DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

 

Unniyappam ban: Minister slams food safety dept

Thiruvananthapuram: The food safety department's order to stop the sale and distribution of unniyappam as prasadam at Sabarimala was 'most inappropriate and a decision which has crossed all the limits', said devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran.

The order, on the ground that they were not fit for human consumption, comes at the fag-end of the pilgrim season with just another two weeks left for Makaravilaku, which raises suspicion about the very motive behind it, the minster told reporters here on Tuesday. "The appams are made of rice and ghee brought by the pilgrims in their irumudikkettu, which definitely will be of high quality. And they are prepared strictly adhering to the food safety standards," he said.

The minister said that the restrictions were being imposed based on a high court verdict in the past, which said not to use items brought by pilgrims in their irumudikkettu to make prasadam. "The government has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to approach the high court to get the order revoked. Besides, we have appealed to the food safety commissioner to withdraw the restriction," he said.

FSSAI seeks public comment on regulation of food fortification

Food regulator FSSAI has sought public comments on draft standards for fortification of seven food items - salt, oil, milk, vanaspati, atta, maida and rice. 

Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, Vitamin A & D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content.

"We had formulated a comprehensive regulation on food fortification. The draft guidelines were operationalised in October in public interest. Now, a gazette notification has been issued seeking public comments within 30 days," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal told PTI. 

He said a final guidelines would be issued after taking into consideration the public comments. 

FSSAI has invited suggestions and objections from the stakeholders within a period of 30 days from the date of publication of the draft notification on 'Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016'. 

The gazette notification was issued on December 23 and uploaded today on FSSAI's website. 

The guideline prescribe the standards for fortification of salt, oil, milk, vanaspati, atta, maida and rice. 

"The control of micronutrient deficiencies is an essential part of the overarching effort of the Government to fight hunger and malnutrition in the country," FSSAI said. 

Food fortification is a simple, proven, cost effective and complementary strategy that has been used across the globe to safely and effectively prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies, it added. 

As per this regulation, fortified food should bear the logo as prescribed. The regulations also provide for specific role of FSSAI in promotion for food fortification. 

FSSAI has set standards for fortification of salt with iodine and iron; of vegetable oil and milk with Vitamin A and D; wheat flour and rice with iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin A and some other micronutrients.

Want to calculate toxic compounds you’re consuming?

London [UK]: It has already been a known fact that though seafood is considered as a healthy option for its high level of proteins and vitamins, it can also put human at risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals with rising pollution levels in the sea.

Hence, a study has come up with a new fish calculator that allows you to determine if the amount of pomfret or salmon you are eating each week is actually safe, reports the Daily Mail.

The dangerous toxic compounds in the sea are known to have harmful effects on the body and in some cases too much can be fatal, scientists claim.

However, the new tool can instantly work out someone’s average exposure to a range of pollutants, giving them time to change their dietary habits.

Designed by Portuguese scientists as part of the ECSafeSEAFOOD project, the calculator asks for users to select their age range.

They are then made to reveal the amount of fish they eat and which species they consume on a weekly basis.

It then assesses their three answers to calculate an estimated exposure to methylmercury and a range of other pollutants.

On a related note, according to the World Health Organisation, Methylmercury can have harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems and can be fatal.

But currently there is no maximum level that has been laid down in EU legislation for levels of the toxic compound in food.

In a separate study, researchers from the Portuguese Marine and Atmosphere Institute in Lisbon assessed varieties of seafood across Europe.

Study author Antonio Marques said, “The exposure to these contaminants through seafood needs to be more finely assessed. Such information is crucial for the European food safety authorities to adjust the legislation.”

However, despite the increase of chemicals in seas and oceans across the planet, seafood is still safe to eat, experts say.