No role of FSSAI in product approval and recall raises troubling questions

If food products can in reality be launched in the market without any checks and balances, would the regulator be able to recall any item if found to be contaminated or adulterated or with misleading labeling?
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has formally stated that it will not be possible to continue with the process of product approvals, citing a Supreme Court order of August 19. But, does that mean food products can now be freely launched in the market without going through any regulatory process, or does it imply that there would be no launches till further orders?
These questions assume significance in the backdrop of the Maggi noodles recall order by FSSAI in June and the subsequent observations by courts. Bombay High Court had earlier this month asked Nestle India to get its instant noodles tested in three accredited labs, giving the company a fresh lease of life.
When asked to interpret the FSSAI notification issued last evening, a senior official at the central food regulatory office told Business Standard on Thursday morning that ‘’companies understand the law very well, in fact better than us.’’ Refusing to explain the essence of the FSSAI notification, the official added that the battery of lawyers that food companies have can interpret the law for them. “Í don’t want to interpret the law.’’
Meanwhile, most food companies and experts believe that with FSSAI getting removed from the process of product approval, market launches can now happen seamlessly and quickly.
If food products can in reality be launched in the market without any checks and balances, would the regulator be able to recall any item if found to be contaminated or adulterated or with misleading labeling? To that, the FSSAI official said, ‘’recall is the obligation of the companies concerned’’. In June, FSSAI ordered pan-India recall of Maggi noodles as samples were allegedly found to contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) and excessive levels of lead.
So, if FSSAI would not have anything to do with product approvals or recall, what would the regulator’s role be like from now on? “We will act according to the law, whatever the notifications permit us to do,’’ the official said. As for moving Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court verdict on Nestle India, the FSSAI official said, ‘’there’s no decision yet.’’
The Wednesday night notification by FSSAI said ‘’it is no longer possible for FSSAI to continue with the process of product approvals, which was facilitated through the advisory dated 11 May 2013, in view of the order dated 19 August 2015 of the Supreme Court, whereby the judgement and the order dated 1 August of the Bombay High Court has gained finality and the said advisory has ceased to remain operative.’’
Food companies have been upset with the regulator for delayed approvals and the vetting process that they had to go through before launching anything new in the market. The industry concerns had peaked after the Maggi noodles recall.

India food watchdog leaves foreign groups wary

Indians consume $63b worth of packaged food — including sweets, snacks and packaged drinks — each year, compared with $220b in China
New Delhi: Nestle’s Maggi noodles were not the only food to disappear from India’s shop shelves in June, after regulators banned the snack amid concerns over lead levels. Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever and Japan’s Nissin Foods recalled their Knorr Chinese noodles and Top Ramen, while other companies quietly stopped selling other products, such as jams.

These foods were not withdrawn because of safety concerns, but rather fear of falling foul of the four-year-old industry regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

