Unchecked and unhygienic — there’s nothing cool about ice

• 
  The Hindu Officials of the Kochi Corporation carry out chekcs at roadside eateries in the city on Thursday. Photo: Special Arrangement
• 
  The Hindu Consumption of ice manufactured and transported in unhygienic conditions poses serious health hazards. File Photo

Think twice before you sip fruit juice served with crushed ice or ice cubes from wayside eateries and hotels. Consumption of ice manufactured, transported and used in unhygienic conditions could pose serious health hazards, warned public health experts.

Despite the increase in the use of ice cubes and crushed ice in beverages during summer, the city does not have in place an effective mechanism to ensure its quality. Ice samples meant for use in retail shops and eateries have not been sent for quality analysis to laboratories of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology and the Council for Food Research Development, Konni — the two government agencies equipped to conduct quality tests.

The Regional Analytical Laboratory, Kakkanad, is carrying out quality analysis on 20 samples.

Meanwhile, health officials of the Kochi Corporation seized three ice blocks and 100 kg ice found unfit for consumption from four city traders on Thursday, according to a communication from the civic body.

The drive against the use of contaminated ice and selling of sherbet would continue, said T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the Health Standing Committee of the Kochi Corporation.

According to Biju Prabhakar, State Food Safety Commissioner, inspecting ice samples used in all wayside shops would not be an easy task.

He said the department was presently focusing on the quality of drinking water transported in bulk quantities, and would later turn its attention on the quality of ice.

M.K. Mukundan, director, Council for Food Research Development, said all retail shops using ice were expected to keep certificates issued by the ice manufacturing company from where it was procured. Quality guidelines have been laid down for the water to be used for making ice, its transportation and handling. As per law, ice should be handled only in hygienic conditions and sanitary surfaces. The total bacterial load of the contact surface where the ice is kept should be below 100 colony-forming units (CFU) per sq.cm. The contact surfaces and the vehicles used for transporting ice should be cleaned regularly, he said.

Use of contaminated ice could lead to diseases like dysentery, typhoid and cholera.

Unilever will share about safe food products' design & manufacturing

April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The standards of food safety differs when crossing multiple country or regional borders. While "hazard-based decision-making" has been, and often still is, the norm, governments around the world (lead by Codex Alimentarius, FAO, and WHO) are adopting Risk Analysis (RA) as the framework for risk-based decision-making. Unilever has adopted this governmental model to risk-based decision-making and the science/technologies involved in it into our food safety assurance approach to innovating and marketing food products.
Food standards define essential aspects of the safety and quality of food in international trade as well as public health related to food. While food is more and more traded over long distances, there are different food standards from one country or region to the next. Global organisations such as Codex Alimentarius have, under the auspices of the parent organizations of FAO and WHO, guides its members through an evolution of food safety control based on hazards, providing risk-based guidance on the best food safety management practices, and setting standards related to consumer risk. Large scientific bodies such as JECFA, JMPR, and JEMRA provide the scientific input into the risk management committees of Codex Alimentarius.
Importantly, food safety relies on adequate control of all relevant hazards; chemical, physical, or biological. Current best practice systems for food safety management (GAP-GMP-GHP, HACCP) can achieve a very high level of food safety assurance when they are deployed faithfully and consistently, and are based on a sound product concept. It is a misconception that testing alone or even HACCP alone can deliver safe food. Rather, the combination of a good product and process design, good deployment using best practice systems, and selective use of testing for validation and verification is the overall package that is needed for reliable food safety assurance. While this is not a radically new insight at all, current practices around the world do not always reflect this thinking and societies' views of what constitutes a safe food product is a dynamic aspect both in time and in place. Food safety standards and other "metrics" reflecting safe foods vary tremendously between countries and/or regions, and the rational for this is not always evident or scientifically supported.
Food safety management in the international context is constantly evolving since it started to become more harmonized globally over the last 100 years. While "hazard-based decision-making" has originally been, and often still is, the norm, governments around the world (lead by Codex Alimentarius, FAO and WHO) are adopting Risk Analysis (RA) as the framework for risk-based decision-making. This framework provides a structured and systematic foundation for modern food safety management as it supports a responsible move away from mere hazard-based to more risk-based food safety control at the governmental level. As part of the framework and in the area of food safety microbiology, several new risk metrics have been designed to link country public health policies with operational control of the food present on the market. Unilever has adopted this governmental model to risk-based decision-making and the science/technologies involved in it into our food safety assurance approach to innovating and marketing food products. This approach consists of establishing a safe design based on pertinent knowledge/data, informed selection of processes and control measures to prevent, eliminate or adequately control significant hazards, and validation and verification by useful testing during the product innovation and product manufacturing.

