FOOD SAFETY WOES OF KERALA-DOES ANY ONE CARE?

All citizens living in a civilized world have a fundamental right to get safe food and whether the governing system is democratic, autocratic, despotic, communists or any other hue and color, the government is duty bound to protect its population from unsafe foods marketed within is boundary. Modern food service system in most countries rests on processed foods industry, catering sector and dedicated institutions taking care of their inmates. In India there are two other places where food safety needs to be focused and they include the schools and socially oriented feeding centers and temples where pilgrims converge in large numbers. The food safety enforcement agencies should have adequate outreach to cover all these cases equipped with decent infrastructure and resources to carry out its functions efficiently and honestly.

There is stark contrast between the safety management systems in wealthy nations and that which operate in developing countries with limited resources. Whether it is the Food and Drug Administration in the US or the Food Safety Agency in the UK or the European Food Safety Council, their infrastructure facilities for monitoring the quality of foods in the market are considered excellent though they are all squeezed for funds when it comes to upgrading their set ups from time to time and infuse more personnel. Besides undue influence by the industry lobby often comes in the way of doing what is best for the citizens! In India there is supposed to be a powerful "Authority" which cannot do even 1% of the safety vigilance task required to be done. In China where authoritarian dictates were expected to act as deterrent against food fraudsters and others indulging in malpractices, the country was shaken by many food scandals involving the lives of many of its people. Though a 100% compliance in the market is not achievable in practice because of unintended episodes beyond the control of the industry, if a reliable system with focus on consumer safety is put in place, many precious lives can be saved.

This Blog will touch upon the travails of a small state in India, Kerala where there was an uproar regarding the supply of fungus infected prasadam by a popular Temple, as being claimed by the devotees and the response of the authorities concerned. The Temple in question is Sabarimala shrine located deep inside a forest, not easily accessible. The Temple provides two main prasadams, Neyyappam and Aravana payasam to millions of pilgrims coming from different parts of Kerala and other southern states who want to take back home these offerings from the shrine for sharing with their kith and kin. While the Travancore Devaswam Board denied that their Neyyappam was tainted with fungus, many people who had personal experience of buying these product from the official counters are vehement in their assertion that the product was really fungus infected. Interestingly a local Laboratory having accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL) confirmed the presence of fungus in some amples randomly collected by them! Who is the ultimate arbitrator in this case? Obviously none and the charade goes on!

According to those observers familiar with Kerala situation, the state government is not taking adequate interest on this vexed problem and most of the analytic laboratories under its aegis do not have approval from NABL. It is lack of support and initiative from the government that has developed such a logjam in safety management of foods produced and marketed and served in the state. Almost all public health laboratories are languishing with dilapidated and antiquated facilities and require massive infusion of funds besides long time to modernize their infrastructure. Why these laboratories cannot be strengthened and certified by NABL is an incomprehensible mystery! It is criminal for any government, claiming to be a democratic one, to ignore this problem any more, putting the health of the population in peril.

It is common sense that results generated in a NABL accredited laboratory will only be accepted by many courts and under the conditions prevailing now the culprits get benefit of doubt invariably. It is time people subjected to such chaotic food safety regime seek judicial intervention for directing the government to initiate a time bound program to upgrade the safety management system on a time bound manner. Each district should have a NABL accredited laboratory where suspected samples can be referred for technical opinion and based on their considered view actions initiated to take to task the violators of food laws.    

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

WHAT IS THE PRICE THE WORLD IS PAYING FOR MINDLESS GLOBALIZATION?

In search of good health, modern society is falling back on history trying to take a leaf out of population in old civilizations. One such health source is Quinoa which was consumed as a staple by people in Peru and Bolivia. No doubt Quinoa is highly nutritious grain with the highest protein content and fiber level unequaled by any other cereal known to day. It is called a miracle grain because of its health promoting qualities and promoted. especially in markets where there is a large unsatiated demand for cures and remedies for over weight, obesity and disorders associated with consumption of unhealthy foods rich in calories, fat and salt. Quinoa surfaced at the right time when meat and poultry products are on the dock for causing severe damage to human health in wealthy countries. Consumers seem to have embraced this wonder grain whole heartedly for coming out of this Catch 22 situation! To top it United Nations Organization has declared the year 2013 as the Year of Quinoa!

