Oct 31, 2018
Drive against food adulteration intensified; 13 challaned under FSSA, sweets samples lifted
JAMMU, Oct 30: Keeping in view upcoming Diwali festival, Food Safety wing, Jammu of Drug and Food Control Organization intensified drive against food adulteration and in the process challaned 13 food establishments under Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 in last few days.
A team of Food Safety officers headed by Dr Parvesh Kumar, Assistant commissioner, Food Safety Jammu inspected various food establishments including shops of sweets, bakery, fast food around Jewel Chowk, Vinaik Bazaar and Canal Road, opposite Science College, Jammu.
During the drive, 18 shops keepers were challaned under Section 56 of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 as they were processing, cooking and storing the sweets, milk and milk products under insanitary and unhygienic conditions.
Amongst those challaned were Pooja Sweets, Sai Fast Food, Shankar Shop at Canal Road, Shah Di Hatti, Heaven Bar and Restaurant, Fresh Chicken Dhaba, Chib Eat Point at Jewel Chowk, Raju Tea Stall, Indian Tea Stall, Gupta Sweet Shop at Canal Road, Dogra Chicken Shop at Vikas Nagar, Janta Fast Food at Canal Road, Civil and Military Dhaba at Jewel Chowk, Tandoor Blow Dhaba, A- One Vaishno Dhaba at Vinaik Bazaar, Vijay Tea Stall at Canal Road, Dominee- the pizza at Canal Road and Pooja Sweet Shop at Vinaik Bazaar.
Moreover, the samples of laddo, burfi, rasgulla, rasbhari and khajoor were lifted from Kwality Sweets, Mahajan Sweets and Pooja Sweets at Canal Road and Pooja Sweet Shop at Vinaik Bazaar and sent to the laboratory for detection of adulteration.
The team was comprised of Food Safety officers, Daleep Singh, Hans Raj Andotra, Ajay Khajuria and Pervaiz Ahmed.
Over 40 percent food samples fail quality test in Punjab
CHANDIGARH: Over 40% of food samples collected in the last two months, during raids in different parts of Punjab, were found unfit for human consumption.
A total of 2,452 samples of different food products were collected in August and September and were analysed at the state government’s forensic laboratory in Kharar. Of which 1,003 (40.90%) samples were found adulterated.
Food and safety teams seized 631 samples of milk out of which 310 failed the test, while 368 samples of butter, ghee and other milk products were found spurious out of 849 samples. Twenty six samples of bakery products, of the 46 collected during the two-month, were adulterated.
During September, maximum failed samples were found in Patiala district, followed by Fatehgarh Sahib and Amritsar. Out of 14 samples collected from Patiala, seven failed the test, while in Fatehgarh Sahib 18 out of 39 samples, and 58 out of 126 in Amritsar were found unfit for human consumption. As many as 17 samples of different food products, out of 37 seized in Tarn Taran, failed the test.
In recent months, the Punjab government has tightened the noose around traders by carrying out sustained drive against spurious food products.
KS Pannu, commissioner food and drug administration, Punjab said that due to sustained drive against adulteration, the number of food samples failing the test have come down. “Drive by the department against the food business operators engaged in the unscrupulous business of adulterated and spurious food products will continue in order to ensure that the citizens get pure and healthy food,” said Pannu.
To facilitate quicker analysis of samples, followed by quick action on the defaulters, the government roped in another laboratory. Punjab Biotechnology Incubator(PBTI) at Mohali has been notified as referral laboratory by the government under Food Safety and Standards Act.
Besides, two scientists of PBTI had also been appointed as food analysts under Food Safety and Standards Act by the government of India whereby their services can be utilised by the state government.
Oct 30, 2018
Swasth Bharat Yatra reaches Dindigul after its 3-day programme in Madurai
Madurai: The Swasth Bharat Yatra cycle rally, an initiative to spread awareness about healthy eating and adulteration in food items, which was going on in Madurai since Saturday, was flagged off for Dindigul district on Monday.
Revenue minister R B Udayakumar and district collector S Natarajan took part in the function organized at PKN School in Tirumangalam and sent off the rally to the neighbouring district. They also took part in the rally and cycled for some distance. The minister distributed prizes to the students, who won in the various competitions conducted on the sidelines of the yatra.
Officials from food safety and standards authority of india, which is conducting the yatra, said that Dindigul will witness the sensitization programme for three days, starting from Monday. The convoy was received by the officials from Dindigul district at Madurai-Dindigul border at around 11 am, they added.
An array of events including competitions for school and college students, exhibitions, awareness rallies, cultural programs have been planned over the course of the next three days, a food department official said.
Swasth Bharat Yatra is a nation-wide awareness event which started on October 6, simultaneously at six places in different parts of the country. It is being organized in view of the 150 birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
‘Many shops in dist sell substandard edible salt’
Trichy: The district food safety department officials said that sale of substandard edible salt is prevalent to a certain extent in Trichy district. This was evident from the findings in the survey that more than 10% of households of government school students use edible salt with no iodine, they said.
Designated officer for Trichy food safety department Dr R Chitra claimed that despite the fact that the food safety department repeatedly emphasised the shops to sell iodised salt of good quality for edible purpose, many shops either sell non-iodised salt or substandard salt. "Based on the recent survey, we’ve found the areas in which the sale of substandard/ non-iodised salt is more prevalent. We’ll soon identify those shops which sell the salt and take necessary action," she said. A source from the food safety department said that sale of substandard or non-iodised salt for edible purpose was more prevalent in rural areas. Since some cheap edible salt varieties by unknown manufacturers were available, vendors buy them despite the fact that they are substandard. "Moreover some groceries shops do not keep edible salt in closed containers, but leave it open in sacks. If edible salt is substandard, since it’s kept open, the little amount of iodine that is present in it evaporates," he said.
An official from the union ministry of commerce and industry’s salt department said that though not very common, the supply of substandard salt is supplied to the shops to a limited extent, but across the state.
Meanwhile, state general secretary of Tamilnadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu (TVSP) V Govindarajulu said that traders should never be blamed if substandard salt was being sold by them and that only a very few manufacturers should be blamed.
