We are not thelas: Food trucks do brisk business but face licence wrangles

According to civic authorities, these food trucks are illegal as they do not have a hawker’s licence to cook and sell food on the roadside

There are nearly 50 food trucks in the city.

THE trend of food trucks, which have on-board kitchens and serve various kind of cuisine, is picking up pace in Pune, especially in the bustling suburban areas of the city. While there are almost 50 food trucks in the city, all of them face a major issue. According to civic authorities, these food trucks are illegal as they do not have a hawker’s licence to cook and sell food on the roadside. The owners, however, say that the problem is the absence of a legal framework for ‘restaurants on wheels’, which are different from roadside food stalls.

Originally an American concept, it has spread to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru; the capital and Ahmedabad now have dedicated parks for food trucks. Food trucks in Pune serve cuisine ranging from Asian to Continental, Mediterranean to American, and dishes ranging from sandwiches and salads to kebabs and tacos. These trucks are now a common sight in areas like Vimannagar, Aundh, Baner and Koregaon Park.

Mohit Nakra, a lawyer-turned-food-truck-owner, and one of the first persons to venture into the business in Pune, said, “We must understand that these food trucks are different from roadside thelas. Most of the food truck owners are trained in culinary skills and there is no doubt that the food we serve is hygienic. But unfortunately, the authorities have not been able to grasp this concept and treat these food trucks like a thela”. “Most of the food truck owners have permits, such as those from the Food Safety and

Standards Authority of India, the Food and Drug Administration and the Shop Act. But as the food trucks are parked on the side of the road, we have to get a hawker’s licence, which none of us have. The new licenses have not been issued and the process has a lot of red tape,” he added.

Sandhya Garage, deputy commissioner (encroachment), Pune Municipal Corporation, said, “None of these food trucks have the necessary permit for cooking and selling food on the roadside… we have taken action and will continue to do so. So, if they are operating on the side of the road, they are doing so illegally.”

Vikram Dabholkar, another food truck owner, said, “The solution… is to form a dedicated park for food trucks. Our group has already surveyed private land in Vimannagar area… but we have to work on the economics of it… in a food truck park, people will be able to choose from an array of options and we will be able to resolve the legal issue as well.”

6 Food Safety Inspectors submit fake marks cards to get promotion, complaint lodged

The Karnataka State Open University Examinations Chancellor has lodged a police complaint with the Jayalakshmipura police station, Mysuru, against 6 persons who faked marks cards of post graduate degree, with an intention of getting promotion as Food Safety Inspectors with the Health and Family Welfare Department.

Sharanappa, Satish, Ramesh Reddy of Gangavathi, Kashi M Vali of Sandur, Shivayogappa of Malla B village, Surapur taluk, Yadgir district, and Mallanna S of Shiravala village, Shahapur taluk, Yadgir, working as Food Safety Inspectors at the Health and Family Welfare Department were found to have submitted fake marks cards of post graduate degree to avail promotion.

Applications were called for the posts of 87 Food safety Inspectors on 28.8.2016 from the Karnataka State Food Safety Commissioner's officer. MSc Chemistry was mandatory to apply.

The 6 who were working as food assistance at the Health and Family Welfare Department decided to apply and managed to get fake marks cards from Open University. Incidentally, they did get the posts.

The fraud came to light only when the department referred all marks cards to respective universities. The Examinations Chancellor of Open University decided to lodge a police complaint against the 6.

Shivappa, Joint Director, Food Safety Cell, Health Department has said that action will be initiated against them.

Food samples collected by FSDA fail test

BAREILLY: Samples of edible oil and a namkeen collected by food safety & drugs administration (FSDA) from three different places in February were found to be substandard. Officials said that the food items have been seized and license of the accused traders would be cancelled.

