Cockroach in food, restaurant closed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After KFC, the licence of one more prominent restaurant in the city was suspended on Friday. Customers found cockroaches in the dish served to them at Hotel Sindhoor, functioning at Vazhuthacaud and informed the food safety authority. The food safety officials inspected the restaurant and found that it was functioning in unhygienic conditions and asked the management to close the eatery.
According to food safety commissioner in-charge Anil Kumar, the complaint was registered by a government employee Uma Maheswari through the authority's toll free number. She is the Confidential Assistant to the Tourism Secretary at the Secretariat. She said that she had gone to the restaurant with her daughter to have lunch. Her daughter ordered fried rice while she ordered fish curry meals for herself along with a dish a prawn. She alleged that the cockroaches were found in the prawn dish.
When she complained, the restaurant authorities tried to appease her by offering to replace the dish, she told in her complaint. The mobile vigilance team of the food safety authority that inspected the restaurant found the complaint genuine.
"The kitchen of the restaurant was completely unhygienic," said food safety officer A Satheesh Kumar.
He said that cockroaches, cats and rats were found in the kitchen. The box in which dried chilly was kept was also filled with cockroaches. Meat and vegetables were stored together in the freezer. The contents in the freezer also turned stale, he said. He also said that the team visited the sister concern of the restaurant that functioned at Kowdiar where they detected some minor hygienic problems, they could not find any grave instance of callousness there. However, they have issued a notice to the management of the restaurant to improve the facilities there.
Meanwhile, the food safety authority officials also said that they would kick start the second phase of state-wide raids from Monday. At least 50 teams will be operative in the state on each day.

FSSR failed to describe gradation; Act enacted in haste, S N Mohanty told

Tejinder Singh Renu, honorary secretary, Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA), Nagpur, met S N Mohanty, chief executive officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in New Delhi recently to discuss the ambiguities and discrepancies in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR), 2011.

While Renu was accompanied by Bhawanishankar Dave, joint secretary, Nagpur Hotel Owners Association, the country's apex food regulator was represented by S S Ghonkrokta, director (enforcement); Madhawan, deputy director (enforcement-I); and D S Yadav, deputy director (enforcement-II).

Renu explained, "The Act is literally threatening to close down practically all food business operators (FBOs) in the country, as the Regulations have a number of provisions that are practically impossible to comply with, and has also given unprecedented powers to the food inspectors leading to Inspector Raj."

He expressed his gratitude to Mohanty for extending the time limit as prescribed in Regulation 2.1.2 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations. 2011, which deals with licences for food businesses by six months, but said it would be insufficient as the Act applies to the whole country and covers all businesses related to food.

Renu raised several key issues, the first of them being FSSAI's failure to strike a logical balance and gradation. "They have surprisingly prepared the same provisions for all levels (from farm to fork), which means a petty dhaba and a seven-star hotel shall be following the same norms, as no parameters or gradations have been described under the new Act," he said.

Another issue raised by him was the fact that the regulator did not study the Indian market, agricultural procedures and other parameters before bringing the Act into effect. He said, "We (VTA) feel that the Act has been enacted in haste, and FSSAI has not given stakeholders a lawful opportunity."

After all, FSSAI was incorporated to lay down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. He also alleged that the regulator didn't follow provisions prepared by themselves, such as Sections 18(2)(a)(i) and 18(2)(d) of the Act.

"Another vital issue was existing FBOs would come under the purview of the Act as they have been asked by local authorities to comply with all the provisions and local authorities have also been demanding a mandatory affidavit from all applicants stating that they will comply with all the provisions of Schedule IV within a year of taking registration under the Act," Renu said.

"The penalty provisions under the FSS Act, 2006 - namely Sections 42 to 63 - lack clarity and ambiguity therein, which would lead to a number of litigations. Also, it vests in food inspectors unprecedented powers, which is bound to give a boost to corruption," the VTA secretary pointed out.

