திருப்பூரில் 2 குடிநீர் ஆலைகளுக்கு "சீல்' : முறைகேடாக இயங்கியது அம்பலம்

திருப்பூர்: திருப்பூரில், முறைகேடாக இயங்கிய, இரண்டு குடிநீர் சுத்திகரிப்பு நிறுவனங்களுக்கு, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையினர், "சீல்' வைத்தனர். திருப்பூர், திருமுருகன்பூண்டியில், சோமனூரைச் சேர்ந்த சண்முகம் என்பவருக்குச் சொந்தமான, "சூப்பர் ஸ்பிரிங்' குடிநீர் நிறுவனம், நான்கு மாதங்களாக இயங்கி வந்தது. பனியன் நிறுவனத்துக்கென, மின் இணைப்பு பெற்று, குடிநீர் சுத்திகரிப்பு செய்வதை, மின்வாரியத்தின், முன்னாள் ராணுவத்தினர் அடங்கிய பறக்கும் படையினர் கண்டுபிடித்தனர். இதுபற்றி உள்ளூர், மின்வாரிய அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் கொடுத்தனர். இதேபோல், பெருமாநல்லூர் ஆசான் தோட்டம் பகுதியில், ராஜேஷ் என்பவருக்குச் சொந்தமான, "ஜெய் ஆஞ்சநேயா அக்குவா பார்ம்ஸ் நிறுவனம்', "அக்குவா பர்பெக்ட்' என்ற பெயரில், மூன்று ஆண்டுகளாக இயங்கி வந்ததும் கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்டது. இத்தகவல் கிடைத்ததும், உணவு பொருள் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் சுகாதார கண்காணிப்பு அலுவலர்கள், இரு நிறுவனங்களிலும் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். ஆய்வில், குடிநீர் சுத்திகரிப்பு தொழில் நுட்பம், ஆய்வகம், சுகாதாரம், உரிமம் என, எதுவுமே இல்லாமல், நிறுவனங்கள் இயங்கியதும், நேரடியாக தண்ணீரை பிடித்து கேன்களில் அடைத்து விற்பனை செய்ததும் தெரியவந்தது. இதையடுத்து, உரிமம் இல்லாமல், முறைகேடாக இயங்கிய இவ்விரு நிறுவனங்களையும் அதிகாரிகள், "சீல்' வைத்தனர்.

Junk food grappling with global regulations, concerns about trans-fats

With growing concern about trans fat and its ill effects on human health, the noose is tightening around such products. Regulations from the apex food authorities worldwide and even directions from courts in recent times regarding defining junk food are doing rounds that represents global concern. 

In this regard, the recent decision by the US FDA to ban the trans fats in processed food is seen as a right step as many European countries have already regulations in place to check the trans fats and saturated fats.

Countries like Denmark have strict regulations that processed food should not contain trans fat more than 2%. 

However, the regulations in India are just begun. Currently the trans fat content is allowed at 10%, which was supposed to be brought down to 5% within three years.

Experts feel that the regulatory authority needs to do a lot more in order to bring the content to the level of European countries. 

Recently on November 11, the apex food regulator of India – FSSAI issued a notification for extension of the deadline for the industry to comply with regulations regarding trans fats and saturated fats, wherein the FBOs (Food Business Operators) have to declare in the label about the total content of trans fat, total saturated fat by weight and total fatty acid by percentage. 

Now the deadline has been extended till July 1, 2014. 

Amit Khurana, programme manager, food safety and toxins division of Centre for Science and Environment, felt that the regulations needed to be implemented in the right sprit. “For last five years there had been discussions only. In India we lag behind in terms of checks of such unhealthy foods, which cause serious health concerns,” he said. 

He added that there is need to define and regulate products particularly the synthetically produced, like hydrogenated vegetable oil.

Besides this, recently, the Delhi High Court has also asked the apex food body of the country to define the junk food earlier this year and dismissed the plea by FBOs that there should not be any new category of the food while hearing on October 29.

The plea, filed by an NGO for banning sale of aerated drink and junk food (such food which are high on sodium and low with nutrients) within 500 m, is under consideration in the Delhi High Court and the next hearing is scheduled in December.

The petitioner has given examples of the US and UK wherein there is a ban on such products in schools.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

கடைகளில் பதுக்கி விற்ற பான்பராக், குட்கா பறிமுதல்

மதுராந்தகம், நவ. 29 :
மதுராந்தகம் மற்றும் அதை சுற்றியுள்ள நெல்வாய், நெல்வாய் கூட்டுரோடு உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு பகுதிகளில் உள்ள கடைகளில் நேற்று உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையினர் ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர். அப்போது தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பான்பராக், குட்கா உள்ளிட்ட பொருட்களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் ஜெகநாதன் தலைமையிலான உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் இப்பணியில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.

