UNIT 8 PROTECTION OF FOOD SUPPLIgS

In Unit 8 you will learn about the importance of consuming good quality food as the
consumption of bad quality food creates many physiological disorders. You will also study
about the food standards laid by the Government to help the consumers in buying
unadulterated food.

Structure
Objectives
Introduction
Sources of Food Spoilage
Food Standards
8.3.1 Importance of Grading
8.3.2 Grading of Foodgrains
8.3.3 Gradiig of Fruits and Vegetables
8.3.4 Food Standards set by the Government
Food Laws
8.4.1 What are Food Laws?
8.4.2 Enactment of Laws Concerning Procurement and Trading in Food
8.4.3 Government Operations
Let Us Sum Up
Glossary
Answers to Check Your Progress

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

realise the dangers of bad quality foods,
recognise the sources of spoilage of food,
define food standards,
explain the importance of grading, and
comment on the food laws and their impact on the consumers.

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8.1 INTRODUCTION

Availability and consumption of good quality food is an important as the quantity of food
1 available. The danger of consuming bad quality food is very well known. To cite a very
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i obvious case, consumption of bad foods leads to physiological disorders in our body. Many
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of the physical disorders we see in people are either directly or indirectly the result of the
bad types of food they consume. You are all well aware of the disorders caused by bad
drinking water like diarrhoea, cholera. typhoid. etc. Similarly, bad food cause stomach
disorders, food poisoning, etc. Hence. you have to ensure that the food you consume is of
good quality.
Quite often you see that the quality of food you consume has a direct relation to the amount
of money you spend on food i.e.. indirectly, the higher the price you pay for buying your
food requirements the better the quality of food you consume. This also relates to the place
from where you buy food products. The old adage "Cheap and best" perhaps can never be
seen in the present day world. And this is true not only of your food purchases but also of
any commodity you buy to fulfil your requirements.

8.2 SOURCES OF FOOD SPOILAGE

The source of food spoilage may lie in many places. To begin with, it may originate at the
producer's level where the producer may not use the requisite inputs in a proper
combination either with a view to save on the cost of production or simply due to the fact
Rotdon, Safety and that he is not aware of the scientific methods of production. Also, the producer may use such
Commher Education inputs which are dangerous to people, like the use of DDT, colouring materials, etc. The best
examples of such cases which you see in your daily lives are those of vegetables. You will
very often see that you will not be able to get vegetables of good quality specially during the
lean seasons. This is a case of improper storage. So also, when you buy fruits in the off-
season, you quite often come across fruits in the market which are not upto the mark
qualitatively because of improper use of storage methods. Poor quality foods may also arise
due to the way they are sold to the consumers. They may not be stored in hygienic places
before sale, thereby they become unfit for consumption. The consumers who are often
unaware of such unhygienic storage will buy these commodities and thereby expose
themselves to the dangers of ill health. Sometimes, you see both in the urban and rural areas
the points of sale will be in very unhygienic places like beside a drain and in crowded places
infested with flies. This happens specifically in the case of vegetables, fruits and ready food
like sweets and confectionary products. (You also see sometimes vegetable vendors wash
the vegetables sold by them in unclean water). You will have to be watchful against all such
unhygienic practices when you buy your food.
If things are left to themselves, there may not be anybody to protect the consumer against
buying such poor quality products. The consumer will always be at the receiving end and the
trading community will have an upper hand. The consumers would be forced to buy
whatever is available in the market at whatever prices. Recognising this weakness of the
consumers, Governments have intervened from time to time and enacted regulations and
laws to protect the consumers from being exploited, specially from the point of view of
quality and price.

8.3 FOOD STANDARDS

8.3.1 Importance of Grading
The procedure of ensuring availability of food articles to the consumers as per the
specification of particular quality, is known as setting Food Standards. If the consumer buys
the food articles as per the f o 4 standards set, he can be sure of the quality (of the
commodities he consumes). Setting food standards, thus, is one way of ensuring availability
of good quality commodities.
You should remember that in any country both the consumers (buyers) and sellers shall
abide by the law of the land, That is to say, it is obligatory on your part to obey the law. On
the other hand, any rules framed by any authority other than the Government in power will
not be obeyed by all. Hence it is imperative that the Government in power, through its
agencies, should set the standards for food articles you buy to ens& compliance by all
sections of the people.

