Jan 31, 2020
IIFPT signs pact with FSSAI to ensure food safety in preparation, distribution of temple prasadam
THANJAVUR: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated a project to encourage all places of worship to adopt and maintain food safety and hygiene in the preparation and distribution of ‘prasadam’, FSSAI chairperson Rita Teaotia said.
After inaugurating a modern food testing laboratory-cum training centre on the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) campus in Thanjavur on Thursday, Rita said that global food safety has to be ensured in the country by promoting modern food safety practices. It has been a big challenge to cover the population of 1.35 billion people with minimum facility and resources in the country.
While speaking about BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God) project, she said that the places of worship are a very important part of Indian society and food served at these places is regarded as pure and sacred. Food safety measures also need to be implemented at such places.
“FSSAI has initiated a project to encourage all places of worship to adopt and maintain food safety and hygiene in the preparation of prasadam. All the places of worship that distribute prasadam, including vendors are required to obtain FSSAI licence or registration and they also need to follow the sanitary and hygiene practices as per the food safety standards regulations. In this context, IIFPT has signed an MoU with the managements of Brihadeeswarar Temple, Punnainallur Mariamman Temple and Shirdi Saibaba Temple in Thanjavur for ensuring safe distribution of prasadam,” she said.
“It is high time to bring street vendors and restaurants under the regulations of the FSSAI. The testing-cum training centre established by the IIFPT will serve public, farmers, researchers and students in a big way for the production of safe food and would serve as a skill promotion hub for food safety and hygiene,” she said.
The newly-created the centre has essential facilities for testing potential food contaminants such as microbial identification system, genetic analyser, and pathogen screening, director of IIFPT Dr C Anandharamakrishnan said.
“The centre is unique in screening and testing a wide range of pathogens and microbes in food. The MoU signed with the temple managements will enable skill development for personnel handling at temple kitchens, periodical quality check on food safety and hygiene. The IIFPT also plans to join hands with FSSAI local authorities for testing and safe food distribution in the forthcoming consecration at the Big Temple on February 5,” he said.
Earlier, IIFPT officials signed an MoU with temple managements for the safe distribution of prasadam in the presence of FSSAI chairperson Rita Teaotia. Over 700 people participated in an awareness campaign organized during the event on ‘Eat Right India’.
‘Use of chemicals to ripen fruits amounts to poisoning consumers’
Sending culprits to jail will have deterrent effect: HC
The Delhi High Court has observed that use of pesticides and chemicals to ripen fruits amounts to poisoning the consumer, while noting that invoking penal provisions against the culprits would have a deterrent effect.
A Bench of Justices G.S. Sistani and A.J. Bhambani said, “Using chemicals like calcium carbide to ripen mangoes is like poisoning somebody. Why should the Indian Penal Code be not invoked against them?”
“Send such persons to jail, even if for two days and it would have a deterrent effect,” the Bench said while hearing a petition initiated by the court to monitor use of pesticides on fruits and vegetables.
The High Court asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India [FSSAI] if calcium carbide was still being used to ripen fruits, like mangoes and sought the presence of its Chief Executive Officer to assist it on the next date of hearing.
It also asked the Ministry of Agriculture if any kit was available for consumers to test for calcium carbide at home. The Ministry replied that no such kit was available as the presence of calcium carbide can only be tested in laboratories with the help of proper equipment and additional chemicals.
The Delhi government told the High Court that it has been picking up samples from the various markets in the Capital for tests and also carrying out awareness drives. It also told the court that some of the samples were tested and no chemicals were found and the results of other sample tests were awaited.
Apart from the petition initiated by the court on its own, the High Court was also hearing two other pleas by private individuals seeking directions to the authorities to curb the use of pesticides and other chemicals on food products, especially the agricultural produce, coming into the national capital.
An earlier report by amicus curiae Rajul Jain had stated that due to excessive usage of pesticides in fruits and vegetable, “various countries have banned the import of Indian vegetables and fruits and many more were under scrutiny”.
Food business operators fined
Officials from the Food Safety Department conducted a special drive here recently and fined food business operators for various violations under the Food Safety Act.
The drive was conducted on January 24 and 25. The officials checked the premises of bakeries, beeda stalls and other general stores. They raided around 33 places and fined 20 shops to the tune of ₹1 lakh for use of banned products like hans and 13 shops to the tune of ₹26,000 for use of banned plastic items. The officials warned that action would be taken against repeat offenders.
Jan 30, 2020
Rice, plastic items seized
Personnel from the Civil Supplies Department on Tuesday seized 16,000 kg of rice, meant for distribution through the PDS. Officials intercepted a lorry on the K.V. Kuppam-Katpadi Road, and found the rice.
In a separate incident, a surprise raid carried out by Food Safety Officials and Revenue Department officials in Natrampalli on Tuesday, under instructions of the Tirupattur District Collector, and over 2.5 tonnes of banned plastic items were seized.
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to be strict on food safety from February 1
The civic body will also initiate the registration for Subhojanam project that aims at food safety from February 1.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: February is going to be a busy one for Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation. After making it clear that only registered water tankers can ply in the city from February, the civic body will also initiate the registration for Subhojanam project that aims at food safety from February 1. To improve the productivity in the city corporation, punching and CCTV cameras will also start functioning in the main office from February.
The packed schedule is a result of the 100-day action plan which was launched last November on the fourth anniversary of the LDF-led Corporation.
