Maggi ban: Nestle India violated laws, FSSAI tells HC

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday alleged in the Bombay high court that Nestle India had violated laws in the country by producing Maggi with lead content more than permissible limits.

"The company had acted in an untrustworthy manner...they had the capacity to produce a safe product but had not done so," Mahmood Pracha, counsel for FSSAI's CEO, argued before a bench of justice VM Kanade and justice BP Colabawalla.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Nestle India against FSSAI's June 5 order banning nine variants of Maggi and Maharashtra government's order prohibiting their sale.

Even in foreign countries where Maggi was found to be of sub-standard quality, the product had been banned, said Pracha who cited an instance of the Philippines where it was withdrawn.

The lawyer clarified that Indian government had not banned Maggi but asked the company to stop production and sale of the product as it contained lead above permissible levels. After FSSAI issued a notice to Nestle, the company could have given a reply within a day but it chose not to do so, he said.

The notice had been issued to the company, keeping in mind the health hazards Maggie could have caused to the people due to alleged high lead presence in the product, he said.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, who represents Food and Drugs Administration of Maharashtra government, said he would argue on July 27, justifying the state's action against Maggie for containing lead more than the permissible limits.

The hearing was adjourned until then by the bench.

Nestle has argued that a certain batch of Maggi may have contained lead beyond permissible limit but the decision to impose a blanket ban was "unfair and illegal."

The company has claimed that it had tested the product in 2,700 laboratories in India and also abroad and the tests indicated that the lead content was less than the permissible limit of 0.5%

Food regulator FSSAI within law in ordering Maggi recall: Counsel

In the Nestle-food regulator dispute over the Maggi recall order, the counsel for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said the regulator was within the framework of law in issuing the directive.

In the Nestle-food regulator dispute over the Maggi recall order, the counsel for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said the regulator was within the framework of law in issuing the directive. 

Nestle India has challenged FSSAI's June 5 order banning nine variants of the popular instant food snack in the Bombay High Court. A bench comprising Justice VM Kanade and Justice BP Colabawalla is hearing arguments on whether the FSSAI order is within the law or not. 

Advocate Mehmood Pracha, who is representing FSSAI, said, "The regulator is the facilitator to the companies who are manufacturing the products, but it has to also protect the interest of consumers who are not well informed." 

Pracha argued that at the time of granting product approval to the company, the regulator puts trust into the product manufacturer that it will abide by the laws, but when they are found breaching the trust, the regulator has to take the action. 

"We are asking them to show us how much product they have recalled and what are they doing with it, but they are not giving us any response," said Pracha. "We also sought information on who are the company's retailers and distributors and they have not given us any details regarding that too." 

The bench has also directed the counsel to compile all the arguments and submit it to the court.

Nestle India violated laws, FSSAI tells HC

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday alleged in the Bombay High Court that Nestle India had violated laws in the country by producing Maggi with lead content more than permissible limits. 

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday alleged in the Bombay High Court that Nestle India had violated laws in the country by producing Maggi with lead content more than permissible limits.

"The company had acted in an untrustworthy manner...they had the capacity to produce a safe product but had not done so," Mahmood Pracha, Counsel for FSSAI's CEO, argued before a bench of Justices V M Kanade and B P Colabawalla. 

The court was hearing a petition filed by Nestle India against FSSAI's June 5 order banning nine variants of Maggi and Maharashtra government's order prohibiting their sale. 

Even in foreign countries where Maggi was found to be of sub-standard quality, the product had been banned, said Pracha who cited an instance of the Philippines where it was withdrawn. 

The lawyer clarified that Indian government had not banned Maggi but asked the company to stop production and sale of the product as it contained lead above permissible levels. 

After FSSAI issued a notice to Nestle, the company could have given a reply within a day but it chose not to do so, he said. 

The notice had been issued to the company, keeping in mind the health hazards Maggie could have caused to the people due to alleged high lead presence in the product, he said. Senior counsel Darius Khambata, who represents Food and Drugs Administration of Maharashtra government, said he would argue on July 27, justifying the state's action against Maggie for containing lead more than the permissible limits. 

The hearing was adjourned until then by the bench. Nestle has argued that a certain batch of Maggi may have contained lead beyond permissible limit but the decision to impose a blanket ban was "unfair and illegal."

The company has claimed that it had tested the product in 2,700 laboratories in India and also abroad and the tests indicated that the lead content was less than the permissible limit of 0.5 on Friday.

