'VALUE' ADDITION OR 'POCKET' DEPLETION?

It is the cherished goal of every country under the WTO regime to attain high value addition to their raw materials, the assumption being that such a policy will generate employment and increase GDP. In the process the interest of the vast consumer community seems to have been short circuited. Value addition (VA) does generate an array of economic activities considered to be desirable from a national perspective but uncontrolled escalation of prices of consumer goods can backfire as is happening in India. While GOI 'figures' claim that inflation is on the negative mode, the prices of practically every consumer good, except probably electronic industry products, have risen sharply. In some cases the MRP values have been raised by as much as 50%. Food materials that provide life substance to the billion plus population in the country are no exception to this price spurt. Can this be true value addition or consumer exploitation?

According to classical definition, 'value added' refers to difference between the cost of raw material inputs procured by the processor plus the cost of labor to make the product and the price at which the end product is sold. In pharmaceutical industry GOI used to compute the production cost of some of the vital drugs for arriving at a selling price under the price control policy and if food industry can adopt a transparent policy regarding costing, consumers may not cringe paying a higher price to ensure decent profit for the entrepreneurial efforts of the industry. Vast sums spent on commercial promotion of the products, the final price to the consumer reaches some time 2000% of the cost of raw material used which makes the product exorbitantly costly.

In a free market economy price control is not generally done trusting the industry to exercise moderation in product pricing. Whether industry behaves responsibly is another matter. While price manipulation by the traders is rampant in the country, GOI attempts to restrain them through policy measures, though commendable, are not effective as can be seen by the recent spurt in prices of sugar, rice, wheat, pulses, etc. The import liberalization of edible oils helped in checking their prices to some extent. The tragedy is that not even a fraction of the rise in consumer prices goes to the real 'hero' in this picture-the grower or the producer, the full beneficiary being the intermediaries like whole salers and retail traders. When Amul created history by organizing the milk producers into viable cooperatives, leading to the white revolution, there was hope that farmers of this country have found a route to prosperity by getting decent returns to their produce. Unfortunately this success eluded the producers of other items like fruits and vegetables, cereals, pulses and oil seeds. Politicization of cooperative movement is best manifested in the sugar sector which has to bear some responsibility for the 100% rise in price of this commodity.

As for value addition by the processing industry, the vast difference between raw material price and the MRP defies any logic and reasoning. Take the case of potato chips. There are thousands of 'hot chips' units in the informal sector which sell the product around Rs 100 per kg but the so called organized sector offers the same product at more than Rs 300 per kg. True, the branded product has some extra attributes like attractive packing, marginally better eating qualities and slightly longer shelf life but does it justify the exorbitant MRP demanded? Same is true about many products manufactured and marketed by the organized sector of food industry, be it corn flakes, chocolates, sugar candies, fruit juices, soft drinks or any other consumer foods. In advanced countries the buying power of the consumer is substantial and such loading on the final price could be borne by them. But in a poor country like India, consumer price must be reasonable if the benefit of technology has to percolate down.

According to the MFPI, GOI, current level of value addition in the food processing sector is about 20% which is targeted to increase to 35% in 5 years. Qualitatively the target is reasonable but the quantitative addition is some thing on which neither the governments nor the consumers have any control. In a free economy this is supposed to be controlled by the marketing forces and the ground reality is that market forces are greatly influenced by large Indian and multinational companies dealing with potato chips, soft drinks, break fast cereals, infant foods, weaning foods, bakery products, chocolate products etc with the informal sector playing a minor role. Unless and until we go back to the proactive policy of encouraging and supporting micro enterprises and small scale processors, the consumer will continue to pay unreasonably high prices to buy packed foods which after all offers convenience and savings in time for hard pressed middle class families of this country. Let a billion such enterprises bloom and let the real and reasonable value addition zoom to 100% through their efforts!



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

THE TRIPLE 'A' GUARD-AVAILABLE RIGHT ON THE KITCHEN SHELF!