Quinoa was an obscure grain till a few years ago native to Peru and Bolivia where it was and still a staple food to poor population there. Until recently this grain was available only in few outlets catering specialty foods with very few takers who were convinced about its intrinsic value. It was a dietetician's delight with hundreds of recipes generated to marry this grain to the western palate. It was a story that resembled that of Oats which was pioneered by Quaker company achieving tremendous success due to incessant and extensive promotional campaign claiming instant cholesterol reduction and protection from heart disease. To a large extent Oats and Quinoa succeeded in the West because of the over obsession with low fat foods and promotion of policies by the government to promote healthy eating practices by avoiding refined starch based foods. Further the importance of dietary fiber for good health added to the importance of grains like Oats and Quinoa.

It is not clear as to how Western palate was able to adjust to the some what slightly bitter taste of Quinoa though health fads generally do not bother about such minor disadvantages. It is understood that appropriate milling of the grain removes saponins considered responsible for the bitterness. Quinoa has some good culinary appeal because of the white curls that forms around the grains when cooked. Vegetarians embraced quinoa as a credibly nutritious substitute for meat. Unusual among grains, quinoa has a high protein content (between 14%-18%), and it contains all the essential amino acids in right balance for good health. Besides it has about 7% dietary fiber besides good levels of Phosphorus and Iron. Arrival of Quinoa gave this segment of population an opportunity to give up purchase of costly food supplements to augment their "poor" vegetarian diet. Between 2006 and 2012 price of Quinoa in the US is reported to have trebled, an unparalleled inflation for any food in recent history. The present price of $ 3200 or INR 17000 per ton is indeed a princely one beyond the reach of many middle class population. Increased demand naturally led to creating of premium brands of Quinoa such as black, red and other types offered at still higher prices and the wealthy consumers do not seem to have no complaints!

One of the after-effects of Quinoa success in the Western market was causing of great distress to the lives of millions of people in Peru and Bolivia who were sustaining on a diet based on Quinoa grown locally and available to them at affordable prices. History has shown that any country which can expect high returns on export of any commodity would naturally encourage such trade regardless of its impact on local situation. Same did happen in Peru also where the limited production of Quinoa was diverted more and more to exports, starving the local population of this nutritious food. In stead imported, nutritiously deficient corn, obtained from the US, costing a fraction of the export price of Quinoa, became predominant food in these countries. Imagine the impact of such a change on the over all health of the population there! Corn is not considered a complete food and can never be a substitute to nutrient laden Quinoa. If reports are to be believed a chicken is much cheaper in Peru than a kilogram of Quinoa!

Another fall out of the new surge in export of Quinoa is that Peruvian farmers are increasingly resorting to mono culture cultivation by taking up quinoa production to maximize returns from their land. How can any one blame them for this tendency though in the long term this would impinge on the soil health as well as their own health. What would happen to the soil health there with mono culture becoming more and more prevalent in a country which had a portfolio of diverse crops till recently. Can the world ignore this undesirable development any more? While promoting health through better farm products is a desirable goal for the international community, it ought to be done equitably with least damage to any segment of population. Here is a case where the health of people in rich countries is sought to be boosted by driving those in poor nations into more and more poverty. This is a serious matter deserving the attention and consideration of the world community and ensure equitable development that does not favor rich people alone!

If Quinoa trade is a fine example of economic distortion that is causing world-wide miseries, Asparagus presents a slightly different picture. This exotic vegetable, considered to be a privileged food of wealthy people, is another agricultural commodity causing intense environmental damage to Peru. Being a water intensive crop, Peruvian farmers are growing this vegetable in Ica region of the country causing rapid depletion of water resources which may eventually make it an arid area in the years to come. To boot it those toiling hard under sub-human conditions to grow this crop does not get much returns as most of the profits are creamed off, by the middle men and super markets in the West. According to some reports the living conditions of the families involved in Asparagus cultivation are pathetic at best which raises the inevitable question whether exports can be the "be all and the end all" for many of the developing countries just to earn a few dollars at the expense of the well being of their own population.

