‘Contaminated fruits, vegetables sold in Kerala’

Curbs on pesticide-ridden products from T.N.

The State government will take stringent measures to regulate the marketing of fruits and vegetables from neighbouring States, including Tamil Nadu, as it has become abundantly clear that these contain very high levels of pesticide residues, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar has said.

The Minister has directed a high-level committee, chaired by Commissioner of Food Safety T.V. Anupama, to chalk out the necessary measures that need to be taken to prevent the sale of fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residual content in the State markets.

He has also directed Ms. Anupama to write to the Agriculture Produces Commissioner of Tamil Nadu regarding the issue.

The decision to take stringent control measures has been taken following the report of an inquiry committee instituted by the State that many harmful pesticides and fungicides, some of which had been banned in Kerala, were being used in an unrestrained manner on vegetables and fruit crops during harvest and later in many farmlands in Tamil Nadu and that these were being marketed in Kerala

The inquiry committee, chaired by Joint Commissioner of Food Safety K. Anilkumar, had visited the agricultural lands in Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Kodaikanal, Ottanchatram, Coimbatore, and Mettupalayam and had held detailed discussions with the farmers and agricultural scientists, before filing the report.

The report was discussed in detail at a meeting chaired by Mr. Sivakumar here on Thursday.

The high-level committee on food safety will meet again on May 27 to decide further measures to be taken.

Fruits, vegetables contain high levels of pesticide

Probe team visits farms in Tamil Nadu

Tobacco manufacturer issued notice

Seeks response within a week

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked a tobacco manufacturer on why the stay granted to it protecting from coercive measures from Delhi government for selling tobacco should not be vacated. The court of Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notice to Sugandhi Snuff King Pvt Ltd, seeking its response within a week.

The Delhi Government had challenged the order in its response as required by the earlier court order, stating that tobacco consumption was on the increase in the Capital and that the application was being filed in public interest. It was also said that manufacturers in large must be stopped from producing goods that directly harm the public.

The High Court had on April 8, passed orders restraining the Delhi Government from taking any coercive measures against tobacco sellers, while hearing a plea of the manufacturers against the ban of chewable tobacco, which has been enforced in the Capital around March 30.

Sugandhi Snuff King Pvt Ltd had filed the plea in court against the order of the Delhi Government banning sale, purchase and storage of all forms of chewable tobacco including gutkha, khaini and zardain Delhi. It had stated that the Delhi government did not have the power to enforce this ban under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Manufacturer had filed plea in court against the Delhi Govt’s order banning sale, purchase, storage of all forms of chewable tobacco in Delhi

Several items of top food companies fail to meet norms of regulator

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rejected the applications on account of assessment of risk or safety, according to a statement on the regulator’s website.

NEW DELHI: The national food regulator has rejected scores of product approval requests by Tata Starbucks, Ferrero, FieldFresh Foods, Kellogg and McCain, among others, saying they were unsafe, and pulled up companies for trying to seek unfettered passage for their merchandise using the 'Make in India' platform.

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rejected the applications on account of assessment of risk or safety, according to a statement on the regulator's website.

Applications by Tata Starbucks that were disallowed include over 30 variants of puddings, sauces, mixes, syrups, tea and coffee. For Tata Starbucks, the local joint venture of the world's largest coffee chain, this was possibly the single biggest set of product approval requests that was rejected by the regulator in one go.

Other products that were rejected include McCain's battered pepper and cheese bites, Venky's chicken Arabic-style kofta and crispy chicken burger patty.

Also rejected were Kellogg's Special K-red berries, Del Monte's egg mayonnaise/salad dressing variants, natural vinegar and a proprietary hot sauce, and Ferrero Rocher's proprietary milky and cocoa spreads with cereals and milk chocolate."Starbucks is committed to complying with the regulations in every market we operate in. In India, all of the products and ingredients that we serve are safe," a Tata Starbucks spokesperson said in an email response. "FSSAI has not raised any questions on the safety of our products."

This is not the first time that Tata Starbucks has had a problem with FSSAI. Last April, the regulator blocked a consignment of syrups, which was released after the cafe chain moved the Bombay High Court for relief.

