RESTAURANT TYPE FOODS FOR SCHOOLS AND ANGANWADIS-A TN BONANZA!

India is considered one of the front line countries in applied nutrition programs benefiting millions of kids and vulnerable women through its schools and Anganwadis, spread all over the country. While school feeding programs are intended mainly to attract kids from low income families as a part of universal literacy policy of the nation, Anganwadis and other special feeding centers serve to augment the nutritional level of daily diets which are considered not satisfactory as per the health norms set by experts. After experimenting with instant food products which do not need any further cooking in the school premises for a number of years, it was Tamil Nadu which started the "freshly cooked" meals program for providing hot foods using locally procured raw material. Several other states followed this example and the responsibility was shared by the government agencies and many women based voluntary organizations. The ISKON organization is reported to be the largest agency to day in India in terms of number of meals served through organized central kitchens and well managed distribution logistics. Recent announcement made in Chennai by the CM of TN provides interesting reading regarding the ambitious goals of the government in making the beneficiaries extremely happy by providing the much needed variety for serving such meals. Here is a take on this new development.

"Thirteen varieties of rice and four types of egg 'masala' will soon enrich the plates of students benefiting under the nutritious noon-meal scheme of the State government, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly on Friday. Making a suo motu statement, she said the purpose was to break the monotony in the menu under the scheme introduced by former Chief Minister M.G. Ramchandran 30 years ago and to make them palatable. The government consulted well-known chefs and nutrition experts on this issue and 'channa biriyanai' and pepper egg were served on an experimental basis in a school in Saidapet and the Andhanallur panchayat union school in Chief Minister's Srirangam constituency. The students liked it and the chefs demonstrated 13 varieties of rice and four types of egg 'masala.' The Chief Minister said the new scheme would be introduced in one taluk in every district and depending on the feedback, this would be extended to other areas gradually.
There would be one set of menu for the first and third weeks of a month and another set for the second and fourth week.
The students would be served vegetable 'biriyani' and pepper powder egg on first and third Mondays; 'channa-pulav' and tomato 'masala' on Tuesdays; tomato rice and pepper egg on Wednesdays; rice, sambar and boiled egg on Thursdays and curry leaf rice or green (keerai) rice, egg masala and roasted potato on Fridays. The menu of second and fourth Mondays would be 'sambar' rice, onion and tomato egg 'masala'; mealmaker and vegetable mixed rice and pepper egg on Tuesdays; tamarind rice and tomato egg 'masala' on Wednesdays; lemon rice, tomato egg 'masala' and 'sundal' on Thursdays and rice, sambar, boiled egg and roasted potato on Fridays. The Chief Minister said the government would also provide a variety of dishes to the children attached to 'anganwadis' in the State. Special attention would be made to the children, considering their requirements and digestive capacity. The children would get tomato rice and boiled egg on Mondays; mixed rice and 'sundal' on Tuesdays; vegetable 'pulav' and boiled egg on Wednesdays; lemon rice and boiled egg on Thursdays; 'dhal' rice and boiled potato on Fridays and mixed rice on Saturdays and Sundays.Ms. Jayalalithaa said the new menu would increase the number of students attending school and improve their nutritional requirement"

Processed foods versus freshly cooked foods debate seems to have finally ended with most states opting for the latter though this option is fraught with very high degree of risks. Limited resources available for providing the needs of the children further restricts any choice, leaving the government with very little elbow room in designing the meals. Besides the activities such as material procurement, storage, fuel for cooking, actual cooking, serving the meals, cleaning the utensils etc all become additional burden/responsibilities for the school staff and teaching efficiency can be adversely affected. The risks of food poisoning is also very high requiring ever vigilant overseeing of the operation. Also debatable is the assumption that all children will eat the food and possibility of wastage also is high. Inclusion of egg is another uncertain move which may have some unforeseen reaction from vegetarian population among the kids. Ideally it is preferable that ready to serve foods are used for such massive operations and here is where the ingenuity of food scientists becomes crucial. The fresh food option now being used in many states may not be the last word on the subject and one has to wait and see the experience arising out of the present decision.

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

INDUSTRY'S "GOLDEN GOOSE" BEING MAULED-NEW PACKAGE POLICY

Exploitation of the consumer by some of the manufacturing industry players through out the world through deceptive practices is well known. While some countries have liberal rules that consistently favor the industry there are others who impose rigid rules for preventing the exploitation of the consumer. Most commonly observed strategy for the manufacturers has been to psychologically defraud the consumer through manipulation of size, shape and quantity of contents in a pack. With the help of computer wizards pack size and shape can be manipulated to appear bigger than what they are in reality with contents being same or less than what one would expect. In India biscuit marketing is an example where packs are designed for rounded prices like Rs2, 3, 4, 5 etc and as and when the industry wants to raise the per unit price the quantity in individual pack is reduced mercilessly without raisin the price of the pack while over all appearance looks almost same from the perception of the consumer. During the last 3 years the Rs 2 pack of Glucose biscuit has seen a reduction of contents to the extent of almost 15-20% without the consumer being aware of it in absence of a provision that mandates declaration of the price per a standard unit like kg or liter. This lacuna is sought to be addressed by the recent implementation of the Metrological Rule of 2011 with effect from November 1, 2012. Here are further details on this action by GOI.

'The Government on Thursday in the interest of common consumer said from today onwards 19 commodities of day- to-day use like bread, biscuits, tea etc. can be sold in specified standard packs only. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had issued a notice on June 05, 2012 in this regard by amending Legal Metrological (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.Manufacture, packing or import of these 19 commodities in non-standard packs will invite penal action.The commodities include baby food, weaning food, cereals and pulses, coffee, tea, milk powder, rice, salt, soaps, paint varnish, cement in bags,  mineral water and drinking water,  aerated soft drinks, non-alcoholic beverages,  non-soapy detergents, edible oils vanaspati, ghee and butter oil.  However non-standard packs which have already been manufactured and packed on or before Oct. 31, 2012 and are ready for sale in different retail outlets, have been exempted from penal action. Controllers of Legal Metrology in all the states and UTs have been asked to ensure strict compliance of the order".

The action by GOI is indeed a welcome development for the harried consumers of the country. Though one would have liked to see this rule applied to all consumer products, limiting it to 19 selected commodities can be seen as a beginning. It is surprising that products like sweetmeats and savories are not covered which generate a business of over 10, 000 crore every year. It is here that the manufacturers do maximum manipulation with regard to pack size, shape and content. With nitrogen flushing commonly practiced in pillow pouch packing, large sized packs inflated with nitrogen can confuse the consumer if the quantity within the packet varies for different brands. For example a Rs 5 pack potato chips pack may look big in appearance while it may contain hardly a few pieces of chips. One can only hope that these rules will be made applicable to all processed foods progressively in the coming months.

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

  

COST OF IGNORING A TECHNOLOGY-THE CANADIANS ARE PAYING FOR IT

What type of logic it is that what is good for Americans is not good for Canadians? That seems to be essence of the continued refusal or obfuscation on the part of Canadian safety authorities to allow irradiation process for sterilization of ground meat products. Ionizing radiation generated under controlled conditions is directed to the foods to be sterilized in a closed atmosphere for varying duration, the time and dosage varying from product to product. Damage to the DNA of the pathogenic organisms is beyond repair making them incapable of multiplication, eventually leading to their death. In spite of significant consumer perception that irradiated food will emit harmful radiation affecting their health, persistent consumer education has enabled the industry to process over half a million tons of food products every year using irradiation technology. Almost 50 countries have permitted food irradiation with all international agencies including FAO and WHO certifying the safety and efficacy of food irradiation process. If this is so why should the Canadian government is prevaricating on this issue? Here is a report on this issue coming from Canada.

"Why has the Canadian government not approved the irradiation of ground beef to allow consumers the choice of buying regular or irradiated ground beef?In March 1998 the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) submitted a petition to Health Canada and according to a 2000 press release it was very optimistic that approval would happen in a timely fashion. This was a reasonable expectation by the Association because in 1997 on the basis of extensive scientific studies and the expert opinions in the United States, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the irradiation of red meat for the control of food borne pathogens. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) which is responsible for ensuring that meat products are safe, wholesome and properly labelled published its ruling in 1999. "Today Americans are consuming about 18 million pounds of irradiated red meat per year, and experiencing a rapidly growing demand to over 35 million pounds of fresh irradiated produce", according to Ron Eustice the former Executive Director of the Minnesota Beef Council. In fact for years, pioneering companies Omaha Steaks, Schwan's and Wegmans are proud to offer their customers a choice with the added food safety benefit that irradiation offers to already great-tasting beef products and hamburgers. Meanwhile in Canada we wait, denied the choice that American consumers have. Why? In the Canadian Report of the Independent Investigator into the Listeriosis Outbreak (July 2009) where 22 lives were lost, it noted "Irradiation has been proven to be the single most effective method of eradicating bacteria and it does not alter appearance, taste or texture of foods.". Yet it also stated that "Despite its many advantages, this proven technique is unlikely to be adopted by food processors without a major consumer education program." The Consumers Association of Canada commissioned a study to take the pulse on the subject of food irradiation early in 2012. While irradiation is relatively unknown in Canada, Angus Reid Public Opinion found, when Canadians polled in the survey were given a brief explanation of the process, most said they would support having irradiated food at the grocery store as a choice. The problem is that as few as 10 highly infectious E. coli O157:H7 microscopic germs can sicken and, perhaps, kill you. The manufacturing facility may be as clean as a surgical suite, and the government inspected company can take extensive samples— yet we are missing a kill step for the pathogens. So, where is the irradiated beef? Without the Canadian government approval, irradiation technology, which could have prevented economic harm to the food industry and could have prevented illness and death, cannot be used!"

