FDA registers 150 women self-help groups

NASHIK: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has started registration of women self-help groups (SHGs) involved in preparing midday meals for schoolchildren. As part of the initiative, the FDA registered 150 such groups last week.

The FDA had organized a special camp to register self-help groups, who are providing meals or 'khichadi' to schools as well as anganwadis in Niphad tehsil. During the drive, the FDA generated revenue amounting to Rs 75,000 through registration.

As per the new Food Safety and Standard Act which came into effect from August 5, 2011, it is mandatory for businesses with an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh to have licences. A business with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh is required to get registered by paying only Rs 500 and annual renewal charge of Rs 100, while the licence fee is Rs 2,000.

Food businesses like pan kiosks, fruit/vegetable vendors, traders selling food items on handcarts, grocery shops, bakeries, professionals engaged in food packaging, caterers, inns, dhabas, tea stalls, onion/potato traders and meat shops have been included under the Act from.

With an aim to register all food-related businesses across Nashik division, the FDA has commenced a fresh drive for registration as well as issuance of licences.

Speaking to TOI, Chandrakant Pawar, joint commissioner (Nashik division), FDA, said, "Our major objective is to register all food-related businesses across the division. We have appointed teams of officials in all five districts in the division to conduct spot registrations. The drive will continue for the next few days. We will take legal action against those who have not registered their businesses."

"We have still not counted the number of businesses registered during the spot registration drive," he added.

The FDA's Nashik division includes five districts - Nashik, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Nandurbar and Jalgaon. Till date, around 35,561 businesses have been registered in the division, including 8,346 in Nashik district, 5,193 in Dhule district (including Nandurbar district), 7,425 in Jalgaon and 14,597 in Ahmednagar. Licences have been issued to 16,137 businesses, including 7,331 in Nashik, 2,866 in Dhule, 2,409 in Jalgaon and 3,531 in Ahmednagar districts.

Problems start brewing at Indore mandi

INDORE: The traders at the Chhawni mandi have decided not to buy stuff from the farmers from now on in case they find the same to be sub-standard one. Also, they stopped few vehicles, which had been brought by the farmers for sale at mandi, on Tuesday on the same ground.

Talking to ToI, president of Indore Dalhan tilhan Vyapari sangh, NK Agrawal, said, "We found that the stuff being brought by the farmers, at the mandi, was containing impurities like dust, pebbles and stained ones. Hence we asked them to go back. ON this the mandi samiti decided not to purchase any such sub-standard stuff from farmers now on, keeping in view the Food safety and Standards Act." 

As a result, the traders could buy merely 150 sacks full of crops like pulses, soybean and chillies at the mandi here on Tuesday. Normally, they buy 20,000 sacks of crops on a daily basis. 

Not to mention that Indore's mandi is the biggest mandi in the entire central India, which supplies pulses and other agricultural commodities to various parts of the country. Even some of the traders, who buy their stuff at the mandi also export them to various countries.

Honour for Catering Company

Castle & Cook Caterers Ltd. (CCCL), the catering company focusing on the healthcare industry in Kerala, has been awarded the ISO 22000:2005 certification for its excellence in implementing food safety management systems.

CCCL is the first hospital-caterer in India to achieve this certification. CCCL was founded in 200, and has been operating in Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre Ltd, Kochi, for the past 12 years. The company has now expanded its hospital-catering portfolio to include Kinder Women’s Hospital and Fertility Centre, Chertala, and CIMAR Fertility Centre, Kochi.

In 2010, CCCL opened its first world-cuisine restaurant, Lokah Restaurant and Cafe, at Vyttila, NH 47 Bypass, Kochi. Amidst rave reviews for its selection of authentic dishes from across the globe, Lokah has further been recognised with Trip advisor’s Certificate of Excellence in 2013.

The outdoor catering wing of CCCL hosts buffets for private events and special occasions and also organises sightseeing trips in luxury boats across backwaters with onboard lunches or dinners. The ISO 22000 standard combines generally recognised key elements to ensure food safety along the entire food chain, including interactive communication, control of food safety hazards through pre-requisite programmes and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plans, and repeated improvement and updating of the food safety management systems.

