HUL counters Amul with new ad to defend frozen desserts

Ad, which stresses the use of milk in HUL’s products, is seen as a response to a campaign by GCMMF, which owns Amul brand, that claimed frozen desserts contain hydrogenated vegetable oil

Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd, maker of the Kwality Wall’s brand of frozen desserts, has come out with a new ad film stressing the use of milk in its products, taking the ‘ad war’ to the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).

The ad is seen as a response to a campaign by GCMMF, which owns the Amul ice-cream brand, that claimed frozen desserts contain hydrogenated vegetable oil, often called vanaspati.

HUL has already dragged GCMMF to the Bombay high court for the campaign, which it says is “disparaging” towards frozen desserts.

According to regulations of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, ice-creams made with any kind of vegetable fat other than milk fat are termed frozen desserts.

HUL’s 15-second ad, posted on YouTube through the Kwality Wall’s official channel on 17 April, uses the tagline “Kwality Wall’s, Made with Milk”, and shows an animated milk bottle asking animated Kwality Wall’s products: “Who drank the milk?”

The tagline emphasizes that Kwality Wall’s frozen desserts are made with milk, just like ice-creams. The video is accompanied by a caption that says: “It’s time we answer this question and put all the rumours to rest.”

In Amul’s ad, featuring a young girl visiting the dentist, a voice-over urges viewers to give their children “pure” milk ice-creams such as Amul’s rather than frozen desserts made with vanaspati tel or vegetable oil.

The Kwality Wall’s ad was devised by HUL’s creative agency DDB Mudra, which declined to comment.

In an emailed response to Mint’s queries, an HUL spokesperson said, “This is a separate campaign to inform consumers that Kwality Wall’s range is ‘Made with Milk’.”

HUL didn’t specify which channels will be used to play the ad and how much it will invest in the campaign. Although the Kwality Wall’s YouTube channel has only around 4,900 subscribers, HUL has plenty of clout to get its message across to consumers. In the week between 8 and 14 April, for instance, HUL was the top television advertiser, according to data collected by the Broadcast Audience Research Council India.

Brand and consumer analysts say HUL will be compelled to hit back with such ads as sales of ice-creams and frozen desserts rise with onset of summer.

“Until Amul did this (ice-cream versus frozen desserts) ad, I don’t think the consumer gave a damn,” said independent brand expert Harish Bijoor. “The difference between ice-cream and frozen dessert was a footnote. Now, the consumer is curious. Now that HUL has replied, there will be two camps. One which says frozen desserts are fine and another that supports ice-creams.”

Bijoor added that while HUL has taken the legal route in its fight against Amul’s ads, the real challenge for both companies is convincing the Indian consumer.

The Amul-HUL spat is only the latest in a long list of large consumer brands fighting one another in the courtroom while taking digs at each other in their respective ad campaigns. In the court hearings, both sides cited instances including the Ujala fabric whitener campaign that took digs at Robin Blue, and Colgate India’s ad that attacked Dabur’s Lal Dant Manjan.

“Around the world, brand rivalry has shown up in ads. It has been particularly aggressive in markets like the US with famous rivalries like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, or McDonald’s and Wendy’s,” said Harminder Sahni, founder of consumer advisory firm Wazir Advisors.

“I would say India is still very timid with its brand rivalry in ads.”

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2 FSSAI testing labs in TN to be upgraded

Earlier, addressing the meeting, Agarwal said food safety regulations were strictly adhered to in Tamil Nadu, which has the highest number of officials in the department who maintain a high standard as far as food safety is concerned

The Centre has allocated Rs 500 crore to upgrade Food Testing Centres (Lab) across the country, CEO of food regulator FSSAI, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, said today.

Two labs in Tamil Nadu would be taken up for upgradation, he told reporters here on the sidelines of a steering committee meeting held at the District Collectorate.

The Centre had also decided to partner with 124 private testing labs, he said, adding that FSSAI would take efforts to incorporate some suggestions given by private players to the rule book.

Earlier, addressing the meeting, Agarwal said food safety regulations were strictly adhered to in Tamil Nadu, which has the highest number of officials in the department who maintain a high standard as far as food safety is concerned.

