FHRAI welcomes FSSAI's decision to extend licence deadline for FBOs

S M Shervani, President, FHRAI lauded the decision of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to extend the deadline for Food Business Operators (FBO) seeking conversion/ renewal of existing licence / registrationunder repealed orders. The deadline has been extended from February 4, 2014 to August 4, 2014. This is the fourth time the deadine has been extended by the FSSAI. 

Shervani said, "FHRAI welcomes the decision to extend the last date for obtaining license/ registration by existing FBO by a period of six months. We have been vigorously engaging with the government at the highest level, on various technical and regulatory aspects of the new Food Safety Law and had demanded an extension of this deadline as it did not take into account the ground realities and practical constraints faced by the industry.”

“FHRAI supports the progressive intent and basic tenets of the Food Safety & Standards Act, but we have strong reservations on certain procedural issues and implementation mechanisms envisaged in the new law and its accompanying regulations. We also firmly believe that a sweeping reform of this nature can only be viably introduced by adopting a calibrated and consultative approach. Instead of arbitrary deadlines, the current focus must now shift to building greater awareness, particularly in the unorganised sector and allowing sufficient time to both the regulator (FSSAI) and our industry, to put in place robust internal systems, transparent processes and a pragmatic compliance framework," he added.

Food for thought on World Cancer Day

The one-day workshop to caution against perils of tobacco consumption and increase awareness held by the Health Department here on Tuesday did not go in vain. During an interactive session after the inauguration, cancer specialists, senior oncologists and senior officers of various departments expressed their views. Important suggestions and useful information was also given.

Health Minister Dr Narottam Mishra said that free treatment of cancer will start in 10 selected district hospitals from March 15. Chemotherapy will also begin in 5 hospitals. Mishra said that as a result of leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, this campaign will also meet with success like Beti Bachao Abhiyan. Principal Secretary Health Praveer Krishna said that Panchayat office-bearers will also be associated with the campaign. Cooperation of organisations like Red Cross is also being sought.

Founder of Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital and senior journalist Madan Mohan Joshi said that awareness against cancer is increasing day by day. At personal level, every person can counsel people around him and prevent the disease.

Controller Food and Drug Administration DD Agrawal said that directives have been given to Chief Medical and Health Officers to keep watch over sale of tobacco in restricted areas and take action against violators of law.

Principal Secretary Technical Education Sanjay Singh said that only horrific ads as warning are not enough for tobacco control. Works should be undertaken to highlight dangers of tobacco in a better way through consultation with message and communication experts. Specialist of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi and others also informed about cancer prevention and treatment at the workshop.

Director General of Police Nandan Dube informed that regular monitoring of implementation of cigarette and Tobacco Products Act 2003 is undertaken. Section 4 of Tobacco Control Act prohibits cigarette smoking in public places.

Under Section-6 sale of tobacco products to adolescents or by them within 100 yards of educational institutions is prohibited. Dube informed that addiction destroys generations, therefore, it must be controlled.

He stressed the need for joint efforts to discourage people against addiction. The DGP described this event as important in sensitizing people against ill effects of addiction.

Dr DC Gupta informed that 10 lakh people die of tobacco-induced diseases in the country every year. Cancer harms every part of body. Food Safety and Standards Act-2006 is also under implementation along with other laws.

These laws need to be implemented strictly. At panel discussions, 6 points were discussed. This session was conducted by Commissioner Health Pankaj Agrawal while Director Health Dr Sanjay Goyal proposed a vote of thanks.

FSSAI ADVISORY - EXTENDING TIME LINE UPTO 4.8.2014

Most food outlets illegal as vendors fail to get licences

Chennai: More than half of the city’s food industry — from restaurants, hostels, roadside eateries and bakeries to fruit and vegetable outlets — are illegal. Data from the food safety and drug administration department shows that just 11,000 of the identified 23,769 food outlets in the city registering with the department before the deadlineexpiredon Tuesday. 

