Food and drug authority raids shops, collects samples

ALLAHABAD: A team of FDA (Food & Drug Authority) led by city magistrate on Wednesday carried out a series of raids at different eateries, including a restaurant on Railway Station Road, and two sweetmeat shops at Nakhas Kohna and collected samples.

The team also destroyed stale food products, including sweets, paneer and vegetables.

Food safety officer Mahendra Yadav told TOI that the team first raided a restaurant located near railway station road and checked the status of paneer and butter and vegetables. He added that the team destroyed fried paneer and stale vegetables.

The team also collected samples from the restaurant and sent it for laboratory tests.

The team also inspected and checked several food items (sweets) at two sweetmeat shops located at Nakhas Kohna and destroyed stale sweets.

He further maintained that the owners of sweetmeat shops could not answer the queries of FDA team and stringent action would be initiated once the laboratory reports arrive.

Meanwhile, FDA officials said that they have chalked out a strategy to carry out a series of raids and checks ahead of Holi festivals. For that teams have been constituted who would conduct raids at city and dehat pockets.

Rajnath extends support to arecanut growers

‘Arecanut will be declared safe for consumption’ 

Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh has said the party will take initiatives to address problems faced by arecanut growers if it comes to power at the Centre.

He was addressing a convention of booth-level party workers here on Wednesday.

Mr. Singh said that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s direction to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to examine the scientific evidence regarding the harmful effects of arecanut had created apprehension among growers.

He said that various research works had proved that consumption of arecanut was not injurious to health. If the BJP came to power, it would protect the interests of arecanut growers by declaring that consumption of arecanut was not injurious to health, he said.

சுகாதார சீர்கேடு புகார் எதிரொலி மாட்டிறைச்சி கடைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு

வாணியம்பாடி, பிப். 27: 

வாணியம்பாடி பகுதியில் உள்ள மாட்டு இறைச்சி கடைகளில் சுகாதார துறை அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று திடீர் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். 

வாணியம்பாடி பகுதியை சுற்றியுள்ள முஸ்லீம்பூர், புதூர் ரயில்வே கேட், ஆற்றுமேடு, நேதாஜிநகர், ஜப்ராபாத் ஆகிய இடங்களில் மாட்டு இறைச்சி கடைகள் அதிக அளவில் உள்ளது. இங்கு கடைகளிலேயே மாடுகளை அறுப்பதால் சுற்றுப்புற பகுதியில் சுகாதார சீர்கேடு ஏற்படுகிறது. இதனால் அப்பகுதி மக்கள் கடுமையாக பாதிக்கப்பட்டனர். மேலும் சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையிலும், கன்றுக்குட்டிகளின் இறைச்சியை விற்பதாக அப்பகுதி மக்கள் வேலூர் மிருகவதை தடுப்பு பிரிவுக்கு மனு கொடுத்தனர். அதன்பேரில் வாணியம்பாடி ஆணையாளர் ரவி உத்தரவின்பேரில் சுகாதார துறை ஆய்வாளர்கள் சீனிவாசன், நடராஜன், விஜயகுமார் மற்றும் அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று காலை புதூர் ரயில்வே கேட், ஆற்றுமேடு ஆகிய பகுதிகளில் திடீர் சோதனை நடத்தினர். அங்கு 15 கன்றுக்குட்டிகளின் இறைச்சிகளை விற்பனைக்காக வைப்பட்டிருந்தது தெரியவந்தது. இதையடுத்து அதிகாரிகளே அனைத்து இறைச்சிகளையும் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தனர். மேலும் கடையின் உரிமையாளர்களை எச்சரித்தனர். 

இதனைதொடர்ந்து வாணியம்பாடி பஸ் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள பெட்டிக்கடைகளில் தடீர் சோதனை நடத்தினார்கள். அப்போது கடைகளில் விற்பனைக்காக வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்த காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள், தின்பண்டங்கள் மற்றும் குட்கா உள்ளிட்டவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். மேலும் கடை உரிமையாளர்களை அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரித்து வந்தனர்.

Public food labs short-staffed, poorly-equipped, low on infrastructure

Food testing laboratories run by state governments in India are characterised by a host of problems. Besides being a few in number, they are short-staffed and ill-equipped.

The sole labs in Gulzaribagh, Bihar, and Dalgate, Jammu and Kashmir, are two cases in point.

