Obsession with "freshness" in foods-Unjustified loss of foods is the result!

Is it not strange that a vast majority of consumers will go to any extent to access to the so called "fresh foods"? What do they get by relentlessly pursuing the "fresh" mantra, some times paying prices much higher than that for processed foods? Can it be an obsession that is passed on from generation to generation because of the low population in olden days, lack of processing technologies and plenty of foods available within easy reach ensuring easy availability of ever fresh foods? Or this is nothing but the eating disorder fancifully known as "Orthorexia nervosa" when people over obsessed with pure food lose interest in eating altogether? Other wise how can we explain the obsession of many people with freshly obtained milk from the cow or buffalo, to be milked right in front of them at the farm, ignoring ready availability of dairy milk nearby? This is all the more puzzling because this fresh milk is brought home to be boiled for a long time before use! Same is true with fruits, vegetables and lot of other foods. This syndrome is visible while buying packed foods also with consumers looking closely at the manufacturing date before buying, ignoring those with older manufacturing date! 

Most interesting is the case of vegetables and it is a usual sight to see house wives buying the same from road side vendors believing they are fresh and taking home to promptly over cook them destroying its texture and flavor. After all when these vegetables are used to make dishes the major taste and flavor come from the spices and other adjuncts used rather than that of the vegetables used! Probably people are not aware that to day's technological prowess enables food industry to deliver fruits and vegetables in prime conditions as they resort to cold storage, cold display, controlled atmosphere packs etc and super market can supply fresh produce which can be much superior to that offered by the road side vendor. Usually vegetable vendors get their supplies from the local Mandis where farmers bring them without any preharvest and post harvest precautions, leaving them wilted and "exhausted"! Why is that frozen food industry in India is not able to prosper during the last 2 decades? Frozen food industry is more or less confined to ice cream products with a few ready to "heat and eat" products and the frozen food space occupied in a typical market is practically insignificant compared to the space occupied by main stream products. This industry is paying the price for Indian consumers' obsession with fresh foods or despising of "old" foods!   

The density of refrigerators in the Indian households is fairly high and some of the brands of refrigerators available in the market can rival any foreign markets across the world. Still there are innumerable families not using them for keeping the foods overnight for consumption next day if they can afford. With microwave ovens also gaining foothold in India, habits are changing and many nuclear families do store foods for use later in conjunction with microwave heating. Some of the Indian foods like cooked rice and preparations based on rice are not amenable to storage beyond a certain time and such stored products are difficult to be made tasty " again" in spite of microwave heating. Same is true with wheat based products like roti, bread, uppuma, semia etc. It is a question of compromising a little bit vis-a-vis the eating quality of recooked cold stored foods which the younger generation is learning to live with. Does it portend a change in perception over the next few years? If so the food industry can look forward to better days.

The preference for or obsession with fresh foods, whatever one may call it, is not unique to Indians. According to a recent report emanating from the Gulf countries, it seems tens of thousands of liters of milk, and huge volumes of bread and other perishable food products are being thrown away in countries like Abu Dhabi and Dubai every day because of consumers' attitude towards foods which are not fresh according to their perception. .A large number of people in the UAE are so obsessed about freshness of food that they refuse to buy products dated a day or two before the date of purchase, albeit the products being safe to consume and being well within the shelf life. Out of about 8 lakh liters of milk marketed in UAE every day about 16-32 thousand liters are reported to be wasted because of the tendency on the part of the buyers, probably most of them Indian immigrants, to reject the products processed earlier, with 2-3 days still remaining for expiration. These consumers, who hardly know the implication of their attitude, are paving the way for good food products going waste running to millions of dollars in value. It is least realized by the consumers that In the long run, this can also boomerang on them with hike in prices for the wasted categories of food products becoming a reality. Imagine thousands of liters of precious milk of good quality being dumped in the drains every day in these countries because of consumer weariness in accepting the reality that freshness need not always be associated with quality and good health!  

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

The much maligned Ghee that is a "magnet" for fraudsters in India! -Consumer in a blind!

Ghee is the Indianized version of butter oil which is a highly valued by-product of dairy industry. Why this is liked very much in India, despite it being demonized for presence of saturated fats and cholesterol? People love it for its delicate flavor that comes from high heat processing of fresh butter in open pans. Compared to other fats, ghee fetches a premium price to the extent of 100 to 150% and almost all diaries, private as well as cooperative, produce them being sold under various brand names. Ghee is also used in a variety of sweetmeat preparations through out the country. The ingenuity of food fraudsters in adulterating this valued fat product has spawned an entire industry that uses solid fats like Vanaspati in such proportions that cannot be easily detected by the hapless consumer. According to a recent report from the food safety authority sources, more than 50% of market samples of ghee are adulterated as discovered during a market vigilance operation and subsequent laboratory tests of seized samples. If this is true imagine the easy money the fraudsters are making through this devious route! 

Assuming that the figures trotted out by the above report is really true, what are its health implications? Antagonists of ghee consumption basically raise three issues regarding the desirability of taking ghee in our foods. First ghee is supposed to contain cholesterol as it is derived from animal sources. This cannot be refuted though the cholesterol content in ghee, about 250 mg % cannot be considered very high since human body does need about 300 mg of this fat emulsifying aid for digestion of fatty foods in the gastrointestinal tract. Second the saturated fat content, about 62% in ghee makes it eminently eligible for raising a red flag as there is a common impression that all saturated fats are bad for the health. Agreed that saturated fat consumption is not encouraged by nutritionists because of its tendency to raise the Low Density Cholesterol ( LDL) levels in the blood which is bad for the heart but consumption of saturated fat to a limited extent is not dangerous as long as major calories come from plant oils of liquid nature. The third issue is presence of trans fats (TF) in ghee which is being condemned world wide for its ill effects on heart. Why this concern about TF which is present only in small quantities in ghee? 

