Follow hygiene rules or face the music: FDA to roadside vendors in Mumbai

Come February 4, the Food and Drug Administration will crack the whip on all those food business operators, including roadside vendors and hawkers, who have not registered with the regulatory authority under the central government’s Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA). 

The move comes two years after the Food Standards and Safety Authority of India made it mandatory for all food business operators (FBOs) to obtain a licence or register with the state FDA. Under the FSSA, any person or establishment, where food is being handled, processed, manufactured, stored and distributed should conform to basic sanitary and hygienic requirement. 

So far, FDA in Maharashtra has registered or licensed 5,73,840 FBOs of which 63,654 operators are in Mumbai alone. There are an estimated 15 lakh FBOs in the state, while Mumbai has over one lakh food business set-ups. These range from top-end restaurants to roadside vendors as also manufacturers of packaged food product or raw material, including dealers of milk, dairy products, meat and oil. 

State FDA Commissioner Mahesh Zagade told dna, “February 4 is the last date set by the central government to obtain licences or registration by the FBOs, failing which they will be prosecuted under the law.” 

Zagade said that Maharashtra has registered the maximum number of FBOs as compared to any other state in India. “Across India, there are 5.5 crore FBOs of which 18 lakh have registered under FSSA till date. Of these 18 lakh, over five lakh FBOs have registered from Maharashtra alone. With nearly 30 per cent registrations done from Maharashtra alone, we are leading in enforcing the law.” 

In the past 20 days, food safety officers have been conducting camps to persuade FBOs to obtain FDA licences or get registered with the regulatory body. “On average, we are conducting forty to fifty camps in a day in the city with an aim to reach out to vendors in concentrated areas of vegetable and fish markets as well as hawkers to make them aware of the importance of maintaining hygiene and sanitation while handling raw or cooked food items,” said Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner (food), FDA.

NGT’s directive to FSSAI

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Bench, on Thursday directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to consider the applications of flavoured water manufacturing units for the grant of licenses to them within a month.

Last March the tribunal took suo motu cognisance of a news report highlighting violations of certain norms by packaged water drinking units. Pursuant to a direction of the tribunal, all flavoured units were closed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for want of license from the FSSAI. Hence, International Herbal Water Foundation and others filed appeals challenging the closure orders.

In an earlier hearing, the TNPCB said the units should get the licences from the FSSAI before obtaining consent from the TNPCB. Hence, the tribunal directed the FSSAI to consider the applications for licences within two weeks. When the matter came up for hearing before the Bench comprising Justice M. Chockalingam and Prof. R. Nagendran on Thursday, the counsel for FSSAI sought time to process applications.

தமிழகம் முழுவதும் உணவகங்கள், கடைகள் உரிமம் பெற பிப்.4ம் தேதி கடைசிநாள் மீறினால் 5 லட்சம் அபராதம் 6 மாதம் சிறை தண்டனை

சேலம், ஜன.23:

தமிழக முழுவதும் உணவு வர்த்தகத் தில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள அனைத்து உணவகங்கள் மற்றும் கடைகள் பதிவு சான்றிதழ், உரிமம் பெறுவதற்கு பிப்.4ம் தேதியோடு காலக்கெடு முடிக்கிறது. உரிமம் பெறாத நிறுவனங்களுக்கு 5 லட்சம் அபராதம் மற்றும் 6 மாத சிறை தண்டனை விதிக்கப்படும் என தமிழ்நாடு உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை எச்சரித்துள்ளது. 

இந்திய உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தர நிர் ணய சட்டம் நாடு முழுவதும் 2011ம் ஆண்டு ஆகஸ்ட் 5ம் தேதி அமலுக்கு வந்தது. நுகர்வோருக்கு, கலப்படமற்ற, சுகாதாரமான உணவு வழங்குவது இச்சட்டத்தின் நோக்கம். உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின் கீழ், உணவு வர்த்தகத்தில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள சிறு, பெரு வணிகர்கள் அந்தந்த மாவட்ட உணவுப் பாது காப்பு நியமன அலுவலரிடம் பதிவு செய்து, லைசென்ஸ் பெறுவது கட்டாயம். 

இந்நிலையில் இந்த சட்டத்தை எதிர்த்து கடந்தாண்டு வணிகர்கள் நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்தனர். அந்த வழக்கில் நீதிமன்றம் ஒரு ஆண்டுக்குள் உணவகங்கள் மற்றும் கடைகள் பதிவு சான்றிதழ் மற்றும் உரிமம் பெறவேண்டும் என்று உத்தரவிட்டது. இதன்படி, தமிழகம் முழுவதும் பல ஆயிரம் வணிகர்கள் பதிவு சான்றிதழ் மற்றும் உரிமம் பெற்று வருகின்றனர். இந்த உரிமம் பெற வரும் பிப்ரவரி 4ம் தேதி கடைசி நாளாகும். 

