Artificial ripening bigger than thought

In a sustained campaign propelled by judicial monitoring, food safety authorities are discovering that the use of fruit ripening agents is more widespread than what was thought earlier.

Ever since a petition was filed last year in the High Court expressing safety concerns over quality of fruits sold in the State, food inspectors in all districts have conducted raids and collected samples to ascertain the extent of practice. The exercise has overturned existing notions that ripening agents are used mostly for mangoes and apples.

Of the 140 fruit samples collected between last August and February 18 this year from across the State, 72 have been found unsafe for consumption. Many of the samples include banana, pineapple, sapota, grapes, and even strawberries.

Ethephon and calcium carbide are the usual culprits, food safety experts say. A plant growth regulator, ethephon is allowed for use before harvest in tomatoes and mangoes, but State Food Laboratory found that it is being used on fruits like banana to hasten ripening.

From Hyderabad alone, about 50 samples were collected from February 18 through February 20. While results of the entire batch of samples are yet to be made available to the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM), at least three samples were found to be ‘unsafe’.

IPM, in tandem with municipal agencies, is overseeing the exercise in the State. Samples were also collected from Warangal and Nizamabad this week. Officials expect many of the other recently collected samples to also fail the test.

While the exercise of collection and testing has uncovered the extent of the problem, citizens wonder if it is adequate. “The consumer movement should be strengthened by the government through involvement of consumers. Additionally, the execution of the law should be non-compromising,” says V.B.J. Chelikani Rao of United Federation for Residential Welfare Societies.

Officials say the completion of legal process from the start of prosecution proceedings can take a very long time. The GHMC is fighting adulteration battles in local courts that pertain to as far back as 1999. The public glare of the problem and court monitoring has fuelled some action, including shutting down of an ethephon ripening unit in Moosapet earlier this month.

Food Safety: SC pulls JK over tardy implementation of FSA

SMC, CAPD, FCO lock horns to establish their writ

In spite of the Supreme Court directions over the implementation of Food Safety Act in JK, the state government has failed to specify the department that has the mandate to ensure food safety here. 

In February last year, the Supreme Court had pulled up the state government over what it called ‘tardy implementation’ of Food Safety Act and directed the Health and Medical Education Department to strictly implement it.

Although the apex court in its order of February, 2015 in the PIL ( 01/2012) had sought a ‘compliance report’ from the state government, the implementation of Food Safety Act in the state is not being implemented on the ground. 

Earlier this month, the government constituted two Food Safety Appellate Tribunals under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 to ensure food safety law implementation. The Health and Medical Education Department, under whose ambit Food Safety falls, has promised SC that it would ‘abide by its directions in letter and spirit’. However there seems to be lack of clarity on food safety provisions in the state.

While the Food Safety Act 2006 mandates the Food Control Organization (FCO) to be solely responsible for the quality of food being served at outlets such as restaurants, vendors and canteens, the organization has failed to take the control. On the contrary departments such as Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Department of Legal Metrology and District Administrations are seen carrying out sporadic ‘drives’, issuing token fines, destroying eatables deemed of inferior quality and sending press notes to media. One such drive that was carried out recently in Srinagar in which SMC officials issued a press statement of having recovered Rs. 19700/ from food business operators who as per the reports of the special squad were selling food in ‘unhygienic and unsafe manner’.

When Greater Kashmir contacted a SMC official to know as to why the Corporation takes the responsibility of Food Safety as and when it pleases, the official denied any role in the business of Food Safety. “It is not our job. We have been de-notified in 2014 and can no more check food items’ quality,” Dr Sameena Maqbool, Health Officer SMC said.

She added that the drive was a special one and involved members from various government departments. Sources however said, “No food sample was lifted repeatedly for testing in the special drive, and the action taken such as destruction of property and eatables was ‘illegal’ as per the provisions of the Act.”

“A food operator who is found to be using unsafe chemicals and dyes is to be prosecuted under the law if the samples of his food are found to contain these harmful chemicals,” said an official of Food Safety Organization. “Officials cannot destroy food items that they think contain dyes and let the person go,” he added. 

Similarly, the official said, for unhygienic conditions, the organization has to serve improvement notice to the food operators and if the improvement notice is not heeded to, the license of the food business operator may be cancelled.

However, food business operators have alleged that officials from a multiple agencies barge into the shops and food establishments and demand fees for various ‘offences’. “We sometimes have no other choice than to give whatever is demanded because we do not want a scene in our restaurant,” said a Lal Chowk restaurant owner who wished anonymity. He said that he had no idea who the Food Organization was and had always seen ‘new faces from government department’. 

SMC authorities however, agreed that there is confusion among masses about who to approach regarding food safety grievances and complaints. “We still have people reporting at SMC with milk samples,” Dr Maqbool said.

“We are doing everything we can. In a few months, we have tested and issued challan to more food establishments than ever were. And we are tightening the noose around violators,” Hilal Mir, Assistant Food Commissioner Kashmir said.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food hygiene training for street vendors

The scheme, which will be flagged off around March 11-12, will continue for 15 days

Around 20,000 food vendors across Delhi will be trained in hygiene and food safety.

Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), Delhi government, and National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) have come together to formulate the training module.

A meeting in this regard was convened on Tuesday, where secretary, Sector Skill Council of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; CEO, FSSAI, officials of the food safety department of the Delhi government, and NASVI members were present, among others. The scheme, which will be flagged off around March 11-12, will continue for 15 days.

Under the project, vendors will be taught techniques on food storage and handling, maintaining hygiene, and customer relationship management. They will then be made to appear for a test and certificates will be given on the basis of their performances.

“We have divided the city into 10 zones for the project, and each zone will have five training centres. Every centre will have to impart training to a total of 500 vendors, with each batch having 40 participants,” said Arbind Singh, national coordinator, NASVI.

To begin as a pilot project, the scheme will be taken up in other States if it sees success.

When asked what would make street vendors attend these sessions, he said that they would get incentives.

“Each vendor will get about Rs. 500 after receiving the certificate. The money will not be given in cash, but will directly be credited in their accounts. They will also get a vending ID card which will have a bar code, thereby registering them under the Street Vendors Act. A ‘hygiene kit’ containing aprons, gloves and caps will also be given to them,” Mr. Arbind said.

A pocket book stating the guidelines will also be given to them.

The announcement of the project was made by Pawan Agrawal, CEO, FSSAI, at the three-day Delhi Street Food Festival which concluded on February 21.