May 6, 2017
Not just Maggi: Here's the shameful truth about food safety inspection in India
New Delhi: Even as Nestlé India continues to firefight its gravest crisis ever in its nearly three-decade old history of selling Maggi noodles in the country, the most vital question now doing the rounds, including the social media, is how could a multinational company (MNC) carry out business for so long... selling a product with potential health hazards to millions of consumers?
The presence of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and lead above permissible limits in Maggi samples cannot be an overnight phenomenon. Besides, there could be many more products by other MNCs as well that could potentially harm the health of Indians.
Who has allowed these MNCs to sell “sub-standard” product all these years? Can the government be absolved of its responsibility and accountability for allowing domestic and foreign food manufacturing companies to have a free run?
“Both, the Centre and state governments usually avoid taking stringent action against MNCs or big Indian manufacturers, despite being aware of violations. However, this time Delhi government has been prompt in taking action on Maggi issue,” a retired senior official from Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Civil Supplies told Firstpost on condition of anonymity.
Ashim Sanyal, COO of the voluntary action group Consumer Voice said, “Who knows what people have been consuming for the last 20 years? There’s laxity on part of both the state governments and the central regulatory body FSSAI. Both never bothered to exercise their powers to have a regular check on food products, whether Maggi or any other ready-to-eat items all these years.”
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established as an independent statutory authority under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various ministries and government departments. The agency has been created for laying down standards for food articles and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
The 2006 Act aims to establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards.
“If it’s so, why did FSSAI take so much time to act despite the fact that Maggi controversy broke some time back?” questioned Sanyal.
Grey areas
Consumer policy experts and activists have identified several grey areas that help food operators to supply sub-standard products to consumers and yet remain ‘untouched’. It’s ultimately the consumer, who gets the wrong end of the stick.
- Central regulator doesn’t conduct regular inspections and testing of products, to ensure that only the right quality product is sold in the market.
- There is laxity on part of state governments’ food safety departments as well.
- There is lack of proper coordination between the Centre and states, as the latter don’t report to the Centre in this regard.
- Barring a few laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL), several testing laboratories in states fail to conform to standards. The equipment used by these labs is often not upgraded and not properly calibrated. It leads to variation in results.
- Despite having immense power, the food safety commissioners and officers in states don’t exercise it on a regular basis to keep a check on all ready-to-eat products on shelves.
- Often the field inspectors fail to get permission from higher authorities to conduct a raid and check products.
- Lack of proper training facilities of inspection staff, and modernization.
- Unlike abroad, the implementation of law and regulations is weak in India. So, is the penalty.
- Both the regulator at the Centre and food safety departments in the states suffer from staff crunch. The state units lack funds.
- Corruption is another area of concern.
- A Five-year action plan chalked out jointly by the Centre and states in 2009-10 is yet to be implemented.
Bejon Kumar Misra, an international consumer policy expert, said, “First, the industries exercise a strong influence on policy makers and it’s easy for them to get through. Second, instead of sitting jointly and finding a solution, there’s a blame-game between the Centre and states. Even when any plan has been made, it finally fails to get implemented on ground. Nobody wants to bell the cat.”
Unlike India, legal procedures and penalty system are so stringent abroad that no one dares to violate them. The system of recalling sub-standard products in India is voluntary and not mandatory like in other countries.
Sanyal added, “The Supreme Court had pointed out the issue of penalty in the case of contaminated milk. No legal action is taken and one gets away by paying a small penalty. There’s a need to evolve laws according to changing times. We hardly get to hear sub-standard products being recalled by a company.”
“Some years back, a Jamshedpur court had prosecuted NestlĂ©, after MSG was found in Maggi noodles. But, what happened after that nobody knows. This is the sorry state-of-affairs of our system and no one is afraid of law. But, it’s for the first time since the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 came into existence, the government has registered a case against Maggi noodles with the National Consumer Grievance Redressal Commission, claiming compensation for the consumers,” Misra pointed out.
Food safety officers seek clarifications on ITC's Yippee noodles
After Nestle's Maggi, there seem to be question in store for ITC's Yippee noodles.
According to a report in The Times of India, the Uttarakhand food safety office has sought clarifications from the company about the claims it has made on the label of this popular brand. The company has been asked to respond in 15 days about the nutritional claims it makes on the packet. The notice was issued on Friday, according to the report.
The food safety officials had tested samples of Yippee Magic Masala and Classic Masala from a store in Kaliyar in Haridwar, the report says.
The food safety office has asked the company to provide the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India-approved lab reports about the shelf-life of the both the versions. The aim is to check whether the claim that it is best before nine months from the date of manufacture is correct or not.
ITC, in a clarification sent to Firstpost, had this to say: "The picking up of food samples and seeking of information by Food Safety Officers is a routine occurrence and part of the duties of the Food Safety Officer under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and is not an out of ordinary event requiring any cause for concern to the public. ITC’s Yippee! Noodles are in full compliance with food safety laws, and are backed with ITC’s world-class internal laboratories as well as at FSSAI-approved, NABL-accredited external laboratories confirmation.
"The information sought by the Food Safety Officer pertains to statutory declarations required by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, that appear on the label, and ITC is fully cooperating with the Food Safety Officer in providing the information required by him. It is pertinent to mention that ITC has obtained adequate scientific analysis substantiating all information before making such declarations on the pack."
Interestingly, the move by the food safety officers comes days after the company removed the 'no added MSG' disclaimer from the packs. The move followed recent directions by the FSSAI, said a PTI report.
Announcing its decision, the company had said earlier in a statement that under the Food Safety Standards Act, if a manufacturer adds MSG (monosodium glutamate) in its product, then only the quantum of MSG has to be declared.
Moreover, the FSSAI, in connection with noodles of "another brand" (read Nestle's Maggi), had held that such statement of having no MSG was "inappropriate", ITC said.
"Therefore, ITC is voluntarily taking steps to remove the phrase 'no added MSG' from its labels in its new batches of packaging and consumers should ignore this on the current packaging. ITC would like to once again assure consumers that MSG is not added to Sunfeast YiPPee! Noodles," ITC said.
Unfortunately for ITC, the food safety authorities' action comes at a time when the company is pushing the Yippee brand to make the most of the Maggi debacle.
According to a report in the Business Standard on on 13 June, the company is distributing leaflets among retailers, explaining how it has conducted stringent tests on its products.
"In all these tests, our food products have consistently been found to comply with all regulatory standards," the report cited the leaflet as saying. The retailers are being told to show it to Maggi's loyal customers in a bid to woo them to Yippee.
