Letter keep check on labelling defects on Package of Health Supplements

Over 4.5 tonnes of banned tobacco products seized

Food Safety officials and police seized banned tobacco products in Tiruchi on Monday. 

TIRUCHI

In a joint raid conducted by Food Safety officials and the city police, over 4.5 tonnes of banned tobacco products were seized from various places here on Monday. The raid was conducted involving 16 Food Safety officials all over the city, including Fort area, Gandhi Market, Airport, K.K. Nagar and Thennur lasting over five hours.

In one such case, the teams seized over 3 tonnes from a godown belonging to a person by name Tirupathi who runs a grocery shop in Khajapettai area. Tirupathi was later handed over to the police.

The team which went to the grocery shop of Tirupathi later went to his house nearby where they found a godown where the banned products were stocked. In another case, around 1.5 tonnes of tobacco products were seized from a godown functioning on Big Bazaar street - the city's prominent commercial hub. The godown owner Mangal Ram (25) was arrested on the charge of illegally stocking the banned products.

The banned substances were concealed in boxes and gunny bags. The value of the seized substances was around ₹ 4 lakh, said R. Chitra, District Designated Officer, Tiruchi.

The joint operation was carried out after holding discussions with the city police authorities earlier.

The raid was planned in a surprise manner and carried simultaneously by the Food Safety officials at the chosen areas roping in the police from around 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dr. Chitra said. Interrogation of those from whom the banned products were seized revealed that the products were brought from Bengaluru.

The seized substances were later brought to the Food Safety office here, Dr. Chitra said. Police sources said Mangal Ram was arrested by the Fort Police and a case booked against him.

Dr. Chitra said this was the first time that a huge haul had been seized from different places in the city. Police said a team seized some varieties from the office of a wholesale dealer involved in the sale of biscuits, cigarettes in Fort area on Sunday. The dealer by name Bawan Kumar was arrested and a case booked against him.

Schools to face surprise food-safety checks

AHMEDABAD: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will conduct surprise checks in schools in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Junagadh and Bhavnagar. The state education department has written to district DEOs to extend their support. 

A senior department official said that a number of schools in these districts have in-house canteens for cooking and serving food.

"It came to the notice of authorities that the students consume more fatty food with excessive salt and sugar which is detrimental for their health. Thus, the officials will now collect samples during the surprise checks and will later prepare a report on food quality and composition with recommendations," said an official. 

From every district, 10 schools will be chosen randomly and the sample collection will take place during surprise checks within a month.

Sources said that one such drive had failed earlier as the schools refused entry of FSSAI officials inside school premises.

FB & Google told to weed out ‘fake’ content on food

Such Videos Are Eroding Trust In India’s Food System: FSSAI

New Delhi:

The government has instructed Google and Facebook to take down ‘false and malicious’ videos and other content that spreads misinformation regarding safety and quality of food in India, saying that ‘fake’ information is eroding the public’s confidence in institutions tasked with food safety.

The IT ministry issued instructions to the global internet giants, asking them to immediately remove such content and block the accounts of people who are uploading the videos, sources told TOI. The order follows a complaint by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal to IT secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney.

“It has come to our notice that some miscreants are misusing various social media platforms for circulating fake and objectionable material, including false and malicious videos regarding safety and quality of food available in India,” an official of the IT ministry said in separate written communications to the two companies. “Such fake, false and malicious videos erode the public’s confidence about the institutions in India which are performing their job with due diligence.”

The IT ministry said that the FSSAI has pointed out instances where the internet platforms had been used by miscreants to spread misinformation about food quality. “Specific instances like creating false scare of plastic eggs, plastic rice, melamine in milk... One specific fake video, which went viral on social media, was related to the presence of melamine in milk, wherein it was maliciously projected that FSSAI had given permission for use of melamine in milk,” the IT ministry note said.

“… take immediate action of identifying and removing such content and warning such uploaders, including blocking of their accounts in the future.”

The ministry also told the companies to institute a system, as part of their due diligence, for prevention of uploading such imagery/video/text on their platforms.

In its complaint to the IT ministry, FSSAI had said that the false content on food safety had created fear in the minds of the public and eroded their confidence on food control systems in India. “… such false propaganda is neither good for citizens nor the food business. This also erodes global trust in our food system and food businesses, and potentially has far-reaching public health, social and trade implications,” FSSAI CEO said.

FSSAI also suggested that the internet and social-media companies should appoint a nodal officer so that it can directly take up such issues with them for quick remedial action.