Jul 31, 2017
FSSAI in high gear to make food safer
The central food regulator has been very proactive with regard to issues like safety and standards, including labelling of packaged products and nutrient content, which has led to a sharp rise in the number of notices, orders and guidelines issued by it since 2015.
A series of notifications and guidelines have been issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to safeguard consumer interest as part of the health ministry's plan to strengthen the regulatory regime (see graphic).
Food regulation in India has mostly been a conflicting turf between the industry, the regulator and the consumer. However, the packaged food industry is rapidly growing, making it all the more important for the government and regulator to set the ground rules in the interest of the industry as well as consumers.
"Packaged food is the reality of the day but so is the growing burden of disorders like obesity , diabetes and heart ailments. We are trying to ensure food safety by bringing changes in regulations and undertaking other initiatives," an official said.
He added that the FSSAI and the ministry was trying to work with food companies to bring in provisions like nutrient profiling not just for packaged food but also in restaurants. "This will allow consumers to make an informed choice," he said.
India's diabetes burden and the obesity problem have assumed serious levels. Experts blame these on the consumption of sugary beverages and junk food. The disease burden is also fast increasing among children.
The FSSAI plans to control sourcing of raw materials by restaurants and food manufacturers. So far, vendors of vegetables, spices and other raw materials are not required to have licences from the FSSAI.Another major area of focus is curbing availability of junk food and those high on sugar, salt and trans-fat in and around schools. The idea is to control incidence of non-communicable diseases among the youth.
MOBILE FOOD TESTING LAB TO BE LAUNCHED IN STATE
In a bid to prevent adulteration in food items and products, the State Government has decided to flag off a mobile food testing laboratory to examine food samples.
The proposed lab would be launched in coordination with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the State Government to test samples of edible oil, milk and other food items, especially in rural and remote areas.
The decision was made in view of the media reports about food adulteration in urban and rural areas of the State. As food testing labs are not available everywhere, the FSSAI has decided to set up the mobile food testing lab in the States, including Odisha.
As per the decision, a cluster would be made comprising 20 districts of Odisha where there is no facility for food test.. The lab would move for 15 days a month in every district and examine food samples including ghee, khoa, sweet, edible oil, packaged drinking water and spicy and snacks items. If required, samples would be collected from an area and sent to the nearest testing lab.
A total of Rs 35 lakh would be spent for setting up the mobile food testing lab. The Government can operate the lab through any NGO, agency, trust or society. The technicians and other staffs of the lab would be provided training. The employees would be recruited by the Government, said a senior official in the Health Department.
Deadly mix: Brewing faecal bacteria in your coffee cup?
Coffee shops in the city need to up their game where hygiene is concerned.
The recent investigative report by BBC Watchdog that found faecal bacteria in ice samples from the UK outlets of Costa Coffee, Café Nero and Starbucks, could likely put a brake on those bitter desires.
If a caffeine fix at your neighbourhood coffee shop is on top of your daily to-do list, then the recent investigative report by BBC Watchdog that found faecal bacteria in ice samples from the UK outlets of Costa Coffee, Café Nero and Starbucks, could likely put a brake on those bitter desires, hygiene not being a strong point of Indian cafes. Every year in summer there are inspections of ice factories by municipal corporations across the country. The most recent was a raid on three ice factories in Navi Mumbai in May, where 20,000 kg of contaminated ice had to be destroyed by the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because it contained traces of e-coli bacteria.
In fact, 92 per cent of ice samples collected by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from street vendors across Mumbai were found to be contaminated. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines, ice used by businesses should be prepared with water that is safe for drinking and should be transported, stored and used in a sanitary manner.
“Ice used in restaurants should be made of potable water, free from e-coli bacteria. Also, the temperature required to keep the ice in its frozen form should be maintained properly. We collect and run tests on ice samples, regularly — especially in the summer season,” said an FDA official. For beverages that have multiple ingredients, those who supply the raw material and the café are both responsible for monitoring critical limits of the items through their taste, appearance, textures, odour, mixing time, pH and water levels.
Keeping consumers informed by displaying the names of the ingredients, and indicating possible allergens is also an important part of a cafe’s to-do list. India is traditionally a tea drinking nation, except for the southern states. But the coffee culture has gripped urban India, with coffee cafés sprouting in almost every corner of big cities, both home-grown as well global coffee giants. Of course, this spurt in the growth of cafés is part of the great surge of eating out, again a very urban phenomenon going back a decade or so.
Although the history of cultivation and export of the finest beans can be traced back four centuries, the domestic consumption of the coffee bean is fairly recent. Domestic consumption of coffee in India has increased from approximately 50,000 MT in 1998 to 1,1500 MT in 2011, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.09 per cent, according to India Brand Equity Foundation. So while tea may still be India’s most preferred beverage, coffee is catching on fast.
Jul 29, 2017
DC stays FSSAI notification on ban of Silver content on food items
New Delhi [India], July 28 : The Delhi High Court stayed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) notification, which said that no stage of manufactured silver leaf (chandi-ka-warq), use of animal or animal origin would be permissible, on Friday.
The effective date of enforcement of the impugned notification is set to be August 1.
The court has sought reply from the FSSAI and the Centre regarding the notification as well.
The said notification also said that the food grade should have uniform thickness, free from creases and folds, better weight and fineness.
A petition was filed by around 20,000 small traders against the notification and said that the FSSAI notification has no basis of defining Silver Leaf and has no rational as well.
"It rather appears that the same has been inserted not for any scientific or hygienic reason, but for some extrinsic reason which is essentially connected or related to sentiments," the petition said.
The petitioners also claimed that their products are analysed in a reputed laboratory to ascertain and confirm the standard.
