ANOTHER "RUSE" FOR PROMOTING INFANT FORMULA-NEW STRATEGY BY THE INDUSTRY

The frontiers of knowledge are pushed farther and farther by scientists in various fields and food is no exception. Billions of dollars are invested on research in food, health and nutrition by both private and public developmental outfits for both commercial advantages as well as enriching knowledge base of the humanity. While private funded initiatives mostly end up in patents, public efforts get disseminated through publications and other information carriers. What baffles the consumers is about the veracity of claims made by private industry as a result of their supposed R & D endeavor. Here is a classical example of an industry, long on its back foot for promoting designer infant foods and discouraging the healthier option of breast feeding, befuddling the consumers by surreptitiously claiming that its new formulation is best for the baby, thus encouraging unsuspecting mothers to switch over to formula feeding. Obviously the claim is based on some research "findings" that the new formula containing the Omega-3 acid, DHA is capable of improved eye health and vision development to the children, up to the age of 12months.

"Most vocal of those against the claim is pro-breast feeding group Baby Milk Action (BMA) which questions EFSA's opinion that safety and efficacy has been demonstrated for the nutrient, and highlights ongoing US Food and Drug Administration investigations around it. It therefore opposes adding claims to breast milk substitutes (in this case follow-on formulas and baby foods aimed at babies between the ages of 6-12 months) that may make them more attractive to mothers and care givers. Their call has been backed by groups such as UNICEF, the International Association for the Study of Obesity, and the International Obesity TaskForce. UNICEF said allowing claims on follow-on formula would "undermine" European Union efforts to promote breast feeding. "On the basis, therefore, of these observations, UNICEF would be supportive of the proposed resolution opposing health claims," it stated. BMA's Patti Rundall told NutraIngredients:"This approval is based on industry-funded science and is damaging to people's understanding of breast milk substitutes."

That agencies like UNICEF were able to see through the game plan may probably may help beat back the aggressive plan of the industry to revive the fortunes of the sagging infant food manufacturing sector. The very fact that Europeans were able to be convinced by the latest claim exposes the dangerous nexus between the baby food industry and some bureaucratic section of the food safety agency, calling for eternal vigilance amongst the consumer activist organizations for nipping in the bud such undesirable activities by the profit-hungry industry.

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

NEW STANDARDS FOR INFANT FOODS-GLOBAL EFFORT

About 212 million babies are born every year adding to the 6 billion population that live on this planet. Out of this 130 million new born babies are in regions where industry manufactured infant foods are marketed and consumed. Approximately 2 million tons of infant foods are made annually by the industry valued at more than $ 16 billion. In spite of the relentless campaign world over under the aegis of international bodies like World Health Organization (WHO), promoting consumption of breast milk, formulated baby foods based on cow's milk serve a useful purpose of supplementing the breast milk, especially towards the latter half of the first year after the birth. Concerned about the vast difference in nutrition between human milk and cow's milk, continuous efforts are made to upgrade the quality of manufactured baby foods by the international Food Chemicals Codex authorities.

"New standards to help ensure the quality and enhance the safety of key ingredients widely used in infant formulas and a variety of functional foods are being proposed for inclusion in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), an internationally recognized compendium of quality standards for food ingredients. The proposed standards are for three nucleotides, present in breast milk and commonly added to infant formula, and two docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) oils, essential omega 3 fatty acids present in fish and often added to both infant formula and a host of functional foods. The proposed standards are now available for public review and comment by industry and consumer representatives".

There was a time in India, almost 5 decades ago when the Indians invested heavily to imitate western type baby foods using buffalo milk in stead of cow's milk which was the industry standard. The success of Amul baby food at that time, based on indigenous technology, was a land mark in the scientific achievements of the country. To day better understanding about pediatric nutrition and industry's prompt acceptance of many of new findings have made available products approximating human milk, though not completely.

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

CORNED TUNA- AN INNOVATIVE PRODUCT

Corned beef which is a salt cured meat preparation was originally developed by Irish immigrants who settled down in the American continent as a substitute to Bacon, not available at that time of history. Smoking the corned beef by traditional smoke process became popular as Pastrami in many parts of that country. Canned Tuna is an established category of fish product, accepted by the consumers readily because of its texture and nutrition. With the advent of modern freezing technology, canning process took a back seat, practically disappearing from the market. 'Corned' tuna is an attempt to revive the fortunes of canned tuna industry by reorienting the profile of the product.

"CORNED tuna, the latest discovery in tuna processing, has been found to be a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, the nutritional elements that supply significant health benefits to the heart and the whole body. An entirely new food category resulting from meticulous research and studies, corned tuna is a product of food technology combining the systems used in corned beef preparation and canned tuna process. Corned tuna contains Omega 3 fatty acids or essential fatty acids that have been discovered in recent years as active protectors of the body's main organ, which is the heart. Scientific studies found that food rich in Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce triglycerides or unsaturated fats that accumulate in the human body and increase HDL cholesterol, also known as the good cholesterol. Higher HDL cholesterol levels translate to lower risk of coronary artery disease, according to health experts. Other studies also suggest that Omega 3 fatty acids may help lower high blood pressure".

With salt becoming the biggest villain of peace because of its adverse health implications, how far corned tuna can become popular remains to be seen. Probably the industry must be aware of this dimension and as canning preserves the product by thermal processing, salt content could be much lower than that present in conventional curing and the medium of canning.

V.H.POTTY

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OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS FOR FORTIFICATION-TOWARDS HEALTHIER FOODS

Long chain Omega-3 fatty acids are obtained from fishery sources and consumer interest in these nutrition supplements is sustained by the role they play in brain development and over all improved nutrition. Though unsaturated fatty acids like linoleic and linolenic acids can be derived from some plant sources also, long chain products like Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are extracted economically from fish. Success of using these supplements in general foods will depend to a large extent on removal of the typical fish flavor associated with them. Odorless and stable preparations are now available that can be incorporated practically in any food without the obnoxious flavor.

"Dairy and beverage manufacturers can incorporate long-chain omega-3 fatty acids into their products without compromising taste and stability with a new high concentration omega-3 emulsion, claims supplier Lipid Nutrition. John Kurstjens, global group marketing manager for the Netherlands-based company, told NutraIngredients.com that the minimum content EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic) in its new Marinol omega-3 emulsion is 153 mg per gram (19 per cent) while total omega-3 minimum content is 187 mg per gram (22 per cent)".

Cod liver oil was once being recommended by physicians for overcoming Vitamin A deficiency in children and the sharp odor, characteristic of this oil, was a constraint in administering the same regularly. The encapsulation technology made it possible to deliver the oil through odorless gelatin capsules, though the strong odor released in side the body still could be felt by the consumer. In contrast the present day purified EPA and DHA products are more or less bland making them much more acceptable universally. Whether these preparations are process stable and how much is destroyed during the manufacturing stage are issues to be considered if and when they are to be incorporated in processed foods.

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