Food Safety Officers seal NIT cafeteria

A team of Food Safety Officers of Drug and Food Control Organization headed by Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, District Srinagar visited NIT Campus Hazratbal Srinagar in connection with inspection

Officials on Wednesday sealed the cafeteria inside the NIT campus at Hazratbal, while it served 10 days notice to two other food outlets to make structural changes in light of the requirements of Food Safety and standards Act.

In a statement here an official spokesman said: “A team of Food Safety Officers of Drug and Food Control Organization headed by Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, District Srinagar visited NIT Campus Hazratbal Srinagar in connection with inspecting various food business establishments.

During inspection NIT cafeteria was found in total insanitary condition, rusted and broken utensils were used for preparation and storage of food Items. Synthetic food colours were also being used. Foul smell was emanating from the kitchen. The restaurant was sealed till further orders.”

“In addition two units manufacturing food items were also found in insanitary condition. The drainage had got blocked and foul smell was emanating from it. The tiles of floor and walls were broken. These food outlets have been put on ten days notice to make the structural change in light of the requirements of Food Safety and standards Act otherwise action under law shall be initiated against them,” the spokesman added.

Toxic food

Regulation of pesticide use in farming is too lax

India's food chain continues to suffer from excessive toxicity, brought on by the rampant and unrestrained use of pesticides. Official data were released last week that showed nearly 18.7 per cent of samples tested - samples of commonly consumed foods like vegetables, fruits, milk, pulses, meat and spices - contained pesticide residues in varying degrees. In over 2.6 per cent of the samples, thetoxicity level was higher than the permissible limits. The incidence of toxicity seems to have nearly doubled when compared to similar studies in the past. Nor is the problem confined to big cities, although Delhi and Mumbai are among the worst hit: samples from small urban centres too have failed to pass the safety test.

Earlier studies had shown that even drinking water, beverages and soft drinks were not totally free of hazardous chemicals. Worst of all, traces of banned or unapproved pesticides have been found in commonly consumed foodstuffs. Clearly, regulation has failed to check the circulation of prohibited chemicals and spurious insecticides - substances which can be far more hazardous than the permitted pesticides. Many of these harmful chemicals are feared to be carcinogenic besides being injurious to the central nervous systems and liver. A joint parliamentary committee (JPC) was set up in 2003 to go into the safety standards for soft drinks, fruit juices and other beverages. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) came into being after the report of this JPC. However, many of the useful recommendations of this panel, including one concerning formulation of standards for individual food items - rather than for vegetables, fruits and others collectively as a group - have yet to be fully implemented.

The problem is not that India uses too much pesticide. In fact, India's per-hectare consumption of plant protection chemicals is just a fraction of that in developed countries. Yet the problem of toxicity is far more serious here than elsewhere. The real cause is the improper and indiscriminate use of pesticides by farmers. Most pesticide manufacturers stress the necessary precautions to be observed while using these hazardous chemicals; these include allowing a prescribed time to elapse between spraying pesticide and harvesting the crop. This is necessary to let the pesticide molecules degenerate. But these essential precautions are often ignored by farmers in India. Many of them, especially vegetable growers, dip their produce in chemical solutions just before going to the wholesale markets - which they believe will improve their appearance and assure them better prices. The use of chemicals like calcium carbide to artificially ripen fruits like bananas, papayas and mangoes also contaminates them. This can be curbed only by educating India's farmers on the safe use of pesticides. Pesticide marketing also needs to be better regulated. Only registered dealers who have some knowledge of pesticides and their safe use should be allowed to do business. This is important because farmers usually rely on the advice of pesticide sellers when it comes to plant protection issues. The pesticide industry must be pushed to contribute to this effort.

‘Ready to manufacture sago as per Food Safety Department norms’

The Attur Starch and Javvarisi Urparthiyalargal Munnetra Nala Sangam said that its members are ready to manufacture sago and starch as per the Food Safety Department norms and pleaded for State Government’s guidance in this regard.

The recent Madras High Court judgment that sago which failed the tests conducted by the Sagoserve to find out the mixing of chemicals in its production should be handed over to the Food Safety Department and also slapping a ban on the sale of wet starch, has badly hit about 350 sago manufacturing units in the medium and small scale sector in seven districts, S. Doraisamy, president of the Sangam said.

He said that tapioca skin was removed manually till a few years ago.

Later, due to paucity of manpower, the sago units introduced peeling machines for the removal of skin. Sometime, chemicals had to be used for the removal of dirt. This technique of using chemicals had already been done away with by the sago units.

