DINAMALAR NEWS

வெல்ல ஆலையில் அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை

தர்மபுரி, ஜன.14:

தர்மபுரி அருகே வெல்லம் ஆலையில் உணவு பாது காப்பு அதிகாரி அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினார். பரிசோதனைக்கு வெல்ல மாதிரி சேகரிப்பு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ரசாயனம் கலந்திருந்தால் ஆலைக்கு சீல் வைக்கப்படும் என எச்சரிக்கை விடுக்கப் பட்டது.

தர்மபுரி அருகே முத்துக்கவுண்டன் கொட்டாய் பகுதியில் இயங்கும் கரும்பு வெல்ல ஆலையில் வெல்லத்தில் ரசாயனப் பொரு ட்கள் கலப்பதாக புகார் வந்தது. கலெக்டர் உத்தர வின் பேரில், நேற்று உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அதி காரி தினேஷ் தலைமையில் அதிகாரிகள் திடீரென சோ தனை நடத்தினர். இதில் பீமன் என்பவருடைய வெல்ல ஆலையில் அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.

இச்சோதனையில் பிளீ ச்சிங் பவுடர், ஹைட்ரஜன் பெராக்சைடு, ஹைட்ரஜன் சல்பேட், சோடா உப்பு உள் ளிட்ட ரசாயன பொருட்கள் வெல்லத்தில் கலப்பதாக சந்தேகம் அடைந்த அதிகாரிகள் மாதிரி எடுத்து அனுப்பியுள்ளனர்.

பரிசோதனை யில் ரசாயன பொருட்கள் கலந்திருப்பது உறுதியா னால், ஆலை சீல் வைக்கப் படும் என மாவட்ட நியமன அதிகாரி தினேஷ் கூறினார்.

பாப்பிரெட்டிப்பட்டி அருகே அனுமதியின்றி கடைகளில் பதுக்கிய புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை

பாப்பிரெட்டிப்பட்டி, ஜன.14:

அனுமதியின்றி பதுக்கி விற்ற புகையிலை பொருட் களை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

பாப்பிரெட்டிப்பட்டி அரு கே கடத்தூரில் அர சால் தடைசெய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களான குட்கா, பான்பராக், ஹான்ஸ் ஆகியவை பதுக்கி வைத்து விற்பதாக கலெக்டர் விவேகானந்தனுக்கு புகார் வந்தது. இது குறித்து விசாரணை நடத்த உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறைக்கு உத்தரவிட்டார். அவரது உத்தரவின் பேரில் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் தினேஷ் மற்றும் அரூர், மொரப்பூர், பாப்பிரெட்டிப்பட்டி உணவு பாது காப்பு அதிகாரிகள் கொ ண்ட குழுவினர் கடத்தூர் பகுதியில் உள்ள பெட்டிக்கடை, டீகடை மற்றும் பல சரக்கு கடைகளில் திடீர் ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.

இநத் சோதனையில் பெட்டிக்கடை மற்றும் பலசரக்கு கடைகளில் பதுக்கி வைத்திருந்த பான்பராக், ஹான்ஸ் மற்றும் குட்காவை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். முதல் முறையாக பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டதால், அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரித்து அபராதம் விதித்தனர். மீண்டும் இது போல் நடந்தால், சட்டப்படியாக நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரித்தனர்.

VS opposes pepper cleaning drive

Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan on Tuesday sought the intervention of Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob to alleviate the fears of the residents of Walayar village in Palakkad district in connection with the attempts by the Food Safety Department (FSD) to wash and clean about 60 lakh kg of seized adulterated pepper using the facilities of a private factory located close to the Coimbatore border.

In a letter, a copy of which was released here on Tuesday, Mr. Achuthanandan said the whole process seemed unscientific as the chances of bringing back the original character of the seized pepper through washing and cleaning using detergents was very low.

Expert opinions

Mr. Achuthananadan also quoted expert opinions recommending safe disposing of the adulterated pepper.

Quoting a report in The Hindu on the issue, Mr. Achuthanandan said that the washing and cleaning of adulterated pepper using detergents would cause pollution and exploitation of remaining groundwater resources of Walayar. Meanwhile, FSD officials said the adulterated pepper would reach Walayar on Thursday for cleaning using the facilities of a private factory there.

