Love in the time of ban: Maggi thanks fans with #wemissyoutoo ads

A Maggi feast, titled the ‘last supper’, was organised by a few fans in South Delhi 

To a generation of Indians for whom instant noodles are a way of life, the ban on Maggi is not just about convenience -- it is also about nostalgia.

It is this sentiment that makers Nestle are targeting in a series of mushy video ads, as it preps for a comeback to shelves across the country.

The three ads promoted on social media under the hashtag #wemissyoutoo shows young men talking on camera about how life has never been the same since their 'friend' went away. 

The friend, by implication, is Maggi which was banned across the country on June 5 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after random tests showed the noodles contained above-permissible levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

The most favourited one, titled 'Mom', has a teen talking about how he never troubled his mother when he had friends coming over for late night get-togethers. Apparently they partied on two-minute noodles.

"This one is for all our fans! Can't thank you enough for your support. Share it and keep spreading the MAGGI love," an official post on the Meri Maggi youtube channel says.

The other videos have two other working males, without either the time or the skills to cook a decent meal, cribbing about how they are now forced to depend on home delivery menus and friendly neighbourhood aunties.

"This one is for all our fans! Can't thank you enough for your support. Share it and keep spreading the MAGGI love," an official post on the Meri Maggi youtube channel says.

The other videos have two other working males, without either the time or the skills to cook a decent meal, cribbing about how they are now forced to depend on home delivery menus and friendly neighbourhood aunties.

The campaign has been launched immediately after the Bombay high court order of August 14 which overturned the Maggi ban and ordered fresh tests. If Maggi clears those tests, it may be back soon, maybe even before the end of the year as Nestle India promised.

"We will try and target something that is better than that. My desire is to do it before that but let's see," says Nestle India managing director Suresh Narayanan.

Going by the chord the ad campaign has struck on the social media there are quite a number of hungry souls out there wishing their favourite snack is back sooner.

P.S: A two-minute poser to the makers of Maggi. Why are the ads featured only on men? Is it implied that girls always cook full meals?

FSSAI moves to notify draft food guidelines

The new draft guidelines cover almost 1,000 items versus the 377 items listed in the 2011 regulations

After last week's setback in the Supreme Court, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set in motion the process of notifying guidelines for proprietary foods, health supplements and additives, which were not covered under the food safety regulations of 2011. The latter operationalises the Food Safety & Standards, Act, 2006.

The drawback of the 2011 regulations are that it covers only 377 food items, implying that only these products are standardised and the rest are not. The new draft guidelines, which have been put up on the FSSAI website for public comments, covers almost 1,000 items under health supplements and nutraceuticals. Another 5,000-6,000 items have been included under the category of foods. The latter includes everything from proprietary to functional to novel foods and additives.

Public comments have been invited till September 23, after which FSSAI will include the feedback and suggestions appropriately in the draft guidelines. After that, the guidelines will move to the law ministry, and then Parliament, following which it is expected to be notified, persons in the know said.

Most food and healthcare companies expect the guidelines to be notified by early next year owing to the urgency of the matter. More importantly, the draft guidelines will get India up-to-speed with international standards under Codex Alimentarius - global standards and codes of practice related to foods, food production and food safety.

While India is a signatory to Codex, its norms are yet to be followed in India. The draft guidelines, according to R K Sanghavi, chairman, neutraceutical sub-committee, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association of India (IDMA), would align India with international standards. "The proposed regulations are positive from the point of view of companies as well as consumers as there will be specific regulations and standards which were hitherto absent in India."

It was IDMA along with a city-based company called Vital Neutraceuticals that had first moved the Bombay High Court last year challenging the FSSAI's product approval process based on what they termed 'arbitrary' guidelines. The problem had emerged because of the limited number of categories covered under the food safety regulations of 2011, compelling the regulator to find a 'middle path' to resolve the issue of clearing products that were not standardised. The product approval process was positioned as a solution, but it soon hit a rough patch owing to repeated advisories that the regulator would issue.

