Dec 30, 2018
FSSAI bans plastic, newspaper packaging of food items
Of the 380 samples picked up from the unorganised sector, 51 samples were found to be non-conforming, taking overall rate to 13.4%, according to a survey report that FSSAI commissioned.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has framed new food packaging regulations that are in the process of being notified. The regulations will come into effect from July 1.
The country’s top food regulator has prohibited the use of recycled plastic or newspaper and magazine pages for packaging of food items, in a bid to crackdown on use of packaging material that poses a health risk.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has framed new food packaging regulations that are in the process of being notified. The regulations will come into effect from July 1.
“The packaging of food regulations have been sent for publishing and will raise the bar for food safety in India. Packaging is an integral part of the process and we have framed regulations to address the it,” said Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI.
Acknowledging the importance of packaging in the food sector and its impact on food safety, the packaging regulations have been separated from the labelling ones . The new regulations replace the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Besides general and specific requirement for packaging material, the regulations also prescribe overall and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials. There is a suggestive list of packing materials for different food product categories.
The main concern for the food regulator is the unorganised sector that found to be making use of hazardous packaging material in the surveys that were commissioned by the regulator.
Of the 380 samples picked up from the unorganised sector, 51 samples were found to be non-conforming, taking overall rate to 13.4%, according to a survey report that FSSAI commissioned. The food items in these instances were found contaminated even with heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, etc. “The surveys that we commissioned have shown that the packaging material used by the organized sector is largely safe but it’s the unorganised sector that is a cause for concern for us, especially loose packaging material,” he said.
Packing Food In Plastic And Newspaper Banned By The FSSAI
The food regulator of India, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has put a ban on food packaging made out of plastic, magazine paper and newspaper reports Hindustan Times. The decision was taken in lieu of removing packaging that posed a health risk. A new set of food packaging regulations has been framed by the regulator and these will be implied by 1st of July next year.
FSSAI BANS PLASTIC & NEWSPAPER PACKAGING
Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI told the media, “The packaging of food regulations have been sent for publishing and will raise the bar for food safety in India. Packaging is an integral part of the process and we have framed regulations to address the it.” The report further says that these new regulations have replaced the old Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
Along with the changes, the regulator have also suggested packaging alternatives to newspapers and plastic. “The surveys that we commissioned have shown that the packaging material used by the organized sector is largely safe but it’s the unorganised sector that is a cause for concern for us, especially loose packaging material,” added Agarwal.
Packaged drinking water samples not up to FSSAI standards
Government officials attribute this to a lack of clean drinking water.
NEW DELHI: An alarming 44 per cent of the bottled water samples across the country have failed the government’s quality tests, according to data released by food regulators of several states on Saturday.
In a bid to keep an eye on quality, food safety departments lifted 1,123 samples across the country in 2017-18. Of these, 496 samples failed to meet the quality standards prescribed by the country’s apex food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Government officials attribute this to a lack of clean drinking water. Also, several small bottling plants or water packaging units have mushroomed in most cities. Tushar Trivedi, the founder of ‘bottledwater.org’ said, “Low investment, high demand and high returns have led to unregulated growth ... One can start even in a flat with a small investment of `2-3 lakh.
They don’t have any license and they don’t follow any norms.” One small unlicensed unit could cater to the demand of 2-3 colonies , he added.
Desi ghee samples fail purity test
Bathinda, December 29
A total of 15 sample of desi ghee collected from a factory in Ludhiana and from its employees here by the Health Department have failed the purity test.
The factory owner is accused of selling desi ghee in the region by pasting labels of Nestle and Verka brands.
District Health Department officials had informed Ludhiana officials about collecting samples from factory emplyees here. Thereafter, Ludhiana health officials had conducted a raid on the factory and collected samples of desi ghee on December 10. The health team had also recovered three tin of desi ghee.
Sources in the Health Department said the factory was manufacturing “adulterated” desi ghee and selling it in Bathinda, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Mansa and other districts by pasting labels of premium desi ghee-making brands. After collecting the samples, the Health Department had sent them for purity test to the state laboratory in Chandigarh.
Dr Ashok Monga, district health officer, said, “The suspects had pasted fake stickers of Verka and Nestle on desi ghee packages (tins). They were also selling them in the region. The samples of desi ghee have failed the purity test and we will submit the report of the same to the police soon. As many as 15 samples have failed the purity test.”
Assistant Sub-Inspector Harjivan Singh said, “Suspects Suman Kumar and Lakhya Garg were in Bathinda to supply adulterated desi ghee. After getting a tip-off, we conducted a raid and arrested them. A case under Sections 272, 273, 420, 465, 467, 472 and 473 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 59 and 63 of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, at the Cantonment police station.”
