NEW ANTIBACTERIAL MATERIALS FROM TEA-HOW FEASIBLE IT IS?

Scientific research can be funny some times if the objectives and purpose of the efforts by the scientists are carefully looked into. Scientists engaged in research to get a degree can be pardoned to some extent if they take up academic topics with very little relevance to the citizens and after all such work is intended more to train them in carrying out the studies methodically, truthfully and scientifically. There are millions of scientists engaged in food research in public institutions and universities though most of their out put is of very little relevance to the common man. In contrast private sector research produces innumerable patents and workable knowledge based innovations with very high application potential through technologization. Here is a typical piece of investigation from an American university which claims that the high value tea and wines can be used for making antibacterial materials for coating food contact surfaces. Readers may come to their own conclusions after perusing the below referred article.

"Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered new ways of utilizing the properties of naturally occurring polyphenols found in green tea, red wine and dark chocolate. Dissolving polyphenol powders in water with a small amount of salt instantly produces transparent coatings that kill bacteria on contact, have antioxidant qualities and are non-toxic. The sticky nature of polyphenols and the low cost of materials could open the door to a wide range of uses for these coatings. Apparently the coatings can stick to virtually any surface, even Teflon, and are only 20 to 100 nanometers thick, potentially making them ideal for use in a whole range products. "We discovered a way to apply coatings onto a variety of surfaces that takes advantage of the sticky properties of the polyphenol compounds," said Phillip B. Messersmith, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, who led the research. "It's a very simple dip-coating process, and the antibacterial and antioxidant properties are preserved in the coating. One could take a stainless-steel hip implant apply the process to it, and the coating that emerges spontaneously and with no other modifications will kill bacteria and quench reactive oxygen species, such as free radicals."

The results if commercially exploited may have a chance for use in high value applications like coating of biomedical parts for implantation in human body. However to expect that it will find application in food industry as an antibacterial coating may be far fetched. After all tea as well as red wines are food materials that cannot be diverted for non food applications without disturbing the market equilibrium. Probably many non food antioxidants available in plenty in nature could be a better and more appropriate source material for preparing the antibacterial solution. The suggestion that such poly phenols in salt solution can be a good antioxidant product for human consumption is untenable because salt is a substance not recommended for consumption in high quantities because of its role in disease like CVD, kidney malfunction and blood pressure. Nonetheless from the scientific curiosity angle this is a good discovery with some future potential. 

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

THE "OMNIPOTENT" CAFFEINE-WHY THERE IS NO OVERSIGHT YET?

Caffeine, which is both a stimulant as well as an addictive substance, is present in beverage crops like Coffee, Tea and Cocoa. As consumption of these beverages increases the alertness of the consumer, there are millions who take them regularly every day though medical experts and health pundits frown upon its consumption by pregnant women and children. According to present thinking an intake beyond 300 mg a day may carry potential health risks for many people and this maximum recommended level is slowly being reduced to 180 mg per day per an adult. Recent reports about some deaths in the US being ascribed to consuming Caffeine loaded energy drinks highlight the piquant situation in which safety agencies find themselves. In absence of scientific evidence that implicates Caffeine as an unsafe food constituent and safe levels at which it can be ingested not arrived at, it becomes difficult to clamp a ban on the use of Caffeine in formulated foods and beverages. This situation seems to be encouraging many processors to use Caffeine as an ingredient in new formulations claiming some or the other beneficial effect for such products. Here is a take on this evolving situation which is receiving attention world over.

In light of new reports linking 5-Hour Energy drinks to several recent deaths, sleep-deprived consumers may need to find another source of packaged vigor. PepsiCo's Frito-Lay has an unlikely alternative: Cracker Jacks. The company is launching a new line of the sugary treats — aptly named "Cracker Jack'd" — that will contain caffeine, Advertising Age reports. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which has previously battled such consumer products companies as MillerCoors Brewing Company and Airborne, claims the caffeinated Cracker Jacks violate federal food laws. "Boxes of Cracker Jack are famous for having a toy surprise inside," CSPI said in a Wednesday statement. "But what parent suspects that Cracker Jack might come with a surprising dose of a mildly addictive stimulant drug?" CSPI warned that if the government doesn't crack down on the upcoming Frito-Lay product, it could "set off a new craze in which manufacturers add caffeine to more and more varieties of foods and beverages."

Those who oppose use of Caffeine, often considered as a drug, cite the present US Rules which allow this chemical only in Cola beverages which may contain about 72 mg per a serving size of 12 fluid ounce. Unfortunately there is no mention about using Coffee solids or extracts in any food preparation which loophole is being exploited by the industry and there are such products already in the market providing more than 70 mg per a 2 Oz serving size. The argument by the industry that these products are targeted at adult consumers or the level of Caffeine is already declared on the label cannot justify putting in the market such potentially harmful food products. Probably it is time for safety agencies to revisit presence of Caffeine, either used as a chemical ingredient or through coffee solids and extracts and make the law relating to this more explicit.

