IS THE US BECOMING THE CAPITAL OF FOOD POISONING?-A SCARY SCENARIO!

Why is that almost all food related poisoning incidences are reported from the developed world? The much maligned developing countries do not "boast" of even a single major out break of food poisoning though there might have been occasional reports of minor nature. why is that tourists from Western world are afraid of visiting many poor countries in the world where majority of the population is concentrated? Obviously because they are afraid of polluted atmosphere, unsafe water and food, unhygienic habitats and unreliable medical facilities. But look at the mortality rate due to food poisoning! Very few deaths are attributed to food poisoning, most fatalities attributed to diseases, infectious as well other types. Is there any convincing scientific reason for such a paradox? 

There is always the temptation to correlate affluence with food poisoning but is there really such a relationship? No one is sure though circumstantial evidence do point out such a nexus. Most of the pathogenic bacteria involved in food poisoning are more frequently reported in animal foods like meat and egg and this naturally raises the question whether food poisoning has any connection with increased meat production and consumption. Since there are no cultural constraint in mixing meat products and non-meat products as most consumers in the West are meat eaters, scrupulous segregation of these products may not happen in many cases and such a situation can cause cross contamination from these sources. Similarly irrigation water used in cultivation can become contaminated in areas where slaughter houses and meat handling facilities are located and migration of bacteria from water into fruits and vegetables is a distinct possibility.  This can explain frequent reporting of contamination of fresh produce such as Spinach, Tomato, Peanuts, Cucumber etc in the US.

One must recall the recent out break of virulent E.coli related food poisoning which killed several persons besides causing damage to the health of hundreds of people in Europe, boasting of high standards of living and modern living facilities and still it is not clear what really caused such an incidence. Though the blame game was going on for some time regarding the culprit for the incidence, finally culminating in putting the blame on an Egyptian consignment of Fenugreek imported for sprouting, the moot question is why it did not happen in the country of origin and why the "monster killer" waited till it landed in Europe to bare its fangs? This is scary situation where no one seems to know which pathogen is going to strike when and where! If a small out break like this could claim several lives in Europe with high standards of living, what if the same kind of poisoning happens in a thickly populated country like India or China? 

Most recent food poisoning was reported from the US where the innocuous Cantaloupe became the carrier for Listeria, another little monster with deadly credentials, killing 13 people and affecting many people who were hospitalized. Imagine the fate of many people who had the misfortune to eat this fruit when it is known that the food poisoning manifestations from Listeria can appear several weeks after the consumption of the contaminated fruit. Though several theories float around regarding the reason for this fruit to get contaminated, no one seems to have a sure answer. It is admitted by Microbiologists familiar with the episode that finding out the reason may not be easy. Probably the contamination must have occurred due to improper washing process allowing the bacteria to migrate into the inside of the fruit. Fortunately due to recall of about 300,000 cases of the suspected fruit the damage was some what contained. The stark question that confront countries like the US is whether prevention of such episodes can be more effective than spending time and resources to chase the problem after such episodes are allowed to occur. 

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Food poisoning is reported to affect an estimated 48 million people in the U.S. each year, leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths and such food-borne illnesses cost the nation's economy about $152 billion annually in health-care expenses and lost productivity. It is time to reinvent the meaning of food safety and new rules are necessary to ensure food does not become contaminated due to callous handling to limit illnesses. The last word on Cantaloupe tainting has not been heard because there may be thousands of households in the country holding the contaminated fruit in their refrigerators waiting to be consumed without the consumers unaware of the consequences awaiting them if and when they eat them. Mandatory rules, not guidelines, are needed to force the industry to adopt correct practices to prevent illnesses arising out of contamination of foods with a plethora of more and more virulent bacteria.

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

THE ANTIOXIDANT DATA BASE-A NEW CHILEAN INITIATIVE

Antioxidants are to day more or less recognized as the saviors of mankind from many non-infectious diseases like cancer. Such a situation has come about after it was found by many scientific studies about the ability of antioxidants to scavenge free radicals from the body. Oxy radicals generated in the human body due to various metabolic reactions, if not removed promptly, are believed to cause damage to DNA which can cause various types of cancers affecting different organs and other vital functions. It is believed that fruits provide high levels of antioxidants, mainly in the form of poly phenols and a generous consumption of these protective foods can keep many diseases away. The latest dietary recommendations suggest that almost half the plate of foods consumed every day should be contributed by fruits and vegetables.

