DINAMALAR NEWS

பள்ளி மாணவர்களுக்காக10 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் காலாவதியான உப்புக் கரைசல் பாக்கெட் விநியோகம் தேதி பார்த்ததும் தலைமை ஆசிரியர்கள் ஷாக்  விசாரிப்போம் என்கிறார் சுகாதார அதிகாரி

விரு து ந கர், பிப்.11:

குடற் பு ழுக் க ளால் ரத் த சோகை, உடல் சோர்வு, மனச் சோர்வு, மூளை வளர்ச்சி குன் று தல் உள் ளிட்ட பாதிப் பு கள் ஏற் ப டு கி றது. இதை தடுக்க விரு து ந கர் மாவட் டத் தில் 6 லட் சத்து 14 ஆயி ரத்து 948 குழந் தை கள் மற் றும் மாண வர் க ளுக்கு குடற் புழு நீக்க மாத் தி ரை கள் வழங் கப் பட் டன. பள் ளி க ளில் ஆசி ரி யர் கள் மூல மும், பள்ளி செல் லாத குழந் தை க ளுக்கு அங் கன் வாடி பணி யா ளர் கள் மூல மும் மதிய உண விற் கு பின் குடற் புழு நீக் கத் துக் கான மாத் திரை வழங் கப் பட் டது.

இந்த மாத் திரை சாப் பி டும் மாணவ, மாண வி க ளுக்கு வாந்தி ஏற் பட் டால் அவர் க ளுக்கு கொடுப் ப தற் காக சுகா தா ரத் துறை ‘ஓரல் ரீஹை டி ரே ஷன் சால்ட் ’’ பாக் கெட் டு களை வழங் கி யது. இந்த உப்பு - சர்க் கரை கரை சல் பாக் கெட் டுக் கள் அனைத் தும் கடந்த 2004, பிப் ர வ ரி யில் தயா ரிக் கப் பட் டவை. இவற் றின் ஆயுட் கா லம் 2 ஆண்டு என குறிப் பி டப் பட் டுள் ளது. அதா வது கடந்த 10 ஆண் டு க ளுக்கு முன் காலா வ தி யான உப்பு - சர்க் கரை கரை சல் பாக் கெட் டு களை சுகா தா ரத் துறை தற் போது மாண வர் க ளுக்கு விநி யோ கம் செய் துள் ளது.

காலா வ தி யான பாக் கெட் டுக் களை பார்த்த தலை மை யா சி ரி யர் கள் அதிர்ச் சி ய டைந்து விட் ட னர்.

பள் ளி க ளில் இவற்றை மாண வர் க ளுக்கு கொடுத் தி ருந் தால் வாந்தி, பேதி அதி க ரித் தி ருக் கும். இது கு றித்து சுகா தா ரத் துறைக்கு தக வல் தெரி வித் துள் ள னர். சுகா தா ரத் துறை துணை இயக் கு நர் டாக் டர் பழ னிச் சாமி கூறு கை யில் ‘இது தொ டர் பாக விசா ரித்து நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும்’ என் றார்.

Most food businesses still unregistered with FSSAI

NEW DELHI: Only one out of every 15 food businesses in the country is registered with the food safety watchdog Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) despite several extensions of the deadline for obtaining licences, a top official said on Wednesday.

Stating that the whole issue of food safety is becoming increasingly important, FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said the regulator is framing new regulations for more products that would be in place within the next few months.

"In terms of licenses and registrations of food businesses, we still have a very-very long way to go. Only 33 lakh are registered, I am told there are close to 5 crore food businesses in the country. You can see that it has not even reached 10 per cent the mark," Agarwal said at an Assocham event.

Food business operators cannot operate without obtaining licence from FSSAI. The licensing process was started in August 2011 and thereafter it has been extended many times.

As per the Food Safety Standards act, food business operator is defined as an undertaking, whether private or public, carrying out activities related to any stage of manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, imports.

On Tuesday, in a notification, the food safety regulator extended the last date of registration from February 4, 2016 to May 4, 2016.

He pointed out that the last date has repeatedly been extended and after consultations it is decided that "we should go for three-month extension instead of 6 months or one year".

The official said the regulator wants to work with the industry hopes for industry's cooperation in regulating the sector.

"There will be special drives for food businesses to obtain licences and registration within 3 months. I do hope that food businesses will cooperate with us in obtaining licences," he said.

Agarwal also clarified that the last date for printing of licences and registration numbers on the packaged food was over on December 31.

"We do hope that all packaged food will have FSSAI licence number. There will be no further extension and I think we have extended it for many times," he added.

He also raised that FSSAI licence is not displayed on the premises of many food businesses.

So in all these three areas, special drive would be taken by the regulatory authority through state machinery.

Rules amendment after June 30 to enable clearance of old packaging stocks

The legal metrology department under ministry of consumer affairs has issued an advisory for deferring the implementation of the packaging rules amendment issued in May 2015. The department in an advisory stated that the affected industry can now use the old packaging till June 30, 2016. This has been done primarily to clear the old stocks and industry concerned thereby gets time to implement the amendments smoothly.

The new amendments state that the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 rulings will prevail with respect to retail food packaging.

The amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2015 were issued by the department of consumer affairs in May last year, which were notified and came into force from January 1, 2016.

The department informed that the advisory was issued after a series of representations of industry chambers citing huge stockpile of old packaging and requested the department for time for clearance.

