Codex adopts stricter food safety standards

The international food standards body has adopted stringent laws on pesticides in food and arsenic residue in rice 

Pesticides have become a part and parcel of agriculture. Their rampant use leads to high residues in food, which is potentially dangerous to human health Credit

The United Nations food standards body, Codex Alimentarius Commission (Commission), met in Rome recently to take decisions on matters relating to food safety. It adopted guidelines to prevent salmonella in fresh beef and pork, to control parasites in food and update guidelines on nutrition labelling and residues of inorganic arsenic in husked rice.

It also adopted Maximum residue limits (MRLs) for 30 pesticides and adopted almost 400 food additives in specific foods, including antioxidants and preservatives. It initiated an overhaul of the existing guidelines on general principles of food hygiene and review of the existing guidelines on antimicrobial resistance.

Pesticide residues in food

Pesticides have become a part and parcel of agriculture. Their rampant use leads to high residues in food, which is potentially dangerous to human health.

The commission discussed the report of the 48th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues held in China earlier this year.

However, based on risk assessments provided by a group of independent international experts (the Joint FAO/WHO expert meeting on pesticide residues), the commission has adopted MRLs for more than 30 different pesticides in various foods, along with revoking MRLs for a set of about 25 pesticides.

Effectively, the commission reduced MRLs substantially for pesticides like lindane and added MRLs for new food categories for pesticides like phorate, triazophos and propiconazole and imidacloprid.

Phorate and triazophos are considered “extremely hazardious” (class IA) and “highly hazardous” (class IB) respectively by the WHO.

Further, the commission has increased MRLs for many pesticides like cyantraniliprole, acetamiprid, fluopyram, imidacloprid, abamectin and propriconazole.

Out of 30 pesticides for which Codex adopted MRLs in the meeting, pesticides like flutriafol and fluxapyroxad are not registered in India.

However, despite the fact that pesticides such as fluopyram, cyantraniliprole, cyazofamid and floricamid are registered in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI ) does not provide MRLs.

For some pesticides such as Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid and Lufenuron, the current standards provide MRLs only for one or two food categories whereas Codex standards are much more detailed. India needs to set MRLs for more food categories for such pesticides.

The New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment has been working on the issue of pesticide regulation in India for over a decade and thinks that the pesticide management scenario needs to improve both in terms of law and practice.

It has been seen that some pesticides which are considered toxic around the world and are banned in many countries, are still used in India such as Benomyl, methyl parathion and phosphamidon, Amit Khurana, programme manager at CSE said.

He added that there were several pesticides which are allowed in India for which the FSSAI had not set MRLs. He said as farmers’ extension services in India were weak they were influenced by representatives of pesticide manufacturing companies while making choices.

Arsenic residues in rice

The commission highlighted the issue of arsenic residues in rice. Rice is a staple food in many communities and has a tendency to take up more arsenic than other food.

Arsenic has been associated with developmental effects, heart disease, diabetes, and damage to the nervous system and brain. The commission recommended that no more than 0.35 mg/kg (ppm) of inorganic arsenic should be allowed in husked rice (paddy rice from which the only husk has been removed, also known as brown rice or cargo rice).

The FSSAI does not provide a specific residue limit for arsenic in rice, and therefore, it falls within the residuary category making the limit as high as 1.1 ppm.

It is pertinent to note that even though arsenic contamination in rice has been a big issue in India, we do not have specific standards for arsenic in rice and the effective standards are much behind what the Codex has now adopted.

Guidelines on nutrition labelling updated

A balanced diet forms the foundation of a person’s health and it should be rich in vitamins and minerals. The commission has adopted nutrient reference values for copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin A to be included in its guidelines on nutrition labelling.

The FSSAI does not mandate even the declaration of salt on the label and India should strive to adopt global best practices with regard to nutrition labelling.

Antimicrobial resistance

The commission recognised that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to human health and agreed to review the existing guidelines, including the code of practice to minimise and contain antimicrobial resistance adopted in 2005.

It was decided that a dedicated codex taskforce on AMR chaired by South Korea will take the new work forward. With the global awareness on the issue of AMR, all countries are looking at strengthening their internal policies and practices and a review of the old guidelines by Codex should help them do so.

However, India still has some basic issues to deal with. In India, there is no ban on non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in food-producing animals and there is no monitoring of antibiotic use or resistance in food-producing animals. Further, MRLs have not been set for antibiotic residues in chicken and milk and the existing law only provides MRLs for four antibiotics in fish.