இது குறித்து சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு திட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதா கூறியதாவது: 

உணவு தயாரிப்பு நிறுவனங்கள், பேக்கரிகள், சாலையோர தள்ளுவண்டி கடைகள், பால்காரர்கள், இறைச்சி விற்பனையாளர்கள், பள்ளி, கல்லூரி உணவு விடுதிகள், சமையல் காண்ட்ராக்டர்கள், திருமண மண்டபங்கள், ஹோட்டல்கள், மளிகை கடைகள், ஸ்டார்ச், ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் உள்ளிட்ட உணவுப்பொருள் தயாரிப்பு நிலையில் இருந்து பொதுமக்கள் உண்ணும் நிலை வரை உள்ள அனைத்து உணவு வணிகர்களும் உணவுப்பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலரிடம் பதிவு செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். 

சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் மொத்தம் 5 ஆயிரம் உணவகங்கள் உள்ளன. ஆண்டுக்கு 12 லட்சத்துக்கு மேல் வர்த்தகம் செய்வோர், மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலரிடம் உரிமம் பெற வேண்டும். 12 லட்சத்துக்கும் குறைவாக வியாபாரம் உள்ள வணிகர்கள், தாங்கள் தொழில் நடத்துவது குறித்து பதிவு செய்தால் மட்டும் போதுமானது. இவர்கள், லைசென்ஸ் பெற தேவையில்லை. உணவு நிறுவனங்களை பதிவு செய்ய 100ம், உரிமம் பெற 2 ஆயிரமும் கட்டணம் செலுத்த வேண்டும். 

சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் இதுவரை 3 ஆயிரம் வணிகர்கள் உரிமம் பெற்றுள்ளனர். உணவு வர்த்தகத்தில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ள அனைவரும் வரும் பிப்ரவரி 4ம் தேதிக் குள் நியமன அலுவலர் அல்லது அந்தந்த வட்டாரத்தில் உள்ள பொறுப்பு அலுவலரிடம் பதிவு சான்றிதழ், உரிமம் பெற வேண்டும் என அரசு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது. பதிவு சான்றிதழ் மற்றும் உரிமம் பெறாமல் உணவு வணிகத்தில் ஈடுபடுவோருக்கு 6 மாதம் சிறை தண்டனை மற்றும்5 

லட்சம் வரை அபராதம் விதிக்கப்படும். 

இவ்வாறு அனுராதா கூறினார். 

உரிமம் எங்கே பெறுவது? 

தமிழ்நாடு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாகத்துறை மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் அலுவலகம், கலெக்டர் அலுவலகம் அருகே பழைய நாட்டாண்மை கட்டிட வளாகத்தில் செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது. இந்த அலுவலகத்தை 0427&2450332, 94435&20332 என்ற எண்ணில் தொடர்பு கொள்ளலாம். இதை தவிர ஆத்தூர், இடைப்பாடி, மேட்டூர் உள்ளிட்ட நகராட்சியிலும், மேச்சேரி, நங்கவள்ளி, மகுடஞ்சாவடி, ஓமலூர் உள்பட 20 ஒன்றியங்களிலும் உரிமம் மற்றும் பதிவு சான்றிதழ் பெற அலுவலர்கள் உள்ளனர்.

Registration of food businesses a must

KOHIMA: All food business operators (FBOs) in Nagaland, irrespective of whether they are based in urban or rural areas, have been directed to obtain licenses and register their businesses under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, before February 4, 2014.

Neiphi Kire, principal director and additional food safety commissioner, directorate of health and family welfare, Nagaland, said, "Operating a food business without a license or registration will attract penalty up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up to six months under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006."

According to the Act, all FBOs should be registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and obtain licenses. FBOs includes hotels, permanent and temporary stall owners, hawkers, home-based canteens, dhabawalas, food manufacturers, processors, re-packers, food stall arrangements in religious gatherings, slaughterhouses, storage houses, retail and wholesale traders, hostels, packaged drinking water units and so on.

Kire further said that all food businesses dealing in sales, storage and distribution of local food products and homemade food have been directed to properly seal the products in food grade plastic containers or polyethylene. The product seal should carry the following information on the label: name of food; date of manufacturing or packing; ingredients; net weight, volume; lot number, batch number, code number; best before date; use by date and expiry date.

"Non-compliance to this directive would be an offence punishable under the said Act and rules," Kire said in the press release. The measure will help the FSSAI protect and promote public health through regulation and supervision of food safety.

A drop of this, pinch of that TO TEST TAINTED FOOD

Adulterated Products Can Cause Stomach, Kidney Ailments

Aman added a drop of a yellow liquid into a jar of milk. The pure white liquid turned blue. It wasn’t a trick at a magic show but a demonstration at the adulterated food testing counter at the Youth Health Mela at Valluvar Kottam. 

