Packaged Food and Health Concerns

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Why in News?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) stress the need to read food labels carefully to avoid health problems.

Their new report gives advice on healthy eating and cautions against misleading claims on packaged foods.

 

What are the Key Recommendations for a Healthier Lifestyle?

Moderation in Consumption: The guidelines advise using oil and fats sparingly and cutting down on salt and sugar to lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and prevent up to 80% of type 2 diabetes cases through a healthy lifestyle.

Exercise and Physical Activity: They stress the importance of regular exercise along with a balanced diet to prevent obesity. Lack of physical activity and eating too many processed foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies and weight gain.

Dietary Diversity and Nutrient Intake: The guidelines suggest getting nutrients from at least eight different food groups to ensure a balanced diet. This helps meet all nutritional needs and prevent deficiencies in all age groups.

Limiting Ultra-Processed Foods: They recommend limiting ultra-processed foods, which are high in sugar, salt, and fat, as they can harm health, lead to nutrient deficiencies, and contribute to weight gain.

Informed Food Choices: The guidelines encourage reading food labels to make healthier choices, helping to avoid foods high in sugars, fats, and salts, and thus prevent obesity.

Avoid Protein Supplements: They advise against using protein supplements for muscle gain, noting that they offer minimal benefits and can cause problems like bone mineral loss and kidney damage when consumed in large amounts.

 

How can the Guidelines Benefit Populations?

Pregnant Women and New Mothers: Access to extra nutritious food helps keep both mother and baby healthy, lowering the risk of complications.

 

Infants and Young Children: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months promotes the best physical and mental development, followed by the introduction of complementary foods.

Children and Adolescents: A balanced diet supports learning, growth, and physical activity, ensuring optimal development.

Elderly People: Focusing on nutrient-rich foods meets specific needs such as bone health and immune function, enhancing quality of life.

 

How can Packaged Foods be Misleading?

Attention-Grabbing Labels: Packaged foods often use eye-catching labels suggesting health benefits, which can be misleading.

-Natural' Claims:

• Processed foods labeled as 'natural' may still have preservatives and added colors.
• The term is often used loosely, highlighting a few natural ingredients and confusing consumers.
• Terms like "natural," "organic," and "sugar-free" can be ambiguous and misinterpreted, leading to unhealthy choices.
• Truly organic food should be free of preservatives, flavors, colors, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers.
• Only products meeting these criteria should use the 'Jaivik Bharat' logo approved by FSSAI.
• Making deceptive claims or advertisements is punishable under Section 53 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

 

- Packaged Juice Labels:

• Juices with as little as 10% natural fruit can be labeled as made with real pulp or juice, which can mislead consumers about the actual content.

 

- Fruit Ripening:

• Calcium carbide use for fruit ripening is misleading and poses health risks.
• It releases acetylene gas containing harmful traces of arsenic and phosphorus, known as "Masala."
• These can cause dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcers.
• Acetylene gas is also hazardous to handlers.
• Using calcium carbide for ripening fruits is banned under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
• FSSAI permits using ethylene gas as a safer alternative, as it is a natural hormone regulating the ripening process.

 

- Chemical Contamination:

• Nepal, Singapore, and Hong Kong have banned certain Indian spice mixes due to potential health risks.
• These products are suspected of being contaminated with ethylene oxide (EtO), a chemical used for fumigation.

 

- Whole Grain Misrepresentation:

• Products may advertise whole grains but contain only a small percentage, with the rest being refined grains.

 

Way Forward

- Standardisation of Terminology:

• Implement clear definitions for terms like "natural," "organic," and "sugar-free" to avoid consumer confusion.
• Mandate food labels to clearly disclose all processing methods and potential contaminants.

 

- Nutritional Literacy:

• Include nutritional literacy in school curricula to encourage reading food labels and making informed food choices from a young age.

 

- Taxation and Subsidies:

• Tax ultra-processed foods and provide subsidies for whole foods to make healthier options more affordable.

 

- Mobile Applications:

• Develop apps that scan product barcodes and provide detailed nutritional information and health ratings.

 

- Meal Planning Tools:

• Create and share dietary guidelines tailored to the Indian population.
• Provide accessible meal planning tools and resources for healthy, balanced diets.

 

- Health Policies:

• Support the National Nutrition Policy and government efforts to promote holistic nutrition and health.
• Encourage local farmers' markets and kitchen gardens to increase access to fresh produce.

 

Issue of Solid Waste Management

Why in News?

Recently, the Supreme Court criticized the poor management of solid waste in New Delhi. Over 3,800 tonnes of untreated waste are piling up in landfills, threatening public health and the environment.

 

What are the Issues with India’s Solid Waste Management?

About:

 

• Solid Waste Composition: Solid waste includes solid or semi-solid household waste, sanitary waste, commercial waste, institutional waste, catering, and market waste, along with other non-residential wastes.
• Additional Components: It also encompasses street sweepings, silt from surface drains, horticulture waste, agricultural and dairy waste, treated biomedical waste (excluding industrial, biomedical, and e-waste), as well as battery and radioactive waste.
• Global Contribution: India, housing approximately 18% of the global population, is responsible for 12% of the world's municipal waste generation.
• Annual Waste Generation: According to The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India produces 62 million tonnes of waste annually. Of this, about 43 million tonnes (70%) are collected, with approximately 12 million tonnes treated, and 31 million tonnes disposed of in landfill sites.
• Future Projections: Due to changing consumption patterns and rapid economic growth, urban municipal solid waste generation in India is expected to rise to 165 million tonnes by 2030.

