How about an egg with white yolk? Possible?

Egg is considered a complete food and is consumed by millions of people all over the world. Over the centuries eggs are consumed in one form or the other, most common form being boiled egg, fried egg and omelette. What does one look when a boiled egg is prepared for eating? The rubbery egg white and grainy yolk yellow in color. While the egg white is made up of one of the richest proteins known to mankind, egg yolk is mostly made of fat thus providing a balanced protein-fat combination. What will any one feel when a boiled egg does not contain the normal yellow colored yolk? Probably will not accept it as a genuine egg! Shockingly Japanese generally do not think so and they seem to be favoring an all white egg with both the egg white as well as the yolk appearing white! How can such eggs be created in the farm? Read below how they are managing such a unique type of egg in that country.  

"While many of us prefer eggs with deep coloured yolks,people in Japan like to have eggs with whiter interiors. To keep the 'egg lovers' happy, farmers in Japan are constantly trying to rear chicken that lay eggs with white yolks. Eggs with yellow yolks usually get their colour from chicken feed that's made of imported corn. The eggs, which are laid by rice-fed hens, owe their unusual colour to the diet of the chicken. These eggs are known as Kometsuya—a combination of Japanese words kome (rice) and tsuya (luster). Several chicken farms have already started transitioning their birds to feed that is mostly produced locally, reported the Japan Times. "In the not-too-distant future, white sunny-side ups will be part of the daily cuisine for Japanese," says an official of Hokkaido Dosanko Plaza shop in Japan."

In to day's commercial farming system, boosting the yolk color is achieved by feeding the birds with diets containing high levels of  carotenoids, an yellow component present in grains like maize and most vegetables and colored fruits. It is well known that wheat based feeds invariably give pale yellow yolk compared to feeds based on maize. Those who like dark yellow color incorporate greens and other plant sources rich in carotenoids. Japanese who love white yolk were able to achieve this by scrupulously avoiding carotenoids containing ingredients and use white rice as the major component of the poultry feed. One wonders which other country will accept an egg that doe not contain the yellow yolk! A classical example of traditional food habits which are difficult to change easily!

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

The rotting paddy and an irresponsible government-Indian tragedy

Here is a story that will warm the cockles of animal activists and members of the "People For Animals" movement about the generous government of Karnataka State which is helping rats grow on the food stock stored by it for feeding the poor people through PDS. It is reported that the government procured about 5.42 lakh quintals of paddy by paying a prices that was about 20% more than the prevailing market rate, paid in addition, a whopping 1.17 crore for storing them in 93 godowns without proper care, got into a tiff with the rice millers regarding hulling charges and left the paddy to the mercy of rats! What is interesting is the utter lack of farsightedness on the part of the government babus in allowing this situation to develop into such a sorry state that can deprive the poor people of edible quality rice!. Read further about this story below: 

"The State government had purchased the paddy from Food Corporation of India last year at a cost of Rs 86.56 crore by paying Rs 1,600 per quintal, to be supplied to fair price shops. But as the paddy was not hulled, it was left to rot in the godowns. While the paddy was available at Rs 1,300 to Rs 1,400 per quintal at the open market, the government had purchased it for Rs 1,600 support price, and in total stored 5.41 lakh quintals in godowns across the district. Out of this, hulling was done only for 47,000 quintals. As all the godowns were full, the purchase of paddy at support price was stopped in the last days. The private godowns were also utilised for storing paddy and the officials have no account on the rent paid so far to them. The government had earlier paid Rs 120 per quintal for hulling. Later, when it slashed the price to Rs 10, it was opposed by the mill owners, who stopped hulling activities. As the paddy was stored in godowns, the officials of Food Corporation of India too did not take any action to solve the problem. Now, as it is harvesting period, there is no place to store fresh paddy that has started arriving. The mill owners are demanding Rs 75 per quintal for hulling and had also staged protests and submitted a memorandum. However, the government had not responded to their demands, and that is also one of the reasons for the paddy lying in godowns. Speaking to Deccan Herald, Food and Civil Supplies Corporation's Managing Director Panchegowda said except a few, majority of the mill owners have opposed the price saying it as unscientific. Rice Mill Owners Association President Ramakrishna demanded the government at least pay Rs 50 per quintal."

