Post food adulteration complaint on FB

Chennai: Welcoming the young and tech-savvy to rep­ort on food ad­u­l­te­ra­tion, food safety officials have asked them to post their com­pl­a­ints on Facebook. City food safety officials wi­ll take complaints fr­om consumers on adulterated sweets and snacks sold duri­ng the Deepavali festival in this manner.
Customers can also take a photo of the it­em and post it on Fa­ce­book. Speaking to DC, S. Lak­shmi Naraya­n­an, designated officer, Food Safety and Stan­d­ards Authority of In­dia (FSSAI), said, “We conducted raids and lifted samples of food items and sweets from various hotels and sweet meat shops in the last few weeks to ensure safe consumption for Chen­n­a­iites during Deepavali.
In case of food adulteration and substandard quality of food items being sold during the festival, people can let us know through our Facebook page.” He added that for many, Facebook would be an easy tool with which to reach officials.
It may be recalled that Anshul Mishra, former Madurai collector, opened a Face­book page and used it as a speedy grievance red­r­essal mechan­i­sm. He rec­e­ived more than 3,000 complaints on the page and solved 80 per cent of them as quickly as possible.
Similarly, the Food Sa­fety department is ho­ping receive responses from the public on unsafe and unhygienic food items through the Face­book page. “We would track the sale of unsafe food and bring the uns­cr­upulous traders to book with the help of consumers,” he said.
Fa­ce­book link of FS­SAI: ht­tps://www.facebook.com/fssai . Apart from online complaints, consumers can send the­ir petitions directly to: The Desi­gna­ted Officer, Food Safety and Stan­dards Authority of India, No.33, Jones Road, Sai­dapet, Chennai - 600 006. 044-23813095

Juice shops served closure notice

The mobile Vigilance squad of the Food Safety wing on Thursday issued closure notice to three fruit juice–ice cream parlours in Saphalyam complex at Palayam for serious violations of hygiene and food safety standards .
Three other juice-ice cream parlours in the same location were also issued notice to strictly maintain hygiene standards.
The inspection was carried out by Food Safety officials following a spate of complaints regarding the juice parlours in Saphalyam complex, on a directive from the Commissioner of Food Safety, a statement issued by the Food Safety wing said. Officials also collected samples of the ice being used in these shops and sent it for bacterial quality testing.

FSOs conducting nationwide raid on shops adulterating paneer and khoya

Diwali has always been a testing time for the food safety regulators in the country in view of the rampant adulteration of vital mithai ingredients in the country. This year it was no different, except the fact that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) took some proactive action by asking the state food safety commissioners to conduct a drive to check adulteration in cottage cheese (paneer) and khoya, which are used to make sweets and savouries such as kaju roll, kaju barfi, kalakand, paneer cutlet, paneer chilli and shahi paneer, without which the festivities are incomplete.

Food safety officers (FSOs) in various states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala, were deployed to collect samples of foods containing the aforementioned ingredients from various shops – both big and small – suspected to be involved in adulteration. Bihar collected 50 samples, Maharashtra collected 30, Gujarat collected 25 and Kerala collected 20.
Bihar
Aashish Kumar Singh, designated officer, headquarters, food and safety wing, Bihar, informed, “About a month ago, we started collecting samples of khoya and paneer from top hotels and sweetmeat shops which were involved in adulteration. The cottage cheese used by these hotels were found to contain corn starch in place of milk extract.”
“Till date, we have collected 50 samples. These have been sent to the laboratory for testing. Fines would be imposed on them under Section 51 of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, upon the receipt of the results of the tests. Tests are being conducted across the country to ensure that consumers do not purchase adulterated sweets, as the consumption of these could lead to food poisoning,” he said.
Singh added, “The culprits would be fined as per the offence. The fines would range between Rs 2 lakh and 10 lakh, depending upon the extent of adulteration in samples. Curbing adulteration in paneer and khoya is very easy, and can, in fact, be done by the consumer itself. In order to check whether the paneer is adulterated, all one has to do is put a drop or two of iodine solution on the raw paneer. If its colour changes to blue-black, it is adulterated and contains starch.”
“When we start collecting samples, the shop-owners become wary and stop selling adulterated items immediately, because they know that if they are caught selling the same, a first information report (FIR) would be lodged against them and they would be imprisoned. Many were booked last year after lab tests revealed that the eatables they were selling were adulterated,” informed Singh.
Maharashtra
Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner, food, Greater Mumbai division, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, “In order to check adulteration across Maharashtra, and particularly in Mumbai, we have deployed many FSOs and also four assistant commissioners so that checks can be conducted in big and small establishments that selling adulterated food items during the festive season. During the drive, which commenced a couple of months ago, we collected around 30 samples and sent them for testing. We are sure that this year there will be very few shop-owners involved in adulteration, because the preventive actions are very strict.”
Gujarat
H G Koshia, food commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat, said, “This year, it will be very difficult for the shopkeepers to indulge in adulteration because of the stringent rules laid by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Since the commencement of the drive in Gujarat a month-a-half ago, we have been conducting regular checks on the food business operators (FBOs) in the state, and we will try to ensure that no one is involved in adulteration. We have collected around 25 samples so far. Strict action will be taken against those found to be indulging in this malpractice.”
Kerala
“Our food safety officers have collected around 20 samples and have sent them for testing. We started the drive about a month ago, because it takes the lab 15 days to declare the test results. Moreover, we wanted to ensure that not many shops – big or small – are involved in adulteration,” said K Anil Kumar, joint commissioner, food, Kerala Food and Drug Administration.

