How milk lost its whiteness to adulterers in Haryana

A seat of white revolution where milk even flowed out of folk songs has now attained the image, synonymous with adulteration. About thirty percent samples have failed in the tests as unscrupulous vendors are resorting to adulteration to the level of adding detergents and urea to milk.

ONCE UPON a time, Haryana was known as land of milk and curd. Its Murrah buffalo was known all over the world for quality and quantity of milk. Milk and curd were available in plenty and there was no question of adulteration. But now the situation has changed. According to official sources about thirty percent milk samples had failed during the tests in the state. Besides, twelve percent samples of other foodstuffs had also failed during tests in the state.

With decline of cows and buffaloes and increase in demand of milk, unscrupulous milk vendors are resorting to adulteration. Adulteration by water can be tolerated to some extent but shockingly toxic chemicals like detergents are even added to milk. A recent study conducted by Food Safety Standards Authority of India across the country has come with startling revelations that milk was adulterated with detergents, fat and even urea. Use of detergents in milk can create serious health problems for the user.

Union Health Ministry is planning to introduce E.Coli test as a mandatory for milk producers to detect harmful bacteria. Union Health Minister, Gulam Nabi Azad has asked state governments to increase their surveillance on food items and stop the menace of food adulteration seriously. Inspections should be increased to check presence of harmful chemicals, especially in milk. Worried over the trend the authorities have started a crackdown to check adulteration of milk and other food items in the state.
Haryana State Drug Controller cum Joint Commissioner, Food and Drug administration, Dr. G L Singal has given stern warning to dealers of milk and milk products, asking them not to play with the health of the people for their petty benefits.Dr. Singal said that adulteration in the foodstuffs was a serious crime. Giving a stern warning to the dealers of milk and milk products, he said that they should not play with the health of the people for their petty benefits. Milk and milk products were largely found adulterated in the state. They should not use colours other than ISI mark colours in sweets. The Dhaba owners should not add colours to the vegetables. Strict actions would be taken against those found violating these instructions. Sale of open chili and turmeric powder and other spices had been banned under new Food Safety Standard Act. Refined oils could also be sold only in packing.

It was mandatory to print manufacturing date, expiry date, quantity and name of manufacturer of the product on the box. If any shopkeeper was found selling open products and sample was taken of the products, the responsibility of the failure would be of the shopkeeper concerned and in case of packed products, the responsibility would be of the manufacturing firm, he added.

Now a computer which respons to students' emotions

DC for effective implementation of new Integrated Food Laws

JAMMU, Mar 03: A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma for effective implementation of the new Integrated Food Laws namely the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 Rules & Regulations 2011 that has come in force in the State w.e.f 5th August, 2011.

The Chairman has reviewed the working of the Food Safety Officers of District Jammu and directed the designated officers of JMC as well as District Jammu to get the samples of suspected food items lifted from the market in order to ensure safe and wholesome food being provided to the people.

Verma impressed upon the designated officers to conduct the inspections of their jurisdiction to ensure that they comply to all the sanitary and hygienic practices laid down under the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Registration of Food Businesses), Regulations 2011.

A committee headed by Deputy Commissioner Food Safety, Jammu Division has been constituted to ensure display of Notice Board containing separate lists of the articles which have been cooked in Ghee, Edible Oils, Vanspati and other fats for the information of the intending restaurants and other Food Stalls besides providing inputs for grading of above-mentioned Food Business operators on the basis of facilities, quality of food provided to the consumers and infrastructure available with them. It has also been directed to all the enforcement staff appointed under the said Act to bring all FBOs under licensing/registration and should have transparency and facilitate FBO to have a Robust Food Safety management system for making safe food available to all consumers.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Food Safety, Additional District Magistrate (Adjudicating Officer for Distt. Jammu), Addl. District Development Commissioner, Health Officer Jammu Municipal Corporation (Designated Officer for JMC), Asst. Controller Food (HQ), Designated Officer District Jammu and Asstt. Director CAPD.