Security

Tight police security would be accorded to the trucks carrying the pepper from FSD godowns in Edathala, Vazhakulam, North Paravur and Cherthala. Janajagratha, a voluntary organisation, on Tuesday approached District Collector K. Ramachandran urging him to use the district magistrate’s powers to prevent further pollution of Walayar.

Whole process seems unscientific, says Achuthanandan.

Cleaning of 6,000 tonnes of tainted pepper from tomorrow

KOCHI, JANUARY 13: 

Some 6,000 tonnes of pepper, valued at ₹450 crore at current prices and locked up in warehouses in Kerala for being found tainted, could be released in the open market soon as its cleaning will begin this week. The first lot of 60 tonnes of the pepper contaminated with mineral oil will leave Kochi on January 15 and from then onwards a similar volume of pepper would be transported daily to Walayar in Kerala’s Palakkad district, FSSAI officials said.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Kerala, has outsourced for the cleaning of the entire volume of contaminated pepper to Indian Products Limited (IPL).

Speaking to BusinessLine, TV Anupama, Commissioner, FSSAI, Kerala, said Assistant Commissioners in Kochi and Palakkad will handle the operations.

She said the cleaning of the entire volume of the pepper will be done according to the directions of the Kerala High Court. Samples would be drawn from each lot and tested in various government laboratories in Kerala.

The Kerala High Court, disposing of a writ petition on August 28, 2014, ordered the FSSAI to allow the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange to clean the pepper without prejudice to the exchanges’ rights/claims etc, against any party for the costs incurred.

“All the owners of the pepper lots have been notified of our decision,” K Ajith Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Kochi said.

The IPL has developed its own technology to clean the pepper using a food grade detergent, he said.

Around 200 tonnes of pepper from the stock were released in recent months, following clearing of counter samples held by some members of a cartel in three instalments, after reportedly testing them at a Public Analysts Laboratory in Kolkata.

The Commissioner said the parties have done it after getting permission from the higher Appellate authorities.

Environmental concerns

Meanwhile, environmental activists in the region have come out against the cleaning of such huge volume of pepper using “heavy doses of detergent”. They alleged that it would “pollute their surroundings apart from exploiting the region’s water resources”.

When asked for her reaction, the Commissioner said the FSSAI is carrying out the High Court’s order. “We have not received anything in writing about such issues,” she added.

Supreme Court strikes down labelling norms for canola oil

BENGALURU, JANUARY 13: 

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on guidelines for labelling for canola oil. Subsequently, there will be also no restriction on canola oil imports.

The FSSAI had gone to the Supreme Court in appeal against a Bombay High Court order which, on a petition from Dalmia Continental Pvt Ltd, stayed guidelines for import of canola oil. Dalmia Continental is one of the largest importers of canola oil.

FSSAI had issued a guideline stating that all canola oil consignments be labelled as “Rapeseed oil – low Erucic Acid”. Following this, all canola oil imports were detained at the ports, forcing Dalmia Continental to move the Bombay High Court.

The Supreme Court ruling will allow importers of canola oil to call the edible oil by its name.

"The industry is free to call canola oil by its name and imports will no longer be restricted," said VN Dalmia, Chairman, Dalmia Continental Pvt Ltd.

Dalmia said the Supreme Court, on Monday, dismissed the special leave petition filed by FSSAI against the interim order of the Bombay High Court. The High Court, on September 16, had also ordered release of all Dalmia Continental’s canola oil consignments blocked at the ports.

The Supreme Court ruled that Dalmia Continental was in full compliance with existing laws and that FSSAI had no case for mandatory re-labelling of canola oil. Dalmia said the latest order of the Supreme Court represents a major victory for the industry which had concertedly resisted re-labelling of canola oil.

FSSAI officials did not respond when BusinessLine sought their views on the issue.

The industry, Dalmia said, had argued that the requirement to re-label canola oil was discriminatory since the same labelling requirements are not imposed by FSSAI on other types of oil. In the Standard for Vegetable Oils of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, ‘Rapeseed Oil – Low Erucic Acid’ is the product category and ‘Canola Oil’ is the synonym mentioned in brackets.

Several other oils are presented in the same manner in Codex. For example, ‘peanut/groundnut oil’ and ‘corn oil’ are mentioned in brackets alongside their respective product categories ‘Arachis Oil’ and ‘Maize Oil’.

However, both peanut/groundnut oil and corn oil are not labelled and marketed as per these product category names, Dalmia said. Canola oil has been imported under this name since 2007 . It is imported mainly from Canada and the inbound shipments are estimated at around one lakh tonnes both in crude and refined forms.

