MAALAI MALAR NEWS

தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பான் மசாலா, குட்கா பறிமுதல்

ராமநாதபுரம், பிப். 13: 

ராமநாதபுரம் நகரில் ரூ.25 ஆயி ரம் மதிப்புள்ள 70 கிலோ போதை பாக்குகள், பான் மசாலா பாக்கெட்டுகளை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை யினர் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தனர். 

ராமநாதபுரம் நகர் அர ண்மனை, மீன்கடை பஜார், பழைய பஸ் ஸ்டா ண்ட் உள்ளிட்ட பகுதி கடைகளில் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர் டாக்டர் கண்ணன் தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் திடீர் ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர். இதில், அர சால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட 70 கிலோ அளவிலான பான் மசாலா, குட்கா, போ தை புகையிலை, போதை பாக்கு உட்பட போதை வஸ்து பாக்கெட்டுகளை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். இவற் றின் மதிப்பு ரூ.25 ஆயிரம். இவற்றை நேற்று கலெக்டர் அலுவலக வளாகத்தில் உள்ள மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலகத்தில் தீயிட்டு அழித்தனர். 

பதிவு செய்வதில் அலட்சியம்: 

மத்திய அரசு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின்படி உணவு பொருட்கள் விற் பனை செய்யும் அனைத்து கடைகளும், நிறுவனங்க ளும் பதிவு செய்ய வேண் டும், உரிமம் பெற வேண்டும். அதன்படி ஆண்டுக்கு ரூ.12 லட்சத்திற்குள் விற்பனை செய்பவர்கள் ரூ.100 செலு த்தி ஆன்லைனில் பதிவு செய்தால் போதும். ஆண்டி ற்கு ரூ.12 லட்சத்திற்கு மேல் விற்பனை செய்பவர்கள் பதிவு மற்றும் உரிமம் (லை சென்ஸ்) பெற வேண்டும். 

இந்த சட்டத்தின்படி குறிப்பாக வீட்டில் இட்லி சுட்டு விற்பவர்கள் முதல் பெரிய ஓட்டல்கள், தண் ணீர் நிறுவனங்கள், ரேஷன் கடைகள், மாணவர் விடுதி கள், கேன்டீன்கள், சத்து ணவு மையங்கள், அங்கன் வாடி மையங்கள் என உண வுப் பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்யும் அனைத்து நிறுவனங்களும் பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும். மத்திய அரசு இதில் கெடுபிடி செய்து வந்தாலும் வியாபாரிகள் மத்தியில் இதற்கு எதிர்ப்பு உள்ள வண்ணமே உள்ளது. 

கடந்த 2011ம் ஆண்டு இந்த சட்டம் கொண்டு வந் தாலும், 2012 ஏப்ரல் முதலே பதிவு மற்றும் உரிமம் பெ றுவது தொடங்கியது. ராமநாதபுரம் மாவட்டத்தில் ஆயிரத்து 300 உரிமம் உட் பட 14 ஆயிரம் பேர் பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும். ஆனால் இதுவரை 246 பேர் மட்டு மே உரிமம் எடுத்துள்ளனர். 5 ஆயிரத்து 50 பேர் மட்டு மே பதிவு செய்துள்ளனர்.

காலாவதி உணவுப்பொருட்கள் விற்பனையா...

ராமநாதபுரம், பிப். 13: 

ராமநாதபுரம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் டாக்டர் கண்ணன் கூறியதாவது: 

காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள், உணவுப்பொருட்கள் விற்பனை பொதுமக்களுக்கு தெரியவந்தால், அந்தந்த பகுதி உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்களுக்கோ, கலெக்டர் அலுவலகத்தில் உள்ள மாவட்ட உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அலுவலகத்திற்கோ தகவல் தெரிவிக்கலாம். 

