A rally on the importance of food safety was held from fire service office near Rajaratnam stadium to Ethiraj College recently. More than 250 students from various colleges took part. The rally was organised by the Consumer Association of India (CAI).
Jul 15, 2013
Gutka sale continues
Gutka and pan continue to be sold in public places in several pockets of north Chennai, a scene at Chennai beach station.
Chennai: The Cigarettes and Tobacco Control Act, which is in existence since 2003, is yet to be implemented stringently, according to activists in the city.
The Act, needing co-ordination between various teams, like State Tobacco Control and Chennai Corporation, is yet to be seen in implementation when it comes to deterring smoking in public places.
Chennaites say that though smoking in public places has declined comparatively in the last decade, tobacco, vending outlets near crowded places are the reasons behind the practice continuing. Every bus stand has a shop selling tobacco products, those who are addicted to smoking thus cannot stop themselves.
"I hope there are some regulations to prevent their sale in such places,” said A. Asha Menon, a homemaker. The busy beach station is a case in point. Used by thousands of passengers, people say that they feel hemmed in here by people smoking in public.
“They occupy the pavements to smoke, at times even blocking the entrance to the station. Passengers who are averse to smoking find this very disconcerting. The officiaIs concerned should take action to deter smoking in public,” said Arun Raj, a commuter.
Activists say that official apathy has killed the law altogether. “A majority of men develop lung problems because of smoking. What’s more, it leaves innocent people affected. The Act needs to be implemented strictly,” said Cyril Alexander, anti tobacco activist.
Tobacco law not followed
Chennai: The Cigarettes and Tobacco Control Act, which is in existence since 2003, is yet to be implemented stringently, according to activists in the city.
The Act, needing co-ordination between various teams, like State Tobacco Control and Chennai Corporation, is yet to be seen in implementation when it comes to deterring smoking in public places. Chennaites say that though smoking in public places has declined tobacco, vending outlets are the reasons why the practice continuing.
“They occupy the pavements to smoke, at times even blocking the entrance to the station. Passengers who are averse to smoking find this very disconcerting. The officiaIs concerned should take action to deter smoking in public,” said Arun Raj, a commuter.
Meanwhile, a State Tobacco Control official said, “There needs to be multi departmental co-ordination, we have already removed several banners of tobacco companies.
Ban gutka production itself, say Anti Tobacco activists
Chennai: Anti tobacco activists in the state have been urging the Chief Minister to ban paan MASALA?? production in the way that the government curbed the lottery business. They say that the closing of units that produce chewing tobacco will help in the total eradication of these products.
A ban does not work, they point out, as the loopholes in the system permit consumers access to the product. “It is best to ban all the production units rather than banning the products, because in some way or other the products will be sold in the black market and raiding every corner shop will be a very difficult task,” says Cyril Alexander, bactivist.
According to food safety department officials, “ The gutka and paan masala manufacturers claim that they have stopped selling their products in India, but that they are catering to their export market. It becomes a policy decision of the government whether or not to ban gutka manufacturing units.”
FDA Proposes Limit for Arsenic in Apple Juice
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday proposed a limit for arsenic in apple juice, two years after testing by Dr. Oz and Consumer Reports spurred widespread consumer concern about the presence of the compound in juice products.
The Environmental Protection Agency already has an arsenic limit for tap water, but the FDA’s new proposal is the first such federal standard for a food product. The proposed limit, or “action level,” for inorganic arsenic — the harmful form of the chemical that is a known human carcinogen – matches the EPA’s current threshold for inorganic arsenic at 10 parts per billion.
Consumer groups and a handful of Democrats ramped up their calls for a federal limit for arsenic in juice after two rounds of testing in 2011 showed arsenic is often found in apple juice and in some cases exceeds the EPA’s limit for drinking water. Consumer Reports’ testing found a full 10 percent of juices tested were over the EPA limit for water.
The FDA has maintained that juices are safe to drink, in moderation, like any other food or beverage, but after such high-profile attention to the issue and the special concerns raised about children’s exposure, the agency said it would study the issue and look at setting limits.
When asked why it took two years for FDA to move forward, Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, noted the proposed limit is “based upon a careful risk assessment.”
“It takes time to put that together and put it through the proper review,” he said. “It’s important to get it right.”
