Aug 20, 2017
40,000 kg adulterated spices seized from 3 cold storages
The spices belonged to a trader situated at Chandpole, who had fled from his shop when he came to know that health authorities are coming to take action against him. The accused trader allegedly sold adulterated spices which were produced in VKI-based factory, which was raided by the health authorities on Friday and found that the manufacturing unit was using inedible red colour to give redness to chilli powder produced by using inferior quality of chilli and wheat husk.
Now, investigating more into the case, food officers—Virendra Singh, Sushil Chotwani and Shashi Kumar—found that the Chandpole-based trader Jai Prakash stored his spices in three cold storages in VKI and Jhotwara area.
"We have issued notice to all the three cold storages not to give the spices belonged to Jai Prakash. We have already seized his Chandpole situated shop as he has not given samples of spices which he has kept in his shop," Virendra Singh, a food safety officer said.
They alleged that they have found dried coriander stocks, which the trader was using to prepare coriander powder. "He was not selling coriander powder but he was selling powder of coriander stalk," Singh said.
Officials said that they have found 352 bags, 326 bags and 218 bags of chilli, coriander and other items from three cold storages. Each bag contains 50kgs of spices.
Now, as the health authorities' unearthed an adulterated spices manufacturing unit, they have become more cautious now. "We will conduct more such inspections in the city to uproot such factories," chief medical health officer (Jaipur I) Dr Narottam Sharma said.
Besides, the health authorities have also collected samples from Deenanathji Ki Gali in the Walled City area on suspicion that it is adulterated. The officials have sent it to laboratory for testing its quality.
Close 18 chilli powder mills: Panel
Adulterated chilli powder is damaging the image Guntur has globally. It is for this reason, the food department began checking the quality of the chilli powder in the mills
GUNTUR: The chilli yard committee sought the government’s intervention to initiate measures for the closure of 18 chilli powder mills on the basis of laboratory reports.
Committee chairman M. Subba Rao, on Saturday, stated that 18 chilli mills, manufacturing powder, were found to be adulterating it and so the committee wrote a letter to the government for closure of the mills.
Addressing the media in Guntur, Mr Subba Rao said that on October 23, 2016, food and safety, vigilance and other government departments conducted raids on chilli mills and cold storages and seized 20,000 bags of adulterated chilli powder.
He said that samples were collected from chilli powder mills and sent to laboratory for test. The tests revealed that chilli powder from 56 mills was sub-standard and that from 18 mills was not safe to public health.
Mr Subba Rao said they lodged a complaint with the food safety state commissioner Ms Sujatha Sarma demanding sealing the 18 chilli powder mills.
Mr Rao said the adulterated chilli powder was damaging the global image of Guntur red chillies and so the food and safety department began checking the quality of chilli powder from the mills.
He sait that the officials conducted raids on Lakshmi Ganapathi chilli powder industry and collected samples from it.
The surprise checks would continue to maintain standards and also for the safety of public health, he said.
Surprise raids on Guntur chilli units
GUNTUR: Food safety sleuths carried out surprise inspections in chilli powdermanufacturing units in Guntur on Saturday.
Around 20 food inspectors formed nine teams to raid 30 chilli powder manufacturing units. They collected over 36 samples for testing and the officials found substandard chilli powder at Lakshmi Ganapatiindustries near market yard.
After receiving several complaints over adulteration of chilli powder, the food safety commissioner Sujatha Sharma took up the issue seriously and ordered the officials to raid the chilli powder making units under the supervision of the joint food controller K M Swarup.
The assistant food controller of Guntur district Sheik Gouse Moinuddin said that the collected samples will be sent for lab analysis and they will take legal action against the manufacturers if the lab report indicates any discrepancy. He added that the officials seized the stock at Lakshmi Ganapati industries that used cheap chillies in production.
Full milk fortification in organised sector soon: Tata Trusts
New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Tata Trusts, which has been partnering with the government in milk fortification programme, expects to cover the entire organised sector within the next 6-9 months, much ahead of schedule.
The philanthropic bodies set up by Tata group founders had earlier set a target of fortifying 50 per cent of organised sector milk by 2019.
The trusts have joined hands with central food safety regulator FSSAI, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and other co-operatives in many states to add micro-nutrients, specially Vitamin A and D in milk to address deficiency problems as part of its food fortification programme.
"I have a feeling that at least in the organised sector, which is through the dairy-cooperatives, it is very likely to happen in the next six to nine months," Tata Trusts Senior Advisor, Nutrition Rajan Sankar told PTI.
He was responding to a query on the timeframe by when Tata Trusts expects to achieve 100 per cent fortification of milk in the organised sector.
At present, the level of milk fortification in organised sector is around 25 per cent. In 2015-16, Indias total milk production stood at 155.5 million tonnes with 18-20 per cent coming from the organised sector and the rest from small and marginal farmers.
Sankar attributed the acceleration in organised sector milk fortification to major diary co-operatives of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh coming on board.
