ICMR panel clears ‘unsafe’ khesari dal banned in 1961

The dal was banned in 1961, after its consumption was linked to a neurological disorder called lathyrism (paralysis in the legs).

FIFTY-FIVE years after it was banned, a research panel headed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has cleared the consumption of khesari dal — considered the poor man’s dal due to its low cost.
The dal was banned in 1961, after its consumption was linked to a neurological disorder called lathyrism (paralysis in the legs).
Responding to an RTI application filed by The Indian Express, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has confirmed that the proposal to lift the ban has been communicated to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The RTI reply added that the ICMR’s recommendation is under consideration of the FSSAI, and the food regulator’s Scientific Panel and Scientific Committee discussed the issue on November 6 last year.
When contacted, FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal confirmed that he had received the recommendation from the ICMR. “I cannot comment on the exact findings of the ICMR right now. Besides, something which has been banned for several decades on the ground of safety will have to go through rigorous tests before it is cleared by us,” he said.
Agarwal added that irrespective of the ICMR’s recommendations, there will be an independent scrutiny by the FSSAI’s Scientific Panel and Scientific Committee.
But, according to documents accessed by The Indian Express, the ICMR’s proposal was approved by the FSSAI at its November 6 meeting, although the Scientific Panel and Scientific Committee did not give any conclusive recommendation on lifting the ban.
Consider this:
1. On March 10, 2015, the Scientific Panel — citing a report by the Indian Institute of Toxicological Research which held that lifting the ban on khesari dal would be “improper” since its consumption is “not safe” — had called for more scientific efforts to make it safe.
2. On September 21, 2015, the Scientific Committee observed that incidences of lathyrism were reported from drought prone areas where khesari dal was consumed. While recording that three low toxic varieties of
the dal — mahateora, ratan and prateek — were developed recently, the committee asked for a conclusive study on the lowest safe limit.
3. Further, a study conducted by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, on goats, also recorded abnormal effect on the animals which were given the toxin reportedly produced by khesari grains.
However, the FSSAI has gone solely by the ICMR’s latest recommendation on lifting the ban on sale and storage of khesari dal in view of its high protein content and water use efficiency.
Khesari (Lathyrus odoratus) is a hardy pulse crop that can grow in both drought as well as waterlogged conditions. The grain is known produce a toxin called BAPN or beta-amino-propio-nitrile, which, when ingested, causes limb paralysis and bone deformity — the result of a neurological disorder called lathyrism.
In 2010, the Planning Commission had asked the ICMR to conduct an epidemiological study of the dal in Chhattisgarh, where its cultivation is the highest.
The procedure to lift the ban will envisage an amendment in the FSSAI regulations of 2011, whereby it was prohibited to sell, have in possession for sale, or for use as an ingredient in the preparation of any article of food, khesari dal or its mixture with any other dal or flour.
“The fact that it gives 10-12 quintals per hectare yields even in the harshest environment and can mature within 125 days is a big advantage, though there are issues with BAPN accumulations,” said N P Singh, director of the Indian Institute of Pulses Research at Kanpur.

Case registered against supermarket chain for selling goods post expiry date

COIMBATORE: The food safety department has registered a case against a leading supermarket chain for selling goods which had passed the expiry date. A complaint was filed by a social worker on Thursday.
A retired police officer, who is also a member of the anti-corruption movement in Coimbatore, Velu in his complaint says he bought a box of Sakthi curd at the supermarket chain's store in Nanjundapuram on Wednesday evening. He found that it was manufactured on November 14 last year. It was placed in the saleable items section.
The food safety officials inspected the store on Thursday immediately after receiving the complaint, only to find that they had nine such boxes of curd packaged in November. "We have collected samples from the boxes and send it to our laboratory for testing. Once the results are obtained on Monday, cases will be registered based on what is found in the samples," said designated food safety officer, Dr R Kathiravan. "We have accepted the official complaint though and have begun investigations," he said.
The Food safety office has issued many notices and directions to supermarket stores warning them not to sell products that have crossed their expiry date. "Many dairy-based and ghee-based products start spoiling after a certain point of time even if they are refrigerated," said the officer. "They either spoil or fungus starts forming," he said.
They also advised people to always check the date of manufacturing, expiry or best before details before buying a product. "Though a majority of the stores agree to exchange a product bought after its expiry date, many people consume them absent mindedly trusting the store, which in turn ends up affecting their health," said Dr Kathiravan.

