Nov 5, 2015

Dinner in a glass: Why is there a growing interest in Soylent?



Soylent is a powder-based product that packs in the necessary nutrients required by an average human being in a day.

On a night out with friends, when 32-year-old entrepreneur Harsh Batra claims he’s on a liquid diet, he’s not implying alcohol. He is talking about a thick, beige-coloured shake with hints of vanilla and a whey-like texture that keeps him going through a night of partying and a morning session of cricket. A bottle of this shake accompanies him everywhere. For over a year now, Batra, a fitness enthusiast, has been replacing his breakfast and lunch with SupermealX, his version of the American food substitute, Soylent. 
Created by Rob Rhinehart, a Silicon Valley techie, Soylent is a powder-based product that packs in the necessary nutrients required by an average human being in a day. Simply add water, and lunch is served.
Calling it his “longest running experiment to date”, Batra recently received a go-ahead from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and will start shipping the product soon.
The new techie diet While health shakes and meal replacements have always attracted athletes, a widely circulated piece in the New York Times recently brought to attention a trend in Silicon Valley. Coders, engineers and venture capitalists are actually turning to liquid meals. With products such as Soylent, Schmoylent, Schmilk and People Chow available in the market, techies are fast adopting Rhinehart’s lifestyle. But can it replace solid food altogether?
“Yes,” claims Batra, who has been sustaining himself using his recipe since 2013. “Food in the future will be limited to social gatherings and eating out,” he says. Like him, busy and health-conscious urbanites find it cumbersome to shop for food and cook at home on a daily basis. While eating out is an option, it is not necessarily healthy. Some may enjoy the occasional weekend cooking, but they find it tiring if they have to make food every day.
And then there are some like 29-year-old entrepreneur Shirsendu Karmakar from Delhi, who suffers from a series of food allergies. He, too, created a vegan Soylent recipe, through trial and error. “Not having to cook also means no washing or cleaning up. On a serious note, this shake gave me the required energy and mental ability that an average meal could not,” says Karmakar. Similarly, Pune-based software professional Ayan Mullick dislikes having to cook for himself and has been getting Soylent shipped from the US for the past seven-eight months. “It’s simple, easy and eliminates the need to cook, clean and buy groceries,” Mullick says.

Soylent is a powder-based product that packs in the necessary nutrients required by an average human being in a day
Rhinehart’s journey with Soylent
Humans have always consumed solid food — whether it was by hunting or farming. So, are these healthy mixes the next stage of evolution?
When 26-year-old Rhinehart started trying to simplify meals, he met with more criticism than wonderment. Like other inventions born out of need, in his case, food bills became a burden, and he wanted a permanent solution. “As an engineer, I reasoned that we could rebuild food in the image of what we needed rather than trying to extract our requirements from a mess of naturally occurring crops,” Rhinehart tells us via email.
In 2012, after months of research on nutritional biochemistry, he managed to compile a list of 35 nutrients required for survival. These nutrients, in the form of pills and powders, became the initial recipe for Soylent. Instead of consuming them one by one, he added water and put them in a blender. After being on it for a month — which means successfully replacing all three meals — Rhinehart went public with his product.

Harsh Batra, a fitness enthusiast, has been replacing his breakfast and lunch with SupermealX.
The food of the future? Batra followed Rhinehart’s journey and conducted similar experiments based on his recipe shared through open source forums. He admits to being satisfied with the results. “I get a lot of requests from people suffering from diabetes and food allergies, those looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle or stay fit,” he says.
But will this liquid diet have mainstream appeal? It is a resounding “No” from noted food columnist Vir Sanghvi: “I am sceptical about this fad. It may work for people who are very busy, but not for the rest of us. We don’t function on the notion that food is for sustenance alone,” he adds.
Healthwise, too, it’s a thumbs down for this one-size-fits-all diet, feels Indrayani Pawar, team leader dietician at Hinduja Healthcare Surgical. “Such diet fads are not ideal as every person has a different requirement of nutrients. Besides, every body part performs a function. For instance, we have teeth to chew and saliva to break down food,” Pawar says.
Earlier this year, Steve Case, the CEO of Revolution, a company that invests in ideas, argued that powdered food supplements is not the future. “The future of food, with all due respect to my visionary colleagues in Silicon Valley, is not Soylent,” writes Case, in an op-ed for Re/Code, an independent tech news, reviews and analysis site. Food is an important social connector and products like Soylent negate that, he observes, adding that the future of food lies with companies and start-ups that make healthy food more accessible. “Put another way: the future of food is food,” writes Case.

