Russia's Buckwheat crunch-Real scarcity or fear of shortage?

The recent headline news about the panic that has gripped Russia over the reported scarcity of Buckwheat in the market raises a pertinent question as to why Russians are so obsessed with this pseudo grain which after all is not related to real wheat? While wheat is produced all over the world in terms of millions of tons and most western countries eat wheat as their staple, why Russians prefer Buck wheat over real wheat? As against an estimated annual global wheat production of about 715 million tons (mt), Buck wheat production was a measly 2.3 mt! Still an economic power like Russia feels threatened by a temporary shortage of this food grain! It is difficult to hazard a guess regarding the reason for this strange phenomenon though one can attribute this affinity for Buckwheat to historical facts dating back to the Russian Empire.

Buck wheat is known to mankind as far back as 8000 years ago and there is ample evidence to substantiate this fact. There was a time when Russians were growing and consuming as much as 6.5 mt of Buckwheat, about hundred years ago which started sliding down to about 4.5 mt in 1970 and production of Buckwheat in present day Russia is hardly 0.8 mt. It is China which took a gigantic step forward in growing this food grain producing about 0 .72 mt, a close second to Russia followed by Ukraine, an erstwhile part of Soviet Union recording a production of 0.28 mt. Probably Chinese must have taken up growing of Buckwheat largely for export to Russia. What has led to the present hysteria among Russian population to buy the grain in large quantities for stocking, may be speculation and rumors about shortage caused by the biting economic sanctions imposed by the western powers on Russia to punish it for its transgressions in neighboring Ukraine. One is reminded of the great salt shortage 4 decades ago in Soviet Union which also drove the people to stock salt which was later emptied into the drains causing heavy choking of drains in places like Moscow! One can attribute this to the "siege" mentality among the Russians to the bitter experience they had during the Communist rule when every consumer item was in short supply due to systemic flaws in the economy. Also the actual production of Buckwheat has declined this year by about 20% compared to last year due to wide scale drought reported in the growing regions of the country.

Buckwheat is a nutritious food grain, probably much better than the conventional wheat and being a staple food Russians are better off in terms of their over all health index. Added to this they are heavy meat eaters and the versatility of Buckwheat in blending with almost all other foods lends itself to ready acceptability across all segments of population. Its high protein content of about 18% ( non gluten), high nutritional quality of Biological Value over 92% and ample presence of minerals like Iron, Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc and high antioxidant content including the unique Rutin makes Buckwheat a nutritionist's dream food. Further presence of a rare biochemical, D-chiro-inositol DCI), a component of the secondary messenger pathway for insulin signal transduction makes it a deserving candidate for treating Type II diabetes in humans. Generally diabetics lack DCI in their system and consumption of Buckwheat is suggested as a therapy for ameliorating diabetic conditions significantly.  

Industrial use of Buckwheat is showing an increase for some time now as it is used by some brewers to make gluten free beer catering to those allergic to gluten. Buckwheat has similar malting characteristics comparable to that of barley. in the US Buckwheat is attracting more and more attention as a health food, some describing it as the "world's healthiest food". Besides, the explosive growth of gluten-free food industry there, it has found a ready ally in this grain and demand for it is bound to grow in the coming years. The proteins found in Buckwheat flour act as a functional ingredient in food formulations with reported claims that it reduces plasma cholesterol, body fat and cholesterol in gallstones. Many nutrition experts agree with the view that a daily intake of 100 gm of Buckwheat can consistently lower serum cholesterol levels significantly, lower LDL values and elevate HDL levels which is attributed to the presence of Rutin, a well established antioxidant in the grain.    

As far as Russians are concerned Buckwheat has values beyond that which makes it a good and balanced food. For them it is a "national idea". Though it was cultivated and introduced to Russia by early Mughal invaders in 13th century, it being the main food of Byzantine monks, Russia readily accepted Buck wheat giving it the name "Grechka". Today Buck wheat is consumed in Russia in many forms like porridge for breakfast, mixed with chopped liver for lunch in preparations for dinner and in a variety of other ways. It is ubiquitous in restaurants, cafeterias, schools, hospitals, military barracks, prisons and in almost every house hold. Naturally having got used to it no wonder Russians are panicking at the first sign of scarcity as they did with salt 4 decades ago!

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

"FOODPOLIS" in South Korea-India is still at the "Food Park stage!

India is considered a super power when it comes to production of agricultural, horticultural, plantation crops, sugarcane, milk and livestock during the last one decade. But when it comes to processing of most of these materials originating from its backyard, the country does not acquit itself creditably well, with most of the raw materials undergoing only primary processing with very little value addition. While most developed nations process their raw materials to the extent of 60-80%, India does not even process 20% of its field crops into high value products. Probably conservative dietary habits, predominance of poverty and low purchasing power may be inhibiting the development of food processing sector to the desired extent. Added to this a disorganized farm front, poor infrastructure, shortage of power and water, scarcity of farm labor and semi literate farmers worsen the problem further.

Food industry in India always claim that it cannot realize its full potential in contributing much more to the economy because of difficulties in accessing good quality raw materials near their processing facilities. This is a fairly argued stand and the major reason is the tendency of the industry to concentrate in and around urban areas in stead of setting up their shop near the growing area. Besides a typical farmer holds only about 2 acres of land and this size may not be an economically viable one making the farmer surviving with hand to mouth existence. There is no place for quality parameters for the produce they grow and most of these crops raised are intended for table consumption. The existing land acquisition regulations do not permit the purchase of agricultural land by any one but another agriculturist with annual income less than Rs 2 lakh! What an anachronism in a country which aspires to become a global economic power challenging others like USA, China etc! With the new government in office during the last 6 months, nothing seems to have changed much from what has been in vogue as far as land acquisition is concerned. Unless big players with processing experience and deep purse are allowed to set up large mechanized farms or organize large agricultural cooperatives, nothing much can be expected in boosting food industry development in the country.

Major processors, most of them foreign players, have realized the need for backward integration with the farms and have made their own arrangements for ensuring adequate supply of raw materials of right quality through prior arrangements with farmers near their facilities. It is not that Indian policy makers are not aware of this reality but some how they never bothered so far to set right the situation when it comes to linking producer with the processor. One has to look at the thriving sugar industry in the country which is fortunate in getting enacted appropriate laws to compel growers of sugar cane to surrender their crops at a predetermined government decided price, euphorically called Minimum Support Price (MSP), supposed to be for protecting the interest of the growers. The result is there for all to see and to day India is the top producer of raw sugar in the world. This has happened in spite of bad facilities for transporting the sugar cane to the crushing plants, often involving long distances of transportation! 

