Now, prasadam to get quality check: Licences of kitchens to be reviewed

COIMBATORE: Food and offerings prepared in temples in Coimbatore district will soon come under the food safety department's scanner. The department has been instructed to collect samples of prasadam prepared in temples regularly and check if they are fit for consumption. The licences of temple kitchens will also be reviewed over the next few months. 

At the health steering committee meeting at the district collectorate on Tuesday morning, collector Archana Patnaik told food safety department officials to monitor closely food prepared in temples. 

"Since large numbers of people congregate at temples, we have been told to keep an eye on the food and prasadam served there," said designated food safety officer Dr R Kathiravan. The department has not received any complaints about temple prasadam. "This is purely a safety precaution," he said. 

Most of the temples run by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department in the state as well as by private trusts hold licences for their kitchens, said the official. "The kitchens are hygienic and well-maintained but some of them do not follow our rules when it comes to packaging of prasadam and serving it on clean banana fibre plates and cups," said Kathiravan. 

Across the state, the HR&CE department says it keeps a tight rein on temple kitchens to ensure hygiene. The department has officials in charge of quality checks so that the prasadam as well as the food served in the annadanam halls is clean and fresh. An official of the HR&CE department said most kitchens had been automated to prevent contamination of food and only the best ingredients were procured. Packaging too has been improved so that the prasadam can stay fresh and withstand travel. 

At the Palani Murugan temple, for instance, the entire process of making the panchamirtham prasadam, is mechanized from the peeling of bananas to the packaging. Previously, people would stamp bananas to pulp but the process has been automated to ensure cleanliness as well as meet the huge demand, said an official. 

Kitchens in other large temples such as Tiruchendur are also automated, while smaller temples like Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane in Chennai and the Srirangam temple have separate kitchens with trained staff. The prasadam is prepared following traditional recipes and specific ingredients have to be procured. 

The department makes all efforts to ensure that the taste is authentic though it now has to mass produce most of these offerings, said an official. 

The Coimbatore administration, however, is taking no chances. "We will be reinforcing our rules and advisories," said Kathiravan.

FDA inspectors to make the rounds for New Year's eve

MUMBAI: The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will deploy 200 food safety inspectors to check the quality of food served at restaurants and bars at New Year parties. It said food samples collected on December 31 will be tested within 24 hours.

The food safety officers will visit eateries and act on patrons' complaints. "They will have to collect at least two samples each from restaurants, bars and dhabas. We are expecting 300 or more samples," said FDA commissioner Purushottam Bhapkar. "We will initiate strict action against eateries serving poor quality food," he said.

Bhapkar said FDA offices will be open so that people can walk in with complaints or bring in food samples for testing. Mumbaikars can call 022-26591249 with their complaints.

Food Safety Act: Rs1.75 lakh fine on Mandi hotel

Mandi, December 30

The Court of ADM-cum-Adjudicating Officer has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.75 lakh on a hotel under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

A case was registered under Sections 56 and 58 of the FSS Act against the owner and the manager of Hotel Partap Palace here on January 20, 2012, on the complaint of Food Safety Officer (FSO) LD Thakur.

During an inspection of the hotel, the FSO found that sanitary conditions of the kitchen was not good, washing arrangement for utensils was not proper, four persons were engaged as food handlers but they were not medically examined, domestic cooking cylinders were being used for food preparations and the food licence for 2011-12 was not produced on demand. The FSO said the hotel was not complying with the provisions of the FSS Act.

After hearing the arguments of the respondents and the complainant, the court observed that the act of the business operators was irresponsible, unfair, callous and against the interests of the public at large.

“As they have not taken reasonable care as required from prudent businessmen while conducting business and, therefore, under the given circumstances, they do not warrant any sympathetic consideration as they failed to discharge their legal, moral, social and commercial obligations,” the court said.

The court held that the matter in question involved the public at large, punishment should be imposed upon the respondents so that on one hand, the ignorant and simpleton persons of society may not badly suffer on account of misdeeds of such law-breakers and on the other, it should also act as a deterrent to other persons who are involved in such kind of activities.

UP bust: Animal bones to make biscuits crunchier?

A raid on a food factory in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad unearthed mounds of animal bones on Tuesday, officials said, raising fears that the cattle remains were used to adulterate biscuits.

Sources in the food department suspected that the factory could have been using animal bones as powder or in other forms to make the biscuits "more crispy and tasty".

The discovery comes days after the Centre announced setting up of a task force to recommend changes in the Food Safety and Standards Act, the legislation which regulates food quality in the country. Lawmakers had also raised the issue in Parliament earlier this month, terming food adulteration as a "slow poison."

Moradabad designated officer of food security and drug administration Umesh Pratap suspended the license of the factory located in the Katghar area of Moradabad, around 300 km from capital Lucknow.

"We have collected samples of finished and semi-finished products along with other ingredients used in preparing rusk and biscuits and sent them to a laboratory for testing," said VK Rathi, chief food security officer of Moradabad.

Pratap also said that the recovery of "bone residuals inside the factory premises in itself is violation of food security norms".

He added that the owner of the factory could face a jail term and fine of Rs. five lakh "if the tests confirm adulteration or presence of ingredients which are unsafe for human health".

The factory, Armoa Foods, is owned by one Azim Iqbal who has two units in Moradabad for making biscuits.

Officials said he failed to "to give a satisfactory reply" on why such huge volume of bones were stored inside the factory premises.

Health experts said that food products adulterated with such animal remains could have adverse effect on human health.

"Their consumption could lead to infections and sometimes several chronic diseases," said Tanuraj Sirohi, former secretary of Indian Medical Association in Meerut.

City magistrate AK Srivastav said that the owner also faced charges for employing child labour as "children below 14 years were working in the factory".

Sugar, oil form the cream in your roll

Lucknow: Six of 15 samples of food items collected by food safety officials have been found to be sub-standard. According to senior officials, vegetable fat has been found to be a major adulterant and is being rampantly used in preparing various ingredients or as a cooking medium.

Commissioner food safety and drug administration Badal Chatterjee said, "Instead of using dairy cream, many city bakeries are using non-dairy cream topping, which contains hydrogenated fat and trans fatty acid, which are a source of cholesterol".

Tests of two samples of non-dairy cream from a bakery in Kaiserbagh have shown presence of vegetable fat. According to norms, this item has been categorised sub-standard. Cream samples from a bakery on Park Road and one in Aliganj have shown presence of vegetable fat. A sample of paneer from the Aliganj-based bakery shows lesser quantity of milk fat (44.8%) than what is required (50%). Samples from another bakery in Aliganj have shown presence of starch in chocolate.

According to Chatterjee, licences of these food joints would not be cancelled as of now. However, notices would be issued to them and a reply would be sought.