However, the FSSAI move is in line with the expectations of many an analyst who had predicted the Maggi incident to have a cascading impact on other brands too.
Reliance Securities, for one, had said in a report on Nestle it sees the ignominy extending to all brands in the category in general and not just dent one particular brand as FSSAI pushes to strictly implement the new norms on food safety across all packaged food products.
"This would force all the companies in the segment, like Dabur (in Honey), ITC (Sunfeast, Yipee, Kitchens of India), Britannia, Parle, Pepsico and HUL (Knorr, Kissan, Magnum), to declare in detail the ingredients used in their packaged products," the brokerage had said.
Interestingly, much before the FSSAI crackdown on Nestle began and gave rise to a debate on food safety issues in India, Consumer Education & Research Society (CERS) had found that many popular instant noodles brands are deceiving consumers on nutrition claims they make on the labels.
According to a report in Moneylife published in 2012, in-house laboratory tests conducted by CERS found that 15 brands made fake health claims and have nutritional levels way below their claims.
The brands included Maggi, Top Ramen, Knorr, Ching’s Secret, Sunfeast Yippee!, Foodles, Tasty Treat and Wai Wai X-press.
“Some of the common findings for most of the samples tested included high level of sodium salts, significantly low fibre content, high amount of fats and several other shocking factors. The brands that claimed ‘Healthy’, ‘wholesome’, ‘enriched with proteins and iron’ and ‘full of fibre’, were refuted by the test findings as going way above the safe limit of several harmful elements,” the report quoted CERS as saying in a release.
Clearly, it is high time the FSSAI started testing all the brands in this category.
FSSAI proposes blueprint for 'food smart cities'
Regulator FSSAI has proposed widening the ambit of smart cities by incorporating food management system into it to ensure safe and nutritious food consumed by citizens.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Urban Development Ministry on May 2 organised a workshop on 'Food Smart Cities' to discuss its framework and methodology for rollout.
Senior representatives from Smart Cities including Ludhiana, Ajmer, Jaipur, Gurgaon and Bhubaneswar participated in the meeting.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said that food has been largely ignored in city planning, despite it being the central piece around which life revolves.
"There is now a golden opportunity to integrate food systems management into the smart city guidelines," he said in a statement.
The Food Smart Cities would have end-to-end solutions for food systems in urban areas.
Stating that rapid urbanisation has raised concerns about food quality, FSSAI said: "One of the ways to address this is to integrate sustainable food safety and nutrition systems within the smart city design and create Food Smart Cities".
FSSAI has proposed a four-pillar approach that cities could undertake at the local level to ensure safety and hygiene across the supply chain.
"The workshop concluded with a decision that a framework for food smart cities would be further refined and circulated to cities around the country, aspiring to be Food Smart Cities," FSSAI said.
HC issues notice to FSSAI, govt over lack of food testing labs
INDORE: Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh high court on Friday issued notices to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the state government and others on a petition seeking more number of laboratories to test food samples in the state.
The petition states that there is only one functional food testing laboratory in Madhya Pradesh at Bhopal and the rest two at Indore and Ujjain are non-functional. It was also highlighted in a newspaper report published in the past days, which was annexed with the petition.
The matter was heard by the division bench of Justice PK Jaiswal and Justice Virendra Singh, who directed the respondents to file their replies within six weeks. The petition has been filed by former corporator Mahesh Garg through advocate Vinay Zelawat.
The respondents to the petition are FSSAI, principal secretary of public health and family welfare department, commissioner of food safety and control, district collector and deputy director of food and drug administration department.
The petition said that as per the current system, all the food samples collected in the state are sent to the state capital for testing. The entire process takes around 15 to 20 days. Since all food items whose samples are collected cannot be seized completely, the contaminated batch might get circulated in the market by the time the reports arrive, the petition has alleged.
Food Safety Officials Seize Tobacco And Expired Products
The Imphal West District Police under the supervision of the Imphal West superintendent of police N Herojit along with the Food Safety & Standards Enforcement Wing, Manipur today seized tobacco products worth around Rs 10 lakhs and expired eatable items.
The tobacco product were seized from three different shops located at Prajatantra Gali, Thangal Bazar, Imphal and the three shops were owned by Ganesh Kumar(25) s/o Hiralal Shah of Bihar presently staying at Tillipati, Anil Kumar Gupta (25) s/o Kapil Manishah of Bihar presently staying at RIMS Road and Guddy Shah (22) s/o Kedar Shah of Bihar presently staying at Tillipati.
The expired eatable items (mostly consumed by kids) were seized from a godown located at Kakhulong Khul, Paona Bazar, Imphal owned by Mukesh Kumar Sah (47) s/o Jokhi Lal Sah of Bihar presently staying at Masjid Road, Paona Bazar.
Speaking to media persons, Imphal West additional SP (law and order) Priyadarshini Laishram said that the state government has already banned selling of tobacco products from the year 2013.
So the team has conducted the raid and was able to seized a huge amount of tobacco items from three different shops, he added.
They has been intensifying such drive mostly tobacco products in view of high prevalence of cancer in the state as uses of tobacco products leads to cancer, said Priyadarshini.
She said that necessary action and case will be taken up against the three shop owners after obtaining the sampling nicotine report of the seized product from the laboratory by the Food Safety department.
She added that keeping of expired product is also an illegal action so they have seized the eatable items from godown and found that most of the seized items are items mostly consumed by the kids.
Priyadarshini said, “It is most likely that the owner kept the items with an ulterior motive such as to convert into a brand new by changing covers or tag.”
So proper action will be taken up against the owner of the godown after finishing the procedure of testing the items by the Food Safety department, she continued.
Hyderabad High Court shoots down TSRTC move to promote Bisleri
HYDERABAD: Suspending for now the decision of the TSRTC officials to allow only Bisleri water bottles at all its bus stations in Telangana, the Hyderabad High Court on Thursday allowed all the stall owners in the bus stations to sell all branded water bottles that are approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The bench of acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shameem Akther pronounced this interim order in an appeal filed by Jahed Bhasha of Hyderabad and scores of licensed shop owners who were aggrieved with the diktat of the authorities who are coercing them to sell only Bisleri brand water. RTC has been maintaining that it brought in the new method to reach out to the public who have been raising several complaints about the stall owners regarding the quality and price of the water. A single judge earlier found nothing wrong in this and allowed the RTC management to go ahead with its tie-up with Bisleri. Aggrieved by this, the shop keepers preferred an appeal over the single judge order.