Assuming that Governments at the center as well as at the state levels do nothing to improve the situation there are still millions of entrepreneurs who are willing to get into the food industry taking their own risk and it is already happening at the ground level. It appears more than 75% of the food market is controlled by players in the so called unorganized sector though every Tom, Dick and Harry who is some body in the international food manufacturing scenario has operations in India also, not able to obliterate these small scale players! The so called free economy favoring a capitalistic society ushered into the country during early nineteen nineties did reduce the predominance of agriculture over other sectors but it did not douse the entrepreneurial spirits among domestic population with the industry registering impressive growth rates during the last two decades. It is true that Government of India (GoI) wanted to encourage growth of food industry and even set up a dedicated ministry to "oversee" its development as best as it could see. Unfortunately its vision was not far sighted and probably it thought creating a "ministry" would automatically facilitate the development without any cohesive and realistic thinking and inputs. One such "brainer" was the "Food Parks" concept lifted from the examples in the UK, China and other countries which is being tom tommed as its star program for the last 15 years..

In stead of a holistic approach, GoI thought disbursing funds as subsidies through the "ministry"would help industry to prosper! Alas, see what has happened, or rather what has not happened. After earmarking huge funds to set up such "parks", only 2 out of the 40 and odd "parks" sanctioned since 2000 are able to show some thing as a positive outcome so far. In stead of providing facilities like water supply, uninterrupted power, world class roads, reliable communication net work, helpful policy support GoI thrust the responsibility on private players many of whom were interested only in the land which was becoming "hot cakes" as an investment attraction in the country. In contrast the whole world is looking with envy the initiative in a country like Korea which is setting up world's largest food cluster in Iksan on its south west coast with easy access to China and Japan. The incentives being doled out are mind boggling while making their offer of providing sites within this cluster, aptly called "Foodpolis" because of its mega size. 

Foodpolis will possess a number of clear advantages to investors, It appears some 60 cities with a population of 1 million or more are located within a two-hour flight from the site of this project. The complex itself is very close to Korea's major airports and seaports, and the country's highways and high-speed KTX trains capable of high speed mobility. Tariff rates have been lowered significantly following Korea's implementation of free trade agreements with 47 different countries, including two major accords with the European Union and the United States. Foodpolis is also being established with a comprehensive support network that will include three state-funded research centers, including the Food Functionality Evaluation Center, Food Quality and Safety Center and Food Packaging Center. R&D will also be closely aligned with food institutes nationwide. In addition, firms locating in the cluster are eligible to receive a variety of incentives and benefits, including lowered tax rates and property rental fees, cheap utility charges and even state subsidies. The government plans exemptions on corporate income tax for the first three years, and a 50 percent reduction in the following two. Companies can also avoid property taxes for 15 years and, in some cases, receive rent exemptions from 50 to 100 percent for 50 years, with the potential to extend for an additional 50 years.

When construction is complete in 2015, Foodpolis probably may be one of the best places in the world for food processing and packaging companies to set up their base with hopes of finding markets anywhere in the Asia Pacific region. The basic concept of this cluster is to create an optimum business and research environment for global food companies. It's a mini city tailored for the food industry and will be a combination of information technology, culture and food science. The entire system is expected to be friendly to all investors regardless of their nationalities. According to those promoting Foodpolis great care has been taken, while designing the complex, to foster the food industry into the next growth engine for not only South Korea, but also the entire Asian continent. The cluster is expected to create thousands of jobs and a huge amount of added value for the regional economy. a conservative estimate puts the probable number of participants at about 166 including 70 global players and 20 research centers, resulting an estimated out put valued at $ 60 billion. 

It is time GoI considers emulating Korea in its vision and promote at least 5 such "Foodpolis" in the eastern  (Kolkatta and Vizhag linked), southern (Chennai and Kochi linked)  and western (Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai linked) regions with appropriate road infrastructure linking the agricultural, horticultural, plantation products and livestock generating areas for fast transportation for raw materials as well as for export through the port facilities on the coast. If necessary the country must take Korea's expertise and experience into reckoning, for joint development within the next 5 years. Will this happen? Let us hope for the best for the sake of this country!  

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

Life is precious-Why do people give it up?

Life is considered a precious gift from God by most people in the world though there are a few atheists who think there is nothing like a God. However as long as man is not able to revive a completely dead person back to normal life or create artificial life one has to admit the existence of an omnipotent force with powers beyond what human beings, in spite of vast scientific and technological prowess at their disposal, possess. There are occasional reports that some scientists are on the threshold of creating artificial life though it cannot be still considered satisfactory to sideline God yet. Probably in years to come man may succeed but one has to wait for that day before casting serious doubt about the existence of God. This is a controversial issue and people on both sides of the divide will have to respect each others' feelings.

If life is a precious thing why do people commit suicide so often knowing pretty well that they can never return back to life? One of the most accepted views is that suicide happens when the extreme mental condition of the person does not allow him to think seriously the mind boggling consequences of committing such an act and in many cases those who fail in their effort to take their life in the first attempt invariably give up unless there is serious mental derangement. According to WHO experts on a global basis, one suicide takes place every 40 seconds working out to an annual suicide rate of 8 lakh per year. It is interesting to see that suicide rate varies from country to country though low income and middle income countries report higher suicide rates. Thus no one country is immune to suicidal tendency whether rich or poor, whether in Asia, America, Africa or Europe. Another notable phenomenon is that those who choose death voluntarily are mostly illiterates! 

India is a country where suicide rates are considered high though there are others with almost double the rate in other continents. If one believes in the babu version of government of India there were only 134, 600 deaths due to suicide in India in the year 2012 but WHO where such deaths are systematically documented the real figure was 258, 075 out of which 99, 977 were women and 158, 098 men. Obviously there must be some suppression of data in India or the documentation system is faulty. Overall there is 21.1 suicides for every 1 lakh population. It is not a consolation that a poor country like Guyana has a suicide rate as high as 44.2 per one lakh population or for that matter Sri Lanka recorded 28.8 deaths or Nepal had a figure of 24.9 suicides per one lakh. What is appalling is that in Indian suicide rate is high when it comes to the age group of 15-29 years aggregating to 35.5 per lakh while among 30 to 49 years group the rate falls to 28 per lakh. 

Suicide by farmers is always sensational and the media loves to report them promptly accusing the governments for such happenings in the country. However farmer suicides are less than 10% of the national figure though self inflicted deaths in rural belt is mostly due to serious financial indebtedness and insurmountable difficulties to meet both the ends meet on account of drought and crop failure. Pesticide poisoning, hanging and self immolation account for most deaths in countries like India while firearms are extensively used in countries like the US where they are easily available in the market. Interestingly in most wealthy countries poverty or hunger is not the primary reason for self-inflicted death but it is the acute mental disorders that drive them to this extreme step. Koreans are an interesting case where suicide rates are as high as 28.9 to 38.5 per lakh. Though on the development scale South Koreans are far ahead with high per capita income, the suicide figure tells a different story. There the figure is almost 29 per lakh while in North Korea it is 38.5 per lakh. 

