Apr 24, 2017
Defence's CSD suspends sale of Patanjali's Amla Juice
The CSD, in a letter dated April 3, 2017, asked all depots to make debit notes for their existing stock so that the product can be returned.
MUMBAI: The canteen stores department (CSD), the retailing platform for India's defence forces, has suspended the sale of Patanjali Ayurved's amla juice after receiving an adverse state-laboratory test report on the product that had helped establish the company's credentials in the consumer business.
The CSD, in a letter dated April 3, 2017, asked all depots to make debit notes for their existing stock so that the product can be returned. Amla juice was one of Patanjali Ayurved's first consumer launches, and its success helped the company enter more than two-dozen categories, underpinned by advertising support that claimed the company offered healthier alternatives to products sold by multinationals.
"The batch was tested at the Central Food Lab in Kolkata and was declared unfit for consumption. Patanjali has withdrawn amla juice from all army canteens," said two officials privy to the development.
CSD and Patanjali Ayurved did not respond to ET's e-mail queries. The referral government laboratory in Kolkata is the same agency that detected lead levels above permissible limits, and the presence of MSG in the samples of Nestle Maggi noodles two years ago. The test report later caused consumer backlash, prompting Nestle to withdraw the brand across India, and file a legal petition to seek a judicial review on the order by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The CSD's retail outlets sell 5,300 products ranging from biscuits and beer to shampoos and cars to 12 million consumers — the serving personnel of the army, navy and the air force, ex-servicemen, and their families. Started in 1948, it is managed by the Ministry of Defence and comprises of 3,901 unit-run canteens, and 34 depots. For most consumer product companies, CSD accounts for 5-7% of their total volume sales.
This is not the first instance of the `5,000-crore Patanjali Ayurved running into trouble with the regulators over its claims. In the past, it has been pulled up for selling noodles and pasta without the relevant licences. Last year, FSSAI directed its Central Licensing Authority to issue a showcause notice to Patanjali over its edible-oil advertisements that were allegedly misleading.
Kerala: Caution against Hepatitis A outbreak
As many as 40 cases reported until Sunday.
Kochi; Nearly 40 cases of Hepatitis A were reported so far as on Sunday from Kalamassery Municipality with 21 cases being reported from the Ernakulam Medical College alone. Meanwhile the Food Safety Department carried out raids at eateries and collected water samples for examination. “The number of cases reported from the Ernakulam Medical College alone is 21 though the disease has also been reported from other areas, too. In most of the cases, the patients are those who eat from outside on a regular basis like street food vendors. For instance the NUALS hostel from where nine cases were reported,” said N. K. Kuttapan, district medical officer.
“Intensive raid was conducted by the Food Safety Department in and around Kalamasserry area in connection with the reports of Hepatitis A outbreak. The squads collected water samples from various sources for chemical and microbiological examination. Three hotels including ‘Pallath’ Restaurant, Kalamasserry, are directed to close down and take rectification measures immediately,” said Shibu K. V., assistant food safety commissioner. The Health department authorities have already issued an alert as the hostels of the MBBS students of Medical College and that of NUALS (National University of Advanced Legal Studies) were closed.
The public has been warned against using contaminated water for cooking and cleaning utensils. Hotels, canteens and catering units have been instructed to use only boiled water for drinking. Health card is mandatory for all employees, especially those who cook or handle food items. Uncooked salads, ice creams and cool drinks being sold in unhygienic condition from outside should be avoided. The authorities have also asked to chlorinate wells and warned against using water from un-chlorinated wells. This comes even as the district reported a diphtheria case with the health department confirming the other day that Ijabur Rahman (16), a migrant worker hailing from Assam who had been staying at Kakkanad in Kochi -- died of diphtheria. Another two suspected cases of diphtheria have also been reported from Aluva and Kaloor.
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