FOOD SAFETY LATEST: Jun 7, 2015

Jun 7, 2015

‘Limited consumer awareness is a big issue in India’

Amit Khurana, head, food safety and toxins at the Centre for Science and Environment

Amit Khurana, head, food safety and toxins at the Centre for Science and Environment, says the Maggi controversy is an opportunity to revisit the norms on nutrition fact labelling of products. In an interview to Stutee Kotnala, Mr Khurana emphasises periodic monitoring for chemical and heavy metal contaminates.

What’s your opinion on Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke’s defence of Maggi instant noodles?

Nestle’s defence is different from the government’s version. About the safety of Maggi, the order by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) directing the company to recall the product, while referring to reports from various states, clearly talks about overwhelming evidence of Maggi being unsafe and hazardous for human consumption.

Do you think withdrawing the product from the market is the best way to address the issue?

In this case, the recall ordered by the government is a necessary step to ensure food safety and public health. An episode like this should contribute to better long-term outcomes on food safety regulations, monitoring and responsible food industry. For example, there is clear recognition of the need for systematic and periodic monitoring of food across the country, responsible promotion by celebrities and greater compliance with the law of the land.

Nestle has withdrawn Maggi from the market and claims that it maintains the same quality standards across the world. While Nestle’s own tests have not found any lead in their samples, the Central food safety regulator FSSAI’s tests claim otherwise. Why do you think there is a discrepancy?

In principle, the lab results can potentially vary depending upon the samples, methodology and machines used to test. It is important to note that more than one lab is reported to have found lead in excess limits. The onus of providing safe products rests on the end-product manufacturer. Moreover, in the order for recall, the FSSAI has provided a detailed response to the concerns raised by the company.

At least seven states have banned Maggi after finding dangerously high levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Nestle launched Maggi in 1983. If Maggi was not following the stipulated food standards, what took the government so long to ban the product?

It is common knowledge that the Indian food regulatory body is in its first decade of existence. While the Food Safety and Standards Act came into existence in 2006, the rules and regulations were only formalised in 2011. More importantly, it is the states that are responsible for implementation of the food safety act and regulations, which may vary depending on the human resources and laboratory infrastructure available. We certainly need many more labs and trained technicians. The focus appears to have been on adulteration that is easy to detect. Packaged food, on the other hand, is likely to be considered safe as the awareness levels about contamination with heavy metals and agricultural chemicals is limited and yet to become streamlined in food monitoring. Nor is there an online database to suggest what has been tested and found.

There are reports that not only do Maggi noodles have lead content much more than the permissible limit but the salt intake is also six grams whereas the permissible limit is only three grams.

Yes, in 2012 we at CSE tested Maggi for salt, sugar and fats and found a high level of salt in it. A packet of Maggi contains about half the daily recommended intake. Consumption of a pack of this popular snack among children clearly leaves little space for salt from other food sources. This effectively leads to over-consumption of salt that contributes to heart diseases and hypertension.

And what about packaged and ready-to-eat/ cooked foods?

Ultra-processed packaged foods in general contain excess salt, sugar and fat to increase palatability and shelf life. These also aid in masking bad taste and odour of several chemical additives that are integral to processing, but not much is known about their presence and safety. Since consumption of such food is increasing and there are new products entering the market every day, their periodic monitoring for chemical and heavy metal contaminates and adherence to nutrition and health labelling claims should go a long way in food safety management in the country.

According to the FSSAI, the proportion of food samples not conforming to standards, among the tens of thousands of food samples, increased from 12 per cent during 2011-2012 to 14 per cent in 2012-2013, and was 18 per cent in 2013-2014. What’s your take on this?

In this case, it is the state food safety department, and then the FSSAI, that have taken action against Maggi noodles. The FSSAI seems to have taken charge of it and clearly explained its position in the order for recall. With reference to the data made public by the FSSAI on earlier years, it mentions taking action against those found not conforming to the standards. But certainly much more needs to be done. It is still unknown as to what was tested, what kinds of products did not conform to which standards.

Why is the focus only on lead and MSG? There are artificial sweeteners, synthetic food colours and antibiotics in chicken that need monitoring.

Yes, a systematic monitoring programme should be developed for testing food products for known heavy metals, agricultural chemicals and chemicals posing high risk, including veterinary drugs such as antibiotics. The government should also maintain a public information and disclosure system for all tests and results.

During the 2003 pesticide scandal that hit Pepsi in India, the Indian government flip-flopped between dismissing CSE’s findings and supporting the group’s call for more stringent standards for carbonated drinks. Do you think there’s any hope for stringent measures in the case of Maggi?

