Sep 1, 2016
Staff crunch hits Vadodara Municipal Corporation's health raids
VADODARA: While the health department's food safety branch at the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) may have become aggressive with checking at eateries across the city, it is plagued by vacancies. The department is now looking to recruit more hands, but will still fall short of the required manpower.
The department currently has posts of 10 food safety officers out of which one is vacant. Sources said that as per the norms set by the state government, one food safety officer should be appointed for a population of one lakh. Going by this yardstick, the VMC should have 17 such officials.
Attempts were made to recruit officers as per the standards under the act, but the proposal in this regard did not get through the standing committee of the civic body. A fresh proposal has now been brought to create two more posts of food safety officers. The civic body plans to have one officer for each of the 12 administrative wards in the city. The committee will decide on it later this week.
Awareness-cum-IEC prog by DFSO SA held
In another meeting, on 29th August’ 2016 at 1000 hrs at the same venue, a first of its kind meet in A & N Islands was conducted on the request of M/S Riflex Industries involved in manufacture, sale and distribution of desiccated coconut powder located in different locations of A & N Islands. The workers of the industry had attended awareness cum IEC programme, on various aspects of food safety to be followed in food industry as per the Food Safety Act’2006, Rules & Regulations’ 2011. This exclusive programme conducted for the management and their employees at Unit-1 located in Hut Bay, Little Andaman, wherein 58 persons participated the programme. The participant keenly involved in a group discussion on the entire process of the making of desiccated coconut powder and their active participation made the meet very successful.
The meeting was conducted by the Food Safety Department, South Andaman and the programmes were supervised by Shri. Mammen Abraham, District Food Safety Officer, South Andaman and managed by Smt. Sangeeta Naseem, Shri. Tahseen Ali and Shri S.S. Santhosh, Food Safety Officers alongwith Shri Ravi Kumar, Helper.
The Food Business Operators have been advised that if they are interested in conducting awareness camps for their benefit may kindly contact the District Food Safety Officer, South Andaman with their demands. The department may be contacted for all food safety related matters at telephone number 03192-231024 on all working days from 0900 to 1700hrs.
‘Serve quality food’
The Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department would conduct a meeting on September 1 asking the hostel wardens and managers at private college hostels to ensure quality food served to students.
District Designated Officer M. Kavikumar said that as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, quality food should be prepared and served to the students in educational institutions. Also, the kitchen, store room and ingredients should be maintained properly and workers should follow guidelines while preparing food. To create awareness on the existing rules and ensure quality food is served, a meeting would be held at the Collectorate at 10 a.m. on Thursday, he added. He said that queries can be raised during the meeting and get it rectified.
Concern over contaminated food items
SILCHAR, Aug 31: Residents of Barak Valley, especially Silchar, have been facing the problem of consuming contaminated and cheap quality food items, as a result of which health conditions of the people have been affected badly. A frontline leader and members of Grahak Suraksha Samiti (GSS), Cachar, have stated it at a press-release that responsible citizens, activists and concerned people should help in spreading awareness campaigns regarding food safety. Thorough checking of food items at various levels of production and distribution by the Food Safety Officer is necessary as to protect people for consuming contaminated, harmful and cheap quality food items.
Consumers have been complaining about the poor quality of food items which loosely at wholesale shops. The members of the Samiti have mentioned it in particular that it is the duty of the Food Safety Officer to keel a vigilant eyes on both distributor and presenter shops. A regular checking will help in eliminating the problems that have crept up the body of food safety and security. Food items should be sent to government laboratory for examining various components of the food items. Consumption of contaminated food can prove fatal and so it is mandatory to check all the elements of a food item by authorities concerned.
Law is a very powerful instrument through which corruption and its practitioners can be eliminated so that people no longer have to live in fear of consuming contaminated food items. Quite surprisingly, for many years, there is dearth of food safety officers in the district, which in turn has lead to increase in the number of unscrupulous food merchants, distributors and sellers. The Samiti has made such appeals for a number of times and this has becomes a plea of last resort. They have also pressed upon the need of a designated Food Safety Officer who can shoulder the responsibility.
