Silver leaves are an edible form of the metal, that are used as coverings on a variety of Indian Sweetmeats, dry fruits, specialty drinks, etc. They are very thin, with thickness ranging from 0.2-0.8 microns. Consuming an adulterated version of this can have an impact on your health!

தீபாவளி பண்டிகையையொட்டி கலப்பட எண்ணெய் அமோக விற்பனை அதிகாரிகள் கவனிப்பார்களா?

திண் டுக் கல், அக். 7:

தீபா வளி பண் டி கை யை யொட்டி திண் டுக் கல் நகர் பகுதி எண் ணெய் கடை க ளில் கலப் பட எண் ணெய் அமோக விற் பனை நடை பெ று வ தாக பொது மக் கள் புகார் தெரி வித் த னர்.

தீபா வளி பண் டி கைக்கு மக் கள் தங் கள் வீடு க ளில் இனிப்பு மற் றும் கார வகை உணவு பொருட் கள் தயா ரிப் பது வழக் கம். இதற் காக கடை க ளில் பொருட் கள் வாங்க மக் கள் கூட் டம் அதி க ள வில் உள் ளது. இத னால் கடலை எண் ணெய், நல் லெண் ணெய் உள் ளிட்ட எண் ணெய் வகை அதி க ள வில் விற் ப னை யா கி றது.

திண் டுக் கல் நகர் பகு தி யில் ஒரு சில இடங் க ளில் உள்ள செக் கில் ஆட் டப் ப டும் எண் ணெய் களை பொது மக் கள் ஆர் வத் து டன் வாங்கி செல கின் ற னர். செக் கில் ஆட் டப் ப டும் 1 லிட் டர் நல் லெண் ணெய் ரூ.220க்கு விற் கப் ப டு கி றது. ஆனால் நக ரில் பல இடங் க ளில் உள்ள எண் ணெய் கடை க ளில் நல் லெண் ணெய் யின் விலை 1 லிட் டர் ரூ.150 முதல் ரூ.170 வரை விற் கப் ப டு கி றது.

இக் க டை க ளில் 1 லிட் டர் எண் ணெய் வாங் கும் போது எண் ணெய் வழி ய வ ழிய ஊற்றி கொடுக் கப் ப டு கி றது. கால் லிட் ட ருக் கும் மேலாக எண் ணெய் கூடு த லாக கிடைப் ப தால் பொது மக் கள் ஆர் வத் து டன் வாங்கி செல் கின் ற னர்.

எண் ணெய் தவிட் டில் இருந்து எடுக் கப் ப டும் எண் ணெய்யை கொண்டு வந்து கலப் ப டம் செய்து விற் பனை செய் வ தாக புகார் எழுந் துள் ளது. இந்த எண் ணெய்யை பயன் ப டுத் து வோ ருக்கு பல் வேறு பாதிப்பு ஏற் பட உள் ளது. எனவே இதை தடுக்க அதி கா ரி கள் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என பொது மக் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

அருப்புக்கோட்டையில் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி இனிப்பு, காரம் தயாரிக்கும் இடங்களில் திடீர் சோதனை

அருப் புக் கோட்டை, அக்.7:

அருப் புக் கோட் டை யில் ஓட் டல் கள், இனிப்பு, கார வகை தயார் செய் யும் இடங் கள்

மற் றும் கடை க ளில் உண வுப் பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் திடீர் சோதனை மேற் கொண் ட னர்.

