Shanghai sees biofuel gold in recycled cooking oil

Shanghai plans to turn recycled cooking oil, some of it seized by authorities, into an environmental asset by converting it into fuel for vehicles.

SHANGHAI: China's commercial hub Shanghai plans to turn recycled cooking oil, some of it seized by authorities, into an environmental asset by converting it into fuel for vehicles, state media said Monday.
 The country has been rocked by a series of food safety scandals including the re-use of waste oil recycled from restaurants and called "gutter oil" in Chinese.
 The Shanghai government plans to cooperate with a local university and six companies to produce biodiesel from used oil to power the city's buses, taxis and trucks, the China Daily newspaper reported.
 Tongji University, one of China's most prestigious, has been experimenting for the last three years to create the ideal mix, the report said, but did not detail the scale of the plan.
 In 2011 China arrested 32 people over the sale of "gutter oil", which is thought to contain carcinogens and other pollutants.
 Shanghai has also cracked down, in March implementing rules on proper disposal of waste oil and qualifications for collectors.
 "On the one hand, we emphasised cleaning up illegal oil collectors. On the other, we looked for ideal ways to use the recycled oil," Yan Zuqiang of the Shanghai Food Safety Committee was quoted by the China Daily as saying.
 When the gutter oil scandal emerged in 2010, experts estimated that people in China consumed two to three million tonnes of the illegally recycled oil every year.
 The revelation forced the nation's food safety watchdog to step up its inspections, but experts said the business was extremely profitable.
 China's food industry is notorious for safety problems despite regular government crackdowns.

Jaundice spreads in Kasargod

The district Health Department has confirmed hepatitis-A (jaundice) in as many as 330 persons in Madhur, Kumbala, Mogral Puthur, Kumbadage, Badiadukka and Puthige panchayats of the district. According to District Medical Officer Dr P Gopinathan, it has been identified that many of those who are affected with jaundice had attended an Uroos at Mogral Puthur Panchayat, last week. All of them had also consumed ice cream, which might have been prepared using unhygienic water.

Official sources said the Health Department has taken all steps possible to check the disease from spreading. “Health authority has taken the samples of well water from the jaundice-affected panchayats and chlorinated all wells.

“Besides, the Health Department officials are paying regular door-to-door visits in order to create awareness among public,” said DMO Dr P Gopinathan. “We have collected the samples of ice-cream which caused the disease and informed the Food Safety Department recommending appropriate actions,” he said.

Sources said Puthige Panchayat authority has taken action against the ice-cream making units and cautioned against the consumption of  ice cream till next directive is issued.

Food Safety Department sources said further steps will be taken soon to remove the contaminated food stuffs in the restaurants in the wake of the jaundice outbreak and monsoon.

According to the National Rural Health Mission district programme manager Dr B Muhammed Asheel, the people, especially in the hilly areas, are not much aware of the epidemics. “They do not report in government hospitals at the primary stage and often rely upon the private hospitals outside the state,”said Dr Muhammed Asheel, while he was talking at a press meet on Friday.

“Many vacant posts in various government hospitals in the district are yet to be filled. Compared to the other districts in the state, Kasargod has not been provided optimum number of doctors and medical staff,” he pointed out.

Citizens protest against GM food

As if in a spontaneous response to a call, as many as 30 citizens came out and participated in the March Against Monsanto on MG Road.

With mottos of “I don’t need Monsanto entering India” and “I don’t want to eat a genetically modified product”, supporters got together to protest against Monsanto, the American biotechnology corporation. Protest marches were held in six continents, 36 countries, totaling events in over 250 cities including Bangalore and New Delhi.

Fearing that the biotechnology-giant will monopolise food in the country, Rachita Taneja, a participant at the march, said that it was essential to keep the seed giant at bay to protect farmers. “When the wave of Bt cotton came about few years ago, our farmers went into agrarian distress and committed suicide. We don’t want that phenomenon repeating.”

She feared that the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2013 that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 22 would provide a single window clearance for GM crops to enter the country. “Monsanto has lobbied a lot for this kind of easy entry and monopoly on our foods,” Taneja said.

