FSSAI approves SurePure’s tech as alternative to thermal pasteurisation

SurePure, Inc., a player in liquid photopurification, on Tuesday announced that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had approved the use of SurePure's proprietary photopurification technology as an alternative process to thermal pasteurisation for milk and other dairy products. This approval paves the way for the commercialisation of SurePure's technology throughout India's fluid milk market.
According to a press release issued by the company, the Indian fluid milk market is the world's largest dairy market, estimated to have more than 70 million dairy farmers with production volumes of approximately 122.7 million tonne per annum and a growth rate of 4%. The company, as announced earlier this year, has entered into a multi-unit, multi-year royalty and distribution agreement with Moksha Yug Access (MYA), an Indian rural supply chain solutions company centred in Karnataka.
"We believe that this royalty agreement with SurePure can bring a cutting-edge milk processing alternative to India. This enables us to access a robust technology, which retains the integrity of milk while delivering milk in its most nutritious form to the consumers," stated Harsha Moily, CEO, Moksha Yug Access. "There are an estimated 70 million small dairy farmers in India, many of whom cannot participate fully in the formal economy. Our company and our Milk Route milk brand open the door to a new era in Indian milk processing with the SurePure technology. We now await product approval from FSSAI."
Steve Miller, VP, sales & marketing, SurePure, stated, "We are pleased by the action taken by the Indian authorities who are pioneering the way in dairy processing, showing the rest of the world's dairy authorities that new, safe, energy-efficient technological solutions to old dairy problems do exist and should be embraced. We believe that the SurePure technology is ideal for the Indian dairy operating environment, enabling small- and large-scale producers alike to save money and improve the quality of the final product. This solution is ideal for the challenges of third-world processing and as the world's leading dairy market, we expect the Indian model to be adopted in other markets."

Experts find flaws in mid-day meal scheme

New Delhi, August 1 (IANS) Poor quality of food grains given to schools by the Food Corporation of India and late payment of dues to school management committees were among the reasons for the poor performance of the mid-day meal scheme, experts say.
At a review meeting of the scheme, chaired by Human Resource Development Minister M.M. Pallam Raju, the experts stressed on the need for convergence of services at the village level as well as better monitoring.
The meeting, held Wednesday, was attended by top officials of the health ministry, rural development ministry, tribal affairs ministry, ministry of minority affairs and drinking water and sanitation, an official release said.
"The main problem is with the supply chain which includes the poor quality of grains given by the Food Corporation of India and late payments to the school management committee," Supreme Court-appointed commissioner on mid-day meals N.C. Saxena said.
He said cooks do not get salaries for months and children are being deprived of vegetables in their meals.
Health Secretary K. Desiraju suggested that a mechanism should be explored to utilise over eight lakh primary health workers in villages for monitoring the quality and hygiene of the meals.
The chairman of the Food Security and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) suggested that his organisation has more than 300 accredited labs across the country which can be utilised for testing food.
He also suggested that the FSSAI can help in maintaining the quality, hygiene and safety of the food at the district level.
The human resource development minister said the possibility of involving youth in the scheme should be explored. He also favoured the use of local food like ragi (finger millet), jowar (sorghum) and maize in meals for their nutritious values.

Last month, 23 children of a village school in Bihar's Saran district lost their lives after eating a poisonous mid-day meal.

Kerala college students fall ill after eating canteen food

Thirty-one college students of LBS Institute of Technology for Women were admitted to the hospital on Thursday after they ate food at their college canteen.
Food safety officials said the students started vomiting and developed nausea after eating lunch at the canteen.
The officials inspected the canteen and ordered a temporary closure as it was found functioning under unhygienic conditions.
The students, who had both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, fell sick. All of the students except two were discharged by the hospital by Wednesday evening, they said.