Up to central government to revoke Maggi ban: Goa CM

He added that the state government has no role in resumption of the sales of the popular instant noodle
Sale of Nestle's Maggi noodles will resume only after the central government lifts the ban on the product, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Thursday, adding that the state government has no role in resumption of the sales of the popular instant noodle.
"Maggi noodles have been banned by the central government. It is up to them to revoke the ban," Parsekar told IANS in state capital Panaji.
Parsekar's remarks came after Nestle on Wednesday announced that samples from its manufacturing plants in Goa, Karnataka and Punjab have been cleared by the National Accreditation Board for Testing Calibration Laboratories (NABL) as directed by the Bombay High Court.
While Maggi noodles was banned across the country since June due to excessive traces of lead and mono-sodium glutamate (MDG) in the samples, Goa was one of the few states where the product initially tested negative for the two substances in two separate tests conducted here.
Maggi was subsequently taken off the shelves following directions from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which ordered a re-test of the noodles' samples.

Junk food stalls, bakeries thrive near schools violating FSSAI rules


CHENNAI: One of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s main recommendations for safety guidelines in school canteens is restriction of food high on oil, fat, sugar and salt. 
While this recommendation is being followed to an extent in schools across the city, another FSSAI rule that categorically states that no junk food stalls, bakeries or eateries should be present within 50 meters of the school is nowhere close to being implemented.
When Nisha T studying in a school near Valasaravakkam was asked if her school sold any junk food in canteens, she vehemently nodded and said no, while reaching into her pocket to pay a vendor for the potato chips and cakes that she had just purchased from a shop next to her school.
Following a Delhi high court order, FSSAI drafted a set of guidelines recently to regulate food in and near schools since obesity, hypertension and diabetes has been on a steady high in younger population. However, a majority of schools around the city have bakeries, junk food shops, within a few feet of the schools.
During closing time, many ice cream, chat and other street food vendors park right at the gates of schools.
Shreedhar, who runs a bakery, juice and snacks shop a building away from a popular girls school at T. Nagar said he had regular customers from the school. Chips, samosas and puffs were the items most preferred by students.
While schools conduct regular supervision of canteens and send out circulars to warn students of bad eating habits, ironically many parents who come to pick up their children end up buying from the ice cream vendors, or making a quick visit to the bakery before heading home.
Schools take steps to provide healthy food
When DC interacted with schools students to find out what food is made available at their schools, most students claimed that junk food like chips or other crisps was not sold in their canteens.
Seema Sharma, who has been in canteen business for 16 years, presently runs canteens at four schools in the city, She said the school has strict policies with regard to junk food being sold. “We only provide food that the children would eat at home. However, FSSAI guidelines also recommend that foods like samosas, pizzas, cutlets and burgers be restricted as they are high in fat and salt. However, Sharma said while school authorities do allow these snacks to be sold, they say that only less oil should be used. Dalda is strictly prohibited.
Centre to appoint authoritiesWhile the Centre is yet to implement FSSAI recommendations, DC contacted State officials. However, they seemed to be unaware of the recommended guidelines. Authorities from the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme were unavailable for comment while school education secretary D. Sabitha said their department was not in charge of regulating school canteens.

FDSA raids sauce factory, sample sent for testing

BAREILLY: Food Safety and Drug Administration Department during a raid at a local sauce manufacturing factory found everything except tomato and chilli, the basic raw materials for the preparations.
The raiding team found various chemicals and artificial flavors stored in used beer bottles at the factory premises that resembled a "garbage dump". The factory has been sealed and the products sent for testing.
As per reports, the team raided the premises of a sauce manufacturing company in Hajiyapur locality on Tuesday evening. Seeing the team, workers engaged in preparing and filling the sauce fled from the spot.
"Raw materials like tomatoes and chilli were missing but there were filled bottles of what looked like sauce, kept carelessly in unhygienic condition. The workers were also filling used bottles with acetic acid and labeling it as a local vinegar brand," district food safety officer Ajay Jaiswal told TOI.
"The condition at the factory was very disturbing and absence of raw materials is enough indication that spurious sauce was prepared, which amounts to playing with the lives of people. Moreover, acetic acid, otherwise is used as a preservative, was filled in bottles instead of vinegar, which is shocking. We have collected samples of all the above items and seized products worth several lakhs from the factory. The samples would be sent for testing and case lodged against the factory owner if the test reports state that the samples were unfit for human consumption. The factory has been sealed."
"The team found a white chemical powder in large quantity which they presume was used in preparation of spurious sauce after mixing other chemicals and essence to develop a flavor. The conditions around the factory were very unhygienic with workers engaged in filling the product in bottles which were not even cleaned properly.
Locals told the raiding party that everyday rag pickers arrive at the factory and hand over hundreds of used beer bottles, which are neither cleaned properly and are used to fill sauce and vinegar.
Meanwhile, the raiding team on Wednesday also seized fryums and vermicelli from a factory in Parsakhera area functioning with a proper licence. The team seized items worth Rs 3.80 lakh from the spot and sealed the factory, said Jaiswal.

