May 16, 2018
Labelling norm on packaged food in next 2-3 months: FSSAI
New Delhi, May 15 () Food regulator FSSAI will finalise the labelling standards on packaged food products in the next 2-3 months and is open to make changes in the draft rules to address the industry's concern, its CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said today.
Last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had issued a draft of Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 and sought comments from stakeholders.
The regulator has proposed making it mandatory to display red colour-coding on front of the pack of food products that have high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt content levels.
"We are getting stakeholders' comment on the draft regulations. The final regulations is expected in the next 2-3 months," Agarwal told reporters here when asked about the proposed labelling standards.
He said the FSSAI is studying the model used in foreign countries like Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the US, for colour coding display on the packaged food item. "We are aware of the industry's concern related to colour coding."
Asked about the proposal on genetically modified (GM) food, Agarwal said the labelling on packaged food items with 5 per cent or more GE ingredients will "bring clarity".
All food products having total Genetically Engineered (GE) ingredients 5 per cent or more shall be labelled, the draft said.
"Imported GM food is coming to India. It is in form of soya products and edible oils. In case of oils, traces of GM is negligible. So, there will be no labelling," he added.
Agarwal also announced that the FSSAI is targeting to make the country free from trans-fat by 2022.
Meanwhile, FSSAI today launched an initiative to promote safe and nutritious food (SNF) at workplace to deal with the alarming increase in obesity and NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) like diabetes and hypertension.
"SNF@Workplace is a nation-wide campaign to help people eat safe and eat right while at work. Since the majority of our workforce consumes at least one meal during working hours, behavioural change at the workplace is critical," Agarwal said.
The FSSAI had earlier similar initiatives for school and home.
The resource book for this initiative 'The Orange Book: Your Guide to Safe and Nutritious Food at the Workplace' was launched that highlights the role to be played by key stakeholders such as the administration, canteen establishment and the employees in ensuring safe and nutritious food at the workplace.To create a self-propelling and sustainable ecosystem, a systematic framework of FSSAI-trained resource persons, health & wellness coordinators and food safety supervisors for every workplace has been enabled.
Food safety body looking at global norms to finalise labelling regulations
Companies voice concern over colour-coded labels
NEW DELHI, MAY 15
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is looking at global models adopted by various countries for labelling standards of packaged foods. This is being done before the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018, is finalised by the government.
In April, the regulator released the draft of the labelling regulations which has proposed front-of-the- pack nutritional information, besides red colour coded labels for foods which have high levels of fat, sugar and salt content. Some food companies have raised concerns about the red colour-coded labels.
Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said, “Food businesses have no issues with front-of-pack labelling. They have raised concerns regarding the thresholds and colour-coded labels for HFSS foods. We are looking at various global models such as the Australia-New Zealand model that has voluntary star rating or the Mexico and UK model. We are seeking comments and views from stakeholders on the same before we finalise the labelling regulations.”
The labelling regulations are likely to be finalised in the next two-three months.
“We want food businesses to begin taking cognisance of the fact that whatever they produce is important from a public health perspective and not just from their bottomline perspective. It is being done in consumer interest. We have asked food companies for their gameplan to look at launching healthier food options in the market,” he added.
FSSAI has also proposed that a company must make a declaration on the label in case its food product has 5 per cent or more of genetically engineered or genetically modified ingredients. “This has been proposed to increase consumer awareness. Imported GM food is coming to India whether its in the form of soya products and edible oils. In case of oils, GM is negligible.” he added.
Transfat content
Asked about the launch of WHO’s plan to remove transfat from the global food supply, Agarwal said, “We are also working on a goal to make India trans-fat free by 2022. The permitted levels of trans-fat content in edible oils has been set at 5 per cent. We are conducting various studies and getting opinions of experts on whether this needs to be further reduced.”
