Aug 25, 2017
No FSSAI licence for Indira Canteen a grave lapse, says Ms Pramila Nesargi
A top BBMP official, who did not wish to be named, said “You have driving licence which is valid all over India.
Bengaluru: BBMP, which should have been a role model for others to emulate, has set a wrong precedent with regard to state’s ambitious Indira Canteens. While the project is started with an intention to feed the poor, it was pushed in a tearing hurry and even without the much needed licences -one from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and trade licence from BBMP Health department.
Senior advocate Ms Pramila Nesargi told Deccan Chronicle, “This is a classic example of fence eating the crop. BBMP and state government officials have forgotten to take the needed licences. It clearly indicates the break neck hurry shown by the Congress led state government to get the project done for Independence Day and get it launched by party vice president Rahul Gandhi.”
Would the BBMP or the state government let a private operator run their business without the needed licences? She questioned. Running canteens and mega kitchens without licences is against the law and the guilty can be prosecuted, she added.
A top BBMP official, who did not wish to be named, said “You have driving licence which is valid all over India. Both the contractors- Mumbai-based Chef Talk and New Delhi NGO Rewards individually have FSSAI. But have to obtain it in Bangalore across all the kitchens.”
“Procedures have been initiated for FSSAI licences and for trade licences too. We shall get all of them by next week and display them at all canteens,” he added.
Karnataka: Tougher norms for sale of milk products
In a notification on August 4, FSSAI has laid down stringent quality standards for milk and milk products.
For ice creams, milk lollies and kulfis, norms include total solids minimum, weight minimum grams/litres, and milk protein
Bengaluru: In a major step that will keep milk producers on their toes, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced rigorous standards for milk and milk products to be commercially sold in the country.
In a notification on August 4, FSSAI has laid down stringent quality standards for milk and milk products. Strict quality norms have been prescribed for curds, khova, sweetened milk and ice cream.
Karnataka Milk Federation which markets the Nandini brand, as well as private producers such as Heritage, Dodla, Good Life etc will have to comply with these norms.
The standards cover a range of fresh definitions and standards including fat percentage, pasteurisation, boiling, milk products, additives, etc. The standards also apply to goat and camel milk.
For instance, the Minimum Milk Fat (MMF) content and minimum milk solids not-fat (SNF) content for buffalo milk in Karnataka is set at 5 per cent and 9 per cent respectively. For cow milk, the MMF is 3.2 percent SNF 8.3. Milk cannot be sold if the fat and SNF content is below the required percentage.
KMF sells mainly cow milk, although it markets buffalo milk in northern Karnataka.
In various types of milk marketed by KMF under its Nandini brand the fat content ranges from 1.5 percent in double toned milk, to 3.0 per cent in toned milk, 4.5 per cent in standardized milk, to 6 per cent in Full Cream Milk.
This means that KMF will have to increase the MMF in its double toned and toned milk. The FSSAI’s new norms define ‘Milk’ as “…the normal mammary secretion derived from complete milking of healthy milch animal, without either addition thereto or extraction therefrom, unless otherwise provided in these regulations and it shall be free from colostrum.”
The quality standards apply to a host of milk products including cheese and processed cheese; chhana, skimmed milk Chhana and paneer; condensed milk sweetened and unsweetened; cream; curd, skimmed milk curd, dahi; ghee, butter oil; ice cream, infant milk food; khova; malai; milk derivatives such as whey proteins, casein, lactose; milk ices, milk lollies, kulfi; all kinds of skimmed milk powder, table butter and white butter; and yogurt.
As for ice creams, milk lollies and kulfis, the standards laid cover parameters such Total Solids Minimum, Weight minimum grams/litres, and milk protein.
“India Has A Rich Culinary Heritage”
In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Pawan Aggarwal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India talks about the evolution of Indian cuisine.
What is the whole concept about?
