DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

FSSAI asks nutraceuticals industry to adopt self-regulation

Food safety regulator FSSAI today said there is still confusion among consumers about nutraceuticals because of misinformation, and called for adoption of self-regulation by industry players.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chairman Ashish Bahuguna said the industry has bigger responsibility to ensure quality and safe products to consumers.

Nuraceuticals are product of food origin with extra health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value of the food. These can be viewed as non-specific bilogical therapies that promote general health, control symptoms and prevent malignant processes.

Confusion and clarity

Addressing an Assocham event here, Bahuguna said, “Everyone expects the acceptability of nutraceuticals to grow. I feel the first challenge is that consumers have ‘bramh’ (confusion). There is so much misinformation.”

There are also false claims about the products. The consumers want claims on labels to be clear. The industry should clarify the difference between nutraceuticals and pharmceuticals, he said asking the industry to work in this direction. Consumer interest and safety should be the priority for the industry, for which it should adopt self-regulation, he added.

Bahuguna further said, “FSSAI makes stringent rules that no one violates. Manufacturers have bigger responsibility to make quality and safe products.” Nutraceuticals sector is growing fast and will grow faster in the coming years. FSSAI is open to accepting suggestions to improve the sector, he added.

Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey, National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTEM) Vice Chancellor Chindi Vasudevappa were among other industry players present at the event.

Many challenges

Highlighting the challenges faced in the sector, Sami-Sabinsa Group founder and chairman Muhammed Majeed said the industry should be worried about herbal security as the country cannot depend on other nations like Indonesia for regular supply.“In Ayurveda, if you don’t get one herb, it is adulterated with other. Even in nutraceuticals, it happens. Therefore, herbal security is important,” he said.

Majeed also said India should patent new products else other countries will do so, affecting the domestic industry.

Health Foods and Dietary Supplements Association (HADSA) President Ajit Singh said the domestic industry has many problems with regard to packaging and hygiene. The nutraceuticals industry is forced to make products from equipments and processes designed by pharma industry. “We need to redesign equipments for nutraceuticals,” he said.

Another problem is that nutraceuticals are packed scientifically. They are packed in plastics that reduce the quality of dosages each time the bottle is opened, he said and suggested blister packaging.

According to an Assocham Knowledge report, the Indian nutraceuticals market is expected to grow from USD 4 billion in 2017 to USD 18 billion in 2025. Key global players in this sector include GSK Consumer Healthcare, HUL, Nestle, Danone, Kellogg’s and Amway.

Indian companies like ITC, Dabur, Himalaya, Patanjali and Baidyanath are trying to reach out to customers by introducing new products in the market. With emergence of new companies like Sami Labs, Tirupati Group, Deccan Healthcare and Vantage Nutrition, the market for nutraceuticals looks promising, the report said.

2 interstate tobacco smugglers held with 150kg contraband

Coimbatore: The food safety department detained two men, who were smuggling 150kg of banned tobacco products from Bengaluru, at Walayar checkpost on Wednesday. 

The catch assumes significance as the department had been catching stashes of banned chewable tobacco products from godowns across the district, but it is yet to zero in on how these banned products manufactured outside the state come into the city.

On Wednesday, officials at Walayar checkpost stopped a Kerala-registered Maruti Ertiga and found packets of banned tobacco products. They detained Vibin, 30, and Riyaz, 33, both from Ernakulam. Subsequently, the checkpost officials informed the rural police and the food safety department.

Food Safety officials reached the spot and questioned the two men. “They said they had bought the tobacco products from Bengaluru. They drove to the city via Salem and were on their way to Ernakulam,” said Dr Vijayalalithambigai, designated food safety officer. “We have seized the vehicle and the tobacco products. We are now trying to get details of their suppliers as we suspect tobacco items to Coimbatore might also be coming from them.”

The food safety department has seized around three tonnes of banned tobacco products from shops and godowns since June. “According to distributors caught in the city, tobacco products are manufactured in north India and come to city from Bengaluru through buses. We are now hoping to catch people who bring tobacco items into the city and supply them to distributors,” said Vijayalalithambigai.

150kg of gutkha seized from vehicle at Walayar check post

COIMBATORE: Food safety officials here on Wednesday morning seized 150kg of banned tobacco products from a multi utility vehicle at Walayar check-post. The vehicle was going to Ernakulam from Bengaluru. 