Flood Affected Food Items Seized In Srinagar District

SRINAGAR, JANUARY 13: Continuing its drive against the adulterators the Food Safety department of district Srinagar filed eleven complaints in the court of adjudicating officer Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Mr G A Dar under Food Safety and Standards Act. The samples were lifted mainly from manufacturing units and include the samples of spices, Milk products, beverages and sweets. The samples were declared Sub-standards/Misbranded by the Food Analyst Public Health laboratory Srinagar.

In the meanwhile the team of Food Safety Officers in Srinagar district seized 430 crates of flood affected Juice from Nowgam area of the district. Also 575 kilograms of Green tea which carried tempered date of packing was seized from Batmaloo areas. The samples of same were sent to Food Analyst Public Health Laboratory for analytical purpose.

How to check if milk and milk products are adulterated

Food is basis of our existence and none of us think twice or compromise on the quality of food. What if the milk which you make your child forcefully drink is adulterated? What if the paneer that has numerous health benefits, which your husband lovingly eats is full of unhealthy starch? There are certain tests you can easily perform in your kitchen with the help of easily available ingredients to assess the purity of these products which help you distinguish between adulterated and pure food.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines food adulteration as an act of intentionally debasing the quality of food offered for sale either by admixture or substitution of inferior substances or by removal of some valuable ingredient.

Food adulteration also takes into account unintentional contamination of food during their period of growth, harvesting, storage, processing, transport and processing, for example- pesticide residue in grains.

It also defines a food adulterant as any substance which is or can be employed for making the food unsafe or sub standard or mis-branded or containing extraneous matter. Food products can be adulterated by using various food additives like artificial colours which are very harmful to your health.

Here are a few things you should know about food adulterants and how to check if your food is adulterated:

Food product	Adulterant	Test to check adulteration
Milk	Water	Place a drop of milk on a shiny, polished slanting surface. Milk leaves no trail behind but if water is added to it you will find a white trail behind the drop.
	Starch	Add a drop of iodine solution (easily available in medical stores or the one from your first-aid box). Formation of blue colour indicates adulteration.
	Vanaspati	Take around 3 ml milk in a test tube and an ml of hydrochloric acid to it. Appearance of red colour after 5 minutes indicates presence of vanaspati in milk.
	Detergent	Add 5 ml water to approximately same amount of milk. Shake for 5 minutes. Appearance of lather indicates presence of detergent.
	Formalin	Take 10 ml milk in a test tube and add concentrated sulphuric acid to it from the sides of the test tube. Avoid shaking the tube. Appearance of violet ring at the intersection indicates presence of formalin.
Ghee/ Cottage cheese or paneer/condensed milk, khoa, milk powder	Coal tar dyes	To a melted sample of the product add approximately 5 ml of dilute sulphuric acid or concentrated hydrochloric acid. Appearance of pink colour in case of sulphuric acid and red incase of hydrochloric acid indicates presence of coal tar dyes.
	Starch	Add a few drops of iodine to the sample, if the brown colour becomes blue, it indicates presence of mashed potatoes.
Ghee / Butter	Vanaspati	To a little melted ghee add equal amounts of hydrochloric acid and add a pinch of sugar to it. Shake well and let it set for 5 minutes. If crimson colour appears in lower layer indicates presence of vanaspati.
	Mashed potatoes/sweet potatoes	Add a few drops of iodine to the sample, if the brown colour becomes blue, it indicates presence of mashed potatoes.

All these tests are easy to perform. A word of precaution would be to wear hand gloves while handling acids.

Food Safety officials seal two jaggery units in Omalur

Food Security officials inspecting a jaggery unit at Omalur in Salem district on Monday.

Two jaggery manufacturing units that were producing adulterated products in Omalur were sealed by Food Safety officials on Monday.

A team led by T. Anuradha, Designated Food Safety Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, and food inspectors inspected the units and found sugar and banned chemical being used in producing jaggery.

Adulteration

Mixing of sugar and the banned chemical is considered as adulteration.

The officials said that the manufacturers were warned not to involve in such production activities.

They had been given sufficient training on the usage of prescribed chemicals.

Despite these, they continued to involve in such activities that harmed the consumers.

Hence, the units were sealed, they added.

Manufacturing of jaggery in Omalur areas is in full swing to meet the demands for the Pongal festival. So, the officials are closely monitoring the units.