Maggi pasta unsafe, doubts UP lab

Foods maker Nestle has landed in trouble yet again with its pasta food samples. After tests being conducted at a food testing laboratory in Uttar Pradesh, the pasta was found to be carrying lead beyond the permissible limits.

An officer at the Food and Drug Administration, said that after Maggi, the sample of macroni pasta was taken from Mau and sent to the National Food Analysis Laboratory in Lucknow.

He said that the samples contained 6 PPM, which is much more than the permissible limit, that can't exceed the standard limit of 2.5 parts per million (PPM).

Nestle India has said, it was not aware of any test done on its pasta brands. The company's spokesperson said that they would need to see the contents of reports and confirm whether the tests were conducted at FSSAI Notified and NABL accredited laboratory that has the expertise and is certified for testing lead under the Food Safety and Standards Act. The spokesperson also said that Nestle's products are safe for consumption.

Fresh trouble for Nestle: UP lab finds Maggi Pazzta sample with excess lead

Nestle claims it never got any notice from Lucknow lab, says its product ‘100% safe’

Days after it relaunched its instant Maggi noodles, the Nestle India has landed in fresh trouble, with its pasta products —- sold under the brand name Maggi Pazzta —- found to be carrying lead beyond permissible limits in tests carried out at state-owned food testing laboratory in Lucknow. The company, however, said its products are safe to consume.

Pazzta samples collected from Nestle distributor – Sriji Traders – in Mau on June 10, were sent to a government food testing laboratory in Lucknow, said Arvind Yadav, designated officer at food and drug administration (FDA), Mau.

“The samples were taken from Mau and sent to National Food Analysis Laboratory, Lucknow. According to report received on September 2, the samples failed the tests. The standard limit is 2.5 PPM (parts per million) while it has been found to be 6 PPM (in the samples),” Yadav said.

The official said a letter informing the Nestle company sent at its Modinagar address a month ago “has come back here undelivered”. Yadav also showed the undelivered letter to media persons.

The company, however, said that it has not received any formal notification from the authorities in UP or from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) about such results, but added that , “We will work with authorities to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

“Maggi Pazzta is 100 per cent safe. The finished product and the raw materials used to make it undergo rigorous testing during every stage of the manufacturing process. We have seen media reports claiming that lead has been found in the product and we are investigating. We regret the confusion that these reports may be causing. They are safe to consume,” a Nestle India spokesperson said in a statement.

However, FDA officer Yadav said, “On the basis of the report, this food product now comes under the ‘unsafe food category’.”

“The report has been sent to the FDA Commissioner (Lucknow) on October 12 for sanction to lodge a case and in case it is received, it will be filed in the court of the CJM here,” Yadav said.

The official, to questions, said, “It can also lead to banning the product”.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivasatav said, “The sample, which has failed the test, is of June and we will take immediate action on the directives…we are in touch (with the authorities) on phone”.

In June, Nestle had to take Maggi noodles off the shelves after FSSAI banned the product terming it “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption. However, the Bombay High Court later ordered lifting of the ban and fresh tests, which the product cleared. Subsequently, the noodles were relaunched.

UP Lab Now Finds Nestle Pasta Unsafe, Lead Beyond Permissible Limit

After Maggi noodles, Nestle's pasta has now landed in trouble as its samples, tested at a state-owned food testing laboratory, were found to be carrying lead beyond permissible limits, a state government official said today.

Pasta samples collected from Nestle distributor -- Sriji Traders -- here on June 10, were sent to a government food testing laboratory in Lucknow, said Arvind Yadav, Designated Officer at Food and Drug Administration Mau.

The company, however, said its products are safe to consume.

"We will work with the authorities to resolve the situation as quickly as possible," Nestle India said in a statement.

"After Maggi, the sample of macroni pasta was taken from Mau and sent to National Food Analysis Laboratory, Lucknow in which the lead was found to be much more that the permissible limit," Yadav said.

"According to report received on September 2, they failed the tests," the officer said.

"The standard limit is 2.5 PPM (parts per million) while it has been found to be 6 PPM. The letter informing Nestle company sent at its Modinagar address has come back here undelivered," Yadav said.

Yadav also showed the undelivered letter to media persons.

He also said, "On the basis of the report, this food product now comes under the 'unsafe food category'."

"The report has been sent to the FDA Commissioner (Lucknow) on October 12 for sanction to lodge a case and in case it is received, it will be filed in the court of the CJM here," Yadav said.

The official, to questions, said, "It can also lead to banning the product."

"They (Nestle) were sent a letter over a month ago, intimating them about the results. They had a month's time to appeal against the test but the letter sent by the FDA was not received by the company and was returned here," Yadav said.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivasatav also said, "The sample which has failed the test is of June and we will take immediate action on the directives... We are in touch (with the authorities) on phone."

In its statement, Nestle said, "We have not received any formal notification from the authorities in UP or from the FSSAI about such results."

Stating that Maggi Pazzta is 100 per cent safe, the company further said, "The finished product and the raw materials used to make it undergo rigorous testing during every stage of the manufacturing process."

In June, Nestle had to take Maggi noodles off the shelves, after some states decided to ban it.

The move came after Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi instant noodles, terming them "unsafe and hazardous" for human consumption.

However, the Bombay High Court later ordered lifting of the ban and fresh tests, which the product cleared

State food lab says it has no idea about samples taken from KFC

HYDERABAD: Four months after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) lifted food samples from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlets for tests at the State Food Laboratory (SFL), RTI activists are stumped by the conflicting versions being given by the two state bodies. 

City-based RTI activist Bakka Judson sought the status of the KFC samples by filing two applications before GHMC's food safety wing and SFL. But, both passed the buck on to each other. 

When asked about the details of samples it tested from June 2014 to August 2015, the chief public analyst of Nacharam-based SFL said: "...the information regarding KFC is not available with the lab as it is not mentioned in the memorandum to food analyst." 

"This is surprising as the admission by SFL of not having any information on KFC only goes on to show that health of the people is not a priority for the GHMC's food safety department. In other words, it only means that they did not receive the samples at all," said Bakka Judson. 

Under the memorandum to food analyst Form-VI, a food safe ty officer is required to fill details like code number, date and place of collection, name and nature of articles etc. before sending the same to the food analyst for testing. 

However, what raises more eyebrows is the claim made by the GHMC's food safety wing in another RTI reply dated November 13 (copy with TOI) that they sent 42 KFC samples as `surveillance samples for bacteriological analysis purpose and sent the same to the state food safety laboratory'. 

In its reply, the superintendent of the GHMC's health and sanitation department said that on June 26 and June 27, food safety officials of GHMC lifted 42 food samples from `various outlets of KFC in GHMC limits under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and rules made thereunder for analysis purpose and sent the same to the state food laboratory'. 

It may be recalled that soon after the samples were lifted, KFC. owned by Yum! Restaurants India Pvt. Ltd, obtained an interim stay order from the High Court on July 7 by filing a writ petition against commissioner of food safety , Telangana, following which the latter filed a petition to vacate the stay .The petition is yet to be heard. 

When contacted, Dr T Damodar, one of the food safety officers (FSDOs) in GHMC's health and sanitation department, said that he could not immediately respond without seeing the RTI replies furnished by the two state government bodies.

'Dal crisis' is a man-made scam: India Today probe reveals cartel of price-fixers in Naya Bazaar

The dal crisis which recently hit the country was more man-made than natural, a special investigation by India Today TV has revealed.
The channel caught on camera middlemen and forward traders dealing in Delhi’s biggest commodity market - Naya Bazaar - explaining how not just dal, but much of the agricultural produce in India is priced by a cartel of big dealers.
In April this year the price of arhar dal suddenly spiked - dal that was available in the market for less than Rs 70 a kg, jumped to over Rs 200.
While commodity traders blamed untimely rains, an India Today TV special investigation conducted over three weeks exposed that the real culprits were hoarders sitting in Old Delhi.

Posing as farmers who were looking to sell their crop of arhar in the market, the team spoke to several commodity traders who explained how the entire racket is run.
“Big hoarders and commodity traders keep track of agricultural production in such states as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. They specially depute a person to track the production and the yearly fluctuations. Thus, they do a complete data analysis. Then they pick up a commodity whose production has been weak - the “loose point” - and start tugging its price. This time arhar was the loose point. It is also happening to urad, which unlike arhar, is not even imported. This is complete fixing,” said one of the dal ‘fixers’ Mohan Lal (name changed).
According to the India Today TV investigation, the big traders of Naya Bazaar act as a cartel. They first engage experts who survey crops in major agricultural states and estimate the prospective yields of each crop.
Another fixer Rajesh Bhalla (name changed) explained the modus operandi.
“While a common man does not know how prices will fare in next 15 days, big firms engaged in commodity trading are in a position to know well beyond that as they hoard a lot. This time for arhar dal, there was just one crop coming in from South Africa. There was less crop in India already. Stock was almost nil. They also measured the stock in Mumbai, then started increasing prices in the market,” Anand said.

