If Your Child Develops Food Poisoning

(HealthDay News) — If your child develops a bad case of food poisoning, it can take a few days of TLC before he feels better.

The Nemours Foundation offers these tips for the parents of a child with food poisoning:

• Encourage lots of rest.
• Offer plenty of fluids to help prevent dehydration. Electrolyte solutions and most beverages are fine, but avoid caffeine or milk.
• Have your child take frequent but small sips of fluids.
• Skip dairy products and solid foods until any diarrhea has subsided.
• Don’t give the child any over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medications. Such medicines can actually prolong symptoms.
• Once major symptoms subside, offer small amounts of low-fat, bland foods for several days.

Haryana starts online licensing of drug stores

CHANDIGARH: Online licensing has been introduced by Haryana Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as Dr GL Singhal, State Drugs Controller, FDA inaugurated the online licensing facility and issued first online licence to M/S Gaur Medical Store, Bahadurgarh in district Jhajjar on Friday afternoon.
While stating this here today, a spokesperson of the FDA said that as per instructions of Commissioner FDA, Haryana, an awareness drive has been launched in the State to educate traders regarding Infant Milk Substitute (IMS) Act, imposition of ban on Gutkha and getting registration or licenses under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

He said that a team comprising of Dr. Girdhari Lal Singhal, State Drug Controller- cum- Joint Commissioner FDA Haryana, Ashok Khullar Joint, Commissioner Food have conducted seminars at Bhiwani, Rohtak and Jhajjar on yesterday and today in which traders of food and drugs participated.

They have been asked to get registration certificate and licenses under Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006. Dr. Singhal also answered the queries of traders on various issues. In these seminars more than 400 applications were submitted by chemist to get themselves registered under FSS Act 2006.

126 tonnes of banned tobacco products seized in Haryana

A team of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Haryana has seized 126 tonnes of banned tobacco products in its drive to effectively implement the total ban imposed by the state government on sale and manufacturing of Gutka and other tobacco products containing flavoured substances.
Stating this today, a spokesman for Haryana FDA said, a team of the FDA accompanied by police personnel raided factories of Kuber and Anshul brand, their manufacturing units, at Kundli in district Sonipat and seized the banned tobacco products of Kuber and Anshul brands. Mr Bhikam Singh, owner of Kuber brand and Mr Mukesh Jain, owner of M J Enterprises were present at the time of raid and legal action would be taken against them.
He said more than 50 samples of gutka and other allied tobacco products were seized at various places in the state and more than three dozens of infant milk substitute products had also been seized. Out of these, 30 samples failed in labelling and these had been found misbranded and misleading. He said, the Commissioner, FDA had warned all the food business operators to obtain registration for licence before February four 2013, otherwise strict action would be taken against them.
He further said, till date 3000 registration certificates and 1000 licenses had been issued to different food business operators under Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.

School canteens likely to do away with junk food by next year

The FSSAI was given six months to develop guidelines for ensuring healthy food in school canteens.

From March next year, school canteens may have to finally start taking junk food off their shelves.
The ministry of health and family welfare informed the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that it has assigned AC Nielsen the task to study the quality of food served in schools and frame proper guidelines for its improvement by March next year.
The court in January this year had given the Food Safety and Standards of India (FSSAI), under the ministry, six months to develop guidelines for ensuring healthy food in school canteens. It has now made clear that the company will set the standards for school canteens in next 26 weeks after proper surveys and trial runs.
"We will now have proper guidelines for school canteens and the best part is they will be developed by a private agency leaving no scope for bias or subjectivity. The court has asked FSSAI to come back with final guidelines on March 22 next year," said founder of Uday Foundation Rahul Verma, who had petitioned against junk food in schools in Delhi High Court two years ago.
"Earlier the question was who would frame such guidelines for schools. But now FSSAI has said the selected company has already started work, which is good," he added.
FSSAI selected the company through a tender floated earlier this year.
The scope of work assigned to the agency includes reviewing of present status of safety and quality of food, studying food habits of school children, collecting data on nutritional levels of students and suggesting measures for improvement.
The fight against junk food, initiated in the high court in 2010, has led to an increase in the awareness levels with many schools banning colas and crisps in their canteens. But many still haven't done much.
"The school canteens are run for commercial interests at many places. The kind of profit a caterer earns on the brands of soft drinks and chips is hard to let go for many schools," a principal, who did not wish to be named, said.
What constitutes junk food is also a grey area. Some schools have replaced aerated drinks, crisps and burgers with momos and bread pakoras. But the former is made of maida, which is considered dead food, and the latter is deep fried.
In fact, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights had started a campaign last year in which it had even categorised samosa as junk food.

FBOs get 6 more months to register under FSSAI Act

The decision taken after a few states expressed concern over implementation of Act

The hotels, food manufacturers and others who are involved in food business will get another six months time to register under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act.  According to an earlier decision by the FSSAI, all the Food Business Operators (FBO) were supposed to register before August 5. The decision to extend the date has come after a few states expressed their concern over the implementation of Act within the time frame given by the Authority.

In a letter to the Food Safety Commissioners of all states and union territories, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Director (Enforcement) S S Ghonkrota said that the last date to Food Business Operators for seeking conversion or renewal of licenses has been extended by another six months with effect from August 5, 2012. The decision to extend the date turns out to be a sigh of relief for the operators as most of them were unaware about the registration procedures, despite awareness programmes conducted by the officials and other organisations.

Officials concerned in the district are also happy with the decision as the authority lacks manpower at present. Officials had a hectic time as the deadline approaches, as most of the FBOs came for the registration in the eleventh hour.

Currently, due to lack of manpower, Food Safety Officers (FSO) from other districts are given charge of the taluks in Dakshina Kannada from January onwards. Currently FSO of Tarikere Taluk in Chikmagalur district is looking after the matters in Mangalore and Belthangady taluks. FSO of Kollegal taluk in Mysore is in charge of Bantwal, Sullia and Puttur taluks in the district.

According to the act, all Food Business Operators (FBO) should be registered under FSSAI and obtain license. FBO includes hotels, permanent or temporary stallholders, hawkers, home based canteens, Dhabawalas, manufacturers, processors, re-packers, food stalls arrangements in religious gatherings, slaughterhouses, storage houses, retail and wholesale traders etc. Milk producers who are not a member in the dairy co-operative societies should also register under the Authority.

License holders who already registered under any previous Acts and expiry date have not over by prescribed time can continue with the existing license. Once the license period expires, they will have to register under the FSSAI, says the circular issued by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.