THE "ACHIEVEMENTS" IN FOOD SECTOR PROGRAMS!-ANY TAKERS?

Glorious pictures about the achievements of Ministry of Food processing Industry are "painted and planted" among friendly media persons for country wide "splashing" and thereby get a good image in the minds of people about this highly bureaucratic set up at Delhi. Imagine what embarrassment it can cause to the Babus in MFPI when its own consultative committee has nothing but ridicule for the claims made by it every year at the budget time. Most heinous crime being perpetuated by MFPI is that in spite of its existence for almost two decades it did very little to create a reliable data base about the food industry and its figures are at best guesstimates based on heresay and unreliable sources. GOI must consider evaluation of the impact of MFPI on the performance and growth of the food industry by a blue ribbon committee of experts knowledgeable about all aspects of food processing and if its working in the past 22 years has been not satisfactory, it should have the courage to wind it up unceremoniously with no remorse! Here is a take on this issue.

"To which the committee reacted: "The committee cannot but, consider these achievements of the ministry with a pinch of salt, as their estimation is based merely on 'regular discussions' with stakeholders. Arriving at conclusions on such important matters on the basis of mere discussions throws a lot of light on the sanctity of the data flaunted in support and speaks volumes on the manner of working of the ministry in charge of the 'sunshine' sector of the Indian economy. The glaring absence of an information system for compiling data and indices pertaining to the food processing industry sector in the country, in spite of the ministry being in existence for two decades now, also reflects poorly on the planning and management capabilities of the ministry." Apart from lack of data, proper mechanism for systematic planning, and delay in execution have also been the concerns of the ministry."  

Of course many people unconnected with the food industry are benefited from the pedestrian existence of MFPI and these people are bound to protest. Even some industry players, cozy with the Babus in the MFPI may resist any attempt to close the ministry because of their vested interests. The still-born NIFTEM, touted to be a world class food technology institute is a classical example of the wrong priorities of MFPI and on top of this an undistinguished R & D set up in Tamil Nadu is being propped up as a high tech organization to solve all the problems of the industry. It is another thing that neither the food industry nor the food scientific community has any high opinion about the caliber of these organizations to deliver the required services to the proposed users.

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

SPREADING THE BREAKFAST-NEWER TRENDS

The days of jumbo breakfasts seem to be numbered if the new trend in eating becomes more and more popular. Food industry which has the pulse of the consumer most of the time appears to be sensing a change in the consumption pattern of breakfast by people and accordingly is re-calibrating the product basket to suit the consumer. There appears to be a perception among people that consuming breakfast in several sittings is much more healthy than gorging a large portion at one sitting. What is the scientific basis for this belief is not yet clear. If the current market launches are carefully scanned many established brands are reducing their pack size or the serving size so that it becomes convenient for eating spread over a period. Here is the take on this curious trend emerging in the US.

"Sometimes one breakfast isn't enough. So why not sneak in a second or a third? On-the-go Americans increasingly are consuming their morning calories over several hours instead of sitting down to devour a plate of pancakes, bacon and eggs in one sitting. The case of the morning munchies is being fueled by the belief that it's healthier to eat several smaller meals instead of three squares a day. What qualifies as a snack or a meal is a matter of perspective, of course. But food companies are rolling out smaller bites that feed the growing appetite for morning treats. General Mills, Quaker Oats and others are adding to their lineup of breakfast bars and yogurts. Sara Lee's Jimmy Dean this summer introduced mini-breakfast sandwiches. And fast-food chains like McDonald's in recent years have expanded their breakfast menus to include morning snacks like smoothies and a fruit-and-walnut pack. "It's breakfast in stages,"says Liz Sloan, president of Sloan Trends, a food industry consulting group. "They'll eat something at home, then stop at Starbucks or a convenience store for coffee and maybe a little snack." The deconstruction of breakfast is happening as more Americans eat their meals outside of the home. After all, it's easier and less time-consuming to pop a few snacks in your purse or backpack for later rather than to sit down for a prepared meal.The number of times Americans snack is expected to rise faster in the morning".

Diabetic people are always advised to spread their eating sessions in a day to prevent glucose spikes in the blood and consequent development of hyperglycemia. Nutritionists and health professionals recognize the importance of "spaced" eating for normal healthy people also so that the body can metabolize the food slowly and help to consume lesser quantities of food. This has the added advantage of preventing over eating, a major reason for developing widespread obesity in the long run. Slow eating of restricted quantities of food also known to prolong the life span to some extent. According to some scientific studies chewing the food for extended time leads to early satiety and reduced appetite thus achieving a quantum reduction in the food intake. The current trend of scaling down the serving size is a welcome development and food industry can take pride in sustaining this desirable change that will benefit the people in general.

