Jun 13, 2015

Is that food on your plate?

Poison in our kitchen: How deadly chemicals have invaded India's food chain
Wake up and smell the coffee. Err...maybe, not. Who wants to start a new day with the depressing possibility that the first drink you chug down may have coffee-flavoured mud, starch or worse? A good ol' cuppa tea, then? What if it has coal tar dye? You'll end up with lung or skin cancer. Ouch. Pour out some apple juice. And puke your way to nirvana? It may just have fungi patulin. How about a glass of ice-cold milk? Brace for a jolt of deadly chemicals: antibiotic gentamicin, pumped indiscriminately into cows, that will give you hard-to-treat infections; pesticide boric acid that kills cockroaches and gives humans lead poisoning; preservative formalin that can change your kidneys forever. So just drink some water. But, first, pray that there's no bromate lurking in it, to turn on your cancer genes.
Wolf of food street 
With the great instant noodle scare in the last few days, a fear psychosis has gripped the nation. Every food on your plate is suspect: all the items above have been recorded, reported or recalled by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) ever since it came into being in 2011. Harmful, dangerous, alien chemicals and non-foods are secretly invading our lives, as a culture of infectious greed grips much of our food chain: from farm to fork. At any given point, someone somewhere along multiple touch points on that chain is trying to get rich by altering, substituting, passing off or turning a blind eye to unacceptable processes and materials. A terrible human and economic cost looms large.
India is the world's worst food violator, reports global food source monitoring company, Food Sentry. China follows closely and the US is also one of the top 10. Most violated foods are raw or minimally processed, including seafood, vegetables, fruits, spices, dairy products, meats and grains. More than a third of food frauds take place due to "excessive or illegal pesticides", pathogen contamination and filth or insanitary conditions. "What's worrying is the mislabelling on products of packaged foods," says Dr Suneeta Chandorkar, Assistant Professor, Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Family and Community Services, MS University, Vadodara. "They all say 'healthy' but tests have shown they are hardly that."
A very serious issue
A "really very serious issue," as Union Health Minister J.P. Naddaadmitted in the budget session of Parliament in March. One out of fi ve food samples fails quality test in India, reports the FSSAI Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report, 2014-15. Out of 49,290 food samples tested by the apex food body, 8,469 did not clear the laboratory tests for food safety, bringing the rate of food fraud rate-adulteration, contamination or mislabelling to a gasp-worthy 20 per cent. It was just 13 per cent in 2011-12. Yet the number of convictions for economically motivated adulteration of food has come down from 3,845 in 2013-14 to just 1,256 now.
Data collated by FSSAI from across the country shows a steep rise in food fraud, with five states-UP, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh-accounting for more than 90 per cent of the total penalties levied. It's a very serious issue because the true extent of the impact of adulterated food on human health remains unknown. Food-borne dis-eases encompass a wide spectrum of illnesses and are a growing public health problem worldwide, says the World Health Organization (WHO) in its World Health Day 2015 report, 'How Safe Is Your Food'. Gastrointestinal, neurological, gynaecological, immunological to multi-organ failure and even cancer. They can manifest immediately with microbial pathogens or parasites, as in the case of about 400,000 children below age five whodie of diarrhoea every year in India. Or they can be chemical contaminants that accumulate in the body and snuff out life slowly over time. The full extent of the burden and cost of unsafe food is currently unknown, says the WHO, but its impact on global health, trade and development is considered to be immense.
Who stole my Maggi?
Everybody is singing a requiem to a ubiquitous yellow packet: mothers tired of cooking for fussy children, students living away from home, professionals too busy to cook, frugal retirees skittish about the purse strings. Iconic brand Maggi, that asked for "just two minutes of your time" for the past 33 years, has been declared "hazardous for human consumption" by the FSSAI. It will not be made, processed, distributed, sold or imported in the country. Although Swiss food giant Nestle India has challenged the validity of the tests, 20 million packs worth Rs 1,000 crore are being recalled.
"Adulteration in our daily food items has been proved time and again. But this is not just another case. This is heavy metal, completely the next level," says Amit Khurana, programme manager for food safety and toxins at the Centre for Science and Environment. "I am unable to figure out how the lead came in Maggi samples," says Chandorkar. Lead mostly comes from industrial effluents. In India, crops and vegetables draw it from water. "It could have been from a machine part gone wrong," she adds. To Narpinder Singh, president of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists, India, however, adulteration from MNCs selling processed and packaged food is just the tip of the iceberg. "What about our street vendors? There's no monitoring over what they use," he says. The investigation over Maggi noodles will pinpoint the guilty parties. But the scandal lifts the lid off the casserole of India's real food story.
Sadism for breakfast
Nothing seems more wholesome than breaking an egg into a frying pan for breakfast. But do you wish to die of green diarrhoea from salmonella poisoning? Random sampling shows 5-7 per cent eggs across India are contaminated with the deadly bacteria. According to a 2012 research from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, most of these happen from inhumane conditions, overcrowded cages, saturation with excrement and waste streams. That's not all, across India exists the widespread practice, though legally banned, of starving hens for profit. By depriving egg-laying hens of food for 14 days, poultry-owners can save expenses on feed and manipulate the egg-laying cycle. The suffering and drastic weight loss dramatically increases the risk of a hen laying salmonella-infected eggs.
Consider bread: if you thought good bread lies at the heart of a blissful day, think again. The flour used to make your daily bread, roti, chapati or parantha is also bleached, contains as many as 25 different chemicals, including fumigants, apart from mud, dust, insects and fungus. The result? Liver problems to diabetes to damaged kidneys and nervous system. What's more, scientists are sounding alarm over mycotoxin contamination in wheat, oats, maize and barley, from bad agricultural practice. Ask Sakshi Mishra, researcher with the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, who detected the poisonous fungi in 30 per cent samples, out of which seven per cent exceeded the limit. A report published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture last year found excessive levels in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The fungi can cause a range of disorders: jaundice to gastrointestinal bleeding.
Surely, one can bite into fruits, for all the goodness of antioxidants, healthful nutrients and fibre? But there too unscrupulous traders can beat you at it. In April, 12,000 kg mangoes that had been ripened artificially with the chemical ethephon, a plant growth regulator classified as "dangerous" and "corrosive", had to be destroyed in Goa by food safety officials. The fruit vendor, looking to make a quick buck, was quite aware of what he was doing: he had donned plastic gloves to dip the mangoes in the chemical.
Food detectives at war
It's a neatly-wrapped packet of suspicion and doubt. Someone thrusts it in through a square hole in the wall. Instantly weighed, checked and barcoded, it begins its journey through the food testing lab in Barasat, on the outskirts of Kolkata: clean-air showers, inoculation room for sterility, chromatography room to check nutrition, spectrophotometer room to verify colouring. Scientists in white coats and blue overalls crouch in concentrated silence over gleaming white machines that hum, whir and spew out data: heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics, carcinogens. They are the behind-the-scenes food detectives of Edward Food Research and Analysis Centre (EFRAC), a top-line private lab with 12 accreditations from the Government of India and the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). And they stand by their science: none of the 800 samples of Maggi they tested in the last one month has unacceptable levels of harmful chemicals. "My machines are 21 CFR Part 11 compliant," says CEO and microbiologist Balwinder Bajwa, "the USFDA's new enforcement for food security. I am not certifying Maggi. I am certifying my results."
That has put yet another question mark on the fate of our food: why have some labs found lead and MSG in Maggi while others did not? Can we trust our labs? Lead contamination in several samples was established by many laboratories in various parts of the country. But some states have given it a clean chit. About 11 states have already banned Maggi and as many have started testing it individually. Industry veteran and former CEO of Britannia, Sunil Alagh, has lambasted the food testing process in the country as "disastrous", blaming the government for destroying a brand. "I agree with @sunilalagh about destroying Maggi brand without proper evidence. I smell a sinister ploy and Nestle must get to bottom of it," Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chief of Biocon, has tweeted.
"The blame game doesn't help what India faces," says consumer policy expert Bejon Misra. We have great choice and access to food today. Our supermarkets overflow with packaged, processed foods from all over the world. But what we believe we eat is often at odds with what we actually consume. "So severe has been thepublic outrage that it has ushered in a much-needed groundswell for a firmer governance of our food chain," he says. "For the first time, the government has lodged a case against a food giant with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on behalf of consumers."
Many companies don't conduct due diligence on their supply chains. And then get away by paying a small penalty. "India is finally moving towards enforcement of food recall regulations. And it should be respected," adds Mishra. Companies with unsafe products will now have to inform consumers about contaminants, health hazards, outlets where it was found and a contact number for queries.
The FSSAI is in no mood to relent. Formed under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, and effective since 2011, the fledgling body is determined to net both whales and minnows to ensure food safety and standards. In the last few years, it has dragged food and beverage majors-Heinz to Marico, Kellogg's to Britannia, Cadbury to Hindustan Unilever, Parle to Amway-for a range of reasons: misleading ads to unsafe use or overuse of chemicals. In May this year, theFSSAI ordered recall of energy drinks Monster, Tzinga and Cloud 9, arguing that the drinks use "irrational combination" of ginseng and caffeine. In January 2015, the FSSAI started a nationwide survey and testing of everyday foods-dairy, pulses, edible oil, poultry, fruits and vegetable-to frame policy interventions against adulteration and contamination.
New methods, new dangers
Watch out for the new kid on the block. It has come straight from the Shaanxi province of China and flooded the markets of Kerala. At a glance it looks like normal rice: the reason why no one bothered to look too closely. It's smooth, slippery, milky white with every single grain formed perfectly. If you soak it in water, it will float. If you boil it, it will turn into a hard sticky mass, like wax paper. If you put fire to it, it will light up instantly. And if you eat it, you will land up in hospital with severe stomach condition-exactly what happened in Kerala. Made of potatoes, sweet potatoes and polymer at a paltry production cost, it's the latest food fraud in the country: fake plastic rice. The packets were confiscated once people started falling ill after buying the rice.
Adulteration methods are increasingly more sophisticated. Detection systems have to be more alert, say experts. Simple adulteration of fruit juices by addition of water, or stones in rice are now giving way to deadly pesticides, non-permitted synthetic colours, slapdash use of antibiotics and DNA-altering carcinogens. Under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of India, 1954, eight synthetic colours were mentioned; the list has now become long, with lethal synthetic colouring-say, metanil yellow to make turmeric, spices and pulses look fresh or red lead oxide to add shine to chilli powder, coloured sweets and pickles-taking its toll on the human body on prolonged use. "That's because of the tardy implementation of regulations and lack of stringent quality control exercised by the manufacturers of processed foods," says Ramesh V. Bhat, international food safety consultant and former head of the food toxicology division at the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad. "Most of the state government food inspectors and lab analysts spend their time in courts, chasing pending cases," he says.
The infrastructure to check adulteration in the states remains woefully shabby. Take Uttar Pradesh, the biggest state in the country. It has just five public analyst labs: in Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, Gorakhpur and Jhansi. They all date back to the 1980s and do not have the wherewithal to execute complex cases that need modern technology or adequate manpower. Two labs, in Gorakhpur and Jhansi, are running without a public analyst officer. The rest share one officer amongst themselves. About 430 posts of food inspectors are lying vacant, while technical manpower stands at just 40 per cent. The shortage tells its own story. Data from the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) shows that just 30 per cent of 43,512 food samples sent to these labs got tested in 2014-15. A public analyst officer says on the condition of anonymity, "There is a rule that tests must be completed within 14 days. But now even the simplest cases take more than a month." Similarly in Rajasthan, about 73 food safety officers, working in just six testing labs, are supposed to execute at least 10 samples every month.
Wake up and smell the coffee
For the average urban Indian, food accounts for 50 per cent of the household budget. It's the biggest item of expenditure, reports the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (2014). Cereals and pulses top the list, followed by vegetables and fruits. Then come milk, meat, eggs, fish and edible oils. Snacks account for four per cent, with just one per cent being spent on noodles. The shock and anger over Maggi instant noodles is worth just that much. Beneath that, there's a cauldron of dangerous criminal activity that violates our rights to health and life with appalling disregard: fish contaminated with ammonia and formaldehyde, to preserve it just like dead bodies in a mortuary; farm animals contaminated with antibiotics to make them grow faster and keep them alive in the worst unsanitary conditions; fruits and vegetables coloured with copper sulphates and injected with hormone oxytocin to make them look fresh and inviting.