"Most cream roll makers mix sugar and vegetable oil in a high-speed blender. Essence is then infused into the cream formed," Chatterjee said, implying that no fresh cream is used.

The department would also initiate an awareness drive during which shop owners will have to seek a licence from the department (if their annual turnover is more than Rs 12 lakh) or register themselves with the department (if the annual turnover is up to Rs 12 lakh). Officials also said action would be taken against the bakeries and their owners under the provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.

Notices served on four Lucknow bakeries for adulteration

Lucknow, Dec 30: Bakeries, sweet shops and restaurants across the state were raided Tuesday for checking adulteration in products, specially keeping in mind the festive season, officials said.

While samples have been lifted from many places, samples from four major bakeries sent for tests Dec 22 have been found to be adulterated, an official informed.

Food Safety Commissioner Badal Chatterji said four big bakeries in the state capital have been found wanting in quality of ingredients being used in dairy products, cakes and pastries, and have been served notices.

“We have taken a serious view of the reports and are taking action as per law,” he said adding that licenses of such bakeries will be revoked.

The state government has also taken note of reports that a bakery in Moradabad was mixing animal bone powder in biscuits and action has been initiated against the company and notice served to its management, officials said.

Health certificate for workers to be imposed

Corporation of Cochin and Maradu Municipality have firmed up plans to spread the reach of health certificates for workers, especially those working in hotels and catering units.

Health Standing Committee Chairman of the Corporation, T.K. Ashraf, told The Hindu recently that the Corporation’s Health wing had intensified checks on hotels and eateries with focus on health certificates for workers.

He said that the association of hotels and restaurant owners would be involved in the process of ensuring that workers in their establishments received health certificates from government doctors.

Inspection of some hotels and restaurants in the city revealed that workers’ health was a key concern, especially with a large number of workers from other parts of the country being employed in eateries and hotels, he added.

The programme to procure health certificates for workers would be undertaken in such a way that obtaining these certificates would be tied to the renewal of licences for the hotel and eatery units.

New Year deadline

Chairman of Maradu Municipality T.K. Devarajan said that the Municipal authority would insist on health certificates for migrant workers, especially those working in hotels and eateries, from January 1.

This is a process the Municipal authority had launched about a year-and-a-half ago, he said.

The programme is now being revived to ensure that all migrant workers have health cards from a doctor of medicine, preferably a doctor from a government institution, by the New Year.

The municipal authority’s intention has been conveyed to the migrant worker community through health inspectors and workers, Mr. Devarajan said.

He said that there was not much of a resistance from the workers and expected them to obtain the certificates by the deadline set by the municipal authority.

There are around 600 workers from other States working within the municipal area on a permanent basis. There is also a smaller floating group of workers, he said.

Sabarimala: A pilgrim season of avoidable controversies

The just concluded Mandalam season, which witnessed a heavy flow of pilgrims, was by and large a well managed one.

Prime glitch was the questionable quality of Aravana and jaggery stock

The 41-day Mandalapuja festival at Sabarimala that came to a close on December 27 was more or less a season of avoidable controversies. But for the row triggered by the report of the Food Safety Department (FSD) on the quality of Aravana payasom and huge stocks of jaggery, the just-concluded Mandalam pilgrim season was, by and large, a well-managed one.

The holy hillock witnessed a heavy flow of pilgrims right from the beginning of the festival. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) registered a record revenue of Rs.142 crore, despite the short supply of Aravana in the last lap of the pilgrim season. The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation also posted a record collection of Rs.5.19 crore through its Pampa-Nilackal service.

Clean-up

Sabarimala Sannidhanam, Pampa, and the trekking path wore a clean look with the workers of the Sabarimala Sanitation Society carrying out their duty with dedication.

The FSD had fired the first salvo at the temple authority by rejecting jaggery worth Rs.2.5 crore stocked at the Devaswom godown at Pampa before the beginning of the pilgrim season.

The FSD officials told the Chief Minister that they had taken such a step after a physical verification of the commodity and not on the basis of any laboratory test.

The TDB-FSD faceoff entered an ugly phase with the latter denying quality clearance for two lorry-loads of dry grapes and candies brought for the preparation of Aravana and Appam. The Aravana production was stopped for six days due to non-availability of the ingredients. This, coupled with the FSD direction that the moisture content in Aravana should not exceed 10 per cent, worsened the situation leading to short supply of Aravana and its regulated sales in the last lap of the Mandalam season.

However, a report from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, came as a morale-booster for the temple authority. It said, “Aravana is not a product like cereals and pulses and it is a water activity-controlled processed food with high level of brix. Hence Aravana will have moisture content of more than 10 per cent and the presence of sugar and controlled water activity help in the longer storage of the product (three months).”

Antibiotic residue limit on honey fixed

PUNE: The Centre has set limits for the presence of antibiotics in honey - an issue that had sparked off concerns four years ago about drug resistance, blood-related diseases and potential damage to vital organs in humans. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the national food regulatory body, has laid down more stringent parameters limiting the presence of a range of antibiotic residues found in honey. Experts say the move is likely to ensure the quality of honey sold in and exported from India. 

"The use of antibiotics in bee-keeping can transfer its trace amounts, usually called residues, to honey, which in turn can affect public health in case of prolonged consumption. The standards have been established by considering safe and acceptable daily intake (ADI) which describes the amount consumed daily over a lifetime expressed in milligram per kilogram of the weight," said Milind Umekar, executive member of the Indian Pharmacological Society, an apex body of professional pharmacologists in India. 

The changed rules will come into force 60 days from December 3, 2014 (the date of publication in the official gazette). This essentially means that honey manufactured and packaged in India from February will have to conform to the new standards. 

The limit on antibiotic residue in honey has been set on the basis of a detection method called 'limit of quantification'. Extensive use of antibiotics in bee-keeping leads to accumulation of antibiotic residue in honey. "It is essential to limit its presence in the final honey product. Hence the guidelines," said a senior FSSAI official. 

Use of antibiotics has increased in bee-keeping after the Indian bee, which is more adaptable to the environment, has been replaced by the European bee. 

In 2010, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an environmental action group, had found high levels of antibiotics in several commonly available brands of honey in the market. The study found that several leading brands of honey had high levels of two to four antibiotics. Some brands from Australia and Switzerland too had antibiotics in it. 

All the samples were collected from markets in Delhi and tested for the presence of six antibiotics - oxytetracycline, chloramphenicol (which is banned in most countries for use in animals), ampicillin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin. 

