Patanjali products get clean chit in Himachal

The Health Safety and Regulation Directorate gave a clean chit to the food products manufactured by yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth but found “misbranding” in certain products being sold after it detected a variation in sugar quantity .

After adulteration was reported in the neighbouring state of Uttarakhand, the health department swung into action and directed its health safety wing to pick up some samples.

Ramdev had launched whole wheat atta noodles, claiming that the noodles were healthier than those being produced by other manufacturers in the country.

Patanjali’s atta noodles were being sold in the market for Rs 10 per packet whereas atta noodles of other companies are sold at Rs 25. However, the noodles were mired in controversy as the Ayurveda company had not sought the mandatory permissions from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

28 samples picked

Food safety officers in Mandi, Kullu, Solan, Sirmaur and Una picked samples of food products randomly. As many as 18 products were sent for examination to the central forensic laboratory, Kandaghat.

The products sent for testing included Soanpapdi, Nutty Delite biscuit, unpolished rajmah, atta noodles, cow’s ghee, moongdal namkeen, kachi ghani mustard oil, sabzi masala, biscuits, malka masoor dal, barley dalia, doodh biscuits , jeera bites, haldi powder, multi grain daliya and iodised salt.

“ We lifted at least 28 samples for testing,” Dr Rameshwar Sharma said. The samples were also collected from different shops in Mandi and Shimla.

Clean chit with rider

After the samples were tested , the laboratory at Kandaghat did not find any contamination or adulteration in the products. But it found misbranding in some products, including atta biscuits. Sharma said the health department will issue a notice to Patanjali Ayurveda for the misbranding of products. Patajanli has more than 500 sale outlets scattered in different parts of the state, along with 21 yoga clinics in different areas.

Fruit drinks marketed at children 'unacceptably high in sugar'

Fruit drinks marketed at children 'unacceptably high in sugar'

Fruit drinks marketed at children are "unacceptably high" in sugar, a new study has warned.

Researchers from the University of Liverpool and Queen Mary, University of London, analysed 203 products aimed at children which were sold in seven major supermarkets. They found that 42 per cent of products contained at least 19g of sugar.

A further 64 per cent of branded and supermarket own-brand products contained at least 8g of sugar.

On average, the drinks contained 7g of sugar per 100ml, rising to 10.7g among '100% fruit juice' products.

Under the traffic-light system for marking the contents of food and drink, researchers found that 117 of the drinks would be class as red, or high, in sugar.

Overall, smoothies were found to contain the highest amounts of sugars and juice drinks the lowest.

The study comes after Chancellor George Osborne announced a new sugar levy on the soft drinks industry in the 2016 Budget, which does not include juice or milk-based drinks.

The team behind the paper stressed that drinks with high sugar content should not be regarded as part of the Five a Day of fruits and vegetables that children and adults should eat.

Instead, they said that children should consume fruit in its whole form, rather than in juice.

"Parents should dilute fruit juice with water, opt for unsweetened juices and only give them during meals. Portions should be limited to 150ml a day," they advised.

The study authors also placed pressure on manufacturers to stop adding "unnecessary sugars and calories" into fruit-based drinks in order to combat the childhood obesity crisis.

"Otherwise, it will be essential for the Government to introduce legislation to regulate the free sugars content of these products," they said.

The researchers went on that it was "cruical" for Public Health England (PHE) to push ahead with plans to reconsider fruit juice and smoothies as part of the Five a Day campaign.

Current guidelines state a 150ml glass of pure fruit juice at meal times is an equivalent to one of a Five a Day.

Responding to the study, Dr Louis Levy, head of nutrition science at PHE, acknowledged that juice and smoothies are high in sugar, but said they can provide fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Commenting on the study, Dr Gunter Kuhnle, food scientist at the University of Reading, added: "These drinks, fruit juices, fruit drinks and smoothies are often seen as a 'healthy' alternative and their sugar content is ignored.

"This study shows that the average sugar content in fruit juices is similar to that in cola drinks; and the content in smoothies is even higher, by almost three sugar cubes per 300ml serving."

டீ கடை பெஞ்ச் - கம்பெனிக்கு 'சீல்' வைத்த 'கட்டிங்' அதிகாரி

'சென்னை அண்ணாநகர் ஏரியாவுல, டீ துாள் தயாரிக்கிற கம்பெனி இருக்கு... அங்க, டீ துாள்ல சாயம் அதிகமாக கலக்குறதா, மாநகராட்சிக்கு புகார் வந்திருக்கு... வழக்கமா இப்படி புகார்கள் வந்தா, அதை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறைக்கு அனுப்பிடுவாவ வே...