The Supreme Court last week deemed the entire process as invalid following an appeal by FSSAI that it stay the order passed earlier by the Bombay High Court in the matter. The Bombay High Court had also ruled the product approval process as illegal (this was in the Vital versus FSSAI case) after hearing detailed arguments from all sides.

While food and healthcare companies will no longer have to abide by any 'arbitrary' product approval process, it still does not mean they can get away, sources in the know said. FSSAI is said to be pushing hard to ensure these draft guidelines are notified, since it will ensure there are proper rules and regulations for all categories of food and healthcare products.

Apex court ruling on FSSAI order brings some relief to food, drug firms

MUMBAI, AUGUST 24: 

A recent Supreme Court ruling has brought some relief to food and nutraceutical companies that were unable to sell their products due to a “product approval process” introduced by the food safety regulator.

Last week, the apex court quashed a product approval advisory from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that required food companies to seek approval on a broad spectrum of products, including those already available/being consumed.

With the court rendering the product approval system (of May 2013) “defunct” (except on new products) companies will be able to bring products that had been held up due to delays in the approval process back into the market indicated RK Sanghavi, Chairman, Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association’s nutraceuticals sub-panel.

Several products, including Ranbaxy’s Revital (now owned by Sun Pharma), had been caught in this net and are now back in the market. Packaged food manufacturers are however, wary, preferring to wait for more clarity before bringing their products back.

The Supreme Court had upheld the judgment of the Bombay High Court (about a year ago) that had disposed of a Special Leave Petition filed by the FSSAI.

The Bombay High Court, in its August order, had said that the advisory had no force of law and that the FSSAI had no power to issue an advisory without it being ratified by Parliament. The issue had been brought to the court by Vital Neutraceuticals.

The industry had been knocking on FSSAI’s doors for about two years, said IDMA’s Daara Patel. The apex court’s order will allow health supplements, nutraceuticals and so on to enter the market in line with globally prevalent practices, he said.

Industry representatives, however, said that a recently issued draft of the FSS Act (2006) would bring in more clarity as it defined the different product categories and the claims they can make.

Products outlined in the guidelines issued late last month indicate that the product cannot claim medicinal properties. In fact, the guidelines list several ingredients, allowing firms easy access to the market if they contain them in combinations and quantities outlined in the rules. Only new products not mentioned here will require formal product approval.

This was a globally-accepted system, IDMA representatives said, adding that the consumer was protected by provisions already available in the law. Besides, safety has nothing to do with product approvals on paper, they said, adding that it depended on the FSSAI lifting samples from the market and testing them for their quality and safety.

Maggi case makes it to India Research Center of Harvard Business School

The India Research Center of Harvard Business School (HBS) is said to be working on a case study on one of the country’s biggest food recalls.

NEW DELHI: Maggi noodles may be going to Harvard, where Ivy Leaguers will try to pick apart the tangled strands of a narrative that saw the discovery of excessive lead content, the Indian food regulator banning the product in June, mass incineration in cement kilns and then a court battle.

While the story is by no means over — the court ordered further tests while setting aside the ban — the India Research Center of Harvard Business School (HBS) is said to be working on a case study on one of the country's biggest food recalls.

ET has learnt that the case study, which largely dwells on the missteps that led to the product withdrawal, is being put together on a fast-track basis and could be ready in about a month, against the more typical nine months or so that it takes to wrap up one of these.

HBS case studies have included the Jaipur Literature Festival and the Mumbai dabbawalas — the commercial capital's high-efficiency, low-cost, on-time meal delivery system. While the latter two are unqualified successes, the Maggi noodles episode is anything but that, having damaged the Swiss parent's brand value, exposed the Indian system's many faults and triggered harsh criticism of the regulator's crackdown by the government that runs it. On top of that, the judiciary poked holes in the manner in which the matter was pursued. Nestle India denied it had been approached for a case study. "We have not been contacted by Harvard Business School," a spokesperson said. The Business School itself declined to comment. "As a matter of policy and in fairness to the companies that work with us, we do not comment on cases until they are officially published and entered into the Harvard Business School case collection," Brian Kenny, HBS chief marketing and communications officer, said in an email revert to ET. "So I cannot provide you with any insight into cases that are currently in progress."

