MAALAI MALAR NEWS

ஓட்டல், பேக்கரிகளில்உடைந்த முட்டைகளை பயன்படுத்துவதை தடுக்க வேண்டும் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலகத்தில் மனு

சேலம், செப். 18-

சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அலு வ ல கத் திற்கு இன்று சேலம் கிச் சி பா ளை யம் முட்டை விற் ப னை யா ளர் நல சங்க தலை வர் ராஜ கோ பா லன், செய லா ளர் சுந் த ர ராஜ் மற் றும் உறுப் பி னர் கள் 10க்கும் மேற் பட்டோர் உடைந்த முட்டை களை அட்டை யு டன் எடுத்து வந்து மனு அளித் த னர். இது குறித்து சங்க தலை வர் ராஜ கோ பா லன் கூறி ய தா வது:

நாமக் கல், ராசி பு ரத் தில் இருந்து சேலம் மாந கர பகு திக்கு தின சரி 4 லட் சம் முட்டை கள் விற் ப னைக்கு கொண்டு வரப் ப டு கின் றன. இதில் பஸ், ஆட்டோ, டூவீ லர் மூலம் தின சரி 20 ஆயி ரத் தில் இருந்து 30 ஆயி ரம் வரை யி லான உடைந்த முட்டை களும் விற் ப னைக்கு கொண்டு வரப் ப டு கின் றது. இந்த உடைந்த முட்டை களை சாலை யோர டிபன் வியா பா ரி கள், பேக் கரி கடைக் கா ரர் கள் வாங்கி உப யோ கப் ப டுத்தி வரு கின் ற னர். இது போன்ற உடைந்த முட்டை களை பயன் ப டுத்தி தயா ரிக் கும் பொருட் களை சாப் பி டும் போது மக் களுக்கு வாந்தி, மயக் கம் உள் ளிட்ட பிரச் னை கள் ஏற் ப டு கி றது.

இது தவிர டெங்கு, பன்றி காய்ச் சல் களும் ஏற் பட வாய் புள் ளது. கடந்த 2 வரு டம் முன்பு உடைந்த முட்டை களை விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது என தடை விதிக் கப் பட்டது. பின் னர் அதி கா ரி கள் கண் டு கொள் ளா த தால், மீண் டும் உடைந்த முட்டை கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் பட்டு பயன் ப டுத்தி வரு கின் ற னர். சில வியா பா ரி கள் உடைந்த முட்டை களை விற் பனை செய் வ தால், நல்ல முட்டை களை விற் பனை செய் யும் மற்ற வியா பா ரி களுக்கு அவப் பெ யர் ஏற் ப டு கி றது.

எனவே இது கு றித்து நட வ டிக்கை எடுத்து உடைந்த முட்டை களை விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு வ தை யும், பயன் ப டுத் து வ தை யும் தடுக்க வேண் டும். என் றார்.

Will consider industry views while framing regulations: FSSAI

Last month, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had done away with process of product approvals following a Supreme Court order, which quashed the advisories issued by the authority.

Allaying apprehensions, Food safety watchdog FSSAI on Friday said the authority will consider industry views while framing regulations for product approvals.

Last month, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had done away with process of product approvals following a Supreme Court order, which quashed the advisories issued by the authority.

Replying to a question here on sidelines of an event, FSSAI Chairman Ashish Bahuguna said, "We have started working on product approval regulations..will consider the views of all stakeholders including industry, whosoever wants to give the views will be considered."

In reply to a question about fear psychosis in the industry, he said "nobody should be scared..there is nothing to fear."

In a circular last month, FSSAI has said that in the light of recent judgments of various courts relating to food safety, the regulator has decided to engage legal assistance for formulation of regulations to govern product approvals, imports.

The regulator had scrapped the product approval system following Supreme Court order on August 19 quashing an advisory issued by FSSAI on the procedure for product approvals.

The regulator had banned Nestle's instant noodles Maggi on June 5. However, it was later lifted by the Bombay High Court with the condition that manufacturing and selling would be allowed only after fresh tests.

