Thermo Fisher Scientific to Open Food Safety Customer Solution Center in India

Mumbai:Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has announced its intent to open a Global Customer Solution Center in partnership with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in Ghaziabad, India. The collaboration was confirmed during the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) – India chapter conference between Thermo Fisher Scientific and FSSAI. The gathering had more than 300 dignitaries including international visitors, government officials, industry leaders and scientists from food research institutes. The new Food Safety Customer Solution Center will focus on meeting and exceeding the demands of scientists in food and beverage laboratories by developing critical workflows and integrated solutions that help build food safety capacity in India.

With the food and beverage industry committed to making what we consume healthier and safer, the Thermo Fisher Customer Solution Center will serve as a regional hub for scientists, partners and the FSSAI to collaborate with subject matter experts. The skilled analysts at the Center will focus on development, training and support for next-generation workflows and integrated solutions across chromatography and mass spectrometry, in collaboration with the FSSAI.

“Today’s announcement is a testament to our commitment in bringing world class food testing technologies to India. It helps us realize our mission of enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer,” said Amit Chopra, managing director, India and Middle East, Thermo Fisher.

“The opening of the Food Safety Customer Solution Center in India demonstrates our unwavering commitment to support the food and beverage industry in providing safer, more nutritious and better-informed choices for its customers,” said Mitch Kennedy, president, chromatography and mass spectrometry, Thermo Fisher. “The new Center is uniquely placed to help scientists, partners and regulatory bodies, like the FSSAI, collaborate to increase food safety and quality, while expanding capacity and productivity of food testing in the region.”

“The FSSAI establishes science-based standards for articles of food and regulates their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food to the country’s 1.3 billion citizens,” said Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI. “The collaboration between the FSSAI and Thermo Fisher at the Food Safety Customer Solution Center in Ghaziabad will help us build new workflows for food safety testing, train our food centers of excellence, and help build capacity and expertise in the region,” said Bhaskar Narayan, Ph.D., advisor of quality assurance, FSSAI.

Today’s opening marks the continuation of Thermo Fisher’s global strategic initiative that includes Customer Solution Centers in China, and others planned for the U.S. and Europe, all of which are scheduled to be opened by mid-2019. Each site will:

· Embrace the opportunity to collaborate with customers and partners in the development of next-generation workflow solutions in chromatography and mass spectrometry

· Provide complete workflows to enable scientists to reach new levels of productivity

· Create a Center of expertise to spread analytical knowledge within the local community, and provide access to collaborative solutions to overcome unique and emerging analytical challenges

Inspection at Saras milk collection point

Jaipur: Health department’s food safety wing conducted inspection at milk collection point of Saras dairy at Chomu which found that the test kit given by Jaipur Dairy was lying seal packed.

The manufacturing date of test kit is August 2018 and April 2019 is printed on it as a date of expiry. The test kit was given to collection point of Saras dairy for checking adulteration and contents such as urea, starch, salt, neutraliser, sugar and other such substances. The food safety wing officers informed Jaipur dairy officers about it. The officials said that there is no testing of milk conducted and no record has been kept. The health department officials have collected one sample of milk.

FDA facilitates State-wide training of FBOs

Directorate of Food and Drug Administration, Punjab has commenced the campaign of training all licensed/registered Food Business Operators

Chandigarh, March 7: The Directorate of Food and Drug Administration, Punjab has commenced the campaign of training all the licensed/registered Food Business Operators in the State, informed KS Pannu Commissioner FDA . Giving details Pannu said that ten companies registered with the FSSAI as training partners have been roped in for the task and each company has been entrusted with work of imparting training on an average in two-three districts.

He said that as per the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, it is necessary for all Food Business Operators(FBOs) to maintain purity and quality of food items. It is also necessary that the personal hygiene of the workers engaged in making, serving, selling and transporting food and drink items as also the cleanliness of the premises where food business is operating, is maintained.

On account of deficiencies in the matter of cooking/making, storage, serving, selling, transporting, personal hygiene of workers and cleanliness of premises, not only the health of consumers is put at stake but also the Food Business Operators become liable for fines and punishment under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, said he.

The Commissioner further said that in view of this, it has been decided to conduct training of Food Business Operators regarding the provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 related to safety, quality standards, personal hygiene and cleanliness, so that necessary awareness in this regard could be created. Under the Section 16 (3) (h) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, there is a provision of providing training to Food Professionals or their employees.

In fact, FSSAI issued a notification on April 25, 2018, whereby, training has been made mandatory for the FBOs who have taken the license of the food products business, said Pannu. Keeping this in mind, it has been decided under the Mission Tandarust Punjab that at least one representative of the food processing companies working in Punjab should be trained under the campaign.

He said that the FDA staff, the health inspectors, multi-purpose health workers and mass media wing of Health Department is mobilising the Food Business Operators to participate in the training either at personal level or through a representative so that quality and cleanliness standards of food being served in Punjab could be improved. Officials of the Department and the training partners shall contact the Food Business Operators for this purpose in the days to come. He said FBOs can contact District Level Designated officer of Food Safety or Civil Surgeon for queries if any.

The training would focus on all the aspects of providing healthy and hygienic food to the people. The do’s and don’ts of processing/cooking the food, hygiene of the work place and the work force as well as prohibition of usage ingredients of restricted by FSSAI would be impressed upon the FBOs, said Pannu. He said that training would involve a fee of Rs. 600/- , to be borne by the Food Business Operator but it would be imparted to the all Rehriwalas, absolutely free of cost.