உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை சார்பில் கோயம்பேடு பஸ் நிலையத்தில் டெங்கு விழிப்புணர்வு நிகழ்ச்சி

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை சார்பில் சென்னையில் பல்வேறு இடங்களில் டெங்கு காய்ச்சல் குறித்த விழிப்புணர்வு நிகழ்ச்சி நேற்று நடைபெற்றது.

உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை ஆணையர் அமுதா உணவு கலப்படம் குறித்த விழிப்புணர்வு நடத்துவதோடு சேர்த்து டெங்கு காய்ச்சல் குறித்த விழிப்புணர்வையும் நடத்த உத்தரவிட்டு இருந்தார். அதன்படி, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை சார்பில் சென்னையில் பல்வேறு இடங்களில் டெங்கு காய்ச்சல் குறித்த விழிப்புணர்வு நிகழ்ச்சி நேற்று நடைபெற்றது.

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் (சென்னை மாவட்டம்) சதாசிவம், மணிமாறன், கண்ணன் ஆகியோர் நேற்று காலை அரும்பாக்கத்தில் உள்ள அரசு மேல்நிலைப்பள்ளியில் டெங்கு காய்ச்சல் உருவாக்கும் கொசுப்புழுக்கள் எப்படி உருவாகின்றன? அதை தடுக்க என்ன வழிகள் இருக்கின்றன? என்பது குறித்த காட்சி படங்களை ஒளிபரப்பி விழிப்புணர்வு நடத்தினார்கள்.

அதனைத்தொடர்ந்து பொதுமக்கள் அதிகம் கூடும் பகுதியான சென்னை கோயம்பேடு பஸ் நிலையத்தில் அரசு மேல்நிலைப்பள்ளி தேசிய மாணவர் படை மாணவர்களை கொண்டு விழிப்புணர்வு நிகழ்ச்சியை நடத்தினர். அப்போது மாணவர்கள் ‘டெங்குக்கு அபாயம், நிலவேம்பு கசாயம்’, தண்ணீர் தொட்டிகளை மூடி வைப்போம் என்ற வாசகங்கள் அடங்கிய பதாகைகளை ஏந்தி வந்தனர்.

அதேபோல், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் டெங்கு காய்ச்சலை உருவாக்கும் கொசுப்புழுக்களை பாட்டிலில் அடைத்து வைத்து அதை பொதுமக்களுக்கு காண்பித்து விளக்கி கூறினார்கள்.

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DINAKARAN NEWS

Detection of Adulteration and Analysis of Milk

CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), for developing the technology to tackle a national level health hazard due to adulteration in milk.

The Minister said that he would soon be reaching out to the Union Health Minister and the Health Ministers of all state governments to adopt and deploy the technology platform to address the problem of milk adulteration in the country. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) would also be asked to bring in the required regulatory intervention so as to ensure the delivery of quality milk, he added.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan pointed that our country ranked number one across the world for milk production, contributing to about 18% of the world’s total milk. By volume, milk production was about 146 million tonnes in the country. But it was feared that over 60% of the milk was contaminated due to malpractices in milk supply chain which included dilution with unsafe water. The milk was otherwise said to be adulterated with contaminants such as urea, salt, detergent, liquid soap, boric acid, caustic soda, soda and hydrogen peroxide which have hazardous health effects.

The gravity of the situation had been such that NITI Aayog identified the problem of detecting adulteration in the milk within three minutes at Rs. 4 or less, as one of the Grand Challenge Areas being considered under the Atal Innovation Mission.

The Minister appreciated the initiative of CSIR-CEERI for developing and deploying the technology solution, ‘Ksheer Scanner’, which instantaneously detects the above identified adulterants in milk. It was a low-cost portable system with user friendly features. The contaminants were detected in just 40-45 seconds at per sample cost of less than 50 paise. The minimum detection levels of major contaminants are: Urea: 1 gm/l; salt: 2 gm/l; detergent: 2 gm/l; soap: 1%; and soda: 1 gm/l.

Awareness rally on ill-effects of tobacco taken out

To create awareness on the ill-effects of using tobacco, a rally was taken out by students of Kongu Engineering College in the city on Friday.

Jointly organised by the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department and the college, T. Kalaivani, Designated Officer flagged off the rally near District Government Headquarters Hospital that passed through Perundurai Road before culminating at Collectorate.

Students, numbering over 170, held placards that highlighted the menace of using tobacco and adverse effects of tobacco.

They said that leading a healthy life without tobacco is important for the family and the society and called upon the public to keep themselves away from tobacco.

Participants also raised slogans on the harmful effects of tobacco and called for united struggle against tobacco.

In recent times, the Food Safety Department and the District Police officers are carrying out raids at shops selling the banned tobacco items.

Huge quantities of tobacco were also seized from a godown.

Govt forming standards for special diets to help children with rare metabolic disorders

Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) is a group of generic diseases and disorders, and people suffering from these disorders have special dietary needs

An estimated 30,000 children suffer from rare metabolic disorders in India.

