Poor quality food being served at hostel

Samples of food items, including rice and tur dal, supplied to students of Post-Metric (Women) Hostel, run by the Social Welfare Department in Hassan, were found unfit for human consumption after a laboratory test. This has prompted the students to demand strict action against officials responsible.

The office of Chief Food Analyst in Mysuru had tested the samples of tur dal, rice, refined oil and tea powder obtained from the hostel kitchen. As per the lab tests, except the refined oil, all the three items were unfit for human consumption. The officers of Food Safety and Quality Authority in Hassan had collected the samples from the hostel on July 16, following a protest by students complaining that the food served there was of poor quality. The samples were sent to the office of Chief Food Analyst, where the divisional level lab is also located. According to the report, the tur dal sample contained living insects, while the rice sample had living insects, hair and other extraneous matter. Similarly, the tea powder sample was found unsafe as it showed the traces of added colour. The Chief Food Analyst, after conducting the tests, sent the report on July 29.

V. Ambarish, State president, Students’ Federation of India (SFI), who shared a copy of the test results with the media in Hassan on Friday, said, “The lab report vindicated the students. However, no action has been taken against the officers responsible so far, ” he alleged.

Threat to students

M. Asha, District Secretary, SFI, who is also a student of the hostel, said that the warden and other officers of the Social Welfare Department had threatened to send her out of the hostel for raising her voice against the poor quality of the food being served there.

When The Hindu contacted Parashurama, Hassan Taluk Social Welfare Officer, he said the department had been taking measures to improve the facilities. “Some students associated with the SFI are creating problems by staging protests repeatedly. We should not have given admission to those students associated with the SFI,” he said. When asked whether was it a mistake by the students to demand proper quality food, the officer added, “Asha, being an office-bearer of SFI, instigated the protests. THis is not expected from students”.

‘Organic’ veggies not as organic as you think

KAU study detects new-generation insecticides and fungicides in ‘organic’ fruits and vegetables

Here is an alert for health conscious people who go in search of ‘organic’ fruits and vegetables.

New generation insecticides and fungicides have been detected in fruits and vegetables labelled organic is the latest concern in food safety, according to a report published by Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) recently.

They are often sold at higher prices in separate counter in hypermarkets, it noted.

The report from the Pesticide Residue Research & Analytical Laboratory (PRRAL) under the KAU contains categorised test results of vegetables, fruits, spices and condiments sampled from public markets, including hypermarkets across the State, during the period from April to June 2017.

Green capsicum

A sample of ‘organic’ green capsicum purchased on June 16, 2017 from a major hypermarket in Ernakulam city was found contaminated with seven chemical pesticides, including five insecticides, acetamiprid (1.12 ppm), clothianidin (0.72 ppm), imidacloprid (0.69 ppm), buprofezin (0.12ppm), acephate (1.78 ppm) and two fungicides, tebuconazole (0.84 ppm ) and iprovalicarb (0.22 ppm).

New insecticides

Another sample of baji chilli branded ‘pesticide-free’ contained three new-generation insecticides viz. acetamiprid, metalaxyl and chlorantraniliprole. One sample of imported “red globe” variety grapes purchased from the same shop had four pesticides, imidacloprid (1.31 ppm), metalaxyl (0.57 ppm), azoxystrobin (1.12 ppm) and carbendazim (0.09 ppm).

The study conducted in a major hypermarket in Thiruvananthapuram city also indicated the same trend.

Red capsicum contained imidacloprid, clothianidin, azoxystrobin, tebuconazole and carbendazim in the same sample.

Baji chilli had residues of imidacloprid, carbofuran (banned in Kerala) and two fungicides tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin.

Among the fruits collected from the same hypermarket, red globe grapes priced at ₹400 a kg showed the presence of acetamiprid (0.39 ppm) and indoxacarb (0.04 ppm), while seedless green grapes had residues of three pesticides.

A systemic organophosphate insecticide, dimethoate (0.67- 2.34 ppm), was detected in small onion and green chilli samples purchased on June 9, 2017 from another shop in Thiruvananthapuram city selling exclusively ‘organic’ labelled products.

Detection of a number of new generation pesticides up to trace levels of parts per billion (nanogram/kg), which were not previously reported, has been made possible with the new liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS), an apparatus imported from the U.S., said Thomas Biju Mathew, Associate Director (PP) and Head, PRRAL, Vellayani.

“The results indicated regular spraying of a cocktail of new-generation insecticides and fungicides at close intervals to protect the crop in farms and polyhouses in other States,” he said.

Need for surveillance

KAU Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran said the new results necessitated intensified surveillance of fruits and vegetables sold in Kerala.

“Procurement, operation and maintenance of sophisticated and costly instruments like LC-MS/MS and service of highly skilled analysts has become a necessity. The new pesticide residue laboratories set up under the KAU in Kumarakam, Vellanikkara and Padnakkad should also be strengthened with advanced equipment to attain full technical competency,” he said.

The report is also published on the State government’s web portal kerala.gov.in

GM food products: If notified, 30 days time should be given to raise objections, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said that provisions already exist in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS), 2006 in this regard and the notification can only be issued after appropriate regulations are put in place.Supreme Court for centralised system for lower judiciary appointments

The Supreme Court on Friday said that if any notification is issued by the Centre for sale of genetically modified food products in the market, one month time should be given for raising objections. A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said that provisions already exist in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS), 2006 in this regard and the notification can only be issued after appropriate regulations are put in place.

It noted the submission of senior advocate Ajit Sinha appearing for the Centre that the issue is under active consideration and it is only after regulations are passed by Parliament, that a notification can be issued.

Taking the statement on record, the apex court disposed of the plea filed by environmental activist Vandana Shiva challenging the notification of 2007 with regard to selling of GM food products. Sinha said that without the regulations in place, the notification cannot be enacted upon.

The Centre said the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS), 2006 provides for 30 days period for the notification to be implemented during which objections if any can be raised.

FDA tests suspect eggs, finds them free of plastic

MUMBAI: Bizarre rumours and fake WhatsApp videos about "plastic eggs" being sold in its jurisdiction have prompted the Thane Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clarify that these are false claims. All samples tested were reported to be natural and safe for consumption.

Egg traders are anxious as sales have dropped in Thane, Kalyan and Vasai-Virar region amid the weak Shravan season. Fake videos featuring 'Chinese plastic eggs' had surfaced in West Bengal in April and have spread nationwide since.

Raju Shewale who heads the Mumbai Eggs Association said, "This fake news is circulating in alarming proportion. Mumbai region consumes 70 lakh eggs worth Rs 3.5 crore daily. Business has fallen on the back of these rumours."

Curiously, similar complaints are being filed in police stations across Mumbai, Thane and Vasai-Virar. In Kurar, Malad (East), a customer complained about smelly eggs sold by a vendor. Senior inspector Udayraje Shirke said samples were sent for testing to FDA.

An egg seller in nearby Islah Pura of Kurar said, "It was a quarrel between customer and seller over rotten eggs that led to the police seizing 6,000 eggs from poor vendor. Leftover eggs do spoil during Shravan as consumption is low. Plastic eggs do not smell, only natural ones do. And how do you crack open a plastic ball?"

FDA officials in Thane are bearing the brunt of the rumour. "We have analysed samples from 20-25 shops in Kalyan and all eggs were found to be fit for consumption," said an officer.

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