Pop goes your heart

Intertek further consolidates its leadership position in quality solutions

Report by India Education bureau, Delhi: Intertek, the leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, consolidated its leadership position in India with the recent recognition from the BIS(Bureau of Indian Standards) and empanelment by the Tea Board of India.
As per its recent notification, the Bureau of Indian Standards (www.bis.org.in), formerly known as the Indian Standards Institute has recognized Intertek to carry out the safety testing for audio, video and IT. The Tea Board of India has also empanelled Intertek to provide a Codex HACCP based Food Safety Management System Standards Certification.
As the Indian industrial sector looks to grow both domestically as well as in the global market, it will be seeking to partner with global leaders, with infrastructure, technology and domain knowledge, all qualities that Intertek is known worldwide for.
Mr. Rajesh Saigal, Managing Director, Indian Sub-continent, Intertek said, “Intertek is known for its delivery of quality solutions that increase the value of our customers’ products, processes and assets. With these recent recognitions, we will now be able to grow trusted partnerships with our customers in these two growth segments. These recognitions will help us deliver quality led by our global quality experts, in-depth industry knowledge with local understanding and insight.”
It is also to be noted that Intertek was recognized recently by the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) to undertake testing, inspection and auditing of Food Business Operators (FBOs). This will enable FBOs to demonstrate compliance to requirements under FSS ACT, a key requirement for FSSAI license and its renewals.
Intertek has a state of the art food safety laboratory in Gurgaon. This equips the company to provide world class testing facilities to its clients and help them maintain quality not just to Indian standards but also to global standards.
Intertek’s electrical and electronic equipment testing laboratory is located in Mohan Co-operative Industrial Estate in New Delhi. This lab conducts electrical safety testing to ANSI/UL, CSA, NFPA, IEC, EN and other standards, EMC testing to local or global requirements, benchmarking and performance testing for R&D or competitive differentiation, environmental compliance to ENERGY STAR®, RoHS, or ErP Directive (formerly EuP) requirements, and provides turnkey certification management.
Commenting further on the quality solutions requirements in India, Mr. Rajesh Saigal, said, “Indian industrial sector across various industry domains is going through a paradigm shift. Our ability to build trusted partnerships with each of our clients is helping them meet all requirements whether for local authorities or global customers. We believe this sector will witness huge growth and Intertek will be leading this growth from the front.”

File returns by May 31, food business operators told

PUNE: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has directed all licenced food business operators having an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above to submit their annual returns by May 31, failing which, a fine of Rs 100 per day will be levied.
"For the first time food business operators have been asked to submit annual returns of their transactions made till March-end since the new Food Safety and Standards Act came into force in August 2011. This will help us understand the financial potential of the food industry and also help rein in hidden transactions made in food businesses," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
There are over 9,000 licensed food business operators in the city with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above. They include food manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, recyclers, processors, transporters, restaurants, hotels and catering business operators.
"As per the Food Safety and Standards Act and Regulations 2011 (licensing and registration), the business operators have to submit the returns in the particular format (form D-1). Only owners of milk businesses have been asked to submit the returns in half yearly format as given in form D-2," said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
"FDA has decided to impose a fine of Rs 100 per day for delay in submitting the annual returns," Sangat said. The forms are available for free at the FDA office in the city. People can also log into www.fssai.gov.in and download forms.
What defines a food business
Any public or private undertaking, profit or non-profit, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, import and sale of food or food ingredients
Who is a food business operator?
A person by whom the business is carried on or owned and is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules and regulations made there under
(Source: Training manual for food safety regulators)

TNFS Dept. News - Cuddalore Dist.

Tiruchirappalli civic body to impart training on food safety & hygiene

The Tiruchirapalli Municipal Corporation will start training members of the city's community groups on food safety and hygiene. V P Thandapani, the corporation's commissioner, said this at a valediction of the state-level training programme on detection of food adulteration, co-organised by the Concert Trust (a voluntary organisation) and the Union ministry of consumer affairs.

“It is essential that people are sensitised on the need to prevent adulteration in food products and ensure hygiene. The corporation has formed community groups to take up the maintenance of public toilets and other assets. Training on food safety will be imparted to the members of these groups in association with the Concert Trust,” he added.