Dave, joint secretary, Nagpur Hotel Owners Association, pointed out various discrepancies in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, and said, "Even the best foodgrains available in the market are failing to match the high standards and characteristics defined in the Regulations."

When Mohanty was quizzed about the exclusion of farmers and milk societies from the purview of the Act, he said, "FSSAI was formed after the Act came into existence, and hence it can only be replied by Parliament." However, he categorically stated, "Farmers are also requested to obtain registration under the Act before they can sell their produce in the market."

VTA, in its memorandum, said they would categorically state that they were not against any of the laws or provisions that were in the interests of people, who might be affected upon consuming unsafe or adulterated food, but the system adopted to cover one and all, be it a small FBO or a big one, overnight might surely attract corruption and Inspector Raj was incorrect.

"This should have been imposed slowly and gradation-wise, so that gradually all are covered. After a patient hearing, Mohanty assured us that FSSAI would reply to all the issues raised in our memorandum soon and issue appropriate clarifications in the form of memos or instructions for clarification," said Renu.

Food regulator asks Parle to recall mango candy

The Maharashtra FDA has asked Parle to recall its entire stock of the candy as it was found to contain buffered lactic acid, which is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.

Mumbai, Oct 13: 

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked Mumbai-headquartered Parle Products to recall its entire stock of candy ‘Mango Bite' from the market, terming it ‘unsafe’ for consumption.

A State FDA team that searched the Parle Biscuits factory near Nashik a few days ago seized stock of the hard-boiled candy ‘Kaccha Mango Bite’ and raw material.

Officials of the FDA Konkan Division raided two other locations in Raigad and Bhiwandi, and confiscated more stocks of the finished candy and ingredients.

The FDA has asked Parle to recall its entire stock of the candy as it was found to contain buffered lactic acid, which is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standard Act of 2006.

Awaiting info

Commenting on the matter, a Parle Products spokesperson said, “Currently, we are looking into the matter and awaiting information from the FDA authorities pertaining to the recalling of the stocks. Further course of action will be based on that.”

The candy ‘Kachha Mango Bite’ derives its name from the taste of tangy raw mango. The company had earlier launched Mango Bite, and then added a twist to it with the raw mango taste.

In 2002, it had engineered a Single Twist Wrapping and also launched a juice-filled candy variant, Juizy Mangoh.

An industry expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, said lactic acid is added to candies such as gummy bears, hard candy and other confectionary products by most confectionary companies.

“Lactic acid in food products usually serves either as a pH regulator or as a preservative. It is also used as a flavouring agent. While formulating hard-boiled candy with lactic acid, it results in a mild acid taste, reduced stickiness and a longer shelf life. FDA guidelines, however, say companies cannot include it in their candy,” he added.

In another instance, following reports of food poisoning among children in Nanded district, an FDA team searched the Parle Biscuits factory on October 3.

The company spokesperson said the legal team at Parle Products is looking into the matter.

Parle hits sour note on Mango Bite recall

FDA orders recall of Parle's 'Mango Bite'

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked Parle Products to recall from the market the entire stock of its popular candy – Mango Bite – branding it as "unsafe".
Officials of FDA Konkan Division recently raided two locations in Raigadh and Bhiwandi and seized stock of the finished goods and ingredients, valued at Rs 2 crore.
According to FDA, the manufacturer Parle Biscuits Pvt Ltd at Kirkhinde in Khopoli (Raigadh) used buffered lactic acid (adulterant) in the confectionery which is not permited.
Joint Commissioner of FDA (Food) S K Shere said the seized goods include Sugar Boiled Confectionery (Parle Kachha Mango Bite) packed in jars valued at Rs 1,46,68,400. Besides, the team also seized around 8158 kgs of Buffered Lactic Acid valued at Rs 10.60 lakh.
The samples of the seized goods have been sent to lab for testing, the officer said.
In addition, the stock of Mango Bite was also seized from the godown at Bhiwandi, FDA officials said.
FDA has directed the company to recall the stock of Mango Bite in the market and a final decision on the matter would be taken only after the test report is received.
Officials said that Lactic Acid was "harmful and unsafe" but cannot be declared as unfit for human consumption. Its use is banned by the Food Authority of India.
Earlier, FDA officials had conducted a raid and seized Mango bite worth Rs 60 lakh from a manufacturing unit at Nashik.
The use of lactic acid (chiefly found in milk products) was banned in foodstuff after a bench found it not good for consumption for its tooth decaying side effects. It has been ruled out in Food Safety & Standard Act of 2006.

