Water safety: Bisleri, Aquafina, Kinley under FSSAI scanner

4,300 bottled drinking water manufacturers in India are under the FSSAI scanner.

The next time you are purchasing a bottle of water from your local banya, you could be surprised to find out that your tap water would be ‘safer’ to drink. It’s not that the liquid in those packaged drinking water bottles are unsafe, but there is a possibility that they could be impure, unfiltered.

According to media report filed by an Indian national daily, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the body which regulates the food and water in the country, has put some of the biggest names in the packaged water manufacturer market under the scanner for not operating with proper licenses.

According to the report, out of the 60,000 packaged drinking water bottling units in India, 4,300 units are presently operating without proper licenses. Out of the 4,300 manufacturers, there are bigger names such as Bisleri, Coca Cola’s Kinley and PepsiCo’s Aquafina on the list.

The FSSAI has sent out written letters to the various food security commissioners of all the states and territories asking for a detailed list of all the units that are operating with proper licenses. They added that only one-fourth of the total units in India have obtained the mandatory licenses that are issued by the FSSAI and BIS. Those who have not obtained proper licenses are clearly working against the food safety laws if the country.

Any unit that runs a packaged drinking water unit has to obtain a license from the FSSAI and the BIS, which ensures the safety and quality of the water and the packaging. Every company that obtains licences go through two layers of testing, which includes surprise visits and regular audits. Each license is obtained only after exhaustive scientific tests for the water and packaging’s quality and safety, including the quality and quantity of the minerals added.

The FSAAI has received several complaints about similar bottling units sprouting and operating without proper BIS certifications. The report mentions that the packaged water industry in India is presently dominated by six players including Dhariwal, Tata Global Beverages and Parle. The packaged water industry is expected to grow by 22 per cent, to a whopping Rs 16,000 crore in the next two years.

Food Adulteration: Regulatory Mechanism

In the backof recent milk adulteration crisis in the state and subsequent cognisance taken by the court here is a regulatory framework laid out by FSSAI act 2006 and subsequent guidelines for its implementation

How serious is the menace can be gauged from The Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for 2014-15 brought out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that says 'the 49,290 samples of food items it tested, 8,469, nearly one-fifth, were found adulterated or misbranded.' Food adulteration is not a new phenomenon in the Valley. In fact doctors say the occurrence has recently seen a phenomenal rise, which has led to a rise in patients with gastric problems in Kashmir.

The FSSAI is a public authority, formed under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, mandated to ensure that food is safe for consumption. The Food Authority and the State Food Safety Authorities shall monitor and verify that the relevant requirements of law are fulfilled by food business operators at all stages of food business. The authorities shall maintain a system of control and other activities as appropriate to the circumstances, including public communication on food safety and risk, food safety surveillance and other monitoring activities covering all stages of food business. The Food Safety Officers shall enforce and execute within their area the provisions of this Act with respect to which the duty is not imposed expressly or by necessary implication on some other authority. The regulations under this Act shall specify which of the Food Safety Officers are to enforce and execute them, either generally or in relation to cases of a particular description or a particular area, and any such regulations or orders may provide for the giving of assistance and information by any authority concerned in the administration of the regulations or orders, or of any provisions of this Act, to any other authority so concerned, for the purposes of their respective duties under them. The Commissioner of Food Safety and Designated Officer shall exercise the same powers as are conferred on the Food Safety Officer and follow the same procedure specified in this Act. 30. Of FSSAI act 2006.