It was noted that although the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) has been in existence since 2006, the expected impact of the law has not been felt, owing as much to oppositions from certain sections of the society as to the lack of awareness about the safety of food products. It is widely believed that the World Health Organisation (WHO) laid too much emphasis on food safety.

R Santhanam, former secretary, consumer protection, opined, “In India, which has a low per capita income, people tend to look only at the price and not the quality. Even the affluent are done in by attractive packaging and pricing, and do not enquire about the quality of products. There are several ways to check the adulteration of food, but people are not aware of them.”

The speakers at the function concurred that although the country has always had laws in place to curb adulteration in food, their enforcement has not been strict. However, laws alone would be insufficient to keep the malpractice in check. It is imperative to raise awareness among the people. The absence of information, and not technology, is a constraint in checking adulteration.

The best trainees were felicitated at the valediction, and an exhibition of photographs on food safety was held. R Desikan and G Santhanarajan, the Concert Trust's chairman and director (foods) respectively, addressed the gathering. Consumers were informed that they could lodge complaints with the trust by dialling its helpline number (044-66334346).

Incidentally, the Concert Trust had earlier conducted the training in three phases. In 2011-12, it was held at about thirty-nine places in thirteen districts. It is estimated that over 1,192 women benefited from the programme – they were exposed to various aspects of checking food adulteration.

During the aforementioned training programme, the participants detected adulteration in about 151 food products, and identified about 152 labels as being defective as per the Food Safety and Standards Rules (FSSR), 2011. The matter was subsequently taken up by the food safety commissioners and the controller of legal metrology, who are said to have initiated action.

