Jul 11, 2017
Chamber plea to clear the air on milk controversy
COIMBATORE, JULY 10:
The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, has appealed to the TN government to put an end to the controversy over milk adulteration.
The farmers, milk industry and consumers are all under great pressure, said Vanitha Mohan, President, ICCIC.
“It is time to put an end to this controversy which has been going on for weeks now in the interest of all. The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 gives enough powers to the state government to set standards for various varieties of milk. It also has the machinery to enforce these standards and issue certificates of compliance,” she said and pointed out that the recent videos on milk adulteration coupled with the Dairy Development Minister’s statement on the issue had increased the apprehensions in the minds of the public.
Money pumped into food testing and standardisation for State
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has agreed to give special assistance of Rs 8.50 crore to the Food and Drugs Administration, Maharashtra to its existing laboratories by procuring new equipment to test food samples as per the FSSAI norms.
The above assurance was given by FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr.Pallavi Darade in a recent meeting of high powered committee held in New Delhi. The FDA has sought an assistance of Rs 10 crore, including Rs 8.2 crore to procure new equipments and Rs. 1.8 crore to strengthen infrastructure. Eventually the FISSI agreed to give Rs 8.50 crore and also permitted the FDA to open separate ban account since this is a special central assistance.
The assistance will be used for procuring three ultra equipments to test the food as per the standards. They will be used to check the metal content in food, component of pesticides, organic content in non-vegetarian food etc. The pesticides are widely used in producing food to control pests such as insects, rodents, weeds, bacteria and fungus.
For testing of Drugs & Cosmetics as stated under section 20 and 33 F of Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules there under, Maharashtra State has established Drugs Control Laboratory at Bandra(Mumbai) and at Aurangabad, under the Administrative control of the Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra State. The existing capacity of testing food samples is 1200 at Mumbai and 720 in Aurangabad. Both the Laboratories are well equipped with sophisticated instruments.
In addition to FDA’s laboratories in Mumbai and Aurangabad, The food analytical laboratories are in existence also under department of public health, at different places. They include: 1. State Public Health Laboratory, Pune( this is the apex Laboratory of the state & is also declared as Central Food laboratory for state), 2. Regional Public Health Laboratories are at Aurangabad, Nagpur and Amaravati, 3. District Public Health Laboratories at: New Mumbai, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Beed, Nanded, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Nashik and Akola. In addition to the BMC also has laboratory in Mumbai.
Public Analysts have been appointed in above laboratories¸ who analyses the samples and deliver report¸within 40 days from date of receipt. The Public analysts are required to verify sealed portion and analyze the food article, keeping in mind that the analysis has been done as per the methodologies laid down by Director General of Health Services.
FSSAI has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and Departments. FSSAI has been created 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.
FSSAI has been mandated by the FSS Act, 2006 to frame regulations to lay down the standards and guidelines in relation to articles of food and specifying appropriate system of enforcing various standards thus notified, to lay down mechanisms and guidelines for accreditation of certification bodies engaged in certification of food safety management system for food businesses, to lay down procedure and guidelines for accreditation of laboratories and notification of the accredited laboratories, to provide scientific advice and technical support to Central Government and State Governments in the matters of framing the policy and rules in areas which have a direct or indirect bearing of food safety and nutrition, to collect and collate data regarding food consumption, incidence and prevalence of biological risk, contaminants in food, residues of various, contaminants in foods products, identification of emerging risks and introduction of rapid alert system and to create an information network across the country so that the public, consumers, Panchayats etc receive reliable and objective information about food safety and food standards.
Food testing labs lack testing parameters, says FSSAI report
Srinagar, July 10: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has highlighted various deficiencies in food testing laboratories, both at Srinagar and Jammu.
Meanwhile, hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of high court also impleaded FSSAI and observed that various deficiencies highlighted in the report needed to be addressed immediately.
“One of the major concern is that there was no food safety commissioner,” the court according to Kashmir Glory said and directed Commissioner secretary Health to file his compliance report, indicating as to what steps have been taken for appointment of the FSC on next date with his personal appearance.
It compliance to the court’s direction, Chief executive Officer FSSAI had deputed two teams to visit both the laboratories at Jammu and at Srinagar. The report stated as to whether the laboratories fulfil the requirement for testing of samples as required under the FSSA, 2006.
