FOOD AID-THE DOUBLE STANDARDS

Rich countries do have considerations for the sufferings and miseries of people in many third world countries and billions of dollars worth of food are donated under many aid programs. In spite of such generosity, world's poor continue to famish with no hope for reversal of this trend. Though sociologists feel strongly that rich nations must increase the quality and quantity of aid to make any significant impact on poverty and malnutrition, there are practical and logistical problems that need to be overcome if the utopia of universal peace has to be realized. It was only recently that the US was blamed for reducing the impact of the food aid program because of insistence on using only US registered carriers to transport the food to aid receiving countries though the freight cost was 60% more than other carriers. Similarly aid givers are blamed for dumping the surplus food grains from their own countries into the recipient countries incurring high costs where as same money if spent on buying the grains locally would have covered more beneficiaries. Here is another criticism about the inadequate nutrition quality of food blends presently being distributed for the benefit of children less than two years old which has the potential to stunt the growth of children. Probably such a thing has happened because of inadequate evaluation of the impact of these types of programs periodically.

"A US-backed campaign highlighting the importance of quality nutrition in a child's first 1,000 days contradicts its own food aid policy for developing countries, says a medical charity. The 1,000 Days campaign was prompted by findings published in The Lancet in 2008 confirming that the first two years of life were a "window of opportunity", when nutrition programmes had an enormous impact on a child's development, with life-long benefits. Yet, the US delivers US$2 billion worth of food aid largely comprising corn soya blend containing no animal-source food, which is not ideal for children younger than two or moderately malnourished children, says Emi MacLean, US manager for the Access Campaign for Essential Medicines of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). MSF has been lobbying for some years for reforms in international food aid for young children, who are most affected in a food security crisis. Providing quality nutrition in the first 1,000 days can save a million children every year, according to a new effort by UN and other partners to scale-up nutrition in poor countries. Most international food aid consists of blended flour, which does not include animal-source protein such as milk and essential minerals and vitamins. However, most European donors now provide money to buy food, rather than donations. In response to MSF's criticism, a US Agency for International Development (USAID) spokeswoman pointed to a blog post written by Ertharin Cousin, the US ambassador to the UN agencies in Rome. While Cousin did not address the nutritional deficiencies in the aid the US provides, she noted that the US Congress had earmarked $14 million for a pilot project to "field-test new or improved micronutrient-fortified food aid products" and to innovate around the nutritional content and composition of food aid products".

It is true that milk proteins are considered to be the best one in terms of amino acid profile besides the presence of f almost all essential nutrients present in this omnipotent food. How ever the protein cost from milk can be quite high compared to that from plant proteins and the aid givers have the Hobson's choice regarding the quality versus quantity consideration. If milk solids are included the cost invariably will go up and the coverage will obviously be less. The willingness on the part of USA to have a re-look at the program and consider bringing about improvements is itself a positive development. One can only hope that the new micro-nutrient fortified food aid products being developed and field-tested would remedy the present lacunae in the program.

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

IS INDUSTRIAL FOOD ADDICTIVE?-YES, NO OR MAY BE?

Can a food be addictive like cigarette smoking or opioid taking? Apparently some believe that it is so. To day's obesity epidemic is attributed to this addictive behavior of some foods which seem to have a tendency to affect the brain functions in such a way that the body seeks more of the same, unconsciously leading to over eating. Especially foods containing high levels of sugar, fat and/or salt come under this category. Probably the food processing industry as well as the policy makers will have to bear the responsibility for creating an environment where "incentives" exist for over eating. The serving sizes indicated in the labels of many products are invariably on the higher side while the industry's high decibel promotion of its products lures the unsuspecting consumers to such "rich" but ridiculously low cost foods. Is it not a tragedy that fresh foods like fruits and vegetables in a country like the US cost exorbitantly compelling the consumers to increasingly shun these health protecting foods? A well argued case is made regarding the existence of a toxic food environment that progressively destroys the society through debilitating health disorders. There appears to be lot of logic in the commentary appearing recently about the food scenario in the US.

