திருச்சி மாம்பழச்சாலையில் வியாபாரிகள் மீது வழக்கு கலெக்டர் அதிரடி உத்தரவு 3,000 கிலோ கார்பைட் மாம்பழம் பறிமுதல்

திருச்சி,மே.21: 

கலெக்டர் தலைமையிலான அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று நடத்திய அதிரடி சோதனையில், திருச்சி மாம்பழச்சாலையில் கீற்று கொட்டகை அமைத்து கார்பைட் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட 3,000 கிலோ மாம்பழங்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டதோடு சம்பந்தப்பட்ட உரிமையாளர்கள் மீது வழக்கு பதிவு செய்யவும் உத்தரவிடப்பட்டன. 

மாம்பழ சீசன் தொடங்கியதையொட்டி திருச்சி காந்தி மார்க்கெட்டுக்கு சேலம், கிருஷ்ணகிரி, சேந்த மங்கலம், நத்தம், துவரங்குறிச்சி, மேலுர், கள்ளிப்பட்டி ஆகிய ஊர்களில் இருந்து மாம்பழம் ரகங்களான கல்லாமணி, மல்கோவா, அல்போன்சா, செந்துரம், பங்கனபள்ளி, இமாம்வசுந்து உள்ளிட்ட மாம் பழங்கள் வரத்து அதிகரித்துள்ளது. 

திருச்சி காந்தி மார்க்கெட்டில் இருந்து தஞ்சை, கும்பகோணம், மயிலாடுதுறை உள்ளிட்ட பகுதிகளுக்கு இறக்குமதியும் செய்யப்படுகின்றன. திருச்சி காந்தி மார்க்கெட்டுக்கு லாரிகளில் வரும் மாம்பழங்களை திருச்சி மற்றும் சுற்று வட்டாரங்களை சேர்ந்த சிறு வியாபாரிகள் வந்து ஏலம் எடுத்து செல்கின்றனர். இந்த வருடம் விளைச்சல் மற்றும் வரத்து குறைவால் மாங்காய்களை இயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைக்க காலதாமதம் ஆவதால் செயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்க வைக்க சில வியாபாரிகள் குறுக்கு வழியை கையாண்டு வருகின்றனர். ஸ்ரீரங்கம் மாம்பழச்சாலை காவிரிக்கரையோரத்தில் 6 இடங்களில் பெரிய அளவில் கீற்று கொட்டகை அமைத்ததோடு கார்பைட் மூலம் மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனைக்காக தயார் நிலையில் இருப்பதாக மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் ஜெயஸ்ரீக்கு நேற்று ரகசிய தகவல் வந்தது. 

இதையடுத்து கலெக்டர் ஜெயஸ்ரீ தலைமையில் மாநகராட்சி ஆணையர் தண்டபாணி, ஸ்ரீரங்கம் உதவி ஆணையர் ரெங்கராஜன்,தாசில்தார் பவானி, மாநகராட்சி நிர்வாக பொறியாளர்கள் அருணாசலம்,நா கேஷ், உதவி செயற்பொறியாளர் லட்சுமணமூர்த்தி ஆகியோர் நேற்று காவிரிக் கரையோரத்தில் அதிரடி ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர். 

இந்த ஆய்வில், அனைத்து குடோன்களிலும் இருப்பு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த மாம்பழங்களில் கார்பைடு துள் பொட்டலங்களாக வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்டது. இதில் கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்ட அனைத்து மாம்பழங்களை யும் பறிமுதல் செய்து அரியமங்கலம் குப்பைக் கிடங்கில் குழிபறித்து கொட்டி அழித்திட மாநகராட்சி ஆணையர் தண்டபாணிக்கு, கலெக்டர் அறிவுறுத்தினார். 

மேலும் மாம் பழக் குடோன் உரிமையாளர்கள் மீது வழக்கு பதிவு செய்து மாநகராட்சி உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர்களுக்கு கலெக்டர் உத்தரவிட்டார். இதையடுத்து பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட 3,000 கிலோ கார்பைடு மாம்பழங்கள் அரியமங்கலம் குப்பை கிடங்கிற்கு மாநகராட்சி லாரியில் எடுத்து செல்லப்பட்டு குழிதோண்டி புதைக்கப்பட்டது. இதில் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களின் மொத்த மதிப்பு ரூ.2 லட்சம் மதிப்பு இருக்கும். கலெக்டர் நடத் திய அதிரடி சோதனையால் ஸ்ரீரங்கத்தில் பெரும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியது.

