Jun 2, 2017
Here's the unusual ingredient in chewing gum you didn't know about
It may just surprise you.
Chewing gum is typically composed of gum base, softeners, sweeteners and flavours.
New Delhi: Do you know that every time you're popping your favourite chewing gum in your mouth, you could actually be chewing a secretion from sheep's wool? Yes, that's right!
It has been found that chewing gum contains lanolin, which is a waxy secretion from the sebaceous glands of the skin of sheep. Its function is to make sheep's wool waterproof. For this reason, lanolin is generally an ingredient in skin products, which is fine. But what about using it as an ingredient in chewing gum?
The innocent-looking chewing gum might not be as innocuous as you thought, says, Dr Saurabh Arora, founder of Food Safety Helpline. Moreover, since lanolin is present as a component of chewing gum base (the rubbery substance that imparts the "chewable" characteristic to chewing gum), which is regarded as standardised, manufacturers do not need to reveal its individual ingredients.
What goes into making a chewing gum?
Chewing gum is typically composed of gum base, softeners, sweeteners and flavours. These are briefly discussed below.
* Gum Base: As indicated above, the gum base is rubbery in nature, and used to be derived from latex sap (called chicle) of the sapodilla tree. Other natural sources includegum Arabic, natural resin, food grade agar, Chiku, Ghatti, Jhingan, Khair etc.
However, nowadays, with the advent of rubber synthesis technology, synthetic rubber is primarily used for making the gum base. These include:
- Synthetic resin
- Polyvinyl acetate
- Polyethylene
- Glycerol esters of wood resin/gum resin
- Glycerol esters of partially hydrogenated wood/gum resin
As has been indicated above, there are many components of gum base (besides lanolin) that remain unknown to the consumer, since the manufacturers have no intention to declare them, in the absence of any strict regulations forcing them to do so.
* Softeners: As the name suggests, the primary function of this component is to maintain a "soft" consistency of the gum so that it is appealing to the consumers. This component helps to retain moisture and prevent the gum from hardening. The most common softeners are glycerin and vegetable oil.
* Sweeteners: As you have probably guessed, the most common sweetener is sugar. Sometimes, corn syrup is also used. For the health conscious, the following artificial sweeteners are also used:
- Saccharin sodium
- Sorbitol
- Mannitol
- Xylitol
- Maltitol
- Aspartame (methyl ester)
- Acesulfame potassium
- Sucralose
* Flavours: The flavor component of chewing gum is usually added last and imparts a long-lasting, refreshing, and zingy taste to the chewing gum. Some of the exciting flavours include the following:
- Mint flavoured chewing gums e.g. Wrigley's Spearmint, Wrigley's Doublemint; Eclipse Mints; Extra Mints etc.
- Fruit flavoured chewing gums e.g. Juicy Fruit
What are the various varieties of chewing gums?
Chewing gums come in a variety of shapes & sizes, attractive wrappers, flavours (already discussed) and a number of novel functions. Some chewing gums are advertised to impart a white sheen to the teeth (Orbit Whitening) or for giving kids some fun e.g. Bubble Gums (Hubba Bubba, Super Bazooka etc.). Other varieties have medical functions, and contain drugs impregnated in them. These include the following:
- Analgesic e.g. Aspirin
- Antacid e.g. Calcium carbonate
- To increase alertness e.g. Caffeine
- To prevent dental caries e.g. Xylitol or Chlorhexidine
- To give-up smoking e.g. Nicotine
- To provide nutrition e.g. Vitamin C
What do the regulatory agencies say?
The major international agency on food safety and standards is the Codex Alimentarius, which has fixed the maximum levels (in mg/kg) of various food additives in chewing gum. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulatory authority in India has fixed the chemical composition and maximal levels (in ppm) of the various food additives in chewing gum/bubble gum.
Are there any health hazards from chewing gums?
Yes there are! There are a number of health hazards that consumers should be aware of. These are briefly discussed below:
- Chewing Gum Can Trigger Temporo- Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMD): The temporo-mandibular joint is the joint that connects the jaw bone (mandible) with the temporal bone of the skull. Excessive chewing can cause differential contraction of the muscles, particularly if you chew more with one side of the mouth as opposed to the other. This can trigger TMD, which causes chronic pain, tightening and inflammation of the jaw muscles, ear aches, tooth aches, as well as migraine-type headaches.
