Food units told to register business

All persons involved in the business of food manufacture, processing, packaging, transportation, distribution, storage and import and includes food services, catering services and sale of food or food ingredients, have been directed to get their businesses registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (FSSA).
All small scale food business operators (FBO) have to be registered with the registering authority of the district and the bigger FBOs will have to obtain a licence from the designated officer of the district, according to a press release issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety, here on Saturday.
Penalty
Any person conducting business without licence/ registration shall be liable to prosecution/penalty, the commissioner said.
BIS packaged water
Any person who manufactures packaged drinking water/mineral water for sale without having BIS Certification is liable to a penalty not exceeding Rs 5 lakh, the commissioner said in another release.
He urged the general public to call ‘104' to seek clarification or lodge a complaint.

Flies in your soup?

BANGALORE: As many as 6,000 licensed restaurants and just one food safety inspector. So next time you step into a restaurant for your favourite chow, just don't think about food safety.

After Kalasipalyam police unearthed the milk adulteration case on March 26, 2012, BBMP suspended four of its five food inspectors. That left the civic body with just one inspector!
Realizing the danger of having just one officer manning so many restaurants, the Public Health Institute has now written to the government to immediately appoint food safety officials. Dr Srinivasa Gowda, joint director, Public Health Institute, told STOI they had told the government to appoint 32 food security officials for BBMP limits.
"As per the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, there are sanctioned posts for 14 food safety officers. The health department has a proposal to appoint 614 officials in different positions for enforcement of the Act. We have proposed the appointment of 244 food safety officers so one officer can be posted in each taluk across the state.''
Health officer issued notice
Seeking an explanation for the underperformance of food safety officers, the BBMP deputy commissioner sent a show cause notice to Dr Manjula KE, chief health officer, BBMP. "It was directed to you to depute one health officer in each of the 198 wards. Instructions were given to inspect food processing and distributing units to find out adulteration cases. However, no such instructions have been followed in the past two months," the show cause notice reads.
On March 26, about 10,000 litres of milk from Erode, adulterated with caustic soda (used to unclog drains), washing powder (for the froth), sugar and tapioca powder was seized by police and the adulteration was confirmed after testing.
According to Vasudeva Adiga, president of Bangalore Hoteliers' Association, "Regular inspections are necessary. But before acting against hotels, BBMP must close roadside food stalls. They fail to maintain hygiene and have not obtained licence from BBMP. Most hotels in Bangalore get milk supply from Mother Dairy and don't depend on milk supplied from Erode," he said

Spreading awareness on celiac disease

To create public awareness about celiac disease, Celiac Day was observed by the Celiac Support Organisation (CSO) at Maulana Azad Medical College here on Saturday. Experts from major Delhi hospitals along with more than 200 celiac disease patients and their families turned up at the college.
Speaking on the occasion, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India chairman Chandramouli said since the celiac disease is not as well understood, awareness regarding its signs, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment needs to be increased. “This meet is a step forward to help people know all about the disease.”
Noting that his organisation needs to work in collaboration with governments, policy-makers and industry representatives for easy and low-cost diagnostic tools, CSO president Mittal said: “We need to provide streamlined channels for endoscopy along with addressing the issue of food labelling with the Union Government and food industry.”
Stressing the importance of adhering to gluten-free foods,G. B. Pant Hospital Professor and Department of Gastroenterology head A. S. Puri said there was no specific drug treatment for celiac disease. “Avoidance of wheat has not only to be total but also lifelong.”
According to CSO Secretary-General Sushma Narayan, in India, where wheat is consumed by a vast majority in some form or the other, thousands of children and adults with celiac disease continue to suffer under-diagnosed, untreated and uncared for.
According to CSO, celiac disease is a type of food allergy where individuals are intolerant to gluten, a protein found in wheat and related cereals. It is a lifelong disease but a treatable condition where individuals who stay off all forms of gluten in their diet become asymptomatic with little or no long-term consequences.

DINAKARAN NEWS