FSSAI rejects Ministry’s bid to back import of ‘sub-standard’ food grains

If the Consumer Affairs Ministry had its say, imported food grains and pulses containing hazardous foreign matter would have made its way on to the Indian platter. In fact, import of damaged grains too would have been a possibility - on the pretext of the country witnessing inadequate food grains’ production. 

The Ministry, besides a number of importers, had called for a relaxation in the existing set norms for the import of food grains including pulses, even if it had extraneous matter or impurities.
But citing health reasons, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) - the country’s food regulator, turned down the Ministry’s request.

Sources in the FSSAI confirmed that besides the Consumer Ministry, various food grains and pulses importers had been representing to the Authority urging it to be “lenient” in implementing the standards in respect of foreign matter “including animal origin” found in the food items.

“They (importers and the Consumer Ministry) had argued that at times during the unloading of stocks, mud or such foreign material gets mixed with the food items making them impure. And hence it was not prudent to reject the entire stock on the basis of such samples picked up for the test,” the sources maintained.

They said stock rejection was causing financial loss to them and also showcased the country’s acute shortfall in food grains production.

The FSSAI, however, made it clear to them that in keeping with its mandate of ensuring safe imports into India, it cannot relax the prescribed limit as defined under the FSS (standards prescribed under Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulation 2011 in respect of foreign matter, mineral matter and damaged grains in food items such as wheat, maze, jwar, bajra and pulses.

FSSAI CEO VN Gaur confirmed that the matter was considered by the food authority. “We also made it clear to the Ministry as well as importers that relaxation of the set norms was not under its purview. Only Parliament has the mandate to do so.”

But we did consider operational issues, inconvenience suffered by the food importers in India  and the need for import of certain types of food grains due to inadequate domestic production,” Gaur added.
Importers have now been given an opportunity to improve the quality of the imported food grains by removing the foreign matters, mineral matter and damaged grains subject to the condition that cleaning and sorting of the food grains will be done by the importer strictly under the supervision of the customs in customs-bound area to make the consignment conforming to the standards, he explained.

New Chairperson at FSSAI

Chairperson sharing his thoughts with FSSAI family   Sh. K. Chandramouli has taken over as the new Chairperson of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. A brief ceremony was held on 27th January, 2012 at FSSAI head quarters, New Delhi. CEO FSSAI welcoming the new Chairperson   Sh. Chandramouli, is an IAS officer (1975:Uttar Pradesh cadre) and has superannuated during October,2011 as Union Health Secretary, Government of India. CEO FSSAI showing the documents and regulations to the Chairperson

Sh. V.N. Gaur, CEO FSSAI, welcomed the Chairperson and introduced the officials of FSSAI. He shared the salient features of FSSAI activities and elaborated various points during the presentation made by Director (Admin) about functioning, structure and progress made by FSSAI.

Officials FSSAI clarifying to an obsevation

Sh. Chandramouli made his cherished observations about FSSAI targets which must be clear than just Rules and Regulations. He suggested that we encompass everyone all the time and not for a one time affair. The focus shall remain on all be it Food Manufacturers,big Multinationals and Rediwala ( Small vendors). His vision is to exercise coordination and team work to build even the weakest link as strongest link.

Dir (QA & S) making a point

In his concluding remarks, Sh. K. Chandramouli thanked all members and welcomed valuable suggestions which shall be helpful in refining the programmes and policies of FSSAI.

Madurai's merchant community terms FSSA detrimental to farmers' interests

The merchant community in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has called the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (FSSA), detrimental to the interests of farmers and self-help groups in its present form and urged the Centre to postpone the enforcement of the Act.

S P Jeyapragasam, president, Tamil Nadu Foodgrain Merchants' Association, Madurai, told FnB News, “The Act, which came into force from August 5, 2011, would curtail farmers' opportunities to sell their products at competitive prices.”

According to the Act, the farmers who grow the food products and the traders are liable for action for deficiency in the quality of agro products. “The errant farmers and traders would have to pay a fine ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, and the minimum sentence in prison is six months,” he said.

When asked about the maximum term in jail, he said that depends on the offence. He stressed on the fact that the deficiency in the quality of agro products due to the changes in the weather should also be taken into consideration.

Jeyapragasam said the government was selling liquor and tobacco products while admitting that the consumption of these products was injurious to health. “The government that sells these products tends to penalise traders heavily if the product they sell is found to be substandard,” he rued.

After explaining how unreasonable the government was being in awarding penalties to the traders without taking into account the change in the quality of the product due to the changes in weather, he said, “The laws should be universal.”

He also said the products made by members of self-help groups cannot be brought under the purview of the FSSA. “They will be wiped out of business. Sections and clauses of the Act are rather harsh. Moreover, what works in a developed country cannot be implemented in a country like India, where basic sanitary conditions need to be uplifted and seasonal variations need to be taken into account.”

The law had also stipulated that about 250 food testing laboratories be set up across the state before the Act was implemented, but work had not begun on any of these yet, he pointed out. The association reiterated the demand, and said that it would make sure every district had its food testing laboratories.

With 80,000 licences issued, Maharashtra FDA leads licensing under FSSA

Maharashtra is one of the leading states with regard to converting the old licences under Prevention of Food Adulteration, Act, 1954, into those under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Till now over 80,000 PFA licences from the existing 1,07,000, have been converted. This was confirmed by Maharashtra food safety commissioner Mahesh Zagade, in a one-on-one with FnB News.

The new licensing regime was initiated on August 5, 2011, when the FSSA had come into force. It aims to bring the food industry under one umbrella by scrapping all old licences.

Now, Maharashtra FDA (Food and Drug Administration) targets March 31, 2012, for completing the licensing and registration procedure in the state. Although, the work done till now is more than the combined effort put together by enforcement wings across India, claimed a source from the industry connected to the FDA.

However, the fact remains that there are around 16 lakh food business operators (FBOs) in Maharashtra. Reaching out to them, and getting them registered or obtain licences would indeed be a gigantic task.

Where implementation of FSSA is concerned, Maharashtra has taken the biggest leap forward under the leadership of Zagade who joined office only on August 29, 2011. His effort has helped Maharashtra turn into a model state for the rest to follow.

His first initiative was to strengthen the organisation. Creation of six posts of joint commissioners and their redesignation as adjudication officers (AOs) was a vital step for strengthening the judicial infrastructure of the authority. Creation of another 62 posts of designated officers (DO) was the next progressive step.

