NEW AGRI-TECH STRATEGY OF THE UK- BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!

R & D is such a broad area that many scientists and technologists engaged in this endeavor often fail to understand the real purpose of their effort viz to come out with workable and viable technologies with mass production potential. While research on basic science generates ideas developing the finding further through integrated efforts of scientists and engineers lead to development of feasible technologies. Majority of technological developments do not go beyond the four walls of the laboratory, getting no opportunity for productionization. Technology can stall if its transfer to the field is not properly managed after establishing its viability at the lab level. Here is where most universities and R & D institutions fail. Against this background the recent strategy being put in place in the UK to integrate the efforts of various stake holders in agriculture and food processing deserves applause. Here is a take on the intent and objectives of the action plan enunciated by the UK government in a recent document. 

"The UK will become a world leader in agricultural science and technology following the launch of a new strategy to deliver sustainable, healthy and affordable food for future generations. Breakthroughs in nutrition, informatics, satellite imaging, remote sensing, meteorology and precision farming mean the agriculture sector is one of the world's fastest growing sectors. Developed in partnership with industry, the Agricultural Technologies Strategy will ensure everyone from farmers and retailers, to cooks and shoppers share the benefits these exciting opportunities bring. It includes a £160 million government investment in developing cutting edge technologies, and taking innovative products such as cancer-fighting broccoli from the field to the shopping aisle. Industry is also expected to invest heavily in the strategy which will transform farming in the UK, using the latest technologies to ensure the process is as productive as possible whilst reducing environmental impact and resource use. With the demand for food rising rapidly worldwide, the strategy also aims to make the UK a world leader in addressing global food security issues. Agri-tech is a well-established and important UK sector. The entire agri-food supply chain, from agriculture to final retailing and catering, is estimated to contribute £96 billion to the economy and employ 3.8 million people. Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: Some of the biggest brands in farming and food are based in the UK. We have a world class science and research community and our institutes and universities are at the forefront of agricultural research. To get ahead in the global race, this strategy sets out how we can ensure that we turn our world-beating agricultural science and research into world-beating products and services. This Agricultural Technologies Strategy follows the recent plans for automotive, construction, aerospace and other key sectors to secure sustainable future growth in the economy. Defra Minister for Science Lord De Mauley said: We face a global challenge to feed the rapidly increasing population in a way which is affordable and sustainable. We are investing in technologies that will enable British farmers to meet these challenges and take advantage of the growing demand in export markets for British food. To take advantage of agriculture's opportunities and drive growth the Agricultural Technologies Strategy sets out a range of key actions, including: a £90 million government investment in world class Centres for Agricultural Innovation with additional investment from industry. The centres will support the wide-scale adoption of innovation and technology across key sectors, technologies and skills in the food and farming supply chain. This includes up to £10 million for a Centre for Agricultural Informatics and Metrics of Sustainability which will use data from farms, laboratories and retailers to drive innovation creating a £70 million Agri-Tech Catalyst to help new agricultural technologies bridge the so called 'valley of death' between the lab and the marketplace. Co-funded with industry, the catalyst will specifically support small and medium sized enterprises. The investment includes £10 million to support the transfer of technology and new products to developing countries, the creation of an industry Leadership Council to unify the agriculture technology sector and make the UK more internationally competitive the recruitment of a new UKTI agri-tech team to boost exports and overseas investment in the UK's agricultural technologies".

Of course declaration of intent is one thing and implementing the same is another thing. How far the government will be able to weave together the different but related players for a cohesive and integrated team is a million dollar question begging for answer. The most important part of the strategy is to set up the Agri-Tech Catalyst for facilitating the growth of the small and medium enterprises which are generally starved of technical support because of their limited resources unlike the Big Fish with deep pockets and high risk taking capacity. The intention to facilitate transfer of technologies to developing countries is to be applauded though export of products from the UK to these countries may not be feasible to any great extent. All said the strategy looks excellent on paper but there is a nagging suspicion whether the budget is a little too short to achieve all that is aimed at. If this will raise the stature of the UK as a technology giant it is good for the country.  