While economic factors will justify such transformation of traditional agriculture into export intensive crops, environmental issues associated with growing and transporting these crops are assuming more serious dimensions lately. Is not the world concerned about the large carbon foot prints caused by these activities? The very basis of local food movement is to discourage such long distance haulage burning exhaustible fossil fuels and spewing out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which is considered responsible to a great extent for the global warming phenomenon now being blamed for floods, droughts and desertification of fertile lands. Deforestation is another dimension to the problem of such rapidly expanding agricultural activities whether it is for sugarcane, palm oil or soybean and one can imagine the the magnitude of disaster waiting to visit humanity if large scale clearance of rain forests takes place in the name of increased food production!  

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

    

FRENCH PARADOX-RED WINE VS BLUE CHEESE

French people are supposed to be the most healthy in Europe and this phenomenon has been extrapolated so far to their prolific consumption of Red Wine which is supposed to contain that magical organic substance Resveratrol. The anti-aging properties of this chemical has been well documented though there is no unanimity about such claims. To add to this confusion another group of scientists now claim that it is not the Red Wine alone that is responsible for the good health of French population but prolific consumption of specialty cheeses like Roquefort and Camembert may also be a factor that has to be reckoned with for this phenomenon. Here is a take on this new findings which need to be confirmed with more intensive and focused studies.

Blue cheese which are famous include Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Blue Stilton which are produced extensively in Europe though France and Italy have their own branded blue cheese products popular locally. why is that blue cheese is called so, though all cheeses are made from white milk? Obviously because of the distinct ble or bluish grey or bluish green tint appearing on the surface of these varieties as a result of growth of the mold Pencillium Roqueferti introduced either before curdling or after cheese is made. Incidentally Roquerfort is a town in France where this product originated and abundance caves in this area with high density of the mold had helped the people there to ripen cheese in an atmosphere containing the natural mold. Though products made here are still considered as genuine, modern technology has enabled the dairy industry to make blue cheese under controlled temperature and humidity conditions optimal for the growth of this mold.

For those uninitiated to eating of cheese, blue cheese can be a disaster because of its putrid like sharp smell, caused by the metabolites of the mold as well as the bacterial species present. Brevibacterium  linens commonly present also contributes to the characteristic flavor and taste of blue cheese. World production of all types of cheese is estimated to be around 20 million tons with the US accounting for more than 30% of the production. Interestingly the US is not the top consumer of cheese and countries like Greece and France boast of annual per capita consumption rates of 32 kg and 27 kg respectively. Compare this with the wine consumption rate in these countries to get a clearer picture of the effect of high cheese consumption and wine drinking. While France's per capita annual consumption of wine is a whopping 8 liters, that in Greece or America is way down compared to that of France.

The so called French paradox refers to the unusually healthy status of French population in spite of very high consumption of Cheese, a rich source of saturated fat supposed to a deciding factor in cardiac disease and in contrast America has the highest obesity and other food related disorders among all countries in the world! Whether the high consumption of cheese and wine is responsible for the sound health of the population there is a matter of deduction. Probably more studies are required to come to any meaningful conclusion to this surmise. There is no doubt that Cheese is a healthy food viewed from any angle being rich in Calcium and Protein of very high quality though the high saturated fat content may be a negative trait. Whether cheese fat really is atherosclerogenic is a disputable issue because the milk fat, called Ghee in India is extensively consumed for centuries without much damage to the consumers.

According to some scientists the process that occurs as the cheese ripens into blue cheese is considered good for a healthy gut, slowing arthritis, and arresting the ageing process. Interestingly blue cheese exerted its effect most efficiently in acidic environments, such as the lining of the stomach. As the cheese has significant anti-inflammatory properties, its regular consumption suggests regular consumption can potentially ward off heart diseases that are so common these days. Compared to regular cheese, mold ripened versions like Roquefort, Camembert and other fermented cheeses seemed to have some metabolites possessing the unique ability to counteract the debilitating factors that lead to such diseases. It is a fact that France has the lowest rate of cardiovascular mortality in the developed world. The empirical observation correlating heart disease incidences with blue cheese consumption may spur future research efforts to isolate, identify and extract active principles excreted by the Pencillium species in products like blue veined cheeses.

