Quality Fusion India_B2-

Assignment I

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, established the Food Safet
y and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as a statutory organization. 

 The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, a consolidated statute relating to food safety and 
regulation in India, is what gave rise to the establishment of the FSSAI. 

 Through the regulation and oversight of food safety, the FSSAI is in charge of preserving an
d advancing public health.

 The Central Government nominated a non-executive chairperson to lead the FSSAI who is

currently holding or has previously held a post equivalent to Secretary to the Government o
f India. 

 Both Shri Arun Singhal and Rajesh Bhusan are now serving as the FSSAI's chief executive 
officer and chair, respectively.
FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 New Delhi serves as the FSSAI's administrative centre. Additionally, there are 6 regional
offices for the authority, which are situated in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata,
Cochin, and Chennai. 14 reference laboratories, 72 state/UT laboratories spread across
India, and 112 NABL-accredited commercial laboratories are among the laboratories that
FSSAI has notified.

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) decided to grant perpetual
licences to restaurants and food manufacturers on the condition that they file their returns
each year in 2021 with the goal of benefiting industries involved in the manufacturing, h
andling, packaging, and selling of food items.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 In accordance with the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, which became effective
in the year 2006, FSSAI was founded on August 5, 2008. 22 members and a chairman
make up the FSSAI. The FSSAI is in charge of establishing food standards so that
consumers, dealers, producers, and investors only have to deal with one organization.
The Administrative Ministry of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is the
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. The Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India is granted the following legal authority by the FSS Act,
2006: (FSSAI).

1. Framing of regulations to lay down food safety standards

2. Laying down guidelines for accreditation of laboratories for food testing
3. Providing scientific advice and technical support to the Central Government
4. Contributing to the development of international technical standards in food
5. Collecting and collating data regarding food consumption, contamination, emerging
risks, etc.
6. Disseminating information and promoting awareness about food safety and nutrition in
India.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 Standards -
 The Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives), Food Safety 
and Standards (Packaging and Labeling), and Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, To
xins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011, are the regulations that specify the standards that the 
FSSAI has created.
• Dairy products and analogues 
• Fats, oils and fat emulsions
• Fruits and vegetable products
• Cereal and cereal products
• Meat and meat products
• Fish and fish products
• Sweets & confectionery
• Sweetening agents including honey
• Salt, spices, condiments and related products
• Beverages, (other than dairy and fruits & vegetables based)
• Other food product and ingredients
• Proprietary food
• Irradiation of food
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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 FSSAI Responsibilities: 
• Laying down mechanisms and guidelines for accreditation of certification bodies engaged
in certification of food safety management system for food businesses.
• Laying down procedure and guidelines for accreditation of laboratories and notification of
the accredited laboratories.
• To provide scientific advice and technical support to Central Government and State
Governments in the matters of framing the policy and rules in areas which have a direct or
indirect bearing of food safety and nutrition.
• Collect and collate data regarding food consumption, incidence and prevalence of
biological risk, contaminants in food, residues of various, contaminants in foods products,
identification of emerging risks and introduction of rapid alert system.
• Creating an information network across the country so that the public, consumers,
Panchayats etc receive rapid, reliable and objective information about food safety and
issues of concern.
• Provide training programmes for persons who are involved or intend to get involved in
food businesses.
• Contribute to the development of international technical standards for food, sanitary and
phyto-sanitary standards.
• Promote general awareness about food safety and food standards.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 FoSTaC: 

A comprehensive training and certification ecosystem for food businesses along the whole
food value chain is called Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC). Successful
FoSTaC trainees and qualified food safety supervisors will be referred to as such (FSS). To
build a network of trained people, these food safety supervisors will train additional food
handlers on their property.

In order to carry out its duties under Section 16(3)h of the Food Safety and Standards Act
2006, the FSSAI created FoSTaC. Under FoSTaC, the curriculum and material for 16 courses
on three competency levels—Basic, Advanced, and Special—for various types of food
enterprises have been developed centrally by subject-matter experts. Training must be
provided by recognised Training Partners, such as major food companies, educational and
vocational institutions, and training agencies.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 Supply-side Initiatives :

 On the supply side, FSSAI launched Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC), a
special programme to guarantee a trained and certified Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) on each
food business premises, in order to increase the capacities of food enterprises on food safety.
There are several benchmarking and certification programmes in place to raise food safety
and hygiene standards. Eat Right Station, BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God) for
Places of Worship, Clean Street Food Hub, Clean and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Markets, and
they are all aimed at clusters of vendors. For each individual food service facility, the
Hygiene Rating Scheme for Restaurants and Catering Establishments, Sweet and Meat Shops
has been implemented.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

  Demand-side Initiatives :

By involving consumers and teaching them about healthy eating, FSSAI's demand-
side activities seek to modify social attitudes and behaviours on a global scale. Building cons
umer awareness, addressing adulteration, and facilitating healthy choices are their three main 
areas of concentration. With programs like Eat Right Campus and Eat Right School that targe
t people at workplaces, colleges, universities, institutions, hospitals, tea estates, and jails as w
ell as students in schools a settings based approach has been implemented to increase consum
er awareness. 