As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, a licence is compulsory for any food business with an annual turnover of more than 12 lakh. Those with a lower turnover must register with the department. 

“We issued licences to 6,100 establishments 4,600 registered with the department,” an official said. 

Under the act, vendors who fail to register may have to shut shop, pay fines ranging from 25,000 to 10 lakh or face imprisonment of up to six months. 

“There is no justification for vendors failing to register as the deadline was extended several times. But the authorities fail to enforce the rules. They have not prosecuted any violator so far,” said consumer activist T Sadagopan. 

Tamil Nadu Hotels Association secretary R Srinivasan claimed they had received a notification from the Centre that the deadline would be extended by another six months. But till Tuesday night, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India website said there would be no extension. 

Tamil Nadu Food Safety Commissioner Kumar Jayant said strict action wouldbetaken for violations of safety norms. “Action will be taken against both licensed and unlicensed food operators.Butwe are notin a hurry to punish vendors. We have been creating awareness among vendors over the past two years,” he said.

Registration ID: 6-month breather for eateries

FSSAI extends deadline for obtaining food business operator licence to August 4

Restaurants and eateries have got six more months to obtain a food business operator licence. The deadline set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been extended till August 4 from the earlier February 4. The National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) had written to FSSAI to extend it.

Owners had pointed out that the government even after announcing the mandatory permit did not facilitate the on-ground procedures for getting the licence. "The set-up was not ready to process the applications. Everything had to be done manually," said Prakul Kumar, secretary general, NRAI. Online application was allowed only in January, close to the final deadline, he said.

FSSAI is also dealing with a rush of applications. It announced on Tuesday that "due to the unprecedented volume of licensing and registration applications, the functionality of online payment is currently disabled". It also said only demand drafts and challans would be accepted for payment.

"It is not like restaurants would be asked to shut shop immediately. There is a process and usually a warning period of three months is given to the erring person, that can ultimately lead to prosecution," said Kamlesh Barot, president, Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India.

Several restaurants have also found the process of filling the applications and the requirements to comply to be impractical. "It took us over two days just to fill the form. Most restaurants would find it difficult to comply with these norms," said Virat Chhabra, spokesperson, Mia Bella Gastropub at Delhi's Hauz Khas Village.

While most organised entities have managed to get the licence, it is hawkers and others in the unorganised sector which could be in trouble. The idea behind the guidelines is to ensure hygiene and international standards for food, through specific rules about procurement of material, labelling, advertising, etc.

BITTER OFFERING

Most owners said the government, even after announcing the mandatory permit, did not facilitate the on-ground procedures to apply for the licence

The idea behind the guidelines is to ensure hygiene and international standards for food, through specific rules about procurement of food material, labeling, advertising etc

Deadline for registering under FSSA extended b 6 monthsy

MADURAI: A large number of shopkeepers, hoteliers and roadside eateries thronged the food safety and drug administration department in Vishwananthapuram in the city on Tuesday, as Tuesday was the last day to get licence from the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). However, it was later announced that the last date to register or get licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act (Licensing and Registration of Food Business Operators) 2011, has been postponed by another six months. 

Official sources from the department said that there are around 18,000 units including eateries, roadside fast food shops, hotels and other shops dealing with eatables in Madurai district. An estimated 50% of the total units have already been registered. However, officials said the exact number of units registered is being enumerated. Repeated attempts to contact J Suguna, designated officer, Tamil Nadu food safety and drug administration went in vain. 

Official sources also said that until February 4, 2013, the last date announced then, around 8,000 units only had registered. According to the Act, business units dealing with food items with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh should be registered with the food safety and drug administration department. Units with more than Rs 12 lakh will have to get licence from the authorities. On Tuesday, which was the scheduled deadline, a large number of people thronged the office for registration fearing action from the authorities. The officials had announced that all the shops would be raided after the deadline and those without registration and licences would be punished. 