''ஆனா, டீ துாள் கம்பெனி மேல வந்த புகாரை வச்சிக்கிட்டு, சுகாதார துறை பெண் அதிகாரி, 'கட்டிங்' கேட்டிருக்காங்க... அவங்க கேட்ட தொகை கிடைக்காததால, நள்ளிரவுல

அந்த கம்பெனியில, 'ரெய்டு' நடத்தி, 'சீல்' வச்சிட்டாங்க...''அங்க இருந்து,

டன் கணக்குல டீ துாளை பறிமுதல் செஞ்சு, அம்மா உணவகத்துல வச்சிருக்காங்க...'' என்ற அண்ணாச்சி, ''நேத்து, 'டிவி'யில, 'சரஸ்வதி சபதம்' படம் போட்டாங்களே பார்த்தீயளா...?'' எனக் கேட்க, நண்பர்கள் பேச்சு, சினிமா பக்கம் திரும்பியது.

DINAMALAR NEWS

ஆட்சியர் அலுவலகம் அருகில் சாலை யோ ரம் கொட்டி கிடந்த நிவாரண பொருட்கள்

கட லூர், மார்ச் 28:

கடந்த ஆண்டு டிசம் பர் மாதத் தில் வர லாறு காணாத மழை, வெள் ளம் கட லூர் மாவட் டத்தை கலங் க டித் தது. பல் லா யி ரக் க ணக் கான வீடு கள் உடைந் தன. இதை ய டுத்து தமி ழ கத் தின் பல் வேறு பகு தி க ளி லி ருந் தும் இந் தி யா வின் பல் வேறு மாநி லங் க ளி லி ருந் தும் நிவா ரண பொருட் கள் கட லூர் மாவட் டங் க ளுக்கு கொண்டு வந்து விநி யோ கிக் கப் பட் டன.

இந் நி லை யில், நிவா ரண பொருட் களை மாவட்ட ஆட் சி யர் அலு வ ல கத் தில் ஒப் ப டைக் கு மாறு ஆட் சி யர் சுரேஷ் கு மார் உத் த ர விட் டார். அதன் படி கட லூர் மாவட் டத் திற்கு நூற் றுக் கணக் கான நிவா ரண வாக னங் களை போலீ சார் மறித்து மாவட்ட ஆட் சி யர் அலு வ ல கத் திற்கு கொண்டு சென் ற னர். அங்கு நிவா ரண பொருட் கள் இறக்கி வைக் கப் பட் டன. வெள் ளத் தால் பாதிக் கப் பட்ட ஏரா ள மான கிராம மக் கள் தங் க ளுக்கு நிவா ர ணப் பொ ருட் கள் எது வும் வழங் கப் ப ட வில்லை எனக் கூறி மாவட்ட ஆட் சி யர் அலு வ ல கத் திற்கு படை யெ டுத் த னர். ஆனால், மாவட்ட நிர் வா கம் அந்த நிவா ரண பொருட் களை அதி முக நிர் வா கி க ளுக்கு அனுப்பி வைத் த தாக புகார் எழுந் தது. பாதிக் கப் பட்ட மக் க ளுக்கு வழங் கா மல் ஆளுங் கட் சிக் கா ரர் க ளுக்கு நிவா ரண பொருட் களை விநி யோ கிப் ப தாக அனைத்து பொது நல இயக் கங் க ளும் குற் றம் சாட் டின.

இந் நி லை யில், மாவட்ட ஆட் சி யர் அலு வ ல கத் தில் மறைத்து வைக் கப் பட் டி ருந்த நிவா ரண பொருட் களை தேர் தல் நாள் அறி விக் கப் பட்ட அன் றைய இரவு வாக னங் க ளில் ஏற் றிச் சென் ற தா க வும் புகார் எழுந் தது.

இந் நி லை யில் நேற்று மாவட்ட ஆட் சி யர் அலு வ ல கம் அரு கில் சாலை யோ ரம் அத் தி யா வ சிய மளிகை பொருட் கள் கொட் டப் பட்டு கிடந் தன. பதுக்கி வைக் கப் பட் டி ருந்த அப் பொ ருட் கள் காலா வ தி யா கிய நிலை யில் அவற்றை என்ன செய் வது என்று தெரி யா மல் சாலை யோ ரம் வீசி யி ருக் க லாம் என அப் ப குதி மக் கள் கருத்து தெரி வித் துள் ள னர். பாதிக் கப் பட்ட மக் க ளுக்கு பலர் நல்ல மன து டன் கொடுத்த உத விப் பொ ருட் களை அவர் க ளுக்கு வழங் கா மல் அப் பொ ருட் களை பறித்து, இப் போது சாலை யோ ரத் தில் வீசி எறிந் தி ருப் பது மனித தன் மை யற்ற செயல். இது குறித்து உரிய விசா ரணை நடத்தி உண் மையை வெளியே கொண்டு வர வேண் டு மென பொது ந ல அ மைப் பு களின் நிர் வா கி கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