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 Sustainability Initiatives :

   FSSAI is leading initiatives like Jaivik Bharat to promote authentic organic food,
Save Food, Share Food to reduce food waste and promote food donation, Safe and Sustai
nable Packaging in the Food and Beverage Sector to reduce the use of plastics, and Repur
pose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO) for safe and healthy use of cooking oil and repurposing u
sed cooking oil to make biodiesel in order to encourage and support responsible productio
n and consumption of food in order to protect the environment.
   
 To ensuring that every person consumes safe, wholesome food in a sustainable manner, E
at Right India wants to scale up all these activities at the national level.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 ERI : 

Eat Right India includes a wide range of initiatives and programmes in addition to the regulat
ory responsibilities of FSSAI mandated by the Food Safety and Standards (FSS), Act 2006, su
ch as setting science-
based, internationally comparable standards for food and ensuring reliable food testing and co
mpliance to these standards through surveillance and enforcement activities. 
These programs seek to sustainably increase both the supply and demand for safe and wholes
ome food. 
The demand side efforts strive to motivate customers to want safe and healthy food, whereas t
he supply-side interventions try to strengthen capacity of food enterprises to encourage self-
compliance. 
Environmentally friendly eating behaviours and habits are intended to be promoted by progra
ms for the production and use of food in a sustainable manner.

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

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FSSAI History – Responsibilities – Programs like FoSTaC, ERI & BHOG

 BHOG : 

The FSSAI has launched a number of efforts to change the food safety and nutrition landscap
e in India by ensuring that its inhabitants may access and consume safe food and follow a hea
lthy diet. The Eat Right School initiative strives to educate schoolchildren and, via them, the 
whole public about food safety, nutrition, and cleanliness. Children may bring about significa
nt change. Children can be used as messengers to spread messages that could modify behavio
ur and promote a diet of healthful foods. Since eating habits are formed early in life, it is cruc
ial that food and nutrition are adequately covered in the curriculum and extracurricular progra
ms at the school level.

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 What comes to mind when you consider food storage? 
Consider placing some leftovers in a container, putting them in the refrigerator, and calling it
 a day. If you're an expert in the art of food preservation, you may put vegetables in your cris
per drawer and leave some ripening fruits on the counter. But what else should you be aware 
of about food preservation and storage, and why is it even important?

 Here are some of the advantages of becoming proficient at food storage:

• You save money and help the environment by reducing food waste.
• Fruits and vegetables will remain fresher for longer.
• You may save money by purchasing items in bulk or throughout the season.
you may also utilise them over a longer length of time without feeling rushed, which help
s alleviate stress.
• You may indulge in fruits and vegetables at any time of year.
• Food storage systems from the past might be an enjoyable pastime! 
•  Or a novel method to consume fruits and vegetables.
• Many food preservation solutions do not require electricity, so you may eat properly durin
g a power outage or while camping.
• Fermenting, a traditional technique of food preservation, may supplement your diet with 
healthy bacteria.
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 Three Types of Food :

All food may be divided into three categories, each with its own set of storage requirements.

1. Perishable Foods : Many raw fruits and vegetables are included, as are meat, dairy, and
eggs for those who consume them. Perishable foods include all cooked items. Perishable
goods must be stored at refrigerator or freezer temperatures for any length of time. Many
perishable items should be consumed within 3-7 days if refrigerated (less for many animal
products).

2. Semi perishable Foods: Food that is semi perishable might spoil rapidly or have a long sh
elf life depending on how it is stored and handled. Semi perishable items include flour, grain 
goods, dried fruits, and dry mixes. Semi perishable goods can last six months to a year if kep
t and managed properly, such as in a clean, vacuum sealed bag. Some can stay much longer i
f frozen.

3. Staple, or Non-perishable Foods : Non perishable foods include dried beans,

spices, and canned items. They will not spoil unless handled carelessly. However, even if the
y are stored in optimal circumstances, they might begin to lose quality with time.