C Ramachandra Raju, counsel for the licensed shop owners, during his arguments charged the higher authorities of TSRTC with entering into a nexus with Bisleri for enriching themselves through discreet methods. It will be a discriminatory approach if only a particular brand is allowed and other brands are denied entry, he said and added that this will deprive the passengers too to pick up their choice of water bottles. Moreover, this will allow the officials to increase the price of the water bottles and will eventually lead to a monopoly which should never be permitted, he said.
The bench found prima facie force in the argument of the licensees. The restraint order will be in force till a final judgment is pronounced in the case or till the life of the current licence period, the bench said.
New method to detect artificial ripening of fruits
Artificial ripening of fruits using calcium carbide commonly called as 'powder' or 'masala' has been banned under Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and Food Safety and Standards Act. Consumption of fruits ripened artificially using calcium carbide may cause serious health hazards.
The team, led by Prathap Kumar Shetty, developed a sensor solution (bio-functionalized gold nanoparticle). When the solution is mixed with water with which the fruits have been washed, the solution changes colour, if the fruits had been ripened using calcuim carbide. This can be used to prove whether the fruits were ripened using calcium carbide. The team has filed a patent for their invention at regional patent office, Chennai. The other members of the team were PhD student Ankita J Lakade and postdoctoral scientist K Sundar.
"The sensor solution can be used by anyone without any technical expertise. The procedure is very simple and cost effective. Wash the test fruit with 10ml of water and take 1ml of the wash and mix with equal volume of sensor solution in a glass test tube and mix. The change in colour of solution from red to purple indicates that calcium carbide is used for ripening the fruit. No change in colour of the solution indicates that calcium carbide was not used for ripening the fruit," said Shetty.
He said reputed laboratories have begun validating the sensor solution. "The sensor solution will be released soon after validation. It is a timely invention as there have been a lot of concerns among the consumers on the artificial ripening of fruits such as mangoes. The authorities could not enforce the regulation due to lack of simple analytical methods to ascertain artificial ripening of fruits," said Shetty. He added that he was motivated to evolve a simple technique to detect artificial ripening of fruits when he served as member of a scientific panel on analysis at Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI). He is currently a member of a panel on contaminants in food chain at FSSAI.
The cost of an analysis is less than 20 paise, Shetty said. "The cost will be much lower if the sensor solution is synthesized in commercial scale," he added.
Explaining the concept of the sensor solution, Shetty said calcium carbide contains high levels of arsenic. "Fruits ripened using calcium carbide always have higher amounts of arsenic than the naturally-ripened fruits. We developed a cheap sensor solution, which exhibits visible changes in colour when it comes in contact with arsenic hydride. The solution is red in colour and it charges to purple when arsenic hydride comes in contact with it," he said.
The same team had earlier developed a new technique to detect early stages of spoilage of milk under practical condition so that milk can be used before it is spoiled completely.
SAI to set up Mobile Food Testing Laboratory units across country
FSSAI to set up Mobile Food Testing Laboratory units across country
New Delhi, May 5 (KNN) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India wants to set up Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) units throughout the country.
These MFTLs will be fully functional, equipped with all basic facilities and the required quick testing instruments and rapid diagnostic kits for detection of adulteration in various food samples particularly, Milk and Milk products, Edible Fats and oils, Water, Spices etc.
At least one Laboratory will be set up in each State/UT on turnkey basis.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 was enacted in 2006 in order to consolidate all the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and for regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, for ensuring availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption in the Country.
The Authority has rolled out a Central Sector Scheme for “Strengthening of the Food Testing System in the country including provision for Mobile Food Testing Labs” with the approval of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
The scheme envisages establishment of Mobile Food Testing Laboratory (MFTL) units throughout the country, at least one in each State/UT.
In this context, FSSAI has invited bids for “Setting up of Mobile Food Testing Laboratory by the FSSAI”.
The main aim of launching the mobile food testing lab is to check adulteration in milk and related products, ghee, spices, etc. Besides, experts will also make people aware about how to differentiate original food items from adulterants.
Raid Conducted in Grain Market by Department of Food Safety
Chandigarh, May 5, 2017: Artificial ripening of fruits like mango, papaya with calcium carbide is common practice adopted by various Food Business Operators during summer season. The use of Calcium Carbide is prohibited for ripening of fruits under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. The ripened fruits with the above said chemical cause serious health problems.
Looking into the seriousness of the matter the officials of Department of Food Safety, U.T.of Chandigarh under the supervision of Dr. Tapasya Raghav, IAS, SDM, Chandigarh Administration conducted a massive raid in the area of Grain Market, Sector 26, Chandigarh today. Many warehouses and shops where the fruits like mango and papaya were stored were inspected and it was found that the Food Business Operators were using Calcium Carbide for its ripening. Approx. 2.5 tons of papaya was seized and
destroyed in the dumping ground of Chandigarh through the vehicles of Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh.
The traders dealing in sale, storage and distribution of fruits are advised not to use any type of hazardous chemical for the ripening of fruits. If anybody is found violating the provisions of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and the Rules & Regulations, 2011 framed there under, action will be initiated against such violators.
Govt bans gutka, pan masala in State
PANJIM: The State Government on Thursday issued an order prohibiting manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of food products containing tobacco or nicotine like gutkha and pan masala in the State for one year.
The ban also applies to processed, flavoured, scented, chewing tobacco, whether packaged or unpackaged or sold as one or separate products.
Commissioner of Food Safety, B R Singh, said that in the interest of public health, the government prohibits manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and pan masala, by whatever name it is called, which contains tobacco or nicotine as an ingredient. “The ban has been imposed for a period of one year,” he said.
The decision appears to have been taken in view of the Supreme Court order wherein it observed that to circumvent the ban of sale of gutkha, manufacturers were selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets.
The notification has been issued under Food Safety and Standards Act (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 and Act 2006.
May 5, 2017
Cooking oil manufacturing units warned against adulteration
The officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department conducted surprise check in the cooking oil manufacturing units in the city and warned the firms against indulging in adulteration.
Complaints
On receipt of complaints that adulteration is rampant in cooking oil manufacturing units, a team led by T. Anuradha, Designated Officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, conducted surprise check in a few oil manufacturing companies functioning at Sivathapuram, Arisipalayam, and Saminathapuram in the city on Thursday.