While one cannot hold a brief for the Millers who refused to hull the paddy unless their charges are increased from Rs 10 to Rs 50 quintal, government is also not above blame. In these days of inflation the Millers may have a genuine case in requesting the government to increase the hulling charges which could have been negotiated over the table to arrive at an agreeable rate. In stead it waited for almost an year allowing the paddy to rot in ill designed private godowns. Look at what happened because of this fiasco. Government was forced to pay Rs 23 per quintal for storage alone which works out to some thing like Rs 33 per quintal for recovering rice fit for distribution! Added to this the government found that almost 50% of the paddy at its custody worth about Rs 45 crore might not be fit for human consumption and is readying to auction this which may fetch very low prices. Such enormous wastage of public money cannot be justified and government must take action against those responsible for this bungling, be it politicians or bureaucrats.

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

THE FOOD "DOLE OUT" SCHEME-NEW GOVERNMENT HAS NO COURAGE TO CHANGE!

Election time rhetoric is very misleading can be gauged from the fact that a new government, boasting of its own majority without being hamstrung by "coalition dharma", is continuing the "food doling" program enacted under the misleading name of Food Security Act by the earlier government bleeding the country of its financial resources. Every body knows that not even 25% of the targeted population of 81 crore need such magnanimity by the government but the central government does not seem to be bothered about these incongruities in giving extensions after extensions to state governments to implement this misplaced subsidy heavy cereal distribution scheme to all and sundry without verifying their financial status. It is still not clear as to why the earlier PDS machinery was overlooked,having built it brick by brick over the last 3-4 decades. If there were pilferage, they should have been plugged and the pilferers taken to the gallows for such heinous crimes! The reported news that the new food minister seems to be pressurizing those state governments who have doubts about the need for such heavy subsidies, is disturbing to most citizens in the country as it is their hard earned money given to the government as part of their taxation obligation which is being frittered away in the name of equity for all.

"The Central government has decided to give states an additional six months to implement the National Food Security Act that gives two-thirds of the country's population the right to highly subsidised food grains.  This is the second extension given by the Narendra Modi government to the states. A three-month extension given earlier has expired on October 4. More than 6.1 crore tonnes of rice, wheat and coarse cereals are expected to be distributed to 81 crore people, covering 75% rural and 50% urban population, under the programme. So far, eleven states - Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Chandigarh - have implemented the law, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Thursday. States have to prepare the list of beneficiaries, issue cards to them "..

Helping the poor with low cost food is a noble cause for which every honest citizen in the country would stand up and support but doling the same to people with reasonable income to buy their grains from the open market or getting them through the old ration card system cannot be justified under any excuse. Same is true regarding subsidized cooking fuel or for that matter any subsidy program without identifying the eligible beneficiaries. It is not realized that with to day's income levels the budgetary outgo for food for a family is not more than 50% of the family income for majority of the citizens in the country and providing 5 kg per person of cereals at Rs 1-6 in a month does not help them much. Recent reports indicate that there not many takers for the much touted job guarantee scheme of the government paying Rs 150 per day for 100 days. Does not this mean that there is a substantial population earning much above this. Against this background the heavy out go to the extent of almost Rs1.5 lakh crore year after year till perpetuity on this doling program is uncalled for. Will the new government ignore the electoral compulsions and politics of expediency and scrap this program forthwith? Future generations will not pardon them for this profligacy in a nation that cannot be called rich by any yardstick.

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

RISE OF BARLEY-A GOOD THING

But for the brewery industry barley as a commercial crop would have faced extinction long ago. As it is the main ingredient in the manufacture of beer and a few spirits, cultivation of Barley received a fillip and there is no looking back once alcohol industry started growing in India at a frenetic pace. It is not that all alcoholic beverages need barley for the fermentation because most Indians consume Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), made by fermentation of molasses a by-product of sugar industry. Besides Arrack the distilled product from coconut toddy is the most popular drink in Kerala with practically every person consuming it regularly. Barley has a USP in that when germinated it produces the typical enzymes that convert starch into malt which in turn is a base material for making malt extract and alcohol fermentation. Interestingly Barley got further boost when consumers started getting more and more aware about health and the importance of non-starch polysaccharides like beta glucans in lowering cholesterol in the blood that keeps heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc at bay. Being a grain with low Glycemic Index (GI) it is considered one of the best foods for controlling blood sugar in those persons affected by diabetes. Here is the story of the revival of Barley as illustrated by one of the admirers and what future it has in India. 

