வெள்ளைச்சீனியும் அதன் நச்சுத்தன்மையும்

வெள்ளைச்சீனியும் அதன் நச்சுத்தன்மையும்:-

இனிப்யை விரும்பிச் சாப்பிடாதவர்கள் யார் தான் இருக்க முடியும்? காலையில் எழுந்தவுடன் குடிக்கும் காப்பியிருந்து இரவு படுக்கச் செல்லும் முன் குடிக்கும் பால் வரை சீனி ஒரு ஊடுபொருளாக நமக்குள் செல்கிறது. பதார்த்தத்தில்தான் என்றில்லை. சீனியை அப்படியே அள்ளியும் சாப்பிடுகிறோம். இந்த வெள்ளைச் சீனியை எப்படித் தயார் செய்கிறார்கள் என்கிற விபரத்தை நீங்கள் தெரிந்து கொண்டீர்களானால் இனி அதைத் தொடக்கூட மாட்டீர்கள். குறிப்பாக, வெள்ளைச் சீனியைத் தயார் செய்ய என்னென்ன ரசயாணப் பொருட்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன என்று பாப்போம்.

• கரும்பிலிருந்து சாறு பிழியப்படும் நிலையில் பிளிச்சிங் பவுடர் அல்லது குளோரின் எனப்படும் கெமிக்கலை புளுயுடு பாக்டீரியா கண்ட்ரோலாக பயன்படுத்துகிறார்கள்.
• பிழிந்த சாறு 60 செண்டி கிரேட் முதல் 70 செண்டி கிரெட் பாஸ்போரிக் ஆசிட் லிட்டருக்கு 200 மில்லி வீதம் கலந்து சூடுபடுத்தப்படுகிறது. இந்த இடத்தில் இந்த ஆசிட் அழுக்கு நீக்கியாக பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது.
• இதன் பிறகு சுண்ணாம்பை 0.2 சதவிகிதம் என்கிற அளவில் சேர்த்து சல்பர்-டை-ஆக்சைடு வாயு செலுத்துகிறார்கள்.
• 102 செண்ட் கிரேட் கொதிகலனில் சூடுபடுத்தி நல்ல விட்டமின்களை இழந்து, செயற்கை சுண்ணாம்பு சத்து அளவுக்கு அதிகமாக சேர்ந்துவிடுகிறது.
• அடுத்து, பாலி எலக்ட்ரோலைட்டை சேர்த்து தெளிகலனில் மண், சக்கை போன்ற பொருள்களாக பிரித்து எடுக்கப்பட்டு தெளிந்த சாறு கிடைக்கிறது.
• சுடுகலனில் காஸ்டிக் சோடா, வாஷிங் சோடா சேர்த்து அடர்த்தி மிகுந்த ஜுஸ் தயாரிக்கப்படுகிறது.
• மறுபடியும் சல்பர் டை ஆக்சைடும் சோடியம் ஹைட்ரோ சல்பேட்டும் சேர்க்க படிகநிலைக்கு சீனியாக வருகிறது. சல்பர் டை ஆக்சைடு நஞ்சு சீனியில் கலந்துவிடுகிறது.
• இப்படித் தயாரான சீனியில் எஞ்சி நிற்பது வெறும் கார்பன் என்னும் கரியே.

தயாரான நாளிலிருந்து ஆறு மாத காலத்துக்கும் அதிகமான சீனிகளை சாப்பிடக்கூடாது. காரணம், அதில் உள்ள சல்பர்டை ஆக்சைடு என்னும் ரசயானம் மஞ்சல் நிறமாக மாறி வீரியுமுள்ள நஞ்சாக மாறிவிடுகிறது.

உங்கள் சட்டைக் கொலரொல் உள்ள அழுக்கு எந்த சோப்பைக் கொண்டு தேய்த்தாலும் போக மறுக்கிறதா? கவலைப்படாமல் கொஞ்சம் சீனியை எடுத்து தேய்த்துப் பாருங்கள். நிச்சயமாகப் போகும். ஆக, சட்டை அழுக்கைப் போக்கும் ஒரு வேதுகப் பொருளைத் தான் நாம் அள்ளி அள்ளித் தின்று கொண்டிருக்கிறோம். இந்த சீனியைச் சாப்பிட்டால் நம் குடல் என்ன பாடு படும்?

குடலில் மட்டுமல்ல, பல் வலி, பல் சூத்தை, குடல்புண், சளித்தொல்லை, உடல்பருமன், இதய நோய் மற்றும் சீனி வியாதி, இரத்த அழுத்தம் போன்ற பெரிய வியாதிகள் அனைத்துக்கும் இதுதான் பிரதான காரணியாக அமைகின்றது.

