Vegetable oils toxic? Some new findings are spawning a debate

Frying, using edible oils, is one of the most practiced food preparation methods as it gives characteristic aroma, texture and taste that is unmatched compared to other processes. Baking, also requiring specialty fats, is another process that can give hundreds of products, universally liked, though it needs high temperature heating equipment and industrially, bakery industry many be one of the biggest in food processing sector creating a variety of products like bread, biscuits, pastries etc. While baking is based more or less on wheat and its unique protein Gluten, frying has the advantage of using any raw material including cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and their combinations. Frying needs an oil which requires to be heated to temperatures varying from 160 C to 200 C for a few minutes to attain the desirable color and texture depending on the input material. Organoleptically fried food can be quite appealing and often addictive and health and nutrition experts always caution against its regular consumption that too in larger quantities because of its contribution to the obesity epidemic that is becoming a scourge in most countries causing diseases like diabetes, cardiac malfunctioning, hypertension and a host of others. Experts agree that calories derived from fat, both direct and indirect, should not exceed 30% of the total calories consumed in a typically normal diet working out to about an upper limit of 50 gm daily per capita.

While in the organized fried food manufacturing sector big capacity continuous fryers are used containing high volume of the frying oil, small and unorganized players use batch fryers with or without any temperature control. But invariably the oil is subjected to continuous heating for getting large quantities of products for supplying to the market. In house holds however the fryers, mostly shallow stainless steel pans, are used once or twice a week though the oil is repeatedly reused after each frying operation with occasional topping up. Usually frying oils are rarely thrown away unless it becomes too dark or sticky. There is no unanimity among scientists whether continuous heating does more damage than intermittent heating but all tend to agree that there will be heat damage to the oil to varying extent, depending on the chemical nature of the one used. More the degree of unsaturation in the fatty acid molecules higher will be the extent of damage. Higher temperatures and longer duration of frying can cause extensive damage, decomposition and interaction among the artifacts generated.

What will be the implications of damage to the oil, besides developing flavor problems to the products fried repeatedly in such oils? A matter of much concern is the effects of such oil damage to the human health. Till recently, frying industry was more concerned about oil damage because of loss of quality in the product besides economic losses incurred due to discarding of precious oil once it fails to meet the mandatory standards after repeated and long duration heating. As edible oils are made of organic chemical substances, mainly fatty triglycerides, they have their typical smoke point and flash point in terms of characteristic temperatures beyond which they decompose rapidly into hundreds of artifacts some of which are considered injurious to health. Among them aldehydic lipid oxidation products are considered highly hazardous to humans whether they are inhaled or consumed orally through foods. If so, those using oils vulnerable to generate toxic aldehydes during frying can be dangerous to both consumers as well as to the workers involved in the factories as the latter is exposed to volatile aldehydes continuously during the manufacturing operations.  .          

Toxic aldehydes like 4-hydroxy-(E)2 nonenal, 4-oxo-(E)-2 decenal and 4-oxo-(E)-undecenal, derived from alpha, beta unsaturated fats have been linked to many types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson;s. These aldehydes, being highly reactive can combines with tissue proteins, enzymes and hormones affecting the functioning of many organs in the human body. It is because of this reason that fried foods made from oils with high amounts of alpha, beta poly unsaturated fatty acids are fraught with high risks for human consumption. According to available data which are rather limited in this area of concern, some of the frying oils found to be relatively safe are coconut oil, virgin olive oil, butter, lard and palm oil all of which contain predominantly saturated fatty acid triglycerides. It is interesting that oil derived from sunflower seeds happened to the worst performer, mostly attributed to the presence of more than 82% of unsaturated fatty acid triglycerides yielding toxic aldehydes at levels much higher than that recommended by the WHO to be safe.   