In the district of Cachar, the officer has been given an extra responsibility to look after other districts of Karimganj, Hailakandi, Dima Hsao and Karbi Anlong in terms of food safety. Naturally, it becomes tough for one officer to focus on other places in addition to his own. Cheap food items are available in not only in wholesale shops, but also at various restaurants, confectionary shops, tea and in pan shops and while distribution milk. The Samiti members have alleged that 60% food sellers and distributors have no valid registration certificate to prove their authenticity. It is to be noted that registration and license has to be obtained from the Food Safety Officer.
The Samiti members cautioned that if a person dies after consuming food from these unregistered shops, it will be easier for the distributors and sellers to escape from the grip of law. Members of GSS have opined that there is an urgent need for a computer assistant and office staff assisting a Food Safety Officer. It is also impossible for a Food Safety Officer to visit various markets and collect samples and then take action in case of contaminated food items. The consumers’ body has mentioned it in particular that discussions should be held in this regard at high levels. The issue has been repeatedly brought to notice of the Deputy Commissioner by GSS.
பாலக்காடு அருகே கலப்பட நெய் ஆலை கண்டுபிடிப்பு
பாலக் காடு,செப்.1:
கேரள மாநி லம் பாலக் காடு மாவட் டம் சித் தூர்-தத் த மங் லம் நக ராட் சிக் குட் பட்ட முற் றின் சித் தூர் கொசத் தரை பகு தியை சேர்ந் த வர் ஆறு மு கன். இவ ரது மகள் கீதா(35). இவர் இப் ப கு தி யில் வீடு வாட கைக்கு எடுத்து கலப் பட நெய் தயா ரித்து விற் பனை செய்து வந் துள் ளார்.
நக ராட் சி யி டம் உரிய அனு மதி பெறா மல் நெய் விற் பனை ஆலை நடத் தி ய தால் சந் தே கம் அடைந்த அப் ப குதி மக் கள் அவ ரி டம் நெய் வாங்கி உப யோ கித்த போது அது கலப் பட நெய் என் பது தெரிய வந் தது. இந்த ஆலை குறித்து பொது மக் கள் நக ராட்சி செய லா ளர் பினி யி டம் புகார் தெரி வித் த னர்.
இதை தொடர்ந்து நக ராட்சி செய லர் பினி, உணவு மற் றும் வழங் கல் பாது காப்பு அதி காரி பினு ஆகி யோர் சம் பவ இடத் திற்கு விரைந்து சென்று கலப் பட நெய் தயா ரிக் கும் ஆலையை பார் வை யிட்டு ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர்.
அப் போது ஆலை யில் 50மிலி,100மிலி,200மிலி மற் றும் 500 மிலி ஆகிய பாட் டில் க ளில் கலப் பட நெய்யை அடைத்து விற் ப னைக்கு தயா ராக வைத் தி ருந்த சுமார்2 00 லிட் டர் கலப் பட நெய்யை பறி மு தல் செய் த தோடு, கலப் ப டத் திற்கு பயன் ப டுத் திய பாமா யில்,டால்டா,கால் ந டை கொ ழுப்பு ஆகி ய வற் றை யும் அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் செய்து ஆலைக்கு சீல் வைத் த னர்.
கலப் பட நெய் பாட் டில் களை கோவா மற் றும் மகா ராஷ் டிரா மாநி லங் க ளுக்கு கீதா சப்ளை செய்து வந் த தாக கூறப் ப டு கி றது. போலி நெய் ஆலை நடத்தி வந்த கீதா மீது உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என அதி கா ரி கள் தெரி வித் த னர்
How unlicenced slaughter houses pose grave problem in India
There is no getting away for some kind of registration/licence—with slaughterhouses divided into ovine (sheep), caprine (goats), suilline (pigs), bovine (cattle), poultry and fish. Those are actually FSSAI registration heads, not municipal. We have FSSAI data from last year, when the health minister gave a written reply to Rajya Sabha. Sixty-two slaughterhouses are registered with FSSAI. Twenty are from UP. Every other state has less than ten. Assuming all those who should get registered under FSSAI do so, this is a remarkably small number. Through department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, because of a RTI query, we also have data (for 2014) on number of registered slaughterhouses. This is “as reported by states/UT governments” and is therefore about municipal ones. The total number comes to 1,623, with more than 100 in Andhra Pradesh (183), Maharashtra (316), Tamil Nadu (130) and UP (285). Bengal has a mere 11. We want registration because amenities and conditions improve and clearly, these are gross under-estimates.
