DINAMALAR NEWS

Corporates use dirty tactics on public health issues

Several key issues that concern public health and environment may not be a subject of prime-time television discourse on election campaign, but they are certainly on the boil inside and outside the government.

In certain cases the government is taking decisions while on others interested parties are trying to make full use of the policy interregnum. These critical issues range from junk food to nuclear energy. Hectic lobbying is going on so that a desired scenario can be projected to the next government.

 

Siddhartha Mukherjee's study has been used by mobile companies to defy health concerns raised by the WHO. 

The position taken by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on defining junk food and ways to restrict them in schools, in an ongoing litigation in the Delhi High Court, is a case in point. The guidelines proposed by the food regulator are so absurd that they can only gladden the hearts of food companies, which have been deeply perturbed by the litigation and want to avoid imminent ban on their products in schools at any cost. 

In this endeavour, the food regulator has become a ready partner and is seen to be acting as an extension of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Another most blatant case of lobbying comes from the mobile phone industry which has been hiring paid speakers from across the globe to deny any links between radiation and human health. It got award-winning oncologist-turned-writer Siddhartha Mukherjee to endorse its stand that cancer research agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has faulted in classifying electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". One can understand the mobile industry's problem as it faces possibility of stronger regulation on health grounds.

In the same vein, head of a pesticide manufacturers association argued in an edit page article in a business daily that "pesticides are good for health" and that chemical-free organic foods can actually make you sick. Needless to say, the article was designed to influence outcome of the ongoing litigation about harmful levels of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits.

 

Giants in the junk food industry have so far warded off legislation on junk food.

The strategy adopted of all such lobbies is similar to that used by the tobacco industry in the 1970s and 1980s - first deny any link with cancer or ill-health and then question science itself thereby creating confusion in the minds of people.

Climate change deniers too deploy a similar strategy. Meanwhile, anti-nuke and anti-GM groups have unearthed more damaging material through RTI. After the cabinet gave financial approval for two more Russian reactors at Kudankulam, atomic energy officials publicly stated that an insurance package was being worked out with the General Insurance Corporation (GIC) for reactor 3 and 4. But GIC, in an RTI reply, has denied any official communication from the Nuclear Power Corporation about insurance cover for the two units. 

In such a case, what happens to nuclear liability because the Russian suppliers don't want to take any? Notes relating to preparation of government's affidavit on field trials of GM foods to be filed in the Supreme Court have indicated that Jayanthi Natarajan as environment minister wanted to take a principled stand on the issue, but eventually lost her job because of that.

Booze battle: Will the Scotch run out?

Brewing battle between India, European Union over labelling norms threatens liquor supplies

New Delhi, April 29:  

Scotch whisky and some other imported alcoholic beverages may soon go out of stock in Indian outlets if exporters don’t fall in line with India’s labelling regulations.

For the last three months, consignments of the premium whisky from Scotland have not been cleared at Indian ports as they do not have the ingredients listed on the pack. The stricter labelling requirements are part of a 2006 law on food safety and standards that came into force in 2011.

“The Scotch Whisky Association has told us that they are not required to list ingredients in their country. But if they are exporting to India, they have to abide by our rules,” S Dave, Advisor, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, told Business Line.

With the Customs authorities detaining more than 50 consignments of alcohol so far, the issue is now escalating into a diplomatic row.

The British High Commissioner and the French and the EU Ambassadors to India have written to the Government asking for more time to follow the regulations. They also want the detained consignments released.

“The current ban by the EU on import of some fruits and vegetables from India, including mangoes, could be to put pressure on the country to go soft on food and alcohol exporters from the region,” said a Commerce Ministry official.

New Delhi, however, is not ready to oblige. “We have informed the embassies that the labelling and listing requirements have been in place since 2011. The industry had been asking for more time to meet the demands of one festival season or the other for the past two years. We are not prepared to oblige any more,” said Dave.

The FSSAI has told the foreign manufacturers that they could take back the confiscated consignments or ship them to another country, but they can’t be sold in India.

“The interest of our consumers is important to us. When Indian companies are expected not to flout food safety laws in European countries, they also have to comply with our regulations,” Dave said.

It is not just alcohol, but consignments of other food items such as chocolates, pasta, cheese and some curries have also been held up due to improper labelling.

The FSSAI says that its labelling and listing requirements are in compliance with Codex, the global standards regulator, which is recognised by the World Trade Organisation.

Know It All

No, we aren’t talking about an unsavoury personality trait. We’re urging you to be a know-it-all — when it comes to food adulteration! Shirley Mistry tells you about some commonly adulterated foods

Even if you have been shopping for groceries from a trusted shop or supermarket for several years, food adulteration can creep into your food, without you realising it. If you thought that the days when you had to worry about something being added to your flour or milk were over, you need to take a closer look at the produce and spices that you consume, as adulteration is still a rampant issue in our country.

WHAT IS AT RISK? 

While no one knows the full extent to which adulteration takes place, there are several ways to adulterate most of the food items that you consume on a daily basis. Take a look at some of the most easily adulterated foods:

Olive Oil: You thought you were being smart about your food choices by switching over to olive oil. But, we urge you to pick only the best brand, because it is easy to adulterate olive oil with canola oil or palm oil and then add an olive oil scent to it.

Ghee: Do you remember the outrage a few decades ago, when people realised that Vanaspati was packed with so many trans-fats, that it was literally death on a plate? Back then, switching over to ghee was considered to be a safer alternative. However, several small shops have recently been found passing off Vanaspati as ghee by adding a ghee essence to it. 

Honey: The bottle of honey that you devour every morning could be sugar syrup spiked with a scent to give it honey's distinctive fragrance. The more processed the honey is, the more difficult it becomes to tell the difference between adulterated and pure honey. 

Milk: There is just so much that can go wrong with milk, it’s extremely terrifying. Apart from diluting it with water, it can be contaminated with glucose, skim milk powder (mixed with water to bulk up quantities), urea and even detergent. In 2012, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India collected samples of milk from across the country and found that 68.4% of these samples were adulterated.

Wheat Flour or Atta: Dirt, white sand and sometimes, even starch, is added in to bulk up your wheat flour. This makes it very unhealthy and also quite dangerous to consume. 

Spices: The most trusted spices on your spice rack can be adulterated all too easily. While non-permitted colours, saw dust, dirt, grit and red brick powder are used to adulterate chilli powder, lead chromate is found in adulterated turmeric. In some cases, coriander powder is said to have been adulterated by powdered dung and asafoetida can be adulterated by adding powdered substances that are earthy in colour. Also, grass seeds coated with colour are used to create whole cumin. 

TEST IT OUT

If the techniques to adulterate these common foods has given you a royal fright, get to work straight away by performing these simple tests to see how safe you are:

Rub cumin seeds in your palm. If the colour comes off, you know that they are grass seeds.

Put a spoonful of coriander powder in a bowl of water. The dung will float to the top and give out a distinctive, foul smell. 

Put your jar of ghee in the freezer overnight. If it is ghee it will solidify, but, if it is Vanaspati masquerading as ghee, the oil will not freeze.

To check if your asafoetida is pure, pour some into a bowl of water. The adulterants will settle at the bottom and the asafoetide will float to the top.

Always buy the most organic honey you can find, since it is hard to adulterate it in its organic state.

When you find a good deal on extra-virgin olive oil, remember to research the brand well before you make your purchase. 

While buying spices, always look for the Agmark or ISI mark on the products as these specify authenticity. 

Report It!

Food adulteration is a crime in India under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1955. However, incidents such as the epidemic of dropsy in New Delhi in 1998 (due to widespread consumption of mustard oil), are proof that many food retailers and manufacturers get away with adulteration because of weak implementation of this law. The government has enacted the Food Safety and Standards Act in August 2006 and a Food Safety Authority is also being established to ensure that produce matches global standards. In case you find any adulteration in the packaged foods you purchase, we urge you to take it up with your local consumer court.

Why Good Manufacturing Practices important for Food Business Operators?