Dr Monga said that in November, samples of turmeric powder, milk, tomato ketchup, cheese, desi ghee and curd had also failed the purity test. He added that in December, samples of Verka desi ghee, sunflower oil, rasgulla, curd and tamarind ketchup also failed to match the required standards.
Indian Railways ensuring hygienic, quality food in trains
New Delhi, Dec 29 (UNI) In its endeavour to provide hygienic and quality food to the passengers, Indian Railways has taken several measures like upgrading quality of food preparation, setting up of new kitchens and revamping existing ones.
Only potable drinking water is used for cooking of food in Indian Railways, official sources here said.
To ensure centralised monitoring of the kitchen activities, CCTVs have been installed in base kitchens, kitchen units. Sharing of live streaming of the base kitchens through website of IRCTC has been made operational.
To ensure compliance of Food Safety Norms, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certification from Designated Food Safety Officers of each catering unit is mandatory. Food Safety Supervisors have been deployed at Kitchen Units to monitor food safety and hygienic practices.
Food samples collected by Food Safety Officers/Supervisors are sent to the nominated accredited Laboratories under Food Safety & Standard Act for analysis and testing.
Penalties are imposed in cases of detection of unsatisfactory food samples and prosecutions are carried out as per provisions of Food Safety & Standard Rule -2011, they added.
Examination of quality of food, hygiene and cleanliness in Pantry Cars and Kitchen Units is done through Third Party Audit. Customer satisfaction survey is also conducted through Third Party Agencies.
Regular and surprise inspections are conducted by railway officials including Food Safety Officers. Detailed instructions/guidelines have been issued to the Zonal Railways for conducting inspections.
Monitoring and supervision of catering service is done through operation of centralised Catering Service Monitoring Cell (CSMC) toll free number 1800-111-321, Operation of All India Helpline No. 138, Twitter handle, CPGRAMS, E-Mail and SMS based complaints redressal, the sources said.
With the objective to provide quality and hygienic food to passengers, a new Catering Policy 2017 has been notified wherein unbundling of catering services on trains by IRCTC has been envisaged. In compliance thereof IRCTC has already taken over management of 377 mobile units (pairs of trains with pantry Cars) and 262 static units/Kitchen Units.
IRCTC has already upgraded 30 Base Kitchens/ Kitchen Units. IRCTC is closely monitoring the quality of food preparation through various modalities like CCTV, Food safety supervisors, IRCTC supervisor, food sampling in NABL accredited labs, Third Party Audit.
Food safety officials take bakeries to task
Coimbatore: Bakeries mushrooming on city’s bylanes are keeping food safety officials on their toes.
Ahead of the plastic ban and the looming deadline for getting licence and registration under the FSSAI act, the officials are racing against time to bring all bakeries under the law’s ambit.
Tracking them and educating the owners on food safety and safe disposal practices continue to be a challenge, designated officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) A Vijayalalithambigai said.
While the district has thousands of bakeries, from multi-chain outlets to standalone shops, hardly a few thousand have been licences or registered with the food safety department. “Large bakery chains like Aroma, K R and KRS Bakeries have got proper licences and follow all the rules and norms of the FSSAI Act,” Vijayalalithambigai said. “However, it is the corner shops and those in interior areas that we are trying to get to follow the norms.”
Many small-scale bakeries end up outsourcing products. “We have stuck to important rules on the use of margarine in specific products, on colours in products like icing, having separate sinks for washing vessels and raw materials and keeping storage and production areas free of insects and rodents. Food produced on different dates should be displayed separately. First in-first out policy should be followed. Food should not be served in plastic trays or in newspapers. They should serve good quality drinking water,” the official said.
“Many small bakeries still display products in the open. This makes them susceptible to flies. Many products are not refrigerated properly. Labelling products according to our norms is also something we have to teach them,” she added.
Dec 29, 2018
Food Inspector Tightens Ecommerce’s Safety Belt
Issues revised norms that will impact players such as Grofers, BigBasket, Swiggy and Zomato
New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued revised guidelines that directly impact online food and grocery operators such as Grofers and BigBasket as well as food delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato.
The national food regulator said it’s stepping up scrutiny of ecommerce food companies because there can be no compromise on last-mile delivery and safety of food products.
Food products offered for sale are liable to sampling at any point in the supply chain. Companies will also need to provide an indicative image of the food on their platforms so that consumers can recognise the product. All mandatory information mentioned in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act will also have to be provided to consumers before purchase and only fresh food should be delivered to consumers.
