Regular food raids on Sabarimala pilgrim routes

District food safety authorities have formed special squads to conduct regular inspections of eateries along the pilgrim route.

Sabarimala Ayyappan temple

Kochi: In view of widespread complaints against the quality of food and sanitation standards of hotels and eateries along the Sabarimala route, the health and food safety authorities in the district have decided to intensify raids. District food safety authorities have formed special squads to conduct regular inspections of eateries along the pilgrim route. “During the pilgrim season, regular raids are conducted to check the food quality. It is the responsibility of local bodies to inspect hygiene standards of eateries,” said K.V Shibu, food safety assistant commissioner. 

After the pilgrim season started, big and small eateries have come up in Chottanikkara, Mulanthuruthy, Tripunithura and nearby areas. In Chottanikkara, poor sanitation of hotels and lodges has been a contentious issue for long and there are widespread complaints that hotels are dumping garbage including toilet waste into open drains, polluting water bodies in the area. Though the temple authorities have proposed a sewage treatment plant, it has not been installed. Various panchayats along the pilgrim route also have initiated inspection of eateries.

Meanwhile, lack of coordination and conflicts between various agencies is affecting the inspection of eateries. Due to the confrontation between stakeholders, Sabarimala pilgrims are at the receiving end. “This is my fifth year of pilgrimage. The situation and facilities at Chottanikkara have not improved even a little over the years. The eateries are serving food in the most unhygienic of conditions,” said Saravan, a pilgrim from Tamil Nadu.

The Tirupati Laddu- is it above the food safety licence?

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) has categorically rejected a request from the Food Safety Bureau for inspection of the premises and procedure followed in the preparation of the laddus(prasadam). Permission was denied on the grounds that the ‘potu’ or kitchen is an ‘auspicious place’ where outsiders are not allowed.

This was a result of an RTI application filed by Bengaluru-based T. Narasimha Murthy in July, alleging that laddus were made in an unhygienic manner. “The deficiencies are noticed at every stage, including manufacture, storage, distribution and sale. Materials such as bolts, nuts, key chains and gutka covers have been found in the laddus,” he alleged.

“The cooks who are in preparation of these laddus in large quantity are found wearing no proper dress. They are working in half naked dress and found sweating due to heavy heat at the kitchen. These cooks are not wearing any hand glove, apron and other safety norms..,” Murthy had alleged. The application raised question on adherence of food safety norms by the TTD while making laddus and whether it possess an FSSAI licence.

What is FSSAI?

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India , the FSSAI stipulates that every Food Business Operator has to obtain a registered licence and if they operate in more than one state they require more than one licence.and the preparation has to adhere to hygienic standards for preparation.

The FSSAI Act states that regular reports on the health condition of the cooks should be submitted to the health officer and a fitness certificate should be obtained. Also a bill should be provided upon purchase of the product and the packing should carry details about the ingredients and date of manufacture and expiry.

Laddus-Not food but holy offering.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Food Safety, Andhra Pradesh, the director of Food Safety Management System (FSMS), Suneeti Toteja, stated that the ‘laddu’ is food as per definition of food under the Food Safety Standards Act of India, 2006. Also, TTD is an FBO and has to adhere to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

In reply, a letter was sent by the Director of Public Health Labs and Food Administration, Andhra Pradesh, to the RTI activist in which a TTD officer claimed that the laddus cannot be considered as food as they are a holy offering and pilgrims cannot be termed as consumers.

Tirupati laddu has a Geographical Indication tag 

The Tirupati temple is the richest Hindu temple in the whole world. No visit to the temple is complete without taking the laddu it offers. Lakhs of laddus are made everyday and are sold out in no time. Even online purchasing is available . Last year it completed 300 years. It is said to have been introduced on August 2nd1715! The Tirupati laddu has also got a patent in the form of geographical indication tag and is thus protected from misuse of name or recipe. The kitchen has been modernised with conveyor belts to deliver the laddus from the kitchen to the counter.

What harm will a public health scrutiny possibly do?

Don't just rely on labels if you want to eat healthy

Midrand, Dec. 18 -- The label on a packaged snack may not always give you the authentic information on whether the food is good for your health. For example, a popular health drink claims it contains "pro health vitamins", but the label suggests that it has 71 gms of sugar for every 100 grams.This sugar content is actually 57% of the recommended daily intake limit.

A new study by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released on Friday reveals how several popular brands of snacks, health drinks, cooking oil and noodles don't tell you what you must know. A brand of health drink that claims it has "34 vital nutrients, 100% milk protein, more protein faster growth" actually contains sugar as high as 38% of recommended daily upper limit per serving.

"In fact, we have not accounted for the fact that a person may consume it more than once and add sugar to the drink," said Amit Khurana of the food safety and toxins programme at CSE. Equally misleading are the advertisements - a brand of digestive biscuits, which claims to have less refined flour (maida) was, in fact, found to contain more maida than whole wheat, according to Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). More such complaints sourced by CSE suggest several brands make claims in advertisements that have no substance.

