Hawkers’ menace!

With more than 4,500 already on rolls, MBMC asks FSSAI not to register illegal street food vendors in Mira Bhayandar

Unable to implement a permanent solution towards curbing the mushrooming hawker population in the twin-city, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has now asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) authorities to stop registering illegally operating roadside food vendors. 

A central regulator operating under the aegis of the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, the FSSAI in an attempt to ensure that eatables being sold are safe and unadulterated has mandated all type of Food Business Operators (FBO) including road side food vendors to obtain a license or registration.

Since its inception in 2011, FSSAI’s - Food Safety and Standards Act, which replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, has registered around 4,500 road side food vendors and eateries in the Mira Bhayandar region. As per the provisions of the act food businesses with an annual turnover below Rs 12 lakh will have to get themselves registered while those with a turnover of Rs 12 lakh and more will have to obtain a licence.

Fee for one-year registration is Rs 100, while that for licence ranges from Rs 2,000 to Rs 7,500. 

“Already armed with judicial orders pertaining to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, scores of fly-by-night operators are using the FSSAI registration’s as a tool to establish themselves as genuine and legitimate hawkers, thus thwarting our attempts to evict them, especially from designated no hawker zones.” said an MBMC officer. To address the issue the MBMC has asked the FSSAI not to issue licenses or registration to illegally operating hawkers. “ Yes, a meeting to discuss the matter was held at the MBMC headquarters recently.

Although they have verbally asked us from restraining registration of those operating from no-hawkers zone, an official request is yet to be received.”

confirmed a Food Safety Officer. According to the Street Vendors' (protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending) Act, 2014, 2.5% of the city's population will be eligible to be vendors.

Lizard in Pickle Story Fabricated: Osmania University

HYDERABAD: An alleged incident of students finding a lizard in pickle served to them triggered panic among the inmates at Osmania University’s Women Hostel mess here on Sunday. Some students alleged that the director of the women’s hostel asked them to consume the food since other students had it too.

However, officials from the the hostel administration suspected it to be an act of mischief by some students as none of the the inmates reported sickness from Sunday morning - when the alleged incident was reported.

On Sunday morning at around 10.30 am four students, Ratnamala, Bhavani,Archana and Jyothi, staying in the second block of the women’s hostel, went to the mess for breakfast. It is said that they found a small lizard in the pickle served with Uttapam. They brought it to the notice of caretakers, and took photos of the food with lizard.

About 700 students pursuing post graduate courses are staying in the hostel. Officials from the university said that they enquired with the caretakers and students there, but did not find merit in the complaint.

Director of the OU Women’s Hostel, Dr K Shailaja said that she held enquiries about the incident on Sunday afternoon.”I could have said something about the incident, had I seen the lizard. I cannot tell if the lizard accidentally fell in the pickle or if the students dropped it in the food. No student has complained of vomiting or uneasiness from Sunday morning,” Dr Shailaja said.

She added that breakfast was being served from 8 am to 9.30 am, but the three students went to the mess at around 10.30 am

Syed Shahezadi, ABVP state joint secretary and a masters student from the OU, alleged that Dr Shailaja asked them to consume the food even after the complaint.

“When we took the issue to Dr Shailaja, director of the hostel, instead of assuring to solve the problem, she asked us to eat the food since others had it. We complained about the issue with the Prof E Suresh Kumar, registrar of the university, on Monday,”she said.

Food at OU Hostel Unhygienic, Complain Inmates

The complaint of lizard in food at OU Women’s Hostel mess may be a fabricated story. But, there has been complaints about the quality of food served to the students, which have gone unattended. Hostels recall alarming incidents where they found insects in the food served to them. Though no inmate fell sick after the alleged incident on Sunday, the students are not surprised to hear such complaints. They alleged that such incidents were common and their complaints fell on deaf ears. A women student, Harini, standing outside the gates of the OU Women’s Hostel, said that she once found an insect in food served to her. Syed Shahezadi said that they find insects and threads in food regularly. “Once we found a centipede in the food,” recounted Shahezadi.

