Traces of cyanide found in packaged drinking water

PUNE: Traces of cyanide, a powerful poison and chemical contaminant, have been found in packaged drinking water during a routine exerciseof the Food and Drugs Administration to check samples. This is the first time cyanide has been found in packaged drinking water in the state.

The FDA had collected the samples from two plants located in Jalna and Parbhani districts. The samples were tested at FDA's referral laboratory that confirmed the presence of cyanide in unsafe proportion, following which the body filed an FIR against both the plant owners.

Officials said they will now move court against the plant owners for violating norms of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, there should be no trace of cyanide in packaged drinking water. Both the plants have been closed down after FDA issued temporary prohibitory orders.

The major source of cyanide in drinking water is discharge fromindustrial chemical factories. People who drink water containing cyanide for many years could experience nerve damage or problems with their thyroid.

FDA officials had picked up samples of bottled water from the packaged water plant located in Ner village in Jalna district as part of a routine check. They sent the samples to Pune-based State Public Health Laboratory for testing, which found it unsafe for human consumption as it had rod-shaped bacteria called coliform in high proportion.

When the plant owner was informed about the negative test results, he rejected it and asked the officials to reconfirm the results with the government's referral laboratory in Ghaziabad. Officials then sent another bottled water sample drawn from the same plant in the prescribed format to this laboratory. The referral laboratory cited the presence of cyanide about a month and a half ago.

"The referral laboratory found 0.007 milligram cyanide per litre of water and labelled the sample as unsafe for human consumption. There is no industrial chemical factory close to the plant or even in its 10 km radius. The plant is surrounded by agricultural land. The chemical fertilizers used in agriculture may have percolated into the ground water, which is being used by the plant to make packaged drinking water," said A G Deshpande, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Jalna.

FDA officials on March 14 filed an FIR against the plant owner with Ner police station. "We have now sought permission from the FDA headquarters in Mumbai to prosecute the plant owner under section 59 (1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The punishment is imprisonment up to six months," Deshpande said.

Similar case of packaged water containing cyanide surfaced in Parbhani two months ago. The FDA officials drew samples from the plant located in MIDC area. The samples failed on fitnessparameters, but the plant owner wanted to get the samples tested at referral laboratory and made an appeal for the same with the officials.

"We then sent the water samples to the referral laboratory which found 0.012 milligram cyanide per liter of water and labelled it unsafe for consumption. We then asked the Bureau of Indian Standards to cancel the licence of the plant, filed an FIR with the police and issued temporary prohibitory order to the factory to close down the plant till further orders. We have proposed to prosecute the plant owner and have sought permission in this regard," said R D Kokadwar, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.

When contacted, state FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade said, "This is the outcome of our intensified surveillance network. Stringent action is being taken against the packaged drinking water plant owners who are found at fault. I do not know about other states, but presence of cyanide has been found for the first time in packaged drinking water in Maharashtra."

Fact-sheet:

Cyanide

* Cyanides, which are powerful poisons, can both occur naturally - by certain bacteria and algae - or be man-made

* It is carbon-nitrogen chemical unit which combines with many organic and inorganic compounds

* Many of the cyanides in soil and water come from industrial processes like electroplating, metallurgy, 

production of organic chemicals and plastics, photographic developing, and mining

* The primary source of cyanide in the air is from car exhaust

* Smoking is another important source of cyanide

* Common toxic cyanide compounds include hydrogen cyanide gas (HCN), potassium cyanide, and sodium cyanide

* At pH less than 8, cyanide exists in water as HCN, which is more harmful to aquatic life than the free cyanide ion. HCN is also a chemical warfare weapon

* The cyanide toxic effect is due to its reaction with the trivalent iron in the cytochrome oxidase(cyt aa3) to inhibit electron transport and thus preventing the cells from consuming oxygen, leading to rapid impairment of the vital functions

* Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), hydroxocobalamin, dicobalt-EDTA, 4-Dimethylaminophenol (DMAP) are cyanide antidotes, which are effective in experimental and human cyanide poisoning

The standards

* In India, the presence of cyanide should be nil in drinking water. This norm is more stringently monitored for packaged drinking water

* According to Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards (food products and food additives) Regulations, 2011, cyanide (CN) should be absent in packaged drinking water and mineral water

* The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for cyanide set by the United State Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is 0.2 milligram per liter. EPA has set this level of protection based on the best available science to prevent potential health problems

WHAT SHINES IS NOT HEALTHY

Neatly stacked, glossed up and vibrantly colourful – it might seem like the ideal place to pick your fruits and vegetablesfrom, but beware, for everything that shines is not gold. In this case, definitely not healthy either. 