The FDA is also upgrading the existing ranks of food inspectors working as Class 3 officers to Class 2 officers and redesignating them as food safety officers (FSOs). For the 16 lakh FBOs in the country, Maharashtra would have over 300 FSOs. Their distribution would be based on the regional densities of the FBOs. “We are reorganising the entire jurisdiction of FSOs and DOs and would allocate work on the basis of the number of the FBOs present in a region,” Zagade said.

Zagade is also striving to strengthen the sampling analysis mechanism. For this, the number of laboratories, both mobile and static, would be increased. “We want to have one full-fledged laboratory for every four-five districts and one mobile lab for every district,” Zagade said.

The commissioner now wants to use his long administrative e experience to put things straight at the FDA. One, he intends to connect all FDA offices in Maharashtra and plan a systematic data flow. “We want to streamline the working of all the offices in Maharashtra through computerisation,” Zagade suggested.

One step towards this was launching the pilot software for making licensing procedure on-line in January 2012. “We convinced the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) to choose Mumbai and Thane as two regions for launching the pilot project. Now, we are consistently in touch with the NISG (National Institute of Smart Governance), Hyderabad, which created the software, for constant upgrade,” Zagade informed.

Zagade also wants to bring in a permanent solution to the problem of milk adulteration, Maharashtra being one of the leading producers of milk.

“Raids do not work, we need to have a permanent solution in place. Though FDA is monitoring adulteration cases on continued basis, the number of outlets is so vast that complete control is not easy. Things are improving, however. We are trying to have a structured programme that deals with milk adulteration on a permanent basis,” Zagade said.

The task ahead for Zagade is not that easy, however, he is determined and anticipates cooperation from the industry.

“We want to operationalise all regulations,” Zagade encapsulated his ambitious intention into a tiny statement.

PRESS RELEASE

Health ministry: Ban gutka, or regulate it?

Should gutka be categorised as a “food product” and banned, or should it be regulated? Differences over the issue have surfaced within the health ministry, which, confused, is approaching the law ministry to get a final opinion.
While the new rules of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, an autonomous body under the health ministry, say “anything that is food and contains nicotine or tobacco must be banned”, another section of the health ministry feels that as per the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act of 2003 (COTP), there should be regulation, and not a complete ban. The COTP Act suggests regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of gutka.
Officials say a ban on smokeless tobacco products was never thought feasible because the industry employs a large number of people and it would affect their livelihood. Incidentally, the FSSAI’s new rules prohibit tobacco being used as an ingredient in any food product. However, with the COTP Act talking merely about regulation, the states have refused to adhere to the FSSAI notification.
“There is a contradiction. While our act lists gutka as an item which needs to be regulated, the FSSAI calls for a total ban. We have now asked the law ministry to clear the confusion and take a final call,” said a senior health ministry official.
Statistics show that nearly 0.9 million deaths occur in India every year due to tobacco-use compared to 5.5 million deaths worldwide. According to the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey, out of the 35 per cent of adults in India that use tobacco in some form or the other, 21 per cent use smokeless tobacco, nine per cent smoke and five per cent smoke as well as use smokeless tobacco.

PRESS RELEASE

Sensitising traders to Food Safety and Standards Act

Explaining the salient features of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which has repealed the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954, the Food Safety Office, Coimbatore, sensitised the merchant community to the need for registration and obtaining licence.
Food safety and prevention of adulteration has been taken away from the local administration ministry and made a separate department under the Food Safety Authority of India. In the State, Food Safety Commissionerate and Designated Officers for Food Safety and Food Safety Officers come under the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The Act has come into being from August 5, 2011 and now the modalities have been finalised and enforcement has begun.
The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 will automatically repeal any other State legislation on food safety in force.
In Coimbatore, Designated Officer R. Kadiravan along with Food Safety Officers K. Chandran, K. Sakthivel and R. Ramachandran addressed the members of the merchant community recently to explain the features of the Act.
The Act brings roadside eateries, food stalls and vendors under its purview and also enables manufacturers of food items to write to the Food Safety authorities and recall their food products in the event of defective products or adulteration in their food items. As against the seven different licences for products coming under the Fruit Product Order, Meat Food Production Order, Vegetable Oil Product Control Order, Edible oil Packaging and Regulation Order 1988, Solvent Extracted Oil Order, Edible Flour Food Products Order, Milk Products Order 1992 and any other orders relating to products covered under Essential Commodities Act 1955, there is only one unified licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The new order also calls for just a registration fee of Rs.100 for small food business while for businesses with higher turnover, licence is required for which the fee is Rs.2,000. For registration and licence, there is a time bound mechanism. If there is failure to issue registration within 30 days or to issue licence within 60 days, the applicant is at liberty to continue his business.
The Act has also given provision for appointment of private agencies, which will take up the registration and licence application procedure for merchants.
The Food Safety authorities here have planned to begin the enrolment for registration and licence by holding special camps at market places. List of private food laboratories with certification from National Accreditation Board for Calibration and Laboratories (NABL) has been circulated and the Government laboratories are also on the job of getting the NABL certification. Under the previous Act, during inspection, three samples used to be lifted. To prevent complaints of excesses, the new Act paves the way for picking up four samples and the manufacturer or shop owner is at liberty to send one of the samples to a private laboratory of his choice. In the event of difference in lab reports, then the samples could be sent to the referral laboratory. There are enough provisions to ensure food safety and prevention of adulteration and also to protect the merchant community from official high-handedness, the officials point out.

Unlicensed catering: Raj govt takes action against 4 officers

Jaipur, Jan 28 : A food safety officer has been suspended and three others were transferred after a report revealed that an unlicensed catering firm had served meals to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other VIPs during the recent Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here.
City-based in flight catering company Sky Feast from where the food was served to the VIPs was operating without food licence, a mandatory requirement under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The tenth edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention was held here from January 7-9.
“AIR India had given the contract to serve the food to the catering company. Our food safety officers were deputed to take samples of the food to check its quality. The hotel was not having the food license and the officers did not take care of it, which is a negligence on their part,” an officer of state medical and health department said today.
Deputy Secretary (Medical and Health) Sunil Kumar Sharma in two separate orders issued yesterday suspended Shree Ram Mishra and transferred three officers — Sandeep Agrawal (son of K M Agrawal), Sandeep Agrawal (son of K L Agrawal) and Rajesh Tinkar — from Jaipur to Sirohi, Hanumangarh and Doongerpur, respectively.
“When the matter came to my knowledge on January 11, the hotel authorities claimed that Mishra demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 to settle the matter following which I initiated an inquiry against him. Serious allegations were levelled against him. Mishra was suspended by the government as the matter is under investigation,” Chief Medical and Health Officer (Jaipur-II) Yatindra Singh said.
Singh, himself, has been served a notice over the entire episode as the four erring officials worked in his office.

