Food safety is a must while traveling

The WHA estimates that 2 million people die each year from contaminated food or drinking water.

The common risks that travelers can encounter due to food poisoning, ranges from diarrhea to illness caused by harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses and chemical substances.

Your travel plans are set, passport if ready and bags are packed. The enthusiasm to visit your favourite destination could make you forget even the basic things that one needs to remember every time when traveling to a unknown place- food safety being the foremost one.

The WHA estimates that 2 million people die each year from contaminated food or drinking water. The common risks that travelers can encounter due to food poisoning, ranges from diarrhea to illness caused by harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses and chemical substances.

Certain tips that travelers need to know to avoid such problems are:

Research your destination: Anticipate issues and check for food safety, availability of drinking water facility and the most important one, medical care system in the place you are planning to visit.

Carry some nonperishable food items: Even though most of the airports offer healthy and hygienic options it is safe to have some food items in your luggage.

Carry hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes: These can be used for cleaning your hands and surfaces.

Avoid certain food items: It is advisable to curb the foodie enthusiasm and not opt for raw or undercooked meat, fish, shellfish and eggs as they can be contaminated and could be carriers of deadly bacterias.

Rethink your usual choices: Even though you may typically enjoy certain foods and beverages at home, your safest bet is to avoid some of those favorites during foreign travels especially to remote locations.

Rebranding of banned coconut oil raises concern

Kozhikode: Rebranding of sub-standard coconut oil brands, which were banned by the food safety authority, is giving headache to the food safety authorities in the state. Many banned coconut oil brands are now being sold in the market under new brand names. Adulterated coconut oil reaches the market mainly from Tamil Nadu and other states. Some mills in Palakkad and Malappuram districts also engage in adulteration of coconut oil. 

“Our continuous efforts have succeeded in reducing the presence of sub-standard coconut oil in the market in Kozhikode,” said assistant food safety commissioner P K Eliyamma. All oil mills in Kozhikode, which were engaged in the packing and sale of sub-standard coconut oil, were closed down after detailed inspection, she said.

However, lack of proper mechanism to shut the coconut oil units in neighbouring states is a major concern. Recently, the district food safety officials banned Soorya and Ayilyam brands manufactured by Balakumaran Company as the samples were found to be adulterated. They were found to be the replacements for two oil brands — Soubhagya and Surabhi — belonging to the same company, which were banned earlier.

We not only ban the product but also inspect the manufacturers and close down the mill on detecting adulteration, said P Jithin Raj, food safety inspector, Vadakara circle. “We also seize packed and unpacked oils to avoid rebranding,” he said.

The production of low-quality coconut oil was curbed in the district after a special drive in 2017-18. A number of local oil mills were served closure notice and over a dozen oil brands were banned.

Officials said most coconut oil manufactures from other states do not even have oil mills. They directly mix 20% coconut oil with 80% low-quality edible oil and send it to Kerala, the officials said.

The illegal manufactures mix palm oil, palm kernel oil or coconut testa oil with coconut oil.

46 restaurants served notice

Used oil, stale food seized; eateries told to rectify problems in 7 days

The city Corporation intensified its crackdown on eateries that flouted food safety and hygiene standards by serving notices on 46 restaurants in the State capital on Thursday. Stale food was seized from many eateries during the drive.

Six squads comprising health inspectors and other Corporation employees inspected 59 restaurants in places such as Kamaleswaram, Manacaud, East Fort, Statue, Palayam, Thampanoor, and Karamana. The erring outlets have been instructed to rectify problems within seven days, failing which stringent steps will be initiated.

Large quantities of used oil, stale and expired food products including chicken, beef, fish, eggs, cauliflowers, potatoes, tea powder, biryani, butter, rice, curd, mayonnaise, ice-cream, fruits, porotta and chapatti were confiscated from many eateries. Some restaurants were serving food that were nearly a week old.

Dirty utensils

While they initiated action against most restaurants for their failure to provide health cards for workers, the civic body also penalised the eateries for other violations including the use of dirty utensils, failure to segregate wastes, lack of store room, chimney and facilities for proper ventilation, and unclean water tanks and surroundings.

A few outlets were also pulled up for their tardy upkeep of their interiors and instructed to paint the premises. The accumulation of leachate and food wastes that emanated foul odour within the restaurant compounds was also acted upon.