FSSAI was successful in sensitising the people in Tamil Nadu on their rights to good food, he said.

Collector T N Hariharan, Corporation Commissioner, Dr Vijayakarthikeyan, and FSSAI Tamil Nadu Commissioner, Amutha were among the officials participated in the meeting.

Whatsapp 9444042322 for all food safety grievances, said CEO, FSSAI in steering Committee Meeting

The steering Committee meeting of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an autonomous body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India was convened at the District Collectorate, this morning. 

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI presided the meeting in the presence of District Collector, TN Hariharan, Tamil Nadu FSSAI Commissioner Amudha, Corporation Commissioner DR. K. Vijayakarthikeyan, Dr.O.L.S.Vijay. Designated Officer,. Tamil Nadu Food Safety & Drug Administration Department and other concerned Officials. 

Addressing the officials, Pawan Kumar, CEO of FSSAI stated that, 'The food safety and regulations is properly followed in Tamil Nadu as the state has the highest number of officials working under FSSAI. And, that Rs. 500 crores have been allotted for enhancing the standards of FSSAI across India. In Coimbatore, the Officials of FSSAI have created awareness programmes on food safety and sensitized people on their rights to consume clean food. Using 7 schools, 17 Colleges and 17 Private Food Outlets, close to 41 outreach programmes have been conducted. As proposed and suggested by few food private establishments, changes will be amended during the course of time' 

People were asked to register their grievances on food safety and regulation at through Whatsapp. And also, those who would like to procure new licenses and renew existing FSSAI licence may visit the website www.fssai.gov.in. 

Bad food? action is a click away

Complaints against food quality and safety, hygiene, sale of expired products, adulteration of food items can be raised through the initiative. District or zonal official will visit the spot to check if the complaint is genuine | nagaraja gadekal

BENGALURU: The next time if you see a cockroach or lizard in your meal, rats in a hotel kitchen or even if the waiter looks unclean, just click a photo and share it with the Food Safety Commissionerate. The Commissioner for Food Safety plans to involve the public in tackling food safety concerns, including hygiene, and promises appropriate action.

Commissioner for Food Safety Subodh Yadav said they recently started an initiative where people with any complaints regarding food quality and safety, hygiene, sale of expired products, adulteration of food items/milk/beverages, mixing of pulses, etc., can send it to their Whatsapp number 9482196639 along with details of the location.

Based on the complaints, the district or zonal official concerned will be sent to the spot for inspection. If the complaint is found to be genuine, action will be taken against the offender. However, if people make false allegations, action will be taken against them too,’’ he warned. Yadav also appealed to people not to forward any messages other than related to food safety.

Deputy Commissioner Dr Harshavardhan B said that since April 1, they have received 22 complaints, mostly from Bengaluru.

These included sale of unhygenic gobi manchurian on roadside cart, abnormal pigments in watermelon and peas, food products without expiry date, packaged water without seal, etc. “Based on the complaints, our officials have issued notices to seven hotels. We cannot ask them to shut, but this will be a warning,’’ he said. He also said once action is taken, the complainant is updated.

The officials are also handing out Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines which hoteliers have to adopt. “If they fail to adopt these guidelines and if we get complaints regarding this, we will take action,” Harshavardhan said.

According to Chandrashekar Hebbar, president of Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers’ Association, they have over 2,000 members right from darshinis to five-star hotels. “There are hundreds of unlicenced hotels, eateries and darshinis in Bengaluru. We have no issues if action against unhygenic hotels, but what about lack of hygience at roadside eateries? These people run their business without permission. How can action be taken against them?’’ he questioned.

“The food is the same, only the cost differs. People in the hotel industry know that they have to maintain hygiene as their business depends on it. But there might be a few who ignore it and we keep insisting on our members to ensure hygiene,” he said.

Stale food seized in hotel raids in Thrissur

Food Safety serves notices; raw meat, veggies under unhygienic state seized.

Stale food items seized from hotels in Thrissur on Friday during raids conducted by corporation health officials.