Carbide Fruits: High Court for Vigorous Drive

HYDERABAD: A division Bench of the High Court told the Telangana and AP governments on Monday that it was the right time to take measures as well as conduct awareness campaigns vigorously to prevent usage of chemicals to ripen fruits in view of the mango season.

The Bench, comprising acting chief justice Dilip B Bhosale and justice P Naveen Rao, was dealing with a taken-up case based on news reports on usage of calcium carbide and other hazardous chemicals to ripen fruits artificially in both the states.

The Bench asked both the state authorities to intensify raids and checks on fruit markets and sellers and not to confine the action plans only on papers for implementation of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and the Food Safety (Prohibition and Restriction in Sale) Regulations 2011 which bans the persons from selling fruits ripened by using chemicals.

Heat, Meat And The Truth About Your Local Butcher

Everybody in India has seen the ubiquitous meat shops with carcasses of goats hanging in the open, the butcher cutting off pieces for customers, and flies swarming all over. Let's not forget the yummy kebabs that my friends love, sold on the street near mosques especially during Ramzan.

I know a lot of people buy meat or chicken from these shops because it is generally cheaper and people think it is 'fresh'. However, usually, it isn't 'fresh' and most people in India are buying and cooking pathogen-infested, rotten meat.

Meat is an excellent source of nutrition, especially protein. The problem is that meat is also conducive to the growth of microbes, making it a product that spoils easily. This makes proper storage essential to ensure that meat retains its nutritional value and does not become a source of disease.

To ensure that meat remains fresh and doesn't spoil, it has to be stored at lower than 4°C immediately after slaughtering, during transport, and storage.

In order to ensure that meat remains fresh and doesn't spoil, it has to be stored at lower than 4 degrees Celsius immediately after slaughtering, during transport, and storage. This is critical in order to maintain the nutritional value and shelf life of meat. However, a walk down the road anywhere in India makes it obvious that this isn't happening. It has been reported that, in India, over 99% of food is sold by traditional retailers (kirana stores, local butcher shops, etc.), with only 5% of all poultry output being marketed in processed form.

A study on street food made with poultry in Hyderabad found that a lot of it was contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus and/or bacillus cereus. Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of skin and respiratory infections, and food poisoning. The study also found that only 7% of the vendors used refrigerators to store their poultry products before cooking. Refrigeration is necessary in a country like India since higher temperatures are more conducive to microbial growth. The same study found that chicken fried rice was the most contaminated among poultry-based street food in Hyderabad. Another study found a significant co-relation between literacy and standard of living and certain food safety practices. It found that over 82% of consumers don't have refrigerators. This is a huge food safety problem in a tropical country like India, where temperatures routinely cross 40 degrees Celsius.

If you buy meat from the local butcher, make sure that the animal is slaughtered right then, and ALWAYS immediately store the meat in the freezer.

In order to combat this problem, India needs to urgently develop its cold storage industry, beginning with the farmer and ending with the consumer. Our lack of an adequate cold storage chain is not just a food safety problem; but a huge amount of food produced in India also ends up being wasted because of a lack of proper storage facilities. I believe that in a country with malnutrition levels like India, this is a criminal waste. Things are, however, getting better. In the latest budget, the Government permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment in the food processing sector. This will hopefully pave the way for better infrastructure at all levels.

The wastage problem aside, I strongly recommend that people buy their meat only from a store or supermarket which has a good cold storage system, and keeps the meat on ice or in the freezer. If that isn't possible, and you are forced to buy meat from the local butcher, make sure that the animal is slaughtered right then, and ALWAYS immediately store the meat in the freezer.

