DINAKARAN NEWS

An open letter to Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and CEO

Dear Ms Nooyi

This letter is a gentle reminder of a promise you made in the March of 2010 through a public announcement that your esteemed company , PepsiCo, is voluntarily adopting a new global policy by stopping sales of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools by 2012. I believe when you planned this policy, you meant 2012 and not 2013 for we are about to Enter the New Year In a couple of months and to our utter disappointment, you haven't fulfilled your promise till date.

Today, when junk food and sugar-loaded soft drinks are being shunned and banned in the schools globally to prevent our children from poor health and obesity, ma'am, I would have really appreciated your contribution as a savior towards this epidemic "Obesogenic" situation. The campaign to make schools "junk-free" is catching fire all over the world. Activists, doctors, media and a lot of celebrity chefs have immensely criticized sportsmen and celebrities like filmstars for endorsing junk food and colas. Their involvement with such brands has an inevitable and severe impact on kids, who wish to be like them and follow their heroes blindly.

Don't you feel the heat of the situation? Don't the harmful effects of junk food horrify you? India being the "Diabetes Capital of the World" and cancer being the second terrifying disease engulfing Indians don't bother you? Are you ready to be a part of this mayhem? Wouldn't you like to contribute towards helping this situation for the sake of the children, our children, your children? I feel that with timely fulfillment of your promise, PepsiCo could have emerged as exemplary for promoting healthy food and disease-free life among kids.

Although we have made sure that no school shall be selling unhealthy or junk food and colas across India based on Public Interest Litigation filed by us in the Delhi High Court against consumption of Junk Food in Schools. And you will be happy to note that the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already started the work for framing guidelines to make available quality and safe food at schools across the country by March of 2013, but we still feel that you should fulfill your promise and make a graceful exit from schools.

According to the reply filed by FSSAI in the Hon'ble Delhi High Court that there are more than 8 lakh primary and upper primary schools spread all over the country, imparting education to more than 12 crore children and we strongly believe that all these children will have access to healthy and nutritious food along with a happy future.

Ma'am, I understand that PepsiCo is one of the largest manufacturers of beverages and snacks globally. And I appreciate the fact that PepsiCo has also dedicated itself for offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, but I am surprised with the delay about the commitment made by you publicly as till date there is no news of stopping sales of full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools anywhere in India.

These were your words that you have long advocated for school settings to be made as conducive as possible to promoting good health among students, and you have programs under way with school authorities in several countries to do that. This includes restoring or expanding physical education and promoting nutritional education. This global policy will definitely serve as an important part of that mission, by expanding our offerings of low-calorie and nutritious beverages but, ma'am, I am sorry to say that none of these statements impress us as a majority of common citizens like me believe in actions over speeches and unfulfilled commitments.

Obesity is a health epidemic not only across our country but globally and we have a responsibility as individuals and as society to do whatever we can to promote good nutrition and healthy eating habits so that we can reverse this alarming trend. A study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, among children in the age group of 14-18 found 17% of children to be obese or overweight. A similar study by Fortis Hospital, Delhi, found that 28% of school kids in the city are obese, whereas a research in urban areas of southern India revealed 21% of boys and 18% of girls between 13 and 18 years, to be obese.

School canteens have a social responsibility towards the health and growth of children, and in inculcating healthy eating. They could be used as places to motivate children to consume healthy and hygienic food. However, it really saddens me that through massive billion-dollar advertising campaigns, corporates have laid claim to children's imagination and virtually insinuated themselves into every corner of children's lives. Today, children eat food designed for the health of corporate balance sheets rather than their own health.

The situation is alarming and needs quick action. We all are facing the harmful effects of junk food consumption like allergies, hair fall, poor stamina, digestive issues and adult diseases like, blood pressure, poor concentration, and hormonal disorders in our daily life.

We expect that your company is not only working towards getting good financial returns but also understands its moral responsibility towards mankind and society as a whole. Replacing full-sugar soft drinks from schools with healthy snacks and low-calorie nutritious beverages is a commendable idea. You are quite popular for your involvement by sponsoring the various programs, events and campaigns organized by schools in India and this step of yours will not only put you on a high moral ground but also enhance your reputation globally.

