25% food items unsafe, says FDA report

PUNE: Unsafe and below standard food products continue to being sold and purchased in Pune. According to a latest report of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), about 25% of the food items are either unsafe or as per the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Between April 2013 and March 2014, the officials drew 1,996 food samples to check whether they are fit for consumption and meet all the parameters of standards. Of all the samples, 131 were found to be unsafe and 380 failed to meet the standard criteria.

"As part of our routine inspection, we drew 1,996 samples, including edible oil, milk, jaggery, sugar boiled confectionery, chilly powder and other grocery items for testing . Of them, 511 samples failed on safety and standard tests," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food) of FDA, Pune. The FDA officials have also filed criminal cases against 210 food manufacturers for selling unsafe food items.

FDA has started allocating licences and registrations to food business operators to bring them under its monitoring radar. Food business operators with an annual turnover of above Rs 12 lakh must possess a licence and those who earn less than Rs 12 lakh a year must get a registration certificate, as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

"So far, we have covered 59% of the operators doing food businesses in Pune. We have given licences to 34,942 operators and registration to 1,51,058 of them," Kekare said.

Will there be any food stalls, khau-gallies after 4th August?

FSSAI's dictate on mandatory licence for road side food vendors, suppliers and transporters, like Mumbai's famous Dabbawala, would force them to down shutters forever as majority of them will not pass the stringent norms

Hot-steaming tea at your favourite chai stall, delicious-spicy street Chinese, garma garamvada pav, refreshing sugar cane juice, khatti-mithi pani puri, thandi lassi and chaas, fried kanda-bhujiya, cheesy Indian franky, hand-made chocolates by your neighbourhood auntie, or the all time favourite bread pakoda. WAIT. These mouth-watering items, a part of long-struggling India's Unincorporated may not exist anymore. It may even be time to bid farewell to the khau gallis and dabbawalas present in every corner of India with the new law set to slaughter them. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a central regulator, has extended the deadline for food business operators (FBO) to obtain a license and registration to 4 August 2014. But it is still unclear as to how many of these food stall owners would survive the proposed license-raj. According to a report by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), “…the enforcement of this Act in the present form, it will lead to the closure of over 17 lakh Indian food industries and will force unemployment on over 20 million people.” 

The idea of licensing and registration for FBOs mooted by FSSAI under the Ministry ofHealth and Family Welfare, is aimed at preventing food adulteration. However, implementation of this regulation would require extensive administration and bureaucracy which is time-consuming and costly. This too is only likely to breed more corrupt practices due to the massive discretionary powers of the officials than prevent food adulteration. 

FSSAI license/ registration has been made mandatory for every hawker, kiosk or stall—whether your neighbouring mithaiwala or a multinational McDonalds'. Post 4th August, all of them are required to obtain a FBO license. 

FBOs are defined as “Any undertaking private or public, for profit or not” carrying out anyof the activities related to any stage of manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, imports and including food services, sale of food or food ingredients”. 

The license under the FSSAI Rules and Regulations 2011 was to be obtained with effect from 5 August 2011, but the deadline was postponed to August 2012 and now again to 4 August 2014. 

Under this regulation, already licensed FBOs operating under now repealed Acts and Rules such as the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) need to convert their licenseor registration to the new rules under Section 31 of the act. The license fee is Rs2,000 and it will be issued only after a Food Safety Officer visits the manufacturing, processing and transporting units and certifies that it meets FSSAI standards. The penalty for non-compliance is 100 times more than that under the PFA act and could go up to Rs5 lakh or imprisonment of up to six months under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. 

Given the stringent provisions and the fact that the government provides no amenities to road side food sellers (many operate only in the evening or night after shops have closed), they are unlikely to meet FSSAI standards and will probably, have to shut down and become victims of endless harassment and extortion by government officials. 

Aamchi Mumbai cha vada-pav, road-side chai, street-corner bakery, pani puri, traveller's favourite roti-rolls etc are all likely to get out of the market if this law comes into force unless the the new government elected at the Centre furiously takes a reverse. One wonders if the most efficient enterprise in India, the dabbawala, which has been awarded the six sigma for service would also need a license, since he would fall under the definition of FBO for transporting food. Will the dabbawala’s rough-and-ready travel in the luggage van of suburban trains meet FSSAI’s hygienic standards? Or will the rule see selective application and exemptions?