கலப்பட தேயிலை, தரமற்ற பண்டங்கள் பறிமுதல்:மேட்டூரில் 35 மளிகை, டீக்கடைகளுக்கு நோட்டீஸ்

மேட்டூர்:மேட்டூரில் நேற்று ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர்கள், கலப்பட தேயிலை, தரமற்ற உணவு பண்டங்கள் விற்பனை செய்த, 35 கடைகளுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் கொடுத்தனர்.மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையில், அலுவலர்கள் மாரியப்பன், இளங்கோவன், அன்புபழனி குழுவினர் நேற்று மேட்டூர் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட், ராமன்நகர், சாம்பள்ளி கடைகளில் ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர். அப்போது மேட்டூர் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட் கடைகளில் சுகாதாரமற்ற நிலையில் திறந்தவெளியில் வைத்து விற்பனை செய்த போண்டா, பஜ்ஜி உள்ளிட்ட உணவு பண்டங்களை அலுவலர்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

மேலும், காலாவதி தேதி இல்லாத குளிர்பானம், பிஸ்கட், கேக் உள்ளிட்ட பொருட்களும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. ராமன்நகர், சாம்பள்ளி பகுதியில், டீக்கடைகளில் நடத்திய ஆய்வில், கலப்பட தேயிலை உபயோகிப்பது தெரியவந்தது.

கடைகளில் வைத்திருந்த, 5 கிலோ கலப்பட்ட தேயிலை, மளிகை கடைகளில் சட்டவிரோதமாக விற்பனை செய்த, 5,000 ரூபாய் மதிப்புள்ள, ஹான்ஸ், புகையில் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது.

ஆய்வுக்கு பின் காலாவதி பொருட்கள், தரமற்ற, கலப்பட உணவு பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்த, மளிகை கடை, ஹோட்டல், டீக்கடை உள்ளிட்ட, 35 கடைகளுக்கு மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அனுராதா நோட்டீஸ் கொடுத்து, வருங்காலத்தில் இதே நிலை நீடித்தால், சட்டரீதியான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்தார்.

Bombay HC questions ban on all Maggi variants

The Bombay High Court on Thursday questioned the ban on all nine variants of Maggi noodles when only three were tested.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that three variants of the product were tested and found to have lead in excess of the permissible limits.

“Correct, so ban those three. You banned all nine,” a Division Bench of Justices V.M. Kanade and B.P. Colabawalla remarked. When the food regulator defended the ban saying the authorities did not want to take a risk, the Bench said: “If that is the argument, why ban only Nestle? Ban all the noodles.”

The court also asked FSSAI why a show-cause notice on the ban was not issued to Nestle India. “Your show-cause notice is about the revocation of product approval. Out of 72 samples which were tested 30 had excess lead. That means 42 samples were clear. So was it not necessary to issue show-cause before passing an order of ban? If one batch is bad, you will ban the entire product?” the court asked.

Adverse results

The FSSAI maintained that the decision to ban the whole product was based on adverse results from many States. Furthermore, since Maggi was eaten by children, unlike other products such as alcohol or ‘gutka’, the authorities decided to ban the product to avoid any risk.

Serious consequences

“Lead can cause serious damage to the brain and kidney. Serious consequences were considered before passing the order. Ultimately we could not have taken any risk to allow them to sell or manufacture the product,” Additional Solicitor-General Anil Singh, representing the FSSAI, said.

He pointed out that Nestle had started withdrawing its products from the market a day before FSSAI passed its order of June 5, 2015, terming Maggi noodles “unsafe and hazardous for human consumption.”

Maggi ban: We did not act in haste, FSSAI tells Bombay HC

The country's apex food regulator, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), on Thursday said it did not act in haste when passing the ban and recall order pertaining toMaggi on June 5.

Arguing the matter at the high court here, Maharashtra's advocate general Anil Singh, who is representing FSSAI, said Nestle India had begun withdrawing Maggi on June 4 in anticipation of a recall order by the regulator. "There was no need for the FSSAI to showcause Nestle as far as the recall order went since the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, empowers the chief executive of FSSAI to act as food safety commissioner in the event a food product shows high presence of a heavy metal. In this case, it was lead. We showcaused Nestle India pertaining to product approval of Maggi asking them why we should grant them approval to manufacture and sell the product when it contained high levels of lead. They could have satisfied us on the matter. They, however, chose to go to court," Singh said.

