10 Facts WHO Wants You To Know On Food Safety

10 facts WHO wants you to know on food safety

“Food safety: from farm to plate, make food safe” is the theme of World Health Day 2015. The day focuses on demonstrating the importance of food safety along the whole length of the food chain in a globalised world, from production and transport, to preparation and consumption.

Over the past half century, the process by which food gets from the farm to the plate has changed drastically. Food contamination that occurs in one place may affect the health of consumers elsewhere. This means that everyone along the production chain, from producer to consumer, must observe safe food handling practices.

As per Dr Poonam Khetrapal, Regional Director, WHO SEARO, “Food safety is critical for public health as foodborne diseases affect people’s health and well-being. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, the elderly and the sick. Foodborne diseases impede socio-economic development by straining health care systems and adversely impacting national economies, tourism and trade.”

Here are ten important facts that everyone should know about food safety.

1. More than 200 diseases are spread through food.

Millions of people fall ill every year and many die as a result of eating unsafe food. Diarrhoeal diseases alone kill an estimated 1.5 million children annually, and most of these illnesses are attributed to contaminated food or drinking water. Proper food preparation can prevent most foodborne diseases.

2. Contaminated food can cause long-term health problems.

The most common symptoms of foodborne disease are stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhoea. Food contaminated with heavy metals or with naturally occurring toxins can also cause long-term health problems including cancer and neurological disorders.

3. Foodborne diseases affect vulnerable people harder than other groups.

Infections caused by contaminated food have a much higher impact on populations with poor or fragile health status and can easily lead to serious illness and death. For infants, pregnant women, the sick and the elderly, the consequences of foodborne disease are usually more severe and may be fatal.

4. There are many opportunities for food contamination to take place.

Today’s food supply is complex and involves a range of different stages including on-farm production, slaughtering or harvesting, processing, storage, transport and distribution before the food reaches the consumers.

5. Globalization makes food safety more complex and essential.

Globalization of food production and trade is making the food chain longer and complicates foodborne disease outbreak investigation and product recall in case of emergency.

6. Food safety needs multisectoral and multidisciplinary action

To improve food safety, a multitude of different professionals are working together, making use of the best available science and technologies. Different governmental departments and agencies, encompassing public health, agriculture, education and trade, need to collaborate and communicate with each other and engage with the civil society including consumer groups.

7. Food contamination also affects the economy and society as a whole.

Food contamination has far reaching effects beyond direct public health consequences – it undermines food exports, tourism, livelihoods of food handlers and economic development, both in developed and developing countries.

8. Some harmful bacteria are becoming resistant to drug treatments.

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health concern. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry, in addition to human clinical uses, is one of the factors leading to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in animals may be transmitted to humans via food.

9. Everybody has a role to play in keeping food safe.

Food safety is a shared responsibility between governments, industry, producers, academia, and consumers. Everyone has a role to play. Achieving food safety is a multi-sectoral effort requiring expertise from a range of different disciplines – toxicology, microbiology, parasitology, nutrition, health economics, and human and veterinary medicine. Local communities, women’s groups and school education also play an important role. You can keep food safe in your kitchen by applying the five keys to food safety: keep kitchen, utensils, hands clean while cooking, separate raw from cooked food, cook food thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, use safe raw materials.

10. Consumers arm yourself with information on how to keep your food safe!

People should make informed and wise food choices and adopt adequate behaviors. They should know common food hazards and how to handle food safely, using the information provided in food labelling.

Safe food, from the farm to the plate

SNACK ON THE ROAD: “Street food is emerging as an important source of food for a large proportion of the population in urban and peri-urban settings.” Picture shows Mohammad Ali Road in Mumbai.

Food safety is critical for public health as food-borne diseases affect people’s well-being,strain health-care systems, and adversely impact national economies, tourism and trade

How often do we ask ourselves if the food we are eating is safe? Do we know if it is free of bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals, other contaminates, additives and adulterants which can cause over 200 diseases ranging from diarrhoea to cancer? Every year, diarrhoea caused by contaminated food and water kills 2.2 million people, including 1.9 million children, globally. Unsafe food and water kills an estimated 7,00,000 children in the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region every year. Access to safe food remains a challenge in the region. Whether as individuals, families, farmers, contributors to and handlers of the food chain or policymakers, we need to make food safety our priority.

Food safety is critical for public health as food-borne diseases affect people’s health and well-being. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, the elderly and the sick. Food-borne diseases impede socio-economic development by straining health care systems and adversely impacting national economies, tourism and trade.

Multisectoral collaboration

Since food passes through multiple hands from the farm to reach our plates, ensuring food safety requires multisectoral collaboration. The approach needs to be preventive — to improve food safety and quality through application of good farming practices by using agro chemicals or veterinary drugs only in the prescribed amount. Good storage, transportation, retail and restaurant practices are equally important to make food safe.

Street foods are emerging as an important source of food for a large proportion of the population in urban and peri-urban settings. Street food as a source of food-borne diseases therefore assumes public health significance.

Also, new threats to food safety are constantly emerging — the impact of climate change on food production, distribution and consumption; emerging biological and environmental contamination of the food chain, new technologies, new and emerging pathogens; antimicrobial resistance.

Countries need to have a comprehensive food safety policy, legislation and national food safety programmes encompassing all the sectors and aspects for food safety.

Though most countries in the region have food safety policies, enforcement remains a challenge. Food quality and safety standards are usually strictly followed for exportable food commodities, but not always enforced for food destined for the domestic market. Food safety and quality should be ensured through stringent control and inspection mechanisms for export as well as the domestic market.

Adulteration of food is another problem as informal food production and distribution systems are deeply entrenched at the community level in the region. Contamination of mustard oil with argemone oil in 1998 and contamination of imported milk and infant formula with melamine in 2008 are among the few events that raised food safety concerns among consumers and policymakers in the region and globally.

Five keys to good safety

The most pertinent of all the measures is creating awareness among individuals to ensure that their food is safe. In this context, ‘five keys’ to food safety need to be promoted — maintain cleanliness, separate raw and cooked food, cook thoroughly, keep food at correct temperature and use safe water and raw materials.

As food supply becomes increasingly globalised, there is an urgent requirement to strengthen food safety systems in and between all countries. Establishment of a network for food safety authorities in partnership with countries can help promote the exchange of food safety information and improve collaboration among food safety authorities at national and international levels.

There is also need to help countries prevent, detect and respond to food-borne disease outbreaks using the Codex Alimentarius, a collection of international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice covering all the main foods and processes.

In addition, food safety should be adequately incorporated in national disaster-management programmes and emergencies. Access to safe water and quality food is a major problem during flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters. There is a likelihood of food in the affected areas getting contaminated and causing outbreaks of food-borne disease.

As part of its Regional Food Safety Strategy, countries in the region need to initiate, develop and sustain multisectoral approaches and measures for promotion of food safety among all population groups. Some countries have taken novel and notable initiatives such as the mobile food courts in Bangladesh, the establishment of a Food Standard and Safety Authority in India, and certification of street food vendors with a “Clean Food, Good Taste” logo in Thailand. This year’s World Health Day theme focuses on food safety. Food safety must be an essential component of national health, food, agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, water, sanitation and environment-related programmes. Food safety is a shared responsibility. Let us work together to make our food safe and to contribute to better health of people.

Vets to inspect animal products' hygiene, standards

KATHUA, MARCH 30- Deputy Commissioner Kathua,Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, taking a serious note of non-compliance of public health standards by animal products' outlets has directed the expert veterinary doctors to carry out extensive market inspections and check the standard of hygiene and public health observed.

