BITTER ORANGE EXTRACT-QUESTIONS REGARDING ITS SAFETY

Health supplements are flooding the market all over the world making claims often not supported by scientific evidence. Since this industry is one of the least regulated most players in this game of charade get away by making health claims often outlandish in nature. The authorities vested with the responsibility of protecting citizens from spurious foods either are ignorant to deal with this industry or powerless to take the industry head on or simply looking the other way to avoid unnecessary controversies. It is only recently that the EU safety authorities took serious note of the uncontrolled growth of healthy foods that many products were disallowed from making claims not substantiated by scientific evidence. In India also lot of noise was made by the food authority about major industry players making spurious clams but nothing concrete came out from this paper tiger. Since food safety is a top topic of concern, ceaseless vigilance can only weed out fraudsters from this field. One of the latest issues now being scrutinized is how far products containing bitter citrus extract and caffeine can seriously compromise the health of the consumers if taken regularly and it is now believed that such products must be banned in the market. Here is a take on this interesting development. 

Some products sold as sports or weight loss supplements may contain synephrine, which may enhance the effects of caffeine, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Synephrine is a compound found in plants such as bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium). Bitter orange comes from a flowering, fruit-bearing evergreen tree native to tropical Asia, but is now widely cultivated in the Mediterranean region and elsewhere. Bitter oranges have been used in ancient Chinese medicine to treat constipation, improve energy, and calm nerves in cases of insomnia and shock. Amazon rain forest tribes have used bitter orange tea as a laxative and to relieve nausea, stomach pains, indigestion, gas, and constipation. According to BfR, sports or weight loss supplements often contain caffeine in addition to synephrine and are often referred to as food supplements or dietetic foods by manufacturers. Because caffeine and synephrine both affect the heart and blood pressure, they may increase each increase the other's effects when taken together. Most notably, taking caffeine and synephrine together may increase heart rhythm and blood pressure. Other ingredients contained in bitter orange extracts may also add to the effects of synephrine on the heart. The BfR recommends that quantities of these compounds ingested through such products should be limited to food intake levels from oranges and bitter oranges. The institute advised that no more than 6.7 milligrams of synephrine be taken daily in the form of a food supplement. This quantity of synephrine may help ensure that even frequent consumers do not exceed a total daily intake of more than 25.7 milligrams of synephrine. Due to dosage levels, some products that are currently available on the market may be classified as unsafe. The effects of these products on the heart may be more intense in people who are already putting increased strain on the heart due to physical activity or being overweight. It is claimed that bitter orange is an effective aid to weight loss and a safe alternative to ephedra, a plant that contains compounds that may stimulate the nervous system. In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedra because such supplements present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury. Due to the ban on ephedra in the United States, some products previously containing ephedra have been reformulated to include Citrus aurantium.

It is rather queer that consumers are having a fatal affinity to Caffeine which is categorized as a brain stimulating addictive chemical not to be taken by children and pregnant women and why industry is marketing products containing this chemical in concentrations much higher than that present in coffee beverage consumed world over is beyond comprehension. How can a normal consumer get any benefit by drinking water containing Caffeine? There is no scientific justification for creating such outlandish products though industry stands to benefit in the form of high profits dealing with such psychotropic products! Already the extract derived from Bitter oranges is implicated in episodes related to heart and kidney and when industry tries to formulate products containing Caffeine and Bitter orange extract, both anti-cardiac substances, possible synergistic effect may magnify the damage much more than either of the substances consumed singly. Scientists do believe that substances like Caffeine present in Coffee or tea are safe as long as their daily consumption is not more than what is ingested daily in the natural form. Also not known is the possible protective effect of ingredients other than Caffeine in Coffee or Synephrine in bitter oranges on alleviating the negative impact of the chemicals when consumed in natural form. Every consumer must bear in mind that natural food products consumed for centuries can invariably be less dangerous than the isolated constituents present in them!.     