Garlic is reputed to be one of the most beneficial spices/condiments, man has known because of its ability to reduce serum cholesterol, when consumed regularly. As many do not like the intense smell native to garlic, there is considerable resistance in adopting it as a regular component of the diet consumed every day. The lingering strong body odor that refuses to fade away from the body quickly makes the situation worse. Garlic derives its characteristic aroma from the break down products of the chemical Allicin which is considered to be beneficial for reducing cholesterol build up in the arteries and lessen the chances of risk of stroke and heart attack.

Now it turns out that garlic also happens to be one of the significant food components possessing powerful anti oxidant activity, though it does not boast of levels of traditionally well established anti oxidants like flavonoids that are known to be present in green tea, grapes and many other plant sources in abundance. Anti oxidant organic compounds when ingested are able to neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals generated at the tissue level and prevent cell damage. If some of the recent reports are to be believed, Allicin, derived from Alliin aminoacid by the action of Allinase enzyme during crushing of the garlic cloves is the active principle responsible for the anti oxidant activity, though the precise mechanism is not yet known. As Allicin is not very stable, it is presumed that some of the metabolic products of Allicin could be the real substances that trap the oxy radicals. On the other hand Allixin, a non-sulfur containing compound has been suggested as the active principle with significant anti-oxidant activity and therefore the ability of garlic to fight against cancer is attributed to this substance at least by some experts.

In spite of the divergence of opinion, Allicin has been shown to be active against stomach cancer by several studies. Use of pure Alliin and allicinase enzyme in conjunction with Rituxymab antibody has been demonstrated to be able to kill cancer cells confirming that Allicin can also be effective against some cancer forms. Sulfenic acids, break down products of Allicin have been found to be effective in trapping free radicals. Besides its anti cancer property, Allicin is also known to have other beneficial effects like reducing atherosclerosis, decreasing fat deposition in the body, normalizing lipoprotein balance, decreasing blood pressure and is anti thrombotic and anti inflammatory.

Allistatin I and II are bioflavonoids, present in garlic with antibiotic properties against many viral and bacterial infections. Their effectiveness against Sstaphylococcus and E.coli are well established and the activity exhibited by them is more powerfull than many antibiotic drugs used to fight infections in allopathy. In some countries garlic is an accepted remedy for whooping cough and influenza infections. Besides garlic also contains other bioflavonoids like quercitin and cyanidins with health promoting properties which cannot be ignored. The established credentials of garlic as a health protecting food adjunct have helped food technologists to evolve technologies for preparing biologically active products from this source. Tendency of Allicin to decompose in concentrated form has been overcome by suitable dilution and drying to get active powder preparations with its activity stabilized. Unless the tissue structure is disrupted Alliin and Allinase cannot react to gether to form Allicin and such a preprocessing step is a prerequisite for obtaining effective end products. While Allicin is responsible for the pungency in garlic, di allyl sulfide, a break down product from Allicin contributes to the strong aroma.

Hundreds of garlic based products being marketed with tall claims are not subjected to any statutory control and consumers are at their wits end to decide about their choice. One of the most prevalent types of misleading information is to use the term 'Allicin equivalent' on the label. Allicin is not readily present in garlic and not only it is unstable, its formation is dependent on enzyme Allinase which must be present in such products. The USP standards require garlic powder preparations to contain Alliin not less than 0.3% in dry weight basis. Expressing Allicin value in terms of 'Allicin releasing' potential is considered more useful and reliable for consumer guidance. Probably it is time now to evolve enforceable standards in India for different garlic products based on the levels of some of the active principles which may be easy to measure in analytical laboratories and to insist on mandatory labeling to make the products transparent in terms of the health attributes.




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

THE 'ALLOPATHIC' OBSESSION- WHY NOT DIET MANAGEMENT?