Milk adulteration: FSSAI proposes new norms

Kalyan Ray, New Delhi, Nov 5, 2015,
Standards set for cream, curd, paneer, cheese and desserts
 
With milk adulteration becoming a routine affair, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come out with the first detailed standards for milk and milk products to ensure availability of safe products in the market.
Besides milk, the FSSAI also brought out standards for cream; malai; sahi or curd; chhana or paneer; cheese; dairy-based desserts or confection; evaporated or condensed milk and milk products; butter, ghee and milk fats; chakka and shrikhand; fermented milk products; whey and edible casein products.
There are several categories of milk depending on the source state and animal. For instance, the standards of buffalo milk in Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal are different from the rest of the country. The percentage of minimum milk fat is higher in these 14 states.
In addition to buffalo milk, standards have also been set for milk of cow, goat, camel and sheep besides the standard full cream, toned, doubled-toned and skimmed milk.
An improvement than existing regulatory norms, the draft standards prepared by a FSSAI technical committee is up for public comments within the next 60 days. Once the comments are received, they would be analysed and incorporated before the final milk standards are notified.
“The organised sector—food industry and big dairies—must comply with the new standards. But the implementation would be difficult in the unorganised sector, including local dairies. Do we have enough food inspectors or food laboratories for the job,” Kamala Krishnaswamy, former director of National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, asked Deccan Herald.
The draft standards for milk and milk products from the food regulator comes three years after the FSSAI found that the menace has spread far and wide across the country.
In a nationwide survey on almost 1,800 milk samples, the FSSAI found each one was adulterated in Bihar, Chhattishgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Mizoram and Daman and Diu. The adulteration agents are skimmed milk powder, glucose, fat, solid-not-fats and water.
Majority of milk samples analysed in 19 states and UTs do not conform to the existing food safety standards. While the southern states—Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu—along with Madhya Pradesh and Chandigarh fared better, the rest of the country projected a dismal picture.
The FSAAI survey also led to a Supreme Court litigation, which is still continuing. The apex court asked the government to ensure supply of safe and healthy milk to the citizens.

Anti-tobacco Law Fails to Curb Trade

BHUBANESWAR: While cigarettes and chewable tobacco trade is on the rise in the State with 46 per cent of population addicted to it, implementation of Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) could do little to check the sale and consumption of tobacco in the Capital City.
Under the Act, Police have to check sale of tobacco within 100 metres of educational institutions, public smoking and advertisement of tobacco products.
Even when it comes to nabbing traders of illegally manufactured gutkha and cigarettes, police intervention is limited to temporary detention while the offenders are booked by the Health Inspectors under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA).
These issues and clarifications on COTPA and FSSA were discussed at a training-cum-awareness programme organised by the Commissionerate of Police here on Wednesday.
While COTPA was implemented in the City in 2010, Commissionerate of Police had extended it to Cuttack on January 1 this year. Every year, around 6,000 to 10,000 violators are detected by the police and penalised. Most of the offenders under COTPA are booked for public smoking, Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma said.
“Raids will be intensified outside the campus of educational institutions for illegal sale of tobacco products and public places to check public smoking,” Dr Sharma said.
Experts from the Health Directorate and State Tobacco Control Cell apprised senior police officials of the scope of both the Acts during the one-day training programme.