Chief Animal Husbandry Officer and District Sheep Husbandry Officer, Kathua, have been asked to provide the services of expert veterinary professionals and Veterinary Assistant Surgeons for inspection of milk, milk products, poultry and meat products being sold in market and in case of sub-standard or adulterated material being found report the cases of defaulters to Additional Deputy Commissioner Kathua Dr Mushtaq Ahmed who will initiate further proceedings against the defaulters under law.

The DC also asked departments of Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, CA & PD, Legal Metrology, Rural Development and Urban Local Bodies to carry out extensive awareness campaign through all means and also sensitize the business community regarding veterinary public health and legal provisions. He called upon officers to also run regular information strip on local cable channels on this issue and create awareness among masses.

Chief Animal Husbandry Officer and District Sheep Husbandry Officer will notify the veterinary doctors for various municipalities and rural areas, complaint cell for general public has been established to report any case of adulteration or quality compromise as well as selling of sub-standard products. Joint teaof Vets, CAPD, Legal Metrology and Municipality staff will carry out inspections.

The DC stressed upon highlighting the consumer affairs and according highest priority to it. A core committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner and comprised of Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, District Sheep Husbandry Officer, Assistant Director CAPD, Asst Director Legal Metrology, CEO Municipal Council, Tehsildars and Executive Officers shall monitor the progress on fortnightly basis for ensuring standards of food safety, public health and hygiene.

TOBACCO PRODUCTS SEIZED

Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing) officials seized over 700 kg of tobacco products from a shop at Ukkadam here on Monday. The total value of the seized products was estimated to be around Rs. 1.40 lakh. The officials have taken samples of the product.

உக்கடம் பிளாஸ்டிக் விற்பனை கடையில் 700 கிலோ தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

கோவை, மார்ச் 31:

உக்கடம் பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்கள் விற்பனை கடையில் விற்பனைக்கு வைத்திருந்த 700 கிலோ தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

கோவை உக்கடம் அய்யாசாமி கோயில் வீதியை சேர்ந்தவர் ஷேர்சிங்(32). வடமாநிலத்தை சேர்ந்த இவர் குடும்பத்துடன் கோவையில் தங்கி உக்கடம் காய்கறி மார்க்கெட் அருகே பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்கள் விற்பனை கடை நடத்தி வருகிறார். இவரது கடையில் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்கள் மறைத்து வைத்து விற்கப்படுவதாக கோவை மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு அதிகாரிகளுக்கு நேற்று தகவல் கிடைத்தது.

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு நியமன அதிகாரி கதிரவன் உத்தரவின் பேரில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு அதிகாரிகள் சுருளி, வேலுசாமி, சக்திவேல் உள்ளிட்ட அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று தகவல் கிடைத்த கடையில் திடீர் சோதனை நடத்தினர். அதில் கடையின் உட்புறத்தில் உள்ள அறையில் விற்பனைக்காக 300 கிலோ புகையிலை பொருட்கள் மற்றும் கடைக்கு சொந்தமான குடோனில் 400 கிலோ புகையிலை பொருட்கள் என மொத்தம் 700 கிலோ புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது தெரியவந்தது.

ஹான்ஸ் புகையிலையில் 3 வகைகள், பான்பராக் புகையிலையில் 3 வகைகள் என விற்பனைக்காக மறைத்து வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த மொத்தம் 700 கிலோ தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். இவற்றின் மதிப்பு ரூ.3 லட்சம் ஆகும்.

இதுதொடர்பாக கடை உரிமையாளர் ஷேர்சிங்கிடம் அதிகாரிகள் விசாரித்து வருகின்றனர். இதுகுறித்து உணவு பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு அதிகாரிகள் கூறுகையில்,இந்த புகையிலை பொருட்கள் எங்கிருந்து வாங்கப்பட்டது, இதில் யார் யாருக்கு தொடர்புள்ளது என்பது குறித்து விசாரிக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது, என்றனர்.

Worm found in food, 7 suffer food poisoning

COIMBATORE: Seven people from Kuniamuthur, in Coimbatire, were admitted in the government hospital, Coimbatore, with complaints of food poisoning on Sunday. All seven of them say they had gone together to a chaat outlet where a worm was found in a plate of mushroom fry. The food safety department raided the chaat outlet on Monday afternoon.

The seven of them, claimed that they had been suffering from severe diarrhea and bouts of vomiting since Sunday evening. "We went to the chaat outlet, attached to a departmental storethat sells products at lower prices, at around 7 am and ordered mushroom fry and cauliflower fry," said M Ilyas, a goldsmith from Kuniamuthur. "We found a worm in our plate of mushroom fry and pointed it out to the chaat stall staff," he said.

The manager of the stall reportedly apologized and offered to replace the plate with another dish. "He however kept insisting that the worm could not have come from his materials or from his stall," said M Shahjehan. "He then told us that we could take back our money and go, but he did not admit that his materials were inhygienic," he added.

The men claimed that hardly one-and-half hours after they consumed the dish, a few of them began suffering from diarrhea and nausea. "We are only feeling better now," said Ilyas.

The food safety department, suspect the food poisoning to have been triggered due to the use of spoilt mushroom or cauliflower, raided the canteen and the store. The stall in the canteen was reportedly shut down on Monday. "The chaat stall was shut down and wiped clean, not giving us an opportunity to collect samples of their raw materials," said designated food safety officer R Kathiravan. tnn"The patients admitted have also chosen not to file a complaint with the police or the food safety department," he said.

However, there is another suspicion that the whole incident might be motivated. " The chances of that big a worm being found in a dish, which involves cutting the vegetable into such small pieces and frying it, is small," said a food scientist Srijanani Sundararajan.

காளான் சாப்பிட்ட 7 பேர் அரசு ஆஸ்பத்திரியில் அனுமதி

கோவை, மார்ச் 31:குனியமுத்தூர்

திருவள்ளுவர் நகரை சேர்ந்தவர்கள் செரீப்(28), ரகமத்துல்லா(28), ஷாஜகான்(28), ரியாஸ்(28), சமீர்(21) உள்பட 7 பேர். இவர்கள் நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு கரும்பு கடை பகுதியில் உள்ள ஒரு காளான் கடைக்கு சென்றுள்ளனர். அங்கு பானிபூரி, காளான் வாங்கி சாப்பிட்டனர். இந்நிலையில், நேற்று காலையில் அனைவருக்கும் வாந்தி, மயக்கம், தொடர் வயிற்றுபோக்கு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இதை தொடர்ந்து உடனடியாக அவர்கள் கோவை அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டனர். மருத்துவமனையில் 7 பேருக்கும் சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

பாக்கெட்டில் விற்பனை செய்யும் ரெடிமேடு உணவு பொருட்களுக்கு தடை விதிக்க கோரிக்கை

கோவை, மார்ச் 31:

கோவை மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் அலுவலகத்தில் மக்கள் குறைதீர்க்கும் கூட்டம் கலெக்டர் அர்ச்சனா பட்நாயக் தலைமையில் நேற்று நடந்தது. இதில் சமூக விழிப்புணர்வு இயக்கத்தின் நிறுவனர் சாக்ரடீஸ் தலைமையில் அதன் நிர்வாகிகள் மனு அளித்தனர். அம்மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதாவது:

கடைகளில் ரெடிமேடு சப்பாத்தி, பரோட்டா, பூரி போன்ற உணவுப் பொருட்கள் கவர்ச்சிகரமான வண்ண பாக்கெட்டுகளில் அடைக்கப்பட்டு விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது.