That perfect shiny brinjal or the plum red apple could actually be covered with a coating of artificial colour, dangerous for human body. No matter how loyal your local fruit vendor is to you, he himself may not be aware of the harmful effects of such colours used to gloss up these fruits. Cityplus digs deep to find out.

The colour code

Health experts complain that the Directorate of Prevention of Food Adulteration of the State Government hasn’t taken any action against those involved despite knowing that coloured vegetables and fruits contain

hazardous substancesand sold boldly in wholesale and retail markets and outlets. Usually by the time, fruits and vegetables come from the farmers, their shine and freshness is compromised upon due to the time lapse and transportation from one place to another. To give these a fresh look, it has been known that suppliers are applying artificial colours on them and chemicals are put on their skins to maintain the sheen. The most common artificially coloured and shining vegetables and fruits in the market are pumpkin, ladyfinger, cucumber, eggplant, wax gourd, apple, pear and guava.

A wholesale fruit seller Sajid Abbas tells CityPlus, “We get these fruits from the local mandis. The fruit changes several hands from the time it is sold by the farmer until it reaches the fruit seller. We sell the fruits as they come to us.” 

Vijay, a vegetable vendor at Ameerpet reveals, “In dry weather vegetables look stale and customers refrain from buying these. I apply light oil on brinjals and parwals (wax gourds). Anyway these are washed before cooking.” 

Harmless as his claims may be, what he does not know that usage of oils and other substances on vegetables and fruits are punishable by law and equally harmful forhuman health. 

The rules

As per rule 48-E of the PFA Rules, 1955, fresh fruits and vegetables shall not be rotten and also not coated in wax, mineral oils and colours. However, there is a provision for coating fresh fruits with food additive such as bee wax. But how many vendors actually use it? A vegetable seller at Begumpet’s Friday market says, “We are poor daily wage earners. We usually use some oil that we get at a cheap rate from factories.”

Nalini Jayathi, a home maker from Banjara Hills, also frequenting Himayat Nagar often says, “The other day I bought apples from a local vendor. After washing it, the moment I cut the apples, light pink colour stained my hands. The very next day I asked the vendor as to why he had coloured the apples to which he replied that he buys the stock from the wholesaler and isn’t aware of what’s going on.”

Regulation of Food Law

Cityplus decided to speak to the AP Commissionerate of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding this. K. N. Swarup, the Deputy Food Controller told, “Till date we have not come across the colouring of fruits and vegetables. Those who have faced such problems can send us a complaint and we will conduct a raid, test the sample and strict actions will be taken against those who are found guilty. Yes, we have dealt with cases where prohibited artificial colours are found in food items such as sauces, sweetmeats and fried stuff.” 

Other foods also not spared

Rahul Kakkar, a businessman and foodie says, “The other day I saw local eatery cooking sweet rice which is yellow in colour. I saw the cook using a yellow colour from a box that read ‘STRICTLY FOR INDUSTRIAL USE’. I asked him why he’s using it when it is forbidden to which he said that ‘a pinch will not harm anyone’. Now I am extremely careful about where I buy my food stuff from.”

Beware 

Buy fruits and vegetables from known dealers. 

Do not buy and consume cut fruits from open market. 

Always wash the fruits twice or thrice under running water. 

Avoid eating very brightly coloured food items.

