MAALAI MALAR

TNFS DEPT. - DHARMAPURI DIST. NEWS

Halwais, shopkeepers made aware

Jammu, July 28: An awareness meeting was organsied by Karyana & Halwai Union Ramgarh at Vimal Muni Collage Ramgarh in coordination with Food Safety & Health Dept officers. Speaking on occasion Rajan Kapoor (DO), Dalip Singh (FSO Samba) briefed prominent businessmen of Ramgarh about necessity of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. 

They stressed shopkeepers for obtaining the FSSA license, cleanness on shop, tiling and water purifier at all kind of hotel and sweet shops. They also instructed shopkeeper not to sell loose items and assure batch number, manufacture address, MFD & expiry date, weight & MRP of the product. Ex-Bepor Mandal President Narinder Kumar Gupta advised shopkeepers to issue proper VAT Bill to consumer for whatever they sell and also take VAT Bill during purchases & keep a proper record of sales & purchases. 

The meeting was attended by 100 shopkeepers of Ramgarh, Raj Kumar, Bal Chander, Parshotam, Raj Kumar, Bodh Raj, Pinka Kumar, Yash Paul and others.

Midday meal fiasco: primary inquiry rules out food poisoning

But the bakery that supplied bread has been ordered to shut shop

After urgently responding to the reports that 20 students from a Pernem school in north Goa were admitted to a hospital on Saturday morning for suspected food poisoning from consuming the midday meal, the Goa Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Saturday evening ruled that there did not appear any significant case of food poisoning from the initial investigation and report of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Pernem Medical officer.

However, a bakery in the neighbourhood, which supplied bread along with the said midday meal, was ordered to close down as it was found to be unlicensed and operating in extremely unhygienic conditions, said Director of FDA Salim Veljee on Saturday evening.

This was the second bakery to be shut down by FDA after a bakery was closed down in south Goa on Friday in the course of the on-going FDA inspection of midday meal supplies across the State.

Mr. Veljee told The Hindu on Saturday evening that a sample of the food had been taken for analysis and the FDA would have to wait for its outcome before reaching any conclusion.

Narrating the sequence of events on Saturday, he said that after receiving a call from the Health officer, PHC Pernem informing that 19 secondary school students of Sri Kamleshwari High School, Korgaon, had been admitted to their PHC with complaints of abdomen pain upon the consumption of midday meal ‘Bhaji – Pao’ served to them at their school, he rushed his food inspectors to the school.

The students were admitted around 12 noon to PHC Pernem for medical attention and after keeping them under observation all the 19 students were discharged around 2 p.m. the same afternoon.

The PHC Doctor in-charge also informed Mr. Veljee that the case did not appear to be of food poisoning as the students were not manifesting the symptoms of food poisoning.

Instead, two of the students had fever the day before and they too complained of the same symptoms. Mr. Veljee said that FDA food safety officers Abel Rodrigues and Flavia DeSouza visited the PHC and took a statement from the doctor and thereafter visited the school authorities and obtained a statement from Headmaster Dharma Shetye who informed them that the ‘Bhaji – pao’ was supplied by Brahmanand Charia SHG (self-help group) located at Pechawado, Korgaon, Pernem.

The SHG had supplied the said food not only to that school, but also to two other schools.

Both these schools had not reported any such event upon consumption of the same food.

The samples drawn from the food made available at the school, which was specifically kept for FDA surveillance purposes by the school authorities after the incident would be analysed only on Monday, said Mr. Veljee.

Thereafter, the FDA food safety officers inspected the SHG premises at Korgaon, Pernem and there were no defects observed nor any quantity of either the said food or any other raw foodmaterials were available for lifting for analysis.

The FDA Director recalled that the same SHG was also inspected by the FDA Officers on Friday only during their inspection drive and no defects had been found then either.

In shambles

Thereafter, the officers visited the bakery from where the bread had been procured and supplied with the said midday meal and found that the bakery was really in shambles and un-hygienic and also did not possess any FDA food safety licence and hence it was ordered to be shut down immediately and the owner Anita Nimbalkar was directed not to commence any operation till the bakery was put in total order and licence obtained from FDA.

