FSSAI to hire ad agencies for an image makeover

May also rope in consultants to ramp up its social media presence
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the regulator that stirred a controversy after banning Nestle India's Maggi instant noodles, has decided to go in for an image makeover.
It plans to rope in advertising agencies to devise multimedia advertising campaigns and will hire consultants to ramp up its social media presence. FSSAI has requested expressions of interest on its website.
"FSSAI would require the services of multimedia creative agencies for jobs activities such as designing of print ads, creatives illustrations on various aspects of food safety for various events," the regulator said in a request for expressions of interest on its website.The budget for the proposed multimedia campaign is not known. The authority said payments will be made at rates offered by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity . The contract is for one year and can be extended to three years.
Agencies based in New Delhi with an annual turnover of at least Rs 50 lakh during the past three financial years and experience of working with a government bodies can apply for the deal by March 3. The regulator's Facebook page was last updated on November 15.
Following the controversy over the ban on Maggi noodles, which was later lifted, and the implementation of a product approval process through an advisory that had no legal standing, the FSSAI was criticised by the food industry and food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal for bringing back an "inspector raj".

$72mn Fine Slapped as J&J Products Tied to Ovarian Cancer

MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Mahesh Zagade was at the centre of a nationwide debate on how foreign companies were being harassed in India, when he revoked the licence of a city plant of Johnson & Johnson in June 2013 after complaints that its product Baby Powder contained hazardous particles. Zagade, a senior IAS official, was on Wednesday relieved after a US jury ordered J&J to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who claimed her death was linked to the use of the Baby Powder she had used for decades.
A resident of Alabama, Jacqueline Fox, 62, had died of ovarian cancer in 2015. Her family had argued in court that the company knew of talc risks and failed to warn users. J&J denied the family’s claim. A company spokesperson told BBC: “We’ve no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial. We sympathise with the plaintiff’s family, but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence.”
“I am hearing about the court’s verdict from you. It shows my stand vindicated,” Zagade told Express from Pune where he is currently posted. In 2007, FDA officials discovered that J&J had used an unauthorised process for sterilising Baby Powder. The company had conducted the sterilisation process at another organisation in Thane which did not have the licence. The FDA probe revealed that the company had used ethylene oxide, a substance used to produce industrial chemicals and sterile medical equipment, to kill bacteria in Baby Powder and had not conducted mandatory tests to make sure there were no remaining traces in the powder.
According to rules, it is mandatory for a company to inform the FDA on what process they are going to adopt for sterilisation.
An FDA official said that J&J had not informed that they are going to sterilise the product using ethylene oxide, which can cause cancer. The FDA officials did not take any action in spite of the test results revealed the possible danger. The first action was taken by Zagade in 2011 when he assumed the charge of FDA Commissioner.
“He came to know about the complaint against J&J when he was taking a stock of the complaints his office had received inlast couple of years. By the time he took initiative the company had sold around 50-60,000 packs of Baby Powder,” the source said.
Zagade formed another enquiry team after the company refused to call back its sold product. The other inquiry also revealed that there were hazardous particles in the product. “He (Zagade) sent them a showcause notice after the enquiry report was out. Little he knew that he will be put under tremendous pressure from the higher authorities to go slow in this case. However, he got a go ahead from the government and the plant was closed down,” the source said.
The company had approached the Bombay High Court against the FDA action.
Case History

• First-ever penalty by a US jury on Johnson & Johnson
• Charged with failing for decades to warn consumers that its talc-based products could cause cancer
• Jurors awarded the family of Jacqueline Fox $10 mn in actual damages and
• $62 mn of punitive damages
• Fox used Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene for more than 35 years before being diagnosed three years ago with ovarian cancer; died in October last
• In October 2013, a federal jury in South Dakota found another petitioner Deane Berg’s use of J&J body powder products was a factor in her developing ovarian cancer. It, however, awarded no damages

80% roadside eateries in Jharkhand outside food safety net

The Jharkhand Food Safety Directorate is still to recruit enough food inspectors to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Beware! Over 80% small food vans, roadside restaurants, stalls, take-away counters and sweet shops in urban Jharkhand are running without a mandatory food safety registration, state food safety officials said on Wednesday.
Reason: The Jharkhand Food Safety Directorate is still to recruit enough food inspectors to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. The state just has 24 food inspectors, one for each district of the state.
Officials said risk of consumption of sub-standard food, which causes food poisoning and serious stomach illnesses, increases during festivals with people eating outside on most days.
However, a senior directorate officials, requesting anonymity, said that to implement the FSSA at least 70 food inspectors were required.

