Mar 23, 2019
120kg gutka products seized
Coimbatore: Food safety officials seized 120kg banned gutka products from a bus near Pappanaickenpalayam in the city on Friday morning.
A team head by food safety officer (FSO) Vijayalalithambigai seized the products. “During our regular inspection, we noticed some sacks atop a private bus, which turned out to be containing the banned products,” an official involved in the inspection said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the bus driver was smuggling the products from Bengaluru to Coimbatore. The officials also seized the vehicle.
FDA gears up to ensure mention of ‘maida’, ‘atta’ on food labels
Pune: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Pune are gearing up to implement the recent directive of the food regulator mandating packaged-food companies to label refined flour as ‘maida’ and whole wheat as ‘atta’.
“The food manufacturing companies have been told to comply with the order by April 30, 2019. It means that every food item containing the ingredient needs to clearly mention ‘maida’ and ‘atta’ from May 1 onwards,” said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA
Elaborating, Deshmukh said, “Currently, quite a few food manufacturers in India mention wheat flour when in reality they use refined wheat flour or maida in their products. Again, many consumers confuse refined wheat flour with wheat flour. The directive will dispel this confusion and make it clear to consumers whether they are having maida or atta.”
Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Raigad, said, “This is aimed at bringing clarity in labelling as many packaged food companies use ‘wheat flour’ as general English nomenclature for both atta and maida on product labels.”
The move assumes significance as many companies use these nomenclatures to make health claims about their products such as atta, bread and biscuits. This directive on labelling will help consumers make informed choices while buying such products.
The issue came to the fore when FDA officials in Raigad issued notice to a popular biscuit brand’s manufacturing unit in Khopoli (Raigad district) in Maharashtra.
“The biscuit company claimed wheat flour on the label but in reality it used refined wheat flour or maida to make the biscuits. Similar other raids across the country also revealed the same pattern wherein companies cashed in on the confusion between wheat flour and refined wheat flour. The FSSAI then issued the directive to use maida and atta with English words,” Sangat said. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the order on February 1 this year.
“It has been observed that the food business operators use ‘wheat flour’ as English nomenclature for maida on the label of food products, which does not convey the exact nature of ingredient used for manufacturing of various food items to the consumers as well as enforcement officials,” the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in an order.
He said, “We are going to initiate drives from May 1 onwards to ensure effective implementation of the FSSAI directive for consumers’ benefit. People can also contact us if they have any complaint in this regard.”
Kozhikode: FSSAI drive to ensure quality of packaged drinking water
The FSSAI officials had already begun their mission to trace all vendors selling drinking water with a fake identity.
As a first step, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prepared lists of registered and non-registered suppliers in various parts of the district. FSSAI officials with these lists will examine these companies
Kozhikode: As the demand for the packaged drinking water increases due to the soaring temperature, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has decided to start an inspection drive to ensure its quality.
As a first step, it prepared lists of registered and non-registered suppliers in various parts of the district.
FSSAI officials with these lists will examine these companies and their water sources and take action against unauthorised suppliers.
It has been receiving many complaints regarding the quality of these packaged drinking water available in the market.
"A large number of 20-litre pet bottles with a fake licence number, brand name and BIS standard mark are available in the market," said an official.
The FSSAI officials had already begun their mission to trace all vendors selling drinking water with a fake identity.
They said that manufacture, sale, storage and exhibition for sale of packaged drinking water without a valid licence from BIS and use of 'ISI' standard mark illegally are punishable under law.
BIS licence is given to the manufacturing units only after thorough scrutiny of the unit and testing facility, besides hygiene. Consumption of uncertified packaged water is unsafe and harmful to health.
The district administration directed Kudumbashree to start a drinking water company under them.
FSSAI would, directly and indirectly, monitor the water quality.
Nano film keeps fruits, veggies fresh for 2wks
Realising the need for a better post-harvest technology, TNAU has been focusing on ways to extend shelf life of harvested crop and prevent infestations.
“The film can be used to wrap bowls, trays and boxes of cut or uncut vegetables,” said Dr Subramanian, who is on the team developing the film. “The film has ultraviolet-resistance properties and prevents fruits and vegetables from respiring or breathing. Thus, it reduces the oxygen diffusion rate. UV exposure and oxygen diffusion lead to spoilage of fruits and vegetables, especially cut ones. By preventing both the occurrences, we extend the shelf life,” he said.
The nano film is made from plant fibres taken from the banana tree’s pseudo stem or agave americana (century plant).
In the case of banana, the sheath found on the outer portion of the stem is removed and sent to a fibre extraction unit. Such a unit is in Thondamuthur. The unit has a combing machine to press the sheath and scrape off pith. It results in a thin fibre that resembles cotton fibres.
“These white-colour fibres are then cut into 5cm and 10cm-long pieces and treated by dipping in an alkali solution, washing it off, then acid washing it. The treated fibres are then pulverized into a nano liquid,” said Subramanian.
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