Centre plans to keep street food standard norms voluntary

The Centre will keep the standard on basic requirements for street food vendors voluntary in the beginning, Union Food minister K V Thomas said here today.

"Initially the standards will be kept voluntary and later it can be made mandatory," Thomas said on the sidelines of a food safety seminar organised by the Bureau of Indian Standard.

The national standards body, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has finalised the basic requirements for street food vendors.

"This sector is also a source of livelihood for a large number of people. Hence, we want to regulate the sector and believe the standard developed by BIS has immense potential to safeguard public health," Thomas said.

He said it should be implemented and regulated with the help of local authorities.

FSSAI working on quality standards for imported food items

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on a mechanism to evolve standards for domestically consumed food items imported from abroad, chairperson, FSSAI, Dr. K. Chandramouli said at an ASSOCHAM event held here in New Delhi today.
“Our food exporters have to adhere to various stringent set of rules and regulations for exporting food, while we do not strain the same sort of stringency on imported food and thus it is imperative to evolve standards for domestically consumed food as we have been having a lackadaisical approach towards setting standards,” said Dr. Chandramouli while sharing his views on initiatives being taken by FSSAI in the areas of regulation in the food sector while addressing an ‘FMCG Summit’ organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
“We do have some standards to begin with but we need to take more steps in this regard to ensure the safety of food for consumption which comes from outside,” said the chairperson. “We at FSSAI are working out a mechanism in collaboration with all the stakeholders including the scientists, laboratories, experts and industry representatives from the food business operators (FBOs) including those involved in import-export of food material and for them to ensure that for their goods gets accepted we need to set standards that are internationally minimum.”
The FSSAI in consultation with different stakeholders is also working on setting standards for traditional or the ethnic food as India is home to the largest variety of cuisines across different states, said the chairperson.
“There is also a need for a consensus of the FBOs in the country to ascertain who’s selling what and where so that at the end of the day all get covered and our representatives keep collecting the information in this regard with due support from the state governments to ensure speedy enforcement of the FSSAI Act,” said Dr Chandramouli.
Meanwhile, Mr S.K. Jindal, chairman of the ASSOCHAM Investment and Investors’ Committee urged the government to take necessary steps to protect the consumers’ rights and contain piracy as the direct loss due to piracy is about 20 per cent of the market share of prominent products.
“The FMCG sector in India is facing severe challenges due to the unorganised sector and counterfeiting of brands led by rapid technological advancement and liberalization of Indian economy,” said Mr Jindal. “Another significant concern of the industry is the consumers’ attraction towards these counterfeit products as they are sold at about 45 per cent lesser value than the original, thus the industry must be freed from various undue hassels considering its massive potential to grow further.”
Dr. Lalit Khaitan, CMD, Radico Khaitan Limited shared his views concerning the liquor industry being an integral part of India’s boisterous FMCG industry and said that the industry is subjected to three different acts and governing authorities namely – State Excise Act and Rules, Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules and lastly the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules and to regulate the mandatory laws on the lables of alcoholic beverages through these multiple laws is a real hassle.
“The frequent changes in regulations adversely affect the operations of the FMCG companies and thus any policy change be affected only after full discussions with all the concerned stakeholders,” said Dr. Khaitan who is also the chairman of ASSOCHAM Northern Regional Development Council.
Amid others who spoke during the event included – Mr M.K. Bhardawaj, chairman, ASSOCHAM Public Procurement Committee; Mr Ankur Shiv Bhandari, MD, Kantar Retail India and Mr Abhishek Malhotra, Partner, Booz & Co.

REWARD SCHEME - FSSAI

Snack food association meet urges FBOs to adhere to licensing deadline

The Snack Food Association of Maharashtra organised a unique meet here on Monday - a meet that reminded food business operators (FBOs) that the August 5, 2012, deadline for licensing and registration under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, is approaching fast.

The meet aimed at pointing out to the FBOs the importance of approaching the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, at the earliest, with regard to licensing and registration - old or new - as the case may be.

The event was co-organised by Kamani Oil Mills, a vegetable oil and specialty fat manufacturer, and Prakash Dall and Flour Mills, a manufacturer of two brands of Super Fine Chana Besan (Balaji and Prabhat).

