May 31, 2018
21 oil brands banned in Kozhikode
Sale of coconut oil of 8 companies prohibited.
The Food Safety Department bans the sale of 21 coconut oil brands distributed in Kozhikode and neighbouring districts.
KOZHIKODE: The Department of Food Safety has benned the sale of 21 coconut oil brands of 8 companies distributed in the district and neighbouring districts as all the stuff proved of substandard quality in lab tests. Issued under Section 36, 3 (b) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the order was issued on May 23 by P.K.Aleyamma, assistant food safety commissioner, Kozhikode. The companies are based at Kozhikode (five) and Palakkad districts (three).
The high price of coconut oil made the shopkeepers to push in low-cost coconut oil brands as the companies provide better margin to shopkeepers. Since palm oil is available for Rs 60-80 per litre, one can easily adulterate coconut oil reaping huge benefits, as coconut oil price touched an all-time high of over Rs 200 per litre recently, say experts.
The coconut oil brands includes SK's Drop of Nature Ayush, Sree Keerthi, Kelda (by Sreekrishna Flour and Oil Mill, Cheruvannur, Kozhikode) Keral, Vismaya, AS Coconut Oil (AS Oil Mill, Big Bazaar, Kozhikode), PVS Thripthi Pure Coconut Oil, Kavery Brand (Aswathi Oil and Flour Bill, Beypore, Kozhikode), Coco Menma, Agro Brand, (Vishnu Oil Mills, Palakkad), Kera Valley, Famous, Kera Special (Alfa Coconut Oil Mills, Govindapuram, Palakkad), Harita Giri, Annappoorna (Geetha Oil Mills, Narikkuni , Kozhikode) and Orange, Janasree, Keranice and Malabar Supreme (Pavangad Oil Mill, Kozhikode).
Food safety assistant commissioner Aleyamma told DC that her team had collected more than 50 samples from various shops in the district of which 21 brands of eight companies were prohibited in the district.Chemical examination proved that the brands are of inferior quality,.
Contaminants making their way into food-contact items
Broken laptop computer on a pile of electronic waste
Manufacturers are using recycled electrical equipment as a source of black plastic
Hazardous chemicals such as lead are finding their way into food-contact items and other everyday products because manufacturers are using recycled electrical equipment as a source of black plastic, a study has found.
The substances are among those applied to devices, such as laptops and music systems, as flame retardants and pigments but remain within the products when they reach the end of their useful lives.
Scientists at the University of Plymouth in the U.K. have shown that a combination of the growing demand for black plastic and the inefficient sorting of end-of-life electrical equipment is causing contaminated material to be introduced into the recyclate.
Threat to marine life
This is in part because despite black plastics constituting about 15% of the domestic waste stream, this waste material is not readily recycled owing to the low sensitivity of black pigments to near infrared radiation used in conventional plastic sorting facilities. As well as posing a threat to human health, the study showed that there are potentially harmful effects for the marine and coastal environment either through the spread of the products as litter or as microplastics.
Researchers used XRF spectrometry to assess the levels of a range of elements in more than 600 black plastic products such as food-contact items, storage, clothing, toys, jewellery, office items and new and old electronic and electrical equipment.
Bromine, in the form of brominated compounds, is and has been used in electrical plastic housings as a flame retardant, while lead is often encountered in electronic plastics as a contaminant. However, both elements were found extensively in non-electrical black consumer products tested, where they are not needed or desirable.
In many products, including cocktail stirrers, coathangers, various items of plastic jewellery, garden hosing, Christmas decorations and tool handles, concentrations of bromine potentially exceeded legal limits that are designed for electrical items.
In other products, including various toys, storage containers and office equipment, concentrations of lead exceeded its legal limit for electrical items. “There are environmental and health impacts arising from the production and use of plastics in general, but black plastics pose greater risks and hazards,” said Andrew Turner, University of Plymouth.
“This is due to the technical and economic constraints imposed on the efficient sorting and separation of black waste for recycling, coupled with the presence of harmful additives required for production or applications in the electronic and electrical equipment and food packaging sectors,” said Mr. Turner. “Black plastic may be aesthetically pleasing, but this study confirms that the recycling of plastic from e-waste is introducing harmful chemicals into consumer products,” he said.
May 30, 2018
செயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்கவைத்த மாம்பழங்கள்... பாதிப்புகள் என்னென்ன?
'காய்கறிகள், பழங்கள், கீரைகள் இவற்றைச் சாப்பிட்டாலே போதும் உடலுக்குத் தேவையான அனைத்துச் சத்துகளும் கிடைத்துவிடும்’ - மருத்துவர்கள் முதல் உணவியல் நிபுணர்கள்வரை வழங்கும் பொதுவான அறிவுரை இது. மேற்கண்ட மூன்றில் காய்கறிகள், கீரைகள் சாப்பிடுவதற்கு விருப்பமில்லாதவர்கள்கூட பழங்களை விரும்பிச் சாப்பிடுவார்கள். சிறியவர் முதல் பெரியவர்கள்வரை அனைவருக்கும் பிடித்ததாகவே பழங்கள் இருக்கின்றன. மனிதன் காடுகளில் வாழ்ந்த காலம்தொட்டே கனிகளைத் தின்று வாழ்ந்துவருகிறான்.
ஆப்பிள், ஆரஞ்சு, திராட்சை, மாம்பழம், மாதுளை, கொய்யா, சீத்தா... என நமக்காகக் கொட்டிக்கிடக்கின்றன விதவிதமான பழங்கள். அதிலும், கோடைக்காலத்தில் எங்கு பார்த்தாலும் மஞ்சள் நிறத்தில் கோபுரம் கோபுரமாக மாம்பழங்கள் அடுக்கிவைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் அழகே தனி. அதன் நிறத்தை, வாசனையைக் கண்டுணர்ந்த பின்னரும் அரை கிலோவாவது வீட்டுக்கு வாங்கிச் செல்லாமல் நம்மால் இருக்க முடியாது. ஆனால், `அப்படி வாங்குவதற்கு முன்னர் நாம் மிகவும் கவனமாக இருக்க வேண்டும்’ என்கிறார்கள் மருத்துவர்கள்.
