A gigantic research scam-What will be its impact on past scientific research?

Science is supposed to be based on truth and nothing but the truth. Research which is supposed to find the truth must be seen as an unbiased pursuit of finding the truth and must be above suspicion as scientists are trained to adopt ethical and trustworthy methods to unfold things which were not known earlier. Unfortunately during the last 5 decades the quality of research and motives of a significant segment of research scientists are increasingly being questioned because of intentional and improper investigations to come up with results that are questionable. Recent findings by a group of investigators questioning the veracity and reliability of many safety studies because of faulty research logistics is casting a shadow on the food research community which is not receiving attention it deserves. If these findings are true, the absolute trust of consumers who blindly believe their conclusions can be shaken severely while the scientific peers who vouchsafe for their trustworthiness will have to answer a lot for the terrifying consequences of such misdemeanors. Here is a take on the startling claims on the state of affairs vis-a-vis thousands of food products which were tested under inappropriate protocols.     

"Dominique Dupagne, a well- known doctor in France and frequent guest on the show, pointed out that the biotech industry's conflicts of interest and influence in this area are far greater than those of FIFA- this industry has much greater influence than FIFA and much more money. He calls this study by Séralini "remarkable" because everyone has been assuming that all of this testing had included control groups that were fed organic food, free of toxins, but this has not been so. This means that that totality of all of these safety studies done by industry for at least 100,000 products should be retracted. For years, industry has fraudulently been saying that these lab rats naturally tend to develop tumors, but that is not true. Their tumors were largely due to toxins and pesticides in their food.According to Dr. Dupagne, "Séralini's study here is flawless. He is absolutely correct. In all of these studies, how could you possibly conclude anything with a control group that is being exposed to toxins?" But there is a very powerful lobby in the press that blocks the publication of any studies finding flaws with these products. Séralini's study that was published in 2012 was pulled in an incredible manner. After having been peer-reviewed and published as a perfect toxicology study, industry was unhappy. The tumors on the rats were impossible to ignore, so it was criticized for not having been a proper cancer study. At the journal, a post was created for an industry-friendly editor who made it his first order of business to get that study retracted. The toxicological study has since been reviewed AGAIN by peers and it has been republished in another journal. It stands. This new study analyzed thirteen feed samples sent from nine countries on five continents. All samples were found to have levels of toxins much greater than the already high permitted levels- they were "extremely contaminated" They were tested for metals, dioxins, PCBs, GMOS, and pesticides. It has commonly been held that in these rats seeing a rate of 70% of breast cancer and 80% other cancers was normal after a 2 year period. But Séralini found that when fed food without pesticides the tumor rate was FIVE TIMES LOWER in the same breed of rats. So that shows at what level they are able to cover up the fact that their products cause cancer. The control group is polluted, and they say that is "normal". That is fraudulent and it allows them to cover up the fact that their products are causing cancer, they are masking the results."

If control samples which are used to compare the results of safety studies with newly developed products are contaminated, as being claimed, what sanctity one can expect for the results of such studies. After all the conclusions are drawn by comparison with the performance of control samples used and the quality of the research can be severely compromised. What next? Will there be a real soul searching on the part of scientists engaged in safety studies using laboratory animals and correct themselves at least hereafter for the sake of safety of future generations. What about thousands of products already in the market "cleared" being safe whose safety credentials are under the cloud? Will there be rerun of such studies using control samples with unquestionable purity? This is a matter to be decided by WHO after consultation with all countries for bringing about correction procedures and more transparency. The role of food industry, especially that of the large players, is questionable because of their suspected involvement in doctoring the studies through their financial clout.  

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

DRINKING WATER ANARCHY IN KERALA-WHY NO ACTION ON CULPRITS?

Here is a shocking news item from Kerala, the 100% literate state in the country! The food safety authorities have suddenly woken up to the possibility that water consumed in three of the major metropolitan cities might not be safe. Branded as God's own country, authorities probably were under the impression that God was taking care of the quality of water consumed by His subjects! But the "flash drive" to make a random check undertaken, probably to justify its existence, the agency seems to have unearthed a scam in the water market which at best can be called shameful! Even with limited sampling, it turned out 90% of the market samples were sub-standard and/or unsafe when tested against the specifications laid down for potable water! Here is a take on this unfortunate but condemnable  situation for which the safety authority must be held responsible.  