Emails sent to spokespersons of Ferrero, Kellogg and FieldFresh Foods (a venture between Del Monteand Bharti Enterprises), elicited no response till the time of going to press. McCain India could not be reached for comment.

Separately, the regulator pulled up companies for criticising how it functions and trying to take advantage of the government's 'Make in India' initiative, which encourages local manufacturing. There have been skirmishes between FSSAI and companies over holding back approvals for the import of some products, including chocolates and liquor. Companies have also been critical of the tardy pace of processing applications.

REGULATOR'S OPEN LETTER

"Most food business operators, especially the aggrieved ones, appear to be swearing by the hon'ble PM's 'Make in India' initiative, conveniently forgetting that it is also accompanied by the words 'zero defect and zero effect'," FSSAI Chief Executive Officer YS Malik said in a tersely worded open letter to food & beverage firms on May 11, which was posted on the website. "The extent of unilateral condemnation of a sector regulator by the people whom it is meant to regulate has been unprecedented for some time in the past."

Malik said the system of product approval has been projected as a highly contentious issue. "There are a number of reasons for the industry's anguish...I do not wish to be drawn into the debate about the merits of product approval, especially proprietary food, at this stage," he said in the letter. Malik could not be reached for comment. 

The notice lists applications received by the food regulator which have been rejected "on assessment of risk and safety of the proposed products by the product approval and screening committee and the scientific panel", according to the FSSAI statement. The products are a combination of imported and locally made ones. The list is updated as of April 30, 2015. Each of the products was rejected in the month of April. 

"The approval requests have been pending for a while now. We had factored in that the approval could take even more time so we moved on with our other products," said the CEO of one of the companies whose product approval request was rejected, asking not to be identified. 

Another company official said that although the decision can be challenged in court, it is a long-drawn process. "We would not want to get into those issues. Product approval, as it is, is so slow that we end up losing the competitive edge despite thoroughly researching these products," the official said. 

'NO SIGN OF SELF-REGULATION' 

Malik also states that some firms conceded they were not aware of the details required to be submitted for safety/risk assessment, while others blamed their staff who committed "silly" mistakes and still some others said they needed proper advisory support. He mentioned that the quality of applications for product approvals leaves a lot to be desired. 

The food regulator conducts tests of random samples and in the case of imported products, checks them at ports. The FSSAI official said in his letter that companies often find it convenient to draw parallels with the US Food & Drug Administration or the EU regulatory system, "little realising that self-regulation is rather compelling in those economies, thanks to a very conscious and aware consumer base, coupled with an effective and responsive legal system". 

"Conversely, the Indian consumer is much less aware and largely gullible, and we carry the constraints of our legal system. We often see the misleading claims and ads but one is yet to see any visible signs of self-regulation," the letter adds. 

Last year, the CEOs of foods firms including GSK Consumer Healthcare, McCain, Coca-Cola, Kellogg, Cargill, Mother Dairy and Ferrero Group met the FSSAI brass to lobby for faster product approvals. 

An industry veteran said that when consumption of everyday grocery products is beginning to show signs of revival after a decade-long slump, faster product approval gives firms a competitive edge and higher consumer traction.

மேகி நூடுல்ஸ் விவகாரம்: நாடு முழுவதும் சோதனை நடத்த முடிவு

புதுடில்லி: 'மேகி' நூடுல்ஸ் உணவு பாக்கெட்டுகளில், அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட அளவை விட, அதிக அளவில், எம்.எஸ்.ஜி., எனப்படும், 'மோனோ சோடியம் குளுடமேட்' எனப்படும், அமினோ ஆசிட் ரசாயனம் சேர்க்கப்பட்டு உ.பி.யில் பெருமளவு விற்பனைக்கு உள்ளதுகண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்நிலையில் நாடு முழுவதும் மேகியின் சாம்பிள் பாக்கெட்டுகளை வாங்கி பரிசோதிக்க மத்திய உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் ஓழுங்குமுறை அமைப்பு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளதாக தகவல்கள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. இது குறித்து நெஸ்லே நிறுவனம், ஆய்வு சுந்திரமாகவும் நியாமாகவும் நடத்த வேண்டும் என வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

UP likely to file case against Nestle India

Nestle recalls 'contaminated' batch of Maggi containing lead, MSG

Nestle India has recalled a batch of its popular instant noodlebrand Maggi from Uttar Pradesh, which were allegedly found contaminated with high lead content.