இந்த உணவுப் பொருட்கள் கெட்டுப்போகாமல் இருக்க பென்சாயிக் ஆசிட் உள்ளிட்ட வேதிப்பொருட்கள் சேர்க்கப்படுகிறது. இந்த வேதிப் பொருட்கள் 0.60 சதவிதம் மட்டும் சேர்க்க வேண்டும். ஆனால் இந்த வேதிப் பொருட்கள் 20 சதவீதம் அதிகமாக சேர்க்கப்படுகிறது. இது பொதுமக்களின் உடல் நலத்திற்கு தீங்கானது. எனவே உணவு பொருட்களை ரெடி மேடாக தயாரித்து பாக்கெட்டில் விற்பனை செய்ய தமிழக அரசு தடைவிதிக்க வேண்டும்.

இவ்வாறு அம்மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

MAALAI MALAR NEWS

Fungus found in adulterated prasad

Guwahati: Sample analysis of the adulterated prasad that claimed three lives in Barpeta district last week revealed the presence of fungal growth in the grams and moong beans used in the preparation.

Analysts and health experts, however, said the presence of fungal growth alone cannot be treated as a direct cause of death as forensic analysis of the viscera and organs of the deceased is yet to be undertaken.

Two kinds of samples were sent for analysis. One comprised grams and moong beans and the other, the traditional payakh or rice pudding. The Barpeta district administration received the report from the state public health laboratory on Thursday.

Over 500 people, including women and children, fell sick after consuming the adulterated prasad at a religious ceremony held early last week in Nasattra, a village in the district. The devotees complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach ailments and dehydration.

"The payakh sample didn't reveal any trace of fungus. There was no presence of pesticides either. Even the water sample was tested and found to be without any trace of fungal growth. The grams and the beans, which showed fungal growth, didn't come from one particular source," said Jayanta Das, food safety officer of Barpeta district.

An analyst at the public health laboratory, Anupam Gogoi, said the samples did not show any toxic or harmful content. "The samples were collected by the district administration from whatever was left of the prasad. The presence of fungus alone cannot be the cause of death. More forensic analysis is required. There has been a considerable gap between the time of preparation of the prasad and the time of testing of the samples," he said.

The Barpeta district administration on March 19 prohibited the sale and distribution of different varieties of grams and moong beans across the district.

‘Scrap FSSA to protect small and retail traders’

T. Vellaiyan, president of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peravai, addressing a meeting in Palayamkottai on Saturday.

The Food Safety and Standards Act, (FSSA) 2006 is detrimental to small and retail traders and hence the Central government should scrap the FSSA immediately to safeguard the interests of traders, T. Vellaiyan, president of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peravai said here on Saturday at a programme organised by Traders Association, Tirunelveli.

IMA to sensitise doctors on food safety, Dengue and Malaria

To earmark World Health Day and World Malaria Day, Indian Medical Association will be sensitising 2.5 lakh doctors in the country through SMS and emails, about Food Safety and prevention of Vector Borne Diseases.

IMA would celebrate April 7 as World Health Day and it will be dedicated to food safety while April 20 will be celebrated asWorld Malaria Day and will be dedicated to invest in future and to defeat malaria. 

Giving the details, Dr KK Aggarwal, Secretary General, IMA said that more than 3 lakh children in the age group of 0 to 5 years die every year because of food and water related diseases.

The core message of the five keys to safer food are, (1) keep clean, (2) separate raw and cooked, (3) cook thoroughly, (4) keep food at safe temperatures and (5) use safe water and raw materials.

One should not keep food at room temperature for more than two hours.

Vector Borne Diseases specially Dengue are likely to increase this year. Therefore, mass sensitisation of doctors is required to check the disease. IMA has decided to enter into an understanding with the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Govt. of India to work in this area.

IMA is the only representative, national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine, which looks after the interest of doctors as well as well being of the community at large.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Review of Regulations on; FSSAI wait for full-time chairperson not over

It’s been two months and FSSAI- the apex food regulator of the country - has no full-time chairperson to oversee its functioning. And according to sources, it is unlikely that the apex body gets chairperson in the next one month at least. 

Interestingly, currently, Bhanu Pratap Sharma, who is secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, has been given additional charge of FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) for a period of two months.

When asked about the post lying vacant since two months on the sidelines of a programme here recently, J P Nadda, Union minister for health and family welfare, replied that the ministry was looking into the matter. “No decision was taken on this issue (of chairmanship),” he remarked. 

It is pertinent to mention here that in a recent bureaucratic reshuffle by the Union government, Bhanu Pratap Sharma replaced Lov Verma as secretary, Union ministry of health, on February 2. 

The position of chairperson, FSSAI, was vacated upon retirement of K Chandramouli on January 23 earlier this year, while Sharma was given additional charge of the chairperson of FSSAI for a period of two months. 

Meanwhile, the ministry of health is reviewing the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Regulations, 2011. Experts feel that a full-time chairperson may have been an asset during the deliberations as post-review, the chairperson has to take it forward when it comes to regulations, advisories and so on as per the deliberations.

With regard to the review, Sharma stated that the work was on. “Soon the Task Force will submit the report on all the aspects including product approval and we’ll examine the report and take appropriate action,” he replied. 

The health minister, in the winter session of Parliament, had announced that the ministry of health will form a Task Force to review the FSS Act and Regulations. Verma was a key person involved in the reviewing of the Act since it was first conceived during the then health minister Harshvardhan.

Private tankers checked for chlorine content

Random checks of a few private city tankers transporting drinking water on Thursday revealed zero levels of chlorination.

The chlorine level should be a minimum of 0.2 parts per million (ppm/ml), while the 20 tankers that were tested by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had zero ppm.

The team of officials began checking near Padi and tested water samples for levels of chlorination. Private tankers source water mainly from Poonamallee, Cholavaram and Athipet in Tiruvallur district, and transport them to homes, shops and other commercial establishments.

FSSAI staff did not initiate punitive measures against the tanker owners, but educated them. “We briefed them on adding chlorine to water before supplying it to customers,” said an official.

The team also conducted similar checks on tankers run by Metrowater and noticed chlorine content of over 0.3.ppm/ml.

Four teams of FSSAI officials plan to fan out across the city and conduct more such checks in the days to come. There are also plans to lift water samples from the tankers and test for other parameters such as turbidity.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Man dies after eating curry; award winning Indian restaurateur charged with manslaughter in UK

The owner of a string of award-winning Indian restaurants in the UK has been charged with manslaughter of a 38-year-old customer who died following a severe allergic reaction after eating a curry that contained peanuts.

In the first such case, the owner of a string of award-winning Indian restaurants in the UK has been charged with manslaughter of a 38-year-old customer who died following a severe allergic reaction after eating a curry that contained peanuts.

Paul Wilson was killed by anaphylactic shock after eating the curry from a takeaway which is believed to have contained the nuts, The Telegraph reported. On Wednesday, restaurant owner Mohammed Khalique Zaman, 52, was charged with manslaughter by gross negligence over the tragedy. It is the first time that a restaurant owner has faced such a charge.

Wilson, who lived near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, bought the meal from 'The Indian Garden', in nearby Easingwold, in January 2014, just months before the introduction of a law requiring food businesses to provide allergy information on all unpackaged food. The deceased, who had a six-year-old son and had recently been promoted to deputy manager at the Oak Tree pub in Helperby, was found collapsed in his bathroom.

Paramedics were unable to revive him. Although allergies are increasingly common, only around 10 people die annually in the UK from reactions to food. Trading Standards has recently begun a clamp down on restaurants who use ground peanuts instead of ground almonds, because they are cheaper, but do not disclose the ingredient.