The officials noticed that stickers of the companies functioning in the neighbouring states were being displayed in the cans and tins packed here. Moreover, the tins were washed using chemicals and used again for packing the oil, in violation of norms. The team also noticed the unhygienic conditions prevailing in the units.
Three charged with trade of dead chicken
The Food Safety and Drug Administration department officials on Thursday charged three persons with collecting dead chicken from farm and selling them for meat. About 50 kg of dead chicken found in their possession was seized and destroyed.
Food Safety Designated Officer K. Tamilselvan said Raju (37), who was found collecting chicken which were dead due to sunstroke and dehydration at the farms, was first caught.
Subsequently, Dhanapal (27) and Thangadurai (40), who were buying the dead chicken from Raju, were also caught. “We are initiating process to prosecute them for violations under Food Safety Act,” said Mr. Tamilselvan.
Goa tightens ban on gutka, pan masala
The ban on consumption of tobacco products such as gutka and pan masala has been tightened in Goa with the State Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) banning the products under the Food Safety Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. The Act came into force in 2011.
Salim Veljee, Goa Director of FDA, said the gutka lobby was trying to exploit loopholes in the ban under Public Health Act by separating Ghutka from pan masala using packaging gimmicks. “By banning the products under the FSSA, the loophole has been fixed. This ban makes everything consumed orally associated with tobacco as food.”
As per Food and Safety Standards Authority of India, under the Act, gutka and pan masala consumed in any form and used in any type of containers for production, sale, consumption and storage will be banned for one year.
Why Should Chewing Of Tobacco Not Be Banned? Asks Delhi High Court
Why should chewing of tobacco not be banned as such a step would end the problem posed by 'gutka' and 'pan masala', the Delhi High Court asked on Wednesday.
The court asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whether such a step has been taken by the Centre or any of the state governments.
While 'gutka' is a mild stimulant made of areca nut, tobacco and other intoxicants, 'pan masala' is a mixture of betel leaf with lime, areca nut and other items.
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"Have you considered banning it? If you say that chewing tobacco is per se harmful, has anyone banned it? You know, if you (authorities) ban it the whole problem would be over," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
The FSSAI, represented by advocate M Pracha, said there was no need to separately ban chewing of tobacco as the notifications banning 'gutka' covers this aspect as well.
However, the ban is not being enforced or implemented, the lawyer said.
The court, on the other hand, observed that the notification only appeared to ban mixing of chewing tobacco with any eatable item or 'pan masala' and banned 'gutka'.
The FSSAI did not agree with the observation and said that as chewing tobacco is an "unsafe food", its sale would attract penal provisions.
The court was hearing an application moved by a tobacco manufacturing company seeking to amend its main petition challenging the notification banning 'gutka'.
The company wanted to amend its main plea to also challenge the 2017 notification banning 'gutka' as the Delhi government comes out with such orders every year.
The court issued notice to the Delhi government and FSSAI seeking their replies to the plea before the next date of hearing in the main petition on May 11.
Food safety department decides to check licence of restaurants, hotels and shops selling edibles
During the crackdown, which is likely to kick off later this month, officials will inspect all shops and restaurants to check the quality of food or beverages served.
The department of food safety has decided to launch an extensive drive to crack down on restaurants, hotels and shops selling edibles without any licence in Gurugram.
A rough estimate suggests that there are at least 300 eateries — mainly bakeries, sweet shops, street vendors, tea stalls and such other small outlets that common people visit frequently — across Gurugram are running without licence.
During the crackdown, which is likely to kick off later this month, officials will inspect all shops and restaurants to check the quality of food or beverages served.
Also, officials will check if outlets have registered themselves with the department and whether they have validity licence.
Shops found without a valid licence will be sealed and a case will be registered against their owners.
Dr KK Sharma, The food safety officer, Gurugram, said, "We will carry out random inspections of shops and collect food samples. Also, we will check their registration and licence details. Owners will be prosecuted in case of any violation."
The department has extended the deadlines to apply for the licence six times in the past three years, yet many eatery owners failed to abide by the order.
Nagpur: FDA raids APMC, destroys mangoes laced with carbide
Nagpur: In a major overhaul, the Food Drug Administration (FDA) officials raided several mango shops , siezed and destroyed mangoes which were injected with the Calcium carbide at the market yard of Kalamna.
The raid was conducted at the Agriculture Produce Market Commodity (APMC) Kalamna market, where mangoes collectively weighing 5,516 kilograms were seized from different shops. The total value of mangoes is estimated at Rs 1.70 Lakh. The operation was carried under the supervision of FDA Joint Commissioner Shashikant Kekre and executed by Assistant Commissioners Milind Deshpande and Motiram Pawar. A team of food safety officials Manoj Tiwari and Akhilesh Raut raided the shop of Raju Kataria and found 240 kgs mangoes which were tested positive for carbide.
Later, Food safety officials Vinod Dhavad raided the shop of Mohammad Irfan Rais at the same location and found 2,998 kgs of mangoes positive with carbide and immediately confiscated the mangoes worth Rs 1.20 lakh.
Food safety officer Pravin Umap and FDA officer from Bhandara along with officials Bhaskar Nandanwar and other joint teams conducted a raid at office of one Jitendra Mankar at the market yard and seized mangoes weighing 2,278 kgs worth Rs 45,560. Then FDA officials raided the shops of Mohammad Isaq Haji, Mohd Javed and Shraddha Fruit Traders and seized and destroyed mangoes worth lakhs. The team officials were Kiran Gedam, Sheetal Deshpande and Anand Mahajan.
Calcium carbide is also used in some countries for artificially ripening fruit. When calcium carbide comes in contact with moisture, it produces acetylene gas, which is quite similar in reaction to the natural ripening agent ethylene.
Acetylene acts like ethylene and accelerates the ripening process.
DK DC orders inspection of food and water units
Mangaluru, May 4, 2017: Chairing a meeting of the district-level committee for the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act. on May 3, Wednesday, DK DC Dr K G Jagadeesh directed officials to carry out inspections at food processing and water units to ensure the quality of food, as a part of the effective implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act.
The DC said that there are 16 drinking water packaging units. "As per the Act, such units have to be ISI-certified. No licence could be issued to the units that do not meet ISI standards.
Units operating without licence should be sealed. A circular will be issued to all panchayats and urban local bodies," he said. Expressing his discontentment on the poor performance of food safety officials in inspecting the food and water units, he directed the officials to test the quality of food and water in laboratories.