The India Today TV team found that the dal scam had its tentacles spread from Myanmar all the way to African countries

The price of arhar dal had shot up to over Rs 200 per kg. The rise is allegedly manufactured by a cartel of big dealers in Naya Bazaar.
According to the India Today TV investigation, while forward trading in agricultural commodities is legal in India, people such as Lal and Bhalla do not operate at the official NCDEX Agricultural Commodity Exchange. Instead, they bet in an illegal ‘satta’ market that operates out of Naya Bazaar. Here the future price of a commodity has little correspondence to the actual produce, instead it depends on manoeuvrings of speculators who scheme many months in advance to make a killing.
Lal told India Today TV that big firms that had hoarded large sums of dal or other produce sell it on their own terms by keeping a margin. While it may appear they stand to loose and not profit if one sees daily fluctuations, it is not so as these companies work over a long term, 3-4 months.
The investigation further revealed that this was just tip of the iceberg. The satta operators manufactured an artificial scarcity.
The India Today TV team found that the dal scam had its tentacles spread from Myanmar all the way to African countries which are major pulses producers. Big importers, mostly based in Mumbai, sent procurement agents to these countries.
Everything is perfectly calculated: how much dal has been produced in India, how long will it take for stocks from Myanmar and Africa to reach India, etc. Importers take delivery of the stock, but hoard it at foreign ports so that prices shoot up in the Indian market.
“Ships from Myanmar carrying tonnes of dal are made to halt for days at ports in Singapore; those coming in from Africa are asked to slow their journey to India. The aim is simple, to create scarcity in India,” claimed Bhalla.
On being asked why rates of foreign imports went up and ours down, he casually said: “It’s all manipulation sir. That’s imported stuff, available in bulk.”
If these fixers are to be believed, the imported stock, available for cheap in bulk, is then sold at inflated prices in India. Mill owners are forced to purchase dal from importers at these hugely inflated rates, who then spike the rates in the wholesale market. Small retailers charge their own premium, making dal unaffordable for consumers.
An importer-retailer nexus exists across Asia and Africa. While these importers and fixers make a killing by manipulating dal prices, farmers struggle to get even the bare minimum for their crops.
As per India Today TV’s findings, arhar might have been the latest target of the commodity cartel, it was by no means an isolated case.
Mewa Singh (name changed) who owns a shop in the Gali Jatwara at Naya Bazaar confidently told the India Today TV team to brace for a spike in the prices of masur and urad next.
“The pulses produced in UP are of better quality this year. The prices will go up by Rs 20-30. Prices of masoor dal will be not as high as that of black dal. Right now black dal is Rs 92-93 a kg and it will go up to Rs 120,” Singh said.

Deadly dal makes a comeback

Khesari pulse which can cause paralysis and was banned in 1961 creeps back into NCR markets as arhar prices soar 

Dal is not just costly, it may well be harmful.
With the price of Arhar rising beyond reach of many consumers, local traders are mixing it with the cheap and low-quality Khesari pulse that was banned by the government in 1961.
A large number of complaints of adulteration have been pouring in from various parts of Gurgaon.
Khesari was once used as cattle feed, but its side-effects were found to be so dangerous that the practice was stopped.

+5 A team of food safety officials conduct a raid at a shop in Khandsa Anaj Mandi in Gurgaon
Experts say Khesari dal contains di-amino-pro-pionic acid which could lead to paralysis of the lower body. It could even cause numbness in the limbs and spine. But traders in Gurgaon have begun selling it to cash in on the Arhar crisis.
A Mail Today investigation revealed that rampant adulteration of dal is taking place.
On Thursday, Mail Today visited Khandsa Anaj Mandi, Dundahera, Mulahera, Surat Nagar, Begampur Khatola, Naurangpur, and villages surrounding IMT Maneser and found adulterated Arhar and Khesari Dal being openly sold.
Officials claim the situation is not as bad in Delhi.
“Khesari dal has been banned since 1961 and orders and circulars are issued every year. We have so far not received any complaint regarding such adulteration in Delhi,” a senior official from the department of food and safety, Delhi government, told Mail Today.

+5 Cheap and low quality khesari pulse was banned by the government in 1961

+5 Khesari pulse is being sold mostly in Gurgaon's industrial belt where a large number of poor, migrant labourers stay
Retail traders in Gurgaon said Khesari dal, available at Rs 40- 50 a kg, is being mixed with Arhar dal and it is very difficult to separate the two because of their striking similarity.
Many migrant labourers who consume it are not even aware of the harmful effects of Khesari dal.
The Khesari pulse was banned by the central government way back in 1961 due to its high degree of Beta-N-Oxalylaminoalanine, a neurotoxic amino-acid in the legume, which results in Lathyrism.
Khesari pulse contains 41 per cent carbohydrate, 31 per cent protein, 17 per cent total dietary fibre, 2 per cent fat and 2 percent ash. It also contains diamino pro-pionic acid which is hazardous to health.
Chief medical officer of Gurgaon Ramesh Dhankhar has constituted a team of food safety officials to raid places where Khesari is being sold. The team has raided 10 shops of Khandsa Anaj Mandi and taken samples of Khesari pulses.

+5 Food safety officials conducted raids at 10 shops of Khandsa Anaj Mandi in Gurgaon
“We have raided 10 shops at Anaj Mandi after we got to know that Khesari and adulterated Arhar Dal are being sold. Shop owners are selling these items at cheap rates. We have taken pulse samples from shops at Anaj Mandi and sent them to the lab,” said S D Sharma, food safety officer of Gurgaon.
Ramesh Yadav, a labourer from Harinagar locality adjacent to Khandsa Anaj Mandi, said people can’t afford pure Arhar dal, which is being sold at Rs 230 per kg, and hence they have been buying mixed pulses at Rs 90 to Rs 100/kg.
“We know the Arhar Dal available in the market is not pure. Despite that we have been buying it as most cannot afford pure Arhar dal at Rs 230/kg,” said Yogesh Kumar, another resident.
Khesari pulse is being sold mostly in Gurgaon’s industrial belt where a large number of poor, migrant labourers stay.
The Khesari crop is produced in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. It reaches Gurgaon through Delhi, Neemach and Hapur Mandi.

குடோனில் பதுக்கிய ரூ.2 லட்சம் பான்மசாலா பறிமுதல்

மதுரை, நவ. 27:
மதுரை உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் மருந் தி யல் பிரிவு அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் சுகுணா தலை மை யில் நேற்று நக ரில் உள்ள ஓட் டல் கள், கடை க ளில் அதி கா ரி கள் திடீர் சோதனை நடத் தி னர். தர மற்ற, காலா வ தி யான பொருட் கள், தடை விதிக் கப் பட்ட புகை யிலை குட்கா, பான் மசாலா விற் பனை நடக் கி றதா என சோத னை யி டப் பட் டது. மதுரை சின் னக் கடை வீதி யில் ஒரு குடோனை சோத னை யிட்ட போது ரூ.2 லட் சம் மதிப் புள்ள புகை யிலை, பான் மசாலா பொருட் கள் இருப் பது கண் டு பி டிக் கப் பட் டது. இப்பொ ருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய்து குடோன் உரி மை யா ள ருக்கு அப ரா தம் விதித் த னர்.

Drive against sale of preservation salt

Stepping up the drive against sale of preservation salt as iodised edible salt, the District Food Safety wing of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has seized ten tonnes of preservation salt, packed for sale as iodised edible salt.
Couple of days after seizing two tonnes of fake salt, the food safety officials, led by Designated Officer M. Jagadish Chandra Bose, made a surprise visit to a salt pan near Sitharkottai on Thursday and seized the huge quantity of salt packed and kept ready for transportation.
The salt, packed in fake plastic bags and claiming that the iodine level was 30 parts per million when packed was found kept ready for transportation near the salt pan by one Kannan of Pullangudi, Mr. Bose said.
The packets had pictorial display as if it was edible salt, he said.
There was, however, no manufacturing and expiry dates in the packets, he said adding the mandatory batch and lot numbers were also missing in the packs. The warning that it was “for preservation only” was written in small fontand would go unnoticed by the consumers, he said.
The salt in crystal form was priced at Rs. 10 per kg and the packets were meant for distribution to retail shops in the district and neighbouring districts, Mr. Bose said.
Seasonal pans
After many salt pans in Tuticorin district remained submerged in water due to recent rains, there were attempts to sell salt produced in the district for preservation purpose as edible salt, he said. There were more than 200 seasonal salt pans in the district, he added.
Samples drawn from the lot have been sent to the Food laboratory at Palayamkottai for tests, he said adding further action would be taken after obtaining the results. He was accompanied by food safety officers Chellapandi, Karnan and Thangasivam in the raid.

IDMA worried over FSSAI bringing food products approval system

Indian Drug Manufacturers Association today criticised FSSAI's attempts to bring back the 'food product approval system', saying the move is against the FSS Act and if implemented it will put the Rs 45,000-crore packaged foods industry in jeopardy.
Recalling that a Supreme Court order had disapproved the FSSAI attempts for such a system, the association said this led to the relaunch of the popular brand Revital after its ban.
It also alleged the FSSAI is obsessed with bringing back this restrictive trade practice and urged the government to not allow the regulator to go ahead with any such draft notification.
IDMA chairman, nutraceuticals and medical sub-committee, RK Sanghavi said such product approval system does not exist in any country as no food authority globally enforces such laws for consumer safety, once the basic ingredients are approved.
"The industry cannot be told to follow a non-existing regulations. It is the IDMA and the Confederation Of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (CIPI) which informed the Bombay High Court that FSSAI has been dodging with the regulations since 2011," Sanghavi claimed.
The association also said the industry cannot be barred and restricted to carry out its business unless food safety officers approve of that the articles of food are unsafe.
He said the industry will soon approach the Prime Minister and the Union Health ministry.