According to some findings by scientists, a typical meal of fish and chips fried in vegetable oils contained 100 to 200 times more toxic aldehydes than the safe limit set by the WHO and the consumption such products regularly can lead to serious consequences to the brain functions in the long term. Some even compare such disastrous changes in human brains to the adverse climate changes the world is facing to day. How far such comparisons are realistic is a matter of debate though it definitely raises alarm among health experts who feel that more intense studies are required to be undertaken to unravel the mysteries of toxic aldehydes. One is troubled by the report that Sunflower oil is the oil targeted in these studies and the rationale is that it contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), to the extent of 91%. If so what about oils like olive oil which is found to be a safe cooking oil though it contains 84% unsaturated fatty acids. How about other oils like mustardc oil (81% UFA), or peanut oil (82% UFA) ? Here again does the nature of UFA make any difference in generating toxic aldehydes during heating? No one knows for sure whether extent of MUFA or PUFA  or their ratio in these oils determine the dynamics of toxic aldehyde formation. Also not clear is whether unprocessed vegetable oils containing many natural antioxidants and bioactive phytochemicals can generate toxic substances on being used as frying oils. A note worthy fact in the Olive oil experiment is that the scientists used virgin olive oil which is valued very much for its unique flavor profile to say it is a good frying oil which again raises the question regarding the role of natural antioxidants present in virgin oil compared to its processed counterpart.

While earlier studies used simulating experiments and model systems to find out the formation of toxic chemicals in frying oil at high temperatures for duration as long as 20-40 hours, some recent studies confirmed that even a few minutes exposure to frying temperatures would be sufficient to create sufficient levels of toxic chemicals when oils like Sunflower oil is used. A logical question that arises out of these studies is the influence of antioxidants and other oil protectants like scavengers of polar compounds added to frying oils by the processing industry on generation of toxic substances. Unfortunately no data seem to be existing to verify this crucial issue. On the face of it the recommendation that coconut oil is the best frying oil may be note worthy, especially when frying is done in households or restaurants using non stabilized frying oils. Also to be borne in mind is that unless more emphatic studies by divergent group of lipid scientists confirm these stray findings, all vegetable oils should not be condemned as unsafe for frying.

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

FOOD IMPORTS TO INDIA-A STORY OF BUREAUCRATIC MUDDLE AND RED TAPISM!

Mr Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India is now in the US trying to lure American investments in India and enable him to raise country's annual GDP growth to 7-8% in the near future. It is remarkable that he has a vision which no politician of yesteryear or at present ever had regarding the development of India but when one looks at the ground realities even this man can do only limited things. Raising hopes and dreaming is not a crime since it at least boost up the spirit of the citizens, albeit for a short period. India has at present a green horn, unproven and innocent minister put in charge of the portfolio of food processing industry vested with the mandate to develop this agriculture related sector in a way that would boost farmer income significantly. Alas, one can only sympathize with her because if last three decades' experience is any indication nothing substantial is going to happen in the foreseeable future!

Above view may appear too harsh for many optimists who swear by the "potential" this sector has considering the exalted status India enjoys in production of milk, horticulture produce, plantation crops, sugar and cereals. Of course the legume crops scenario and oil seed front remain the Achilles heel for this country, India being the largest importer of vegetable oil in the world. Different "experts" may say different things when it comes to identifying why this dismal situation continues in spite of 67 years of independence! But the fact remains that the single biggest obstacle to food industry development is the government itself comprising short nosed bureaucrats and unimaginative politicians with their own selfish agenda. Look at the following report which appeared to day which speaks for itself the grim situation in this country when it comes to development of food processing industry.

"The story of 25,000 crores worth of food lying unused across the ports of India is one waiting to be told. We got in touch with people from the food industry to understand the current scenario regarding packaging and labeling of imported food products. Over 200 tonnes of chocolates, olives, alcoholic beverages, cured meat, cheese and other food products are catching dust in warehouses across the country. Products with a short shelf life are being pulled back and others are just sticking it out. There's plenty of ambiguity, lack of dialogue and absence of a well-articulated framework when it comes to rules and regulations regarding the food industry. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for laying down science-based standards for manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of all food products. This regulatory body is the one point contact for all food manufacturers. We also tried to get in touch with the FSSAI over a number of days but did not receive a response. 