பான்மசாலா, குட்கா கிடைக்கக்கூடாது

நோயற்ற வாழ்வே, குறைவற்ற செல்வம் என்பது தமிழ்நாட்டில் காலம்காலமாக கடைப்பிடிக்கப்பட்டு வரும் நடைமுறையாகும். இதற்காகத்தான் தமிழக அரசு, மக்கள் நல்வாழ்வுத்துறைக்கென ஆண்டுதோறும் பட்ஜெட்டில் கணிசமான தொகையை ஒதுக்கி வருகிறது. இப்போதும் கிராமங்களில் சிலர் அந்தகாலங்களில் எல்லாம் இப்படி புதிது புதிதாக நோய் வரவா செய்தது? இப்போதுதானே கேள்விப்படாத பெயர்களில் எல்லாம் நோய்கள் வருகிறது என்கிறார்கள். ஆனால், இப்போது இருக்கும் எல்லா நோய்களும் அப்போதும் இருந்தது. நவீன மருத்துவ உலகில்தான் இந்த நோய்கள் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டு, அதற்கான மருந்துகள் கொடுக்கப்படுவதாலும், தரமான சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்படுவதாலும், மரணத்தை தழுவாமல் ஆயுசு நாட்களை கூட்டிக்கொள்ள முடிகிறது. பொதுவாக மக்களின் வாழ்க்கை முறையும், அவர்களது பழக்கவழக்கங்களும், உணவு முறைகளுமே பல நோய்களுக்கு காரணமாக அமைந்துவிடுகிறது. குறிப்பாக, புகையிலையை எந்த ரூபத்தில் பயன்படுத்தினாலும், அது நிச்சயமாக புற்றுநோயை வரவைத்துவிடுகிறது என்பது உலகம் முழுவதிலும் உள்ள மருத்துவ நிபுணர்களால் நிரூபிக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு அசைக்கமுடியாத ஆதாரமாகும். சிகரெட், சுருட்டு, பீடியாக குடித்தாலும் புற்றுநோய்தான். புகையிலையை அப்படியே சவைத்தாலும், பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற பொருளாக பயன்படுத்தினாலும், அது புற்றுநோய் வருவதற்கான வாசலை திறந்துவிடுகிறது.
சென்னை அடையாறு புற்றுநோய் மருத்துவமனையின் இணை பேராசிரியர் டாக்டர் ஆர்.சுவாமிநாதன், தமிழ்நாட்டில் ஏற்கனவே புற்றுநோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களின் கணக்கோடு, இப்போது புதிதாக 2,825 பேருக்கு வாயில் புற்றுநோயும், 1,771 பேர்களுக்கு நாக்கில் புற்றுநோயும் வந்திருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக கூறியுள்ளார். இதற்கு முக்கிய காரணம் பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற வஸ்துக்களை வாயில் போட்டு மெல்லுவதும், புகையிலையை சவைப்பதுமே ஆகும். பெண்களை பொருத்தமட்டில், வயதான பெண்கள்தான் வாயில் புற்றுநோயோடு வருகிறார்களே தவிர, இளம் பெண்கள் மிகவும் அபூர்வமாகத்தான் இருக்கிறார்கள். ஆனால், ஆண்களை பொருத்தமட்டில், இந்த பழக்கத்தினால் இளைஞர்களும், அதுபோல வயதானவர்களும் வாயில் புற்றுநோயோடு அவதிப்படுகிறார்கள். தமிழ்நாட்டில் 16.2 சதவீத மக்கள் புகையிலையை ஏதாவது ஒரு வகையில் பயன்படுத்துகிறார்கள்.
இத்தகைய புற்றுநோய்களை தடை செய்யவேண்டும் என்று 2001-ம் ஆண்டே முதல்-அமைச்சர் ஜெயலலிதா புகையிலை பொருட்களை தடை செய்து, அறிவிப்பு வெளியிட்டார். ஆனால், இதுபோன்ற  அறிவிக்கைகளை வெளியிட மத்திய அரசாங்கத்துக்குத்தான் அதிகாரம் உண்டு என்று உச்சநீதிமன்றம், தமிழக அரசு வெளியிட்ட அந்த அறிவிக்கையை ரத்து செய்துவிட்டது. இப்போது மீண்டும் உச்சநீதிமன்றம் இதுதொடர்பாக மாநில அரசுகள் என்ன நடவடிக்கை எடுத்துள்ளது? என்று கோரியது, தமிழக அரசுக்கு தன்னுடைய எண்ணத்தை நிறைவேற்ற சாதகமாக போய்விட்டது. சட்டசபையில் புகையினால் ஏற்படும் பல்வேறு வகையான புற்றுநோய்களை தடுக்கும் வண்ணம் குட்கா, பான்மசாலா போன்ற சுவைக்கும் புகையிலை பொருட்களை தயாரிக்கவும், சேமித்து வைக்கவும், விநியோகம் செய்யவும், விற்கவும் தடை விதித்து சட்டசபையில் அறிவிப்பு வெளியிட்டுவிட்டார். புற்று நோயற்ற ஒரு சமுதாயத்தை உருவாக்க முதல்-அமைச்சர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிவிப்பை, நிறைவேற்றவேண்டிய பொறுப்பு இனி காவல்துறை, உள்ளாட்சி அமைப்புகள், உணவு மற்றும் மருந்து பாதுகாப்புத்துறை, மாநில புகையிலை தடுப்பு பிரிவு, ஏன் சிறு கடைக்காரர்களுக்கும் கூட இருக்கிறது.
வெறும் தடையால் மட்டும் இத்தகைய பொருட்களை ஒழித்துவிட முடியாது. ஏனெனில், பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற பொருட்களை மிக சிறிய பாக்கெட்டுகளில்தான் அடைத்து விற்கிறார்கள். இதை வெளியே தெரியாமல் ஒளித்து வைத்து விற்பதற்கு மிக எளிதான வாய்ப்புகள் உண்டு. ஆகவே, சம்பந்தப்பட்ட அதிகாரிகள், ஊழியர்கள், இதை ஒரு சமுதாய கடமையாக மேற்கொண்டு, இதில் லஞ்சத்துக்கோ, லாபத்துக்கோ இடமில்லாமல், தமிழ்நாட்டை பான்மசாலா, குட்கா இல்லாத மாநிலமாக ஆக்கி, மக்களின் நல்வாழ்வுக்கு துணை நிற்கவேண்டும்.

Juice from push-cart may wet & wound your throat

• Though people are advised to increase the intake of fluids to keep themselves hydrated in the hot months, roadside juice vendors use poor quality of water, ice, and colouring agents and all this in unhygienic conditions.

Every summer there is a spurt in the number of vendors and roadside shops that aim at cashing in on the soaring temperature by selling juices and cut fruits. But little does the public realise that instead of being healthy options to beat the heat, these shops are sources of infections.

