No market access to organic farmers if not certified

NEW DELHI: If you are an organic farmer, now you cannot sell your produce through a retailer or other channels unless it is certified to be organic and carries a label with information on the organic status of the produce. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notification recently laying down the requirements organic foods need to comply with. But farmer groups believe making certification a pre-requisite to sale of organic produce is an impediment for both existing organic farmers and farmers who are trying to transition to organic farming.

Only “small original producer or producer organisation” who market their produce through direct sales as determined by FSSAI will be exempted from the conditions in the notification. Farmer groups including Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) have pointed that not giving organic farmers access to the markets without first getting certified is going to slow down the organic food momentum. Certification by third party auditors is going to come at a cost to both the farmers and consumers, most farmers will not be able to do the paperwork needed to obtain and maintain organic certification or pay for it. “As the food safety regulator, you are aware of the all-pervasive contamination by agro-chemicals, including of groundwater. We believe that organic farming has to be supported in all ways possible for it to spread to larger areas in a short span, given the need of the hour…When certification is made legally mandatory on all organic farmers, with very limited exemptions, that has cost implications for both farmers and consumers. The regulation could deter farmers to shift to, and pursue safer food production systems, because it will involve higher burden on farmers, beyond their financial and other capabilities,” members of ASHA stated FSSAI in a letter recently.

“The FSSAI is basically saying that farmers will not have access to markets unless they are certified. Its not possible for all farmers to pay for or maintain the records needed for certification. Instead we are suggesting that the government certify by verifying their produce from time to time free of cost. Or, all farmers who are selling directly to consumers or to a retailer should be exempted because in that case the farmer and consumer know each other," said Kavitha Kuruganti, convenor, ASHA. The notification allows for certification by participatory guarantee system of India (PGS-India) but “only some farmers who are covered under some flagship organic farming programmes are getting government support mainly through the PGS (Participatory Guarantee System) quality assurance vehicle,” ASHA’s letter added. “Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA’s) TRACENET (for organic certification) system for instance, is premised on an assumption that farmers are being supported by others to deal with onerous systems like TRACENET, where access to internet, loads of paperwork and English based transactions is a must.” Farmers added.

Meanwhile, the FSSAI has set up an expert panel for implementation of notification. “We received submissions from organic farmers on this issue. But what is their proposal? We cannot allow any product to be called organic and allow the consumer to be cheated. The notification says small farmers who have earned the trust of consumers may be exempted. We are still deliberating on the submissions we have got and will not go against the interest of farmers,” said Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI.

Food companies may be forced to change printing norms

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is working to update the current standard (IS 15495) for printing ink for food packaging and several harmful chemicals
• However, studies have revealed that toluene can migrate between layers of packaging
• Toluene, a chemical used in paint thinners, has been known to cause liver and kidney damage in humans

NEW DELHI: Packaged food companies in India, including ITC, HUL, PepsiCo and Nestle, may soon have to change their printing and packaging norms due to safety issues with certain chemicals currently being used to print labels and packages.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is working to update the current standard (IS 15495) for printing ink for food packaging and several harmful chemicals, including toluene, may be banned with the new standards coming into effect.

Toluene, a chemical used in paint thinners, has been known to cause liver and kidney damage in humans. It has been banned in the food industry in several countries, while in others such as Sri Lanka, printing associations have voluntarily taken a stand to shun it.

“Around 80% FMCG companies in India still use toluene-based solvents in packaging materials,” said Ashish Pradhan, CEO of the Indian arm of Siegwerk, a German firm that supplies printing ink solutions to companies.

In reply to an email, a Nestle India spokesperson said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, we are always committed to comply with all existing regulations and guidelines. As regards to your query, we ensure that all packaging material coming in direct contact with food is toluene free.” The company plans to stop using toluene altogether by 2018. 

An HUL spokesperson said, “At Unilever, we design all our packaging based on product requirements, using global and local guidelines, meeting consumer safety norms.”

However, studies have revealed that toluene can migrate between layers of packaging. ITC and PepsiCo did not reply to emails from TOI.

If the new norms are put in place, printing experts said, FMCG companies have to mandate the usage of toluene-free inks in their technical specifications of packaging material to their packaging suppliers. For instance, Swiss food giant Nestle has done the same in certain markets.

“For the packaging suppliers, there is no requirement for any major/capital investment to run toluenefree inks,” said the industry experts. “The current printing equipment, which runs toluene-based inks, can also run toluene-free inks. It is difficult to estimate the cost implication of this transition as it depends on several factors like type of print job, type of equipment, printing expenditure, apart from ink cost. Having said this, it is important to keep in mind that the ink costs are a fraction of the total packaging cost of any product.”