“With increasing use of ecommerce platforms by consumers, the guidelines are aimed at stepping up vigilance on safety of food provided to consumers,” FSSAI chief executive Pawan Agarwal said. “These guidelines will help in building confidence in the ecommerce food business sector and increase its credibility.”
The guidelines are part of directives issued by the regulator to re-operationalise licensing and registration of ecommerce food companies.
“While we are compliant with all regulatory guidelines such as lastmile delivery and shelf life, we also ensure that our merchant partners follow the same,” said online grocery startup Grofers’ chief executive Albinder Dhindsa. “We don’t work with merchants who don’t have the necessary compliance. That is a challenge that the regulator has to enforce.”
Food should have a remaining shelf life of 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery, the guidelines said.
Delivery service company Zomato said food safety was of paramount importance.
“We welcome any move by FSSAI which will help us make the restaurant industry safer for consumers,” a spokesperson said. “We provide last-mile delivery to our users and are taking stringent steps to ensure the safety of food.”
Zomato has delisted ‘thousands’ of restaurants from its food-ordering platform over the past few months, she said.
“While we are already compliant with the mandatory directives in the FSS Act, we will work with the regulator on any measures required to drive development in the ecosystem,” the spokesperson added.
BigBasket, Swiggy and Uber Eats didn’t respond to queries.
“Food business operators need to ensure that the last-mile delivery is undertaken by trained personnel and that the safety of food products is not compromised at the time of delivery,” according to the guidelines.
Online food and grocery startups, which have transitioned from a hyperlocal to inventory-led business model, have been growing on the back of greater efficiencies in supply chain and technology, cutting costs and doing away with unprofitable products.
A recent Crisil report said online food and grocery is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in online retail and will almost quadruple in the next three years to Rs 10,000 crore in revenue. The report said investments in technology, same and next-day delivery options, and business-to-business food services, will further aid growth of the segment. Estimates peg the overall food and grocery market in India at $400 billion.
Andhra bans gutkha, paan masala
Becomes 17th state in country to impose ban on them
The Andhra Pradesh government on January 9 banned manufacture, storage, sale, transport and distribution of gutkha, paan masala and similar chewable products that contain tobacco and nicotine. The ban has come into force with immediate effect. With this, Andhra Pradesh becomes the 17th state in India to ban tobacco products (see box).
Official orders State Banned on
Bihar May 30, 2012
Chhattisgarh July 24, 2012
Delhi September 11, 2012
Goa October 2, 2005
Gujarat September 11, 2012
Himachal Pradesh July 13, 2012
Haryana August 15, 2012
Jharkhand July 24, 2012
Kerala May 25, 2012
Madhya Pradesh April 1, 2012
Maharashtra July 20, 2012
Rajasthan July 18, 2012
Punjab August 26, 2012
Mizoram September, 2012
Uttarakhand January 1, 2013
Odisha January 1, 2013
Andhra Pradesh January 9, 2013
Civil society organisations and anti-tobacco activists have long been demanding ban on these products because they are highly addictive and can cause cancer. There are 3,095 chemical components in chewing tobacco products, and 28 of them have been proved carcinogenic. Over 90 per cent of oral cancer is directly associated with tobacco use. India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases reported every year. The gutkha and paan masala industry in the country is huge and could be pegged at anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 crore.
The ban is under the Food Safety & Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations of 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006. Under the Act, the food safety commissioner has the power to prohibit, in the interest of public health, production, sale and distribution of any food item all over the state or in certain regions of the state for a period not exceeding one year. According to this Act, tobacco and nicotine should not be used in any food product. The ban in Andhra Pradesh is based on the recommendations by the food safety commissioner.
Andhra Pradesh is the highest producer of tobacco in the country. In 2011-12, the state grew tobacco in 132,000 hectares and produced 207,000 tonnes. Even while many other states banned gutkha and paan masala, Andhra Pradesh was dragging its feet in taking stern action.
The government has asked the food safety commissioner, departments of health, police, vigilance & enforcement, commercial taxes, transport, labour, municipal administration and the panchayati raj to take immediate steps to ensure enforcement of the ban. The departments of information and public relations and consumer affairs have been asked to widely publicise the ban and create consumer awareness on the ill effects of gutka and paan masala.
Explained FSSAI revised norms: Here's how online grocers and food delivery platforms will be affected
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently issued revised guidelines which will impact online food platform such as Swiggy, Zomato and online grocers like Grofers, BigBasket etc.
New Delhi: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently issued revised guidelines which will directly impact online food and grocery operators like Grofers and BigBasket, Swiggy and Zomato. According to the regulator, there should not be any compromise with the food quality and safety of food products.