FSSA makes it mandatory for a person or firm in the food trade to have a license or registration, which ensures food items being sold are safe and unadulterated. “More inspectors will be recruited but the need of the moment is an attitude change among people,” said director-inchief Jharkhand health services Praveen Chandra.
He said the biggest problem was small vendors with less than Rs 12 lakh turnover per annum. “I am surprised that despite the paltry registration fee they are not coming forward for the FSSA tag,” he said.
For businesses with less than Rs 12 lakh turnover, the registration fee is Rs 100, those with Rs 12 lakh to Rs 25 lakh turnover it was Rs 5,000 and for turnover above Rs 25 lakh it was Rs 7,500.
“Small vendors feel that coming under the FSSA will demand huge investments in ensuring safe and hygienic food. Majority of them cannot afford it. Hence they avoid the norms unlike bigger hotels and restaurant chains,”said a senior official of the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI).
Officials said that if Ranchi was any indication, roughly 10% of 7000 odd businesses have applied under the FSSA, with coverage almost the same in Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad.
“This fiscal we have received just 1759, which is tepid compared to huge number of eateries in the state,” said Chandra.
Since the FSSA was implemented in Jharkhand, around 3500 food business have registered for food safety, said officials.
Last year, officials slapped notices on more than a 100 food outlets for selling sub-standard and adulterated food during Durga Puja and Diwali as none had the FSSA license.

Food safety officials inspect bottled water, cold drinks

Chandigarh: As per the action plan prepared by Dr Rajinder K. Sharma, designated officer I/c Food Safety Administration, Chandigarh health department, a joint team of food safety officials Bharat Kanojia and Surinder Pal Singh on Thursday inspected carbonated drinking water (cold drink) and packaged drinking water consignments in Dariya, Makhan Majra and Industrial Area and samples of sweetened carbonated water and mineral water were taken for analysis and examination.

திருக்கோவிலூர் பகுதியில் புகையிலை பொருட்கள் அமோக விற்பனை

திருக் கோ வி லூர், பிப். 26:
இந் தியா முழு வ தும் புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு வ தற்கு தடை விதிக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது.
திருக் கோ வி லூர் பகு தி யில் கடந்த ஆண்டு சுகா தா ரத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் அடிக் கடி சோதனை செய்து தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய் த தோடு, சம் பந் தப் பட்ட விற் ப னை யா ளர் கள் மீதும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுத்து வந் த னர்.
இந்த நிலை யில் கடந்த ஒரு வரு ட மாக அதி கா ரி கள் ஆய்வு திடீ ரென நிறுத் தப் பட் ட தால் புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் தற் போது தடை யின்றி விற் பனை செய் யப் பட்டு வரு கி றது.
திருக் கோ வி லூர் பகு திக்கு மட் டும் அதி கா ரி கள் விலக்கு அளித் துள் ள னரா அல் லது உய ர தி கா ரி க ளின் அனு ம தி யோடு விற் பனை செய் கி றார் களா என்று பொது மக் கள் தரப் பில் கேள்வி எழுப்பி உள் ள னர்.
திருக் கோ வி லூர் பகு தி யில் அமோ க மாக விற் ப னை யா கும் புகை யிலை பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய்து விற் பனை செய் ப வர் கள் மீது கடு மை யான நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என்று சமூக ஆர் வ லர் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

FDA seizes snacks worth 75,000

Bicholim: Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials on Wednesday raided Bicholim and Panaji bus stands and seized misbranded snacks (farsan) and bakery products worth 75,000. The team found that Bicholim shops prepared snacks using substandard ingredients and non-permitted food colors.
Sangam Bakery and Royal Bakery in Bicholim have been asked to stop operations immediately as they were found to be operating without licences. tnnAlso they conducted their activities in unhygienic condition.
The raid was conducted by senior officials of FDA Raju Korde, Richard Noronha, Madhav kavlekar, Atul Desai, Amit Mandrekar and a staffer Pradeep Parsekar under the guidance of commissioner of food safety and director, FDA Salim A Veljee.

FSDA seizes 500 kg adulterated spices from a factory

AGRA: A large scale adulteration in edible oil and spices has been going on in the city. The team of Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) on Thursday raided a factory in Trans Yamua area and seized 500 kg of adulterated spices. The team also collected five samples - two of turmeric and chilli powder, one additive, and two of inedible colours and sent them to a lab for study.
FSDA designated officer Ram Naresh Yadav said, "Following a tip off we conducted a raid and unearthed this massive criminal activity at the factory near Itimad-ud-daulah police station. We have initiated action against one Ravi Bansal for this activity. Our survey has revealed that this kind of adulteration in spices and mustard oil has been going on at a large scale in the district. From Friday we will start a drive against them and take punitive actions. We advise people to buy their products from good shops only."
Yadav informed that recently the results of two samples of mustard oil sent to the Lucknow laboratory were received which revealed that synthetic colour was being mixed in palm oil along with an essence and sold as the former. Palm oil is Rs 20-25 less than mustard oil. But what is most harmful is the use of synthetic colour (butter yellow), which is highly carcinogenic.
The senior official said now the case will be pursued against the culprits in the court of additional district judge.
Earlier this month, i n a major success against adulterated milk manufacturers, FSDA had got arrested an owner of a factory and destroyed 4000 litre of synthetic milk. They also found a set up comprising electric churner, a sack of titanium-dioxide powder, mainly used for manufacturing paints, and other equipment at the site.

Almost 100 school students land in hospital after eating midday meal in Palghar

Mumbai: Nearly 100 schoolchildren were hospitalised with suspected food poisoning Thursday after eating a free midday meal at a government-run school near Mumbai, officials said, adding that 13 were in a critical condition.
Most of the children at the rural primary school fell ill after the lunch of rice and pulses.
"Ninety-seven have been admitted to hospital, a few of them are critical," Shrikrishna Kokate, deputy police chief of Palghar district in the western state of Maharashtra, told AFP.
Hospital officials said 247 students were initially brought for treatment late afternoon after they complained of nausea and started vomiting.

"Thirteen are critical but out of danger. More than 140 were discharged after medical screening. The rest are undergoing treatment," Ashok Khandagle, a doctor attending the sick children told AFP.
He said the symptoms point towards food poisoning, adding samples have been sent for tests to a laboratory in Mumbai.
The ill students are aged between six and 14.
Police said they also have sent teams to the school to take samples of food — a mixture of rice and pulses — served to the children.
More than 250 students are enrolled at the Zilla Parishad primary school in Kasa village in Palghar, district about 120 kilometres (74 miles) from the financial capital Mumbai.
Most of the inhabitants of the village are rural tribespeople.
The government's midday meal programme is the world's largest, feeding 120 million children daily in more than a million schools, for many of whom it is their only substantial daily meal.
But the nearly US$ 2 billion scheme is hampered by corruption and inefficiency.
Last week the federal government said they will form fresh guidelines to improve food safety and hygiene to end a string of cases of poisoning.
Students often fall sick after eating contaminated and poorly prepared food, and in 2013 about two dozen children died in impoverished Bihar state after they ate a meal laced with pesticide.
The government scheme, which started nationally in 2001, is aimed at enticing particularly poor and vulnerable children to attend class instead of languishing at home hungry or helping their parents labour and combat chronic malnutrition.
The 2015 global hunger index (GHI) report ranked India at 20th spot, with a World Bank estimate saying it has the highest number of malnutrition among children, almost double that of sub saharan Africa.

Over 100 School Kids Hospitalised After Eating Mid-day Meal in Maharashtra

THANE: At least 104 students of a zila parishad-run primary school in neighbouring Palghar district were today admitted to hospital as they suffered health problems after consuming mid-day meal food, district officials said.
Over a 50 students of the school at Kasa Budruk village complained of health problems immediately after eating the packed food this afternoon.
"Nearly 280 students of the ZP school at Kasa Budruk in Palghar district were served the food under mid-day meal scheme this afternoon. After eating, over 50 students immediately complained of severe stomach ache, nausea, giddiness and other health problems," Vikramgadh tehsildar Suresh Sonawane said.
After being alerted about the situation, local police as well as the revenue and health department officials arrived at the school.
"As a precautionary measure, the authorities took all the 280 students to Kasa Rural Hospital for medical checkup. While 104 affected students were hospitalised, others were discharged after medical examination," district health officer S B Gaikwad said.
The packed mid-day meal was supplied by the ISKCON center located at Wada (in Palghar district), Sonawane said, adding, "The food samples have been collected for laboratory analysis."

Beer could feel FSSAI chill, soon

Regulator plans to bring alcoholic beverages on its radar by fixing standards
THE Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ( FSSAI) plans to bring alcoholic beverages also on its radar by fixing standards for drinks like beer, whisky, vodka, rum and wine. The regulator will come up with a draft notification on standards of alcoholic beverages in the next two months that manufacturers will have to meet.
" Standards for alcohol are also being considered after packaged food products like Maggi noodles and various milk samples were found to have contained hazardous materials. As there are additives and preservatives in alcoholic beverages like wine and beer, it becomes important to keep a check on them as well,"an FSSAI senior official said.
" FSSAI is in the process of preparing standards for alcoholic beverages and the best global practices in this regard are being referred to. The draft notification will be put out to seek comments from the public,"the official added. The entire gamut of alcoholic drinks, including lighter varieties such as Bacardi Breezer, will come under the proposed standards.
In terms of packaging, the FSSAI has already proposed that alcoholic beverages, pan masala and supari may not be treated as unsafe food for recall just because FSSAI is in the process preparing standards for alcoholic beverages they carry a mandatory warning on their covers. It is mentioned on packaging of pan masala, supari and alcoholic drinks that their consumption is injurious to health. The proposal has been made in the Safety and Standards ( Food Recall Procedure) Regulations, 2015.
In the case of alcoholic beverages, pan masala, supari, the mandatory mention of warning consumption of alcohol/ pan masala/ supari is injurious to health, may not be treated as unsafe food as part of any recall plan unless the beverage or food is determined unsafe as per the classification of recall making it injurious to health or even causing death, the proposal states. These norms were put up for public comments on May 29 and the last date has been set as August 1.