HUMAN MILK-A FUTURE "COMMODITY"?

Human milk is well known to be a complete food containing qualitatively and quantitatively nutrients that can nourish a newborn baby at least for 6 months without any supplementary food. Besides its nutrient content, mother's milk is also endowed with immuno-biochemicals that confer protection to the baby from many infections. Common perception that cow's milk which is richer in proteins and some other nutrients can be more nutritious does not have scientific validity and in fact feeding unmodified milk from cows can even be harmful to the child in the long run. It is against such a background that the relentless campaign, nationally and internationally, to promote breast feeding, needs to be appreciated. If a cow's milk is adequately nourishing for its calf, why is it not considered suitable for homo sapiens? The simple answer is the system difference, as man is made different from other creatures in the planet. Biological specificity is the hallmark of evolution.

If breast milk is so good, why are many mothers reluctant to continue to feed their siblings with their own milk as much as possible? Is it ignorance or compulsion that is responsible for this reluctance? It is true during the last two decades the trend has been more and more mothers adopting the practice of breast feeding and with the availability of manual as well as motorized milk pumps at affordable cost, even a working mother can continue providing her milk to the baby, as long as milk is available. In spite of heavy promotion of the so called "humanized" milk by the dairy industry, due to combined efforts and sustained campaigns of the medical fraternity, the governments, many NGOs and international organizations, the practice of breast feeding, at least for the first 6 months after birth, is universally being accepted.

Infant foods developed by the dairy industry suffer from several handicaps in terms of nutrient composition and other health boosting components compared to mother's milk. The quality and quantity of proteins, levels of vitamins C and E, biologically available iron and zinc, concentration of sodium and potassium, fatty acid profile including essential fatty acids like linoleic, linolenic, DHA and ARA, unique oligosaccharides (HMO) present in human milk are significantly different in formulated infant foods, some of them either not found in the latter or are externally added during processing. This concern has been addressed to some extent by the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) , an internationally recognized compendium of standards for food ingredients by recommending optimal levels for three nucleotides and two DHA oils for incorporation into infant formula by the industry. Still commercial products are not strictly comparable to human milk as many biologically active components like lipase enzyme which facilitates fat absorption, even if present, cannot survive the thermal processing of milk during manufacture of infant formula. According to one recent report breast milk contains more than 400 nutrients which are not found in milk from other sources.

With such credentials, it is but natural that there is a demand for supply of human milk by mothers unable to feed their babies for one or the other reason. The Milk Bank movement started 2-3 decades ago has been able to provide safe quality milk and such Banks are usually attached to reputed Hospitals with adequate infrastructure to handle and store human milk, similar to the concept of a blood bank. There appears to be an emerging demand for human milk and some sellers are reported to be asking for rates as high as $1000 a liter!
Presence of Taurine, one of the amino acids implicated in brain development during early days, seems to have enhanced the demand for human milk. It is quite possible that human milk may become a commercial commodity if prices rule high. Commercial freeze drying technology, available to day can convert liquid milk into stable dry powder preparations without destroying the biochemical components as well as health nutrients present in milk. There are moral, ethical and legal issues involved in making human milk an industry product for general consumption. Distortions can set in where artificial means of generating milk in females without going through the process of conception, may even be attempted which can affect the societal values and sanctity attached to procreation and conception.

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

FOOD MACHINERY-NEED FOR A RATING SYSTEM

Indian machine building industry is considered to have the capability to build any machine as long as a prototype is available for copying. This may not be a universal truth because there are some excellent fabricators boasting of original design capabilities with reasonably good credibility and dependable credentials. Weakness in the area of equipment design has been attributed to limited demand for original machinery and unless business volume reaches some critical levels, investment on the necessary infrastructure for designing and prototype building cannot be justified. With no more import restriction on capital goods and reduction of import tariffs under the WTO regime, most of the industries in India opt for sourcing their equipment needs from out side the country, a further disincentive to design activities in the country.

One of the most critical deficiencies being experienced by the machine building industry in India is availability of right quality of materials of construction which only can ensure long life and high performance efficiency. Indian built machinery generally do not enjoy good reputation and they are mainly marketed in African countries because of significant price advantages vis-à-vis those from western countries. While low prices can give temporary advantages in the market place, sturdiness, performance efficiency, trouble free operation and responsive back up-service can only help to get universal recognition and assured business.