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 Factors That Affect Food Storage Life : The usual rule of thumb for perishable and
semi-perishable foods is that if you can't use it right away, it has to be kept or preserved.

   The following are the primary elements that will influence a food's shelf life during storage:

• The actual food (for example, strawberries can degrade in as little as a day, while potatoes
can last for months when properly stored).
• The food's freshness and ripeness at the time of purchase. This is partly determined by
where it was cultivated and how long it remained in transit. Even if you just bought it from
the grocery store, it might have been picked lately... or not.
• The amount of time and temperature it was kept at before you purchased it.
• The temperature of your food storage rooms, whether they be in the fridge, freezer, countert
op, pantry, or basement.
• The degree of humidity in your food storage regions (which can vary greatly depending on t
he location in your house and what region you live in)
• The type of food storage container or packaging used, such as glass, plastic, foil, or cloth.

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 The Pros and Cons of 6 Ways to Store Food :

• There are several methods for storing food, each with its own set of advantages
and disadvantages. Here are some things to think about depending on
whatever strategy you use.

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1. Canning : 

• Canning is a low-cost approach to maintain the quality of food at home. Applesauce,

veggies, jams & jellies, and infant purees are all examples of canned foods.

• The fundamental processes for effective canning include carefully cleaning the fresh fruit,
 peeling and hot packing if necessary, adding acids such as lemon juice or vinegar if the it
em isn't already suitably acidic, and utilising self sealing containers with lids.  Canning ja
rs are thenprocessed for the proper period of time by either boiling water (for acidic fruits
 and vegetables) or using a pressure canner (for low-acid fruits and vegetables). To
maintain safety, this helps to inhibit bacterial development and eliminate any diseases.

• Home canning can save you money and eliminates the danger of BPA contamination
since you use glass mason jars instead of plastic or BPA-lined commercial cans.

• Canned foods also retain their nutritious worth for a longer period of time, albeit
some loss occurs.

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• During the heating process, around 30-50% of vitamins A, C, thiamin, and riboflavin are

lost, with an additional 5-20% loss every year. Less sensitive vitamins remain intact over
time and are only slightly lower in concentration than in fresh food. Vegetables may be
quite tough if handled and canned promptly, and they can keep a lot of their nutrients.
And you don't have to prepare anything with canned goods before eating them; you can
eat them right out of the can.

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 Risks & Downsides of Canning : 

• There are various hazards associated with canning as well. To avoid infection, home
canning need a sterile atmosphere. Canned goods must also be preserved at the proper
temperatures and with airtight covers to avoid infections such as botulism. In other words,
don't depend only on this article's advice. To guarantee you're preserving food rather than
armies of hazardous microorganisms, follow these USDA standards and pay attention to
hygiene, time, and temperature.

• There are a few disadvantages to canning as well. In addition to losing some of their taste
and nutrients over time, canned preserves, jams, and jellies sometimes employ a lot of
added sugar in their preservation process, which raises certain health concerns.

•   Mold may form on canned goods, especially on the surfaces of high sugar foods like jam
s and jellies. Mold may create harmful substances known as mycotoxins, which have the
potential to cause cancer. Mold, fortunately, is frequently colourful and visible on canned
food surfaces. Mold may be avoided by using suitable heat processing and air-tight
sealing
techniques. It's a good idea to check the seals on your canning jars before storing them in 
the cabinet or garage. 20
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2. Freezing :

• Most foods may be preserved using this method. Soups, baby purees, oats, and coffee
grounds, as well as vegetarian burger patties, chopped fruit, and blanched veggies,
may all be frozen.

•  A well kept freezer will preserve food for extended periods of time, after which it may be
 safely thawed (either in the fridge or by immersing in cold water alone) and cooked as
desired. foods that you make at home and then freeze are nearly always healthier for you 
nutritionally than frozen meals from the grocery store.

• Freezing has little hazards, but there are a few things to consider. Everything in the 
freezer is susceptible to freezer burn, which occurs when air comes into touch with the
food's surface and appears as grayish brown blotches. This does not make the food
hazardous to consume, but it does cause it to get dry in some spots. When thawing the me
al, you may clip these sections off. While some foods taste quite identical after freezing,
others undergo major and occasionally unpleasant texture changes.

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3. Drying or Dehydration :

• An wonderful way for preserving fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Drying food improves its
flavour, saves money, and makes storage easier by reducing its size.