திருச் சுழி ரோடு, சத் தி ய மூர்த்தி பஜார், பெரி ய கடை வீதி, விரு து ந கர் மெயின் ரோடு பகு தி க ளில் உண வுப் பொ ருட் கள் தர மான எண் ணை யில் தயார் செய் வ தில்லை என் றும் இனிப்பு, கார வகை களை தயார் செய்து திறந் த வெ ளி யி லேயே வைக் கின் ற னர் என் றும் புகார் எழுந் தது. இத னால் ஈ மொய்த்து சுகா தா ரக் கேடு ஏற் ப டு கி றது. இவற்றை உண் ப வர் க ளுக்கு வயிறு சம் மந் த மான கோளா று கள் ஏற் ப டு கின் றன. இதன் பே ரில் விரு து ந கர் மாவட்ட உண வுப் பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் சாலோ டீசன் மற் றும் உண வுப் பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் பாண்டி, ராஜேந் தி ரன், சீனி வா சன் ஆகி யோர் அருப் புக் கோட் டை யில் உள்ள கடை க ளில் திடீர் சோதனை நடத் தி னர். அங் கி ருந்த தர மற்ற எண் ணெய் களை கீழே ஊற் றி னர். மேலும் கலர் பொடி அதி கம் சேர்த்து தயா ரித்த முறுக்கு வகை க ளை யும் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். பாக் கெட் டு க ளில் அடைத்து விற் பனை செய் யும் போது இனிப்பு, கார வகை க ளுக்கு கால வா தி யா கும் தேதி குறிப் பி ட வேண் டும் என கடைக் கா ரர் க ளுக்கு அறி வு றுத் தி னர். உண வுப் பாது காப் புச் சட் டத் தின் கீழ் உரி மம் பெற வும் அறி வு றுத் தி னர்.

பின் னர் சுகா தா ர மற்ற முறை யில் இனிப்பு, கார வகை கள் தயார் செய்த கடை க ளுக்கு அதி கா ரி கள் நோட் டீஸ் வழங் கி னர். இதே நிலை தொடர்ந் தால் கடை க ளுக்கு சீல் வைக் கப் ப டும் என எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் த னர்.

தீபாவளியை முன்னிட்டு எண்ணெய் விற்பனை கடைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி ஆய்வு பாத்திரம், டின்களில் வைத்து விற்கக்கூடாது என அறிவுறுத்தல்

நாகை, அக். 7:

தீபா வ ளியை முன் னிட்டு நாகை யில் உள்ள எண் ணெய் விற் பனை கடை க ளில் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் நேற்று ஆய்வு நடத் தி னர்.

வரும் 29ம் தேதி தீபா வளி பண் டிகை வரு வதை முன் னிட்டு, நாகை நக ராட்சி பகு தி க ளில் இனிப்பு மற் றும் பல கா ரம் தயா ரிக்க பயன் ப டுத் தப் ப டும் எண் ணெய் தர மாக விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றதா என ஆய்வு நடத் தும் படி உணவு பாது காப்பு மாநில ஆணை யர், மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் ஆகி யோ ரின் உத் த ர வின் படி, நக ராட்சி உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அன் ப ழ கன் நேற்று எண் ணெய் விற் பனை கடை க ளில் ஆய்வு நடத் தி னார்.

ஆய் வின் போது, உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் க ளி டம் தீபம் ஏற் று வ தற் காக, வெளி உப யோ கத் திற் காக என்ற பெய ரில் உணவு தயா ரிப் ப தற் காக எண் ணெய் வகை களை விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது. மொத்த கொள் க ல னில், பாத் தி ரத் தில், டின் க ளில் வைத்து எண் ணெய் வகை களை சில் ல றை யில் விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது. அடைக் கப் பட்ட பொட் ட லத் தில், பாக் கெட் டில் அல் லது பாட் டில் க ளில் தயா ரிப்பு விவ ரங் க ளோடு மட் டுமே எண் ணெய் வகை களை விற் பனை செய்ய வேண் டும். உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி ட மி ருந்து உரி மம் பெற்ற நிறு வ னங் க ளால் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்ட எண் ணெய் வகை களை மட் டுமே விற் பனை செய்ய வேண் டும். எண் ணெய் உள் ளிட்ட அனைத்து உணவு பொருட் க ளை யும் விற் பனை செய் யும் நிறு வ னங் கள், கடை கள் உணவு பாது காப் புத் து றை யி ட மி ருந்து உரி மம், பதி வுச் சான்று பெறு வது கட் டா ய மா கும். மீறு ப வர் கள் மீது உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ண யச் சட் டம் 2006ன்படி நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று கூறி னார்.