Most consumers would be unable to tell the difference, but for those suffering from a peanut allergy, eating the mislabelled food could prove fatal. Previously Trading Standards had dealt with similar cases. In 2011, The Spice Lounge in Norfolk was ordered to pay 6,000 pounds when a diner needed emergency treatment after eating dairy despite warning of allergies.

But in December, new EU legislation came into force which compels restaurants to declare if their food contained allergens, such as nuts, milk, celery, gluten and soya. Zaman has run several restaurants across North Yorkshire and York for more than 25 years, including the Jaipur Spice chain, which won the Best In Yorkshire award at the Bangladeshi Catering Association Awards in 2012 and 2013.

But Peter Mann, head of the CPS complex casework unit, said following a 14-month investigation, it had concluded there was 'sufficient evidence', and that it was in 'public interest' to charge Zaman. Police originally arrested two men - Zaman and an unknown 38-year-old employee - in connection with the death but the younger man was released without charge.

Zaman, 52, from York, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice and an employment offence under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. He will appear before Northallerton Magistrates' on Friday.

Introduction of Self Declaration system dated 26th March 2015 to substitute affidavits in the Licensing and Registration of Food Business

Book criminal cases against food adulteration: DC

Mysuru: Deputy Commissioner C Shikha has instructed the officials to book criminal cases against traders, who indulge in adulteration of food products.

Presiding over a meeting at her office recently, the Deputy Commissioner directed the authorities concerned to form a team, comprising officials from Food and Civil Supplies department, Food Safety and Standards, Horticulture, Health and Legal Metrology departments. 

The team should take punitive action against adulteration of food grains and fruits.

The DC said, there are various complaints against adulteration of food, especially fruits. 

Chemicals are being sprayed to ripen fruits, mainly mangoes with the mango season to set in. In addition to this, there are complaints against adulteration of food grains on a large scale at APMC yard by wholesale dealers and retail merchants. 

Book cases

Tur dal is being adulterated on a large scale. The team should crackdown on such traders and book case after assessing the standard of the food, she said.

Earlier, an official attached to the Food Safety and Standards department explained to the deputy commissioner that there are no such instances of selling adulterated fruits in the city. 

He claimed to have collected and tested samples of watermelon fruits, following a complaint by the public. During the test, no such chemical was found to be used to ripen the fruit, he claimed.

However, the DC, who was not satisfied with the reply, asked the officials to initiate action, if any trader was found guilty.

DINAMALAR NEWS

சென்னை கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் ‘திடீர்’ சோதனை பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்ட ‘கார்பைடு’ கற்கள் பறிமுதல்

சென்னை, 

சென்னை கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் திடீர் விழிப்புணர்வு சோதனை நடத்தினர். அப்போது சில பழக்கடைகளில் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்ட ‘‘கார்பைடு’’ கற்களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். 

தொடர் புகார் 

சென்னை கோயம்பேடு பழச்சந்தையில் ‘கார்பைடு’ கற்கள் மூலம் மாம்பழங்கள் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படுகிறது என்று உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறைக்கு புகார் வந்தபடி இருக்கிறது. 

இந்தநிலையில் தமிழக அரசின் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை கூடுதல் ஆணையாளர் டாக்டர் வாசகுமார் தலைமையில் சென்னை மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் லட்சுமி நாராயணன், அதிகாரிகள் ஏ.சதாசிவம், மணிமாறன், ஜெபராஜ், சுந்தர்ராஜன், இளங்கோவன், ராஜா உள்ளிட்டோர் சென்னை கோயம்பேடு பழச்சந்தைக்கு வந்தனர். பின்னர் ஒவ்வொரு பழக்கடைக்கும் சென்று அங்குள்ள வியாபாரிகளிடம் பழங்களை செயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்க வைக்கவேண்டாம் என்று ‘மெகா போன்’ மூலம் அறிவுறுத்தினர். 

‘திடீர்’ சோதனை 

இந்த விழிப்புணர்வு நிகழ்ச்சியின் போது, அதிகாரிகள் சில கடைகளில் ‘திடீர்’ சோதனையிட்டனர். சோதனையில், அந்த கடைகளில் ‘கார்பைடு’ கற்கள் கொண்டு மாம்பழங்கள் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது தெரியவந்தது. 

இதையடுத்து அந்த கடைகளில் இருந்த ‘கார்பைடு’ கற்களும், அதனால் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த மாம்பழங்களும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. இதையடுத்து அங்கிருந்த வியாபாரிகளை அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரித்தனர். 

செயற்கை முறையில் பழங்கள் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படுவது குற்றம் என்றும், அத்தகைய செயல்களில் வியாபாரிகள் ஈடுபட வேண்டாம் என்று வாசகங்கள் அடங்கிய பேனர்கள் பழச்சந்தையின் முக்கிய இடங்களில் வைக்கப்பட்டது. 

தடை 

இதுகுறித்து உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரி டாக்டர் லட்சுமி நாராயணன் கூறுகையில், ‘‘உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டம் 2006 மற்றும் ஒழுங்கு முறை விதிகள் 2011-ன் படி கால்சியம் ‘கார்பைடு’ கற்களை கொண்டு செயற்கை முறையில் பழங்களை பழுக்கவைத்து விற்பனை செய்வது தடை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால் உணவு உபாதை, வயிற்றுபோக்கு உள்ளிட்ட அஜீரண கோளாறுகள் ஏற்படுவதுடன், புற்றுநோய்க்கு ஒரு காரணியாகவும் ஏற்பட வாய்ப்புள்ளது. எனவே இதுபோன்ற சம்பவங்களில் வியாபாரிகள் ஈடுபடுவது குற்றமாகும்’’, என்றார்.

Mysuru DC sets up team to curb use of chemicals by mango merchants

MYSURU: Ahead of mango season, the district administration has set up a team of officials asking them to ensure that chemicals are not used to ripen the fruit. 

This follows complaints from the public and elected representatives. DC C Shikha asked the horticulture officials to visit the market and collect the samples. She has asked them to book criminal cases in case chemicals are used to ripen the mangoes. 

During a meeting of the officials from the food and civil supplies, horticulture and health departments, the DC expressed concern about food adulteration and set up the team. It is asked to deal with food adulteration, including use of chemicals by fruit merchants. Shikha asked the team to invoke provisions contained in Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and book criminal cases against adulterators. 

The officials said they have collected samples of watermelon and tested it for chemical use. However, there are no such case, they said. Shikha didn't agree and pointed at large scale complaints and asked them to focus on mango season when use of chemicals to ripen the fruit early is rampant. 

She asked the officials to crack down on food adulterators, both retailers and wholesalers and raid them. District health officer Dr H T Puttaswamy and deputy director of food and civil supplies Ka Rameshwarappa attended the meeting.

TOBACCO CHECK: PB GOVT RAIDS MORE THAN 1,400 EATERIES

To check violations or ban on chewable tobacco, e-cigarettes, or hookah bars, the Punjab Government has conducted raids on more than 1,400 eateries and pan or cigarette shops. Announcing this, State Health and Family Welfare Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani on Wednesday said that raids were conducted to check whether Food Safety and Standard Act of India (FSSAI) or Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) were being effectively implemented and monitored regularly at the State level.

He said that as many as 800 violators were challaned during a special three-day campaign which was conducted in all districts to check use of tobacco and nicotine, hookah bar and illegal sale of e-Cigarettes, loose cigarettes and flavoured or scented chewable tobacco. “This is the first ever initiative in India, and such campaigns will continue in future to protect the youth from abuse of tobacco or nicotine,” said Jayani. The Minister has directed the State health officials to keep a strict vigil against sale of tobacco for strict compliance of COTPA.