Chewing Gum Can Cause Gastrointestinal Problems: Chewing gum increases the air intake into the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, which can cause abdominal cramps and bloating. It can also aggravate the condition in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Peppermint flavored chewing gum can cause gastric acid reflux. Also, popping a chewing gum into the mouth immediately causes the brain to send signals to the digestive system to be prepared to expect food intake. As a result, saliva and other gastric juices, including gastric acid starts to be secreted. Since, there is no intake of food, this actually may compromise your ability to digest food due to lack of digestive juices, when you actually consume food. This can cause indigestion. Some chewing gum sweetened with artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea.
- Chewing Gum Can Cause Tooth Decay: Consumption of chewing gum sweetened with sugar essentially coats your teeth with sugar, which leads to tooth decay. Besides tooth decay, dental erosion can also occur. Dental erosion occurs by cumulative decalcification, which slowly erodes the teeth. This can occur even in the presence of artificial sweeteners, since they contain acidic flavorings and preservatives that can erode the teeth, in spite of the presence of xylitol that fights cavities.
- Chewing Gum Can Release Mercury from Dental Fillings: Amalgamated dental fillings typically contain silver, mercury and tin. Chewing releases mercury vapors from the fillings, which can be rapidly absorbed into the blood. Although the amount of mercury is minute, you wouldn't want to contaminate your system with mercury, however small.
The foregoing discussion highlights the composition, varieties and health hazards of chewing gums. Although primarily the deleterious effects of chewing gums have been highlighted, it may be added that chewing a piece of gum after a meal could be a healthy habit - the saliva released helps to clean the teeth and the flavour can add freshness to the breath!
On World Milk Day, Let’s Go Natural!
(1 June is observed as World Milk Day throughout the world to increase awareness about milk and its importance as a global food.)
I want to drink a glass of milk, said no kid ever! But in every Indian household, two glasses of milk a day is almost mandatory for children. Over generations, stories of mothers and grandmothers forcing milk down the throats of hapless children have been legendary.
For 8-year-old Rohan, it’s a double whammy. His body is calcium deficient. So along with the prescribed calcium supplements, his mother also ensures that he has at least 3 glasses of farm fresh milk every day.
We always knew that our milkman mixed water in the milk he delivered. So, a few months back, we decided to switch to farm milk so that at least the nutritional value of the milk remains intact. It is a little expensive but it’s okay as long as my family members remain healthy.SP Rajlaxmi
Milk is a good source of animal protein. (Photo: iStockphoto)
In a country that largely eats a vegetable-based diet, milk is the main source of animal protein. So it’s important that the milk that is consumed is unadulterated and healthy.
This need for unadulterated and fresh milk has led to a gradual growth of structured organic dairy farms throughout the country.
What is Organic Milk?
Organic dals, organic vegetables, organic milk?
The term ‘organic milk’ refers to the milk produced by livestock which is fed pesticide-free and fertiliser-free fodder. The livestock is not injected with antibiotics or any other medicine that is known to artificially increase milk production.
Deepak Raj, Vice President of Binsar Farms in Sonepat, Haryana believes that the purity of milk produced largely depends on what the livestock is fed. Fodder rich in nutrients will ensure high-quality milk.
Deepak Raj, Vice President of Binsar Farms. The farm produces milk using organic methods. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
We ensure year-round supply of green fodder, which is rich in protein and starch. Grains like maize, wheat provide rich nutrition to the cows and enriches the quality of the milk they produce. Free stall system in the farm helps the cows to eat whenever they are hungry so their milk production isn’t hampered. Deepak Raj
Fodder-rich in nutrients will ensure high-quality milk. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
The livestock is allowed to graze on open fields that are clear of any fertilizers and pesticides. They are also milked using automated machines that transfer the milk produced directly to the pasteurisation chambers. This ensures no manual contamination and preserves the nutrient quotient of the milk.
The livestock is milked using automated machines that transfer the milk produced directly to the pasteurisation chambers. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
Benefits of Naturally Produced Milk
Drinking unadulterated milk has a wide range of health benefits. Delhi-based nutritionist Rupali Dutta feels that any milk which is produced using hygienic methods provides ample nutrition to the body.
Consuming clean, unadulterated milk is important to receive its nutritional benefits. Standard diaries ensure that their milk is checked for chemical residues and fat content, which makes it healthy for consumption.Rupali Dutta, Nutritionist
Drinking unadulterated milk has a wide range of health benefits. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
Clean, unadulterated milk, in general, is rich in A1 and A2 protein, which is healthy for children and adults. The health benefits of milk largely depend on how it is treated at the time of production.