In the case of soft drinks that we had tested for pesticides, the government notified standards for pesticides in carbonated drinks in 2008. These were the first of their kind in the world. We are hopeful that the law will take its own course and the public health and food safety of the country will not be compromised.

Unlike in the West, it is often noticed that Indian consumers are unaware of ingredients and nutrition information on a product due to the lack of appropriate nutrition fact labelling.

Limited consumer aware ness is a big issue in a country like India. Companies, therefore, do not have a compelling reason to disclose adequate and appropriate information. The labelling laws in the country need much more improvement. For example, the amount of salt is not required to be mentioned. Nutrition fact labelling, which is a norm in several countries, is not yet applicable in India. It provides information on calories, salt, sugar and fat compared to recommended daily intake. Such information is considered significant to help in limiting non-communicable diseases. We do not have systems for front-of-pack and menu labelling system either.

Brand ambassadors like Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta have landed in a soup. Why is there no government-backed regulation to control celebrity-endorsed advertisements in the country? Should there be control over such ads?

Children are easily influenced by advertisements. They are also not the best judges of their food choices. Celebrity endorsement, worldwide, is a key issue in the promotion of ultra-processed junk foods, particularly among children. There is an increasing recognition on the need to regulate it to limit childhood obesity and other diseases. India does not have a government body to regulate advertisements and product promotions. Self-regulation by industry has also been reported to be ineffective in this regard.

It is important that food advertisements are not targeted at children. Such advertisements should be regulated across all media (including new-age advergames i.e. advertising using games) to limit exposure to children. Also, in-school and out-school promotion events and disguised advertisements of such ultra-processed foods and their brands should be regulated.

Maggi row exposes chinks in implementation of food safety law

The on-going controversy surrounding Maggi has exposed chinks in the armour of law enforcement agencies, besides depicting poor monitoring of food safety standards in the country.

The statutory mechanism, including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, provides a strict regimen to check mixing of any kind of substances beyond the prescribed limit in eatables. The Supreme Court has treated food adulteration as a “menace to public health” as early as in a verdict on January 31, 1972, in Ishar Das Vs State of Punjab case.

The apex court observed: “The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act has been enacted with the aim of eradicating that anti-social evil and for ensuring purity in the articles of food.”

In Pyarali K Tejani Vs Mahadeo Ramchandra Dange case, the Supreme Court had on October 31, 1973, declined to take a lenient view by letting off an offender by paying fines.

“In a country where consumerism as a movement has not developed, the common man is at the mercy of the vicious dealer. And when the primary necessaries of life are sold with spurious admixtures for making profit, his only protection is the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and the court. If offenders can get away with it by payment of trivial fines, it brings the law into contempt and enforcement a mockery,” the bench had observed.

In its latest verdict on May 28, 2014, the apex court declined to reduce the minimum prescribed prison term of three month under the law to a petty shop owner for an offence of mixing salt into red chilly powder. It said no benevolence can be shown to the appellant, more so, when it is a case of food adulteration. “It is clear from this provision that if salt is added to chillies even if it would not be rendered injurious to health, nevertheless the quality/purity of the article would fall below the prescribed standards/its constituents as prescribed. It would be adulterated,” the apex court said, going through the factual matrix of the case.

Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, an independent statutory authority – the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India – has already been set up, as part of consolidation of various acts and orders that have handled food related issues in various ministries and government departments.

The authority has to be further streamlined with appointment of additional field inspectors to ensure that products could be regularly checked for their quality.

மேகி: இரண்டு நிமிடப் பாடம்

இந்தியாவின் அபிமான துரித உணவுகளில் ஒன்றின் புகழைத் தகர்த்திருக்கும் இந்த மேகி விவகாரம் என்பது பொருளியல் அறிஞர்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை மிகவும் விநோதமான ஒரு நிகழ்வு. சந்தையில் ஏற்பட்ட தோல்வியும் அரசாங்கத்தின் தோல்வியும் ஒரே சமயத்தில் நிகழ்ந்திருக்கிறது. இது போன்ற விஷயங்கள் நடக்கும்போது பெரிய அளவிலான பாதிப்பு என்பது, முற்றிலுமாகக் கைவிடப்பட்ட நுகர்வோருக்குத்தான். பரிந்துரைக்கப்பட்ட அளவுகோல்களை மீறியது மேகி மட்டுமல்ல என்பதுதான் உண்மை. இந்தியாவின் சந்தைப் பொருளாதாரம் இன்னும் வளர்ந்துவரும் நிலையில்தான் இருக்கிறது. இந்த நிலையில் ஒழுங்காற்று முறைகள் என்பவையே வெறும் பெயரளவில்தான். அப்படி இருந்தும், தனது கெட்ட நேரம் காரணமாக மேகி மாட்டிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது. காரீயமும் மோனோசோடியம் குளுடாமேட்டும் அதிக அளவில் இருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டிருப்பதால் அதற்கு இந்த கதி.