That's 49 per cent of the home economy down the drain, as we live at a higher risk every day. Yet there is no outrage, no controversy, not one complaint. Who is responsible for what is happening to our food? "The consumer," says Balvinder Bajwa, who witnesses, samples and quantifies in his lab every day what goes into our plate. "We want everything cheap. And there is a competition to pander to people like us. That leads to unfair trade practices." Be willing to pay a higher price for your health, he says. Insist ongetting your money's worth. Cut down the underhand operators. Support more inspection, enforcement, criminal prosecution.
To Narpinder Singh, it's the woefully low benchmarks we have as a nation that gets in the way: "India does not have a minimum standard requirement and database. We still use chemicals that were phased out in the US from the 1960s onwards. Our referral labs also don't always have state-of-the-art infrastructure and trained people. As a result, food manufacturers set their own standards and write whatever they want to write on the label," he explains. The solution to him is more control over monitoring of food material, both local raw material and those sourced from outside. "We need strict action on adulterers to set examples."
Fruits and vegetables are coloured with copper sulphates and injected with hormone oxytocin to make them look fresh.
"We have studied about 200 packaged food products and found almost all of them either misreporting or under-reporting on their labels," says Suneeta Chandorkar. To her, mislabelling is a big offence because health is at stake: "We need stronger legislation and even stronger monitoring to stop this. We should ensure more random tests by accredited laboratories-both government and private-and the manufacturers shouldn't be told which lab the sample is going to." To Amit Khurana, consumers need to be more aware to protect themselves. "We should demand more transparency," he says. That manufacturers should list their contents loud and clear and the government should provide stringent regulation to control and monitor such labelling on food packs. "It is a consumer's right."
So take an interest in the store you buy your food from. Check it out: is it clean? Is it checked by food inspectors? Is the packaging intact? How about the sell-by date? Is there a use-by date too? Talk to people. Keep an eye out: is anybody falling sick after eating in a restaurant or buying from a shop? And speak out. Make a noise. Not just against multinational food giants but anyone who tries to decide for you what you should eat.