A recent study in UK has revealed how physicians take to the drug route to treat persons diagnosed with Type II diabetes based on blood sugar readings marginally higher than the upper limit considered as normal. While a glucose level of 100 mg per deciliter is considered normal for fasting, 150 mg per deciliter is taken as normal level for post-prandial sugar. Due to many reasons blood sugar levels tend go beyond these notional values and many a time normal levels are achieved without any treatment at all. Tendency in western countries is to treat diabetes symptoms aggressively, fearing serious damage to the body system if not brought under control. It is indisputable that persistent high levels of sugar can precipitate many collateral disorders like CVD, kidney damage, neuropathy etc and such patients must be under medical supervision with suitable medicines that are available under different brand names.

It is ridiculous to see the present paranoia of people diagnosed as marginal diabetics, obsessed with glucose monitoring half a dozen times every day using expensive enzyme strips and sophisticated measuring devices. In India each enzyme strip, with limited life, costs between Rs 15 and Rs 50 while the digital reader is being sold at around Rs 2000 per unit. Added to this the lancer pen and the lancers, used pricking the finger to raw blood through capillary action, cost another fortune. What about the painful pricks one has to endure each time testing is to be done. It is not realized that measurement of glycosylated hemoglobin once in 3 months can give a better picture about the sugar dynamics in the blood than frequent testing at home. Probably those with Type I diabetes may need to keep a strict vigil on their blood sugar levels, since they are insulin dependent, based on which they can design their diets and prevent episodes of hypoglycemia.

Unless you are an athlete or physically hard working person, there is no need to try for fast rise in glucose in the blood and 'evening out' sugar absorption from the intestine is considered a much better way of staying healthy. As for diabetes affected persons, the best course is to think of modifying the food habits to eat more of foods with low glycaemic index (GL) and low glycaemic load(GL) per serving, in stead of fast sugar releasing foods like sweets, refined flour based foods and high GI products. It has become a routine in India also to condemn people with marginally higher sugar levels in the blood as diabetics though mercifully they are branded Type II diabetics and put on allopathic medicines on a regular basis for their life time. Generally those leading some what sedentary life style are likely to cross the 'Random Blood Sugar' threshold of 150 mg between the age 50 and 60 years and if adequate diet adjustment is made, probably there may not be any need for medication to 'manage' blood glucose.

Why people do not have faith in foods as a means of tackling this mild metabolic aberration is some thing puzzling. As early as 1550 BC the famous Ebers Papyrus had advocated treating diabetic syndrome with high fiber wheat grain and not much has changed since then except we have a mulibillion pharma industry churning out hundreds of medicines to lower blood sugar amongst the population supposed to be affected. Plant foods must be the drugs of choice to deal with diabetics at its early stages and there are more than 400 plants identified, used and prescribed as diabetic remedies. Why low GI foods are prefered for healthy living? It increases body's sensitivity to insulin, reduces significantly the risk of CVD, controls blood sugar better in case of diabetics, reduces cholesterol levels and reduces the cravings for food. Diets dominated by oats, barley, whole grains bases foods, multigrain breads and rotis, pasta, nuts, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, raw onion, garlic, bitter gourd, bengal gram, yogurt, beans, apple and grapefruit, ground nut and soybean, in any permutation-combination can help to control glucose levels in the blood.

There is more or less unanimity that we must consume at least 30-35 gm dietary fiber daily. Also we must spread out the number of meals from 2-3 to 4-5 per day, avoid high fat bakery foods replacing them with cooked whole cereals, avoid eating carbohydrate meals 2 hours before bed time and consume daily at least 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables. It is advisable for an individual to adopt a low salt daily diet involving whole cereals, legumes, green beans and starchy vegetables as main energy source through 5-6 servings, variety of vegetables for supplying micro nutrients, health sustaining phytochemicals and some fiber via 3-5 servings, fruits another 2-3 servings, milk 2-3 servings, meat and allied foods 2-3 servings and fats and sweets 1/2 to 1 serving or less. The motto of modern society should be to go back to nature and less dependence on drugs and medicines for healthy life.