The next date of hearing in this matter is set to be August 29
Hotels may have to give details of oil, fat used in cooking food items
Proposal part of FSSAI’s efforts to ensure food safety across the country by bringing changes in regulations and undertaking other initiatives
As part of its agenda to ensure safe food across India, FSSAI also wants to control sourcing of raw materials by restaurants. Photo: iStock
Hotels, restaurants and other food outlets may soon have to declare what kind of oil or fat is being used in cooking each of the food items on their menus, according to a proposal by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“Hotel, restaurant and other food stall shall mark or indicate exclusive desi ghee items to customer and whenever vanaspati or oil or fat is used, shall also be mark (marked) or indicate (indicated) to customer,” the food regulator said in a proposal to change licensing conditions for entities selling prepared food items.
Riyaaz Amlani, president of lobby group National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), termed the proposed demand as “a fair ask”.
FSSAI has been trying to ensure food safety across the country by bringing changes in regulations and undertaking other initiatives on its own and jointly with private companies in the food space. It earlier said that restaurants should declare calorific and nutritive values of the food they serve on their menus because consumers should know what they may be eating, Mintreported on 10 February.
That’s not all. As part of its agenda to ensure safe food across India, FSSAI also wants to control sourcing of raw materials by restaurants. “The restaurants shall buy food raw materials only from licensed or registered vendors and maintain record thereof,” FSSAI said in its proposal.
So far, vendors of vegetable, spices and other raw materials are not required to have licences from FSSAI.
FSSAI also proposes that restaurants should “employ at least one technical person or Food Safety Supervisor” trained by FSSAI. This may increase operations’ cost for restaurants, especially smaller ones. “It will increase cost. But it is a small price to pay for the health and well-being of our customers,” said Amlani, who owns Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt. Ltd that runs popular restaurant and bar and café chains such as Smoke House Deli and Social.
“FSSAI has been doing a commendable job in ensuring food safety, there might be some issues, but FSSAI is always open to dialogue with the industry. The NRAI is working closely to ensure training of the supervisors,” said Amlani.
FSSAI has also proposed that food business operators such as hotels, restaurants and others should have a Food Safety Display Board, prominently visible to consumers, that talks about food safety and hygiene practices followed by them at their premises.
India’s food services market is projected to grow to Rs4.98 trillion by 2021, expanding at an annual average rate of 10%, from Rs3.09 trillion in 2016, according to a joint study by NRAI and consulting firm Technopak published last year.
Kolkata municipalty suggests coloured industrial ice to stop indiscriminate use
The matter was revealed after a Kolkata Municipal Corporation health department officials conducted a raid in the New Market area a couple of times on June 22. Tons of industrial ice were seized from fruit or sarbat sellers and destroyed. The raid was followed by a surprise visit to a large ice factory in south Kolkata. The team of the KMC health department officials led by Atin Ghosh, the member, mayor-in-council overseeing the KMC health found that two types of ice--industrial and edible-- were being manufactured in the same factory.
As the KMC authorities took up the matter with Bengal food safety commissioner's office, the latter advised the civic body to take up the issue serious as the Centre was also worried over the quality of ice being sold in different states. On Friday a panel of food safety experts expressed concerns over use of industrial ice in food items. "The use of industrial ice in juice sarbat is a matter of great concern and we need to deal it with utmost seriousness. Even we should no longer allow use of industrial ice for preservation of fish. Such ice contains coliform bacteria and can pose serious health threat," said Jagabandhu Chakraborty, the former director of Central food laboratory. Chakraborty was one of the speakers who spoke at length against industrial ice at a panel discussion on uses of ice held at the KMC headquarters. Godhuli Mukherjee, state's food safety commissioner also gave her opinion against use of industrial ice in preservation of fish or in food items and drinks. Atin Ghosh, said that a committee would be formed to suggest ways and means to ban use of industrial ice in food and drinks or for preservation of fish.
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee later said that the civic body would be forced to take stern action if the ice manufacturers or businessmen failed to take adequate steps to ensure that industrial ice was being used in food and drinks.
Minister files report on private milk brands
Furnishes certificates issued by laboratory to High Court
The State Dairy Development Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji on Friday filed a report in the Madras High Court stating the quality of milk supplied by three private suppliers were substandard.
Low fat content
On behalf of Mr. Bhalaji, the Additional Government Pleader submitted the certificates of analysis issued by the Referral Food Laboratory in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, during a hearing on three civil suits filed by the Dodla, Arokya and Vijay dairies came up before Justice CV Karthikeyan.
The certificates said that the milk samples of these companies were tested between July 18 and 26 and they were found to be sub-standard under Section 3(1) (zx) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. They did not conform to the standards laid down in table under Regulation No.2.1.1:1 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 as they showed fat content below the minimum prescribed limit. On July 10 last, the court had restrained the Minister from making allegations against the three private milk manufacturers without documentary proof.
The judge adjourned the matter to August 1.
Jul 28, 2017
FSSAI seeks to revise norms for restaurants
NEW DELHI, JULY 27:
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) , which has been pushing various initiatives for safe and nutritious food, is looking to make changes in the licensing conditions for restaurants.
So far, food business operators were mandatorily required to display the FSSAI licence number at food premises, especially in restaurants. The Authority felt that the number is not visible to the consumers.
Food safety display boards
To change consumer perceptibility about it, FSSAI has been pushing the idea of Food Safety Display Boards at various food businesses especially restaurants , retail stores, milk booths, vegetable and fruit retail, meat shops, street food vendors, among others.