The State Government shall appoint the Commissioner of Food Safety for the State for efficient implementation of food safety and standards and other requirements laid down under this Act and the rules and regulations made there under. The Commissioner of Food Safety shall perform all or any of the following functions, prohibit in the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of food, either in the whole of the State or any area or part thereof for such period, not exceeding one year, as may be specified in the order notified in this behalf in the Official Gazette, carry out survey of the industrial units engaged in the manufacture or processing of food in the State to find out compliance by such units of the standards notified by the Food Authority for various articles of food , conduct or organise training programmes for the personnel of the office of the Commissioner of Food Safety and, on a wider scale, for different segments of food chain for generating awareness on food safety, ensure an efficient and uniform implementation of the standards and other requirements as specified and also ensure a high standard of objectivity, accountability, practicability, transparency and credibility, sanction prosecution for offences punishable with imprisonment under this Act, such other functions as the State Government may, in consultation with the Food Authority, prescribe, The Commissioner of Food Safety may, by Order, delegate, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be specified in the Order, such of his powers and functions under this Act (except the power to appoint Designated Officer, Food Safety Officer and Food Analyst) as he may deem necessary ..In our state the regulatory framework is as per FSSAI act 2006, and The enactments and regulatory system comprises of Commissioner of Food Safety, J&K State,Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety, Jammu/Kashmir of respective Divisions, Designated Officers of their respective districts,Food Safety Officers at Block Levels.

While implementing the provisions of this act. The Central Government and the State Governments, the Food Authority and other agencies, shall be guided by the following principles namely, endeavour to achieve an appropriate level of protection of human life and health and the protection of consumer’s interests, including fair practices in all kinds of food trade with reference to food safety standards and practices, carry out risk management which shall include taking into account the results of risk assessment and other factors which in the opinion of the Food Authority are relevant to the matter under consideration and where the conditions are relevant, in order to achieve the general objectives of regulations, where in any specific circumstances, on the basis of assessment of available information, the possibility of harmful effects on health is identified but scientific uncertainty persists, provisional risk management measures necessary to ensure appropriate level of health protection may be adopted, The measures adopted shall be reviewed within a reasonable period of time, depending on the nature of the risk to life or health being identified and the type of scientific information needed to clarify the scientific uncertainty and to conduct a more comprehensive risk assessment, in cases where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a food may present a risk for human health, then, depending on the nature, seriousness and extent of that risk, the Food Authority and the Commissioner of Food Safety shall take appropriate steps to inform the general public of the nature of the risk to health, identifying to the fullest extent possible the food or type of food, the risk that it may present, and the measures which are taken or about to be taken to prevent, reduce or eliminate that risk; and where any food which fails to comply with food safety requirements is part of a batch, lot or consignment of food of the same class or description, it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved, that all of the food in that batch, lot or consignment fails to comply with those requirements.It is high time that we all stakeholders pool our resources, expertise to end the menace of food adulteration and provide the healthy food to all.

The author teaches at Department of Food Tech, IUST.

FSSAI wants water packaging units to get its licence

New Delhi, Jun 28 () Food regulator FSSAI has asked state authorities to crack down on mineral water packaging units that are operating without its licence.

As many as 75 per cent of the packaging units, owned by various firms, including Pepsico and Bisleri, are said to be operating without an FSSAI licence. These units are operating under a BIS certification.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), however, feels there is no safety or quality concern over the bottled water supplied by these units.

Out of total 5,842 registered water packaging units, 1,495 units have both BIS and FSSAI licences, while 4,347 units have only BIS certification.

"FSSAI regulations require mandatory BIS certification on packaged water. However there is a need for such businesses to obtain FSSAI certification. For which we have already written to the state food commissioners," FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said.

When asked about the quality of the bottled water which are sold without FSSAI licence, he said: "BIS has robust system of ensuring quality of packaged water. There is no issue of safety of packaged water at all, if the packaged water businesses have obtained BIS certification."

Most of the companies have no issues in obtaining FSSAI licence as per the feedback received by the regulator, he added.

Stating that many of the bottlers are not abiding by the law, Agarwal said: "Out of close to 6,000 registered packaged water units in the country, more than 4,300 don't have FSSAI licence, which also include some reputed names, where some of their units may not have food regulator's approval."

According to the regulator data, the units which do not have FSSAI licence include units of Hindustan Coca-cola, Pepsico and Bisleri, among others.

Pepsico sells its packaged water under the brand name Aquafina, Coca-cola sells under the name Kinley, while Bisleri sells under its own name.