We as a non-profit expect/understand that you are really concerned about the health of children by taking a pledge of leaving the school canteens this year and will definitely fulfill your promise by ensuring the placement of low-calorie, low-sugar content and high nutritional value products on the school canteen racks.

Ma'am, we grew up on your company's products, enjoyed them, endorsed them and also gifted you heavy balance sheets every year. Today, we want a gift from you, a strong commitment that you will fulfill your promise by the 28th of October, so we can have a wonderful and healthy gift on your birthday.

P.S. "Happy Birthday"

Warm Regards

Rahul Verma
Co-founder
Uday Foundation for Congenital Defects and Rare Blood Groups.

(The Uday Foundation has grown from what was essentially a handful of parents and doctors of babies with birth defects to a nonprofit fully dedicated to children, health and human rights. Its main aim is to provide support services to children afflicted with congenital defects, critical disorders, syndromes, and diseases that affect their health condition, education and growth.)

Shocking! All instant noodle brands are fooling you on nutrition, health

Lab tests conducted by CERS clearly indicate that the ‘health’ quotient claimed by instant noodles brands is far from being true. As a matter of fact, high levels of sodium, fat and carbohydrates in these food products can lead to life-threatening conditions like cardiac disorders and blood pressure

Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education & Research Society (CERS) has said its in-house laboratory test of 15 popular instant noodles brand reveals that most health claims made by these brands are deceptive and are way below in nutrition levels as well.

The fifteen brands tested included brands like Maggi, Top Ramen, Knorr, Ching’s Secret, Sunfeast Yippee!, Foodles, Tasty Treat and Wai Wai X-press. The results were shocking. “Some of the common findings for most of the samples tested included high level of sodium salts, significantly low fibre content, high amount of fats and several other shocking factors. The brands that claimed ‘Healthy’, ‘wholesome’, ‘enriched with proteins and iron’ and ‘full of fibre’, were refuted by the test findings as going way above the safe limit of several harmful elements,” CERS said in a release.

7 Facts about Instant Noodles •   Noodles are junk food with little nutrition value in spite of all the health claims. Avoid if you can. If you cannot, reduce consumption. •    Check the shelf life. It varies from brand to brand. •    Increase the protein value of the noodles by adding an egg or a small amount of soy products such as tofu or soya nuggets. Add vegetables and fruits either for garnishing or as an accompaniment. •    Majority of salt is added to noodles through the seasoning supplied in sachets. So reduce the sodium content by using the minimum amount of seasoning, preferably half of the sachets. •    Instant noodle soup is often high in salt; limit its consumption to avoid excess intake. •    Instant noodles can serve as breakfast or evening snacks but not as main meals. Limit the consumption to a maximum of once in a week or ten days. •    Pregnant women and infants (below 12 months) must avoid consumption of instant noodles containing monosodium glutamate (MSG) as flavour enhancer (INS 621). So watch out for MSG or INS 621 in the list of ingredients given on the packet.

CERS said the domestic market for instant noodles in worth Rs1,000 crore and most people consume it more than once in a fortnight. This led the consumer organisation to probe claims made by these brands.
It said, “Some of the brands like the ‘Top Ramen Oat Noodles’ and ‘Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles’ that prominently claimed to be relatively healthier than their counterparts through their advertisements, were actually fooling their customers in to eating noodles and harming their health.” 
Instant noodles, while chiefly targeted at easily impressionable kids, are also now promoted across all age groups as a healthy snacking option. But the tests conducted by CERS clearly indicate that the ‘health’ quotient claimed by instant noodles brands is far from being true. As a matter of fact, high levels of sodium, fat and carbohydrates in these food products can lead to life-threatening conditions like cardiac disorders and blood pressure problems.
None of the brands were able to substantiate their tall claims of being healthy snacking option when interpreted against Food Standards Agency (FSA) of UK standards for fats and sodium, CERS said in a release.
Though there are no specific Indian Standards to check the level of nutrition when it comes to instant noodles, CERS conducted the tests for basic parameters that included total ash, moisture level, acid insoluble ash, fat, crude fibre, proteins, sodium, calcium, iron, carbohydrate, and energy. During these tests, the labelling information on each of the samples was checked against the regulations laid down by Food Safety and Standards (packaging & labelling) Regulations, 2011. Contrary to their claims of being a harmless snack, most of the instant noodles brands have emerged to be a dangerous choice in the present day stressful lifestyle, the release said.

