Food safety farce in festive season

Albert Ekka Chowk kiosks in Ranchi rustle up fast food on Sunday. 

Revellers, watch what you eat and where. No, this is no weight policing, but genuine concern for your health during Durga Puja.

While the food safety authorities have directed sampling of edible items and special raids against adulteration across the state, Jharkhand’s almost legendary manpower and resource crunch is threatening to mar all good intentions.

Following instructions from state food controller Praveen Chandra, a two-member team — comprising Ranchi and Bokaro officers K.P. Singh and B.K. Sinha, respectively — began inspection from Dhanbad on Saturday. It also collected laddoo and mustard oil samples from two eateries near Bartand bus terminus in the coal capital, which will be forwarded for quality tests at Namkum-based food and drug laboratory on Monday.

However, barely into their first assignment, the officers sounded frustrated.

“Logistics is a big challenge. We came here on September 26, but could go for field inspection only yesterday after we managed a vehicle from the civil surgeon’s office. We made a requisition to the SDO’s office for people, which we haven’t received yet,” said one of the two officers. He added: “Ideally, logistics should be worked out at state and district levels before festive food is put under the scanner.”

The team will stay in Dhanbad till September 30, the day of Mahashasthi. From October 1 or Mahasaptami, a similar exercise will begin in capital Ranchi.

Jharkhand has only nine food safety officers instead of 24, one for each district. The state government had a couple of years ago, burdened medical officers with the additional charge of food safety through a special notification to beat manpower crisis. Each officer was assigned a target of collecting minimum two samples every month while respective municipal bodies were expected to conduct independent raids against adulteration. Precious little happened after that.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) officials drew a blank when asked about their preparedness. “No, we are not doing anything to check adulteration since we don’t have anyone to engage in this work,” said RMC’s health officer Ajay Kumar Manjhi.

Citing his own limitations, Ranchi civil surgeon Gopal Srivastava said he had three food safety officers under him who held dual or triple charges of other districts too. “People should be extra careful in choosing what they eat during Puja. It is difficult to cover the whole city, given the large number of eateries,” he added.

State food controller Chandra conceded the problems too. “But, we are doing our best. Focus is on milk, sweets, fruits and oil, which will be collected at random.” He maintained that the guilty would be punished with hefty fines under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (updated in 2012).

How can festive food safety be ensured with skeletal staff?

Are We Ready for the Nutraceutical Revolution in the Food Industry?

Supplementary food

In recent years the demand for nutraceuticals, as a food product, is growing very fast. In India alone there are close to a 100 nutraceutical products that are being marketed here. The apex food regulator ‘FSSAI’ has realized that this is a sector that is on the rise and hence a whole set of new standards is being finalized for this food segment. Meanwhile, those who wish to make an entry into this sector have to go through the product approval process as stated under Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Besides other factors the popularity of nutraceuticals can be attributed to two main reasons

scientific evidence is emerging that gives rise to the fact that diet can prevent disease

technological advancement in the food industry has made it easier to provide consumers with these health promoting foods

There is evidence to prove that more people die of obesity than starvation. Consumers therefore are beginning to list nutraceuticals high on their list of factors that help them manage weight, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Consumers the world over are now beginning to consider nutraceuticals as being more beneficial than physical exercise.

Can nutraceuticals help fight disease? 

Many centuries ago Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine had said “let food be your medicine and medicine your food.” Today there is proof that foods and extracts of foods may help us to live longer as we better our diet of nutraceuticals. Ancient Indian ‘Ayurveda’ is basically a nutraceutical based alternative medicinal form. Since nutraceuticals are plant based they are being viewed by the consumer as

safer and natural alternatives to health care which are not likely to have side effects

foods that will give them more energy rather than a cure

will prevent them from getting certain diseases like cancer

will offer better quality of life for those suffering from diseases like osteoporosis

If the trends can be read rightly, then it seems that nutraceuticals are going to revolutionise the food industry. As lifestyle and eating habits of people change, the demand for better and safer food alternatives will increase. Some observers feel that nutraceuticals are likely to become a research oriented food industry.

Important to build credibility

Since India is emerging as a big player in the nutraceutical sector it is important to develop documentation based on clinical evidence. Also credibility about the safety and efficacy of any product can be achieved only through scientific evidence. The existing research and scientific data is based only on the extracts taken from plants or on components of plants which serve as ordinary food. If nutraceuticals are being seen as ‘wonder food’ that will promote health and prevent disease then it is understood that these claims will need to have solid scientific backing.

Toxologists, scientists, nutritionists and health professionals will have to work together to ensure that ingredients are safe and in permitted proportions.

The interaction between drugs being taken for a specific medical condition at the same time as a nutraceutical for food needs to be thoroughly researched.

The effect of the various processing methods on foods and their continuing to be effective has to be studied.

Companies, even in India, that have been able to provide scientific data through testing or through clinical tests have been able to market their products with authenticity. Consumers also prefer products that have been tested and which have proved to be safe.