Barley, a rabi (winter season) coarse cereal that had lost out to wheat in the post-green revolution period in terms of productivity and consumer preference, is back. The revival of farmers' interest in this versatile cereal has been triggered by increased demand from the malting, brewing, confectionery and pharmaceutical industries, coupled with the evolution of its high-yielding varieties suitable for industrial uses. Besides, it underwent an image makeover to regain consumer appeal as a health food, thanks to its high content of cholesterol-lowering fibres, both soluble and insoluble, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Barley is now increasingly being used as an ingredient in the multigrain health foods, including multigrain atta(flour) and bread, baby foods, cocoa-malt drinks and several other products.

It might not have escaped the notice of consumers who are bombarded with promotional ads in the electronic media regarding the USP of malt based dairy beverages which have very appealing flavor and color attracting every child. Malt extract prepared from barley malt is one of the most sought after flavoring materials in chocolate industry. The original Ovaltine and Horlicks, age old health drinks, owed their popularity to the barley malt extract. It is another matter that there are many new avatars which have appeared in the Indian market, equally popular with kids and adults alike. With prices of rice hitting the roof in India, Barley offers an attractive low cost alternative available at about 70-80% of the price of rice. Cooked whole Barley looks and tastes almost like red rice and the high nutritional content is an added bonus. Probably Barley getting into the mainstream cereal market may dramatically revive its fortunes. The only worry is that it should not go the Oat's way becoming a super hyped gran with all types of health claims priced at three times that of rice!    

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

THE RICE "BUBBLE"-THE UNTOLD STORY!

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) which originated 30 years ago has become a subject matter of intense scrutiny during the last couple of years and recent claim by an Indian farmer that he has harvested the highest yield from his land using SRI was independently verified by government scientists confirming that SRI is indeed here to say in spite of many skeptics raising serious reservations about the claim. A new twist has recently been added to the story of SRI when some studies averred that despite increased farm yield the overall income of the farmer did not show any increase but actually recorded lass income from their agricultural operations in general. This was attributed to neglect of other activities like livestock raising, poultry rearing etc because of much greater time required for SRI technique to achieve quantum jump in yield. Here is a commentary on this latest controversy which refuses to die down easily. 

First of all, Barrett and Takahashi found that SRI did, in fact, boost the farmers' yields of rice by an estimated 64 percent. But here's the bad news: Even though the farmers were harvesting more rice and spending less on seeds and chemicals, their household income did not go up at all. This apparent contradiction actually has a pretty simple explanation, Barrett says. Farming families in Indonesia — in fact, in much of the world — don't just work on the farm. When they have time, they also find work elsewhere to earn more money. But SRI demands more time for all that careful transplanting and soil improvement. And as a result, family members have less time for outside work, and that lost off-farm income cancels out any gain from the rice harvest. (Interestingly, although SRI reduced outside work, it did not appear to reduce the rate of school attendance among children.) Norman Uphoff, a professor of government at Cornell who has been SRI's most important advocate, says that what Barrett and Takahashi saw in Indonesia isn't typical of other places. "If you go to China or India, you'll find that farmers are saving labor with SRI, not using more labor," he says, because farmers in those countries already are spending a lot of time in their rice fields. In addition, he says, farmers who stick with SRI soon find ways to do the work more quickly. "It's not intrinsically labor-intensive; it's initially labor-intensive," he says.

