FDA orders recall of Parle's 'Mango Bite'

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked Parle Products to recall from the market the entire stock of its popular candy – Mango Bite – branding it as "unsafe".
Officials of FDA Konkan Division recently raided two locations in Raigadh and Bhiwandi and seized stock of the finished goods and ingredients, valued at Rs 2 crore.
According to FDA, the manufacturer Parle Biscuits Pvt Ltd at Kirkhinde in Khopoli (Raigadh) used buffered lactic acid (adulterant) in the confectionery which is not permited.
Joint Commissioner of FDA (Food) S K Shere said the seized goods include Sugar Boiled Confectionery (Parle Kachha Mango Bite) packed in jars valued at Rs 1,46,68,400. Besides, the team also seized around 8158 kgs of Buffered Lactic Acid valued at Rs 10.60 lakh.
The samples of the seized goods have been sent to lab for testing, the officer said.
In addition, the stock of Mango Bite was also seized from the godown at Bhiwandi, FDA officials said.
FDA has directed the company to recall the stock of Mango Bite in the market and a final decision on the matter would be taken only after the test report is received.
Officials said that Lactic Acid was "harmful and unsafe" but cannot be declared as unfit for human consumption. Its use is banned by the Food Authority of India.
Earlier, FDA officials had conducted a raid and seized Mango bite worth Rs 60 lakh from a manufacturing unit at Nashik.
The use of lactic acid (chiefly found in milk products) was banned in foodstuff after a bench found it not good for consumption for its tooth decaying side effects. It has been ruled out in Food Safety & Standard Act of 2006.

Seminar focuses on food quality

The seminar on ‘Demystifying Food Safety Standards Act’ showed the food business operators that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was a friendly agency, which ensured quality of food.
The seminar was organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Ashwin Bhadri, Head (Business Relations), Equinox Labs, elaborated on the steps which have to be followed by entrepreneurs to maintain food quality and standards. “Water testing, nutritional labels with correct information and training of employees for food standards is essential. As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, any violation can land a food business operator in prison for a period of three to five years and cost a fine of `3-6 lakh,” he said. Bhadri added that many new restaurants have open kitchens, where the customers can have a look at the entire set-up without any restrictions.
He further said that documentation of several tests like water, food, content surfaces, hand swab test reports are essential for a successful food business along with regular internal audits.

Food Safety and Standards Act facilitation seminar held

A Food Safety and Standards Act facilitation seminar was held by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) at Mattancherry on Friday.
G Srinivasan, deputy director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Chennai, was the chief guest at the function.

Health safety

Food safety is a serious issue be it baked cockroaches in muffins or squirming worms in deep-fried chicken. The hue and cry that is raised in such cases is conspicuously missing when it comes to the more controversial issue of genetically modified (GM) food, the safety of which cannot be guaranteed even by its own creators.
 The very fact the manufacturers of GM food are resisting labelling of GM food (so that a consumer can choose between GM food and non-GM food) is itself ample testimony. So the onus is now on the non-GM food industry to label their products as GM-free. Just as it happened in the case of addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to instant noodles. All other noodle manufacturers had to label their product - ‘Contains no MSG.’
 Technically, India does not allow genetically modified food crops. However, genetically modified food is already in our food chain through non-food GM crops like cotton. The cottonseed oil is becoming one of the major edible oils in the country and our bakeries, both large and small, are welcoming the cheap oil with open arms.
 Not only is it used in making breads, but also in snack food like potato chips, margarines and mayonnaise and even whipped toppings for cake. The use of cottonseed oil for toppings helps promote the desired consistent texture and smooth, creamy appearance in shortening, toppings and spreads used in bakeries.
 With no system of GM-labelling existing in the country, when bakeries buy cottonseed oil they do not have any way of assessing whether it is a GM oil or non-GM oil. The sad part is this cottonseed oil is replacing many of our traditional cooking oils.
 The Gujarati cuisine, that was so dependent on traditional groundnut oil, has now started replacing it with cottonseed oil. When the groundnut oil prices hit the roof, many Gujaratis who were conscious about their health shifted to sunflower oil, while others, who were more conscious about the cost, shifted to cottonseed oil.
 Apart from all this, GM food also reaches us through the food chain. The oilseed cakes produced from the cotton, mostly genetically modified cotton, are used for feeding animals. Animal feed, in turn, reaches humans through milk and meat.
 As of now, almost 90 per cent cotton cultivated in India is transgenic. The Parliamentary committee that looked into the issues of GM crops had asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whether it had received any request for manufacture, distribution and sale of cottonseed oil during last five years and the action taken on each of those requests. FSSAI replied in the negative and said this was handled by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
 With GEAC involved in just the approval of environmental release of GM crops, a lot of ambiguity remains on who should approve oils and imported food that may have been derived through the GM pathway.
 ‘’In the opinion of the Parliamentary committee, this dilly-dallying and delay in bringing GM food and products thereof, is not a simple act of oversight or a genuine inability to do the needful and needs to be thoroughly investigated and responsibility for this callous neglect of health safety be fixed at the earliest,’’ said the report of the committee.
 It also noted that long-term environment impact assessment and chronic toxicology studies of the effects of transgenic agriculture crops have not even been attempted till now. ‘’The government is yet to take a final call on labelling. There is a complete lack of post-market surveillance, as has been pointed out in one particular example of lakhs of tonnes of BT cottonseed oil having gone into the food chain during the last ten years without anybody in the government being aware or concerned about it,’’ said page 376 of the report.
(Keep track of the Sci-bug every Saturday)