நாகை பெரி ய கடை தெரு வில் உள்ள எண் ணெய் விற் பனை கடை க ளி லி ருந்து உணவு மாதிரி எடுக் கப் பட்டு பரி சோ த னைக் காக அனுப்பி வைக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது. மேலும் பொது மக் கள் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி ட மி ருந்து உரி மம், பதி வுச் சான்று பெறாத கடை க ளில் உணவு பொருட் களை வாங்க கூடாது. நாகை நக ராட் சிக் கு பட்ட பகு தி க ளில் உணவு விற் பனை தொடர் பான புகார் களை 9442214055 என்ற செல் பேசி எண்ணை தொடர்பு கொண்டு தெரி விக் க லாம். ஆய் விற்கு பின் னர் உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று அன் ப ழ கன் தெரி வித் தார். ஆய் வின் போது, வட் டார உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் மகா ரா ஜன், ஆண் ட னி பி ரபு ஆகி யோர் உட னி ருந் த னர்.

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பேக் கரி, ஓட் டல் நடத்த முறை யான லைசென்ஸ் பெற் றி ருக்க வேண் டும் விழிப் பு ணர்வு கூட் டத் தில் அறி வு றுத் தல்

தர் ம புரி, அக்.7:

தர் ம புரி மாவட் டத் தில் பேக் கரி, ஓட் டல் நடத்த முறை யான லைசென்ஸ் பெற் றி ருக்க வேண் டு மென விழிப் பு ணர்வு கூட் டத் தில் அதி காரி அறி வு றுத் தி னார்.

தர் ம புரி மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை சார் பில், பேக் கரி மற் றும் ஓட் டல் உரி மை யா ளர் க ளுக் கான விழிப் பு ணர்வு கூட் டம் நேற்று தர் ம பு ரி யில் நடந் தது. கூட் டத் திற்கு மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் பிருந்தா தலைமை வகித்து ேபசி ய தா வது:

பாது காப் பான தர மான உண வு க ளையே நுகர் வோ ருக்கு வழங்க வேண் டும். இதற்கு தர மான தள வாட உணவு பொருட் களை நீங் கள் வாங்க வேண் டும். சம ய லுக்கு பயன் ப டுத் தும் எண் ணெயை மறு சு ழற்சி செய்ய கூடாது. கையுறை, தலைக்கு உறை, சீருடை அணிந்தே உணவு தயா ரிக் கவோ, பரி மா றவோ வேண் டும். உணவை அதி க மாக சூடு ப டுத் தக் கூடாது. உண வு க ளுக்கு செயற்கை சாயங் க ளை யும் பயன் ப டுத்த கூடாது. ேபக் கரி மற் றும் ஓட் டல் நடத்த அனை வ ரும் முறை யான லைசென்ஸ் பெற் றி ருக்க வேண் டும். இவ் வாறு அவர் ேபசி னார்.

கூட் டத் தில் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் கோபி நாத், நாக ராஜ், சேகர், நந் த கோ பால், கும ணன், கந் த சாமி மற் றும் ஓட் டல், பேக் கரி உரி மை யா ளர் கள் பலர் கலந்து கொண் ட னர்.

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DINAMALAR NEWS

KMC finds adulterated food stuff in surprise food safety drive

KOLKATA: A surprise food safety drive by a Kolkata Municipal health department team on Thursday found street food stalls in and around bigger puja pandals in north Kolkata selling adulterated food stuff. The KMC authorities had planned the drive a week in advance keeping in mind thousands of pandal hoppers who depend on street food. Side by side, the civic food inspectors also picked up food samples from some restaurants located along some famous puja pandals.

The surprise drive was planned to check samples of fast food being sold along Bidhan Sarani (from Hedua to Hatibagan). The KMC health team was divided into eight groups which started their drive from Hedua and ended it at Shyambazar.

The civic food inspectors found biryani in majority of roadside stalls unfit for consumption. The colour that the food vendors are mixing in biryani makes the popular food adulterated as the preliminary tests have confirmed that the colour that is used in biryani is not permitted, said Atin Ghosh, member,mayor-in-council overseeing the KMC health department. "Our team of inspectors collected samples from the roadside stalls and found them to have colour which is not permitted under the specific food safety guidelines," Ghosh said. "The KMC team of food inspectors will again visit those stalls on Friday to check whether the food stall owners are conforming to rules and preparing the right kind of biryani," said a KMC health department official.

