GM FOOD LABELING-THE WAR IS HOTTING UP!

The mandatory "front of the pack labeling" is intended to respect the right of every citizen to know what is inside a food pack and compare the same with what is offered by others in the market. Almost all countries have labeling regulations with little variations but basically the objectives remain the same. While consumers whole heartedly welcomed such initiatives for the benefit of the community at large, it is the industry which consistently and aggressively resists such regulations, fearing an adverse impact on its financial health. If food industry appears on the wrong side of the consumer family it is because of such gross insensitivity to the well being and sufferings of the very consumers who after all provide its "bread and butter". The on-going war on mandatory GM labeling policy being put on the ballot initiative in California, USA for eliciting majority opinion is being furiously resisted by the industry and millions of dollars are being invested to defeat the proposal. It is very difficult to imagine the reason for such a negative attitude of the industry, considering that what is being asked from them is to declare if their products contain genetically altered ingredients. After all there are many processors who do not use GM ingredients in their products and an opportunity "window" opens up for the consumer to buy those products if labeling is insisted upon. Here is an interesting critique on the subject and consumers all over the will be looking for a massive endorsement of the policy initiative in California.

"This November, Californians will vote for or against Prop 37, the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act. The outcome of that vote will likely determine whether the U.S. will one day join the nearly 50 other countries that allow their citizens to choose between genetically engineered and non-genetically engineered food through the enactment of laws requiring mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms(GMOs). The election is three months away, but the battle lines were drawn months ago. Lining up against the consumer's right to know — and throwing plenty of money into the fight — is a long list of industry front groups, food conglomerates and biotech companies. Near the top of that list is the powerful Washington, DC-based Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA), a multi-billion-dollar trade association. The GMA represents America's $1.2 trillion "Big Food" industry, led by supermarket chains, Monsanto and other biotech companies, animal drug companies, multinational food manufacturers, and junk food restaurants — all of whom rely on the use of dangerous chemicals, pesticides, animal drugs, and GMOs to produce cheap, contaminated food".

One natural question that arises out of the above situation is why the industry is opposing the transparency sought to be achieved through the new labeling policy when there are divergent views regarding the safety and environment dangers posed by GM foods. If irradiated foods, with tons of safety studies concluding that they are safe, needs to be labeled under American law, why not GM foods? A logical question that must replied by those opposing GM labeling proposal. It is amusing to note the stand taken by the antagonists of the proposed policy of compulsory labeling regarding the impact of such a move on the future of Biotechnology as if this modern wonder science is restricted to only developing GM foods! One important consideration about this issue is regarding the logistical difficulties that may arise once California voters approve the proposal because California is one of the 50 states in the US and food industry will have to either declare GM foods for entire country or separate labels need to be printed on products made and marketed in that state. Probably Food and Drug Administration deserves blame for this dilemma as this agency has shirked its responsibility by not passing such a law with national foot print, applicable to the entire country, probably bowing to the lobbying power of the GM food industry giants..

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

"NANO" CONTAMINANTS IN SOIL- A MEGA SAFETY PROBLEM IN THE MAKING?

Nano technology has emerged as a major breakthrough for many industries because of its ability to deliver designer materials to well defined targets, overcoming normal physical barriers. Though no where in the world its safety has been established conclusively, in absence of any regulatory mechanism, there is an unwritten understanding that the technology can be used without any consumer knowing about it! Food industry is eagerly looking forward to use Nano technology in processing as and when regulatory approvals are forthcoming. There are a few alarming reports about the potential harm nano particles can cause to human beings because of the ability of nano particle chemicals to pass through the cell membrane and the unpredictable consequences of such a scenario on human health. A problem of a different dimension has recently been highlighted by health experts regarding the impact of unanticipated nano size contaminants in soil like Zinc Oxide and Cerium Oxide coming from industrial effluents on the soil productivity and food safety. Here is a critique on this emerging issue.  