No check on sale of food supplements in Noida

With city residents getting more health conscious, protein supplements used to gain mass have become popular. While there is some legitimate distribution, an unorganised industry of questionable products has also surfaced for these supplements. This is beyond the purview of the Drugs and
Cosmetics Act and these products are sold over-the-counter at pharmacies. Though a majority of youngsters are tech-savvy and prefer to purchase these supplements from the internet, many rely on the neighbourhood retail stores and pharmacies to buy cheaper versions.
A retailer in Surajpur claimed that he sourced protein supplements from the Navyug Market in Ghaziabad. “I sold 4-5 supplements till a few months ago, but now I sell around 20 bottles weighing 1 kg each every month,” said Vinod, salesman at the Rathi Medical Stores.
Nearly eight such pharmacies are located along a single stretch in Surajpur alone. Several such stores are also located in some sectors of Noida, Ghaziabad and the Trans-Hindon Area.
In a market near Nayee Basti in Ghaziabad, several wholesalers sell nearly 200-300 containers of supplements every month. However, none of them was willing to disclose their names nor of the manufacturer.
Vinod Sharma, a trader in Navyug Market, said, “These supplements are quite expensive. But when youngsters get to know that cheaper brands are available, they buy these without checking the ingredients.”
Meanwhile, protein supplements also have their drawbacks.
Abhishek Chaudhary, former U-17 cricket player for Uttar Pradesh, said, “I have been working out for several years and my diet was always under supervision. Gym instructors insist on using weight-gain supplements for quick results. However, the liver and kidney cannot produce enough hormones to break down additional proteins beyond 30 gm per day. I don’t use these supplements.”
AK Jaiswal, food inspector, Gautam Budh Nagar district, said, “We do hear about such illicit products but unless the manufacturers are based in the district, I can’t do much. The sale of these products continues unchecked as the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India has allowed retailers to sell these products without a licence till February 2014.”

Disguised as cinnamon, cassia marketed through retail outlets

Activities of various government departments, and the pace at which decisions on vital issues related to people's health are taken, show they are not serious about the real problems of the people, rather they try to shift the responsibility of their duties on others.

This dilly-dallying attitude of various departments is visible in the case of a cinnamon planter from Kerala, who is trying hard to awaken these departments in the interest of the people’s heath of the country for more than last five years.

It is a known fact that Kerala is the largest producer of cinnamon and the biggest producer of Ayurvedic medicines in the country. Cinnamon is used in more than twenty Ayurvedic medicines. Cassia and cinnamon are permitted to be imported into the country for domestic consumption and for export processing as well. The botanical name of cassia is Cinnamomum Cassia Blume and that of Cinnamon is Cinnamomum Zeylanicum BreynI. Normally the Cassia is misnamed and mistaken as cinnamon and marketed to the consumers through retail outlets. Cassia reportedly creates health problems like kidney and lever damages.
After receiving some representations, the Spice Board, Kochi, informed the Director of Foreign Trade, Govt of India, New Delhi that the Cassia is far below than Cinnamon, and that the traders misuse and get an opportunity for their monetary benefits by wrong declaration of the product. Therefore, it was suggested that Cassia should be listed as ‘restricted item’ for imports.
Leonard John, a Cinnamon planter from Kannur, Kerala, wanted to know the action taken by the Government of India under the Right to Information Act (RTI) pertaining to ban on import of Cassia from China and Indonesia. He found that no checking and implementation of the order of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi has been done and no action has been taken on the report.
According to the Spice Board, India requires 12,000 MT of True Cinnamon for domestic use and export. India produces 2,000 MT of True Cinnamon and rest is imported from Sri Lanka which produces, 70,000 MT per year from 67,000 acres of land at Rs.200 per kg. It is used in more than 20 Ayurvedic medicines.
Cassia, the fake cinnamon is product of poisonous trees from the forests and harmful to health of human beings. A rough distinction can be made between two types of Cinnamon. Sri Lanka’s Cinnamon only contains low levels of Coumarin which are safe from risk of assessment perspective. By contrast, Cassia Cinnamon contains high levels of Coumarin and large amounts of this Cinnamon should not be eaten. It is to be mentioned here that True Cinnamon cultivation has reduced within ten years in Kannur from 1000 acres to 700 acres, and in Malapuram district, it has reduced from 200 acres to 10 acres.
It is strange that Indians are not able to purchase Cinnamon at Rs. 350 per kg and USA is able to sell it to us at Rs. 4,500 per kg. Millions of Indians are forced to buy Cassia instead of True Cinnamon and the people engaged in plantation of True Cinnamon are left to die unnatural death.