Thrissur: The Health inspectors of Thrissur Corporation on Friday conducted inspections for the second consecutive day to keep a check on food safety parameters in view of Thrissur Pooram. Like on the first day, they seized stale food from most of the hotels they raided. After officials found contaminated drinking water at Geetha Hotel at Divanjimoola, they issued a notice to shut down the hotel. Corporation health supervisor N Rajan said that action would be taken against the owner of Arabian Grills as workers of the hotel tried to turn off the lights of the hotel during inspection on Friday.

Notices were served for storing stale vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and also for preparing food items repeatedly with the same oil. The food inspectors also seized raw meat and vegetables which were kept under unhygienic conditions. The hotels which were served notices on Friday were Ladies Home and Hotel Kims at West Fort, Hotel Jaya, and Copper Spoon at MG Road. Hotel Melam, Hotel Abad Village, Hotel Makkani, Mist Vegetarian, Midhila Restaurant, Mint Malabar Restaurant, New Star Hotel, Hotel Spoon (Slex Mall), Park Hotel, Arunima Hotel, Noorjahan, Sansar Hotel, Hotel Rainbow and Thrissur Tower (Beer & Wine).

On Thursday, Hotel Radhakrishna, Casino, Pooram Hotel, Mahavir, Garuda, Revel Diet Hotel, KSRTC Canteen, Aramana Restaurant, Hotel Aliyans, Gusto Hotel, Uduppi Hotel, Paragon Tourist Home, Louciya Palace, Govind Bhavan , Jaya Palace and Sizzlers Hotel were served notices for not following Food Safety norms. “Fines starting from Rs 2,500 to 10,000 was imposed on hotels for violations and further action will be taken against them if they do not take corrective action in serving better food in the next five days,” Mr Rajan said.

Major steps taken by Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHDF) to discourage the Adulteration of Milk and Milk products in coming summer season, 2017 DAHDF is regularly reviewing the availability of milk situation in the country with National Dairy Development Board

Major steps taken by Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHDF) to discourage the Adulteration of Milk and Milk products in coming summer season, 2017 

DAHDF is regularly reviewing the availability of milk situation in the country with National Dairy Development Board 

Adulteration in Milk is harmful to health even while it is an unfair trade practices. Further, it is a market fraud and affects the honest efforts of the milk producers. Government of India has enacted Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act -2006 in August 2006 to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is implemented by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India through the State Food Safety Commissioners in each State. The State Government machinery is equally responsible in controlling the menace of sale of adulterated/synthetic milk. 

Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries is regularly reviewing the availability of milk situation in the country with National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and State Milk Federations. The Department is observed that due to increase in the international and domestic prices there will be less availability of milk and milk products in the ensuing summer season which may effect the quality of milk and milk products. The issue of adulteration of milk have been discussed in the meetings held on 23.03.2017 and 31.03.2017, under the chairmanship of Secretary(ADF) with the officers from M/o Health& Family Welfare, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI), and National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, which have discussed about the measures/steps to be taken for effective enforcement of the provision of Food Safety and Standard Act (FSS Act) 2006 and to ensure availability of safe & quality Milk and Milk Products to the consumers in products in coming summer season, 2017. 

Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries vide letter dated 31st March, 2017 have requested Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh to take the stock of the situation and ensure immediate drive to check sale of adulterated milk in the State especially in the Western District of Uttar Pradesh. DAHDF vide letters dated 14th Oct 2016 and 5th April 2017 have also requested FSSAI and all Chief Secretaries of States to ensure strict enforcement of provisions of FSS Act 2006 for ensuring the supply of safe and quality milk and milk products to the consumers especially children in the country.

Odisha Govt orders probe into sale of plastic eggs

Bhubaneswar, Apr 21 (PTI) Odisha government today asked Food Safety Commission officials to probe the alleged sale of plastic eggs in the markets of the state capital here.

“We have asked the Commissioner of Food Safety to collect samples of the alleged plastic eggs and get those tested in the laboratory,” Odisha Health and Family Welfare minister P K Amat told reporters here.

He said the government has taken note of media reports on the alleged sale of plastic eggs in the market. Food Safety Commissioner will check the truth behind such reports.