The risk assessment, industry guidance, and draft action level the agency came up with were also reportedly under lengthy review at the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, an obscure but powerful agency at the White House that has been blamed for the delay of numerous health and safety regulations.
The FDA has been monitoring apple juice for arsenic for the past two decades and the overall levels found have been low. New tests have allowed the agency to better distinguish between inorganic arsenic and organic arsenic, which is not considered a public health concern. In the latest round of testing of 94 samples, FDA found that 95 percent were below 10 ppb of total arsenic and 100 percent were below 10 ppb for inorganic arsenic.
Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, had recommended a 3 ppb limit, but the group still praised FDA’s proposed action level.
Dr. Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports, called the move “a reasonable first step in protecting consumers from unnecessary exposure to arsenic.”
“It also offers an important enforcement and accountability tool for regulators and a key benchmark for apple juice manufacturers,” said Rangan, who urged parents to moderate their kids’ juice consumption along the guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The physicians group recommends children from one to six years of age not have more than four to six ounces per day.
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said the group was “extremely pleased” with FDA’s announcement and pointed out two-thirds, or about 400 million pounds, of the apple juice consumed by Americans comes from China each year.
FDA said it plans to take the 10 ppb level into account when considering taking enforcement action “if it finds a food product exceeds the threshold,” but Taylor told Food Safety News that FDA does not have plans to increase testing on apple juice beyond the agency’s normal sampling. Taylor also noted the agency has not found a significant difference between the levels of arsenic found in imported and domestic juice products.
“In terms of public health priorities and fairly limited resources we don’t think it would be justified to significantly ramp up testing,” he said. “But we’ll keep our guard up.”
The agency is seeking comments on the proposed action level and risk assessment for the next 60 days.
Rice up next
Arsenic – which is both naturally occurring and the product of human activities like burning fossil fuels and pesticide use – is likely to continue to be in the spotlight as FDA studies the levels of the compound that can be found in rice, an issue that health groups have also focused on in recent years.
Consumer advocates and lawmakers have asked FDA to set limits for arsenic in rice products, but the agency is still in data-analysis mode after testing some 1,200 samples.
“We’re coming along,” said Taylor, when asked about FDA’s timeline. “It’s an important project and it’s on our front burner.”
The Environmental Protection Agency already has an arsenic limit for tap water, but the FDA’s new proposal is the first such federal standard for a food product. The proposed limit, or “action level,” for inorganic arsenic — the harmful form of the chemical that is a known human carcinogen – matches the EPA’s current threshold for inorganic arsenic at 10 parts per billion.
Consumer groups and a handful of Democrats ramped up their calls for a federal limit for arsenic in juice after two rounds of testing in 2011 showed arsenic is often found in apple juice and in some cases exceeds the EPA’s limit for drinking water. Consumer Reports’ testing found a full 10 percent of juices tested were over the EPA limit for water.The FDA has maintained that juices are safe to drink, in moderation, like any other food or beverage, but after such high-profile attention to the issue and the special concerns raised about children’s exposure, the agency said it would study the issue and look at setting limits.
When asked why it took two years for FDA to move forward, Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, noted the proposed limit is “based upon a careful risk assessment.”
“It takes time to put that together and put it through the proper review,” he said. “It’s important to get it right.”
The risk assessment, industry guidance, and draft action level the agency came up with were also reportedly under lengthy review at the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, an obscure but powerful agency at the White House that has been blamed for the delay of numerous health and safety regulations.
The FDA has been monitoring apple juice for arsenic for the past two decades and the overall levels found have been low. New tests have allowed the agency to better distinguish between inorganic arsenic and organic arsenic, which is not considered a public health concern. In the latest round of testing of 94 samples, FDA found that 95 percent were below 10 ppb of total arsenic and 100 percent were below 10 ppb for inorganic arsenic.
Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, had recommended a 3 ppb limit, but the group still praised FDA’s proposed action level.
Dr. Urvashi Rangan, director of consumer safety and sustainability at Consumer Reports, called the move “a reasonable first step in protecting consumers from unnecessary exposure to arsenic.”
“It also offers an important enforcement and accountability tool for regulators and a key benchmark for apple juice manufacturers,” said Rangan, who urged parents to moderate their kids’ juice consumption along the guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The physicians group recommends children from one to six years of age not have more than four to six ounces per day.
