தேயிலை வாரியம் எச்சரிக்கை கலப்பட தேயிலை தூள் விற்பவர்கள் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்

குன்னூர், பிப். 21:

தென்னிந்தியாவில் நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்தில் தான் தேயிலை உற்பத்தி அதிகளவில் மேற்கொள்ளப்படுகிறது. இங்கு 63 ஆயிரம் சிறு குறு விவசாயிகள் உள்ளனர். இம்மாவட்டத்தில் உற்பத்தி செய்யப்படும் தேயிலை தூள்கள் ஏல மையங்கள் மூலம் விற் பனை செய்வது போக மீத முள்ள தூள்கள் பாக்கெட்களில் அடைக்கப்பட்டு சில்லறை விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. ஒரு சில தொழிற்சாலைகளில் இரு ந்து சமவெளி பகுதிகளை சேர்ந்த பலர் தேயிலை தூளை மொத்தமாக வாங் கி சென்று அதில் கலப்படம் செய்து கொள்ளை லாபம் ஈட்டி வருவதாக புகார் எழுந்துள்ளது. இன்னும் ஒரு மாதத்தில் கோடை சீசன் துவங்க உள்ளதால் இதனை மைய மாக வைத்து கலப்பட தேயிலை தூள் விற்பனை யை அதிகரிக்க ஒரு சிலர் தீவிரமாக முயற்சி மேற் கொண்டு வருகின்றனர். இதுபோன்ற காரணங் களால் நீலகிரி தேயிலை தூளின் தரம் குறையும் அபாயம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனை தடுக்க சம்மந்தப்பட்ட துறை அதிகாரிகள் பல்வேறு நடவடிக்கைகள் மேற்கொண்டாலும் இதுவரை எவ்வித பயனும் இல்லை.

இதுகுறித்து தென்னிந்திய தேயிலை வாரிய செயல் இயக்குநர் அம்பலவாணன் கூறியதாவது: தரமான தேயிலை தூளை விற்பனை செய்ய தேயிலை வாரியம் பல்வேறு நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறது.

கலப்படகாரர்கள் மீதும் நடவடிக்கை எடுத்துள்ளோம். கடந் தாண்டு கோவை, நீலகிரி, ஈரோடு, திருப்பூர், பொள் ளாச்சி உள்ளிட்ட மாவட்டங்களில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட அதிரடி சோதனை யில் 7 டன் கலப்பட தேயிலை பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. மேலும் சம்பந்தப்பட்டவர்கள் மீது உணவு தடுப்பு பிரிவு சட்டத்தின் கீழ் வழக்கு பதிவு செய்துள்ளோம். தொடர்ந்து அனைத்து பகுதிகளிலும் இதுதொடர்பாக கண்காணிப்பு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க மாநில சுகாதார துறை அதிகாரிகளின் ஒத்துழைப்புடன் சோதனை நடத்தப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

டீ கடைகள் மற்றும் பேக்கரிகளில் அதிகளவில் கலப்பட தேயிலை தூள் பயன்படுத்துவதாகவும் புகார் எழுந்துள்ளது. மேலும் சுற்றுலா தளங்களிலும் கலப்பட தேயிலை விற்பனை அதிகரித்து வருவதாக தெரிய வருகிறது. இதனால் இம்மாத இறுதிக்குள்ள நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்திலுள்ள அனைத்து சுற்றுலா தளங்கள் மட்டுமில்லாமல் டீ கடைகள், ஓட்டல்களில் சுகாதார துறையினருடன் இணைந்து அதிரடி ஆய்வு செய்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உள் ளோம். கலப்பட தேயிலை தூள் விற்பனை குறித்து தக வல் ஏதேனும் கிடைக்கும் பட்சத்தில் பொதுமக்கள் உடனடியாக தேயிலை வாரிய அலுவலகத்திற்கு தகவல் தெரிவித்து புகார் கொடுக்க வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி டாஸ்மாக் பாரில் ஆய்வு

சிதம்பரம், பிப். 21:

கடலூர் மாவட்டம் முழுவதும் டெங்கு காய்ச்சல் தடுப்பு நடவடிக்கைகள் தீவிரப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன. சிதம்பரம் நகரில் டாஸ்மாக் பார், உணவகம் மற்றும் சத்துணவு கூடத்தில் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி ராஜா, அலுவலர்கள் பத்மநாபன், அருண்மொழி ஆகியோர் நேற்று காலை அதிரடியாக ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.