“Orders have been issued to immediately conduct a probe after collecting samples,” Amat said.

FSSAI to tighten vigil on meat shop owners bending rules

AGRA: In an attempt to easily obtain licences for selling meat, many meat shop owners across UP are now obtaining Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) registration from its common service centres without taking NOCs from civic bodies and police. FSSAI will now conduct an inspection and suspend such licences.

Vineet Yadav, assistant commissioner, Food Safety and Drug Administration(FSDA), Agra, said, "There is a provision for issuing licences to big slaughter houses and registration to small meat vendors."

According to rules for registration, vendors can apply online and submit documents to departments concerned and obtain the certificate. Food safety officers are eligible to approve such registrations. Besides that, FSSAI has provided another facility of common service centres where applicants can obtain a registration certificate immediately.

The department recently came to know that many vendors were queuing up at the service centres and obtaining registration certificates without submitting requisite NOCs from the civic bodies and police. Hence, it has tightened vigil and is planning to conduct an inspection of the certificates.

"Now, rules for sale of meat are being strictly implemented and vendors cannot run their business without fulfilling the requisite norms," he added. "We are reviewing all such registrations. Food safety officers will conduct inspections and check their documents. Registration will be suspended of those vendors who have got it without submitting the necessary documents," he further added.

Constituted over a year back, Food Safety Tribunals remain victims of Govt apathy

Delay in providing staff, other paraphernalia despite HC orders

*Objectives behind Act enacted 11 yrs back yet to be achieved

JAMMU, Apr 21: In a testimony of non-serious approach towards various aspects of food safety, the Government has failed to provide staff and other paraphernalia to the Food Safety and Appellate Tribunals, which were created by it over a year back that too after being reprimanded by the Supreme Court as well as State High Court. In this way, the objectives behind Food Safety and Standard Act and Rules could not be achieved despite lapse of several years.

The Food Safety and Standards Act was enacted in 2006 but its rules were framed in 2011 after a lapse of five years, which was the testimony of non-serious approach towards the important piece of legislation right from the very beginning.

After being reprimanded by the Supreme Court and High Court of Jammu and Kashmir over tardy implementation of this Act, the Department of Health and Medical Education vide SRO No.42 of 2016 dated February 10, 2016 and as per Rule 3.2.2 of the Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011 established two Food Safety Appellate Tribunals—one each for Jammu and Kashmir.

Thereafter, no attention was paid towards making these Tribunals functional and Government woke up from the deep slumber only when the State High Court issued directions about appointment of Presiding Officers in Public Interest Litigations (PILs) with the observation that purpose of establishment of Tribunals was getting defeated due to inaction on the part of Government in general and Health and Medical Education Department in particular.

Finally, vide SRO No.371 dated November 18, 2016, the Health and Medical Education Department in exercise of powers conferred under Sub-Section 3 of Section 70 of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 read with Rule 3.2.1 of Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011 appointed Mohammad Yousuf Akhoon, former Principal Secretary to Chief Justice, J&K High Court and Maharaj Krishan Hanjura, Member Company Law Board Delhi as Presiding Officers of Food Safety Appellate Tribunals.

These Tribunals are required to hear appeals from the decisions of the Adjudicating Officers under Section 68 of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. The Additional Deputy Commissioners of every district have been designated as Adjudicating Officer as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The appointment of Presiding Officers of Food Safety Appellate Tribunals was welcomed in the wake of large number of pending cases related to unsafe, substandard and misbranded food products and items with the District Magistrates and in civil courts.

“However, Food Safety Appellate Tribunals have remained victims of Gover-nment apathy even more than one year after their establishment as now the Government is soft-paddling on providing requisite staff and other paraphernalia to these Tribunals, which otherwise is hampering their functioning”, sources said.

They further said, “the dilly-dallying approach is notwithstanding the fact that Division Bench of State High Court had last month viewed seriously the failure of the Government to provide all the facilities to the Tribunals required for ensuring their smooth functioning”, adding “though it was submitted before the Division Bench that posts have been created for both the Tribunals but where the process of making selection has struck is not known to anybody as Presiding Officers are still awaiting permanent staff”.