At first glance, everything appears to be in line. What could go wrong with a regulatory body trying to ensure that food imports meet Indian safety standards? For starters, the guidelines or regulations that the FSSAI follow are up to date. Mr. Amit Lohani, National Convenor for Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI) says, "The problem isn't that there are rules, but that these rules are old and irrelevant. The document that's being referred to is as old as 1954 and 1956. It's simply been rehashed to look new."  Makers of Lindt, the popular Swiss chocolate recently decided to pull out of the Indian market after a series of bruising losses. They saw six years of roaring success in the Indian market till they were struck by the FSSAI who asked them to comply with the labeling guidelines under the 'Food Safety and Standards Act, 2011'. In August 2013, three of their containers worth Rs.750 - 1000 crore (one third of which was chocolates) were held back. The FSSAI asked them to list down ingredients in descending order of composition by weight or volume. The company complied with the request and sent a fresh batch in January 2014 which also didn't make it past the ports because of a modified regulation which stated that chocolates with vegetable oil or fat could not be imported.  The food industry is already heavily regulated - and if an importer does not meet the labeling and packaging requirements, it's choked right at the point of entry. Food importers are growing tired of the exhaustive list of rules and regulations. This has set off an avalanche of lawsuits giving a bad name to the FSSAI, especially amongst those in the food industry.  In April 2014, a Starbucks shipment with two containers of flavoured-syrup was held back at the Mumbai port as the FSSAI felt that the product did not meet their basic requirements. A Starbucks spokesperson was quoted saying that the product in question met the requirements of over 64 countries and has been in supply for almost 40 years. Starbucks appealed to the Mumbai High Court which was quick in handing down its decision. The court asked FSSAI to release the shipment and also pointed out that they acted in an 'arbitrary and capricious manner.' "Mr. Amit Lohani from FIFI adds, "The dynamics and workings of the food industry have changed drastically. There are thousands of product categories and product sub-categories, each with its own unique manufacturing method. The FSSAI regulations aren't equipped to handle these which is what makes them regressive, not progressive." An importer of black olives who wishes to remain anonymous has been in business for over 20 years and tells us how his shipment of pasteurized olives was held back over the issue of salt content. "The minimum salt content in pasteurized olives needs to be between 1 to 1.5 %  but the products were tested against treated olives which are supposed to have a salt content of almost 5 %. The FSSAI was then informed that the salt content in pasteurized olives applies to international standards and is being tested against the wrong product. The FSSAI acknowledged this fact and released the consignment in question. But this problem can be repeated in the future with other importers because the rules are still the same. India is too small a market for big importers and this kind of hogwash approach will definitely drive away the big guns." Another interesting case is that of Canola oil. In April, large shipments of canola oil were held back for incorrect labeling. The labeling rules say that products need to use their 'scientific name' and not their 'trade name.' Canola oil happens to be the trade name and the scientific name is 'Rapeseed Oil'. Mr. Lohani said "A rule as vague as this suddenly wipes away years of marketing efforts that positioned the product as canola oil amongst consumers."  While food importers seem to be going through a world of trouble, so are restaurant owners. Chef Manu Chandra, Executive Chef and Partner at Monkey Bar said "Cured meats, ham, cheese and other products have disappeared from the market. We're being forced to look at alternatives which might mean we'll have to compromise on the taste, flavour and quality we've been offering so far. For many, this is a deal breaker." It is understandable that with increased awareness consumers want to know more about what's in their food. Nobody wants to stand in way of such kind of transparency. But current rules and regulations seem to be crippling the food industry instead of helping them deliver safe products."  ( http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/25-000-crores-worth-of-food-lying-wasted-598398)

This Blogger is not holding any brief for the importers of processed foods through this publication but is just raising this issue of food safety policies and all other things that go under the guise of regulations! From Day one since the so called food authority (FSSAI) was established it has been pointed out out that it is a "toothless wonder" capable of only putting road blocks for the growth of the food industry and this feeling is being reinforced by the above report in no uncertain manner. An unfortunate situation has been created in the country where no one is certain about the haphazard way this so called Authority is working and with millions of rupees invested by thousands of entrepreneurs in the food processing sector, their progress is check mated through unclear, ambiguous, dilapidated and impractical safety and quality standards. The implementing mechanism is so ineffective that only adulterators, fraudsters and dubious foods thrive in the country while honest entrepreneurs face enormous hurdles in staying alive in the market place. 