The whole concept revolves around bringing back the goodness of Indian food culture. Indian food is extremely rich in itself that Indians need not to go anywhere. India has a rich culinary heritage that has evolved over centuries. Local food habits are primarily based on a holistic approach to nutrition as required by local people. FSSAI through this initiative is committed to strengthen the knowledge and wisdom of regional cuisines and culinary practices. FSSAI along with other Govt organizations, corporate, domain experts such chefs, bloggers, food authors and writers et cetra and other key organizations aims to co create a credible source of information to promote safe and wholesome food and connect people with our rich food culture. Our food has the potential to make Indian food recognised as a brand globally.
Why do you want to promote Indian cuisine when every International food hub wants to satiate Indian palate by their cuisine?
India has a rich food culture. It’s our culinary heritage that we are promoting. We want to revive that old tradition i.e., the way we used to cook. There is so much to learn from Indian cuisine then why to go anywhere else?
What do you think is necessary to expand Indian cuisine?
The unorganised sector is the foremost hurdle for FSSAI which needs to be solved. We have done a conceptual framework for food cast. Our focus is to recognise food cities/ streets and then organise food trails which is quite unpopular in India. Food trails are the food walks which provide an exposure of various regional cuisines. Also it would become easy to pick up the best elements from the variety to brand those cuisines. Then we could take the best food globally.
Does food cast consist all the categories of food?
Perhaps with the time but right now we are focusing on regions like Assam, Hyderabad, Lucknow, et cetra. They have that natural taste with their food plus they are healthy at the same time.
Are you introducing any app for that?
Yes, we are launching an app which would be enabled on all androids and iphones.
When food trails will be introduced in India?
It will surely happen soon. Experts are working on that and we have given them a sense of timeline which they will carry. Also we are fortunate that things are not happening as rapidly as other countries did. We believe that ‘slow and steady wins the race’.
How would you deal with the addiction of noodles, maggie and momoz? Don’t you think Indian food consist lots of oil and spices?
Obviously they are addictive and it is a huge challenge in itself but I think most of the people eat them in peer pressure. If everyone is having it doesn’t mean that you should also have it. We will run a campaign about the rich Indian cuisine to tackle this challenge as we are thinking of inviting Michelin Star Chefs to express Indian food. FSSAI thinks that food can also be a big source of tourism which in turn could promote the cuisine. People now days really want to eat healthy and Indian cuisine has that calibre. It is a myth that Indian food is unhealthy, it totally depends upon the consumer as they say, “consumed in moderation is consumed correctly”.
Fate of 80 camels of Rajasthan hangs in balance in Jharkhand
The fate of 80 camels brought from Rajasthan to Jharkhand for sacrifice hangs in balance after the police recovered them from the possession of a group of people and deployed a section of armed security personnel to protect them and maintain law and order.
The recovery took place on Wednesday after an animals rights' organisation lodged a complaint with the Dhanwar police station in Ghorthamba area of Giridih district,about 220 km from Ranchi,alleging that camel slaughter was illegal and animals should be rescued.
Alongside the Muslim group claimed that its members had brought these camels from Rajasthan to sacrifice them on the day of their festival Bakrid.After the police took the camels in its possession,these Muslims threatened to wear black badges during Eid Namaz on Bakrid if the police did not allow them to sacrifice these camels.
*Securitymen guarding camels in a field falling under Dhanwar police station in Ghorthamba area of Giridih district,about 22 km from Ranchi.
They say that they have been sacrificing camels on the day of Bakrid since long."Why the police have started opposing their religious right to sacrifice these camels now",said Md Salim,a resident of Ghorathamba echoing the sentiments of a dozen others.
After registering the FIR,the police said the case is going to be decided by the court."Whatever verdict is passed by the court,we will abide by it",said police spokesperson RK Mallick.
The police said that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India permits slaughter of only four categories of animals and since camel does not figure in any one of these categories,it can not hand them back to these people for slaughter.
"The camels are in our possession.We will do whatever the court decides in this case",Mallick is on record having said.
As a result,while these protesters were up in arms wanting to sacrifice these animals,each of these camels that were too soft and looked exhausted were kept on the ground with security men holding guns in their hand to protect these animals.