STAR researchers at the University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, have published an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that manufactured nanoparticles in agricultural soil can accumulate in plants and can  affect plant growth and food quality.  This was the first major study of soybeans grown in manufactured nanomaterials-tainted soil. The researchers looked at the effects of zinc and cerium oxides. Nano materials, used in everything from lotions and makeup to fuel additives can be transported into air, water and soil and can impact plant growth and food quality.  Soil contamination may come from the final stage of waste water treatment which creates biosolids, which are applied to soils in many parts of the U.S. This solid material fertilizes the soil, returning nitrogen and phosphorus that are captured during waste water treatment but is also a point at which zinc oxide and cerium oxide can enter the soil. Cerium oxide may also contaminate soils from air deposition as a combustion biproduct. The researchers found that zinc oxide accumulated in the plants grown in the tainted soil and affected food quality although it may not be harmful to humans if the zinc is in salt or ion form in the plant. The cerium oxide however stunted plant growth, affecting the root nodules where bacteria symbiotically convert nitrogen in the air to a form plants can use. The researchers conclude there is a high probability of nanoparticles in crop soil but more research is necessary to determine impact on crops and consumers.  This research was co-funded by EPA and NSF.
It is true with any technology that both good and bad aspects will have to be considered before mass application. Genetic Engineering, food irradiation, use of chemical preservatives and antibiotics etc are all beautiful technologies of immense benefit to the consumers but safety of their applications under all conditions must be established before wide scale use. Same holds good for Nano technology also with opinions differing widely among the scientists. Unofficial use of Nano technology in non-food applications was ignored so far because the nano sized particles used by the non-food industry does not cause any direct dangers to humans. But the new revelation that these dangerous particles can end up in food crops through cultivated soil raises the bar vis-a-vis unrestricted use of Nano technology in any field without properly assessing the consequences.  

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

"ADULTERATING" ORGANIC FOODS?-A DESPICABLE ACTION!

The organic food industry is again being hauled up for practices not compatible with the well laid down guidelines for manufacturing such foods. It was only recently that this industry was being faulted for adding synthetic chemicals to organic food formulations through back door tactics by unduly influencing the approval agencies to consent to their requirements rather than the welfare of the consumer. More over there are insidious attempts going on to buy out many small scale organic food players through financial inducements by some of the food giants with deep pockets. Here comes another instance of this industry "cocking a snook" at the regulatory authorities by including in their baby food formulations synthetic chemicals not currently approved. If such trends continue, the immense faith and hope consumers have on organic foods are likely to be shaken badly. Here is a critique on this issue.

The Cornucopia Institute, a not-for-profit policy research organization based in Wisconsin, filed a formal legal complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) against several infant formula manufacturers that are adding two synthetic preservatives to certified organic infant formula. The Organic Foods Production Act, passed by Congress in 1990, explicitly bans synthetic preservatives in organic food. "This is another blatant violation of the federal law governing organics by multi-billion dollar corporations that apparently think they can get away with anything," says Charlotte Vallaeys, Director of Farm and Food Policy at The Cornucopia Institute. The preservatives are beta carotene and ascorbyl palmitate, synthetics that are added to infant formula to prevent the oxidation and rancidity of ingredients such as the controversial patented supplements DHA and ARA, manufactured by Martek Biosciences Corporation (Royal DSM) and marketed as Life'sDHA®. "This is not the first time that the pharmaceutical companies and agribusinesses, that manufacture infant formula, have quietly added to organic formula the same synthetic ingredients that they use in their conventional versions without first seeking the legally required approval for use in organics," says Vallaeys. According to The Cornucopia Institute, there have been more than a dozen unapproved synthetic ingredients that have been added to organic infant formula over the past five years. The public interest group has filed numerous legal complaints with the USDA, asking for removal of unapproved synthetic ingredients like the DHA algal oil and ARA fungal oils, manufactured by Martek, which was recently acquired by the Dutch conglomerate Royal DSM. While the USDA has admitted publicly that these synthetics were added to organics due to an erroneous interpretation by previous USDA leadership, the agency, after being pressured by industry, has refused to take enforcement action and pull the suspect products from store shelves. The DSM/Martek DHA and ARA oils, labeled on infant formula as "c. cohnii oil" and "m. alpina oil," have been controversial since the preponderance of scientific published research concluded that they do not benefit infant development. "These ingredients, which now appear to require additional synthetics as preservatives, amount to a gimmicky and risky marketing ploy," added Vallaeys.

The "fraud", if it can be called one, is truly disgusting considering that the products under the scanner are targeted at young and tender infants with uncertain consequences. It should not be forgotten that organic food movement originated because of the "imperial" practices of the food industry controlled more or less by about a dozen multi national companies in using ingredients with suspect safety credentials. With more and more followers patronizing these foods, main stream industry is apparently worried about their bottom line and are now trying to swallow the smaller organic food players for usurping the virgin market. The US government can never be pardoned for its repeated attempts to dilute organic food standards and by introducing terms like 70% organic, 100% organic etc the consumer is being led astray. Such attitudes and mindset for supporting monopolistic food industry giants should not be allowed to continue and consumer rights organizations and activists must resist such attempts fiercely.  

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

NEW MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY FOR BETTER PROCESSING-COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE?

