DECLINE OF PROCESSED FOOD INDUSTRY ON THE CARDS?-INNOVATE OR PERISH!

There are dire predictions that processed food industry would not survive the present "crisis of confidence" prevalent amongst consumers in many affluent countries. But does the consumer has an alternative? The new movements promoting organic foods, local foods, whole foods etc have limited clout and the mainstream consumer will continue to depend on processed foods because of compulsions of the life style. A trend is slowly emerging where consumers are becoming more and more demanding and if the major industry players do not respond adequately there could be new players willing to radically change the profiles of products to be more healthy and wholesome. Here is a commentary on the changes that are taking place in the US and what needs to be done if industry is not to stagnate, threatening its very survival.

Speaking at the Nutracon conference in Anaheim, California last month, CEO and president of Blue Pacific Flavors Donald Wilkes said that the future of food formulation lies in clean labels and nutritious, whole food ingredients. Wilkes predicts that concern about food from farm to table will intensify, as part of what he calls 'the whole foods movement'. And he suggested that with an increased interest in whole foods and whole ingredients, the supplements industry could also find itself in a difficult position. "The processed food industry, and anything that has a functional ingredient, is under question from consumers right now, and it's not going away; it's only going to get bigger," Wilkes said. "…I think today is the age of the unthinkable for the processed food industry, unless the industry reacts." He urged food manufacturers to move toward simpler products, and to communicate health benefits of foods and supplements within the context of a whole-food based, balanced diet, and an exercise regime. "So many food manufacturers want to put structure/function claims on food products these days, but it is a barrier to consumption," he said. "People don't want their diet to be a medicine chest…If you want to talk about health benefits, talk about them as part of health and wellness, rather than death and disease."

The million dollar question is whether the food industry will ever take the cue and mend itself for becoming more consumer friendly not in terms of taste and flavor of its products but tune to their well being. The dramatic growth of organic food industry and the specialty products industry during the last decade sends a strong message that in order to survive, the main stream food industry must change its present mindset, focused on profit and in stead replace its product basket presently predominated by calorie dense, fat rich, sugary and salty foods with more healthy alternative ones without sacrificing the eating quality drastically.

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

THE "TALKING" PACKAGING SYSTEMS-A CONSUMER FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT

Though every one swears by the well being of the consumers, with each passing day the "purchasing dilemma" continues to haunt them because the supreme confusion that prevails in the isles of the super markets world over. The expressions like "Best Before", "Use By", "Sell By" etc do not make any sense because these details cannot help the consumers to make any discerning selection during buying or firm decision in the kitchen regarding the safety of packed foods. To compound the confusion, there are campaigns that advise the consumers not to throw the "date expired" foods because they are still "safe" to consume. Recent innovations that promise consumers a sure way of finding whether a food on the shelf is still safe for eating may provide some socour to the buyers. How far they will be reliable may be known only when the newly developed interactive packaging modes are used in actual field conditions.

"This is not the first — or even the second — time that such a product has been developed. A team from Scotland's University of Strathclyde announced their own colour-changing freshness-indicating plastic film just this January, while Canada's Toxin Alert has been working on a similar technology since 2000. In other developments, interactive packaging that is able to 'talk' back to consumers could be less than a decade away. Dr Ross Lee, a researcher at the Packaging & Technology Integrated Solutions in Maryland, US, said the use of printable electronics in 'smart' packaging was viable. Even printable electronics could help consumers and reduce costs and wastage. Printable electronics refers to powered circuits emitting an electronic signal that can be printed cheaply onto packaging. Combined with the developments in smartphone technology the trend towards geo-location based software applications; this could enable products on the shelves being able to communicate with shoppers' devices. This would allow people to see the exact in-store location of the product they seek, or be told if an item is out of stock".

The above developments are relevant only to meat and fish products and it is not clear whether frozen foods can have such devices and whether they are dependable. Most animal based foods are available in the market in refrigerated or frozen formats and the so called "talking" packaging may be relevant to refrigerated raw meat and fish, not for processed products. From the legal angle will the industry, choosing to deploy these latest "sensing" plastic film guarantee the reliability of the device? While the new development is welcome, concerted efforts are still needed to make it a commercially adaptable technique. If such devices are developed for other products also it will be the best gift of the food industry to its clientele, viz the consumers.

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

INNOVATIVE GREEN HOUSE TECHNOLOGY-WHAT ABOUT COST ECONOMICS?

