THE BLACK PEPPER FIASCO-ADULTRATORS BEING PROTECTED?

What a country where right hand does not know what its left hand is doing! That is India which is known universally as a country delighted with its indecisive bureaucracy and never ending redtapism! What else one can make out of the recent pepper export fiasco which locked up almost Rs 300 crore worth of black pepper for almost 6 months without doing any thing to either clear the consignment or reject it. The merry go around, passing the buck for this shameful episode continues while the country is burdened by heavy indebtedness vis-a-vis foreign exchange reserves! Here is a gist of the story as narrated by the helpless exporters whom even the government of India is unwilling to help! 

"NCDEX and a bunch of pepper traders from Madhya Pradesh are involved in probably the biggest-ever dispute in the the former's decade-long history over the poor quality of pepper delivered. In its letter to Prabhakar, KVA highlighted the five-month delay in testing black pepper sealed at NCDEX-authorised warehouses for traces of mineral oil. The net worth of the 6,800 tonne of pepper locked up at the warehouse at Rs 300 crore. When KVA filed a petition before the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a direction to the exchange to revoke an order directing the traders to take the delivery of pepper and deliver fresh pepper at current market prices. The association wants either wholesale pepper contracts amounting to Rs 300 crore scrapped or a new consignment of the commodity fit for human consumption delivered. After complaints from KVA, Kerala's food safety authority sealed the consignments of pepper mixed with mineral oil and delivered to the warehouse. The authority appointed the Spices Board of India to conduct the test on the entire stock rather than taking samples. P S S Thampi, chairman, Spices Board of India, said, "We have tested 1,000 tonne of pepper and already submitted our report to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and now it is up to them to take further action." When quizzed, K V Thomas, minister of state (independent charge) for consumer affairs, food and public distribution, said, "Yes, I received a letter from KVA, but there is nothing I can do about it, and therefore the stocks of pepper have been sent to the Spices Board India, and they will do the needful."

The export trade is not entirely innocent if its past history is to be checked, with substandard and dubious quality commodities being exported bringing bad name to the country. But all traders cannot be blamed or punished for such fraudulent practices. In the present case detection of mineral oil, some traders use to improve the appearance of pepper corns, takes hardly a few minutes and why huge stocks are being sealed for months together is a serious matter. Government must book the guilty for dereliction of duty and compensate the exporters for the losses, if any incurred by them. With the Spices Board well equipped to carry out almost all tests required to clear export consignments, why such delays occur is a matter of serious concern and if necessary steps are not taken to prevent recurrence of such incidences, India may have to yield its preeminent position in spices exports to neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia! 

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

LEFT OVER FOODS-THEY STILL HAVE VALUE!

In many Western countries there are flourishing Food Banks which feed thousands of people, most of them poor to buy good and nutritious foods they need because of economic compulsions. The concept of such banks is that through appropriate action tons of foods, which otherwise are wasted because of surplus preparation or date expired market products, can still be salvaged if timely action is taken to protect their quality. Such saved foods are handled with care to preserve their quality scientifically and supplied to institutions and organizations looking after poor people. Of course this concept has spread across the world but in a limited way in many countries out side the wealthy group of nations. It is in this context that one has to appreciate the on-going food saving campaign in Gulf countries that provides good meals to thousands of people who have limited access because of income limitations. Here is a take on this interesting development in Dubai, one of the rich Gulf countries which is laudatory indeed. 