Companies can be penalized for false information

According to the Food and Safety Standards Act, 2006, it is easier to sue a company that gives false information to consumers under the sales promotion. For the benefit of our readers, we try to highlight some of the facets of the Act.

THE FOOD Safety and Standards Authority of India Act, 2006 provides extra rights to sue a company which under the sales promotion gives false information. Section 24 of the Act puts restriction on misleading or deceiving any advertisement and under trade practices, promoting the sale, supply, usage and consumption of any food articles or adopt any unfair or deceptive practice or information which involves the following:

Falsely represents standards, quality, quantity or grade-composition

Makes a false or misleading representation about it usage
Gives you a guarantee of the efficacy without adequate scientific justification, thereof;

All the persons, manufacturers, dealers, importers of food items are required to comply with the above said provisions of the Act while advertising or disseminating information through direct or indirect promotional activities.

The Consumers while purchasing any food packet must read its expiry date and the nutritional information written on its label to confirm the authenticity of the same.
All the dealers, manufacturers are supposed to guard their consumers under the Act which came in force throughout the country effective 5th August, 2011.
The new Act repeals other Acts viz; Prevention of food adulteration, fruit products, solvent extracted oils, edible floor, meat food products, edible oils packing, vegetable oil products and milk products etc. It thus becomes our moral duty to inspect / read the food items thoroughly before any purchase is made.

3-day strike in mandis, biz worth Rs 8kcr hit & Food Grain Traders Call Off Strike (29.1.12)

JAIPUR: Several farmers returned dejected from foodgrain markets without selling their crops on Friday after foodgrain traders throughout the state went on a three-day strike to protest against the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

As many as 247 foodgrain markets in the state remained closed as the Rajasthan Khadya Padarth Vyapar Sangh (RKPVS) called for a three-day bandh. Edible oil and pulses mills too remained shut. RKVPS said business around Rs 8,000 crore has been badly affected owing to strike.

In Bharatpur, tea sellers and retailers kept their shops closed. In Jaipur, foodgrain markets in Surajpole mandi, Deenanathji ki Gali and wholesale dealers of tea joined the strike.

The loss includes daily sale of oilseeds (mustard, soyabean, groundnut, sesame) worth Rs1,500 crore, edible oil worth Rs 800 crore, pulses Rs1,200 crore, foodgrains Rs1,500 crore and dry spices worth Rs1,500 crore. Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 was implemented in the state in August 2011. However, from January 1, the state made it compulsory for foodgrain traders to procure licence from the medical, health and family welfare department, and that too with an increased fee.

The Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954 was amended to form the new FSS Act. Under the newly-implemented FSS Act, 2006, foodgrains too will have to undergo inspection by the administration . Earlier, only cooked or packaged food was checked.

A chief medical and health officer said, "Earlier, we did not conduct raids at foodgrain storehouses as the licencing authority rested with the municipal bodies. However, under the new Act, the director (health) is now the food safety commissioner . The health and medical department is authorized to issue licences and at the same time check the licences of foodgrain traders."

The revised Act however, has not been welcomed by the traders who feel that as they just buy the grains from farmers and sell it off to dealers, they do not play any part in adulterating it, and therefore, should be kept out of it.

RKPVS president Babulal Gupta said, "The strike is our way of showing solidarity with traders across the country who protested against the Act. A meeting of Bhartiya Udhyog Vyapar Mandal was convened to demand rectification in the Act and intensify the protests across the country."

The traders also protested against the sharp rise in licence fee. Earlier the fee ranged between Rs 6 and Rs 12, but now it has gone up to Rs 2,000 and even up to Rs 7,500 in some cases , said Gupta. For a trader with a turnover of Rs 60 lakh, the fee should be Rs 20, while for those with a turnover of over Rs 60 lakh, it should be Rs 100, the traders demanded. 

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Food grain traders call off strike

JAIPUR: The three-day strike of food grain traders abruptly ended on its second day on Saturday when the state government assured the protesting traders of conveying their demands to the Centre.
Traders in the entire state opened their shops and normalcy was restored in the food grain markets.
The traders in the state had gone on strike, which was supposed to continue till Sunday, against the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006 implemented in the state recently. Under the Act, the food grain traders have to procure license from the medical, health and family welfare department at an exorbitant fees. The traders were protesting against the licensing policy.

The Rajasthan Khadya Padarth Vyapar Sangh (RKPVS) office bearers met chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday to tell him their demands.

Since, the FSS Act was introduced by the Centre, the state government wrote to the Centre about the demands of traders. "The CM has directed principal secretary, health, to write to the Centre regarding our demands. Since the state government has written to Centre, we have decided to call off our strike," RKPVS president Babu Lal Gupta said.

Though the traders have called off the strike but have decided not to give up protest and plan to intensify their agitation against the FSS Act. "This is a national issue so the national traders' meet of Bhartiya Udhyog Vyapar Mandal will be held in February to take up the issue," Gupta added.

The RKPVS claimed that they went on strike just to send a message to traders in other states to raise their voice against the licensing policy under the Act.

The RKPVS officials said under the Act, the oil mills have to procure license from Delhi. They demanded that the provisions should be made for traders to procure licenses at state, district and tehsil levels.

Because of the strike around Rs 8,000 crore business was affected in the state on Friday.

Traders' body seeks to defer Food Safety Act

MADURAI: The merchant community in Madurai has termed the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as detrimental to the interests of farmers and self-help groups in its present form and urged the Centre to postpone the enforcement of the Act.
Hoisting the tricolour to mark the Republic Day, S P Jeyapragasam, president of the Madurai-based Tamil Nadu Foodgrain Merchants' Association said the Act that has come into force from September last year would curtail farmers' opportunity to sell products at remunerative prices. "According to the Act, farmers who grow the food products and traders are liable for action for deficiency in the products. The deficiency in quality of agro products due to changes in weather should also be taken into account,'' he said.
Jeyapragasam noted that the government was selling liquor while admitting that consuming liquor was injurious to health. "Similarly, cigarette and beedi packets are sold with the warning that smoking is injurious to health. The government that permits sale of these injurious products tends to penalise heavily traders if the product they sell is substandard without taking into account the quality change due to weather. It is not fair on the part of government,'' he said.
He also noted that the products made by SHG members cannot be brought under the purview of the act. "They will be forced to stop production," he said, urging that the government should postpone enforcement of the Act by at least three years to hear grievances of farmers and traders.
The association demanded that food testing laboratories be established in all districts before the Act is implemented.