How to feed an anticipated population of 9 billion by the middle of this century? There are views and views regarding the strategy the world has to adopt in the coming years but none can provide any degree of assurance whether adequate food will be produced to feed the above population. Neither the Discredited Green Revolution, blamed for destroying the soil health or the much touted Genetic Engineering technology can be the answer as the experience so far has been far from satisfactory. Against this context the new innovative approach being tried out in the Netherlands using wholly artificial atmosphere, seems to hold great promise though the development is still in its early stages. Most impressive is the relatively low requirement of water which is a scarce commodity already due to over exploitation every where in the world. Probably other countries also should pitch in to bring the innovation to fruition. Here is a take on this new development.

"To feed so many people may require expanding farmland at the expense of forests and wilderness, or finding ways to radically increase crop yields. Meeuws and three other Dutch bioengineers have taken the concept of a greenhouse a step further, growing vegetables, herbs and house plants in enclosed and regulated environments where even natural light is excluded. In their research station, strawberries, yellow peppers, basil and banana plants take on an eerie pink glow under red and blue bulbs of Light-Emitting Diodes, or LEDs. Water trickles into the pans when needed and all excess is recycled, and the temperature is kept constant. Lights go on and off, simulating day and night, but according to the rhythm of the plant – which may be better at shorter cycles than 24 hours – rather than the rotation of the Earth. In a larger "climate chamber" a few miles away, a nursery is nurturing cuttings of fittonia, a colorful house plant, in two layers of 70 square meters (750 sq. feet) each. Blasts of mist keep the room humid, and the temperature is similar to the plants' native South America. After the cuttings take root – the most sensitive stage in the growing process – they are wheeled into a greenhouse and the chamber is again used for rooting. The process cuts the required time to grow a mature plant to six weeks from 12 or more. The Dutch researchers say they plan to build a commercial-sized building in the Netherlands of 1,300 square meters (14,000 sq. feet), with four separate levels of vegetation by the end of this year. After that, they envision growing vegetables next to shopping malls, supermarkets or other food retailers.

Meeuws says a building of 100 sq meters (1,075 sq. feet) and 14 layers of plants could provide a daily diet of 200 grams (7 ounces) of fresh fruit and vegetables to the entire population of Den Bosch, about 140,000 people. Their idea is not to grow foods that require much space, like corn or potatoes. "We are looking at the top of the pyramid where we have high value and low volume," he said. Sunlight is not only unnecessary but can be harmful, says Meeuws. Plants need only specific wavelengths of light to grow, but in nature they must adapt to the full range of light as a matter of survival. When light and other natural elements are manipulated, the plants become more efficient, using less energy to grow. "Nature is good, but too much nature is killing," said Meeuws, standing in a steaming cubicle amid racks of what he called "happy plants." For more than a decade the four researchers have been tinkering with combinations of light, soil and temperature on a variety of plants, and now say their growth rate is three times faster than under greenhouse conditions. They use no pesticides, and about 90 percent less water than outdoors agriculture. While LED bulbs are expensive, the cost is steadily dropping. Olaf van Kooten, a professor of horticulture at Wageningen University who has observed the project but has no stake in it, says a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of tomatoes grown in Israeli fields needs 60 liters (16 gallons) of water, while those grown in a Dutch greenhouse require one-quarter of that. "With this system it is possible in principle to produce a kilo of tomatoes with a little over one liter of water," he said.

The researchers were able to demonstrate unequivocally the technical feasibility of the new approach with successful working system already in place. What is needed is to commercialize the innovation and prove its economic viability in no uncertain terms. It has to be appreciated that the system does not need dangerous chemical protectants and is totally independent of the weather conditions any time of the year. Probably the World Bank and FAO should explore the possibility of investing in setting up a joint program in collaboration with the Dutch scientists to expedite the development and bring the benefits to countries which are hard pressed to provide enough food to their population. Retailers should also pitch in by supporting the program because many big retailers with resources can set up such growing facilities near their consumer out lets so that many fruits and vegetables can be brought in most fresh condition to the fresh produce shelves with minimum lapse of time between harvest and sale.

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

NEW FOOD LABELING CONTROVERSY-HURTING RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS?