"It is important to mention here that beekeepers use antibiotics at relatively high doses to treat infections or at low doses as 'growth promoters.' Apparently, extensive use of antibiotics leads to accumulation of antibiotic residues in honey, thereby leading to decreased quality. Antibiotic residues have a relatively long shelf life and may have direct toxic effects on consumers. Monitoring antibiotics residues in honey, wax, and bees helps assess the potential risk of these products to human health," said Brijesh Taksande, head, animal and pharmacological experimentation at Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy at Kamptee in Nagpur. 

Pharmacologist and researcher Nandkishor Kotagale said, "Maximum residue limits (MRLs) have been established in India for most foods produced by animals treated with antibiotics like sulfonamides and tetracyclines. However, there were no MRLs for bee products. Honey is traded internationally and countries generally accept standards set by the Codex Alimentarius. Nevertheless, European countries, the US, Canada and Australia have their own separate standards. With FSSAI's regulations we will be in a better position to detect the amount of various antibiotics in the marketed honey and can reject its sale and marketing if it is exceeding the prescribed limits." 

"Honey manufactured and packaged in India from February onwards will have to follow these norms," said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Pune.

Coca-Cola’s ambitious plan to introduce fruit juice-blended fizzy drinks hits regulatory hurdles

IBA, which represents Coca-Cola & PepsiCo, has written to food processing ministry, highlighting certain challenges on behalf of the first company.
NEW DELHI: Coca-Cola's ambitious plan to introduce fruit juice-blended fizzy drinks by early next summer — in the wake of PM Narendra Modi urging soft drink makers to do so — has hit regulatory hurdles.
The Indian Beverage Association (IBA), which represents Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, has written to the food processing ministry, highlighting certain challenges on behalf of the first company.
The rules stipulate that the addition of minimum 10% fruit juice or pulp (5% in the case of lemon) is required under the carbonated fruit beverages category. But "addition of this level of fruit juice leads to product instability and also requires a higher level of preservatives to ensure safety and stability of the beverage," the letter said, a copy of which ET has seen. IBA also wants the existing minimum requirement for 10% of total soluble solids in carbonated fruit drinks to be revised to 3%.
"Besides regulatory restrictions, Coca-Cola has also raised the need for quicker product approval," an official directly involved with the matter said. IBA said the Food Safety &Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) "needs to make product approval more efficient".
The note said wide-ranging changes were needed to make the PM's suggestion a reality.
"The usage of fruit juice in carbonated beverages is restricted due to current standards specified in the (FSSAI) regulations." According to the IBA, the "addition of fruit juice in carbonated drinks is possible subject to certain changes in the existing regulatory framework". These "modifications would have to be made in the regulatory framework operative under the Food Safety and Standards Act," it said.
In September, Modi had suggested that 5% of fizzy drinks be blended with fresh fruit juice sourced from local farmers.
"We drink Pepsi, Coca-Cola. I am not asking for much — if 5% of juice from fruits produced by our farmers is added, the farmer will not be forced to search for a market to sell. A single decision can ensure billions of rupees of trade," Modi had said.
The maker of Thums Up cola and Minute Maid juices wants its product to be on the shelves by early summer to gain first-mover advantage besides winning over health-conscious consumers.
Colas have, from time-to-time, drawn criticism from around the world for contributing to higher calorie consumption. Though the category returned to double-digit growth in the July-September quarter due to warm-weather conditions, this may not be sustainable, according to industry experts.
Since formulations are closely guarded secrets and changing them for existing brands is impossible, Coca-Cola is working on a series of juiceblended fizzy drinks variants on a priority basis.
A Coca-Cola spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
IBA said pesticide residue rules are also too stringent. Carbonated water using fruit juice would not be able to meet the standard of 1 ppb (part per billion) prescribed for the category.
Besides this, the preservative cap also needs to be bumped up, it said. "Using a microbiologically sensitive ingredient such as fruit juice will need higher allowance of preservatives to ensure the beverage is stable over its desired shelf life."
In the US and some European markets, Coca-Cola sells a caffeine-free, citrus-based, calorie-free aerated soft drink called Fresca. Its Glaceau Fruitwater brand is a fruit-flavoured, sparkling water in the US but doesn't contain fruit juice.

Indian cuisine incomplete without street food

No story on Indian cuisine can be complete without the inclusion of street food, says celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor.

“Indian cuisine has three important parts – home food,restaurant food and street food. Indian street food reflects the country’s ethos and also mirrors the ever changing needs of the Indian consumer, be it the man on the streets or the one living in an ivory tower,” says Kapoor.
The chef is the celebrity face at the sixth edition of a four-day National Street Food Festival organised by NASVI (National Association of Street Vendors of India) that began here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium complex.
“As a child, eating street food was something you indulged in without adult supervision. During those glorious ten minutes of a school recess, I indulged in the usual chats, sherbets and ice golas. I try to make them at home and try out a classic street food as well!” says the chef.
The chef, who hosts his own television show, says he is very excited to take a look at the innovative dishes which will be an integral part of the festival this year.
Delicacies such as Ragra Pattis from Mumbai, fish curry and sandesh from West Bengal, non-alcoholic Konkani drinks from Goa, Litti Chowkha and Tash Kebab from Bihar and other innovative dishes are slated to be on the menu at the street food fest.
“Street food festivals are always a good idea because it is the best way of promoting this cuisine. This will create awareness and will expose people to street food from across the country,” says Kapoor.
Shedding light on the importance of health and hygiene associated with street food, the celebrity chef is of the opinion that street food is healthy and hygienic since it is always served hot.
“There is a lot of debate on the safety of Indian street food. There are many who believe that street food of India is many times safer than those served at restaurants!
“It is shocking but this statement is supported by the fact that street food is cooked for the day and served hot on the spot,” says Kapoor.
Breaking out of the usual format of just organising a festival, NASVI has also organized a mass training program on food safety and hygiene of more than 1000 roadside chefs who are participating at the festival.
“With street food there is no monitoring of ingredients used. It is not just about the freshness but also whether or not the colours used are safe for consumption, whether the food is stored in an area free of contamination from insects, animals and dangerous bacteria.
There is a lot here to be regulated and regularized, a mammoth task considering the number of hawkers and food vendors in every lane of the country,” says Kapoor.
Urging vendors to serve hygienic food to patrons, the culinary expert says there is need for strict food laws but not at the cost of the appeal of the street delicacies.
“Yes, there should be hygiene and other laws related to safety of food in place, but with these laws the charm and the raw appeal of street food shouldn’t suffer. I would request the vendors to look into the quality of ingredients, do not compromise on the health of patrons. Do not serve anything that you wouldn’t serve your own family!” says Kapoor.

'Street Sathi' empowers vendors

New Delhi, December 28

'Street Sathi'-a free android application that enables street vendors to cater to the growing needs of the urban market remained one of the major highlights of the four-day National Street Food Festival, which came to a close at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Complex today. 