Singh also said that Nestle's contention that it was only Section 34 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, that empowered the regulator to issue emergency prohibition orders was incorrect.

"Sections 16(1) gives the FSSAI the power to regulate and monitor the manufacture, processing and distribution of a food business operator to ensure that food produced by it was safe and wholesome. Section 29 also empowers FSSAI and state food authority to enforce the Act, which involves monitoring and verifying that relevant requirements of the law are fulfilled by the food business operator," Singh said, adding that the role of FSSAI was to be proactive when ensuring that food was safe and wholesome.

Singh also said that the regulator's actions were fully justified in the wake of the test results from various states showing that lead was beyond the permissible limit.

"If FSSAI has granted approval to a product from a food business operator, it has the right to withdraw it as well in the event it sees the food business operator committing violations. In this case, there were violations, which prompted action," he said.

The AG also came down heavily on Nestle pertaining to its 'No added MSG' label, asking what was the need to confuse consumers with this label.

"Buyers of Maggi would be under the impression there is no MSG, when the company is actually saying that it does not add MSG. There is a difference between the two and Nestle has admitted MSG can be found naturally in the product. This label was intended to gain commercial advantage," Singh said, adding that Nestle had decided to correct this after it was brought to its attention by the regulator.

Maggi ban would have been lifted if Nestle acted on time: FSSAI

Nestle India says the authorities failed to do a number of things before declaring its product unsafe

Mumbai: Regulator Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) told the Bombay high court on Thursday that if Nestle India Ltd had come to it and satisfied its requirements for product approval within 15 days as sought in its 5 June order, the ban on the sale of Maggi noodles could have been lifted.

According to Nestle India, however, the authorities failed to do a number of things before declaring its product unsafe, including issuing the company a show-cause notice before announcing the ban and conducting tests on the food as it is meant to be consumed.

The food regulator’s order to stop sales, distribution and manufacture of Maggi noodles came a day after Nestle India’s announcement recalling all Maggi packets from the market. Hence there was no need for a show-cause notice, said Anil Singh, Maharashtra additional solicitor general and counsel for FSSAI. He added that the company’s decision to recall the product was also ground for suspicion.

On Wednesday, the food regulator said that it had wide powers and could act against products even if there was “mere suspicion” that the food presented a risk to human health.

The 5 June order alleged three major violations by Nestle India: the presence of lead in excess of the maximum permissible levels of 2.5 parts per million (ppm), misleading labelling on Maggi noodles packets reading ‘No added MSG’ (monosodium glutamate), and release of a non-standardized food product in the market—Maggi Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker—without risk assessment and grant of product approval.

The company has agreed to change its packaging to rectify the mislabelling. It is also recalling the products, said Singh.

“Now it is to be seen if the product application is proper. I don’t understand why they have petitioned this court,” he said.

“This is not a permanent ban. We ultimately want safety of consumers,” Singh said, adding, “Everyone likes Maggi, we are not against them.”

Nestle senior counsel Iqbal Chagla also questioned the validity of the tests, saying government labs are not equipped to conduct them as they do not accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories to test either for lead or cereals and spices.

FSSAI proposes banning health supplements sale as 'medicines'

Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also proposed the maximum usage levels for cow's milk, buffalo's milk, camel's milk, ghee, curd, butter, honey, gold, gold foil, silver, pearl in ayurveda, siddha and unani ingredients based products.

Clamping down on mis-labelling of 'health supplements', food safety regulator FSSAIon Thursday proposed banning sale of these products as 'medicines' and announced new norms for products based on ayurveda, sidhha, unani and other traditional health systems.

Under the new draft regulations announced late tonight, the companies can't claim that their nutraceuticals and health supplement products are for therapeutic and curative purposes.

"Every package of food or health supplements shall carry the words FOOD or HEALTH SUPPLEMENT... the term 'NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE' shall be prominently written on the label," as per a draft order issued by FSSAI, which recently created a flutter by banning the popular Maggi noodles.

Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also proposed the maximum usage levels for cow's milk, buffalo's milk, camel's milk, ghee, curd, butter, honey, gold, gold foil, silver, pearl in ayurveda, siddha and unani ingredients based products.

The limit has been fixed as maximum usage levels per day for use as a health or food supplements which are based on ayurveda, siddha and unani.