பஸ் நிலையம் அருகே உள்ள டாஸ்மாக் பாரில் உணவு பொருட்களை ஆய்வு செய்தனர். பின்னர் அங்கு பின்புறம் கொட்டப்பட்டிருந்த காலி பாட்டில்களை ஆய்வு செய்த போது சில பாட்டில்களில் லார்வா இருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது. அங்கிருந்த பாட்டில்களை உடனடியாக அப்புறப்படுத்த உத்தரவிட்டனர். மேலும் பஸ் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள ஒரு உணவகத்தை ஆய்வு செய்தார். அங்கு பாத்திரங்களில் தண்ணீர் தோங்காமல் பார்த்து கொள்ளுமாறு அறிவுறுத்தினார். சிதம்பரம் மாலைகட்டி தெருவில் உள்ள நகராட்சி நடுநிலைப்பள்ளியில் சத்துணவு கூடத்தை ஆய்வு செய்தனர். அங்கு மாணவர்களுக்கு வழங்குவதற்காக வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த முட்டைகள் காலாவதியாகாமல் உள்ளதா? என ஆய்வு செய்தனர். பின்னர் அங்கிருந்த குடிநீர் தொட்டியில் ஏறி தொட்டி சுத்தமாக பராமரிக்கப்படுகிறதா என்றும் தொட்டியில் கொசு புழுக்கள் உள்ளதா என்றும் ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.

சிதம்பரம் பஸ் நிலைய டாஸ்மாக் பாரில் கிடந்த மது பாட்டிலை, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.

பஸ் நிலையம் அருகே உள்ள டாஸ்மாக் பாரில் உணவு பொருட்களை ஆய்வு செய்தனர். பின்னர் அங்கு பின்புறம் கொட்டப்பட்டிருந்த காலி பாட்டில்களை ஆய்வு செய்த போது சில பாட்டில்களில் லார்வா இருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது. அங்கிருந்த பாட்டில்களை உடனடியாக அப்புறப்படுத்த உத்தரவிட்டனர். மேலும் பஸ் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள ஒரு உணவகத்தை ஆய்வு செய்தார். அங்கு பாத்திரங்களில் தண்ணீர் தோங்காமல் பார்த்து கொள்ளுமாறு அறிவுறுத்தினார். சிதம்பரம் மாலைகட்டி தெருவில் உள்ள நகராட்சி நடுநிலைப்பள்ளியில் சத்துணவு கூடத்தை ஆய்வு செய்தனர். அங்கு மாணவர்களுக்கு வழங்குவதற்காக வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த முட்டைகள் காலாவதியாகாமல் உள்ளதா? என ஆய்வு செய்தனர். பின்னர் அங்கிருந்த குடிநீர் தொட்டியில் ஏறி தொட்டி சுத்தமாக பராமரிக்கப்படுகிறதா என்றும் தொட்டியில் கொசு புழுக்கள் உள்ளதா என்றும் ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.

ARTICLE ON SUGAR

DINAMALAR NEWS

Restaurants, eateries directed to have CCTV cameras

The district administration has directed the Food Safety Wing to ensure that restaurants and eateries have closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras before issuing licences.

District Collector Archana Patnaik gave the direction in response to a demand made by the Commissioners of Valparai, Mettupalayam and Pollachi Municipalities during the first Steering Committee meeting of Food Safety held here recently.

Designated Officer of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), R. Kathiravan, is the convenor of the Committee, which has been formed to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Trade bodies had requested the district administration to train entrepreneurs on norms and guidelines of the Food Safety Act. The Food Safety Officials also requested the Project Officer of ICDS to properly store samples of the food being prepared at their centres for each meal.

According to officials who took part in the meeting, Ms. Archana Patnaik directed the Food Safety Officers to conduct as much raids in super markets and big outlets as in small shops. Responding to a request from consumer organisations, she also directed them to check the quality of foods given as ‘annadhanam’ in temples.

In the 24 temples where the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department offered annadhanam (free food distribution) in Coimbatore, the kitchens had the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India licence, said sources in the department.

The administration in Coimbatore had applied for the licence a couple of years ago and as of 2014, the Department had renewed the licence as well. To cook food, the Department procured groceries on a monthly basis and vegetables on a daily basis so as to ensure that only fresh vegetables were used.

The Department no longer used firewoods in the kitchens. It used LPG cylinders. The Department managed 254 listed (big) temples and 1,290 non-listed (small) temples in the district.

Food Safety Officials requested Project Officer of ICDS to properly store samples of food prepared at the centres for each meal

The amicus curiae recommends banning junk food in schools to the Delhi High Court

Suggestions were filed by the amicus curiae; the stakeholders are expected to reply within the next hearing

The amicus curiae (friend of court) in the junk food case currently being heard by the Delhi High Court has made some recommendations to improve the draft guidelines of an expert committee on regulation of sale of junk food in schools.

The hearing that took place in the court of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw was in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Delhi-based non-profit Uday Foundation, seeking ban on sale of junk food in schools. 

Amicus curiae Sanyat Lodha has suggested, among other things, using the term “junk food” along with the term “high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS)”, as a layperson can identify with such food and the term has been in use since the filing of the PIL. It is to be noted that the respondents in the case had earlier applied to seek the deletion of the term “junk food” as it was not a scientific term and was not a category of food as defined under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar — including pizzas, burgers, and sweetened carbonated and non-carbonated beverages are termed as HFSS. Food categories, therefore, could be colour coded — foods which must be rarely eaten (HFSS foods), foods which can be eaten sparingly and foods which must be mostly, could be used. The amicus mentions that similar bans on HFSS foods are in place in countries like Canada, Costa Rica and UK. He has further recommended a ban of HFSS food within school premises and their sale to be restricted within 100 metres outside school premises.

Referring to the World Health Organization (WHO) in its “Set of recommendations on the Marketing of Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverage to Children”, Lodha calls for restrictions on marketing of HFSS foods. He suggests that the guidelines must define the age group for which the restrictions are applicable, the marketing techniques and the communication channels, what constitutes marketing according to factors including products, timing, placement and content of marketing message are suggested to be covered by marketing restrictions. The amicus also mentions that restrictions on advertisements are in place in countries like Canada, France and Sweden.

Monitoring is a must

Lodha has also suggested including details on how the guidelines will be implemented. Implementation of these guidelines should be charted out with a responsible nodal body or person. Monitoring and enforcement mechanisms with timelines should be charted out. Deterrents for non-compliance and incentives for adherence could also be considered at the same time.

The amicus suggests that canteen contracts in schools should include clauses prohibiting the sale of HFSS/junk food (including sweetened carbonated and non-carbonated drinks) on the school premises.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 25, 2015 when stakeholders will file suggestions on the draft guidelines.

Uday Foundation had filed the PIL in 2010 seeking directions/orders to be issued to the respondents to immediately ban junk food and carbonated drinks in all unaided and private schools and schools under Central and state government and local municipality in Delhi; to initiate measures to discourage the availability of “fast food”, unhygienic food and foods with unhealthy ingredients within 500 yards of the schools in Delhi; to further direct the respondents to develop a comprehensive school canteen policy which emphasises healthy nutrition among school going children and to ban junk food and carbonated drinks advertisements in media as well as in the television through any means.

Delhi HC seeks suggestions on guidelines on junk food

The Delhi High Court today sought suggestions from various stakeholders on draft guidelines of an expert committee on regulation of sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around school premises in the country. 

"Draft guidelines framed by expert committee have been placed on record. The suggestions of those who want to respond to the draft guidelines may be filed within a weeks," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw said while posting the matter for next hearing on February 25. 

During the hearing, advocate Sanyat Lodha, appearing as an amicus curiae, submitted his suggestions on the draft guidelines of the expert committee appointed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 

Earlier, the expert group came out with a slew of guidelines on the subject of "making available quality and safe food in schools" and suggested the availability of food high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) contents be restricted in schools and area "within 50 metres". 

The report said the kids are not "the best judge of their food choice" and moreover, the schools are not the right place for promoting HFSS food. 

It had termed "chips, fried foods, sugar sweetened carbonated beverages" etc as HFSS foods and suggested "the school management must ensure regulation of such food through canteen policies that promote healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods..." 