V.H.POTTY

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BIOFILMS-A SERIOUS CHALLENGE TO SANITATION SCIENTISTS

Man has been striving ever since his advent on this planet to keep the harmful microorganisms at bay and this endeavor is still continuing even to day. An array of technology to destroy pathogenic microorganisms is available for the industry that has been able to ensure safety of foods manufacture by them to a reaosnable extent. Traditional technologies like salt steeping, sugar infusion, sun drying, fermentation etc are supplemented by modern ones involving high temperature treatment, water removal at controlled temperatures, low and very low temperature preservation, high pressure processing, aseptic packing, vacuum packing etc. Still there is nothing absolutely safe in the light of continuous modification in the behavior of microbes to overcome all the hurdles created by man. Latest finding that bacteria  like Listeria and others can form highly impenetrable biofilms within which they survive under severely adverse environmental conditions is startling to say the least. Here is a commentary on this new phenomenon which will keep the industry on its toes when it comes to ensuring food safety.

"The slimy film that forms in damp areas, typically around drains and in trunk lines, is known as biofilm. Harboring pathogens such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli, biofilm creates a protective environment for illness-causing microorganisms to thrive.Eliminating biofilm and the pathogens it breeds has proven to be difficult for the food processing and retail sanitation industry. It tends to persist in damp areas and is resistant to traditional cleaners and sanitizers. Typical drain cleaners such as enzymatic cleaners, drain openers, and hard surface sanitizers don't have EPA approval to remove biofilm and are ineffective against the pathogens found in it." 

If claims by some of the manufacturers of sanitation aids are to be believed, specially formulated preparations are required which can only penetrate biofilms and destroy the bacteria residing within. As most of these products are patented and branded, very little is known regarding the scientific basis of such claims. Most difficult task in a food processing facility is to access remote nooks and crevices where there may be dampness, ideal for harboring biofilm clusters and which can infect the food during contact with the surface when processing is going on. Still efficient preparations containing active chlorine does a decent job with minimum risk of contamination. If biofilms pose real danger to the food processing sector as being claimed, it is time that safety authorities revisit the range of sanitizing agents approved and include more efficient ones for tackling dangers posed by the biofilms of pathogenic bacteria.    

V.H.POTTY
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THE TOWN GARDEN CONCEPT-WHY NOT IN INDIA?

Mindless urbanization world over is progressively shrinking the farming population which in turn is bound to have a telling effect on the food security of a country seriously. Manual labor is becoming a scarce commodity even in a country like India where unemployment is supposed to be a factor that adversely affects economic growth. This stark reality had dawned on many industrialized nations which were wise enough to come up with mechanized tools, gadgets and machinery which can efficiently replace man in many human activities including food production. Constraints on land for expanding cultivation in small countries like England, Japan and others make them more and more dependable on imported foods from far way places. Added to this the "Locavore" movement which is assuming serious tones during the last one decade is making the citizens aware of the pitfalls involved in bringing food from outside their locality and stressing the need for finding ways and means to generate food from local land and resources. Out of this arose the farmers market, urban gardens, gorilla gardening, sky gardens, terrace gardens, production cum sale outlets within the city etc which attempt to produce as much food as possible locally. The emerging threat of global warming that creates adverse conditions like drought, floods and other natural calamities also is a driving force for such local initiatives. Here is an example of a city in Canada which is planning vegetable gardens right in the middle of the city that will be of immense benefit for the citizens there.  

Amongst the towering buildings of downtown Calgary, volunteers are hoping to sprout some community-grown veggies. For the fifth year, Downtown Calgary, the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre and the Calgary Food Policy Council utilized planters along 3 Street between 5 and 6 Avenue S.W. to plant a community garden. From spinach and swiss chard to potatoes and herbs, the food grown in the heart of the downtown will eventually be harvested and used at the Drop-In Centre . "This year we're changing up what we're planting — we're doing more root vegetables and herbs based on what the chef at the Drop-In has asked for," said Downtown Calgary executive director Maggie Schofield. "It's a great community builder." While the amount of food produced is often only enough for one meal for the clients at the Drop-In, Paul Hughes with the Calgary Food Policy Council said the garden is largely symbolic. "It's really not that much space, it doesn't produce a lot but it shows people that even in this challenging environment, things can grow right in the middle of the city."

