Presently a number of write-ups on Dr. Kurien have been appearing off and on in leading newspapers. Glancing through these I became nostalgic. My mind goes through down the memory lane when I first met the living legend of “White Revolution”.
While holding the post of Assistant Director General (Prevention of Food Adulteration) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the Central Government, I was also the Ex-officio Secretary of the Central Committee for Food Standards (CCFS) and its number of Sub-Committees dealing with technical aspects of food standardization. One of such Sub-Committees is Oils and Fats Sub-Committee. As the very name implies this Sub-Committee is entrusted with framing of rules, regulations and standards of edible oils and fats.
Since its inception “Amul butter (a milk fat based product)” has become a household name in each nook and corner of the country. Indian Dairy Industry led by Dr. Verghese Kurien of National Dairy Development Board had been very protective to ensure that vegetable fat based product like “margarine” should not anyway capture the market of butter. Another reasons for this is to safeguard the interest of milk producers. That is why though butter had been permitted to contain added natural colouring matters like annatto and carotene and a flavouring agent named “Diacetyl (characteristic flavour of ghee)” addition of the same to margarine was being resisted tooth and nail by the dairy industries.
It was in late eighties. One day I was informed that Dr. Kurien would be meeting the Minister in the morning in the Parliament house and I was asked to be present. I had been holding Dr. Kurien in high esteem as it is due to his tireless effort through milk cooperatives India has taken the position of top most milk producer in the world. In my heart I was delighted to get the opportunity to appear face to face before this magical man but at the same time intrigued as to the problem for which he was meeting the Minister. The Minister also happened to be from Gujarat where NDDB is located. The first question he posed before the Minister as to how the Oils and Fats Sub-Committee had recommended addition of colour and flavour in “Margarine” despite strong reservation from the representative of NDDB who was also a member of the Sub-Committee. From my memory I clarified that it was the unanimous recommendation of the Sub-Committee and the representative from NDDB had also concurred with this proposal in the meeting. Minister desired to verify the facts from the records and show it to Dr. Kurien for which a meeting was fixed in the afternoon.
Coming back to my office I scrutinized the files and was satisfied to see that the information given by me was corroborated by the records. Further when the minutes of the meeting were circulated to all the members including the expert from NDDB, there had been no counter comment from NDDB. The documents were thereafter produced in the afternoon meeting.
Colouring and flavouring agents have since been permitted in “Margarine” with effect from 4th December 1992. Standards for products like “Fat Spread” have also been prescribed in the year 1993 permitting the same colouring and flavouring agents. The irony is no product resembling butter could take the place of butter in Indian household. It is really “Utterly Butterly Delicious”.
Subsequently I met Dr. Kurien in a number of meetings. But till date I cherish the memories of my first encounter with him.