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

MODERN AGRICULTURE-A BOON OR A CURSE?

There is serious allegation that modern agriculture symbolized by massive deployment of energy and chemical intensive inputs has helped only to quantitatively increase the food supply while qualitatively bringing down the benefits to mankind. Green revolution in India was hailed once as a miraculous achievement because the country was able to raise food production through technologies developed ingenuously and adopted willingly by the farmers. GOI is talking about a second green revolution with MoFPI even announcing its future programs to usher in an 'evergreen' revolution, whatever that means. Degradation of farm lands, contaminated water bodies, tainted food supply and rural poverty are all now being attributed to the past wrong agricultural practices. How far this can be accepted, especially after honoring all who contributed to green revolution, in sixties and seventies is another dilemma. Are we becoming a thankless society condemning the very same people who were heroes till recently?

This blogger does not wish to enter into the controversy by blaming any person or organizations and leave it to those in charge of our agriculture to ponder over the criticisms based on facts and figures. But in a recent piece of introspection by Mr Devinder Sharma, a learned food and trade policy analyst , as published by Deccan Herald of July 9, 2009, came to the conclusion based on his analyzes, that growth of agricultural production, achieved by the country due to green revolution, entailed a high cost in terms of progressive decline in the levels of some critical nutrients. Out of the 12 nutrients evaluated there seems to be decline in case of 6, in crops harvested from high-yielding variety seeds. Similarly between 1950 and 1999, garden vegetables grown with input intensive production technologies, were found to have significantly reduced levels of six nutrients which include iron, calcium, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. Such a situation is indeed startling and on an average the drop in nutrients in food grains amounted to 15%-40%, with copper content declining as much as 80%. Whether the lower levels of copper and other nutrients in the staples has contributed to the widely prevalent modern day diseases like hypercholesterolemia needs to be probed scientifically.

Such alarming changes were reported vis-a-vis iron, calcium and phosphorus in pulses, rice and wheat. To day's pulses, the major source of proteins for poor vegetarians (who cannot afford to buy adequate quantity of milk), have some what reduced levels of this critical macro nutrient. Historically foods raised between 1845 and 1960 had uniformly same concentration of nutrients and the decline as seen to day started coinciding with the beginning of the high yielding era under green revolution. There appears to be a correlation between higher yield and nutrient content in the crops, probably because of depletion of many critical soil nutrients in the exhausted soil, as farmers, in their relentless pursuit of high yield from their limited land holdings, started replacing the traditional 'broad nutrients' rich natural organic manure with 'limited nutrients' containing synthetic fertilizers on a large scale. The increasing attraction to organic foods by many consumers may augur well for the future since chemical fertilizer use is ruled out in raising these crops.

Country needs such incisive and objective analysts like Mr Devinder Sharma to bring to surface many startling, though unpalatable, facts of vital concern to the citizens, which otherwise get burried in the avalanche of pedestrian information barrage articulated by the modern day media barons in the name of news coverage. India must wake up to the reality that input intensive agricultural technology cannot be the sole answer to the food problem and alternative 'farmer and consumer friendly' options must be explored for a better and more secure future. It is unfair to condemn down right the green revolution which after all served the purpose of avoiding large scale starvation in the country though at the cost of progressively declining health of the population unwittingly.

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

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR ANIMAL FOODS-THE SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Cloning are two technologies, emerging as potential solutions to get high quality foods from animals. But how far these foods are free from any future health problems is a matter of conjecture. The raging controversy regarding the safety of GM foods is an example of a modern technology caught in the web of uncertainties because of lack of unanimity amongst scientific communities in different countries regarding any likely long term health consequences by the consumption of foods produced by the new technology. What is not clearly understood by the vast majority of people concerned with the safety of IVF and cloned animals is that these technologies are too expensive to be used widely for producing commonly consumed animal based foods. The cloning cost for a cow is about $17000 while for pigs it is more than $ 4000. If this is true what is the issue about which people are concerned? It is all about the safety of the products from the off springs of the cloned mother.