Standards for alcoholic beverages: FSSAI continues with the adventure

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come out with the proposed standards for alcoholic beverages. This draft is divided into six chapters—the first deals with general provisions, such as definition clauses, and the last with labelling. In the other four chapters, the draft lays down applicable standards for ‘distilled alcoholic beverage’, ‘wines’, ‘beer’ and ‘low alcoholic beverages’. Within these chapters, the beverages are classified according to various known types (brandy, whiskey and so on) and various sub-types within each type.
This very structuring is an area of concern. For each type of alcohol, the draft uses the phrase “(this spirit) shall be of the following types.” For instance, in the section governing ‘liqueur/alcoholic cordials’, there is a general definition provided for this type of alcohol. This is followed by the statement that “(liqueur/alcoholic cordials) shall be of the following types,” and thereafter lists nine sub-types. This may be interpreted to imply that only those subs-types exhaustively constitute ‘liqueur/alcoholic cordials’ and that other non-listed sub-types may not be covered even if they may fulfil the main definition. This structure is seen in many locations and the use of the word ‘shall’ in such context and implying a limitation in the varieties doesn’t serve any stated public purpose.
Old wine in new, broken bottle
The proposed draft has been mostly copied from the existing Indian Standards (IS) issued by the Indian Standards Bureau, though there are some interesting departures, such as proposed definition of brandy, which has been defined to be an alcoholic beverage “made from grapes and other fruits that possesses the distinctive colour, odour and taste of its own.” In the earlier IS, brandy could be made from grains also. However, a liquor made from grains alone would not fall within the definition of ‘brandy’ any more. If mixed with 2% grape brandy, it may fall under the scope of ‘blended brandy’.
Some strange modifications have been suggested and standards have not been updated. An example is the proposed draft incorporating threshold requirements of ingredients for various alcoholic beverages. Beverages like tequila, liqueur/alcoholic cordials and some kinds of brandy are missing from table-1, even though the draft requires such beverages to “conform to the requirements of table-1.” No characteristics are provided for several alcoholic beverages, adding to uncertainty. For example, while ‘grape brandy’ must be matured for at least one year in oak vats or barrels, ‘blended grape brandy’ need not necessarily be matured in oak vats or barrels; instead, a wooden vat or barrel may be used. With respect to liqueur/alcoholic cordials, the draft only mentions the use of fruit, cream, herbs and spices as flavourings. Other flavours like chocolate, coffee, nuts, schnapps, honey and caramel have not been mentioned, which may be construed as an implied exclusion of such other flavourings.
A major shortcoming of the draft is its lack of consistency and coherence. This starts right from the definition chapter where 18 terms have been defined, of which seven have not at all been used in the standards. The term ‘alcoholic distillate’ has been used in several places, but has not been defined. On the other hand, the term ‘fermented liquor’ has been defined, but has not been used.
While various standards have been prescribed for different types of alcohol, in several instances such as for wine, beer, low-alcoholic beverages, tequila, liqueur/alcoholic cordials, the draft makes no reference to the method of analysis to be applied or the tolerance levels allowed. For brandy and whisky, the draft makes a reference to the FSSAI Manual of Method of Analysis of Food 2015-Alcoholic Beverages and sets a tolerance limit of ethanol at +/-3%. The said manual itself does not contain any method of analysis or tolerance for all types of alcoholic beverages covered within the scope of draft regulations.
Chapter 6, relating to labelling of alcoholic beverages, presents its own set of problems. The draft clarifies it is in addition to the applicable requirements arising from the Food Safety & Standards (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011. The draft proposes additional information to be part of the label and clarifies some pre-existing issues. It refers to the need to include a statement of ‘standard drinks’, and for wines the label is allowed to carry the name of a grape variety, only if the wine is made using at least 75% grapes of that variety.
Under existing norms, alcoholic beverages are not legally treated as a single ingredient product and a list of ingredients needs to be printed in English or Hindi. This listing has to be in the descending order of composition and labelling must be such that it cannot be separated from the product itself. This has resulted in problems because alcoholic beverages from several countries do not always contain information on ingredients in the manner contemplated under Indian law and many are not in English/Hindi. Existing rules do not allow such information to be added as a sticker, post-importation in India. Unfortunately, these issues do not seem to have been remedied in the draft.
Given recent developments in the food sector, the efforts of FSSAI to develop such standards in a transparent and consultative manner is welcome. But the draft needs to get rid of errors and inconsistencies and provide a set of robust regulations for alcoholic beverages.
The author is joint partner in law firm Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan. Views are personal

How effective are diet food, dietary supplements?

VISAKHAPATNAM: Targeting calorie-conscious citizens, various companies have flooded the market with products ranging from sugar-free sweets to oil-free alu-bhajjis, diet cold drinks, dietary supplements, slim tea and fruit juices. However, doctors and dieticians caution that all that glitters is not gold. According to them, those willing to take a short cut to weight loss don't even bother to find out how effective these products are or how authentic their claims might be.
Sounding a cautionary note, experts say all the slimming supplements and substitutes may not be suitable for everyone and may not yield desired results for a weight-loss programme unless supported with a regular workout regimen and balanced diet.
Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao, a noted Padmashree awardee general physician from the city, said, "More often than not, the claims made by these products are a marketing gimmick. It's very important to check the ingredients, nutritional value and their percentage printed on the cover or packet. The problem with many of these products is that there's no scientific study done on them to substantiate their claims with data. Some don't even reveal the detailed formula or ingredients and amount used. And all potato chips do use some kind of oil while diet soft drinks are also not as healthy as people mistake them to be. However, if diabetic sweets or sugar-free sweets use artificial sweeteners instead of refined sugar or glucose, then it's a better option."
Diabetologist and head of the department of endocrinology at King George Hospital (KGH) Dr KAV Subrahmanyam rated diet food and nutrition supplements above junk food but said these foods can't be certified from the health point of view with surety as many of their labels often don't elaborate on the exact quantity of ingredients used or whether these have the right nutritional balance. "Also, there are several herbal weight loss products and drinks that have not been scientifically evaluated. For general public, their results may vary from person to person but we may not advice them for diabetic patients. Even if diabetics take sweets and drinks with artificial sweeteners, a stipulated amount of these should be consumed to prevent any adverse health impacts," added the doctor.
Coming to dietary supplements, dietician R Anusri, working at a city based-fitness centre, averred, "One should remember to use these as supplements and as not substitutes for regular meals. These can thus help in cutting down on the quantity of meal by reducing cravings or appetite or can be consumed instead of junk food to aid weight-loss. However, there are certain herbal products such as high protein and fibre bars or protein-vitamin drink which can be taken as substitute for meals as prescribed by doctors and nutritionists. But it should be remembered that despite claims of 'no added sugar' many of the chocolate-flavour products or fruit juice do contain some amount of sugar. The efficacy of slimming Ayurveda capsules has also not been scientifically proven. Therefore, those trying to lose weight should opt for fresh fruits and vegetables as well as high fibre, low-carb eatables such as oats and dal items rather than depending only on costly food supplements."
"Moreover, there are contraindications for such dietary supplements as well. Diabetic and gastric patients and pregnant women should not start consuming the supplements on their own unless recommended by doctors. Too much of protein concentration on the body can lead to nutritional imbalance or depending on the body type some people may suffer from allergies if a particular supplement doesn't suit them," added the dietician.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act of India (FSSAI), a dietary supplement is defined as a product taken by mouth that contains a dietary ingredient and / or a new dietary ingredient intended to supplement the diet. The dietary ingredients in these products may include: vitamins, minerals herbs or other botanicals, amino acids and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandular and metabolites.
These are foods, which are specially processed or formulated to satisfy particular dietary requirements, which exist because of a particular physical or physiological condition or specific diseases and disorders. The composition of these foodstuffs must differ significantly from the composition of ordinary foods of comparable nature, and may contain one or more of the following ingredients, namely - plants or botanicals or their parts in the form of powder, concentrate or extract in water, ethyl alcohol or hydro alcoholic extract, single or in combination; minerals or vitamins or proteins or metals or their compounds or amino acids (in amounts not exceeding the Recommended Daily Allowance for Indians) or enzymes (within permissible limits); substances from animal origin and a dietary substance for use by human beings to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake. Such foods should not have any hormones, steroids or psychotropic ingredients added to them as per Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

5 Unknown Facts About Hidden Toxins In an Indian Diet

There is a multitude of reasons the mystical South Asian country India, is famous. The rich cultural heritage, the superfluity of colors, the glorious hospitality and not to forget, the culinary extravagance are the key aspects that make India widely popular, the world over. While India’s gastronomical secrets may have reached even minuscule parts around the globe, one can’t ignore the fact that when it comes to food safety standards, India still has a long way to go. According to Food Sentry, a global food source monitoring organization, India tops the list of food violators in the world, followed by China. For a country that comprises of almost 18% of the world’s population, this data is indeed quite alarming and requires strict precautionary and corrective measures at the earliest. Here are five facts about the hidden toxins in an Indian diet:



Noxious Breakfast Necessities – What does your typical breakfast comprise of? A glass of milk, a slice of bread and maybe an egg? What if you learnt that none of these foods you consume on a daily basis are, indeed, fit for consumption? Shocking, isn’t it? Research suggests that 5-7% of eggs are contaminated and can put you at the risk of salmonella poisoning, a condition that can result in nausea, vomiting, cramping, diarrhea, headaches, fever, bloody stools and even pregnancy complications. This is mainly a result of the inhumane treatment and living conditions of hens. You may think that the bread you purchase from the bakery next door is fresh, however, it could contain contaminants like potassium bromate, a chemical added to increase the elasticity of bread. Potassium bromate has carcinogenic effects, and many countries have banned it for the same reason. Even the milk you drink every day may contain hazardous chemicals like gentamicin, boric acid and formalin that can all have a highly disastrous effect on your health.
Unwholesome Meal Essentials – Rice is one of the key staple foods in almost every Indian household. Numerous reports and studies suggesting the high amounts of arsenic content in rice found in many Indian states are making the rounds. High levels of arsenic can reportedly give rise to serious health concerns like DNA damage, melanosis, keratosis, skin cancer, etc. As per 2013 news reports, rice imported from India and China had dangerously high levels of lead in them. The excess oil and salt content in pickles, another popular accompaniment to Indian meals, aren’t the only reasons to worry about. Packaged pickles also contain the preservative, Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite (E 250) that can lead to the formation of nitrosamines in the body, compounds that can cause cancer.
Adulterated Beverages – Tea/Chai is by far the most commonly consumed beverage in India and turns out that there’s some adulteration even in that. Research suggests that packaged teas contain contaminants like old tea leaves, sand, sawdust, coal tar and iron fillings and can lead to liver, lung and skin disorders. A study conducted by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) found many carcinogenic compounds like bromates in bottled drinking water samples in Mumbai. Packaged juices and drinks also contain a host of artificial color additives that can increase your susceptibility to cancer.
Contaminated Fruits And Vegetables – Don’t get tempted the next time you see big, bright and juicy looking apples arranged neatly on the supermarket shelves – to make them look inviting, they may have chemicals injected into them. Chemicals like copper sulfate are used to color fruits and vegetables artificially, and they can lead to nausea and tissue, liver, and kidneys damage. Its excessive intake can even lead to shock and death. Oxytocin, a prescription drug is also injected in fruits like melons and papayas to make them grow big in size. Their excessive intake can have highly damaging results on your health by contributing to memory loss, nervous breakdown and heart disorders.
Toxic Packaged Foods – Dr. Suneeta Chandorkar, Assistant Professor, Department of Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Family and Community Services, MS University, Vadodara, in an India Today article stated that many Indian packed food brands mislabel their products to make them seem healthy. The tests, however, report contrary results. Though Maggi may have emerged victorious after having defied the claims that it contains high quantities of lead, one still can’t help but worry about the safety of consuming packaged foods. MSG, a common preservative and flavor enhancing ingredient in many packaged foods can lead to a flurry of health problems like migraines, palpitations, increased heart rate, nausea, chest pain and even liver damage. Artificial coloring used in sauces, cereals, candies, etc. can trigger a hoard of health troubles ranging from ADHD, nausea, high blood pressure, tumors, to cancer.
Above mentioned are just some of the many glaring reasons for you to increase your awareness and keenness about your food selections. Read the food labels, keep yourself informed about the latest food security news, ask questions, speak to people and watch out for any unfortunate cases of people falling sick having eaten at restaurants around you. Stay mindful, stay healthy!
About Author Aradhana

 

Aradhana is a writer from India. She covers topics concerning parenting, child nutrition, wellness, health and lifestyle. She has more than 150+ publications from reputable sites like Huffington Post, Natural news, Elephant Journal, Lifehacker and MomJunction.com to her credit. Aradhana writes to inspire and motivate people to adopt healthy habits and live a stress-free lifestyle.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food safety, sample tests low on health department agenda

The food safety seems to remain a low concern for the health department as the most of the districts in the state have failed to achieve monthly targets for collection of food samples or any other substance.
Out of 1,740 targets set by the health department, only 782 samples were taken up by the districts. Among these 45% collected samples, 31% failed test and were unfit for the consumption.
The major failing districts, include Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Sangrur, Tarn Taran, Mansa and Muktsar.
The Jalandhar health department was given the target of 100 food samples, but it collected only 56 samples in which 14 were found unfit. The Ludhiana department had a target of 250 food samples, but it collected only 73 in which 35 failed to pass standard test and similarly, 40 samples were collected by the Bathinda health department out of a target of 100.
Roopnagar was a district that had asked to collect 40 samples, but the numbers remained zero. In 2013-14, the shortfall in achieving target was around 80% in the most of the districts.
Moreover, the Food Safety Act has the provision of compulsory registration for all food businesses to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption, but most of the districts have been lagging behind in ensuring complete registration.
Since online provision of registration since March 6, 2014, only 363 licences and 1,970 registrations were done by Jalandhar food safety officers till October 31, while it’s neighbouring district Ludhiana did 1,086 food licences and 2,275 food registrations in the same period.
The sources in department claimed that mostly local milk and milk products, bakery products, sweets and other samples were being collected every year as per guidelines issued by higher officials.
They told that senior officials fixed a minimum target every month but due to the lackadaisical attitude of officials, they usually fail to cover the target.
They added that the most drives start near Diwali festival when the sale of sweets gets increased and sweet manufacturers prepare items in bulk with complete disregard of hygiene and food safety. Sources revealed that most of the food processing outlets ignore the health of people in order to earn profit.

An official on condition of anonymity said that due to an interference of political leaders, the sampling drive against adulterated products is being affected. He added that the workload of official work and the shortage of staff are other reasons behind failure in achieving the targets.

FSSAI notice to Ramdev’s noodles

ROORKEE: Patanjali Ayurved Ltd (PAL), the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, has been served a show cause notice on Tuesday by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over the sale of its newly-launched atta noodles in the country without approval.
Though neither Ramdev nor his deputy Acharya Balkrishana, managing director of PAL, have confirmed receiving the notice, Akash Yog Health Products, a local noodle manufacturer which produces atta noodles for Pantanjali, and a high-level source at PAL have confirmed the news. PAL's offices are situated at Padartha village on Haridwar-Laksar road here.
According to reports, FSSAI chairman and acting CEO Ashish Bahuguna had issued the show cause notices to PAL and Akash Yog on Nov 19, asking both companies to explain, within 15 days, about manufacturing and selling the atta noodles without due approval from FSSAI. Ramdev had launched his noodles brand as a rival product to Nestle's Maggi instant noodles on November 16 in Delhi. But the product drew controversy instantly when FSSAI officials said it was not standardized or approved by the food safety agency.
However, on the packaging of PAL, an FSSAI licence number is mentioned, and on November 18 Ramdev had denied any illegality as far as PAL was concerned. Since then, confusion has prevailed over the status of a notice from FSSAI as both Pal and Akash Yog stated they were unaware of it.
Akash Yog, which has been producing atta noodles for PAL at SIDCUL industrial area in Haridwar, has now confirmed that they as well as PAL have received the notice from FSSAI. However, the company's officials stated they have all the necessary permissions for producing the noodles, and have committed no wrong. "We have been producing around 22 tonnes of noodles every day in our plant. And since we are a British Retail Consortium (BRC)-certified company, all the work is done in accordance with international food standards. In fact, the notice is about Patanjali's marketing of the product, and not our manufacture of it. Therefore, the notice does not affect us," said Mukund Madhav, general manager (operations), Akash Yog, talking to TOI.
Meanwhile, PAL sources confirmed receipt of the notice but declined to comment further. CP Nagpal, vice-president and head of food operations of PAL had told TOI earlier on Monday that FSSAI's procedures for food manufacture was ambiguous and needed clarification. "They have said that our product does not fall in the category of 'pasta foods', under which we have registered it. However, they don't have any category for 'instant noodles', so what are we to do?" Nagpal had asked.

Indian Railways gives new meaning to food on the go with Foodpanda; Zomato in the works

