May 20, 2016
Workshop on food safety for street food vendors conducted by VMSIIHE
As a part of its community service, V M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE), Raia, in collaboration with the Directorate of Food & Drugs Administration, Goa, organised a two day workshop on food safety, hygiene and sanitation for street food vendors recently, at Margao Municipality hall. The workshop was inaugurated at the hands of administrator, VMSIIHE, I Bhanumurthy, and senior food safety officer, FDA, Nelson Fernandes.
15 street food vendors participated in the workshop which was led by assistant chef, VMSIIHE, Rodwin Rodrigues, under the able guidance of chef Stefan Jerkfelt. The topics for the workshop included kitchen organisation and personal hygiene, food contamination, food safety and sanitation and food nutrition. The workshop was interactive and elicited a good response judging by the keen interest of those who had signed-up. As part of the talk, audio-visual presentations were made on personal hygiene, food safety and sanitation.
Towards the end of the workshop, director FDA and commissioner, Food Safety, Goa, Salim Veljee, addressed the participants about the importance of the subject at hand. Administrator, VMSIIHE, Goa, I Bhanumurthy, and deputy director, FDA, Goa, Jyoti Sardessai, also shared their thoughts on the same subject. On conclusion of the workshop, participation certificates and aprons were distributed to the participants.
FSSAI to test packaging for toxins release; new packaging standards soon
New Delhi
The apex food regulator FSSAI has sought a surveillance plan from the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) with regards to testing the packaging material used in food products so that the risk of toxins released in the food could be mitigated. Currently FSSAI is examining the plan and will hold discussions for its possible implementation. Further FSSAI has plans to come up with packaging standards apart from the existing BIS standards.
Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said that it was being done to determine the safety of the material used for food packaging and how the material reacted when it came in contact with the food. “We have asked the IIP to suggest a surveillance plan for checking the safety of the material used for food packs. We’re currently examining the same and soon we will take a decision in the matter,” he said.
This move is in-line with ensuring safety of food and such policy will enable FSSAI to keep an eye on the packaging. Apart from the testing done by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), FSSAI is set to test the packaging standards of foodmakers. Testing will be carried on packets, bottles, cans or wrappers to see whether or not they release toxins into the food under different temperatures and conditions.
According to the officials of FSSAI, this will help FSSAI to bring down the percentage of the food contaminated due to migration from the packaging material. The FSSAI will conduct research before finalising their own set of guidelines.
The officials further stated that the new standards were expected to increase the frequency of checks and make companies more accountable. FSSAI wants manufacturers to make the packaging process more transparent.
FSSAI will also ask the states to follow the norms and domestic and multinational food giants will be checked.
Meanwhile, the industry welcomed the move saying that it would help the industry in checking any contamination while the smaller FBOs will be able to identify better packaging material for their products.
“The industry has experienced the issue of migration since the packaging was developed. There are certain parameters to avoid migration risks. A crucial component which has to be taken care while procuring raw materials for packaging a food product is statement of composition (SoC). This statement has a tabulated format of migration patterns of the material which is supplied. A detailed note of possible migrants is mentioned in the statement. Also, the worst case scenarios are mentioned statistically. There are even other systems to ensure safety, the food product should be taken into consideration while choosing the packaging material,” said Neelakamal Mohapatra, head, food processing technology development, Siegwerk India Pvt. Ltd, Rajasthan.
He added, “The new standards will be helpful for small manufacturers while choosing the materials as the migration levels will be mentioned already in the standards. This is a good move which will help small players on a larger scale. If they will be properly educated it will save their costs in incurred in testing on a larger scale.”
Carcinogenic Calcium Carbide used to ripen mangoes
FCO raids Parimpora Fruit Mandi; 1100 kg fruit destroyed
Food Control Organisation on Thursday raided Fruit MandiParimpora here and some other wholesale fruit dealers, finding carcinogenic chemical calcium carbide being used for ripening of mangoes.
“During inspection, some fruit dealers were found in possession of boxes in which pouches of calcium carbide were found,” a press handout of Food Control Organization said.
The handout further said, “Use of this chemical, which releases acetylene gas, is prohibited under Food Safety and Standards Act.”
FSSAI website has detailed information on artificial ripening agents and their effects. It states that the most common chemical for fruit ripening, calcium carbide (CaC2) popularly known as ‘masala’ is banned under FSSA Regulations of 2011. It says, “Calcium carbide has cancer causing properties and contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride.” It warns of potential health effects of using calcium carbide-ripened fruits which could range from stomach upset to hypoxia (low oxygen reaching blood and tissues) which could lead to cerebral edema (swelling in brain).
Officials of FCO said that 1100 kgs of mangoes that were found to be ripened with calcium carbide were destroyed. The dealers, in addition to being issued a warning, have been made to submit an undertaking that such practice would not be repeated in future, the officials said. “We will be keeping a strict vigil on fruit dealers and anybody involved in use of this chemical would be dealt with strictly as per the laws,” Assistant Food Commissioner Srinagar, Hilal Ahmed Mir, said.
A day earlier, similar raids were carried out by FCO in Jammu and 1200 kgs of fruit destroyed after the officials found chemical evidence of calcium carbide being used in ripening.
Controller Drug and Food Control Organization, LotikaKhajuria, has made an appeal to the fruit vendors to use natural methods for ripening. “In order to cater to heavy demands of seasonal fruits, other methods of ripening, which have been permitted as per draft guidelines by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, should be adopted as an alternative.”
Inspect tea processing units: FSSAI to state officials
FSSAI said that until method of assessment for iron fillings is finalised, the state food safety officials can carry out inspections at the factories.
Food safety regulator FSSAI has asked the state-level enforcement authorities to carry out inspection at various tea processing units to check adulteration of iron fillings in the beverage.
The regulator has recently conducted a large-scale laboratory analysis of tea powder for determining the limit on iron filling.
After finding wide variations in the test results, the FSSAI said that until method of assessment for iron fillings is finalised, the state food safety officials can carry out inspections at the factories.
"Until the method of assessment is finalised, the enforcement authorities may carry out inspection in tea factories rather than on retail outlets, etc. to ensure that Food Business Operators (FBOs) involved in the processing/ manufacture of tea operate with the requisite equipment for removal of iron fillings," FSSAI said in the notification.
Earlier, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had capped the maximum limit for iron particles in tea powder at 150 mg per kilogram.
In many cases, it has been found that the tea powder is contaminated with iron filings. Iron fillings enter tea due to wear and tear of the processing machinery.
The continuous presence of iron filings in tea has raised safety concerns and there have been many demands to fix an upper limit.
The tea leaves are dried in a sieve fitted with a mesh and leaves are cut using iron rollers. Factories use huge magnets to remove iron filings from tea powder.
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