CERS has recommended several actions through which the government can force the instant noodle manufacturers to improve their products and safeguard the health of the consumers. Some of these recommendations include suggestions like the Food Safety and Standards authorities take note of the salt minimization efforts put forth by UK FSA and compel manufacturers to reduce the sodium levels. The consumer body has also suggested stringent norms for packaging wherein manufacturers highlight the content of their products explicitly making it easier for the consumer to notice.
Citing the major role played by the misleading advertisements of instant noodles, CERS has recommended that Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) implement stricter conditions forcing manufacturers to refrain from making false claims to innocent consumers. The recommendations are also directed towards manufacturers, asking them to reduce the level of harmful elements like sodium and increase the amount of nutritional elements like calcium and iron.
CERS said it sent out the results of each brand to its respective manufacturer seeking clarification about the alarming results. However, none of the manufacturers responded to the queries raised by CERS, the release added.

How KFC India Could Have Saved Face After The Wormgate Episode

Our views on how KFC India could have saved its online reputation, following the worms found in the chicken at its Trivandrum outlet.

“Someone found worms in my fried chicken and pictures of it are everywhere now. My outlet has been shut down by the food safety guys who have already begun their investigations. I did put up a kitchen tour video on my Facebook page for my worried fans, in which I explained about all the safety measures we take but did not offer an explanation for the worms. I also hogged a piece at the end, after all I’m the Chief Food Innovation Officer. But, my fans seem to be really peeved about this. I don’t understand what the fuss is all about?”

If you are this man and you don’t understand what the fuss is all about, then you are in grave trouble. In fact, you could become the butt of jokes just as KFC India discovered right after it totally mishandled a wormgate episode on its Facebook page. Here’s what happened earlier this month and since then, there have been no updates regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, I see the page admin has been posting yummy pictures and updates from the Radio KFC Facebook contest. And I also see a standard response that the matter is under investigation, whenever a fan questions about the worms. KFC India is clearly being defensive and that doesn’t help save its face. And all this when it has expansion plans in the country!

Instead of taking a concerned approach on social media rather than one that reeks of indifference, the online reputation managers at KFC India have left me disappointed. While they did take a few damage control steps, there are quite a few blunders in the approach. Let’s take a look:

Address the issue beforehand

Perhaps, a rival planted those worms or this is something even more sinister, but KFC India needed to address the issue on all its digital properties, sooner than it did. Yes, they did address the issue at hand in the form of a Facebook update but this came after a good number of days, during which the damage was already done – the brand was lampooned on Facebook and Twitter and even rechristened as KFW (Kentucky Fried Worms).

A brand is accountable to its community. Just as KFC expects its fans to drool over its yummy zingers and ‘like’ the post at once, it should also be ready to see them being spiteful about the worm incident. Had the statement come in just as the news media broke the story, it would have helped mitigate the damage right at the very beginning. Fans love what you serve them and worms were definitely not in the menu, so the informative update posted by KFC was a good thing but rather late in the day.

Bring in a face to the brand

Fans and onlookers weren’t content with what was posted by the page admin. There were reports of fewer numbers at KFC outlets. As competitors were feasting away their business, KFC came up with a video update from the Chief Food Innovation Officer, Vijay Sukumar of Yum! Restaurants that manages KFC in India. I was thrilled to bits! Here’s a brand with a face. And that is such a human thing to do.