"In dry weather, vegetables look stale and customers refrain from buying these. I apply light oil on brinjals and parwals (wax gourds).vijay, vegetable vendor "

Be careful while licking on popsicle, ice may have been sourced from morgue

RAIPUR: If you are eyeing that roadside popsicle or barf ka gola made in unhygienic ice and later dipped in scrumptious looking colorful sherbet, think again. This little piece of heaven in heat is enough to escort people to hospital beds, warn doctors. If that's not startling enough, take this — the ice comes from the bars used in mortuaries to keep dead bodies.

Even as jaundice soars high in capital and neighbouring cities, awareness and precaution is a far cry when it comes to consumption of hygienic food and liquid.

While civic body has already closed down few ice factories, quality of roadside popsicles is yet to be checked. Ice bars are stored at insanitary places and medical students

have informed about vendors stealing and purchasing ice bars already used in mortuaries. This highly infectedcrushed ice is sold as popsicle on the roadside.

While this is heights of negligence, officials at Raipur Municipal Corporation and food and adulteration department claim that regular checks are being conducted.

Talking to Times of India, food safety officer Dr Ashwini Dewanagan said, "Soon after the jaundice scare, we inspected 40-50 roadside vendors in parts of capital and Durg. It's true that they do not store ice bars at clean places. It is mostly kept in open above drains. But it's not possible to keep a check on daily basis as the vendors are large in number."

Dewangan said that many ice factories involved in irregularities have been shut down and samples of milk was also being checked at regular intervals. "It's people who need to beware at present situation. Avoiding sugarcane juice, water sold in pouches and not buying mineral water bottles without ISI marks are the solution," he said.

Dr Arif Memon, a physician, said that popsicles and sugarcane juice should be completely avoided because the quality of water used to prepare ice can't be checked at that moment. "Moreover, germs and viruses in frozen water remain active to harm human body. Even if people wish to eat outside food they should properly check the surroundings and cleanliness the vendor maintains," he said. He suggested that one should keep a check on ingredients in the food being consumed. "Better prepare popsicle or slush at home after boiling water and freezing it," he said.

Raipur has more than 2,000 popsicle vendors who collectively earn more than Rs 5 lakh every month. Residents often yield to their temptation during the day given the extreme temperatures. But with jaundice ghost riding high on people, they are being advised to carry water bottles and energy drinks.

Moreover, the coloured sherbets used in popsicles is also made of inedible colours which rot after being kept for long.

DINAMANI NEWS

900kg of artificially ripened mangoes seized during raids

CHENNAI: Food safety department officials seized around 900kg of artificially ripened mangoes from three markets in the city in a two-day drive that ended on Thursday. 

On Wednesday and Thursday, three teams ofofficials raided shops at the Koyambedu whosalefruit market, T Nagar and Kothawalchavadi and seized 300kg of calcium carbide, a carcinogen used to artificially ripen mangoes. Officials say most of the mangoes that were ripened using the chemical were of the 'Banganapalle' and 'Neelam' varieties. 

This is the third such raid by the department since the beginning of this year's mango season. In April, more than 50kg of calcium carbide and nearly two tonnes of artificially-ripened mangoes were seized from 200 shops. 

Food safety officials say the seizures are much higher than last year. "The practice is more rampant this year probably owing to the fact that the season got off to a slow start. We have stepped up vigil and will conduct surprise raids once in a week," said food safety officer S Lakshmi Narayanan. In addition to the raids, officials are also distributing pamphlets to wholesalers and retailers listing the harmful effects of artificial ripening in a bid to curb the practice. 

Calcium carbide is the most commonly used chemical to ripen the 'king' of fruits. Some vendorsalso resort to burning kerosene stove or incense sticks in closed rooms to quicken the ripening process. Experts say these methods make mangoes appear a bright yellow and enjoy a longer shelf life but are dangerous for consumption. 

Calcium carbide is banned under Section 44A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, but continues to be widely used by fruit merchants. The chemical in solid form is kept wrapped in paper among the fruits. It reacts with water to form acetylene that catalyses the ripening process.

Medical experts say calcium carbide may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorous, which could damage the kidney and liver and cause ulcers and gastric problems.

