AWARDS AND REWARDS; CARROT AND THE STICK!!!

Readers must be wondering what the above topic has to do in a food technology blog like this one. Motivation to do some thing unusual has to come either from the brain in the case of normal human beings or is forced through coercion. While human motivation is not generally food connected, for animals, coercion through food or punishment is the normal practice. There are some interesting things one can discern by looking at this very ordinary subject about which very few think about, under normal circumstances.The dictionary meaning of an award is 'some thing given to some body as a prize'. While the noun is used mostly with a positive connotation, as a verb even death sentence given to an indicted person can be indicated as 'awarded'. In contrast 'reward' is a recompense for work, merit or services and has always associated with some thing positive. Thus there is a fine distinction between these two liberally used words. Awards can be bestowed on some individual or a group of individuals with exemplary accomplishments in different fields by the society, organizations, governments and industry mostly on an annual basis . Rewards are linked to economic compensation given for extra work out put beyond the call of duty. The bonus paid to workers is really a reward for their performance though the trade unions politicize this as a deferred compensation.

What about the 'carrot and stick' idiom used very commonly by all and sundry? Carrot is a good vegetable but how come it is associated with rewards? Till recently eating raw carrot was not a common practice but the advent of salads makes eating raw carrot slices or pieces nutritionally attractive. Other wise raw carrots form one of the vegetables fed to non-carnivorous animals in many zoological gardens. According to the dictionary, usage of the word carrot became common to signal rewards for persuading some one to do a job. "Carrot and stick" idiom signifies 'the hope of reward and the threat of punishment as a means of making some body try harder' and thus has nothing to do with the literary meaning of the words used.

How far the society has deviated from the true meaning of the above words to day! Awards are sought, lobbied for, coaxed, forcefully taken by threats, politically manipulated, distorted and neither the giver nor the receiver has any qualms about the perversion that has taken place before our very own eyes! A skeptic society has hardly any confidence on the process of conferring awards and hold poor opinions about the caliber of most of the recipients.

Hectic canvassing by over-ambitious or greedy persons to 'get' the awards at 'any cost' and lack of transparency in the process of 'awarding', make many truly great people shun most of the awards, let alone apply for them. How inappropriate the system can be gauged from a recent news report of an Indian professional organization conferring some life time achievement award in food technology to an American citizen working for a multinational soft drink company who is not known to be a student of food technology any time in her life. Obviously this is a unique case where an award was thrust on some body who did not consider much about the organization or about the value of the award. Probably the award route was chosen for some one in the organization to develop personal 'net working' at the expense of the organization. This is indeed a sad reflection on the moral and ethical values prevalent in to day's world and the "chalta hai" attitude of the hapless common man who has to tolerate such spectacles with a grin!

If awards and rewards system is being grossly abused in the country, what alternate option is there for use as a tool to mantain and boost productivity in all sectors of the society? Carrot and the stick? It is time for introspection.

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

PEANUTS-WHY UNFAIRLY JUDGED!

There was a time when every American kid symbolized three food products-Potato Chips, Cola Drink and Peanut Butter and they had dominated the markets all over the world as consumer crazy commercial products. Both cola drinks and chips faced enormous odds in the market now and then, being castigated as unhealthy and it is tribute to the sagacity, marketing muscle and technological prowess on the part of the manufacturers to weather the storms as when they blew across their turf. Now it is the turn of Peanut Butter which is facing the flak from the very consumers who courted them as one of their favorite snack items, who are raising a big hue and cry about the safety of this material for their children. What a turn around in a brief span of a decade? Currently peanut butter is banned in many schools and peanut free zones are being created in some other schools in that country. Even thorough hand washing is being enforced to prevent allergy molecules from peanut causing problems to others! 25% of parents do believe that their children are peanut allergic though statistically only 4% of school going kids are vulnerable to this syndrome. Probably the scientific correlation between peanut allergy and other allergies like asthma makes parents nervous about use of peanut products in general.