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

SCHOOL FEEDING-THE KARNATAKA SITUATION

After the Bihar midday meal program tragedy every state government vested with the management of this education-cum nutrition oriented Central scheme woke up suddenly running helter skelter for cover fearing that their weaknesses also would be exposed. School inspections became more frequent and erring officials were hauled up for not doing their job properly. But all these knee jerk reactions slowly faded away once the news became "cold" and forgotten by every body. Here is a typical PRO exercise by the Karnataka government to claim how efficient they are!

"Maintaining that the scheme in the state was near to 100% error free, the minister said over 60 lakh school children are getting the benefits of mid-day meal every day. "Barring one incident, where a girl child died after slipping into sambar vessel last year, the scheme is running successfully since it was introduced in 2002. More than 6 crore children have benefitted by the scheme till date," Ratnakar said. Mid-day meals is being given in around 55,000 schools and the government was into building quality kitchens in these schools. Only 75% of the schools have kitchens. Ratnakar said the Centre has announced that it would provide Rs 3 lakh to built a kitchen and Rs 5,000 to buy utensils. "There is also scheme where Centre will provide Rs 3,500 per month to grow vegetables in water availability areas. Rs 7,000 grant per month on big schemes and government has planned to give milk from August at a cost of Rs 600 crore," he said. Of the Rs 18,000 crore allocation for the department, Rs 11,000 are being spent on the salary. Ratnakar informed that Rs 180 crore was being spent on providing free uniforms every year and Rs 3,500 crore needed upgrade school buildings".

Is it not a tragedy that instead of getting down to the basics and having introspection, governments tend to take high moral grounds trying to defend a system which is moribund at its best? The lay out is such that the present school feeding program cannot be an instrument of furthering the education system because the very purpose of the school is shifted from teaching to cooking food for all the children whether they want it or not. Teachers hardly aware of the logistics of mass cooking and feeding are forced to take up the chore against their free will. Sanitation and hygiene conditions can never be safe enough to ensure safety of children. Water used, qualitatively and quantitatively, is unsatisfactory. In the face of these heavy odds the government spokesperson is trying to defend the indefensible. Good luck to him till the next food related episodes which are waiting to happen, in spite of all the good intentions!

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

NEW ANTIBACTERIAL MATERIALS FROM TEA-HOW FEASIBLE IT IS?

Scientific research can be funny some times if the objectives and purpose of the efforts by the scientists are carefully looked into. Scientists engaged in research to get a degree can be pardoned to some extent if they take up academic topics with very little relevance to the citizens and after all such work is intended more to train them in carrying out the studies methodically, truthfully and scientifically. There are millions of scientists engaged in food research in public institutions and universities though most of their out put is of very little relevance to the common man. In contrast private sector research produces innumerable patents and workable knowledge based innovations with very high application potential through technologization. Here is a typical piece of investigation from an American university which claims that the high value tea and wines can be used for making antibacterial materials for coating food contact surfaces. Readers may come to their own conclusions after perusing the below referred article.

"Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered new ways of utilizing the properties of naturally occurring polyphenols found in green tea, red wine and dark chocolate. Dissolving polyphenol powders in water with a small amount of salt instantly produces transparent coatings that kill bacteria on contact, have antioxidant qualities and are non-toxic. The sticky nature of polyphenols and the low cost of materials could open the door to a wide range of uses for these coatings. Apparently the coatings can stick to virtually any surface, even Teflon, and are only 20 to 100 nanometers thick, potentially making them ideal for use in a whole range products. "We discovered a way to apply coatings onto a variety of surfaces that takes advantage of the sticky properties of the polyphenol compounds," said Phillip B. Messersmith, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, who led the research. "It's a very simple dip-coating process, and the antibacterial and antioxidant properties are preserved in the coating. One could take a stainless-steel hip implant apply the process to it, and the coating that emerges spontaneously and with no other modifications will kill bacteria and quench reactive oxygen species, such as free radicals."

