Oct 17, 2019
FSSAI launches Food Safety Mitra for ease of doing business, job creation
FSSAI has said that the scheme will lead to improved ease of doing business
A Food Safety Mitra is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act
In a bid to improve the ease of doing business, apex food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday launched a scheme --Food Safety Mitra (FSM). The scheme will support small and medium scale food businesses in compliance to the food safety laws.
FSSAI has said that the scheme will lead to improved ease of doing business by creating a transparent and organized ecosystem supporting food businesses wherein food businesses will be able to get trained service providers at fair prices - lowering the costs of compliance.
“Apart from strengthening food safety, this scheme would also create new employment opportunities for youth, particularly with food and nutrition background. The FSM would undergo training and certification by FSSAI to do their work and get paid by food businesses for their services," said Pawan Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, FSSAI.
“FSM opens a new dimension to food safety administration by augmenting government capacity and providing services to food businesses, particularly small and medium food businesses in the area of registration and licensing, training and hygiene rating. Through FSM, FSSAI plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety ecosystem at ground level," he said.
A Food Safety Mitra is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act, Rules and regulations with three avatars viz. Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra depending upon their respective roles and responsibilities.
The FSSAI has also written to various states to implement the scheme properly. It has asked that in order to kick start the scheme, the assistance of the Network of Professionals of Food and Nutrition in
India chapters of respective States (where ever they exist) may also be taken.
FSSAI has put together an online portal for the same i.e. https: // fssa i.gov.in / mitra / and the registrations on the same for Digital Mitra have begun. A detailed brochure for the Food Safety Mitra scheme containing the structure and fees etc. is attached and is also available at https://fssai.gov.in mitra / doc/ fsrn.pdf.
Food regulator asks sweet manufacturers to ensure quality
At meeting held for confectioners here on Tuesday, the food regulator has stressed them to use minimal colours in sweets.
Calls for adulterant-free, safe confectioneries for Deepavali
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has advised bakery and sweets manufacturers to prepare and stock adulterant-free and safe confectioneries for this Deepavali.
At meeting held for confectioners here on Tuesday, the food regulator has stressed them to use minimal colours in sweets. Samples of sweets made with minimal colours and those made with high concentration of colourants were displayed at the meeting for better understanding.
K. Tamilselvan, Designated Officer of FSSAI, Coimbatore, said that the focus of the meeting was to educate confectioners on good practices to be followed in the manufacturing of sweets from the selection of raw materials to the packing and the storage.
“Confectioners have been advised to use quality raw materials for the manufacture of sweets. They were instructed to maintain at most hygiene in the place of manufacture, personal hygiene of the employees, and follow various rules of the FSSAI in the making, storage and packing of sweets,” he said.
Colouring agents permitted by the FSSAI should be used for manufacturing sweets that require colour. The permitted colours should not be used beyond the prescribed level, not more than 100mg for 1 kg of sweets or 100 PPM (parts per million) of the item. Vanaspati should not be used instead of ghee for ghee-based sweets. Only packaged cooking oil should be used for making sweets. “The confectioners were asked to avoid banned plastic products for packing sweets. The package should have proper label which include FSSAI licence/registration number, the name and address of the manufacturer, dates of manufacture and expiry, price and ingredients. Milk-based products that have short shelf life should be stored separately while stocking”, he added. Employees at the manufacturing units and shops should wear proper clothing and should have hygiene gears like glove, cap and face mask. Newspaper should not be used for storing or packaging purposes.
The WhatsApp helpline of FSSAI can be reached at 94440-42322 to share food safety related grievances.
Food safety teams intensify sampling to check malpractices
Chandigarh: Ahead of Diwali, food safety teams have intensified sampling of food products by daily collecting 100 samples on an average.
To check inter-district and inter-state transit of sub-standard sweets, paneer and khoya, special checkpoints have been set up across the state. Besides sampling, the food safety teams have also launched a drive to sensitise the food business operators (FBOs) about maintaining good manufacturing and hygiene practices.
Tandrust Punjab Mission director Kahan Singh Pannu said a special emphasis is being laid on the quality and quantity of the permissible food grade colours that may be used for the preparation of sweets.
The sweet shop owners have been instructed to avoid synthetic colours in the manufacturing of sweets and maintain proper hygiene during bulk preparation on their premises. They have also been asked to either prepare khoya for their requirement on their own or buy it from trusted sources with proper bills/invoices, said Pannu.
Inspections have led to conviction in six cases and fine to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore imposed in 850 cases on the erring food business operators.
More than 350 awareness camps have been organised to help FBOs improve the hygiene and quality of food products. The FBOs have also been sensitised to abide by the laws mandated under the Food Safety Act and the guidelines of FSSAI. They are also being made aware to procure necessary licence/registration.
In Punjab, there are over one lakh food business operators of which a large number are working without mandatory licence. For encouraging FBOs to apply for licence, the government has already launched an online initiative.
As per the norms, licence is issued to the FBO having an annual turnover above Rs 12 lakh, while registration certificate is mandatory for an FBO with an annual turnover under Rs 12 lakh.
Malls, shops checked by VMC for food safety ahead of Diwali
Vadodara: Teams of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) food safety officers checked malls, shops and manufacturing units making delicacies for Diwali festivities. Seven shops were issued notices after conditions there were found unhygienic.
Four teams were formed by the civic body to check establishments making and selling food items like sweets, savouries, bakery products and confectioneries. In all, 49 establishments were checked in the drive that began on Tuesday. These included six malls, 16 bakeries as well as 27 shops in different parts of the city.
The teams collected 48 samples of food items from these places even as 11kg material found unfit for consumption at shops was disposed.
The officials also found the conditions in seven shops and manufacturing units unhygienic and they were issued notices.
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