காரணம், ரசாயன முறையில் பழங்களை பழுக்கவைப்பது இப்போது அதிகரித்திருக்கிறது. நேற்றுகூட சென்னை, கோயம்பேடு பழ மார்க்கெட்டில் ரசாயன முறையில் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்ட ஏழு டன் மாம்பழங்களும், இரண்டு டன் பப்பாளிப் பழங்களும் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அதிகாரிகளால் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. பழங்களை விற்பனை செய்த நான்கு கடைகளும் சீல் வைக்கப்பட்டன.
கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் இப்படி நடப்பதாக புகார் வந்ததால், அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை செய்து நடவடிக்கை எடுத்திருக்கிறார்கள். 'சரி... மற்ற இடங்களில் விற்கப்படும் பழங்கள்?’ என்கிற கேள்வி இயல்பாகவே எழுகிறது.
"செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களைச் சாப்பிட்டால் என்னென்ன பாதிப்புகள் வரும் ?''
"கால்சியம் கார்பைடு, பாஸ்பரஸ், எத்திலீன் போன்ற ரசாயனங்கள் மூலமாகப் பழங்கள் செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்கவைக்கப்படுகின்றன. இப்படிப் பழுக்க வைப்பதால் அதன் இயல்பு பாதிக்கப்படுகிறது. மாம்பழம் சாப்பிடுவதே அதிலுள்ள மினரல்ஸ், மல்டி 
வைட்டமின்களுக்காகத்தான். ஆனால், செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்டவற்றில் இவை எதுவும் இருக்காது.
செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களில் அதன் இனிப்புத்தன்மை அதிகரித்துவிடும். அதைச் சாப்பிட்டால் அடிக்கடி வயிற்றுப்போக்கு, வயிறு மந்தம், சருமப் பிரச்னைகள், அல்சர் போன்ற பாதிப்புகள் உண்டாகும். கால்சியம் கார்பைட் கலந்த உணவுகளைத் தொடர்ந்து சாப்பிட்டால் புற்றுநோய் (Carcinogenic) உண்டாவதற்கான வாய்ப்புண்டு. எனவே, வாங்கும்போது கவனமாகப் பார்த்து வாங்க வேண்டும்’’ என்கிறார் ஊட்டச்சத்து நிபுணர் சங்கீதா நடராஜன்.
"கால்சியம் கார்பைடால் வயிறு தொடர்பான பிரச்னைகள், கண் எரிச்சல், சரும அலர்ஜி, வாந்தி போன்றவை உண்டாகலாம். சில நேரங்களில் சுவாசம் தொடர்பான பிரச்னைகள் ஏற்படவும் வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. இதில், ஆர்சனிக் இருந்தால் புற்றுநோய் உண்டாகவும் வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. மாம்பழம் சாப்பிட்டதால் வயிற்றுப்போக்கு கோடைக்காலங்களில் பெரும்பாலானவர்களுக்கு ஏற்படும். அதற்குக் காரணம் இதுபோன்று ரசாயனங்கள்தான். இதனால் உடலில் நீர்வறட்சி ஏற்பட்டு, உடல் வலுவிழக்க வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. அதனால் கவனமாக இருக்கவேண்டியது அவசியம்’’ என்கிறார் மருத்துவர் ஜெயஶ்ரீ.
மாம்பழங்கள் இயற்கையாகப் பழுத்தவையா அல்லது செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்டவையா என்று எப்படிக் கண்டறிவது?
"எந்தப் பழமும் பளபளப்பாக இருக்க வாய்ப்பில்லை. அப்படி இருக்கும் பழங்களைத் தவிர்த்துவிடுவது நல்லது
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* பழுத்த மாம்பழம் கொஞ்சம் கொழகொழப்பாகத்தான் இருக்கும். ஆனால், செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்கள் அப்படி இருக்காது.
* இயற்கையாகப் பழுத்த பழங்கள் லேசாக அடிபட்டு, கசங்கி முறையான வடிவத்தில் இருக்காது.
* ரசாயனங்கள் மூலமாகப் பழுக்கவைத்தால் பழங்கள் முறையான வடிவத்தில் பழுக்காமல் திட்டு திட்டாக பழுத்திருக்கும்.
* இயற்கையாகப் பழுத்த மாம்பழங்கள் மஞ்சள் நிறத்தில் மட்டுமல்லாமல், சற்று இளஞ் சிவப்பு நிறத்தோடு காணப்படும்.
* மாம்பழத்தில் குறிப்பிட்ட ஓரிடத்தில் மட்டும் தீப்பட்டதுபோல கறுப்பாக இருந்தால், அது கண்டிப்பாக கார்பைட் கல்லால் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்டது.
* இயற்கையில் காம்புப் பகுதிதான் கடைசியாகப் பழுக்கும். பழம் காம்பை நோக்கித்தான் பழுத்துக்கொண்டு செல்லும். செயற்கையாகப் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்டவை அப்படி இருக்காது’’ என்கிறார் சித்த மருத்துவர் செந்தில் கருணாகரன்.
பழங்கள் ரசாயன முறையில் பழுக்கவைக்கப்படுவது தெரிந்தால், உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத் துறையின் 9444042322 என்ற எண்ணுக்கு வாட்ஸ்அப்பின் மூலம் புகார் தெரிவிக்கலாம்.
லாப நோக்கத்தோடு மக்களுக்கு ஆரோக்கியக்கேட்டை விளைவிக்கும் வியாபாரிகள் கண்டிப்பாக மனம் திருந்த வேண்டும். குழந்தைகள் முதல் வயதானவர்கள்வரை பழங்கள் சாப்பிடுகிறார்கள். ஆசை ஆசையாகப் பழங்கள் சாப்பிடும் அவர்களை ஆபத்தில் சிக்கவைக்கலாமா?
FDA shuts illegal water bottling plant
PANAJI: The food and drugs administration (FDA) on Monday shut down another packaged drinking water bottling plant for operating without licence and in unhygienic conditions. The plant, Mount Spring, in Parra, was operating from a structure made of cement sheets and iron grills and erected behind a residential house, said FDAdirector Jyoti Sardesai.