But, in the entire video of 1:27 minutes, Vijay kept harping about the brand’s stringent food safety standards while taking us through a kitchen tour but not once did he make any reference to the worms found in the Trivandrum outlet chicken. He even took a bite from a KFC chicken bucket hoping to reassure us. But, all that ‘human face’ effort went down the drain. A man of authority talks to his irate fans to reassure them about the brand’s safety standards but avoids to address the very reason of his fan’s fury!

Choose their words carefully

The statement by the page admin comes across as a calculated one. When you are already angry about the breach of trust, how would you savour an official statement that begins like this –  ”Hi we know some of you have been hearing and reading about the recent inspection conducted by the local authorities at our restaurant in Trivandrum. Nothing is more important to us than food safety. We take all claims about our food very seriously and we are thoroughly investigating this claim. Please rest assured that as a responsible brand, we are committed to following international standards and serving the highest quality products to all our customers across each of our restaurants.”

The tone chosen suggests that it is all about the brand and how affected they have been by the whole incident. They do not seem to be concerned about the customers at all. Sounds like a sales pitch just as the remainder of the statement!

Besides, the ‘Hi’ has been addressed with an ‘indifferent’ tone. KFC doesn’t seem to be talking to its fans or brand advocates here.

Regain the lost trust

Your community trusts you and you need to respect that. This might be an unfortunate incident and you are breaking your head how this could ever happen to you but the fact is that it did happen and there is ample evidence. So, you have to deal with it. While you are seriously ‘investigating the claim’, you need to seriously regain the lost trust of your fans.

The first rule of ORM is to apologise or acknowledge a disaster at once. KFC took a long time to come up with a statement following the online backlash.

The second rule is to offer a resolution or at least talk about the disaster. KFC’s kitchen tour video did not even make a passing reference to the worms found in its chicken. Avoiding an issue when you are directly accountable is the worst you can do. The brand could have reduced some of the damage by not making that video at all!

Fans have been quite fierce in their comments and the fury is still high on Facebook. Had the brand really put themselves into a damage control mode and followed the steps mentioned above, this fury would have died down by now. Regaining the trust of your customers is tough but not impossible.

As KFC India fights hard to reopen the outlet, I don’t know what it will do to the many articles that come up when you type ‘KFC India’ into Google.

More than 68% of Milk in India has Paint, Detergent

Adulterated Sweets Flood in Indian Market

Milk adulteration - Frequent testing only answer

If it is milk, it’s bound be adulterated, at least with water. That is the largely accepted fact about this traditional protein-rich source of nutrition in India. The recent revelation by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that nearly 70 per cent of the milk samples taken by it across the country failed is merely a confirmation of what everyone knows. While defining ‘pure’ and ‘adulterated’ milk is difficult, the FSSAI has compared the samples to certain standards of hygiene and nutrition laid down by it. Even the clean milk supplied in packets by recognised organisations is not as it came from the udders of the cow. Most of it is ‘reconstituted’ — it has water, fat or milk solids added or removed to make it adhere to standards corresponding to the label on it.

What is dangerous is the kind of adulterants that go into milk in the unorganised sector to make it look like the genuine thing even when it is not. It could be anything from detergent, urea, and sugar to baking soda. The temptation to adulterate milk is strong — as it is so easy — and the only way to check it is stringent and frequent testing. And that is something most state governments are neither equipped nor inclined to do. According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, implemented in Punjab in 2011, all units handling food in any manner have to be licensed by the Heath Department. But the department does not even have the infrastructure to do the registration, what to talk of testing.

At the macro level, steps have to be taken to increase milk production, as shortage is a major incentive for cheating. At the same time, initiatives are required to expand the cooperative system of milk collection and handling, which by the virtue of institutionalising the trade prevents malpractices to a great extent. Setting up a foolproof chain can be a test of a government in running a farmer-welfare cooperative system, as milk is one of the most perishable food products, and the system can be replicated for any fresh farm produce.