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‘It did not appear to be a food poisoning case as there were no pertinent symptoms’

A sample of the food was taken for analysis; FDA will wait for the report: Veljee

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Medical student dies of suspected food poisoning

Rejitha Rajeev, who died of suspected food poisoning in the city on Saturday  

She had eaten biryani from a hotel at Kazhakuttam
An 18-year old-girl from Ulloor died in the city on Saturday of suspected food poisoning after she had chicken biryani from a hotel at Kazhakuttam.
According to the police, Rejitha Rajeev, who dined at the restaurant with her family on Friday night, had ordered biryani. Her family members ordered other dishes.
Rejitha, a second-year medical student in Puducherry, complained of discomfort at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday and was taken to a private hospital in Ulloor.
When her situation worsened, she was shifted to the medical college hospital, where she died around 1.30 p.m.
Complaint filed
Her parents, who are doctors, alleged that the girl had shown discomfort and signs of food poisoning after the family had dined at the Halais Dum Biriyani in Kazhakuttam.
They have registered a complaint with the police against the hotel.
Medical College Circle Inspector S. Nazurudeen said the case could be confirmed only after examining results of medical tests. “If it was a case of food poisoning, the girl should have shown discomfort at least four hours after the food was consumed. But she showed no such signs until Saturday morning. We are not sure it was case of food poisoning. We will wait for the medical reports,” said Mr. Nazurudeen.
The police inspected the hotel and collected feedback from customers who were at the hotel on Friday.
District Food Safety Officer D. Sivakumar told The Hindu that following the police complaint, an inspection was conducted at the hotel and its licence had been suspended till the investigation was completed.
“We did not find the hotel unhygienic. However, we have collected samples of raw materials used for making the chicken biryani at the hotel. The hotel has been following all rules till now,” he said.
In Balaramapuram
Twelve persons fell ill at the Sree Ramakrishna School near Balaramapuram on Saturday after consuming food ordered from an eatery here.
The food was brought from Arafa Hotel for a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) function that was organised at the school.
Three children and eight teachers complained of stomach cramps and vomiting. According to an official at the Balaramapuram Primary Health Centre, a teacher was administered IV drip and released from the PHC in the evening.
The hotel was closed pending notice from food safety officials. The owner was brought to the Balaramapuram police station.

Medical student dies of suspected food poisoning

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a suspected case of food poisoning, a 19-year-old medical student died at medical college hospital here on Saturday evening.
Rajitha Rajeev, a second year MBBS student in JIPMER, Puducherry, was admitted to a private hospital on Saturday noon due to severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
Sensing her condition as serious, she was referred to medical college. Rajitha was unconscious while she was admitted to the ICU at Medical College around 1.15pm. Soon she died.
According to medical college police, the girl and her parents had food from Halais Biriyani, an eatery in Kazhakoottam, on Friday night.
"As per the complaint of girl's uncle, we have registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC. The girl reportedly had chicken biriyani while her parents ate appam and vegetable curry at around 7pm. The girl started having diarrhoea and vomiting," the police said.
The food safety officials inspected the hotel and temporarily suspended its licence. The officials collected samples of raw materials which were used to prepare food.
As many as 17 samples were collected which were sent to Govt Analytical Lab on Saturday night.
According to designated officer of food safety department D Sivakumar, the hotel was working in a hygienic condition. "The kitchen was at another place. Both the hotel and kitchen were operating in good condition. We can't confirm food poison unless we get a medical report," he said.
The food safety department has not registered case under Food Safety and Standards Act as there was no evidence to prove food poisoning.
Another incident in school
In Balaramapuram, 12 students and teachers of Sree Ramakrishna Public School have been admitted to a hospital due to suspected food poisoning. The condition of a student was stated to be critical.
The students and teachers fell ill after having packed lunch bought from Arafa Hotel. The outlet's owner Imamuddin has been arrested.

