Codex Lessons for spices : Imparting science based business proposition

When Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2013, India was one among the member countries to rejoice during the festivities.  Being the world’s largest body inter-governmental body on setting standards, CAC has gained lots of repute and respect across continents on account of its science based resolutions having total global ramifications on matters relating to food standards. At the peak of its glory of the 50^th year, Codex Alimentarius Commission gave birth to yet another Commodity Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs, thanks to the Indian proposal. The Indian effort to establish an exclusive Codex platform for spices and culinary herbs became a reality as the international forum finally decided to go for its total constitution.

The formation of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) is aimed at elaborating worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs in their dried and dehydrated state in whole, ground, and cracked or crushed form. It also engraved the basic thought of consultation as necessary, with other international organizations in the standards development process to avoid duplication.

As India became the host country for the CCSCH, the country also got on to the authentic route to the Codex platform. Being the host country for CCSCH, the Indian responsibility to participate and deliberate in Codex courts also grew.

The host organisation for the CCSCH, Spices Board India catapulted to the central arena of Codex activities with its newly constituted Codex Cell in Cochin.  The successful hosting of the first Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH1) in less than one year from its formation, from 11^th -14^th February 2014 in Kochi, Kerala had in fact strengthened the capacities for handling Codex assignments.  To make the first session an astounding success within a short span of time was an onerous task which was possible only due to close liaison with the Codex Secretariat in Rome and the National Codex Contact Point of India in FSSAI. The outreach of the committee can be gauged from the participation of delegates from 40 member countries.

Though the youngest of all Codex Committees, the first session of CCSCH saw  proactive involvement with substantial inputs from member countries. CCSCH1 deliberated on eight project documents proposing new work, on oregano (Argentina), paprika (Argentina), pepper (India, United States of America and Indonesia), rosemary (India), cumin (India), thyme (India), saffron (Iran) and nutmeg (Indonesia).  The Committee agreed to establish, subject to the approval of the Commission, four  Electronic Working Groups to prepare draft standards for two spices and two herbs for circulation for comments at Step 3 and consideration at its next Session. The eWG on “Black, white & green pepper” led by India and co-chaired by Cameroon and  Indonesia is now on full steam. The eWGs on “Brown Cumin” led by European Union and co-chaired by India, the eWG on “Thyme” led by European Union and co-chaired by Switzerland and the eWG on “Oregano” led by Argentina and co-chaired by Greece have started work fast and are deep into its procedures.

The CCSCH provided avenues for the Indian spices and herbs industry to make sorties to other Codex Committees of vital importance from point of view and other producing countries. The establishment of a Codex Cell in Spices Board to manoeuvre Codex commitments has brought in an element of Codex culture to preferentially study all documents and offer comments. New work proposals on various parameters for spices and culinary herbs got signed in by the Codex Cell. The Spices Board on behalf  of India submitted a new work proposal on maximum limit of aflatoxin in spices for consideration at the eighth session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF). As a part of the Indian delegation, the officials of the Board got represented in various codex meetings such as 45th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) held at Hanoi, Vietnam during 11^th -15^th November 2013.  As per the decision taken during the 45^th Session of CCPR,  Spices Board in consultation with all stakeholders co-ordinate generation, consolidation and cataloging of national residues and toxicological data and is in the process of ensuring its submission to JMPR besides actively participating and keeping the shadow committee of CCPR ( Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues) briefed on Indian viewpoint related to various agenda items.

The triumphant journey of the Spices Board towards various committees of Codex is unending and as on today, the Codex Cell has marked its presence in the floor of the house for food hygiene, on contaminants in food, on method of analysis and sampling, and on pesticide residues. Further into each of these committees, associated involvement has resulted in getting on board of nearly ten Electronic Working Groups whose final output will have direct or indirect implications for India which is a major exporter of spices and herbs The following is the list of assignments the Codex Cell has taken  up exclusive of CCSCH.