ஆலைகளில் தயாரான வெள்ளைச் சீனி சாப்பிடுவதை நிறுத்திவிட்டு, வெல்லம், பனங்கட்டி, நாட்டுச் சர்க்கரைகளை எவ்வளவு வேண்டுமானாலும் சாப்பிடலாம். இதனால் உங்களுக்கு ரத்த அழுத்தமோ, இதய நோயோ, சர்க்கரை வியாதியோ வராது.

FSSAI ORDER

FSS Act – Madras HC – Madurai Bench – Nagabhushanam , FSO Vs Govt. of Tamilnadu

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

SC raps gutkha makers for bending food safety law

 

Seeks compliance report by Nov 9

• The apex court has directed all state food safety officers concerned to ensure strict enforcement of the gutkha ban and file a compliance report by November 9
• Chewing tobacco makers have been selling pan masala and flavoured tobacco in separate sachets to circumvent the regulation
• The Centre has banned the sale of gutkha, khaini, etc., through a 2011 law prohibiting tobacco use in food products

New Delhi, September 24

The Supreme Court has again come down heavily on the chewing tobacco industry for flouting the food safety laws of the country which impose a blanket ban on the sale of gutkha, khaini, zarda and other such food products containing tobacco and nicotine.

In an important judgment, the court while hearing an appeal filed by the manufacturers of pan masala, gutkha and chewing tobacco (zarda) against state government notifications issued under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Regulations, again directed them to strictly comply with the law.

The regulation in question — Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) that was issued on August 1, 2011 by the apex food regulator, FSSAI, for the first time banned the sale of gutkha and other forms of smokeless tobacco on grounds that food cannot contain substances harmful to human health.

The SC’s orders came on a plea from amicus curiae Gopal Subramaniam who argued that the manufacturers of chewing tobacco are circumventing the court’s direction to implement the gutkha ban by selling the same product in twin pouches, The amicus said he was speaking for millions of users of chewing tobacco who were not present before the court but were suffering from numerous diseases due to products manufactured by the petitioners.

Subramanian brought to the notice of the court the following content in the government affidavit on the subject: “To circumvent the ban on the sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) in one packet and flavoured chewing tobacco in another sachet often conjoined and sold together by the same vendor to defeat the purpose of the FSSAI rule. So consumers can buy the pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco and mix them for consumption. Hence, instead of the earlier ready to consume tobacco mixtures, chewing tobacco companies are now selling gutkha in twin packs to be mixed as one.”

The apex court taking note of the submissions directed all state food safety officers concerned to ensure strict enforcement of the gutkha ban and file a compliance report by November 9.

The Health Ministry had issued orders banning gutkha sale on the basis of a report of the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare which found there were over 3,095 chemical components in smokeless tobacco products including 28 proven carcinogens.

The report further indicates a strong association between smokeless tobacco usage and incidence of oral, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, throat and renal cancers. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey India recently showed 35 per cent of all Indiana adults used tobacco in some form. Of these, 21 per cent used smokeless tobacco, 9 per cent smoked and 5 per cent used both chewing and smoking tobacco.

SC strengthens gutkha ban, says stop the sale of all chewable tobacco

The regulation 2.3.4 states: “Product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products.”

CRACKING down on companies that sell pan masala and tobacco in separate pouches to circumvent the gutkha ban, the Supreme Court has made clear that it has banned the sale of all forms of chewable tobacco and nicotine, and directed authorities, including the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), to strictly enforce its directions.

A bench of Justices V Gopala Gowda and Adarsh K Goel underlined regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition & Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, and noted that the prohibition on sale of products with tobacco and nicotine must be put into effect immediately.

The regulation 2.3.4 states: “Product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products.”

The court order on Friday, sources in the FSSAI told The Indian Express, will enable the food regulator and other enforcement agencies in the government to prosecute companies that have resorted to an ingenious way of ensuring that sales continue despite the 2011 regulation.

Contending that the notifications restrained them only from selling gutkha (raw betel nut mixed with tobacco), various companies had started selling pan masala paired with a separate sachet of tobacco.

The issue was highlighted by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who pointed out that although the regulation was not stayed by any court, its enforcement was lacklustre. Subramanium has been appointed as amicus curiae in the batch of petitions relating to ban on sale of gutkha and pan masala.

The senior lawyer also referred to a submission by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that manufacturers and tobacco companies were circumventing the ban imposed under the notifications.