The exhibition, organised by Adyar Cancer Institute, aims to educate people about noncommunicable diseases and ways to prevent them. As part of the event, MBA students of Hindustan University have a stall where they demonstrate simple tests to determine whether a food item is adulterated. 

Food products, ranging from milk and vegetables to ice cream, are adulterated, say health experts. “In order to add colour, texture and bulk to food products, manufacturers mix all kinds of additives, most of which cause severe illnesses,” said Saravana Kumar, a professor at the university, who is in charge of the stall. “We can scrub our vessels squeaky clean, wash the veggies several times and sanitize our hands repeatedly but the food we consume continues to be unsafe.” 

To prove his point, Kumar dissolved some jaggery bought from a grocer in water and added a drop of cleaning acid. Immediately, it precipitates and rises. “Detergent is mixed with jaggery to provide bulk. This could cause serious stomach disorders,” he said. 

Doctors say adulterated food is a menace but cannot be curtailed as people are dependent on packaged food products sold in stores. “Additives, artificial colours and products that enhance texture and flavour will cause damage to the body in the long run. If a person is suffering from a heart or kidney ailment, it will 

exacerbate the problem,” said Dr. N Kathiresan from Cancer Institute. “From increased blood pressure to cancer, a range of health problems can be traced to adulterated food,” he said. 

Even vegetables contain harmful chemicals in excess of the permissible limits prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Act, he said and suggested that people go organic. 

“People should have gardens at home and grow their own vegetables. It can not only be a relaxing hobby but also save time and money and ensure good health,” he said. 

Food Business Operators (FBOs) in Nagaland directed to register their business

Kohima: It is informed that all food business operators (FBOs) in Nagaland have been directed to obtain licenses and register their businesses under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, before February 4th, 2014. Neiphi Kire, principal director and additional food safety commissioner, directorate of health and family welfare, Nagaland, said, “Operating a food business without a license or registration will attract penalty up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up to six months under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.”

According to the Act, all FBOs should be registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and obtain licenses. FBOs includes hotels, permanent and temporary stall owners, hawkers, home-based canteens, dhabawalas, food manufacturers, processors, re-packers, food stall arrangements in religious gatherings, slaughterhouses, storage houses, retail and wholesale traders, hostels, packaged drinking water units and so on. “Non-compliance to this directive would be an offence punishable under the said Act and rules,” Kire said.

HC notice to food authority

Food safety law

The High Court on Thursday ordered issue of notice to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, New Delhi, in connection with a petition filed by the Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants Association.

The association has questioned the regulations and some of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which were enforced from August 2012, replacing the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

The High Court, in July 2013, issued an interim order staying the regulations and the provisions. Justice A.N. Venugopala Gowda ordered issue of notice to the authority as the Union government pointed out that the authority was a necessary respondent for adjudicating the plea. Meanwhile, the court extended the interim order until next date of hearing.

HC notice to food authority

The high court has ordered notice to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, New Delhi, in connection with a petition filed by Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants Association.

Justice AN Venugopala Gowda also extended the stay till the next date of hearing with regard to certain guidelines under Food Safety and Standards Regulations, which are under challenge.

The petitioner has challenged regulations related to licencing, packaging, labelling and registration. It claims a hotelier cannot be expected to test around 150 insecticide residues in the hundreds of items prepared. It also states the Rs 12-lakh ceiling imposed on petty food manufacturers is unrealistic.

Action against FBOs failing to convert licences by Feb 4: Chandramouli

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference held at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, K Chandramouli, chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said the apex food regulator would take action against food business operators (FBO) failing to convert their licences, as prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, by February 4, 2014.

However, he said he was hopeful that the work pertaining to conversion would be completed by the prescribed date. “The deadline of February 4, 2014 is not for new licences. It is for conversions only. We expect that the conversions would be complete by the deadline. If not, we will take action. As far as new licences are concerned, it is a continual process,” he informed.

It must be mentioned here that the deadline for FBOs to obtain licences and get registered under the new set of rules is approaching, and reports suggest that the process has been sluggish in many parts of the country. While Maharashtra and Gujarat are leading, Delhi is at the bottom.

However, industry sources felt that it was highly unlikely that the conversion would be complete by the deadline. Most of them said they expected FSSAI to extend the date given the slow process of licensing and registration and the huge backlog which remained to be cleared.

When quizzed about the database for packaged drinking water, the FSSAI chairman stated that it was also a continuous process, and actually was an enforcement issue, which had to be checked constantly. Chandramouli said, “Wherever we find shortcomings, we will take action.”

When asked if there was a proposal from FSSAI regarding ban on junk food in schools, Chandramouli said that the matter had come up in the court. Only after the court’s direction would the apex regulator implement it.