The milk produced is pasteurized and cooled immediately, thus preventing harmful bacterial growth. It preserves its freshness and taste. Deepak Raj, Vice President, Binsar Farms
The milk produced should be pasteurized and cooled immediately, thus preventing harmful bacterial growth. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
Effects Of Adulterated Milk On Body
Milk is the second-most widely consumed liquid in the world! Right after humble water. But sadly, most of the milk available is largely contaminated and unhealthy for the human body.
Consuming adulterated milk can give rise to serious health ailments that have a widespread impact.
A 2012 study conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had concluded that 70% of the milk consumed in India was adulterated.
Another study on milk adulteration by OMICS International found that detergents and urea were the most common adulterants present in milk besides hydrogen peroxide, starch, sugar, salt, carbonates and bicarbonates. These have adverse effects on kidneys and intestines and may even prove fatal in some cases.
The most common effect of drinking adulterated milk is allergies that occur due to the added emulsifiers. The high amount of lead causes serious internal organ failures and affects the liver and the kidneys.Rupali Dutta, Nutritionist
Starch and sugar may also prove fatal to people who are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
High Price for Health?
Yes, naturally produced organic milk looks like the perfect solution for all our health problems.
Obsession with organic, which used to simply be the norm, has now become a trend amongst urban Indian families.
But fresh farm milk comes at a cost – Rs 70 to 100 per litre.
Health is more important! (Photo: iStock)
For Ismeet Kaur, a Gurugram-based mother of two, her children’s health came before money.
I switched to organic milk a few years ago because of the rampant malpractices in the milk industry, the widespread abuse of animals and the fact that most of the milk commercially available today is a cocktail of chemicals and hormones. I wanted to switch over to a safe, healthy and animal-abuse-free means of ensuring nutrition for my kids.Ismeet Kaur
But is she getting bang for the buck?
In India, the Ministry of Agriculture has laid down specific guidelines for Certification and Inspection Systems in Organic Farming.
As per the guidelines the livestock need to be under ‘continuous organic management at least a year prior to the production of milk or milk products to be represented as organic and 100% of the fodder, including pastures must be managed and handled by organic production practices’.
Low Yield of Naturally Produced Milk
Binsar farms supplies close to 4,000 litres of naturally produced milk to areas like Rohini, Pitampura, Patparganj in Delhi.
Binsar farms supplies close to 4,000 litres of naturally produced milk. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
But Deepak says that there are hardly 5% dairy farms in the country that produce milk using organic methods.
Conversion of farm land into organic is a slow and gradual process. The waste from the farm is used to provide natural manure that enhances the richness of the pastures. It takes almost 5 years just for the upper layer of soil to become fertile. Deepak Raj
Conversion of farm land into organic is a slow and gradual process. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
With over 300 cows in their farm, Deepak states that their constant effort is to produce milk that is ‘as close to organic’ as possible. He feels that India is still far away from producing 100% organic unadulterated milk.
All our processes are scientifically tested and proved. Using the best practices of other countries helps us produce unadulterated healthy milk. We can still not claim to be 100% organic but it’s as close to organic that is available in the Indian market. Deepak Raj
A Viable Solution?
There is a huge demand for clean and unadulterated milk in the country. But the real challenge is to produce unadulterated milk on a large scale and make it available for the masses.
There is an urgent need to educate dairy farmers on the benefits of producing milk using organic methods.
Dairy farmers must be educated on seasonal fodders, nutritional requirement of the livestock, diseases and their prevention. They must be made to understand that they will get better yield and higher profits if the cows are healthy. Using hormone enhancing injections does not only lower the milk quality, it also decreases the life expectancy of the cattle. Deepak Raj
For a healthier future, it is essential that the government and dairy farmers work hand in hand to ensure growing numbers of organic milk farms in the country.
Chinese fruit ripening agent in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH: Food safety officials have for the first time found Chinese pouches of ethylene oxide instead of carbide for artificially ripening fruits in the city. These white pouches were found in the vegetable market in Sector 26 that are being used to ripen mangoes.
The sample has been sent to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi. "We have raided fruit and vegetable shops and stopped use of calcium carbide. However, what was recently seen were white powder pouches of ethylene. The FSSAI permits 100 parts per million for artificial ripening. But this pouch which has 'made in China' label does not show the contents or its quantity," said Sukhwinder Singh, designated officer, department of food safety and standards, UT health department.