Probably the holistic view taken by the above critics tells a different story that cannot be brushed aside easily. After all most rural households eke out a living performing many tasks with potential income generation as agriculture, being seasonal, cannot provide full time income generating opportunities round the year.  SRI cultivation needs undivided attention and a regime of dedication to achieve any meaningful increase in production from a given stretch of land and that calls for sacrifice of other activities by the farmers and if increased yield does not fetch as much income as that derived from supplementary activities, it is unlikely that farmers would continue with the new system. Extreme care and full attention needed to make SRI work at the ground level demand more workers and there is a critical shortage of rural workers because of government schemes like MGNREGA, SJSRY etc where guaranteed income is assured to every citizen who wish to work for150 days in an year by the government. In such an environment how can SRI technique work? Devoting too much time for rice cultivation under the SRI technique may not be possible every where in the country.  

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

WELL DONE VIETNAM!-NEW SAFETY MEASURES FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION

Who does not know the human sufferings in Vietnam during the much hated War involving the United States and the Communists which ended eventually after the fleeing of Americans and their cohorts from Saigon in 1975. It is remarkable that this tiny country could recover from the trauma associated with the war and be counted as an economic power house on its own in such a short time. That the country had to start from the scratch to build a viable nation respected by the international community has not deterred it from taking up programs that could uplift the economic well being of its war battered people. It is amazing that Vietnam has one of the fastest growing economies in the world to day and it is the topmost exporter of Cashew nuts and Pepper while its rice exports are next only to the world leader Thailand. Recent news that Vietnam has put in place a rigorous food safety regime to protect its people can bode well for their future, domestically as well as internationally. Here is a take on this emerging development in Vietnam.  

"Under a newly-issued circular from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development which will take effect from September 3, all products and by-products from animals including heads, tails, legs, skin, grease and edible innards must be sold within eight hours at room temperature. Meat products stored from 0-5 Celsius degrees can be sold within 72 hours while by-products in the same conditions have 24 hours to be sold. The measures include a requirement for legal slaughter checking and quarantine stamps on products. A ban on the use of preservatives on raw products and by-products was also included. Butchers and all others involved in slaughtering and transport are required to have a certificate issued by a medical unit from district levels. Last month, there were 16 food poisoning cases nationwide affecting 531 people. Two deaths were reported. In total, some 2,400 people suffered food poisoning, including 16 deaths, in the first seven months of the year".

The new food regulation concerning the safety of products and by-products of meat industry speaks well of the intention of the country not to compromise on the health of its citizens. Contrast this with the situation obtaining in India where the meat industry, catering to domestic consumers, is literally in tatters with no serious monitoring or regulation of its activities. It is common to see carcasses hanging openly on road side vending kiosks, exposed totally to the dust and grime raised by the fast plying automobiles, three wheeler and two wheeler vehicles spewing toxic fumes copiously. Low temperature storage is rarely resorted to and the meat cuts offered must be one of the most contaminated foods in the world. Most of the thousands of slaughter houses run in civic areas are filthy and nauseating and how the consumers are putting up with such conditions is a mystery. Probably the prevalent practice of over cooking the meat once brought home, is thought to be a factor that is responsible for very few safety related episodes in India. Vietnam with less than 100 million population and a per capita income of hardly $ 3500 (PPP) has done exceedingly well in the area of food safety measured by any yardstick, leaving behind its giant fellow Asian countries like China and India.

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

RICE FOR DIABETICS?-PROBABLY POSSIBLE!

Consumption of rice by those suffering from diabetes is discouraged by physicians because of its ability to get digested fast to release glucose which will increase the blood sugar immediately after ingestion beyond recommended levels. Traditionally diabetic patients were dependent more on wheat based diets which have marginally lower Glycemic Index (GI) value compared to rice. Those habituated with rice during their life time have difficulties in changing over to other grains and therefore any developmental activity that will make rice compatible with diabetes is a welcome news. After all more than 50% of the world population consume rice as a staple food and hence such a development will have great relevance. This is what is being  attempted in International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila, Philippines in collaboration with other institutions engaged in rice research. According to the results already available from the study, there are many varieties of rice which have low GI, as low as 45 and those who want to have protection from diabetes can use low GI rice varieties while others with Type II diabetes can manage the disease better with such varieties. It is interesting to read the findings of the group as contained in the following report.   