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

   

"MILKING" THE CONSUMER BY THE MILKER! A UNIQUE INDIAN TRAIT!

Are you a regular milk consumer? Of course who does not consume milk in one form or the other as a part of the daily diet, especially in a country like India where more than 75% of the population is vegetarian by birth or economic compulsions. It was not long ago that milk distribution was in the hands of the so called dairy farmers who supply liquid milk to each and every house-hold. As these milk suppliers are small, owning 1-12 cattle, their reach is also limited to a few house-holds near their area of dwelling. Many senior citizens of to day might not have forgotten the olden days when they were young, the very familiar sight of a cow or buffalo coming to their houses early morning, milking being done in front of them so that no water is added by the supplier and enjoying the taste of fresh milk. The Varghese Kurien-led white revolution ended this era with almost all urban families depending on factory processed pasteurized and packed milk delivered by milk agents with contract for distribution service from a central dairy.

It may be far from truth if one believes that the old milk supply mode has completely disappeared to day. In fact in many small towns and suburban areas small dairy farmers are still thriving either because consumers have logistical problems in accessing to processed milk or there is inadequate supply of the product in their area. These consumers have to depend on "fresh" milk supply from the local dairy owners and the delivery mode is through cans and other vessels and bottles. One of the advantages here is that the milk from the unorganized sector is always cheaper to the extent of 20% compared to that of packed milk. Though India is considered the top notch nation among the milk producers world over, the extent of milk production that goes through the organized sector is still not very substantial, bulk of it consumed locally without routing through the collection net work of organized dairy units.

Is it the economic reason the major consideration for the consumer to patronize local milk vendors or is there any other factor that weighs heavily in the minds of people to opt for local milk in preference to packed milk? It appears there is another important factor that drives people into the open arms of local milk vendors even in areas where packed milk is available. Many consumers walk to distant milk sources in order to buy "fresh" milk at any cost! This phenomenon is attributed to the "mindset" or the "obsession" of many consumers for freshly milked product which they think is much superior to pasteurized milk. It is a common India psyche that any food which is old is invariably inferior in taste and nutrition! There are many consumers to day who refuse to consume frozen foods because of the same belief. How far they are justified in nurturing such beliefs?

Pasteurization of milk is an innocuous science based process which neither destroys the freshness nor reduces the nutrition. Modern processes treat the fluid milk at high temperatures for a few seconds only and the heat input under a closed system is insufficient to affect the flavor or nutrients in any way. In fact this process improves the safety of milk dramatically by killing all disease causing microorganisms. It is conveniently forgotten by those proponents of fresh milk that when fresh milk is brought home it is subjected to "cooking" in a milk cooker for long time and they do not seem to be much bothered about its effect on flavor or nutrients by this extremely rigorous heating regime.

What about the quality of fresh milk supplied by the local vendors? If the food safety authority in India is to be believed more than 65% of milk vended loose are adulterated, mostly with water. But a significant proportion is also mixed with many injurious substances like urea, detergents, used oils etc putting the health of the consumer in jeopardy. It is a common knowledge that India is the pioneering country that perfected the "art" of counterfeiting animal milk using man made chemicals entirely, eliminating the need for a cow or a buffalo! What is perplexing is that unless such milk concoctions are analyzed in sophisticated laboratories, many consumers will never be able to find out truth. Those who separate cream every day for making butter and ghee can only find out whether the milk is pure or not. During the ghee making process, such milk samples yield voluminous residues which are more fluffy devoid of any flavor typically associated with pure milk.

If consumers are afraid of adulteration, it is advisable that milk is always purchased from organized dairy units, if accessible. To day pasteurized milk can be preserved for 48 hours if unopened under cooler conditions and sterilized milk with 6 months life can be very safe. With milk surplus being reported all over the country, it is imperative that the distribution net work of dairy processors is expanded with much more vigor so that it is accessible to every nook and corner of this country. The impetus for criminals to adulterate milk is provided by the less than dynamic management of hundreds of dairies in the country and uniformity of quality and conformation to national standards are invariably the casualty when it comes to products from some of the public dairies. But, in spite of all their inefficiencies, they still provide a bulwark against unsafe and dangerous milk duplicates being churned out by unscrupulous criminals masquerading as milk vendors!

