Science and Technology Current Affairs: August 2016
AUSC technology for thermal power plants
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval for the development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) technology for thermal power plants. In this regard, CCEA has approved a one-time grant of 900 crore rupees spread over three years for an R&D project for the development of AUSC technology for thermal power plants. The project was proposed by a consortium of three government entities to reduce coal consumption as well as Carbon di-oxide (CO2) emission. They are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR) National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
Unit I of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project dedicated to nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin dedicated the first unit of the ambitious Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) to the nation. KKNPP was dedicated by the leaders through video conferencing from Delhi and Moscow. The project has India’s single largest nuclear generation unit with capacity of 1000 megawatt (MW).
The KKNPP is located in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, around 650 km from Chennai. It has been built under Indo-Russian Nuclear agreement of 1988. The reactors are built by the NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India) and Russia’s Atomstroyexport Company, a subsidiary of Rosatom.
Novel drug compound inhibiting skin cancer discovered
Researchers from the Pune-based National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) have successfully isolated cancer stem cells that cause skin cancer. They have successfully demonstrated that Andrographolide (a compound) isolated and purified from Andrographispaniculata (a herb) found in India is effective in inhibiting tumour growth both in skin cancer and lung metastasis in mice.
Scientists develop mechanism to recycle Co2 in to usable fuel
Researchers from United States have developed a mechanism to convert greenhouse gas (GHG) Carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO) that can be recycled into usable fuel. This mechanism was developed by US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and University of Illinois at Chicago. The mechanism is based on the natural photosynthesis process that take place in green plants in which CO2 is converted into sugars.
World’s first human genetic editing trial
Chinese scientists are going to perform the world’s first genetic editing trial on humans in an attempt to find a cure for lung cancer. It will be performed by injecting cells that have been modified using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technique into the patients.CRISPR is the short form of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. It allows scientists to selectively edit genome parts and replace them with new DNA stretches. Cas9 is an enzyme that can edit DNA, thereby allowing the alteration of genetic patterns by genome modification. CRISPR is a collection of DNA sequences that direct Cas9 where to cut and paste. CRISPR-Cas9 technology has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of blood diseases, tumours and other genetic diseases.
World’s first quantum satellite launched by China
China has successfully launched the world’s first quantum satellite dubbed as Quantum Experiments at Space Scaler (QUESS) satellite. The QUESS satellite has been nicknamed as Micius after a 5th century BC Chinese philosopher. It will be located in sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km and will circle the Earth once every 90 minutes. The satellite will help China to establish hack-proof communications system by transmitting uncrackable keys from space to the ground. The technology is said to be the future of wireless communication and is expected to set new standards in Internet security.
Quantum communication: Quantum communication boasts ultra-high security communication. It uses subatomic particles to securely communicate between two points. In case intruder (hacker) tries to crack the message in Quantum communication, it will change its form in a way that would alert the sender and cause the message to be altered or deleted.
Portable kit for detection of chromium contamination in water
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has developed a kit for onsite determination of toxic Hexavalent Chromium Cr(VI) in drinking water. The detection kit is simple, user friendly, quick and cost effective for onsite determination of Cr(VI) in drinking water. It meets Indian standard IS10500 for drinking water as well as US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criterion.The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Cr(VI) as carcinogenic and can cause stomach ulcers, cancers and severely damage kidneys and liver. As per Indian standard IS10500 for drinking water, maximum permissible concentration of Cr(VI) in drinking water is 50 microgram per litre.
Airlander 10: World’s largest aircraft embarks maiden flight
The world’s largest (longest) aircraft the Airlander 10 has embarked its maiden flight at an airfield in Cardington in central England. It is a hybrid airship made by Hybrid Air Vehicles in United Kingdom.It is a partly plane and partly airship filled with helium gas. It is 92-metre-long and 43.5m wide. It can fly at up to 4,880 metres and reach speeds of 148 kilometres per hour. It can also carry a 10-tonne payload. Its successful flight comes 85 years after another airship the ill-fated R101 took off in October 1930 from the same airfield before crashing in France.
