Lovers of Paleo diet regime preparation exactly complain in connection with difficulty together with formula associated with Paleo meals and also the dilemmas throughout preparing their own individual group of choices. These people needed guide of Paleo diet plan formulae that they can utilize each time to make a specific diet and also to aid all of them in starting their eating plans ahead.

The Paleo Cookbooks are generally collection of hundreds of recipes of Paleo created to help men and women follow a nourishing and balanced meal. Nikki Small produced these cookbooks to be able to revitalize the initial diet involving Paleolithic ancestors.

The Paleo diet carries a secret. It absolutely was liable in maintaining the bodies involving very old cavemen carved and well trimmed. At the moment foods are generally full of bad chemicals, additives and non-natural chemicals; the conception with this Paleo Recipe book is an excellent alleviation definitely.

Foods just like complete cereals, salt frequently with increased glycemic carbohydrates normally are certainly not incorporated inside the listing of Paleo meals. They are considered to be materials that may direct to cardiovascular conditions and person suffering from diabetes diseases.

The actual Paleo plan for eating habits proposes that will foods from whole grains as well as dairy foods have to be switched along with unsullied fruits as well as green vegetables given that these foods tend to be healthful. Most individuals have energetic lifestyle; they may be even established to arrange upfront their foods for a week. The plan actually stops force for hurried meal preparation.

Food products like total grains, salt mutually amid high-glycemic carbohydrates usually are not built-in in the Paleo foods listing. These are well-thought of because goods that could cause problems inside health just like diabetic difficulties or even heart health problems.

Paleo diet prep recommends which products of whole grain along with dairy products must be replaced with fruits and veggies and vegetables because these foods are healthier. Most of us have a dynamic lifestyle; they even can opt to put together their foods 7 days in advance. The diet plan is really meant to reduce everyday stress concerning the planning involving foods in a rush.

Fanatics regarding Paleo meal plan protest precisely concerning the difficulty when you get recipes of Paleo diet and the difficulties they might encounter in the prep in their individual menu. These people needed a fantastic reference with the recipes of Paleo diet regime that they can use all enough time to make quickly a different meal.

Recipes of Paleo cook books are fantastic availability of recommended recipes; nonetheless, whenever a unique touch or even new distort is needed, numerous variations of the same formula can be found online. There are many discussion boards with regards to Paleo recipes wherein men and women may exchange ideas and recipes, which the followers of Paleo diet plan can make use of inside the preparation of the his or her diets.

Find a excellent “everyday paleo” book and see exactly where it is possible to buy this. Understand also how you can bake a delicious paleo pancakes!

The machine stays on as long as it is plugged in, so you do have to come back and check the food every hour or so to make sure everything’s going okay. But all in all, it’s a great product, and I have yet to have a problem with it.

I researched for months and almost got the Excalibur model but they are so money! So I read the reviews here and thought I would try it.

They make the best snack foods ever! My kids loved the sweet potato chips and the banana chips. And that definitely causes the drying times to be unpredictable as well. Actually, it’s not *that* noisy, but after twelve hours, you might feel differently. The unit performed flawlessly. We were able to dehydrate everything in less time than expected. This was so easy to use and such fun things you can do with it. My husband was so impressed that he asked me to purchase another one so we can have constant sweet potato chips in the house. I saved more than that making my first 1 pound of jerky! As others have said, clean-up is a piece of cake especially with the clean-a-screens – I recommend going ahead and getting enough of these to cover each tray.

I am looking forward to many years of wonderful goodies! Wow, I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas this year and had a blast looking at various items on the Amazon website and finally decided on a food dehydrator. I can’t wait to try some new stuff! I’ve seen a few comments concerned about power consumption so I figured I’d post my findings. Now my kids, who are on special diets, can share jerky with me that I make. I absolutely love this dehydrator! Love this dehydrator! The only drawback is that it doesn’t have a timer, but I’ve been using a light timer – the kind you use for turning your lights off and on while you’re on vacation.

I can do about 7 pounds of beef or turkey in one load, even when thick. WHITE COFFEE TABLE.

To be specific,, the Phoenicians were the first to bring the vine to Southern Italy, although it was the Greeks who brought both viticulture and viniculture, fundamentally a wine-making culture. From that point on wine has been grown in Southern Italy, and its wines were loved by Roman leaders throughout the Roman Empire, even Julius Caesar himself sung praises of these wines. Southern Italian wine was a well regarded wine well before Barolo or Chianti had been made.

Nonetheless throughout the centuries, wine in the South became less revered and more notorious as it became the main source of Italian box wine. Wines from Apulia, Calabria, Campania, Sicily, and Sardinia, were utilized to bolster feeble vintages from Northern and Central Italy. They were even employed in several Southern French wines for the very same reasons as their Northern Italian counterparts. What a fall from grace!

At the time, Southern Italian wine has gained the attention and approval of the market, particularly in the States, where Italian wine is experiencing rare recognition, at least compared with French wine. The renaissance of the Mezzogiorno’s wines is due to a number of factors all stemming from the modernizing of the South’s industry. Grape production has been restructured starting with massive investments made in the vineyard, thus making lower-yielding crops the norm rather than the exception, which is a step away from jug wine production.

In wine manufacturing, engineering has improved from the middle ages to the modern age in a brief period of time. Refrigeration technology has permitted producers to produce quality white wine, in addition to red. The arrival of wine advisors and major Italian Groups, such as Gruppo Italiano Vini, Zonin, Antinori, Avignonesi, and Mezza Corona, have given to the modernisation of both viniculture and viticulture in Southern Italy. Despite these changes, or rather due to them, Southern Italy is faced with a wine identity crisis as producers decide whether to modernize or remain true to the region’s roots.

Nic Haegeli still considers himself rather new to the wine business, but he presently has many years of experience as a wine manager at Colonial Spirits, an Acton liquor store. With a BA in History and a Master of Public Policy in International Relations, Nic never envisioned himself working with wine. However, he did grow up in Alsace, France… Therefore it makes sense when you know where he comes from.Colonial Spirits of Acton would like to invite you to come by our liquor store for one of our many wine tastings. If you can not stop by the physical store, then please consider our online wine store. Colonial Spirits Delivers throughout Eastern Massachusetts!

This guide is for prospective operators of food enterprises (food establishments, retail food stores, food warehouses, and food processors) desiring to open a food business in either their local city, county or state jurisdiction. This is a general overview and may not be all inclusive of the codes and ordinances in your locality.  It is good to note that though this document will more than likely cover most if not all requirements for starting a food business in your jurisdiction, it would be in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the codes and regulations of your local city, county and/or state. 

Operating Permits – Food Enterprises
A Food Establishment application can be obtained at your local city or county health department.  If you plan to manufacture foods and package for retail sale you may be required to obtain a food manufacturer’s license from your state regulatory agency.  If you plan to distribute your product outside of your state lines a federal license may also have to be obtained.  It is recommended that you submit a fully completed application and fees at least one month prior to your anticipated opening date.  This gives the local authority the needed lead time to process it and schedule any needed pre-opening inspections.  Again, make sure that you provide ALL information required on the application.  Incomplete applications may delay your approval.
Food permits are generally in effect for one year from the date of issue and are renewable each year thereafter when the appropriate fee is paid and as long as the establishment remains in compliance with applicable Health codes and regulations.
Home preparation of food for public consumption is prohibited. All food that is to be consumed by the public, whether free or for purchase must be prepared at a permitted establishment that is inspected by a federal, state, or local Health Authority.

Food Establishment Fee: Food establishment fees are variable depending on jurisdiction. Contact your local health authority to inquire about permitting fees.

NOTE: Larger establishments that have multiple food service operations on site may need to obtain a health permit for each operation.  A separate application and fees may need to be submitted for each operation.

Food Enterprise Pre-Opening Processes
When starting a Food Enterprise business you may be required to go through either or both A) a change of ownership inspection or B) a plan review process. Read through options A & B below to determine which best fits your situation. Contact your local health authority if you need help in making that determination.

A) Change of Ownership Inspection Process-

Before opening for business you may be required to go through a change of ownership inspection.  This inspection verifies your establishment complies with current regulations and that clearance to occupy the site has been granted by your city or county.  This inspection may incur a fee and the fee for this inspection will more than likely be required to be paid before the inspector conducts the inspection.   If applicable, a request for a Change of Ownership application should be available at the offices of your local city or county health authority.  Again, to expedite your request, a fully completed application must be submitted.  After submitting the application; call to schedule the inspection with your inspector.  If the establishment doesn’t comply with current regulations you will be required to bring it up to code before your operating permit is approved. Prospective business owners, if available, it would be in your best interest to request a change of ownership inspection before finalizing the sale. This gives the prospective business owner a heads up on any items that may be required for the establishment to be in compliance with local city or county codes. Under no circumstances may you begin operations without approval from the local city or county health authority.  Legal charges may be filed against you if you do.