Besides the roadside stalls, samples of biryani were also collected from some well known restaurants in Hatibagan area. "We will visit some of these restaurants again on Friday and hand over food safety guidelines to the owners," Ghosh said. Apart from biryani food items from fast food stalls were picked up and tested on the spot. "We had to destroy bottles of tomato sauce as those were found to be highly adulterated. We have asked the roadside snack stalls to stop using these sauce or else we will close down these food stalls," Ghosh said. The KMC team of food inspectors will visit food stalls in some other puja pandals in north and south Kolkata during this week.

Feed the have nots with good food

T. Anuradha (second left), Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, inaugurating the food and beverages ATM in Salem recently.

Food and Beverage automated teller machine opened on Sri Cakes premises

The Coimbatore-based NGO, No Food Waste, in association with Seed Foundation has opened a ‘food and beverage automated teller machine (ATM) here recently.

The novel F and B ATM has been set up on the Sri Cakes premises on Brindavan Road V Cross, New Fairlands. T. Anuradha, Designated Office of the Tamil Nadu Food and Safety and Drug Administration Department, inaugurated the facility at a brief function.

The F and B ATM is a refrigerator and only those who cannot afford to buy food will have access to this novel ATM.

Donors who wish to contribute will be allowed to place edible food beverages in the refrigerator.

The poor and downtrodden who wish to consume healthy snacks, but cannot afford to buy them, will be allowed to visit the premises where the refrigerator is places and help themselves.

A press release of the ‘No Food Waste’ issued here said that it has already carried out a survey and identified people who are ready to use the F and B ATM in various localilties in the city.

The identity of the donor will not be revealed to anybody.

The No Food Waste has planned to join a few more organisations and set up more F and B ATMs in Salem city soon.

Say no to trans fats

Nutrition is a subject often open to debate, but the one thing that everyone worth their salt (and even those who aren’t!) agree on, is that trans-fats are bad for you. These artificial fats that your body doesn’t recognise, remain in your blood unprocessed, and clearing it usually means using up HDL or High Density Lipoprotein. HDL cholesterol acts as a scavenger, clearing out other harmful fats and sending them to the liver. So when you use up excess HDL, the depleting levels can cause bad cholesterol, blood pressure, heart disease, and also Type 2 diabetes.

The World Health Organization has recommended an upper limit of less than 1 percent of total energy intake through trans fat. In 2004, Denmark was the first country to take cognisance of this and restrict the quantity of trans fat to less than two percent. On June 16 last year, the United States Food and Drug Administration declared trans fats as unsafe, and set a three-year limit for all companies to rid their products of ingredients with trans fats. In India, in July 2013, FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) stated that trans fat content in products like vanaspati needed to be brought down to 10 percent. In July this year, that number was brought down to five percent. 

Foods high in trans fats include those deep fried in hydrogenated vegetable oil like french fries and potato nuggets. Also avoid margarine, cake mixes and frosting, pie-crusts, biscuits and non-dairy creamer.

How hygienic is your favourite eatery?

BBMP has decided to conduct raids at least twice a week to ensure restaurants follow safety norms.

BBMP raids have found unhygienic kitchens behind many plush dining areas

“We found a cockroach in our food!” says an online review of a well-known restaurant in the city. There are similar complaints of people finding unpleasant surprises in their food when they eat out. For the large number of citizens eating out, and for some for whom it is out of necessity, the question of how safe the food they are eating remains a mystery.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials too were not disappointed when they conducted surprise raids recently on popular restaurants and resto-pubs. Officials who were part of the teams that raided these restaurants described what they saw as “shocking”, with many of them having found unhygienic kitchens behind the plush dining areas despite the customers being charged exorbitantly for the food they are served.

“We have fined more than 50 restaurants in the recent months. We have decided to conduct such raids at least twice a week to ensure that restaurants follow safety norms and hygiene standards,” said Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP.

CCTV cameras soon

The revelations from the recent inspections prompted the BBMP to make it mandatory for all hotels with a separate kitchen and dining area to have closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in their kitchens to enable customers to see how and where their food is being prepared.

