Jul 19, 2018
City to have a cleaner, healthier street food culture
Thiruvananthapuram: If all goes as per the plan of the food safety department, the city will soon have a ‘safe street food zone’. With the department also planning to introduce apps to rate all street food shops in the city, the concerns regarding the quality and hygiene of street food will also be addressed. The changes will be as good for customers as it is for vendors in the city, which has around 250 street food joints, 180 of which are members of the association of vendors.
Food safety commissioner M G Rajamanickam said that the department had held a discussion with mayor V K Prasanth to identify stretches which could be declared as ‘safe street food zone’. “Once we get a street exclusively for street food joints, we could ensure a standard for hygiene, infrastructure and quality. Only vendors who agree to our norms will be allowed to function and thus we could ensure standards,” he said.
Earlier, there was a proposal to start a street food zone at Manaveeyam Veedhi. However, the project did not take off due to protest from the part of various groups which had argued for keeping the stretch as a cultural corridor.
The plan for rating street food joints has been conceived to provide customers a say on the functioning of street food joints, which the department believes will make vendors more responsible. The department has contacted Kerala Startup Mission to develop an app that could rate various factors of all eateries. “The KSUM will inform startups about our demand and we hope they will come up with a suitable app that will enable customers to give rating and reviews,” Rajamanickam said. The food safety department will provide another rating after checking infrastructure, hygiene, medical certificates of staff, waste management etc. “Our rating will not be based just on infrastructure. We will check all aspects from farm to fork,” Rajamanickam added.
Abbas A, the owner of Irani Fast food joint, which has been functioning at Vellayambalam for around 25 years, welcomed the decision to introduce rating. “Rating is a welcome move, especially when you are keen on hygiene. When we started the business, there were only 3-4 street food vendors in the city. Now the association of street food vendors itself has over 180 members,” he said.
FSD to challenge ADCs in food adulteration cases
Srinagar, July 18: The Food Safety Department (FSD) seems unsatisfied over the penalties imposed by Additional Deputy Commissioners in substandard cases and would challenge them before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal.
An official of the FSD said that it was not satisfied with the "meager" amount imposed as fine by ADCs in substandard food cases in the Valley. The ADCs are adjudicating officers to decide on the penalty in food adulteration cases.
The official said that restaurants, traditional bakers, milk vendors, butchers, and various others who sell eatable items have been found violating various provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
During various inspections, the official said that it was also found that "synthetic colours" were being used in many popular food items. "But ADCs, who are adjudicating officers, have imposed lesser fine against gravity of cases," the official said.
The official said that Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 was not being executed "properly" in the state. The Act came into force across the country in August 2011. The Act was also to ensure improved quality of food for the consumers and censure misleading claims and advertisement by those in food business.
The official said that they were framing a list of cases, which would be challenged before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal Kashmir (FSAT).
"A list is also being compiled where we will challenge the ADC orders in substandard food cases," he said.
The FSAT was made operational in 2017. Principal District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Yousuf Akhoon has been appointed its Presiding Officer.
The official said that FSAT will hear the appeals against the orders of adjudicating officers.
"Anyone can challenge the orders of the ADCs who are adjudicating officers in imposing penalty in substandard cases. The FSD is compiling list of cases for challenging the orders of adjudicating cases where meager amount has been imposed against the gravity of the case," he said.
Giving an example in one of the cases, he said, "Fine was imposed against an outside company for selling adulterated milk. The said company challenged the order. We decided the case and imposed Rs 5 lakh fine, more than penalty imposed by adjudicating officer keeping into consideration its gravity," he said.
CIFT-FSSAI issue guidelines on usage of formalin in fish
Visakhapatnam: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) have issued guidelines regarding formalin (formaldehyde) adulterant, which is rampant these days to artificially enhance the shelf life of fish during its inter-state transportation as well as for local consumption. Formaldehyde is banned for use in foods as per the Food Safety and Standards Regulations of 2011.
Consumption of fish adulterated with carcinogenic formalin can adversely impact health, causing abdominal discomfort, vomiting and kidney damage. Scientists have prepared these guidelines to alert consumers, traders and food testing laboratories on the best practices to avoid, restrict and detect formalin adulteration in fish.