தேவாரத்தில் காலாவதியான உணவுப் பொருட்கள் விற்பனை கனஜோர்

தேவா ரம், மார்ச் 27:

தேவா ரத் தில் காலா வ தி யான உண வுப் பொருட் க ளின் விற் பனை கன ஜோ ராக நடக் கி றது. நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டிய அதி கா ரி களோ கண் டு கொள் வ தில்லை என சமூக ஆர் வ லர் கள் குற் றம் சாட் டு கின் ற னர்.

தேவா ரம் மற் றும் அத னைச் சுற் றி யுள்ள தம் மி நா யக் கன் பட்டி, தே.மீனாட் சி பு ரம், லட் சு மி நா யக் கன் பட்டி, டி.சிந் த லைச் சேரி கிரா மங் க ளைச் சேர்ந் தோர் தங் க ளுக்கு தேவை யான பொருட் களை வாங்க தினந் தோ றும் தேவா ரம் வந்து செல் கின் ற னர். இங் குள்ள பல ச ரக்கு கடை கள் மற் றும் பெட் டிக் க டை க ளில், காலா வ தி யான உண வுப் பொருட் கள் அதி க ள வில் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு வ தாக கூறப் ப டு கி றது.

குறிப் பாக பெட் டிக் க டை க ளில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பான் ப ராக், குட்கா, புகை யிலை, காலா வ தி யான குளிர் பா னங் கள், பல ச ரக்கு கடை க ளில் எண் ணெய், டால்டா, மசால் பொடி என காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை அதி க ள வில் விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர். இத னைத் தடுக்க வேண் டிய உண வுத் தர பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி களோ எந்த நட வ டிக் கை யும் எடுப் ப தில்லை. உள் ளூர் பேரூ ராட்சி சுகா தா ரத் துறை அதி கா ரி க ளும் கண் டு கொள் வ தில்லை. காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை பயன் ப டுத் து வ தன் மூலம் பொது மக் க ளுக்கு சுகா தா ரக் கேடு ஏற் ப டும் அபா யம் உள் ளது. எனவே, தேவா ரம் நக ரில் உண வுத் தர பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் அடிக் கடி சோதனை நடத்தி தர மான பொருட் க ளின் விற் ப னைக்கு நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும்’ என கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

பொது மக் கள் கூறு கை யில், ‘தேவா ரத் தில் காலா வ தி யான பொருட் க ளின் விற் பனை அதி க ரித்து வரு கி றது. அதி க மான அள வில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை, குளிர் பா னங் கள், உண வுப் பொ ருட் க ளின் விற் பனை அதி க மாக நடக் கி றது. ஒதுக் குப் பு ற மான ஊராக இருப் ப தால், யாரும் கண் டு கொள் வ தில்லை. காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை விற் போர் மீது அதி கா ரி கள் உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும்’ என் ற னர்.

CURB ON USE OF BULLS’ GUTS IN CHANDI KA VARK SOON

The country’s top food regulator is finalising a move to end the widely used practice of manufacturing silver leaf — popularly called ‘chandi ka vark’ — by hammering thin sheets of silver in middle of booklets made of intestines of bull/ox.

The Food and Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed a ban on usage of animal parts at any stage of manufacture of the ‘chandi ka vark’, used on paan, sweets and fruits etc. ‘Vark’ is also used in syrups like in Kesar (saffron) syrup and in some Ayurvedic medicines.

The FSSAI has also proposed the norms regarding thickness, weight and purity of the silver leaf. And manufacturers will have to adhere to the labeling standards like any other food products.

“To regulate the industry which has so far been dominated by the unorganised sector, the food regulator has made it clear that under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, relating to other food and ingredients, ‘no material of animal origin shall be used at any stage of manufacture of the silver leaf,” said sources in the Authority.

The regulation also proposes that “silver leaf shall be in the form of sheet of uniform thickness, free from creases and folds and that its weight should be upto 2.8 gm/Sq meter while the silver content shall be of minimum 999/1000 purity.

The regulator has already received suggestions from the stakeholders and it will soon finalise the guidelines, said the sources.