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

WILL GM FOODS BE A NORM IN INDIA? SUPREME COURT ALLOWS GM TRIALS!

It is a sad day for India when the highest court in the country, contrary to the recommendations of its own technical expert committee (TEC) succumbed to the half truths and untenable claims put forward by the GOI and allowed to continue with trials involving genetically modified food crops. Of course one consolation is that the apex court did not hand out a total clearance for the trials but wanted its TEC to look into the governments claims and put before it for a decision in six weeks time. Those antagonists of GM food crops have been waging a war on GM crops convincingly claim that research in this area is fraught with many dangers which are difficult to anticipate with to day's limited knowledge. Two of the most contested claims of GM food lobbyists are that GM food crops are safe for human consumption and GM crop cultivation will not contaminate the environment leading to extinction of the original strains of plants on which mankind was depending heavily for survival. 

One of the most blatant lies uttered by the government attorney before the honorable court is that GM technology will increase yield of food crops dramatically and only with this technology the country can manage to meet the target for food production that is required to feed the nation adequately! No where in the history of agriculture so far any scientist has proved that GM technology can increase production and only losses due to pests can be minimized which in turn may reflect on the over all yield, that too marginally. Almost all countries in this planet who produce much more food than India with lesser acreage have achieved the same without recourse to GM technology. If India is stuck at the bottom of the list of land productivity the reason is not far to seek and the first Green Revolution which was hailed at that time turned out to be a game changer in destroying the soil health across the farm lands in this country using liberally chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The fact of the matter is that it may take ages to recondition the farm land health before productivity can be raised substantially.

At this juncture one must ask the most pertinent question as to why Government of India did not allow genetically modified Bt Brinjal into the country if it was so sure about its safety to the consumer and environment? It was done after extensive consultation by the then Minister for Environment who came to the conclusion that enough data was not available to clear the new GM Brinjal for country wide cultivation. Citing the example of the US where 80% of the products available in the market in that country contain one or more GM ingredients does not become relevant in India because American consumers are being fed these foods without them actually knowing about it! By now it is well established that the American government which is influenced in its every food policy decision by powerful GM crop lobby consisting of monolithic giants who have invested billions of dollars in developing most of the GM crops. The oft repeated claim that in spite of using GM foods and ingredients derived from them, Americans have not come to harm so far, is not sustainable when the ground reality is that more than two thirds of the population there are sick due to over weight, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other afflictions and till to day no one has been able to conclusively prove that massive consumption of GM food, day in and day out, has not contributed to this sorry situation.  

Coming to the contention of the attorney of the government before the honorable court, one can understand the extent of deception by listening to his sworn statement before the Supreme court which is reproduced below: "The government pleaded that recommendation of the apex court-appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) for banning field trials of the GM crops be rejected as the use of biotechnology in agriculture can bring second green revolution in the country. "Revolution have been saturated at the producer and consumer level and the methods of conventional breeding are showing very marginal increase in yield. Further, the use of inputs like fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation schemes is expensive and unsustainable. Hence biotechnology could bring in a second green revolution," the Centre said. Appearing before a bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, Attorney General G E Vahanvati contended that field trial should be allowed to go on as the demand of food for growing population could be met only through the GM crops. "...Bearing in mind the far reaching implications of this matter on food security and the pressing requirement of continuation of the ongoing research on application of GM technology in improving agriculture productivity and production, it is humbly prayed that the proposed recommendation of the interim report of TEC to impose ban on field trials should be rejected outright," the Centre said in its affidavit". Opposing the TEC's recommendations, the Centre contended that genetic method is the only way for increasing the farm output to ensure food security in the country. "There is a need to increase food grain production from the current estimated supply of 257 million tonnes to 345 million tonnes by 2030. With no further possibility of increasing Net Sown Area, the only recourse left to meet the requirements of country's food security is through increase in productivity."