நெஸ்லே என்ற பன்னாட்டு நிறுவனத்தால் தயாரிக்கப்படுவதுதான் மேகி. நெஸ்லேவின் உணவுத் தயாரிப்புகள் உலகெங்கும் உள்ள பெருவாரியான மக்களால் உட்கொள்ளப்படுகின்றன.

போட்டி மிகுந்த ஒரு சந்தையில் இந்த நிறுவனம் இயங்குகிறது. நூடுல்ஸ் சந்தையில் மேகிக்கு நிறைய போட்டியாளர்கள் இருக்கிறார்கள். இருந்தும் அதிக அளவில் அது விற்கப்படுவதற்குக் காரணம் நெஸ்லே நிறுவனத்தின் தயாரிப்பு என்றால் மிகவும் தரமாக இருக்கும் என்று நம்பப்படுவதால்தான். தனக்கிருக்கும் நற்பெயரை ஒரு தயாரிப்பு இழந்துவிட்டது என்றாலே அந்தத் தயாரிப்புக்கு மூடுவிழா நடத்தப்பட்டுவிட்டது என்றும் மக்கள் வேறு தயாரிப்புகளை நாட ஆரம்பித்துவிடுவார்கள் என்றும்தான் அர்த்தம். இந்தியாவில் (நெஸ்லேவுக்கு அப்படி ஆகாமல் போனாலும்) மேகிக்கு அப்படித்தான் ஆகும். நுகர்வோரால் அது குழிதோண்டிப் புதைக்கப்பட்டுவிடும். நெஸ்லே என்ன சொன்னாலும் சரி... கடைகளில் அதை மக்கள் ஒருபோதும் வாங்கப்போவதில்லை. போட்டி நிறைந்த சந்தையின் தாரக மந்திரத்தின்படி நெஸ்லே போன்ற ஒரு நிறுவனம் தொடர்ந்து தொழிலில் நீடித்திருப்பதற்காக இதுபோன்ற ஒரு சூழலைத் தவிர்ப்பதற்கான எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் மேற்கொள்ளத் தயங்காது, குறைந்தபட்சம் இந்தியாவிலாவது. ஆனால், நெஸ்லே வழுக்கி விழுந்துவிட்டது.

இந்திய அரசு விதித்திருக்கும் ஒழுங்காற்று நெறிமுறை களெல்லாம் பலவீனமானவை என்பதாலேயே கடுமையான அளவுகோல்களைப் பின்பற்றுவது குறித்து நெஸ்லே கவலைப் படாமல் இருந்திருக்குமோ? ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணையம்’ உணவுத் தயாரிப்புகளுக்கு அனுமதி வழங்குவதற்கு முன் பரிசோதித்து எப்போதாவது பார்த்திருக்கிறதா? அந்த ஆணையம் தொடர்ந்து பரிசோதனைகளை மேற்கொண்டிருந் திருக்குமென்றால் நெஸ்லேவும் மற்ற நிறுவனங்களும் நிச்சயம் கூடுதல் எச்சரிக்கையோடு இருந்திருக்கும். ஆக, அரசின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இயங்கும் ‘உணவு தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’த்தைச் சேர்ந்த தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டாளர்கள் தங்கள் பணியைச் செய்யத் தவறியிருப்பது தெளிவு.

மேகி விளம்பரங்களில் நடித்த பிரபலங்களின் மீது பெரும் பாலானோரின் கோபம் திரும்பியிருக்கிறது. அதற்குப் பதிலாக ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’த்தின் மீதே கோபம் திரும்பியிருக்க வேண்டும். எனினும், ‘ஆரோக்கிய உணவு’ என்ற பெயரில் பிரபலங்கள் இந்தத் தயாரிப்பைப் பிரபலப்படுத்தாமல் இருந்திருக்கலாம். ஆனால், இந்தத் தயாரிப்பில் காரீயமும் மோனோசோடியம் குளுடாமேட்டும் அதிக அளவில் இருப்பது குறித்து அவர்கள் அறிந்திருப்பதற்கு வழி யேதும் இல்லை. ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’த் தின் சொல்லைத்தான் (சரியாகச் சொல்வதென்றால் அதன் அனுமதியைத்தான்) அவர்கள் நம்பியிருந்திருக்கக் கூடும்.