Arvind Shivakumar, a member of  Greenpeace India, an NGO, insisted on compulsory labeling of GM foods. “Some day, I might be eating GM rice without even knowing it because there is no label on it,” he said. “I don’t want such crops to be grown on our soil. It will only push our farmers into more debts.” Shivakumar further pointed at the lack of transparency in the testing methods followed by Monsanto.

“GM food is not a solution to hunger in our country,” said Swati Mehta, a writer.

“Challenges facing FSSAI include licensing, registration”

The FSSAI has come under the scanner in recent times with regard to the implementation of food safety law in India and other pertinent issues. Keshav Desiraju, secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India, in a conversation with F&B news gives details. Excerpts:

The CEO and other top officials of FSSAI are either stepping down or seeking transfers. Some key posts are still vacant. Could you throw light on this? 
As you are aware, the FSSAI has been set up fairly recently and is an autonomous regulatory body under the health and family welfare ministry as per the guidelines laid down in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The chief executive officer is appointed by the government and other officers working in FSSAI are on deputation. The authority floated a vacancy notice in leading newspapers recently to fill the posts that became vacant because of the transfers or deputations on foreign service term or short-term contract basis.

Adequate steps are being taken to ensure that the authority is manned by well-qualified and experienced officers.

What steps is the ministry taking to implement food safety laws in India? What are the areas of focus and major concern with respect to food safety?
The passing of the FSSA, 2006 – which led to the creation of the FSSAI – led to the shift from multi-level to a single line of control with the focus on self-compliance rather than on the regulatory regime as far as food safety is concerned.

It also introduced uniform licensing and registration regime across the Centre and the states. One of the major roles of FSSAI is the setting up of science-based food standards by harmonising with the Codex standards, wherever possible.

Many steps have been taken to implement food safety laws in India like
- An online licensing portal and online food import clearance system are in place.
- The procedure for harmonisation of Indian food standards with those of the Codex Alimentarius has been initiated.
- Notified referral labs for purpose of food analysis.
- Creating awareness through mass media for various stakeholders on topics like licensing and registration, misleading claims made by companies, misbranding, adulteration, hygiene practices and safe food messages.
- Checking the safety of the food being imported into the country presently at select ports.

How is the government planning to cover all food business operators in India, after two extensions to the deadline for licensing and registration?
Under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, FBOs are expected to obtain licences and registration under these regulations.
India is a vast country and the size of the FBOs ranges from small, petty ones with turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh to large ones. Depending upon their size in terms of production and turnover, licences are to be granted either by the Centre (i.e. by FSSAI) or by the respective state governments.
A majority of the licences and registrations are to be issued by the respective state governments. It is a challenge, and sensitising the state governments to the enormity of the task at hand would be taken up at all levels. We would also give them some assistance for strengthening the food safety infrastructure in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan.

What challenges do the authorities face while implementing the laws?
The challenges facing the Authority are primarily threefold: the sheer quantum of licensing and registration work to be undertaken by the state governments, upgradation/ strengthening of food testing laboratory infrastructure for monitoring and surveillance purpose and harmonisation of product standards with Codex, wherever feasible. Consumers are also important stakeholders and we are focussing on making them aware about the provision of the Act, its implementations and their role through various campaigns. A well-informed consumer can also help greatly in demanding safe food and spreading the message of food safety.

Are the authorities doing a satisfactory job of implementing the food safety regulations?
The six regulations that were notified by the authority on August 5, 2011, were all being implemented. The authority is also in the process of notifying some new regulations covering other areas.

What can the country expect from the health ministry in the coming years with respect to food safety?
The health ministry is aware about the importance of the food safety as an important lever of the national economy. Having an independent regulatory body such as FSSAI looking into these aspects will bring in focussed concerted action.

During the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, the ministry will strive to provide FSSAI with the requisite funds for it to focus on strengthening of enforcement structure in each state, creation of robust surveillance, upgrading of food safety laboratory infrastructure, capacity-building of the stakeholders in the food safety regulatory network, communication and awareness for consumers / FBOs / other stakeholders to help them make informed choices.

