MARKET FOODS-CHOOSING THE BEST AND AVOIDING THE WORST!

Grocery stores world over have a variety of foods, good and bad. How does one make a selection of the right food with highest nutritional value when there may be half a dozen brands of same category of products on the shelves? As the right to information is inviolable, the mandatory labeling system is generally designed to provide the consumer with an insight about the nature and quality of food purchased. It is another matter that the logistics of loading all information on a small sized label are cumbersome and often impractical. The consumers in general have very vague ideas about nutritional quality of foods though many know the importance of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Lately more awareness seems to be developing regarding the positive importance of dietary fibers, omega-3 fatty acids, Calcium and antioxidants, Equally true is the knowledge about the negative importance of Sodium, Cholesterol, Saturated fats and Trans fats. Still it is difficult to make an informed choice about relative strength or deficiency of each brand on the market shelf.

From time to time many grading techniques have been considered for providing the consumers with a guideline for selecting or rejecting a particular food based on positive and negative nutritional impact but none seems to have gained universal acceptance so far. One of the better food assessment methods being offered to the industry is the NuVal system pioneered by by a group of nutritional and medical professionals which appears to be gaining popularity amongst smaller manufacturers. The Overall Nutritional Quality Index Algorithm is based on more than 30 nutrients and food constituents, some desirable and others less desirable, the NuVal system assigns a particular number to each product based on detailed chemical analysis which needs to be displayed prominently on the front of the label for easy comprehension by the consumers.

According to this method of nutritional scoring importance is given to positive food constituents like proteins and their quality, Omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, bioflavanoids, Calcium content, Vitamins, some critical minerals while negative ones like Sugar, Salt, Trans fats, saturated fats, Cholesterol will bring down the overall score. The reference values used are based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans and as such may not be applicable in other countries. Fresh vegetables score more than 80, while most of their canned counterparts have scores less than 20. Frozen vegetables score around 60 while fresh fruits have scores more than 80. Processed foods like cereals, breads and rolls, cookies, crackers, salty snacks will not be able to score more than 20 to 30 unless whole grains or multi grains or oats or brans are used in the recipes. Milk products can have high values more than 60 depending on the ingredients added during processing.

A dispassionate observer will find such a system very reasonable but the main stream industry seems to be opposing this approach because most of the products they make are able to muster only low scores, because of too much sugar or carbohydrates with high glycaemic load or high saturated fat levels or high salt content or low content of vitamins or high glycaemic values. Their main contention is that the existing labeling system gives sufficient information to the buyers and NuVal scores may unfairly downgrade their products. This has to be expected because of likely backlash they may face from the consumers with serious financial consequences on their business. But for start up ventures and small scale business NuVal may provide a prop for promoting their products and establish brand recognition.

A country like India should probably buy this patented scoring system for implementing country-wide as a mandatory measure to prevent fake, spurious and adulterated food products flooding the market. A major constraint would be the cost factor for individual manufacturer to generate data on products necessary for arriving at the nutritional score for his product portfolio. To be insisted upon should be the necessity for the conformation of the basic quality of foods so graded to the safety norms stipulated in statute books. If such an approach is not found to be feasible or practical for adoption nation wide, at least it should be made compulsory for foods supplied to the applied nutrition program of the country which involves investment of billions of rupees every year with doubtful impact on child malnutrition. Already some school feeding programs in the US are using NuVal scoring for food supplies entering the program.

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

LACTOSE "COMPLEXES"-THE USP OF HUMAN MILK

While promoting breast feeding during the last three decades, major attention was focused on the immunity the child gets from its mother through her milk. Of course hundreds of research reports have cited other health advantages for the infant to be fed with breast milk as long as it is possible, though the high pressure promotion by the infant food manufacturing industry often tempts mothers to switch over to infant formula too soon. The accumulated evidence so far regarding the multiple advantages of breast feeding will be a driving force for many mothers to stick to her own milk to safeguard the health of their tender children from many types of diseases.

The role of Lactoferrin present in milk, acting literally as a natural antibiotic active against many pathogens, has been well documented. Similarly the ability of Alpha Lactalbumin to annihilate all types of cancer cells protects the vulnerable child against these dreaded diseases. Lactoadherin, a glycoprotein in breast milk is reported to be active against rotavirus in the intestine. Milk prostaglandin, unique to human milk has a role to protect the delicate intestinal mucosa of the child from harms way. There are nitrogen containing oligo saccharides present in human milk having growth promoting effect on the beneficial Lactobacillus bifidus bacteria.

It was only recently that carbohydrates other than Lactose started receiving attention of the nutritionists and probably lack of precise analytical techniques must have obscured the role of these lactose based oligo saccharides which form the third largest component in human milk. Values as high as 8-12 gm of oligo saccharides per liter have been reported in human milk. Using modern analytical tools it has been brought out that depending on individuals, number of such oligo saccharides may vary from 33 to 124. Earlier a broad group of lactose linked compounds was known to be existing and they were broadly grouped under the name gynolactose. They have been compared to the modern day"soluble fibers" which are supposed to act at the Gastro-intestinal level without actually getting digested in the system by human enzymes and breast milk thus can rightly claim also as a source of "dietary fiber" to the infants.

According to the present belief each oligo saccharide ligament inhibits different pathogenic bacteria and probably it is an act of evolution that only human milk contains these special compounds, to provide protection to the babies as soon as they are born from many of the predating microorganisms. The ability of these bioactive substances for allowing selectively the growth of Bifidobacterium longum, a particular strain that can coat the linings of the intestine of the child for resisting many undesirable bacteria, is now being recognized. Besides their role as bacterial inhibitors, these Lactose oligo saccharides also act as substrates for many beneficial bacteria in the infant colon and contribute to the vital difference in fecal pH and fecal flora between breast fed and formula fed infants. Sialic acid, considered essential for brain development, is formed in the intestine consequent to the action of beneficial bacteria on oligosaccharides of human milk.