Breeding and reproduction are the at the very core of animal derived food chain and quality and safety of these products depend very much on the parent stock and breeding technology. IVF was first used in rabbits in 1959 and later in 1968 first IVF lab mouse was created. First human baby was born in 1978, commonly referred to as test tube baby as the embryo was developed in the lab before implantation. First live calf through IVF arrived in 1981 and this technology is widely used for improving and expanding genetics. A genetically superior cow can be produced from an inferior one using IVF technology and subsequent generations are expected to inherit the vastly improved qualities of the former. Basically IVF is a procedure that involves retrieving eggs (oocytes) and sperm from the male and female and placing them together in a lab dish to facilitate fertilization. Fertilized eggs are then allowed to develop in vitro and after several days, transferred into females reproductive tract for further development of the embryo. The animals produced through IVF possess superior traits that are desirable and further propagation by normal process provides a better quality source for better products derived from them. IVF, thus, is a route to produce better performing animal generations by the breeders.

Reproductive cloning, an extension of the IVF technology, is based on the process of 'somatic cell nuclear transfer' (SCNT) that is part of the assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) currently used in agriculture. Many mistakenly believe that cloned animals are genetically modified which is not true. SCNT transfers genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus has been removed. The reconstructed egg containing the DNA of the donor cell has to be treated with chemicals or electric current in order to stimulate cell division. Cloned embryos need to be transferred to the uterus of a female host to develop till birth. Clones from cattle, swines, sheep, goat and many animal species have been produced in significant numbers all over the world and safety authorities in USA, Canada, Japan and several other countries have cleared commercialization of the technology having found no risks in consuming products from the off springs of cloned parents. How ever cloning is beset with some logistical and practical problems like low rate of success compared to sexually derived products. Dolly, the first cloned sheep, was a result of 275 unsuccessful attempts and it lived for 6 years as against the normal life span of 12 years though it became mother of 6 off springs during its life time.

According to FAO almost one third of global meat trade is affected by one or the other animal diseases and it considers this a lost business to the tune of $ 10 billion out of $ 35 billion total world exports. USA and Canada account for more than 25% of world beef production and they have a heavy stake in cattle breeding free from diseases. For developing countries like India cloning provides a viable route to upgrade its population of buffaloes, cows, sheep and pigs, provided the safety issues are resolved to the satisfaction of our scientists, administrators and consumers. Better, higher and cheaper milk production can be one area of immense interest,more than the meat products, as a vast majority of people in the country depend on milk for their essential nutrition. Meat exports, which fetch good returns to the livestock sector, can also benefit by evolving disease-free animals which will have far lesser problems in meeting ever-stiffening global quality and safety standards.


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

THE COOKING DILEMMA-GAS, ELECTRIC OR NUKING?

Ever since man discovered fire, cooking is a ritual firmly ingrained in his culture. Heating any food before consumption is an instinctive behavior special to man because he wants the food to be safe from dangers associated with contamination and spoilage. It was only later that man learned how cooking enhances the sensory pleasure and many developments in cooking technology made it easy to create a variety of eating sensation through aroma, taste and texture. Cooking does destroy some nutrients naturally present in the food but also increases the nutritive value of many foods by inactivating undesirable enzymes and reducing levels of harmful constituents.