In its ban on Maggi, the FSSAI had censured Nestle for selling a new flavour, Maggi Oats Masala Noodles, without official consent. Scarcely noticed by a public gripped by the debate over toxic lead, the reprimand alarmed other food companies, which had also been selling products to Indian consumers while awaiting formal permission.
“It was a commonly accepted practice for food companies to apply for a licence and simultaneously launch in the marketplace, assuming they would get it,” says Nitin Mathur, an industry analyst for SG Corporate and Investment Banking. “But Nestle was an eye-opener for everyone. What they thought was an accepted practice wasn’t acceptable any more.”
The voluntary withdrawal of products reflects mounting tension between global and domestic food companies — eyeing India’s vast market potential — and the food safety regulator, seeking to assert its authority.
Indians consume $63bn worth of packaged food — including sweets, snacks and packaged drinks — each year, compared with $220bn in China. But sales of packaged foods are poised to rise rapidly in India — to $88bn by 2019, according to KPMG. This is being driven by a young, increasingly affluent and time-pressed population moving away from traditional cooking methods and eating habits.
Western companies are gearing up. Both Coca-Cola and rival PepsiCo are in the midst of $5bn Indian expansions. Mondelez International, maker of Cadbury chocolate and Oreo biscuits, is building a $190m, 54-hectare plant in India — its largest in Asia. Chocolate-maker Mars International is spending $160 million (Dh587.2 million) on its first plant in the country, while Kellogg, the US cereal maker, has invested $100 million in the past 18 months.
Large domestic food companies, such as ITC, Britannia Industries, and Dabur, are also expanding capacity and diversifying into new categories. Imports of premium processed food — including Italian pasta and European olive oil, meats and cheese — are growing fast too.
“All the big food manufacturing companies are looking at India as a high potential market because the penetration of categories is very, very low,” says Rajat Wahi, a partner at KPMG, the professional services firm. “All the fast-moving consumer goods companies are looking at significant growth in the next 10 years.”
But en route to Indian dining tables, food companies are wrestling with a murky, unstable regulatory environment, overseen by a young watchdog with a mission to ensure basic food safety and promote “healthy, wholesome food”.
In recent months, the FSSAI has rejected a number of Starbucks’ syrups and sauces, one of its decaf coffees and a spiced tea. It has also banned Kellogg’s Special K Red Berries, a General Mills’ Choco Lava Cake and mayonnaise and salad dressings made by Field Fresh, Del Monte Foods’ Indian joint venture. Imported foods, including perishables such as cheese, have often faced long delays in ports because of the regulator’s objections over the food or its labelling.
The FSSAI defends its approach, however. “If industry is coming out with a product, it has to be safe food, and it has to be wholesome,” says Yudhvir Singh Malik, chief executive. “My plea to industry is: whatever you are putting out, please think that your child is also eating it.”
For decades, India had multiple government departments charged with preventing adulteration — which is rampant — of basic products such as milk and cooking oils. In 2006, India adopted a new food safety law with a broader agenda, including promoting healthy food.
But India has fixed standards for only roughly 370 food items, compared with the 5,000 to 10,000 items common in developed markets. All other food items — except traditional Indian food — have been subjected to a controversial approval process in which regulators decide case by case whether to allow a food product or supplement to be sold in India.
As part of the process, companies have been required to submit their exact recipes and formulations for official scrutiny. But industry has complained that the FSSAI decision-making process is both time-consuming and arbitrary, with products rejected on numerous whimsical grounds — including that they should be a different colour.
“There were no standards,” says Dheeraj Nair, a lawyer who represented food supplement manufacturers in a court challenge to the FSSAI process. “It was left to the whims and fancies of whomever was sitting in the product approval committee. It was absurd.”
Companies have also objected to the requirement that they reveal their exact recipes, which is not standard practice in most markets, except when foods are using novel ingredients not previously confirmed to be safe for human consumption.
“The extent of unilateral condemnation of a sector regulator by the people whom it is meant to regulate has been unprecedented,” Mr Malik wrote in a May note to industry. “Accepting the presence of a regulator in a hitherto unregulated sector is difficult.”
Yet the regulatory system is now itself in flux. This month, the Supreme Court, acting on a complaint by food supplement makers, scrapped the product approval process, ruling that the FSSAI lacked the authority to establish such a framework unilaterally. Instead, the court said the government had to issue regulations for proprietary foods.
In a statement on Wednesday, the FSSAI confirmed it was scrapping the product approval system, and promised to “expedite” new regulations and standards for many more foods and additives. But the process — which involves public comments — could yet take many months

But that still leaves many food companies in limbo, uncertain whether they can legally introduce new products in the interim — or if foods whose applications were previously rejected can now be sold.“These are teething problems,” says Debashish Mukherjee, a partner at AT Kearney. “India is at a different stage of evolution to developed markets. Companies obviously don’t like it, but this debate will lead to a more stable environment for the future.”

Industry bodies urge FSSAI to clarify on Product Approval after SC order

New Delhi 

A delegation of industry bodies met with Ashish Bahuguna, chairman, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), recently to seek clarity in wake of the Supreme Court order upholding the Bombay High Court order holding advisories on Product Approval as null and void.

Disclosing details on the meeting, sources in the industry stated that they did not get any concrete assurance from the apex food regulator on the issue of Product Approval as the chairman told them that Product Approvals approved or rejected so far would remain so, while new ones could be considered for NOC (no objection certificate). 

However, the industry is not convinced and expressing concern over the provisions under which the apex food regulator would deny or give NOC. It implies that despite the ruling, FSSAI would follow its principle, according to one industry representative privy to the development. 

Several product approval applications are still pending with the apex food regulator and as per norms, FBOs have to submit Rs 25,000 as fees on each application. 

In this regard, comprehensive presentation on behalf of all the associations was made on various key points like transition from PFA to FSSAI and governing principles of the new Act, current issues and challenges (industry engagement, role of vertical standards, laboratories etc.), operational concerns with regards to role of fourth sample wherein officials of the state food authority give 24 hours to appeal against sampling of the food. 

Sources, meanwhile, said FSSAI chairman appeared empathic towards the industry when industry bodies were making the presentation.

During this time, the chairman told the delegation that products which were already approved should ‘Stand approved, rejected products remained rejected’ and for products in the pipeline, FSSAI is still looking for way forward.

With regard to interpretation of the Act, the chairman said that the Act and the Regulations had shortcomings which led to issues with interpretation. He sought the industry’s help to have a fresh look and suggestion on amendments. 

Further, clarifying on distinction between food safety and health, the chairman stated, safety is non-negotiable, however, forming standards around health is debatable. He said that the system should promote healthier options instead of a ban. 