B) Food Establishment Plan Review Process¬

A plan review will more than likely be required for any newly built business or in the event of an extensive remodel of an existing business.  NOTE: This will also more than likely require a completed application and fees be paid in order to initiate this process.

A Plan Review is required whenever a building is constructed or substantially remodeled to be a food enterprise, whenever a substantial change is made to an existing food facility or may be required if a plumbing permit, building permit, or other construction permit is required by the local city or county development offices. 
The Plan Review Application, including proposed menu, Fees, and 1 or more sets of building plans all may be required to be submitted as a package. Review all forms thoroughly to ensure accuracy of information provided. Incomplete or inaccurate applications could delay your plan review.  The Plan Review Application should be available at the offices of your local city or county Health Authority. Upon approval, the plans are stamped by the Health Authority and the person submitting the plans will be called to pick them up.
Submit building plans after the type of food operation and menu has been determined and after receiving Building approval from your local city or county development offices. The building plans should be drawn to scale with most plans drawn in a scale of ¼” = 1Ft. and detail the layout of the kitchen, dining area, restrooms, storage areas, break room, wait stations and bar. The plans are to include a materials list of specifications for all floors, walls, and ceilings. 
Certificate of Occupancy
All Food Enterprises will more than likely be required to have a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO is issued after the Building and Health Officials inspect the building and find no violations of the Building or Health Codes during new construction and/or a remodel. The CO will also state the use for which the building will be used. The CO Inspection is usually required prior to getting final health approval but in some cases not only may a preliminary CO inspection be required prior to receiving your final health approval but a secondary (final) CO inspection may be required by your building inspector before your Operating Permit is approved.  Inquire with your local health authority and building inspectors to see what process is required.  NOTE: Contact the building inspectors at least 7 days prior to the time you are ready to schedule your inspection.  This should insure that you get a timely response.
Permit Approval
Once you have completed the pre-opening processes and your Building and Health Inspectors have approved your operating permit, you may open for business. Under no circumstances may you begin operations without approval from both the Building and Health Inspectors. Legal charges may be filed against you if you do.
Other Approvals
Building Permits: Plans may need to be submitted for a Commercial Plan Review.  If required, contact your local Building or Development Services Office to schedule this review and to obtain a building permit.
Industrial Waste: If you are taking over a previous business and changing the type of operation, ensure the grease trap meets the requirements for your new operation.  For example, when a “sandwich shop” becomes a “fried chicken” location, the existing grease trap may need to be modified. Contact your local industrial waste inspector to ascertain if any changes need to be made to the existing system or to evaluate your engineered designs if your plans require the installation of an on-site septic system.  
Fire Inspections: Building Inspectors are concerned with grease-laden vapors and proper hood protection in food facilities. All cooking equipment must be installed under an approved hood system.  In addition, establishments in excess of 5,000 sq. ft. are required to provide a sprinkler system. Establishments with an occupancy load in excess of 50 people are required to provide fire alarms. Call your local building inspector, fire inspector or fire marshal to evaluate plans or to schedule a site inspection.

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What to put in a plan Review

Include and Identify the following on your Building Plans
? Major pieces of equipment
Refrigerator/freezer units  
Vent-hood  
Ice machines/bins/dispensers
Steamers    
Microwaves  
Warming Drawers
Stoves    
Prep tables  
Ice Cream Dispenser
Ovens     
Dish Machines 
Beverage Station/dispenser
Grills     
Mixers   
Blender Station
Fryers     
Food Processors Salad/Food Buffets

? Sinks
Hand sinks (food prep areas • ware-washing area • restrooms)   Ware washing sinks Service Sink/Mop sink/curbed floor sink      Food Prep Sink
? Dumpster
? Grease Barrel
? Chemical Storage areas
? Mop drying area
? Employee area for belongings
? Dry food storage area
? Doors
? Mechanical ventilation in restrooms
? Outdoor food prep areas (bars/wait station/BBQ)
? Grease trap size and location
? Water Wells
? Underground and overhead sewer and waste lines
? On Site Sewage Facility

Health Code Plan Notes
1) Refrigeration All refrigerated units are to hold foods at or below 41°F.
2) Restrooms (two are normally required). If the establishment has only carry-out or seating for less than 20 people, and less than 10 employees, then only one employee restroom may be allowed. Two restrooms may be required if alcohol is served on the premises or more than 20 seats are provided.  Each restroom must have a hand sink with hot (at least 100°F) and cold water, mechanical air ventilation to the outside, and a solid, self-closing door. Restrooms may not open directly into a kitchen. The total number of restrooms for a Childcare facility is dependent on the “minimum standards” of the Texas. Dept. of Family and Protective Services (834-3195) as it relates to Childcare.
3) Sinks
A. Service Sink/Mop Sink/Curbed Floor sink: At least one of these must be available for mop washing and disposal of mop water in an approved waste water disposal system.  A drying rack is required for mops to air dry. This sink must be provided with a backflow preventer on any threaded hose bib to protect the water supply.  Note: the mop sink may be located in a different area of the building than the kitchen.
B. Hand washing sinks: Shall be located to allow convenient use by employees in food preparation, food dispensing, ware wash areas, and any wait station where ice is dispensed, bar area or in a walk-in where meat is cut or trimmed.  At least one hand sink will be required; additional, separate hand sinks may also be required. Small kitchens with food prep and ware washing in close proximity may be allowed to use one hand sink to serve both activities.  Other hand sinks must be associated with restrooms. Provide at least 12” tall splashguards if a hand sink is located near food prep, open food, ice, or clean food contact surfaces.  Otherwise, the hand sink must have at least 18” lateral separation from these. A sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands shall be provided to all hand washing sinks and be clearly visible. A small, swinging door (as in a bar area) could separate a hand sink from a work area, otherwise no doors separating hand sink from work areas.
Each sink must be supplied with hot (100°F) and cold water, soap and disposable towels. Childcare facilities must have hot water in the diaper changing area and kitchen.  If plans do not provide sufficient hand sinks to meet the requirements of the establishment you will be asked to provide a revised plan with additional hand sinks.

C. Ware Wash Area:  A commercial dishwasher or 3 compartment sink is required in most cases. Dish machines must be able to effectively sanitize all equipment and utensils. They must dispense a chemical sanitizer or provide a final rinse of at least 180° F. (single, stationary rack machines are required to reach 165° in the sanitize cycle). Test strips are required. Above-the-counter dish machines are required to have Type II vent-hood.
Ware washing sinks shall be of sufficient size to immerse the largest piece of equipment. Cold and hot (100°F minimum) water under pressure delivered through a mixing valve shall be provided. Provide at least 2 integral drain boards or 1 integral drain board and a mobile dish cart. Drying racks or shelves will aid in adequately air drying all wares. Facilities with very limited ware washing and using disposable containers may request a variance to install a 2 compartment sink (example: convenience store). These sinks are required to have a drain board. The sinks must have an indirect connection to the sanitary sewer (at least a one inch air gap). This includes all food prep sinks and ware wash sinks.
4) Ceiling Construction: Ceilings over open food, ice, soda fountains, ware washing, restrooms and bars must meet construction criteria and be smooth, durable, nonabsorbent, and cleanable. Open rafters, trusses or grid work and exposed duct work, pipes or utility lines are usually prohibited with no open structure permitted.  If drop down acoustic tiles are used, they must be properly constructed.  These tiles are washable and have a smooth surface without pinholes. Painted dry wall or boards are generally acceptable.  
5) Walls/Floors: Must be constructed of approved materials. Cleanable water-based enamel paint is usually acceptable for most wall surfaces.  Areas that are subject to regular cleaning and splash may be covered with FRP, stainless, or galvanized metal.  Floor/wall junctures shall provide no greater than 1/32” gap.  Baseboards are required. Caulk wall/floor junctures to prevent the collection of food particles and water.  Masonry (brick/concrete) wall/floor junctures DO NOT require baseboards since a masonry juncture provides no gap. Raw brick and concrete in the kitchen area requires sealing.  The sand grout of all tiles needs to be sealed. Epoxy grout does not require sealing. VCT floor tiles require a coat of wax to seal out liquids.
6) Solid Waste: Dumpster and grease barrels shall rest on a machine laid asphalt or concrete pad. These containers must have tight fitting lids and drain plugs in place.  
7) Outdoor Cooking facilities: Barbeque pits or smokers shall be enclosed, and if screened in, at least a 1/16” mesh screen is required.  They shall rest on a concrete or asphalt pad. The meat may only be placed on the smoker; no food prep allowed in this enclosure. Any seasoning, cutting, etc. must take place inside the establishment.  Outdoor bars and wait stations will be approved on a case by case basis by your local health authority.  
Water and Sewage Systems: All private onsite sewage facilities and wells serving a new food enterprise, an extensively remodeled food enterprise, or a food enterprise coming under new ownership must meet current standards. These systems are required to be evaluated with respect to whether the system (a) meets current standards and (b) is adequate for the proposed use.