FSSAI License – retailer to e-tailer

The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, and Registration of Food Businesses Regulations, 2011, and Amendment Regulations, 2014 (FSSAI) regulates, manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food to promote health and safety of consumers. It governs people involved in any food business, whether manufacturing or selling, and food business operators. These include shops, stalls, hotels, restaurants, airline services, and food canteens, places or vehicles where any article of food is sold or manufactured or stored for sale.

Like our local retail/wholesale shops, E-commerce companies have become e-tailers from whom we can buy anything online, any time, including various food products. So FSSAI authorities, by way of various statements in the media, have clarified that e-tailers will also be required to obtain license/registrations under FSSAI and comply with other relevant regulations.

“These e-commerce players are also selling food products or dealing with the food business in one form or another on their platforms. And food and food businesses come under the ambit of FSSAI, so they have to register with us,” says Ashish Bahuguna, Chairman of FSSAI.

E-commerce companies primarily function in the following ways:

Marketplace – where they act purely as platform providers/directories for buyers and sellers. Their revenue model is service charges and advertising

Retailing/wholesale – where they sell the products under their own brand or any other brand and the revenue is income from sale of goods

Hybrid – where they function as a marketplace and also as a retailer/wholesaler and the revenue is service charges and income from sale of goods

FSSAI regulations will have different impact on each business model.

In the case of the Marketplace, since it is not dealing in food in any way, but only acting as a directory or a platform to showcase the food vendors and their products, the regulations regarding FSSAI registration/licenses can’t be invoked . If a platform like Zomato and online directories are liable to be registered under FSSAI, then Google, which is largest platform provider for any type of goods and services should also get registered under FSSAI. Likewise, Just Dial, Yellow Pages, or other forms of media, where we can search for food vendors should also get registered with FSSAI. At the very least, such platform should only list vendors who are registered under FSSAI and are ensure compliance of FSSAI regulations.

In the case of Retailers/Wholesalers, they will be required to get licenses/registration under FSSAI for each category, be it importers, retailers, wholesalers, storing, and processing, and for each location they operate in. FSSAI regulations also provide for centralised registrations of large retailers and wholesalers exceeding turnover Rs. 20 – 30 crore, annually, or those who store food products beyond 50,000MT. Further, they will also be required to comply with requirements relating to:

Packing and labeling of various foods items. Every package should clearly list details such as ingredients, date and place of packing, name and address of manufacturer, marketer, and FSSAI license number.

• Standards of quality prescribed for various food items
• Use , quality, and quantity of various ingredients
• Maintenance of records, filing of returns, and intimations with the authority for any changes in particulars of registration/license

If any person or food business operator (except those exempt from licensing under Sub-section (2) of Section 31 of this Act), himself, or by any person on his behalf, who is required to obtain a licence, manufacturers, sells, stores, or distributes or imports any article of food without licence, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, and also with a fine of upto Rs 5 lakh. If a person, in connection with a requirement or direction under this Act, provides any information or produces any document that the person knows is false or misleading, or if no punishment is specifically provided for any contravention in the regulations, then he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three months and also with fines, which may extend to Rs 2 lakh. More stringent penal provisions exist for selling low-quality food products.

So, on one side e-tailers are expected to analyse their business models and accordingly adhere to FSSAI regulations; on the other, the department should not insist on registration/licences for the marketplace model.

FSSAI regulations were primarily introduced to ensure good quality food is offered to consumers. Since e-tailers have become a part of our daily shopping lives, and we purchase articles such as grocery, packed food, etc., it is essential to regulate them in the same way as our local food vendors. In fact, food chains like Pizza hut, Dominos who take orders online are already registered with FSSAI.

Now e-tailers have to ensure that vendors, who are selling goods online are registered with FSSAI, so that the concerned department can ensure that food products sold are as per prescribed standards, and that vendors are complying with other applicable rules.