As for reason for rejection and appeal, the chairman stated that reasons for rejection could be disclosed via checklist but the option of appeal was not available under the law.

The chairman clarified on other issues as well. On adoption of BIS & Codex standards, he mentioned that Codex standards could not be indiscriminately adopted but needed to take a selective approach based on Indian population and conditions. 

On multiple licensing,he said that if duplication of licensing was occurring in states, for instance, municipal bodies licence, then FSSAI would consider the matter.On Combinatorial effect, the chairman was of the opinion that ordinary foods might not pose any risk but complex foods or specific foods could be an issue.As regards imports, the chairman suggested that past year’s data could be a basis to identify risk categories (high or low) taking into consideration country of origin of importers, nature of product and so on.

He was also open to the idea of at least having an online window facilitating the industry as a help desk.

DINAMANI NEWS

ஓமலூர் காமலாபுரத்தில் கரும்பாலைகளுக்கு சப்ளை செய்ய 280 மூட்டை சர்க்கரை பதுக்கல் உரக்கடை குடோனுக்கு `சீல்’

ஓம லூர், ஆக.27:ஓமலூர் காம லா பு ரத் தில் கரும் பா லை களுக்கு விற் பனை செய் வ தற் காக 280 மூட்டை சர்க் க ரையை பதுக்கி வைத் தி ருந்த உரக் கடை குடோ னுக்கு மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் சீல் வைத் த னர்.

சேலம் மாவட்டம் ஓம லூர் அருகே காம லா பு ரம் பகு தி யில் அதி க ள வில் கரும் பா லை கள் உள் ளன. ஓம லூர் மற் றும் சுற் றுப் புற பகு தி களில் அறு வடை செய் யப் ப டும் கரும் பு களை மொத் த மாக விலைக்கு வாங்கி, சாறு பிழிந்து பாகாக காய்ச்சி எடுத்து உருண்டை மற் றும் அச் சு வெல் ல மாக தயா ரித்து விற் பனை செய்து வரு கின் ற னர். இவற் றில் ஒரு சில ஆலை கள் கரும்பு சாறுக்கு பதி லாக சர்க் க ரை யு டன் ரசா ய னம் சேர்த்து, வெல் லம் தயா ரிப் ப தாக மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அதி கா ரி களுக்கு பல் வேறு புகார் கள் வந் தன.

இதன் பே ரில், கரும் பா லை களை சோதனை செய் த தில் சர்க் க ரையை பயன் ப டுத்தி வெல் லம் தயா ரிப் பதை கண் ட றிந்து அந்த ஆலை களுக்கு சீல் வைத் த னர். தொடர்ந்து அப ரா த மும் விதித்து, பதுக்கி வைத் தி ருந்த சர்க் கரை மூட்டை க ளை யும் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

இந் நி லை யில், கரும் பா லை களுக்கு தனி யார் ஒரு வர் சர்க் கரை மூட்டை களை பதுக் கி வைத்து விற் பனை செய் வ தாக புகார் கள் வந் தன. இதை ய டுத்து சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் அனு ராதா தலை மை யி லான அதி கா ரி கள், காம லா பு ரம் பகு தி யில் அதி ரடி சோதனை நடத் தி னர். இதில், அப் ப கு தி யைச் சேர்ந்த தன ராஜ் என் ப வ ரது உரக் க டை யில் சர்க் கரை மூட்டை கள் பதுக்கி வைத் தி ருப் பது தெரி ய வந் தது. இவர், அதே பகு தி யில் விவ சாய இடு பொ ருட் கள் விற் பனை நிலை யம் நடத்தி வரு கி றார்.

அந்த விற் பனை நிலை யத் தின் அருகே குடோ னில் சர்க் க ரையை பதுக்கி வைத்து, கரும் பா லை களுக்கு மூட்டை மூடை யாக விற் பனை செய் வ தும் விசா ர ணை யில் தெரி ய வந் தது. இதை ய டுத்து, 280 சர்க் கரை மூட்டை கள் அடுக்கி வைக் கப் பட்டி ருந்த குடோ னுக்கு அதி கா ரி கள் சீல் வைத் த னர். மேலும், சர்க் க ரையை இருப்பு வைக்க எந் த வி த மான அனு மதி பெறா த தும், உரக் க டைக்கு டின்-பின் எண் கள் புதுப் பிக் கா மல் விற் ப னை யில் ஈடு பட்ட தும் தெரி ய வந் தது. இது கு றித்து தொடர்ந்து அதி கா ரி கள் விசா ரணை நடத்தி வரு கின் ற னர்.