REPUBLIC DAY WISHES

ELANGOVAN N - FOOD SAFETY OFFICER - SALEM DISTRICT

LICENSE / REGISTRATION - FSSAI CLARIFICATION

Milk adulteration: Govt to file reply in Delhi High Court today

New Delhi: The Centre and Delhi government are both expected to file replies on the adulterated milk incidents in the Delhi High Court. The court had taken cognisance of reports that revealed that nearly 70 per cent of milk samples in the country are found to be contaminated with water, detergent and even urea.
The first mass survey of quality of milk supplied to consumers across the country by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has led to shocking discoveries with as many as 69 per cent of the samples failing the test of purity.
At least 14 per cent of milk samples were found to contain traces of detergents. However, these non-conforming milk samples were confined to states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal only.

FSSAI ADVERTISEMENT

LICENSING / REGISTRATION - CLARIFICATIONS FROM FSSAI

FSS implementation status, licensing dominate FSSAI 6th CAC meeting agenda

The 6th Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting of Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was conducted by the body at its premises recently.

Commissioners of food safety of major states / union territories participated in the meet with status reports of respective states. The reports elaborated on the progress made in implementation of the FSS Act, Rules and Regulations etc. and appointment of regulators as well as legal machinery i.e. food appellate tribunals.

V N Gaur, CEO, FSSAI, while welcoming the members, shared the salient points about the recent milk survey report over which the media reports created apprehensions about large-scale adulteration in the minds of people. He advised all the states to examine the issues highlighted in the executive summary of the report and take appropriate measures.

The Central Licensing System (CLS) software developed by NISG has been implemented and licenses are being issued. Initially five regions AP, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi joined for similar templates for state licensing, however, other regions also showed eagerness to use the software, it was learnt at the meeting.

The meeting was also told that food safety helpline and website needed to be developed by states and each state needed to appoint a nodal officer for issues related to food safety till such time complete processes were in place for quick disposal of grievances, if any. Training programmes are to be organised on pan-India basis at select institutions and states have to come forward in identifying resource persons and other infrastructure wherever required FSSAI will provide all possible help.

Director (administration) FSSAI outlined the contribution of Gaur, who would be superannuating shortly, to the body. From first CAC till the present meeting, Gaur had brought about a distinct integration of various processes enunciated in new law and provided a stable platform for implementing as well as enforcing FSS Act, Rules and Regulations both in letter and spirit. The house gave a standing ovation to Gaur.

Towards the end, the CEO emphasised upon licensing and import food clearances needing improvements as first time such a system had been developed and advised states to remain in constant touch with FSSAI about enforcement of Act.

OMFED supply unaffected by adulteration row

BHUBANESWAR: Reports on milk adulteration throughout the country have not affected the sale of Orissa State Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation (OMFED) products, with its sale figures still on the rise. OMFED has come under fire following a report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which revealed that samples collected from milk supplied in the State were found to be 100 per cent adulterated. A PIL has also been filed in the Orissa High Court in this connection.
OMFED milk supply has increased from 4,80,000 litres to 4,90,000 litres in the recent times. The milk supply is now set to reach the 5 lakh-litre mark, a senior OMFED official said.
Around 2.54 lakh farmers supply milk to OMFED on a daily basis.
Though at times the farmers add salt or sugar to meet the SNF (Solid Not Fat) content, on detection, such milk is rejected by OMFED.
OMFED authorities have created special squads, who are conducting surprise checks to curb adulteration.
Organoleptic tests are conducted by the OMFED authorities at every booth to check adulteration.
The ones that do not meet the required standards are rejected on the spot, the Omfed official said.
People by and large depend on OMFED for their daily quota of milk. Following the report on adulteration, people have started getting apprehensive.
“I don’t give preference to OMFED products, but still there is no alternative,” says Divya, a housewife.
Milk samples from OMFED, Kamdhenu and other private distributors have been taken by the Public Health department for examination. The reports of the tests are awaited.

LONG WAIT

Though name of former Health secretary K Chandramouli’s for appointment as head of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been cleared by the PMO’s Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC), the undue delay in his joining has left the Authority’s staff a confused lot. “Many important decisions have been put on hold and the Authority has not held its meeting for the past four months after the previous chairperson PI Suvarthan superannuated last September.

Drink urea with your glass of milk

Milky Way
According to a recent study conducted by Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), 70 per cent of milk distributed in Delhi does not subscribe to the fixed safety norms, however, the Delhi government claims that none of the samples checked were found containing any harmful adulterants like detergent or urea.

While this controversy gathers steam, Metrolife discovers how Delhiites are reeling under this debate. A pregnant Anshul Garg said, “A common man does not have any other choice. I get milk from the vendor and we do not check its quality. Two days back I developed some kind of allergy from milk and my doctor has now recommended that I stop having this milk. As a mom to be I have to take milk, but this news has shocked me.”

The study conducted this month also found that the milk was adulterated with skimmed milk powder and glucose, or more shockingly hydrogen peroxide, urea and detergent.

Hydrogen peroxide is used in bleach, while urea is commonly used in fertiliser.

Veena Mehta, a professional said, “There should be strict vigilance on each plant and dairies to ascertain the reality. We need solutions for these issues and the government just cannot keep numb about the health of its people.”

Almost 70 per cent of the 1,791 samples taken nationwide were contaminated or watered down, according to the report.

Out of 33 Indian states, non-fat adulterants were found in all the milk samples from West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand.

“I have children at home to feed milk and all this news about adulteration has shocked us. What to eat and what not to eat is the basic question? What do we feed our children? This is the question of our health. The government has to do something about it as soon as possible,” said Aarti Sharma, a homemaker. Same was the case with Renu Gupta, a professional, “We came to know about this study and next will be food items.

What will we have? Why is there so much corruption everywhere?”

Delhi fared worse than most states, with as many as 70 per cent of the samples tainted. Goa and Puducherry conformed to the standards with no indication of adulteration in their milk.

The study across 33 states has revealed that milk was adulterated with detergent, fat and even urea, besides the age-old practice of diluting it with water.

