the sidelines of the Aahar 2011 international food and hospitality fair, said, "The ministry has requested the Finance Minister to keep GST and other taxes at a minimum level." The All-India Food Processors Association (AIFPA), which organised the seminar, has sought the removal of 1% excise duty on food and agricultural commodities, besides the waiver of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on food items. "With GST also, there should be no tax on food. When you tax food, you are taxing the value addition in the sector and this will lead to price rise as cost of inputs will go up and my worry is this will further increase the inflation," AIFPA President Piruz Khambatta told PTI.

No wonder many industry captains feel that they do not need any prop from the government and they would be happy if the rigid bureaucratic stranglehold by the government is done way with immediately. If governments do not want to help in any significant way, at least there should not be any road blocks that can affect the morale as well as the motivation of the entrepreneurs. Interestingly total revenue collected by various government agencies through their multiple taxation regimes on food industry is so minuscule that fore going the same will not be a sacrifice in any way. On the other hand, such a step will provide the necessary spark for a strong industry capable of generating millions of job opportunities and a host of products so vital for the consumers. Probably a strong industry after attaining some critical size may even contribute to the exchequer substantially in the long run.

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

MILK TESTING-DAIRY INDUSTRY VS GOVERNMENT

If there is a country where industry voice gets precedence over consumer interest it is the United States of America. No wonder this country can boast of biggest food industry in the world. Though this eminent position is not achieved through lagesses from the government coffers, the policy support wrangled out from to time from the two food safety agencies viz USDA and FDA has enabled the industry to roughshod many consumer concerns including the widespread prevalence of GM food ingredients in almost all foods consumed by the citizens there. Latest instance of ignoring consumer safety is the decision by the FDA to defer a program for assessing the implications of presence of antibiotics in milk processed and distributed by the Dairy industry in that country. This has been done because of "protests" by the industry citing "inconvenience" to them!

"Each year, federal inspectors find illegal levels of antibiotics in hundreds of older dairy cows bound for the slaughterhouse. Concerned that those antibiotics might also be contaminating the milk Americans drink, the Food and Drug Administration intended to begin tests this month on the milk from farms that had repeatedly sold cows tainted by drug residue. But the testing plan met with fierce protest from the dairy industry, which said that it could force farmers to needlessly dump millions of gallons of milk while they waited for test results. Industry officials and state regulators said the testing program was poorly conceived and could lead to costly recalls that could be avoided with a better plan for testing. In response, the F.D.A. postponed the testing, and now the two sides are sparring over how much danger the antibiotics pose and the best way to ensure that the drugs do not end up in the milk supply. "What has been served up, up to this point, by Food and Drug has been potentially very damaging to innocent dairy farmers," said John J. Wilson, a senior vice president for Dairy Farmers of America, the nation's largest dairy cooperative. He said that that the nation's milk was safe and that there was little reason to think that the slaughterhouse findings would be replicated in tests of the milk supply. But food safety advocates said that the F.D.A.'s preliminary findings raised issues about the possible overuse of antibiotics in livestock, which many fear could undermine the effectiveness of drugs to combat human illnesses".

How ridiculous the situation is can be gauged by the fact that to day the advances in diagnostic technology have made it easy to determine within no time the microbial contamination or antibiotic traces and the argument regarding wasting milk because of delays in analyses does not cut much ice. Probably the same industry lobby will come out with their view that presence of antibiotics would be harmless!

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

CORRECTING THE INDUSTRY-THE CONSUMER PRESSURE

Consumer activists serve a useful purpose in exerting pressure on the food industry to bring in corrections in their practices considered harmful to consumers. There have been instances of successful campaigns in the past benefiting the consumer community immensely. But their image is tarnished to some extent by some organizations indulging in activities not considered ethical by normal standards. Food industry is in a "sandwich" position between the consumers and the controlling agencies, each demanding products with better quality and safety. While statutory agencies take unusually long time to take decisions regarding implementation of restrictions on any aspect of the industry, consumer activists through sustained campaigns and mass support can exert pressure to achieve certain objectives. Most recent example is the BPA episode when most of the consuming industries started shunning BPA generating packing materials because of fear of backlash from consumers while BPA is still not banned in many countries. Here is another example of such an approach succeeding regarding use of milk produced from cows by injecting recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), a genetically modified bio-material with unknown consequences on human body.