However, they provide private facilities an opportunity to undertake the task of testing samples. 

Besides being located in urban centres, they have the requisite number of personnel and are better-equipped. 

Moreover, they are certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s apex food regulator, and offer such services as third-party food testing. 

Gulzaribagh, Bihar

Bihar’s health department’s food safety wing - which itself is facing an acute shortage of manpower - has just one laboratory, which is located in Gulzaribagh, a city in Patna district.

Ironically, it became defunct a couple of years ago, following the retirement of the food analyst. Moreover, it did not have a specialist to check food samples for the presence of micro-bacteria, if any.

Food safety officials seized a number of items and sent these to the Mines Area Development Authority Laboratory in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, which charges a fee of Rs 200 per sample.

A few months ago, the services of a private facility in Kolkata, which is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), were sought. The department agreed to pay Rs 1,000 per sample, which is steep.

Food safety officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that every food safety inspector has the target of collecting twelve samples per month, and concurred that it is a cumbersome process, and the test reports are often delayed.

However, the department has big plans, and has given its nod to the proposals to set up a laboratory at every divisional headquarters and a state-of-the-art super lab in the state capital. 

It was proposed that the divisional lab would be manned by a ten-member staff, comprising food analysts, technicians and assistants, while the super lab would be headed by a director. 

The proposal also suggested that the latter would have food analysts to check food samples for the presence of chemicals, while another specialist will look into bacteria and other harmful microbes. It is now upto the finance department to take a call in this regard.

At present, there are only 14 food safety inspectors (against a sanctioned strength of 30), and they are expected to look after all the 38 districts of the eastern state. 

There are nine designated food safety officers (FSO), who are expected to keep tabs on adulteration in all the divisions. 

According to Sanjay Kumar, Bihar’s food safety commissioner, the existing manpower is not enough to implementing the objectives of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and the food safety department proposed that new posts be created for all the ranks. 

As per the proposal, there would be one food safety officer (FSO) at the block level; one FSO per one lakh persons at the town level, and two joint commissioners at the state headquarters (who would look into the legal and enforcement aspects). 

The food safety officials claim the new set-up would be in place in about a year.

Jammu and Kashmir

Dalgate in Jammu and Kashmir has a food laboratory, which is not only inadequately staffed, but also short on equipment, despite the fact that it caters to the Kashmir division and receives samples from the remotest of areas.

In fact, sources stated that Srinagar’s assistant controller of food doubles up as the food analyst at the facility, and only six officials are currently serving, as against the sanctioned strength of 17. Of these, two are lab attendants, one is a lab technician and three are food safety officers.

Of the vacant posts, one is for a senior laboratory technician, two each are for lab assistants, food analysts and lab assistants, are three are for assistant food analysts. 

“The work at the laboratory is badly hit due to the shortage of staff, and even the preparation of sample reports takes over a week,” a senior official of the food safety department said on the condition of anonymity. 

“If staff was available, more tests could have been conducted,” he stated, adding that while these issues were brought to the notice of the government many a time, but no action was initiated.

Officials said the laboratory is ill-equipped to conduct analysis of food samples to detect carcinogenic chemical and biological toxicants.

It does not have a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) machine, a gas liquid chromatography (GLC) machine, a spectrophotometer, a water testing kit, and even basic equipment, like a projector microscope, a binocular microscope and a milk testing kit.

“These equipments are vital. The HPLC machine could have been used for the detection of residual pesticide in packaged drinking water and carbonated water,” a Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO) official said. 

“A spectrophotometer is vital for the detection of colouring agents in juices and spices,” he stated, adding that due to the lack of equipment, many samples are being sent outside the state for testing.

An NABL team visited the facility recently, and during its inspection, it took note of the shortage of manpower and equipment.

An official of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) said they have started sending samples to the Central Food Laboratory (CFL) in Kolkata, because all tests cannot be conducted at the Dalgate laboratory. 

“We have seen that the analysis reports prepared by the Dalgate lab contradict those of the Kolkata-based referral laboratory,” he added.

Satish Gupta, controller, Drug and Food Control Organisation, Jammu and Kashmir, said that the government is in the process of upgrading the facilities at the laboratory. 

“We are in the process of providing adequate staff and equipment at the laboratory,” he said.

At the other end of the spectrum is Gujarat, which has shown the way, with mobile testing vans and investment in the establishment of a state-of-the-art facility. However, the food testing scenario in India continues to be dismal.