NOTE: A food service facility or Childcare facility using a well may be considered public water supply and subject to specific restrictions and regulations.  Consult your local health authority to inquire about any questions regarding the use of a private well.

9) Protecting the Water Supply: Threaded hose bibs are required to have a backflow prevention device attached. Spray hoses and fill hoses shall hang at least 1 inch above the maximum flood rim of a basin or the hoses shall be provided with an atmospheric vacuum breaker or backflow prevention device.
10) Indirect Connections: Jockey boxes, ice bins, ice machines and sinks (as identified above in # 3) must be provided with indirect connections to the sewer.  Floor sinks are required on new construction.
11) Lighting: Adequate amount of light shall be provided to all areas.  At least 20 foot candles is required where food is provided for customer self-service such as buffet and salad bars or where fresh produce or packaged foods are sold.  At least 50 food candles is required at surfaces where employees are working with food using utensils or knives, slicers, grinders, saws, or where employee safety is a factor.
12) Outer Openings: All windows, vents and exterior doors shall be tight fitting.  If needed, use weather stripping to provide a tight fit. All exterior doors shall have a self-closure. Screens on windows and doors shall be at least 1/16” mesh.  Roll up doors to be screened or the proposed food service area provided with physical doors to create a separate walled room. Exhaust fans must be screened, or if they are louvered, must automatically close when the fan is disengaged.
13) Food Contact Surfaces: Stainless steel, Formica, polished marble, Corian, machined stone, approved ceramics or plastics may be used for food contact surfaces.
14) Counters: All raw wood must be painted in areas that come in contact with food, liquid or food containers of any kind. Included is the underside of the bar above the ware wash and/or hand sink (and the splash area).
15) Toxic Materials: Specify an area where chemicals are to be stored.  A well-labeled, separate shelf or cabinet is best.
Food Manager Certification: The health codes of your State, County or City may require that one or more food managers of a permitted Food Enterprise to obtain a Food Manager Certificate.  A Food Manager Certificate is recognition that a person has received training in food sanitation.  Inquire with your local health authority to see if food manager certification is required and the necessary steps required to obtain proper certification.

Further information on our website at www foodcertified com in the blog section.

David Arts
Owner – Quality Assurance Health Services
www.foodcertified.com
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What is California Natural Cat Food made of? Why is California Natural Cat Food so healthy for your Pets?

California Natural Cat Food is made only of what is needed for a healthy diet for cats, nothing more. California Natural Cat Food is created with lean meats, essential vitamins and minerals, full meats and tasty extras.

California Natural Cat Food has balanced ingredients like herring oil and sunflower oil which have the health supplements Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids which make your cat a shiny coat and healthy skin.

California Natural Dry Cat Food combines wholesome and healthful ingredients to provide the perfect key to good health, long life and shiny coat as well as good digestion.

California Natural Cat Food? Is California Natural Cat Food Good for your Cats or Dogs?

California Natural Cat Food contains NO additives, chemical preservatives, or fillers and has a taste cats love!

Not only are most our cats fussy when it comes to eating cat food, but they also need nutrition supplements to make their coat and skin shiny and healthy. There for, California Natural Cat Food has a healthy, nutritious and tasty formula.

California Natural Canned Cat Food has the right amount of vitamins and nutrients.

California Natural Canned Cat Food uses pure protein sources to satisfy the nutritional need of your cat while providing it with a flavor your cat won’t be able to forget.

The entire line of California Natural Cat Food is made with only wholesome, natural ingredients.

Even in taste tests, California Natural Cat Food was liked best by cats over all the other leading cat foods.<strong>California Natural Herring And Sweet Potato Formula Cat Food</strong>

California natural cat food is healthy and good!

California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato Formula Cat Food provides a unique single source animal protein that will sure to please even the most selective cat. California Natural Cat Food contains 100 percent Herring and Herring Meal, used as animal protein source.

California Natural Cat Food doen’t have any ground bones, chemicals, or crap inside that could eventually make your cat sick or caus diherria.

California Natural Cat Food is all healthy, natural (as already the name says),tasty and healthy,for your cats!

Is California Natural Cat Food Good Even If My Cat Has Dietery Problems?

Yes, for california natural cat Food can meet the dietary needs of cats that cannot tolerate normal cat food ingredients. .

California Natural Cat Food is as good as anything you would demand for yourself. Pamper your cat like you’d pamper yourself!

Get it here for less: http://catlovingcare.com/california-natural-cat-food

CatsCamille is a published author on the biggest article sites on the web! With her cat tips and cat knowledge she has even become a writer on catlovingcare.com follow her on twitter: http://twitter.com/catscamille
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Now, even if you feel that you’re personally beyond what you’ll learn about here, this information may well be perfect to pass on to a friend or family member who is struggling to comprehend just what you’ve been getting so excited about, or who may want to hear it from someone other than you! (Don’t worry, mine are like that too!). Either way, the information that follows is well worth a read as you may just get a little boost of much-needed inspiration.

1. Understand what all the fuss is about. The concept of eating raw food isn’t new by any means, but it has gained much greater popularity during recent times owing to its unquestionable benefits on health, energy and overall vitality, as well as its ability to basically make us look and feel a whole lot better than we’ve ever done before. As old as time itself, raw food was, of course, what we ate before fire was discovered (we must have done OK on it to get that far and more recently, thanks to the efforts of pioneering authors such as health researcher Leslie Kenton and others outside of the UK who bravely waved the flag for raw food in the 1980′s and beyond, we now find ourselves in an era where raw food is no longer seen as the domain of extreme health “fanatics” but instead merrily making its way into the mainstream media, celebrity diets, healing centers and retreats, increasing numbers of health and nutrition books, products and seminars, as well as featuring more significantly in supermarkets, health food stores and much more besides. And not a moment before time – because when you look at it up close and personal, it really does make a whole lot of sense…

2. So why raw? While I’m the first to admit that the word “raw” is hardly inspiring, if you can get beyond that and see that raw equals pure, fresh, vibrant, enzyme-rich, oxygen-rich, unadulterated, whole organic living nutrition then we’ll all be on the same page! But before we get to the whys exactly, and to prevent ourselves from falling into the common trap of seeing raw food as somehow “less than” cooked, let’s take a moment to look at what cooked food is, exactly.

Cooked food: Natural food which has been processed and/or heated to high temperatures where chemical changes have occurred and the food has changed from its original state to something which, depending on the severity of its treatment, can end up looking like a very pale shadow of its former self (think of spinach cooked and raw!). While cooked foods may most certainly tantalize the taste buds, this is largely because of their stimulant effects on the body which – in actual fact – doesn’t actually “understand” a lot of what it’s taken in as many of the chemicals within cooked foods are unnatural and therefore the body sees them as foreign bodies! Indeed, fascinating research in the 1930′s showed that when someone eats cooked food without having eaten some raw food first, the body sends the white blood cells (which fight toxins) to the digestive system in order to deal with the perceived “invader”. Interesting, don’t you think? And while yes, we can glean nutrition from this fractured, denatured “food”, every time we cook our food or buy something pre-prepared and cooked in a can, box or bag we lose up to 70% of the vitamins, some of the minerals, all of the enzymes, all of the oxygen, the important plant feel-good hormones and a high percentage of the water – all of which we need to reward us with truly vibrant health. So that’s cooked food! Doesn’t seem quite as attractive when we look at it that way does it?! Raw food by contrast is replete with everything that enabled it to sprout and grow in the first place – life force, enzymes, water, oxygen, hormones, vitamins and minerals and so much more besides. Untouched, untainted, raw food is quite literally honest food – what you see is what you get. No hidden ingredients, nothing messed around with, just pure delicious fresh live food that we are designed to eat – living food for living bodies. And the good news for you is this: when you start dabbling with more raw food, you don’t just understand this conceptually, you actually start to “get it” experientially as your whole body cheers, shifts up a gear and the concept of what real food and nutrition really is about takes on a whole new meaning.

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3. What foods are raw? To give you a brief overview of what raw food means in real terms, here’s a list of the 20+ different raw food groups: Fresh fruits; Vegetables; Salad vegetables; Leafy green vegetables; Herbs and wild greens; Nuts; Dried fruits; Beans, pulses and legumes (sprouted); Grains (sprouted); Seeds; Sprouting seeds; Indoor greens; Vegetable seeds (sprouted); Edible flowers; Mushrooms; Sea vegetables; Algaes; Oils; Stimulants (e.g. chili, ginger, onion); Spices; Super foods; Flavorings and natural sweeteners (e.g. honey, stevia, carob). Rather more variety than perhaps you first thought? Rather than being limiting, I have found that 99 times out of 100 raw food expands a person’s culinary horizons – and if you pick up a good raw food recipe book such as Raw Food, Real World (one of my personal favorites), I promise you’ll be blown away at what can be achieved – “burgers”, pizzas, live milks, ice-cream, cakes, cookies, smoothies, soups, dips, dressings, lasagnas, wraps, crackers and so much more are possible when you know what you’re doing – now we’re talking, right?!