Top retailers pasting labels with new dates & selling expired products

Top retail chains in the country, some of which have pioneered many of the concepts in Indian retail, are found to be flouting labelling norms by continuing to sell processed foods and beverages way beyond their expiry by sticking new labels denoting extended use by, last consumption or expiry dates.

Though FSSAI's (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, 1.2.1 (10) clearly defines “Use by date” or “Recommended last consumption date” or “Expiry date” and adds, “After which the food probably will not have the quality and safety attributes normally expected by the consumers and the food shall not be sold,” and 2.2.1 (4) states, “Label in pre-packaged foods shall be applied in such a manner that they will not become separated from the container,” many of these top retail chains are resorting to this practice.

RTI activist

In this regard, Anupam Gupta, an activist from Masjid Bunder in Mumbai, who keeps filing RTIs (Right to Information) against big retailers and the malpractices they are resorting to, reveals, “I will not inform you about the name of the retailers who are involved in this expiry date scams. 

They all are big retailers and they do it without any fear because even after so many RTIs filed, no action has been taken against those retailers by India's food regulatory body. 

The changing of expiry date stickers takes place in products like juices, biscuits, wafers, and oil. Customers are not at all aware about this type of scam in big retail stores.”

That being the scenario, Mahendra Patel, a small-time Mumbai-based trader, explains the difference between what small traders and big retailers do, “The products which we get for sale from manufacturers if remain unsold and reach expiry date are taken back by the manufacturers. But big retailers are known to violate the norms pertaining to expiry dates by hiding the previous date information and sticking a new sticker on the same.”

Meanwhile, a business management graduate from Bengaluru, who worked as a trainee at a top retailer, informs, “This is a common practice at all the outlets of the company where I worked. It is known for buying processed foods and beverages from manufacturers in bulk at huge discounts and hence, it is not in a position to send them back if remain unsold. So not to lose on the profit that has been made already, expired products are sold with stickers of new dates.”

Mitesh Trivedi, a trader from Anand, Gujarat, narrates his experience, “Recently, I went to a big retailer's outlet in Anand and was looking at a popular brand of juice. When I saw a sticker stuck on the best before date, I removed it, just then a shop assistant noticed what I was doing and rushed to hush it up.”

On a concluding note, he rues, “When we import products from other countries they are stuck in ports citing product approval and labelling norms. But when big retailers are involved in such expiry date scams then no action is taken by the apex food authority. It is really a strange situation.”

7 public health labs closed for lack of food analyst

JAIPUR: The state has implemented the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006 to check food adulteration and ensure food safety, but due to unavailability of food analyst, over the years it has to close down seven public health laboratories in different parts of the state. 

The closed down laboratories were situated in Banswara, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Ganganagar and Sikar. Now, there are six public health laboratories which are operational in the state. 

State's food commissioner Dr BR Meena said, "The laboratories stopped operations due to shortage of food analyst." 

The state government implemented the Act to ensure food safety and standard, but on the ground, facilities to check food adulteration have reduced in the state due to closure of seven food laboratories. 

Besides, the health department is confident that the existing six laboratories would be sufficient for the state.

Dr Meena claimed that the existing six operational laboratories, situated in Jaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer and Alwar, are sufficient for the state to test food samples. 

The six laboratories test the samples of food items collected from sweet shops, milk samples and other food products in different parts of the state by the food safety officers. 

Dr Meena said that there is shortage of food analyst and the department has already written to the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences to recruit food analysts for the laboratories. 

According to the FSSA, the function of food analyst includes receipt of a package containing a sample for analysis from a food safety officer, who collects the samples from food shops and ensures that the samples are tested within 14 days. The Act says that in case the sample cannot be analyzed within 14 days of its receipt, the food analyst will inform the designated officer and the commissioner of food safety giving reasons and specifying the time to be taken for analysis. 

Sources said that they are planning to shift the staff of the closed down laboratories to the six operational laboratories. 

Over a period of time, the seven laboratories started shutting down due to the shortage of staff and other resources.

Awareness Meeting On Iodised Salt

The Assam Tribune, 29 Sep 2014

Dr DC Saikia explained that deficiency of iodine in health leads to goiter, stillbirth and miscarriage, neonatal and juvenile thyroid deficiency, dwarfism, brain damage, intellectual impairment, deaf mutisim, spastic weakness, mental retardation, etc., which are permanent and irreversible but these can be prevented by consuming iodised salt daily, which is the most effective and inexpensive mode to prevent iodine deficiency disorder. 

'To control IDD, the Government of India launched the National Iodine Deficiency Disorder control programme in 1962 and the Health and Family Welfare department is the nodal agency for policy making in this regard. The Salt Commissioner's Office under the Ministry of Industry is responsible for licensing, production and distribution of iodised salt to States,' Dr Saikia added. He said that the health authority can notify banning the entry and sale of non-iodised salt under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The District Health authority should go for quality testing at the spot to ensure the quality of iodised salt at the consumption level where iodization level could be fixed at a minimum of 15 parts per million (ppm) at the consumer level and 30 ppm at the production level. Dr DC Saikia in his speech also emphasised that salt can be iodised with potassium iodide salt or potassium iodate. 