Food Safety Display Boards will primarily display food safety and hygiene practices to be followed by these food businesses at their premises prominently, according to the FSSAI website. The Authority has now released a draft notification proposing revision of conditions of licences which proposes to replace the existing requirement of displaying FSSAI licence number with Food Safety Display Board. The FSSAI believes that these display boards will not only make registration/licence number visible but will also inform the customer and the food handler about the important food safety and hygiene practices required to keep food safe. It also believes these display boards will help in enabling a more effective consumer feedback.
Raw materials purchase
In addition, it has proposed that restaurants should at least have one technical person or food safety supervisor trained by FSSAI, in their staff, as one of the conditions that need to be fulfilled for FSSAI licence. It has sought feedback from various stakeholders on these proposed changes. The Authority has been holding various sessions to train food business operators.
Other new conditions being proposed for restaurants include buying food raw materials only from licensed or registered vendors and maintaining a record of these purchases. Besides, it has proposed that restaurant and other food sales should indicate or mark exclusive desi ghee items and vanaspati, oil or other fats used in preparation of items.
FSSAI issues red flag against pepper imports from Vietnam via Sri Lanka
Authorities say the imports may be contaminated with a high dosage of pesticide residue
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has instructed various nodal agencies and its offices across the country to check the import of pepper into the country. The authority feels pepper coming from Vietnam may be contaminated.
Raj Kumar, FSSAI’s joint director (imports), in a note to the various nodal agencies, said the authority had received information from the Department of Commerce that Vietnamese pepper, contaminated with high pesticide residue, may be diverted to India via Sri Lanka. He has asked officials to be vigilant about such imports.
The development comes at a time pepper growers have raised concerns over cheap and low-quality imports. The industry has requested the government to fix a minimum import price (MIP).
Nishant R Gurjer, an executive committee member of The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (Upasi) and a leading pepper planter, said while production had stagnated, domestic demand was growing. Domestic demand was growing at four per cent annually, with the current demand estimated at 60,000 tonnes per annum.
To utilise this opportunity, cheap pepper is coming from Vietnam through Sri Lanka, with whom India has signed a free trade agreement (FTA). Cheap Vietnamese pepper coming into the system could be sold as Indian pepper, Gurjer said. According to reports, pepper imports in general attract a duty of 70 per cent. Under an Asean agreement, a duty of 54 per cent is levied on pepper imported from Vietnam. But pepper from Sri Lanka attracts a duty of just eight per cent, since it is a part of Safta (South Asian Free Trade Area).
FSSAI working in tandem with railways to ensure food security, says Pawan Agarwal
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said his organization and the Railways are working in the most systematic manner to ensure absolute food safety for passengers.
?We have appointed executive directors of health, along with additional food safety commissioners to work as per the railway eco-system,? said Agarwal while commenting on complaints filed by passengers over staple pins being found in eatables.
Agarwal further stated that food safety officers have been designated and are being trained to ensure robust functioning of the railways.
?Our standards for food supplements have been collectively assembled by our panels in two to three years and it is a continuously evolving process. If they feel it needs to be changed, the scientific panel is examining. The new standards will be applied from January 1. However, we are hoping before that, all the discussion materialises and we can bring the required changes,? he added.
?Doping substances have been under stress. We are working in tandem with the National Anti-Doping Agency, wherein we have advised them to collect samples for testing for NADA to evaluate,? he added while commenting over collection of drug samples in various states.
The FSSAI has banned the use of staple pins in tea bags from January next year as it can cause serious health hazards, Agarwal said.
As per the FSSAI order, at present, there are two types of tea bags available in the market, namely stapled tea bags and knotted tea bags.
Chemically treated ‘parwal’ seized in Kheri district
Shahjahanpur: In a raid conducted by the food safety team and Singahi police, seized about 15 kg of “parwal” (pointed goard) that had been chemically treated to look fresh and green at Takiyapurva village of Lakhimpur Kheri district on Thursday morning. The chemicals are harmful for consumption.
While the accused managed to flee from the spot, police recovered a motorbike which belongs to one of the accused. The vegetable sample will be sent to the lab for testing. The chemical used for colouring the vegetables is suspected to be copper sulphate. Police seized it as well.
After a tip-off received by the food safety department that green vegetables were being treated with chemicals before being supplied to the market by a local supplier, food safety officer Rakesh Kumar Singh conducted a raid with the help of the station officer of Singahi police station.
Station officer of Singahi police station Ram Kumar Yadav said, “We have seized a bike from the spot, the owner of which is the prime suspect in this case. The vegetables will be sent for testing and further action will be taken iafter we receive the test results.
“Vegetables are immersed in a solution prepared by mixing water and the chemical to give them a fresh and green look. We are looking for the owner of the godown. and the others who managed to flee when we arrived,” added Singh.
FDA PROHIBITS MIXING OF LIQUID NITROGEN WITH DRINKS, FOOD ITEMS
Chandigarh, July 27
The Food and Drug Administration today prohibited flushing or mixing of liquid nitrogen gas with any drink or food article. The order comes after a recent incident where a man was left with a gaping hole in stomach after he consumed an alcoholic drink topped with liquid nitrogen in Gurugram.
Dr Saket Kumar, Commissioner (Food Safety) in the FDA, Haryana, In his orders issued today under section 34 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has cited an expert medical opinion as the reason for the ban.
“Any food article the preparation of which involves flushing or mixing of liquid nitrogen is harmful for humans, as due to low temperature liquid nitrogen can be extremely damaging to body tissues, causing frostbite and cryogenic burning on contact,” the orders said.
“If ingested, the gas can lead to severe internal damage, destroying tissues in the mouth and intestinal tract. Furthermore, as it evaporates, liquid nitrogen releases a large volume of gas, which means it can burst the stomach if ingested in sufficiently large quantities,” the order further said.