DINAKARAN NEWS

காலாவதியான குளிர்பான விற்பனை தடுக்க வேண்டும்

கரூர், ஜன.22:

காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள் விற்பனையை தடுக்க பொதுமக்கள் வேண்டு கோள் விடுத்துள்ளனர். 

கரூர் பகுதியில் இரவு மற்றும் அதிகாலை வேளை களில் பனிப்பொழிவு அதிகமாக இருக்கிறது. ஆனாலும் பகலில் அனல் பறக்கும் வெயில் கொளுத்துகிறது. கோடைகாலம் போல வெப்பமாக இருப்பதால் வெயிலின் தாக் கத்தை சமாளிப்பதற்காக மக்கள் குளிர்பானங்களை வாங்கி பருகுகின்றனர். 

கடைகளில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் குளிர்பான வகைகளில் காலாவதியானவைகளும் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. குளிர்பான பாட்டலில் தயாரிப்பு தேதி, காலாவதி தேதி குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்க வேண்டும். பல கடைகளில் காலாவதி தேதி முடிந்த பின்னரும் குளிர்பானங்கள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகின்றன. இதுதவிர பிளாஸ்டிக் பாக்கெட்டுகளில் மோர், ரஸ்னா, லெமன் ஜூஸ் போன்றவையும் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. இதில் பெரும்பாலான பாக்கெட்டுகளில் எந்த கம்பெனி என தெரி யாத அளவுக்கு உள்ளது. ஏதோ ஒருபெயரில் இந்த பாக்கெட்டுகளை விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர். 

கரூரை சேர்ந்த சக்தி வேல் என்பவர் கூறுகையில், வெயிலின் வெப்பத்தை சமாளிப்பதற்காக பாட்டலிலும், பாக்கெட்டுகளிலும் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் குளிர்பானங்களை மக்கள் அதிக அளவில் வாங்கி குடிக்கின்றனர், ஆனால் இவை முறையான தயாரிப்பு இல்லாமல் இருக்கிறது. காலாவதி தேதி முடிந்த பின்னரும் விற் பனை செய்கின்றனர். கிராம மக்களுக்கு இதுபற்றி தெரியாது என்பதால் அவர்கள் வாங்கி குடிக்கின்றனர். சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் அடிக்கடி கடை களில் ஆய்வு நடத்தி காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங் களை பறிமுதல் செய்து அழிக்கவேண்டும். முன்பெல்லாம் அடிக்கடி இது போன்ற ஆய்வுகளை நடத் தும் அதிகாரிகள் தற்போது அதுபோன்ற சோதனைகள் எதையும் மேற்கொள்ளா மல் இருக்கின்றனர் என்றார். 

குளிர்பானத்திற்கு அடுத்தபடியாக, குடிநீர்பாட்டல்கள், குடிநீர் பாக்கெட்டுகள், கேன்கள் அதிக அளவில் விற்பனையாகிறது. இவைகளிலும் தயாரிப்பு மற்றும் காலவதி தேதி இருப்பதில்லை. பழைய ஸ்டிக்கர் ஒட்டப் பட்டு அதேகேன் மீண்டும் மீண்டும் வந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது. கடைகளில் புதிதுபுதிதாக பல பெயர்களில் குடிநீர் பாட்டல்கள் விற் பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. மக்கள் கூடும் இடங்களில் நிகழ்ச்சி நடத்துபவர்கள் குடிநீர் பாக்கெட்டுகளை விநி யோகம் செய்கின்றனர். குடிநீர்பாக்கெட்டுகள் மூட்டைகளில் அடைக்கப்பட்டு கொண்டு வந்து கொடுக்கப்படுகிறது. இதேபோன்று கடைகளிலும் குடிநீர் மூட்டைகளில் இருந்து பாக்கெட்டுகள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. சில கடை களில் இந்த குடிநீர் பாக்கெட்டுகளை பிரிட்ஜ்ல் வைத்து குளிர்வித்து விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர். 

டாஸ்டாக் கடைகளில் உள்ள பார்களிலும் இதே போன்று குடிநீர் பாக்கெட்டுகள் பாட்டல்கள் விற் பனை செய்கின்றனர். சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள், நகராட்சி சுகாதார அலுவலர்கள் இதுகுறித்து ஆய்வு நடத்தி காலாவதியான குடிநீர் பாட்டல்கள், பாக்கெட்டுகளை விற்பனை செய்வதை தடுக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என பொதுமக்கள் எதிர்பார்க்கின்றனர்.