Adulteration : "It is also found that the food sold in street stalls and fast-food centres gets adulterated with non-permitted chemicals. The items sold in bakeries also carry non-permitted colours which adversely affect the health. Awareness should be created among the public,"DK DC Dr Jagadeesha said, and warned, "Stern action will also be initiated against vendors who use chemicals to ripen and colour fruits. The lorries carrying fruits should be subjected to inspection and if use of chemicals on fruits is found, such lorries should be seized."
Zilla Panchayat chief executive officer Dr M R Ravi said that as water-borne diseases have been spreading faster, the quality of water cannot be ignored. The public may submit their complaints to food safety officials if they find adulteration in food served in hotels. Senior food safety officer H T Raju said that the taluk health officer will be the food safety officer for the taluk. The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act will be monitored by the senior food safety officer in Mangaluru City Corporation and Puttur taluk.
Additional DC Kumar, district health and family welfare Officer Dr Ramakrishna Rao and district surveillance officer Dr Rajesh were present during the meeting.
ஆயில் நிŕ®±ுவனத்தில் சோதனை போலி லேபிள்கள் சிக்கின
சூரமங்கலம்: ஆயில் நிŕ®±ுவனத்தில் நடந்த சோதனையில், பிரபல நிŕ®±ுவனங்களின் போலி லேபிள்கள் சிக்கின. சேலம், ŕ®…ŕ®°ிசிபாளையம், சாŕ®®ிநாதபுŕ®°ŕ®®் சாலையில், ஜெயசக்தி ஆயில் நிŕ®±ுவனம் செயல்படுகிறது. ŕ®…ŕ®™்கு, பல்வேŕ®±ு எண்ணெய்கள் தயாŕ®°ிக்கின்றனர். ŕ®…ŕ®™்கு, எண்ணெய்களில் கலப்படம் செய்து, ஆயில் நிŕ®±ுவனங்களின் லேபிள்களை போலியாக ஒட்டி விŕ®±்பதாக, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாŕ®°ிகளுக்கு புகாŕ®°்கள் வந்தன.
ŕ®…ŕ®™்கு, சேலம் ŕ®®ாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துŕ®±ை அதிகாŕ®°ி அனுŕ®°ாதா தலைŕ®®ையிலான குŕ®´ுவினர், நேŕ®±்ŕ®±ு சோதனை நடத்தினர். அதில், சன்பிளவர் ஆயில் நிŕ®±ுவனம் உள்பட, பல்வேŕ®±ு போலி நிŕ®±ுவன லேபிள்கள் இருந்தன. அதை ஒட்டி, ஆயில் டின்களில், எண்ணெய் கூடுதல் விலைக்கு விŕ®±்றது தெŕ®°ியவந்தது. லேபிள்களை பறிŕ®®ுதல் செய்த அதிகாŕ®°ிகள், பேரல்களில் உள்ள எண்ணெயை, ஆய்வுக்கு அனுப்ப, எடுத்துச்சென்றனர். இதுகுŕ®±ித்து, நிŕ®±ுவன உரிŕ®®ையாளருக்கு, அதிகாŕ®°ிகள் நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பியுள்ளனர்.
May 4, 2017
Gutka ban case: Delhi HC raps authorities for not banning tobacco chewing
May 11 fixed as the next date of hearing
Why should chewing of tobacco not be banned as such a step would end the problem posed by 'gutka' and 'pan masala', the Delhi High Court asked on Wednesday.
The court asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whether such a step has been taken by the Centre or any of the state governments.
While 'gutka' is a mild stimulant made of areca nut, tobacco and other intoxicants, 'pan masala' is a mixture of betel leaf with lime, areca nut and other items.
"Have you considered banning it? If you say that chewing tobacco is per se harmful, has anyone banned it? You know, if you (authorities) ban it the whole problem would be over," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
The FSSAI, represented by advocate M Pracha, said there was no need to separately ban chewing of tobacco as the notifications banning 'gutka' covers this aspect as well.
However, the ban is not being enforced or implemented, the lawyer said.
The court, on the other hand, observed that the notification only appeared to ban mixing of chewing tobacco with any eatable item or 'pan masala' and banned 'gutka'.
The FSSAI did not agree with the observation and said that as chewing tobacco is an "unsafe food", its sale would attract penal provisions.
The court was hearing an application moved by a tobacco manufacturing company seeking to amend its main petition challenging the notification banning 'gutka'.
The company wanted to amend its main plea to also challenge the 2017 notification banning 'gutka' as the Delhi government comes out with such orders every year.
The court issued notice to the Delhi government and FSSAI seeking their replies to the plea before the next date of hearing in the main petition on May 11.
HC: Why not ban chewing tobacco?
HC asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for its stand on the issue and also wished to know if such a step had been taken by the Centre or any state government. While 'gutka' is a mild stimulant made of areca nut, tobacco and other intoxicants, 'pan masala' is a mixture of betel leaf with lime, areca nut and other items.
"Have you considered banning it? If you say that chewing tobacco is per se harmful, has anyone banned it? You know, if you (authorities) ban it the whole problem would be over," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
The FSSAI submitted there is no need to separately ban chewing of tobacco as the notifications banning 'gutka' covers this aspect as well. However, the ban is not being implemented, the lawyer informed the court.
The court was hearing an application moved by a tobacco manufacturing company seeking to amend its main petition challenging the notification banning 'gutka'. The court issued notice to the Delhi government and FSSAI seeking their replies before the next date of hearing in the main petition on May 11.
Despite ban, chewing tobacco sales continue briskly
Many small shops across the city sell gutkha and other tobacco products (See pix).
The government filed an affidavit stating that it would enforce the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011, section 2.3.4 of which states that "tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product" and Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, department of health and family welfare, sought six weeks to work towards it. However, a legal notice filed by the Cancer Patients' Aid Association last month claims a "deliberate and intentional act or reckless failure" of health officials in allowing the public access to chewing tobacco.
Shalini maintains that raids continue on shops and stores selling chewing tobacco in its various forms, like gutkha, pan masala etc. "A ban on the manufacture of chewing tobacco cannot be enforced," she said.
Subodh Yadav, state food safety commissioner, said that tobacco units had been permitted under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which empowers them to manufacture tobacco under certain terms and conditions -- such as the display of health warnings on packets, prohibiting their sale less than 100 metres from educational institutions and to minors, and so on, and all companies fall under the ambit of the Act.
"As and when these terms and conditions are violated, the authorities can step in and take action as per COTPA. This Act predates the Food Safety regulation, which is not a pure Act but regulates the presence of tobacco and nicotine in food items -- in this context, anything that is consumed orally,'' he said.