Food vendors, the new focus of dengue drive

The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has roped in the city’s food vendors in their drive against dengue and water-borne diseases this monsoon.
Around 20,000 food-business operators, including star hotels, will become the focal point of a mosquito control drive, said officials of the department.
Since many of the premises owned by food-business operators were found to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes, the Chennai Corporation and the food safety department have decided to focus here, as part of their massive awareness drive.
The drive is being organised in areas such as Anna Nagar, Kothwal Chavadi, T. Nagar, Perambur and Tondiarpet. On Thursday, hundreds of food vendors, including hotel owners participated in an awareness meeting.
Senior entomologists conducted training sessions on ways to prevent the growth of mosquito larvae and on how to identify breeding grounds. The training sessions also included information on the four different types of dengue spread by theAedes aegyptimosquito.
Officials also made a presentation on the disease for the participants, and said awareness programmes were needed to sensitise all their employees, too, about the infection.
The drive for mosquito control and prevention of water-borne diseases are part of efforts towards increasing food safety and preventing food adulteration in the city. The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 came into force on August 5, 2011.
The Corporation issues trade licences to food-business operators, while their registration is carried out by the food safety department.

Around 20,000 food-business operators, including star hotels will be sensitised about the disease

சாலையோர டிபன் கடைக்கு "லைசென்ஸ்' கட்டாயம்:கலெக்டர் மகரபூஷணம் அறிவிப்பு

சேலம்: "சாலையோர டிபன் கடைகள், சில்லி சிக்கன் கடைகள், காய்கறி, பழம் விற்பவர்கள், தலைச்சுமையாக வியாபாரம் செய்பவர்கள் உள்பட பல்வேறு உணவுப் பொருள் விற்பனையாளர்கள், தங்களுடைய பெயர் பதிவு மற்றும் லைசென்ஸ் பெறுவது கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது' என, சேலம் கலெக்டர் மகரபூஷணம் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இது குறித்து, அவர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கை:ரேஷன் கடை, ஆவின், டாஸ்மாக் கடை, பார், சிவில் சப்ளைஸ் குடோன்கள், கூட்டுறவு மற்றும் பொன்னி பண்டக சாலை, அறநிலையத்துறைக்கு உட்பட்ட கோவில்களில் அன்னதானம் மற்றும் பிரசாதம் வழங்குமிடம், ஆதிதிராவிடர், பிற்பட்டோர் நல விடுதிகள் ஆகியவை பதிவு அல்லது உரிமம் பெறுவது கட்டாயம். சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில், அரசு உணவு நிறுவனங்கள் அனைத்தும் உரிமம் பெற்று விட்டன.

அனைத்து உணவுப்பொருள் தயாரிப்பாளர்கள், அரிசி ஆலைகள், சேகோ ஆலைகள், உணவு எண்ணெய் தயாரிப்பாளர் மற்றும் விற்பனையாளர்கள், மளிகை கடைக்காரர்கள், ஓட்டல் உரிமையாளர்கள், டீக்கடைகாரர்கள், இனிப்பு, காரவகைகள் தயாரிப்பவர், விற்பனை செய்பவர், சாலையோர உணவு கடைக்காரர்கள், பேக்கரி, இறைச்சி வியாபாரிகள், சில்லி சிக்கன் கடைகள், காய்கறி, பழம் விற்பனை செய்வோர், பால் உற்பத்தியாளர்கள், பால் வியாபாரிகள், பள்ளி, கல்லூரி, தொழிற்சாலைகளில் கேன்டீன் நடத்துபவர்கள், திருமண மண்டபங்களில் உணவு தயாரிப்போர், மொத்த மற்றும் சில்லரை வியாபாரிகள், தலைச்சுமையாக தெருவில் விற்பவர்கள், சாலையோர தள்ளுவண்டி கடைக்காரர்கள், அனைத்து உணவுப் பொருள் விற்பனையாளர்கள் அனைவரும் தங்களை பதிவு செய்வது, உரிமம் பெறுவது கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