On a petition filed R. Chandrasekaran, secretary of the Kalkurichi Vellalapatti Vivasayigal Munnetra Sangam, the Madras High Court had passed the above order, following which all the 350 and odd sago manufacturing units have suspended production since September 7.

Mr. Doraisamy said that taking advantage of the court order a few major sago manufacturing units alone were involved in the manufacture of sago and starch and are making big profit at the cost of small and medium units.

He said that the small and medium sago units are prepared to manufacture the sago and starch without mixing any chemicals and as per the food safety department norms.

The Government should introduce a chemical-free manufacturing process and the sago units are fully prepared to adopt this technique.

The present situation has not only affected the medium and small sago units, but also the entire tapioca farming community. This is the harvesting period and the continuation of the stalemate will only worsen the situation, he added.

Mr. Doraisamy said that a meeting of the sago unit owners of Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Erode, Tiruchi, Perambalur and Villupuram districts was held at Attur on Monday.

The meeting decided to stage a day long hunger strike agitation in front of the Sagoserve in the city soon to highlight the problems confronting the medium and small sago manufacturing units and demanding the government to ensure their smooth functioning as usual, he said.

கடைகளில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையினர் ஆய்வு

பந் த லூர், அக். 8:

பந் த லூர் பஜார் கடை களில் நேற்று திடீர் ஆய்வு நடத் திய அதி கா ரி கள் காலா வதி உண வுப் பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய்து அழித் த னர்.

பந் த லூர் பஜார் பகுதி கடை களில் காலா வ தி யான உண வுப் பொருட் கள் விற் பனை குறித்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் மருத் து வர் ரவி தலை மை யி லான உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் கொண்ட குழு வி னர் நேற்று ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர். அப் போது, காலா வ தி யான குளிர் பா னங் கள், மிட்டாய், மிக் சர், முறுக்கு, பிஸ் கட் உள் ளிட்ட உண வுப் பொருட் கள் விற் ப னைக் காக வைக் கப் பட்டி ருந் தது கண் ட றி யப் பட்டது.

அவற்றை அதி கா ரி கள் உடைத்து கொட்டி அழித் த னர். மேலும் காலா வ தி யான குளிர் பா னங் களை கீழே கொட்டி னார் கள். அழு கிய பழங் கள் விற் பனை செய் வதை கண் ட றிந்து அவற்றை அழித் த னர். மளிகை கடை களில் ஆய்வு செய்த உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் அங்கு உள்ள உண வுப் பொ ருட் களில் காலா வ தி யா ன வற்றை வெளியே கொண்டு வந்து அழித் த னர். மேலும் உணவு பொருட் கள் தனி யா க வும், இதர அழகு சாதன பொருட் கள் மற் றும் இர சா ய னம் சார்ந்த பொருட் கள் சோப்பு உள் ளிட்ட பொருட் கள் தனி தனி பகு தி களில் அடுக்கி வைக்க அறி வு றுத் தி னார் கள்.

உணவு பாது காப்பு லைசென்ஸ் கண் டிப் பாக பெற வேண் டும் என் றும் பாது காப் பான முறை யில் உண வுப் பொ ருட் கள் வைத்து விற் பனை செய்ய வேண் டும் என் றும் அறி வு றுத் தி னார் கள்.

தொடர்ந்து, ஓட்ல் களில் ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர், அப் போது, ‘இறைச்சி, மீன் களை வாடிக் கை யா ளர் கள் கேட் கும் போது பொறித்து சூடாக வழங்க வேண் டும் என வும், பல மணி நேரத் திற்கு முன் பாக பொறித்த கறி க ளையோ, மீன் க ளையோ கொடுக்க கூடாது, இவ் வாறு கொடுப் ப தால் நோய் கள் பர வும் அபா யம் உள் ளது. மேலும் சமை ய ல றை கள் சுத் த மாக வைக்க வேண் டும், இறைச்சி கடை களை சுத் த மாக வைக்க வேண் டும் கால் நடை மருத் து வ ரி டம் முத் திரை பெற்றே இறைச் சி கள் விற் பனை செய்ய வேண் டும். கடை களின் உள்ளே தண் ணீர் தேங்கி இருக் கும் வகை யில் பாத் தி ரங் க ளையோ, பழைய டயர் க ளையோ வைக்க கூடாது. காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை விற் பனை செய் வ தால் வாந்தி, பேதி, வயிறு சம் பந் த மான பல் வேறு நோய் கள் ஏற் பட வாய்ப்பு உள் ளது. எனவே மேற் கண்ட உண வுப் பொ ருட் க ளை யும் குளிர் பா னங் க ளை யும் மொத்த விற் ப னை யா ளர் களி டம் வாங் கும் போதே தயா ரிப்பு தேதி மற் றும் காலா வதி தேதி தயா ரிப்பு நிறு வ னம் உள் ளிட்ட தக வல் கள் கேட்டு வாங் க வேண் டும். முழு மை யான தக வல் கள் உடைய பில் களை கடை கா ரர் கள் மொத்த விற் ப னை யா ளர் களி டம் இருந்து வாங்கி வைத்து கொள்ள வேண் டும்.

