FDA sees raid

Crackdown starts on traders using hazardous calcium carbide to artificially ripen mangoes; raids to be conducted at night, defaulters to be fined Rs 2-10L
After issuing a series of warnings and conducting a workshop to dissuade mango traders in the city from using calcium carbide to ripen mangoes artificially, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will now begin a series of raids from Thursday onward to crack down on defaulters.

Those caught will have to cough up a fine of anything between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, with six months imprisonment for this offense. At present, around 1,000-1,500 boxes of mangoes come into the city every day, which notches up to around 12,000 boxes at the height of the season.




Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (Food), FDA, said, “Artificial ripening using calcium carbide is banned under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA).

The chemical, if consumed in large quantities, damages internal organs. Legal action will be taken against defaulters once lab results are out. However, traders are against the dictat saying it will affect their sales, and that the chemical has never caused any harm to anyone.”

“We will be conducting the raids at night because according to our information, they keep pouches of calcium carbide in cartons of mangoes overnight and remove them in the morning. We believe we should improvise on our modus operandi too to match theirs,” said S S Desai, FDA assistant commissioner (Food).


The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India says on its website, “Chemicals like calcium carbide/ ethephon and oxytocin are reportedly being used in fruit and vegetable ‘mandis’/ farms for artificial ripening of fruits and for increasing the size of fruits and vegetables.

Calcium carbide, more commonly known as ‘masala’, is a carcinogenic agent and banned under Rule 44-AA of PFA Rules, 1955.”

Dr Abhay Desai, director of the Food Hygiene and Health Laboratory, said, “Calcium carbide and its crystals are toxic and banned by the government. The chemical reacts with moisture in the air and produces acetylene, which is similar to ethylene used for ripening mangoes.

This poses great health risks to consumers. Calcium carbide has cancer-causing properties, is capable of causing neurological disorders and also affects the lungs and digestive system.”

Shivlal Bhosale, president of the traders at Market Yard, said, “We have asked all the traders not to use the chemical following a circular issued by the FDA commissioner.

Most of the traders are now ripening the fruit with the help of ethylene gas. The latter, however, takes at least 10-14 days to ripen mangoes in comparison to calcium carbide, which ripens the fruit in two days, and is therefore not a preferred option.”

► Ethylene gas takes 10-14 days to ripen mangoes; calcium carbide ripens it in two days, so it is preferred

Online System for Food Business Operator license and registration for all districts of Haryana Launched