An oil brand that claims to contain "antioxidant powder" and suggests it is the "healthiest choice for your heart" allegedly violated the norms laid down by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Moreover, ASCI is a "self-regulatory" body , which does not have the power to impose punitive measures due to which violators may repeat the same offences.

According to the report, the labelling requirements in India are extremely lax. The Food Safety Regulations, 2011 make it mandatory for the brands to declare energy, protein, carbohydrate and fat content. The quantity of sugar is to be specified as well.

"A product may be fat free, but it may be very high on sugar. Consumers don't tend to notice that aspect of the ingredients on the labels," said Ishi Khosla, nutritionist, who was present at the release of the re port. CSE researchers have recommended a complete ban on celebrity endorsement of food that is high in salt, sugar and fats. Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said: "The government is considering amending the Consumer Protection Act to provide for a five-year jail terms or a penalty of Rs 50 lakh to hold celebriti es responsible for false and misleading claims. But the same amendment says that there will be no liability if precautions are taken before deciding to endorse a product. In other words, this amendment amounts to nothing."

Readers can find the brand names in a report published on the CSE website.

Health department warns against sale of gutkha, pan masala products

JAIPUR: The health departmenthas issued orders preventing the sale of products marketed separately to form gutkha or pan masala (containing tobacco/nicotine) as final product in the state.

Commissioner of food safety Dr B R Meena issued directions to all designated officers and food safety officers to ensure that the "manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutkha and pan masala (containing tobacco/nicotine) or any other product marketed separately to constitute gutkha or pan masala as final product, by whatsoever name called, whether packaged or unpackaged and/or sold as one product, or though packaged as separate products, sold or distributed in such a manner so as to easily facilitate mixing by the consumer is prohibited in Rajasthan state".

The state had imposed a ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala products (containing tobacco/nicotine) in July 2012. But, despite the ban, tobacco and pan masala are available in separate pouches. A gutkha consumer can easily buy two separate pouches of tobacco and pan masala and mix them to form gutkha.

"The Supreme Court in Central Arecanut Marketing Corporation and Others Vs Union of India (Transfer Case (C) 1 of 2010) in its order dated 23/09/2016, observed that, to circumvent the ban on the sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets but often conjoint and sold together by the same vendors from the same premises, so that consumers can buy the pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco and mix them both and consume the same. Hence instead of the earlier "ready to consume mixes," chewing tobacco companies are selling gutkha in twin packs to be mixed as one," the order says.

It further stated that the Supreme Court had directed secretaries, health departments of all states and Union territories to ensure total compliance of the ban imposed on manufacturing and sale of gutkha and pan masala with tobacco/ nicotine.

Complying with the Supreme Court's order, the health department issued directions on December 15 to prevent the sale of such products in the state.

"Gutkha and pan masala are unsafe food as they contain tobacco and nicotine as ingredients which is injurious to health and thus manufacture and sale of these products are banned as they are in contravention of the provisions of regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011," the health department's order stated.

Government warns against sly sale of gutkha, tobacco products

JAIPUR: The health department has issued orders preventing the sale of products marketed separately to form gutkha or pan masala (containing tobacconicotine) as final product in the state.

Commissioner of food safety Dr B R Meena issued directions to all designated officers and food safety officers to ensure that the "manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutkha and pan masala (containing tobacconicotine) or any other product marketed separately to constitute gutkha or pan masala as final product, by whatsoever name called, whether packaged or unpackaged andor sold as one product, or though packaged as separate products, sold or distributed in such a manner so as to easily facilitate mixing by the consumer is prohibited in Rajasthan state".

The state had imposed a ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and pan masala products (containing tobacco nicotine) in July 2012. But, despite the ban, tobacco and pan masala are available in separate pouches. A gutkha consumer can easily buy two separate pouches of tobacco and pan masala and mix them to form gutkha.

"The Supreme Court in Central Arecanut Marketing Corporation and Others Vs Union of India (Transfer Case (C) 1of 2010) in its order dated 23092016, observed that, to circumvent the ban on the sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets but often conjoint and sold together by the same vendors from the same premises, so that consumers can buy the pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco and mix them both and consume the same.Hence instead of the earlier "ready to consume mixes," chewing tobacco companies are selling gutkha in twin packs to be mixed as one," the order says.

It further stated that the Supreme Court had directed secretaries, health departments of all states and Union territories to ensure total compliance of the ban imposed on manufacturing and sale of gutkha and pan masala with tobacco nicotine. Complying with the Supreme Court's order, the health department issued directions on December 15 to prevent the sale of such products in the state.

"Gutkha and pan masala are unsafe food as they contain tobacco and nicotine as ingredients which is injurious to health and thus manufacture and sale of these products are banned as they are in contravention of the provisions of regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011," the health department's order stated.