Food lovers travelling by Indian Railways trains have reason to rejoice, thanks to a tie-up between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC - irctc.co.in) and 70-odd food vendors as well as aggregator Foodpanda.,
Food lovers travelling by Indian Railways trains have reason to rejoice. After incessant complaints over poor-quality food provided by it over the years, the Indian Railways has decided to offer passengers the flexibility to choose meals of their choice, thanks to a tie-up between Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC – irctc.co.in) and 70-odd food vendors as well as food-delivery-on-demand aggregator Foodpanda.
Indian Railways passengers can now satiate their taste buds by ordering from an array of cuisines, ranging from a humble vada pav to chicken chettinad to continental food, in addition to the food items provided by IRCTC. Officials with the catering wing of the railways said talks with Zomato, a restaurant listing and service provider, was also under way. People can order food items online while booking tickets, or they can soon call toll-free number 1323 to place an order for the delivery of food on trains.
“We want to give a choice to our passengers. We want to ensure that we are able to provide whatever food they wish to have, and the tie-up with Foodpanda is another step towards customer satisfaction,” said RN Kalita, director of catering at IRCTC.
“We received all the necessary documents from the food aggregator on Thursday. Only the final due diligence is pending,” he added.
However, in the case of the Indian Railways Rajdhani trains, where the cost of the meals is part of the fare, there will be no rebate if a passenger opts to order food from non-IRCTC sources.
IRCTC officials said Foodpanda will initially start services from the New Delhi railway station and will later provide services through IRCTC at other stations. The Indian Railways caterer had earlier this year tied up with with over 70 food vendors, including Dominos, KFC, Travel Food Services and the recently-inducted Hello Curry. Officials said snack food giant Haldiram has also shown interest in collaborating with IRCTC.
Saurabh Kochhar, CEO of Foodpanda, said: “For long, consumers had limited food options to choose from while travelling by trains. But the newly-launched e-catering service by IRCTC is set to change the way Indians eat while travelling. We are excited to begin action in the Delhi station by December and are looking forward to extending this service to other stations as well.”
The Indian Railways’ food aggregator policy states that interested parties should have an agreement with food and beverage operators in 10 cities with valid licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The policy also mandates prospective parties to have a minimum of one year of experience in the business and a minimum annual turnover of Rs 25 lakh.
IRCTC has been managing on-board catering services in some Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto and mail express trains and is also involved in static catering services across various stations. As a pilot project, it started providing e-catering services for seven trains in September last year, but with the Indian Railways directing IRCTC to implement ‘station-based e-catering’ on 45 major stations all over India, its portfolio and reach has expanded.
“We are providing 500 meals per day through e-catering (through various vendors), even though demand is not on a par with our estimates. We are confident that e-catering will pick up at a tremendous pace in the coming future,” IRCTC’s Kalita said.
IRCTC officials said they were confident the catering business for all trains in the country will be handed back to them in the near future, as was the case before Mamata Banerjee became the railway minister.

Uttarakhand to approach Centre again on Maggi

Will ask Centre to explain current position on the ban, if any, on the production of Maggi
Nestle India might have resumed production of Maggi noodles on Monday from its Pantnagar plant, the biggest in the country. But the move has put the Uttarakhand government in a spot, which is yet to get any response from the Centre on its clarification on the issue.
Top government officials said on Tuesday it would approach the Centre again on the issue. "We will ask the Centre to explain the current position on the ban, if any, on the production of Maggi," said Om Prakash, state food safety commissioner and principal secretary health. Prakash made it clear that the state did not receive any response from the Centre on the issue.
Nestle India resumed the production from Pantnagar after it withdrew its petition against the government ban from the Uttarakhand High Court in Nainital recently.
On the other hand, since the 90-day ban imposed by the state government had also expired on September 3, the company did not wait for the clarification sought by the state government, the officials said.
Last week, Prakash had stated that the government had sought a clarification from the centre on the status of the "ban" imposed on the production and sale of Maggi noodles in the country. The Nestle India withdrew its petition from the Uttarakhand High Court in Nainital in view of the Bombay High Court's order lifting the ban imposed by food and safety regulators on Maggi. The product was banned for allegedly containing lead beyond permissible limits. Nestle enjoys a host of tax incentives in the Pantnagar unit.

Consumer Court Reserves Order on Testing of 31 More Maggi Samples

The consumer court asked the government to provide a list of accredited laboratories for testing of the samples.New Delhi: The top consumer court today reserved its order on whether 31 more samples of Maggi noodles should be sent for testing in connection with the government's Rs. 640 crore suit against Nestle India for alleged unfair trade practices.
A bench of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) reserved its verdict after the Department of Consumer Affairs said it wished to test 31 more samples, which would be the last batch to be tested.
The department had said it had identified 31 samples from different batches in a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) godown which it would like to test.
The consumer court asked the government to provide a list of accredited laboratories for testing of the samples.
In its petition, the Department of Consumer Affairs has alleged that Nestle India had "indulged in unfair trade practices by false labelling of Maggi Noodles in as much as it states 'No added MSG' prominently on packet, despite presence of MSG."
Monosodium glutamate is a salt used in the food industry for enhancing flavour.
The department has also alleged that the company sold "defective" goods to the public with the presence of lead and MSG and indulged in unfair trade practices by offering for sale Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker without risk assessment and product approval.
Among other things, it has sought a direction to the company to recall all "defective" and "hazardous goods" with respect to Maggi noodles with Tastemaker in all its variants and Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker.

Ensure no further tests be done on Maggi: NCDRC to Centre

The consumer court asked the government to provide a list of accredited labs for testing of the samples.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) on Tuesday asked the government to give an undertaking that it will not seek any further tests on the samples of Nestle’s Maggi noodles at accredited laboratories.
The commission, which is hearing the government’s Rs 640-crore suit against the company for alleged unfair trade practices, made the observation when the government’s counsel sought its direction for testing of 31 batches of the noodles at an accredited laboratory.
The commission, while reserving its order, observed, “Tomorrow you will ask us to send some more samples lying with some other people for testing. It will become an unending process. Are you ready to undertake that this will not go on…”
The consumer affairs department had said it had identified 31 samples from different batches in a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) godown it would like to test.
The consumer court asked the government to provide a list of accredited labs for testing of the samples.
The department of consumer affairs has alleged that Nestle India had “indulged in unfair trade practices by false labelling” of Maggi noodles. The department has also alleged that the firm sold “defective” goods to the public with the presence of lead and MSG and indulged in unfair trade practices by offering for sale Maggi oats masala noodles with tastemaker without risk assessment and product approval.
Nestle India requested the court that it wait until the report of the earlier testing was presented and any further testing may be based on the findings of that report. Some 13 samples collected by the government had earlier been sent for testing. The 31 batches that the department now wants to be tested have been collected by FSSAI.

DINAMANI NEWS

நெல்லை ரயிலில் கொண்டு வரப்பட்ட ரூ.பல லட்சம் புகையிலை பண்டல்கள் பறிமுதல்

நெல்லை, நவ. 25:
நெல்லை ரயி லில் வந்த பல லட் சம் ரூபாய் மதிப் புள்ள புகை யிலை பண் டல் களை அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.
டெல் லி யில் இருந்து புறப் பட்ட ஜமு தாவி எக்ஸ் பி ரஸ் நேற்று முன் தி னம் மதி யம் நெல்லை வந் தது. அப் போது சரக்கு பெட் டி யில் இருந்து 67 மூட்டை புகை யிலை பண் டல் கள் கீழே இறக்கி வைக் கப் பட் டன. ஆனால், அவற்றை எடுத் துச் செல்ல யாரும் வர வில்லை. சந் திப்பு ரயில்வே சப்-இன்ஸ் பெக் டர் கேத் த ரின் சுஜாதா மற் றும் போலீ சார் பண் டல் களை பிரித்து பார்த் த போது அவற் றில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் இருப் பது தெரி ய வந் தது.
ஒவ் வொன் றும் 50 கிலோ எடை கொண்ட இந்த புகை யிலை பண் டல் கள் பல லட் சம் ரூபாய் மதிப் புள் ளவை. இதை அனுப் பி ய வர் மற் றும் பெறு நர் முக வரி இல்லை. புகை யிலை பண் டல் களை பறி மு தல் செய்த போலீ சார் இது கு றித்து உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை யி ன ருக்கு தக வல் தெரி வித் த னர். உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அதி காரி டாக் டர் கரு ணா க ரன், உணவு ஆய் வா ளர் கள் காளி முத்து, சங் க ர லிங் கம் மற் றும் அதி கா ரி கள் அங்கு வந்து புகை யிலை பண் டல் களை கைப் பற் றி னர். பின் னர் அவை தீயிட்டு அழிக் கப் பட் டது. தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பண் டல் களை அனுப் பி யது யார்? என் பது குறித்து விசா ரணை நடக் கி றது. டெல் லி யி லி ருந்து ஜமு தாவி எக்ஸ் பி ர சில் நெல்லை சந் திப் புக்கு வந்த புகை யிலை பண் டல் களை போலீ சார் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