FSSAI Cracks Down On Unlicensed Water Packaging Units

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an order asking state authorities to regulate mineral watering packing units. According to Economic Times, almost 75 percent of the packaging units are operating without a proper FSSAI license. Several of these packaging units are owned by leading conglomerates such as PepsiCo and Bisleri. 

UNLICENSED WATER PACKAGING UNITS

FSSAI notes that several water packaging units are operating under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification but not FSSAI’s license. According to ET, out of 5,842 registered water packaging units, 1,495 units have both BIS and FSSAI licenses but almost 4,347 units have only BIS certification. Speaking about the need to obtain proper FSSAI licenses, Pawan Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI, said, “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 LICENSE

The list of companies which doesn’t have FSSAI license include several well-known brands including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Bisleri. “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,” added Agarwal. Although these companies have yet to acquire FSSAI license, according to the feedback received by FSSAI, they have no issues in filing for the appropriate licenses. 

Although acquiring an FSSAI license is part of the regulation, Agarwal added that BIS certification makes a tremendous difference in ensuring the quality and the safety of packaged water. “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,” said Agarwal.

Food Additives– Seeing Through the Eyes of Food Regulations

Introduction 

Food additives are “Any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result-directly or indirectly- in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food," according to International Food Information Council (IFIC) and US Food and Drug Administration (2010). In other words, food additives are those substances that are intentionally added to food during production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food (FDA, 2015). .

Food additives have been classified as below:

• Type of additives (FSSR, 2010, FDA 2015)

o Direct Additive: Additives added to food for a specific function e. g. xanthan gum - added in chocolate milk, bakery fillings, puddings

o Indirect Additive: Additives that comes in contact of food during packaging, storage or handling

• Source of origin (BBC, 2015)

o Natural: Those additives that occur naturally in foods, e. g. caramelised sugar used for colouring in cola

o Artificial: Those additives that donot naturally occur, e. g. Tartrazine is a synthetic colouring agent

• Function (Potter and Hotchkiss, 1995)

o Preservatives (b) Colouring (c) Flavouring (b) Emulsification 

Food producers use around 3,000 natural and artificial food additives to preserve and improve foods. Salt and sugar are two most common examples of natural food additives, whereas synthetic food additives are made in a laboratory and they are not found naturally in the food. However the chemical nature of synthetic additives is similar to that which occurs in nature. The purposes of adding food additives are to improve storage properties, healthfulness (fortifications, restorations, enrichments, nitrification, etc.), appealing (colours, flavours, sweeteners, etc.), processing, preparation (stabilisers, thickeners, emulsifiers, anticaking agents, antifoams) of food items and many others. One class of additives called potentiators that enhance the flavour of the product, which are largely based on amino acid and nucleotides (savoury flavourants). Detailed description of different additives along with their functions is given in Table 1:

Table 1: List of food additives and their specific functions and examples

Function Purpose Examples Uses Preservative Prevents bacteria, yeast,  molds growth Sodium benzoate, Sorbic acid, Soft drinks, acidic foods, breads, cake Antioxidant Prevents oxidation of lipids BHA, BHT, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherols Potato chips, breakfast cereals Sequestrant Combine with trace metals and remove them from solution and prevent oxidation, off-colour reactions in foods Ethylenediamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA), Polyphosphates, Citric Acid Stabilises edible fats and oils, prevents weeping of butter, inhibits auto-oxidation of essential oils, retains flavour Surface active agents Acts as emulsifiers to stabilise mixtures oil-in-water, gas in liquid, gas in solid Lecithin (Natural), Mono-glycerides and Di-gylceride, their derivatives Confectionery, chocolate, creamy product Stabilisers and Thickeners They stabilise and thicken foods by combining with water to increase viscosity and to form gels Gum Arabic, Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), Carrageenan, Pectin, Amylose, Gelatin Gravies, pie fillings, cake toppings, chocolate milk drinks, jellies, puddings, and salad dressings Buffers, Acids, Alkalis They are pH-adjusting and pH-controlling chemicals Fruit juice and fermentation products (Natural sources), acids, alkali and other chemically synthesised substances In baking industries as leavening agent, flavouring agent in confection, in processing of chocolates Food Colours Improve attractiveness of food product Annatto, Caramel, Carotene, Saffron Ice cream, butter, carbonated beverages Artificial Sweeteners Sweet in taste with low or no calorific value Neohesperidine Di-hydrochalcone, Saccharin, Aspartame Manufacturing of low-calorie foods-candies, frozen desserts, salad dressings Nutritional Additives Adds supplements and enrichment mixtures to a product Vitamins, Iodine, Lysine etc. Wheat flour, fruit juice, processed milk, margarine Flavouring Agents They are the substance that gives another substance flavour Natural: spices, herbs, essential oils; Synthetic: Benzaldehyde, Ethyl Butyrate (pineapple) Ice cream, desserts, processed foods, puddings, bakery items Flavour Enhancers/ Potentiators They donot have any flavour but enhance the flavours Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the 5' -nucleotides Processed foods like especially soups, sauces, sausages

