DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

Rumours of formalin in fish hits trade

Checks Show Fish Safe, Say Officials

Chennai: 

Rumours that fish sent from Tamil Nadu to Kerala was laced with formalin has affected the trade in the state, particularly in Chennai. With aban on fishing along the west coast in place, fishermen in places like Kasimedu in Chennai had been sending most of the catch to Kerala and other places. The quantum of the loss is yet to be ascertained. 

In order to assuage buyers, officials of the fisheries department and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted thorough checks at the fishing harbor and fish markets and found, apart from finding decayed fish in a couple of places, none laced with formalin. Search teams used a kit developed by Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalithaa Fisheries University. 

FSSAI officials said they were working with the fisheries department on the issue and that fish samples were collected and tested in Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts. 

The fishermen, however, do not seem satisfied. South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association president K Bharathi said the government instead of just conducting checks should also spread awareness among people. “The fish that had formalin traces were sent from Andhra Pradesh to Kerala and not from Tamil Nadu,” he added. 

Fishermen in the state had begun getting a good catch very recently after the ban ended but have again been hit by the rumours, he said. Tuna from Tamil Nadu was one of the most sought after in Kerala and used to fetch up to ₹120 per kg. Now, traders in Kerala have rejected it. 

“There are no takers even after the price was reduced,” he said. 

Prof develops kit to check fish quality 

Chennai: 

A kit developed by Jeyashakila, a professor at Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University in Tuticorin, has come in handy to check quality of fish, especially to see if it is laced with formalin. 

Jeyashakila, who is also the head of the Referal Laboratory at the university, said a sample of the fish skin has to be put in a vial with a diluent. A chemical is added to the mixture which reacts if formalin is present in it. If the mixture turns fluorescent yellow, it is positive. If the sample remains colourless, it is negative. The test takes about five minutes to check for the presence of formalin. Using one kit, 25 samples can be tested, she added

How India is planning to fight lifestyle diseases

The FSSAI is flagging off its nationwide 'Eat Right' initiative on July 10 to promote healthy living.

In the early 1990s, when I used to be a health writer, Dr K Srinath Reddy, one of the country’s foremost public health advocates, used to lament the absence of any concern for "lifestyle diseases", especially those that are diet related and hence reversible, in the public sphere.

He would refer wistfully to the Danish model of reducing the burden of cardio-vascular diseases by rigorously introducing food labelling, cutting down salt intake at the population level, and introducing safe and nutritious food in schools.

Policy discussions in those days were still dominated by contagious diseases, from malaria to the new "pandemic" (as it was then described by a number of vested interest) of AIDS, and barring few people, such as Dr Reddy and the eminent late nutritionist, Dr Vulimiri Ramalingaswamy, no one really cared to underline the potential dangers of the new diets (now covered by the umbrella acronym HFSS, or High Fat, Salt and Sugar) that were being introduced into the country by fast food multinationals, cola giants and purveyors of breakfast cereals.

In the last 25 years, what were once lone voices of public intellectuals — such as Dr Reddy, Dr Vandana Shiva, alter-globalisation crusader and founder of Navdanya, and the director-general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Dr Sunita Narain — now got amplified into a chorus for change.

Informed Indians, influenced by the western debate on the subject sparked off by Fast Food Nation, the turn-of-the-millennium book by Eric Schlosser, started speaking up and acting against junk food, sugar-laden colas and breakfast cereals, genetically modified food, chemically altered "low fat" food, and "high-yielding agriculture" propelled by an overload of potentially life-threatening chemicals and fertilisers.

Multiple factors have ensured that food will finally find its place at the centre of the national health policy debate — and it will cease to be the sole concern of doctors, nutritionists and your friendly neighbourhood dietician.

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a new set of progressive Draft Food Safety and Standards (Display and Labelling) Regulations, which have already triggered nationwide discussions on making it mandatory for sugar and added sugar to be mentioned specifically on product labels, for nutrition labels to be attached to junk food delivery boxes, and for film and sport celebrities to stay away from promoting colas.

The food regulator is also getting new, and realistic, standards in place for the certification of organic foodstuff, and it is all set to flag off its nationwide “Eat Right” initiative on July 10.

