DINAMALAR NEWS

Cooks, no painted nails or bangles, please

Over 1.17 lakh midday meal cooks and helpers, who serve food to 61.4 lakh children in government and aided schools in the State.

Over 1.17 lakh midday meal cooks and helpers, who serve food to 61.4 lakh children in government and aided schools in the State, have a rather unexpected advisory from the Centre: do not wear nail polish or artificial nails. While at work, they have to ensure that they do not wear watches, rings, jewellery and bangles.

The guidelines to be implemented from the next academic year also states that they should avoid certain “hand habits”, such as scratching their nose, running fingers through their hair, rubbing eyes, ears and mouth, or “scratching beard or any other part of the body that is potentially hazardous when associated with handling food products, and might lead to food contamination through the transfer of bacteria from the employee to product during its preparation”. They have also been prohibited from blowing nose, spitting, smoking and chewing food on the kitchen premises. The cooks will have to “neatly” tie and cover their hair at work.

These are part of the guidelines on food safety and hygiene for school kitchens under the midday meal programme for cooks and helpers that have been formed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. As per earlier State guidelines midday meal workers will have to undergo a medical examination once a year.

Amused by guidelines

Lakshmi Devi, a midday meal worker in a government school in Koppal, is rather amused by the guidelines about artificial nails.

“We do not have money to wear such fancy things,” says Ms. Devi, who earns Rs. 1,600 a month. “Let the government focus on increasing the budget allocation and procuring good quality vegetables and grains.”

State president of the Karnataka Rajya Akshara Dasoha Naukarara Sangha S. Varalakshmi concurs. “They should improve quality of infrastructure and utensils which are very old,” she says.

The guidelines have been framed following the Bihar midday meal tragedy in July 2013 where 23 children died. As many as 360 children of the Urdu Higher Primary School at D.J. Halli in Bengaluru were hospitalised owing to food poisoning in September 2014.

Midday meal workers, helpers are to follow an advisory on food safety and hygiene for school kitchens

No added colours: food laboratory

The samples of watermelons submitted to the Divisional Food Laboratory in Mysuru did not contain added colours.

Officials of the laboratory situated in Tilak Nagar in the city said six samples of watermelons were submitted to them by the Food Safety Officers of Mysuru during the last one week. “None of them contained any added colours,” a senior chemist told The Hindu .

Food Safety Officer M.S. Lokesh said that officers from different city divisions had submitted around 15 samples of watermelons after Chamaraja Assembly constituency MLA Vasu sought for a laboratory test in the wake of complaints that watermelons were being injected with chemicals and additives for lending a ripened colour.

“We subjected the samples for laboratory examination in view of the suspicion that unscrupulous persons were injecting additives to artificially ripen the watermelons and make quick money,” Mr. Lokesh said.

Onus on wardens to provide good food

MYSURU: Wardens serving in government hostels in the district have been asked to be extra vigilant while preparing food for the inmates. 

Zilla panchayat president Pushpa Amarnath on Monday directed wardens to ensure that food is cooked and served hygienically. 

"The quality of the food is also important and it is the responsibility of the wardens to ensure it," she said, addressing wardens at a meeting called following two incidents of hostel inmates falling ill due to food poisoning. 

Last week, 27 girl students of a residential school in Mysuru taluk took ill after a lizard was found in their food. 

Wardens attached to hostels managed by social welfare department, backward classes department, department of public instruction and other departments and agencies were informed of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act (2006). 

Pushpa said the recent cases should serve as a warning bell to authorities, especially wardens. "Ensure that such cases do not recur," she told them. Food Safety and Standards Act designated officer Dr Chidambaram said the law requires serving of quality food. Defaulters can be fined between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and imprisoned.

Norms for free food at Kandoori fest

The traders and hoteliers should follow the rules and regulations stipulated in Food Safety and Standard Act – 2006 ahead of the 14-day-long annual Kandoori festival at the famous Nagore Dargah which will commence on March 23, said Food Safety Officer, A.T. Anbazhagan. 

He told The Hindu here on Monday that the district administration had directed the officials to intensify the check in hotels, mutton, and poultry stalls, wayside eateries, markets, lodges, and other places in and around Nagapattinam, particularly at Nagore in view of the kandoori festival. 

For details, call call 9442214055.

