Artificial ripening: HC asks food officials to submit action plan

HYDERABAD: Acting Chief Justice Dilip B Bhosale and Justice SV Bhatt of the Hyderabad high court made the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the food safety commissioners of AP and Telangana respondents to the case regarding artificial ripening of fruits through calcium carbide. On Wednesday, he directed them to file affidavits within two weeks explaining the steps they will take to ensure availability of chemical-free fruits. Fruit traders use banned calcium carbide to hasten ripening of fruits. 

The bench, which had earlier taken up the matter suo motu as a public interest petition following a report in a vernacular daily, expressed dismay when amicus curiae S Niranjan Reddy explained the ill effects of consuming artificially ripened fruits. The ill effects include vomiting, diarrhoea, burning sensation in the chest, sore throat, shortness of breath and burning sensation in the eyes, along with built up of fluids. 

"Whenever I eat fruits, I feel a burning sensation. I was under the impression that it is due to acidity and I have been consuming related medicines. We generally do not connect this burning sensation to fruits. I never knew that even the burning sensation in eyes is related to the fruits we consume," Justice Bhosale said. The bench had earlier ordered flash raids on fruit markets which resulted in seizure of large quantities of calcium carbide. Fruit samples were collected from markets for chemical analysis. 

Reddy also told the bench that all the samples had tested positive for calcium carbide. The bench felt that the pressure on fruit vendors should be maintained and ordered raids on retail vendors too. The bench suggested that senior counsel P Gangaiah Naidu, who was appearing for fruit vendors in Hyderabad wholesale markets, come out with novel ways of resolving the issue after consultations with traders. There is no point in defending them, let them mend their ways and come forward with better ideas to offer safe fruits to people, the bench said. 

The senior counsel charged authorities, who collect crores of rupees from traders, with failing to provide minimum facilities to them. The bench assured him that it would look into this problem too. Undivided AP had formed food safety committees in 2013 with joint collectors as heads.

Expired foreign chocolates destroyed

Officials from the District Food Safety and Drug Administration raided hotels, bakeries in Thuckalay, Thiruvattar, Azhagyamandapam, Verkilambi and surroundings on Wednesday, as per the directions of the Commissioner of Tamilnadu Food Safety and Drug Administration.

They seized expired food items, soft drinks and chocolates manufactured in China and Japan without manufacture and expiry dates. The raid was conducted by the designated officer W. Salodeesan along with the Food Safety officials W. Vincent Clatson, L. Murugesan, T. Ciril Raj and L. Chidambarathanupillai, said a release. The seized food items were destroyed in an isolated place by the officials.

The hotels and bakeries were warned of severe action if they continued to sell foreign chocolates and eatables without manufacture and expiry dates, said Dr. Salodeesan.

Kerala to launch app for food safety law

Will speed up response time of the administration to instances of violation

Thiruvananthapuram, September 2: 

Kerala is tipped to become the first State to enforce food safety laws online with a pilot being scheduled for launch here on Monday.

TV Anupama, Commissioner, Food Safety, told BusinessLine, a computer application has been developed and undergone trials.

Tablet-based app

“We are now looking to develop a tablet-based app so that officers can take on-the-spot assessment and even keep the office of the Commissioner informed in almost real-time.

“Wi-fi connectivity can help them run through the procedures the same day,” Anupama said.

This will help speed up the ‘response time’ of the administration to instances of violation of food safety laws, bring those involved to book, and most importantly, fast track information to the public.”

Tablets distributed

Currently, it takes 4-5 days to get through with procedures ranging from sample collection to lab testing; issue of show-cause notices; punitive action; and appeals.

Anupama said that officers at the district level have already been given tablets. A primary level of training has already been given to them.

The tablet application will decide the success of the online initiative, Anupama said. “We will keep a watch and try to get a feel of the app as we go along.”

Limited capabilities

Currently, use of technology is limited to the laboratory-level testing of samples collected. The new application will take it further upstream to the spot where the sample is sourced.

Those who worked on the application had a tough job assimilating the myriad provisions of the Food Safety Act — more than 100 of them with sub-sections, rules and regulations. State government-owned Sidco was roped in with a mandate to find a one-stop IT solution for both lab testing and enforcement.

Sidco-Invis effort

It was in turn entrusted to the software division of Invis Multimedia, which specialises in digital content generation, software development and multimedia solutions.

The latter is also the IT consultant for the Kerala Tourism Department since 1998.

A five-member software team got on the job with the guidance of Food Safety Joint Commissioners K Anil Kumar, D Sivakumar and D Ashrafudeen, and Research Officer G Gopakumar.