What about our neighbor China? It is a confusing picture there as there are no independent reports that can substantiate the official claims by the government, The claim that it has dramatically reduced suicide rate from 22.3 per lakh a decade ago to 9.8 per lakh, a reduction of about 58% cannot be verified but even if if it is partially true the achievement is really noteworthy. One of the reasons attributed to this phenomenon is the rapid, conscious and massive urbanization programs initiated by the communist government and many social welfare supports available to the citizens. This is understandable because suicides take place mostly in rural and semi-urban areas for which no credible explanation is still available.    

In absolute numbers maximum suicides take place in India, about 2.6 lakh out of a global figure of 8 lakh (almost 33%) though country's population is less than 18% of world population. This may prompt critics to call India the suicide capital of the world. It is a poor reflection on the metal strength of the nation which boasts of 5000 years of glorious history, an ancient civilization and the epicenter of epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana,  In a land where Buddha and Mahavir Jain were born, peace within and around should have been a strong trait among their descendants. Also this is the land where Mahatma Gandhi, the Universal Apostle of nonviolence was born and attained martyrdom. If so why this depredation, deprivation, desperation and predisposition that drive people to destroy their own lives? Where has this country gone wrong in evolving such a destructive environment when people think of taking their own lives? Is there a spiritual bankruptcy or lack of self confidence or a sense of helplessness which is responsible for this situation? There is an urgent need for introspection among Indians vis-a-vis the factors that drive some of their fellow citizens towards self destruction so as to bring about radical self corrective measures.

   

V.H.POTTY

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

MINDLESS URBANIZATION-IS THIS THE ROUTE TO PROSPERITY?

Urbanization is an inevitable step when economic development models world over ignore the rural population and their aspirations. The great divide between urban and rural population is a classical feature of demography in almost every agrarian economy and there was a time when this trend in migration of rural people to urban areas was frowned upon for a valid reason viz the the adverse consequences of its impact on agriculture, especially food production. After all food security is of primary concern and priority in every country and no agrarian economy can afford to do any thing that may contribute to dip in food production caused by lesser land being tilled due to diminishing availability of farm hands. In India more than 70% of people live in over 5 lakh villages, their avocation being mostly tilling the land. However decreasing size of landholdings progressively is making the agriculture a nonviable option and consequently farmers are trying to move to urban areas in search of better prospects and income generating opportunities. Added to these woes many regions in the country face droughts fairly frequently making agriculture next to impossible. Government of India consciously tries to arrest this trend through various farmer friendly policies to make rural living as comfortable as possible. 

If recent survey figures are any indication,  urbanization trend continues unabated in spite of all policy measures and social pundits are intrigued by this fatal attraction of rural people to urban life styles. No doubt that most service and manufacturing industries are concentrated in and around cities where supportive infrastructure exists for smooth functioning of the industry. Naturally the industrial sector seeks able bodied personnel, unskilled and semi skilled to support the shop floor operations at wages not available in rural hinterlands. But in reality these new entrants to the city end up in hundreds of slums living under squalid conditions unimaginable. The quality of life in cities can be terrible and unemployment becomes the norm. Government of India's SRJY scheme is supposed to help these unfortunate people to get trained in different skills so that they become truly employable or entrepreneurial for earning a decent livelihood. How far such policy orchestration has helped is some thing not very clear even after one and a half decades after its conception.

Another interesting aspect of the rural scene in India is the income opportunity deliberately created by the government through its flagship scheme under the MGNREGA which guarantees a person a job for 150 days in an year on projects in the rural area and government has earmarked hundreds of crore of rupees for this scheme. The concept is that agricultural operation is a seasonal one and most rural families are under employed with no income to sustain them. Some of the reports do indicate a limited success of this scheme while there is also criticism that farm labor is getting diverted from farm operations resulting in the dislocation of important activities like tending the plants and harvesting. Government of India comes out periodically with incentives and subsidies to industries which can be set up in rural areas so that local people get gainful employment near there dwelling places. Even these enlightened policies have not proved adequate enough to stem the migration tide that is threatening to overwhelm the much neglected urban infrastructure which is overstretched beyond recognition. Urban India presents total chaos with protected water supply, continuous power supply, lack of houses and transport facilities unable to cope up with the needs of burgeoning population swelling by the minute due to migration of rural folks in large numbers.

In contrast to the Indian situation look at what China is doing with its rural population! Obsessed with fast economic growth through industrialization and factory culture, this country is reported to be building huge cities spending billions of dollars for rehabilitating rural farming population after they were dispossessed of their agricultural land. Farmers are being converted into factory labor by force and compelled to live in sky scrappers, a culture entirely alien o them. Such mass shifting of population from villages to newly built cities is supposed to generate a consumer based economy for which industries are being set up with bias on consumer products manufacture. The philosophy seems to be to entice the citizens to buy more and more consumer goods and thus boost the GDP and the economic power of the nation. Will this model work? What are its repercussions on the people displaced from their natural moorings? What will happen to the food production? Will this lead to massive import of foods in future? Already China has become the biggest consumer of pork and the insatiable thirst for pork meat is leading to its import in massive quantities putting the local pork industry in trouble. Same will happen practically with every food item for which demand is increasing at a fast pace.    

In the mindless pursuit of global economic power the Chines government seems to be replacing millions of small rural homes with high-rise buildings with small apartments, paving over vast stretches of farmland and drastically altering the lives of simple rural dwellers. If present projections are to be believed the number of brand-new Chinese city dwellers will approach the total urban population of the United States! Already China is literally bursting with mega cities, projected as a symbol of its technological prowess!. Why it has not dawned on the rulers of this country that such deliberate "urbanization" will drastically change the character of China in a matter of few years sidelining its earlier policy of making peasants remain tied to their tiny plots of land to ensure political and economic stability. The shift is rather dramatic involving huge costs and its potential to foment unrest in the country side in the coming years is very high. Do the present rulers expect that the rural folks will willingly allow themselves to be used for radical social engineering? What are its social consequences?  Is it going to be the harbinger of another bloody revolution that many devour the country? Only time will tell!

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

TEA BEVERAGE-A CASE FOR CHANGING TO GREEN TEA!