The regulator will finalise the safety norms after receiving comments from all stakeholders on the draft note.

FSSAI said that the benefits of specialty foods containing ingredients based on ayurveda, unani and siddha and other traditional health systems of India, should be shown by science based evidence.

Yesterday, industry body Assocham had released a knowledge paper suggesting that FSSAI should come up with safety norms for nutraceuticals and dietary supplements.

In the paper, the industry body said about 60-70% supplements in the nutraceuticals market, which has potential to grow to US $12.2 billion in the next five years, are fake and such unregistered and unapproved products should be recalled.

India accounts for 1.5% of the global nutraceuticals market.

Heinz, Kellogg's, Nestle, Hormel, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKlinePharmaceuticals are key players in this segment.

FSSAI proposes norms for health supplements

NEW DELHI: Soon health supplements imported and manufactured India would clearly mention that these are "not for medicinal use". Country's food safety regulator has for the first time proposed standards for nutraceuticals, health supplements and products containing ingredients based on ayurveda, unani, sidhha and other traditional health systems. 

Notifying the draft norms, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said on Thursday that every package of food or health supplements shall carry the words "Food or Health Supplement" and also "Not for Medicinal Use" on the label. The description should also indicate the true nature of the food supplement including the common names of the categories of nutrients or substances that characterize the product. 

The draft norm said no person shall manufacture, pack, sell, offer for sale, market or distribute or import any package or container containing any food supplement, if the package or container does not bear a label containing all the particulars and requirements specifically laid down in the regulations. 

"The labelling, presentation and advertising shall not attribute to food or health supplements the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease, or refer to such properties," the draft regulations said. According to the draft norms, the quantity of nutrients shall be expressed in terms of percentages of the relevant "recommended daily allowances" as prescribed in India by the Indian Council of Medical Research and shall bear a warning "not to exceed the recommended daily dose". It must also mention the warning or any other precautions to be taken while consuming, known side effects if any. 

It further said that the formulation of the foods shall be based on sound medical or nutritional principles and supported by validated scientific data. Moreover, no hormones or steroids or psychotropic ingredients shall be added in these foods. The labels shall clearly mention the purpose, the target consumer group and the physiological or disease conditions which they address, apart from the specific labelling requirements as mentioned against each type of food.

Food safety: special drive at check-posts

The food safety wing will conduct a special drive at check-posts from August 1 to 25 in view of Onam season to ensure that pesticide-laden vegetables, fruits, and adulterated milk and edible oils do not reach the State, a press note issued by Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said on Thursday.

Officials are inspecting vehicles transporting vegetables to check for the FSSA licence /registration of the trader sending the consignment and the one receiving it. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has given time till August 4 for traders to secure the FSSA licence/registration.

In the past two months, over 8,000 registrations and over 3,000 licences have been issued in the State.

The Health Secretary has been asked to inform the neighbouring States about the steps being taken by Kerala Government as part of Operation Ruchi.

A bitter aftertaste

Consumer inaction after suspecting foul play with their food, can lead to dangerous consequences in the long run.

A banker friend of Rajam Ganesan found worms inside a packet of baby food he had bought for his 3-year-old child . When he tried to return it to the retailer and filed a written complaint against the brand, seeking clarification, the retailer simply put back the letter in the same box the food was packed in.

“The packet didn’t reach the brand owners and was just kept aside like any other item in the shop. A theatre-owner was the unlucky next customer of that packet for his twin daughters. The mother who found the letter, was however illiterate, and she thought the complaint was just a paper of the product’s specifications. In the next few days, one of her children died. The issue went unreported as the parents didn’t want to take up the issue; the damage was already done, they felt,” Rajam said at a panel discussion on ‘Food Safety – Consumer Rights’ earlier this week.

In the advent of concerns surrounding food safety, talk about bans on specific food products and rising instances of biryani and pizza joints providing inedible food, the need for the consumer to be extra cautious has become inevitable.

There’s a considerable leverage that we give to an organisation or a product as a one-off occasion. Even if there’s a revolt or a ranting, most of such cases end with momentary settlements and the issue sparingly comes out in the open. Karuna, a food connoisseur and a regular traveller points out, “The response when it comes to the majors is quite immediate. However, when you eat in a regional joint providing stale food, only wide campaigns, say, on the social media come to the rescue.”