Domestic cooking till about 5 decades ago was centered around open hearths using fire wood, charcoal, dried cow dung, agricultural wastes and similar fuels easily available at close proximity. Advent of fossil fuels and organized generation of electricity reduced dependence on smoke-spewing open hearths and scientifically designed stoves using gas and/or electricity became the norm. Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) has become ubiquitous in to day's urban house holds with almost 100% coverage and it is percolating down to rural homes near towns, cities and semi urban areas. Electricity is losing its edge due to uncertainty of supply from the public grid, uncontrolled price escalation and inefficient heating mode. With international prices of crude oil fluctuating wildly, uncertainties associated with LPG supply and cost, its reliability is also under a cloud. Large scale oil exploration within India has raised hopes that the country may have comfortable sources of cooking gas which are being piped in some cities for delivery to users, in stead of the bottled version.

What about the most convenient and customer-friendly microwave cooking? It is doubtful whether this mode of cooking will ever be able to have a strangle hold on Indian house wives, as is the case in many industrialized countries. Microwave heating, ever since it was accidentally discovered in 1940 in the US, is based on non-ionizing microwave radiation at a frequency of 2.45 giga herz (GHz). When passed through the food the latter absorbs the energy, makes the molecules of water and other liquids which are bipolar in nature, rotate to align themselves with the electric field created and generating heat in the process of colliding amongst them selves. Fat or oil, though less polar than water, exhibits faster rate of heating due to its lower specific heat which is less than half that of water. Dissolved salts, being ionic in nature also generate heat in the electric field, due to theses ions colliding with each other. A typical MW oven has a rating of 1100 watts load but the out put is about 700 watts of microwave power but wastage of energy for heating the container is avoided making it as efficient as conventional heating

There are some misconceptions and apprehensions about microwave use (MW) for heating foods. Just like normal heating MW heating also heats up the surface first though many mistakenly believe that MW heats the core first before heating outer layers. True, MW has high penetrating power and in relatively dry foods, the surface does not get heated fast since MW penetrates into the center of the food heating it first and the heat conducted outward there after. MW is not related to ionizing radiation as with X-rays or irradiation and fear of cancer causing artifacts like dioxines, is totally misplaced. Nutritional damage to foods is much below that caused in conventional cooking, though blind opposition to MW makes at least some people believe this canard. MW ovens are designed to make them user friendly and accident proof by integrated electronic circuitry and most ovens do not leak radiation beyond 5 milli watts per square centimeter at 2 ft distance from the surface of the oven as per international specifications.

Containers used for MW heating pose much more danger if no proper attention is paid in their selection. Ceramics with safe glazes and glasses with no trapped micro-air bubbles are considered safe while plastic containers do raise some pertinent safety questions. Lack of awareness about the dangers of using non-food grade plastics for food contact applications is one of the risks using MW heating. Since temperature in MW oven can be as high as 100C, high melting plastics only are suitable for fabricating MW compatible containers and manufacturers have to declare this information on each of these containers. Use of brown papers, plastic grocery bags, aluminum foil, paper towels made with recycled fiber and dyes or chemicals, thin storage bags is not advisable. Explosive spurting of over heated water and bursting of closed containers without vents can also pose some danger to the users. Convection microwave ovens are designed to take care of higher temperature needs like baking. New designs incorporating high power halogen bulbs help to heat surfaces to get desirable browning or crust are emerging to lure more customers.

Why MW ovens may not catch up n India? In a country like the US 90% of the house holds have at least on MW oven where as in India the corresponding figure is an abysmally low, being less than 1%!. The annual sale of 1.2 million pieces of MW ovens, claimed to be growing at 25% per year, reflects the lack of universal acceptability of this system in the country. The severe limitations of container system, frequent power failures, high temperature cooking practices involving frequent stirring, non uniform heating, perceptional non-satisfaction with foods cooked with MW and mistaken association of MW with irradiation, all contribute to this situation. Probably MW oven may at best be an occasionally used kitchen appliance, just for heating foods before serving rather than as a gadget for cooking.


