Valuable insights in book on food safety

Food safety problems in the state are showing a declining trend, as per a study conducted by Food Safety Department (FSD). The operations of the department had helped achieve this.

The Commissionerate of Food Safety had taken the initiative to educate and make food business operators aware of the need for scientific and healthy modes of food processing in the wake of rising health hazards due to the unhygienic handling of food material.

It was in this context that A K Mini, Kollam District Officer of Food Safety Department, was entrusted with the job of bringing out a book on food safety by Biju Prabhakar IAS, Commissioner of Food Safety.

Health Minister V S Sivakumar launched the book this month and the book conveys the practices to be followed for safe food processing. This book is being given free of cost to food business operators and Food Safety Department is planning to bring out more books in this regard in the context of encouraging response.

Given her 26 years of experience in this field, Mini had taken the opportunity to explain in the book the important rules on food safety.

“The effective functioning of the Food Safety Dept depends on its following the rules of evaluation, education and enforcement. In the first phase of evaluation the real issues existing in food processing are evaluated. In the second phase the stress is on educating food business operators in following healthy modes of food processing. In the third phase the stress is on enforcement of norms legally,’’ said Mini. Currently, the Food Safety Dept is in the educating phase and is educating food business operators. ‘’Health and safety of a society depends on the action of each and every person in the food chain; like manufacturers, processors, importers, exporters, hoteliers, store keepers, retailers etc. If all in this chain are aware about the scientific and safe modes of food handling, the whole chain will be safe,’’ Mini said.

The book also contains warnings about legal implications to those who violate norms. “This book is being supplied free of cost to all in the food processing sector,’’ Mini said.

சுகாதாரமற்ற வாட்டர் பாக்கெட் விற்பனை

திருவாடானை, நவ. 25:
ஆர்.எஸ்.மங்கலத்தில் கடைகளில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் சுகாதாரமற்ற வாட்டர் பாக்கெட்டுகளை தடை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று பொது மக்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
திருவாடானை அடுத்துள்ளது ஆர்.எஸ்.மங்கலம் பேருராட்சி. இது திருச்சி ராமேஸ்வரம் நெடுஞ்சாலையில் உள்ளது. அதனால், இங்கு வெளியூர் சுற்றுலாப் பயணிகள் அதிகம் வந்து செல்கின்றனர். இங்கு பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட் பகுதியில் அதிக கடைகள் உள்ளன.
நகரின் அனைத்து பகுதி கடைகளிலும் பாதுகாக்கப்பட்ட குடிநீர் என்று கூறி வாட்டர் பாட்டில்கள் மற்றும் பாக்கெட்டுகள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது.
இவற்றின் மீது ஐஎஸ்ஓ தரச்சான்று பெற்ற நிறுவனம் என்றும் குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஆனால், அதில் உள்ள தண்ணீரை குடிக்கும் போது உப்பு கலந்ததாக உள்ளது. சில பாக்கெட்டு தண்ணீரை குடிக்கும் போது பிளாஸ்டிக் வாடை வீசுகிறது. இப்படி தரமற்ற குடிநீர் விற்கப்படுவது குறித்து சிலர் சிலர் பேரூராட்சி சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகளிடம் புகார் செய்துள்ளனர். ஆனால் நடவடிக்கை இல்லை.
உடல் நலத்திற்கு பாதிப்பை ஏற்படுத்தும் இது போன்ற சுகாதாரமற்ற குடிநீர் பாக்கெட் விற்பனையை தடை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று கோரிக்கை விடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Gutka worth over Rs 7.10 lakh seized in Navi Mumbai

The officials of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today seized gutka worth over Rs 7.10 lakh at Vashi in Navi Mumbai and arrested one person in this connection.
Acting on a specific information, an FDA team intercepted a pick-up van carrying banned gutka that was being smuggled into Mumbai from Bangalore at Vashi and seized pouches of Goa 1000 Gutka worth Rs 7,19,000, sources said.
They arrested Shadab Mohin Shaikh, driver, who was working for M/s Geluvu Food Products, Bangalore. The FDA has registered an offence under sections 3(1), 26 and 27 read with 2.3.4 of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition & Restriction) Regulation, 2011 with Vashi police station, sources added.

