SYMBOL BASED LABELING-NEED FOR A NEW INITIATIVE

One of the critical questions that haunt the policy makers all over the world is whether the consumers are able to get the much needed information about the products they are buying from the market and this has led to mandatory front of the pack labeling in food products manufactured and marketed by the industry. When it comes to food labeling, it is supposed to educate the consumer regarding various critical parameters like weight, price, manufacturing date, expiry date, ingredient details, nutritional content and any other information relevant to the products in side the pack. There are two constraints that restrict the real utility of labeling, especially in developing countries. First most consumers are not literate, especially in English making the declaration irrelevant to them. Second the significance of nutritional content declaration is some what blurred by the relative ignorance about their connection to good health. It is here that symbol based labeling becomes helpful. Some countries have already introduced traffic light symbols to distinguish foods which are bad from the health angle from those considered health-friendly. It is felt that such symbol based labels are much more relevant in developing countries and this has been well articulated by the premier nutrition agency, National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in India recently.

The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has proposed changes to labeling regulations for food packaging in India to one that is symbol-based, to ensure the majority of the Indian population understands the product nutrition information communicated. According to NIN scientist Dr G M Subba Rao, while food labelling regulations in India are on par with that of developed countries such as the US and UK, a recent study conducted by NIN with support from WHO-India has revealed that there is still a pattern of poor label comprehension amongst Indian consumers. One of the main reasons is the low level of literacy prevalent in India. However, even amongst the better-educated consumers, the problem of low label comprehension persists due to a lack of nutrition literacy – a problem also present in developed nations. Food labelling is essential in promoting healthy eating habits and increasing consumer nutrition knowledge in a country plagued by an increase in obesity and other related diseases, says Rao. "Food labelling should be considered an important approach to help consumers make healthy food choices by providing nutrition information on the pack," he explains. "We have therefore suggested emphasis be given to exploring and experimenting with symbol-based labelling on food packs so as to provide nutrition education to all sections of the society." Indian labelling regulations were last updated in 2007, when the government decreed that all processed foods have food labelling as part of a national programme promoting cardiovascular health.

If one goes by the experience of wealthy countries where such symbol based labeling is in vogue, consumer indifference to the nutritional value of foods in preference to taste and flavor is making the labeling transparency some what ineffective. How far traffic light system of labeling has helped the western population is still uncertain as it may take some time to assess its impact. Added to this uncertainty the food industry is not playing a fair game by not willingly adopting such progressive measures. It is true as one of the top industry captains said recently that consumers must decide what type of foods they want from the industry and it is the responsibility of the former to lead a healthy life by buying only good foods. But to do this consumer needs the help of the industry to tell which foods are healthy and which ones are unhealthy and symbol based labeling is nothing but a way of communication with the consumer.

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

THE NEED TO REDUCE MEAT IN THE DIET-A SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Is there any relation between global warming and the foods consumed by human beings? It is known that agriculture and animal breeding contributes significantly to green house gas emission but hitherto food has been a "holy cow' not considered for any action that can ameliorate carbon emission to any significant extent. How ever a few concerned groups of activists want a drastic moderation of the diet in many western countries which are meat-centric so that emission reduction targets being committed by them can be met with minimum pain. Here is a take on this important issue.

"According to the Livewell report released by wildlife charity WWF and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, red and white meat are "hotspots" for environmental impact. Latest figures showed the UK diet currently includes around 16% meat. The Livewell 2020 regime would also involve eating more fruit, vegetables and cereal, and less processed products to reduce the environmental impact of the food industry. Authors of the report said the low-carbon diet, which still allows for chocolate, crisps and chips, would cost £28.40 per person per week compared with an average spend of £32.12 per person in 2009. It said: "With increasing recognition of the environmental impact of food and drink, future food policy and dietary advice need to go beyond the traditional focus on nutrient recommendations for health to include wider issues of sustainability." As well as a small percentage of meat, the Livewell 2020 diet also includes 35% fruit and vegetables, 29% bread, pasta, rice and potatoes and 15% dairy products".

"A seven-day sample menu included a breakfast of high-fibre cereal with semi-skimmed milk, wholemeal sandwiches for lunch and dishes such as chicken curry and rice, macaroni cheese and chilli beef tortillas for dinner. The report also said it was possible to reach the 2050 target of 70% less greenhouse emissions through a more limited diet. Colin Butfield, WWF's head of campaigns, said: "If we want to protect the species and forests that are at the heart of WWF's work, then we have to fundamentally change our food system. "Today's report gives a picture of a way of eating that is good for the planet and good for your health too. For some, it might even be cheaper. "This is not a radical proposal – it's a diet that contains meat or fish every day and that includes everything from chicken curry to macaroni cheese. "The debate on the environmental impacts of food has often been polarised around meat-eating versus vegetarianism. This is unhelpful".