Mahesh Zagade, commissioner, FDA, Maharashtra, was unable to make it to the meet due to prior commitments, but other state FDA officials such as Dilip Shrirao, joint commissioner, vigilance; K V Sankhe, assistant commissioner, food; K U Methekar, food safety officer; and Suresh Deshmukh, assistant commissioner; and K D Yadav, president, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India), Mumbai chapter, were present at the meet and joined on the dais by an office-bearer of the state snack food body.

Speaking on the occasion, Methekar reiterated the conditions for licensing and registration of food businesses and then the interactive session began, where the officials fielded FBOs' queries.

The Mumbai Mewa Masala Merchants' Association was represented by Karsanbhai, its secretary. The association has filed a case in the Bombay High Court challenging 16 contentious provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, in April 2012, and four hearings of the same have already taken place. The fifth hearing of the case is slated to take place on July 18, 2012.

GUTKHA PROVIDES GOVT WITH FOOD FOR THOUGHT

An observation by the Supreme Court that gutkha is food has set off a tussle between the Health Ministry and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India over regulating the product. The FSSAI wants gutkha banned but the ministry would rather have the former laying down food safety standards for the product.
Gutkha is believed responsible for 90 per cent of oral cancers in India; the industry is worth an estimated Rs 8,000 crore. In a case earlier this year concerning its packaging, the Supreme Court observed that since pan masala, gutkha or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the PFA Act.
As per FSSAI rules, no food item can contain a harmful substance like tobacco, hence it asserts is there is no question of setting down standards for gutkha. Its position is that though gutkha should be banned, the FSSAI’s role is to set standards and it has a limited role in implementation of such a ban. If a ban is to be imposed, it is the responsibility of the Health Ministry under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
After the court order, the health ministry had written to states to implement a ban. It says a ban is realistically not workable because it puts the onus on a state government; unless it is a countrywide position, it can become counterproductive. Citing the example of Madhya Pradesh, one of only three states to have banned gutkha, the ministry points out that sporadic bans will only fuel black-marketing. The ministry instead wants FSSAI to lay down standards as it itself does not have facilities to determine what levels of tobacco that would be “safe”.
“The SC has laid down that gutkha is food and as per our rules no food item can contain tobacco. By that logic gutkha should be banned and it is the prerogative of state food regulatory authorities to implement the plan,” says K Chandramouli, FSSAI chairman. “That is the legal position; so where is the question of laying down standards for gutkha?”
Tobacco control officials in the ministry, however, say a powerful political lobby backs the industry, which employs many people in rural areas, and a ban cannot be implemented countrywide. Bihar recently announced a year’s ban, Maharashtra is said to be mulling one, and last month Kerala decided to ban gutkha.
“Madhya Pradesh was the first state to ban gutkha and what has happened there essentially is that there is no change in availability. Supply from Uttar Pradesh is being routed there and a Rs 2 sachet now sells for Rs 10. That is not a solution. It is very difficult to bring all states on the same page on a gutkha ban because of the political lobby,” said an official.
“We are trying to get FSSAI to frame standards. For us to do so under COTPA, we would need laboratories to test tobacco content. There is none in the country at the moment.”
Health experts feel a ban is the only solution. “It is responsible for 90 per cent of oral cancers and is believed to play a role in cancers of the stomach, food pipe and urinary bladder. Areca nut, one of its constituents, is responsible for several precancerous conditions like oral sub-mucous fibrosis of which there is an epidemic in the country — 30-40 per cent patients die. Our position clearly is that gutkha should be banned and we have sent the recommendation to the Health Ministry,” says Dr K S Reddy, founding member of the Public Health Foundation of India.

WHO FEELS WHAT
Pan masala, gutkha or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, hence all are food within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the PFA Act

Supreme Court - As per rules, no food item can contain tobacco. By that logic gutkha should be banned

Food Safety Authority - Very difficult to bring all states on same page on a gutkha ban because of political lobby. FSSAI should frame standards

Health Ministry- Gutkha should be banned, recommendation sent to Health Ministry