The results if commercially exploited may have a chance for use in high value applications like coating of biomedical parts for implantation in human body. However to expect that it will find application in food industry as an antibacterial coating may be far fetched. After all tea as well as red wines are food materials that cannot be diverted for non food applications without disturbing the market equilibrium. Probably many non food antioxidants available in plenty in nature could be a better and more appropriate source material for preparing the antibacterial solution. The suggestion that such poly phenols in salt solution can be a good antioxidant product for human consumption is untenable because salt is a substance not recommended for consumption in high quantities because of its role in disease like CVD, kidney malfunction and blood pressure. Nonetheless from the scientific curiosity angle this is a good discovery with some future potential. 

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

FOOD SECURITY AND THE STORAGE WOES-IS THE COUNTRY FULLY PREPARED?

The "courageous" Government at Delhi (or is it food hardy?) has now jumped into the so called food security program, one wonders what is in store for the country. It looks like government is ignoring the time tested saying that "a bird in hand is two worth in the bush"! That is not doing much to develop the economy while indulging in resource sapping free food distribution extravaganza. The country may end up with neither hungry alleviation nor economic growth. The brutal butchering of Indian rupee in the currency market during this midweek is a warning signal which can be ignored only at the expense of the economic security of this country. The much touted food security bill which garnered support from practically every party did not had the courage to stand up against this populism and voter bribing attempt through this bill and therefore each one of them will be responsible for the economic consequences of implementing an impractical scheme. Here is an informed critique from well reputed experts about the gullibility of this latest action of the federal government. 

"As the procurement of food grains increase, the storage capacity should be appropriate, explained Sabnavis, "If we look at the bill closely, 60 million tones would be distributed annually, on an average five million a month. This means 55 million tonnes would be lying in the warehouses and if we add buffer stock to it, we would move closer to 100 million tonnes of capacity. Hence, we would require appropriate mechanisms for storage." Ashok Gulati, chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, told Business Standard it was a debatable issue as to how much food grains were damaged. "Twelve million tonnes in Punjab and five-six million tonnes food grains in Haryana are lying in the open. The International Mechanical Engineers estimates say that every year 21 million tones of wheat is damaged in India. Hence, that goes without saying that we need better infrastructure to take care of our produce", said Gulati. The total storage capacity available for central pool stocks was 74.6 million tons as on July 30 this year. However, Gulati believed that unless it is announced what the buffer stocks norms in the Bill are, one cannot know how much produce needs to be stocked. He felt that not more than 51-52 million tones storage capacity will be required for implementing the proposed scheme.  "This is because we need to match our procurement with distribution and at present, we are keeping much larger stocks than we need", added Gulati".

Is it not a pity that no one in the country, least of all those governing the country, has a clue regarding the way to go about in implementing this massive scheme though every one is talking about crossing "the bridge when we reach there"! As rightly said the storage and distribution system as it exists in most states are woefully inadequate to deliver the promises contained in the bill and it is not going to be easy to rectify the same over night even if action is taken to day. With very little evidence about any improvement in the management efficacy of those entrusted with grain storage and distribution, the country will continue to waste grains and allow pilferage through many leaky points through out the system. It is gut wrenching for every honest and conscientious India to be told by experts that more than more than 18 million tons of precious food grains that can feed the population for three months are lying in the open without protection from the spoilage vectors and elements! Another 21 million tons are reported to be damaged every year in the country as assessed by some international agencies. With only a few months remaining for general election there is a lurking suspicion that this food security program will be abandoned once the election over!   

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

CHEMICALS IN FOOD-SAFETY IS NO BODY'S BUSINESS!