1.              Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH)

·         Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods (LMF)

·         Annexes on Statistical and Mathematical matters related to principles and guidelines for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria related to foods

2.              Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF)

·         Revision of the maximum levels for Lead in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed

·         Code of Practice on Mycotoxin Contamination in Spices (including specific annexes)

·         Review Mycotoxins in spices for prioritization of the work in spices

3.              Codex Committee on Method of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS)

·         Discussion paper - equivalency to Type I methods

4.              Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR)

·         Electronic working groups on Criteria for Methods of Analysis for the Determination of Pesticide Residues

·         Electronic working groups  on Minor Crops

·         Electronic working groups  on Priorities

The new association with Codex Alimentarius Commission is bequeathing lots of science, scientific and intellectual thinking and logical presentation in the standard setting process for spices and culinary herbs.  The Codex Cell activity in Spices Board India is embedding a new culture of serious science based thinking in the country for national and international business.

Never! those days will return

Turning back to my child hood now, I am glad that I grew with lots of experiences. But I am equally sad that I miss many precious moments which will never come to back to me in my life. The very set up of my old world had undergone significant changes. The set up, social fabric, interpersonal relations, perceptions, life style, ecology, atmosphere, greenery all underwent significant changes.  Whenever I return to my village to see my Amma, Sister and brother and their families, I terribly miss my treasures.

I loved my village where I grew up under the protection of my dad and mum. I had brisk schedules till my upper primary education having eventful mornings and evenings with my friends cycling, playing, organizing discussions and listening to radio programmes. My pedaling to the distant libraries to take books and return the red ones, walks with my father to the paddy and coconut fields, working with the labourers in the paddy fields and thereafter eating lunch with them as I listened to their experiences and life stories, early morning dash with the milk milked from our domestic cattle to the nearest milk society, attending to the small domestic jobs of bathing the cattle, cleaning the cowsheds, watering plants, rushing to the shop to buy the essentials for my Amma to help her in the kitchen, drawing water from the deep well for our kitchen and bathrooms, de husking coconuts to make copra to mill coconut oil, cleaning my father’s pride possession – bicycle , the list of assignments is endless. I was given special coaching by my dad in English and as he lavishly lie on the Easy Chair, I will sit beside him on a stool listening.  His sharing of experiences during his days in the Indian Army working in North India and in the Gulf region , his narration of stories from his childhood and his explanations to my silly queries are events I remember now.  But these are never to come back to me again.

My introspection now registers a fact that I had a strong confidence in my childhood days, since all in the village were my near and dear.  The rich and the poor, the people of all classes and all castes were my well wishers. On seeing them I smile and show my gesture of respect and love. The people who worked for my Dad in our land were treated as our own people and they were always there for us for anything and everything. The blacksmith who had a workshop near my house, the village laundry man, the provision shop owner, the person with a hat who comes in a horse driven cart from the city every week to supply us Brook Bond tea, the village man who shows his face once in a month with a bundle of new textiles on his head, the vendor who walks down with a glass box full of bangles, perfumes, eye anoints  and “bindhi”, the village postman who walks for long distances with a giant umbrella, an young boy who is summoned to our house every month to iron the clothes, the boys and girls who helped my Amma and Dad in the domestic jobs,they are all coming back to life as I write this.

 The festivities like Onam, Vishu, Deepavali etc were remarkable with the whole village seemingly involved in celebrations. Village road will be brimming with activity as people will get engaged in playing games and sports and those who win will make thundering applauses. There was a bonding relationship with every one. The vertical and horizontal connections made life smooth and joyful.

I left the village for my higher studies and from there on I found myself distancing from my heartland.  My career still distanced me away from my home sweet home. Whenever I make a return, stray thoughts of the bygone days resurrect in my thoughts. It is really sad to realize that it is never to come back. My old friends, my cousins have become grownups like me. The characters who had a profound influence in me are not to be seen in this world. The changes are inevitable but it is really sad, saddening and sorrowing to still realize that every present moment is precious but will hop off into book of history. Yes I too will become part of history and with that my sorrows will also end but the inspirations may exist somewhere in the horizon.   As I write this, the heart beat a different rhythm and eyes  full of tears and me voiceless too.  I am looking forward to the auspicious day when God will bless me with the inspiration to detail about all the Characters in my personal life.

THAMPI VIEWS: Food Matters for Global Peace

THAMPI VIEWS: Food Matters for Global Peace: The global recessionary trends may not affect all the nations. In the latest edition of the recession, the better off nations got ...