The App, which is available on Google Playstore, has been developed by Dheeraj Agrawal who himself was a street vendor, but pursued technical studies and now works for a leading Indian company. 

"The new mobile app comes as a promotional platform for the vendor while a user can browse through information including the vendor's vending hours, menu, specials and photos, besides location," he noted demonstrating its use through a street play. 

Vendors can upload information about their cuisines on the app that would allow users to look out for nearby street food vendors by proximity, popularity and cuisine type. 

Noting that the initiative aims at empowering street food vendors, they said that NASVI is aiming at a greater outreach and plans to rope in all the street food vendors in the country in coming months for training on Street Sathi App. 

The annual festival, which celebrates the rich culinary tradition and culture of Indian street food, witnessed a participation of over 800 street vendors from various states this time when vendors had put up their best and displayed more than 500 mouth-watering savoury delights. 

The food extravaganza not only served as an opportunity for food lovers to get the taste of lip-smacking Indian as well as Chinese delights but also allowed vendors to display their culinary skills. 

Ahead of the sixth edition of the event, vendors were provided with training about usage of the android app and given lessons along with personal hygiene practices, food safety, cleanliness and food preservation among other things, said Arbind Singh, coordinator of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), the organiser of the festival.

Survey of street vendors, hawkers in Salem

To enumerate the number of street vendors and hawkers in the city, a Chennai-based private company would begin a global positioning system (GPS) satellite survey on December 29.

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 paves way for protecting the right of urban street vendors and to regulate their vending activities.

The Act mandates forming a Town Vending Committee that should conduct a survey of all existing street vendors within Corporation limits at least once in five years and also frame guidelines for relocating such vendors.

The Act provides the right to vendors, who possesses a certificate of vending, to be entitled for new area, for carrying out vending activities, that is determined by the committee.

Hence, the Corporation has appointed the company to carry out the survey in the city limits so that welfare measures and their rights are protected.

Corporation Commissioner K.R. Selvaraj has requested all vendors to provide complete details to the surveyors so that the survey report is accurate and used for further decision-making process.

Though no proper survey has been carried out so far by the Corporation, about 6,817 hawkers are said to be in the civic body limits.

Vendors asked to provide complete details to those conducting survey

‘Show cause notice must before sealing food units’

The Designated Officers under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 cannot seal a business premises without issuing a show cause notice and conducting an enquiry into alleged violation of the legal provisions, the Madras High Court Bench here has said.

Justice M. Venugopal made the observation while issuing an interim direction to the Designated Officer in Virudhunagar district to unseal a private firm involved in the trade of coriander powder (Dhania). The building was sealed on December 17 on a charge of violating food safety rules.

Agreeing with the petitioner’s counsel, R. Gandhi, that sealing the premises all of a sudden would deprive the owner as well as the workers of their livelihood, the judge said it was essential to follow the principles of natural justice in every matter that might lead to civil consequences.

“The affected/aggrieved party should be given prior notice, fair opportunity of hearing and also if need be a personal hearing… If any of them is found to be absent or wanting, then it is a clear case of arbitrariness, capriciousness and negation of principles of natural justice,” he added.

The judge also pointed out that in the present case, the Designated Officer’s December 17 order did not indicate that a prior notice was issued to the petitioner before sealing his firm on the basis of an inspection of the premises and collection of samples of coriander on the same day.

In his affidavit, the petitioner, N. Pugazhraj, contended that the FSSA authorised the officers only to seize the food consignment, and not to seal the entire business premises, if an analysis of the food samples showed signs of violations of the food safety rules.

Drive against milk adulteration in Srinagar

SRINAGAR: A team of Food Safety Officers of Drug and Food Control Organisation headed by Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, district Srinagar intercepted various milk suppliers at Pantha Chowk and collected as many as 10 samples for analytical purposes.

Some milk suppliers were directed to change the containers in which milk is being ferried and to use only containers made of food grade material. They were further directed not to supply skimmed milk or any other kind of milk other than cow or buffalos milk otherwise action as warranted under FSSA will be initiated against them.

In addition 100 quintals of maida, which was carried in two load carriers was seized from two food business operators. The same was without the labeling requirements prescribed under FSSA. Samples of same were lifted for analytical purpose.

In the meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Srinagar has directed road side food vendors to keep the articles of food properly covered and protected from dust otherwise action under relevant provisions of law will be taken against them.

Paan kiosks sell bootlegged beer

The bottles come without any manufacturer address and no one can guarantee the quality of the drink.

A kiosk at Sarai Kale Khan displays Kingfarmer beer, a locally made alcoholic beverage sold under no supervision and without taking a licence from the concerned government department.

Visit Sarai Kale Khan and you may just come across Kingmiller, Kingfarmer, Borg 100 and Haywards 500 at any regular kiosk selling soft drinks and chips. Sounds familiar? Well, they are the cheaper versions of popular beer brands Kingfisher, Tuborg and Haywards 5000 and are easily available in this corner of Delhi.

When The Sunday Guardian visited the area, at least 15 such kiosks were selling beer packaged in bottles that resembled the bottles belonging to well known brands like Tuborg and Kingfisher, but the content inside these bottles have been made at local breweries located on the outskirts of the city.

These beers are produced and not sold under any government supervision and without taking any licence from the concerned government department.

According to one of the shopkeepers selling these beers, the local liquor is mostly supplied by bootleggers from Bawana in North West Delhi and was made for the consumption of the "low-income group".

Dissuading this correspondent from buying the beer, the shopkeeper said that he was not going to take any guarantee of the quality of the beer. These beer bottles were being sold for Rs 60-70 and with a little bargaining the price could go down to Rs 40-50.

Ironically, despite the presence of a posse of policemen, who were patrolling the exit of the Nizamuddin railway station and a police chowki in the vicinity, none of the sellers made any efforts to hide the beer bottles that were openly displayed at the kiosks and the stalls to gain the maximum attention of the numerous passers-by.

According to one of the auto drivers, Ramesh, such beer was generally bought by the migrant labour as everyone else was aware that "fake" beer may some day result in a hooch tragedy. "There is no address of the manufacturers on the bottles and I am sure that no rules are followed during its manufacturing. The local shops sell these beers as they are offered a huge margin by the manufacturers and they do not have to take any permit from the excise department to stock the beer", he said.

Another auto rickshaw driver said that they (auto rickshaw drivers) do not buy these beers because of safety reasons.

"We do not know what is mixed in it. I once tried one of these about two years back and after that I fell ill for four days and was hospitalised. Ever since, I never buy them and also ask my passengers not to buy these beers", he said.