“Well water was used to manually fill 20-litre jars, in total non-compliance of the requirements under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” Sardesai said. The water was being supplied to hotels, shacks, caterers, offices and shops including banks, FDA officials said.
According to the FDA, the bottling plant was being operated by Suraj Xetgaokar and Amtesh Sawant. Sardesai said the FDA team of Rajaram Patil, Shivdas Naik, Atul Desai and Shruti Pilernekar inspected the facility before shutting it down.
Food samples taken from city’s prominent hotels
A food safety officer checking the food samples in one of the hotels
Vadodara: Food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) swooped down upon prominent hotels in the city on Tuesday morning. The drive was conducted by the civic body after directives in this regard by the state’s commissioner for food safety.
According to VMC officials, the teams checked hotels in the railway station, Fatehgunj and Sayajigunj areas of the city. The drive had commenced at 8am to check if stale food was being used at the hotels and the teams also checked the breakfast being served at these hotels.
The teams collected samples of flour, paneer makhni and miloni tarkari from the hotels. The samples were sent to the public health laboratory for testing. The teams also destroyed 215kg of food items as these were not found fit for consumption. The material that was disposed of included mango juice, batter for idlis and dosas, chutneys, chicken tikka, noodles, raw chicken, patra, gravy curd, bread and other items.
According to a release, the hotels where the checking drive was conducted included Gaurav Hotel Pvt Ltd, Nidra Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Buffet Junction, Suba Palace and Lemon Tree.
What are we doing to stop plastic menace?
The mission to end the plastic menace must include ending single-use plastics, promoting alternatives to fossil fuel-based materials, promoting 100 per cent recycling of plastics, corporate and government accountability and changing human behaviour concerning plastics
Select items that come in non-plastic recycled and recyclable packaging. Credit
The World Environment Day 2018 will be celebrated on June 5, 2018 with the theme ‘Beat plastic pollution’ with India as the global host.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently mentioned it in his radio show Mann ki baat and called for saving environment. But Mann ki baat wouldn’t yield any outcomes until it becomes Jan-jan ki baat and the citizens of India realise the drastic effects of plastic and feel the need for saving environment.
Focus has to be on mobilising the world to tackle plastic pollution, including creating support for a global effort to eliminate single-use plastics along with global regulation for the disposal of plastics. Government should make sincere efforts to educate millions of people about the health and other risks associated with the use and disposal of plastics, including pollution of our oceans, water, and wildlife, and about the growing body of evidence that decomposing plastics are creating serious global problems.
As the world’s population continues to grow, so does the amount of garbage that people produce. On-the-go lifestyles require easily disposable products, such as soda cans or bottles of water, but the accumulation of these products has led to increasing amounts of plastic pollution around the world. As plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants, it has the potential to cause great harm to the air, water and land.
Put simply, plastic pollution is when plastic has gathered in an area and has begun to negatively impact the natural environment and create problems for plants, wildlife and even human population. Often this includes killing plant life and posing dangers to local animals. Plastic is an incredibly useful material, but it is also made from toxic compounds known to cause illness, and because it is meant for durability, it is not biodegradable.
It costs millions of dollars each year to clean affected areas after exposure, not to mention the loss of life to plants, animals, and people. As land becomes more valuable, just finding a place to dump the garbage is becoming a problem in many parts of the world. Plus, excess pollution has lead to decreased tourism in affected areas, significantly impacting those economies.
From poisoning and injuring marine life to the ubiquitous presence of plastics in our food to disrupting human hormones and causing major life-threatening diseases and early puberty, the exponential growth of plastics is threatening our planet’s survival. The mission to end the plastic menace must include ending single-use plastics, promoting alternatives to fossil fuel-based materials, promoting 100 per cent recycling of plastics, corporate and government accountability and changing human behaviour concerning plastics.
Merely talking on this hazard won’t yield results. There has to be a campaign with following focus areas:
- Leading a grassroots movement to support the adoption of a global framework to regulate plastic pollution.
- Educating, mobilising and activating citizens across the globe to demand that governments and corporations control and clean up plastic pollution.
- Educating people worldwide to take personal responsibility for plastic pollution by choosing to reject, reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.
- Promoting local government regulatory and other efforts to tackle plastic pollution.
What can be done by citizens?
Although the government’s job is to spread awareness, let’s not expect everything from it. We all have to change our attitude and act responsibly to put an end to our problems. Plastic bags were once a modern convenience but can be efficiently replaced by reusable bags, many of which fold up compactly in order to be portable. Disposable water bottles are causing immense damage to environment; it’s time to replace them with re-usable bottles. Plastic food containers, lids, and utensils are all easily replaced by reusable containers, which will cut down significantly on even a single meal’s waste. Low-cost replacements, such as bamboo utensils in place of plastic ones in local restaurants need to be promoted. We all can try and select items that come in non-plastic recycled and recyclable packaging, to do our best to properly handle items that can’t be reused.
We owe our existence to mother Earth and it’s our duty to save and protect earth. India can be a better country, if we all become better Indians.
May 29, 2018
3.5 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized in Trichy market
Trichy: A surprise raid by the food safety department led to the seizure of 3.5 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes from godowns at the Gandhi market here on Monday.
The team headed by D Selvaraj, food safety officer of Gandhi market area, found 101 trays of mangoes, weighing 1.4 tonnes, undergoing artificial ripening at a godown during the mass raid. They also found two boxes of carbide stones in the shop.
The next violation was found from a nearby godown where the officials found 2.1 tonnes of mangoes being artificially ripened using carbide stones.
The total volume of Monday’s seizure was 3.5 tonnes. This the first such seizure of unhealthy mangoes this season.
The raid was carried out in 30 shops in Gandhi market which trade mangoes by bringing the fruit from several parts of the state and supplying them to the local traders in the city. Mangoes from Thuvarankurichi, in Trichy, and Salem accounts from most of the supply.
The seized mango varieties include Iman Pasanth, Banganapalli, Alphonso and Sinduram.
Food safety officials said that owners of the two godowns brazenly violated norms despite advice and warning from the department before the commencement of mango season this year.