“Only few officials have been placed at the disposal of one Tribunal by making internal arrangement while as nobody is available with the second Tribunal”, sources said, adding “unless posts created for these Tribunals are filled-up none can expect full functioning of these important bodies”.

It is pertinent to mention here that Division Bench of High Court in its order dated March 14, 2017 had termed the compliance report filed by the Health and Medical Education Department as an eye-wash. It had even observed that budgetary allocation was not made to the Tribunals for the development of infrastructure.

“Due to the apathy of the Government, the objectives behind enactment of Food Safety and Standard Act could not be achieved despite lapse of 11 years”, sources remarked, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that Government is adopting dilly-dallying appr-oach in meeting the requirements of the Tribunals, which have an important role to play in food safety matters”.

440 kgs of artificially ripened mangoes seized in Panjim market

PANJIM: Department of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday confiscated over 440 kgs of artificially ripened mangoes, costing over Rs 1.20 lakh from Panjim municipal market.

FDA officials conducted a surprise surveillance drive at the municipal market for detection of mangoes being artificially ripened using chemicals and inspected consignments of almost ten wholesalers. 

In the first consignment, 400 kgs of Alphonso mangoes were confiscated for being ripened artificially using the chemical ethopon. The fruit has been valued at Rs 1.20 lakh. 

The consignment had been brought in a rickshaw from Vengurla in Maharashtra. The mangoes were confiscated for destruction and a case booked under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 against the rickshaw owner. 

An un-claimed consignment of Deogad mangoes ripened using ethopon chemical was also confiscated. Some 32 boxes of Deogad mangoes, each containing around a dozen mangoes, were being un-loaded from trucks that had brought them from Belgavi. 

FDA also confiscated 10kgs of turmeric powder containing artificially synthetic colour, brought to ripen mangoes. 

In the the past fortnight FDA had been conducting surprise surveillances visits at Panjim, Mapusa, Siolim, Margao, Vasco and Ponda markets, however, the drives did not yield much success in detection.

Chemically ripened Alphonso mangoes seized in Panaji

In a major surveillance drive, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has confiscated 400 kgs of Alphonso mangoes at Panaji Municipal Market, which were artificially rnripened using a ripening chemical.

PANAJI: FDA office in Goa further informed that of the 400 kgs of mangoes thus confiscated, one consignment was being brought to Goa in a rickshaw from Vengurla in Maharashtra. The FDA team conducted spot test on this consignment, which responded positive to ethopon chemical presence. 

A person called Ravi Shastri from Calca owned both the rickshaw and the consignment. He was detained for interrogation by FDA. Besides this seized consignment of mangoes was also brought to the FDA lab at Bambolim, which also confirmed the usage of ethopon chemical for ripening purposes. 

FDA further informed that a case has been booked against the rickshaw owner under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Similarly, FDA also confiscated Deogad mangoes, which were also artificially ripened using the same chemical at Panaji Municipal Market. 

The truck transporters unloaded this consignment, which was brought from Belagavi in Karnataka. The FDA officials waited for three hours for owners of this consignment, but they didn’t arrive and even transporters vanished. The tests conducted on this consignment at FDA lab confirmed the presence of chemical. 

But, it wasn’t the mangoes alone, as FDA team also seized turmeric powder containing artificially synthetic colour at Panaji Municipal Market. This consignment had 8 bags of turmeric powder containing artificially synthetic colour. Yet again, there was no claimant for this consignment, either. 

FDA conducted this surprise surveillance drive in the early hours between 5 am and 8 am on April 21.

Artificial ripening of mangoes under lens

TRICHY: With the onset of summer, mangoes of all hues have started arriving in the market with most fruit and vegetable shops and even hawkers selling them. However, food safety department has warned of strict action against use of carbide stones for artificially ripening the fruit, a practice often resorted to.

Mangoes have been available in and around Trichy for the past two weeks. Since very few people manage to detect the use of artificial ripeningagents, mangoes have been selling like hot cakes thanks to the scorching summer.

The food safety officials and health department of Trichy corporation had seized tonnes of artificially-ripened mangoes from godowns in previous years and destroyed them.

