Ads term gutkha ban unfair

Analysts call the ads misleading; health ministry plans action against industry

Pertinent question: Why not ban cigarette?THE photographed ad on this page is one of the many ads that has been appearing in leading print and electronic media of the country since September. Issued by the gutkha industry, the ads term the ban on the chewing tobacco unfair and question why the government has not banned cigarette.
Since the introduction of the Food Safety and Standards Authority Act (FSSA) rules in August 2011, as many as 14 states have banned gutkha, known to be responsible for 80 per cent of oral cancer cases in the country.
The ads prompted non-profits campaigning against gutkha to call an urgent press meet on October 18. The meet was also participated by representatives from the health ministry. Justifying the ban, Amal Pusp, director with the ministry, said, the government chose to ban gutkha as a higher number of people consume it. Of the 274.9 million adult tobacco users in India, 75 per cent consume smokeless tobacco, Pusp said. Vulnerable groups like women and teenagers consume more gutkha than cigarette. About 18 per cent women consume smokeless tobacco, while only 3 per cent smoke tobacco, including bidi, he said, citing figures from Global Adult Tobacco Survey of 2010.
Pusp, however, showed helplessness when fielded questions related to weak regulations on cigarette. “I agree that cigarette is equally harmful but till now there is no legislation under which it can be banned,” he said. Both cigarette and gutkha are covered under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) of 2003, which only regulates tobacco products. Gutkha could be banned only after FSSA came into being. The Act considers gutkha as a food product and allows banning any food item containing injurious substance like nicotine. Unfortunately, cigarette is not a food item, Pusp added.
A representative of Smokeless Tobacco Association, who does not wish to be named, alleges that the ministry is siding with the cigarette lobby using the policy loopholes. While supporting the ban, Jagdeep Chhokar of the Association of Democratic Reforms, says, “ITC Ltd, which controls 80 per cent of the Indian cigarette market, has been one of the major donors for political parties, including the Congress.” The Delhi non-profit recently studied the source of funds to political parties.
Claims busted
One of the many facts cited in the advertisement reads like this: “1 pouch of gutkha contains 0.2 gram of tobacco verses 0.63 grams in cigarette.” Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, executive director of non-profit Voluntary Health Association of India, terms this misleading. “The size of gutkha pouch varies from 1g to 3.5 g, which changes the percentage of tobacco in the mix. Moreover, there is no authentic estimate of contents for gutkha,” she says. Another fact claims that a cigarette contains 4,000 chemicals while gutkha has only 3,000. Monika Arora, director, health promotion and tobacco control of non-profit Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), says, smokeless tobacco may have fewer chemicals but as many as 28 of them are carcinogenic. “Even a single cancer-causing chemical is enough to cause disease, disability and death,” she adds.
The ad also claims that over 40 million people have lost their livelihood because of the ban. “Government estimates show that the total employment in the formal sector by the tobacco industry was seven million in 2004-05. It can’t come close to 40 million even if one adds employment by the informal sector,” Arora says.
She also refutes the claim that farmers are growing tobacco in around 700,000 ha in the country. As per the Directorate of Tobacco Development, the area under cultivation for smokeless tobacco is just 40,000 ha. “The industry is trying to hide behind the livelihood issue when it is only concerned with its profits that are badly affected due to the ban,” says Mukhopadhyay. The Central Tobacco Research Institute in Andhra Pradesh has identified that crops like sugarcane, maize, paddy and cotton can be grown on the same soil, offering the farmers an alternative livelihood option. Besides, according to a 2010 Planning Commission report, the annual revenue generated by the gutkha industry is US $1.62 billion. But the expenditure on treatment of major diseases caused by it is six times more.
“Constitutionally, all states should have implemented the ban,” Pusp said at the press meet. “We have written to all states but they are taking their time.” However, the main contention of the ad that cigarette should be banned remains and the government has no plan for it.

FSSAI ADVT.

Now, a double caffeine kick in energy drinks

Food safety regulator increases the permissible caffeine limit from 145 ppm to 320 ppm; however, FDA officials are unaware of the change

Your energy drinks will now pack a double dose of caffeine. According to the new standards as directed by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the caffeine content in an energy drink has been increased from 145 parts per million (ppm) to 320 ppm.

Pumped up: According to the new regulations, the caffeine limits have been increased to 320 ppm. Initially, the limit was 200 ppm, which was reduced in 2009 to 145 ppm. Pic For Representation