Food Matters for Global Peace

The global recessionary trends may not affect all the nations. In the latest edition of the recession, the better off nations got affected and a few others are slightly fortunate to be out of its catch.  But some are crippled and few remain safely off from the onslaught.  The global trade and commerce gets the reflection of this trend. Imports and exports get affected.  This subject in global business and economists and policy makers every where discuss, deliberate and formulate policies and corrective measures to revive economies. The economy body building exercise that is staged irrespective of territories feature revision of bank rates, curbing or relaxing of bank advances, devaluation of currencies, soliciting of investments, clamping of protective measures, imposition of austerity steps.  These could be seen as efforts to ward off putting the national economies to ventilators.  Few nations may outlive the challenges while others continue to be in blackout stages.  The whims and fancies of the political administration matters a lot and knowing or unknowingly their agendas are a priority rather than the country interest.

Away from these tasks of economists, the other side of sociology is seldom noticed by many. The fluctuation of the economy has tilting influence on the fillings of golden and silver plates of the rich classes. Those of these affordable sections can afford to stay for long due to the buffer in their built up fortunes.  The challenge may be the small dwindling share of their accumulated wealth which is just meagre. Sooner or later the lost grounds could be retrieved through managerial skills of diversification in allied fields. Contradicting factors like reaping of benefits in adverse situations also happen. The lucky ones remain so. The countries and societies affected may be rich or even poor.  But is it not a fact that across continents, live human beings who are deprived of food and shelters. The unfortunate are gravely sick. Those unfortunate and unlucky thousands have no option but to be wary, angry and hungry. There is no way that their horrifying and sorrowful ways and means of life will be attended to.  Deflation and Inflationary trends, rising unemployment, rise in prices in market front are slowly killing many thousands of people including innocent children.

Future is lost, their sustainability is at stake.

Whether it be the developed nation or the developing nation or the under developed nation or the less developed nation, human beings dwell in all these territories.  Let there be a policy of co existence in economics since we deliberate on this philosophy only in terms of global peace and communal harmony. The barriers of language, region, class, caste, groups and subgroups are to be overcome. In the parlance of pure economics of foreign trade, the tariff and non tariff barrier though are supposed to have been extinct, still holds good disguised as revamping thoughts. The information technology build up brought people shoulder to shoulder in terms of conveying ideas and information.  Some countries even block internet sites and domains for their safety.

Why the fear across the borders. How come the life of the average country citizen slips out of the priority list?  The national interest may remain for the development of nations. While this is a parochial thought and action, the need of the hour is to rework the philosophy of development incorporating the need of the deprived people all over the world. The Universal thought for peace and food for the world can occur only in devout hearts. 

Across the world deliberations take place on iron and steel, aviation, surface and water transport, tourism, space technology, communications, research and developments, defence, maritime activity, infrastructure build up, financial resource generation, global stocks, currency rates, exports, imports, balance of payments, delegations, arms build up, terrorism combats and what not. High time to do a worthwhile study on global production of agriculture- on the figures for farm and farm related sectors.

I do not think it is too much to say that “silently everywhere in all continents agriculture sector is facing a crisis of production fall and productivity decline”. As the administrators are vying each other to project economic development attention is being given for commercially important crops.  The traditional crops which sustained billions of people are going with the wind.  The rhizomes and the roots, the green leaves and the stems, the fruits and flowers which fed the global population in earlier times are not in use these days in many countries.  The new managers and spokesmen of industries had been influencing their administrators to do commercial farming and processing for value addition to boost their exports.  All the intrinsic qualities of those natural supplies are brought under protective UV sheet farming with better productivity and the final products are “crushed and mutilated” to take out their extracts to supply the richness of these produces in encapsulated forms.  The extracts are available in their rich concentrated form. But the nature has its own theory that the extracts activate only with their own fibres, which are thrown off as just waste residues.

It is high time that basic farming and basic consumption of farm products are brought in. Just the concept of organic farming will not do.

It is also sad to note that the modern world speak of many natural products like herbs, leaves, spices, forest produces having naturally given power in them to combat many modern life style diseases. And the result, the Corporates come out with R & D models to produce new formulations. This is culminating in the launch of new brands and all throughout the world consumers queue up just forgetting that it is just a waste.

Farming and not framing is the ultimate answer. To feed the poverty stricken people in all continents, basic food is required. The tins, cans, bottles, packaging, extracts, encapsulations, seasonings are not the answer for a vast majority of people. They go for the affordable groups of affluent societies.