Food safety violators go scot-free: RTI query

HYDERABAD: In what shows utter disregard to food safety laws, the food safety wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has not cancelled even a single licence of any food business operator (FBO) in the last one year within city limits during the period June 2, 2014 to July 31, 2015.

The shocking disclosure - ironically coming at a time when the nation is celebrating National Nutrition Week from September 1 to 7 -- was made by the health department of GHMC in response to an RTI query.

When asked how many licences of FBOs it had cancelled in the city during the said period for violating provisions of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, the department admitted in the RTI reply (a copy of which is available with TOI) saying no licence was cancelled under the FSS Act.

"This admission is proof enough that the entire food safety wing is least bothered about the quality of food served by hundreds of hotels, restaurants and fast food chains to thousands of people every day. That not a single licence was cancelled also makes it a strong possibility that it is be an intentional act as the enforcement officials may likely to have some kind of nexus with food safety violators," reasoned Bakka Judson, the RTI activist who filed the application.

In fact, what further deepens the mystery over GHMC's lax attitude over implementation of food safety laws is the fact that they claimed to have collected 226 food samples during the one year period, the food safety wing mentioned in the RTI reply.

The zonal wise break-up of food samples they collected for testing during June 2, 2014 to July 31, 2015 includes 58 from East Zone, 51 from Central Zone, 48 North Zone, 40 West Zone and 29 from South Zone.

What's more, the GHMC's food safety wing claimed that 92 cases pertaining to violations under FSS Act were under trial stage before courts of law but legal experts opined that given the working style of functioning of the department, the chances of getting convictions for the violators in these cases is almost negligible.

"The punitive provisions of FSS Act, 2006 is very clear. Not just levying fines on the defaulters, the authorities can get the food safety violators imprisoned too besides cancelling their business licences," said C Damodar Reddy, high court advocate.

In particular, Damodar Reddy referred to the emergency powers entrusted to the designated food safety officers under section 34 of FSS Act. "Under this section, the food safety officers can bypass the need to approach courts of law to prosecute the defauters if a clear case is made out showing that health risk condition exists with respect to any food business," he added.

Interestingly, it is another story that the civic body is represented by five standing counsels (one for each zone) and 18 standing counsels (one each representing one circle) at high court and lower courts respectively.

"We do not have exact information on what food safety violation cases are pending at what stage and at which courts as they are handled by respective health and sanitation wing. We merely pass on the court summons and notices," said Laxmi Prasanna, superintendent, legal cell, GHMC.

Though attempts to speak to N Ravi Kiran, additional commissioner (health and sanitation), GHMC, for his comments failed, a food safety officer speaking to TOI on condition of anonymity, said: "Our hands are tied as we have to take clearance before conducting any raids. Recently, I was pulled up for collecting food samples for testing from a multi-national fast food chain."

Quote:

This admission is proof enough that the entire food safety wing is least bothered about the quality of food served by hundreds of hotels, restaurants and fast food chains to thousands of people every day. That not a single licence was cancelled also makes it a strong possibility that it is be an intentional act as the enforcement officials may likely to have some kind of nexus with food safety violators

Bakka Judson, RTI activist

Adulteration of Milk Rampant in Hyderabad: Farmers

HYDERABAD: Progressive Dairy Farmers Association of Telangana (PDFAT) has urged the state government to check adulteration of milk and ensure that pure milk is sold to people.

“Adulteration of milk by unscrupulous dairies or milk distributors is quite rampant in Hyderabad and dilution of milk with water is a common practice. Even the milk supplied by reputed brands cannot be regarded as pure and fresh as most of the brands supply milk prepared from milk powder or procured days before,” said K Bal Reddy, general secretary of PDFAT, at a press conference here on Wednesday.

Speaking about the holding of ‘Dairy Show 2015’ here from Saturday, he said.

Consumers were unaware of the milk procurement and processing and were ignorant of adulteration and other processes of milk. Unless the government and enforcing agencies like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) took steps, consumers would not be able to get pure and fresh milk, he said. 

About 22.50 lakh litres of milk is consumed in Hyderabad everyday. One-third of it is supplied by individual dairy farmers and two-thirds by branded dairies. While the milk supplied by milkmen reaches from the dairy to the consumer in about 12 hours, the branded milk takes at least two days to reach the consumer.

We should focus on ‘farm to consumer’ system to ensure that consumers get fresh milk directly from dairy farmers without any processing. This is possible only if dairy farmers are strengthened and given sops on a par with agriculture, said M Jitendar Reddy, president of PDFAT.