Seminar focuses on food quality

The seminar on ‘Demystifying Food Safety Standards Act’ showed the food business operators that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was a friendly agency, which ensured quality of food.
The seminar was organised by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Ashwin Bhadri, Head (Business Relations), Equinox Labs, elaborated on the steps which have to be followed by entrepreneurs to maintain food quality and standards. “Water testing, nutritional labels with correct information and training of employees for food standards is essential. As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, any violation can land a food business operator in prison for a period of three to five years and cost a fine of `3-6 lakh,” he said. Bhadri added that many new restaurants have open kitchens, where the customers can have a look at the entire set-up without any restrictions.
He further said that documentation of several tests like water, food, content surfaces, hand swab test reports are essential for a successful food business along with regular internal audits.

Food Safety and Standards Act facilitation seminar held

A Food Safety and Standards Act facilitation seminar was held by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) at Mattancherry on Friday.
G Srinivasan, deputy director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Chennai, was the chief guest at the function.

Health safety

Food safety is a serious issue be it baked cockroaches in muffins or squirming worms in deep-fried chicken. The hue and cry that is raised in such cases is conspicuously missing when it comes to the more controversial issue of genetically modified (GM) food, the safety of which cannot be guaranteed even by its own creators.
 The very fact the manufacturers of GM food are resisting labelling of GM food (so that a consumer can choose between GM food and non-GM food) is itself ample testimony. So the onus is now on the non-GM food industry to label their products as GM-free. Just as it happened in the case of addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to instant noodles. All other noodle manufacturers had to label their product - ‘Contains no MSG.’
 Technically, India does not allow genetically modified food crops. However, genetically modified food is already in our food chain through non-food GM crops like cotton. The cottonseed oil is becoming one of the major edible oils in the country and our bakeries, both large and small, are welcoming the cheap oil with open arms.
 Not only is it used in making breads, but also in snack food like potato chips, margarines and mayonnaise and even whipped toppings for cake. The use of cottonseed oil for toppings helps promote the desired consistent texture and smooth, creamy appearance in shortening, toppings and spreads used in bakeries.
 With no system of GM-labelling existing in the country, when bakeries buy cottonseed oil they do not have any way of assessing whether it is a GM oil or non-GM oil. The sad part is this cottonseed oil is replacing many of our traditional cooking oils.
 The Gujarati cuisine, that was so dependent on traditional groundnut oil, has now started replacing it with cottonseed oil. When the groundnut oil prices hit the roof, many Gujaratis who were conscious about their health shifted to sunflower oil, while others, who were more conscious about the cost, shifted to cottonseed oil.
 Apart from all this, GM food also reaches us through the food chain. The oilseed cakes produced from the cotton, mostly genetically modified cotton, are used for feeding animals. Animal feed, in turn, reaches humans through milk and meat.
 As of now, almost 90 per cent cotton cultivated in India is transgenic. The Parliamentary committee that looked into the issues of GM crops had asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whether it had received any request for manufacture, distribution and sale of cottonseed oil during last five years and the action taken on each of those requests. FSSAI replied in the negative and said this was handled by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC).
 With GEAC involved in just the approval of environmental release of GM crops, a lot of ambiguity remains on who should approve oils and imported food that may have been derived through the GM pathway.
 ‘’In the opinion of the Parliamentary committee, this dilly-dallying and delay in bringing GM food and products thereof, is not a simple act of oversight or a genuine inability to do the needful and needs to be thoroughly investigated and responsibility for this callous neglect of health safety be fixed at the earliest,’’ said the report of the committee.
 It also noted that long-term environment impact assessment and chronic toxicology studies of the effects of transgenic agriculture crops have not even been attempted till now. ‘’The government is yet to take a final call on labelling. There is a complete lack of post-market surveillance, as has been pointed out in one particular example of lakhs of tonnes of BT cottonseed oil having gone into the food chain during the last ten years without anybody in the government being aware or concerned about it,’’ said page 376 of the report.
(Keep track of the Sci-bug every Saturday)