தீபாவளியை யொட்டி பலகாரம் விற்பனை செய்பவர்கள் உரிமம் பெற வேண்டும்-கலெக்டர் எச்சரிக்கை

தூத்துக்குடி, நவ.1:
தீபாவளி யை யொட்டி பலகாரங்கள் விற்பனை செய்பவர்கள் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை யில் பதிவு செய்து உரிமம் பெற வேண்டும் என்று கலெக்டர் ரவிகுமார் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
இது குறித்து அவர் வெளியிட்டுள்ள செய்திக் குறிப்பு:
தீபாவளி பண்டிகையையொட்டி இனிப்பு மற்றும் கார பண்டங்களுக்கு சீட்டு நடத்துபவர்கள் உள்பட அனைத்து தயாரிப்பாளர் கள் மற்றும் விற்பனையாளர்களும் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையில் பதிவு செய்து உரிமம் பெற்று பொதுமக்களுக்கு வினியோகம் செய்வது கட்டாயமாக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.
இனிப்பு மற்றும் பேக்கரி பொருட்கள் தயாரிப்பவர் கள் தரமான மூலப்பொருட் களை கொண்டு சுகாதார மான முறையில் தயாரித்து பாதுகாப்பான உணவு பொருட்களை மக்களுக்கு வழங்க வேண்டும். உணவு தயாரிப்பில் கலப்படமான பொருட்களையோ, அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட அளவுக்கு அதிகமான நிறமிகளையோ உபயோகிக்கக் கூடாது. பேக்கிங் செய்யப்பட்ட உணவு பொருட்களுக்கு விவரச்சீட்டு அச்சிடும் போது, அதில் தயாரிப்பாளரின் முழு முகவரி, உணவு பொருளின் பெயர், தயாரிப்பு அல்லது பேக்கிங் செய்யப்பட்ட தேதி, காலாவதியாகும் காலம், சைவ மற்றும் அசைவ குறியீடு ஆகியவை அவசியம் குறிப்பிட வேண்டும். உணவு பொருட்களை ஈக்கள், பூச்சிகள் மற்றும் கிருமி தொற்று இல்லாத சுகாதாரமான சூழலில் பொதுமக்களுக்கு விற்பனை செய்ய வேண்டும்.
பண்டிகை காலத்தில் மட்டும் பலகாரங்கள் தயாரிப்பவர்கள் உள்பட அனைத்து தயாரிப்பாளர்கள் மற்றும் விற்பனையாளர்களும் உடனடியாக உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலத்தை தொடர்பு கொண்டு இந்திய உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தரங்கள் சட்டம் 2006ன் கீழ் தங்கள் வணிகத்தை பதிவு செய்து உரிமம் பெற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்.
பொதுமக்கள் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறையில் பதிவு பெற்ற நிறுவனங்களில் இருந்து மட்டும் பலகாரங்கள் வாங்குமாறும், பேக்கிங் செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்களில் விவரச்சீட்டு இருந்தால் மட்டுமே வாங்கி உபயோகிக்கலாம். இது தொடர்பான புகார்கள் ஏதும் இருந்தால் தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாகத்துறை நியமன அலுவலருக்கு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கலாம்.  இவ்வாறு குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

New Zealand, China sign food safety agreement

Wellington, Nov 1 (IANS) The food safety regulatory agencies of China and New Zealand Friday signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in food safety and quality.

The Food Safety Cooperation Arrangement between New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) was signed in Wellington by CFDA vice minister Liu Peizhi and MPI deputy director general Carol Barnao, reported Xinhua.

The agreement will see the establishment of a Joint Food Safety Commission, which would allow MPI and the CFDA to meet annually to help build a better understanding of how each other's food safety systems worked.

New Zealand Food Safety Minister Nikki Kaye said the agreement would encourage cooperation and the sharing of knowledge in the fields of food safety, risk management, food standards and regulations.

"The agreement shows commitment and a willingness between New Zealand and China to work together on food safety programs," Kaye said in a statement.

The agreement would further build on the strong relationship between the two countries, particularly in the agricultural and food sectors.

The agreement comes in a year which has seen New Zealand food exports to China hammered by MPI export certification bungles and dairy contamination scares, including the false alarm over Fonterra's botulis.

FDA takes steps to strengthen spice safety

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- In response to recent outbreaks from Salmonella-contaminated spices, U.S. health officials completed a draft risk profile on pathogens and filth in spices.
"The study's findings suggest the presence of pathogens, such as Salmonella, and filth in spices is a systemic challenge. Failures identified in the farm-to-table food safety system potentially leading to adulteration of consumed spice generally arose from poor/inconsistent application of appropriate preventive controls," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.
"The study identified 14 spice/seasoning-associated outbreaks worldwide that occurred from 1973 to 2010, resulting in less than 2,000 reported human illnesses and 128 hospitalizations worldwide."
The relatively small number of outbreaks identified may be attributable in part to the application of preventive controls by the spice and food manufacturing industries, including pathogen reduction treatments, and cooking during food preparation, the FDA said.
People's tendency to eat small amounts of spices with meals generally lowers the probability of illness from contaminated spices relative to similarly contaminated foods consumed in larger amounts.
It is also possible that illnesses caused by contaminated spices are underreported, particularly because of challenges related to attribution for minor ingredients in multi-ingredient foods.
The risk profile identifies the most commonly occurring microbial hazards and filth in spices and quantifies, where possible, the prevalence and levels of these adulterants at different points along the supply chain. It also identifies potential sources of contamination throughout the farm-to-table food safety continuum and evaluates the efficacy of current mitigation and control options designed to reduce the public health risk posed by consumption of contaminated spices in the United States.
The FDA has a number of regulatory standards and programs in place that help prevent contaminated spice from reaching consumers and these are described in the risk profile, the statement said.
In addition, the agency is taking steps to further strengthen spice safety. The FDA has increased inspections of spice manufacturing facilities in recent years and has begun to implement some of the options presented in the risk profile.
For example, the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is working with several partners to develop a training center focused on supply chain management for spices and botanical ingredients. As part of this program, FDA experts have provided food safety training in India, a leading country of origin for U.S. spice importation, the statement said.
The report concluded with a list of knowledge gaps and the research needed to fill them. The FDA seeks comments on this draft document, which can be submitted via the Federal Register.
More information on the proposed rules can be obtained at: www.fda.gov/fsma.

Commoners continue to serve as guinea pigs for VIP food testing

While other countries have adopted advanced and practical techniques for on-the-spot testing of food to be served to the VIPs, in India, the age-old practice of 'lesser mortals' sampling the food continues and it is expected to remain in vogue for years to come as the revised food safety legislation is silent on the issue. Same tradition is followed even if the VIP is country's President or Prime Minister.

Whenever a VIP comes calling, government officers, be it executive magistrates or doctors, are made guinea pigs to sample the catered food. They are required to certify that the food is fit for consumption. If the food has been prepared in a house, the owner has to sign the list of items he or she plans to serve. An hour or so ahead of the VIP visit, a team of the health department arrives at the venue to complete these formalities and to collect samples, which are hardly sent to the state testing laboratory. A layman can also test the food but for more reliability, the officials are chosen as food tasters.

The whole exercise serves little purpose. Even if the food is unhealthy, it is difficult to make it out in the short time that falls between testing and consumption. The samples are preserved for 72 hours and if it does not create any health problem to consumers, it is destroyed, else the samples are sent to the laboratory, the need for which hardly arises.

"It is an old tradition, which we cannot change on our own. Whenever the tour programme of a VIP is intimated to us, it is obligatory for us to make arrangements for food testing," said a senior medical officer.

"Since no VIP has ever fallen ill after consuming food, our government has never given the matter a thought," remarked another senior officer. Senior medical officer Dr Sardul Singh said the government must provide testing kits for instant examination of food.

Director, ESI, HPS Bali, who is in-charge of the food administration, said the directorate had recently written to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to intimate the state about the latest norms as regards sampling of food for the VIPs. "The current practice of food sampling is fair enough. We take care of the kitchen environment also make sure that the cook concerned maintains personal hygiene and is in good health. This is what matters the most," he said.

He confirmed that there had not been an instance when the food meant for VIPs had to be examined at the laboratory.

2 quintals sweetmeats destroyed, teams get cracking on adulteration

About 2 quintals of adulterated bakery products and sweetmeats were destroyed on Thursday in Chandigarh.

The teams constituted by the UT Administration to check adulteration in food items continued its drive against the sale of adulterated and unhygienic food items in Khajeri and Burail on Thursday. An official of the UT Health Department said that during raids at Khajeri and Burail, nearly 2 quintal of bakery products and sweetmeats which were found to be prepared under unhygienic conditions and exposed to dust and flies were destroyed under the supervision of designated officer by the Food Safety officers.

Also, samples of food items were taken from Sector 30 shops for testing against adulteration. Earlier, the teams had destroyed 600 kg of sweetmeats and have seized 33 number of samples on suspicion of adulteration till now in Chandigarh. The UT Administration had initiated an intensive drive on October 14 to check adulteration in food items in Chandigarh.

The higher authorities have already issued warning to shopkeepers and vendors to refrain from such activities. If any shopkeeper or vendor is found selling adulterated food, strict action will be taken against them under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and under Section 2 of  the epidemic diseases Act  1897 (Central Act No.III of 1897).

Dr Sunil Kumar Bhalla, UT Director Health Services again on Thursday issued advisory to all manufacturers to prepare sweetmeats in hygienic conditions and with quality material as per the standards laid down in the Food Act.

JMC launches drive against food adulteration, 7 outlets sealed

Jammu: In a crackdown on sale of adulterated food items in Jammu city during the festive season, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) today sealed seven sweet shops in the city.
JMC sealed three sweet shops- Jai Vaishno Paitha Fruit Products & Sweets, Jai Vaishno Shakti Paitha House and New Jai Maa Shakti Paitha Food Products at Maheshi Gate for selling adulterated sweets in the city, a spokesperson said.
Two outlets in Tallab Tilloo and Mohinder Nagar were also sealed for not maintaining minimum food standard and quality parameters, he said.
The team also checked the quality of sweets being prepared at Pradhan outlet at New Plot and seized 12 tins of material, spokesperson said, adding that Patisa manufacturing unit of Bhola Singh at New Plot was also sealed and materials prepared in 175 boxes were confiscated.
The special drive was conducted by the team led by Kiran Wattal, Municipal Commissioner in the city today. Shopkeepers dealing with food items are strictly warned and directed to ensure supply of good quality of food to the general public, especially sweets and milk products as per the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, the JMC spokesperson said.

Are campaigns against food adulteration pure eyewash?

Despite crackdowns — be it during festivals or otherwise — adulteration business continues to be ‘healthy’.

Like every year, tonnes of sweets, bakery, dairy products, and processed foods are being sold in the state capital this Diwali too. But how much of this is actually of good quality and safe for consumption is anybody’s guess.

Though the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) department carried out its routine sample collection exercise jointly with the district administration, many feel that these drives are mere formalities, so it appears from past records.

Food samples are collected and sent for quality check in the Public Analyst Lab (PAL) in Varanasi.

Strange it may seem, the laboratory reports come only after the adulterated items are already consumed during festivals. While few fail the purity test, cases are registered in even fewer incidents.

The FDA’s role does not end with sample reports.

In case the lab report finds any violation, a notice is sent to the shopkeeper or the manufacturer who can apply for fresh test of the sample by a referral lab, which is in Kolkata.

It is this report, which is considered final.

“After we issue a notice, the manufacturer takes his time to apply for a fresh test in the referral lab, which further takes months to furnish a final report. By the time the report comes, it is almost next year and we start a fresh drive,” an FDA official said, terming the raids a mere “eyewash”.

More than the eyewash theory, it seems that the procedure of implementing the food safety guidelines is too prolonged to be effective.

JP Singh, chief food safety inspector, however, has a different take on the matter.

“The drives at least create fear among the offenders. They would think twice before adulterating food stuff,” he said. But what ultimately matters is how much aware is a consumer, he added.

Stick to rules, sweet makers told

The district administration has issued a set of guidelines to manufacturers and retailers of sweets and snacks in view of the festival season.
According to an administration release, all manufacturers and retailers of edibles for the festival season have to register with the Department of Food Safety. They have to ensure that all edibles are made with standardised ingredients. Manufacturers have been warned against excess colouration or adulteration in any form, and ensure hygienic preparation of the food item. All packaged food items shall bear the address of the manufacturer, name of the food item, date of manufacture/packaging, type of food (vegetarian or non-vegetarian), and period of best use. According to the release, manufacturers are advised to contact the Department of Food Safety and get licence under the Food Safety and Standards rules 2006.
Consumers can convey any grievance or complaint to the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Food Safety division, Government Hospital premises, Nagapattinam (ph: 04365-247060).