"I am not fully aware of the Act. I came to know that the registration was mandatory. I came here to register my tiffin centre in Munichalai since I do not want any risk. I was told that the registration fees and renewal is not much so I don't have any issues in getting registered," S Vijayakumar, who runs an eatery said. 

However, the announcement later in the day that the last date to register has been postponed by another six months came as a relief for the business community. Responding to the announcement, S P Jeyapragasam, president of Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants Association Limited thanked all the concerned people including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union minister for health and family welfare Gulam Nabi Azad, Members of Parliament N S V Chittan, B Manickathagore and state health minister C Vijaya Baskar for acting on their requests. He said that they had met several leaders to get the six months extension.

No food license? Get ready to be penalized

JAIPUR: From food vendors plying on city road to big hotels, all could be penalized if they do not have a registration or a food license to operate from Wednesday. All eateries need a license or registration to operate as per the provisions under the Food Safety and Standard Act.

Since the deadline to get a license was February 4, the health department's designated officials have the right to ask food business operators to show their licenses. If they failed to produce it, they could penalize such FBOs, said a senior health department official.

Large number of FBOs applied online for the registration and license and as a result the website stopped functioning for some time.

The health department said the process to apply online will continue further but they can take action against the FBOs that are operating without license or registration. The official said there is no direction for extension of deadline.

For the FBOs that have a turnover of less than Rs12 lakh, registration is mandatory and they can register by paying Rs100 fee, he added. Also, the FBOs with turnover above Rs12 lakh require licenses to operate and the fee ranges from Rs 200-7,500.

However, chief medical health officer Jaipur (I) Dr OP Thankan said a fine of Rs100 per day could be imposed on the FBOs, if they failed to produce licenses or registration when demanded.

Besides, Rajasthan Khadya Padarth Vyapar Sangh (RKPVS) kept wholesale food grain markets like Suraj Pole market in Jaipur protesting against the Food Safety and Standard Act.

RKPVS president Babulal Gupta said in the state only 30,000 food business operators had procured the license and registration. He demanded for the deadline to be extended immediately as the website for applying online stopped functioning many times on Tuesday.

In other parts of the state, the food grain markets remained closed as they demanded that they deal in agriculture products so they should not come under the ambit of FSSA.

As deadline expires, 12,000 food businesses yet to register in Coimbatore

More than 12,000 food business operators in the district are either yet to obtain licence or registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act as of Tuesday, the deadline set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The central government agency had warned of stringent legal action, including imprisonment, against food business firms operating without licence or registration beyond the February 4 deadline. However, sources in Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), told The Hindu here that only 9,796 of the nearly 22,000 big and small food businesses operating in Coimbatore district had obtained licences/registrations by Tuesday. Apart from this, the applications of 420 companies were being processed.

A total of 220 firms had applied for licences in January and another 55 in February so far. A total of 200 applications for registration were given from January till now. Firms with annual turnover below Rs. 12 lakh will require registration and those above have to obtain licences.

The officials said that the main reason behind this low numbers was that many businesses were hoping that this deadline would again be extended this year. The FSSAI had extended the deadline twice since the Food Safety Act was notified on August 5, 2011. However, the FSSAI had warned that no further extensions would be given.

The official said that any enforcement drive by the Food Safety Wing could be taken up only after orders from the Food Safety Commissioner. The Food Safety Act mandated all food business ranging from roadside eateries and canteens to star-category hotels and restaurants to either register or obtain licence. It provided for imposing a fine of up to Rs. 5 lakh besides imprisonment for up to six months on food businesses operating without licences.

Mumbai HC grants 4-week extension for food licensing, product approval

The Mumbai High Court recently heard Writ Petition No. 2746 of 2013, filed by Vital Nutraceuticals Pvt Ltd and Another against the Union of India and Another, and Justice V M Kanade ruling in the former’s favour by staying the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mandate of February 4, 2014, as deadline for product approval and licensing and registration [under Section 2.1.2 (3) of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011], and according an extension of four weeks.

