After the ban, gutka hits market in another form

Bangalore, Jun 27: The government  might have enforced a ban on manufacture, storage and sale of gutka and other tobacco and nicotine products, with a good intention of protecting public health. But, a visit to paan shops reveal a trend that defeats the whole purpose and, reduces the legislation to paper.

Manufacturers have found an ingenious way to supply their clientele tobacco and paan masala (both not banned when sold individually) in separate sachets, which, when combined gives the same mixture as gutka.

The government order of the ban signed by Food Safety Commissioner V B Patil on May 30, says that manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutka and paan masala “containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients” is prohibited in the State.

The ban is based on regulation 2,3, 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sale) Act, 2011, which prohibits the use of tobacco, nicotine or any other products injurious to health in food products.

Sachets of such paan masala without any tobacco and nicotine along with sachets of zarda are gradually flowing into shops all over the City. “It is in such a complementary form that gutka and paan masala are now being supplied separately to shops and demand is also high,” said a supplier.

A number of shopkeepers to whom Deccan Herald spoke, claimed that while there was no sale of paan masala and gutka in the past few days, their respective suppliers have assured them of a fresh supply in the new complementary form soon.

One major gutka company in the country already has its product in the market in such a form. In Maharashtra, the ban on gutka and paan masala is wider in ambit and includes magnesium carbonate (carcinogenic substance) and any other substances that constitute gutka and paan masala.

“In different states the order of the ban has been worded differently, and governments will have to be vigilant to any such market tactics that may require an amendment to the rule,” said Dr Upendra Bhojani from the Institute of Public Health, Bangalore.

Since the ban came into force from June 1, a number of manufacturers in the state have suffered huge losses according to a gutka retailer in the City. “Manufacturers here will be resorting to this kind of a production from July. In fact, it is nothing new and as it is going on all over the country.

The industry has to survive somehow or the other,” he said. In Bihar, the sale of paan masala has been going on in such a complementary form despite the ban, Dr Bhojani said.

Implement ban on tobacco products properly, says CPI

The ban on storage and sale of gutkha and pan masala should not remain as a mere notification, it should be implemented in letter and spirit,said Communist Party of India state secretary
R Viswanathan

Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, the CPI leader welcomed the prohibition of gutkha and pan masala for a period of one year and said the commissioner of food safety, Ragesh Chandra, should ensure that the ban on the products is implemented right from the Chief Secretariat of Puducherry.

Viswanathan charged that some of the top officials of the administration, including IAS officers, were using the banned products in the secretariat.

147 hotels raided

Special squads of Food Safety officials from various districts conducted raids on 147 hotels in the state and suspended the Food Business Operator (FBO) licence of 10 establishments.

The raids were conducted following the instruction of the Food Safety Commissioner to ensure 30 guidelines for cleanliness in hotels. A total of 10 eateries lost their licences and were closed down.
Around 90 hotels were given improvement notices and a total fine to the tune of Rs 1,13,500 was imposed on 23 hotels.
A total of 60 hotels had been closed down following the recent raids and imposed a fine of
Rs 4,48,500.

Tobacco products seized following raid

Tobacco products such as Pan Parag and gutka whose manufacture, storage and sale were banned by the Tamil Nadu government last month were seized from shops on Gandhi Road and Babu Rao Street here on Wednesday.

This was following a raid conducted by the officials of Vellore Corporation, and Food Safety and Revenue Departments.

A team comprising E. Devakumar, Corporation Engineer and Commissioner-in-charge of Vellore Corporation, Food Safety Officer Gowri Sundar and officials of the Revenue Department conducted the raid and warned shop-keepers against storage or sale of the banned stuff.

The raid follows instructions from Collector P. Sankar at the first district-level review meeting convened by him at the Collectorate here on Monday in connection with the enforcement of the notification issued by the State Government on May 23 .

The Collector asked police, Transport and Commercial Taxes Department officials to involve the Food Safety officials also when they conduct vehicle checks on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu-Karnataka borders in Vellore district .

The Collector has asked the officials to continue the raids.

HC dismisses challenge to gutkha ban

The single bench of the Karnataka High Court circuit bench in Dharwad, headed by Justice B S Patil on Tuesday upheld the Karnataka government's decision to ban the manufacture and sale of gutkha in the state.
The court quashed the interim plea filed by gutkha companies seeking a stay on the government order banning gutkha. Star Gutkha company and three others had appealed to the HC to stay the notification issued by the food safety commissioner banning gutkha. The court, which heard the plea on June 11, had reserved its final order.
On Tuesday Justice B S Patil in his pronouncement said as per the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 the state government has right to ban items containing tobacco and nicotine. This act was implemented all over the country since August 5, 2011. Hence the notification is found to be well within the framework of law, the judge observed. He said some NGOs had appealed to the government and court to ban the manufacture and sale of gutkha in view of the hazard it poses to the health of the people, particularly the youth.
As such banning of gutkha is a wise decision on the part of state government, Justice B S Patil said.

Google's internet balloons may come to India

Google may implement 'Project Loon', which is a balloon-mounted internet access service, in various countries including India.

