May 23, 2018
FSSAI plans to limit trans fats in oil to 2% by 2022
The current permitted level of trans fat is 5 per cent in India.
India’s food regulator has proposed to limit the maximum amount of trans fat content in vegetable oils, vegetable fat and hydrogenated vegetable oil to 2 per cent by weight as part of its goal to make India trans fat-free by 2022.
“We are in discussions with the industry to persuade them to reduce the amount of trans fatty acids in edible oil,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. “We are conducting various studies and getting opinions of medical experts on whether this needs to be further reduced.”
The current permitted level of trans fat is 5 per cent in India. The World Health Organisation has urged governments across the world to eliminate the use of trans fats from global food supplies by 2023. “We have taken steps towards this even before WHO’s announcement,” Agarwal added. However, this may take some time, he added.
Trans fatty acids are made through hydrogenation of oils, which solidifies them. They help to increase the shelf life of oils and foods and stabilise their flavours. Trans fats can be found in food and food products such as some margarines, crackers, biscuits, snack foods and french fries.
In 2015, the food regulator set the maximum level of trans fatty acids at 5 per cent in food products from 10 per cent earlier. It directed that the level of trans fats in food products must be disclosed on the label.
Trans fats are known to raise the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or the ‘bad’ cholesterol, in the blood and increase the risk of coronary artery heart disease and stroke.
Ice cream units raided by Food Safety and Vigilance in Vijayawada
Food Safety and Vigilance officials carried out joint raids at various private ice cream manufacturing units in the city on Tuesday.
VIJAYAWADA: Food Safety and Vigilance officials carried out joint raids at various private ice cream manufacturing units in the city on Tuesday.Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officer M Ravindranath Babu, DSP K Vijaya Paul, Assistant Food Controller N Purnachandra Rao led the simultaneous raids in the ice cream manufacturing units across the city.
During the raids, officials noticed that a few traders are operating the units without obtaining necessary permissions and manufacturing the food items in an unhygienic environment.
From the units, officials collected as many as eight samples of ice creams for testing and sent to laboratory.
Officials also observed that the manufacturers were adulterating ice creams by mixing non-ISI certified milk powder, expired synthetic colours and electrolysis chemical powders.
“Ice cream manufacturers should be careful as the products are mostly consumed by children. Stringent action will be initiated against manufacturers if products fail to meet standards,” Assistant Food Controller N Purnachandra Rao said.
‘Adulterated food in markets galore’
Concern officials directed to collect samples for checking: Minister
Srinagar, May 22 : The authorities here have failed to launch an effective campaign to check sale of adulterated and unhygienic foodstuff that is posing serious health threats to public.
Sources told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that though there have been task forces and committees galore to look into the issue of food adulteration but nothing much has come of these. “There are rampant complaints about sub-standard foods being sold in the state, however, the lack of coordination between the law enforcing agencies is halting to put curb on sub-standard food items,” said sources.
One of the doctors in the SMHS hospital here told KNS that increasing cases of stomach ulcers and intestinal ailments in valley are often due to dangerous adulterants in food like lead oxide. “Though the consumers are complaining of the phenomenon, the concerned authorities have not planned a comprehensive crackdown against those involved in the devilry,” said a doctor who has served in the SMC Srinagar.
Sources said that some restaurants, shopkeepers, bakers, fast food centres and vendors in the city have been selling unhygienic foodstuff in extremely unhygienic conditions mainly because none of the concerned government authorities is giving due attention to provision of hygienic and clean foodstuff to consumers.
“Unfortunately, not everyone is an educated consumer meticulously checking labels for ingredients and AGMARK/ISI certifications before buying. It has been found that many homemakers in the lower middle class bracket were completely unaware of adulteration,” said one of the social activists.
Pleading anonymity, one of the officials said that it is strange that the high-ups in the government have been elaborating a lot to improve healthcare services for public but doing almost nothing to eliminate causes behind ailments. It is ironical to take action on effects instead of removing causes.
The authorities have not planned any crackdown against those local hotels, shopkeepers and vendors selling unhygienic foodstuff while there is also no regular check on sale of food adulteration.
However the divisional administration said that they are working hard to check sale of substandard and adulterated foodstuff in the markets.
They added that the concerned staff is collecting samples of food items regularly in routine from markets and send those to laboratory for quality checking.
FCS&CA Minister said that the government is committed to curb the food adulteration in the state. “I have directed the field officials to regularly collect samples of various items and get these checked. We have intensified surveillance across the state and initiated a cross-verification of surveillance work by sending food safety officials outside their jurisdictions for inspection,” the minister maintained.
Sources added that Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 were not being executed “properly” in the state.
The Act came into force across the country in August 2011. The Act was also to ensure improved quality of food for the consumers and censure misleading claims and advertisement by those in food business.
Hans Swachh Hotel Hunt zeroes in on select ones
Hans Swachh Hotel Hunt zeroes in on select ones
Hyderabad: The Mercure Hyderabad KCP Hotel topped the ‘Swachh Bharat-Hans Swachh Hotel Hunt’ awards held at Hotel Mercure here on Tuesday. The contest was to ensure cleanliness and hygiene apart from several other areas in various hotels in the city.
Principal Secretary (IT and Industries) Jayesh Ranjan, Director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Dr Shankar and Editor of The Hans India Ramu Sarma conferred the awards to hoteliers.
The awards were given for several categories such as high level of cleanliness, hygiene and food safety and standards, food and nutrition, service, amenities and automation maintaining by various hotels.
Speaking on the occasion, Jayesh Ranjan appreciated The Hans India for coming up with an idea to identify Swachh Hotels as every hotel proclaimed them as the best hotel. “The Hans India is doing something good beyond their call of duty. We give awards to Hotels in many categories such as providing high luxury, but this is a category which relates to everyday use quite a lot. The maintenance of cleanliness, hygiene, and upkeep is very important.
5 tonnes of mangoes laced with ethephon dumped in yard
Officials conduct surprise inspection of market yard
The district food safety officials carted around five tonnes of mangoes to dumping yard after finding the residues of harmful artificial ripener ethephon in the stock during a surprise inspection at the mango market here on Tuesday.
A team of officials including the sanitation inspectors from the Kakinada Municipal Corporation led by Food Safety Inspector Nageswara Rao performed spot lab tests on the samples collected from the market yard.
Tip-off
“Acting on a relibale tip-off about suspected residues of ethephon in mangoes, checks were conducted and stocks were found laced with the banned artificial ripener,” Mr. Nageswara Rao said.
Market yard chief cries foul
Meanwhile, mango market yard president Eetha Sathi Babu took exception to the move of the officials to inspect the market yard randomly, claiming that the traders had incurred a loss of around ₹2 lakh.
“We are wondering as to why the officials are collecting samples from the roadside eateries. The mango market is no way connected to the use of ethephon. We are not encouraging such malpractice,” he said. Stringent action will be initiated against those responsible for the malpractice, he added.
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