Designated food safety officer Dr Vijayalalithambigai said the food safety department had got a call from police officers at Walayar check-post. "They told us that they had caught a vehicle carrying large sacks of gutkha. There were two men in the vehicle," she said

On being questioned by the food safety department and police, the men said they had brought the gutkha from Bengaluru. 

"The two men have been detained for further questioning on the source of gutkha and whether they have buyers in Coimbatore too," she said.

"This is the third time that this same vehicle was crossing this border in the last couple of weeks," she added.

Clean street food project to change vendor mindset

Clean food? Popular seafronts like Girgaum Chowpatty are lined with street food stalls that do brisk business. ` 

FDA, Nestle India team up; survey on in city, Pune, Nagpur

Mumbai: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and Association of Food Scientists and Technology (AFST) are conducting a gap analysis of street food vendors at the Juhu and Girgaum chowpattys to develop them as clean street food hubs. A gap analysis assesses measures to make an individual or business perform to full potential, and identify areas for improvement.

Shailesh Adhav, Joint Commissioner (Food), FDA, said various aspects of the business of street vendors operating along these beaches are being studied. The aim, he added, is to transform them into seafront food hubs, similar to those in countries like South Africa, Spain and Thailand. “The analysis may look at a common waste disposal system, better seating and change in structures, among other factors. We may have to take the civic body’s help to implement the project. Once ready, these hubs will be certified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as zones which will maintain quality, cleanliness and hygiene.”

The initiative is part of the Clean Street Food Hubs projects, to be implemented across the country depending on the success of pilots in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Two more hubs are planned in the State at Saras Baug in Pune and Futala Lake in Nagpur. For starters, 80-odd vendors at Juhu and 25 at Girgaum have attended a day-long training session on hygiene. They were given a food safety kit, which included an apron, head cap, gloves, towel and hand wash, and informed of the importance of using the kit to attract customers.

Surprise check

After the training session, the FDA carried out a surprise inspection at both places, and found some vendors using the kit. Mr. Adhav said, “We highlighted several aspects of hygiene. For example, most vendors didn’t have a proper dustbin, so we made them get one with a lid to keep away the flies and stink. Most vendors had long, dirty fingernails and long hair. Their water storage facilities weren’t appropriate. These were pointed out as well during the training. We want to change mindsets.”

Ganesh Parlikar, Assistant Commissioner, FDA, said Nestle India has helped to take the project to more than 2,900 street food vendors across the State in the last three months. “They have a mobile van which reaches out to vendors. The training sessions are held inside the van, covering food safety, cleanliness and hygiene issues.”He added that the van has covered 814 street vendors and 41 spots in Mumbai, and 159 locations in the rest of the State.

Subramanyam Bharti, owner of the 57-year-old Siddhivinayak Pav Bhaji stall at Juhu beach, said his staff have become more conscious after the training. “My six-member staff was already using goves and head cap. But after the FDA training, they have understood that hygeine and cleanliness is mandatory.”

‘Edible’ oil seized near Dindigul

It was meant for distribution in open market; mill sealed

A 10-member team of officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) raided a private oil manufacturing facility on Dindigul-Gujiliamparai Road here and seized 11,000 litres of ‘edible’ oil meant for distribution in markets and sealed the mill on Wednesday.

Following complaints that the private mill was indulging in adulteration, officials were monitoring movements of raw materials and other goods for some time.

According to the officials, when the team entered the premises, they found that oil used for lighting lamp were being mixed and packed as “edible” oil.

While the FSSAI had clearly mentioned a list of oil, which alone should be used for cooking, some oil manufacturers allegedly indulged in adulteration. The samples were sent to the laboratory and, based on the report, further action would be taken.

The team comprised Designated Officer K. Natarajan and his team included Chandramohan, Saranya and Jothimani.

The officers told reporters that the seized oil may be worth around ₹ 10 lakh if they had been sold in the markets.

To a query, they replied that only gingely oil, groundnut oil, refined sun flower oil should be used for edible purpose. They urged the consumers to purchase oil available in sealed containers only.

The public can lodge complaint with the Collector and the FSSAI about any adulteration happening in their locality. The information shall be kept confidential, they said.

Mumbai: FDA to inspect Juhu, Girgaum chowpatty food stalls for hygiene maintenance

The state-run Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be inspecting food sold by vendors at Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty. Earlier, the FDA along with the FSSAI had trained street food vendors at these two chowpatties on guaranteeing food safety and also distributed hygiene kits.