Roadside juice vendors sell everything from local favourites like sharabath and lemon soda to cut fruit and rose milk. And, any spot is convenient for them to set up shop, be it under a tree or along main roads and at places that see a high number of footfalls like bus stands and bus stops. Some roadside shops are even setup over drainage lines, raising concerns of hygiene.

Though people are advised to increase the intake of fluids to keep themselves hydrated in the hot months, these vendors use poor quality of water, ice, and colouring agents and all this in unhygienic conditions. This raises the risk of people catching infections.

While many are unaware of the health hazards, they are willing to buy anything that will quench their thirst.  “I know they get water from public water taps which is not clean. But the quality of the product depends on the cost; most cannot afford to pay `30 or `40 for a glass that prepared hygienically,” said a bullock cart driver in Vellore. He said, the quality of water used in slightly more upmarket juice shops also cannot be relied upon.

Most of the vendors, who are seasonal traders, are there to make a quick buck and cut corners to make a little extra money. A glass of fruit juice costs about `10 or `15, while lemon soda is cheaper. Push cart vendors carry two tubs of water -- one to wash glasses in and the other to prepare the juice. Used glasses are dipped into the water and merely rinsed, raising the risk of germs being passed. Even ice used in the juice is made from water that is not clean. The other cause for concern is the colouring agents used in several juices.

“The colour of the fruit juices is what attracts me,” said Mahendhran, a salesmen of Katpadi, who stopped for a drink because he wanted to have something cool. Even the cut-fruits kept in the open, attracts flies and dust, he pointed out.

Karthikeyan, a papaya juice seller said, “Despite a water shortage, I carry two pots of water for my business every day.”

Designated Officer of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Vellore, Dr Sampathkumar said, “Unhygienic fruit juices will cause diarrhoea, typhoid, and cholera.” He said they had seized water bottles, cans and packets worth around `10,000, that did not have the expiry date, in a raid on Gandhi Road. The officials would  conduct surprise raids and checks soon, Sampathkumar said.

Street vendors: Hygiene, food safety standards go for a toss

VARANASI: Right next to garbage dumped carelessly on the main road and overflowing sewage in Cantonment area, a vendor sells 'purisabji' to passersby. Other vendors nearby sell cut fruits, fruit juices, summer drinks, fast food and other edibles which are left open for hours, providing a feast for flies and microbes. And as if this was not enough, the edibles are constantly exposed to the deadly fumes emanating from vehicles plying on the road.

The situation is more or less the same across the city. The dysfunctional solid waste management plant has resulted in the haphazard dumping of garbage along the roadside even in crowded areas. The ongoing digging work for the laying of pipelines has further deteriorated the situation and contaminated water supply in several areas. Recently, the health department declared around 46 localities sensitive for the spread of epidemic. The district health department and government hospitals are continuously issuing warning about the sporadic cases of gastroenteritis, which are increasing in the city. Despite this, thousands of vendors are selling fruit juices, cut fruits, fast food and other edibles in insanitary conditions at Cantonment Railway Station, Roadways bus stand, Kutchehri area, Pandeypur, Chowkaghat, Andhrapul, Godowlia, Lanka, Nariya, Sigra and Vidyapeeth road, among other areas.

Even though the city is already struggling with dust, garbage and sewage overflow and there is an onslaught of diarrhea and stomach infections in the city, there is no way out to check the hygiene maintained in the preparation and marketing of edibles selling in open air.

"There is no facility to check the micro-bacterial elements in the food, which means if the food is stale and contaminated, we cannot identify it as such. The laboratories under the Food Safety and Standard Act are still to be upgraded. Our work is confined to testing of adulteration in the suspected samples which are further sent to Lucknow for testing," informed designated officer, Food and Drug Administration department, Ashok Kumar Sharma. What is even more shocking is that the department also does not have any chemicals or equipment to check the quality of the food on sale.

As per records of the FDA department, there are only around 5,000 registered vendors and license holders who are selling edibles in the city. In reality, there are an estimated 40,000 vendors who are into the business of selling edibles. We have the target of increasing the registration to 10,000 in this financial year," informed an officer of FDA department.

On other hand, Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) apparently has no responsibility to probe the situation. "Our work is to check the cleanliness in the city. The freshness and safety of the food is checked by FDA department. However, if a person is found spreading clutter in an area, action is taken against him or her," informed nagar health officer Dr SP Verma.

Message in a bottle - Unscrew the myth of mineral water

THE success of bottled water is a miracle of aggressive marketing that has made us believe in the safety of bottled water. Several studies have been conducted internationally to ascertain their supremacy over tap water under different criteria of purity and safety, yet the riddle continues to perplex. Traditionally, mineral water sold under all sorts of brands is obtained either from the purest of sources like natural springs or spas. For this category of mineral water, bottlers cannot make any changes in its composition, or even chlorinate it. The cheaper variety, sold mostly at dhabas, bus stands etc., is usually obtained from underground reservoirs.
This is where the problem brews. With depleting natural springs and rising demand for bottled drinking water, it is the latter variety that is in wider circulation and where pollutants are found, which also include a high level of chemicals used in the purification process. After receiving complaints, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has written to the food regulators, including the Food Safety and Standards Association, to check the bottling plants supplying such drinking water and also collect water samples from the water collection sites to ascertain not only the quantity but also the source of pollutants.
Yet the news about the suspected contamination of bottled water has failed to surprise consumers, who feel that they are always shortchanged because of poor quality control and an ineffective vigilance authority. In a study conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board in Delhi in 2000-2001, coliform bacteria were found in all the five brands that were tested. An earlier study, conducted by the Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society found bacteria in all the 13 brands tested. Manufacturers will always claim that their products comply with the standards laid down, but it is for the regulatory bodies to ensure the standards for a basic need like drinking water are adhered to.

JK does little to ensure food safety - Poor Implementation Of Food Safety And Standards Act-2006

Srinagar, May 13: The J&K government has done little to ensure implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 despite repeated reminders by the central authorities to upgrade the related infrastructure.

 The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has many times asked the state government to upgrade the infrastructure for implementing the Act, but it has miserably failed to do so.

 Three years ago, the Controller Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, VN Gaur had written a letter to then Chief Secretary, SS Kapur seeking upgrading infrastructure in the State for transition from Prevention of Food Adulteration(PFA) Act regime to the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 which integrates all food safety related legislations.

 “In order to ensure a smooth transition, it is necessary that all preparatory action as already mentioned may be taken well in time. Some basic requirements for the implementation of the Act are appointment of Food Safety Commissioner, Designated officer, Adjucating Officer, Food Safety officer, appellate Tribunal, Special Court, Food Analyst and notification of laboratories for food testing which are accredited by the NABL,” the letter vide No DO No. 10/FSSAI/OCI/Study-2008 dated 30 December 2010 reads.

 Gaur had informed the government that Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 cannot be implemented without these statutory functionaries in position and a void will be created following the repeal of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act. If these are not in place, the matter becomes quite important requiring immediate attention,” he said.

 On contrary the state government gave Commissioner/Secretary, Health and Medical Education, M K Diwedi the additional charge of Food Commissioner of J&K. This, according to experts, reflects the non-seriousness of the government in ensuring Food Safety in the State.   

 “Similarly no Special Courts, Appellate Tribunal were not created. Adjucating Officer, Food Safety officer were not trained in new law. At many places they are just for the name and are no way ensuring food safety in state,” the sources said.

 The Central Food Safety Authority had also asked the state government to upgrade its food laboratory to access their preparedness for aggregation by NABL or any other accreditation system by the FSSAI.

 “Action will have to be taken to upgrade them in respect of testing facilities, instrumentation, manpower, training and infrastructure. The importance of this up-gradation can be appreciated from the fact that FSS Act recognizes food testing reports from accredited labs only,” the letter reads.

 The central authority also called on the state government to conduct training for the Food Safety officers with the help of trainers trained by FSSAI.

