What is "healthy food environment'?-Can a public policy create it?

Remember how our thinking about smoking changed over the last fifty years? What was unimaginable then, namely banning smoking in public places, is now a reality in almost all countries across the world. Why did this happen at all? Because of the overwhelming evidence that tobacco is too dangerous to the people and the society as a whole, and a collective approach was needed to curb the smoking practice with a punitive regime that would push more and more people out of the vicious circle of smokers. Warning on the cigarette packs, high taxation on tobacco products and banning of smoking in public can be considered as restriction on the personal freedom, yet we did it and the result is there for all to see. It is not that tobacco has vanished from the face of this planet as such a thing can never happen when more than 7 billion people are living in this world with at least a few who can be considered incorrigible to follow the societal values. We can see this in alcoholism and psychotropic drug addiction with some not amenable to reforming them selves easily. Can food be the next mass action issue and the world has to unite to bring sanity among the people vis-a-vis addiction to unhealthy foods?

It is not that world is not doing any thing in this regard as every country is concerned about the adverse impact of "bad" foods on the health of its citizens and to a limited extent preventive policies are put in place to curb consumption of bad foods. Unfortunately different people have different notions when it comes to defining a bad food though every one agrees to the need to safeguard the safety of foods from fraudsters and uncaring food handlers and processors. But unsafe food is not the only bad food though such foods bring about damage to health and life quickly. There are thousands of food products manufactured and marketed by the food industry which harm the health slowly over a long period of time and they are also bad foods to be restrained from reaching the vulnerable consumer. Here is where class action is needed with contributions from the government, activists, legal fraternity, consumer groups, public bodies etc through concerted effort and coordinated programs. 

There appears to be some movement by the legal fraternity in the US to sue the food industry collectively for the cumulative damage wrought on the citizens there through manufacture and marketing of health damaging foods over the last several decades. This reminds us about similar action taken in suing the tobacco industry some years ago through American judicial system with a huge success and it is history that the tobacco industry had to shell out billions of dollars as reparation for its failure to foresee the adverse consequences of suppressing evidence about the dangers of smoking and luring innocent citizens into the dangerous practice of smoking! Similar legal challenge against the food industry cannot be ruled out in that country and if the industry continues to indulge in shenanigans without caring for the well being of its constituency, viz the citizens who provide them with their "bread and butter", a day may not be too far away when they will be forced to face the ignominy that literally "killed" the tobacco industry in the last millennium!  

Without waiting for any move to punish the industry can there be any other alternate options to the consumer community and the policy administrators to do some thing to reverse the present trend of increasing consumption of bad foods and consequently the rapidly hurtling of the country into the abysmal health trap with no hope of redemption? It is in this context that we have to appreciate new initiatives sprouting in many local communities and civic administrations in the form of encouragement to local foods, grading of foods on a uniform health scale and trying to create a healthy food "environment" that will help the much harried consumers to pick and choose foods which are least detrimental to his health. The present labeling system will have to give way to more efficient declarations in terms of nutrition and health. The traffic light system of labeling comes to our mind which has been implemented in some countries which helps "innocent" consumers in avoiding products with "red" light indication and going in for more and more "green" light labels. The healthy food environment movement which originated in Canada which aims to change the community environment and societal attitudes, deserves admiration because of the soundness of its concept and ease with which such environment can be created in public places.

To understand this concept better we have to look at out present food environment and observe how the consumers are behaving when selecting their foods. If we have an environment where only 100% junk foods are available on the table, even the best intentioned consumer will have to eat unhealthy foods only as there is no other alternate option to him. Even if a small sprinkling of healthy foods are included on the table, only iron-willed consumer will go straight to these foods, vast majority rushing to take tastiest foods but unhealthy in nature! Therefore reversing the situation by changing the menu to include predominantly healthy foods and just a few items of unhealthy items, may help many consumers to pick the healthy ones, creating a chain effect and in due course such food service settings will become a "done" thing in many public functions. 

According to the Canadian pioneers of this new strategy to lure away consumes from the clutches of unhealthy foods, an optimum mix of foods for creating a healthy food environment could be to include in the mix of foods offered about 50% high nutrition products, 40% moderately nutritive foods and about 10% junk foods so that no one can complain that one is forced to eat foods not liked by him. This presupposes that foods are graded according to the nutritive value and those who arrange foods are aware of the system. It is here that those in the community with some expertise in food and nutrition can help the organizers to choose the items on the menu as per their health promoting values. As a thumb rule foods made from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, poultry meat and fish with no added sugar, salt and saturated fats can be considered healthy while those made with partially refined raw materials but containing high nutrition components like dairy ingredients, high fiber food components and nutrient rich materials like fruits and vegetables can be considered as moderately healthy foods. Junk foods are just empty calorie rich items containing low levels of health boosting nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals, mostly rich in sugar and fat.

Can this approach be tried first in the canteens of state assembly complexes and Lok Sabha buildings, to be progressively introduced in all canteens working in various ministries in the states as well in the center. Railways can be another organization which can try this approach though there could be resistance from many passengers. But with a little bit of patience and perseverance, there is no reason why it would not be a success eventually. Further spread of this concept among thousands of bus stations across the country and temples with large foot prints should also be possible. Future licensing of restaurants must be linked to compulsory inclusion of healthy foods in the menu at least to the extent of 50% of the menu! If even a part of this ambitious program is implemented, the present government in Delhi might become the darling of the nation, remembered by the young generation which will be the long term beneficiary of this visionary attempt.

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

Food Truck business vs established restaurants vs street foods-Is there a need for some restrictions?

Food catering is a multibillion industry in almost all countries with sizable population and significant economic wealth. Eating out practice is becoming more and more frequent with families getting lesser and lesser time to devote much time in the kitchen. There is a direct relationship between wealth and frequency of eating out and obviously when both parents work regularly the family income is bound to increase significantly. As a corollary to this development weekend relaxation becomes a norm rather than an exception. There are eateries of various kinds fitting the pocket of every consumer and the quality and ambiance of this experience will depend on how much spending capacity the consumer has. There are reputed restaurants, in the stand alone as well as in the chain format and most of them are supposed to be doing well. Competition for established "brick and mortar" establishments usually comes from road side vendors especially in the Asian continent and even well to do customers flock to these way side outlets attracted by the taste and flavor of their offerings beside the low cost factor. 

Then came the Food Truck phenomenon in the US started by trained chefs as entrepreneurial ventures which is considered a glorified version of street vending. With Food Trucks becoming an integral part of America's eating culture, conflicts started between the established industry and the new entrants, Food Trucks. Against such a background civic bodies within whose boundaries Food Trucks operate were constrained to evolve workable arrangements that would avoid confrontation between these two sectors. One of the big advantages of Food Trucks is that they deliver the food near the places where customers congregate without the necessity to drive long distances that is needed to get access to regular restaurants. Besides Food Trucks use modern IT enabled Smart phone apps to contact customers about their whereabouts making it hassle free for the latter to get their service. Food Trucks can also go to places where there are special functions to cater to the attendees.