"As part of their collective commitment to health and wellness, Bon Appetit Management Company and Compass Group USA will contract to buy only yogurt from cows not treated with rBGH (also known as rBST) effective today. Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (OPSR), which facilitates a nationwide coalition opposing rBGH, commended today's announcement from the two companies. According to Rick North, Oregon PSR's Project Director, "Artificial growth hormone is known to cause harm to cows and may very well cause harm to humans. Congratulations to Bon Appetit Management Company and Compass Group for taking a stand on this issue. This change sends a clear signal to milk product manufacturers that major players in the food service industry want to serve products produced without rBGH, including yogurt. We applaud both companies for leading the industry another step in the right direction, making changes that support both animal welfare and human health."Bovine growth hormone occurs naturally in dairy cows and is present in all raw milk. Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is a genetically engineered animal drug injected in to cows to increase milk production".

"First approved by the FDA in 1993, the use of rBGH is highly controversial. rBGH is banned in most industrial nations includingCanada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and all 27 nations of the European Union. Cows that receive rBGH injections experience higher rates of mastitis, an infection of the udder that leads to swelling and inflammation. Not only is this painful for the cow, it often forces dairy farmers to rely on antibiotics to treat these infections, creating a cycle of unnecessary medical intervention and possibly contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. The pharmaceutical labels on packages of rBGH list 16 toxic side effects, including hoof problems, increased pus in milk, heat stress, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. The medical community has expressed deep concern that the use of these artificial hormones may also be harmful to human health. A significant body of scientific data has linked rBGH to possible increases in cancer and antibiotic resistance in humans. Although further study is needed, Bon Appetit and Compass Group prefer to take a precautionary approach, offering milk, and now yogurt, from cows not treated with rBGH to their customers and clients".

Unless consumers stand up for their right for access to safe food, dependence on government policies alone may not bring results though eventually Government will move in for institutionalizing any changes resulting from consumer driven initiatives. The Bt Brinjal episode in India also bears out this fact when sustained animosity exhibited by the consumers at different consultation meetings forced the government to backtrack on its stand to allow GM foods in India. Probably such consumer movements should have knowledgeable food scientists as their members to impart a sense of balance to their views.

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

"FRONT OF THE PACK" HEALTH CLAIMS-MISLEADING THE CONSUMER

Informed consumers world over are concerned about the increasing impact of brazen health claims printed on processed food products, most of which target children and house wives. It is known that high decibel promotion of these products are sufficiently persuasive and boosts their sale dramatically. Here is a critique on such devious practices indulged by powerful food manufacturers.

Fast-forward to 1984, when Kellogg's high-fiber All-Bran cereal won an endorsement from the National Cancer Institute. "Within 6 months, All-Bran's market share increased by 47%, sending an unmistakable message that health claims sell products," Nestle and Ludwig write. So perhaps it was inevitable that in 2009, Kellogg would claim that its Cocoa Krispies and other Krispies cereals would "support your child's IMMUNITY" because they are fortified with vitamins A, C and E, three antioxidants that contribute to the immune system. Here's what Nestle had to say about that assertion in a Q&A last year with the San Francisco Chronicle:All nutrients are involved in immune function. But is it remotely possible that Cocoa Krispies might protect your child against colds or swine flu? I wish."

