May 3, 2018
VMC teams cracks down on ice making units in city
Officials destroyed 1,000kg ice and 12,500 water pouches in the raids
Vadodara: Food safety officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) cracked down on units manufacturing ice and packaged drinking water pouches that are briskly selling due to scorching heat.
The officials destroyed a large quantity of ice and pouches during the drive. VMC had begun the checking drive on Tuesday in wake of the fact that ice as well as water pouches were sold in large numbers during the summer. Officials said that besides being bought in smaller quantities by persons from the economically weaker sections, ice was used in large quantities by caterers in wake of the wedding season.
The civic body checked four ice making units on Tuesday in the Salatwada, Karelibaug and Chhani Jakatnaka areas. The teams checked if the water used for making ice here was chlorinated. On Wednesday, officials checked five units in Makarpura GIDC and Pratapnagar areas of the city. The teams destroyed 1,000kg on ice and 12,500 water pouches in the raids on Wednesday. Notices were also issued to units warning them to maintain hygiene at their premises.
GM food on your plate despite ban, regulators busy passing the buck
Hundreds of tonnes of banned genetically modified seeds (GM) are being imported to the country for cultivation while the regulators are busy passing the buck.
NEW DELHI: Violating laws governing food safety in India, hundreds of tonnes of banned genetically modified seeds (GM) are being imported to the country for cultivation while the regulators are busy passing the buck.
The Ministries of Commerce, Environment and Finance have been writing to each other to check import of GM seeds to India while none is taking measures to check the violation.
In the latest, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry’s Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has now asked Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to take actions on the illegal genetically modified seed import.
Ironically, while the Environment Ministry’s (MoEF) Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had forwarded the complaint on illegal GM seed import to Ministry of Commerce & Industry to take action, the DGFT chose to pass the buck back to MoEF and to the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and the Plant Quarantine Division and Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare in the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
Interestingly, Ministry of Commerce & Industry’s data shows that India has been importing seeds from countries for crops which are overwhelmingly genetically modified in these countries.
Over the last decade, India imported maize seed totalling more than 528 tonnes from Argentina and more than 20 tonnes from USA. Of the overall maize cultivated in both these countries, more than 90 per cent maize is genetically modified. India also imports maize seeds from other GM maize producing countries such as Spain, Brazil and Philippines.
Similarly, India has imported more than 129 tonnes of sugar beet seed for sowing from US over the last decade. Of the overall sugar beet cultivated in the USA, more than 90 per cent sugar beet is genetically modified.
Industry and government data shows that India imported canola seed totalling more than 149 tonnes from the USA and 100 tonnes from Australia over the last decade. More than 90 per cent of canola cultivated in the USA, and a lesser proportion in Australia, is genetically modified.
Food safety policies need to cover the entire chain, from farm to fork
It is important that both the industry and government work in partnership to facilitate the growth of fortified food products
There is an opportunity for brands to enable healthy lives for consumers in a framework where products are purchased not only for taste but also for the nutritional value.
India is one of the leading producers of food globally and there is a lot of potential which can be harnessed to create a safe and healthy food ecosystem in the country.
Food safety is critically important for improving public health and policies need to cover the entire food chain, from farm to fork. The regulatory environment in India is very dynamic, with developments moving at a rapid pace.
Thus to contribute effectively to strengthening the food safety environment in India, Nestlé established the Nestlé Food Safety Institute (NFSI) in Manesar, which combines our global expertise in food quality and science into a larger foot print. Through this institute, we conduct training programmes on food safety management systems, testing methods and regulatory standards. All individual steps across the value chain in the “farm to fork” need attention. This holistic approach enables farmers and manufacturers to address issues early on, through measures that mitigate the hazard ideally at the crop stage.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is doing a commendable job in promoting and ensuring food safety and quality. Its continued focus has been to create a science-based regulatory environment that protects consumers’ interest and creates an enabling environment for the food industry. Its massive outreach efforts from schools to our homes to workplaces is helping develop a culture of food safety and nutrition across India.
Quality and safety are the key pillars of Nestlé India and we want to share knowledge through collaborative partnerships to help improve food safety in the country. We launched Project Serve Safe Food in collaboration with National Association of Street Vendors of India and have trained over 5,000 street food vendors across India in food safety and hygiene since its inception in 2016.
Our Nestlé Quality Management System encompasses the whole value chain from farm to fork, ensuring appropriate controls are in place at each step of the chain to ensure that our products are safe and compliant. The initiatives for strengthening food standards through consistent scientific review of mechanisms and regulations will go a long way in helping to ensure a safe and healthy food environment in the country.