Indian Food Laws, Orders, Acts and Regulations Regarding Food Additives 

According to Food Safety andStandards Regulations (FSSR) 2011, the following declarations have been made with respect to food additives: (i) food additives falling under the following class titles shall be used together with the specific names or recognised international numerical identification i.e. acidity regulator, acid, anticaking agent, antifoaming agent, antioxidant, bulking agent, colour, colour retention agent, emulsifier, emulsifying salt, firming agent, flour treatment agent, flavour enhancer, foaming agent, gelling agent, glazing agent, humectants, preservative, propellant, raising agent, stabiliser, sweetener, thickener

Addition of extraneous colouring matter to any food items should be mentioned on the label in capital letters just beneath the list of the ingredients in one of the following statements-

Contains Permitted Natural Colour(s) or Contains Permitted Synthetic Food Colour(s) or Contains Permitted Natural and Synthetic Food Colour(s)

On infant milk substitute and infant food labelling as per Regulation 4.4.1 (FSSR, 2010), the specific name of the food additives, if permitted, shall be declared in addition to appropriate class names. 

Food Additives (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

Allowed food additives are only those which are specified in these regulations and in Appendix A of this regulation. 

Colouring matter (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

(1) The addition of colouring matter to any article of food except as specifically permitted by these regulations is prohibited.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in these regulations and appendices, the natural colouring principles whether isolated from natural colours or produced synthetically may be used in or upon any article of food.

(3) Inorganic colouring matters and pigments shall not be added to any article of food unless otherwise provided in these regulations and appendices.

(4) No synthetic food colours/mixture thereof except the given in these laws shall be used in food.

Artificial Sweeteners (Regulation 6.1.5, FSSR, 2010, 2015)

Artificial sweeteners mentioned in this Act, may be used only in the food articles and in quantities not exceeding given as per this Act 4.4.5 (24, 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29)

Preservatives (Regulation 6.1.5, FSSR, 2010, 2015) - “Preservative” means a substance which when added to food is capable of inhibiting, retarding or arresting the process of fermentation, acidification or other decomposition of food. No person shall use in or upon a food more than one class II preservative. No nitrate or nitrite shall be added to any infant food.

Antioxidants 

Antioxidant is asubstance which when added to food retards or prevents oxidative deterioration of food and does not include sugar, cereal, oils, flours, herbs and spices. No antioxidant other than lecithin, ascorbic acid and tocopherol shall be added to any food (FSSR, 2010).

Emulsifying and stabilising agents (Regulation 6.1.5, FSSR, 2010, 2015)

No emulsifying or stabilising agents shall be used in any food, except where the use of emulsifying or stabilising agent is specifically permitted. 

Use of emulsifying and stabilising agents in fruit products - The following emulsifying and stabilising agents may be added to fruit products: (a) Pectin (b) Sodium alginate (c) Calcium alginate (d) Alginic acid (e) Propylene glycol alginate.

Use of emulsifying and stabilising agents in frozen desserts – The emulsifying and stabilising agents as defined under the Regulation 6.1.5 (1) may be added to frozen desserts.

Anticaking agents (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

Restriction on use of anticaking agents- No anticaking agents shall be used in any food except where the use of anticaking agents is specifically permitted.

Antifoaming agents in edible oils and fats- (1) Dimethyl polysiloxane, food grade, may be used as an antifoaming agent in edible oils and fats for deep fat frying upto a maximum limit of 10 parts per million.

Use of release agents in confectionery- Spreadasil silicon spray (Dimethyl polysiloxane) if used, as release agent in confectionery, shall not exceed 10 ppm of the finished product.

Flavouring agents and related substances (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

(1) Flavouring agents; (2) Use of antioxidants, emulsifying and stabilising agents and food preservatives in flavour; (3) Use of anticaking agent in flavours; (4) Restriction on use of flavouring agents; (5) Solvent in flavour; (6) Glycerol esters of wood resins (FSSR, 2010, 2015).