The above findings probably will open up new avenues for the food industry to develop or modify infant formulae that can work best for premature babies and those delivered through surgical intervention. Such a logic is premised on the fact that these babies do not have Bifidum bacteria to start with and hence are deprived of the early protection from the oligo saccharides. Search for alternate sources of Lactose oligo saccharides probably will intensify because of its preeminence as a protective "nutrient" to infants. Recent discovery that whey, a by-product of cheese industry, does contain these nutrients in small quantities may give a new phillip to developmental work to "beneficiate" whey for recovery of Lactose oligo saccharides in sufficient quantities and evolve viable technologies for the same. Already fructose oligo saccharides and galactose oligo saccharides isolated from plant sources are being promoted under the pro-biotic banner, as they do aid in the growth of Bifidum bacteria. Of course such scientific activities must not give the impression that breast milk can be substituted with any formula man may contrive.

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

HORMONE "LACED" FRUITS AND VEGETABLES-RISKY GROWING PRACTICES?

It is rather amusing to read a recent report about a GOI Minister writing to a Secretary in his own Ministry asking for strict action against farmers who use a hormone called Oxytocin in fruits and vegetable gardens to obtain higher yield of the crops! The news were splashed across every newspaper in the country and Television Channels got a scoop on their hand to attract listeners. Probably the minister achieved the purpose of putting across an image of a concerned politician. Really? Unfortunately no one seems to have looked deep at the issue before coming to any conclusion. No doubt Oxytocin is a natural hormone involved in smooth delivery and stimulation of breast milk in new mothers after delivery. Synthetic versions are available in the market for use by medical professionals but what is interesting is the claim that it is available in the grey market for less than 5% of the cost at which same is sold under prescription!

Oxytocin is used as an injection for cows for smooth delivery and increased milk yield but such a practice is frowned upon because of the intense discomfort suffered by the animal. According to the country's law Oxytocin has been classified as a Schedule H drug which is banned for use in animals though illegally dairy cattle are given the injection by many owners to improve milk yield and increase farm profit. It is not clear as to how the substance is sold at 50 paise a vial in the grey market because the process of making Oxytocin is not that simple and probably the materials offered illegally are stolen from somewhere. With only one manufacturer making this injectable hormone in the country, there is possibility that vast quantities are smuggled into the country across international borders on which the GOI does not seem to have any control.

Coming to the concerns expressed by the junior Health Minister about misuses of Oxytocin, it is not clear whether he is more concerned about the drug rule violation because of which the hormone is available easily in the market or about the health of the citizens who might be affected by consuming fruits and vegetables produced by "injecting" the mammalian hormone into the plant. According to the pharmo kinetics of the drug, produced by the pituitary gland, it cannot reenter the brain once it is released into the blood stream due to the blood-brain barrier. Similarly any amount of oxytocin consumed through the oral route cannot enter the blood stream due its inability to get across the GI tract. If this is so how can a vegetable produced using Oxytocin injection into the plant can be of any risk to human life? If some of the reports are to be believed Oxytocin can cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and irregular heart beat. And it can also create funny reaction like increased love and stimulated sexual activity, provided it finds its way into the blood. This is not to condone the ill-advised practices of the growers in resorting to such illegal activities in their relentless pursuit of easy money.

There is no clear evidence that injection of Oxytocin into plants that produce crops like Watermelon, Pumpkin, Cucumber and Brinjal can achieve higher productivity from the plants. From where the farmers have picked up this practice, if true, is not clear. Even if such practices give more fruits per plant or the crops have better quality attributes, the totality of the situation needs to be looked into from a scientific angle. It is hard to believe that the plant can transport this substance to tissues which regulate yield and quality of the crop produced. In stead of writing a letter to his Secretary, the Minister ought to have brought this to the attention of agricultural experts to investigate into such reports. Probably ICAR may be curious to know more about this episode and if there is some truth scientific investigation can be launched to get to the bottom of this controversy.

V.H.POTTY

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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

BHOPAL TRAGEDY-A STARK REMINDER

No doubt pesticides did serve a useful purpose in cutting down food grain and other agricultural crop losses very significantly and there were hundreds of chemicals found useful in destroying many predators of food in the field as well as storage godowns during the last few decades. But increasing knowledge, better monitoring and analytical techniques and highly efficient toxicity assessment methods have brought out the stark reality that most of the pesticides are environmental hazards, besides leaving toxic residues in the crops at significant levels affecting human health. The biggest challenge facing man to day is how to increase the food supply by increasing the land productivity as well as cutting down waste due to predatory vectors. Experience of Sweden which has cut down the use of pesticides by almost half while managing increased yield levels and of Indonesia being able to reduce pesticide use in rice dramatically without affecting the yield are encouraging examples as to how mankind can achieve a zero level use one day without adversely affecting food production.

Ever since Sulfur powder was used as a pesticide in ancient Mesopotamia almost 5000 years ago, the pesticide manufacturing industry has traveled through different eras, succeeding each other through Pyrethrum and Rotanone from plants, nicotine sulfate from tobacco leaves, chemicals based on arsenic, mercury and lead and finally arriving at the post-1950 modern era where chemical pesticides derived from Organochlorine, Organophosphate and Carbamate became standards for crop protection in the farms. DDT which was used world-wide for many years was banned though in many countries it is still in use. It is estimated that around 2.5 million tons of synthetic chemicals are produced annually as crop protectants out of which more than 70% is accounted for by the industrialized countries. Due to extreme hostility to the practice of using chemical pesticides by the consumer community because of their poisonous nature, even production statistics are not easily available. FAO's International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides serves a useful purpose in laying down country-level control guidelines for developing countries. Similarly FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission periodically comes up with standards for pesticide residues in foods considered safe for human consumption.

Recent action by the US authorities in "progressively" banning a relatively well known pesticide called Aldicarb in the country can evoke bitter memories of the environmental tragedy in the Indian city of Bhopal in 1984, when more than 3000 people lost their life besides another 15000 maimed for life due to a massive management failure by the erstwhile Union Carbide, now a part of the MNC Dow Chemicals of USA. Release of 40 tons of the deadly Methyl Iso Cyanate gas from a severely rusted storage tank caused the tragedy and this is an intermediate compound in manufacturing carbamate pesticide including Aldicarb. Is it not an irony that it has taken more than 25 years after the tragedy for this most powerful country on earth, which pioneered Carbamate pesticide technology, to arrive at the inevitable conclusion that it is a dangerous pesticide? Or is that this country woke up to the dangers of Aldicarb only after 2000 people were affected by consuming Watermelon contaminated with this deadly chemical in 1985? In stead of immediately banning the chemical, bowing to industry pressure, American government has shown its apathy towards consumer safety by giving a phase out period to the manufacturer who can continue to market it till 2015!