When contacted, Pepsico India and Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages said that they manufacture packaged drinking water under valid licences.

Food Adulteration: Regulatory Mechanism

In the backof recent milk adulteration crisis in the state and subsequent cognisance taken by the court here is a regulatory framework laid out by FSSAI act 2006 and subsequent guidelines for its implementation

How serious is the menace can be gauged from The Annual Public Laboratory Testing Report for 2014-15 brought out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that says 'the 49,290 samples of food items it tested, 8,469, nearly one-fifth, were found adulterated or misbranded.' Food adulteration is not a new phenomenon in the Valley. In fact doctors say the occurrence has recently seen a phenomenal rise, which has led to a rise in patients with gastric problems in Kashmir.

The FSSAI is a public authority, formed under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, mandated to ensure that food is safe for consumption. The Food Authority and the State Food Safety Authorities shall monitor and verify that the relevant requirements of law are fulfilled by food business operators at all stages of food business. The authorities shall maintain a system of control and other activities as appropriate to the circumstances, including public communication on food safety and risk, food safety surveillance and other monitoring activities covering all stages of food business. The Food Safety Officers shall enforce and execute within their area the provisions of this Act with respect to which the duty is not imposed expressly or by necessary implication on some other authority. The regulations under this Act shall specify which of the Food Safety Officers are to enforce and execute them, either generally or in relation to cases of a particular description or a particular area, and any such regulations or orders may provide for the giving of assistance and information by any authority concerned in the administration of the regulations or orders, or of any provisions of this Act, to any other authority so concerned, for the purposes of their respective duties under them. The Commissioner of Food Safety and Designated Officer shall exercise the same powers as are conferred on the Food Safety Officer and follow the same procedure specified in this Act. 30. Of FSSAI act 2006.

The State Government shall appoint the Commissioner of Food Safety for the State for efficient implementation of food safety and standards and other requirements laid down under this Act and the rules and regulations made there under. The Commissioner of Food Safety shall perform all or any of the following functions, prohibit in the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of food, either in the whole of the State or any area or part thereof for such period, not exceeding one year, as may be specified in the order notified in this behalf in the Official Gazette, carry out survey of the industrial units engaged in the manufacture or processing of food in the State to find out compliance by such units of the standards notified by the Food Authority for various articles of food , conduct or organise training programmes for the personnel of the office of the Commissioner of Food Safety and, on a wider scale, for different segments of food chain for generating awareness on food safety, ensure an efficient and uniform implementation of the standards and other requirements as specified and also ensure a high standard of objectivity, accountability, practicability, transparency and credibility, sanction prosecution for offences punishable with imprisonment under this Act, such other functions as the State Government may, in consultation with the Food Authority, prescribe, The Commissioner of Food Safety may, by Order, delegate, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be specified in the Order, such of his powers and functions under this Act (except the power to appoint Designated Officer, Food Safety Officer and Food Analyst) as he may deem necessary ..In our state the regulatory framework is as per FSSAI act 2006, and The enactments and regulatory system comprises of Commissioner of Food Safety, J&K State,Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety, Jammu/Kashmir of respective Divisions, Designated Officers of their respective districts,Food Safety Officers at Block Levels.

While implementing the provisions of this act. The Central Government and the State Governments, the Food Authority and other agencies, shall be guided by the following principles namely, endeavour to achieve an appropriate level of protection of human life and health and the protection of consumer’s interests, including fair practices in all kinds of food trade with reference to food safety standards and practices, carry out risk management which shall include taking into account the results of risk assessment and other factors which in the opinion of the Food Authority are relevant to the matter under consideration and where the conditions are relevant, in order to achieve the general objectives of regulations, where in any specific circumstances, on the basis of assessment of available information, the possibility of harmful effects on health is identified but scientific uncertainty persists, provisional risk management measures necessary to ensure appropriate level of health protection may be adopted, The measures adopted shall be reviewed within a reasonable period of time, depending on the nature of the risk to life or health being identified and the type of scientific information needed to clarify the scientific uncertainty and to conduct a more comprehensive risk assessment, in cases where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a food may present a risk for human health, then, depending on the nature, seriousness and extent of that risk, the Food Authority and the Commissioner of Food Safety shall take appropriate steps to inform the general public of the nature of the risk to health, identifying to the fullest extent possible the food or type of food, the risk that it may present, and the measures which are taken or about to be taken to prevent, reduce or eliminate that risk; and where any food which fails to comply with food safety requirements is part of a batch, lot or consignment of food of the same class or description, it shall be presumed until the contrary is proved, that all of the food in that batch, lot or consignment fails to comply with those requirements.It is high time that we all stakeholders pool our resources, expertise to end the menace of food adulteration and provide the healthy food to all.