What is interesting in the above statement is that the government was trying to confuse the court by using the word "biotechnology" interchangeably with GM technology which is not ethical as GM technology is just one branch of biotechnology which is a marvelous tool in the hands of scientists to do hundred and one things for the benefit of mankind. If a government is bent on riding piggy back on American GM lobby without considering the vital interests of the Indian population by allowing the GM crop giants to set shop in the country, it will be a sad day for the country whose agricultural diversity is likely to be destroyed and the health of the people, most of them poor with sub-optimal health conditions, to be further jeopardized.

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

   

A PRISON CUM HOTEL- FICTION OR REALITY?

A prison by whatever name one calls it, invariably evokes scare and dread among laymen because of its association with criminals and under trials. Probably brutality stories emanating from some of the major prisons in the county have further brought down the image of prisons among citizens. In spite of many developments that attempted to modernize the prison system in India and many other countries, this stark image of prisons is unlikely to fade away so easily. It is not that convicted prisoners with brutal crimes behind them should be housed in air-conditioned cells with all modern facilities including high class foods but still their basic essential needs ought to be met to lead a normal healthy life within the precincts of the prison. It is against this context that recent reports from Kerala high lighting the development of some prisons into good quality catering units must be appreciated.

China is the country which perfected the "art" or better call it the "practice" to use forcefully prisoner population for productive work, turning out cheap consumer products benefiting the society at large. Of course the human right activists frown upon such practices but honestly there should be no bar for utilizing the manpower in the prisons for useful purpose, the only rider being that there should not be any physical torture for forcing them to do work. There are many countries where reformist seal is perceptible when prisoners are motivated to better their education and skill though appropriate facilities and conducive environment. In some countries many convicted prisoners for mild law violations are given social work as punishment with minimum restriction on their movements. Probably open prison system that is being propounded for long may not be realistic in the near future though working for that goal is admirable.

Every country is faced with the dilemma as to what to do with its prisoners who form substantial numbers in countries like India, China, Indonesia, Brazil etc because they form a population whose productivity potential is locked up and they are not provided with another opportunity to prove that they have really been transformed. If capital punishment is banished all over the world as being propounded by the United Nations, the alternative option of life imprisonment punishment will contribute to increased prison population in the coming years. A global consensus on prison reforms can unleash a force that can be harnessed for the welfare of the very society against whom the culprits have committed the crime. Probably innovative ideas like prison schools and universities, captive training units and such knowledge upgrading schemes can go a long way in reforming most criminals.

One of the objections to engage the prison population for manufacturing and other activities involved in value addition services is that they are paid very little compared to regular industrial labor. Probably this can be tackled by evolving a wage computing system that will be equitable in nature. The cost of facilities for housing and managing the prisoners can be deducted from the standard wage due to them and rest can be credited to the account of the prisoner for eventual withdrawal at the time of discharge. This will hopefully give the prisoner enough motivation to behave in an exemplary manner earning money as well as commutation of the sentence for good behavior. Of course the issue is not as simple as one thinks and lot of scientific, psychological, managerial, social and logistical inputs are necessary for evolving a workable and equitable prisoner rehabilitation program.    

Taking the example of the Central Prison, Poojappura, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, it is remarkable that this dreaded prison has improved its image significantly during the last few months through its reformist agenda and is no more a place which the public do not like to enter. This is thanks to the food items being prepared and offered to the public utilizing modern facilities in its kitchen. It may be recalled that late last year this "Prison" started selling chapathi from its kitchen and public seems to have been bowled over by this offering with the items sold off in no time! Now comes the news that the Prison has added to its portfolio of products items like Idli, vegetable curry, chicken curry which too have become "hot" items gobbled up by the public! Probably the initial incentive must be the relatively low prices at which their items are sold compared to public restaurants in the town. During the last two years food preparations in hotels and restaurants have seen a price escalation of 100-150% with no rhyme or reason and Kerala is always considered as a price sensitive state with the consumers fiercely resisting such artificial inflationary tendencies.