Poisonous substances in food items alarming, opines official Caution raised against use of pesticides

Imphal, March 02 2012: Cautioning the general public that consumption of vegetable items and local fish products could pose health threats due to excessive use of pesticide and other poisonous substances in growing/catching consumable items, a top official of the Director of Health Services said relevant measures have been initiated to test some food items at reputed laboratories outside Manipur.

Interacting with The Sangai Express, Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Brojendro Khaba Meitei said recent enmasse detection of dead fishes on the eastern corner of Loktak Lake at Phoubakchao area is a grim reminder that the fishing community do not care for the safety of the consumers.

Referring to the discovery of an empty can of the banned Hildan pesticide from Phoubakchao area where large number of dead fishes were found floating, the Commissioner construed that the incident is a grim reminder of threat posed to the consumers.

Asserting that similar hazardous items are being applied by the local farmers for speedy growth and maturing of vegetables which all the consumers are not aware of, he said for confirmation of harmful items in food items, particularly fish, samples of fresh and dried fishes, including fermented fish (Ngari) would be referred for testing at Kolkatabased laboratories.

A floating dead fish on Loktak lake and inset a can of pesticide found nearby-File

Ruing absence of an effective testing mechanism in Manipur for the equipment available with the Directorate of Health Services is not reliable due to obscurity of the machinery, Brojendro also opined that as leaving local fish variety out of the menu is the only option left for the consumers, ultimately it will be the fishing community who will suffer the most.

With regard to the Phoubakchao case, he said a Food Safety team of the Public Health Services went to assess the condition of the dead fishes which are in the possession of the Loktak Development Authority but found that all were and found that all were highly decomposed due to which no test was suggested for it would lack precision.

Brojendro, nevertheless, concluded that discovery of the Hildan can at the fishing area is hard evidence of poisonous substances used by fishermen as one of the easiest means to catch fish without realising harmful consequences of such fishes could have on the consumer/s.Claiming that some fishermen of Phoubakchao area approached the Directorate to conduct awareness programme on a wider scale against usage of poisonous substances to catch fish, the Deputy Commissioner warned that if arrested using the banned Hildan pesticide one could face jail term for life along with Rs 5 lakh penalty under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 .

Describing use of harmful pesticides in consumer items as a form of biological warfare, he suggested that the local populace remain vigil at their respective fishing zones to prevent.

Brojendro also quoted findings of subject experts that consumption of vegetables grown or matured with the use of pesticide will be safe only after a lapse of 21 days from the last application but regretted that most of the locally grown vegetables reach the market a few days after pesticides have been applied/sprayed.

On the health hazards posed by Hildan, he said Endosulfan content in the pesticide might result in deformities of the limbs, neurological problems, mental disorder, stunted growth, miscarriage in pregnant women, respiratory infection, serious skin diseases, etc.

The official further maintained that process was initially underway to refer fish samples recovered from Phoubakchao area to a Kolkata laboratory but the same had to be dropped due to highly decomposed nature of the fishes.

JMC conducts drive against polythene

JAMMU: Under instructions from K.L Khajuria, Commissioner Municipal Corporation Jammu, while continuing drive against the use of polythene carry bags, the Enforcement staff led by the Chief Enforcement Officer alongwith police from District Police Lines inspected the shops and other outlets in the areas of Gandhi Nagar, Rail Head Complex, Trikuta Nagar Extension etc. During the inspection the team seized about 35 Kgs of polythene carry bags from the shopkeepers, vendors and others outlets in these areas. An amount of Rs. 10,100 was realised as compounding fee from 41 defaulters on the spot.

The team also made the people aware of the ban imposed by the State Government on the use of polythene carry bags and they were requested to discard its use and adopt alternate arrangement available in the market to carry their commodities from the shops / other outlets.

Besides this, the Health Officer (Designated Officer) of JMC alongwith team of Food Safety Officers conducted a drive against adulteration of food items in various areas of JMC and checked 80 food establishments. During the inspection of these food establishments 26 defaulters were booked and an amount of Rs. 2,600 was charged as fine. The team also seized 20 Kgs of polythene carry bags and destroyed 30 Kgs of stale cooked food, bakery items found under unhygienic conditions.