Organic food industry which has been able to capture more than 2% of food market since its humble beginning two decades ago is based on zero use of chemical pesticides during production, storage and processing. There is no dispute about the relative safety of organic foods though their claim of superiority in terms of nutrition is some what far fetched. There are a number of alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides which include plant based substances with pesticidal activity, pheromone trapping of insects, microbial pesticides, composted yard waste with high carbon to nitrogen ratio and genetic engineered crops with built-in resistance to some pests. Bt crops are gaining increasing acceptance by the farming community, especially for sugar beets, cotton, corn etc and a substantial portion of world production is accounted for by them. However some serious long term safety and environment problems associated with GM crops cannot be wished away easily.

With progressive elimination of synthetic chemical pesticides due to their suspect safety credentials, a new area has opened up for development of new approaches in crop protection and there is an urgent need to consolidate the research activities going on globally in order to evolve acceptable protocols with no problem related to residue related toxicity and environmental pollution. Digging into traditional crop protection practices in Asia, Africa and South America with thousands of years of history behind them may provide many clues regarding safe practices of food conservation deployed by our ancestors which can be studied against the scientific knowledge available to day..

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

WASTAGE OF FOODS IN INDIA-THE NEVER ENDING "SAGA"!

Way back in early nineteen sixties, practically every food scientists in India were chanting the now familiar "mantra" that 35% of the country's food was being wasted and urgent measures were required to stop this enormous waste which would only assure food security. After billions of rupees spent on food conservation research during the last 50 years and successfully managing the Green Revolution that ensured plentiful supplies of food grains, is it not a quirk of irony that same "waste mantra" is still repeated ad naseum to day by the Minister for Food Processing Industry at the Center, who might not have been even borne at that time? There is no dearth of conservation technology in the country to prevent the waste and scientific design of grain storage structures is within the reach of the government, if it really desires to arrest the grain wastage. Unfortunately what is lacking is the political will and dynamism on the part of the government that obstructs a long term vision.

While scientists can be excused for raising the wastage bogey to justify their research programs and funding, it is a shame on the part of the government to continue to take this stand, without even carrying out a scientific study on extent of food wastage in the country, areas where such wastage occurs and the reasons for the same. But for the occasional expose by the media now and then, especially during rainy season, no one seems to be over concerned about the waste, if it really takes place. The "Save Grain Campaign" of the Food Ministry had spent millions of rupees in making farmers aware of the simple techniques of storage and conservation, especially in rural areas and it is doubt full whether there is really any waste of grains in the country side.

Then who is wasting them? Could it be Food Corporation of India and the State Ware Housing Corporations which procure grains, store them and supply to thousands of Ration Shops across the country? According to FCI annual report filed before Lok Sabha, wastage is placed at about 1% which could work out to less than a million ton. Recent Supreme Court intervention ordering GOI to distribute food grains being held by the agencies under it free of cost to poor hungry people does not speak well for a country like India with aspirations to become a super economic power one day. While pronouncing the order probably the learned judges do not seem to have been correctly informed about the "grain dynamics" and the concept of food security through buffer stocks. Food grains are vulnerable to infestation if not properly stored and fumigated with chemicals like Phosphine or Methyl Bromide. High moisture in the grains due to improper drying after harvest can attract fungal attack but it rarely happens unless unseasonal rains are encountered

According to the Minister "the level of wastage of agricultural food items is estimated to be 30-35% valued at about Rs. 30,000/- crores in the country, occurring at various stages of handling after harvesting due to fragmented farming, lack of adequate post-harvest infrastructure such as lack of cold storages / cold chain facilities, transportation, proper storage facilities etc". The pious and vague statement that "the wastage would be reduced by promoting the development of food processing, strengthening of post harvest infrastructure and filling the gaps in the supply chain" does not mean much except that the Minister has mastered the right vocabulary to impress his audience! The citizen in the country must have been sick hearing this statement because this has been the stand of GOI for the last 5 decades!

One difference this time that may be a source of hope for the Indian citizen is the fiscal provision in this year's budget for improving the cold storage infrastructure which is more relevant to handling of horticultural produce which is vulnerable to spoilage due to their high degree of perishability. If the cold storage and frozen food distribution facilities are strengthened spoilage of fruits and vegetables can be reduced significantly and if these schemes are implemented as promised, credit must be go to the government. But there is big "if" whether these grandiose plans materialize any time in the near future.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

WATER FLOURIDATION-THE SAFETY ISSUE

Dental decay is a common phenomenon to day amongst the population in some of the industrialized countries, probably due to the dietary changes which have taken place during the last 5 decades with sugar based products increasingly dominating the portfolio of processed food industry. It is estimated that practically the entire population in a country like the US suffer from some degree of tooth decay while this phenomenon is not that predominant in Europe. Dental decay is caused by bacterial plaques that develop between the teeth because of infection of the gum by microorganisms like Streptococcus mutans and some strains of Lactobacillus which thrive when the diet is rich carbohydrates mainly sugar, causing a drop in pH to about 5. At such an acidic environment the enamel material that coat the teeth are dissolved and lost damaging the tooth progressively. The legendary saying that "brush the teeth after each meal" is based on the effectiveness of removing the "food" for the bacteria left over by the meal promptly giving no cause for plaque formation. Besides almost all brands of tooth paste products contain fluorides that can help remineralization of the affected teeth.

Fluorides are known to inhibit dental decay and water used every day generally contains sufficient fluorides to afford protection to the teeth. But modern day water purification process removes practically all fluorides along with other undesirable inorganic salts to ensure its potability. After all fluoride is not proven to be an essential nutrient and there are no water standards which stipulate minimum or maximum levels permitted or mandatory. Mounting evidence about the role of fluorides in reducing tooth decay has persuaded many countries to take up "fluoridation" of water as a public health measure. Such a practice combined with use of fluoride containing tooth pastes is presumed to have halted the onslaught of dental decay in many parts of the world, benefiting over 400 million population. When water is not a convenient medium for fluoridation, others like salt, sugar, milk etc also can be candidates for mass fluoridation. Fluoride compounds Sodium Fluoride, Fluorosilicic acid and Sodium Fluorosilicate are commonly used as sources of fluoride.