On being asked about these beers, officials from the excise department said stocking and selling of beer can only be done after taking the permission from the department and only those beers are allowed to be sold where proper licence has been taken from the government.

The officials added that they were not aware of the sale of such beer and promised action including confiscation and destruction of such beer.

It should be noted that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an agency of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, regulates food safety norms in the country and is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.

Centre to issue guidelines asking airlines and airports to maintain hygiene

IGI Airport

Taking A cue from recent outbreak of diseases like swine flu and Ebola, the Union health ministry has placed Indian airports and airlines on radar for sanitisation and quality of food and drinks they serve.

The ministry has come up with the Indian Aircraft (Public Health) Rules 2015 that would soon be notified in the Indian Gazette. The rules will be forwarded to all the airlines and airports.

The central government will designate a National International Health Regulation (IHR) focal point for the implementation of these stringent health measures. A task force to deal with public health emergency of international magnitude or any other infectious disease would also be constituted.

The ministry has brought airports within the fold of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The move would ensure that the airport health officer would not only carry out health screening of travellers, but also supervise hygiene levels in the premises.

The health officer at the airports would supervise and coordinate with the concerned agency to ensure that facilities used by the travellers are hygienic. The office would ensure safety of potable water supplies, cleanliness of public wash rooms, appropriate liquid and solid waste disposal facilities. It would also ensure infectionfree surroundings," said Anshu Prakash, a joint secretary in the Union health ministry.

"The supervisor will also provide technical guidance to the concerned agency for disinfection and decontamination of baggage, cargo, containers, aircraft or conveyances, facilities, goods and postal parcels and human remains as appropriate," he said.

Health Minister JP Nadda

The rules will also be applicable to the airlines who will have to provide, prior to arrival, passenger manifest and information regarding illness or death on board and any health measures applied on board. A strict inspection of all the aircraft containing hazardous material will be subject to inspection.

"At the airport, the buildings, places used by travellers shall be required to be equipped with suitable equipment and all the necessary measures shall be taken to maintain the public places free from all kinds of vectors, including mosquitoes," said Prakash.

The ministry has clearly said that all the food outlets within the airport or flight kitchens will have to get licence by the airport health officer or such other appropriate authority in accordance with the provisions contained in The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

"Drinking water and food provided at the airport or on the aircraft must be maintained in hygienic condition. Service provider will have to ensure mandatory microbiological testing of drinking water quality at the source and submit regular reports to the airport health officer. The airport health officer will verify such reports to ensure the safety of water," said Prakash.

"Food suppliers from outside airport premises will be required to submit a copy of Food Safety Licence in respect of the outlet from the concerned designated officer of the outlet to the airport health officer," he said.

The food which is found unhygienic, adulterated and unsafe for human consumption will be discarded. The authorities may also order for closure of any such food establishment and drinking water source.

There are penalties under the rules too. Whoever contravenes any provision of these rules, or disobeys, or fails to comply with any order given in pursuance of these rules, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or with fine which may extend to Rs.10,000 or with both. 

MAALAI MALAR NEWS

நடைபாதை சிற்றுண்டி கடைகளின் விதிமுறை நடைமுறைக்கு வருமா? மக்கள் எதிர்பார்ப்பு

திருவள்ளூர், டிச.27:
சாலைகளில் உணவு விற்பனை செய்வோருக்கான தூய்மை மற்றும் சுகாதார தேவைகள் குறித்து, புதிய உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தர நிர்ணய சட்டத்தில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ள பல்வேறு விதிமுறைகள், தற்போது நடைமுறையில் இல்லை. பெரும் பாலான தள்ளுவண்டி கடைகள், சாக்கடை ஓரத்தில் ஈ மொய்க்கும் இடத்தில் தான் உள்ளன.
திருவள்ளூர், திருத்தணி, ஊத்துக்கோட்டை, பொன்னேரி, கும்மிடிப்பூண்டி உட்பட பல்வேறு பகுதிகளில், 2000க்கும் மேற்பட்ட தள்ளுவண்டி கடைகள் உள்ளன. மாலை 5 மணிக்கு துவங்கும் வர்த்தகம், இரவு 10 மணி வரை நடக்கிறது.
சாதாரண டிபன் உணவுகள், பஜ்ஜி, போண்டா, வடை முதல் வடமாநில உணவு வகைகள், பாஸ்ட் புட் உணவுகள் என வழங்கப்படுவதால், வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் கூட்டம் அதிகமாக இருக்கும். சாலை யோரத்தில் இயங்கும் இந்த நடைபாதை கடைகளில், அடிப்படை சுகாதாரம் என்பது பெரும்பாலும் கேள்விக்குறியாகவே இருக்கிறது.
திறந்தவெளி சாக்கடை ஓடும் துர்நாற்ற சூழலில், பல தள்ளுவண்டி கடைகள் செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றன. ஒரு பக்கெட்டில் நிரப்பப்பட்ட தண்ணீரில், பாத்திரங்களை மீண்டும், மீண்டும் மூழ்க வைத்து, சுத்தம் செய்யப்படுகிறது.
சில கடைகளில் மறு சுழற்சி அடிப்படையில், சமையல் எண்ணெய் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. பெரும்பாலான இடங்களில் சுத்தமான குடிநீர் கிடைப்ப தில்லை.
ஆனால், அவசரப் பசியை போக்குவதால், எத்தகைய சுகாதார சூழலிலும் வியாபாரம் களை கட்டி வருவது தான் ஆச்சரியத்துக்குரிய விஷயம். இது குறித்து அந்தந்த பகுதி சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர்களும் வருமானம் கருதி எவ்வித நடவடிக்கையும் எடுப்பதில்லை என்ற குற்றச்சாட்டு உள்ளது. எனவே, மக்களின் சுகாதாரம் பாதிக்கும் வகை யில் இயங்கும் தள்ளு வண்டிக் கடைகளை, சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர்கள் ஆய்வு செய்து நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் உத்தரவிட வேண்டும் என பொதுமக்கள் வலியுறுத்துகின்றனர்.

FSSAI Makes Amendments to Iron Fortified Iodized Salt

FSSAI Makes Amendments to Iron Fortified Iodized Salt

Through a notification dated 5th December 2014FSSAI has notified some amendments to the The Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 under EDIBLE COMMON SALT. These amended regulations will be called Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2014. The amendments will come into force on the date of their final notification in the Official Gazette.

The amendments have been made to regulation 2.9.30 relating to EDIBLE COMMON SALT under sub-regulation (5) that deals with standards for Iron Fortified Iodized Salt.

The original regulations state; Iron Fortified Iodized Salt (double fortified salt) means a crushed Crystalline Solid; white or pale or pink or light grey in colour, free from contamination with clay and other extraneous adulterants and impurities. Salt used for manufacture of double fortified salt shall have minimum 99.0 percent sodium chloride content on dry weight basis and moisture not more than 1.5 percent.

