Food Adulteration is the major problem related to food faced by all the countries all over the world. Not only the developing countries like India, all the developed countries are facing the problem of Food Adulteration. As a result of this the people who consume the adulterated food are badly affected and sometimes even may resulting to food poisoning. Sometimes the results of consumption of adulterated food are immediate. In other cases the affect may be delayed and the delayed affect may be more dangerous even which may lead to cancer. The best example of this delayed effect is consumption of metal contaminated food. Metals enter into the food through air, water, soil or by industrial pollution and contaminate the food. Metallic components of arsenic oxides, Barium carbonates may accidentally make their way into the foods. Packaging material, containers, metal machinery that is used during food processing and distribution are the other sources of contamination. Metals are naturally present in foods and even mere changes in the dietary uptake it leads to toxic effects. Some of the metals like lead, tin cadmium, mercury, arsenic, zinc, copper, aluminum, cobalt and chromium when consumed in large quantities are toxic. Studies conducted by scientists at Industrial Toxicology Research centre, Lucknow found that silver foil used for sweets and in pan masala contain nickel, lead, chromium, and cadmium. These metals when accumulated slowly in the body become carcinogenic and may result in cancer. Silver foil with a purity of 99% can be used in edible form. A survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) also found high levels of pesticide residues in bovine milk and metals like arsenic, cadmium and lead in infant canned products and turmeric. Nickel, a trace metal that could cause cancer is present in Indian chocolates, water, and hydrogenated vegetable oil and even in milk. These types of Adulterants which are incidentally which enters the food products are called as Incidental Adulterants or Unintentional Adulterants.
The Incidental adulterants pass sequentially through the food chian in the following way: Contamination begins when farmers use pesticides to protect crops. The Health department sprays pesticides to control malaria-causing mosquitoes. Residues remain long after spraying .Cattle, fodder and chicken feed are affected, and ground water, meat, fish, milk and egg get toxic. More spraying done to prevent fungus and rodents from attacking stored grain. Further increases the residue levels in foodstuffs. Sellers dip vegetables in pesticides to make them look fresh as well as to preserve them. Oils and sweets are adulterated with prohibited substances. Even after cooking toxic residues are not destroyed and when ingested pesticides are absorbed by small intestine. Fatty tissues present in the body store these pesticides which can lead to the damage of heart, Brain, kidney and liver. Strict control on various sources of contamination, established control of quality control by authorities, strict follow up with the accepted standards and food labeling will avoid the excessive contamination of food with metals. These standards and rules include Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954(PFA 1954), PFA Rules 1955, Standard weights and measures Act 1976, AGMARK, Bureau of Indian Standards (ISI) , Food Safety and Standard Act 2006( FSSA 2006 ).
The incidental poisoning can be prevented by doing the following things:
–>Regular market surveys to warn people dangerous build-up of toxins in food.
–>Stepping up the integrated pest-management programme to teach farmers to use pesticides judiciously. No spraying should be done a week, before harvest.
–>Taking up on a war footing the control of pests using their natural predators.
–>Using safer pesticides like synthetic pyrethroids or Malathion.
–>By washing vegetables thoroughly before cooking.
Author: blogger
Foods To Put In Your Thermos
We`re all familiar with the idea of taking your tea or coffee to work in a thermos, but did you know that you can keep food warm in that handy container, as well? It`s nice to have a hot meal ready to go, even if you`ve been hard at work all morning and your thermos can help you do just that.
1. Soup. This one is pretty obvious, since it`s liquid. However, it`s worth mentioning because you can literally have a different soup every day for a month and never repeat! From minestrone to chicken noodle and cheddar chowder, you can enjoy delicious hot meals poured right out of your thermos.
2. Pasta. If you`ve ever had a hankering for ravioli at your noon break, this is a great way to satisfy it. You`ll find that this works best with a wide mouth thermos, as do most foods. When you cook your pasta, make sure you cook it to just over half done. That means, if you bite a piece of spaghetti in half, it should still have a white center. Other pastas should still be chewy. Pour the drained pasta into your thermos, add your favorite topping or sauce and seal it up.
3. Veggies. Cold, boiled vegetables are just nasty in most cases, but it doesn`t have to be that way. Pour them into your thermos, add a dab of butter and some salt and let them stay there until you`re ready to eat your steaming hot, delicious vegetables.
4. Pudding. If you don`t relish the thought of having lukewarm pudding in your Tupperware at noon, then try putting the cold pudding into your thermos in the morning. It will stay nice and cool until you`re ready to treat yourself.
5. Chili. Not technically a soup, this dish tends to taste best when hot, so put it in your thermos and pack a few slices of cornbread to enjoy with it. Your chili will still be piping hot when you`re ready to sit down to lunch at the office.
You can make it easier on yourself by purchasing a wide mouth thermos that will let you easily put food in and dump it back out. A long handled spoon is also very useful for getting the last bits of food out of the bottom of the thermos. And with that, you`re ready to start eating great, healthy meals at work.
Energy Drinks and Food Bars – Important Information
Some can be good for you if not over used but it’s important that you know what you are getting into instead of believing the company who’s trying to sell it to you because they aren’t worried about your health so much as their bottom line. With so many energy drinks available you must find out which ones really are good and which are more of a junk food in a “healthy package”.