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

NEW COMPENDIUM ON INGREDIENT STANDARDS-FOOD CHEMICAL CODEX

Many of the food ingredients being used in the past and at present are viewed with suspicion by the consumers and the food industry seems to be getting more and more sensitive to these concerns. There are many food additives coming under the category of GRAS ( Generally Recognized As Safe) which was supposed to assure that they are safe but unfortunately no review system is in place to continuously assess their safety, in spite of newer and more sensitive methodologies emerging and  more scientific data available. Food Chemical Codex (FCC) provides updated information on all aspects of chemicals used by food and pharmaceutical industries and serves as a common denominator for comparison and assessment of foods through out the world. The 8th edition which was recently brought out is a veritable source of information useful to the industry.   

"The latest specifications for the identity, quality and purity of more than 1,100 food ingredients, test methods to verify specifications, key guidance on critical issues such as impurities testing for metals, and full content from an upcoming Food Fraud Database are all included in the new Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), Eighth Edition. Published by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), FCC is a compendium of internationally recognized standards for the authenticity of a wide variety of ingredients including colorings, flavorings, nutrients, preservatives and processing aids. Via FCC, USP provides a unique combination of specifications for the authenticity and quality of each ingredient and test methods to verify these specifications, as well as reference materials suitable to confirm that the test methods are executed appropriately and measurement results therefore can be trusted. "The food industry is constantly innovating with new products and ingredients designed to meet consumer desires for healthful, flavorful and convenient foods," said Praveen Tyle, Ph.D., USP executive vice president and chief science officer. "At the same time, manufacturers are increasingly sourcing their ingredients globally. Public standards provided by FCC can serve as a key resource for manufacturers in managing their supply chains by providing specifications to authenticate their ingredients, and can also help differentiate suppliers. These standards may be particularly important for more complex, natural ingredients and for high-value ingredients, where price competition is fierce. Quality standards for ingredients can help ensure all parties have the same expectations regarding required quality, which can be written into contractual agreements, and can help protect against substandard ingredients—one of the safety nets for the global food supply chain," Dr. Tyle continued.

It is a reality that no country in the world can live in isolation and interdependence in many areas is unavoidable. Global sourcing of food materials and ingredients has become common and such a procurement system requires standards and assessment methods acceptable o the suppliers as well as the buyers. FCC standards provide such a reference source serving world trade admirably well.

With agencies like ISO, WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission and others also in this field there is an urgent need to harmonize all the standards under one proof. Duplication of efforts by different organizations in the same area is best avoided.

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

TAGATOSE-A PREBIOTIC OR A SWEETENER?

Food industry and the Pharmaceutical companies are continuously looking for newer non-calorie sweeteners with least harmful side effects and off taste. There are already half a dozen such sweeteners popular with weight watchers and diabetic people though each one of them cannot be considered as perfect in all respects. Latest to arrive is Tagatose a natural sugar obtained by isomerization of galactose under alkaline condition or through use of isomerase enzymes derived from yeast. It appears Tagatose occurs in small quantities in most dairy products though its presence is not felt by the consumer. As its sweetness index is 92 compared to 100 for cane sugar and its calories content is only 1.5 kC per gm lot of attention is being focused on this new sweetener. Though Tagatose is not produced commercially as of now, its emergence in future as a major player in low calorie foods cannot be ruled out. Here is a report on this natural sugar substitute.

"It's not quite as sweet as table sugar, but it's very close. It works well in baked goods and beverages for sweetening, but it hasn't become common yet. Besides the food industry, tagatose has caught the interest of medical researchers for a couple of reasons. One is that we don't absorb it very well. That means that we don't get as many calories from tagatose as we do from fructose or glucose — only about half as many. And if we don't absorb it, it doesn't have as much effect on our blood sugar. So it has been getting some interest for use in weight-control foods and for people with diabetes. The other effect of not being absorbed is that when it gets farther down in our gut, the friendly bacteria can use it. So some producers are trying to promote it as a prebiotic, something to help the good gut bacteria grow better. The flip side of that is that bacteria produce gas when they grow. Some people have found that eating foods sweetened with tagatose gives them gas, bloating, stomach rumbles and even diarrhea. As with many dietary fibers that are also prebiotics, the effects depend on the dose. Eat a lot and you're more likely to feel an effect than eating just a little bit. Yogurt doesn't bother most people, and neither does tagatose. It's not commonly used yet, but don't be surprised if it starts to appear in more and more foods".