மேகி விவகாரத்துக்கும் முன்னதாகவே ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணையம்’ குறித்து நாமெல்லாம் கவலைப்பட்டிருக்க வேண்டும். அரசிடமிருந்து சற்று இடைவெளியில் இயங்கும்போதுதான் தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டாளர்கள் நன்றாகச் செயல்படுவார்கள். ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணையம்’ சுகாதாரம் மற்றும் குடும்ப நலத் துறைக்குக் கீழே இயங்குகிறது. எந்த அரசின் கீழும் அது திறம்பட இயங்கியதேயில்லை. முறைப்படி பார்த்தால், ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணையம்’ போன்ற ஒரு அமைப்புக்கு, அதுவும் துறைசார்ந்த நிபுணத்துவத்துடன் தொடர்புடைய அந்த அமைப்புக்கு ஒரு நிபுணர்தான் (விஞ்ஞானி என்றால் இன்னும் சிறப்பு) தலைமை வகிக்க வேண்டும். அதற்குப் பதிலாக, ஓய்வுபெற்ற ஐஏஎஸ் அதிகாரிகள்தான் எப்போதும் தலைமை வகித்திருக்கிறார்கள். பெரும்பாலும், சுகாதாரத் துறை அமைச்சகத்துக்கு வேண்டியவர்களுக்குப் பணி ஓய்வுக்குப் பிறகுப் பரிசாக வழங்கப்படும் அலங்காரப் பதவியாகிவிட்டது இது.

இந்த ஆணையத்தின் செயல்பாடுகள் குறித்துக் கவலைகொள்வதற்கு மேலும் காரணம் இருக்கிறது. சில மாதங்களுக்கு முன்பும்கூட இந்த ஆணையம் செய்திகளில் அடிபட்டது. இறக்குமதி செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்களைப் பெருமளவில் முடக்கிவைத்திருந்தது, ‘முறையாக’ லேபிள்கள் ஒட்டப்பட்டிருக்கவில்லை என்று காரணம் சொல்லப்பட்டது (ஒருவேளை இவர்களைவிட மேம்பட்ட தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டாளர்களால் லேபிள் இடப்பட்டிருக்கலாம்!).

அந்தக் கால இன்ஸ்பெக்டர் ராஜ்ஜியத்தையே ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’த்தின் இதுபோன்ற செயல்பாடுகள் நினைவுறுத்துகின்றன. இதற்கு பதிலாக இந்தியாவில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் உணவுப் பொருட்களில் உள்ள பிரச்சினைகளைக் கண்டுபிடிப்பதில் அவர்கள் கவனம் செலுத்தியிருக்க வேண்டாமா? மேகி போன்ற பரவலாக வாங்கப்படும் ஒரு உணவுப் பொருள் விவகாரத்தில் ‘இந்திய உணவு தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’த்துக்கு ஏற்பட்டிருக்கும் மிக மோசமான தோல்வி இந்தியாவையே உலுக்க வேண்டும். நுகர்வோர் நலன்களைப் பாதுகாப்பதை நோக்கமாகக் கொள்ளும் நிர்வாக மற்றும் தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டுக் கட்டமைப்புகளில் அடிப்படையான சீர்திருத்தங்கள் மேற்கொள்ளப்படுவதற்கான கூக்குரலாக இது அமைய வேண்டும். இதைத் தவிர வேறு வழியே இல்லை.

இந்தியாவில் உள்ள தரக்கட்டுப்பாட்டாளர்களில் ஏதோ கொஞ்சம் வெற்றிகரமாக இயங்கிக்கொண்டிருப்பவர்கள் என்றால் சுயேச்சையான அமைப்பினர்தான். இவர்களில் கணிசமானோர் நல்ல நிபுணர்கள். சர்வதேசத் தர அளவுகோல்களை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டு இயங்குபவர்கள். ‘செபி’யும் ‘இந்திய வியாபாரப் போட்டிகள் ஆணைய’மும் இது போன்ற விஷயங்களில் குறிப்பிடத் தக்க அளவில் பணியாற்றியிருக்கிறார்கள். சர்வதேச அளவுகோல்களுக்கு இணங்க நடந்துவருவதால்தான் அவர்களால் இது சாத்தியமாகிறது. ‘முன்பேர வர்த்தகக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’மும் ‘பெட்ரோலியம் மற்றும் இயற்கை எரிவாயு கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணைய’மும் மோசமாகச் செயல்படுவதற்குக் காரணம் சர்வதேச அளவுகோல்களை அவை சரியாகப் பின்பற்றவில்லை என்பதுதான்.