Confessing to not using processed food for her son when he was younger, Karuna adds, “Generally, these things end whenever it doesn’t affect you immediately. You only hit the labs when you think of food contamination and food testing. Such practices and the awareness barely exist in the country. When a product is being banned after nearly two decades of consistent usage, the way you perceive food changes drastically.”

The ban on certain foods somehow hasn’t done enough to make people believe in the dangers lurking in adulterated dals, flours and oils all around even though one does think of minimising reliance on food prepared outside the home.

“For long, Kesari dal has been sold as masoor dal as its cheaper, but awareness of kits that can detect this is low among the public,” says Santhana Rajan, who heads a consumer help centre. The list of contaminants and inherent dangers is long, including the well-known unseasonal and early ripening of mangoes using calcium carbide.

Suspicions about food standards in the manufacturing sector, more than the raw materials, makes this issue take another turn. There’s an interesting case wherein farmers use a different set of produce for their family and a different one is sent for factories. The use of uncertified fertilizers and pesticides is one of the significant reasons.

Things can change for the better, when a consumer is sure of what they are about to buy. “The transparency about ingredients in a buyer-friendly language is missing, we need to surpass this. For packeted foods especially, it’s about labelling. There are other set of problems that arise when the food is bought loose. Even as we have tests to prove whether the food is consumable or not, most people rely on Government agencies,” says Kinnera Murthy, a strategy consultant.

PIL seeks Censor Board-like body to check misleading advertisements By

Gujarat High Court issued notices to the Centre and the state government over a PIL demanding formation of a Censor Board-like body for approval of advertisements.

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat High Court today issued notices to the Centre and the state government over a PIL demanding formation of a Censor Board-like body for approval of advertisements. 

A bench of acting Chief Justice V M Sahai and Justice R P Dholaria issued notice to the Home Departments of the Union and the state governments, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Consumer and Civil Supply Department in connection with the petition. 

The High Court also sought a response from Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and Press Council of India over misleading advertisements being published and broadcast in various print and electronic media. 

The court acted on the PIL filed by Mehsana resident Ganpat Parmar who has sought a Censor Board-like central body without whose approval no advertisement should be allowed to be published or broadcast. 

There is only one non-governmental body, Advertising Standard Council of India ( ASCI), which monitors the issues of misleading advertisement but it cannot take punitive action against those who have been found cheating consumers, advocate Jugal Dave, appearing for the petitioner, told the court. 

According to Cigarettes and other Tobacco Product Act, 2003, one cannot advertise these products, but in the guise of club soda, music CDs or bravery awards, producers of tobacco, cigarette or alcohol press their advertisements through various media these days, he said. 

These are surrogate type advertisements on which the producers of tobacco or alcohol products spend 15 to 20 per cent of their profit, which should be cut short to ten per cent and such advertisements should be banned during TV shows for children, Dave said. 

The petitioner said cigarettes manufacturers use words like light or mild, which gives an impression that it is less harmful to the smoker. 

In USA, cigarette manufacturers cannot use such words and this should also be implemented in India, the petitioner demanded. 

The petitioner also raised the issues of various health drinks, which make tall claims of increasing height or weight. 

There is a model in European Union, which suggests that manufacturers of health drinks should provide minute details of level of protein and high fibre in such drinks and there should be a check on whether those supplements can help the consumers gain weight or height. 

The petitioner further said beauty products' advertisements use modern techniques to show that one gets a glow after using it for certain period of time. This practice should also be banned. 

The High Court has posted the PIL for further hearing on August 27. 

This Domino's Outlet's License Has Been Suspended. Here's Why

The license of a Domino's Pizza outlet at Gajraula area on NH-24 here has been revoked by the authorities after its sauce was found to be "below standard" in lab test. The District Food Safety authority suspended the license after the samples of tomato ketchup collected from the outlet failed to pass the lab tests.

"The decision came after samples taken from the outlet failed lab test," Amrohha Chief Food Safety Officer Anil Singh told PTI. However, the Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, which operates Domino's Pizza brand in India and Sri Lanka, contested the findings and described the test as "invalid."

"We are raising this case with the relevant respected authorities to check the validity of the suspension order, given this background," Jubilant FoodWorks spokesperson said. According to the company spokesperson, the tomato ketchup snack dressing product was procured by Domino's from a third party, which goes through regular testing for food safety from government accredited labs.