The "Tea Vs Coffee" debate is an ever interesting one with people from southern part of India strongly backing coffee with out which their day does not start! In contrast those from the north, pitch for tea, not because it is better health-wise but for its characteristic flavor. No doubt both Tea and Coffee contain the stimulant Caffeine which makes one more alert and relaxing. That said, the distinction between tea and coffee is getting blurred day by day as India is progressively becoming a national village without any restraining state borders. Efforts of Indian Coffee Board years ago to popularize coffee in the north were some what futile as even to day tea continues to be the dominant beverage in most of the northern states. One of the reasons could be that the taste and flavor of brewed coffee are widely varying, depending on the variety of seed, seed processing method, roasting practice, particle size of the ground coffee and method of brewing. This makes coffee making an extremely adventurous task. As coffee drinking was prevalent in the south for centuries, the art of making good coffee got transferred from generation to generation. In spite of this situation, surprisingly tea gained a firm foot hold in the south during the last 5 decades with many people opting for tea as a change from the coffee drinking routine.

Tea is a historical beverage with its origin attributed to China. There seems to be evidence that tea was a popular drink in both China and India almost 5000 years ago, though its discovery was attributed to Chinese royalty. It was an accidental contamination of hot water with tea leaves and the finding that the tea leaves soaked water was flavorful to the King, led to popularity of tea in China. Its origin in India is shrouded in mystery. Interestingly Chinese discovered that the tea leaves soaked hot water was not only refreshing but also health protective which helped tea to be propagated all over the world. As fresh tea leaves were some what perishable, drying was resorted to reduce moisture and extend its life for some time. Again the observation that bruised tea leaves tended to darken with time and produced aromatic flavors, led to the modern CTD tea technology widely used in the manufacture of black tea. Coincidentally most of the world liked black tea in preference to green tea which led to a thriving tea industry that produces about 2.5 million tons of tea world wide out of which green tea constitutes roughly 20%.

One of the influencing factors that made Chinese population healthier than others might be that they consume green tea regularly in their daily lives and therefore it can be probably considered as their national drink. If that is so what does green tea contain which is not present in black tea? A look back at the massive scientific literature available to day, dwelling on various aspects of tea, will reveal that tea the leaves are a rich source of poly phenols, accounting for about 8-12% of its solid content. These include a number of flavonoids like catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate (better known as EGCG) and proanthocyanidinsmost of them with high antioxidant properties. As antioxidants play a vital role in neutralizing oxyradicals in the human body that is considered one of the causative factors in cancer development, tea with its rich antioxidant content is the darling of the health purists world over.

One of the most startling discoveries during the last few years of research on tea poly phenols was that all of them are not equal in conferring health benefits on human beings and the most important component that makes the difference is EGCG which was found to have a significant but specific influence on boosting many enzymes involved in neutralizing oxyradicals at the cellular level and prevent on set of cancers of various types. Unfortunately during the extreme processing conditions involved in converting green tea leaves into black tea, EGCG is converted to theaflavins and thearubigins  with no therapeutic properties. Logically therefore green tea beverage will have to be consumed if the benefit of EGCG is desired. The bud and the first leaves of the tea plant contain highest concentration of EGCG and are therefore plucked for making green tea products.

Green tea poly phenols in general were found to increase the biological activity of several enzymes involved in neutralizing the activity of oxyradicals and detoxification and EGCG is the most potent one. The enzyme found to be positively influenced include glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S transferase, catalase and quinine reductase in small intestine, liver and lungs. EGCG is considered to have excellent therapeutical significance in preventing and treating a host of disease that include HIV, cancers affecting prostaglandin, brain, cervix and bladder, besides neurodegeneration. Drinking about two cups of green tea a day can confer most of the benefits attributed to EGCG, while consuming 4-6 cups a day is considered a therapeutic dose.

The health supplement industry seems to have got into the EGCG band wagon by putting in the market many products containing this phytochemical though most of them are non-standard ones containing very little or no EGCG at all! In the absence of a regulatory environment these fly by night operators are able to catch the attention of gullible consumers, laughing all the way to their banks! The most blatant use ( or misuse?) of green tea credentials is by the weight reduction products industry which is offering green tea solids containing health supplements based on some studies that a combination of EGCG and caffeine, when consumed,  produces thermogenesis in the body leading to depletion of fat, causing some weight reduction. However there is no standardization of these products and the claims are not substantiated by real time studies involving human subjects. 

One of the most surprising off shoots of studies using green tea  and the EGCG is the finding that sugar spikes that occur after carbohydrate ingestion by diabetic patients can be reduced significantly by consumption of green tea, provided they are consumed together. The scientific logic is that EGCG has an inhibitory effect on starch degrading enzyme alpha amylase which in turn slow down break down of starch into maltose and glucose in vitro. As the ptylin enzyme present in the saliva has also starch digesting ability, the starch hydrolysis which starts immediately after ingestion in the oral cavity itself is retarded. Further exposure in the small intestine to alpha amylase as the food is swallowed and as it travels down the digestive tract, glucose generation is significantly retarded in presence of EGCG. According to recent findings if Egcg and a starchy food are consumed without any gap of time, glucose spike can be slowed down by almost 50% which by itself is remarkable. This finding confers additional benefits on those consuming green tea regularly  include insurance against a host of modern day diseases affecting almost all organs in the body. Probably the health food industry will latch on to this discovery and it is a question of time before health supplements containing EGCG or green tea solids are marketed both for targeted consumer groups as well as general population.   

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

THE "PIG VILLAS"-A NEW CHINESE INNOVATIVE INITIATIVE

Information Technology (IT) has changed the face of the modern society with PCs, Laptops, Mobile Phones, Tablets and Electronic Game consoles dominating the day to day lives of people. Younger generation cannot conceive of a life without these gadgets and if the educational and knowledge frontiers are continuously being pushed further, thanks are due to IT enabled daily lives. The famous Nitendo games like Wi are so popular that they tend to be addictive. Exclusive telecasting channels, dedicated to kids are doing extremely well financially. But for the electronic media, most of the consumer oriented products would not have raised the volume of business as they are able to do to day. Of course on the bad side of the coin, one can cite the negative impact of advertising unhealthy foods or so called junk foods which are causing severe strains on the health of the consumer in the form of many diseases, fighting against which billions of dollars are spent. 

One of the most remarkable developments in the electronic field is the smart phones and PC tablets with a variety of functions and highly user friendly features. Practically all daily chores can be done to day through smart phones including family purchases through on-line offerings or from established super markets. Dining has become a new experience because of Tweeting and Facebook. Food industry is benefited immensely by developments like fast safety monitoring devices, quick time gene sequencing gadgets, automated analyzers, electronic sorters, automated process controls, radio frequency based labeling etc. Supply chain vis-a-vis food is getting increasingly shortened because of electronic monitoring and protection of food in transit and storage. If past developments are extrapolated it can be assumed that no human endeavor is going to be left untouched by the electronic revolution that is taking place at a furious pace.