Good Manufacturing Practices are the set of requirements which are to be followed by – the manufacturing units, processing units & packaging units to ensure that the products & services they are offering should be safe, clean & effective.

The effective implementation of GMP could be carried out through a qualified approach in the manufacturing, processing & packaging units so as to avoid the contamination, mix-ups & errors. On one hand, the good manufacturing practices safeguard the consumer from the poor quality & hazardous product while on other hand; help the food business operators to comply with the guidelines. The failure to successfully implement a GMP plan in an organization may results in situations like; recall seizure, penalty & prosecution.

Good Manufacturing Practices facilitates record keeping, sanitation, personal qualification, cleanliness, equipment verification, process validation and complaint handling.

GMP in food industry

Personnel

Personnel practices are the set of precautions to be taken by the people who are involved during manufacturing, processing & packaging. No person shall be allowed to work if suffering from any disease, one should wear clean cloths, gloves, caps etc and should take care of other necessary precautions.

The staff involved in the processes should have the basic level of education or they should have been trained to perform better.

A competent supervisor/manager should be employed to ensure all everyone involved in the manufacturing or operations process are following the norms.

Plant/Facility

The plant should be located on such a place where external pollutants could be avoided. There has to be a sufficient space for the equipment & storage of materials. Adequate lighting in the entire facility includes; hand washing area, dressing, locker, rooms, toilet etc. The entire facility should be kept cleaned.

Sanitary Operations

The buildings, fixtures and other physical facilities of the plant shall be maintained in a sanitary condition. The cleaning compounds and the sanitizing agents used in the cleaning and sanitizing procedures shall be free from the undesirable microorganisms. The food could be contaminated if the cleaning compounds of the toxic nature are not used or stored properly.

The use of pesticides should not be permitted during food manufacturing and they shall only be allowed to be used in the plant under precautions and restrictions so that the food should not get contaminated.

All food contact surfaces like; utensils, equipment shall be cleaned frequently (dry & sanitary condition) to protects against the contamination of food.

Sanitary facilities and controls

There has to be a proper water supply from an adequate source of the required water quality. The sewage disposal shall be made into an adequate sewerage system or disposal through other adequate means.

There has to be a facility of toilet with proper water supply for the employees and hand washing space with running water in compliance to the regulations.

Equipment & Utensils

All equipment & utensils shall be made of good materials and they should be designed in such a manner to be hold/carried properly while in operations and could be cleaned easily. If not in use then they should be stored in a clean and dry place.

Processes and controls

The raw materials should be properly inspected & segregated to be used in the manufacturing process. It has to be verified that the raw material shall not contain levels of microorganisms. A proper storage space and the conditions to maintain a particular temperature & humidity level shall be taken care well to avoid and contamination & adulteration.

The manufacturing shall be conducted under such a conditions and controls as are necessary to minimize the growth of microorganisms. A minimum temperature of 5 degrees or below for frozen food products and 60 degrees for hot food products shall have to be maintained to avoid spreading of undesirable microorganisms.

Filling, assembling, packaging and other operations shall be performed in such a manner that the final food product shall be free from any contamination and would be served to the consumer in a good quality condition.

GMP provides flexibility to the food business operator to successfully implement the requirements for controlling the activities and serves the consumer with a better quality product.

Programme aids vendors in registration

NEW DELHI: A month after the Delhi government started registration of street-food vendors in the city, not many have managed to get a registration number as it can be done only online. To assist vendors in the registration process and educate them about food safety and standards, National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) held a special programme at Sarojini Nagar's Keshav Park on Tuesday.

The Delhi government was one of the first to adopt the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in 2011. But it failed to implement the scheme due to technical hurdles. Now that the process has started, civic society members, who have been fighting for it, don't want it to fail. NASVI has taken the initiative to rope in as many street food vendors as possible.

Last year, the Delhi government and NASVI had identified eight markets-Sarojini Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Karol Bagh, Jheel, Paharganj, both sides of Nizamudin railway station and New Delhi railway station-where the pilot project would be implemented.

"We have started the project from Sarojini Nagar. We helped 125 street-food vendors register on Tuesday. We will continue the drive for the next one week and try to register all food vendors in the market,'' said Arbind Singh, national coordinator, NASVI. The programme was attended by over 100 vendors.

"I have been working for the past five years in Delhi. What they are teaching is new to me, but I feel this will help me in my business. I'll try to follow basic hygiene standards taught by them," Sajan Kumar Mandal, a street food vendor in Sarojini Nagar.

Dr. Kire directs food business operators to obtain license

Kohima, April 29 (MExN): In pursuance of sub section (3) of section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the principal director of health and family welfare Dr. Neiphi Kire has directed all food business operators in the state to obtain license or register their food business under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Rules, 2011 from the office of the designated officer- Chief Medical Officer of the districts on or before August 4. Licensing and registration forms and other details can be obtained from the office of the designated officer on all working days. 

Food business as mentioned above will include food manufactures, millers, grinder, wholesellers, retailers, godowns, warehouse, cold storage, distributors, transporters, stockers, agencies, departmental suppliers, repackers or relabellers/ pharmacies dealing with food items, food supplements, hotels, restaurants, canteens/caters, slaughter house, fish and meat shop, all petty food business operators etc.

Operating food business without a license or registration will attract penalty up to Rs. 5 lakhs and imprisonment up to 6 months under section 63 of the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, a release received here said.

Civic body seeks power to allot food licences

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation standing committee on Tuesday approved a proposal stating that the civic body should be given the authority to allot food licences and carry out inspections of eateries in the city. The same powers were given to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) three years back.

Two elected members had submitted the proposal, which stated that since 1966, food inspectors of the civic administrations were allotting food licences to eateries. The new law on food and drug safety came into effect in 2011. As per the provisions of the law, the FDA was given the power to issue licences and carry out inspections. The FDA office issued a circular in this regard and the civic administration officials handed over their responsibilities. However, the civic administration is yet to receive any official order from the state or the Central government over handing over of these powers.

"Since the civic administration has not received any official order from the government, the Pune Municipal Corporation officials should be able to allot the licences," said Bapu Karne, chairman of the committee. "Three years back, these officials had the responsibility of allotting permits to hotels and carrying out inspections. The health department officials can handle this responsibility," he said.

The proposal added that the municipal corporation is loosing revenue as the PMC officials are not carrying out the work. The administration can earn through the licence fees and fines and the restoration of powers is needed to increase the civic body's revenue

Food testing lab to go hi-tech

The laboratory will be shifted to an independent building

The food testing lab in Mysore will be provided sophisticated testing equipment to enable complex examination procedures

The only food testing laboratory in the Mysore division is set to go high-tech: it is being shifted to an independent spacious building on the campus of the District Surgeon’s office at Tilak Nagar here, from its original home at the office of the District Health Officer.

Once the lab is shifted to its new premises, sophisticated testing equipment will be installed to enable complex examination procedures, according to the authorities here.

The lab building has been constructed with funding from the World Bank. The equipment, some costing as much as Rs. 2 crore, have been procured with collective funding from the State and Union governments, the World Bank, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA).

“As food safety is essential, the lab will be equipped to conduct tests on all types of foods to determine whether food is adulterated, contaminated or contains harmful chemicals,” said Chidambara, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Standards Wing, Mysore.

He told The Hindu that accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) would be sought once the upgrade was complete. The lab will certify foods as per the standards laid down by the FSSA. There are also plans to install equipment to test the nutritive value of foodstuffs, he added.

A microbiology unit will also be established by year-end to test prepared food such as rice, chapathis, sambar, sweets, snacks and so on. Prepared food served in hotels can be checked once the unit is set up.

Food samples for tests are collected based on complaints, suspicion, and random inspection. Dr. Chidambara said Food Safety Officers in each taluk were entrusted with the job. “It is mandatory to collect four food samples in case of complaints or suspicion. Only one sample is sent for lab tests, while the others are kept in my custody if they are collected in random inspection,” he said.

If food is found to be unsafe for consumption, for reasons such as contamination or the presence of harmful chemicals, or threatens to pose a serious health hazard to the public, a case is booked against the concerned parties who are liable for punishment and a heavy penalty, according to Dr. Chidambara.