Food processing industry in India is looking for equipment that can perform as efficiently as imported models and there are only a dozen fabricators who do have the expertise, wherewithal and infrastructure to build good quality machinery at costs which are lower than those imported from the West but higher than some of the items offered by China, Korea, Taiwan, Turkey etc. Take any equipment, be it a washer, grinder, blender, expeller, extruder, flaker or extractor the models available in the market vary in price by a factor of 50-500% making it difficult for any one to take a decision regarding the right one to be bought for one's requirements. Form-Fill-Seal machines with same capacity are available for less than Rs 1 lakh while high end models can cost as high as Rs 10-12 lakh. Same is true with all other machinery items used by the food processing industry, especially in the small scale sector.

It is time that the vast number of tinker shops and other small facilities that offer many machinery to the food industry is organized on a sound technical footing and a streamlined mechanism evolved to assess their capabilities to manufacture dependable equipment based on performance, durability, energy efficiency, back-up service etc. Food industry in the country will be able to grow and develop further if such an environment is created. Like the ISI certification for domestic appliances or the star rating for energy consumption by refrigerators, a rating system for different categories of food processing equipment will go a long way in improving the performance of the small scale industry in food sector. The Food Engineering and Design Center of the MFPI, located at CFTRI, Mysore should be mandated to take up this task on a priority basis and bring socour to the industry, many of them languishing for want of guidance in procuring appropriate processing machinery.

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

AMMONIA-TREATED MEAT-SAFETY AND RELIABILITY QUESTIONS

Compared to plant foods, animal based foods are more difficult to preserve due to contamination by lethal pathogens like Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria, etc. Established processes like thermal treatment, irradiation, canning, dehydration etc have severe limitations when it comes to meat products. Modern preservation method for meat is freezing as most microorganisms do not grow under sub-zero temperatures. Though technologically freezing can preserve the original quality of the food processed, there is no way it can improve on the quality, if the raw material is already contaminated or cross contamination takes place from other contaminated products during storage and handling at various stages after the factory process. In other words freezing cannot destroy the microbes which are already present in the product or that which many contaminate it during storage. Food related food poisoning arise when the frozen products are brought to ambient conditions and consumed without any adequate cooking at the consumer's end. There are strict guidelines that need to be followed by the abattoirs where animals are slaughtered and at manufacturing plants where the meat is further processed into finished products. In many countries surveillance authorities undertake plant inspection frequently to ensure strict compliance of safety guidelines. Still food poisoning due to E.coli and Salmonella occurs regularly though such episodes are not wide spread and causalities are minimal. Irradiation is a technically sound process which can achieve 100% kill but its industry-wide use is constrained by the labeling regulations calling for declaration regarding irradiation. As consumers do not accept irradiation process due to many reasons, industry is reluctant to use this technology. It is under such circumstances that Ammonia treatment of meat became an accepted process duly approved by FDA of the US and the USDA since 2007. Recent reports that even some of the Ammonia-treated meat products showed the presence of these pathogens are ringing alarm bells causing some concern. Ammonia is a natural chemical found in human body and also in many foods at significant concentrations and it has not been declared as a toxic substance for use in foods. Products like peanut butter, cheese and a few other foods contain Ammonia at levels 400-800 ppm. Use of Ammonium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Carbonate, Gaseous Ammonia and Ammonium Hydroxide are permitted to be used 0.04 to 3.2%, at least in the US. Ammonium Hydroxide, a solution of Ammonia in water is allowed 0.6-0.8% in baked goods, cheese, relishes and puddings. Effectiveness of use of Ammonia for control of fungus in citrus fruits, storage of corn, in meat is known since 1976 and in 1988 scientists from Punjab University reported about the ability of Ammonia to kill aerobic bacteria and many anaerobic ones also. Use of Ammonia for preserving fish, dehydrated potato chips and broken eggs has also been reported without any apparent ill effect on human health. Ammonia is used in gaseous form for killing pathogens in lean meat trimmings from the slaughter house after removing melted fat in centrifuges and the ground products were flash frozen and compressed for use in Hamburgers. The pH of the product is supposed to go up from 6 to more than 10 to get a 100% kill of pathogens. Ammonia brings about changes in extract release volume, water holding capacity, soluble protein nitrogen and cook out losses. It is somewhat intriguing why such specially treated products are not made to declare the same on the label since not much scientific information exists regarding the long term effect of consuming Ammonia treated meat. Besides many consumers are able to experience the pungent smell of Ammonia in the product, mistaking it for chemical contamination. At 50 ppm Ammonia can be detected by the nose while at 35 ppm it can impart undesirable tastes. As Ammonia treated meat is exempt from mandatory inspection and quality check, some of the samples were found to have pH of only 7.75, not considered safe, raising inconvenient questions regarding the reliability of the process under manufacturing conditions. Any process if to be approved has to undergo strict evaluation for safety and ascertain the risk-benefit aspects based on which only valid conclusions can be drawn. It appears as if such an exercise has not been done in the case of "Ammoniacation" of meat, probably because of the anxiety to counter act increasing episodes of meat contamination and decreasing public confidence on the ability of the surveillance agencies to preempt such incidences. . V.H.POTTY http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/ http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS-HEAVY POLLUTERS?