Tagatose is not absorbed across the intestinal wall and hence passes into large intestine with no calorie effect in the blood. But it has been pointed out that the Tagatose molecules can be physically transported across the intestine, eventually getting into the blood though in relatively small concentrations. Without adequate safety studies and enough understanding of its metabolism once it enters the blood stream, its universal use should not be permitted. As its sweetness is only 92% that of sugar, large amounts are needed to perceive the sweetness effect and with average consumption of 75 gm of sugar by an individual Tagatose can never be an alternate sugar substitute unless its consumption at high levels is proved safe. Of course cost is another factor which may come in the way of commercializing this new sweetener. Since it has been approved as a GRAS ingredient in the US in 2001, food industry may still try it out for special applications. Probably use of Tagatose as a base for carrying other sweeteners like Aspartame, Sucralose, Stevia etc may be more feasible.  

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

WHAT IS A JUNK FOOD? NO ONE KNOWS!

Can there be a more ridiculous situation than what had happened in the Supreme Court some time back when GOI was quizzed regarding the prevalence of selling junk foods near the school premises? In stead of explaining to the court that the term junk food is an anachronism because all foods provide some calories or nutrients if they are edible. In stead the FSSAI, representing GOI informed the court that it is going to lay standards of safety for the so called "junk foods". Also FSSAI tried to prevaricate on the issue by diverting the attention of the court by fulminating against trans fatty acids which are supposed to be in all junk foods! It is a pity that in stead of agreeing to ban all unhealthy foods in or near educational institutions, this responsibility was shifted to the states most of which have lowest priority for matters connected with consumer safety. HRD Ministry which controls policies related to education must have pitched in by agreeing to bring out guidelines for foods that could be sold to children near the school. Here is a report on this case which was carried by major news agencies recently. 

"Most of the junk foods have high quantity of trans-fatty acids and is low in minerals, vitamins and other essential food nutrients. And, said to be a major reason for obesity among children in schools in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. The ministry told the court that the authority has constituted a scientific panel to prescribe standards for fatty acid residues, poisonous metals and microbiological parameters in food items including those considered junk food. Once the new standards are prescribed, the ministry has said that its enforcement will be responsibility of the respective state governments. Such (state government) authorities are required to collect samples of food and take action on the findings of the tests reports based on safety parameters and standards prescribed by the authority, the ministry reply to the court said. The food safety law provides the power to the state governments to impose a fine on those selling sub-standard food not adhering to the standards. Despite that action against adulterated or sub-standard has not been of desirable levels. On the bigger question raised in the Public Interest Litigation of Rahul Verma regarding imposing a ban on junk food in schools and educational institutions, the ministry said it was an administrative decision to be taken by respective educational institutions. The ban cannot be imposed under the food safety and standard act of 2006, the ministry said".

While reporting on the Supreme Court proceedings, no one seems to have been bothered by thousands of push carts operating near every school in this country selling cut fruits, ice candy, local sweets etc under most insanitary condition. Why FSSAI chose to highlight dangers of trans fats could have been to exhibit its technical prowess vis-a-vis food safety to the court! Probably it is time stern action is taken against school management if such unhygienic foods are allowed to be sold to students in their schools. Cut fruits are by far the most dangerous source of infectious food borne pathogens and the tender body system of the children is more vulnerable to infections by consuming these fruits and other similar risky food products. Parents also have an obligation towards their wards and the practice of giving hefty pocket money to school going kids spawns many undesirable activities in and near the school.

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

THE FOOD SECURITY BILL-A BUREAUCRATIC MUDDLE IN THE OFFING?

Lot has been said and written about the pet socialistic project being taken up by the Government of India under the fanciful name of Food Security Bill though many honest, law abiding and average citizens in India are still in the dark regarding the implications of this project. It is all the more appalling that such an attempt is being made with hardly any "repair" to the existing chaotic and debilitating PDS infrastructure with most food grains being pilfered and looted, never reaching the intended beneficiaries! As some one had asked if food grains are going to be distributed practically free to 75% of the population, where is the need for these recipients to work at all! But logic and reality are never strong points with the present ruling dispensation at Delhi. Here is a perspective on the food security bill through the eyes of a foreign country which appears to be insightful and realistic.