Officials claimed that the majority of mango traders followed approved natural ripening methods while few others indulged in the dangerous practice. They have also warned of severe health complications of consuming such mangoes which will cause eye irritation, vomiting etc.
Carbide stones, which are meant for welding works, is easily available to buy from some welding lathes.
The seized mangoes and carbide stones were taken to the Ariyamangalam dump yard and buried as per procedure.
Food safety supervisors in all central govt dept canteens
The central government has decided to appoint food safety supervisors in all its departmental canteens.
The central government has decided to appoint food safety supervisors in all its departmental canteens. The supervisors will be trained by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), mandated to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption, an official statement said.
These supervisors will also be keeping an eye on 25 food handlers, it said.
As per the FSSAI norms, all departmental canteens, tiffin rooms etc have to be licensed to ensure safe food in central government offices.
These licensed canteens should have trained food safety supervisors, whose training should be completed by December 31, 2018, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry to all central government departments said.
All the central government organisations have been asked to nominate officers for the first training workshop, scheduled to start from June 16.A total of 1,352 registered canteens and tiffin rooms are functioning in various central government establishments, the order added.
Beware, your juice may have inedible ice ‘Inedible ice used in fruit juice shops’
Madurai: The next time you walk into a roadside juice bar for a cold drink, think twice before you gulp it. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come up with this dire warning stating that ice mixed in fruit, sugarcane juices and sherbet being sold in all wayside eateries could well be the one used for preserving seafood and flowers.
Though health officials have recommended drinking plenty of water to keep you hydrated in summer, the use of ice in juices could land you in hospital. The trend is mostly down to the easy availability of inedible ice, also known as industrial ice, manufactured using non-purified water in hazardous environment and the ignorance of public about the health issues they pose.
FSSAI officials said there are stringent regulations and instructions that hygiene should be ensured before making ice for human consumption, but this is not happening when it comes to the manufacturing of industrial ice. This has made edible ice cost five times the price of the industrial one, which is sold Rs 2 a kg.
The officials have ordered ice manufacturers to add indigo carmine or brilliant blue up to 10 PPM (part per million) to overcome the problem. It has asked all the district level officials in the state to monitor and ensure the new procedure is followed with effect from June 1.
Asked about the sources of the ice they use, many traders failed to give a definite answer. “We do not know where the ice is manufactured and whether the vendor follows the procedures. We would be happy to give better quality ice. I don’t know how to distinguish between the good and the bad,” said a sugarcane vendor from South Gate who buys the ice from a dealer who delivers it at the doorstep for Rs 5 a kg.
Designated food safety officer for Madurai district M Somasundaram said they make sure that the rules and regulations are strictly adhered to by calling a meeting of the manufacturers in Madurai and discussing the issue in detail. Most manufacturers are doing the business without registration, he said.
Consuming juices mixed with ice manufactured from unhygienic water could leave one vulnerable to diseases like throat infection, cough, cold, hepatitis A, diarrheal diseases and even jaundice. Somasundaram urged people to be cautious while consuming drinks mixed with inedible ice.
“Soon, people will be able to distinguish between edible and industrial ice as the latter would have blue colour added to it. Severe action would be initiated against those selling industrial ice to juice and sherbet vendors,” he said. FSSAI sources said that substances like formaldehyde, which is used in preservation, is used in industrial ice. Seafood traders buying such ice as they can be sued to retain the stock for longer period.
Adulterated ghee seized; Fevicol added for flavour
Visakhapatnam: Officials of the vigilance and enforcement department and food safety department seized large quantity of spurious clarified butter (ghee) on Monday following they raided a wearhouse belonging to Sri Sai Raja Trading Company in Anakapalli in the district. They seized 11 cans weighing 200 kgs of adulterated ghee, 2,025 kgs of palm oil, 810 kgs of hydrogenated vegetable oil (vanaspati), 15 kgs of fevicol, some chemicals and a packaging machine.
According to vigilance department SP D Koteswara Rao, the adulterated ghee was packed under the brand name Radhakrishna, Govinda and Jai Radhakrishna. Officials conducted the raid and nabbed the main accused G Srinivasa Kumar.
Sources revealed, Srinivas, with the support of few others, manufactured the spurious clarified butter, with hydrogenated vegetable oil, palm oil, Fevicol and few others chemicals to bring about the flavour of the ghee. The accused confessed to supplying the adulterated ghee to small grocery stores in various parts of the northern AP region.
Officials registered cases against Srinivas under the Food Safety Act and Essential Commodities Act and sent the samples to a laboratory.
Bits of insects, rodent hair in food items
When I bite into a bar of chocolate, I think of calories. I don’t think of rat hair and faeces. But perhaps I should.
The American Food and Drug Authority, the regulatory body for food standards in the United States, publishes something called the Defect Levels Handbook. This sets permissible limits for “natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazards for humans”. The contents of these ‘natural and unavoidable’ defects is probably to protect manufacturers from being sued.
The FDA Handbook allows the average chocolate bar (about 100 grams) to have one rodent hair in it. This 100 grams is also allowed to contain up to 60 insect fragments. Legally.
Insects – either whole, body parts, larvae or mites – are the most common permissible defect, allowed in 71 foods. You will find them in peanut butter, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, bay leaves and many more foods. Oregano can have up to 300 insect fragments, with ground oregano allowed up to 1250 fragments. Tomato juice is allowed to have 10 fruit fly eggs or one maggot for every 100 grams. About 20 maggots or 75 mites are permissible in 15 grams of dried mushrooms. 5% of a can of cherries can also contain maggots.
In figs, interestingly, the FDA specifically only allows insect heads – up to 13 heads for every 100 grams of fig paste. Why only heads? God knows! (Because the FDA probably doesn’t).
However, what the FDA does know quite clearly, is the number of insects and rodent hairs that would make the perfect combination in food. It allows every 100 grams of peanut butter to have up to 30 insect fragments and one rodent hair. 50 grams of cinnamon is allowed 400 insect fragments and 10 rodent hairs. Paprika can contain 75 insect fragments and 11 rodents hairs for every 25 grams.
Cinnamon, paprika, oregano, thyme, sesame seeds (til), fennel seeds (saunf), ginger and other spices often contain another ingredient – animal or mammal excreta. FDA allows about 20 milligrams of this in 1 kilogram of cocoa beans. ‘mammalian excreta’ is another name for mouse faeces. Every kg of wheat is allowed to have an average of 9 faeces pellets. Even popcorn can have 1 pellet per subsample (the FDA handbook does not define the size of the subsample).
Mould, a type of fungus is also a commonly permitted contaminant in most fruit, vegetables, butters and jams. Up to 20% of paprika is allowed to be mouldy. 5% of a packet of bay leaves (tej patta) and 3% of a can of frozen peaches is also allowed to have mould in it. Blackcurrant jam is high on the list, with 74% of it permissibly mouldy. Low levels of mould are also allowed in tomato ketchup, tomato juice and canned tomatoes.
If all this weren’t enough, the FDA handbook also has a provision for the presence of ‘foreign matter’ in select foods. This includes objects such as stones, sticks, jute bags and even cigarette butts! This , strangely enough, fits into “natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazards for humans”.
If you are appalled by the low quality demanded of American packaged food, let us shift the focus to our own country. The Indian version of the FDA is the FSSAI – Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. It follows similar standards but makes them so confusing that no one bothers to read them. Instead of putting them out clearly in one handbook, it hides them in different rules for different foods.
When describing permissible food defects, FSSAI uses a term called ‘extraneous matter’. This is defined as “any matter contained in an article of food which may be carried from the raw materials, packaging materials or process systems used for its manufacture or which is added to it, but such matter does not render such article of food unsafe”.
FSSAI does not clearly define permitted contaminants in one handbook or document. It is, however, hidden in the fine print of their numerous rules and regulations.
For instance, FSSAI requires de-shelled peanuts to only be ‘practically’ free from matter such as stones, dirt, clay etc. Further, 5% of the total packet is permitted to be damaged. 2% of most dry fruits and nuts can permissibly be ‘damaged or discoloured’ which includes damage by insects.
With dry apricots, FSSAI states that they should be free from living insects, but goes on to allow a ‘reasonable’ amount of insect debris, vegetable matter and other objectionable matter. Up to 3% of supari can also be damaged by mould and insects.
A packet of wheat flour (atta) can contain up to 2% ash. Paushtik atta (which means healthy or nourishing) can have a little more ash – 2.75%. Whole grains of wheat, maize, jawar, bajra, rice and most lentils including chana, rajma, moong, masur, urad etc. are permitted 1% extraneous matter, which includes 0.1% impurities of animal origin. These essentials, which every household in our country consumes on a daily basis, is allowed to contain metallic pieces, sand, gravel, dirt, pebbles, stones, lumps of earth, clay, mud and animal faeces and hair.
Sugar, refined sugar, bura and misri are permitted to have 0.1% extraneous matter, while this is permitted up to 2% in the case of jaggery. If you were impressed by this accuracy, honey, on the other hand, only needs to be visually inspected to ensure that it is free from mould, dirt, scum, the fragments of bees and other insects etc.
Similarly, one of India’s favourites – tea – is required by FSSAI to only be free from living insects, moulds, dead insects, insect fragments and rodent contamination which are “visible to the naked eye.”
FSSAI also allows most types of salt and spices, such as jeera, elaichi, laung, dalchini, red chillies, haldi, black pepper, dhania, methi etc., to contain 1-2% extraneous matter. This includes dust, dirt, stones and lumps of earth. One official told me that some years ago, when India needed dals immediately, they imported them from Burma. The dal came full of stones. Instead of making a fuss, the FSAAI checked with their ministry and simply changed the rules to allow more stones.
So the quality of food is decided by corporations and regulatory bodies created to protect them. Who protects the consumer?
Alcoholic beverages to carry warning on safe driving: FSSAI
Come April 2019 and all bottles containing alcoholic beverages will carry warning asking people not to drink and drive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said.
Come April 2019 and all bottles containing alcoholic beverages will carry warning asking people not to drink and drive, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said. The move comes following a Public Interest Litigation filed by social activist Prince Singhal.
Citing Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages Standards) Regulations, 2018, the FSSAI in a recent order said the warning "Consumption of alcohol is injurious to health. Be safe - Don't drink and drive" can be printed on the labels of alcoholic beverages -- both Indian Made Foreign Liquors (IMFL) and the imported ones.
This warning can also be printed in the local or regional language, if any state desires to do so, it said.
"In such cases, there would be no requirement of also printing this warning in English," the FSSAI said.
The food safety commissioners of all states and Union territories have been directed to ensure that the warning is printed uniformly from April 1, 2019, it said.
The PIL was filed by Singhal, who runs a non-government organisation Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD), in 2017.
"Drinking and driving is an intentional crime and it should be treated as a premeditated criminal act since the person driving drunk knows or should know that he can cause potential harm while driving," he said.
Several countries across the world that have adopted such warnings include the USA, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Mexico, Turkey and they have been able to bring down drunk- driving tragedies, as not only does it allow consumers to make an informed choice but it also reiterates on the need to practice no drinking-and-driving policy, Singhal said.With almost 7,00,000 road accidents annually on Indian roads, and 1,65,000 deaths every year, road accidents are a critical public concern which require immediate attention of policy-makers, he said.
May 28, 2018
Kerala: Food safety nod mandatory in school kitchens
DPI to ensure that all noon meal kitchens get registrations shortly.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Child Rights Commission has made it clear that Food Safety Registration is mandatory for noon meal kitchens in schools. The Commission has asked the DPI to ensure that all noon meal kitchens get registrations within a short time. The Commission passed the order during the hearing of the food poisoning case at Thonnakkal LP School. The school kitchen did not have registration. The cooking staff at the school did not have medical fitness certificates. Raw materials used were also found to be sub-standard.
The Commission also asked the Assistant Education Officer and noon meal officer to visit all school kitchens and submit a report. The DPI should instruct school headmasters of all schools to ensure cleanliness in kitchens. It should also be ensured that food materials and water used for cooking were safe. All the cooks who prepare food should have medical fitness certificates.