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said the group was “extremely pleased” with FDA’s announcement and pointed out two-thirds, or about 400 million pounds, of the apple juice consumed by Americans comes from China each year.
FDA said it plans to take the 10 ppb level into account when considering taking enforcement action “if it finds a food product exceeds the threshold,” but Taylor told Food Safety News that FDA does not have plans to increase testing on apple juice beyond the agency’s normal sampling. Taylor also noted the agency has not found a significant difference between the levels of arsenic found in imported and domestic juice products.
“In terms of public health priorities and fairly limited resources we don’t think it would be justified to significantly ramp up testing,” he said. “But we’ll keep our guard up.”
The agency is seeking comments on the proposed action level and risk assessment for the next 60 days.
Rice up next
Arsenic – which is both naturally occurring and the product of human activities like burning fossil fuels and pesticide use – is likely to continue to be in the spotlight as FDA studies the levels of the compound that can be found in rice, an issue that health groups have also focused on in recent years.
Consumer advocates and lawmakers have asked FDA to set limits for arsenic in rice products, but the agency is still in data-analysis mode after testing some 1,200 samples.
“We’re coming along,” said Taylor, when asked about FDA’s timeline. “It’s an important project and it’s on our front burner.”
India is world's No 1 fake milk producer
Hello parents! I am going to take an apple and dry it. Then I mash it into 'appley' powder. After a few months I add water and chemicals to it, shape it and sell it to you as a fresh pure apple. Will you buy it for your children to eat?
No? Why not? You do it everyday with milk.
The government brings out yearly statistics on fake milk, and even when their own studies done by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) show that more than 75% is not milk at all but urea, water, caustic soda, paint, sugar, detergent Hydrogen Peroxide, starch, glucose, salt, Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) and vegetable fat, they still will take no action on the producers.
Let us presume that you buy government milk packets thinking that the government could not be cheating its own people. But when the government allows corruption in every field, why not milk? Today a major part of the milk in the packets is not the primary product of a cow or buffalo but reconstituted from powder.
No? Why not? You do it everyday with milk.
The government brings out yearly statistics on fake milk, and even when their own studies done by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) show that more than 75% is not milk at all but urea, water, caustic soda, paint, sugar, detergent Hydrogen Peroxide, starch, glucose, salt, Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP) and vegetable fat, they still will take no action on the producers.
Let us presume that you buy government milk packets thinking that the government could not be cheating its own people. But when the government allows corruption in every field, why not milk? Today a major part of the milk in the packets is not the primary product of a cow or buffalo but reconstituted from powder.
Here is a report done by Harish Damodaran, an award winning journalist who has specialized in agri-business and commodities coverage: ' Nowhere is this more apparent than in the national Capital itself, where the market leader, Mother Dairy India Ltd, consumes an estimated 20,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder (SMP) annually or 55 tonnes daily. That translates into six lakh litres per day (LLPD) of milk or roughly 30 per cent of the 20-22 LLPD that Mother Dairy sells on an average in Delhi. The proportion of reconstituted milk to the total throughout rises to 50 % during summer months.'
According to the milk producers, real milk is put aside in the winter months and turned into powder which is then mixed back into the milk whenever real milk runs short – which seems to be everyday.
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and owner of Mother Dairy says that it supplies 'pure' milk in the whole of Gujarat, Mumbai, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh (this is disproved for Delhi by the quantity of milk powder being bought). But in areas like West Bengal where all the cows have been killed or sent to Bangladesh (as in Kerala or the Northeast), there is no fresh milk available. There is a limit to the milk that can be sent by rail from Gujarat to Kolkata (and this milk will have chemicals like urea added to it so that it does not curdle on the way) so a large proportion of the so called pure milk has to be reconstituted milk.
Even in the states where there is milk, milk powder is added by private cooperatives and dairies. Why is this done? The Prevention of Food Adulteration rules stipulate a minimum 8.5 % Solids-Not-Fat (SNF) content for toned milk and 9 per cent in double-toned milk. If a dairy adds water then, to bring up the milk to the regulation standard, skimmed milk powder is added.
According to the government, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have crores of milk producing cattle and are the top milk producers of the country. So why is most of the milk here either completely fake or made of milk powder? Could it be that the government is simply faking cattle figures? There is no real milk, because there are no cows or buffaloes. They have all disappeared into illegal meat and leather slaughterhouses.
