BIOBUTANOL-THE NEW SAVIOR FOR THE PLANET?

It sounds far fetched when a whiskey manufacturing company proclaims that the waste products from his distillery can save precious food and help the world to meet future food problems! Before outright ridiculing of this claim it is rational to look into the basis of the claim and see whether there is some substance in it. According to these innovators, the industrial waste generated during the manufacture of whiskey has sufficient residual energy left, to make Butanol, a valued fuel, considered better than ethyl alcohol. While generating Butanol can be a profitable activity, it also solves the problem of waste disposal and pollution potential of these wastes incurring heavy cost to the distilleries. The product aptly named Biobutanol has been found to be more energy dense and can be used more easily in blends with gasoline. Since it is still in the development stage, only future will tell whether it is economically feasible. Here is a take on this new development that is exciting for the automobile industry. 

"Can whisky help solve the world's shortages of both food and fuel? A team of scientists in Scotland is banking on it. The people behind Celtic Renewables have invested five years of research and now a business venture in the idea that the waste products from whisky distilleries can be converted into biofuel to power cars and trucks. Mark Simmers, CEO of the company founded last year, says the biobutanol Celtic Renewables makes from whisky waste is not only better suited to use as vehicle fuel than the bioethanol commonly pumped now, but it also dodges the food vs. fuel quandary facing the biofuel industry at large.  Speaking from the whisky capital of the world, Simmers said there were two things driving him and his colleagues - who started out researching the whisky waste-to fuel idea at Edinburgh Napier University: finding a "large, guaranteed feedstock that is not food," and also finding a reliable, cheap, local source of fuel for vehicles in remote parts of Scotland where gas is expensive. Simmers describes biobutanol as an "advanced" biofuel compared to bioethanol. It can be used in any unmodified vehicle on the road, where bioethanol requires some modifications. Butanol also mixes better at a chemical level with conventional petroleum products, meaning a higher ratio of biofuel to petroleum can be used when mixing gas for consumers at the pump. The other big plus, as mentioned above, is that no corn or other crops are needed to produce the whisky-waste biobutanol. One of the biggest challenges to the biofuel industry comes from organizations fighting its production on the grounds that farmland in poor nations - where cheap food is in short supply - is being used to grow crops expressly for biofuel production, which pays better than food production. Celtic Renewables is still in the trial phase of its production, but it hopes to be producing biobutanol for the commercial market by the end of next year".

According to estimates Scotland, the Mecca of Scotch of Whiskey generates about 1.6 billion liters of Pot ale and 1, 87, 000 tons of Draft, both wastes from the distillation line which can be useful in making Biobutanol. This development is all the more interesting considering that in most countries valuable food commodities are diverted to make Bioethanol for blending with gasoline and there is substantial opposition world wide against such "misuse" of food items for non-food purpose. If Biobutanol production is found to be sustainable and economically viable, large quantities of Corn now being used for making Bioalcohol can be better used for feeding millions of hungry people, especially in the African continent. Auto industry should be happy because Biobutanol has much better physical characteristics than ethanol in terms of blending and energy content.

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

"COUNTERFEIT" FOODS-A GLOBALLY ROARING BUSINESS!

Cheating the consumer for making a fast buck is a universal phenomenon, whether in India, China or the US. While consumers can absorb occasional sub-par quality products marketed by some unscrupulous players, it assumes critical dimension when such foods can pose serious health hazards. For example adding water to milk is not directly dangerous
but concocting a milk look alike product made from urea, detergents etc can be really reprehensible and indefensible.
It is interesting that most risky foods churned out by fraudsters posing health risks are more prevalent in developing countries like India while counterfeit foods with doubtful quality are seen more in developed countries. This may probably due to more efficient surveillance and modern infrastructure seen in wealthy countries. According to a recent study economic fraud is more prevalent globally with high priced products like olive oil, saffron, honey etc though mass consumed products do not lag very much behind. Here is an informative piece of report on the subject.  

"Some fear higher world food prices are making food counterfeiting the next big global trend. Counterfeit food is a way to steal millions and put food safety at extreme risk. Obviously, anyone willing to rip off valued brands or products to manufacture counterfeit food outside of any the regulation of any country does not give a rip about food safety. Interpol Police have recently turned up candy bards, fish, cheese, and tomato sauce—all phony—foods that could have ended up in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has its own police force for tackling fraudulent foods and drugs. Counterfeit drugs get most of the attention. The World Bank says consumers pay $30 billion annually for fake drugs with Africa being the hardest. Estimates for how much consumers pay for fake food are a little more fluid. At last month's 9th Annual Anti-Counterfeiting and Brand Protection Summit held in Midtown West, NY, a fact sheet from DuPont said counterfeiting cost U.S. businesses $200 billion to $250 billion annually, affecting 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies. Food and beverages are only a slice of that, of course, but consider that Russia has documented $3.3 billion in annual losses due just to counterfeit vodka, the total for food and beverage products would probably be staggering".

If the above report is to be believed the cost of counterfeiting branded foods and drugs is staggering with many major brand owners suffering financially from this under-ground activities of fraudsters. More concerned should be the consumers who are cheated out of their hard earned money by enticing them to buy cheaper foods. Can this criminal activity ever be stopped? Probably not as many experts believe that it would be a logistical nightmare if taken up seriously and it is impossible to eliminate frauds completely. A possible option could be to increase the severity of punishment meted out to the food fraudsters such a way it has a strong deterrent effect on those contemplating committing such frauds.

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

URBAN FOOD WASTE-A SOCIAL TRAGEDY!

Wastage of food, whether intentional or unavoidable cannot be excused under any circumstances. While food losses incurred during harvesting, post harvest handling and distribution can be addressed by using more and more efficient technologies, what is reprehensible is throwing away food by individuals and groups attending feasts and mass feeding programs or by the families in their homes or in eateries by the customers. Such wastage can be curtailed only if people are sensitized about the criminality of their action in terms of depriving other needy people of much needed essential foods. Here is an interesting piece of report coming from a Bangalore, on some field studies regarding the possible wastage of cooked foods during marriage celebrations. Any dispassionate observer can know that this is an under estimate and the real value of waste could be much higher. Here is a take on this unfortunate practice going on unchecked or uncared by civic authorities in that city.

After the big fat wedding is done with and the guests have gone home, what remains is the litter, dirty dishes and piles of excess high-calorie food. Enough to feed lakhs of children, in a country where malnutrition has been termed a "national shame" by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Statistics show that every third malnourished child in the world is an Indian. A survey shows that annually, Bangalore alone wastes 943 tonnes of quality food during weddings. "This is enough to feed 2.6 crore people a normal Indian meal," a study by a team of 10 professors from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore, has concluded. The team, under the guidance of UAS vice-chancellor K Narayana Gowda, surveyed 75 of Bangalore's 531 marriage halls over a period of six months. "About 84,960 marriages are held at 531 kalyana mantapas (marriage halls) in Bangalore every year. About 943 tonnes of high-calorie quality food is wasted in these halls annually. At an average cost of Rs 40 per meal, the total food wastage in the city is estimated at Rs 339 crore," the study said. On an average, 1,000 people attend a wedding where two meals are served - lunch at the wedding and dinner for reception, besides breakfast. "About 10-20 items are served at a wedding ceremony. The maximum items served include 100 grams each of soup and juice, followed by 50 grams each of puri and pulao," the survey stated. It also concluded that rice and cereals were on top, making for 35% of the wastage. "On an average, a typical wedding meal is very rich in energy. Each meal may have 1,239 calories, enough to meet an entire day's requirement of a child! The wastage per meal amounted to 20% at 246 calories," said Gowda. "The survey sought to bring to light the criminal wastage of food during Indian weddings. Our aim is to create awareness and sensitize the public not to waste food. We found that food wastage was more with buffets than served meals," said professor PK Mandanna, of agricultural marketing, UAS.