"Thousands of needy residents are feasting on quality leftover food from posh hotels, supermarkets and homes, thanks to a joint initiative by a Dubai-based charity and Dubai Municipality. NGO Ro'yati Family Society in Dubai, which has taken upon itself to collect and distribute leftover food under the Dubai Municipality's supervision, said in 2012 it fed over 70,000 needy residents with leftover food collected from less than a dozen sources. From succulent kebabs, uzis and biryanis (Arabic meat and rice dishes) to mouth-watering kunafas (cheese pastry) and umm ali (bread pudding), workers and families get to party on a sumptuous spread of ready-to-eat foods that is otherwise often beyond their reach. "This year we expect the numbers to double as we are already close to the 70,000 mark," said Lina Kilani, project manager at Ro'yati Family Society. She said the society distributes leftovers among 500 needy families, besides workers in labour camps. "These families, which have around eight to 10 members each, have become so used to our supplies that they call to enquire if they don't see us for a couple of weekends." Kilani said she works on a well-organised schedule as some hotels inform her of their events and potential supplies in advance. "Supermarkets and residents who have parties at homes also call us. We have a dedicated team of five paid staff who with the help of volunteers collect, transport and distribute the leftovers. "She said weekends are peak time as most parties, events and functions are held on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Ramadan iftars also generate large quantities of leftovers".

Dubai, being a business hub generates huge quantity of food wastes because of hospitality events and large scale feasts during some seasons and the prime movers of this movement must be lauded for their vision and initiative for setting up a viable food handling system that is involved in collecting surplus foods at their source, handle them with high degree of caution to prevent deterioration and deliver to needy beneficiaries with least time lapse. The civic body in Dubai must be complimented for its deep involvement and interest in the project which has made the program an unqualified success. Such initiatives must be shown by civic bodies all over the world including in India and there are may committed humanitarians with necessary resources, skill and experience willing to join the cause provided they have the unqualified support from their civic bodies. Such projects accomplish the twin objectives of saving precious food and feeding people, who otherwise are deprived of required food due to limited personal income.

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

NEW APPROACH IN FIGHTING BACTERIAL PATHOGENS-

Modern antibiotic treatment for various diseases started after the discovery of Penicillin in 1928 and man has been discovering more and more antibiotics with increasing potency. However the golden age of antibiotics seems to be fading fast with the disease vectors developing capability to withstand the lethal action of most antibiotics presently available in the arsenal. The pharmaceutical industry is slowing down its research to come out with new antibiotics because of the astronomical cost involved for such efforts and the increasingly rigid standards for safety establishment by the regulatory authorities world over. It is against such a bleak canvas that the new discovery reported from the US by a group of research scientists which claims that some chemicals can disrupt the protein synthesis in the invading cells of pathogens disabling their ability to replicate. This molecular approach involving screening of thousands of chemical molecules is tedious and time consuming. Years of research seems to have been rewarded with a single chemical identified by them capable of tackling virulent E.coli, Shigella bacteria, Mycobacterium and Anthrax  without harming the host body. Here is a take on this exciting development.

To discover which small molecules might be capable of disrupting trans-translation, the team began with a process called high-throughput screening -- a method of trying out many thousands of small molecules with the hope of discovering one or more that might be effective at combating certain pathogens. "Our team tested about 663,000 different molecules against a strain of E. coli bacteria and monitored how they were affecting its trans-translation process," Keiler said. At the end of this phase of testing, Keiler and his team had found 46 different molecules that appeared to be effective in disrupting the trans-translation process. The next step was to test these molecules' performance in another genus of bacteria (Shigella) that is known to cause food poisoning. This genus is related to Salmonella and to the organism that causes anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), which sometimes can be lethal in humans and other animals. "Of the 46 molecules that were shown to affect trans-translation, one called KKL-35 jumped out as the most promising," Keiler said. "We found that the KKL-35 molecule inhibits the growth of very distantly related bacteria, and this suggests that it may have antibiotic activity against a very broad spectrum of species." As for the Shigella and Bacillus anthracis bacteria, Keiler said his team was able to show that, "in the presence of the KKL-35 molecule, these cells died specifically because the molecule halted the trans-translation process." Keiler's team also found that, compared with currently used tuberculosis drug therapies, the KKL-35 molecule was 100-times more effective at inhibiting the growth of the strain of bacteria that causes tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Keiler added that one of the most exciting features of an antibiotic designed from the KKL-35 molecule is that drug resistance is not very likely to develop in mutant strains of the targeted bacteria. "In our laboratory experiments, we found no mutant strains that were resistant to KKL-35," Keiler said. "Resistant mutants probably could evolve eventually, but at least it looks like it will be very difficult. That means resistant mutants might be slow to arise and spread."