Front pack labeling seems to be an issue of perennial controversy. It is unfortunate that there is no unanimity amongst WTO member countries in evolving a globally acceptable format that could have facilitated world trade with minimum hassles. Unfortunately each country seems to be tinkering with its national regulatory formats which often do not make much sense. Latest instance is the on-going consideration in Europe for modifying the existing labeling regulations to insist on including a provision to declare Halal meats and Jewish meat products that "they are processed by killing the animal without stunning". The rationale behind such a move may be to satisfy animal activists who propagate elimination of cruel practices while handling the slaughter house bound animals. Here is a take on this latest avoidable controversy.

"Consumers could be told whether the meat they buy comes from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter, following a move in the European parliament. MEPs on the food safety committee voted on Tuesday to back amendments to a food labelling bill that would see the mandatory inclusion of labels stating "meat from slaughter without stunning" on relevant food products. The proposals, which go before the European parliament in July, target meat slaughtered using ritual techniques like those employed by Jewish shechita and Muslim halal butchers. Animals killed by the shechita technique are not stunned before having their throats cut and blood drained out. Halal meat is slaughtered using a similar technique, although research by the British Veterinary Association suggests 80% of halal meat is stunned before slaughter. Religious groups have expressed anger at the proposals. A Jewish campaign group, Shechita UK, controversially claimed the measure was the "21st-century equivalent of the yellow star, but on our food". "This amendment does nothing to improve animal welfare, fails to fully inform consumers and is clearly discriminatory by design," said Henry Grunwald, spokesman for the group".

Critics have a point in condemning this proposal as stunning is only one step that spares the agony of the victim. If one has the opportunity to see the documentary "Food Inc.", it is very clear that most of the meat industry majors have scant respect to animal welfare and no one seems to be bothered to discipline this powerful industry so that both ethical as well as food safety aspects receive the attention due to them. More over when the products are classified as Halal, every consumer knows that they are processed through religious diktats and the animals are slaughtered without stunning. The move smacks of religious discrimination by encouraging the consumers to shun Halal and Shechita meats.

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

MA PROCESSING-IS IT FEASIBLE TECHNICALLY?

Food technology has made tremendous strides during the last century and to day there are many modern and sophisticated processes that can process and preserve foods in prime condition. Recently there was some controversy regarding the ability of food technological practices to deliver a product as fresh as the field harvested produce and the inescapable conclusion is that technology can ensure high quality and safety but the consumer has to sacrifice the freshness as a trade off for longevity of the foods. Though frozen foods are often cited as an almost perfect technology that can preserve the freshness, here again some changes do take place that differentiates them from really fresh foods. Recently another technology has emerged that promises to help processing industry to further boost the "freshness" credentials to some extent. The new modified atmospheric processing attempts to reduce quality loss during processing without the use of chemicals.

"Working through hermetically-sealed gloves in the glove box in an atmosphere of less than one per cent oxygen, researchers were able to dice fruit andvegetables without the enzymatic browning caused by cutting in an oxygen-rich environment. The technique was also used to chop, puree or juice fruit and vegetables. "There has been limited research carried out in this area but depending on the application, modified atmosphere processing may reduce browning or discoloration of a product by significantly reducing exposure to oxygen," said Potter. When fresh produce is cut, it starts to brown quickly due to tissue damage, PPO (polyphenol oxidase) enzymes oxidise with exposure to oxygen causing browning. "If the oxygen is removed this reaction can be reduced or delayed maintaining the fresh cut colour of the produce for longer without the use of sulphur dioxide," said Potter. In addition to processing foodstuffs within the glove box, researchers are also studying the effects of bagging and sealing foods in the same low-oxygen environment. After bagging and sealing, the product can be withdrawn through a port which is also atmospherically controlled".

Though the claims by the developers are based on limited studies carried out on a small scale, the new technique seems to be holding promise for the industry to dramatically improve the quality of processed foods in the coming years. It may be recalled that high pressure processing technology developed some time back was restricted in its use because of logistical problems in evolving a continuous process, though there are reports that continuous plants are now being offered. Similarly processing continuously under modified atmosphere calls for development of engineering skills of high order and if such plants are eventually evolved, the new technology may have some takers.