Negative effect of food additives on human health 

Strange rashes that appear on the body; Erratic behaviours and moods; Self stimulatory behaviours; Waking up in the middle of the night; Having a difficult time with their stools (constipation, diarrhoea, and undigested foods); Headaches; Allergies; Hyperactivity; Long-term illnesses; Negative Effects of MSG on Health; Toxicity and potent carcinogenic nature of nitrates (III); Toxicity of sulphur dioxide; Potent carcinogenic nature of saccharin.

Conclusion

The details of the food additive laws, regulations and orders can be obtained from official website of FSSAI, WHO, Codex Alimentarius. Natural food additives are always better, safer and easier than artificial. Even though some chemicals in food are approved but they are not free of adverse reactions. The use of food additives must be controlled and monitored by effective research and governmental regulations.

Are we ready for 24X7 restaurants?

Imagine this. Your pregnant wife is craving for Blueberry frozen yogurt in the wee hours and you simply drive her to the outlet without having to worry about the time. Or you escape the peak hours and 'party all night' at your favourite pub. And if your work shift gets over way past midnight, you can still head to the restaurant of your choice to gorge on the chhole bhature you have been craving all day. All this could indeed be true as the Cabinet has approved the law to open restaurants 24X7.

Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India) is elated with the development, "This is extremely wonderful news and a victory for the NRAI. We have been lobbying hard for the past many years for the freedom of operational timings in restaurants. We are delighted as this will go a long way in boosting the economy and employment in India. We are hopeful that the state and local authorities would cooperate and adopt this model."

Customers are a happy lot too. Ratish Sharma, Senior Marketing Manager, Agreeya Solutions shares, "If the restaurants plan to stay open all night, I am expecting some interesting deals on both food and drinks late in the night, considering that the footfall in these places fall after 11.30 pm. So it will be an added bonus for people to dine and wine at night."

Will it impact the hotel business? Dhananjay Kumar, GM, The Suryaa, New Delhi points out, "This is a good initiative however hotel already has provision of operating outlet 24X7 and also there is a provision to get Liquor License 24X7, however, the license fee is very high and does not give viability to operate. Most of the hotels in fact operate the coffee shop as all day dining which means it will shut the operation by 1am as operational cost is higher and turn over post-midnight in coffee shop is extremely low. This might help mall and stand-alone operators however for the hotel this is nothing new as hotel does operates 24X7 coffee shops. I am not sure what value addition we as hotelier can do in this regard as it will be mostly applicable for restaurants, pub and mall operators."

Sumeet Yadav, CEO, Nando's India says, "This is great news. More than impact on the business, it's a sign to the world that we are maturing as a country and getting more confident with our policies and outlook. The move will benefit business long term especially on weekends and also improve employment opportunities in the F&B and retail sector, even though getting the right manpower will be a challenge initially. We will wait for more details on this proposal and welcome this move. The times are changing."

While most are welcoming the move, they are still concerned about late night nuisance and drunken driving. The staff is not too elated with the news. On condition of anonymity, a Delhi-based bartender shares, "I am not really sure how it will impact my working hours. That's my biggest concern. Hope we are not pressed to put in longer hours. As long as they are able to manage shift timing efficiently, we are fine."

A traffic constable who refused to divulge his name raised concerns, "If we keep restaurants open 24X7, we will see more spoilt girls thronging the streets all night and then people will create hue and cry about safety of women. On top of that, we will be made to work for longer hours. I would request government to hire more staff to share our work load."

While the decision is still underway, it's yet to see what all measurements will be taken before this decision is put in place.

Food safety raid: 30 firms get improvement notice

Thiruvananthapuram: The raids conducted by food safety department in curry powder manufacturing units and food business centres concluded with the department slapping improvement notices in for 30 units and a fine worth Rs 1.7 lakh.

The department closed down Midhilaj restaurant and catering service in Nadakavu near Kasargode and Akshay Bakery (manufacturing unit) near Govt hospital Kanhangad after finding that the institutions were functioning without mandatory food safety license and in unhygienic condition.

In the first and second phases of raids conducted in six days, the department has conducted inspections in 146 units. It took 101 statutory samples and 217 surveillance samples.

The raid was conducted on the directive of health minister K K Shylaja who received complaints over adulteration of packaged items such as curry powders and atta.

Around 23 units were inspected on Wednesday. Of these, four were given improvement notices. A fine of Rs 15000 was slapped on two units.

During the first phase of raids held last week, Nirapara Roller Flour Mill, Attingal, which was engaged in powdering and packaging of wheat, was closed down by the food safety department after finding that it was functioning in unhygienic circumstance. The department also seized and sent for lab test powdered products such as cumin, coriander and turmeric worth Rs 4.71 lakh manufactured by Palakkad-based Anakkara Food Processing and Export Private Limited.