Kochi's lassi shops under scanner

KOCHI: A day after a lassi manufacturing unit was sealed at Karukappilly for operating under extremely unhygienic conditions, the Food Safety Department and the Kochi Corporation's heath wing have decided to inspect all lassi shops in the city to assess the quality of the beverage being served there.

The corporation and food safety officers said sample from each lassi will be taken and tested to assess whether any type of chemical contents are used in the beverage, which normally is a blend of yoghurt, water, spices and fruit.

“We cannot act against lassi shops straightaway. Since most of the shops were getting the lassi supplied from the now-sealed manufacturing unit, samples from all the shops will be collected and sent to the Regional Analytical Lab at Kakkanad for inspection. Only after getting the lab report can we take action against the shops,” said district food safety officer K V Shibu. “We will not let any shop sell unhygienic drinks to the public,” he said.

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The lassi manufacturing unit at Karukappilly had been sealed on Wednesday after officers found dog poop, artificial chemicals and worm-invested vessels adjacent to the area where the lassi was being prepared.

An inspection by the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) Department had found over 100 lassi shops had been opened within the city limits recently.

The Corporation is yet to identify the owner of the sealed lassi manufacturing unit. “We have got information a man from Kannur ran the firm. He has been asked to come to the Corporation, but is yet to do so. Strict action will be taken against him. We are also planning to register a case against him,” said Mayor Soumini Jain.

Meanwhile, the items seized from the lassi manufacturing unit at Karukappilly have been disposed of at the Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.

Prior permission must for annadhanam during Arupathu Moovar festival

To reduce food wastage during the course of the festival, Mylapore Deputy Commissioner of Police P. Saravanan has put certain rules and regulations in place this year.

According to a press release, those who wish to distribute food, water and juices as part of annadhanam must get prior permission from the police, especially on the days the car festival and Arupathu Moovar festival will be conducted.

People who are found carrying food items for distribution without permission will not be allowed to enter the streets.

“This will be strictly enforced by Police personnel and volunteers in view of the safety of the public and to reduce food wastage and waste generation on the Mada Streets,” said the DCP in the release.

Vishwesharayya, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mylapore, says, “This year, we are allowing only those who have been practising annadhanam for the last 40 to 50 years into the mada streets. Ten such members have approached us already. Others may perform annadhanam in areas away from the Mada streets; Sai Baba Koil, for example. They can come to the station and write a petition.”

Additional measures

* Temple authorities have been asked to make arrangements to install CCTV cameras at all the shops on Mada streets that do not have one.

*LED screens, which will be installed at three spots, will broadcast the car procession as well as display advertisements and public messages issued by the City Police.

* Households that perform annadhanam have been instructed to distribute food before and/or after the car festival on their respective streets.

* Each Mada street will have been assigned a Deputy Commissioner and a team, including two Assistant Commissioners. A watchtower, patrol vehicles and a crime team in muftis have been deployed.

A special security team has been arranged inside and outside the temple. “We have requested for a drone to ensure extra surveillance,” says the ACP.

* Interestingly, women devotees and visitors will be given safety pins to pin their chains to their dresses to prevent chain snatching.

Additionally, banners and posters explaining how to protect their belongings, along with phone numbers, will be put up.

FDA closes packaged drinking water plant

PUNE: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials on Thursday closed down a packaged drinking water plant in Baner for operating without mandatory licences.

As per the norms, licences from the Bureau of Indian Standard(BIS) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are prerequisites to run a packaged drinking water plant.

“The plant was shut down after we found that it was operating without necessary licences. The owner has been directed to keep the plant closed till all the required conditions are fulfilled,” SS Desai, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune, told TOI.

The increased demand for processed drinking water, especially during summer, has resulted in proliferation of packaged drinking water plants. To make easy money, some plant owners compromise on the quality of water, which can put people’s lives at risk, FDA officials said.

FDA had drawn 136 samples of packaged drinking water from Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Amaravati, Nagpur and Pune between March 1, 2016 and April 31, 2017. Of them, 48 samples were found to be of poor quality and labels on some of the bottles were found tampered. Of the 15 samples found unsafe, five were drawn from Mumbai, four from Pune, three from Nashik, two from Aurangabad and one from Amaravati.

“The samples from Pune were detected with rod-shaped bacteria, exposure to which can cause abdominal cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting,” Desai said.