Of course trans fats are not desirable as a general rule but one has to make a difference between naturally occurring TF and man made TF. Hydrogenated Fats ( HF) made in huge quantities on demand by the food industry to incorporate into various processed products contain very high levels of HF, some times as high as 40% and naturally even a 10 gm portion can contribute about 4 gm of TF to the consumer. Unfortunately almost all baked foods are steeped in HF and intake of TF must be much more than what is considered safe. Health agencies all over the world are hesitant to put a "safe limit" for TF as far as human beings are considered and universally a zero tolerance is advocated. However practical ground reality makes it inevitable for humans to imbibe some TF through various foods consumed. This has necessitated for WHO to put an upper limit of TF ingestion equivalent to 1% of calories derived from the foods we consume every day. In the US there is a guideline which says TF consumption should not be more than 2 gm a day per person. 

Incidentally TF is present from 1 to 4% in human milk and naturally the child also imbibes this. But at such levels TF is not considered unsafe for a growing child. Similarly all animal derived milks contain TF to the extent of 2-5% of its total fat content. As a consequence both butter and ghee will contain TF passed on from the fluid milk during processing. One vital difference between saturated fat and TF is that the former just increases the LDL content in blood without any adverse effect on the HDL level. In contrast TF can cause both an increase in LDL and decrease in HDL, a double whammy! Health conscious consumers must avoid consumption of hydrogenated fats like Vanaspati be it any brand if to be protected against heart disease. But ghee cannot be categorized as a dangerous fat measured by any standards. On the contrary there are many reports highlighting the positive properties of ghee for human beings. As true with any food, moderation is always advised while consuming any fatty foods and ghee is no exception to this golden rule.

Talking about the extent of adulteration of ghee in India, one is left with an impression that a proper study has never been made about different markets in the country based on which any conclusion can be drawn regarding this menacing issue. If FSSAI is to be believed more than 60% of milk marketed by private players in the unorganized sector are adulterated and how harmful such a situation can be to the health of our population can be guessed. Similarly if this logic is extended to ghee market, one cannot doubt that most of the samples must be impure, adulterated with hydrogenated fat. Though no precise data is available, the estimated production of ghee in the country is about a million tons and even adulteration at 10% level can be a rewarding effort for the adultrators!. One comforting thought is that this heinous crime is perpetrated mostly by players in the unorganized sector though catching them is much more difficult than those indulging in this practice from the organized sector. Viewed from another perspective, the adulterated ghee containing Vanaspati can increase the TF ingestion among people with undesirable consequences in the long run. Sooner FSSAI takes preventive action to curb the growth of ghee adulteration "industry", better it will be for the health of the citizens of this country. 

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

FOOD SECURITY ACT-THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN!

One of the most populist schemes churned out by the UPA government during its tenure has been the distribution of government stored food grains practically free to almost two thirds of the population. This scheme was started in a haste without studying in depth the consequences of such pampering of the public on the economic, social and life styles of the beneficiaries who number about 700 million. The subsidy outgo was estimated at 1.3 lakh crore annually which has to come from the general kitty, contributed by the honest taxpayers of the country. No thought was ever given whether such large scale diversion of development funds can be sustained year after year by the succeeding governments that may come to power in future.

One of the consequences already being felt during the operation of this scheme has been uncontrollable food inflation that is eating into the budget of every family in the country. While supply of highly subsidized grains does ensure "survival"of many people by keeping hunger away from their door steps, practically cost of every other thing in life has become intolerably high. It is like taking away with one hand what is given with the other hand! The warped thinking of political shenanigans who came out with the doling scheme is that all it requires for a decent life is cereals like rice and wheat! They seem to have ignored the nutrition security of these beneficiaries by not including pulses, fruits, vegetables or milk in the basket of subsidized "foods"! Is the nation heading for a future where people are destined to stunted growth and less than optimum mental health?

What impact the new scheme will have on the labor market in the country also has been ignored. To day the country is suffering from gross shortage of workers to do any chores, be it farming, manufacturing or civil construction. If food is provided practically free, what incentive people will have to go to work? If this is a correct reading of the labor market, the country may be in an unenviable position of negative growth in almost all spheres of economic activity with grave consequences. The ever escalating cost of getting labor is telling on every front. During the last few years labor has been demanding higher wages but this took a dramatic turn during the last one year with labor cost rising as much as 25-30% in states like Kerala. 

Why was there any necessity to ignore the well developed PDS which was working in many states with reasonable efficiency while propagating the present food security scheme? Many believe that this is largely a ploy to garner votes in the coming election for the present ruling dispensation by stealing the credit from a few states which have been operating their PDS with high management efficiency. It is true that in a few states PDS has not been working as expected and pilferage of rains was reported to be high. But proper reforms of the system and application of modern management technology should have been attempted. 

The quality of food grains supplied under the new food security scheme might not be good as in the case of PDS supplies with many recipients not using them for self consumption but diverting the same to flour mills and poultry industry! From where can the government bring good quality grains as the storage conditions in most ware houses are pitiable and not conducive to preserve the quality. There is even some suggestion that good quality food grains can be imported when there is a shortage in government granaries. With foreign exchange being maintained through generous remittances from immigrant Indians abroad, can the country afford the luxury of importing food grains for doling to the voters? Unthinkable indeed!  