According to information available with ET, HBS has approached key stakeholders and top food companies for their views on the issue. "We have been approached for comment on the Nestle Maggi mess," a top official said. He didn't want to be named, given the sensitivity of the matter.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned the sale of Maggi noodles nationwide on June 5, although Nestle had recalled the product earlier that day, after tests showed samples exceeded the permissible level of lead. The regulator also cited mislabeling of monosodium glutamate (MSG) content.

It also said that the company had begun sales of Maggi oat noodles without product approval. On August 13, the Bombay High Courtoverturned the ban and ordered fresh tests of the two-minute snack within six weeks.

Some industry experts were of the view that Nestle reacted late, with regard to reassuring both the regulator and consumers. For over a week after the controversy first broke in May, the company did not issue any definitive statement to address the concerns of regulators or consumers. Nestle officials held a press conference more than two weeks after the news broke.

"This story moved from local to national very, very quickly," said Shiv Visvanathan, public intellectual and social scientist. "The multinational, being a multinational, took its time to react. It got played out through a huge lot of publicity. In the days of enormous disasters such as the Union Carbide Bhopal gas leak tragedy of 1984 or the verdict steel giant Posco faced for environment damage, there wasn't all this social media and so much other media. It's different now." But the company could bounce back. "Nestle's mess could be temporary," he said. "Nestle and Maggi seem to be a case of a mighty multinational being disciplined by the government."

In the past month, food regulators of seven countries, including the US, UK, Singapore and Australia, have cleared India-made Maggi noodles to be safe for consumption.

அதிகாரிகள் கண்டுகொள்வார்களா? தடைசெய்யப்பட்ட பான்மசாலா விற்பனை படுஜோர்

பர மக் குடி, ஆக.25:

பர மக் குடி மற் றும் அதன் சுற் றுப் புற பகு தி களில் அர சின் தடையை மீறி பான் மசாலா விற் பனை அமோ க மாக நடந்து வரு கி றது. அதி கா ரி கள் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என சமூக ஆர் வ லர் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

தமி ழ கத் தில் கடந்த 2013 ஏப் ரல் 23ம் தேதி பான் ம சாலா, வாயில் மெல் லும் புகை யிலை பொருட் களுக்கு தடை விதிக் கப் பட்டது. இப் பொ ருட் களை மொத் த மா கவோ, சில் ல ரை யா கவோ விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது. மீறி னால் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்டு நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என எச் ச ரிக் கை யும் விடப் பட்டது.

ஆனால் ராம நா த பு ரம் மாவட்டத் தில் பர மக் குடி மற் றும் அதன் சுற் றுப் புற பகு தி களில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் பனை ஜோராக நடந்து வரு கி றது. தடையை பயன் ப டுத்தி, மறை மு க மாக அதிக விலை வைத்து இந்த பாக் கெட்டு கள் விற் கப் ப டு கின் றன. இவற்றை கண் கா ணித்து நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டிய அதி கா ரி கள் கண் டு கொள் வ தில்லை என சமூக ஆர் வ லர் கள் குற் றம் சாட்டி யுள் ள னர்.

இது குறித்து சமூ க ஆர் வ லர் பார்த் தி ப னூர் விஜ ய ரா க வன் கூறு கை யில், ‘‘மாநில அள வில் தின மும் 4 கோடி வரை இப் பொ ருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கின் றன. ரூ.100 கோடி வரை வரு வாய் கிடைப் ப தாக ஒரு ஆய்வு தெரி வித் துள் ளது. பான் ம சலா, வாயில் மெல் லும் புகை யி லையை பயன் ப டுத் து வ தால் புற் று நோய், சிறு நீ ரக பாதிப்பு, நரம்பு மண் ட லம், மூளை பாதிப்பு உட் பட பல் வேறு உடல் உபா தை கள் ஏற் பட வாய்ப் புள் ளது. இப் பழக் கதை கைவிட முடி யா மல் இளை ஞர் கள் பலர் சுற்றி வரு கின் ற னர். கடை களில் பதுக்கி வைத்து இப் பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றது. ரூ.5 க்கு விற் பனை செய் யப் பட்ட பாக் கெட் ரூ.10 முதல் 15 வரை யும், சற்று பெரிய அள வி லான பாக் கெட் ரூ.30 வரை யும் கொள்ளை லாபம் வைத்து விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர் ’’ என் றார்.