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

LIPTON'S TEA "PARTY" IN CHINA-WHAT HAS GONE SOUR?

Food safety concerns are growing day by day in every nook and corner of the world and what is surprising is that the seriousness of the crisis is assuming dangerous proportion in most wealthy countries! The fatality numbers due to food poisoning and extent of market recall of foods are also on the increase despite the best safety monitoring infrastructure available in developed countries. Probably a stage is coming when governments will have to throw up their hands and take the stand that ultimate responsibility for food safety lies with the consumer and eternal vigilance is the price one has to pay for safety. China, though not considered a rich country, still has pretensions to be an economic power that will overturn the US from the perch as most powerful country in the world one day and its record in the food safety front is one of the worst in the world. Here is a recent case of tea contamination reported from this country for which responsibility has been placed on the Uni Lever which markets the brand of tea found to contain rare earth metals considered highly injurious to health. Here is a take on this unfortunate episode and its consequences as reported by the Media: 

"Unilever reassured Chinese consumers on Thursday that it had destroyed a batch of Lipton tea bags that were found contaminated with harmful rare earths and sent new samples for safety inspections. In an inspection in July, 19 samples of Lipton Tieguanyin tea bags, produced in January in Anhui province, were found to contain excess amounts of rare earths, which can cause liver and bone damage if accumulated in the body, said Tan Guijun, a doctor at Tianjin First Center Hospital. Many agriculture and food experts accused Unilever of deliberately using the rare earth as a fertilizer and adding it to tea trees to help combat droughts and flooding. Unilever has denied this claim, saying the rare earths came from the soil where its tea grows, according to China Daily. A third party who examined new tea bag samples in September found the amount of rare earths met Chinese government standards. Many multinational brands in China have been wrapped up in food safety scandals recently. Guangdong authorities found that foods sold in local supermarkets, including those at Walmart, were substandard. The supermarket has issued a statement to stress that the problematic foods have been removed.

Generally tea is a product subjected to hot water leaching to get the brew and the extent of solids extracted depends on the water used and the temperature of brewing. In some countries the standards are not rigorous considering that tea is never consumed directly and only the hot water extract has beverage value. It is understandable that most microorganisms are killed during extraction while insoluble contaminants cannot leach into the brew. Even presence iron filings is permitted in tea in some countries because of this reason. It is arguable that rare earths might not be soluble and there fore are not injurious to the consumer. Still there are lot of things not known about these mineral materials and their behavior during food processing. A thorough probe is necessary to reach a finality regarding the source of these contaminants to preclude the possibility that they are part of the insecticides or fertilizers used by the plantations".Unilever, the MNC giant has an obligation to the unsuspecting consumers to explain regarding this vexed issue.  

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

THE CUP THAT "CHEERS"-CONCERNS FOR FUTURE

Almost 30% jump in tea prices in the global market is raising alarms regarding the future repercussions, such run away price situation can have on the future of this important beverage crop. Present ruling price of about $ 3.18 per kg of black tea is considered too tempting for many planters to either start new gardens or expand the existing ones with great expectations regarding windfall profits in the coming years. It is true that there is a marginal demand-supply gap to day due to many reasons and expanding the area may not be a wise option to deal with this situation. New gardens are likely to create a surplus once they start producing tea in about three years' time.

"While India has pledged not to expand its tea areas beyond what is required for replanting and rehabilitation, there is concern that producers elsewhere could plant more in an attempt to capitalise on the high prices or protect against future crop failures. The result could be too much tea once new tea bushes reach maturity in three years' time, which might lead to a price crash"

It is to the credit of India that it has pledged not to expand the area, anticipating the undesirable consequences of a production glut that can imperil the economics of tea industry. Consumption of tea is becoming popular because of its refreshing effect on the consumer and the plethora of antioxidants present in them capable of neutralizing oxy-radicals responsible for cellular damage.

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

TEA QUALITY-GENOTYPE VS ENVIRONMENT

Quality of tea is invariably associated with the region where it is grown. Higher the altitude of the growing region, better should be the drinking quality of the tea. It is true that the genetic profiles of different varieties of plants within a species have a profound influence on the quality of the end product but a particular variety with a specific genetic profile need not give same quality products if grown under different conditions. This has been brought out in the case of tea by researchers recently.

"The results showed significant differences in the quality of the plain tea produced among the varying locations of production. A closer look further indicated that the changes in the tea were not systematic, because the same genotype reflected different changes in different regions. The study led the team to conclude: "A genotype selected in one site for high quality may not retain the relative quality over other genotypes in new areas. It is necessary to test genotypes in new areas of production to fully evaluate their relative quality potentials."

Probably such an endowment can be a restraint for smuggling seed materials across the borders since there is no guarantee that these seeds will produce same quality products when grown out side the country from where they have been taken out. of course the advent of IP rights regime for Geographical Indications, many unique plant materials have got recognition, making trans-border transplantation a bit more difficult.

V.H.POTTY

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