FDA keeps vigil on 'khoya'

NASHIK: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has launched a drive to keep a check on 'khoya' (a milk product) coming from other states into Nashik.

Khoya is used on a large scale for preparing 'prasad' and other sweet food articles, which are often used during festivals. Sub-standard khoya often results in health hazards among people, who consume the products prepared from it.

The food safety officers said they were keeping watch on the khoya manufactured in the city and the district, and also maintaining vigil on the khoya coming from other states.

Khoya should be transported at a certain temperature in cold storage vehicles. The fluctuating or high temperature could spoil the product. So, strict vigil is maintained on vehicles coming into the city from other parts of the state, considering that khoya is produced on a large scale in other parts of the country.

The FDA has deployed teams at different parts of the city to keep an eye on private vehicles and ST buses coming from areas where khoya is likely to be procured.

The officials said they have started visiting shops which are selling food articles made from milk. Samples are being sent to the laboratory for further investigation. Action will be taken if the test reports were negative.

8,000 kgs of Barfi seized

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Adulterated food products worth Rs 36 lakh seized during the festive season

In an ongoing drive against the shops selling sub-standard sweets and adulterated food products, the Maharashtra Food and Drugs administration (FDA) have seized barfi and other raw materials used for preparing mithai (Indian sweets), worth nearly Rs 36 lakh from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai since the outset of Ganesh Chaturthi.

“10 flying squads, deployed specifically on the occasion of festive season, raided different shops and factories, drew samples of different types of mithai and in doubtful cases seized the stock of sweets. Some of the samples are being tested in our laboratory at Bandra in Mumbai, while some samples have been sent to our laboratory in Pune,” Chandrashekhar Salunkhe, Joint Commissioner (Food) told Afternoon D&C.

“The seized items are being tested to find out whether they are in conformity with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The “food safety” means assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use,” Salunkhe said.

Under the act, ‘food business operator’ means a person by whom the business is carried on or owned, is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules and regulations, Salunkhe added.

By and large, raw material like mawa is being brought at cheaper rate from outside Maharashtra in large quantities, since it is in much demand in the cities and towns including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune.

“Our officers will also be visiting Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals to carry out random checks of the Prasad and food served. The intention is to avoid any untoward incident due to the inadvertent mistake by the sweet/food supplier or the organisers,” Salunkhe said adding that the drive will continue till January, since many festivals including Navratri, Dussera, Diwali will be celebrated by people on massive scale in the coming months.

Meanwhile, to minimize the time required for analysis, the FDA is in the process of expanding the existing laboratories at Mumbai and Nagpur, and establishing new laboratories at Thane, Kolhapur, Nashik and Amravati.

SINFUL SWEETS

The seizure included - 8,000 kgs of Barfi worth Rs 23.55 lakh, 10,224 ltrs of edible oil worth Rs 12.80 lakh, 279 kgs of Khava (used for preparing 'Pedhas') worth Rs 61,380 and 313.4 kgs of pure ghee worth Rs 1.19 lakh.

Probe ordered, food samples sent for testing

Biryani samples from Mewat: Did officials exceed their brief?

September 10, 2016 06:18 AM

CHANDIGARH: Under fire for policing biryani, the Haryana government appears to be distancing itself from samples drawn by the Mewat police to check beef consumption.

While all seven biryani samples have tested positive for beef at the laboratory of a state university, questions are being asked in the government about the district police and animal husbandry department officials exceeding their jurisdiction by drawing samples of biryani - a cooked food item - and getting them analysed.

The samples, especially cooked food, can be drawn by food safety officer and medical officers authorised by the local chief medical officer or food and drugs administration (FDA) department.

Besides, the legal validity of analysis or test done by laboratory other than those designated for the purpose is also under doubt.

FDA public anaylst Balbir Singh told Hindustan Times that only FSO, senior medical officer (SMO) or doctors in-charge of hospitals, primary health centres and community health centres have been notified to collect food samples Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

He said the government laboratories at Karnal and Chandigarh have testing facility for beef and their reports are valid. The biryani samples collected from Firozepur Jhirka in Mewat were sent at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar. KHATTAR CONVEYS ‘DISPLEASURE’

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is also learnt to be upset with the manner in which samples were drawn.

“He has made known his displeasure to Gau Seva Ayog and officials of animal husbandry and police departments. Collection of food samples is the responsibility of health staff,” a highly-placed officer said, requesting anonymity.

The district officials have also started passing the buck. Deputy commissioner Mani Ram Sharma said the campaign for collection of samples was run by Gau Seva Aayog chairman Bhani Ram Mangla.

“You should check with the chairman. We were not in the loop,” he said.

While the police said the samples were drawn by a veterinary doctor, director general, animal husbandry and dairying, Dr GS Jakhar said the police ran the campaign and the doctor was called only for packing and sealing the samples for analysis. Mangla, on being contacted, blamed the media for blowing the whole thing out of proportion. “It’s a simple issue, not a big one. We got some complaints. The police and the veterinary doctor drew the samples. You should ask the police about the test results,” he said.

HARYANA-Registration of food business made easier

Chandigarh, September 9

Food Security Officers (FSO) in the state will no longer be able to demand money for the registration of firms or delay the registration owing to their ulterior motives.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Haryana, today told the FSOs designated as the registration authority under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, that registration generated online by firms would become valid if they did not make objections in 30 days.

Rajiv Rattan, FDA Commissioner, who headed a meeting held today, clarified that the FSOs would no longer be in a position to delay the registration of food business operators (FBO).

Rattan said the move would help to know the exact number of FBOs in the state, besides ensuring their registration under the Act. The FBOs with business above Rs 12 lakh per annum need to get licences, while those with less than Rs 12 lakh need to get their firms registered.

Only 15, 341 FBOs are registered against nearly 2 to 2.5 lakh running across the state. Besides, there are 7, 626 licenced FBOs in the state.

Sources said that due to corruption and the delay tactics of some FSOs, those in food business were reluctant to get themselves registered under the Act, due to which the authorities were devoid of the data base regarding their exact number.

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