Anti-obesity oil -Is it a new innovation or rehashing of the old Japanese technology?

It is true that obesity is assuming epidemic proportions in countries like USA where almost one third of the population is either overweight or obese. Therefore any suggestion that can help to deal with highly dangerous global situation is worth getting a close attention provided it is logical, scientific and practical. What is tragic is that there is no unanimity about the exact cause of obesity though different experts opine differently defying any consensus. While consumption of saturated fats and trans fats, carbohydrates, white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are all implicated in one way or the other with obesity, the bitter truth is that humans are themselves responsible for this scourge visiting them through reckless dietary system combined with sedentary life style. There is unanimity that putting on body weight is directly linked to an imbalance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure and if the intake is more than what is necessary, even God cannot help in preventing increased body weight!. Though the theory is so simplistic to understand and to be acted upon by the people, the desire to eat good food ( purely from taste angle) over rides the need to keep the body weight constant for an adult. In other words, the will to moderate food consumption according to one's body needs seems to be lacking in case of most consumers resulting in over consumption. One of the curious facts is that healthy foods are invariably less tastier that nutrient light junk foods with lots of calories loaded in them and naturally such foods more or less create a sort of irresistible addiction, repeatedly attracting the hapless consumer!.

Billions of dollars are being made by the so called nutraceutical industry through peddling of hundreds of products claiming the magical properties of shedding body weight though their credentials are suspect. With food safety authorities choosing to look the other way without coming to the help of the citizen through appropriate control measures, the antiobesity products industry has a roaring time with their uncanny marketing strategy to trap vulnerable people like a "spider trapping its prey in its web"! In parallel with this development, another segment of the industry peddles "exercise" machines and crash "weight shedding courses" for the benefit of overweight people minting enormous fortunes. Who can forget the "famous" (or notorious?) Atkins diet or the South Beach diet and similar weight control regime peddling companies who were able to attract millions of people, scared about the ill consequences of high BMI which can cause a plethora of diseases including diabetes, hypertension, CVD, kidney ailments etc, crippling the life style even at an early stage of life. 

Latest to get the spot light is a romatic product going by the captivating name "antiobesity oil"! Though there are some traditional oil based concoctions in the market coming mostly from China and India, the new offering by the above name got a focused attention during the recent scientists conglomeration at Mysooru in the first week of January this year. According the flamboyant innovators, the antiobesity oil they just discovered could "maintain healthy body weight", provides "clean energy"  and "is not stored" as fat in the body. This product is claimed to have been developed for the "first time" in India from sunflower seed oil and it is "one of the kind in the world"! Added to this the antiobesity oil prepared at Mysooru is safety assured unlike similar ones developed elsewhere in the world, so goes the claim. According to the innovators this product is chemically identified as diacylglycerol oil which is supposed to be edible because the only difference between an edible oil as we are used to at present and their new product is that one of the three fatty acid molecules in the triglyceride oil products has been knocked off by controlled lipolysis. If the new product can be commercially made and approved by the food safety authorities in the country it can be a speciality edible oil for use by obese people to reduce their body weight. Of course the food industry needs to be convinced that the technology is "commercially workable" and economically viable. 

Let us look at the claim that such a product has been made for the first time in the world in India. Looking back one cannot forget that in early 2000 a product called "Enova oil" was developed and marketed in Japan claiming that less of this product is stored as visceral fat in the body unlike triglycerides which are the basic chemical entities of all edible oils. This product also boasted of unsaturated fatty acids which are known to reduce undesirable LDLs and raise desirable HDLs in the blood. However this product was abruptly recalled from the market because of several safety and health issues. One of them was the formation of glycidol during deacylation of the oil, an artifact implicated as potentially carcinogenic. Besides the ratio of Omega- 6 to Omega-3 fatty acids was 10:1 in Enova oil whereas most healthy vegetable oils have this ratio 3:1. High percentage of Omega-6 acids is reported to be associated with higher blood pressure and chronic inflammation. Thus the charmed marketing run of Enova oil abruptly ended in September 2009. Though the manufacturers promised to come back with the product soon, till to date there is no sign of this product, leading one to conclude that the technological and health problems were serious enough for the company to abandon it for ever.  

Another interesting fact which did not come to surface when the benefits of diacyl glycerol were glorified by the innovators pertains to its suitability for use as a frying fat. Most Indian preparations expose them to high temperatures between 160C and 210C and many conventional oils do cause frothing and foaming if the free fatty acid content is high in them. Also the mono glycerides of fatty acids are recognized as an excellent emulsifying agent in preparations where stable water in oil emulsions are to be made and in most counties their use in small quantities as emulsifier is approved as safe. According to FAO-WHO Alimentarius Commission daily intake of 12.5 to 25 mg of monoglycerides per kg body weight is considered safe. This works out to about 0.75 to 1.5 gm intake daily through all the foods consumed by an average person weighing 70 kg. Such data on diacyl glycerol are not readily available though it is generally assumed that the lipolytic enzymes present human body may be able to dispose of the product without much harmful effect. Against such a background if the new so called anti obesity oil is really going to be made for Indian consumers, adequate safety studies and tolerance limits will have to worked out before its clearance as a cooking oil..