Food Dept Seizes 3 Tonnes of Artificially Ripened Mangoes

Officials of Food Safety Department inspecting the artificially ripened mangoes at Grand Bazaar in Puducherry on Wednesday

Three tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes were destroyed by the Food Safety Department after confiscating them from two godowns in Grand Bazar market on Wednesday. ‘Banganapalli’ and ‘Neelam‘ mangoes were found to be artificially ripened using calcium carbide, which is carcinogenic, Food Safety Officer Dhanraj told Express. 

Based on a complaint from the Puducherry Municipality, a team of municipal and revenue officials checked the products and found them artificially ripened and in violation of Food Safety and Standard Regulation, 2011. 

Such artificially ripened fruits do not have a pleasant smell and are half yellow and half green, Dhanraj said. Other fruits like bananas are also artificially ripened using calcium carbide.

Vendors warned against selling artificially ripened mangoes

Even as mango season sets in, fruit vendors have been put on notice by authorities against selling artificially ripened varieties that are flooding markets across the city. 

Terming such acts illegal, the officials of Department of Food Safety and Revenue Department warned that it would crack down on vendors and traders in the city found to be selling artificially ripened fruits. 

The department’s diktat follows reports of mass arrivals of artificially ripened fruits from parts ofTamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. 

Recently, on receiving a tip-off from the public, the sleuths of the food safety department launched raids at several shops and godowns owned by fruit vendors in the Big Market area right in the heart of the city. 

The tip-off proved to be authentic as officials stumbled upon a large quantity of mangoes ripened artificially using banned chemical calcium carbideas additive. These mangoes were sold in polythene packs or in cartons for bulk buyers. 

I. Danaraj, Food Safety Officer, told The Hindu : “The tip-off helped us organise raids on shops and godowns in the Big Market vicinity with the assistance of Revenue and Municipal authorities. We found small sachets of calcium carbide kept in several cartons which contained fruits. We seized those fruits weighing approximately three tonnes from vendors. Immediately after the seizure, we destroyed and disposed of the fruits.” 

Explaining that such artificially ripened mangoes would give serious health hazards to the general public, he said the officials had warned vendors against adopting artificial methods to ripen the fruits. Severe action was being contemplated against offenders after consultation with top officials in government, he said. 

The provisions of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulations, 2011, prohibits the use of carbide gas in ripening of fruits. The provision says, “No person shall sell or offer or expose for sale or have in his premises for the purpose of sale under any description, fruits which have been artificially ripened by use of acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas.

In the eyes of the law, the ‘Fresh Fruits and Vegetables shall be free from rotting and free from coating of waxes, mineral oil and colours.’

Need to change old rules on milk standards: NDRI head

Director of the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Dr AK Srivastava, has said that there is no scientific study to establish the gravity of milk adulteration in the country. However, he told HT on Tuesday that there was a dire need to change dairy standard rules and to protect the interests of progressive dairy farmers. 

Srivastava said t he dairy industry in Punjab banks on the cross-bred animals, but quality standardisation laws of milk and otherdairy products had not been changed in the last six decades. “Milk is the only food item in which any kind of mixture is prohibited and media reports on fake milk do occur. Food and Standard Authority of India is raising the demand for provision of life imprisonment since long for milk adulteration,” he said. 

Srivastava said that while introducing strict punitive measures was welcome, standardisation exercise should also be carried out. “Milk samples are bound to fail tests on fat, protein etc on the cross-bred animals mainly on the technical points and scientific basis. 

Milk standardisation was fixed soon after Independence when India had only indigenous breeds,” said Srivastava while adding that it would be premature that the region was facing an acute problem of milk laced with chemicals or harmful components. 

Rotten food seized from hotels in Kasaragod

Unfit for consumption:Food safety officials seize stale food from an eatery in Kasaragod on Thursday.

Stale food items were seized from five hotels in the town during a day-long raid carried out by food safety authorities of the Kasaragod municipality on Thursday.

The team also found spoilt milk and bannedplastic bags from the five private eateries in various parts of the town, a senior food safety official said.

The authorities have registered cases against thehotel owners for preparing food items in unhygienic conditions.

The authorities were planning to issue notices to the erring hotels while the raids would continue in coming days, he said.