மீன் கள் மற் றும் பழங் கள் விற் ப னைக்கு வைக் கப் பட்டி ருக் கும் போது அவை கொசுக் கள் மற் றும் ஈக் கள் அம ராத வகை யில் வலை போட்டு மூடி வைத்து இருக்க வேண் டும். பழைய அழு கிய பழங் கள் மற் றும் மீன் கள் சாப் பி டு வ தால் பல் வேறு நோய் கள் ஏற் ப டும் வாய்ப்பு உள் ள து’, என அறி வு றுத் தி னர்

Food vendors on Kozhikode beach come under scanner

KOZHIKODE: After conducting a cleaning drive at the beach on the Gandhi Jayanthi with participation from the public, district administration is exploring ways to keep the cleanliness of the area intact.

A large number of students and volunteers of various organizations had taken part in the cleaning drive. Similar attempts were made in the past too, but beach remained dirty after a few days of cleaning.

District administration has sought the opinion of the experts on maintaining the cleanliness of the beach because more sustained efforts are needed to keep the beach beautiful. "Unlike other places in the city, beach needs scientific ways to keep it clean," district collector N Prasanth said.

A major concern for the people who throng the beach on holidays is the quality of the food served at the make-shift eateries that have sprouted along the beach. During the cleaning drive on October 2, officials have come across many eateries that sell unhygienic food sold at these shops. Food safety authorities have banned the sale of crushed ice sold on the beach as it is found out that these items are made in unhygienic conditions and have added chemicals.

Shockingly, many of the food items sold at the beach were preserved for weeks. Officials have asked the vendors to remove the ice boxes immediately and install new refrigerators. The fruits and vegetables found the ice boxes have been destroyed by the squad. The vendors have been asked to keep the outlets clean. The search was conducted by the officials following a direction from the collector.

Food safety officials said that awareness classes were conducted for the street vendors at the beach. Many have been paying scant regard to the directions issued from to time. Officials have warned that strict action will be initiated against offenders and regular raids will be conducted at the eateries on the beach. The collector has also asked the city corporation authorities to take steps to issue license to the vendors on the beach. As there is no licensing system it is very difficult for the authorities to find out the culprit in case of health hazards.

District collector N Prasanth told TOI that students of the IIM-K have been asked to prepare a project report on the sustainable model of the beach cleaning. "The idea is to divide the beach into different segments and entrust each area to some sponsor, which would be a corporate or an institution," said the collector.

State to retest Maggi samples

Confused over varying test results on the presence of lead, aluminium and monosodium glutamate in four samples of Maggi sent to the Central Food Laboratory (CFL), Kolkata, the State Health Department is all set to get the samples retested from a private NABL laboratory outside the State.

Health Minister U.T. Khader told The Hindu on Wednesday that the need for a retest was felt as the reports of same samples tested in private laboratories in the State had shown different results. “We don’t know which lab to believe. Varying reports and absence of clarity in the Food Safety and Standards Act on the permissible levels of these substances are confusing. So we need to get a retest,” he said. The current ban on sale of Maggi in the State that has been imposed following directions from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will continue for the time being. However, a final decision will be taken after the State receives the new report and a clarification from the FSSAI about permissible limits, he said.

Meanwhile, sources in the State Food Safety division said that the CFL, Kolkata — that tested three Maggi samples from the State (two from Bengaluru Rural and one from Gadag) for the presence of toxic substances — ruled that two of the samples are “unsafe” for consumption.

“Of the three samples, the report of just one sample said the product is safe. Of the other two, one sample was found to be mislabelled as although it had traces of MSG, the label did not mention it. The same sample also exhibited the presence of aluminium (0.119 ppm) and hence it was termed as unsafe,” a senior official explained. “The third sample showed the presence of both lead (2.6 ppm) and aluminium (0.24 ppm) and has been termed unsafe. But the laboratory authorities have not explained as to why the sample is unsafe (is it because of lead or aluminium?). So we will write to them seeking a clarification,” the official said.