A 30-year man from Delhi was recently rushed to a hospital in Gurugram after he drank liquid nitrogen hoping it would make him high, but it had left a hole in his stomach.
Narinder Ahooja, Joint Commissioner, FDA, explained that Liquid nitrogen is used to instantly freeze food and drinks, since it has a very low temperature of minus 196 degree Celsius.
Being an inert gas, it does not cause any poisonous effect on the human body.
“However, with an expansion ratio of 1:694 at 20 degree Celsius, one litre of the liquid gas can expand to 694 litres at 20 degrees causing the stomach to burst,” he said.
Ahooja said that after the incident that occurred earlier this month, teams of FDA had raided various bars and pubs to see if they were using liquid nitrogen for instant cooling and considering the harmful effects it can have, the flushing or mixing of food with liquid nitrogen gas has been banned today.
EAC Chumu directs food business dealers
EAC cum Administrator Chumukedima Town Council Thejavizo Nakhro has directed all concerned food business dealers viz., hotels, restaurants, bakeries etc operating under CTC jurisdiction to register and obtain FSSAI license under Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 from the office of the CMO, Dimapur at the earliest.
He also warned that non-compliance of the order shall invite penal actions as per Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Nagaland Municipal Act 2001.
Three gyms raided by FDA for checks on food supplements
GURUGRAM: Authorities are tightening the noose around those who illegally recommend or sell food supplements. On Monday, raids were conducted in gymnasiums in Gurgaon, and samples were collected by officials for testing.
Officials of the District Food and Drug Administration and district food safety officer K K Sharma raided gyms in the city on the directions of the state's drugs controller and joint commissioner of food.
Three gyms — Gold Gym, and The Hype on MG Road and Energy Gym in old judicial complex — were investigated. Also, Vardhman Nutrition in Sector 14, a shop that sells dietary supplements, was raided.
None of the gyms was found to be selling any form of food supplement. However, Gold Gym was found to be serving protein supplement without any licence, an official said.
At Vardhman Nutrition, the drugs control officer collected three samples, and the food safety officer collected two samples.
"The raids are conducted to check for use of any adulteration or use of any steroidal drug in such food supplements. We have sent the samples for laboratory testing," said Amandeep Chaudan, district drug control officer.
FSDA conducts raids at restaurants, dairies in Meerut, seizes 600 kg vegetable sauce
Meerut: To keep a check on adulteration in milk ahead of Raksha Bandhan, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) on Wednesday conducted raids at various city restaurants, sweet shops and dairies.
The FSDA seized 600 kg of suspected adulterated vegetable sauce, milk samples from nine outlets and a sample each of vegetable sauce, chilli sauce and white vinegar.
FSDA officer Archana Deeran said, “We took 12 samples from different locations on Wednesday and we suspect that these are unfit for consumption.”
FSDA’s seven-member team raided 12 shops at Jail Chungi area, Partapur, Delhi Chungi, Kankerkhera and Gesupur Datawli. The sealed samples have been sent to the Lucknow laboratory to avoid any tampering in the city. The reports will take at least a month to arrive and accordingly action will be taken.
“The sauce that has been seized will remain in our custody until the reports arrive. If the sample fails the lab test, it will be destroyed and a case will be registered against the accused,” Deeran said, adding that with Raksha bandhan around the corner, shopkeepers start tampering with milk-based products.
The raids will continue till celebrations are over so that sweet shop owners are alert.
Jul 27, 2017
Steroid check: FDA collects protein supplements
GURUGRAM: The district authorities are tightening noose around those illegally recommending or selling the food supplements. Raids were conducted on gymnasiums in Gurugram, and samples have been collected by the officials.
On Monday, officials from district Food and Drug Administration and district Food Safety Officer KK Sharma raided the gyms in the city. The raids were conducted on the directions of State Drugs Controller and Joint Commissioner, Food, Haryana.
The officials investigated three gyms — Gold Gym and The Hype on MG Road and Energy Gym in Judicial Complex. Also, a shop selling the dietary supplements - Vardhman Nutrition in sector 14 was raided too.
None of the Gyms were found to be selling any form of food supplement. However, the Gold Gym was found to be serving the protein supplement without any licence. The officials recovered one open box of the protein supplement at the spot. The Pro 07-Muscle Blaze contained around 600 gms of the protein sample.
At Vardhman Nutrition, the drug control officer collected three samples, and the Food Safety Officer collected two samples.
"The raids are being conducted to check for use of any adulteration on food part, or use of any steroidal drug in such food supplements. We have sent the samples for tests," said Amandeep Chaudan, district drug control officer.
Chlorinated chicken overshadows U.S.-U.K. trade talks
Coming home to roost:Europe’s principal reasoning for the ban is the claim that the use of chlorine to wash chicken lowers safety standards.AP
U.S. wants to export cheaper poultry washed in chlorine to Britain, which is now banned under EU rules
This week, Britain and the U.S. commenced talks on the potential for post-Brexit trade, though the talks have been overshadowed by concerns in Britain particularly over whether Britain would be forced to lower its food standards to accommodate U.S. demands.
The U.S.-U.K. Trade and Investment Working Group’s first meeting took place in Washington D.C. earlier this week. Rather like the working group set up between Britain and India to explore post-Brexit opportunities, the meetings cannot involve negotiations on a free trade deal, but can explore the potential of what could happen after Britain exits.
Striking such deals will be crucial for the government to be able to push forward with its plans to leave the EU Customs Union, which creates an area-wide tariff free zone, but requires member states to come to joint trading arrangements.
