Aug 29, 2017
Midday Meal Authority asks FSDA to inspect food being served in schools
Meerut: In an attempt to check adulteration in food being served as midday meal to government school students, the Midday Meal (MDM) Authority has instructed the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) to inspect cooked meals in schools and take samples of the same to ensure that children are not served substandard food.
While FSDA is supposed to carry out these checks routinely, the fresh set instructions have been issued as some of the districts were found to be not complying with the set guidelines.
“FSDA has been instructed to take samples of cooked food prepared as midday meals to check its quality and submit a report to the task force formed for this purpose and also to the respective basic shiksha adhikaris,” read the order issued by Abdul Samad, director, Midday Meal Authority.
It should be noted that the state’s annual work plan submitted to the Centre also includes a report on the quality of midday meals prepared in government schools.
“All food safety officers are instructed to take samples of cooked meals from schools. These samples should be taken in a way that in one month at least 10 schools are covered. The report should be presented before the basic shiksha adhikari and the task force set up for this purpose,” read the order issued by Samad.
The letter further stated that food samples should be checked for adulterants and biological contamination.
Virendra Kumar, divisional midday meal coordinator, said, “The main problem with FSDA officials in Meerut is that though they take samples of food prepared in midday meals, their reports are delayed. For instance, the report of a sample of food that was taken in December has not arrived even till date.”
Tobacco sellers now use kids to sell banned gutkha
Police have deployed decoys to check illegal sale
Gone are the days when someone could buy a packet of gutkha or a packet of ‘maava’ (powedered tobbaco) easily. With police raids intensifying, regular stockists are now afraid to sell the banned substances in their shops. The sellers have now roped in school drop outs to sell the addictive substance for a higher price in some pockets of the city, say police sources.
So far this year since January 1, over 1.85 lakh gutkha packets worth nearly ₹70 lakh have been seized. Over 2,300 persons have been arrested in this regard. Out of this nearly 1.60 lakh gutkha packets were seized from June 19 to August 27, said a police source.
Apart from this, over 9,000 kg of ganja have been seized from the beginning of this year from people selling the banned tobacco products. “The sale through shops has completely stopped. But there are reports of individuals selling them in the black market,” sources add.
According to food safety officers, a packet of gutkha now costs around ₹40, while it was priced much lower earlier. They feel this indicates that the supply of gutkha has definitely reduced compared to the demand. “Now, the shop keepers purchase the banned tobacco products from Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border for normal price and then bring them in small quantity into the city,” said a food safety officer.
The gutkha is then put in smaller packets and then given to school dropouts in their locality. They stand near the shops and sell it to regular customers for a higher price. “The shop keeper earns up to ₹3,000 per day this way. Out of this, he gives a small percentage to the boys,” he added.
The police have now deployed decoys to check this illegal sale. “This is reported mostly in areas where there are migrant labourers. We have ensured that tobbaco is not sold near educational institutions,” explained a police officer. Food safety officers said that complaints of gutkha sale can be sent to their Whatsapp number 9444042322 or to the police control room 100.
More FBOs booked for sale of banned tobacco products
Port Blair, 28 Aug 2017
Continuing its crackdown on illegal sale of tobacco, a team of Food Safety Officials led by the District Food Safety Officer, South Andaman on Monday conducted surprise raids in connection with storage and distribution of contraband tobacco products at Ograbraj, Chouldari, Port Mout, Haddo, Austinabad, Nayagaon, Bathu Basti and Haddo wherein a large quantities of contraband products were seized from nine Food Business Operators (FBOs). All the nine FBOs premises were closed and sealed. The contraband items were seized under the appropriate section of the Act and legal proceedings are being initiated against the offenders under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Till now 24 premises have been sealed for the violation.
The Commissioner Food Safety has warned the Food Business Operators not to store/stock/display or sale any contraband products in their premises and storage area and if the enforcement staff on their inspection find any contraband tobacco products, stringent action will be initiated against the errant FBOs including sealing of premises and cancellation of licenses. The general public has been requested to pass on contraventions found if any on food safety to the Commissioner of Food Safety, A&N Islands at No. 03192-231024/9434280018 or on District Control Room No. 1070 for strict actions against violators.
High Court seeks updated info on accreditation of Food Testing Laboratories
Directs Govt To Appoint Full-Time Food Safety Commissioner Under FSS Act
The High Court on Monday directed the state government to inform it by September 23 about the accreditation of food testing labs with National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Kumar sought an updated status report on the authentication and accreditation of the two food testing labs - Public Health Lab Dalgate Srinagar and Public Health Lab Patoli Jammu.
The directions came after the court was informed that trainings have been started before applying for the accreditation under NABL and Dr Lalitha R Gowda, chief scientist (Retd), Central Food Technological Research Institute, has been engaged for consultation on authentication of food labs.
On July 18 this year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had told the High Court that the two food testing labs in the state are not accredited with NABL, which is otherwise mandatory.
Before issuing directions, the court today heard at length senior advocate and Amicus curie Bashir Ahmad Bashir and also additional advocate general Muhammad Iqbal Dar.
Observing that though the charge of commissioner food safety is held by Pawan Kotwal, commissioner secretary Health and Medical Education, the court underscored that there should be, indispensably in place, a full time commissioner food safety under Food Safety and Standards Act.
This, the court said, after it was informed that the finance department has already cleared the proposal for creation of commissioner food safety post and full time commissioner would be appointed very soon.
The court also sought status report on appointment of food safety officers by September end, after it was apprised that state Services Selection Board has already conducted examination of the candidates who have applied for the post and the final selection list will be out by September 30.
Counsel, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Mehmood Pracha, today submitted before the court that till the equipments are placed in food testing laboratories, the food officers can be directed to check the labels of packaged food articles under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
“Till the functioning of labs and after the requisite equipments are installed, the food safety officers can check packaged food products and verify as to whether the labels are in accordance with Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Regulations) Act 2011.”
In case of any deviation, court said, appropriate action under the Act as also regulation be taken and sought status report by next hearing.
While the court was informed that Ashok Kumar Koul has been appointed as presiding officer for the food tribunal Jammu, it directed that support staff should be made available for the functioning of the tribunal in Srinagar also.
The court was also informed that the latest equipments have been installed in the food testing laboratory at Dalgate here and for complete installation it will take two to three days.
The court termed the status report filed by M I Dar as satisfactory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)