Food inspector suspended

Hisar, May 11

The Food and Supplies Department has suspended an inspector following an inquiry report indicating irregularities in granting licences for fair price shops in villages of Hisar. 

Reports say a departmental inquiry has found that 68 licences for ration depots under the Public Distribution System had been granted in violation of the Haryana Public Distribution System (Control) Order 2009. 

Following the report, the department had suspended Hisar inspector Krishan Kumar. The suspension order stated that his headquarters would be Rohtak during the period of his suspension.

District Food and Supplies Commissioner Dr Ghanshyam said the ration depots were granted licences as per the requirement and approval by the Hisar district administration. He denied any wrongdoing in granting the licences.

96% water samples fail test in Faridabad

Faridabad, May 11

The quality of drinking water in Faridabad has deteriorated, with 96 per cent of samples taken last month having failed the test. This is the second time this year that over 95 per cent samples have failed. In February, 98 per cent samples had failed. 

Sources said the Health Department took 208 samples from various sources in the district last month, 201 of which failed the test. The test focused on chlorination and did not cover brackishness and fluoride content. Samples taken from 120 tube wells in Panhera Khurd were found to be unfit for human consumption.

Samples were taken from tube wells in Palla, Ballabgarh and Kheri Kalan, where the quality of water was poor mainly due to high fluoride content. As many as 163 of the 165 samples of potable water taken from various areas of the town were found to be unfit for human consumption in February.

The authorities seemed helpless even though there was acute shortage of water in the town due to delay of the Ranneywell project, said Satish Kumar, a local resident. The municipal corporation did not have the right to impose water charges due to the failure to supply clean drinking water, said KL Gera, a social activist.

When contacted, the Deputy CMO said the failure of a large number of water samples was an issue of concern. He said the number of samples taken each month could vary and the water sample failure rate was 80 per cent in over a year. He said the information was given to the Public Health Department and the municipal corporation.

FDA seizes mangoes ripened chemically

MARGAO: A team of food safety officers from theFood and drugs administration (FDA) seized artificially-ripened mangoes worth 5,000 from a fruit vendor at Curchorem on Sunday.

The team; comprising Abel Rodrigues, Priya Desai and Niranjan Naik; confiscated the fruit fromSultan Kachur, a vendor who was operating from his godown near Curchorem railway station, FDA officials said.

Mangoes had been artificially ripened using a chemical called 'Ethopon', which is used as a plant growth regulator by agriculturists. It is illegal to ripen fruit using chemicals, even those approved for use in farming.

FDA has destroyed the stock and prevented it from going into the market.

All such mangoes are sent to the Cacora garbage site. FDA director Salim Veljee said that it was not possible to test fruit for chemicals as the powder tends to wear off quickly. "Unless, we catch the culprits red-handed with the chemicals, we cannot make seizures," he said.

Milk samples taken

Jalandhar, May 11

The Health Department took samples of milk from seven places in the city early this morning. On the directions of RL Bassan, Civil Surgeon, a team comprising Dr Balwinder Singh, district health officer, and Dr Harjot Pal, food safety officer, raided the premises of various milk vendors at around 5.30 am in Urban Estate Ph-II, Pholriwal, Jamsher Road and took milk samples. According to the raiding team, the sampling was done as a precautionary measure, as the same team had found lots of materials to make synthetic milk from a house in Talhan village on Saturday. The results of the samples are expected to come within a fortnight.

VFPCK to install mobile fruit ripening chambers in 16 Palakkad outlets

The Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) is setting up mobile ethylene ripening chambers at sixteen of its retail chains in Palakkad district. These would later be set up in other parts of the southern state as per convenience.

Palakkad is among the leading producers of mangoes in the southern state. These units would be set up primarily to cater to mangoes and bananas, but VFPCK eventually plans to establish mobile chambers for other fruit and vegetables as well.

This is being undertaken to combat artificial ripening of fruit and the adverse impact of using calcium carbide on health. The chemical is rampantly being used by farmers, agents and traders to protect the fruit against damage, which commonly occurs in transit and at the retail outlets.

It is summer, a season when large quantities of fruit get damaged. Moreover, currently there is no alternative for the commercial transportation of fruit, so small-scale farmers have been seeking the help of the government.

VFPCK collects fruit and vegetables from small-scale farmers to facilitate large-scale retail distribution. That is a profitable method. Retail centres used traditional ripening methods for fruit and vegetables, but continuous damage and the use of calcium carbide made the council opt for an alternative.

Ripening mangoes and bananas using ethylene is one of the safest methods to ripen the fruit. With this method, it is expected that per kg, mangoes would cost Re 1 more than their current price, but the quality of the fruit would be higher.

Arun Kumar, district manager, Palakkad, VFPCK, said, “The installation is in its final stage. Within 10-15 days, it would be able to facilitate its 16 retail centres with ethylene ripening chambers. The council’s self-help groups (SHG) discussed the issue of damage and artificial ripening of fruit.”

“We conducted a number of awareness campaigns against the use of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruit and vegetables. But we had to find an alternative for this and protect the fruit from damage and sell quality fruit. The installation of mobile ethylene chambers is expected to have a positive impact on the mango and banana markets,” he added.

Move on oil sale poses challenges

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India bans sale of coconut oil in loose form.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned the sale of coconut oil in loose form after complaints of adulteration came up before it. Sale of coconut oil will be permitted only in packaged form, conforming to standards set by the authority. The decision is bound to have an impact in the edible oil market.

The new move could hit daily wage earners and the marginal sections of society who depend on a meagre income and do not purchase commodities and store them. In fact, the loose sale of oil caters to such people. The adherence to the new directive will put them at the receiving end unless steps are taken to provide the packaged form of edible oil to them at affordable rates.

With the steep rise in prices of copra and coconut oil, the arrival of the commodity from Tamil Nadu had been under monitoring. Coconut oil was traded in Ernakulam at Rs.15,700 per quintal on Friday, almost double the rates which the commodity had been sold a year ago. Adulteration had been established on a few occasions at the checkposts and some consignments were sent back after the samples reportedly failed the standard tests prescribed by the authority.

With no signs of the prices falling down, the market will continue to face strain from inadequate availability and a tendency for sale of the commodity in non-packaged form. It will be a hard task for the authorities to find out the violations. On the other hand, the FSSAI move would send a clear message to the sellers who indulge in adulteration.

Cochin Oil Merchants Association Director Talat Mahmood said the move was taken in right earnest to prevent sale of adulterated commodity. Though the commodity coming from neighbouring States is being subjected to checks, ensuring that the commodity on sale within the State is free of adulterants will be a gigantic task. Adulteration can happen within Kerala, Mr. Mahmood points out.