Bakers’ association accuses govt of supplying unhygienic food products

SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Bakers and Confectioners Association on Saturday accused the government of supplying unhygienic food items to firms and people.
“It is government that supplies unhygienic food material to people and outlets and is careless towards tackling the problem that directly concerns our health,” President KBCA Bashir Ahmad Sufi told Kashmir Reader on the sidelines of an awareness program for bakers organised by the association in a local hotel here.
The association had invited Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, Deputy Commissioner, Food Safety, Irfana Ahmad and Assistant Commissioner,Food Safety, Hilal Ahmad Mir to the event.
“From water to ration, everything the government supplies is unhygienic and not up to the standards set up by the food regulatory bodies,” Sufi alleged.
The KBCA president said that they were compelled to organise a food safety awareness program for its members after witnessing the government’s “carelessness” over the issue.
“We are doing a program whichwas supposed to be organised by government. This shows the administration’s sorry state of affairs with regard to development of a hygienic society,” Sufi said.
The Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said that they have to take the issue (of food safety) “very seriously”.
“Though we have food safety agencies, it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the products we consume are up to the standards,” he said, adding that everyone in the society has to play a role in this regard.
“Generally, during festivals, we start preparing food products much before they are consumed. We must be careful enough to consume fresh products,” he said.
The Deputy Commissioner, Food Safety, Irfana Ahmad said their “teams are, round the clock, conducting inspections to ensure the markets are following the regulations laid down by the Food Safety Act (FSA)”.
“Our officers are fully committed to their job. Apart from taking notice of the complaints, they are keeping a close vigil over markets and proper action is taken against those found violating the food safety norms,” she said.
The Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Hilal Ahmad Mir told Kashmir Reader that such awareness programs are not only meant for bakers and food outlets but are organised “in the larger interest of the general public”.
When asked whether there is any training imparted to bakers with related to food safety measures, Mir said they conduct workshops for those working in food outlets “to make them updated at par with the latest techniques”.
“Just like everything, this also is a gradual process and it will take some more time to make society fully aware of the process,” he said.

Rs 14,000 fine imposed on adulterators

KATHUA: Continuing its drive against the menace of adulteration in view of forthcoming Diwali festival, Food Safety Officers under the supervision of Tehsildar Kathua Avtar Singh, Santosh Kotwal CEO MC Kathua, DSP Headquarters Ajay Sharma and officials of MC Kathua conducted extensive market checking here on Wednesday.
The team inspected various sweet shops in Mukherji Chowk , near Asha Purni Mandir Kathua , old areas of the city, etc. and imposed fine to the tune of Rs. 14,000 to erring traders.
Officials warned the shopkeepers and directed them to ensure supply of quality food to the general public, especially milk and milk products adhering to Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

FDA intensifies surveillance to curb adulteration of sweets

PUNE: Be it excessive use of edible colours or pistachio substituted with coloured groundnut flakes, adulteration in sweets is always rampant in the market ahead of the festive season.
Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have intensified their surveillance to curb such malpractices in and around Pune ahead of Diwali.
"The lure of quick money is the main motive to indulge in adulteration. Such malpractices become rampant during the festive season. We have started holding meetings with owners of sweet shops and have warned them against getting involved in any kind of adulteration. We have also put up flyers about basic precautions shop owners need to take in preparation, handling and sale of sweets," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
The administration has also started drawing samples of ingredients that are used in sweets, such as maida, rava, besan, ghee and khoya, said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
"Besides, there are a lot of homemade chocolates on sale in the market this time. We are also taking samples from these chocolates. We will fine those responsible for substandard food items and file criminal cases against people selling unsafe food items," he said.
The administration has also intensified vigilance at the city's entry points.
"Lot of substandard and adulterated khoya is transported into the city from neighbouring states, mainly Gujarat, during Diwali. Hence, we have started conducting surprise inspections at railway stations, state transport bus stands and private luxury bus stops in and around Pune," Sangat said.
Officials are also keeping an eye on the use edible colour in sweets. "
Those using more than 100ppm edible colour in food will attract punishment. Last Diwali, a sample of 'bundi ladoo' was found to contain edible colour exceeding the permissible limit prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. A 'sev' sample from a shop in Pune was found containing excessive edible colour," Sangat added.
The administration is also watching out for 'varakh' (silver foil) used to decorate sweets. "Varakh is not always silver foil, but can also be aluminum, consuming which can create serious health problems," said food safety official Yogesh Dhane.
Officials said adulteration can cause serious health problems.
Use of harmful starch, milk mixed with urea, caustic soda, artificial sweetening chemicals, non-approved food colour (such as heavy-metal incorporated malachite green) and unhygienic conditions in the kitchen can cause acute gastritis, serious diarrhoea, dysentery, dehydration and kidney inflammation.
BOX: What the law says
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, makes adulteration punishable by a fine and imprisonment. In Maharashtra, food safety officials collect samples of various food items from time to time. These are analysed in government laboratories. If the samples are found to be adulterated, legal action is taken against the vendors
Dial to complain
Consumers who suspect that a food article is adulterated can inform the FDA assistant commissioner for their area. For assistance, call the FDA office on 020-24470276 and toll free number 1800222365

