"Best before date" to be replaced by "Expiry date" on packed food labels? Imponderable factors

World over the consumer right to know what is offered as food by its makers is recognized and it is for this reason that the food manufacturers are forced to declare unambiguously the ingredients used and the nutrition it offers for which mandatory label provisions have been evolved. Each country has opted for a standard format of its own to be followed by the makers of foods in the county. Though there may be variations in the details of the declaration, basically these labels are insisted upon so that an average consumer knows about the quantity, price, ingredients, allergic and health affecting constituents, manufacturing date and batch number, best before date etc.Because of the realization that consumer may be more discerning in his choice of food, most important items to be included on the label vis-s-vis health are calories, fat, sugar, proteins and some micronutrients. While in India food processing industry has to abide by the law regarding labeling, what is galling is that such demands are not made on the public eateries which offer freshly cooked foods either served in regular brick and mortar restaurants or the informal unorganized street vending outlets though their products have neither any standards of identity in the statute books nor the liability for any food poisoning episodes. When packaged food food business is comparatively small considering that millions of people eat outside their home in such eateries, why these players are not asked to tell their patrons the basic composition of the foods they offer?                                                 

During the last few years eating out scenario has dramatically changed with more and more people being pulled by fast food restaurants, food trucks and street vendors which naturally would have affected the growth of the so called "brick and mortar" eateries.The eternal debate regarding the quality and safety of products offered by casual eateries will go on and on, with no clear answer emerging soon. Whether one likes it or not the current trend of faster growth of the informal sector of catering will continue and the catering sector as a whole has to take this in its stride. Why do more and more people like street foods in preference to going to a "standard" restaurant which at least ensures some accountability that can be enforced? Is it the price factor? Or is it the convenience factor that decides? Very difficult to get any definite answer though both must have some thing to do with such shifting of consumer loyalty. If we go by western standards the fast food industry registered phenomenal growth riding on the consumer desire to save time on eating and later it emerged that these new formats of eateries could also offer good "tasting" foods at comparatively lower prices. Lately the fast food food sector is however being hit badly by the new consumer awareness about health and the relentless onslaught of obesity caused by their low nutrient density food preparations though some of the major ones are in the process of overhauling their menu to make their products more healthy.

In India street food vendors are omnipotent across the urban and semi urban areas working unobtrusively occupying some of the important arterial and busy streets where crowds do collect in the evenings. Though from time to time concerns have been raised regarding the adverse impact of these street foods on the health of the citizens, civic administrations find it difficult to do any thing to discourage the working of these vendors due to humanitarian and political reasons. Neither is there any organized attempt either at the national or state level to improve the system with active policy intervention. Major issues that bother the health experts are the sanitary and safety problems inherent in such a situation where quality of inputs like water, raw materials and cooking environment cannot be considered satisfactory with most vendors. Besides disposal wastes and total lack of toilet facilities nearby make consuming these foods relatively a risk taking venture! Still it has to be conceded that there are thousands and thousands of street hawkers eking out a living through street vending giving it a socio-economic flavor. 

It is against such a background one has to listen to the discourse from the Consumer Affairs Minister at Delhi that Indians are confused by the labels on packaged foods, especially when it comes to the "best before" date and declared that it would be replaced with "expiry date" so that consumer can decide not to buy date expired products. The assumption is that date expired foods can be dangerous while many foods even after the best before date are still edible and safe to consume. May be there is a point in what the Minister has said because even the United Nations agencies have declared that enormous waste of food all over the world, especially in affluent countries is unconscionable. But what is the technical feasibility of arriving at at an expiry date for any food? After all food is a complex cocktail of organic molecules and any prediction regarding interactions among them may be somewhat difficult. Drawing any parallel between food industry and its counterpart in the pharmaceutical sector is not sustainable as most drug preparations have one or two active ingredients and what happens to them over a period of time can be easily assessed through model studies. 

While government is becoming more and more demanding when it comes to organized industry, the unorganized sector like street vending goes without much of an oversight by the safety agencies. Whether declaration of ingredients or expiry date such rules are enforced only when the players are registered with government regulatory authorities. It is still fresh in our memory as to how the safety regulator in this country systematically hounded the manufacturer of a particular brand of instant noodles slapping on them the unsustainable charge of their products being unsafe due to excessive levels of lead or mono sodium glutamate though there are many others producing the same not subjected to any scrutiny. It is misfortune of the citizens of this country that we are saddled with a food safety "management" agency which believes more in applying the law in letter rather than the spirit behind them. The instant noodle episode is a standing testimony to the character and culture of this agency. The appalling and archaic food safety vigilance and enforcement infrastructure controlled by state level departments cannot instill much confidence among the consumers that things will improve one day! 