N. Manjunath Prasad, Commissioner, BBMP, said by bringing in such guidelines, the civic body was hoping for them to act as a deterrent.

Chandrashekhar Hebbar, president of Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association, however, said, “We take our own precautions to ensure cleanliness and hygiene. Customers come only if the hotel and food are clean. Hotels that are unhygienic usually do not get business. Self-regulation is always better.”

Street food next

While established hotels and restaurants are still on the radar of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), street food, which is probably more easily available, is free from any supervision. However, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said the palike was first focussing on hotels and restaurants, and would look at street food in the next phase of inspections.

People speak

Parashuram: I won’t say all street food is bad, but some of the stalls are located near unhygienic places. Disposal of waste from such carts is also often unscientific.

Sandhya Shetty

The various eating joints coming up in the city means various food options. But these small food joints often compromise on hygiene. An example is dumping garbage right outside the stalls.

Reader’s mail

Syed Muneer: It is common to see rodents and pests on the premises of most restaurants and fast food eateries in the city, apart from slimy substances on surfaces/equipment, utensils/surfaces in contact with raw meat, and insects in the food. The basic rule of washing hands before handling food is also not followed.

Carolyn Simon, food blogger: Considering the increase in the number of restaurants, delivery units and home chefs in our city, most of them don’t comply with the food safety standards set by FSSAI and most are not even licensed. This has led to the adulteration of food to make it more appealing and sometimes even reusing substances that can make it highly unhealthy.

Check if there's poison on your platter this Puja

KOLKATA: If you have plans to gorge on streetfood this Puja, be judicious in your choice. A surprise food-safety drive by a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) health department team on Thursday found street food stalls in and around bigger puja pandals selling adulterated stuff.

The surprise drive by eight groups was planned to check samples of fast food being sold along Bidhan Sarani (from Hedua to Hatibagan).The civic food inspectors found biryani in majority of roadside stalls unfit for consumption. The colour that the food vendors are mixing in biryani makes the popular dish adulterated, preliminary tests have confirmed, said Atin Ghosh, mayor-in-council member overseeing the KMC health department.

"Our team of inspectors collected samples from the roadside stalls and found them to have colour that is not permitted under the specific food safety guidelines," Ghosh said. "The inspectors will again visit those stalls on Friday to check whether the owners are adhering to rules and preparing the right kind of biryani," added a KMC health department official.

Besides the roadside stalls, samples of biryani were also collected from some well-known restaurants in the Hatibagan area. "We will visit some of these restaurants again on Friday and hand over food safety guidelines to the owners," Ghosh said. "We had to destroy bottles of tomato sauce as those were found to be highly adulterated. We have asked the roadside stalls to stop using these sauces or else we will close down these stalls," Ghosh added. The KMC health team is scheduled to visit stalls in south Kolkata on Sashthi and Saptami.

Food dept issue notices to sweet shops for adulteration

DEHRADUN: The food safety department on Wednesday issued notices to two popular sweet shops in the city after finding "synthetic colours, fungus and high quantity starch" in some samples. The tests were conducted after local residents complained that some shops were selling substandard sweets.

A customer said that he had purchased 'boondi laddus' from a popular shop on Chakrata road in July but when he opened the box, it was fungus-ridden. He then lodged a complaint at the department. However, the reports came late due to staff crunch at the food safety department and scanty sampling facilities , an official said.

"We have started inspection of all sweet shops since adulteration has become very rampant in the city. We will take legal action against those found flouting norms. As of now, we have sent notices to Anandam on Chakrata road and Ganpati Sweets onRajpur road," said food safety officer Anooj Thapliyal.

During festive season, incidents of adulteration increase every year. Dr Praveen Panwar from GDMC hospital said, "Synthetic colours are not only cancerous but they also cause major neurological problems among children and old people as their immunity is low."

The department has decided to take instant samples and send it for testing either to Rudrapur-based lab or Chandigarh in order to get results as soon as possible and curb adulteration during festive season.

Exporters, eateries warned over selling poisonous fish

MANGALURU: The Dakshina Kannada district administration and food and civil supplies minister UT Khader sent a stern warning to the fish exportersand eateries that they would be held responsible if more fish poisoning cases were reported.