Why is milk not being labelled as 'reconstituted'. Why is it still allowed to be called pure? In every other country including China, all dairy companies that are marketing reconstituted milk have to put this on their label. If this were done in India, there would be a sharp fall in the sale, and milk consumers would then demand fresh milk themselves. This would impact the illegal meat export that the government encourages. Therefore. the Ministry for Consumer Affairs will not do so.
Just to remind you: The National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011 was conducted to check contaminants in milk throughout India. Most states failed the tests. Five states were found to be 100 % non-conforming to the milk standards set by the FSSAI. 14 % of the samples had detergent in them – in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. 70% of Delhi milk samples failed the FSSAI standards.
46% milk was found diluted with water. Of 1791 samples, skimmed milk powder was present in nearly 548 samples and 477 samples contained glucose.
The report appeared on January 10th 2013. The FSSAI were summoned and told to repair the damage they had done by releasing these shocking truths. So they are now busy issuing 'clarifications.'
First they issued a press release stating that 'non conforming' did not mean that it was 'unsafe for consumption'. The milk may be of 'sub standard' quality but 'not necessarily' unsafe. In short: The milk may be rubbish but not everyone dies from drinking it so it can continue to be sold. The FSSAI officials have clarified that adding water to milk is only bad if 'the water which has possibly been added is contaminated.' So, it is not bad to cheat the customer by adding water to an expensive product which is sold by weight – it is OK if the adulterant is clean.
Regarding reconstituted milk made from skimmed milk powder, instead of banning the practice, the FSSAI has said that a circular will be issued to big dairy houses to brand the milk right. The circular has not been issued till today.
Regarding the presence of formalin or formaldehyde, (a chemical used for preserving dead bodies and to increase the shelf life of milk when it is being transported), it is illegal in food and is a carcinogen. The FSSAI says 'That is allowed for preservation. Maybe where we detected it they must have put it in larger quantities.'
Regarding the detergents found in milk, the FSSAI says that this is because the handlers of milk have not washed out the detergents, used to clean hands and vessels. before handling the milk! It is a known fact that detergent is used to make synthetic milk to increase the thickness and viscosity of the milk. A study done by the Indian Council of Medical Research states that detergents in milk cause food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications.
Now the FSSAI says it can't do anything about making milk pure- it has to be done by the states. The states refuse to take any action saying that they have not seen the report (which was published on the front page of every paper across India). Bihar's milk was found to be 100% contaminated but the state Food Safety Authority maintains that 'We have no idea where they collected the samples from. Once the report is shared with us, we will collect the samples, test it in our labs and then take appropriate action on whether the license has to be revoked or not.' This is six months after the report. (In any case the department has only 23 officers to man the food quality of the entire state.)
The Delhi Food Safety Authority has the same reaction. They agree that 'The samples were found to contain skimmed milk powder. But this is not hazardous to health, its just reconstituted milk.' Delhi has an estimated daily demand of 70 lakh liters of milk, about 90% is supplied by brands. Neutralisers like Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Ammonia, Carbon Trioxide (carbonate) and other alkalis are used to correct and optimise the pH value of un-fresh milk so that they appear to be fresh milk. Obviously they would be a necessary component in reconstituted milk, which is what 50% of Delhi's milk is in summer.
The FSSAI refuses to send their report officially to any state or even to the Indian Dairy Association! So the states have an excuse to ignore it. Even if they got them, most of the state testing laboratories are either defunct or ill equipped.
This belief that we are the world's number one milk producer is misplaced. We are the number one fake milk producer in the world. And the only way you can stop this and protect your children is by totally stopping the purchase of this dangerous product.
According to the milk producers, real milk is put aside in the winter months and turned into powder which is then mixed back into the milk whenever real milk runs short – which seems to be everyday.
The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and owner of Mother Dairy says that it supplies 'pure' milk in the whole of Gujarat, Mumbai, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh (this is disproved for Delhi by the quantity of milk powder being bought). But in areas like West Bengal where all the cows have been killed or sent to Bangladesh (as in Kerala or the Northeast), there is no fresh milk available. There is a limit to the milk that can be sent by rail from Gujarat to Kolkata (and this milk will have chemicals like urea added to it so that it does not curdle on the way) so a large proportion of the so called pure milk has to be reconstituted milk.