Is there any mechanism in place or proposed to look into complaints against FSSAI?
FSSAI has in place a well-defined process through which complaints against FSSAI can be made to them by logging on to their website, calling up the helpline or in writing to the senior officers of the Authority.

Treat your chicken the right way

The key to your family's good health lies in how you wash, cut and cook your poultry

 A recent report from Australia's Food Safety Information Council's chairman, Dr Michael Eyles, surprised many when it cautioned home cooks against washing chicken before cooking. Researchers pointed out that washing chicken puts you at a higher risk of food poisoning due to cross contamination as it leads to spreading of bacteria around the kitchen. Instead, doctors advised mopping up excess moisture with a paper towel.

 "Cooking poultry right through kills these bacteria, making it safe," Dr Eyles said in the report. We thought why not venture out and find out if there's more to cooking chicken the right way, and there were quite a few eye openers.

If you really have to wash your chicken
 Most home cooks in India don't pick up frozen or packaged chicken, but order for fresh poultry. In this case, washing off all the gore becomes necessary. Make sure that you don't have a cluttered counter to minimise contamination on clean utensils or food while you wash the raw chicken. Once you are done, transfer the chicken in a pan, wash your hands thoroughly, and wipe down your counter with hot soapy water.

Use a wooden cutting board
 A quick hand wash is all that's needed in case of a wooden cutting board. But if you place raw meats on a plastic cutting board, it needs to be sanitised.

You can't refrigerate forever
 You'll be forced to toss out your chicken in the bin if it's in the fridge for more than two days, as home fridges are warmer than the ones in stores. Deep freezing your chicken for longer is okay though.

Thaw it right
 Researchers suggest defrosting frozen poultry right through to the centre in the fridge or microwave in a sealed container before cooking. If you keep it out, bacteria are sure to have a field day multiplying.

Chicken fat is good
 Most home cooks snip every bit of fat off the chicken. However, chicken fat could be good for you. Firstly, poultry fat is low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, thus more stable than other fats at higher heat. And it's high in palmitoleic acid, an immune booster, and a source of oleic acid, which is good cholesterol.

PCB finds 34 water packaging units in Chennai unsafe

CHENNAI: In a significant development, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Food Safety and Drug Administration departments have found that only 51 private packaged drinking water units in Chennai supply potable drinking water. The samples from 34 units were found to be unsafe.

The agencies submitted the test report to the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Monday. The tribunal had taken suo motu cognizance of pollution in packaged drinking water in March, and ordered both agencies in its last hearing to conduct water sample tests in 92 units in and around Chennai, which did not have consent orders from PCB to operate. Of this, seven units were found already shut down.

Upon this submission, the bench, comprising judicial member M Chokkalingam and technical member 

R Nagendran passed an interim order on Monday, permitting the units, whose samples that were found satisfactory, to carry on manufacturing, packaging and distribution of packaged water until further orders. On the 'unsafe' units, the bench ordered the departments to conduct resampling tests giving sufficient time to sterlise the plant and posted the hearing to July 2.

The units falling in Chennai, Ambattur, Tiruvallur, Maraimalai Nagar and Sriperumbudur either draw water sourced from bore wells or through tanker supply by individuals. The counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Association, C Seethapathy argued that the units other than Bureau of Indian Standard licensees were messing up the system, with fancy names like 'herbal' and 'flavour.'

In its order, the bench directed the pollution control board to issue show cause notices to all BIS units in the state. The board has already issued notices to about 300 units. "After obtaining the replies, the board can pass orders warranted under law. But implementation of the orders can be kept in abeyance until further orders." In the meantime, there is no impediment for these units to apply to the board for consent orders to operate.

The board has also been directed to find out the number of private drinking water units in the state, with or without consent of the BIS certification, and file a report in the next hearing. "We will take stern action against them," the bench observed.

உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிரடி சென்னை நிறுவனம் சிக்கியது தேங்காய் நார், ஆவாரம் பட்டை' டை’ கலந்து டீத்தூள் விற்பனை

சேலம், மே 26:

சென்னையை சேர்ந்த போலி டீத்தூள் நிறுவனம் மீது உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் வழக்கு தொடர முடிவு செய்துள்ளனர்.

சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் பேக்கரி, காபி பார்களில் உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் நடத்திய சோதனையில் பரவலாக போலி டீத்தூள் பயன்படுத்தப்படுவது தெரியவந்தது. விசாரணையில், ஓமலூரை சேர்ந்த முகவர் மூலம் சேலம் டீக்கடைகளுக்கு ‘கோல்டு ஸ்டார்’ என்ற பெயரில் போலி டீத்தூள் சப்ளை செய்யப்பட்டு இருப்பதை அதிகாரிகள் கண்டுபிடித்தனர்.

இதையடுத்து, ஓமலூரில் உள்ள முகவரின் அலுவலகத்தில் சோதனை செய்தபோது, அங்கு விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்த போலி டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. அவரிடம் நடத்திய விசாரணையில், சென்னை அயனாவரத்தில் உள்ள நிபுமா என்பவரிடம் இருந்து போலி டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டுகளை வாங்கி விற்பனை செய்து வந்தது தெரியவந்தது.

இதற்கிடையே, கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூள் மாதிரிகள் கிண்டியில் உள்ள உணவுப்பகுப்பாய்வு கூடத்திற்கு பரிசோதனைக்காக அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டது. பரிசோதனையில், இந்த டீத்தூளில் தேங்காய் நார், ஆவாரம் செடியின் இலை, பட்டை, ஏலக்காய் தோல், தலைக்கு பூசக்கூடிய டை, செயற்கை நிறமூட்டிகள் கலந்திருப்பது தெரியவந்தது.

பரிசோதனை அறிக்கையை உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூள் அதிபர் நிபுமாவுக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர். இந்த பரிசோதனை முடிவுகளை ஏற்க முடியாது என ஆட்சேபனை தெரிவித்ததால், டீத்தூளின் மற்ற மாதிரிகளை கொல்கத்தாவில் உள்ள தலைமை உணவுப்பகுப்பாய்வு கூடத்திற்கு மீண்டும் பரிசோதனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர். அங்கிருந்தும், அது கலப்பட டீத்தூள்தான் என்று அறிக்கை அளிக்கப்பட்டது.

இதையடுத்து, கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூள் அதிபரை முதல் குற்றவாளியாக சேர்த்து, சேலம் மாவட்ட நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்கு தொடர உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் முடிவு செய்துள்ளனர். இதற்காக ஒப்புதல் கேட்டு, தமிழ்நாடு உணவுப்பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாகத்துறை கமிஷனர் (பொறுப்பு) குமார் ஜெயந்துக்கு விரிவான அறிக்கையும் சமர்ப்பிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை சேலம் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதாவிடம் கேட்டபோது, ‘‘டீத்தூளில் எந்த வித செயற்கை நிறமூட்டிகளும் சேர்க்கக் கூடாது. ஆனால், பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூளில் மனித உடலுக்கு கேடு விளைவிக்கக் கூடிய வகையில் 1950 பிபிஎம் (பார்ட்ஸ் பெர் மில்லியன்) வரை செயற்கை நிறமூட்டிகள் கலக்கப்பட்டு இருந்தது.

இத்துடன் தேங்காய் நார் போன்ற பொருட்களும் கலந்திருந்தன. மேலும், டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டில் ‘சர்பத்’ என அச்சிட்டுக்கொண்டு, டீத்தூள் விற்பனை செய்ததும் குற்றம். இதனால் கோல்டு ஸ்டார் நிறுவனத்தின் மீது வழக்கு தொடர முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டு, இத்துறையின் கமிஷனரின் அனுமதிக்காக காத்திருக்கிறோம்,’’ என்றார்.