As per the revised guidelines, food products offered can now be sampled at any point in the supply chain. Companies are also required to provide an indicative image of the food on their platforms in order to help consumers recognise the product. Companies are also to provide all mandatory information mentioned in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act to consumers before purchase.
It is mandatory for companies to sell food products that have a remaining shelf life of either 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery. The revised norms also state clearly that only fresh food should be delivered to customers. This is to make sure that companies do not try to old/close-to-expiry food products to the consumers. Online food companies and grocers will have to comply with the fresh set of regulations.
Grofers welcomed the revised guidelines. Grofers CEO Albinder Dhindsa told ET Now that the new regulations do not change much for players like them in the Grocery space since they sell packaged food products to their customers and they already meet FSSAI regulations for that. He further added that they make sure that their merchant partners also comply with the guidelines.
Dhindsa also mentioned that they are still evaluating the impact of DIPP policy on their business. It is not great if guidelines change suddenly because it impacts small vendors, he added.
It may be noted that a Crisil report recently stated that online food and grocery is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in online retail and will almost grow four times to Rs 10,000 crore in revenue within the next three years. The report also mentioned that estimates the overall food and grocery market in India to be at $400 billion.
Aluminium-coated boxes, plastic bags contaminate food’
Loose packaging such as coloured and black carry bags, disposable containers with aluminium coating and sweet boxes have emerged as major contaminants of packaged food, prompting the food regulator to come up with new regulation on food packaging.
Around 80% of food samples packed in coloured carry bags, 59% in black carry bags and over 24% in aluminium coated disposable containers and 21% in sweet boxes were found chemically contaminated, findings of a national survey of food packaging material conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) shows.
In order to curb the menace, the regulator is set to notify new regulations for food packaging which will prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.
Besides, taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, the new regulations also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standards for printing inks for use on food packages, an official said.
The new regulation are likely to be notified on Monday, he said.
Findings of the national survey shows the packaging material used in the organized sector is largely safe, while it highlights major discrepancies in the unorganized sector. More than 13% of samples from the unorganized sector failed testing standards showing migration of chemical and heavy metals contamination from packaging materials.
“The new packaging regulation would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level. The implementation of the regulations may be challenge in the unorganized sector and therefore, we have given sufficient lead time before the regulations come into force,” FSSAI chief executive Pawan Agarwal said.
Agarwal said the primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from microbiological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food. Good packaging also ensures there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed.
The new regulation also prescribes overall and specific migration limits for contaminants for plastic packaging materials.
Dec 27, 2018
Move to ban plastic to be followed strictly, violators to be penalised
With several plastic manufacturing associations stating that they were not ready for the ban and wanted an extension, the minister said that there would not be any extension and action would be taken against all violators.“We are in discussion on what penalties would be levied on residents using plastic bags and other banned plastic products. It has not been finalised, yet,” he said.
He stated that implementing the ban will not be that difficult as awareness campaigns and several workshops on alternative products had been held region wise in all districts in the past few months.“More than 500 people including representatives from industries, plastic manufacturing associations, residential welfare associations and other officials were pert of thee workshops and conferences. We are aiming at behavioural change among people and have received good response from various districts as many have already shifted to alternative products.”
Members of the Chennai plastic manufacturers association met the minister and gave their petitions seeking an appointment with them. “All our machinery and investment will go waste. The government did not consult with us or seek our opinion before taking this step,” said S Muthu Maari, the president of the association.
Collectors, district forest officers and superintendent of police of five districts - Chennai, Tiruvallur, Villupuram, Tiruvannamali, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore were present at the event. The regional coordinators for the plastic ban were also present at the event. The awareness workshops will end on December 28 after which the government will get ready for the implemenation, said Karupannan.
Is your butter safe? 1,000 kg of fake dairy product in Amul packaging seized
According to the Food Safety Standards Authority of India, out of 49,290 samples of food items tested, one-fifth were found adulterated or misbranded.
Samples of fake Amul butter seized by Mumbai police
The Mumbai Police has seized 1,000 kg of fake Amul butter from Bhayander area of the city and arrested five members of a gang that was involved in making the spurious food product. The police raided their hideout and saw the butter being filled into Amul packaging.
A team of Mumbai police led by Assistant Superintendent Police Atul Kulkarni busted the hideout of the gang and seized both the butter and Amul packaging from the premises, according to Times Now. The police team is trying to find out how these men got their hands on the packaging being used by the Amul.
Disastrous cases of food adulteration are common in India. The most recent is the incident in which 15 people died and hundreds of devotees fell sick after eating tomato rice at a temple in Chamarajanagar, about 125 km from Bengaluru.
The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had said in its report that out of 49,290 samples of food items that were tested, one-fifth were found adulterated or misbranded.