This is evident from the fact that while plans are now afoot for 125 laboratories across India, a gap analysis of the country’s 72 existing public labs highlighted the need to upgrade the facilities (for which a corpus has been earmarked).

TÜV SÜD South Asia [Mumbai (Maharashtra), Gurgaon (National Capital Region) and Bengaluru (Karnataka)]

Owing to growing consumer awareness and rapid globalisation, food companies have begun to realise the importance of food safety, according to Pankaj Jaiminy, assistant vice-president (food, health and beauty), TÜV SÜD South Asia [which operates three food testing labs (in Mumbai, Gurgaon and Bengaluru)].

“TÜV SÜD was among the first third-party testing agencies to be authorised by FSSAI to carry out inspection of food business operators (FBO) and issue Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) certifications on their behalf,” he informed.

As regards an inadequacy in the number of government labs creating opportunities for private food testing facilities, he said, “If we look at the present scenario, food testing facilities are less, but are increasing at a fast rate.” 

“However, more improvement is required in the central and state labs in terms of infrastructure, equipment and manpower,” Jaiminy added. 

“Fortunately, this gap in food testing facilities and requirement of food testing in India is bridged by third-party food testing agencies like TÜV SÜD,” he stated.

All that glitters isn’t healthy

Those with a sweet tooth probably find plates of sweets very hard to resist, and when they come served with a shiny thin sheet of silver or gold on top, the allure is even more so. However, with a growing increase of adulterated varks (thin sheets of edible metals) in the city, experts warn us to be careful about what we consume.

Varks, or varak from the Sanskrit word, are thin delicate malleable foils. Either made from silver or gold, they are very common in Indian and even South Asian cuisines. Mostly used as decorative garnish at sweet shops, varks are also used on hot items like biriyani.

However, with the increase in demand, supply has become susceptible to less than appetising adulterants. Explains YV Anuradha, commissioner, Food Safety of Andhra Pradesh, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), “The Food and Drug Administration of India examined silver foils from various shops in Pune and discovered that some of them contained high levels of aluminium. They also seized about 66 kgs of sweets which were adulterated. So keeping the public health in mind, we plan on initiating testing of silver foil in Hyderabad as well.”

The initiative also stems from the fact that the organisation has received complaints of adulteration in the city, the commissioner further informed. 

“It is very true that high levels of aluminium intake may result in severe health problems. A Hyderabadi myself, there have been instances where I specifically chose sweets which had silver foil on them due to the appeal. But these reports of adulteration have forced me to be very careful about what I consume,” expressed Anuradha who added that testing of vark from across the city would be initiated soon.

But until a proper inspection is conducted, the commissioner says the best way to safeguard against such consumption is by being aware of the adulteration. “I would like to bring about an awareness in public about what they consume and how much they consume,” she says. For adulterated varks in small quantities may not be harmful, however, incessant consumption could be fatal.

Besides the possibility of the city’s sweetmeats being contaminated, earlier, there was also the controversy over the varks being non-vegetarian as the metals were beaten into thin sheets with the innards of a bull, sandwiched between the skin of a sheep or camel and treated with animal fat.

While this was indeed a fact during lesser advanced times, Mohammed Waliuddin, who owns a vark production company near Mecca Masjid in old city, assures us that technology has long replaced this traditional practice.

“This was the case about 80 to 100 years ago when these techniques were used to prepare vark. But, with the advancement in technology, even we have adopted new techniques. The preparation of vark is 100 per cent vegetarian now and we only sell pure quality of silver,” says Waliudin who has been in the business for the past 35 years.

Explaining the shift in methods, the 55-year-old alumni of City College tell us, “With the rise of awareness of safe guarding animals and introduction of modern equipments, intestines of bulls and animal skins were replaced with iron headed hammers and German sheets of butter paper respectively.” The metal is interleaved in the booklet of thin butter sheets that are then hammered with the iron, thus producing the foil. The smooth surface of the German sheets make it easier to store and peel off the vark, which is sold per booklet.

So how does one tell a good vark from an adulterated one, considering that both silver and aluminium tend to look the same when drawn into sheets?

“It is very easy to recognise between the pure silver vark and an alloy of aluminium and silver, or even a pure aluminium vark. While the silver vark is very fine and wafer thin, aluminium-mixed varks aren’t as fine. Also, silver varks disintegrate rapidly when rubbed between the fingers whereas aluminium varks tend to roll up into a solid ball.”