Karnataka HC sets deadline of two weeks for hotels to register under FSSA

All hotels and eateries in Karnataka have to register under The Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) by February 4, 2014 — a deadline set by the High Court of Karnataka. Once registered, hotels come under the new law and apart from the food they serve being subject to lab tests, they have a long list of guidelines to follow. These include all those who handle food to wear gloves and use food-grade materials and utensils.

Under FSSA, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established. All food business operators, which include hotels, have to obtain a licence and register with the authority. Hotels will stop being under the purview of the local bodies like BBMP and come directly under the central government.

The hoteiliers association in Bengaluru however is trying to extend the stay. The Bruhat Bengaluru Hotels Association has once again approached the HC against this. Chandrashekar Hebbar of the association, said, "The case is being heard on January 23. Let us see what happens. The new law is too harsh,complex and difficult to follow. Prosecution and jail term is prescribed for so many things. If the vegetables we purchase turn out to be bad, we can be jailed.

"If people take food parcels and eat it hours later and find they had turned bad, a case can be filed against the hotel. Laws should be simple and penalty harsh. But if the law is complex and difficult, it will lead to corruption."It is not just hotels, but caterers, canteens (in educational institutions and offices), snack bars, and even food service at religious places that will come under the new law. Says Hebbar, "Where will all hotels get a lab technician? Else the food has to be tested in the authority's labs. But there are only four labs for Karnataka, including two in Bangalore."

The All India Hotels Association is planning a nation-wide strike on January 27. But the FSSAI is in no mood to extend the February 4 deadline. Cases have been filed against a few hotels already. But the hotels have decided to pay the fine instead of fighting the cases in court. Hebbar, said, "The old law has been repealed. But they are using the old law to file cases. Hotels will win if they go to court. But they did not want to complicate things and paid fines."

Cherkady, says, "Large food processors and big hotels will not have a problem. The small hotels and eateries will feel the pinch. But no one will bother with road-side eateries."

Food business: no more extension of dates for registrations, licences

Food safety officials distributing pamphlets at Saibaba Colony in Coimbatore, on Tuesday asking food business operators to obtain licences/registeration.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has warned food business operators across the country that the deadline for obtaining licences and registrations under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, will not be extended again.

When the Act was notified and implemented from August 5, 2011, businesses were given an initial deadline of a year to register.

It was extended from August 4, 2012 to February 4, 2013 and again to February 4 this year, R. Kathiravan, Designated Officer of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), told The Hindu here on Tuesday.

Following this directive, food safety officials have launched an awareness campaign urging all food businesses ranging from road side eateries and canteens to star-category hotels and restaurants to either register or obtain licence.

The Act provides for imposing a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakh besides imprisonment up to six months on food businesses operating without licences.

The Designated Officer estimated that there must be around 22,000 food businesses in Coimbatore district. Till now, 2,658 food business operators have been issued licences and another 6,636 issued registrations, totalling 9,264.

Firms with annual turnover below Rs. 12 lakh will require registration and those above have to obtain licences.

“The process had been simplified and can be done completely online within a couple of hours. They can even post the documents to the Food Safety Office,” he said.

Benefit

The benefit for consumers was that all licensed/registered food outlets and dealers will have had their kitchens and storehouses inspected by the officials at least once a year besides being subjected to random checks.

They would also be trained on the proper storage of various food materials and identification of expiry dates in food product packs.

They would have legal responsibilities that would prevent them from selling adulterated and non-branded products, Dr. Kathiravan said.

Even anganwadi centres of Integrated Child Development Services, noon meal centres in Government schools and Amma Canteens must obtain licences/registration.

All the 1,434 fair price shops in the district have already obtained licences.

The Food Safety Act mandated all food manufacturers, packers, distributors, importers, 100 per cent food export-oriented units, restaurants, canteens, transporters and food processors to get registered or obtain a licence.

The FSSAI was created under this Act as a statutory body under the Union Health Ministry to lay down science-based standards for food articles and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food.

CFTRI working on ways to keep you warm

Research on 21 traditional food items under way

Central Food Technological Research Institute director Ram Rajasekharan (centre) at a press conference in Mysore on Tuesday.

The Mysore-based Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is working on food products that generate heat in the human body, as a “remedy” to overcome extreme cold conditions such as those in north India and other parts of the country.

“We have already achieved a sort of a breakthrough on research done on a food product. We are doing research on 21 traditional food products of north India,” CFTRI director Ram Rajasekharan told presspersons here on Tuesday.

He said, “Some food products can be consumed to generate body heat. Some food molecules generate heat. We have found the molecule in one particular food product. Interestingly, body heat results in weight loss.”

Prof. Rajasekharan added that scientists had identified the mechanism that produces heat in the body after food is consumed. “We are also exploring other values in these food products.”

On the ‘Designer green milk’ that was unveiled at the seventh International Food Convention on the CFTRI campus recently, he said there had been an overwhelming response to the product. “Many organisations, including some hospitals, have shown interest in partnering with us for commercial production. Such responses encourage us to come up with more novel products.”

The institute has claimed that the product has nutritional benefits and described it as a “food for the future”. Green milk is produced from commonly available plant sources, which, according to the CFTRI, are “equivalent” to fish oil in their health benefits.

The product is made from moringa, portulaca, chicory, mushroom and chia/ocimum.

“Green milk is a revolutionary product. I am sure this will address malnutrition in the country,” Prof. Rajasekharan had said during its launch.

Trader fined Rs 50,000

Hamirpur, January 21

The local Additional District Magistrate yesterday imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on a local trader for selling a misbranded food item under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. 

District Food Safety Officer Atul Kayastha said a sample of custard powder, taken from the trader’s shop in February 2013, was found misbranded in a laboratory test and a case was filed against him.

Sabzi mandi raided

Palampur, January 21

Palampur SDM Bhupinder Attari, along with officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department and police personnel, conducted surprise raids at the sabzi mandi here today. The aim of the raids was to regulate the prices of essential commodities, including vegetables and fruits, in the town. 

The SDM scrutinised the documents of 70 fruit and vegetable sellers. He also inspected 30 vehicles which transported vegetables to Mandi from outside the state. 

Most of these vehicles were not carrying proper documents. However, one vehicle was fined Rs 4,000 for carrying vegetables in polythene bags.

The SDM said the raids were held under the provisions of the HP Essential Commodities Price Control Act, 1977. He said under the Act it was mandatory for retailers and wholesalers selling and buying vegetables in the sabzi mandi to carry the R and Q form.

Cooking oil can be sold in loose: Labour Minister

 K.T. Pachaimal, Minister for Labour Welfare, addressing a meeting in Madurai on Monday. 

Announcement made despite FSSA mandating sale of oil in packets

Labour Minister K.T. Pachamal on Monday announced that State government officials shall henceforth not take any action against traders selling cooking oil in loose.

The announcement was made following a joint plea made by Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants Association (TNFGMA) and Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA) at a meeting convened by them to discuss the features of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and Legal Metrology Act, 2009.

In a memorandum submitted to the Minister, the two associations claimed that forcing traders to sell oil in packets would considerably increase the price of the product since small traders and merchants might have to spend most of their capital on purchasing machinery required for packaging.

The price rise would directly affect the poor and the daily wage labourers who purchase cooking oil in loose from local stores. Accepting their demand, the Minister told the gathering: “From today onwards, there shall be no impediment in selling cooking oil in loose. It can be sold without any restraint.”

Mr. Pachamal, however, did not commit anything on the demand made by the two associations to stop implementing the FSSA in Tamil Nadu. The trade bodies felt the provisions of the Act were draconian and against the interests of small and medium traders involved in food business.

Stating that the 2006 enactment was brought into force on April 1, 2011, when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government was ruling the State, he said that his government would certainly write to the Centre to amend the objectionable provisions of the legislation.

In so far as demands that were within the purview of the State government, he said those would be considered after due consultation with the officials concerned.

He also said that appropriate action would be taken on the traders’ plea to abolish the practice of forcing labour department officials to book at least 25 cases a month in every district.

Cooperation Minister ‘Sellur’ K. Raju said that the traders’ demands would be conveyed to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.