The FSSAI also said that milk and its products are the commonly adulterated foods in India as per a study it conducted in 2012.
Mindless Profiteering
Some common adulterans (unwanted substances) added to the milk and its products are chalk, water, caustic soda, skimmed milk and oil.
Butter, according to FSSAI, can be made with cheaper oils or mixed with water to extract large quantities from a small amount of milk. The other commonly adulterated foods in India are tea, coffee, wheat, rice, vegetables, sweets and pulses.
Although food adulteration is a punishable offence, small-time businessmen and vendors are often found mixing adulterants in foods. The target consumers are often from the lower economic sections of society who are tricked into buying cheaper products, risking their health.
Utterly Butterly Malicious! 1000 kg of fake butter being sold in Amul packaging seized in Mumbai
Police in Mumbai busted a gang of miscreants who were selling adulterated butter by packaging it as Amul. During the raid, officials recovered a thousand kilograms of spurious butter.
They were selling adulterated butter by wrapping it under Amul packaging
Mumbai: Police in Mumbai's Bhayander area have arrested five men for selling spurious butter by packaging it as Amul butter. According to reports, a team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Atul Kulkarni made the arrests after busting the gang's hideout at Bhayander Road under the limits of the Kashimira Road police station.
Pictures accessed by sections of the media show adulterated butter being filled into Amul packaging. At the time of the raid, police seized a staggering 1,000 kilograms of butter along with packaging used by Amul Butter. An investigation has been launched into the case to ascertain how members of the gang got their hands on the packaging used by Amul cooperation.
The process of adding unwanted substances to food in a bid to increase profits is known as adulteration. While it is a common practice across the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) keeps a tight check on adulterated products infiltrating the market. Milk, tea, coffee, vegetables, dairy products along with wheat and other food grains are the most commonly adulterated products in India as per a report by the Annual Public Laboratory Testing.
Food inspectors with the municipal corporation in Gujarat's Surat city busted a gang of miscreants who were allegedly mixing adulterated ingredients to butter and ghee before selling it off as pure to residents in Katargam and Varachh. During the raid which was conducted on December 12, officials seized 25 kg of loose butter and 15 kg of vanaspati ghee from one of the locations while recovering 12 ghee tins of 15 kg each and 48 packs of butter of 1 kg each from the gang's second hideout.
Only 5 water packaging firms possess FSSAI licence
A majority of drinking water packaging firms operate without licence in Bathinda.
Bathinda, December 26
A number of water packaging units here are operating without obtaining FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) licence from the Health Department in the district. In the absence of any check by the authorities, there are chances that the packaged water you are buying may not be safe for drinking.
The data procured from the District Health Department revealed that only five water packaging units obtained FSSAI licence (mandatory to supply safe drinking water).
Kashmira Hygienic at Gobindpura, True Indra at Bibi Wala village, Osnowa at Gill Pati, Oxyfresh on Mansa Road and MD Drinking Water Company at Paras Ram Nagar are the units that have obtained the licence.
Owing to the apathetic attitude of the Health Department, nearly 36 water packaging units (most of which are on the outskirts of the city) operating in the district are functioning without obtaining FSSAI licence.
Four units in Rama Mandi, three in Talwandi Sabo, two each in Sangat Mandi and Rampura Phul, three each in Bhucho Mandi and Maur and one each in Kot Shamir and Goniana Mandi have been functioning for a couple of years.
Twelve water packaging units operating from different locations in the city are functioning without obtaining FSSAI licence and around 24 such units are operating on the outskirts.
Though the matter was highlighted in these columns around 10 months ago, the Health Department did not take any concrete steps to ensure that maximum water packaging units acquire licence. Even the Health Department has not issued challans to firms violating food safety norms.
Dr Ashok Monga said, “No new water packaging firm has applied for/received licence in the district recently. We carry out random checking but have not issued any challans so far. If there is any specific complaint, we will ensure appropriate action.”
Dr Monga added, “Our staff is deployed on election duties for now. We will check and identify water packaging firms that have not obtained FSSAI licence and take action against them.”
A senior functionary of the Health Department on condition of anonymity said it raised a serious question over the functioning of the Health Department or their “tacit approval” to such firms.
He said around five to seven years ago, there were a handful of water packaging firms (without FSSAI licence) operating in the district, but due to “tacit approval” accorded by officials concerned these units had now mushroomed in the district now.
“As Bathinda and other neigbouring districts of the Malwa region have already earned notoriety of being cancer belt owing to the presence of heavy metals in the groundwater, the Health Department’s failure to tighten the noose around illegal water suppliers may cause serious problems in the long run,” warned a medical oncologist of a private hospital.