The petitioners would now be able to obtain copies of both, the deferring judgment and the judgment by the third bench, to whom the matter would be referred. The advisory by the country’s apex food regulator for product approval was dated May 11, 2013. 

Dr Rajendra Sanghavi, chairman, nutraceutical sub-committee, Indian Drug and Manufacturers’ Associations (IDMA), explained to FnB News, “We filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the order and the Mumbai High Court’s judgment was in our favour. It has given interim relief to the food business operators (FBOs) who were worried about the imposition of a fine amounting to Rs 5 lakh and six months’ imprisonment if found unlicensed and unregistered.” 

Confirming the development, H G Koshia, food commissioner, Gujarat, Food and Drugs Controller Administration (FDCA), informed, “The Mumbai High Court has taken into consideration the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case and the problems of FBOs and extended the deadline for obtaining licences and registration by four weeks. The same extension has been granted to those seeking product approval.”

HC verdict split over food product approval

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict over the issue of whether the Food Safety and Standards Authority had the power to issue guidelines requiring existing manufacturers to take approval for products that are already in the market. 

Hearing a petition filed by Vital Nutraceuticals and Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association challenging the advisory, Justice V M Kanade held that such approval for products that are already in the market was unconstitutional. 

"If the food authority is permitted to carry out the exercise, it would result in a chaotic situation where all existing manufacturers, who have valid license for several decades, will be required under the garb of this advisory to obtain product approval even for existing ones. And, till the product approval is not granted, they would be precluded from marketing the said products, which have been in the market for a sufficiently long time," said Justice Kanade. 

But Justice Girish Kulkarni differed and said the right to safe and uncontaminated food was held to be a fundamental right under the constitution. 

"It is well settled that the right to livelihood encompasses the right to live with dignity, that is to have a healthy life which is possible only if safe and wholesome food is available for human consumption. It cannot be overlooked that the issue of food safety and right to have wholesome food is a matter of national as well as international concern," Justice Kulkarni said. 

He added that "there is nothing improper on the part of the food authority to bring about a regime to have a concept of product approval for existing licence-holders or in relation any food business". 

According to the advisory, food products covering a broad spectrum including "novel foods, functional foods, food supplements, irradiated foods, genetically modified foods, foods for special dietary uses or extracts or concentrates of bot-anicals, herbs or of animal sources" should apply for product approval.

Hyderabad Eateries.. It’s Time to Register Under FSS Act

Many restaurants, hotels, roadside eateries, stores selling food, meat stalls and groceries have not been registered under Food Safety and Standard Act (FSS), 2006 with Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). 

Centre has extended deadline until February 4, 2014 for hotels and small eateries to take licence. In all, there are 12,000 hotels and 20,000 small eateries in Hyderabad, of which only 5,000 have taken licences and registered with GHMC.

According to FSS Act, the licence is mandatory for any food-related business. Eateries should obtain the licence based on their turn-over. Businesses with turnover more than Rs.12 lakh have to pay Rs. 2,000 for licence and for those whose turnover is less than 12 lakh have to pay Rs.100 to register with GHMC.

If a business owner fails to take licence under the Act, the designated officers are authorised to prosecute him/her. The court is likely to impose a fine of Rs.5 lakh for businesses with turnover more than 12 lakh while for establishments having less than this, the fine could be up to Rs.2 lakh. 

Rules under FSS Act were revised in August 2011. In 2012, 3,575 eateries had taken licences and 4,655 got registered. In 2013, only 2,495 eateries obtained licences and 1,484 registered with the proper authorities within GHMC limits. The poor response was mainly due to lack of awareness. GHMC has already conducted meetings with hotel associations and bakeries’ associations to bring awareness. Some more awareness programmes are being planned for roadside eateries.

Licence to flout food rules

From Wednesday, most eateries in Patna will function illegally.

After the extended nationwide deadline to get licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, ended on Tuesday, the city is left with joints that are improper to serve food to connoisseurs. 