Mayor K Sreekumar promised better meat waste disposal system and stricter implementation of the meat waste collection by corporation as part of the 100 day plan while he addressed the media on Friday at Mascot hotel here.
Subhojanam
The project aims at carving a hygienic food culture and to ensure that food safety standards are met across the corporation limit. A licence will be provided to all associated with food making and distribution after providing them training and a health test.
“The registration is free of cost and the process should be completed within one month. The test and training will be completed within six months. After six months since implementation, we will fix a licence fee. The project is a key in ensuring safe and hygienic food in the city,” said Mayor K Sreekumar.
Jan 29, 2020
9 food handlers issued notices
Officials issue a notice at Kalyan village on Tuesday.
Patiala, January 28
The food wing of the Health Department today issued notices to nine food handlers for not possessing registration certificates. The notices had been issued for violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI), 2006.
Issuing a warning to the violators, the department said they would impose fine if the violators failed to get registration certificates in seven days.
The notices were issued during a raid by District Health Officer (DHO) Shelly Jetly. She said no food handlers would be allowed to sell food products without registration.
“We have given seven days’ time window for the violators to get themselves registered as per the Act. If they fail to comply with the notices, they will be slapped fine,” the DHO said.
The Health Department had been conducting several camps to make food handlers aware of registration certificates. However, a majority of the food handlers have been reportedly selling food products without licence.
The department collected as many as six food samples from various villages. The DHO said the samples were sent to the state lab.
Jan 27, 2020
One arrested, gutka worth Rs 2.6 lakh seized in Nellore
Acting on a tip-off, the Santhapeta police conducted raids on Venkatesh’s shop and house on Saturday evening and seized the contraband.
NELLORE: The Chinna Bazar police arrested a person and seized gutka packets worth Rs 2.6 lakh and 2 kg of ganja worth Rs 20,000 from him. The accused was identified as N Venkatesh (42) of Macleans Road here.
According to Nellore city DSP J Srinivasulu Reddy, Venkatesh of Old Hospital Area had been indulging in sale of gutka and ganja. He used to procure them from Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam Agency and store them at his house.
Acting on a tip-off, the Santhapeta police conducted raids on Venkatesh’s shop and house on Saturday evening and seized the contraband.
The Santhapeta police registered a case against the accused with Cr.No.24/2020 under Sections 272, 273, 188, 420 and 328 of IPC, Section 59 of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Section 8 (c) r/w 20 (B) (i) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
FDA team collects 12 food samples
Food and Drugs Administration officials during a raid on a shop in Ambala City.
Ambala, January 25
A team of Food and Drugs Administration on Friday took samples of milk, cheese sandwich, pizza, pasta, spices, and soup from eateries in Ambala City. The team took a total of 12 samples for analysis.
Designated Food Safety Officer Ambala Subhash Chander said “The samples of different food items, including milk from dairy, sandwich, pizza, pasta and chilli powder from different food joints have been taken while seven samples of food items have been collected from the roadside vendors. The samples would be sent to Food Laboratory, Karnal, for analysis and the results are expected to come after 15 days.”
Jan 22, 2020
Yewale tea adulterated with dye, says lab report
The findings of central government-run food laboratory are based on samples sent by FDA
Yewale Food Products — which has multiple tea shops in Pune — has now come under the scanner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after it found that samples collected from them were adulterated.
The organisation received a lab report on Tuesday which said that the samples contained synthetic colour used to dye tea powder.
The FDA had sent the tea samples a month ago to the central government-run food laboratory in Mysuru, Karnataka.
The report said that a synthetic dye called tartrazine was used to dye the tea powder. This is not allowed as per the food safety rules and can be harmful to health, said FDA officials.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), 2011, regulation 2.10.1 (1) on tea says, “The product shall be free from extraneous matter, added colouring matter and harmful substances.”
Earlier in September 2019, an inspection was conducted by the FDA at a Yewale Food Products facility in Katraj and it issued a stop-work notice after finding violations of the food safety rules. FDA officials, during the raid, found tea powder, tea masala and sugar manufactured and packaged by Yewale under its brand name.
Mandatory details like content, manufacturing date, expiry date and others were missing from the packaging. There was also no quality check from an FSSAI-approved laboratory. Samples from these products were sent for testing.
“The reports were found which approved the standard of preparatory food but I was suspicious about the findings. I decided to send it to the referral food laboratory in Mysuru, run by the central government,” said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune region.
“There are no provisions for use of colour in tea in the FSSAI guidelines, as it would lead to food safety and health problems. The colour has been used to make the tea look more attractive. There are some colours which are non-toxic and permitted by FSSAI to be used in products like sweets and fruit juices. FSSAI permits use of eight synthetic colours in specific food items and tea is not included in that list,” he added. Tea (finished product/made tea) occasionally contains extraneous colouring materials which are not allowed. It is called adulterant tea said the officials.
Apla Kandgule, a spokesperson from Yewale Food products, refuted the finding and claimed that this is not possible. “We follow the food safety standards and rules, and samples are sent by us to laboratories routinely to get a quality check. The FDA has earlier conducted an inspection at our centre, during which the samples were sent to the lab. The reports of these labs are clear and we are unaware about the lab reports form Mysuru,” she said.