Shops raided, retailers told to take thinners, removers off shelves
Four notices were issued to retailers in Kumbarpet, who were educated about the adverse effects of using the products. They were told to remove them from the shelves.
"In September 2016, the production and sale of whiteners and thinners along with nail polish removers were banned in the state t implement a central government notification. There are four dangerous chemicals in these products that have an adverse effect on the mental and physical wellbeing of the consumer after prolonged use. They are extremely addictive and their easy availability needs to be restricted," said Srinivas Gowda, joint director of food safety.
All store owners pleaded ignorance of the ban and also about the ill-effects of such products. Inhalation of the fumes has a huge impact on the mental state of the users, mainly in late teens, like drug consumption. They contain chemicals like toluene, bromopropane, methyl chloroform and trichloroethylene, and extended usage can also lead to heart arrhythmia and heart attacks.
"Due to their easy availability and low pricing in small neighbourhood stores, there is almost no control over who can buy these products. Ragpickers are also known to abuse these items and indulge in criminal behaviour by finding half-used bottles and getting intoxicated," said Harshavardan B, deputy commissioner, food safety and standards authority.
Even big brands continue to sell and supply these products to Karnataka despite the ban. Tracing a distributor using sale receipts and bills submitted by shopkeepers, food safety officials were able to zero in on Vishwanath, proprietor of Girishri Enterprises in VV Puram, who supplies branded cosmetic products across the city.
"I had no idea that nail polish removers were banned. We have been getting them regularly from the company and distributing them. We will immediately recall all stocks of the products and send them back to the company," he said. His company was issued a notice and a warning as it was a first-time offence. Harshvardan said most large manufacturers had central licences and would need a central notification restricting them from selling or transporting the items to Karnataka.
"We will conduct a follow-up raid next week. Repeat offenders will be fined Rs 25,000 and the establishment will be closed. There needs to be more awareness on the adverse effects of such products among schoolgoing children," said Harshvardan.
Ban on cattle sale for slaughter: Can we stop outraging and focus on regulating animal markets?
On 23 May, the Government of India issued rules regulating the cattle market. The regulations seem to have affected the country even before they have been implemented or even read. Kerala went ballistic and, without most people having read or understood the rules, issued threats against the government of India. Members of the Congress party went so far as to slaughter a baby cow in public and distribute the meat to equally vicious spectators of this perverted cruelty. Kerala has no licensed slaughterhouses except the ones for export, so god knows what they were getting upset about – except Kerala no longer needs a reason to kill somebody – dogs, cows, women, children, elephants, other party workers.
West Bengal put up a lesser howl and Tamil Nadu made a feeble protest – because they are the ones who run the most illegal cattle markets in India and supply pregnant, sick, diseased and baby animals to Bangladesh and Kerala respectively.
Some strong opinions have been expressed by political leaders and students unions but are devoid of legitimate content because almost none of these have observed or even seen livestock markets. Unfortunately, what gets conveyed and leads to mass hysteria is just political rhetoric. The context and provisions of the rules have been slaughtered in the process.
Let us understand the need to regulate the livestock markets. Only two kinds of animals are brought to livestock markets — ones that are useful for milch purposes or ploughing purposes and the ones that are to be sold for meat purposes. The ones that are useful are taken reasonable care of and their transport is less prone to smuggling as they find end users easily. Moreover, their health and appearance has to be kept in reasonable shape for them to fetch a high price.
The second kind of animals that come to be sold for meat is another universe of hell. The farmer usually sells his discarded cattle for meat in intermediary markets to commission agents. These agents buy a dozen or so and take them to bigger markets and sell them to bigger agents. After many such transactions in many intermediate markets, at some point they are congregated, stuffed into trucks and taken to other states to be sold to bigger contractors. The interstate movement of cattle in North India is towards West Bengal via Jharkhand, Odisha or Bihar. In the southern states, the cattle are transported towards Kerala from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and even Maharashtra. Please bear in mind that most state Acts for slaughter or transport of cattle out of the State require extensive permissions from Animal Husbandry or Revenue Authorities. While none of this is followed, a system of "hafta" exists and police check posts simply let the overloaded trucks pass for a fee in blood money. Knowingly or not, everyone involved in the chain becomes a part of the smuggling racket which has plagued India.