பங்குச்சந்தை, வியாபாரப் போட்டிகள், தொலைத்தொடர்பு, விமானப் போக்குவரத்து போன்றவற்றில் பின்பற்றப்படும் தரமும் கடுமையான அளவுகோல்களும் உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பிலும் பின்பற்ற வேண்டிய தருணம் இது. சந்தைப் பொருளாதாரத்தின் எந்தத் திசையிலும் நுகர்வோருக்குப் பாதுகாப்பு வேண்டுமென்றாலும், உணவு என்பது மிகவும் அடிப்படையானது. ஏனெனில், அது உடல்நலத்தோடு தொடர்புடையது, வாழ்வா சாவா பிரச்சினை. மேகியின் வீழ்ச்சியினால் ஆக்கபூர்வமான மாற்றங்கள் ஏதும் ஏற்படுமென்று நம்புவோம். உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புக்கான புதுச் சட்டம் கொண்டுவரப்படுவதும், சுதந்திரமான, புதிய, நிபுணர்களைக் கொண்ட கட்டுப்பாட்டு ஆணையம் அமைவதும் என்பது அந்த மாற்றங்களாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.

Nestle India: Rs 19 crore for quality testing, Rs 445 crore for ads

In the dock over alleged lapses of food safety standards in its famous Maggi noodles, Nestle India has disclosed having spent Rs 445 core on 'advertising and sales promotion' last year, while the expenses towards 'quality testing' was less than 5 per cent of such amounts.

Similar has been the trend over the last five years, when the 'advertising and sales promotion' expenses ranged between Rs 300-450 crore annually, while expenditure on 'laboratory or quality testing' moved between Rs 12-20 crore.

An analysis of the annual financial accounts of the Indian arm of the Swiss multinational giant Nestle shows that the expenses towards employees have risen the most in the last five years -- up by about 75 per cent from Rs 433 crore in the year 2010 to Rs 755 crore in 2014.

The company follows a financial year ending December 31.

In comparison, the advertising and sales promotion expenses has risen by 47 per cent from Rs 302 crore in 2010 to Rs 445 crore in 2014. In the same period, the 'laboratory or quality testing' expenses rose by 45 per cent from Rs 13 crore to Rs 19 crore.

Experts, however, say that similar trend could be seen at other such companies as all of them spend huge sums on brand promotions.

The financial accounts of Nestle India further shows that the expenditure towards heads like 'travelling' and 'training' was higher than the same towards quality testing.

While travelling expenses has risen by 27 per cent from Rs 54 crore in 2010 to Rs 68 crore in 2014, the training expenditure rose by 51 per cent from Rs 25 crore to Rs 38 crore in the same period.

The expenditure towards 'market research' was however lower at about Rs 16 crore in 2014, up by about 69 per cent from Rs 9.7 crore five years ago in 2010.

While it insists that Maggi noodles are safe, Nestle India had to withdraw the product from the markets after many states banned the famous '2-minute' instant food after tests showed them containing taste enhancer MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate) and lead in excess of permissible limits.

The central food safety regulator FSSAI has also ordered recall of all variants of Maggi noodles, terming them as "unsafe and hazardous" for human consumption. Besides, FSSAI has also ordered recall of one variant 'Maggi Oats Noodles', which it said was being sold without a product approval and without undertaking the risk and safety assessment.

Incidentally, Nestle India Chairman A Helio Waszyk and Managing Director Etienne Benet wrote in their letter to shareholders, published in the latest annual report of the company, that 'Good Food, Good Life' is their mission.

Stating that India was "severely impacted by malnutrition," they wrote that Nestle India was "constantly researching and observing the role that food plays in the lives of consumers across the income pyramid."

"Our vision and ambition is to be the recognised leader of Nutrition, Health and Wellness in India," the letter said, while adding that Nestle India was "focused on understanding the changing lifestyles, evolving needs, and dietary preferences of consumers".

The Indian unit, they further said, relies on Nestle's extensive global R&D network and expertise "to develop products that enable consumers to lead better lives and help them to improve nutrition in their daily diets".

The company has also been criticised for lacking on the communication front, with experts saying that Nestle could have contained the damage if it had reacted swiftly when the first reports started coming in about the safety standards from Uttar Pradesh early last month. .

Future Brands CEO Santosh Desai said there is a question mark now on the Maggi brand and there is a significant hit on the brand due to the controversy.

"There is a fundamental doubt due to safety issues. A lot will depend on how Nestle takes it forward," he said, while adding that the road ahead will be a difficult one.