This warning came in the backdrop of more than a hundred persons including workers of a fish exporting company falling ill after consuming red snapper fish heads in Ullal recently. With some exporters indicating that the poisonous puffer fish was also sold in the local markets and used in restaurants, deputy commissioner Jagadeesha KG directed restaurants to take due diligence while serving fish to consumers.

Khader, who chaired the meeting, said fish exporters need to take proper precautions while dispatching heads and viscera for fish meal or manure.

As there was no standard protocol to deal with such cases, Jagadeesha KG said a committee would be constituted with experts to draw guidelines on processing of fish that are poisonous and are used by the local population and also on the treatment to be administered in such situations. "We cannot say that it may not happen again. Hence, standard protocols are necessary," he added.

He warned the fish exporters that their units would be shut down if any head or parts which are deemed poisonous were found in the market and affected people. He explicitly told the exporters to use the remains of such fish for only manure since Dr Iddya Karunasagar, consultant, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) said making fish feed of the poisonous part was not advisable.

He also told the fisheries and food safety department to circulate guidelines to restaurants and eateries that they would be held responsible if consumers fell ill after consumption of such fish cooked at their premises.

Marine Authority personnel Ashok Kumar said that the Red Snapper fish had been caught outside Indian territorial waters and they were yet to analyse where the catch had come from. "We have to trace the boat which did the fishing and get the GPS coordinates from them to know where the catch came from," he told TOI.

Khader also shared information that this was not the first time people fell ill due to fish poisoning. "That time we did not know what it was," he added.

Scientists from Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Mangaluru unit, and others pointed out that there were three or four varieties of fish which accumulated poison during certain seasons only and throughout the year.

The cases happen when some unicellular algae called dinoflagellates, which can be toxic, are eaten by fish and when these fish are eaten by larger fish. The poison gets accumulated in marine and estuarine fish (red snapper, grouper, perches) or molluscan shellfish (clams, oysters, muscles), and cause severe illnesses. One of the common poisoning due to consumption of marine fish is ciguatera food poisoning. The toxic fish have no alteration of odour, colour or taste, thus, making it very difficult to identify the potential risk associated with contamination.

Khader said the departments, fisheries, food safety has to prepare guidelines and give wide publicity on fish to avoid and how to consume such fish in a safe way.

EXPERTS SAY TAINTED FISH HAUL WAS FROM OFF AFRICAN COAST

The fish heads of this particular species should not be made available for consumption, said experts

Statement will protect industry in the state; Nearly 152 people had fallen ill in Ullal last week after consuming ‘chemberi’ fish heads

Preliminary investigation conducted into the recent incident of ciguatera poisoning incident in Mangaluru, revealed that the consignment came from Cochin. The poisoning is caused by the consumption of reef fish contaminated with ciguatoxin, which originates with certain dinoflagellate algae associated with coral reef systems. These accumulate in the food chain via small herbivorous fish that are eaten by larger carnivorous fish. It may be recalled that nearly 152 fell ill in Ullal after eating the fish heads of a particular variety fish known as ‘chemberi’ or the two-spot red snapper (Lutjanus bohar), last Friday.

Following the incident, a review meeting chaired by UT Khader, minister for food and civil supplies and consumer affairs, was held at the deputy commissioner’s office on Thursday. The meeting was attended by the officers from the health and fisheries department, as well as scientists representing the Fisheries College, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) and Dr Iddya Karunasagar, FSSAI consultant and member of the scientific committee. According to experts, No reports of harmful algal blooms from state waters have been reported recently.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror on the sidelines of the review meeting, Ganesh K, fisheries department director in-charge, said, “The consignment of the red snapper that affected consumers, was procured by a fish exporting firm from Cochin. It is suspected that the vessel may have gone to South Africa, Solomon Islands or Maldives - where rampant algal bloom occurs. Consumers must know that toxins are not present in the fish found in the Karnataka coast. The toxin is suspected from to be from Solomon Island where the coral reefs exist. The company had procured red snappers from a vessel in Cochin. The samples have been sent to labs,” he said. Ashok Kumar from the marine authority said, “The vessel had gone for deep sea fishing. We have to identify where they have gone exactly. We are in the process of getting the exact location of the vessel that was fitted with GPS,” he said.

