The program should first be certain that seeds of land varieties (selected by farmers keeping seeds) are collected and placed in trustworthy seed banks. Elimination of useful stocks and of genetic diversity was one of the mistakes made during the early evolution of the green revolution. 

Really, the new international big problem is pollution and contamination.

Emad

sir

Food safety is really a big issue which is related to our health.Once my ex-principal delivered a lecture on ntural products,she told that all harmful items such as pizza,burger,occupy the place in Ac returants whereas all healthy food such as food made of raggi,millet,,maize,rice flour all those items are selling on roads.

Thanks for very good replies:

Lewis you have rightly mentioned, our biodiversity such as land varieties for rice, millets have proved useful because of inherent character of biofortification.

thanks Shaista for sharing real life example and value of ethnic foods.

Barbara has also listed very important points linked to food safety.

Vaibhvi has tried to touch few points which are really beyond the residue and contaminants

I am fully agree with all of you. I personally feel we should be more care full of this and individually look and take care of this by motivating and learning from each other.

How much residues and contaminants are carried into  post-harvest legacy starting from pre-harvest practices.While looking beyond residues and contaminants , we need to  look into the immense possibilities through combination of breeding and biotechnology , often coined as genetic -engineering and the end product called GMO crops.Why do we feel so touchy about GMO  crops..??

 Abhishek has rightly mentioned the concerns of food safety. You might be aware that we have Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). FSSAI lays down science-based standards for articles of food and regulates their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food to 130 crore citizens of the country. The authority is also responsible for creating an information network across the country so that the public, consumers, etc receive rapid, reliable and accurate information about food safety and hygiene and related issues of concern.  I will be happy to get insight on emerging issues beyond residues and contaminants for ensuring food safety from RG colleagues.

Deterioration in required level of nutrients in fruits, vegetables, and other food items is a vital issue of concern beyond residues and contaminants for ensuring food safety vis-a-vis health safety.

Since the production level of crop increased but at the same time the nutrition level is decreased. It is need of hour to make comparison of nutrition in present time produced crop and nutrition data in 50 years back crop produced. That will show our low resistance against disease due to low level of nutrition in food. So in food safety, proportion of nutrient should be also considered .

Thank you Vallabh. There are two words, Food security and nutritional security. Both are important. Let me explain in simple way - people need food (food security) to fill their stomachs and nutrients (nutrition security) to sustain our system, utilizing proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals etc.

Good points, we have deviated from main discussion on emerging issues beyond residues and contaminants for ensuring food safety. Thank you Abhishek and Vallabh, I invite you to participate in a discussion on food and nutritional security, I have recently uploaded a new question.

Application of HYGIENIC ENGINEERING AND DESIGN

Thank you Prof Vladimir, yes hygienic engineering is important which primarily includes post harvest handling, preparation, processing, packaging, etc. of food is done hygienically, with hygienic machinery in hygienic premises. But practical guidance on hygienic engineering aspects is needed.

Quite right, And this area covers a wide range of machinery, equipment, types of production, buildings, etc. Maybe is the best if you (within the Ministry) train yourself in this area (EHEDG training), and than you can pinpoint the problem and come out with a solution. 

Also, you can engage EHEDG expert (most convenient when training is scheduled) so you can have a discussion about the measures that can be taken for this problem.

Thanks for nice suggestions Dr. Vladimir and elaborations on hygiene engineering and design. But for large scale promotion strategy is needed.

Determination of shelf life for prolonging quality of food can be considered as an emerging issue beyond residues and contaminants for ensuring food safety.

Increasing shelf life has always been a challenge. Therefore integrated cold chain need to be promoted. Large scale infrastructure has yet to come.

Some issues beyond residues and contaminants for ensuring food safety:-

• New food borne pathogens.
• Storage and use including frequency, dose and duration in relation to dietary recommendations.
• Fixing upper safety limit for intake of essential nutrients and it should be applied to functional foods and their bioactive components
• Nutrient Risk Assessment.
• Interactions of nutrients with other components of diet and bioavailability.
• Potential effects on vulnerable groups like infants, elderly, etc.

dear

i agree with Dr. Vaibhvi Malhotra opinion

regards

Sir

Storage should be safe and secure preferably a well maintained one but in our country not much security measures taking. Lot of negligence  are there. The government must impose some measures for food safety by keeping public health issues in their mind.

