CIRCULAR OF FOOD SAFETY COMMISSIONER, KERALA - HEALTH INSPECTORS & HEALTH OFFICERS HAVE NO AUTHORITY FOR FOOD INSPECTIONS IN HOTELS OR ANY FOOD BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT

CIRCULAR OF FOOD SAFETY COMMISSIONER, KERALA

CIRCULAR OF FOOD SAFETY COMMISSIONER TO D.O's

KERALA GOVT. GAZETTE COPY OF BAN ON SALE OF PANMASALA, GUTKHA PRODUCTS

Restaurant kitchens to mop up or face music

It is the time-tested formula of carrot first, stick later. East Singhbhum health officials are telling eatery and restaurant owners to learn about the newly formulated Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (updated in 2012). If they don’t, they must eat the humble pie, which include registrations getting cancelled. After a spate of meetings with eatery owners, district health officials are taking help of trade and commerce bodies to make small-time restaurants and roadside vendors aware of the food act, especially its provisions on hygiene. On Monday, additional chief medical officer (ACMO) Swarn Singh held a meeting at his chamber with Jamshedpur Chamber of Commerce officials. On Tuesday, health officials sent messages and data sheets to other trade outfits. “We held talks with Jamshedpur Chamber of Commerce members and apprised them on the legal aspects of the act. Now, they will spread the message,” said Swarn Singh. Health officials will also meet members of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and market officers (bazaar officers) across neighbourhoods. Officials will hand them pamphlets on provisions and best practices. “We want restaurants, hotels and eateries to know the rules and regulations regarding manufacture, processing and handling of food so that they are prepared during a surprise raid,” added the ACMO. Once lessons are over, tests (read inspections) will start. “Inspections in eateries of East Singhbhum were supposed to start from May last week, but district food inspector Krishna Prasad Singh was on leave. Once Singh is back, we will form a four-member team to verify if provisions of the food act are being followed,” said the ACMO. It means surprise checks in kitchens of hotels and restaurants. If hygiene is lacking, owners will get improvement notices. During the next check, if standards are not found to have improved, the eatery’s name will be sent to New Delhi, with a recommendation to cancel its registration.

Take up registration, traders told

Traders engaged in food business in the district should start the process of registration and obtaining licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 by the first week of June, said M.A.Subramanian, District Revenue Officer and Collector (in-charge) here on Tuesday. Chairing a consultative meeting here, Mr.Subramanian said it was essential that all traders engaged in food business conformed to the provisions of the Act. Those requiring any information with regard to the procedures could contact the Designated Officer over the telephone by dialling 9443121501.
The Designated Officer for the district Dr.Dakshinamurthy and officials of various department explained the provisions of the Act.

Contaminated water tied to Illness

MADURAI: A week-long inspection by the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department at the hostel inside the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) revealed that unhygienic living conditions, poor maintenance of water tanks and supply of contaminated food were to blame for the recent outbreak of diarrhoea among nursing students.
On Thursday, when a team from the department checked the hostel canteen, they found that cool drinks and milk products in the refrigerator were contaminated.“We have seized those items,” food safety officer K Saravanan told Express. Saravanan said when they inspected the nursing hostel, they found that the food kept in the storeroom were unsuitable for consumption.“The storehouse was not maintained. Insects were found in pulses and rice.”

Food licence tastes bitter

Restaurant owners and vendors in Bokaro are upset with the district health department's diktat to apply for licence or register by August 7 in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) Regulations, 2011, fearing it will lead to inspection raj.
According to assistant chief medical officer of Bokaro Arjun Prasad, owners of restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, sweet shops, fast food joints and roadside eateries will have to obtain licence or registration certificate from the department.
"We are surveying various blocks of Bokaro to identify the number of such operators as well as making them aware about the mandatory requirement for licence or registration for each of them before August 7," said Prasad, adding that about half-a-dozen shop-owners had already applied for registration/licence.
President of Bokaro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sanjay Vaidya, however, termed the department's notice draconian saying it would encourage inspection raj.
He argued that health officials would enjoy a free reign and demand bribe from the vendors in the name of issuing licence or registration.
"Big operators such as restaurant owners will remain unaffected, but roadside food stall owners will suffer, as they will be pressured by officials for granting licence or registration," said Vaidya, adding that the administration should launch awareness programme on hygiene instead.
Sanjay Singh, who runs a chowmein stall at Sector 12, said, "I barely manage to earn enough to feed my family. Where will I find the time to make rounds of offices to obtain a registration certificate?"
Prasad, however, pointed out that the new regulations were being implemented nationwide after they were formulated last year to bring about transparency.
The officer claimed that local bodies such as Mineral Area Development Authority, which issued licences to the shops and restaurants until now, did so without following standard norms.
Under the new regulations, he added, "all operators who record annual sales figures of over Rs 12 lakh will have to apply for licence and will be charged a fee of Rs 2,000".
He added that licences would be renewed every year.
Shop owners or vendors with annual sales below Rs 12 lakh will have to apply for registration at a fee of Rs 100.
Errant operators are liable to cough up fines between Rs 10,000 and Rs 1 lakh.
"The regulations also provide for penalties and imprisonment for food adulteration," said Prasad.

Red gram used in Vemulawada temple prasadam

KARIMNAGAR: Authorities of the Sri Rajarajeswara Swamy temple in Vemulawada are reportedly procuring sub-standard red gram containing harmful chemicals for preparation of prasadam, putting the lives of devotees at risk.
The shocking fact is revealed by a report prepared by the Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata, which analysed the red gram samples sent to it by Karimnagar district food inspector in March this year.
The report says, the red gram supplied to the temple by a Hyderabad-based trader contains Tartrazine, a synthetic lemon yellow food colouring, at more than permitted levels. Earlier, the State Food Laboratory also reported that the red gram supplied to the temple contained Tartrazine.
Red gram is used for preparing naivedyam, prasadam and in temple canteen at Sri Rajarajeswara Swamy temple and scores of devotees visiting the temple daily are taking the prasadam. Health experts term Tartrazine as an unhealthy addictive which has various side-effects like anxiety, migraines, asthma, blurred vision, eczema and other skin diseases.
Sources said, a Hyderabad-based trader supplied about 500 kg of red gram to the temple about six months ago. On reliable information, Karimnagar district food inspector P Preetam Kumar raided the temple store room on March 13. Samples of red gram and jeera, obtained during the raid, were sent to Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata for analysis which confirmed the presence of Tartrazine at more than permitted levels.
The temple management is now claiming that the samples collected by the food inspector were donated to the temple by some devotees and wrote a letter to the district food inspector in this regard.
Temple EO T Appa Rao told Express that he had no knowledge about such report and would react only after going through it thoroughly. The report was sent to the food safety commissioner’s office in Hyderabad. Another report is being prepared , to be submitted to the joint collector and adjudicating officer for further action.