The author teaches at Department of Food Tech, IUST.

Food safety authority, ASCI ink pact to curb misleading ads

NEW DELHI, JUNE 28: 

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has signed an MoU with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to proactively curb misleading or unsubstantiated advertisements in the food and beverage sector.

Under this MoU, FSSAI has given a ‘suo moto’ mandate to ASCI to process complaints against misleading ads by food companies. ASCI will actively monitor advertisements across various media for this. In addition, ASCI will also report to FSSAI companies which do not comply with its directions after it has received complaints through the GAMA Portal set up by the Consumer Affairs Ministry.

In addition, FSSAI will also redirect complaints against misleading food and beverage advertisements to ASCI, which will be reviewed using ASCI’s code and guidelines.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said the MoU would effectively help in handling misleading ads related to food and will provide a paradigm shift towards handling such scenarios and bring transparency and accountability with the stakeholders’ participation.

FSSAI Joins Hands with CHIFSS to Drive Food Safety

FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) joined hands with CHIFSS (CII-HUL Initiative on Food Safety Sciences) a partnership initiative between India's premier business association CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and FMCG giant HUL (Hindustan Unilever Limited) with the purpose of driving science based food safety in order to further strengthen consumer safety and enable a science based innovation environment.

At the Launch of the CII-HUL Initiative on Food Safety Sciences (CHIFSS) ,Mr Pawan Agarwal, CEO , FSSAI signed an MOU with CHIFSS .

FSSAI has already paved the way for a world class regulatory system with its work on harmonization of Indian Standards with Codex and is now focusing on capacity building to develop an inclusive ecosystem through a participative approach involving all stakeholders.

We are happy to sign the MoU with CHIFSS, said Mr Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI on the occasion of the launch. This collaborative initiative will drive and disseminate food safety on science based risk analysis in India and work towards improving food safety through fact and data based technical briefs , food safety plan guidance documents and on-line training programs, he added.

Ms. Anuradha Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of food processing industries, thanked FSSAI for largely resolving the issues being faced by Food Processing Industry at the launch ceremony. She highlighted it as a positive move in a short span of six to eight months. In her address she pointed it is a right time to move beyond compliance and incorporate best international practices on food safety to create and ensure safe food.

Mr Chandrajit Banerjee in his welcome remarks mentioned about CII's extensive outreach and service portfolio on Food Safety and Quality for more than a decade, covering Awareness Campaigns, Collaborative Certificate courses for Food Professionals, Workshops on Risk Assessments and Standards formulation. We are delighted to launch the CII-HUL Initiative on Food Safety Sciences for driving Science behind Food Safety which will work in a partnership mode with FSSAI, eminent scientists, academia and key opinion formers. The overall purpose of the initiative is to contribute to a holistic growth of the Indian food sector while ensuring safe food for all, stated Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, DG CII.

Mr. Sanjiv Mehta, in his address, stressed the need for a globally benchmarked national food safety agenda, founded on science based food safety principles. He highlighted the expertise of Unilever in food safety sciences and the fact that Unilever experts are globally recognized thought leaders in the areas of food microbiology and toxicology are actively working with academics and scientific institutions globally on food safety matters. He also reiterated HUL's commitment towards partnering with all stakeholders to enhance the science based food safety in India. He said, We are delighted to see CHIFSS fructify into a reality. The pioneering partnership between CHIFSS and FSSAI will further strengthen industry-government collaboration to promote science based food safety which stimulates innovation while ensuring consumer safety.