An adverse immune response to a food protein is responsible for allergy. Millions of people are affected by food allergies of various types, USA alone accounting for 12 million cases. About 1 in 15 children suffers from some form of allergy while 1 in 25 adults has the same affliction. Since most of the allergy cases are reported from western countries where hospital facilities are excellent, only 100-200 deaths occur each year. Other important allergic foods include shell fish,tree nuts,fish, eggs, soybean and wheat. The symptoms manifesting as angioedema, appears within a few seconds to one hour in the form of soft tissue swelling in areas near eyes, face, lips,tongue, larynx, trachea causing difficulties in breathing. Itching of mouth, throat, eyes and the skin, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, abdominal pain, nasal congestion, wheezing are other symptoms of allergy.

An allergic reaction to food involves the various components of the immune system. One component is a type of protein, an anti body called immunoglobulin (IgE) which circulates through the blood. Another component is the mast cells, a specialized cell that is found in all tissues in the body. These cells are common in nose, throat, lungs, skin and GI tract which are typical sites of allergic reactions. The allergen stimulates lymphocytes to produce IgE anti body that is specific to the allergen. This IgE attaches itself to the surface of the mast cells in different tissues of the body. When ever the food containing the allergen is eaten, it provokes the mast cells to release of chemicals like histamine and the consequent reaction.

Is the peanut allergy so serious as to warrant its total elimination from the diets in whole of the world? The present label warning system ensures that foods processed in machines commonly used for peanuts is declared on the label and separate cautionary warning is included for foods containing peanut as an ingredient for the benefits of allergic consumers. The health benefits of peanuts for a vast majority of the population far outweigh the relatively few allergy risks for some sensitive people. It is well known that consumption of a handful of peanuts twice a week halves the risk of heart attacks. Being a food product with very low glycemic index, peanut is strongly recommended for people vulnerable to sugar compromised conditions like diabetes. With high proteins in the kernel, peanut is an excellent wholesome food material for both children and adults. Breast feeding of children at least for the first four months is believed to be capable of preventing or delaying onset of peanut allergy. Indians are fortunate in that very few cases of peanut allergy are reported officially though possibility of many others going unreported cannot be ruled out. The nutrition monitoring bureau of the Ministry of Health must include data collection on food allergies also if, as a nation, we have to prevent epidemic forms of allergic manifestations in future. Unless reliable data base is established, no worthwhile national contingency strategy can be formulated for counter acting such incidences as and when they become a serious health challenge in the country.

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

COOKING MEDIUM-PURE OILS VS BLENDED OILS

According to the current food standard protocols, in India blended oil formulations shall not contain more than two individual oils. That too the proportion has to be such that the individual oils used must not be less than 20%. Nature of the individual oils used must be declared on the label. In contrast the same statute book allows a number of oils in the manufacture of vanaspati type of products. How such a dichotomy has crept into the PFA is not clear and probably this must have been thought of in the mistaken belief that it could be easier for the chemists to detect willful adulteration by unscrupulous traders. Industry however seems to have ignored the provision for marketing blended oils because such blends are difficult to be promoted in India where there are strong loyalties to pure oils of different types in different regions. But use of more than two oils in evolving a single cooking medium may be attractive and it is time for clearing such innovative oil blends based on technology and nutrition.

The blended oil concept has been given a respectability by the recent development of a couple of products in India based on scientific investigations and nutritional considerations. These recipes make use of oils such as rice bran oil, groundnut oil and other vegetable oils and proportion of the individual components is determined by their triglyceride profiles and nutritional chemicals present such as oryzanol, tocopherols, tocotrienols and phytosterols. As all these oils have good thermal stability, the blends also inherit this important quality. Recipe development is relatively simple once the chemical composition of each oil is known, with optimal fatty acid ratio of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids being arrived at by using computer soft ware programs commonly used by the animal feed industry. What is needed more importantly is the process that can make use of relatively cheap oils like palm oil, soybean oil and palm kernel oil. The critical requirement is to keep the blended oil in liquid condition at temperatures of 4C-10C, normally encountered during winter in most parts of northern India. The process for making blended formulations, developed by one of the R & D Labs under CSIR, is unfortunately patented denying access to large number of small scale oil millers and depriving the country of the nutritional benefits that would have protected millions of malnourished population. Even if the recipes are published, house wives can make their own blends at home for daily use.