Read more at: http://www.merinews.com/article/disguised-as-cinnamon-cassia-marketed-through-retail-outlets/15884241.shtml&cp

Dinakaran

Dinamalar

"கார்பைட்' மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மா சுகாதாரத்துறை கண்காணிக்க கோரிக்கை

"கிருஷ்ணகிரி: கிருஷ்ணகிரி மாவட்டத்தில், முன்பருவ மா ரகங்களான செந்தூரா, மல்கோவா, பீத்தர், ஆகிய மாம்பழங்கள் அறுவடை செய்யப்பட்டு விற்பனைக்கு வந்துள்ளது. கார்பைட் என்ற ரசாயனக் கற்கள் கொண்டு மாம்பழங்கள் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. இதை சுகாதார துறையினர் கண்காணிக்க வேண்டும் என, பொதுமக்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
தமிழகத்தில், மா உற்பத்தியில், கிருஷ்ணகிரி மாவட்டம் முதல் இடத்தில் உள்ளது. மாவட்டத்தில், கிருஷ்ணகிரி, போச்சம்பள்ளி, பர்கூர், ஜெகதேவி, சந்தூர், தொகரப்பள்ளி, மத்தூர், ராயக்கோட்டை, வேப்பனபள்ளி ஆகிய பகுதிகளில், 50 ஆயிரம் ஹெக்டேர் பரப்பில், மா சாகுபடி செய்யப்பட்டு வருகிறது.
வழக்கமாக, ஏப்ரல் துவக்கத்தில் இருந்து, முன்பருவ ரக மாம்பழங்கள் விற்பனைக்கு வந்துவிடும். இந்தாண்டு சீரான மழை இல்லாததால், மாவட்டத்தில் மா விளைச்சல், கடுமையாக பாதிப்படைந்துள்ளது.
மாவட்டத்தில், சொட்டு நீர் பாசனம் மூலம் மா சாகுபடி செய்துள்ள தோட்டங்களில் விளைந்த முன்பருவ ரகமான செந்தூரா, மல்கோவா, பீத்தர் ஆகிய மா ரகங்கள், அறுவடை செய்யப்பட்டு, தற்போது கடைகளில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது.
மல்கோவா ஒரு கிலோ, 80 ரூபாய்க்கும், செந்தூரா, 30 ரூபாய்க்கும், பீத்தர், 60 ரூபாய்க்கும் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. மாம்பழ சீஸன் துவக்கத்தில், அதிக விலை இருக்கும் என்பதால், வியாபாரிகள் சீராக, வளர்ச்சியடையாத மாங்காய்களை பறித்து, விற்பனைக்கு எடுத்து வருகின்றனர்.
இனி வரும் நாட்களில், மாவட்டத்தில் பலத்த காற்று வீசும் போது, முன்பருவ ரக மாங்காய்கள் உதிர்ந்து, சேதமடையும் என்பதால், விவசாயிகள், முன் கூட்டியே மாவை அறுவடை செய்யத் துவங்கி விட்டனர்.