Under scanner: In God we trust

India eats, drinks at its own perilAt a small food processing unit with an annual turnover of about Rs 16 crore in south Delhi's Okhla Industrial Complex, an elderly gentleman, perhaps in his early eighties, shouts instructions on the phone to run a metals test on all products that his company processes. "This is turning out to be a big issue," he says.
He started the company just before Independence, and the way he does business has not changed substantially since. Earlier there was the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, and other acts dealing with milk, edible oil and water, among others. Now all that has been subsumed into one. Has any food inspector visited his factory? "Not once," he says. "The FSSAI is a very opaque body. If you need any clarification, who do you go to?" "The product approval clause in the act was added on their insistence," he adds, referring to the big boys club in the FMCG industry.
A company is required to approach the food safety regulator for product approval when it wants to introduce a product whose specifications are not in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, and Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. The act has specifications for nearly 90 per cent of food products in the market. It is an exhaustive list of products and what can be added in them. Which also means that products in this category need not be tested by a central government laboratory. "We don't test those products. We trust every word the company states in its licence application," says a senior officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Food controversies are not new to India. Like iconic brands such as Cadbury, Pepsi and Coke that had once been considered unsafe, Maggi too will be back sooner than later. But something would perhaps have changed this time. For one, FSSAI, the food regulator of India, is waking up to the magnitude of the job at hand-of regulating India's organised and unorganised food sector. Second, a more evolved consumer.The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has got the maximum number of calls in its history enquiring about food safety in the week after the Maggi controversy erupted.
Food safety is a state subject, which further aggravates the challenge of keeping food clean and companies accountable. States such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa are taking the lead in putting together a food safety mechanism, but that's just a handful. Sample this: Tamil Nadu has more than 500 food safety officers, the highest in the country, while Delhi has only 12.
Most state labs also lack the capability to test most products. In Delhi, one of the first to ban the sale of Maggi for 15 days, the sample was sent to a referral lab. "I picked 13 samples of which 12 failed. Five samples were mislabelled," says K.K. Jindal, food safety commissioner, Delhi. He complains of shortage of staff: there is need for 10 food chemists in the lab, but there are only three. "If I have to do a microbiological analysis, I don't have the expertise," he adds.
The onus of implementation lying with the states, the enforcement angle often stands compromised. "We act on complaints, largely of milk and sweets, but I have not been able to move systematically," says a state food commissioner.
The infrastructure for continuous monitoring requires both public and private sector laboratories and exclusive central referral laboratories to validate the testing procedures. In India, there are sufficient National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories-accredited laboratories to undertake the food quality analysis at a cost ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,0000 per sample. However, estimating heavy metals in food samples needs sophisticated equipment costing about Rs 1 crore, and states such as Tamil Nadu are among the few that have such facilities.
An activist with the Consumer Association of India says food safety officers tend to stay away from packaged foods such as noodles since they are from established brands. "They would rather test products such as milk and oil which are more susceptible to adulteration and sub-standards."
The FSSAI, however, seems to have shifted gear. Recently, it took on global coffee chain Starbucks, which operates in partnership with Tata in India and continues to sell products rejected by the regulator after risk assessment. Starbucks has asserted that it imported globally standardised product ingredients, and the products are identical to those served in more than 60 countries. Along with products sold at Starbucks outlets, FSSAI has given state food commissioners a list of 500 products rejected by it as of April 30. The latest controversies notwithstanding, FMCG companies, however, say Indian regulations have not been difficult to comply with so far.
But the crux of the issue is the lack of standardised testing protocols, and the differences in interpretation of the act. The upshot is the ambiguity-whether the concentrate (in the case of Starbucks) or the tastemaker (in Maggi's case) should be tested separately, as the FSSAI says is right, or in the form it is consumed, as companies such as Nestle vouch for.
The issue also gets tougher to fathom when a country such as Singapore, which has stricter food safety laws, stamps Maggi made in India as safe. And lest we forget, the world's fifth largest instant noodle market, India, still doesn't have a limit for MSG for noodles. What's encouraging, however, is that the FSSAI has come out emphatically that whether branded or not, the regulator will be watching.