Mirror reported on the matter on September 25, 2019
The report said that a synthetic dye called tartrazine was used to dye the tea powder
Food samples picked from 3 city shops unfit for consumption: FDA
Dehradun: The officials of Food and Drug department, who raided three city food outlets in September last year and procured ghee, cottage cheese, and other edibles, claimed that both state and central food labs have found out that those samples are unfit for consumption and substandard. The FDA officials have now sought permission to lodge case against a local bakery and ghee manufacturer for selling substandard food items.
The raids were made after locals complained that food products from these outlets taste sour and get bad very soon.
FDA inspector Yogendra Pandey told TOI, “As per Food Safety Standard Act of 2006, the factory owner can be booked under section 52 of the Act. Under this section, a fine of Rs 3 lakh can be imposed on the offender and under section 51 of the Act, a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh can be levied. As the food samples of all the three food outlets and factories failed the quality test, we have written to the food commissioner to initiate case against the owners of the food outlets under Food Security Act at ADM’s court.” The official added that the offenders can be imprisoned for up to 7 years for selling substandard food products. Notably, Pandey was also a member of the team which raided these outlets.
According to the FDA officials, the report of the central lab was received by the department earlier this month.
Street food vendors unaware of training by FSSAI
The residents of Ranchi will now get hygienic and nutritious food served by hotels and street food vendors. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made food safety training and certification mandatory for all food traders in the City.
As per a directive issued by Sub Divisional Officer Lokesh Mishra, street food vendors caught selling any food items without undergoing the training programme will have their license cancelled. The training programme started on December 24 and is being imparted at IACT near Guru Nanak School.
However, street vendors in popular market areas are not aware of any such programme. While some are keen to receive training others don’t want to lose out on business because of it.
Santosh, a food truck owner in Morabadi was unaware of any such notice being issued. “I don’t have any information about the training programme and no notice has been given by the authorities till now. However, there is a lot of competition so if I do go for the training, I will lose out on the day’s business.”
Savan, a momo stall owner is not too keen to be a part of the training. “I have not heard of any such training programme. I am already trained in my work and have worked in a hotel earlier before opening this stall, so I don’t need any more training whatever it is.
The progamme will be of around four hours with about 40 food vendors in one batch. Under the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) there are about 500 food vans and more than 10,000 food carts set up. The food department has set of target of training about 9,000 such vendors in the first phase.
“The main objective of this project is to ensure that healthy and hygienic food is what reaches the customers. The FOSTAC- Food Safety Training Certification trainers will impart training to manufacturers, whole sellers, retailers, meat shop owners and street food vendors.
Under this an annual health check up is also included to ensure that they do not have any communicable diseases,” said Food Safety Officer (FSO) Dr SS Kullu.
The training will include information about packaging, serving clean food, and storing perishables in a proper way. Trainers will also impart information about the proper use of organic food colour, ways to reuse and recycle cooking oil.
The district administration and the department in an attempt to reach out to food vendors and suppliers is conducting a mobilization drive and localities covered include Chutiya, Kanke and Hinoo.
The programme is divided in three categories.
The basic and advanced courses are charged at Rs 600 and Rs 800 respectively while for the street food vendors it is for free.
Dr Kullu further added that registrations for the course can be done online and offline. Those with a turnover of 12 lakh and above need a license while for others registration is mandatory.
FDA proposes prohibition on OFSAs and FBOs sans hygiene rating
Exercising the powers under section 30(2)(a) of Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, Commissioner, Food & Drug Administration Punjab, KS. Pannu has issued a show cause notice to the Online Food Supply Aggregators (OFSAs) as well as the Food Business Operators ( FBOs) in Punjab as to why not prohibit the distribution/supply/sale of food through OFSAs related to those FBOs who have not got their hygiene rating done.
It has also been proposed to prohibit Online Food Supply Aggregators from sourcing the food from FBÖS sans proper hygiene rating , informed the Commissioner and added that the objections to the said proposal, if any, have been invited to the FDA office by January 30, 2020.
Pannu said that information technology driven Online Food Supply Aggregators such as M/s Uber Eats, M/s Swiggy, M/s Zomato, M/s Food Panda etc have been distributing/selling/supplying food to the consumers after sourcing the same from Food Business Operators. This is a very recent phenomenon in which the direct and primary contact between the consumer of food articles and the manufacturers of food articles, especially the hot cooked food articles has snapped, opined Pannu. This mechanism of distribution/sale/supply of food by OFSA has obliterated the system of responsibility of maintaining the quality of food, which till now was being directly verified by the consumers from the food business operators at his counter.
Commissioner, Food & Drug Administration said that with the introduction of mechanism of OFSAs, it has become important to ensure that these aggregators supply only the good quality and properly hygienic food articles to the consumers. He said that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India( FSSAI) has issued instructions vide which the system of hygiene rating of the food business operators has been introduced and the FSSAI has empanelled various agencies to conduct the hygiene rating of the FBOs. He said that FDA, Punjab had advised all the OFSA in May 2019 to ensure that the FBOs from where they were sourcing the food for distribution to consumers should be asked to get the hygiene rating of their business done and the OFSA should source and supply the food from only those FBOs who secure at least three smilies out of a range of five smilies in the matter of hygiene rating.
He informed that in September 2019 the date of getting the hygiene rating of the FBOs was extended till 31st of October, 2019. But, in December 2019, the representatives of OFSAs namely M/s Uber Eats informed that 132 FBOs out of 521 FBOs enlisted with them have got the hygiene rating done. Similarly, M/s Zomato intimated that only 72 FBOs registered with them out of total 6108 have got the hygiene rating done.
He said that the progress of ensuring hygiene rating by these agencies was found to be woefully inadequate. Since, the issue involved is related to public health, therefore, in the public Interest it has been proposed to prohibit those FBOs who have not got the hygiene rating of their premises done from supplying their food to the OFSA. It is also proposed to prohibit the OFSA to source and purchase the food for supply to public from those FBOs which are not hygienically rated and where such rating is less than 3 marks/smilies out of 5, informed Pannu.
80% shops in city not registered with FSSAI
Bathinda, January 20
Food Safety Officer Tarun Bansal on Monday conducted checking at 10 shops in various markets of the city and found none of them possessing Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence or registration. The owners of these shops were served notices and were asked to get a licence made within a week. Notably, as per the FSSAI norms, the FBOs with annual turnover below Rs12 lakh must get registered while those with annual turnover more than Rs12 lakh must possess a licence.
In a crackdown against food business operators (FBOs) operating without registration or possessing FSSAI licence, the District Health Department has launched a campaign in the district. The teams constituted, by the District Health Officer (DHO), for the purpose have started checking at markets.
The department has launched a campaign to spread awareness to exhort owners of large scale FBOs, kiosks and roadside vendors regarding the importance and significance of licence and registration. Out of the two, one team would conduct awareness and checking in the city and the other would cover all blocks in the district.
As per the Health Department records, only 20 per cent of food business operators in the district have got themselves registered or possess licence which is mandatory under the FSSAI Act 2006. Even as 12 years have elapsed since the Act was introduced only a minuscule part of FBOs are operating with required licence or registration. The Act was introduced with the motive to improve the quality of food, prevent adulteration and bring the food business in the ambit of organised sector.
Talking to Bathinda Tribune, District Health Officer Dr Ramesh Maheswari, said, “We will sensitise FBOs regarding the FSSAI norms and conduct random checking. Those who will be found operating without licence will be penalised. ”
Jan 21, 2020
BMC sanitary inspector held for accepting Rs 1.5 lakh bribe
The ACB had also picked up a civilian for allegedly accepting the bribe money on behalf of the constables, identified as Sandip Rane, Mukund Shinde, and Sanjay Talekar.
MUMBAI: A sanitary inspector of the Mumbai civic body was arrested on Monday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1.5 lakh for issuing a food license, an ACB official said.
Paresh Koregaonkar attached to R South ward was picked up when he was accepting the money from the complainant at the latter's shop in suburban Malad, he said. A case is being registered against Koregaonkar.
In a separate incident, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials had arrested three police constables on January 18 for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 from the owner of a street food stall in Dharavi, the official said on Monday.
The ACB had also picked up a civilian for allegedly accepting the bribe money on behalf of the constables, identified as Sandip Rane, Mukund Shinde, and Sanjay Talekar.
They all are attached to the Dharavi police station in central Mumbai.
EOW to send gutka samples for test after food safety clearance
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh economic offences wing (EOW) has decided that samples of gutka and other raw materials that the food safety department had received following purity tests, would be sent for separate testing.
Incidentally, the EOW had recently raided a factory in Govindpura and seized samples of gutka and other raw materials. On Monday, the food safety department received reports of 40 samples sent for purity test, which included 12 samples of gutka. Out of the total 40, 15 have failed the test while remaining 25 cleared the Food Safety & Standards Act (FSSA) standards.
Among the 12 gutka samples, six samples of known gutka companies were found substandard while none of them were found unsafe for consumption.
The EOW, however, has decided to send samples of the gutka and raw materials for investigations to examine whether it contains hazardous substances, sources said.
“EOW has received some complaints about the samples so they want to verify at their own level,” said an officer in the local administration. Role of some top officials of the food department are also under scanner.
Meanwhile, sample of a brand of gutka, produced in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, taken during a drive in MP were found to have magnesium carbonate content more than permissible limit, and has, therefore, been classified unsafe for consumption. Sample of betel leaves taken from New Market was declared ‘unsafe’ because it contained tobacco as well.
Besides, four milk samples taken from two establishment in the city were found substandard because they did not have the requisite fat content.
Producers/suppliers of all the samples found substandard or unsafe are being served notices under the provision of FSSA, said DK Verma, senior food safety officer based at Bhopal.
Meanwhile, mobile food lab, which is going to various localities in Bhopal to display how purity of edibles is checked can be checked at homes itself, on Monday went to Indrapuri, Anand Nagar, Gulmohar, Piplani and Bawadia Kalan areas and interacted with residents there. The sample brought by residents were put to test before them by the technicians accompanying the mobile lab and report were submitted on the spot. They were also given tips on how they can themselves check purity of goods by simple techniques. In all, 32 samples were tested in the drive against adulteration, now christened as ‘Shudh Ke Liye Yudh’.
Incidentally, it was the final day of mobile food lab on the roads of Bhopal. During past 10 days, while operating in different areas of Bhopal, the lab tested more than 300 samples brought by residents.
Food safety department opens its regional centre office at Kunnamangalam
KOZHIKODE: P T A Rahim MLA inaugurated the Kunnamangalam Regional Centre Office of the Food Safety department here on Monday.
With the commissioning of regional office at Kunnamangalam, traders and public residing in the limits of Kunnamangalam , Chathamangalam, Mavoor, Peruvayal, Perumanna and Olavanna panchayats need not visit the Mudalakulam office to register their complaints related to food safety and to renew their FSSAI license.