“Instead of the earlier ready-to-consume mix, tobacco companies are now selling gutkha in twin packs to be mixed as one,” said Subramanium, adding that what was required was firm implementation of the FSSAI regulation that provided for a complete ban on products with tobacco and nicotine.

Accepting his plea, the bench passed the order: “In view of the above, concerned statutory authorities are directed to comply with the above mandate of law. We also direct the Secretaries, Health Departments of all the States and Union Territories to file their affidavits before the next date of hearing on the issue of total compliance of the ban imposed on manufacturing and sale of gutkha and pan masala with tobacco and/or nicotine.” The court will hear the case next in November.

According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2010, about 35 per cent of adults in India consume tobacco in some form or the other. The estimated number of tobacco users in India is 27.5 crore, with 16.37 crore users of smokeless tobacco, 6.9 crore smokers and 4.23 crore users of both smoking and smokeless tobacco.

Further, a report released in 2014 by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute found that users in India and Bangladesh make up 80 per cent of the total smokeless tobacco users in the world.

Another report by the Health Ministry had estimated the total economic cost attributable to tobacco use from all diseases in 2011 amounted to Rs 1,04,500 crore in India, equivalent to 1.04 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Kombucha, with caution

It's an age-old ferment, but a new-age fancy. Kombucha, a fermented yeast tea, which dates back 2,000 years, has become quite the `it' drink with fitness buffs in the city - being sold in flavours across several stores. But while most nutritionists and home brewers believe it to be filled with goodness - from detoxifying to immunity boosting -doctors advise caution before consumption, citing reasons from acidity to toxicity.

But whether one chooses to drink or think, the fact is that bottles of the fizzysour kombucha -made by adding a culture of beneficial bacteria and yeast to tea, sugar, and fruit juice -have begun lining the shelves of departmental stores.

In February, Pune-based market research firm Markets and Markets had estimated that the global market for kombucha is poised to grow from the half a billion dollars it was in 2015 to $1.8 billion in 2020.

Srikant Ram of Econut, one of the oldest organic food stores in Chennai, has been brewing the yeast tea for more than a decade, having found a market of regulars. "Every food culture has its set of fermented foods," says Ram. "India has the ragi porridge as well as palmyra sap, which when fermented is a health drink but when over-fermented becomes toddy ."

In Chromepet, Udhaya Raja is all set to move the manufacturing unit of his brand of kombucha, Ka, from his home to a more professional set-up. "The demand has increased since we launched in 2014. People are more aware of the health trends and are trying it out," says Raja, who now manufactures more than 3,000 bottles a month.

Bhavani ILG, retired professor of plant biology and biotechnology, says she believes in the goodness of kombucha, because "it's a natural ferment and a probiotic." Kombucha is a Chinese probiotic, just like curd, says Bhavani."A lot of Indian foods such as idlis too are ferments," she adds.

"According to traditional knowledge, kombucha is supposed to help relieve pain, improve hair growth, aid digestion, and restore gut flora," says Bhavani, but cautions that it needs to be prepared with care or can cause side effects such as acidosis."Over fermentation or unsanitary preparation of the drink poses a food safety threat," she says. "It can be toxic too when taken in large doses and is not recommended for children, people with low immunity and pregnant women."

ut cardiologist Dr Sai Satish of Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, says whether or not kombucha is great for the gut, he prefers to go with his gut. "In medical literature, the documented claims of harm far outweigh the numerous unsubstantiated claims of the drink's health benefits. There has been no study showing evidence of it being beneficial to humans," he says. "In fact, there are more studies regarding its harmful nature. There have been documented cases of hepatic toxicity and metabolic acidosis among those who consumed kombu cha. When it comes to health, there's no better brew than a brisk 45-min ute walk."

Fine imposed on hotelier

A Judicial Magistrate Court here imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 on a hotelier, M. Suresh Kumar, for using cashew nut containing live and dead insects for making “salna” (curry) for parotta.

A statement from the Food Safety Officer, Sattur municipality, S. Narayanan, said that the Judicial Magistrate II, V. Geetha, also ordered his sentence till rising of the court on Friday.

During a surprise raid in hotels in the town on October 30, 2015, the Officer found that the cashew nuts kept in the hotel for preparing salna were discoloured and found to have mustiness.

Sample of cashew nuts was sent to Food Analysis Laboratory in Palayamkottai. The report confirmed that the sample contained live and dead insects.

Based on a proposal by Food Safety Department Designated Officer, W. Salodeesan, the Commissioner of Food Safety, P. Amutha, gave the prosecution sanction against the hotelier.