Milk samples in Pune division fail purity test

PUNE: About 33% of milk samples in Pune division have failed to conform to standards, says the latest report by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"Milk is a primary source of nutrition for children. Therefore, it is even more important to keep a strict vigil on adulteration," said office bearers of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Of the 217 samples taken for testing from Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Satara and Sangli, 60 were found to be substandard and 20 were found unsafe for human consumption.
Solapur tops the list in substandard milk with 23 of 70 milk samples found of low quality. Sangli leads in Pune division in having unsafe milk samples as 11 of the 44 samples were found to be adulterated. Of the 47 samples taken from Pune, 10 were found substandard, but none was found unsafe.
The samples were taken from milk collection centres, tankers, processing units, local dairies and vendors and tested at notified public health laboratories in Pune and Mumbai between April 1 and October 31, this year.
"The milk samples lacked in standards of fat and 'solids not fat' (SNF) as decided by the law. The samples found unsafe were labelled unsafe because there were adulterants found in them like skimmed milk powder, sugar and edible oil which were mixed to enhance appearance and taste," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which came into effect on August 5, 2011, looks at various aspects of milk adulteration and divides them into various segments like safe food, food not of the nature or substance or quality demanded, extraneous but harmless matter, misbranded items and unsafe for consumption.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, unsafe food means an article of food whose name, substance or quality is so affected as to render it injurious to health.
"As per the act, adding a substance directly or as an ingredient which is not permitted is also considered as unsafe. Since, the milk samples in which adulterants like edible oil, sugar and milk powder were found they are labelled as unsafe as per the norms. But these adulterants were not injuries to human health," S S Desai, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
The FDA, Pune, has prosecuted 13 people under various provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 for resorting to adulteration. Quasi-judicial action was taken in the rest of the cases, he added.
A recent study conducted by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) across 33 states found that milk in the country is adulterated with detergent, fat and even urea, as well as diluting it with water. Across the country, 68.4% of the samples were found to be contaminated.
In urban areas, the number of non-confirming samples were 845 (68.9%) of which 282 (33.3%) were packed and 563 (66.6%) were loose.
The most common adulteration was that of fat and solid not food (SNF), found in 574 (46.8%) of the non-conforming samples. Scientists say this is because of dilution of milk with water. The second highest parameter of non-conformity was skimmed milk powder in 548 samples (44.69%), which includes the presence of glucose in 477 samples. Glucose could have been added to milk, probably to enhance SNF.
How the samples fared
District Milk Samples Drawn Samples found substandard Samples found unsafe
Pune 47 10 00
Satara 29 10 3
Sangli 44 12 11 Kolhapur 27 05 00
Solpaur 70 23 6
Total 217 60 20

Hawkers will have to get licence from corporation

A Town Vending Committee will be formed

In a step towards regulating street vendors in the city, the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has decided to introduce a licensing system for them.

The move comes in the wake of the recent identification of vending zones in each of the four zones in the city towards implementing the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors.

About 80 places have been identified as vending zones, including 20 in Srirangam zone, 15 in Golden Rock, 37 in Ariyamangalam, and eight in K. Abishekapuram zone, where vendors will be allowed to operate.

All other places in the city will be treated as non-vending zones.

The list of vending zones identified by the corporation does not include roads in the city’s main commercial area such as the NSB Road, Big Bazaar Street, Singarathope, and Nandhi Kovil Street, where a large number of vendors operate every day.

On Wednesday, the corporation council approved a resolution fixing an annual licence fee of Rs. 1,200 for street vendors. Vendors running temporary shops in an area of 6 ft x 4 ft would be required to pay a daily fee of Rs. 50 in areas classified as zone A and Rs. 30 in areas under zone B. Street vendors engaged in business without getting approval would be liable to pay a penalty of Rs. 250. The products sold by them would be seized and auctioned. The resolution said a Town Vending Committee would be formed as required under the national policy. The list of vendors in each area would be prepared by the corporation and they would be issued licences and allotted space for carrying on their trade. To obtain the licences, street vendors should be residents of the corporation limits. Space allotted to a particular vendor cannot be transferred. The National Policy on Urban Street Vendors recognises street vending as an integral part of the urban retail trade and provides legal status to the vendors.

Vendors are to be enumerated ward wise and each street vendor will be registered by the town vending committee and issued identity cards.