Practically no kid living in the US will be unaware of the Wi games being marketed by the Nitendo entertainment company and through simulation kids are made to perform a variety of games which gives a feeling of being in the midst of the game as a participant. This concept was used by Japanese first to sensitize the urban folks to the logistics involved in production of food in the rural areas, situated far away from their dwellings. Japanese made RPG series offering Harvest Moon, a popular entertainment program, was a big success and there have been many such programs which followed it. They included Sunshine Farm, Happy Farmer, Happy Fishpond, Happy Pigfarm, Farm Ville, Farm town etc all offered for exposing the urban folks to various aspects of agriculture production mostly located in far away rural areas. They are basically farm management simulation programs, popular mostly in China and Taiwan. They allow players to cultivate different crops, sell them in the market, stealing some from the farms next to them and similar activities associated with real growing in the field. 

The cultivation related video games are so popular in the East Asian countries that according to some estimates more than two million players are spending at least 5 hours each day on these programs! Why is that the urbanites are attracted to such games is still a mystery. Probably the fact that many of them are ignorant of the history of foods they consume every day and the inquisitiveness to understand the same may be the driving force behind this unique phenomenon. While this is understandable in a country like Japan with limited land available for agriculture, China is a vast country with millions of acres of land under cultivation by many small farmers and a few miles drive from any city can take curious citizens to see for real the agricultural operations with their own eyes. Video games are mainly "time killers" with the players able to relax for some time from their boring routines and agriculture simulating games have the added advantage of gaining knowledge, albeit unconsciously.

Against such a back ground one of the entrepreneurs in China has married the reality to virtual reality by offering real time pig raising facilities with a provision for participation by urban folks through computers as well as actual visits. Chinese are the biggest eaters of pork and any venture associated with pigs can be expected to attract attention. Unlike conventional system of rearing pigs, the new venture has created a vast net work of small covered areas for housing pig families which can roam freely within the farm and each unit called a "Pig Villa" has comfortable living facilities which is thought to raise the quality of meat from these animals. One of the USPs of this model is that urbanites have an option to invest on one or more pigs, suitably identified by investing at the piglet stage and monitoring the growth through closed circuit television facilities. Considering the critical importance attached to food safety, the pigs are fed with vegetables only and therefore the growth period may get extended from 6 months in a conventional farm to 10 months in Pig Villas. The farm also provides slaughtering services to recover meat and deliver to the owners. 

According to the pioneers of Pig Villa the farm is ecologically sound with no foul smell emanating as the bed provided for the animal is based on a specially designed mixture containing some agricultural waste materials. The pig droppings seem to get fermented and release beneficial bacteria which breaks down the excreta into harmless products. This system also avoids administering antibiotics to the animals because of the safe environment of each villa, not allowing pathogens to proliferate and cause safety problems. In a country where food scandals and frauds are rampant, Chinese people are increasingly getting concerned regarding the quality and safety of foods they consume. Though the pig villa project is termed unrealistic and expensive, there is safe bet that the insatiable demand for pork will drive the industry to seek innovative technologies and systems to boost the quality further and premium quality cuts can fetch good prices from a population flush with money due to the economic boom in that country.

Why is that Chinese are so attached to pork? Probably the old civilization with more than 7000 years of history behind had zeroed in on pork as the easiest and fastest way of producing. It is no wonder that half the population of pigs in this world are raised in China, numbering over 500 million, almost half the human population in that country! Demand for pork which was a measly 8 million tons in 1978, has soared to more than 70 million tons to day! The present production of 50 million tons of pork is slightly more than50% of global production and Chinese per capita consumption is estimated to be a whopping 40 kg per year. Intelligent as they are Chinese are even outsmarting the Americans by large scale import of better breed piglets and farming technology from that country and using less costlier operating practices they are able to produce pork at much lower cost than their American counterparts..

Spread over several hundred hectares, the Suining farm where pigs are raised scientifically to protect them from health problems is reported to be  building about 600 so called villas with each one home for 10 pigs. in an area covered by large banyan trees to provide shade and control temperature. Each villa is supposed to cost around 8,000 yuan ($1,260).In each cottage, about 10 piglets are raised on floors covered with a black, powdery mixture of wheat bran, rice husks and sawdust which acts as a natural fermentation bed that releases beneficial bacteria, which can break down a pig's excreta. Usually the piglets nuzzle up to their mother in the cottage, while some time they can be seen running around the property freely. The project is part of a comprehensive development plan by local authorities to better utilize the old channels of the Yellow River. The disused channels encompass a vast area of up to 12,000 hectares that has been identified as an ideal location for agriculture and agriculture oriented tourism. It is hoped that a consumer, say sitting in Beijing, will be able to adopt a piglet for 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a year, nearly double the price of an adult live hog in the market and enjoy the "fruits of his labor" after 10 months without moving from his chair or soiling his hand!. 

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

HOW TO SUCCEED IN CHINA-THE COFFEE "STORY"

There is a synergy between the need for more foreign investments and vast size of the markets in India and China. While many trans national food and beverage companies are eying the potential for expanding their business in these high population countries, the governments are bending backwards to accommodate them through a slew of facilities and friendly policies expecting that their operations would generate vast employment opportunities. What is missing in these calculations is whether the style and practices adopted by the business models transplanted into these countries really serve the purpose and probably this factor can account for failures of many foreign companies in these tradition bound societies.

Recent policy fiasco reported from India regarding the flip flop in deciding on the issue of FDI in the retail sector supports such a view. Government of India fell for the propaganda that FDI in retail could be a "bonanza" for the country and declared a policy, rather prematurely, to allow majority investment by foreign retailing giants, only to keep the policy in abeyance after encountering fierce opposition to such an open door policy from most stake holders involved in the economic development of the country. Most intriguing argument in support of allowing FDI in multi brand retailing was that it would help the farmers to get more price for their produce which has never been proved any where in the world. Rather the perceived damage that can be caused to small traders and unorganized retail players by the enormous economic clout of MNCs was overlooked causing such a massive resistance in the country against the open policy being advocated by government supporters. 

China has been cited as an example of what a country can achieve by courting MNC retailers because most international companies are now operating in that country under its liberalized but tightly controlled investment policies. It may be true that China was able to attract vast foreign investments in almost every manufacturing sector because of its huge population and rapid economic growth. But no realistic assessment has ever been made about the trials and tribulations faced by them in operating in an environment not considered very friendly. It is now realized by many of them that the safety enforcement in China is often selective with the local industry getting away lightly for committing serious violations while foreign companies are hauled up even for minor faults. Examples are many which include Melamine tainted milk, toxic cabbage episode etc. It is another matter that the resource rich MNCs are able to "manage" the situation with no one quitting the country on account of stringent enforcement of country's food laws. 