However, potassium iodate is better, as it is very stable and it's melting point is 530'C and this salt is called iodated salt. 'Mainstreaming of IDD control in policy making, devising State specific action plans to control IDD, strict implementation of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, addressing inequities in iodised salt coverage (rural-urban, socio-economic), providing iodised salt in Public Distribution System, strengthening monitoring and evaluation of IDD programme and ensuring sustainability of IDD control activities are essential to achieve sustainable elimination of IDD in India. 

IDD control programme in India is one of the success stories of public health in the country. The current 91 per cent household level coverage of iodised salt in India, of which 71 per cent is adequately iodised salt, is a big achievement,' he added. Dr Pranati Saikia spoke about the importance of iodised salt and Prasanta Das, Food Safety Officer demonstrated the quality testing of iodised salt at the meeting grams,' he said. 

Swiss govt in talks to resolve labelling issues

KOLKATA, SEPT 29: 

The Swiss Government is looking to soon resolve the issues arising out of new labelling guidelines in India.

Issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the nodal agency under the Health Ministry, the new rules mention that the labels on shipped imported packaged food items must list the ingredients used and the nutritional value in English, along with the producer’s name, address and the country of origin in the prescribed format.

As per the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 that came into force in 2011, pasting of stickers on products is also not allowed.

According to Linus Von Castelmur, Ambassador of Switzerland in India, the new labelling norms will impact imports from Switzerland, including chocolates.

“We are in talks and are working on that (new labelling norms)… We hope that we can find a solution soon,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Importers, food safety authority at loggerheads over packaging rules

In Mumbai alone, at least five companies have gone to court after the food safety authority detained their consignments

According to the Food and Safety Standards Act, all imported food, except single-ingredient products, must display a list of ingredients and mention the manufacturing and expiry dates on the label. 

Mumbai: India’s food safety authority and companies importing packaged food are increasingly at loggerheads over the country’s labelling and packaging rules, with several disputes ending up in courts. 

On 16 September, the Bombay high court directed the release of detained canola oil consignments imported by Dalmia Continental Ltd. The court called the detention by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) “arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.” Article 14 guarantees equality before law. 

In Mumbai alone, at least five companies including Barry Callebaut India Pvt. Ltd, the Indian arm of Swiss chocolate firm Neulife Nutrition Systems Pvt. Ltd; Tata Starbucks Ltd and Vital Nutraceuticals Pvt. Ltd have gone to court after the food safety authority detained their consignments. The Vital Neutraceuticals and Barry Callebaut cases are now pending in the Supreme Court. 

Barry Callebaut declined to comment. Emails to Neulife Nutrition and Vital Nutraceuticals did not elicit any response. Tata Starbucks said in email that it did not want to comment on the issue as the case is sub judice.

According to the Food and Safety Standards Act, all imported food, except single-ingredient products, must display a list of ingredients and mention the manufacturing and expiry dates on the label. 

In August, Dalmia Continental approached the high court after the authority detained at least three consignments of canola oil imported from Canada, totalling about 80 tonnes, citing non-compliance with rules. The authority alleged that the oil contained “genetically altered ingredients”, before rejecting it citing consumer interest. The high court, however, ruled that the authority has “acted contrary to the provisions” of the food safety and standards norms. 

“The FSSAI is yet to release our consignment as it is planning to appeal against the Bombay high court order in the apex court,” a spokesperson for Dalmia Continental said. 

FSSAI data shows that during January-June, out of 1,777 samples tested at its laboratories, nearly one-fifth failed to meet standard safety and quality parameters. 

FSSAI’s measures have caused processed food importers losses worth Rs.26,000 crore by seizing or stopping imported goods, according to Amit Lohani, convenor of the Forum of Indian Food Importers, a lobby group. 

He says this will only get worse. “The losses will double next year if the laws don’t change,” Lohani said. 

FSSAI works under the health and family welfare ministry, while some of the companies impacted by the law are under processed foods makers whose interests are represented by the ministry of food processing industries. 

Lobbyists say that bifurcating FSSAI and bringing it under the food processing ministry will help them resolve their issues. 

“The growth of the processed foods industry is not the concern of the ministry of health and family welfare and hence our concerns are not getting addressed. The FSSAI Act should be bifurcated to be addressed by the relevant ministries,” said Firoz Naqvi, secretary, Food Ingredients Manufacturers and Suppliers of India Association, a lobby of 50 importers who supply to institutions. 

Importers complain that there aren’t enough product standards under the law. “Currently, there are only 377 standards for imported food items, whereas the government is supposed to have updated the list by August to be a few thousands. But that has not happened,” said Lohani. 

The government formed a committee of experts in July to study the issues in product approval and decide on the course of action. 

However, a lawyer said that till rules are amended, companies must follow them. 

“If it is a statutory requirement, companies have to follow it. The world over, companies have to meet labelling and packaging requirements of the country that they do business in,” said Anuradha Salhotra, partner at Delhi-based law firm Lall Lahiri and Salhotra. “If a company thinks India is going to be a major market, then they should look at the labelling requirement of the country at the time of manufacturing and package accordingly.”