பதிவு மற்றும் உரிமம் பெறாமல் வியாபாரம் செய்வது குற்றமாகும். இந்த குற்றத்துக்கு, ஆறு மாத சிறைத்தண்டனை, ஐந்து லட்சம் ரூபாய் அபராதம் விதிக்க சட்டத்தில் இடம் உள்ளது.மொத்தம், 12 லட்சம் ரூபாய்க்கு, குறைவாக வணிகம் செய்யும் சிறு, குறு மற்றும் நடுத்தர நிறுவனங்கள் தங்கள் பகுதி உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவரிடம், "படிவம் ஏ'யை பூர்த்தி செய்து, வங்கியில், 100 ரூபாய் செலுத்தி, பதிவு சான்று பெற வேண்டும். 12 லட்சம் ரூபாய்க்கு அதிகமாக விற்பனை செய்வோர், மாவட்ட நியமன அதிகாரியிடம், "படிவம் பி'யை பூர்த்தி செய்து, 2,000 ரூபாய் முதல், 5,000 ரூபாய் வரை, செலுத்தி உரிமம் பெற வேண்டும். விண்ணப்பம் பெறப்பட்ட நாளில் இருந்து, 60 நாட்களுக்குள் உரிமம் வழங்கப்படும்.உரிமத்தின் காலம், பெறப்பட்ட நாளில் இருந்து ஒரு ஆண்டுக்கு செல்லத்தக்கதாகும்.

உணவுப்பொருள் நிறுவனங்கள், தங்கள் நிறுவனத்தை சுத்தமாக, சுகாதாரமாக பராமரிக்க வேண்டும். தொற்று நோயுள்ள பணியாளர்களை, நிறுவனங்களில் பணியமர்த்தக்கூடாது. விற்பனை நிலையத்தில், எலி மற்றும் பூச்சிகள், நோய் பரப்பும் கிருமிகள் இருக்கக்கூடாது. பயன்படுத்திய உணவு எண்ணெயை மீண்டும் பயன்படுத்தக்கூடாது.உணவு பொருள் விற்பனை செய்ய உரிமம் பெற்ற வணிகர்கள், தங்களின் உரிமத்தை புதுப்பிக்கவும், உரிமத்தை மாற்றியமைக்கவும், அடுத்த ஆண்டு ஃபிப்.,4ம் தேதி வரை காலக்கெடு வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதுவரை, உணவு உரிமம் பெறாதவர்கள், உடனடியாக விண்ணப்பித்து பெற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். இறக்குமதி, ஏற்றுமதி செய்யும் வணிகர்கள் டிசம்பர், 4ம் தேதிக்குள் விண்ணப்பிக்க வேண்டும்.

மேலும் விபரங்களுக்கு, மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர், உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை, நாட்டாண்மை கழக கட்டிடம், சேலம், டெலிபோன்; 0427 - 2450332, மொபைல்: 94435 - 20332 என்ற எண்ணில் தொடர்பு கொண்டு தகவல் பெறலாம்.

Food adulteration alarming in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: While Chhattisgarh has the dubious distinction of ranking at the top from among states with high rate of food adulteration with 40% samples found contaminated in 2010 by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the state's capital surpasses the figure with 50% of the samples failing the test this year.

In a nutshell, the figures literally suggest that 50% of food being consumed in Raipur is adulterated as the samples picked by the Food and Drug Administration Department during the year came from across the supply chain including retailers, suppliers, manufactures and processors. According to the available data of the 204 samples the department collected, nearly 102 were found adulterated between Sept 2011 and Sept 2012.

The adulterated samples included spices, khoya (used widely by sweetmeat shops), spices and edible oil. Officials said that the Food Safety Standard (FSS) Act was implemented in the state last year.

Interestingly, the state-wide figures for food adulteration is considerably less than the state capital and stand at 35%. Only 180 samples of the 510 collected in the same period were contaminated. This is more or less close to FSSAI's 2010 findings in which 40% of samples, highest in the country, in the state were adulterated.

The FSSAI had collected over 1.17 lakh samples of food articles throughout the country and 13% of them were found to be adulterated. A comparative analysis shows high adulteration of 40% in Chhattisgarh, 34% in Uttarakhand, 29% in Uttar Pradesh, 23% in Rajasthan and 20% in West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.