Imagine a Prison selling 50000 chapathi packets, 8000 Idlis, 4000 chicken curries and 2500 vegetable curries a day! during the last one year the prison department is reported to have contributed about Rs 35 million to the Exchequer through its food selling program! Interestingly the products are not promoted commercially unlike other public restaurants and selling is done through two outlets, one in front of the Central Prison and the other in front of Women's Prison nearby, besides four mobile outlets. talking about mobile outlets, one is reminded of the Food Truck movement in the US which has become a craze in that country in no time and credit must go Kerala for experimenting (or introducing first time in the country) with mobile catering units almost similar to Food Trucks in the US. It will be interesting to study how the prison department is managing this" extra curricular" activity in spite of its heavy burden in administering the regular responsibilities of managing the prison system as a whole. May be a fit subject for the business schools in the country to take up this "phenomenon" for management case studies. How about other prisons in within the state and outside to follow the lead given by the Central Prison in Thiruvananthapuram? Why not?

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

  

CAN HYDROPONICS BE THE ANSWER FOR FUTURE FOOD PRODCUTION?

Growing plants using nutrient mineral solutions in  water without soil was realized during eighteenth century and this laid the foundation for the modern hydroponics industry which is valued at $6-8 billion world wide. Soil is not necessary for growth of plants and it only plays a minor role to provide grouting of the plant and act as a reservoir of nutrients for the roots to tap them. Originally conceived as solution culture to day there are large scale production systems in a dozen countries using the technology of soil-less cultivation to grow a variety of plants that include tomato, capsicum, cucumber, lettuce, leafy vegetables,some herbs and flowers, covering a space equivalent to 20,000 to 25,000 hectares. Major producing countries with strong foundation for hydroponics include Spain, Germany, Australia, Canada, USA, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, China and New Zealand. 

Why is that world had to go for a production system that requires man made artificial facilities entailing huge investment and precise control protocols? There are many advantages seen by those who depend on hydroponics over the conventional land based cultivation. Though the term Aquaponics was popularly used earlier it is relatively late that world started using the term Hydroponics, possibly to distinguish it from culture system that produces aquatic plants and marine species. Most important consideration for adopting Hydroponics is its relatively tight control over the quality and safety of produce raised leaving very little to chance. Added to this land constrained countries like Singapore, Japan and Taiwan have to resort to Hydroponic System since this has the flexibility of vertical integration of the production facilities.

During the last two decades Hydroponic production technology has seen revolutionary development with the cost of investment progressively coming down and several different versions being made available as viable options. Whether it is the static solution culture, continuous flow system or Aeroponics farmers have many options to suit the investment capacity. It is no wonder the productivity potential of Hydroponics is dramatically increasing with each passing day due to continuous innovation and development. In a typical case Hydroponics system is found to be capable of increasing crop yields more than 100% of that produced by the best land based farms in the world. Yields of a crop like  tomato can be as high as 2 tons to 2.5 tons per week from an area of 12,000 s.ft through hydroponics while in case of lettuce the yield reported is in the range of 3000 heads per week from an area of 20,000 s.ft. With such high yields, no wonder hydroponic system is becoming more and more popular and it is a question of time before it becomes a main stream technology establishing itself as the most preferred production system in the world.

Talking about various other advantages, water economy, optimum use of nutrients, less susceptibility to diseases, safer crops, pesticide use practically non-existent, ease of harvesting, uniform yield and assured stable production 24/7.round the year. Here are some of theses advantages reported by practitioners of hydroponics. (a) Water Conservation- Hydroponics uses much less water, savings being  almost 90 and it also keeps the water clean. (b) No Pesticides are needed as disease vectors are not able to thrive in the system easily. (c) No Herbicides are used as weeds rarely thrive in such an atmosphere. (d)  No commercial fertilizers are necessary, the nutrients used do not pose the risk of run off into streams and aquifers (e) Land Conservation as more produce is obtained from less ans less and less land; this becomes more dramatic when hydroponic system is vertically integrated. 

Organic foods industry is presently in a melting pot with its capacity for production being limited while demand is growing exponentially. There are many practical constraints being faced by growers of organic foods with high chance of produce contamination when they are grown on land. Hydroponics system is most suited for producing relatively clean products as the green houses are almost quarantined with minimum chance of exposure to unpredictable and unmanageable environment around as it is the case with land cultivation. Probably hydroponics may yet emerge as the main stream production route for organic foods and such a situation as and when emerges further push can be expected for fast developing technologies for many other crops besides the restricted few now available. 

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