Fw: अनिरुद्ध धून - Article in Economic Times --Gelatine Makers Cowed by BEEF BAN

[Srijanee Dmello]

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From: shweta <kshwe...@gmail.com>;
To: <bapu-...@googlegroups.com>;
Subject: अनिरुद्ध धून - Article in Economic Times --Gelatine Makers Cowed by BEEF BAN
Sent: Tue, Mar 24, 2015 9:01:30 AM

Gelatine in capsules & vitamin drugs manufactured from bones, skin & tissue of cattle, say pharma cos MUMBAI: It might be a hard fact to digest for those agitating for a ban on beef, but cattle are slaughtered not only for the pleasure of beef eaters, but also to serve the medicine industry. Gelatine, a key element in capsules, vitamin drugs and chicken fodder, is manufactured by processing the bones, skin and tissue of cattle. "So in some way or the other, we all consume beef in our everyday lives," says a senior executive of a pharma company who did not wish to be identified, fearing prosecution by the state. Most gelatine makers in India say they use buffalo bones to manufacture the product, but with the introduction of stringent anti-cow slaughter laws by the Maharashtra and Haryana government, companies fear harassment in the coming days. "The bones that we use are from buffaloes and we have a strong traceability system in place. The issue is one cannot visually make out the origin of bones that are transported, as to whether it is from buffaloes or cows, and if some people create issues when any type of bone is transported, this will certainly impact our industry," said Sajiv Menon, Managing Director of Kerala-based Nitta Gelatin India, a joint venture between Kerala government and Japan's Nitta. Maharashtra and Haryana recently passed laws criminalising slaughter of bulls and bullocks, extending a prohibition of cow slaughter. Slaughter of bulls and bullocks is now punishable by imprisonment up to five years in Maharashtra and as much as ten years in Haryana. Buffaloes, which are a major source of beef, are not covered by the Act but many hotels and restaurants have stopped serving it, fearing harassment. India, which has one of the world's largest population of livestock, generates close to 21 lakh tonnes of cattle bones, according to consulting firm Global Agri system. It is this vast availability of cattle that makes the country one of the leading exporters of gelatine. Nitta's factories are located in Gujarat, which is also a major hub for gelatine makers . Nitta says it mostly exports its products to global capsule manufacturers and food processing industries. As part of its expansion strategy, the company has ventured into making collagen peptide, a protein supplement from gelatine that is prescribed for treating knee pain. The Rs 5,000-crore capsule industry of India is one of the largest buyers of gelatine. For every ten tablets sold, one capsule gets sold by pharma companies. In case of certain medicines like anti-asthma drugs, capsules are the only form of delivery mechanisms. Companies say the use of capsules is not limited only to allopathic medicines as Ayurveda drugmakers have started selling medicines in capsule form. "The biggest impact of this ban will be on those from the lower caste who collect cattle bones for companies like ours," said a senior executive of a leading capsule manufacturer in India, who did not want to be quoted. "We can always move to importing gelatine, but for them it is matter of employment," he explained. VAST USE OF BOVINE PRODUCTS This executive explains that authorities appear to be unaware about the vast use of bovine products in medicines. Certain vaccines like rotavirus widely prescribed in immunisation programs across the world including India, and Thrombin, used to prevent blood clots in critical surgeries, is manufactured using fetal bovine serum, a by-product derived from the foetus of cow. Illinois-based International Serum Industry Association regulates the sale of serums derived from animals. Its members are responsible for sourcing and selling animal blood for pharma companies. When asked if fetal bovine blood can be sourced in India, a distributer affiliated to the association confirmed that it can be imported with valid veterinary certification. But with even import of cattle flesh becoming a punishable offence, state governments may have to rethink the application of the beef ban when it comes to medicines. In the last decade, the pharma industry, has found substitutes for cattle for certain products, like sutures where companies have replaced cattle intestine with sheep to manufacture catguts (used to stitch wounds), but in certain areas, bovine by-products are still widely used. Ajit Singh, Chairman of ACG Worldwide, the world's secondlargest manufacturer and exporter of capsules says his company a few years back introduced vegetarian capsules (made from sea weed or wood pulp) but it never took off because the pharma companies did not see a demand for this version. "The consumers really didn't care," he said. -- मी अंबज्ञ आहे --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "अनिरुद्ध धुन" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bapu-bhakta+unsub...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.