UP Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) CommissionerP K Singh told Business Standard that Nestle India had already submitted a compliance report regarding the recall of the "affected" batch from the markets in UP.

Besides, the FDA is likely to file a case against Nestle India for the alleged violation of the food safety norms. 

"We are considering all the legal aspects of the case and our legal team is currently studying the matter," he said adding there had been precedents of prosecuting such companies in similar episodes.

FDA is preparing for a strong case backed by all the evidences and lab reports.

During a routine and random collection of food samples, the FDA officials had picked up Maggi packets for checking from a big format retail outlet in Barabanki. When the noodle samples were checked in the state-owned food lab located in Gorakhpur, it was found containing high levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG).

When Nestle was communicated about the findings of the lab, the company contested the charges that they had violated any food safety norms, another senior FDA official said.

Later, the Maggi samples were sent to the central lab in Kolkata, which not only reaffirmed the findings of the UP lab about presence of MSG, but it also found lead contents in the noodles; much higher than the permissible levels.

Under the Act, the report of the Kolkata lab is final and there are no further tests requird. Even the courts admit its findings for prosecution in cases of food safety violation, he said.

High lead content is harmful for kidneys. Further, the food companies have to declare any MSGcontent on the packets and caution about consumption by children below 12 years.

Meanwhile, the FDA is checking other batches of Maggi to verify its contents

States begin probe on lead, MSG content before Centre order

Nestle says it does not agree with the UP FDA order and is taking up the matter with authorities

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is likely to order a nation-wide sampling and testing of Nestle's Maggi noodle to investigate whether the product contains more than permissible amount of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG). This follows findings by the Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh that Maggi contained lead and MSG beyond the permissible limit.

But even before a pan-India probe is launched, some states such as Maharashtra and Gujarat have already initiated action on the ground.

Maharashtra Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) has collected samples of Maggi noodles from Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune and sent them for testing at its laboratory. FDA told Business Standard late in the evening that it has ''gathered samples from Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune. The test reports are expected within a week and only after that a due action will be taken". Similarly, the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has started testing the samples which were collected over the past two days. HG Koshia, commissioner of FDCA said, "Based on media reports, we have collected around 25 samples of different batches from Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar region of the state. We have sent them for testing, and the reports are expected within the 10 to 15 days." In case violations are found, the Gujarat administration will either seize the products from the market or ask the company to recall the products, Koshia said.

As for UP, more samples have been collected for investigation.

Sources at FSSAI pointed out that they were planning to issue an order to all state FDA commissioners for stringent testing of the products.

UP Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner PK Singh told Business Standard thatNestle India had already submitted a compliance report regarding the recall of the "affected" batch from the markets in UP. "We are considering all the legal aspects of the case and our legal team is currently studying the matter," he said, adding there had been cases of prosecuting companies in similar episodes earlier. The batch of noodles which was ''contaminated'' was recalled from the market in UP, officials confirmed.

According to another senior official in Uttar Pradesh FDA, the authority is planning to approach the district-level civil court against Nestle India.

"Our legal team is evaluating two options. We will either approach the chief judicial magistrate or additional district judge against the company for such a serious violation under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006," the official said.

Since Maggi holds more than 60% of India's instant noodles market, the test results in UP have attracted the attention of the state's top administration, it is learnt. Accepting that it had received an 'order to recall' on April 30 from the UP FDA, Nestle India in an email statement said, "The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities. The company is confident that these packs are no longer in the market."

According to an UP FDA official, who did not want to be quoted, testing of Maggi was done as part of its "random testing procedure" last year. And if proved at a court of law, such acts of violation can lead to minimum of three years of imprisonment, and going up to life sentences, for the offenders under the Act. Although Nestle, by default, may have collected unsold stocks from a batch that expired in November 2014, it can land up in trouble if charges of "violations" were proved in court, he said. Section 47-67 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provides for punitive action against offenders.