Such technology-based companies can ensure compliance by integration of technology and compliance. Visualise an automated compliance management system that identifies the applicable and relevant compliances; assigns the due tasks; tracks and monitors the progress of the pending tasks; and reports the status of all due compliance tasks not only of the e-tailor, but also of the various vendors selling goods on their platform. This will enable e-tailers to track non-compliant vendors and can restrict them from selling on their platform. Compliance Management tools take the ease of compliance to another level by building a comprehensive library of acts and laws and a complete repository of the required documents

These tools are cost-effective as it does not require any capex on the server or the creation of a library. These tools can be accessed 24X7 from anywhere.

If an enterprise is adhering to product-related regulations like Food Safety, BIS, Legal metrologies, etc., then their products are more acceptable and the business is insured against regulatory risks.

PIL AGAINST FOOD ADULTERATION-HC slams JK Govt: ‘ You need people only during voting; then you don’t care for them’

How you allow people to consume food stuff which is not being cross- checked’ D A RASHID Srinagar, Apr 25: Underscoring that there is no Food Testing Laboratory worth the name in Jammu and Kashmir, the High Court on Monday observed that it appears people in the state are made to “ consume adulterated food.” “ There is no food testing laboratory worth the name under Jammu and Kashmir Food Safety and Standards Act in the state. It appears that people of the state are made to consume adulterated food,” a division bench of Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey said.

“ All those responsible to check this adulteration probably have forgotten to perform their statutory duty,” the bench observed while hearing a Public Interest Litigation against food adulteration.

The observations came after the bench was informed that there are no Food Analysis Laboratories in the state.

“ The statement made at bar by learned counsel for the respondents and even by Commissioner Food Safety is enough to shake conscience of every sensitive soul, in so much as, there is no paraphernalia available in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the mandate contained in provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” the bench observed.

The court however directed the government to furnish by April 27 details about the paraphernalia available with it to curb food adulteration in the state.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the status report filed, the court observed that the report does not comply with its directions issued on last date of hearing.

“ By or before next date, the information sought by the court on last date and suggestions made by the learned Amicus shall be adequately responded,” the bench said.

COURT WATCH

Disapproving government’s approach to “ wink” at a serious issue of food adulteration, the bench made strong observations. “ You need people only at the time of voting and thereafter don’t care for them even though they consume dangerous adulterated food stuff,” it observed.

“ People don’t matter for you, money matters. How you allow people to consume food stuff which is not being cross- checked. How is the food stuff being permitted to trickle in the market if you have no testing labs? There is nothing but nexus,” the bench observed. “ Who will compensate those who suffer from chronic fatal diseases?” Observing that food processing units under the Act must have their own laboratories to test and certify products, the bench asked: “ How they have been given licenses without verifying whether the testing laboratory is available or not?” Senior Counsel and Amicus in the case, Bashir Ahmad Bashir pleaded that Drug and Food Control Organization is headless as the Health Commissioner has been given additional charge while as per the Act the Commissioner should be appointed substantively and independently on the post.

The Amicus pleaded that despite court directions for furnishing names of the concerned officials working in the department under the Act, none was provided, which, he said, made the compliance more doubtful.

“ Four years ago the government assured the court that there will be a full- fledged Food Safety Commissioner but there is still none,” he pleaded.

On April 13, the High Court while taking on record suggestions made by Amicus on curbing of menace of food adulteration, had directed the government to file response to the suggestions.

After taking suo- moto cognizance of news reports in Greater Kashmir on food adulteration and rising cancer incidence in the Valley last month, the High Court treated the reports as a Public Interest Litigation and initiated its own proceedings against the government.

Food Safety Act a damp squib in JK, thanks to official apathy

Five years later, another communication vide No. PA/K/Acct/2014/319-321 dated March 13, 2014 reads: “Matter regarding manpower and equipment in Public Health Laboratory Kashmir be taken up on priority as health of people is at stake.”

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have bluntly ignored pleas for increasing manpower or augmenting infrastructure at Kashmir’s Food Testing Laboratory to curb the menace of food adulteration in the state.

