Aug 24, 2018
Labels on fortified food products to carry details of micro-nutrients
NEW DELHI: All fortified food products in the market will now have to carry "+F" logo on their label and comply with the standards set by the food safety authority, as per the new regulations notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The regulations will come into effect from January, 2019.
In a move to enable consumers to identify fortified food easily as well as ensure quality of such products, the food regulator has notified the Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018. Apart from the mandatory logo, the gazette notification issued last week, provides for minimum and maximum range for fortification of products like vegetable oil, milk and other products. The standards also include adjusted dosage of the micro-nutrients so that they provide 30% to 50% of the daily requirements.
“Any manufacturer who fortifies any food shall ensure that the level of micro-nutrient in such fortified food does not fall below the minimum level specified in Schedule- I,” the notification said.
Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamins A and D to staple foods such as rice, wheat, oil, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.
The regulations are aimed at placing food fortification on the national agenda to reduce the high burden of micro-nutrient deficiency in India. Besides, stringent regulations and standards are also essential to ensure fortified food available in the market are quality products.
FSSAI has asked manufacturers and packers of fortified food to give undertaking twice a year on quality assurance and submit evidence of steps taken in this regard to the food authority.
The regulation also mandates all fortified food to be packaged in a manner that takes into consideration the nature of the fortificant added and its effect on the shelf-life of such food.
According to the National Family Health Survey, around 50% of women and children in India suffer from anaemia. While food fortification helps combat malnutrition, the government is trying to introduce such products through government schemes to counter problems stunting, overweight and anaemia – major causes of maternal and child deaths.
“The regulation will also create an enabling environment and encourage food businesses to adopt food fortification,” the regulator said.
Last year, FSSAI had released benchmarks to fortify the nutritional quality of food items used in social sector programmes such as ICDS, PDS and mid-day meals.
Punjab food safety teams sieze spurious milk ahead of Rakshabandhan
LUDHIANA: Continuing with the anti-adulteration drive, Food Safety and Dairy Development Teams jointly conducted raids at midnight in various parts of the State ahead of Rakshabandhan.
In the raid at around 11.30 pm on August 21st at Deep Dairy in Village Khokh of Nabha Tehsil in Patiala, 8 quintals spurious milk, 12 quintal paneer and 130 kg cream were discovered. The foul-smelling milk was destroyed on the spot. The paneer and cream were seized. Samples of milk, paneer and cream were taken.
Similarly, a raid was conducted along with police at about 12.15 am in village Sangatpur Bhonki. 90 kg paneer, 1400 kg milk, 18 empty bags of 25 kg of Skimmed Milk Powder(SMP), 2 full bags of SMP were found. A sample of paneer, milk and SMP were taken. The entire sampling and seizure activity was accomplished around 4:15 a.m.
At Ropar, a joint night raid by food safety and dairy development team along with police started at about 10.30p.m. The raid at Kang Dairy in Boor Majra revealed spurious items to the tune of about 12 quintal paneer, 200-litre milk, cream 125 kg, curd 535 kg, butter 10 kg. Samples were collected and entire stock in a cold room of the dairy and the dairy premises were sealed. The hygiene conditions of the dairy were very poor and the dairy owners did not possess any licence for the sale of the articles to the public.
During early morning inspection of vehicles involved in the supply of milk and milk products, the Jalandhar Food Team intercepted an i20 car No. PB06 5669 delivering paneer at Happy Sweet Shop Adampur. The Car was carrying paneer in rear storage and on the back seat. During the inspection of the material, the car driver eloped from the spot in the car. Efforts were made to follow the car but in vain due to the high speed of the car. An enquiry is afoot about the owner of the car and appropriate action would be taken against the offender.
In Tarntaran a vehicle carrying about 300kgs of spurious Khoya Burfi, Milk Cake, Ladoo, Patisa was intercepted at Jandiala Road, Tarntaran and action were taken as per the Act.
A Chilling Centre at Jandu Singha was also inspected. The Milk was being collected without straining. The Food Business Operator( FBO) was directed to strain the milk and then put it in the tanker.
Under 'tandrust Punjab mission' in District Faridkot store of a khoya barfi supplier at Jaito was inspected. Wherein about 1.5 Quintal of spurious barfi and dhoda sweets were found. The FBO informed that the khoya burfi was brought from Fazilka and dhoda burfi from village Daria in Chandigarh. He was to sell the barfi at Rs. 150 per kg to small shops. Samples of khoya and dhoda burfi were taken and sent for analysis. The stock was seized.
Checking and sampling at Bikaneri Sweet Shop at Garhshankar revealed approximately 100 kg of suspected adulterated khoya. A sample of the same was taken and rest of the khoya was seized. The sample has been sent to lab for analysis.
In Ferozepur under the supervision of ADC (G) samples of khòya, paneer and milk were taken and about 40 kg of synthetic khòya was destroyed.
Sweetshops remain under scanner ahead of Rakhi
Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) food safety officers conducted extensive checking at sweet shops for the second consecutive day to ensure that inferior quality and adulterated sweets are not sold in the market ahead of the Rakshabandhan festival.
Teams of food safety officers checked establishments in Akota, Karelibaug, Jetalpur, Alkapuri, Nizampura, Tarsali and Ajwa Road areas of the city. Nearly nine shops were checked by the teams and 12 weet samples of different varieties were collected from the shops.
The samples will be tested at the food public health laboratory of the civic body. If the samples fail the tests, the civic body will file cases against the shops.
On Tuesday, six shops were checked by the officials and nine samples of sweets were sent to the public health laboratory for testing.
Officials said that the checking also focussed on ensuring that the shops maintained hygienic conditions.
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