"The biggest sham in food industry strategy and government food policy is advocating and emphasizing individual choice and personal responsibility to solve our obesity and chronic disease epidemic. We are told that if people just didn't eat so much, exercised more, and took care of themselves, we would be fine. We don't need to change our policies or environment. We don't want the government telling us what to do. We want free choice. But are your choices free, or is Big Food driving behavior through insidious marketing techniques? The reality is that many people live in food deserts where they can't buy an apple or carrot, or live in communities that have no sidewalks or where it is unsafe to be out walking. We blame the fat person. But how can we blame a two-year-old for being fat? How much choice does he or she have? We live in toxic food environment, a nutritional wasteland. School lunchrooms and vending machines overflow with junk food and "sports drinks." Most of us don't even know what we're eating. Fifty percent of meals are eaten outside the home, and most home-cooked meals are simply microwavable industrial food. Restaurants and chains provide no clear menu labeling. Did you know that a single order of Outback Steakhouse cheese fries is 2,900 calories, or that a Starbucks venti mocha latte is 508 calories? Environmental factors (like advertising, lack of menu labeling, and others) and the addictive properties of "industrial food," when added together, override our normal biological or psychological control mechanisms. To pretend that changing this is beyond the scope of government responsibility or that creating policy to help manage such environmental factors would lead to a "nanny state" is simply an excuse for Big Food to continue its unethical practices. Here are some ways we can change our food environment:"

One is reminded of the rash statement of the CEO of a large multi national food player peddling some of the worst food products from health angle that it is the consumer who has the responsibility for the selection of right product, to moderate consumption and to engage in adequate physical activity to burn the calories consumed! Same argument holds good for alcohol consumption or smoking of cigarettes or taking opioid but why does the government take action against these industries through high taxation and many restrictions, instead of leaving the responsibility of shunning these products to the consumer? Obviously because they are addictive in nature and can make the people slaves to their power of addiction. Does it mean putting in place restrictions on some foods with such addictive characteristics? Probably this is an issue for which time has come to take a collective decision by the world at large.

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

A BUREAUCRAT'S DAY DREAMING!-THE NIFTEM SYNDROME

The quality of any material is decided by the user and if the manufacturer uses superlative words to describe his product without any proof, normally intelligent buyer will hesitate to bite the bait! This is a universal truth and it does not require any special training to see through such glib promotional efforts. One is reminded of the above maxim when recently GOI babus in the food industry ministry boasted about a "world class" institute being set up by them for training food technologists and entrepreneurs. According to its claim the new institute, fancifully called NIFTEM, is all set to "admit" students from the year 2011. It is difficult to comprehend the mind of a bureaucrat when such announcements are made as a matter of routine without realizing the ground realities concerning setting up of an academic institution, that too for producing technocrats and entrepreneurs. Here is the gist of the announcement which was splashed across some of the major news papers recently.

"To attract bright young minds towards research in food processing and technology, and also to hone their entrepreneurship and managerial skills, the ministry of food processing industries (MOFPI) is all set to come up with a world-class institute in the country that will start admissions from 2011. It will be established in Sonepat, Haryana. "The institute, known as National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), will be the first of its kind in the country to be offering a number of programmes that will support innovative research activities at under-graduate, post-graduate and PhD level," said joint secretary, MOFPI, Ajit Kumar while talking to TOI on Monday. The admissions would be done through a national-level entrance test and would be open for students of science stream with physics, chemistry, maths or biology combination at intermediate (10+2) level. "We are also trying to reserve some seats for students who opt for food technology and qualify in the All- India Pre-Medical Test ( AIPMT) and All-India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) conducted by CBSE," he added".

Probably because of the association with an American University for establishing the institute, the ministry seems to be cock sure about the success of the venture. It has taken decades for some of the reputed food technology training institutes in India to establish even the minimum facilities required for turning out graduates acceptable to the food industry and even here there are complaints that these graduates do not measure up to the expectations of the user industry. Two of the courses run by the food research institute at Mysore, evolved during nineteen sixties and later in nineteen eighties are internationally recognized because of the fabulous facilities created for hands-on training and involvement of hundreds of specialist scientists available on hand from the research departments of the organization. The post graduate food technology program and the milling technology diploma offered by this organization have proven to be world class, unlike the unproven claims made by the GOI ministry! There are hundreds of graduates and diplomates from other countries who will vouchsafe for the credentials of these courses at Mysore. It is unfortunate that precious resources are being wasted creating a duplicate organization with high pitched "paper" claims!

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

MEGA CLAIMS, HIGH DECIBEL PROMOTION AND QUESTIONABLE VALUE!

The ingenuity of business folks to come up with propositions that can spin money with least accountability is mind boggling. Look at the so called nutraceutical industry which is rolling in money without any need for answering many questions regarding their safety and real utility to the consumers. While the food industry is tightly regulated in most countries, the pharmaceutical industry faces tough evaluation regimes before launching new products. In contrast the nutraceutical industry is answerable neither to the food regulators or drug overseeing agencies. Most of the products are based on information available from many sources including old historical scripts and rarely are these products tested in a laboratory or evaluated in human beings. Unrealistic and unproven claims, unjustifiable extrapolation of data, extravagant assurances and limited safety information are some of the hall marks of these products for luring unsuspecting consumer. Here is a commentary on this industry which is shocking at the least!

"Public scepticism over contemporary therapeutic medicine has been a contributing factor to the evolution of a billion dollar health quakery industry. Proponents of the health food culture support what they refer to as a "natural" approach to health and vitality through the use various pills, powders, and potions. Among these products are everything from megadoses of vitamins and minerals to nostrums such as bee pollen, ginseng root, dired algae, and a range of homeopathic products. These medicinal potions are promoted as having generalized curative or restorative powers for everything from the common cold, chronic fatigue, and sexual disfunction to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other assorted chronic diseases. Beyond the question of efficacy, the consumption of such products may indeed preclude the use of scientifically substantiated medical protocol. Promoted with the cooperation of newspapers, magazines, book publishers, multilevel marketing schemes and franchised retail outlets, these concoctions are unregulated and readily dispensed without provisions for gender, individual physiology, or guidance concerning contraindications or toxicity. Product promotions are based on a distorted logic that attempts to extrapolate a correlation between an outside piece of scientific data, and a health food product. Independent third party testing of some supplements suggest an absence of a viable quality control program as witnessed through product inconsistencies, impurities, degradation, and bacterial contamination".

Why the world has not woken up to this big hoax defies logic and probably lack of attention by the governments in many countries to the dangers posed by these products has encouraged the innumerable manufacturers of such products to continue with their activities unobstructed. It is time that a consensus is evolved amongst nations to curb such unethical activities through sustained efforts to regulate them through appropriate laws. As these products are mostly positioned as food supplements, it will be more appropriate if they are brought under proprietary food category and prevalent rules are made applicable to them also. Probably an international body like Codex Alimentarius Commission can take up the task of setting guidelines for health products to meet various contingencies and bring some sanity into this area.

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

FOOD TRUCKS-EMPHASIS ON SAFETY CREDENTIALS

The conflict between enforcement agencies and catering sector seems to have caught the nascent street vending players also. The argument against government intrusion into food service industry is always the same that it affects their business due to unnecessary bureaucratic action resulting in loss of significance revenue. The food service sector invariably feels that their reputation to serve clean and safe food only can ensure continued patronage and they cannot afford to lower their guard that may be catastrophic to their very existence. But any responsible government that has the onus of protecting the lives of the citizens cannot take any risks because industry is always a mix of good, bad and indifferent players! Even main stream restaurants are resisting grading of eateries because of their perceived fear of getting on the wrong side of the law due to a single instance of slippage. Food Truck phenomenon which is spreading like a wild fire in the US is coming of age and some form of regulatory control needs to be put in place for their organized growth further.

"Los Angeles' fleet of over 9,000 food trucks, a niche culinary fad gone mainstream in cities across the U.S., will soon be subject to the same food safety rules as restaurants in Los Angeles County.
That means rogue food trucks will have to submit to posting their food safety letter grades. Yesterday, the New York Times called the move perhaps the "ultimate sign that this faddiest of food fads is going mainstream." According to the Times, food trucks in LA may soon also have to file route maps with the county health department, ensuring that health inspectors won't have to check Twitter or Facebook to find the street vendors, who typically retain a level of mystery by sharing their whereabouts via social media. "As with restaurants, health inspectors will be empowered to shut down a truck that scores less than a C for not enough attention to basic safety and food hygiene practices -- for example, dirty counters, food left out, unwashed hands," according to the Times' Adam Nagourney. "For the skeptical lunch-goer, proposed monitoring of these trucks may stifle concern over reputations of greasy, questionably sourced food items," said Sarah Damian, a fellow for the Government Accountability Project on the group's new Food Integrity blog yesterday. "In fact, even established retailers and gourmet chefs are going mobile and see the potential boost for business in positive letter grading." As GAP noted yesterday, the Los Angeles County letter grading system, which was put into place over a decade ago, has significantly decreased the number of hospitalizations linked to restaurant food poisoning".

The most controversial issue is regarding filing of a route map as regulatory agencies do not want to follow Twitters to locate them when inspection is to be done. There may be a point in the stand taken by the industry that if the route is fixed, half the fun of road side eating is lost and by taking different routes the vendors can provide more service to the customers. On the other hand if the route map is not provided at the time of license application there is the possibility of chaos when too many of them converge at one point. Here again there is the understanding that between two food trucks a minimum distance has to be maintained. It will be interesting to see how the American Food Truck business blooms in the coming years and a successful regime may eventually emerge that can be replicated with minimum hiccups.

