Dinakaran

Nashik FDA takes steps to curb use of calcium carbide to ripen mangoes

During the mango season, it is not uncommon for mango retailers and wholesalers to resort to the artificial ripening of the fruit, and one of the methods to do so is the usage of carbide. Keeping this in mind, the Nashik division of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra has called all mango traders for a meeting on March 7, 2013 to create awareness about the adverse impact carbide could have on the consumers' health, and warn them that strict action will be taken against them if they do not stop using carbide to ripen the fruit.

Mahesh Zagade, commissioner, FDA Maharashtra, has issued a circular to all food safety officers (FSOs), instructing them to roll up their sleeves and make sure no amount of artificially-ripened mangoes makes their way to markets across the state this year. Chandrakant Pawar, joint commissioner of the state food regulator's Nashik division, about the crackdown on the artificial ripening of the fruit and said the first step is to hold meetings with mango retailers and wholesalers.

“The objective of our meetings with the mango traders is to explain the ill-effects of using calcium carble to ripen the fruit. If they continue this unhealthy practice after the meetings, the FDA will take strict action against them,” Pawar added, recommending the use of safer ripening methods, such as using ethylene gas and keeping the fruit be kept in a box containing hay. Incidentally, the state FDA had raided the premises of several mango traders who used calcium carbide to ripen the fruit last year, seizing and destroying over 100kg of the mangoes.

Dinamalar

Watch out for that expiry date!

Departmental stores continue to sell expired products beyond their shelf-life despite raids by the Food Safety department a few weeks ago. “Shops still sell expired products in spite of checks,” said C. Rajan, Secretary General, Consumer Association of India (CAI).

Recently, consumable goods were seized when CAI, at the behest of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, conducted a consumer awareness programme for the first time in five districts across Tamil Nadu. A consumer had complained to a member of CAI, Kalyani Rajaram, about a retail chain in Royapuram. When Kalyani went to investigate, she made some “shocking” discoveries.

“This retail chain was found selling “healthy” biscuit packets and juice concentrate that were manufactured more than ten years ago at a 50 per cent discount,” said Rajan. A week later, they were selling spice powder that had expired months ago.

“We have sent a letter to the owner of the chain demanding an explanation and they have responded saying they will look into the issue. It’s outrageous,” Rajan added.

Shoppers elaborated instances when they had stumbled upon old deodorants, bad dairy products and powdered chips among other items. While some said that they always checked the expiry dates, others admitted that they overlooked them.

“I check the expiry dates of only some products, not all,” said Sruthi, an analyst with Mckinsey Knowledge Centre. “I hardly check the dates for edible items because I trust the shop to keep fresh stock.”

“I am always in a hurry so I don’t check the date,” said another shopper at Spencers Daily.

Mohan, an owner of a departmental store admitted that owners could be callous in replacing expired products.

“We are very careful with edible items but we are not very careful with cosmetic products. We’ve received complaints from customers about deodorants leaving white patches on clothes. In such cases, we allow the customers to exchange the product,” he said.

It is not only small stores that commit these mistakes. Larger stores have also been blamed by customers for being irresponsible.

There were also many shoppers at smaller stores who said that they did not know how to check expiry dates. This ignorance, said Rajan, was not very surprising.

“A responsible consumer is not one who picks up an expired product, puts it back on the shelf and buys another one. He should complain to the manager and demand that the product be removed,” Rajan added.

Staff shortage bane of anti-adulteration drive

Govt says new posts in offing; meanwhile, traders and manufacturers flout norms at will

Jammu, March 6

The drive against adulteration seems to have lost its sheen, as the government has failed to provide adequate technical staff for the laboratory of the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO). Under Food Safety Act 2011, the government has said new posts will be created to strengthen testing facilities.
While a new modern laboratory is nearing completion at Patoli, it does not have the required staff to deal with the samples lifted during the inspections.
Till date, hundreds of samples are being handled by the overburdened Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) laboratory, as the lab of Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) does not have a full-time scientist or other staff.
"Though the organisation’s new modern laboratory is nearing completion at Patoli, it does not have the required staff to deal with the samples lifted during the inspections. Due to the delay, most of the cases remain pending for months together and traders engaging in adulteration escape the clutches of law by paying a fine," said an official.
Accepting that manpower shortage is an issue, Drug Controller Satish Gupta said steps have been taken to fill posts. “The government has created 36 new posts in various categories to supplement food regulations and the process has been initiated. We hope the process will be completed on a fast-track basis,” he stated.
Gupta said an awareness campaign has been started to make officials aware of the new laws and get them to know how to deal with challenges, keeping in view the emergence of fast food culture in the city.
“There is an Act, but no consideration is given to creation of manpower and filling of sanctioned posts. The fight against adulteration cannot be won only with laws; there is need for evidence to take legal action against the culprits. We have been approaching the government for filling of the posts, but as of now, nothing much has come out,” said a senior officer of DFCO.
Though the number of adulteration cases has shot up in recent years, Jammu Municipal Corporation is still dependent on one Public Analyser (food tester) to deal with the samples lifted by the field teams during routine checks.
When it comes to adulteration, prohibited substances are either added or partly or wholly substituted in eatables. During the festival period, there is always the threat of poor quality material being used in manufacture of sweets and other eatables for profit.
As per Food Safety Act, all food business operators were directed to get their existing licences renewed and registration was granted under the repealed Food Act/Order under the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards (Licensing & Regulation of Food Business) Regulations 2011.

Gutkha banned in state

Jammu, March 6
Jammu and Kashmir government today banned the sale and transportation of gutkha in the state, hours after the Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather announced the decision in Legislative Assembly.
The notification was issued by Commissioner Food Safety, Manoj Dwivedi under clause (a) of sub-section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, which bans manufacture, storage, sale transportation, display or distribution of gutkha in the state.
As per the notification number HD/Drug/58/2012 issued today, the Commissioner of Food has prohibited distribution of gutkha by whatever name and pan masala or zarda containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by any name.
The notification read that SRO-68, regulation, 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on sales) Regulations, 2011 made by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006) prohibits articles of food, in which tobacco or nicotine are used as ingredients.
Dwivedi said as gutkha of any type contains tobacco or nicotine as major ingredient, it is practical to impose a ban on its manufacturing, storage, sale, transportation or distribution in the state.
This order was issued immediately after the Budget announcement in this regard where the Finance Department has agreed to impose the ban on such products in the interest of health care of the citizens of the state.