Cheap food vs death by poisoning: India's food dilemma

Villagers dig graves to bury the school children who died after consuming contaminated meals given to them at a school on Tuesday at Chapra district, in the Bihar on July 17, 2013. The Indian government announced on Thursday it would set up an inquiry into the quality of food given to school pupils in a nationwide free meal scheme after at least 23 children died in one of the deadliest outbreaks of mass poisoning in years. REUTERS

 Nearly a decade ago, the Indian government ruled out a ban on the production and use of monocrotophos, the highly toxic pesticide that killed 23 children this month in a village school providing free lunches under a government-sponsored programme.

Despite being labelled highly hazardous by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a panel of government experts was persuaded by manufacturers that monocrotophos was cheaper than alternatives and more effective in controlling pests that decimate crop output.

India, which has more hungry mouths to feed than any other country in the world, continues to use monocrotophos and other highly toxic pesticides that rich and poor nations alike, including China, are banning on health grounds.

Although the government argues the benefits of strong pesticides outweigh the hazards if properly managed, the school food poisoning tragedy underlined criticism such controls are virtually ignored on the ground.

According to the minutes, the 2004 meeting conducted by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee, the Indian government body that regulates pesticide use, concluded that: "The data submitted by the industry satisfies the concerns raised...Therefore, there is no need to recommend the ban of this product."

The minutes of the meeting can be read here: http://cibrc.nic.in/248rc.doc

Government scientists continue to defend the pesticide, and insist the decision to not ban it remains good.

Just weeks before the school tragedy in Bihar state, the Indian government advised farmers via text message to use monocrotophos to kill borer pests in mandarin fruits and rice, records on the agricultural meteorology division's web site show.

"It is cost effective and it is known for its efficacy ... some even call it a benevolent pesticide," said T. P. Rajendran, assistant director general for plant protection at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

"I can say that pesticides currently permitted in the country are safe provided they are used as per specifications and guidelines. We have exhaustive and detailed guidelines. They need to be followed."

A senior official directly involved in the decision-making on pesticide use said: "You have got to understand that all pesticides are toxic but they are essential for maintaining or increasing agricultural production.

"Can we afford to lose 15-25 percent of output? One cannot afford to lose such a large percentage of agricultural produce. The answer lies in judicious use."

The official declined to be identified.

The WHO has cited a 2007 study that about 76,000 people die each year in India from pesticide poisoning. Many of the deaths are suicides made easy by the wide availability of toxic pesticides.

15 PAGES OF REGULATIONS

In the school tragedy, police suspect the children's lunch was cooked in oil that was stored in a used container of monocrotophos.

The Indian government has issued 15 pages of regulations that need to be followed when handling pesticides - including wearing protective clothing and using a respirator when spraying. Pesticide containers should be broken when empty and not left outside in order to prevent them being re-used.

But in a nation where a quarter of the 1.2 billion population is illiterate and vast numbers live in far-flung rural districts, implementation is almost impossible. For instance, monocrotophos is banned for use on vegetable crops, but there is no way to ensure the rule is followed.

According to the WHO, swallowing 1,200 milligrams - less than a teaspoon - of monocrotophos can be fatal to humans. In 2009, it called for India to ban the product because of its extreme toxicity.

"It is imperative to consider banning the use of monocrotophos," it said in a 60-page report. "The perception that monocrotophos is cheap and necessary, have prevented the product from being taken off the market" in India.

WHO officials say the school tragedy reinforces the dangers of the pesticide.

"We would advocate that countries restrict, ban, or phase out...those chemicals for which they can't ensure that all aspects of use are safe," said Lesley Onyon, WHO's South-East Asia regional adviser for chemical safety. "If they can't ensure safety, it's our policy to say that these chemical or pesticides shouldn't be used."

Indian government officials refuse to address the WHO's findings directly.

"We have to take decisions depending on our need, our priorities, and our requirements. No one knows these things better than us," said the government source.

NATIONAL PRIORITY

For India, providing more food to its people is a national priority. According to the World Bank, nearly 400 million people in the country live on less than $1.25 per day.

Nearly half its children under five are malnourished.

The Bihar school where the children died was participating in the government's midday meal programme, aimed at giving 120 million school pupils a free lunch - both providing nutrition and encouraging education. India is also close to implementing an ambitious plan to provide cheap food to 800 million people.