 

Issues:

 

- Poor Implementation of Rules:

• Garbage Bin Conditions: Metro cities are plagued with old, damaged, or inadequate garbage bins, insufficient to manage the solid waste effectively.
• Waste Segregation: A significant issue is the lack of segregation at the source, resulting in mixed waste being sent to landfills, violating the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
• Collection Services: Some areas suffer from irregular waste collection services, leading to waste accumulation and littering.

 

- Problem of Dumping Sites:

• Land Scarcity: Waste processing plants in metro cities face land scarcity, leading to untreated waste, compounded by illegal dumping and poor stakeholder coordination.
• Environmental Hazards: Despite existing facilities, a large amount of solid waste remains unprocessed, causing environmental hazards such as methane emissions, leachates, and landfill fires, contributing to legacy waste.
• Biomining Delays: Initiated in 2019, biomining efforts are expected to be completed by 2026, extending the environmental impact of mismanaged waste and perpetuating landfill growth.

 

-Lack of Data Collection Mechanism:

• Data Deficiency: The absence of historical data (time series) or regional data (panel data) hampers private companies' ability to assess the costs and benefits of waste management projects.
• Market Analysis Challenges: This data gap makes it difficult for private entities to evaluate the market size and profitability of waste management solutions across various Indian regions.

 

- Formal and Informal Waste Management System:

• Service Gaps: Municipal waste collection services often fail in low-income communities, a gap filled by the informal sector.
• Health Risks: Informal waste pickers face health risks due to unhygienic conditions and lack of safety gear, with child labor being a significant concern in some areas.

 

-Lack of Public Awareness: There is a general lack of public awareness regarding proper waste management practices, leading to littering and improper disposal habits.

 

What are the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016?

These rules replaced the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. They focus on waste segregation at the source, manufacturer responsibility for disposing of sanitary and packaging wastes, and user fees for waste collection, disposal, and processing.

 Key Features:

- Waste Segregation:

  - Generators must separate waste into three categories:

• Wet (Biodegradable).
• Dry (Plastic, Paper, Metal, Wood, etc.).
• Domestic Hazardous Wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaning agents, mosquito repellents, etc.).

  - Segregated waste should be handed over to authorized rag-pickers, waste collectors, or local bodies.

 

- Fees and Fines:

• User Fee: Paid to waste collectors.
• Spot Fine: For littering and non-segregation.

 

- Bio-Degradable Waste:

• Should be processed, treated, and disposed of through composting or bio-methanation on the premises whenever possible.

 

-Manufacturer Responsibilities:

• Manufacturers and brand owners of disposable products (like tin, glass, and plastic packaging) must help local authorities financially to set up a waste management system.

 

Way Forward

Role of Municipalities:

• Enhancing Waste Processing Capacities: Cities need to increase their waste processing capabilities, considering future population growth. This involves focusing on composting and biogas generation for biodegradable waste and setting up and running facilities in consultation with stakeholders.
• Consulting Various Stakeholders: Municipalities should identify land, set up plants, and operate them effectively by consulting various stakeholders.

 

Waste-to-Energy Justification:

Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF): Non-recyclable dry waste like plastics, paper, and textiles can be converted into RDF, which has a high calorific value and can be used for power generation in waste-to-energy projects.

Decentralised Waste Processing:

Implementation in Metropolitan Areas: Metropolitan areas like Delhi can collaborate with neighboring states (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh) to establish several composting facilities. These states also have existing organic compost markets.

Micro-Composting Centres (MCC): Implement MCCs with a capacity of 5 tonnes per day (TPD) in each ward for wet waste, inspired by Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCC): Establish DWCCs with a capacity of 2 TPD in each ward for dry waste, inspired by Bengaluru.

 

Integrated Approach:

Combining Options: Combine decentralised options like MCCs and DWCCs with large-scale processing facilities to ensure all waste is treated effectively.

 

Spices Board of India

Why in News?

The Spices Board of India is addressing the issue of setting limits for Ethylene Oxide (ETO) use in spices with CODEX, the international food standards body.

This action follows the recall of certain branded spices exported by Indian companies to Hong Kong and Singapore due to ETO contamination concerns. Additionally, Nepal has banned the sale and import of specific spice-mix products over similar concerns.

 

What is the Spices Board of India?

About Spices Board:

• The Spices Board was established on February 26, 1987, under the Spices Board Act, 1986, by merging the erstwhile Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960).
• It is one of the five statutory Commodity Boards under the Department of Commerce.
• These boards oversee the production, development, and export of tea, coffee, rubber, spices, and tobacco.
• The Spices Board is responsible for promoting the export of 52 scheduled spices and developing Cardamom.
• It serves as the primary organization for promoting Indian spices globally and acts as a bridge between Indian exporters and international importers.

 

Issue of Ethylene Oxide (ETO):

• ETO is a chemical used as a sterilizing agent in spices but is considered carcinogenic beyond certain limits.
• Although efforts are being made to prevent ETO contamination, the failure rate for Indian spice exports due to ETO is less than 1% in major markets.
• Currently, CODEX has not established a limit for ETO usage, and there is no standardized testing protocol for ETO.
• India has raised the need for setting limits for ETO usage with the CODEX committee due to differing limits in different countries.
• The Spices Board has released guidelines for exporters to prevent ETO contamination and ensure market safety.
• It advises against using ETO as a sterilizing agent for spices and suggests alternatives like steam sterilization and irradiation.
• Other countries such as the US, New Zealand, and Australia have also expressed concerns about the quality of some Indian spices and are considering further action.