One of the biggest constraints for Food Trucks is the high traffic density in most cities where they operate with severe restrictions on parking. Unless legally allowed parking spaces are available, it becomes difficult to do viable business. Fortunately civic bodies realizing how much the citizens like the foods offered by the Trucks, give licenses as well as allot specific areas for them to do their business. Why do people patronize street foods considering that eating in the open, especially on the side walks of busy streets can be quite distracting and some times unhygienic with dust and dirt flying around? In the US many people are becoming more and more sensitive to the origin of food materials as long haulage creates a heavy carbon foot print and adverse environmental issues. Locavores always prefer to go for locally grown food raw materials and most food trucks obtain their supplies from nearby local markets or farmers markets. Probably preparation of foods in front of them is an added attraction as there is greater transparency in the process.

As a movement Food Truck business in the US evolved with least conflicts with the brick and mortar eateries and in many cases there appears to be a "live and let live" spirit pervading their operations. Still there are issues that can sour their relations in some cities where the legal frame work is not suitably worked out. The two issues which are foremost to be considered while framing regulatory frame work are the impact of food truck business on the established restaurants who operate often from expensive real estate facilities and the likely effect of free flow of pedestrian traffic, especially in crowded areas in the cities. There is no consensus regarding the proximity between the food truck operator and an established restaurant. Some feel that the distance should not be less than 1000 ft while others want this distance reduced, probably to 150 ft. One wonders how is a country boasting of free economy, capitalism and least government control can restrict the entrepreneurial talents through such regulations. Ultimately in such an environment strongest will survive while others will have fade eventually!

In India the conditions are totally different and most civic authorities do not function for the well being of the citizens pursuing their own agenda for self-aggrandisement. While street foods are allowed to function wherever they want for a "fee", there is absolutely no oversight regarding the quality and safety of foods they serve. Many street food enthusiasts often say that they eat these foods "closing" their eyes and "praying" in their mind hoping to be spared the agonies of food infection! These foods are irresistible to many because of their freshness, flavor and taste. Fortunately there are serious attempts to "reform" this sector vis-a-vis safety to the consumers and many vendors are becoming sensitive to the dangers posed by improper hygienic conditions, unsafe water and rotting food wastes and these kiosks are improving day by day. Recent advent of Food Trucks in India may give a different experience to the Indian consumers but whether they will succeed against the traditional street vendors is a million dollar question!. 

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

Food trucks in India-Will they succeed?

Catering service comes in many formats and street vending is an established system in many parts of the world. Besides the foods served being cheaper, street vendors are supposed to provide a better sensory satisfaction to their clients. Unfortunately the urban infrastructure in India is so bad there is a constant conflict between the pedestrians and the vehicular traffic in moving ahead in this chaos to reach their destinations. Where is the space available for these vendors to serve their dedicated clients without attracting punitive action from the civic bodies? Whatever may be the constraints these vendors, thousands in number still manage to do business though the relevant question is whether they become a potential source of food poisoning dangers associated with inadequate hygiene and sanitation.

From time to time the issue of controlling street vending outlets crops up nationally as well as internationally and sporadic efforts are made to help them manage their business better with least inconvenience and risks to the citizens who flock to such places for a relaxed eating experience. Even recently the street vendors association organized a workshop in Delhi to train their members on sanitation and hygiene keeping in mind their vulnerability to undesirable food borne illness due to deficiency in service. Still street vending poses challenges to the civic bodies in terms of regularizing their activities without compromising on foot path facilities for the pedestrians. Though these bodies control them through the licensing provisions, very little is being done to oversee the quality and safety of the foods they prepare and sell through open vending exposing to the questionable quality of the environment they are working.

One of the biggest problems as far the consumer is concerned is the water being used by street vendors for their preparation, washing of cooking utensils and serving plates and disposal of waste generated. In many parts of the city where street vendors operate the stench emanating from the waste, droppings and wash water an be unbearable some time. Regular cleaning of the pavements every day by the civic authorities with antiseptics like phenyl, bleaching solutions and powders could reduce the dangers significantly. But this is almost never done leaving scope to cause discomforts to the customers, some times becoming a hazard with potential for major poisoning episodes. That Indians have strong bellies which are not easily affected by minor incidences of food transgressions cannot be an excuse to shut our eyes to wards negligence of hygiene, sanitation and tainted water and foods.

From time to time suggestions have been made to create food plazas in cities located at different locations where adequate facilities are provided for clean water, waste disposal and toilet facilities. But the food plazas that are coming up are invariably posh ones serving high cost foods and common man finds it difficult to access to these places because of cost considerations. The Amma canteens in Tamilnadu did create an aura for some time and they are still popular among low income population like workers and laborers but this is a government subsidized venture leaving very little for individual entrepreneurship. Recent advent of Food Trucks on India roads is a welcome development though we do not know how long they will last under the suffocating environment of bureaucracy and cluttered roads in most cities. In a country like the US where Food Trucks have notched up phenomenal success there are clearly demarcated areas where food trucks can be parked for doing business for limited ours without hindering the flow of pedestrians or vehicular traffic. It is doubtful whether the street vendors in India can ever be transformed into a food truck business entrepreneurs given the reality that exists in the country.

In spite of such reservations the news that some bold entrepreneurs have jumped into the fray in places like Delhi and Bangalore can be very encouraging. Properly designed food trucks should be elf sufficient in terms of on the spot cooking, serving facilities, waste handling, refrigeration etc, though one cannot expect them to provide toilet facilities. According to one view one can have a food truck with an investment of Rs 3-5 lakh but such improvised "trucks" would be probably mounted on old van type vehicles which cannot be called a food truck. A good self contained food truck many cost upwards of Rs 25 lakh with necessary minimum facilities and whether with such investments entrepreneurs will be able to garner sufficient business to ensure decent returns remains to be seen.

Catering sector in India is booming with regular eateries making a kill in the market with the consumers becoming insensitive to the prices at which the preparations are sold. Even a small eatery gets away with prices varying from Rs 15-50 for their preparations while more reputed and established caterers have steadily hiked up the prices during the last two years. It is impossible today for a family to get a decent meal for less than Rs 200 and buffet lunches are ruling at prices beyond that! Still most conventional eateries are doing very good business because of increasing disposable income with the lower and upper middle class population. This is the right environment for food trucks to blossom in the country and governments and civic bodies must facilitate their entry and help them to sustain with least impediments and supportive policies, in stead of harassing them as is being claimed by some of the pioneers who started this business recently.  

A recent development in street food market may throw a damper at the plans of new food truck entrepreneurs trying to venture into this new marketing ploy to attract the erstwhile customers of traditional street vendors. Many high end restaurants with reputed Chefs in their pay role are reported to be trying to romanticize street foods and introduce some of the items popular among street food patrons as a part of their menu. Their strength lies in the fact that they can provide a better ambiance within their premises and the safety of the foods they serve would be guaranteed institutionally and responsibly compared to the addressless street vendors. How far they can attract or shift the loyalty of regular customers of street vending segment remains to be seen.      

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

THE "DANGEROUS" OIL-CONSUMERS' NIGHTMARE!