When enforced, the standards would do away with the widely used method of preparing the silver leaves, wherein the intestines of cattle/ox, obtained from slaughterhouses, are used for making it. “It is unhygienic too,” sources said.

“The ‘chandi ka vark’ is made by hammering thin sheets of silver in middle of booklets made of a bull’s intestines. After slaughtering a bull, its intestines are removed immediately and sold to the manufacturers of foils.

“The foil manufacturer removes blood and stool from the intestines, and cuts them into pieces. Then he puts one piece of intestine over another, making a booklet out of it. At his home, or in the factory, he puts one silver (or gold) sheet in-between each such booklet and hammers it hard until those metal sheets turn into thin wafers,” explained a manufacturer, on condition of anonymity.

“Old intestines are of no use. Even a one-day-old intestine cannot be used as it stiffens within a few hours,” he said even as he pointed out that sometimes, because of the hammering, some tissues of the intestine mix with the foils.

However, now with growing awareness and a sizable market of vegetarians, some players in the industry have already started claiming of providing ‘100 per cent vegetarian’ silver leaves which are “hygienically” produced.

Terming the FSSAI initiative as a progressive and long-needed one, Shubh Choukesy, Director of Shree Jaannathiji Sterling Products Pvt Ltd, which is in ‘chandi ka vark’ business, claimed that they adopt a purely vegetarian process with the help of fully automatic and computerised machines with new technology.

“Instead of intestines, we use hygienic polyster. Same technology is applied for making gold leaves which is also used for decorating food items like cakes. We adhere good manufacturing practices as those complied in the EU.”

He said the new proposed standards will curb adulteration as some unscrupulous players are selling health hazardous aluminum leaves too in the name of silver foil.

Bottled water under scanner

With demand on the rise, bottled drinking water is under the scanner. Food Safety officials in the district told The Hindu that they had collected samples of the packaged water for analysis, and results were awaited.

Water should meet the safety standards, with no trace of E. coli bacteria.

The pH value of water is another concern. The acceptable deviation from the neutral value of 7 is up to 6.5.

“The manufacturers are expected to use regulators to control the pH value,” said a Food Safety official. Meetings with the association of bottled water manufacturers were held recently to apprise them of norms and guidelines.

Regulator defers decision on importing genetically modified animal feed

The environment ministry has received several requests from companies seeking permission to import genetically modified feed for animals

The debate on whether or not to allow commercialization of genetically modified food crops is far from settled in India. 

New Delhi: The environment ministry has received several requests from companies seeking permission to import genetically modified (GM) feed for animals, even though the debate on whether or not to allow commercialization of GM food crops is far from settled in India.

However, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the central government’s regulator for giving clearances for field trials of GM crops and import/export of GM seeds, has deferred a decision on these requests in the absence of an expert view on the matter.

According to the minutes of the GEAC’s December 2015 meeting accessed by Mint, four such proposals were received by the committee.

For instance, Suguna Foods sought permission from the GEAC for “import of GM Soybean meal from China, Brazil, Argentina, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, USA for producing of poultry and animal feed”.

“The purpose of import is as an ingredient in the animal feed for self usage for producing poultry and animal feeds. The Member Secretary, GEAC informed that comments of the experts on the proposal are still awaited,” said the minutes.

Another such proposal was from Godrej Agrovet Ltd, which sought “permission for import of processed food—Dried Distillers Grains with Soluble (DDGS)—corn from USA and market in India”.

Most ethanol plants in the US are dry-grind facilities that use starch from corn to produce ethanol. The remainder of the corn kernel is used to produce a variety of wet and dry distillers grains co-products including DDGS, which is considered an excellent low-cost alternative feed ingredient.

But the GEAC was not convinced.

“Besides the comments from experts, comments of department of animal husbandry and FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) may be obtained regarding the export/import of GM feed. Comments from other experts may be followed-up. Decision on the proposal was deferred,” the GM regulator noted.

Environmentalists, too, are against allowing GM food as animal feed.

“This is an issue of grave concern for us. Animals are part of our food chain and if GM feed is allowed in poultry industry, it could have adverse results. GM cotton seed that goes to animal feed has already started showing negative consequences in our cattle (like low pregnancy rates),” said Rajinder Chaudhary of the Coalition for GM-Free India, an organization of activists against GM crops.

Any ill-effects caused by GM cotton seed in animal feed are yet to be verified.

“The real question is whether there is really a need for GM products. If only there is a real need, then only GM food products should be explored,” said Chaudhary, who is a retired professor of economics.