The American policy of permitting the use of Irradiation Technology but insisting on declaration of the same on the label, probably, will be a via solution for this Catch 22 situation. World over use of irradiation technology must be encouraged because of its immense potential to prevent food losses and food poisoning episodes due to newly emerging virulent spoilage vectors. After all world has seen billions of dollars of investment in evolving and safety clearance of hundreds of irradiated products during the last 6 decades and this effort should not go waste by a continued mindset of resistance to the universal deployment of this clean technology. That will, to some extent, give salvation to the souls of all those who perished from the first atomic bomb dropped in Japan during World War II, thereby demonstrating the will of the mankind to use atomic energy only for peaceful uses that benefit it.

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

PEANUT BUTTER-NEW SPIN ON ITS HEALTH CREDENTIALS!

Who does not know that the ubiquitous Peanut, also known as Groundnut in India, is a veritable source of nutrients including proteins? It was long ago that nutritionists in India were focusing on Peanut as a panacea for solving the so called protein malnutrition supposed to be prevailing among a large segment of low income population and the deoiled residue with more than 50% protein was used to design many products, most famous of which was Indian Multi Purpose Food (MPF). MPF was even being manufactured by some industry for almost two decades for general sales as well for use in applied nutrition programs of the government. There was also the famous Groundnut Milk and Curd which were promoted as low cost substitutes to animal milk counterparts which were in short supply during nineteen fifties, sixties and seventies. For reasons which are not very clear, these products never got established though similar products from Soybean are still in the market. It is in this context that a recent report highlighting the virtues of Peanut caught the eye of many observers. Here is a take on this development reported in a far away place, Haiti.

"The product goes by different names in different parts of the world, such as Plumpy'Nut, Nourimanba and Chiponde. It's basically peanut butter with some added ingredients: dried milk, oil, sugar, and essential minerals and vitamins. It's been so successful that some public health officials now are pushing to expand its use. It wouldn't just be a treatment to save a life, but a snack to keep kids healthy in the first place. There's one catch: The proponents of this strategy still have to show that it really works. And that's why, in a clinic in the city of Cap-Haitien, on the northern coast of Haiti, 16-month-old Renande Raphael is getting laid out flat in a wooden box so that nurses can measure how much she's grown. After getting measured, Renande will get something else: a pile of little foil-wrapped snacks. Enough to eat one every day for a month. She's been getting them for the past six months. Sherlie Jean-Louis, a nurse with a quiet voice and a huge smile who's helping to run this trial program, explains that the packages contain about four teaspoons' worth of peanut paste that's been fortified with lots of essential nutrients, such as zinc, iodine, iron and lots of vitamins. It's a smaller version of the more famous peanut butter product that's used to treat children who are suffering from severe malnutrition".

Of course Peanut butter is one of the most favored snack items among the children as well as adults in the US, obviously because of its characteristic flavor and taste and there are hundreds of products based on peanut butter flooding the market there. There is hardly a value added product based on peanut in India which can compare with many international products. Peanut chikki, masala coated peanuts etc are made by cottage scale sector which is technology starved, turning out pathetic looking packets with no assured quality or safety. Though India is a major Peanut producing country, second to China, most of it goes for oil extraction or for direct house hold consumption. The protein rich residue is fed to cattle and poultry, though it can be utilized for human consumption if adequate precaution is taken by the processing units. A serious flaw with Peanut protein is that its Methionine (an essential amino acid) content is not satisfactory compared to a standard balanced protein like Casein and there for it has to be used in conjunction with another protein source rich in Methionine amino acid. The product now being touted is reported to be fortified with milk powder and hence may be a good product from nutritional angle. The Peanut allergy that is prevalent among many people is a major constraint in using Peanut based products for universal use as a nutritious food.