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Maggi in a muddle

Toss it all out? Fault one, fault all 

The hysteria over ‘contamination’ has created more confusion than clarity about food safety standards
June 12, 2015: 
A lot has been said and written on the Maggi issue, most of it based on half-baked information. A lot of sweeping judgments have been made.
What are the facts in the public domain? The food safety authorities in Uttar Pradesh found lead and MSG (monosodium glutamate) in excess of the prescribed limits in a few batches of Maggi noodles about six months past the expiry date. After this, several States conducted random testing of current samples. Their results are not definitive to say the least, as some have given the product a clean chit, while others have banned the product.
In the confusion, Nestlé seems to be going from pillar to post but with no clear and direct communication to the consuming public, except for an update on their website.
Confusion confounded
India needs to embrace structural changes to ensure food safety for future generations. My main concern stems from the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), created under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This has been enacted in accordance with international codex guidelines. There are a lot of provisions in the Act that require revamping, but what we’re seeing is a patchwork implementation of both the old PFA (Prevention of Food Adulteration Act) guidelines as well as the new FSSAI laws.
Over the past year, we have seen a completely ham-handed approach to the import of food products and their labelling, resulting in container loads of food products being sent back, rotting in warehouses and causing many leading companies, such as Lindt, to exit the country. A more transparent, uniform and practical approach is required that not only meets the country’s food safety standards, but also ensures that we continue to attract investments in the food processing sectors.
On the issue of lead and MSG, there is evidently no clarity on what are the permissible limits, and in the case of excess, what is the remedial action to be taken. Is lead or MSG being tested for only in the noodles or in the spice mix, or after having prepared the same based on directions of usage given in the packaging? If the testing was done after preparing the product, was the water used for cooking tested for the presence of lead?
Need for transparency
Coming to Nestlé, the company needs to be more forthcoming in communicating actively and transparently to the public. Since Nestlé sells similar products across the world, it means complying with numerous international food safety standards. It has world class food testing facilities, experts and an unparalleled knowledge base. All these need to be used strategically to reassure consumers.
The reason why no company says ‘No MSG’ and instead says ‘No Added MSG’ on their packaging is because glutamate naturally occurs in many daily use products such as potatoes, tomatoes, mother’s milk and so on. If the company does not use MSG as an ingredient, it is well within its right in accordance with global norms to label the product with ‘No Added MSG’. A disturbing parallel is the large number of products that are labelled as sugar-free, but in fact contain sugar substitutes. Is this something we should be very concerned about?
With reference to the presence of lead and glutamates in the final product, what needs to be clearly ascertained is how they originated. Since the company does not add these in specific doses, they could only have come from the ingredients themselves — the wheat or other grains used, the spices, the water and so on. If the excess lead levels are arising out of water supplied by the municipal corporations, can the consuming public sue the concerned water supply agencies?
In light of this incident, it is crucial to examine the implications this can have on various other products. There are also other similar categories such as instant soups, vermicelli, oats.
And what about roadside eateries that source their noodles and sauces from local manufacturers? The FSSAI should take a key role in getting such eateries registered and ensure compliance and monitoring is done.
Some measures
Considering the Pandora’s box that this incident has opened up, what steps do we need to take to uphold food safety? Banning is a knee-jerk reaction that takes us nowhere. Instead, some practical measures require to be taken.
Constitute a task force of experts from food technology institutes, such as CFTRI, apart from renowned food scientists working with leading companies such as Amul, Unilever, Nestlé, Tatas and others. It is necessary to balance theory with practice. In addition, this has to be done on a category level with the concerned experts rather than an omnibus law.
Create clear, uniform guidelines on how to go about monitoring the industry with a clear timeframe such that such random, arbitrary testing is done away with. This will ensure transparency. Simplify the FSSAI guidelines.
Give a grace period of, say, 6 to 12 months to all manufacturers to conform to the new guidelines and correct the packaging declarations as well.
Prioritise the issues and go about monitoring the same in a systematic, planned and regular manner with clear timeframes on implementation. If we are able to clean up a couple of categories over the next one year we would have moved significantly forward. If going after market leaders like Maggi and Nestlé really helps clean up the system, it would have achieved some greater good. But the way I see it is if Maggi is unsafe, then there are at least a million other things we shouldn’t be eating right now.
I would like to recollect an incident in my earlier years in the ice cream business. ‘Matka kulfi’ was an extremely popular product. When the parent organisation tested the ‘matka' it was found to be high on arsenic and lead, and thus they immediately asked us to withdraw the packaging. However, millions of people continue to consume kulfis, chai and even lassi from the very same matkas produced by many local and artisanal manufacturers.
The writer has spent about 25 years in the food industry and is a member of the NRAI, TiE Food Network

Addl charge of food officer draws MOs’ ire

Withdraw notification, Medical Officers ask CM
Shimla, June 12
The Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association (HPMOA) today opposed the move of the Health Department for assigning them the additional job of food safety officers (FSO) to medical officers (MO) in each district.
According to HPMOA general secretary Dr J N Chauhan and president Dr SL Sharma claimed that a medical officer was a Class-I officer. While the job of a food officer involved collecting food samples which was a class-III job.
MOs had to examine patients and perform other duties. A notification in this regard should be withdrawn in public interest, they demanded.
They said they had requested the Chief Minister and Health Minister to direct the department to withdraw the notification.
The department had issued a notification on May 27 that authorised the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to select MOs to perform the functions of FSOs.
On the other hand, the Directorate of Health Food Safety Regulation seeks to tide over the shortage of FSOs and designated officers in the state by given the additional charge to the MOs. But part-time designated officers are deemed as “null and void under the provisions of the Food Safety Standard Act (FSSA) that has come into force in the state in August 2011 and hence state needs full-time designated officers”, said officials.
The directorate needs about 27 FSOs. The composite testing lab at Kandaghat needs to fill 18 posts of technicians and upgrading of the testing facilities to keep pace with time.
The Director, Health Food Safety Regulation, Rameshwar Sharma said they had asked the CMOs to appoint the designated officers as they faced the shortage of the food safety officers in eight districts and the notification had been issued by the Health Department. The government had to take a final call on filling the posts of the FSO, he added.