A reputed MNC coffee player has shown how a foreign entity can survive and even flourish in the Chines environment by subtle changes in product profiles to suit the local tastes and by playing on to the Chinese aspirations to be in the lime light in the society. This company realized the folly of trying to persist with the same products that work in the U.S. and accordingly developed flavors, such as green tea-flavored coffee drinks that appeal to local tastes. Rather than pushing the system of take-out orders, which account for majority of American sales, it adapted to local consumer wants and promoted dine-in service. By offering comfortable environments in a market where few restaurants had air conditioning in the late 1990s, their outlets were made a defacto meeting places for executives as well as for the gathering of friends. One of the features of this model is that revenue per square meter turned out to be far less compared to American operations but the profit margin became almost double. Chinese do not seem to be unduly bothered about the fact that the coffee preparations offered here cost much more than that in the US. This is in sharp contrast to other major foreign players who tried to cut down on the price to garner higher sales, a strategy that does not seem to be working for improving their market share.

Another issue that clouds the working of foreign firms in China is the ability of these investors to "manage" the employees without significant attrition. It is reported that average attrition rate in China is running as high as 30% which is a major handicap in running a decent show. Those who succeed in China have been able to reduce the turnover of personnel to less than half of the average rate through good compensation packages, intensive training, decent working environment and building loyalty through motivational policies. With GDP of the country growing at a frenetic pace and more disposable income in their hands, Chinese seem to be prepared to spend liberally on any thing that reflects a higher status in the society. Naturally such economic changes generate higher aspirations among working class also and unless the salaries match with these expectations, attrition rate is bound to be high in organizations which do not look after the local employees well.

Any strategy based on mass marketing of cheap foods and working on thin margins is vulnerable to severe competition from local players who have low over head expenses. Besides, MNCs getting into cheaper segments of products spend enormous amounts on their promotion and the market so created benefits local players also peddling same type of products. Taking the case of India itself if the MNCs think that they can corner the market and displace millions of the so called low end "mom and pop" stores spanning the entire country, it is just not going to happen. If the recent experience of big domestic retailers in India is any indication penetrating the retail market is not an easy task and large domestic players in the organized retail sector have not been able to capture even 5% of the national market, let alone dominating them! The strategy of targeting the "creamy" layer of the society with lot of money to throw around may be the only right approach, if foreign investors want to survive and flourish in the newly emerging economies like China and India.

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

WHERE DID INDIA FALTER IN ACHIEVING REAL FOOD SECURITY?

Comparing India with China is a favorite past time to many national and international analysts and this is understandable considering that these countries together account for almost one third of the global population besides becoming self governing entities around 1947-48. With a level playing field the routes chosen by them have taken since becoming responsible nations invariably provides an opportunity for drawing conclusions regarding their success and failure. Of course India has been a democratic Republic since 1950, China went under the influence of Marxism with relatively close society and very little personal freedom. Looking at to day's situation, from the macro economic angle, China has overtaken India long ago to become a super economic power rubbing shoulders with the US and Europe. Where did India go wrong in not realizing its full potential to achieve much more than what it has done so far?

Take the food production front where China has done exceedingly well and its annual food production is estimated at around 380 million tones as compared to less than 200 mt by India. China's grain production is double that of India though the former has lesser arable land and same area of irrigated land. Probably one of the reasons for this laggard record may be because of the highly restrictive import policy India had till the advent of WTO where as China has a liberal agriculture import policy. Another critical factor is the the fragmented nature of the land holding, with average size being less than 2 acres. This in turn has come in the way of large scale mechanization of agricultural operations during the last 6 decades. Of course China has its own limitations because of the collective land-ownership system of land which is a severe constraint on farm borrowing and consequent poor economies of scale. Though China's ratio of investment in agriculture to agri-GDP is similar to India where it has outscored India is in investing significantly in agri-parks and dairy towns, which are fully integrated models right from cultivation to processing (financed by the agri-banks). 

It is interesting that though both countries have faced severe drought-like conditions or floods frequently, Chinese have been able to cope with these natural disasters much better with minimum hardship to citizens. Look at the fresh-water storage capacity where China scores very high marks as its 1,000 cu. m per capita figure is almost five times that of India. Similarly in water conservation measures also Chinese are much better placed as depletion of ground water table is significantly lower as compared to many parts of India where gross tube-well abuse is prevalent. It is scary for Indian agriculture when future is considered as it requires much more water by 2050 to sustain the agriculture because the water footprint is being depleted faster, especially in the Ganges and other major river basins. India also continues to grapple with the river-linking project in terms of environmental impact issues. On the other hand, China is already implementing many large-scale water projects (Three Gorges Dam, north-south aqueducts using Yangtze's water). Indian policy makers approach to the fresh-water storage and sustainability issue has been mired with slow decision-making and legal opposition by environmentalists. However, India scores better on micro-irrigation with its Government subsidy schemes.

India and China build significant grain reserves each year. India's grain reserve is around 50-60 million tonnes (20-22 per cent of annual production) whereas in China it is about 150-180 million tonnes (35 per cent of annual production). Due to this huge reserve, the food system is less dependent on flows from the global market and helps China contain food inflation in tough years. In terms of grain-storage infrastructure, China has the capacity to store up to 200 million tonnes of wheat and paddy, while India's capacity is 87 million tonnes. In India, there is an erosion of value of approximately 7-8 per cent (about 18 million tonnes) of total food production worth about $6 billion annually, due to unscientific and insufficient storage and supply-chain inefficiencies. Given China's large trade surplus and foreign currency reserves, any grain imports would not have material impact on their fiscal position. India may face a sharp currency depreciation and ballooning balance of payments if it were to resort to large-scale grain imports. Hence, India needs to enhance storage capacity and increase buffer stock to meet food needs of the population for at least five to six months. 

The stated objective of both countries' agricultural policy is to achieve self-sufficiency and food security. China has surged ahead on productivity through the use of high-yielding seed varieties, extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides (twice of India by per-hectare use). China has also focused significantly on cash crops, helped by stagnation of grain consumption and increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, milk, milk products and meat. The Chinese Government has, since the 1970s, invested significantly into agricultural research and development (R&D), especially to create high-yield varieties of rice, wheat and maize. After the first green revolution , India's agriculture R&D has been academic and localized instead of supporting productivity at national levels.. China accounts for over 70 per cent of world's fresh-water aquaculture production and its livestock production has grown over 8 per cent annually for the last decade.

During the 1990s, China encouraged import of large amounts of new genetic material for hog, beef, poultry and dairy industries from the US, Japan, Canada and New Zealand, which has improved the quality of the genetic stock in China's livestock. While India and China have some congruency on policy front including a State-enforced minimum support price, there are notable differences in respect of wholesale agri-markets, agriculture subsidies and cooperative financing system for agriculture. Land ownership is individual in India but collective in China. While the Chinese Government provides direct subsidies to its farmers, subsidies in India are indirect. Compared to India, China has well-developed commodity exchanges and futures markets and tighter rules for converting or selling crop land for non-agricultural use. Unlike India, China has a price ceiling to minimize the effects of food inflation.