நச் சுப்ெ பா ருட் கள் அதி கம்

மருத் து வர் ஒரு வர் கூறு கை யில், ‘‘பான் ம சாலா, வாயில் மெல் லும் உணவு பொருட் களில் காரி யம், சோடி யம் கார் ப னேட், அமோ னியா, அமோ னி யம் கார் ப னேட், நைட் ரஸ் போன்ற உட லுக்கு தீங்கு ஏற் ப டுத் தும் நச் சுப் பொ ருட் கள் அதிக அள வில் உள் ளன. 4 ஆயி ரத் துக் கும் மேற் பட்ட நச்சு பொருட் கள் இதில் உள் ளன. நீண்ட காலம் இப் பொ ருட் கள் பயன் ப டுத் து வோ ருக்கு பற் கள், ஈறு கள் சிதைந்து போகும், வாயில் புகை யி லையை வைப் ப தால் அரித்து துளை ஏற் ப டும் வாய்ப் புள் ளது. இப் ப ழக் கத்தை திடீர் என நிறுத் தி னால் ஏற் ப டும் பாதிப்பு விரை வில் சரி யாகி விடும் ’’ என் றார்.

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

FSSAI may issue NOCs for product launches

This system to be followed till the regulation is amended

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23: 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will likely issue provisional ‘No Objection Certificates’ (NOCs) to food manufacturers for product launches after the Supreme Court quashed its product approval advisory issued last week.

This system will remain in place till the regulation can be amended in tune with the apex court’s ruling on August 19.

Industry stakeholders had sought clarity over what would follow after the advisory was made invalid for approvals that had been rejected by or were pending with the food regulator, FSSAI.

Sources said FSSAI officials, including Chairman Ashish Bahuguna, indicated the possible solution to prevent manufacturers from being stuck in a limbo at a meeting with industry officials on Saturday.

The meeting was held under the aegis of industry chamber Assocham.

“One of the core issues in front of the industry after the SC order is how we proceed with product launches. It seems the food regulator could look at giving a provisional NOC to help companies launch products till there is an amendment,” said a senior official present at the meeting.

A presentation made by the industry highlighted the need for risk assessment and mitigation processes to be instituted by FSSAI prior to subsequent decisions and regulations.

A “suitable redressal mechanism” was also requested at the Central and State levels.

Core group

Importantly, the presentation suggested that the label of ‘proprietary food’ be removed till specific standards are established and that a procedure was required to approve ingredients and additives cleared by food agencies abroad but not by FSSAI.

“FSSAI officials said that industry should form a core group to give their suggestions regarding problems they are facing with regulations. We urged the regulator to develop a communication channel and meet with manufacturers every quarter in the light of recent issues,” he added.

The “issues” referred include testing standards, labelling norms and product approvals, which have become commonplace in the aftermath of Nestle’s Maggi Noodles controversy.

Innovation and Regulations in Product Approval

Food safety is becoming a growing global concern with regulatory regimes worldwide facing the challenge of minimising food safety risks. With India being one of the biggest markets for the import of various kinds of food products from across the globe, food safety has become a major concern for India. The government is focussing on the delivery of safe and wholesome food to its citizens by setting up a single unified established standard. Enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) is a major step taken by the government in this direction.

The FSSA was introduced to establish a single statutory body for governing food laws, setting standards of enforcement so as to remove confusion from the minds of consumers, traders, manufacturers and investors pertaining to multiple food laws prevailing in the country. FSSA, 2006, integrates and consolidates all food safety related legislations.