Dec 26, 2018
Now, officials to check samples of cooked mid-day meals
Meerut: The director of Mid-Day Meal Authority (MDMA) in Uttar Pradesh has directed the officials of Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) and authorities concerned to take samples of cooked food from schools to ensure that quality food is served in government educational institutions.
A letter issued by Abdul Samad, director of MDMA, stated: “This is to instruct all the FSDA officials that samples of cooked mid-day meals should be taken from all government schools, sent for quality check and their reports sought. The reports should be then submitted to the district task force and also given to the district basic shiksha adhikari.”
The MDMA officials routinely check samples of raw materials including spices, vegetables and condiments used for cooking meals in schools to ensure the quality of food prepared. However, food samples are rarely taken.
“Samples of cooked mid-day meals should be taken from at least 10 schools every month and a report in this regard should be submitted to the authorities concerned, so that if any anomalies are found, action is taken against those found guilty,” added the order.
Fat is in the fire: Delhi private schools found wanting on food safety
NEW DELHI: The kids aren’t eating healthy: an inspection of at least 10 private schools in Delhi has revealed that these institutions don’t have a canteen policy in place and, in most cases, the students are “being given to eat what they ask for”. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which has been making rounds of canteens in private schools to check if they are providing nutritious food, found that in all the 10 cases so far, students are being given food high in fat, salt and sugar content, something that is strictly prohibited.
DCPCR has been inspecting the schools to ensure effective implementation of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India guidelines, which are prepared by the central advisory committee of the body as advised by the Delhi high court in 2015. Recently, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had asked states to ensure an effective implementation of the norms.
Ranjana Prasad, member DCPCR, said: “NCPCR had decided to check if these guidelines were being followed and we are doing that in Delhi. We have so far covered 10 private schools in south Delhi. In most schools we saw that the canteens were selling HFSS food and gave whatever the students asked for. The children do not know what is good for them and what they should eat.” The canteens were serving burgers, chowmein and beverages — all strictly prohibited in the guidelines.
A research recently published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that there is a link between consumption of HFSS food and obesity. Numerous studies done among schoolchildren of Delhi, Amritsar and southern India show that the prevalence of overweight/obesity is high and on the rise. In urban post-pubertal children of Delhi, it increased from 16% in 2002 to about 24% in 2006. It is high among the affluent class and children of private schools compared to low and middle-income groups.
Apart from selling food that’s high in sugar and fat content, none of these schools had a canteen policy in place.
“It is most surprising that none of the schools knew about the canteen policy. As per guidelines, the canteens are required to provide different kinds of food. They are supposed to have 80% of the menu as green food, which includes vegetables, fruits and others. It is important to raise awareness about it among schools, children and parents so that the children grow up healthy,” said Prasad.
The inspection will be carried out in all the schools of the city and the Directorate of Education has recommended that the guidelines are strictly implemented.
Ahead of New Year, FDA to keep close watch on online food operators in Pune
According to FDA, during New Year and Christmas celebrations most of the people prefer to order food online. Most people are unaware of the hygiene and the FDA certificated of the restaurant from where the food is being ordered.
FDA officers informed that,strict instructions has been given to all food inspectors in the region to keep a watch on adulteration racket.
Puneites are all set to celebrate Christmas and New Year. However, considering the health of the people, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), has been keeping a watch on all online food operators in order to avoid adulteration in food during the festive season.
According to FDA, during New Year and Christmas celebrations most of the people prefer to order food online. Most people are unaware of the hygiene and the FDA certificated of the restaurant from where the food is being ordered. It was found that,many online food delivery operators were delivering food from non approved restaurants.To avoid this the FDA commissioner has instructed to take serious action against those found guilty.
FDA officers informed that,strict instructions has been given to all food inspectors in the region to keep a watch on adulteration racket. Sampat Deshmukh, assistant commissioner (food) of FDA, Satara, said “During every festive season we have to keep a watch on adulteration racket to avoid food contamination.This time also we have informed to all our food inspectors to take strict action against adulteration of food.”
FDA officers also informed that to avoid intake of adulterated food everyone should visit the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) website and read information about adulteration of foodwhich will inform them about food safety measures to be taken while handling and preparing food.
Most people are unaware about the where and how to lodge complaints to the FDA regarding food adulteration, hygiene or other food safety-related issues. In order to do this the FDA has given a toll free number 1800222365 where people can call and register their complaint.
Dec 25, 2018
‘Consumers should not take things lying down’
Food adulteration a cause for concern: Joint Collector
Consumers needed to be more proactive and raise questions whenever a service or a product quality was compromised or subpar, said Joint Collector S. Dilli Rao.