Honey safety norms in place soon

The government is putting in place safety standards for honey after it has been found that lots, even those sold by top brands, had traces of antibiotics and pesticides in them.
The Food And Safety Standards of India (FSSAI) will soon make it mandatory that honey samples conform to these regulatory measures before they can be declared safe for consumption.
The new standards have been approved by the scientific committee of the experts and are likely to be notified soon by the government. While the new standards specify that there “should not be any residue of antibiotics in honey”, the FSSAI will also list down antibiotics that should remain absent from honey before it is made available for the consumers.
The standards for honey prescribed under prevention of food adulteration rules only specify the maximum limits of heavy metal etc. So far, there are no standards for antibiotics in honey in India. In last few years, there have been reports of antibiotic contamination in honey exported from India and also in honey available in the domestic market.
Earlier, the food and feed control authorities of the member states of the EU had also found Indian honey contaminated with prohibited antibiotics, like nitrofuran and chloramphenicol, tetracycline and streptomycin.
Experts say even that recently the samples picked up by FSSAI too found antibiotic residue in honey. “The laboratories will have a clear mandate. The list of antibiotics will be given based on limit of quantification,” FSSAI CEO V.N. Gaur said.
Those manufacturers which are found not conforming to the standards and thereby making it “unsafe” will face imprisonment and severe punishment that may include closing down of manufacturing unit.
Experts say that move gains significance keeping in view the recent reports of drug resistant bugs present in India. “The presence of antibiotics unnecessarily enhances immunity which could harm the body in the long run. The problem of presence of drug resistance bugs can also not be ignored,” said a senior official.

January 31 is last date for registration for food manufacturers in Patiala

The health and family welfare department, Government of Punjab, has made it mandatory for those in the business of manufacturing and selling food products for human consumption to register by January 31, 2012.

During a brief telephonic conversation with Dr Virinder Singh Mohi, Patiala’s civil surgeon, said, “The health department is committed to providing hygienic food to the residents of the city.”

He said, “The state government implemented the Food Safety and Standards Act in August 2011 according to the guidelines issued by the Central government. Under this Act, all establishments dealing with food have to complete their registration and acquire the requisite licenses.”

Dr Mohi added, “It is mandatory for every restaurant, bakery, sweet shop, motel, dhaba or confectionery store, whose annual sales exceed Rs 12 lakh, dairy and milk unit whose milk production is between 500 and 50,000 litres a day, processing unit for refined oils whose capacity exceeds two metric tonnes per day, three-star hotel or restaurant whose business is more than Rs 12 lakh per year and slaughter house with 2-10 large animals, 10-150 small animals, 50-1,000 poultry birds and meat processing units whose capacity is 500 kilograms per day to apply for the license and register at the civil surgeon's office in Patiala.”

“The annual licensing fee ranges between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000, depending upon the size and volume of output of a unit,” he said. He added that the volume of sales a unit registered would be gauged from the annual sales tax or value-added tax (VAT) returns.

Dr Mohi categorically stated that vendors, retailers, hawkers and even those who were itinerant would not be exempt from the rule. “They will have to pay an annual registration fee of just Rs 100 per annum.”

“If any food business operator fails to comply with the rule, he is obviously liable to be punished. We will not be too harsh on the smaller vendors, but if a big player bends the rule, we will have no choice but to initiate action, by way of either a monetary fine or imprisonment, against him,” he further said.

Karnataka plans new food lab, hires staff for better FSSA implementation

Karnataka plans new food lab, hires staff for better FSSA implementation

Karnataka has now speeded up efforts to ensure preparedness in terms of infrastructure and personnel to help the industry adhere to the Food Safety & Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.

The state, which has four food labs, is now looking to have a fifth facility in Bangalore, under the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project, which is funded by the World Bank.

The state is also contemplating on setting up mobile vans to simplify the surveillance of food units at a faster pace. Further efforts are on to offer online issue of licences and renewal. In this regard, the Union government has now software to network the state food commissionerates across the country. Karnataka is hoping to be among the first to install the same.

Further the state will also set up helplines and a website to solve the issues of the industry in terms of comprehending and consulting the finer points of the Act.

In this regard, the state has identified four food safety labs for which NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) certification is being sought and currently a Gap Analysis is on to help compare the actual performance with potential performance, according to B S Ramaprasad, Karnataka commissioner for food, directorate of health and family welfare.

The four labs present in the state are being upgraded with the help of state health department and national rural health mission scheme. Also the notification pertaining to food safety officers is complete. Training to food safety officers has been imparted, recruitment of adjudicating officer is complete and constitution of special courts in the 30 districts of the state is also through.

“The cog in the wheel is the required staff, laboratories and related infrastructure. While we have 104 FSO, there is a shortfall of 130 personnel. We have designated district surveillance officers to oversee the inspection of food joints at all levels,” he added.

He further stated, “Going hand in hand with the required labs and FSOs, we are now on an aggressive drive to implement information, education and communication (IEC) which combines strategies, approaches and methods that enable individuals to correctly understand the FSSA.”

On a concluding note, he said, “The key task for the food industry is to remain self- compliant, implement recall and improve tasks which will help it to easily adhere to the FSSA. For the government it is the challenge of taking the stakeholders into confidence.”

PIL seeks certification to check milk adulteration

MUMBAI: A public interest litigation has been filed in the Bombay High Court against largescale adulteration of milk. It urged the court to direct setting up of an agency to certify milk with a 'Milk Mark' which would ensure quality and a 24-hour helpline for complaints.

The PIL was filed by homeopath Dr Sreedevi Mehta, chemical engineer Karan Doshi and Vidhvatta Malhotra, a homemaker who has a two-year-old child. The state, commissioners for Food Safety and Food and Drugs Administration, the BMC and ministry of health and family welfare have been made parties.

The petitioners said they became aware after reading news reports about the alarming portions of mass adulteration of milk that is consumed by almost every household in the city. They were "shocked and aghast", to learn that the National Milk Survey found nearly 70% of 1,791 samples picked up from 33 states and union territories had failed to conform to Food and Safety Standards Authority of India.

"It is a very sorry state of affairs wherethough unknowingly people are consuming urea, detergents, bad sugar, harmful chemicals and several other contaminants by drinking adulterated milk every day," the petition states. The petitioner urged that like AGMARK, which is a quality certification for agricultural products, milk must also be certified by a 'Milk Mark', certified by an authority at the state-level.

They also urged for a 24-hour helpline for people to register complaints so that raids, if necessary, are conducted and the guilty booked.