Palm oil is going to be the most important vegetable oil in India for years to come as it is relatively cheaper and any efforts to popularize blended oils will have to be mounted around this particular oil. But as it is solid at normal room temperatures, user convenience is minimal compared to liquid oils like peanut oil, mustard oil, sesame oil etc. This is where food technologists have to play a role in lowering the melting point through use of high end technology involving physical chemistry. Further, blends of more than two oils must be permitted so that the nutritional quality of different oil components will supplement each other offering a wide variety of products to the consumer. Added to this is the bonanza of natural flavor concentrates characteristic of each of the vegetable oil now available to give distinct personality to each of the blends evolved. With modern electronic instruments available to chemists, precise analysis is a matter of routine and does not pose any major problem to the enforcement agencies. Powerful brand images, to be created for multi oil blends by edible oil industry, will make them acceptable to the Indian public, especially if the cost is attractive.

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

GREED FOR FOOD AND ECOLOGICAL DESTRUCTION

Man has to survive on this earth for which food is vital. So are the other fellow creatures which share the Planet's food resources. Evolution has bestowed on man the superior brain power that helped him to establish supremacy over other species. In the process many weaker species became food material for man besides the plant foods. Many believe that there is adequate food to go around for all without any need for over exploitation and pushing many species into extinction. The indiscriminate lust for food seems to have caused temporary blindness to the destruction being caused and the threat posed in the long term to the very existence of this planet. Only lately some realization is dawning on man that he must learn to co-exist with other creatures without endangering finely balanced Eco system that was inherited from his predecessors.

Here is an example of the mindless obsession with food that is causing irreparable damage to the environment besides obliterating a whole species from the face of this planet. An 'appeal" from the 'Global Frog Association' reproduced below, is self explanatory:

" We belong to the amphibian species and number over 6000 types. Though we may not be as beautiful as the aquarium fishes, man admires and covets our 'legs' like exciting women which makes us run for cover to escape from their evil thinking. They say our hind legs which give us our springiness and hoping ability are excellent food material, even better than our other helpless brethren, chickens and nutritionally our legs provide 16% proteins, 3% good fat with 16.7% linoleic acid, 100 kC and only small quantity of cholesterol. While we are prepared to sacrifice some of us to satisfy the lust of human beings for food as we are naturally defenseless against such a powerful predator as man, we hate to be hunted out of this earth to permanent extinction. We have been totally eliminated from USA, Australia, Bangladesh and Costa Rica and are destined to disappear for ever from countries like India, Pakistan, Mexico, Cuba and others, hell-bent on capturing us, removing our legs and selling them to satisfy the greed for food in affluent countries like USA, Japan and Europe who tempt them with their Dollars, Yen, Pounds and Francs. What sins we have committed against human race to deserve this fate? Is it a crime to feed on the mosquitoes, the carriers of many diseases, and help humanity to save themselves from the travails of fatal diseases? Why should a country like Bangladesh finishes us off and then import 10 times more pesticides to fight mosquito menace. To our small brain it does not make any sense! "

"We understand that to make us part with our legs willingly, the processors put us alive in 10% salt water containing 250 ppm chlorine with the presumption that we do not feel the pain! But we know that they are doing this to make us sterile and free from germs so that they can eat our legs without any danger from germs like Salmonella! God only knows what we feel under such traumatic conditions we are exposed to. It is a small consolation that many processors do not let us out alive with hind legs removed that would have been unthinkable for creatures like us depending solely on our hind legs for mobility. Even in death we remain as a friend of man, since our remaining body serves as a feed material containing 65% proteins, 17% fat and 13.2% minerals, useful in raising more food materials. One third of our species already face imminent extinction and if adequate measures are not taken all of us will have to say good bye to our dear Mother Earth soon. While 69 fish species have been given the tag of endangered species, we continue to be neglected by the world fraternity, leaving us to our cursed fate. This is our last appeal to "save us" from extinction".
One of the reasons for this situation could be the difficulties being faced in breeding frogs under captivity though some suppliers claim they can offer such frogs. Unless and until scientific breeding under captivity becomes commercially feasible, international trade in frog legs must be banned and sooner it is done better it will be for the fragile environment in many countries facing ecological disaster because of the mass genocide of this helpless but man-friendly creature.