Speaking to students from the district at the Government Arts College here on the National Consumer Day on Monday, Mr. Rao said food adulteration had become a cause for concern.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had framed rules back in 2011, but awareness among consumers was low, he said, adding that he District Consumer Information Centre should take up the responsibility to reach out to more number of people and make them aware.
Since packaged food was now common, people needed to know their rights and activists should release a booklet that detailed consumer rights and ways of seeking redressal. Winner of an elocution competition, Irshad Ahmed, a student of the college, raised concerns of pendency of cases and delayed judgments. He said consumer courts should be presided over by younger judges instead of retired judicial officers. A number of district consumer courts were short staffed, which was leading to a pile up of cases affecting villagers the most, he said, suggesting mobile consumer courts on certain days.
‘Interactive sessions’
District Consumer Information Centre president Ravindranath Reddy sought cooperation of district officials in organising interactive sessions with people every second Saturday. He suggested that one government official be appointed to deal with consumer affairs, becoming the point of contact for aggrieved consumers.
Later, prizes were given away to winners of essay and elocution competitions.
It’s Not Easy Cooking Food and Selling it in India: Hoteliers
New Delhi:
Leading food service operators say doing business in India is still not easy, and that consumption for the industry, which has an annual revenue of over ₹4 lakh crore, remains a challenge.
“While ease of doing business is making some progress, it’s moving at a slow pace and we continue to be heavily controlled as an industry,” said Unnat Varma, Yum Restaurants-owned Pizza Hut’s newly appointed managing director for Asia Pacific. “Business models are very challenged here and rentals and labour costs are steep. When investors put the money, a great investment yields returns in 3.5-4 years, and in some cases, it doesn’t.”
For doing business in any state, on average a minimum of 15 licences and a maximum of 20 are required. Officials said the issues aren’t with central regulating authorities, such as Food Safety and Standards Association of India (FSSAI) and the national antiprofiteering authority under the GST, but multiple licences and different policies for different states at various levels.
“An industry size of ₹4 lakh crore which contributes over 2% to the nation’s annual GDP and employs over 90 lakh citizens deserves better ease-of-doing business treatment,” said National Restaurant Association president Rahul Singh. “After unsuccessful pleas to multiple authorities, it’s evident that we need the ascendancy of the prime minister to see light at the end of this rather dark tunnel.”
Singh, who is also promoter of The Beer Cafe, added, “Apart from ‘make in India’ and ‘invest in India’, we also have the distinction of ‘serve in India’.”
Some other operators said ease of doing business, lesser regulatory hurdles, and faster returns on investment are making overseas markets more attractive to investors.
“It’s definitely easier to do business outside the country, both in terms of lesser number of licences and easier processes,” said Amit Burman, chairman of Lite Bite Foods, which operates close to 180 restaurant brands including Punjab Grill, Street Foods and Baker Street, and about a dozen outlets overseas across the US, Dubai and a few other countries. “For us, it’s worse because rentals at airports are 28-30% of top line, which on average is about twice at highstreet locations or malls,” Burman said. Lite Bite runs about half its stores at airports.
Sanjeev Kapoor Restaurants, promoted by chef Sanjeev Kapoor, now operates close to 35 restaurants overseas under the brands Khazana and Signature. Jiggs and Zorawar Kalra-promoted Massive Restaurants is another brand that is increasing its global footprint.
The roll back of input tax credit, ban on liquor on highways, food inflation, and intermittent localised regulations such as clampdown on rooftop restaurants have also impacted growth, industry executives said.
Before Christmas & New Year FSSAI Banned 74 Brands of Coconut Oil in Kerala
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as a prelude to the Christmas – New Year celebrations, conducted an inspection coconut oils of 74 brands were found to be adulterated. The storage, distribution and sale of products under any of these brands have been banned in an order issued by food safety commissioner Anand Singh. This year about 170 brands have been banned by the food safety department after they were found to have been adulterated. Earlier in May, 45 coconut oil brands and in June 51 brands were banned. Minister for health KK Shailaja said that this move was part of providing the public with safe food in connection with Christmas – New Year sales.
The food safety department has deployed 38 special squads to check if adulterated oils are on sale as part of the festival season.
The crackdown by the Food Safety department follows after tests showed adulteration in banned products, violating the provision of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Earlier in May 2018, the department had also banned the sale of 45 brands of coconut oil due to adulteration, and another 51 brands in June. With the latest move, a total of 166 brands of coconut oil have been banned in Kerala this year alone.
Food safety is everybody’s concern and authentic methods for detection of adulterants in food is required for value assessment as well as to assure consumer protection against risks.