Sources said that as per the guidelines of the union Human Resources Development ministry, Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees (SMCs) should monitor the regularity and wholesomeness of the mid-day meal served to children, cleanliness in cooking and serving of the meal, timeliness in procurement of good quality ingredients, fuel, implementation of variety in menu so as to make it attractive to children and to ensure social and gender equity on a daily basis.
Meat samples collected from Salt Lake eateries
KOLKATA: Continuing with raids at restaurants and eateries in Salt Lake to look into the quality of food and collect meat samples, health officials from the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation inspected three popular food joints and restaurants close to City Centre mall.
The civic authorities collected stored meat samples from the food joints.
The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and Dum Dum municipality started conducting inspections at several eateries and restaurants in different parts of Salt Lake, Rajarhat and Dum Dum from second week of May to collect samples of stored meat.
Civic officials said that they have started the inspection following instructions by the state government.
Chicken and mutton samples that are stored and refrigerated for over a week at different eateries and restaurants are being collected.
“We have already sent the samples to the state government’s food safety laboratory for tests,” said Bidhannagar Corporation MMIC (Health) Pranay Roy said.
Civic officials said that strong action would be taken against the eateries and restaurants if any of the collected samples are found to be poor in quality.
May 25, 2018
HFSS – The Misapprehended!
As per a WHO document titled ‘Marketing of Foods High in Fat, Salt and Sugar to Children – Update 2012-2013’, foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar are commonly termed as HFSS Foods.
Sugar: Sugar is empty calories with no beneficial effect and there is no safe level of its intake. High use of sugar, particularly fructose, is harmful. Studies have established a direct relationship between sugar intake and the problems of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Salt: Salt is added as a preservative and to enhance the taste of food. High salt content in diet is strongly associated with high blood pressure and related cardiovascular diseases. Evidence suggests that high salt intake increases the mass of the left ventricle, as well as stiffens and narrows arteries, including coronary and renal arteries. It increases the probability of stroke, severity of cardiac failure and tendency for platelets to aggregate. As per WHO, cutting down on dietary salt intake to a recommended 5 g per day has a major impact on reducing blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA): SFAs are widely used in packaged foods, including cookies, crackers, and snack chips. When consumed in excess of the recommended limit (less than 10 percent of total calorie intake), SFAs are known to clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Trans Fatty Acid (TFA): TFAs are formed during the process of hydrogenation of vegetable oils (PHVOs) to make it semi solid, and serves to provide longer shelf life, and better form and texture to food. Typically, they are found in high quantities in bakery products and snacks that are deep-fried in PHVOs. TFAs are well known to have an adverse impact on blood lipid levels as they reduce the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) and increase the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Further, their consumption increases insulin resistance and promotes obesity. WHO recommends that less than 1 percent of calories should come from TFAs.
Besides the above key ingredients of concern, caffeine used in carbonated beverages and energy drinks is an addictive stimulant, which, if consumed in excess, can lead to impaired muscle and nerve functions, dehydration and a host of other disorders. Consumption of caffeine, particularly among school children, is a matter of concern and needs to be strictly regulated in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) and the regulations made there under.
HFSS Food Consumption in India: Consumption of ‘HFSS Food’ is rapidly increasing, both in urban and rural areas. The ease of availability, superior taste, low cost, aggressive marketing and advertisements, and peer pressure make them popular with children. The most common (60.4 percent) result of skipping meals, as found in the WHO study, was the consumption of foods such as potato chips, chocolates and carbonated drinks. HFSS food replacing balanced diet is a key issue; as per NIN dietary guidelines “the shift from traditional to ‘modern’ foods, changing cooking practices, increased intake and intensive promotion of HFSS foods and beverages have affected people’s perception of foods as well as their dietary behaviour.” Irrational preference for energy-dense foods and those with high sugar and salt content pose a serious health risk to people, especially children.
Most Common HFSS Foods:
Chips and fried foods, e.g. Kachori
Sugar sweetened carbonated beverages
Sugar sweetened non-carbonated beverages, e.g. Juices
Ready-to-eat noodles, and pizzas and burgers
Potato fries
Confectionery items, e.g. Gulab Jamun
Fatty Acids May Have:
– No double bonds – which is the case in saturated fatty acids (SAFA), and is considered to be bad for health.
– One double bond – as in the case of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); and many double bonds – as in the case of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); both are normally termed as being good for health.
Each type of oil has some percent of SAFA, MUFA/PUFA, and TFA. Some oils are good for frying where as some oils are used elsewhere. A very good source of MUFA/PUFA is freshly made homemade ‘ghee’ or butter oil. We used to blame ghee for the incidence of obesity in humans because, in ancient times, we used to eat products made in ghee or freshly pressed oils. However, the proportion of obese humans, then, were less as humans were doing manual work at that time, more than what we do today.
The TFA present in oil used for frying a samosa on a street cart by a vendor will be much higher than fresh oil used for frying items at home. Industrially, oil usage is restricted based on the amount of free fatty acid (FFA) present in the oil. In industrially processed food, where ever frying is done, the oil is replaced by fresh oil once it reaches an FFA level of approximately 2.0 percent. Thus, Industrially processed food is still far better than what we eat at street vendors.
See the examples of various oil compositions for their SAFA, MUFA and PUFA
Need of the Hour: –
The need of the hour is to get more money to provide your family with good food and shelter. The lack of time and money in life is one of the reasons why people feel the need to buy and eat processed food, or what is commonly referred to as easy food. People often find time to only have a quick bite as everyone is in a hurry to get to and from work or home. Many restaurants and hotels have opened up in recent history, both in India and the rest of the world, to meet the needs of a growing base of customers looking for quick food. However, it is imperative for all of us to be conscious of the negative effects of the compounds and chemicals present in processed foods and other products we consume from outside. Cooking food at home, using ingredients you trust, is still the best way to maintain superior health.
FSSAI revamps licensing and registration regulations
In the recently-held meeting of the Central Advisory Committee, the apex food regulator of the country, has decided to review the regulations and restructure it in a way that would ensure more compliance form the FBOs. According to FSSAI’s review document, the proposed limit for registration under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has been set at Rs 20 lakh, which is currently at Rs 12 lakh,which means now FBOs with a turnover of upto Rs 20 lakh require to only register with FSSAI.