One of the pillars of the movement, which for the first time will also cover food served at holy places and on the Indian Railways, will be the implementation of the national goal of freeing India from the scourge of “transfats” (the real artery blockers, such as margarine and vegetable oil, or vanaspati, in packaged and fast foods) by 2022.

This movement can only gather momentum because of international initiatives such as the recently published, action-orientated "Solutions Menu" of the Nordic Council, or the SDG2 Advocacy Hub’s efforts to get chefs around the world aligned to sustainability issues, or the 20-member Lancet Commission’s monumental work on healthy and sustainable diets (look out for its report on India).

Getting a country such as India to "Eat Right" is not easy. No regulatory mechanism can be strong enough for a country where, as I learnt the other day, big food operators sell their used oil to small restaurants and street vendors for a profit! Unless all of us view "Eat Right" as more than just another slogan, but a call for national action, we’ll all continue to wallow in the sea of lifestyle diseases.

From what we eat to the air we breathe — cancer is everywhere

Sonali Bendre recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with a high-grade cancer that has metastasised. With this news, the actor falls in the category of other celebrities, such as Manisha Koirala, Lisa Ray and, more recently, Irrfan Khan, who were also diagnosed with different types of the disease. What’s worrying is the fact they were all leading healthy lives before being diagnosed with cancer. So, are lifestyle choices really to blame?

WATCH WHAT YOU CONSUME

Despite awareness, cancer continues to claim lives at an alarming rate. The government-run Kidwai Institute of Oncology alone witnesses some 1,000 patients every day from across the state. The patient pool doesn’t just consist of smokers. Experts, therefore, stress on the need for awareness and stricter regulations on food and packaging. “The common man is ignorant about the chemicals and pesticides that are pumped into the food we consume — with everything from bread to milk,” says Dr Vishal Rao, a head and neck oncologist.

Pesticides, preservatives and wasted calories seem to be the trends of new Indian recipes. Oncologist Dr BS Ajai Kumar says, “Urban Indians are yet to understand the serious implications of eating outside and how lifestyle changes can cause cancer. Unfortunately, because of our dietary habits, having canned and frozen food alters our body’s epigenetics (heritable changes in gene function that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence). The amount of pesticides and herbicides used is unnatural. Breast, ovarian and colon cancer has increased drastically because of this demographic shift. The middle-class is now into junk food and the repercussions are not good.”

BREATHING IN DANGER

The rampant burning of garbage across the city and the exhaust from vehicles is more than just an eyesore. Doctors warn that another reason why there has been a spike in the number of cancer cases is the toxins that we all invariably breathe in. “Not just food safety and regulations, another area that needs to be looked at is the amount of pollution in the air that we all breathe. Sadly, there’s no check and regulation on garbage burning, vehicular smoke, the burning of dry wood and industrial pollution,” says Dr Vishal.

THE HEAVY PRICE OF BEAUTY

A study done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that 73 cosmetic products of four different categories were tested for heavy metals. Of this, 32 fairness creams (26 for women and six for men) were found to have mercury. Additionally, 30 lipsticks, eight lip balms and three anti-aging creams (samples included Indian and international cosmetic brands, along with a few herbal products) were found to contain lead, cadmium, chromium and nickel.

Causes

• Increasing obesity
• Lifestyle-related changes
• Alcohol consumption, which has increased three fold between 2000 and 2014
• Delayed childbirth and reduced breastfeeding
• Chemicals consumed through water and food
• Pollution, stress, lack of exercise

Dead lizard in midday meal makes two ill

NEW DELHI: Two girls aged 11 and 14, respectively were hospitalised after eating midday meal at their school in east Delhi’s Kalyanpuri on Saturday morning. A dead lizard was found in it during investigation.

Confirming the incident, DCP (east) Pankaj Kumar Singh said a case has been registered against the vendor under IPC section of endangering life or personal safety of others.

The incident happened after lunch when the girls started vomiting. They were taken to a nearby hospital and are currently stable. During inspection by the school staff, a dead lizard was found in the vessel in which the food packets were brought in. Subsequently, the principal filed a complaint with the police and the case was registered against the vendor. Police have sent the utensils for further investigation as well.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia later visited the school after hearing about the incident and talked to the children. The food vendor’s contract has been suspended till the investigations are completed. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also received a complaint about the incident and has launched an investigation into it.