"The particular sample under question, was manufactured in September 2014 and collected for testing in October 2014. It failed test on ground of "package label non-compliance", as the label was detaching from the package but "passed "on all other parameters of food safety.

"The retest was carried out in March 2015 from the same sample, which in the meantime had gone past it's 'Best before Date', which was 6 months. Thus, it was an invalid test," the spokesperson said. According to Food Officer Singh, he had sent the samples for testing at the state food laboratory and the report came yesterday.

On the basis of the report the license of the outlet has been suspended till further decision, he said. Singh said that the report has been sent to Amroha District Magistrate Ved Prakash. "Domino's Pizza may go and appeal to the Food Safety Commissioner Lucknow. They can not supply till the decision (on the appeal)," he said. The development has come close on the heels of ban on sale of Maggi instant noodles after it failed to pass the lab test

Carcinogens, banned dye found in mid-day meal

MEERUT: Five months after the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) took samples of spices and condiments used in preparing mid-day meals from a primary school in Khanpur, results from the food testing laboratory in Lucknow are shocking. While 'Sudan', a colouring dye whose use is prohibited by law, was found in chilli powder, lead chromate was found in turmeric powder. A known carcinogen, lead chromate is used in printing inks and paints. It primarily affects the lungs but can also hit the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys and immune system. 

FSDA has now referred the matter to the Basic Shiksha Adhikari for further action. "A surprise inspection of the mid-day meal at a primary school in Khanpur village, Meerut, was done by our department on February 21 this year. The laboratory report has arrived and it shows these two substances in the food," JP Singh, chief food safety officer, Meerut district, told TOI on Wednesday. 

To know the impact of the chemicals found in the spices and condiments, which could affect thousands of unsuspecting children who take mid-day meals provided by the government, TOI spoke to city-based doctors who said they were "alarmed". Dr Harish Mohan Rastogi said, "The intake of lead chromate on a regular basis leads to chronic poisoning and if consumed for a long duration can cause cancer. It can also cause damage to the kidney and liver. These children were consuming this food for an unknown duration. The people involved in adulteration of the food with such substances should be given stringent punishment." 

Though Singh said he had sent the report to basic shiksha adhikari Mohd Iqbal, the latter maintained he hadn't received the document. "I have not received any such report from the FSDA yet. Once the reports reach me, I will be able to take a decision in the matter. It is sad that such substances have been found in the mid-day meal," Iqbal said. 

Untested food chokes state

Guwahati: Even though it is mandatory to test samples of edible oil and gram that enter the state from outside, reports of food poisoning following consumption of adulterated gram continue to plague Assam.

According to a government order, it is compulsory for the food safety department to take 'informal samples' of edible oil and gram that come from outside the state for standard testing.

If the samples are found unfit for consumption, the authorities have to take legal steps to initiate punitive measures against the manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of the product.

On Sunday, 17 people, including children, were hospitalized after they consumed adulterated gram and moong beans as prasad at a temple in the Amiya Nagar locality of the city.

"We are following the order and taking necessary steps. We have taken action against the firm from where the gram and moong beans were bought. It has been closed. The administration has asked the designated officers of the food safety department to take action," said M Angamuthu, deputy commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) district.

A few hours after consuming the prasad, the devotees began to complain of nausea, abdominal pain, vomitting and diarrhoea. Locals said the affected devotees took medicine but the symptoms persisted even four days after the ceremony.

"We collected over 10 samples of the prasad, five water samples and five samples of gram and moong beans. We are conducting tests and awaiting the results," said Samiran Baruah, food safety officer, Kamrup (Metro) district.

In March, over 500 people, including women and children, fell sick after consuming adulterated prasad at a religious programme in Barpeta district. Three persons, including a 10-year-old girl, died.

"Analysis of the Barpeta samples revealed the presence of fungal growth in the gram and moong beans used. After investigation, we found that the items had been bought from multiple sources from the neighbouring districts," said Bhavesh Bhuyan, designated officer, Barpeta district.

The ceremony was held at Nasattra village in the district. Following the incident, the shops from where the gram, moong beans and other items had been purchased were raided and the remaining supplies seized by the district administration.

Food destroyed

Officials on Wednesday seized food items that were kept in the open, and prepared under unhygienic conditions in roadside eateries near Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, and dumped them in a dustbin here. A team led by T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, inspected the eateries. The food items were exposed to dust, sun, and was unfit for consumption.