Information on packaged food

Public can even get the food TESTED at the Government laboratory in Coimbatore

Indo Nissin on Monday announced withdrawal of its instant noodles brand Top Ramen from the Indian market on orders from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Following this, there is considerable concern among the public to purchase any packaged food products, which are the staple food of bachelors and others living alone. 

However, there are a set of simple things people can look out for to ensure they are buying a safe product, says R. Kathiravan, Designated officer of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety wing).

Mr. Kathiravan says that people must check at the expiry/best before/date of manufacture in the packs. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 places the onus on the retailer not to store any product that is past these dates and makes them legally liable for prosecution. 

Next and just as important is the product description, which must explain what exactly the product is made of.

As an example, he says, many packaged food products contain food preservatives.

Mentioning them in the label will enable the consumer to find out if the product contained any unauthorised preservative.

Further, nutrition value must also be scrutinised. Some 100 gm of chips can contain as high as 160 calories.

People must also read the instructions contained on the food products. For instance, ready-to-eat chapattis and parathas have a shelf-life of four days when stored in room temperature and 15 days if refrigerated. However, most shops display it in the open and yet keep it for 15 days, cautioned Dr. Kathiravan. 

For those unconvinced by the labelling, the Government Food Safety laboratory here offered a solution. Coimbatore had one of the six laboratories accredited under FSSA. 

“Anyone can bring a sample and have it tested to find out the contents, for a fee, in the Government laboratory,” he adds.