The FSSAI has increased the caffeine limits by almost 175 ppm as compared to the previous permissible limits. Initially, caffeine limits for carbonated beverages were capped at 200 ppm. In 2009 owing to the Centre for Science and Environment — a public interest research organisation — the limit was scaled down to 145 ppm.
Confusing limits
However, the increase as declared by the FSSAI is still unknown to several officials and only came to light when representatives from Red Bull showed officials from the Thane Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a letter highlighting the rise as their energy drinks worth crores of rupees had been seized for exceeding the caffeine limits.
“The company representatives approached us with an official letter from FSSAI, which showed that the permissible limits had been raised to 320 ppm. Hence, we released their seized material, which we had taken in considering the old limit,” said Kishore Gore, FDA officer from the Thane division.
According to Red Bull India: “Red Bull Energy Drink fully complies with the local laws and regulations of more than 164 countries, including India. A 250ml can of Red Bull contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee [80 mg or 320ppm]. The Indian health authorities have repeatedly confirmed that Red Bull Energy Drink conforms to Indian laws and regulations.”
However, Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner food, Greater Mumbai said that he had refused to release the seized drinks, as they hadn’t received any official confirmation from FSSAI, Delhi. “The company approached us stating the permissible limit for caffeine has increased from 145 ppm to 320 ppm. But, we haven’t received any confirmation. We have also asked the company to send us the letter so that we can verify it,” said Deshmukh.
Not ‘pumped’ up
The increase in caffeine levels in these drinks has left a bitter taste in the mouths of few. Prerna Shah, a resident of Juhu, said, “Permitting 320 ppm is not a good idea. Companies are already flouting norms and this will allow them to do so even more. The government should not permit this, as youngsters are already addicted to this. A further rise will be detrimental to their health.”
Echoing the same sentiments, Hemang Mitra, a bar consultant, said, “Energy drinks are heavily marketed to young adults. It is as good as selling drugs like cocaine. Many of these drinks are heavily promoted in bars to use with alcohol. There are a number of scientific reports on the adverse consequences of excessive consumption of caffeine.”
Did you know?
Countries like Denmark, Uruguay and Turkey have banned energy drinks altogether while Sweden has banned its sale among children. The European Food Safety Authority mandates that energy drinks with over 150 ppm caffeine content should be labelled as ones with “high caffeine content” and the exact amount should be indicated. Australia has banned energy drinks with over 320 ppm caffeine level and proposes to classify them as pharmaceutical products.
Not ‘energy drinks’
In June, responding to health concerns, the FSSAI had said that all energy drinks having high caffeine limits would be called caffeinated drinks instead of energy drinks. It also said that these drinks would come with a statutory safety warning.

Illegal vendors to get hygiene lessons

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to give training onpreparing safe street food to illegal vendors starting later this week.
According to health officials from the BMC, the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by the chief secretary at Mantralaya on Tuesday. “The BMC along with the Food and Drug Administration will jointly organise the training programme as directed by the state,” said a senior official stating that the state is the implementing authority for the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.
The official added that they have identified spots for the pilot project which include vendors near railway stations, colleges and tourists spots. The training team include a junior officer, sanitary inspector, medical health officer and deputy executive health officer.
“As of now, we have selected 50 khau gullies and training will start later this week. It will focus on safe foods, good hygiene while cooking, storing and handling,” said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner who added that it will help in reducing bacterial diseases caused by eating such foods.
When asked about giving training to illegal vendors, Mhaiskar said, “The training does not mean that they will get a licence. The training is only intended for public interest as a sizeable number of the population consume food prepared by these vendors. The training will ensure that the food prepared by them is safe.”
However, activists expressed displeasure over the decision stating that it will encourage illegal vendors. “How can the BMC give training to illegal vendors? It will only encourage them to open more outlets and will lead to an increase in the number of illegal vendors across the city,” said Aftab Siddique, an activist from Bandra.

India's bakers seek permission to add color, flavor to bread

India’s bread manufacturers are lobbying with the country’s food safety authority for permission to add color and flavor to bread, according to an industry body representing midsize to large bakers.

The All India Bread Manufacturers’ Association wants the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to make amendments to the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006), and allow bakers to add colour, flavor and enzymes to bread. Over a 100 companies are members of the AIBMA.
“Flavored bread is very popular in supermarkets abroad. India’s bakers want to introduce flavored bread in the country as well,” helping them expand their value-added products portfolio, said Ramesh Mago, president, AIBMA.
Mago owns a bread and bakery products manufacturing company, Kitty Industries, in Ludhiana, Punjab.  The company’s products are marketed under the 'Kitty’s' brand name.
AIBMA also wants permission to add enzymes to bread, Mago said. “At present, you can add enzymes to biscuits but not in bread,” said Mago.
India’s per capita consumption of bakery products is about two kilos per annum, compared to between 10 and 50 kilos per annum in developed economies, according to a report by Marketresearch.com.
India’s bakery industry’s market size, pegged at $4.7 billion in 2010, is expected to grow to $7.6 by 2015, the report said. Biscuit-making is the chief occupation of the domestic industry, where unorganized smaller players control the market countrywide.

City anchor: Street eateries to get hygiene tips from BMC, FDA

The BMC on Tuesday announced a pilot initiative to promote sanitary processes in the making and selling of street food at various hawking zones in the city. This will be undertaken in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar told mediapersons that a meeting was held with FDA Commissioner Mahesh Zagade and Chief Secretary JK Banthia. “We have identified 55 khau galli spots in the city where a small team under the Executive Health Officer will undertake the task of training vendors in the use of sanitary methods,” said Mhaiskar. “We will focus on being hygienic while cooking, storing and handling food.”The BMC has targeted food hawkers near railways stations, colleges, large institutions and tourist spots and will begin the process next week. “We want to change public opinion that street food in Mumbai is unhealthy. We will train both licensed and unlicensed vendors. However, this does not mean that after the training unlicensed vendors will be regularised,” said Mhaiskar. The civic body said around 25-30 per cent of the city’s population eats street food daily at some point of the day. The corporation’s team, headed by the executive health officer will include deputy health officers, medical health officers and junior officers. By December-end, Mhaiskar said, in concurrence with the initiative, the corporation will hold a safe street food festival. Although the government legislated the Food Safety and Standards Act in 2006, the Food Safety and Standards Rules and Regulations pertaining to this were finally drafted in 2011. According to FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade, till date no street food vendor is in compliance with the norms set up since. “As per the regulations, all stall owners must be registered with the FDA. The rules mandate that there should be a running tap wherever food is being cooked. We will educate and train the vendors to use gloves while cooking, wear aprons and cover their heads. Even the ingredients should be bought from registered vendors so that if there is a problem there is accountability. So far compliance to these norms is nil,” said Zagade. He added that the initiative will also be introduced in other parts of the state such as Pune, Nashik and Nagpur.