Who does not like a freshly fried food or a snack made by deep fat frying? Most humans have a weakness for preparations made by using high levels of oil and higher the oil content more tasty would be the product though health wise such foods many pose dangers in the long run. Interestingly foods with high moisture content, if fried at lower temperatures for a shorter time, may not contain too much adsorbed oil while dry products during frying process have a tendency to get infused with the frying oil thereby raising the oil content in the end product. Scientific basis for such an explanation is that in high moisture foods during frying the water gets evaporated high temperatures creating an internal pressure by the steam which comes out in force and oil has no chance get into the product if the residence time in the fryer is not too long. In contrast dry foods already have cavities pre-existing within their matrix where oil can get in fast and easy. This is the reason why most snack making plants deploy centrifuges to extract free oil from inside the product. 

The debate regarding the importance of fat as a calorie source in preference to carbohydrates is a never ending one but one thing that is certain is that high levels of  fat in every day diet can lead to increased body weight and eventuality to obesity. Of course if heavy physical activity is practiced every day, body fat can get burned and it is nothing but common sense to understand the basic principle of eating and its consequences. If calorie intake is more than calorie expenditure, the body has to store the excess calories through fat deposited in different parts of the body. Sadly the food manufacturing industry has discovered that most human beings cannot resist the temptation of foods containing high sugar and fat and very little control can be exercised while choosing foods. Besides psychologists are unanimous in their opinion that fat, sugar and salt are addictive food components like alcohol and tobacco.

One of the reasons for frequent visits to restaurants by people is the number of choice of tasty fried foods available which are not made at home regularly. Many kitchens in western world shun frying in their kitchen because of the mess that is created by the hot and smoky oils during frying. If fast food chains have become landmarks in developed countries, the reason is the same that their foods are palate tingling and irresistible to avoid. Even young kids ought to be brought up in a healthy eating environment but fall for the unhealthy products from the fast food joints and the processed food industry because of their easy availability and often at low prices. It is next to impossible to make them eat nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, wholegrain foods, milk, etc in their every day diet. One of the reasons health pundits advocate reducing intake of fried foods is that most frying oils tend to cause atherosclerosis and consequently heart disease and stroke with tragic consequences over a period of time. Except some oils like that extracted from Mustard, Palm fruits and kernels, Coconuts, Peanut, Safflower, almost all others are not fry-stable causing generation of undesirable artifacts at high temperatures and repeated heating.

Frying is an interesting process in food technology where the temperature of the oil is raised to high levels around 200C for fully frying the product to get the desired texture and flavor. If the heat stability of the oil is low, temperatures as low as 165C can also be used to get a fully cooked end product. It is always the dilemma of a Chef as to what temperature he must use to prepare a product to reduce as much as possible oil uptake by the end product, considering that the market price of oils can vary enormously. Ideally every Chef would like to use an oil like Olive oil but it is not practical because of the high cost of this fancy oil. Many choose Palm Oil which is considered the cheapest oil in the global market thanks to the tremendous production in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Oils derived from Soybean, Rape seed, Maize germ, Sunflower seed, Safflower, Sesame and rice bran are also widely used. In some cultures Coconut oil is the preferred choice though its peculiar flavor is not liked in most countries. 

The oil used in frying process can degrade in quality, the rate spoilage being proportional to the extent of unsaturated fats present in it and the severity of the temperature deployed for frying. Common fryers like deep fryer, pan fryer, Chip fryer etc can have no control over the heating process and oils can deteriorate rapidly. To some extent these undesirable changes can be prevented by using modern equipment like Vacuum Fryers or Pressure Fryers which, of course need higher investment. The deterioration will be more severe if the oil is repeatedly heated and cooled over a period of time. Oxygen present in the air reacts with the unsaturated fatty acids creating highly reactive oxy radicals and other undesirable artifacts, some of which have been proved to be toxic. High frying temperatures can also break down fats into smaller molecules which cause many other problems like excessive foaming. Polar compounds and polymerized products of oxidation have been proved to be injurious to human health. Frying of starch containing foods is known to produce the carcinogenic artifact Acrylamide. In view of these evidences, oils are not allowed to be used repeatedly for frying and discarding them after using it in the fryer is always considered a wise policy. Many high class restaurants and snack food industry dispose off the heated oils which are supposed to end up as a waste. In reality this does not happen as oil is a high value material in great demand and used oil invariably finds new users who smell money in this "waste" !

When oil is subjected to repeated heating, it becomes dark in color, starts smoking, foaming, generates unpleasant smell, creates undesirable rancid taste, increases viscosity etc, unacceptable to the consumer. While large scale manufacturers of snack foods deploy fryers with multiple controls to regulate the temperature and the frying time, it is the unorganized sector where small scale, semi skilled and illiterate cooks make the products using their "experience" and "hunch" and who unknowingly contribute to very significant damage to the oil. Emergence of oil protectants like antioxidants, chelating agents and a variety of adsorbents of polar chemicals formed during frying prolong the life of frying oils very significantly but even here its life is not eternal, requiring replacement at regular intervals. In countries like the US or the European Union fried oils are never reused for food preparations, invariably ending up ass a biofuel. Recently there were reports that fried oil is fetching a higher price in the market than that commanded by its virgin counterpart! Fryer oil is also used extensively in power generation, household heating during the winter season as it burns clean without any significant carbon foot print and as automobile fuel with no pollution. Carbon monoxide is virtually nil when it is burned. No wonder recycling of fried oil has become a become business world over.

In India and China the recycled oil business is almost a parallel industry gnawing at the seams of the main stream edible oil industry. Of course it can be more aptly called an underground operation being carried out under the very nose of the food laws authorities and it has patrons, millions in number spread all over the country who are food artisans, vending their foods on the road side and small scale unlicensed eateries. These clients find it extremely convenient to buy the used oil supplied to them by unscrupulous processors who buy their raw material from large restaurants for reprocessing. Basically reprocessing involves filtration and decolorization in rare cases. If reports are to be believed recycled oil can be sourced at half the price of virgin oil which presently sells at around Rs 80 per liter in India! Those who use the recycled oil justify their action because oil constitutes a large chunk of the cost of the food they make and according to them if they are forced to shun these oils, they will have no alternative but to raise the prices of their preparations to levels unaffordable to most of their clients! What a justification for demolishing the population through slow poisoning!

Take the case of China where it is reported that recycled oil use is more rampant than that in India. It is a shocking revelation that one out of ten low end restaurants in China uses "Gutter Oil" for preparing their foods, a form of recycled oil which is the worse form of oil one can imagine. Most Chinese dishes are heavy in oil content and imagine the long term consequences for a population fed on such products! Gutter oil is made from discarded restaurant oils from the organized sector, drains, grease taps, slaughter house wastes, discarded animal parts, low grade animal fat. internal organs, skin portions of animals etc. The process of making it includes filtration, boiling, refining, removing adulterants and packing. As the major raw material viz, "the Fryer discarded oil" costs less than $ 900 a ton, the business is indeed fantastic as the reprocessed oil is in demand for prices beyond $ 1500 a ton! It is a mystery as to why an autocratic government like that in China where punishments can be severe and swift is allowing such criminal activities by a section of the industry which jeopardize the health of its citizens.