"If Nestle is able to establish testing by authorities were done in a different way, it could be less difficult.

However, if it turns out in the tests that there were actually issues with Maggi, then it will be all the more difficult.

"Either way, there is a serious hit to the brand. The company was slow to react and uncommunicative in initial days and when they came out with voluntary withdrawal of Maggi, it was a bit late. This is a company which is generally not communicative. They could have handle this better," he added.

Desai, further said that there is a positive side for the company that Maggi is a brand which has had a long relationship with consumers.

"There are brands which are not missed by consumers but Maggi is a brand which had a lot of loyal consumers and people want this brand in their lives."

Sounding optimistic, brand expert Harish Bijoor also said he thinks Maggi will come back.

"Companies invest in building brands and create a long enduring image. When events such as the one related to Maggi noodles happen, the brand suffers... However, I think Maggi will come back," he said.

Bijoor is the CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.

When asked about how difficult it could be for brand Maggi to make a come back, he said it is a matter of convincing the consumers with integrity.

"I don't believe it would be difficult for Maggi as it has been there in India for 32 years," he added.

In their letter, Nestle India's Chairman and MD further said that the company has "strong brands, a capable organisation, and immense trust and loyalty" of consumers.

"... but as we move ahead in our journey we may need bold changes, swift adaptation and tough decisions, especially for evolving to a product portfolio that is more focused on premium and value-up ranges.

"While doing this we will continue to protect our current business base and gear up to make the organisation more efficient to take on the current and future trade evolution and competitive challenges.

"We are convinced that it is the winning strategy and will strengthen our ability to provide our consumers with Nutrition, Health and Wellness." they wrote.

On Indian markets, the two wrote that there was "inability to access or afford nutritious food is causing under-nutrition and related disorders".

"... it is also forecast that economic growth and related lifestyles changes will lead to over-nutrition related disorders such as obesity, and further aggravate the double burden of nutrition.

"The increasing demand for food from a population striving for a better life is further compounded by population growth.

The economy is struggling to ensure food and nutrition security even as the demand for food continues to grow and the land available for agriculture reduces," the letter said.

Who's the 'Real' Man Who Blew Lid Off Maggi Noodles in India? Food Safety Officers Squabble for Credit

India, June 3, 2015

On 10 March last year, a food inspector collected samples of Maggi noodles from a market in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and sent it to the Regional Public Analyst Laboratory in Gorakhpur for testing.

The tests revealed more than permissible levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the samples, and started the chain of events that has literally brought down Nestle India's ₹1,300 crore market for Maggi noodles annually in the country.

However, a dispute has emerged within the food safety department about who deserves credit for first exposing Maggi's dangerous lead and MSG contents.

So far, Barabanki's food safety inspector VK Pandey has been hailed as the man behind the expose.

In several interviews, Pandey has described how his team collected Maggi samples last year, sent it for tests and then notified Nestle over the excess lead and MSG, and then sent the samples for further tests to the Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata to confirm that Maggi was indeed dangerous for consumption.

"We collected the samples of almost every product from a shop and sent it for test at Gorakhpur's Regional Public Analyst Laboratory. Two weeks later, the report came that it was containing Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) beyond the permissible limit. We sent a notice to Nestle, the producer company, and Easy Day, the seller. But instead of following routine procedures to deposit a fine and withdraw the product for a while and then bring it back in the market without using MSG, the company challenged our laboratory report," Pandey had told Mail Today.

In fact, other food safety officers were all praise for Pandey.

"It was Pandey's own initiative. We don't ask our officers to go after anyone, unless there is a serious cause for caution, such as during festivals. Nonetheless, we encourage them to not differentiate between national or international brands. The focus should be on collecting samples of food products which are consumed a lot," Ram Araj Maurya, additional commissioner (administration), UP Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, toldThe Indian Express.

However, another food safety inspector, Pandey's junior, has now come forward to say that it was he who first collected the Maggi sample in Barabanki and got it tested.

Sanjay Singh, a 1998 batch food inspector, has accused his boss of taking the credit for the expose, though it was he who had done the legwork.

"I am the man behind the investigation against Nestle India's two-minute noodle," Singh told the Times of India.

"Had the department not backed me in my investigation of adulteration in the popular brand, the world would not have known the truth about how multi-national food companies compromise with our health," Singh said.

Singh told the paper that he had collected the Maggi samples in Barabanki, and even after the Gorakhpur lab tests showed excess MSG, he sent them for a second test to confirm the results.

"I notified Nestle about the irregularities. The firm challenged the tests and demanded a fresh test at the Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata. Even there, the results were the same and I stood vindicated," he said.