Pointing out that only smaller shops tend to buy adulterated varks, Waliudin suggests rubbing the vark between one’s fingers to test for ourselves.

“These silver foils are beaten very thin so that they can spread evenly on the sweets. But when two metals are mixed, the vark isn’t as smooth and breaks off quite easily.”

So in case you haven’t been paying much attention to your food thus far, now would be a good time to start. In case you do find a discrepancy, the FSSAI welcomes complaints on 040-2465 0365 / 2756 0191.

Trivia

Chandi (silver) vark was initially introduced in Hyderabad for its medicinal purposes in Unani and Ayurveda. It was later picked up as a decorative garnish by confectionary makers. While silver and gold are inert metals that do not harm the body’s composition, adulterants like aluminium, nickel and copper cause serious side affects to one’s health, including skin diseases, breathing problems and irregularities in the heart. While most of the established shops use pure varks, smaller nondescript shops tend to market adulterated vark. 

How it’s made 

The Chandini Vark is got in the form of solid silver weighing 100 grams each. The silver is put into a machine and cut into thin strips. These strips are further cut into one inch-sized pieces and put within the leaves of the German butter paper booklet. Each booklet can fit up to 150 pieces of silver which are beaten for three to fours hours to draw them into thin foils. The process is very simple with no usage of chemicals nor any chance of other metals getting mixed up, unless done so intentionally. During Ramzan and other major Hindu festivals, sales of the vark go up for decorating sweets and biryani too.

SMC to check army canteens for food adulteration

Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the civic body in Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital, will lift food samples inside the army’s largest garrison Badami Bagh to check food adulteration. 

SMC’s move to extend its jurisdiction has come as the cantonment had no designated food safety officer or laboratory to test quality of eatables. SMC commissioner Dr G N Qasba had called a meeting in this regard and directed the health official to carry out the necessary measures to implement the Food Safety Act inside the cantonment to ensure food quality and standards. 

“It’s important that all eatables, wherever it is sold in Srinagar, are not adulterated or violating the Food Safety Act 2006. The SMC will be lifting samples from the cantonment for necessary test to ensure sale of safe and healthy food items,” said Dr Qasba. “The SMC will be now lifting samples from all the sellers housed inside and outside the cantonment area. 

The SMC will be testing food samples periodically so that hygienic and up-to-mark unadulterated eatables are sold inside the cantonment,” said SMC health officer Shafqat Khan. The health officer on Wednesday on the instructions of Commissioner SMC held a meeting with the cantonment authorities, which was also attended by the officials of the Chinar Station Canteen and OIC station. 

The cantonment authorities had requested to the SMC to “collect food samples from various shops in and around BB Cantonment and arrange analysis of the same to rule out any adulteration.” The SMC has now asked the cantonment authorities to send a complete list of food business operators and retail food outlets. 

“The licensing of the same will be done under the relevant clause of the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006, which shall thereafter enable the Public Health Department of SMC to undertake regular sampling in the cantonment area,” said a SMC official communiqué to the cantonment authorities.

JMC conducts surprise drive ahead of Maha Shivratri

JAMMU: While conducting drive against the menace of food adulteration in commonly consumable food items especially on the eve of Maha Shivratri, Municipal Veterinary Officer, Health Officer and Food Safety Officer conducted a surprise tour and realised Rs. 12,600 as fine from defaulters under the Municipal Corporation Act, 2000.

On the directions of Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Kiran Wattal, the JMC team conducted drive in the areas like Satwari, Nai Basti, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Vikram Chowk, Talab Tillo, Bantalab, Muthi, Durga Nagar, Roop Nagar and New Plot and were checked number of food establishments including sweet shops, meat shops, fish shops, provisional stores, food stalls and different moving vendors.

A compounding fine of Rs. 12,600 was realized from defaulters under Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 during the tour. About 15 quintals of milk was checked in different areas by way of using different methods like Garbar machine, lacto meter and method using Reagents to check the urea in milk. During meat shop checking about 15 Kgs of meat was found unfit for human consumption and destroyed on spot.

Besides this seven Kg of polythene carry bags were also seized and general public also made aware about harmful effect of using polythene carry bags as polythene never decompose like other waste material and due to un-decomposition it will effect on our surrounding environment. The corporation officers directed to ensure the supply of good quality/hygienic food items to the citizens of Jammu city, and asked to keep the premises neat and clean failing which action under law shall be initiated against them.