Govt to promote use of iodised salt
Trichy: A sample survey conducted by the district food safety department in government schools has revealed that more than 10% of the students’ households use only non-iodised salt. The survey, which was carried out for the past couple of weeks, was conducted as a part of Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day, which is observed on October 21 every year. Food safety department officials said that the areas where the usage of non-iodised salt was more prevalent have been identified and campaigns in those localities would be held in the near future.
A total of 17 food safety officers (FSO) were deputed to carry out the survey in as many government schools from various parts of the district selected on a random basis. A total of 1,869 school children were surveyed in the programme and the salt samples which they had brought from their homes were tested by the FSOs.
Iodine is said to be an essential micronutrient required every day in minute quantities for normal human growth and mental development. The ideal amount of iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones, which controls one’s metabolism and other important body functions. Goitre (swelling of the neck due to enlargement of thyroid gland), hypothyroidism and intellectual disabilities are some of the most common health issues caused due to iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). According to the health department, school children living in iodine deficient regions lose 13 IQ points compared to the school children living in iodine sufficient regions.
The food safety department said that Trichy was one of the districts in the country identified to conduct the recent survey as a part of the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme. "The FSOs had collected samples from students randomly and conducted the tests. The students were given awareness on IDD," designated officer (DO) for Trichy district food safety department Dr R Chitra told TOI.
Doctors said that though IDD is very rare in Trichy, it still is prevalent among a few in the low socioeconomic status. Paediatricians at the District Early Intervention Centre said they still treat at least two children, with symptoms of IDD,every month. "Though the number is less, goitre is the most common form of iodine deficiency in the district," paediatrician at DEIC Dr R Kumaraguru said.
State president of Indian Academy of Paediatrics Dr Sunil Srinivasan said that compared to those living nearby the seaside, others living in the interior regions – and especially the hilly and mountain regions – have more risk of suffering IDD. "Iodised table salt is the commonest method used to provide more iodine to a person. Hence if taken in the right amount, IDD can be easily prevented," he added.
Associate professor in the department of nutrition and dietetics at Seethalakshmi Ramasami College Chellam Murugendar said iodine must be supplemented for pregnant mothers, recently-married women and adolescent girls.
File affidavit on ‘permissible limit’ of formaldehyde: HC
Panaji: The high court of Bombay at Goa, on Monday, has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to file an affidavit on whether the limit of 4 miligram per kilogram of formaldehyde can be taken as ad hoc standard.
The court also asked the state government to carry out random inspections to test the fish in the state.
After hearing the public interest litigations filed in the formalin-in-fish issue, a division bench comprising Justice N M Jamdar and Justice Prithviraj K Chavan said “the Authority will also file an affidavit whether pending fixing of standards by the scientific panel, the limit of 4mg per kg as per their guidance note can be taken as an ad hoc standard”. The HC gave the authority two weeks to file the affidavit. The court has asked FSSAI to expedite the process of taking up the task to set the standards, as initiated by the letter dated October 12.
The court also directed the state government to carry out inspections everyday at different randomly chosen locations to test the fish being sold. “In the report, the quantity of formalin found should be specified to a figure, as we are informed that the earlier reports have only mentioned the quantity as ‘permissible limit’. The compilation of these reports be made and submitted to the court on the next date of the hearing,” the court ordered.
In the advisory issued by the FSSAI to consumers under the guidance note, naturally occurring formaldehyde in fish is indicated as approximately 4mg per kg.
The court has also directed the government to file an affidavit on whether the wholesale fish market at Margao is controlled by the planning authority or the municipal council or is a private market. Stating that the Municipalities Act has laid down various provisions on how to conduct a market, the court said, “The Pollution Control Board, in the year 2016, carried out an inspection and found that toxins are flowing into the river and suggestions have been given to improve the hygiene.”
The HC directed the state to file an affidavit regarding these issues and directed it to take steps to correct any lacunae found in the conducting of the wholesale market.
Referring to the statement made by the government that it has already initiated action against various wholesale traders, the high court ordered that the government place on record the action taken and its plans with respect to authorisation of traders, pollution control measures and overall hygiene.
Oct 29, 2018
Sans food officers, little check on spurious sweets
Solan, October 28
With no Food Safety Official (FSO) in the twin districts of Solan and Sirmaur, there is little check on the quality of sweets being sold in the market during this festive season.
The post of FSO has been lying vacant for several years after the official had retired.
Earlier, Solan and Sirmaur districts had one FSO each, but later, one officer was assigned two to three districts due to the promotion of field officials.
Figures secured from the Directorate Health Safety and Regulation revealed that out of the 22 sanctioned posts, only two FSOs were available in the state.
As a stop-gap arrangement, the state government had designated district veterinary officials as FSOs to draw food samples, but the move had failed to yield any result, as these officers had refused to handle this additional duty.
The FSOs usually begin drawing samples of sweets at least a week before the major festivals to monitor the adulterated sweets, which usually flood the markets.
Being a district bordering other states, the incidence of adulterated sweets being sold here is high and this requires added caution on part of the FSOs.
Though the recruitment process of 19 FSOs is underway, it will take time for the new staff to be trained and sent to the field.
Naresh Lath, Director (Health Safety), said the designated officers of all 12 districts had been given powers to challan erring shopkeepers keeping in view the lack of FSOs.
‘Conduct drive for quality milk & milk products’
JAIPUR: The Centre’s joint director (regulatory compliance division) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Daya Shankar has issued a letter to food safety commissioner of the state asking him to conduct special drive for ensuring safe and quality milk and milk products during festivals.
Shankar mentioned in the letter issued on October 16, “With low shelf life, milk and milk products are prone to spoilage if these are not stored and handled properly. There are instances of few unscrupulous elements/dairy businesses indulging in acts of adulteration. Such cases of adulteration often increase during festive season when the demand for milk and milk products outstrips supply.”
The adulterants in food items are putting health of consumers at risk. “While economically motivated adulteration of milk and milk products invariably results in cheating of consumers, use of certain types of adulterants can also lead to a negative impact on their health. At the same time, heavy microbial contamination and the consequent presence of microbial toxins in such products also pose a serious threat to the health of consumers,” said Shankar in the letter.
He also brought to the notice of health authorities in the state that they have observed that milk products such as mawa are prepared months in advance for the festive seasons and stored under unhygienic conditions leading to poor microbial quality and visible growth of fungus.