In June 2014, UP FDA conducted random sampling test of Maggi noodles in a state-owned lab in Gorakhpur which showed high-level of lead and MSG in Maggi and asked Nestle India - the manufacturer of Maggi - to withdraw all its products belonging to the same batch.

However, the matter came out in the open recently after the UP FDA tested the noodle in its Kolkata laboratory to confirm the previous test results. According to the tests, Maggi noodle contains 17.2 parts per million (ppm) of lead compared to the permissible 2.5 ppm for food products. However, "when Nestle was communicated about the findings of the lab, the company contested the charges that they had violated any food safety norms," the FDA official said. "The results clearly shows that it is 100% unsafe to consume and we will approach the court within 7-10 days," he said.

High lead content is harmful for kidney. Further, the food companies have to declare any MSG content on the packets and caution about its consumption by children below 12 years.

Although Nestle was informed by the state FDA during mid-last year on the findings, the company appealed to the authority to conduct more rounds of tests before asking them to withdraw the products from the market, according to sources.

But Nestle India spokesperson said, "During our own routine tests over the years, it was never found that Maggi contains more than 0.03 ppm of lead". According to the company, there are no stated levels of MSG in India and since it does not add any artificial glutamate in Maggi, it never mentions the chemical on the packets. "We use hydolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make Maggi Noodles sold in India, which all contain glutamate. We believe that the authorities' tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods", the company said. Nestle India has also indicated that the company is independently testing the product and will convey the findings to the government.

After UP, tests on Maggi across India

NEW DELHI: The Central food safety regulator has ordered collection and testing of Maggi noodles samples from across the country after initial reports on some samples from Uttar Pradesh pointed to the presence of added monosodium glutamate (MSG) and excess of lead than the permissible limit.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked for sampling of the product from all states.

"We have initiated sampling from all the states. These samples will be sent for testing at our NABL accredited laboratories. We will decide on the further course of action only after examining the test results," Rakesh Chandra Sharma, director-enforcement and surveillance at FSSAI told TOI. He said a final test report is expected by end of this month.

Last week, TOI reported that Maggi noodles had come under regulatory scanner after samples collected in some parts of UP were found containing added MSG and lead in excess. The Lucknow Food Safety and Drug Administration had initiated inquiry and written to the FSSAI in New Delhi seeking to cancel the licence for Maggi.

Nestle, which manufactures Maggi, maintained it does not add MSG to the product and submitted product samples to an independent accredited laboratory. The results will be shared with the authorities, the company said. "The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities," Nestle said in a statement issued on Thursday.

While some reports suggested the product was recalled from across the country, Nestle clarified that in April this year, Lucknow food safety regulatory authorities had asked for recall of only one batch containing 200,000 packs of Maggi.

Regulatory authorities said the issue is sensitive as the product is one of the major and most popular brands of the company. However, it also deals with the health of people and any decision would be crucial. Officials said the Central regulator may also seek details from Nestle once the sampling process is over.

Monosodium glutamate, a kind of amino acid which occurs naturally in many agricultural products, is often also added artificially to packaged food to enhance flavor. Regulators and experts say such additives can be harmful for health, mainly for children. Food safety regulations mandate companies to specify on the packaging if MSG has been added.

Initial sampling of Maggi noodles and test results in UP showed the product containing 17 parts per million lead, whereas the permissible limit is 0.01ppm. Nestle says its records show lead content is negligible and less than 1 % of the fixed limit.

UP FDA tests more samples of Maggi after ordering recall

FMCG major Nestle may face more action by the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration, which is testing more batches of Maggi after ordering recall of a batch of about 2 lakh packs of the instant noodles due to higher than permitted levels of lead and a food additives.

The UP FDA last month asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of Maggi noodles manufactured in February 2014 after it found high levels of added monosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer, in the noodles and lead beyond permissible limits.

“As a precautionary measure, the UP FDA has picked up samples of three-four more batches in April this year for testing after the previous report came. The lab test results of those batches are still awaited,” Barbanki District Food Officer V.K. Pandey told PTI.

He said the earlier tests by the UP FDA found that the levels of the chemicals were higher than permitted.

What the company had claimed about the absence of MSG in Maggi has found to be incorrect in the test, Mr. Pandey said.

On lead content, he said: “it has been established in the report that it is beyond the tolerance level of 2.5 parts per million (ppm). It is 17.2 ppm.”

He said it was on the basis of the test report that Maggi was declared “unsafe and injurious to health”.

“We have asked Nestle 10-15 days back to recall all the Maggi Noodles of that particular batch,” UP FDA Additional Commissioner (Admin) Ram Araj Maurya said.

Disputing the UP FDA claim, Nestle India said: “The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities.”

Maggi Noodles packs ordered to be recalled

After samples of “Maggi” noodles manufactured in March 2014 were reportedly found to contain high lead content and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), orders have been issued by the State Food Safety and Drug Administration Department for taking “surveillance” samples of the product of recent make.

The Uttar Pradesh Additional Commissioner (Food Safety), Ram Araj Maurya said the “surveillance” samples were picked up from different places in the State on May 12. “It takes 14 days for finalising the report of the tests conducted on the food samples,” Mr. Maurya told The Hindu. Confirming that the tests conducted on the March 2014 batch samples found them to be unsafe, Mr. Maurya said orders have been issued to recall ‘Maggi’ packs of that date.

The March 2014 samples were picked up from a store (Easy Day) in Barabanki on a complaint which was not specified by the Food Safety Department. Tests conducted by the State Food Laboratory showed lead content beyond the permissible limit. “The noodles contained lead beyond the permissible limit of 0.01ppm. The report was sent to the Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata, which confirmed the findings,” said another official on condition of anonymity.

Subsequently, the licence of the shop operator was suspended on April 24, 2015. The official said licence can be cancelled in the interest of public health. The operator filed an appeal with the Commissioner (Food Safety) and the order was stayed on April 30 on the plea that he is not the manufacturer of the product. The store reopened on May 1.

Batch of Maggi ordered off-shelf, Nestle says safety norms strict

Amid concerns over "dangerous levels" of some substances in the popular snack Maggi noodles, the Uttar Pradesh food safety body on Thursday said its manufacturer Nestle was asked to recall the said batch, while the company assured it followed strict norms.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Vijay Bahadur said orders had been issued to Nestle to also "look into the quality" of other Maggi batches, following some samples reportedly testing positive for possessing higher-than-permissible levels of lead and monosodium glutamate.

Nestle sought to dispel roumours that orders had been issued to reacall all batches of Maggi. In an e-mail statement to IANS, the companty said the batch in question had already passed the "best before" date in November last year, and was sure that it had automatically been recalled.

As regards the batch in question, the Nestle statement said: "Quality and safety of our products are the top priorities for our company," and added: "We have submitted the product samples to an independent accredited laboratory and will share the results with the authorities."

The company also said: "People can be confident that Maggi noodle products are safe to eat."

The samples, authorities in Lucknow said, were taken from a lot in Easy Day departmental store at Barabanki, a district on the outskirts of the state capital, last week. But Nestle maintained it was confident over these packs being no longer in citculation in the market.

"The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities."

The state's Chief Food Safety Officer Sanjay Pratap Singh added that more samples had been taken for testing and the teams from the department were asked to track if any Maggi packets from that batch were still in circulation in the market.

The central food safety authority also told IANS it has initiated precautionary steps.

"We have asked the UP government for reports regarding the tests (on Maggi noodles). Action will be taken according to what comes out," said Food Safety Authority of India Director Bimal Kumar Dubey. He, however, said no orders to the company had yet been issued from the authority.

On the issue of MSG, Nestle said while it does not add it to Maggi noodles sold in India, and stated that as much on the packaging, the use of hydolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make the noodles all contain glutamate.

"We believe the authorities' tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods," Nestle said, alluding that it may have been confused with MSG. On lead, it said, regular monitoring that was a part of stringent quality control consistently indicated adherence to permissible limits.

Reacting to the developments, the programme manager for food safety with the Centre for Science and Environment, Amit Khurana, said such tests should be a matter of routine for food safefy authorities. "We congratulate the Uttar Pradesh team for that."

Similarly, Consumer Unity and Trusts Society, a non-government organisation, said products like Maggi are consumed by a large number of people and any doubt over safety must be taken seriously. "The food regulatory authorities must be strengthened for this," spokesperson Udai Mehta told IANS.