Consumers themselves can check raw fish for adulteration by using a simple, rapid detection kit called ‘CIFTest’, which has been developed by CIFT.
“Adulteration of fish with unapproved chemicals and additives are undertaken by traders and suppliers to extend the storage life of fresh or chilled fish and artificially improve the sensory attributes and present a façade of freshness. Monitoring studies by the FSSAI referral laboratory on fish and fish products and CIFT have reported the presence of residues of these hazardous chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia and illegal use of additives like sodium benzoate in freshly marketed fish/fish products, inter-state fish consignments and even in ice used during transportation,” said R Raghu Prakash, scientist in-charge of CIFT-Visakhapatnam.
“Unavailability of good quality ice at harvest centres, inadequate insulation during domestic transport and lack of warehousing facility for bulk storage of fish are some of the reasons for rampant use of easily-procurable formaldehyde in domestic fish marketing. Presence of these hazardous chemicals compromises health of consumers and needs immediate intervention from the enforcement agencies,” he added.
As per the guidance note, consumers have been advised to wash all food thoroughly with running tap water to help remove formaldehyde to a large extent. Fish should also be washed thoroughly before cooking, which should be done properly in an internal temperature of 75°C or above, as heat from cooking can also aid the removal of volatile formaldehyde. Also, the flesh should be checked to see whether it has turned opaque and can be separated easily. Consumers can check raw fish for formaldehyde adulteration using CIFTest.
The traders should refrain from using any unapproved chemical during any stage of storage, transport or supply, and ensure that cold chain or proper icing procedure is followed during inter-state transportation of fish. Food testing labs should ensure that fish samples collected for formaldehyde detection do not come in direct contact with ice. Edible portions of fish (muscle along with skin) should be used for analysis.
Central fisheries institute develops kit to detect formalin in fish
Central Institute of Fisheries Technology - ICAR has developed a kit which can detect the presence of the chemical compound in just two minutes.
HYDERABAD: After the news about the presence of formalin, a carcinogen, in fish set alarm bells ringing among seafood lovers, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology - ICAR has developed a kit which can detect the presence of the chemical compound in just two minutes.
Though officials from the Telangana Fisheries Department said that there was no need to worry about the presence of formalin in fish sold in Telangana, they said the rapid test kits would be procured as the precautionary step. Formalin is a solution containing around 37 per cent of formaldehyde. According to guidelines recently issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and ICAR-CIFT, ingesting large amounts of formaldehyde can cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting coma, renal injury and possible death.
“WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies formaldehyde as a carcinogenic for human beings. Formaldehyde is not permitted for use in foods as per Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011,” said the guidelines.
The chemical compound is used by some traders and suppliers to extend the storage life of fish or to make the fish shine which gives a false impression that the fish is fresh.
In Telangana, officials from State Fisheries Department said that traders who market fish bred in reservoirs and tanks within the state do not use formalin as it takes only three to four hours to transport fish between any two extreme points in the state. Earlier, officials said that it takes around 10 hours to transport fish from AP to Telangana and there was no need to add the chemical compound to keep the fish fresh.
How does the kit work?
CIF Test consists of a paper strip that changes colour if it detects the presence of formalin
The strip is swabbed over the surface of fish three to four times followed by one drop of reagent
Colour developed is compared with the standard chart provided
Food safety officials inspect stalls for formalin-laced fish
Erode: Food safety officials inspected 70 fish stalls across Erode district on Tuesday evening and checked whether fish were laced with formalin.
Officials from the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administrative Department (TNFSDAD) warned owners not to use formalin to preserve fish and advised them to use natural ways of preservation.
In the city, a team of officials led by district designated officer (DDO) T Kalaivani inspected the fish market near Erode Railway Junction. “We did not seize any formalin-laced fish,” said Kalaivani.
While inspecting the stalls, officials asked the owners about the techniques used by them to naturally preserve fish. They advised them to use glass boxes to store fish and keep the stalls clean and free of flies.
Kalaivani appealed the public to contact TNFSDAD officials if they found chemical-laced fish in the markets across the district. “People can reach us at 0424-2223545 during official hours between Monday and Friday,” she said.
FDA to test fish for formalin from today
Samples to be collected from outlets
After the Goa government banned fish imported from other States as a precaution, the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will start testing fish for formalin on Thursday.