Your golawala will soon sport aprons, gloves

FDA wants to improve hygiene standards of roadside vendors

The next time you see your neighbourhood golawala in a hat and apron, don’t put it down to his fashion sense. In a bid to ensure all food stalls and their fare meet international standards, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to get them authorised by the department and is also concentrating on hygiene standards that these vendors will have to scrupulously follow. The department has set its sights on the city’s most-visited tourist spots like Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty.
Recently, in order to get these stalls registered with FDA the department issued on-the-spot Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licences to vendors, making their business legal.
According to sources, the unit’s initial focus is on Chowpatty, as it is the stamping ground of both domestic and foreign visitors. “So, in order to make the businesses legal and part of the new FSSAI law, the department has made things easier for traders by registering them on the spot. This is our phase-I trial,” said an FDA official.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI will issue a new licence under the name Food Safety and Standards (licensing and registration of food business) Regulations, 2011.
From a chai tapri to an Udipi restaurateur, every food trader will have to obtain this licence, after, of course, tackling the hygiene rider, which is a big deal in this country, explained a senior FDA official.
Confirming the same Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA, said, “In phase-I our target is to get these street vendors registered with us. In phase-II we intend to turn them hygiene-conscious by making aprons, gloves and hats mandatory. We plan to seek help of BMC and local cops who can fine retailers for not following FSSAI norms (see box).”
In the past, FDA in Maharashtra had conducted a series of meetings with hoteliers, other representatives of the hospitality trade, and people from the sampling and labelling industry across the state.
“The conferences were to give them a clear brief about rules and regulations, and guidelines of the amended FSSAI Act. As the law has come into force all over the state from August 2011, making people familiar with it is important. However, the department went slow on this, as we wanted the licensees to get accustomed to the changes. But now we will prosecute people from the hospitality industry if they are found violating norms,” explained a senior FDA official.
Adding to this, Deshmukh revealed that many vendors have already been penalised for not having FDA licences.
“We are now going to get strict with everyone. We have given them enough time to sort out matters. We have first targeted the busiest locales of the city, as we do not want any unhygienic food to be served to anybody who visits them.
Slowly and steadily we are going to make our way into the ‘khau gallis’,” he said.
“Who doesn’t want hygienic food? It is a great idea to make aprons and caps compulsory for sellers. There are times when these people wipe their hands on their shirts or trousers. It is so unhealthy. I think the new system will definitely work wonders for us,” said Mridula Sanghvi, a resident of Bandra.
Tidying up
Only those establishments will be registered where the following practices are in place:
>> Wearing gloves
>> Ensuring regular cleaning of machine and equipment
>> Ensuring no food is exposed in premises not separated from a privy, urinal, sullage, drain etc
>> Testing food for chemical and microbiological contamination
>> Maintaining ideal temperature throughout the supply chain, from the place of procurement till it reaches the end consumer
>> Manufacturer or distributor shall buy and sell food products from registered vendors
>> Hotel owners selling or exposing food for sale shall put up a notice board containing lists of articles which have been cooked in ghee, edible oil, or vanaspati for the benefit of purchasers
>> Business operator selling cooked food shall display notice board containing the nature of articles being exposed for sale
Fine line
>> Penalty for substandard food: Rs 5 lakh
>> Penalty for misbranded food: Rs 5 lakh and above
>> Penalty for failure to comply with the directions of the food safety officer: Rs 2 lakh
>> For possessing adulterates: Rs 2-10 lakh
>> Punishment for unsafe food, not resulting in injury: Six months imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine
>> In case of death: Seven years imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh fine
>> Carrying on business without licence: Six months imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh fine
>> Failure to renew licence: Rs 100 fine each month

Directive to monitor food supplied to anganwadis

A subordinate legislation committee of the Assembly has given directives to district food safety officers to routinely monitor the quality of food supplied to anganwadis and hostels for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes directly run by the government. 

A meeting of the members of the committee was recently held in Munnar to collect details of issues faced while implementing the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Committee chairman M. Ummer, MLA, said it had sought details from organisations connected with health care, officials and the general public in the wake of the alleged food poisoning reported at the Peerumade Model Residential School at Kuttikanam and at a hostel at Arakkulam recently.