"All the three will start in the next two months. It will pick up momentum...Once it crosses a critical mass of 30 -40 per cent of the market, there will be so much of pressure on others to follow it," he added.
Besides, Sankar said with the government now driving the programme through FSSAI with active participation of NDDB, milk fortification has achieved success in organised sector.
"We started it but now it is completely being pushed by the government. We are only a playing role to assist," he added.
Tata Trusts initiative of milk fortification is currently being carried out in Maharashtra, Assam, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Jharkhand.
Sankar said the challenge going ahead would be how to address deficiency of vitamin A and D in rural areas as the organised sector milk currently caters only to urban and semi-urban areas.
"To address micro-nutrients deficiency problems in rural areas, we would need a different strategy, either through tablets or capsules for high risk population," he said.
Tata Trusts has started working in few states in partnership with Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) promoting use of fortified edible oil and flour in mid-day meal for children, Sankar added.
The philanthropic bodies set up by Tata group founders had earlier set a target of fortifying 50 per cent of organised sector milk by 2019.
The trusts have joined hands with central food safety regulator FSSAI, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and other co-operatives in many states to add micro-nutrients, specially Vitamin A and D in milk to address deficiency problems as part of its food fortification programme.
"I have a feeling that at least in the organised sector, which is through the dairy-cooperatives, it is very likely to happen in the next six to nine months," Tata Trusts Senior Advisor, Nutrition Rajan Sankar told PTI.
He was responding to a query on the timeframe by when Tata Trusts expects to achieve 100 per cent fortification of milk in the organised sector.
At present, the level of milk fortification in organised sector is around 25 per cent. In 2015-16, Indias total milk production stood at 155.5 million tonnes with 18-20 per cent coming from the organised sector and the rest from small and marginal farmers.
Sankar attributed the acceleration in organised sector milk fortification to major diary co-operatives of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh coming on board.
"All the three will start in the next two months. It will pick up momentum...Once it crosses a critical mass of 30 -40 per cent of the market, there will be so much of pressure on others to follow it," he added.
Besides, Sankar said with the government now driving the programme through FSSAI with active participation of NDDB, milk fortification has achieved success in organised sector.
"We started it but now it is completely being pushed by the government. We are only a playing role to assist," he added.
Tata Trusts initiative of milk fortification is currently being carried out in Maharashtra, Assam, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Jharkhand.
Sankar said the challenge going ahead would be how to address deficiency of vitamin A and D in rural areas as the organised sector milk currently caters only to urban and semi-urban areas.
"To address micro-nutrients deficiency problems in rural areas, we would need a different strategy, either through tablets or capsules for high risk population," he said.
Tata Trusts has started working in few states in partnership with Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) promoting use of fortified edible oil and flour in mid-day meal for children, Sankar added.
FSDA uncovers major synthetic milk racket; urea detergent used for production
AGRA: The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) department has uncovered a major synthetic milk racket in which the accused were working in connivance with officials from the department and were using adulterants like hydrogen peroxide, detergent and urea for production.
FSDA, district administration and police had conducted a raid at three houses in Kukhreliyavillage under Barhan police station on May 25. The team had seized adulterants in large quantities and had caught a woman manufacturing synthetic milk. She was arrested and an FIR was registered against five people.
Soon after, four samples of milk were sent to the food testing laboratory in Lucknow, but the authorities there had stated that the samples were substandard and were hence unfit for testing. FSDA assistant commissioner Vineet Kumar, who headed the raid, had raised an objection to the Lucknow laboratory's report and had sought permission from the higher authorities to get the remaining samples tested at a laboratory in Kolkata.
The samples were found to be unfit for human consumption as they contained hydrogen peroxide, detergent and urea among other adulterants. On this basis of the Kolkata laboratory's report, Kumar had sought action against not only the accused, but also against the departmental officials involved in the matter. "At the time of the raid, we had destroyed more than 2000 litres of synthetic milk. Besides, around 67 litres of refined soyabean oil, 22 kg of vanaspati, two litres of liquid detergent, 72 kg of glucose powder, 34 kg of skimmed milk powder, 325 litres of an unidentified chemical, 35 kg of viscous paste and 56 litres of refined palm oil were also seized," Kumar said.
He added, "As the racket involved some well-connected people, I had kept senior officials in the loop. After the samples were found to be substandard, several fraudulent complaints were also made against me at the headquarters. The Kolkata report proves that there is a nexus and some of our officials are involved in corruption."
Kumar said that he has formed a special squad to deal with such cases. "The team first gathers enough evidence before conducting a raid," he said.
Sources said that remote areas like Dauki, Kheragarh and Barhan are huge markets for adulterated milk and are also a stronghold of the milk mafia.
As per an official estimate, the daily requirement of milk in Agra district is around 12 lakh litres and around 25% of it is fulfilled by adulterated products. In terms of supply, the share of packaged milk in 40% and that of open milk is 60%. According to sources, adulterators add synthetic milk to open milk after which its cost goes down by at least Rs 20 per litre.
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