The sturdiness of man against all odds in sustaining himself is a remarkable natural trait ever since his advent on earth, say 40,000 years ago. In ancient world it was fight against fierce carnivorous animals and fight for food in competition with them which provided the challenge. To day the odds are same, the only difference being that hundreds of chemicals finding their way into the foods in the name of processing and preservation may be slowly killing him in stead of the quick kill happening to the Paleo man during fighting with wild and ferocious animals. While enemy in old days was clearly visible, the unsuspecting chemicals in the food added deliberately are silent and invisible slow killers. Here is a shocking revelation about the way chemicals are added to foods by the processing industry while the so called safety authorities either close their eyes or are unaware of this practice.

"If you are shocked to learn that industrial chemicals are routinely in the food you are feeding to your family, you will be even more shocked to read about a study published this week in the professional journal Reproductive Toxicology by researchers from the Pew Charitable Trusts — which funded the work — and the Environmental Management Institute. Problems in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food programs look even worse than the problems I know so well from EPA! After extensive research into what manufacturers add to our food, the researchers report that about 1,000 additives are in the food supply without the FDA's knowledge. And, for those additives the FDA does actually know about, fewer than 38 percent of more than 8,000 FDA-regulated additives — including those manufacturers intentionally add directly to food and materials that may come into contact with and contaminate foods — have a published feeding study. (Feeding studies comprise the basic toxicology test — the first test a scientist would do to evaluate the safety of a chemical additive.) For direct additives, added intentionally to food, only 21.6 percent of the almost 4,000 additives have undergone the feeding studies necessary for scientists to estimate a safe level of exposure, and the FDA databases contain reproductive or developmental toxicity data for only 6.7 percent. It appears the FDA and the food industry were often making safety decisions by comparing one chemical to another rather than doing an actual toxicology study. In making such decisions, they were building a house of cards based on assumptions and unsupported extrapolations instead of direct scientific evidence. How has the oversight of our food regulations gone so terribly wrong? The researchers have a few insights. First, many chemicals were grandfathered into the system in the 1950's, and so they are in our food supply without information on their safety. Once a chemical is cleared for use in foods, the clearance is forever, so there are no requirements or incentives for a manufacturer to support additional testing. And, under the outdated U.S. Food Additives Amendment of 1958, the FDA doesn't even have the authority to require testing if it has questions about a chemical. Also, industry can self-determine if its chemical food-additives are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), and therefore free from the usual regulatory requirements for food additives. If the industry makes a GRAS determination, it is not even required to notify FDA that it has put the new GRAS additive on the market. Allowing industry to determine the safety of the chemicals it creates is a textbook example of the fox guarding the chicken coop. Last week, many of the same Pew researchers published a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine showing that "financial conflicts of interest are ubiquitous" in the industry-driven process leading to determining that a chemical is GRAS. In that article, Pew reports that all — that's 100 percent — of the members of expert panels that review food additives to make GRAS determinations have financial relationships with companies that manufacture the food additives being reviewed".

If whatever has been said in the above critique is true, is humanity hurtling towards calamity in a few decades from now with all people suffering from one or the other health disorders lowering the quality of life dramatically compared to what they were about 100 years ago? One can only pity for the future generations to come as they are being consigned to a life of ignominy by the reckless actions of those who live to day! Of course there are a few people who are still aware of these contradictions and thanks are due to them for spawning the organic food industry which does not use chemicals in raising any crop or processing it into edible preparations. Unfortunately such people are far and few at present to make any impact but there is the promise that organic food consumption is growing albeit slowly which will leave at least a few people with normal health to carry forward the torch of human civilization! 

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

CONSEQUENCES OF DRINKING "SPIRIT" BEVERAGES!

No subject seems to be irrelevant for surveys and studies by investigative scientists and journalists as reflected by the recent report that some one in the US has "discovered" that certain brands of alcoholic beverages cause more injury to the drinkers compared to others! It is least realized that drinking is not a nice habit though exercising restraint in consuming these inebriating beverage may bring some limited benefits for some people. The trouble is most people do not know how much can be consumed safely or how frequent they can be consumed without any damage to the health. According to the studies reported below malt liquor universally is responsible for more hospitalization than mild beverages like beer. Here is the gist of this report.

