DINAMALAR NEWS

Food Supply: Licences Cross 750

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Temporary licences issued to supply food and beverages to the devotees offering Attukal Pongala on Thursday, have crossed 750 in number until Wednesday afternoon.

At the control room at Attukal alone, 500 registrations were made and the number goes up by adding those from the 14 circles in the district based on the assembly constituency basis. Interestingly, though the Pongala hearths are widely seen in the city areas, registrations from the suburbs to offer food for devotees were dominant this time.

“There were many registrations in the district this time to provide food for devotees from places like Nedumangad, Peyad and Kattakkada areas. Those who applied include residents’ associations, temporary stalls, wayside vendors and individuals. The numbers are higher in case of those offering drinking water and soft drinks for devotees,’’ said nodal officer for food safety services A Satheesh Kumar.

He said that the authorities have been creating awareness among people for nearly 15 days regarding consumption of safe food. Two to three rounds of hotel inspections have so far been conducted in the city.Food safety officials had seized adulterated food items prepared using

artificial sweetener and chemicals during raids conducted. “We would remain extra cautious on Pongala day,” said Satheesh Kumar.

Six eateries raided in city, Danapur

Patna: Food safety wing of the health department raided altogether six eateries in the state capital and Danapur on the eve of Holi on Wednesday.

Vrindawan Sweets in Hari Om Complex neat Dak Bungalow roundabout has been sealed for three days in wake of unhygienic conditions there, said food safety officer Sudama Chaudhary. He said, "The sweets workshop did not have a proper ceiling and ceiling materials used to fall in food ingredients." Four food samples have also been collected from Vrindawan Sweets.

He said there was no problem of hygiene at Cozy Sweet Shop on Dak Bungalow road. But some complaints had been received earlier. The hygiene at Sadhu Sweet Shop was not found to be satisfactory. Ghee, paneer and khowa samples were collected from this shop. Sai Sweet Shop at Boring Road was also raided, but the conditions were found to be, by and large, satisfactory. "It was raided because complaints had been received about it during Diwali," the official said.

In Danapur, three shops - Prabhat Hotel, Sadhu Sweets and New Cozy Sweet Shop - were raided. Samples of khowa, laddoo, ghee, kalakand and other sweets were collected from these shops for test.

The raiding team included magistrate and armed police personnel. The raids were conducted on the instruction of district magistrate, said Chaudhary.

ADVERSE EFFECT OF JUNK FOOD CONSUMPTION

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether Government has defined junk food under the Food Safety and Standards Act and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the consumption of junk food has been increasing continuously and, if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;

(c) whether Government has taken note of some recent studies/reports about the adverse effect of junk food on the health of the people and, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether Government has imposed/ proposes to impose ban on sale of junk food in the country and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) if not, the corrective steps taken/ being taken by Government including launching awareness programmes in this regard?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a): “Junk Food” has not been defined under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

(b): No such data is maintained centrally.

(c): The Government is aware of the reports appearing in the media about the adverse effects of Junk Food. Further, a study conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad on Assessment of ill-effects of consumption of Carbonated Water beverages (CWBs) on health of adolescents and young Adults, showed higher increments of body fat in young consumers.

(d): There is no proposal under consideration of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to impose such ban at present.

(e): The consumers are educated/made aware of the food safety through consumer awareness programmes launched jointly by the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). These include advertisements in different media, campaigns launched by the FSSAI on social media such as Face-book, documentary films on YouTube, educational booklets, information on FSSAI website, stalls at Fairs/Melas/Events and mass awareness campaigns.

FDA finds 77 meat shops sans licence in raids across state

PANAJI: The Food Drugs Administration (FDA) conducted a special inspection of meat stalls and shops across the state and found 77 shops operating without a food safety licence.

Owners of the errant meat shops have been issued notices and given 10 days to obtain necessary permission from local bodies, an NOC from the health department and a licence from the FDA. During this period, the meat stall owners have been asked to suspend activities and undertake corrective measures.