It is understandable that the successful scientists did not want to reveal the identity of the chemical as the expenditure for development might have to be recouped by patenting the discovery. What is significant is that this work has opened a new line of investigation that has potential to discover many more molecules with antibacterial potency. The claim that use of chemicals at molecular level does not allow the bacteria to develop resistance in the short term, though continuous use for years will only reveal whether such resistance is really not possible in this case. Of course the new development will take several years before becoming part of a standard treatment regime.  

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

FOOD-WEIGHT RELATIONSHIP-A GENETIC NEXUS!

One of the riddles that has been defying rational scientific explanation is why some people gain weight while others are immune to weight gain when same amount of food with identical composition is consumed. It is too common to hear many people lamenting about their body system that does not readily respond to reduction of calories though physical exercise has often been cited as the most important critical factor that decides how much body weight is put on from a given diet. According to some recent scientific studies such aberrations can be explained by the peculiarities of the genes present in people whose response to food intake defies current logic. Here is a take on this new development vis-a-vis obesity epidemic that is haunting the world to day.   

The mice were eating their usual chow and exercising normally, but they were getting fat anyway. The reason: researchers had deleted a gene that acts in the brain and controls how quickly calories are burned. Even though they were consuming exactly the same number of calories as lean mice, they were gaining weight. So far, only one person — a severely obese child — has been found to have a disabling mutation in the same gene. But the discovery of the same effect in mice and in the child — a finding published Wednesday in the journal Science — may help explain why some people put on weight easily while others eat all they want and seem never to gain an ounce. It may also offer clues to a puzzle in the field of obesity: Why do studies find that people gain different amounts of weight while overeating by the same amount? Scientists have long thought explanations for why some people get fat might lie in their genes. They knew body weight was strongly inherited. Years ago, for example, they found that twins reared apart tended to have similar weights and adoptees tended to have weights like their biological parents, not the ones who reared them. As researchers developed tools to look for the actual genes, they found evidence that many — maybe even hundreds — of genes may be involved, stoking appetites, making people voraciously hungry. This rare gene-disabling mutation, though, is intriguing because it seems to explain something different, a propensity to pile on pounds even while eating what should be a normal amount of food. Investigators are now searching for other mutations of the same gene in fat people that may have a similar, but less extreme effect. The hope is that in the long term, understanding how this gene affects weight gain might lead to treatments for obesity that alter the rate at which calories are burned. "The history of obesity for many many years has been one of blaming people for lack of self control," said Dr. Joseph Majzoub, chief of endocrinology at Boston Children's Hospital and lead author of the new paper. "If some of it is due to a slow metabolism, that would completely change the perspectives of parents and patients. It really would change the way we think of the disease."

Of course the above findings are only an indicator that needs to be pursued further but it definitely gives hope of tackling obesity ultimately at the gene level. It is some what scary to know that slow metabolic system can make the utilization of dietary components more efficient resulting in accumulation of weight and such situation can exist in many people with mutated genes, either inherited or formed during early childhood. Probably genetic scientists need to pursue this line of research much more vigorously to clinch the issue with least delay. If such studies can result in evolving tools to attack diseases like diabetes and obesity through genetic manipulation, mankind will greatly be benefited!

