DINAKARAN NEWS

85% of food adulteration cases in Bhind pending since 2011

On July 19, authorities seized over 700 kg of milk products during raids in Bhind and Morena districts.

An inter-State racket involving spurious milk was recently busted in the M.P. district

Almost 85% of food adulteration cases, primarily relating to milk and dairy products, registered in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh are pending in courts since 2011. An inter-State racket involving adulteration of milk and dairy products was recently busted in the district, as per an RTI reply.

There have been convictions in only eight of the 55 cases registered between January 22, 2011, and September 4, 2017, in the district. The last conviction was in 2016, according to an RTI reply to a query raised by activist Ajay Dubey.

Raid on units

On July 19, the State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Department and a Special Task Force raided units manufacturing synthetic milk and dairy products in Bhind and Morena districts. Around 10,000 litres of synthetic milk, 500 kg of mawa and 200 kg of paneer were seized. Around 60 persons, including food inspectors, were arrested.

Following this, the government cracked down on units manufacturing spurious milk and the State Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Tulsiram Silawat said that the National Security (NSA) Act, 1980, would be invoked against those involved in the illegal activity.

“It was unreasonable to invoke the NSA Act against adulterators when there were so many cases pending,” said Mr. Dubey, adding: “Those who are stalling litigation and thereby not bringing the accused to book must be held accountable for the proliferation of such rackets in the State. What is the point of the NSA Act when the pendency rate is so high?”

Forty-two cases in Bhind district relate to adulteration of milk and dairy products. Thirty-seven cases of adulteration are being investigated, including one in which the Madhya Pradesh government is the accused party. The RTI reply stated that there were no registered cases of spurious drugs in the district.

State Controller of the FDA department Ravindra Singh admitted the high pendency rate was a concern. “We have apprised the Chief Secretary of the rate and plan to fast track the process. We have also directed District Collectors to dispose of cases on a priority basis,” he said.

Meanwhile, the FDA department recently seized 5,200 litres of adulterated milk being transported by a tanker to Kanpur from Porsa, Morena district. Chemicals and skimmed milk powder worth ₹30 lakh were also seized in a raid at a milk godown in the district. A show-cause notice was issued to the Food Safety Officer of the district for negligence.

From Pipalyamira, four samples were taken from a paneer factory and 255 kg of condensed milk and 250 kg of ghee were seized from Unhel, Ujjain district. In the past few days, 233 samples of milk and dairy products from across the State have been sent to the State Food Laboratory for testing.

TOXIC METALS IN VEGETABLES

Context

According to National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) study, vegetables grown on the Yamuna floodplain have been found to contain high doses of lead, which, on prolonged consumption, could trigger a range of diseases.

Major points

• The heaviest lead contamination was found in coriander collected from east Delhi.
• Except for cabbage, lead levels were found to be above the standard in all vegetables collected from vendors, with the highest level found in spinach (14.1 mg/kg).
• While the safe limit for lead in vegetables has been set at 2.5mg/kg by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the level of the metal detected in vegetable samples collected from the floodplain ranges from 2.8mg/kg to 13.8mg/kg.
• The study was conducted in February 2019 by the NEERI and the findings were placed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in May 2019.

FSSAI for tie up with stakeholders to tackle safety concerns

​​​There is an urgent need to drive improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of overall food system, given the triple challenges of food safety, food security and nutritional security faced by the country, it said.

Regulator Food Safety And Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday pitched for partnerships with all stakeholders to address the challenges of quality and safety concerns. 

There is an urgent need to drive improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of overall food system, given the triple challenges of food safety, food security and nutritional security faced by the country, it said. 

Addressing the sixth stakeholder forum on scientific advances in food safety and food security, the FSSAI Chairperson Rita Teotia elaborated on the scale of challenges faced by India, where 1.3 billion population is vulnerable to both under and over nutrition. 

Among others, Teotia emphasized the need for partnerships and collaborations with all stakeholders to successfully address the complexities and challenges. 

The stakeholders meet was organised by CII-HUL Initiative on Food Safety Sciences (CHIFSS) in partnership with FSSAI. 

CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research Director Alok Dhawan highlighted the critical importance of timely adoption of next generation science based, risk based, objective safety evaluation approaches, application of sensors and diagnostic techniques into regulatory frameworks to keep pace with developed world. 

He also emphasized the need to focus on the origin of food supply chain, which will help deliver safe foods to the consumers. 

Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) Regulatory Affairs Director A Sivakumar stressed on the need to institutionalise food safety and build capacity and capability.