There have been writ petitions and special leave petitions in the Supreme Court since 2001. To quote from a 2014 Order of the Supreme Court, “We notice that there is no periodical supervision or inspection of the various slaughter houses functioning in various parts of the country. Action Taken Reports would indicate that, in many States, slaughter houses are functioning without any licence and even the licenced slaughter houses are also not following the various provisions as well as the guidelines issued by the MoEF, which we have already referred to in our earlier orders.” There is also Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which tell us there are 3,600 authorised slaughterhouses, compared to that other figure of 1,623. If we go back to something like 1992, that 3,600 figure becomes more specific, because we have a CPCB industry document on slaughterhouses, meat and sea-food processing. This tells us, “As reported by the Ministry of Food Processing, a total of 3,616 recognized slaughter-houses” exist. With that cut-off of 100, there are 343 in Andhra Pradesh, 633 in Karnataka, 715 in Kerala, 261 in MP, 282 in Maharashtra, 380 in Rajasthan, 183 in Tamil Nadu and 407 UP. Rather remarkably, Bengal still has 11. These are recognised/registered slaughterhouses. Therefore, the two sets of numbers (from 1992 and 2014) should be comparable.
With the exception of Bengal, where the figure 11 is frozen in time, the story is one of decline in numbers, across states. Unless slaughterhouses are deliberately de-registering themselves, and an explanation can be advanced for that, what’s probably occurred is that some have simply closed down, unable to comply with better standards and enforcement. It is no different from the pharmaceutical firms story. Indeed, there should be fewer small slaughterhouses and more large ones. But the picture gets muddier if you bring in cases before National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench or otherwise. That happens because environmental clearances and pollution control norms are required. (By the way, some NGT cases involve not just municipal bodies, but panchayats too.) One such case was for UP and CPCB told NGT out of 126 slaughter-houses in UP, only one possessed all requisite clearances. In the same case, UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) reported 58 slaughterhouses. Even on recognised/registered ones, we seem to have no clear handle on the numbers. It gets worse if you bring in unregistered ones. Unless it is a slaughterhouse outside a municipal area, unlike other segments of the economy where informal doesn’t necessarily mean illegal, in this case unregistered is identical with illegal. I have seen figures that there are 40,000 slaughterhouses. They are not only illegal, some are ancient.
There is one in Tangra Kolkata Municipal Corporation is now modernising and it is more than 150 years old. For all one knows, the one Robert Clive constructed in 1760 still exists. The Tannery Road/Pottery Road complex in Bengaluru is also ancient. We do have a municipal governance problem.
The author is member, NITI Aayog. Views are personal
FSSAI commemorates decade of Food Safety & Stds Act with 10 initiatives
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) commemorated ten years of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and revealed its future plans with ten initiatives aimed at making the public and the food industry partners and an aware society.
The document released by FSSAI said, “The future of food safety and nutrition lies in an integrated approach, collaborations, engagement and surround impact.”
“These will be key dynamic to enable food safety in the country. And these initiatives are envision to connect people of all age groups across the spectrum with the simple intent of creating an aware community which is empowered to ensure food safety.”
Beginning from home, the dots connect workspace, schools, serving and corporate for food safety.