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

  

FDI IN INDIAN RETAIL-WILL THE "PROMISED DREAM" FRUCTIFY?

The FDI debate does not seem to be fading away even after GOI notified the policy of 51% investment in retail business by foreign players. Probably the fervor with which the PM and other ministers are using this as an achievement of the government frequently, is giving opportunities to those opposing the new policy with equal vigor to keep the controversy going! Umpteen number of articles have appeared, supporting as well as opposing the move to allow foreign investors in retail business and one of the most illuminating critique which appeared recently gives a balanced view. Here is a take on this much discussed issue.  

"In the mid-1980s, Pepsico came up with a proposal to bring in a 2nd horticultural revolution in Punjab. It was hailed as a path-breaking initiative that would put an end to the continuing distress on the farm. It was expected to usher in the latest technology, improve farm research and extension, create supply-chain infrastructure, and provide marketing linkages from farm to the fork. I remember the kind of excitement that prevailed all around. Politicians, bureaucrats, economists, agricultural scientists and even the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) joined the chorus. All my efforts to reason out the hollowness of the claims, based on Pepsico's own studies, were simply lost in the din and noise created by the drum-beaters. Some 15 years after the project was approved, Pepsico's horticultural revolution is all but forgotten. Agriculture has gone from bad to worse.  The food bowl of the country has also become a major hot spot for farmer suicides. While the soft drink giant remains busy marketing its colas, Pepsico has not been held accountable for its failed promises. It will never be punished for selling a fake dream to the beleaguered farming community.  It is now the turn of Wal-Mart and other big retail giants. FDI in retail is once again being projected as a panacea for all the ills plaguing Indian agriculture. FDI in retail will lay out back-end infrastructure, bring in a chain of cold storage and improved transportation thereby reducing crop losses; remove middlemen which rob the farmers of profits, and thereby provide him higher prices; bring in improved technology to help in crop diversification; and of course create millions of jobs. The cheerleaders are once again on the road. This time, it is the corporate controlled electronic media that is drumming up the hype. Having spent Rs 52-crore in two years for lobbying alone, and after the recent New York Times exposure showing how Wal-Mart bribed its way to control 50 per cent of the retail market in Mexico, the Union Cabinet finally allowed big retail to set shop. If Wal-mart could bribe its way in Mexico, what makes us think they have not been able to do so in India?  
The well reasoned argument by the author of the above analysis demolishes the oft repeated assertion by the government that FDI in retail is a panacea for solving the problems of unemployment and low income agricultural families in India. Some how the GOI seems to be a great admirer of Goebbels, the propaganda minister under the Nazi regime during World War II, who perfected the art of telling a lie million times to sound it as truth! For example the oft repeated figures of food losses used to justify FDI were totally divorced of truth, magnifying the losses several fold with no scientific basis! Similarly the argument regarding increased farm income once foreign players establish their mega stores in India or increased employment resulting from their investments cannot be sustained if experiences in other countries who jumped into the FDI band wagon earlier is any reckoner to go by. In stead of touting lies and half truths to justify the new policy, GOI should have the gumption to say that in a free economy competition is the drive engine for better efficiency and there fore domestic players will become more efficient in the face of international competition. The allegation that foreign majors have bribed the decision makers for promulgating this new policy is a serious one and must be investigated for finding the truth. 

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

PHAGE TECHNOLOGY-ANOTHER WEAPON AGAINST LISTERIA CONTAMINATION

Bacteriophage are viruses which can kill bacteria through infecting the latter. Wherever there is a colony of bacteria, phages are likely to be seen acting as a check on their uncontrolled proliferation. Phages inject their genetic material into the bacterial cell and hijack their metabolic system leading to their eventual death of the host. It has been reported that phages were extensively used in the erstwhile Soviet Union against pathogens successfully, as an alternative to antibiotics, though as a therapy it never emerged out side this region. Realizing that Listeria contamination is threatening the food markets in some of the developed countries, attempts to use phages against this deadly pathogen resulted in preparations containing the phage for effectively decontamination of surface areas in many solid foods without affecting the sensory quality of the food treated and posing no safety problem to the consumer. With approvals from safety authorities in many countries, phage technology is likely to emerge as a significant tool to fight food poisoning episodes involving food pathogens in the coming years. Here is a take on this latest development in food processing.     

