SCENTED DINNERS-A NOVEL APPROACH FOR ENHANCING DINING EXPERIENCE

Stimulating appetite and attracting customers through typical aroma of foods being cooked is an age old strategy and many restaurants and bakeries do resort to such techniques to boost their business. Some super markets even use familiar aromas through their air conditioning ducts which will pervade through the aisles of the shopping area. It was not long ago that Hot Shops were a rage where people could wait for their fresh bread and bakery products to be delivered directly from the oven. People always associate aromas with different foods and therefore using them to tickle the palate is nothing but logical. However using scents different from those associated with foods is a novel approach being adopted by some chefs as a part of their presentation style. Here is an instance of a renowned chef using such a technique to enhance the eating pleasure which may catch up diners looking for new experience.

"There are no flowers or wine glasses on Chandler Burr's white linen–draped dinner table. Nothing ruins a pure raw scent like a brazen floral invasion or the aromatic bouquet of fine wine. There are no distractions at Burr's table at all—no colors, no decorations, no noise—just a blank slate on which the senses of smell and taste are laid bare, gently teased to the surface. Smell, when done right, is a very sensual experience. But smelling one's way through dinner is not about catching a whiff of sautéing garlic or grimacing over a Gorgonzola. It's about identifying an essence—the soft skin of a peach, the ruddy leaf of a fig tree, the earthy peel of a carrot—first through the nose and then, long lingering moments later, through the mouth".

It is said that consumers eat a food first through their eyes, then with the nose and finally through their oral cavity. Walking through the aisles of a super market the consumer is drawn to shelves where highly attractive packaged items, followed by visual dissection from close quarters before deciding to buy those items most satisfactory. Of course repeat purchase happens only after taking the packet home and tasting the contents. In contrast visiting a restaurant and deciding on the items on the menu depend entirely on reputation of the quality of foods served there. Just like the eating experience which is registered in the minds of customers, the new technique of using scents to attract customers has an inherent surprise element in that one cannot have a predilection about the experience waiting for him. According to the practitioners of this "art" this mode of dining provides both olefactory feast and gastronomical delight in one go!

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

FRAUDULENT SCIENCE-ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS!

Science is synonymous with truth and can any one believe if those practicing scientific research will falsify their findings to gain name and fame? It is true that the ethical and moral standards among the people in almost all countries are getting diluted and the political and business class of people are the most obvious examples. If a country like the US with all its power can succumb to interests other than that of its citizens through policies and administrative manipulations, where can the honest citizen go for justice! Look at India where financial scams, one after another are rocking the country with the political class multiplying their wealth by 100% every year while the annual GDP growth rate is sliding down from 10% to less than 6%! Probably the scientific community has also succumbed to this disease as reflected by a recent report about the increasing frauds being perpetuated among scientists. Here is a take on this shameful decline of values among the supposed truth seekers.

"Last year, Nature, a leading scientific journal, calculated that published retractions had increased tenfold over the past decade — to more than 300 a year — even though the number of papers published rose only 44 percent. It attributed half of the retractions to embarrassing mistakes and half to "scientific misconduct" such as plagiarism, faked data and altered images. Now a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has concluded that the degree of misconduct was even worse than previously thought. The authors analyzed more than 2,000 retracted papers in the biomedical and life sciences and found that misconduct was the reason for three-quarters of the retractions for which they could determine the cause. The problem is global. Retracted papers were written in more than 50 countries, with most of the fraud or suspected fraud occurring in the United States, Germany, Japan and China. The problem may even be greater than the new estimates suggest, the authors say, because many journals don't explain why an article was retracted — a failure that calls out for uniform guidelines. There are many theories for why retractions and fraud have increased. A benign view suggests that because journals are now published on-line and more accessible to a wider audience, it's easier for experts to spot erroneous or fraudulent papers. A darker view suggests that publish-or-perish pressures in the race to be first with a finding and to place it in a prestigious journal has driven scientists to make sloppy mistakes or even falsify data. The solutions are not obvious, but clearly greater vigilance by reviewers and editors is needed". 