From

Shaista jabeen

Thank you Yogesh, Ali and Shaista for good points. An increase in integrated decision-making processes at national and regional levels are needed to achieve synergies and adequately address food safety and trade-offs among agriculture, water, energy, land and climate change.

Very good information has been provided by colleagues. Let us converse about evolutionary aspects of food safety standards adopted in different countries or there are any universal norms being followed for food safety ? 

 Good points but to realize it strengthening of the Regional Strategy for Food and Nutrition Security looking particularly at the political and regulatory processes as well as knowledge management and territorial development is necessary.

The concept of food and nutrition security is community -based . What should be the minimum unit area to define food and nutritional security..??

Whenever there is question for food and nutritional security, the strategy has been to sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, to support equitable increases in farm incomes, food and nutritional security and development. Few workers recognised that one important key to monitoring food security is to develop a metric for the number of people that can be nourished per unit area and per year by a particular crop or cropping system. No such model is available, but we know that an area of about 500 sq feet is needed for growing vegetables as nutritional garden through kitchen garden for a family of 4-5 members. 

What are your views on nutritional security via horticultural crops, especially fruits and vegetables  

There are information available only on per capita availability of fruits (110 g) and vegetables (320 g)  but this quantity is little less the dietary allowance fixed by national institute of nutrition.

Good discussion these days, but watch out for whole food system, recognizing the interdependence between agriculture and the environment, food and social inclusion, nutrition and health that is needed for resilience and sustainability;

Agroecology must be considered as a key focus for developing global alternatives for solving the complex issues of hunger, poverty, food production, climate change, and agricultural sustainability followed by food safety.

Very good paper on concept of ion uptake , Abhishek. The concept of ‘active ion transport’ across the root plasma membrane derives from precise analyses of uptake ‘isotherms’ describing nutrition as a function of ion concentration in the root medium. This will serve as the best basis of fertilizer application recommendation.

A classical book you have linked here Abhishek. This book clearly explain about the higher plants have processes available to them that allow minerals and other nutrients to be moved from one location in the plant to another. This transport occurs in a source to sink relationship, which means the nutrients are taken from one area, generally of higher concentration, to another where it is needed. This transport occurs in both xylem and phloem tissues. Most mineral nutrients are transported from the roots to shoots by the xylem tissue. Mineral nutrients as well as photosynthates can be transported from leaves, or other portions of the shoots, to other leaves, fruits, roots, or other sink sites via the phloem tissue. Minerals are moved from the site of original deposition to new locations through processes referred to as retranslocation or remobilization. These processes occur with most of the mineral nutrients, and are a very important part of the mineral budgeting of higher plants. The most common destinations for retranslocation are new leaves or the root system. In fact many plants cycle their nutrients in a series of retranslocations

THis book is worth reading, basic aspects have been nicely explained.

In the sphere of food safety on which we focus here, many global agri-food value chains are governed by an array of public and private standards, which are variously interconnected and play a leadership role in driving the implementation of food safety controls

Private standards have become increasingly important in global agri-food value chains, progressively pervading both domestic business and international trade. These standards may relate to food safety and the integrity of food safety systems, but can also refer to aspects of food such as provenance, environmental impact, animal welfare, etc. One of the defining characteristics of private standards, particularly as they relate to food safety, is an increasing focus on the processes by which food is produced. In this respect, they mirror the increasing importance of process standards in public regulations, as exemplified in the increasing use of HACCP in regulations relating to matters such as food hygiene.

Some intriguing points Dr Malhotra...

Genetically modified crops, nanotechnology, pesticide use their application emerging issues beyond residues and contaminants for ensuring food safety. Many more could be listed in this category. Valuable input has been received from RG colleagues. I look forward for further explanations.

Very useful issues , you have raised Dr Malhotra. I would be willing to look at the changes in rhizosphere health of GMO-occupied crops on a long term basis. This issue is under-emphasized in our discussion...

Please have a look at an interesting PDF...

Dr. Anoop, I am repeating the same reply. It would be disastrous if the food at the centre of our lives were to become unsafe for consumption. Much needs to be done to prevent this, and we can begin by aligning policies in agriculture, trade, health, education, and social protection to provide a safe and healthy diet for all along with food and nutritional security.