Your golawala will soon sport aprons, gloves

FDA wants to improve hygiene standards of roadside vendors

The next time you see your neighbourhood golawala in a hat and apron, don’t put it down to his fashion sense. In a bid to ensure all food stalls and their fare meet international standards, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to get them authorised by the department and is also concentrating on hygiene standards that these vendors will have to scrupulously follow. The department has set its sights on the city’s most-visited tourist spots like Juhu and Girgaum Chowpatty.
Recently, in order to get these stalls registered with FDA the department issued on-the-spot Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licences to vendors, making their business legal.
According to sources, the unit’s initial focus is on Chowpatty, as it is the stamping ground of both domestic and foreign visitors. “So, in order to make the businesses legal and part of the new FSSAI law, the department has made things easier for traders by registering them on the spot. This is our phase-I trial,” said an FDA official.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI will issue a new licence under the name Food Safety and Standards (licensing and registration of food business) Regulations, 2011.
From a chai tapri to an Udipi restaurateur, every food trader will have to obtain this licence, after, of course, tackling the hygiene rider, which is a big deal in this country, explained a senior FDA official.
Confirming the same Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA, said, “In phase-I our target is to get these street vendors registered with us. In phase-II we intend to turn them hygiene-conscious by making aprons, gloves and hats mandatory. We plan to seek help of BMC and local cops who can fine retailers for not following FSSAI norms (see box).”
In the past, FDA in Maharashtra had conducted a series of meetings with hoteliers, other representatives of the hospitality trade, and people from the sampling and labelling industry across the state.
“The conferences were to give them a clear brief about rules and regulations, and guidelines of the amended FSSAI Act. As the law has come into force all over the state from August 2011, making people familiar with it is important. However, the department went slow on this, as we wanted the licensees to get accustomed to the changes. But now we will prosecute people from the hospitality industry if they are found violating norms,” explained a senior FDA official.
Adding to this, Deshmukh revealed that many vendors have already been penalised for not having FDA licences.
“We are now going to get strict with everyone. We have given them enough time to sort out matters. We have first targeted the busiest locales of the city, as we do not want any unhygienic food to be served to anybody who visits them.
Slowly and steadily we are going to make our way into the ‘khau gallis’,” he said.
“Who doesn’t want hygienic food? It is a great idea to make aprons and caps compulsory for sellers. There are times when these people wipe their hands on their shirts or trousers. It is so unhealthy. I think the new system will definitely work wonders for us,” said Mridula Sanghvi, a resident of Bandra.
Tidying up
Only those establishments will be registered where the following practices are in place:
>> Wearing gloves
>> Ensuring regular cleaning of machine and equipment
>> Ensuring no food is exposed in premises not separated from a privy, urinal, sullage, drain etc
>> Testing food for chemical and microbiological contamination
>> Maintaining ideal temperature throughout the supply chain, from the place of procurement till it reaches the end consumer
>> Manufacturer or distributor shall buy and sell food products from registered vendors
>> Hotel owners selling or exposing food for sale shall put up a notice board containing lists of articles which have been cooked in ghee, edible oil, or vanaspati for the benefit of purchasers
>> Business operator selling cooked food shall display notice board containing the nature of articles being exposed for sale
Fine line
>> Penalty for substandard food: Rs 5 lakh
>> Penalty for misbranded food: Rs 5 lakh and above
>> Penalty for failure to comply with the directions of the food safety officer: Rs 2 lakh
>> For possessing adulterates: Rs 2-10 lakh
>> Punishment for unsafe food, not resulting in injury: Six months imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine
>> In case of death: Seven years imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh fine
>> Carrying on business without licence: Six months imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh fine
>> Failure to renew licence: Rs 100 fine each month

Directive to monitor food supplied to anganwadis

A subordinate legislation committee of the Assembly has given directives to district food safety officers to routinely monitor the quality of food supplied to anganwadis and hostels for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes directly run by the government. 

A meeting of the members of the committee was recently held in Munnar to collect details of issues faced while implementing the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Committee chairman M. Ummer, MLA, said it had sought details from organisations connected with health care, officials and the general public in the wake of the alleged food poisoning reported at the Peerumade Model Residential School at Kuttikanam and at a hostel at Arakkulam recently.

He said the public distribution system should be made transparent and fault-free and the Act should be implemented after clearing the initial hurdles.

The meeting has recommended issue of licence online to hotels, eateries, and other business establishments and facilities to be set up at the check-posts to monitor the quality of food items and food materials arriving from across the border.

At present, there are three food safety officers in the district in addition to the district food safety office and 18 grama panchayats come under the jurisdiction of each officer.

The committee also said that the scale for food safety standards cannot be relaxed in hotels and directed to strengthen the food safety check-up. The committee also heard complaints about the lack of laboratory facilities in Kottayam, Idukki a and Thrissur districts. The regional laboratory at Kakkanad is catering to theses districts in addition to Ernakulam district.

Health glare on street food

Munch on a mouthful of phuchka, savour an egg roll or dig into a cup of malai kulfi without worries this Durga Puja, food monitors promise to look out for you.
The East Singhbhum district health department has received a directive from the state food controller, asking it to carry out random inspection at roadside eateries, collect samples if necessary and send them for qualitative tests at the food and drug laboratory, which reopened in Namkum in Ranchi on Friday after three years.
Vendors and eatery owners near Puja pandals and fairs found guilty of using substandard ingredients, preparing food in unhygienic conditions or causing adulteration of any kind will be slapped with a minimum fine of Rs 500, which may go up to Rs 25,000, depending on the nature of offence. They will also be warned of suspension of licence.
State food controller T.P Burnwal said the additional chief medical officer (ACMO) of East Singhbhum Swarn Singh and the district's food inspector K.P. Singh were in Ranchi for a review meeting on Thursday and were strictly instructed to prevent health hazards during the five-day festivities.
"We are paying special attention to Jamshedpur because it hosts the largest number of pandals and fairs. Adulteration of food cannot be allowed, especially during a festival. With our own lab, we are better equipped to provide analysis of collected samples in a short time. Earlier, we were dependent on the Mineral Area Development Authority lab in Dhanbad," Burnwal said.
More than 280 Durga Puja pandals have been erected in and around the steel city, while a dozen fairs are also in the pipeline in Tuiladungri, Kasidih, Sidhgora, Baridih, Telco, Circuit House-Northern Town Area, Hind Club (Ranikudar), Rankini Mandir (Kadma), Burmamines, Bhuiyandih, Mango and Sonari.
ACMO Swarn Singh said fast food vendors had a tendency to use substandard oil, chemicals and contaminated water to make maximum profit in a short period of time. "Based on complaints received in the past, we will conduct surveys from Saturday to prevent risk of infection and food poisoning. We will also check whether iodised salt and healthy oil are being used," he said, adding a special team led by the food inspector was being constituted.
Bhola Sahu, who owns an eatery near Gopal Maidan in Bistupur, contended that he did not compromise on quality. "I have been in this trade for more than a decade and no customer has ever complained. We use the best oil for our chilli chicken, chicken pakodas and chow mein," he said.
Ramesh Kumar of Ramesh Egg Roll in Bistupur is also confident of meeting food safety norms. "We use good brands for our delicacies," he insisted.
ACMO Singh said the administration would follow the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (updated in 2012)

CII proposes launch of Quality Mark, to move towards self - regulation"

Addressing the Valedictory Session of the 7th National Food Safety Quality Summit, 2012, at New Delhi, Mr. Vivek Bharati, Chairman CII Taskforce on Food Regulatory Affairs and Executive Director, Pepsico said that “the was glad that CII's proposal to launch a Quality mark, had been endorsed by Shri Rakesh Kacker, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Shri K Chandramouli, Chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. This is a significant move by the industry to move towards self-regulation". Quality Council of India has been tasked with developing a scheme in the coming six months in consultation with regulators, consumers, and industry. This would be a voluntary scheme and would run in parallel to the existing statutory schemes laid by Food Safety Standards Authority of India.

The efforts are intended towards strengthening consumer confidence and would be a collaborative effort across industry and government.

The Summit was attended by over 200 delegates and included overseas speakers from Regulatory bodies and leading multinationals.

The key messages from the Summit focussed on the need for 'Co- Production of Safety' which would require the industry and Regulatory bodies to work collaboratively. There was an increasing emphasis on harmonisation of domestic standards with Codex. With the advent of globalisation and increasing trade India today is part of the global supply chain where ingredients from India find their way into products manufactured in the world market. This called for a need for increasing global coalitions across regulators and partnerships with private agencies.

In his Special Address, Shri Dave, Advisor, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India outlined some key recommendations that needed to be taken forward.

He stressed the need for a Cluster approach to be adopted for uniform Good Agricultural Practices and feasible traceability. This needed to be supported by the development of Cold Chain Corridors across the country which would enable efficient transit of farm produce to markets. He also emphasised the need of upgradation of laboratory infrastructure in the country that would be required to support the food safety agenda. He further emphasized the need for collaborative capacity building efforts and investments in applied research to raise our standards to global food safety levels. 

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HC declines to stay Delhi govt notification on gutka ban

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to stay the city government's notification imposing a blanket ban on manufacture, sale, storage and display of all gutka products under the Food Safety and Standards(FSS) Act.

The court, however, issued notice to the Delhi government, the Centre through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and also Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and sought their response by December 11 on the plea of a city-based gutka manufacturer challenging the September 11 notification.

"Except issuing notices, we are not inclined to pass any order as the notification (of September 11) was issued (by Delhi government) on the basis of the Centre's regulations, which is not under challenge," the bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said while dismissing the stay application filed by Trimuti Fragrances Private Ltd.

In its plea, the gutka manufacturer had said that the city government had issued the notification in terms of Centre's August 2011 Regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

As per the 2.3.4 of the Regulations, "products (should) not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health; Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product."

Terming the city government's notification as arbitrary, the petition had said, "The notification is arbitrary and bad in law in as much the same is ultra vires the FSS Act itself which does not confer any power to impose permanent prohibition on any food product."

Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate AM Singhvi submitted that a central law--Cigarettes and Other tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA)--is already there to control tobacco products and any general regulations under the FSS Act could not supersede the special Act.

He also submitted that the food safety law did not empower the city government to issue any such regulation imposing blanket ban on gutka products.

As per the petition, "Parliament by enacting COTPA has already enviced its intent to occupy the whole field with regard to prohibition of advertisement and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution of tobacco products.

"The notification is nothing but a colourable exercise of power in as much the government of Delhi has erroneously proceeded to prohibit a defined tobacco product under the regulation framed by SFFAI governing food products," the petition said.

The Delhi government had issued the notification banning gutka products after number of states including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar announced ban on gutka products.

Chhattisgarh Food and Drug Administration Recruitment 2012 – 38 Vacancies of Food Safety Officers

Food and Drug Administration of Chhattisgarh established under the Food Safety and Standards Act. The main work of the department is to maintain the food processing, import, sale and distribution in the state properly, so that every human being in the state consume safely as per the instructions or norms by the administration. The official website of the administration is fdachhattisgarh.in, where the applicants can get more info about it. Now the FDA of Chhattisgarh is going to recruit the following staff for its branches all over in the state. The following information is about age limit, application process and eligibility criteria for the post.