Haryana Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Health, Mrs Navraj Sandhu   launching centralized Online System for Food Business Operator license and registration for all districts of the State in Chandigarh on March 22,2013.Mission Director NRHM, Dr Rakesh Gupta is also seen in the picture.
CHANDIGARH, March 22- Haryana Government today implemented centralized Online System for Food Business Operator (FBO)  license or registration in all districts of the State. Therefore, manual applications would not be accepted   for License or Registration anywhere in the State  with effect from April 1,2013.
This new system was launched by Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Health Mrs Navraj Sandhu by giving away licenses to a manufacturer and a retailer here today.
While speaking on the occasion, Mrs Sandhu said that all food business operators in the State can avail of the services for licensing or registration by logging onto the website: www.foodlicensing.net. Alternatively, they can access www.fssai.gov.in and logon to online food Licensing or Registration System(FLRS)  link provided in the site. This online food licensing or registration system   enables the food business operators at their comfort check for eligibility, apply for License or registration, pay the appropriate fees, upload supporting documents, track the status of their applications, schedule inspections and receive alerts on the status and renewals
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has created a  centralized online system for FBO license or registration for use across the country, with the assistance of National Institute For Smart Government (NISG), Hyderabad. The Central Government   has enacted Food Safety and Standards Act, (FSS Act, 2006) to regulate and monitor the manufacture, process, pack, transport, store, distribute, sell and import of any food or food ingredient, so as to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and also to laying down science based standards. The FSS Regulations Gazette Notified on August 5, 2011 mandates that every FBO must obtain License or Registration Certificate.Food business operators are encouraged to create their online user accounts to continue to receive SMS, e-mail alerts from authority.
All the food business operators have, therefore, been  requested to avail of the online services for License or Registration and comply with the provisions of FSS Act, 2006.
A spokesman of Haryana Health Department said that Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Haryana achieved the highest rate of conviction in the country in the court cases filed under the Drugs and Cosmetics ACT 1940. The conviction rate in the court cases is over 80 per cent. The FDA Haryana launched its own website www.fdaharyana.org in public domain and the FDA Haryana became first northern State to launch online chemist shop licensing in the country. The FDA Haryana has also made all its licensed blood banks online. Any person in need of any unit of particular group of blood or blood components can assess its availability in the blood bank in his location online and also assess the details of contact person or blood bank.  The FDA Haryana established its own independent office at   Panchkula  for smooth and efficient functioning of the department. The incidence of menace of spurious medicines in the State is by and large negligible. The pendency of renewal of sale licenses has been reduced to zero in the State. Eight new Drugs Control Officers joined the department and on job training of FDA officers was organized to upgrade their technical knowledge and auditing skills.
The State has imposed prohibition on manufacturing, sale and stocking of Guthka and Paan Masala with effect from August 15,2012. Such prohibited products were sampled and seized by the department under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. So for 50 such samples have been seized by the Food Safety Officers in the State.The department has also implemented Infant Milk Substitute (IMS) Act 1992 in the State. This  Act was implemented for the first time by  Haryana in the country. Samples of infant milk substitute’s products were seized under the Food Safety and Standard Act.2006 and also under the provision of IMS Act.
He said that so far more than 100 licensed as well as unlicensed sale premises have been sealed for violating various provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945.  Drugs licenses of 100 shops had been cancelled and licenses of more than 35 shops were suspended by the respective Licensing Authority. Also, 16 cases under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 were also got registered against the unscrupulous elements at Dabwali, Ratia, Yamunanagar, Sirsa, Kalanwali   for having stocked for sale Narcotic or Psychotropic drug formulations in huge quantities without holding any license under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945. The unscrupulous elements were engaged in playing with the lives of innocent human beings.
Apart from conducting joint raids to curb the menace of medical intoxicants,  awareness campaign against illicit purchase, supply and use of such medicines were also undertaken by the department. Sensitization-cum-awareness program  and workshops were convened in many cities or towns to sensitize the chemists, general public as well as the media.  So far such awareness campaign has been organised at Sirsa, Panchkula, Ambala, Yamuna Nagar, Rohtak, Karnal, Fatehabad, Ratia, Kalawali, Dabwali and Tohana.  More   such awareness campaigns would be arranged in future  to involve the public at large against the crusade.
Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, Dr Rakesh Gupta and other senior officers of Health Department were also present on the occasion.

Food Safety Express begins its journey

No adulteration:Food safety officials handing out pamphlets in the city on Thursday

Food Safety Express, a vehicle loaded with audio-visual equipment and awareness materials on prevention of food adulteration, began its journey in the district on Thursday to propagate the importance of food safety among consumers and food business operators.

The express was flagged off by Collector Anshul Mishra at Sairam Matriculation Higher Secondary School at Goripalayam here in the presence of senior district officials and representatives of consumer protection associations.

It will travel across the district from March 21 to April 8 covering urban and rural areas to create awareness of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

A team of food safety experts and consumer activists will visit schools, colleges, markets, hospitals and important public places explaining the features of the Act. Trained personnel will also demonstrate detection of adulteration in food items by using a special kit called ‘annam,’ which was developed by CONCERT, a sister organisation of the Consumers Association of India. Consumers and Food Business Operators will get information through bilingual portalwww.foodsafe.caiindia.org.

Kalyani Rajaraman, project manager for the mass awareness campaign, J. Suguna, Designated Officer for Food Safety, Madurai district, Ashok Kannan, secretary, Public Welfare and Consumer Protection Association, and Rajendran, District Consumer Officer, were among those who spoke at the flagging-off function.

Apart from Madurai, the express, which started its journey in Chennai on January 17, is reaching out to consumers in Chennai, Vellore, Coimbatore and Tiruchi.