It also suggested there are food items such as 'samosa' and other fried items and a nationwide programme can be started to find out as to which can be termed as HFSS food. 

The panel has also suggested a canteen policy to provide nutritious food in school be developed to ensure that such canteens are not treated as "commercial outlets". 

The court was hearing the PIL filed by Uday Foundation seeking an immediate ban on junk food and carbonated drinks in all unaided and private schools.

400 kg of illegal meat found at Vasco rly station

An unclaimed consignment containing unhygienic beef, pork and mawa, weighing nearly about 400 kg was found in a luggage compartment of Goa-bound Hazrat Nizamuddin (Goa Express) passenger train, which arrived at platform No 2 of the Vasco railway station from Delhi early Thursday morning.

As per information provided by Animal Rescue Squad member Gaurav Kumar, the consignment was being transported illegally and supposed to be unloaded at the Margao railway station. However, it was transported further to the Vasco railway station as he had alerted the railway authorities and police at Margao in the morning.

Kumar said that neither did the consignment carry any official receipt or certificate of transportation nor was there any mention of the animals slaughtered for the purpose of consumption and added that the meat was transported in an unhygienic condition and hence unfit for consumption. He also claimed that similar consignments have been loaded onto a train in Delhi and are expected to be delivered either at the Margao or Vasco railway station on Friday morning.

Officials of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) inspected the meat, but failed to seize the consignment or book an offence against unknown persons due to restrictions over jurisdiction. FDA inspector Shivdas Naik said that they cannot seize the consignment lying within the premises of Vasco railway station. “We can only register a case under Food Safety Standard Authority of India but we don’t have any powers to book a case against unknown persons involved in illegal transportation of beef,” he said.

When contacted, manager of the Vasco railway station M Thamarai Selvan said that the Vasco railway authorities can neither hand over the parcel (containing beef, pork and mawa) to any government authority, nor are they entitled to allow any person to touch the parcel as the consignment was supposed to be delivered at the Margao railway station. He clarified that the parcel reached Vasco station as the door of the luggage compartment had failed to open at the Margao railway station during the early morning hours on Thursday when the train had reached Margao. “We are now sending the parcel back to the Margao railway station in a Collem-bound passenger train. Once in Margao, the consignee would be revealed,” he said.

Finally, the consignment was sent back to the Margao railway station in the afternoon, where the parcel was seen lying on platform till late in the evening.

Railway authorities at the Margao station informed the police, who, in turn, summoned officials of FDA and animal husbandry and veterinary services department. However, no offence has been registered against unknown persons.

“We told the police and Railway authorities to conduct the panchanama of the consignment and collect a sample and give it to us for checking the quality of meat at our laboratory. But the authorities were reluctant to do it,” said an FDA official. Team of animal husbandry officials along with a doctor checked the meat and found it to be unhygienic.

Margao railway police station in-charge Santosh Desai said that since the property was of Railways, they (police) had no role to play. “If the Railways gives to us in writing that the meat was being transported illegally, we can act,” he said. Interestingly, the railway authorities refused to provide details of the sender and receiver of the consignment.

Public relation officer of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited Baban Ghatge said that such transportation of meat is permitted in trains but hastily added that it should be packed properly in refrigerated containers. He also said that the Railway Protection Force officials had already informed the South Goa Superintendent of Police about the meat consignment. The meat is presently in the possession of the Railway authorities at Margao. It is learnt that Railways has been advised to dispose off the meat since it is unhygienic.

Meanwhile, animal activist Gaurav Kumar said that post the deadly assault on animal activist Amrut Singh, consignments of beef, pork and mawa are transported illegally to Goa on a large scale on a daily basis by the Goa Express train, either from Delhi or Belgaum. He said that such consignments were earlier transported by road, but after the assault, people involved in the illegal trade are now more vigilant. Kumar also said that four groups – Govansh Raksha Abhiyan, Animal Rescue Squad, Shiv Sena and Gau Gyan Foundation – are collectively making efforts to stop the illegal trade and killing of animals. He also demanded strict action against the people involved in transporting meat illegally by slaughtering animals.