Recent reports from Karnataka which is implementing the food security scheme indicate the ground reality as far as working of the scheme is concerned. Faced with shortage of grains in the state granaries, government started buying grains from the open market and it was soon realized that there was an active recycling process involving collusion between the beneficiaries and the grain trade. The beneficiaries who received grains promptly sold their quota to the private trade which in turn sold the same back to the government!      

Most interesting case regarding the adverse consequences of distribution of freebies comes from the state of Chhatisgarh where it was noticed that the alcohol consumption in the state went up dramatically after implementing the subsidized grain distribution scheme. It appears that beneficiaries of the food scheme in the state were selling the grains they received and using the money they got for buying alcoholic beverages! The State seemed to be happy because its liquor revenue jumped by as much as 90% during the last year. In 2013-14, Chhattisgarh is reported to have earned Rs. 1,900 crore from liquor sales, nearly Rs. 500 crore more than the revenue earned in the previous year. Paradoxically  the earning from liquor sales appears to be going to subsidize the food security program of the state! In effect the food security program intended to improve the health of the people inadvertently is driving them to be alcoholics! Probably the same story will be repeated in other states also and the only beneficiary is likely to be alcoholic beverage industry! Mahatma Gandhi must be turning in his grave seeing such things happening in his Motherland for which he sacrificed his life.

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

WHAT MAKES A NOBEL LAUREATE? BRAIN OR FOOD?

Is there a relationship between between the brain power and attainment of excellence in life? Common senses does indicate that man endowed with superior intelligence has conquered the world and to day homo sapiens rule supreme, at least in planet called Mother Earth. To establish any such relationship one has to define what is excellence and how it can be quantified. Once human beings are recognized as supremely intelligent creatures there must be degree of excellence by which there can be differentiation among them. Can winning a Nobel prize be considered the ultimate in one's life achievement? Nobel prize is given in practically every branch of human endeavor and there fore can be a comparative scale for determining excellence.

Some time back there was a claim that Nobel prize winners invariably come from countries where chocolate consumption is high! Statistically analyzed the study referred above does reflect this fact. Looked from the perspectives of a food scientist or a nutritionist, probably this phenomenon can be explained by the fact that chocolate is one of the richest sources of Flavonoids which are endowed with high levels of antioxidant activity. Heath of human beings in general is directly related to the extent of inflammation at cellular level and resultant generation of oxyradicals adversely affecting the DNA metabolism. Flavonoids and similar antioxidants are supposed to neutralize these highly destructive oxyradicals as and when they are generated. Probably this may be a far-fetched theory but still plausible.

Following the chocolate report in comes another claim that Milk consumption has some thing to do with the ability of human beings to reach pinnacle of their career! Here again the science of statistics has contributed to this "discovery". According to the authors of above "study" Sweden has the highest number of Nobel laureates, about 33 per 10 million since its inception and their per capita milk consumption is estimated to be about 330 kg per year! This country is closely followed by Switzerland, that tiny country with 32 Nobel prizes per 10 million population with milk products consumption to the extent of 300 kg per person per year. A major deviation is Finland with the highest milk consumption, 350 kg per capita,  which has insignificant number of Nobel laureates!. Probably 300 kg per capita annual consumption may be the cut off point beyond which the "Milk effect" does not work! China, the second most powerful economic power in the world is not an admirer of milk with hardly 25 kg per year per person and it has only an insignificant number of winners of Nobel prize, about 9 in number for a population of 1.3 billion plus!. Same is true with India also, with hardly 8 Nobel prizes for its population of 1.2 billion.  

What could be the connection, if at all there is any, between milk and excellence of achievement? Viewed from a nutrition angle, it is very difficult to justify such a correlation though milk is often considered as a complete food containing almost all critical nutrients required for development of body as well as the brain. The theory that it is rich in vitamin D that aids brain development cannot be taken at its face value because people in many tropical countries make abundant Vitamin D through their exposure to sun. Could the affordability play a part in enabling the people from rich countries consuming high quantum of milk and milk products and if so Nobel laureates can come only from such countries.

Are the people from poor countries destined to be inferior human beings perpetually? Their could be another angle which could explain the milk effect and that is not related to milk but to the education standards and infrastructure available in these rich countries. Naturally a good education can definitely enrich the mind and the brain leading to achievement of excellence in whatever field one chooses. There are many bright and intelligent youngsters in countries like India with the right caliber to become Nobel laureates but the poor infrastructure for education and unimaginative policies that prevail here, there is very little scope for expressing their innate talents. Why is that except for a Sir C V Raman or a Tagore who won the Nobel prize working in India, all other winners were people of Indian origin achieving the excellence working in other countries?  

While per capita milk consumption is used for comparison in the above study, the major flaw is that there can be enormous variation among the population with some consuming high amounts of milk while poorer segment must be taking abysmally low quantities. Take the example of India, the top producer of milk in the world where average milk consumption is just about 100 kg per person per year but in the state Punjab it is almost 360 kg per year per person! Does it mean that future Nobel laureates are going to emerge from this state while others have no chance? Statistical correlations have a meaning up to a point but it need not be the absolute truth! Ultimately for excellence in achievement, it 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration! While in science and other finite subjects infrastructure for research has to be of very high order, in social sciences creativity, imagination, deep thinking, philosophy and a fertile brain may play a crucial role.

