Study: Food-borne diseases cost India $15 billion a year

NEW DELHI: Unsafe food still costs India as high as $15 billion annually, even though it has almost halved from $28 billion estimated last year, a recent World Bank report says underlining the "unnecessarily high" economic burden caused by food borne diseases. 

India along with China accounts for 49% of the total economic burden due to food borne diseases (FBDs) in low and middle income countries and for 71% of the total burden in Asia. However, China alone accounts for over $30 billion of the total burden, double as compared to India, the report shows. Animal source foods estimated to account for 21% of India's food borne diseases burden, whereas it accounts for 59% in China. The report, title 'The Safe Food Imperative', was discussed recently during the first international food safety conference organised by the World Health Organisation.

Acknowledging India's efforts in last few years to streamline food safety regulations, the report said India, along with few other countries , has demonstrated that better health and commercial outcomes are possible with the joint involvement of public agencies, businesses, and consumers in food safety. 

Of late, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken a series of measures including stringent packaging and labelling norms, regulation of restaurant and street food as well as inspections and sampling of food products to ensure quality of food in India.

Globally, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa have the highest incidence of FBDs, along with the highest rate of deaths due to FBDs and the greatest loss of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). LMICs in south Asia, south-east Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to account for 53% of all illnesses due to FBD, 75% of deaths, and 72 % of DALYs related to FBDs.

Think before you buy ‘not so safe’ bottled water

A GWMC official says there are several unauthorised (Drinking Water) plants in the city which pose massive health risk to lakhs of people who consume the so called 'mineral' water

HEALTH RISK: Many water plants are not authorized and they do not adhere to the norms stipulated by the government.

Warangal Urban: Are you consuming bottled drinking being passed off as ‘mineral water’ in Warangal? Think twice before purchasing, because majority of the water plants are not authorized and they do not adhere to the norms stipulated by the government. While there are about 160 water plants, only about 15 of them have reportedly got the due permissions from different government organisations and agencies including the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC).

“These unauthorised plants pose massive health risk to lakhs of people who consume the so called mineral water. Though the GWMC is considering a crackdown on companies selling packaged water without proper certification from agencies like Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Indian Standards Institute (ISI), Food Safety Department and Pollution Control Board (PCB), officials of the Food Safety and Vigilance Department are not bothered to take action against these unauthorised water plants,” a senior GWMC official said.

GWMC Medical and Health Officer (MHO) Dr B Raja Reddy, on Monday slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on the management of ‘Harsha Enterprises and Water Suppliers’ being run from Ramky Enclave locality in Warangal for running the water plant without due permission. “The management does not have the trade licence from the GWMC, there is no permission from either the BIS or the ISI,” Dr Raja Reddy told ‘Telengana Today’.

Meanwhile, some activists are urging the government to take stringent action on the unauthorised water plants. Founder president of Society for Public Welfare and Initiative (SPWI), Dr Devath Suresh said that some water plants owners are even resorting to false propaganda that they are selling ‘mineral water’ though it is packaged drinking water.

“Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) established standards for packaged drinking water and packaged natural mineral water, with set quality parameters. The rules come under mandatory BIS certification according to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on sales) Regulation, 201,” he said adding that ‘no person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale, Natural Mineral Water and Packaged Drinking water, except under the BIS Standard Mark.’

“Keeping in mind the rising demand of packaged drinking water, it becomes important for officials to monitor the quality and ensure it’s licensed by concerned authorities to safeguard the consumers’ health. All the concerned departments must take the action to protect the health of the people,” said Dr M Sheshu Madhav, a children’s specialist, Hanamkonda.

Meanwhile, sources said that owners/ managements of these water plants, who enjoy political patronage, are even threatening the officials of the GWMC of dire consequences, if they seize the plants referring on charges of not having trade licences. “Even the water plants run by a noted social service organisation in Warangal does not have proper permissions,” said an official from the GWMC and rued about their inability to act against them.

Telangana tops in food fraud

Hyderabadi biryani samples tested over last two years by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) labs were found to be unsafe for consumption.

HYDERABAD: For ardent lovers of biryani, Hyderabad is nothing short of heaven. Look close enough, and you will find something special to dig into, in every nook and corner of the city. The fragrant dish is a sight to the sore eyes as well -- a golden cloud made with basmati and spiced just right.However, think twice before getting enamoured by this golden cloud once again. Because according to a food safety official in the city, many biryani samples tested over last two years by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) labs were found to be unsafe for consumption. 

Reportedly, these biryani outlets were using artificial colours that could prove harmful to people’s health to increase its appeal.The list of adulterated products in the State, however, is definitely not limited to just biryani. 

According to the reply to a question on food adulteration that was tabled in the Lok Sabha recently by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health, about a quarter of all the food being sold in the state of Telangana by restaurants and other food outlets might be adulterated and unfit for consumption.

In the two years of 2016-17 and 2017-18, up to 22 per cent of the 2,303 food samples, collected from Food Operating Businesses (FOB) in Telangana and tested in FSSAI labs, were found not to be conforming to the standards set by FSSAI. 