Your milk packet may contain sewage water

Four vendors, who used to fill empty milk packets with gutter water and sell it to customers in Vile Parle (East), have been arrested

If you thought adulterating milk meant diluting it with water, here’s a disgusting reality check. Cops caught four milk vendors red-handed selling milk packets mixed with sewage water to customers in Vile Parle (East) yesterday. The milk vendors were engaged in this act since the past six months and were using empty milk packets that they collected from garbage bins.

Acting on a tip-off, Vile Parle cops arrested Ramesh Jhala (32), Ravi Anguri (29), Narsingh Ongalu (29) and Anjaya Ongalu (42) and seized 181 adulterated milk packets and 160 litres of adulterated milk. “They were playing with the lives of their customers, especially children. It is not just adulteration but a slow poison for consumers,” said a police officer from Vile Parle police station.

Seedy business: Cops seized 181 adulterated milk packets and 160 litres of adulterated milk from the four accused who were engaged in the business since six months at Vile Parle (E)

“The accused used to fill adulterated milk into empty milk packets that were collected from garbage bins. The arrested accused used to supply milk on cycles in Vile parle. They have been charged under section 272, 273, 420 and 34 of the IPC and under several sections under the prevention of food adulteration act,” said Bhausaheb Tavre police inspector at Vile Parle police station. Cops are further investigating the matter to ascertain if the accused are part of a larger racket.
The accused were produced at Bandra Magistrate court and have been remanded to police custody till May 31. Further elaborating on the modus operandi, cops informed that the accused had devised two methods to adulterate milk packets. In the first method, they would tear open branded milk packets, and mix dirty water in them before sealing them with a stapling machine.
In the second method, the vendors would rummage through garbage bins and collect empty milk packets. They would then fill 60 per cent milk in the packet and mix it with 40 per cent gutter water, and seal it with a burning candle. Cops got specific information about milk adulteration being carried out in Vile Parle (E) from an informer on Sunday, and under the supervision of senior police inspector Talegaonkar, PI Tavre hatched a plan with PSI Vidhate, Patil and Mudhiraj to nab them. On Monday at around 7 am when the accused were about to sell the milk packets, cops arrested them. Cops have now requested residents to destroy empty milk packets, so that they cannot be used again. 

Corpn seals its canteen

Chennai: The Chennai Corporation on Monday sealed its canteen after officials found that adulterated food was being sold. The move comes after Mayor Saidai Duraisamy and a team of officials inspected the canteen, run by the employees’ cooperative society.
    Duraisamy said that food was served in unhygienic conditions and the price was high. "The canteen would be renovated and will be opened after 15 days,” he said. The canteen was sealed under the Anti-Food Adulteration Act.

Will Maha follow Kerala and ban gutka?

With Kerala’s recent ban on chewable tobacco products, the anti-tobacco advocacy groups are now waiting for Maharashtra to follow suit by banning the manufacture and sale of gutka, khaini and other such products.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, which was conducted in India in 2009-2010, 31.4 per cent of Maharashtra’s total population consumes tobacco in one form or the other. Minister of food and drug administration Satej Patil said, “I’m all for a total ban on paan masala, gutka and other chewable tobacco products. I have presented the case to the state law and judiciary department for the final approval. Kerala and Madhya Pradesh managed to get the final approval from their respective state law and judiciary departments.”

On Friday, the Kerala government banned products like gutka, khaini and other products based on a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulation. Kerala becomes the second state after Madhya Pradesh to ban gutka and paan masala. In April, the Union ministry of health and family welfare had said that states had the jurisdiction to ban gutka and paan masala. However, in Maharashtra, the onus of implementing the ban on lies with the FDA.

Speaking about the timeframe for the ban, Mr Patil said, “I cannot comment on the time, but I’m hoping it is as soon as possible.”

Combined squad to fight gutka menace

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Police, Revenue Department and the office of the Commissioner of Food Security will form a combined squad to facilitate effective ban on gutka and pan masala in the State. The decision has in principle got approval from all the departments concerned, but the official announcement is likely to come in a day or so.
The order banning gutka and pan masala was passed by the Chief Minister on May 24. The ban was effected under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011. To validate the ban, substances like gutka and pan masala were treated as food stuffs which cause serious health hazards.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, the sales of the banned food items can attract six years’ imprisonment and a penalty amounting to ` 5 lakh. The food safety officers under the Health Department have already started a clampdown on the sales of the illegal items. But large-scale action would start only after June 15, the deadline set by the office of the Commissioner of Food Security to wind up the sales of gutka and pan masala.
“The decision to extend the deadline till June 15 was taken on humanitarian grounds. The wholesale dealers can move their goods to other states, where there is no restriction on the sales of these materials, till June 15. But action against retail dealers would continue,” said Food Security Commissioner Biju Prabhakar.
But what worries the officials is the manpower crunch faced by the department. Almost 100 food safety officers and 17 designated officers have to implement the legislation in the entire State. The authorities are planning to overcome the shortage by collaborating with the police and revenue departments.
The Police Department has been taking action against the sales of pan masala and gutka products within 400 metres from educational institutions. DGP Jacob Punnoose said that with the new order, the Police Department will intensify their action. “We have been taking action against the sales of such materials for the last couple of months. That vigil will continue,” he said.

பீர், ஒயின், விஸ்கியில் சாராயம் எவ்வளவு?நிர்ணயிக்க அமலாகிறது புதிய திட்டம்

புதுடில்லி:பீர், ஒயின், விஸ்கி உள்ளிட்ட மது வகைகளில், சாராயம் (ஆல்கஹால்) எந்த அளவு இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதை நிர்ணயிக்க, புது நடைமுறை அமலுக்கு வர உள்ளது.

வெளிநாடுகளில் எல்லாம், மது வகைகளில் சாராயத்தின் அளவு, எந்த அளவுக்கு இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதை, அதற்காக நியமிக்கப்பட்ட சில அமைப்புகள் முடிவு செய்கின்றன.ஆனால், இந்தியாவில், இதுபோன்ற கட்டுப்பாடுகள் இதுவரை இல்லை. தற்போது, விஸ்கி, ரம், ஜின் மற்றும் வோட்கா போன்ற மது வகைகளில், 45.5 சதவீதமும், பீரில் 8 சதவீதமும் சாராயம் இருக்கலாம் என்ற நடைமுறை உள்ளது.

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டம்:"உணவு பாதுகாப்பு தர நிர்ணய சட்டம்-2006' என்ற சட்டம், கடந்த ஆண்டு ஆகஸ்டில் அமலுக்கு வந்தது. இந்த சட்டத்தின்படி, இந்திய உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தர நிர்ணய ஆணையம் அமைக்கப்பட்டது. இந்த ஆணையத்தின் கீழ், மது வகைகளும் கொண்டு வரப்பட்டுள்ளன.மனிதர்களால் உட்கொள்ளப்படும் அனைத்தும், உணவு வகைகளே என, இந்த ஆணையம் கூறி வருகிறது. ஆனால், இதற்கு, மதுபான உற்பத்தி நிறுவனங்கள் கூட்டமைப்பு எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவிக்கிறது.இந்த சட்டம் மற்றும் ஆணையத்தின் கீழ், மது வகைகளை கொண்டு வரக் கூடாது என்றும், ஏற்கனவே, இது மாநில அரசுகளின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ளது என்றும், மது வகைகளில், சாராயத்தின் அளவை நிர்ணயம் செய்ய, இந்த ஆணையத்துக்கு அதிகாரம் கிடையாது என்றும் கூறி வருகிறது.