However much we may want to believe otherwise, this racket is not unorganised or organic by any stretch. There is an organised cattle trafficking mafia that operates in every state in India. The Ministry of Home Affairs in 2006 established the links between cattle smuggling and terror funding. In 2008, HUJI militants arrested after the Assam blasts confessed that they sourced all the money to conduct their activities through smuggling of cattle. Every year, in Uttar Pradesh alone, more than 100 police personnel get killed by cattle smugglers. On the Indo-Bangladesh border, scores of BSF jawans get butchered by the cattle smuggling mafia every year. The profit margins for export of meat to the gulf countries through Bangladesh is extremely high and there is nothing that the mafia wouldn't do to anyone who comes in their way.
There is an unwritten prohibition on the entry of women in the Ghazipur cattle market in Delhi. The "sights are disturbing", they say. The animal slaughter section of the Sonepur cattle market in Bihar is a place where only "known middlemen" are allowed to enter. Anyone who walks in with a camera will surely not walk out with one and may also have to be carried out on a stretcher. Reason being, the picture isn't pretty. The tortured animals tied with short ropes, stand in lines for days and sometimes weeks, waiting for a buyer or the appropriate time for transport towards further hell. Their spirits are broken due to gross mishandling. Little calves can be seen looking for their mothers who are sold elsewhere.
The cruelty issues for cattle slaughter are huge. The death march that starts from the farmer's doorstep does not end at one market or with one buyer. They exchange multiple hands and are invariably ill-treated by each successive buyer. The question of feeding and giving water does not arise because they have to be slaughtered anyway. Sometimes, the weak ones are given alum water to drink to make their kidneys fail. This way, water is retained in their bodies making them look fatter — so that they fetch a higher price. They are made to travel from one market to another on foot, stuffed in trucks, in smaller vehicles and also in trains. The common factor here is the absence of necessary permissions and total disregard of existing laws for prevention of cruelty. It is quite common in southern states to see chillies stuffed in the eyes of cattle, to make them stand up in pain even when they are on the brink of death due to exhaustion. To maximise profits and cut costs, the cattle are stuffed into trucks beyond imagination.
Some suffocate to death, many get fractured bones, punctured eyes, broken tails, prolapsed uteruses, broken necks. In the absence of ramps for loading and unloading, the animals are thrown from vehicles often causing crippling injuries. They are pulled onto vehicles by strangling them and pulling with brute force. Such blatant brutality is generally not shown to animals that are still productive for agricultural use.
Regulating the markets and creating connections directly from the farms to the slaughterhouses, through established channels such as the dairy cooperatives, hurts nobody other than the mafia, their contractors and middlemen.
Moreover, the dairy industry needs to be accountable for disposing its byproduct in a responsible manner. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Government of India has also worked on sustainable and income generating models of keeping non-milking animals. These need to be implemented by state governments. The dairy sector is not an amorphous entity as most urban people believe. It is highly organised through milk cooperatives and Dairy Development Boards in each state. These channels need to be used for disposal of cattle that can be sold for slaughter so that there is accountability and reasonableness in the transactions and to minimise cruelty.
After having taken into account despicable cruelty and grave issues such as the threats of cattle smuggling and their implications on people and animals, the drafting committee framed the rules. Tamil Nadu opposes it for strange reasons. One of their arguments for opposing the Jallikattu ban was that they do not want their precocious cattle smuggled to Kerala and slaughtered. Now, they oppose a rule that actually addresses the problem.
West Bengal has been a respondent in Writ Petition 881 of 2014 and present at each hearing and consultation and deliberation that took place while arriving at the notification. The West Bengal counsel was in court on 13 July, 2015 when court asked the union government to frame the rules and also on the day when union government informed the court that the draft livestock rules were notified on 17 January, 2017. Why did they wait till the order was finally passed? And they suspect that it has anything to do with Ramzan! The Congress party has put up an eye-opening demonstration in Kerala, defeating the provisions of their own Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Regulations 2011. The unfortunate attempts reek of desperation and cowardice.
The rest of India breathed a sigh of relief. If Environment Minister Dave has left a legacy, it is this rule.
Vendor, agency slapped with Rs 40,000 fine for coating below standard wax on apples
INDORE: A fruit vendor from New Palasia area and a Delhi-based agency were slapped with a fine of Rs 40,000 on Tuesday by a court of additional collector Rakhi Sahay for allegedly coating below standard wax on apples to increase their shelf life.
The matter came to light when a health officer of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Dr Gautam Bhatia during a routine inspection found that wax-coated apples were being sold in a stall in New Palasia area.
A carton of four kg apples was purchased for Rs540 and was later sent for a laboratory test in Bhopal under the ministry of health and family welfare department. The lab report indicated that the apples were coated with below standard wax.