The social media had its own set of remarks, some in a lighter vein, and some more serious since the noodle in question is a popular brand that completed its silver jubilee a few years ago.

"A group of Indian hostelers have threatened to leave India if Maggi is banned," Tweeted Zaid Hamid, speaking for students like him living in campuses, with whom Maggi has been a hit due to its availability, easy cooking-ways and pocket-friendliness.

"The truth is MSG (monosodium glutamate) is widely used in Asian cooking and is present in all processed food like pizza, pasta, etc," posted Somya Gupta, on a handle that's been created for this, #maggiban, and has been trending well.

"Maggi, the tempting two-minute quick fix and instant pleasure for all hunger pangs, is now in hot water," said another tweet by Chandana Roy.

DAMAGE CONTROL AFTER MAGGI RECALL - Nestle Confident that Unsafe Packs are No Longer in Market

New Delhi:

Nestle, the country's largest foods maker, swung into damage control mode on Thursday amid a social media storm over its flagship brand Maggi instant noodles being unsafe for consumption.

On April 30, the authorities in Lucknow asked Nestle to recall one batch of Maggi noodles after tests showed it contained seven times higher levels of lead than permissible and traces of the controversial ingredient monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Nestle said the batch was manufactured in February 2014 and had reached the best-before date in November. One batch contains about 200,000 packs. The company said its practice is to collect stock near the expiry date from distributors and retailers.

“We are confident that these packs are no longer in the market. The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities,“ a Nestle spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

There are no other or ders to recall Maggi noodles in the market, the company said. “We have in place strict food safety and quality controls including thorough quality checks at each stage of our raw material sourcing and manufacturing process. This includes comprehensive testing to ensure that Maggi noodles comply with all appli cable food safety laws,“ the statement added.

The company said it doesn't add MSG to Maggi noodles sold in India and this is stated on the product.“However, we use hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make Maggi noodles sold in India, which all contain glutamate. We believe that the authorities' tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods,“ the company said.

On allegations that Maggi noodles contain higher levels of lead, Nestle said it regularly monitors for lead as part of its quality control process.

“We have submitted product samples to an independent accredited laboratory and will share the results with the authorities,“ Nestle said.

The Food on your table may be a Cocktail of Toxins

Shop fined Rs.8,000/- for selling snack mix past expiry date

How food, beverage giants influence WHO rules

A leaked mail from the In ternational Food and Beverages Alliance (IFBA) has revealed the hectic lobbying by this alliance of the world's largest food and beverage companies to influence the framing of rules on the World Health Organization's (WHO) engagement with the private sector. Ever since the WHO started focusing on the global epidemic of diet-related ailments like cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, food and beverage companies have been trying to be part of the standard setting and policymaking activities of the WHO.

The mail, which referred to the WHO secretariat's ongoing work on its Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors (Fensa), also revealed how the IFBA -which includes Coca Cola, Pepsico, Nestle, McDonald's and Unilever -is being backed by several countries of western Europe, Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand and the US, which appear to have pledged to not accept any framework that excludes the food and beverage industry .

Over 45 civil society organizations from across the world signed a public state ment calling upon delegates at the ongoing World Health Assembly (WHA) to defend the integrity, independence and democratic accountability of WHO. The statement said the mail illustrated the lengths corporations would go to, to ensure that they get access to policy-making in the WHO and the degree to which member states could be `persuaded' to support them.

Civil society organizations have been objecting to WHO clubbing private for-profit companies and business associations and alliances of such companies, along with big philanthropies, academic institutions and non-profit public interest groups under the head of non-state actors.

The leaked mail referred to alliance representatives having several “outreach meetings“ on Fensa with the missions of the US, UK, Canada and Latvia (which currently holds the European Union presidency) in Geneva. The WHO secretariat has been working on FENSA in the context of its reform process.

In the mail, IFBA secretary general Rocco Renaldi thanked Food and Consumer Products of Canada, the largest association in Canada of those industries, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), a US-based association, for helping to drive home what would be an acceptable outcome for the alliance in the tussle to frame rules for WHO's engagement with the private sector.