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Food Standards
The perfect brew
Issue Date: Jun 15, 2009
The world's oldest food purity law dates back to 1516
The last week of April was party time in Germany. Beer halls in Munich were packed with people drinking tall glasses of the dark brew served by
women dressed in dirndls while men in leather shorts pumped out oompah music from battered brass instruments. The government of Bavaria
had declared a Beer Week to let tourists and residents sample from some of the state's 40 breweries and 4,000 brands. The Germans were
Caffeine hits energy drinks
Issue Date: May 15, 2009
Maharashtra food regulators seize consignments
energy drinks sold in restaurants and grocery stores have caught the eye of food regulators in Maharashtra. In the
first week of April, they seized large quantities of beverages sold under brands like Red Bull, Cloud 9, Fighter and SoBe Adrenaline Rush from
Andhra farmers to earn more
Issue Date: Apr 30, 2009
Group certification for organic farmers in the state
ABOUT 6,000 farmers from 138 villages in Andhra Pradesh who practise organic farming can next year expect a premium price for their
produce. Certification by the National Centre for Organic Farming in Ghaziabad will help them earn more.
The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (serp), under the state's rural development ministry, has initiated the
Cap on trans fats
@vibhavarshney Issue Date: Apr 15, 2009
Vanaspati ghee manufacturers unhappy with proposed standard
Deadline fails
Issue Date: Apr 15, 2009
Committee yet to issue guidelines for monitoring probiotics
PEOPLE who buy probiotic drinks, ice creams and curds in India cannot really be certain of their health benefits. There is no monitoring mechanism for checking the genuineness of these products or verifying the claims on their labels.
Baked but no trans fats
Issue Date: Mar 15, 2009
Britannia goes for palm oil
How we are losing the battle
Issue Date: Feb 15, 2009
By not setting standards
It is not that the country's oil regulators have not accepted that trans fats need to be regulated since it impacts health. They just can't get their act together to set a standard (see box The five-year talk show).
What is healthy oil for our healthy bodies
Issue Date: Feb 15, 2009
Commercial interests determine content
The oil we eat is essential for our body to function. We cannot do without it. Thus it is important to understand its chemistry. It is agreed that
healthy oil is one which has less saturated fat, more monounsaturated fat (mufa) and polyunsaturated fats (
Rules, but as good as not
Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 includes specific standards on edible oils giving broad specification for different oils. The act allows two different oils to be blended and sold. The specifications do not lay down guidelines on fatty acid composition of different oils. There are specifications for vanaspati. Companies can mix any quantity of any "harmless", vegetable oil in their brand. In September 2008, the health ministry issued notification for labelling of food--for nutrition and health claims--under the act.Who controls
Issue Date: Feb 15, 2009
The oil brand ambassadors
CSE's laboratory study found variations, often wide, in fat composition in different brands of the same type of oil.
That made it clear that there is no check or standarization on the quality of the oils being sold. Following are some examples
The mufa in sunflower varies from 23 per cent (NatureFresh of Cargil) to 48 per cent (Sundrop of Agrotech).