Food eateries fined over food safety issue in Kerala

The officials have collected about 36.75 lakh as fine following inspections conducted at various hotels and restaurants; food safety commissioner has informed the Kerala High Court.

In a recent drive by the food safety commissioner in Kerala over 12 eateries were ordered to be closed and 223 outlets were served with improvement notices.

The officials have collected about 36.75 lakh as fine following inspections conducted at various hotels and restaurants; food safety commissioner has informed the Kerala High Court.

At the same time, two tanker Lorries carrying adulterated coconut oil was confiscated, an affidavit filed by food safety commissioner Anupama TV said.

These would show that strict action is being taken against erring food business operators, including hotels and restaurants, the food safety commissioner opined.

The affidavit was filed in response to a contempt of court petition filed by Basil Attipetty alleging inaction on the part of the commissioner.

Following a high court order issued in February 2012, special drives were ordered across the state.

Inspections are conducted through inter-district squads frequently in addition to inspections during festivals and special occasions. Special drive was conducted all over the state with emphasis on ghee, pickle, payasam mix, spices and condiments, cooked meat, bakery food, chips, milk and milk products, and oil.

Surveillance at check posts were intensified with the assistance of mobile analytical labs during Onam, the affidavit filed through senior government pleader Joe Kalliyath said.

Maharashtra govt. makes gutka manufacture and sale a non-bailable offence in state

Maharashtra govt. to make gutka sale a non-bailable offence in state

Maharashtra state government, on March 24, 2015, said that those found involved in the sale of gutka in the state would be booked under non-bailable sections regarding the offence. 

Due to no such restrictions in the neighbouring states, the ban on the manufacture and sale of gutka has not been implemented effectively in Maharashtra. Also, as per the reports, the tobacco-laced chewing products are smuggled in to the state because of the same reason. 

Reportedly, State Food and Drug Minister Girish Bapat stated that gutka worth 32 crore rupees has been seized after searching around 72,000 shops as the state police received directives to book offenders under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 328.

In 2012, Maharashtra Government had banned sale and manufacturing of Gutka and Pan Masala under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

State government also had imposed punishment of six months to three years imprisonment. However, it was bailable offence that time. 

About the IPC Section 328:

Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence. As per the Section, whoever administers to or causes to be taken by any person any poison or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug or other thing with intent to cause hurt to such person or with intent to commit or to facilitate the commission of an offence or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine.

Non-bailable offence:

As per the IPC, When a person is detained for a non-bailable offence, he cannot demand to be released on bail as a matter of right. He can, however, request the court to grant bail.

Gutka ban will be stricter now: FDA

PUNE: The state government's decision to make the manufacture, sale and distribution of gutka a non-bailable offence will make the enforcement of its ban more effective and stringent, said officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The move will bring uniformity in punishment, curb habitual offenders and keep a check on the entry of new offenders in the black market, they said. Gutka has been banned in Maharashtra since July 2012. 

"Currently, if a person is found selling gutka, he is arrested after we file a police complaint. However, offenders get bail within two to three days and go back to selling gutka. This will change once the sale of gutka becomes a non-bailable offence," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune division. 

"Moreover, from a hawker selling a small amount of gutka to a businessman dealing with huge amounts of gutka, every offender will get the same punishment. The FDA makes inquiries of the sale and purchase of gutka at all levels. When we make inquiries at the manufacturer level to trace the origin of the confiscated gutka, we have to struggle a lot to prove the offence. But if the police are involved in the investigations, then it becomes easier to solve the cases with their vast network and manpower," he added. 

After the ban on gutka came into force, the FDA officials have seized gutka worth Rs 6.64 crore in Pune district. 

"We have conducted raids on 269 establishments and lodged 200 FIRs against the offenders since 2012. We raided godowns from where the maximum amount of gutka was seized, followed by shops, paan stalls and residential premises," said Shivkumar Kodgire, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune. 

The modus operandi used in selling gutka keeps changing. "We have to be vigilant constantly to nab the offenders," Kodgire said. 

One of the ingenious methods of selling gutka that emerged following the ban was the 'supari mix'. The main ingredients in gutka are supari (betelnut) and jarda (flavoured tobacco). These are being sold in separate pouches as 'supari mix', which when mixed together becomes gutka. 

This is the third consecutive year when the state government has banned gutka and paan masala. Through a notification on July 20, 2014, the state government has empowered the food safety commissioner to prohibit manufacturing, distribution, stocking and sale of gutka and paan masala in the state under Section 30 (2) (a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Red-hot Food Safety Dept for Probe into Chilli Fraud

Test result of the Regional Analytical Laboratory in Kochi

THRISSUR: After testing the samples of dry chillies supplied by the government undertaking Supplyco to BPL families during last Onam season, food safety assistant commissioner here has recommended for an adjudication process against officers concerned for supplying sub-standard grocery.

In the complaint filed by RTI activist P B Satheesh of Mannuthy, it was pointed out that the free Onam kits distributed at the Supplyco Unit at Mannuthy last year contained only stalk (njatti) of chillies along with dry leaves, pieces of stone and wood etc.

There were media reports over the issue then, he noted. The complainant had brought to the notice of the officials in Food Safety Department that it was very difficult to find a piece of dry red chilly in the 200g-pack given to BPL cardholders and strangely, the dry chilly found in the pack was yellow in colour.

Assistant Food Safety Commissioner in Thrissur B Jayachandran told ‘Express’ that the samples collected were tested at the Regional Analytical Laboratory in Kochi and was found to be sub-standard.

“The Food Safety Officer will submit all documents in connection with the complaint and test conducted before the Revenue Divisional Office (RDO) for adjudication and action will be taken against the Supplyco officials who had erred in their duties after the hearing,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources in the Supplyco said that the dry red chilly (‘Chillies Whole’) found as sub-standard after testing would not be of a great concern for the corporation and the Revenue

Divisional Office would at the most impose a small token as fine.

Manager of the Supplyco Unit at Mannuthy said that even though the packaging was done in his unit, the consignment came from Kochi. The quality controllers of the corporation had tested it before it reached the unit for packing. “We conducted an inquiry with the packing employees here and they told us that they have packed what they received after the inspection conducted by QC,” he said.

Meanwhile, Satheesh said the estimated cost of one free kit that included 2 kg of rice and 50 grams of tea dust along with the dry chilly was `70 and his organisation ‘Nerkazhcha’ had already filed a complaint with Vigilance to find out whether there was any financial misappropriation.

Restaurants fined for over Rs 36 lakh, food safety commissioner tells HC

KOCHI: A total of Rs 36.75 lakh was collected as fine following inspections conducted at hotels and restaurants, food safety commissioner has informed the Kerala High Court. 

During the inspections, 12 eateries were ordered to be closed and 223 outlets were served with improvement notices. Two tanker lorries carrying adulterated coconut oil was confiscated, an affidavit filed by food safety commissioner Anupama TV said. 

These would show that strict action is being taken against erring food business operators, including hotels and restaurants, the food safety commissioner claimed. The affidavit was filed in response to a contempt of court petition filed by Basil Attipetty alleging inaction on the part of the commissioner. 

Following a high court order issued in February 2012, special drives were ordered across the state. Inspections are conducted through inter-district squads frequently in addition to inspections during festivals and special occasions. During Onam, special drive was conducted all over the state with emphasis on ghee, pickle, payasam mix, spices and condiments, cooked meat, bakery food, chips, milk and milk products, and oil. Surveillance at check posts were intensified with the assistance of mobile analytical labs during Onam, the affidavit filed through senior government pleader Joe Kalliyath said. 

