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DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

HFSS – The Misapprehended!

As per a WHO document titled ‘Marketing of Foods High in Fat, Salt and Sugar to Children – Update 2012-2013’, foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar are commonly termed as HFSS Foods.

Sugar: Sugar is empty calories with no beneficial effect and there is no safe level of its intake. High use of sugar, particularly fructose, is harmful. Studies have established a direct relationship between sugar intake and the problems of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Salt: Salt is added as a preservative and to enhance the taste of food. High salt content in diet is strongly associated with high blood pressure and related cardiovascular diseases. Evidence suggests that high salt intake increases the mass of the left ventricle, as well as stiffens and narrows arteries, including coronary and renal arteries. It increases the probability of stroke, severity of cardiac failure and tendency for platelets to aggregate. As per WHO, cutting down on dietary salt intake to a recommended 5 g per day has a major impact on reducing blood pressure and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

Saturated Fatty Acid (SFA): SFAs are widely used in packaged foods, including cookies, crackers, and snack chips. When consumed in excess of the recommended limit (less than 10 percent of total calorie intake), SFAs are known to clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Trans Fatty Acid (TFA): TFAs are formed during the process of hydrogenation of vegetable oils (PHVOs) to make it semi solid, and serves to provide longer shelf life, and better form and texture to food. Typically, they are found in high quantities in bakery products and snacks that are deep-fried in PHVOs. TFAs are well known to have an adverse impact on blood lipid levels as they reduce the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) and increase the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. Further, their consumption increases insulin resistance and promotes obesity. WHO recommends that less than 1 percent of calories should come from TFAs.

Besides the above key ingredients of concern, caffeine used in carbonated beverages and energy drinks is an addictive stimulant, which, if consumed in excess, can lead to impaired muscle and nerve functions, dehydration and a host of other disorders. Consumption of caffeine, particularly among school children, is a matter of concern and needs to be strictly regulated in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) and the regulations made there under.

HFSS Food Consumption in India: Consumption of ‘HFSS Food’ is rapidly increasing, both in urban and rural areas. The ease of availability, superior taste, low cost, aggressive marketing and advertisements, and peer pressure make them popular with children. The most common (60.4 percent) result of skipping meals, as found in the WHO study, was the consumption of foods such as potato chips, chocolates and carbonated drinks. HFSS food replacing balanced diet is a key issue; as per NIN dietary guidelines “the shift from traditional to ‘modern’ foods, changing cooking practices, increased intake and intensive promotion of HFSS foods and beverages have affected people’s perception of foods as well as their dietary behaviour.” Irrational preference for energy-dense foods and those with high sugar and salt content pose a serious health risk to people, especially children.

Most Common HFSS Foods:

Chips and fried foods, e.g. Kachori

Sugar sweetened carbonated beverages

Sugar sweetened non-carbonated beverages, e.g. Juices

Ready-to-eat noodles, and pizzas and burgers

Potato fries

Confectionery items, e.g. Gulab Jamun

Fatty Acids May Have:

– No double bonds – which is the case in saturated fatty acids (SAFA), and is considered to be bad for health.

– One double bond – as in the case of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); and many double bonds – as in the case of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); both are normally termed as being good for health.

Each type of oil has some percent of SAFA, MUFA/PUFA, and TFA. Some oils are good for frying where as some oils are used elsewhere. A very good source of MUFA/PUFA is freshly made homemade ‘ghee’ or butter oil. We used to blame ghee for the incidence of obesity in humans because, in ancient times, we used to eat products made in ghee or freshly pressed oils. However, the proportion of obese humans, then, were less as humans were doing manual work at that time, more than what we do today.

The TFA present in oil used for frying a samosa on a street cart by a vendor will be much higher than fresh oil used for frying items at home. Industrially, oil usage is restricted based on the amount of free fatty acid (FFA) present in the oil. In industrially processed food, where ever frying is done, the oil is replaced by fresh oil once it reaches an FFA level of approximately 2.0 percent. Thus, Industrially processed food is still far better than what we eat at street vendors.

See the examples of various oil compositions for their SAFA, MUFA and PUFA

Need of the Hour: –

The need of the hour is to get more money to provide your family with good food and shelter. The lack of time and money in life is one of the reasons why people feel the need to buy and eat processed food, or what is commonly referred to as easy food. People often find time to only have a quick bite as everyone is in a hurry to get to and from work or home. Many restaurants and hotels have opened up in recent history, both in India and the rest of the world, to meet the needs of a growing base of customers looking for quick food. However, it is imperative for all of us to be conscious of the negative effects of the compounds and chemicals present in processed foods and other products we consume from outside. Cooking food at home, using ingredients you trust, is still the best way to maintain superior health.

FSSAI revamps licensing and registration regulations

In the recently-held meeting of the Central Advisory Committee, the apex food regulator of the country, has decided to review the regulations and restructure it in a way that would ensure more compliance form the FBOs. According to FSSAI’s review document, the proposed limit for registration under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has been set at Rs 20 lakh, which is currently at Rs 12 lakh,which means now FBOs with a turnover of upto Rs 20 lakh require to only register with FSSAI.

Besides, the regulator has proposed to create three categories of licenses. While Level A (for FBOs whose turnover is between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 5 crore) and Level B (for FBOs whose turnover is between Rs 5 crore and Rs 75 crore) licenses will be issued by the state licensing authorities, the third category (Level C) is for FBOs whose turnover is over Rs 75 crore, and their licenses will be issued by the Central Licensing Authority.

Further, draft proposal pushes for the simplification of businesses as well, with seven categories, including manufacturing. The other kinds include storage, transport, trade, retail (both general and e-commerce), food services (both general and e-commerce) and imports.

The focus of FSSAI for some time has been to increase the level of compliance and awareness about the requisites under the regulations with regards of food safety ecosystem.

In the meeting it has been decided that the FSSAI headquarters shall be responsible for ensuring the compliance through a direct monitoring system on real-time basis, as all other FBOs’ premises will be linked with the head office for the purpose.

The document added that inspection shall take place once a year by the authority or third party. The proposal has stated that new licenses and registration will be issued to the FBOs for the remaining period of validity without any fees.

FSSAI amends law to stop reuse of edible oil

AHMEDABAD: A new amendment in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSAI) mandates that the total polarized compound (TPC) value in edible oil must be less than 25%. The new amendment to FSSAI will come into effect from July 1. In the run-up to this, FDCA – Gujarat, had recently undertaken a pilot drive to test the TPC value of oil across establishments in Ahmedabad.

Explaining the adverse health impact of reused edible oil, H G Koshia, commissioner, Food and Drug Control Authority – Gujarat, said, “As oil is heated to smoking point, the TPC value of oil increases. This is hazardous to one’s health, especially in the longer run as it increases trans fat content in oil. The new amendment will help us ensure safety of the food prepared outside as well.”

Referring to the finds of the pilot drive, Koshia said, “We found 40% of the commercial establishments and eateries reusing the oil they have already used for frying for cooking, re-frying and other edible purposes. All of these samples had a TPC value that was greater than 25%.”

With regular checks and raids conducted by civic authorities, several cases of reuse of oil in addition to use of adulterated oil also come to the fore. “The number of cases of reuse of oil in the eateries and manufacturing units in the city are way more than those of adulterated oil usage, the latter accounting for merely 7% of the total suspicious samples. However, in absence of evidence, we cannot penalize or take coercive action for those reusing oil. The new amendment will help better enforcement of quality,” said Bhavin Solanki, medical officer of health, AMC.

FDCA – Gujarat has procured a special device to test the TPC value in oil instantly. Authorities believe that the amendment in the act will further enable them to penalize eateries and establishments that reuse edible oil. The move will bring all these businesses under the civic body and state government’s scanner.

Estimates provided by top sources in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s health department indicate that some 80% of establishments be it a farsan store or an eatery or a street food vendor, tend to filter out the oil used for frying and reuse it multiple times.

Meat accused held

New Town: Police arrested the suspected kingpin of a rotten meat supply chain in the Baguiati-New Town area early on Thursday.

Detective department officers of Bidhannagar commisionerate picked up Mohammed Kausar Ali Dhali, 38, from his relative's house in Hasnabad.

Dhali used to run a chicken supply centre in Aatghora behind City Centre II in New Town, an officer of the commissionerate said.

He owned at least two shops in Baguiati from where he sold a mix of rotten and fresh chicken, the officer claimed.

Dhali was on the run and had switched off his two mobile phones since April 27 when cops raided the supply centre and arrested eight people, including six of his employees, and seized more than 100kg of foul smelling frozen meat.

"Dhali was frequently changing hideouts and had switched off his phone to throw us off his track," Amit P. Javalgi, deputy commisssioner, headquarters, Bidhannagar commissionerate, said.

Dhali has been booked under various IPC sections, including 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale) and 273 (sale of noxious food or drink) and Section 51 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

A Barrackpore court on Thursday sent Dhali to five days' police custody.

Cops stumbled on Dhali's supply centre after people living near Gate No. 2.5 stopped Nasiruddin Gazi with rotten meat. Gazi told them that he was carrying the meat for Janardan Singh, 48, a Dum Dum resident who runs an eatery in Chinar Park.

The police questioned them together and got to know of Dhali's supply centre.

Dhali, originally from Basirhat in North 24-Parganas, had been staying at the houses of his relatives spread across the district, another officer said. "A search is on for Dhali's brother and cousin."

Do you know your meat?

The right cut The scarier the headlines, the more analysis of our meat suppliers needed 

The regulation of meat shops in the city isn’t just a clean cut issue

The Kolkata meat scandal is still sending painful punches to T-bone of the meat industry of southern India, as well as somewhat diminishing the appetites of several meat lovers. After all, 20000kg of rotting meat is pretty hard to miss. So has this changed the way Hyderabadis buy meat?

Earlier this year, GHMC joined forces with meat shop owners and started offering cash prizes through a lucky draw to those using reusable bags while shopping for mutton, chicken and the likes. The initiative aims to further a greener way to purchase meat as part of their anti-polythene drive, which isn’t a bad idea at all. But soon, the cash prizes have to end and people should want to employ such a behaviour rather than for profit.

There are also active campaigns in the city; FIAPO (Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisation) works towards a better environment for legal meat shops and consumers. They’ve observed the unwarranted injection of chemicals into meat which is sold off to unassuming consumers who then suffer the consequences.

N Prashanth, who joined the organisation a few weeks ago, explains that FIAPO will be approaching various meat shops in the city which may not have licenses, adding, “There are more unlicensed shops than one realises, about two or three in each neighbourhood. We are an NGO so when we approach these places and ask for their licenses, we get one of two reactions: if the place does have a license, they show us, but if they don’t, then they get angry and defensive.”

Loyalty wins

There doesn’t seem to be much to worry about in Hyderabad though; in such a meat-loving city, it’s almost a rite of passage to have that one butcher who delivers the best possible product.

Fifty six-year-old Shyam Kumar who resides near Hitec City drives once a week all the way to Malakpet at 6 am to get the first fresh cuts of mutton from Premier Meat Shop and Chicken Centre located on Mumbai Highway. “My family used to come here for generations since I was in eighth grade. Different generations come here and the place is run by different generations — the father and his sons,” he explains, adding “Each time I visit, they give me exactly want I want, whether it’s kaala or chops. And if I don’t get here early, everything is sold out.”

Digital diets

Thanks to the convenience of platforms such as Licious and Big Basket, there doesn’t seem to be much of an impact on those who trust the freshness of these providers.

Licious head honcho Joe Manavalan, explains that the growth of a platform like Licious is helpful in a country where people are constantly moving. When one moves to a new city, they tend to rely on brands for certain products but when it’s something like meat or fresh produce, there needs to be a build-up of trust, and online platforms which promise the provision of the best are everywhere you go — all one needs is a valid postcode.

“We work with farmers, feeder farms and processing centres, just to make sure every stage of the production chain is right. Poultry in India is advanced with the popular concept of e-farms where even air is controlled to monitor the health of the chickens. But lamb and sea fish are tough because their environments aren’t under our control, but in the coming year, we are looking to home in on that. With lamb, farmers who make an art of keeping the animal healthy and butchers who observe the meat is aged properly are a dream, and I fully support these vendors;they’re a cornerstone of such a huge industry.”

Joe adds that many of Licious’ advancements come from a close study of meat shops which may not follow regulation. He asserts, “Some butchers, in a rush to serve the customer, don’t wait to age the meat in that vital stage for rigor mortis.”

Post-mortem muscle chemistry, in which muscle naturally converts to meat, is extremely important, which is another reason why the licensing of meat shops is a serious issue.

Trans fat in edible oils: FSSAI likely to meet industry stakeholders next week

NEW DELHI, MAY 24

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is likely to hold a meeting next week with edible oil companies, medical experts and scientists to discuss a proposal on further reduction in trans fat levels in edible oils.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation released a plan to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids from the global food supply by 2023. It has called on governments to follow a six-step action plan to achieve this goal.

Last year, FSSAI had reduced the permissible levels of trans fat in edible oils to 5 per cent from 10 per cent. The food safety authority is now looking at a proposal to further reduce trans fat levels to 2 per cent in edible oil.

Last week, FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal had said that even before the WHO released its plan on elimination of industrially produced trans fat, India already has put in place a strategy to make India trans fat free . He said India is working on a strategy aimed at making India trans fat free by 2022.

While the natural sources of trans fat are dairy and meat products, partially hydrogenated edible oils have been identified as the key source for industrially-produced trans fat.

Last year, FSSAI had also notified standards on re-use or reheating of cooking oil. It states that vegetable oils that have accumulated the total polar compounds (TPC) of more than 25 per cent cannot be used. These standards will come into force from July 1 and the regulator believes enforcement of these regulations will help solve part of the problem.