ஆற்காட்டில் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

ஆற் காடு, ஆக.27:

ஆற் காட்டில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யி லைப் பொ ருட் கள் மற் றும் கால வ தி யான உண வுப் பொ ருட் களை உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் நேற்று அதி ர டி யாக பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

பான் ப ராக், குட்கா, ஹான்ஸ் போன்ற புகை யிலை பொருட் களை தமி ழக அரசு கடந்த சில மாதங் களுக்கு முன்பு தடை விதித் தது. இந் நி லை யில் ஆற் காட்டில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யி லைப் பொ ருட் கள் பதுக்கி வைத்து விற் பனை செய் வ தாக உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் செந் தில் கு மா ருக்கு நேற்று தக வல் கிடைத் தது. அவ ரது உத் த ர வின் பேரில் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் எம்.மணி மா றன், ஆர்.செந் தில் ஆகி யோர் ஆற் காடு பஸ் நிலை யம், அண் ணா சாலை, பஜார் வீதி, வேலூர் மெயின் ரோடு உட் பட பல் வேறு இடங் களில் உள்ள கடை களில் அதி ர டி யாக சோதனை செய் த னர்.

ராணிப்பேட்டையில் பரபரப்பு

ஆற் காடு பஸ் நிலை யத் தில் உள்ள ஒரு பெட்டிக் க டை யில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் களை உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் எம்.மணி மா றன், ஆர்.செந் தில் ஆகி யோர் நேற்று அதி ர டி யாக பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

பான் ப ராக், குட்கா, ஹான்ஸ் போன்ற புகை யிலை பொருட் களை தமி ழக அரசு கடந்த சில மாதங் களுக்கு முன்பு தடை விதித் தது. இந் நி லை யில் ஆற் காட்டில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யி லைப் பொ ருட் கள் பதுக்கி வைத்து விற் பனை செய் வ தாக உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் செந் தில் கு மா ருக்கு நேற்று தக வல் கிடைத் தது. அவ ரது உத் த ர வின் பேரில் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் எம்.மணி மா றன், ஆர்.செந் தில் ஆகி யோர் ஆற் காடு பஸ் நிலை யம், அண் ணா சாலை, பஜார் வீதி, வேலூர் மெயின் ரோடு உட் பட பல் வேறு இடங் களில் உள்ள கடை களில் அதி ர டி யாக சோதனை செய் த னர்.

அப் போது அங்கு விற் ப னைக் காக பதுக்கி வைத் தி ருந்த பான் ப ராக், குட்கா, ஹான்ஸ் போன்ற புகை யிலை பொருட் க ளை யும், கால வ தி யான உண வுப் பொ ரு ்ட் க ளை யும் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

FSSAI scraps product approvals after SC questions procedure

The apex court had on 19 August upheld a Bombay high court decision quashing an advisory issued by FSSAI on the procedure for product approval

The FSSAI decision on product approvals can bring relief to packaged goods companies.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to scrap product approvals, a decision that is likely to make packaged food companies happy.

FSSAI’s decision to discontinue product approvals came following a Supreme Court order on 19 August questioning the procedure followed for such approvals by the food regulator.

“It is no longer possible for FSSAI to continue with the process of product approvals, which was facilitated through the advisory dated 11 May 2013, in view of the order dated 19 August 2015 of the Supreme Court, whereby the judgement and the order dated 1 August of the Bombay high court has gained finality and the said advisory has ceased to remain operative,” FSSAI said in a public notification issued on Wednesday. “Every endeavour will be made to expedite the regulations governing Section 22 products,” it added.

The apex court had on 19 August upheld a Bombay high court decision quashing an advisory issued by FSSAI on the procedure for product approvals. A bench comprising justices J.S. Khehar and N.V. Ramana said there was no ground for interfering with the high court’s verdict and dismissed FSSAI’s appeal.

The Bombay high court had ruled that FSSAI’s advisory on product approvals “did not have force of law” and was beyond its powers as provided by the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006. The high court was hearing a plea by Mumbai-based Vital Neutraceuticals Pvt. Ltd and lobby group Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association, which challenged FSSAI’s product approval advisory, claiming that it was beyond the regulator’s powers.

FSSAI introduced the product approval advisory on 11 May 2013 “to streamline the product approval procedure with due consideration to the safety of food and public health, in supersession of earlier advisories, food products for which the standards are not specified under Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, rules and regulations made thereunder will be granted product approval”.

“Product approval has been scrapped. Now, if FSSAI wants to restart anything like this, it will have to bring a fresh regulation and get that passed by Parliament,” said Dheeraj Nair, partner at law firm J. Sagar Associates.

Nair said product approvals were not prevalent in India before 2013. “Globally, companies do not require approval from regulators to launch a product. FSSAI started this as it wanted to control end-products,” he added.

Experts remain unclear about whether companies will now be free to launch new products.