Central to these efforts will be higher crop yields and managing costs.

According to government officials and manufacturers, monocrotophos is cheap and is also a broad spectrum pesticide that can only be replaced by four or five crop- or pest-specific pesticides. Even similar pesticides are much more expensive.

A 500 ml monocrotophos bottle sold by Godrej Agrovet, a subsidiary of Godrej Industries, is priced at 225 rupees ($3.75), while an alternative, Imidacloprid, in a bottle of 500 ml produced by Bayer, costs 1,271 rupees.

Monocrotophos is banned by many countries, including the United States, the European Union nations, China, and, among India's neighbours, Pakistan. Sri Lanka only allows monocrotophos use for coconut cultivation.

One of the two companies that argued against the ban on monocrotophos in 2004 halted production five years later under pressure from the public in its home country, Denmark.

Cheminova, a unit of Auriga Industries, said it stopped producing monocrotophos in India in 2009 and converted its plant to produce a low-toxic fungicide.

"We decided to phase out monocrotophos because with many alternative products, we could not see any reason to have such a toxic product in a country like India," Lars-Erik Pedersen, vice-president of Auriga Industries, told Reuters in Copenhagen.

"It was a big decision because it is one of the best-selling products in India," he added.

The other manufacturer that made a presentation at the 2004 meeting was United Phosphorus, currently the biggest producer of the pesticide in the country.

Managing Director Rajju D. Shroff told Reuters that monocrotophos was "very harmless," and hinted calls for a ban were aimed at helping multinationals sell more costly alternatives.

"Companies want to sell new pesticides. If they have monocrotophos, farmers will not change to new, expensive ones," said Shroff, who attended the meeting as the head of the Crop Care Federation of India, a position he still holds.

NOT MOST TOXIC

Historically, India appears reluctant to ban pesticides. Monocrotophos isn't the most toxic pesticide used in the country, according to the WHO's classifications. Phorate, methyl parathion, bromadiolone and phosphamidon, all classified as extremely hazardous, are likewise registered for use.

And endosulfan - a substance so nasty the United Nations wants it eliminated worldwide - was banned only by a Supreme Court order in 2011. The decision came a few months after the chief minister of the southern state of Kerala, the top elected official, went on a day-long hunger fast to demand the ban.

According to media reports, over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds born deformed because of indiscriminate aerial spraying of endosulfan in Kasargod, a Kerala district.

Both production of monocrotophos and demand in India was higher in 2009/10 than in 2005/06, according to latest available government data. It accounted for about 4 percent of total pesticide use in 2009/10 and 7 percent of production.

Its share in total sales is about 2-3 percent now, according to the Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association, which says it represents the industry on a national basis with over 250 members.

The Centre for Science and Environment, a leading environmental NGO in India, says the state of pesticide control in the country is deplorable and companies have great influence.

"The story on the ground is abysmal, it's very disappointing," said Amit Khurana, programme manager in the CSE's food safety and toxins unit.

"People still do not know how much of pesticide is to be used, which pesticide is to be used for which crop. The biggest influence for a farmer is the sales representative of the company ... so there's this sense of gross mismanagement at that level."

The government has tried to introduce legislation for "more effective regulation of import, manufacture, export, sale, transport, distribution and use of pesticides" but the bill has languished in parliament since 2008.

India is no stranger to the dangers of pesticides. Besides the thousands killed each year, the country suffered the world's worst industrial disaster when lethal methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal in 1984, killing nearly 4,500 people.

But in the fields of rural India, pesticides like monocrotophos continue to be widely used.

"I have been using it for the last 10 years, I have a very good experience," said Gaiyabhu Patil, a 56-year-old farmer who has just finished spraying monocrotophos on his 15-acre cotton crop in the western state of Maharashtra. "It is cheap and effective."

Anil Dhole, a pesticide vendor in Koregaon, a district town southeast of Mumbai at the centre of a sugarcane and cotton growing region, said few of his customers took health warnings seriously.

"Many farmers don't take the necessary precautions while applying the pesticide. We do inform them about its toxic nature, but they take it casually," he said "Farmers don't even bother to cover their noses."