"Below permissible standard wax was found applied on apples in a laboratory test in Bhopal. As per the procedure, a case was made and presented in the administration court," said Gautam Bhatia, assistant health officer at IMC.
He added that the apple vendor, Kishanlal claimed purchasing the apples from a Delhi- based export firm called Royal Asia Marketing International. He also presented receipts of his purchases.
The apples were even stamped with Columbia pride Washington state apples and were put on sale. The stamp was also found to be a fake, he added.
The same documents were presented in the court. Kishanlal's firm was found guilty for allegedly selling the fruits without testing and was fined Rs10,000. Meanwhile, the Delhi based firm was found coating the below permissible standard wax on apples to increase the life of fruit and was slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 as per the food and safety standards act 2006 and 2011, the orders stated.
FSSAI officials collect sugar samples following complaint of ‘adulteration’
Following complaint of adulterated sugar being sold in a grocery shop here, officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) collected samples of sugar from the shop on Thursday.
A customer had alleged that plastic crystals were found in sugar he purchased from the shop near the Old KSRTC Bus Stand here.
Shivakumar, a resident of the city, had purchased 3 kg of sugar from the shop on Wednesday. He found plastic crystals mixed with sugar at home. “When we had tea, we noticed particles which did not dissolve in tea. Later, we found they were plastic crystals,” he said.
Minister for Sericulture and Animal Husbandry A.Manju also visited the shop after he was informed about the incident.
The officials visited the shop and collected sugar samples for laboratory tests.
Mr. Manju told presspersons that he had instructed the officials to collect the samples and take suitable action against those responsible for adulterating sugar.
Aravind, the shopkeeper, said he had been running the shop for many years and he never thought of cheating the customers.
“I have bought the sugar bags from Chikkodi. I don’t know about the plastic crystals. I will cooperate with the officials probing the matter,” he added.
Food business operators to get trained on safety aspects
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently launched the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme to ensure that food safety training programmes are delivered to the target audience to build up the capability of Food Safety Supervisors of Food Business Operators across the country.
In the light of this, CII Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, a pan-India food safety campaign to strengthen action on ‘Safe Food for All’ through awareness and capacity-building programmes, and a training partner of FoSTaC is organising training on June 2.
The topic is ‘Hygienic and Sanitary Practices for Food General Manufacturing, Advanced Level (Good Hygiene/Manufacturing Practices under Schedule 4, Part II of Food Safety and Standard Act, Rule and Regulations)’ at 9 a.m. at Hotel Quorum, Mysuru, here for food safety supervisors of small and medium industries.
The programmes would be interactive with focused activities to facilitate an environment of practical learning. Training of personnel in food business in a pre-requisite for ensuring food safety and hygiene. The ultimate objective is to promote good sanitary and hygienic practices as per schedule 4 of Food Safety Regulations and fulfil a need of at least one trained and certified Food Safety Supervisor in every food Business Operations so that he or she could intern cascade food safety training to the food handlers in their organisations, a press release said here.
Studies have shown that an appreciable percentage of food borne illness cases can be attributed to poor sanitation and food hygiene, including poor personal hygiene and contamination of equipment and environment, the release added.
Mysuru-based food industries can participate in the training program. Participation in the event is only through invitation. For more details, call CII Mysuru on Ph: 9880813811.
Fake 'ghee' sold at UP government canteens
June 1, 2017, 15:47 [IST] Subscribe to Oneindia News Lucknow, June 1: You might have heard of fake egg, fake cabbage that was made up of chemical substances and plastic materials but if you are a resident of Western Uttar Pradesh especially from Baghpat, Badaut, Bulandshahr and Mathura, then be aware when you buy the 'ghee' as these areas are teaming up with shops to sell fake ghee.
Some of the UP government employees alleged that fake ghee is being supplied in some government canteens as well.
The official suspect that members in UP government might be involved in the racket. According to sources, the ghee was a combination of refined oil, vanaspati oil nad desi ghee scent and hazardous chemicals were used to prepare the fake ghee.
Well, ghee is made from a milk fat but this fake ghee has animal fat, crushed animal bones for the granular texture, palm oil and final touch with desi ghee essence. Ram Naresh Yadav, Assistant Commissioner of UP Food Safety and Drug Department said that they have received complaints regarding the illegal units in the Western UP engaged in making adulterated ghee.
UP government staffers association said that the racket is so deep that the ghee is supplied even to the government canteens. Yadav said that the same has been informed to the higher officials in the department for further action.
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