Dear colleagues good input received so far but still we have untouched points. What are evolutionary aspects of food safety standards adopted in different countries or there are any universal norms being followed ? 

Urbanization and populational control.

AH

Good points Mr. Aurelio, We can list urbanization and increasing population as an emerging issues which can be well correlated food safety component.

An important unanswered question is whether the findings in the literature are sensitive to the nature of standards. All existing studies have either analysed a specific case (such as GM regulations) or used a general concept of ‘food standards’. None of the studies has analysed how the results may depend on the nature of standards, for example when one distinguishes between different types of food standards. Yet this is an important question, in particular, if one considers the increasing importance of standards in trade conflicts. Some of the main conflicts in international trade policies relate to food safety regulations, such as the bovine growth hormone case, the GM food case, and the (in)famous aflatoxine case.

Source:file:///C:/Users/Acer/Downloads/1%20(8).pdf

Yes it is true that the relationship between food standards and protectionism is also affected by the nature of the standards.

Interesting link Dr. Anoop. The majority of stakeholders express positive attitudes and perceptions towards GM crops, and further perceived recent governmental and public attitude changes as having been in favour of the technology. But concerns about potential environmental, biodiversity, biosafety, trade related and socio-economic effects can not be overlooked.

for ensuring food safety:

some sort of precautions ought to be taken for safety

one has to purchase fresh and leafy vegetables. one has to be neat and has to clean his hands during breakfast, lunch and dinner timings..

during cooking one has not to cut and mix up all vegetable together..

Food safety is a complicated issue.First we have to sort out the foods pulsars and grains after some months moths and worms are attacks on it.The place where food is store should be clean and hygienic must be air conditioned so that microorganisms will not attack.

Above paper is having uptodate information. It is very interesting that for biosensor-based applications, the detection of multiple targets in a single sample can be facilitated by either label or spatial multiplexing. Label multiplexing incorporates multiple probes, each with their own respective label.

Excellent feedback but microbiological analysis of food remains a challenging task for virtually all assays and technologies, especially for particular pathogenic species . Mostly problems crop up due to the complexity of food matrices and composition, heterogeneous distribution of low levels of pathogens, stress suffered by the microorganisms during the processing of foods and presence of bacteria from the normal microbiota, especially in raw foods. Such practical issues are required to be addressed through basic research.

Several emerging problems with respect to food safety have been described but establishing a workable and reliable monitoring system and data base on nutritional constituents in our raw food resources as well as a good inventory of naturally occurring toxins is needed.

Very important issue indeed Dr Malhotra. We need a stringent monitoring system , especially with regard to residues of pesticides and fungicides , especially in those crops which are eaten directly with a poorly defined pericarp development ...

System prevails but stringency is needed.

Issue of food safety is very important, particularly in rural areas that lack control and supervision. Supervision is needed at all points in the supply chain, it has to take more effective measures to ensure food safety.

But equal measures are needed to educate rural people to a level where they can distinguish between genuinely healthy food products and their contaminated varieties, and demand safe and quality products. Here food regulating agencies have to be streamlined and their responsibilities clearly established.

Thanks Dr. Barbara for good points

Maybe someone has mentioned out gassing, by food containers. I am seeing something here in the US. If you take a plastic container that dairy products have come in and wash it well, and leave water in it for overnight it will often smell of something (I do not have a handy GC facility) that does not smell like food or the supposedly inert plastic that comprises the package. Is it the plastic, a plasticizer or some sort of (recycled?) filler in the plastic? Maybe someone could have a look at this. (Could it be common practice to package yogurt, sour cream, etc. in recycled plastic? Food packaging using recycled plastic might not be appropriate.)

Dear Prof. Suresh,

Thanks for asking this very important question. Indeed, food safety goes beyond just contaminants and residues. The handling of food and its packaging these days are making our food unsafe. For instance, the traditional methods of using non-plastic packages in Ghana such as large leafy packages have been labelled recently by some food science experts as the best and healthier practice. If plastics must be used, the plasticine substances must be looked into by the FDA to ensure their safety in line with food packages.