Rapid development of microwave heating process during the last 25 years has enabled food processing industry and the house hold kitchens to prepare foods rapidly without the conventional electric or gas based heating systems. There is no doubt that microwave ovens have become a ubiquitous part of almost all kitchens in most developed countries because of the great convenience factor associated with their use. Ever since Raytheon developed its monstrous 1.8 meter tall, 340 kg, 3 kWh energy guzzling Radarange oven in 1947 based on microwave radio frequency, to day's sleek models with hardly 1100 watts energy load and looking almost like a small television set in a kitchen has come a long way to capture the imagination of every house holder. From just 1% of families owning a microwave oven in 1971 in the US, to day more than 90% have this modern gizmo improving the quality of their lives dramatically during the last 3 decades. Most microwave ovens operate under 2450 Mega Herz frequency which is universally recognized as a ISM band (Industrial, Scientific, Medical) radio frequency reserve for purposes other than communication. Out of the four ISM bands of 24125, MHerz, 5800MHerz, 2450 MHerz and 915 MHerz only 2450 MHerz is used for designing domestic microwave ovens. Recent emergence of 915 MHerz as an attractive alternative for large scale food processing has opened up opportunities for deploying this technology for heating and sterilization of many food products. Here is a report highlighting the importance of this technology to the industry.

"For decades, realizing the promise of rapid sterilization using microwaves has been a dream of the shelf-stable food industry.  Washington State University in collaboration with Natick Soldier Center formed an industrial consortium to obtain regulatory acceptance for 915 MHz single-mode microwave sterilization.Upon receiving that acceptance, the technology was licensed to Food Chain Safety who developed the technology into a commercial reality.  Rob Wilson, CEO Food Chain Safety said, "This MATS-B installation represents the culmination of years of development work and the start of an exciting new era in food processing."Major benefits of the MATS microwave sterilization system:• It delivers food that not only looks better but also tastes much better than canned foods. • Maintains nutritional value of the food.• Uses high-power microwave energy to heat packaged food to sterilization in a fraction of the time required with traditional canning processes. • Consistently heats products in a repeatable, measurable pattern. • The continuous process allows manufacturers to achieve higher throughput and lower production costs and provide workers with better work environments vs. traditional canning operations. • The new preservation technology offers great opportunities to create new and high quality products that are not possible with conventional methods".

It is not that microwave heating technology was not being used by the industry in the past but often the results have not been entirely satisfactory with energy costs being higher, non-uniform heating, design insufficiency and some food handling problems hampering its wide scale adoption. The new 915 MHerz technology is supposed to address these problems and with the approval from authorities for use of this frequency food industry may be tempted to use the microwave energy more widely in the coming years provided the system is cost effective. Though electric energy conversion into heat is only about 65%, microwave technology still is superior to other modes of heating. Models with capacity as high as 1800 kg per hour continuous processing now being offered, large scale processing is now possible.

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

PUNISHING THE "WASTERS"-A NEW APPROACH FOR WASTE REDUCTION

On one side over eating is sought to be discouraged because of the fear of obesity and all consequences associated with this body bloating syndrome. On the other hand many people waste food by not eating all they cook or buy due to many reasons and this is also a global issue of serious concern because almost one billion poor people in this Globe go to bed hungry every night! How can one bring about a balance under such a predicament faced by many nations, especially the ones which are wealthy? There are institutions like Food Banks in some countries which are active in making use of foods that are discarded while many non-government voluntary bodies are actively engaged in utilizing such foods to feed the poor. It is against such a background that the new initiative by a few eateries in some parts of the world to punish those indulging in food wastage, are to be appreciated. Here is a report which highlights such a practice on the part of a few courageous restaurants in some countries. 

A restaurant in Saudi Arabia is making headlines for its unusual policy of penalizing customers for 'wastage of food.' According to the owner of the restaurant based in Dammam, in the Eastern Province, the penalty was put into place after many customers failed to consume their large orders of food—the owners stress wasting food goes against the teachings of Islam. In a culture of excess, a 'food wastage' policy may sound absurd, but this isn't the first time a restaurant has opted for this kind of a penalty. Consider the £20 (Dh114) fee owners of the Chinese restaurant Kylin Buffet charge those diners who do not eat all the food of their plates. The restaurant's policy received much coverage after they fined Beverley Clark, a 40-year-old mother, after her son and niece left two onion rings, a prawn toast and a spring roll at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Or consider the standing policy in a Japanese restaurant in New York called Hayashi Ya which fines a customer 3 percent of their bill, if they do not finish what they serve themselves from the all-you-can-eat buffet. Other restaurants opt for forms of positive reinforcement to encourage good eating habits. A Japanese restaurant called Wafu just outside of Sydney, Australia, gives its customers a 30 percent discount if they eat all the food they ordered. The company's website begins with a special plea to its customers to: "Please be mindful of the amount of food you order – consider ordering just the right amount, in harmony with your appetite!" Food wastage fines isn't altogether a strange concept—but Kipp can't help but think it would be very strange if it was every enforced here in the Emirates. After all, for a city like Dubai which has given birth to the institution of the Friday all-you-can-eat-and-drink brunch, it is difficult to think of such penalties being put in place. Yet given the country's burgeoning obesity problem, perhaps a food wastage fee is exactly what is needed.


