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.
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