PLASTICIZER TAINTED FOODS-TAIWAN'S NEW WORRIES

The on-going food scare in Taiwan due to foods and beverages contaminated with a plasticizer known as Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has once again raises alarm regarding the use of these chemicals for their unique functional properties. There are about 25 different phthalates to which modern man is exposed and some of them like DEHP.DINP, DNOP, DIDP,DBP and BBP are considered conspicuous by their presence in thousands of products with which humans come into contact. In fact about 10-40% of all plastics are made of one or the other phthalate and since to day's Society cannot live without plastics, exposure to phthalates is considered unavoidable.

Phthalates in plastics like Poly Vinyl Chloride ( PVC) provide clarity, increased flexibility, transparency, durability and longevity. DEHP, the most commonly used plasticizer, has become ubiquitous because of its low cost and easy availability. Considering that exposure to phthalates from many products used by humans, many countries are phasing out their use with plans to eliminate them eventually. Phthalates mimic human hormones and are considered endocrine disruptor if ingested at high levels, causing many diseases including chronic obesity, sexual abnormality, cancer, cardiovascular damage etc.

Though phthalates, being an excellent plasticizer, are not used by the food industry, their presence in unusual concentrations has been reported in some foods like milk and cheese and also water. DEHP with low vapor pressure is easily volatilized during the high temperature manufacturing process and these vapors are absorbed by the water and foods with high fat content. There are reports that milk and cheese are highly vulnerable to contamination by phthalates from the atmosphere and water. It is estimated that about 3.63 billion kg of DEHP are produced globally, used extensively by the plastic industry in making various products of day to day use and the danger posed by this chemical can be gauged by the cumulative exposure of human beings every day to theses products.

The Taiwan incidence has been traced to the use of DEHP by an ingredient manufacturer to make flavor concentrates for beverages as DEHP is an excellent emulsifier and provides cloudy appearance to beverages without separation or sedimentation. As a general rule clouding agents are not supposed to contain any of the phthalates including DEHP but the Taiwan party must have used it because it is one of the cheapest emulsifiers available in the market. It is unbelievable that the population in the US , the most industrialized nation in the world have high levels of phthalates in their blood, urine, saliva and exhaled air and what effects these chemicals have had on their health is any body's guess! In the US phtalates up to a level of 6 ppb is permitted in water though a total ban of these chemical is on the anvil in many countries including the US, Canada and European Union due to serious health concerns.

The entire food industry in Taiwan is likely to be engulfed in a worsening carcinogenic-additive crisis as a growing number of products have been found to contain DEHP which has set off panic among the consumers and unease in government circles. The food industry in that country is in shambles, affecting the reputation of many established players for no fault of theirs. Millions of food products have been recalled and the hemorrhaging is still continuing. Many countries have slapped a ban on Taiwanese made food products affecting the export economy very badly. Probably it may take many years for Taiwanese Food Industry to reclaim the reputation lost because of the DEHP tainting incidence. If this incidence can serve as a wake up call for many countries, regarding the importance of food safety, which must be enforced with an iron hand, Taiwanese pain would have served a purpose!

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

FOOD CONTAMINATION-PERILS OF "BORDERLESS" TRADE

Modern transportation facilities have enabled the food industry to move foods from from one corner of the earth to the other seamlessly at minimum cost and "universalization of food" is an inevitable "fait accommpli" whether one likes it or not. But such borderless trade can also bring along with many problems associated with safety concerns. The recent mozzarella cheese contamination episode in Europe has brought this issue to the fore. Italians are a worried lot to day after huge quantities of Mozzarella cheese, imported from Germany and distributed in some of the retail outlets in Italy, were recalled from the market suspected of contamination of unknown nature. As this variety of cheese is consumed by majority of the population there and the consumers are wedded to the cheese made from only buffalo milk, any deviation from the standard creates furor and anxiety amongst them. It was not long ago that there was the episode involving large scale "adulteration" of buffalo milk with cow's milk for making mozzarella cheese raising wide scale hue and cry in the country forcing confiscation of those consignments suspected to have contained traces of cow's milk solids.

More than 50% of the cheese made in Italy uses milk supplies coming out side its border and it is difficult to trace the source of contamination if and when it occurs. Dioxin tainted cheese found some time back in the market also caused some discomfort to the safety authorities highlighting the difficult logistics of surveillance in the continent with practically no border restrictions on trade. It is understandable that Italians are touchy about the quality and safety of mozzarella cheese as more than 60% of the population consume this milk product regularly, that too in significant quantities. Though there have been no major out break of food poisoning on account of mozzarella cheese, occasional minor Salmonella contamination episodes are reported but very infrequently. Some of the microbial contaminants found in cheese include Psuedomonas spp, Enterobacter, E.coli, Enterococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and some yeasts and molds. Generally the product is traded when it is not less than 5 days old and not more than 15 days old at a temperature of 4-6C.