4. How to get started. A new but extremely common myth that I’m very keen to bust is that eating raw takes lots of time and energy to prepare. Wrong! I am quite possibly the busiest person I know, and one of the many reasons I choose to eat raw is because when done correctly it’s actually the fastest food on the planet. Getting started and keeping it doable is easy when you adopt the pure and simple approach: whole raw foods, prepared quickly, eaten simply and you must only eat the foods you love! This must always be fun, easy and delicious – that’s rule number one! Rather surprisingly to those new to raw food, the discovery process of what raw food is really all about is a never ending journey – the kind of journey that everyone I’ve ever met wished they had embarked upon sooner. So don’t wait to get ill, overweight or lethargic before you start tending to your body’s dietary needs (like I did) – start your journey to exciting and rewarding pastures new today! These first steps I’m about to outline are very straightforward but will make a massive difference – and even better, anyone can do this!

First, try your best to eat fresh fruit or a dairy-free smoothie for breakfast every day instead of your usual toast, cereal or coffee. Eat or drink as much as you want (of the raw stuff) but keep it clean. What you eat first sets you up for the day – so make sure you step out on high-energy, revitalizing foods rather than charred bread, lifeless sugar-coated grains or caffeine-laden hot drinks! For lunch and dinner, this is so easy. If you can make at least half of your plate consist of fresh living foods (salads, nuts, seeds, sprouted seeds, beans or any of the foods mentioned above in point 3 – but not all of them!!) then you’ll be doing fantastically well and will typically start to feel the difference within a matter of days (look forward to more energy, better sleep, clearer thinking and clearer skin). Improve your results even further by drinking as much pure water as possible, eat only when hungry and not beyond full, and keep the remainder of your food as whole and pure as possible (no e-numbers or hydrogenated fats and so forth) and you will feel the benefits all the more. Also, of the raw foods you do choose, make sure that most of them are fruits and vegetables as these are the most nutritious and the highest in water content. Handfuls of nuts just don’t work the same – they’re very dense and fatty, but in small amounts are very good for you. If you can put most or all of the above into practice then you’ll be amazed at the difference!

5. What you need and where to get it. Raw recipe books tend to focus on the more complicated dishes and therefore often fancy foods and equipment are utilized as part of the recipe creation – but don’t be put off, raw food prep doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive! While it’s by no means imperative that you own every kitchen gadget going, it really does help to own at the very least a tabletop blender, a cheap juicer and a basic food processor – all of which you could buy for under ?100 or even cheaper if you visit eBay; but if budget is an issue then a good sharp knife will take you a long way for free! However with the three items listed new and exciting vistas will open up to you, and if and when the time feels right to invest in something more durable and powerful then you’ll be amazed at what’s available in the health world right now. As for foods, I personally find that I can get most of what I need in the organic section at my local supermarket, and I also visit a local organic farm shop/farmer’s market for the really good stuff that no supermarket can compete with in price or quality. If I didn’t have a good supermarket then I’d opt for an organic box delivery service which can be wonderful. Most of my specialized items such as truly raw olives (most are pasteurized), nut “butters” (they’re made from just pure ground nuts but spread like butter), natural sweeteners and flavorings I buy mail order. But what I do need to emphasize if you haven’t cottoned on already is the importance of choosing organic – pesticides are never a healthy option, even if they are on raw food!

6. How to keep it interesting. When you’re new to raw food it’s easy to assume that salads, soups and smoothies is as good as it gets when you’re watching the clock. While it’s true that the more elaborate recipes often do take more time and energy, there are always short cuts and whipping up a delicious dressing, dip or even a nut “cheese” or veggie pate takes literally seconds and can totally transform a meal! When you’ve tasted a fabulous raw food pizza and raw ice-cream (no dairy, no white sugar), there really is no going back!

7. What about eating out? This is one of the most common questions asked – and the answer is – it’s completely up to you. You can choose to eat “normally”, to make healthier choices than usual or to ask for a juicy salad with all sorts of things thrown in, but above all, enjoy what you eat and feel at peace with it!

8. Does it have to be all or nothing? Not at all. Until very recent times very few people ate an exclusively raw food diet ongoing. In fact most people today still dabble for weeks, months or even years at a time until they feel inclined to “up the ante”! Also, nowadays people tend to talk in percentage terms – such as “I’m 80% raw” which basically means that they eat most of their food raw but not all of it, and they’re guessing that 80% is about right in terms of plate space/ meal make-up etc. – but it’s not really that important. What matters more is the quality of the food you choose – if 80% of someone’s diet consists of nuts, seeds and raw food snack bars then that’s never going to be a good thing (way too much fat!) whereas 80% worth of fresh fruits and vegetables is wonderful! What also matters is not just what you bring into your diet but what you leave out. It’s no good eating lots of fresh vibrant food if you “balance” it out with take-always and aspartame-ridden diet drinks! Much better to do 50/50 and make all of your foods good healthy choices, and then if you want to adjust the proportion of raw foods then you can do so at any time. All that said, the more raw food you eat, for most people at least (those with medical issues need to take professional advice), the better you will look and feel – and here’s why.

9. What you can expect. When you choose raw, as we have already seen, you choose “life”. Live food will nourish you at a deep level (deeper than any deep-pan pizza will ever reach!) and it will also start to work its magic on your body in a very short space of time. This magic sometimes doesn’t look so magical though! Because as the toxins and debris begin to leave your body as the raw food starts to cleanse your system, you may experience some detoxification symptoms such as diarrhea, rashes, pimples (spots), headaches, dizziness, coughing and mucous and other similar discomforts. This is usually nothing to worry about, but it may happen! If it does, keep drinking plenty of water and eat even more simply to speed the elimination process up if your circumstances permit it. But if you feel as if it’s all going a bit too fast for you then if you eat something cooked, especially something heavy like meat, potatoes or dairy, then you’ll slow it all down or even stop it completely. You can restart again more slowly or leave it for a few days or weeks and go again when the time feels right. On the flipside, the good news is that when this stuff comes out it means that your body is – of course – all the better for it and this will start to become apparent in your face, your body shape and body tone and your energy levels surprisingly quickly. And if you carry on the good work to any degree for more than a few weeks, then you’ll find it very hard to go back to your old ways because there’s really not a lot of fun to be had there. In fact most people find that very quickly cooked food starts to taste seriously bland and inferior to fresh and raw – especially if they’ve educated themselves in those delicious raw food recipes I keep alluding to!

10. Taking it further. As mentioned before, the raw food journey never ends, but it does get increasingly rewarding and exciting! Not only is there a whole new world of food and drink waiting for you (which is growing fast), but raw food tends to attract some pretty amazing people and takes you on an exciting adventure in terms of getting more in touch with your body and your whole self generally.

Wherever your interest in raw food takes you, what I can guarantee is that you’ll be very glad you took the time to investigate it, because you’ll be amazed at how your relationship with food and your body changes and you’ll be beyond fascinated at what you discover along the way.
With over 17 years of personal experience of eating a raw food diet, Karen Knowler has been teaching, writing and coaching professionally on raw foods for over a decade and publishes “Successfully Raw” – a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you’re ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at http://www.TheRawFoodCoach.com
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INTRODUCTION Processing is the treatment of food substances in such a manner as to change its properties with a view to preserving it, improving its quality or making it functionally more useful. Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. Food processing typically takes clean, harvested crops or slaughtered and butchered animal products and uses these to produce attractive, marketable and often long shelf-life food products. Similar processes are used to produce animal feed. Extreme examples of food processing include the delicate preparation of deadly fugu fish or preparing space food for consumption under zero gravity.  The MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES set up in July 1988, is the main central agency of the Government responsible for developing a strong and vibrant food processing sector; with a view to create increased job opportunities in rural areas, enable the farmers to reap benefit from modern technology, create surplus for exports and stimulating demand for processed food. The industry of food processing is as follows; Fruits and vegetable processing industry, Food grain milling industry, Dairy products, Processing of poultry and eggs, meat and meat products, Fish processing, Bread, oilseeds, meals (edible), breakfast foods, biscuits, confectionery (including cocoa processing and chocolate), malt extract, protein isolate, high protein food, weaning food and extrude/other ready to eat food products, Beer, including non-alcoholic beer, Alcoholic drinks from non-molasses base, Aerated waters / soft drinks and other processed foods, Specialized packaging for food processing industries.