How can such despicable acts by the fraudulent oil trade be minimized if not curtailed in absolute terms? As some observers believe, it may be difficult to control these nefarious actors unless there is massive vigilance deploying thousands of personnel and severe punishments are given swiftly without allowing the fraud cases to linger on for years in the judiciary. On a long term basis Government will have to address the problem of critical edible oil shortage in the country during the last 3 decades on a war footing by shifting its focus from cereals to oil seeds production.     

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

THE VULGARITY OF PRICE SITUATION IN INDIA-IS THIS THE END OF"AAM AADMI"?

India is currently going through a crisis that has the potential to cause civil unrest unless some thing dramatic happens to pull back the country from the brink. While the government is getting increasingly isolated because of its wrong moves, actions and financial mismanagement, the alternative option to the citizens seems to be not rosy with every political party being tainted with corruption wherever they are in power. It is a reflection on the sorry situation prevailing in the country that economists and policy pundits are more concerned about rate of GDP growth which is anticipated to slide down to five percent plus from a heady nine percent plus 3 years ago rather than the crushing burden on the "aam aadmi" or the common man caused by inflation all around. The inflation may not be staggering measured by standards used for rating in the world of economics: it is nonetheless a frustrating situation to more than 90% of the population that takes pride as being Indian.

Ever since the opening up of the Indian economy (what ever that means!) in early 1990s, the country has seen the lot of poor people getting worse progressively because the environment created then was just the one needed for corporates to make money through the so called crony capitalism route. The public sector organizations were systematically destroyed in the name of under performance and practically every policy that encourages small scale industry was cast away. The process of enrichment of a few citizens was started by the government of India by favoring its employees as as well as the pensioners (also those in State governments) with massive increase in salaries and perks unheard in the annals of Indian history or any where in the world. With more money in their hands this segment of the population became part of the elite society with high buying power. On a conservative estimate these employees with their families form a substantial part of Indian population, about 50 million.The trading community with more than 30 million members was given a unrestricted environment to make money by slack enforcement of the laws of the country. If those in the corporate world are also added the total "consumer" population which can buy whatever they want can run to more than 100 million, sufficient to get attention by any investor in the world for a slice of the pie that is called Indian market.

The above factor is precisely playing out currently with GOI opening up the retail market to foreign investment. Those global giants are not pitching their tent in India to help Indian citizens but to sell their products to the rich Indians with plenty of cash living in comfort in towns and cities across the country. Interestingly GOI has laid down a condition in its policy orchestration that foreign retail stores can be opened only in urban areas as if it is a stringent condition! Even a child knows that more than 80% of the rural population can never aspire to step into a Super Market or a Mall with their limited income and the stipulation contained in the policy declaration is some what hollow. It is never clear as to which side the big retailers will take when it comes to clash of interest between the farmer and the consumer? If farmer is to be paid decently for his produce, consumer price will reflect that and if it is the other way of reducing consumer price, the farmer can never be paid what he deserves! Past history of big retailers tells a different story with both farmer and the consumer suffering equally, the only gainer being the "super middleman", viz the retailer!

For any one going around the Indian market will  be struck by
the incongruous situation prevailing in the country vis-a-vis prices of various products prevailing in the country. How can a common man buy an apple, priced Rs 25-30 a piece or any other fruit which costs not less than Rs 50 per kg? Even the common man's fruits Banana sells at Rs 3-5 a piece if it is a smaller variety and this can shoot up further during Hindu festival seasons (at least a dozen every year). Papaiya which was sold at Rs 10 per kg till recently shot p to Rs 40 per kg during the Ramzan season and never came back to the original price. It is unbelievable that a piece of cashewnut or Almond, those aspirational foods, can be as high as Rs 3 per nut, the retail price being in the vicinity of Rs 800-1000 per kg. According to nutrition pundits an average adult in India is supposed to consume daily about 300 gm of cereals, 30-60 gm of pulses, 0-30 gm of meat, 300 gm of vegetables, 100 gm of fruits, 300 gm of milk and milk products, 20 gm of sugar and 20 gm of fats for maintaining the health. How can a family of four (parents plus two siblings), belonging to low income categories can access to these essential foods with their current income at current prices? If one draws the graph of price fluctuations that is experienced during different part of the year, it may look like the print out of an EEG or ECG of a person with several peaks and valleys occurring with a sickening regularity! Unless GOI comes out with policies that will make available these foods to these vulnerable population at affordable prices, the country is bound to slide into a situation where proportion of undernourished and malnourished citizens will reach unbearable levels, affecting the quality of human resources required for nation building.

Leave out the fruits and nuts and shift the focus to vegetables which are supposed to fill out half the plate during a meal. It is just maddening to see tomato being sold at Rs 5/kg one day and within a few days it climbs to Rs 25/kg. Same is true with practically every vegetable grown in the country. Interestingly many studies have shown that the farmer who grows these produce does not get even a fraction of the consumer price, the majorportion being being swallowed by the so called middle men! Will the new players who are being offered a red carpet by the government help the farmer by putting more money in his hands. Experience in other countries where these high profile market oriented monoliths work shows that farmers will be the least beneficiary in this charade.

Maximum Retail Price (MRP) declaration is often touted as the instrument of GOI to control prices. This is a hollow claim because this provision of the law applies to packed products whereas only a small percentage of foods is branded and sold in sealed packs. Here again MRP indicated cannot be taken at its face value because many smaller brands inflate the same allowing the retailers sizable elbow room to reduce the actual selling price, some times as much as 50% of MRP, but still keeping sizable margin! Besides many retailing giants have their own in-house brands and they can always print inflated MRP figures with scandalous margins. Interestingly the much touted Package Commodities Act is a curse for the most unfortunate citizens in this country because, the moment the food is packed and sealed it enables the packer to add "value" which is nothing but a higher profit in disguise! For example a kilogram of Atta costs around Rs 40 if it is branded but at the street corner petty shop it is available at about 25 per kg.     Sugar when it is branded costs the consumer upwards of Rs 54 per kg while the small gives the same at Rs 30 per kg. This happens across the food spectrum and the high end retailers earn a killing profit in the name of better quality and shopping ambiance!

According to the National Planning Commission an income blow Rs 32 per day for a person is the cut off level to define him as belonging to the below poverty level group. Probably this is enough to buy adequate food to keep the body and soul together! But what about the other needs like shelter, clothing and other daily essentials? Unfortunately GOI seems to think that keeping the people alive is the only responsibility vested on it and by providing subsidies worth three half lakh crore rupees every year to its citizens, the people will cruise comfortably in the turbulent waters, that is called life! According to some statistics, almost one third of Indian population earns less than Rs 32 a day putting them in the category of people below the poverty line for whom the
supermarkets do not make any sense. Imagine how a country where only 3% of the population (about 35 million people) pay income tax can gloat over the entry of multinational retailers from western countries where more than 50% pay taxes regularly?

Looking at the statistics a little bit closely, the bitter reality can dawn on many honest citizens in this country that GOI is opening up the retail sector only to serve the top 6.2 million families, each earning an annual income of the order of 2, 15,000 per year plus and to a limited extent a small percentage of the so called middle class families of about 91 million, earning between Rs 45,000 and 2,15,000 per year. It is debatable whether even at this level of income these families can afford to buy an apple every day! Families with annual income below Rs 22,000 numbering about 102 million are never counted in GOI calculations. After the opening of the economy, between 1996 and 2010 there was a 419% jump in the number of top earning families which will be the focus of all foreign marauders getting into the country in the name of helping the nation to attain prosperity and upliftment of the poor!   