He said the public distribution system should be made transparent and fault-free and the Act should be implemented after clearing the initial hurdles.

The meeting has recommended issue of licence online to hotels, eateries, and other business establishments and facilities to be set up at the check-posts to monitor the quality of food items and food materials arriving from across the border.

At present, there are three food safety officers in the district in addition to the district food safety office and 18 grama panchayats come under the jurisdiction of each officer.

The committee also said that the scale for food safety standards cannot be relaxed in hotels and directed to strengthen the food safety check-up. The committee also heard complaints about the lack of laboratory facilities in Kottayam, Idukki a and Thrissur districts. The regional laboratory at Kakkanad is catering to theses districts in addition to Ernakulam district.

Health glare on street food

Munch on a mouthful of phuchka, savour an egg roll or dig into a cup of malai kulfi without worries this Durga Puja, food monitors promise to look out for you.
The East Singhbhum district health department has received a directive from the state food controller, asking it to carry out random inspection at roadside eateries, collect samples if necessary and send them for qualitative tests at the food and drug laboratory, which reopened in Namkum in Ranchi on Friday after three years.
Vendors and eatery owners near Puja pandals and fairs found guilty of using substandard ingredients, preparing food in unhygienic conditions or causing adulteration of any kind will be slapped with a minimum fine of Rs 500, which may go up to Rs 25,000, depending on the nature of offence. They will also be warned of suspension of licence.
State food controller T.P Burnwal said the additional chief medical officer (ACMO) of East Singhbhum Swarn Singh and the district's food inspector K.P. Singh were in Ranchi for a review meeting on Thursday and were strictly instructed to prevent health hazards during the five-day festivities.
"We are paying special attention to Jamshedpur because it hosts the largest number of pandals and fairs. Adulteration of food cannot be allowed, especially during a festival. With our own lab, we are better equipped to provide analysis of collected samples in a short time. Earlier, we were dependent on the Mineral Area Development Authority lab in Dhanbad," Burnwal said.
More than 280 Durga Puja pandals have been erected in and around the steel city, while a dozen fairs are also in the pipeline in Tuiladungri, Kasidih, Sidhgora, Baridih, Telco, Circuit House-Northern Town Area, Hind Club (Ranikudar), Rankini Mandir (Kadma), Burmamines, Bhuiyandih, Mango and Sonari.
ACMO Swarn Singh said fast food vendors had a tendency to use substandard oil, chemicals and contaminated water to make maximum profit in a short period of time. "Based on complaints received in the past, we will conduct surveys from Saturday to prevent risk of infection and food poisoning. We will also check whether iodised salt and healthy oil are being used," he said, adding a special team led by the food inspector was being constituted.
Bhola Sahu, who owns an eatery near Gopal Maidan in Bistupur, contended that he did not compromise on quality. "I have been in this trade for more than a decade and no customer has ever complained. We use the best oil for our chilli chicken, chicken pakodas and chow mein," he said.
Ramesh Kumar of Ramesh Egg Roll in Bistupur is also confident of meeting food safety norms. "We use good brands for our delicacies," he insisted.
ACMO Singh said the administration would follow the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (updated in 2012)

CII proposes launch of Quality Mark, to move towards self - regulation"

Addressing the Valedictory Session of the 7th National Food Safety Quality Summit, 2012, at New Delhi, Mr. Vivek Bharati, Chairman CII Taskforce on Food Regulatory Affairs and Executive Director, Pepsico said that “the was glad that CII's proposal to launch a Quality mark, had been endorsed by Shri Rakesh Kacker, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Shri K Chandramouli, Chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. This is a significant move by the industry to move towards self-regulation". Quality Council of India has been tasked with developing a scheme in the coming six months in consultation with regulators, consumers, and industry. This would be a voluntary scheme and would run in parallel to the existing statutory schemes laid by Food Safety Standards Authority of India.

The efforts are intended towards strengthening consumer confidence and would be a collaborative effort across industry and government.

The Summit was attended by over 200 delegates and included overseas speakers from Regulatory bodies and leading multinationals.

The key messages from the Summit focussed on the need for 'Co- Production of Safety' which would require the industry and Regulatory bodies to work collaboratively. There was an increasing emphasis on harmonisation of domestic standards with Codex. With the advent of globalisation and increasing trade India today is part of the global supply chain where ingredients from India find their way into products manufactured in the world market. This called for a need for increasing global coalitions across regulators and partnerships with private agencies.

In his Special Address, Shri Dave, Advisor, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India outlined some key recommendations that needed to be taken forward.

He stressed the need for a Cluster approach to be adopted for uniform Good Agricultural Practices and feasible traceability. This needed to be supported by the development of Cold Chain Corridors across the country which would enable efficient transit of farm produce to markets. He also emphasised the need of upgradation of laboratory infrastructure in the country that would be required to support the food safety agenda. He further emphasized the need for collaborative capacity building efforts and investments in applied research to raise our standards to global food safety levels.