PIL seeking closure of 59 un-registered milk dairies within JMC limits
DB directs concerned to respond within four weeks
Jammu, Aug 23: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice B.S. Walia took cognizance of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by SAVE (Save Animal Value Environment) an NGO working for welfare of animals through its Chairperson Devinder Kaur Madaan alias Rumpy Madaan seeking immediate closure of 59 number of un-registered dairies running within the limits of Jammu Municipal Corporation.
Division Bench headed by Justice Alok Aradhe issued notices to Commissioner/Secretary to Govt. Health and Medical Education Department, Commissioner/Secretary to Govt. Animal/ Sheep Husbandry Department, Commissioner/Secretary to Govt. Housing and Urban Development Department, Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation, Director Animal Husbandry Department Jammu, Chairman J&K State Pollution Control Board, Regional Director J&K State Pollution Control Board Jammu, Municipal Veterinary Officer Municipal Corporation Jammu, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India New Delhi returnable within four weeks.
Fraud, malpractices plague India's organic food products: Icrier study
The study points to a trust deficit with many dealers passing off inorganic products as organic
India remains one of the top 10 exporters of organic products globally, but some malpractices like the sale of inorganic products disguised as organic have done the domestic market grave damage, shows a recent study by the Delhi-based Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (Icrier).
In the absence of clear guidelines by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the sector’s growth has been mired in fraudulence and malpractices, and the lack of a framework to penalise offences is making things worse, the Icrier report, titled ‘Organic Farming in India: Status, Issues and Way Forward’, points out.
"About 1.5 million hectares of land in India was certified organic, excluding wild and forest areas. In 2016-17, India exported Rs 2,478 crore worth of organic commodities like oilseeds, cereals and millets and processed foods," says a report published by Livemint.
Besides highlighting the need for a uniform standard for the domestic market, the report also bats for a single nodal agency and punishments to address the issues facing the sector. It also mentions that India’s organic food market could grow at 20 per cent in the next five years if the problems were addressed.
On the issues raised by the study, NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant suggested that standards set by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), the export promotion body, should be followed to help India’s organic products push deeper into global as well as domestic markets.
Online food licence
IMPHAL | Aug 24
The State Food Safety commissioner, government of Manipur has notified that all the food business operators in eleven districts namely, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Senapati, Kamjong, Noney, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Pherzwal, Kakching, Tengnoupal and Jiribam to avail the online services for food licence/registration and comply with the provisions of Food Safety Standards Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations, 2011, said a release.
It said that manual applications will not be entertained by the State Licensing and Registering Authority for food license/registration for the eleven districts of the state in which online services have been launched.
Dy CM for effective enforcement of food safety rules
Srinagar, Aug 24 (UNI) Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today directed the officers concerned to put in place a vibrant and robust mechanism in order to check the food adulteration and ensure strict enforcement of food safety and standard rules.
The Deputy Chief Minister was addressing officers during a meeting regarding delegation of powers to food safety officers of urban local bodies.
Dr Singh asked the officers to ensure that the requisite parameters already enshrined in the rules should be strictly enforced so that the adulteration of food and other related items is checked.
He also asked for putting in place the requisite mechanism so that regular checks are conducted and necessary feedback obtained from the consumers as well as the market.
The Deputy Chief Minister also directed for utilising the services of trained human resource so that the desired results are obtained.
He said that this would go a long way in improving the quality of food items and other related things to the consumers.
Dr Singh said ensuring safe food is a priority of the government.
He said it is the collective responsibility of all to work together for creating awareness among the people about safe and nutritious food.
The Deputy Chief Minister said safe and nutritious food is essential to ensure public health as taking unsafe and spurious food can create critical problems and negative impact on the public health.
He said we have to change our mentality to ensure environment-friendly safe food and added that an effective mechanism is vital in taking proper steps for overcoming different problems in food production, import, processing, preserving, supplying and marketing.
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