DINAMANI NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

Food safety bans ads, sales of two capsules

Thiruvananthapuram: The food safety department has banned the advertisement and sale of two capsules which were supplied as food supplements. The companies had taken the license to sell the capsules as drug supplements and were claiming it as a drug offering cure for various ailments through advertisements.

The assistant commissioner of food safety department in an order has banned the sale of Jamun and Glucosamine capsules which were sold as food supplements in the state. The ban comes for misleading the people with claims offering medical cure through a food supplement. In the advertisements given by the manufacturers, it was claimed that the capsules offer cure for diabetes, joint pains, varicose vein and various other muscle pains.

The food safety department in its order said that both the manufacturers had violated the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011. The department observed that as per the Act, labels should not use words implying the recommendations made by medical profession. “There shall not appear in the label of any package, containing food for sale the words recommended by medical profession or any words which imply or suggest that the food is recommended, prescribed or approved by medical practitioners or approved for medical purpose,” says the Act.

The order said no advertisement should be made of any food which is misleading or deceiving or contravenes the provision of FSS Act Rules and Regulations made there under.

CAPSULE, the movement under Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad against the magical cure offered by various manufacturers, had approached the food safety department with the complaint.

Upgradation of govt food test labs to be completed in Dec

The laboratories testing food samples in Tamil Nadu, that are located in Madurai and Chennai, are undergoing an upgradation and it is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Chennai: 

The laboratories are expected to receive various new facilities, including infrastructure to check for pesticide residue, antibiotic residue, heavy metals and other microbiology tests.

The State government undertook the upgradation considering the increased demand for advanced testing of the food samples. The laboratories require to cater to the needs of advanced testing of food samples as many types of additives and adulterants are difficult to identify. This highlights the need for advanced testing equipment and machinery.

“The government needs to fast-track the work. The civil and electronic works are being undertaken at the laboratories and they are expected to start functioning by December. The Centre is funding the upgradation through Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),” said Pawan Aggarwal, chief executive officer of FSSAI.

Meanwhile, private food testing laboratories that are FSSAI notified can be used by the government, he added. The officials pointed out that the renovation of the laboratories is going on at a slow pace and this has increased the load on the laboratories.

Traders had earlier raised the issue of delayed testing of samples that leads to the expiry of food samples before they are tested. Senior officials of the food safety department said that advanced testing methods will ease the process, however, more laboratories are required to meet the greater demands of testing food samples throughout the State.