DINAKARAN NEWS

Display of ‘trans-fat free’ logo on food items voluntary: FSSAI

India is committed to eliminate industrial trans-fats in fats or oils and in foods containing fats or oils in a phased manner

Bakeries, sweet shops and other food business operators can voluntarily display ‘trans fat free’ logo on food products and in their outlets, according to the food safety regulator FSSAI.

The logo ‘trans-fat free’ can be used provided the food establishments uses trans-fat free fats oils, and do not have industrial trans-fat more than 0.2 gram per 100 gram of the food, it said in a letter written to state governments.

“The use of trans-fat free logo is voluntary,” the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said.

It will be the responsibility of the food business operators to comply with the requirements as specified in the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations 2018, it said.

India is committed to eliminate industrial trans-fats in fats or oils and in foods containing fats or oils in a phased manner, it added.

It has already limited trans-fat content in fats and oils to 5 per cent and the notification to further reduce it to 3 per cent by 2021 and to 2 per cent by 2022 is under process. The regulation is also being extended to food products having fats or oils, the FSSAI said.

Industrial trans-fats are toxic compounds that are the cause of cardiovascular and other related diseases. They are formed during hydrogenation of vegetable oils and other processes such as heating of oil at high temperature and bakery shortening and in vanaspati, it added.

Street food hub to come up near Fort Kochi beach

KOCHI: The state food safety commissionerate has identified Fort Kochi beach as a potential spot to be declared as ‘Clean Street Food Hub’, an initiative of FSSAI, in the district.

In order to get the tag, the vendors, location and facilities should have to undergo a major makeover to ensure hygiene and proper waste disposal. Clean Street Food Hub is a cluster of street shops where food items are sold in hygienic conditions. The declaration will have one-year validity and vendors should meet all the benchmark prescribed by the department to continue with the recognition.

The hub will be set up near the beach after identifying a suitable spot with adequate space for each shop. The cluster will have 25 to 60 street shops. Food Safety Training and Certification, training partner of FSSAI, will give training to vendors on safe food practices.

The funding partner will give aprons, chopping boards, ladders, hair nets, stainless steel kitchen utilities, gloves, ice cream scoops and glass jars to each vendor at the cluster. Cochin heritage zone conservation society will run the hub.

As per FSSAI guidelines, covered waste bins should be kept and it should be of a material which can be cleaned and washed. Facilities like toilet, hand wash area and dining arrangements should be set up in a manner to prevent food contamination. Sufficient areas for cleaning, washing and sanitization of kitchen utilities should be arranged. Only rust-resistant knives can be used at the shops.

“We have already held meeting with district collector regarding the setting up of the street food hub,” said a food safety official.

Medical cost due to food, water diseases in India was Rs 32,941 crore in 2016-17: Study

The total direct medical cost due to food and water borne diseases in India was estimated to be Rs 32,941 crore during 2016-17, claims a recent study.

If the situation is not checked, the total economic cost due to food and water contamination in India could touch the Rs 9,50,000-crore mark by 2022, said the study jointly conducted by the Foundation for Millennium Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Thought Arbitrage, a research firm.

The study says it is imperative the government, policymakers and other stakeholders set appropriate evidence-based priorities in the area of food safety with a view to effectively reduce the burden of food and water contamination.

Releasing the report 'Economic burden of food and water contamination in India' on Monday, foundation chairman D S Rawat said food safety measures were not up to the mark in the country.

Rawat, who is also the chairman of MSME Export Promotion Council supported by the Union Ministry of MSME, said analysis indicated that communicable diseases posed a greater threat to the economy and society than other factors.

He said the total direct medical cost due to food borne and water borne diseases was estimated to be Rs 32,941 crore in 2016-17.

He said the food sector in India is dominated by unincorporated enterprises, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the sector's volume.

In 2015-16, the total number of factories in the formal food sector in the country was 39,318; in the informal sector, the total number of unincorporated enterprises stood at 23 lakh.

The study has warned that rich rural and urban households will be more affected than others due to their preference for luxurious types of food. such as meat, fruits and vegetables, where every third person could fall sick from food borne diseases.

The study recommended a six-pronged strategy -- scientific analysis of various contaminants in the food chain, integrated working of various arms of the government, integrating incorporated units with food safety/regulatory mechanisms, ensuring safety of domestically produced food as per set standards, developing proper data base of burden by foodborne/waterborne diseases in the country and mobilising adequate infrastructure and food safety system.

It also recommended use of safe agricultural practices, quality control and laboratory testing, hygienic preparation of food in the unorganised sector and complying with inspection procedures of food establishments.

11 food vendors challaned for violation of Food Safety rules

JAMMU, July 29: Eleven food vendors in various parts of Jammu were challaned for violation of Food Safety rules by a Food Safety team of Municipal Limit Jammu (FDA) headed by Dr Parvesh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety Jammu.

The team conducted inspections of various food vendors at Gole Market (Gandhi Nagar), Trikuta Complex (BC Road), Dogra Hall, Bantalab, Barnai Road and Paloura. During the drive, 16 vendors were challaned for insanitary and unhygienic conditions and other contraventions of Food Safety & Standards Act 2006.

Amongst those challaned were Greedy Gutts (Buffet Hutts) at Gole Market Gandhi Nagar, Verma Bar & Restaurant at Bantalab, Tara Pahalwan Da Dhaba and India Fast Food Restaurant at Trikuta Complex, Kashmiri Halal Meat Shop at Panama Chowk, Surinder Naan Shop at Gandhi Nagar, Sharma Vaishno Dhaba at Railway Station, Bismillah Halal Meat Shop at BC Road, Punjabi Soup Corner at BC Road, Sharma Dhaba at Janipur, SP Traders at Paloura Talab, SA Enterprises at Paloura Talab, Aggarwal Agencies at Dogra Hall, Thakur Bakery at Bantalab, Gupta Traders at Barnai Road Jammu and Bral Sweets at Preet Nagar.

Moreover, samples of cooked food from Hot Billions (BC Road), Milk & Milk Products from Bral Sweets (Preet Nagar), mustard oil, bakery items etc were lifted and sent to the Food Testing Laboratory Jammu for ascertaining standard of purity.

Further, all the food vendors were warned not to prepare unhealthy food otherwise strict legal action shall be initiated against the violators. The Food Safety officers advised public to check each and every eatable before they consume.

Meanwhile, an awareness camp at Railway Station was conducted by the Food Safety team to aware the street vendors about hygieness and norms of FSSA 2006.

The drive was conducted by Food Safety Officers– Ajay Khajuria, Hans Raj Andotra and Pervaiz Ahmed under the overall supervision of Commissioner, FDA, J&K.