Be Careful about Honey

Honey is the natural sweet substance produced by honey bees from the nectar of blossoms or from secretions of plants.
When visually inspected, the honey shall be free from any foreign matter such as mould, dirt, scum, pieces of beeswax, the fragments of bees and other insects and from any other extraneous matter.
The colour of honey vary from light to dark brown. Standards for honey have been prescribed under Prevention Food Adulteration (PFA) Rules, 1955 as under.
(a) Specific gravity at 27OC Not less than 1.35
(b) Moisture Not more than 25 per cent by mass
(c) Total reducing sugars Not less than 65 per cent by mass
(c-i) for Carbia colossa and Honey dew Not less than 60 per cent by mass
(d) Sucrose Not more than to 5.0 per cent by mass
(d-i) for Carbia colossa and Honey dew Not more than 10 per cent by mass
(e) Fructose-glucose ratio Not less than 0.95
(f) Ash Not more than 0.5 percent by mass
(g) Acidity (Expressed as formic acid) Not more than 0.2 per cent by mass
(h) Fiehe's test Negative
(i) Hydroxy methyl furfural(HMF),
mg/kg Not more than 80

If Fiehe's test is positive, and hydroxy methyl furfural (HMF) content is more than 80 milligram/kilogram, then fructose: glucose ratio should be 1.0 or more.
Rule 44 D provides for restriction on sale of Carbia Callosa and Honey dew. Carbia Collosa and Honey dew shall be sold only in sealed containers bearing AGMARK seal.
Rule 45 specifies that food resembling but not pure honey cannot be marked as honey. No person shall use the word „Honey‟ or any word, mark, illustration or device that suggests „Honey‟ on the label or any package of, or in any advertisement for, any food that resembles honey but is not pure honey.
Violation of the provisions of PFA Act/Rules attracts penal action.
No pesticide residues or antibiotics are allowed in honey.
The maximum limits of heavy metals in various foods are prescribed under PFA
Rules, 1955. Rule 57 of PFA Rules prescribes the limits of contaminants under category
“Foods not specified” (which includes honey) as follows:-
1. Lead Not more than 2.5 ppm
2. Copper Not more than 30.0 ppm
3. Arsenic Not more than 1.1 ppm
4. Tin Not more than 250.0 ppm
5. Zinc Not more than 50.0 ppm
6. Cadmium Not more than 1.5 ppm
7. Mercury Not more than 1.0 ppm
8. Methyl Mercury Not more than 0.25 ppm
Standards of Honey under AGMARK
The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation has laid down standards of honey under the Grading and Marking Rules (AGMARK), which lays down the grades, designation of honey as Special, Grade–A and Standard to indicate the quality of honey for the purpose of certification. It specifies the method of packing, marking and labelling and conditions for grant of certificate for authorization. The standards of AGMARK are
voluntary.
In the matter of admissibility of antibiotics in honey, safety standards in India are similar to those in European Union, Codex Alimentarius and USA where they are completely prohibited.

Ban genetically modified crops: Greenpeace India

New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) A Greenpeace India delegation Tuesday met the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and demanded a ban on Genetically Modified (GM) crops, saying that they were a threat to the country's agriculture, food safety and environment.
The delegation made a presentation before the standing committee and presented evidence and credible publications outlining the threats posed by GM crops.

'We want the committee to make recommendations that will ensure a sustainable future for our farming and act against such false promises like GM crops,' said Rajesh Krishnan, manager of Sustainable Agriculture Campaign, Greenpeace India.

The issue of GM food was included in the 31-member parliamentary committee's agenda after large-scale public interest was built around the Biotech seed industry's attempt to get approval for the first GM food crop Bt Brinjal. However, facing public opposition and scientific opinion going against it, the government suspended it indefinitely.

'It is heartening to see that the standing committee on agriculture has understood the concerns people of this country have regarding GM food and taken a matter so crucial to India with the seriousness it deserves,' Krishnan added.
source: http://sify.com/finance/ban-genetically-modified-crops-greenpeace-india-news-default-kktuEwbbcaf.html (Last Visited on October 20th, 2010)

GM Trial

Crop specialists in Kenya and Uganda have laid the groundwork for confined field trials to commence later this year for new varieties of maize genetically modified to survive recurrent droughts that threaten over 300 million Africans for whom maize is life.

Daniel Mataruka, executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), who noted this at the World Food Prize Symposium recently, said there is preliminary evidence that the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) varieties, which were developed through a public-private partnership, could provide yields between 24 and 35 percent higher than what farmers were now growing.

According to him, scientists working with AATF believe it was important to explore the potential of biotechnology to maintain and increase food production in Africa, given the large number of families dependent on maize, and warnings that maize yields could drop dramatically as climate change increased drought frequency and severity across the continent. 

The process for testing the WEMA varieties has been informed by a series of “mock trials” conducted in 2009 in Kenya and Tanzania. These trials carefully simulated field conditions, procedures, and regulatory oversight that will occur in the actual trials.

“The mock trials have provided an opportunity for researchers working on the WEMA project to fine-tune the procedures of carrying out the actual transgenic trial in 2010,” Mataruka said. “There have already been positive gains made in drought tolerance using traditional breeding methods by our partners,” said Mataruka.

“WEMA is working to further increase those gains in drought tolerance in hybrids adapted to eastern and southern Africa through both advanced breeding techniques and biotechnology.”

“Everything we have seen in the simulated trials shows that we can safely test transgenic maize varieties in carefully controlled and confined field trials in Africa and evaluate their potential to produce high yields in drought conditions,” said Dr. James Gethi, the WEMA-Kenya country coordinator.

Drought is the most important constraint to African agricultural production, and its effects are particularly severe on maize, which is the most widely-grown staple on the continent. For millions of small-scale farmers who rely on rainfall to water their crops, risk of crop failure from drought is a major barrier to the adoption of improved farming practices.

A more reliable harvest could give farmers the confidence to invest in improved techniques that could further boost their yields and incomes. The push to develop drought-tolerant varieties has been given added urgency by threats likely to come from climate change.

A study by scientists at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) warns that by 2050, climate change could make droughts more frequent and intense, potentially causing maize yields to drop by 20 percent or more in parts of East Africa, including northern Uganda and southern Sudan, and semi-arid areas of Kenya and Tanzania.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has acknowledged biotechnology as a powerful tool in the effort to develop drought-tolerant crops. The drought-tolerant WEMA varieties are being developed under a partnership involving AATF, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Monsanto, and the national agriculture research systems in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa and Uganda.

CIMMYT has provided high-yield maize varieties adapted to African conditions, while Monsanto has provided proprietary genetic resources (germplasm), advanced breeding tools and expertise, and drought-tolerant transgenes developed in collaboration with BASF.

According to AATF, experience has shown that the gains possible through advanced breeding and biotechnology are greater and faster than those that can be achieved through breeding alone. If the transgenic corn is found to be safe and successful, the new varieties will be made available to smallholder farmers royalty-free.



source:http://business.peacefmonline.com/news/201010/94362.php (Last Visited on October 19th, 2010)

Genetically Modified Foods

Genetic Engineering may be an important option for ensuring food and security. But, before introducing for human consumption, thorough safety tests to be conducted. After Green Revolution, the Gene Revolution keeping endeavours to meet the food demand through its path breaking innovations. There is a presumption that Genetic Engineering or Genetic modification may serve as powerful tool in increasing the ability of mankind to enhance the food production along with nutritional values. But, there are various safety, environmental, ethical and socio-economic issues associated. Despite these concerns several countries are encouraging the research and developmental activities in the area of Genetic Engineering. On the other, some countries are opposing the use of genetically modified foods