FSSAI - PAMPHLET FOR REGISTRATION & LICENSE

Railways Take Measures to Ensure Supply of Hygienic Food in Trains

It is a continuous endeavour by the Indian Railways to provide good quality hygienic food to Railway passengers. Accordingly, a New Catering Policy, 2010 has been introduced on 21.7.2010 with a mandate for effective quality assurance programme, wherein ISO-22000 (International Organization for Standardization) standards are to be progressively implemented for major contracts/units. Supervision and monitoring have been strengthened through a mechanism put in place by deploying railway personnel, who check quality and hygiene and take corrective action in a time-bound manner. Catering Monitoring Cells have been set up at Zonal and Divisional level for daily monitoring of the catering activities. Further, on the same pattern, a centralized Catering Complaint Monitoring Cell has been set up in Board’s office having a toll free number 1800-111-321 for prompt redressal of the passenger grievances related to the catering activates for real time assistance to travelling public.

A total number of 405 food samples were picked up for sample tests from Rajdhani Express trains, including Guwahati and Dibrugarh bound trains in the year 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13. Appropriate action under prevention of Food Adulteration Acct/food Safety and Standard Act have been initiated for any food sample found unfit. Besides this departmental action like imposition of fine, warning etc. have also been undertaken.

All the passenger amenity items fitted in the coaches of Indian Railways, including those of Rajdhani Express trains, are monitored during the various maintenance schedules and the deficiencies found, if any, are rectified. On Board Housekeeping Services (OBHS) for cleaning attention on run has also been prescribed for all the Rajdhani Express trains. Complaints/references received from the passengers regarding passenger amenities in the coaches are acted upon appropriately by Indian Railways.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

China: Police bust million-dollar rat meat ring

Beijing: Chinese police have broken a crime ring that passed off more than $1 million in rat and small mammal meat as mutton, authorities said, in a food safety crackdown that coincides with a bird flu outbreak and other environmental pressures. Authorities have arrested 904 suspects since the end of January for selling and producing fake or tainted meat products, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.

During the crackdown, police discovered one suspect surnamed Wei who had used additives to spice up and sell rat, fox and mink meat at markets in Shanghai and Jiangsu province. Police arrested 63 suspects connected to the crime ring in a case valued at more than 10 million yuan in sales since 2009.

Despite persistent efforts by police, "food safety crimes are still prominent, and new situations are emerging with new characteristics", the ministry's statement said, citing "responsible officials". Police confiscated more than 20,000 tonnes of fake or inferior meat products after breaking up illegal food plants during the nationwide operation, the ministry said.

Food safety and environmental pollution are chronic problems in China and public anxiety over cases of fake or toxic food often spreads quickly. In April, many consumers lost their appetite for poultry as an outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu virus spread in China.

Poison in disguise

Fake cinnamon floods Indian market as authorities drag feet over regulating its import and sale

Information technology professional John Alexander, 58, had diabetes for 15 years. About two years ago, he shifted to a widely accepted Ayurvediac therapy of consuming cinnamon to control his blood sugar levels. In the course of time he developed an abnormal liver. Doctors could not figure out the cause of his disease as his diet and lifestyle did not warrant such problem. His wife, Mary, looked up for information on the Internet and realised that the cinnamon Alexander was consuming could be the culprit. There were reports saying a harmful species of the spice was being sold in the name of cinnamon. “John stopped taking cinnamon the day we read the articles. In three-four months his liver tests showed substantial improvement,” Mary says.
Cinnamon is a must spice in an Indian kitchen, be it for preparing the famous Hyderabadi biryani and desserts or spicy curries. It is also an important ingredient in the Ayurvedic medicines. Apart from lowering blood sugar levels, cinnamon can help reduce cholesterol levels significantly, fight nausea and prevent arthritis.
However, what is primarily available in the Indian market in the name of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is its alter ego—cassia or Cinaamomum cassia. This fake cinnamon contains a chemical, coumarin, which is used for making rat poison, according to the German Federal Institute of Risk Assessment. Coumarin can damage liver and kidneys in humans even if taken in relatively small doses. The daily tolerable intake of coumarin is 0.1 mg per kg of body weight and it is estimated that one kilogram of cassia powder contains 2.1 to 4.4 g of coumarin, says the institute. In September 2012, it issued a note, advising people to stop using casssia.
 