கடந்த காலத்தில், மாங்காய்கள், மரங்களில் பழுக்க ஆரம்பித்த பின், தோப்புகளில் இருந்து மா பறிக்கப்படும். இவ்வாறு பறித்த மாங்காய்களை, வியாபாரிகள் பெரிய இருட்டறையில், வைக்கோல் போட்டு, புகை மூட்டம் போட்டு பழுக்க வைப்பர்.
இருட்டறையில் வைக்கோல் கொண்டு பழுக்க வைக்கும் போது, மாங்காய்கள் அனைத்தும் ஒரே சமயத்தில் பழுப்பதில்லை. மேலும், பறிக்கப்பட்ட காய்கள் பழுக்க, குறைந்தது, ஒரு வாரம் காத்திருக்க வேண்டும்.
வைக்கோல் கொண்டு பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் பழங்கள், சுவை சுமாராக இருந்தாலும், இவ்வகை பழங்களை, பொதுமக்கள் வாங்கி சாப்பிடும் போது, எவ்வித பாதிப்பும் இல்லாமல் இருக்கும்.
தற்போது, வியாபார ரீதியாக, மா விற்பனை செய்யும் வியாபாரிகள், மாங்காய்களை சீராக பழுக்க வைக்கவும், இனிப்பு தன்மை அதிகம் கிடைக்கவும், "கார்பைட்' என்ற ரசாயனக் கற்கள் மூலம், மாவை பழுக்க வைத்து, விற்பனை செய்ய துவங்கியுள்ளனர்.
மாங்காய்கள், ரசாயனக்கற்கள் கொண்டு பழுக்க வைப்பதால், பலநாட்கள் காத்திருக்க வேண்டியதில்லை. அதனால், இம்முறையை, அதிக வியாபாரிகள் பின்பற்ற துவங்கியுள்ளனர். மாம்பழம் பழுக்க, இந்த முறை எளிய வழியாக இருந்தாலும், ரசாயனக்கல் கொண்டு பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் பழங்களை, பொதுமக்கள் சாப்பிடும் போது, வயிற்று வலி, வயிற்றுப் போக்கு ஆகிய நோய்கள் ஏற்படும் என டாக்டர்கள் எச்சரித்து வருகின்றனர்.
கடைகளில், மாம்பழங்கள் வாங்கும் போது, பழங்கள் எந்த முறையில் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்டது என்பதை கேட்டறிந்து வாங்குவது, உடலுக்கு நல்லதாகும்.
"உடலுக்கு தீங்கு விளைவிக்கும் ரசாயனக்கற்கள் கொண்டு மாம்பழம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படுவதை, சுகாதாரத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் கண்காணித்து, நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்' என, பொதுமக்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்