Singh stood by his claim in another interview to India Samvad.

Pandey, on the other hand, has acknowldeged Singh's work but maintained that he was the one to initiate action against the company.

"Every individual has been given a specific task in the administrative hierarchy. Sanjay collected the sample and sent it to the laboratory. However, it was I who took action after the reports mentioned presence of high level of chemicals in Maggi," he told TOI.

Despite the internal squabble for claiming credit over exposing the presence of hazardous ingredients in Maggi noodles , it is safe to say that it was the Uttar Pradesh Food Safety unit in Barabanki that first blew the lid off Maggi noodles.

Staff crunch in food safety dept: Delhi awaits more Maggi-like scares

While the world's attention remains riveted at the reported safety standard violations by instant noodles brand Maggi, Delhiites have a far serious reason to worry. In the absence of a full strength inspection force, the citizens are totally clueless as to how hygienic all their food items really are.

There are 32 sanctioned posts of food safety officers, out of which 20 posts have been lying vacant for more than a year now. A food safety officer assists the designated officer in all matters related to field inspections, including lifting of samples and instituting prosecution proceedings against defaulters in a court of law.

Not just that. About 70 per cent of posts of food analysts - who test samples in labs and prepare reports - have also remained vacant for a year. What it basically means is this: It's not just Maggi. You could be eating a lot of other unhealthy food items too, and are blissfully unaware of it because the government hasn't deployed enough number of food inspectors.

About 60 per cent of food inspectors' posts in the food safety department have remained vacant in the Capital. This has come as a major blow to inspections, lifting of samples and prosecution of offenders. The existing inspectors are assigned other jobs too, making them ignore their primary function.

"These posts have been lying vacant for more than a year now. We have escalated the matter to Delhi government and new people are likely to be hired soon. Such posts should not remain vacant for long as these officers have a direct link to citizen's health," KK Jindal, commissioner, department of food safety, told Mail Today.

The government's food and drug department keeps vigil on the market by way of surprise inspections and raids on food establishments, besides drawing samples of food articles that can be adulterated, substandard or misbranded. On an average, it receives 125 food samples a month for testing. In 2014-2015, the department sent 1,480 samples of various food items for testing.

There are 11 districts in the Capital, for which there are 12 food safety officers. Interestingly, apart from conducting regular inspections, these food officers have to perform other duties too. "At least two food officers are deployed on VIP duty every month. They have to look after court cases too," Jindal added.

As per the official process, the food department first receives a complaint about an adulterated food item. The report is then marked to the designated district officer and he, along with a food safety officer, visits the shop to collect samples. These samples are then sent for testing to a food analyst, who sends the report to the department concerned.

A lot on plate

Due to the posts lying vacant, the overall process gets hampered, health department sources said. "As nearly 70 per cent of the food analysts' posts are lying vacant, the lab testing process - which should ideally take 3-4 days - takes 15 to 20 days," a health official told Mail Today.

Due to the large number of food business operators in Delhi, the role and availability of such officers is important. "There are times when complaints keep pending for a month as the department waits for the lab reports," the official added.

The department also carries out awareness campaigns for the consumers and endeavours to educate food business operators for enabling them to comply with food safety management systems as prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The Act is meant to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe food for human consumption.

In Bihar, 14 officers man food safety in 1.5 lakh shops

PATNA: Food safety is a matter of concern, thanks to a nationwide row over Maggi. Bihar's food safety wing has, however, only 14 officers to man its 38 districts. In contrast, the food safety officers number 554 in Tamil Nadu, 273 in UP, 178 in Gujarat, 169 in Madhya Pradesh and 87 in Jammu & Kashmir, according to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) website.

Bihar food safety commissioner Anand Kishor candidly admits this wing is understaffed. "But the health department has accepted a proposal to create 625 posts of food safety officers. The finance department will soon give its nod to it," he said.

The state food safety wing has been functioning with skeletal staff for long, and this has hit the department's functioning adversely. According to an official report for 2014-15, there are at least 1.5 lakh food business operators in the state. But only 23,435 are registered and 8,678 are licensed. That is, only 32,000 or so are on the radar.

This is in contravention of the FSSAI guidelines according to which any food unit having an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh has to be registered. Those having a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh have to be licensed. The mandate to register or license such units lies with the food safety officers.

Collection of samples for safety checks has also been poor in Bihar - for obvious reasons. In 2014-15, only 1,763 samples could be collected from across the state. Now that the state has banned all smokeless tobacco products other than raw 'khaini', the workload of the already-overworked 14 officers has upped.