• How does it function? Dehydration eliminates water from new food, preventing germs fro
m growing. Home dried food should have a moisture level of 20% or less. You may acco
mplish this by using a commercial dehydrator, hanging bunches of fresh herbs to dry (unl
ess you live in a high humidity area), oven drying items, or even making your own solar f
ood drier with the sun. To help preserve certain fruits and vegetables, blanch them (dip th
em quickly in hot water) before drying them.
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• However, there are certain disadvantages to dehydration. While many minerals stay rather
 stable after dehydration, vitamins A, C, and thiamin are heat and air sensitive (if the prod
uce is blanched or baked in the oven).

• Electric dehydrators also consume  a lot of energy, which you may prevent by utilising
alternate home drying techniques whenever feasible. Dehydrating food can also take a
long time, frequently more than ten hours, so be prepared to be patient and plan ahead if
you choose this technique. Preparing goods for drying might also taketime. For example,
chopping and coring fruits and spreading them out on a drying rack may require physical
labour.

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4. Fermentation :

• Fermenting foods is an excellent approach to increase your intake of beneficial probiotics 
(good bacteria) for your digestive system and immunity. Lacto fermentation, a bacterial 
 activity that maintains and increases nutrients in food, is the first step in the fermentation
 process. Chopping, grinding, or otherwise preparing your raw food, choosing on the 
culture to use (usually salt, whey, or a starting culture), making and adding brine, and 
storing everything in an airtight container in a cold climate are the fundamental processes.

• Fermentation does necessitate some caution, since food might spoil if you don't use fresh 
vegetables or distilled or filtered water. Fermentation also requires a lot of salt, which 
helps preserve food by sucking out the water content and reducing bacterial growth. This 
is a disadvantage for humans. Fresh sauerkraut, kimchi, and other salty fermented 
vegetables can serve as a "salt source" for some recipes.
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5. Pickling :

• Pickling, like fermentation, may be done on more than simply cucumbers. Have you had
pickled green beans before? Yum! Beets, cauliflower, peppers, cabbage, and even fruits
like lemon or mango are regularly pickled.

• Pickling is the method of preserving food in a high-acid solution, either naturally or by

adding vinegar and salt (and sometimes sugar). It keeps food fresh and extends shelf life.
Many pickled food combinations are also visually appealing and make excellent presents!

• Home pickling requires very few materials. The fruit or vegetable, a high-acid brine
solution (water, vinegar, salt, and optional sugar), and an airtight container are all you
need.
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6. Cold Storage :

• Many of us keep food in the refrigerator or, if we're lucky, in an underground root cellar.
Cold storage products such as apples, pears, root vegetables, celery, and cabbage can
survive for several months if properly stored.

• It is important to be aware of and adhere to appropriate temperatures and conditions for

food storage in order to maximise shelf life. Apples, for example, should be kept in a wet
and airy bag at temperatures slightly above freezing.

• Even while it's tempting to bring your fresh food home and pile it all on the counter, it's
recommended not to do so since it can cause it to spoil. Many fruits and vegetables, such
as apples, cantaloupe, blueberries, bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes, emit ethylene gas,
causing other foods to ripen and brown quicker.

• Different fruits and vegetables must be preserved in specific ways to maintain their freshn
ess. Some fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, grapes, strawberries, green onions, and 
asparagus, should be stored in the refrigerator straight away. Avocados, kiwis, peaches, an
d pears should be let to mature on the counter before storing in the refrigerator. Pomegran
ates, mandarin oranges, ginger, and jicama should never be refrigerated since they taste b
est at room temperature. 26
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 Other Things to Keep in Mind with Cold Storage :

• Maintaining correct moisture levels is also vital to avoid drying out, wilting, or early
mould growth. Instead of putting food directly on the counter or shelf, store it in
containers with holes to allow air circulation, such as baskets, mesh, or paper bags with
holes punched in them.

• If your refrigerator has a fan, as most do, it might cause food to dry out. Typically, the
produce drawer is shielded from this influence. Foods put unsecured in the fridge, outside
of the produce drawer, will dry out if not covered by a bag, container, or other means
from the drying action of the fan.

• Choosing attractive vegetables at the shop also helps to minimise premature spoiling. If
you're not intending to consume them right away, avoid buying avocados that are already
mushy or bananas that are spotted. Check your produce for bruises, discoloration,
punctures, or other signs of damage.