Earlier at the meeting, he said, “We visited the factory on Wednesday and analysed where they procured the raw material. As per the report given by them, the vessel was from Kuthur and they claim that they went near South Africa. The Kuthur fishermen have the capacity to go for deep sea fishing. They have the capacity to go beyond our Exclusive Economic Zone waters. As per the preliminary information given by the processors, it was found to be from one of the South African Islands. We are in the process of getting facts regarding the location of the vessel. All processors of the region have been alerted. This is for the first time that such an incident was reported in our region. The source has to be controlled.”

Dr Prathibha Rohit, principal scientist, Pelagic Fisheries Division, CMFRI Research Centre, Mangaluru, said there are about more than 250 reef-associated fishes. “Regarding the two-spot red snapper, the availability in Indian Coast is not so great. But certainly our fishing capacity has increased. We are going outside the Indian boundaries. There are several chemberi species; this particular species forms less than one per cent of the total snapper catch from our coasts. We have gathered from fish processors that it has come from Kerala,” she said.

Deputy commissioner KG Jagadeesha said it is not that all fish heads have to be avoided. He said fish that cause harm should not be made available.

“The fish has not come from our coast. Extra care should be taken with regard to fish coming from other coasts. The fish heads of this particular species should not be made available for consumption. The waste must be used only as fertilizer,” he said. He warned exporters to take necessary precautions. Meanwhile, he directed the health department to follow a standard protocol to be announced in case of such incidents. He also asked the research institutes to constitute a committee about fish parts and fish that should not be consumed.

In a related development, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked Dr Iddya Karunasagar to draft a national food advisory for fish poisoning, especially ciguatera-related poisoning. FSSAI consultant and member of the scientific committee, Karunasagar said before they are exported, the heads and viscera are removed from the fishes, which end up in the market.

At the meeting, caution when dealing with puffer fish was also discussed. The most poisonous part of the puffer fish is its gallbladder. According to an estimate, about 20-30 tonnes of this fish come to the state coast daily.

Mangaluru scientist asked to draft national advisory on seafood poisoning

MANGALURU: More than a hundred individuals, including workers at a fish exporting company, took ill on Saturday after consuming fish heads supplied by a firm in Ullal. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked Mangaluru-based scientist, Dr Iddya Karunasagar, to draft a national food advisory for fish poisoning, especiallyCiguatera.

FSSAI consultant and member of the scientific committee, Dr Iddya said that he had brought the Ullal incident to the attention of the committee members on Monday, in the course of a meeting held in New Delhi on food safety. Dr Iddya said that he would not be able to confirm if the Ullal incident was the first instance of such fish food poisoning in the country. "But, it is definitely the first mass outbreak, which has affected hundreds of people," he said.

Pointing out that there could have been unrecorded sporadic incidents in the past, he added, "They may not have come to light since the affected population would have been less. There were reports from Mumbai about a similar incident; we thought it could be fish poisoning. We could not get any data on it. But, the Mangaluru outbreak, which has affected so many people, is a first in the country."

Before they are exported, the head and viscera are removed from the fishes, while the heads find their way into the local markets, Dr Iddya reasoned. "People were affected by the toxin in the head and viscera. The exporters may not be aware that certain parts of the fish were poisonous," he added.

Dr Iddya said that the director of the Export Inspection Council in New Delhi had made a mention of a couple of rapid alerts from the European Union regarding the issue. The national advisory, Dr Iddya said, would be ready in a fortnight. "It will be sent to the food safety committee members. It will be put up on FSSAI's website, once it has been approved," he said.

Meanwhile, the Udupi Department of Fisheries too has sought Dr Iddya to spread awareness of fishes that could have toxins among fishermen, besides speaking on the precautionary measures that need to be observed while consuming them.

EU raised a red flag in August

Through its Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the European Union had thrice issued alerts in August, warning of the risks detected in fishes exported from India.

The alerts, issued on August 14, 19 and 22, pertained to three consignments, and were concerned with Ciguatera poisoning and Ciguatoxins.