While one can console oneself by the statistics that implicate only a small percentage of scientists indulging in these corrupt practices, it still is a blot on the entire scientific community. Absence of honesty, lack of transparency, greed for easy and fast recognition and a sense of false confidence on getting away with such mal-practices seem to be drawing more and more scientists into this wretched trap. The so clod peers, many of them not wanting to be "unpopular" with those whose papers are referred to them for evaluation or because of fear, also have to bear part of the responsibility. The so called research leaders under whom R & D is performed are increasingly becoming laggard in guiding their wards or leaving things to them without actually performing their supervisory role properly. A rigorous and deterrent punishment system must be put in place, in stead of the present practice of allowing errand scientists to withdraw their articles, if this undesirable and abhorrent practices are to be checked.

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

"INDIANIZING" WESTERN FOODS-THE NEW MOTTO OF MNCs

Those food companies which enter tradition bound countries like China, India, Vietnam and others have two routes to get into the heart of the consumers to make enough money for survival. The first approach as tried out by many MNCs during the last five decades involves converting the mindset of local people into accepting new foods through massive promotion bordering on "brain washing" and stay in the country for long time with sustained investments incurring losses for many years before getting to the break even point. The other route is based on the precepts that "when you are in Rome behave like Romans" by adapting their products to the native tastes and flavors. If Americans have been able to convert many populations in Asia into Wheat eating societies by switching over from Rice, it is entirely due their over whelming marketing muscles, deep pockets and unlimited patience to influence the minds of people to accept wheat as a staple. However modern American enterprises seem to be taking the second route through a process of reinventing their product mix to suit the palates of the consumers in countries and establish their presence. Here is an example of an American MNC going through this route to score significant success in India where there are more than 5000 traditional ethnic foods popular with some or the other segments of the population across the length and breadth of the country.

"When McDonald's first came to India 15 years ago, it ditched the Big Macs and Quarter Pounders to try to fit in in a country where cows are sacred and most people frown on eating beef. The chain tried re-creating its American classics with lamb, but it was a flop. Instead, McDonald's introduced homegrown alternatives like the vegetarian McAloo Tikki potato burger to go along with its non-beef standards like chicken nuggets and fish sandwiches. Now, following the success of its vegetarian meals, which make up half of its current menu, McDonald's is going one step further. This month, the chain announced a plan to open its first 100 percent vegetarian McDonald's in India. "India has been a huge experiment for McDonald's. The issue in India is, a vegetarian is a strict vegetarian. There have been instances that I've seen where a person who's vegetarian would not even sit with a person who's eating non-vegetarian food. It is that level of seriousness," says Rajesh Kumar Maini, head of communications for McDonald's in India".

Probably there may be a few examples of similar approach adopted by other MNCs. Though the popular potato chips market which is dominated by one or two players  who were able to establish their foot prints by "killing" many local entrepreneurs, there are unmistakable signs that they are also bringing out products with traditional flavors to increase their business. Even local names are being used to promote their brands in a sustained manner. Frantic efforts in buying out some of the leading domestic brands engaged in manufacture of many savory/snack products as reported some time back, fits into their new strategy that "if you cannot beat them join them" philosophy. Of course one cannot find fault with such a strategy as the gainers would be the Indian consumers in this game of making more and more diversified products suiting Indian palate. More interestingly the concept of 100% vegetarian food products is bound to be an unqualified success as vegan population in India is sizable compared to situations obtaining in other countries. The practice of printing a green dot on the label of products, free from animal derived ingredients, is a pointer to the consumer behavior in this country.

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

WILL THE VEGAN PHILOSOPHY EVER BECOME UNIVERSAL?-UNLIKELY!

The debate about vegetarian diet against animal foods is as old as human history. Those who consider that animal foods are absolutely essential for good health and a life without these "valuable' foods is not worth living! Such protagonists are in majority is a fact of life and converting them into vegetarians is not a mean task. While nutritionally vegetarian diets have been proved to be as good as animal foods, if not superior, the food consumption habits nurtured over centuries are hard to change. In spite of many campaigns intended tp promote vegetarianism as a way of life have sound rationality and scientific foundation, their success at best is only minimal and not dramatic measured by any yardstick. Indians are considered predominantly vegetarians either due to religious considerations or economic compulsions, the pro vegan movement is not that strong within the country. In contrast more aggressive groups are taking up cudgels on behalf of vegetarianism if recent reports emanating from there are any indication. Here is a strong advocacy group in Australia arguing with the government that by 2020 there should be a total switch to vegetarian diets in the country which only can save the country from future environmental and health disaster.