வழக்குகள்:இந்த ஆணையத்தை எதிர்த்து, மும்பை உயர்நீதிமன்றத்திலும், ஜபல்பூர் உயர்நீதிமன்றத்திலும் வழக்குகள் தொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.ஆனால், பீர் உள்ளிட்ட மது வகைகளில், சாராயத்தின் அளவை நிர்ணயம் செய்யும் முடிவை, மறு பரிசீலனை செய்ய ஆணையம் மறுத்து விட்டது. மேலும், இதற்கான வரைவு திட்டத்தையும் தயார் செய்துள்ளது. இதற்கு, ஆணையத்தின் அறிவியல் கமிட்டியும் ஒப்புதல் அளித்துள்ளது.ஆணையத்தின் கூட்டம் விரைவில் நடக்க உள்ளது. அப்போது, இந்த திட்டத்துக்கு ஒப்புதல் கொடுக்கப்பட்டு, ஜூலை 1ம் தேதி, அறிவிப்பு வெளியாகும் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுகிறது.அதன்பின், பீர், ஒயின் உள்ளிட்ட பல வகையான மதுபானங்களில், சாராயத்தின் அளவு எந்த அளவுக்கு இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பது கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டு, அமலுக்கு கொண்டு வரப்படும்.

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Alcohol content in beverages to be regulated

NEW DELHI, 27 MAY: Alcohol content in your favourite bottle of beer, wine and spirit is all set to go under scrutiny in the country.
For the first time, India's food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has finalised draft standards for all categories of alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, whisky, rum, gin and vodka to set the maximum permissible limits of alcohol in these drinks and thus, mandate safety standards.
The draft standards will come up for final discussions at the forthcoming meeting of the FSSAI, the apex food regulator, which plans to notify these by 1 July. So far, there was no benchmarking in place for prescribing safe and permissible limits of alcohol in drinks.
The new standards will apply to practically all branded alcoholic beverages that are permitted for sale in India as per the current licencing regulations.
Sources in the FSSAI said the new draft food standards finalised for alcoholic drinks would prescribe standards for the content of alcohol, grains and water in drinks.
“These standards have already been approved by the FSSAI scientific committee and are expected to be taken up at the authority's forthcoming meeting before their final approval. After approvals, these will be put in the public domain and objections will be invited,” FSSAI officers said.
The move has a potential to impact sales of the alcohol industry, a major revenue earner for states, with the total annual sales pegged at over US$ 10 billion in the country.
The industry is stiffly resisting any move from the food regulator to set standards on alcohol content in branded drinks.
The current levels in India allow a maximum of 45.5 per cent alcohol content in distilled spirits such as whisky, rum, gin or vodka, 12 per cent for wine and 8 per cent for beer.  
While the FSSAI says setting of standards for food products is part of its mandate by law, alcoholic beverage manufacturers say the authority has no such power and the state governments alone had the legislative competence to govern the manufacture and sale of these products.
Citing the existing state laws governing the manufacture and sale of liquor under the Excise Act, the manufacturers of alcoholic drinks under the banner of Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies have moved Bombay High Court challenging FSSAI's move to set alcohol content standards.
Liquor manufacturers have also moved Jabalpur High Court challenging the inclusion of alcoholic drinks in the definition of food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which was implemented last year in August. The Act says anything consumed would be considered as food.
FSSAI officers maintain they have the requisite powers under the FSSAI Act to set standards for anything consumed by humans as food or drink items and ensure that whatever is consumed is fit for human consumption. “We are simply trying to tell consumers what is fit for their consumption. These standards are directed to safeguard public health,” an FSSAI official said.
Developed countries have safety standards for all alcoholic drinks and these are enforced strictly in the interest of public health.
The FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as a statutory body to lay down science-based food safety standards and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Soon alcohol content in alcoholic beverages to be regulated
New Delhi: Alcohol content in your favourite bottle of beer, wine and spirit is all set to go under scrutiny in the country.
For the first time, India`s food regulator FSSAI has finalised draft standards for all categories of alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, whisky, rum, gin and vodka to set the maximum permissible limits of alcohol in these drinks and thus, mandate safety standards.
The draft standards will come up for final discussions at the forthcoming meeting of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the apex food regulator, which plans to notify these by July 1.

So far, there was no benchmarking in place for prescribing safe and permissible limits of alcohol in drinks.

The new standards will apply to practically all branded alcoholic beverages that are permitted for sale in India as per the current licencing regulations.

Sources in the FSSAI said the new draft food standards finalised for alcoholic drinks would prescribe standards for the content of alcohol, grains and water in drinks.

"These standards have already been approved by the FSSAI scientific committee and are expected to be taken up at the Authority`s forthcoming meeting before their final approval. After approvals, these will be put in the public domain and objections will be invited," FSSAI officers said.

The move has a potential to impact sales of the alcohol industry, a major revenue earner for states, with the total annual sales pegged at over USD 10 billion in the country.

The industry is stiffly resisting any move from the food regulator to set standards on alcohol content in branded drinks.

The current levels in India allow a maximum of 45.5 per cent alcohol content in distilled spirits such as whisky, rum, gin or vodka, 12 per cent for wine and 8 per cent for beer.

While the FSSAI says setting of standards for food products is part of its mandate by law, alcoholic beverage manufacturers say the Authority has no such power and the state governments alone had the legislative competence to govern the manufacture and sale of these products.

Citing the existing state laws governing the manufacture and sale of liquor under the Excise Act, the manufacturers of alcoholic drinks under the banner of Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies have moved the Bombay High Court challenging FSSAI`s move to set alcohol content standards.

Liquor manufacturers have also moved the Jabalpur High Court challenging the inclusion of alcoholic drinks in the definition of food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which was implemented last year in August.

The Act says anything consumed would be considered as food.

FSSAI officers maintain they have the requisite powers under the FSSAI Act to set standards for anything consumed by humans as food or drink items and ensure that whatever is
consumed is fit for human consumption.

"We are simply trying to tell consumers what is fit for their consumption. These standards are directed to safeguard public health," an FSSAI official said.

Developed countries have safety standards for all alcoholic drinks and these are enforced strictly in the interest of public health.

The FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as a statutory body to lay down science- based food safety standards and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Kerala bans pan masala and its variants

The Hindu Photo Library Kerala is the second state to ban gutka and pan products.

Kerala government has imposed a ban on manufacture, storage and sale of gutkha, panmasala and their variants containing tobacco and nicotine in the State.