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

REDUCING FOOD WASTAGE-A NEW JAPANESE INITIATIVE

Food waste is a topic of intense interest because many critics feel that if such wasted foods are saved it could feed millions of hungry people across the world. Organizations with noble intentions are indeed making voluntary efforts to redeem such foods where ever possible by organizing safe collection, storage and delivery system providing socour  to many needy people but the scale of operation is not very high because of many logistical problems encountered by them. "Expiry Date" or "Best Before Date" printed on the label of every packed food item is by far the most causative factor for food waste as consumers consider it as unfit for consumption once the product is past the declared date. Similarly consumer has always a tendency to avoid buying food products nearing the best before date and invariably such edible foods are destined for the landfills! In to day's well organized marketing system manufacturer, wholesale distributor and the retailer have a well established understanding regarding the time each one takes for delivering the finished product to the next player in the chain. Here is an example of a market in one of the rich countries in Asia, Japan where the present system is sought to be changed for reducing food waste.

"Japan's food industry currently follows a self-imposed "one-third rule" concerning products. For example, under the rule, producers and wholesalers must throw out products made on Jan. 1 that have a best-before date of March 31 if they cannot deliver those goods to retailers by Jan. 31--the first one-third of the period before the expiration date. Even if the wholesalers deliver the products in time, retailers discard the food items if they remain unsold until Feb. 28, which ends the second third of the expiry date. During the experiment, the companies will adopt a "one-half rule." That means the distribution of products made on Jan. 1 would be allowed until mid February, and retailers can sell the food even during March. The success of the experiment depends on whether Japanese consumers, who are known to be picky, are willing to buy the older products. The companies involved in the trial run include snack and beverage manufactures, such as Meiji Co. and Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., as well as Mitsubishi Shokuhin Co., Seven-Eleven Japan Co. and Aeon Retail Co".

It is not realized that best before date is only an indicative date beyond which the product may not have 100% eating quality in comparison to its freshly manufactured counterpart. But it does not mean that such products are unsafe measured by any yardstick. Food industry and the food authorities in many countries are forced to declare such expiry dates to ensure citizens get the best quality foods with minimum safety risks. Unfortunately no manufacturer will take legal responsibility if some thing happens to the consumer after consuming date expired food products. Probably there may be a need to revisit the provision of printing expiry date if a real attempt is to be made to reduce food waste through this route. Is it possible that the industry prints only dates beyond which the food may be unsafe? If this is practical the extent of food discarded can be significantly reduced. It may be worth looking at this option with all its attendant consequences. 

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

CHENNAI VS DELHI-THE FOOD SECURITY DEBATE

Now that the much touted Food Security Act (FSA) is brought through the backdoor via the despicable route of an Ordinance, bypassing the Parliament, many states who are in the forefront in running efficient Public Distribution System (PDS) with high degree of efficiency and low pilferage are being penalized by making them restrict the coverage to only those who are poor. In a state like Himachal Pradesh, if reports are to be believed even the family of the Chief Minister buys the ration through the PDS shops at subsidized prices. Same is true with Tamil Nadu also which boasts of a highly efficient PDS plus several programs like distribution of subsidized fresh fruits and vegetables and low cost canteens selling popular preparations at very low pries for the benefit of poor people. FSA ordinance can adversely affect such programs which is a retrograde step with dangerous consequences to the citizenry. Here is a critic's view of the FSA ordinance and its implications.

"Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has emerged among the strongest voices against the Food Security Bill, which is being pushed by the UPA government. She recently wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to exempt Tamil Nadu from the implementation of the ordinance that brought the Food Security Bill into force. Apart from the political overtones that such a request might be seen to have, experts in the field of food policy say there could be sound logic to Jayalalithaa's plea for exemption. Jayalalithaa had reasoned that Tamil Nadu has for many years now had a Public Distribution System (PDS) that can be availed by all the residents of the State. She said the introduction of the provisions of the Food Security Bill would remove the cover from a portion of the population, ruining the all-inclusive nature of Tamil Nadu's PDS cover. The Food Security Bill makes provisions for different categories of beneficiaries, with the aim to allot more food grains to poor families and less for the better off. A majority of political parties have objected to provisions of the Food Security Bill, especially with relation to the structures and procedures for the determination of beneficiaries and the mode of distribution itself. The continuing lack of clarity on these fronts was behind the repeated disruption of proceedings in Parliament whenever the Bill came up for discussion. The Bill also saw strong opposition from a number of State governments. States like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan have over the years made changes to their PDS structures to make them more inclusive, based either on local needs or on political considerations. The implementation of the Food Security Bill would mean an erosion of the political gains from the inclusiveness of these systems. Tamil Nadu has had PDS-for-all plus a strong co-operative movement and government interventions. The Amma Unavagams and Farm Fresh Consumer Outlets, which offer subsidised vegetables, fall under the category of interventions. According to Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu's systems and interventions have given greater food and nutrition security than can possibly be delivered by the Food Security Bill in its present form'.