Besides, nearly 17% of the food samples tested in Bihar and Chandigarh, 16% in Nagaland, 15% in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, 14% in Haryana, 12% in Tamil Nadu and 10% in Maharashtra were found adulterated. However, adulteration rates in Delhi were low at 4% while in Karnataka it was just 5%.

According to officials, in Raipur the department has secured seven convictions so far and the violators have been fined between Rs 25,000 to Rs 80,000. Similarly, 25 convictions have been achieved state-wide and a fine to the tune of Rs 7.80 lakh was collected.

Health officials admit that during the ensuing festive season the number of adulteration cases go up with an increased demand for sweets. "Unscrupulous traders resort to adulteration to make a fast buck without bothering for the health of the consumers," said Food Safety Officer (FSO), Dr A Dewangan, adding that to meet the local demand, contaminated supplies come from all over the country including UP and MP.

Despite the fact that adulteration impacts the health of all consumers, the state government isn't seem to be doing enough to put stringent checks in place. The shortage of FSOs in the state makes this quite evident.

There are only 15 FSO covering 27 districts of the state and Raipur which has a population of 12 lakh, has only three. Sources reveal that 35 posts have been advertised and until they are filled, the resources with the department are limited.

FDA Maharashtra eases norms; asks FBOs to opt for licensing, registration

Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, has proactively suggested all food business operators (FBOs) of Maharashtra to register or get licence under the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.

According to FDA, in this regard, if the FBOs want to hold camps in groups, they are free to do so and the officials concerned will help them in ensuring early registration and licensing.

Dilip Shrirao, joint commissioner (vigilance), FDA, Maharashtra, explains, “The system of registration and licensing has been made very transparent and any non-cooperation from any of the FDA officials by way of delay or corruption should be immediately referred to me.”

He added, “All FBOs seeking the change from manufacturers/importers require licence or registration including for transport vehicles that are for transporting foods. The instructions have already been given to officials to send the licences/registration certificates by post as early as possible.”

Shrirao stated, “Any FBO which did not receive registration certificate after applying and paying the fees within one month will be deemed to have been granted registration and any applicant who does not receive licence within two months from the date of registration and paying fees will be deemed to have granted licence.”

“If any demand is made by the concerned registering/licensing authority or by anyone on their behalf may be promptly reported to FDA,” stated Shrirao.

The registration fee is Rs 100 per year and licensing fees is Rs 2,000 per year for all the FBOs in Maharashtra.

Shrirao pointed out, “It is an offence to conduct food business without registration or licence. If anyone is conducting business without licence he is liable for 6 months imprisonment and fines upto Rs 5 lakh and without registration it will be compounding upto Rs 1 lakh.”

“Usually there will be no inspection before granting registration/conversion/renewal. Renewal can be done upto five years from the day of conversion. No fees will be charged for which it has been paid earlier. All the FBOs are assured that they will be given registration and licensing certificate in due time unless some major discrepancies/ violation are found. The manufacturer/importer/distributor shall buy and sell food products only from or to licensed/registered vendors and maintain record thereof,” informed Shrirao.

Registration is required for all petty food manufacturers like temporary and permanent stall-holders, hawkers, home-based canteen, dabbawallas, petty retailers of snacks, tea shops, petty manufacturers/processors/re-packers, petty stall-holders in religious gatherings, fairs and so on, all milk producers who are not members of dairy co-operative societies, milk vendors, fish/meat/poultry shop and sellers and others.

While licensing is required for manufacturing/processing including sorting, grading and so on, milk collection/chilling, slaughter house, solvent extracting unit, solvent extracting plant equipped with pre-cleaning of oil seeds or pre-expelling of oil, solvent extracting and oil refining plant, packaging, re-labelling (manufactured by third party under own packing and labelling), importing, storage/warehouse/cold storage, retail trade, wholesale trade, distributor/supplier, transporter of food, catering, dhaba or any other food vending establishment like club/canteen, hotel and restaurant.