Further, all the food establishment owners including milk sellers dealing in sale of fresh milk and packed milk, restaurant owners were instructed to adhere to the norms / provisions of Food Safety and  Standard Act, 2006 and keep their premises neat and clean for ensuring supply of pure and good quality of food items and also not to use polythene carry bags which are very injurious to health and are banned by the government.

FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS ACT Funds come in way of implementation : SOLAN

The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has been hit with no independent budgetary provision or separate staff available.
The Centre had replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and notified its nationwide implementation from August 5, 2011.
Though the state government, too, had notified this Act last year, with no new staff to ensure its proper implementation, the Act has failed to achieve its purpose of increased surveillance and speedy prosecution of erring manufactures and sellers.
Officials said a district-level food safety official was now supposed to perform various functions like granting food licences right till the block level, thus adding considerably to the workload.
Little has been done to upgrade the food laboratory where the seized item is supposed to be tested within 15 days.
The state has a lone composite testing laboratory at Kandaghat and it has been battling with staff shortage for years now.
Field officials said in the absence of any uniform format, they had not been able to send adequate samples for testing.
The directorate has made the required format available and the staff has been asked to take at least 10 samples in a month.
While this will greatly increase the workload of the laboratory, meeting the 15-day deadline will be an arduous task for the staff.
With no legal adviser yet having been made available to officials, they have little help in pleading their cases before the designated courts.
Director, Health and Safety Regulation, Rajesh Sharma said they were in the process of implementing all provisions of the Act and they had sought a separate budget from the state as well as the Union Government.
He said uniform formats had been made available to the field officials and regular training programmes were being organised to educate them about the provisions of the Act.

Our codes already go hand in hand with the FSSA

Advertisements are playing an important role today as more and more companies are coming up with new products to meet growing demands of consumers. But in the process, they tend to deviate from ethics and fall under the “misleading ads” category, which has shaken the industry.
Archana Aroor, in conversation with Allan Collaco, secretary-general, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self-regulation mechanism body, explores more on the topic
The Union government is looking to set up a separate inter-ministerial committee for checking misleading ads? As a council member what would you suggest?
Yes, ASCI’s suggestion is that we have been self-regulating on ads, since 26 years. We are willing to work with the government to ensure that consumers’ interests are protected completely. For this, we have held a conference in New Delhi on Nov 17, 2011, to discuss the various issues and to look at the major challenges faced. What is being conveyed to us from the conference was that ASCI needed to look into the speed that it takes for checking misleading ads.

Food joints told to get registered by March 31

Amritsar, March 1
The health authorities have issued directions to the food joints in the city to get registered and obtain licenses under the Food Safety Act by March 31. Instructions have been issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which was implemented in the state from August 8, 2011.

District Health Officer Dr Pradeep Singh Kahlon said all food businesses, including temporary stalls and karyana stores selling food ingredients are required to get registered. “The food businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh are required to register while those establishments with annual turnover exceeding Rs 12 lakh are required to obtain a license,” said Kahlon.
The guidelines are also binding on those distributing foods at religious or social gatherings. However, a clear picture regarding the food distributed at religious gatherings is yet to emerge. Even those engaged in the activities related to manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, import, catering are required to get registered or obtain licenses as per the procedure.
In the present scenario, the licenses are granted by the Municipal Corporations wherever applicable. Shift of powers from the Municipal Corporation to the health department is expected to result in an improvement in the quality of food and hygiene.
Kahlon said, “The waiters and cooks working at all these eateries will also be asked to submit their medical examination reports. This is in view of the several diseases that might be transmitted to the people eating at these places.”
In the absence of any registration at present, the authorities are unable to figure out the total number of all eateries in city. However, the number is estimated to be 2,000 to 2,500. The number of karyana shops is much more. Kahlon said applications of obtaining licenses or registration can been obtained from the office of the district health officer on any working day.
In a recent action, the district health authorities had conducted inspection of many famous eating joints in city and collected samples of food served to the customers.

Later inspecting the condition of hygiene and safety measures at these joints, the Municipal Corporation had suspended licenses of six famous food joints for three days.

Apex food regulatory body mandates fitness test for food-handlers

Food-handlers in India will now have to undergo a mandatory medical examination for ratifying their physical fitness in order to pursue their businesses.