Punjab govt intensifies drive against sale of adulterated sweets

Punjab government has intensified the on-going drive against the sale of adulterated sweets in the state, with Health Department officials raiding the shops and godowns suspected to be selling, storing and manufacturing such products.
Punjab Health and Family Welfare minister Surjit Kumar Jiyani directed the District Health Officers to act tough against thoses selling, adulterated and contaminated food items.
He said the government has already issued notice to take strict action against sale of such items.
The health department has launched a campaign against the sale of impure food items including sweets, khoya (condensed milk) and other milk especially during the ongoing festival season.
"With a view to ensuring purity in the sweets and other eatables, traders have been inspected by the Department of Food and Supplies across the state, he said.
Staggering traders will be prosecuted for selling commodities in violation of health and safety norms, he added.
He said that in order to keep strict vigil on the milk products and khoya coming from other states, the Minister said that all the entry points including the railway stations, bus stands have been guarded against adulterated food items.
"The adulterated food items would be destroyed then and there by the special task force deputed at various sensitive points," Jayani said.
He said that according to the Food Safety and Standards Act, the punishment for selling adulterated food is seven years imprisonment and a Rs 10 lakh fine.
For selling sub-standard food one could face a maximum fine of Rs 10 lakh, he said, adding that for death caused by adulterated food, the offender could face life time jail term.

Officials check on food quality


Close scrutiny:I. Danaraju, Food Safety Officer, inspects a sweet stall on J.N. Street in Puducherry on Wednesday.

Dept. of Food Safety inspect sweet, confectionary shops in Puducherry
Ahead of the Deepavali festival, officials from the Department of Food Safety on Wednesday inspected sweet and confectionary shops to ensure that was no adulteration in food items.
The team, led by I. Danaraju, Food Safety Officer, took over 50 samples of sweets from various outlets across the city and its suburbs to check the quality of raw materials.
Owners were instructed to maintain hygiene and quality as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Officials inspected raw materials that are used in making sweets as well as the final products.
The inspection is aimed at detecting the quality of sweets and whether non-permitted colours are used since there is a spurt in sales during the festive season.
Mr. Danaraju said that some outlets made use of used palm oil with refined oil and used non-permitted colours which are not allowed under the Food Safety and Standards Act. Sweets are also prepared in advance and sold in bulk which could lead to deteriorating in quality. The samples would be tested at the Food and Drugs Testing Laboratory here.
If any adulteration was found, stringent action would be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Food Safety Officials would continue with the surprise raids on Thursday.
Public can send messages to 94435 36146 about adulteration in sweets, he added.

DINAMALAR NEWS




உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அறிவுறுத்தல் தீபாவளி பண்டிகைக்கு தற்காலிக பலகார கடைக்கு உரிமம், பதிவு எண்