The three-day drive was carried out from March 21, simultaneously in Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, as per the direction of the food safety commissioner. Officials collected 34 samples, including 16 bottled drinking water samples and nine each from tanker lorries and water sources of tanker lorries. The samples were subjected to chemical and biological tests. According to food safety officials, the situation is alarming in Kochi compared to other two cities as 90% samples collected from the city proved unsafe to drink."Both chemical and biological results of water samples collected from Kochi are not satisfactory. The presence of E coli is a major cause of concern. As per the Food Safety and Standard Act it should not be present in bottled drinking water. In the samples there was a minimum of two organisms in 100 ml," said an official with the food safety department in Thiruvananthapuram. Authorities said pH level in samples collected from sources and tankers were above the permitted level of 6.5. The iron and nitrate content in samples were also high. "If pregnant women drink water with high nitrate level, it can cause blue baby syndrome," said the official. Tests showed the presence of E coli in major brands. The presence of E coli in a well at ToshibaJunction near HMT, which is a water source, came to 1,600 organisms/100ml against the permitted level of 10 organisms/100ml. Despite the grave situation, food safety officials expressed their inability to take action against those who supply unsafe drinking, considering the scarcity of drinking water in the city and nearby areas.

After reading the report one gets the impression that the authorities (who else but the FSSAI?) is contented in flashing the results in the media to get publicity while those responsible appear to have been spared. Having misgoverned the country for decades which allowed these food criminals to thrive, exploiting the man-made water scarcity conditions, not bringing to books these perpetrators is nothing but shirking of responsibility. Selling water itself is unconscionable when Kerala is blessed with abundant rains but allowing tainted water to be sold to the unwary citizens is all the more heinous and heads must roll for perpetuating this situation. Such products must be banned in the state and the retailers who deal with such products also must be taken o task. The excuse trotted out against their inability to bring these violators to book is highly amusing that people would be starved of water!. the Government seems to be contented with the "satisfaction" that some thing is better than nothing! Will this be tolerated in any other country but in India? 

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

MARKET HONEY-HAS IT GOT ANY MEDICINAL PROPERTY?

If India is considered the capital of food adulteration America does not seem to be lagging behind too far if recent reports about honey quality in the markets there are to be believed. Honey is a much valued commodity in the Orient and its medicinal and health boosting properties are well recognized under the traditional Ayurvedic system of Medicines. Chemically honey is nothing but a syrup consisting of glucose and fructose but this syrup is enriched by the the bees after extracting from various flowers through the process of regurgitation through its oral cavity. There are hundreds of micro chemicals present in honey some of which have not yet been completely identified. If honey is taken for its value as a sweetener only, the high fructose corn syrup now being manufactured from glucose through hydrolysis and isomerization could be a better choice. Fraudsters in the market imitate honey by using HFCS without any of the micro chemicals present in them and sell it of as real honey. According to accepted definition of honey it must have natural pollens of flowers present is sufficient quantities which confer upon the product the health giving properties. It is a sad reflection on the authorities in that country that a majority of retail stores and pharmacists are offering highly processed products containing no pollens raising doubts about the real identity of the products. Here is a take on this ridiculous situation in a country considered a super economic power in the world where its citizens are exposed to spurious food products marketed under its very nose!   

More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn't exactly what the bees produce, according to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News. 

"The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled "honey."

The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies.

The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled "honey."

The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies.

The food safety divisions of the  World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled that without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources.

According to FDA any product that's been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn't honey. However, the FDA isn't checking honey sold here to see if it contains pollen.

Ultra filtering is a high-tech procedure where honey is heated, sometimes watered down and then forced at high pressure through extremely small filters to remove pollen, which is the only foolproof sign identifying the source of the honey. It is a spin-off of a technique refined by the Chinese, who have illegally dumped tons of their honey – some containing illegal antibiotics – on the U.S. market for years.

Food Safety News decided to test honey sold in various outlets after its earlier investigation found U.S. groceries flooded with Indian honey banned in Europe as unsafe because of contamination with antibiotics, heavy metal and a total lack of pollen which prevented tracking its origin.

Food Safety News purchased more than 60 jars, jugs and plastic bears of honey in 10 states and the District of Columbia.

The contents were analyzed for pollen by Vaughn Bryant, a professor at Texas A&M University and one of the nation's premier melissopalynologists, or investigators of pollen in honey.

Bryant, who is director of the Palynology Research Laboratory, found that among the containers of honey provided by Food Safety News:

•76 percent of samples bought at groceries had all the pollen removed, These were stores like TOP Food, Safeway, Giant Eagle, QFC, Kroger, Metro Market, Harris Teeter, A&P, Stop & Shop and King Soopers.

•100 percent of the honey sampled from drugstores like Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS Pharmacy had no pollen.

•77 percent of the honey sampled from big box stores like Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, Target and H-E-B had the pollen filtered out.

•100 percent of the honey packaged in the small individual service portions from Smucker, McDonald's and KFC had the pollen removed.

•Bryant found that every one of the samples Food Safety News bought at farmers markets, co-ops and "natural" stores like PCC and Trader Joe's had the full, anticipated, amount of pollen".