Reducing the harm

In a country where one in 20 young men could die of cancer by the age of 70, it is essential that the ban on the sale of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco be effectively enforced in every State and Union Territory. A total of 24 States and UTs — Tamil Nadu is the latest to join the list — have introduced a ban based on the August 2011 regulation issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The campaign to stop the manufacture, storage and sale of this injurious product has been greatly aided by the Supreme Court, which has been asking for compliance reports from State governments. The control of tobacco is an integral part of global public health strategies to reduce the incidence of cancer and the growing burden of non-communicable disease. This objective is vital to India and China, which together represent the biggest markets for growth, and need to be at the forefront of the struggle to curb consumption. For India, the significance of a countrywide ban lies in the potential impact it can have: about 52 per cent of oral cancers are attributable to the consumption of smokeless tobacco products. A significant reduction in newly initiated users as well as weaning away of existing consumers will therefore prove immensely rewarding.

State governments must take extraordinary measures to make up for the delay in implementation of a ban on gutka and pan masala caused by legal hurdles. Given that food safety has not enjoyed high priority, there has not been much capacity-building or recruitment of personnel in this area. It is essential that the State food safety authorities and Tobacco Control Cell enter into a partnership with civil society to identify the weak links in the enforcement chain and take remedial action. The approach to any violation must be one of zero tolerance. There is something to be learnt here from the aggressive international efforts to curb the sale of tobacco products, with the help of NGOs. These agencies, such as the Asia Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco, have forged alliances that cover entire countries and regions, and they meet regularly to discuss experiences and strategies. Evidently, the ban on gutka and pan masala containing tobacco could be enforced because there is a law against the addition of harmful substances to food. The bigger and unmet challenge, though, is to bring smoked tobacco, including bidis, under similar control. Industry has been exaggerating the impact of eliminating tobacco from an economic viewpoint, while good smoking cessation programmes for consumers are absent. Until all forms of consumption are choked off through regulation, the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum will continue to take a heavy toll.

“FSSAI is responsible body & will comply with mandate”

FSSAI has the uphill task of implementing the food safety law – the Food Safety & Standards Regulations, 2011 - in its true letter and spirit. However, in view of the tepid response to implementation of the regulations’ part pertaining to licensing & registration of food business operators (FBOs), the authority has been facing various challenges, externally and internally. Topping the internal issues faced by the authority is the one relating to its senior officials such as chief executive officer and enforcement director quitting to take up plum assignments.

FSSAI chairman K Chandramouli comes clear on the issue and more to Ashwani Maindola on the sidelines of a conference held in New Delhi recently

Officials of FSSAI are either seeking transfer or stepping down, and some posts are still vacant. Would it affect FSSAI’s work?
FSSAI is able to manage its work. It is a responsible organisation and will comply with the mandate assigned to it. People come and go, and it is our duty that our responsibilities are not affected.

Do you think licensing and registration of FBOs will be completed by end of the newly-extended deadline?
We are optimistic about completing the task within the deadline. And it is the responsibility of everyone to help FSSAI in achieving the goal of food safety. However, enforcement is going to be a mixed bag.

What challenges will FSSAI face while implementing the regulations?
FSSAI is a regulatory body, and licensing and registrations is just a way to streamline the identification of food business operators. It is a way for identifying the FBOs so that food safety norms would be implemented.

It does not restrict any FBO from experimenting with his or her product or suggest how they should prepare, but only states that they should keep in mind the aspects of adulteration, hygiene and sanitation.

And we have been trying to bring together all the stakeholders on the same platform. The governments of all the states have a huge role to play, and the role of civil society will also become larger.

Are Codex norms applicable to Indian needs?
The harmonisation of Codex Alimentarius norms with respect to Indian food habits is required because the ethnic food or cultural food has no standard formula. For instance, the samosa in north India may be different from that in south India.

However the basic requirements of checking additives, pesticide residues, sanitation and hygiene, should be taken care of. Wherever Codex norms could be implemented in their original form, they would be.

And, street food?
Street food improvement is something we are looking at, as it is important to each city and has the potential to grow. So firstly, street food vendors must take care of such aspects as cleanliness and sanitation. This would not only help the local economy, but also add to food diversity.

What are FSSAI's future plans?
We would be taking the issue of food safety to schools. We would consult the education ministry to include the subjects of food safety in the curriculum. Children are most affected and ill-informed about choices regarding food habits.

Moreover, lifestyle diseases like obesity are on the increase, which is a huge problem. Secondly, FSSAI would be undertaking awareness campaigns, training, and building capacity, amongst others.