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

BENZENE-A NEW VILLAIN IS BORNE?

Sodium Benzoate (E-211) is a well recognized class II preservative used extensively in many low pH foods and beverages to protect against bacteria and fungus. Generally their level in most of the products in which it is permitted, is restricted to 0.1% or less. Credit must go to this wonder chemical for saving billions of rupees worth foods during the last several decades through its preservative action. Now new information emerging from food scientists across the world is showing E-211 as a potential threat to consumers in presence of ascorbic acid when the carcinogenic Benzene is generated under ambient conditions.

As of now there is global limit of 10 parts per billion (PPB) of Benzene under WHO, which is allowed to be in potable water though in EU countries it is as low as 1 ppb. No definite standards have been set so far regarding Benzene limits in food materials. It was in December 1990 that first reports about occurrence of Benzene was reported in two brands of soft drinks and investigations revealed that it was generated in situ from Benzoic Acid in presence of ascorbic acid and the mechanism of action involves the hydroxy radical of ascorbic acid attacking the Benzoic acid, removing CO2 and leaving Benzene in the wake. More disturbing is the fact that exposing the products to heat and light for short periods dramatically increases the benzene concentration. Temperature beyond 30C and exposure to U V lights for several hours can also raise the Benzene levels in such products.

Industry has not covered itself with glory by its attempts to defend presence of Benzene in soft drinks and during early nineties there was voluntary commitment that it would overcome the problem through internal voluntary corrective measures. The defensive stand of soft drink giants like Coca Cola by claiming that even people walking on the side walk can imbibe more Benzene from automobile exhaust fumes does not speak well of their commitment to consumer safety. Further arguing that Benzene limits in potable water is not relevant to foods is also some what far fetched. In UK 230 brands of drinks exceeded the safe limit for Benzene and 4 brands were recalled because they contained benzene several times more than the safe limit (11-28 ppb). Situation is more alarming considering that there are more than 1500 brands of soft drinks containing benzoic acid and ascorbic acid combinations.

Human beings can smell Benzene in the air if the concentration is in the range of 1.5 to 4.7 ppm and in water if it is 0.5-4.5 ppm. Tobacco smoke, automobile emissions, automobile service stations, gas stations and industrial emissions contain Benzene to varying extent. Gasoline contains Benzene 0.7 to 2.06% and evaporated gasoline carries with it Benzene also. A chain smoker is presumed to be imbibing about 1.8 mg of Benzene a day, a high level for causing cancer. In the air, the concentration can be between 0.02 and 34 ppb. The absorbed Benzene reaches bone marrow and body fat and can cause acute myeloid leukamia(AML) in the long term.

Is the Indian consumer also vulnerable to the 'Benzene" risk? Unfortunately reliable data regarding Benzene levels in the air, water or the foods do not seem to be existing to come to any meaningful conclusion. Considering the primitive way the soft drinks are handled, distributed, stored, show cased at the retail level, Indian consumer is much more vulnerable than his western counter part, though all manufacturers may not be using ascorbic acid in their formulations. A comforting thought is that average consumption of soft drinks in India is a fraction of what is consumed in other countries. Benzene can be avoided or reduced considerably by adjusting the level of benzoic acid and ascorbic acid and including EDTA in the recipe. Let us hope that soft drink industry will take timely and adequate steps now itself before being caught unaware and branded as a villain again after the unfortunate pesticide controversy of nineties.

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

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OR INTELLECTUAL PERVERSITY?