Sugar-free drinks: Are they safe for teeth?

Is it really safe to have sugar-free drinks? We spoke to Dr Shantanu Jaradi, aesthetic dentist for more on this...

Healthy eating is essential for your overall health. Choosing foods and beverages that provide the right amount of energy and nutrients goes a long way toward maintaining not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mouth. To prevent cavities and maintain good oral health, your diet -- what you consume and how often you consume -- are important factors. Changes in your mouth start the minute you eat certain foods.

Bacteria in the mouth convert sugars and carbohydrates from the foods you eat to acids, and it's the acids that begin to attack the enamel on teeth, starting the decay process. The more often you eat, drink and snack, the more frequently you are exposing your teeth to the cycle of decay.

Eating a nutritious diet has many benefits. A well-balanced diet should include foods from the basic food groups and subgroups along with the right oils. Nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals are a staple of healthy diets, but it's also important to avoid eating too many or too few Your everyday table sugar, otherwise known as sucrose, has 16 calories per teaspoon and can be found in many foods and drink items. But as communities become more conscious of caloric intake and oral bacteria, many have turned to sugar free drinks as an alternative. Specialists often recommend that patients who are overweight or struggling from weight-related illnesses avoid drinking their calories. Still, store shelves and vending machines are introducing more sugar free drink choices to promote gentler diets.

Although several beverages on the market are naturally sugar free, others use scientifically altered sweeteners that replace sugar to maintain their appealing flavor. Some examples of naturally sugar free beverages include freshly brewed tea coffee, and both regular and carbonated water. Naturally occurring, no-calorie sweeteners such as the stevia plant can be added to certain products as well, in addition to naturally sweet items that have calories, such as agave nectar and honey.

The usual mindset of people

Many people choose sugar-free beverages because they believe they are safer for their teeth. However, a label of "sugar-free" should not automatically be taken to mean "safe for your teeth." The acidic flavorings and preservatives may in fact lead to dental erosion, even if they contain cavity-fighting and "tooth friendly" xylitol.

Unlike cavities, dental erosion is a process of incremental decalcification, which, over time, literally dissolves your teeth. Virtually any food or beverage that is acidic can contribute to tooth erosion, including carbonated beverages like soda, sports drinks, fruit juice, lemon juice and vinegar.

Benefits of Sugar Free Drinks

Weight control and the prevention of type-2 diabetes are the two main benefits of consuming sugar free drinks, or those that contain natural sweeteners. Sugar-laden drinks add unnecessary calories to the diets of those who consume them, leading to an increase in the risk for type-2 diabetes for these individuals. Sugar free drinks eliminate these empty calories, giving you the freedom to indulge in a sweet taste without the added caloric intake.

Potential Negative Effects of Sugar Substitutes

Although several surveys have raised concerns regarding the safety of consuming artificial sweeteners, no studies have confirmed that drinking products with artificial sweeteners added has a direct relationship with cancer diagnoses.

Nonetheless, seek out sugar free drinks in replacement of sugary sodas, sports drinks, juices and energy drinks to ensure both the oral and bodily well-being of your family. Natural alternatives such as plain tea, pure coffee or simply a glass of water remain the best choices when you're thirsty.

Protection of the teeth

Proper oral hygiene - including twice-daily tooth brushing, daily flossing and the use of fluoridated toothpaste - can help counteract the effects of acid de-mineralization.

Individuals who experience sensitivity from consuming too many sugary or acidic beverages can often find relief through the use of Colgate, Sensitive Pro-Relief, Enamel Repair toothpaste, whose additional active ingredient, potassium nitrate, helps to stop sensitivity at its source.Reducing or eliminating as many erosive beverages as possible from your diet is important if you want to protect your teeth from unnecessary damage. Keeping overall health in mind, it is important that individuals know different aspects of sugar free drinks and maintain good oral health.

‘Russia has no complaints with the quality of Indian tea’

COONOOR, MARCH 10: 

Russia’s response to quality of Indian tea besides its marketing has been encouraging, according to an Indian tea delegation which visited the former Soviet Bloc, under guidance from Tea Board’s Moscow office recently.

Russian retail chain major “7 Continent” submitted a proposal to Tea Board for promotion of exclusive Indian Tea brands at its Nash hypermarket in 156 outlets in 13 cities across Russia.