CSMCRI develop photocatalyst to completely degrade industrial dyes
Researchers from the Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavanagar, Gujarat have developed photocatalyst that can completely degrade three industrial dyes in the presence of sunlight. This photocatalystis capable of completely degrading three industrial dyes — methyl orange, methylene blue and reactive black-5.
Intel unveils Project Alloy
Tech giant Intel has unveiled Project Alloy, a device that creates merged reality. Project Alloy is a headset that uses the RealSense technology to enable people to use their hands to interact with elements of the virtual world without using cables to connect computer
Merged reality:Merged reality is a new way of experiencing virtual reality and real world together, using cutting-edge technology. It digitises the real world and allows people to experience the virtual world without coming into conflict with the real world.
Chinese scientists discover XMU-MP-1 molecule to repair organs
Chinese scientists have discovered a small molecule (new drug) named XMU-MP-1 that can regenerate tissue. It has potential to eliminate transplants of some organs. It was discovered by team of researchers from Xiamen University and Peking University of China. The findings were published in Science Translational Medicine. The significance of the drug, XMU-MP-1 lies in the fact that it can promote repair and regeneration in the liver, intestines and skin.
Scientists for the first time develop LASER from fluorescent jellyfish proteins
Scientists for the first time have developed LASER (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) from fluorescent jellyfish proteins that were grown in bacteria. The first of its kind represents a major advance breakthrough in so-called polariton lasers operating at room temperature.To develop the fluorescent Polariton laser, scientists had engineered barrel-shaped fluorescent proteins from jellyfish DNA.
Polariton Laser
Polariton laser works by passing photons back and forth between excited molecules. These lasers have the potential to be far more efficient and compact than conventional ones.
For the first time scientists predict brain activity patterns
For the first time, researchers have decoded and predicted the brain activity patterns of word meanings within sentences. The brain activity patterns were predicted using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). With this, researcher can now predict 70% of brain activity patterns. This study may help treatstroke patients and persons with brain injury. It also makes key advances towards understanding how information is represented
fMRI
fMRI is a functional neuroimaging procedure using MRI technology. It measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. It detects patterns based on the fact that when an area of the brain is in use, blood flow to that region also increases.
World’s first self-driving taxis launched in Singapore
The world’s first self-driving taxi service was launched in Singapore. This launch is significant as it offers technology demonstration that could revolutionize the future transport industry. The self-driving taxi service was launched by Singapore based nuTonomy, an autonomous vehicle software startup. NuTonomy has started this service with a small fleet of six cars. Each car is fitted with six sets of LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a detection system that uses lasers to operate like radar that constantly spins on the roof. There are also two cameras on the dashboard to scan for obstacles and detect changes in traffic lights. During the trail phase, these vehicles have a computer engineer and backup human driver in case anything goes wrong.
Japanese scientists detect rare deep-Earth tremor S wave microseism
Scientists in Japan studying earthquakes for the first time have detected a rare deep-Earth tremor, known as an S (secondary) wave microseism. Microseisms are very faint tremors. The detection was made by scientists from the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention in Japan. This rare deep-Earth tremor S wave microseism was detected for the first time and traced its location to a distant and powerful storm. The finding will help experts to learn more about the Earth’s inner structure and improve detection of earthquakes and oceanic storms. Learning more about S waves microseismic will further aid to understand the deeper crust and upper mantle structure.
NASA’s Juno probe completes first Jupiter flyby
NASA’s solar-powered Juno spacecraft has successfully executed its first flyby of Jupiter, our solar system’s most massive planet. During its first flyby, Juno passed just 4,200 kilometres above the planet’s clouds. It was the closest contact ever achieved by a man-made probe with Jupiter. During this flyby, it was for the first time Juno had its entire suite of science instruments activated. There are 35 more close flybys of Jupiter planned during Juno’s mission scheduled to end in February 2018.