"Nobody can deny the prevalence of artificially ripened mangoes in the shops. Consumers can indeed differentiate between the naturally ripened mangoes and the artificial ones. But they are unable to identify them due to their ignorance. So, a huge responsibility lies on the food safety department to check the violation and save the people from health problems," said president of Federation of Consumer and Service Organizations, Trichy, M Sekaran.

The district receives mango varieties from Natham in Dindigul district, Salem, Thiruthuraipoondi, Vedharanyam besides from Thurvarankurichi and Srirangam in the district. While the mangoes from farms in Srirangam are sold by a particular group of vendors in Mambalachalai, those from other places are available in other shops.

However, the vendors dismiss the allegations of using carbide stones. "Mangoes available in our shops are ripened in natural way with an intention to sell healthy fruit to the people," said a vendor M Satheeshkumar. Food safety department has deputed three food safety officers (FSOs) to visit the godowns and shops to check the mangoes.

"We have started inspecting the g-downs and shops in our district. We have not found any trace of ripening through the carbide stones this year. If anyone has any health complaints due to the consumption of mangoes, he or she can report to the food safety department," said designated officer, Trichy Dr C Sureshbabu on Thursday. Food safety department is planning to conduct a training programme for the vendors on alternate method of ripening through ethylene gas.

FDA seizes 890kg mangoes artificially ripened with calcium carbide in Ulhasnagar

ULHASNAGAR: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a joint operation with staff of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation on Friday raided five godown at the Ulhasnagar. Out of them, from two they seized 890 kg mangoes that were being artificially ripenedwith calcium carbide. The raid was carried out after FDAofficials received specific Information about five wholesalers engaged in fruits business selling artificially ripened mangoes.

Acting on information, FDA inspector Santosh Vajharkar with the help of UMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner Jameer Lengrekar and his team on Friday afternoon raided five godowns out of which from two godown, namely Meghraj Fruit Merchant at Ulhasnagar 1 and Vasudev Fruit Merchant near vegetable market, found 890 kg mangoes that were artificially ripped with calcium carbide.

The seized mangoes were later taken to dumping ground where it was disposed of by the staff of Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation. The FDA official said that criminal action against the owner of these godowns is on. He said any person found guilty of using chemicals to ripen fruit can be slapped with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh.

Talking to TOI, Jameer Lengrekar, deputy municipal commissioner, said, "Out of five godowns, we got ripe mangoes at two godows while at remaining godowns, there were no mangoes". Lengrekar further said, "Such raids will continue to curb the sale of chemically ripened mangoes that may prove dangerous to health.

Exclusive: Clash of science and politics "dangerous" - EU food safety chief

LONDON (Reuters) - Politicians who attack the EU agency that ruled the weedkiller glyphosate probably does not cause cancer are in danger of undermining the effectiveness of a body that is key to keeping Europeans safe, its chief warned.

Bernhard Url, executive director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), said his agency is facing unprecedented criticism after concluding in November 2015 that glyphosate - one of the world's most widely used pesticides and an ingredient in Monsanto's big seller Roundup - was "unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans".

Attempts to discredit his agency over its assessment were "unacceptable and short-sighted", he told Reuters in a rare interview, accusing his critics of undermining science to pursue a "political agenda".

"If political actors discredit scientific organisations because they don't like the outcome in one out of 100 cases, they diminish the reputation of an organisation that they as policymakers will need to rely on in future," he said. "From a political perspective it's very unwise".

An international dispute over glyphosate's possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in the United States, and in Europe has forced a delay to a re-licensing decision for Roundup. The EU decision is now due by the end of 2017.

The row erupted after the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a semi-autonomous part of the World Health Organization (WHO), said in March 2015 that glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic".

Many other regulators besides the EFSA have since determined it does not pose a cancer risk, however, including the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and a joint committee of the WHO and the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Opposition in the European Union has been driven by the European Parliament's Greens-European Free Alliance and by others, including Greenpeace and a group of scientists led by Christopher Portier from the U.S.-based non-governmental organisation, the Environmental Defense Fund.