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்களின் செல்போன் எண்கள்: ராமநாதபுரம் நகராட்சி பகுதி ஜான் பீட்டர்&9500611434, ராமநாதபுரம் ஒன்றியம் செல்லப்பாண்டி&7402109351, மண்டபம் மற்றும் ராமேஸ்வரம் பகுதி கருணாநிதி &9442044111, முதுகுளத்தூர் ஒன்றி யம்&வால்மீகி 94873 36377, கடலாடி ஒன்றியம் கிருஷ்ணகுமார்& 80154 63566, கீழக்கரை நகராட்சி மற்றும் திருப்புல்லாணி ஒன்றியம் நாகலிங்கம்& 9047726779, பரமக்குடி நகராட்சி வெங்கடேஸ்வரன்& 9443496819, பரமக்குடி ஒன்றிம் முத்துக்குமார்& 9150875820, திரு வாடானை ஒன்றியம் மாரீஸ்வரன்& 9443112678, கமுதி ஒன்றியம் முத்துச்சாமி& 9443503004, நயினார்கோவில் ஒன்றியம் தங்கசிவம்& 9842147731, போகலூர் ஒன்றியம் மோகன்ராஜ்&9865007939, ஆர்.எஸ்.மங்கலம் கர்ணன் &9751647450. 

இவ்வாறு அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

Forum blames laxity in implementation of Food Safety Act for death of child who consumed soft drink

The Consumer Federation Tamil Nadu (CONFET) has appealed to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to arrange suitable compensation, as provided for under the Food Safety and Standards Act, to the family of A. Abirami (8) of Seplanatham near Neyveli, who died recently after consuming bottled soft drink.

In a representation addressed to the Chief Minister, the consumer activist noted that the death should serve as an eye-opener to the authorities about the consequences of laxity in implementing the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The victim’s three siblings — A. Lalitha (9), A.Kausalya (7) and A.Paramasivam (5) — took ill, necessitating their hospitalisation. Mr. Nizamudeen said that even though the Act was passed in 2006, the rules were framed by the Centre only in 2011. As per Section 66 of the Act, if death is caused by consuming any adulterated or harmful foodstuff, a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh should be given to the victim’s family, and if the health of any individual is affected by any consumable items the affected person should be given a compensation ranging from Rs. 1 to Rs. 3 lakh.

Soon after such adverse reports come to the notice of the officials, they should arrange for giving an interim relief within 30 days of the incident. In the Seplanatham case, the family of the affected children should be given appropriate compensation as stated in the Act. Mr. Nizamudeen further stated that under the Act those selling the substandard products, stockists and distributors would be liable to pay a penalty of up to Rs. 5 lakh. Manufacturing spurious products under leading labels or brands would attract a penalty of Rs. 3 lakh.

In case of death caused by the unsafe products the sellers, manufacturers and stockists would be held collectively responsible and they might face jail term, ranging from six months to seven years, and if there is severe collateral damage life sentence could be given to those responsible for the incident. Mr. Nizamudeen pointed out that Tamil Nadu stood in the forefront in the country in terms of appointing Food Safety Officers in 32 districts. At times they carry out surprise raids on shops and establishments and if any harmful materials are found they seize and destroy the stocks.

But owing to the pressure exerted by traders and dealers they let go those connected with the supply chain of a particular harmful product. Mr. Nizamudeen said that only when the provisions of the Act are strictly implemented the interests of consumers could be safeguarded and unpleasant happenings as in Seplanatham could be prevented.”

Supermarket raided

Food items that were long past their expiry date were found on the shelves of a supermarket chain on Ring Road in Kodigehalli ward. A team of health officials from the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) Yelahanka zone and food safety officials raided the supermarket on Tuesday.

The team seized the food items that had passed the expiration date, and submitted it to the State government’s food safety officer.

BBMP issued a notice to the management and shut the supermarket.

The Imperial New Delhi sets up food safety department

With a vision to establish a structured, stringent and analytical hygiene program across all levels of operations, The Imperial has launched a ‘Food safety and hygiene standards department’. This program aims to provide training and direction in food safety and hygiene standards maintenance at the hotel in compliance with FSSAI standards. The department has been designed to implement many thought-provoking strategies for a 360 degree food safety analysis program starting from supplies to the services offered to the guest or to the hotel associate.