The issue of field trials of GM crops and their commercialization, especially food crops like brinjal and mustard, has been a contentious one in India.

Recently, controversy erupted when the GEAC was hearing an application for commercialization of GM mustard.

Mint reported on 6 February that after a lot of opposition from environmentalists, environment minister Prakash Javadekar assured that the government would not impose GM mustard on consumers and that a final decision will be taken only after due deliberation.

Since coming to power in May 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has been trying unsuccessfully to build consensus around the issue.

In its 2014 election manifesto, the BJP had said that genetically modified crops will not be allowed without proper scientific investigation.

But organizations opposing GM crops include the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, affiliated to the ideological parent of the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The strong opposition to GM crops could hamper the government’s push for investment and growth in biotechnology.

FSSAI to start drive to ensure proper display of licence numbers on products

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will start a drive to check whether FBOs are properly displaying the licence numbers on their products or not. “An enforcement drive would begin soon,” informed Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, while addressing a convention of All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA) held here recently during the Aahar fair. 

According to FSSAI, there are some 35 lakh licensee FBOs (Food Business Operators) in the country as of now. And there has been a great deal of need to check whether they were properly displaying the number on the products, for which the last date for compliance was December 31.

Agarwal stated, “35 lakh licensees are within our ecosystem. Enforcement system is huge and much of litigation is not around testing but out of all sampling 90% of the rejection is based on labelling. We will have an enforcement drive to check whether the numbers are printed on packed food properly.”

The drive will ensure that those numbers are displayed on the pack properly, as this number will be helpful to the consumer to reach enforcement if they find anything wrong, according to him.

Meanwhile, with regard to surveillance, the CEO stated that there was a need for risk-based assessment through robust lab infrastructure and use of technology. The CEO pointed out that the FSSAI was working towards a concrete roadmap for accredited labs.

“Lab testing has lots of weaknesses at both Central and state levels, we’re working on it and a concrete roadmap is there to make the labs accredited with NABL. The whole process of accreditation is also being fast-tracked,” he said. 

However, surveillance activity was non-existent for some time due to lack of manpower strength. And therefore a greater need for technology-based surveillance activity for risk assessment was desired by the apex food regulator. Together with strengthening lab system and use of risk-based assessment, the enforcement will be transparent and effective, according to the CEO.

The CEO told the FBOs, “The samples (of food products) should be tested twice a year. Many of you perhaps are aware of that. The aim is risk-based assessment, lab accreditation and samples getting tested by FBOs themselves. If there is a chronic defaulter who is not following the norms, only than the enforcement machinery comes into picture.”

Further, the FSSAI CEO, with regard to regulations and standards, stated that the FSSAI was aiming at pragmatic and easy to understand regulation. “We consider ourselves as part of the ecosystem which is responsible for feeding our population. This is a joint responsibility for all of us and we have to work closely and therefore we need to be interacting on day to day basis. We have regular interaction within FSSAI on how to make standards at par with the global benchmarks and fast. Standards is an evolving process, we get feedback and we review it, it takes time and process itself for standard formation is conservative. The decision is taken by the experts in the scientific panel, they make recommendations which than placed before the stakeholders and it then goes to government for legal vetting. Make full use of consultative process," he told the FBOs.

Govt set to make laser printed labels mandatory

The government has already notified changes in the rules from January 1

The government plans to make laser printing of labels on bottles compulsory to prevent production of counterfeit products. Currently, the wrapper of any product is vulnerable to misuse by those who want to produce a duplicate or a fake product, said consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan. He said his ministry wanted laser printing to be made mandatory by making necessary amendments in the packaged commodities rules. The legal metrology division has been asked to work out those rules, he added.

The government has already notified changes in the rules from January 1, asking manufacturers to display all information necessary for consumers in 40 per cent of the total area of the label.

Paswan also said that the government would make sure that the main information on the labels like price, date of manufacturing and expiry and weight would have decent font size. “What is the point if a consumer is unable to read the information because of very small-sized letters,” Paswan said.

With summer approaching, the minister also expressed concern over fake water bottles. He said states should enforce the labelling rule strictly as packaged water must bear the ISI mark.

Around 28 per cent samples of packaged drinking and mineral water and about 23 per cent milk samples tested during 2014-15 were found not to be conforming to the prescribed standards, health minister J P Nadda had said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha earlier this month.

“Some instances of sale of mineral water or packaged drinking water not conforming to the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI), 2006, and unlicensed packaged water, have come to the notice of FSSAI,” he had said.

Out of 2977 and 806 samples tested during 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively, 577 and 226 were found to be not conforming to the standards prescribed under FSSAI.