Chandigarh health department raids road side Parantha vendors

Chandigarh: According to the directions of the Director Health & Family Welfare, a joint team under the supervision of Dr Rajinder K Sharma, Designated Officer I/c Food Safety Administration, Chandigarh Health Department, Chandigarh consisting of Drug Control Officer Sunil Chaudhary, Drug Control Officer Jasbir Singh, Surinder Pal Singh, Food Safety Officer and Bhaljinder Singh, Food Safety Officer inspected the various vendors selling paranthas in the area of Sector 11, Sector 10, Sector 15 and Sector 16 of Chandigarh.
All the vendors in the said area were inspected and a total of eleven (11) quality control samples and two legal samples were lifted for the purpose of analysis & examination. Also two improvement notices were issued to the vendors who were found not upto the standards. The raids will continue till further orders.

Safe Kerala campaign brings steady change among those engaged in food business

KOZHIKODE: What the numerous awareness drives by health officials couldn't deliver through the campaign held over last year was achieved successfully by the intensive inspection drive carried out by the officials in the first fortnight of the current year.
The regular inspections by the officials to check hygienic quality of food being served at food outlets under the Safe Kerala campaign of the health department have succeeded in bringing steady and positive change among people engaged in food business about the importance of maintaining cleanliness at the time of preparing and selling food items.
The data with the health department shows a decline in the number of violations detected in the shops after the launch of Safe Kerala campaign in 2015. The officials have started crackdown of eatery outlets in 2016 which are found selling unhygienic food items to curb the spreading of communicable diseases.
The officials have served notices to only 44 shops and closed down the six shops engaged in food business during the first round of raid conducted in January 2016. The number in the corresponding period in 2015 was more than 100 soon after the launch of Safe Kerala campaign.
The officials have also levied a sum of Rs 3800 under the prohibition of public smoking so far this year. The team further detected that of the 262 migrant workers employed at various eatery outlets, only 47 of them having health card. The officials have slapped notices under the Madras Public Health Act, 1939, against the shops for preparing the food in the most unhygienic condition and for non-disposal of generated waste which created a safe environment for mosquito breeding.
The health department had carried out the simultaneous inspections through 74 squads to curb the spreading of the communicable diseases. The two district level teams conducted raids in the corporation and Vadakara municipality.
According to the health department, the officials covered 877 eatery outlets which includes 347 hotels, 217 cool bars, 171 bakeries, nine catering centres, five ice factories, nine soda manufacturing units and 119 other types of stalls during the drive heled from January 1 to 15, 2016. In 2015, the health officials here had issued notices to more than three hundred shops, houses and estates for keeping the surrounding unhygienic. The 27,273 inspections held in three rounds in 2015 had covered 25,767 houses, 197 estates and 1309 institutions and shops during the three rounds of site inspections held in 2015.
Junior Health Inspector P G Arunlal who is one among the health squad conducted raids in the corporation limit said that there is a positive change among shop owners. `` We have succeeded in changing the attitude as shop owners are now well aware about the importance of maintaining cleanliness at the time of preparing and storing food,'' he said.
Meanwhile, additional district medical officer Dr Piyush Namboodiri said that the change in attitude is seen very much in the approach of shop owners. `` The number of notices which crossed more than 100 in 2015 during the first round of inspection has now reduced to below fifty which is a positive sign,'' he said adding that the department wish to achieve zero violations through the Safe Kerala campaign. ``The next phase will cover the remaining food outlets that have not been covered in the first phaseday,'' he said.