It is believed that human body makes its own anti oxidants to neutralize the day to day generation of oxy radicals there by protecting it from many serious diseases but modern day life contributes a much larger levels of oxy radicals which need more anti oxidants to make them innocuous. Optimum health to day means ensuring taking adequate amounts of anti oxidants through daily diet. This naturally raises the question regarding the relative efficiency of various food sources in providing high levels of antioxidants to the body. Poly phenols which are natural constituents of many foods consumed daily are considered to be of efficient antioxidant credentials though there is always the question of their absorption across the GI tract under normal conditions. For these antioxidants to be effective they are required to be delivered to the cells in their active form and it is here where some confusion still exists. If a product claims it is rich in antioxidants, it may not be telling a lie but if the claim refers to health advantages by consuming them, same may not be tenable because of uncertainties regarding the actual absorption and delivery to the cells for making them work.

ORAC Value proposed by the National Institute on Aging under National Institution of Health, Bethesda, USA is widely used to assess the efficacy of foods as a source of antioxidants. ORAC value simply predicts the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of a substance through laboratory analyzes and is widely used in estimating the antioxidant value of different foods. It was the USDA which first brought out a compendium of foods with different ORAC values to help the consumers to select antioxidant rich foods in their daily diet. Recently the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology in Chile has brought out the ORAC values of 140 different fruits grown all over the world, besides providing useful information about other nutrients present in them. Unfortunately the world has not reached a stage where ORAC values can be used as a reliable indicator for making legally health claims by different food resources. But it till serves the purpose of helping the consumers to select the ones with highest ORAC value for his continued well being. 

Many people may be unaware that Sorghum, considered a poor man's staple in many countries is a rich source of antioxidants boasting of a high ORAC value of 45,400! Compare this with the ORAC value of 290,285 for a spice like Cloves or 131, 420 for Cinnamon or 127,068 for Turmeric. The much ridiculed Curry Powder of India can boast of an ORAC value of 48, 504. Some times it is intriguing to see many published scientific papers touting about high ORAC values for fruits like Blackberries, Blueberries and other berries like Calafate, Macqui, Murtilla etc because these are not produced in substantial quantities to be available year around, if the demand rises rapidly. Besides they are not consumed in big quantities to deliver high levels of antioxidants. On the other hand take the case of foods like Sorghum which is taken to meet bulk of the energy needs in some parts of the world and the impact can be quite high. Of course a good balanced diet containing different sources of antioxidants like Berries and other colored fruits and vegetables, grains like Sorghum, Spices like Turmeric, Cumin, Black Pepper etc will always be a sure bet against accumulation of Oxy radicals in the body as they can effectively scavenge them regularly. 

The Compilations by the USDA and the Chile Institute are considered a great service to humanity because of the educational value they have on the food consumption behavior of the population at large. With such readily available data, industry must be encouraged to use ORAC value of every food marketed by it and such a step can hope to tide over the increasing wave of Cancer and other diseases in the coming years.

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

OLD IS ALWAYS OLD!-DOES ANY ONE CARE?

Aging is an unstoppable process while dying is a natural culmination of aging. In many countries there is a retirement age, generally 60 years after which the person enters the "senior citizen " category. To soften the shock of retirement many governments roll out welfare schemes and many senior citizen friendly policies which are supposed to make the life some what less "miserable"! The real crunch of old age comes beyond the age of 70-75 years when various faculties start declining rapidly while mental agility is affected by gradual lose of cognitive ability. Help and assistance can make the misery of old age less daunting and children of senior citizens are supposed to provide physical and mental solace to their old age parents. Unfortunately in these "dog eating dog" days, many children forget the sacrifices made by their parents and look out for old age homes to "push" them for ensuring their own pleasure and comfort. 

imagine the conditions of 100 million people in India who are considered old with most of them left to fend for themselves without any assistance because of many reasons, some genuine while most of them due to sheer callousness and selfish nature of their children. Added to this there are many parents unwilling to be considered dependents of their children either due to extra ordinary affection for their off springs or high sense of self respect choosing a life of misery. Besides there are many old people suffering from diseases like CVD, cancer, BP, kidney problems etc who need constant and committed care and it is very difficult for their children, even if they love them, to provide such services without sacrificing their own career and endangering their future. Though children have a "duty" to take care of their old age parents, Society also must bear some responsibility and it is the Government that can do maximum through institutional arrangements of good quality. Private players can lessen the burden of the government through setting up elderly friendly retirement homes for well to do people.

NGOs, many of which do excellent social work, are doing yeomen service to the community through setting up old age homes and operating them satisfactorily in many parts of the country. Due to the enormity of the logistics involved, these voluntary agencies are not able to make any dent on this vexed problem. There are some private players in the field offering some what better quality live-in places for senior people charging heavily and those who have regular pension income of substantial sums or with good financial resources can only afford such places. Some people, seeing the writing on the wall vis-a-vis the fate of old age people in the society, provide for them selves through investments while they are still earning, to ensure comfortable and livable places offered by private builders. Of course with the real estate sector, being what it is to day, there is no guarantee that these people would not be left high and dry at old age by unscrupulous builders. There are no legal frame work that will ensure justice for such people.

Old age is cruel because of another reason. Food and nutrition needs are different as people go through the biological process of aging and it is rarely that old age residential facilities as they operate to day have any health or nutrition experts providing the required inputs to food preparations and their recipes. Particularly troubling are the failing eye sight, failing hearing faculty and decreasing appetite combined with declining taste buds. Design of old age homes requires lot of special considerations as the facilities should have adequate scope for entertainment, activities that can give mental and physical stimulation, walking area with minimum vulnerability to bone fracture, services of qualified physicians and many other features to make the life free from worries and tension normally associated with active life. Probably established hospitals should consider establishing such homes for old people in proximity to their existing facilities and government must provide adequate "motivating" incentives for major hospitals to create such "centers of excellence" for comfortable living of old age population, especially those affected by various ailments requiring medical attention.

Recent reports from some of the wealthy countries where prevalence of old age homes is a boon to the citizens indicate that there are gross deficiencies in their services. After unannounced visits to 100 NHS hospitals in UK by an empowered group, called Care Quality Commission, it was found that fewer than half of them feed old people properly or treat them with compassion and dignity. According to this report one out of three hospitals inspected needed to make significant improvements in one or both areas. One in five were so bad they were actually breaking the law in their treatment of the elderly.  Of course there are also excellent hospitals, few in number with highly motivated nurses, ancillary staff and doctors with some of them professionally caring and deeply committed with personal kindness.

While this is the case with hospitals, what about old age homes? Probably they could be worse than these care centers. One of the reasons for this sorry state of affairs could be because of the government bureaucracy that pervades all public institutions world over. The old age homes run by the government are a shame on the society with over crowding, starvation diet and unkind attitude and behavior of the staff being their hall mark!  

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

ARTERY CLEANING FOODS-A NEW GIMMICK?

Those who suffer from artery "clogging" due to high cholesterol content in the blood must be excited about the news that it is possible to de-clog the arteries without any medication like Statins. The multi billion dollar Statin industry that thrives on atherosclerosis disease affecting millions of people across the world is soon going to have a competitor with better credentials! Of course one will naturally ask the question as to why people suffer from clogging of arteries which can manifest in myocardial infarction or stroke, if adequate discipline is exercised regarding the diet one consumes. Unfortunately even the best psychologists in the world cannot answer the question because human behavior is not amenable to change easily and food consumption practices are evolved over years, influenced by economic factors and the living environment.

The most manifested symptom of arterial clogging, chest pain, is treated with prescription medicines but invariably the affected person ends up too often under the knife of a cardiac surgeon. As arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle gradually become blocked by plaques of cholesterol, fat, cells, and debris, the heart muscle is starved of oxygen. Drugs that are in the market may reduce the pain temporarily though eventually the patient has to seek surgical remedy. Coronary bypass operation or a plaque - busting angioplasty is necessary to restore blood flow to the heart. The alternative is a heart attack and such bypass operations are becoming routine these days in many affluent countries. The surgical intervention is not considered absolutely safe with some unable to survive the procedure. In about 6 percent of cases, it is known to cause brain damage. Another bitter fact is that it is not a permanent cure with the patient forced to go back to the hospital within six to eight years for a repeat of the surgery to repair the arteries again.

An oft repeated question is whether medical intervention is absolutely necessary to restore the health of the arteries and some believe there are alternative choices. It is now realized that clogging of arteries can be reversed through appropriate foods or supplements now being developed by some health products companies. Foods like garlic, oats, soy products, beans and walnuts seem to have the property to reverse clogging if consumed in optimal quantities regularly. The ability of arteries to clean themselves without the help of medicines, if simple diet and lifestyle changes are adopted, has been amply demonstrated and has been accepted by the medical fraternity. Under the right diet and exercise regimen, blockages in the arteries actually shrink significantly within an year. It was in 1990 that the role of diet in reducing atherosclerosis was brought out unambiguously when subjects with varying degree of atherosclerosis found their arteries getting rid of bad cholesterol on a vegetarian diet regimen compared to those consuming preparations with meat and fish regularly.  

The role of dietary fiber in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood is now well established. Its ability to "wash out" the cholesterol from the GI tract and not allowing it to be reabsorbed across the intestine is recognized. The recommendation to include 25-30 gm of fiber in daily diet has arisen out of the above conviction and dietary fiber has spawned an industry which sells fiber-rich supplements made from different sources. Even many "synthetic" dietary fiber preparations are being marketed though they cannot work as efficiently as natural fibers from whole cereal, pulses, fruits and vegetables. As the evidence about dietary fiber helping to reduce cholesterol has not been established conclusively through human studies of significant scale, any claim to be printed on the label of a food is some what premature. As the control regime on food supplements is not very strong, many manufacturers get away by making such claims to boost business.

The difficulty in accepting the limited evidence is due to the diverse nature of fibers used in different studies and the tendency to generalize the findings. To date FDA of the US had accorded approval to a Tomato extract that was proved to be effective as a blood thinner in place of Aspirin which is not recommended for normally healthy persons due to its adverse effect on gut health and hemoglobin level and its relatively long metabolic life of 20 days. How ever active efforts are on to get a few products cleared for arterial cleaning and one of them made from a Chitin-glucan fraction derived from Aspergillus niger seems to be promising. The human trials currently underway can only confirm its efficacy as an acceptable artery cleaning supplement.

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

IMPARTING SWEETNESS WITHOUT BEING SWEET!-IS IT POSSIBLE?

Man's quest for natural substances that can mimic sweet taste is never ending and it has assumed a new urgency because of the debilitating adverse effect of high intake of sugars like Sucrose in human body. The diabetic population that cannot ingest too much sugar and over weight consumers look for sugar substitutes which are safe for long term consumption. Almost all successful substitutes in the market to day are synthetic ones except Stevia Ribaudiosides and their safety status is always mired in controversy, leaving the consumers in a blind regarding the desirability of using them in daily diet. As for Stevia sugar, there is still some uncertainty regarding unreserved and universal clearance though consumers seem to be preferring this product increasingly these days.

Arrival of sweet tasting proteins has further kindled the interest in sugar substitutes and exciting developments are taking place to make some of these protein based natural sweeteners commercially available. A few of these proteins having potential to become acceptable sugar substitutes include Miraculin, Brazzein, Curculin, Monellin,Thaumatin, Pentadin and Mabilin, all natural substances present in plants growing in Africa and other places with traditional use well established. Of all these substances, Miraculin, a glycoprotein  occurring in the so called Miracle fruit from Africa has attracted world wide attention because of its peculiar property to impart sweetness in the mouth through molecular interaction on the tongue, without being sweet by itself. There are many commercial products based on this fruit that promise a lot to the consumers but unless more developmental work is done it is unlikely to go main stream immediately.

The Miracle fruit which is now grown in Ghana, Puerto Rico, Taiwan and Florida in the US is perishable, lasting for 2-3 days but can be processed to get the pulp which if freeze dried can be quite stable for more than 6 months. Most commercial preparations are based on freeze dried powder which can be formulated into convenient form of delivery such as tablets and capsules. When the fruit is chewed for some time in the mouth, Miraculin released from the fruit interacts with the taste buds linked to sweetness and the resultant coating causes any food at acidic pH tastes sweet. The sweetness created can be equivalent to a 17% sucrose solution but its effect can be varying depending on the acidity of the food consumed. It is not effective below a pH of 3 or above 12. Interestingly sweet modifying effect lasts for 6 months if stored at 5C. Being a protein, Miraculin is not very stable at high temperatures beyond 100C and hence not suitable to be used in baked foods.

Genetic engineering technology has been able to get the Miraculin expressed in E.coli, Lettuce and Tomato. 2 gm of GM Lettuce can express same amount of Miraculin as a single berry of Miracle fruit. However these products will remain unexploited for long because of lack of clearance by the safety authorities world over. One of the reasons for Miraculin not taking off as a sugar substitute is that there are not enough studies on its safety for long term human use as a food additive. The only country that allows use of Miraculin in foods is Japan where commercial products containing Miraculin are in the market.

Imagine the potential for designing hundreds of new products using Miraculin that can be a boon to millions of consumers around the world desperately yearning for sugarless products to sustain their life style, not willing or able to consume high sugar containing foods and beverages. If Miraculin can achieve sweetness equal to 17% of sugar syrup, new products with less sugar or no sugar can be easily developed, the only limitation being that this substance, a protein by nature, is not stable at high temperatures as being encountered in baking. Is it not fantastic that almost all synthetic beverages, most of them made with the much hated HFCS, can be made with zero sugar using Miraculin as an ingredient? How about chocolate products being manufactured using Miraculin that may enable millions of chocolate loving consumers to continue to eat them without any "guilt conscience"! Why not Miraculin containing preparations be made available for household use so that fresh food preparations with sweet taste can be made using significantly less sugar or no sugar at all?

Of course the food technologists will have to work around to evolve right conditions in new products to "activate" Miraculin effect at the point of consumption. This is now possible because the mechanism of action of this active chemical has been elucidated by scientists in Japan and France who report that Miraculin's interaction with the tongue's sweet sensors depends on the acidity of the local environment. At a pH of 4.8,  the sweet-tasting cells on the tongue respond twice as vigorously to Miraculin than they do at a less acidic pH of 5.7. With pH levels of 6.7 and higher, the protein seems to slightly change its molecular shape, blocking the sweet sensors but not activating them. Probably this accounts for the phenomenon that, under certain conditions, sweet foods may taste less flavorful after eating the berry. Plants are known to pack their fruits with sugars to attract animals, which after eating the fruit, distribute the seeds inside through their droppings. But, in a trick of nature, some plants like Miracle fruit, protein instead of sugar, is used to deliver a sweet taste. It is possible that these fruits, small in size with limited biochemical ability to synthesize sugar, have a different mechanism of synthesizing proteins that give the same effect. Interestingly Miraculin is the only one sweetness associated natural protein which does not taste sweet while all others, considered sugar substitutes, be it chemical or natural, are sweet themselves at relatively low concentrations.

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

HARVESTING OF TREE NUTS-A HERCULEAN PROBLEM!

When Western world is talking to day about urban gardens to encourage local production of some food crops and reduce the carbon foot print of foods consumed every day, in India such gardens have always been existing. In the South there is hardly a house without a coconut tree and there are many with fruit crops like Guava, Mango, Sapota or even a sprinkling of vegetable plants producing Pumpkins, Spinach, Beans, Okra etc. Of course this trend is declining with house sites getting smaller and smaller in many cities and water becoming a constraint. Coconut, one of the most favorite perennial crops is still valued as it is a staple food in some states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Goa. The catapulting of Coconut oil as a health ingredient because of its high medium chain fatty acids like Lauric acid has created a big demand for it through out the world.

There was a time when Coconut plants growing in places like Miami and Southern Florida in the US as kerbside plants and the nuts were swept off the roads as a litter material and even to day thousands of coconuts broken on the path of the deity Lord Ganesha during Thaipusam Festival in Malaysia find no takers, finally ending up in the landfill! In thousands of temples in India coconut is a part of the offering to God along with flowers, fruits, camphor and incense sticks. Coconut oil is also a much valued hair oil with large markets in the South and West Bengal. There are many uses for the coconut tree and its nuts and Kerala in India has large number of industries thriving on coconut, its husk, shell, leaves etc as it is a state where these trees thrive because of the favorable climate and profuse rains. The toddy industry in the state is dependent on tapping of the trees several times an year.

As a food coconut meat is used in many food preparations in the form of fresh gratings, extracted milk and desiccated powder. Water from tender coconut is a much valued beverage, often taken as a thirst quencher and healthy drink and in countries like the US this beverage is marketed as "equal" to blood because of its reported use as a substitute for blood for transfusion during World War II. With the role of Medium Chain Fatty acids in maintaining good health becoming apparent, demand for coconut oil in the international market has increased significantly recently causing a spurt in its price. World production of 61 million tons of coconut is contributed by 80 countries though Philippines, Indonesia and India account for more than 75%. In India four southern states of Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh produce more than 92% of the country's production.

Harvesting coconuts requires traditional skill for climbing the tree, which in some cases can be as tall as 70-80 ft and experience in picking up mature ones from several bunches and the frequency of harvesting can be once in 40 to 60 days. In Malaysia and Indonesia the nuts are picked by trained pig tailed Macaque monkeys and therefore human intervention is avoided. There are specialized training schools in these countries for training monkeys to climb and pluck mature nuts. But in India only human beings climb the trees to harvest the nuts and till recently adequate workers with necessary skills were available charging reasonably for the work. However during the last two years there has been a drastic reduction of the work force because of migration of these workers to other better paying avocations. This has led to a situation where those who still do the job charging exorbitantly for climbing coconut trees. There are many coconut plantations in Kerala looking for permanent employees for plucking coconut, willing to pay as much as Rs 15000 per month.

It is reported that dearth of coconut climbers is delaying harvest in many parts of the state and adversely affecting the productivity of the trees. Traditional climbers not only pluck coconuts but also take care of the trees, keeping them free of disease. This is reflected in the marginal dip in production in the state this year. It is a tribute to the Coconut Board at Kochi which has taken upon itself the task to address this problem on a war footing. Since the middle of August, the board has conducted free residential weekly training programs in 12 centers in Kerala, under a budget allocation of Rs 30 million which is expected to turn out about 5,000 climbers to pluck coconuts and identify diseases and spot seeds. They are also exposed to the technique of use of the tree climbing machine which are distributed free for practicing the profession amd make a career of it. The use of climbing machines also allows women to enter the traditionally male-dominated profession. Coconut plantation owners, as well as residents with coconut palms in their courtyards, will be hoping that the new crop of climbers start their work immediately. .

While Kerala is lucky to have the organizational backing of the Coconut Board, what about other states? What type of relief can be given to millions of house holds in these states who regret for having planted the trees in their premises considering the hassles involved in harvesting coconuts in time and avoiding unnecessary quarrel with their neighbors? Can there be tree crop harvesting companies formed here which can lend its workers for harvesting for a consideration? Entrepreneurship in this area can be a win-win situation for everybody.Already pre-harvest contractors are dominant in many states for crop harvesting and marketing and the tender coconut industry has evolved a system of contracting trees for harvesting tender ones based on an agreed price. These entrepreneurs must see an opportunity for a service business and form organizational entities with modern outlook. If this happens India can emerge as the top coconut producing country in the world within a short span of time.