FDA officials directed Dastagiri Saab Bepari, owner of a meat stall in Merces, to shut operations, though Bepari could prove where he had obtained the meat from and also produced a certificate to that effect. As he failed to produce a food safety licence, which is mandatory, he has been asked not to bring further consignments of meat until he obtains a licence.

The officers found 50-60kg of beef at Bepari's stall which he claimed to have procured from Belgaum. Also, 31 tins of animal fat were found stocked by him. He had a fitness certificate for the animal obtained from a Belgaum-based veterinary officer. The officials of animal husbandry and veterinary services, Goa, had inspected his consignment and certified it to be fit for consumption. Despite this, the FDA drew samples of the animal fat at his shop, which will be tested for quality at its Bambolim laboratory.

FDA director Salim Veljee said that they carried out a special inspection of 58 meat shops in South Goa and 17 in North Goa. In North Goa, markets in Panaji, Porvorim, Merces, Bambolim and St Inez were inspected and in South Goa, the SGPDA market and markets at Margao, Rawanfond, Gogol, Vasco and Sanguem were inspected.

Veljee added that he would take up the issue with municipal/panchayat bodies to ensure that minimum facilities and proper sanitation and hygiene is maintained at meat shops.

In the next few days, FDA inspectors will inspect meat stalls at Mapusa, Bicholim, Pernem, Valpoi, Quepem, Canacona and other places.

The FDA will also conduct a special workshop and training programs to generate awareness among meat stall vendors so that they comply with provisions of the Food Safety and standards Act, 2006.

77 meat stalls issued notices to suspend ops

PANJIM: Around 77 meat stalls in North and South Goa have been issued notices for operating without valid registrations and licences and given 10 days’ time to comply with all the Food and Drugs Administration formalities, officials said.

The stall owners have been directed to stop their activities during this period and take corrective measures and ensure proper sanitation and hygienic practices. 

Food Safety Officers and Senior Food Safety Officers of the Directorate of Food & Drugs Administration carried out inspections in around 58 meat shops in South Goa and around 19 meat shops in North Goa.

The FDA says that almost all these 77 meat stalls did not have any food safety registration/licences and have been issued notices to comply with all Department documentation formalities within 10 days including obtaining the local bodies/municipality NOCs/approvals, as well as Health NOCs before applying for FDA’s food safety registration/licences.

Under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Rules/Regulation 2011, all retail meat shops as well as slaughter houses are required to obtain a specific FSSAI registration/licence under the law and the regulation which outline specific sanitary and hygienic conditions to be complied with by such meat outlets.

These conditions include that the meat shops have to be away from an undesirable foul odour, smoke, dust; should be fitted with non-corroding and no-rusting equipment; should have continuous water supply as well as hot water through geysers so that the meat shops can be cleaned during the operation and at the completion of the day’s business.

During the inspection of meat shops, the FDA observed that the infrastructure provided by the local bodies at their respective market places is inadequate. The Department said that it would take up the matter with the concerned municipalities to ensure that minimum facilities are made available to ensure proper sanitation and hygiene at such meat shops.

As a result of this exercise, the Directorate will also conduct special workshop/training programmes to create awareness amongst meat stall vendors on the conduct of their business to comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The 77 meat shops were inspected at the Panjim market, Porvorim, Merces, Bambolim, St Inez in North Goa and SGPDA market in Margao, Rawanfond and Gogol in Salcete area and in Vasco and Sanguem.

Inspections will also be carried out in Mapusa, Bicholim, Pernem, Valpoi, Quepem, Canacona, etc in the next few days so that all the main areas are covered in the first phase and meat vendors are sensitized about the requirements of the law.

Food Safety Officers strike work to demand salary hike

Indore: Demanding hike in their salary, the Food Safety Officers of the State, on Tuesday, announced to strike work till March 10. The sudden strike by the food safety officers would increase the chances of selling adulterated food products in the market during the festive season as they won’t work for more than a week. State vice-president of Food Safety Officers Cadre Association Manish Swami said that they had been demanding for salary hike for over two years but their requests fell on deaf ears.

“Our salary is even less than the clerks in our office. We have also submitted memoranda to our seniors but in vain. We will stage a demonstration at the Bhopal headquarters if our demands were not met by March 10,” Swami added.