"The study found that the GI of rice ranges from a low of 48 to a high of 92, with an average of 64. The research team from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Food Futures Flagship also identified the key gene that determines the GI of rice, an important achievement that offers rice breeders the opportunity to develop varieties with different GI levels to meet consumer needs. Futuredevelopment of low-GI rice would also enable food manufacturers to develop new, low-GI food products based on rice. Dr. Melissa Fitzgerald, who led the IRRI team, said that GI is a measure of the relative ability of carbohydrates in foods to raise blood sugar levels after eating. "Understanding that different types of rice have different GI values allows rice consumers to make informed choices about the sort of rice they want to eat," she said. "Rice varieties such as India's most widely grown rice variety, Swarna, have a low GI and varieties such as Doongara from Australia and Basmati have a medium GI." Dr. Tony Bird, CSIRO Food Futures Flagship researcher, said that low-GI diets offer a range of health benefits: "Low-GI diets can reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, and are also useful for helping diabetics better manage their condition. "This is good news for diabetics and people at risk of diabetes who are trying to control their condition through diet, as it means they can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet," he added.Low-GI foods are those measured 55 and less, medium-GI foods are those measured between 56 and 69, while high-GI foods measure 70 and above.When food is measured to have a high GI, it means it is easily digested and absorbed by the body, which often results in fluctuations in blood sugar levels that can increase the chances of getting diabetes, and make management of type 2 diabetes difficult".

While theoretically it is an excellent study what is not realized is that there are only a few recognized brands in rice in the market while vast majority of them are sold loose in many countries with no way of identifying the variety and it is next to impossible to make any meaningful selection by the consumers at the market place. GI as a measure of assessing the anti-diabetic credentials of food is fraught with many practical difficulties. For example same rice variety can have varying GI values depending on the location it is produced, type of cooking it has undergone, the age of the rice, amount of water used for cooking, etc and unless more work is done to sort out these discrepancies there is no way consumer can rely on the published GI figures as a guide for evolving suitable diets. Of course for ready to eat foods with GI values declared on the label may have a meaning as they do not undergo any further cooking before consumption. Reading more carefully the above report, one gets the impression that it seems to be an attempt to genetically modify rice varieties to make changes at the gene level to impart low GI characteristics. Whether consumers will accept such GM varieties even with the low GI values remains to be seen.  

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

COMMODITY SELLING-IMPORTANCE OF LABELING

In a country like India where food grains like rice, wheat, legumes and others are sold in sacks or vended loose with no information available to the consumer regarding the variety or any other details, the reported practice in Taiwan making mandatory labeling of rice is interesting. The Basmati rice in India is now being branded and consumers have clear options to choose the ones most acceptable to them from amongst the established brands. While buying wheat is relatively easy as most varieties are suitable for making the traditional rotis and similar products, it is the number of varieties of rice that confronts the consumer making it difficult to make an informed choice. While some like pasty rice others prefer rice with a cooking quality that will ensure distinct grainy texture. The desire for buying "old" rice is driven by the increased water absorption properties acquired by the grain and prevent pastiness in the cooked rice caused by prolonged aging of at least 6 months. There fore Indian food authorities should consider introducing compulsory packing and labeling of at least rice grains providing the consumer with information like water absorption, variety, degree of milling and region where it is produced.

"Rice suppliers that fail to provide accurate labeling on the varieties used in their packaged rice must recall their products and improve their packaging within two weeks or face new punishments, the Agriculture and Food Agency said yesterday. The agency made the statement after the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) reported earlier in the day that only two out of 20 bags of rice sampled in a recent random inspection were found to be labeled correctly. The CPC said it recently inspected 39 types of rice sold at supermarkets, traditional stalls and retail chains all over the country for quality control testing and to check labeling. Of the 39 products, 20 underwent further laboratory testing by the Food Industry Research and Development Institute to determine rice varieties".

Probably making mandatory labeling is fraught with lot of logistical difficulties as rice production originates mostly from small cultivators who might not have adequate knowledge about the characteristics of the variety grown by them. But if such a policy is adopted to day,hopefully it may be possible to achieve the objective of compulsory labeling in about 5 years' time.

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