INTRODUCTION

The word ‘retail’ is derived from a French word meaning ‘to cut into small pieces’.  As mentioned earlier, retail is predominantly unorganized in the case of India.  Organized Retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers, that is, those who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. Unorganized Retailing, on the other hand, refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing, for example, the local kirana shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand cart and pavement vendors, etc.

Processing is the treatment of food substances in such a manner as to change its properties with a view to preserving it, improving its quality or making it functionally more useful.

Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. Food processing typically takes clean, harvested crops or slaughtered and butchered animal products and uses these to produce attractive, marketable and often long shelf-life food products. Similar processes are used to produce animal feed. Extreme examples of food processing include the delicate preparation of deadly fugu fish or preparing space food for consumption under zero gravity.

PAST INFORMATION

Food processing dates back to the prehistoric ages when crude processing incorporated slaughtering, fermenting, sun drying, preserving with salt, and various types of cooking (such as roasting, smoking, steaming, and oven baking). Salt-preservation was especially common for foods that constituted warrior and sailors’ diets, up until the introduction of canning methods. Evidence for the existence of these methods exists in the writings of the ancient Greek, Chaldean, Egyptian and Roman civilizations as well as archaeological evidence from Europe, North and South America and Asia. These tried and tested processing techniques remained essentially the same until the advent of the industrial revolution. Examples of ready-meals also exist from pre industrial revolution times such as the Cornish pasty and the Haggis.

Modern food processing technology in the 19th and 20th century was largely developed to serve military needs. In 1809 Nicolas Appert invented a vacuum bottling technique that would supply food for French troops, and this contributed to the development of tinning and then canning by Peter Durand in 1810. Although initially expensive and somewhat hazardous due to the lead used in cans, canned goods would later become a staple around the world. Pasteurization, discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1862, was a significant advance in ensuring the micro-biological safety of food.

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BENEFITS

Mass production of food is much cheaper overall than individual production of meals from raw ingredients. Therefore, a large profit potential exists for the manufacturers and suppliers of processed food products.
More and more people live in the cities far away from where food is grown and produced. In many families the adults are working away from home and therefore there is little time for the preparation of food based on fresh ingredients. The food industry offers products that fulfill many different needs.
Benefits of food processing include toxin removal, preservation, easing marketing and distribution tasks, and increasing food consistency. In addition, it increases seasonal availability of many foods, enables transportation of delicate perishable foods across long distances, and makes many kinds of foods safe to eat by de-activating spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms.
Modern food processing also improves the quality of life for people with allergies, diabetics, and other people who cannot consume some common food elements. Food processing can also add extra nutrients such as vitamins.

DRAWBACKS

In general, fresh food that has not been processed other than by washing and simple kitchen preparation, may be expected to contain a higher proportion of naturally-occurring vitamins, fiber and minerals than an equivalent product processed by the food industry.
Food processing can lower the nutritional value of foods, and introduce hazards not encountered with naturally-occurring products. Processed foods often include food additives, such as flavorings and texture-enhancing agents, which may have little or no nutritive value, or be unhealthy. Preservatives added or created during processing to extend the ‘shelf-life’ of commercially-available products, such as nitrites or sulphites, may cause adverse health effects.
Processed foods often have a higher ratio of calories to other essential nutrients than unprocessed foods, a phenomenon referred to as “empty calories”. So-called junk food, produced to satisfy consumer demand for convenience and low cost, are most often mass-produced processed food products.
The additions of these many chemicals for preservation and flavor have been known to cause human and animal cells to grow rapidly, without going into Apoptosis.

PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS FOR FOOD PROCESSING

When designing processes for the food industry the following performance parameters may be taken into account:

Hygiene, e.g. measured by number of micro-organisms per ml of finished product
Energy consumption, measured e.g. by “ton of steam per ton of sugar produced”
Minimization of waste, measured e.g. by “percentage of peeling loss during the peeling of potatoes’
Labour used, measured e.g. by “number of working hours per ton of finished product”
Minimization of cleaning stops measured e.g. by “number of hours between cleaning stops”

TRENDS IN MODERN FOOD PROCESSING

Cost reduction

Profit Incentive drives most of the factors behind any industry; the food industry not least of all. Health concerns are generally subservient to profit potential, leading the food processing industry to often ignore major health concerns raised by the use of

industrially-produced ingredients (partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils, for example, a well-known and well-researched cause of heart disease that is still commonly used in processed food to increase profit margin).

HEALTH
Reduction of fat content in final product e.g. by using baking instead of deep-frying in the production of potato chips, another processed food
Maintaining the natural taste of the product e.g. by using less artificial sweetener than they used before.
HYGIENE

The rigorous application of industry and government endorsed standards to minimize possible risk and hazards. In the USA the standard adopted is HACCP. Lims solutions help industry to manage those quality standards.

EFFICIENCY
Rising energy costs lead to increasing usage of energy-saving technologies, e.g. frequency converters on electrical drives, heat insulation of factory buildings and heated vessels, energy recovery systems, keeping a single fish frozen all the way from China to Switzerland.
Factory automation systems (often Distributed control systems) reduce personnel costs and may lead to more stable production results.
Excellent efficiency and quality is the world of food processing

MINISTRY OF FOODPROCESSING & INDUSTRIES

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, set up in July 1988, is the main central agency of the Government responsible for developing a strong and vibrant food processing sector; with a view to create increased job opportunities in rural areas, enable the farmers to reap benefit from modern technology, create surplus for exports and stimulating demand for processed food. The industry of food processing is as follows;

Fruits and vegetable processing industry
Food grain milling industry
Dairy products
Processing of poultry and eggs, meat and meat products
Fish processing
Bread, oilseeds, meals (edible), breakfast foods, biscuits, confectionery (including cocoa processing and chocolate), malt extract, protein isolate, high protein food, weaning food and extrude/other ready to eat food products.
Beer, including non-alcoholic beer
Alcoholic drinks from non-molasses base
Aerated waters / soft drinks and other processed foods
Specialized packaging for food processing industries

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

The installed capacity of fruits and vegetables processing industry has increased from 1.1 million tones in January 1993 to 2.1 million tones in 2006. The processing of fruits and vegetables is estimated to be around 2.2% of the total production in the country. The major processed items in the fruit and vegetable segment are fruit pulps and juices, fruit based ready-to-serve beverages, canned fruits and vegetables, jams, squashes, pickles, chutneys and dehydrated vegetables. Some recent products introduced in this segment include vegetable curries in reportable pouches, canned mushroom and mushroom products, dried fruits and vegetables and fruit juice concentrates.

DAIRY INDUSTRY IN INDIA

India has the highest livestock population in the world with 50% of the buffaloes and 20% of the world’s cattle population, most of which are milch cows and milch buffaloes. India’s dairy industry is considered as one of the most successful development programmes in the post-Independence period. In the year 2006-07the total milk production in the country was over 94.6 million tones with a per capita availability of 229 gms per day. The industry had been recording an annual growth of 4% during the period 1993-2005, which is almost 3 times the average growth rate of the dairy industry in the world. Milk processing in India is around 35%, of which the organized dairy industry account for 13% of the milk produced, while the rest of the milk is either consumed at farm level, or sold as fresh, non-pasteurized milk through unorganized       channels.

POULTRY    INDUSTRY

It is believed that the Indian Poultry Industry is 5,000 years old, since last 4 decades it began to witness remarkable growth from backyard to poultry industry.  The organized sector of poultry industry is contributing nearly 70% of the total output and the rest 30% in the unorganized sector. The broiler industry is well dominated in southern states in our country with nearly 60-70% total output coming from these states. The layer industry once again is represented more in southern states especially, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra producing nearly 70% of the country’s egg production. India’s 75% of egg produce is consumed by the 25% population living in urban and semi-urban areas. Presently about 800 hatcheries are operating in the country.

MEAT AND MEAT PRODUCTS

India ranks top in animal and cattle population. The meat and meat processing industry is still to come up. Some top players in the meat processing industry like Venkateswara Hatcheries, Godrej Agrovet, Vista Processed Food, Al Kabeer, Allanasons etc., with modern state-of-the-art slaughter and processing plants, have changed the entire scenario, making the industry grow at almost 10%. There is a huge scope for expanding exports, especially in buffalo and poultry meat, eggs and dairy products

CONCLUSION

At last I concluded my presentation; Increasing incomes are always accompanied by a change in the food habits. Over the last three decades in India a shift in food habits have been observed. The report observes that the proportionate expenditure on cereals, pulses, edible oil, sugar, salt and spices declines as households climb the expenditure classes in urban India while the opposite happens in the case of milk and milk products, meat, egg and fish, fruits and beverages.