He said concerned citizens could also submit food samples for tests; however, they will need to furnish credible information on the samples and certain documents to justify their argument.

In case of food poisoning, samples can be tested at the Mysore lab instead of sending them Bangalore, he added.

The laboratory will be shifted to an independent building and provided sophisticated equipment

Accused in Mango Case Seeks Bail

The Additional District Session’s Court will issue an order on June 3 on the bail petition filed by the person arrested for supplying spurious mangoes in Nettoor. 

While hearing the bail petition filed by Sanu, 38, Karthika Nivas, who is the owner of E D S Fruit Stall, the prosecution opposed granting him bail. 

P K Sajeevan, government pleader and Public Prosecutor, submitted that the accused person had committed a serious crime. He said that mangoes seized from the goodown of the accused contained calcium carbide that could cause serious diseases, including cancer. The prosecution also filed reports from the police and food safety experts. 

Meanwhile, the counsel for the accused pleaded that he was falsely implicated in the case. 

According to the counsel, he did not commit any offence for which he could be charged under IPC-328. He said the police had registered a suo motu case against him.

Food safety officials seized 35 boxes of mangoes treated with calcium carbide, which is used for artificially ripening fruits.

How to know artificially-ripened fruits

Fruits ripened using the chemical will have an ash-coloured layer on the skin.

If you wipe this layer, you will find the skin of uniform colour without any green patches.

Also gradually, the skin gets dry and wrinkled and black spots develop.

Food Safety officials pulp artificially-ripened mangoes

1.7 tonnes of artificially-ripened mangoes found 

Officials examine mangoes at Koyembedu market

Even as the European Union banned the import of Indian Alphonso mangoes, the Food Safety and Drug Administration unit swung into action in Chennai on Tuesday, raiding outlets selling artificially-ripened mangoes. Three teams of officials conducted raids in Koyambedu, T. Nagar, and Kothwal Chavadi.

Over 51 kg of calcium carbide was seized from 218 shops. At least 1.7 tonnes of mangoes were found to be artificially ripened.

More than 200 food business operators also received awareness notices from the authorities,” according to an official.

According to food safety officials, calcium carbide, used to ripen mangoes, is a proven carcinogen. 

On Tuesday, labourers were found packing calcium carbide into small sachets to be hidden in heaps of unripe fruits. Use of carbide to ripen mangoes is an offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Common symptoms reported after eating such fruits are diarrhoea, vomiting, and eye and skin irritations.

கோயம்பேடு, பாரிமுனையில் கார்பைடு கற்களில் பழுக்க வைத்த 1 லட்சம் மாம்பழங்கள் பறிமுதல்-வியாபாரிகள் எதிர்ப்பால் பரபரப்பு

சென்னை, ஏப். 30: 

கோயம்பேடு பழ மார்க்கெட்டில் நேற்று அதிகாரிகள் திடீர் சோதனை நடத்தி கால்சியம் கார்பைடு கற்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்த மாம்பழங்களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். இதற்கு வியாபாரிகள் எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்ததால் பரபரப்பு ஏற்பட்டது. 

கோயம்பேடு பழ மார்க்கெட்டில் தமிழ்நாடு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாகத் துறை சார்பில் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் லட்சுமி நாராயணன் தலைமையில் 10க்கு மேற்பட்ட அலுவலர்கள் நேற்று திடீர் சோதனை நடத்தினர். அப்போது கால்சியம் கார்பைடு கல்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்த 

60 ஆயிரம் மதிப்புள்ள மாம்பழங்களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். பின்னர், அந்த பழங்களை குப்பை கிடங் கில் கொட்டி அழித்தனர். இதற்கு வியாபாரிகள் எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்தனர். இதனால் பரபரப்பு ஏற்பட்டது. 

வியாபாரிகள், அதிகாரிகளை முற்றுகையிட்டு, வாக்குவாதம் செய்தனர். அப்போது, இந்த மார்க்கெட்டில் 500 பழக்கடைகள் உள்ளன. தினமும் 2 டன் மாம்பழம் விற்பனை ஆகிறது. லாரியில் பழங்களை கொண்டு வரும்போதே கார்பைடு கற்களை வைத்து, கொண்டு வரப்படுகிறது. இதனால், மாம்பழம் வரும் வழியிலேயே பழுத்து விடுகிறது. மரத்திலேயே பழுக்க வைத்து அந்த பழங்களை விற்பனைக்கு கொண்டு வருவது என்பது முடியாத காரியம். 

அதிகாரிகள், திடீர் திடீரென பழங்களை பறிமுதல் செய்ய வருகிறீர்கள். இயற்கையாக பழங்களை பழுக்க செய்ய சேம்பர் அமைத்து கொடுங்கள். நாங்கள் அதில் பழுக்க வைக்கிறோம். சுமார் 10 கடைகளில் உள்ள பழங்களை பறிமுதல் செய்து, விளம்பரம் தேடுகிறீர்கள். மார்க்கெட்டில் உள்ள 500 கடைகளில் உள்ள பழங்களையும் உங்களால், பறிமுதல் செய்ய முடியுமா?. 

உடனடியாக பழுக்க வைக்க தமிழக அரசு எங்களுக்கு தேவையான, சேம்பர் அமைத்து கொடுக்க வேண்டும். இதுபோல் வந்து எங்களை நஷ்டம் அடைய செய்யாதீர்கள். நீங்கள் பத்திரிகைகளை அழைத்து வந்து, விளம்பரம் தேடி கொள்கிறீர்கள். எங்களுக்கு பழங்களை எப்படி விற்கவேண்டும் என சொல்லி கொடுங்கள் என்றனர். 

அதிகாரிகள் கூறுகையில், கார்பைடு கற்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்த பழங்கள் வெள்ளை பவுடர் பூசியதுபோல இருக்கும். பழத்தின் மேல் பாகத்தில் கரும்புள்ளிகள் இருக்கும். இந்த பழங்களை சாப்பிட் டால் உடல் நலம் கெடும். எனவே இந்த பழங்களை வாங்குவதை தவிர்க்க வேண்டும் என்றனர். 

மார்க்கெட்டுக்கு வந்த பொதுமக்களுக்கு அலுவலர்கள் துண்டு பிரசுரம் வழங்கினர். அதில் கார்பைடு கற்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் பழங்களை சாப்பிட்டால் அஜீரண கோளாறு, தலைவலி, வாந்தி, மயக்கம், வயிற்றுப்போக்கு, தலைசுற்றல் போன்றவை வரும். புற்றுநோய் ஏற்படுவதற்கும் வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது என்று கூறப்பட்டு இருந்தது. 

* பாரிமுனை தம்புசெட்டி தெரு, கிடங்கு தெரு, அரண்மனைக்காரன் தெரு ஆகிய பகுதிகளில் உள்ள பழக்கடைகளில் மாம்பழங்களை கார்பைடு கற்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவதாக மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி லட்சுமி நாராயணனுக்கு தகவல் கிடைத்தது. 

அதன்பேரில், ஆய்வாளர்கள் ஜெயகோபல், சிவசங்கரன், இளங்கோ ஆகியோர் தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் மேற்கண்ட பகுதிகளில் உள்ள கடைகளில் நேற்று அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர். அப்போது, 24 குடோன்களில் நடத்திய சோதனையில் 13 குடோன்களில் கார்பைடு கற்கள் மூலம் மாம்பங்களை பழுக்க செய்தது கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்டது. அங்கிருந்து 

40 ஆயிரம் மதிப் புள்ள 1 டன் மாம்பழங் களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். 

இதேபோல் கொல்கத்தாவில் இருந்து சென்னை வந்த எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ரயில் சரக்கு பெட்டியில் சென்ட் ரல் ரயில்வே போலீசார் சோதனை செய்தனர். அப்போது, 22 அட்டை பெட்டிகளில் 1.4 டன் எடையுள்ள பான்பராக், குட்கா பொருட்கள் இருப்பது கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்டது. அவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்த போலீசார் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகளிடம் ஒப்படைத்தனர். 

பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்கள், குட்கா பொருட்களை லாரி மூலம் கொண்டு சென்று, கொடுங்கையூர் குப்பை கொட்டும் வளாகத்தில் ராட்சத பள்ளம் தோண்டி, அதில் அவற்றை கொட்டி அழித்தனர்.

வணிகர்களுக்கு எச்சரிக்கை 

சென்னை, ஏப். 30: 

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருத்துவ நிர்வாக துறை விடுத்துள்ள அறிக்கை: 

கோயம்பேடு காய்கனி அங்காடிகளுக்கு மாம்பழம், அன்னாசி, பப்பாளி போன்ற பழ வகைகள் வந்த வண்ணம் உள்ளன. ஆகையால் கோயம்பேடு காய்கனி மொத்த விற்பனையாளர்கள் மற்றும் வணிகர்கள் மாம்பழம், அன்னாசி, பப்பாளி பழவகைகளை வெகுவிரைவில் விற்பனை செய்யும் நோக்கில் செயற்கை முறையில், அதாவது தடைசெய்யப்பட்ட கால்சியம் கார்பைடு கற்களை கொண்டோ, செயற்கை வேதி பொருட்களை தெளித்தோ பழங்களை பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்ய கூடாது. செயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்க வைத்த பழங்களை சாப்பிடும், பொது மக்களுக்கு உணவுபாதை அஜீரண உபாதைகளும், கடுமையான தலைவலியும், மயக்கமும், வாந்தி வயிற்று போக்கு, தலை சுற்றல் மற்றும் புற்று நோய் ஏற்பட காரணமாக இருக்கிறது. எனவே செயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்க வைப்பது தடைசெய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

செயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைக்கும் மாம்பழங்களால் புற்றுநோய் ஆபத்து

'கால்சியம் கார்பைடு' கற்கள் மூலம், செயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைத்த மாம்பழத்தால், உடலுக்கு பல்வேறு தீங்கு ஏற்படுவதோடு, புற்றுநோய் ஆபத்தும் உண்டு என, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர், டாக்டர் லட்சுமி நாராயணன் எச்சரித்து உள்ளார்.

தற்போது, மாம்பழ சீசன் துவங்கி விட்டது. தமிழகம் முழுவதும், பழங்கள் அதிக அளவில் விற்பனைக்கு வருகின்றன. இயற்கையாக பழுக்க, இரண்டு வாரம் வரை ஆகும் என்பதால், அதுவரை காத்திராமல், 'கால்சியம் கார்பைடு' என்ற வேதிக்கல் உதவியுடன், செயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைத்து, பணம் பண்ணவே, பெரும்பாலான வியாபாரிகள் விரும்புகின்றனர்.

இதுகுறித்து, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர், டாக்டர் லட்சுமி நாராயணன் கூறியதாவது: மாம்பழம் இயற்கையாக பழுக்க, 12 முதல் 15 நாட்கள் ஆகும். செயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைக்க, இரண்டு நாட்களே போதும். இதற்காக, தடையை மீறி, வியாபாரிகள், 'கால்சியம் கார்பைடு' கற்களை, பழக்கூடையின் கீழே வைக்கின்றனர். இக்கற்களில் இருந்து, 'அசிட்டிலீன்' வாயு வெளியேறுகிறது. இதனால், காய்கள் சீக்கிரம் பழமானது போல் காட்சி அளிக்கின்றன. ஆனால், பழத்தின் நீர் சத்து உறிஞ்சப்பட்டு, உள்ளே வறட்சியாக காணப்படும். இதை சாப்பிடுவதால், வயிற்றுப் போக்கு, வாந்தி, தீராத தலைவலி, மயக்கம் வரும். தொடர்ந்து சாப்பிடுவதால், பெரும் சிக்கல் ஏற்படும். 'கால்சியம் கார்பைடு' கற்களில் இருந்து, புற்றுநோயை உருவாக்கும், 'ஆர்சனிக்' என்ற வேதிப்பொருள் பழத்தைச் சுற்றி படர்ந்து விடும். இதை சாப்பிடுவதால், புற்றுநோய் பாதிப்பு வர வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது. செயற்கையாக பழுத்ததில், பழத்தை சுற்றி, சாம்பல் படர்ந்திருக்கும்; கரும் புள்ளிகள் இருக்கும். வெளியில் பழுத்தது போலவும், உள்ளே காயாகவும் இருக்கும். இயற்கையாக பழுத்த பழங்களில், இதுபோன்ற நிலை இருக்காது. குறைந்த விலையில் கிடைக்கிறது என, இவற்றை வாங்கி சாப்பிடாமல், பொதுமக்கள் விழிப்போடு இருக்க வேண்டும். மேலும், வியாபாரிகளுக்கு, இதை வலியுறுத்தி, விழிப்புணர்வு துண்டு பிரசுரங்களை வினியோகித்து வருகிறோம். இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

2 டன் பழங்கள் பறிமுதல்:

சென்னையில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள், மூன்று குழுக்களாக பிரிந்து, சென்னை கோயம்பேடு, தி.நகர், கொத்தவால்சாவடி மார்க்கெட்களில், நேற்று அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர். 'கார்பைடு கற்கள்' வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட, இரண்டு டன் மாம்பழம், அன்னாசி உள்ளிட்ட பழங்கள், பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. இவை, கொடுங்கையூர் குப்பைக் கிடங்கிற்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டன. வியாபாரிகள் எதிர்ப்பு: கோயம்பேடு பழ மார்க்கெட்டில், அதிகாரிகள் திடீர் சோதனை செய்தபோது, பழங்களை பறிமுதல் செய்ய, வியாபாரிகள் கடும் எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்தனர். 'எங்களுக்கு, அரசு மாற்று வழியை உருவாக்க வேண்டும்; மார்க்கெட் பகுதியில், பழங்களை பழுக்க வைக்கும் கிடங்குகள் அமைத்துத் தர வேண்டும்' என, கேட்டனர். 'அரசிடம் தெரிவித்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்' என, அதிகாரிகள் சமாளித்தனர்.

MAALAI MALAR NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

Kerala food authority has toll-free number for calcium carbide plaints

Kerala’s food safety authority has a toll-free number (1800-425-1125) in place. People can dial the number and lodge complaints about the use of calcium carbide to ripen mangoes and other fruit. Ernakulam is among the districts worst hit by artificial ripening, and food safety officers (FSO) in the district have swung into action to curb the malpractice, following a recent order issued by K Anil Kumar, the southern state’s food safety commissioner.

Food authorities from Maradu seized 620kg spurious fruit from the Agriculture Urban Wholesale Market (AUWM) in Ernakulam, which was, ironically, regarded as a major supplier of naturally-cultivated fruit and vegetables. Kumar said, “Nowadays, traders are using illicit methods to ripen the produced fruit in order to meet the growing demand for them in the market. There are a number of safer methods to ripen fruit artificially, but they prefer to use calcium carbide.”

“The use of calcium carbide to ripen the fruit has increased drastically, and the issue has also been discussed with Kerala’s neighbouring states, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, because the flow of the artificially-ripened fruit to Kerala is mainly from these states,” added Kumar, urging people who buy mangoes to be careful while doing so, lest they purchase fruit that has been ripened using the chemical. 

He also urged the FSO to educate people to find the artificially-ripened fruit. “People should be able to identify fruit that has been ripened artificially. These would smell the same as calcium carbide, and the fruit would consistently be yellow, unlike naturally-ripened ones (which have different shades). Even the taste would be different, vis-a-vis naturally-ripened mangoes,” Kumar informed, reiterating that the toll-free number be dialled without any hesitation.

Dinamani News

District gears up for chithirai fest

MADURAI: The temple city is all set to host the famous chithirai festival as the district administration conducted a meeting to discuss the preparation and precautionary measures.

The meeting, chaired by the district collector L Subramanian stressed on drinking water, sanitation and safety of the lakhs of devotees who would throng the city over the next two weeks to witness the festivities including the celestial wedding, car festival and entry of Kallalagar into the river Vaigai on May 14.