"There is sound evidence that vegan diets are nutritionally adequate during all stages of the life cycle. In fact science supports a low‐fat, plant‐based diet for optimal health," said McFarlane. The vegan group's submission recommends that the National Food Plan aim to: * Ensure all Australians have access to affordable and adequate fresh fruits and vegetables and other plant foods irrespective of income by 2015. * Improve the health of Australians and lower the burden on the health system by reducing the incidence of dietary related diseases * Use Australia's land resources more effectively and sustainably.
* End the use of animal agriculture systems within the next 20 years by building up and supporting Australia's fruit, vegetable and grain producers. "We have known for some time now that climate change is a real threat to Australia's food supply, yet we continue to produce and consume greenhouse gas intensive meat and dairy products that only contribute to the problem."  "Animals are suffering and being killed in order to meet our unhealthy and unsustainable appetite for meat and dairy products. We really need to question our practices and begin the necessary changes as soon as possible."  "It is crucial that the Australian Government initiate regulatory reforms and develop innovative measures to facilitate the uptake of plant based diets. This should include the setting of targets for the reduction and eventual elimination of meat and dairy consumption".  "Australians deserve to be educated about the many benefits of plant‐based diets and supported by government. A good first step is to make sure fruits and vegetables and other plant foods are accessible and affordable to all Australians, including those living in regional and remote communities." 

One is reminded of the era, not long ago when cigarette smoking was universally frowned upon because of its association with lung cancer. In spite of taking every step conceivable to persuade people from smoking, no significant dent has been made on the smoking front and people continue to smoke knowing pretty well that it is dangerous! Similarly eating junk foods is known to be linked to many life style health disorders including obesity but still people refuse to cut down on sugary and fatty foods though millions of dollars are being spent to inculcate good eating habits. The Vegan advocates may be good meaning people but the proposal by them to convert the Australian population into vegetarianism may be too far fetched. Of course the attempt to do some thing in this area is itself praise worthy.

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

     

POST-HARVEST FOOD LOSSES-THE PERCENTAGE GAME!

Dramatization of figures is invariably resorted to by human beings for getting the desired attention. Probably this trait is embedded in the psyche of people since time immemorial and there is always a thin dividing line between an outright lie and a reasonable fact. This practice is especially popular with politicians who indulge in over estimation of their achievements, especially during the election time! Even scientists are not immune to this malpractices, if it can be called one, as reflected by a recent study which says that two thirds of publications withdrawn in reputed periodicals are due to deliberate distortion of results and unsubstantiated claims! An interesting report on post harvest food losses in India reveals how a nation can indulge in whole sale cooking of figures, obviously to highlight the need for investing on projects that can save these losses. Interestingly the loss figures of 30-50% being mentioned routinely in government circles during the last 5 decades remain the same in spite of pouring billions of rupees by the government on R & D, infrastructure and other areas! If this is not shameful what else it is! Is it not pathetic that no sustained studies have been conducted nationally to put down precisely what losses occur from the farm to the fork? A few scientific field studies do indicate that the post harvest losses are no more than 1-8% in case of most durable foods while the corresponding figures for perishables are slightly more, in the range of 6-18%. yet the Prime minister of this country had the gumption to solemnly declare before the country that one third of the food produced in India go waste! Here is an excellent piece of analysis on this subject which must make every Indian hang his head in shame for the sheer callousness, mismanagement and insensitivity to the welfare of its citizens!

"The figure has been in the air for long, so it has become acceptable. However, there is no hard study to back this number," said Pronab Sen, principal adviser in the Planning Commission. Sen told Business Standard the figure might just be a "guesstimate as he has serious doubts if such a study could even be conducted, especially for vegetables, which are seasonal and too diversified, unlike food grains and fruits". The 35-40 per cent loss claim does not even figure in the Planning Commission's working group report on agriculture marketing infrastructure for the 12th Five-Year Plan. It states that among vegetables, the post-harvest loss ranges between 6.8 per cent and 12.4 per cent, with the lowest loss in cauliflower and the highest in tomato. According to a study by the Indian Council on Agricultural Research (ICAR), among fruits, the minimum post-harvest loss is in sapota and the maximum in guava at 18 per cent. "The number for fruits is still believable as fruits are not seasonal in nature, but vegetables are seasonal, which makes data on production and wastage even difficult," said Sen.
Among cereals, the post-harvest loss ranged from 3.9 per cent to six per cent, with the lowest loss in sorghum and the highest in wheat. In pulses, the lowest loss was seen in chickpea at 4.3 per cent and the highest in black gram at 6.1 per cent.
A department of industrial policy and promotion paper on multi-brand retail in 2010 had said: "As per some industry estimates, 25 to 30 per cent of fruits and vegetables and five to seven per cent of food grains in India are wasted". This paper quoted industry estimates and not any hard study. However, even this number does not match the 35-40 per cent wastage being cited by the government now. The traders' community, too, has slammed the government for "cooking up" the figure. "Based on the ICAR study and the Planning Commission working group report, these post-harvest losses are nowhere around the staggering percentage quoted by the government. It appears that the government is coming up with these bogus figures for making up a case for allowing FDI in multi-brand retail," said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders".

