DINAMALAR NEWS

Gutkha makers move court

More than one-and-a-half years after the Tamil Nadu government banned gutkha products and pan masala, manufacturers of such products have moved the Madras high court against the May 23, 2013 ban order. The court issued notices to the state and central governments. Justice T S Sivagnanam, before whom the writ filed by Tamil Nadu Pan Beeda and Zarda Traders Association came up for admission on Friday, issued notices to the state and central governments, and posted it after three weeks for further hearing.

Pointing out that banning these specific tobacco products alone, while allowing free run for cigaretts, ciagrs and beedis, they said it would amount to discrimination. Also, while no Central legislation has banned the products, states alone could not ban them, they said, adding there is a "repugnancy between two statutes'.

The manufacturers wanted police and food safety department officials to stop interfering with their business.

109.29cr fine collected from tobacco dealers: The state commercial taxes department has collected 109.29 crore as fine for evasion of payment of sales tax on tobacco products. On Tuesday, based on action initiated against evading dealers in Coimbatore division,

a fine of 41.29 lakh was collected from tobacco dealers for tax evasion in Coimbatore for selling tobacco products without proper invoices and keeping stocks in unregistered godown. In Chennai, one enforcement division recovered tax and penalty of 29 lakh and another 13 lakh. On January 25, a passenger bus has been seized with contraband cigarettes and Rs10 lakh collected as tax and penalty.

MC fails to check violations of Food Safety Act

Jammu, January 30The inspection by officials of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to check the violation of the Food Safety Act-2006 has been reduced to just a photo opportunity for the officials, as not much has changed when it comes to serving quality food to the people in the city by food stalls.

Officials said keeping in view the health aspect, the Municipal Corporation was organising awareness camps at different markets to urge people associated with the food business to maintain cleanness, but no strict action had been taken against the violators.

“Not much has changed on ground. Space used for cleaning utensils and preparation of food is not under scanner. Even the drinking water served is not safe,” said an official.

People who come under direct contact with food have to demonstrate “fitness for work” certificate following concern shown by the many NGOs and government agencies that people are getting low quality and unhygienic food in the city.

The Health Officer said it had already been decided to put a ban on the issuance or renewal of the licence without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that the these food sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness in order to pursue their trade.

Attention Hoteliers, Restaurant owners, Dhabawalas

Srinagar, Jan 29

Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety Srinagar has informed all the Food Business Operators dealing in the business of food products that the use of synthetic colour is prohibited in spices, condiments and prepared foods under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 Rules and Regulations 2011. The concerned dealing in the business of food products are directed not to use synthetic colours failing which stern action as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act shall be initiated against them. The samples of such products are bound to be declared unsafe under the provisions of the Act by the Food Analyst.

FDA raids factory, destroys sauce worth 2.31 lakh

PONDA: In a raid on a food manufacturing unit at Marcaim Industrial Estate on Friday, food safety officers attached to the food and drug administration thority (FDA) destroyed bottled edible sauce worth 2,30,940.

The officers' team comprising senior food safety officer Rajiv Korde, food safety officers Flavia DeSouza, Rajaram Patil and staff confiscated 3, 820 bottles of edible sauces under brand names of Milan, Orient and Priem brands. The officers said the sauces were misbranded, sub-standard and unsafe for consumption.

Korde said that during an earlier raid of Chinese food stalls at Old Goa a few days ago, they had found the sauce bottles of the Marcaim-based food company.

"Based on the address printed on the labels of the seized bottles during the raid, we reached the factory and destroyed the stock. We also found some other sub-standard items, but the packaging had no address. But we will trace them and conduct more raids," Korde told TOI.

B’PUR FOOD SAFETY OFFICER HELD FOR BRIBE

Vigilance police on Friday arrested Brahmapur CDMO office’s Food Safety Officer Samartha Mohanty and Peon P Madhab Rao on charges of demanding and accepting bribe of Rs2,000 from a person to issue a project registration certificate.Acting on a complaint lodged by one Prava Ranjan Panigrahi of Randha, the Vigilance sleuths laid a trap and caught the two red-handed while taking the bribe amount from Panigrahi. Investigation was continuing, said an official release.