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

THE CHANGING MILK SCENARIO-PACKED PRODUCTS GAINING GROUNDS

Since 1998, India has been gloating over its remarkable success in overtaking the US as the number one producer of fluid milk in the world. This singular achievement was mainly due to the pioneering efforts of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), led by that visionary Dr Varghese Kurien beginning 1970 under the Operation Flood Program. The cooperative movement which first established itself in the milk sector in Gujarat, spread to other states also leading to remunerative returns to milk producers which in turn resulted in quantum jump in production and productivity. Still India lags behind many countries in cattle productivity and the current milk yield from an India cattle is hardly 1000kg per lactation cycle, compared to the world average of 2000 kg and achievable target of 8000 kg. Though much efforts had gone into areas like cattle genetics, better fodder use and improvement in veterinary practices, the current annual growth of a measly 4% is considered inadequate to meet the demand for milk in the coming years.

If average per capita availability figures give any indication of the adequacy of milk in the country, it is 263 g per day in India compared to the world average of 280g per day, which is not bad. There are two factors which vitiate such calculations and any smug feeling that the country is self sufficient is likely to evaporate when one peeps into future. First average figures hide more than what they reveal and the bitter truth is that there is wide disparity in milk consumption pattern in India with the poor not able to afford to buy the nutritionally required minimum at the current market price. Second, looking at the future, there is even a suggestion from experts that India will have to go for import of milk products within a span of 10 years if the milk production does not increase to 180 million tons from the present anticipated production of about 120 million tons in 2011, implying an annual growth rate of about 6%. Whether this is achievable depends on the success of the National Dairy Plan of GOI taken up this year with an outlay of Rs 15.84 billion, major emphasis being put on improved productivity and bringing more milk into the processing grid in the organized dairy sector. If India could increase milk production six times between 1968 and 2011, the target does not look like that formidable.

One of the features of Indian dairying is that most of the milk produced and distributed is in the unorganized sector, almost to the extent of 80%. Many old timers recall with nostalgia the familiar sight of the local milk producer delivering fresh milk to individual households early in the morning. Bringing the cow or buffalo in front of the house for milking in the presence of the buyer is is still in vogue in some parts of the country to pre-empt adulteration and addition of water. Of course this scenario is rapidly changing in urban areas where rearing of cattle is almost impractical and the packed milk taking over the distribution. Looking at the relative merits of fresh milk distribution and new technological innovations that use for making pasteurized and sterilized milk, common sense points out to progressive shift from the fresh milk with high perishability mode to stabilized processed milk regime. Pasteurization after all can only kill the heat-sensitive pathogens leaving thermally stable bacterial spores in tact which can spoil the milk in a matter of few hours under ambient conditions. Ultra High Temperature (UHT)processing at 135C for 2-5 seconds and aseptic packing, on the other hand gives shelf stable product with more than 6 months life.

According to the Dairy experts Indian consumers are expected to switch over in huge numbers to packaged milk from loose milk in the coming years due to many compelling factors which include faster urbanization, expansion of middle class population, convenience factor, time constraint, increased milk consumption due to shift in the diet from cereals to more protective foods, etc. Entry of private sector into dairying also will facilitate such a transition while the fast expanding milk handling infrastructure will come in handy for setting up more processing facilities. By opting increasingly for packed milk consumers can avoid the hassles and disadvantages of by loose milk of uncertain quality, extensive adulteration and water addition becoming standard practice of many loose vendors. While on the subject of packaged milk, it is not clear why the organized dairies are not switching over to new pasteurization technologies which use cartons and plastic carboys with 10-15 days shelf life under refrigerated conditions while the whole world is using the same. Similarly the aseptically packed milk with 6 months life is making very slow progress in the country, though with a slight caramelized flavor Indian consumer will find this version more acceptable. Probably the consumer price which hovers around Rs 40 per liter as compared to Rs 20-25 for milk sachet may the major reason. The milk scenario in most Asian countries is likely to follow the Indian development which is good from the consumer perspective.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

V.H.POTTY

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

FORTIFICATION OF MILK-WHERE IS THE NEED?

Milk is supposed to be a complete food providing almost all nutrients needed by the body and the very fact that a new born baby depends entirely on its mother's milk for growth and development is a standing testimony to the wholesomeness of milk. Of course mother's milk differs from cow's milk in some aspects but still latter is one of the most balanced and nutritive products known to man. If this is so why do we see in the super markets processed milk products like mineralized milk, Vitamin C milk, milk fortified with several vitamins and minerals, calcium fortified milk, omega-3 milk, milk fortified with vitamins A and D, etc vying for the attention of the consumers? Obviously the answer is "business"!

Pasteurized milk products containing added vitamins A and D are the most frequently encountered on the market shelves and addition of calcium and/or omega-3 fatty acid is a later development. A fortified food by definition refers to food with addition of essential nutrients to levels higher than those normally found in that food. In the case of milk, it is deficient only with regard to iron, copper, manganese and vitamin C and there may be some justification if their levels are brought up to make it a complete food. But for an adult why should milk contain all the essential nutrients? After all it is only a supplementary food and forms part of a diet containing cereals, pulses, oil seeds, meat, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables and spices which can provide the deficient nutrients. In order to get omega-3 acids equivalent to that present in 50 gm of salmon, one will have to gulp at least 2 liters of milk! A recent survey in the US brought out the ground reality that paying a higher price for a branded fortified milk product does not bring any additional benefit to the consumer as compared to generic milk.