Commenting on this initiative Vijay Wanchoo, Senior Executive Vice President & General Manager, The Imperial New Delhi elaborates, “The launch of FSHS department is a phenomenal step towards creating new benchmarks at The Imperial. The department has a full fledged micro biological laboratory - The Imperial Lab, equipped with the state-of-the-art technology to maintain food hygiene standards and conduct analysis under a focused approach.” 

He further adds, “We plan to implement a ‘structured hygiene program’ for material procurement, kitchen, food production, spa areas, guest vehicles in the hotel premises as well as bathrooms in the suites. In the later stages, we aim to make the lab accredited for conducting tests and also an independent certificate provider for commercial purposes.”

First Session of CCSCH Inaugurated

Governor Nikhil Kumar inaugurating the first session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) on Tuesday in Kochi. 

India’s heightened profile at the Codex through the CCSCH provides a golden opportunity for the country to capitalise on the platform of Codex negotiations as a major foreign policy instrument, said Kerala Governor Nikhil Kumar. He was inaugurating the first session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) on Tuesday in Kochi.

The resultant discussions will lead to the laying of the foundation stone for evolving solutions to prevailing problems in the trade of spices and culinary herbs across the globe, with an emphasis on consumer health, he added.

“The CCSCH, set up by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) with the intention to aid in consumer safety and ensure fair practices in trade of spices and herbs, will encourage deliberations towards harmonisation of global quality standards for spices and culinary herbs. The first session of the CCSCH happens to coincide with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the CAC,” said A Jayathilak, Chairman, Spices Board.

K Chandramouli, Chairperson of the Food Safety and Standards’ Authority of India; J S Deepak, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce; Sanjay Dave, Chair, Codex Alimentarius Commission; and Kunal Bagchi, Regional Advisor, World Health Organisation, were present.

கடலூரில் கூல்டிரிங்ஸ் குடித்த சிறுமி சாவு நெல்லை குளிர்பான குடோனில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை

நெல்லை, பிப். 13:

கடலூரில் கூல்டிரிங்ஸ் குடித்த சிறுமி இறந்ததையடுத்து, நெல்லை யில் உள்ள பிரபல குளிர் பான நிறுவன குடோனில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதி காரிகள் ஆய்வு மேற்கொண் டனர். கடலூரில் விற்கப் பட்ட பேச் எண் கொண்ட குளிர்பானத்தை விற்பனை செய்ய தடை விதிக்கப்பட் டுள்ளது. 

கடலூரில் கடந்த சில தினங்களுக்கு முன் பிரபல நிறுவனத்தின் குளிர்பானம் குடித்த சிறுமி பரிதாபமாக இறந்தார். இதையடுத்து தமிழகம் முழுவதும் உள்ள குளிர்பான குடோன்கள் மற் றும் கடைகளில் சோதனை நடத்தி காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்களை பறிமுதல் செய்ய அரசு உத்தரவிட்டது. மேலும் சிறுமி குடித்த குளிர்பானத்தின் பேச் நம்பரில் ஆயிரக்கணக்கில் தயாரான குளிர்பான பாட்டில்களை விற்பதற்கு தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 

நெல்லை அருகே உள்ள டக்கரம்மாள்புரத்தில் கடலூர் சிறுமி குடித்த பிர பல நிறுவன குளிர்பானத்தின் குடோன் உள்ளது. இந்த குடோனில் நெல்லை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்புத் துறை நியமன அலு வலர் டாக்டர் கருணாகரன் தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் சங்கரலிங்கம், சட்டநாதன், நாகசுப்பிரமணியன், செல்வராஜன், இளநிலை உதவியாளர் சிவசாமி ஆகியோர் நேற்று சோதனை நடத்தினர். சிறுமி குடித்த பேச் எண் கொண்ட குளிர்பானங்கள் தனியாக எடுத்து வைக்கப் பட்டன. மேலும் காலாவதி யான குளிர்பான பாட்டில் கள் உள்ளனவா? என்று அதி காரிகள் ஆய்வு செய் தனர். 