The first phase raids were conducted in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur districts. The second phase, which concluded on Wedneday, covered the next seven districts.

COMMISSIONER HELP Citizens are being poisoned by mango-sellers AND F.D.A. TEAMS ARE NOT ACTIVE

Allahabad: This is the mango season. The market is flooded with mangoes of all varieties. In view of the ‘Iftaar’ requirements too the demand might have increased. But have we bothered to find out whether the product on sale is free from chemical treatment? Everyone knows that calcium carbide is being used to artificially ripen the mangoes.

It has been officially confirmed that calcium carbide contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride and has strong cancer-causing properties. The consumer will suffer from early symptoms of arsenic or phosphorus poisoning which would include vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulty in swallowing, burning sensation in chest and abdomen , thirst and weakness. A report reveals that in the secondary stage one may develop burning in the eyes and skin , irreversible damage to eyes, cough, shortness of breath and collection of fluids in the lungs. These details are based on the information given by the Consumer’s Advisory of the FSSAI(Food Safety and Standards Authority of India).

If this is the position, how can the fruit sellers be allowed to flout the law and openly sell poisonous stuff to the citizens? 

Interestingly enough, the food law has now an added provision which will land the adulterators in big trouble if caught. They will have to now face life imprisonment and a fine of Rs10 lakhs under the Food Safety & Standards Regulations(Prohibition and Restriction on Sales)Regulation 2011. This strict provision has been added because calcium carbide can cause death of the consumer over prolonged use. The fruit-sellers are using carbide to ripen mangoes in particular and also bananas, papayas.

சுகாதாரமான முறையில் உணவுகள் தயாரிக்க வேண்டும் அங்கன்வாடி ஊழியர்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தல்

ஊட்டி, ஜூலை 1:

அங் கன் வாடி மையங் களை தூய் மை யாக வைத் தி ருக்க வேண் டும். சுகா தா ர மான முறை யில் உண வு களை தயா ரிக்க வேண் டும் என அங் கன் வாடி ஊழி யர் க ளுக்கு உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அறி வு றுத்தி உள் ளது.

உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை சார் பில் ஒருங் கி ணைந்த குழந் தை கள் வளர்ச்சி திட் டத் தின் கீழ் பணி பு ரி யும் பணி யா ளா ் க ளுக்கு உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிா்ணய சட் டம் 2006 குறித்த விழிப் பு ணா ்வு முகாம் ஊட் டி யில் நடத் தப் பட் டது.

இதன் ஒரு ப கு தி யாக ஊட்டி மற் றும் கோத் த கிாி வட் டார உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் முன் னி லை யில் ஊட் டி யில் உள்ள அம்மா உண வ கம், அங் கன் வாடி மையங் க ளில் உணவு பாது காப்பு மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டா் கலை வாணி ஆய்வு செய் தார்.தொடா்ந்து நடை பெற்ற விழிப் பு ணா ்வு முகா மில் நிய மன அலு வ லா் கலை வாணி பேசு கை யில், அங் கன் வாடி பணி யா ளா ் கள் அங் கன் வாடி மையங் களை தூய் மை யாக வைத் தி ருக்க வேண் டும். இருப்பு பதி வேட் டினை முறை யாக பரா மா ிக்க வேண் டும். காலா வ தி யான உணவு பொருட் களை பயன் ப டுத்த கூடாது.

சுத் த மான மற் றும் சுகா தா ர மான முறை யில் உண வு களை தயாா் செய் திட வேண் டும். உணவு அருந் து வ தற்கு முன் பும், பின் பும் குழந் தை க ளின் கைகளை சுத் த மாக கழு வு தல் வேண் டும். நன்கு கொதிக்க வைத்து ஆற வைத்த குடி நீ ரையே குடிப் ப தற்கு உப யோ கித் தல் வேண் டும். உணவு மாதிாி எடுத்து முறை யாக பரா மா ிக்க வேண் டும்.

இது போன்று மாவட் டத் தில் உள்ள அனைத்து ஒருங் கி ணைந்த குழந்தை வளர்ச்சி திட் டத் தின் கீழ் பணி புா ி யும் பணி யா ளர் க ளுக்கு விழிப் பு ணா ்வு முகாம் நடத் தப் ப டும். உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை மூலம் ஆய் வு க ளும் நடத் தப் ப டும். உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிா்ணய சட் டத் தின் கீழ் மாவட் டத் தில் உள்ள அனைத்து அங் கன் வாடி மையங் க ளும் பதிவு செய் தல் வேண் டும் என் றார்.

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS