நல்ல தேனை கண்டறிவது எப்படி?

தேன், நினைத்தாலே இனிக்கும் இயற்கையின் அற்புதம். தேனை விரும்பாதவர்கள் குறைவு. கெட்டுப்போகாத ஒரே உணவுப் பொருள் என்றால் அது தேன் மட்டும்தான். பழங்காலம் தொட்டே மருந்திலும், விருந்திலும் தவறாமல் இடம்பெற்றிருந்த தேனில் கலப்படம் என்பதும் ஹைதர்காலத்து பழைய சமாச்சாரம்தான். இன்றைய வர்த்தகமயமான சூழலில் வளர்ப்புத் தேனீக்கள் மூலம் கிடைக்கும் தேன் பெருகிவிட்டது. கூடவே கலப்படமும் இவற்றில் நிறையவே நடப்பதாகக் கூறப்படுகின்றது. இவை கண்ணாடி பாட்டில்களில் அடைக்கப்பட்டு வண்ணமயமான ஸ்டிக்கர்களுடன் கணஜோராக காட்சியளிக்கின்றன. கிட்டத்தட்ட எல்லா பாட்டில்களின் லேபிளின் மீதும் 'ஒரிஜுனல் நேச்சுரல் ஹனி' என்றே குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கின்றது. சூப்பர்மார்க்கெட்களில் அடுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் இந்தத் தேனின் பளபளப்பான நிறம் நம் அனைவரின் கண்களையும் ஈர்க்கவே செய்கின்றது. ஆனால், எளிதில் கலப்படம் செய்யக்கூடிய பொருட்களில் முதலிடம் வகிப்பது தேன்தான். 

வணிக நோக்கத்துக்காக சில நிறுவனங்கள் தேனில் வெள்ளை சர்க்கரையைக் கலந்து விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றன. தங்களது வியாபாரத்தைப் பெருக்க, இந்திய உணவுத் தரக் கட்டுப்பாட்டு அமைப்பு விதித்திருக்கும் கட்டுப்பாடுகளை தனியார் நிறுவனங்கள் சாமர்த்தியமாக மீறுவதை வாடிக்கையாகக் கொண்டிருக்கின்றன. இதுபோன்ற கலப்படங்களின் விளைவாக தேனுக்கான மகத்துவமும், மருத்துவ குணமும் இல்லாமல் போகிறது. மேலும் தேனில் மற்ற சில கலப்படங்களும் நடக்கின்றன. இந்தக் கலப்படங்களைக் கண்டறிவது எப்படி, நல்ல தேனை எப்படிக் கண்டுப்பிடிப்பது போன்ற விஷயங்களை அனைவரும் அறிந்து கொள்ளவேண்டும். 

* ஒரு சிறு கிண்ணத்தில் தண்ணீரை நிரப்பி, அதில் ஒரு சொட்டுத்தேனை விடவும். தண்ணீரில் அது கரைந்தால், அது கலப்படம் செய்யப்பட்டது. கரைந்து போகாமல் நேராக பாத்திரத்தின் கீழே சென்று தங்கினால், அது சுத்தமான தேன்.

* சுத்தமான காட்டன் துணியை தேனில் நனைத்து, அதை எரியும் தீக்குச்சியில் காண்பித்தால், நன்றாக சுடர்விட்டு பற்றி எரியும். அப்படி எரிந்தால் அது சுத்தமானது. 

* சிறிதளவு தேனை எடுத்து வாணலியில் சூடு செய்தால், அதன் அடர்த்தி குறைந்து, உருகிவிடும். பின்னர் அடுப்பை அணைத்து விடவேண்டும். சுத்தமானதாக இருந்தால், சில மணி நேரங்களானதும், பழைய அடர்த்தியை அடைந்துவிடும். கலப்படம் செய்யப்பட்டதாக இருந்தால், இழந்த அடர்த்தியைத் திரும்பப் பெறாது.

* தேனை கண்ணாடி ஜாரில் ஊற்றி, சில மணிநேரம் வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும். சுத்தமான தேனாக இருந்தால், அடர்த்தி ஒரே சீராக இருப்பதுடன், நிழல் போன்ற அடுக்குப் படலம் ஏற்படாது. தேனின் நிறம் ஒரே சீராக இருக்கும். கலப்படம் செய்த தேனின் அடர்த்தி மாறுபடும். 

* சுத்தமான தேனுக்கு அடர்த்தி அதிகம். அதை ஸ்பூனில் எடுத்து கிண்ணத்தில் விட்டால், மெல்லிய நூல் இழை போல் இறங்கும். கலப்படம் செய்யப்பட்ட தேன், சொட்டு சொட்டாக வடியும். 