 அதிரடி தொடரும் 

இது குறித்து கலெக்டர் ஜெயஸ்ரீ கூறுகையில், விளைச்சல் மற்றும் வரத்து குறைவால் மாம்பழங்களை விரைவில் பழுக்க வைக்க வியாபாரிகள் இந்த மாதிரி செயல்களில் ஈடுபடுகிறார்கள். இந்த மாம்பழத்தை சாப்பிடுவதால் வயிற்றுவலி, வாந்தி ஏற்பட்டு உடல் நலமும் பாதிக்கப்படுகிறது. தொடர்ந்து இந்த சோதனை நடத்தப்பட உள்ளதால் வியாபாரிகள் கார்பைட் பயன்படுத்தக்கூடாது. மீறி பயன்படுத்தினால் கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என எச்சரிக்கை விடுக்கப்படுகிறது என்றார்.

Collector raids mango godowns

Collector Jayashree Muralidharan inspecting mango godown in Srirangam on Tuesday 

Over three tonnes of mangoes, which were being ripened using calcium carbide stones in at least five godowns at Mambazhasalai in the city, were seized and destroyed under the orders of the District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan here on Tuesday.

The Collector, who was on an inspection to the Cauvery River on Tuesday evening, made a surprise inspection at the mango godowns at Mambazhasalai.

Much to her shock, calcium carbide stones were found under huge quantities of mangoes that were found at the godowns. She ordered the officials to break open the locks of one of the godowns which was found locked at the time of inspection.

Ms.Muralidharan directed Corporation Commissioner V.P.Thandapani, who was accompanying her, to seize the mangoes. Corporation lorries were brought in to transport the mangoes to the Corporation garbage dump to be for being destroyed. The Collector also directed the officers to book cases against the owners of the godowns.

நெல்லை புதிய பஸ்நிலைய கடைகளில் சோதனை காலாவதி உணவு பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

நெல்லை, மே 21: 

நெல்லை புதிய பஸ்நிலையத்தில் உள்ள கடைகளில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் திடீர் ஆய்வு செய்து காலாவதியான உணவு பொருட் களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். 

நெல்லை மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் கருணாகரன் தலைமையில் மேலப்பாளையம் மண்டல உணவு அலுவலர் இப்ராகிம், நெல்லை மண்டல அலுவலர் காளிமுத்து, தச்சை மண்டல அலுவலர் சங்கரலிங்கம், மானூர் பகுதி ரஞ்சித்குமார், பாளை. புறநகர் கணேசன், கலியனாண்டி ஆகியோர் கொண்ட குழுவினர் நெல்லை புதிய பஸ் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள ஓட்டல் மற்றும் கடைகளில் திடீர் ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர். 

டெங்கு, காலரா போன்ற நோய்கள் பரவு வதை தடுக்கும் வகையிலும், உணவு பொருட்களை சுகாதாரமான முறையில் வைக்க வேண்டும் என்ற கலெக்டரின் உத்தரவின் பேரிலும் இந்த ஆய்வு நடந்தது. 

அங்குள்ள கடைகளில் ஈ மொய்க்கும் வகையில் திறந்து வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த வடை, பஜ்ஜி உள்ளிட்ட உணவுபொருட்களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். மேலும் காலாவதியான உணவுப் பொருட்களும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. கார்பைடு கற்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழம், மெழுகு தடவிய ஆப்பிள் போன்றவையும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. 

உணவுப்பொருட்களை சுகாதாரமான முறையில் விற்பனை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரித்தனர்.

Raid on snacks and fruits stalls

No action taken against any trader 

An official from the Food Safety Department destroying a beverage at thenew bus stand in Palayamkottai on Tuesday 

Food Safety Department officials, led by Designated Officer M. Karunakaran, raided a few shops in the new bus stand here on Tuesday.

But their conduct seemed to be a mockery of the exercise. For example, though the quality of cooking oil used by most of the traders in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai for preparing snacks such as ‘vada,’ ‘samosa’ and ‘bhajji’ was poor, no action was taken either to seize the snacks or register a case against the traders who sell these snacks. Even if the oil turns unfit for consumption due to repeated use, the traders add a small quantity of fresh oil and use it.

But only a few of them faced the wrath of the official machinery on Tuesday.

When the drive was on, the team seized a beverage bottle made by a domestic company on May 15, 2014 and destroyed it on the spot saying that the beverage had crossed the date of expiry. When reporters pointed out that the beverage had not crossed the expiry date, the team left the place immediately saying an abrupt “sorry.” The trader had no other option but to accept it.

When one of the officials checked a couple of apples in a fruit stall, he found that chemical coating had been applied to an apple to increase its shelf-life.

But the wax-coated apples were returned to the trader on the spot and were told not to sell these apples any more.

All these contradictory actions were taken during the inspection to strengthen the hotelier’s charge that the raids were conducted with an ulterior motive. Though several truck loads of mangoes were allegedly ripened with calcium carbide stones, no action was taken so far.

The team that conducted “surprise check” in the shops on the first and the second platform of the bus-stand, did not go near the shops on the third and the fourth platforms or restaurants in the terminus.

Owners of 16 sweet stalls in the bus-stand alleged that they were yet to get ‘food licence’ renewed though they had applied for the same long back.

Admitting that the officials had wrongly destroyed the beverage, Dr. Karunakaran said he would soon raid the godowns to seize mangoes ripened by calcium carbide. On the “delay” in giving food safety licence to sweet stalls, he said the owners were yet to furnish hardcopy of application forms.

Court jails Mother Dairy manager

Summary

According to the prosecution, a raid was conducted by a food inspector at the hotel here on June 3, 2006. Samples were collected for analysis.

A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced the deputy manager of Mother Dairy to six months in jail for supplying adulterated low fat cream to a hotel in 2006. 

In addition, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Rao also imposed a fine on him and the Gujarat Corporation Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, which had further supplied the adulterated product to other enterprises through which it reached the hotel. 

In its order, the court said, “…it shall meet the end of justice if convict Dr Kallol Kumar Pramanik is sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of six months as well as pay fine of Rs 10,000 and Gujarat Cooperation Milk Marketing Federation Ltd is sentenced to pay fine of Rs 1 lakh for the offence punishable under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.” 

According to the prosecution, a raid was conducted by a food inspector at the hotel here on June 3, 2006. Samples were collected for analysis. 

An analysis found that the sample was adulterated because the milk fat was found to be less than the minimum prescribed standard of 25 per cent, the food inspector said. 

The Department of Prevention of Food Adulteration had said that Pramanik was also looking after day-to-day business of Mother Dairy, which had supplied the food item to Gujarat Cooperation Milk Marketing Federation. 

The federation had further supplied the food item to one Anand Enterprises which had sent that product to the hotel, it said.

Mother Dairy's Deputy Manager jailed in food adulteration case

New Delhi: A deputy manager of a dairy major has been awarded six months in jail by a Delhi court for supllying adulterated low fat cream to a hotel in 2006. 

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Rao also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Mother Dairy's deputy manager Dr Kallol Kumar Pramanik.

The court also convicted and imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on Gujarat Corporation Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, which had further supplied the adulterated product to other enterprises through which it reached the hotel. 

"...It shall meet the end of justice if convict Dr Kallol Kumar Pramanik is sentenced to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of six months as well as pay fine of Rs 10,000 and M/s Gujarat Cooperation Milk Marketing Federation Ltd is sentenced to pay fine of Rs 1 lakh for the offence punishable under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act," the court said.

According to the Department of Prevention of Food Adulteration, Pramanik was also looking after day-to-day business of Mother Dairy, which had supplied the food item to Gujarat Cooperation Milk Marketing Federation. 

The federation had further supplied the food item to one Anand Enterprises which had sent that product to the hotel, it said. 

According to the prosecution, a raid was conducted by the food inspector at the hotel here on June 3, 2006 during which it was found that its manager was conducting the business of various food items including low fat cream. The inspector collected the sample of the food item. 

"Public analyst found that the sample was adulterated because the milk fat was found to be less than the minimum prescribed standard of 25 per cent," the food inspector said. 

A case was filed by the prosecution against both Pramanik and the federation and also against hotel Shangri-La's manager Girish Sharma, hotel's parent group Hotel Excelsior and Anjali Anand and Harsh Anand of Anand Enterprises for allegedly being involved in the business of producing and selling the said adulterated item. 

The court, however, acquitted Girish, Hotel Excelsior, Anjali and Harsh in the case. The court while convicting the others said that the offence was "serious in nature" and "adulteration of food is a menace" to public health. 

"The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act has been enacted with an aim of eradicating that social evil and for ensuring purity in the article of food. 

"The aim of the Act is to protect the citizens from those in the guise of respectable trades jeopardise the health and the well being of innocent customers. The adulterators are serious risk to the society," the court said.

Food Safety officials continue to shut hotels, dish out notices

Food Safety officials on Tuesday closed down a hotel in Thoppumpady, removed 12 street food vendors at various places and collected a fine of Rs. 2.37 lakh as part of its crackdown on hotels and restaurants that flout food safety norms in the district .

Notices were served to all nine eateries inspected in Fort Kochi and Thoppumpady area and a fine of Rs. 33,500 was collected besides closing down Vasanth Hotel.

In Muvattupuzha and Kothamangalam area, four street food vendors were removed and notices were served to nine units of the 16 inspected. A total of Rs. 35,000 was collected by the team.

In Kalamassery area 13 inspections were held, notices were served to seven and a fine of Rs. 30,000 collected. In Piravom area, 8 hotels were served notices, and collected a fine of Rs. 95,000. At Angamaly, four street food vendors were removed, 13 inspections were held, notices were given to 12 and a fine of Rs. 44,000 collected.

The inspections were held by five squads led by five Food Safety Assistant Commissioners. Each team had three Food Safety Officers too.

Food safety raid in district

Six hotels were ordered shut, 23, issued “improvement notices” and 31 hotels fined a total of Rs.1.41 lakh as five squads of the Food Safety Commissioner conducted raids and inspections across the district.

In the raids at hotels in Nandavanam, East Fort, Overbridge, and Bakery Junction, one hotel was closed and six, issued notices. Five hotels were fined a total of Rs.40,000. At the raids conducted at Medical College, Ulloor, Pongamoodu, and Nalanchira, seven hotels were fined Rs.16,000. At Mangalapuram, Thonnakkal and Attingal, two hotels were ordered closed, notices issued to two hotels and a fine of Rs.35,500 was levied on seven hotels. In raids at Nedumangad, improvement notices were issued to eight hotels and a fine of Rs.20,000 was levied on seven hotels. At Neyyattinkara, two hotels were closed, notices issued to seven hotels, and Rs.30,000 fine was levied on five hotels.

Food safety raids: four eateries shut down in Kochi

An official inspects food at a hotel in Kochi on Monday.

Rs. 1.64 lakh collected as fine by Food Safety officials during raids

Four eateries were shut down and a total fine of Rs. 1.64 lakh was collected by Food Safety officials in raids conducted on Monday in five to six areas in the district.

In the city, three restaurants were closed down, two in Kaloor and one near the North Railway Station, while one eatery in Paravur was also asked to down shutters for grave violations of food safety standards.

The establishments that were closed down include Hotel Sweekar, Hotel Zaya, Hotel Saradha Bhavan in the city and Saravana Bhavan in Paravur.

Restaurants were found flouting basic hygiene standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Act, said an official of the Food Safety Commissioner. All the hotel owners were made aware of the norms eight months ago in a raid-cum-campaign run by the Food Safety Commissioner in the State. All establishments were provided a list of 30 parameters in Malayalam to be followed in their units to cook and keep food in a safe and hygienic manner.

Assistant Food Safety Commissioners Joseph Shaji George, V. K. Beena, P. Sivadas, Sugunan and T. K. Radhakrishnan led five squads in the city, Tripunithura, Aluva, Paravur/Vypeen and Muvattupuzha. Orders to close down were issued to hotels that were violating norms which said that no foul smell or waterlogging or dish-washing and toilet facilities should be found near where food was being prepared and kept. The place should also have a clean environment that kept away flies and other insects.

There are also other norms like keeping food closed, keeping non-vegetarian and vegetarian food separate, displaying licence, maintaining a register of all ingredients bought for cooking and so on. Violation of these norms invited fines.

Fines were imposed depending upon the gravity of the violation. In the city the food safetyofficials collected Rs. 42, 000 from 11 inspections, in Tripunithura, Rs. 52,000 was collected from nine inspections, in Aluva, nine inspections brought in Rs. 34,000, in Paravur/Vypeen Rs. 13,000 came from 13 inspections and Rs. 25,000 was collected from 12 inspections in Muvattupuzha.

Areca growers expect Modi to clear air on ban proposal

Campco expects the new government, led by Narendra Modi, to withdraw an affidavit seeking ban on areca nut before apex court.

Areca nut growers here have high expectations from the new government at the Centre in view of an uncertainty hanging over the future of the crop following a proposal to ban it.

The proposed ban on areca nut snowballed into a controversy after an official of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare wrote (on September 6, 2013) to the Director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India “to examine the scientific evidences on the harmful effects of areca nut with a view to initiating necessary action to classify areca nut as an injurious substance and accordingly prohibit its use as an ingredient in any food product”.

Manchi Srinivasa Achar, president, All India Areca Growers’ Association, Puttur, told The Hindu that the growers expect that the new government not to pursue the proposal. The government should withdraw an affidavit which Mr. Achar said was filed before the apex court to this effect in the case Ankur Gutka vs Indian Asthama Care Society and Others.

Mr. Achar said that the NDA government should streamline taxes being imposed on areca nut transport at different levels, such as by the agriculture produce marketing committees, commercial tax department and the like, for enabling “fair trade”.

President of Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd. Konkodi Padmanabha said that thousands of areca growers had supported the BJP in this Lok Sabhaelection. It was especially so in prominent areca growing districts of Dakshina Kannada, Shimoga, Udupi-Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, parts of Kodagu and Davangere. He said the new government could not let down them. Campco would soon urge the new government to be headed by Narendra Modi to “ban import of areca nut” and withdraw the affidavit before the apex court.

A farmer and a member of G.V. Joshi committee which revised production cost of areca nut, Ramesh Kainthaje, said that the growers were confused whether to increase the area under cultivation or not because of the controversy over banning areca nut. Till now, the Union government had not stated clearly that it would not ban areca nut. The new government should make its stand clear.

Campco Managing Director M. Suresh Bhandary said that when a delegation of Campco met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad in last July he had ruled out banning areca nut in Gujarat. The delegation had met him after Maharashtra government banned gutka in which areca nut is an ingredient.

He said that Gujarat was the main market for white areca nut (chali) grown in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasaragod districts. Almost every house in Gujarat consumed chali variety and it had become part of their life.

Food commercialism harming school children

Schools are desirable marketing areas for food and beverage companies, although many of the products marketed to students are nutritionally poor, says a study. 

New York, Are you alarmed at the increasing presence of junk food and carbonated drinks in school canteens? Blame it on food commercialism.

Schools are desirable marketing areas for food and beverage companies, although many of the products marketed to students are nutritionally poor, says a study.

“Most students in elementary, middle and high schools are exposed to food commercialism - including exclusive beverage contracts and the associated incentives, profits and advertising - at school,” said Yvonne Terry-McElrath of University of Michigan.

Using a survey of school administrators, researchers estimated exposure to school-based commercialism for elementary, middle and high school studentsin the US from 2007 to 2012.

"The continuing high prevalence of school-based food commercialism calls for enforceable standards on the nutritional content of all foods and beverages available in school canteens,” said the study.

In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is putting in place final guidelines to determine what counts as healthy food in educational institutions.

The guidelines, to be released soon, would categorise food items commonly sold and consumed in schools under segments such as junk food, street food, nutritional food and unhealthy food.

According to food safety activists, the step is important since packaged food and beverage companies have been aggressively targeting kids.