தி.மலை கிரிவலப்பாதையில் பக்தர்களுக்கு அன்னதானம் வழங்க கெடுபிடி ஆர்டிஓ ஆய்வு

திரு வண் ணா மலை, நவ.25:
திரு வண் ணா ம லை யில் தீபத் தி ரு வி ழா வை யொட்டி பக் தர் க ளுக்கு அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு வோரை ஆர் டிஓ ஆய்வு செய் தார். அதன் படி, அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு வ தில் பல் வேறு நிபந் த னை களை விதிக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது.
திரு வண் ணா ம லை யில் கார்த் திகை தீபத் தி ரு விழா கடந்த 16ம் தேதி கொடி யேற் றத் து டன் தொடங்கி நடை பெற்று வரு கி றது. இவ் வி ழா வின் முக் கிய நிகழ்ச் சி யான மகா தீபத் தி ரு விழா இன்று நடை பெ று கி றது.
இதை யொட்டி பல லட் சம் பக் தர் கள் கிரி வ லம் வரு வார் கள். கிரி வ லம் வரும் பக் தர் க ளுக்கு பல் வேறு ஆன் மிக அமைப் பு கள் சார் பில் அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு வது வழக் கம். அதன் படி, இந்த ஆண் டும் கிரி வ லப் பா தை யில் அன் ன தா னம் வழங்க ஏற் பா டு கள் செய் யப் பட் டுள் ளது. இந் நி லை யில், அன் ன தா னம் வழங்க வரு வாய் துறை மற் றும் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் பல் வேறு நிபந் த னை களை விதித் துள் ள னர்.
அதன் படி, அன் ன தா னம் வழங்க முன் அனு ம தி பெற வேண் டும்.
அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு வோர் கிரி வ லப் பா தை யில் சமைக்க கூடாது, பக் தர் களை அமர வைத் து தான் அன் ன தா னம் வழங்க வேண் டும் என் பது உள் ளிட்ட பல் வேறு நிபந் த னை கள் முன் கூட் டியே விதிக் கப் பட் டி ருந் தது.
அதன் படி, கிரி வ லப் பா தை யில் அன் ன தா னம் வழங்க முன் அனு மதி பெற்று அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு வ தற் கான ஏற் பா டு களை அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு ப வர் கள் செய் துள் ள னர். இந் த நி லை யில் நேற்று காலை ஆர் டிஓ உமா ம கேஸ் வரி, தாசில் தார் பன் னீர் செல் வம் மற் றும் அதி கா ரி கள் கிரி லப் பா தை யில் அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கப் பட உள்ள இடங் களை ஆய்வு செய் த னர்.
அப் போது அவர் கள் பக் தர் களை அம ர வைத்து உணவு வழங்க போதிய இட வ ச தி கள் உள் ளதா, அனு மதி பெற் றுள் ளார் களா, வீட் டிற்கு பயன் ப டுத் தப் ப டும் எரி வா யுவை பயன் ப டுத் து கி றார் களா என ஆய்வு செய் த னர். ஆய் வின் போது போதிய அன் ன தா னம் வழங்க அனு மதி பெறா த வர் கள், போதிய இடம் வசதி இல் லா த வர் க ளுக்கு அனு மதி மறுக் கப் பட் டது. அதி கா ரி க ளின் கெடு பி டி யால் பக் தர் க ளுக்கு அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு வ தில் பெரும் சிர மம் ஏற் பட் டது. இத னால் அன் ன தா னம் வழங் கு ப வர் கள் மன வே த னைக்கு ஆளா கி யுள் ள னர்.

அயோடின் கலக்காத உப்பு பறிமுதல் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை

ராம நா த பு ரம், நவ. 25:
ராம நா த பு ரம் அருகே அயோ டின் கலக் காத உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு களை உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் செய்து விசா ரணை நடத்தி வரு கின் ற னர்.
ராம நா த பு ரம் அருகே தேவி பட் டி ணம் வழி யாக பெரி ய பட் டி ணத் திற்கு அயோ டின் கலக் காத உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு கள் ஒரு மினி வே னில் கொண்டு செல் லப் ப டு வ தாக மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி காரி சுபாஸ் சந் தி ர போஸ்க்கு தக வல் கிடைத் தது.
இதை ய டுத்து தேவி பட் டி ணம் சாலை யில் மாடக் கொட் டான் அருகே அந்த வேனை அதி கா ரி கள் மடக்கி பிடித் த னர். வேனில் 2 டன் அள விற்கு உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு கள் இருந் தன. பாக் கெட் டு களை அதி கா ரி கள் சோதனை செய் த போது அதில் அயோ டின் கலக் காத உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு கள் இருந் தது தெரி ய வந் தது. இருப் பி னும் பாக் கெட் டு க ளில் அயோ டின் கலந்த உப்பு என பிரிண்ட் செய் யப் பட்டு இருந் தது.
உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு களை கொண்டு சென்ற கழ னி கு டியை சேர்ந்த முரு கா னந் தத் தி டம் அதி கா ரி கள் விசா ரணை நடத் தி னர். அதில் இந்த உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு களை தூத் து கு டி யில் வாங் கி ய தா க வும், பெரி ய பட் டி ணம் ஊராட் சி யில் கரு வா டு களை பதப் ப டுத்த கொண்டு செல் வ தா க வும் தெரி வித் தார். உணவு பாது காப்பு சட் டத் தில் அயோ டின் கலக் காத உப் பு களை பயன் ப டுத் துக் கூ டாது என்று குறிப் பி டப் பட் டுள் ள தால் 2 டன் உப் பு க ளை யும் அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். தொடர்ந்து உப்பு விற் ப னை யா ளர் முரு கா னந் தம், டிரை வர் அந் தோணி ஆகி யோ ரி டம் விசா ரணை நடத்தி வரு கின் ற னர். இது கு றித்து உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி காரி சுபாஸ் சந் தி ர போஸ் கூறு கை யில், ‘அயோ டின் கலக் காத உப் பு களை உண வாக பயன் ப டுத்த கூடாது. இத னால் உப்பு விற் ப னை யா ளர் கள் இது போன்ற பாக் கெட் டு களை வாங் கும் போதே அதில் அயோ டின் கலந் தது என பிரிண்ட் செய்து வாங்கி விடு கின் ற னர். இதை ய டுத்து இதை அப் ப டியே கடை க ளில் விற் பனை செய்து விடு கின் ற னர். பொது மக் கள் இதை அறி யா மல் அயோ டின் கலந்த உப்பு என நினைத்து பயன் ப டுத் து கின் ற னர். தற் போது இந்த மாதி ரி களை பாளை யங் கோட் டை யில் உள்ள பகுப் பாய்வு மையத் திற்கு அனுப்பி உள் ளோம். ஆய் விற்கு பிறகு சம் மந் தப் பட் ட வர் கள் மீது நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும்’ என் றார்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

‘Iodised’ salt seized

The District Food Safety Wing of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has seized two tonnes of preservation salt, packed as iodised edible salt and transported to be distributed to retail shops.
Food Safety officials, led by Designated Officer M. Jagadish Chandra Bose, intercepted a van and seized the fake salt which was being transported from a salt pan at Sambai to Devipattinam to be distributed to retail shops on Tuesday.
The crystal salt produced at the salt pan was found packed in 2,000 packets, each weighing one kg, with printed labels to show that they were packed in Tuticorin as edible salt with 30 parts per million (ppm) level of iodine content, Dr. Bose said.
The edible salt should contain 30 ppm iodine when packed and the iodine level should be at least 15 ppm when it reached the retail market as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, he said.
The level of sodium chloride in edible salt should be 97 per cent and the moisture content should be less than 8 per cent, he said, adding the label description claimed that the packed salt met the requirements but it appeared to be fake.
The salt, worth Rs. 1 lakh, appeared to be manufactured for preservation purpose and the samples had been sent for the food safety laboratory for test.
Further action would be initiated after obtaining the test results, he said.

Received Notice From Food Safety Regulator Over Instant Noodles: Patanjali

New Delhi: Patanjali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by yoga guru Ramdev today said it has received notice from food safety regulator FSSAI, which had accused it of launching instant noodles without approval.
"We have received notice from FSSAI today and we will give reply to it," a company spokesperson told PTI in Delhi without elaborating details.
Last week Central Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had said Patanjali did not have approval for its newly-launched instant noodles, but the company had strongly denied it.
FSSAI Chairperson Ashish Bahuguna had stated that no approval or licence was granted to Patanjali for its instant noodles, and for instant noodles companies needed to take prior approval.
He had said Patanjali Ayurved have not taken approval for it.
Patanjali, however, strongly denied FSSAI's claims and insisted that it has licence for Pasta, under which noodles fall, as per the regulator's classification.
The company further said FSSAI has already admitted that it was no longer possible for the regulator to continue with process of product approvals, which was facilitated through an advisory in May 2013, following a Supreme Court order in August this year that upheld an order of Bombay High Court on the issue.
According to FSSAI's May 2013 advisory, food products covering a broad spectrum including "novel foods, functional foods, food supplements, irradiated foods, genetically modified foods, foods for special dietary uses or extracts or concentrates of botanicals, herbs or of animal sources" should apply for product approval.
The High Court had ruled that the advisory does not have any statutory backing, but the FSSAI had approached the apex court against the verdict.
Patanjali had launched 'Atta Noodles' earlier this month in 70 gram packs priced at Rs. 15, claiming to be cheaper than competitors, with an eye to take on market leader Nestle's Maggi, which returned to the shelves five months after FSSAI had banned it.