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

FOOD FORTIFICATION PRACTICES-NEED FOR A RELOOK

Advent of synthetic chemistry has led to the founding of a roaring business involving vitamins, minerals, biologically active nutrients and others. Modern industrial society is relying heavily on processed foods which are often fortified with many micro and macro nutrients. Food technology strives to protect foods from the ravages of vectors and extent the supply during all seasons besides providing variety and convenient foods to the the consumers of today. But in that process many natural foods lose part of their nutrient content and depletes its health value. Enrichment and fortification technologies attempt to compensate for such losses and some time making them more nutritive than their unprocessed counterparts.

According FAO-WHO Codex Alimetarius Commission definition, fortification is" the addition of one or more essential nutrients to a food, whether or not it is normally contained in the food for the purpose of preventing or correcting a demonstrated deficiency in the population or specific population groups". Global concern about chronic deficiency of some vitamins, iodine and iron has given an impetus to fortification efforts in many countries to protect their populations. Commonly it is understood that the term 'enrichment' refers to restoration of nutrients lost during processing while fortification involves addition of nutrient to a food which does not contain the particular nutrient in its original form. Industry resorts to nutrient addition as a part of the process to maintain uniformity in the final product. Most cases of fortification pertain to vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, essential amino acids and proteins.

Nutrient supplementation of food finds mention since 400 BC when the Persian physician Melanpus advocated addition of iron filings to wines to increase the potency of soldiers to fight wars. In 1813 addition of iodine to salt was suggested in France. Ever since then, products like margarine (Vit A & D ), Milk ( Vit D), flours ( Vit B1, B2, Niacin and iron) are routinely enriched in many countries. To day a wide range of processed foods come, enriched or fortified with many nutrients as permitted by the food laws that exist in each country. These include iodine in salt, vit A & D in milk and margarine, Vit A in sugar, MSG and tea, iron in infant formulas and cookies, calcium in soy milk and orange juice, omega-3 acids in orange juice, vitamins and minerals in RTE cereals, diet beverages, enteral and parenteral solutions.

Three issues which create some concern amongst the consumers are the bioavailability of nutrients incorporated in the food, their stability during processing, storage and cooking at home and the level of addition of the nutrients. Vitamin C is not stable at pH levels above or below 7 while it is susceptible to air and oxygen besides resulting in 100% loss during cooking. Similarly folic acid is stable only above pH 7, unstable in presence of air and oxygen, heat labile losing 100% during cooking. Vitamin A is unstable at acidic conditions and cooking losses can be as high as 40%. Niacin is lost to the extent of 75% during cooking while Vit B12 is fairly stable with cooking losses being less than 10%. Minerals are generally stable during processing as well as cooking though ferrous compounds can be oxidized to ferric forms in presence of air and oxygen. In India, except for iodine fortification of salt no organized efforts are visible to incorporate nutrients in processed foods though some proprietary products are marketed containing many nutrients.

With a wide range of products fortified with vitamins and minerals, some stray reports highlight over consumption of some of these nutrients which benefits only the pharma industry manufacturing them. There are also apprehensions that some of the vitamins and minerals, when consumed at high levels can pose danger to consumer health. Some of the risks include nerve damage (pyridoxine, folic acid), kidney disorders ( Vit C, Calcium and magnesium), liver problems (Vit A ), heart problems (Vit D, magnesium), cancer (iron) and osteoporosis (Vit D and phosphate). While water soluble vitamins, when ingested in excess get flushed out limiting the risks of over dosing, fat soluble vitamins get concentrated in the body when consumed in excess posing some real danger. However overdosing through food route may not be wide spread though from the economic point of view they are considered sheer waste.

A national policy must be evolved on fortification of foods centered around the health and nutrition status of the population. Nutrients like iodine, iron , calcium and phosphorus, vitamins A,D and E, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids are some of the relevant ones deserving attention and food processing industry must take the lead to produce foods fortified with them. Restoring the nutrients lost during processing should also be made mandatory. Fortification as a general policy needs to be based on calorie concentration in each food so that when a consumer takes 2000 kc he is assured of receiving what is needed only and avoid excess consumption.

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