Even in the states where there is milk, milk powder is added by private cooperatives and dairies. Why is this done? The Prevention of Food Adulteration rules stipulate a minimum 8.5 % Solids-Not-Fat (SNF) content for toned milk and 9 per cent in double-toned milk. If a dairy adds water then, to bring up the milk to the regulation standard, skimmed milk powder is added.
According to the government, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana have crores of milk producing cattle and are the top milk producers of the country. So why is most of the milk here either completely fake or made of milk powder? Could it be that the government is simply faking cattle figures? There is no real milk, because there are no cows or buffaloes. They have all disappeared into illegal meat and leather slaughterhouses.
Why is milk not being labelled as 'reconstituted'. Why is it still allowed to be called pure? In every other country including China, all dairy companies that are marketing reconstituted milk have to put this on their label. If this were done in India, there would be a sharp fall in the sale, and milk consumers would then demand fresh milk themselves. This would impact the illegal meat export that the government encourages. Therefore. the Ministry for Consumer Affairs will not do so.
Just to remind you: The National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011 was conducted to check contaminants in milk throughout India. Most states failed the tests. Five states were found to be 100 % non-conforming to the milk standards set by the FSSAI. 14 % of the samples had detergent in them – in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha. 70% of Delhi milk samples failed the FSSAI standards.
46% milk was found diluted with water. Of 1791 samples, skimmed milk powder was present in nearly 548 samples and 477 samples contained glucose.
The report appeared on January 10th 2013. The FSSAI were summoned and told to repair the damage they had done by releasing these shocking truths. So they are now busy issuing 'clarifications.'
First they issued a press release stating that 'non conforming' did not mean that it was 'unsafe for consumption'. The milk may be of 'sub standard' quality but 'not necessarily' unsafe. In short: The milk may be rubbish but not everyone dies from drinking it so it can continue to be sold. The FSSAI officials have clarified that adding water to milk is only bad if 'the water which has possibly been added is contaminated.' So, it is not bad to cheat the customer by adding water to an expensive product which is sold by weight – it is OK if the adulterant is clean.
Regarding reconstituted milk made from skimmed milk powder, instead of banning the practice, the FSSAI has said that a circular will be issued to big dairy houses to brand the milk right. The circular has not been issued till today.
Regarding the presence of formalin or formaldehyde, (a chemical used for preserving dead bodies and to increase the shelf life of milk when it is being transported), it is illegal in food and is a carcinogen. The FSSAI says 'That is allowed for preservation. Maybe where we detected it they must have put it in larger quantities.'
Regarding the detergents found in milk, the FSSAI says that this is because the handlers of milk have not washed out the detergents, used to clean hands and vessels. before handling the milk! It is a known fact that detergent is used to make synthetic milk to increase the thickness and viscosity of the milk. A study done by the Indian Council of Medical Research states that detergents in milk cause food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications.
Now the FSSAI says it can't do anything about making milk pure- it has to be done by the states. The states refuse to take any action saying that they have not seen the report (which was published on the front page of every paper across India). Bihar's milk was found to be 100% contaminated but the state Food Safety Authority maintains that 'We have no idea where they collected the samples from. Once the report is shared with us, we will collect the samples, test it in our labs and then take appropriate action on whether the license has to be revoked or not.' This is six months after the report. (In any case the department has only 23 officers to man the food quality of the entire state.)
The Delhi Food Safety Authority has the same reaction. They agree that 'The samples were found to contain skimmed milk powder. But this is not hazardous to health, its just reconstituted milk.' Delhi has an estimated daily demand of 70 lakh liters of milk, about 90% is supplied by brands. Neutralisers like Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Ammonia, Carbon Trioxide (carbonate) and other alkalis are used to correct and optimise the pH value of un-fresh milk so that they appear to be fresh milk. Obviously they would be a necessary component in reconstituted milk, which is what 50% of Delhi's milk is in summer.
The FSSAI refuses to send their report officially to any state or even to the Indian Dairy Association! So the states have an excuse to ignore it. Even if they got them, most of the state testing laboratories are either defunct or ill equipped.
This belief that we are the world's number one milk producer is misplaced. We are the number one fake milk producer in the world. And the only way you can stop this and protect your children is by totally stopping the purchase of this dangerous product.
‘Food security is good, but what about food safety?’