Juno spacecraft: The unmanned Juno spacecraft was launched on August 5, 2011, from Florida, US. It had arrived at Jupiter on July 4, 2016. Juno is the first solar-powered mission designed by NASA to see beneath Jupiter’s clouds. It has nine instruments on board to study atmosphere, gravity, magnetic field and possible existence of solid core in Jupiter. Juno will also map Jupiter’s gravity and magnetic fields and will also track how much water is present in the atmosphere.
Mahindra unveils DiGiSENSE platform to track vehicle information
Automobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) has introduced DiGiSENSE, a cloud based technology solution to track vehicle information in real time. With this, Mahindra has become the first OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in India to integrate its product line-up onto a cloud-based technology platform. DiGiSENSE by its digital-enabled sensing connects Mahindra range of pick up vehicles, tractors, trucks and construction equipment to the cloud. This inbuilt technology solution has been jointly developed in India in association with Tech Mahindra, Bosch India and Vodafone. DiGiSENSE allows vehicle owner to monitor the performance and location of vehicles, including the quantity of fuel used by the vehicles on real time basis. The key features include delivery tracking, route planning, vehicle utilisation reports, trip optimisation, alerts, machine hour operations and geo-fencing to prevent unauthorised use of the asset and theft.
ISRO conducts successful test launch of scramjet engine
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the first time has successfully conducted the Scramjet (or Supersonic Combusting ramjet) engine test. The test was conducted from SatishDhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta. The scramjet engine was test launched on board of RH 560 sounding rocket and has successfully met all the intended parameters. With this, India became only the fourth nation in the world to successfully flight-test a scramjet engine after United States, Russia and China.
The new propulsion system would complement ISRO’s aim to develop a reusable launch vehicle that would have longer flight duration. This was not India’s first venture into scramjet technology. DRDO is working with Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia to develop the second generation Brahmos cruise missile (dubbed the Brahmos-II) powered by a scramjet.
scramjet engine: The scramjet engine works on the Air-breathing Propulsion System. The system uses natural oxygen present in the atmosphere to burn the fuel stored in the rocket. It reduces the amount of oxidiser to be carried along with the fuel, bringing down launch costs. This system would help in reducing the lift-off mass of the vehicle as there will be no need for carrying liquefied oxygen on board the vehicle. Scramjet does not have rotating parts so the chances of failure are also measurably reduced with this technology in place.
Ramjet engine
It is a form of airbreathing jet engine which uses the engine’s forward motion to compress the incoming air. Since, they cannot produce thrust at zero airspeed they will not be able to move an aircraft from standstill and needs an assisted take-off. Ramjet engines can operate up to speeds of Mach 6.
Supercomputer to forecast monsoon with dynamical model
Beginning next year, India’s summer monsoon forecast is expected to be made by a supercomputer running a dynamical model. The dynamic model has been tested for a decade at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM),Pune is expected to be integrated into Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)’s operational forecast. The dynamic model works by simulating the weather on powerful computers and extrapolates it over particular timeframes. The failure of the traditional models to predict the monsoon failures in 2002 and 2004 had made meteorologists call for a new modern forecasting system.
The IMD, which is the national weather forecaster, is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Although, it has decided to use the dynamic model, it has clarified that it will make use of the traditional statistical models as well.
Solar Impulse 2
Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered plane, has concluded its record-breaking round-the-world trip. It finished its journey across the world by completing its last trip of a 48-hour flight from Cairo to Abu Dhabi. Solar Impulse 2 started its journey of circumventing the globe in March 2015. By this feat, it has become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without utilizing even a drop of fuel. The success of Solar Impulse 2 has set new levels in the promotion of clean technologies. In total, the Solar Impulse 2 traveled a remarkable 42,000 km across 4 continents, two oceans and three seas.
Solar Impulse 2 is a four engine battery powered airplane with the wingspan of Boeing 747. The airplane has recorded an average speed of 80km/hr.