TNFSDept.- Krishnagiri Dist. News

æŘ ðv G¬ôòˆF™ ÜFè£Kèœ F¯˜ «ê£î¬ù:

è£ô£õFò£ù °O˜ð£ùƒèœ, î‡a˜ ð£‚ªè†´èœ ÜNŠ¹

æŘ,ãŠ.19-
æŘ ðv G¬ôòˆF™ ÜFè£Kèœ F¯˜ «ê£î¬ù ïìˆF è£ô£õFò£ù °O˜ð£ùƒèœ, î‡a˜ 𣂪膴è¬÷ ÜNˆîù˜.
ÜFè£Kèœ F¯˜ ÝŒ¾
æŘ ð°FJ™ ²è£î£óñŸø º¬øJ™ °O˜ð£ùƒèœ, î‡a˜ ð£‚ªè†´èœ MŸð¬ù ªêŒòŠð´õî£è ñ£õ†ì èªô‚ì˜ ®.H.ó£«üCŸ° ¹è£˜ ªê¡ø¶. Þ¬îò´ˆ¶ Üõ¼¬ìò àˆîóM¡ «ðK™ ñ£õ†ì àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ¶¬øJ¡ ñ£õ†ì Gòñù ܽõô˜ ì£‚ì˜ è¬ôõ£E î¬ô¬ñJ™, æŘ ïèó£†C èIûù˜ ì£‚ì˜ Þ÷ƒ«è£õ¡, àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ¶¬ø ܽõô˜èœ «êè˜, °í«êèó¡, ¶÷Có£ñ¡, ²õ£Iï£î¡, Cõê‰Fó¡, Þ÷ƒ«è£ ñŸÁ‹ ¶Š¹ó¾ ÝŒõ£÷˜ AK, «ñŸð£˜¬õò£÷˜ è¾K êƒè˜ ÝA«ò£˜ ªè£‡ì °¿Mù˜, æŘ ïèó£†C ðv G¬ôòˆF™ àœ÷ è¬ìèO™ F¯˜ ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£‡ì£˜èœ.
Þ‰î ÝŒM™ ²è£î£óñŸø º¬øJ™ ñŸÁ‹ è£ô£õFò£ù Hø°‹ MŸð¬ù‚è£è ¬õ‚èŠð†®¼‰î °O˜ð£ùƒèœ, °O˜ «ñ£˜èœ, ðöóêƒèœ, î‡a˜ 𣂪膴èœ, 150 A«ô£ ¯ˆÉœ ðPºî™ ªêŒòŠð†´ ªð£¶ñ‚èœ º¡Q¬ôJ™ ÜN‚èŠð†ì¶.
â„êK‚¬è
«ñ½‹ îóñŸø ñŸÁ‹ ²è£î£óñŸø àí¾ ªð£¼†è¬÷ MŸð¬ù ªêŒò‚Ã죶 â¡Á â„êK‚èŠð†ì¶. Þ¬î «ð£ô F¯˜ ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£œ÷Šð´‹ â¡Á ÜFè£Kèœ õ†ì£óˆF™ ªîKM‚èŠð†ì¶.


கடைகளில் ஆய்வு காலாவதியான பொருள் பறிமுதல்

ஓசூர்: ஓசூர் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்டில், நகராட்சி ஊழியர்கள், கடைகளில் அதிரடி ஆய்வு செய்து, கெட்டுபோன உணவு பொருட்கள், டீத்தூளை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.
ஓசூர் நகராட்சியில், கமிஷனர் இளங்கோவன் உத்தரவின் பேரில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் சேகர், நகராட்சி சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர்கள் கிரி, மணி, சின்னத்துரை மற்றும் நகராட்சி ஊழியர்கள், ஓசூர் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்டில் அதிரடி ஆய்வு நடத்தினர்.
ஆய்வில், டீ கடைகள், ஹோட்டல்களில் காலாவதியான, தரமில்லாத உணவு பொருட்கள், போலி டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டுகளை கண்டு பிடித்து பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். டீ தூள், 15 கிலோ பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.
மேலும், முகவரி, அரசு முத்திரை இல்லாத தண்ணீர் பாக்கெட்டுகளையும் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். "கடைகளில் காலாவதியான உணவு பொருட்கள், தண்ணீர் பாக்கெட்டுகள், குளிர்பானங்களை விற்பனை செய்தால், உணவு பொருள் பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின் கீழ் கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்' என அதிகாரிகள் வியாபாரிகளை எச்சரித்தனர் 

TNFSDept. - Salem District News

è£ô£õFò£ù ñŸÁ‹ èôŠðì ªð£¼†èœ ðPºî™ æñÖ˜ ðvG¬ôò è¬ìèO™ àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ÜFè£Kèœ F¯˜ «ê£î¬ù