The ban was ordered under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011, treating gutkha, panmasala and their variants as food products, with immediate effect.

Announcing the ban at a press conference here, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the Kerala had become the second State in the country after Madhya Pradesh to ban gutkha products.

The ban was decided upon as the products caused diseases such as cancer and addiction among youth. The ban was a long standing demand from parents and many others. The government would lose Rs 15 crore in tax revenue because of the ban. The tax had been raised from 20 to 22 per cent in current year’s Budget.

The Chief Minister recalled that the government had banned sale of pan masala and gutkha products within 400 metres from educational institutions. Efforts to ban it across the State under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act had not been successful.

Mr. Chandy said that he had written to the Prime Minister in July last year seeking a total ban on gutkha and pan masala across the country. However, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare replied in April this year that the States had the jurisdiction to ban gutkha and pan masala under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act. The Health Department initiated steps immediately to ban them.

He said that officials would be designated in all districts to enforce the ban. Besides, the collectors would head squads to check sale or distribution of the tobacco products.

Health Minister V. S. Sivakumar, who was present in the press briefing, said that the Health Department would work with the Education Department to ensure that the ban is strictly implemented and monitored with the help of three­tier committees formed for monitoring sale of tobacco products around schools. Biju Prabhakar, Commissioner of Food Safety, was also present at the press conference.

Tobacco Free Kerala, a coalition of like-minded organisations in the area of anti-tobacco campaigns, was launched in December last with the Minister as chairman to support the government activities for checking use of tobacco. Paul Sebastian, Director, Regional Cancer Centre here, is its Vice Chairman. Widespread use of pan masala and Gutkha products had come to the notice of the government, especially among the youth.

Gutkha is a powdery, granular white smokeless product that contains arecanut, tobacco, nicotine, lime, spices, cardamom, catechu, colouring agents and pleasing flavouring odours. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2009-10, 10.7 per cent of adults in Kerala use smokeless tobacco products such as gutkha and pan masala.

Studies have shown that gutkha is more addictive than ordinary chewing tobacco. It is highly carcinogenic as it contains both tobacco and arecanut. Gutkha use is strongly associated with the development of oral submucosal fibrosis, which causes difficulty in opening the mouth. Nearly two-third of patients with this condition develops cancer, an official release said.

Kerala government imposes blanket ban on manufacturing & sale of gutka/pan masala

KOCHI: The Kerala Government has imposed a blanket ban on the manufacturing and sale of gutka/pan masala in the state. Kerala has thus become the second State in the country after Madhya Pradesh to ban gutka products.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the State Government had enforced the ban on gutka/pan masala under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011.
The increasing incidence of gutka-induced diseases like oral cancer prompted the Government to take such a decision. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare had, in April this year, informed the state government that States had the jurisdiction to ban gutka/pan masala under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011.
The health department initiated steps immediately in this regard following this and the notification banning gutka/pan masala in Kerala was issued by Commissioner of Food Safety, Kerala on May 22.
The ban prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of products that contain tobacco and nicotine, in whatsoever name it is available in the market. The ban on gutka/pan masala follows a string of proactive initiatives taken by the Kerala Government for tobacco control.

Gutkha ban may not have long term impact on market

Mangalore, May 25: 

A ban on Gutkha by some States may have a temporary impact on the arecanut market. But it will help the commodity in the long run. Some arecanut growers and cooperatives feel that the ban on ‘paan masala' is a little worrisome.

Kerala became the second State after Madhya Pradesh to impose a ban on gutkha and paan masala on Friday.

Mr Ravish Hegde, Managing Director of the Sirsi-based Totagars' Cooperative Sale Society (which is actively involved in arecanut trade), told Business Line that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has classified arecanut as a food item.

According to Food Safety and Standards Act, tobacco or nicotine should not be mixed with food items. In ‘gutkha', tobacco and arecanut are the main ingredients.

He said that the volatility in the arecanut market is because of some manufacturers of ‘gutkha' who have imported inferior quality arecanut to manufacture ‘gutkha', thus affecting the domestic market.

Pure ‘paan' ban not good

Stating that pure ‘paan masala' is devoid of tobacco, he said that it should not have been banned. He said that the ban may be because some ‘gutkha' manufacturers unscrupulously add tobacco to ‘paan masala' to market their products.

Mr K. Padmanabha, President of Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd, said that the ‘gutkha' ban in Madhya Pradesh a month ago had temporary impact on red arecanut price. (Red arecanut is used in gutkha manufacture). But the demand has not come down.

Added to this, FSSAI has identified arecanut as a food item, and it cannot be banned, he said.

Mr M. Srinivasa Achar, President of All-India Areca Growers' Association, said that Governments should ensure that harmful elements such as tobacco and chemicals are not added to arecanut in any form. When arecanut import is allowed in the country, the Government should look at increasing its consumption through some value additions, he said.

Mixed cropping pattern

Mr Ramesh Kaintaje, a grower from Bantwal taluk, said arecanut farmer is at crossroads with some States on a banning spree of arecanut-related products. It is time for the grower to think about mixed cropping pattern than focusing on arecanut alone, he said.

On Friday, the Agricultural Marketing Committees of Channagiri, Davangere, and Sagar quoted a maximum price of Rs 134.69 a kg, Rs 136.50 a kg, and Rs 132.59 a kg, respectively, for red variety of arecanut.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation cracks down on mango stalls

While the sizzling summer continues to trouble citizens, there is urgent need to check the quality of street food that is sold in the city. The sale of mango ras too has picked up. However, many vendors continue to sell adulterated ras and artificially ripened mangoes despite repeated warnings. Also flouting norms are stalls selling street food.
To ensure sale of hygienic food at the stalls, the health department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Thursday raided the premises of vendors selling food on streets and stalls selling mango juice across the city. The officials checked if the mango ras sold to citizens was as per the standards of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The health officials of all the six zones conducted a major health check at various mango markets and stalls in their zones. The team of health officers was equipped with vans of estate department to seize adulterated food. They raided various small and large vendors of mangoes and also popular food stalls and eating joints in places like Nehrunagar, Paldi, Maninagar, among others.
During the check, the officials found that many of the vendors were selling adulterated mango ras and mango milkshakes. They collected samples of the mango ras from 11 such vendors and sent them to physical health laboratory for testing. 249 mango stalls in different zones were checked and a whopping 1,531 kg of artificially ripened mango and adulterated mango ras was destroyed by officials.
Many mango vendors were found using carbide powder for ripening the mangoes. The officials seized a total of 67.8 kg of carbide powder from different vendors. A total amount Rs2.18 lakh was collected as administrative charge. Also, 235 vendors were served notices to maintain hygiene in and around their food stalls.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DOCUMENTS TO BE ATTACHED IN REGN & LICENSE

THANKS TO Mr. M.ELANGO, FSO

Bench orders release of food additive

506 tonnes of Monosodium Glutamate was seized by Customs officials at Tuticorin harbour

The Madras High Court Bench here has directed the Commissioner of Customs at Tuticorin port to release 506 tonnes of Monosodium Glutamate, an organic food additive used as flavouring agent, seized at the instance of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), on condition that the importer must repack and label the goods in the Customs-bonded area in compliance of local laws.