Kunnamangalam Block panchayat president Sunitha Puthukuzhiyil presided over the function . Food safety Beypore circle officer Dr Joseph Kuriakose; Vyapara Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi president K K Jawhar; Kunnamangalam food safety regional centre officer A P Anu, Food Safety assistant commissioner P K Alleyamma and others attended the function.
Jan 20, 2020
How milk could be carcinogenic
I would have done an enquiry into two things: the pesticides that were being used to grow the feed and the aflatoxin contamination of the crop.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has done a detailed survey of milk across India and released the results in October 2019. They found that a large amount of milk had aflatoxins, dangerous carcinogens, in it, far beyond the permissible limit. The highest rates of aflatoxin contamination were found in Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Kerala.
Aflatoxins are 20 toxins produced by mould (fungi) of the genus Aspergillus, namely, A flavus, A parasiticus and A nomius. Aflatoxin B1 is the most predominant form in aflatoxin-contaminated crops. When cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats eat feed contaminated with aflatoxins B1 and B2, aflatoxins M1 and M2 will be formed in their livers and excreted in milk. This is drunk by you.
Aflatoxins cause both acute and chronic toxicity. Aflatoxins B1 and M1 are the most potent and can cause acute liver damage, cirrhosis, and cancer. They have been classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Aflatoxins-producing moulds affect crops in warmer parts of the world. Peanuts, maize and cottonseeds are most frequently incriminated, but it is also found in wheat, cassava, oilseeds, fruits, wines, legumes. The moulds (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus) grow in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains. The optimal growth temperature is 25º Celsius, but already at 10-12ºCelsius the fungus starts to grow.
Droughts make the crops even more susceptible to Aspergillus infection. But it can occur at any time: After the crops are harvested, contamination can occur during storage when there is delayed drying, or when the moisture level is high. Rodents and insects in the silos facilitate mould infestations. Aflatoxin contamination can occur along the entire food chain, starting from the field, during storage, and transportation and processing.
Animals fed contaminated food pass aflatoxins into eggs, milk, and meat. Milk is the most important source of aflatoxins in the human food chain, containing both M1 and B1.
Once the aflatoxins are in the milk they cannot be removed by boiling, pressure cooking or pasteurisation.
Cancer is not the only problem. Food containing aflatoxin concentrations, of just one milligram per kilogram, can cause aflatoxicosis which causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and convulsions in the short term and acute liver failure, jaundice, lethargy, eventually leading to death, according to a WHO study in February 2018. “Based on past outbreaks, it has been estimated that when consumed over a period of one–three weeks, an Aflatoxin B1 dose of 20–120 microgram per kilogram (µg/kg) by weight per day is acutely toxic and potentially lethal,” the study says.
And that’s not all. A study, conducted in Nairobi, Kenya in August 2018, stated that aflatoxin contamination had severe health impacts on milk drinkers, causing stunting in children under the age of five years. “The exposure to AFM1 from milk is 46 nanogram per kilogram (ng/day) on average, but children bear higher exposure of 3.5 ng/kg bodyweight per day (bw/day) compared to adults, at 0.8 ng/kg bw/day. This causes stunting among children,” the study said.
According to FSSAI standards, the permissible limit of aflatoxins in milk is 0.5 µg/kg. The FSSAI survey showed that about 10 per cent of the milk samples were contaminated. Imagine 10 per cent of India’s population that drinks milk, takes this poison in daily. 38 per cent of lakhs of children are now stunted according to government figures.
Aflatoxins are also mutagenic. Which means they damage our DNA, cause it to mutate and set into motion a problem that will affect all the coming generations of the family.
They are even more dangerous for animals, who die immediately after convulsing or develop cancer. The first aflatoxins were discovered in England in 1961 when 100,000 turkeys died suddenly. Contaminated peanut meal feed was found to be the source of the outbreak.
What should we be teaching farmers? To store grains properly so there is no mould growth. To check their fields to see that there is no mould growth. Do we do this? No. The presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), in milk and dairy products throughout the world, has been known for over thirty years and is a special problem in India. But no attempt has been made to deal with it.
Do we care what we feed our cows and buffaloes? No – as long as the quantity is there, who cares about the quality. Feed and fodder are not regulated in India. While 60 countries, including India, have put a maximum level of 0.05 μg/kg milk and the EU has put the same level for feed that is given to dairy cattle, India has no laws for fodder
A system should be in place to check fodder, and this should be made mandatory for dairy milk producers. Milk should be tested daily, instead of once in ten years, by FSSAI. Rapid screening of fresh, stored, pasteurised milk, liquid or powdered milk, cheese, needs the ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) , TLC (Total leucocyte count) or HPLC (High performance liquid chromatography test). If an alert has been signalled, the farmer must withdraw the products and suspend delivering milk to the market.
Poor storage conditions and practices can also lead to fungal contamination. The most effective method to control AFM1 concentration in milk is by applying standard Good Agricultural and Storage Practices during pre and post-harvest conditions. Strict regulations, and adapting good storage practices in developed countries, have minimised the contamination of AFM1 in milk and dairy products. Because AFB1 contamination levels vary with year and climate, it may be useful to develop an AFB1 monitoring program that takes into account climatic conditions, and pre-harvest feed quality, during its growing season. There is an urgent need to control aflatoxins, specially in urban and peri urban areas.