There was a time in India when Guest Control Order was promulgated to curtail the tendency to organize massive dining at public events in connection with marriages though it became a cropper due to inadequate enforcement of the law by the concerned government agencies. It appears such a law is still in operation in Pakistan though its effectiveness is disputed in many quarters. Some restaurants with good conscience and real concern about food waste are reported to be "fining" those customers who leave food on their plates after filling it up with excess food which they could not consume. It was suggested that the existing system of unrestricted food serving must be replaced with limited packed foods which the guests can take home if not eaten then and there, hopefully consuming them later. Existence of Food Banks in some countries, mainly to save large quantities of food being rejected by large retailers and serve the same to the poor and the destitute is indeed laudable and that is what is required in India also.

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

THE OMEGA-3 FATS-OVER BLOWN HEALTH CLAIMS

Fish consumption was once touted as the ultimate route to healthy heart and presence Omega-3 polyunsaturated oils in high quantities in fish oil was thought to be responsible for the beneficial effect of these oil sources. Two major claims made on behalf of Omega-3 oils were their supposed ability to prevent heart attacks and reducing triglyceride levels in blood. However a close and critical look at the data generated by many studies in the past now brings out the ground reality that for a normally healthy individual Omega-3 oil may not be that important though it does reduce circulating triglycerides to some extent. Here are further details of this study which is going to revolutionize the approach to diet designs in future. 

"But several recent studies have raised questions about the benefits of fish oil, sparking no small amount of confusion. A report published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. clouded the picture further by concluding that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids did not lower the risk of heart attack, stroke or premature death. The study, by medical researchers at the University of Ioannina in Greece, did not involve a new clinical trial of the supplement. Instead, it reexamined the results of 20 previous studies dating back to 1989 that included nearly 70,000 patients. Among other observations, study authors said that early trials of omega-3 supplements and cardiovascular health "showed strong, significant effect." However, as more randomized studies were performed, "the effect became weaker and non significant." One of the reasons for this, according to the authors, is that an early and influential trial was conducted as an open-label study, in which patients and researchers knew when they were taking the supplement. That study involved mostly men who had suffered heart attacks, said Dr. Moses S. Elisaf of the University Hospital of Ioannina, the study's senior author. "This evidence," he said, "should not be generalized to any type of patients or apparently healthy individuals." Much of the recent controversy involving omega-3 has to do with conflicting recommendations. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has approved omega-3 use only as a triglyceride-lowering agent, whereas some European authorities recommend its use for patients who have suffered a heart attack or other cardiovascular problems. "Varying labeling indications [cause] confusion in everyday clinical practice," the study authors wrote. Dr. Robert Bonow, a Chicago cardiologist who was not involved in the study, said he tended to agree with the authors' conclusion that not everyone would be helped by taking omega-3 supplements. Bonow, a former president of the American Heart Assn., said there was no evidence omega-3 prevented heart attacks and said that for most people, any potential benefits of supplementation probably paled in comparison with exercising, maintaining a proper weight and addressing high cholesterol and high blood pressure. However, Bonow said it appeared the supplement was helpful to people with very weak hearts. One of the studies included in the JAMA analysis made a strong case that patients with chronic heart failure benefited from omega-3s. "There may be benefits here in stabilizing the rhythm of the heart," he said. Omega-3s are also effective in reducing triglycerides, fats that circulate in the blood and can be dangerous at high levels. "Triglycerides also respond to diet and exercise, but if they're very high we do recommend omega-3s for that effect," Bonow said".

It is more or less agreed that there is no substitute to a balanced and diverse diet and regular physical exercise for maintaining good health and all commercial products with many claims of heart protection cannot deliver the results promised for all people. Beneficial effects of Omega-3 oil to people with weak hearts and those having had previous attacks cannot be disputed.

Age old traditional life style involving eating regularly foods based on variety and fruits and vegetables in plenty while doing regular physical work is still considered ideal to keep the heart and the body in good shape. Those chasing junk foods based on refined carbohydrates, high saturated fats and high salt levels and following a sedentary life style cannot expect tolive long and healthy by taking short cuts like higher consumption of Omega-3 oils through their regular diet high in empty calories!

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

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