A letter dated May 20, 2009 vide No. PFAK/Estb/32—addressed to Controller Food and Drugs J&K from Public Analyst Kashmir—reads: “The undersigned is not in a position to withstand heavy load of (food) samples…The technical staff at present in this laboratory is one public analyst and one laboratory assistant, besides the office staff which is completely against the prevention of Food Adulteration Act and its Rules.”

Five years later, another communication vide No. PA/K/Acct/2014/319-321 dated March 13, 2014 reads: “Matter regarding manpower and equipment in Public Health Laboratory Kashmir be taken up on priority as health of people is at stake.”

The letter also gives reference to six letters on the issue directed to Commissioner Food Safety and to other officers, including Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, in a span of five years. 

Over the years, the Food Safety and Standards Act has been confined to papers only, with successive state government turning a blind eye towards acute shortage of staff and equipment at the Laboratory which is in turn resulting in compromise with health of people and exposing them to foods that are adulterated and contaminated with dangerous chemicals, even including carcinogens.

In February 2014—and also in March 2014—a number of directions were passed to Food Safety Department by the J&K High Court to improve the manpower and equipment scenario, and ensure safety of edibles. One of these directions, passed March 24, 2014 in a Public Interest Litigation reads: ‘Respondents (State of J&K and others) shall initiate process to fill up various posts provided under the Act (FSSA 2006), vacant as on date and file status report regarding state of selection process.’ Similar directions had been passed in November 2013.

On February 4, 2014, the Supreme Court in case 3526/2014 (arising out of above PIL 01/2012) noted that “implementation of the provisions of the Act (FSSA 2006) in Jammu and Kashmir has been somewhat tardy.” The apex court directed that “J&K will file a report before this court with regard to the state of implementation of the provisions of the Act including the manpower available to ensure such implementation.’

While the State did file compliance report, it reportedly gave an ambiguous status of the issue. “A meeting was convened under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary of the State and the posts of Assistant Commissioner Food Safety created vide government order no. 200-HME of 2013 dated 25-03-2013 were got filled on officiating basis by placing the eligible food inspectors (Food Safety Officers) incharge of these posts…”

There was no addition of manpower but reshuffling and renaming was flaunted as an achievement, an official said. 

The Compliance Report submitted also states that a “proposal for strengthening and upgradation of food testing laboratories is under consideration of the government. And a proposal for strengthening of Food Safety Organization in the state is under active consideration.”

However, the ground situation has remained unchanged. Out 16 sanctioned posts of Technical Staff at Srinagar Food laboratory, 13 are vacant. Out eight sanctioned administrative staff positions, four are vacant.

There is no equipment to test residual pesticides, residual antibiotics and toxic metals; there is no spectrophotometer for detection of coloring agents, no equipment for detection of microbes, pathogens or even synthetic milk.

“There has been complete disregard to Food Safety, blatant contempt to court directions,” a senior healthcare expert said.

Packaged drinking water no longer a safe bet

The food safety wing has started cracking down on manufacturers of packaged drinking water following reports that most of the products do not meet the specified standards.

State-wide inspections have been initiated to check the sources of potable water being tapped by the manufacturers.

In Kottayam, food safety officials had to call in the police after repeated orders from the officials to lock down and seal drinking water sources were resisted by the manufacturers.

“We found many of the potable water sources being tapped by these companies were poor in quality and unhygienic. In some of the so-called processing plants which claimed to use processes like reverse osmosis or ultraviolet filtration to purify water, these processes were not working. We tested two samples of packaged water and found several issues like low PH levels, presence of nitrite and e-Coli bacterial contamination,” a senior official said.

In fact, many local companies were supplying filtered water collected from home-based wells and packed in sealed containers and not really processed or treated water. Though the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has fixed standards for packaged drinking water, most of the companies were selling water without the mandatory BIS certification, he said.