வேலூர், நவ.5:
தீபா வளி பண் டி கைக்கு தற் கா லிக பல கார கடை வைக்க உரி மம் மற் றும் பதிவு எண் பெற வேண் டும் என உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அறி வு றுத் தி யுள் ளார்.
இது கு றித்து வேலூர் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அலு வ லர் மற் றும் மருந்து கட் டுப் பாட்டு அலு வ ல ரு மான செந் தில் கு மார் கூறி ய தா வது: வேலூர் மாவட் டத் தில் தீபா வளி பண் டி கை யை யொட்டி பேக் கரி, திரு மண மண் ட பங் கள் மற் றும் இதர பகு தி க ளில் தயார் செய் யப் ப டும் இனிப்பு மற் றும் கார வகை கள் தர மான முறை யில் தயா ரிக் கப் ப டு கி றதா என் பது உண வுப் பா து காப்பு அதி கா ரி க ளால் ஆய்வு செய் யப் ப டும். இனிப்பு மற் றும் கார வகை களை சுத் த மான, சுகா தா ர மான இடங் க ளில் மட் டுமே தயா ரிக்க வேண் டும்.
தர மான மூலப் பொ ருட் கள் மட் டுமே உப யோ கிக்க வேண் டும். பாக் கெட் மற் றும் டின் க ளில் அடைக் கப் பட்ட லேபிள் கொண்ட தர மான எண் ணெய், வனஸ் பதி, நெய் வகை களை பயன் ப டுத்த வேண் டும். உப யோ கித்த எண் ணெய் வகை களை மீண் டும் பயன் ப டுத் தக் கூ டாது. பாது காப் பான குடி நீரை மட் டுமே தயா ரிப் புக்கு பயன் ப டுத்த வேண் டும். பல கா ரங் களை சுகா தா ர மான முறை யில் மூடி வைத்து, சேமித்து விற் பனை செய்ய வேண் டும்.
பால் சேர்க் கப் பட்ட மற் றும் சேர்க் கப் ப டாத இனிப்பு வகை கள் தனித் தனி பாக் கெட் க ளில் விற் பனை செய்ய வேண் டும். அனு ம திக் கப் பட் டதை விட கூடு த லாக வண் ணங் கள் சேர்க் கக் கூ டாது. தற் கா லிக பல கார சீட்டு போட்டு பல கா ரங் கள் தயா ரிக் கும் தயா ரிப் பா ளர் கள் கட் டா யம் தற் கா லிக உரி மம் மற் றும் பதி வுச் சான்று பெற வேண் டும். சான்று பெறா த வர் கள், சுகா தா ர மற்ற முறை யில் இனிப்பு, கார வகை கள் தயார் செய் வது கண் ட றி யப் பட் டால், உண வுப் பா து காப்பு சட் டப் படி நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும்.இவ் வாறு அவர் கூறி னார்.

தரமற்ற உணவு பண்டம் தயாரிக்கப்படுகிறதா? புதுவை சுவீட்ஸ் கடைகளில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை ஆய்வு

புதுச் சேரி, நவ. 5:
புதுவை சுவீட்ஸ் கடை க ளில் தீபா வளி பல கா ரங் கள் தர மற்ற நிலை யில் தயா ரிக் கப் ப டு கி ற தா? என் பது குறித்து உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி னர் அதி ர டி யாக ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர்.
புது வை யில் தீபா வ ளி யை யொட்டி சுவீட்ஸ் கடை க ளில் முன் ப திவு விறு வி றுப்பு அடைந் துள் ளது. இனிப்பு, கார வகை க ளுக்கு ஒவ் வொரு கடை யும் தாங் களே விலை நிர் ண யித்து விற் ப னையை தீவி ரப் ப டுத்தி உள் ள னர். பல கா ரங் கள் தயா ரிப்பு பணி க ளும் ஆங் காங்கே மும் மு ர மாக நடை பெற்று வரு கின் றன.
இத னி டையே தீபா வளி பல கா ரங் கள் சுவீட்ஸ் கடை க ளில் தர மற்ற நிலை யில் தயா ரிக் கப் ப டு வ தா க வும், உரி மம் பெறா மல் பல் வேறு கடை கள் இயங் கு வ தா க வும் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறைக்கு புகார் கள் வந் தன.
இதை ய டுத்து உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி காரி தன் ராஜ் தலை மை யி லான குழு வி னர் நேற்று புதுவை முழு வ தும் சுவீட்ஸ் கடை க ளில் அதி ரடி ஆய்வு பணி யில் ஈடு பட் ட னர். நேரு வீதி, காமாட் சி யம் மன் கோயில் வீதி, மிஷன் வீதி, பாரதி வீதி உள் ளிட்ட கடை வீ தி க ளில் உள்ள சுவீட்ஸ் கடை க ளுக்கு சென்ற அதி கா ரி கள், அங்கு தயா ரிக் கப் ப டும் பல கா ரங் களை ஆய்வு செய் த னர். கடை நிர் வா கம் உரி மம் பெற்று இயங் கு கி றதா, தர மான எண் ணெய் பயன் ப டுத் து கி றார் களா, தடை செய் யப் பட்ட கலர் பயன் ப டுத் தப் ப டு கி றதா, கலப் ப டம் உள் ள தா? போன் ற வற்றை சோத னை யிட் ட னர். அங் கி ருந்த உரி மை யா ளர், பணி யா ளர் க ளி டம் பொருட் க ளின் தரம் கு றித்து கேட் ட றிந்து அவற் றின் அவ சி யத்தை எடுத் துக் கூறி னர். இதை தவ றும் பட் சத் தில் சட் ட ரீ தி யான நட வ டிக்கை மட் டு மின்றி அப ரா த மும் துறை யால் விதிக் கப் ப டும் என்று எச் ச ரித் த னர். தொடர்ந்து முத லி யார் பேட்டை, ரெட் டி யார் பா ளை யம், வில் லி ய னூர் உள் ளிட்ட அனைத்து பகு தி க ளி லும் சோதனை நடத் தப் ப டும் என்று உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி னர் தெரி வித் த னர். இத னால் சுவீட்ஸ் கடை உரி மை யா ளர் கள், ஊழி யர் கள் கலக் கம் அடைந் துள் ள னர்.