China has been known to be supplying spurious honey to many unsuspecting countries through unholy collusion with unscrupulous traders but with the tightened regulation in the US for import of Chinese honey, that country started using some of the third world countries to send its products under false labeling. Americans more worried about the presence of antibiotics in Chinese honey products as many honey manufacturers are reported to be using antibiotics to prevent infection of the bee population which results in contamination of the final product from Beehives with these antibiotics. Now that this fraud has been unearthed, American food safety agencies can be expected to be more vigilant in inspecting all imported honey in future.

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

INDUSTRY'S "GOLDEN GOOSE" BEING MAULED-NEW PACKAGE POLICY

Exploitation of the consumer by some of the manufacturing industry players through out the world through deceptive practices is well known. While some countries have liberal rules that consistently favor the industry there are others who impose rigid rules for preventing the exploitation of the consumer. Most commonly observed strategy for the manufacturers has been to psychologically defraud the consumer through manipulation of size, shape and quantity of contents in a pack. With the help of computer wizards pack size and shape can be manipulated to appear bigger than what they are in reality with contents being same or less than what one would expect. In India biscuit marketing is an example where packs are designed for rounded prices like Rs2, 3, 4, 5 etc and as and when the industry wants to raise the per unit price the quantity in individual pack is reduced mercilessly without raisin the price of the pack while over all appearance looks almost same from the perception of the consumer. During the last 3 years the Rs 2 pack of Glucose biscuit has seen a reduction of contents to the extent of almost 15-20% without the consumer being aware of it in absence of a provision that mandates declaration of the price per a standard unit like kg or liter. This lacuna is sought to be addressed by the recent implementation of the Metrological Rule of 2011 with effect from November 1, 2012. Here are further details on this action by GOI.

'The Government on Thursday in the interest of common consumer said from today onwards 19 commodities of day- to-day use like bread, biscuits, tea etc. can be sold in specified standard packs only. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had issued a notice on June 05, 2012 in this regard by amending Legal Metrological (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.Manufacture, packing or import of these 19 commodities in non-standard packs will invite penal action.The commodities include baby food, weaning food, cereals and pulses, coffee, tea, milk powder, rice, salt, soaps, paint varnish, cement in bags,  mineral water and drinking water,  aerated soft drinks, non-alcoholic beverages,  non-soapy detergents, edible oils vanaspati, ghee and butter oil.  However non-standard packs which have already been manufactured and packed on or before Oct. 31, 2012 and are ready for sale in different retail outlets, have been exempted from penal action. Controllers of Legal Metrology in all the states and UTs have been asked to ensure strict compliance of the order".

The action by GOI is indeed a welcome development for the harried consumers of the country. Though one would have liked to see this rule applied to all consumer products, limiting it to 19 selected commodities can be seen as a beginning. It is surprising that products like sweetmeats and savories are not covered which generate a business of over 10, 000 crore every year. It is here that the manufacturers do maximum manipulation with regard to pack size, shape and content. With nitrogen flushing commonly practiced in pillow pouch packing, large sized packs inflated with nitrogen can confuse the consumer if the quantity within the packet varies for different brands. For example a Rs 5 pack potato chips pack may look big in appearance while it may contain hardly a few pieces of chips. One can only hope that these rules will be made applicable to all processed foods progressively in the coming months.

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

  

FOOD CHEMICAL CODEX-GLOBAL STANDARDS FOR ADDITIVES

Food quality and safety can be ensured only when good manufacturing practices are followed with quality of inputs considered adequate to obtain a high quality end product. National standards exist in some countries specifying what chemicals could be used in foods, their limits and list of foods that can contain the additives. FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission under the UN system tries to develop international standards which facilitate global trade with out any technical barrier. Food Chemical Codex (FCC), based in the US and published by the US Pharmacopoeial Convention has been compiling standards specifically for chemical additives in foods based on available scientific data and food industries in many countries use it as a reference document for evolving country specific standards.

"The latest FCC edition includes standards covering quality and purity for 1,100 food ingredients. These standards include the ingredient's chemical formula, structure and weight; function and definition; impurity limits; and packaging, storage and labeling information. In addition, FCC Seventh Edition includes validated methods in 11 appendixes with step-by-step guidance to analyze food ingredients and demonstrate their authenticity, quality and purity. These appendixes cover Enzyme Assays, Essential Oils and Flavors, Fats and Related Substances, Carbohydrates, and Flavor Chemicals, among others. New to the seventh edition is a comprehensive section featuring additional information and industry guidance such as general current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) guidelines for food chemicals; a comparison of cGMP elements for foods and drugs; and AOAC International/International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) guidelines on method validation".

Though there could be some confusion regarding multitude of compendiums on food standards, FCC is recognized as most authentic, compiled with scientific evidence and covers many new chemicals with new functions for use by the food industry. Every two years the compendium is updated giving scope to keep in tune with latest developments in the field of chemical additives.

V.H.POTTY

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