"That is before you figure out what it will cost and who will do the legwork. The government says if the bill is legislated, the food subsidy burden will rise by Rs270 billion to Rs950 billion. Private but more reliable expert estimates put the cost at Rs6,000 billion in the first three years, or Rs2,000 billion a year. In spite of its noble intentions, the bill is more likely to aggravate and accentuate all the distortions introduced by government intervention in agriculture. As of October 1, the government had food grains stocks of 51.78 million tonnes, more than double the buffer and strategic reserve requirement on the same date. By cornering such huge volumes of grain, the government reduces supply in the open market, putting upward pressure on prices. At the same time, tonnes upon tonnes of grains just rot away in the absence of proper storage facilities. The same exercise is now proposed to be carried out on a much bigger scale. Procurement and distribution could get really messy and costly if central agencies take upon themselves to collect grain from villages, stock it in central warehouses and wheel them back to villages again. A scheme of this nature can be implemented only if there is a flawless and seamless system of storage, transportation and distribution. Since it does not exist, implementation is bound to suffer. That will lead to the familiar blame game between the centre and the states with heavy political overtones. The bill if implemented will distort cropping pattern further. Cultivation of wheat and rice, which would enjoy a wider ready market with guaranteed price, will get preference over pulses and cash crops. Private trade in food grains has reason to be seriously worried. Once the government offers grain at a price that's at least half (in many cases, a sixth) the market price to two-thirds of the population, why would anyone want to buy from a private trader? What is bad economics is often good politics. In the name of food security, a highly corrupt, bloated and wasteful system is sought to be imposed on the country. Yet no political party will have the gumption to oppose it. Which political leader would want to be seen as an 'enemy' of the poor who opposed provision of cheap food to the starving millions? The hope for the country lies in the inefficiency of its bureaucratic system. The food security bill exemplifies the self-defeating obduracy of bureaucratic modes of thinking. The administrative imagination (or lack of it) that has gone into the bill will ensure that the outcomes are deeply disappointing. That Indians have to count on the weakness of the state apparatus to mitigate impact of wrong policies is a devastating comment on the nature of things." 

It is truly said that the Bill as it stands to day is a bureaucratic creation with hardly any inputs from those knowledgeable about the dynamics of food procurement, storage, distribution and human nutrition. In the history of India bureaucratic schemes never worked and this is not going to be an exception. There cannot be a more wasteful national endeavor than this grandiose scheme. For an average middle class family, paying various taxes to the government and its countless agencies, this project is nothing but heart breaking viewed from the grandiosity and mind-boggling expenditure involved! Posterity will never forgive the politicians who are behind this scheme for the squandering of national wealth mindlessly and recklessly!

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

FOOD "MISCONCEPTIONS"-NEED FOR URGENT ACTION

Growing body of information about the food eaten daily in scientific and popular media makes citizens, even the well informed ones, really a confused lot with no degree of clarity on any issue. While this is understandable, what is alarming is the great divide taking place between urban and rural children regarding even the basic aspects regarding food. One can understand a kid coming from the US to India not knowing from where an egg comes or how milk is produced but in India itself many kids raised in urban areas have no clue regarding some of the basics of food, nutrition and health for which the current education system is to be blamed squarely. This is not only true in India but all over the world and action needs to be taken to address this subject as food safety issues are becoming more and more serious with each passing day. The Australian authorities were shocked by recent revelations about the extent of ignorance that exists among the children in urban parts of the country through a well carried out study. Following excerpts reflect the findings of the study. 

"Most Australian children in their last year of primary school think cotton socks come from animals while one-quarter believe yoghurt is from plants, a study warning of the growing gap between city and country found. The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) survey of almost 1,000 students in grades six and 10 found widespread misconceptions about food processing and farming. An overwhelming majority knew where potato chips and coffee came from but almost 20 percent of the younger age group -- aged between 10 and 12 years -- thought pasta came from animals and scrambled eggs from plants. Some 75 percent said cotton socks were an animal product and 27 percent believed yoghurt was derived from plants. "Primary industry plays a vital role in Australian's economy and society, but the gap between rural and urban communities is growing, contributing to a lack of understanding of where food and other basic necessities of life come from," the study said. The agricultural lobby group which commissioned the survey, the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF), said the findings were of concern as Australia prepared to confront food security and climate change challenges. "The people who will need to solve the problems related to food security are either currently in school or are yet to be born," said foundation chief Cameron Archer. Agriculture is a major part of Australia's economy, with two-thirds of all produce shipped overseas. Exports were worth Aus$34.2 billion ($36.6 billion) in 2010-11 and are expected to come in at $34.5 billion in 2011-2012."

For ages it has been argued by food scientists in the country for reforming the curricula in schools with inclusion of study materials highlighting some basic facts about food, hygiene, nutrition and health but with no appreciable success. How can a kid drink a glass of milk every day without understanding about its source and the method of milk extraction from the cow or buffalo? What thought the kids have when they are fed boiled eggs which are excellent sources of almost all vital nutrients? Once the children grow up they have neither the time nor the inclination to learn about these fundamental facts about food. It is time the HRD ministry of GOI and state authorities sit together to modify the curriculum in primary schools to include such essential information with the help of concerned scientists. A well informed kid of to day has a better chance to become a responsible citizen of tomorrow, capable of sharing the burden of ensuring safety of foods eaten every day. Sooner it is done better it will be for the country.  

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