Greenpeace called the EFSA review a "whitewash" that "defied the world's most authoritative cancer agency in order to please corporations like Monsanto". Portier and more than 90 scientists signed an open letter to European Health Commissioner urging EU authorities to ignore the EFSA's opinion.

The Green alliance asked the EFSA to withdraw its assessment and last month urged European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to delay a decision on glyphosate until the dispute has been sorted out. It says the EFSA review was unduly influenced by industry-backed studies.

Members of the European parliament (MEPs) have "serious concerns regarding the influence of industry on some of the studies used in their assessment," Bart Staes, the alliance's food safety spokesperson, told Reuters in an email on Friday.

Several MEPs have asked for all the studies included in the EFSA assessment to be made public, which it says is impossible because doing so would contravene European law protecting corporate intellectual property. The agency has, however, published some 6,000 pages of data and analyses considered in the assessment, according to Url.

"POLITICAL AGENDA"

Url asked why complaints about EFSA's work seemed to emerge only in response to opinions that clashed with a particular "political agenda".

The same political groups protesting now applauded the EFSA when it said in 2013 that pesticides known as neonicotinoids posed a risk to honeybee health, he said.

"Then they said EFSA had done a great and important job and made a big contribution to the protection of public health.

"But when the same system, the same people, using the same methods, produces something that doesn't fit their political agenda - an agenda that could include for example a different way of doing agriculture in Europe, or banning pesticides... they try to discredit the scientific organization."

The EU imposed restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid chemicals - made and sold by various companies including Bayer CropScience and Syngenta - after EFSA pointed to risks for bees, which are crucial for pollinating crops.

Since its foundation 15 years ago EFSA has issued around 8,000 scientific opinions on subjects from food additives such as acacia gum and lecithin, to plastic containers, to livestock illnesses such as African swine fever and lumpy skin disease.

The vast majority of these have gone unchallenged, Url said, and have been used as intended to inform policymakers as they draft legislation on how the benefits and risks of such substances should be managed in foods for European consumers.

Staes maintained his group values "the important role that ESFA plays in contributing towards the health and safety of the European public" and said it and the ECHA should be supported with more funding and better access to publicly-funded studies as "a welcome counter balance to industry driven research".

Asked why he thinks glyphosate has generated such an intense battle, Url said:

"Glyphosate is a very widely used weedkiller; it's linked to Monsanto; Monsanto is linked to genetically modified organisms; so it's about money, obviously, but also about the way agriculture is done in Europe. There are many people who say we shouldn't use large amounts of agrochemicals."

Url said the EU's current system for risk management "works", and as a result, food is generally safe and public health is protected. Undermining its credibility poses risks for public health and for society, he argued.

"If trust in scientific advice is diminished, the likelihood will be higher that ... the decisions taken will not be the best for society," he said.

Rat in pulao: Akshay Patra says not in their food

AHMEDABAD: Following Wednesday's incident of a dead rat being found in vegetable pulao served during mid-day meal at a government-run primary school in Jamla village, Kalol, the district health department instituted a detailed inspection of Akshaya Patra kitchen at Gandhinagar.

In a press release issued on Thursday by Akshaya Patra, it was claimed that the department has expressed satisfaction over the quality and food safety standards maintained by the kitchen and that it found pest control measures meeting standards of the Indian Pest Control Association (IPCA).

The cooking process was conducted in a hygienic centralized kitchen, the statement said. "It is important to note that food is cooked at a temperature of about 95 to 99 degree centigrade and up to 140 degree centigrade while seasoning in a through stirring and inspection process," read the statement.

The visuals shown in the reports clearly indicate that the incident could have not occurred in our kitchens," claimed the statement.

Akshaya Patra claimed that it has received feedback from other school centres related to the same distribution route which clarify that no illness of any kind was encountered after consumption of the food supplied.

It further added that the raw food material is first inspected according to FSSAI standards, all the vessels which carry prepared food - rice cooking cauldrons, dal or sabzi tanks, dal cookers are thoroughly sterilized by boiling water before usage. "Similarly all the knives, cutting boards undergo the same process before use," stated the press release.