இதுகுறித்து உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் கருணா கரன் கூறியதாவது: 

கடலூர் சம்பவத்தை யடுத்து தமிழகம் முழுவதும் அதே பேச் எண் கொண்ட குளிர்பானங்கள் விற்பதற்கு தடைவிதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவற்றின் மாதிரி எடுத்து பகுப்பாய்வுக்கு அனுப்பப் பட்டுள்ளது. டக்கரம்மாள் புரத்தில் உள்ள குளிர்பான குடோனில் காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள் எதுவும் இல்லை. கடலூர் சிறுமி குடித்த பேச் எண் கொண்ட குளிர்பானங்கள் பிரித்து தனியாக வைக்கப்பட்டுள் ளன. ஆய்வறிக்கை வந்த பிறகுதான் அவற்றை விற்கலாமா என்பது குறித்து முடிவு செய்யப்படும். 

இதேபோல் கடைகளில் காலவதியான குளிர்பானங் கள் விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப் பட்டிருந்தால் அவை பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு அழிக்கப்படும். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார். 

விற்பனைக்கு தடை 

கடலூர் சிறுமி குடித்த குளிர்பானத்தின் பேச் எண்ணில் 173 கேஸ் குளிர் பான பெட்டிகள் தயாரித்து விற்பனைக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது. ஒரு பெட்டியில் 24 குளிர்பான பாட்டில்கள் இருக்கும். இவை தமிழகம் முழுவதும் விற்பனைக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது. அவற்றை விற்பதற்கு தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர். 

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

1,500 bottles of ‘suspect’ soft drink seized

CHENNAI: Two days after an eight-year-old girl from Cuddalore district died after consuming a bottle of soft drink, the food safety and drugs administration has seized from Chennai more than 1,500 bottles of the drink belonging to the same batch of bottling. 

The Kancheepuram food safety department, where the soft drink manufacturing unit is located, has recommended the state government to recall bottles of the soft drink with batch number AH 46 L4 with manufacturing date 23-01-2014. 

In Chennai, food safety officials conducted raids at 136 retail shops in Vadapalani, Tondiarpet, Anna Nagar, Broadway and Egmore, and found 600ml PET bottles of the drink with the same batch number and manufacturing date. 

District food safety officer S Lakshmi Narayan said they have seized 1,556 such bottles from various retail shops and distributors across the city. "We have stopped sales of the batch. We have collected five samples of the drink which would be tested at the food analysis laboratory," he said. However, officials are clueless on the remaining PET bottles carrying the same batch number and manufacturing date. 

The draft regulations on 'food recall procedure' by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mandates each food business operator to maintain distribution records like name and address of supplier, date of purchasing and delivery, batch code, pack size, brand name, date of manufacture and 'best before' date, for one year after the shelf life and expected use of the product. It also says the food business operator shall stop distribution, production of the food under recall, without waiting for the state authority to act. 

Pradip Chakraborty, director, product approval, FSSAI told TOI that an expert committee is working on a draft of regulations on the 'food recall procedure.' "The Food Safety act was implemented in 2011. Proper infrastructure and other mechanism under the Act are yet to be in place in the country,' he said, adding that action could be taken on the soft drink maker only for contamination. 

R Desikan, consumer activist and founder trustee of Consumer Association of India (CAI) said soft drink manufactures continue to violate rules. "The manufactures should be held responsible for problems caused by consumption of the product," he said. A spokesman of the soft drink manufacturer said the company would reply on Thursday. 

Complaints related to food safety can be made by calling 044-23813095 or mailing to commrfssa@gmail.com. 

Food Safety officials search soft drinks godown in Coimbatore

70 crates of soft drinks that had crossed expiry date, found 

Officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India searched a godown in Sungam area on Tuesday and found stocks of soft drinks that had crossed the expiry date.