Food safety department's office plan caught in legal dispute

KOCHI: The food safety department's plan to construct a new office building in Kothamangalam to seat the circle officers of Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha seems to have hit a roadblock, with the grandson of the person who reportedly handed over the land to the health department in 1960 making a claim on the land.
The department claimed that the disputed 15 cents of land were handed over to the health department to set up a family welfare centre and the PWD even built a building for the centre in the property. But with the upgrading of Kothamangalam panchayat to municipality in 1978 the centre was closed down
Later the building was used as food inspector's office and the office functioned from the building for more than 10 years. As the building was not in a good condition, the food inspector's office was shifted to the Muvattupuzha taluk hospital temporarily in 2005.
With the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, the food safety department made plans to set up a building in the land for its Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha circle offices.
"The encroachment took place in October this year. The department was planning to construct a building in the property. The PWD has already prepared a project for it which is under consideration of the state government," said C Benny, food safety officer, Kothamangalam.
He added that as per the records of the municipality the property belonged to health department and it has been paying tax for it.
The food safety department said that it had already brought the issue to the attention of the district collector and district medical officer.
The additional district medical officer, Dr Suhitha K, visited the spot last week as part of the investigation conducted by the health department.
Ernakulam district collector Sheik Pareeth said he has called a hearing to solve the issue. "The resurvey of the land would be done to confirm whether there was any encroachment," he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Arun Jose Abraham -- who has approached the Muvattupuzha court claiming that the land belongs to him -- said, "I inherited the land from my father and have all the documents to prove my ownership. I have been paying tax for the land since I inherited it."
He said the health centre was allowed to function in their ancestral home on humanitarian grounds.

Hotels, restaurants directed to ensure food safety measures

In pursuance of Schedule 4 part-V of Food Safety & Standards Regulations, 2011, the Food Business Operators of Hotels, Restaurants, canteens (office, college, school, institution etc), tea stalls, catering street food vendors and temporary stalls in the State have been directed to comply with various guidelines to ensure hygienic and food safety measures
This was notified by Directorate of Health & Family Welfare (Food Safety), Nagaland, Kohima.
Referring to premises and hygiene, it directed that walls, floor and ceiling should be free from dust, dirt etc. and should be clean and well maintained. There should be adequate provisions for ventilation, exhaust and light, separate toilets with soap and towel should be maintained, arrangements for equipment washing, adequate draining and proper sanitation, drainage should be well covered with regular cleaning, garbage disposal should be properly segregated from food processing area and should be leak proof, water proof and have tight fitting lid and should dispose promptly, arrangement should be made to prevent, entry of insects, rodents etc. and dining tables/chair etc should be kept clean and sanitized regularly.
In the area of equipments and utensils, it directed that machinery and equipments such as freezers, display cabinets, containers vessels, karahi, plates, ladles, chopping/cutting board, knives, mixer, grinder etc should be kept cleaned and equipments and food handling devices should be free from rust, dust breakage etc.
In the area of cooking/processing/serving, it directed the concerned to use potable water for cooking tea making and for drinking, provide filtered water for drinking, use separate cooking equipments for vegetable and non –vegetable products, ensure thorough cooking, do not reuse frying oil/fat once is used, prepared foods should be kept covered, protected from dirt, dust, insects etc, ready- to –eat food items should not touched with bare hands, except with food handling devices etc., serve cold foods cold and hot foods hot, serve food in clean and intact utensils or disposal plates, cups etc.
Referring to personal hygiene, it stated that employees should be medically fit, any employees suffering from wounds or any infectious or contagious disease should not be allowed to work or employed, nails and hair should be well trimmed and wear clean cloths like apron, hand gloves, head wear, face mask etc., smoking, chewing of tobacco, pan masala or spiting etc in food preparation/serving area should be prohibited, ensure hand washing before and after handling of food, provide toilets, separately with wash basins, avoid foul smell in toilets and surrounding area and clean toilets regularly with proper disinfectants.
It also directed the concerned to use separate waste bins for bio degradable and non-degradable wastes, use leak proof waste bins and kept it clean; empty waste bins and keep them clean.
Dr. Neiphi Kire, principal director & additional food safety commissioner, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare stated that the notification has been issued in the interest of public health.
Dr. Kire warned that non-compliance to this notification would be an offence punishable under section 56 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.