The PIL was mentioned by their advocate Advait Sethna before a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi and has been posted for hearing on January 25.

Quality of milk raises questions

Come summer, milk will be flowing from neighbouring states, some being transported for more than 15 hours.

With sample testing of milk not happening for over a month now, owing to the shifting of responsibility to a different department, the quality of the milk coming in is likely to pose serious threats. Already there are charges that chemicals like sodium bicarbonate, formalin and hydrogen peroxide are being used as preservatives in some of the milk packets coming from outside the state.

This not only helps prevent the milk from turning sour, but also gives it an appearance of being fresh, say dairy farmers in the state. The adulteration is allegedly being carried out in chilled milk coming from as far as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in insulated tanker lorries.

The deputy director of the diary department and other top officials admit that the chances of bringing in adulterated milk into the state were very high. However, under the new dispensation, the duty has been entrusted to the officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

 They said the food safety commission, the new law enforcement agency, has no facility to test the milk at check posts. Earlier, department officials used to undertake sample testing through their quality control wing. “There has been no effective sample testing or checking since the food safety authorities were entrusted with the job two months ago. Lack of effective checking will only increase the chances of adulteration in the milk and milk products,” said the Dairy Officers’ Association president, Mr Unni V. Normally, neutralisers are bound to be used as the milk will have to be transported for more than 15 hours from faraway places.

More than 8 lakh litres of milk comes from neighbouring states every day. The quantity will be higher in the hot days ahead and also with starting of the festival season, he adds. ”We managed to control adulteration by setting up temporary labs at the check posts and conducting regular raids in the market. However, I don’t think the new system can be effective as there is no infrastructure and technical expertise,” said the deputy director of the state dairy department, Mr Issac Thayyil.

 Earlier, three diary firms had been banned from trading in the market on grounds of selling adulterated milk. However, FSSA officials maintain that they are carrying out sample testing. “We are conducting routine checkups despite some infrastructure handicaps. We have asked the government to set up laboratories in all districts,” the technical assistant of the state food safety commissioner’s office, Mr D Sivakumar said.

DINAMALAR ARTICLE

6th CAC MEETING, DELHI

6th CAC Meeting,Delhi (Dated : 21-01-2012) 6th CAC Meeting in progress   6th Central Advisory Committee meeting of FSSAI was conducted on 18th January at New Delhi. Commissioners of Food safety of major states/UT participated with status report of respective states about the progress made in implementation of FSS Act, Rules and Regulations etc and appointment of regulators as well legal machinery i.e. Food Appellate Tribunals, etc. CEO FSSAI Mr. V.N.Gaur,while welcoming the members, shared the salient points about the recent milk survey report over which the media reports created apprehensions about large scale adulteration in the minds of people. He advised all the states to examine the issues highlighted in the Executive Summary of the report and take appropriate measures. Food Safety Commissioners seeking clarification from CEO   The Central Licensing System(CLS) software developed by NISG has been implemented and licenses are being issued .Initially 5 states have joined for similar templates for state licensing AP, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi however other states also showed eagerness to use the software and accordingly NISG team may contacted. The Food safety Helpline and website, need to be developed by states and each states must appoint a Nodal Officer for issues related to Food Safety till such time complete processes are in place for quick disposal of grievances, if any. Training programs are to be organized on PAN India at select institution and states have to come forward in identifying resource persons and other infrastructure wherever required FSSAI will provide all possible help. Members of CAC   Director (Admin),FSSAI outlined the contribution of Mr V.N.Gaur CEO, to FSSAI who is shortly superannuating. From Ist CAC till the present meeting Mr. Gaur has brought about a distinct integration of various processes enunciated in New law and provided a stable platform for implementing as well as enforcing FSS Act Rules an regulations both in letter and spirit. The house gave an standing ovation to the CEO Mr. V.N.Gaur. Director Admin proposing contribution of CEO to FSSAI   Towards the end CEO emphasized upon licensing and Import food clearances need certain ongoing improvement as first time such a system has been developed and advised states to remain in constant touch with FSSAI about enforcement of Act.

Authorities raid milk sellers, collect samples

JAIPUR: A day after the Rajasthan High Court directed the state government on milk adulteration issue, the Jaipur district administration began raiding milk sellers on Friday. Various newspapers had published a survey report by Food Safety Standards Authority of India that showed 76% of milk in Rajasthan is adulterated.

Mobile laboratories tested about 20 samples of milk in Sanganer and Mansarovar and found 19 to be adulterated with 50% water, a district administration official said. Besides, this, the department collected five more samples and sent them for testing.

The presence of toxic chemicals in adulterated milk could hamper brain development among infants, the doctors claimed. The report of Food Safety Standards Authority of India survey shows that the samples of milk contained chemical substances like urea and detergents. These substances are dangerous for infants.

JK Lon Hospital superintendent Dr SD Sharma said, "Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for brain development. If the milk is adulterated then there are possibilities that the infant will not get DHA. Because of that the development of brain in the infant could be halted. The intelligence quotient among such children would not be as much as in a normal child. In some cases, it could also lead to mental retardation because major development of the brain takes place up to one-and-a-half years."

He said, "The parents give milk to make their children healthy but if the milk is not safe, then it could have adverse effects on health."

The doctors also appealed to the mothers to breastfeed their children. Various studies and researches in the recent past were conducted and held mother's milk as essential for the growth of the baby, which also keeps them safe from consuming adulterated milk.

Gastroenterologist Dr Abhinav Sharma said, "Patients come to me with complaints of gastroenteritis, acute pain abdomen, vomiting, feeling of bloating and sometimes bleeding ulcers. These are all common symptoms caused by consumption of adulterated milk."

The doctors also appealed to the people to check the milk they are consuming as it could lead to serious health problems.

