FSSAI asks corporates to spread message of food safety,

Food regulator FSSAI today asked corporates to actively involved in the efforts to spread the message of food safety and nutrition in the country. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organised a workshop on social mobilisation for 'Safe and Nutritious Food: A way of life'. Broad theme was 'Corporates for Safe and Nutritious Food', focused on building a coalition of corporates and design specific interventions that companies can take up.

Over 100 participants from the corporate sector, mainly food businesses came out in full support of FSSAI in its efforts to provide safe and nutritious food to the citizens, FSSAI said in a statement. 

Speaking at the event, FSSAI Chairperson Ashish Bahuguna urged corporates to "get actively involved in the efforts to spread the message of food safety and nutrition".

He hoped that this is just the beginning of long-term engagement between FSSAI and food businesses for social mobilisation. 

FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal elaborated on various initiatives by the regulator for spreading the message of food safety and nutrition at different places like home, schools, work places and eating places etc. 

Among corporates that included both Indian food companies like Dabur and Britannia to multinationals such as Nestle, Mondelez, Pepsi, there was a general consensus that investing in food safety and nutrition is smart, right and sustainable thing to do. 

In his keynote address, Dr Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improvement of Nutrition (GAIN) pointed out that it is in the interest of businesses to invest in food safety and nutrition. 

Santosh Desai, Managing Director, Future Brands, described how there has been a fundamental shift in the thinking of corporates about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

On this occasion, FSSAI also launched its new website, a water portal and food safety connect for an integrated complaint redressal system.

100 illegal packaged water units still in Tiruvallur, Kanchi

CHENNAI: Close to six months after the deadline set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to obtain licences expired, around 100 packaged water units continue to operate in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallurdistricts without required documents.

The food safety department said repeated warnings to these manufacturers had gone unheeded and that its officials had begun sending legal notices to them, asking them to shut shop. The packaged water sector in the two districts accounts for 80% of the industry that caters to the city. Many of these units, food safety officials said, however, had certificates from the Bureau of Indian Standards.

As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2011, a licence is compulsory for any food business with an annual turnover in excess of Rs 12 lakh. Those with a lower turnover must register with the state food safety department. The FSSAIndia gave these businesses at least five extensions. The last deadline expired on August 2, 2016.

R Kathiravan, designated food safety officer, Chennai, said all the 17 packaged water units in Chennai with BIS certificates also procured licences from the food safety department, while officials identified 97 units in Kancheepuram and Tiruvalluroperating without the required documents. In all, there are around 300 licensed manufacturers in the three districts.

Last week, officers in the two districts held a meeting with members of the Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association asking them to get these units to register themselves or face legal action. A vendor or packaged water unit that fails to register or obtain a licence is liable to be forced to shut, pay fines ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 10 lakh or face imprisonment of up to six months. Although the department has been taking periodic action, shutting two units in Chennai in November, officials say they are still unsure of the procedure. Many businesses had not obtained licences or taken registration seriously because the authorities had extended the deadline several times, an official said. "After the last deadline, we haven't got any clear-cut instructions from the central government," said an official. Lack of awareness about the act could also be a reason for laxity in compliance, he added.

A Shakespeare, general secretary of the TN Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, said some of the manufacturers had reservations about the act terming it "too stringent and impractical" and the penalties too harsh. "But we are spreading awareness and coercing them to comply with the Act," he said.

Pune, Nashik with most cases of poor quality milk

Pune: Nashik and Pune divisions recorded maximum cases of substandard milk in the state in 2016-17.

However in over 95% cases, the substandard milk was not found unsafe for human consumption, but only lacked in standards of fat and 'solids not fat' (SNF) as set by the law. Simply put together, it means that significant amount of milk in the state continues to being adulterated using water — an age-old method employed by people to make quick money.

Between April 1, 2016 and January 25, 2017, food safety officials drew 1,392 samples of milk from suppliers, dairies, distributors and vendors from the state's seven administrative divisions, including Pune and Nashik. Among them, the laboratory report of 731 samples is still awaited.

Of the 661 samples tested at designated laboratories, 482 conformed to the standards while 179 samples (27%) were found to be of substandard quality.

"Among these 179 substandard samples, the Nashik division reported the highest 59 while the Pune division stayed a close second with 46. The samples didn't conform to standards laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)," Chandrashekhar Salunke, joint commissioner (headquarters), state FDA, told TOI.