«êô‹, ãŠ.19-
æñÖ˜ ðv G¬ôòˆF™ àœ÷ è¬ìèO™ «ïŸÁ àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ˆ¶¬ø ÜFè£Kèœ F¯˜ ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£‡ìù˜. ÜŠ«ð£¶ è¬ìèO™ MŸø è£ô£õFò£ù ñŸÁ‹ èôŠðì ªð£¼†è¬÷ ÜFè£Kèœ ðPºî™ ªêŒîù˜.
îŸè£Lè è¬ìèœ
«è£¬ì‚è£ô‹ ªî£ìƒA M†ì ݃裃«è îŸè£Lè è¬ìèœ ðô º¬÷ˆ¶ M†ìù. ÞF™ Cô è¬ìèO™ ñL¾ M¬ôJ™ à콂° åšõ£î ªð£¼†è¬÷ ªè£‡´ Hv‚†, ävAg‹, °O˜ð£ù‹ «ð£¡ø ªð£¼†è¬÷ MŸð¬ù ªêŒòŠð´õ¬î î´‚°‹ õ¬èJ™ «êô‹ ñ£õ†ì àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ˆ¶¬ø Gòñù ܽõô˜ ÜÂó£î£ î¬ô¬ñJ™ ÜFè£Kèœ ñ£õ†ì‰«î£Á‹ è¬ìèO™ bMó ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£‡´ õ¼A¡øù˜.
Üî¡ð®, «ïŸÁ º¡Fù‹ «êô‹ ð¬öò ðvG¬ôòˆF™ àœ÷ ¯‚è¬ì, ðöü¨v, «ð‚èK, ävAg‹, e¡ è¬ì, C™L C‚è¡ âù ܬùˆ¶ è¬ìèO½‹ ÜFè£Kèœ ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£‡ìù˜. ÜŠ«ð£¶ è¬ìJ™ è£ôõFò£ù ñŸÁ‹ èôŠðì‹ ªêŒ¶ ävAg‹, Hvè†, °O˜ð£ùƒèœ, ̅꣡ «ð£¡øõŸ¬ø ¬èŠðŸP ÜNˆîù˜. æñÖ˜ ðv G¬ôò è¬ìèO™«ñ½‹ e¡è¬ì, C™LC‚è¡ è¬ìèO™ ðò¡ð´ˆîŠð´‹ ⇬íŒ, ðöü¨v‚° ðò¡ð´ˆ¶‹ ªêòŸ¬è õ‡í èô˜ ªð£® «ð£¡øõŸ¬ø ñ£FK‚è£è â´ˆ¶ ªê¡øù˜. è£ôõFò£ù ªð£¼†è¬÷ MŸø è¬ìJ¡ àK¬ñò£÷¬ó ÜFè£Kèœ â„êKˆîù˜.
«ïŸÁ æñÖ˜ ðv G¬ôòˆF™ àœ÷ ¯‚è¬ì, °O˜ð£ù‹ àœðì è¬ìèO™ «êô‹ ñ£õ†ì àí¾ ªð£¼œ ð£¶è£Š¹ˆ¶¬ø Gòñù ܽõô˜ ÜÂó£î£ î¬ô¬ñJ™ ÜFè£Kèœ ÝŒ¾ ªêŒîù˜. ªñ£ˆî‹ 40 è¬ìèO™ ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£‡ìù˜. ÞF™ è£ôõFò£ù ªð£¼†è÷£ù °O˜ð£ù‹, «è‚ «ð£¡ø ªð£¼†è¬÷ ðPºî™ ªêŒîù˜.ê†ìŠð® ïìõ®‚¬èÞ¶°Pˆ¶ «êô‹ ñ£õ†ì àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ Gòñù ܽõô˜ ÜÂó£î£ ÃÁ¬èJ™, ñ‚èÀ‚° bƒ° M¬÷M‚è îò è£ôõFò£ù ñŸÁ‹ èôŠðì ªð£¼†èœ è¬ìèO™ MŸèŠð´Aøî£? âù ñ£õ†ì‰«î£Á‹ ÝŒ¾ «ñŸªè£‡´ õ¼A«ø£‹. Þ‰î ÝŒM¡ «ð£¶ ðô è¬ìèO™ è£ôõFò£ù ªð£¼†è¬÷ ¬õˆ¶ MŸð¬ù ªêŒA¡øù˜. ÜõŸ¬ø ï£ƒèœ è‡ìP‰¶ ¬èŠðŸP ÜNˆ¶ õ¼A«ø£‹. è¬ì àK¬ñò£÷˜è¬÷ Þ¶«ð£¡ø MŸè‚Ã죶 â¡Á ÜP¾¬ó ÃPò¶ì¡ â„êKˆ¶ àœ«÷£‹. ñ£õ†ì ð°FJ™ àœ÷ àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ÜFè£Kèœ ÜšõŠ«ð£¶ ÝŒ¾ ªêŒ¶ è£ô£õFò£ù ªð£¼†è¬÷ ðPºî™ ªêŒ¶ àK¬ñò£÷˜è¬÷ â„êKˆ¶ õ¼A¡øù˜. Þ¼‰î «ð£F½‹ Þ¶«ð£¡ø ªêò™èO™ ªî£ì˜‰¶ ªêò™ð†ì£™ Üõ˜èÀ‚° ºîL™ «ï£†¯² ÜŠðŠð´‹. eP ªêò™ð†ì£™ 2-õ¶ º¬ø «ï£†¯² ÜŠðŠð†´ ê†ìŠð® Üõ˜èœ e¶ è´¬ñò£ù ïìõ®‚¬è «ñŸªè£œ÷Šð´‹.