DINAMALAR

உணவின் மாதிரி மட்டுமே ஆய்வுக்கு எடுக்கப்படும்

விடுதியில் வழங்கப்படும் உணவினால், மாணவர்களுக்கு ஏதாவது உபாதை ஏற்பட்டால், அதை ஆய்வு செய்யவே, இரண்டு மணி நேரம், உணவின் மாதிரி வைத்திருக்க, உத்தரவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது' என, பிற்படுத்தப்பட்டோர் நலத்துறை தெரிவித்துள்ளது. தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள, அனைத்து பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட, மிகவும் பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட, சீர் மரபினர் நலத்துறை விடுதிகளில் பணிபுரியும், சமையலர்களுக்கு, அத்துறை புதிய உத்தரவு வெளியிட்டது. அரசால் நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட அளவில், வாராந்திர உணவு முறைப் பட்டியலின் படி, தரமான உணவு வழங்கப்படுகிறதா என, கண்காணிக்க வேண்டும். சமையலறையை சுத்தமான முறையில் பராமரிக்க வேண்டும். சமைப்பதற்கு பயன்படுத்தப்படும் பொருட்கள், எந்த கலப்படமுமின்றி, தரமாக உள்ளதா என்பதை உறுதி செய்ய வேண்டும். கடமை உணர்வோடு, வார்டன்கள் தரமான உணவுகளை வழங்க வேண்டும்.
ஒவ்வொரு வேளையும், சமைக்கும் உணவின் மாதிரியை சமைத்து முடித்த இரண்டு மணி நேரம் வரை, ஆய்வுக்காக விடுதியில் வைக்க வேண்டும். சமைத்த உணவுகளை, வார்டன்கள் ருசி பார்த்த பின்னரே, மாணவர்களுக்கு வழங்க வேண்டும் என, புதிய உத்தரவு பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டது. உத்தரவு வெளியானவுடன், சமைத்த உணவை ஆய்வு செய்வதற்கு, இரண்டு மணி தேவையில்லை எனவும், ஆய்வு முடிவதற்குள், சமைத்த உணவு ஆறி அவலாய் போய்விடும் எனவும், விமர்சனங்கள் எழுந்தன.

இதுகுறித்து, பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட நலத்துறை உயர் அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறுகையில், "விடுதியில் வழங்கப்படும் உணவால், மாணவர்களுக்கு ஏதாவது உபாதை ஏற்படும் பட்சத்தில், அதை ஆய்வு செய்யவே, இரண்டு மணி நேரம், உணவின் மாதிரி வைத்திருக்க, உத்தரவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. மற்ற படி, சமைத்த அனைத்து உணவுகளும், உடனடியாக பரிமாறப்படும்' என்றார்.

Midday meal scheme to follow food safety norms

NEW DELHI: Review of the midday meal scheme on Wednesday turned into free and frank discussion with some important decisions to strengthen the quality and hygiene aspect of the programme.
It was decided that MDM would follow the guidelines of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). Established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI is a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards. HRD minister M M Pallam Raju also said there should be a greater convergence with organizations like the National Service Scheme (NSS). He also said help of Accredited Social Health Activist under National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) be taken to enhance the quality of MDM.
National Advisory Council (NAC) member NC Saxena said MDM's problem lies outside school whereas the institution is expected to sort them out. He said MDM suffers from serious problems of cash and foodgrain flow. He said MDM suffers from rampant corruption. Saxena pointed out that the gap between coverage of MDM and school enrolment points out that there is some serious lacuna. He, however, praised the work done by a particular officer in Uttar Pradesh and pointed out that it is in disarray ever since he was moved out.
MDM expert Ashok Rao said talk of greater synergy does not work at the ground level. He said in one village there are five kitchens - for primary, upper primary, two run by society for elimination of rural poverty and one for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) - and they do not even interact with each other.
HRD minister said School Management Committee cannot be expected to do everything, from overseeing cooking to tasting food. As for strengthening the cooking quality it was decided that cook-cum-helpers would be trained by Mumbai-based Naik Foundation, which runs a 30-day programme for cook-cum-helpers.

HRD min plans to work with FSSAI in improving midday meal quality

The HRD ministry is planning to work closely with Food and Safety Standard Authority of India in improving the quality of midday meal and its delivery mechanism.
The ministry today held comprehensive deliberations with education ministers of some states and probable members of the new monitoring committee, expected to be set up shortly, and decided to strengthen the distribution network for the proper implementation of the programme.
Bihar Education Minister P K Shahi did not arrive for the meeting despite his earlier promise to attend it.
The meeting came in the wake of Bihar midday meal tragedy which claimed 23 lives.
According to sources, NC Saxena, who is one of the probable members of the committee, said a proper and effective distribution mechanism is critical for the success of the scheme.
He said unless food grains are distributed on time and funds released periodically, the programme would fail to meet its objectives.
The meeting decided to rope in Food and Safety Standard Authority of India and "converge" various aspects of the implementation of the programme with the organisation.
The latest development follows instructions from HRD Ministry to the states to strictly adhere to the guidelines drawn up to ensure safety of the food served as part of the scheme.
Among the ministry directions is one calling for teachers and a member of the school management committee to taste the food before it is served to the children.

Camp for food business operators

Jammu, July 31
To generate awareness about the new Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 and the rules and regulations 2011 and to improve the standards of hygiene of food products, Jammu Municipal Corporation  (JMC) organised an awareness camp at Trikuta Nagar for food business operators. Shopkeepers and other traders dealing with the sale of food items were present on the occasion. Food safety officer Dr Vinod Sharma directed the traders to get their licences/registrations checked from the office of the health officer. The food business operators assured the authorities that irregularities would be removed within a short span of time.

Officials of the Jammu Municipal Corporation address mediapersons during an awareness camp in Jammu on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma