A healthy plateful of phuchkas

Kolkata's high street food standards are soon going to be the yardstick other states will measure their sidewalk kiosks by. Kolkata's safety standards for its delectable street food - oily Mughlai parathas, jhal muri (puffed rice mixed with vegetables ), hot kathi rolls, phuchkas (gol gappas) and Chowmein (mixed noodles) - have now inspired the Union health ministry to emulate the model across India.

The Kolkata model - an exhaustive landmark study conducted around a decade back helped the finger-licking street food in the City of Joy become safer (and was ultimately emulated by Bangkok also) - was presented in to other states last month by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
According to a recent Union health ministry survey in 16 cities, over 90 per cent of street food was found to be unsafe for consumption. Providing food with less investment and more profit was also found to be the first preference of the vendor rather than meeting the quality and safety requirements.
The FSSAI is therefore thinking on setting up a national coordinating committee that will identify the environmental and contamination risks that street foods face and work towards making them more hygienic.
Street food - a clear favourite with the rich and the poor alike across India, has never received enough attention from the government. For the first time, the FSSAI is looking to create a city-wise action plan on how to make street food safer, more palatable and presentable. FSSAI chairman K Chandramouli told TOI-Crest : "Street food is a clear favourite with everyone. It is our focus now to make it safe. We will finalise a generic street food safety protocol in a month. "
Sources told TOI-Crest that as a pilot project, 56 areas or streets in eight cities (including four metros) will be selected which will be developed as model street food zones. Food commissioners will then identify vendors with the help of the police and develop a protocol after studying the water source being used to make the food, wash the utensils, how the food is being cooked and stored and the garbage disposed. Next, the local municipal commissioner will head a food and water policy council for each area.
Indira Chakravarty, former director of the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health who had conducted the highly acclaimed Kolkata study says, "Street food caters to the largest number of people in India. It is not the nutritional content of the street food that is under scrutiny but the hygienic and environmental contamination. The national street food safety plan will work out how to make the police and municipal corporation join hands with street food vendors to make the change sustainable. "
Professor Chakravarty said the Kolkata study examined various hazards to food safety and the environment. "In India, a regulation pertaining to artificial colours lists the approved colours, the foods that can contain them and the amount that can be used. However, vendors were not aware of these regulations. Metanil yellow (a textile colour) had a long history of use as a substitute for saffron. Many users didn't know that it is not permitted. Unauthorised use of food additives was detected in foods like sharbats and jalebis. Various food samples also contained saccharin which is not permitted, " Chakravarty said.
The study also found that the street foods were prone to microbiological contamination. As expected, the standard plate count (SPC is a procedure for estimating the number of live heterotrophic bacteria in water) of samples of lassi, idli and dahi vada was very high. Harmful bacteria like Salmonella or Shigella were detected.
Escherichia coli, chiefly an indicator of faecal contamination, were detected in 55 per cent of the samples tested raising suspicion of improper food handling practices.
The water used for drinking, cooking and washing of fruits and vegetables was found to be contaminated in 47 per cent of the samples analysed.
Some of the suggestions from the Kolkata study included providing a photo identity card for each food hawker, demarcation of pavements for hawking, bins to be provided by the municipality for waste disposal and safe water to be supplied by the corporation for washing, cooking and drinking.
There was also a suggestion that hawkers be provided with bank loans to obtain kiosks. Training was a main component of the street food policy. The Kolkata study provided street food vendors with better knowledge of proper hygienic practices and the use of food additives. "Such training would improve the safety of the foods prepared and sold by vendors, " says Chakravarty.
The Kolkata study was conducted in areas like College Square, Sealdah, Dalhousie Square and Gariahat. A total of 911 consumers were interviewed. As many as 33 per cent of the consumers interviewed purchased street foods on a daily basis, while about 23 per cent patronised the stalls one to four times per week. Consumers spent Rs 40 to Rs 400 per month on street foods, according to their income and tastes.
The nutritional value of the food sold in the streets was assessed by analysing some popular meals. An average 500 g meal contained 20 to 30 g of protein, 12 to 15 g of fat (vegetable fat) and 174 to 183 g of carbohydrate and provided approximately 1000 kcal. The meals cost between Rs 4 and Rs 8. "The analysis indicates that street foods may be the least expensive means of obtaining a nutritionally balanced meal outside the home. At present Kolkata alone will have over 2. 5 lakh vendors and the numbers will keep increasing leaps and bounds, thanks to urban migration and food prices increasing, " adds Chakravarty.
The study also revealed that licensing the street food vendors would appear to be a prerequisite for controlling street foods - taking samples, analysing the food, reporting and taking action as necessary. "We helped street food vendors in Kolkata and Howrah to sell their products in a clean area. Once their hygiene levels went up, so did their sales, " says Chakravarty.

Dairy fined Rs 3 lakh fine for selling unbranded butter

Shimla: A district administration court here today slapped a fine of Rs 3 lakh on M/s. Chanakya Dairy Ltd, Gobindgarh (Punjab) for selling unbranded butter.
Exercising its judicial power, the court of additional district magistrate (ADM) held the dairy guilty of violating food safety laws for a consignment that was withheld by a vigilant municipal corporation official, last year.
Acting of a complaint by Food Safety Officer Ashok Mangla, ADM Naresh Kumar Lath held the dairy guilty of having violated the Food Safety Act, 2009 before pronouncing the fine for the violations made.
The erring diary has been grated 30 days time to deposit the fine.
It was on January 10, 2011 that the food safety officer had apprehended the vehicle carrying the unbranded butter at Kacchighati, a Shimla suburb.

‘Local food manufactures not following mandatory standards’

TURA: The A’chik Youth Welfare Organization (AYWO) has urged the Food Inspector, Tura, West Garo Hills to check and take action regarding the non-existence of appropriate labeling in locally packaged food products of Garo Hills.

AYWO said that, many locally packaged food products, especially bakery products are being sold in the market without any appropriate labeling such as date of manufacture, batch number, expiry dates, maximum retail price etc. which is a crucial decisive necessity for the consumer’s health protection.

“Food is very much a sensitive and risky commodity when it is not handled carefully.”

“Tested packaging material, hygienic processed plant and equipment, hygiene of employees etc, all have to be taken into account because without it, the safety of the consumers is not guaranteed” said Shoshon A Sangma, Anti Corruption Secretary of AYWO.

The Organization also mentioned that the sealing process or packaging method does not meet the standard (recommended) specification of Food Product Order (FPO) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) under the aegis of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India.

Sangma said “The food manufacturers are liable (mandatory) to follow the rules and regulation which safeguards the consumer community from food borne diseases and food poisoning”.

AYWO alleged that the Organization has been receiving numerous complaints from consumers and citizens in general against food products being sold in and around Tura and other parts of West Garo Hills without proper packaging and without appropriate labels.

With this end in view, the AYWO has urged the Food Safety Officer, West Garo Hills to direct all the manufacturers operating in his jurisdiction in strongest terms to follow the norms and also to not allow suppliers to import food products from any place to Garo Hills without any proper information labeled on respective goods.

Salt pinch for traders

The East Singhbhum district health department has decided to crack down on retailers and wholesalers selling non-iodised salt from the last week of July.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by state nodal officer of National Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Program Dhananjay Baraik on Friday.

A directive was issued to additional chief medical officer (ACMO) of East Singhbhum Swarn Singh and district food inspector Krishna Prasad Singh to start sensitisation drives to make retailers and wholesalers aware of ways to check iodine content in salt. This is ought to be followed by distribution of special test kit provided by Unicef. Thereafter, the authorities will conduct random inspections to catch retailers and traders dealing in salt with less iodine.

Baraik said Unicef has procured rapid salt test kit from Chennai MBI Kits International, which will be given to traders and merchants for free in the first phase.

"Unicef representatives will teach the salt traders and retailers how to use the kit. We also plan to take help from anganwadi sevikas, who will be trained to use the kit to measure iodine content. Thereafter, we will conduct surprise checks and if iodine level is found to be below the specified limit, samples will be seized and sent to government-recognised labs for tests. If results are positive, licences of the erring trader and retailer will be cancelled," the nodal officer said.

According to the newly formulated Food Safety and Standard Act, the specified limit for iodine content at production centre of salt is 30 PPM (parts per million) and 15 PPM at consumer point (retailer).

ACMO Singh said the sensitisation drive for anganwadi sevikas and salt traders and retailers would begin simultaneously from Saturday. "We have around 1,950 test kit. We plan to start the checking drive at rural and urban areas from July-end," he added.
President of State Salt Merchants' Federation Lalit Maheshwari admitted that the iodine content was below specified limit in privately procured salt as against the branded ones.

"In urban areas, consumption of branded salt is as high as 60 per cent. The problem lies in rural pockets where sale of privately procured salt is as high as 70 per cent mostly because of the cheap rate and ignorance on the part of consumers," said Maheshwari.

There is a price variation of Rs 6-8 per packet.

Call them traditional junk food

Harmful dye found in Canada-bound pickle

Companies may have to back ad claims with proof

NEW DELHI: Companies that promise that their brand of cereals helps in losing weight or their massage oil gives instant relief from that knee pain may soon have to back their claims with stronger evidence to continue with such claims in their ads, or face action in court.

In a bid to protect consumer interest, the consumer affairs ministry has recommended that the government set up an investigative agency that will collect data on claims by companies and advertisers to ensure that they are scientific and not without any basis.

The move follows consultations with the health ministry , the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) over the last threefour months. Various stakeholders have also suggested that the Centre and state governments also file cases before the consumer courts against companies that make misleading claims. 

 

"To ensure that there is complete transparency and to avoid any moral hazard, we have recommended the creation of some sort of an investigative agency. This wing should be attached to our ministry," a senior official in the consumer affairs department told TOI. The ministry has also sought that a panel of lawyers should be constituted so that appropriate action be taken. And these lawyers will have to be present in the investigative agency, not in a separate panel.

While companies refused to comment, officials said the matter has been discussed with industry representatives and it has not found "full support" as they believe the move will kill creativity. "All companies in any sector, be it financial institutions or FMCG, will come under the ambit," the official said.

Even as self-regulatory advertising body ASCI is authorized to check misleading claims, the government believes there is a need for a stronger body to ensure stringent action is taken. "We are not against self regulation, but this is not the right attitude ," the official added.

FSSAI, which is mandated to take action against misleading claims in the food sector , said there was still some clarity needed if the food sector comes under the ambit. The organization has recommended the strengthening of the existing mechanism instead of constituting a separate body.

"We are just worried that a toothless body like the existing one might be constituted again. Companies say they are already providing evidence . But we have recommended for empowering the legal mechanism under the consumer protection act," an FSSAI official said.

Himachal bans sale of Gutka, Pan Masala, Masheri & Khaini

Shimla: Evoking provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, the Himachal Pradesh government on Friday announced a complete ban of sale and distribution of Gutka, Pan Masala, Masheri, Khaini and other such products.Such food products if stored, manufactured or sold in the state would attract strict penal action against the persons and businesses involved, said a government spokesman.
Those found involved would be booked for violating the provisions of food safety act and proceeded against, he added.
The government has also directed state authorities not to register or issue a licenses to food business companies involved in manufacture and trade of these products.
Himachal Pradesh has become one of the first few states in the country to have made sale, distribution of these items illegal in the country.
The food safety law has provisions of imposing fines upto Rs 25000 on selling of products injurious to health.
The hill state has already effectively banned smoking at the public places, for which defaulters are fined.

LAST DATE FOR LICENSE & REGISTRATION - FSSAI ADVT.

Ban implementation may take few weeks

MUMBAI: The state ban on gutka and paan masala will not come into effect overnight. Highly-placed sources said it would be at least a fortnight before the state issues a notification announcing the ban. Manufacturers will be given time to manage stocks and resources.

Maharashtra has been different from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala in the gutka ban process. It is the first to announce a ban on paan masala along with gutka and it will rope in the police to ensure implementation of the ban, which may take a few weeks to be effective.

The sources said after the state government will issue a notification after it files a caveat. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the police will then have the power to enforce the ban.

In other states, the public health ministry (of which the FDA is a part) enforces the ban. In Maharashtra, the FDA works independently but it has barely a few hundred food inspectors to enforce the ban. "Hence, it will have the police helping it," an official said.

"Elaborate arrangements have been made," said FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade.

According to the Control of Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), offenders can be fined Rs200. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under which the ban has been regulated, said offenders can face six months to three years in jail.

Food Act: ‘Register before August 4 or face music’

Mangalore, Jul 12, 2012,

Violation of Act may attract 6 months imprisonment, penalty ranging from ` 1 lakh to ` 10 lakh, says ADC .

In order to strictly implement the Food Safety and Standards Act to prevent the food adulteration, August 4, 2012 has been fixed as the last date for the people concerned to register their business at the office of Food Security Officer or the District Surveillance Unit, informed Additional Deputy Commissioner K Dayanand.

Addressing a meeting of the officers at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Thursday, he said the Act being the most effective one, needs a proper implementation. Awareness will be created among the people about the registration of their food related business prior to August 4. The registration process has already begun and the information is diffused in various phases, he said.

Speaking at the meeting, MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar said that as per the Act, a policy will be implemented where trade licences will not be given to any of the business without obtaining certificates from the MCC’s Food Security Officer.

All the traders who are involved in food related trading including the street vendors and fruit and vegetable vendors could submit the application form seeking the certificates, to Dr Rajesh, Food Safety Nodal Officer, Behind Wenlock Hospital, Railway Station Road, Opposite to IMA. Suresh will be the nodal officer for Mangalore and Belthangady limits and he can be contacted at 9448744168.

Dayanand has been appointed as the nodal officer covering Bantwal, Puttur and Sullia limits and he can be contacted on 9886568180.

The violation of the Act will result in six months of imprisonment, penalty ranging from Rs one lakh to Rs 10 lakh and the punishment could be extended to life term imprisonment too, informed the ADC.

“The Food Safety and Standards Act has been formed after taking into consideration the various laws, policies and orders pertaining to different ministry. It aims at solving several problems related to the food and ensure that only clean and healthy food is consumed by the people. The Authority deals with a parameter to measure the food production, storage, distribution, sale and imports.

As the items like, water, milk, bakery items, grains too come under the Act, it is necessary to obtain the certificate from the nodal officers,” informed the Additional Deputy Commissioner who is the judging officer for the district.

Meanwhile, he said that food supply in ration shops, mid-day meal scheme, in Anganawadis, BCM hostels too come under the jurisdiction of the Act.

Few vendors in Ahmedabad want FSSA licences

The Centre’s deadline for registration of food joints in Ahmedabad under Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) is nearing, but the civic body has not been able to get many vendors to register themselves. In view of their callousness, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to aggressively work on registrations this week onwards.
It was in August 2011 that the central government had implemented FSSA. The civic body was then given time till August 2012 to complete the registration for licences for all food vendors in the city. Interestingly, under Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, around 7,000 vendors were registered earlier. With the implementation of FSSA, a total of around 35,000 food vendors have to be registered, out of which just 4,000 have been registered.
Medical officer of health in AMC Dr Suhas Kulkarni stated that going by the norms of the new Act, many more food vendors have to be registered. “Under the new Act, there is a provision for issuing licences for businesses with annual turnover of more than Rs12 lakh, and registering vendors having turnover of less than Rs12 lakh per annum.” Hence, wholesalers, retailers, those in catering business, small shop as well as tea stall owners will also have to be registered under the new Act.
A health official of AMC stated, “Though we carried out sessions with vendors, many of them have not got themselves registered yet. We will strengthen our drive and ensure they get registered.”
Till now, AMC has conducted sessions for hotels and restaurants in the city and also approached vendors at places like Law Garden, Manek Chowk, Kankaria etc.
The hotels/restaurants and fast food outlets were registered with AMC under PFA Act. But with the implementation of FSSA by the Centre, it has become compulsory for all food vendors to get themselves registered.
The fewer registrations have sent the alarm bells ringing for AMC which will intensify its checks and raids. Talking more about it, Kulkarni stated that after August, AMC will get stricter in its checks and charge heavy penalty from those who do not have new licences.
While AMC continues to cry itself hoarse, most vendors are not bothered about having a new licence or even getting registered under the new Act. A sweet corn vendor in Vastrapur stated, “After working for an entire day, I start my stall around 8 pm and shut shop around 11 pm. Where do I have the time to get a licence made?” A health official stated that under FSSA Act, all the street food vendors need to be registered. This will ensure they maintain the quality of the food they sell.

Common queries about cholesterol, lipid profile, VLDL, HDL, triglycerides…

You have your latest lipid profile reports in front of you and the doctor says it doesn’t look good. You’re utterly flummoxed by the numbers and the strange terms on the report like cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides and lipid profile. Don’t worry help is at hand:-
What is cholesterol?
Just like the fat you have in your body, cholesterol is also a fat/ lipid that is produced in the liver and its normal levels are necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
If our own body produces it, why is cholesterol harmful?
When cholesterol levels are in the normal range, in a healthy body, the blood flows freely through the veins and arteries. When the cholesterol levels are high, it starts forming clots (plaques) in the blood vessels causing hypertension (high BP), angina (chest pain), heart attacks, strokes and peripheral vascular diseases.
What do the terms LDL, HDL and VLDL that figure in my lipid profile reports mean?
As cholesterol is a fat that is insoluble in blood, it needs something to carry it or transport it in our body. LDL, HDL, VLDL are small molecules called lipoproteins that help with the same.
I’ve heard there is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol. What are they?
‘Good’ cholesterols are good because they help get rid of excess cholesterol by transporting them from the blood vessels to the liver for excretion. HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is a good cholesterol.
‘Bad’ cholesterols are bad because they deposit more cholesterol in the blood by transporting it from the liver, causing more plaques and dangers of high BP, chest pain, heart problems etc. VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein) which is eventually converted to LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is the “bad cholesterol” as it mobilizes the cholesterol from the liver depositing it in your blood vessels.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are another type of fat or lipid that combine with cholesterol to form plasma lipids and gets deposited in the vessels.  When your calorie intake is more than what you need, the excess is converted and stored in the form of triglycerides. In between meals, when the body needs more energy, this triglyceride store is burned to convert into energy.
How do I know I have excess cholesterol and lipoproteins?
 A simple investigation called the Lipid Profile done by drawing your blood is the answer (after an overnight fasting on consuming a diet low in fat for three days) is recommended. It measures the Triglyceride levels, Total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and HDL levels.
The normal ranges are as given below:

	Desirable	Borderline	High risk
Cholesterol	<200 mg/dl	200-239 mg/dl	240 mg/dl
Triglycerides	<150 mg/dl	150-199 mg/dl	200-499 mg/dl
HDL Cholesterol	60 mg/dl	35-45 mg/dl	<35 mg/dl
LDL Cholesterol	60-130 mg/dl	130-159 mg/dl	160-189 mg/dl
Cholesterol/HDL ratio	4.0	5.0	6.0

If your values are slightly deranged or ‘borderline’, you need to be careful but there’s no cause for alarm. They could also result due to an interplay of genetic and acquired factors. While nothing can be done about one’s genes, efforts to modify our lifestyle can really prove beneficial.  Modify your diet, increase your level of physical activity and keep your weight under watch!
What foods can help me control my cholesterol levels and maintain heart health?
Just a few simple tweaks to your daily diet can help you get your cholesterol levels under control:
 1. Olive oil:  Switch to olive oil for cooking. Research has shown that the Mediterranean people consume olive oil and have very low incidence of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Olive oil contains a mix of various anti-oxidants which lower your bad cholesterol (LDL). Use it for your tadka or add it as a dressing to salads. Extra virgin olive oils are even more beneficial as they are less-processed and retain more anti-oxidants than the other varieties.
 2. Nuts: Walnuts and almonds are rich in omega three fatty acids and PUFA (poly unsaturated fatty acids) which help reduce LDL cholesterol and keep the blood vessels healthy. A handful of these nuts (unsalted, unfried) should help.
 3. Oats: Being high in soluble fibre, oats reduce the absorption of cholesterol (Total & LDL) in your blood. Eating 1 ½ cups of cooked oats with milk and bananas or apples gives you your daily requirement of soluble fibre.
 4. Fish: High in omega 3 fatty acids, it helps increase the levels of the good (or HDL) cholesterol.
It is recommended that you have atleast two servings of Salmon (rawas fish), herring (bhing) or mackerel (bangda) per week. For restricting calories, they are best eaten grilled, shallow fried with very little oil or baked.
If you do not eat fish or do not have access to good fish, add ground flax seeds (alsi), pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds (til), soyabean oil, canola oil to your diet. Omega 3 fatty acid supplements are also available.
 5. Garlic: Though the cholesterol lowering effects of garlic has been debated in recent times, it has been shown that allicin in the garlic does help.
 What foods need to be avoided?
 Avoid processed foods like biscuits, cookies, cakes and fried stuff. Avoid red meat and egg yolk.
 How much exercise do I require?
 Just a walk daily isn’t enough, as is often recommended. The intensity and the amount of time spent exercising is very important to have significant beneficial effects. If you have been a sedentary person all your life, you can start with a 45 minute walk but should soon increase the intensity by adding jogging and other forms of cardio exercises to your routine. Try and change some of your sedentary habits – walk down the road for shopping, climb those stairs, play football with kids, do your household cleaning yourself.  Every calorie you shed counts!
 Start your fight against cholesterol today and let us know what your next lipid profile reads.

Harmful dye in pickle set for export

Hotel owners get food safety, hygiene tips

Restaurants are no longer places where we eat during weekends and on special occasions. Our changing lifestyle means that some of us eat there every day. So, the hygiene and quality of food served at restaurants is crucial for our safety and health.
The new Food Safety and Standards Act, 2011, came into effect in August last year, and by August 4, 2012, all restaurants and eateries with a certain turnover will have to comply with them.
To help restaurateurs understand the Act, DNA held its latest workshop under the Hygiene for Kitchens campaign for them. The workshop, organised in association with the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (Ahar), at the organisation’s head office in Wadala on Tuesday. Ahar is the biggest association of restaurant owners with nearly 8,000 members in the city.
“The industry is facing tough times,” said Sudhakar Shetty, Ahar president. “Restaurants are closing down because of the high cost of real estate and competition from hawkers who sell food at much cheaper rates because they do not pay taxes or rent.”
Ashwin Bhadri, head of business relations at Equinox Laboratories, which is a partner in the campaign, told the participants that while many restaurants look at food safety and hygiene requirements under the new Act as an expense, the new measures could help improve their business.
Restaurant owners were worried that the new rules could make scapegoats out of them, while ignoring blatant violators like street vendors.
The Act requires every restaurant to appoint a food handler who will be responsible for food safety. It also lays down heavy fines and jail sentences for food adulteration and bad hygiene.
The seminar also helped participants get answers to rarely-asked questions about food safety.
Bhadri informed the participants that monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is used as a flavour enhancer, is banned in India and it is okay to use food colours as long as it was a permitted colouring agent and used in the right quantity.
The DNA Hygiene for Kitchens campaign was launched after around 600 students fell ill at IIT--B after eating at the hostel canteen in September 2011. The incident brought in focus worries about the safety of food served in restaurants and canteens.

Maharashtra bans sale of gutka and paan masala

MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Wednesday banned the sale of gutka and paan masala. The state cabinet approved a proposal for banning the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of these products.

Following the cabinet nod, the government is expected to officially announce the decision in the legislature on Thursday. While a gutka ban already exists in four states-Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh-Maharashtra will be the first to ban paan masala.

TOI was the first to report about the state's plan to ban the two products. A senior cabinet minister said the decision was being taken in the interest of public health. Offenders can face jail time of six months to three years.

The state has witnessed a rise in the incidence of oral and other forms of cancer, since a sizeable population is addicted to such products. Health activists and NGOs had been pushing for the ban on the grounds that the addiction was claiming many lives every year.

What caught the attention of the government was a recent survey sponsored by it, which showed a significant rise in the consumption of gutka and other tobacco products among children in the 14-16 age group. At least 60% of the respondents were found to be addicted to the products.

While the precise extent of pan masala consumption was unavailable, government officials said gutka worth Rs 360 crore was consumed in the state annually. The ban would mean that the state treasury will lose Rs 100 crore in revenue, but ministers said the prospective loss was nothing compared to the lives saved.

Even as food and drug administration (FDA) minister Manohar Naik informed the cabinet that the police and FDA officials would be responsible for enforcing the ban, questions remain about the means at the disposal of the government. It must be pointed out that the state machinery has failed to implement the ban on the sale or consumption of tobacco products within 100 metres of educational and religious institutions.

To make it difficult for manufacturers and distributors of the products to obtain a stay on the latest ban, the FDA, which initiated the proposal, has invoked stringent provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. According to the fine print, the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutka-found to contain nicotine, tobacco and magnesium carbonate-is being banned in the state, as is paan masala, which contains magnesium carbonate. An attempt to ban the products in 2004 using provisions of the 1954 act had not succeeded.

A survey carried out by the FDA previously had found excess magnesium carbonate in 99 of 115 samples of gutka and paan masala.

FDA raided and sealed an illegal gutkha manufacturing unit at Cholla

BHOPAL: The officials of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) raided and sealed an illegal gutkha manufacturing unit at Cholla, where tobacco mixed gutkha products were being packed in plastic pouches.
According to FDA sources, four gunny sacks of supari, one sack each of kathta and zarsa along with 10 kg magnesium carbonate were confiscated. The factory was located in a rented house at Nav Jeevan colony and was operating illegally for the past six months, said an FDA inspector.
Selling of tobacco mixed gutkha was banned by the state government which came into effect from April 2012. Taking a serious note of the violation, the FDA inspectors booked owner Praveen Kumar Gupta under the Section 26 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Further charges would be imposed after a laboratory test report, which is expected within a fortnight.

Advisory on Sale of contaminated pickles, in Chennai-FSSAI

1(56)/2012 /Advisory/FSSAI
Food Safety & Standards Authority of India
(Ministry of Health & Family Welfare)
FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road
New Delhi-11002

Dated: 25.06.2012

Subject: Sale of contaminated pickles, in Chennai-reg.

Please find herewith a sample report of contaminated pickle received from Spices Board Regional Office Chennai. It has been communicated that a consignment of export which was meant for export to Canada is found to be contaminated with Sudan-1, as per this report this is a serious issue, all states and UTs are requested to make a concerted effort to check such type of menaces in local markets also by taking stringent measures.

It is therefore requested that all States/UTs may kindly initiate appropriate action and FSSAI may please be kept informed of the action taken.

Sd/-
(Dr D.S.Yadav)
Deputy Director (Enforcement)

Encls: As above

To,
All Commissioners of Food Safety of States/UT’s
Copy To:
1. PPS to CP
2. PS to CEO
3. All Directors, FSSAI
4. All Central DOs/AOs
5. All DO’s Indian Railways

Food safety becomes national priority in CHINA

The State Council pledged on Tuesday to solve food safety issues in three years, but effective supervision and punishment of those breaking the law is the key accomplishing the ambitious target, analysts said.

A worker checks bread at a food factory in Baotou, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, in June. Zhao Tingting / Xinhua

"China's food industry still has many safety risks and illegal actions happen often," said a statement released on Tuesday by the State Council.
The government will launch a crackdown on food plants and individuals endangering food safety to significantly improve the situation in three years, the statement said.
Also, the country will establish a better regulation mechanism, legal and standards systems, as well as technical support systems, to improve the overall food safety management level in about five years, according to the statement.
"Major food safety problems are mainly related to production issues, such as the use of illegal additives and illegal food processing in small plants," said food safety expert Dong Jinshi, executive vice-president of the International Food Packaging Association in Beijing.
Food safety has become a major concern for Chinese consumers after a string of cases surfaced, including melamine-tainted baby formula products and pork contaminated with clenbuterol.
According to the State Council statement, food safety will become a measure of local governments' performance in their annual assessments. A database of food companies' safety records will also be established. Blacklisted companies' names will be made public and the companies will be punished.

Local quality authorities must also prevent expired food products from returning to the market, while consumers will get cash rewards for exposing substandard food products, the statement said. Li Chang'an, a public policy professor at the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics, said that some local officials have been held responsible for severe food scandals in the past few years.
"But this is the first time that the country will launch long-term measures, which explicitly stipulate that officials will be accountable for food safety issues," he said.
However, analysts are worried that the measures in the statement will not be easily implemented because they lack details on officials' responsibilities and punishments.
"Safety problems with milk and the use of illegal additives in milk still exist after the melamine-tainted milk scandal in 2008," said Wang Dingmian, former vice-chairman of the Guangdong Dairy Industry Association.
"Punishment for food companies and officials with illegal operations in the food sector are always too light, which is the main reason for the prevalence of the food scandals," he said.
In 2011, several food safety scandals were exposed, including restaurants serving food cooked with "gutter oil" - illegal cooking oil recycled from kitchen waste, decomposed animal fat and organs from slaughterhouses.
"Many local government officials are only concerned with economic development. When food accidents happen, some of them just try to conceal them," Li said.

Vocational training will help get skilled staff

Though the Food Safety and Standards Act Compliance 2006 and Regulations 2011 has been implemented, hoteliers believe the Central government’s vocational training programme will help them get skilled and certified staff.
Skilled staff would not only understand the importance of food safety and kitchen hygiene, but also ensure that they are followed.
“The vocational training program will help us get skilled staff. For example, a person who makes perfect jalebis or dosas will not only get a certificate, but also know how to ensure food safety and maintain kitchen hygiene while cooking,” suggested Shashikant Shetty, general secretary, Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association.
“At present, most of the staff in restaurants is uneducated. The course will ensure that there are certified people who know their job. This will ease our job to maintaining a clean environment,” he added.
Vijay Gautam, director of Directorate of Vocational Education and Training, said: “We have already started implementing the skill upgrade programme. The target is ambitious and is not limited to one industry. We want to include the construction industry too. The idea is to ensure that we can sharpen the skills of uneducated people and help them get jobs.”

Only 845 of 20,000 food joints registered in district - Health dept tells them to get licence before Aug 4

Jalandhar, July 10
Even as Jalandhar is a hub of foodies, with a multitude of dhabas and eateries, the task of getting them all licensed under the requisite act is proving to be a daunting task for the health department.
Conservative health department estimates put the total number of eateries, food vends etc in the district at more than 20,000, but a mere 845 out of these have actually got themselves registered/licensed under the Food Standard and Safety Act (2006), so far.
The health department has issued only about 375 licenses and only about 470 eateries in the district are presently registered.
With the final deadline for getting themselves licensed being scheduled on August 4, 2012, the health department laments that despite spreading awareness, people are not turning up for registration.
The Food Standard and Safety Act (2006) has a huge number of proprietors under its ambit. It covers food vends, canteens, restaurants, milkmen, food retailers, wholesalers and even distributors and transporters in the food business.
The only trouble is that many of the proprietors themselves claim they are not aware about it.
A food vendor says, “None of the health department teams ever came to us informing us about these formalities. I wasn’t aware that I am supposed to get registered.”
A dhaba owner says, “I have got the licensing formalities from the municipal corporation completed. I wasn’t aware of the health department licensing regulations.”
While many vendors claimed that they were not aware of licensing, some said the system was designed to extract money out of them while no one was bothered about the law.
A city-based eatery owner said, “We are supposed to get ourselves licensed with the municipal corporation, the labour department and the health department. If we have to pay Rs 100, we are charged Rs 1,000. Money is extracted by creating scare that samples from eateries will be rejected. While the big guns pay money, the smaller vendors sometimes do not opt for licensing for fear of formalities and bribery. Handling one department is difficult and we are supposed to deal with three. If the departments did our work on time and did not charge extra money, all the eateries in Jalandhar would have been licensed by now.”
Civil Surgeon Dr RL Bassan says, “It is very important for all food proprietors/operators to get themselves registered/licensed before the due date. Licensing is a time-consuming procedure and if they do not start now, the procedure will get too late. Those not licensed by August 4, would be penalised with fine of Rs 5 lakh and/or imprisonment for six months.”
Commenting on allegations of bribery, the CS said, “Right now we are literally urging people to get themselves registered, the question of bribery doesn’t arise. But if anyone faces any such difficulty, they are free to bring the matter to my notice and strict action will be taken against the erring official.”
The Act
The vend owners were supposed to get themselves licensed since 1954 (as per the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954), but stats say very few had done so.
In 2006, the Food Standard and Safety Act repealed the 1954 Act and some of the regulations were changed.
As per the 2006 Act, eateries and food proprietors earning less than Rs 12 lakh per annum have to get registration done by submitting a form, two photographs and submitting a meagre fee of Rs 100 per annum.
Those earning more than Rs 12 lakh per annum have to get themselves licensed with a fee of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per annum (depending on the annual turnover). For licensing, the health authorities also carry out inspections at the eatery/vend premises and take food and water samples.
Restaurant owners, retailers, distributors, caterers with a turnover of more than Rs 20 crore per annum and wholesalers and transporters (with more than 100 vehicles/wagons for transporting food) with a turnover of more than Rs 30 crore per annum are supposed to get themselves licensed from the central government.

Monsoon’s munch maladies

A roadside eatery near Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi

Twenty-year-old Sameer Singh, a college-goer, fell ill after feasting on his favourite Chinese delicacies during a birthday bash at a Ranchi hotel a few days ago.

More recently, homemaker Sangeeta Kumari ended up with a vomiting bout after snacking at a roadside kiosk while returning from Pahari Mandir. “The doctor said I was suffering food poisoning,” said the 35-year-old, barely able to speak.

Watch your monsoon munch, especially when you are eating at one of the hundreds of food joints that have mushroomed at every nook and corner of the city, if you don’t want to land up with stomach infections or other rain-related afflictions.

Dishing out delicacies at nominal prices, these eateries — selling everything from chapatti-sabzi to chow mein — have little regard for hygiene and quality measures that need to be undertaken especially during the rainy season when humidity is at its peak, which helps viruses multiply faster.

With irregular or no food inspections and quality assurance tests, the eateries have a free run, offering stale food to customers and using unclean water.

“The most common ailment during this season is gastroenteritis, which causes vomiting, dysentery and even diarrhoea. Excessive water loss from the body occurs. This is because the eateries recycle stale food that remains unsold,” said A.K. Mahto, the head of medicine department at RIMS, adding that several such cases had already been reported at the hospital.

Another doctor at Sadar Hospital could not agree more. “On July 5, there were 12 cases of food poisoning. Most of the patients were poor or hailed from lower middle class. They can’t afford to eat at big hotels and mostly depend on thellas (food carts),” said the doctor, not wishing to be named.

Although after much delay, the state government finally implemented Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 & Rules 2011 in January this year, food joints continue to flout norms because of no regular quality checks.

State food controller T.P. Burnwal pleaded helplessness, saying that there were not enough number of food inspectors in the state to ensure regular and continuous sampling of food items being sold at hotels, food carts et al.

“In Ranchi, there are three food inspectors while four have been deputed for the entire state. However, we have issued directives to the seven inspectors in the wake of the monsoon, asking them to start inspections at all kinds of food outlets,” he said.

Govt conducts census for 5 cr food operators in country

New Delhi: In its bid to regulate the food sector, the government has launched a census for food business operators in the country. This exercise to collect basic information on major, medium and petty food business operators is being undertaken by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the health ministry at the Centre in association with state governments. ‘‘To ensure any meaningful intervention in the food sector, the biggest challenge is to identify the petty food business operators. But we are trying to identify them with the help of state governments,’’ said K Chandramouli, chairman, FSSAI, at an Assocham FMCG summit, citing the examples of cities such as Singapore and Bangkok which have managed to put in place a regulation framework for street food.
According to rough estimates, there are over 10,000 major food business operators which would need a licence from the Centre. The number of petty food business operators across the country is estimated to be in excess of 5 crore. The food regulator is currently in the process of completing an exercise to bring all food business operators under a licensing and registration system. The government is also looking at putting in place a set of standards that food importers would have to adhere to.
‘‘While our food exporters have to adhere to various stringent set of rules and regulations for exporting food that meets standards of Codex Alimentarius, we do not apply similar stringency on quality of imported food. Therefore, it is imperative to evolve standards for domestically consumed food and imported food is definitely part of that,’’ said Chandramouli . ‘‘We at FSSAI are working out a mechanism in collaboration with all the stakeholders, including scientists, laboratories, experts and representatives from the food business operators (FBOs), including those involved in import-export of food material, to set standards for imported food ,’’ he added.

New food standards for idli and chaat on the anvil

CHENNAI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on a mechanism to evolve standards for domestically consumed food items imported from abroad, chairperson, FSSAI, Dr K. Chandramouli said at an ASSOCHAM event in New Delhi on Tuesday.

"Our food exporters have to adhere to various stringent set of rules and regulations for exporting food, while we do not strain the same sort of stringency on imported food and thus it is imperative to evolve standards for domestically consumed food," Dr Chandramouli said

"We do have some standards to begin with but we need to take more steps in this regard to ensure the safety of food for consumption which comes from outside," the FSSAI chairperson added. He said that FSSAI was working out a mechanism in collaboration with all stakeholders that includes scientists, laboratories, experts and industry representatives from the food business operators (FBOs) segment.
The FSSAI in consultation with different stakeholders is also working on setting standards for traditional or the ethnic food as India is home to the largest variety of cuisines across different states. "There is also a need for a consensus of the FBOs in the country to ascertain who's selling what and where so that at the end of the day all get covered and our representatives keep collecting the information in this regard," Dr Chandramouli said.

Centre plans to keep street food standard norms voluntary

The Centre will keep the standard on basic requirements for street food vendors voluntary in the beginning, Union Food minister K V Thomas said here today.

"Initially the standards will be kept voluntary and later it can be made mandatory," Thomas said on the sidelines of a food safety seminar organised by the Bureau of Indian Standard.

The national standards body, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has finalised the basic requirements for street food vendors.

"This sector is also a source of livelihood for a large number of people. Hence, we want to regulate the sector and believe the standard developed by BIS has immense potential to safeguard public health," Thomas said.

He said it should be implemented and regulated with the help of local authorities.

FSSAI working on quality standards for imported food items

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on a mechanism to evolve standards for domestically consumed food items imported from abroad, chairperson, FSSAI, Dr. K. Chandramouli said at an ASSOCHAM event held here in New Delhi today.
“Our food exporters have to adhere to various stringent set of rules and regulations for exporting food, while we do not strain the same sort of stringency on imported food and thus it is imperative to evolve standards for domestically consumed food as we have been having a lackadaisical approach towards setting standards,” said Dr. Chandramouli while sharing his views on initiatives being taken by FSSAI in the areas of regulation in the food sector while addressing an ‘FMCG Summit’ organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
“We do have some standards to begin with but we need to take more steps in this regard to ensure the safety of food for consumption which comes from outside,” said the chairperson. “We at FSSAI are working out a mechanism in collaboration with all the stakeholders including the scientists, laboratories, experts and industry representatives from the food business operators (FBOs) including those involved in import-export of food material and for them to ensure that for their goods gets accepted we need to set standards that are internationally minimum.”
The FSSAI in consultation with different stakeholders is also working on setting standards for traditional or the ethnic food as India is home to the largest variety of cuisines across different states, said the chairperson.
“There is also a need for a consensus of the FBOs in the country to ascertain who’s selling what and where so that at the end of the day all get covered and our representatives keep collecting the information in this regard with due support from the state governments to ensure speedy enforcement of the FSSAI Act,” said Dr Chandramouli.
Meanwhile, Mr S.K. Jindal, chairman of the ASSOCHAM Investment and Investors’ Committee urged the government to take necessary steps to protect the consumers’ rights and contain piracy as the direct loss due to piracy is about 20 per cent of the market share of prominent products.
“The FMCG sector in India is facing severe challenges due to the unorganised sector and counterfeiting of brands led by rapid technological advancement and liberalization of Indian economy,” said Mr Jindal. “Another significant concern of the industry is the consumers’ attraction towards these counterfeit products as they are sold at about 45 per cent lesser value than the original, thus the industry must be freed from various undue hassels considering its massive potential to grow further.”
Dr. Lalit Khaitan, CMD, Radico Khaitan Limited shared his views concerning the liquor industry being an integral part of India’s boisterous FMCG industry and said that the industry is subjected to three different acts and governing authorities namely – State Excise Act and Rules, Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules and lastly the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules and to regulate the mandatory laws on the lables of alcoholic beverages through these multiple laws is a real hassle.
“The frequent changes in regulations adversely affect the operations of the FMCG companies and thus any policy change be affected only after full discussions with all the concerned stakeholders,” said Dr. Khaitan who is also the chairman of ASSOCHAM Northern Regional Development Council.
Amid others who spoke during the event included – Mr M.K. Bhardawaj, chairman, ASSOCHAM Public Procurement Committee; Mr Ankur Shiv Bhandari, MD, Kantar Retail India and Mr Abhishek Malhotra, Partner, Booz & Co.

REWARD SCHEME - FSSAI

Snack food association meet urges FBOs to adhere to licensing deadline

The Snack Food Association of Maharashtra organised a unique meet here on Monday - a meet that reminded food business operators (FBOs) that the August 5, 2012, deadline for licensing and registration under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, is approaching fast.

The meet aimed at pointing out to the FBOs the importance of approaching the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, at the earliest, with regard to licensing and registration - old or new - as the case may be.

The event was co-organised by Kamani Oil Mills, a vegetable oil and specialty fat manufacturer, and Prakash Dall and Flour Mills, a manufacturer of two brands of Super Fine Chana Besan (Balaji and Prabhat).

Mahesh Zagade, commissioner, FDA, Maharashtra, was unable to make it to the meet due to prior commitments, but other state FDA officials such as Dilip Shrirao, joint commissioner, vigilance; K V Sankhe, assistant commissioner, food; K U Methekar, food safety officer; and Suresh Deshmukh, assistant commissioner; and K D Yadav, president, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India), Mumbai chapter, were present at the meet and joined on the dais by an office-bearer of the state snack food body.

Speaking on the occasion, Methekar reiterated the conditions for licensing and registration of food businesses and then the interactive session began, where the officials fielded FBOs' queries.

The Mumbai Mewa Masala Merchants' Association was represented by Karsanbhai, its secretary. The association has filed a case in the Bombay High Court challenging 16 contentious provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, in April 2012, and four hearings of the same have already taken place. The fifth hearing of the case is slated to take place on July 18, 2012.

GUTKHA PROVIDES GOVT WITH FOOD FOR THOUGHT

An observation by the Supreme Court that gutkha is food has set off a tussle between the Health Ministry and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India over regulating the product. The FSSAI wants gutkha banned but the ministry would rather have the former laying down food safety standards for the product.
Gutkha is believed responsible for 90 per cent of oral cancers in India; the industry is worth an estimated Rs 8,000 crore. In a case earlier this year concerning its packaging, the Supreme Court observed that since pan masala, gutkha or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the PFA Act.
As per FSSAI rules, no food item can contain a harmful substance like tobacco, hence it asserts is there is no question of setting down standards for gutkha. Its position is that though gutkha should be banned, the FSSAI’s role is to set standards and it has a limited role in implementation of such a ban. If a ban is to be imposed, it is the responsibility of the Health Ministry under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
After the court order, the health ministry had written to states to implement a ban. It says a ban is realistically not workable because it puts the onus on a state government; unless it is a countrywide position, it can become counterproductive. Citing the example of Madhya Pradesh, one of only three states to have banned gutkha, the ministry points out that sporadic bans will only fuel black-marketing. The ministry instead wants FSSAI to lay down standards as it itself does not have facilities to determine what levels of tobacco that would be “safe”.
“The SC has laid down that gutkha is food and as per our rules no food item can contain tobacco. By that logic gutkha should be banned and it is the prerogative of state food regulatory authorities to implement the plan,” says K Chandramouli, FSSAI chairman. “That is the legal position; so where is the question of laying down standards for gutkha?”
Tobacco control officials in the ministry, however, say a powerful political lobby backs the industry, which employs many people in rural areas, and a ban cannot be implemented countrywide. Bihar recently announced a year’s ban, Maharashtra is said to be mulling one, and last month Kerala decided to ban gutkha.
“Madhya Pradesh was the first state to ban gutkha and what has happened there essentially is that there is no change in availability. Supply from Uttar Pradesh is being routed there and a Rs 2 sachet now sells for Rs 10. That is not a solution. It is very difficult to bring all states on the same page on a gutkha ban because of the political lobby,” said an official.
“We are trying to get FSSAI to frame standards. For us to do so under COTPA, we would need laboratories to test tobacco content. There is none in the country at the moment.”
Health experts feel a ban is the only solution. “It is responsible for 90 per cent of oral cancers and is believed to play a role in cancers of the stomach, food pipe and urinary bladder. Areca nut, one of its constituents, is responsible for several precancerous conditions like oral sub-mucous fibrosis of which there is an epidemic in the country — 30-40 per cent patients die. Our position clearly is that gutkha should be banned and we have sent the recommendation to the Health Ministry,” says Dr K S Reddy, founding member of the Public Health Foundation of India.

WHO FEELS WHAT
Pan masala, gutkha or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, hence all are food within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the PFA Act

Supreme Court - As per rules, no food item can contain tobacco. By that logic gutkha should be banned

Food Safety Authority - Very difficult to bring all states on same page on a gutkha ban because of political lobby. FSSAI should frame standards

Health Ministry- Gutkha should be banned, recommendation sent to Health Ministry

Hype claims, face court

FSSAI initiates legal action against 15 top firms for declaring wrong nutritional value

In a first, the country’s top food regulator has initiated legal proceedings against as many as 15 top companies —  makers of some of the most popular food products — for exaggerated claims and misleading advertisements.
The move comes close on the heels of the UK banning the Kellog’s ‘Special K’ advertisement for “misleading women” about the calorific value of a typical bowl of the breakfast cereal.
The products under the scanner of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are energy drinks like Complan, Horlicks, Bournvita and Boost; health supplements like Kellogg's Special K, Real Active Fibre+ and Nutrilite and also those such as Rajdhani Besan, Engine Vegtable Oil, Today Premium Tea and Kissan Cream Spread.
According to a senior FSSAI official, the companies have failed to substantiate their claims with scientific evidence, hence all designated officers (DO) appointed under the FSAAI Act have been instructed to launch prosecution against them in the cities where their respective headquarters are located.
Britannia Industries Ltd hasn't been able to scientifically substantiate that its Nutrichoice biscuits are indeed 'diabetic-friendly'. So did Delhi-based Rajdhani Flourmills Ltd that its product Rajdhan Besan had "no cholesterol" and "low glycaemic index". If Abbott India Ltd's heath supplement Pediasure's claims that it has all the essential nutrients (complete balanced nutrition to grow taller and also make the kid go to school) haven't been established, then GlaxoSmithkline hasn't proved how someone grew 'taller, stronger and sharper' drinking its Horlicks energy drink.
Nestle's Maggi noodles and GlaxoSmithKline's Horlicks have already been banned in Britain for their 'misleading and inaccurate' adverts making unsubstantiated health claims.
For its part, Amul has taken the Hindustan Unilever Ltd to court for its "misleading" brand Kissan Cream Spread.
"This is just the beginning. We have prepared a list of another set of companies against whom notices will be issued and then legal action will be taken," the official maintained.
If found guilty, the food companies could face penalties up to Rs 10 lakh as per provisions under the FSSAI Act, 2006. Among others, it empowers the food authority to regulate the advertising of food products and prevent the food makers from making statement "claim, design or device which is false or misleading in any particular concerning the food products contained in the package or concerning the quantity or the nutritive value implying medicinal or therapeutic claims or in relation to the place of origin of the said food products".
"What are the sugar and other components used in Nutrichoice by Britannia that makes the biscuits 'healthy'; What is the basis of the multigrain claim of Maggi (Nestle product); How Complan (Heinz) makes children grow 'taller, faster'; How Bournvita Lil Champs (Cadburys) triggers 'better brain development'? -- These were some of the questions the companies failed to substantiate with proven scientific evidences.
The move to initiate legal action came following several notices sent to the food manufacturers as well as various complaints to the FSSAI against such unchecked claims.
The authority has been, for the past few months intensively scanning the advertisements appearing in the newspapers and television and found that many food manufacturing firms were giving misleading advertisements and claims taking the people for the ride.
The legal action has come only after they failed to justify their claims with related scientific evidences. It aims to restrict them from adopting such marketing tactics "which are enough to influence the consumers at the cost of their health", the official said.
The food manufacturers have, however, completely denied the allegations of misleading adverts and exaggerated claims, he maintained.

Caveat Emptor — A step forward

When handed faulty products, consumers must fight till manufacturers are brought to book

Attracted by the ‘buy one, get one free’ offer, like any one else, Devi purchased badam mix of a reputed company from a big supermarket in the city in January. The life of the product was one year from the date of manufacture (December 2011).

In February, Devi’s husband mixed a portion of the mix in milk and drank it. Later, when Devi mixed it for herself, she was shocked to find numerous worms wriggling in the drink. Immediately, she checked her husband’s used cup and found many dead worms. She emptied the balance in the pack on to a plate and saw lots of worms squirming around. Devi’s husband had a stomach upset and nausea, and the family, a sleepless night.

The next morning, Devi called the customer care number cited on the label and narrated the incident. The call was transferred to the department of quality control and the person on the other side listened patiently, took her number and told her he would revert to her within half an hour. However, there was no response, and when she spoke to them again, after several attempts, she was told that according to ‘Factory Law’ it would take seven working days for them to comment on the issue.

Irked, Devi complained to the Health Officer of the Corporation who assured her of immediate action. After he had acted, the supermarket apologised to her for the inconvenience caused. But Devi wanted a response from the manufacturers, and so she contacted the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum over phone.

They suggested two approaches to her problem — file a complaint with the District Forum, seeking damages or get the sample tested from the Government Laboratory — King’s Institute, Guindy. Devi decided to go for the second, but the lab officials refused to take the sample stating it had to come through the Designated Officer.

The Food Safety and Standards Rules, formulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, provides for appointment of Food Safety Officers (Food Inspectors) and Designated Officers in the States who have the authority to investigate when a complaint is given in writing and take action.

Devi gave a written complaint to the Food Inspector who visited her after she complained to the Designated Officer over phone. She handed over the opened pack and the other sealed one along with the original purchase bill.

A month later, when she contacted the Designated Officer, he invited her to his office and was full of appreciation for her determination to get justice.

Ten days later she received the action taken report from him stating that instructions were issued to the manufacturers to recall all the packets of that particular batch and destroy them.

What is of concern is that many people would have consumed the product before it was recalled.

Thus, immediate action is required in such matters. The most important lesson is for the public to know that there are food authorities waiting to act upon a complaint registered. It is for us to come forward and complain so that the culprits are brought to book.

However, the apathetic approach of the manufacturer is certainly inexcusable.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Madurai, India: All is not well with food at government hostels

MADURAI: Food safety officials, who undertook an inspection at the government-run student hostels in the city on Tuesday as part of issuing licenses under the Food Safety Act, found the hostels lacking even pure drinking water facilities and the cooking materials of substandard quality.
The team of food safety officials comprising J Suguna, designated officer for Food Safety and Drug Administration and health inspectors, Saravanan, Muralidharan and Amjad inspected the hostels based on the instructions from the district administration.
When the team inspected the government student hostel campus in Chokkikulam where six hostels for school, college students are situated on Tuesday, the officials found that the drinking water quality was very poor in the premises. When the drinking water tank was opened for inspection, larval growth was found in the water and the reverse osmosis plants set up in the hostels had gone defunct long back. The students were found to be drinking the same water and the food was also cooked in that. The officials also found that worms in the rice used for cooking and the groceries were without any labels.

"During our inspection in Chokkikulam, we found that the quality of drinking water is not up to mark as RO plants were not functional," Suguna said.

Kashmiris consume unsafe food

Uncovered mutton and other eatables sold brazenly!
Srinagar: Food safety laws are being violated indiscriminately as vendors and others sell uncovered food and food-ingredients without any fear of law and enforcement agencies.
The Food Safety Act 2006 makes it mandatory for every licensed stockist or food vendor to keep the food items properly covered. It says “every utensil or container containing any food or ingredient of food intended for sale shall at all times be either provided with a tight fitting cover or kept closed or covered by a properly fitting lid or by a closed fitting cover or gauze, net or other material of a texture sufficiently fine to protect the food completely from dust, dirt and flies and other insects.”  To ward off infections it also calls for keeping away the edibles from pollutants.
The Act also calls upon the license issuing authority - which in this case is SMC - to keep check on the violations.
SMC, according to the experts, has the authority to notify challan or close down the food outlets or shops found violating the regulations.
However, this agency has failed in keeping these standards and is simply winking at such vendors or stockists, insiders said.
“SMC has to ensure that all vendors adhere to the regulations. But their market checks are an eye-wash and eatables are sold in unhygienic conditions,” sources said.
“Rules even stipulate that every vendor has to submit a fitness certificate to SMC that he/she is not suffering from any ailment. But here we don’t have any checks and nearly all the vendors are without a hygiene license from SMC,” revealed another official.
Health experts say uncovered food could be major health hazard causing frequent spread of infections.
“Most of the food items (vegetables, milk, red meat, oil etc.) are sold in open and are inhabited by bacteria. Children are the most vulnerable group because their immune system is weak,” says Chief Medical Officer (CMO) SMHS Hospital, Dr. Altaf Ahmed Rather.
“SMC should play its role, but unfortunately they have allowed the system to derail at the cost of the public health,” the doctor said.
While agreeing that the open foods are available in market places here, Health Officer SMC Dr. Rubena said, “Best thing to tackle the problem it to avoid vendors or stockists who sell uncovered food items.”
“We issue notices against the violators and also create awareness. One cannot expect changes overnight,” she said and claimed that SMC has forced the butchers to use glass covers for selling mutton.
However, on ground, majority of the mutton sellers don’t adhere to the directives. And same is the case with all others who sell various other eatables.

Kudumbasree food units ready for new food safety regime - THE HINDU

Seventy-five per cent of the 200 canteens run by the women entrepreneurs have completed their registration.

Food processing units and canteens run by women entrepreneurs under the Kudumbasree poverty eradication mission are ready to fulfil formalities prescribed by Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, registration under which is mandatory by August 4.

An official of the Kudumbasree mission said that training programmes have been on since March this year to create awareness among the entrepreneurs and to make them familiar with new food safety and standards regulations.

The official said that about 90 per cent of the food-related enterprises have completed their registration process as none of them fall within the category of having a turnover of more than Rs.12 lakh a year.There are 393 enterprises in the State that prepare the food supplement Nutrimix. All of them have completed the registration process, said the official.

Seventy-five per cent of the 200 canteens run by the women entrepreneurs have also completed their registration. There are also about 90 big units and more than 200 small units that prepare masalas, curry powders and various flours. Their registration process is on.

The official said that the cadre of micro enterprise consultants under Kudumbasree has been preparing the entrepreneurs for the new food safety regime. The entrepreneurs have been interacting with food safety officers to clear their doubts about the new norms.

Dates worth Rs 9 lakh seized

Officials of the FDA, Konkan region, raided a food Factory in Navi Mumbai and seized dates worth Rs 9 lakh, being illegally handled and in violation of food safety regulations.
Addressing a news conference here today, FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) S K Shere said it was absolutely essential under the Food Act for any processor or manufacturer to have a valid licence while dealing with products. However. it was found that Devi Foods did not have the same. The explanation given by it was that they got the bulk material from one Bait AL Tamur nearby and were packing it for them. Mr.Shere said that during interrogation, it transpired that even Bait was not the importer of the product. Usually the product is imported from Gulf in bulk and repacked into small packs and sold in domestic market.
As per regulations, when any one imports the product in bulk it is mandatory that they distinctly put the remark on the labels as Manufactured by, Imported and packed. these declarations were not not present on the packs. The pack also did not contain the other requisite details like Batch No: date of expiry and MRP, he said.
Mr Shere said the officials seized 9898 Kgs of packed dates worth about Rs 9 lakh from Devi Foods and an additional 876 Kgs of the same product valued at around Rs 50 lakh from Bait Al Tamur.
The samples of the seized goods have been sent for analysis after which further action will be initiated against the units. he said.
The Devi Foods is owned by Anil Parekh and Bait Al Tamur by Rajesh Asher, he disclosed Both the units had violated provisions of Food Safety & Standards (Packaging & Labeling) Regulation 2011, Rule 2.2.2.6 (ii), and 2.2.2.8 and action would be taken against them for the same.

BPC welcomes EFSA scientific opinion on poultry inspection

A recent scientific report produced by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on poultry meat inspection has been welcomed by the British Poultry Council (BPC).

The report, which outlines epidemiological indicators for food-borne biological hazards to public health, was released last month (June 2012) and offers the scientific opinion of the EFSA on hazards such as salmonella, campylobacter and AmpC beta-lactamase-producing E.coli in poultry meat production.

Chief executive of the British Poultry Council (BPC) Peter Bradnock said the report was a “positive and sensible” move towards enhancing the system of food safety controls applied to poultry meat in the EU.

In 2010 the European Commission (EUC) asked EFSA to investigate risk assessments on the hazards to the health of the public from current poultry meat inspection standards. EFSA was also tasked with recommending alternative approaches and improvements to the current poultry meat inspection system.

In a statement, the UK’s Food Standards Agency said they had “argued for some time” that the current system of official meat controls did not address the most relevant meat-borne pathogens of today, which they said were unable to be detected as they are microbiological and cannot be seen by the naked eye.

And Bradnock added: “We have long reasoned that the traditional visual inspection procedures enshrined in EU legislation for all species are inappropriate in the modern poultry industry. The approach needs to be modernised into a kind of intergrated food safety assurance system focusing on biological risk, which is being recommended in this option.”

Suggestions made by the report included a modernisation of poultry meat inspection and an improved use of shared information between farms and abattoirs (food chain information), which would also help to identify animal health and welfare issues.

The need for clear targets to be set for poultry carcases and flocks was one of the main recommendations given in the report for the control of biological hazards. But to do this, farmers and abattoirs need to utilise the control options available for hazards and focus on food chain information, said the report.

Pre-cut lemon slices, packed seafood under lens for pathogen contamination

NEW DELHI: Juicy pre-cut melon slices and sumptuous packed seafood available at super markets across the world have come under the scanner for contamination with deadly pathogens.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), which sets international food safety and quality standards to promote safer and more nutritious food for consumers worldwide has said that an emerging public health issue relates to the increased popularity of pre-cut melon slices.

According to it, exposed pulp of the fruit can become a breeding ground for bacteria that has been linked to life-threatening salmonella and listeria outbreaks.

The UN food standards body, which has just finished agreeing on new regulations in its annual meeting in Rome, has recommended that pre-cut melons should be wrapped or packaged and refrigerated as soon as possible and distributed at temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius or less. Cooling and cold storage was recommended soon after harvest, while knife blades used for cutting or peeling should be disinfected on a regular basis.

The new regulations also include the maximum level of melamine in liquid milk formula for babies. Melamine can be lethal at high concentrations and has been used illegally to increase apparent protein content in food products including infant formula and milk powder. Milk tainted with melamine has caused both death and ailments in infants.

Two years ago, the Codex Commission adopted a maximum melamine level of 1 mg/kg for powdered infant formula, and of 2.5 mg/kg for other foods and animal feed.

Now, the Commission has set a maximum limit of 0.15 mg/kg for melamine in liquid infant milk.

Melamine is used to make dishware and kitchenware, among other industrial applications. "The new limit will help governments protect consumers by determining if detected levels of melamine result from unavoidable melamine contamination that does not cause health problems or from deliberate adulteration," WHO said.

The global food safety body has also warned against Aflatoxins — a group of mycotoxins produced by molds are toxic and are known to be carcinogenic. They can be found in a variety of products such as dried fruits, nuts, spices and cereals at high levels if the produce is not stored properly.

The Commission has agreed to a safe maximum limit of 10 mg/kg for dried figs, together with details on how test sampling should be conducted.

Codex, whose meeting from 2-7 July was attended by 600 delegates representing 184 countries including India, also recommended that food manufacturers across the world label nutritional content on their products to ensure that consumers are better informed. The recommendation is in sync with WHO's strategy on diet, physical activity and health, and is a major step forward in promoting healthy eating worldwide.