“There is no clarity on new product launches. There may be a lot of legal issues. FSSAI did not clarify on new product launches. It may be the case that product launches may not be allowed at all until a fresh regulation comes in,” said a food lawyer associated with a top law firm seeking anonymity.

Siraj Chaudhry, chairman of Cargill India Pvt. Ltd, said, “Product approvals will now be further delayed”.

Cargill India’s brands include Leonardo range of olive oils, NatureFresh, Sweekar, Rath and Sunflower vanaspati. Chaudhry added that it could mean that FSSAI will go back to following the old procedure, which is very long and cumbersome. “At the moment, there is confusion as to how the process of approval will happen,” he said.

According to a Delhi-based lawyer, product approval was introduced as a short-cut as FSSAI wanted to keep end-products under its watch.

“The whole process of product approvals was actually retrograde in nature and is not prevalent in any other country. Consumers were deprived of new and innovative products,” said Anil Dhanuka, president of the All India Food Processors’ Association.

Maneka Gandhi seeks ban on junk food for students

NEW DELHI: Junk food could be banned in cafeterias and around schools if Union minister Maneka Gandhi has her way. The minister—who holds charge of the ministry for women and child development—has written to her Cabinet colleagues HRD minister Smriti Irani and health minister J P Nadda seeking a ban on junk food in school canteens and incorporating new food guidelines that define junk food and categorize it on its nutritious value. 

The move comes following a government panel recommendation on junk food or ``HFSS'' that is foods high in fat, salt and sugar. Guidelines include ban on sale of HFSS foods in school canteens, private vendors and hawkers within 200 meters of the school during school hours (7 am to 4 pm), disallowing shops and restaurants from selling proprietary foods to children in school uniform and stocking non-standardized proprietary foods in canteens according to their nutritional value.

In her letter to Nadda, Gandhi said, ``Over the last two decades, over-nutrition and obesity have emerged as a public health problem among school going children in the age group of 6 to 18 years. This is largely the result of lifestyle related factors in terms of reduction in physical activity and non-health food choices. The major contributor of the non-healthy food choices in the younger generation is the easy availability of ``junk food'' which essentially is calorie dense high fat fast food.'' 

Gandhi has suggested that considering the ``gravity'' of the obesity problem the guidelines prepared by the working group under Hyderabad's National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) be adopted by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). 

In her letter to Irani, Gandhi has urged that fast food be banned in schools and campuses and sale up to 200 meters of the school be disallowed as well. The minister has also sought the intervention of chief ministers of various states to assist in implementing the ban. 

HFSS foods are defined as foods (any food or drink, packaged or non-packaged) which contain low amounts of protein, vitamins, phytochemicals, minerals and dietary fibre but are rich in fat (saturated fatty acids), salt and sugar, high in energy (calories) that are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly or in high amounts.

Veggies from other States pesticide-free: Minister

The government has claimed that the import of pesticide-contaminated vegetables from neighbouring States had come down drastically following the stringent inspections by Food Safety officials at border check-posts.

Citing laboratory results, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said only permissible levels of pesticide residue were detected in vegetables arriving from other States.

He said neighbouring States had begun sensitising farmers after the government of Kerala initiated a series of measures to ensure the safety of imported vegetables and fruits. Food safety licensing had also become stringent.

A pressnote quoting Mr. Sivakumar said the government intervention had helped to augment domestic production of vegetables for the Onam season.

Food Safety officials had carried out 1,516 inspections since August 6 and 264 samples were given for testing.

As many as nine outlets were closed down for selling substandard products and notices were issued to 330 traders.

Inspections at border check-posts yield results

Trio in Guise of Food Safety officials Cheat Biriyani Seller

CHENNAI: Officials from the Food Safety Department are on the lookout for three people, who posed as officials and conducted a raid on a biriyani shop at Perambur on Tuesday.

Speaking to Express, P Nawaz, manager of the shop, said he received a phone call and text message on Saturday, with the person at the other end claiming to be an official from the department. The ‘official’ said he was denied biriyani by the people at the shop, and would hence send officials to conduct a raids. On Tuesday, three people posing as officials came to the shop on bikes and inspected the place,” he added.

Dr S Lakshmi Narayanan, designated officer, state Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said action would be taken on them.

Milk adulteration on the rise

Taking advantage of the lax attitude of the government and lenient laws, milkmen in the state have been indulging in adulteration for ages.

Adopting a soft stance, the Punjab Government has once again extended the date for the milkmen in the state to get themselves registered and make licence, which seems to have been causing hurdles for the health department to take strict action against those who have been indulging in this practice.

It is mandatory for the milkmen to get themselves registered and make a licence. They were supposed to get themselves registered before August 4. However, the Punjab Government has once again extended the registration deadline to February 4.