A team led by Designated Officer R. Kathiravan along with Food Safety Officers K. Chandran, S. Gerald and M. Venkatesan searched the godown and found 70 crates of soft drinks manufactured on July 28, 2013 with a validity of six months, that expired in January 2014.

Officials claimed that the soft drinks that had crossed the expiry date were not kept at a place meant for disposal of waste or spoilt goods. 

It was found along with the stock meant for retail supply, they said.

Samples of the soft drink have been taken and sent to the food laboratory. Further action will be taken after the report is received.

On Tuesday, there was a complaint about soft drinks that had crossed the expiry date, being sold in an eatery on Race Course.

On Monday, there was an incident in Cuddalore in which a girl died and a boy fell ill, allegedly after consuming soft drinks.

Absence of official becomes a hurdle for importing fruits

Traders say they have permission to import fruits from Colombo 

Clearing trouble:Customs officials said that without the certification from authorised officers under the Food Safety and Standards Act they cannot allow imports as per rules.

Importers have urged the government to take steps to nominate a designated officer at the Tiruchi Airport to issue no-objection certificates for consignments of food products and fruits imported from abroad.

In the absence of a designated authority, food products and fruits could not be imported from abroad through the airport now, importers said.

According to sources in the industry, although traders were willing to import exotic fruits such as rambutan and strawberry, they are not able to produce certificates from designated authorities under the Food Safety and Standards Act saying that they were fit for human consumption to obtain Customs clearance. Plant Quarantine and Port Health Office authorities at the airport say they are not authorised to issue the certificates, said an importer, who did not want to be identified. “We have got permits to import about 2,000 tonnes of the fruits from Colombo, but we are unable to bring in the consignments due to the problem,” he says.

When contacted, Customs officials said that without the certification from authorised officers under the Food Safety and Standards Act, they cannot allow imports as per rules. However, they will clear such consignments if the samples are certified from designated port health officers in other places such as Chennai or Tuticorin.

But importers said that it would be impossible to send samples from Tiruchi to get the certificates as the fruits were highly perishable and even a delay of a day or two could result in the fruits turning rotten, they said. Industry sources said if a designated officer was appointed at the airport here, there was good scope for importing food products and fruits from abroad. Although nearly 400 tonnes of cargo was exported through the airport every month on an average, imports remain minimal.

Imports had just started picking up slightly and currently about three or four tonnes of household and electronic consignments were coming in, sources at the airport said. “Imports are gradually picking up and there is good scope for importing fruits from Kuala Lumpur and other destinations,” said K. Hari Moorthy, Sales and Operations Executive, Air Asia, Tiruchi. The airline, he added, was exploring opportunities for transhipment of import consignments to Chennai and other centres through the Tiruchi airport.

Shopkeeper fined Rs 1 lakh for storing gutka

Shimla, February 12

A fine of Rs 1 lakh was slapped on a shopkeeper for storing gutka in the Krishnangar area here. 

The Corporation Health Officer, Shimla Municipal Corporation, who is a designated officer under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, imposed the fine.

The shopkeeper was caught with five gutka bags and 5,300 pouches of khaini during a joint raid conducted recently by the Shimla Police and the health wing of the corporation.

Hospital food: NGO plans to move court against FDA

NAGPUR: A consumer rights organization from the city is considering moving court against the regional Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). This NGO had received complaints about the quality of food being served at the two state-run hospitals of the city. When tested at the local FDA laboratory, these food items were declared safe. However, when sent to the referral lab at Mysore, the samples were declared sub-standard and unsafe.

In June last year, Anti-adulteration Consumer Society had received complaints from patients at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGMCH) about the quality of food in the hospitals. Samples of the food items were first sent to FDA's laboratory in the city where they were deemed fit for human consumption. A couple of months later, the same products were sent to Mysore where they were declared substandard.