Besides, the regulator has proposed to create three categories of licenses. While Level A (for FBOs whose turnover is between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 5 crore) and Level B (for FBOs whose turnover is between Rs 5 crore and Rs 75 crore) licenses will be issued by the state licensing authorities, the third category (Level C) is for FBOs whose turnover is over Rs 75 crore, and their licenses will be issued by the Central Licensing Authority.
Further, draft proposal pushes for the simplification of businesses as well, with seven categories, including manufacturing. The other kinds include storage, transport, trade, retail (both general and e-commerce), food services (both general and e-commerce) and imports.
The focus of FSSAI for some time has been to increase the level of compliance and awareness about the requisites under the regulations with regards of food safety ecosystem.
In the meeting it has been decided that the FSSAI headquarters shall be responsible for ensuring the compliance through a direct monitoring system on real-time basis, as all other FBOs’ premises will be linked with the head office for the purpose.
The document added that inspection shall take place once a year by the authority or third party. The proposal has stated that new licenses and registration will be issued to the FBOs for the remaining period of validity without any fees.
FSSAI amends law to stop reuse of edible oil
AHMEDABAD: A new amendment in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI) mandates that the total polarized compound (TPC) value in edible oil must be less than 25%. The new amendment to FSSAI will come into effect from July 1. In the run-up to this, FDCA – Gujarat, had recently undertaken a pilot drive to test the TPC value of oil across establishments in Ahmedabad.
Explaining the adverse health impact of reused edible oil, H G Koshia, commissioner, Food and Drug Control Authority – Gujarat, said, “As oil is heated to smoking point, the TPC value of oil increases. This is hazardous to one’s health, especially in the longer run as it increases trans fat content in oil. The new amendment will help us ensure safety of the food prepared outside as well.”
Referring to the finds of the pilot drive, Koshia said, “We found 40% of the commercial establishments and eateries reusing the oil they have already used for frying for cooking, re-frying and other edible purposes. All of these samples had a TPC value that was greater than 25%.”
With regular checks and raids conducted by civic authorities, several cases of reuse of oil in addition to use of adulterated oil also come to the fore. “The number of cases of reuse of oil in the eateries and manufacturing units in the city are way more than those of adulterated oil usage, the latter accounting for merely 7% of the total suspicious samples. However, in absence of evidence, we cannot penalize or take coercive action for those reusing oil. The new amendment will help better enforcement of quality,” said Bhavin Solanki, medical officer of health, AMC.
FDCA – Gujarat has procured a special device to test the TPC value in oil instantly. Authorities believe that the amendment in the act will further enable them to penalize eateries and establishments that reuse edible oil. The move will bring all these businesses under the civic body and state government’s scanner.
Estimates provided by top sources in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s health department indicate that some 80% of establishments be it a farsan store or an eatery or a street food vendor, tend to filter out the oil used for frying and reuse it multiple times.
Meat accused held
New Town: Police arrested the suspected kingpin of a rotten meat supply chain in the Baguiati-New Town area early on Thursday.
Detective department officers of Bidhannagar commisionerate picked up Mohammed Kausar Ali Dhali, 38, from his relative's house in Hasnabad.
Dhali used to run a chicken supply centre in Aatghora behind City Centre II in New Town, an officer of the commissionerate said.
He owned at least two shops in Baguiati from where he sold a mix of rotten and fresh chicken, the officer claimed.
Dhali was on the run and had switched off his two mobile phones since April 27 when cops raided the supply centre and arrested eight people, including six of his employees, and seized more than 100kg of foul smelling frozen meat.
"Dhali was frequently changing hideouts and had switched off his phone to throw us off his track," Amit P. Javalgi, deputy commisssioner, headquarters, Bidhannagar commissionerate, said.
Dhali has been booked under various IPC sections, including 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale) and 273 (sale of noxious food or drink) and Section 51 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
A Barrackpore court on Thursday sent Dhali to five days' police custody.
Cops stumbled on Dhali's supply centre after people living near Gate No. 2.5 stopped Nasiruddin Gazi with rotten meat. Gazi told them that he was carrying the meat for Janardan Singh, 48, a Dum Dum resident who runs an eatery in Chinar Park.
The police questioned them together and got to know of Dhali's supply centre.
Dhali, originally from Basirhat in North 24-Parganas, had been staying at the houses of his relatives spread across the district, another officer said. "A search is on for Dhali's brother and cousin."
Do you know your meat?
The right cut The scarier the headlines, the more analysis of our meat suppliers needed
The regulation of meat shops in the city isn’t just a clean cut issue
The Kolkata meat scandal is still sending painful punches to T-bone of the meat industry of southern India, as well as somewhat diminishing the appetites of several meat lovers. After all, 20000kg of rotting meat is pretty hard to miss. So has this changed the way Hyderabadis buy meat?
Earlier this year, GHMC joined forces with meat shop owners and started offering cash prizes through a lucky draw to those using reusable bags while shopping for mutton, chicken and the likes. The initiative aims to further a greener way to purchase meat as part of their anti-polythene drive, which isn’t a bad idea at all. But soon, the cash prizes have to end and people should want to employ such a behaviour rather than for profit.
There are also active campaigns in the city; FIAPO (Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation) works towards a better environment for legal meat shops and consumers. They’ve observed the unwarranted injection of chemicals into meat which is sold off to unassuming consumers who then suffer the consequences.
N Prashanth, who joined the organisation a few weeks ago, explains that FIAPO will be approaching various meat shops in the city which may not have licenses, adding, “There are more unlicensed shops than one realises, about two or three in each neighbourhood. We are an NGO so when we approach these places and ask for their licenses, we get one of two reactions: if the place does have a license, they show us, but if they don’t, then they get angry and defensive.”
Loyalty wins
There doesn’t seem to be much to worry about in Hyderabad though; in such a meat-loving city, it’s almost a rite of passage to have that one butcher who delivers the best possible product.
Fifty six-year-old Shyam Kumar who resides near Hitec City drives once a week all the way to Malakpet at 6 am to get the first fresh cuts of mutton from Premier Meat Shop and Chicken Centre located on Mumbai Highway. “My family used to come here for generations since I was in eighth grade. Different generations come here and the place is run by different generations — the father and his sons,” he explains, adding “Each time I visit, they give me exactly want I want, whether it’s kaala or chops. And if I don’t get here early, everything is sold out.”
