Sep 5, 2017
FSSAI includes spring water standards in FSSR
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has now included standards for spring water in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, categorized as mineral water. As per the draft, notification is drawn by the food regulators, standards have been covered in the clause titled ‘Description and Types of Mineral Water’.
The draft notification further describes spring water as a fluid which obtained from the natural resources and is derived from an underground formation.
“Spring water shall be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring. There shall be a natural force causing the water to flow to the surface through an orifice,” it added.
According to the draft notification, “Spring water should conform to all the standards for mineral water, except the total dissolved solids (TDS) content, which shall not be more than 750mg/litre.”
Stating that it would be too premature to comment of the permissible TDS limit, Ashwin Bhadri, chief executive officer, Equinox Labs said, “The permissible limit of TDS in drinking water is 500 parts per million (ppm) as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), whose certification validates the source and quality of water.”
“However, here lies the cliche - in case there is no other source of water available, the highest permissible limit can be 2,000 ppm. Apart from this, the BIS document such side effects as the decrease in the palatability, which may cause gastrointestinal irritation,” he added.
“Thus, spring water can be an excellent replacement in case there is no other source of water, which is often the case in the interiors of the country,” Bhadri stated.
He added, “There is a provision for packaged natural mineral water, which was mandated on March 29, 2001, under the erstwhile Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), 1954. BIS certification is of extreme importance in case of using water.”
HRAWI gears up to align its system as per the guidelines of FSSAI
Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has put its foot on the accelerator to align its system as per the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In its recent move, HRAWI organized two separate training cum certification sessions in Mumbai. These sessions were conducted as per the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) programme developed by FSSAI. The participants enrolled in for the session will be bestowed with a certificate of advanced level catering.
The Food Safety Supervisor Training in Advance Catering Programme was meant for big catering establishments where the systems are complex and the need for dedicated personnel for food safety and standards is imperative.
“HRAWI aims to proactively ready its members for becoming FSSAI compliant even before it becomes a mandate. It would be in the best interests of our members and the industry to be thorough and fully equipped to meet standards that are internationally accepted and followed. The training programme enables the business establishment to institute a supervisor who in turn can effectively cascade the communication to the grass root levels in the establishment in order to uniformly implement the processes as required by the FSSAI. This is a win-win situation for the business, the auditing body and most importantly the customer,” says Dilip Datwani, President, HRAWI.
The sessions organized at D Y Patil University School of Hospitality and Tourism Studies and Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management were participated by a large number of hoteliers and restauranteurs. The Association has in the past organized similar programmes to familiarize hoteliers and restaurateurs with the finer nuances of food safety and hygiene. Food businesses across India, from roadside eateries to restaurants, will have to comply with a wide set of food safety rules, norms, and procedures and obtain Food Business Operator (FBO) licences.
“HRAWI applauds the initiative of the FSSAI under its Chairman, Pawan Aggarwal, for holding effective consultations with the industry and for partnering with the Association in the creation of master trainers and thus, a trained and technical workforce in aid of the Food Safety laws in the Country. FSSAI’s objective behind the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) programme is to have at least one trained and certified Food Safety Supervisor in each and every Food Service Establishment including the catering industry. The trained supervisor will be responsible for ensuring hygiene and food safety implementation in their respective establishments. We think this is a great way to ensure that each establishment understands and maintains the standards without any ambiguity in implementation across the country,” says Pradeep Shetty, Honorary Secretary, HRAWI.
“Whether it is on matters of policy for hospitality and tourism or matters of compliance related to food safety and standards, HRAWI has always worked inclusively with the Government. We will continue to work with the vision of creating an atmosphere that is enterprising, and that leads the way for progress of the industry,” concludes Datwani
Moga: Health department raided juice shops
Moga - Food Team of District Health Department raided the food selling shops at various places including Amritsar Road, Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road, under the leadership of Additional Food Commissioner Madam Harpreet Kaur and District Food Safety Officer Abhinav Khosla. The team was raided on the streets and stalls of fruit Juice especially in the city, during which the fruit for serving to customer was get destroyed by the team on the spot.
Meanwhile, the authorities instructed the vendors to use fresh and good quality fruits to prepare the juice. Mr. Khosla informed that they must registered immediate, who do not have the licence to sell. Apart from this, samples of food items like dal, bakery biscuits and a sample of other food, from various suspected shops were taken. They said that because of the Festival season, they will continue the process of inspection.
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