To meet the special dietary needs of children suffering from rare metabolic disorders that affect an estimated 30,000 children in India, an expert committee is formulating guidelines for manufacturing, sale and distribution of such diets.

Though Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recently started a registry to know the exact burden of rare diseases in India, an exact prevalence of children suffering from inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) as the condition is called is not known.

IEM is a group of generic diseases and disorders, and people suffering from these disorders have special dietary needs as they can't digest normal food. These children require special diets to avoid developing cognitive and physical disorders.

Until the guidelines are formed, Union health ministry that is spearheading the project has allowed permission for certain products of the several available globally to come in Indian markets. 

"Forming special food standards is a cumbersome process, and consumes a lot of time. So, for time-being we have given permission on product-basis, after approval from our expert committee," said a senior health ministry official, requesting anonymity.

The committee analysed a long-list of special diets that are approved for use abroad in children suffering from metabolic disorders.

The project is a part of country’s top food regulator-- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Diet4Life initiative, with experts participating from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, ICMR, Indian Dietetic Association, Indian Academy of Paediatrics etc.

“For years we were approached by organisations that deal in rate genetic disorders, there were some technical issues earlier but now we are seriously looking into it," said the official.

These diets, however, Are very expensive and a month's diet can cost anywhere between a few thousand to about Rs 20,000.

Three companies so far have been permitted to bring in their select products, of which products of two companies have already hit the market. The third company's products are expected to come in by August end.

To help children who can't afford, health ministry has also formed a screening committee to decide needy patients.

"We are willing to partially bear the cost of these diets for children who can't afford. However, Its not possible to subsidise for all so we will go by the screening committee's recommendation," said the official.

An Indian company that manufactures these special diets has applied for a license and the food regulator is examining their case. “If they met the criteria then it would bring down the cost significantly,” said Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI.

200 kilogram adulterated mawa seized from factory

Jaipur: Health department unearthed a mawa manufacturing unit which used liquid glucose, refined soyabean oil and suji (semolina) for producing mawa at Lalarpura village near Jaipur on Friday.

Ahead of Raksha Bandhan, the health department officials conducted the search of a house after getting the tip-off that a person is involved in producing substandard mawa. The officials recovered 200 kg of milk cake, which they destroyed immediately after the inspection. They have also collected three samples of milk cake and sent it to laboratory for quality test.

Health department officials said that the mawa should be produced from milk but here liquid glucose, refined soyabean oil and suji was being used. Officials found 500 liters of liquid glucose, 300 kg suji and four canisters of refined soyabean oil.

Food safety officer Virendra Singh said for producing substandard quality of food, there is a penalty of upto Rs5 lakh. Acting on the tip off, the health department's team inspected Shiv Raghav Food Product in Navdeep Vihar and alleged that they have found substandard mawa produced in it. The department has launched a five-day campaign against food adulteration in the state to ensure that people will get pure milk products at a time when the demand of sweets goes high ahead of festivals like Raksha Bandhan.

Now, get food licence a day after application is received: FSDA

Agra: To clamp down on prevailing corruption in the food safety department, the state government has directed it to issue food licences within one day after applications are received online. Earlier, it used to take two months for obtaining a licence. After issuing the licence, the FSDA will conduct a spot inspection of the establishment and in case they find any discrepancy, they will have the authority to suspend or cancel the permit.

The decision will benefit lakhs of retail shop owners across the state who were earlier forced to make several rounds of the FSDA office. However, those who are involved in sale of meat related products have been kept out of this category.

FSDA assistant commissioner Vinit Kumar said, “The move is aimed at curbing harassment of businessmen in the state. Licences to retail shops, except for those who are involved in meat business whose establishments (restaurants) require hygiene evaluation, will be issued without any delay. Moreover, they will not be required to visit the office for this purpose as the licence will be issued online.”

Earlier, it took one month for issuing registration and two months for issuing the licence. In case the deadline is not met, the official concerned will be held responsible and have to give reasons for denying a permit, the FSDA official added.

On why meat vendors and restaurants were not in this category, Kumar said they need an NoC from various departments.

According to officials, the new system is likely to benefit small business houses and fruits and vegetable sellers, who otherwise avoid taking a licence. A fee is Rs 100 will have to be paid by those whose business turnover is below Rs 12 lakh per annum. If the turnover is above this limit, the applicant will have to pay Rs 2,000. Licence would be for a period ranging from one to five years.

Kumar said, “If anyone faces any sort of problem or is asked to pay a bribe, they can directly call on my number and register a complaint. I will ensure that such cases are resolved immediately.”

6 restaurants in Colva ordered to be shut

Colva: A food safety officer of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Friday ordered the closure of six restaurants at Colva, which were found to be functioning under unhygienic and unsanitary conditions.

FDA director Salim Veljee said that as many as nine restaurants were inspected along the coastal belt on Friday as part of the drive conducted by the department.

While one restaurant was found to be functioning without a food safety licence, a number of violations were noted at other restaurants.

The violations included using artificial colours in cooking, unfiltered water, uncovered dustbins, washing utensils in the open area, filthy kitchen conditions, etc. Also, cooks in some restaurants did not use aprons.

FDA officials even found a rat at one of the restaurants.