As halogens are increasingly being shunned because of their carcinogenicity, fluoridation also is a suspect process in the eyes of many critics. However there is little evidence implicating this mineral in any serious health disorders. Defluoridation is still recommended when the fluoride content in water is abnormally high, especially in industrial areas, coal belts and deep under ground water. It is more or less agreed now that fluoridation of water @1 mg per liter is absolutely safe and adult human beings can tolerate a level of 0.1 mg per kg body weight. There are some organized groups still agitating for stopping compulsory water fluoridation, raising ethical and societal issues. However, if iodization of salt is accepted as a public health program to prevent mental retardation and development of goiter, there should not be any reservation about the fluoridation program too.

Fluoride absorbed by the body is circulated in the blood and when adequate fluoride intake is ensured, the saliva contains about 0.04 mg per ml of this chemical that can prevent dental decay. Under such a situation the fluoride in saliva reacts with the bacterial plaques dissolving the enamel substances and subsequently the affected teeth gets recoated with a thin layer of this solution as a part of the process of demineralization. Decay becomes a serious problem when demineralization rate exceeds remineralization pace over a period of few years. There are suggestions that Calcium present in water and Xylitol chewing gum can also retard dental decay but they can at best be complimentary to fluoridated water.

Traditional Indian practices of using neem sticks, mango leaves, charcoal powder mixed with camphor etc are known to maintain dental and gum health but very scant scientific supporting evidence is available regarding their mode of action. Most probably neem and mango may be acting as antibacterial while charcoal powder has the capacity to adsorb gases and very small particulate materials including bacteria, thus preventing the very process of plaque formation. Regular gargling with warm water after each meal has the salutary effect of flushing out residual food particles struck between the teeth and also forced removal of adhering bacteria without giving them any chance for colonization. Use of dental floss by many people serves the limited purpose of removing food particles which provide the source of food for the infectious bacteria.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

HORMONE "INDUCED" MILK PRODUCTION-FAR REACHING CONSEQUENCES ON CONSUMERS

The influence of foods manufactured by the process industry on well being of the citizens is always a controversial issue and the role of supply chain that delivers raw materials to the manufacturers of processed products often tends to be ignored. There are only a very few integrated processing facilities in the world where the conversion industry has tight control over the production of raw materials. Invariably the converter gets the bad name when the end product is found to be unsafe or unhealthy. Though some countries have developed strategies for identifying reasons for food tainting under mandatory Traceability Programs to get a clear picture of the flow of raw materials from the farm to the dining table of the consumer, it may be impractical for many developing countries to adopt such IT enabled traceability practices. Imagine the situation in a country like India where hundreds of dairy facilities process millions of liters of pooled milk, sourced from thousands of small producers, each owning a few cows or buffaloes! If there is a safety problem with the pasteurized milk coming out of these dairies, is it ever possible to trace the source of the problem beyond the four walls of the affected dairy?

In the absence of a traceability system it is necessary for the safety enforcement authorities or the veterinary services in the country to oversee farm production facilities to prevent abusive practices that will have health consequences when processed and delivered to the consumers. Frequent incidences of contamination of meat products, especially the frozen versions, with Salmonella and other pathogens in the US can be attributed to ineffective inspection efforts of USDA and probably this has led to the development of traceability system to pinpoint the culprits when such episodes occur. While meat industry's problem is amenable to mending with stricter controls and inspections as well as the new traceability regime. what about the safety of products from the dairy industry which has the de facto "license" to supply milk products from the farms which use undesirable but permitted practices to produce milk with doubtful safety credentials? Dairy industry is at cross roads to day, especially in the US and China where bovine growth hormone (BGH) is legally permitted for injection into milch cattle for increasing the yield.

From a meager production of just 1000 liters of milk per cow in an year four decades ago, American Jersey cows to day produce about 20000 liters, a 20 fold increase mainly because of use of BGH injection and antibiotics in the feeds. Dairy industry is a high profit line because of these technological developments for which American farms are indebted to the Bio-tech giant Monsanto Chemicals. Such developments have enabled both the dairy industry and Monsanto to laugh all the way to their banks! But at what cost to the consumer? The wide spread fear about the emerging breed of pathogens resistant to many antibiotics commonly used to treat many infectious diseases prevalent amongst human beings, is reaching crisis proportion and this has been attributed to the prevailing practice of use of of these antibiotics in animal feeds for increasing yield of milk as well as to keep a few animal diseases away. Unless such a practice is banned immediately through a global consensus, mankind is indeed hurtling towards a disaster of unparalleled dimension within the next few years.

Though Monsanto does not agree that its BGH could cause any harm, scientific evidence is accumulating to show that its claim is not true. BGH, when injected into the cow, produces a hormone called Insulin-like Growth Factor -1 (IGF-1) in the milk which is stable at pasteurization temperatures and also resistant to human digestive enzymes in the stomach finding its way to the blood system. Monsanto which produces BGH through genetic engineering technology has itself found evidence to show that there is a 10-fold increase in IGF-1 level in cows injected with its hormone. While the role of IGF-1 in developing some forms of cancer is well documented, what is startling is the recent reports from China indicting IGF-1 present in infant food formula for puberty symptoms detected in babies aged between 18 months and 4 years. Earlier reports from Porto Rico also indicated such early puberty symptoms in babies consuming milk formula containing IGF-1.

If these findings are corroborated by more studies, use of BGH must be banned internationally and Monsanto must be held accountable for this tragedy since they were aware about the IGF-1 spiking in the milk from BGH treated cows and still claimed the milk is safe. What is disturbing is the insensitivity of the governments in countries like the US and China about the consequences of giving free run to an industry like Monsanto to ruin the futures of innocent young children. The unfortunate consumers in the US has not even the choice of avoiding such milk in the market place as no mandatory labeling provision exists in the country. A redeeming feature is that they have at least access to organic milk which is produced under natural conditions using neither chemicals nor other undesirable inputs. citizens in Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and many European countries are lucky in that their governments are more sensitive about consumer welfare as they have banned the use of BGH in their cattle population.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"COFFEE PODS"-THE NEW APPROACH TO MAKING THE BEVERAGE

Coffee is a much valued stimulating beverage known to human beings for hundreds of years. It is generally brewed with hot water to get a beverage that can be consumed with or without milk. World-wide over 7 million tons of coffee are produced annually by a dozen countries and major producers include Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India and Mexico, almost 30% of production accounted for by Brazil. The drinking habits of coffee vary from country to country but broadly these beverages are made from roasted and ground coffee beans followed by extraction with hot water. A decent brew can be made by either boiling the coffee powder with water or steeping in hot water or by pressure extraction. While western palates relish a coffee without milk, in countries like India coffee is invariably drunk after whitening with milk.

Coffee aroma is made of over 800 organic substances and end flavor will depend largely on the variety of beans, extent of roasting and extraction method. In India coffee connoisseurs prefer dark roasted coffee powder and strong brew for getting full enjoyment. Traditionally in rural areas and in low income population house holds, coffee brew is made by boiling the powder with water and decantation of the supernatant. Use of coffee filter is prevalent in many house holds of the southern India which consists of an upper filter chamber and a tight fitting lower collecting cup. The decoction so obtained is considered excellent in terms of color and aroma. Indian Coffee Board, once enjoying monopoly for procurement and auctioning of coffee beans, was in the fore front in promoting coffee in the northern tea belt of the country but with its role increasingly being curtailed under the free trade philosophy of the country. To day many consumers have neither the time nor the inclination to go through the decoction making "ritual" that is so closely associated with good coffee and rely entirely on instant coffee products available readily in the market. Coffee making contraptions, whether electrical or manual are used to a limited extent in India, though in developed countries they are a regular fixture in many kitchens.

Soluble coffee or instant coffee is manufactured in the country by two major multinational companies with practically no competition from others. The process involves pressure extraction of roasted and ground coffee under pressure with steam which yields more than 50% soluble solids making the manufacturing a profitable business. Traditional extraction does not yield more than 20% solids because of single extraction with hot water, the temperature never exceeding 100C and loss of volatiles is minimum under such conditions. A comparison in cup quality between beverages made from instant coffee and filter coffee will bring out the fact that soluble coffee process causes a significant portion of volatiles to be lost. But consumer is still accepting this product because of the convenience factor. "Three in one" coffee available in some countries is based on soluble coffee, whitener and sugar and the product, though of high convenience, is not liked by regular coffee drinkers because of incipient taste and flavor. Coffee bags, similar to tea bags, are relatively new entrant to attract consumer attention but except for the convenience, it cannot compare with normally made coffee beverage.

Coffee pods, now becoming popular, have a sizable market with practically all the coffee majors offering them to the consumer under their brand names. The list include some of the big names in coffee market such as Starbucks, Folgers, Senseo, Keurig, Nestle, Mars Inc, Cafitaly, A Modo, Mio etc. and in spite of the fact that these pods require appropriate preparation gadgets to get coffee brew, they seem to be growing in popularity, probably because of the convenience factor. Coffee pods are prepacked and sealed plastic cups with their own filter and ready to brew powder inside and are used in special machines where they are punctured at the top as well as the bottom for infusion with steam generated in situ. The brewed coffee drains into the glass mug positioned below the pod. The pod is discarded as it is a single use cartridge type product. Since the pods are hermetically sealed, the chances of the aroma, being lost are low and some manufacturers even flush the pod with nitrogen before sealing. Also flavored coffee pods are also possible using different flavor blends. One of the problems facing the coffee pod manufacturers is the large volume of waste generated though attempts are being made to find alternative recyclable pods which of course presents another problem of collection logistics from the premises of the users.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

KETTLE-COOKED POTATO CHIPS-WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

The humble potato chips, liked universally by the old and the young alike and made in almost all the countries in the world, can boast of an origin back in 1853 and the popular snack has never looked back since then. It took almost 100 years for the chips to be made with seasonings and to day there are a number of flavored versions in the markets of different countries depending on the preferences of the consumers there. Though making any fried product appears to be a relatively easy job, making chips from potato has many nuances, evolved over the last 160 years. Called Chips in many countries, the same product goes under a different name in the UK and Ireland where it is known as crisps. If the fried product in slice form can be referred to as chips, there are similar products made from sweet potatoes, mainly in Korea and Japan, from Parsnips, Beetroot and Carrots in the UK and from Plantain, Cassava, Yam in India. Some varieties of Plantain are processed into chips in the American Hemisphere and are marketed under the names Chifles or Tostones. A new breed of potato based products made by mashing, extrusion and frying are gaining popularity lately and these products are referred in the US as crisps. Potato sticks refer to products made by cutting the raw material into thin stick form before frying. Sticks are made from Cassava also in some countries.

Frying is a simple process but the science involved is not as simple as being imagined. The eating quality of the fried product depends to a large extent, on the variety of potato used, pre-processing steps, nature of frying oil, ratio of oil to the material fried, temperature of the frying oil and duration of cooking. Traditionally in India during the potato season when the prices are very low, many house holds buy them in large quantities to process into sun-dried slices for making fried chips through out the year. Though the product so made has crisp texture, it cannot be compared to the modern commercially made fresh chips in eating quality. But it still serves a purpose in that farmers and consumers have at their disposal a technique that can preserve potatoes for a few months under ambient conditions without spoilage. One of the most studied aspects of frying is the undesirable changes taking place in the oil at temperatures in the range of 160C-200C commonly used by the manufacturers, causing thermal damage and repeated use of such oils can even make the product unsafe for consumption. Oxidation, pyrolysis, polymerization and interactions amongst the artifacts change the characteristics of the oil irreversibly calling for utmost caution in managing frying operations. Incorporation of antioxidants like BHA, TBHQ, Propyl Gallate etc can retard oxidation of oil during frying. Fry Powder, a proprietary frying aid based on diatomaceous earth, used by many chips makers, is known to prevent formation of polar compounds during frying enhancing product quality and shelf life while reducing oil absorption during frying.

The tendency for potato slices to change color when exposed to air was one of the early technological challenges for the industry which was found to be due to chemical reaction between sugar and free amino acids present in the potato. While blanching in hot water can inactivate the enzyme system, chemical reaction can be pre-empted only if suitable varieties with low glucose content are used as raw material. Cold stored potatoes, available all year round, cannot be used immediately for chip making as they have high accumulated tissue glucose which has to be brought down by "curing" at ambient temperature for some time. Similarly potatoes with higher specific gravity ( more than 1.1), generally the typical feature of a mature crop, can reduce oil content very significantly during frying compared to those with lower specific gravity. Generally raw materials with dry matter content beyond 24% gives a low oil containing fried chips while during the preparation thinner the slice higher will be the oil uptake. Pre-gelatinization before frying proper also can bring down oil absorption by the product during processing.