It is time that India dismantles its standards authority as it exists to day at the earliest and adopts entirely the standards laid down by international safety agencies like FAO-WHO Alimentarius Commission. An overseeing authority staffed by highly competent technocrats knowledgeable about food science and nutrition is put in place while the onus of implementing the standards are is put on the manufacturers with severe penalty for infarction.  

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

EMULSION TECHNOLOGY AND THE SATIETY

The urge to eat is governed by many factors and in spite of tons of papers published over the years we are still groping in the darkness regarding the precise mechanism that works in human beings to yearn for food. While the level of glucose in blood is one of the indicators that influences hunger, there are other physiological and biochemical changes occurring during pre and post food consumption that can drive the consumers to the food counter. Satiety is known to be caused by fullness in the stomach as a result of higher volume of food but it can be short lived if the diet contains too much water and less solids. Similarly the ease of digestion of the food consumed in the GI tract can post pone the eating session significantly. Glucose and other sugars which are absorbed fast can create more urge to consume more foods.

The phrase 'Hunger pangs' is used commonly to describe contra indication of empty stomach. Feeling of hunger is related to a desire or a need for food which is caused by psychological and/or physiological factors. It is believed that stomach contraction or lowered blood glucose or lowered body temperature can also trigger hunger pangs in many people. Psychological factors that induce hunger include eating habits, frequency and time of eating, environment etc. All the five senses like sight, smell, taste, color and touch do influence the feeling of hunger whether real or imaginary. Satiety is controlled at the brain as well as stomach levels. The ventromedial nucleus of hypothalamus in the brain generates signal for stopping eating due to satiety while the lateral hypothalamus signals to start eating. At GI level satiety originates from the stomach which controls short term eating. Leptin which is a signaling molecule produced by fat cells is also known to reduce activation in the region linked to hunger while enhancing activation in regions associated with inhibition of heating and satiety.

Modifications in foods can be brought about using modern food technology to induce satiety and reduce eating thus depriving the body of excess calories that cause increased body weight in the long term. Olive oil well known as an edible oil with high nutritional value has been shown to be an effective hunger killer if appropriately modified using emulsion technology which gave to the consumers hundreds of products based on fat and water. Water in oil emulsion type of products like margarine or oil in water emulsions like salad dressings and ice creams are classical examples. Emulsion is a thermodynamically unstable system that tend to separate with time into the original two phases. An emulsifier with appropriate Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) value, any where between 1 and 20 is commonly used to stabilize different emulsions depending on the proportion of water and oil in a mixture. Those with HLB values less than 9 are predominantly lipophilic in nature while 11-20 are hydrophilic in nature.

Olive oil emulsion using the internationally approved non-ionic surfactant Tween 60 (E491), known chemically as Polyethylenesorbate monostearate was discovered to have the capability to delay hunger and increase the interval between the meals by virtue of delaying digestion of oleic acid in the intestine. In contrast an emulsion using Span 80 or sorbitan mono oleate (E494), another emulsifier which does not have the ability to withstand the strong acidic system in the stomach, was found to be ineffective in increasing the residence time of olive oil in the intestine. Traces of Tween 60 based emulsions were found in the GI system up to 12 hours after ingestion. Oleic acid is converted to the lipid hormone oleoylethanolamine (OEA) which wards of hunger for extended periods. Modern food processing equipment range includes highly efficient emulsifiers like colloid mills which can reduce the droplet size to less than one micron in the final product. Time is not too far away when consumers can have such hunger delaying preparations in the form of popular products like milk shakes or ice creams or differently flavored beverages that can become a part of the regular diet. Probably industry has to gear itself to take up the challenge of obesity more seriously by supporting such scientific innovations by food scientists in their laboratories.