"According to the study, Steel Reserve Malt Liquor came in second to Budweiser, but proportionally, it blew the brand out of the water. Steel Reserve Malt Liquor makes up .8% of the beer market, but a whopping 14.7% of the ER market, only .3% less than Budweiser. Even more revealing, malt liquors as a whole make up a paltry 2.4% of the US beer trade, but a full 46% of the alcohol consumed by emergency room goers. After Steel Reserve, the third and fourth most popular ER alcohols are also malt beverages: Colt 45 and Bud Ice. Bud Light and Barton's, a discount brand of vodka, take the next two spots. So why are malt beverages so prolific in hospitals? The most obvious answer is the comparatively large amount of alcohol per drink. While a bottle Budweiser contains 5% alcohol, the highest percentage among Amerca's top five best-selling beers, it's nothing compared to Steel Reserve's 8.1% alcohol content. While the study should shed light on which brands are most correlated with injury, more research is still needed. David Jernigan, the study's director, cautioned that the study only included interviews with 105 hospital patients, and all from one hospital in Baltimore".

Whether the above study will be allowed to go unchallenged by those brands indicted here remains to be seen. Coming to such a conclusion as being done by the authors, based on a limited survey of 105 subjects is also a matter of concern. Why such studies are undertaken at the first instance is not clear. After all drinking in a country where there is no mandatory prohibition is a matter of personal preference but those who drink excessively have no right to be a public burden whether causing nuisance in the public or straining the public health system which cannot be condoned.   

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

THE LATEST SUPER FOOD-AN OBSCURE GREEN LEAF!

Man's saga in search of right foods that gives him immortality never ends but with each passing day this passion is kept going by reports here and there about new as well as not so new miracle foods that will ensure healthy life. Whether it is the antioxidant rich natural plant products or grains like Quinoa, Chea etc health food industry is always willing to oblige the consumer with products that meet with their aspirations. No wonder health food stores have become a common feature of the retail market stream in many wealthy countries where diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, kidney disorders, obesity etc are rampant. It is an irony that wealthier a society becomes, more frequent is the incidence of diseases associated with wrong foods and wrong eating! Those who are hungry cannot access good foods but those who are wealthy ignore healthy foods going for palate tingling rich but nutritionally unbalanced processed foods ending with poor quality of life eventually. Latest to emerge (or reemerge?) in the health food landscape is an obscure leaf called Moringa about which the whole world seems to be getting excited! Here is a take on this development.

"The leaves of the moringa trees may be the world's most nutritious green—and they're coming to a health-food store near you. Remember the moment when every runway regular suddenly became a supermodel? Now every healthy edible wants to be called a super food. Which is why even that term likely doesn't do justice to moringa, a tree leaf that contains more nutrients and natural remedies than your body knows what to do with. Ancient warriors fueled for battle with the leaf extract, hot for the stamina and strength it gave them; and legend has it that Egyptian Pharaohs were buried with it to sustain them in the afterlife. Health-savvy Americans are the latest followers, thanks to the energy, immunity, and metabolism boosts moringa delivers. "Moringa has incredibly nutritious qualities—it has 3.5 times the calcium of milk and 4 times the vitamin C of oranges," says David Wolfe, author of Super foods. All you have to do is open the bag and let the good nutrients roll".

Of course the scientific data available do confirm that Moringa is a nutritionally excellent food source and it is also a fact that it is being consumed in some parts of the world since long. In fact a substantial population in countries like India who are economically depressed, living in rural areas depend on a variety of leaves as sources of nutrients like vitamins and minerals besides good quality proteins as these leaves cost a fraction of traditional vegetables consumed by well to do population. Besides these leafy plants grow wildly all around and village folks have a fairly good knowledge about the type of leaves which are edible for picking up the right ones. Interestingly Morimga tree yields lush green leaves in abundant quantities and grow in the wilderness with no organized farming reported any where. As a part of the nutritional strategy countries like India must encourage planting of Moringa on waste and unused lands belonging to the government allowing people to harvest the leaves for their daily food use.

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