Feb 15, 2019
EDITORIAL: Food inspection should be made effective
Innaugurating new facilities in Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, State Health Minister K K Shailaja had declared that all medical colleges in the State will be made mini cancer centres.
More cancer centres are necessary as the number of cancer cases are scarily on the rise in Kerala. The cancer threat has reached a point when cancer care facilities will also have to be incorporated in Taluk hospitals.
In the private sector also, facilities are expanded for cancer treatment. What is startling is, the number of cancer patients is also increasing with the increase of facilities. A number of patients are in queue for radiation in radio therapy departments.
Now, an in-depth study and research into the reason for the shocking rise in the number of cancer cases has become a necessity.
The opinion that totally-altered food habits of Keralites are inseparably linked to cancer disease is getting stronger and stronger.
The statement that use of food articles containing poisonous substances gifts Malayalis with several kinds of diseases is not simply made. Even food articles considered safe have been found to be containing poisonous substances at a dangerous level.
Experts’ warning is that poisonous contents are there in vegetables, fruits, fish and even tender coconut water. It is the responsibility of Food Safety department to ensure that people eat safe food. But whether it is doing that duty seriously is doubtful. They just conduct raids and inspections now and then for the sake of their existence. There a lot of proofs to show that vegetables and fruits reaching here from other states have residue of poisonous fertilizers. Also, the fact that stationaries reaching here are adulterated is not at all a secret.
When all such materials are uncontrollably being sold on one side, more and more new hospitals are mushrooming on the other side.
Meanwhile, the government is not able to ensure that people get poison-free food, despite the findings that cancer cases are increasing due to current food styles.
It is unfortunate that food safety is not becoming even a topic of discussion. The relationship between cancer and tobacco products is something that people have been hearing since long back. Despite strong restrictions, tobacco products are easily available even in make-shift shops. Banned tobacco products worth crores of rupees are seized every day. But still their transport, sale and use are taking as usual.
Reuse of oil used to fry food is dangerous practice but this practice is not brought under any examination. There was an announcement from Food Safety department that it would start steps to curb this practice.
The standing instruction is that food manufacturing units using more than 50 litre coconut oil every day should take special permission for this.
There is no guarantee on products that reach markets from here. Usually complaints are not given as no mishap occurs. Consuming fried and grilled items make people unhealthy easily, according to findings. This is a sector which needs constant checking.
Unhealthy food habits also lead to heart ailments and high BP besides cancer. When steps are taken to expand cancer treatment facility, laws on food safety should also be made stringent.
Adulterated peas seized from factory
Jaipur: If you are purchasing frozen peas or having its curry in a restaurant or dhaba, beware. A team of food safety officers on Thursday raided a factory ‘Sai Boil Peas’ situated at Saket colony of Adarsh Nagar. The team found that rotten peas were boiled and were laced with refined oil, caustic soda and synthetic green colour to make them “saleable” and “tempting”. The factory was supplying these adulterated peas to restaurants and dhabas in Adarsh Nagar, Raja Park, Tilak Nagar and nearby colonies.
Acting on directions of Dr Narottam Sharma, chief medical and health officer, a team of food safety officers raided the factory. “It was found that these peas were packed and supplied to restaurants, dhabas and to bakeries and were used in curries, sandwiches and other food items. We have collected two samples from the spot and have destroyed nearly 200 kg of peas produced in the factory,” said an officer. Officials said that usually, frozen peas are sold at Rs 100 to Rs 120 per kg, but to entice the customers, these adulterated peas were sold at Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg.
“These were also being supplied to some of the vegetable shops,” said an officer. “The consumption of such peas can lead to stomach ailments including ulcers and in the long run, it can also affect the kidney and liver,” said Sharma.
Kerala takes the lead in tackling trans fat hazard
• The year-long action plan has specific components on building awareness on trans fat amongst food business operators (FBOs) and giving them scientific sessions and training on how they can keep their food TFA-free.
Key highlights
• In a first, Kerala has formulated a draft action plan against trans-fat. Trans-fat are made by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. It is used to increase the shelf life of foods. The WHO estimates that consumption of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) high in trans-fat leads to more than 5lakh deaths annually due to cardiovascular disease.
• Kerala’s action plan against trans-fat envisages
a) massive awareness campaign on harmful effects on trans-fat and high fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) foods,
b) identify supply and monitor retail sale of PHVOs,
c) provide scientific sessions and training to food business operators on using TFA free alternatives,
d) monitor and test food samples to keep use of trans-fat at check.
• Kerala’s initiative has been supported by Vital Strategies-a global public health organization, the nutrition wing of the World Bank, WHO, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• FSSAI- the regulatory body for food safety and quality in India-had launched “Heart Attack Rewind”, a mass media campaign. It calls for eliminating industrially-produced trans-fat in the food supply.
• The FSSAI has set a target of less than 2% TFA content by 2022 in India.
• In 2018, WHO had launched REPLACE- a comprehensive plan to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fat from the global food supply by 2023.
GOACAN to start consumer rights awareness month
PANJIM: Starting Friday, the consumer and civic rights forum - GOACAN will observe Consumer Rights Awareness Month with a focus on the Right to Seek Redressal as part of its ongoing Consumer Literacy Campaign.
The month long awareness drive which seeks to remind consumers to Assert their Rights and Assume their Responsibilities will end on March 15, World Consumer Rights Day.
Forum’s coordinator Roland Martins said besides participation of consumer forum volunteers in different villages, GOACAN would also take the assistance of the Consumer Welfare Clubs (CWC) in High Schools, Higher Secondary Schools and Colleges during this awareness drive.
“The awareness drive will highlight the rights of consumers under the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the Standards of Weights & Measures (Packaged Commodities) Rules 1977, the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and the BIS Act 2016. We will give special focus to the consumer's Right to Seek Redressal with regards to LPG cylinders, cable TV, fair price shops, electricity, post offices, mobile & landline telephones, bus transport and service at public toilets among other issues,” he said.
During the month, GOACAN would also publicise official email IDs and telephone numbers of the Grievance Redressal Officers of government departments and highlight the redressal avenues available such as Consumer Conciliation Committee, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forums and the Goa State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)