However, health department officials claimed that they have initiated drive against adulterated food, which will continue till November 4. A health department official said that they have launched special drive on surveillance of milk and milk products specifically products like mawa, paneer, curd, ghsee with respect to their microbiological quality and presence of adulterants.
Oct 28, 2018
Swasth Bharat Yatra for food safety reaches Madurai from Virudhunagar
Madurai: The Swasth Bharat Yatra, an initiative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India where volunteers cycle to create awareness on healthy food and food adulteration, reached Madurai district from Virudhunagar on Saturday afternoon. Revenue minister R B Udayakumar and Madurai district collector S Natarajan along with the officials from food safety department of Madurai welcomed the cyclists.
A special event is scheduled to be conducted on Sunday afternoon. Officials from food safety department said that health minister C Vijayabaskar, revenue minister R B Udayakumar, health secretary J Radhakrishnan and principal secretary and food safety commissioner P Amudha along with district officials are likely to participate in the event. A large number of students, NSS and NCC volunteers would also participate in the event, officials added.
“Sunday will see an array of events including a yoga camp at Sundaram park, exhibition to inform about inferior quality edible oil and pulses, a flute performance by visually challenged students, performance of folk artists, magic show and exhibition to showcase things good and bad for health,” an official said.
The awareness program started on World Food Day, October 16. Teams started simultaneously from Leh, Panaji, Thiruvananathapuram, Puducherrry, Ranchi and Agartala with an aim to take the initiative to the remote parts of the country. After 100 days of cycling and covering about 2000 locations, the convoys along with cyclists will reach New Delhi by the last week of January.
100 litres milk, 200 kilograms sweets destroyed
CHANDIGARH: A joint team of officers of Food Safety Administration, UT health department conducted a raid on two sweet manufacturing units, one in Industrial Area Phase I and the other in Daria village. They took seven samples and issued two challans. The team members also destroyed about 100 litres of milk and 200kg sweets kept in unhygienic conditions and exposed to dust and flies.
On Thursday, officer, Food Safety Administration, health department, UT Chandigarh, conducted raids in Manimajra and Mauli Jagran. The team seized six samples of milk products and edible oil. Two challans were also issued to violators. The team destroyed about 30 kg of sweets and other food articles found in unhygienic condition. In view of the festive season, the health department has asked consumers to remain vigilant while purchasing sweets, bakery products, beverages and dry fruits from the market. Officials of the health department said if consumers observe anything abnormal, they can report the matter to the department of food safety and standards, Government Multispecialty Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, or raise their concern on the official website of FSSAI, www.fssai.gov.in. People can also lodge their complaint on the emergency number, 102 during odd hours or on holidays.
‘People ask for non-veg but we say sorry instead’
Armed with interim stay from HC, a Haryana hotelier plans to start serving chicken. An eatery nearby is hopeful they can too.
“Food items that are banned will not be served,” announces the restaurant menu of Hotel Saffron in Thanesar, a pilgrimage town in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district. The caution — part of ‘Important Notes’ towards the end of the menu — continues despite its owner Anand Bajaj getting an interim stay against a government notification of October 2017 that had, while declaring Kurukshetra a ‘Holy City’, banned the sale and purchase of meat and meat products in the municipal limits of Thanesar and Pehowa.
On October 16, Justice Rajan Gupta said, “Prima facie, there is substance in the plea of the petitioner. Till the next date of hearing, no coercive steps would be taken against him in case he vitiates to sell the food items specified in the license.”
Despite the encouragement from the court, Bajaj is reluctant to openly announce the sale of non-vegetarian food, but hopes to soon start serving chicken. “Chicken dishes have a lot of demand,” he said.
Bajaj, who set up his hotel 10 years ago, had approached the High Court in 2017 with two simple questions: Can a state government, through a notification or an administrative order, regulate the sale of food items, including meat and meat products, when the licence for sale and purchase allows the same under a Central legislation, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Two, does the state action unreasonably restrict the fundamental right to carry on trade or business?
It was the second question that propelled Bajaj to move courts. “We have always had customers asking for non-vegetarian food. How do we tell customers that because this is a ‘Holy City’, you can’t eat what you want. Besides, we stand to lose our customers who would rather travel a few more kilometres and stay in a place where they get the food they like,” says Bajaj, 46.
His hotel falls within the 32.25-sq-km area that makes up Thanesar municipality. The hotel has 15 rooms and two multi-purpose halls to host parties and weddings. There are around 40 men on the rolls, including seven-eight cooks who can make any kind of food, including non-vegetarian, says Bajaj.
Just outside the municipal limits, on the stretch of a road connecting Thanesar to Pehowa, 23 km away, there is a line of shops that sell non-vegetarian food, including chicken, lamb and fish. There is no ban on bringing meat or meat dishes inside Thanesar or Pehowa; only on purchase and sale. A mere 4 km away from Bajaj’s hotel but outside the municipality, the Haryana Tourism Department’s Hotel Parakeet serves non-vegetarian food.
Hotel manager Sanjay Sharma, a vegetarian himself, says, “Even Amritsar is a ‘Holy City’, but you can find a range of non-vegetarian food there. To eat or not to eat something is an entirely personal choice. It’s not easy when someone who chooses to stay here asks for non-vegetarian food but we have to offer a ‘sorry’ instead.”
Bajaj says though the notification came in 2017, an informal ban has been in place for years, its roots going back to a proposal approved in 1974 by the then Thanesar Municipal Council for a ban on the sale of liquor and meat. The ban, usually enforced at the level of the district administration, had in 2014 led to “action” being taken against two hotels in Thanesar for selling meat.
It was in 2011 that Bajaj, along with four other hotel owners, first approached the High Court against the restriction. But the petition had to be withdrawn in October 2017 after the court was informed that the Governor had given his assent to the decision and that a formal notification had been issued for the ban.
Bajaj then filed a fresh petition in the High Court and a year later, the court issued a stay on the notification.
Bajaj, however, is aware that the relief from the High Court is limited to his hotel and restaurant and that the stay is only interim — till the next date of hearing, on January 29, 2019.
“Also, the government is yet to provide any response to our case. We only hope there’s a permanent decision and the parameters for ‘Holy City’ are decided properly,” he says.
Meanwhile, the breather from the court has raised hopes among other eating joints in Thanesar. Harish Luthra, the owner of a McDonald’s outlet down the road from Hotel Saffron, says he has sent a copy of the court order to the management for “advice” on whether they can start serving non-vegetarian food too.