8.3.2 Grading of Foodgrains

In the case of rice, for example, depending upon the grains, it is graded into ordinary,
medium and superfinqqualities. This is done to facilitate proper pricing of the commodity,
so that neither the producer nor the consumer stands to suffer. So also, in the case of wheat,
the grain is graded based on its colour and other characteristics like white, brown, hard and
soft wheat. It is easy for the consumer to choose purchases at affordable prices when such
grades are readily available to him. The availability of such graded cominodities in the
market helps the consumer to buy foods without any loss of time. In the absence of such
grades, the consumer will have to spend a lot of time (and perhaps money too) before he can
get the quality of his choice. Further, there will be a possibility of the consumer getting
duped by the traders.

8.3.3 Grading of Fruits and Vegetables

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Fruits are often graded before they are offered for sale. In the market you find that the fruits
of different grades are sold at different prices. The grades may depend upon the size of the
fruit, the colour, juice content, length of time the fruit has been kept without sale, etc. In
these cases you are fFee to select the quality of your choice depending, of course, upon.the
money you are prepared to spend on these items.
Such grading is also seen in the case of vegetables. The vegetables are graded based on the P & d r a of Food
size, ripeness and freshness. Tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkin, onions, potatoes, etc., are the Supplia
commodities which you see are graded based on these standards. The prices of these
commoditiesoften depend upon the place you buy them from. If you buy the vegetables
from the street vendors, you will pay a price which is lower than that when you buy them at
the regular shops in the markets. This is because these vendors do not incur high overheads
like shop rent, licence fee, etc. On the contrary you will also find that when the vegetables
are sold to you at your doorstep by vendors you pay higher prices. Here, the price variation
will not be due to the variations in the quality. You rather pay a service charge because the
vegetables are supplied to you at the most convenient place.
Remember that the things you have seen upto now are not usually based on any laws
enforced -they are based on the mutual convenience of the buyer and the seller. Though
you cannot call them food standards in the strict sense of the term, they indirectly help you
select and buy these commodities based on your preference.

83.4 Food Standards set by the Government

The food standards which are set by the governmental agencies are mostly for the processed
foods i.e., those food items which you consume in the processed form. These food items you
do not consume in the raw form either because they cannot be consumed as they are grown
on farms or because they do not have good storage quality i.e., if they are kept for a long
time, they lose their quality in the raw form.
In the case of food items, the quality of the items you buy is ensured whenever you select
the commodities with the label "AGMARK", "ISI" or "FPO", etc. AGMARK is the code
for quality given under Agricultural Marketing. IS1 stands for the mark given by the Bureau
of Indian Standards and FPO is Fruit Product Order. Any commodity before being awarded
any of these standards is tested for its quality at the recognised laboratories of the
Government and the award will be given only if it fulfils the quality requirements according
to the standards set. Hence, when you buy the food items carrying any of these standards
you are sure of the quality of the product.
The commodities which are available with "AGMARK" are the raw aghcultural produce.
These include basic food items like atta, suji and other minor foods, edible oils from
different sources like groundnut oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil, etc. You will also observe in
the advertisements of these commodities given in the newspapers, magazines, radio,
television, etc., the sellers make it a point to stress that their product carries the
"AGMARK" seal. By doing this, they will try to attract more consumers to buy their
products.
The IS1 mark on products is very useful to the consumers, organised purchasers, exporters
and export inspection authorities. Food products covered under the IS1 certificate mark
scheme are bakery and confectionary products, dairy and allied products, beverages and
food additives, etc.
The Fruit Products Order (FPO) lays down minimum standards relating to the quality of
various fruit and vegetable products. The order specifies standards of sanitation and hygiene
to be followed in the factories and gives directions regarding packing, marking and labelling
of containers.
Since the same commodities are also available in the market without the quality code. You
will not be sure that the commodities are upto the standards you need or of the standard they
ought to be. Hence, buying the food articles as per the food standards set will help you in
consuming the commodities of the required quality, thereby ensuring good health for your
family.

BC Check Your Progress

1 What happens when consumers consume bad quality of food and water?
-6.My-d 2 What are the factors by which quality of food may be spoiled and how?
Cowuanr lcducah
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3 Why should the Government alone set."Food Standards"?

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4 How is grading done in foodgrains, fruits and vegetables?