Of course in a country like India where urban land costs are astronomically high, sparing land for gardening may be a far fetched idea with most land usurped by land mafias and real estate companies. Lakes are filled up illegally, public land is encroached upon and private lands belonging to citizens are fraudulently transferred for commercial purpose in collusion with government officials and politicians. How is it possible to put up gardens for raising vegetables in such cities? Fortunately still there are many towns and cities in the country with public parks where trees and ornamental plants are raised for providing adequate lung space and it is a relevant question why these parks cannot be converted into vegetable gardens over a period of time. Similarly citizens with land around their building should be encouraged to raise vegetables on their own, in stead of lawns and other plants with no food value, providing suitable tax incentives as reward for this noble cause. There are hundreds of vacant sites belonging to people who buy such properties as an investment and do not build houses for years together. Through suitable policy orchestration these places should be released for raising vegetable gardens without the ownership of the site being compromised in any way. There are millions of square meters of land adjoining railway tracks running through out the country and as they are all barren why not lease them to prospective "gardeners" for growing vegetables and fruits? Unless GoI thinks in such novel ways, country's food security will increasingly be compromised!

V.H.POTTYhttp://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

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"BACTERIAL THERAPY" FOR BODY WEIGHT CONTROL-WILL IT WORK?

It is inconceivable to believe that a tiny bacteria residing in human guts can influence the metabolism so dramatically as the one recently identified in Belgium by a group of scientists. Interestingly this bacteria, not very well known but yet a part of the typical microbiome associated with human beings can startlingly alter the absorption of sugar and fat from the guts if present in adequate numbers. It is well known that there are hundreds of microbial species, numbering trillions, residing in different parts of human body and maintaining a balance among them can ensure normal health. The rampant use of antibiotics and antibacterial chemicals for treating diseases and maintaining hygiene invariably upsets such a fine balance and almost all problems to day mankind faces can be attributed to this reckless living style. The bacteria presently under the scanner is reported to be very effective at least in rat experiments in reducing the weight of obese rats dramatically and the hope is that a suitable treatment protocol may eventually emerge based on these beneficial bugs. Here is a take on this important development. 

"Researchers at the Catholic University of Louvain, in Belgium, worked with a single species of bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila. It normally makes up 3-5% of gut bacteria, but its levels fall in obesity. Mice on a high fat diet - which led them to put on two to three times more fat than normal, lean, mice - were fed the bacteria. The mice remained bigger than their lean cousins, but had lost around half of their extra weight despite no other changes to their diet. They also had lower levels of insulin resistance, a key symptom of Type-2 diabetes. Prof Patrice Cani, from the Catholic University of Louvain, told the BBC: "Of course it is an improvement, we did not completely reverse the obesity, but it is a very strong decrease in the fat mass."

World to day recognizes Diabetes and Obesity as most debilitating life style disorders that affect the quality of daily life causing misery to millions of people across the Globe and in spite of many drugs emerging during the last two decades to fight them, their onslaught does not seems to be abating. There are many dietary regimes propounded by different interest groups which might be helpful in ameliorating the conditions to varying extent. Still a substantial segment of the affected population does not respond to them in a way that is desirable. Therefore the microbial route to tackle them offers a novel way of attempting to bring solace to such people. One hopes that the new findings will be confirmed using human subjects and carrying out appropriate clinical studies. Hundreds of health foods, already in the market boast of probiotics and prebiotics that can improve the gut health though claims made by many of them are not substantiated by clinical data. A time has come probably to re-evaluate the effectiveness of these foods after including the newly discovered Akkermansia bacteria.     

V.H.POTTY
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MANDATORY LABELING OF GM FOODS-SOME PROGRESS IN THE US

It is not easy to forget the narrow defeat in the California Ballot Initiative last November suffered by those against GM foods for the proposition for mandatory labeling of these genetically manipulated unnatural foods. The tragedy is all the more painful when it is realized that voters who showed support to the extent of 80% during pre-poll surveys were swayed by massive infusion of funds by the GM food lobby to misinform and change the minds of many citizens. The contention of the GM food manufacturers is that genetic engineering does not "substantially" alter the nature of the food which is "practically" identical to the original crop which was manipulated to express or not to express some genes through biotechnological techniques. The very procedure to put to vote such life affecting proposals is not proper as it is the sacred duty of safety and regulatory agencies to take such decisions based on technical data submitted by the industry. Why are these agencies prevaricating is a mystery beyond comprehension by the common man, especially when it is known that more than 64 countries in the world have put in place laws that requires compulsory labeling of GM foods! In a sharp rebuke to the GM food lobby, the tiny state of Vermont in the northern part of the US had the "guts" to pass a law that requires all GM foods to be made and sold in that state to be labeled compulsorily.Here is a take on this encouraging development