The concept of industrial clusters or estates has been the center piece for industrial development in India for the last so many years and there are many such clusters set up by the State enterprises vested with the task of identifying suitable area, acquiring them, developing the needed infrastructure including power, feeder roads, water and pollution abatement. To day the same concept is the basis for the industry parks being set up either by private players or government agencies or as collaborative ventures. The major difference is that the earlier clusters had multidisciplinary industrial units while to day's parks are specialized entities dealing with same category of products. Thus there are Food Parks, Electronic Parks, Textile Parks etc coming up in different parts of the country.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF) of the Federal Government has the onerous task of protecting the citizens from environmental degradation through pollution and preservation of the forest resources that play an important role in preventing global warming. The Pollution Control Boards at the state level are the executive agencies and new industrial units are subjected to surveillance and monitoring by these Boards. Major projects, infrastructural as well as industrial, with potential impact on forest degradation must have environmental clearance from the Center. If these checks and balances work properly there can be no apprehension about industrial pollution in this country. The Kerala fiasco vis-à-vis Coca Cola company in Palghat district, a few years ago, could have been avoided if proper assessment was done regarding the impact of large scale water extraction by the manufacturer on the population nearby.

Realizing that the country must take up an active program to monitor the functioning of industrial clusters located near many cities, MEF has recently took up a study to assess the pollution caused by the industry located there and the findings turned out to be alarming. MEF assessed the level of pollution vis-à-vis air, land and water on a scale of hundred and ranked 88 such clusters based on their polluting potential. It turned out hat 43 of these clusters have reached a level on the pollution scale considered alarming and further 10 amongst them were considered critical. As a policy measure GOI wanted to stop any further expansion of these clusters till proper study is conducted regarding the impact of pollution to people, food chain as a whole and the water resources in the area where the clusters are working.

MEF must be congratulated for its initiative in this respect and deserves full kudos for reposing confidence on technical institutions like IIITs which were partners in this project. In contrast there is a Ministry for Food Processing Industry (MFPI) at Delhi, staffed by heavily top loaded bureaucrats who does not feel that the food technologists in the country are as competent as them in deciding on matters pertaining to food processing industry. The technical services offered by the premier food technologists group in the country, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (AFSTI) during the last one decade were spurned by this Ministry and the result is there for all to see! Probably for good things to happen for the food sector, the industry may have to wait for the arrival of a visionary minister like the one heading MEF currently.

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

"KRILL"-THE FUTURE OMEGA-3 ACID SOURCE

Omega-3 fatty acids, vital for many body and brain functions are present in abundance in marine creatures like fish, crustaceans and algae. Plant sources are relatively poor sources of these essential fatty acids, though Linoleic and Linolenic acids are present in liquid oils of plant origin. The conversion of short chain unsaturated fatty acids into the biologically active long chain version like Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) is very inefficient in human body necessitating their supply through fish in people predominantly non-vegetarian by habit. Of course by adopting a diet with diverse food materials can still preclude any major deficiency manifestation but modern life styles invariably depend on diets which are based on sugar, carbohydrates, fats, proteins based on refined/processed raw materials which have practically no nutrients left behind due to processing.

With the advent of modern technology for extraction and purification of DHA and EPA from sources like fish and algae, a new era has arrived when enrichment of foods during processing is technically and commercially viable. The resistance from the vegans against accepting fish derived ingredients, mostly due to the unacceptable "fishy" smell can be overcome by using bland DHA and EPA ingredients now being offered by reputed suppliers. There was a time when cod liver oil consumption was encouraged for boosting health and the encapsulation technology made it possible to make it tolerable to non-fish eaters. How ever emanation of fish odor some time after swallowing the fish oil from the body and through exhalation was still a problem. The new technology has been able to overcome these disadvantages. Milk, juices and other products in some countries are to day fortified with DHA and EPA and consumer can know about it only from the label declaration without being able to detect organoleptically.