But Dr Vishal Rao, oral oncologist and member of a high-powered committee (HPC) formed two years ago under the chief secretary to advise on tobacco use, said that chewing tobacco should have been banned by the same Act in 2011.
"Anything that is orally ingested constitutes food. By section 2.3.4 of the food safety rules, since chewing tobacco is put into the mouth and consumed, it immediately becomes food. However, over time, various methods were used to manipulate this definition to continue to sell the product. They even started selling it separately, instead of adding tobacco to food (flavoured additives like pan masala), allowing users to buy sachets and mix as they wished," he said.
Dr Rao added that of the approximately 19 departments that came under the HPC, the health lobby was the weakest, with departments like finance, tax, excise and agriculture taking precedence.
Yadav added that the Food Safety regulation was technically weaker than COTPA and section 2.3.4 talked about mixing 'food items' with tobacco, which isn't happening anymore as companies ensure they are sold separately.
"The authority can act as long as these components are mixed. Despite that, we have gone into overdrive and beyond the SC directive by taking action against manufacturers also. We have the power to issue notices, seize samples, send them for tests and file cases but not to shut down manufacturing units," he said.
'We cannot stop consumption'
All individuals are responsible for their own health. A consumer makes an informed choice to consume something. How can I come into the picture and stop somebody? As an authority, we have segregated tobacco from food by ensuring that they are sold separately, but people are buying, mixing and consuming tobacco. Beyond that, what can we do?
Subodh Yadav | Karnataka food safety commissioner
ACTION TAKEN REPORT
(As on May 3, 2017)
20,909 Inspections/ raids
1,261 Samples taken
26,27,308 Sachets seized
46,840 Pouches seized
Rs 2,01,530 Recovered in penalties
68 Cases filed (ADC court)
2,569 Notices issued
(Source: Office of Food Safety and Standard Act, Public Health Institute, Bengaluru)
Seized tobacco sachets pile up in godowns
Srinivas Gowda, food safety joint director, said that cases were booked under the Food Safety Act as well as the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
"The cases are filed in the respective district courts. Until the cases are resolved in courts, the confiscated samples are kept in the custody of courts, after which there are some specific methods through which they are destroyed so that they don't recirculate," he said.
As per last year's circular, the nodal officer for the district, along with food safety officers, are to implement the ban under powers conferred by the FSSA under sections 59 and 66.
"Section 59 which is on punishment for unsafe food, has four provisions. The most stringent punishment under this is life imprisonment, with a fine of Rs 5-10 lakh. The minimum is six months' imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Under Section 66, which penalizes offences by companies, the fine is Rs 1 lakh," Gowda said.
By comparison, COTPA carries a lighter punishment. According to a consultant with the state anti-tobacco cell which is responsible for enforcement and imposing fines under COTPA, there are 33 sections under which a person may be charged.
"When it comes to chewing tobacco, if the person operating the point of sale exhibits the products in his shop, he is charged under easy accessibility to minors under Section 6(a) which carries a fine of Rs 200 per violation. If there is an advertisement, he can be charged Rs 2,000 and it carries a 1-2 year prison term as well, under section 5. However, there is no section that charges the shop owner for selling to an adult," he said, adding that sections 5 and 7 of COTPA were non-compoundable, which means that after booking the case, it had to go on trial to decide the punishment.
300 eateries running in Gurugram without licence
GURUGRAM: The department of food safety has decided to launch an extensive drive to crack down on restaurants, hotels and shops selling edibles without any licence in the city.
A rough estimate suggests that there are at least 300 eateries — mainly bakeries, sweet shops, street vendors, tea stalls and such other small outlets that common people visit frequently — across Gurgaon are running without licence.
During the crackdown, which is likely to kick off later this month, officials will inspect all shops and restaurants to check the quality of food or beverages served. Also, officials will check if outlets have registered themselves with the department and whether they have validity licences. Shops found without a valid licence will be sealed and a case will be registered against their owners.
"We will carry out random inspections of shops and collect food samples. Also, we will check their registration and licence details. Owners will be prosecuted in case of any violation," said Dr KK Sharma, the food safety officer, Gurgaon.
In 2014, the department had directed owners of all hotels, restaurants and shops selling eatables to registered themselves under the Food and Safety Act 2006 and obtain licences from the authorities. The department has extended the deadlines to apply for the licence six times in the past three years, yet many eatery owners failed to abide by the order.
Respond to petition on poor food on trains: HC to Centre
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gital Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra issued a notice to the Railway Ministry, asking it to ensure that Food Safety and Standards Act regulations were met.
It said the quality of food served on trains and at railway platforms had to be monitored.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Sardar Jagjit Singh, a retired food inspector with the Railways, who said urgent measures were required to guarantee safe food in restaurants, food plazas, staff canteens and other cooking units run by the railways.
The petitioners counsel K C Mittal, while submitting that 23 million people travelled by train in the country every day, focused on the sale and supply of adulterated food in the Indian Railways.
The lawyer had earlier submitted to the court a CD containing a news report from a television channel on the subject.
"The worst is the insensitivity and the failure on the part of the respondents to take adequate steps to ensure sale and supply of unadulterated, wholesome and hygienic food to 23 million passengers who travel everyday by train (24X7) in different parts of the country," it said.
The petition said food quality should be monitored on passenger and goods trains, pantry cars, other food outlets in railway areas operated by private contractors, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) and food plazas, including unauthorised vendors and canteens run by the railways.
The bench has now fixed May 16 for a hearing on the matter.
Now, a drive against unlicensed food shops in Gurugram
GURUGRAM: In a bid to curb the sale of substandard and adulterated food, a checking drive will be conducted by the department of food safety in the district. The officials will focus on shops that are being run without a license from the department.
Sources reveal that in 2014, the department had issued orders that all shops and restaurants cooking, serving and selling eatables must obtain a license from the authorities. Under the Food and Safety Act 2006, it is mandatory for all hotels, restaurants, dhabas, canteens and even the street cafes vendors to be registered with the authorities, following which a license is issued to them. Since then only 2,506 licenses have been issued till date. Notably, the department has even extended the deadlines to apply for the licenses six times in past three years.
A senior official from the department told TOI that there are at least 300 shops and restaurants across Gurugram which still do not license to cook and serve food and beverages. Such places include bakeries, sweet shops, street cafes, tea stalls etc. too. The drive will begin at the end of this month, under which all the shops and restaurants will be checked for the quality of food sold or served at any of these places. At the same time, the officials will check registration and validity of the license. Those found without a valid license, will be penalized, the shops will be sealed till further action and a case will be registered against the owner.