Lifting Ban On Iodised Salt

Common salt was banned in India in 2005 on the ground that it is injurious to health and can cause goiter. But a Govt. Study reveals that iodised salt has hardly helped in curing the disease. So was it banned to help the corporates to make money through high price iodised salt?

Common salt was banned in 2005 by theGovernment of India and also by most of the states on the ground that it is injurious to health and can cause goiter. However, there was no scientific evidence to that effect. On the other hand, iodised salt, if consumed in excess, is definitely harmful, if not fatal. Ban on common salt meant a regime of compulsory iodization of salt, which resulted to zero choice to consumers.

The common salt farmers were thrown out of employment as demand for their product suddenly dropped. The move also cost the economy dearly because of its import of iodine for salt iodiation. All this while the salt corporate lobby and the iodine import lobby thrived and regaled at the expense of the poor masses, including both salt consumers and producers. Being monopolists, the salt corporate sector could restrict the supply of iodised salt, creating artificial scarcity and consequently hiking its price beyond the reach of the ordinary man. A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court in 2006 by agro-scientists, doctors, healthcare experts and farmers in the name of "Academy of Nutrition Improvement & Others versus Union of India through Ministry of Health & Family Welfare" challenging the ban on common salt.

The PIL finally resulted into the apex court lifting the ban by its judgment dated 4th July, 2011. The ban was lifted not on merits as such but on the technical ground that the ban was effected under a Rule (44-I of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules) which prohibited sale of food or substances which were injurious to health whereas the Government never claimed that non-iodised salt when consumed by human beings was injurious or harmful to health.

However, at the same time, due to the sensitivity of the issue, the apex court allowed the ban to continue for six more months and directed the govt. to appoint a committee of experts to examine whether non-iodised salt was responsible for the spread of goiter and if so, to ban the consumption of common salt by legislation or appropriate measure.

Instead of following these directions, the Govt. of India proceeded to substitute Rule 44-I by a similar Regulation ( 2.3.12) under a different Act (Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales Act) and continues the ban on non-iodised salt thereby.

Terming these actions as an attempt to usurp the judicial power by the executive, the petitioners have now filed a contempt petition against the Health Secretary for violating the Court's directions in which it has issued notice on 20th Sep. 2013. All these facts have raised some serious questions about the motive of the state behind banning and prohibiting the use of non-iodised salt. For the colonialist, it was salt which forwarded them towards occupying the whole country. Eminent historian Roy Moxham reveals that there are historical remains of a fence of about 2500 miles in India (including Pakistan) built by the British.

Most worrisome thing in this matter is that salt is never included while discussing inflation. A question was asked in Rajya Sabha (RS) on 10 July 1998 that iodised salt is 10 times costlier than common salt. The govt. replied thatmarket price of common salt is Rs. 2 to 4 per kg. and iodised salt is Rs. 6 per Kg.

21st Oct. is celebrated as iodine Day and iodised salt is introduced as a cure-all. Companies involved in selling of iodised salt promote their advertisements in such a way that consumption of it actually helps speed up the brain.

Such more advertisements warn you that deficiency of iodine can cause goitre and dullness of mind. Contrary to it, when Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, an institute related to the Indian Defence Ministry, studied over use of iodised salt, it found that before 20 years, those diseases, which were challenged to be eradicated after using iodine, still persist. The study was conducted in 16 cities among 39,000 children.

Goitre was the main disease which has been presented as a promo in the crusade against common salt. Advertisements related to it were so ugly that they caused fear more than enlightenment. INMAS report clearly indicates that iodised salt is not necessary. This clearly indicates that how this matter of salt is being played according to the global politics and globalization.

There was a time when green revolution was purported as a very beneficial program and at that time people were bewildered talking about the long term side effects of it. But today, everybody is making emphasis on organic farming. It is high time that both iodised and non-iodised salt be allowed to co-exist as is the trend in the developed countries. Only then can there be effective competition between iodised and non-iodised salt producers leading to improvement of its quality, increase in supply of salt in the market and bringing its price at reasonable levels to provide the utmost relief to the masses. In such a situation no one can create an artificial scarcity of salt and hike its price by rumors or otherwise.