An FBO needs to apply for product approval before licensing when the ingredient(s) and / or additive(s) used by him are those for which standards are not specified under FSS Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations and are different from those of the product which are detailed in the FSS Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations. All imports of food articles are subjected to scrutiny under the FSSA. As per the FSSA, all imports will come under Central Licensing. An existing importer will need to be registered with the Central Authority and all imported products will be screened for safety parameters by FSSAI.

Scope of Product Approval 

Standardised foods do not require Product Approval – Food for which standards are prescribed in FSS Regulations and the food product conforms to the prescribed standards (both for product categories and those which may apply across all products), it is termed as Standardised Food and does not require Product Approval.

Non-standardised foods require Product Approval – Excluding the above major category, all other Food Products are termed as non-standardised and need to be subjected to risk/safety assessment and require Product Approval. 

Products for which Product Approval is required:

The food product(s) including food ingredient (s) or food additive(s) for which there are no standards notified by FSSAI will require Product Approval.

Product Approval is also required in cases where the product is already approved under the Product Approval System but there are minor compositional changes in ingredients provided that FSS Regulations have been defined for that ingredient. 

Every product which has different ingredient (s) and /or additive(s) needs separate Product Approval (except any number of flavours or colours can be accommodated in one application).

Organic Food Product, ingredients and additives are treated in the same manner as non-organic products for the purpose of the Product Approval.

If the intermediary or premix which are not meant for consumer contain ingredients or additives which are not specified or do not have standards in the FSS Regulations will require Product Approval.

The permissible amount of vitamins and minerals is as per RDA of ICMR guidelines and, however the applications will get rejected wherein vitamins and minerals have been added above RDA.

Product Approval will be required for a food product, all ingredients of which are approved or allowed by FSSAI under its various regulations, but the product per se is not standardised. 

In case the product contains ingredient (s) and /additive(s) which are not mentioned in the Indian Standards but their safety and usage limits are established by Codex and other regulatory bodies like EU/USFDA then such products may be given Product Approval.

Product Approval is required for products where added colours or flavours are not approved in the FSSR.

If all ingredients are approved by FSSR but a new additive which is not allowed under FSSR is added then Product Approval is required. The application should be submitted in Form 1 (a) giving all relevant data on Status of Approval in Codex/USFDA/EU/FSANZ etc. If it is not approved by these regulatory bodies, then it will be forwarded to Scientific Panel on Additives for evaluation.

Ayurvedic ingredients are not permitted by FSSR but have been approved and authorised for use since ages. Such Ayurvedic ingredients will require Product Approval if it is not normally consumed as conventional food and will fall under 1A category of PA Advisory.

If the NOC has been granted for a certain product, it is mandatory for the FBO to carry out trading of that product with the exact name as given in the NOC otherwise any other fancy name used on the product label keeping the composition same will require Product Approval.

Product Approval is required if a proprietary ingredient (having NOC) is added to a standardised product as the final product will also become proprietary.

When a company has sought Product Approval under Brand A and then wishes to manufacture the same product under a different brand, will require to obtain Product Approval again with the formulation remaining same, however, no additional fee needs to be paid.

The Product Approval is required for the manufacturing of food products by 100% Export Oriented Units which sell and distribute a part of the food products domestically.The units covered under the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) as defined by the ministry of commerce are not required to apply for Product Approval.

Products for which Product Approval is not required:

Product approval is not required for products with same composition but different nomenclature except in cases where different claim is made on the label.

Traditional / ethnic foods mentioned under Regulation 3.1.1 (2) of FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, which are cooked, served and consumed fresh e.g. Sarson ka saag, raita, dal, dosa or idlis or rasham or sambhar are not required to get Product Approval, provided it contains food additives permitted in Table 2 of appendix of FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. However, the moment someone decides to process these foods with the addition of any preservatives or colours or any fortification with vitamins and proteins etc. for packaging with a given shelf-life, it ceases to be traditional or ethnic food and may require Product Approval, if the same is not in conformity with the prescribed standard.