Partly technology has to be blamed for enabling the industry to incorporate such difficult nutrients like iron, ascorbic acid, omega-3 acids. vitamin A and D into an aqueous emulsion like milk which is sensitive to pH changes affecting the protein stability. While addition of vitamins A and D to skimmed milk is understandable, full fat milk contains adequate quantities to serve as a supplementary food. Scientifically vitamin D fortification is acceptable because of the role it has in increasing absorption of calcium and phosphorus by the body, though vitamin D is synthesized in vivo from the precursors through exposure to sun light. Efforts to add iron were aimed at delivering this critical nutrient to rural masses, most of them being anemic due to poverty conditions, as a part of government intervention programs. Nestle, one of the dairy giants with global presence developed products like Nido, Ninho. Nespray, Klim, Bear brand and ideal which are milk powder preparations fortified with iron, zinc, vitamin A and some other micro nutrients for African population but how far these products are affordable to those who need them is a matter of conjecture.

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

'MILKY' WAY, THE 'HEALTHY' WAY!

Milk presents a dilemma in that a significant segment of the world population do not consume this nutrient loaded food but still seem to be apparently healthy. Many in Indian still are nostalgic about the proverbial 'Ramarajya' where milk and honey are supposed to flow freely, symbolizing the value of both these foods for keeping people happy and healthy. Unfortunately the habit of milk consumption during childhood is fast declining in the face of the relentless onslaught of modern calorie rich foods containing sugar and fat. In India per capita daily consumption of milk is about 250 gm which is an average figure, implying that some may be consuming more while others must be taking less. What are the consequences of such a paradigm shift in the eating habits of future generations on their life span and the quality of life?

Milk is traditionally associated with bone development and children are encouraged to cultivate the habit to ensure orderly growth and strong body frame. Of course Mother's milk is a category by itself providing nutrition much beyond the calcium content. Though some of the commercial products being promoted for wrong reasons deserve to be frowned upon, they at least serve the purpose of stimulating milk consumption as dry products like malted or chocolate or flavored milk powders contain milk solids and are invariably consumed with fresh milk. Recent revelations that those who had high dairy products intake when they were children were protected against stroke and other mortal diseases have reinforced the belief that milk is the best food nature has bestowed on human beings.

Thanks to food technologists milk availability has been stretched to all year round and the variety of processed products from milk has increased manifold during the last 3 decades. Products like skim milk powder, hundreds of variants of cheese and cheese based products, pro biotic yogurts and products based on them, long life packed milk with more than an year's shelf life, condensed milk preparations, traditional Indian items like paneer, khoa, chhana, shrikand, burfi, peda and many others make it possible to consume milk solids in a form consumers desire or accept. Technologies like homogenization, aseptic packing, vacuum concentration, roller drying, spray drying, freeze drying, freeze concentration, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis etc are all practiced by the dairy industry to provide the consumers with hundreds of convenient products based on milk.

According to current thinking, based on long term studies spanning almost 70 years, three servings of dairy foods in the form of liquid milk, yogurt and cheese would be adequate to derive full benefits from the nutritional strength of milk. A daily intake of 350 gm of milk can do wonders to the health of the population. The insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), also known earlier as somatomedin, which is a stimulatory hormone for cell growth and multiplication, inhibiting programmed cell death and synthesis of cellular DNA, is found to be in greater concentration in the blood of population consuming milk regularly.

Milk also contains other hormones like ghrelin, leptin and several bio active molecules, some of which, in spite of being peptides pass through the digestive system, though major portion is hydrolyzed into amino acids. Medical opinion is more or less unanimous in accepting milk as suitable for preventing dental caries, increased bone mineral content, fewer bone fractures, reduced risk of protein deficiency malnutrition and rickets. The common belief that milk contributes to increased cholesterol probably will be debunked by studies across the world that chances of dying due to ischaemic stroke or heart attack are reduced significantly by 60% if milk is consumed regularly from early childhood.

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

'BUBBLY' MILK-WILL CASEIN COOPERATE?

Way back in late nineteen eighties, GOI was contemplating making addition of fruit juice mandatory to all soft drinks, ostensibly to find outlet for the products from fruit processing industry. Juice consumption was very low in the country while soft drink industry was churning out popular products like cola beverages and artificially flavored fizz drinks. However the proposal never saw the light of the day, probably because of the clout the fizz drink industry enjoyed during that period. Though there were technical problems in carbonating fruit juices containing particulate materials like fine fiber, it was not insurmountable provided there was a will to do it. Besides incorporation of juice at10% level hardly makes any difference as far as nutritive value of the end product was concerned. Fortunately fruit juice industry could establish its credentials subsequently thanks to the advent of tetra pack technology which could preserve the juice without exposing to high temperatures for long time necessary for sterilization or without use of chemical preservatives. To day 100% fruit juices are available in tetra pack, though at a cost much higher than that of soft drinks.

Effervescent drinks provide the bubbly feeling because of the escape of CO2 from an aqueous solution. Natural carbonation occurs due to aerobic fermentation by yeast in products like beer and sparkling wine while forced carbonation is achieved by infusing gaseous CO2 at low temperatures under high pressure. Carbonation is supposed to give bite to any drink whereas the fizzy taste is contributed by dilute carbonic acid inducing a slight burning sensation liked by many. CO2 solubility in water increases with pressure, lowering of temperature to near zero degree centigrade, increasing the pH and decreases with concentration of ionic solutes like sodium chloride. Presence of organic compounds may increase or decrease the CO2 concentration. At 0 C 0.334 gm of CO2 dissolves in water while the corresponding figure decreases to 0.287 gm at 4 C, 0.2492 gm at 8 C at atmospheric pressure. The solubility increase with pressure and soda and fizzy drinks are made by saturating refrigerated water with CO2 under pressure before mixing with sweetening and other flavor ingredients.

Carbonation of milk is an unthinkable proposition till recently and many believe that CO2 and milk are incompatible. But application of basic food science principles and use of appropriate equipment can give a milk beverage containing CO2 at levels that can be enjoyable to many consumers. It is also known that presence of suspended solids can hinder CO2 retention as they act as nucleus for coalescing the unstable gas bubbles and casein present in milk tends to get precipitated in presence of CO2, especially at higher temperatures. It is not that milk is never carbonated but the purpose is to increase the shelf life of fluid milk and other milk based products by at least 50%, though this is not a widely followed practice in the industry. Reducing the particle size of suspended milk solids to sub-micron levels through high end homogenizers, the coalescing effect of CO2 can be significantly retarded and under pressure the product can be stabilized. How such a product will be accepted by the consumer is another matter that needs to be explored by the industry.

The reported soft launch of a designer drink based on skimmed milk and containing CO2 in New York by the beverage giant Coca Cola may yet enable dairy industry to stimulate milk consumption amongst youngsters, weaning them away from the 'nutrient shallow'' synthetic soft drinks. Selling at a stiff price of almost $ 4 a bottle

the new product named 'Vio' is being offered in different flavors like peach, mango, berry, citrus, tropical and colada. The process involves mixing of skimmed milk with sparkling water flavored with fruit and cane sugar sweetener. Good milk flavor, fruity aroma and creamy body provide the product a distinct personality of its own, not found in many established beverages. The USP of the product is that the sweet taste is discernible only after the entire bottle is consumed, delaying the satiety feeling. It is time for Indian Dairy industry to think on similar lines, if milk consumption is to be boosted in the country where the successful 'operation flood' program has created a milk surplus.

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

PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD-APPLICATION IN FOODS

It was striking to read a claim in the print media recently that a scientific group in India was able to get an international patent covering 120 countries for a process "sterilization of liquid foods by pulsed electric fields". If technically and commercially feasible, beyond any shadow of doubt, this process can revolutionize the milk and juice industry in the country. What practical problems that may arise can be known only when the process is scaled up into a fully baked industrial scale technology with necessary engineering designs for the critical original equipment necessary for its success. According to the claims by the Indian scientists a liquid food like juice or sauce, when passed through a specially designed fluid treatment chamber with provision for generating a short pulse at very high voltage, it was able to kill bacteria, molds and their spores and viruses. Basically the high voltage is supposed to disrupt the cell membrane through the phenomenon of electroporation.

In Pulsed Electric Field processing (PEF), a substance is placed between two electrodes and pulsed electric field is applied. The effect is to enlarge the pores on the cell membrane which kills the cells and releases their contents into the environment. All cells have pores which control the flow of nutrients into, and metabolic wastes out of, the cell. If these pores become wider and larger, the contents can leak into the medium, eventually killing the cell. The temperature rise in such a system due to the electric field is less than 30C and therefore the material treated does not even attain the pasteurization temperature sufficient to kill pathogens by heat alone, The voltage applied can be between 15000 to 30000 volts, where the lower voltage can kill plant cells while the higher voltage brings about the death of bacterial and fungal cells. How this technology can immobilize viruses, as claimed by the Indian scientists is not clear. Also in doubt is the ability of this process to obtain 100% kill of the spores which have very tough membranes that can survive high voltages.

Though useful information about PEF technology started emerging in 1991 and early patents on pulse electric field for sterilization and preservation of liquid foods (US Patents5235905, 5690978 and 6746613) were already granted in the US, it has failed to take off due to certain practical problems when tried on a commercial scale. This technology is used to a very limited extent by the fruit juice industry in the US. Most enzymes are not affected by pulsed electric field which can cause deterioration in the juice under ambient conditions and therefore to preserve the organoleptic quality, the treated products will have to be refrigerated during marketing, up to the point of consumption. Gas bubbles which are trapped in the juice during extraction tend to allow electric arcing between the electrodes causing burning of the substances being processed and consequent generation of potential carcinogenic artifacts.

The media reports convey the impression that PEF technology has been perfected for the first time in India and is ready for commercial use. On the contrary much more work needs to be done to standardize the process for tropical fruit and vegetable products popular in the country. Milk could be the most eligible candidate for mass application of this technology but practically no information is available regarding its suitability in a complex protein-fat matrix like milk. Stray reports do indicate that application of PEF in tandem with heating can extend shelf life of milk up to 24 days. Imagine the advantages for a middle class consumer when the milk sachet which arrives unfailingly every day in front of his house, can be kept under ambient condition or even in a refrigerator for at least a week or more. This is where efforts are called for as India is world's largest milk producer and a major portion is consumed as fluid milk in millions of house holds across the country. Here is a typical example of a patent being touted as the ultimate in non-thermal sterilization but with out any solid data regarding its applicability, efficacy and safety on Indian products. It is sad that good scientific work like this, with potential for far reaching benefits to the society, gets trivialized by premature publicity and bloated claims.

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

MILK INTAKE AND COGNITIVE HEALTH

One of the signs of old age is progressive loss of memory that invariably reduces the quality of life and eventually leads to development of diseases like Alzheimer's amongst some old age people. Shrinking of the brain is an indication of its ability to remember and greater the shrinkage, higher will be the neurological damage that leads to dementia like situation. Scientific findings do indicate that if such damages can be prevented or reduced, the cognitive decline due to old age can be prevented to a great extent. The ability of Vitamin B12 to arrest or slow down the process of memory decline is a relatively new finding that can go a long way to address the alarming situation faced by the old age population which does not realize the deficiency of this vitamin in the diet and its serious consequences. In a country like USA, mandatory as well as voluntary fortification and enrichment of processed foods may reduce the chances of deficiency to a greater extent than what we face in India. Even then serious consideration is required regarding the effectiveness of synthetic vitamins, especially their absorption and biological efficacy.

B12 deficiency is commonly asymptomatic and only when anemia is precipitated one becomes aware of the low levels of this vitamin in the body. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is in the range of 0.3 to 2 microgram, depending on the age of the population under consideration. Neurological signs of B12 deficiency can occur without any symptoms of anemia which can manifest in sensory disturbances due to damage to peripheral nerves and eventual irreversible death of nerve cells, It is claimed that almost 40% of world population suffer from low values of B12 below 350 pg/liter in blood but even those with 600 pg/liter may also come under deficiency category. In a typical western diet, B12 level is as high as 5-7 microgram per day but the uncertainties regarding absorption can cause serious imbalances in the body which is influenced by pepsin, hydrochloric acid, R-protein, pancreatic enzymes, intrinsic factor, calcium and cell receptors. During old age due to atrophic changes in GI tract, B12 absorption can decrease significantly and more than one third of world population above 60 years are reported to be affected by this syndrome. About 1-5% of free B12 are absorbed by passive diffusion. One worry that haunts vegetarians is the loss of B12 swept away by the high fiber content in their diet and practically no absorption of B12 produced by the intestinal flora in the Colon. According to one estimate 92% of vegans, 64% of lactovegetarians and 47% of lacto-ovovegetarians suffer from B12 deficiency.

It was erroneously believed that with high meat consumption that is prevalent in many affluent countries, Vit B12 deficiency should not be a major cause of worry since animal based foods, especially red meat are rich in this vitamin. But this belief is seriously being challenged by the reported findings that B12 contained in these foods are poorly absorbed by the body thereby creating deficiency situation, not noticed under normal conditions. As low levels of B12 deficiency are not manifested readily in many people, sub-optimal concentrations in the blood can go unnoticed for long that can cause irreparable damage to the brain resulting in progressive development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is a startling revelation that old age population with low levels of B12 suffer twice as much shrinkage of the brain as those with highest levels of this vitamin.

If the above conclusions, vis-a-vis B12, are true, is there no way one can prevent the onslaught of dementia and related diseases as a consequence of the relentless process of aging?. One suggestion that is worth considering calls for increasing the intake of milk as one ages to meet the optimal need of B12. With millions of processed products available in the markets world over, milk consumption is declining and this is true especially with younger population which does not imbibe the habit of drinking milk regularly. The life style changes taking place at young age, involving replacement of milk with foods which are not as complete in nutrition as milk, continues during old age also that has serious health consequences as brought out by these studies. A daily consumption of half a liter of milk is considered adequate to keep the B12 levels at a safe range and keep at bay dementia and Alzheimer's. More encouraging is the ability of human body to store 2-7 mg of B12 and regular consumption of milk during young age can help to build up this storage to maximum levels.

Milk contains about 7 microgram B12 per liter and daily consumption of two cups of milk will provide more than the RDA of B12 for an adult. One uncertainty with regard to milk is the stability of B12 during processing with some claiming that more than 10% is destroyed even under the comparatively milder pasteurization temperature and what would be the consequences of repeated boiling as practiced in India. But this is not supported by any substantial data and for the time being one can feel comfortable with the fact that B12 resists boiling temperature conditions and it is unstable only under alkaline conditions. As pH of milk is invariably less than 7, unless it is adulterated with sodium carbonate or alkali, significant destruction of B12 is unlikely to happen during boiling. 'Milking' the goodness of the milk should be the motto as one reconciles to the process of aging with grace and serenity!

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

GIVE A NAME, GET A BONUS!

'What is in a name?" This is a question asked often when people start losing sleep over the names they or their offsprings should have. Same dilemma bothers new companies, new products, new house owners and many believe success or failure is deeply linked to the name and its spelling. One has heard about politicians changing the spelling in their names to make them luckier and avoid political set backs. Many parents give names starting with the first alphabet so that their children will be seated in the front bench when joining the school. There are old timers who give their children the names of various Gods and Goddesses so that calling them by name every day will be like chanting the name of Almighty. Western countries repeat the names of grand parents and forefathers to the younger generation and differentiate by affixing the tags "Junior" or Greek numerals I, II, III etc.

The feuds in many rich and influential families regarding the daughters using the family name even after marriage are common, the underlying motive being their desire to bask in the glory of their parents.Those opposing use of family names by married daughters quote tradition to justify their view where as many new generation women refuse dropping the family name after marriage. There are also unique instances when husband affixes his wife's name to his own name sending a strong message of equal partnership once married. Thus there is a strong connection between a name and its implications within the family or in public.

Most important, a distinct name gives every individual an identity and through out the childhood, the name gets imprinted in the mind of the child. Of course in this digital age a distinct number is more relevant than a name if to live in the society. But still calling an individual by the name, especially the first name, symbolizes a relationship or kinship and an emotional synergy. Is this confined to human beings only or does this phenomenon extend to animals also? It is usual for pet owners to give names to their dogs or cats and it is amazing to see them responding to their names, especially when the owners call them. Strangers do not evoke the same degree of response as the their tone of calling does not resonate with the animal. The fierce loyalty a dog has, is generally attributed to the bonding between the master and the animal though some feel that the food they get from their owners make them behave like this.

In a novel twist to this perception, many owners of milch cows in UK claim that by giving distinct names to their cows, they are able to make them friendlier, each one of them developing their own personalities. If such a practice is followed right from the calf stage, the adult cows yield more milk on an annual basis. As much as 250-300 liters of more milk are obtained from cows given familiar names. Frequent interactions with such domesticated animals evoke affection and induce relaxation in them. Some farmers even address them as ladies in the firm belief that a respected and loved cow is more profitable to own. In cases where cows are not treated well the yield can go down by about 10%. It is unimaginable how large farms where hundreds of cows are stabled, individual names can be given and the logistics of giving attention to each and every one are mind boggling. Probably in countries like India this approach is more feasible as dairy farms are relatively small in size and rural families do not own more than a dozen cows at the most. One has heard of music being played in cattle sheds under the belief that this increases the milk yield though no scientific data exists regarding this.

It is known that milk flow is emotionally linked and even in human beings a distraught mother finds it difficult to give milk to her child. In many rural areas dead calves are stuffed and placed before the mother cow before milking to ensure uninterrupted flow of milk. Therefore it is possible that the affection and touch of humans could create a favorable emotion in the cows facilitating increased milk flow. Instead of personally going to each cow, is it possible audio channels beam out human voices to each cow to create the same effect? What about grazing cows? A daily schedule of "petting" when they come home may possibly have same effect. Some reports in India indicate many cruel methods also being used to extract more milk with less feed material without considering the trauma the animals undergo. It is time such practices are stopped and more humane approach is used to cajole the cow to give as milk as possible. We are not sure whether what works with cows will be effective with buffaloes also which abound in Asian continent. Scientific studies are needed to establish the usefulness of such off beat methods to optimize milk yield from cattle.


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

THE 'MILKY' DEBATE-NEEDLESS CONTROVERSY

All recognize that milk is a protective food, especially for non-meat eating population, children and women, due its unique nutrient make up, containing almost all nourishing factors necessary for survival and growth. The ability of a new born baby to survive and grow exclusively on mother's milk is proof enough, if it is needed, regarding the virtues of milk as a food. Before the advent of pasteurization by heat in the 19th century, people were consuming raw fresh milk without even heating at home under the impression that heat would destroy nutrients making milk less nutritious. Discovery that heat can kill pathogenic microorganisms opened up a new vista for commercialization of milk through organized dairy ventures. True to the old saying that 'necessity is the mother of invention', heat processing, developed for milk preservation, was based on Louis Pasteur's discovery of the technique of destroying pathogens by heat to meet the needs of people settled away from the milk sources. Thus was borne the process of milk pasteurization as we know to day which involves treatment at 63C for 30 minutes or its equivalent to ensure complete destruction of the pathogens. The heat process also helps to delay the action of lactic acid bacteria which otherwise lowers the pH creating problems for boiling milk at home.

Some people do not accept the large scale deployment of pasteurization technology for milk because of their strong conviction that this process reduces the natural nutritive value by destroying the beneficial factors the are present in milk. They even argue that if a tender child can consume mothers' milk without processing, why others cannot consume animal milk also without any processing. They further surmise that pasteurization is used by the industry to mask the defects in milk already spoiled!. Raw milk advocates further claim that unpasteurized milk prevents and cures many disease, though there is hardly any evidence to substantiate such claims. Present level of knowledge cannot support such a view completely, though there may be marginal loss of some of the heat labile nutrients which is inevitable. The way Indians 'cook' the milk may be of much more concern than what the relatively mild pasteurization temperatures can do to the nutritional quality of milk.

It is difficult to believe that any one drinks milk directly and immediately after milking, even in rural areas where milch cattle are mostly raised. The revolutionary "Milk Cooker", an Indian designed gadget is a priced possession of every house hold and it goes to show that boiling of milk is a routine operation. Indians have a marked preference for boiled milk due to the mild caramelized taste, heating imparts to the heated product. This is further corroborated by the failure of cold milk to establish as a credible beverage in the country to any large extent. In contrast consumers in the West are tuned to UHT milk in cartons and plastic containers and direct consumption as hot milk is very limited. Tetra pack milk now available in the country is not patronized to any great extent as the cost factor, darker color and need to refrigerate once opened, make it an unattractive consumer option. The myth that milk is pasteurized or sterilized to convert bad milk to good milk cannot be allowed to linger in the minds of consumers as heat treatment is a 'must' process, if milk is not to become a carrier of diseases rather than a treasure house of nutrients. Food technology does not encourage making good looking food from an intrinsically bad one, a misconception prevalent amongst many consumers, especially conservative minded people.

India produces over 100 million tons of fluid milk annually which get distributed to over a billion people from the point of production and more than 60% undergo pasteurization before reaching the consumer. But for the chilling and pasteurization processes a major portion would have been wasted. It is known that even a couple of hours delay in chilling can multiply bacteria naturally present as well as through cross contamination to unacceptable levels. In many countries sale of unpasteurized milk is banned so as to prevent out break of of milk mediated diseases. While pathogens can pose a grave threat, old milk is not suitable for boiling as even a small increase in acidity due to bacteria can cause breaking of the milk making it unfit for consumption in any mode. The relatively primitive environment that exists in the cattle rearing areas and unsatisfactory personal hygienic habits of those engaged in milking, make it inevitable for the milk to carry high microbial loads with distinct possibility of presence of pathogens like Salmonella, E.coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Coxiella burnetii, etc. Chilling and Pasteurization are God-sent answer to less affluent countries like India to save their precious resources.

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