Food safety priority at Kalolsav

Department has deployed five squads to check adulteration in restaurants, bakeries.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With around 10,000 students and thousands of parents expected to throng the city for Kalolsavam, the food and safety authority is gearing up for checking adulteration at eateries that are supposed to be unusually crowded.
The department has deployed five squads and summoned assistant commissioners from five districts to hold special checks at restaurants and bakeries in Thiruvananthapuram from January 15.
On January 18, cereals and grocery for making food at Kalolsavam will arrive at the venues. The food safety officials have to test the quality before it goes into the plates of contestants.
“The ongoing drive in Thiruvananthapuram city gives special emphasis on eateries around venues. We will now have to issue the license to around seven food stalls inside venues. There will be flying squads to shuttle between venues,” said food safety commissioner T. V. Anupama.
Horticorp will provide fresh vegetables to the venues. Plastic and paper plates will be discouraged at the venues and steel plates by Kudumbashree will be brought to serve food.
“All the restaurants have been asked to serve only boiled water. When more people come, there is a possibility of them adding more water into the curry. Apart from the quality of food, the charging of exorbitant prices can also be reported to us,” an official said.
Those who have any complaints can register the complaint with 1800-425-1125

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

ஆலைகளில் ஸ்டார்ச் உற்பத்தி அதிகரிப்பு: மூட்டை விலை ரூ. 300 வரை சரிந்தது

நாமகிரிப்பேட்டை: ஜவ்வரிசி விலை உயராததால், சேகோ ஆலைகளில், ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தியை குறைத்துவிட்டு, தற்போது ஸ்டார்ச் உற்பத்தியை அதிகரித்ததால், அதன் விலை மூட்டை ஒன்றுக்கு, 300 ரூபாய் வரை குறைந்தது.
சேலம், நாமக்கல் மாவட்டங்களில், 350 சேகோ ஆலைகள் உள்ளன. ஒவ்வொரு ஆலையிலும் சராசரியாக நாள் ஒன்றுக்கு, 1,000 மூட்டை மரவள்ளி கிழங்கு அரைக்கப்படுகிறது. இதன் மூலம், மில் ஒன்றில், 100 மூட்டை ஜவ்வரிசி தயார் செய்து, பல்வேறு பகுதிகளுக்கு சப்ளை செய்யப்படுகிறது. தற்போது, வடமாநிலங்களில் ஜவ்வரிசி தேவை குறைந்ததால், சேலம் சேகோ மார்க்கெட்டில் ஜவ்வரிசி விலை (குவிண்டால்), 2,600 ரூபாய் வரை விலைபோனது. இதற்கிடையே, சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரியின் நடவடிக்கைகளை கண்டித்து, சேகோ வியாபாரிகள், ஜவ்வரிசி ஏலத்தில் பங்கேற்காமல் புறக்கணிப்பில் ஈடுபட்டனர். இதனால், சேகோ ஆலைகளில் ஜவ்வரிசி மூட்டை தேங்கியது. அதுமட்டுமின்றி, ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி செலவுடன் ஒப்பிடும்போது, மூட்டைக்கு, 200 ரூபாயிலிருந்து, 350 ரூபாய் வரை, நஷ்டம் ஏற்பட்டது. இதனால், தற்போது சேகோ ஆலைகளில் கிழங்கு அரைப்பதை குறைத்துக்கொண்டனர்.
இதுகுறித்து, நாமக்கல் சேகோ ஆலை அதிபர்கள் கூறியதாவது: கிழங்கு மூட்டை, 400 ரூபாய் வரை வாங்கப்படுகிறது. ஜவ்வரிசிமூட்டை, 3,600 ரூபாய்க்கு விற்றால் தான் சோகோ ஆலைகளுக்கு கட்டுப்படியாகும். தற்போது, ஜவ்வரிசி மூட்டைக்கு, 350 ரூபாய் வரை நஷ்டம் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளதால், உற்பத்தியை குறைத்துக் கொண்டுள்ளோம். ஜவ்வரிசி தயாரிப்பை விட, ஸ்டார்ச்சை அரைத்து காய வைத்து விற்றுவிடலாம் என்பதால், அனைத்து மில்களிலும், ஸ்டார்ச் தயாரிப்பு துவங்கியுள்ளது. கடந்த மாதம், 2,200 ரூபாய்க்கு விற்ற ஸ்டார்ச் மூட்டை, தற்போது, 1,900 ரூபாய்க்கு தான் விலை போகிறது. அதுவும், மூட்டைக்கு, 300 ரூபாய் வரை குறைந்துள்ளது. இவ்வாறு அவர்கள் கூறினர்.