This puts Telangana right at top in the list among those States, of which most of the food samples collected were found to be adulterated and ultimately, unfit and unhealthy for consumption. A number of food safety authorities in Hyderabad revealed to Express that a majority of the adulterated samples are actually packaged dairy products. However, products like biryani and mangoes figure in the list too. 

“In curry points, dal samples were found to contain prohibited colours. The primary issue with fruits is the usage of artificial ripeners,” said a food safety official.According to the FSSAI report tabled in the Lok Sabha, out of 1,480 food samples that were tested in Telangana in 2016-17, 330 were found to be non-conforming to FSSAI standards. This led to the filing of as many as 188 criminal and civil cases. In 2017-18, 175 of the 823 samples tested were found to violate the prescribed standards, following which 40 cases were registered.

Two flour mills seized for selling semolina in gram flour packets

JAIPUR: Two flour mills owned by a businessman were seized as he was allegedly selling gram flour, which was actually a mixture of semolina, corn flour and gram flour. The health department officials seized 4,500 kg of flour.

Health department’s food safety wing conducted inspection in Ramganj area on Tuesday. They found that a businessman was allegedly selling gram flour packets. But, when the food safety officers checked it, they found that gram flour was just five percent, while 60% content was semolina and 35% content was corn flour. The health department officials said that though the other contents they found in the packets, which was being sold as gram flour, were edible but the owner has cheated his customers. “The prices of Semolina are much lesser than the prices of gram flour. To make more money, the owner was mixing cheap semolina in gram flour and he was selling it as gram flour packet,” said a health department official.

Besides, the firm has food licence for wholesale but it did not have the manufacturing and packing licence of food products. Officials said that he was supplying his products in Bandikui and Uniyara.

Milk adulterators flourish with limited crackdown

Bhubaneswar: The menace of adulteration of packaged milk in Odisha seems to be continuing unabated as the food safety departments at the district levels detect these cases every year. However, Odisha lagging behind other states in conducting tests of milk samples has become a matter of concern.

According to statistics from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), proved cases of adulteration and misbranding are found in Odisha every year during random checks undertaken by the state food safety departments, which are mandated to check the adulteration cases in food and beverages under the Food Safety Act.

Statistics from the FSSAI claim that in 2015-16, Odisha Food Safety department analysed 14 milk samples and found five of them adulterated. Similarly, in 2016-17 more such cases of violation of food safety rules were brought to the limelight. During this period out of 25 milk samples eight were found to be adulterated/misbranded.

In 2017-18, eight samples of milk were tested out of which three were found be adulterated/misbranded. However, statistics claimed that the Food Safety department refrained from filing legal cases against them to either send them to jail or to penalise them for their faults.

However, the samples tested by the state department as against many other states are less. For example, while Odisha tested merely 14 samples of milk in 2015-16 other states set examples by conducting massive searches. While Andhra Pradesh tested 205 milk samples during the same period, Gujarat tested 916 samples and Maharashtra a whopping 1,171 samples to find out if the milk sold in the market are fit for consumption or not.

Unlike Odisha, there are also several other states which also showed the way to crack down on milk adulterators by undertaking legal proceedings against them. For example: Gujarat filed 60 cases when it found 80 such violations, Madhya Pradesh 181 legal cases and Uttar Pradesh 1,621 legal cases against food safety violators.

FSSAI and its state units had conducted a Nationwide Qualitative Screening of milk samples for on-spot qualitative and quantitative analysis of milk samples for quality parameters like Fat, Solids-Not-Fat (SNF), added water, protein content and safety parameters and 13 adulterants, antibiotics, pesticides and Aflatoxin M1 covering around 1,100 towns across the country.

BOX: MILK STANDARD TESTING IN 2017-18

STATES MILK SAMPLES TESTED ADULTERATED/MISBRANDED

Uttar Pradesh 5,042 2,631

Maharashtra 2,030 311

Punjab 1,420 485

Gujarat 548 75

Odisha 08 03

12 food business operators challanged under FSSA

JAMMU, Feb 26: Food Safety team of Drug and Food Control Organization today challaned 12 food business operators under various provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006.

A team of food safety officers led by Dr Parvesh Kumar, Assistant commissioner, Food Safety, Municipal limit Jammu under the directions of Commissioner of Food Safety, J&K conducted inspections of various food courts and restaurants situated at Palm Island Mall, Akhnoor Road Jammu.

During the inspection, 12 food business operators were challaned under Section 56 and 58 of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 as they were preparing food under insanitary and unhygienic conditions and also violated other provisions of the Act.

Among those challaned were The GT Road Restaurant, TFB Hospitality (Grill Inn), 39 Bakers, Strictly Street, Asian Express, Karims Mughalai Food, Combo King, Halka Fulka, Snacks Hutt, Grab & Go, Pind Balluchi and R K Food (U S Piza). Moreover, samples of prepared food and raw materials were also lifted and sent to food testing laboratory for detection of adulteration.

The Team also instructed the food business operators located in and around the mall to maintain hygienic practices and sanitation as per schedule 4 of FSS Act 2006 and follow other norms of FSSA. The inspection team was comprised of food safety officers Ajay Khajuria, Hans Raj Andotra, Pervaiz Ahmed and Sabha Rasool.