VARANASI: While the National Food Security Bill (now an ordinance) has been widely debated by political parties and experts, a professor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) wants to draw attention of policy makers towards proper implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) 2006.
"Why only Food Security Bill is in agenda of political parties, why is the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 not being highlighted," wondered Anand Chaudhary, associate professor at the faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Chaudhary.
High drama is on in political circle regarding food security bill that ensures cheap grain for one-third population of the country. Congress is adamant for the bill as game changer and other political parties are considering it as vote bank politics. "As an academician and university teacher, may I ask these policy makers about some facts. Who will take care of implementation of FSSA, which was made to ensure service to the masses (poor as well as prosperous), regarding food available in market, either readymade, ready to eat or raw form," he said. Why policy makers are not ensuring the best services to commoner by strict implementation of provisions of FSSA 2006 amended in 2008, 2010 and 2012 for better services to every section of society. Why they are eyeing only vote bank that may be an easy target?
Expressing concerns regarding Ayurveda in FSSA, Chaudhary said: "I oppose the move of the government in which it permitted sale of honey by mixing antibiotics in a certain concentration. Honey is used as carrier in these permissible substances as food. Honey is a medicine and used in Ayurveda as an adjuvant to potentiate the effects of several Ayurvedic formulations. Antibiotics in honey need further debate from all angles."
"We invite attention of government on a clause of FSSA where it kept Ayurvedic medicinal oil at par to the edible oils. These are not the same. So, the criteria, quality and standard parameter of Ayurvedic oils may not be same as per pure edible coconut and mustard oil, he said. Ayurvedic oils are processed as per principles of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics with many herbs and minerals. Parameters of these Ayurvedic oils are notified in Ayurvedic Pharmacopiea of India /Ayurvedic Formulary of India separately as medicine.
"Why only Food Security Bill is in agenda of political parties, why is the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 not being highlighted," wondered Anand Chaudhary, associate professor at the faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Chaudhary.
High drama is on in political circle regarding food security bill that ensures cheap grain for one-third population of the country. Congress is adamant for the bill as game changer and other political parties are considering it as vote bank politics. "As an academician and university teacher, may I ask these policy makers about some facts. Who will take care of implementation of FSSA, which was made to ensure service to the masses (poor as well as prosperous), regarding food available in market, either readymade, ready to eat or raw form," he said. Why policy makers are not ensuring the best services to commoner by strict implementation of provisions of FSSA 2006 amended in 2008, 2010 and 2012 for better services to every section of society. Why they are eyeing only vote bank that may be an easy target?
Expressing concerns regarding Ayurveda in FSSA, Chaudhary said: "I oppose the move of the government in which it permitted sale of honey by mixing antibiotics in a certain concentration. Honey is used as carrier in these permissible substances as food. Honey is a medicine and used in Ayurveda as an adjuvant to potentiate the effects of several Ayurvedic formulations. Antibiotics in honey need further debate from all angles."
"We invite attention of government on a clause of FSSA where it kept Ayurvedic medicinal oil at par to the edible oils. These are not the same. So, the criteria, quality and standard parameter of Ayurvedic oils may not be same as per pure edible coconut and mustard oil, he said. Ayurvedic oils are processed as per principles of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics with many herbs and minerals. Parameters of these Ayurvedic oils are notified in Ayurvedic Pharmacopiea of India /Ayurvedic Formulary of India separately as medicine.
A year on, shawarma case is still an open-ended one
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Call it ironic. But it was only after the tragic death of a student, Sachin Roy Mathew, and hospitalization of more than 20 people reportedly after eating 'shawarma' from a city outlet that the little known food safety department came to the spotlight. The shawarma incident was the first major case that came up before the department after the introduction of the Food Safety and Standards Act in the state in 2006.
Though the food safety department conducted a serious of raids, surprise checks, etc in hotels across the state in the last one year, the way it handled the shawarma case is worth introspecting.
The officials failed to collect samples of the shawarma which allegedly caused food poison to several people and resulted in the death of Sachin in Bangalore. Sachin had bought two shawarmas from Salwa Cafe restaurant at Vazhuthacaud before leaving for Bangalore on July 10, 2012. He was found dead at a hotel in Bangalore on July 13. At the same time, more than 20 people were admitted to various hospitals in the city. "The issue came before us only on the third day. By the time, the hotel workers had destroyed the samples and we could not collect them," said a senior food safety official.