With rising inflation and high costs and taxes at regular eateries, most of India’s working as well as middle class, at least in Mumbai, depends on road-side food that is served up by tiny entrepreneurs, who put up temporary stalls at breakfast, lunch and dinner time. This is especially true of large cities like Mumbai. Licensing and registration will kill thesebusinesses, merely with the additional cost and compliance burden. What is worse, the government will contribute nothing to their lives or business other than harassment. Will a FSSAI license make them eligible for bank loans at the rates available to organised industry? Of course not. By forcing the industry to go underground, the government will not only harass hawkers but also their vast population of customers. It is probably this realisation that ensures that the deadline gets pushed back so often.

Food safety raids conducted in Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram hotels

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In hotel raids conducted by Food Safety Squads in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam 11 hotels found to be keeping low hygiene were closed down, 54 hotels were served notice to maintain hygiene and 57 hotels were fined Rs 323200. 

In the Thiruvananthapuram district, two hotels in Mangalapuram and Thonnackal was closed after raids. Two hotels were given notice, from seven hotels Rs 35, 500 fine was collected. In Nedumangad municipality eight hotels were given notice and seven were fined Rs 20,000. Action was also taken against hotels in Nandavanam, East Fort, Overbridge, Medical College, Pongammodu, Nalanchira and Ulloor. 

Raids were also conducted in hotels in Ernakulam, Aluva, Kollam, Paravoor, Moovattupizha, Tripunnithura and Neyyattinkara areas.

Food Safety commissioner K Anil Kumar has said that complaints regarding the hotel can be registered through the toll free phone number 1800 425 1125 .

Edible oil sold loose in city found to be adulterated

The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI) plans to take the State Government to task for permitting the sale of loose edible oils till December this year, despite the food authority banning the same.

Since January this year, CGSI has been collecting samples of loose oil being sold in various parts of the city, Navi Mumbai and Thane. Subsequently, on testing 22 samples, it was found that 20 of them were adulterated.

The Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) had announced the ban on sale of loose edible oil in 2012. But, in October 2013, the Maharashtra Government passed a notification permitting the sale till this year end, stating that it would affect small traders who lacked adequate infrastructure and back-up.

CGSI Chairperson Sitaram Dixit, who initiated the campaign, said, "FSSAI imposed the ban due to safety issues, but unfortunately the Maharashtra Government's notification allows traders to sell edible oil in loose form." CGSI now plans to get the remaining samples tested soon.

Now, piping hot lunch near your office

The Kudumbasree’s ‘Food on Wheels’ wagon in Kozhikode city. 

Within a fortnight, office goers in Kozhikode willhave food courts coming to them during lunch hours.

‘Food on Wheels’, a prestigious project of the Gender Park, taken up by Kudumbasree CDS of Kozhikode Municipal Corporation as a pilot project, will hit the streets by the end of the month.

“Unlike in Kochi, or even Thiruvananthapuram to some extend, there aren’t any eateries around major offices in Kozhikode. ‘Food on Wheels’ will have home-made food delivered at major points in the city”, said V. Ramsy Ismail, Kudumbasree Project Officer of the Corporation.

The recent micro entrepreneurship expo of Kudumbasree had proven that there were quite a few units that provided food and catering services.

The ‘Food on Wheels’ was designed especially forthem. The food is taken around in an autorickshaw specially designed for the project. It has a covered van openable on three sides, with counters and cabins inside for each category of food.

The units will have four members each.

They will serve food items such as rice, biryani, kappa-meenkari, snacks, tea,coffee and other traditional food items. A highlight of the system is that the food is cooked following stringent safety standards.

The project is also part of the ‘Eat street’ project envisaged by Minister for Social Justice and Panchayats M.K. Muneer.

A unit costs from Rs.6 to 7 lakh, half of which will be subsidised and the rest will be built on loans. At present, around 30 units have applied to be part of the project. But only one will be launched in the beginning.