"In a major victory for the food movement and consumer advocates, the Vermont House has voted 107-37 in support of legislation that would require foods that are genetically engineered (GE) to be labeled. This is the first-ever State House to pass a bill that would require that all GE foods to be labeled. "This historic vote shows that state legislatures are beginning to step up and support the overwhelming demand from consumers to label GE foods," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of Center for Food Safety. "Consumers nationwide are beginning to ask questions about the growing influence of chemical companies in food production. They are demanding the information necessary to make healthful decisions about the foods they serve to their families. We congratulate Vermont on taking this important step and thank these legislators for standing up to powerful special interest groups." Center for Food Safety (CFS) has been at the center of the fight to inform consumers about GE foods for over a decade. CFS provided legal testimony before the Vermont Legislature in 2005 and has maintained an active presence in the state, providing resources and expert legal and scientific advice to the citizens and lawmakers of Vermont. Sixty-four nations including China, South Africa, and all countries in the European Union currently require GE foods to be labeled. Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) last week introduced federal legislation that would require nationwide labeling of GE products. "Even though industry spent $45 million in California to fight Prop 37, the initiative lost by a very narrow margin. Progress on GE food labeling in states such as Vermont shows that the tide is turning. People are demanding their right to know how their food is produced and state legislatures are responding positively," added Rebecca Spector, west coast director of CFS".

What prevented the GM lobby from influencing the law makers is not known but it is reasonable to assume that Vermont being a small market for them they are prepared to sacrifice the business there. Who will be the sufferers if major manufacturers of processed foods start a market choking operation denying the citizens there free flow of foods into the market? Is there an alternative option for the state if no manufacturer is willing to sell any food without GM tainting? In a federal structure it will be difficult for a lone state to impose laws different from that exist in other states. It will be interesting to watch for further development in this war on labeling!

V.H.POTTY
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IS THE FOOD GRAIN POLICY OF GOI IN SHAMBLES? APPARENTLY SO!

Many international experts believe that India has reached a tipping point as far decision making is concerned and if GOI does not face the daunting task of addressing the grain surplus on its hands, future governments and the nation will have to pay a heavy price for shirking the responsibility. Shockingly the very fear GOI is having regarding food inflation if massive export is allowed right now is going to haunt it later because locking up the grains under unsafe conditions and starving the market can lead to only sharp increase in prices which is already being experienced by the middle class population most of whom will have to depend on free market grains for their day to day sustenance. With the general election due any times now, sooner this policy jam is removed better it will be for the country at large. Here is some critical commentary on this vexatious issue now being faced by the country.   

"India should adopt an 'open' policy for food grains exports so that small farmers are benefited from prevailing higher global food prices, Shenggen Fan, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on Friday said. India must also reduce rising food subsidy by 'better' targeting of Public Distribution System, Fan observed. "At present the PDS is not well targeted which is leading to pilferage of food grains. By reducing food subsidy, more financial resources could be allocated for research and development in agriculture," Fan told FE. "India being the biggest the rice exporter must have an open export policy for increasing farm income realistion ," Fan commented. India has emerged as the world's biggest rice exporter in 2012 surpassing Thailand with shipment of around 10 million tonnes after a four year old ban on rice exports were lifted in 2011. He said China may increase the volume of rice import from India in coming years because of rise in cost of farm production. China's total rice import was 2-3 million tonnes from Vietnam and India last year. "It is just a beginning and China's rice import from India could enhance in the coming years with cost of labour, water and land increasing. Also, it is cheaper to import food grains from India instead of providing subsidies to farmers," Fan, the head of the key global think tank observed India has a huge food grain stocks – mostly rice and wheat, due to bumper production last year. The rice and wheat output was reported at record 104.32 million tonnes and 93.90 million tonnes, respectively. Due to US drought, the global food prices are expected to higher and volatile during the year, He said due to uncertainty in supplies of wheat, corn and other crop because of drought in many parts of the world is expected to keep supplies situation 'volatile'. "We need stability in higher food prices as because of lack market access small farmers have not been able to take advantage of the prices," Fan said while predicting that global food prices during the year will be 'high and volatile'.On level of poverty in Asian countries like India and China, Fan observed, "The region as a whole is not on track in meeting the millennium development goal (MDG) of cutting the rate of undernourishment by half between 1990 and 2015." "India accounts for some 217 million or a quarter of all undernourished people globally. As a result, India is likely to miss the MDG target," he said. Calling for hiking investment in the agricultural research, Fan observed that agricultural spending in research and development generally has the largest positive effects on growth and poverty reduction. "For each unit of local currency spent on the agricultural R&D, on average 11 local currency units are returned. For every rupee invested in agri-research in India,Rs 13.5 is returned," a IFPRI study has stated. "Indian government should increase investment in agriculture, rural infrastructure and education as these have high payoffs in terms of raising smallholder farmers' productivity and incomes," Fan noted. 