• It's also vital not to wash fruit until you're ready to preserve, prepare, or eat it, as pre-
washing might cause mould to grow during storage. Finally, if you cultivate your own
food, know when it's at its peak so you don't pick it too early or too late.
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 FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORT

Most of the food consumed in the United States in the early 1900s was produced locally.
Since then, technical developments in food processing and transportation, along with low-
cost oil, have enabled companies to transfer larger amounts of food over longer distances
than ever before. Trucks, trains, aircraft, and boats are used by industrialized nations to carry
food thousands of miles from where it is produced to where it is consumed. Refrigerated
transport has enabled enterprises to move perishable items such as meats, eggs, and fruit
over large distances. Frozen juice concentrate, for example, has made shipping drinks both
cheaper (since they contain less water) and more widely available all year. Meanwhile, free
trade policies and rising consumer demand have increased the amount of food that the
United States imports. As a result of these developments, Americans now have access to a
worldwide palette of culinary options that previous generations could not have imagined.

Food miles, or the distance food travels from where it is grown or farmed to where it is
purchased by a customer, have received a lot of attention since then. Local and regional have
become desirable characteristics for conscientious diners. It is widely recognised that the
ease, variety, and other advantages provided by global food distribution must be balanced
against the social, health, environmental, and economic consequences of carrying food
across vast distances.

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FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORT

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 FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSPORT

 Why food is transported ?

• Food is transported over long distances within the United States for a variety of reasons,
including feeding densely populated areas that would not otherwise be able to obtain
enough food locally, providing consumers with greater variety, and capitalizing on the
advantages of certain locations in producing certain foods.

• The immense hunger of a city like New York City's "Big Apple" demonstrates how food
distribution is critical in highly populated areas. To achieve the USDA nutritional
guidelines, each of the city's 8 million residents must consume more than a tone of food
every year. Even if all of New York State's food output travelled to New York City, it
would only be enough to feed 55% of the city's population (with nothing left over for the
rest of the state). Even if New Yorkers could only eat food grown in the state, they would
certainly moan about a lack of diversity in their diet, especially during the winter. Another
reason for extensively distributing food is consumer demand for out-of-season items.
Food production, for example, is essentially stalled in the Northeast during the winter
season. Shipping food from California and other southern states is one strategy to meet
the winter need for items that cannot be grown locally.

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• Food transportation also helps areas to specialise in producing the items for which they
are best equipped. Vermont, for example, has a short growing season, undulating hills,
and rocky soil, making it unsuitable for most crops but ideal for producing dairy cows.
Although Vermont does not have a competitive edge over Wisconsin, New York, or
Pennsylvania, it does specialise in producing the food for which it has the least
disadvantage, dairy. Vermont dairy producers produce significantly more milk and dairy
products than the state's population eat; the excess is sent to other parts of the country.

• Climate, terrain, soil, and other variables influence the sorts of agricultural and food
animal production that are best suited to a location. Wheat varieties used in breads and
pastries, for example, thrive well in the cold, dry environment of the Great Plains. Citrus
fruits thrive in hot, sunny climates such as California and Florida.

• A location's political and economic characteristics may also be factors in attracting

various types of food production. For example, industrial hog producers may be driven to
areas with existing infrastructure (such as meat packing factories and availability to
cheap feed corn), sparse human populations, and less laws against industrial food animal
production (IFAP) facilities (refer to Food Animal Production).

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 Industry consolidation and food transportation :

• Changes in the food processing and distribution sectors help to explain why foods are
carried across greater distances. These changes, in addition to increasing food miles,
have a direct impact on smaller farmers.

• Food distributors are the intermediaries that transport food from the farm to the store.
They collect food from producers or processors, store it temporarily in vast (typically
refrigerated) warehouses, and convey it to supermarkets, restaurants, and other retailers
where it is sold to customers.

• Food distributors and processors have been more concentrated in recent decades,
resulting in fewer but larger facilities in these businesses. Because larger facilities can
afford to make greater purchases, they have the purchasing power to demand a
consistent, year-round supply of items in huge quantities and at the lowest costs.

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• Large scale distributors and processors seek out producers from outside regional, state,
and national boundaries to get the best offer. They often purchase from large-scale
producers that benefit from economies of scale and can sell their goods at reduced
prices. Meanwhile, smaller local manufacturers who have been unable to match the
volume and pricing of larger, distant rivals have either gone out of business or have
seen their earnings reduced. As a result, areas have become increasingly reliant on food
from distant sources. For example, in 1870, all apples consumed in Iowa were
cultivated by Iowa farmers; by 1999, 85 percent of Iowa's apples were imported from
outside the state.