Latest controversy
The latest controversy over food standards — and in particular U.S. demands to allow the export of cheaper poultry washed in chlorine — highlights the difficulties of this process. The government, eager to show that it was “taking back control”, does not want to simply capitulate to demands of stronger nations just to secure trade deals.
Chlorine-washed chicken is currently banned under EU regulations, and public concern about such chicken coming to the U.K. remains high.
Europe’s reasoning for the ban is not because of the impact of the chlorine per se, but because the use of chlorine to wash the chicken leads to laxer safety standards, with poultry producers relying on this to “clean” the chicken.
“The issue of access to European poultry markets is a long-standing one for the U.S. and its vast chicken exporting industry,” wrote the Adam Smith Institute in a recent report, in which it said that to “nimbly” negotiate the trade deals it wanted post-Brexit, it would have to “compromise in allowing potential partners access to parts of its economy that the EU would never have accepted… Some of the country’s most influential lobbyists have made clear that they are keen on pressing for chlorinated chicken to be part of any U.S.-U.K. trade deal.”
Split within govt.
Trade secretary Liam Fox has dismissed concerns about chlorine-washed chicken as a “detail” at the very end of a sector of a potential free trade agreement, though Britain’s Environment Secretary Michael Gove said on Wednesday that Britain would not allow any lowering of standards in trade deals sought, including chlorinated chicken, highlighting the split within the U.K. government on the issue.
The British Poultry Council, which represents the sector, warned on Tuesday against the import of chlorine-washed chicken, warning it would be a “betrayal” to British farmers and an action that would “throw away British farming... a secure post-Brexit deal must be about Britain’s future food security and safety”.
While it may appear a small issue, it is reflective of wider concerns about a relaxation of standards and changes as Britain seeks to step up trade globally.
The British Medical Association and others have warned the government about the need to protect the NHS from privatisation in the event of a U.S.-U.K. trade deal, while there are fears that by relaxing its standards on a range of things, it will be harder for Britain to trade with the rest of the EU, which will maintain rigorous standards.
5,403 food samples checked from 2014-17: Railways
On a day the Indian Railways came under fire over serving a dead lizard in one of its meals, the ministry said that 5,403 food samples were checked in the last three years.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain said that "regular inspections are done by food safety officials" to maintain the quality of food served on trains and railway stations.
"Regular inspections are done by food safety officers and joint food safety commissioners. Food samples are collected and sent for analysis in accredited laboratories under the Food Safety and Standards Act by food safety officers. Surprise checks and special drives are also carried out by joint food safety commissioners," he said.
The minister informed the House that from 2014-15 to 2016-2017, 4,828 food samples were checked, while 575 samples were scrutinised in the current financial year of 2017-18 (up to June 2017).
In reply to a separate question, Gohain informed the House that the railways had received 27,782 complaints relating to catering services during the same period (2014-17), with 648 of them about lack of hygiene.
The national transporter serves a record 11 lakh meals a day.
The railways had received a slew of complaints last year regarding the quality of food served on trains, forcing the ministry to bring out a revised catering policy.
Railway Board Member (Traffic) Mohd Jamshed today said that catering services in all trains with pantry cars will now be handed over to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) by the year-end to improve food quality.
Contraband tobacco seized from Garacharma, jetty at M’bunder
Port Blair
On a specific inputs on sales of contraband tobacco products in Garacharma area on Wednesday, the District Food Safety Officer, South Andaman along with Food Safety Officers immediately reached the premise of Lalit Debnath, Prop. of Lalit Debnath Pan and Tea Stall and recovered seven tins of sealed and one tin of loose Shiv data zarda each tin of 45 gm and 11 pouches of Bagbhan zarda of 40 gm each. The shop was immediately sealed and the contraband products seized and taken into possession and carried to office for further legal action.
Meanwhile, as per the report received from the Additional Commissioner(Food Safety)/Deputy Commissioner (North & Middle Andaman), the ship MV Nicobar on arrival at Mayabunder Wharf on Tuesday off loaded bulk cargo at Mayabunder, the Food Safety officials on their inspection for contraband tobacco products were inspecting the cargo on Wednesday and found 119 kgs of processed tobacco from the possession of Pulak Paul, son of Mr Nikhil Paul, Ward No. 2, Subash Gram, Diglipur, who is the clearing agent of the cargo unloaded at Mayabunder. The processed tobacco products were immediately seized and taken into possession. Necessary actions are being taken under the relevant rules of Food Safety & Standards Act 2006.
200 kg rotten meat seized in Kovilpatti
More than 200 kilograms of rotten meat had been seized by officials attached to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, on Wednesday.
Officials carrying out the drive at a shop in Kovilpatti
Madurai:
Thoothukudi district administration had recently received complaints of rotten meat being sold at Kovilpatti and hence based on the direction of district administration FSSAI officials led by Designated officer, Thanga Vignesh, carried out surprise inspection at the meat shops at Kovilpatti market, at Kadalaiyur and Ettayapuram roads.
All the meat shops including chicken, mutton and fish shops were raided and in the raid, rotten meats were found in 18 shops. The meats weighing around 200 kilograms were seized by the officials.
The names of the shops were noted down and the meal sellers were warned of strict action if they repeated such incidents again. Following that, Thanga Vignesh informed the media that the meat when it is cut out of the animals would be fresh only a for few hours and they should be sold immediately.
If they were kept for one single day they would become unfit for human consumption. But the meat in the shops were kept for more than two days and also they were not preserved properly. They have received several complaints from Kovilpatti that rotten meat was sold and hence, they raided and seized meat around Rs 1 lakh. The seized meat would be destroyed, said Vignesh.