Plastic bags seized

Large quantities of banned plastic carry bags were also seized from several restaurants during the drive that was led by health supervisors Ajith Kumar, Prakash, and health inspectors Mohanachandran, Anoop Roy, Anil Kumar N.V. and Sujith Sudhakar.

According to Mayor V.K. Prasanth, some restaurants had violated the norms on multiple occasions. The health wing has been directed to cancel the licences of such outlets. He added that all eateries, ranging from ‘thattukadas’ to five-star hotels, will be inspected during the days to come.

The drive is as prelude to the launch of the civic body’s Subhojan project next month. As part of the project, workers of all eateries including hotels, restaurants, catering units, bakeries and wayside outlets in the city will be imparted training and issued identity cards.

2,807 samples of food fail quality test since 2016

10,195 items lifted for checking | 311 convicted on adulteration charge

‘Active measures planned’

The tests on 10,195 samples lifted randomly by the civic authorities had been carried out as per the rules set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Commissioner, Food Safety, Vinod Sharma said more active measures were planned to curb the menace

A representational picture of a vendor selling fast food in Jammu.

Jammu, July 11

About 2,807 food samples tested in Jammu and Kashmir from 2016 to June this year have failed the quality parameters, raising questions over the standard of food supplied to consumers and leading to the conviction of 311 persons for indulging in adulteration and selling substandard products.

The tests had been carried out as per the rules set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Both branded and unbranded products were tested. According to government data, of the 10,195 samples lifted randomly by the civic authorities, especially the Drugs and Food Control Organisation (DFCO), J&K, 2,807 samples were found adulterated or not conforming to acceptable standards. The data reveals that during 2016-17, 2,952 samples were collected and analysed. Of them, 1,114 were found adulterated, misbranded or substandard. In 2017-18, 3,643 items were collected and of them, 992 were unsuitable for consumption. From 2018 till June 2019, 3,600 samples were collected. Of them, 701 were found substandard.

The FSSAI has also revealed that cases of food poisoning have come to their notice across the country.

“There are prescribed standards to ensure safe and wholesome food to the consumers through various regulations notified under the Food Safety and Standards Act but these are being violated in J&K,” said a senior administrative official. As per the consumer protection laws, states have to undertake regular monitoring, inspection and sampling of food items to check compliance of the prescribed standards and take penal action when the products are found adulterated, misbranded or are of an inferior quality.

Commissioner, Food Safety, Vinod Sharma said the DFCO regularly monitored and conducted inspections to curb the adulteration of food items. He said more active measures were planned to curb the menace. “As per the procedure, the field staff lift samples and laboratories inspect them. If they are found not conforming to the standards, individuals are challaned. It is up to the courts to decide the quantum of punishment and fine,” said Sharma.

Repeated raids fail to stem usage of food colours

Visakhapatnam: Despite regular raids and warnings, usage of artificial food colouring agents and monosodium glutamate (tasting salt) is rampant at eateries and restaurants in Vizianagaram district. 

Recent raids at eateries by officials of vigilance and enforcement and food safety departments have exposed excessive usage of colouring agents and the chemical in the food. 

“We found tasting salt in over 80% of the eateries and restaurants in Vizianagaram town, Parvathipuram, Saluru and few other areas in the district, where the floating population is high. Tasting salt is not permitted to be used in food as the chemical can cause several health problems like ulcers, and intestine problems, said sub-inspector of vigilance, K Kiran Kumar.

The use of certain artificial colors have been banned under the Food Safety Standards Act of 2006 as they can, in the long run, cause cancer and tumours.

Kumar further revealed that a majority of complaints against use of synethic food colours, which contain chemicals like erythrosine, carmoisine, indigo carmine, brilliant blue FCF and others, are associated with non-vegetarian dishes. Some consumers have also complained that the use of colours has been so high that the colour residue remained in their hands, he added.

“Although we have suggested to restaurateurs to use natural food colours, they have been turning a deaf ear, citing that consumers wouldn’t like if the food is not attractive,” said vigilance inspector Ch B Swami.

The raids also revealed that some restaurants kept stale and leftover food in their freezers to sell them the next day.