As the first outcome of CHIFSS, the Food Safety Management System Guidance Document for Ice Creams and Frozen Desserts was also released alongside the launch of the Website. A Panel discussion on Driving Food Safety through Science Based Principles followed soon after the Launch ceremony.

நாமக்கல் பகுதிகளில் புகையிலை பொருட்கள் விற்பனை ஜோர் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க சமூக ஆர்வலர்கள் கோரிக்கை

நாமக் கல், ஜூன் 29:

நாமக் கல் பகு தி க ளில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் பனை அமோ க மாக நடந்து வரு கி றது.

தமி ழ கம் முழு வ தும் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட ஹான்ஸ், பான் ப ராக் உள் ளிட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் பனை அமோ க மாக நடந்து வந் தது. இதனை பயன் ப டுத் தும் மக் கள் வாய்ப் புற் று நோ யால் பாதிக் கப் பட்டு உயிர் இழந் த னர். இத னை ய டுத்து மத் திய அர சின் உத் த ர வுப் படி தமி ழ கம் முழு வ தும் புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் ப னைக்கு தடை செய் யப் பட் டது.

அதே போல், சிக ரெட் உடல் நலத் திற்கு தீங்கு என்ற வார்த் தை யை யும், அதற்கு பயன் ப டுத் தும் படத் தை யும் பெரி தாக பொறிக் கப் பட வேண் டும் என விற் ப னை யா ளர் க ளுக்கு அரசு உத் த ர விட் டது. தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் யும் கடை உரி மை யா ளர் கள் மீது அப ரா தம் உள் ளிட்ட நட வ டிக் கை களை மேற் கொள்ள மாந க ராட்சி, நக ராட்சி, சுகா தா ரத் து றை யி னர் முடுக் கி வி டப் பட் ட னர்.

இந்த உத் த ர வுக்கு பின் சில மாதங் கள் மட் டுமே தமி ழ கத் தில் புகை யிலை விற் பனை இல் லா மல் இருந் தது. நாள டை வில் பெரும் பா லான மாவட் டங் க ளில் ஹான்ஸ் விற் பனை அமோ க மாக நடந்து வரு கி றது. இதே நிலை தான் நாமக் கல் மாவட் டத் தி லும் உள் ளது. நாமக் கல் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட், சேலம் ரோடு, திருச் செங் கோடு ரோடு, மேக் கல் நாய்க் கன் பட்டி, உடை யா பு தூர் உள் ளிட்ட மாவட் டத் தின் பெரும் பா லான பகு தி க ளில் உள்ள கடை க ளில் பகி ரங் க மா கவே புகை யிலை பொருட் கள், பாக் கு க ளின் விற் பனை நடந்து வரு கி றது.

இது கு றித்து சமூக ஆர் வ லர் கள் கூறு கை யில், நாமக் கல் மாவட் டத் தின் பெரும் பா லான பகு தி க ளில் ஹான்ஸ், மாணிக் சந்த், பான் ப ராக் உள் ளிட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் விற் பனை அமோ க மாக நடந்து வரு கி றது. தடை செய் யப் ப டும் முன் ரூ.10க்கு விற் ப னை யான ஹான்ஸ் தற் போது ரூ.25 முதல் விற் ப னை யா கி றது. இது கு றித்து பல முறை மாவட்ட நிர் வா கத் திற் கும், நக ராட்சி அதி கா ரி க ளுக் கும் புகார் தெரி வித் தும் எவ் வித நட வ டிக் கை யும் எடுக் க வில்லை. இத னால் நாமக் கல் மாவட் டத் தில் இளை ஞர் கள் புற் று நோ யால் பாதிக் கப் ப டும் அபா யம் உள் ளது. எனவே நாமக் கல் லில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் க ளின் விற் ப னையை தடுக்க சம் பந் தப் பட்ட அதி கா ரி கள் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும், என் ற னர்.

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