S.Balamurugan final year MBA Sri Kaliswari College, Sivakasi.
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Food security is a multifaceted concept that goes far beyond the number of people that can be sustained by the earth’s limited food resources to encompass a broad range of issues such as population growth, control and mobility, resource distribution, consumption patterns, agricultural production, climate change, environmental degradation, socio-economic status, development, trade relations, land ownership rights, access to microfinance and access to healthcare services. All of these issues are central to women, yet their role in food security has not attracted attention of many policy-makers.

The need for gender equity cuts across all aspects of sustainable development. A central theme to improving gender equity is the need to inspire and build a culture of partnerships not only between men and women but also between civil society and institutions, and between local and global levels of policy making for sustainable development. Greater gender equity requires economic well-beingand social equity, which means that women are able to express their potential to the benefit of the entire household and community:

Economic well-beingrequires gender-sensitive strategies. 70 percent of the world’s estimated 1.3 billion people living in absolute poverty are women. Economic well being of any society cannot be achieved if one group is massively underprivileged compared to the other. Nor can an economy be called healthy without utilising the contributions and skills of all members of society.
Social equityis fundamentally linked togender equity. No society can survive sustainably, or allow its members to live in dignity, if there is prejudice and discrimination of any social group.

Food insecurity in a household can be seen as a combination of two distinct problems – those of acquirement and utilisation. A household that has the capacity to acquireall the food it needs may not always have the ability to utilisethat capacity to the fullest. For instance, the housewife may be pressed for time to prepare and serve food in a manner that yields the best nutritional value, or perhaps the household’s storage facilities are insufficient for maintaining adequate quantities of food in good condition outside the harvest season. A household can be said to be food secured only if it is secure in terms of both the acquirement and utilisation of food.

Women’s Contribution to Food Security

Gender equality is the key to food security. Empowering women is the key to ensuring food and nutritional security in the developing world. There is a lack of gender-specific information due to weak dissemination and lack of real awareness of the target audience i.e. role of man and women in achieving food security, human development and contribution of women. One reason for women’s work remaining largely invisible in statistics is that a great deal of it takes place outside the formal economy which is frequently considered to be a residual category that does not contribute significant output to the national economy. Recognition and adequate compensation of women’s productive as well as their reproductive labour is essential to maintain their contribution to global food production and security.
 
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) disaggregates food security into three pillars – food production, food access and food utilisation.

Food production

Women are active food producers. They work on small farms and in urban gardens to produce cash crops.
Women work in other aspects of food production such as resource management.

Food access

Women ensure that each family member receives an adequate share of food.
Women are primarily responsible for purchasing food, to which they devote their time and their income.
Food utilization
Women are responsible for nutrition in the majority of homes. They decide what food to buy and how to prepare it. In many cases, food preparation involves a substantial amount of time for collecting fuel and preparing ingredients.

Legal or social restrictions prevent many women from owning or inheriting land, water rights or livestock, borrowing money or making decisions regarding the use of family assets. This has a direct and detrimental impact on their ability to manage food production and security. In comparative studies, households in which women controlled income, demonstrated better levels of nutrition. Women tend to devote a greater share of their income to food and fuel as opposed to luxury items.

Women and girls assume responsibility for the care of sick family members, which not only exposes them of contracting the illness themselves but also limits the time available for food production and preparation. At current levels, the world produces enough to feed all of its inhabitants. However, unequal distribution means that a few consume too much, while many are not getting enough. Women were the most involved in finding ways to deal with food insecurity. These included:

reducing food intake of themselves and their daughters;
sharing food surplus between households;
using food that expanded in the stomach (e.g., gruel), especially for themselves and their daughters;
cooking food only once a day and using side dishes in order to reduce the fuel used and time spent (freeing time for earning);
consuming processed foods that has been kept in special storage (dried vegetables, flour of mango kernel);
purchasing cheaper staples to replace costlier and more nutritious items; and
working harder and longer on productive activities to earn cash for buying food for their family ignoring the importance of nutritious food for themselves.

Keeping Food security in the hands of women: Indian context

Nutritional status is one of the indicators of the overall well being of population and human resource development. There have been significant improvements in the overall nutritional and health status of the population in India over the last two decades with a steady reduction in the percentage of underweight and severely malnourished women and children, better early childhood care for survival, growth and development and better nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women. However, sub-clinical malnutrition, incidence of low weight-for-age, anaemia, disability and hunger still continue among women in the lower socio-economic sections of the population. This prevents them from reaching their full potential as vibrant and productive human beings. Among the upper socio-economic groups, new problems of malnutrition such as obesity are manifesting themselves, which arise out of increased consumption of processed and refined foods, combined with sedentary lifestyles.

Though over 95 percent of Indians get two square meals a day, but the fact is that they are terribly undernourished. In poor households women and girls are more likely to suffer from malnutrition. The feminisation of poverty means that increasing numbers of women are suffering from malnutrition. This is especially true for pregnant and lactating women, whose food intake may not increase when their requirements do. At least 1.3 billion people are living in absolute poverty and 70 percent of them are women. Women are more threatened by poverty than men partly because more households are headed by women without a partner.

The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of women. Thus achievement of food security has been a major goal of the development since India gained independence. Despite tremendous increase in agricultural production, reaching self-sufficiency in food, formation of Food Corporation of India (FCI) with the aim of providing food security and nutrition at the household level the purpose of achieving nutritional security among women and children still remains unsolved. Based on the most recent estimates, about 204.4 million people are suffering from malnutrition in India out of approximately 800 million people in the developing world. So, in order to endeavor towards the eradication of malnutrition, the UN Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Food Security and Nutrition (FS&N) was established in 1995. In May 2000, the name of the IAWG was changed to “Inter Agency Working Group on Rural Development and Food Security & Nutrition”.

Women are often more vulnerable to nutritional problems because of their lower socio-economic status, as well as their physiological needs. Gender equality and food security can contribute significantly to the efforts to improve the nutrition and health status of women, men and children. Improving women’s knowledge of nutrition and food safety can prevent illnesses, disabilities and premature deaths. Further, women who enjoy good health are better able to contribute to economic development.

Women are active at every point in the food chain and are often responsible for protecting the integrity of food and ensuring its wholesomeness and safety. They participate fully in the design, formulation and implementation of activities to improve the production and consumption of a variety of food. They are often trained for proper handling and processing of food. There is a need to strengthen women who can be an active partner for the economic and social betterment of their family and society as a whole and this is not possible without proper health conditions. It will also help them to build up their capacity for effectively handling and protecting food. Sensitising society and also generating awareness not only among the public or the women but also among government officials is of great importance today.

Punyarupa Bhadury is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Women’s College, Calcutta.
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“Can I Do This?”
Have you ever found yourself in the grocery store, in the middle of the baby food isle, frustrated with the outrageous cost of baby foods or added it all up and realized just how much you were spending on your baby’s food?  Or if you have ever picked up one of the jars and actually read the ingredients on the back and wonder ‘Why in the world is there add sugars and high fructose corn syrup in my baby’s food?  And what the heck is genetically modified starch?’ Well let me tell you the right answer:  It’s stuff your baby doesn’t need. So you are wondering: ‘Is there a better way?’ And I am here to tell you that there is!  Making your own homemade baby foods is a great way to provide your baby with the best stuff they can possibly get AND at a fraction of the cost!  So I’m sure that you are wondering: ‘Could I actually do this?’ And I am here to tell you that you can and it is really simple, it is really quick, and it’s really fun!

Basic Equipment
I’m so glad that you are considering giving your baby the best start to eating right!   One of the first questions that you might have is ‘Do I have the right equipment to make baby foods for my baby?’  So let’s jump right in and go over the equipment that you might have or that you might consider getting.  The first item that is important is a steamer.  I like the steamer over other ways to cook my baby’s food because it keeps the nutrients right in the food versus microwaving or boiling because the nutrients leave the food and go into the water it is being cooked in, but if you steam your vegetables then that is a healthier way for your baby to eat and that’s exactly why we are doing this.  If you don’t have a steamer, that’s ok, I’m not encouraging you to go buy anything new to do this, you could always use a steamer pot, or a metal colander works well also in a regular pot. 

The next piece of equipment that you will need is a food processor.  And I love my food processor.  It is so simple to operate, after cooking the food you put it in the food processor bowl, snap on the lid and turn it on and let it do it’s magic.  Food processors can be a bit pricy, so again I am not encouraging you to go out and invest in anything that is too expensive, but you will need something that will puree the baby’s food so that it is easy to digest for them.  If you do not have a food processor and do not want to purchase one, you could always look into a food mill, which can run between $10 and $12 dollars.

When you baby’s food comes out of the food processor you will need either a spoon or a spatula.  Now I am sure that everyone has one or both of these, but I just wanted to make a note of them.  When the food comes out of the food processor with the spoon or spatula, it can go directly into the baby’s bowl for meal time, or if you are storing the food for later consumption you will need regular old ice cube trays.  These make the process so simple because after freezing your baby’s food one cube equals one serving for your baby. 