Looking back every Five Year Plan coming out of the corridors of National Planning Commission must be viewed with some apprehension because most data based on which planning is done in this country must be more of guestimates rather than real field generated information through scientific and representative studies. If at all there is a country in this Globe which consistently fails to keep the target dates for completion of any project, it is none other than India. Time over runs were between 50% and 500% and one can imagine the cost over runs as a result of these costly management lapses during the last 3-4 decades. The tragedy is that no politician seems to be serious or unduly worried about such enormous wastage of resources of the country while the neighboring China is galloping towards numero uno status in the world through their well planned and executed development projects on time in all critical sectors of economy. The astronomical sized financial scams, whether in coal sector or telephone sector do not speak well of the country's track record as a serious nation, capable of rubbing shoulders with countries like the US, the EU, China, Korea or Brazil.

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

PREDICTABILITY OF FOOD RIOTS-INTERNATIONAL PRICES AN INDICATOR?

Estimates vary regarding the percentage of global population that go hungry every night, especially in African, Asian and South American continents. Probably it may be fair to presume that at least one third of the population are suffering from food shortage either due to inaccessibility or unavailability. There are many field studies which go to support the above assumption. The prices of staple grains like rice wheat and corn have an important bearing on the peace on this planet and unrest becomes a norm when these prices rice uncontrollably due to many reasons. While natural causes like drought and flood cannot be controlled or predicted, diversion of food for non -food purpose like bio-fuels is definitely avoidable to reduce the impact of shortage on international prices of food grains. The issue of food riots assumes added significance in the light of unexpected drought in the US creating supply shortages for grains like corn. It is in this context that recent attempts to predict riots in some of the undeveloped, under developed and developing countries on the basis of price movements in the global market need to be appreciated. Here is an expose on this interesting theory that seems to be helpful in anticipating food riots and taking preventive action to reduce such incidences in the world.

"The researchers define the riot danger zone in relation to the U.N.'s FAO Food Price Index, which tracks the monthly change in international prices for a basket of cereals, dairy, meat, sugars and oil/fats. Riots become more likely, their model showed, when the index goes above 210. The index has been hovering above that "disruption threshold" since July, pushed upward by the drought in the U.S., the world's biggest exporter of corn and wheat. "What happened was that food prices went up exactly as predicted," Bar-Yam says. Wheat is now at $9 per bushel — higher than the high of $8.94 hit in February 2011, when the Arab Spring was in full swing. Corn is at $7.56 a bushel, close to the $7.65 highs of 2007-2008 — though it spiked well above $8 a bushel this summer. The Mideast is particularly sensitive to wheat prices; it imports most of its wheat, which is a major staple for the region. While the drought is causing the current spike in food prices, prices have also been on a steady, long-term trajectory upward. So what's behind that trend? NECSI's model has fingered two key suspects: speculation and the conversion of corn to ethanol. (More on that later.) Even without the drought, Bar-Yam says, food prices were headed toward the riot zone by early next year. The institute's work isn't without critics. Blogging at G-Feed, economist Dave Lobell notes that NECSI's papers aren't peer-reviewed — they are simply released publicly. "But in the case of NECSI, I think they have come up with a pretty satisfying solution — making testable predictions about the next year," Lobell writes.

How far this theory will hold good in future is not sure though there is a good possibility that such predictions can enable the governments in the third world countries to be prepared to handle the situation more effectively, if and they arise. The world is increasingly becoming a global village with porous borders and no country can remain isolated from events taking place in another country related to essential materials like food. It must be realized that very few countries are self sufficient in food and inter dependency is the corner stone of WTO trade regimes and policies equitable to all. Quest for land to expand food production is taking some rich countries to buy out or lease out vast stretches of cultivable land from countries having such lands without being able to raise productivity any where near to the levels achieved in technologically powerful countries. This is a sign that food will remain the single most critical factor that will decide whether peace will prevail in this world in the coming years.

