Jun 15, 2018
6,000kg fish preserved in formalin returned to Hyderabad
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is an alarming increase in the quantity of fish sold in the state that has been preserved using formalin, a toxic chemical. In the latest instance, the food safety department seized and returned 6,000kg sardines brought to Edappazhanji fish market in Thiruvananthapuramfrom Hyderabad after they tested positive for high formalin content .
The seizure was made during the wee hours of Sunday and the truck was returned from the check post at Amaravila on Monday.
The samples have been sent to the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) for detailed examination.
"There has been a rise in the use of formalin in the fish brought from other states. The food safety department has been undertaking routine and random inspections at the check-posts. The public has also been advised to inform food safety officials if they suspect the presence of additives in the fish they buy," food safety commissioner M G Rajamanickam said.
In another incident, the department returned another consignment of about 500kg fish brought from Tuticorin, which was found to be rotten and preserved in formalin.
Also, in some of the recent incidents, samples collected from Kaduthuruthy, Ettumannoor, Kottayam and Kanjirappally had tested positive for formalin, and the cases have been sent for prosecution.
As part of a project titled Sagar Rani, the department had collected samples from many parts of the state, and several of them tested positive for formalin.
Food safety officials said the state had been witnessing an influx of fish from Karnataka, Andhra, Goa and Tamil Nadu in large quantities via Manjeshwaram, Walayar and Amaravila check posts.
"Some of the consignments were visibly rotten, but these were being sold after mixing them with fresh fish, especially in rural areas," Rajamanickam said.
The department has been gearing up for a more intense drive by increasing its random sample collection in fish markets across the state.
But the department has also been facing the problem of lack of space to scientifically dispose of such fish.
FSAT upholds judgment of Adjudicating Officers
Jammu Tawi, Jun 14
In a landmark Judgment announced by the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal, Jammu under Food Safety & Standards Act,2006 , the Court has upheld the judgments pronounced by Adjudicating Officers of District Samba and Udhampur in the Cases titled Food Safety Officer Samba V/s Fill industries Ltd SIDCO, Electronic Complex Rangreth-Srinagar & Others, Food Safety Officer Udhampur V/S M/s Sarveshwar Organic Food Ltd-Jammu wherein a fine of Rs Five Lacs Fifty Thousand have been imposed on the accused parties.
The Cases were pleaded by Adv Chowdhary Mohammad Ayoub who appeared for the Department before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal Jammu. It is pertinent to mention here that during last year; 1921 statutory samples of various food articles were lifted from Jammu Province wherein 564 samples were found in contravention of FSSA.
Accordingly, Legal action was initiated against the defaulter companies. Out of which 497 cases have been decided and fine amounting to Rs 45,14,600 have been imposed on the violators.
Remove and REPLACE – because even small quantities of trans fat in the diet cause big damage to health
The use of artificial ‘trans fat’ in edible oils imperils health. New WHO guidelines advocate for a return to better-known, traditionally used alternatives.
On 14 May, the World Health Organisation called on all countries to make the world free of trans fats by 2023. A number of countries have already accomplished this, including a range of middle and lower income countries worldwide that have heavily restricted or eliminated trans fats altogether.
They do so with good reason.
Industrially produced trans fats are artificial compounds formed by ‘partial hydrogenation of edible oils’ that are harmful when consumed, even at low levels. In the South-East Asia Region, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) are the primary source of trans fats in food items.
Commercial food production, particularly with regard to bakery products such as biscuits and pastries, uses high amounts of PHVOs, thus increasing the risk of trans fat consumption. Changing food patterns and the popularity of processed foods is likely to increase trans fat intake. Likewise, high levels of trans fat have also been found elsewhere, especially in food produced by informal vendors. Trans fats dramatically increase the risk of heart attack.
Replacing oils containing high trans fats with healthier options will have no impact on the taste or availability of food, and will dramatically advance health and wellbeing. It will also help achieve WHO South-East Asia’s regional target and Flagship Priority of reducing noncommunicable diseases by one-fourth by 2025, and then by one-third by 2030, as per the Sustainable Development Goal targets.
Mustard, sunflower, rapeseed (canola), ground nut, and soya based oils are all healthier alternatives. These crops are valuable, efficient and in high demand. Importantly, the increased growth, production and use of these crops will enhance the health and wellbeing of people and align the region with the global drive to restrict trans fats and save millions of lives at virtually no cost to government or consumers.
To that end, WHO’s six step REPLACE action package – launched last week in Geneva – provides all countries with proven tools to completely eliminate trans fats from their national food supply and counter increasingly changing food patterns. At present, 90% of people around the world – about 6.5 billion – are exposed to these artery clogging substances, with little to no government support or alternatives offerred. WHO’s REPLACE package aims to accelerate restrictions on trans fat products via an easy six step process. Each of these steps can be readily embraced, implemented and enforced, with game changing effect.
First is reviewing dietary sources of trans fats and the landscape required for policy change. Second is promoting the replacement of trans fats with healthier fats and oils. Third is legislating or enacting regulatory actions to eliminate trans fats. Fourth is assessing and monitoring trans fat content in the food supply and changes in trans fat consumption in the population. Fifth is creating awareness of the negative health impact of trans fats among policymakers, producers, suppliers and the public. And sixth is enforcing compliance with policies and regulations.
If implemented effectively, the WHO REPLACE package will ensure prompt, complete and sustained elimination of trans fats from the world’s food supply, thereby driving down demand. That is a good that will give many times over, saving billions of dollars in both developed and developing economies, and slashing the rate of premature deaths worldwide. But making that happen requires more than goodwill; it requires a willingness to act, and to do so decisively.
WHO’s new guidelines provide the opportunity and incentive to replace oils high in trans fats regionwide with locally made, healthy alternatives. That opportunity should be grasped, and a return to better known, traditional alternatives embraced.
The writer is Regional Director WHO South-East Asia Region
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)