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

THE ARSENIC "DEBATE"-A MISPLACED SAFETY CONCERN

In to day's world man suspects that every thing he comes into contact with, can be dangerous and with modern style of living, the number of chemicals used in thousands of consumer products is increasing every day. Many of these have been studied for their safety and clearance for use given based on available scientific data. However with widely divergent conclusions thrown up by such studies, no firm conclusion can be drawn regarding the safety of any chemical that comes into contact with human being or consumed through foods. To cite an example both Saccharine and Cyclamate were hailed, when they were introduced as sugar substitutes, as "God sent" and enjoyed wide scale acceptance, especially by the consumers who are sugar "intolerant"! A few years later both were implicated in many health disorders by toxicologists leading to their ban in many countries. This trend was reversed later after finding the earlier studies faulty and unreliable and to day both these sugar substitutes are allowed in many countries!

Recent uproar regarding Arsenic content in Apple juice is another example of misplaced concerns on the part of some consumers and activists, in spite of the fact that arsenic is a common contaminant in air since time immemorial. Finding fault with regulatory agencies for not banning the Apple juice is totally misconceived and deserves contempt and pity! Probably those who find danger in every food they eat must think of migrating to another planet where they may get the ideal living condition aspired by them. Life on earth is based on a balance of risks and benefits associated with any endeavor and one has to get reconciled to this truth. It is true that ingestion of Arsenic by humans at high doses can be dangerous and this trace mineral is implicated in development of cancer of Lungs, Bladder, GI Tract and Skin, especially when consumed through water containing more than 50 micro grams (ug)per liter. This is the reason why only a low level of 10 parts per billion of Arsenic is allowed in drinking water.

Arsenic concentration in air can be about 0.02 to 4 nano gram (ng) per cubic meter in rural areas where air is considered relatively pure. This can go up to 200 ng per cubic meter in urban areas where industrial emissions and other factors can contribute to higher Arsenic concentration. It can go as high as 1000 ng in areas near smelters. Sea water contains arsenic as high as 1000 to 2000 ng per liter while ground water may also have same levels of this toxic metal. There are reports that water sources near volcanic rocks, sulfur mineral deposits can have Arsenic as high as 3000 ug per liter! Normally soil samples contain about 1-40 mg of Arsenic per kg. While discussing about the toxicity of Arsenic it is to be noted that inorganic Arsenic is more dangerous and out of the average consumption of Arsenic through the food, about 20-300 ug/day, 25% is the inorganic version. There is the million dollar question as to why no agency has set an upper limit for Arsenic that can be considered safe when ingested through food and probably this may be exercising the mind of many people who entertain apprehension on this score.

It is true that long term exposure to Arsenic, especially at high levels is injurious but setting up an upper limit for safety for every food is not considered practical. Water is a critical material consumed in large quantities, 2-3 liters a day and greater precaution is necessary in avoiding unsafe levels. Therefore such limits have been incorporated in potable water standards. One of the reasons for giving priority to water is that most Arsenic present in water is inorganic in nature and hence more dangerous. In contrast Arsenic present in foods is organic type with considerably less toxicity. So far no food product has been reported to have Arsenic content more than that set for water and therefore the apprehension on this score may be misplaced.

According to present data available Sea foods including fish contribute about 77% of the Arsenic exposure by average person while cereal products, vegetables, meat products and dairy products account for 10%, 6%, 4% and 3% respectively. Further the present safe Arsenic intake level is 15 ug per kg body weight per week (PTIW) while through all sources the average intake is reported to be less than 7 PTIW as per some studies. Rice is one of the food materials, suspected to have a tendency to absorb Arsenic from the soil because of profuse water use and rice products originating from the US and France have been reported to contain 0.24 to 0.28 mg per kg posing some concern at one time. Use of Arsenic containing crop protectants in the field also has been implicated in accumulation of the metal in paddy crops. Fortunately in high rice consuming countries like India and Egypt, the Arsenic levels in the rice are never known to be above 0.1 mg per kg. While continued monitoring of foods for Arsenic level is necessary to pre-empt any possible poisoning episode in future, consumers should not be unduly worried about Arsenic at least for the time being.

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