The initiative of these pioneers deserves kudos because they are swimming against the tide trying to establish and disseminate the bitter truth that wasting food is a social crime. It may difficult for these players to compete with conventional eateries where jumbo sizes and ad libitum food are the norms. Modern marketing mania depends largely on attracting customers using economic parameters, with low prices and large serving sizes ruling in the market place. The New York "rumblings" in the name of a proposed policy by the authorities to ban sale of jumbo size sugar laden beverages there, is a classical example of the dominance of quantity over quality! Probably the restaurants which impose fines for wastage or encourages lesser wastage through hefty discounts in the bills, have full confidence in the quality of their offerings and expect their customers to come back again even under such an environment. They do serve as a focal point to convey a vital message that "eat as much as you want but do not waste"!  

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

WAR AGAINST PATHOGENS-HUMAN BEINGS BEING OUTSMARTED?

The subject of antibiotic resistance among the disease causing pathogens is the focus of current concern and it is assuming alarming proportion with human beings running out all options to fight this war with bugs. The NIH of USA has recently revealed how difficult it was to trace and identify new resistant strains of Klebsiella which caused a few deaths last year among those being treated in ICUs of some of the best hospitals in that country. The reasons for this dangerous situation are not far to seek. Indiscriminate prescription of front line broad spectrum for treating even a minor cold by small time physicians, probably because of inability to diagnose the diseases properly gave the opportunity to the bugs to develop resistance over a period of time. To compound this situation massive consumption of meat and products derived from animals posed a dangerous situation with frequent food poisoning being encountered with lethal consequences and to meet such contingencies the live stock industry started treating the animals with the very same antibiotics used to treat humans. To day more than 80% of antibiotics produced in the US go to meat industry and one can easily imagine the consequences of such malpractices on the disease front in humans. The above concern is reflected in a report recently published.

"Antibiotics once seemed like a miracle weapon in our fight against microbes that have plagued mankind for millenniums, killing untold numbers of people with wounds and serious infections. But we're in danger of losing that weapon. Over the years, bacteria have grown increasingly resistant to these drugs. We've squandered an invaluable resource that we've overused — some might say abused. The drug industry is spending too little to develop alternatives. Only a concerted effort by government, private industry and the public can avert a crisis. The antibiotic era started less than a century ago with the discovery of the antibacterial drug sulfa. After World War II, the emergence of penicillin allowed doctors to cure a vast range of potentially crippling, if not fatal, infections of the urinary tract, the respiratory system and other parts of the body. These antibiotics did not target a specific infection site but unleashed a lethal attack on the body's trillions of bacteria. Of course, some bacteria survived. These Darwinian "fittest bugs" not only persisted but had the uncanny ability to pass on their genes, which allowed them and other bacteria to survive the next antibiotic assault. The battle was on: humans versus the bugs. Each side started with substantial advantages. The bugs enjoyed staggering numbers, boosting genetic variability that fuels selection of increasingly resistant bugs. Medical science responded with novel antibiotics to kill the hardiest of these bugs. Who will win this epic struggle between genetic diversity and human ingenuity? After nearly a century, the bugs are emerging with the upper hand. And we bear the blame".


Indians are familiar with a strain of  Klebsiella pneuminiae, containing metallo-beta-lactamase-1 enzyme, known by the acronym NDM-1, which was traced to a hospital in New Delhi with resistance to almost all antibiotics and such super bugs are emerging more frequently in other parts of the world also with sickening regularity. One of the imponderable factors that bother health authorities in some of the advanced countries is why these super bugs are more lethal there and why they are not causing any epidemic in countries like India. A clue for this contradiction comes from the reports of health scientists that over obsession with cleanliness, over use of sanitizing chemicals and over processing of most of the foods marketed make the people more vulnerable to even minor infections due to their progressively lowered immune system. Biotechnology which provided the DNA sequencing method to mankind has to be thanked for evolving many techniques for identifying hard to detect microorganisms in extremely small concentrations and food industry is also benefited immensely by the DNA technologies for tracing contamination in food chains for prompt action to counteract against their lethal consequences. The massive on-going efforts under a global program to map out the genomes of almost all microorganisms with pathogenic consequences are expected to add to the existing armor to fight against dangerous infections more reliably and faster than hitherto possible.  

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