V.H.POTTY

http://vhpotty.blogspot.com
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"FOODPOLIS" in South Korea-India is still at the "Food Park stage!

India is considered a super power when it comes to production of agricultural, horticultural, plantation crops, sugarcane, milk and livestock during the last one decade. But when it comes to processing of most of these materials originating from its backyard, the country does not acquit itself creditably well, with most of the raw materials undergoing only primary processing with very little value addition. While most developed nations process their raw materials to the extent of 60-80%, India does not even process 20% of its field crops into high value products. Probably conservative dietary habits, predominance of poverty and low purchasing power may be inhibiting the development of food processing sector to the desired extent. Added to this a disorganized farm front, poor infrastructure, shortage of power and water, scarcity of farm labor and semi literate farmers worsen the problem further.

Food industry in India always claim that it cannot realize its full potential in contributing much more to the economy because of difficulties in accessing good quality raw materials near their processing facilities. This is a fairly argued stand and the major reason is the tendency of the industry to concentrate in and around urban areas in stead of setting up their shop near the growing area. Besides a typical farmer holds only about 2 acres of land and this size may not be an economically viable one making the farmer surviving with hand to mouth existence. There is no place for quality parameters for the produce they grow and most of these crops raised are intended for table consumption. The existing land acquisition regulations do not permit the purchase of agricultural land by any one but another agriculturist with annual income less than Rs 2 lakh! What an anachronism in a country which aspires to become a global economic power challenging others like USA, China etc! With the new government in office during the last 6 months, nothing seems to have changed much from what has been in vogue as far as land acquisition is concerned. Unless big players with processing experience and deep purse are allowed to set up large mechanized farms or organize large agricultural cooperatives, nothing much can be expected in boosting food industry development in the country.

Major processors, most of them foreign players, have realized the need for backward integration with the farms and have made their own arrangements for ensuring adequate supply of raw materials of right quality through prior arrangements with farmers near their facilities. It is not that Indian policy makers are not aware of this reality but some how they never bothered so far to set right the situation when it comes to linking producer with the processor. One has to look at the thriving sugar industry in the country which is fortunate in getting enacted appropriate laws to compel growers of sugar cane to surrender their crops at a predetermined government decided price, euphorically called Minimum Support Price (MSP), supposed to be for protecting the interest of the growers. The result is there for all to see and to day India is the top producer of raw sugar in the world. This has happened in spite of bad facilities for transporting the sugar cane to the crushing plants, often involving long distances of transportation! 

Assuming that Governments at the center as well as at the state levels do nothing to improve the situation there are still millions of entrepreneurs who are willing to get into the food industry taking their own risk and it is already happening at the ground level. It appears more than 75% of the food market is controlled by players in the so called unorganized sector though every Tom, Dick and Harry who is some body in the international food manufacturing scenario has operations in India also, not able to obliterate these small scale players! The so called free economy favoring a capitalistic society ushered into the country during early nineteen nineties did reduce the predominance of agriculture over other sectors but it did not douse the entrepreneurial spirits among domestic population with the industry registering impressive growth rates during the last two decades. It is true that Government of India (GoI) wanted to encourage growth of food industry and even set up a dedicated ministry to "oversee" its development as best as it could see. Unfortunately its vision was not far sighted and probably it thought creating a "ministry" would automatically facilitate the development without any cohesive and realistic thinking and inputs. One such "brainer" was the "Food Parks" concept lifted from the examples in the UK, China and other countries which is being tom tommed as its star program for the last 15 years..

In stead of a holistic approach, GoI thought disbursing funds as subsidies through the "ministry"would help industry to prosper! Alas, see what has happened, or rather what has not happened. After earmarking huge funds to set up such "parks", only 2 out of the 40 and odd "parks" sanctioned since 2000 are able to show some thing as a positive outcome so far. In stead of providing facilities like water supply, uninterrupted power, world class roads, reliable communication net work, helpful policy support GoI thrust the responsibility on private players many of whom were interested only in the land which was becoming "hot cakes" as an investment attraction in the country. In contrast the whole world is looking with envy the initiative in a country like Korea which is setting up world's largest food cluster in Iksan on its south west coast with easy access to China and Japan. The incentives being doled out are mind boggling while making their offer of providing sites within this cluster, aptly called "Foodpolis" because of its mega size. 

Foodpolis will possess a number of clear advantages to investors, It appears some 60 cities with a population of 1 million or more are located within a two-hour flight from the site of this project. The complex itself is very close to Korea's major airports and seaports, and the country's highways and high-speed KTX trains capable of high speed mobility. Tariff rates have been lowered significantly following Korea's implementation of free trade agreements with 47 different countries, including two major accords with the European Union and the United States. Foodpolis is also being established with a comprehensive support network that will include three state-funded research centers, including the Food Functionality Evaluation Center, Food Quality and Safety Center and Food Packaging Center. R&D will also be closely aligned with food institutes nationwide. In addition, firms locating in the cluster are eligible to receive a variety of incentives and benefits, including lowered tax rates and property rental fees, cheap utility charges and even state subsidies. The government plans exemptions on corporate income tax for the first three years, and a 50 percent reduction in the following two. Companies can also avoid property taxes for 15 years and, in some cases, receive rent exemptions from 50 to 100 percent for 50 years, with the potential to extend for an additional 50 years.