The Consumer Affairs Minister was forthcoming regarding his ideas to stream line the street vendors by establishing specialized food vendors' zones to shift the existing vendors so that the quality of foods served would be much better though it is not clear as to how the central government can orchestrate the policy in an area considered coming under the state's power. Also he should have suggested that all food vendors, in the organized as well as in the informal sectors, must follow a declaration format containing some basic information regarding the two most important components, total calories and total fat to begin with. Why he was not considering this as important may be due organized objections the restaurant sector would raise citing technical difficulties in providing such information to their customers. Though this may be a valid argument it is not insurmountable.because such information can be generated with enormous technical resources available in government funded food laboratories in the country. A still better approach could be to generate data on the Indian culinary preparations and lay down guidelines for some of them for the catering industry to follow. 

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

High protein diet and smoking-Any relation?

Protein is a nutrient that comes from the daily diet needed by the human beings for tissue building and the amino acids contained in the long chain molecule provide the building lock for the body. As there is a limitation with respect to absorption of many molecules across the intestine, complex foods will have to be broken down to simpler chemical entities by enzymes present in the gastrointestinal tract. Specifically proteins in the diet are hydrolysed by a series of enzymes like pepsin, trypsin etc present in excretions of stomach and intestines into amino acids which are then absorbed into the blood for further utilization by the cells. The process of building proteins from this pool of 16 odd amino acids is through anabolic metabolism and there are hundreds of such proteins which are involved in metabolism to generate energy and other vital materials needed for a healthy life.

There was a time in the last millenium when too much focus was laid on protein malnutrition and national and international agencies were working over time to provide protein rich foods to malnourished poor people across the globe. Agencies like World Health Organizations (WHO) and United Nations  International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) are in the fore front fighting against malnutrition among people with special emphasis on women and children. However during the last five decades the emphasis has shifted from protein malnutrition to protein calorie malnutrition as many believe when adequate calories are provided through traditional cereals and pulses the protein needs are automatically taken care of. But there are some countries which are over dependent on only carbohydrate rich foods like Yams and Manioc and the populations there are vulnerable to protein deficiency. Research efforts in the past as well as at present are going on to enrich such foods with proteins from different cheap sources.

According to nutrition experts daily need for proteins among adults is around 50-60 gm and this has to come from a balanced diet containing plant and/or animal food sources. Though plant proteins are not considered as efficient as that from animal sources like meat, fish, egg and milk because of the limiting amino acids concept, people depending on plant foods compensate such handicaps through consumption of mixed diets containing different plant protein sources and cereals. From time to time there have been reports about the ill effects of consuming animal proteins linking it to diseases like obesity, CVD etc, it is more a misconception because it is not the protein per se that can be blamed but the presence of saturated fats in such foods that cause the problem. The differentiation between red meat and white meat and preference of white meat from sources like fish by nutritionists has to be understood in the context of the quality of fat present in them. 

While insufficient protein consumption can lead to diseases like Kwashiorkar and if calorie deficiency is more prominent it causes Marasmas, both the diseases can be fatal if allowed to progress without appropriate intervention. These diseases are characterized by fatigue, pale skin and hair, muscle wasting, diarrhea, infection, edema, swollen abdomen, stunted growth and a host of other symptoms. If WHO is to be believed, one in twelve people in this planet is malnourished and almost 58% of the 62 million mortality recorded is considered to be due to malnutrition! Unbelievable indeed! It is more or less agreed that if adequate income is generated among the economically poor population, mostly in Africa, South America and Asia, they can come out of this trap on their own by buying their needs of food. The million dollar question is how can that happen unless equitable economic development takes place uniformly across the world. 

On the other side of the coin is protein over nutrition. One has to draw an analogy to fat consumption and every body agrees that over consumption will lead to obesity in the long run. With proteins such a consensus is not there still though there are reports implicating over consumption to fatal diseases like cancer,.If that protein comes from animals, chances of developing diseases like cancer are considered some what high, it seems. In a recent report emanating from the US the consequences of over eating proteins were dramatically illustrated when the lead researchers proclaimed that high protein diets, especially during middle age, can increase the chances of cancer as much as that of a smoker puffing out 20 cigarettes a day. This conclusion was arrived at after tracking the lives of thousands pf subjects over a period of 20 years. How far this is correct cannot be judged now unless more data come from other independent scientific groups.

Though comparing high protein eaters to cigarette smokers may be far fetched, it does convey a powerful message about the potential risks involved in those indulging in too much meat eating, especially during their middle age phase of life. An interesting historical observation supports these findings. Eskimos who eat a predominantly meat based diet have a short life span though they have powerful bodies and extraordinary stamina. Same is true with many special groups of population scattered across the world who adopt a predominantly meat based diets excluding carbohydrates in their day to day lives. The relationship between calorie intake and longevity is another phenomenon not understood well and the present studies highlighting protein intake and cancer may also be an area which will attract more scientific groups to unravel the mysteries in the coming years. 