Explaining why people brazenly break rules with regard to food safety, food safety and vigilance officials said that as there is no proper punishment laid down for those caught selling stale and dangerous food items.

“Unless the culprits are put behind bars for years, it is difficult to curb food adulteration in restaurants and eateries,” they said.

26% of food samples tested in 3 years found adulterated or substandard

Around 26 percent random food samples analysed during last three years across Jammu and Kashmir were found adulterated and substandard, raising a question mark over the work of authorities responsible for food safety in the state.

Out of the 10,636 samples tested since 2016-17, as many as 2807, that is 26 percent were found to be adulterated or substandard, according to data from union consumer affairs ministry

The food samples were randomly picked up from various markets of J&K for testing compliance with Food Safety and Standards Act. 

In 2016-17, 2952 food samples were analysed, of which 1114 items turned out to be adulterated or substandard. While in the same period, 635 cases were lodged of which only one conviction was recorded.

In 2017-18, the total number of food samples analysed was 3643, of which 992 samples were found violating standards. Authorities in the same period convicted 310 persons, cases registered stood at 921.

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For 2018-19, the number of samples found adulterated or substandard stood at 701 out of 4041 samples collected by food safety authorities. However, conviction rate in 698 cases launched was zero.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has informed that it has prescribed standards to ensure safe and wholesome food to the consumers through various regulations notified under Food Safety and Standards Act. 

Implementation and enforcement of these regulations primarily lies with state governments.

“Commissioners of Food Safety of different states have been directed from time to time to conduct regular monitoring, inspection and sampling of food items to enforce compliance of the prescribed standards and take penal action in cases,” reads the note of the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry.

Reports that food adulteration is rampant in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir region have continuously come in as the High Court also felt the need to step in.

In 2016, the High Court took suo-moto cognisance of news reports about food adulteration and rising cancer incidence published in the Greater Kashmir and treated these as Public Interest Litigation under Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.

Food adulteration is not a new phenomenon in Kashmir valley.

But doctors say the occurrence has recently seen a phenomenal increase, which has led to a rise in patients with gastric problems across Kashmir.

Food safety officials raid eateries, take samples

Officials of the MC and the Food Safety Department, Sangrur, led by SDM Vikramjeet Singh Panthey inspect a sweetmeat workshop in Ahmedgarh on Wednesday. 

Mandi Ahmedgarh, July 10

The administration has started checking non-compliance of guidelines of the Food Safety Act and violation of various sections of the Municipal Act regarding maintenance of proper hygienic conditions at various establishments engaged in preparation of food items and catering services at Ahmedgarh and surrounding localities.

Teams of senior functionaries of the Food Safety Department, Sangrur, and the Municipal Council, Ahmedgarh, raided eateries, restaurants and workshops engaged in preparation of sweetmeats of various kinds and took at least five samples for verifying purity and safety of various eatables, including milk products.

Action will be taken against the owners of those establishments who had downed shutters to avoid inspection and sampling on Wednesday.

Investigation revealed that teams of officials of the civic body and the District Food Safety Department had conducted raids at establishments at Gandhi Chowk, Railway Road, Chaura Bazar and Main Bazar localities which are engaged in preparation and supply of eatables, including sweets, ghee, khoya, paneer and other milk products.

Ahmedgarh SDM Vikramjeet Singh Panthey supervised the teams, led by executive officer Chander Parkash and food safety officer Divya Goswami.

Maintaining that the crusade had been launched under the Mission Tandarust Punjab to ensure supply of hygienic and safe food items, SDM Vikramjeet Singh Panthey said action had been initiated against those owners whose goods was suspected to be hazardous for human health. “Besides sealing samples of eatables for checking of purity and safety, we have initiated action against those vendors who were found preparing eatables in unhygienic conditions,” said Panthey, adding that officials had been asked to ensure that periodic medical examination of all workers was done. Panthey asserted that nobody would be allowed to play with health and life of consumers.

Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety Department, Ravinder Garg said legal action would be taken against those whose food samples fail purity test. “Though I am yet to receive a detailed report on today’s raids, we have advised officials concerned to ensure that strict action is taken against those violating the Food Safety Act,” said Garg, maintaining that improvement notices would be issued to those establishments whose performance was found on threshold.