Disposing of a writ petition filed by the importer based in Bangalore, Justice V. Dhanapalan made it clear that sufficient safeguards must be taken to make sure that the goods in question were fit for human consumption by subjecting them to appropriate inspection by the Port health authorities before issuing necessary customs clearance.

He directed the petitioner too to provide all details necessary for repacking such as the names and address of the manufacturer as well as the importer. The petitioner was also ordered to abide by additional conditions, if any, imposed by the Customs Commissioner for release of the goods as the latter was ordered not to release the goods if they were found to be unfit for human consumption.

According to the petitioner, involved in import and local sales of spices, condiments and other food items, he had placed an order with a firm in Hong Kong in March last year for supply of Monosodium Glutamate. It was sourced from a manufacturer in China and supply was confirmed at the rate of $ 1,300 per tonne. The goods were shipped from the Port of Xingang in China in April last.

After the goods reached the Tuticorin port in the third week of May last year, the Customs authorities refused to release them as the DRI had recommended seizure on the ground that the packs in which the goods were stored did not contain the names and address of manufacturer as well as importer, and hence they were prohibited for import under Section 5 of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

Why not labelled

Filing the present case after the failure of all his attempts to get the goods released, the petitioner stated that the details of manufacturer as well as importer were not labelled as the goods were in bulk packs and that he intended to paste those details while repacking them into smaller retail packs. However, B. Vijay Karthikeyan, Senior Standing Counsel for Customs and Excise, disagreed with such contention. He said that once the goods were released, it would be impossible for the Customs authorities to make sure whether the labelling was done in accordance with law. The details of manufacturer as well as importer were essential for the purpose of fixing responsibility if the goods, being a food additive, were found to cause injury to the public in the course of consumption, he added.

The counsel pointed out that Monosodium Glutamate should not be added to any food for use by an infant below 12 months of age as per provision 64 (B) of the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011. Even with respect to its usage by others, the rules prescribed that instructions for use, including reconstitution, should be included in the label to ensure correct utilisation of the additive.

In his counter affidavit, the Commissioner of Customs said that a sample of the goods was sent to the Central Food Technological Research Laboratory in Mysore after the seizure. The Director of the laboratory gave his opinion on December 13 stating that it was indeed Monosodium Glutamate, a permitted food additive under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

However, the Director's report contained the name and address of the manufacturer as well as the importer which were actually not found in the imported consignment itself. When questioned as to how those details were furnished in the test report, the laboratory said that they were provided by the importer while submitting the samples for analysis.

FDA raids ‘carbide’ mangoes

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its recent raids at fruit markets in Nashik and Nagpur has destroyed artificially-ripened mangoes worth lakhs of rupees. According to authorities, mangoes were being ripened with the help of chemical agent popularly know as carbide, a known ripening agent.
The FDA conducted raids at fruit markets in Nagpur and Nashik last week to check if artificial ripening agents are being used in mangoes.
The authorities destroyed around five tonnes and more than one tonne of mangoes in Nagpur and Nashik respectively.
“We conduct such raids on and off, since vendors become aware and stop the process for some time. We try and catch them red-handed,” said G.H. Rathod, joint commissioner, state FDA.
Since the beginning of the month, food inspectors from Nagpur and Nashik have seized over 6,000 kgs of alphonso mangoes, which are artificially ripened using calcium carbide powder that releases acetylene gas. The substance is carcinogenic and can cause a host of health problems.
On May 14, FDA officials seized 5,091 kgs of artificially ripened alphonsoes worth `1.37 lakh, and destroyed them. In the first week of May, FDA off-icials destroyed 1,100 kgs of mangoes worth `99,000 for the same reasons.
“Using these agents for ripening of mangoes is illegal as per the Food Safety and Standards Act. We have sent circulars to all the district FDA offices to test random samples and make seizures if the powder is found in the boxes,” Mr Rathod said.
Doctors said that people who handle these mangoes should be careful.
“Calcium carbide is known to be carcinogenic. It is also known to precipitate calcium deposition in the body, which is not good. The packets of calcium carbide can break open in the box and can lead to accidental consumption of the chemical,” said Dr Pratit Samdh-ani, consulting physician, Jaslok Hospital.

The milky way

Maneka Gandhi

Filled to the brim: The can of good health? Photo: G.R.N. Somashekar

Love milk? Good for you. You must read this.

Since you will not stop drinking milk, and since 70 -100 per cent of the milk has been adulterated with very dangerous adulterants according to Food Safety Standards Authority of India FSSAI, you should learn how to make out real milk from synthetic. Milk samples from all over the country were checked for fat (%), SNF (%), neutralizers, acidity, hydrogen peroxide, sugar, starch, glucose, urea, salt, detergents, skimmed milk powder, formalin and vegetable fat. Most of the samples were found to be adulterated.

This is how synthetic milk is made: Vegetable refined oil is taken in a wide mouthed container along with a suitable emulsifier and thoroughly mixed till it becomes a thick white paste. Water is slowly added to the paste until the density of the liquid is similar to that of milk. Then is added urea or sodium sulphate or glucose or maltose or sometimes any one of the commonly available fertilizers after dissolving in hot water. The refined oil in synthetic milk acts as a source of fat whereas the hot solution of any one of the substances above mentioned acts as a source of solids not fat (SNF). The ingredients that go in to the making of synthetic milk are calculated in such a way that the fat and SNF percentage is similar to mixed milk. Hence it easily passes the tests carried out at the village level dairy co-operative society (fat and lactometer reading etc.).

This is the difference between real and synthetic milk. The colour of both is white. But on storage real milk remains white, synthetic milk or adulterated milk turns pale yellow. If rubbed on the palm, synthetic milk becomes foamy. Real milk does not. Real milk does not change colour on heating. Synthetic milk turns yellow on boiling. The pH value of real milk is 6.6 – 6.8 and of synthetic milk 10-11 (extremely alkaline). The fat content is the same in both: 4.5 – 5 per cent, the SNF (Solid Not Fat) is also the same 8-9 per cent.

Here are some methods to detect adulteration:

1. Detection of Neutralizers in milk — Rosalic acid test (Soda Test). Neutralizers like hydrated lime, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate are added to milk. Take 5 ml of milk in a test tube and add 5 ml alcohol followed by 4-5 drops of rosalic acid. If the colour of milk changes to pinkish red, then the milk is adulterated with sodium carbonate / sodium bicarbonate and unfit for human consumption.

2. The alkaline condition of the milk for the presence of soda ash. Take 20 ml of milk in a silica crucible. Evaporate the water and burn the contents in a muffle furnace. The ash is dispersed in 10 ml distilled water and it is titrated against decinormal (N/10) hydrochloric acid using phenolphthalein as an indicator. If the titre value exceeds 1.2 ml, then it is construed that the milk is adulterated with neutralizers.