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

SHELF-LIFE OF FOODS-A NEW ADVISORY WEBSITE

Wastage of food is a matter of concern when one realizes that there are millions of people in many parts of the world who have to go to bed hungry due to their inability to access the required food because of many factors. Families in many affluent countries throw away good foods as a matter of habit without realizing the implications of such enormous wastes. It is not the argument that people should not enjoy a good meal as they have the right and the resources to access such foods but exercising moderation in buying foods can prevent such avoidable wastes. The labeling system that is mandatory for the industry to follow also contributes to food wastage in its own way because the warranty provisions imply that expired food products are not safe to eat. Some time back the food minister in the UK appealed to the consumers not to throw away foods just because the warranty period was over. But is it practical to expect the consumers to follow such appeals which fly in the face of the principle that expiry date is printed based on the perception of the manufacturer that all foods have definitive shelf life?. The logic in advocating use of date expired food is based on the fact that it only applies to the eating quality and not safety. Against such a backdrop, the initiative by a retired professor in the US to operate a web site that can be of help to consumers in clarifying many issues vis-à-vis food safety.

Somewhere along the path toward food safety, we often make a detour toward obsession. An obsession that compels us to throw out food before we really have to. And that, in turn, costs us money. Before we blame ourselves, let's not forget that the habit is enabled by all those "Use By" and "Sell By" and "God Forbid You Eat This AFTER" package label dates, not to mention recent headlines of good food gone bad. The challenge: How to be a food-savvy cheapskate versus a food-sickened cheapskate. A new Web site wants to help ShelfLifeAdvice.com delivers bushels of articles on the topic: how to store food, save food, clean food, freeze food and, yes, clarification of those dates on packaged and fresh foods. The brainchild of retired professor Ethel Tiersky and her son, Howard, the site also features links to lots of Web sites, and it has a board of advisers of food-safety pros from across the U.S. A recent lead article was titled, "Soft Cheese: A Delicious Delicacy or a Menace?"

Though such initiatives are welcome and the promoters are to be admired for their novel venture, how far it will solve the day to day problems faced by the consumers in handling processed foods is some what uncertain. Of course if the foods bought from the super markets are handled with care and caution they can definitely last much longer than the warranty date because shelf life of each and every food is determined under some standard conditions and projected for room conditions. In principle if foods are stored under low temperatures, their life can be extended significantly. Whether chemical spoilage or microbial growth, the rate of change in the food is slowed down considerably at lower temperatures, hence the longer shelf life. Ultimately the consumer will have to decide based on flavor and taste of the product to decide whether it is acceptable or not. Similarly most foods if heated beyond a temperature of 70C can be expected to be safe from pathogens.

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

THE "ON-LINE" HOAX-DUBIOUS PRODUCTS AND UNPROVEN CLAIMS!

Explosive growth of Internet technology has spawned a new fraud that plays on the gullibility of people who are helpless and desperate to get relief from health afflictions being suffered by them, with no hope for remedies through the conventional treatment systems. It is a tragedy that there is no control of such fly-by-night operators who make a fast buck by luring unwary customers through unsubstantiated and untenable claims about their products and services. Even under the so called nutrition labeling regime, many organized industry players are getting away by indulging ambiguous claims against which the safety authorities find it difficult to take action. Some voluntary efforts to guide the consumers seem to be helping consumers in a small way who have access to their services. Here is a take on that

"The group, backed by charity Sense About Science, says vulnerable people are being increasingly exploited by the on-line promotion of such treatments. Many untested remedies are expensive and do not work, and are often based on "unreliable" evidence, the experts say. A new guide has been published to help patients recognize bogus treatments. Sense About Science says there are now hundreds of websites offering hope to people who are desperate for a cure. Many on-line adverts and chat-room conversations testify to the "incredible" benefits of new medicines and treatments, often selling the empty promise of curing the incurable, the charity says".

Recently there were warnings from the US government that India is being flooded with spurious products imported through on-line orders and such products with doubtful safety credentials have the potential to harm the consumers in the country. As there is still a "craze" for things that are of foreign origin many consumers can fall easy prey to Internet promoted products, if they are not careful. Already there are reports that even legally imported foods into the country do not conform to Indian specifications strictly, probably because of lax assessment system at the entry points. Internet technology, like any other modern technology, is a double edged sword and harm or benefit depends on the way it is exploited.

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