Most farmers know nothing about aflatoxins and, certainly, no dairy owners know that milk can be contaminated. You, as the consumer, know the least of all. A national awareness programme is important. Since it the main nutrient for babies and young children, the occurrence of AFM 1 in commercially available milk, and milk products, is a serious health problem.
IIT-Bombay develops plastic-like films for packaging industry
In an effort to counter plastic pollution, the Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-B) has developed plastic-like films for the packaging industry that can degrade into harmless components.
The institute has developed a product that is a combination of non-toxic, edible sugar-based or fat-based biopolymers approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that can degrade in about a week or a month.
Researchers said at present high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is the standard non-degradable plastic barrier film, used for both consumer goods and food, by most packaging industries in India and overseas.
Those making a switch to environment-friendly alternatives opt for sugarcane bagasse or starch containers or imported biodegradable barrier films made of polylactic acid (PLA).
HDPE is made from petroleum which is a non-renewable source. The monomer for PLA is usually derived from renewable sources such as corn starch, tapioca roots or sugarcane, but is three times the cost of the standard HDPE films.
“Developing biodegradable alternatives to plastic is a major need since single-use plastic has become a global challenge in terms of environmental hazards,” said Rinti Banerjee, Madhuri Sinha Chair Professor, department of biosciences and bioengineering.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, plastics take more than century to degrade in the environment.
Globally, 50% of consumer plastics are designed to be used only once, and 10% plastic waste is generated via domestic consumption. Only 9% of all plastic ever produced is being recycled.
Describing their work as a conscious spin-off, Banerjee said, “We have been developing non-toxic materials and technologies for various medical applications that have to degrade in the body, and therefore felt our knowledge of biomaterials can address the need of biodegradable alternatives to plastic that can be degraded completely and are also suitable for reuse.”
For the last two years, they have developed different kinds of primary film-based plastic packaging that can degrade from a week to a month. The plastic film’s transition from being transparent to translucent based on the composition of the polymers.
The low-cost invention comprises films three times the tensile strength of the HDPE films and six times that of PLA films . This is nearly one-third the cost of PLA films, said Banerjee.
A patent for technology development and composition of the biodegradable material has been filed and at present, the technology is being scaled up.
Scaling up of the manufacture of the biodegradable films with a Chennai-based packaging company is underway.
In its first phase, the product will focus on primary packaging of fast-moving consumer goods, which will then extend to packing solid perishables such as fruits and vegetables, and finally for liquids such as pouches of milk and juices.
“We need to have alternatives to plastics, especially single-use plastic. The alternatives should be sustainable, using natural materials and those which produce natural intermediates upon degradation” said Anjali Parasnis, associate director, western regional centre, The Energy Resource Institute, who is not involved with the work.
Hotel Fined INR 5,000 For Serving Customer An Iron Wire With His Biryani
A hotel in Kukatpally, Telangana was fined INR 5000 after a resident found a piece of iron wire in the biryani and the curd rice that he ordered. Srinivas Bellam placed an order for food online from Zomato from Raja Vari Ruchulu in Kukatpally on 15 January, 2020. “While eating biryani, I felt something odd in my mouth. When I removed it I realized it was a piece of iron wire. The food delivery team responded by apologizing and offered a discount instead,” said Bellam.
Dissatisfied with the grievance redressal on Zomato, he filed a complaint through the My GHMC app and Twitter. “Within a day, the health team visited the hotel and imposed a fine,” he said while also saying that he would lodge a complaint regarding the same with the consumer forum.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) last year issued revised guidelines that directly impact online food and grocery operators such as Grofers and BigBasket as well as food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato.
Food products offered for sale at the online platforms are liable to sampling at any point in the supply chain. Companies will also need to provide an indicative image of the food on their platforms so that consumers can recognise the product. All mandatory information mentioned in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006will also have to be provided to consumers before purchase and only fresh food should be delivered to consumers.
"With increasing use of ecommerce platforms by consumers, the guidelines are aimed at stepping up vigilance on safety of food provided to consumers," FSSAI Chief Executive Pawan Agarwal said. "These guidelines will help in building confidence in the ecommerce food business sector and increase its credibility."
Jan 19, 2020
Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli bags first FSSAI certification for offerings
Madurai: The Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli is to be the first temple in the state to receive Blissful Hygiene Offering to God (BHOG), a quality certification given by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for all food items offered in temples.
The certification was introduced by the state food safety and drug administration (FSDA) to ensure that the prasadam distributed to devotees in temples after being offered to the deity and also that sold in the stalls conform to FSSAI standards.
The FSDA had asked the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) department to comply with the rules. A meeting to this effect presided by Tirunelveli district collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish and officials of the administration was held recently.
It was informed that the prasadam provided by the Nellaiappar temple had been certified most hygienic and clean and that the certification would be given away at the Republic Day celebrations.
The Sankaranarayanar temple in Sankarankoil in the district has bagged the second spot among the major temples in the state in obtaining the certification. Temple executive officer N Yagna Narayanan said the certification had been implemented as a pilot project in the Nellaiappar and Sankaranarayanar temples.
As they had fulfilled the norms of the certification, they were also certified as BHOG quality standard temple.
The temple’s prasadam is boiled rice, but they also offered pongal and puliyodarai if the devotees wanted to make the offering. The annadhanam offered in the temple was also certified under this process.