Intellectual property rights or more commonly known as patent rights are recognized rights of every citizen in the world but the pre-requisites for granting a patent are supposed to be tedious and time consuming. But with GOI becoming a member of WTO and after opening up of the economy in early nineties, patent activities have received a new boost and hundreds of patents are being applied for, in all areas of science, technology and engineering within the country as well as in other countries. Conceived originally to protect the economic returns that can be expected from commercialization of patents, lately the system has been subverted for enriching the bio-data of a few people with least consideration for their commercial potential. In other words patents are becoming synonymous with literary publications and the quantity has taken precedence over quality. There is a feeling that many patents are prepared not based on scientific work but concocted, sitting before a computer and if this is true it only reflects on the failure of the system of patenting in this country. In the field of food technology if a dispassionate analysis of the patents filed during the last one decade are made, one will find it difficult to identify even a single one that has been successfully exploited by any major industry!

Here is an example of a fictitious patent that can be drafted sitting before a computer for some time:
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Title-Discovery of food products that can delay diseases in human beings

Author- Dr Vishwa Kiran with hundreds of patents already in pocket, about to enter into Guinness World Records, Limca Book of Records and other record keeping organizations, member of 'many' national, notional and 'some' international organizations, 'widely' decorated, quoted and photographed, specialist in inauguration speeches, special lectures, key note addresses, presidential thoughts, guest appearances in public platforms, specialist in 'getting' awards where ever available at 'any cost' through any means, special ability to survive personal set backs more than that of a cat which has only 9 lives, superb quality of reaching the perch in organizations through high PR techniques, single minded devotion in pursuing and demolishing opposition and extra ordinary capacity to be on the right side of any one with political power. No hesitation in advocating in public forums that " patents should be aimed at society's welfare" and set an example "single handed" through various patents filed in the past, that can be a proud possession of any museum.

The product-Foods made from a plant called Fraudulis vipranam discovered recently ( patent pending )

The invention in brief- The above species of plant discovered by the same author, growing abundantly at elevations of 3000 ft above sea level has parts like roots, stem, leaves, flowers and the fruits having phytochemical constituents (identified and patented separately) which are processed by separate processes into RTE products ( process patents pending) that can be consumed to delay on-set of various diseases in human beings. It is claimed that:

-the product made from roots increase synthesis of cyclic AMP which in turn peps up the metabolism and delays the disease psoriasis by several days
-the product made from the leaves has several phytochemicals including salicylic acid and delays development of high blood pressure conditions in people above the age of 60 years by several weeks
-the product made from the stem is excellent for delaying cancer by a few months if taken three times a day at the dosage level standardized
-the flowers are processed into a dry powder which delays the disease diverticular disease by two years in people below 40 years when consumed at 50 g level every day before going to bed.
-the bright yellow fruits about 5 mm in size are processed into a jam like product which if consumed every day will delay the onset of diabetes in population above seventy years

The author of this patent has filed a dozen separate applications for patents for growing the plant under different conditions and another dozen patents for new plants developed through cell culture, tissue culture, recombinant DNA technique and conventional hybridization process which have higher potency and longer effect.
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In all probability the above material can be converted into a convincing patent application with the help of an expert patent lawyer. It is very difficult for any patent examiner to verify the technical contents and determine the innovative aspects of a patent application filed like the above one and with practically no one interested in filing objections to the claims, it gets a number which will adorn the bio-data of the author. Interestingly some patent holders publish the material in respected journals after a couple of years getting a double advantage! There are many good scientists who spend their life time in doing high quality research and go for patents based on their work to provide technology to the industry, unlike the example illustrated above. Proof of a good patent is when entrepreneurs see commercial potential in it and buys the same at reasonable cost. It is not the intention here to tar the entire scientific community for patent frauds but a few who commit such heinous crime must be ostracized for their activities.

The issue regarding patenting food products and processes was not properly considered before India accepted the WTO protocols and to add to the misery of Indian entrepreneurs, Ministry of Science and Technology encouraged large scale patenting activities in all areas. With no guidelines for pricing of patents it was left to the patent rights holders to decide on selling them which invariably resulted in over pricing, denying a large segment of the food industry, the ultimate users, the benefits of public funded R & D. Those who could muster enough resources to purchase the patents were left in the lurch as wide disparities appeared between the claims and the performance.