Food Safety Deptt to Lift Samples of Suspected Food Articles

Port Blair, Feb 20: Ensuring availability of safe & whole some food to each & every citizen is the duty of the state. To achieve this, collection of food samples and its analysis for the compliance of law is a mandatory requirement. In the absence of Food Analyst & functional laboratory in A&N Islands this requirement was not exercised for last several years but now the Govt. of India has notified several accredited laboratories for this purpose and as a result any suspected sample of food article can be analysed.

The Food Safety department of this Administration has started this exercise and shall continue to lift samples of suspected food articles. Hence all Food Business Operators are requested to cooperate.

Further, it is brought to the notice of all consumers, NGOs and Consumer Organisations that they can also collect samples of food articles and send it for analysis to any notified laboratories and if the sample is found to be adulterated/misbranded or not within the norms, the entire expenditure towards collection & analysis shall be reimbursed to them and legal action shall also be initiated against vendors. For any assistance please contact the Food Safety department which is functioning in the Directorate of Health Services.

Report confirms poisoning after MDM

PATNA: It has now been confirmed that 65 children, who fell ill after consuming midday meal (MDM) at Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya, Sinduari, in Vaishali district on Thursday, suffered from poisoning. A report to this effect has been submitted by the Vaishali district epidemiologist and sent to State Surveillance Officer in State Health Society of Bihar.

The report says, "After investigation, it has been found that all children and cook were affected from suspected poisoning." The reason of poisoning is yet to be verified but since the children fell ill immediately after consuming food, experts suspect it was food poisoning.

All the victims were given conservative treatment and discharged. However, such midday meal scare has been in news quite often. The children of Rajkiya Madhya Vidyalaya started vomiting and nauseating while many others complained of abdominal pain and dizziness.

Noted paediatrician Dr Nigam Prakash Narayan said it appears that children suffered from a mild infection. "But had the extent of infection been large, they could have suffered from toxic gastroenteritis which is very dangerous." If the children are given stale rice, they can suffer from starch infection.

Child Rights and You (CRY) spokesperson Saradindu Bandyopadhyay said such and other midday meal accidents in Bihar are a grim reminder of the tragedy that struck a Saran school in which 23 kids died due to consumption of food containing pesticide in July, 2013. He said, "Though the government has taken some measures like construction of separate kitchen sheds for cooking meals and arrangements for safe drinking water, these are confined only to a few schools."

As per the study conducted in 2013 by Bihar Lok Adhikar Manch (BLAM) in collaboration with CRY in 210 primary schools of the state in 21 districts, 26% respondents said though MDM programme was more or less regular, the quality was not at all satisfactory. The same report also said 58 per cent schools surveyed didn't even have a dedicated kitchen shed, hence the cooking environment is not at all satisfactory.

The Vaishali incident comes about a month-and-half before World Health Day, whose theme this year is Food safety. WHO says "unsafe food" causes deaths of 2 million people annually, including children. Food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances is responsible for more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, WHO says.

Among its five recommendations, WHO suggests hand washing to keep food-borne diseases at bay. However, availability of safe water remains an issue in most of the schools in the state, Bandyopadhyay said. Keeping clean, separation of raw and cooked food, cooking food thoroughly and keeping food at safe temperature are the other four recommendations.

Soft drink consumers at a higher risk of cancer

People who consume one or more cans of cold drinks per day are exposing themselves to a potential carcinogen, warns a new study.

The ingredient, 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) - a possible human carcinogen - is formed during the manufacture of some kinds of caramel colour. Caramel colour is a common ingredient in colas and other dark soft drinks.

"Soft drink consumers are being exposed to an avoidable and unnecessary cancer risk from an ingredient that is being added to these beverages simply for aesthetic purposes," said Keeve Nachman, senior author of the study.

Building on an analysis of 4-MEI concentrations in 11 different soft drinks first published by Consumer Reports in 2014, researchers estimated exposure to 4-MEI from caramel-coloured soft drinks and modelled the potential cancer burden related to routine soft drink consumption levels in the United States.

"This unnecessary exposure poses a threat to public health and raises questions about the continued use of caramel colouring in soda," Nachman of Johns Hopkins Center for a Liveable Future (CLF).

Results indicated that levels of 4-MEI could vary substantially across samples, even for the same type of beverage.

While there is currently no federal limit for 4-MEI in food or beverages, Consumer Reports petitioned the Food and Drug Administration last year to set limits for the potential carcinogen.