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

THE "JUTE SACK" SCAM-JUTE MILLS ON THE DOCK

Jute industry, made up of about 66 mills, is located predominantly in the state of West Bengal and their main product, the jute sac is purchased by the GOI for packing food grains for storage and distribution. That quality of the sack has a critical bearing on its ability to protect the grain for long periods is well known and it is mandatory for the Jute Mills to supply as per the well-laid standards specified for its quality. However a serious fraud seems to be taking place through collusion between the government personnel entrusted with jute sac procurement and the suppliers causing almost Rs 9 billion loss annually to the exchequer. It is condemnable that these fraudsters perpetuating this scam have no social conscience about the wastage of precious food through supply of inferior sacs for lining their pockets. Here is a take on this episode.

"Meanwhile, the Punjab government has already written to the Union food ministry, requesting for the use of polythene/plastic bags for packing of food grains in the ongoing Rabi season and the upcoming Kharif season under its PUNGRAIN scheme. It is estimated that the mills are cheating the government to the tune of around Rs 72 crore per month by supplying 4,000 bales of inferior quality and used bags that are almost 65 gms lower than the standard weight of 665 gms. While the mills are quoting a price of a new B–Twill bag at Rs 37, they are only supplying used and inferior quality bags weighing 600 gms and priced at around Rs 33.36. In this way they are making an illegal income of Rs 3.64 per bag and Rs 1820 per bale. Almost 40 per cent of the annual industry production of 1.2 million tonnes of jute bags is purchased by the government under the Jute Packaging Materials Act of 1987".

The Jute Mills should be grateful to GOI for purchasing almost half their production of jute sacs at a profitable price and if FCI switches over from the jute sac to woven plastic sacs, there could be disaster waiting for the industry with most of them forced to down their shutters. In stead of being appreciative of this arrangement, it is reprehensible that the industry is trying to "bite the hand that feeds it." GOI is right in taking severe action against those indulging in this crime and no punishment will be too big for these fraudsters.

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

FOOD WASTE-GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION ADVISABLE?

What ever one may think or say about Pakistan as a viable nation, credit must go where it is due. This is with reference to the restrictions put in place in 1997 regarding hosting feasts on occasions like marriage which many observers believe has benefited the country in terms of reducing unnecessary wastage of food. The restriction is basically on the menu that explicitly compels the hosts to confine to very few items. In contrast a poor country like India has millions of millionaires who spend billions of rupees to organize parties and feasts with more than two dozen courses. While one should have no quarrel regarding the right of individuals to spend their money as they deem fit, it is another matter that in most cases more than 50% of the food served ends up in the public garbage dumps. Of course there are scavenging destitute population and animals and birds benefiting from this waste. It is funny to note that GOI is now concerned about these lavish feasts and want to consider imposing some restrictions. Whether such concerns will translate into any concrete action remains to be seen

"Indians planning lavish wedding parties may face pressure to slim down their menus, as the government considers curbing celebrations that highlight a growing gulf between rich and poor. Food Minister K.V. Thomas said April 18 that a panel will consider limiting the number of guests who can be invited to weddings and other social events, as well as the dishes they can be served. Neighboring Pakistan restricts such revelers to one plate of food, he said, something India could emulate. While India's government is reacting after soaring food prices dented the popularity of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leading to nationwide protests, wedding planners and policy experts said the proposals would be impossible to enforce and fail to address the root cause of food insecurity in India, home to 42 percent of the world's undernourished children, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute. "It's absolutely ridiculous, it's a reactionary, poorly thought through, populist measure which I don't think is implementable," said Ashish Abrol, a former Deutsche Bank AG wealth manager and employee of International Business Machines Corp., who started the wedding planning firm Big Indian Wedding last year. Consumer-price inflation at 9 percent is the highest in the Group of 20 nations after Argentina and Russia. Thomas says up to 30 percent of food is wasted at weddings in India. About 40 percent of India's fruit and vegetables rot before they can be sold because of a lack of cold storage facilities and poor transport infrastructure, according to government figures".

How far the government will be able to enforce such restrictions is a matter of conjecture. Years ago there was the Guest Control Order which was promulgated to save food when there was food scarcity in the country and the experience in making it work was not encouraging. Austerity must be a national culture and if every one makes necessary sacrifice wastage automatically gets eliminated from the society at large. If there are exceptions for VIPs and other influential people to the food control order, naturally ordinary citizen will not be enthused about the whole idea. India is considered the capital of "black money" and it is known that construction of super luxury homes and throwing lavish dinners are the major routes for spending such unaccounted wealth. Such restrictive orders should not be another route for the babus to make money through bribes for closing their eyes to blatant violations by these super rich people!

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