"From now on we will randomly visits the shops and collect the food samples. At the same time, we will also check the registration and license of the place. In case of not having a valid license, a prosecution will be launched against the owner," said Dr KK Sharma, food safety officer, Gurugram.
Keep strict tabs on bottled water manufacturing units, DC tells officials
MANGALURU: Deputy Commissioner K G Jagadeesha on Wednesday directed officials concerned to ensure continuous inspection of food preparation units across Dakshina Kannada district for effective implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act. The food safety inspectors must specifically pay due attention to bottled water manufacturing units, collect samples periodically, get is tested in the laboratories and ensure that it is fit for human use, DC said.
Chairing a meeting of district level committee under the act, DC said there are 16 bottled water manufacturing units in Dakshina Kannada. Each such units must mandatorily obtain a permission from Indian Standard Institute (ISI) to carry out their activities. Urban local bodies or panchayathi raj bodies are not entitled to issue license to such units in their jurisdiction if they do not ISI license and such licenses must be revoked forthwith if they have issued one.
A detailed note will be issue to all urban local bodies and gram panchayats in this regard shortly, DC said while directing officials to crack down on all illegal water bottling units functioning in the district. Expressing displeasure that periodic inspection of such water bottling units is not happening on a regular basis, Jagadeesha directed the nodal officer under the Act to carry out the same and provide inspection reports to his office in proof of compliance.
Observing there are complaints of chemical adulteration of food sold on roadside eateries, fast food hotels, DC directed the officials to keep a watch out on such food joints as well. He advised people not to use foods served in such joints that are rich in colour for they could be adulterated. Likewise, the authorities concerned must run public awareness campaigns to educate people about the ill-effects of consuming such adulterated food on their health, he noted.
Averring that there are complaints about artificial ripening of fruits using chemicals, he directed the officials to inspect wholesale fruit godowns and wholesale fruit merchants for such instances. Action should be initiated against anyone found guilty of use of chemicals on fruits for pecuniary gains, he said while advising officials to also inspect lorries that bring fruits from outside the state and ensure that there is no chemical adulteration of fruits at source.
Food sales by weight: HC notice to govt
Ahmedabad: Gujarat high court on Wednesday issued notice to the state government and the Controller of Legal Metrology and Director of Consumer Affairs in response to a PIL seeking directions to hotels and restaurants to serve foodon basis of weight, and not per plate or dish.
The petitioner made an interesting argument, claiming that pizzas should not be sold according to diameter size, but the producer must furnish information about the weight of the pizza and charge accordingly.
A Vadodara-based NGO - Gujarat Khedut Hit Rakshak Samiti filed the PIL demanding strict implementation of the Standard of Weight and Measurement Act. It has urged that hotels and restaurants be made to serve food and beverage in standard measure of 100 gram and 100 ml, and charge customers accordingly.
The petitioner has demanded stopping the practice of charging and serving food per dish or plate, which is not mentioned in any law.
The petitioner stated that all hotels and restaurants serve food per dish and the price mentioned is also per dish, which is not a base unit of sale according to law.
There is no mention of dish or plate as a unit of measurement in law argued the petitioner. How would a consumer know about the quantity of food that is going to be served in one dish, asked the petitioner, adding that price is also fixed per dish and this is against the interest of consumers.
The PIL has stated that serving food per dish is a gross violation of Consumer Protection Act. The government is bound to implement the Standard of Weight and Measurement Act because the present practice in the hotel industry is unfair. While a shopkeeper sells food items to customers in weight, why should there be another yardstick for hotels and restaurants in serving food.
The petitioner told the HC that representations in this regard was made in 2015 bringing to their notice that the base unit of mass is kilogram and hotels and restaurants are legally bound to serve food in gram and litre, but the authorities did not respond.
The court has sought reply from the authorities by June 28.
May 3, 2017
Telangana: Water, oil packets fail in quality
Water packets, sourced from bus and railway stations, and shops, were found to be unsafe to drink.
Hyderabad: Random quality tests carried out by the food controller for oil and water packets in the city show that they are of substandard quality. Over 500 samples of oil and water packets, which were randomly picked from Hyderabad and other districts in the state, were fou-nd to be failing in quality. Vegetable oils which were picked up from the market and also supermarkets were tested. However, the quality of the product was found to be substandard.
Officials have sent a report on the tests to Food Safety Standard Authority of India. “These are branded products and hence the reports of its inferior quality have been sent to the head office, which will take up the matter with the manufacturers,” said a senior food inspector on condition of anonymity. He said they have also found counterfeit products under the same brand and the issue was taken up with the concerned people.
“For packaged drinking water, it was found that the product was misbranded and was of substandard quality, which was unsafe to drink. The samples were randomly picked up at bus stations, railway stations, malls and big markets in the state to assess the quality,” the official said.
After amla juice fails test, Ramdev’s Patanjali comes up with ‘chamatkari’ wheat seed, chilli
Patanjali that started in 2006 to sell traditional Ayurvedic potions has expanded into personal care, home products, cosmetic creams, noodles, and more in last few years.
Patanjali Ayurveda, the Haridwar-based Ayurveda firm promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, has developed a new variety of wheat seed and chilly in a bid to shore up its image after a couple of its products, including amla juice, failed to clear a laboratory test.
Patanjali, which made Rs 5,000 crore in revenue in 2015-16, and is eying Rs 1 trillion in the next one decade, has come up with a sprawling 10-acre research centre in Haridwar. The Patanjali Research Institute that was opened with an initial investment of Rs 200 crore will focus on inventing ‘result orientated’ Ayurveda medicines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the centre during his Uttarakhand visit on Wednesday.
The yoga guru has claimed researchers have developed a new variety of wheat seed that can fetch up to 28 quintals in one acre of land and also a home-grown chilly that can fetch up to 47 quintals in an acre.
“Patanjali agro scientists have developed advanced variety of high yielding wheat grain (named Patanjali Chamatkar) without using chemicals (sic),” Ramdev tweeted.
“Patanjali agro scientists have proved time and again that, high yielding and high quality produce can be obtained without chemicals (sic)” he added.
Patanjali Chamatkar or miracle got a much-needed fillip from Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh who said it was an excellent use of ‘swadeshi’.