It is against this context one has to see the latest mozzarella contamination episode which occurred in some parts of Italy According to reports, the food safety authorities in northern Italy seized a batch of 70,000 mozzarella that turned blue once they were removed from their packs, triggering emergency control measures by them. The particular cheese, was imported from Germany for an Italian distribution company that sold it to discount supermarkets in the north of the country. The much vaunted European "rapid alert" system was launched informing all concerned about the the contamination. What is interesting is that it was left to an alert consumer to inform the authorities by sending images from her mobile phone of the soft, white cheese immediately turning blue once it came into contact with air and action was promptly taken to take off the affected cheese from the shelves to prevent any untoward incidence of food poisoning. Though initial assessment indicated it to be bacterial rather than toxic contamination, the incidence has baffled many experts calling for further investigation about the cause. The possibility of the blue color development due to presence of copper, nickel or lead in the milk or the aqueous solution used to preserve the cheese was not ruled out. As no consumer reported falling sick due to consumption of this "blue" cheese, the incidence did not create any serious consumer backlash though more vigilance is being advocated for cross country food trade.

The above piece of news is remarkable viewed from three angles. First it reflects the keen sense of consumer vigilance and responsibility as the abnormality in the cheese was noted first by a consumer who alerted the concerned authorities through a mobile phone where after the decision for recall was taken as a precaution. Second the excellent rapid alert system that operates in the EU for meeting such contingencies. Last, it speaks volume about the commitment to safety by the industry as exemplified by the prompt and voluntary decision by the distributor to recall all the products from the retail shelves with minimum loss of time. All the three stake holders in the safety assurance frame work, consumer, authorities and the industry deserve kudos for their role in tackling this unfortunate incidence with damage to none.

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

THE TRACEABILITY TOOL-BECOMING AN INDUSTRY STANDARD

With the food-borne diseases capturing world-wide attention, traceability has become a priority area of consideration so that such out breaks and costly market recall of suspected products can be avoided as much as possible. The problem assumes serious dimension under a global trade regime that depends on food resources and ingredients used by the industry from different corners of the world. While many developed countries are formulating policies for putting in place a dependable traceability program, some industry players are taking a proactive stand by implementing their own voluntary traceability plans.

Those products undergoing minimum processing and made from lesser number of ingredients are easily amenable to any new requirements for making the information about supply sources. But it becomes complicated bordering on nightmare when it comes to products containing dozens of ingredients sourced from different parts of the world. The "one up and one back" approach evolved a few years ago is relatively easy to be accomplished and possibly if every one in the supply chain keeps the supply source record, it should be possible to identify all the players involved through elaborate investigations, though it may take quiet some time to get the full details. The present clamor for full traceability vis-à-vis the final product by the manufacturer has to be understood in this context. The surmise is that in the event of any suspected episode, the entire sequence and the players involved can be traced instantly. Electronic tracing will eventually become an industry practice in future.

A manufacturer of chocolate bar in the US recently introduced a "choc-o-lot" code, a series of numbers that customers can plug into the company's website revealing where the cocoa beans in that bar were grown and who grew them. The idea is to introduce customers to the farmer in Ecuador, Mexico or the Philippines who cultivated the bar's essential ingredient. Tracing the chocolate from the bean to the bar is an elaborate exercise and this ability to track an ingredient from origin to destination is what is accomplished by this small chocolate company. Fritto-Lays Inc, the potato chips giant, initiated its own efforts under the "chip tracker" program under which consumers can track electronically the journey of potato from the farms to the factory. The fruit berry company, Driscoll's have the traceability sticker on the pack to inform its buyer about the history of the produce marketed by them while Chiquita company has put in place its "Leaf Locator" program for the lettuce it is marketing.