According to sources, the eatery count across the state runs into lakhs but until Tuesday, only 8,000 licences were sought and around 17,000 registrations have been approved. 

“The figures are not even five per cent of the total food business across Bihar,” said Ashish Kumar, the designated officer in the state food safety authority, Bihar. 

The officer, however, did not have the exact number of entities — vendors, hawkers and transporters — engaged in the food business directly or indirectly. 

Unregistered or unlicensed eateries mean no assurance of cleanliness, hygiene and proper quality of ingredients in the food we eat. Licence is for bigger firms, while registration is for smaller firms. 

The Food Safety and Standards Regulations — the tool for implementation of the Act — was notified on August 5, 2011. An initial deadline of a year was given to the establishments to register. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — the Centre’s nodal agency for quality control and monitoring — extended the deadline from August 4, 2012, to February 4, 2013, and again to February 4 this year. 

Senior officers in the health department, under which the state food safety authority falls, blamed the numerous extensions for the low rate of registration/licensing in the state. 

“The government kept on extending the deadline as a result people did not take it seriously. Lack of awareness about the Act is also a reason behind low turnout of vendors for licence,” said an officer of the health department. 

The fee for acquiring the licence depends on the turnover. For vendors, retail outlet owners, cart owners and transporters among others, whose annual turnover is less than Rs 12 lakh, the registration fee is meagre Rs 100. 

For those establishments, whose annual income is between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, the licence fee is Rs 2,000. Traders above this bracket have to pay Rs 3,000. Manufacturers with turnover of Rs 25 lakh and above have to shell out Rs 5,000, while giant companies, which manufacture and also maintain food depot/stocks under the same brand name, are required to pay Rs 7,500. 

Sources said the bigger food units are cautious about getting the licence but the major shortfall in this regard is the small vendors. 

“I sell chowmein and egg roll on a small cart and I don’t know anything about any licence or registration. No one has ever asked me to apply for registration,” said Rajesh Kumar, a fast food vendor at Kadamkuan. 

Not only private but government food units also come under the ambit of this Act. 

Mid-day meal centres in government schools under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Anganwadi centres under Integrated Child Development Services are also required to obtain licences. However, the status is disappointing in these centres as well. 

Manpower shortage has always been an issue. 

“The State Food Safety Authority suffers from acute staff crunch. There are no food inspectors with us. A proposal has been made for creation of posts for food safety officers and more designated officers in the authority,” said the health department official. 

So now what? Would all unlicensed and unregistered food units would be pronounced illegal and punitive actions would be initiated against them. No. Things are most likely to remain status quo.

“There numbers are very high. We cannot take punitive action against lakhs of food vendors all of a sudden. However, they would definitely not be legal anymore and we would take action according to instructions from the department,” said Ashish.

Traders threaten agitation if Food Safety and Standards Act is not deferred

Nagpur Feb 4 Business Bureau 

Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the apex body of trading community has declared to launch a nationwide aggressive agitation against Food Safety and Standards Act, if it is not deferred immediately by the Union Government as the last date of obtaining registration or license under the Act from the concerned Department is expiring on February 4, 2014. CAIT has demanded the Government to defer the Act and constitute a Joint Committee of officials and trade leaders to make and in depth study of the Act and to recommend the Government necessary changes in the said Act. The continuation of food trade without registration will attract fine of Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment for six months. 

The Act is applicable not only on the traders but has wider implications even on a common man as wherever the food items are served for profit or even for non-profit motive which includes even religious places like temples, Gurudwara, wedding, social function, meetings, conferences, seminars etc. Further, Mahila Grah Udyog, cottage and rural industry, self employed persons, fishermen, roadside vendors, hawkers, small and medium restaurants and food places, farmers, tribal groups, honey bee collectors, slaughter houses, small traders, traditional halwais and even the social service schemes like mid day meals etc., of the Government will be under the purview of the Act. 