Initiatives
- Safe and nutritious food at home: FSSAI is bringing out a green book on safe food at home. It will assist homemakers in their routine dealing with the food
- Safe and nutritious food at school: This initiative is aimed at creating awareness about food safety among children and inculcating safe food habits that will last a lifetime
- Safe and nutritious food at workplace: This focuses on employees
- Safe food on the streets, at restaurants, railway stations and places of worship
- Working in close cooperating with corporates with a thought of food safety - a shared responsibility
- The apex regulator wants to connect with citizens by which public participation can be augmented to achieve the goal of food safety
- Diet for Life: This is aimed at the nutritional needs of children with metabolic disorders
- Food safety training and certification (FoSTaC): This aims at providing training to people involved in various food businesses
- IFS-Quickacess: This initiative is aimed at integrated food standards for easy and effective implementation and monitoring
- Strengthening of food testing laboratories (SOFTel)
164 மூட்டை கலப்பட எள் பறிமுதல் அதிகாரிகள் விசாரணை ஆய்வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைப்பு
சேலம், செப்.1:
சேலத் தில் நடந்த சோத னை யில் 164 மூட்டை, கலப் பட எள் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட் டது. இது குறித்து விசா ரணை நடத் திய அதி கா ரி கள், எள்ளை ஆய் வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைத் துள் ள னர்.
சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை நிய மன அலு வ லர் அனு ராதா உள் ளிட்ட அதி கா ரி கள், கடந்த சில நாட் க ளுக்கு முன்பு, சிவ தா பு ரம் மெயின் ரோட் டில் வாக னத் தில் சென்று கொண் டி ருந் த னர். மூலப் பிள் ளை யார் கோயில் அருகே வாக னம் சென்ற ேபாது, லாரி யில் இருந்து எள் மூட் டை களை இறக்கி, அங் குள்ள குடோ னில் அடுக் கிக் கொண் டி ருப் பதை பார்த் துள் ள னர்.
அப் போது வாக னத் தில் இருந்து இறங்கி, எள் மூட் டை களை அதி கா ரி கள் சோத னை யிட் டுள் ள னர். இதில், எள் ளில் கலப் ப டம் செய் யப் பட் டி ருப் பது தெரி ய வந் தது. இதை ய டுத்து தலா 50 கிலோ எடை யுள்ள 164 மூட்டை எள்ளை பறி மு தல் ெசய்து, அதே குடோ னில் பூட்டி சீல் வைத் த னர்.
இது குறித்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அனு ராதா கூறு கை யில், குடோ னில் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்ட எள் மாதி ரியை சேக ரித்து உடை யாப் பட் டி யில் உள்ள உணவு பகுப் பாய்வு கூடத் திற்கு ஆய் வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைத் துள் ளோம். 14 நாட் கள் கழித்து தான் ஆய் வ றிக்கை கிடைக் கும். இதில், எள் ளில் கலப் ப டம் இருப் பது உறுதி செய் யப் பட் டால் குடோன் உரி மை யா ளர் மீது நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும்.
இதே குடோ னில் ஏற் க னவே சோம் பில் கெமிக் கல் கலர் கலந் தது தொடர் பான வழக் கில் உரி மை யா ள ருக்கு ₹45 ஆயி ரம் அப ரா த மும், ஒரு வார சிறை தண் ட னை யும் வழங் கப் பட் டுள் ள து ’’ என் றார்.
Apply FSSAI circular on duty-free shops: HC
A bench led by justice SC Dharmadhikari held that the duty free shops constitute a retail channel “different” from the domestic market, and the goods sold at duty-free shops could not be considered as imports.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the Centre and the state government to ensure the implementation of the recent FSSAI circular that exempts duty-free shops from its food import quality control checks.
This was after the court observed that food, beverages, liquor etc. sold at duty-free shops at airports across the country are beyond the purview of domestic food safety regulations and thus, are not required to meet the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
A bench led by justice SC Dharmadhikari held that the duty free shops constitute a retail channel “different” from the domestic market, and the goods sold at duty-free shops could not be considered as imports.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by DFS against the customs department’s decision to confiscate their goods on the ground that they had not been verified by FSSAI.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Janak Dwarkadas argued that the DFS goods cannot be governed by domestic food regulations since the products sold there are “not technically on Indian soil.”
Meanwhile, appearing for FSSAI, advocate Rui Roderigues, told the high court that till the time the new import regulations are notified, it had no objection to keeping duty-free shops outside the ambit of Food Safety Standards Act 2006.
country are beyond the purview of domestic food safety regulations and thus, do not need to secure checks of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the union and the state government to ensure the implementation of the recent FSSAI circular that exempts duty free shops from its food import quality control checks.
