Mar 24, 2018
Packaged food companies may have to stop using toluene-based ink for packaging
Suppliers of packaging material don't need any major capital investment to shift to toluene-free inks.
Leading packaged food giants such as PepsiCo, Nestle, HUL and ITC may have to change their packaging practices owing to safety concerns about certain chemicals currently being used to print labels and packages.
Under the new standards, which are currently being formulated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), several harmful chemicals including toluene, a chemical used in paint thinners, may be banned for printing ink for food packaging, Times of India reported.
Toluene is known to cause liver and kidney damage and has already been banned for use in the food industry by several countries including Sri Lanka, where printing associations have voluntarily taken a stand to stop its use.
Most packaged food companies in India, however, use toluene-based solvent for printing ink.
“Around 80 perecnt FMCG companies in India still use toluene-based solvents in packaging materials,” Ashish Pradhan, CEO of the Indian arm of Siegwerk, a German firm that supplies printing ink solutions to companies, told the paper.
However, major packaged food companies like Nestle and Hindustan Unilever said they comply with the existing consumer safety norms.
A Nestle India spokesperson assured that all packaging material coming in direct contact with food is toluene-free, adding that the firm is planning to stop using toluene altogether by the end of this year.
An HUL spokesperson also told the paper that they conform to global and local guidelines.
Several studies have revealed that toluene can migrate between layers of packaging, the report said.
Suppliers of packaging material don't need any major capital investment to shift to toluene-free inks.
“The current printing equipment, which runs toluene-based inks, can also run toluene-free inks,” an industry expert told the paper.The the cost implication of this transition, however, depends on several factors like type of print job, type of equipment, and printing expenses apart from the cost of ink, the expert added.
FSSAI had sealed Guruvayurappan College mess
The college authorities have also suspended the hostel warden and mess in- charge for acting irresponsibly.
Students on protest at Guruvayurappan arts and science college
KOZHIKODE: After the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India officials here sealed the hostel mess of Guruvayurappan Arts and Science College, the department started getting more complaints from the inmates of various other colleges and private hostels here. According to the officials, more than 10 complaints have been received in the office about the poor quality of food supplied in some of the hostels here.
This has led the department to prepare an action plan to conduct stringent inspection of both private and Government owned colleges and other hostels here. “After our inspection at Guruvayurappan college, we were appalled seeing the condition of the college mess, that has stored all its food under unhygienic conditions”, said FSSAI assistant commissioner P.K. Eliyamma.
“The quality of the food being supplied to student hostels is worse than that of the food given to animals. In the college we even found food grains already passed their expiry months ago. Batter and dough for dosa and chapathi respectively are more than three weeks old. Adding to the woes is the terrible condition of the place in which these food materials are stored,” she added. Samples of food items including rice and other pulses and cereals, refined oil has been taken and sent for food safety test. Guruvayurappan college authorities have been directed to clean and rectify all the drawbacks of the hostel mess by Monday. The college authorities have also suspended the hostel warden and mess in- charge for acting irresponsibly.
KMC conducts drive on Dacres Lane, finds chemicals in food
"We have found chemicals used in spices at a number of street food stalls on Dacres Lane. We have given them the last warning.
At some registered restaurants, we have found harmful chemicals being used to give reddish colour to curries," Ghosh
said.
The food inspectors also found that turmeric powder used at various eateries were of inferior quality.
In a particular restaurant, chemical was found in cooked egg curry and the entire stuff was destroyed by the inspectors.
"We have collected samples of cooked as well as raw chicken from both restaurants as well as street food stalls and will examine them in our food laboratory to ascertain whether chemical like formalin is used," Ghosh said.
The civic body in the wake of complaints about dead chicken being supplied to the city from Baduria in North 24-Parganas have started their drive right from Monday and have been picking up samples of cooked and raw meat from various
eateries across the city.
"If irregularities are found with the eateries that are registered with the civic body action will be taken as per law on violations on Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act. In case of roadside eateries, we will lodge complaint with the Enforcement Branch of Kolkata Police urging them to take action under Section 272 and 273 of Indian Penal Code," a food safety officer said.
Rs 1.40 lakh fine imposed on 12 food traders
SRINAGAR, Mar 23: The court of Adjudicating Officer (Addl Deputy Commissioner), Vikas Kundal, imposed a fine of Rs 1,40,000 on food business operators for allegedly selling sub-standard and misbranded food items.
Against whom the action has been taken by the Department of Drug and Food Control Organisation are: Mustard Oil manufacturer namely Vishal Goel Prop. of M/s PD Foods Punjab and spurious Groundnut Chakki manufacturer namely-Danish Sidique operating from Safa Kadal who have been slapped a fine of Rs 40,000 and Rs 30,000, respectively.
Meanwhile, 40 fresh cases have been instituted by the Food Safety wing of Drugs and Food Control Orgnisation in the court of Adjudicating Officer Srinagar against various food business operators for violating different provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act.
Another lassi-making unit, two outlets closed in Kochi
KOCHI: Officials of the food safety department (FSD) sealed one more lassi manufacturing unit at Kunnumpuram in Edappally on Friday after they found that it was operating without a food safety licence. Two lassi shops, one near Ernakulam North railway station and another at Kaloor, were also closed for operating without licence.
“Unlike the other day, we didn’t find any unhygienic conditions in the lassi manufacturing unit at Kunnumpuram but it was operating without a licence and necessary legal documents. We have also carried out inspections in five lassi shops in the city and of them, three were given closure notices for functioning sans licence,” said Zakeer Hussain, food safety enforcement officer.
The units will remain closed until the food safety norms are complied with, he added.
FSD officials said that samples of all the flavours and mixes collected from the warehouses in the last two raids have been sent to the regional chemical laboratory at Kakkanad.
“We expect a detailed report in two weeks’ time. The samples have been given to check whether any chemical other than permitted flavours have been added,” said K V Shibu, Ernakulam food safety officer.
Officials said that the warehouses in which the mixing was done ahead of supply to shops had unhygienic conditions. The lassi manufacturing unit at Karukapilly in Kaloor was sealed on Wednesday after officials found old worm-infested buttermilk, buckets of buttermilk buckets lying open next to the toilets and even dog poop.
The unhygienic conditions were first noticed during an inspection carried out by the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) officials. They conducted raids after it came to their notice that the lassi shops mushrooming in the city have been evading tax despite huge turnover in sales. GST enforcement wing immediately alerted the food safety officials following which a surprise raid was carried out.
Meanwhile, the Kochi corporation’s health wing and food safety department have decided to intensify raids on all the lassi shops and manufacturing units operating in the city to assess the quality of beverage being served there.
Mayor Soumini Jain said that most of the lassi shops in the city have been functioning without the licence of corporation’s health wing.
Health standing committee of the Kochi corporation has directed the secretary of the local body to prepare a report on all juice vending shops in the city.
“Stringent action will be taken against those shops selling unhealthy juices prepared in unhygienic conditions as well as those operating without license,” said Minimol V K, health standing committee chairperson.
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