When asked about the action taken on the meat, traders selling rotten meat he replied that it is the first time that such a seizure had happened and hence they were warned of strict action if they were found selling the rotten meat again.
Suits filed by milk firms blackmail action: TN minister
Chennai, Jul 26 (PTI) State milk and dairy development minister K T Rajendra Balaji today moved the Madras High Court, seeking dismissal of the suits by three private milk manufaturers over his statements in the media on quality of their products, saying it "is a blackmail action".
"The suit is a blackmail action intended to threaten me and to escape the colossal fraud played by the companies on the lives of common innocent public," he said.
On July 10, admitting the suits moved by Hatsun Agro Product Limited, Dodla Dairy Limited and Vijay Dairy and Farm Products Private Limited, Justice C V Karthikeyan passed an interim order directing the minister not to issue any press statements indirectly or directly disparaging privately manufactured dairy products.
The judge had, however, made it clear that if there was substantial materials to prove adulteration, the minister should specify the name of the private company which indulged in such malpractice and also produce necessary documents to substantiate his charge.
"I have been furnished with materials by public spirited individuals, wherein they have cautioned sale of milk and milk products by private companied adding unnatural ingredients.
"As a minister, I thoroughly scrutinised the records and found genuineness in the allegation. I cannot remain a mute spectator even after being put on notice of such adulteration," Balaji said.
Claiming that even the Supreme Court has directed the central and the state governments to take appropriate steps to implement Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 in an effective manner, the minister said his action of disseminating information to the public by any stretch of imagination cannot expose him to "tortious proceedings".
The private companies could not claim that they have not faulted at any point of time in their business, he said, and claimed he has material to prove that the firms had indulged in milk adulteration.
He sought that the court dismiss the suit.
Besides seeking Rs one crore each as damages for charging them with adulterating milk with noxious chemicals, including formaldehyde, the companies had also sought to restrain the minister from making statements or remarks and insinuations directly disparaging the plaintiffs milk or milk products manufactured and marketed by them to the media.
They had submitted that his remarks were meant to create a "sense of fear and panic" in the minds of consumers, a sense of "disgust and revulsion" on milk and milk products manufactured by private dairies as a whole and their product in particular.
The companies while mentioning the statement by Central Laboratories, had said they had not received any test samples from the Tamil Nadu government.
Jul 26, 2017
Govt, Aavin can’t take samples of pvt dairies
HC seeks reply on plea by milk producers.
Chennai: The Madras high court has restrained the Tamil Nadu government and state-run milk supplier Aavin from collecting samples of milk products of two private milk dairies, facing allegations of adulteration, for testing till further orders.
When two petitions filed by Hatsun Agro Products Limited and Vijay Dairy and Farm Products Private Limited came up for hearing before Justice M Duraiswamy on Tuesday, the judge passed the interim order.
The petitioners submitted that the private milk producers come under the ambit of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the state government has no role in governing them.
They also opposed Aavin collecting samples for tests. Aavin is a direct competitor and conducting such inspections would amount to an illegal exercise of its powers.
However, the companies willing to offer their products for testing by the FSSAI. Hence, they prayed the court to restrain the state authorities from conducting inspections and collecting samples of their products.
The judge then adjourned the matter for four weeks and sought the government’s reply on the plea.
It may be noted that in May state milk and dairy development minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji had alleged that the private milk suppliers added chemicals to extend the longevity of their milk products.
Jul 25, 2017
Gutka seized
Gutka seized from a godown in Indra Nagar in Erode on Monday.
Food safety officials carried out raids at various parts of Erode
Officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department raided a godown in the city and seized banned gutka items worth Rs. 7 lakh here on Monday.
A 15-member team led by Designated Officer T. Kalaivani along with food safety inspectors and officials, divided into three teams, carried out inspection at tea shops and petty shops in the city.
The drive is to mainly focus on seizing the banned gutka items that were being sold. The team found Rs. 6,000 worth gutka items at shops in bus stand area and Rs. 10,000 worth gutka items at shops near market area. Inquiries revealed that they were supplied the banned items from godown in Indira Nagar.
Officials raided the godown belonging to Yogesh (32) and found 83 bundles of gutka items worth Rs. 7 lakh. Inquiries revealed that the banned item was distributed to retail shops from the godown. Officials seized the items and sealed the godown. A complaint was lodged with Karungalpalayam police who are conducting inquiry.
India’s food regulator should learn from middle-income countries: Report
India needs to look beyond food regulations in the US and learn from the middle income countries, such as Vietnam, New Zealand, China, and the UK, a report on FSSAI
FSSAI, which came in the limelight in June 2015 for cracking down on Nestle India, mainly follows the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to set standards and rules regarding food safety.
New Delhi: To ensure safe food across the country, India needs to look beyond food regulations in the United States and learn from the middle income countries, like Vietnam, New Zealand, China, Netherlands and the UK, Donald Macrae, senior consultant on regulatory reform, World Bank Group, said in a report on the country’s food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Macrae’s report was based on FSSAI’s request to the Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP), a public-private initiative of the World Bank Group, to advise it on international engagements.
“Most of its (FSSAI’s) partnerships have been with developed countries but it has much to learn from other middle income countries that are facing similar issues at present or have faced them recently and moved through them,” Macrae said in the report.
With an engagement with Vietnam, FSSAI can learn impact of slow urbanisation and how to deal with rural population (close to 70% India’s population still live in rural areas), and how to establish surveillance plans for sampling nationwide among others, the report noted.
From China, it could learn how to deal with scaling up operations that covers 1.3 billion people, risk assessment, adaptation of modern systems and seamless co-ordination between the centre, states and the municipalities, Macrae said.