Source: Food Safety and Security Authority of India
Traditionally both cinnamon and cassia have been used worldwide as spices and for manufacturing perfumes and cosmetics. But with studies showing health problems caused by cassia, several countries have imposed restrictions on its imports. So far, most European countries have banned the use of cassia in food items, while countries like the US, Germany and the UK import it only for making rodent poison.
India, the world’s leading spice producer, exporter and consumer, is yet to act against cassia despite several studies documenting its harmful effects. In 2010, the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR), Lucknow, found that coumarin can damage liver and kidneys. “Oil extracted from cassia leaf also contains 8 per cent of coumarin. It can cause intestinal ulcer if consumed in large quantities,” says M Ananaraj, director of the Indian Institute for Spices Research in Kozhikode, Kerala. Cinnamon contains negligible amount (0.004 per cent) of coumarin, he adds.
Absence of regulatory mechanisms also means the poisonous alter ego of cinnamon continues to flood the Indian market. Though they do not look identical, they have similar smell and flavour due to the presence of chemical cinnamaldehyde. Consumers, and even retailers, unaware of the fraud get easily duped. “Most people do not know what a true cinnamon looks or smells like,” says a spice grower from Cochin who does not wish to be named. “People prefer cassia as its smell and taste is sharper than cinnamon. My wife insists on buying cassia saying it gives more fragrance to food,” he adds.

Just words FEBRUARY 1-2, 2007 Cinnamon farmers at the National Seminar on Organic Spices and Aromatic Crops in Calicut, Kerala, highlight that the imports of cheap cassia is harming their interests February 26, 2007 A planter from Kerala, Leonard John, writes to Spices Board, asking for intervention. The board replies that India will face shortage of cinnamon if cassia import is banned April 4, 2008 Spices Board writes to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), raising concerns about health risks of cassia and asking DGFT to list the spice as restricted item for import March 4, 2011 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issues a letter to ports, state governments and food testing laboratories to analyse samples of cinnamon and cassia and see to it that cassia is not sold as cinnamon June 10, 2011 The United Planters' Association of Southern India writes to DGFT and the Chief Public Information Officer of the commerce ministry to strictly monitor and import consignments of cassia for conformity of FSSAI standards and ensure that cassia is not sold in Indian markets as cinnamon. August 3, 2012 FSSAI brings out a manual with easy methods of checking adulterants in food at home. The manual recognises cassia bark as adulterant March 22, 2013 In an RTI reply FSSAI informs that the issue of health effects of cassia and coumarin has been referred to a scientific panel