True blue

3. Detection of hydrogen peroxide. Take 5 ml milk in a test tube and then add 5 drops of paraphenylene diamine and shake it well. Change of the colour of milk to blue confirms that the milk is added with hydrogen peroxide.

4. Test for detection of formalin. Formalin (40 per cent) is poisonous. It is added because it can preserve milk. Take 10 ml of milk in test tube and add 5 ml of concentrated sulphuric acid on the sides of the test tube without shaking. If a violet or blue ring appears at the intersection of the two layers, then it shows the presence of formalin.

5. Test for detection of sugar in milk. Sugar is mixed in milk to increase the solids not fat content of milk. It increases the lactometer reading of water diluted milk. Take 10 ml of milk in a test tube and add 5 ml of hydrochloric acid along with 0.1 g of resorcinol. Shake the test tube well and place it in boiling water for five minutes. Appearance of red colour indicates the presence of added sugar in milk.

6. Test for detection of starch. Addition of starch also increases the SNF content of milk. Apart from the starch, wheat flour, arrowroot, rice flour are also added. Take 3 ml milk in a test tube and boil it thoroughly. Cool the milk to room temperature and add two to three drops of 1 per cent iodine solution. Change of colour to blue indicates that the milk is adulterated with starch.

7. Test for detection of glucose. Usually poor quality glucose is added to milk to increase the lactometer reading. There are two tests available to detect the adulteration of milk with glucose. Take 3 ml of milk in a test tube and add 3 ml Barford's reagent and mix it thoroughly. Keep it in boiling water for three minutes and cool for two minutes by immersing in tap water. Add 1 ml of phosphomolybdic acid and shake. If blue colour is visible, then glucose is present. Take a strip of diacetic and dip it in the milk for 30 seconds to one minute. If the strip changes colour, then it shows that the sample of milk contains glucose. If there is no change in the colour of the strip, then glucose is absent.

8. Test for detection of urea. Urea is added to raise the SNF value. Five ml of milk is mixed well with 5 ml paradimethyl amino benzaldehyde (16 per cent). If the solution turns yellow in colour, then the milk is contaminated. Take 5 ml of milk in a test tube and add 0.2 ml of urease (20 mg/ml). Shake well at room temperature and then add 0.1 ml of bromothymol blue solution (0.5 per cent). Appearance of blue colour after 10-15 minutes indicates adulteration.

9. Test for detection of ammonium sulphate. Sulphate in milk increases the lactometer reading. Put 5 ml of hot milk in a test tube and add citric acid. The whey will separate. Collect the whey in another test tube and add 0.5 ml of 5 per cent barium chloride. A precipitate indicates the presence of ammonium sulphate.

10. Test for detection of salt. Addition of salt increases the lactometer reading. Take 5 ml of silver nitrate (0.8 per cent) in a test tube and add two to three drops of 1 per cent potassium dichromate and 1 ml of milk and mix. If the contents turn yellow in colour, then milk contains salt in it. If it is chocolate coloured, then the milk is free from salt.

11. Test for detection of pulverized soap. Take 10 ml of milk in a test tube and dilute it with equal quantity of hot water and then add one – two drops of phenolphthalein indicator. A pink colour indicates soap.

12. Detection of detergents in milk. Take 5 ml of milk in a test tube and add 0.1 ml of bromocresol purple solution. A violet colour indicates detergent in milk. Unadulterated milk samples show a faint violet.

More colours

13. Detection of skim milk powder in milk. If the addition of nitric acid drop by drop in to the milk sample results in an orange colour, it indicates skim milk powder. Pure milk shows yellow colour.

14. Detection of benzoic and salicylic acid in milk. Five ml of milk is taken in a test tube and acidified with concentrated sulphuric acid. 0.5 per cent ferric chloride solution is added drop by drop and mixed well. A buff colour indicates benzoic acid and violet colour indicates salicylic acid.

15. Detection of borax and boric acid in milk. Add 1 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid to five ml of milk in a test tube and mix well. Dip the tip of a turmeric paper into the acidified milk and dry in a watch glass at 100°C or over a small flame. If the turmeric paper turns red, it indicates the presence of borax or boric acid. Or add a drop of ammonia solution on the turmeric paper. If the red colour changes to green, it shows boric acid.

If I were a business person, I would start marketing home chemical kits for milk testing: Chemicals, lactometer, test tubes, droppers, gas burner, measuring cylinders, beakers and bottles. If I were a school chemistry teacher, I would make my students bring milk from home and test once a week. As a householder I would — and have — simply ban milk from the house.

Watch where vegetables grow

Smaller farmers with little access to irrigated water have no option but to use the untreated sewage water - DC

 

Millions of Indians are facing a new health risk. Increasing water scarcity is forcing farmers to grow vegetables and fodder using untreated sewage waste water across urban and rural cities.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FAAI) has in the past issued several warnings on pesticide residues and crop contaminants, including aflatoxins, patulin and ochratoxin in Indian fruit and vegetables. These pesticides are known to adversely effect the nervous system and can result in lung damage and cancer

But the use of untreated sewage water is also known to trigger off several health and environmental-related diseases.
A recent study undertaken by TERI warns against untreated sewage in the Yamuna which is choking the river and is a threat to people consuming vegetables grown along the river front.
The study highlighted how Delhi is generating 650 million gallons of sewage per day, but only half of this gets treated at the sewage treatment plants. It warned against how industrial toxins have also been found to be polluting both the groundwater and soil and have found entry into the food chain.
Water samples from the Yamuna show high levels of nickel, manganese, lead and mercury.
Mr J.S. Sarma, CEO of the Rainfed Area Authority under the Planning Commission has repeatedly warned on the immediate need for the government to ensure the setting up of sewage treatment plants in both rural and urban India. At present, only 35 per cent of the total sewage being generated in the country is treated.
The problem is that smaller farmers with little access to irrigated water have no option but to use the untreated sewage water which has been found to contain micro-nutrients.
The World Health Organisation in a recent study has found that rising fertiliser cost has forced almost 200 million farmers, largely in India and China to depend on untreated sewage water.
When such water is used in agriculture, farmers and their customers risk absorbing disease-causingbacteria. Nearly 2.2 million people die each year because of diarrhoea-related diseases, including cholera.
More than 80 per cent of these cases can be attributed to contact with contaminated water. India is the third largest user of waste water in irrigation after China and Mexico.