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

"FOOD IS THY MEDICINE"- REALLY?

Global pursuit by food scientists for identifying natural foods with special ability to fight some of the modern diseases throws up interesting revelations regarding Nature's own way of fighting diseases. In the last one year there have been many such developments which can help mankind to modify the diet for getting the benefits from these natural food materials. Though hundreds of freak reports emanate from research organizations and Universities in different parts of the world, very few can be of relevance to the day to day life of people.

Extra virgin olive oil which is raw expeller oil from olive fruits contains some unique constituents, capable of triggering death and destruction of cancer cells thus preventing spread of the disease. Association between olive oil and cancer emerged when it was discovered that Mediterranean population were relatively immune to certain cancers affecting mammalian glands, ovaries and colon. On further investigation it came out that their diets were rich in olive oil and this oil might contain some constituents with the property of fighting cancer. Researchers have now established that raw olive oil without undergoing treatment with heat or chemicals as being done during refining contains a few poly phenols, lignans and secoiridoids, hydroxy tyrosol and squalene and consumption of about 25 ml every day in the diet can confer the capability to fight cancers. Besides it is also surmised that the oleic acid present in olive oil suppresses a gene HER2, causing breast cancer. However oleic acid is a constituent of many edible oils and probably it must be working in tandem with other beneficial phytochemicals present in Olive oil. The larger question in such claims is how virgin the oil has to be and what about the lipase action in raw oil during storage at ambient conditions, which can increase the FFA and consequently affect the properties adversely. What about our own varieties of oils available ingenuously? Can some of them extent the same benefit? Indian nutritionists will have find the answer.

Diets rich in nuts, beans and lentils were found to be effective in lowering blood sugar level in Type 2 diabetic people as these crops have low glycemic index (GI) and consequently low glucose load (GL). This is confirmation of what has been suspected that low GI foods reduce the risks associated with both diabetes and cardio vascular diseases. Such low GI foods include beans, peas, lentils (legumes), nuts, pasta, minimally cooked rice, low GI breads, breakfast cereals etc. Those who are ignorant of the complex factors that interplay in the manifestation of diabetes during middle age and later due to many reasons must understand that low GI and GL foods offer the best solution for controlling the ill effects of this disorder. Consuming these foods regularly ensures that the critical HbA1c values, which reflect the dietary control and which are determined once in 3 months, are around 6 or less. Probably daily or 3-4 times daily monitoring of glucose in the blood necessitating frequent pin pricks may not be needed in the case of Type 2 diabetics if HbA1c values are checked regularly every quarter.

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, if consumed regularly are excellent insurance against breast cancer in women. This form of cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. In many cases these vegetables also confer protection against lung cancer and other types of cancers. Kale, turnips, collards, radish, brussel sprouts and water cress are other vegetables with same properties. Phenyl isothiocyanate, benzyl isothiocyanate and 3-phenyl ethyl isothiocyanate are glucosinolates, considered precursors of isothiocyanate the active chemical with the protective properties against cancer. It is hypothesized that during cutting and chewing of the vegetables, the glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by natural enzymes present in the tissues into the active principle which then gets absorbed before exerting its beneficial effect at the cellular level in the body. The mode of action is through inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzyme which oxidizes compounds such as benzo pyrenes into carcinogenic artifacts within the cell. While the scientific findings are indeed breath taking, under the Indian cooking practices how far glucosinolase will be active to exert the protective effect is a critical question as we do not have the habit of consuming raw cruciferous vegetables in salad preparations.

Isolated scientific reports like the above, often observed in experimental animals like mice, will confuse the consumers and only organized and well coordinated field studies with human volunteers can prove these claims. What is sure is that consumption of these vegetables, will not do any harm and in fact one can derive other confirmed benefits associated with eating vegetables regularly.


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