Ingestible Origami Robot
The researchers at MIT, the University of Sheffield, and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have created a tiny origami robot capable of unfolding itself from a swallowed capsule and, crawl across the stomach wall to remove a swallowed button battery or patch a wound. The robot is steered by the changing external magnetic fields. The robot’s flexible frame is made up of a biodegradable material, dried pig intestine. The robot’s important mission would be to save the lives of children who swallow the disc-shaped button batteries. The button batteries are known to burn up the stomach lining and could be fatal. It will take time before making it available for the use of humans and animals.
NASA’s OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft
NASA is all set to launch itsOSIRIS-Rex spacecraft in September. The aim of the mission will be to bring samples from a near-Earth asteroid called as Bennu. It will also scan for signs of life. The spacecraft will make efforts to measure the spectral signatures of Bennu’s mineralogical and molecular components in a region in which the building blocks of life may be found.
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft finds canyons flooded with hydrocarbons on Saturn’s moon Titan
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has discovered steep-sided canyons on Titan (Saturn’s moon), flooded with liquid hydrocarbons. This finding is the first direct observation of the canyons and acts as the first direct evidence of the presence of liquid-filled channels on Saturn’s moon. The evidence was collected from the data obtained from a close flyby of the spacecraft over Titan in May 2013.
Cassini–Huygens
The spacecraft was launched in 1997. It is the fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter its orbit. The Robotic spacecraft includes a Saturn orbiter and an atmospheric probe/lander called Huygens for the Saturn’s moon Titan, which entered and landed on Titan in 2005. It has been studying the Saturn and its many natural satellites since its arrival there in 2004. Sixteen European countries and the United States were responsible for designing, building, flying and collecting data from the Cassini Orbiter and Huygens probe.
Scientistshave demonstrated the role played by TERRA in preserving Telomeres
Telomeres are the protective structures located at the ends of the chromosomes. These Telomeres are protected by elements: RNAs called TERRA.
Scientists from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have for the first time demonstrated the crucial role played by TERRA in the preservation of telomeres. They have also located the part of the human genome in which TERRA is manufactured. They have showed that only those arising from long arm of chromosome 20 (20q) and at the short arm of chromosome X (Xp) showed TERRA features. This finding has opened the doors for the study of certain syndromes and telomeric disorders.
Vortex laser
According to a study published in ‘Science’, vortex laser is likely to be the future of communication. Unlike conventional lasers which move linearly, laser beams of vortex lasers can travel even when twisted to a corkscrew pattern. They are also capable of carrying 10 times or more amount of information than that of the conventional lasers. Vortex lasers may in future help to solve the problems faced by technology companies in shrinking transistors and encoding more information in chips. It could help save the ‘Moore’s law’
Moore’s Law
According to Moore’s Law researchers will be able to find new ways to continue making computers smaller, cheaper and faster.
Scientists discover bacteria producing powerful antibiotic in nose
Several bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus are found inside the human nose. Scientists have discovered that the antibiotic lugdunin which is produced by a bacterium found in the human nose kills the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, including the drug-resistant forms such as the methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).The study has also found that the S. aureus does not develop resistance against antibioticlugdunin. These findings could help in the development of new therapies for bacterial infections.
Four siblings of Dolly in good health
Four ‘siblings’ of Dolly the sheep, namely the Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy have just passed their ninth birthday and are found to be in good health. This has raised hopesthat the cloning process does not adversely affect the well-being as was feared following Dolly’s early death. Dolly died prematurely after being diagnosed with osteoarthritis at the age of six-and-a-half years. Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy were also cloned using cells from the same adult sheep as Dolly.
Margarita Burn
The margarita burn also known as phytophotodermatitis as well as lime disease, is a phenomenon which makes skin hypersensitive to ultraviolet light, as a result of chemical reaction. Chemical burns are caused during a contact with the photosensitizing compounds which are found naturally like citrus fruits, vegetables etc.
