Oct 22, 2019
Deepavali sweets under scanner
Commissionerate of Food Safety launches inspection
With Deepavali around the corner, the office of the Commissionerate of Food Safety has launched inspections to check the unauthorised manufacturing of sweets in the district.
Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety P.K. Aleyamma said that several instances of manufacturing sweets in unhygienic circumstances, mis-branding, low quality and use of unauthorised colours have been noted during the previous Deepavali seasons and the Commissionerate had taken action against several manufacturing units.
The guidelines issued by the Commissionerate on Monday prohibits establishments that did not possess a food safety licence from manufacturing the sweets. Ms. Aleyamma said that temporary licences will be issued as per demand, but the applicants will have to ensure the quality of the water and material used.
Besides, the people involved in production should have medical fitness certificates and the establishment should be clean and safe. The Commissionerate discourages use of artificial colouring substances and Vanaspathi as well. The end products should be sealed and the expiry date should be mentioned on the packets.
“Since the use of pure ghee is not always cost-effective, many manufacturers resort to use of coconut oil and sunflower oil. But we have also come across Vanaspathi being used, which is not a welcome trend,” Ms. Aleyamma said pointing out that the edible vegetable oil (Vanaspathi) had many side-effects.
If any discrepancies are found during the inspections, the establishments will be sealed and the perpetrators are liable to be fined in a range of ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh. However, in case of use of unauthorised colouring substances, they may be subject to imprisonment as well, she added
Food safety officials inspect GH canteens
Food Safety department officials inspecting a canteen at the Salem Mohan Kumaramangalam Government Medical College Hospital on Monday.
Officials from the food safety department inspected the canteens on the premises of the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital on Monday and seized various food items.
A team led by S.Kathiravan conducted inspections at nine eateries on the hospital premises following complaints of lack of hygiene. Officials checked canteens owned by both government and private individuals.
During the raids, officials found use of newspapers and banned plastic articles to serve food items, sale of not properly labelled food products and use of artificial colours. According to officials, they seized bread, tomato rice, groundnut chocolates, idlis, pappads, rotten fruits, news dailies and banned plastics.
Dr. Kathiravan said that samples have been lifted of tomato rice. He added that under the Food Safety Act, inspection notice would be given to six canteens and improvement notice to one.
Half the milk sold in Madurai is substandard
Madurai: An alarming 60% of the milk samples lifted from Madurai city and rural areas tested as a part of the National Milk Safety and Quality Survey, 2018 were found “non-compliant”, but a bigger worry was that at least one-third of the samples had a cancer-causing ingredient aflatoxin M1.
A report of the survey was released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Friday. The report deals with safety and quality of liquid milk tested between May 2018 and October 2018 covering all states and UTs. More than 6,432 samples, including 551 from over 30 districts in Tamil Nadu, were tested.
“As per the report, 51% of the milk samples in TN were marked as non-compliant compared to 41% of all-India standards. Nearly 88 samples from the state tested positive for aflatoxin,” said state food safety deputy director Dr K Vanaja.
Food safety analysts said poorly maintained cattle sheds where fodder is not frequently replaced or kept dry can cause growth of fungus. “The food gets contaminated with aflatoxin. It is passed on to the milk as well,” said a senior government food analyst. “Pasteurization and sterilization of milk have little effect on aflatoxin M1 thus as waste product it remains in milk,” she said.
Among the 25 samples from Madurai district, only 10 samples were found to be compliant. Nine samples from Madurai, four samples each from Anaiyur, Avaniyapuram, Thirumangalam and Thiruparankundram were tested. Three among nine samples from Madurai, three out of four samples from Anaiyur and one sample each from Avaniyapuram, Thirumangalam and Thiruparankundram contained aflatoxin.
“It is one of the commonest causes of liver cancer. When ingested, it gets concentrated in the liver and triggers growth of cancer cells,” said surgical gastroenterologist Dr R Surendran of MIOT Hospital. “We no longer test for aflatoxin in liver biopsies, but it now looks like it is time to get this done at least as evidence for a policy,” he said.
The report says this is the first time that presence of aflatoxin M1 in milk has been assessed in India. “Aflatoxin M1 comes in the milk through feed and fodder, which are currently not regulated in the country,” the report said. Medical literature has several published data linking aflatoxin to low birth weight and stunted growth in children.
Besides aflatoxin, doctors say presence of antibiotics in milk is a cause of concern. Of the 551 samples from the state, three samples had traces of antibiotic. One of them was found in the sample from Anaiyur, in Madurai. “Repeated use of antibiotic can make even some of the powerful, last-resort drugs redundant. With more and more superbugs, resistance to antibiotic can be one of the biggest public health hazards,” said infectious disease expert Dr Abdul Ghaffur, who is also the technical advisory member, of the national antibiotic policy.