Following case studies, this may open up new opportunities for Indian teas to be regularly on the shelves of the major retail chain.

At the meeting with the officials of Russian Tea and Coffee Importers’ Association, both the countries strongly recommended for rupee-rouble trade for Indian tea exports. The delegation met the officials of Russian quality control department Rospotrebnazdor.

“The authorities informed the Indian delegation that so far they have not received a single complaint on quality or food safety aspects on Indian Teas and they are satisfied with the quality parameters and standards maintained for Indian Tea”, Tea Board sources told BusinessLine.

They also discussed regarding protection of trademarks and Geographical Indicators (GI) tags.

Russian authorities have agreed to extend the benefit for registration of Trademarks and GI for Indian tea as available to WTO member countries.

Maracana Stadium in food safety scare

Rio de Janeiro, March 10 (IANS) Authorities have seized more than 45 kg of expired food during a raid of the Maracana Stadium, the showpiece venue for next year's Olympics.

Agents from local consumer protection watchdog Procon found the products during Sunday's football derby between Fluminense and Botafogo, Procon said in a statement on Monday. Among the items confiscated were sausages, eggs, pork, chocolate and cheese, reports Xinhua.

The Maracana Stadium hosted last year's FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina after undergoing a three-year, $500 million upgrade. The venue will also stage the opening and closing ceremonies, and football matches, at next year's Olympics.

Procon did not say if a penalty would be applied to the stadium's operator Consorcio Maracana. The government organ inspected the stadium after fans missed the start of the Flamengo-Botafogo match the previous week due to long queues to redeem tickets bought online. Consorcio Maracana could not be reached for comment.

It is not the first food scare to hit Rio's hospitality sector as it prepares for a major sporting event. Health inspectors found more than 50 kg of food deemed unfit for consumption at the England and Italy team hotels just weeks before last year's World Cup.

England stayed at the Hotel Royal Tulip and Italy at the Portobello Hotel in the city's outskirts.

Raw milk found to contain harmful bacteria – Food Safety Authority

Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria and therefore, the consumption of raw (unpasteurised) milk increases the risk of developing foodborne illness a new report published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) states.

The FSAI continues to recommend that the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption should be prohibited in Ireland and advises that the most effective way to protect public health is to ensure that all milk is effectively heat-treated (e.g. pasteurised or boiled), especially when served to infants, children, pregnant women, older people and those with a weakened immune system or those suffering from a chronic disease.

The report details the results of an FSAI microbiological survey confirming the presence of pathogens in raw milk and the in-line filters used in the milking equipment. For raw milk samples, detection rates of Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter were 7% and 3%, respectively.

However, detection rates in milk filter samples were considerably higher at 20% and 22% respectively, which suggests a greater potential for contamination of raw milk. In addition, Salmonella was detected in 1% of raw milk filters and 0.5% of raw milk samples, while E. coli O26 (VTEC) was detected in 6% of raw milk filter samples showing its potential to contaminate raw milk.

Dr Wayne Anderson, Director of Food Science and Standards, FSAI, states that almost all milk on sale in Ireland is pasteurised and pasteurisation is the simplest and most reliable method to ensure that milk is safe to drink.

“While the market for raw milk is small, it remains a serious concern given the well-documented public health risks posed by the presence of pathogens in raw milk. We are therefore recommending that raw milk should be avoided by consumers, but for those who still wish to drink it, they should, at a minimum, boil the milk before drinking it to kill any potentially harmful bacteria.”

Commenting on the ongoing risk to farm families who continue to consume raw milk in their own homes, Dr Anderson said that the FSAI is aware that any ban on the sale of raw milk would not affect those farm families who choose to consume raw milk.

“But farm families should be particularly aware of the risk to young children and pregnant women posed by drinking raw milk and also the fact that farm visitors may not be aware that they are consuming raw milk. We therefore continue to recommend the use of home pasteurisers to ensure milk is safe.”

Dr Anderson notes that, while on-farm hygiene and animal health on Irish farms have improved immensely over recent years, farms remain a significant reservoir for pathogens. Even under the best hygiene standards, it is possible that raw milk can become contaminated. Improving on-farm sanitation and hygiene will improve the quality of raw milk but will not always guarantee safety.