An official with the department stated that since the rules came into force from January 1, 2016, the department through this advisory has made some arrangement for smoother transition from old to new rules. For this period, companies will be allowed to use old packaging and also the industry has been asked to use stickers for some correctable errors while the stock is cleared.

Meanwhile, industry representatives also termed this decision as positive as this would help in saving losses which were otherwise inevitable due to stockpile of old packaged goods. "Overall if we see this issue, it's a positive move by the regulatory. Big players like Nestle and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) usually plan in advance. Thus, this move will enable FBOs to use their old stocks of packaging films and materials on which the label is printed," stated Varun Tipnis, assistant manager, sales, Bossar Packaging Pvt. Ltd, Navi Mumbai. He added, "With regards to monetary aspects, the move - giving an extension - has saved industry players from huge losses."

According to the amendments, the definitions have been made with regards to industrial consumer and institutional consumer. Further, the new rules make it compulsory for the industry to publish contact info for consumer complaint. On imported packages, labels should be fixed according to the required declaration under these rules.

The amendments also talk about making correction like use of word ‘L’ for litre quantity.

FSSAI extends deadline for obtaining licence under Food Safety Act by 3 months

In terms of licensing and registration of food business, of the 50 million food units in the country, only about 3.3 million are licensed.

Chandigarh: The food regulator has extended the deadline for obtaining licence and registration under food safety and standards by three months.

At an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi on Wednesday, the CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Pawan Kumar Agarwal, said the deadline was February 4 and the move to extend it was aimed at accommodating businesses that are yet to get a licence.

"We had a consultation with all food safety commissioners. There was generic view that there should not be any further extension, but considering that there may still be some businesses that have not obtained licences and the registration under the new legislation," Agarwal said at the 8th Global Food Processing Summit-cum Awards 2016.

In terms of licensing and registration of food business, of the 50 million food units in the country, only about 3.3 million are licensed. "We have not even reached the 10% mark of that," Agarwal said.

"There is no choice for us but to adopt international practices on food safety and I do hope we receive all the corporations from all the food businesses." Agarwal said there is no reason for the regulator and food businesses to be seen in an adversarial position.

"We are also the citizen and consumer apart from the food businesses where you will have profit motives, and I am sure as responsible citizens and consumers, you will ensure the food safety in the manufacturing processes, in storages, in transportation also various elements of act are still to come into force," he said.

According to the CEO, the other issue was printing of licence number on packaged food, the last date for which, after many extensions, was December 31. He said all packaged food is expected to have FSSAI licence number and that there will be no further extension.

"I think we have extended it many times and next is about display of FSSAI on the premises which again many food business are currently not doing it, Agarwal said. "The new legislation is all about creating science-based standards for food safety...It is expected that 80-90% of standards and regulations should be in place within the next few months as we move forward," he said.

Jack Charles claims “cancer causing agents” in local rice; Government responds

By Aaron Humes: Importer Jack Charles is citing tests conducted by an American laboratory to argue that the major brands of Belizean rice, Circle R and Tropic, are not safe to consume.

This is because according to a press release he issued today, the sampled brands contain low levels of aflatoxins, which are cancer causing agents known to kill large numbers of people when consumed in excess.

The samples tested by Eurofins Central Analytical Laboratories of New Orleans, Louisiana, found less than 2 micrograms per kilogram each of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, in each sample, compared to a sample of American-produced rice, but Charles cites the Bureau of Standards’Standards (Declaration of Compulsory Standard) Order 2015, issued in October. The Order, he said, was expressed to be ‘compulsory for farmers, millers, exporters, importers and other related personnel, thereby promoting standardization for this particular commodity’.

Rule 6.1.6 of the Order declares that rice shall be free of contaminants such as aflatoxin, which is caused by improper storage causing the growth of the fungus known as As-per-gill-us flav-us.

The results were forwarded on February 1, 2016 to the Bureau of Standards, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) and Ministry of Agriculture to be cross-verified and steps to address the problems taken.

Charles, while pointing out that excessive consumption of these agents can result in aflatoxicosis and damage to the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain and heart, insists that he is not trying to cause a panic, nor to have Government justify this public health problem, but to keep a sincere promise to Belizeans that they can enjoy safe, wholesome, quality rice at affordable prices.

Charles did not address in his press release how the Guyanese rice he tried to bring in compares in terms of samples, or if he is trying to shame Government into acceding to his request to bring the rice in.

Contacted for comment today, CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture Jose Alpuche said that he had not seen the press release, nor could he comment at this time.

This evening, the Government hit back with a joint press release issued by the Belize Bureau of Standards, Belize Agricultural Health Authority and Ministry of Health (but not the Ministry of Agriculture, essentially dismissing Charles’ claims.

The authorities maintain that Charles is not recognized as an authority for testing any basic food items, and state that the tests presented by Charles showed that none of the samples analyzed contain detectable levels of aflatoxins and do not pose any threat to human health.

The trio of authorities also reject the suggestion that they are not committed to ensuring food safety and health in Belize – and they accuse Charles of hiding his commercial interests, referring to the attempt to import Guyanese rice into Belize, behind food safety concerns and trying to undermine the confidence of Belizeans in food safety.

Concerns had previously been expressed about the safety level of Guyanese rice, and the Bureau says it will prevent access for any goods “which are likely to be a danger to the health or safety of consumers.”