According to FDA officials, the inspection will be carried out to see if they are following the food safety measures. Under the street food vending initiative announced last month by the FDA, two major street food joints — Juhu Chowpatty and Girgaum Chowpatty — were identified. The authorities also selected streets famous for street foods in other cities, such as Saras Baug in Pune and Futala Talav in Nagpur.

Speaking about the inspection, Shailesh Adhav, Joint Commissioner, Food, Mumbai, said, "We have already trained street food vendors twice. To fill the gap and see if they are following the instructions, we will be inspecting these two places along with an association of food scientists and technologists on Friday.

The main objective of the inspection includes looking at the hygiene measures followed by street food vendors to provide quality food. "We want them to coordinate with us and ensure that safe street food is served," added Adhav.

In the street food vending initiative, FDA will be the first one to fill up gaps where there is a lack of good facilities. The problems that come in the way of maintaining good hygiene include non-potable water, cleanliness of the place, and waste disposal.

Recently, BMC's Hydraulic Engineering Department collected 3,086 water samples from 24 wards and found that 53 samples unfit, while 14 of them had E-coli contamination.

"The street stalls do not maintain hygiene standards, which in turn contaminates the water. Maintaining hygiene will reduce the spread of infectious diseases," Dr Madhukar Gaikwad, Medical Superintendent, St George Hospital.

Food safety officer arrested on graft charges

A food safety officer was among four government employees arrested by vigilance personnel in Odisha for allegedly accepting bribe, a vigilance statement said.

The food safety officer, Tapaswini Behera and senior helper of Berhampur Municipal Corporation, Dharmananda Nayak, were yesterday caught while accepting the illegal gratification of Rs 1,000 from a hotel owner for renewal of the food license of the hotel, the statement said.

Following a complaint by the hotel owner, a trap was laid by vigilance personnel who recovered the money from the table drawer of Behera.

In another operation, Riship Kumar Pruset, a junior clerk in the office of the sub-collector, Kuchinda in Sambalpur district was yesterday caught for accepting illegal gratification of Rs 5,000 from the chief priest of the Lord Jagannath temple there, the statement said.

The bribe was demanded for processing a file in respect of transfer of Rs 27,200 to the chief priests account towards day-to-day expenditure of the Jagannath Temple at Kuchinda.

The sub-collector of Kuchinda is the ex-officio president of the Jagannath Temple at Kuchinda. The income received from all sources are deposited in SBI, Kuchinda in the account maintained in the name of the sub-collector, Kuchinda, the release said.

In yet another trap, Guru Charan Munda, head clerk- cum-accountant in the statistics wing of the district planning and monitoring unit, Mayurbhanj, Baripada was caught for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a retired statistical field inspector to process his GPF and pension papers.

The bribe was recovered from his pocket during yesterday's operation following which the head clerk was arrested.

Airport food under FSSAI scanner

Seaports and airports need to have licence issued by the Central food safety agency

The Food Safety And Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all the Food Business Operator (FBO) establishments within the premises of seaports and airports to have licence issued by the Central food safety agency only.

The food regulator, in its recent order stated that in future all such FBO's having establishments within the seaports/airports premises i.e. within Port/Airport Terminals for which DOs (Designated Officers) (PHOs (Public Health Officer)/APHOs (Additional Public Health Officer)) have been notified under FSS Act, 2006 need to obtain licenses from respective DOs and incase where DOs (PHOs/APHOs) have not been notified under FSS Act, 2006, the FBOs need to obtain license from the respective Central licensing authorities.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI told Mail Today, "As of now, all our international ports have a public health officer who manages the licensing procedures of FBO's at sea/airports. But we were witnessing a lot of confusion at the domestic ports whether it has to be under the control of State or Central government. From now on, all the domestic posts will have to managed by Central food regulator," he said.

DLSC on food safety constituted

Food Safety Commissioner cum Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, I.Himato Zhimomi has constituted the district level steering committee (DLSC) in all district of Nagaland under section 30(2) (d) of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 with the following members:

Chairperson – Deputy Commissioner; member secretary – Designated Officer (CMO); and members – Commissioner/Superintendent of Police; Administrator (Municipal/ Town Council); Food Safety Officer & Horticulture/ Agriculture/ Veterinary/ Fishery/ Land Resources/ Food & Civil Supplies/ Municipal Affairs/ Rural/Education/Social Welfare/Industries & Commerce Department/Chamber of Commerce as District members and the DLSC will incorporate any NGOs as and when required.

In order to exercise public Safety under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the DLSC will meet regularly to carry out the various provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and action taken may be reported to the Food Safety Commissioner.