Adulteration of food not only decreases the quality of food products but can also lead to a number of ill effects on the health. The Commissioner of Food Safety in Kerala banned the sale, storage, distribution and manufacture of some 74 brands of coconut oil in the state as they were found to be adulterated in an inspection done by the FSSAI as a precautionary step to contain adulteration in food items ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
According to the FSSAI, some common adulterants and contaminants can be tested by citizen themselves, although there are tests that need sophisticated equipment and highly trained personnel for the procedure. Meanwhile, the FSSAI has released a manual to help you determine if the food you bought from the store is adulterated and create awareness in consumers about food safety. Here’s a 4-step testing method for detection of adulterants in coconut oil.
In a transparent glass, take coconut oil.
Place the glass in your refrigerator for 30 minutes (do not keep it in the freezer).
After refrigeration, the coconut oil will solidify.
If the coconut oil is adulterated, other oils remain as a separate layer.
If you’ve bought coconut oil and are wondering whether the product has been contaminated, you would want to take this quick test to stay safe and healthy.
The Cochin Oil Merchants Association pointed out that the authorities take interest in only publishing the names of the banned coconut oil brands and the companies but fail to take further action against them. The coconut oil produced by the same company is brought to the market in different licenses. Many of them are included in the list of banned brands. Similarity in brand names also make it difficult to distinguish between two brands.
Most of the companies give their coconut oils names beginning with ‘Kera’ and ‘Coconut’. Oil Merchants Association pointed out that the ban cannot be imposed unless the products in shops are seized. Agmark certified coconut oil brands were also seized and banned after finding adulterants in them. Adulterating Agmark certified products is a serious offense which may invite punishments including imprisonment.
Palm oil and palm kernel oil are usually added in coconut oil as adulterants. There are no proper laboratory facilities in Kerala to detect adulteration. The samples are sent to the government labs in Mysuru and Pune which is a rather expensive and time consuming procedure. Due to this, the cases are settled charging only a fine, it is alleged. Earlier, the association had approached the high court demanding action against the offenders. The court had ordered to destroy the adulterated coconut oil and to cancel the license of the companies. Association President Thalath Muhammed said that the Government should initiate action to set up a proper system to detect adulterated coconut oil.
Meet the busy bee processing unadulterated honey
He may be a busy bee in an idiomatic expression but in plain terms, he is busy with bees. Donning protective gear, Nazim Nazir could be usually seen engaged in looking after the dozens of square wooden boxes packed with bees.
Since his childhood, Nazim had an outlandish but rather interesting penchant for these teeny-weeny humming creatures and when he turned 20 he took to apiculture and became an entrepreneur within a short span of time.
Nazim, a resident of Samboora, Pampore started with merely two hives and today he owns as many as 150 of them, yielding him at least 1200 kgs of honey.
"First, I had just two hives and I would use the home-grown harvest mainly for domestic purposes," says Nazim.
However, in March 2018, Nazim received a short training course in beekeeping organised by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at Pampore. Following the training, KVIC provided Nazim 10 bee-boxes for free. After some time Nazim says that he was able to extract around 100 kg of honey from the boxes.
"When I sold the harvest in local market It fetched me around sixty thousand rupees," says Nazim.
As the interest of Nazim in the apiculture grew more and more, he began to study about the beekeeping exhaustively.
"I took to the internet and learnt a whole host of things about the beekeeping. I wanted to know well-nigh everything about the bee-keeping" Nazim says.
Now Nazim had expansion plans on his mind and he soon purchased about 50 hives. A little later he added around 100 more boxes to his business.
In the month of May, according to Nazim, he extracted around 1200 kg of honey from all his hives.
"The harvest was above average. I was also overwhelmed by the market response. Even customers visited my home to get the honey," Nazim said.
Soon Nazim focussed on the packaging and started packing the produce into the crystal clear glass jars of different sizes. He also minted his own brand name – Al Nahil.
"I have also applied for registration of my brand with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)," says Nazim.
As some of the honey-dealer in different areas of Kashmir make a killing by selling the adulterated honey, the honey business in recent years has taken a hit. However, Nazim says that he had thought of a novel idea of regaining the lost confidence of customers.
"As of now, I have a cash-back policy. If you find any kind of adulteration in my product or simply if you are not satisfied, I will return your money" he says, adding that from next year he would sell the honey along with the comb so there would be no room for doubt.
Apart from supplying honey to local markets, Nazim, since June this year, has at least exported 1200 jars of honey outside the state.
I exported it to states like MP, UP and Rajasthan. I received a very good market response from these states," Nazim says. Now he is also toying with the idea of sending honey to outside India.
Barely ten months into the business, Nazim comfortably earns Rs 20,000-25,000 a month and provides employment to two people.
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