Centre to ban sale of junk food and fizzy drinks near schools after summer vacation

Sale of junk food in and around school premises will be regulated.

The junk is being taken out of school education across the country. After summer vacations are over this year, children will begin their new academic session in schools that do not have junk food outlets within 500 yards in any direction. This revolution in the making was revealed in the Delhi High Court on Wednesday when the Centre said that draft guidelines on regulating sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around school premises would be ready by July.



Additional Solicitor General Rajeeve Mehra, representing the Centre, told the court that private firm AC Nielsen ORGMARG Pvt Ltd is in the process of framing norms to regulate availability of junk food and carbonated drinks within 500 yards of schools. The senior law officer assured the court that the draft guidelines on making quality and safe food available in school canteens would be in place by July 21. These guidelines will be crucial because there is no official definition of junk food now.

This has created much ambiguity among schools over what food products it should make available to children within its premises. The guidelines will thus clear the confusion and define what food is healthy and what is not healthy.

"We would seek the opinion of food processing companies after making the draft guidelines and prepare the final guidelines soon,"Mehra said.



Most, if not all, schools are kindly disposed to the proposed move. Principal of Laxman Public School Usha Ram said, "We are all up for banning junk food in school premises. We don't sell junk food in our school. In fact, we were the first one to introduce a Mother Dairy stall in our campus which offers health milk products. "Principal of Apeejay School, Pitampura, D. K. Bedi echoed this view, saying: "It will be excellent if junk food is totally banned in schools. Schools should only offer healthy food like juices and milk products to children. "After recording submissions of the Centre's counsel, a bench comprising Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath posted the next hearing in the matter for July 22. The Delhi government also displayed urgency in taking 'unhealthy food' off the shelves of city schools. The counsel representing the Delhi government, Anjum Javed, said that the Lieutenant Governor has the power to issue directions to city schools but that can be done only after the Centre frames guidelines on the issue.

Status report Meanwhile, the Centre also filed a status report in court, explaining why it has taken so long to complete the study in the matter. It told the court, however, that all the research has been completed now.

Assuring the court that all the fieldwork has been done and now it would not take much time, Mehra said, "We are pleased to share with you that we have been able to incorporate date from Meghalaya and Assam, due to which the study had to be extended. We have now completed the survey in both North-Eastern states, which was quite difficult due to the prolonged closure of schools in these regions."In January last year, the court had given six months to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to frame guidelines on banning sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around educational institutions.

The court was hearing a PIL filed in 2010 by Rakesh Prabhakar, a lawyer for an NGO called Uday Foundation, seeking a direction banning sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around schools. The petition said, "It is time we change the way kids eat in schools. Such a ban will set new standards for healthy food. On one hand, children are taught in classroom about good nutrition and on the other hand we continue to make junk food available to them."

A welcome idea The schools also welcomed the idea of banning junk food and carbonated drinks in and around school premises and advocated only the sale of healthy foods in school premises.

Earlier, the court also asked the FSSAI to consult the All India Food Processors' Association (AIFPA) and restaurant associations for framing the guidelines. AIFPA, in its application, had said that it deals with processing of fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, milk and milk products and also the manufacturers of biscuits and confectionery products. It also said that it may give some advice to the FSSAI.

Maalai malar

TNFS Dept. News