Patanjali that started in 2006 to sell traditional Ayurvedic potions has expanded into personal care, home products, cosmetic creams, noodles, and more in last few years. It sells everything from detergent to cornflakes and hair oil under its own name.
A person privy to the developments in the firm said Ramdev intends to focus on two core areas – Ayurveda and agro business. Ramdev is focusing on strengthening the research wing of the company in a bid to revamp its brand image, which has taken a beating in the last one year.
Many of its products have been getting “adverse feedback” from consumers and retailers, prompting the company to form two internal committees earlier this year to address the problem. The company also faced the ire of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for ‘misbranding’.
Last month, Canteen Stores Department (CSD), the retailing entity selling consumer goods to the armed forces, suspended the sale of a batch of Patanjali’s amla juice after it failed” the test carried out at West Bengal Public Health Laboratory in Kolkata. Defence ministry sources said a show cause notice has been served on the company.
The Ayurveda firm, however, blamed a department of the Uttarakhand government for the fiasco.
Nine packaged drinking water units shut down in Mysuru
Four other units that were in the process of getting licences were asked to stop production and sale till they obtained certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards.
As many as nine packaged drinking water units which were functioning without possessing mandatory ISI certification in Mysuru district have been closed down. Four other units, which had applied for ISI certification and were in the process of getting them, were asked to stop production and sale of their products until they obtained certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
S. Chidambar, designated officer for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and district vector-borne diseases officer, and other officials conducted an enforcement search a few days ago and found that nine units were functioning without the ISI certification.
Licences mandatory
Disclosing this to The Hindu, Dr. Chidambar said that apart from functioning illegally, the units were not following prescribed procedure in preparing good quality packaged drinking water.
The owners of the units were asked to close down their units and were warned of dire consequences if they attempted to re-open the same in the future, he said. He cautioned that action would be initiated against the units under Section 33 of Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986, if they were found indulging in carrying out their businesses illegally.
Licences from BIS and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are prerequisites to run a packaged drinking water plant, he said.
Laboratory tests
Dr. Chidambar said that apart from having treatment machinery like reverse osmosis units, carbon filters and sand filters, the plants must have also laboratories that are extremely important to check the potability of water after processing. The owners of the plant should conduct tests of each batch of processed water in their laboratories and in other laboratories too at regular intervals, he said.
Health hazard
A spurt in the demand for processed drinking water has resulted in proliferation of packaged drinking water plants. The plants were set up by individuals to make easy money. Substandard quality of water manufactured by such units may pose a grave threat to people’s health, Dr. Chidambar said.
Dr. Chidambar said that borewell water is the only water that should be used for manufacturing packaged drinking water, and river water, open well water or water supplied by civic bodies should not be used for this purpose. He also appealed to the people not to buy packaged drinking water unless they find the ISI certification and FSSAI number.
He instructed hotels, bakeries, bars and restaurants not to sell packaged drinking water without ISI certifications and FSSAI numbers. There are other 32 manufacturing units functioning in Mysuru district with certification from BIS, he said.
Powering up food
Augmenting foods with nutrients can improve overall health, but it must be regulated
Since a diversified diet that meets all nutritional requirements is difficult to provide, fortification of food is relied upon by many countries to prevent malnutrition. The World Health Organisation estimates that deficiency of key micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A and iodine together affects a third of the world’s population; in general, insufficient consumption of vitamins and minerals remains problematic. Viewed against the nutrition challenge India faces, processed foods with standards-based fortification can help advance overall health goals, starting with maternal health. It is imperative, for a start, to make iron-fortified food widely available, since iron deficiency contributes to 20% of maternal deaths and is associated with nearly half of all maternal deaths. The shadow of malnutrition extends to the children that women with anaemia give birth to. They often have low birth weight, are pre-term, and suffer from poor development and lower cognitive abilities. Low intake of vitamins, zinc and folate also causes a variety of health issues, particularly when growing children are deprived. Fortification is a low-cost solution. The benefit is maximised when there is a focus also on adequate intake of oils and fats, which are necessary for the absorption of micronutrients and something poorer households often miss in their diet.
The efficacy of the fortification standards introduced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will depend on enforcement. It is important to ensure that all sections of producers meet the norms, since the FSSAI plans to get local flour mills to add premixed nutrients. Making affordable, good quality fortified foods widely available is the key. Only such standardised processes can provide micronutrients to women, and in turn to breastfed children in the first six months after birth. A well-functioning public distribution system is the best channel to reach precisely those sections that need fortified food the most. In the case of children, recent studies show that adding zinc to food during the six months to 12 years growth period reduced the risk of death from infectious diseases and all causes put together. Fortified food, therefore, provides near to medium-term gains, and addresses micronutrient malnutrition concerns at the population level. Yet, as the WHO points out, in the long term, public health goals on prevention and elimination of nutritional deficiencies should aim at encouraging people to adopt a diversified and wholesome diet. Children, including those in school, should get a wholesome cooked meal that is naturally rich, and augmented with vegetables, fruits, dairy and other foods of choice. Fortified foods can help fill the gaps, particularly in areas that are in need of speedy remedial nutrition. It is also vital that food regulation views the issue of affordability as a central concern, because unaffordable fortified food would defeat the very purpose of fortification.
Food safety enforcement wing conducted drive
Imphal, May 02 2017: Food safety enforcement wing conducted a surprise drive at various shops in Masjid Road and Thangal Bazar area, today.
Th Sunilkumar, Designated officer of Food Safety and Administration who took part in the drive said that despite the edible items which may cause throat diseases to the children were ban earlier were found to be still available in today's drive.
The ban items have been seized today.
Th Sunilkumar also said actions will be taken up under the food safety and standard act 2006, if shopkeepers are found violating the rules.
In the past the drive could not be held regularly due to the lack of manpower in the department but now the department has the adequate manpower and the drive will be conducted regularly in all valley districts.
Sunilkumar appeals to the public and CSO's to extend all possible support to stop the people running shops without the FSSAI license.
The drive was conducted by a combine team of enforcement wing of Imphal East and West, Thoubal and Bishnupur District under the supervision of food safety Commissioner, P.K Singh.
During the drive edible items being sold without license were seize and some of the shopkeepers pulls their shutter down on hearing the news of the surprise drive.
The shops have been seal by the enforcement wing.
Most of the shopkeepers were found selling of edible items without the norms of food safety and standard authority of India (FSSAI) license.
The combine team also found many imported items from Myanmar without expiry date stickers, stickers with Myanmar language and twice printed stickers with manufacturing date.
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