Top Ramen makers challenge state lab reports on MSG levels

After Maggi, another noodle brand has come under the radar of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the city.

KOLHAPUR: After Maggi, another noodle brand has come under the radar of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the city. A state government laboratory report stated high percentage of Monosodium glutamate in Top Ramen noodles, and hence a sample has been sent to a UP-based central referral lab for a detailed report. The report was challenged by the makers of the noodles.

S M Deshmukh, FDA commissioner, Kolhapur, told TOI, "The state government has asked my office to test the samples of Top Ramen noodles, after lead levels in Nestle's Maggi noodles was found to be higher than the permissible limit. The results of the state laboratory were positive. But the company has objected to the results and so, the government sent the same samples to a UP-based national referral laboratory."

The unit sent the samples on Monday, and the results will be given after a month-long wait, Deshmukh added.

He said, "Each district FDA office was given one product to analyse and test. Kolhapur was given Top Ramen noodles and we submitted our reports to the state government."

On June 8, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had come out with an advisory on product safety testing of all instant noodle products in the country in the wake of reportedly high lead levels in Maggie noodles along with taste enhancer Monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Top Ramen is a product of Indo Nissin Food Ltd and is currently off the shelves in the retail markets.

When asked about the possibility of the product being retailed, Deshmukh said, "The company's products are being tested in the lab and the company is willing to wait for some time. It is true that the state lab report is challenged by the company but it does not mean it can immediately start selling it in the retail market. There will be other similar instant food products that are being referred to the UP-based union government's laboratory; hence the reports are lined up. If the UP lab reports are similar to the state lab's, then a detailed letter will be drafted to the state government. The reports will be attached so that the state government can initiate action of banning or suspending the distribution of the instant food product."

Deshmukh also pointed out that some complaints have been raised against packed food and their sale through retail shops. "As per the requirement, I will refer these samples to the labs for further tests," he said.

Food Safety Offices Planned in All Assembly Constituencies

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government was planning to establish food safety offices in all the Assembly constituencies in the state, Health Minister V S Sivakumar said on Thursday.

“The government has also plans to bring anganwadi, school and hostel canteens under the registration and licensing regime prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),” he said while inaugurating a function organised for signing an MoU between the Food Safety Commissionerate, Kerala, and the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore.

The collaboration with CFTRI would enable the state to raise its food safety labs to international standards, Sivakumar said.‘’The MoU will help us upgrade the labs and strengthen analysis. Steps have been taken to strengthen enforcement. But modernisation and uplift of facilities should go hand in hand,’’ Food Safety Commissioner T V Anupama said. CFTRI director Ram Rajasekharan stressed the need to raise awareness among the public on issues related to safe food. Health Secretary K Elangovan, who presided over the function, said that the MoU with CFTRI would help enhance the performance of the food safety wing at a time when the ‘hygienic food safe food’ concept was gaining currency among the public. Chief Government Analyst (in-charge) S T Thankachan, Food Safety Joint Commissioner K Anil Kumar, Food Safety scientist, CFTRI, Dr Asha Martin, and CFTRI administrative officer Mallika P Kumar were also present.

Safety of packaged food

 

Expressing serious concern over widespread panic being created by the FSSAI and several state government authorities over safety of all types of packaged and branded food, ASSOCHAM has written to Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi seeking his immediate intervention, stating that an investment of Rs 90,000 crore could be jeopardized because of consumer distrust being spread by the government machinery after withdrawal of Maggi from the market.

“Recent incidences of food recall coupled with onslaught in media has shaken confidence of the industry thereby risking an investment of over Rs 90,000 crores and an estimated export of over US$40 billion, which will impact livelihoods, farmers, agri-wastages, inflation and moreover investment climate in India,” ASSOCHAM said in a letter to the Prime Minister.

It said in recent weeks the Indian processed food industry has come in for considerable negative publicity. The FSSAI action in the case of the Maggi brand of noodles, has been followed by a spate of notices issued by various State authorities to several other manufacturers across the country, accompanied by simultaneous press statements.