State health secretary Beela Rajesh, who is also the commissioner of food safety, said the government is now planning a larger study to identify hotspots. “The survey has district-wise data but as of now we don’t know the name of brands or where the contaminated milk was picked from,” she said. District food safety officials will pick samples from more than 140 manufacturing units across the state. “We will be systematically screening milk provided by co-operative societies and vendors as well. It will be on our priority list now,” she said.
Milk sold in Trichy Okay, but not Karur, Ariyalur
Trichy: Though most of the milk samples taken in Trichy got through the quality and safety compliance test undertaken as a part of the National Milk Safety and Quality Survey, 2018, the samples from Karur, Ariyalur and Perambalur exposed the presence of cancer-causing ingredient aflatoxin M1.
The survey was released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Friday. It deals with safety and quality of liquid milk tested between May 2018 and October 2018 covering all states and UTs with more than 6,432 samples including 551 from over 30 districts in Tamil Nadu. “As per the report at least 51% of the milk samples were marked as non-compliant compared to 41% of the all-India standards. Nearly 88 samples from the state have also tested positive for aflatoxin,” said state food safety deputy director Dr K Vanaja.
Food safety analysts say that poorly maintained cattle shed, where fodder isn’t often replaced or kept dry, can cause growth of fungus. “The food gets contaminated with aflatoxin. It is passed on to the milk as well,” said a senior government food analyst. “Pasteurization and sterilization of milk have not much effect on aflatoxin M1. Thus as a waste product, aflatoxin remains in milk,” she added.
Out of the eight samples collected in Trichy, seven samples cleared the quality and safety compliance test. One sample showed the presence of solids not fat (SNF) and maltodextrin.
On the standard of the milk in Trichy, designated officer (DO) of food safety and drug administration department Dr R Chithra of Trichy said that several samples taken from filling points showed that milk was sub-standard due to the adulteration of milk with water. “The contamination in the water can lead to health complications in the consumers,” said Chithra.
The milk samples taken in the neighbouring districts Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagappattinam, Pudukottai, Karur, Ariyalur and Perambalur also showed fat, SNF and maltodextrin.
“Maltodextrin is used as an addictive that can be digested and absorbed. People may use it as taste enhancer. It may cause allergic reactions depending upon the individuals,” director of Dr G Viswanathan Specialty Hospitals, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeon Dr K Govindaraj told ToI.
Shockingly, the milk samples taken in Karur, Inam Karur, Thanthoni, Ariyalur and Perambalur were also tested positive for aflatoxin. “It is one of the commonest causes for liver cancer. When ingested it gets concentrated in the liver and triggers growth of cancer cells,” said surgical gasteroentologist Dr R Surendran of MIOT Hospital.
“We no longer test for aflatoxin in liver biopsies, but it now looks like it is time to get this done at least as evidence for a policy,” he said.
The report says this is the first time that the presence of aflatoxin M1 in milk has been assessed in the country. “Aflatoxin M1 comes in the milk through feed and fodder, which are currently not regulated in the country,” the report said. Medical literature has several published data linking Aflatoxin to low birth weight and stunted growth in children.
State health secretary Beela Rajesh, who is also the commissioner of food safety, said the state is now planning a larger study to identify hotspots. “The survey has district-wise data but as of now we don’t know the name of brands or where the contaminated milk was picked from,” she said. To start with, the district food safety officials will be picking samples from more than 140 manufacturing units across the state. “We will be systematically screening milk provided by co-operative societies and vendors as well. It will be on our priority list now,” she said.
Checking food adulteration a challenge for Health Dept
Two of three sanctioned posts of food safety officer vacant in district
Patiala, October 20
Keeping a check on adulterated food during the festival season will be a challenge for the district health department, which is reeling under shortage of staff.
During the festival season, the department is expected to be extra cautious. Moreover, many food items, including cheese, have failed to meet the quality standards in Patiala. Over the past few months, a huge quantity of spurious milk, milk products and other food items were found at a number of places in the district.
The department has been reeling under shortage of food safety officers since long. Of the total three sanctioned posts of food safety officer, two are lying vacant. Most of the time, the lone officer is said to have been engaged in court cases filed by the health department. Subsequently, the drive against food adulteration gets hit.
In October, when the festival season is at its peak, only 55 samples have been collected. The department even failed to fulfil the monthly targets of sample collection.
District Health Officer (DHO) Satinder Singh said, “Out of the three sanctioned posts of food safety officer, two are vacant. However, we are working hard to check food adulteration in the district.”
The DHO said they had raided four shops in the district on Friday and collected 10 food samples. He added that they would be conducting more raids ahead of Diwali.
Commenting on the issue of staff shortage, Kahan Singh Pannu, Chairman, Tandrust Punjab Mission, said, “It is a challenge we are facing. We have already written to the Service Selection Board and demanded around 30 more food safety officers.”