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

HEART HEALTHY FOODS-GUIDELINES FOR CONSUMERS

So much is being talked about the bad influence of foods being marketed in countries like the US, consumers are in a blind when it comes to choosing a food which is good for the health. From time to time sporadic attempts are being made to differentiate good foods from the not so good ones with symbols and icons, none of them found satisfactory or fool proof so far. The term "junk foods" which has been coined to describe products with high calories and low in nutrition are increasingly getting hold of the lives of people who can afford only these foods with lower price tags compared to nutrient dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole cereals, lean fish, milk and milk products etc  which are priced out of reach of most people of lower income bracket. In a democratic country it is difficult to wield the proverbial stick to force the food processing industry to make only nutritionally superior foods while the consumers crave for foods which are palate friendly. After all business interests cannot be expected to continue with operations which are unable to bring in money as a return on their investments. Voluntary efforts and gestures can at best be of marginal value only with practically no impact. Under such a situation where will the consumer go for help while buying the food needs in the aisles of super markets and grocery shops for getting any clue regarding the health value of a plethora of attractively packed products staring at him from the shelves? 

Going into the fundamentals of good health, humans require about 2000-2500 kC from the food consumed every day for survival and carrying on day to day activities under a decent living style regime. But besides calories there are other crucial needs for a variety of nutrients which cannot be made by the body. These include essential amino acids from proteins in the diet, essential fatty acids, micro nutrients like vitamins and minerals and dietary fiber. It is practically impossible to derive all these nutrients from  any single food and therefore nutritional experts always advice to follow a food regime based on diverse food materials with each one of them providing varied nutrient factors in required concentrations. Processed food industry will never be able to deliver all required vital nutrients in a single food, however good the product may be. On the other hand man knows lot about negative role played by some of the natural food components like sugar, salt, saturated fat and many non-natural ingredients used by the processing industry to develop good tasting foods. Assuming that the processing steps that are necessary to make a finished food product from the raw materials are efficient enough to pre-empt unsafe contaminants, only issue that needs to be focused is the relative nutritive value of the finished product. Any method or system that strives to categorize foods into healthy ones can only focus on the relative concentration of the constituents like sugar, saturated fat, sodium, dietary fiber, trans fats and cholesterol. 

American Heart Association (AHA) which has been doing yeoman service in providing valuable inputs to American people for protecting them from some of the common diseases like CVD, Blood Pressure, Kidney Health and others caused by inappropriate dietary habits, is active in the field of food certification to help the industry as well as the consumers to progressively bring about a qualitative change in the food system in that country. Their "Heart Check Certification" system which is slowly becoming an industry standard is a reliable way to guide the consumer for selecting the most healthy ones from an array of products available in the market place. Under this program levels of constituents like total fat (less than 6-5 gm per serving), saturated fat (1 gm or less and 15% or less calories from saturated fats, trans fats (less than 0.5%), cholesterol (20 mg or less), Sodium (less than 480 mg), beneficial nutrients (10% or more of DV in case of one of the 6 like Vitamin C, D, C, Calcium, Protein or Dietary Fiber) in a product will decide whether it is eligible to receive the iconic certification. It is difficult to include every parameter that may be relevant in a certification program like this and some critics feel that the qualitative aspects of fat and protein have not been factored properly in this method though further refinement of this system can be expected based on emerging experience in future.    

There is a veiled criticism that AHA takes money from the industry for awarding the certificate and this might be influence the decision when products are submitted for certification. However one must appreciate the fact that world wide no certification agency undertakes product assessment free of cost as testing involves costly inputs which will have to be met from the fee charged. Another issue is whether AHA has the wherewithal to do follow up vigilance work which only can ensure that those awarded the Health Check Certificate once, will continue the good manufacturing practice to turn out products consistently conforming to the standards of AHA. These are the pitfalls of all certification programs but it still gives a broad idea about the healthiness of products for the consumers to make the buying decision easier.  

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

WANTED-PAROTHA "ARTISANS"! DILEMMA OF RESTAURANTS IN KERALA

Wheat is the staple cereal for people in Europe, North America, Middle East Asia and North Africa. Major products made at home are yeast-leavened bread, cookies, pastry and porridge while there are hundreds of industrial products which include different types of bread, biscuits, cookies, crackers, various pastry preparations, pasta including macaroni etc. Though wheat was ground into flour as early as 9000 BC using stone grinders, industrial processing started towards the beginning of 20th century. The susceptibility of wheat flour to go rancid prevented its transportation and wide use because the germ portion rich in lipids undergoes oxidative deterioration giving foul smell and bitter taste.

The modern roller flour mills which break the wheat grain into progressively smaller particle size have provisions to extract bran as well as the germ fractions yielding pure white flour from the endosperm and this flour is the basis of almost all commercial products made in western countries. While bread making calls for strong or hard flours with gluten content more than 12%, soft flours with less than 10% protein are required for sheeted products like biscuits. In contrast the people in India consume wheat mostly after grinding it into 100% flour (Atta) which go into the making of staple foods like roti and chapathi, considered more nutritious because of the presence of bran and germ. Also whole wheat flour has a typical aroma when made into roti or chapathi considered delicious by the people. When multinational companies entered India some years ago, they found it difficult to make good quality Atta because only plate grinding (Chakki grinding), with high temperature generation due to friction can cause adequate starch damage, required to make high quality roti or chapati. To day many of them have installed large capacity Chakkis in their modern flour mills to make Atta!

People in South India who were predominantly rice eaters till a few years ago are increasingly switching over to wheat and historically shortage of rice in nineteen fifties and sixties can be cited as the major reason for this change in consumption habits. Parotha is a much sought after wheat based food item which is popular in Kerala and Tamilnadu. Recent news reports that there is a shortage of skilled artisans who can make Parotha are indeed alarming because during the last 6 decades no worthwhile research has been carried out on most of the traditional foods like Parotha and the art of preparing authentic foods, native to India is likely to disappear sooner than later. It appears many restaurants in Kerala are advertising for recruitment of Parotha makers at a monthly salary of Rs 10, 000 where as average salary of hotel workers rarely exceeds Rs 3000 per month. This is a reflection of the dearth of people who are well versant with various nuances involved in Parotha making! Is the Parotha story an exception or is it going to be same with other traditional foods also?

If the reports from Kerala are true Parotha making has been taken over by artisans from Bihar and restaurants are depending more and more on outsiders to include this item in the menu. Interestingly Parotha means different things to different people and there are several versions of this product popular in various parts of the country. For example a Punjabi will never miss muli Parotha or Gobi Parotha with thick curd for breakfast, especially during winter time. Frozen Parotha has become a major item for export from Kerala targeted at immigrant Indians in many countries who cannot make good quality Parotha at home. Though indigenous equipment for some of the traditional products like Idli, Dosa and Roti have been developed in the country, there are not many standard manufacturers who can supply commercial models with reliable performance criteria. How ever making Parotha in a machine is some what tricky and no indigenous fabricator is in a position to offer such equipment at present. It appears that one Taiwanese machinery firm has designed the necessary plant for manufacture of Parotha and such plants are in commercial operation in India mainly for export of the machine-made product.