You may also want to consider having aluminum foil to cover the trays in the freezer, gallon sized and sandwich sized Ziploc bags, as well as a permanent marker and a remarkable marker.

First Foods
This is the part of making your baby’s food where you get out of the kitchen and head to you local food market.  Picking out your baby’s first foods is fun and exciting to know you are putting the best stuff into your baby.  I like to shop in the organic section because that really is the best for baby.  If for some reason you don’t want to or can’t shop the organics, no problem, go ahead and pick up the regular fruits and vegetables but just make sure that you are really washing them well to remove all the chemicals and pesticides that you don’t want your baby to be consuming. 

So now you know you have all the equipment that you need and you are wondering “What in the heck do I feed my baby?’  Well, let me tell you exactly what to make.  Some perfect first foods include Sweet Potatoes, Avocados, Carrots, Bananas, and Apples.  These are a bunch of great first foods to start with, but if you come to a point where you get stuck, and you have gone through all the first foods I’ve suggested and you are wondering “Now what?”  Let me give you a little cheat tip.  Head right around the corner to the baby food aisle and just see what is on the shelf that you haven’t served yet and then head right on back to the fresh produce section and pick up what you need.

Don’t forget about the “4 Day Wait Rule” which tells us to introduce the baby’s food one day then wait for 4 days to see if they have any type of allergic reaction.  This will help you pinpoint exactly what your baby is reacting to instead of introducing many foods and not knowing which one caused the reaction.

So now that you know what to feed your baby, it’s time to head back to the kitchen and cook up some of the foods you just picked up!

“Just Do It” Preparing Your Baby’s First Food
Ok, so now you know that you have all the right equipment, you have shopped for those precious first foods and it is time to Just Do It!  Before you start working with the heavy machinery in your kitchen, I would encourage you to start with something really simple like bananas or avocados.  Now, bananas tend to be a little bit sweet and some doctors tend to discourage you from feeding your baby fruits before veggies because they might develop a sweet tooth and not want veggies, completely up to you, just something to consider.  Even with fruits and veggies with skin like the banana and avocado, I would encourage you to wash it really well to remove any chemicals or pesticides and it gives you another chance to wash your hands so that when you handle the fruit on the inside you are not contaminating it.  Being very careful with the knife cut the avocado right down the center long ways and spoon out the insides into a bowl and discard the skin.  Using a fork mash the avocado until very smooth.  If this is your baby’s very first meal, I would encourage you to mix it with some breast milk if you are nursing or just plain water if you are not to thin it out just a little making it easier for baby to digest. 

You can do the same with a banana, wash the outside well and then cut a small portion off the banana as you baby will not be able to eat an entire banana right away and you don’t want to waste the rest of the banana.  Mash the banana the same as you did the avocado with a fork and mix with breast milk or water.  Simple and easy, yes? 

Well, now that you have mastered those, lets move on to the food processor.  Place your food of choice into the steamer basket and steam for 10 to 20 min. or until really soft and well cooked.  Once the food has completed cooking in the steamer then you will transfer the food directly into the food processor.  Be careful not to burn yourself!  Then let the food processor do it’s magic.  Add breast milk or water to thin it out a little if needed, then process until smooth and runny or the consistency that is right for your baby as they grow allowing it to thicken up as they get older.  Then removed a spoonful or two directly into your baby’s bowl for their meal.  Remember to do a finger test to make sure that it isn’t too hot coming right out of the steamer.  You don’t want to burn your baby’s mouth or esophagus and ruin the first foods experience or worse. 
There you have it, you just did it!  Congratulations on making your baby’s first meal.  If they could speak I’m sure they would thank you!

Storing Baby’s Food
This is where the ice cube trays come in.  Spoon the food you did not serve your baby in their first meal directly from the food processor into the ice trays and fill up each cube well.  Once you have emptied the food processor bowl or filled the tray, cover the tray with aluminum foil. I like to label tray directly with a remarkable marker with the date and what food is in there.  Place the tray into the freeze.  Once it’s frozen remove from the freezer and place the all of individual cubes (one cube = one serving) into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and return to freezer until needed for the next serving time.  Be sure to write the name of the food on the bag and the date it was made. When it is serving time, remove one cube from large bag and place into sandwich size bag and seal.  Place bag in a bowl or cup in the sink and run hot water over to thaw.  Then serve!

Congratulations!  You now know exactly how to make your baby homemade baby foods! 

For a FREE 4 Part Video Series on Baby Food: Homemade! Go to http://babyfoodhomemade.com/homemade-baby-food-series/

Cindy Ihm is a work at home mom to 2 beautiful girls. She has an amazingly supportive husband and currently resides in Chicago, IL living the life of her dreams. She enjoys living close to Lake Michigan and spending time outdoors with her family. For more information on Cindy or on Baby Food: Homemade! please visit http://babyfoodhomemade.com
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Myth # 1:Dry food is better for my cat than wet
food.

False! While dry food does leave less residue on cats’ teeth, thus creating less plaque buildup and tartar formation, dry food is far less natural for your cat than wet food, and the few dental benefits of dry food do NOT outweigh the health advantages of wet food … there is no contest!

Feral cats hunt mice, birds, and other small prey animals because they are obligate carnivores. When comparing water content, protein, fat, and other elements within thenutritional composition profiles of feline prey species to both dry and wet cat foods, wet foods are more analogous to cats’ natural diet than dry foods are – by far!

Wet food is approximately 70% to 80% water content which is similar to the water content of prey species’ bodies.

Cats who eat wet food consume 3 to 5 times the amount of water over the course of the day relative to cats who eat dry food.

Cats were originally desert creatures and inhabited areas where water was not freely available for consumption. This means two things: 1) cats are meant to hydrate themselves via their food intake, and 2) their kidneys developed the capacity to produce highly concentrated urine to conserve their body water in times when prey was scarce and water was unavailable. So when cats do not obtain water through their diets because their diet is composed mainly of dry food, their kidneys chronically conserve their body water by producing the highly concentrated urine they are capable of making. Their kidneys spend a lifetime working very hard in order to compensate for their decreased water intake when their diets are composed of dry matter; this water conservation mechanism was only meant to be used in temporary times of need – not as a long-term solution to be used for decades!

Why is water intake so important for cats? Because proper hydration, as obtained via wet diets, helps prevent many human-induced (via dry diets) lower urinary tract diseases and kidney problems.

Additionally, dry food often contains grain fillers (corn, wheat, potato, rice, soy, etc.) that are entirely inappropriate for obligate carnivores to be ingesting. Evolutionarily cats were not built to digest grains. And although there are now a few ‘high quality’ dry foods on the market that are not made with grains, the fact remains that dry food is still dense (97% dry matter), is hard on cats’ GI tracts and still results in decreased water intake. Avoiding dry food and unnatural ingredients in your cats’ diets (even the wet ones) helps prevent human-induced diseases (via diet) such as inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic enteritis, pancreatitis, triaditis, intestinal lymphoma, and many many more.

Myth #2: Animal by-products listed in the ingredients of cat foods means that the food is low quality and non-nutritious.

False! While most humans don’t want animal by-products on their plates (by-products can include bone, skin, eyes, intestines, chicken feet, undeveloped eggs, etc.), they are still very nutritious body parts and in some cultures many by-products are even considered to be delicacies! 

When cats hunt and eat their prey (eg. mice), they don’t skin them, remove the muscle from the bones, and toss aside the viscera: they eat the entire mouse, rarely leaving any ‘by-products’ behind!

?That said, kitties still need to eat muscle tissue along with the other bits and pieces that may be included in their suppers in order to get enough protein in their food, so a good quality cat diet should contain a significant amount of ‘real meat’ as well!

Myth #3: I don’t need to regulate the amount of food my cat eats because, unlike dogs, cats can regulate their own food intake and will not overeat.

False! Many cats will indulge in overeating just like dogs and humans do. In fact, obesity is becoming an increasingly prevalent problem among North American cats, particularly for indoor cats who are fed dry food. Many cat owners allow their kitties to free feed on dry food, and the food bowls are just topped up with kibble every several days when they’re looking a bit low.

Dry food is very calorie dense in comparison with wet food or a natural feline diet consisting of prey species, so the volume of food that is equal to an average cat’s daily caloric requirements is relatively small. 
This means that many cats do not feel satiated by the small volume of dry food that is equal to their daily caloric needs, and therefore they unwittingly consume excessive calories since they continue to eat more dry food in order to feel full.
Just a few of the reasons that obesity poses health risks to cats include the following: 1) obesity leads to diabetes (a disease that is now rampant in our domestic cat population), 2) early onset of severe arthritis, 3) increased risk of urinary tract problems, 4) increased risk of liver failure when obese cats become ill and stop eating, 5) decreased quality of life due to lethargy and low energy levels, and 6) decreased capacity to have thorough veterinary physical exams performed.
Additionally, unless the amount of food that is fed on a daily basis is quantified, it is very difficult to recognize when a cat stops eating if they are fed dry food. If the food dish is just topped up periodically, it may be a matter of days before their inappetence is noted, at which point illness may have progressed significantly.
Cats naturally eat ten to twenty small meals per day, so it is best to feed them as many small meals (of wet food!) as possible.