“We have only been selling vegetarian food because, as an international brand, we didn’t want to be involved in any controversy. The court decision may be limited to just this one case but it applies to everyone because we also have a proper legal licence under the law,” says Luthra.
Food licence of 2 bakery units suspended
Dimapur, October 27: Under Section 32 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, an Improvement Notice was served to M/s Best Bakery & M/s Mums Bakery located at Merhülietsa Colony, Kohima for unhygienic conditions.
During the re-inspection done by the Food Safety Officer and Assistants, it was found that some conditions were not complied. Therefore, the Food Licence of the two bakery units was suspended in accordance to Section 32 (2) of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.
Goa's fish import rule hits Karnataka traders hard
The Goa government’s new rule on import of fish has hit the traders from Karnataka and other neighbouring states hard. On Friday night, the Goa police prevented 50 fish-laden lorries from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu from entering into Goa, at Polem checkpost.
As per the circular by the Goa government, fish traders have to obtain a licence, under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, from the Directorate of Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Also the lorries transporting fish to Goa have to obtain licence from FDA directorate from the respective states. Failing which, fish from other states will not be allowed to enter Goa. New norms have proved a bane for fish traders from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu hard.
A lorry driver from Udupi, Ganesh, expressed his anguish against the Goan authorities, “We were not aware of the new rules. The police prevented us at Polem checkpost on late Friday night claiming that they received order at 8 pm. We have brought fish from Udupi, Mangaluru, Kasargod, Malpe, Bhatkal and Karwar. How can we return with loads of fish. If the fish is not unloaded from lorries in 24 hours, we will suffer losses to tune of crores.”
CM Manohar Parrikar had banned the entry of fish from other states, in July, in the wake of formalin scare. But the ban was overturned later.
Restaurants and entry checkpoints under scanner of food safety division
Dehradun: With the onset of the festive season, food safety cell of the health department has kicked off a drive to check adultration in food items at various restaurants and food outlets. This year, four teams have been formed with major focus on Doiwala, Raiwala, Vikas Nagar and Kalsi markets in Dehradun where majority of samples have failed the quality test in earlier occasions.
So far, the teams have collected samples from two dozen outlets in the city and have sent them for testing. This year, officials from the dairy department have also been included in the drive to conduct instant analysis of milk samples.
“We have already formed teams and special raids will be planned especially at some identified checkpoints. All the samples collected during the festival season in the previous year were in the sub-standard and misbranded category, which is a violation of food safety standards.” said Ganesh Kandwal, designated officer (food safety), Dehradun district.
Sources in the food department said that Asharodi and Motichur entry point to Rishikesh and Dehradun will have special teams to monitor transportation of raw food products between 2am to 4am. Meanwhile, consumers are also being advised by the officials to not purchase or demand coloured food items like sweets as those are more likely to contain substances dangerous for health.
“The reason why there are more sub-standard sweets is the demand created by public especially in the rural areas and outskirts of the city which is why we are requesting people to not choose sweets with colour as they can be adulterated,” said Kandwal.
He added that those selling dry fruits and mewa packaged without label, mentioning date of packaging and expiry date will face legal action as well.
Notably, last year, during this season, more than 100 samples were collected from Dehradun district of which around 80% were found to be sub-standard.
Oct 27, 2018
Traders should discourage use of stickers directly on fruits; presence of stickers does not guarantee premium quality: FSSAI
New Delhi, Oct 28 (KNN) Traders should discourage the use of stickers directly on fruits which do not provide any traceability or other regulatory information, the Food Safety & Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a guidance note on Stickers on Fruits & Vegetables.
The note even noted that presence of stickers on them does not guarantee their premium quality.
Use of stickers on food products to provide information on traceability, grades, price etc. is a common practice across the globe. A lot of times, these stickers are applied directly on food surfaces such as on fruits and vegetables.
Apples, kiwis, mangoes, oranges, bananas, pears, bell peppers are some common fruits and vegetables which have stickers applied directly on the surfaces.
However, it is observed that in India, traders use stickers to make their product look premium and sometimes to hide any decay or defect on the product. "Brand Name of Trader" or "Tested OK" or "Best Quality" or "Names of Product" are some common terms mentioned on stickers which do not have any significance, the guidance note pointed.
A wide variety of adhesives are used on these stickers to paste them effectively. Safety of these adhesives is not known. It may contain harmful chemicals which may affect human health.
“We generally remove the stickers from fruits or vegetables and consume them without thinking about residues of adhesive present on them. The risk of consuming these adhesives is high in case of fruits or vegetables consumed with skin. Therefore, it is important to understand the safety of stickers used on food products,” said the guidance note.
On Health effects, the note suggested that the adhesives may contain harmful chemicals which may impact the health of consumers. Studies show that substances such as surfactants used in adhesives are toxic for the reproductive system.
Harmful chemicals present in adhesives may come in direct contact with the food along with stickers and migrate into it. Heat from sunlight on the fresh fruits and vegetables sold in open market may also increase the migration of harmful chemicals from adhesives.
The note suggested that the consumers should check the quality of fruits and vegetables before buying them. Presence of stickers on them does not guarantee their premium quality.
Consumers should remove the stickers properly and peel the skin or cut the area where the sticker was applied, before consuming the fruits and vegetables, it suggested.
FSSAI has asked the traders should use a functional barrier to avoid direct application of stickers on fruits & vegetables. A few fruits can be packed in transparent thin films on which these sticker may be applied.
Traders should discourage the use of stickers directly on fruits which do not provide any traceability or other regulatory information.
As per the provisions in Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, no food business operator shall store, sell or distribute any article of food which is unsafe, the note pointed.
'Banned ingredients in diet pills putting Indians at risk'
NEW DELHI: Be careful while popping a pill for weight loss, muscle building or sexual enhancement. Several dietary supplements, most of which are widely available in India, have been found adulterated with unapproved and even banned pharmaceutical ingredients in the US with potential to cause serious health risks, a latest study published in 'JAMA Open' revealed.
At least 776 dietary supplements sold over the counter in the US over a period of 10 years from 2007 to 2016 were found containing unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients such as sildenafil, sibutramine and synthetic steroids — which have potential to cause side-effects ranging from stroke to kidney failure and even death, say researchers, who extracted and analysed data from the US Food and Drug Administration's (US FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
These products were commonly marketed for sexual enhancement, weight loss, or muscle building.
Doctors in India say the problem may be bigger here as most of the dietary supplements are easily available and widely used in India without any regulation and guidelines. Even the US regulator said it has been able to test only a portion of products available on the market.
"The issue is much more relevant in India because while this segment is largely regulated in the US, in our country it is completely unregulated. Dietary supplements in India are not tested or sampled by any authority and are easily available. The consumption is growing rapidly," says Dr Anoop Misra, chairman, Fortis C-Doc.
The dietary supplement segment which include nutraceuticals, foods for special dietary use and foods for special medical purpose poised to become a $10 billion industry by 2025. While rising income levels coupled with changing lifestyle have kindled demand for such products, lack of regulation and usage guidelines have made these products easily available over the counter and through online sales.
Of late, the growing demand and increasing availability of such products have also come to the notice of Indian regulatory authorities with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) working to strengthen the packaging norms for such products.
However, in the absence of wherewithal to do product sampling and testing, quality, efficacy and safety of such dietary supplements continue to be under question, says Dr Misra.
Another major grey area in this issue is the overlapping between food and drugs. While drugs or medicines are regulated by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), food supplements come under the purview of FSSAI. Often to circumvent drug price regulation or stringent pharmaceutical norms, companies tweak their pharma formulations and launch their products as food supplements, bypassing regulatory approvals from the DCGI. The US FDA data shows, more than 20% of adulterated dietary supplements contained more than one unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients.
Implement Food Safety Act, submit report: HC to govt
Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Friday granted three weeks to state authorities to file status report on implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The court granted this time after Advocate General DC Raina assured the court that the implementation of the Act will be done and accordingly a report will be placed before the court.
Meanwhile, a compliance report on behalf of the Commissioner Food safety was submitted to the court. The report stated that 32 posts have been sanctioned for Food Safety Laboratories. To overcome shortage of technical staff, food safety officers of Food and Drug Control Organization and Junior Technicians deputed from Directorates of Health Services in Jammu and Srinagar have been placed at the disposal of the Food Testing Laboratories at Srinagar and Jammu. Also, one post of Senior Lab Technician has been referred to the Services Selection Board.
It was also submitted through the report that with regard to implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a meeting under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary to Government, Health & Medical Education, was convened on 24 October, 2018, in which it was decided that there is need for revisiting of the proposal to amend recruitment rules in view of the reorganization proposal moved by the department.
It was also pointed out in the report that 2,054 samples have been tested during the current year of which 582 have been declared unsafe. Moreover, 465 surveillance samples have been tested in mobile food testing vans and 51 awareness programmes have been conducted.
It was also submitted that 568 prosecutions have been initiated against defaulters during the current year and 428 cases have been decided after imposing penalty to the amount of Rs 37,74,200 and 1,480 cases are pending before different courts.
In the report it was mentioned that the Assistant Food Safety Commissioner has seized stock of 1,500 litres of mustard oil in loose form and 200 cans of mustard oil in package form which have been declared substandard and misbranded, respectively.
After going through the report, the division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal remarked that proper implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 is required.
“We also direct that trial of these cases be taken to proper conclusion and report be filed before this court,” the Chief Justice ordered.
Sale of adulterated sweets remains unchecked in Jamshedpur
Sale of adulterated sweets remains unchecked in Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur, Oct. 26: Beware of the coloured sweets sold in open market in the city. They may contain harmful chemicals that will affect one’s health. The sale of adulterated sweets from shops across city remain uncheck and might affect the buyers.
With only a few days left for the festival of lights which sees huge sale of sweets from more than 150 shops in city there have been hardly any raids so far by the district health department.
Sources in the health department revealed that sweet-makers, in order to make mint profits, often use non-permitted colours, starch instead of sugar and aluminium-mixed varakh which can lead to severe digestive disorders.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (revised in 2012), sale of adulterated products that are detrimental to health can invite a hefty fine of anything between Rs 25,000 and Rs 2 lakh.
The administration is yet to begin sampling from shops. And even if the sampling is done in the next few days, the reports at the best will arrive days after Diwali.The lone state food testing lab at Namkum (Ranchi) takes 14 day time for the reports.
“We had formed a team and carried out collection of samples on October 11 and 12 from sweets shops prior to Durga puja. But are yet to get the report from the health department. I will soon direct the same team to carry out inspection of sweet shops,” said Dhalbhum SDO Chandan Kumar.
Incidentally, the teams had collected samples of butter, laddu, kajupista roll, barfi, paneer, khoa and dahi from shops located in Sakchi and Mango between October 11 and 12.
Use of harmful synthetic colours, including dyes is not permitted. But small manufacturers use the banned items just to give more colour to the sweets so as to make it attractive, officials said.
Most of the sweets manufactured in the district were from the unorganised sector — houses or group of people joining together to make a fast buck. Actions against the sweet manufacturer, after lab report would be initiated as per Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (revised in 2012).
Legal action against food business operators selling best before date products
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 26 (MExN): The Food Safety team along with Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) officials during a joint inspection carried out on October 11, 2018 found one bakery M/S Best Bakery located at PR Hill selling food products which had exceeded the Best Before date. The food products were seized and Form II under Food Safety & Standards Rule 2.3.1 was served to the proprietor, a press release from the Chief Medical Officer, Kohima, Dr Ritu Thurr informed while adding that written consent under Section 36 (e) of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 was given to the Food Safety Officer to initiate legal prosecution against the proprietor.
While highlighting the case, the CMO has informed all food business operators in Kohima to be aware and to check their products to avoid legal complications when caught. It also advised the food business operators to arrange the food products in such a way and practice First In First Out (FIFO) method. The consumers have also been requested to check the dates before purchase.
Several milk samples collected to check adulteration: KMC Team
Kolkata: The food safety wing of Kolkata Municipal Corporation has collected around a dozen milk samples to check whether there is any adulteration. The samples were collected from a number of leading sweet meat shops a few days ago.
"The samples will be sent to our food safety laboratory for examination. The analyst's report on the quality is expected within a fortnight," a senior official from KMC's food safety wing said. A source informed that the informal samples were collected from Borough VI .