Traders are cashing in on this ignorance as well as the low price of cassia.
The import cost of a kilogram of cassia is Rs 35, while that of true cinnamon is Rs 200. Retailers sell it anywhere between Rs 150 and Rs 600 a kg. In a letter to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), S Kannan, director (marketing) of Spices Board wrote, “Since the price of cassia is far below that of cinnamon, traders misuse and encash the opportunity for their benefit by misdeclaration of the product.”
Little wonder that traders import more cassia than cinnamon.
P S Sreekantan Thampi, deputy director (publicity) of Spices Board, says, the average production of cinnamon in India is 80 to 100 tonnes per annum. This is miniscule compared to the annual demand of 12,000 tonnes. To meet this growing demand as well as for re-exporting cinnamon after value addition, India imports about 10,000 tonnes of cassia and 200 tonnes of cinnamon a year, says Thampi. Cassia is imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam, while cinnamon is mostly imported from Sri Lanka as Ceylon cinnamon.
Setback for cinnamon growers
Rampant substitution of cassia for cinnamon has left little demand for the original spice. Its impact is evident in Kerala’s Kannur and Malapuram districts, the biggest producers of cinnamon in the country. Over the past decade, the area under cinnamon has reduced from 400 hectares (ha) to 280 ha in Kannur. In Malapuram, the area has reduced from 80 ha to just 4 ha.
Leonard John, a cinnamon grower in Kerala, says production of cinnamon in the country can be increased by banning the import of cheap cassia. John and a group of cinnamon growers and activists in Kerala have been demanding the ban since 2007. They have written to various government authorities, including the Union Ministry of Commerce, Spices Board and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In a letter to Spices Board, the growers have questioned the import figures of cassia cited by the board. A trader in Kanpur alone imports 9,500 tonnes of cassia. It is impossible that only 10,000 tonnes of cassis enters the country annually, notes the letter.
Government drags feet
Following petitions by John and his fellow cinnamon growers, several government agencies have acknowledged the health risks of cassia, but the government is dragging feet over regulating its sale and imports (see ‘Just words’).
In 2008 the Spice Board wrote to DGFT, asking it to list cassia as restricted item for import. “We have also informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for taking necessary action,” says Thampi.
FSSAI has acknowledged that cinnamon and cassia are two different plants and classifies cassia an an adulterant. Its website now mentions the difference between cassia and cinnamon. In 2011, it wrote to all food and health authorities to ensure that cassia is not sold as cinnamon. But the sale of cassia as cinnamon continues unabated.
On February 2, John filed queries to FSSAI under RTI, asking the reasons for the delay in taking action against sale of cassia. All that FSSAI said in its reply, dated March 22, was that the authority is in the process of uploading the harmful effects of cassia and that the issue has been referred to scientific panel for analysis of coumarin’s health impacts.
Talking to Down To Earth, a senior official associated with the Spices Board said regulation of cassia should not be a matter of grave concern as the quantity consumed by the Indians is very low.
But what about people like John Alexander who consume two spoons a day? Lack of willpower among the regulatory authorities means even though the harmful effects of cassia have been established, consumer is left with no option but to buy it.

Ice manufacturers admit inability to meet water quality standards

Say installing water treatment units is beyond their means

Ice manufacturers have said that they cannot meet the approved water quality standards for making ice because of the expense involved in installing water treatment units.

Ice plants depend on water supplied by tanker lorries or drawn from bore wells as the water provided by the Kerala Water Authority is grossly inadequate to meet their needs.

“The ground water may contain iron, formalin and ammonium at some places and which would find their way into ice,” said T.G. R. Shenoy, president of the All Kerala Ice Manufacturers’ Association.

Ice manufacturers cannot afford to install water filtering and treatment units for removing impurities. The strict enforcement of the Food Safety Act would lead to the closure of the ice plants in the State, he said.

The association launched a strike on Monday protesting against the crackdown of the Food Safety Authority against the ice plants found using chemically contaminated water. The authorities had closed down 12 plants in Ernakulam and four in Thrissur.

The agitation has also hit the harbours of the State and the fishing industry. The leaders of the association have sought the intervention of the State government for ironing out the issue.

The installation of water treatment facilities at ice plants would lead to a steep hike in ice price. The plants would provide customers the specific quality ice they need, he said.

At the same time, water quality experts say that the ice which comes into contact with food substances, including fish and for direct consumption, shall only be made using potable water.

According to M.K. Mukundan, director, Council for Food Development and Research, Konni, law does not make any distinction regarding the quality of water used for storing fish and human consumption. Ice manufacturers are supposed to use only potable water for making ice. The law even specifies that water used for washing food contact surfaces should be of potable water standards, Dr. Mukundan said.

A water filtering plant capable of filtering around one lakh litres a day and consisting of a sand filter, chlorination unit and a charcoal filter would cost around Rs.3 lakh, he said.