125 food testing labs on cards

PUNE: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed to set up 125 food testing laboratories in the country. The authority has also proposed to form guidelines to keep a check on flavoured drinking water, said V N Gaur, chief executive officer of FSSAI. The proposals have been submitted to the Union government for approval.
Gaur was speaking at the two-day 21st Indian Convention of Food Scientists and Technologists organised on the theme 'Innovations in food science and technology to fuel the growth of the Indian food industry'. Swapan Kumar Datta, deputy director general, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, New Delhi, Vasudha Kamath, vice-chancellor, SNDT University, Mumbai, and G Venkateswara Rao, acting director Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, were present for the convention that started on Friday.
He said, "The proposed labs are meant to undertake tests to check whether the adulteration is chemical, physical or microbiological. Physical category means substandard particles mixed in a product. The 125 primary labs will join the existing 72 labs in the country. Apart from these, there are four central food labs, working as referral labs to the primary labs, providing information about various research projects, their findings and usefulness of technology in the food industry."
Another emerging market is flavoured drinking water, for which there are no guidelines so far, he said. The authority has urged the Union government to initiate a procedure to form guidelines for flavoured drinking water, as there is definition of drinking water, bottled and packaged water, Gaur added.
The FSSAI has also appealed to the government to upgrade and modernise existing food testing labs and open them to packaged food manufacturers, consumers and researchers. The old machinery and lack of funds are limiting the functioning of the labs and their scope, he added.
When asked about the recently released national milk sample survey, in which 70% milk samples were found adulterated, Gaur said, "Out of them, 14% samples had detergent in them, which is a serious health concern. Adding skimmed milk powder or water does not pose any threat, but chemicals could cause serious health problems. The mechanism to check all types of adulteration is in place, but there are issues regarding effective implementation."
S M Naikare, president, Association of Food Scientist and Technologists, Pune chapter, told TOI, "The government has not emphasised processing of ethnic food items that are in huge demand. The copying of western food products has a limited response as food habits of Indians are different. The proposed labs would help keep a check on adulteration and would empower consumers."

Press conference about National Milk Survey by FSSAI (11th Jan 2012)

CEO, FSSAI Shri V.N. Gaur officially invited leading media persons(both electronic and print) on Wednesday 11th Jan 2012 at FSSAI Head office at 1500 hrs to share about the doubts raised over National Milk Survey report which was released on FSSAI portal.

The conference evoked considerable response from the media persons about the concerns of general public about adulteration and deviations from standards as reported in the National Milk Survey.

The media persons were informed about the mandate of FSSAI under which Surveillance is desirable about food items and accordingly a process was initiated. Such surveys were part of the process of presenting before the nation a “State of Food” report. However the findings could be utilized for strengthening the regulatory process, greater awareness of the consumers and a cautionary signal to the producers.

CEO also touched upon the sub standard milk being sold are “nonconforming” with the standards and every non-conforming sample may not pose health risk as the product would be substandard.

About question raised by media persons on specific brands, CEO clarified that no particular brand was targeted. By and large the milk coming into market has been tested to understand various types of deficiencies or adulterants so that necessary corrective action could be initiated.

The report will sensitize all such milk producer to remain careful while bringing their products in market which if found deviating from standards may invite prosecution by the regulators under States and Central License.

Skimming off your good health

Despite being the world’s largest producer of milk, India struggles with adulteration of milk by unscrupulous traders. A recent study by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India across 33 states has shifted focus on the problem.
There is no proper check system to curb these activitiesThere is only one reason for anti-social elements to get into the business of milk adulteration — to make quick money. They mix other substances, including water, in milk to produce a cheaper alternative. The cost of spurious milk ranges between Rs2 and Rs6 per litre, whereas pure milk costs Rs24 per litre. So, one can get an idea why these anti-social elements indulge in such activities.
Besides, there is no proper check system or strict law to curb these activities. According to the law, mixing anything in milk, even a drop of water, is adulteration. Apart from water, the adulterators use substances like glucose powder, urea, detergent, palmolein oil and sorbitol, to name a few. Some of the chemicals used for adulteration are very toxic, and many of them are carcinogenic, with severe effects on the human body.
—Dr Abhijeet Vaidya, founder-president, Arogya Sena

One can use the RTI to force govt to disclose names of errant dairiesWe are not a part of the ongoing campaign against milk adulteration in the state. We cannot point fingers at anybody without getting the samples tested. Besides, the responsibility to curb such activities lies with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the police.
I think we all have witnessed how some local distributors cut milk packetsand collect it in a blue drum to adulterate it and re-pack it. Adulterators run this racket openly, then why don’t the authorities take any action against them.
If the names of the dairies that are allegedly involved in milk adulteration are not being disclosed by the government, one can use the RTI Act, 2005, to compel the government to do so.

—Dnyanraj Santh, secretary, Grahak Hitvardhini
How can one determine extent of adulteration based on a few samples?
We have heard about the recent study on milk adulteration. The FSSAI has collected some samples from here and there, including Mumbai. Based on lab reports of these samples, they have concluded that 65% of the milk samples from Maharashtra has failed to meet the standards.
How can one determine the extent of milk adulteration in the whole state based on a few samples? The government
cannot disclose the names of the dairies involved, just on these assumptions. It must be proved. As per the new state law, the word ‘adulteration’ is not used anymore. Instead, we use words like sub-standard, unsafe or harmless.
On our part, we do not act hastily on complaints. We raid such centres only when we have concrete evidence.
—Chandrashekhar Salunkhe, joint commissioner, FDA (Food)
Milk is a product easy to adulterate, and many are involved because of the huge profit margins
We, at Katraj Dairy, supply 1.5 lakh litres of milk every day. On a co-operative basis, there are over 900 societies registered with us. We do face problems, no matter how careful we are, but we guarantee that our milk is 100% pure.
Due to the free trade policy, the market is now open to other private milk producers also. In Pune district itself, there are 65 dairies and over 85 milk brands are doing business in the market.
Out of the 10 lakh litres of milk that is supplied in the state, 50% is supplied by dairies in packaged form, and the rest by individual milkmen.
The industry has become huge, but still the state does not have a milk marketing board of its own.
Milk is easy to adulterate and many are involved in this business because of the huge profit margins. On the other hand, the milk industry has reached a crucial stage where it has become very hard for dairies to make enough profits. Just like petrol or sand mafias, there are milk mafias in the state that run these adulteration rackets.
—Vivek Kshirsagar, MD, Katraj Dairy
Adulteration happens at local level, but there is no mechanism to prevent itI completely agree with the FSSAI study, which concludes that 65% of milk samples in the state were found to be contaminated. There is a lot of adulteration happening at the local level, but there is no control mechanism in place to check these illegal activities.
Once the local distributors get their supply of milk from dairies, they become the owners of the milk and can do anything with it.
Mixing water, though illegal, is still not dangerous; but mixing chemicals is like playing with people’s health. It must be curbed by the authorities. The milk adulteration racket goes on, with the FDA and the police doing nothing.
I am originally from Shrirampur. We don’t have many cows there, but lakhs of litres of milk is supplied to other parts of the state from this place. I have observed that the local people in Shrirampur don’t give this milk to their children. Chances of adulteration at lower-level distribution channels are lesser, as compared to the upper level.