In India, less than 3 per cent of fruits and vegetables produced is processed while total processing in the agriculture sector is less than 8 per cent. By contrast, 40 per cent of food consumed in China is now processed (80 per cent in Western nations). Lack of economies of scale due to size restrictions on industry (under Small Scale Industries rules), supply-side constraints for agri-inputs because of rules governing large-scale corporate farming, and paucity of dry and cold storage infrastructure are the key shortcomings of the Indian food-processing industry.Since many sections of food processing were reserved for the small sector, there are hardly any large food-processing companies in India, except for a few transnational ones. On the other hand, over 70 of China's 500 largest companies are in the food-processing sector (in India this would be at the most 15), and this industry is growing rapidly.

India's agri-trade with the rest of the world is limited with agri-exports of $25 billion (10 per cent of total exports) in financial year 2011 and agri-imports of $8 billion (less than 3 per cent of total imports). Restrictive agri-import policies in India partly fueled by insecurity of domestic cultivators (political motivations) and some genuine and misguided concerns of disease import have led to inflationary pressure on key food articles. Bulk of India's agri-exports are rice, oil meal, cotton and spices (commodities with limited value addition) and bulk of the imports are pulses, edible oils and sugar. China, on the other hand, has a liberal agricultural import policy and is among the world's largest importers of commodities, including edible-oil seeds and even cattle. According to China's Custom statistics, agri-imports for 2010 were $65 billion and exports were over $30 billion, taking the agri-trade value to over three times that of India. China's agri-trade deficit has been growing but is balanced by exports of manufacturing and electronic goods. This has enabled it to maintain food inflation under 6 per cent as compared to the consistent 10-plus per cent for India till recently.

India and China are similar in terms of issues and policy challenges in agriculture. Both countries, due to their strong economic growth, are also experiencing inflationary pressures on food. However, India's total fertility rate of 2.6 (China's is 1.6) poses greater challenges as India's population will continue to grow faster and remain young longer, demanding high-nutrition food. Like China, India needs to focus on livestock, poultry and aquaculture (all key sources of protein), focus on R&D in agriculture by increasing budgetary allocations, promote farm mechanization through producer cooperatives, focus on replenishing aquifers through scientific water-harvesting in villages, avoid pitfalls of excess use of fertilizers and pesticides liberalize agri-trade policies to manage food prices and focus on economies of scale and integration in food processing.

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

MILK FROM LEATHER-A CHINESE "JUGGLERY"!

If there will ever be a "Nobel Price" for "food innovation" (read adulteration!), the contest for this award will be a close one between India and China! while Chinese adulterators have global reputation ( or notoriety?) Indians are satisfied with local "achievements". Probably international community might not bother about adulteration as long the tainted foods are not exported, poor citizens in countries with loose vigilance system with no teeth are the silent sufferers. The notorious "Melamine" milk from China exported to a number of countries last year brought the focus light on the "ingenuity" of Chinese fraudsters and some credit must go to the government there for taking drastic action of summarily executing two of the "culprits" found "responsible" for the crime. Look at India where adulteration of food seems to have become one of the "fundamental rights" of unscrupulous traders and business people as there are no deterrent mechanism to punish the guilty. Other wise how can one justify country-wide adulteration of milk, considered the most protective foods, especially for vegetarians with spurious ingredients like detergents, urea, animal fat etc with authorities least concerned about such incidences and the so called synthetic milk brings windfall profit for the perpetrators. There are hundreds of such instances of food adulteration through out the country with practically no one caught and punished for the heinous crime.

From China comes another innovation reported as "Leather Milk" made from leather proteins using ingenuity that must be admired! It was "discovered" recently, if one is to believe the official story, the dairy industry is making milk powder with no milk solids at all and earning windfall profits through their illegal activities. Leather scraps commonly available in slaughter houses contain collagen in plenty and when hydrolyzed they yield protein hydrolyzates with high nitrogen content. As milk is priced based on protein levels in China and since protein content is assessed through estimation of nitrogen, any substance, especially organic in nature containing nitrogenous material, when added to milk can boost the protein value and high protein values can bring high income to the milk "producers". If normal milk is diluted and then "fortified" with leather protein hydrolyzate (LPH) to bring up the protein level and get high prices, no one will be wiser to this fraud. Detecting qualitatively and quantitatively presence of LPH is not easy unless sophisticated laboratory facilities are used and the process can be time consuming. As collagen is a rich source of hydroxy proline, one may have to go for detecting the presence of this characteristic amino acid in suspected samples.

While small addition of LPH may not be unsafe to any serious extent, production of milk like preparations devoid of milk solids is a crime that deserves severest punishment. As milk flavors of high quality are available, LPH can be a base that can be formulated into 100% synthetic milk conforming to a few chemical specifications laid for genuine milk. It is not that concerned people were unaware of this deplorable practice because demand for slaughter house waste has been high in China obviously under the pretext that they are used in animal feed. LPH manufacture is a thriving business and its current cost is about $ 120 per ton whereas milk powder market commands more than $ 2000 per ton. Even if LPH is used for adulteration of normal milk at the minimum level, powder made from it can be as cheap as $ 500 per ton. Why such an obnoxious practice was allowed to be perpetuated till now is one of mysteries of Chinese style of governance. It is unfortunate that the milk powder such as the one produced by the fraudsters is consumed predominantly by children and one can imagine its consequences on the health and development of these kids. It is well known that chemicals like dichromates, sulfuric acid etc are routinely used to soften the leather during processing and these chemicals are still present in LPH which go into adulterated milk.

Why it should take so many years for the Chinese government to ban use of LPH to edible foods defies logic and the ban in 2009 can at best be termed as "better late than never". Whether the adulteration business has covert sanction of the government is a point that perplexes many impartial observers. In India one hopes that the technology for leather milk will not be smuggled from China for the benefit of local fellow adulterators as the climate in India may be more conducive to such practices.

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

HONEY (NOT MONEY) LAUNDERING-INTERNATIONAL RAMIFICATION

Money laundering is a "clock and dagger" operation indulged by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, mostly in developing countries like India. Recent turmoil in Indian politics about money laundering was started by the declaration of one of the parties that it would get back billions of dollars of "black" money (tax evaded), stashed away in safe tax havens and secret bank accounts in countries like Switzerland though such promises can at best be rhetoric with no intention to do any thing once these wily politicians climb to power. Why such a practice is called money laundering is any body's guess because such wealth can never be used within the country legally. A new laundering scheme is now reported to be in operation in international trade in honey. Probably it does not make any sense prima facie unless one delves deep into mystery.