Soon, ID cards for milkmen and lessons on milk purity

On World Milk Day on June 1, FDA will ensure milk vendors have identity cards, broadcast a radio jingle, compose a caller tune, and take strict action against adulterators

Look before you sip! FDA has vowed to enforce tougher measures for milk distributors and vendors found contaminating milk packets. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi

In June, don’t be surprised if you see your milkman sporting an identity card or hear a radio jingle about milk adulteration or a caller tune informing you of ways to identify original milk packets. To celebrate World Milk Day on June 1, the ministry of food and drug administration (FDA) will embark on a month-long campaign to make consumers aware of various ways to identify milk adulteration. FDA has vowed to enforce tougher measures for milk distributors and vendors found contaminating milk packets.
As part of its varied measures, FDA has made it mandatory for distributors to issue identity cards to all their vendors. It’s planning to broadcast a radio jingle as well. “Soon after our meeting with the representatives of cooperative milk federations and private agencies engaged in the dairy business, FDA minister Satej alias Bunty D Patil decided on the campaign and resolved to take it to new heights,” said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food).
“It is the job of the distributor to issue identity cards to respective vendors. We request consumers to buy milk from only registered vendors and distributors, as chances of adulteration will be minimal due to the stringent quality checks that the department will be undertaking,” said Deshmukh. “We have also decided to compose a radio jingle that will educate listeners about the new food safety standards act, and how one should only buy products from registered vendors,” he said. Apart from the jingle, the department has also decided to equip its employees’ mobile phones with a caller tune that will instruct consumers on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act.
“Whosoever calls any FDA official, they will hear this caller tune. Also, pamphlets will be distributed to all vendors and distributors, educating them about the FSSAI laws, and how to identify genuine milk packets from adulterated ones,” said Deshmukh. Apart from the awareness campaign, FDA is also planning to come down heavily on unscrupulous milk vendors and distributors. “We are going to conduct surprise checks on milk units starting next month, and we will collect samples of milk from them. Stern action will be taken against vendors if found guilty.”
Identifying adulteration
>> Always see if your milk packets are curved at the end, as these are the genuine ones.
>> Drop a little milk on a slightly tilted flat surface, if the milk runs down immediately then the chances of water being mixed in it are high.
>> Make sure that your vendor has an FDA licence, and an identity card certified by his distributor. 

Proprietary foods definition must be modified in petty FBOs' interests

The definition of proprietary foods as per the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, must be changed to protect the interests of petty food business operators (FBOs), according to an Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) official on strict condition of anonymity.

As per Section 22 (4) of the FSSA, proprietary or novel food means an article of food for which standards have not been specified but is not unsafe. As per Regulation 2.12.1 of the Act, proprietary food means a food that has not been standardised under these regulations.

According to the official, the definition of proprietary foods, given in the Act, is a misnomer. “If existing traditional or ethnic foods are called proprietary or non standard foods, their manufacturers, who are mostly petty FBOs who have been in business for decades, will incur huge losses. They are not proprietary foods. Also, it is unfair to expect them to obtain approvals on their wares,” he said.

Neither were standards formulated in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) and Rules, 1954, for the manufacture of traditional or ethnic foods, nor were any approvals needed for the same. But they were defined as proprietary foods.

“A food item manufactured by more than one person cannot be termed as proprietary foods. In the larger interest, it is suggested the definition of proprietary food be amended in the Act, Rules and Regulations, and should be as follows: A proprietary food is a food which is legally made only by a person or a body of persons having special rights to that food,” the official said.

Food adulteration in Char Dham Yatra

As in the whole country, specially in north India, in Haridwar region too adulteration in food items is posing a serious threat to public health. The menace of food adulteration assumes alarming proportions during Char Dham Yatra season, when lacs of pilgrims and tourists congregate at Haridwar and Rishikesh and other destinations on the yatra route. On the petition of five persons, including three from Haridwar, Bhooma Peethadheeshwar Achutyanand Teerthji Maharaj, the president of Haridwar senior citizens welfare society, Shiv Kumar Gupta and a senior citizen, Upendra Dutt Sharma, requesting the Supreme Court to issue directions to the central government and the governments of Delhi, Rajasthan, U.P., Haryana and Uttarakhand to initiate stringent measures to curb the menace of adulteration in milk and manufacturing of synthetic milk, the Apex Court, expressing grave concern about the issue, issued notices to the central government and the governments of the five states to file reply within four weeks.
Adulteration in food items has become a flourishing trade in the country. The unscruplous traders and businessman are fleecing the consumers and playing havoc with their health, while the administration looks the other way. There is hardly any item which is available in the market in pure and unadulterated form. Almost everything you purchase from the market is adulterated. Pulses are adulterated, seeds of papaya are mixed in black pepper, the droppings of horses are mixed in coriander powder and powder of bricks in turmeric powder. Bananas are made to ripen by dropping them in drums of chemicals. Fruits are dipped in artificial colours to give them attractive appearance. Injections are administered to vegetables and fruits to swell their size and make them ripen fast. “Fruits and vegetables are not only losing their nutritional value but also their original flavour,” says Rajkumar of Jwalapur.
Milk and milk products top the list of unsafe food items. Says Suman Aggarwal of Devpura Chowk, Haridwar, “It is impossible to get pure milk these days. It is no exaggeration to say that what we are drinking is white poison”. The main reason behind adulteration in milk and milk products, like paneer, curd, sweets, ghee and mawa, is the yawning gap between the demand and supply. The production of milk goes down in summer season due to less quantity of lactation by the cows and the buffalos in summer days. On the contrary, the demand goes up drastically at this time due to heavy influx of pilgrims and tourists. There may be shortage of drinking water, but there is no shortage of milk. Where does the extra milk come from ? The proprietors of dairies, the milk vendors and the shop keepers try to meet the spiralling demand by adulterating milk with water, taken mostly from canals and ponds, which is harmful for health. Harmful chemicals are mixed to enhance the density of milk. What is still more alarming is that synthetic milk is being prepared on a large scale by mixing water with skimmed milk powder, vegetable oils, detergents, paints, urea and caustic soda. Rackets of synthetic milk have been busted in the past, but no severe punishment has yet been meted out to any of the accused. Roorkee area, from where synthetic milk is supplied not only to the district but also to the hills in the state, has become notorious for this malpractice. Dr. Rajesh Gupta, the president of the city unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), says that the contents which are used in adulterated and synthetic milk are extremely harmful for liver, kidney and other vital organs of the body. A popular nefarious practice is to administer the injection of oxytocin to make cows and buffalos to give more milk. “This is not only a cruelty to animals, but the milk procured in this way is also injurious to health”, says the state unit president of the World Wide Fund of Nature (WWF), Rajendra Agarwal. Manohar Lal Sharma, a senior advocate of Roorkee alleges that the flourishing trade of synthetic milk and milk adulteration goes on openly with the connivance of the officials of the food department.
R.S. Rawat, the Designated Officer (DO) in the district under the Food Safety and Standards Act, says that public co-operation is essential to enforce the laws. The Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act of India 2006 came into force in all the states from August 2011. The act has made strong provisions, including life imprisonment, to check the sale of unsafe food. The sources in the food department say that since January this year 48 samples of milk and other food items have been taken and sent to Rudrapur Laboratory for test. Out of these samples 17 have failed. Now cases are being registered in the court of the chief judicial magistrate and the A.D.M. (finance), depending on the category of the offence”, say the sources in the food department. The district magistrate, Sachin Kurwe, who has recently assumed charge, says that enforcing effective check putting on adulteration in food items, specially milk, is his top priority. A prominent saint, Swami Achutyanand Teerthji Maharaj says that besides the alertness of the law enforcing agencies, the public should also be made aware of their rights so that administration is pressurized to tighten noose on the perpetrators of the most heinous crime of food adulteration.