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

NEW NANO TECHNOLOGY APPREHENSIONS-FOOD SAFETY COMPROMISED?

Nano technology, being hailed as a new path breaking human achievement in the field of applied science, is lately receiving attention for all wrong reasons. While the advantages that accrue to the industry are infinitesimal, uncertainties regarding its adverse impact on human health are coming in the way of its open use by many industrial sectors. The fact that nano technology has never been approved by any public agencies in the world, especially in food area, further explains the reluctance for open arm acceptance across the industrial spectrum. While nano particles contained in many consumer products other than foods may be assumed to be reasonably safe, what is uncertain is regarding the impact of these very nano particles on the environment and agriculture. A recent report, claiming that nano particles of Zinc Oxide and Cerium Oxide, contaminating the soil through sewage and other waste water sources definitely affect adversely the growth and productivity in Soybean plant, is some what disturbing. Here is a take on this alarming issue.

"Zinc oxide nanoparticles enter agricultural fields through the application of biosolid (sewage sludge) fertilizers, which are composed of dried microbes previously used to process waste water in treatment plants. Researchers discovered that soybean plants grown in soil containing zinc oxide particles bioaccumulate zinc, taking up the metal and distributing it throughout edible plant tissue. This caused a decrease in the food quality of the soybeans, and researchers indicate that it is uncertain whether the zinc that accumulates in the plant's tissues is safe for human consumption in the form of ions and salts. "Juxtaposed against widespread land application of waste water treatment biosolids to food crops, these findings forewarn of agriculturally associated human and environmental risks from the accelerating use of MNMs [manufactured nanomaterial]," the study notes. Cerium oxide nanoparticles can contaminate agricultural fields through exhaust fumes from farm equipment, a likely scenario given that most all conventional soybean crops are produced with the help of industrial machinery. Soybean plants exposed to cerium oxide show a notable reduction in plant growth and yield. Though the cerium oxide particles did not bioaccumulate in plant tissues, they did have a considerable effect on the ability of soybeans to fix nitrogen, an important ecological function specific to leguminous crops. The nanomaterial concentrated at the root nodules of the plant, blocking its ability to form a relationship with the symbiotic bacteria that convert nitrogen in the air to plant-available ammonium fertilizer. The impacts of nanoparticles could lead conventional farmers to apply increasing amounts of synthetic fertilizers to make up for the loss of this natural function. The results of this study underline the urgent need for oversight and regulation of emerging nanotechnology. While the U.S Environmental Protection Agency is required to limit industrial metal discharge into public waste water treatment plants, there are currently no regulations curtailing the release of metal nanoparticles. Researchers explain, "MNMs — while measurable in the waste water treatment plant systems — are neither monitored nor regulated, have a high affinity for activated sludge bacteria, and thus concentrate in biosolids." According to the scientists, "There could be hotspots, places where you have accumulation, including near manufacturing sites where the materials are being made, or if there are spills. We have very limited information about the quantity or state of these synthetic nanomaterials in the environment right now. We know they're being used in consumer goods, and we know they're going down the drain." Nanotechnology is a relatively new technology for taking apart and reconstructing nature at the atomic and molecular level. Just as the size and chemical characteristics of manufactured nanoparticles can give them unique properties, those same new properties –tiny size, vastly increased surface area to volume ratio, high reactivity– can also create unique and unpredictable human health and environmental risks. Many of the products containing nanomaterials on the market now are for skin care and cosmetics, but nanomaterials are also increasingly being used in products ranging from medical therapies to food additives to electronics. In 2009, developers generated $1 billion from the sale of nanomaterials, and the market for products that rely on these materials is expected to grow to $3 trillion by 2015".
It is known that the industry in general is investing large sums of money on research in the area of nano technology though no where in the world its application is approved by safety authorities. Also true is the current practice by many industries in surreptitiously using nano technology having realized its advantages to design better performing products. But if adequate basis exists for suspecting its safety credentials, there must be universal agreement to suspend its use immediately pending further studies to understand the implications fully. By all means any technology that is beneficial to society must be adopted if the benefits accruing from it far outweigh any inherent risk that may be apparent.

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