The Governments across the seas should see that the issue of food is addressed globally to bring in global peace. Food for the man and animal in land, air and water is of utmost concern. Recession or No recession, Food MATTERS.

TAIL PIECE: An earth quake, tsunami, drought, flood and similar epidemics are signs of the nature reminding of a vital fact that the “Earth is not for Exploitation but for Experiencing”. (22nd July 2013 in Cochin)

When the Queen is back to reign…

That aroma of the small green pod of the lush forests of the Western Ghats of India which mesmerised the people of the distant lands of the ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and China still continues to pervade far and wide. The liking for this marvellous little smart small green cardamom is seemingly crossing into new territories as is felt from the changing trend in trading patterns.  Cardamom that is mainly cultivated on the slopes of Western Ghats in South India, Guatemala to a great extend, in miniscule levels in Sri Lanka and some other African countries, are now slowly been demanded in countries where it had not gone so far.

The traditional major markets in West Asia and Far East have been lukewarm since the mid eighties to Indian cardamom merchandise on account of price disadvantages over a period of time. Indian cardamom that ruled the Middle East market in particular and the rest of the world in general for many years had all on a sudden faced the onslaught of stiff competition from Guatemala.  It is more or less an established fact that the Central American country of Guatemala started cultivation of cardamom in the late seventies with the strains of the cardamom plant from Sri Lanka.  It is quite obvious that seed materials of cardamom would have been taken to Sri Lanka from its indigenous source of the Western Ghats in South India. The travelling traders of the North Western states of India would have also carried with them seed materials to Guatemala that helped in the establishment of vast expanse of plantations. The virgin lands of Guatemala responded well and helped in reaping good fortunes through heavy levels of production and high productivity. With no worthwhile demand for cardamom in the domestic market, Guatemala was left with no option other than selling out of the country at whatever price they fetched. The principal markets of the West Asian region became their focus. The price advantages Guatemalan trader could offer slowly displaced the front running Indian cardamom to back of the shelves. The cheap priced Guatemalan cardamom got labelled as cardamom and the high priced Indian produce came to be branded as Indian cardamom. These changes cumulatively brought into effect near banishing of Indian cardamom by the West Asian importer. The pricing strategies of the Guatemalan  traders were diplomatically evolved in such a way that prices were kept closer down the level of prices of Indian cardamom. The plucking of the cardamom from the plantations by the natives and offering to the traders in the markets of Guatemala did not add much to the cost of production.  Pricing was based on the demand from the West Asian buyers.

The Guatemalan marketing management had cost the Indian cardamom very dear resulting in crashing prices for want of export buying. It was very evident that the Indian cardamom prices governed by the pull and push of the strong domestic market cannot match the competitors’ pricing in the international market. The many attempts to make an upbeat did not fructify and the forcible option was to disarm self. In reality the very small purchases of premium grades from India by quality conscious traders in Saudi Arabia helped in retaining cardamom as an exported spice for quite some time now. Unprecedented and unexpected, the trade in cardamom faced a perilous situation. The negligible export of cardamom happened for the premier grades only to prestigious buyers.  Otherwise the export surplus remained at home and had caused glut in the domestic market pulling down prices. 

The timely and intelligent promotions by the Spices Board to expand the domestic market base for cardamom had yielded results. The domestic markets could absorb the surplus and this process of regularising the intake of supplies got reflected in stabilising prices.  The general awareness of the nutritional, dietary and medicinal aspects of cardamom had lent the way for more consumption resulting in off take.

With the export market for Indian cardamom remaining in lull for more than one and a half decade, the economy had started believing the fact that global market is lost for ever.  But to the astonishment of market ‘pundits’, Indian cardamom exports took a U turn showing an unusual and unprecedented rise. The reasons for this phenomenal rise are to be explored and cannot just be felt complacent with the usual reason of a production fall in Guatemala besides the very poor quality of the crop.  However this has shown rays of hope for the Indian cardamom industry. The dark days are seemingly over with better prospects for the future. Though the usual reason for the change in attitude of the importers to buy from India could be that of low supplies from the other competitive source of Guatemala, it just cannot be taken for face value.  There seems to be a new trend developing with regard to the use of cardamom. Is it a general liking for Indian cardamom in the Saudi market or a new demand that is happening on account of a new user pattern?  Even the export trade was not able to trace out the new merchandise trade route. But the possibility of re exports of quality Indian cardamom to a preferred overseas destination could also happen. 