Non toxic edible batteries discovered
Scientists have created non- toxic edible batteries using the skin pigment melanin. The ingestible devices could be used to power medical devices put inside the body and to treat diseases. The researchers at Carnegie Mellon Universityin the US have built a prototype battery which is capable of powering a tiny 5 milliWatt device for up to 18 hours. This can help to release a vaccine gradually or to sense changes to bacteria in the gut and release medicine as a response. This finding is significant as the ordinary batteries which are used to power pacemakers are toxic and are need to be insulated from the body.
Major breakthrough in 4D printing
Singapore University of Technology and Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have achieved a breakthrough in 4D printing. This finding can potentially revolutionise the way products can be produced. The researchers have a discovered a way to print tiny features on a micron scale so that if these get bent or moved and get heated to a certain temperature can spring back into their original shape. This ‘shape-memory-retention’ heat-linked capability is beyond what 3D printing could achieve and has been named as 4D printing. 4D printing can be used for various practical applications including biomedical devices, shape-changing photovoltaic solar cells etc.
Protein STRA6
Using an electron microscopy, Scientists at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have captured the images of one of the smallest proteins called STRA6. STRA6 is the protein found in the membrane of the cells. It is responsible for transporting vitamin A into the cell interior. Vitamin A is known to play a vital role in making light receptors in our eyes.
HI-SEAS Mission 4 ends
HI-SEAS Mission 4, a year-long Mars mission simulation comes to an end. A team of scientists who participated in the HI-SEAS Mission 4 since August 28, 2015 have re-entered normal life. Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) researchis jointly conducted by the University of Hawaii and NASA. HI-SEAS is located at an elevation of 8,200 feet above sea level at an isolated position on the slopes of the Mauna Lao volacano in Hawaii. The area has mars like features which has made it an ideal place for HI-SEAS project. The project first began in 2013. The project aims to study the psychological effects of isolated, confined space missions on astronauts. HI-SEAS Mission 4 is the fourth and longest simulation since early 2013.
Earth Overshoot day
Global Footprint Network (GFN), an international think tank focused on sustainability has declared 8th August to be the “Earth Overshoot Day” for this year. This is the date when humanity exhausts nature’s budget for the year. And for the rest of the year ecological deficit is maintained by utilizing local resource stocks and accumulating carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Formula:The broad formula used by the GFN to declare Earth Overshoot Day:
Planet’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day
Every year, GFN declares “Earth Overshoot Day” on the day our consumption exceeds the environment’s renewal capacity. This year’s date August 8 will be the earliest Earth overshoot day ever. In less than 8 months humanity has exhausted the Earth’s budget for the whole year.
Flying Bum crashlands
Airlander 10, nicknamed “The Flying Bum” is a helium filled aircraft. It crashed during its second test flight damaging the cockpit. The airship was originally created by the US Army for surveillance purpose. But the project was later shut down. But the concept is repurposed to use the airship potentially for short range cargo flights, surveillance etc. The airship is now undergoing series of test flights.
22 degree halo
- It is an optical phenomenon formed around the sun or moon in the form of red and blue rings with a radius of approximately 22 degree.
- It gets formed when the rays from sun or moon gets deflected/refracted through the hexagonal ice crystals present in cirrus clouds. Cirrus clouds are formed at an altitude of 5-10km above the earth’s surface when water vapors freezes into ice crystals.
- It is a common phenomenon in cold countries. It was recently seen in Kolkata during the assembly polls. Prior to that it was last observed in the city in April 2013.
New Gene Linked to Inherited Lung Disease identified
Researchers have identified a new disease gene which when mutated increases the risk of developing emphysema andpulmonary fibrosis in a small number of people. The new gene, NAF1, is among a handful of genes in which mutation increases the risk of disorders.
Perseid Meteor shower
- Perseids meteor shower occurs when Earth lies is in the path of Comet Swift Tuttle.
- The meteor shower is visible every year from mid-July with a peak in activity between 9 and 14 August. The rate of meteors in the peak time will be 60 or more per hour and can be seen all across the sky.