In this regard, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a proforma for medical fitness certificate for the food-handlers to the registered medical practitioner and civil servant.

It is now mandatory for the food-handlers to undergo an eye test, skin examination, physical examination and get their vaccine shots against enteric group of diseases at set schedules.
They would also need to undergo any test needed to confirm any communicable or infectious disease that they are suspected to be suffering from on clinical examination.

"This proforma has been issued by the FSSAI to comply with Schedule 4 of the Regulation as a pre-requisite for obtaining a trade license," Prabodh Halde, head - product integrity, technology, Marico Industries, informed FnB News in chat over telephone.

Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011, calls for making arrangements to get the food-handlers and employees of any food set-up medically examined once a year to ensure that they are free from any infectious, contagious and other communicable diseases.

A record of these examinations will be signed by the registered medical practitioner and maintained for inspection

Food Safety Act hits roadblock

KOCHI: The state government, which has set August as the deadline to fully implement the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006, is confronted with various constraints like resource crunch, staff shortage and lack of infrastructure, which are making it hard to set the ball rolling.
“Though the Food Safety & Standards Act (FSSA) 2006, came into force on August 5 last year, the government has been in a transition period, with the hope of implementing the Act in totality by August this year. However, at the pace the government is moving, it seems unlikely that the Act will be fully implemented on time,” sources in the office of the Commissioner of Food Safety, said.
They said that if things moved at the present pace, then it would take another year to implement the Act in the state.
“One of the major constraints is the severe shortage of adequate staff and law enforcement officials,” sources said and added that even the Food Safety Commissioners, who have to be of secretary rank, are yet to be appointed. Those who are now at the top post have been given only additional charges, they pointed out.
Only a separate person appointed at the top will be able to co-ordinate with the various departments, they said.
The district offices are also facing the same issues. “There are hardly five to six persons, including the officer, to deal with nearly 10,000 licensees in a district,” they said.
There are no accredited labs in the state for testing the food samples.
“Proposals for upgrading the analytical labs have been put forth and we hope this will be done at the earliest,” Joint Food Safety Commissioner Anil Kumar said.
Sources said that the three analytical labs in the state are non-functional and have neither the equipment nor the technical manpower to conduct the validation of food additives.
They also said that no judicial officials have been appointed till now as part of the FSSA 2006. Appellate tribunals, adjudicating officers and special courts, which are important elements of the Act, have not been formed yet, they said. Moreover, there is no standardised equipment for the collection of food samples, all of which is contributing to the delay.

PROFORMA FOR MEDICAL FITNESS FOR FOOD HANDLERS

Associations take exception to certain provisions - THE HINDU

The Chennai Corporation will no longer issue food licences due to the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) replacing the erstwhile Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFAA). It has directed hotels, restaurants and retailers in the city to approach the office of the Commissioner of Food Safety for issue of food licences henceforth. The FSSA designates the Commissioner of Food Safety as the licensing authority.
Hotels, bakeries, tea-shops, sweet and savouries stalls, departmental stores, vegetable and fruit vendors, everybody selling food items would be coming under the purview of the new Act, say those in various trade associations.
Associations including the Chennai Hotels Owners Association and Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangakalin Peramaipu have raised objections to provisions relating to fine and penalty clauses, the amount of licence fee fixed under the Act and the standards of various products.
K.T. Srinivasa Raja, president, Chennai Hotels Owners Association, said the uniform licence fee would affect small hotels. “We don't know why the government is treating this as revenue instead of as nominal fee. We have already sent a letter to the Central government in this regard and hope we would hear something positive from them,” he said.
Mr. Raja explained that standards including lighting, drainage, consumer safety, food handling, upkeep of kitchens, ingredients used, source of raw materials, shelf life of food products were prescribed by the new Act. It prescribed penalty up to Rs.10 lakh and 6 months' imprisonment, which was being objected to by the trading community, he said.
“There are just too many things and it will take time for those in the industry to understand. We are holding discussions with association members in this regard,” he added. The city has around 10,000 small and big restaurants and eateries and around 3,000 bakeries.
K. Mohan, State general secretary, Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaipu, said that in Chennai alone there were 1.25 lakh traders, wholesales, retailers and petty shops.
“The new Act has standards for items including the common coriander, chutney, sambar, idli. It also states that food items should not be sold unpackaged, which means road-side sundal sellers and idli shops would be affected.”
Those having an annual turnover of less than Rs.12 lakh are also to register with the Commissioner. Though standards have been fixed under the Act, there are very few laboratories in the State to check these, he added.