A bench led by justice SC Dharmadhikari held that the duty free shops constitute a retail channel “different” from the domestic market, and the goods sold at DFS could not be considered as imports.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by DFS against the customs department’s decision to confiscate their goods on the ground that they had not been verified by FSSAI.
Incidentally, following several representations by DFS, FSSAI had issued a notification in May this year, announcing that the duty free retail outlets at airports would be exempted from its food import regulations.
However, the petitioners told the court on Wednesday that despite the above notifications, the customs department was hesitant to clear their consignments.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Janak Dwarkadas argued that the DFS goods cannot be governed by domestic food regulations since the products sold there are “not technically on Indian soil.”
He said that “DFS were not importing these goods into the country through customs but were selling them at the airports only for personal consumption and thus, they had “no liability to get each batch of their products tested by FSSAI.”
“These products are meant only for international passengers either entering or leaving India. These same passengers can take a flight that is not even three hours long, and land at Dubai or any other country where the FSSAI does not get an inspection done, and purchase these same products. As long as they are following the customs regulations in terms of stipulated quantity and items on the list, there should not be a problem,” he said.
Meanwhile, appearing for FSSAI, advocate Rui Roderigues, told HC that till the time the new import regulations are notified, it had no objection to keeping DFS outside the ambit of food safety standards Act 2006.
India puts a ban on ginger imports from Nepal
Says Nepali gingers have high pesticide residue
PANITANKI (INDIA), Sept 1: India has put a ban on import of gingers from Nepal, arguing that they have high pesticide residue and that Chinese ginger was being exported in the name of Nepali product.
Not a single consignment of ginger from Nepal has entered India since Tuesday. The decision has come in the middle of the harvesting season. Exporters say local farmers will lose their major international market following restriction on import by the southern neighbor.
India's Food Safety and Standards Authority has dispatched a circular to all its custom points along Nepali border, informing officials there that pesticide-laced Chinese gingers, which are mixed with Nepali gingers, are being exported into the Indian market, according to Panitanki Customs Point.
While the letter undersigned by the authority's director Bimal Kumar Dubey states that pesticide residue has been found in ginger imported from Nepal and China, it did not imply that there should be ban on the import. "It is our duty to stop import of hazardous products," said a custom official. "This will continue until there is another circular." the official added.
Officials of Nepal Ginger Producers and Entrepreneurs Association said that the Indian officials are allowing entry of trucks carrying gingers whose customs formalities were completed by Monday. “They have told us not to export ginger anymore," Indra Budhathoki, general secretary of the association, said. "The Indian side has warned that it will stop trucks loaded with gingers from entering into India from Tuesday," he said.
Budhathoki said that the Indian side has assured them that they would take further decision on the issue only after completing lab test of India-bound gingers.
The nearest food laboratory is in Kolkata of West Bengal state and it takes at least a week to complete lab test of food products.
Earlier, Indian traders had complained that Chinese ginger was mixed in Nepali gingers. They had also complained that there is high pesticide residue in the Nepali products.
Nepali traders also admit that Chinese ginger was making its way to India via Nepal. They, however, added that only those involved in smuggling of goods across the border are involved in the anomaly.
Ginger is the second largest farm export from Nepal after cardamom. Volume of ginger export was already going down due to price volatility in the Indian markets.
Though officials of Mechi Custom Office said that they were unaware of the import ban, Plant Quaratine Office at Kakarbhitta confirmed about the ban.
“Indian officials say that that there has been excessive pesticide residue in Nepali gingers and that Chinese gingers was being exported via Nepal," Bhanudatta Mishra, a quarantine officer, said. "That is why it has put a ban on import of gingers from Nepal.
According to Mishra, the Indian side has asked exporters to either bring lab test report from Kathmandu, or wait till the lab test results come from Kolkata.
The Indian restriction will hit farmers hard. Farmers are ready to send their produce to the market. Ginger farming is done in around 3,770 hectare of land in Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam and Jhapa. Nearly 55,000 tons of ginger is produced in these districts annually.
Until four years ago, Nepal was the fourth largest ginger producer in the world.
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