However, according to the amended regulations 2014 the changes that have to be inserted will be after 99.0 percent and will now be amended to “99.0 percent sodium chloride content on dry weight basis when ferrous sulphate is used for fortification; minimum 98 per cent sodium chloride on dry weight basis when ferrous fumarate in encapsulated form is used for fortification.” 

• In the standards specified in the table, for the entry Phosphorous as P₂O₅ the amendment to be inserted will be “Not more than 3100 parts per million” earlier the entry was 2800 – 3100 parts per million.
• In the standards specified in the table for entry pH value in 5% aqueous Solution the entry to be substituted is “5 to 7.5” whereas earlier the entry was 3.5 to 5.5.

The proviso has been changed and the following will be substituted;

“Provided that the double fortified salt may contain food additives permitted in Appendix A and Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose, Titanium dioxide, fully Hydrogenated Soyabean oil and Sodium Hexametaphosphate (all food grades) at concentration of not more than GMP and anti-caking agent not more than 2.0 percent on dry weight basis and the water insoluble matter wherein anti-caking agent is used shall not exceed 2.2 percent.”

FSSAI Introduces Standards for Antibiotics in Honey

FSSAI Amends Standards for Antibiotics in Honey

A few years ago when honey was tested for antibiotics it was found that almost all the branded honey was contaminated with antibiotics like Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin and Erythromycin. Antibiotics are regularly given to bees to prevent diseases. They also help to promote growth and increase volumes to meet commercial requirements.

When honey is consumed on a regular basis then contaminated honey can build drug resistance so that when prescribed those antibiotics they may not work.  Besides drug resistance, the  antibiotic contaminated honey could lead to blood related diseases and could damage the kidney, liver, bone and teeth over time since honey is given even to children for its health benefits.

Honey meant for export has to meet the standards of the Export Inspection Council.  The European Union banned the import of Indian honey because it did not meet standards. However, there were no standards for domestic honey, so foreign brands were selling antibiotic contaminated honey in India. FSSAI has therefore been working on the standards for honey so that honey is safe for the consumer.

Draft notification for fixing standards for Antibiotics in Honey, had been notified on 5thDecember 2012 for seeking public comments. After keeping in mind the objections and suggestions FSSAI has made amendments to Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 and the amended regulations will be called Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations 2014. These amendments will come into force 60 days after their publication in the Official Gazette.

The changes have been made in The Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 in regulation 2.3 in sub- regulation 2.3.2 relating to Antibiotics under Pharmacologically active substances.

The list of Antibiotics along with the prescribed tolerance limits in Honey have been defined in the following table when determined by LC-MS/MS method:

SR. NO.	NAME OF ANTIBIOTICS	TOLERANCE LIMIT (MICROGRAM/KG)
1	Chloramphenicol	0.3*
2	Nitrofurans and its metabolites	0.5* (Either individually or collectively)
3	Sulphonamides and its metabolites	5.0* (Either individually or collectively)
4	Streptomycin	5.0*
5	Tetracycline	5.0*
	(a) Oxytetracycline	5.0*
	(b) Chlortetracycline	5.0*
6	Ampicillin	5.0*
7	Enrofloxacin	5.0*
8	Ciprofloxacin	5.0*

Earlier, the guidelines for Honey were governed under the Standards prescribed underPrevention of Food Adulteration Rules (PFA) 1955.

Junk food vs Samosa

Why Indian traditional food items and snacks score over a pack of chips or instant noodles even if they have similar levels of fats, salt and sugar

Traditional snacks offer scope for further “greening” by adding vegetables and using cooking oil of choice

In November this year, Brazil released its second edition of national dietary guidelines. These are being termed as simple, holistic and are expected to be very effective. The guidelines stand out in multiple ways, particularly in how it defines and characterises foods that are “ultra-processed” and links their consumption with ill health of people and the environment. 

With a simple and powerful message—avoid ultra-processed foods such as packaged snacks, soft drinks, instant noodles, sweetened juices, energy drinks, pre-pared pizza and burgers— it aims to address the growing public health crisis of obesity, diabetes and heart diseases.

The message is relevant universally but crucial to the Indian context. Both Brazil and India are developing nations with similar transition in dietary habits. Commonly available branded junk foods or “ultra-processed” foods, as they have been defined, are increasingly contributing to total energy intake. But these are yet to become a part of our food system, unlike in certain developed countries of the West. So, there still is a chance to control this menace.

Categories of foods

On this count, the Indian national dietary guidelines, developed in 2011, are not entirely off the mark. They, too, recommend minimising use of processed foods as they are rich in fats, salt, sugar and preservatives and are unhealthy. What merits a keen look at the Brazilian guidelines is the way all foods are classified into four categories based on the type of processing involved. A classification, if applied to the Indian context, helps understand how Indian traditional food items or snacks such as a samosa or chilla are different and score better than a pack of chips or instant noodles even in a situation with similar levels of fat, salt and sugar. It enables better differentiation as one is a culinary preparation and the other is an industrial formulation of several ingredients, including chemical additives. Let us see how.

On one extreme of the classification lie natural or minimally processed foods, wherein natural foods are those obtained directly from plants or animals and do not undergo any alteration following their removal from nature. Minimally processed foods, on the other hand, are natural foods that have been submitted to certain processes, such as cleaning, removal of inedible or unwanted parts, grinding, drying, fermentation, pasteurization, cooling and freezing. There is no addition of oils, fats, sugar, salt or other substances to the original food. The guidelines recommend natural or minimally processed foods should be the basis of diet. Examples of such foods include natural, packaged, cut, chilled or frozen vegetables, fruits, potatoes; packaged white, parboiled and wholegrain rice; and pasteurized milk.

The second category is oils, fats, salt and sugar. These are products extracted from natural foods by processes such as pressing, grinding, crushing, pulverizing and refining. This type of food items are used in homes and restaurants to season and cook food and rarely consumed alone. These are suggested to be used in small amounts.

Processed foods—the third category—are characterised as products manufactured by industry with the use of salt, sugar, oil or other substances added to natural or minimally processed foods to preserve or to make them more palatable. These are derived directly from foods and recognised as versions of the original foods. These are usually consumed as a part of or as a side dish in culinary preparations made using natural or minimally processed foods. Limited consumption of such foods is advised. Pickles, cheeses, tomato extract or concentrate with salt/sugar; salted, smoked or cured meat and fish are some examples.

Ultra-processed foods are at the other end of this classification. Recommended to be avoided, these are defined as industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesised in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources (flavour enhancers, colours, and several food additives used to make the product hyper-palatable). Manufacturing techniques include extrusion, moulding, and pre-processing by means of frying. Examples are salty packaged snacks, biscuits, ice-creams, candies, soft drinks, sweetened juices, energy drinks, sweetened breakfast cereals, instant soups and noodles and pre-prepared meat, fish, vegetables, pizza, pasta dishes and burgers.

Spot the ultra-processed foods

Interestingly, a practical way of distinguishing ultra-processed foods is a high number and presence of ingredients which are otherwise not used in culinary preparations. Such ingredients include fructose syrup, protein isolates, bulking agents, thickeners, emulsifiers, colorants, flavour enhancers. Along with the manufacturing techniques, these are largely exclusive to industrial use and not used in kitchens.

That most ultra-processed foods or junk foods are high in salt, sugar and fat to make them last long and hyper-palatable is known to many. Salt is necessary for preservation, intensifying taste, disguise unpleasant flavours imparted by chemical additives and processing techniques. Higher levels of saturated and hydrogenated fats resist oxidation and decay. However, characteristics that are typical to such foods and also help distinguish them from fresh and traditional preparations, such as a plate of chana bhatura or pakoras, include low levels or absence of dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals in their most natural form and presence of chemical additives.

Invasive food

On top of this, the production, distribution, marketing and consumption of ultra-processed foods are recognised to impact culture, social life and the environment. One does not get to see samosa being aggressively marketed by a film star or a sports person to lure a child for compulsive purchasing. It is also not about mindless eating in isolated situations which is linked with ready-to-consume packaged food, most often available in large portions. Preparation ofchana bhatura does not create monocultures with farms producing few key raw materials—not for local consumption but for export to distant places. Moreover, intensive farming harms biodiversity.

Fresh and traditional preparations give the option of further “greening”. Samosaor tikki can have peas and chana bhatura can be cooked in an oil of choice. What possibly could not be offered by these preparations are liquid calories mixed with several chemicals. Yes, I am talking about soft drinks!

Shops raided after concerns over toffees sold to children

Report sought from Food Safety Officer over the products

Concerns have been expressed by parents and officials over the sale of unbranded toffees to children in some shops in Thokkottu.

Health Department officials visited a private school near Thokkottu junction and found that sugar-coated toffees had been kept in small bottles for sale. Taluk Health Officer Navinchandra Kulal said these toffees were unbranded and did not have any details of the manufacturer.

Dr. Kulal said he consumed the toffees and did not find anything sedative or any other drugs mixed with these toffees. “But we do not want such unbranded items to be consumed by students. We have sought a report from Food Safety Officer,” he said.

The designated Food Safety Officer Praveen Kumar C.H. said the samples of the toffees provided by Taluk Health office have been sent for laboratory tests.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kumar and his team carried out raids in the shops in the vicinity and checked the items that are sold. He said that under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 shops selling food products should have obtained a licence from the designated authority. Shop owners will be booked for selling food articles that do not display the name of the manufacturer and the contents. The manufacturer of such products will also be booked, Mr. Kumar said.

Police Commissioner R. Hithendra has taken suo motu note of the reports expressing suspicion that toffees are laced with psychotropic drugs and asked for a report from the Ullal police.

The Kerala police have raided some shops in Kasaragod and had recovered such toffees said to be mixed with drugs in the past. Mr. Hithendra said there has not been any instance of sale of such toffees in the city. “But in light of the apprehensions expressed, I have sought report from Ullal police,” he said.

Assistant Drug Controller K.V. Nagaraj said there was a strict vigil by the department to prevent the sale of the psychotropic drugs without prescription.

He said licences of medical shops violating the rule have been kept under suspension. Apart from checks at regular intervals, the stocks of wholesale drug dealers are closely monitored, he said.

மெல்ல கொல்லும் கலப்படம்

உணவுப் பொருட்களும் கலப்படமும் ஒன் றோடு ஒன்று ஒட்டி பிறந்தவை என்பதை சேலத்தில் நடந்துள்ள சோதனை மீண்டும் ஒரு முறை உணர்த்தி உள்ளது. தனியார் நிறுவன கிடங்கியில் சோம்பு, சீரகம், மிளகு உள்ளிட்டவை கலப்படம் செய்து விற்பனைக்கு அனுப்பப்பட இருந்ததை அதிகாரிகள் கண்டுபிடித்து, 500 மூட்டை மசாலா பொருட்களை பறிமுதல் செய்துள்ளனர்.

ஒரு காலத்தில் அரிசியில் கல் கலப்பதே பயங்கர கலப்படமாக கருதப்பட்டது. இன்றோ ஒரு தானியத்தை கூட விட்டுவைக்கவில்லை. குடிநீர், பால் என அனைத்திலும் கலப்படம்தான். கலப்பட உணவு பொருட்களை சாப்பிடும் அப்பாவி மக்கள் பலவித நோய்களுக்கு ஆளாகும் அவலம் தொடர்கிறது.

சோம்பில் கூடுதல் நிறம் கிடைக்க பச்சை நிற ரசாயன பவுடர், மிளகில் பப்பாளி விதைகள், சீரகம் மற்றும் கடுகில் அதே போன்று பொருட்களை கலந்திருப்பதும், வெந்தயத்தில் வெள்ளை நிற ரசாயன பவுடரை பயன்படுத்தி கூடுதல் நிறமேற்றியதும் சேலத்தில் நடந்த சோதனையில் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

மசாலா பொருட்கள் மட்டுமல்லாது, சமையல் எண்ணெய், வெண்ணெய், நெய், வனஸ்பதி, இனிப்பு வகைகள், பருப்பு வகைகளில் அதிகம் கலப்படம் நடக்கிறது. 2013&14ம் ஆண்டில் நாடு முழுவதும் 72,200 உணவு பொருள் மாதிரிகள் சோதனை செய்யப்பட்டதில், 13,571 மாதிரிகளில் கலப்படம் செய்யப்பட்டிருந்தது உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளதாக நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் மத்திய அமைச்சரே கூறியிருக்கிறார். இது தொடர்பாக 10,325 வழக்குகள் பதிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.

ரசாயன பொருட்கள் கலப்படத்தால், உடலுக்கு பெரும் கேடு ஏற்படுகிறது. வயிற்று வலி, அல்சரில் தொடங்கி புற்றுநோய் வரை ஏற்படும். மனிதர்களை மெல்ல கொல்லும் விஷத்தை உணவில் கலப்படம் செய்பவர்கள் கொலைகாரர்கள்தான். அவர்கள் மீது கொலை குற்றச்சாட்டு பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கை வலுப்பெற்று வருகிறது.

ஆனால், உணவு பொருள் பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தை மாநில அரசுகள் ஒழுங்காக அமல்படுத்தாததே இதற்கு காரணம் என்று கூறி, மத்திய அமைச்சர் நழுவ முயற்சித்துள்ளார். அதே நேரத்தில் கலப்படத்தை தடுக்கும் வழிமுறைகளை வகுக்க உயர்மட்ட குழு ஒன்றையும் அரசு அமைத்துள்ளது. இந்த விவகாரத்தில் மத்திய அரசும், மாநில அரசுகளும் ஒருங்கிணைந்து விழிப்புடன் செயல்பட்டு கலப்பட பேர்வழிகளை ஒடுக்க வேண்டும். இது மக்களின் உயிரோடு விளையாடும் விஷயம் என்பதால், சுணக்கம் காட்டாமல், பொறுப்பை தட்டிக்கழிக்காமல் மத்திய, மாநில அரசுகள் உடனடியாக நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பது நல்லது.

கலப்பட உணவுகளை தவிர்க்க விழிப்புணர்வு அவசியம் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி வலியுறுத்தல்

சேலம், டிச.26:கலப்பட உணவுகளைத் தவிர்ப்பதில் விழிப்புணர்வு அவசியம் என கல்லூரி கருத்தரங்கில் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரி பேசினார்.

தமிழ்நாடு நுகர்வோர் மற்றும் மக்கள் உரிமைகள் புலனாய்வுக் கமிட்டியும், சேலம் அரசு மகளிர் கலைக்கல்லூரியும் இணைந்து தேசிய நுகர்வோர் தின விழாவை நடத்தியது. இதில் தமிழ்நாடு நுகர்வோர் மற்றும் மக்கள் உரிமைகள் புலனாய்வுக் கமிட்டி தலைவர் செல்வம் தலைமை வகித்தார். கல்லூரி முதல்வர் மணிமொழி, வேதியியல் துறைத்தலைவர் சகுந்தலா, நுகர்வோர் அமைப்பின் பொதுச்செயலாளர் இக்பால் ஆகியோர் முன்னிலை வகித்தனர். கல்லூரியின் நுகர்வோர் மன்ற ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர் சுபா வரவேற்றார். கலப்படம், போலி விளம்பரம் மற்றும் முறையற்ற வர்த்தகத்தால் ஏற்படும் தீமை குறித்து மாணவிகளுக்கு போட்டி நடத்தப்பட்டது. போட்டி யில் வெற்றி பெற்றவர்களுக்கு சான்றிதழ் மற்றும் பரிசுகள் வழங்கப்பட்டது.

உணவில் நடக்கும் கலப்படம் குறித்து மாணவிகளுக்கு செயல்முறை விளக்கம் அளித்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதா பேசியதாவது:

இன்று அனைத்து உணவுப் பொருட்களிலுமே கலப்படம் நடந்து வருகிறது. பால், சில்லிசிக்கன், சிப்ஸ் வகைகள், குளிர் பானங்களில் சாக்ரின், ரசாயன வண்ணங்கள் கலக்கப்படுகிறது. கலப்பட உணவுகளை உட்கொள்வதால் தாய்ப் பால் உள்பட எல்லாமே விஷமாக மாறி வருகிறது. ஒரு பொருளை வாங்கும் போது அதன் விலை குறை வாக உள்ளதா, இலவசமாக ஏதாவது கிடைக்குமா என்று தான் பார்க்கிறோம். அந்தப் பொருள் தரமானதா என்று கவனிப்பதில்லை. இனிமேல் கவனிக்க வேண் டும். கலப்பட உணவுகளை தொடர்ந்து உட்கொள்வதால் உடல் உறுப்புகள் பாதிப்படையும். இது புற்றுநோய் போன்ற கொடிய நோய்களுக்கு காரணமாகிறது. எனவே கலப்பட உணவுகளைத் தவிர்த்து தரமான உணவுப் பொருட்களை உட்கொள்ள வேண்டும். கலப்பட உணவுகளை கண்டு பிடிக்கும் பட்சத்தில் எங்களிடம் தெரிவிக்கலாம். விழிப்புணர்வுடன் இருப்பது மிக அவசியம். இவ்வாறு அனுராதா பேசினார்.

மாவட்ட தொழிலாளர் அலுவலர் இந்தியா, கல்லூரி நாட்டுநலப்பணித்திட்ட அலுவலர் கார்குழலி, தமிழ்த்துறைத் தலைவர் செண்பகலட்சுமி மற்றும் நுகர்வோர் சங்க நிர்வாகிகள், மாணவி கள் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

அரிசி வற்றல் சாப்பிட்ட 32 குழந்தகள் பாதிப்பு

கடலூர், டிச. 26:

கடலூர் அடுத்த ஆலப்பாக்கம் அருகே தீர்த்தனகிரி கிராமம் குளத்துமேட்டுத்தெருவில் உள்ள ஒரு பெட்டிக்கடையில் விற்பனை செய்யப்பட்ட அரிசி வற்றல் பாக்கெட்டுகளை வாங்கி அக்கிராமத்து குழந்தைகள் சாப்பிட்டுள்ளனர். அதனை தொடர்ந்து வாந்தி, மயக்கம், தலைவலிக்கு உள்ளான 32 குழந்தைகள் உடனடியாக தீர்த்தனகிரி அரசு ஆரம்ப சுகாதார நிலையத்தில் சிகிச்சை பெற்றனர். அவர்களில் 6 குழந்தைகள் உள்நோயாளியாக தங்க வைக்கப்பட்டு சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்பட்டது.

இச்சம்பவம் தொடர் பாக தகவல் அறிந்த மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி டாக்டர் ராஜா தலைமையில் அலுவலர்கள் நல்லதம்பி, சுப்ரமணியன் உள்ளடங்கிய குழுவினர் நள்ளிரவு 1 மணிக்கு அக்கிராமத்திற்கு சென்று அந்த பெட்டிக்கடையில் சோத னை நடத்தினர்.

அங்கிருந்த 2 அரிசி வற்றல் பாக்கெட்டுகளை பறிமுதல் செய்து விசார ணை நடத்தினர். அவர் குள்ளஞ்சாவடி ஆலப்பாக்கம் சாலையில் உள்ள கடையில் வாங்கி வந்ததாக தெரிவித்தார். உடனே சம்பந்தப்பட்ட கடைக்கும் சென்று அங்கிருந்து 20 பாக்கெட்டுகளை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். இரண்டு கடைகளுக்கும் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி டாக்டர் ராஜா சீல் வைத்தார். அரிசி வற்றல் பரிசோதனைக்காக ஆய்வு கூடத்திற்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது. அறிக்கை வந்த உடன் அதன் பேரில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின் படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர்.