Fortification is recognised as the most effective strategy to address micronutrient deficiency. However, in India, only 2-5% of food items are believed to be fortified with the micronutrients lacking in many Indian diets. As per the 2015-16 National Family Health Survey, 53% females and 22.7% males (15-45 years) suffer from iron deficiency with an almost equal split across rural and urban India.
The government is encouraging enrichment of food items with micronutrients to address dietary deficiencies among certain sections of the population and FSSAI has operationalised the draft Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations 2016 for fortifying food staples. FSSAI regulated that fortified foods should bear a logo indicating that the item has been fortified and enriched with essential nutrients. Nestlé India is always exploring ways to fortify its mass consumption products to close the gap and contribute to the larger national objective. Fortifying our Popularly Positioned Products with micronutrients can help address deficiencies where they are most prevalent—among lower-income consumers.
We are building a better and stronger Maggi brand driven by our purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future. We want to introduce products that offer healthier choices as we simplify our ingredients and encourage home cooking. At the forefront of this drive is the commitment to reshape Maggi products to emphasize the use of familiar and common ingredients people know and use.
We have fortified our products such as Maggi Masala-ae-Magic spice seasoning. Maggi Masala-ae-Magic, which is the first ever fortified taste enhancer that can be used across different cuisines in India, efficiently enhances the taste inherent in the ingredients already present. It is specifically fortified with iron, vitamin A and iodine, which are known to be widespread deficiencies in India. Last year, we also fortified Maggi Masala noodles with iron. With 2.5 billion portions consumed annually in India, Maggi Masala noodles offer a powerful platform to address iron deficiency through the iron fortified variant. We have also taken steps to fortify other product categories as well, such as MILO, Nestlé A+ milk.
It is important that both the industry and government work in partnership to facilitate the growth of fortified food products. There is an opportunity for brands to enable healthy and productive lives for consumers in a framework where products are purchased not only for taste but also for the nutritional value. The consumption patterns in the country have also undergone significant changes with more consumers opting for healthier packaged foods and we want to offer healthier choices to our consumers.
FSSAI, police vow to continue crackdown against illegal units
The rural police have sought the list of factories that have license for manufacturing pan masala and sweet betel nut in the district. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have also been asked to submit a list of the certifications they accorded to companies that manufacture such products.
On Wednesday, FSSAI formed three teams and raided various shops across the district to check for irregularities. “We only accord certifications for manufacturing food products and with a minimum turnover of Rs 12 lakhs per annum. The gutka unit that was raided was run illegally and was violating the norms,” food safety officer Vijayalalitha told TOI.
She has ordered the officials to inspect all pan and beeda shops in the district to weed out any other irregularities, the official said. “We have accorded certificated to two beeda shops and three manufacturing units. Out of the three, the one at Kannampalayam had violated the norms. Two units at Annur were also inspected,” she said.
Vijayalalitha said that 10 days ago also, they had seized nearly 300kg banned gutka from shops on Thomas Street. “We conduct regular raids and on April 26 as well, we seized 48.5kg of gutka. We try to get as much information from them about the suppliers but they do not reveal anything. The packets don’t have manufactures’ details,” she said.
Superintendent of police, Pa Murthy said, “We have sought a list of such units and will inspect them all. Meanwhile, we have sent the samples for testing. We have also sought police custody of the accused to get more information,” he said.
Hospitals double check on the quality of meat being served to patients
Kolkata: The carcass meat scare has made the state health department pull up its socks. The food safety department is all set to issue a notice to all district health officials to keep a vigil on meat being sold or supplied in their respective area.
“Instructions will be issued to all concerned to keep a tab of source and quality of meat sold, supplied or served in all districts to rule out circulation of carcass meat,” said a source in Swasthya Bhawan.
Hospitals too are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the meat served to its patients is of quality.
In all hospital the kitchens are run on contract by a second party. Even if it is a practice to acquire fresh meat by those running the kitchen, hospital authorities are leaving no stone unturned to check the quality.
“The person who is running the kitchen in our hospital is on the job for 20 years without any bad track record. But this time with carcass meat scare doing the rounds we are double checking again on the quality and the source from where meat is acquired,” said Dr PB Chakraborty, medical superintendent and vice principal at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.
In all hospital the kitchens are run on contract by a second party. Even if it is a practice to acquire fresh meat by those running the kitchen, hospital authorities are taking no chances this time.
“No frozen meat used by the kitchen in preparing food for the patients. But given the kind of situation we are keeping a stricter vigil on the kind of meat being served to our patients,” said Dr Suddhadhan Batabyal, principal RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The government hospitals in the state serve chicken preparations to patients twice a week. All hospitals have instructed the kitchen operators to keep out of frozen meat.
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