In a country like the UK where average consumption of meat through the diet constitutes 16%, aspiring to bring it down to 4% may be too much to ask for. Nevertheless the very fact that food is recognized as a villain in carbon emission is a welcome development. Also praise worthy is the realization that food has connotations beyond nutrition and human health and the fact that the above group has been able to come out with an equally nutritious diet with just 4% meat speaks well about the awareness of the problem that confronts humanity to day. It may be recalled that some western critics had blamed developing countries with millions of smoke belching choolas (kitchen hearths) and heavily farting, methane emitting free roaming livestock animals for the global warming! "Sacrifice" is the answer for today's uncontrolled carbon emissions and sacrifice must be made equitably by every denizen in this world for a better tomorrow.

V.H.POTTY

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

THE "WHOLE GRAINS" IN BISCUITS-EMERGING TREND

The new health "mantra" is "eat whole grains" for preventing many of the life style disorders being faced by the modern consumers in many countries, especially the wealthy ones. There are many industry players already offering whole grain foods, especially bakery products but Kraft Foods Inc is the most recent industry major who is embracing the whole grain food concept by declaring its intention to increase the whole grain content in many of its baked products. As the pressure piles up on the food processing industry to change their approach to developing and marketing new products, some hesitating steps are taken by the manufacturers to make some changes in their product portfolio, some helpful and others just symbolic to buy time. There is a distinct movement that is discernible, to at least give an impression that the industry really cares for the welfare of the consumers and continuing steps by the safety authorities world over is forcing the industry to be more transparent and willing to disclose the nature of foods they offer more meaningfully. It is against this context one has to watch the dynamics of changes that confront the industry and its response. The trillion calorie reduction commitment and 20% sodium reduction target augur well for the health of the consumers.

"Kraft Foods Inc. says it will more than double the amount of whole grain in many of its Nabisco crackers, becoming the latest food maker to respond to consumer and health advocates' demands for improved nutrition from packaged foods. Kraft will increase the whole grain in more than 100 products over the next three years, the company announced Monday. As a result, its Ritz and Premium crackers will contain whole grains for the first time. Whole grain will more than double and quadruple in the company's Wheat Thins crackers in its Honey Maid graham crackers. Whole grains are considered a part of a healthy diet, adding necessary fiber and nutrients. They help reduce the risk of heart disease, improve digestion, provide essential nutrients and may help control weight, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.While most Americans consume enough grains, few are whole grains. Whole grains use the entire grain kernel, but many packaged foods are made with refined grains that have been milled to remove the bran and germ. This process give the grains a finer texture and helps improve shelf life. But it removes dietary fiber, iron and many B vitamins, the USDA says".

Though these efforts are praise worthy viewed from a consumer angle, how such changes will affect the sensory quality of the original products is a matter of concern. Of course manufacturers like Kraft Foods, with lot of technological resources at their disposal, can improve the process to make the whole grain based products resemble the original ones and it is only the small scale players who are expected to face technical difficulties in making acceptable products containing high proportion of whole grains. But in actual experience the small scale processors are the ones who pioneered the health food revolution by using natural raw materials like whole grains in many products which compelled the big players also to jump into the bandwagon. Unless this trend continues to cover the entire industry unwary and uninformed consumers may still opt for foods made from refined ingredients because of their superior eating qualities. Ideally such an option should not be available though it will be difficult to enforce any industry-wide restrictions on recipes for processed foods.

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

TEA "ANTIOXIDANTS"-BIOAVAILABILITY FOR HUMANS

Ever since poly phenols were found to exert antioxidant properties that could hep fight oxyradicals generated in the body, there have been a spate of well being foods marketed by the industry containing ingredients with high levels of these phytochemicals. What has been ignored in such commercial endeavors is the ability of human body to absorb the active principles across the GI tract from the foods formulated with antioxidant ingredients. Green tea polyphenols were highly valued at one time because of its beneficial effect but many studies indicated that less than 5% of the concentration of the polyphenols present in the tea extract. How ever recently even these findings have been contradicted by new insight into the bioavailability of tea phenols and a figure of 40% is now being claimed.

"The bioavailability of antioxidant catechins from green tea may be more than previously thought, says a new study from Italy.By taking into account metabolites called colonic ring fission metabolites the bioavailability of green tea flavan-3-ol and related compounds is almost 40 per cent, a lot higher than the 4 per cent reported earlier, according to findings published in Nutrition".

With such confusing signals emerging from the scientific community, it is very difficult for any consumer to believe many claims made by the manufacturers of health foods blindly. Added to this these so called well being food products invariably cost significantly higher in the market and those who patronize such products are left to the mercy of the market. It is now that governments world over including that in India are waking up to this reality and trying to regulate the claims demanding scientific validity for such health claims

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