FDA commissioner Pallavi Darade said inspectors will randomly visit retail outlets, fish markets, and suppliers to collect samples. “During monsoon, a majority of fish supply comes from other States. After Goa has found formalin-laced fish in several consignments, we have to start our precautionary tests too,” Ms. Darade told The Hindu.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday released a document for general public on dos and don’ts before eating sea food. According to the FSSAI, consumers should thoroughly wash fish with running tap water as formaldehyde is soluble in water and fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 75 degrees centigrade and above as heat can help remove the chemical.
The food safety authority said ingesting a large amount of formaldehyde can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, coma, renal injury, and possible death.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation classifies formaldehyde as ‘carcinogenic to humans’ with sufficient evidence for causing nasopharyngeal cancer in humans with occupational exposure, although no carcinogenicity has so far been established through ingestion route.
Traders use formalin to extend the storage life of the fish. The chemical also helps give an appearance of freshness. According to the FSSAI, as the formalin solution is easily available in the market, fish traders and suppliers have easy access to the chemical. Often, unavailability of good quality ice harvest centres and lack of warehousing facility for bulk storage are some of the reasons for rampant use of formaldehyde.
A fishy matter: on the formaldehyde contamination of fish
Concerns over formaldehyde contamination of fish need to be addressed — scientifically
Reports of traces of the chemical formaldehyde in fish in several States highlight both the uncertainties of science, and the importance of clear risk-communication. In June, the Kerala government found formaldehyde-laced fish being transported into the State. Soon after, The Hindu carried out a joint investigation with the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University to look for formaldehyde in Chennai. The study revealed around 5-20 ppm of the chemical in freshwater and marine fish in two of the city’s markets. Next, Goa reported similar findings. But its Food and Drugs Administration later said the levels in Goan samples were on a par with “naturally occurring” formaldehyde in marine fish. This triggered suspicions among residents, who accused the government of playing down the health risk. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has banned formaldehyde in fresh fish, while the International Agency for Research on Cancer labelled the chemical a carcinogen in 2004. The evidence the IARC relied on mainly consists of studies on workers in industries such as printing, textiles and embalming. Such workers inhale formaldehyde fumes, and the studies show high rates of nasopharyngeal and other cancers among them. But there is little evidence that formaldehyde causes cancer when ingested orally. A 1990 study by U.S. researchers estimated that humans consume 11 mg of the chemical through dietary sources every day.
So, why is formaldehyde in fish a problem? For one thing, fresh fish should not have preservatives, and the presence of formaldehyde points to unscrupulous vendors trying to pass off stale catch as recent. Two, the lack of evidence linking ingested formaldehyde with cancer doesn’t necessarily make the chemical safe. At high doses, it causes gastric irritation. Plus, the lack of data could merely mean that not enough people are consuming formaldehyde regularly enough for its carcinogenic effects to show — the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. There is a third complication. When certain marine fish are improperly frozen during transit, formaldehyde forms in them naturally. But this formaldehyde binds to the tissue, unlike added formaldehyde, which remains free. And so, measuring free formaldehyde versus bound formaldehyde can be one way of distinguishing a contaminant from a naturally occurring chemical. In this context, the Goan government must clarify its claim. Did the Goan FDA measure free formaldehyde or bound formaldehyde? If it measured the sum of both, on what basis did it conclude that the chemical came from natural sources? Some formaldehyde consumption may be unavoidable for fish- lovers, and it may not be a health risk either. But the line between safe and unsafe consumption should be drawn by experts, in a transparent manner. The Goan claim doesn’t meet this criterion. This is why, instead of allaying the fears of consumers, it is stoking them.
Something fishy on the table
Goa Chief Minister Manohar ParrikarWednesday announced a 15-day ban on the entry of fish from other states, and ordered border checks to stop trucks bearing fish from outside. The action came a day before the Assembly’s monsoon session, and after over a week of the state being gripped with the fear of fish contaminated by formalin.
How scare started
At 3.30 am on July 13, officials from the state Food and Drug Administration raided markets in South and North Goa, and picked up samples from 17 trucks carrying fish from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. The samples included mackerel, sardines, rockfish, clams, ladyfish, prawns, and white pomfret.