—Apurva Deshmukh, proprietor, Govind Distributors

Mobile labs to keep tabs on food and beverages industry

To tighten control over the food and beverages industry, mobile laboratories equipped for surveillance and inspection will soon be deployed, B.S. Ramaprasad, Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Services, has said.

Among the biggest challenges in implementing the new Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2011 are the lack of food safety inspectors and the poor status of public laboratories, said Mr. Ramaprasad at a seminar on the FSS Act organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Commerce here on Thursday.

The FSS Act, which will replace the over-50 year-old Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954, seeks to integrate several food laws that govern vegetables, meat, milk and edible oil.

No NABL accreditation

“The State has 104 food safety inspectors when the requirement is 234. And while we have five public labs, they are not accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). We need these labs upgraded,” he said. The State will soon get a new NABL-accredited lab, set up in association with the Karnataka Health System Development and Reform Project, and with funding from the World Bank.

‘Some resistance'

Mr. Ramaprasad added that he had encountered resistance from a section of hoteliers in the State for registering under the new Act as they feared penalties and imprisonment that the new Act prescribes for certain violations.

New contaminants

In her lecture on current trends in food analysis, Lalitha R. Gowda, head of the Food Safety and Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore, said that new contaminants now laced our food. Antibiotics and veterinary drug residues were the new additions to the list of additives, pesticides and microbiological contamination.

Food products targeted for adulteration are generally of high commercial value, she said.

This included the addition of corn or cane sugar in honey, artificial vanillin to natural vanilla extract or dilution of wine with water.

Identifying adulteration

However, there are a host of new techniques to identify adulteration, Dr. Gowda said. For instance, high performance liquid chromatography can chemically profile fruit juice to detect adulteration, and isotope ratio mass spectrometry can find out if a fruit has been artificially ripened.

The industry must ensure consumers are empowered with complete information about the products they buy, whether about composition or nutrition, said Bejon Misra, former member of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

PINK OR BLUE? A blood test can tell sex of a 5-week-old fetus

Ratio Of 2 Enzymes In Mom’s Blood Determines Gender

London: A pioneering blood test that could allow pregnant women know the sex of their unborn child as early as five weeks has been developed, but scientists have warned that it has potential for promoting sex-selection.
    Ateam led by Dr Hyun Mee Ryu at Cheil General Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, found that various ratios of two enzymes which can be extracted from a pregnant mother’s blood indicate the baby’s gender as early as five or six weeks.
    Knowing the sex early, the scientists said, is important if the mother is a carrier of an X-chromosome gene that can cause a disease like muscular dystrophy or haemophilia. They said that female fetuses are either free from the disease or are carriers, but a male has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease and parents may choose to abort the pregnancy, the Daily Mail reported.
    However, this method “might promote the potential for sex selection. Therefore, there should be careful consideration about the use of this analytical tool in clinical situations”, the scientists warned.
    Current ultrasounds can detect a baby’s sex at around five months, while available invasive testing can work at 11 weeks. But these tests carry a one to two per cent risk of miscarriage as they require a sample from the amniotic sac that protects the foetus.
    Writing in the The FASEB Journal, Dr Hyu said their test could “reduce the need for invasive procedures in pregnant women carrying an Xlinked chromosomal abnormality and clarify inconclusive readings by ultrasound.”
    For their study, the team collected maternal plasma from 203 women during the first trimester of their pregnancies between 2008 and 2009. They were able to accurately detect the gender of the baby from as early as five weeks by measuring the ratio of the amount of the enzymes — DYS14 and GAPDH — in the blood plasma.
    “Although more work must be done before such a test is widely available, this paper does show it is possible to predict the sex of a child as early as the first few weeks after conception," said Dr Gerald Weissmann, editor-inchief of the journal which published the study. PTI

Rajasthan HC: Test milk samples daily

Rajasthan: The Rajasthan high court showed its disappointment over the supply of adulterated milk in Rajasthan and ordered the state government to test milk samples every day.
The high court issued notices and sought reply from the chief secretary, principal secretary, food and consumer affairs, all district collectors and chief medical and health officers (CMHOs).
The two-judge bench of chief justice Arun Mishra and Justice NK Jain gave the order on Thursday while taking cognisance of the cases of supply of adulterated milk.
The bench said that all government officials should start making efforts for stopping supply of adulterated milk to the consumers. It directed the government to test 100 samples of milk every day in each district of the state and draft a report over the results. The report will be produced on February 6 when the next hearing has been scheduled.
The Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI), in its report, pointed out about the adulteration in milk products across the country. In Rajasthan, 76 per cent of the milk samples were found adulterated. The adulterants included detergents, besides water.
The report said that 108 samples were collected for the testing in which 78 were found adulterated. The worrying part of the study was its conclusion that the ‘packed milk’ was not absolutely safe. The issue was highlighted in several sections of media. After the publication of the reports, the high court took cognisance and issued notices to the officials.

Norms for trans fat in vanaspati to be fixed

Alarmed over the steep increase in obesity-related ailments in India, the Centre is planning norms for trans-fatty acid content in vanaspati oil by limiting it to 10 per cent and bring it down to five per cent in the next two years.
Along with this, the government also plans to introduce mandatory labelling providing information on saturated fat and trans fatty acids content on packs of vanaspati oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, edible oil and other products containing TFA.

Sources in the health ministry disclosed that a notification putting the new norms in place will be issued soon. The step, sources said, has been taken after the scientific committee of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), comprising of experts from department of health research, Nutrition Development Association of India etc., recommended for it.

Currently, there are no limits under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act on TFA content. The mandatory labelling requirements for packaged food products that were implemented in 2009 only made it compulsary for the manufacturers for stating nutritional information per serving on the packs.

FSSAI CEO V.N. Gaur told this newspaper that the recommendation has been made as the “TFA is bad for health and there should be a limit to it”. Trans fats are formed during the process of addition of hydrogen atoms to oils, a process industry prefers as it keeps the oil from turning rancid and ensures a longer shelf life. Sources say once the notification comes into effect, a review will be carried out after few years to see if its further reduction is needed.

The step gains significance as earlier even the Centre for Science and Environment laboratory report discovered that branded edible oils were full of unhealthy trans fats. The results showed trans fats in seven leading vanaspati brands were five to 12 times the two per cent standard set by Denmark.