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8.4 FOOD LAWS

8.4.1 What are Food Laws?

Any rulellawlregulation which regulates the sale and purchase of food which is-usually
directed at protection of the consumer can be called a food law. These may include
legislation passed by the parliament/state legislatures or the directives issued by the
Government from time to time.

8.4.2 Enactment of Laws.ConcerningProcurement and Trading

The laws concerning the food items range from procurement and sale of the produce to their
grades, quality, weights and measures and sometimes even to the prices at which the food
items are sold. These food laws are usually enforced by the respective State Governments.
All the laws are aimed at protecting th&nterests of the consumer (mostly) as well as the
producer (like the fanners being protefted from middlemen).
Protcftlonof Food
Suppltes
APtcetka, safety m a d 7 How can the prices of food items be stabilized by controlling the Government stocks?
Consumer Edm(loa

LET US SUM LIP

Consumption of good quality food is as important as the quantity of food consumed. Poor
quality food creates physiological disorders. Quality of food may be spoiled at the
producer's level or seller's level or due to improper storage. Food standards help to
overcome the dangers of spoilt food. Grading helps in buying good quality food. The
Government enacts food laws which help the consumers in selecting and purchasing food.

8.6 GLOSSARY

Food Quality: Degree or level of excellence in food.

Food Standards: Parameters laid down for the preparation of quality food products and for
enabling their assessment.
Food Laws: Rules~laws/regulationswhich regulate the sale and purchase of food and are
usually directed at protection of the consumers.
Grading: Differentiating the commodity into different groups based on desired quality.
Hoarding: Storing food articles with a view to sell them at higher prices later.
Middlemen in Marketing: The agencies operating between production and consumption
points (e.g. stockist, trader, retailer, etc.).
Processing: Process of transforming raw food material into consumable form (e.g. ketchup,
oil sugar are all processed foods).
Regulated Market: A market place whe~ethe trading practices are regulated.

8.7 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

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1 The consumption of bad quality food or water (in other words contaminated food or
water) causes a number of gastrointestinal disorders like diarrhoea, dysentry,
gastroenteritis, cholera, typhoid, paratyphoid, jaundice etc.
2 The quality of food may be affected adversely at the following points:
i) Producer's level -Producers may not use the right inputs in proper combination
in order to save on the cost of production or due to ignorance. Use of certain
inputs like colouring material, DDT, etc. can also affect the quality.
ii) Improper storage at the production level -foods if not stored under right
conditions before the sale may get spoiled during storage as in the case of fresh
fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products etc.
iii) Unhygienic marketing -foods are sometimes sold at unhygienic places, for
instance near a big drain, garbage bin etc. which are infested with flies. Such
foods get contaminated even before their sale.
iv) Unhygienic practices in handling food -such as washing fruits and vegetables
with dirty water, using dirty utensils for food preparation and storage and
improper storage of cooked foods.
 3 Food standards should be set only by the Government so as to ensure their compliance. Rotectbn of Rood
Supplies
If such standards are set by any other authority, people may not follow them and no
action will be possible against them by that authority. I

4 a) Grading of foodgrains is done on the basis of their quality, size and colour (of the
grain) and their physical characteristics.
b) The grading of fruits is done on the basis of variety, size, colour, freshness and
storage time.
C) Vegetables are graded according to their size, freshness and ripeness.
S The standards are placed mostly for processed foods or the foods which are not
consumed as grown on the farms. For example wheat flour, breakfast cereals,
dehydrated peas, processed infant foods, milk powders, biscuits, etc.
6 During grading, the food items are placed in different grades according to their
quality or physical properties. By doing so we are distinguishing the best from the rest
by keeping them in the top grade. This itself sets the standard for that food.
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7 The Government controls the prices of food items by reorganising its stock. For
instance, when the traders hoard the commodities with a view to create an artificial
scarcity the Government releases these commodities from its stock and balances the
availability of the commodities coming to the market. The Food Corporation of India
procures these commodities at the support prices so that the market price does not fall
below the usual price.

Practical Exercise
1) Visit a departmental store in your locality and list down the food items available
with"AGMARK/ISUFP09' seal.
2) Record the price of the commodities available with "AGMARK/ISI/FPO" seal and
compare them with the prices of the same commodities without the "AGMARK/ISI/
FPO" seal.