This has spawned numerous stories in the media to the effect that all brands of noodles are unsafe for consumption, creating a climate of alarm and distrust in the minds of the consumers about packaged noodles as a whole. Moreover, various state officials have been ordering removal of all brands of noodles from the retail shelves, the chamber said in the letter to the Prime Minister.

“Now, the consumer distrust is spilling over to other food categories as well. As a result of the recent events, an impression is gaining ground amongst the public that all branded packaged foods in India are unsafe”.

The industry is witnessing a gradual shut-down of factories across the entire value-chain, many of which are in the small and medium sectors, adversely impacting employment. In addition, this is bound to impact farm incomes given that bulk of the ingredients are agri-products. The damage suffered by the industry on account of this in the last few weeks is enormous and will take many months to recover from”, it said.

While the current controversy emanated from the presence of MSG (mono sodium glutamate) in certain food items, is a permitted additive to foods. It is present in many items like tomato, green peas, corn, onion, milk, parmesan cheese etc. The FSS Act, 2006 requires that where MSG is added to a food product, it must be so declared.

Glutamic acid is a component of proteins and comprises some 20 per cent. of ingested protein. Much is known about its metabolism in various animal species. During gastrointestinal absorptiontransamination to alanine occurs. As a consequence there is only a slight rise in glutamate levels in the portal blood. A similarmechanism probably also occurs in man. However, if the capacity ofthis mechanism and the further conversion of glutamate in the liver is overwhelmed, or if monosodium glutamate is administered parenterally in large doses, it is possible to obtain significantly high blood levels. For primates and man it has been demonstrated that blood levels of glutamate are higher in the foetus compared with the mother,particularly during the early phases of foetal development. Recentdata show that after glutamate loading of the mother, the full term prenatal rat foetus has less glutamate in its circulation than existsin the maternal circulation.

Numerous reproduction studies in mice, rats and rabbits revealedno deleterious effects on the offspring if the parent generation wasfed glutamate in high doses, suggesting that an earlier claim of teratogenic effects in the rabbits was not related to glutamateadministration. There is evidence that glutamate administeredparenterally or orally is retinotoxic but only during a brief period of neonatal life and not in utero or after weaning.

Work using subcutaneous injection suggests a vulnerability of thedeveloping mouse, rat and primate central nervous system to highlevels of glutamate in addition to other amino acids. Attempts atreproducing these effects after oral administration were successfulonly in mouse by the use of high doses.

Acute reactions reported after ingestion of glutamate as foodadditive are probably due to the rapid absorption of large mounts ofthe substance. These occur fairly frequently, and particularlysensitive persons develop Kwok’s disease.On the data provided by the research done it is possible to arrive at a formal acceptable daily intake making allowance for the fact that glutamate is a normal constituent of protein. In arriving at the ADI the acutereactions due to rapid absorption have been taken into consideration.In view of the uncertainty regarding the possible susceptibility ofthe very early human neonate to high oral intakes of glutamate, it would be prudent not to add monosodium glutamate to foods specificallyintended for infants under one year of age. When the further work on this aspect has become available, it may be possible to arrive at an acceptable daily intake for these infants as well.

“It is important to note that the presence of MSG does not mean that the product is unsafe for consumption. In fact, MSG is generally recognized as safe by US FDA, UN FAO and WHO”.

However, based on the FSSAI’s view, some state authorities have been coercing retailers to remove all such packages of noodles that carry the phrase “no added MSG” from the shelves.

The Government should clearly lay down guidelines, in the interest of justice and fairness, to ensure that the authorities refrain from making press statements and taking any coercive action even before an adjudicatory process under the law has concluded. Such guidelines be urgently communicated to the State food officials to save the industry which can increase 5-fold to Rs 5.65 lakh crores by 2030. The food products generate the highest employment, currently providing over 48 million employment in industry, apart from another 25 million in logistics, transportation and so on.