The same strategy was repeated during Christmas, Sabarimala season, National Games, and Attukal Pongala. Day and night special squads were ordered to inspect all eateries in the state, including bakeries and 'thattukadas', the court was told.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

4 years on, 40% eateries in Kapurthala to register under food safety norms

Even as the health department claims to have made concerted efforts and repeatedly postponed the deadline since the state government implemented the Food Safety and Standards Act in August 2011, only 60 per cent of the total eateries and food vendors in the district have got registered under the Act so far.

Under the Food Safety aAnd Standards Act, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for all food business operators, including producers, processors, transporters or traders of food items, to get license and registration certificates.

Only 700 of a total of 1,200 estimated eateries have got licences in the district, while 6,000 of a total of 10,000 vendors have got registered with the department.

Health officials are of the opinion that since the government postponed the deadline repeatedly, people have started taking the Act lightly. This is the fourth or fifth time that government postponed the deadline to August 4 this year to get registered.

“The delay in deadline is also the reason that the department could not take strict action against defaulters who are apparently benefitting from violating the rules,” an official said.

It has been learnt that the eateries which have recently registered under this act did so due pressure exerted by officials.

Food sellers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh has to pay an annual fee of Rs 100 to get registered, while food business owners having an annual turnover of over Rs 12 lakh have to get licence by paying Rs 2000 a year.

District health officer Dr Guriqbal Singh said they are strictly implementing the act to get 100 per cent registrations. “Strict action will be taken against defaulters who fail to get registered under the act by August 4. We have started issuing notices to defaulters,” Dr Singh said.

Meanwhile, applicants can login to the website www.foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in to get registered.

CEPCI meet on quality & safety of food told to be strict in FSSA norms

A one-day seminar on quality and safety of food and water was held at CEPCI, Kollam, Kerala, recently. The seminar was held in tune with the National Science Day celebrations.

Around 50 people including hotel owners, food processing professionals, food inspectors and health inspectors were present at the meet.

Delivering the welcome address, C B Mayarani, head, Microbiology division, spoke about the technologies and high-end instruments available at CEPCI (Cashew Export Promotion Council of India) laboratory. She informed about the change in the mandate of the laboratory and said that its services were now open for all food samples, water and water used for cooking purposes, fish, meat, oil, fats and any material for analysis. 

A K Mini, assistant food safety commissioner (Kollam), who was present as the chief guest, delivered a detailed account on Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, and its implication in future and advised those who were present to be particular about following the guidelines.

Stating that much of the organic foods available in the markets were fake, Mini observed, “Marketers of most organic products are cheating customers by charging more through false claims and this sector is now growing into one of the biggest ways through which people are cheated.”

“This situation calls for stringent and flawless methods to certify organic food products,” she added.

Mini pointed out, “Overdose of permitted colours in food is rampant in the state, and this is harmful to human health.” She stated that only 100 mg of permitted colour was the upper limit for one kg of pastry product. “But many bakeries do not have any measuring standards.”

According to her, adding even permitted colours to meals in restaurants is an offence. She stated, “Earlier food safety authorities looked only for unpermitted colours. But now, detection comprises quantitative analysis to find out whether permitted colours have been added in excess of the permitted levels.”

Mini informed, “All food supplements could be marketed only after obtaining mandatory approval from Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Such imported food should comply with domestic regulations in force in the country. This is the reason why some food products from China have been denied import permission recently.” “Our food products exported should mandatorily comply with the food safety standards of the importing country.”

She explained that while cigarettes were not banned, pan masala was banned under the Food Safety and Standards Act because it was a consumable product. More than 2 tonne of such tobacco products were seized from the district during raids. The High Court has now given permission to destroy the entire seized quantity.

Mini observed that during drives in the past, the use of hazardous chemical erythrocin in watermelons was detected in Kollam district, hence, with the start of the watermelon season, surveillance had resumed.

Speaking on the occasion, T K S H Musaliar, chairman, CEPCI, requested the public to utilise the facility at CEPCI laboratory in regard to quality and safety of food and water.

Meanwhile, P Sundaran, VC, CEPCI, stressed on the importance of Food Safety & StandardsAct, 2006, and how it had to be followed.

Dr V P Potty, principal scientist, CEPCI, made a brief speech on the activities of CEPCI laboratory and requested all to avail the services of the lab.

165 bags of gutka, khaini seized

Around 165 bags of gutka and khaini were seized by policemen of the Special Branch wing and the One Town in a joint operation on Monday. Stocks of the banned products, valued at Rs.21 lakh, were seized from a godown near Poorna Market. The owner had procured the stock from neighbouring Odisha in two lorries and stored them in the godown.

On a tip-off, the police raided the godown and seized the stock, according to Special Branch Inspector B. Ramana. Owner Lakshmana Rao was arrested as gutka and khaini are banned under the Food Safety and Standard Act-2006.

British slaughterhouse owner fined over horsemeat scandal

The owner and manager of a slaughterhouse in northern England were sentenced to fines and a suspended jail term on Monday in the first criminal prosecution related to a horsemeat scandal that embarrassed British supermarkets in 2013.

The owner and manager of a slaughterhouse in northern England were sentenced to fines and a suspended jail term on Monday in the first criminal prosecution related to a horsemeat scandal that embarrassed British supermarkets in 2013.

The slaughterhouse in the town of Todmorden was inspected by a food safety official at the height of the scandal, in which horsemeat was found in food products that were labelled as containing beef, outraging consumers

"Documents produced for this inspection were intended to deceive the inspector and the lack of proper records meant that the source and destination of the horsemeat was untraceable," specialist prosecutor Kevin Hansford said in a statement.

The slaughterhouse owner, Peter Boddy, was fined 8,000 pounds ($11,900) and ordered to pay another 10,442 pounds in legal costs after being convicted of failing to keep adequate records allowing the provenance of meat to be traced.

The manager, David Moss, received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to pay costs of 10,442 pounds, after being convicted of falsifying an invoice. "This deception is serious. The absence of proper records means that it is not possible to identify whether the horsemeat may have entered the human food chain," Hansford said.

The horsemeat scandal began in January 2013 when Irish food inspectors said they had found horsemeat in frozen beefburgers being sold by several British supermarket chains. The scandal then escalated and spread to several other European countries and a number of products were recalled.

உயிருக்கு உலை வைக்கும் வகையில் கார்பைட் கல், ஸ்பிரே பயன்படுத்தி மாங்காய் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை

தாம்பரம்: மாம்பழ சீசன் தொடங்க உள்ள நிலையில், தரமற்ற முறையில் மாங்காய்களை கார்பைட் கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்வது அதிகரித்து வருவதால் தடுத்து நிறுத்த கோரிக்கை எழுந்துள்ளது. ஆண்டுதோறும் மார்ச், ஏப்ரல், மே மாதங்கள் மாம்பழ சீசனாக உள்ளது. கடைகளுக்கு சப்பட்டை, கிளி மூக்கு, பஞ்சவர்ணம், கொட்டக்காய், அல்போன்சா உள்பட பல வகையான மாங்காய்கள் விற்பனைக்கு வர தொடங்கியுள்ளன. இந்நிலையில், சீசன் தொடங்கும் முன்பே சில வியாபாரிகள் அதிக லாபம் பார்க்கும் நோக்கத்தில், மாங்காய்களை குறைந்த விலையில் கொள்முதல் செய்து, கடைகளில் குவியலாக வைத்து அவற்றை கார்பைட் கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்ய தொடங்கி உள்ளனர். கோயம்பேடு, தாம்பரம், தி.நகர், சைதாப்பேட்டை, எம்ஜிஆர் நகர் உள்ளிட்ட பெரிய மார்க்கெட்டுகள் மட்டுமின்றி, பல்வேறு இடங்களில் உள்ள சிறிய கடைகளிலும் தற்போது, இதுபோன்று முறைகேடாக மாங்காய்களை பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்வதாக புகார் எழுந்துள்ளது. இவ்வாறு பழுக்கும் பழங்களின் தோல்பகுதி பளபளப்பாக இருக்கும்.