 சுத்தமான தேனை ஒரு பாத்திரத்தில் இருந்து மற்றொரு பாத்திரத்துக்கு மாற்றினால், அதன் அடர்த்தி காரணமாக உடனே ஒட்டாமல் குமிழ் போல பரவி, பாத்திரத்தின் வடிவத்துக்கு ஏற்ப தேன் சம நிலை பெற சிறிது நேரம் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளும். கலப்படம் மிகுந்த தேனை பாத்திரத்தில் ஊற்றினால், உடனேயே தண்ணீர் போல பாத்திரத்தில் சமநிலையில் இருக்கும்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Gurgaon: MCG will set up lab to check food adulteration

The lab can assist the MCG in expanding their dedicated street food vending zones across the city. 

If you are suspicious of the quality of food or beverage being served and feel it is adulterated, you can soon find out the chemical and metallic contents of the item with the help of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG).

The MCG will partner with a leading pharmaceutical company recommended by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to set up a food and water testing laboratory in Gurgaon.

Although the service will be open to public, from MCG’s perspective, the lab can assist in expanding and replicating their dedicated street food vending zones across the city.

“Once food and water served at the street vending zones are certified that they are within the permissible safety limit and do not include high content of metals or other harmful elements, the MCG is looking to expand the scope of the project to other parts of the city,” Vivek Kalia, joint commissioner of the MCG, said.

At the two street vending zones in sectors 38 and 4, the hawking zones offer snacks and beverages at nominal rates.

At each zone, 20 hawkers have set up stalls and serve a range of dishes, including paranthas, vegetarian dishes, maggi, bread and egg, hot and cold beverages, rajma chawal and kadhi chawal, costing between Rs 15 and Rs 70. The MCG has earmarked 31 areas where the zones can be replicated.

Kalia said the new lab will be accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL) and adhere to ISO guidelines.

Some of the technologically advanced instruments in the project will include high pressure liquid chromatography (used to separate, identify, and quantify each component in a mixture), ultra water purifying system (used to identify mineral content in liquids), and a dedicated microbiological department that will identify bacteria and microbes in an item.

The MCG said public can test their samples at nominal rates and results can be returned within a month. It is expected to open towards 2017-end, though the MCG is yet to finalise a location to establish the lab.

Time to come down hard on those adulterating food

Traces of harmful chemicals indicate rampant adulteration of milk. The adulteration of milk is particularly worrying as it affects young children the most. 

There have been task forces and committees galore to look into the issue of food adulteration but nothing much has come of these. Clearly, the only solution to this is stricter laws and penalties and this is what the Law Commission has recommended. It has suggested that those convicted of manufacturing and selling adulterated food should be given life imprisonment or pay ₹10 lakh as fine. In its report The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Provisions dealing with Food Adulteration) submitted to the law ministry, the law panel has proposed amendments to sections 272 and 273 of the Indian Penal Code. At present the penalty starts from a mere six months in prison. Grading “injury” to those consuming these adulterated products into various categories, the Commission has recommended different jail terms and fines. Section 272 deals with manufacture of adulterated items, section 273 deals with their sale.

According to the amendments proposed, a “non grievous injury” may attract jail term of one year and a fine of ₹ 3 lakh. A grievous injury will fetch a jail term of six years and a fine of ₹ 5 lakh. At the same time, the Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations has to be strengthened to stop what really amounts to slow poisoning through unregulated use of pesticides, antibiotics and other harmful chemicals and additives in food and other items of daily consumption. An earlier study found that one in five of food items contained some form of adulterant. Many of these are used daily like water and milk. The adulteration of milk is particularly worrying as it affects young children the most. One of the most frightening instances of adulteration was that of low quality khesari dal being added to arhar dal resulting in paralysis of the lower body. This toxic dal had been banned since 1961 but was freely used over the years. Another report released a few years ago referred to `permissible’ levels of rat excreta in milled flour. Even high end products in India do not have proper labelling, prime among them being cosmetic products.

The Indian penchant to adulterate goes as far as goods being exported. A consignment of Indian pepper was turned back from a European country on account of its containing poor quality berry substitutes. This adulteration affects the health of people at every level, causing life threatening morbidities and in some cases death. Cutting corners for profit in items of daily use cannot be dealt with on a piecemeal basis. A stricter law will be a deterrent once the conviction rate which is abysmal at the moment goes up. The Law Commission’s suggestions are a sign that the cavalier attitude to food adulteration is changing and this must be followed through.