The district collector urged the corporation officials to identify important areas to place temporary water tanks to quench the thirst of the devotees. Drinking water should be given priority and elaborate arrangements should be done to meet the water requirement for the lakhs of devotees from several districts. He instructed the officials to ensure safe drinking water in all the needy places.

A large number of chain snatching incidents during the festive season, especially during the celestial wedding, where thousands of devotes would congregate would be reported. The collector urged the district and city police officials to ensure ample security measures are in place to make sure the devotees are free from any threat.

Subramanian also urged the officials to ensure adequate number of sanitary workers is deployed at the places where thousands would throng the celebrations. The cleanliness of the city should be maintained, he instructed. He also appealed to the food safety officials to ensure that quality free food is served during the celestial wedding. Apart from that several people would be offering free food during the festive season.

With the Vaigai river dry yet again, an artificial pond is being created. Water carried through tankers would be filled in the tank, where the famous Alagar's entry into the river would take place.

Preparations on for Chithirai festival

Officials attend meeting, discuss requirements 

Ahead of the fortnight-long Chithirai festival, which is expected to be witnessed by about a million people from far and near, the district administration convened a preliminary meeting attended by officials from various departments on the requirements ranging from basic needs to infrastructural facilities.

District Collector L. Subramanian, who presided over the meeting discussed the role and duties of each department and their level of preparedness. The annual festival would begin from April 30. At a time, when drinking water was posing to be a big problem across Madurai city and peripheries, the allocation for the festival was discussed in detail.

The alternative arrangements and the mode of supply was listed out by the Corporation officials.

Owing to the dwindling level of water in the Vaigai dam, water would not be released for the spectacle of Lord Kallazhagar’s descent into the Vaigai on May 14, Mr. Subramanian said. “A small pit will be dug and filled with water which will be used during the ceremony,” he explained.

Stating that there would be mass movement of people, he said that a large posse of policemen and officials would be deployed to keep a check on instances of theft and pick-pocketing.

City Health Officer Yasodha Mani stated that additional sanitation workers would be deployed around the temple during the days of the festival. “Garbage will be cleared systematically and sanitation facilities will be in place in the areas surrounding the temple,” she said.

The Collector directed the Health Department to set up temporary dispensaries to administer first aid in the event of any emergency and treat cases of dehydration and sunstroke. In addition to this, the Health department will also have ambulances on standby.

While many people will organise ‘annadhaanams’ or public distribution of food during the festival, Food Safety Officials (FSO) will test them if distribution was on a large scale.

Speaking about the transport facilities in place, Mr. Subramanian said that the transport department would operate additional buses for the benefit of the devotees who will travel from mofussil areas to the city.

SC stays trial court order

Food adulteration case

SRINAGAR: Supreme Court Monday stayed the trial court orders against two private food manufacturing companies of Kashmir which were penalized and also feared closure.

The division bench of Supreme Court while staying the series of orders passed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court against the Kyhber Milk Processing Plant and Rehmat Spice Processing Plant observed: “The J&K High Court should not proceed in the matter of PIL No 1/2012 when the Supreme Court is hearing the appeal.”

Senior counsel, Zaffar Shah, who appeared on behalf of the two private companies, said that the Apex court passed the order in light of series of orders including Rs 10 crore penalties on each company passed by the state High Court.

Both the companies had approached the Apex Court with their appeals against the trial court orders.

After hearing State respondents and the counsel of the companies, the Apex Court posted the matter for further consideration in August 2014.

Earlier, a three judge bench of the Supreme Court stayed the trial order dated February 13, 2014. The Court had observed that the High Court should not have proceeded in the matter when the Supreme Court was hearing the appeal.

The High Court had asked the government to submit analysis reports of samples lifted from food items marketed by these companies in compliance of order dated February 13, 2014.

On December 23 while taking cognizance of a report on sale of “adulterated food” items, the High Court had imposed Rs 30 crore costs on three food-processing companies including two Kashmir-based companies, Khyber and Kanwal. The third company was Delhi-based Avon Agro Industries Pvt Ltd.

However, the Apex Court stayed that order of imposing Rs 10 crore on these companies which had been challenged by Khyber Agro Milk Farms Limited and the petitioner company was asked to approach the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for its vacation.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding food safety has been submitted in the court seeking directions to the state for enforcing Food Safety Standards Act, 2006 and rules made there under with reasonable promptitude.

On February 25, the High Court directed the government to lift samples from the milk marketed by M/S Khyber Agro Milk Farms once a week and forward the same to laboratory for analysis and file report in the Court.

While as on April 7, the Court directed Commissioner Food Safety to constitute a panel of experts to inspect the milk processing unit of Khyber Agro Milk Farms and file a comprehensive report by the next date of hearing on April 28.

Lack of FSSI logo delaying Bisleri's entry into beverages: Chauhan

Mumbai, April 28: 

Bureaucratic hurdles have led Ramesh Chauhan, Chairman of Bisleri International, to delay his entry into the beverage segment this summer. 

The erstwhile owner of iconic brands like ThumsUp and Limca is waiting to get clearance from the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India for creating a new beverages category in the area of functional fortified drinks targeting youth. 

“We have to go through the Food Safety and Standards Authority to enter a new category and there are bureaucratic delays since the product has to be approved by them. At the moment, the beverage that we are considering is only on paper and we are still trying to define it and it may take months before we launch it,’’ says Chauhan. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been created for laying down science-based standards for food articles and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. All food-based products have to carry the FSSI logo. 

“Our whole idea is to create a new beverage category which will not just limit itself to the health platform. It will be a youth-oriented product and we are still trying to define the new category. In beverages, if you do not have a new category, the product will get lost in the clutter,’’ he added. 

Ramesh Chauhan along with his elder brother Prakash Chauhan made history when they sold their iconic brands — ThumsUp, Limca and Citra to Coca-Cola nearly two decades ago. Today, they are ready to make a splash again in beverages with "differentiated" products to create their own niche in the already cluttered beverage segment. While Prakash Chauhan believes he has already found the "niche" by creating a coffee flavoured carbonated drink, younger brother Ramesh Chauhan has been delayed in creating a new beverage category with a "differentiated" product. 

"We have to be different and unless we create a new category there is no point in launching a beverage brand it now. While it is not going to be regular cola, energy or juice brand, it will be youth oriented and its launch will happen only after the monsoon months," he added. 

Meanwhile, his elder brother Prakash Chauhan believes he has already created a niche in the carbonated drinks category (CSD) with Café Cuba. Having test launched the product early this year, it is now poised for a national launch with target to make it a Rs 1,000 crore brand in the next 18 months. 

Nadia Chauhan, Joint Managing Director, Parle Agro, said: "We had decided to re-enter the cola category with a differentiated product to have an edge in the Rs 15,000 crore CSD category and will be investing Rs 50 crore this year towards building the brand.’’ 

Café Cuba is also expected to get manufactured by franchises in markets like Africa, Middle East and Europe.

RAW TO RIPE IN 24 HOURS MANGOES COULD BE RIPE WITH TROUBLE

It’s No Longer Just Traders; Farmers Too Are Using Chemicals To Turn King Of Fruits Yellow Faster

Garbed in a rich yellow coat with a smattering of green, the ‘king’ of fruits rests in the cool interiors of retail outlets or sits in dusty roadside stalls, waiting to be picked. For many customers, mangoes are the first choice this season but few realize that look of the fruit has little to do with its lineage and more with the chemicals used to ripen it. 

With mangoes off to a weak start this summer, there is a rise in instances of the fruits being artificially ripened to meet the growing demand. Officials in the food safety department are gearing up to net vendors indulging in the practice, but say it is going to be tough to curb it this year as farmers themselves are resorting to the practice. 

“Usually artificial ripening — most commonly with calcium carbide — is done once the produce reaches the vendors,” said a senior official in the food safety department. “But following the raids we conducted last year, we believe that vendors are asking farmers to use chemicals to avoid being caught,” he said. 

Starting this week, the food safety department will undertake a series of raids at godowns in Koyambedu, T Nagar and Mylapore. “If chemicals like calcium carbide are used, the fruits become ripe within 24 hours instead of, say, 72 hours. This time with the supply being low, we have stepped up vigilance,” said the official. 

Farmers clear all the fruits from the tree at one go, including mangoes that are green. The harvest is transported to a godown by vendors and retailers and artificially ripened with calcium carbide, which is reported to have carcinogenic effects, and ethephon, an insecticide. Another method involves lighting a kerosene stove or incense sticks in closed rooms and ‘smoking’ the fruits till the skin turns yellow. Experts say these mangoes look bright yellow and have a longer shelf life but are dangerous to eat. 

Calcium carbide is banned under Section 44A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, but is widely used by fruit merchants. The chemical in solid form is kept wrapped in paper among the fruits. It reacts with water to form acetylene, which catalyses the ripening process. 

Many vendors admitted to indulging in the practice to meet the demand. “People often pick mangoes that look big and yellow. It is hard to find such mangoes if you let them ripen naturally,” said K Ramesh, a vendor in Koyambedu, who said he adopted artificial methods occasionally. “The demand is high and supply weak,” he said. 

Medical experts say calcium carbide may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorous, which could damage the kidney and liver and cause ulcers and gastric problems. “If they are artificially ripened, mangoes could pose serious health hazards even if they are eaten in moderate measure,” said surgical gastroenterologist Dr R Surendran, citing diarrhoea and abdominal cramps as examples of medical problems. 

ekatha.ann@timesgroup.com SPOT THE DIFFERENCE | A few pointers to help you distinguish an artificially ripened mango from an organic one 

Colour: Artificially ripened mango will have patches of green that will be clearly distinguishable from the yellow, or an unnaturally bright yellow colour. The skin of a naturally ripened mango will be a uniform blend of yellow and green 

Taste: 

Artificially ripened mangoes cause a slight burning sensation in the mouth Colour of pulp: In a naturally ripened mango, the pulp is a bright reddish-yellow. In an artificially ripened mango, there will be patches of light and dark yellow Juice: A naturally ripened mango will be sweet and have a lot of juice,  while artificially ripened ones have little or no juice

City surrenders to Mango mania

The king of fruits has arrived in the city and the people are going gung-ho about this all time faviroutie seasoned fruit. Despite priced a little high than last year; people are showing no qualms in enjoying the tasty, healthy and exotic mangoes. 

Maavinhann bandidya? (Have the mangoes arrived?), is the most common question one asks or hears during the early days of April. The answer is yes! The king of all fruits seems ubiquitous, so much so that it’s difficult to elude its sight over a stroll through the lanes of the city. And the sense of hoopla that it brings to life in an exquisitely subtle manner is a pleasant paradox. Alphonso, Rajpuri, Badami, Sakkargutti and many more varieties have already entered the market and the prices are expected to go down quickly in coming days. It is going to be maavinhannin kaala! (Season of mangoes)

JP Nagar is distinguished for its rich cultural background, with several communities famous for their food, frolic and festivities, and with the mangoes added to the already extravagant platter, the fun can only get better. Pickles are already prepared in big jars in many of the households and the ripened fruits have been eagerly awaited. During April and May, the months known for auspicious dates according to the Hindu calendar, there will be a lot of festivals and marriages, and the king of fruits will undoubtedly be a major ingredient for the menu. 

“The list of eateries that can be dished out of mango is ample. There is Amras, mango rice bath, mango chutney, seekarane (squashed mango), lassi, burfi, salads and so on. Now we also have mousses, biscuits, pastries, smoothie and other non traditional dishes as well,” says Madhuchandra, a caterer. He also stated that the customers prefer these dishes over the others for one, they are non perennial and two and they are special yet cheap.

The restaurateurs too have cashed on to the people’s craze. Rajdhani for example, are running a festival under the name Aamlicious. Sandeep Chauhan, the Captain of Rajdhani restaurant at Bangalore Central, JP Nagar listed out the aam-dishes.” Aamras will be available daily; along with that aam ki sabzi, aam ki roti, lassi, sweets and a special dish will be served on different days,” he said.

“Mangoes taste so good that people forget they are also healthy!” says Bhattacharjee, a botanist. They prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, improve skin and eye sight, help in diabetes, improve digestion and sex, and also boost immune system”, he said. He also said that mangoes act as a remedy for heat stroke, a vital point considering the present scorching weather.

Amidst the buzz, one has to be careful not to buy artificially ripened fruits. Harmful chemicals like calcium carbide might be used for artificial ripening; about sixty percent of mangoes harvested early in the season are expected to be ripened by calcium carbide, an act liable for punishment under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. 

Artificially ripened mangoes, unlike natural ones will not have a good aroma. Though they have a yellow outer skin, the tissue inside will not be ripe and will be dry and less juicy than the ripened ones. Fruits that have a uniform color are likely to have been artificially ripened. So it is important to wash the fruits before consuming by keeping them under running water so that the chemicals get washed away. It is also advisable to remove the peel before cutting the fruits into pieces. The best way to avoid artificially ripened mangoes is not to buy mangoes till the end April, which is when the actual mango season, kicks off. The entire world is nature’s catharsis and we are eagerly awaiting one of its masterstrokes.

Food traders must register, obtain licence, food and drugs administration says

Navi Mumbai: The Food and Drugs Administration, Konkan Division, has appealed to all traders dealing in food articles, to register their business with the FDA or face penal action.

"From April 1, we started accepting online applications for enrolling new registrations, as well issuing license for traders, as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Without registration or without license, nobody can do business," said FDA joint commissioner (Konkan Division) S K Shere.Those with annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh, need to register with the FDA, while those making more than Rs 12 lakh, need to get a licence as well.

What’s in your dabba?

Uday Foundation wants fried and packaged food stalls removed from the immediate vicinity of schools 

Delhi-based body junks FSSAI's report on nutritional norms for kids, offers food for thought with pan-India survey of school canteens.

Reposing no faith in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) report offering guidelines for keeping junk food and aerated drinks away from in and around schools, Delhi-based Uday Foundation has decided to embark on a survey collating information on the diverse food served in schools pan-India and to identify the good from the bad.

Experts, particularly the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), who have been involved in the expert panel, set up to advice FSSAI on framing the guidelines, have voiced their reservations about the report that was submitted to the Delhi High Court recently. There are aspersions that FSSAI tweaked its reports against the expert advice issued.

Uday Foundation, which filed the public interest litigation (PIL) in 2010, that prompted the High Court to ask FSSAI to frame these guidelines, is clearly disappointed with the report and is launching a parallel report.

In a pro-active response to the foundation's PIL, the Delhi High Court had mandated that FSSAI work out an action plan from ridding the schools and their periphery of junk food and aerated drinks.

The food authority was also asked to consult the All India Food Processors Association (AIFPA) and restaurant associations. However, the report seems to have lent its ear more to the industry than the experts, observed Sunita Narain, director, CSE, who cochaired the expert committee.

"We had recommended that carbonated beverages, sugar sweetened non-carbonated beverages, chips and other packaged food and confectionery items be banned from school and its periphery up to a radius of 500 yards," Narain said, in response to an e-mail sent to her. This stern advice was diluted in the report to just "restricting/limiting" the supply of such items.

Similarly, the 500 yards (457 metres) was shrunk to 50 metre-radius. Pointing to the industry's concerted efforts to scuttle the move to cleanse the schools of junk food, Narain point out, "The food industry first tried to block the setting up of the committee itself. But the court rejected this. Next, they changed their tactic to argue that the problem was not junk food but lack of physical activity."

In a clear betrayal of who the report was listening to, it suggested greater physical activity in schools. "The question now is about what is to be done with such junk food items which are high in salt, sugar and fat.

We think the court is seriously addressing this issue of huge public health concern," she said. But a disappointed Rahul Verma, founder of Uday Foundation, is not willing to wait and watch what the court does and is all set to roll up his sleeves and get to work. "We will cover 500 schools across the country, looking at the diverse native nutritive food.