• The consolidation tendency has had a similar impact on processors. A number of local
grain, meat, and dairy processors have closed due to their inability to compete with
bigger, more efficient plants. As a result, many smaller-scale producers are unable to
market their products because they lack access to local processors. Many small-scale
livestock farmers, for example, must transport their animals to distant slaughterhouses.
Aside from distance restrictions, small scale farmers may be refused access to
slaughterhouses that only process meat from large producers with whom they have
contracts (refer to Food Animal Production). Mobile slaughterhouses and other
localised alternatives may assist address the demands of smaller farmers in some places.
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 Energy and climate consequences of food transport :

• Counting food miles is one method of calculating the environmental effect of delivering
food and food additives. Fruits and vegetables, for example, frequently attract a lot of
attention due to the long distances they travel. According to one often cited statistic,
produce arriving at a large Chicago food market was hauled more than 1,500 miles on
average. It is crucial to remember that many foods do not travel in a straight line from
farm to plate, but rather traverse several convoluted and intricate stages throughout the
supply chain. Processed foods, for example, may necessitate the shipment of hundreds
of components from various sites to a processing plant, whereas grain-finished food
animals necessitate the shipment of truckloads of grain from farms. 

• Transportation contributes for approximately 11% of GHG emissions from the US food
supply chain. Although this is a significant quantity, it is significantly less than the
GHG emissions caused by manufacturing and processing. What we consume and how it
is farmed have a greater impact on climate change than where it comes from. For
example, if Americans ate only plant-based foods one day each week, they may reduce
GHG emissions more than if they ate just local foods. Nonetheless, location, food type,
and manner of production are all key factors in minimising the risks connected with
dietary choices. 34
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• Shorter transportation distances may not always imply reduced fuel use or lower GHG
emissions. Trading with distant areas that have advantages in manufacturing specific
items is sometimes more efficient. According to recent studies, exporting dairy from
New Zealand to the UK consumes less energy and emits less GHG emissions than
producing dairy in the UK. This is partly due to the fact that cattle in New Zealand may
graze on grass all year, whereas livestock in the United Kingdom require feed and
shelter. Economies of scale can help lower energy consumption and GHG emissions
from food transportation. A major, distant fruit wholesaler, For example, a large
corporation may be able to carry fruits more effectively than a small farmer sending a
few crates of apples in a pickup truck. Despite the fact that the 18-wheeler consumes
more gasoline than the pickup truck, the quantity of energy and greenhouse gas
emissions per apple may be lower.

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 Local food systems :

• A tiny but rising trend for local food is gaining traction, partly in reaction to the worries
that consumers frequently connect with shipping food across vast distances. The term
"local" is not technically defined, however it frequently refers to food produced within
100 to 250 miles of the consumer's home, or food sold directly from a farmer to a
consumer or nearby merchant. The perceived advantages of local food systems differ
depending on how "local" is defined. Although there is a risk of making broad
generalizations that local food is fundamentally superior on any given metric, producers,
customers, and communities can all benefit from local distribution. Farmers who sell
locally, for example, have the choice of creating goods cultivated or bred for flavor rather
than hardiness to withstand long-distance shipping. According to a nationwide poll,
people who shop locally are driven by the perceived freshness of the food, as well as the
confidence that they know how their food was created. Consumers enjoyed the
opportunity to assist their local economy; purchasing locally directs consumer spending
toward the establishment of new employment and greater earnings in a region. 36
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 Regional food systems :

• In many circumstances, a radius of 100 to 250 miles is too small to sustain a population
with the necessary quantity and diversity of food (recall New York City, an extreme
example of this problem). Regional food systems, as opposed to solely local food
systems, often reflect a greater area that includes various distribution tiers, including
local. Rather than size, a region might be defined by physical, cultural, or political
borders, such as the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, New England, and the Northeast. There
is excellent reason to provide food from a wide radius in regions like Arizona's deserts,
where enough food cannot be farmed responsibly, or New York City, which has massive
food demands. However, in areas where a diverse range of foods may be cultivated in
abundance, the borders of a regional food system may not need to be as broad. reason to
source food from a wide area However, in areas where a diverse range of foods may be
cultivated in abundance, the borders of a regional food system may not need to be as
broad.
• We are faced with the difficulty of determining the optimal scales (local, regional,
national, or global) for food distribution. According to some academics, the ideal scale is
one that best promotes sustainable production (see Agriculture and Ecosystems), provides
an adequate food supply, gives a diversity of food alternatives, and retains economic
returns within a certain region. 38
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