Omega-3 business is predicted to cross $1.6 billion by the year 2014 world wide but it is unlikely that there will be any major diversion of edible fish species for their production. If so what could be the sustaining source for production of DHA and EPA? While algae can be a good source, production cost is unlikely to be favorable compared to minor fish species having no commercial value being used now. Krill, a crustacean living 100 meters below the ice caps of Antarctica seems to be a logical choice because of its abundance. There are 85 species of Krill known to man and many of them are suitable for processing into food. The estimated potential can be as high as 6 billion tons and since they live for 5-10 years the supply is unlikely to be exhausted in the foreseeable future. According to one report the weight of Krill that exists to day is more than the combined weight of humans in this planet. Krill also plays an important role in removing CO2 from the atmosphere through the Phytoplankton which happen to be their staple food. It is the favorite food for fish, birds, marine animals like Whales and a fully grown Whale consumes as much as 3.5 to 4 tons of Krill each day.

With hardly 5 cm in length, Krill contains on a dry weight basis, 70% high quality protein, 10.7% fat which is made up of 40% highly unsaturated fats (HUFA), 18.4% EPA and 11.1% DHA and 12,6% ash reflecting the high mineral content. It also contains antioxidants like Astaxanthine carotenoids. The residue after extraction of Omega-3 acids will still be rich in proteins and minerals, suitable as a raw material for food and feed industry. Realizing the potential of Krill many countries are trying to establish sustainable operational base in the Antarctica and an amicable international agreement can only prevent future conflicts in the name Krill.

If Omega-3 preparations with no odor obtained from Krill are used in India what will be the legal stance vis-à-vis labeling. Any packed food containing ingredients derived from animal source is required to print a red dot prominently on the label. As Omega-3 acids, whether from fish or algae, are hardly distinguishable because of the high end technology used, how the monitoring agency can decide about the nature of the food containing these added nutrients, whether they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, is some thing to be seen if and when these ingredients enter the food chain in the country.

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

GIN TECHNOLOGY-NEW INNOVATIONS

Hard liquors are distilled beverages from weaker fermentation broths containing less than 15% alcohol as further concentration cannot be achieved during yeast fermentation because of the inability of the microorganism to survive at higher alcohol levels. Only Beer and Wine are the major non-distilled beverages while the commonly known "Spirits" like Brandy, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka and Whiskey have alcohol levels above 20%. Liqueurs are spirits with added sugar and flavorings. Distillation is a process known to mankind since second millennium and modern technology for efficient distillation has its origin in the 8th century.

Gin is a distilled alcohol beverage obtained mostly from neutral spirits derived from agricultural sources by yeast fermentation. Traditionally neutral alcohol is re-distilled after mixing with Juniper berries under ambient conditions. Over the years several changes have taken place in modifying the flavor of gin and to day there are gin products made with not only juniper berries but also with other aromatic ingredients like lemon, bitter orange peel, lime peel, grapefruit peel, coriander, nutmeg, cassia bark etc. In contrast cheap variety of gin is made by blending neutral alcohol with essences to resemble natural gin. Innovations so far were restricted to flavoring of gin but technology of making the product also has been improved to make a better quality product.

It was In 2007 that a patent was filed for a practical industrial method under which high quality product was obtained by distillation under sub-freezing temperatures. Unlike the traditional distillation, the new method was claimed to be able to produce gin with an aroma much closer to that of the original infusion of juniper, coriander, citrus peels and other botanicals with which gins are flavored. The liquor giant Bacardi started selling an English gin called Oxley that is distilled at a temperature around minus 4C which contains fresh citrus peels instead of the usual dried peels and the product is claimed to be much superior to industry standards with impressively intense, bright, almost sharp aroma. Though the precise information about this technology is not available due to patent protection, it is presumed to be a variant of the freeze distillation process known for a long time. When a blend of alcohol and water is frozen the material which freezes first is a dilute solution of alcohol in water. The liquid left behind is richer in alcohol. Freeze distillation enriches a solution by partially freezing and removing the frozen fraction that is poorer in dissolved material than the liquid left behind.

It is understandable that under low temperature conditions chemical reaction is extremely slow and most of the aroma chemicals, being aldehydes,can get oxidized under conditions when temperatures can reach 100C. Distillation under freezing conditions when the alcohol is still in liquid phase can confer distinct advantages in terms of aroma preservation. What is not known from the bare details of the process contained in the patent document, is whether the process is capable of reducing toxic artifacts of fermentation like methanol, fusel oil etc. In conventional distillation the distillate contains mostly alcohol and some flavoring substances from the base raw material used as sugar source. If the new process is superior to the thermal distillation process, it is possible that distillation under freezing temperature can improve the quality of other distilled beverages also such as brandy and whiskey.

V.H.POTTY

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