After San Francisco City Atty. Dennis Herrera challenged the immunity claim, Kellogg backed down. But case-by-case enforcement isn't sufficient, Nestle and Ludwig say. Food makers are brazen in their pronouncements that their highly processed products are healthy, and research shows that consumers not only believe the statements but also perceive them to carry a government seal of approval. That leaves only one solution, the coauthors say: "an outright ban on all front-of-package claims." Such a ban would surely face a court challenge on 1st Amendment grounds, Nestle and Ludwig concede, but the FDA should not shrink from the fight:"Claims that sugar-sweetened products make children smarter or boost their immunity are reason enough for the FDA to take this issue back to court and for Congress to consider legislative remedies."

Lot of food for thought for governments that control the industry through administrative policies to protect their hapless citizens. While enacting laws may be easier, their enforcement through rigorous vigilance and deterrent punitive action calls for a sound infrastructure for inspection, market sampling and reliable chemical and microbiological testing.

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

POLITICAL INTERFERENCE-INDUSTRY HITS BACK!

In many developing countries weak industrial base and strong political-bureaucratic machinery make the life miserable for honest entrepreneurs to survive. Corruption and the political power do not allow for a congenial atmosphere for growth of the industry. But if the industry is strong and do not indulge in practices that are anti-national, such traits can be faced boldly. Even small industries can fight back provided they stand united. In Zimbabwe, where unbridled nepotism and political thuggery are the order of the day, how an industry could counteract the state sponsored "terrorism" was demonstrated by one of the industry leaders recently. Instead of being cowed down by threats, it chose to shut down its facilities to protest against unjustified state interference.

"Nestlé, which has its headquarters in Vevey on Lake Geneva, said it had received an unannounced visit from government officials and police on December 19 and was forced to accept milk delivery from non-contracted suppliers. Two of its managers were questioned by police and released without charge the same day. The Herald quoted Zimbabwe Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube as saying a deal had been reached allowing Nestlé to continue operating".

Probably Nestle has the strength to face such bullying and come out unscathed from such a confrontation. What about the fate of lesser mortals under such an intimidating environment? It is a pity that the poor people of Zimbabwe become sufferers because of the high handedness and thoughtless action of its rulers.

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

INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT COOPERATION-THE UK EXAMPLE

The three stakeholders in food related issues are the industry, consumer and the government. Unless there is a harmonious relationship and mutual appreciation of the responsibilities of each one of them, no nation can prosper, irrespective of its wealth and power. If food safety is a major concern even in a country like the US considered richest and most powerful, it is because of mutual suspicion and lack of confidence amongst the stake holders regarding the ability of the system to ensure food safety. Therefore the approach in the UK for voluntary efforts in improving food safety is most refreshing.

"Meat products and dairy foods are key contributors of saturated fat and calories to our diet, the FSA noted. Many savoury snacks have been reformulated to reduce saturated fat recently, but they remain a focus because they are often high in fat and calories. As a result, the Agency is proposing the following voluntary recommendations for industry:* Dairy foods - further promote the supply and sale of 1% fat (or less) milk, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and lower-fat ice cream.* Meat products - reduce the fat and saturated fat content of sausages, meat pies and pastries.* Savoury snacks - make single packs of 30g or less more widely available and increase promotion of/encourage consumer interest in the smaller pack sizes.* All products - increase marketing efforts towards the promotion of reduced/low-fat options, with particular emphasis on lower-fat spreads.The consultation also covers the scope to amend the legislation on ice cream and Cheddar cheese. The current Food Labelling Regulations do not allow lower-fat versions of these products (below a specified fat content level) to be labelled as ice cream or Cheddar cheese".

Though these guidelines are not intended for mandatory compliance, many major food industry players are reported to have adopted them on their own. This is probably due to the involvement of industry during the process of drawing the guidelines. In India, unfortunately, the attitude is to condemn the industry and treat the manufacturers with contempt for their alleged over focus on profit with no care for the consumer. Unless the industry, government and consumers come together for evolving such guidelines as being followed in the UK, no forceful compliance can work due to the magnitude of the work involved in such a system of safety management.

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