India must stop the practice of patents in public funded institutions unless it involves national security and unjust exploitation of Indian resources by foreign companies. The patents on turmeric and other native spices and Basmati are examples of protecting the country's unique heritage foods. While domestic entrepreneurs are provided free access to the patents, foreign companies can be charged for accessing to the technology covered by food patents. The recent nation wide IPO awareness campaign is a classic example of our dichotomy in preaching but not practicing what is preached! The organizers of this program must ask themselves some questions as to whether any one of them had bought any Indian Patent in food products and processing technology during the last 15-20 years, if so whether the products have been put in the market and how much royalty they had paid to the scientists, while preaching about the virtues of patenting!

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

SNEEZING AND SPITTING IN PUBLIC-AN UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICE TO BE CURBED

All microbiologists will agree that sneezing, spitting, coughing and burping in public places with no consideration for fellow citizens can have consequences unforeseen by those with the compulsive habit of doing it. Human body is a store house of hundreds of microorganisms, some harmless and others pathogenic. The pathogenesis of body excretions depends on individuals and if one is carrying an infectious disease the damage to the environment can be very serious. 500 to 1000 bacterial species live in human body and the oral cavity itself can be home to not less than 25 different species. Therefore response to such urges, especially in public places, must be such that those nearby are not affected and inconvenienced in any way.

Sneezing can be triggered by sudden exposure to bright light, full stomach, unexpected climatic changes like temperature and humidity, allergic exposures like dust and smoke. It is also called sternulation which is semi autonomous convulsive expulsion of air from the lungs, most probably caused by foreign particles irritating the nasal mucosa. During sneezing aerosol droplets 0.5-5 microns in size are shot like a rocket at high speeds, 42 meter per second (150 km/hour) into the atmosphere within 5 ft of the person committing this act. It is estimated that about 40000 such particles are thrown out per sneeze and in a closed space like that in a bus or a train, about 150 people can be infected besides others getting exposed to the germs from the walls, roofs, floors,windows, doors and other surfaces nearby. On an average, a person may sneeze about 200 times an year, almost once in two days and it could be more if the environmental conditions and personal health are not normal. How can one avoid sneezing in the public when there is an uncontrollable urge to do so?. It is believed that the urge can be inhibited by applying strong pressure to the region immediately below the nose using the index finger. If sneezing cannot be avoided at all, using a kerchief or a paper towel or one's sari end can be helpful to cover the mouth or one can sneeze into the elbow which will restrict the escape of the fluid particles into the open atmosphere. Using hands is not recommended because hands do not absorb mucus and germs can be transferred when hands are used for any purpose.

Spitting or expectoration in the public is another habit getting ingrained amongst Indians and even youngsters are not immune to this shameful act that is polluting our roads and public places indiscriminately. These days walking in crowded streets requires great alertness to escape from some one walking ahead spitting for no obvious reason or a mouthful of sputum landing on you from a speeding bus. About 10-25 ml of saliva spit from a person contains many bacteria, virus and other undesirable substances and it is estimated that just one ml of saliva can contain as high as 40 million bacteria! If the saliva originates from a sick person the magnitude of damage can be much higher to the public. Pneumonia and tuberculosis are spread through the saliva and it is in the national interest that this public nuisance is eliminated at any cost. Providing spittoons does not solve the problem since they can pose much more danger if not maintained properly. It is beyond comprehension as to why one has to spit at all, that too in public and why cannot it be swallowed. Whether our food habits have some thing to do with this urge to spit frequently and where ever one feels like doing it can be a fit subject for some scientific studies. The excuse that in India the public comfort stations where one can satisfy the natural urges are far and few leading to this 'epidemic' is not acceptable to honest and decent citizens of this country who have every right to seek a clean environment to live without being affected by the unacceptable behavior of fellow citizens.

We also have public display of 'burping', 'yawning', 'coughing', forceful 'exhalation' from the nose, all being witnessed in our every day life and many helpless citizens take them in their stride having no alternative but to bear them. However such behavior cannot be condoned under any excuse and lot of responsibility is vested with the parents and the schools to mold the behavior of children to become normal citizens of tomorrow. Unless this undesirable habit is curbed through a national program of high priority, this country will achieve the dubious distinction of being the greatest 'spitters' on earth!

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