Old traditional process of making potato chips was invariably batch type with small quantities fried in a kettle and process control aspects were never given much attention. By experience and skill developed over a long period, artisan entrepreneurs made kettle cooked chips which were much superior to that made by modern day continuous processes and this led to demand by the market for similar chips. The innovation in slicing whereby, in stead of straight slices, corrugated type of slices with greater thickness, gave more crispier and better crunchy product which more or less compared well with kettle cooked chips. But kettle cooked chips still scored over all other versions and many large scale manufacturers sensing the market demand started making chips with eating quality similar to kettle cooked chips with the result there are many reputed brands of such chips in the market. There are many techniques that can achieve the quality desired and slow cooking at lower temperatures invariably gave a better textured product. In some processes two stage frying is adopted where the slices are fried at low temperature first, followed by cooing and removal of the adhering oil before the second frying at a higher temperature. Probably during the first frying, only gelatinization of potato starch takes place while second frying imparts color and the typical taste. Oil content in kettle cooked chips is always less to the extent of 15-20% probably due to the pre-gelatinization taking place during the initial slow frying period. Even the crunchy taste typical of kettle cooked chips can be attributed to this subtle difference in frying process. Though kettle cooked chips give the impression that they are hand made, industrial scale manufacture is managed with high capacity continuous automated plants.

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

B2B "WHOLESALE" MARKETING-AN INITIATIVE WORTH ENCOURAGING

Foreign direct investment in retail sector is still a hot topic of discussion in the corridors of power at Delhi with the opponents taking rigid stands on the issue. Though GOI will have to eventually "give in" to international pressure for opening up its retail sector to outsiders, it has purchased some time by allowing such investments for whole sale marketing with the German player Metro Cash & Carry entering the country in 2002-03. Now it is the turn of the American retail giant Walmart to try its luck through the whole sale route with the hope of eventual entry into the retailing to capture Indian market. But its entry has attracted some undesirable attention from the antagonists of foreign retailers. The joint venture between the American retailer and the local tele-communication icon Bharti group is positioned as a whole sale business entity.

The very definition of wholesale indicates that it is a form of business where the seller offers goods on sale or resale of goods without any form of transformation to retailers, industrial and commercial buyers, institutional or professional users or to other wholesalers. It is very true that wholesale marketing operations do not cover direct sale to the consumers if it is interpreted strictly. How ever in practice such an arrangement has scope for deviation and it should not come as a surprise if some consumers, a minuscule number, get benefit through access to such wholesale outlets. Government of India policy at present lets only "single brand" wholesalers, whatever that means, to enter India through a local majority stake holding partner, for doing business. Probably all the products sold are to be offered under one brand, "Best Price Modern Whole Sale", after procuring different branded products from the manufacturers. Walmart already has a wholesale marketing format working in the US under the bran Sam's Club and the experience it has accumulated in sourcing and organizing merchandise will be of great help in making the new venture a formidable player in the business landscape of India.

According to some critics the entry of Walmart under the garb of wholesale is a truce to establish their dominance in the country and the visibility they get now can be an investment for future as and when the country's retail market is thrown open to foreign companies. What is forgotten is that the stores already opened in Punjab by "Bharti Walmart Stores" carry an amazing range of products hitherto not available in any store in India, offering wide business opportunities to small business sector to expand their business portfolio. The allegation that the new company is doing retail selling in spite of the bar on doing that, is very difficult to sustain just because a few customers get access to their stores and even this happens the volume must be so insignificant that it is not worth bickering about.

Involvement of local wholesalers, some of them involved in speculative trading and price manipulations could be behind such "inspired reporting". Indians are adept in beating any organized system and a few individuals taking advantage of the low prices of goods in these stores should not be the basis of serious accusations. As a precautionary step these stores have stipulated a minimum buying of goods worth Rs 500 at a go which a stiff bar for most of the ordinary consumers in the country.

Walmart entered India in 2009 and the joint venture has already three stores in Amritsar, Zirakpur and Chandigarh in Punjab. The business is transacted based on enrollment of members who have to produce proof of sales tax registration that can qualify them for membership. That the stores have become popular is indisputable as they have been able to enroll 20000 to 35000 members already and are doing brisk business beyond expectations. Another allegation which surfaced recently accuses the company of not checking the credentials and type of business of those who are being given cards to buy from their stores and its system of providing two complimentary cards for every business or institutional membership is being abused by many which is nothing but direct sale to the consumer. it is further alleged that all sorts of businessmen, ranging from property dealers to cloth merchants, have taken membership of these B2B stores and their families are indulging in retail buying. With the store selling only to businessmen, shop-owners and institutional buyers, who hold cards furnished against their sales tax PIN, there are insinuations that PINs are even acquired illegally to qualify for the famed Walmart card.

Without joining the issue on the desirability or otherwise of allowing foreign retailing players into India, it can be safely said that the local stores which are supposed to be affected by the dominance of large retailers do not seem to be too much concerned and on the contrary they are bound to be benefited because of their strength in "personal service" and loyalty from their customers. Besides they can always access good quality products from from the big retailers in metropolitan areas for stocking their shops in remote rural areas where the big fishes may have very little interest. In stead of criticizing such initiatives, there is every justification for encouraging such wholesale market players in different regions of the country which is bound to strengthen the local retail traders in a significant way.

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

FOOD SAFETY WITH "INSURANCE"-EMERGING RESTAURANT SCENARIO IN DELHI

Restaurant goers in India rarely imagine that food served to them can pose health dangers of different type because there is no credible system that ensures regular inspection of these establishments for corrective measures in the facilities and safety compliance. According to the present practices, any one intending to set up a restaurant has to get a license from the local health authorities in the municipality presided over by a health official who has to inspect the facilities with regard to the cleanliness and other aspects of the establishment. Once the restaurant starts functioning the same group, often grossly understaffed, are supposed to monitor the quality of foods served with regard to their safety to the consumers but such inspections are far and few giving practically a free hand to the restaurants in running the establishment. Because there are not serious calamity reported in the media, every one assumes that restaurant foods are safe. Are they?