Safe, but not entirely: On milk safety survey
The presence of aflatoxin M1 in milk points to the need to regulate cattle fodder
The “most comprehensive and representative” milk safety and quality survey has demolished the perception of large-scale milk adulteration in India. It was undertaken on 6,432 samples collected last year between May and October, and picked from over 1,100 town/cities with over 50,000 population. The survey by an independent agency at the behest of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) found 93% of the samples were absolutely safe. The samples were tested for 13 common adulterants and three contaminants — pesticides, aflatoxin M1 and antibiotics. Only 12 adulterated samples were found to be unsafe for consumption. The adulterated samples — they were also subjected to confirmatory tests — were from just three States: Telangana (nine), Madhya Pradesh (two) and Kerala (one). The survey claims that quantitative analysis of all adulterated samples showed the amount of adulterants and contaminants in the dozen samples was not high and hence “unlikely to pose serious threat” to human health. However, it did find 368 samples (5.7%) had aflatoxin M1 residues beyond the permissible limit of 0.5 microgram per kilogram. Compared with aflatoxin M1, antibiotics were seen above the permissible level in 77 samples, from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
At 227, aflatoxin M1 was more widely present in processed milk samples than in raw milk (141). This is the first time the presence of the contaminant in milk has been assessed. According to the FSSAI, aflatoxin M1 in milk is from feed and fodder, which is not regulated. The highest residue levels of aflatoxin M1 in milk were seen in samples from three States — Tamil Nadu (88 out of 551 samples), Delhi (38 out of 262) and Kerala (37 out of 187). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer the contaminant has been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. Its carcinogenic potency is estimated to be about a one-tenth of aflatoxin B1. Since the current survey has limited itself to milk, it is not clear how widespread aflatoxin M1 contamination is in milk products such as cheese, and hence the total exposure to it. Aflatoxin M1 in milk and milk products is a public health concern especially in infants and young children as milk constitutes one of the major sources of nutrients. According to the World Health Organisation, exposure to aflatoxin M1 in milk and milk products is especially high in areas where the grain quality used as animal feed is poor. Hence all attempts need to taken both before and after food crop harvest to reduce the toxin amount. Improper storage of food harvest in warm and humid conditions leads to aflatoxin contamination that is much higher than what is seen in the field. Equally important is in having facilities to regularly test for aflatoxin M1.
CAUSE OF CONCERN HALF THE MILK SOLD IN CHENNAI IS SUBSTANDARD
Aflatoxin, Known To Cause Cancer, Found In 5% Samples; Docs Worried
Nearly 60% of the milk samples lifted from Chennai and its peripheries tested as part of the National Milk Safety and Quality Survey, 2018, were found “noncompliant”, but a bigger worry was that nearly one in 20 samples had a cancercausing ingredient aflatoxin M1.
A report of the survey was released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on Friday. The report deals with safety and quality of milk tested between May 2018 and October 2018 across all states and UTs. More than 6,432 samples, including 551 from 30 districts in Tamil Nadu, were tested.
“As per the report, 51% of the milk samples in TN were marked as noncompliant compared to 41% of all-India standards. Nearly 88 samples from the state tested positive for aflatoxin,” said state food safety deputy director Dr K Vanaja.
Food safety analysts said poorly maintained cattle sheds where fodder is not frequently replaced or kept dry can cause growth of fungus. “The food gets contaminated with aflatoxin. It is passed on to the milk as well,” said a senior government food analyst. “Pasteurization and sterilization of milk have little effect on aflatoxin M1 thus as waste product it remains in milk,” she said.
Among the 44 samples from Chennai, two tested positive for the carcinogen (above 0.5micrograms/kg) and 26 others were deemed non-compliant. In the surrounding areas, one out of four samples each in Puzhuthivakkam and Maraimalainagar were found to have aflatoxin.
“It is one of the commonest causes of liver cancer. When ingested, it gets concentrated in the liver and triggers growth of cancer cells,” said surgical gastroenterologist Dr R Surendran of MIOT Hospital. “We no longer test for aflatoxin in liver biopsies, but it now looks like it is time to get this done at least as evidence for a policy,” he said.
The executive summary of the report says this is the first time that presence of aflatoxin M1 in milk has been assessed in India. “Aflatoxin M1 comes in the milk through feed and fodder, which are currently not regulated in the country,” the report said. Medical literature has several published data linking aflatoxin to low birth weight and stunted growth in children.
Besides aflatoxin, doctors say presence of antibiotics in milk is a cause of concern. “Repeated use of antibiotic can make even some of the powerful, last-resort drugs redundant. With more and more superbugs, resistance to antibiotic can be one of the biggest public health hazards,” said infectious disease expert Dr Abdul Ghaffur, who is also the technical advisory member, of the national antibiotic policy.
State health secretary Beela Rajesh, who is also the commissioner of food safety, said the government is now planning a larger study to identify hotspots. “The survey has district-wise data but as of now we don’t know the name of brands or where the contaminated milk was picked from,” she said. District food safety officials will pick samples from more than 140 manufacturing units across the state. “We will be systematically screening milk provided by cooperative societies and vendors as well. It will be on our priority list now,” she said.
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