Follow rules, sweetmeat makers told

With sweet preparation for Deepavali in full swing, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India officials have asked manufacturers to follow prescribed standards in preparation, packaging and distribution of food items.

A team led by T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, inspected houses, marriage halls, and catering halls, where sweets were being prepared in bulk quantities.

They asked the persons involved in preparing the sweets to use standard ingredients, use quality oil and ghee, protected water, permitted synthetic food colours and ensure that hygienic is maintained in preparation area. They also stressed that workers should wear cap and should not have skin diseases who were involved in the process. Manufacturers were also asked not to use newspapers for packing the sweets and also supply only quality products.

Officials also asked consumers to buy sweets from licensed sellers and also not stress on the colour of sweets. “Milk sweets should be consumed within three days where as ghee sweets in 10 days,” they added.

Six teams were inspecting the units from Monday and it would continue for another one week. They said bulk preparation has just begun and they would closely monitor the units.

HO wakes up to unhealthy food outlets

Srinagar, Oct 25: Lack of hygiene, absence of proper dress code or medically unhealthy condition of staffers at restaurants, hotels and other food outlets in the City may soon land its owners in trouble ranging from cancellation of licenses to imprisonment.
Prompted by public complaints, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has finally decided to act tough against the violators with the SMC Health Officer issuing public notifications in newspapers.
“The Public Health Department of Srinagar Municipal Corporation is conducting a Food Safety Audit of all Food Establishments of Srinagar City, which shall include: Sanitation and cleanliness of the Food Establishments, Pest and rodent control methods adopted, Health and Hygiene of the all Food Handlers along with their Medical /Health status and Adoption of dress code including uniform, gloves, and Headgear etc,” reads the notification issued by the Health Officer Dr Shafqat Khan vide No SMC/PS/HO/882 dated October 24, 2013.
“Any Food Establishment which fails to comply the Food Safety Audit shall be liable to cancellation of Food licenses along with fine up to Rs 1 lakh or imprisonment upto 6 months under the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006,” it adds.
When contacted the Health Officer admitted that the decision was taken following public complaints that the “food outlets were taking consumers for a ride”. “No indiscipline will be tolerated,” he added.

Vadodara Municipal Corporation to conduct extensive checking of food outlets during festive season

VADODARA: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has asked all persons engaged in the food business to ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The civic body issued the advisory in wake of the fact that food items will be prepared and stored in large quantities during the festive season.
VMC officials said that the civic body was geared up to conduct tests and inspect food and sweetmeat outlets extensively. Officials said that even raw material used to prepare food items will be checked by the civic body.
The corporation's health department officials will collect samples and analyse these in its laboratory. Teams of the department will also carry kits to analyse the samples on the spot as well.
VMC officials checked some food outlets in the city Friday and collected 13 samples. Teams had visited shops in Makarpura, Alkapuri, Gotri, Waghodiya Road, Chokhandi, New Sama Road, and other areas. The samples will now be analysed at the civic body's public health laboratory. The process is expected to continue till November 2.
Officials said that extensive checking has been planned as it had come to light in the past that raw material and prepared food items that were not fit for consumption were stored. Adulteration was another issue that the officials want to check.

FDA proposes rules to make animal food safer

Amid incidents of pets dying from dog treats, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing long-awaited rules to make pet food and animal feed safer.
The rules stem from a sweeping food safety law passed by Congress almost three years ago. Like rules proposed earlier this year for human food, they would focus on preventing contamination before it begins.
The announcement comes as the FDA says it hasn't yet determined a cause of almost 600 dog deaths believed to be linked to pet jerky treats imported from China. The agency has been trying for six years to determine what exactly is causing those illnesses.
The proposed rules would require those who sell pet food and animal feed in the United States — including importers — to follow certain sanitation practices and have detailed food safety plans. All of the manufacturers would have to put individual procedures in place to prevent their food from becoming contaminated.
The rules would also help human health by aiming to prevent foodborne illnesses in pet food that can be transferred to humans. People can become sick by handling contaminated pet food or animal feed.
Michael Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods, said the rules fit together with regulations proposed in July to create better oversight over imported food, including pet foods and animal feed. The idea behind all of the food safety rules is to make businesses more responsible for the safety of the food they are selling by proving they are using good food safety practices. They might do that by documenting basic information about their suppliers' cleanliness, testing foods or acquiring food safety audits. If they fail to verify the food is safe, the FDA could stop shipments of their food.
Currently, the government does little to ensure that companies are trying to prevent food safety problems but generally waits and responds to outbreaks after they happen.
Taylor said the new rules, once they are in place, could be helpful in investigating the jerky treat deaths if those illnesses are still happening. But they still may not be able to solve the mystery because the FDA has not yet been able to determine what ingredients are causing sickness. The rules generally ask manufacturers to focus on certain hazards and do their best to prevent them.
"We are really still trying to find out what the hazard is" in the jerky illnesses, Taylor said.
The FDA said the rule could cost industry $130 million annually to comply. Smaller businesses would have more time to put the rule in place.
The agency will take comments for four months before issuing a final rule and will hold a series of public meetings to explain the proposal.

More food safety officers sought

The delay in appointing qualified food safety officers has been a major hurdle to effective implementation of food safety norms in the State, Kerala Food Technologists Association (KEFTA) has said.
A spokesman for Kefta said on Thursday that though Kerala was the first State to establish a Food Safety Commissionerate to implement the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA-2006) there had been delay in appointing food safety officers by Public service Commission (PSC). Other States that established Food Safety Commissionerates after Kerala did it in 2011 had already appointed enough food safety officers to enforce the rules, the KEFTA spokesman said.
As many as 57 posts of food safety officers had been sanctioned in Kerala though these posts had not yet been even notified. The posts were to be filled by professionally qualified candidates.
Food analysts had also not been appointed even on temporary basis in Pampa and other pilgrimage centres, the KEFTA spokesman said, demanding appointment of food safety officers without further delay.