Meanwhile, FSSAI on Tuesday launched a nation-wide campaign to promote safe and nutritious food at workplace called SNF@Workplace . This has been done to encourage companies to ensure nutritious and hygienic food is served and consumed by their workforce in offices. FSSAI has also launched the ‘The Orange Book: Your Guide to Safe and Nutritious Food at the Workplace’ to highlight the role to be played by key stakeholders such as the administration, canteen establishment and the employees in ensuring safe and nutritious food at the workplace.
FSSAI launches SNF@Workplace initiative to stem obesity, non-communicable diseases
Country’s premier food watchdog also plans to evaluate organisations based on systems put in place to promote health and wellness
FSSAI has also released The Orange Book: Your Guide to Safe and Nutritious Food at the Workplace.
In an effort to improve nutrition of millions of office going Indians, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched the SNF@Workplace initiative (safe and nutritious food at workplace) today. This initiative is an effort to stem the increase in obesity and non-communicable diseases across the country.
Most office goers consume at least one meal at the office and this initiative hopes to ensure that this meal is healthy and nutritious. Unsafe food leads to illness and absenteeism which reduces productivity and costs our economy as much as Rs 60,000 crore—9 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The initiative would set processes and protocols to help people imbibe this culture of good food into their lives. “We are not mindful of what we are eating,” says Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI at the launch.
To aid workplaces and build a policy framework, FSSAI has also released The Orange Book: Your Guide to Safe and Nutritious Food at the Workplace. This sets down the role of stakeholders such as the administration, canteen establishment and the employees at a workplace in ensuring safe food. The book was released by Vinod Paul, member NITI Aayog. According to him, in order to benefit from the demographic dividend, it is important that employee productivity is improved through efforts like this. Ambrish Mithal, head of the department of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Medanta—the Medicity said that people spend long time at offices and availability and access to healthy food options here has to be easy.
The country’s premier food watchdog also plans to evaluate organisations based on systems put in place to promote health and wellness. These includes initiatives such as using licensed vendors for the canteen, personal hygiene of food handlers and safe food practices as per Food Safety Management System guidelines and having trained and certified food safety supervisor.
Empanelled audit agencies, in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulation 2017, will be assigned to evaluate interested workplaces. Reviewed workplaces will be given rating with 3,4 or 5 stars based on quality of food and canteens and well as the activities focused around ensuring food safety.
FSSAI will train people responsible for providing food in workplaces and help organisers create awareness about good food too. Paul urged organisation to announce on this Independence Day that all government offices and private sector would ensure that safe food is served in offices.
Before SNF@Workplace, the FSSAI had launched SNF@Home and SNF@School. They now plan to launch SNF@Hospitals in a month's time. This will ensure that safe and nutritious food is served to patients at hospitals.
Toxic tea powder making racket busted
Officials collecting samples from Darshan Tea in Para Bazaar on Tuesday
Rajkot: Next time you sip tea from a roadside stall make sure the tea used by the vendor is genuine. The health department of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) has unearthed a major racket of making duplicate tea using tea waste, wood husk, toxic chemicals for flavour and colouring from Para Bazar in the city on Tuesday.
RMC officials seized over 1,200kg of different types of materials during the raid at Darshan Tea in Arham Complex of Para Bazar. The firm is owned by Pankaj Shah.
Different types of materials used in making fake tea was found stocked on the terrace of Darshan Tea’s office.
“The owners of Darshan Tea were making duplicate tea by using tea waste and used to mix wood husk, red colour and flavouring essence for giving it tea-like smell and taste. On first glance, it would look and smell like tea. But on close examining, we found that it was duplicate tea,” RMC health officer Dr Pankar Rathod told TOI.
According to Rathod, owners of Darshan Tea used to purchase tea waste from transporters and tea shop at Rs 15 to 20 per kilogram and then mixed it with wood husk, chemical essence and flavouring agents before selling it in the market for Rs 30-40 per kilogram.
“They even branded the tea as Gayabari, Alankar Premium Tea, Alankar Supreme Tea, Tatopani, Sanyasi and Bir Johra. It was mostly bought by roadside tea vendors. Also, small traders from the villages of Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Amreli and Shihor used to purchase the duplicate tea from Darshan Tea,” Rathod added. RMC officials have seized the stock and sent samples to the food testing laboratory.
“The tea was primarily found to be adulterated. The ingredients used are hazardous for human health. There are chances of food poisoning if consumed in higher quantity. Consuming substance like wooden husk could cause jaundice, typhoid while the chemical used for flavouring may result in allergy or intestine cancer,” said Rathod. He said that once the laboratory results confirm adulteration the firm owner will be penalized under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
FSSAI Seized Artificially Ripened Mango in Coimbatore
A team of officials headed by the Designated Food Safety Officer B. Vijayalalithambigai had seized nearly 500 kg of artificially ripened mango from a godown inside a wholesale shop in Selvapuram area in Ukkadam early on Friday.
Ms Vijayalalithambigai told that they had conducted raids in 16 shops and godowns as part of the routine exercise.
During the raid, the officials found a godown inside a fruit shop where mangoes are ripened using calcium carbide. The mangoes were later destroyed.
This was the first seizure of mangoes during the current season, as the fruit is yet to reach the markets from growers.
Normally, harvested mangoes reach the Coimbatore market from godowns in Mettupalayam every day. The godown owner was served with a show-cause notice under section 63 of the FSSAI rules.
The godown owner, however, said that a person who had put up a shop outside the godown should be held responsible.
Those who found violating the FSSAI rules can be fined up to Rs. 1 lakh and imprisonment for six months. The authorities last month had seized nearly 2 tonnes of artificially ripened oranges.
Over 95% Bengal residents steer clear of veg food: Survey
Kolkata: Has the over dependence of people on meat indirectly helped unholy people to thrive on the business of carcass meat in the state?
A nationwide survey conducted by the Office of Registrar General and Census Commissioner states that around 98.55 percent of total population in Bengal is non-vegetarian, which is the second highest in the country after Telangana.
Meanwhile, many believe that this huge demand of meat across various markets in the state might have prompted some people to run a parallel business of trading carcass meat, which is allegedly collected from dumping grounds, stored in cold storages and later delivered to various restaurants and hotels in the state.
According to the sample registration system (SRS) baseline survey 2014 released by the registrar general of India, around 98.7 percent of male and 98.4 percent of female in Bengal are non-vegetarians. This means only 1.3 percent of the total male population in the state is vegetarian while figure stands at 1.6 in case of females.
Bengal ranks second in the list of states, in regard to the prevalence of non-vegetarianism among the population aged 15 years or above, as published in the report. The data shows that around 71 percent of Indians over the age of 15 are non-vegetarians.The percentage of non-vegetarians across the country has, however, has dropped from 75 percent in 2004.
The survey says that Telangana has the highest number of non-vegetarians with 98.8 percent men and 98.6 percent women enjoying meat, fish and eggs, marginally higher than Bengal.
Other states with a high non-vegetarian population include Andhra Pradesh (98.25%), Odisha (97.35%) and Kerala (97%). Vegetarianism, as it is often interpreted as a practice in the country, encouraged or imposed by ideologies of religion and caste, is basically a food habit. Many people think that a life without meat would be boring, unhealthy, and damaging to your body. However, it is debatable. Rajasthan tops the list when it comes to vegetarianism. Around 73.2 percent men and 76.6 percent women in Rajasthan are vegetarians. Haryana follows next with 68.5 percent men and 70 percent women depending on vegetarian diets. Whereas in Punjab, around 65.5 percent of the male population and 68 percent of the female population eat vegetarian food.
Ever since the carcass meat row has come to light, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and police conducted raids at various places and seized a huge amount of rotten meat.
The selling of various items of meat has dipped considerably since the incident took place.
Sudesh Poddar, President of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Eastern India said: "We have issued directives to the restaurant owners to buy meat from reputed suppliers having trade and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India license. We have also asked hoteliers and restaurant owners to get the meat tested at a private laboratory. The situation is gradually improving."
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