"This new analysis underscores our belief that people consume significant amounts of soda that unnecessarily elevate their risk of cancer over the course of a lifetime," said Urvashi Rangan, executive director for Consumer Reports' Food Safety and Sustainability Center.

The results were published online in the journal PLOS One.

New deadline is Aug 4 but FBOs keen on FSSR amendment

Even as most food and beverage industry representatives and bodies are wary of the efficacy of another extension to the deadline for obtaining licence and securing registration by FBOs under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, in completion of the process, CAIT, the body spearheading the movement against implementation of FSSR, 2011, in its present state, is confident of finding a solution to the issue in the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament.

While the new deadline is August 4, 2015, entailing an extension of six months, starting from February 4, 2015, the previous deadline, a review of the FSS Act, 2006, and FSSR, 2011, is currently underway. It is expected that this review, which is being done as per the ground realities in India with regard to climatic and other conditions, will make the Act and Regulations more industry-friendly and the same will be adopted in the form of an Amendment to the Regulations during Budget 2015-16.

Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general, CAIT (Confederation of All India Traders), explains, “There would not be any need to further extend the deadline as the subject of licensing and registration would be duly deliberated in course of the review of FSS Act and Regulations, in the second half of the Budget session and a remedy would be forthcoming in the form of an Amendment.” 

Interestingly, the latest extension is the fifth since the implementation of FSS Act, 2006, and the subsequent FSS Regulations, 2011, in the country on August 5, 2011. Thus, though the regulations are in vogue for about four years, the rate of licensing and registration completed so far in the country, stands at approximately six per cent - around 30 lakh out of five crore FBOs completed the procedure.

In this regard, an analysis of the number of licensing and registrations completed in the recent past shows how the pace has been slow all along. FSSAI, in a reply, stated that as on January 15,2015, a total of 23,57,047 FBOs (food business operators) got registered and 5,45,653 got licensed under the Regulations, on December 24,2014, it had granted 17,775 Central licences, while states / UTs granted 5,45,065 licences and registered 23,53,083 FBOs.Even on October 15, 2014, the figures do not have much difference - procedure for obtaining 520,867 licences and securing 22,72,018 registrations was completed. Clearly the pace is sluggish.

Further, in Delhi, till January 31, 2015, 7,213 licences were distributed, a number that was marginally higher than the previous tally - 6,736 licences on January 23. In the latest figures, the number of licences obtained online was marginally up - 5,941 from the previous of 5,464 licences. 

While, according to industry experts who are not counting on the Amendment to FSSR, the current extension, which is fifth, will not be sufficient to complete the process of licensing and registration.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

IPA envisions FDA for better enforcement

INDIA- The central government of India has been urged by the Indian Pharmacist Association (IPA); to create a separate Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in India, which can be governed by the ministry of health and family welfare. This model has been adopted in Goa, Maharashra and Gujarat, and resulted in better coordination with agencies to deal with food and drugs laws.

According to a media report; IPA president Abhay Kumar has written a letter to PM Narendra Modi, saying that creation of a separate department of FDA in appropriate ministry and similar structures should be made mandatory in all states and Union Territories for uniform implementation of food and drugs laws throughout the country. 

Kumar in his letter said that at present Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and recently Punjab government have created the FDA department with food and drugs divisions functioning effectively under a senior level secretary. At present, the food law is implemented Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the health ministry and drug laws like D&C Act, DPCO, Pharmacy Act are implemented by different ministries. He further suggested that the implementation of the food and drugs laws should be handed over to professionally trained personnel who can efficiently manage, as there is no dearth of manpower from the food and drugs sectors.

In the states and Union Territories the food and drug laws are by and large enforced by directorate of health services with poor infrastructure and lack of professionally trained enforcement personnel, results in poor implementation of these laws. In most of the states even the full time regular drugs inspectors who are the main instrument for implementation of Drugs and Cosmetic Act 1948 are not posted and the drugs control department runs on ex-officio staffs.

Further, he expressed the need to create a new department independent from health department with inter-sectoral coordination especially with health, agriculture, veterinary, consumer affairs, fertilizers, chemical departments/ministries, which can function as an apex body of the food and drugs authorities under the ministry of health and family welfare or under appropriate ministry.