The Food Safety Department has no clear idea as to how many packaged drinking water companies are operating in the State. “Consumers should ensure that the bottle of packaged drinking water they buy has an ISI mark, especially if the brand is an unfamiliar one. The bottle should be shaken and held upside down to see if there are any floating sediments. The seal of the bottle should be checked too,” K. Gopakumar, Research Officer, Food Safety wing, said.

HC castigates Govt on food adulteration

Srinagar, Apr 25: The State High Court today came down heavily on the State Government for its failure to curb the menace of food adulteration in the State which has caused life threatening diseases.

After statements of the State Counsel and the Commissioner Food Safety and Standards who was present before the Court, HC said it is enough to shock conscience of everyone as there is no equipment to check the quality of food stuff.

“The statement made is enough to shock conscience of every sensitive soul, inasmuch, as, there is no paraphernalia available in the State of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with mandate contained in Provisions of FSS Act 2006”, Division Bench of Justice MH Attar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said.

Court rejected the compliance report of the authorities with the remarks that it does not comply with the court directions issued on last date. “The respondents have to respond to the suggestions placed on record in writing by the learned amicus. They shall also give full details about the issue raised on last date. The details shall be provided by or before the next date”, DB directed.

Court expressed its serious concern on part of the authorities who are entrusted with the duty to allow the people to consume pure and hygienic food after proper checking and testing. “There is no testing laboratory worth the name under this Act in the State of Jammu and Kashmir” court said and observed: “It appears that people of the State are made to consume adulterated food. All those, who are responsible to check this adulteration, probably have forgotten to perform their statutory duty”.

Court further directed that in terms of previous order information sought shall be responded adequately as also the suggestion of amicus curie be also adequately responded by or before April 27 on which date the case be considered for further adjudication.

Court on last date of hearing had sought information with regard to number of officers/officials, who are required to be posted in terms of FSS Act 2006 and how many such officers are in place.

Court had also sought full particulars of all those persons/companies/corporations, who are manufacturing and processing any food product in the State adding the information of those who have been convicted and sentenced under the Food Safety Act.

But in compliance report there is nowhere mention about these information except location of two testing laboratories one according to the report is situated at Dalgate Srinagar and other one at Patoli, Mangotrian Jammu.

Court after a long deliberation in the matter on various issues questioned the authorities if there is such kind of lack of deficiency in the department then how you allow the food stuff in markets without cross check.

Court observed to the State Counsel that ‘people do not matter for you but money matters for you. How you allow the people to consume the food without its proper check if you do not have the checking facility (Laboratory)’ adding with ‘there is nothing but nexus. Who will compensate those who suffered with chronic diseases’.

Court has also been informed that the Commissioner /Secretary Health and Medical Education is holding the additional charge of Food Commissioner as according the amicus B A Bashir (Sr. Advocate) submitted to the court that four years ago there was an assurance by the Government in one of the PILs dealing with the issue that there would be full-fledged Food Commissioner in a short span of time.

It has also been brought to the notice of the court by the amicus BAB that food testing laboratory in the Valley is only for the name sake but it lacks equipment, infrastructure and manpower to check the adulterated consumption of food in Valley and there is no mechanism in place to check the purity of eatables.

The suo-moto proceedings with regard to issue of food adulteration have been taken by the High Court after it was reported in media that consumption of adulterated and carcinogenic food items in the Valley are at alarming proportion.

In its suggestion by Advocate B A Bashir to which court has also sought response from the Government, seeks arraying Chief Secretary of the State as respondent with Commissioner /Secretary H&ME Department, Secretary Health and Family Welfare Government of India, Director Health Services of both divisions of the State, Commissioners of Municipal Corporations of both divisions, Drug Controller of the State, all Deputy Commissioners of the State and all recognized Food Testing Laboratories in the State.

Amicus curie in his suggestions said that the PIL involves security and protection of precious lives of lakhs of people who are consuming different food items which are allegedly contaminated and carcinogenic causing terminal diseases.

It is further stated in the suggestions that situation is aggravated by lack of scientific facilities for checking and testing the contaminated food items like food testing laboratories, equipments, man power(both technical & non-technical) as also the supervisory staff.