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THE SUCRALOSE "BOMB"-WOES OF THE CALORIE COUNTING CONSUMERS!

Ever since the discovery of Diabetes as a disease connected with sugar, mankind has been continuously in quest of effective substitutes for natural sugar for patients who cannot utilize glucose efficiently. But at the same time most people did not want to sacrifice the pleasure of consuming sweet products that stimulates the palate! The relationship between glucose uptake and insulin has been well established and insulin therapy became a standard treatment regime for Type I diabetes. On the other hand Type II diabetes is increasingly being managed through dietary restriction on consumption of high glycemic index foods and various drugs that facilitate better uptake of glucose by the cells from the blood. The dynamics of diabetic management have changed so dramatically that the old concept of avoiding sugar and carbohydrate foods has given way to new concept of regulated intake of such foods over a longer duration which prevents glucose build up in the blood. 

Discovery of Saccharine in 19th century was a boon to diabetic patients and its universal adoption as a safe non-nutritive sweetener created a euphoria among diabetics. It is only later safety questions were raised and Saccharine lost its preeminent position as the most preferred synthetic sweetener. Though its harmful effects have not yet been conclusively proved at the level used in humans, consumers started observing some of its culinary defects demanding better non-calories sweeteners. During the last 50 years a number of sugar substitutes arrived on the scene, the most popular being Aspartame which is 300 times sweeter than sucrose. After enjoying near monopoly of the market, new findings raised some significant doubts regarding its safety for long term consumption. Even to day aspartame is not an unconditionally acceptable sweetener and some studies are still going on to find out if there are any significant health risks in consuming it regularly over a long period. 

It was only during the last one decade that Steviol glycosides, a natural plant derived sweetener with zero calorie yield and the man-made Sucralose started receiving attention for their excellent quality as sweeteners. Stevia glycosides have a long consumption history in South America where the plant leaves were being consumed for centuries with no reported ill effects and processing these leaves into pure crystalline chemicals responsible for the sweetening properties became a reality. To day Stevia leaves processing industry is one of the fastest growing segments of industry with an annual growth of almost 20%. Commercial cultivation of Stevia plant is being taken up in many parts of the world and it may be a question of time before it establishes its position as numero uno among the sugar substitutes. Its uneven taste imparting profile can be its only draw back while no one seriously questions its safety credentials. Even in this area efforts have been reported to improve its taste profile through blending of different fractions of the glycosides present in the leaves.

In came Sucralose to challenge other sugar major substitutes and became an instant hit with the consumers. Discovered accidentally towards the end of the last millennium, it was promoted as a high intensity sweetener, being 600 times sweeter than cane sugar. Whatever safety data have been generated seem to have been accepted in many countries and Sucralose seems to be pushing out Aspartame from its pedestal as most acceptable and cheapest in the market. Recently several inconvenient questions are being raised about the safety and efficacy credentials of this chlorinated sucrose chemical which do not seem to be getting any clear answer. Any non-nutritive sweetener must satisfy four important criteria. These include whether it contributes directly or indirectly to blood glucose elevation, whether it is reasonably safe, whether it is efficient in terms of imparting sweetness at the lowest concentration and whether it has any after taste. Sucralose, for a while enjoyed high acceptance on all the above criteria and it is only recently grave doubts are being expressed on some of them.     

While its efficiency regarding sweetening power and cost is universally accepted  it is the safety credential and the efficiency in controlling blood sugar level that are being questioned. According to some critics Sucralose is an organo chlorine compound, three of its hydroxyl group being replaced with chlorine through covalent bonds. Generally organochlorine compounds are highly toxic and most pesticides which are effective toxins for a variety of lower organisms belong to this class of compounds. How far Sucralose is comparable to these organochlorine pesticides in terms of toxicity is some thing not known to many consumers. One can only assume that the safety authorities in those countries which gave clearance to Sucralose must have adequate data on its safety for long term use. Consumers have a nagging doubt that adequate clinical studies using humans have not been carried out raising anxiety regarding its safety. 

Recent research findings in Washington University School of Medicine which have found that sucralose is not metabolically inert as was believed, raises enough concern and added to this it was found that instead, it actually raises blood sugar!. How this happens is some what a mystery though it is being hypothesized that Sucralose does so possibly by acting on receptors in intestines that mediate uptake of glucose into blood. In such an eventuality glucose absorption becomes more efficient raising the blood sugar level rapidly compared to normal conditions. Of course the industry which has latched on to Sucralose as an omnipotent zero calories ingredient in thousands of products could be hard hit financially if this finding is confirmed by further studies. Also millions of diabetic patients are going to be in for a shock if this is proven beyond doubt.  

Another disturbing report implicates Sucralose in destruction gut bacteria to the extent of 50% and if this is true Sucralose may find it hard to continue to enjoy the acceptability level it has now. It is now well recognized that health of gut bacterial population is directly linked to the health of a person and if this is disturbed by intense antibiotic therapy, the consequences are well established by many clinical trials. Similarly if Sucralose is confirmed to have an adverse effect on gut bacteria, as is being implied in some credible studies, it may be curtains down for this rising sugar substitute sooner or later. Already there are some reports which show that obese people have a drastically different gut bacterial profile and if these people start consuming Sucralose regularly as a part of their controlled diet regime, imagine the consequences! They will be gaining weight further in stead of shedding the same!  

What are the implications of this small study using a few obese individuals on the present status of diabetic patients and weight watchers? The effect this chemical entity has on glucose absorption might expose body to toxic levels of blood sugar that will lead to harm in the long term. Similarly those who shun natural sugar to cut down on calories may experience the opposite effect and end up gaining weight! Sooner this controversy is resolved better it will be for these anxious segments of the society. The developers of Sucralose have lot to answer to the public while the safety regulators will have eggs on their face if the above findings are substantiated through more organized and scientifically unimpeachable studies. Is Sucralose going to be the next "tobacco" that will shake the industry through class action by millions of consumers who believed them and their data? Did the original developers conceal the real data showing that this chemical really raises blood sugar level at concentrations recommended? If so they must be hauled up for possible criminal fraud against humanity! 

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

THE "CALORIE-BODY WEIGHT" EQUATION-NEW APPROACH TO UNDERSTAND OBESITY

When the subject of obesity is talked about, there is always this tendency to advice the victims of such physiological disorders to cut down drastically on food intake, least realizing that there is no quick fix solution to overcome the epidemic. It is true that balancing the calories consumed with that expended is a key to "prevent" development of obesity but cutting down on calories by people already obese has minimal effect forcing the unfortunate victims to seek medical intervention. Many slimming diets propounded by commercial special food industry also do not help in controlling weight in all people, their impact being not uniform among the patients trying to bring down body weight through this route. It is for nothing that obesity "industry" is growing fast attracting victims who do not get solace through conventional diet therapy.  

Mathematics is a precise science and it is the basis of all designs man comes up with during the last few decades. There are many mathematical models evolved by scientists to test hypotheses and concepts and with the computing power of to day's man becoming mind boggling, there is nothing which cannot be predicted based on mathematics. Practically the whole space program was developed on computer calculations and modeling studies. It is against this background attempts are being made to use mathematical modeling studies to understand and predict obesity trends among human beings based on food intake and other data available already in the literature. Probably better and more intensive use of mathematics may reduce drastically the time needed to understand and project future possibilities.

A standard answer to any question related to calorie intake and weight reduction will always be that it takes about 3500 kC calorie reduction to lose. But it appears this is no longer the holy grail if some mathematicians have their say. They aver that the behavior of the human body is not the same under over caloric and under caloric conditions. Proof of this contention is that a person already overweight puts on more weight for every 10 calories additional intake compared to a normal healthy person consuming the same number of calories. In other words the effect of calorie intake is not manifested immediately and there is a certain time factor to see its weight gaining effect. If these findings are true the dietary science may have to be revised to keep in tune with the new predictions by the mathematics experts.

One of the surprising findings is that weight gain and reduction cannot be achieved in short time and it may take 1-3 years to reach equilibrium by the human body. In other words there is no quick fix for weight reduction as is being propagated by the merchants and peddlers of weight reduction diets world over. How difficult it is to lose weight can be gauged by the fact, as brought out recently, that it takes about three years for a dieter under any dietary regime to reach a steady state and there should not be any disappointment if results take longer to arrive than expected! The mathematical model arrived at by the new studies predicts that if one wants to reduce 10 pounds, it is necessary to cut down 100 kC a day for 3 years. Most welcome finding that will give solace to many weight watchers is that huge variations in daily intake of foods will not be a problem as long as the average intake is maintained to achieve the desired goal of reduced weight. 

One of the reasons as to why in the US one out of every three persons is obese can be seen against the above background. Since 1970s the food cost in that country has been coming down significantly while the per capita income has been increasing, putting more money in the hands of people. American food industry started its "seduction" program to tap the increased money in the hands of the population by creating foods that stimulate the palate rather than improving their well being! If the obesity in the US has assumed alarming proportion during the last one decade, it has to be understood in the context of the growth of the food industry there churning out foods with empty nutrition and abundance of calories. If the mathematical modeling is taken into consideration once the equilibrium level of the body is reached in 3 years resulting in increase of 10 pounds in the body weight, every additional calorie is bound to escalate the weight accrual relentlessly resulting in obesity in no time. As against 2000-2500 kC intake by healthy persons in developing countries, the corresponding figure is in the vicinity of 3500 kc! Under such a condition one cannot help saying "Obesity, thy name is America"!

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