Panel wants stricter law against food adulteration

 

New Delhi, Jan 19,2017, DHNS:

Suggests life term in cases that lead to death

The Law Commission has recommended changes in the penal law to enhance punishment from the existing six months jail to life term for food adulteration resulting in the death of a consumer. 

It also suggested changing laws to award maximum compensation of Rs 10 lakh for pre-mature death.

“The Law Commission considers that the provisions to deal with the production and sale of adulterated food, which is harmful to human beings, be made more stringent, keeping in view the gravity of the offence. The existing maximum punishment of six months for such offences under the IPC is grossly inadequate,” panel chairman Justice B S Chauhan stated in a report submitted to the Centre on Wednesday.

The panel favoured the “punishment essentially be graded with reference to the harm caused to the consumer due to the consumption of adulterated food and drinks”.

It recommended suitable changes in Sections 272 and 273 of the Indian Penal Code.

“The low quantum of punishment and uncertainty surrounding sentencing lends itself to and encourages food safety offences. Raising the overall limit of punishment cannot be enough, however, and a graded framework is hence proposed,” it said.

On a PIL by Swami Achyutanand Tirth, the apex court had in May directed the Centre to bring in amendments in the Indian Penal Code, as done by states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha , enhancing jail term to the imprisonment for life with or without fine for the offence of food adulteration.

The commission made the report based on a reference by the Union government in November for a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system.

RMC, FDA team raids fruit market, finds use of carbide to ripen fruits

Raipur, January 18: Food and Drugs Administration, Raipur Municipal Corporation and District Administration joint team conducted raid of Lalpur and Malviya Road Fruit Market, in a joint operation.
The action had been taken after doubts were raised over the ripening of fruits using carbide.
From Lalpur based fruit market around 2300 kg banana while from Malviya road fruit market 5500 Kg papaya and 80 Kg Mango was seized. These fruits have been ripened using carbide gas.

Based on Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations the ripening of fruits using carbide has been banned.
According to Ashwani Dewangan, Assistant Commissioner, Food and Drugs administration such raids and action would be carried out further.

Green protocol for Attukal Pongala

Use of plastic to be restricted; Pink Patrol team to be deployed for security

The city Corporation and Shuchitwa Mission will come together to implement the green protocol at the Attukal Pongala festival, to be held from March 3 to 12.

The decision was taken at a meeting held on Tuesday to examine the arrangements being made at the Corporation level for the festival.

As part of the protocol, devotees who take part in the Pongala will be instructed to bring only steel glasses and plates, in order to limit the use of plastic at the venue. Directions were also given at the meeting to prevent the installation of flex boards in connection with the festival.

Groups and clubs extending voluntary help at the festival have been requested to cooperate with the protocol.

CCTV cameras

Pink Patrol will be deployed to ensure the safety of female devotees. Apart from this, around 3,500 police officers will be deputed in two shifts.

Further, CCTV cameras will be installed to prevent robbery during the festival. Directions were also issued at the meeting to various departments in order to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.

The Food Safety Department was asked to ensure that disposable glasses and plates were not used for Annadaanam at the festival. A special squad will be arranged under the department for ensuring good quality food.

Instructions were also given for ensuring drinking water, the fixing of potholes on roads under the Corporation and the National Highway division, the cleaning of sewers, and the maintenance of street lights in the festival area.

The medical team will begin operation from March 5, in view of Kuthiyottam.

Fire extinguishers will be deployed at various spots around the festival venue, including the parking area.

FSSAI to play tough with direct selling companies

NEW DELHI: After packaged food industry and street food vendors, the food safety regulator is set to tighten the noose around direct selling companies and agents.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft guidelines proposing to make it mandatory for such companies to seek regulatory nod before launching or selling food products in India.

"It is necessary to ensure that direct selling food business operators have the mechanism to help consumers on issues related to safe and wholesome food," the draft guidelines say.

Direct selling food business operators will also need to update approvals on a quarterly basis, along with details and identities of the sales force. According to the draft guidelines, the direct selling food business operators would have to maintain proper records, either manually or electronically, of their business dealings, with complete details of their products, services, terms of contract, prices, income plan and details of direct selling agents among others. Companies will need to take undertakings of their agents and be liable to sampling and inspections by authorities.

The industry which includes players such as Amway, Avon, Herbalife and Oriflame is pegged at Rs 8,000 crore annually. The proposed guidelines also want direct selling food business operators to spell out clear mechanisms for consumer grievance redressal and product recalls. FSSAI has sought comments from stakeholders by February 2 on the draft guidelines.

In September last year, the ministry of consumer affairs had issued regulatory guidelines on direct selling, creating a distinction between legitimate direct selling and fraudulent schemes.