Also, the ingredients for food preparation must be crosschecked by the Food and Drug Authorities (FDA) in countries to ensure that the right ingredients and in their appropriate quantities are used for food production (in tandem is canned foods and drinks).

toxicity

Hi Suresh

Some references may be useful for you 1

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFgguMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffoodsafetyauthorityindia.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F01%2Ffood-safety-issues-residues.html&usg=AOvVaw0kHXnuWngsGyZLgedRF6k7

2

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFgg5MAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS2211601X16000043%2Fpdf%3Fmd5%3De143cd03e9b2164b42033979f35a89c0%26pid%3D1-s2.0-S2211601X16000043-main.pdf%26_valck%3D1&usg=AOvVaw3v-d6mHEVBbBjePPl7AA7r

3

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFghCMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Ffao-who-codexalimentarius%2Fsh-proxy%2Fes%2F%3Flnk%3D1%26url%3Dhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fworkspace.fao.org%25252Fsites%25252Fcodex%25252FMeetings%25252FCX-727-20%25252FWorking%252BDocument%25252Fas20_03e.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1qJS9UII6Vdg-ONVtM7q9_

4

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFghIMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Fdocrep%2FMEETING%2F006%2FY8350e.HTM&usg=AOvVaw3PSazsWIuckqn6d9sdw9U_

5

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFghPMAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fda.gov%2FFood%2FFoodScienceResearch%2Fdefault.htm&usg=AOvVaw2CF0x1twiT7hsAC2vGIsZl

6

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFghdMAY&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wpro.who.int%2Ffoodsafety%2Fdocuments%2Fdocs%2FEnglish_Guidelines_Food_control.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0FeSMce-Jmo6k_ChM3aniM

7

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQFghrMAc&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foodsafetymagazine.com%2Fmagazine-archive1%2Fdecember-2000january-2001%2Ffood-safety-guide-emerging-challenges-new-directions%2F&usg=AOvVaw2RQwjFHT1W0Fc3mGgPcjV5

8

https://books.google.iq/books?id=5a9XEVti5OsC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=emerging+issues+beyond+residues+and+contaminants+for+ensuring+food+safety&source=bl&ots=mh_jc3pEpL&sig=QeatVWz-Bi8nZ_sGBuQ2BwIXUjw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwic87vY96HbAhWpDsAKHWtRDBwQ6AEIdjAI

9

https://books.google.iq/books?id=5a9XEVti5OsC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&dq=emerging+issues+beyond+residues+and+contaminants+for+ensuring+food+safety&source=bl&ots=mh_jc3pKqN&sig=8q6V_MuwvZzXNZATIbv6GqMTXfU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChDoAQgmMAA

10

https://books.google.iq/books?id=BgcNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=emerging+issues+beyond+residues+and+contaminants+for+ensuring+food+safety&source=bl&ots=gd1uE_JDUp&sig=1r2eRfGUjTyTYYSKo_5MTLn2rLI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChDoAQgpMAE

11

https://books.google.iq/books?id=IaIxBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=emerging+issues+beyond+residues+and+contaminants+for+ensuring+food+safety&source=bl&ots=9EyDyTkqIU&sig=eZD2LnBb5aSufJAgV7rte-CHXIA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChDoAQgrMAI

12

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChAWCC0wAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fonlinelibrary.wiley.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1002%2Ffes3.108&usg=AOvVaw2L0eXROJ9Yb05nxT-oWAfA

13

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=15&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChAWCDswBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.karger.com%2FArticle%2FPdf%2F452395&usg=AOvVaw0S4N-eIm5_WCsD-Kmu0Ulw

14

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=16&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChAWCEAwBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2F2304-8158%2F7%2F3%2F33%2Fpdf&usg=AOvVaw2HgOyp09V5Ziu-OqazWMob

15

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=17&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChAWCEcwBg&url=https%3A%2F%2Fec.europa.eu%2Ffood%2Fsafety%2Frasff_en&usg=AOvVaw20N_6wmB7_pB2yi_WgODBC

16

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=18&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjF57b8-aHbAhXJKVAKHWx9DSM4ChAWCE4wBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nap.edu%2Fread%2F6163%2Fchapter%2F4&usg=AOvVaw0C2z9VFlB2bTmoW6WfGxx3