இது பார்ப்பவர்களை வாங்க தூண்டும். இதேபோல், குவியலாக மாங்காய்களை போட்டு, ஸ்பிரே மூலம் ரசாயன மருந்து அடிக்கப்படுகிறது. கல், ரசாயனம் மூலம் காய்கள் சில நாள்களில் பழுக்கின்றன. இந்த பழங்களை சாப்பிட்டால் வயிற்று வலி, வயிற்றுப்போக்கு ஏற்படும் அபாயம் உள்ளது. இதுகுறித்து பொதுமக்கள் கூறுகையில், ‘கடந்த ஆண்டு சீசனில் உணவுப்பொருள் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாக துறை அதிகாரிகள், பல்வேறு பகுதிகளில் உள்ள கடைகளில் அதிரடி சோதனை செய்து, செயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்க வைத்த மாம்பழங்களை டன் கணக்கில் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தனர். கடைகளில் இருந்த கார்பைட் கல், ரசாயன மருந்துகளை கைப்பற்றினர். அதேபோல், இந்தாண்டும் உணவுப் பொருள் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாக துறை அதிகாரிகள் உடனடி நடவடிக்கையில் இறங்கி, செயற்கை முறையில் மாங்காய்களை பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பவர்கள் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்,’ என்றனர்.

15 of 20 food samples taken in Jan found unfit

Meerut: Out of the total food samples sent to the food testing laboratory in Lucknow, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) in Meerut found 75% of the food samples either unfit to be consumed or wrongfully labled. 

The FSDA had sent a total of 20 samples to the food testing laboratory in Lucknow in January. The reports were made public on Sunday. According to it, 15 samples out of the total 20 failed the test. 

The FSDA conducts anti-adulteration drives whenever festivals are round the corner and to make sure that city residents don't consume food items which are unfit to consume. 

"I am glad that 15 samples from six shops have been caught. The shops under the scanner will think twice before fooling customers," said JP Singh, chief food safety officer. 

Moreover, three court cases were also filed against the shop-owners who were found selling adulterated samples four months ago, sources said. 

"Though 75% of food samples were found substandard, I am glad that the cases came to our notice. Now, the matter will go to court and the accused will be taken to task," said JP Singh. 

A total of five shops were found selling food items unacceptable under the food safety standards. There are Padamshri shop in Mohsinpur, Shop in Lala ka Bazaar and Agarwal & Sons on Surajkund. They failed in six, three and four samples, respectively. While Bittoo Foods in Sports Complex and Arora Foods in Partapur failed in one sample each. 

The shops for which the matter has reached court are located in Brahmpuri, Suroorpur and Achanta village of Meerut. 

No database available on the number of FBOs in Punjab: CAG

There is no database available with Punjab's Health department with regard to the number of food business operators (FBOs) in the state, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). 

In its latest report on social, general and economic sectors, the government auditor found that in the absence of the database, the possibility of FBOs running the business without licenses or registration could not be ruled out. 

The audit of Commissioner's records showed that neither was any survey conducted nor was any database with regard to total number of FBOs in the state available with him, it said. 

While assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 in Punjab, CAG noted that no person shall commence or carry on any food business except under a license under the Act. 

The Act provides that the Commissioner of Food Safety shall carry out survey of industrial units engaged in manufacture or processing of food in the state to find out compliance by such units to the standards notified by Food Authority for various food items. 

Though 10,861 licenses and 85,066 registrations were reported to have been granted up to January 2014, but in the absence of the said database, the possibility of FBOs running food business without licenses or registrations could not be ruled out, it said. 

In its reply, the Health and Family Welfare department said all designated officers in the state were being directed to conduct such survey in the field. 

The auditor also found that department was not maintaining any data in respect of samples collected and analysed in the state of Punjab. 

Monthly targets for collection of samples were not achieved and analysis of adulterated samples from referral laboratory was delayed, as per the report. 

The prosecution against offenders of adulterated samples could not be launched due to non-obtaining of the sanction of Commissioner, it said. 

CAG further found that the Food and Drug Authority could not be set up in the state for want of release of funds during 2012-14 despite the state government's decision to make a budget provision of Rs 5 crore each year for it. 

However, required funds were not released by the Finance Department as a result of which the budgeted provision of Rs 5 crore for 2012-13 and 2013-14 lapsed, the report noted.

Now, app that will help food business operators understand FSSAI regulations better

New Delhi, March 23 (ANI): Food business operators can now access all the latest updates and notifications regarding Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations plus a self-inspection tool through Food Safety Mobile App.

The application which is being introduced for the first time in India will help food business operators to understand, learn and implement the requirements listed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The mobile application not only provides information on FSSAI compliance needs but also features food safety inspection for business. It helps the food business community, who are intending to operate with the agency's regulations with a traceability system at their premises.

With the food safety inspection tool, one can do the audit through the mobile device, generate automated report, save your cost of hiring a professional firm for Inspection, do the audit anytime you wish to do, cover multiple locations of your food business, identify the gaps in the system and can take corrective action.

The mobile app features the customized checklists for Self Inspection on different industry verticals to identify possible gaps in your system.

Currently the mobile app is available for android phone users.

Judge Defines Best Before, Date of Expiry

CHENNAI:Defining the difference between the phrases ‘Best Use Before’ and ‘Date of Expiry’, the Madras High Court has said there was a clear-cut distinction between them. The meaning attached to “best before” is that the period during which the product shall remain fully marketable and shall retain in specific qualities for which tacit or express claims have been made. Beyond the prescribed date also the food article may still be perfectly satisfactory, Justice S Vaidyanathan said.

The meaning attached to the “expiry date” signifies the end of the estimated period under any stated storage conditions, after which the product probably will not have the quality and safety attributes normally expected by the consumers. As such, the item shall not be sold beyond the expiry date.

“Therefore, it is clear that even after the date of ‘best before’, the product can be consumed as safety would be still intact, however, it may not be as good as what it would have been if used within specified time limit, since after it passes the date of ‘best before’ every day counts and the shelf life of the product will gradually decrease in all respects, such as, quality, taste, potency etc. There is no confusion as regards ‘expiry date’, which is a clear cut and once it passes, the product will lose its value in all respects and cannot be consumed and it is harmful if used. Therefore, it can be analyzed that ‘expiry date’ will come after expiration of ‘best before date’. If a product contains both the dates, normally, best before date will be shown first to that of ‘expiry date’, the judge said.

The judge was dismissing a writ petition from Amrut Distilleries seeking to quash an order dated October 15 last year of the Authorized Officer of Chennai Seaport and Airport, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in Chennai and consequently, send appropriate report to the Deputy Commissioner of Customs to enable it to clear goods covered under the Bill of Entry dated September 26, for home consumption.

Kitchen Towels Top Contamination Hazard List

Although only 9 percent of reported foodborne illness outbreaks occur in the home, researcher and K-State food safety specialist Jeannie Sneed estimate the actual number of incidents is much higher.Research shows a leading cause of cross contamination within the home is actually an object associated with cleaning, the kitchen towel.