There are around 3,000 milkmen in the city, and hardly 10 per cent of them have got themselves registered.

Dr Jasbir Singh from the District Health Office said, “We regularly take samples to check the standard of the milk consumed by the residents of Jalandhar. Most of the time, milk is found far less than the standard prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Since the government has once again extended the deadline for the milkmen to get licence, we cannot restrict them from selling milk.”

“A majority of the samples are found to be added with water, yet no case of synthetic milk has come up in the city,” he added.

The Dairy Department Jalandhar is equipped with two milk analyser machines apart from the adulteration kit. Despite the fact that they take samples from time to time, it doesn’t come under their jurisdiction to initiate action against those who indulge in milk adulteration.

Deputy Director, Dairy Department, Jalandhar, Balwinderjit Singh, however, said that they procure samples to educate people whether the milk consumed by them is healthy enough.

“We recently collected samples from various localities in the city. Most of the samples were substandard. We forwarded the case to the district health authorities for further action, as it doesn’t come under our jurisdiction to take action,” he added.

Speaking on same issue, the DHO said they could not take action based on the findings of the dairy department. They are to collect their own samples, which are sent to a laboratory in Chandigarh.

ITC denies receiving notice on excess lead in Yippee noodles

ITC said that the company manufactures Yippee noodles to the highest standards of safety, hygiene and quality

There were reports that the Uttar Pradesh FDA had found excess lead in Yippee noodles.

New Delhi: Domestic giant ITC Ltd on Tuesday said it has not received any communication from the UP government regarding presence of excess lead in its instant noodle brand Sunfeast Yippee. It said the company manufactures Yippee noodles to the highest standards of safety, hygiene and quality.

“The company has not received any communication from the UP government authorities on this issue. Stories such as this can be misleading and can only help create suspicion and mistrust in the minds of the consumer. This will not only damage the brand but also severely impact industry as a whole and future investment for the economy,” ITC said in a clarification to the BSE.

The company said it has tested a large number of samples of Yippee noodles and pasta, both internally and externally, recently at National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)-approved laboratories and has found that all the samples conformed to the Food Safety Regulations.

“We rigorously and regularly test our products for all parameters including heavy metals both in our in-house NABL accredited laboratory at the ITC Life Sciences and Technology Centre, Bengaluru and external NABL accredited and FSSAI approved laboratories,” it added. This was in response to media reports that the Uttar Pradesh Food and Drug Authority (FDA) had found excess lead in Yippee noodles manufactured by ITC and will soon file a case. The UP FDA said that the samples of Yippee noodles, seized from a local mall in Aligarh, have been found to contain lead “far in excess to the permissible limit”.

IDMA highlights SC ruling on Product Approval & adherence to standards

Food Business Operators (FBOs) can now introduce new products, including those with combinations of known ingredients, but these should adhere to horizontal standards as laid down under the FSS Act, according to Dr R K Sanghavi, chairman, nutraceuticals subcommittee, IDMA. He was addressing a press conference held recently by IDMA (Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association) following the Supreme Court verdict against FSSAI advisories on Product Approval.

Sanghavi pointed out that the apex court had put an end to the Product Approval advisory dated May 11, 2013, issued by Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to which FBOs were required to take approval for a broad spectrum of food products. These included proprietary food, novel foods, functional foods, food supplements, irradiated foods, genetically-modified foods, and foods for special dietary uses or extracts or concentrates of botanicals, herbs or of animal sources. It also specified products that were already available and being consumed. The apex court had upheld the Bombay High Court verdict in this regard.

He stated, “The Supreme Court outcome is a win-win situation since the FSSAI, being entrusted with consumer safety as criteria of governance, now has a guided goal to focus on risk management rather than the herculean task of virtual risk assessment product-by-product.” 

However, Sanghavi cautioned that following the Supreme Court ruling, FBOs should not overenthusiastically launch products outside the purview of the upcoming regulations for nutraceuticals, functional foods, organic foods, foods for special dietary uses and so on. Any product available must ensure its safe consumption and satisfy all the standards in terms of content of pesticides, heavy metals, other contaminants, labelling norms, permitted additives, flavours and so on.

With regard to concern expressed by FBOs for nutraceuticals, dietary supplements and functional foods, Sanghavi pointed out, “Earlier there was Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, which was later replaced with Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, wherein the implementation started only in the year 2011. The Act is in the best interest of food safety for the consumer today.”

“But it is FBOs who faced difficulty and later felt the regulations are arbitrary in nature. The products which were approved as per earlier Act and consumed for previous 10-20 years were not approved or later banned.”

According to Sanghavi, the current nutraceuticals market is worth Rs 6,000 crore and has the potential to garner 20% of pharma market in India.