Probably there are thousands of violations of food safety regulations that go unnoticed and the Indian consumers must have developed a high degree of resistance to any microbial hazard posed by these foods. Being a resilient society, Indian customer rarely complains which further strengthens the belief by the restaurant operators that every thing is fine. Only time violations surface is when flies are found in coffee or cockroach parts are seen in food preparations or other visible signs of food contamination. If stomach upsets or similar minor ailments are noticed after a visit to a restaurant, invariably they are attributed to other causes as it takes at least 24 hours for the symptoms to manifest. Added to this, the consumers, most of them are never aware of the authorities with whom any complaint has to be filed as there are no display of the address or the phone details of the local health authority and even if complaints are made by a diligent customer, it is almost certain that nothing will out of it. Such a situation creates an environment when the consumers take all the incidences of safety hazards in their stride. The PFA Act 1956 does contain stringent provisions for deterrent punishment but in practice such indictments are far and few but almost all cases booked are for breaking standards like fat in milk,moisture in dal, adulterated ghee, edible oil quality etc which at least does not pose serious health hazards. Probably it is much easier to book these cases than hauling up the operators foods contaminated with pathogens.

Is there no remedy for such a situation? The organization of Commonwealth Games in Deli in October 2010 appears to have provided an impetus for at least thinking of improving the safety compliance by the restaurant sector because of the imminent visit by many foreign participants who are supposed to have more delicate "stomach" than Indians, vulnerable to contaminated foods. The FSSAI had announced almost an year ago that Delhi restaurants would be provided with a system of grading that would be displayed prominently for the customers to decide before entering whether the establishment is trustworthy. Since the scheme was voluntary not even a single restaurant bothered to register for getting the grade, probably because of doubts in their own mind regarding the quality of infrastructure they have vis-a-vis the ability to maintain the standards expected. It is possible that the authorities may eventually go for making such grading mandatory. Of course safety of restaurant foods is a concern not only in India but all over the world for which many remedies are suggested from time to time. Unfortunately the problem in India is much more serious than that in many other countries. Even water served in most of the restaurants is not trustworthy regarding its potability and very few customers drink water in restaurants because of fear of stomach infection.

A ray of hope is emerging with the involvement of private sector in assessing the quality of a restaurant, beginning in Delhi because of the imminent Commonwealth Games. These private players are aiming to do something concrete so that foreign tourists get foods of international standards in food safety and hygiene during this period. The new program,under the banner 'Safe Food Destination', has been launched by the consultancy TQS Global Management System under which restaurants can voluntarily get themselves registered under the program for an year. Auditing and Monitor teams of the TSQ is assuring the restaurant owners that they would help them in maintaining food safety by educating staff through workshops, interaction and consultations. Under a scoring system a restaurant has to obtain a minimum of 40% in order to obtain a food safety certificate from TQS.

Basic facts regarding food safety practices involved in buying good quality raw materials, safe handling methods, precautions in storing, cleaning up of the facilities, personnel hygiene etc are expected to be dinned into the ears of the staff. The agency would be awarding the marks which is expected to go up every time its auditing team comes for inspection. A 75% mark will translate into silver grading, 85% getting golden while 95% would be eligible for the highest grade of platinum. One of the remarkable features of this scheme is the provision for some form of a consumer insurance which is new in a country like India which entitles the consumer to prefer limited claims towards any mishap or illness arising out of food safety issues in TQS registered outlets. This can be expected to give some peace of mind to the consumers as he is insured against any health injury arising out of food borne disease which puts only limited liability on the restaurant. In case of illness after eating at a registered member's restaurant, TQS will probe the incident and if found guilty of violation of safety norms, the registration is liable be cancelled. Unlike FSAAI's scheme, the agency claims that many restaurants in Delhi are registering with them for the program.

The initiative by the private sector is indeed laudable and it must be encouraged by the government. TSQ has good credentials as a quality management player with successes achieved in other countries like Bulgaria and Maldives in this area and even if FSSAI wants to continue with its own scheme, the private sector must be allowed to continue the operation which should be taken as complimentary to strengthen safety assurance programs in the country. Such programs must be extended to all over the country, though the movement may be some what slow to begin with. Probably more organizations in the private sector need to be roped in for such a system with pan India foot print. Even if the private ventures do succeed eventually, it will still have limited spread as only high end restaurants may be able to afford the certification system which costs about Rs 50000 for registration leaving more than 80% of the restaurants out side the ambit of such voluntary surviellance. The responsibility of the government to enforce safety standards in this segment still remains and the infrastructure for fulfilling this obligation must be strengthened.

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

FOOD GRAIN MOUNTAINS-INDIA'S WOES

India continues to be an intriguing country when it comes to food and hunger. On one hand there are millions of its population supposed to be starving because of food shortage. But if the gross production of food grains is taken into consideration, the per capita availability is more than adequate to meet the energy needs of an individual as per international health norms. Unfortunately the skewed storage and distribution realities combined with inadequate purchasing power with a substantial part of the population affects adversely regular access to the foods available in the market. Added to this the market manipulations by the traders and middlemen continuously escalate the food prices as reflected by the inflation presently experienced in the country.

Thanks to the Green Revolution India became one of the largest producers of wheat, a stark contrast to the old PL-480 days, when imported wheat made up a significant portion of wheat availability. If per capita consumption rate is taken into consideration the country produces sufficient food grains for the entire population. As the production is heavily dependent on Monsoon rains there were shortfalls in production periodically necessitating imports to some extent, at prices much higher than the local procurement price, expending precious foreign exchange. The past experience does not seem to have taught any lesson and the present production glut is again posing serious logistical problem to GOI in saving the grains from spoilage. The situation is probably desperate which seems to have provoked the Supreme Court of the country to wonder whether these surplus grains should not be distributed to the poor and hungry in the country in stead of allowing to rot in the open. Probably such an approach may help relieving the food inflation currently hovering around 16% due to insufficient quantity circulating in the market. It appears that, while the learned judges felt that wasting even a single grain is a crime, the insensitive political class probably is not that much concerned about the unfortunate situation prevailing in the country.