Food vans test meals served to rail passengers
Kolkata: How safe is the food served to passengers on trains and at stations? On Saturday, officials from the medical department of Eastern Railway (ER), along with a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) team, tested the food at the Sealdah station with the help of mobile units known as ‘Food Safety on Wheels’.
These vans not only facilitate the testing of food items and ingredients on the spot, they also provide training on food safety. This was under a scheme initiated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“It’s a two-pronged approach. The primary objective is to ensure supply of good quality food to passengers while the second is to caution food suppliers that such tests can be carried out any time and they should not be negligent. During the day, nine samples were picked up at random from the executive ounge, base kitchen, Jan Ahaar outlet and the food court. All the items were found safe for human consumption,” said ER CPRO Nikhil Kumar Chakraborty.
“A training and certification programme for food handlers and supervisors was also conducted at Sealdah. Passengers were urged to update themselves on safe eating habits and report any issue with the food served to them at stations or on trains. Sanghamitra Chatterjee, ER additional chief medical superintendent, and Sarmistha Mukhopadhyay, food analyst, KMC, were present during the campaign. This will be extended to other stations under ER soon,” Chakraborty added.
A sweet alternative!
There could be danger lurking in every spoonful of sugar; Naga Jyothi advocates Stugar.
Apparently, Jyothi came across a newspaper article which talked about how people are changing over from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian one for health reasons.
Hyderabad-based Naga Jyothi is a woman with a mission! She wants to make India as free from diabetes as possible. In pursuit of this noble aim, she has started with the two Telugu States. Backed by considerable research, she has brought out ‘Stugar’, a sugar substitute based on the Stevia plant, which is Food Safety and Standards Authority of India approved .
Her fascination with plants prompted her to do a B.Sc degree in Agriculture and follow it up with a postgraduate degree in Agribusiness Management. “I wanted to turn my fascination into a career,” she says, “But, like most other people, I went with the flow. I first entered the banking sector, then moved over to the development sector. In the latter sphere, I was associated with farmers and artisans, which gave me exposure to farming. I was determined to do something different. So, I quit my job and decided to pursue my interest in plants”, she recounts.
Apparently, Jyothi came across a newspaper article which talked about how people are changing over from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian one for health reasons.
“So, I focused my research on the best vegetarian alternative which provides the same amount of protein and has the same taste and texture as meat, and the answer was mushrooms”, she says. It was while researching mushrooms that she came across articles about the prevalence of diabetes. She was inspired to simultaneously research alternatives for sugar.
There are many artificial sweeteners which are chemical based. I was looking for a natural sweetener and I came across the Stevia plant. It is a sweet herb, with many medicinal properties. This plant controls blood glucose levels and hypertension. I made a sweetener in the form of a powder, liquid and dip bags, under the brand name ‘Stugar’.” Convincing people to adopt this alternative to sugar was difficult for her. “Stevia is a sweetener, but people think it bitter, which is not true,” she asserts.
Jan 18, 2020
Rly food stall shut over hygiene concerns
Chennai: Southern Railway officials have ordered a probe to check if workers at a food stall on Platform 7 at the Egmore station used water from the hydrant on railway tracks to prepare tea/ milk.
The action came after a video shot by a passenger, showing the stall worker fill a tea kettle with water from the hydrant, went viral on social media over the past two days. This led to users posting on social media that the water, sent to the toilets of trains, was being used to adulterate milk used for making tea and coffee.
On Friday evening, the divisional railway manager of Chennai tweeted that the stall was closed immediately pending an investigation. The tweet also clarified that the salesman had used the water only to refill the outer wall of a double-walled electric milk boiler and not for diluting the milk.
A senior official told TOI that rumours of ‘toilet water’ being used to make tea and coffee at railway stalls were false.
“The salesman seen in the video is filling water from the hydrant, which is supplied by Chennai Metrowater Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB). The same water is available in taps at stations as well,” the official clarified. However, the water cannot be used for mixing with water as it contains chlorine and that it would instantly spoil the milk.
“The water was being used only for the external jacket in the boiler that keeps the milk or tea warm,” the official explained.
For food preparation, only RO water sourced from cans should be used by licensees, the official said. “We conduct periodic checks to ensure there is no drop in quality,” the official said.
However, the official said there were shortcomings in the work habits of catering staff at these stalls. “We have instructed them to avoid such (filling water from hydrant) practices as the public will perceive this as wrong. But in this case, the salesman was lazy and did not go up to the tap to fill water,” he said.
It was the only stall on Platform 7 at Egmore station and ultimately, the passengers would stand to lose by its closure, he said.
Govt Run Temples In TN To Get Certification From Food Safety %Standards Authority Of India
Chennai sources added that an official said as many as 47 major temples in Tamilnadu run by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department will get Food Safety and Standards Authority of India certification for their 'prasadam’. Accordingly prasadam, a material substance of food, is a religious offering and is normally consumed by devotees after offering prayers.
Meanwhile the exercise, aimed at ensuring quality and bringing in standardisation, began with the prasadam of the famous Sri Palani Murugan temple's (Dhandayuthapaniswamy temple) 'Panchamirtham' (a mix of banana, ghee, honey, sugar and dates). The official said "Palani Murugan temple was our pilot project. We have initiated the process of getting FSSAI certification in other 46 temples as well”.
Moreover the official said, "Quality assurance is our priority incidents of people taking ill after consuming prasadam in some private temples drew our attention and we decided to go in for licensing." Earlier in April this year, two women died and over 30 people took ill after consuming prasadam provided by a privately administered temple at Mettupalayam near Coimbatore. Moreover Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, Rameswaram Sri Ramanathaswamy temple, Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple and Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara temple are among the major shrines of Tamilnadu.