When asked whether they could collect any evidence to link shawarma with the food poison case, the officials said that they collected evidences, including bill records, of the other victims. "We got the medical records and statements of the people who were hospitalized for food poison. The medical report did not specify food poisoning, but it says that the symptoms are that of food poisoning," said the official. The department had filed a chargesheet at chief judicial magistrate court almost six months ago.
Food safety officials put the onus of further investigation on the Museum police, who are probing the case. "Police will collect other details such as postmortem report, forensic report, etc. The postmortem was held in Bangalore," the officials said.
However, the incident was an eye opener for the department, which began periodic checks on eateries after the incident. Lack of skilled employees, infrastructure facilities and efficient laboratories affects the functioning of the department.
Though the food safety department conducted a serious of raids, surprise checks, etc in hotels across the state in the last one year, the way it handled the shawarma case is worth introspecting.
The officials failed to collect samples of the shawarma which allegedly caused food poison to several people and resulted in the death of Sachin in Bangalore. Sachin had bought two shawarmas from Salwa Cafe restaurant at Vazhuthacaud before leaving for Bangalore on July 10, 2012. He was found dead at a hotel in Bangalore on July 13. At the same time, more than 20 people were admitted to various hospitals in the city. "The issue came before us only on the third day. By the time, the hotel workers had destroyed the samples and we could not collect them," said a senior food safety official.
When asked whether they could collect any evidence to link shawarma with the food poison case, the officials said that they collected evidences, including bill records, of the other victims. "We got the medical records and statements of the people who were hospitalized for food poison. The medical report did not specify food poisoning, but it says that the symptoms are that of food poisoning," said the official. The department had filed a chargesheet at chief judicial magistrate court almost six months ago.
Food safety officials put the onus of further investigation on the Museum police, who are probing the case. "Police will collect other details such as postmortem report, forensic report, etc. The postmortem was held in Bangalore," the officials said.
However, the incident was an eye opener for the department, which began periodic checks on eateries after the incident. Lack of skilled employees, infrastructure facilities and efficient laboratories affects the functioning of the department.
FDA seizes gutka worth Rs 18.60 lakh
PUNE: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) seized gutka worth Rs 18.60 lakh from a godown in Manjari Khurd (Haveli taluka) in Pune district.
The FDA conducted the raid after a tip-off from police officials. "We raided the godown and seized gutka worth Rs 18.60 lakh on July 11. Police have arrested a driver who was loading the truck during the time of raid. The owner of the godown is from Hadapsar and had rented it to a person from Pune a month ago. However, the tenant is currently untraceable," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune
Food Safety officials (FSO) S R Adhav along with police sub inspector P S Nalawade conducted the raid under the supervision of S B Kodgire, assistant commissioner (food), FDA.
Last year, state government had banned the manufacturing, storage, distribution as well as sale of gutka and paan masala. The state government also decided to press for long prison terms and fine up to Rs 10 lakh by invoking stringent provisions in the Food and the Security Standards Act, 2006.
"Even small paan shops, hawkers, petty sellers found selling gutka or paan masala can be asked to pay fine up to Rs 25,000. If the seller has not complied with the directions of the FSO then a fine up to Rs 2 lakh can be imposed," said S S Desai, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
The FDA conducted the raid after a tip-off from police officials. "We raided the godown and seized gutka worth Rs 18.60 lakh on July 11. Police have arrested a driver who was loading the truck during the time of raid. The owner of the godown is from Hadapsar and had rented it to a person from Pune a month ago. However, the tenant is currently untraceable," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune
Food Safety officials (FSO) S R Adhav along with police sub inspector P S Nalawade conducted the raid under the supervision of S B Kodgire, assistant commissioner (food), FDA.
Last year, state government had banned the manufacturing, storage, distribution as well as sale of gutka and paan masala. The state government also decided to press for long prison terms and fine up to Rs 10 lakh by invoking stringent provisions in the Food and the Security Standards Act, 2006.
"Even small paan shops, hawkers, petty sellers found selling gutka or paan masala can be asked to pay fine up to Rs 25,000. If the seller has not complied with the directions of the FSO then a fine up to Rs 2 lakh can be imposed," said S S Desai, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
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