There are many critics who have raised their voice against the FSA ordinance and all their criticisms have been brushed aside by the government which calls this foolish program with grave economic consequences to the country as a "game changer". People of this country will never forgive these politicians for the political chicanery being indulged by them for the sake of electoral gains and will see through the game by the time general election arrives in a few months time from now. The rotten grains that lie with the government grain agencies which otherwise are not even fit for animal consumption are going to be supplied in the coming months once the FSA is operationalized and then only the people are going to realize the magnitude of fraud the government is indulging in the name of food security! Unfortunately many opposing political groups do not have the guts to point out the failings of the policy for fear of consumer backlash. As one critic has recently pointed out Government is more bothered about quantity rather than quality and nutrition and this is amply proven by the lethargy with which the food safety and standards act is being implemented leaving the market in the hands of fraudsters and adulterators giving them free hand to indulge in trading in unsafe foods. During the coming twelve months Indian citizens may face the reality of all round food inflation and food scarcity because of the opportunistic policies of the present government. 

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

THE GREAT EATING DILEMMA!-WHOM TO BELIEVE AND WHAT TO IGNORE?

Two developments during the last few years have thrown new challenges for the innocent consumers in understanding what is going on in the field of nutrition and health. First, increasing awareness about nutrition and nutritional importance of food and their safety aspects. The other issue is the vast expansion of "knowledge" through scientific and social endeavors, made available through the electronic and print media. In such an environment the consumer is in a predicament to believe and practice what is appearing in the media from time to time. In many such cases there are contradictory assertions taking opposite stands on many issues. Where will the consumer go for getting the real truth unequivocally with reasonable clarity. Here is a recent "loud thinking" by a critic regarding such dilemmas being faced by consumers more and more frequently. 

It seems like every day there's a new nutrition headline in the press: "Ditch Carbs!" "Eat the Right Fats." "Don't Eat After 7 p.m." "Fast Two Days a Week." It's difficult for consumers to sift through the myths and facts and know whom to rely on for information they can believe and apply. Between what you read in magazines, hear on the news or follow on social media, it's even possible to hear conflicting information on the same day. I recently came across two stories exemplifying this point; the first encouraged eating breakfast, while the other suggested it was beneficial to skip your morning meal several times a week. Diet and nutrition stories can sometimes be compared to tabloid magazines; they get people talking by making an outrageous claim. So when it comes to getting the latest dish, what's a confused consumer to do?

The answer to the above question may not be easy as the knowledge base is expanding at a frenetic pace and is disseminated too fast! For those who are educated and computer literate, Internet information sources like Wikipedia can be accessed but here also a reader is subjected to more and more contradictory views making it next to impossible to get at the truth. This is where information web sites hosted by government agencies will be useful and relevant. There must be an interactive web site for the citizen to approach for real time information on any issues concerning food, nutrition, health and food safety. Of course for millions of people not having access to Internet and computers such information may be out of reach. In such cases popular print media must be cajoled to earmark some pace for publishing free all clarifications on controversial issues that agitate the minds of the citizens after reading apparently contradictory claims appearing in the media. The Health Ministry of the government must take the necessary initiative for this novel consumer education program. 

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