Visiting team comprising Dr Lalitha R Gowda, former chief scientist & Director Referral Food Laboratory Mysore and Shailender Kumar, Assistant Director Quality Assurance FSSAI, New Delhi visited both labs on 27-28 June, and Public health lab, Dalgate, Srinagar on 28-29 June and prepared detailed report viz-a-viz their visiting.
As per the report, both the laboratories are currently equipped with minor equipment, which are in working condition. These include electronic balance, muffle furnace, butyro-refractometer and tintometer etc.
With the available instruments, the labs undertake preliminary food analysis such as moisture, crude fiber, ash, milk analysis using the milkoscan, physical and visual examination, qualitative test for added color, sweeteners and adulterants of milk and spices and BRR of oils and fats. Scrutiny of test reports at both labs illustrate that a wide spectrum of food categories listed in the FSS rules and regulations, are tested, but the testing parameter are limited.
“Both labs do not carry out any tests for contaminant such pesticide residues, heavy metals, veterinary drug residues, crop contaminants and naturally occurring toxic substances,” the report said.
Currently, the report said, both the labs neither have in place state-of-the –art equipment necessary for pesticide, heavy metals and drug residues etc nor competent and trained manpower to operate the equipment. A major limiting factor towards fulfilling the requirements of testing of food samples is the non-availability of sophisticated instruments, the report said.
The current analytical facilities and chemical testing capabilities of the labs do not fulfil the requirements of the FSS act and rules as also regulations.
At Jammu lab, the report said a High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) with a UV detector as also Gas Chromatograph with a Mass Spectrometer were installed but no samples analyzed due to lack of trained manpower. Besides, the report said, two equipments are not in working condition.
A major constraint observed by the team is the space required to install high-end equipment of PHL, Srinagar. The required space was available in the adjacent Forensic Science Laboratory that now belongs to Drugs and Food Control Organization.
JK food testing labs substandard: Experts
An expert two-member panel from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has informed the High Court that state’s food testing laboratories are not functioning to provide desired results.
In compliance to court directions, a team of FSSAI comprising Dr Lalith R Gowda, former chief Scientist and Director Referral Food Lab, Mysore and Shailender Kumar, Assistant, director, quality Assurance, FSSAI, New Delhi visited the two state labs and filed its report in High Court.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation on food adulteration, a division bench of Chief Justice Baddar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey took the report on record.
The report divulges that in both labs-- Public Health Lab Patoli, Jammu and Public Health lab, Dalgate here— do not carry out any tests for contaminant such pesticide residues, heavy metals, veterinary drug residues, crop contaminants and naturally occurring toxic substances.
The report unveils that a wide spectrum of food categories listed in the Food Safety and Standard Rules( FSS) and regulations, are tested, but the testing parameters are limited.
The two labs, the report indicates, are with minor equipment which includes electronic balance, muffle furnace, butyro-refractometer and tintometer. “The current analytical facilities and chemical testing capabilities of the labs do not fulfill the requirements of the FSS act and rules”.
The court was informed that currently both the labs have no state-of-the –art equipment necessary for pesticide, heavy metals and drug residues analysis in place nor a competent trained manpower to operate the equipment.
The court was apprised that a major limiting factor towards fulfilling the requirements of testing of food samples is the non-availability of sophisticated instruments.
While the report indicated that a major constraint observed by the team is the space required for installing high-end equipment at Srinagar lab, it added the required space is available in the adjacent Forensic Science Laboratory that now belongs to Drugs and Food Control Organization.
“However, the lab is constrained from using this space owing to the unauthorized occupation by the belt forces,” the report said.
The report indicates that neither of the labs carries out Microbiology testing of foods for any of the hygiene and safety parameters listed by FSSAI.
It says “there exists neither a functional microbiology lab nor a qualified microbiologist to carry out the microbiology testing”.
Another major constraint, the report said, is the lack of a qualified food microbiologist. The FSSAI recommends qualified food microbiologists to be appointed for both the labs at the earliest.
The report, however, indicates that with the available instruments, the labs undertake preliminary food analysis such as moisture, crude fiber, ash, milk analysis and qualitative tests for added color, sweeteners and adulterants of milk and spices and BRR of oils and fats.
At Srinagar lab five Food Safety Officers (FSOs) have been inducted into the lab and there are two certified Food analysts. Both labs have technically competent analysts but insufficient in number to meet the quantum of samples received for analysis.
While the court made FSSAI as party in the PIL, it directed Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education to file compliance on the steps taken for appointment of Food Safety Commissioner FSC on next date of hearing , seeking his personal appearance also.
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