Worse, Bihar does not have a functional food safety lab. The food safety wing's lab at Aghamkuan in Patna has been defunct for four years. The lab does not have a food analyst to conduct tests on samples.

Food safety wing lab not functional

"We advertised the post twice, but we could not get anyone who fulfilled the eligibility criteria. We cannot change the criteria because they are prescribed by the Centre," Kishor says.

The state food safety wing for now relies on a private Kolkata lab which is accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. However, this arrangement has its own drawbacks. As the Maggi saga unfolded, Bihar sent the first lot samples on May 23. But till May 6, the test reports did not come, the state food safety wing's repeated requests for expediting the tests notwithstanding.

"Though test reports usually come within 14 days; at times they don't," one official disclosed.

Pendency of cases in courts adds to the woes of food safety wing which does not have a lawyer of its own. The officers have to coordinate with government counsel concerned to pursue the cases. Official records reveal no one was convicted in 2014-15 though penalties in five cases worth Rs 38,000 were realized and 16 cases were filed.

FSSAI PUTS A ‘TWIST’ ON INSTANT NOODLES

After having found fault with Maggi noodles, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) now plans to test other brands of noodles and snacks items like pasta and macaroni available in the market.

Samples of popular products like ITC’s Sunfeast Yippee, HUL’s Knorr and Nissin Foods’ Top Ramen and Wai Wai will be picked up for testing and by Monday the FSSAI will give out a list of brands that have its approval for sale in the Indian market. In the meantime, on Saturday, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Mizoram too clamped down on Maggi.

“We will check all other instant noodle brands as well. Why should we restrict to one brand? We are drawing samples of other noodle brands,” said FSSAI CEO Yudhvir Singh Malik.

“On Monday, we will publish names of all brands of instant noodles, macaroni and pasta which have taken approval from FSSAI to sell their products. Samples of those brands will be collected for testing.

The brands or products that have not taken approval are unauthorised and an action would be contemplated against them,” Malik said, adding there could be many brands which have not taken approval from FSSAI.

The FSSAI, however, has no plans to initiate action against actors who have endorsed Maggi, giving them “benefit of doubt” assuming they may not have an idea about the ingredients of the product. The FSSAI, however, wants all brand ambassadors endorsing products to be aware of the product they are promoting.

Maharashtra decided to impose a ban on Maggi noodles after some samples in Pune were found to contain lead above the permissible limit. “Three of the six samples collected from Pune, Kolhapur and Aurangabad were found to contain lead above the permissible limit,” State Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat announced in Pune. Incidentally, samples from Mumbai tested earlier were found to have lead content within permissible limits.

“We have banned the sale of Maggi noodles and as well as its manufacturing at its Moga plant,” Punjab Commissioner Food and Drug Administration Hussan Lal said.

Karnataka Government, which awaiting lab reports on Maggi noodles, has also ordered testing of other noodle brands as well for food safety standards. “Without any justification blindly no decision will be taken. We have sent about 24 samples of Maggi to NABL- accredited private laboratories in Karnataka,” Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said in Bengaluru. He pointed out one lab has given the report saying the lead content is within the permissible limit. “We are expecting reports from other labs on MSG on Monday,” he added.

“Not only Maggi, because company is not important for us, what is important is whether noodles is healthy or unhealthy; for that we have taken (samples from) seven to eight companies also and our food officers will be giving it for testing, on the basis of the report we will be able to decide on action to be taken in the days to come,” Khader said.

However, following FSSAI orders on Friday, Karnataka has ordered all four units of Nestlé in the State to stop production of instant noodles immediately and withdraw stocks from the market. The FSSAI had ordered recall of all nine variants of Maggi instant noodles from the market and banned their production and sale. Khader said all supermarkets and shops have been ordered not to sell Maggi or exhibit them.

The Minister also warned companies selling energy drinks and powders that claim to help gain weight or height, saying: “We will look into this next. I want these companies to either set it right or withdraw now only, before there is a case on you.”

Similarly, Food Safety Commissioner in Arunachal Pradesh directed distributors, wholesalers and retailers of nine Maggi variants to recall them with immediate effect while Mizoram will ban the sale of Maggi noodles from Monday. Officials said Mizoram has also stopped import and sale of four energy drinks - Monster, Tzinga, Cloud 9 Pomegranate/Red Grape/Wild Berry/Premium and Akoarama - after these were banned by the FSSAI between November 2014 and May 2015. The FSSAI withdrew no objection certificate (NOC) to these energy drinks after the combination of caffeine and ginseng was found to be irrational. Ginseng and caffeine have opposing effects.