FSSAI gives relief to craft beer on yeast content

Bengaluru: The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it will allow craft breweries to continue making beer with higher yeast content. This will come as a huge relief to micro breweries across the country.

The regulator had said that regular beer or lager should be free of yeast while draught beer should have yeast content of at most 40 CFU (colony-forming units). The notification had not put craft beer into a separate category, which had put the breweries in a tizzy as many craft beers have yeast content as high as 3 million CFU.

“The Food Safety & Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018 will be implemented from April 1, 2019, except the parameter for yeast in various categories of beer,” the regulator said in a notification on Friday.

The Craft Brewers Association of India (CBAI) had made a representation earlier this month that it was difficult to operate under the limits ordered by the regulator and wanted a clarification whether yeast was being classified as a contaminant or a raw material, one that is a basic ingredient in beer.

As part of the notification, the FSSAI also clarified that it will provide drinks makers another six months for use of old unused labels and printed cans. Following a directive last year, all liquor bottles were supposed to carry cautionary messages of “Drinking is injurious to health” and “Don’t Drink and Drive” on their labels from April 1. “Alcoholic beverages manufactured prior to April 1, 2019 can be sold in the market up to March 31, 2020,” FSSAI said.

FSSAI to clamp down on fake ripening

The regulator said that artificial ripening of fruits using prohibited substances poses a serious threat to the health of consumers.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in state is on the lookout for cases of artificially ripened mangoes.

Mumbai: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will initiate effective surveillance and enforcement activities to rule out any possibility of artificial ripening of fruits with harmful and banned substances like calcium carbide or acetylene gas.

The regulator said that artificial ripening of fruits using prohibited substances poses a serious threat to the health of consumers. Keeping in mind the rampant use of banned calcium carbide and non-availability of an alternative ripening agent, the FSSAI has instead permitted the use of ethylene for ripening of fruits since 2016.

All states and Union territories have been directed by the FSSAI to initiate a strict drive against artificial ripening of fruits with harmful and banned substances like calcium carbide or acetylene gas.

The regulator stated in the order, “The commissioners of food safety of all states/UTs are hereby directed to initiate effective surveillance and enforcement activities to rule out any possibility of ripening the fruits with the aid of harmful & banned substances viz. calcium carbide or acetylene gas. They are also advised to do a similar exercise for vegetables to check the level of pesticides.”

Although strictly prohibited under the food law, calcium carbide and acetylene gas, popularly known as “masala” are widely used for easy ripening of fruits like mango, papaya, banana and melons. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in state is on the lookout for cases of artificially ripened mangoes.

A senior FDA officer said, “We have received notifications and we’ve been acting on such things since the past. This year, we are tightening all the ways in which these fruit vendors are selling ther goods in the market.”

Kolkata: KMC recruits 80 food inspectors

KOLKATA: In a bid to strengthen its drive against food adulteration, KMC has stationed food inspectors across the city. According to a source, the civic body last month recruited 80 food inspectors to increase its vigil on sale of spurious food and drinks. The KMC health department has deputed food safety officers to guide the newly-recruited inspectors who have been deployed in each borough.

“We have split the force into 16 teams which will work in city’s 16 boroughs. Each borough will have five food inspectors who will look after markets shops, hotels, restaurants and eateries under their jurisdiction,” said a KMC health department official. Even a month ago, the KMC health department had only 12 food inspectors who would look after adulteration issues length and breadth of the city.

According to a civic official, recruitment of food inspectors will enable the KMC health department to visit wholesale markets and eateries across the city. “We have the stale chicken sale fiasco still fresh in mind. Besides, we know spices, edible oil and even packaged drinking water bottles are not safe in some areas of the city. Now we will at least be vigilant given the increase in the number of food inspectors,” a KMC official said. An orientation programme was arranged for the newly recruited food inspectors at the KMC headquarters.

Pitching for a zero food waste IPL at Chepauk

Chennai: The food safety department of Tamil Nadu and an NGO have joined hands to reduce food wastage during the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches at the M A Chidambaram stadium in the city. They plan to feed around 1,000 people after every match with the food that is not consumed or remains unsold.

Food safety officials met IPL organizers, members of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and vendors who would set up stalls during the match, last week.

“We have worked out the various hunger spots at about 40 locations in the city. We have tied up with No Food Waste who would employ volunteers to collect, pack and distribute the excess food. Permission has been given to place two vans at two gates that would have vessels and packing material,” said food safety officer Ramakrishnan.

Seven matches are scheduled at the stadium where 26 stalls would sell ice cream, cold drinks, rice items, pizzas, snacks, pop corn and other items. There are also arrangements made for the police and administrative staff. Excess food after the match will be handed over to the volunteers.

Officials said the food would be packed and preserved at a certain temperature. “We will only distribute food that is fit for consumption,” said an official.

“After Sunday’s match, we will distribute food to people near Marina Beach, Egmore, Broadway, Central and the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. We have already done a hunger-mapping in the city and have been distributing food at slums in Tambaram, Chromepet, Nanganallur, Kottivakkam, Egmore, Aminjikarai and Thiruvanmiyur. Each vehicle can carry about 500 plates of food. Apart from these locations, 25 slums have been mapped,” said R Arun Kumar, Chennai coordinator of No Food Waste.

Padmanabhan Gopalan, the NGO’s founder, said the organization would want to tie up with all IPL teams to ensure that the tournament becomes a zero food waste event.

Food safety officials said they would set up boards with messages on wastage of food at 53 locations in the stadium that can accommodate 33,000-plus spectators. “We have issued an advisory to the board and all teams to avoid wastage of food. According to the organisers, 10% to 15% food is always dumped. This can be distributed to the needy,” said an official.

The food safety department said it would ensure excess food from all government events are also packed and re-distributed.