It may be mentioned that a few days before Durga Puja while food safety officers were undertaking a drive at the restaurants in Park Street area, Member Mayor-in-Council (Health) Atin Ghosh had instructed his officers to collect samples of milk after he had received complaints regarding packaged milk of a few brands. "If we find any irregularity in the samples collected, we will go for formal sample collection," a food safety officer said.
Pankaj Banerjee breathes his last at 71 It may be mentioned that in the recent past there have been reports of adulteration of milk from some parts of the country, particularly from north India. Detergents and other contaminants like urea, starch, glucose and formalin are also being used as adulterants because they provide thickness and preserve the milk for longer periods.
"More than six billion people consume milk and milk products across the world. It is our duty to ensure that the quality of milk is not compromised," a food safety officer said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently issued an advisory to the Government of India stating that if adulteration of milk and milk products is not checked immediately, 87 percent of citizens would be suffering from serious diseases like cancer by the year 2025.
A senior official of the food safety wing informed that during the food drive in the festive season the officers found restaurants and shops are using ingredients as per norms of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for preparation of food.
"From October 9 to 15, from Mahalaya to Sasthi, we have collected food samples from 2 seven-star category restaurants and 31 noted restaurants in the city. From October 16 to 25, the days within which Durga Puja was celebrated, we collected food samples from 137 renowned restaurants and milk samples from 13 sweetmeat shops. Only in two of these restaurants, we found the bread crumbs of inferior quality," the official said.
"Our food drive in the festive season is a clear indication that those in food business have become conscious regarding food safety rules. This is a result of our sustained drive for the last few years," Ghosh said.
Oct 26, 2018
Adulterated fish back in market
Inviting buyers: A matsyafed outlet at Arayidathupalam in Kozhikode. Many people are unaware of such stalls in the city .
‘Customers finding it difficult to detect presence of chemicals in fish’
Every time her husband brings fish, Ruksana checks with him as to where he purchased them from, as she loathes chemical-laced fish.
On Thursday, she noticed that the king fish that her husband had bought had a pungent smell. Moreover, flesh was coming off the chopped spine. “I was not aware that the fish was rotten. It was only when my wife told me that I realised that I had been duped,” said Abdul Gafoor, who purchased the high-priced fish from Karaparamba in the city.
After an interval, adulterated or chemical-laced fish are now extensively sold in markets in the city. Three months ago, the Food Safety Department had been after the stalls. Formalin-laced fish transported from other States were sold in the local market when vendors faced shortage of fish. The crackdown then had even led to the seizure of 5,000 kg of formalin-laced fish from Vadakara.
“Many are aware that traders buy fresh fish from local fishermen and also procure them from huge freezers where fishes are stored for more than six months to a year. Usually, traders resort to such tactics when they experience a fall in income or during festival seasons. Unfortunately, it is difficult for customers to detect the presence of chemicals,” Mr. Gafoor said.
Rajalekshmi, a retired university employee, said that adulteration would be done in a clever manner, and one could not detect it even at the raw stage. “The aromatic fish curry explains the freshness of the fish. But the dishes served at hotels and restaurants can be tricky as most of them use flavours to cover staleness. Besides, hotels have refrigerators for stocking fish for several months,” she added.
The district-level food advisory committee is vested with no powers, and the corporation health department responds only after receiving complaints. “Almost all fish markets function under the civic body. Only a ward-level monitoring committee with health officials and councillors can prevent adulteration of fish,” said P.A. Jaiprakash, a former member of the Food Advisory Committee.
Many people buy fish from the two stalls of Matsyafed, one underneath the E.K. Nayanar Flyover at Aryidathupalam Junction and the other at Thiruvangoor.
“But people are not aware of these government stalls. The fish sold at our outlets are directly purchased from local fishermen on a daily basis,” said K.P. Jeeja, who manages the stall at Aryidathupalam Junction.
Matsyafed has plans to open more stalls at Nadakkavu and Malaparamba.
Substandard sweets seized
As part of the pre-Diwali crackdown on small units preparing sub-standard sweets including 'Mawa' and 'Barfi', officers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the two-day-long crackdown across Mumbai, raided several places and seized mithai and edible oil worth Rs 3 lakh.
The places raided include locations at Borivali, Kurla and Dharavi, where the FDA officers came across unauthorised units preparing sweetmeats using adulterated milk and oil. In all, 12 samples were drawn and sent for forensic analysis, FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Shailesh Adhav said, adding that action would be taken after the reports were received. “We will take action for violation of the food safety rules under FDA,” he said.
Since there is heavy demand for sweets during Diwali, shopkeepers use adulterated products to make sweets, which is injurious to health. Besides, these sweets are prepared in unhygienic conditions with total disregard to cleanliness norms. “We raided these shops based on information and seized all the sub-standard contents,” FDA Commissioner Pallavi Darade said. The FDA has also asked Mumbaikars to report on any cases of food adulteration on their helpline number 1800222365.
It may be recalled that two years back, the FDA had seized a heavy duty consignment of mustard oil adulterated with engine oil in Nashik during Diwali. 'Khoya' was found with traces of paper, starch and other items. Universally favourite 'Besan Laddoos' are commonly adulterated with 'Kesari Daal', an animal feed unfit for human consumption.
The sweets prepared using harmful starch, milk mixed with urea, caustic soda, artificial sweetening chemicals, non-approved food colours, etc. can cause serious gastritis and diarrhoea, among other problems. These offences are tried under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, as well as the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
India begins testing for glyphosate
Pulse exporters see residue standards as a positive development because now they know what the Indian government will tolerate.
Exporters see residue standards as a positive development because now they know what the country will tolerate
Exporters are facing yet another risk factor when shipping pulses to India.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has ordered its officers to direct laboratories to test imported pulses for glyphosate residue.
“There is a possibility of higher levels of residues of (the) herbicide glyphosate in pulses, thereby adversely affecting the health of consumers,” the agency said in its order dated Oct. 12.
India does not have its own maximum residue limits (MRL) for the herbicide, so it is using Codex levels of two milligrams per kilogram for beans and five milligrams per kg for peas and lentils.
Gord Bacon, chief executive officer of Pulse Canada, sees it as a positive development because before India had no MRL in place and when that is the case, the default is zero tolerance. It created uncertainty for exporters.
“Now we know,” he said.
Bacon can only speculate why India is suddenly going to test pulse imports for glyphosate residue.
“There is a glyphosate activist who was successful in getting some newsprint articles on glyphosate in the Indian media,” he said.
The activist noted in the articles that glyphosate has been identified as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
What he failed to mention is that there are more than 900 other compounds on that list including caffeine and alcohol and that IARC failed to identify at what level of exposure glyphosate becomes a health risk.
Bacon doesn’t think Canadian exporters will have any problem meeting the Codex MRLs, so it will be business as usual to India. Unfortunately, that business is nearly non-existent these days.
Greg Kostal, president of Kostal Ag Consulting, said the glyphosate testing is just another potential trade barrier that came out of the blue.
“Certainly that can be perceived as just another layer of bureaucracy designed to slow, discourage, impair imports,” he said. “Not that they were going to happen anyway.”
Pulses are already facing punitive tariffs, quotas and fumigation penalties in the Indian market.
“It’s just another layer of headaches that exporters have to abide by,” said Kostal.
If Indian farmers meet the government’s target for pulse production there may be no exports to speak of. The government has set a target for 24 million tonnes of pulse production in 2018-19, which would be the second biggest crop on record next to last year’s 25 million tonne harvest.
China has increased its purchase of Canadian peas in the absence of India. The country bought one million tonnes in the last five months of 2017-18.
“I’m not optimistic we’re going to replicate that,” said Kostal.
China bought peas because soybean prices were high but with a bin-busting U.S. crop and big acres being planted in South America, peas are going to have a tougher time competing against soybeans this year.
Kostal said there has been no saviour for lentils.
“I don’t see any brand new demand,” he said.
The only way pulse markets will become balanced again is through a contraction in supply and that often requires two years. Peas and red lentils have been through one year of contraction but green lentils and chickpeas have not.
Kostal thinks Canadian pea carryout could be “snug” at the end of 2018-19 but he believes lentil carryout will be “healthy.”
Court fines one for selling eatables without licence
CHANDIGARH: A district court here made one person stand till rising of the court and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him for selling eatable without a food license. The person was held guilty and convicted under Sections 26 (2) (iii), 31(1), punishable under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
On October 18, 2017, a food safety officer during an inspection at the business premises of M/S Sharma Sweets, Hallomajra, Chandigarh, found the accused selling food articles like rasgulla, gulab jamun and burfi etc. for human consumption by way of public sale without a food license. The food inspector challaned the accused for selling the aforesaid food articles for human consumption without having a food license under Sections 26 (2) (iii) and 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The defence counsel contended that no sample of food article was taken by the food safety officer nor raw material for preparation were seized and entire case has been falsely foisted upon the accused.
Prosecution contended that since the accused was challaned for selling selling food articles like rasgulla, gulab jamun and burfi etc. without having food license for human consumption by way of public sale, there was no requirement for taking sample of the food articles.
Are Imported Dals or Pulses Toxic? Here's What FSSAI Has To Say
In the past few days, there have been concerns about imported dals containing higher levels of the herbicide glyphosate. Here's what FSSAI has to say.
HIGHLIGHTS
There is a scare about unacceptable levels of toxicity in dals or pulses
Imported dals may have high residue levels of glyphosate
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal insists there is no concern of any kind
India is a country that loves its dals and a significant portion of what we consume is imported. In February this year, government figures said that India imported 50.8 lakh tonnes of pulses for Rs. 17,280 crore during the April to December period of the fiscal year. However, in the past few days, there are have been several reports in the media, which warned people against eating 'toxic' imported dals, especially moong and masoor dals. The reports were prompted by an order issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which instructed its import division to test imported dals for presence of the herbicide glyphosate. The order came after the FSSAI noted that India currently doesn't have any food safety regulations related to levels of glyphosate in pulses imported from some countries. Glyphosate is an active ingredient found in a particular brand of herbicide or weed killer, which is used in some countries from where India imports pulses.
There have been claims in the recent times that glyphosate might be carcinogenic, which means that it may be connected to certain kinds of cancer. In order to address these concerns of alleged toxicity of dals, FSSAI released a circular dated October 12, 2018 which says, "There is a possibility of higher levels of residues of herbicide "glyphosate" in pulses, thereby adversely affecting the health of the consumers." However, FSSAI insists that there is no concern of any kind. NDTV Food reached out to the CEO of FSSAI, Mr. Pawan Agarwal, who said, "We have residue levels for pesticides, which we keep on notifying. Glyphosate is a pesticide that is permitted for use in India. The residue levels are decided according to crops. Even in India we have it for other commodities, but for pulses it was not there."
He said that in the absence of defined thresholds for residue levels, the body has accepted levels for pulses as they are internationally accepted, for the purposes of testing the dal samples. The FSSAI has said that samples of imported pulses should be sent to authorised labs for testing for presence of residues of the herbicide and a fortnightly report be sent to the organisation's headquarters in Delhi. Mr. Agarwal said that earlier imports of pulses were not being tested for residues of this particular herbicide and that until the body sets their own standards for the same, the ones defined by Codex will be used.
COMMENT
FSSAI's order from October 12, 2018 has stated the Minimum Residue Limit (MRL) for glyphosate in various different kinds of pulses like beans, lentils, peas and soya bean, which are at par the internationally accepted MRLs. The samples of all these imported pulses will be tested as per the MRL's specified in this particular order. These limits are in line with those specified by Codex and the order says that FSSAI may revise the MRL at a later date. Herbicides and pesticides are used for a number of crops and sometimes indiscriminately, raising concerns about the negative health impacts of the chemicals on the consumers.
Oct 25, 2018
Festive season: Not so sweet?
FSSAI has directed food commissioners of all the States and UTs to keep a strong surveillance on milk and milk products.
HIGHLIGHTS
Delhi-based sweet shops are at the radar of the food safety department
The department has received serious complaints against leading sweet chains
Earlier, the department lifted 179 milk samples & 213 milk products samples
Top sweet shops which are based in Delhi and NCR are at the radar of the food safety department. Ahead of festival celebrations, the department has received serious complaints from public against leading sweet chains delivering sub-standard sweets.
It is for the first time, the Delhi government's department of food safety has started the special drive one month prior to the festival celebration for ensuring safe and quality milk and milk products during festival time.
"So far, food safety officers have picked up 80 Khoya samples and 200 milk based products quality check. The special drive is being conducted to make sure that no adulterated milk and milk based sweets reaches to the consumer," said a senior food safety official.
In the recent past, the department lifted 179 milk samples and 213 milk products samples respectively.
"Out of 179 milk samples, we found 33 samples sub-standard and 3 samples were misbranded. Among 213 milk products, 3 were found 'unsafe' and 40 sub-standard and 7 samples were misbranded," informed the official.
Meanwhile, the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulator has directed food commissioners of all the States and UTs to keep a strong surveillance on milk and milk products (specially products like Khoya, paneer, dahi, ghee etc) to check their microbiological quality and presence of adulterants.
"During festivals, the usage of milk and milk based products increases. These food products have low shelf life and tend to get spoil very fast if not stored properly. Previously, there have been many incidents of dairy businesses indulging in acts of adulteration. Sweets with microbial contamination can also pose to a serious threat to the health of consumers," Pawan Agarwal , CEO of FSSAI told Mail Today.
Moong and Masoor Dal May Be Poisonous to Health says FSSAI
For us Indians, a lunch or dinner cannot be considered healthy and wholesome without a serving of a comfort food like moong or masoor daal. If you cannot imagine going a day without having some daal, you should seriously rethink your decision as you might be consuming some harmful chemicals with your food.
New studies conducted by national food safety authorities have proved that the pulses getting imported in India from countries like Canada and Australia–where the production is at an all-time high–that find their way in our kitchen are seriously laced with toxic ingredients.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has warned the consumers to stop having these daals regularly as laboratory testing found high traces of chemicals in the final samples. It included herbicides like Glyphosate, which is a weed killer mostly used in the farming community to get rid of rodents and weeds.
Commenting on the issue, an FSSAI official said, “There is a possibility of higher levels of residues of the herbicide Glyphosate in pulses which could adversely affect the health of consumers here. Since the maximum residue limits (MRL) for Glyphosate in pulses has not been specified in the FSSAI regulations, we have asked the concerned officials to follow the Canadian standards for the herbicide as specified in the Codex standards.”
Commenting on the issue, an FSSAI official said, “There is a possibility of higher levels of residues of the herbicide Glyphosate in pulses which could adversely affect the health of consumers here. Since the maximum residue limits (MRL) for Glyphosate in pulses has not been specified in the FSSAI regulations, we have asked the concerned officials to follow the Canadian standards for the herbicide as specified in the Codex standards.”
This study was conducted after an activist raised concerned over the quality of lentils and found that the Indian diet may have been overly contaminated over the years without people knowing since India doesn’t have any standard quality index for Glyphosate on its own and hence, it passes through undetected.
The herbicide, Glyphosate was considered safe until some years back before WHO issued an advisory for people to stop consuming it, labelling it as a potential human carcinogen.
Glyphosate, a lethal weed killer can cause serious problems and damage the protein related functions in the body, attack the immunity system and stop the absorption of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In some cases, exposure to glyphosate was also known to cause renal failure.
FSSAI claims your moong, masoor dal is poisonous! Here is the full report...
For us Indians, a lunch or dinner cannot be considered healthy and wholesome without a serving of a comfort food like moong or masoor daal. If you cannot imagine going a day without having some daal, you should seriously rethink your decision as you might be consuming some harmful chemicals with your food.
New studies conducted by national food safety authorities have proved that the pulses getting imported in India from countries like Canada and Australia--where the production is at an all-time high--that find their way in our kitchen are seriously laced with toxic ingredients.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has warned the consumers to stop having these daals regularly as laboratory testing found high traces of chemicals in the final samples. It included herbicides like Glyphosate, which is a weed killer mostly used in the farming community to get rid of rodents and weeds.
Commenting on the issue, an FSSAI official said, “There is a possibility of higher levels of residues of the herbicide Glyphosate in pulses which could adversely affect the health of consumers here. Since the maximum residue limits (MRL) for Glyphosate in pulses has not been specified in the FSSAI regulations, we have asked the concerned officials to follow the Canadian standards for the herbicide as specified in the Codex standards.”
In fact, tests conducted by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on thousands of samples of lentils like moong daal produced by farmers in Canada and Australia found an average 282 parts per billion (PPB) and 1,000 parts per billion of glyphosate respectively, which is extremely high by any standards.
This study was conducted after an activist raised concerned over the quality of lentils and found that the Indian diet may have been overly contaminated over the years without people knowing since India doesn’t have any standard quality index for Glyphosate on its own and hence, it passes through undetected.
The herbicide, Glyphosate was considered safe until some years back before WHO issued an advisory for people to stop consuming it, labelling it as a potential human carcinogen.
Glyphosate, a lethal weed killer can cause serious problems and damage the protein related functions in the body, attack the immunity system and stop the absorption of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In some cases, exposure to glyphosate was also known to cause renal failure.
Teachers sensitized on healthy eating, hygiene among kids
Trichy: About 60 teachers from corporation schools were sensitized on imparting knowledge about healthy eating and hygienic practices among children on Wednesday.
The school education department along with food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) is organising the four-day event.
The initiative is aimed at addressing the issue of malnourishment and school children being anaemic in government schools.
“Malnourished and anaemic children will not be able to concentre on their studies and unless this issue is sorted out, performance of students cannot be increased. Keeping this in mind, this initiative has been spearheaded by FSSAI,” said Asha Devi, headmaster of government middle school at Pirattiyur. She was one of the moderators at the event.
Devi said that one teacher from each school in the primary, middle, high and higher-secondary classes have been selected for the workshop. These teachers would take the message to the children and ensure that they follow it, she added.
Apart from the healthy food that must be consumed, teachers were educated on the right way of washing hands, brushing teeth, bathing and cutting nails.
“I didn’t know that there is a specific way to brush our teeth to keep them healthy. Besides, washing hands with soap instead of using hand wash was a tiny yet important thing that we learned from the workshop and we will take the message to the students,” said one of the teachers.
“Prevalence of junk food, which has steadily made inroads into our dining tables, has not spared even rural households. This has been one of the major causes of children not getting relevant nutrition,” said K Marudhanayagam, block education officer of Manikandam block . There is need for making healthy eating a habit among children and this workshop is aimed at doing it, he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)