HYDERABAD: Internet search giant Google may implement 'Project Loon', which is a balloon-mounted internet access service, in various countries including India.
"We are doing a pilot project in New Zealand and going to see how it works. Once we get satisfactory results, we will be in a position to implement it in other countries as well," Google's managing director, Global Channel Sales, Todd Towe told reporters.
"Interestingly, while we are still in the pilot phase, we have been getting multiple queries from different countries including India, which are interested in implementing the project," Towe said.
However, he said, there is no time-frame to launch the project in India.
'Project Loon' balloons, which carry internet signal antennas float in the stratosphere, at a height twice as high as air planes.
They are carried around the earth by winds and can be steered by rising or lowering them to a particular altitude, with winds moving in the desired direction.
Customers may connect to Google's balloon network using a special internet antenna attached to their building. The signal bounces from balloon to balloon, onto the internet and back to the earth.
A 'Project Loon' pilot project began on June 15 at the 40th parallel South, which is a circle of latitude, that is 40 degrees south of the earth's equatorial plane, when 30 balloons launched from New Zealand's South Island beamed internet signals to a small group of pilot testers.
The experience of these pilot testers will be used to refine the technology and shape the next phase of 'Project Loon', Google had said earlier.
Speaking about the company's Premier Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Partner Programme, Rowe said within 10 months of its launch, the model has gained significant momentum in India.
"We have partnered with 16 medium sized companies, with over 3,000 sales people who have been trained to help SMEs gain from digital advertising. In the next one year, we are looking to significantly increase our presence in South India by doubling our partners and add another 3,000 sales force though these partners," Rowe said.
Jaspreet Bindra, CEO, Getit Infomedia, one of the largest Premier SME Partners of Google India said that it had entered into a strategic alliance with Google India, though its SME programme to increase Getit's presence in the country.

பல்பொடி போன்றும் பான், குட்கா விற்பனை பரிசோதனைக்கு சென்ற அதிகாரிகள் அதிர்ச்சி

சென்னை:பல்பொடி போன்று தூளக்கியும், புது வித பிராண்டுகளிலும் பான், குட்கா பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்வது சோதனைக்குச் சென்ற அதிகாரிகளை அதிர்ச்சியடைய வைத்துள்ளது.
குட்கா, பான் மசாலா போன்ற, வாயில் வைத்துச் சுவைக்கும் புகையிலை பொருட்களுக்கு, தமிழக அரசு தடை விதித்துள்ளது. கிடங்குகளில் உள்ள, இருப்பை காலி செய்ய தரப்பட்ட ஒரு மாத அவகாசமும் முடிந்த நிலையில், நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கும் பணி துவங்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.
மாவட்டம் தோறும், உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத் துறையினர், சிறு சிறு குழுக்களாகப் பிரிந்து, கடைகளில் சோதனை நடத்தினர். விற்பனைக்குப் பதுக்கி வைத்திருந்த பான், குட்கா பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
தமிழக அரசு தடை விதித்துள்ளதால், குட்கா, பான் மசாலா விற்பனை கூடாது எனவும், மீறினால் பறிமுதல் மட்டுமின்றி, 5 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வரை அபராதம் விதிக்கப்படும் எனவும், வியாபாரிகளுக்கு அறிவுரை வழங்கினர்.
சென்னையில், 96 கடைகளில் சோதனை நடந்தது. பல இடங்களில் இதுவரை இல்லாத வகையில், புதிய புதிய பிராண்டுகளில் பெயர் மாற்றி விற்பதும், பல் பொடி (தூள்) போன்று விற்பது கண்டும் அதிகாரிகள் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்தனர்.
சவுகார்பேட்டை பகுதியில் மட்டும், 15 கிலோவும், பிற பகுதிகளில், 5 கிலோ என, 20 கிலோ பொருட்கள் (4,900 பாக்கெட்டுகள்) பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளன. மாநிலம் முழுவதும், 450 கிலோவுக்கு மேல் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு உள்ளன.
இதுகுறித்து, உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறியதாவது:
முதற்கட்ட சோதனையில், விற்பனைக்குப் பதுக்கி வைத்திருந்த குட்கா, பான் பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. தொடர்ந்து விற்கும் பட்சத்தில், அபராதம் விதிக்கும் அடுத்த கட்ட நடவடிக்கைத் துவங்கும்.
கிடங்குகள் மீதும் கவனம் செலுத்தப்படும். கலெக்டர் தலைமையில் உள்ள குழு, பிற துறைகளின் ஒருங்கிணைப்போடும், குட்கா, பான் பொருட்கள் விற்பனை தடுக்கப்படும்.
இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

Rs. 2.70 crore worth of gutkha to be burnt in Pune

Pune: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday in Pune will destroy gutkha worth Rs. 2.70 crore it had seized from this district last year.
"The gutkha of Goa-1000 brand was intercepted and seized by FDA, Konkan division, during a raid carried out at Kirti Industries at Dundalwadi in Dahanu in the district in August 2012 when it was being smuggled out for export, FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) P M Raut told PTI.
The Bombay High Court had in 2012 upheld the ban on gutkha and pan masala, both of which are flavoured tobacco products.The high court had last year refused to quash the seizure order of the gutkha consignment, observing export of any food product, the manufacture of which is in contravention to the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), is restricted.
The gutkha manufactured by Kirti Industries at Silvassa was to be exported to United Arab Emirates (UAE) for sale there.
"The seized stock will be taken from FDA headquarters in suburban Bandra of Mumbai to Pune and destroyed in the premises of Rokem Greenfield there," Raut said.