Is it not a tragedy that hundreds of traditional Indian food products are languishing without any attention by the food scientists in the country and over obsession with western system of research on many products alien to India may ensure continued neglect of the native foods for years to come. Billions of rupees being invested by GOI on food research in India are being spent on "ivory tower" research with little relevance to the industry or to the society in the country. It was hoped that at least the new much hyped organization being set up by the MFPI for food research, training, management would take up on a priority development work on traditional foods but it is unlikely to happen as there is very little appreciation of the importance of the native foods inherited over centuries of evolution of Indian civilization. Probably future generations in India may forget their own foods and will depend more and more on drab bread, unhealthy breakfast cereals, French Fries, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs etc pushing Indian indigenous foods like Parotha into oblivion.

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

FOOD SAFETY WITH "INSURANCE"-EMERGING RESTAURANT SCENARIO IN DELHI

Restaurant goers in India rarely imagine that food served to them can pose health dangers of different type because there is no credible system that ensures regular inspection of these establishments for corrective measures in the facilities and safety compliance. According to the present practices, any one intending to set up a restaurant has to get a license from the local health authorities in the municipality presided over by a health official who has to inspect the facilities with regard to the cleanliness and other aspects of the establishment. Once the restaurant starts functioning the same group, often grossly understaffed, are supposed to monitor the quality of foods served with regard to their safety to the consumers but such inspections are far and few giving practically a free hand to the restaurants in running the establishment. Because there are not serious calamity reported in the media, every one assumes that restaurant foods are safe. Are they?

Probably there are thousands of violations of food safety regulations that go unnoticed and the Indian consumers must have developed a high degree of resistance to any microbial hazard posed by these foods. Being a resilient society, Indian customer rarely complains which further strengthens the belief by the restaurant operators that every thing is fine. Only time violations surface is when flies are found in coffee or cockroach parts are seen in food preparations or other visible signs of food contamination. If stomach upsets or similar minor ailments are noticed after a visit to a restaurant, invariably they are attributed to other causes as it takes at least 24 hours for the symptoms to manifest. Added to this, the consumers, most of them are never aware of the authorities with whom any complaint has to be filed as there are no display of the address or the phone details of the local health authority and even if complaints are made by a diligent customer, it is almost certain that nothing will out of it. Such a situation creates an environment when the consumers take all the incidences of safety hazards in their stride. The PFA Act 1956 does contain stringent provisions for deterrent punishment but in practice such indictments are far and few but almost all cases booked are for breaking standards like fat in milk,moisture in dal, adulterated ghee, edible oil quality etc which at least does not pose serious health hazards. Probably it is much easier to book these cases than hauling up the operators foods contaminated with pathogens.

Is there no remedy for such a situation? The organization of Commonwealth Games in Deli in October 2010 appears to have provided an impetus for at least thinking of improving the safety compliance by the restaurant sector because of the imminent visit by many foreign participants who are supposed to have more delicate "stomach" than Indians, vulnerable to contaminated foods. The FSSAI had announced almost an year ago that Delhi restaurants would be provided with a system of grading that would be displayed prominently for the customers to decide before entering whether the establishment is trustworthy. Since the scheme was voluntary not even a single restaurant bothered to register for getting the grade, probably because of doubts in their own mind regarding the quality of infrastructure they have vis-a-vis the ability to maintain the standards expected. It is possible that the authorities may eventually go for making such grading mandatory. Of course safety of restaurant foods is a concern not only in India but all over the world for which many remedies are suggested from time to time. Unfortunately the problem in India is much more serious than that in many other countries. Even water served in most of the restaurants is not trustworthy regarding its potability and very few customers drink water in restaurants because of fear of stomach infection.

A ray of hope is emerging with the involvement of private sector in assessing the quality of a restaurant, beginning in Delhi because of the imminent Commonwealth Games. These private players are aiming to do something concrete so that foreign tourists get foods of international standards in food safety and hygiene during this period. The new program,under the banner 'Safe Food Destination', has been launched by the consultancy TQS Global Management System under which restaurants can voluntarily get themselves registered under the program for an year. Auditing and Monitor teams of the TSQ is assuring the restaurant owners that they would help them in maintaining food safety by educating staff through workshops, interaction and consultations. Under a scoring system a restaurant has to obtain a minimum of 40% in order to obtain a food safety certificate from TQS.

Basic facts regarding food safety practices involved in buying good quality raw materials, safe handling methods, precautions in storing, cleaning up of the facilities, personnel hygiene etc are expected to be dinned into the ears of the staff. The agency would be awarding the marks which is expected to go up every time its auditing team comes for inspection. A 75% mark will translate into silver grading, 85% getting golden while 95% would be eligible for the highest grade of platinum. One of the remarkable features of this scheme is the provision for some form of a consumer insurance which is new in a country like India which entitles the consumer to prefer limited claims towards any mishap or illness arising out of food safety issues in TQS registered outlets. This can be expected to give some peace of mind to the consumers as he is insured against any health injury arising out of food borne disease which puts only limited liability on the restaurant. In case of illness after eating at a registered member's restaurant, TQS will probe the incident and if found guilty of violation of safety norms, the registration is liable be cancelled. Unlike FSAAI's scheme, the agency claims that many restaurants in Delhi are registering with them for the program.

The initiative by the private sector is indeed laudable and it must be encouraged by the government. TSQ has good credentials as a quality management player with successes achieved in other countries like Bulgaria and Maldives in this area and even if FSSAI wants to continue with its own scheme, the private sector must be allowed to continue the operation which should be taken as complimentary to strengthen safety assurance programs in the country. Such programs must be extended to all over the country, though the movement may be some what slow to begin with. Probably more organizations in the private sector need to be roped in for such a system with pan India foot print. Even if the private ventures do succeed eventually, it will still have limited spread as only high end restaurants may be able to afford the certification system which costs about Rs 50000 for registration leaving more than 80% of the restaurants out side the ambit of such voluntary surviellance. The responsibility of the government to enforce safety standards in this segment still remains and the infrastructure for fulfilling this obligation must be strengthened.

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

INDIAN FOODS-OUT TO CONQUER THE WORLD?