Even the enterprises involved in processing, packagiing, storage, distribution, imports or transportation will be liable to comply the provisions of the Act. National Secretary General of the CAIT Praveen Khandelwal said that a CAIT delegation has already submitted a detailed representation to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad during a meeting with him on January, 14, 2014. Though, Azad has assured CAIT to defer the Act and to constitute a Joint Committee of senior officials and CAIT representatives but so far no notification of deferment has been issued although the last date expires on February 4, 2014 and such in the absence of any notification of deferment so far, there was much panic among trading community of the country. 

He said that CAIT has also taken up the issue with Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal who has already had extensively discussion with Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad who is convinced that the Act needs a re-look raised by CAIT. Even the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Chairman of Public Accounts Committee of Lok Sabha has already sent communications to Azad supporting the demand of deferment of the Act raised by CAIT. 

Meanwhile, in the wake of forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and to raise traders issues strongly and prominently, CAIT is holding an All India Traders Convention on February 27 and February 28, 2014 at New Delhi which would be inaugurated by Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister. CAIT has also invited Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and leaders of other prominent political parties including BJP, Congress,Shiv Sena, CPI, CPM, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Rashtriya Janta Dal, Janata Dal (United), AIADMK, DMK, Akali Dal, BJD, TDP etc. CAIT will present its Trader’ Charter and will seek views of the political parties. 

The convention would discuss core issues like multiple taxation system, archaic laws, acts and rules, harassment and victimization at the hands of bureaucracy, absence of any national or state level trade policy for traders, absence of any viable financial mechanism to provide financial assistance to traders, Government policies to crush small traders have become the order of the day and unfortunately those in power are least bothered about this sorry state of affairs and have always taken the trading community in a light manner. 

FDI in retail, FDI in retail in E- commerce, absence of any viable financial mechanism for traders, Free Trade Agreement with European countries and other nations, upgradation and modernisation of existing retail trade are some major issues of concern of traders.

Notice to Punjab on appointing DHOs as officers

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued notice of motion to the Punjab government on a petition seeking removal of 22 district health officers (DHOs) from the post of designated officers under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. 

The development took place during the hearing of a petition filed by Ludhiana resident Kuldip Singh Khaira. 

The court was informed that designated officers, unless appointed on whole-time basis, could not do justice to their jobs, as they had been conferred vast powers and functions pertaining to grant and cancellation of licenses and to impose huge penalties. But the new legislation was enacted for curbing substandard and adulterated food practices and giving additional charge of designated officers to DHOs was defeating its purpose. 

It was alleged that DHOs were usurpers for the post of designated officers, as they were not entitled to hold this post under the statutory rules, and were thus, liable to be removed. 

The case would now come up for hearing on April 25.

Court directive to ensure food safety

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State government and the Commissioner of Food Safety to continue with random inspection of hotels and restaurants to ensure that hygienic and safe food was served to the public.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A.M. Shaffique asked them to keep strict vigil and not to stop the inspection.

The court also asked the Association of Hotel and Restaurants to address the problems raised by the public and conduct periodic seminars and meetings to have self-introspection and to do their best to give safe and hygienic food to the public.

The directives were issued by the Bench while disposing of a writ petition filed by High Court lawyer Basil Attipetty seeking a directive to eateries in the State to sell food in accordance with the standards stipulated in the Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules.

In an action taken report, the government said officials of the Food Commissionerate had intensified the inspection across the State to see that the eateries supplied hygienic food. The Commissioner of Food Safety had issued certain guidelines for hotels, bakeries, fast food units, drinking water suppliers, and drinking water tanker lorries. That apart, a special drive had been conducted to ensure quality of drinking water and vegetables. In a special drive conducted during the Onam season, two tanker lorries suspected to be carrying coconut oil adulterant were confiscated and licence of the consignee firm suspended.

The report said the absence of scientific slaughterhouses had been a major concern, especially since the State was a major consumer of non-vegetarian foods. The government was taking steps to establish scientific slaughterhouses in the State.