In case one business entity (such as franchise etc.) of a company has obtained the Product Approval for Product X, then another business entity of the same company will not required to file an application for Product Approval for same Product X, only brand owner needs to obtain Product Approval.

No separate product approval is required for the organic nature of the standardised product or which has otherwise been granted product approval.

The products which are mentioned in Annexure A or in any part of FSS regulations will not require Product Approval.The Food Authority has recently adopted a two-pronged strategy to make the Product Approval System more responsive i.e. (i) through screening of application on a regular basis i.e. an average of 4 day/week basis to clear the backlog and adhere to a definite time-frame to decide the applications for Product Approvals. (ii) Develop more and more standards and notify the same through regulations so as to cover a wider range of food products within the scope of prescribed standards.

The need for Product Approvals has been partially reduced with the development of more and more food standards by revisiting the existing standards and setting of standards for new food products. The Union ministry of health has approved and finalised harmonisation of more than 11,000 standards of Additives with that of CODEX. FSSAI thus, has issued draft regulations which may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2015, link of which is- http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/Draft_Regulation_on_Food_additives_WTO_23_07_2015.pdf

FSSAI has also issued draft regulations which may be called as the Food Safety and Standards (Food or Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Foods for Special Dietary Uses, Foods for Special Medical purpose, Functional Foods, and Novel Food) Regulations, 2015. The link for these regulations is-http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/Draft_Regulation_on_Nutraceuticals_WTO_23_07_2015.pdf 

The move is expected to benefit the food companies as they would not be required to obtain Product Approval for products/ingredients/additives covered in the harmonisation.

This will be helpful in absence of national standards and will orient standardised process of food safety, overall development of consumer safety.

This will facilitate export to developed markets.

This will help in equivalence and facilitation of traceability process.

This will help to monitor imported food.

Such incremental notification of food standards and regulations is expected to expand the horizons of standardised food. The notification of about 11,000 horizontal standards for the additive is likely to reduce the need for Product Approvals to some extent. However, as per FSSAI, so long as an FBO prefers to place a product in the market as a ‘Proprietary Food,’ claiming exclusivity to the same, requiring risk and safety assessment, the system of Product Approvals will continue.

Online Food Product Approval System for the FBO

Earlier, the FSSAI Product Approval process used to be manual wherein the Product Approval application and a demand draft for the prescribed fee had to be submitted to the FSSAI office in New Delhi. However, to cope with the increase in Product Approval applications and bring in transparency into the system, FSSAI has recently introduced the Food Product Approval System (FPAS). Product Approval application can now be submitted and tracked online through the FSSAI FPAS online system.

Steps of Online Food Product Approval System for the FBO

FBO Registration in FPAS

New Application

Eligibility Check of the Application

Product Details of the Application

Ingredient Details of the Application

Additive Details of the Application

Supporting Documents of the Application

Summary PDF of the Application

Online Payment

Submission of the Application

Application Reference ID

To make an FSSAI Product Approval application the following information pertaining to the company and product is required: Business Name; Business Address; Email; Phone Number; Manufacturers’ Address; Type of Business (Manufacturer / Importer / Retailer / Marketer); Product Origin; Country of Origin; Existence in the Market; Common Name; Brand Name; Method of Manufacturing; Claim, if any; Shelf Life of the Product; Pack Size; Serving Details; and Ingredients Details.

In addition to the above information, the following documents must also be submitted in the FSSAI Product Approval application: Label for the food product; Method of manufacturing; Accelerated stability datasheet; Realtime stability datasheet; End Use Declaration Document; Certificate of Analysis from NABL Lab; Undertaking and Form-9.

The FSSAI has also prepared the Explanatory Notes with a view to assisting the FBOs about the particulars required to be given in an application. The link for these explanatory notes is -http://www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/Explanatory_Notes_on_Product_Approvals.pdf 

India is slated to be the food factory of the world. Making the regulatory process conducive for innovation will multiply the industry several fold. 

(The authors work at d technology and can be contacted at projects@dtechnology.ooo