Udupi: Food retailers must obtain License/registration done-Dr.Praveen Kumar C.H

Udupi; Feb 26: Dr.Praveen Kumar C.H, District Food Safety and Quality control officer said in his speech that all food retailers (F.B.O) by making mandatory license/registration done, should co-operate in the implementation of Food Safety and Quality Act.

In order to give safety and quality food items to the public, safety and quality act 2006 and under its rules and regulations 2011 has been in force since 5th August 2011.

In this Act, section 31(1) and provision of food items under 2.11 and 2.1.2, Food Manufacturers/processing/transportation/distribution and sales, who are engaged, must obtain license/registration done, failing which they cannot carry out food items transactions. Violations of this rules become a crime and will be awarded a maximum of 6-months jail sentence and a penalty of Rs 5 lac will be imposed on the offenders, he said.

Food units, which need to get license and registration done:-

Street vendors, hand cart traders, home based canteens, small scale business people, Cottage Industries (home food manufacturers, religious ceremony, Fair and periodical festival in honour of deity, fish/chicken/mutton vendors, tea stalls, Manufacturers and Processors, cold storage centres,Milk traders, sundry retailers,re-packing companies, Distributors and suppliers,re-labelling companies,transporters,Import/Exporters,catering,clubs/canteens/School,college canteens,Hotels,Restaurants,Wine stores, Bar and Restaurants, wedding halls, community Centres,dining co-ordinators,convener of food arrangement in religious places, private lodging and hostels, office canteens and manufacturers of packed drinking water, can make registration done, he said.

To get the license, the business owners or their authorized representatives should visit personally to submit application, after making payment of government fee as mentioned below in taluk treasury related State Bank, in the name of Proper authority, Food safety and Quality Act, District health officer’s office campus, Ajjarakadu Udupi

Documents verification and inspection of the place will be conducted within 15 days. Notice will be given in the event of any mistakes are found. Within 30 days of the notice, proper documents should be provided and license will be issued within 60 days of receiving the application and information will be given through mobile.

No Agents, brokers or middlemen are entertained and except government fee, no other fees should be paid, advised strictly.

Reality bites: Creepy-crawly on your plate!

INDORE: Ten days after a caterpillar was found on burger at an outlet in Malhar Mall, complaints continue to pour in from customers across the city over sub-standard food being served in malls.

On February 14, Prasang Khare, an executive with a private firm and a regular KFC visitor, said he was surprised to find a green vegetable caterpillar on the burger served to him. Khare was with his family in the outlet when they were served the dish.

"The insect was as big as my son's finger. My family was shocked beyond belief," Khare said. Khare said though the manager of the outlet apologized, but he and his wife were already ill. "We had severe gastric problems," he said.

Refuting the allegation, KFC spokesperson said, "As a responsible brand, KFC is committed to following international standards and serving the highest quality products to all our customers. The products served are sourced from state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities that follow rigorous food safety standards. We have investigated the matter and the evidence available with us indicates that the claim is false. Customer experience and food safety is of paramount importance and that is why KFC is a taste that you can trust." On February 4, a similar incident took place with the secretary of senior citizen forum V K Bhalla at More in C21 mall. He said he bought a jumbo bread from the outlet and it carried the manufacturing date tag of the same day.

"However, when I opened it to prepare sandwich the following day, to my utter surprise, I found fungus on the bread. When I complained of the matter, a person from the outlet visited me and replaced the bread. However, nobody bothered to give me any feedback after that," said Bhalla. The owner of C-21 Mall and Malhar Mall, Pintu Chhabra, said, "Though we have given these outlets on a rental basis, yet we have instructed them to maintain quality. Whenever we receive any complaint, we take appropriate action after investigating the incident."

Stay on tobacco confiscation

Justice A. Rajasekhar Reddy stayed prosecution and confiscation of the tobacco products manufactured by RK Products Company for four weeks. The judge was dealing with a petition by the company challenging the notification issued by the government prohibiting manufacture, distribution and sale of pure tobacco, khaini, kharra, scented tobacco for one year. P. Vikram, counsel for the petitioner, contended that the products of the company are covered in the definition of "Tobacco products" and are governed by the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003, and are excluded from the ambit of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.