Milk adulteration: Samples from Rajasthan dangerous

Jaipur: It’s now official that milk adulteration is a big problem in Rajasthan. The state government has recently submitted before the Rajasthan High Court the real magnitude of the problem.
Eight per cent of milk samples tested during the month-long period from January 20 to February 20 at laboratories of the state dairy department have been found adulterated. Out of 60,439 milk samples collected from across the state, as many as 4,755 samples were found adulterated. Milk samples from Jhalawar were found the most adulterated, while samples from Dholpur were pure.
The report was submitted before the court by Additional Solicitor General SN Kumawat before a division bench of High Court, comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice NK Jain (First). The court also directed the state government to file a detailed report in three weeks about what action the government has initiated to check the menace.
A total of 2,027 samples were collected under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), out of which 1,479 were examined.
As many as 278 samples were found to be sub-standard (not conforming to standards laid down in Act), while 1,194 were found up to the mark. The samples from Jhalawar were found to be the most contaminated, with 45.39 per cent of total 3,212 samples, were adulterated. Next in line was Baran, with 31.86 per cent samples out of 2,222 samples were adulterated, followed by Bundi 17.4 per cent, Hanumangarh 13.5 per cent and Kota 10.8 per cent.
Best quality milk was found in Dholpur, Karaulli, Jaisalmer, Jaipur Zone I and II, besides Ajmer Zone. While zero adulteration was found in 1,220 samples of Dholpur, 1.19 per cent samples in Karaulli and Jaisalemer were found contaminated. While, 1.72 per cent samples (40 out of 2,329 samples) were found contaminated in Jaipur Zone II, just 4 out of 94 samples were found adulterated in Jaipur Zone I.
Earlier, the National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011 conducted by the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whose results were made public last month only had found 76 per cent of milk samples tested from Rajasthan as adulterated.
The worrying part of the study was its conclusion that the ‘packaged milk’ was not absolutely safe and in cases, not milk at all- only reconstituted powdered milk. In Rajasthan, the surveyors studied 103 samples of milk, packaged and open. According to the state report, 78 samples failed the purity test. One out of every five samples in the state that failed test was packaged milk- used widely in urban areas.
Besides water and detergents, strains of hydrogen peroxide, sugar, starch, glucose, urea, formalin and vegetable fat were the common adulterants in milk.

COMFED milk as per national parameters of purity : Minister

Patna, Feb 27 (PTI) Bihar government today reiterated that the milk being marketed by the State Cooperative Milk Producers Federation Limited(COMFED) among the consumers in the state was as per national parameters of purity.

The milk being marketed by the COMFED in Sudha brand in Bihar was as per the national parameters of purity, the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Giriraj Singh told the legislative council. He was replying to a question raised by the CPI(M) MLA Vasudev Singh in this regard. Referring to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) report claiming cent per cent adulteration of milk produced in Bihar,

Singh said that the central agency has not clarified as to where from samples were taken for testing. The Animal Husbandry and Fisheries minister said that the FSSAI was yet to respond to a letter that he had written seeking details of the milk samples taken by it for testing. Singh said that the milk was sold in Bihar both by organized and unorganized milk producers and he could speak for purity of the milk being marketed by the COMFED.

FAQ ON FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Stale or bland food, ring it out!

KOCHI: If you have had a bitter experience with the food served in a restaurant or delivered by a caterer, fret not, here comes the solution. The government is going to introduce a toll-free number through which you can register the complaint with food safety officers.

The facility is expected to be functional by August. “The government has decided to introduce the toll-free number as per the directions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India,” said joint food safety commissioner Anil Kumar.

