Dec 15, 2018
10 die after taking temple ‘prasadam’ in Karnataka temple
Locals present at the temple said the prasadam ran out of stock due to rush and that otherwise, the number of victims could have been higher.
At least 10 people died and over 60 were hospitalised after consuming ‘prasadam’ distributed at the Maramma temple at Sulwadi in Hunsur taluk of Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district on Friday, in a suspected case of food poisoning.
The district authorities confirmed 10 deaths and feared the toll could increase as some of the patients were critical. Chamarajanagar SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena said 68 people had been hospitalised in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts.
The devotees had participated in a few rituals, ahead of their visit to an Om Shakti temple in Tamil Nadu.
They were given a rice preparation as ‘prasadam’ around noon, and a few of them immediately started throwing up. Soon, almost all those who had eaten it were taken ill.
Swiggy, Zomato, others remove 10,500 restaurants for violating food safety law
NEW DELHI: As many as 10,500 restaurants have been de-listed by e-commerce firms like Zomato and Swiggy for not having license or registration under the food safety law, Parliament was told Friday.
Minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India or FSSAI in July directed food e-commerce firms to de-list the the restaurants which don't have registration under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.
"The Food delivery aggregators informed that they have already initiated action against the defaulting partner hotels/restaurants.
"As per information received, Zomato has delisted 2,500, Swiggy 4,000, Foodpanda 1,800, UberEats 2,000 and foodcloud 200 unlicensed/unregistered FBOs," he said in reply to a question.
The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 Rules and Regulations made thereunder, primarily rests with state and UT governments, he said.
Commissioner of Food Safety of all states and UTs have been requested to take necessary action to bring all such FBOs or food business operators under the ambit of FSS Act through registration.
No one shall commence or carry on any food business without license or registration under the Act, he said.
Choubey stated further regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food products are carried out by officials to check compliance of the standards and norms.
In case where the food samples are found to be non- conforming, penal action has been initiated, he stated.
Adulterated turmeric found in supermarket chain’s sample
Pune: A sample of turmeric powder drawn from a supermarket chain in the city has been found to be adulterated with rice and maize starch.
Officials of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had drawn a sample of turmeric powder on November 5 and sent it to the state government-run public health laboratory in Pune for analysis.
Following the analysis, officials raided the premises of the manufacturer in Bhiwandi and seized stock of turmeric powder worth Rs6.5 lakh on Wednesday.
“The manufacturing unit was exclusively providing spices, including turmeric powder, to the supermarket chain which, is famous for selling grocery products at cheap rate,” Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune told TOI.
Deshmukh said that the department would initiate inquiry and investigation into the sale of adulterated food items in the supermarkets. “The adulterants used in turmeric powder are not harmful for human consumption. Hence, it will not be a criminal case. However, adulteration with unharmful substance is also not allowed and prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” Deshmukh said.
Officials said that they would investigate the complicity of the supermarket in manufacturing and sale of adulterated turmeric powder.“The manufacturer was selling the spices only to the supermarket chain and, hence, it is more likely that that they were hand-in-glove. We will have to investigate it to establish the link,” he added. The government-designated laboratory gave the report on December 1. “Our officials were keeping a close watch to carry out the raid at the manufacturing unit,” Deshmukh said.
350 kg stale meat found in Periyamet
CHENNAI: Officials from the food safety department and city corporation's Royapuram zone destroyed 350 kg of stale veal, meat of calves, seized from nine shops in Periyamet in a raid on Friday.
"They had stocked up the meat two days ago and were selling it to local food joints. Animals were also slaughtered in the shops we raided. We have booked them for illegal slaughtering and for selling decaying meat," said an official.
Officials said smell from the foul meat is masked using preservatives, additives and is sold cheap to roadside eateries. Two of the nine shops were found running without trade licences, said a corporation official. The seized meat was destroyed and buried inside the corporation's dumpyard at Kodungaiyur. As per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, slaughter of cow and calf is banned in Tamil Nadu.
FAILED MILK SAMPLES
Three months on, health officials yet to submit report
Patiala, December 14
More than three months have passed when eight out of the 11 samples of Singla Milk Chilling Centre in Mehon village, near Devigarh, failed the quality test, but the District Health Department is yet to initiate any action against the factory owner.
District health officer and food safety officer have not submitted the report to the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) to take a decision on the penalties to be imposed on the centre owner against the violations.
In September, the report had found samples of three mix milk, one paneer, one butter, one desi ghee and one cow desi ghee samples below fixed standard.
After samples failed the quality test, the Health Department gave one month time period to challenge the report against the Singla Milk Chilling Centre to its owner, which elapsed in October this year.
All samples were tested at the Government Laboratory, Kharar. As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the penalty for substandard food sample extends up to 5 lakh on one item.
When asked about delay in submitting the report, district health officer, Krishan Singh said, “We are waiting for a reply from the centre owner. We had sent him the notice to inform that he could challenge the report. We have not submitted the report, but I have to check the records as I don’t remember what the status of the case is.”
In fact, after the raid, the police investigation revealed that officials of the Health Department were hand in glove with the centre owner and were getting his samples cleared from the government lab in Kharar.
Adulterated food items seized
On August 16, a police team had raided the Singla Milk Chilling Centre. The owner was arrested and the police seized 7,000 litres of adulterated milk, 323 bags of skimmed milk powder, 250 litres of chemicals used in making adulterated milk, 20 quintals of paneer and 12 quintals of ghee, besides refined oil, soda, acid and detergent powder. Subsequently, statewide raids were initiated to keep a check on adulterated food items.
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