OFFICER WHO CLEARED MAGGI IN 2013 SPEAKS UP Regular checks could have ‘prevented’ mess

New Delhi, June 12As the Maggi controversy rages, the food safety officer, who approved Nestle's now banned instant noodles brand for marketing in July 2013, today said much of the mess could have been prevented had the apex food regulator and state authorities conducted regular surveillance of the product.
In an interview to The Tribune, Pradip Chakravarty, director in charge of product approvals in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at the time of Maggi's approvals, said, "If the FSSAI and the state authorities had conducted regular surveillance of the product in question, the problem could have been avoided. More surveillance means less enforcement. It is like preventing the disease rather than waiting for the cure - what we are now doing."
Asked how Maggi, approved only two years ago, could turn unsafe now with high lead levels, Chakravarty said lead as a contaminant in food ingredients and finished products could come at any time due to agricultural practices and soil contamination in India. "The FSSAI rules prescribe the maximum permissible levels of lead depending on various food categories. For example, in noodles permissible lead is 2.5 parts per million (ppm) while in whole turmeric powder it is 10 ppm. The question is of detecting lead through regular surveillance of foods. Had that been done in the instant case, and lead and monosodium glutamate had been checked, Maggi would have been safe," he said.
He said at the time of approvals, Maggi had been tested for contaminants at an FSSAI-notified national accreditation board laboratory and found safe. He said the approval was "conditional" to Nestle on maintaining the permissible levels of heavy metals and other contaminants in their foods. On a question about FSSAI often maintaining that enforcement is the job of state food authorities, Chakravarty disagreed. He said Section 29 of the FSSAI Act, 2006, says the FSSAI and state food safety authorities would be responsible for enforcement of the Act and both could test samples. "Although the law is a self complaint law which makes ensuring food safety the principal responsibility of the food business operator, Section 16 of the Act clearly says it is the duty of FSSAI and state authorities to ensure safe and wholesome food. So apex regulator and states have a responsibility in the instant case," he said.
Ban to continue, says Bombay HC
Nestle India failed to get any relief on Friday with the Bombay High Court refusing to stay orders of the central food safety regulator and the Maharashtra Government banning nine variants of its “Maggi” noodles from the market for being "hazardous" to public health.
The court directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Maharashtra to file their affidavits in reply to the firm's petition within two weeks. 
Conditional approval
Maggi was tested for contaminants at an FSSAI-notified laboratory and found safe in 2013. The approval was conditional to Nestle on maintaining the permissible levels of metals. —Pradip Chakravarty, Food Safety Officer

Now, old favourites chips, Kurkure face lab test in Delhi

Kurkure and other packaged chips are likely to go through tests for their safety levels.
Food safety authorities in Delhi are putting many more popular packaged snacks — including various brands of chips and Kurkure — under the microscope while Maggi will stay off shelves till June 30 at least with the Bombay high court giving no direction to lift the ban on the instant noodles.
The capital’s department of food safety outlined a detailed plan to test food items over the next eight weeks. “In the past three days itself we have collected 32 samples of popular brands of chips, Kurkure and baby food for testing… We will pick up more in the days to come,” said KK Jindal, city food safety commissioner. The report for this batch is expected in a week’s time.
Other brands of instant noodles, pasta and macaroni have already been picked up for testing under a June 8 directive of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Health supplements, energy drinks and imported packaged foods are also being tested.
“We are most concerned about what children are eating as even traces of toxins in food and drink can poison their bodies over time. Heavy metals may not have an immediate effect but can cause damage to vital organs in the long run,” said Jindal.
Over the last few days, the average number of food safety-related complaints made daily has doubled, with 50% of them being ‘bogus’. Complaints about adulterated milk are the most common. “People call and say the milkman mixes urea or detergent in milk but when we test it, we don’t find these adulterants. In most cases, the milk quality is found to be sub-standard, with most loose milk samples found to be diluted with water,” said Jindal.
In Mumbai, there was some relief for Nestle India with the high court ordering central and state food safety authorities not to take any further action against the company or its officials without giving 72 hours’ notice. It also asked FSSAI to defer proceedings undertaken for the withdrawal of product approval for nine variants of Maggi, posting the matter for further hearing on June 30.

This summer, beware of the mangoes

This summer, beware of the mangoes that you have been so eagerly waiting for at your nearest market place. Your favourite summer fruit may be a store house of harmful chemicals in the garb of a bright yellow colour!
Mangoes that are flooding markets across India may contain harmful artificial ripening agents like calcium carbide.
Popular among mango producers as 'masala', calcium carbide is a toxic chemical commonly used in gas welding. But traders across the country use it for artificially ripening fruits as it is cheap and easily available.
Considered to be carcinogenic, the use of calcium carbide has been banned by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
"According to our Food Safety and Standards Prohibition Regulation, artificial ripening of mango or any fruit by calcium carbide is strictly prohibited. Calcium carbide has a very bad effect on our nervous system,'" explains former FSSAI director Pradip Chakraborty.
When India Today did a reality check on ground, we found how this harmful chemical was being widely used by mango traders without any consideration for the consumer's health.
While traders we spoke to openly acknowledge its use, they blame farmers for plucking the fruits much before it ripens naturally. Farmers, they say, are weary of pre-monsoon rains that often wreck havoc to their produce.
"Farmers tend to remove the mangoes before they ripen completely due to apprehensions of early shed off during pre-monsoon showers. Thus they are removed from the tree before hand and powdered with carbide. Even if you get naturally ripened mangoes from the farm, by the time it reaches the market it will get spoiled." says Deepu Halder, a mango trader from Malda.
Another reason cited for the use of carbide is that naturally ripe mangoes have shorter shelf life. Calcium carbide provides traders the freedom to ripen mangoes according to demand and distribute it in markets at their will.
Traders say, adding carbide improves the cosmetic look of mangoes, giving an uniform colour and texture which helps attract customers.
"There is a big difference between naturally ripened mangoes and those with carbide. The colour is better in artificially ripened mangoes." says Nikul Rai, another mango dealer.
However in reality, artificially mellowed mangoes are inferior in quality of taste than the natural ones. Experts say, toxic chemicals like carbide can lead to sore throat, skin ulcers, eye damage, vomiting and diarrhea.
Calcium Carbide has properties of arsenic and phosphorus hydride, which is generally considered extremely harmful. Despite the ill-effects, traders continue to use it indiscriminately.
"As per Supreme Court's ruling, even fruit juices need to be tested regularly for pesticide and insecticide residuals. But artificial ripening by use of chemicals like Calcium carbide is never tested." reminds Pradip Chakraborty.
According to FSSAI regulations, use of any artificial ripening agent is a punishable offence and traders can be prosecuted for it. However, in reality, there is no fear of law as traders continue to be nonchalant.
Chakraborty says, the state units of the central agency severely lack manpower and infrastructure to carry out regular monitoring. As a result, it is the consumers who continue to be exposed to slow poisoning.
"People using calcium carbide can very well be prosecuted if the sample tests are conducted as per our prosecution rules. But it is not done. This happens generally because the state food safety regulation severely lacks infrastructure as well as man power," Chakraborty adds.