"We have been following the issue for a long time now. Till today, no action has been taken in the issue. It seems that some officials are working hand in glove with manufacturers and trying to push the issue under the carpet," said chairman of the NGO Shahid Sharif. The products under question were soyabean oil (Kirti Gold), tur dal (Warrior), chilli powder (Suswad) and garam masala (Suruchi). It is learnt, though, that GMCH has since changed the food supplier.

In the report of the FDA laboratory of Nagpur made in June 2013, it has been mentioned that samples of soyabean oil, tur dal, chilli powder and curry powder confirm to the respective standards of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) regulation, 2011.

The report from the referral lab in Mysore tested the oil of the same brand a month later said that the sample was substandard, it does not confirm to the standards and quoted the same act. It also said that the iodine value was below minimum level and the oil tested positive for rancidity. Report of the chilli powder declared it as unsafe as it showed presence of salmonella bacteria in it. The curry powder was found to have more crude fibre than the maximum standard limit.

Assistant commissioner (food) of FDA NR Wakode said that the new tests under the changed laws of food safety are the reason for this. "Testing for salmonella bacteria was not recommended in the older tests that we conducted. Also, previously we were only supposed to report whether or not a food item was adulterated. Safety was not asked about earlier in the tests," he said.

Some officials also raised doubts about the samples sent to Mysore, saying they may have been tempered with or may have turned bad in the interim period. However, Sharif maintains that the samples were the same and being slow moving consumer goods, the possibility of their turning bad in a month's time is not very high.

Assam first state to ban smokeless tobacco

GUWAHATI: Assam became the first state to legally ban consumption of all forms of smokeless tobacco, including pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine, through an act which comes into effect on Thursday. Taking note of the fact that smokeless tobacco accounts for 90% of oral cancers, the act also bans the manufacture, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution and sale of the substances. 

On Wednesday, state health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the legislative assembly that governor JB Patnaik had given assent to the Assam Health (Prohibition of manufacturing, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of zarda, gutkha, pan masala, etc, containing tobacco and/or nicotine) Bill, 2013, on Tuesday. "The notification will be issued on Wednesday, and the law will come into force from Thursday," Sarma said. 

Violators shall be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Consumption or possession of zarda, gutka and pan masala containing tobacco shall be punished with a fine of Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for each subsequent offence. 

Currently, sale, manufacture and storage of pan masala and gutka containing tobacco and nicotine have been banned for a year with effect from March 8, 2013, under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011. Though several states have imposed similar bans under the food safety regulation, Assam will be the first to impose the ban through legislature. 

"Our department can ban the sale of tobacco but the production aspect has to be handled by the agriculture department. We cannot ban production of tobacco. If any farmer produces such products, he has to sell them outside the state," Sarma added. According to sources in the finance department, the state stands to lose Rs 20 crore annually as a result of the ban. 

The process of introducing the bill started in February last year. Apprehending delay, CM Tarun Gogoi invoked the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011, in March to ban sale, transportation, manufacture, storage, display and distribution of tobacco-containing gutka and pan masala within the state.

160 tonnes of dead fish found in farms along Singapore's

About 160 tonnes of fish from fish farms on both the East and West Johor Straits of Singapore have been found dead, possibly due to low levels of dissolved oxygen in the waters or a plankton bloom or both, as well as the hot weather, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said yesterday.

The authority has received reports of fish deaths — which include groupers, threadfin, golden trevally and rabbitfish — at 34 fish farms along the East Johor Straits and five fish farms along the West Johor Straits.

TODAY understands that fish supplies to Singapore are unlikely to be affected, as the numbers are relatively low for now. In 2012, fish imports totalled 103,859 tonnes while 5,128 tonnes of fish were produced locally.

Plankton are micro-organisms found in the seawater that can bloom or multiply quickly in a very short time. Plankton blooms can be triggered by fickle weather, higher concentrations of nutrients in sea water and poor water exchange between high and low tides. When their numbers rise quickly, they drain seawater of oxygen and this can result in fish death. The AVA said it has collected samples from the affected farms for analysis and no marine biotoxins were detected.

Clusters of dead fish have been found in various parts of Singapore since last