Myth #4: Cats only need to be fed once or twice per day.
 
False! Cats will naturally eat ten to twenty small meals per day, so it is best to feed them as many small meals as possible.

Logistically it can be somewhat difficult for working owners to provide this ideal number of feedings, but when possible, feedings should be done upon waking up, again in the morning before leaving for work, immediately upon returning home from work, and then once or twice more before going to bed. 
Leaving a very very small amount of dry food or better yet, high quality freeze-dried meat treats, available in puzzle feeders while away from home during the day, and when in bed during the night, allows cats to enjoy small feedings at their leisure and will encourage natural foraging/hunting behaviors (and may help prevent your kitty from waking you up at 5 AM for their breakfast feeding!). 
For practical reasons, wet food needs to be fed in small frequent meals because most cats won’t eat wet food that has been out for longer than 30 minutes. 
Once wet food has dried up from exposure at room temperature it loses its appeal to cats, and additionally, will grow bacteria, which means it won’t be safe for cats to consume.
Wet food should not be left out for more than 15 to 30 minutes and if not immediately placed refrigerated once meal time is finished it should be thrown away . 

Myth #5: My cat goes crazy over wet food, and wet food will make my cat fat.

False! While many people make the assumption that wet cat food is fattening, this is a gross misconception. 

Intuitively it seems to make sense: wet food smells rich and enticing, many cats gobble their wet food with an enthusiasm they rarely display when presented dry food, and even the moistness of the wet food looks fattening! However, nothing could be further from the truth.  
Canned food is approximately 70% to 80% water content, so while it may seem rich and delectable, it is actually very calorically dilute (literally!) in comparison to dry food. It’s mostly made of water!

Dry cat food (kibble) is approximately 97% dry matter, and it is extremely calorie dense. 
Kibble is similar in concept to a human meal-replacement bar; it’s a compact little item that contains all of the nutrients and calories that are required … but, who feels full after one little bar?! It would take four or five meal bars to actually feel physically full as though one had eaten an entire meal, and the very same problem exists with dry cat food. 
Only a small volume of dry food provides the calories necessary to meet cats’ daily caloric needs, but since most cats do not feel satiated by the tiny volume that equals their daily caloric needs, they eat larger volumes than they actually require … in time, this leads to obesity which frequently results in diabetes over time.

Myth #6: My cat can eat the same type of food at all stages of life.

False! Kittens, adults, and geriatric cats all have slightly different nutritional requirements, and it is important that they be fed appropriate diets for their stage of life. Additionally, some cats may have particular diseases that may require specific diets to aid with their disease management.

Myth #7: Cats who eat dry food drink more water, so dry food is healthier than wet food.

False! While cats who eat dry food may appear to be ingesting more water (and they certainly do spend more time visibly drinking from their water dishes), in actuality they only consume one third to one fifth of the amount of water over the course of a day as cats who eat canned food do!

The reason that cats who eat canned food ingest so much more water than those eating dry food, is because canned food is anywhere from 70% to 80% water content (in comparison to dry food which is only 3% water content).
Despite the fact that cats on dry diets appear to drink large quantities of water from their water bowls, they actually do not compensate nearly to the point of actually equaling the amount of water that cats who eat wet food consume on a daily basis.
Cats were originally desert creatures and they evolved to have the capacity to concentrate their urine very highly.
Thus, cats who eat dry food only take in enough water to remain adequately hydrated while their kidneys work in overdrive day in and day out, producing highly concentrated urine to bridge the gap for them. In turn this chronically concentrated urine causes urinary crystals, bladder and kidney stones, kidney disease, idiopathic cystitis, urinary obstruction, and many more serious health problems.

Myth #8: Cat treats are not a significant source of calories so I give my kitty lots of them.

False! Depending on the type of cat treats that are being fed, they can be a dangerously high source of calories!

Over-treating your cat can be a contributing factor in the development of obesity, so it’s a good idea to know the caloric content of the treats you feed your cat. 
For example, Pounce treats are 10 kcal/treat; Temptations are 2 kcal/treat; and MediCal treats are 1 kcal/treat. 
So if you give your cat 5 Pounce treats in one day, this is equal to 50 kcal. 
Since the average adult cat needs approximately 200 to 250 kcal/day, 5 Pounce treats is actually about one quarter of an adult cat’s daily caloric requirements! Which means that their meal portions for that day would need to be significantly reduced. 
5 Temptations treats, on the other hand, are only equal to 10 kcal, and so are a relatively low calorie choice.
?The bottom line is that you can feed your cat treats, but you need to include your cat’s treat calories in their calorie count for the day.  
?Also, keep in mind that many cat treats are similar to dry food in that they can include many inappropriate ingredients for our little carnivores, including food coloring. For this reason, I tend to stick to freeze dried meat treats – they are much healthier and contain no added ingredients!

Myth #9: Organic cat foods and holistic cat foods tend to include veggies and fruits in them, which means that they are wholesome, higher quality, and more nutritious for my cat.

False! It is true that many organic and holistic cat foods contain veggies and fruits in their ingredient lists. But while the concept of organic cat food is a good one, the fruits and vegetables that are frequently included in these diets tend to actually detract from their overall healthiness and suitability. 

Organic food is an important part of healthy living, but unfortunately many organic cat foods that are commercially available today include inappropriate ingredients in their make-up. Vegetables and fruits are included in cat diets purely for marketing purposes. This tactic is very effective because we humans – the consumers! – have the preconceived notion that these items are healthy and wholesome: which they are, but that’s because we are omnivores!
Cats are obligate carnivores which means that their digestive tracts are built solely for the purpose of ingesting prey, and are not designed to digest herbivorous food. If cats were pushing their own shopping carts through pet store aisles, the food companies would not be marketing their feline diets with veggie and fruit ingredients, and nor would they be enhancing their diets’ appearance with artificial food coloring!
Cats are primary protein users for energy, and the only veggie matter that would normally be ingested by cats would be the very minute amount present in the intestines of their prey, which is already digested. Blueberries, apples, carrots, etc., are simply not appropriate for the feline diet!

Myth #10: Making a home-cooked diet for my cat is easy. I will simply cook some meat for my cat, or perhaps find an online recipe for cat food.

False! Cats have very specific nutritional requirements, including essential amino acids that absolutely must be obtained dietetically.  

Significant diseases can develop as a result of vitamin imbalances and amino acid deficiencies, and it is imperative that before switching your cat to a home-cooked diet or a raw diet that you consult with your veterinarian and obtain a balanced recipe and all of the appropriate supplements that must be included.

To read more of Dr. Ko’s articles, please visit www.catdoctorko.com

??The information provided in this article is for educational reference purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice and care of your veterinarian, nor medical diagnoses or treatments. All questions regarding your cat’s health should be discussed with your veterinarian.

Dr. Koharik Arman “Dr. Ko” – Licensed VeterinarianDr. Ko is a cat lover and founder of the www.catdoctorko.com website! Although she is trained in all areas of veterinary medicine, she has sought out a professional career that allows her to work exclusively with felines.While in school, Dr. Ko was a Deans Honor List Student throughout the four years of her undergraduate BSc (Bachelor of Science in Biology) degree at the University of New Brunswick, and the four years during which she completed her DVM (Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine) degree at the Atlantic Veterinary College in beautiful Prince Edward Island. Dr. Ko earned many scholarships in the course of her post-graduate education, including the Bayer Companion Animal Veterinary Medicine Award. She also published an article she wrote while still a student in a medical journal, the CVJ (Canadian Veterinary Journal), in 2007. A licensed veterinarian who works exclusively with cats, Dr. Ko is a member of the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practicioners), the CVMA (Canadian Veterinary Medical Assocation), VIN (the Veterinary Information Network), and is also a certified NEW (Nuclear Energy Worker). Dr. Ko continues to split her time between working in private practice at two different feline veterinary clinics, as well as writing and publishing articles on animal wellness and welfare, and, of course, dedicating herself to the continued development and expansion of the www.catdoctorko.com website and its community of cat lovers.Dr. Ko is a passionate believer in the importance of preventative medicine and educating cat owners about its benefits for their cats. It was this ideal which was the motivation for the creation of the Dr. Ko website. She continues to be an advocate for the humane treatment of all animals, and of course, the health and wellness of cats everywhere! 
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