Sandeep Gupta, VC, IDMA, who was also present at the conference, stated, “The process of approval had virtually locked the progress of the industry. There are 5,500 applications of product approval pending with authorities. There is a multi-layer product approval process. Also if there is any issue, the order should come from Parliament and not just advisory.”

Meanwhile, Ganesh Kamath, director, Vital Nutraceuticals Pvt. Ltd, said, “The process of approval is not practical. No scientific test of products and its ingredients is done. Sampling and testing should be done to check the safety aspect of the product. In the current scenario, only stamp on dossier is given after reading it. There are lots of products/companies that had suffered from this attitude. There is no fresh investment. SMEs too are suffering. The company Lindt chocolate has exited from India and even Ferrero Rocher has shifted base to China.”

DINAMALAR NEWS

HC slams corpn on public slaughter of camels

Sets Up Panel To Suggest Measures

Photographs showing slaughter of camels in public places and animals lying in a pool of blood for agonizingly long periods in Chennai have shocked the conscience of the Madras high court which slammed the authorities for flatly denying that animals were being killed in public.

Noting that the bench was “totally fed up“ with the unhelpful government pleader STS Moorthy and that judges had to fend for themselves while hearing and disposing of cases, the first bench com prising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam said, “The gruesome photographs filed with the petition also do not seem to trouble the authorities.These photographs show slaughter of camels in public places and yet the Corporation of Chennai has the temerity to say that no slaughter is taking place, as no permission is granted.“

Slamming authorities for telling the court that camels were being slaughtered as part of religious festivals, the bench said: “We are also surprised at the stand taken that camels are slaughtered for religious purposes and therefore any action has to be taken “cautiously“. We fail to understand how slaughtering can take place in an unregulated manner all over the city , that too in public places. Slaughtering can take place only in slaughterhouses, at designated places. Different authorities are passing on the burden to the other, giving no solution to the problem.“

The bench then formed a committee to tackle the problem and said: “Since the authorities were not able to have an effective internal coordination to examine the issue as a whole, we feel a committee has to be appointed to make necessary recommendations to this court in a short period of time. The committee would have representatives from animal husbandry , dairy and fisheries department, road transport, Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Animal Welfare Board of India and Food Safety and Standard Author ity of India.“ R Srinivas, counsel for one of the petitioners, too will be part of the committee, it said, adding that its first meeting should be held within a week and preliminary recommendations should be ready before September 14, the next date of hearing.

The judges were passing orders on the PILs of E Seshan and People for Cattle in India against illegal transport of camels into Tamil Nadu, and sacrifice of animals during festivals in violation of rules.

“This seems to suggest as if different departments of government are incapable of coordination between themselves unless directions are issued by this court,“ rued the bench.

Form Committee on Animal Slaughter: HC

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் நடவடிக்கை கடைகளில் விற்பனைக்காக வைத்திருந்த ரூ.50,000 மதிப்புள்ள காலாவதி மளிகைப்பொருட்கள் அழிப்பு

நாகை, ஆக. 26:

வேளாங் கன்னி கடைத் தெ ரு வில் கடை களில் விற் ப னைக் காக வைத் தி ருந்த ரூ.50 ஆயி ரம் மதிப் புள்ள காலா வதி மளி கைப் பொ ருட் கள் கைப் பற்றி அழிக் கப் பட்டது.

நாகை மாவட்டம் வேளாங் கன்னி புனித ஆரோக் கிய மாதா பேரா லய ஆண்டு திரு விழா வரு கிற 29ம் தேதி கொடி யேற் றத் து டன் துவங் கு கி றது. விழா விற்கு வரும் பக் தர் களுக்கு பாது காப் பான உணவு வழங் கப் ப டு கி றதா என் பதை கண் கா ணிக் கும் வகை யில் மாவட்ட உண வுத் துறை சார் பில் மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் செந் தில் கு மார் தலை மை யில் வேளாங் கன்னி கடைத் தெ ரு வில் நேற்று ஆய்வு செய் யப் பட்டது.

இதில் காலா வ தி யான மளிகை பொருட் கள், கூல் டி ரிங்ஸ், தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொரு ட கள் விற் ப னைக் காக வைக் கப் பட்டி ருப் பது கண் ட றி யப் பட்டு பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்டது. பின் னர் காலா வ தி யான, தயா ரிப்பு நிறு வ னம் குறித்த விவ ரம் இல் லாத உண வுப் பொ ருட் கள், தமி ழக அர சால் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் உள் ளிட்ட வற்றை விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது என்று வியா பா ரி களி டம் மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் செந் தில் கு மார் எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் தார்.

ஆய் வில் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் அன் ப ழ கன், ஆண் ட னி பி ரபு, மகா ராஜா, சதீஸ், சேகர், செந் தில் கு மார், கோதண் ட பாணி பால குரு கலந்து கொண் ட னர். வியா பா ரி களி டம் கைப் பற் றப் பட்ட ரூ.50 ஆயி ரம் மதிப் பி லான பொருட் கள் அழிக் கப் பட்டது.