FDA issues food-borne salmonellosis warning

PUNE: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the national food regulatory body, has issued an advisory following the outbreak of salmonellosis, a food-borne bacterial infection, in the US and New Zealand.
Use of Tahini sesame paste from Turkey in food preparations has been found to be the origin of the infection. The FSSAI issued the advisory in the country because imported sesame paste is used in Indian cuisine and there is a possibility that the product have entered our food chain.
"The particular outbreak appears to be over. However, this product has a long shelf-life and it may still be at people's homes. The product has been recalled. Consumers unaware of the recall could continue to eat the product and fall sick. Hence, the FSSAI issued an advisory on June 19," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Pune division.
FDA assistant commissioner Dilip Sangat said, "Soon after receiving the FSSAI's advisory, we carried out thorough inspections at food stores that stock imported food items. We have not found Tahini sesame paste from Turkey. But there are chances that it may be used in households in Pune. Hence, people need to be made aware that they should immediately stop using the product. We are keeping a vigil to ensure that the product does not enter the city's imported food supply chain."
As per the FSSAI's advisory, the recalled consignment of Tahini sesame paste has expiration dates from January 1 to June 8, 2014 and from October 16, 2014 to March 15, 2015. The manufacturer of the paste in Turkey is called GESAS Genel Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret A S of Konya, Turkey.
Food-borne salmonella is a leading cause of food-borne illnesses. Traditionally, most cases of salmonellosis were thought to originate from meat and poultry products. However, an increasing number of outbreaks are occurring as a result of contaminated produce, say researchers.
Several produce have been specifically identified in outbreaks, and the ability of salmonella to attach or internalise into vegetables and fruits may be factors that make these items more likely to be salmonella sources. In addition, environmental factors, including contaminated water sources used to irrigate and wash produce or crops, have been implicated in a large number of outbreaks, experts said.
Salmonella is carried by both domesticated and wild animals and can contaminate freshwater by direct or indirect contact. In some cases, direct contact of produce or seeds with contaminated manure or animal waste can lead to contaminated crops.
The US-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that consumers do not eat recalled Krinos brand tahini sesame paste and discard any remaining product at homes.
Outbreak of salmonellosis in US
* Total 16 people infected with the outbreak strains of Salmonella Montevideo or Salmonella Mbandaka were reported from nine states till June 21
* The number of ill people identified in each state was as follows: California (1), Georgia (1), Iowa (1), Louisiana (1), Minnesota (2), New York (1), North Dakota (1), Texas (7), and Wisconsin (1)
* One patient hospitalised who died later
* Collaborative investigation efforts of state, local, and federal public health and regulatory agencies indicated that tahini sesame paste distributed by Krinos Foods, LLC of Long Island City, New York was the source of this outbreak

Reliance Retail bets big on back-end infrastructure

The group's Hyderabad facility (called Process Centre Staples) has a capacity to handle 10,000 tonne per month

 Diversified company Reliance Industries Limited's retail business arm, Reliance Retail, is confident of meeting the growing demand for quality staple consumables in the country. In this regard, the company had invested huge amounts in the retail back-end infrastructure, said a senior official at the company's Hyderabad processing facility.
The official said their processing centres, currently numbering three at Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pataudi (Gurgaon), equipped with in-house laboratories and latest equipment have been ensuring safe, clean and unadulterated staples with a long shelf-life for its 13 million consumers country-wide.
"As part of its business model, the company had been procuring quality foodgrains and pulses from pre-qualified vendors, mostly local farmers at competitive prices, in accordance with the standards set by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India and the company's product specifications," he said.
The group's Hyderabad facility (called Process Centre Staples), with a capacity to handle 10,000 tonne per month and more than 120,000 tonne per annum staples and pulses is catering to the entire South India, Maharashtra (including Mumbai) and Odisha.
The company's internal quality processing checks include a five-stage process, encompassing bulk supply by vendor, product quality checks, product fumigation, cleaning, upgrading and packaging.
The retail food arm with 1,500 stores spanning 130 cities across India also sells products like Reliance milk, vegetables, FMCG goods of other major brands.

Gutkha, paanmasala banned in Puducherry

Puducherry, June 26:  

Gutkha and paan masala have been banned in the Union Territory with immediate effect.

An order banning the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of ‘gutkha and paanmasala’ and other food products having tobacco and nicotine as ingredients was issued on June 18 by the Commissioner of Food Safety, G Ragesh Chandra, official sources said today.

The ban under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a central Act, would be in force for one year and had been imposed in the interest of public health.

Any violation of the ban order would entail action under the criminal law.