Indian ethnic foods were never able to capture global attention compared to others like those from China, Mexico or Japan. One of the major reasons could be the 'reputation' these foods enjoy as strongly spiced because of liberal use of cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli, ginger. black pepper, fenugreek etc in most of the preparations. For long, restaurants serving Indian foods in countries like the US were patronized mostly by immigrant population from India and other South Asian countries,with a just sprinkling of local customers. The UK where there is a substantial population of Indian origin, boasts of hundreds of Indian restaurants where both immigrants as well as the local people frequent making such joints economically viable. Long colonial history that had forged some cultural ties with the UK could be responsible for the popularity of Indian foods in that country. In sheer variety, ethnic foods of India have the unique position unrivaled by any other country in the world. Though curry preparations are invariably associated with India, there are thousands of others crying for attention. In the area of snacks and sweetmeats, some of the varieties made by traditional artisans or 'halwais' can beat many confectionery and savory snacks of the west from sensory angle. If these food products have not crossed the national boundaries and could not make any international impact, blame must go to the industry for not trying harder and the indigenous food scientists for not providing timely research support to standardize, stabilize and mechanize the production during the last 5 decades. According to a rough estimate there are more than 5000 traditional food preparations of Indian origin and most of them have limited shelf life. Their quality is not uniform with the sensory perception varying over a wide range. Almost all of them are manually produced with hardly a dozen products being made by well designed large scale machinery. Any hand-made food will be naturally viewed with suspicion regarding its microbial quality, especially by the western consumers. New opportunities emerged after the Retort Pouch Technology was first developed by the Defense Lab at Mysore which can keep many Indian ethnic foods stable and safe for at least 6-12 months and in some cases even up to 2 years. Large scale exports of these foods to the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and other parts of the world enabled them to be part and parcel of the large grocery chains with high visibility. Added to this is the impetus given to this industry by introduction of many specialized rice preparations in the last 5-6 years by the industry spreading Indian culinary "signature" far and wide. Innumerable number of so called "Indian Stores", that serve the 2.7 million strong Indian community (less than 1% of the population in the US), more akin to the "pop and mom" type of family grocery shops that forms the backbone of food retail here, have substantially contributed to give a distinct identity to Indian foods abroad. It is a pleasure to see large super market shelves in the US, displaying a large range of Indian foods that include pickles, chutneys, sauces, "heat & serve" meals, etc, though much more needs to be done to infiltrate this segment of the market further to enlarge their presence and visibility to non-Indian consumers. Western palate is not considered to be bland any longer and mildly spiced foods are being liked by many of them expanding the range of customers for Indian ethnic foods in these countries. According to market experts, knowledgeable about growth of ethnic foods from different parts of the world, the next decade will see the growth of Indian foods similar to what sushi bars did in the 1980s and Thai food did in the '90s. A recent survey of ethnic food by one of the market research groups in the US found that the fastest growing segment was Indian food, with sales growing by more than 35 percent from 2006 to 2008. Of course the share of Indian food, about $ 40 million in the $2.2 billion ethnic food market, is not considered high compared to $ 1.4 billion generated by Mexican/Hispanic foods in 2009, Indian foods are expected to be the growth engine for this sector during the next decade. It is incredible that a city like New York boasts of more than 350 Indian restaurants to day compared to less than two dozens 3 decades ago. Same is true in many large metros in the US. Better presentation, more safety assurance features, improved ambiance and decor of the eateries, improved service quality, uniform food quality, more promotional activities, reasonable pricing and putting in place a reliable delivery service can make the growth chart steeper than what it is to day. Emerging scientific revelations about the positive impact of Indian foods like turmeric, ginger, chilli, black pepper, fenugreek, cinnamon etc on human health are bound to escalate interest in Indian foods substantially in future. If Indian restaurant set ups are linked to the processed food industry back in India, it should be possible to offer in such eating joints pre-processed foods of impeccable quality and safety that should reassure the non-Indian customers about "risk-free" eating and enhance the brand equity of indian ethnic foods interrnationally. V.H.POTTY http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/ http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

MAKING HOTEL FOODS SAFER-THE NEW "MOVE" IN DELHI

"Eating out" phenomenon is becoming common in India with high purchasing power of an increasingly "leisure loving" population emerging since the advent of economic liberalization in early nineties of last millennium. The family planning program to restrict the family size to 2+2 and the disintegration of joint family system have created millions of nuclear families mostly settling down in urban areas with smaller houses and kitchens where elaborate cooking is not practiced. Added to this, the modern house wife has very little time to devote to food activities with her time spent mostly for professional work that supplements the family income. Under these circumstances eating out frequently becomes an attractive and inevitable choice. In many cities the frequency of dining out is reported to have increased from 2-3 outings a month to 2-3 visits to restaurants every week.

With millions of eateries, serving hundreds of different items of food, attempting standardization, uniformity and safety can be a nightmare for any government. But consumer welfare demands that eventually these eateries as well as the foods they serve satisfy the customers without compromising on safety. Though no one knows precisely how many eateries are operating in India due to lack of dependable statistics, globally the restaurant industry is worth $ 800 billion employing 60 million people. Some estimates place Indian restaurant industry's worth at $16.7 billion or Rs 700 billion which is one fifth of what China has but this must be a gross under estimate considering the widespread operation of millions of dhabas, darshinis and small sized eateries spanning the country serving a population of almost 300 million living in the urban areas.

Eateries are generally graded either based on a star system or an 'A to C' scale or number scale or color coding through out the world and in most cases the grading reflects more on the culinary quality of foods served, ignoring critical aspects like hygiene and sanitation. A restaurant with A grade or category I or green color code is supposed to be safest and most ambient suggesting customers can derive maximum eating pleasure there. Interestingly cities like New York are reputed for their restaurants but the citizens there are reported to be not the happier lots compared to smaller places with no reputation for high end restaurants suggesting that eating out in good and reputed restaurants cannot ensure good quality life.

The move by FSSAI is indeed timely and appropriate considering that food service sector in India does not enjoy a good reputation and restaurant foods are invariably associated with bad hygiene and indifferent quality. While tourists from abroad are faced with the problem of choosing safe eating joints when they visit the country, discerning domestic tourists are also faced with the same piquant situation. Here is where chain restaurants score over others because of the reputation built by them due to their self efforts in providing good quality and safer foods to their customers. But such restaurants are far and few and a country wide system of grading needs to be put in place sooner than later in the interest of the consumers. Any grading by a government agency must be restricted to safety aspects leaving the gastronomic grading to the consumers who will flock those serving tasty and enjoyable foods.

According to the FSSAI proposal, announced recently, claimed as a 'Safe Food, Tasty Food' scheme, wants to set up specific guidelines for small restaurants and dhabas to upgrade their standard of food to international level.The scheme is expected to put in place a grading system that will rate food joints as platinum, gold, silver and bronze or A to D scale and the Quality Council of India (QCI) is supposed to do the accreditation after strict scrutiny of different parameters like quality of food, hygiene, service and a few others like hand washing, serving procedures, cleaning process, waste disposal practices etc. From the look of it the grading is not going to be mandatory as those aspiring for a grade will have to "apply" to FSSAI. The scheme appears over ambitious as it wants to give the benefit of grading even to dhabas and smaller eating joints. There may be a rush to get the top grade since it also means economic gains for those receiving good grades.

What is not clear in this novel approach is the logistics involved in translating the paper scheme into a practical, workable, reliable and sustaining operation. The primary responsibility of FSSAI is to set quality and safety standards for foods in the country and operate a workable system to implement them through state machinery with adequate qualified and experienced monitors in the field and sound infrastructure for food analysis. If FSSAI takes it work seriously, priority needs to be given to tackle the organized sector first and then spread its activity to informal sector players. Also it is not certain that the frenzy with which the scheme is announced on the eve of Commonwealth Games being organized in Delhi will be evident after the event is over, for its country wide implementation. The task is Herculean but can be achieved if there is sufficient seriousness, a long term planning, massive involvement of technical personnel and adequate investment. If any government thinks that such mammoth projects can be undertaken with the scanty staff it has for the purpose, the situation is ripe for a disaster! Probably there has to be a different approach involving accredited and reputed private agencies with earmarked responsibilities in different regions of the country to shoulder the responsibility of operationalizing the excellent concept initiated by GOI.