Bareilly FSDA designated officer Mamta Kumari told TOI, "We had conducted raids in February across the district during the festive season of Holi. We collected over two dozen samples from various sources in the district to send them to laboratory. The reports of those samples have started coming now. On Wednesday, we got reports of samples of bran oil, palm oil and namkeen. Oil samples were collected from Rithora block, while namkeen sample from Bhabhora area. In lab reports all three samples are said to be substandard and highly injurious to health."

The FSDA official said that in edible oil synthetic colour and acid was found, similarly in namkeen non-edible colour was mixed.

"Lab reports say that sample contain non permitted synthetic yellow colour which is highly harmful for consumption. We will file a case against the accused traders in the court of additional city magistrate. We have already sealed the premises and now their licences will be cancelled. The edible oil was produced in huge quantity nearly 2,000 to 3,000 litres per day to dispatch in the other district also. Similarly, namkeen was dispatched in the local market, especially in the rural area," Kumari added.

Food safety department conducts raid on Inox

Vijayawada: The department of legal metrology and food safety department have jointly conducted a raid on Inox Multiplex at Gandhi Nagar in the city and collected the details of the price list and quantity being sold to the customers. Every day, hundreds of movie goers purchase different types of soft drinks and packed and unpacked food items.

Highlights:

• Collect food samples for the lab 
• Water bottle sold at excess price compared to other places

The officials noticed less quantity soft drink sold to customersThe raid was conducted on Wednesday following complaints lodged against the canteen for the selling the soft drinks and food items at an excess price. The food safety department had collected the samples of samosa to test the quality in the lab. Assistant food controller N Poornachandra Rao told The Hans India that that the raid was conducted following the complaint lodged against the canteen for selling the food items at excess price and giving less quantity to the consumers. He said some samples of unpacked food items were collected to test the quality in the lab.

Legal metrology department had noticed that less quantity of soft drinks sold to the customers even after collecting high price. Common people are worried over the exorbitant prices being collected for the food items like popcorn, samosa and other food items. The legal metrology officials said that the canteen had violated the norms and details would be produced before the District Collector for taking action for violating the norms.

Poornachandra Rao said that notices would be served on some soft drink companies why they are selling the same quantity of drinks with same packing and ingredients at different prices. For example, there is a huge variation of price for the 200 ml soft drink sold in Inox and outside the shops. 

He questioned why these companies print different prices on the soft drink bottles for the same quality and quantity product. He said if the food products being sold proved to be sub-standard action will be taken as per the law.

Officials find irregularities in multiplex’s cafeteria

Case registered for not mentioning quantity of soft drinks

Officials of Legal Metrology and Food Safety departments who raided a multiplex in the city on Wednesday found several irregularities in terms of quantity and quality of the food sold in the cafeterias.

Zonal Food Safety Officer G. Purnachandra Rao and Assistant Commissioner of Legal Metrology Nageswara Rao jointly raided the cafeterias in the INOX Gandhi Nagar multiplex following complaints against the poor quality of snacks and exorbitant prices.

Mr. Purnachandra Rao said they found that the cafeteria failed to keep a record of details of sourcing of unpackaged food items like samosa and popcorn.

Also, metrology officials found that the multiplex was selling unpackaged food items for exorbitant prices without mentioning the quantity being offered.

“We found that a cup of soft drink is sold for Rs. 150. But the quantity of the same is not mentioned anywhere. This is in violation of the rules and we have booked a case against the management,” said Mr. Nageswara Rao.

Food safety officials collected samples of a pulpy orange fruit drink which has unidentified red coloured flakes in it. “We have sent the sample for laboratory tests and will take necessary action depending on the test result,” Mr. Purnachandra Rao said.

Temple prasadham to be standardised across State

Ensuring uniformity:Temples have been asked to ensure the prices of prasadham items are not exorbitant.

Size and quantity will be the same; quality will also receive focus

The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department has advised temples to ensure uniformity in the size and quantity of prasadham sold on their premises. They have also asked for quality be given top priority.