FSSAI advises FDAs to regularly check packaged food and confirm claims


The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has advised state food regulators to chalk out an annual action plan and do regular testing of packaged food items, particularly with regard to finding out if the product contained what was claimed on the package. 
Speaking to FnB News, Y S Malik, CEO, FSSAI, informs, “Earlier the focus was on loose food products like milk, edible oil etc. but now with the triggering of the issue related to Maggi, it has been advised to the state food safety commissioners to include the packaged products for testing and sampling on a regular basis.”
He adds, “Recently the advisory committee meeting was held and the state food safety authorities have been asked to chalk out an annual plan of action and keep focus on the packaged food. They have been advised to do regular checking,” 
When asked whether any punitive action would be taken against Maggi, Malik said that under the FSS Act, the FSSAI had limited role. “The state authorities will wherever required take necessary penal action, as prescribed under the Chapter 9 of the FSS Act (in this case).” 
Malik termed all such products which were currently sold and marketed in the country without any prior product approval as illegal. “They should be confiscated and destroyed,” he said. 
It is pertinent to mention here that the row was a result of the claims made on the packaging of Maggi noodles. When the samples of the said product were taken for testing by the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety Authority, the primary objective was to identify the truth. This was confronted by the test result which came over a period of one-and-a-half years wherein result had shown alarming amount of Lead - a heavy metal and MSG – monosodium glutamate.
When asked about labelling norms under the Act, Malik said that they were under review. 
He explains, “Labelling regulations are under review. It’s easier said than done. Even a small issue can delay or add time. There is a lot of debate on how things should go on a label. A lot of emphasis was laid on the language. Like for example, the issue of mentioning of ‘best before or expiry date or use by’ - how it should go on package." 
Meanwhile, the CEO informed that FSSAI had constituted an expert group to study FSS Regulations.
Further, with regard to foods which were higher on sodium, sugar and fat, the companies were bound to explain the quantity of these ingredients as they would have serious implications on healthy part of the food. FSSAI is said to be working on to make this mandatory for all kinds of FBOs (Food Business Operators) to declare whether the food was packaged by a company or catering service (including Quick Service Restaurant). 
As far as questions raised on the quality and capacity of Indian labs to conduct tests, Malik states, “Certainly we need more labs and there is need of ‘upgradation’ of the government-owned labs, as well. But we’re not in a handicapped situation. Currently some 82 labs have been accredited by the NABL in the private sector for such a purpose.”

Ready-to-eat food makers directed to adopt safe manufacturing practices

Manufacturers of ready-to-eat chapathi, parota and poori in the district have been directed to adopt safe food manufacturing practices and avoid the use of chemicals and preservatives banned by the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. 
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing) convened a meeting of ready-to-eat chapathi, parota and poori manufacturers here on Friday.
Food Safety Wing Designated Officer R. Kathiravan told the manufacturers to maintain a hygienic environment in the production sites and monitor the expiry dates closely. An advisory was also issued to all of them. 
There has been an increased awareness on food safety following the recent furore over noodles, many of which have been found to be unsafe for consumption. 
This meeting also follows a series of tests conducted on ready-to-eat products manufactured locally.
Following complaints in April that such products contained prohibited chemicals to extend their shelf-life, Food Safety Officers took samples and tested them at the Government Food Safety Laboratory in Coimbatore, one of the six in Tamil Nadu to be accredited under the FSSA. 
Of the five samples taken, all but one were found to violate the FSSA norms. While three had high microbial growth, one was found to contain benzoic acid, a preservative not approved for chapathis.
Its use is permitted only for sweets. It was added to extend the shelf life of chapathis. Their normal shelf-life is 15 days. Following this, cases were instituted against all the four manufacturers and their production process was put under scrutiny. 
Subsequently, another set of six samples were taken in June of which five were found safe.
Only one was found unsafe as it had high microbial growth. However, none of the products were found to contain any preservative or chemicals that was not authorised under the FSSA.
Dr. Kathiravan said that the team of 26 Food Safety Officers in Coimbatore constantly monitored the food products and took samples frequently to ensure unsafe products were kept off the shelves. 
Manufacturers told to maintain a hygienic environment in production sites and monitor expiry dates closely

TN'sole lab tested just 74 samples in 3 years


Pesticide control in India: 3 agencies but no action

 

US Food regulator has blocked import of Maggi in January


UK FSA ask India for test reports


HC refuses relief to Nestle

 

Will overhaul food safety department, says health minister

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government will overhaul the food safety department, health minister Dr C Laxma Reddy said a day after TOI reported how pharmacy stores and malls were openly selling hundreds of food products that have been rejected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
"We will take serious action against food adulterators. Not just this, we will also review the performance of the food safety department and ensure that food products rejected by FSSAI are not sold in the market," the minister told TOI on Friday.
The decision has come in the wake of increasing evidence that the severely understaffed food safety department, comprising 20-odd food safety officers (FSOs) and nine food safety designated officers (FSDOs) for the entire state, are risking people's health by their lackadaisical approach towards their duties.
In fact, almost a month before the Maggi noodles saga unfolded, an FSSAI circular dated April 21, 2015, signed by Rakesh Chandra Sharma, director (enforcement), had asked states to periodically keep a watch on the updated list (rejected/unapproved/recalled products) on the FSSAI website and take necessary action against violators as per relevant provisions of the Food Safety Act, 2006'.
For the record, FSSAI rejected 444 food products till May, making their sale in the market illegal. It also issued dozens of "recall orders" every month. However, FSOs and FSDOs in Telangana seem to have paid no heed.
On Thursday (June 11, 2015), FSSAI issued a recall order on an energy drink after its scientific panel red-flagged the combination of ginseng and caffeine and directed the Pune-based manufacturer to stop manufacturing with immediate effect'. Last month, FSSAI asked a popular direct marketing company to recall six variants of its multi-vitamin products from the market.
But, ask the city's FSDOs about how many of these products were seized from pharmacy stores and supermarkets or what mechanism they are using to prevent the illegal sale of these products, one would draw a blank.
The shortage of staff is definitely compounding the problem. For example, there has been no full-time FSDO for a large district like Ranga Reddy since December 2014. "I am holding charge of both Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts. So, there is some difficulty in operating at the ground level," said J Lakshmaiah, FSDO, Nalgonda.
Efforts to contact Dr K Amarender Reddy, who is in charge of food safety inspectors working in the districts, were in vain.

உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை உஷார் எச்சரிக்கை டிபார்ட்மெண்ட், மளிகை கடைகளில் விற்கப்படும் உடனடி சப்பாத்தி, பூரி, புரோட்டா வாங்கும்போது கவனம் தேவை

கோவை, ஜூன் 13:
தமிழ் நாடு உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் மருந்து நிர் வா கத் துறை - கோவை மாவட்டம் சார் பில் வெளி யிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கை:
கோவை மாவட்டத் தில் கடந்த ஏப் ரல் மாதம் பாக் கெட்டு களில் விற் கப் ப டும் உட னடி சப் பாத்தி, பூரி, புேராட்டா ஆகிய உண வுப் பொ ருள் களில் நீண்ட நாட் கள் கெடா வண் ணம் பாது காக்க வேதிப் பொ ருட் கள் பயன் ப டுத் து வ தாக புகார் பெறப் பட்டது.
அதன் அடிப் ப டை யில் கோவை மாவட்டத் தில், தயா ரிக் கும் மற் றும் விற் பனை செய் யும் 5 வகை யான உட னடி சப் பாத்தி மற் றும் புரோட்டா பாக் கெட் கள் சில வற்றை சந் தை யில் உணவு மாதிரி சேக ரிக் கப் பட்டு ஆய் வக பரி சோ த னைக்கு உட் ப டுத் தப் பட்டது.
இதில் 4 உண வுப் பாக் கெட் கள் பாது காப் பற் றது, 1 பாக் கெட் சட்டத் தின் படி சரி யாக உள் ளது என அறிக்கை பெறப் பட்டது.
பாது காப் பற் றது என அறி விக் கப் பட்ட உணவு மாதிரி முடி வு களை ஆராய்ந் த தில் 3 வகை பாக் கெட்டு களில் நுண் ணு யிர் தொற்று இருப் ப தும், 1 பாக் கெட்டில் பென் சா யிக் ஆசிட் என்ற வேதிப் பொ ருள் இருந் த தும் கண் ட றி யப் பட்டது. இந்த பென் சா யிக் அமி லம் பிற உண வுப் பொ ருட் களில் பதப் ப டுத்த அனு ம திக் கப் பட்டா லும், சட்டத் தில் உணவு சப் பாத்தி தயா ரிப் பில் பயன் ப டுத்த அனு ம திக் கப் ப ட வில்லை.
பென் சா யிக் அமி லம் சேர்க் கப் பட்ட சப் பாத்தி பாக் கெட்டு கள் திரு நெல் வேலி மாவட்டத் தில் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்டு, கோவை யில் விற் பனை செய் யப் பட்ட தா கும். மேலும் பாது காப் பற் றது என் பது தயா ரிக் கப் ப டும் சூழ் நி லை யில் அல் லது பாக் கெட் செய் யும் போது கையா ளப் ப டும் முறை களில் ஏற் பட்ட தவறே தவிர, வேதிப் பொ ருள் களி னால் இல்ைல என் பதை தெளி வுப் ப டுத் து கி றது. தொடர்ந்து உட னடி சப் பாத்தி, பூரி பாக் கெட்டு கள் தயார் செய் யும் நிறு வ னத்தை சேர்ந் த வர் களை அழைத்து தர மான சப் பாத்தி செய் ய வும், தயா ரிக் கும் இடத் தில் தூய் மையை கடை பி டிக் க வும் அறி வு றுத் தப் பட்டது.
சில நாட் கள் கழித்து தொடர் நட வ டிக் கை யாக மீண் டும் ஒரு முறை மார்க் கெட்டில் 6 வகை யான சப் பாத்தி பாக் கெட்டு கள் பரி சோ த னைக்கு எடுத்து ஆய் வுக்கு உட் ப டுத் தப் பட்டது.
இதில் 1 மட்டும் பாது காப் பற் றது என் றும், 2 லேபிள் விவ ரங் கள் முழு மை யாக இல்லை என் றும், 3 பாக் கெட் கள் சட்டத் தின் ப டி யா னது என் றும் அறிக் கை கள் பெறப் பட்டது. மொத் தத் தில் எந்த பாக் கெட்டி லும் அனு ம திக் கப் ப டாத வேதி பொ ருள் இருப் ப தாக கண் ட றி யப் ப ட வில்லை. இது தொடர் பாக நேற்று உட னடி சப் பாத்தி தயா ரிப் பா ளர் களுக்கு தயா ரிப்பு, தூய்மை, லேபிள் விவ ரங் கள் தொடர் பான கூட்டம் கோவை மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் தலை மை யில், அதன் அலு வ ல கத் தில் நேற்று நடந் தது. இதில் தூய்மை முறை யில் சப் பாத்தி தயா ரிப் ப தற் கான அறி வுரை வழங் கப் பட்டது.
மேலும் ஆய் வக அறிக் கை யின் அடிப் ப டை யில் இது வரை தவ றி ழைத்த 5 கம் பெ னி கள் மீது குற்ற வழக்கு, தன் மையை பொறுத்து அதற் கு ரிய நீதி மன்ற நட வ டிக் கை கள் தொட ரப் பட்டுள் ளது. பொது மக் கள் உட னடி சப் பாத்தி போன்ற உண வு பொ ருட் கள் வாங் கும் போது லேபிள் விவ ரங் கள், உட் பொ ருள், காலா வதி தேதி, வைக் கப் பட வேண் டிய வெப் ப நிலை ஆகி ய வற்றை சரி பார்த்து வாங்க வேண் டும். இதில் விதி மீறல் களோ, குறை பா டு களோ இருந் தால் 0422-2220922 என்ற எண் ணில் தொடர்பு கொண்டு புகார் தெரி விக் க லாம். புகார் மீது உட னடி விசா ரணை நடத் தப் பட்டு, நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும். இவ் வாறு அறிக் கை யில் தெரி விக் கப் பட்டுள் ளது.