DINAMALAR NEWS


கடலூர் மாவட்டத்தில் உள்ள குடிநீர் தொழிற்சாலைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் திடீர் ஆய்வு

கட லூர், நவ. 5:
கட லூர் மாவட் டத் தில் உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் மேற் கொண்ட ஆய் வில் விதி மு றை களை பின் பற் றாத 19 தொழிற் சா லை க ளுக்கு எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.
தமி ழ கத் தில் வட கி ழக்கு பருவ மழை தீவி ர ம டைந் துள்ள நிலை யில் நோயற்ற வாழ் விற்கு சுகா தா ர மான குடி நீர் விநி யோ கம் முதன்மை இடத்தை பிடித் துள் ளது. இந் நி லை யில் சுத் தி க ரிக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீர் தொடர் பாக மாவட் டம் முழு வ தும் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி னர் அதி ரடி சோதனை மேற் கொண் டுள் ள னர். மாவட் டத் தில் கட லூர், பண் ருட்டி, நெல் லிக் குப் பம், விருத் தா ச லம், சிதம் ப ரம் உள் ளிட்ட இடங் க ளில் 34 சுத் தி க ரிக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீர் உற் பத்தி தொழிற் சா லை கள் இயங்கி வரு கி றது. நாள் தோ றும் 300 மில்லி லிட் டர், 500 மில்லி லிட் டர், 1 லிட் டர், 20 லிட் டர் அள வு க ளில் பாட் டில் கள், கேன் கள் உற் பத்தி செய் யப் பட்டு தொழிற் சா லை கள் மூலம் கட லூர், விழுப் பு ரம், புதுச் சேரி பகு தி க ளுக்கு விற் ப னைக்கு அனுப் பப் ப டு கி றது. இதில் 20 லிட் டர் கேன் கள் பெரும் பான் மை யான இல் லங் க ளில் குடி நீர் உப யோ கத் திற்கு பயன் ப டுத் தப் பட்டு வரு கி றது. இந் நி லை யில் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அலு வ லர் கள் மேற் கொண்ட ஆய் வில் சம் மந் தப் பட்ட தொழிற் சா லை கள் சுத் தி க ரிப்பு தன் மைக் கான முழு மை யான நிபந் த னை களை பின் பற் று கின் ற னரா என் பது குறித்து ஆய்வு செய் த னர். இதில் 19 தொழிற் சா லை க ளில் மேற் கொள் ளப் பட்ட ஆய் வில் சில வற் றில் உற் பத்தி தொடர் பான நிபந் த னை கள் முழு மை பெ றாத நிலை யில் சம் பந் தப் பட்ட தொழிற் சா லை க ளுக்கு நோட் டீஸ் வழங்கி விளக் கம் கேட் கப் பட் டுள் ள தாக சம் பந் தப் பட்ட துறை யி னர் தெரி வித் த னர்.
கட லூர் அருகே உள்ள கண் ணா ரப் பேட் டை யில் நேற்று உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி காரி ராஜா தலை மை யில் அலு வ லர் கள் நல் ல தம்பி, நந் த கு மார் உள் ளிட் ட வர் கள் ஆய்வு செய் த னர். முழு மை யான சுத் தி க ரிப்பு தன்மை கண் ட றி யப் பட்ட நிலை யில் ஆய்வு குறித்து அலு வ லர் ராஜா கூறு கை யில், பாட் டில், கேன் க ளில் அடைத்து விற் கப் ப டும் குடி நீர் தன்மை முக் கி யத் து வம் பெறு கி றது. இதில் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை, பிஐ எஸ், ஐஎஸ்ஐ போன்ற சான் றி தழ் பெற் ற தற் கான அடை யா ளங் கள் விற் கப் ப டும் சுத் தி க ரிக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீர் பாட் டில் க ளில் கண் டிப் பாக இடம் பெற வேண் டும். மற்ற தொழிற் சா லை க ளி லும் ஆய்வு செய் யப் பட்டு நிபந் த னை கள் மீறி யி ருந் தால் சம் மந் தப் பட்ட நிறு வ னம் மீது குற் ற வி யல் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என் றார்.
சுகா த ார மற்ற குடி நீர் குறைந்த விலைக்கு விற் பனை 
மாவட் டம் முழு வ தும் 34 சுத் தி க ரிக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீர் விற் பனை தொழிற் சா லை கள் செயல் ப டும் நிலை யில் அதி க ள வி லான புகார் கள் நெல் லிக் குப் பம், பண் ருட்டி பகுதி தொழிற் சா லை கள் மீது வந் துள் ள தாக உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி னர் தெரி வித் த னர். சுத் தி க ரிப்பு தன் மை யில் முழு மை யில் லா மல் போவ தன் மூலம் குறைந்த விலைக்கு முக வர் க ளுக்கு விற்று காசு பார்த்து வரு கின் ற னர். இதன் மூலம் நோய் தாக் கும் அபா யம் அதி க ரிக் கும் என ஆய் வில் கண் ட றி யப் பட் டுள் ளது. இதனை சுகா தார துறை அதி கா ரி கள் போர்க் கால அடிப் ப டை யில் ஆய்வு செய்ய வேண் டும் என சமூக ஆர் வ லர் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