As fish traders protested, Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai tweeted that afternoon: “Any knee-jerk action aimed at creating panic is uncalled for…. Thankfully FDA has now confirmed that reports indicate fish showing no trace of formalin and hence #safe…”
The FDA, however, issued a statement in the evening, saying the seized fish did indeed contain formalin — though “within permissible limits”. It said the samples, brought to their lab on a “war footing”, had confirmed the presence of “formaldehyde”, a chemical which, in a compound with water and a stabiliser, is commonly referred to as formalin.
On July 14, Parrikar himself posted on Twitter: “I am personally monitoring the issue of “Formalin in Fish” and have directed FDA to seize all trucks carrying such fish or any other food items… and to punish & bring all such violators to face the law.”
An FSSAI advisory clarified that “formaldehyde, the laboratory name for formalin, is not permitted for use in foods as per Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011”. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)
Before Goa, elsewhere
The first reports of formalin-laced fish came from Kerala. On June 24-25, the Kerala Food Safety and Fisheries Departments in a joint raid seized 9,600 kg of contaminated fish at Arayankavu in Kollam district. Separately, 6,000 kg of contaminated fish was seized at Walayar in Palakkad district. In Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu officials have been carrying out raids almost every other day for the last two weeks, but laboratory tests have so far returned negative for formalin.
Najid K K, Assistant Director, Fisheries, Ernakulam, said the formalin scare is not a “new alert”. Samples had been first picked up two years ago. “Consumers were approaching us, saying the fish didn’t smell and didn’t decompose even outside the fridge. There was even a complaint saying fish remained fresh on the dining table for two days,” Najid said. Kerala, which consumes around 10,000 tonnes of fish every day, has been carrying out a storm of raids under its umbrella fish safety and hygiene campaign, Operation Sagar Rani. And the Kochi-based Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) has now developed a detection kit for formalin — paper changes colour if rubbed on fish laced with the chemical — that is in use in several states.
The Andhra connection
A Kerala FDA official said fish trucks from Andhra Pradesh, which sometimes use fake Kerala registration plates, often contain a formalin-laced cargo. “They have to have ice and fish in the ratio of 1:1, but even then, the distance is long, and fish tends to spoil. Formalin helps delay decomposition,” the official said.
According to officials across three states — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Goa — aquaculture harvests from Andhra Pradesh tend to have the biggest chances of formalin contamination. The state has around 4,000 hectares under aquaculture, which produces harvests in the monsoon, when trawlers from most states do not go to sea, and supplies dry up.
Kerala officials recalled a case of Vannamei shrimp, an export variety from Andhra, which was sold at an inflated price of Rs 350 per kg, and remained good for consumption for over 15 days compared to its normal shelf life of two. On another occasion, the price of freshwater Andhra tilapia was seen to go up three times to Rs 180 per kg. Kerala officials have sent a communication to their Andhra counterparts, expressing apprehensions about middlemen using the chemical on the fish.
Supplies from Andhra have been suspected by officials in Assam as well who, incidentally, imposed a ban on the entry of fish from outside even before Goa.
The offending chemical
Formalin is a preservative mostly used in forensic museums and morgues where autopsies are conducted. Dr Shailesh Mohite, forensic chief of Mumbai’s Nair Hospital, said formalin is used to harden human tissue for post mortem examinations. “It tightens the cellular architecture, and is used in forensic museums. In morgues, we use formalin to ensure the specimen doesn’t decompose,” he said.
Dr Mohite was clear that formalin “should never be consumed by humans”. Even in laboratories, he said, “we use only a 10% solution, so with 900 ml of water, we use 100 ml of the chemical”.
Formalin could also be carcinogenic, doctors said. Pawan Kumar Agrawal, CEO of India’s food safety regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said there is “no permissible limits for formalin”, thus refuting the Goa FDA’s claim. An FSSAI advisory clarified that “formaldehyde, the laboratory name for formalin, is not permitted for use in foods as per Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011”. According to FSSAI, the most common reasons for “dishonest traders” using formalin is the “unavailability of good quality ice at harvest centres, inadequate insulation during domestic transport and lack of warehousing facility for bulk storage of fish”, besides the easy availability of the chemical.
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