The samples were taken from milk collection centres, tankers, processing units, local dairies and vendors and tested at notified public health laboratories.

Salunke said barring three samples, two of adulteration with sugar and one of adulteration with sugar with bicarbonate, the rest of the 175 samples were only substandard, but safe for consumption. "This means they lacked in the amount of fat and SNF as set by the law," he added.

The two samples found laced with sugar were drawn from Sangli district and a sample laced with sugar and bicarbonate was drawn from Solpaur district.

When contacted, S S Desai, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune division, said, "We have already initiated legal action against the milk suppliers in Sangli and Solapur where the three samples drawn were found unsafe for human consumption."

Uday Vanjari, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Nashik division, said, "All the samples in Nashik that didn't conform to the standards were low on fat percentage of SNF. We can impose fine up to Rs 5 lakh in such cases."

Among the other divisions, Brihan Mumbai recorded sixteen cases of substandard milk, followed by Konkan (29), Aurangabad (18), Amaravati (5) and Nagpur (6).

The Pune administrative division includes Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur districts while that of Nashik includes Nashik, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Dhule and Nandurbar districts.

How to keep check on homemade chocolates

Another food safety norm that comes to mind concerns ingredients used in homemade chocolates and if they are free from adulteration and contamination.

Chocolates are the best form of celebrating happiness, expressing love and gratitude towards our loved ones, The delicately moulded, artistic pieces are not only good to look at but are something sweet-toothed Indians find irresistible. While it could be true that you don’t mind the premium these speciality homemade chocolates command but have you ever stopped to think if these chocolates are safe to consume?

The homemade chocolate industry comprises the organised as well as the unorganised sector. Even in the organised sector this variety of chocolates is called homemade simply because they cannot be mass produced but are made in batches of a few kilograms. Why they are different from the mass produced industrial chocolate is that they have less sweetness, smooth texture and a refined and distinct taste and exotic fillings.

However, no one knows if these chocolate makers have a license from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and if their manufacturing units or kitchens have been inspected by health and food inspectors for hygiene and sanitation. Other markers for food safety are whether FSSAI permitted flavours and colors are being used in homemade chocolates as non-permitted additives are a health hazard. So before buying the chocolates ask the seller if they have an FSSAI license or not.

Another food safety norm that comes to mind concerns ingredients used in homemade chocolates and if they are free from adulteration and contamination. Cocoa is the main ingredient used in making home-made chocolates, followed by dry fruits and some chocolatiers also use herbs and other fillings of fruits and jams. It is a well-known fact that unless cocoa beans are roasted adequately and handled hygienically they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella spp. bacteria. Other raw materials like milk and eggs also need to be adequately heat-treated and handled hygienically to keep them free from bacterial contamination. Personal hygiene can cause major issues as homemade chocolates are finished by hand-dipping. There are other ways microbial contaminants can be introduced into chocolates via other ingredients being used or unhygienic handling and packaging. 

It is quite clear that the all-time favorite chocolates can also be contaminated which is a real threat to our health. Since, young children consume large quantities of chocolates it is important to safeguard their health. Therefore, chocolate manufacturers should take the utmost care in maintaining high standards of quality. Moreover, standards and regulations must be followed so consumers can be provided with safe chocolates and chocolate products.

Any label information?

Homemade chocolates in the unorganised sector do not carry any label information. There is no list of ingredients so consumers with food allergies must take precautions or avoid eating homemade chocolates that contain unknown ingredients.

The packaging in some homemade chocolates has no manufacturing, expiry or best before date so there is no way to know how much shelf life they have left. Homemade chocolates in speciality stores usually have a shelf life of only 2 to 3 weeks at room temperature.

Stored at the right temperature?

Chocolates need to be stored in the right temperature or they could deteriorate in appearance and texture. A crack or a whitish cast or sheen on the chocolate means it has not been stored at the right temperature. Homemade chocolates can also develop moulds and therefore they need to be visually inspected before you buy them. Since the chocolates are likely to be wrapped it is difficult to tell before you open the covering.

Enjoy your homemade chocolates and gift them by all means but do ensure that you buy them only from a licensed outlet so you do not fall prey to health concerns.