Maggi Untangle itself, gets all-clear from labs


DINAMALAR & DINAKARAN NEWS




Food poisoning is costly, deadly and way too common

The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View:
It's a mistake to make a federal case out of a single outbreak of food poisoning. It's worth pointing out, however, the utter failure of Congress to do more to prevent foodborne illness, which costs Americans some $15 billion in treatment and lost work days every year.
The latest scare comes from Oregon and Washington state, where Chipotle closed 43 restaurants after more than 35 people fell ill with E. coli. Other outbreaks in recent years involved cantaloupes, peanuts and cookie dough. Some 3,000 Americans die every year from food poisoning, and 128,000 are hospitalized.
It's not as if Congress has done nothing. In 2011 it passed the Food Safety Modernization Act, the biggest change in industry monitoring since the 1930s. The law had broad support from both parties as well as consumer groups and Big Agriculture.
The act makes a number of improvements to the food-safety system. The Food and Drug Administration is empowered to order recalls of contaminated food products -- previously, it could only request them -- and put in place tougher rules on processing fruits and vegetables. Companies are required to create written safety plans and keep records of safety issues, which the agency has the right to see. The FDA will also do more frequent inspections -- once every three years instead of every decade for high-risk facilities -- and has greater authority over imported food, which is required to meet many of the same safety standards as domestic food.
The law falls short in some places: Most important, it does too little to address a lax program of domestic self-regulation, especially when it comes to outside safety inspectors, whose independence has been questioned. The agency has proposed a set of rules for improving matters, including a set of model accreditation standards for safety auditors, but they would simply be guidelines.
Yet any discussion of benefits and drawbacks would be premature, since few of the law's core provisions have taken effect. The FDA only last month finalized its preventive-control rules, and Congress has doled out less than half the $580 million that the Congressional Budget Office says has been needed to implement the law. It is unlikely to open its wallet wider. The process has become bogged down by industry objections to compliance costs and a proposed $225 million in other fees.
Congress, agricultural producers and food retailers need to find a compromise out of the fiscal logjam. One potentially helpful suggestion came from President Barack Obama earlier this year, when he proposed placing all food-safety responsibilities in one agency inside the Department of Health and Human Services, combining the efforts of the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which oversees meat and poultry) and a handful of other government offices. This could well increase efficiency and cut down on regulatory overlap, meaning lower costs to industry.
At any rate, the costs should be balanced against the benefit to public health and the damage to industry -- economic and reputational -- such outbreaks cause. Foodborne illness will never be eradicated, but a modern nation such as the U.S. can and should do much more to prevent it.