The argument that India must invest more on agricultural research is well reasoned one and to add to this it may be appropriate that more focus is made on pulses and oil seeds, both in tremendous short supply currently. According to dispassionate observers GOI's obsession with crops like cereals, sugarcane and other crops, ignoring the precarious situation vis-a-vis pules and oil seeds can further exacerbate the food security problem in the coming years. A population fed on a predominantly carbohydrate diet cannot be expected to be healthy as per present nutritional norms. It is time GOI addresses these issues without losing further time and take a long term agricultural policy decision based on domestic food needs and export potential for commodities in which the country has excelled itself.  

V.H.POTTY
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THE WHOLE GRAIN FOOD PRODUCTS IN THE MARKET-MISLEADING THE CONSUMER

The new mantra being touted for attracting the junk food wary consumers is to eat more foods made from "whole grains" and there are thousands of products now being marketed touting to contain more of whole grains. Though putting the logo on the label of "whole grain" is legal as per the letter of the law, its spirit is being violated by many processors by manipulating the recipe to include some whole grains. Unfortunately this is a skewed approach because most products contain more sugar and fat than normal products though they have marginally higher dietary fiber. If this is not perpetuating a fraud on the consumer, what else it is? In the absence mandatory restrictions on labeling such products as healthy, industry will get away by its new brazenness! It is a tragedy that there are many products being churned out by the industry claiming to be multi grain based ones, a close look at the proportion of "other" grains to the main one, usually wheat is minuscule. Here is a critical look at these unethical practices of the food industry which must be frowned upon!  

"The benefits of switching from refined to whole grain foods are well established, including lower risk of cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes, the journal Public Health Nutrition reports. "Given the significant prevalence of refined grains, starches, and sugars in modern diets, identifying a unified criterion to identify higher quality carbohydrates is a key priority in public health," said Rebecca Mozaffarian, study author from the social and behavioural sciences department at Harvard School of Public Health. Based on this evidence, the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2010 dietary guidelines recommend that Americans consume at least three servings of whole grain products daily, and the new US national school lunch standards require that at least half of all meals be whole grain-rich. However, no single standard exists for defining any product as a "whole grain". From two major US grocers, researchers identified a total of 545 grain products in eight categories: breads, bagels, English muffins, cereals, crackers, cereal bars, granola bars, and chips. They collected nutrition content, ingredient lists, and the presence or absence of the Whole Grain Stamp on product packages from all of these products, according to a Harvard statement. They found that grain products with the Whole Grain Stamp, one of the most widely-used front-of-package symbols, were higher in fibre and lower in trans fats, but also contained significantly more sugar and calories compared to products without the Stamp. The three USDA recommended criteria also had mixed performance for identifying healthier grain products. Overall, the American Heart Association's standard (a ratio of total carbohydrate to fibre) proved to be the best indicator of overall healthfulness".

The suggestion that in stead of giving wide latitude to the industry in using such consumer attracting label claims, food safety agencies both national as well as international must work out a consensus on what constitutes a healthy whole grain food. The ratio of carbohydrate to sugar may be a criterion or ratio of carbohydrate to sugar as well as fat could be a better parameter. Alternately the dietary fiber content could be a major consideration while allowing such labeling practices. of course some clever players may add fiber from external sources which may not confer the same benefit as using whole grain flours which are much more diverse in terms of nutritional contents. Food scientists and nutritionists must put their heads together to help the consumers to choose healthy foods by evolving realistic standards for foods claiming to be manufactured from whole grains or from a blend of grains.

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