“The process is on, and the number would be introduced only after looking into every aspect,” he said. “The type of complaints have also to be looked into. It’s modus operandi is also under discussion,” he added.

Once the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 is fully implemented in the state, the toll-free facility would have its impact. “The Act will ensure hygiene and quality of food products. More such reforms will be followed,” chief food inspector of Ernakulam Muhammed Rafi said.

Officials in the Department of Health said that this facility would make the whole system vibrant. It would keep tabs on hotels, restaurants and food chains. With this facility people would have a direct link with the enforcement agency which would streamline the whole process, the officials said.

“The general public can also inform us if they come across instances of caterers or hoteliers transporting food in an unhygienic manner,” they said.

Further, owners of food outlets can register complaints against the officials through the number. “If they think that any official was targeting them and their shop was sealed purposefully, they can complain against the official concerned,” they said. The facility can also be used for making suggestions as well, they added.

Spices board workshop to focus on food safety

The Spices Board and World Spice Organisation are jointly organising a one-day workshop on ‘Food safety' with special reference to spices in Kochi on February 29. The workshop will focus on highlighting the concept of food safety, an issue of concern in the present context along with the need to comply with the terms and conditions of various food safety acts. 

Strict regulations for food safety and standards have been put in place from August 5, 2011. Spices Board and World Spice Organisation through this campaign would offer a platform for the public to gain insights into the great challenges of this issue. 

Mr Udai K Saxena, Joint Secretary of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists, India, and a member of FSSA Committee of experts on categorisation of food products codes will lead the discussions for the day. 

To ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption, the Food Safety and Standard Act of 2006 has to be carried out with no compromise. The workshop will discuss provision and overview of FSSA 2006 and basic concept of food safety and hygiene with specific reference to the spice industry. Registration and Licensing regulations, general hygiene requirements for it and procedure of new and renewal of license are topics that will be discussed. The workshop will also confer packaging and labelling regulations especially for spices and laboratory and sampling analysis that determine food safety standards. 

Deliberations on food safety and standards for the workshop are expected to bring awareness on the subject and will be beneficial to the participants mainly farmers, traders and exporters, a press release issued here said.

Puneites, look where the pani in your pani puri comes from

Puneites who want to have some sumptuous pani puri or south Indian food items near the Shaniwarwada chowpatty on Bajirao Road should exercise caution as the water used for preparing these food items is drawn from a nearby public toilet which is in complete
shambles.
In the pic: A helper employed with a pani puri vendor near Shaniwarwada reaches a public toilet with two cans attached to a cycle

 
When the DNA team visited the spot at around 11 am, a boy working for a food vendor was caught filling water in four big cans from the public toilet under the bridge in front of Shaniwarwada.
In the pic: A pani puri stall owner taking water from a public toilet at Bajirao Road near Shaniwarwada

 
After filling the cans, the boy put the cans on his bicycle and took them to his stall.
An employee of a provision store located near the toilet, said, “This is the daily practise of these pani puri vendors and we have been witnessing this since long but no one cares about it.”
In the pic: The cans are filled with water from the toilet which is in shambles

 
At the stalls, all the cans were kept near the steel water tank to be used as potable water and for preparing food items.
In the pic: He takes the cans filled with water and comes out of the toilet

 
There are hundreds of street food vendors who get water from filthy places to prepare food items which adversely affects Puneites’ health.
In the pic: He puts the cans on the cycle and goes to the stall

 
Moreover, it is shocking that street food lovers never think about the hygiene at these stalls.
In the pic: He reaches the stall and stops the bicycle 

We are helpless: Food and Drugs Administration of Pune

A day after DNA reported on pani puri vendors near Shaniwarwada using water from a public toilet to prepare food items, it is shocking that such incidents can go on unabated as regulatory bodies don’t have the manpower to keep these instances under check. Minimum standards of hygiene like source of water, raw materials used in preparing food items are a must and food stall owners violating norms face punitive action from Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), which is food licensing authority for city. However, when asked how many drives were taken in past six months against mobile food vendors and fines collected, FDA officials gave vague excuses. “We have 32 food inspectors; each one compulsorily visits 10 sites and takes five samples every month. We also act after receiving complaints. However, I don’t have figures for last six months as a new act has just been implemented and we are issuing licenses and registrations under it. There is hardly any time for big raids at present,’’ said Chandrashekhar Salunkhe, joint commissioner (food), FDA Pune. The new act in question is Food Safety Act that came into force on August 5, 2011. Under the act, those doing any food-related business above Rs12 lakh have to procure a licence while food-related business less than 12 lakh including food stalls, hawkers, canteen owners, tea shops, milk shops, those manufacturing and re-packaging food and others have to get registered at a nominal fee of Rs100. FDA says the number of food establishments registered under Pune district is 4,400. When asked if thisfigure was realistic, FDA officials said they have no idea. “We can only talk of registered establishments. How can we estimate the number of unlicensed stalls? Our officers are asking them to get registered. Until now, there was no control over these stalls owners. At least under the new act, even a vada pav vendor will have to give us his address and identity proof. If there is some untoward incident, like the unfortunate pani puri vendor, we can at least trace him,’’ said FDA’s assistant commissioner DR Sawant. He added that to get registration for a food stall, no inspection of premises is required. “No, it is not that we don’t inspect food stalls. We don’t need to inspect them before registering them. The shops are inspected only if we suspect foul play,’’ said Salunkhe. A food vendor has only to write on a paper that he is using potable water or quality raw materials. If there is a drive against street vendors, he might or might not get caught in the net. FDA’s joint commissioner (drugs) BR Masal defended his department stating that the number of food vendors was too huge and staff strength of FDA too small.“Keeping avigil at every stall isn’t possible considering our staff strength. Even if we raid these stalls and fine them, they don’t stop their business. They start their business in another area within a few days,’’ he said.

TUV SUD Recognized by FSSAI to Carry Out Food Safety Inspections, Audits and Testing

-- In a first, FSSAI authorizes external agencies to carry out inspection and audits on its behalf
-- German certification major TUV SUD is the only company to obtain recognition for carrying out food testing services as well as auditing/inspection

TUV SUD South Asia has been authorized by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to undertake the inspection/audit of Food Business Operators on their behalf in terms of provisions under Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration) Regulations, 2011. This inspection/audit would enable the FBOs (Food Business Operators) to demonstrate compliance to requirements laid down under FSS Act and rules/regulations made thereunder, thereby leading to issue of FSSAI License including its renewal thereafter. Responsibilities for TUV SUD in its new role will include inspecting food businesses for basic sanitary and hygiene requirements, conducting preliminary inspection of newly established FBOs, routine and surprise inspections as directed by the FSSAI, conducting periodical audits at least once a year for food businesses, verifying rectification of deficiencies pointed out by the FSSAI, guiding and advising license applicants applying for the license. The accreditation further authorizes TUV SUD to award the Food Safety Management System (FSMS) certificate as per FSS Act that is mandatory for all Food Business Operators and issue certification for FSMS.

We are honoured by the responsibility we have been entrusted with and look forward to working with the FSSAI to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers, said Pankaj Jaiminy, AVP, Food Safety, TUV SUD South Asia Pvt. Ltd.. We have run food safety inspection and certification programs with private companies and governments around the world for close to 5 decades globally. In India we have a highly experienced team working out of three food testing laboratories across the country, who will apply both their global experience and deep local knowledge to support the FSSAI in devising and improving food safety norms in India. TUV SUD is the only agency who has been recognised for both food testing and inspection/auditing by FSSAI.

This is the first time the FSSAI has authorized external agencies to carry out inspection and audits of FBOs. The FSSAI Act implemented on 5th of August 2011 requires all food manufacturers to acquire a FSMS license. Applying for a FSMS certification is mandatory for all FBOs applying for the first time, however for those seeking renewal, the certification procedure is voluntary. TUV SUD will also be training new food business operators towards Food Safety Management and Systems along with verifying complaints filed with the FSSAI. In addition to TUV SUD, four other private agencies have been similarly accredited by the FSSAI to carry out similar services.

Clarification regarding appointment of Food Inspectors employed by the Municipal Corporations/Councils, as the FSO and DO under the Provisions of FSS Act,2006