China, the so called neo economic power admired and envied even by powerful developed countries happens to be the fulcrum around which honey laundering is reported to be taking place. A nation with practically no scruples and a single agenda to expand its hegemonic power around the world, China is a country where unscrupulous fraudsters and adulterators thrive, probably with state patronage. Other wise it is hard to imagine how milk can be tainted with Melamine, a toxic chemical endangering the life of thousands of unsuspecting children. China is known for its cheap products turned out by state owned as well as private operators but its safety monitoring system is not above board as brought out by series of episodes covering many foods. Latest to "bejewel" the crown of the rulers in China is the unraveling of a gigantic fraud on consumers around the world through honey produced in that country using antibiotics and palming them off as products from other countries to evade suspicion and avoid duties in importing countries.

The two main actors in this "game of intrigue" are China and the US. Honey production in the US has been declining over the years and cheap Chinese honey was able to fill the void till 1998 when Chinese honey industry was practically destroyed due serious infection problem. The US stopped import of honey from China because of tainting with antibiotics used by the bee keepers to salvage the local industry. Besides there is an import duty element of $ 1.2 per pound for Chinese honey while the same product from countries like Russia does not attract any duty. Recent arrest of 11 persons from China and Germany opened up a can of worms and only now the full ramifications of this "Chines game of Roulette" are exposed. German companies buy cheap honey from China, marginally process them by removing pollens and filtration to obliterate the Chinese identity and to further confuse the importing countries Chinese honey is blended with Indian honey with a dose of the antibiotics Chloramphenicol to prevent spoilage. According to the US authorities the country lost about $80 million on account of duties on over 106 illegal shipments valued at $40 million during the last several years.

Chinese and their collaborators in this devious game used counties like Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam for transshipment of Chinese honey and enter Europe, the US and Canada without raising any doubt about its origin. In a country like India, honey imported from any country is not subjected to inspection as long as it is declared as exportable. While presence of an antibiotic like Chloramphenicol in small concentrations might not pose any immediate problem, the real cause of worry is the camouflage used by China in exporting its products to countries where they are banned through the intricate web they have spun to avoid detection and if it is honey to day it can be some thing else tomorrow in order to accumulate huge foreign currency reserve it is building up to lord over other lesser economic powers.

India has joined the "elite" honey countries where antibiotics have been detected in honey. If the reports of a local consumer activist organization are to be believed, almost all major branded honey products in the market contained Chloramphenicol at levels varying from 3.7 ug to 250 ug per kg and even imported samples from Australia and Switzerland had this antibiotic at much higher levels. In fact the Indian honey brands do "better" than their Chinese counterparts in that not one but four different antibiotics were found to be present in Indian honey!. Since the manufacturers of these honey brands are not forthcoming on the issue it is difficult to come to any conclusion regarding the origin of these tainted products. Is it possible that Indian apiaries have learned the "technique" of lacing honey with antibiotics from their Chines counter parts as China has plenty of admirers in this country applauding what ever they do. If there is a country standard for honey with clear and unambiguous parameters it must be considered sacred and no one has the authority to violate them what ever be the justification.

The last aspect of this sordid saga is whether such tainted honey is injurious to human health. Of course since a daily dose of about 500 mg is prescribed routinely to treat human infections, one teaspoon of tainted honey, containing less than 5 ug which is one thousandth of the prescription strength, may not do much harm. What is not known is about the consequences one may experience if such honey is consumed every day, especially on the gut health and dynamics of intestinal bacteria. This aspect needs to be investigated before considering any policy of giving green signal for marketing antibiotic treated honey for human consumption.

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

SPICE OLEORESINS-FOOD OR NUTRACEUTICAL?

India is universally recognized as the "spice country" because of the occurrence of a wide variety of spices, condiments and herbs which are used in culinary preparations by population across the country. However the major focus for the spice extractive industry has been on Chilli, Black pepper, Ginger, Turmeric and Cardamom. While Cardamom oil is a much valued flavor material for hundreds of food preparations and beverages, whole spice extractives, more commonly referred to as oleoresins, have become important ingredients for the food industry for incorporation in many processed food products. Oleoresins with standard and reliable "active constituent" concentration have several advantages compared to use of whole spices, hence the preference by the industry.

Oleoresin technology remained an exclusive possession of some multinational companies covered by patent protection till the monopoly was broken by India through the efforts of CFTRI, Mysore. Attempts to stifle this indigenous development were made by changing the product specifications to restrict solvent residue levels and banning some of the solvents found to be efficient in getting increased yields. It is a tribute to Indian scientists that they were able to overcome these hurdles and enabled Indian spice industry to attain dominance in the international market. With an export of 6850 tons of oleoresins last year India accounted for more than 70% of global supply in this category. To day India has the awesome capability to extract about 42 different spices to meet every demand from the industry.

Against the above background comes the news that India has imported 400-500 tons of Chilli oleoresins from China which is not known to be a major producer of spice extractives. Probably the reputation Chinese have in dumping industrial products at ridiculously low cost must have lured some users to import from China and the lax import procedures also must have helped in clearing the imports without necessary safety assessment, especially with respect to solvent residue in the product. Whether China has developed its own technology or copied from others or the product really conforms to international standards is a mute question but India must be ready to face the "Dragon" in the coming years through constant technology upgrade for which adequate R & D investment is inevitable.

The above news may be alarming because oleoresins are increasingly becoming important for pharmaceutical industry with many applications being considered effective in treating several human afflictions. Curcuminoids in Turmeric, Piperine in Black pepper and Capsaicin in Red Chilli, are the three major materials of commercial importance. These phytochemicals have been proved to be of excellent nutraceutical value capable of preempting or curing most of the disease conditions that human race faces to day. Recent revelation that curcumin and piperine are effective in killing stem cells that differentiate into breast cancer cells, is of prime importance to the medical community. Similarly capsaicin has been proven to be effective in treating prostate cancer besides an excellent resource to treat inflammation, pain relief, fight sinus infection, irritable bowel syndrome, burning body fat, reducing cholesterol and triglycerides, dissolving clot inducing fibrin, preventing platelet aggregation and protecting the heart, relief from arthritis, psoriasis and diabetic neuropathy.

If these claims are true a time may come when oleoresins may not be available to the food industry with demand from the pharmaceutical industry outstripping that from the former. Probably cultivation of crops like Chilli, B. Pepper and Turmeric may expand several fold as commercial non-food crops! Such developments may also spur synthetic organic chemists to look for synthetic routes to make these much valued substances. Already synthetic capsaicin is available in the market and time may not be far off when synthetic versions of others start appearing. The present preference for natural sources for internal consumption is the only constraint that stands in the way of synthetic analogs dominating the market.

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