When construction is complete in 2015, Foodpolis probably may be one of the best places in the world for food processing and packaging companies to set up their base with hopes of finding markets anywhere in the Asia Pacific region. The basic concept of this cluster is to create an optimum business and research environment for global food companies. It's a mini city tailored for the food industry and will be a combination of information technology, culture and food science. The entire system is expected to be friendly to all investors regardless of their nationalities. According to those promoting Foodpolis great care has been taken, while designing the complex, to foster the food industry into the next growth engine for not only South Korea, but also the entire Asian continent. The cluster is expected to create thousands of jobs and a huge amount of added value for the regional economy. a conservative estimate puts the probable number of participants at about 166 including 70 global players and 20 research centers, resulting an estimated out put valued at $ 60 billion. 

It is time GoI considers emulating Korea in its vision and promote at least 5 such "Foodpolis" in the eastern  (Kolkatta and Vizhag linked), southern (Chennai and Kochi linked)  and western (Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai linked) regions with appropriate road infrastructure linking the agricultural, horticultural, plantation products and livestock generating areas for fast transportation for raw materials as well as for export through the port facilities on the coast. If necessary the country must take Korea's expertise and experience into reckoning, for joint development within the next 5 years. Will this happen? Let us hope for the best for the sake of this country!  

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

TERRORISM THREAT OBSCURES FOOD SAFETY PROBLEMS-THE AMERICAN PARADOX!

Is food safety a real concern with many governments across the world? Hardly so if the money spent on ensuring food safety is used as a yardstick about the seriousness of the intend of the political class, bureaucrats and business captains. The USFDA is notorious in "silent" collusion with the industry, often supported by politicians, in not bringing to books many food business people who violate food laws with impunity or influencing decision taking process to the disadvantage of the citizen. Look at India where a toothless agency managed by a "dyed in wool" bureaucrat makes right noises in public but rarely does anything substantial in wiping out the scourge called "adulteration".

It is rather odd that terrorism is a fashionable word and governments are using potential threat from terrorists to waste enormous money in counter terrorism activity. According to one estimate the US alone spends about 1.2 trillion dollars annually to "equip" itself to face terrorism in the country. No one can belittle the threat posed by fanatic terrorists who have no logic or rationale in sponsoring violence against innocent citizens on some imaginary grouse. Also no one should have quarrel with the government for spending such huge sums in national security, if it is real. But food safety also should receive same priority as terrorism when it comes to funding.

While on the subject of food safety one of the biggest tragedies of modern times is the blanket approval surreptitiously or other wise to the meat food industry to use antibiotics for purposes other than treatment of disease stricken animals. The rampant use of antibiotics by American meat industry seems to have created a monstrous situation that is putting in peril lives of millions of people. The antibiotic resistance developed by most pathogens is due to continuous use of these chemicals for promoting growth and thus increase the industry profitability. Imagine what happens to a person who is seriously ill due to infection, if the antibiotics prescribed by his doctor does not work because the causative agent, a pathogen, has necessary metabolic whereabouts to make the antibiotic appear innocuous! How can this life be saved if antibiotics do not work and what will happen to millions of people who are vulnerable to such a situation?

In an interesting expose, it has been reported that America meat industry used almost 30 million pounds of antibiotics for fattening their meat animals while only 7.7 million pounds were used on human beings affected by infectious illness! No wonder almost 2 million people are infected with antibiotic resistant pathogens every year in the US exposing them to serious life threatening situation. The American meat industry is habituated to house millions of animals in insanitary, overcrowded and brutally inhuman pens or poultry farms and they have found this convenient so that minimum investment is needed for "maintaining" such hellish farms and liberal use antibiotics can reduce mortality significantly! 

In yet another expose, it was reported that American meat industry liberally use Beta-agonists, a growth promoting drug to achieve fast growth of the animals which can naturally reduce the time of sacrificing the animal for meat. Why this country is allowing the use of this drug is a big mystery because this has been banned by many countries around the world including the EU, Japan and China. The ill effects of Beta-agonists are well documented and still this crazy country supports the industry against its own citizens!. What is disturbing is the acquiescence of scientists, universities and pharma companies in this heinous crime without affecting their conscience. 

While government has neither the time nor the resources to discipline this industry, it finds ample time to gag whistle blowers who were earlier bringing to light the malpractices of this industry through legal measures. Animal abuse, unsafe and insanitary conditions, environmental hazards and unscientific practices will continue unabated as the industry is sure that the government will never tighten the screw by denying funds for modernization of safety vigilance infrastructure. The pittance of a budget which is hardly $ one billion per year for the FDA will ensure nothing changes in the US in the foreseeable future.

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