Advocate Bashir also submited that the Food Safety & Standards Act is applicable to whole country and the State of J&K so it must have scientific committee or panel of advisory committees at Central level and to execute the provision of laws of the said Act.

It was reported in various press reports that food testing laboratory in the Valley lacks equipment, infrastructure and manpower to check the adulterated consumption of food in Valley. It is said that the adulterated food is leading to multiple diseases among people, including cancer whose rate had doubled in the Valley during the past less than a decade.

The lone Food Testing Laboratory (FTL) of the Valley situated in Srinagar is said to be having ancient and outdated equipments while old methods are put into practice to test samples of foods.

About the food items like oils, milk etc consumed by general masses according to the reports are contaminated and such kind of adulteration have flooded the markets of the Valley as there is no mechanism in place to check the purity of eatables.

DINAKARAN NEWS

DECCAN CHRONICLE NEWS

பாரிமுனையில் அதிரடி சோதனை 15 லட்சம் போலி சிகரெட், ஒரு டன் ஹான்ஸ் பறிமுதல்

தண் டை யார் பேட்டை, ஏப்.26:

பாரி முனை பகு தி யில் உள்ள லாரி ஷெட் டு க ளில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட ஹான்ஸ் மற் றும் பான் ப ராக் ஆகி ய வற்றை திருட் டுத் த ன மாக பதுக்கி வைத் தி ருப் ப தாக சென்னை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு துறைக்கு ரக சிய தக வல் கிடைத் தது.

இதை ய டுத்து பாரி முனை ஆச் சா ரப் பன் தெரு, கந் தப்ப செட்டி தெரு உள் ளிட்ட இடங் க ளில் உள்ள லாரி ஷெட் டு க ளில் நேற்று உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை ஆய் வா ளர் கள் சதா சி வம், லோக நா தன், ஜெப ராஜ் ஆகி யோர் அதி ரடி சோதனை நடத் தி னர்.

அங் கி ருந்த பெரிய, பெரிய சீல் வைக் கப் பட்ட அட்டை பெட் டி க ளில் உணவு பொருள் என் றும் மும் பை யில் இருந்து அனுப் பப் பட் ட தா க வும் எழு தப் பட் டி ருந் தது. சந் தே க ம டைந்த உணவு பாது காப்பு ஆய் வா ளர் கள் அவற்றை பிரித்து பார்த் த போது, தடை செய் யப் பட்ட ஹான்ஸ் மட் டும் இருந் தது தெரி ய வந் தது. அதி லி ருந்த 1 டன் ஹான்ஸ் பெட் டி களை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

பிறகு பாரி முனை பந் தர் தெரு வில் உள்ள ஒரு குடோ னுக்கு சென் ற னர். அங் கி ருந்த சிக ரெட் பாக் கெட் டு களை சோத னை யிட் ட னர். அதில் அரசு குறிப் பிட்ட எச் ச ரிக்கை வாச கங் கள் மிக சிறிய அள வில் இருந் ததை கண்டு ஆய் வா ளர் கள் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந் த னர். ரூ.15 லட் சம் மதிப் புள்ள போலி சிக ரெட் பாக் கெட் டு களை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்ட சிக ரெட் பாக் கெட் டு களை சுகா தா ரத் துறை ஆய்வு கிடங் கிற்கு பரி சோ த னைக் காக அனுப்பி வைத் த னர்.

பிடி பட்ட ஹான்ஸ் பாக் கெட் டு களை லாரி மூலம் கொடுங் கை யூர் குப்பை கிடங் கிற்கு கொண்டு சென்று அங்கு ராட் சத பள் ளம் தோண்டி அழித் த னர். அதி கா ரி க ளின் அதி ரடி சோத னை யால் பாரி முனை தெருக் க ளில் பர ப ரப்பு ஏற் பட் டது.

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