Some 250 major temples in the State sell such various items, including murukku, thattai , laddu and appam . The concept is to make these items in the temple’smadapalli (kitchen) and symbolically offer them to the gods as neivedhya and then sell them to the public. “Earlier, they used to be distributed free of cost. Nowadays, the free distribution continues, but temples are also sellingprasadham as it brings revenue,” explained a retired HR and CE official.

The directive comes as the fasli year (accounting year of temples from July 1-June 30) comes to an end and contracts for such eatables are given or renewed. “We have given training to contractors who prepare and sell these items and told them and temple authorities to ensure prices are not exorbitant,” M. Veera Shanmuga Moni, Commissioner HR and CE, said.

Nominal increase

The standardisation may lead to a nominal increase in cost. “That would perhaps be a rupee or two. As far as quality is concerned, respective temple administrations are constantly on the watch and there have been instances of tenders being cancelled half way and temples themselves taking up sales. At the Meenakshi Amman in Madurai and at the Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai, prasadham is made and sold by the temple managements themselves,” he added.

However, the prasadham is not certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAIl) . K. Mukundan, a resident of West Mambalam, said that such standardisation is a must . “Even small SHGs get FSSAI certification for eatables made by them. Why should temples be left out?” he asked.

Cooking oil samples tested

Action will be taken if found adulterated, say food safety officials

The Food Safety Department awaits results of eight samples of cooking oil an inspection team had taken for testing from traders and manufacturers during a recent raid in the district.

Raids were conducted reportedly based on complaints that sesame oil and groundnut oil were being adulterated with cheap cooking oils by a section of unscrupulous traders.

There have been instances in the past when such tests had indicated adulteration of sesame oil and groundnut oil with sunflower oil and palm oil, official sources said.

Some manufacturers and traders add chemicals for deodorising, colouring and also flavouring, the sources said.

Samples were taken from units undertaking mechanised production as well as those following traditional pressing method.

In the event of determining adulteration of the premium products with much cheaper palm oil and cottonseed oil, the manufacturers and traders concerned would face legal action, it is learnt.

Used as a flavour enhancer and as an ingredient to foods to impart health benefits, sesame oil is generally priced at a premium to other edible vegetables.

Practitioners of both Western medicine and the Indian system of Ayurveda recognise significant health benefits in gingelly oil as it has properties of lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, aids in weight reduction, and is a source of antioxidants, a gastroenterologist said.

But, getting sesame oil that is preferred by health-conscious customers in natural form is not easy, a trader acknowledged, explaining that manufacturers can price the product competitively only by compromising on its purity.

Special teams formed

Food safety officials have formed special teams to monitor the alleged sales of “plastic rice” in the district.

The teams have inspected 78 establishments, including rice mandi, retail outlets, department stores, and godowns. Two samples lifted from shops tested in laboratory at Guindy showed that they were edible rice.

Those who want to make complaints to the Food Safety Department can use the watsapp number 94440 42322, or 04343-230102.

Get license before selling edible goods

Application forms available online too

The district administration has asked food business operators to register themselves with the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department and obtain a license, failing which action will be taken against them.

Mandatory

District Collector M. Asia Mariam said that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have made it mandatory under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 for them to obtain license. There are 16,897 government and private food business operators in the district of which only 8,369 had registered themselves, and just 1,441 had obtained license.

Food business operators include food manufacturers, stockiest, transporters, tea shops, bakeries, roadside eateries, meat sellers, fruit and vegetable sellers, hotels, canteens in educational institutions, marriage halls, people who sell flour, provision shops, distributors, sago manufacturers, jaggery and sugar manufacturers, oil producers and sellers, private milk storage companies, flour mills, persons involved in export and import, cold storage units, wholesale distributors, manufacturers of beverages and other food business.

Online forms are available atwww.fssai.gov.in.

Those whose license had expired should renew it.

The Collector said that of the 152 samples taken by the department from food business operators till date, 138 were found to be sub-standard.

A fine of Rs. 12.84 lakh was collected from them and cases were pending against 14 traders in court.

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