“Let us see how it works and then go for more numbers”, Mr. Ismail said.

In the beginning, the units themselves will prepare the food. But eventually, the plan is to construct a centralised kitchen that supplies food for the units who will then take it around the city and serve wherever needed.

Apart from serving lunch at offices, the ‘Food on Wheels’ will be parked near the beach.

Germany's TÜV SÜD offers certification for mango exports

This will help businesses improve the acceptability of their consignments globally

With the recent ban imposed by EU on export of Indian mangoes and vegetables, German certification major TÜV SÜD's Bangalore laboratory will now be able to help exportersobtain certificates as prescribed by importing countries as well as Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). This will help businesses improve the acceptability of their consignments globally and reduce the risk of rejection. TÜV SÜD is also approved by APEDA for food safety management system certification. The government has mandated all fruits and vegetable shipments to be screened through APEDA recognised laboratories.

"The temporary ban on Indian mangoes has the potential to impact the growth of the agriculture export sector in India. The months of May and June witness the most number of mango consignments being exported out of the country and we intend to help Indian exporters in every possible way to improve the acceptability of their products globally. We extend the support to pack houses and exporters to comply with the food safety management system practices through our internationally accredited and APEDA approved certification services and state-of-the-art food testing laboratory network," said Pankaj Jaiminy, AVP, food testing services, TÜV SÜD South Asia.

Some of the tests that will be carried out at this lab include testing of chemical parameters, pesticides and its residues, antibiotics, heavy metals, aflatoxins and microbiological analysis. TÜV SÜD has two more laboratories approved by NABL and FSSAI for testing and performing chemical and microbiological analyses in Mumbai and Gurgaon.

Let consumers choose -Non-tariff barriers spreading from food to electronics

The Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS, wants sellers of electronic items like laptops, tablets, video games, microwave ovens, printers, scanners and set-top boxes to emboss or screen-print a certificate on the product that says the quality meets the BIS standards. Its argument is that India has become a dumping ground for electronic waste, especially from East and Southeast Asia, and some restraint is required. The importers, in turn, have said that this could be a costly exercise. Most of them import such items in small batches from manufacturers spread across many countries, and say it is not financially viable for the manufacturer to emboss the BIS certificate on each product. Also, most of these products are made of parts sourced from various producers and, therefore, it is not easy to certify the quality. Instead, they are willing to affix labels to these imports and this, hopefully, will make them accountable for products that violate safety norms or are substandard.

The BIS, however, is not enthused with the idea. It feels stickers are no guarantee and can be fixed and removed by anyone. The controversy dates back to September 2012 when the department of electronics and information technology listed 15 products that couldn't be imported without a declaration that they met BIS standards. This happened because BIS was inundated with certification requests from importers. Since its laboratories were unable to cope with the deluge, it came up with the idea of self-certification. The deadline set by the department was six months. It has been extended time and again and is now fixed for the end of June.

Clearly, this looks like another case of bureaucratic overreach. One news report has said that someoverseas companies have already taken up the matter with the Union commerce ministry, alleging that it amounts to a non-tariff barrier. Others too have raised the issue with various arms of thegovernment. More than the government, it is for the consumer to buy or reject the product. If a product is substandard, it will clearly not find buyers. The bogey of dumped Chinese and Taiwanese products swamping the market has been heard in recent past more than once. The experience has been that though some consumers may be initially lured by the low price tags, they eventually end up buying only those products that provide value for money, come with service and part replacement guarantee, and have some resale value. Consumer rejection is the best solution.

This is reminiscent of the chocolate controversy that erupted a few months ago. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a regulatory body under the Union health ministry, had mandated that imported chocolate should have full information (the manufacturer's name and details of ingredients) printed on the pack. The importers were willing to put stickers on the packs, but the FSSAI insisted that the information should be printed on the packs. The argument given by the importers was the same: the quantities they imported were too small for the manufacturer to investin special packaging for India. As a result, imported chocolate vanished from the shelves during Christmas, the New Year and Valentine's Day. It is clear who gained from their absence in the market.