- The phenomenon is primarily visible in the northern hemisphere.
Greenland sharks named longest living vertebrate
Reserachers have declared green sharks to be the longest living vertebrate known on Earth. The earlier record holder was a bowhead whale whose age was estimated to be 211 years old. To arrive at the conclusion, scientists estimated the age of 28 Greenland sharks by using a novel dating technique, which examined the tissues in their eyes. By doing that, they estimated one female shark to be 392 years (+/- 120 years) of age. They have estimated the birth year of the shark to be somewhere between 1500 and 1740.
Usually, animals without backbones live much longer. For instance, ocean quahog, a clam lived for 507 years and two different types of sponges are said to survive for 15000 and 1500 years.
China rolls out world’s largest amphibious aircraft
Chinese aviation conglomerate AVIC has rolled out AVIC TA-600, also known as AG-600. This large amphibious aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 tonnes and a range of more than 5,000 km. It also absorbs 12 tonnes of water within 20 seconds making it ideal for operations like forest fire fighting, search and rescue, resource exploitation, marine environment monitoring, transportation etc. The aircraft can take off from both land and water.
YSMS based communication
- The militants in Kashmir are adopting a new breakthrough technological solution of sending mobile communications without using mobile networks to overcome eavesdropping by Indian agencies. This technology ensures basic mobile communication even when mobile networks are down.
- A smart phone is paired with a radio set to send out short SMSs, an SOS appeal or the exact location to other paired devices using very high frequency (VHF).
- Devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 in New York area was the reason for coming with this technological breakthrough. The hurricane made the cell phones ineffective after the destruction of mobile towers.
- This technology called as YSMS communication application by the militants, is used as a latest tool by them, especially near the Line of Control where conventional mobile and satellite phones can give away their exact location.
Three strains of fungi to recycle used rechargeable batteries
- A team of scientists at the University of South Florida in the U.S. have come up with a low-cost and environment-friendly method to recycle used rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, with the help of the three strains of fungi —Aspergillus niger,Penicilliumsimplicissimum and Penicillium chrysogenum.
- Organic acids generated by fungi is used to extract lithium and cobalt.
- By using the other existing methods, it will be hard to separate lithium, cobalt and other metals as they require high temperatures and harsh chemicals.
- This finding will be useful to drive an environmentally friendly recycling process to extract the minerals from tonnes of discarded batteries.
Government washes its hands off from banning microbeads
Currently, the Indian government has no policy paper to prohibit the use of microbeads. Recently, a notice has been issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to the ministries of environment, water resources, and health, asking for their comments on microbeads found in personal care products. The ministeries have side-stepped the issue either passing the buck or by replying that no studies have been conducted to confirm the harm posed by the microbeads to the environment or its potential toxicity.
The Netherlands was the first country to announce the phasing out of microbeads by the end of 2016. The US has already banned microbeads and has enacted “Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015” to prohibit the manufacture and use of microbeads.
Microbeads:
Microbeads are tiny pieces of non-biodegradable plastic measuring less than 1mm. These are widely used in face washes, body scrubs, soaps, toothpastes and other such toiletries. Microbeads are mainly made up of polyethylene (PE). It may also contain polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon.
Manufacturers of PHVOs to reduce Trans fat level
Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked the manufacturers of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) to reduce the trans fat level from the current 10 per cent limit to 5 per cent. This downward revision is as per the FSSAI’s revised trans fat regulation of December 2014. Earlier, in July 2013, FSSAI had brought the trans fat content to 10 per cent in PHVOs like vanaspati. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has also recommended an upper limit of less than 1 per cent of total energy intake through trans fat. Denmark was the first country to limit trans fat to 2 per cent of total fat in all food items in 2004.
PHVOs:
Hydrogenation, whether complete or partial, involves a chemical process by which hydrogen is added to liquid oils to turn them into a solid form. Partially hydrogenated fat molecules have trans fats, which is considered as a worst type of fat.