According to Macrae, FSSAI should follow the United Kingdom for regulatory delivery, regulating the ‘meta-market’, third party certification, risk-based inspection and planning, consumer focus and trust. The Indian food regulator should learn risk communication and compliance support from Netherlands and New Zealand respectively, he added.
FSSAI, which came in the limelight in June 2015 for cracking down on Nestle India Ltd after the Swiss food-maker’s popular snack Maggi instant noodles were suspected to contain fragrance enhancer monosodium glutamate and excess lead, mainly follows the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to set standards and rules regarding food safety.
“For FSSAI, the regulatory objective is to ensure a supply of safe and wholesome food, not to ensure a revenue stream of fines for violations. Punishing those who do not comply because of capacity issues does not solve their capacity issues or deliver safe and wholesome food,” Macrae said in an emailed response to Mint queries.
According to Macrae, under Pawan Kumar Agarwal, the current chief executive officer of FSSAI, the regulator is focusing on the new approach of “supporting those willing to comply, in order that their challenges in complying are overcome and they then deliver safe and wholesome food”. “This focus is in line with what is happening across the world and FSSAI is being truly innovative in tackling this new approach,” added Macrae.
Agarwal could not be reached for comments
FSSAI bans stapler pins in tea bags from January 2018
NEW DELHI, JULY 24:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday said it is banning the use of stapler pins in tea bags effective January 1, 2018.
The move is expected to affect the fast growing packaged tea business in the country, as FSSAI has deemed the use of stapler pins in tea bag a serious health hazard.
It said in an order: “The use of stapler pins in tea bags poses potential hazard to consumers since any loose staple pin consumed inadvertently with tea may cause a serious health hazard.”
Currently, tea bags are either stapled or knotted.
“The Food Authority, in exercise of the power conferred under Section (15) FSS Act, 2006, hereby directs the concerned food business operators to discontinue the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of stapled tea bags by January 1, 2018.”
It has also directed all food safety commissioners to take action to prevent the use of unsafe packaging materials by companies and take up measures for enforcement of its order.
According to industry estimates, the tea bag segment contributes 3-4 per cent by value of total tea sales but it is one of the fastest growing segments at 50-60 per cent year-on-year.
FSSAI to decide over introducing pictorial warning on liquor bottles, alcoholic beverages
Delhi High court, which heard the plea on May 18, refused to give a direction to increase the size of statutory warning on liquor bottles and packaging, saying it was in the realm of policy making.
Pictorial messages will serve as an alert or reminder to road users about the hazards of drunk driving and help in reducing the risk of road accidents tragedies.
Liquor bottles in the country may soon carry pictorial messages cautioning people against ill effects of alcohol and warning them about drunk driving. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is in the process of finalising standards for alcoholic beverage, is studying global practices regarding pictorial warnings and messages around drunk driving, an official said.
“We are examining international practices regarding pictorial warnings and messages around drunk driving and alcohol consumption. After this we will finalise our recomendations for inclusion of such warnings in regulations for alcoholic beverages that are being finalised,” the FSSAI official, who did not wish to be named, said. NGO Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Delhi High Court seeking pictorial warning on drunk driving on all alcohol bottles, Indian or Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
The court, which heard the plea on May 18, refused to give a direction to increase the size of statutory warning on liquor bottles and packaging, saying it was in the realm of policy making.
However, it had directed the FSSAI, under the ministry of health, to consider the plea as a suggestion and take a firm view in this regard. “I have met officials at FSSAI and given them four designs along with messages to be used as part of the bottle label. Pictorial warnings are critical as they are understood, easily without any language barrier and also comprehensible by persons who cannot read or write,” said Prince Singhal, activist and founder of CADD.
He said pictorial messages will serve as an alert or reminder to road users about the hazards of drunk driving and help in reducing the risk of road accidents tragedies.
India loses over 1,46,000 lives every year out of which 1,00,000 are due to drunk driving, Singhal claimed, adding drunk driving is also responsible for over 72 per cent of fatal road accidents.
THE RICE AND FALL OF ‘PLASTIC’
After rigorous testing, Centre dismisses reports of plastic rice and egg; calls it a case of adulteration
In an attempt to put an end to the long-drawn debate on “fake” eggs and rice, the Centre has stepped in. Now, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, after testing samples from across the country, has concluded that there is no such thing as 'plastic' rice. It all boils down to adulteration.
The department of food and public distribution had collected samples from 29 states and 7 Union territories in the country and a total of 39,284 samples were analysed. The conclusion was that there was no plastic rice and the department stated that it was actually just poor quality rice.
CR Chaudhury, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution, said: "While plastic rice rumours were doing the rounds on social media, the matter was taken up with the Kerala and Gujarat governments on the basis of an International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) alert. The governments concerned have confirmed that there has been no such reports in their respective states. "
Random sampling was done and from Karnataka, 2,837 samples were received for testing and analysis. It was found that 341 samples were adulterated and the remaining proved that it was low quality rice. The department has launched 26 criminal cases and 112 civil cases on manufacturers and penalized them too. 112 manufacturers have been penalized and penalties totalling Rs. 21,95,900 were received. The sampling and testing was done by officials of the Food safety departments of the respective states to check compliance of standards laid down under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations.
Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, YG Shadakshari, Director of Research, University of Agricultural Sciences, said, "It is very expensive to manufacture plastic rice. It is so expensive that it is not possible at all. I really wonder how these rumours came up. As per our testing based on samples received by Bangalore Mirror, we found it was only low quality rice. The government needs to probe whether adulteration is the main cause of all these plastic rumours." While the testing was headed by Prof KV Jamuna, UAS, she said, "When we did detailed research and testing, it was found out that this is totally a case of low quality rice. What residents of the city found was rice that had expired was being sold. Otherwise, something like 'plastic' is a bizarre thing to make."