While 100% traceability is a desirable goal, whether it can be enforced across the entire spectrum of food industry under the prevailing situation is an issue that requires more attention to the details of logistics and other constraints coming in the way. Imagine the tribulations of a company dealing with a produce like tomato which are accessed from different sources for supply to the market after a series of operations. Tomatoes are plucked at different stages of half ripening, cleaned, sorted, packed, labeled and dispatched to the market. Naturally any given pack can have tomatoes coming from more than one farm and how difficult it can be to trace any contamination when suspected, to any original source. Under a strict traceability regime, the processor will have to have separate handling facilities for produce coming from different sources or at least separate storage facilities for each supplier. Same applies to all food materials as blending, mixing and pooling are standard operations in food processing industry for maximizing quality, safety and profitability.

In a country like India traceability will remain a pipe dream with millions of growers supplying the raw materials to the industry and millions of retailers peddling the processed products through their small outlets. Probably few retailers in the organized sector may be able to achieve some traceability because of their ability and capacity to link with large growers with traceable address. But eventually all countries have to fall in line if traceability becomes a pre-requisite for international trade under the WTO regime.

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

POST-DINNER GUESTS-NO INVITATION NEEDED!

Of all the inconveniences put up by a house wife while doing her daily chores in the kitchen, most persistent one is that caused by the mighty cockroaches. There are about 4000 species of roaches spread all over the world, of which only 30 are associated with human habitats. A large roach can weigh up to 50 gm though majority of them come in the range of 5-10 gm. Smallest one is about 4 mm long while the biggest species can have a wing span of almost 18 cm! They are historical with their ancestors dating back to 350 million years during the carboniferous period. One of the most sturdy living creatures man has encountered, roaches can withstand radiation of the order of 67000 rem, a dose 100 times more than what humans can tolerate. A small dose of 800 rem is supposed to be lethal to human being. German roaches can even tolerate higher doses up to 105000 rem. A decapitated roach can be alive for almost a week reflecting its perseverance and persistence! Which terrestrial creature can hold breath for 40 minutes under water? A roach can!

Since they can live in all climates roaches infest all houses unless preventive measures are taken. Their preference is for tropical humid climates and Indian climate suits them well. No house hold can be immune to the presence of roaches in spite of all preventive measures taken since such measures can only control their population, not eliminate them totally. Generally they live for 3 months and some times for more than 6 months under favorable conditions. They can survive without food for a month as one night's feast is sufficient for living in a hibernated condition. But without water they can only live for a week. They lay their eggs in hard sacs known as ootheca containing several of the eggs, carrying with them for two days before depositing in safe places. A pair of cockroaches can produce more than a lack of descendants in an year reflecting their enormous procreative ability causing population explosion.

Roaches can penetrate crevices of size less than 0.5 mm. Their nocturnal activities are restricted to about 4 hours after the lights are off in the kitchen and 75% of the time they rest hidden from human eyes. They feed on any thing which includes milk, sweets, starchy foods, over ripe fruits, etc. In a normal house hold 50% of the roach population will be in the kitchen as it is the source of food and they know about it. In some houses the roach population can be as high as 1000 at any given time. Left over food materials, food liters on and around the dining tables, unkempt stores, below the kitchen stove where food splattering and spill overs are not cleaned regularly and storage shelves with crevices, attract them for accessing their food needs and for resting and reproduction.

Why do man detests cockroaches? Probably because they are associated with filth. In reality not even a single food poisoning episode in human history has been attributed to this house hold pest though they do carry with them pathogens on their body. One aspect on which roaches are to be viewed with seriousness is their suspected role in inducing Asthma which is thought to be due to secretion of Tropomyosin, a confirmed allergen. Since they do not have the ability to detect foods from a distance, they run over whatever food they come across during their "night out" causing obnoxious smell through their droppings. However there is one place under the sun where roaches are welcome, Texas, USA where farmers discovered their ability to destroy cotton bollworms, considered a pest that affect cotton production in the region.

Boric acid powder, hydramethylnon, deltamethrin, pyrethrin and some pesticides are toxic to roaches. Aerosol sprays containing the pesticide formula with thin delivery tube attached at 45 degree can effectively reach hard to access points to eliminate them. Hydramethynon, belonging to the class of chemicals known as trifluoromethyl aminohydrazone is a metabolic inhibitor highly poisonous to roaches and is extensively used for baiting. Sulfuryl chloride fumigation is effective in controlling their population and periodic fumigation of sewer lines, both inward and outward, is needed to avoid large scale migration into the house. The fact that they cannot travel more than 300 feet makes them create colonies through 'breed and expand' strategy, their travel route being the covered underground sewage lines in the urban areas. Unless and until home owners understand the life style of cock roaches and take precautions to discourage their breeding within their premises, theses uninvited 'guests' are bound to become 'permanent residents', co-existing with the real owners of the house! .



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