DINAMANI

Eatery kitchens face hygiene crackdown

A chaat stall in Sakchi. Picture by Bhola Prasad Street food joints and restaurants better watch what you dish out to customers. Armed with a set of fresh directives from the state food controller, the East Singhbhum health authorities have decided to launch surprise inspections at eateries from the last week of this month. A four-member crackdown team — comprising district food inspector Krishna Prasad Singh and additional chief medical officer (ACMO) Swarn Singh among others — will conduct a meeting with restaurant owners and street vendors within a week to apprise them of necessary provisions under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2012. “We are planning to call all restaurant and hotel owners within a week to inform them about the new law (passed by the cabinet in February 2012). We want to make it very clear that the provisions of the act have to be adhered to by food manufacturers in letter and spirit. Any violation will not be tolerated,” the ACMO said. After the meeting, district food officials will start surprise checks at kitchens of hotels, restaurants and food joints. On detecting anomalies, the inspection team will issue improvement notices to the owners on the spot. “We will inform them about the parameters that need to be followed for maintaining hygiene during cooking and other norms laid out by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India. We will also give them time to meet the criteria by way of improvement notices. “But if they still do not pull up their socks, the matter will be referred to state food commissioner (principal secretary health department) for cancellation of licence or registration of the hotel or restaurant concerned,” said district food inspector Krishna Prasad Singh. The district health department will soon start mapping food joints and restaurants. State food controller T.P. Burnwal said that they would also start the new registration process for food joints across the state and issue them licences after proper verification this month. “We have sent copies of the food act to all 24 districts. Food units with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh will have to be registered. Those having a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh per annum will require licences. They will have to fill up the forms, mentioning their cooking process and other details after which licences will be issued,” said Burnwal. Eateries, which have already been registered, will have to renew their licences.

Govt. asked to reply on applicability of Food Act on ‘liquor products’

The Madhya Pradesh high court today granted four weeks time to the central government to file reply on the issue of including liquor products in the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, implemented in the state in 2011.
A bench of Justice KK Lahoti and Justice TK Kaushal today granted the time of four week, earlier the same bench issued notice to the centre on petitions filed by liquor distributors of Bhopal and Jabalpur against the inclusion of 'alcoholic drinks' under the definition of food in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The liquor distributors through the petition have sought to declare the particular section of the Act, relating to 'alcoholic liquor' as ultra vies of the Constitution. The petitioners have also sought direction from the court to the central government not to compel them to obtain licenses under section 31 of the 2006 Act.
The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 came into effect from 5 August 2011. The Act was passed in Parliament in 2006 to replace the Prevention of Adulteration Act 1954.
Assistant Solicitor General RL Gupta and SA Dharmadhikari appearing on behalf of central government sought time to file reply & the same was granted. Senior Advocate Ravindran Singh and senior advocate Naman Nagrath appeared for the petitioners.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Street plays on healthy eating habits

VARANASI: To spread awareness about healthy eating habits and precautions that are necessary to be taken while preparing and eating food, the Daksha Education Society, with cooperation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, is organising street plays at prominent places like Lanka, Cantonment Railway Station, Dasaswamedh Ghat and Asi Ghat on Friday.
According to its spokesperson Ramesh Sharma, under its programme on 'Food Safety Life Security', the society is holding various programmes in different phases and has educated more than 5,000 children about healthy eating and cooking habits.

US applies new food safety rules

The US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) will officially apply the new FDA Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) from now to early 2016. A Viet Nam News Agency reporter talked with On Le Thi Bich, head of the export-import department of the Vina Commodities Co, about how the new rules will affect local firms.
As an experienced exporter to the US, could you tell me about the most important parts of the new FSMA and what businesses exporting products to this market should look out for?
Labels recorded with unadequate information are one of the main causes for products on their way into the US market being held up at the port. The new provisions in the FSMA require more specific details, especially in the labelling method. In addition, some general requirements must be met, such as product name, weight, ingredients, and the new law also has different rules for various types of products.
In particular, labelling must be in more than one language, with English being compulsory. Enterprises are also required to ensure these translations are precise. In addition to requests of the importers and general standards of the US market, enterprises will also be required to ensure the standard of their goods are checked by third parties.
The FSMA will speed up checks on the production facilities of export countries and the facilities must meet certain standards set by the FDA. Export companies may also have to pay costs for any inspections.
Food exporters to the US are also required by the FDA to list the health risks associated with their products. These documents must be available during any inspections carried out by the FDA.
Small businesses may be exempt or enjoy less strict implementation of these requirements. A small firm is defined as an enterprises with revenue of less than $500,000 per year.
To ensure that Vietnamese food, drugs and beverages are eligible to be imported into the US, the importers are required to set up programmes to confirm the safety of all shipments into the US with safety certificates for each shipment.
Starting from this year, each facility must be registered with the FDA once every two years. Re-registration has to be made in the fourth quarter every even-numbered year.
Export facilities are required to appoint a representative located in the US who the FDA can contact, under requirements in the Anti-Terrorism Act issued in 2002.
The act also allows the FDA to have the authority to order, not merely require companies to recall contaminated food.
What are the disadvantages of the new rules for exporters?
Before the act came into force, it was more convenient for us to export goods to the US. Previously, we had to register with the FDA one time only rather than periodically register every two years under the new rule. Firms often forget to do this.
Another advantage was that goods entering into ports only required adequate documents and inspection by customs officers for clearance. But now, enterprises will face additional difficulties if there are any problems related to food hygiene and safety, as all these goods will be held until the procedures are completed. It will take more time, thus there will be an impact on any type of perishable goods.
Previously, besides the requirements of the importers and the general standards of the US market, standards on goods safety certified by a third party were acceptable, but now the FDA does not recognise the results of these certification units.
Under the previous regulations, a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) was not required by the FDA, but under the new rule, commodities entering the US have to meet HACCP standards.
The US has adopted this standard on seafood and beverages. By early 2013, the US will put an additional regulation on good manufacturing practice (CGMP).
Does your company have any measures to ensure compliance with the new law?
Before exporting to the US, we must thoroughly understand the export procedures and requirements to avoid any risks. We must also modernise our facilities with advanced equipment and technologies to satisfy the requirements of customers as well as food safety standards.
We export many agricultural products, including cashew nuts, and these are exported to 25 countries around the world, including the US. We send over 100 tonnes of the goods each year to this market. However, when the law takes effect, the greatest difficulty is that we have to re-register with the FDA as each time a registration is made it takes time for them to re-evaluate and make sure that our factory satisfies food hygiene and safety standards before we are allowed to ship goods to the market. — VNS