Digital diets
Thanks to the convenience of platforms such as Licious and Big Basket, there doesn’t seem to be much of an impact on those who trust the freshness of these providers.
Licious head honcho Joe Manavalan, explains that the growth of a platform like Licious is helpful in a country where people are constantly moving. When one moves to a new city, they tend to rely on brands for certain products but when it’s something like meat or fresh produce, there needs to be a build-up of trust, and online platforms which promise the provision of the best are everywhere you go — all one needs is a valid postcode.
“We work with farmers, feeder farms and processing centres, just to make sure every stage of the production chain is right. Poultry in India is advanced with the popular concept of e-farms where even air is controlled to monitor the health of the chickens. But lamb and sea fish are tough because their environments aren’t under our control, but in the coming year, we are looking to home in on that. With lamb, farmers who make an art of keeping the animal healthy and butchers who observe the meat is aged properly are a dream, and I fully support these vendors;they’re a cornerstone of such a huge industry.”
Joe adds that many of Licious’ advancements come from a close study of meat shops which may not follow regulation. He asserts, “Some butchers, in a rush to serve the customer, don’t wait to age the meat in that vital stage for rigor mortis.”
Post-mortem muscle chemistry, in which muscle naturally converts to meat, is extremely important, which is another reason why the licensing of meat shops is a serious issue.
Trans fat in edible oils: FSSAI likely to meet industry stakeholders next week
NEW DELHI, MAY 24
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is likely to hold a meeting next week with edible oil companies, medical experts and scientists to discuss a proposal on further reduction in trans fat levels in edible oils.
Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation released a plan to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids from the global food supply by 2023. It has called on governments to follow a six-step action plan to achieve this goal.
Last year, FSSAI had reduced the permissible levels of trans fat in edible oils to 5 per cent from 10 per cent. The food safety authority is now looking at a proposal to further reduce trans fat levels to 2 per cent in edible oil.
Last week, FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal had said that even before the WHO released its plan on elimination of industrially produced trans fat, India already has put in place a strategy to make India trans fat free . He said India is working on a strategy aimed at making India trans fat free by 2022.
While the natural sources of trans fat are dairy and meat products, partially hydrogenated edible oils have been identified as the key source for industrially-produced trans fat.
Last year, FSSAI had also notified standards on re-use or reheating of cooking oil. It states that vegetable oils that have accumulated the total polar compounds (TPC) of more than 25 per cent cannot be used. These standards will come into force from July 1 and the regulator believes enforcement of these regulations will help solve part of the problem.
May 24, 2018
State extends ban on tobacco items for one year
PATNA: The food safety wing of state health department has extended the ban on the manufacture, sales and distribution of products containing tobacco and nicotine for one more year with effect from May 21.
A notice was issued by principal secretary (health) and food safety commissioner Sanjay Kumar in this regard on Tuesday. The ban applies on tobacco, pan masala, zarda, gutka and other tobacco-based flavoured mouth fresheners, whether packed or loose.
“In the Global Audit Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2010, more than 200 million Indians were reported consuming tobacco, which resulted in higher incidents of oral cancer in India. In that backdrop, the state government in 2012 banned the sales and manufacture of gutka. But later, in 2014, the Patna high court stayed the ban order. The case is pending in the Supreme Court,” a health department official said and added that the second survey of GATS in 2016-17 revealed a steep decline in tobacco consumption by Indians.
“According to Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products. It has come to the notice of state health department that the prohibited substances like tobacco and gutka are available for sales across the state despite ban on it. Thus, apart from the annual extension of prohibition orders, the state food safety department is also going to conduct an enforcement drive under which the food security officials will collect samples of different brands from retailers and wholesalers for test in laboratories for further investigation,” executive director of Socio Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS) Deepak Mishra said.
“After testing these samples based on the rules notified in the food security norms, strict action will be taken against companies in case of discrepancies found in the ingredients,” he added.
“The decision was taken in view of the expiry of similar order on May 21, 2017, wherein it was declared to circumvent ban of sales of tobacco and nicotine as the manufacturers are selling pan masala and flavoured tobacco as separate products in the market,” Mishra said.
FSSAI moves to make drinking water vending machines safe
NEW DELHI MAY 23
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is for the first time looking at steps to ensure safety and quality of drinking water offered or sold through vending machines. In a draft notification, it has proposed amendments that will put drinking water vending machines under the ambit of packaged drinking water regulations.
All the packaged drinking water needs to have BIS certification along with the FSSAI licence. However, drinking water vending machines are not required to follow this rule. The draft regulations propose to exempt such machine from BIS certification but getting FSSAI licence will be mandatory. “It has become a necessity to regulate these operations so as to ensure the safety and quality of water obtained from water vending machines,” the food safety authority said.
The standards for Packaged Drinking Water have been specified in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations-2011. Drinking water vending machines are especially prevalent across public places, including railway stations. Some of them are coin-operated vending machines and are aimed to offer drinking water at cheaper prices than packaged water companies.
“FSSAI has, therefore, proposed an amendment to the existing Standards of Packaged Drinking Water. In the said proposal such drinking water shall have to comply with parameters specified for Packaged Drinking Water,” according to FSSAI’s draft notification.
“ However, drinking water sold or offered through vending machines is proposed to be exempt from the requirement of Certification Mark of BIS,” the draft notification added.
The Food Safety regulator has now sought comments from various stakeholders on this proposed draft notification.
Cabinet clears India-Denmark MoU on food safety
New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) The Cabinet today gave ex-post facto approval to the MoU between India and Denmark on cooperation in food safety.
The Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the agreement that was signed on April 16, 2018.
"The MoU will help improve setting up of food safety standards by getting access to best practices and facilitating food trade of important commodities," an official statement said.
This will help deepen bilateral ties, mutual understanding and trust, eventually strengthening both sides in their capacity building efforts towards food safety.
It will further promote understanding of the best practices in the areas of food safety in both countries and in faster resolution of the related issues.
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