Jan 17, 2020
10 unhealthy practices by restaurants to make food tasty
01/11Unhealthy practices to make food tasty
In May 2019, when it was reported that Indians eat out at least 6 times in a month, it reflected a lot about the diversifying world of restaurants and cafes. The data by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) also revealed that an affordable casual dining restaurant (ACDR) format is growing at 41 per cent annually and is also the fastest-growing segment in the organised foodservice market. While the numbers talk about the brighter side of the food businesses, the dark side lies back in the kitchen where unhealthy practices are borne to make the food tastier and eye-pleasing. Have a look at 10 such practices that mid-level and small scale restaurants follow to make it a delicious and dangerous affair for you.
02/11Artificial colours
From tempting red tint of Red Velvet Cake to yellow hues of Thai Curry, everything has adulteration that can be dangerous for you. Ashish Chawla, a food researcher says that red colour used in Indian dishes is derived from coal tar and it is carcinogenic. You will be surprised to know that even the humble Rasmalai has additives in the name of saffron. “Use of colour in place of saffron happens with small sweets shop and street vendors at railway stations and bus stands.”
03/11Food preservatives
The small-scale restaurants and fast food street vendors use an additive called ‘Sodium Benzoate’, which is as one of the long lists of additives found in food these days. Ashish mentions, “According to FA guidelines, the chemical is “not found to occur naturally” and must not exceed 0.1 per cent of any food.” It has been found that a wide range of restaurants uses it in burger, noodles, and tacos. Ashish warns, “The reason you should avoid such foods is that the same chemical is found as a preservative in a number of household items, including baby wipes and shampoos (where it’s used as an antimicrobial agent).
04/11Over roasting
While roasted food is good for the human body, the over-roasted food items are equally bad. Wondering why? Tanya Kapoor, owner, Wellness by Tanya says, “Overheating breaks down the nutritional composition of the oil, change the flavour and releases harmful free radicals, which are bad for the human heart and intestine too.” While the restaurants claim that they use healthy oils for cooking and roasting, Tanya informs, “If you’re using extra-virgin olive oil, which maintains phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory properties, the process of over roasting even destroy those too and makes the food harmful for the body.”
05/11Excess cheese
From street food stalls to restaurants, all sorts of outside dining places are known for excessive use of cheese. What makes it so tasty? Well, the credit goes to the umami taste, which is attained by monosodium glutamate and if reports are to be believed, it has been recognized as a unique taste, as it cannot be elicited by any combination of the other four taste (salty, sour, sweet, bitter) types. It has been proven that glutamate is found abundantly in cheese.
06/11Excess salt
According to a study published in the journal Appetite, it has been found that fast-food restaurants serve more salt than you think. It happens because they tend to use a lot of salt to season meals and enhance the flavour of the dish. It’s also used in food additives and as a preservative to extend shelf life, so even foods that don’t taste salty, like pastries, doughnuts and bread, can have a lot of it. It is recommended that the daily dose of sodium should not be more than 2300 milligrams-about one teaspoon. Excess salt consumption is linked with high blood pressure, hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
07/11Reusing leftover food
While high-end restaurants simply dispose of the excess buffet food, the mid-range and small-scale food houses reuse the food to increase the profit margin. They often reheat the food and add a layer of butter or cheese to make it look Instagrammable and delicious. It is suggested that leftover food should be avoided because, the leftover is put in the refrigerator with other foodstuffs, there are chances of cross-contamination with other foods that further increases the chances of developing illnesses.
08/11Reusing oil
In March 2019, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) imposed a new rule on restaurants and food business operators whose consumption of edible oil for frying is more than 50 litres per day. The circular said that they are liable to maintain the records and dispose of used cooking oil to agencies authorized by FSSAI from time to time. The step was taken only after it came into light that restaurants reuse oil for deep frying and even greasing without realising that they create free radicals which are carcinogenic and can cause cancer. This practice is followed to reduce the production cost of the dish at a large scale.
09/11Excess sugar
Do you know, why the homemade tomato soup is different from restaurant one? One of the reasons is the sweet aftertaste that comes with sugar. According to a study by the American Heart Association, every bowl of soup has 16 grams of sugar that when blended with tangy and acidic tomatoes, results in a satiating experience.
10/11Excess oil
In restaurants, vegetables are first deep-fried and then added to the curry or gravy. This is the easiest method of making a large amount of food in less time. You will be surprised to know that such dishes are three-times dangerous for the human body. During the cooking process, the oil absorbed is further cooked in gravy and the dish turns greasy. According to Dr. Saras Salil, if the daily diet consistently includes greasy foods, you’ll likely see your risk for chronic conditions—particularly heart disease rise. A 2014 study at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who ate fried foods between four and six times per week saw their risk for Type 2 diabetes rise 39%, and the risk for coronary heart disease increase by 23%.
11/11Excess spices
It often happens that road-side dhabas and restaurants with small setup offer the best of spicy food. While the idea is to make the food delicious, Tanya feels that eating over-spicy foods can aggravate ulcers in the sensitive mucosal lining or in the small intestine, called the duodenum. In many cases, the use of sub-standard black pepper and red chilli powder damages the oesophagus. The after-effects of excess spice consumption includes stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)