We will also list out food high on empty calories that should be banned from the canteens. We will submit the list to amicus curiae, since it will be a representative list," he told Mirror. "A radius of 50 metres is just too small," protested Madhavi Kapur, principal of Aman Setu, a school in Wagholi.

"Junk food and aerated drinks should be banned from the school's vicinity. Instead fruit stalls can offer healthier food options to children. Outside packaged food is unhealthy.

Even with upma and poha you cannot be sure of the manner in which they were cooked. Parents should pack small tiffins for after-school hours. A well-monitored tuck shop in the school serving hot and fresh food could also help," she added.

"We don't allow children to eat outside food and serve them khichdi, which is made under strict vigilance. But what they eat outside the school is beyond our control. The surrounding area should be declared school zone and such food vendors should be kept away.

Even parents should be counselled," said Nanda Mane, principal of Nutan Marathi Vidyalay in Appa Balwant Chowk.

DINAMANI ARTICLE

Mango traders using calcium carbide will face action: FDA

MUMBAI: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has instructed mango traders not to use calcium carbide for artificially ripening mangoes.

"We have appealed to all mango traders not to use calcium carbide powder for artificially ripening mangoes. Those violating these norms will be dealt with under the Food Safety and Standards Act. However, traders can ripen mangoes by using ethylene gas-based ripening chambers. An official circular has already been sent to all the wholesale and retail mango traders," said S K Shere, joint commissioner, FDA (Konkan division).

The circular highlighted the hazards of using chemicals in this process. Apart from rendering the fruit tasteless, these chemicals also cause various health hazards such as low blood pressure, rashes, irritation in the eyes, throat and mouth.

KFC Creates A Veg Menu For India

NEW DELHI: KFC, the Kentucky-based fast-food chain known for its "finger-lickin' good" range of chicken fillets and burgers, has finally given in to India's penchant for vegetarianism. In what appears to be a first across all KFC franchises globally, KFC India has unveiled a segregated vegetarian menu along with a strong message about its newfound bias for vegetarian offerings.

Paneer Zinger and Veg Twister, in addition to the hot-selling Potato Krisper Burger, Veg Strips, Veg Rockin' Burger and Veg Rice Bowl will now vie for consumer mind space along with their popular non-veg counterparts. The company has not only introduced new products under its veg range, it has also tweaked its global tagline "So good" to "So veg, so good" to show its commitment towards the category.

Executives at the company say the new menu will help them satiate high local demand for vegetarian options. "We recognized an opportunity to deliver a significant vegetarian range for the Indian consumer, and to reach out to a broader target audience," says Dhruv Kaul, director of marketing at KFC India.

Around 42% of Indian households are vegetarian, according to the Food and Agricultural Association of the United Nations, and 35% of weekdays are vegetarian for rest of the non-vegetarian population. The apparent split is backed up by consumer choice at various fast food restaurants across the country. For instance, last month, on National Breakfast Day, out of the total free breakfast meals offered by fast food chain McDonald's, 66% customers chose a Veg McMuffin over Egg McMuffin.

Interestingly, McDonald's is the first global fast-food chain to bring in a customized vegetarian menu to India, which boasts of McAloo Tikki burgers, among others. Since then, it has steadily been increasing the number of vegetarian options on its menu, along with other chains such as Subway.

Similarly, as reported earlier by TOI, nearly 70% of the total pizzas sold in the country are vegetarian pizzas even in regions like Punjab, which is known for its meat-loving populace. "It also helps that vegetarian options are more affordable than non-vegetarian ones," says Arvind Singhal, chairman of retail consultancy Technopak.

In the future, vegetarian offerings are expected to play a big role for fast food companies in India, with more and more urban consumers preferring vegetarian food as it is considered healthier. At present, India is emerging as one of the fastest growing fast food markets in the world. According to a National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) report, the fast food industry in India is estimated at Rs 8,000 crore and is growing at a CAGR of 35-40% annually.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Water supply plan for district chalked out

The Ernakulam district administration on Thursday chalked out a long-term water supply programme for increasing water availability and ensuring quality of water supplied within city limits.

The plan, to be implemented in 40 panchayats, envisages supply of drinking water using tanker lorries and by establishing distribution centres at various points. It stipulates setting up of a water collection centre in each panchayat, where distribution of water will be regulated by the local body concerned. Addressing a meeting to review the drought relief measures, district collector M.G. Rajamanickam asked the ground water department to find out at least one sustainable water resource in each Panchayat. He also issued strict directions to regulate water supply based on reports from tahsildars.

Further, steps have been initiated to intensify checks on the quality of water at the source of collection and a team comprising officials from the health, food safety and revnue departments has been formed. Directions have been issued to seize the vehicles not complying with the safety directions. The authority also proposes to commission in part the Kadamakkuday–Varappuzha drinking water project next month. A meeting to expedite laying of pipelines at Thanthonnithuruthu in Vypeen will be also convened.

Civic body continues drive against food adulteration, polythene

15 kg ice cream destroyed, fine of Rs 5900 realized

Jammu, Apr 24: Continuing its drive against food adulteration, the team of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) today lifted samples from different shops from across the city and also destroyed 15 kg of ice cream, which was found to sub standard. 

The JMC team also seized 5 kg of polythene and realized a fine of Rs. 5900/ from the defaulters.

The JMC team led by health officer, Dr. Mohd Saleem Khan along with food safety officers, assistant sanitation officer, sanitary inspectors and other field staff under the instructions of Commissioner, Kiran Wattal, conducted a tour in different areas of the city including Bakshi Nagar, Raj Pura, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Gangyal, Sanjay Nagar, Digiana, and inspected number of food establishments including sweet shops, meat shops, fish shops, provisional stores, bakery shops, food stalls and moving vendors. 

The team lifted 4 food samples from different food establishments, which would be sent to food analyst for ascertaining the quality. The samples which were lifted included “Kaju Burfi” and “Milk Cake” from Pahawan’s Sweet Shop, Gandhi Nagar Jammu, “toasted bread” from M/s Rajesh Karyana Store Rajpura, Jammu and “Parle Biscuits” from M/s Gupta General Store, Bakshi Nagar. Apart from this, about 15 kg of Ice cream was also destroyed on spot from Jawala Fruit Ice Cream Corner at Gangyal which was found to be of poor quality and not fit for human consumption.

During the tour, the team also seized about 5 kg of polythene and realized a fine of Rs. 5900/- from the defaulters.

The JMC has appealed to all the food business operators to maintain quality standards and keep their surroundings neat and clean.

Those who do not adhere to the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, will be penalized and action as per law will be taken against them, the JMC warned.

The shopkeepers were also instructed not to use polythene bags which in the long run are injurious to health and can cause cancer and impotency. The JMC requested the people to co-operate in making Jammu City free of polythene in this summer season.

Huge quantity of artificially coloured tea dust seized

Port Blair, Apr 23: In several reports in past Andaman Sheekha had highlighted about use of artificially coloured tea dusts in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which may even damage Kidney. Now according to reports 750 kg artificially coloured tea dust seized from Haddo Wharf recently.

On receipt of an information from CID, A&N Police regarding the arrival of adulterated tea dust at Port Blair, the enforcement officials of Food Safety Department along with the officials of CID carried out an inspection of Haddo Wharf on Apr 17 and from a container they recovered 50 boxes (750 kgs) of packed tea dust supplied by M/s M.S.K Tea Company, Chennai.

According to sources during field test, it was observed that the tea dust is artificially coloured. Hence, samples were collected for its detailed analysis. The entire consignment has been detained and samples are being sent to Chennai and Kolkata based NABL Accredited Food Laboratories for analysis and report. “On receipt of analysis report, stringent action shall be taken against the supplier and buyer under the provision of Food Safety & Standards Act’ 2006,” a release said.

Drink Pure duo aim to end milk adulteration

Pravir and Partha, the proud creators of Drink PureThe Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) made a shocking revelation in 2011. In a first-of-its kind survey on milk adulteration the authority found that 70 percent of the milk in India is contaminated. Most Indians are consuming detergent and other contaminants along with milk without even realising it and consumers are largely helpless. How do you tell whether the milk you’re drinking is fit for consumption or not? For all you know you could be drinking poison in the name of nutrition.

This horrified two students at IIT Bhubaneshwar enough to do something about it. Pravir Singh Gupta and Partha Ghosh decided that it was time one stopped relying on government authorities and found a way to empower consumers instead. This led them to create Drink Pure - a device that would allow consumers to detect impurities in milk for themselves.

“Frequent reports of adulteration of milk with harmful chemicals, associated health hazards and lack of government surveillance for such incidents - inspired us to come up with the idea of Drink Pure – a simple take-at-home test to check milk for adulteration,” says Pravir.

How Drink Pure worksMost home based methods to test adulteration check only for water and are more often than not time consuming. The tests to detect chemical based adulteration use chemicals themselves and can only test for a limited number of contaminants at a time. Each chemical requires a different test and busy householders decide to forgo these entirely to save on time. This is where Drink Pure comes in.

“Drink Pure is a handheld device that uses semiconductor based sensors to detect adulteration in milk," explains Partha. "It does not require any chemical reagents to detect adulteration."

Pravir chimes in with the philosophy that has led the two of them to develop Drink Pure in the first place. “I strongly feel innovators need to focus on empowering consumers,” he says. "This is because in developing countries consumers are more likely to be cheated as producers take advantage of lax government agencies that fail to prevent it.”

However, the project has run into a familiar roadblock known to all budding inventors - shortage of funding.

“The design of the product is ready,” says Pravir. “However, currently we are trying to procure equipment to manufacture sensors. Some equipment we have managed to get but the rest is pending. Shortage of funding is the major challenge we are facing. We need an industry collaboration to help us manufacture a prototype.”

In their final year of B-tech at IIT Bhubaneshwar, the two hope to see their project come to fruition in the next couple of years. While, Pravir dreams of making it big as an entrepreneur, Partha wants to become a scientist and this – their respective areas of expertise and interests – they say is what makes them such a great innovating team.

The two 22-year-olds are currently working on a ‘surveillance system for smart cities’ and have filed for a few patents together. When asked will the partnership survive graduation, both insist in unison “Of course!”

Milk produced in Jammu & Kashmir found to be adulterated with detergents

As per sources, the Central Food Laboratory (CFL) is reported to have declared in its recent test report that the milk samples taken from one of the milk producing farms in the state of Jammu & Kashmir were found to be adulterated with the detergents.

Khyber Agro Farms is one of the leading milk producers in the state of J&K which supplies over 60 MT per day has failed in the milk adulteration test done by CFL.

The report from the Central Food Laboratory which was recently given to the Municipal Corporation at Srinagar has established that milk sources of Khyber contains detergent and is not fit for human consumption.

Considering this as a serious issue, the local district administrations along with the higher food officials are planning to take strict action and they may initiate a legal action against the company. The authorities will soon share the details of CFL findings among the general public.

Khyber was also in news last year when the samples of its tonned milk were found to be unsafe and substandard when tested by the Central Food Laboratory and was severely penalized under the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006.

Milk Adulteration is not only a matter of concern in J&K but it is one of the common concerns all over India because of the huge demand of milk in the country. Milk is a good source of nutrition needed by our body. Some common milk adulterants are: (a) Water (b) Starch (c) Urea (d) Vanaspati (e) Ammonium Sulphate (f) sodium carbonate (g) Hydrogen Peroxide (h) Formalin.

The presence of detergents in milk can cause food poisoning and other gastrointestinal complications. Urea present in the milk can damage the intestinal tract and digestive systems. Formalin present in the milk can cause organ dysfunction.

FSSAI had issued the information as how one can check the adulteration inmilk & milk products at home and at the testing laboratory.

'Detergent' in Kyber milk confirmed

India’s Central Food Laboratory has reported the milk produced by Khyber Agro Farms is unsafe for consumption as traces of synthetic detergent have been found in the samples.

Khyber Agro Farms located at Letapora in South Kashmir supplies sixty thousand liters of milk per day all across Kashmir that is being consumed by millions of Kashmiri people.

Highly placed sources said the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has received a report from Central Food Laboratory (CFL), Kolkata, which has declared Khyber milk unsafe and hazardous for human consumption. 

Taking serious note of the report, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation according to sources has directed Health Officer of the corporation to apprise the district administration officials about the issue so that legal action against the company could be initiated.

Sources said a high-level meeting would be held in Srinagar on Thursday which would be chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Shalinder Kumar. Sources said that the issue would be discussed threadbare in the meeting.

Health Officer, Dr Shafqat Ahmed Khan, said a negative report about Khyber Agro Farms has been received by the corporation and in this regard a high level meeting was going to be held in Srinagar on Wednesday but due to some reasons it was postponed and now would be called on Thursday.

“Yes, the samples of Khyber milk have been contaminated. We have received the report. There is nothing to hide and we are going to inform the general public within days,” Khan said, adding that they would follow legal process and would apprise all the authorities about the negative report of the company.

The Health Officer said that it is a public issue and the authorities have taken a serious note of it. “The report is lying with me and we are going to initiate action against the company under law and soon after the meeting a notice would be sent to the said company,” he told CNS.

Pertinently, the High Court bench of Justice Hasnain Massodi and D S Thakur, while showing concern over poor implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act in the state, had held that presence of detergent in milk samples collected on its direction from the market is indicative of milk having been manufactured with constituents highly harmful for human consumption.

“Synthetic milk,” the bench had observed, “as per available scientific research is prepared by mixing urea, caustic soda, refined oil and common detergents. The detergents are used to dissolve oil in water giving frothy solution characters of white colour of milk. Refined oil is used as substitute for milk fat. Caustic soda is used to blend milk and to neutralise acidity preventing it from turning sour during its transport from the place it is manufactured to the consumers.” The bench had observed: “The synthetic milk may cause cancer as it has carcinogenic properties. It may cause cancer and other serious ailments of vital organs of a human being.”

According to a study conducted by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) experts fear the consumption of contaminated milk by the gullible people across the state could lead to gastroenteritis, food poisoning, endocrinology and several other chronic diseases.

Ban sought on junk food in schools

The Centre for Science and Environment Director-General, Sunita Narain, has demanded that all junk food be banned from unaided and private schools across the country. Food high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) should not be available in educational institutions and within 500 yards of them.

Ms. Narain is the chairperson of the working group set up by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India as per the Delhi High Court’s directions in 2013. It has given a set of guidelines for regulating consumption of HFSS food among children.

“Schools are not the right place for promoting HFSS foods. Benefits of balanced, fresh and traditional food cannot be replaced. Frequent consumption of food high in salt, sugar and fats and low in other essential macros and micronutrients is detrimental and should be avoided. Children are not the best judge of their food choice. They have limited understanding about the impact of food on their health. Broadly, they are not aware about the concept of balanced diet and what kind of food is to be consumed and avoided to achieve it,” Ms. Narain added.

She also said cricketers, Bollywood actors and other celebrities should avoid endorsing junk food.

“Advertisement of HFSS food targeted on children and adolescents should not be allowed to be broadcast on television and radio from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays.”

Dietary recommendations in schools are whole wheat roti/poori with seasonal vegetable, multi-whole grain roti/poori with seasonal vegetable, rice and dal, vegetable pulao, rice and black chana, sweet dalia, rice and white chana, idli, vada, sambar, kheer and milk products like curd, buttermilk and lassi.

While Ms. Narain had six paediatricians and nutritionists working as members of the working group, representatives of industry associations submitted a document titled “Guidelines on Wholesome Food and Nutrition for School Canteen” to the expert group on January 16, 2013.

In 2010, a public interest litigation was filed by the Uday Foundation, a Delhi-based non-profit organisation seeking a ban on junk food sold in schools, regulations on junk food promotion and advertisement and development of school canteen policy.

‘Children are not the best judge of their food choice’

‘Celebrities should avoid endorsing junk food’