Continue food safety drive: HC

KOCHI: The high court has directed that the state should continue the drive against the sale of unhygienic food and adulteration. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A M Shaffique issued the directive while disposing a public interest litigation seeking measures to prevent adulteration and sale of unhygienic food.

The petition was filed by advocate Basil Attipetty following the death of Sachin Roy Mathew, a hotel management student, after he allegedly ate a 'shawarma' from a restaurant in Thiruvananthapuram. Responding to the petition, state had submitted to the court in July 2012 that Rs 4 crore was allotted for implementing the Food Safety and Standards Act in the state.

MP to increase VAT on tobacco products

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan announced in Bhopal on Tuesday that Value Added Tax on tobacco products would be brought on par with that of neighbouring states. “We will enforce the law and VAT on tobacco products would be brought on par with Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Chouhan said during a function to observe World Cancer Day. 

He added that from March 15, all district hospitals would provide free generic cancer medication for patients with prescriptions. Health Secretary Pravir Krishna said that generic chemotherapy would also be made available at district hospitals in phases. “Personnel are being trained by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal to provide chemotherapy. This will begin in 10 district hospitals and will gradually be spread to all district hospitals,” he told The Hindu. 

MP was the second state to ban gutkha, in 2011, after Goa. The ban under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition & Restrictions on sales) Regulations 2011 prohibits the mixing of tobacco or any nicotine in any food product which includes gutkha-a powder of arecanut, paraffin, slaked lime and flavours consumed orally. However dealers have found a loophole by selling tobacco and gutkha separately which is mixed by the shop. An Expert Committee of the state government is looking into ways and means to practically enforce the ban.

QUALITY OF MILK - SC verdict brings relief to consumers

Amritsar, February 4

The Supreme Court (SC) verdict directing the state governments to ensure quality of milk and to give up its "lenient" attitude towards those responsible for adulteration of milk and milk products with hazardous synthetic substances has come as a respite to the consumers in the city who often complain about adulterated and substandard milk supply. 

A resident of Cheel Mandi, Parminder Singh, said the reaction of the state government in keeping a tab on the hygienic standards of eatables was far from satisfactory. This despite the fact that the Union Government admitted before the SC that 70 per cent of the milk in the country was found adulterated in one way or the other in 2012. The situation is no different in the city. 

The field is open for unscrupulous sellers and dealers, as a majority of the city residents prefer to procure "loose" milk. Milk Plan officials say that, on an average, there is 10 per cent annual increase in the consumption of pouched milk in Amritsar.

The only organised body selling packaged and pasteurised milk here is Milk Plant, Verka, which is a unit of the Markfed. 

The milk plant periodically holds quality tests on "loose" milk to convince customers to turn to packaged milk. Sources in the plant said many a time, adulteration using water, caustic soda, urea and castor oil was detected.

Adulteration using water, caustic oil to increase the shelf life of the produce had been found. As per standard specifications, solid, not fat, must be at least 8.5 in cow milk and over nine in buffalo milk. 

This despite the fact that the new Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 was introduced in the country. Besides, the district does not have any food testing lab and each sample has to be dispatched to the Chandigarh laboratory. It took around 20 days to get the result of the food test. 

It may be mentioned here that the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 was replaced with the Food Standard and Safety Act in August 2011. As per the new Act, the penalty on the adulteration using water ranged from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh, while the presence of injurious ingredients could land an offender in jail for life and penalty up to Rs 10 lakh. 

Dr Shiv Karan Kahlon, District Health Officer (DHO), who is the designated officer for the implementation of the act, while talking about the exact number of halwai shops in the city, said the data was not yet available as the registration under the new Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, was undergoing.

OfficialSpeak

Dr Shiv Karan Kahlon, District Health Officer, said Amritsar is not the only city that does not have a laboratorty and each district in the state sends its samples to Chandigarh. He stressed that his department regularly confiscates milk, milk products and other eatables to ensure quality. The DHO said that confiscation of adulterated eatables was a continuous process and his department was regularly spotting spurious eatables.