Apr 26, 2019
Kozhikode: 14 coconut oil brands banned
Tests found these products were adulterated.
FSSAI assistant commissioner Eliyamma said that tests had proved that these products were adulterated.
KOZHIKODE: The district officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India have banned the production, procurement and distribution of 14 brands of coconut oil as these have been found to be adulterated. They include Surabhi and Soubaghya oils produced by Balakumaran Oil Mills, Tiruppur, and Velluvanadu oils produced by Logu Traders, Pollachi.
FSSAI assistant commissioner Eliyamma said that tests had proved that these products were adulterated. The brands will face strict action for making them and selling them in the market. The state health ministry has asked the officials to prevent the sale of adulterated food items. Earlier, 70 brands of coconut oils were banned in the state. In May last year, the FSSAI had banned 45 brands and in June, 51.
"We have been keeping a close watch on the oil and other food brands in the district," she added.
440 kg mangoes ripened using banned chemical seized
Madurai: Food safety officials from the district seized 440 kgs of mangoes ripened using the chemical ethephon from shops in North Masi Street and Simmakkal in the city on Thursday. The fruits were destroyed at Vellaikkal solid waste management centre after getting permission from Madurai corporation authorities.
With the mango season starting, the fruit is sold at various places including Yaanaikkal, Simmakkal, North Masi Street and Smart Fruit Market at Mattuthavani. Food safety officials have started conducting inspections at godowns and fruit shops to ensure that fruits ripened using banned methods are not sold to customers. According to the officials, although the usage of calcium carbide stones and ethephon acid are banned, traders continue to use them. Ethephon acid is sprinkled on fruits to uniformly ripen them.
The usage of ethephon, which is a growth hormone, can disrupt the endocrine system. Stomach trouble, ulcer and vomiting are the common problems seen if mangoes ripened using the chemical are consumed. Those who are allergic to the chemical may also suffer skin problems like rashes and itching, officials said. Though ethylene gas is allowed to ripen fruits, it requires infrastructure worth at least Rs 20 lakh. However, ethephon can be used after reducing its concentration to 10 ml in one-and-a-half litres of water though the solution cannot be applied directly on the fruit. The fruits are first spread across a surface and covered with paddy straw and then covered with cloth. The solution can be applied only on the cloth without contacting the fruit.
The designated officer for food safety, Madurai district, Dr M Somasundaram, has formed four teams, each containing four food safety officials, to continuously check for the usage of banned chemicals.
Fish laced with chemicals in Kerala markets: State food department issues warning to consumers
Intensifying its search, the state food department warned consumers to be aware of the import of ammonia-laced fish from different states as the fish supply in Kerala has been reduced.
There has been an increase in chemical-laced fish in Kerala’s Kozhikode market. Express Photo by Karma Sonam Bhutia.
Ammonia-laced fish in Kerala’s Kozhikode fish market has triggered panic among customers, prompting the Kerala Department of Food Safety to issue a warning against the increasing import of chemicalised fish. “Due to lack of fish supply within the state, ammonia and formalin laced fish has been imported into the state,” the department said.
The state food safety department has been inspecting trucks entering the Kozhikode fish market. Many of them carrying chemical-laced fish have been seized, it said. Read in Malayalam
Formalin, a toxic chemical, is used to preserve bodies and prevents its decay in mortuaries.
Intensifying its search, the state food department warned consumers to be aware of the import of ammonia-laced fish from different states as the fish supply in Kerala has reduced.
A total of 28,000 kg of fish laced with formalin was seized after the launch of ‘Operation Sagar Rani’, a drive to ensure safety and hygiene at fish handling and distribution centres. Operation Sagar Rani will be conducted this year as well, the state food safety department notified.
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