Introduce artifical sweetener labelling on beverages sold through vending machines: FSSAI

Regulator seeks views from the industry and other stakeholders

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 29

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is proposing to make amendments in the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 to introduce labelling of artificial sweetener on beverages sold through vending machines.

Currently, companies need to mandatorily declare the presence of artifical sweetener in every package of food (which is permitted to use artificial sweetener) on its labelling as well as in their advertisements.

Prominent labelling

The FSSAI has proposed that if a beverage product containing artificial sweetener is sold through vending machines, “a display or label” declaring the presence of artificial sweetener “shall be placed on the cups or in the container in which the product is served”.

It is also proposing to make it mandatory for a prominent display or labelling on the vending machine. The regulator has now sought views from the industry and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, FSSAI is also looking to bring amendments to set maximum permissible limits for presence of metal impurities besides other contaminants such as Aflatoxin in various food products. This is being done through a seperate draft of regulations.

For instance, In the case of milk, FSSAI is proposing to set maximum permissible limits for aflatoxin M1 at 0.5 µg/kg, 6 µg/kg in skimmed milk powder and 4 µg/kg in whole milk powder.

Setting limits

Recently, raw and processed milk samples were tested for presence of aflatoxin among other adulterants and contaminants as part of the National Milk Quality Survey 2018.

In its draft Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Amendment Regulations, 2018, it proposes limits for metal contaminants such as lead, chromium, copper, tin, cadmium, and arsenic. These maximum permissible limits of these metal contaminants have been proposed for a wide range of food products such as concentrated soft drinks, edible oils and fats, hard-boiled sugar confectionery, among others.

Visakhapatnam faces dearth of food safety officers, just one for over 40 lakh people

VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakhapatnam district, with a population of over 40 lakh and city population of around 22 lakh has only one food security officer (FSO). 

Three other sanitary inspectors from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation’s (GCMC) health wing have placed under deputation to double up as FSOs, official sources said on Wednesday.

The statistics comes in contrast with the World Health Organisation guidelines according to which every 50,000 population should have one FSO and every one lakh rural population should be placed under one FSO.

Ideally, there should be 44 FSOs for the city and over 20 FSOs for the rural areas of the district. 

Among the five southern states, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have the lowest number of FSOs. AP has just 32 for its 13 districts and Telangana even less. Despite five sanctioned FSO posts for each district, none of them have been filled up.

The last recruitment exam for FSOs was held in the undivided state over a decade ago. The food safety and inspecting officials do not have an official vehicle and use public transport to carry out raids.

AP does not even have a state food laboratory of its own. The FSOs have to send samples for lab test to the only authorised food safety lab at Nacharam in Hyderabad, that again is severely short-staffed.

T Satyanarayana, the president of AP Hotels Association, Visakhapatnam chapter, said, “We have around 400 hotels and restaurants registered with us. However, there would be another 400-500 unregistered hotels and restaurants in the district — that is at least 1,000 hotels and restaurants.”

Besides, there are thousands of push cart vendors, fast food centres and bandis, which are not registered or counted.

M Srinivasa Rao, the assistant food controller and designated food safety officer (FSO), Visakhapatnam district, said, “The district would roughly have 20,000-25,000 outlets selling some kind of edible item including fruit sellers and small roadside hawkers but till date there has not been any survey done to ascertain the exact number of eateries. Only a small part of them are under registered associations. Working with just one FSO and three sanitary inspectors on deputation, we are doing our best. Recruiting manpower is under process and we hope to get more staff soon.”

Drive to check jaggery adulteration

Thiruvananthapuram: The food safety department has launched a special drive ‘Operation Panela’ to find the source of adulteration of jaggery in the state after it found high level of harmful colouring agents in jaggery.

The decision to intensify the drive was taken after noticing the presence of harmful synthetic colours like tartrazine, rhodamine b and brilliant blue in jaggery. The department has collected 76 samples for testing and analysis. 

Food safety joint commissioner (enforcement) A K Mini said Operation Panela was launched after the department noticed presence of harmful colours in 12 samples collected from Kozhikode and Ernakulam.

“Since jaggery is being sourced and distributed by small scale traders and by various cooperative societies, it is difficult to identify the source. The operation was launched to find the source and ban it immediately. The ban will be lifted only after taking corrective actions,” she said.

Of the total 76 samples, 72 are under statutory sampling, which will give power to food safety officials to initiate prosecution charges if synthetic colours are found.

Officials said the drive would continue and decision on further action will be taken after receiving test results. tnn

Erring traders fined Rs 97000 in Ganderbal

NOVEMBER 29: -

The court of Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum- Adjudicating Officer, Ganderbal Naseer Ahmad Wani under the Food Safety Act imposed a fine of Rs 97,000/= on a number of traders for violating the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act-2006, Rules and Regulations -2011.

Further the Food Business Operators were directed to correct the deficiencies found during the course of Adjudication in the food products which were processed/packed/manufactured and pumped into the market for consumption of general masses by them.

The ADC said that the district administration will be taking stern action against people found involved in adulteration of food, medicines and other important commodities.