The district food safety authorities are awaiting the lab results of ice samples that were collected earlier from a few ice plants. “The lab results will decide the future course of action,” said K. Ajithkumar, district Food Safety Officer.

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Water supplied by KWA inadequate to meet needs

Setting up treatment units will increase ice price

FDA warns traders against artificially ripening mangoes

Officials have asked them to opt for the ripening process, which uses ethylene gas from four government-approved centres in the city
IN order to put a stop on ripening fruits artificially using calcium carbide, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has started conducting surprise visits in the wholesale market where mangoes are being sold.
“ Last month, we met around 33 fruits traders from in and around Mumbai, warned them of strict action if any were found using the chemical,” said FDA Assistant Commissioner (Food) Suresh Deshmukh.
Using calcium carbide to artificially ripen any fruit is banned under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 and Regulations (FSSR), 2011.
However, many traders illegally use this chemical to ripen mangoes, bananas and papayas. They use the chemical because it ripens the fruit in two- and- a- half days and the fruit can be made available in the market before the season starts. Also, more stock can be brought into the market and it is very cost effective. According to an official from FDA, consuming fruits that are ripened using calcium carbide have a negative impact on health.
“ If a person eats chemicallyripened fruit, it may lead to headaches, dizziness, cancer and heart diseases,” an FDA official said.
The FDA officials have told traders that they should approach the four governmentapproved centres in Mumbai where mangoes are ripened using ethylene gas. The fruit takes four days to ripen using this procedure.
10 Number of days it takes for a mango plucked from the tree to ripen on its own
Did you know?
To hasten the ripening process, small paper sachets of calcium carbide are placed between the fruits in the box. Due to ventilation, the chemical reacts with air and heat is produced which, in turn, helps the fruit to ripen early. In the process, the colour of the mango changes from green to dark yellow. According to experts, only the colour of the fruit changes but the fruit becomes tasteless.

FDA to file 11 cases of gutkha possession

Decision to register complaints against these people for possessing gutkha illegally was taken after the FDA officials got a go-ahead from their seniors

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pune is all set to file 11 cases in the district court this month against several people for possessing gutka illegally. Possession and sale of gutkha was banned in July 11 last year, and till date the FDA’s Pune division has seized Rs 1.82 crore worth of gutkha from the district.

The decision to register the cases against these people was taken after the FDA officials got a go-ahead from their seniors. “According to the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a case has to be filed in the district court against those selling unsafe products.
Injurious to health: Till date FDA’s Pune division has seized gutkha worth Rs 1.82 crore from the district.

Hence, we’ll file cases against person from whom we have seized gutkha,” said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner, FDA (Food) of Pune division.
“FDA will file the case directly with Chief Judicial Magistrate. Those found guilty will be liable undergo six months of imprisonment and a fine,” said Sangat.
There are around 82 instances where gutkha was seized in district so far, while there have been 11 cases where the FDA has confiscated gutkha last month. These 11 cases will be sent to the court, which will decide the further course of action, informed an FDA officer.

Doon, Haldwani to have food safety tribunals

Dehradun, May 2
The government is mooting setting up food safety appellate tribunals in Dehradun and Haldwani/Nainital under the Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India Act.
The State Food Safety Commissioner has issued orders for hiring private buildings to set up these tribunals. The tribunals would be constituted under Section 70 of the Act.
A presiding officer who could be either a retired or a serving district judge would head the tribunal and the government would soon issue a notification for the same.
Along with receiving the salary equivalent to the serving district judge, he would also receive travel, leave and conveyance allowances. Besides, the presiding officer would also have a complete office set-up with a registrar to be appointed by the government.
With the setting up of the tribunals, the government plans to intensify the implementation of the Act in the state. Since the setting up of a separate state authority, the authority has been handicapped by the absence of manpower for the enforcement of various provisions of the Act.
Though the Act is under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, several issues like drawing of salaries and preparation of confidential reports continue to remain unresolved and have not been handed to a single department.