But it was to the surmise of every one that the Queen who lost her bastion in the West Asian region is back again like a midnight dream. Sending shocks of surprise, the Indian small cardamom recorded phenomenal rise in exports during 2011-12. As the cardamom exports jumped from 1,175 tonnes in 2010-11 to 4,650 tonnes in 2011-12, the impact was beyond expression.  

 

Cardamom of the genus Elattaria cardamomum is a crop of high sensitivity these days unlike in the past. Crippled in controversies over pricing and trading in the production areas in India, the cardamom economy has always been under a cloud.  Being the only one spice which is governed by auctions in India, cardamom economy is under stress now for there is no harmonisation of interests. There always is a rift between the farmer and the trader over issues of bidding prices, alleged re-pooling and stage managing of bidding. This undesirable state of affairs have been straining the smooth functioning of the trade and in fact it is chocking the trade and commerce in cardamom.  The mushrooming of local organisations in the name of cardamom farmers and traders are also strangulating   the execution of reforms for the betterment of the trade. 

 

The system of auctioning of  cardamom that is in vogue  under the mandate of the Cardamom Licensing and Marketing Rules of 1987 has been a platform for fixing of prices.  The very existence of cardamom auctions is now at stake due to the tendency of stake holders to boycott auctions even for a minor cause.  The local issues on political, social and  religious matters often cripple the working of the auction centres.  The rapid multiplication of unions that get formed from village to village in the cardamom growing district of Idukki is yet another undesirable feature.  Settling of disputes takes longer period of time than required and ultimately the fortune of the small and medium level trader is at stake.

The reforms that got implemented in streamlining the cardamom trading system are not found acknowledged or made full use by a section of stake holders. The setting of Spices Park, doing away with the open public outcry bid system in cardamom, introduction of the electronic cardamom auction centres, special promotion drive for cardamom to expand domestic market consumption done at the official levels are the organised changes in the industry. The inputs for cardamom replantation, rejuvenation, irrigation and curing house support etc have contributed to the rise in production of cardamom also. Production of cardamom has gone up from 9450 tonnes in 2007-08 to nearly 12,975 tonnes in the region. Returns to the farmers have also shown rise as could be understood from the unit value realisation of Rs 315.41 per kg in 2006-07 to Rs 645.62 per kg.

 

As one looks at the trade routes, many world destinations have got the opportunity to buy Indian cardamom. Normans first introduced cardamom into England in the 11th century. Imports into Europe happened during the 17th century. The Dutch, Portuguese and the British too had bought from India.  In the modern day markets, countries in the West Asian region like Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are strong buyers for Indian cardamom. 

The bottleneck in enhancing the global market share is the quality of cardamom exported.  Like the physical appearance and the size of the pods and the colour, the inert quality also matters a lot. The levels of cleanliness and hygiene, pesticide residues, oil content are the economic and quality parameters that require immediate attention.  A product that confirms to all these challenges will surely fetch a ready acceptance for this green pod has all the virtues of the nature that human life wants.

 

 

          

 

Grandma!

Grandma is my grand mistress
Totally caring me during distress;
Detailing and showing me the world,
About which I knew no word.
Aiding, menting and teaching,
To equip me to make a living, 
In this fast changing universe,
Flooded with characters diverse;

Tendering the tiny tots,
Natural values, habits and morals,
For bringing lasting goodness
To bring me total wellness!

BEAUTY OF VILLAGE

USUAL WAS HER LOOKS
CASUAL WAS HER STEPS
TREADING PAST THE TREES
BEARING NUTS AND FRUITS
SCANNING THE VIEW 
ON THE TRUNK OF THE TREES 
AND LEAVES OF PLANTS

RHYTHMIC WAS THE WALK
AS THE SHRUBS BY WAY SIDE
GLADLY AND GENTLY BENT 

 IT’S FOLIAGE ON THE MUDDY PATHS

 ADORNING THE ARRIVAL OF A BEAUTIFUL SOUL 
 BACK IN THE VILLAGE SET 
 WITH ALL THE GREATEST BLESSINGS
 OF NATURE SET WITH CALM PEACE

 AND FRESHNESS OF A GOOD DAY BREAK

 SPRINKLED WITH PURE CLEAR MORNING DEW!