A critical look at the present grain scenario brings out the startling fact that the government agencies vested with the responsibility of grain procurement in the country is holding about 59 million tons (mt), mostly wheat and rice, under their custody, a quantity sufficient to meet the needs of more than 15% of the population for a period of 12 months. While the existing grain storage facilities can hardly hold about 42 mt, remaining portion is stored under temporary, improvised storage facilities, commonly known as CAP storage where tarpaulins over the grain sacks provide some protection from the elements. As per the food security norms and the buffer stock policy of the government only 20 mt of food grains are to be held perpetually for meeting unforeseen future contingencies. Ban on exports of food grains in 2007 also contributed to this food surplus situation and any revocation of this ban can have an inflationary effect on world food grain prices. If critics are to be believed about 10 mt of these grains are likely to be lost due to rotting, infestation and other vectors.

The above unenviable situation seems to have put the government in a great dilemma as to what needs to be done. It already has a scheme to distribute rice and wheat at vastly reduced prices to those families branded as Below Poverty Line (BPL) but whether all the deserving beneficiaries are receiving their share is a matter of speculation given the poor management, monitoring and accountability associated with grain distribution. Though the Cricket-obsessed Food Minister has declared his "plans" to introduce RFI tagging system to improve the distribution, when this will happen remains to be seen. Building of storage infrastructure for food grains should have been taken on a priority and present pitiable condition is the result of years of neglect of this infrastructural need. The graphic image of food grains rotting outside a warehouse in Jaipur while liquor was being stored inside is still fresh in the memory of many discerning citizens literally causing revulsion at the situation brought about by the inefficient management of grain storage and distribution in the country.

Probably government may have to go for some sort of a Private-Public Partnership in boosting the storage capacity without further loss of time. Private sector is sure to come to the help of the government provided long term commitment is made to use their storage structures guaranteeing them a minimum return on their investments. The cold storage industry in the private sector has large capacity built over the years for commodities like fresh produce, largely potato, apple, fruits and vegetables, spices and condiments and other perishable items and there does not appear to be any dearth of business for them. Resorting to CAP storage developed years ago for temporary storage of grains in places where vast areas are available with concrete flooring cannot be a long term solution because of many logistical considerations. Not only it requires frequent fumigation to keep away infestation which can destroy the quality in no time, if not properly protected, its vulnerability to pilferage can be a serious handicap.

It was not many years ago that India was in a similar situation with surplus food stocks and one of the options considered then was to use them for converting into alcohol for industrial use but this option was not exercised for some reasons. Another suggestion was to move them to cooler climates near the foot hills of Himalayas, probably an over ambitious scheme considering the lack of infrastructure for the transport and the likely cost involved. As is usual with the government, every thing is forgotten once the crisis passes till yet another arrives. Hopefully the current serious situation may yet spur the government to create additional grain storage facilities like Silos and Concrete ware houses which after all permanent assets of the country.

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

FOOD INDUSTRY WAKING UP TO HRD REALITIES-INDIAN DEVELOPMENT

The quality and quantity of manpower deployed by Indian food industry never received the attention it deserved so far which has resulted in lop-sided development of this vital sector. The exercise by the industry association in assessing this aspect vis-a-vis food industry is indeed timely. The manufacturing industry needs workers for low end operations for managing day to day production activity while qualified personnel are required for supervision and coordination. There are many teaching "shops" in the country with practically no facilities awarding "degrees" and according to FICCI these graduates are not found adequately "equipped" to manage their operations efficiently. It is a sad reflection on the food technology teaching system in the country which is caught in a time warp, not moving with time and ignorant of modern developments in the subject. The report is timely and highly relevant and AICTE or UGC or HRD Ministry or the MFPI must give due consideration to the suggestions made by the industry. Here is what the FICCI has to say on the subject.

According to news reports, FICCI "sought government intervention to set up a dedicated fund and a high level panel for faster development of the $181- billion food processing sector that is reeling under acute shortage of skilled manpower. The rising demand for specific skill sets and available supply has eroded the competitiveness of the sector, the survey based study of Ficci said. The study on Rising Skill Demand: A Major Challenge for Indian Food Industry, reveals that about 60 per cent of the 250 participant firms were not satisfied with their employees' current level of technical skills and knowledge. As the sector is projected to become a $285-billion industry by 2015, it would face further pressure on the manpower front, the study said, adding the sector would require 23 lakh production managers, engineers, quality controllers and R&D specialists. "Meeting this demand would be challenging, since 80 per cent of the total work force in the food processing sector comprises people having lower-end skill set," it said. Due to lucrative job opportunities in other sectors, there was scarcity of production managers and engineers in this sector, which needs to be addressed, said the study".

In the survey conducted by FICCI,"Respondents felt that the courses offered by various institutions are outdated and it was imperative to review the course curriculum to match industry expectations. "The government should immediately formulate a task force of all the stakeholders...to get the course curriculum across all institutions and training institutes reviewed and updated," it said. The chamber also felt there was a need for immediate adoption of ITI's by the food processing industry in various clusters to upgrade the lower-end skills. Besides, the government should allocate separate budget for human resource development for the sector for enhancing and upgrading skills, it said. The food processing industry should partner with food technology/processing institutes on a pilot basis for up gradation of higher-end skills, it suggested".

Food industry is different from other sectors because of the high priority accorded to safety of the products they make and their influence on the consumer health. The suggestion to integrate the ITI schools with production clusters is eminently practical. The biggest hindrance in improving the quality of personnel is the grossly inadequate training infrastructure available at almost all institutions and even in a few case where there are some minimal facilities these are invariably outdated and obsolete. How can any one expect products from such moribund training institutions to be able to work in industry about which they have no prior clue. Hundreds of ITIs presently working in the country must be asked to add certification courses specialized in food processing and such trained personnel will meet the needs of the industry for floor level operations.

Probably MFPI of GOI must undertake a fast exercise to estimate the HR needs of food industry from qualitative as well as quantitative perspectives and a massive infusion of funds is absolutely necessary to upgrade the training infrastructure by setting up small scale multi-operation machinery for hands on experience. Involvement of industry will be useful and since FICCI has raised this issue, this is the ripe time to strike a deal with them to offer training avenues for graduates in their processing facilities. The course content must be drastically altered and completion of graduation must be linked to a minimum apprenticeship of 6 months to 1 year in an active industry for inculcating the industry culture. Active steps also are called for upgrading the skills and knowledge base of the teaching community that will shape future food technologists.

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