FOOD SAFETY LATEST: Jun 16, 2017

Jun 16, 2017

Squads to check ‘plastic rice’

The Food Safety Department is taking immediate measures to check if there is any truth in the messages spreading in the social media about plastic-laced rice and sugar being sold in the market, an official press release said here.

The department has formed special squads in all districts to check the rice manufacturing centres, procurement centres, wholesale depots, packing centres as well as the open market to check for ‘plastic rice’ and to allay the apprehensions of the public regarding food safety.

On Thursday, inspections were held in 73 locations and 16 were served notices and Rs. 17,000 collected as fine.

Plastic rice: six samples sent for test

Officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected wholesale shops selling rice and godowns and collected six samples of rice on Thursday.

A team led by Designated Food Safety Officer Dr. M. Kavikkumar along with food safety inspectors inspected shops at many parts of the town. The team also inspected godowns where gunny bags of rice were stocked. However, no plastic rice was found in these places.

Addressing mediapersons, he said that 181 shops and godowns were inspected in the district so far by four teams in the past four days and no plastic rice was found. However, six samples were taken and sent to laboratory in Chennai.

The officer said that to prevent adulteration in milk, 28 samples were taken of which seven were found to contain less fat. He said that case would be filed against those companies and action would be taken.

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.

Two fruit sellers caught

Imphal, June 14 2017:

A combined team of Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal West and City police, today, caught two fruit sellers along with two bottles of an unknown chemicals used to ripen bananas.

Speaking to media persons at his Lamphelpat office, Health Director Dr Karam Lokendro said that a combined team of Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal West and City police carried out inspection drives at various fruit stores and godowns in Imphal area and arrested two fruit sellers identified as Shaktinath Prasad s/ o Jagadis of Chhathu Saha Ward no 15, East Champaran district, Bihar presently staying at Majorkhul and Dost Mohammad Ansari s/o Samsuddin Ansari of Fulwari Tajpur, Bihar, presently staying at Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak.

The security team also seized two 400ml bottles filled with an unknown chemical.

The bottles had labels ‘Made in China’ and ‘Manufactured by Shandong United Pesticide Industry Co Ltd’ as well.

Expressing suspicion that the chemicals might contain carbide, Lokendro said that the contents of the said bottles cannot be confirmed due to the printed language but samples would be sent to laboratories for testing.

The security team also seized some (zehaji) bananas which had been dunk in a diluted solution of the chemical for ripening.

He also stated that with the help of the chemical, bananas which normally take around a week to ripen, can be ripened in only three days and further notified all fruit sellers to refrain from resorting to such illegal activities for profit and threatened to take up necessary legal actions against anyone caught resorting to such practices.

Lokendro urged the people to contact the Food Safety Enforcement Wing or the Directorate if they come across such illegal activities.

On the other hand, he expressed disappointment at the claims made by one United Meitei Pangal Association against the Department and clarified that the organisation had requested the Department to sanction funds for a medical camp but the Department refused as it only provides medical supplies and manpower for such camps.