DINAMALAR NEWS



தா.பழூர் ஒன்றியத்தில் கடைகளில் அதி கா ரி கள் திடீர் ஆய்வு ரூ. 50,000 காலா வதி பொருட் கள் பறி மு தல்

அரி ய லூர், ஜூன் 13:
தா.பழூர் ஒன் றி யத் தில் வணிக நிறு வ னங் களில் உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் நேற்று திடீ ரென ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர். இதில் ரூ. 50,000க்கும் மேற் பட்ட காலா வதி பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய்து அழித் த னர்.
அரி ய லூர் மாவட்ட கலெக் ட ரின் உத் த ர வின் படி மாவட்டம் முழு வ தும் உண வுப் பா து காப் புத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் திடீ ரென ஆய்வு மேற் கொண்டு காலா வதி பொருட் கள் மற் றும் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய்து வரு கின் ற னர். அதன் படி அரி ய லூர் மாவட்டம் தா.பழூர் பகு தி களில் உண வுப் பா து காப் புத் துறை அதி காரி செல் வ ராஜ் தலை மை யி லான குழுக் கள் நேற்று காலை பெட்டிக் கடை, மளி கைக் கடை என பல் வேறு வணிக நிறு வ னங் களில் திடீ ரென ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர்.
அப் போது கடை களில் தமி ழக அர சால் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட நூடுல்ஸ் உண வுப் பொ ருள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றதா என் றும், பான் மசாலா, குட்கா மற் றும் நிக் கோ டின் கலந்த உணவு பொருட் கள், காலா வ தி யான உணவு பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றதா என் ப தை யும் ஆய்வு செய் த னர். அப் போது, காலா வ தி யான ஆட்டா மாவு, மைதா மாவு, கோதுமை ரவா, வனஸ் பதி, குளிர் பானங் கள், கலப் பட டீத் தூள் மற் றும் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை போன்ற ரூ. 50,000 மதிப் புள்ள பொருட் களை அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் ெசய் த னர்.
தயா ரிப்பு தேதி, பாட்ச் எண். காலா வதி தேதி குறிப் பி டப் ப டாத பொருட் களை கொள் மு தல் செய் யக் கூ டாது என் றும், கடை களில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பான் மசாலா, குட்கா மற் றும் மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் போன்ற உண வுப் பொ ருட் களை இருப்பு வைக் கவோ, விற் ப னையோ செய் யக் கூ டாது என் றும், அவ் வாறு ஏதே னும் ஆய் வின் போது கண் ட றி யப் பட்டால் அவர் கள் மீது சட்டத் திற் குட் பட்டு நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என் றும் அப் போது வணி கர் களி டம் அதி கா ரி கள் எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் த னர்.
உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் ஸ்டா லின் பி ரபு, நயி னார் முக மது மற் றும் சிவக் கு மார், ரத் தி னம் ஆகி யோர் குழு வா க சென்று தா.பழூர், அணைக் கு டம், சிலால் பகு தி களில் உள்ள கடை களில் ஆய்வு செய் த னர். மேலும் இது போன்ற ஆய் வு கள் தொடர்ந்து அரி ய லூர் மாவட்டம் முழு வ தும் நடத் தப் ப டும் என தெரி வித் துள் ள னர்.

கிருஷ்ணகிரியில் தடையை மீறி நூடுல்ஸ் விற்பனை செய்தால் கடும் நடவடிக்கை கலெக்டர் எச்சரிக்கை


கிருஷ் ண கிரி, ஜூன் 13:
கிருஷ் ண கிரி மாவட்டத் தில் தடையை மீறி மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் விற் பனை செய் தால், கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என கலெக் டர் ராஜேஷ் எச் ச ரித் துள் ளார்.
இது குறித்து அவர் வெளி யிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கை: ஆரோக் கி யத் திற்கு கேடு விளை விக் கும் வகை யில், அதிக அளவு வேதிப் பொ ருட் கள் கலந் தி ருப் ப தால் மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் விற் பனை, நாட்டின் பல் வேறு பகு தி களில் தடை செய் யப் பட்டுள் ளது. இதனை தொடர்ந்து தமிழ் நாட்டி லும், மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் செய்ய தமி ழக முதல் வ ரால் தடை செய் யப் பட்டுள் ளது.
மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் நாடு முழு வ தும் பரி சோ த னைக்கு உட் ப டுத் தப் பட்ட தில், அதில் அள வுக்கு அதி க மான காரீ யம் மற் றும் மோனோ சோடி யம் குளுக் கோ னேட் போன்ற வேதிப் பொ ருட் கள் இருப் பது உறுதி செய் யப் பட்டது.
இவை தலை வலி, இதய பட ப டப்பு, ரத்த சோகை, நெஞ்சு வலி, குமட்டல், நரம்பு மண் டல பாதிப்பு, பசி யின்மை போன்ற பக்க விளை வு களை ஏற் ப டுத் தக் கூ டி யவை ஆகும். மேலும் தொடர்ந்து அதிக அள வில் பயன் ப டுத் தும் போது சிறு நீ ர கம் பாதிப்பு மற் றும் நோய் எதிர்ப்பு சக்தி குறை பாடு, மலட்டுத் தன்மை ஏற் ப டுத் தும் என் ப தால் நாடு முழு வ தும் உள்ள கடை களில் 6 வகை யான நூடுல்ஸ் களை விற் பனை செய்ய தடை செய் யப் பட்டுள் ளது.
எனவே இது போன்ற மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் மட்டு மில் லா மல் பல வகை யான உண வுப் பொருட் களின் தர மும் ஆரா யப் பட வேண் டி ய வை யாக இருக் கின் றன. பெரும் பா லான மக் கள் லேபிள் களை ஆராய்ந்து, அவற் றில் என்ன பொருட் கள் கலக் கப் பட்டுள் ளன என் பதை கவ னிப் ப தில்லை. மொறு மொறு பிஸ் கட்டு க ளை யும், சிப்ஸ் க ளை யும் வாங் கும் மக் கள் அதற் குள் ஒளிந் தி ருக் கும் ஆபத்து மிகுந்த வேதிப் பொருட் க ளைப் பற் றி யும் தெரிந்து வைத் தி ருக்க வேண் டும். எனவே தடையை மீறி நூடுல்ஸ் களை விற் பனை செய் ப வர் கள் மீது கடு மை யான நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும். இவ் வாறு அவர் தெரி வித் துள் ளார்.

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