Food analyst gets award

His line of work has involved conducting quality tests on milk samples and probing drinking water for microbes.

G. L. Upadhyaya, senior public analyst and Deputy Food Safety Commissioner at the Department of Food and Drugs, Government of Puducherry, who has been instrumental in launching interventions such as the milk quality survey across southern States a couple of years ago, has recently been awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award for outstanding achievements.

The award, instituted by the International Business Council, was presented to him by Dr. B.N. Singh, former Governor of Tamil Nadu in Delhi recently.

Mr. Upadhyaya also had a role in making Puducherry one of the few States/UTs to migrate the entire process of food and drugs licencing and registration renewal to an online mechanism.

“We’re one of the few governments in the country to have brought about transparency and eliminated red tape through this measure,” he said.

The lab also conducts periodic checks on noon meal samples in schools and bacteriological testing for coliform and E. coli in water samples drawn from overhead tanks of Primary Health Centres.

The public health laboratory in Puducherry is one of the 72 centres identified for upgradation by the statutory body The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

“We expect the upgradation to be carried out in a phased manner,” Mr. Upadhyaya said.

Comeback campaign: Nestle reaches out to consumers over Maggi

Nestle India releases three short videos on its official YouTube channel Meri Maggi as it tries to keep the brand alive in consumers’ minds

Nestle India Ltd has published a series of videos on Maggi noodles, even as it continues to fight for a clean chit from legal and regulatory authorities, in what brand experts said could be a prelude to a comeback for the popular snack.

In the past 24 hours, the Indian arm of the Swiss packaged-food multinational firm has released three short videos on its official YouTube channel Meri Maggi. The videos have been shared on Twitter with the hashtag #WeMissYouToo, as Nestle India tries to keep the brand alive in consumers’ minds, while it remains off the shelves.

On 13 August, the Bombay high court set aside a ban imposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on sale of Maggi noodles and asked for retesting at three laboratories certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories in Pune, Hyderabad and Punjab. Nestle had moved the high court following the FSSAI order on 5 June asking the firm to immediately withdraw all nine variants of Maggi noodles, calling them “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption.

“Of course, it’s their comeback campaign. But there are larger issues to be managed. While the video tugs at your heartstrings, as long as the legal and quality control issues remain unresolved, it may not open your purse strings,” said Kiran Khalap, co-founder, Chlorophyll Brand and Communications Consultancy.

Earlier this month, Nestle India managing director Suresh Narayanan said bringing Maggi noodles back to retail shelves was his priority. Narayanan, who has been sent to India as the firm’s face in its efforts to tackle the issue, said it will be spending “more on advertising, marketing and promotions across categories to counter impact on sales caused by the Maggi ban”.

He did not say how much Nestle plans to spend. Typically, Nestle India is a low spender on advertising, with just about 4-5% of revenue allocated for advertising and promotions since 2010, according to its annual reports.

Now, it could increase advertising and promotions spending to about 7%, according to Sunita Sachdev, an analyst at UBS Securities India.

“These short films reflect the spontaneity and affection between the consumers and Maggi. We are making efforts to get Maggi Noodles back on the shelves and have been overwhelmed by the messages of love and support that we receive each day. Such messages strengthen our resolve to be back with our beloved consumers. We want to share the warmth of our relationship through these films,” said a Nestle India spokersperson in an emailed statement.

“While advertising agency, Publicis India is the official creative agency for Maggi Noodles in India, we have been working with McCann WorldGroup India for some corporate projects. This is one such project,” the spokesperson added.

The first video has registered more than 100,000 views since being released on Monday night.

All the three videos show bachelors, seeking to portray their association with Maggi.

One narrates how he never cared about the home delivery leaflets as long as he had Maggi (youtu.be/wjYA6V9tdbI); another says because of Maggi he did not have to wake up his mother at midnight (youtu.be/FKvoZyz23y4); and the third talks about how he never needed to connect with his neighbours because of Maggi (youtu.be/1w1myYavVsE).

In the minimalistic and simple advertisements, all three protagonists articulate their longing with the key message: “kab wapas aayega yaar?(When will it be back, mate?)”.

The videos from Nestle’s stable with the hashtag #WeMissYouToo is in response to Maggi’s fans who have released numerous short videos with hashtags such as #MaggiInaSoup, #MaggiKeSideEffects, #WeMissYouMaggi. Through its Twitter handle @MaggiIndia, Nestle India told fans of Maggi noodles: “We are touched by your love and all we want to say is #WeMissYouToo Share this & keep spreading the MAGGI love!