A study recently published in the journal Food Protection Trends highlights the work of several Kansas State University faculty and students.

Lead researcher Jeannie Sneed said the study showed some unique observations and areas of weakness when it comes to consumers’ kitchen behavior.

“First, participants were observed frequently handling towels, including paper towels, even when not using them for drying,” Sneed said. “Towels were determined to be the most contaminated of all the contact surfaces tested.”

Video observation showed many participants would touch the towel before washing their hands or used the towel after washing their hands inadequately. Even after properly washing their hands, they reused the towel and contaminated themselves all over again.

Researchers believe this could be one of the most critical findings of the study, because cloth towels can quickly and easily become contaminated at significant levels, including microorganisms that potentially can lead to foodborne illnesses.

Other researchers found that salmonella, bacteria commonly found in raw meat and poultry products, grows on cloths stored overnight, even after they were washed and rinsed in the sink. This is why Sneed recommends washing cloth towels after using them while preparing a meal, or using paper towels and discarding them after each use.

Another observation from the study was cell phone handling during food preparation and the lack of proper sanitation afterward. While electronic devices are useful tools for communication, entertainment and a method of gathering recipes, they add another potential source of contamination.

“We often take our cell phones and tablets into the kitchen,” Sneed said, “but what about all the other places we take them? Think of how many times you see someone talking on their cell phone in places like the bathroom, where microorganisms such as norovirus and E. coli are commonly found.”

If such devices will be used in the kitchen, Sneed recommends treating them as potential hazards and wiping the surfaces with a disinfectant solution frequently. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hopes to conduct further research on the use of cell phones and tablets in the kitchen.

Under the microscope

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service funded the K-State study “Consumer Food Handling Practices Lead to Cross Contamination” to better understand the behavior of consumers with young children and observe the effects of food safety messages.

The 123 participants of the study were randomly assigned to three separate groups. The first group was given an education program on the four national Food Safe Families campaign messages of clean, separate, cook and chill. The second group viewed and discussed the Ad Council public service announcements that focused on the same Food Safe Families messages, and the third group did not receive any food safety education before preparing the meal.

The researchers set up a condominium on the K-State campus to reflect a home kitchen environment and videotaped the participants preparing a recipe using either raw ground beef or chicken and a ready-to-eat fruit salad. The raw meat was inoculated with Lactobacillus casei, a nonpathogenic organism commonly found in yogurt but not naturally present in meat.

The L. casei served as a tracer organism that allowed Randall Phebus, K-State food microbiologist and co-author of the study, to track the levels of meat-associated contamination spread throughout the kitchen while preparing these meals.

Phebus and his team of students found that more than 90 percent of the fruit salads prepared alongside the meat dish were contaminated with the tracer organism, suggesting that if the tracer represented a pathogen such as Salmonella, a high risk of foodborne illness was generated during the meal preparation.

Suggested changes

The study found that all participants, regardless of food safety message group prior to the meal preparation, made mistakes in the kitchen that could lead to foodborne illness.

In addition to high levels of contamination in their cloth towels, about 82 percent of participants also left meat-originating contamination on the sink faucet, refrigerator, oven and trash container.

While the study paints a picture of the objects consumers often leave contaminated, it is important to note common mistakes that occur in the kitchen, which are often difficult to change.

“I think these days a lot of people learn on their own how to cook, so they may not know how to be conscious of cross contamination,” Sneed said. “People are becoming more aware of the hazards in raw meat products, but they may not know how to prevent those hazards through things like separation or raw and ready-to-eat foods and sanitation. I think it’s fairly easy to avoid cross contamination, but it’s also easy to cause it.”

Artificial colours back in snacks

COIMBATORE: Do not trust the Murukku, Omapudi and boondi that sport a bright yellow color. The Food Safety Department has found at least four samples of South Indian savouries collected from bakeries and restaurants in the district to be 'unsafe' and 'not conforming to food safety standards'. However, many restaurants and sweet shop manufacturers say they find it hard to convince their customers about food safety.

The samples found unsafe include a packet of potato chips in a bakery in Annur area, a few Murukkus from a leading bakery chain in the city, Bhajji Bonda served at a shop in Pollachi and some savouries from another bakery on Mettupalayam Road. "All of them were found adding artificial colour to their food," said R Kathiravan, designated food safety officer. "We have issued notices to all of them and have filed a case too," he said.

The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 clearly states that 'unsafe food' is an article in which there is 'presence of any colouring matter or preservatives other than that specified for its category' or if the 'article is being coloured to make it appear better than it really is'. "This point was included in the Act because long-term consumption of such artificial colours is harmful to health, because they often contain colours made of chemicals," said Kathiravan. While colour is permitted to be added to ice-creams, lolly pops, jelly crystal and North Indian sweets, it is banned in South Indian sweets and savouries. "However, in some cases, approved artificial colour is allowed," he clarified.

Though food makers admit that colours do not play a part in the taste, they find it hard to change the public's mindset. "They are used to seeing specific foods in specific colours," said Vivekanand Natraj of Moti Mahal Delux. "So we have tried to work around this by using Kashmiri Chilli which gives the red colour but is not as spicy as our local chillies. We use beetroot to add colour to vinegar soaked onion, so the difference is just 10%," he said. "Even after all this we have irate customers upset over the colour of food served or purchased," said a staff member at Nellai Muthu Vilas Sweets.

Reasons you should go organic

We all have a decision to make about what we choose to eat, whether it's conventional, chemically grown food or natural, organic produce. There are lots of reasons to choose organic, but here are five of the best:
For your health: No chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other toxic substances are used in organic farming or during handling, storage, and processing, which means organic food is safe to eat from the moment you buy it. Many chemicals used in Indian farming are banned globally, and due to uncontrolled usage, are applied to crops at levels far over safe or legal limits. These are known to cause serious health problems, including cancers, neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, autism, especially for infants and children.
For the soil: We don't think about it very often, but the dirt where we grow our food is its own world of nutrients, organisms, and crops working closely together. Conventional farming throws this world out of sync by overloading it with a few basic chemicals, destroying the soil's health. Organic farming uses only natural, local nutrient for fertilizer, keeping the soil, and everything growing in it, healthy. For long-term food security, it is crucial that we take care of our soil, which is depleting at an alarming rate.
For Farmers: Since chemical fertilizers and pesticides destroy soil health, farmers who rely on them need more and more every year to grow the same amount of crops. These rising costs can trap farmers in inescapable debt. Ironically, farmers buy in retail and sell in wholesale! Various research studies have linked the resulting debt from industrial agriculture practices directly to farmer suicides. Organic farmers rely directly on their own land and make their own inputs, and hence don't need to buy new chemicals and fertilizers every year. This makes organic farming economically sustainable as well.
For the environment: Organic farming isn't just good for farmers and their land, it's better for the earth. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides run off into local water systems, threatening people's health and destroying plant and animal life. These toxins, which have become omnipresent in the environmental ecosystem, are inevitably making their way into our bodies as well. Conventional agriculture along with its allied activities is the single largest contributor to carbon emissions. Going organic is a major way to help reduce global warming, and ensuring long-term health for our planet and it's inhabitants.
For biodiversity: Large agribusinesses usually own the rights to certain types of seeds that are resistant to their own brands of pesticides. This can lead to the extinction of thousands of natural varieties of different fruits and veggies that make food more delicious, more exciting, and more unique. Organic farmers help preserve unique local varieties of fruits and veggies for the rest of us to enjoy.
By Ashmeet Kapoor, CEO/Founder - I Say Organic.