PDFA urges to conduct regular checks on all brands of milk to prevent adulteration

Hyderabad, Sept 2 (UNI) Progressive Dairy Farmers Association of Telangana(PDFA) today urged Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to conduct regular checks by collecting milk samples of all brands to prevent adulteration of milk.

Talking to newsmen here on the occasion of ‘South India’s largest Dairy Show’ to be held at HITEX, from September 5 to 7, PDFA General Secretary Kandala Bal Reddy said “We need to put pressure on government for effective control of milk trade particularly rampant adulteration with poisonous chemicals for increased profits”.

அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு நடத்த வலியுறுத்தல் தரமான வாட்டர் பாக்கெட்டா?

கரூர், செப்.3:

கோடை வெயில் போல கரூ ரில் சுட்டெ ரிக் கும் வெயில் வாட்டி வதக்கி வரும் நிலை யில், பொது மக் கள் அதி கம் வாங்கி பயன் ப டுத் தும் வாட்டர் பாக் கெட்டு கள் தர மா ன தா? என் பது குறித்து அதி கா ரி கள் ஆய்வு மேற் கொள்ள வேண் டும் என பொது க மக் கள் எதிர் பார்க் கப் ப டு கி றது.

ஏப் ரல், மே மாதங் களில் மட்டுமே அக்னி நட் சத் திர வெயில் வாட்டி வதக் கும். ஆனால், சீதோஷ் ண நிலை மாற் றம் கார ண மாக, தென் மேற்கு பரு வ மழை சீசன் மாத மான ஆகஸ்ட், செப் டம் ப ரி லும் சுட்டெ ரிக் கும் வெயில் வாட்டி வதக்கி வரு கி றது. இத னால் கடை களில் தற் போ தைய நிலை யி லும், குளிர் பா னங் களின் விற் பனை அதி க ரித்த வண் ணம் உள் ளது. மேலும், நடுத் தர பொது மக் கள் அதி கம் வாங்கி பயன் ப டுத் தும் வாட்டர் பாக் கெட்டு களும் கரூ ரில் அனைத்து கடை களி லும் விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர். இதே போல், கரூ ரில் உள்ள அனைத்து மது பான பர் களி லும் வாட்டர் பாட்டில் கள் தான் அதி க ளவு விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றது. கடை களை விட, பார் களில் தான் வாட்டர் பாக் கெட் விற் பனை சக்கை போடு போடு கி றது. இருப் பி னும், அதிக விற் பனை, தேவை கார ண மாக, வாட்டர் பாக் கெட் விற் ப னை யி லும் போலி கள் அதி கம் இருப் ப தாக கூறப் ப டு கி றது.

கடை களில் ரூ.2க்கும், மது பான பார் களில் ரூ.5க்கும் வாட்டர் பாக் கெட்டு கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றது.

இது போல, விற் பனை செய் யப் பட்டு வரும் வாட்டர் பாக் கெட்டு களில், அவ் வப் போது, தர மற்ற பாக் கெட்டு களும் கலந்து விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு வ தா க வும், இதனை வாங்கி பயன் ப டுத் தும், பொது மக் களும், பார் களுக்கு செல் லும் குடி ம கன் களும் பல் வேறு தொந் த ர வு களுக்கு ஆளாகி வரு வ தாக பர வ லாக கூறப் ப டு கி றது. எனவே, அனைத்து தரப்பு மக் களின் நலன் கருதி, கரூர் நக ராட்சி பகு தி யில் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டும் வாட்டர் பாக் கெட்டு கள் தர மா ன தா? என் பது குறித் தான ஆய் வினை அதி கா ரி கள் மேற் கொள்ள வேண் டும் என அனை வ ரா லும் எதிர் பார்க் கப் ப டு கி றது.

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கலப்பட டீத்தூள் பறிமுதல்

அரக் கோ ணம், செப்.3:

அரக் கோ ணம் நக ரில் கலப் பட டீத் தூள் மற் றும் காபித் தூள் கலந்து டீ, காபி விற் ப தா க வந்த புகாரையடுத்து வேலூர் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் செந் தில் கு மார் தலை மை யில் அலு வ லர் கள் பிரபு, தேவ ராஜ் ஆகி யோர் நேற்று பழ னிப் பேட்டை டீக் கடை மற் றும் பெட்டிக் க டை களில் ஆய்வு நடத் தி னர். அப் போது கடை களில் இருந்த கலப் பட டீத் தூள் மற் றும் காபித் தூள்,புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் ஆகி ய வற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.