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved Listex P100 as a processing aid against Listeria monocytogenes, making Listex the first phage for product safety approved in Australia and New Zealand. The phage is produced by Dutch company Micreos. According to FSANZ's approval report: * The safety assessment did not identify any public health and safety concerns associated with using Listex P100 to treat food. * It is effective at reducing levels of Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of solid RTE foods evaluated. * There is no appreciable ongoing technological function when it is applied to the surface of various solid RTE foods, therefore it fits into the category of processing aids. This is consistent with international approaches.  * There were no measures that would be more cost effective than Listex P100. "FSANZ's decision marks an important step in the acceptance and appreciation of phage technology," said Mark Offerhaus, CEO of Micreos. "The review process was thorough, transparent and involved all stakeholders; an example of how new - and suitable - technology should be brought to market." Following approvals in the USA, Canada and the Netherlands, Micreos applied for approval of Listex in Australia and New Zealand. Easy to apply, Listex is sprayed onto the surface of food products during processing, killing Listeria without any sensory or other effects.

With many multi drug resistant bacteria emerging during the last few years, world is not seeing any new antibiotics being developed that can fight diseases caused by increasingly virulent and rugged bugs evolving through mutation. As phages occur widely they provide an answer to the prayer by human beings to develop newer technologies against diseases which do not respond to existing antibiotics. Sea water is supposed to be one of the richest sources of phages and it is possible that man may increasingly turn to this source to develop a variety of phage based technologies to fight human and animal diseases in the coming years.

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

NEW TRANSPARENCY POLICY FOR RESTAURANTS-KERALA INITIATIVE

Kerala is supposed to be a 100% literate state in the Indian Union and hence one would expect the population there to be more sensitive to laws of the country which need to be respected by every citizen. The recent report that the hoteliers in that state are flouting the orders of the state High Court is some what disturbing. During the last two years the attitude and behavior of hoteliers all over the country have witnessed a sea change with prices of food preparations being hiked indiscriminately for no rhyme or reason. It defies logic as to why a cup of coffee should cost Rs 10 plus or an idli plate cost Rs 20-25 or a dosa cost Rs 25-30! Of course there is some inflation which is causing marginal rise in the market prices of raw materials but the prevailing prices do not justify such deep escalation, bordering almost on fleecing the customers. Added to this the food regulations are not being followed scrupulously with no one afraid of the law. Here is a take on this unfortunate development affecting millions of consumers who depend on hotel food for meeting their day to day needs.

Even as most of the hoteliers and restaurant owners in the city have started displaying price list of foods, they are yet to comply with the provisions of the Food Safety Regulations for exhibiting ingredients used in their food. As per the provision of the Act, the seller of the food articles is bound to display the ingredients used in foods being sold. High Court lawyer Basil Attipetty, who had obtained an order from the consumer court for enforcing the rules relating to display of price lists, said that the regulations had made it mandatory for sellers of any food stuff to display its ingredient list in their shops. He said that the High Court had recently emphasised the need for regulating the prices of even hotel foods and thereby preventing fleecing by hoteliers. Mr. Attipetty said that the Ernakulam Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum had also ordered displaying of price lists of food stuff in terms of the Kerala Food Stuffs (Display of Prices by Catering Establishment) Order, 1977. He said that some of the hotels were yet to exhibit the price list of food stuff in compliance with the forum's order. He had contended that as per the order, the police and local bodies and civil supplies department had the power to direct hotels and restaurants to display the price list of food stuffs. The forum had also directed the Kochi City Police Commissioner and Superintendent of Police, Aluva Rural, to file a report after implementing the order of the forum. He pointed out that the police officers were yet to file a report on the compliance of the directive. The High Court had also expressed its concern over the soaring prices of hotel foods and suggested bringing in a law to hold the price line of hotel food.

Price control is not a desirable step in a democracy, if it can be avoided. The hoteliers must have self restraint as well as sufficient sensitivity to the feelings of their customers. No body is holding a brief for the way the insipient FSSAI is functioning at present and there must be realistic moderation of rules equitable to both the consumer as well as the hotelier. The rules regarding display of prices along with quantity served must be enforced at any cost and violators must be meted out exemplary punishment. Same is true regarding the nature of ingredients used either through the Menu card or through display. Consumer has a right to know whether the preparations contain any ingredient not to his liking. For example use of ingredients like Garlic, Onion, Chilli and other spices may not  be liked by some and such display will help them to avoid preparations containing these objectionable ingredients. While insisting on such practices the authorities must also look into the practical difficulties faced by the catering industry in meeting such aspirations of the consumer. 

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