One of the more recent “natural” sweeteners to become popular is agave nectar, but it turns out that this is actually a processed food that’s high in fructose. You will find some energy drinks that have either been regulated or banned all together. Of course we all know just how many of these products contain a high amount of sugar ordinarily but watch out for those who disguise the sugars in the food and beverages. You’re also not getting essential fibers and healthy fats when you eat too many food bars instead of meals. You need to choose one without added sugar especially if you are looking to lose weight. Healthy food bars can be good snacks and, when combined with something like a salad, part of a nutritious meal, but they can’t be considered meal replacements all the time. There is a wide variety of availability these days in energy, food, diet bars and drinks on the market and some are definitely better for you than others. There has been much controversy over energy drinks and food bars in recent years. High school athletes, professional athletes, middle aged men and women alike do it. You will find a lot of people who swear by them and others who make claims to the contrary. The information you’ll find below will help you determine which ones really are ok for you to consume.
As you can see from this information it’s imperative that you use common sense when it comes to food bars or energy drinks. This is not a product you want to tangle with if your goal is weight loss. High fructose corn syrup is commonly found in these products. s.
Read our full review of food bars and energy drinks and their full impact on your health and well being.
Foods That Can Help You Get Pregnant Easily
Unknown to most women, there are some foods that can help you get pregnant easily. There are actually other factors to help you get pregnant fast and food is just one of them. What you eat can actually affect how fast you will conceive. This even applies to your partner, as it takes two to tango.
New findings indicate that your diet during pregnancy could even affect your chances of having either a baby girl or boy. In fact, research has discovered that expecting mothers who often had a high-calorie diet and ate breakfast regularly had more chances of giving birth to a baby boy. Scientists are suggesting that people being too busy for breakfast and having low calorie diets these days probably influence the increasing number of girls being born in recent years.
So how can food make one get pregnant easily? To date, there is proof established yet, but there is increasing evidence on the subject. In studies, those who took multivitamins that included folic acid or iron were found to have better chances of getting pregnant. It is also found that nutrients deriving from vegetables, fruits, beans and supplements in contrast to red meat, are able to boost fertility.
Watching Weight – Experts suggest that anyone wanting to get pregnant easily should initially watch her weight. Women who have a BMI (body mass index) of 20 to 24 have the most likelihood of falling pregnant. On the other hand, women with a BMI over 24 or less than 20 have a less likelihood of conceiving. However, this definitely does not mean there’s no hope for those who do not fall in the healthy weight category. Studies indicate that any woman can jump-start ovulation by making some healthy and moderate changes in their weight.
Organic Food – So what foods can you try to get pregnant easily? There are a number of foods that are considered fertility boosting. Try to consume about 8 portions of organic fruits and vegetables each day. Go for organic when it comes to animal produce such as meat and dairy products. Consume more brown whole foods instead of white refined foods-whole foods contain more zinc, which is good for you. Moreover, you need to eat fewer portions but on a regular basis each day to maintain proper blood sugar levels in your body.
Fiber – Don’t forget your fiber, which is important in maintaining a healthy bowel and boosting fertility. Finally, eat more “good fats,” which could be taken from oily fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. You may take fish oil supplements or eat sunflower/pumpkin seeds, as mercury levels can be high in seafood. While you’re at it, drink around 8 glass of water each day.
Foods To Avoid – While there are foods that can help you get pregnant easily, there are those that you should avoid. Avoid drinking caffeine as much as possible. Also avoid drinking alcohol. These substances are known to present a risk of infertility in women.
Choose your diet well. Food has obviously been used as a source of nutrients for our well-being. But with so many choices these days, we need to choose the right kinds of food. Eating wisely can help any woman get pregnant easily.
Smart, Stylish Pet-food Storage Solutions
If pets had their way, they’d raid the bags containing their kibble and help themselves to an all-day feast, every day. This is hardly a desirable scenario, as it leads to obesity and digestive upset, so take care to store food where pets can’t get at it while you’re not looking.
Dogs, by the way, are not the only ones guilty of raiding bags of kibble; hungry cats have also been known to apply their claws and teeth to almost-full bags – even those heavy-duty foil models! – and help themselves to heaps of between-meal snacks.
Most pet-food storage containers are made of plastic, which is porous (so their contents are not safe from bacteria) and easily gnawed open by a large, determined dog.
Pet-supply stores sell large clips to “reseal” opened bags of kibble – but these do nothing to prevent the contents from growing stale, or permitting the entry of hungry insects.
Happily, there are much better, more sanitary ways to store large bags of opened kibble.
If there’s room in your refrigerator, stick the opened bag of kibble in there. Or, decant the contents of the bag into glass food-storage jars. These are widely available at kitchen-supply stores and online, and they come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from round to square. Some have threaded metal lids, others close with a rubber washer that securely closes with a metal clamp.
If you’d like double protection – refrigeration plus a glass jar – investigate refrigerator glassware, widely available in nesting sets, complete with convenient plastic lids. Just don’t subject glass that isn’t made for refrigerator storage to your fridge’s chilly atmosphere, or it will crack and break, and you’ll have wasted all that kibble.
In the fridge or out, glass jars keep pets and bugs away from the food, and they look quite decorative just sitting there on your kitchen counter or shelf. The good habit of transferring kibble from the bag to the jar could even inspire you to be better about putting away flour, sugar, and other bagged food items!