Distributor told to pay Rs 30K for insect in bottle

CHANDIGARH: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed a soft drink distributor to pay a penalty of Rs 30,000 after an insect was found in a bottle.
Raman Singla of Nayagaon filed a complaint against Pepsico India Holdings Private Limited, alleging a dead insect was in 'Slice', a product of Pepsico, that he had purchased for Rs 10 from a cafe in PGI on December 10, 2014. "I showed the bottle to the shopkeeper. But he replied it was not his fault as the bottle was sealed," the complaint read.
A notice was sent to Pepsico India Holdings, Panipat, Haryana, Grace Drinks Private Limited, distributor of Pepsico Beverages, Daria village, Chandigarh, and Relax Cafe House, PGI, Chandigarh. However, no one appeared on behalf of the distributor.
Pepsico stated, "Some individuals are manufacturing various soft drink beverages using brand names and FIRs have been lodged against them. It has been denied that the complainant had purchased the alleged cold drink (Slice) and he found a dead insect inside the bottle."
The shopkeeper replied "there was no fault on his part as he was running the shop/cafe on the instance of the distributor as the sealed material was supplied to it by the distributor".
Punjab food analyst, in its report, submitted the seal of the bottle was found to be intact, contents contained one dead insect, and it was unsafe for human consumption.
The report also stated the "product was not labelled as per provisions of regulation 2.2.2(8) and (9) of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations 2011, as batch/lot number and date of manufacturing/packing has not been mentioned on the label. Hence, misbranded also."
Referring to the report, Pepsico stated the bottle was misbranded. Pepsico's counsel also produced the copies of newspaper cuttings and FIRs to show some of the factory owners were engaged in the business of manufacturing spurious cold drinks.
The forum stated, "The evidence on record points out the bottle bearing the name 'Slice' contained a dead insect and the same was unfit for human consumption and it was sold by the distributor to the shopkeeper, who sold it further to the complainant." Since the distributor did not come forward to contest the case, it was proved he was guilty of indulging in unfair trade practice and deficient in rendering service, the forum said, adding he was directed to make payment of Rs 30,000 as compensation to the complainant and Rs 10,000 towards costs of litigation.
HOW IT ALL UNFOLDED

• Nayagaon resident bought a cold drink from a shop in PGI
• Found an insect floating in sealed bottle
• Filed a complaint
• Sent application to food analyst, Punjab
• Report submitted seal of bottle intact, contents of sample contained dead insect and unsafe for human consumption
• Report stated bottle was not labelled as per provisions of food safety and standards regulations
• Pepsico Private Limited contested bottle misbranded
• Shopkeeper gave evidence he bought it from distributor
• Forum stated proved distributor guilty of indulging in unfair trade practice.

Can Ramdev's noodles cure homosexuality and cancer? Two minutes please.

Baba Ramdev hopes to take the instant noodles market by a storm but Patanjali atta (wheat) noodles ran into minor roll-out hiccups almost instantly after the launch. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said Patanjali Ayurved had not got approval for instant noodles prior to their launch. Baba Ramdev’s company has, however, said that it is not required to get a product specific approval for launching atta noodles. It has further said that as per FSSAI, noodles come under the "pasta" category for which it had a licence and that Patanjali Ayurved was well within the law to launch the product. The controversy would be settled soon, but it remains to be seen whether Maggi noodles-crazy Indians will train their palates to like Patanjali noodles as much.
Just don’t assume that Patanjali noodles will not succeed in a market where people are increasingly looking to put together a quick meal and there is still a sizeable population that is not hooked on to the taste of Maggi instant noodles. Patanjali noodles is priced much lower than the popular brands in the market and that can be its competitive advantage. Lower pricing has so far proven to be a winning formula for Patanjali with almost all its products. Most Patanjali products retail at 15-30 per cent discount to its peers from home grown as well as multinational companies. Patanjali sells a range of products from honey and ghee to face wash and shaving gel through its own outlets as well as through large organised retailers and they have been popular with masses, if not with classes.
Most of all, Patanjali has Baba Ramdev as its chief brand ambassador. So, it does not have to rely on high voltage advertising and sampling like its peers in the market. Incidentally, Baba Ramdev does not hold shares in Patanjali Ayurved - about 92 per cent of the shares are held by his associate Balkrishna and the rest (eight per cent) by Scotland-based NRI couple Sarwan and Sunita Poddar.
Baba Ramdev uses his yoga sessions to showcase and promote Patanjali products, meaning he has captive audience. Given his large following and his assurance that the noodles are healthy option over cooked meals in times of high food inflation, he may soon have masses eating instant noodles out of his bowl. The wealthier classes may just turn up their noses at the thought of tasting the newest instant noodle brand in the market.

தி.மலை ஓட்டல்களில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் ஆய்வு

திரு வண் ணா மலை, நவ.24:
திரு வண் ணா மலை அண் ணா ம லை யார் கோயில் கார்த் திகை தீபத் தி ரு விழா கடந்த 16ம் தேதி முதல் ெகாடி யேற் றத் து டன் தொடங்கி நடை பெற்று வரு கி றது. விழா வின் 7ம் நாளான நேற்று முன் தி னம் தேரோட் டம் நடந் தது. இதில் திர ளான பக் தர் கள் கலந்து கொண்டு சுவாமி தரி ச னம் செய் த னர்.
விழா வின் உச் சக் கட்ட திரு வி ழா வான கார்த் திகை தீபத் தி ரு விழா நாளை(புதன் கி ழமை) நடக் கி றது.
கார்த் திகை தீபத் துக்கு திரு வண் ணா ம லைக்கு வரும் பக் தர் க ளுக்கு ஓட் டல் க ளில் தர மான உணவு வழங் கப் ப டு கி ற தா? என் பதை கண் கா ணிக்க கலெக் டர் ஞான சே க ரன் உத் த ர விட் டார். அதன் படி நேற்று திரு வண் ணா மலை நகர உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கலைஷ் கு மார், கீழ் பென் னாத் தூர் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் வீர முத்து தலை மை யி லான குழு வி னர் திரு வண் ணா மலை நக ரில் உள்ள டீக் க டை கள், ஓட் டல் கள், பங்க் கடை க ளில் திடீர் சோதனை நடத் தி னர்.
அப்ே பாது பொது மக் க ளுக்கு ஓட் டல் க ளில் காய்ச் சிய குடி நீர் வழங் கப் ப டு கி ற தா? சுகா தா ர மான முறை யில் உணவு தயா ரிக் கப் ப டு கி ற தா? உணவு தயா ரிக் கும் இடம் சுத் த மாக உள் ள தா? கலப் ப டம் இல் லாத டீ வழங் கப் ப டு கி ற தா? பிளாஸ் டிக் டம் ளர் பயன் ப டுத் தப் ப டு கி ற தா? என் பதை பார் வை யிட்டு ஆய்வு செய் த னர்.
இந்த ஆய் வின் போது ₹.20 ஆயி ரம் மதிப் பி லான காலா வ தி யான தின் பண் டங் கள், குளிர் பா னங் கள் கைப் பற்றி அழிக் கப் பட் டது.

Hyderabad: Spice crooks made merry as food inspectors slept

 

Hyderabad: Weeks before the city residents celebrated a colourful Diwali this month, a set of 11 traders at the bustling Begum Bazar market were already on a high and in a festive mood.
They reaped unprecedented profits from the 'spices' they sold in large quantities to retailers, restaurants, and regular customers. These spices, it later turned out, were mostly fake and adulterated with poisonous chemicals that will have lasting ill-effects on those who have consumed them. The spurious stuff processed and sold in bulk here by a man hailing from Uttar Pradesh had also been sent in loads to other cities both inside and outside the state.
As per a rough police estimate, a set of traders who packed and sold these items knew well that what they were selling were not original stuff. They must have made huge profits by selling adulterated spices like black pepper, poppy and cumin and caraway seeds (Shahjeera). The racket, that operated out of a rented space belonging to former Congress MP, Anjan Kumar Yadav, was busted by South Zone police this week, and it is billed as one of the biggest food adulteration rackets.
The expensive 'high quality' pepper, for one, sold by the traders in Begum Bazar was actually not pepper. It was highly toxic papaya seeds. The seeds were mixed with synthetic gum, black and red iron oxide, and maida flour to look and taste like pepper. The poppy they sold had nothing to do with real poppy. It was a mixture of stone powder, Asian Paints stainer, and maida flour. The caraway seeds were just rotten garbage mixed with sodium hydrosulphate, and made to look fresh.
The food control authorities here were caught napping. It is proven yet again that they hardly do a job. The matter got exposed in a different way. A day after Diwali, a user posted a few lines about the discreet adulteration practice on the Facebook page of Telangan State Police DGP Anurag Sharma. That helped. Police teams from South Zone quickly collected some details and started raids simultaneously at the wholesale shops and the secret dens of the racket. While the teams could arrest the men directly involved in the racket from a building owned by ex MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, they could not get the adulterated spices from the shops they raided.
The kingpin of the racket was Rajesh Gupta, a native of Jalalabad in Shahjahanpur district of UP, who took the ex-MP's premises on huge rent to carry out the business. It is learnt that the packets made and sold by traders were priced high but sold at lower prices with big profit margins."The profit they made should be huge,” said South Zone DCP V. Satyanarayana.
Police interrogated Rajesh Gupta and said,"It's been eight months he has been running this racket.
Edible oil mixed with oil extracted from animal carcass, milk mixed with hydrogen peroxide, fruits laced with carcinogen calcium carbide, vegetables mixed with copper sulphate, masala powders mixed with sawdust and rick powders and spices adulterated with deadly chemicals. The people of Telangana State are treated to them all, as food adulteration rackets expand their business in state.
Apart from issuing licences, the food safety department hardly ever keeps any check or conducts raid. It's the police that is busting such rackets, The wholesale traders as also the UP man and his men who made the products have been jailed.
Racketeers find city safe to market toxic food products
A businessman named Om Prakash and his acquaintance Rajesh Gupta had been running an adulteration racket for more than eight years in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh. They sold crores worth of toxic food items in Delhi and other north Indian cities. In 2010, they met a set of traders from Hyderabad in Delhi. Their friendship grew and they realised that Hyderabad would be a better base to operate their racket, also as the South has a reputation for its spices. The racket founded its base in Hussaini Alam and started exporting the adulterated spices to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
“They found that Hyderabad was less risky," said an officer from South Zone who interrogated the Gupta. "The traders from Hyderabad had told them how safe it was here to run such a racket, and that no one would catch them. They were right; no enforcement agency took note of their presence till last week. Before Rajesh Gupta came to the city, he had been supplying duplicate poppy to a wholesale trader named Mahender in Begum Bazaar. It continued for two years. First, he had to send the items from Fatehpur. After starting the processing here, he tapped on more traders,” he said.
Police is yet to arrest Om Prakash, who is located in Delhi. The racket brought raw materials from Delhi to Hyderabad, and sent the adulterated items to Delhi. The lack of a mechanism to carry out regular checks on food articles in markets in the state makes it easier for racket to grow here.
Chemicals can lead to cancer: Doctors
Doctors say the deadly chemicals mixed in edibles can lead to chronic diseases like cancer.
Most of the chemicals used in various food items by the rackets are highly toxic and can lead to dangerous health problems.
The consumption of these products will cause anaemia, glaucoma, kidney ailments, and gastrointestinal problems.
“Calcium carbide in fruits can cause cancer in the long run. It contains traces of arsenic and phosphorous. When calcium carbide enters the stomach, it will lead to irritation and other gastric issues,” said general physician from Apollo, Dr. H. Kishan.
“Copper sulphate in vegetables can lead to kidney-related problems. Long-term consumption will result in breathing problems and a reduction in blood percentage in body,” he said.
“The paint the racket mixes with spices contains a lot of lead, which is harmful to human body.”
“Lead toxicity will cause a reduction in the haemoglobin levels in human body. Weight loss, constipation, anaemia are common problems caused by lead,” said another doctor.