No fake eggs either
Another grave issue that was making rounds on social media was 'plastic' eggs. Dr Murthy, Dean of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Science University, who did a complete test on eggs and said they were 'rotten' and 'spoiled'.
Focus on food safety, health officers told
Pointing out the loopholes in maintaining food safety measures, Deputy Commissioner H.R. Mahadev has directed health officers to pay adequate attention to the issue. He was presiding over a meeting of District Coordination Committee on Food Safety at his office here on Monday.
Shivashankar, Food Safety Officer, told the meeting that 314 of the 1,473 food outlets in Bidar taluk and 68 of the 825 outlets in Bhalki were registered.
Mr. Mahadev directed the officers to complete registration in all taluks. He asked the officers to speed up registrations in Humnabad, Basavakalyan and Aurad taluks that were far behind in the task.
The officers told the meeting that they had obtained nine unsafe food samples and imposed a fine of Rs. 92,000 on the outlets that had violated norms. They also said that taluk level squads were formed to monitor the implementation of food safety norms.
Tahsildars from different taluks, District Health and Family Welfare officer M.M. Jabbar, officers Anil Chinthamani, Indumathi Patil, Mallikarjun and D.S. Hawaldar and others were present.
30 students fall ill after eating hostel food
M. Lokesh, Deputy Commissioner, speaking to a student admitted to McGann Hospital in Shivamogga on Monday. Abhinav Khare, Superintendent of Police, looks on.
Looks like a case of food poisoning: Medical Superintendent
As many as 30 students at Morarji Desai Government Residential School in Gajanur village near here who fell ill owing to suspected food poisoning have been admitted to McGann Hospital, a government hospital attached to Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences, in the city on Sunday night.
Of the 321 students who had dinner at the hostel on Sunday night, 30 complained of stomach ache and vomiting. The wardens immediately admitted them at McGann Hospital where they were administered fluids and medicines intravenously.
On Monday, Deputy Commissioner M. Lokesh visited the hospital and spoke to the children. Mr. Lokesh said the samples of food served to the students and drinking water at the hostel have been sent to the laboratory for testing.
T.B. Satyanarayan, Medical Superintendent of McGann Hospital, said that the health condition of all the students was stable. “Prima facie is appears to be a case of food poisoning. However, though the same food was served for all 321 students that includes 160 boys and 161 girls, only 30 girls have fallen ill. The exact reason for the problem will be ascertained after the results of the tests conducted on food and drinking water samples are made available. The condition of the students is being closely monitored and they are likely to be discharged on Tuesday evening,” he said.
Street food vendors keep health squads on toes
One of the unhygienic eateries which was removed by a special squad in Thripunithura recently.
Need to create hygienic space for business stressed
The street food vendors continue to keep the health squads on their toes as they appear again at the same place from where they were removed for allegedly vending unhygienic food.
The district administration’s squads, with the support of local bodies, are active in the city and the surrounding municipalities. It is the local body concerned that should take a call on the street vending on government land. However, no local body is ready to give space for the street vendors in the time of communicable diseases that is keeping the health authorities on the look out for anything that could be a public health hazard.
District Food Safety Officer, Ernakulam, K.V. Shibu told The Hindu that food safety laws promote hygienic street food vending and any person who promises to vend food in safe and hygienic manner cannot be denied licence.
However, the municipal rules do not allow the civic authorities to permit people to use roadsides or other government land to set up even temporary stalls.
According to food safety rules, street food vending is permitted with certain conditions.
The local bodies need to accommodate the street food vendors by creating hygienic space and give them licence to do business. There had never been a serious effort in settling the issues of the street vendors.
Street food vending is popular on the highways where there is more truck movement and at places where people are working night shifts.
Kalamassery, Seaport-Airport Road, and Thripunithura are some of the places where street food vending has become more popular.
Lizard in idli, 65 girls fall sick in government women’s college
Chennai: A lizard in an idli served at a government women's college hostel landed 65 students in the hospital late on Sunday night.
Students of Quaid-e-Millath Government College for Women were rushed to two hospitals around midnight. They complained of uneasiness and nausea after having dinner in their hostel mess.
While 48 of the students were taken to Government Royapettah Hospital (GRH), 17 were admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.Dr Anand Pratap, GRH resident medical officer (RMO), saidfour of them had diarrhoea. "The rest had just anxiety-induced nausea," he said. All the students were sent back after being observed overnight. Doctors said shortly after a student found a lizard in an idli, many of the students consumed salt water with tamarind to fight off nausea. "This made some of them throw up and feel even more ill," said Dr A Elango, RMO of Government General Hospital. On Monday morning, two teams from the state food safety department and the health department of Greater Chennai Corporation inspected the hostel mess and collected samples for testing. "We have collected samples of the idli batter, water and sambhar," said R Kathiravan, designated food safety officer for Chennai.
Geetha Rajan, principal of the college, said the students were sent back to their families on Monday. "The doctors advised them a week's rest. We will also use the time to renovate the hostel mess," she said.
This isn't the first time students in the college hostel have fallen ill after having food served to them. In October, 2015, 27 students from the institution sought medical help with complains of stomach ache and vomiting after having stale coconut rice from the mess.
"Even at the time of inspection, the sanitary conditions in the kitchen were poor. It was infested with cockroaches," said a member of the investigation team. This was vouched by a student, who did not wish to be named. "Students here keep falling ill on and off, but authorities notice only when a lot of us are sick," said a second-year student.
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