V.H.POTTY

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http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

WANTED-A FOOD "CODE" FOR EATERIES AND RETAILERS

Food retailing and catering form an important part of a country's landscape and both touch the lives of people practically every day. The fact that they have to carry out their business with an eye on profit does not absolve them of their commitment to be fair and equitable to the consumers. Governments are supposed to keep vigilance over the functioning of these sectors in order to prevent avoidable harm to the citizens due to negligence, unsafe practices and deliberate fraud on the part of the food handlers. Every retailer and caterer think that, once a license is obtained from the local authorities for operating in approved premises, nothing needs to be done further to improve the business atmosphere or better the quality of products offered. Government is shirking its responsibility by not instilling in them the discipline expected in handling food materials scientifically to avoid food related mishaps.

As a model one can look at a country like the US where the food handlers know what is expected from them which is codified in unambiguous terms. A voluntary Food Code has been existing for long and it is revised every four years incorporating new developments and knowledge in food safety field. Though it does not have any mandatory force behind, it still serves as a model code and reference document for sensitizing the retail and food service segments of the food industry for safety compliance. It is true no one forces any one to follow the guidelines strictly but many use it voluntarily as a guide while some adopt it in toto. The Food Code should provide authoritative information on time and temperature control for various foods for storage, cooking and serving to ensure they do not favor growth of harmful bacteria before reaching the consumer.

There are many gray areas in food safety information which need to be revisited by food scientists and sanitation experts for evolving a comprehensive resource and reference document for the benefit of catering industry and the retailing sector. Very few members of food trade and catering service have adequate awareness about the dangers lurking in their premises in the form of microbiological and other contamination which can affect the health of their customers. Qualified and experienced personnel are neither willing to be employed nor being employed by this industry for various reasons. A comprehensive Food Code containing a series of "do's" and "don'ts" in simple language, in English as well as regional languages, will go a long way in educating the industry to improve their service dramatically. The Food Code must contain information regarding distinguishing good food from bad ones, avoiding infestation of raw materials, favorable conditions for harmful bacteria to grow and preventive regime, food storage, tips on hygiene and sanitation, safe life periods of freshly cooked foods, etc.

Lead has to come from the Central Government in formulating such a Code for adoption and implementation in the country. The question is, who will "bell the cat" since it is a multi disciplinary job involving microbiologists, toxicologists, food scientists, catering specialists and sanitation experts. Probably an institution like CFTRI is best suited to undertake such a task for which needful, time targeted mandate has to be given by GOI. Such a task, if undertaken and completed satisfactorily in time, can be more useful to the nation than the pedestrian research being carried out during the last two decades in the name of food industry. Sooner it is done, better it will be for the country.

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

ECONOMIC MELT DOWN AND THE FOOD SECTOR

During the last 6 months world economy has been battered by the financial turmoils originating from USA and no country or no sector was able to insulate itself from the shock waves and chain effects of this mega happenings. The GDP growth is predicted to slump drastically and in many countries negative growth is anticipated. Food sector world over is no exception to this economic melt down. In a country like USA the adverse effect is on a wider scale because the proportion of processed foods consumption is much more than what one can see in less affluent countries like India.

Many factors have contributed to the growth of food manufacturing sector during the last 10 years. These include increased number of twin income earning families, lesser time at home for cooking, shrinking kitchen size in new homes, more take home purchases, increased frequency of eating out practices and availability of exciting range of ready to 'serve or/and eat' food items on the super market shelves. With loss of millions of jobs due to recession many families have lost fully or partially their earlier buying power calling for readjustments in the monthly budget. The net effect is lesser demand for processed foods which are considered more expensive and preference for basic foods over premium ones. This has affected the manufacturing sector's ability to sustain the market, necessitating cut backs on jobs, delaying expansion and diversification plans and postponing investments on new technology, equipment and machinery. Further there will be large scale reduction in promotional investments which, in turn, will have depressing effect on already shrinking demand The effect is expected to be more drastic in small scale industry with practically no cushion for such a contingency.

Unbearable increase in the cost of fuels has manifested in higher cost of inputs to the industry and this in turn had a cascading effect on the consumer price. Every increase in consumer price tends to decrease the demand, adding to the woes of the industry. Though GOI figures on inflation says one story, the ground realities are totally different. The single biggest reason for lower inflation figure is the tumbling of the price of petroleum crude from a peak of $147 a barrel in June 2008 to less than $50 a barrel to day but the cost of raw materials to the industry, which had risen sky high, has not come down dramatically as expected. The reckless increase of salaries to its ministers, legislative members, government personnel, public sector employees cannot be justified if the figures for inflation are to be believed. Just because IT sector personnel get disproportionately high salaries, mostly in foreign companies and foreign dependent Indian entities, it does not justify making these aberrations applicable to other sectors. On industry's part an introspection is necessary as to whether their existing pricing models can really foster growth or depress the demand in the coming months. It does not make any sense how one can justify a product like corn flakes being priced at Rs Rs 300 a kg when the basic raw material, maize costs only about Rs 15 a kg! Consumer is bewildered as to whether this is value addition or profit inflation!. There are many anomalies like this which need to be rectified and prices brought down significantly to stimulate demand for processed foods in the country.

The phenomenal rise in small size packs in India during the last one decade, to some extent, will provide a cushion to the food industry, especially those having their products in the price range Rs 1-5 per pack as consumers will increasingly opt out for them to reduce the economic burden to some extent. Probably more players may enter the fray through this proven route to sustain existing level of production, let alone expanding it. Logically high priced branded products like break fast cereals, chocolate confectionery, branded snacks, RTE foods etc are likely to suffer major set backs as these products are not considered essential to the survival of a family and sacrificing them, at least for some time, will make it eminently logical. However, in the long run the government employees and government 'dependent' population, public sector industries, IT sector with huge salary earnings, may still save the processed food industry from any knock down punch!. After all food purchase constitutes less than 10-20% of their take home pay. If food vector maintains some discipline in the price front, they may be able to, probably, weather this storm and come out unscathed.

Restaurant sector is already feeling the pinch as customers who use to flock their outlets are shying away due to their decreased ability to pay the sky high prices any more. When there was as boom time, the customers became price insensitive and did not mind spending, in exchange for some convenience and relaxation, unjustifiable amounts for good food and ambiance. The fast rising income made even the caterers feel buoyant and led them to believe that they can get away with such irrational increases in the prices of their items on the menu. The price of a cup of coffee soaring to Rs 35 a cup in many restaurants is nothing but scandalous. Same is true with all items of foods offered, the prices demanded being 200-300 % of the input cost! Average meal cost rose by 100% in less than 2 years which has no rationality. As is said, whatever goes up too high and too fast has to come down at the same pace and this applies to the current costs of restaurant foods. There must be a sane and rational pricing formula which the hoteliers must impose on themselves voluntarily instead of any price control policy, government may be forced to put in place. One must not forget that consumer is the King and pushing him too much can be at one's own peril!

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