Mizoram bans sale & import of particular turmeric powder

Mizoram Health and Family Welfare department has banned the sale and import of reddish turmeric powder from neighbouring Myanmar after the State Public Health Laboratory found the powder "unsafe".
State Commissioner of Food Safety Dr K. Ropari recently issued a notification banning the turmeric powder, locally called 'Aisen'.
The notification said the 'Aisen' sample was sent to the State Public Health Laboratory in Guwahati where it was found that the turmeric powder is unsafe.
The colour used in manufacture of the 'Aisen' was in violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations, 2011, the notification said, adding that it was found to be sub-standard.
While turmeric powder is generally called 'Aieng' in the local dialect, this particular product is called 'Aisen' due to reddish hues and widely used in hotels, restaurants and also at homes.
It is also used for making pickles.

Sweetener Stevia clears FSSAI hurdle

Natural sweetener finally approved by food safety regulator, four years after a panel suggested it do so
Four years after the scientific panel for food additives at the country's apex food regulator first recommended its usage, stevia, a natural sweetener, has finally received a go-ahead from the latter.
In a notification dated November 13, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India has permitted its use in a range of products. This includes carbonated water, dairy-based desserts and flavoured drinks, yoghurts, ready-to-eat cereals, fruit nectars and jams, among others.
The move, say experts, should pave the way for key users of sugar, including ice-cream, beverage and confectionary makers, to consider stevia as an alternative in their products. The natural sweetener is found in a plant called Stevia Rebaudiana. The chemical compound responsible for the sweetness is called steviol glycoside.
FSSAI has recommended up to 200 mg a kg of steviol glycoside in carbonated water, soft drink concentrates, yoghurts, fruit nectars, dairy-based flavoured drinks and non-carbonated water-based beverages. Ice lollies or edible ice may have up to 270 mg a kg of steviol glycoside. Dairy-based desserts and ready-to-eat cereals may have up to 330 and 350 mg a kg, respectively, of the compound. Jams, jellies and marmalades may have up to 360 mg a kg.
Chewing gum may have up to 3,500 mg a kg of steviol glycoside, and table-top sweeteners may have up to seven mg per 100 mg of the ingredient, the notification says.
In the past, companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill and PureCircle (a stevia supplier), among others, had applied for the use of stevia in their products. Executives at Cargill India were immediately available for comment. Officials at Coca-Cola said the development would allow them to consider how it could be used. Globally, Coca-Cola uses stevia in products such as Coca-Cola Life, billed as a health-conscious spinoff of its flagship cola. Rival PepsiCo has Pepsi True in its portfolio, which has stevia in it.
Cargill markets a popular table-top sweetener in the US called Truvia. This product uses two additives, stevia and erythritol, in combination.
Stevia extracts, say food safety experts, are up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. "People prefer the taste of sugar. If stevia can be used in combination with another additive, it will help," said the chief executive of a food company, who declined to be named.
The November 13 notification from FSSAI does not specify this.
Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi in India use Aspartame and Acesulfame K, which are synthesied, high-intense sweeteners. So does Coke Zero.
If stevia is allowed, say sources, to be used in combination with low-intense sweeteners, it could go a long way in helping manufacturers replace high-intense, synthesied sweeteners, which are said to be also triggers for cancer.
Apart from Aspartame and Acesulfame K, the other high-intense sweeteners permitted in India include splenda or sucralose and saccharine.

Food labels may be understating consumption of salt

Manufacturers do not reveal the source of sodium in the ingredient list, says researcher
If you think your are making an informed choice by meticulously going through the ingredient labels on the back cover of food products, then your must brace yourself for some disappointment. The amount of sodium (common salt) officially declared will invariably be high when actually analysed in a laboratory.
What does this means to the consumer?
“This means that the product has misleading information. Manufacturing companies are not displaying the analysed values of sodium, potassium or any other ingredients like protein or fibre. They simply put the calculated values of such ingredients, which misleads consumers,” says assistant professor, M.S. University, Vadodara, Dr. Suneeta S. Chandorkar.
The food researcher, who had conducted a study on 154 food products (popular brands) to find and analyse the reported nutrient values, says that persons who try to avoid sodium end up consuming more because the analysed values are more than the reported ones.
“We are supposed to consume about 5 grams of sodium per day. However, we end up consuming anywhere between 8.5 grams to 10 grams per day, which is definitely on the higher side,” says Dr. Chandorkar.
The food scientist – who had presented a paper on the presence of sodium in commonly consumed processed packaged food in the recent Food Data Conference held at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) – says that there are food manufacturers that do not reveal the source of sodium in the ingredient list.
“There are numerous food products that are made with baking powder, black salt and other alternate sources. Food labels do not display the exact amount of salt that has gone into manufacturing products that are made up of such sources. This is keeping the customers in the dark. We have approached with FSSAI with the issue,” Dr. Chandorkar said.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), it’s mandatory for food manufacturers to provide information on ingredients, allergens, natural or artificial colours and flavours and nutrition content on the nutrition fact panel.
A study on 154 products revealed that the ‘analysed sodium content was found to be higher than the reported values in cereal and milk-based baby foods, papads, noodles, pasta and macaroni, malted beverages, juices, canned fruits, jam, marmalades and jellies, butter and cheese, and spreads and dips’.
What is the way forward?
“In order to cut down the sodium content and increase potassium content in the diet, reformulation on the part of food manufacturers, strict regulations and monitoring by regulatory agencies and awareness among consumers is required to contain the epidemic of hypertension and related disorders,” the study concluded.
Some key findings
Broad food categories that are very high on sodium content: noodles, pasta and macaroni, soups, butter and cheese, ready-to-use spice mix. Of the total products analysed (n=154), 78 per cent had higher sodium content than potassium, 20 per cent had higher potassium than sodium and 2 per cent of the products had equal sodium and potassium content.
All the products from the food categories, namely pickles, papads, noodles, pasta and macaroni, salty biscuits, cakes, soft drinks, juices, ketchups and sauces, soups, ready-to-use spice mix, butter and cheese, and spreads and dips had higher sodium content. Food products that were high in sodium content had ‘edible common salt’, ‘iodised salt’, etc., as the source.

FSSAI licenses issued late after tourism dept fails to inform food stall owners

Imphal, November 22 2015: Though it is necessary to hold license of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) before opening any temporary food stalls at food melas, exhibition and festivals, Tourism Department of Manipur failed to inform the same to food business operators who are participating in the ongoing Sangai Festival 2015 .
Sources said that Food Safety Officer of Imphal East Pushpa Rai on October 23 last had written to the Tourism Department Director and requested to notify the food business operators to apply for FSSAI licenses from the authorities.
However, the Tourism Department failed to inform the same to the food business operators and as a result, food stalls were opened at the ongoing Sangai Festival without any FSSAI license on the first day.

FSSAI licenses issued late after tourism dept fails to inform food stall owners
Like previous years, food stalls opened at the Sangai Festival were examined by Food Security Officers on Sunday.
Most of the food stalls were found opened without any FSSAI license during the inspection.
In previous Sangai Festivals, food stalls opened at the festival were minutely examined by the Food Safety Officers and checked the quality of foods if they were fit for consumption.
Food business operators were also made to apply for FSSAI licenses prior to the opening of their stalls.
A team of Food Security Officers led by Imphal East Food Security Officer Th Sunilkumar, Imphal West Food Security Officer Yumnam Sheityajit and Ukhrul Food Security Officer Khogendro Ningthoukhongjam inspected the Sangai Festival food stalls on Sunday.
The team examined the stalls and checked whether the foods available were served on the visitors within the permissible limits or not.
During the visit, one food stall was found mixing "non-permitted colour additives" in the food served.
Kitchens of over ten food stalls found unhygienic.
The team also warned the stalls to keep their kitchens in hygienic condition by Monday.
Meanwhile, most of the lanes between the stalls at the festival are covered with carpets to avoid dusts.
However, no such carpets are seen along the lanes leading to these food stalls.