Name & No. of Post

Food and Drug Administration is declaring the professional opportunity to fill up Thirty Eight (38) from peoples of Chhattisgarh as the post of Food Safety Officer.

Minimum Age Limit/Experience and Qualification

Candidates having the degree in any one of the stream Biotechnology/Agronomy/Food Technology/ Oil Technology/ Microbiology/Veterinary/Bio Chemistry and MBBS/Post graduation degree in Chemistry will be eligible. Age of candidates will be in between twenty-one years to thirty-five years as on 1st Jan, 2013. Relaxation in the upper age limit to reserved community of Chhattisgarh is applicable, see advertisement given below for more details.

Selection Process for FDA Chhattisgarh Recruitment

The selection of candidates will be after get the highest rank in the common competitive written exam conducted by Raipur. Now, the qualified candidates are liable to attend the verification of original documents and interview. At the time of confirmation all certificate, one photo id, a passport size photographs is required.

Mode of Submitting Application Form

Candidates can purchase application form/OMR sheet from the post office of Chhattisgarh. Fill it in own handwriting with use of capital letters and submit in the head post office, detailed address given below in advertisement.

Important Dates

• Candidates can purchase OMR sheet/Envelope in between 8th Oct, 2012 to 19th Oct, 2012.
• Application form/OMR sheet is also available in between 20th Oct to 23rd Oct 2012, in only the head post office of Bilaspur, Raipur, Abhibkapur and Jagadalpur.
• Date of written test is 18th Nov, 2012 (Sunday).
• Last date of submit duly filled application to Head post office is 25th Oct, 2012.

Important instructions

• Total numbers of questions are One hundred and fifty in the written exam.
• The total numbers of vacancies are the subject of variation may decrease “or” increase as per Chhattisgarh own discretion.
• There is no negative marking in the exam.
• The decision of the selection committee will be final and applicable on all the candidates.

References for FDA Chhattisgarh Recruitment

Click on Advertisement links to know more details in regarding physical fitness/fee details/pay grade/application form/salary/relaxation/submission address and, etc.

Official Website: www.fdachhattisgarh.in

Live worms issue: Crucial circular kept in cold storage

Following the controversial ‘shawarma’ incident, the Office of Commissioner of Food Safety had issued a circular on August 10 which laid down a set of rules for agencies which supply chicken and beef to non-vegetarian restaurants, hotels and canteens in the state. However, the recent KFC incident has proved that none of the conditions in the circular are being followed.
The Coimbatore-based broiler supplier Suguna Chicken supplies chicken to KFC. According to the circular, the agencies which supply chicken/ beef to restaurants must submit  evidence that products are transported in refrigerated and clean vehicles. The evidence must be submitted 15 days before taking licence.
The agencies were asked to register before September 15. However, Suguna Chicken has not followed these norms.
When contacted, D Sivakumar, Designated Officer, Food Safety Department, said Suguna Chicken holds the licence under the Food Control Act of the Union Ministry of Agriculture. When asked about the circular, he said that the current licence of Suguna was enough.
The circular also states that the special squad formed by the Food Safety Commissioner would conduct surprise checks of vehicles which distribute meat items. The circular states that inspection would begin after September 6. However, Food Safety officials admitted that no such checking has been held so far.
Customers had found a live worm in a chicken dish served by the KFC outlet in the city recently. The chicken was to be stored at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius. The presence of live worms has raised doubts on the transportation and storage of chicken in the KFC outlet.
According to the circular, the District Food Safety Office must have details such as the name of the business operator, address, vehicle number, phone number and registration number. The circular was issued by Food Safety Commissioner Biju Prabhakar.
If found guilty during checking, the Food Safety Authority can slap a closure notice under Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

12000 Kg. of rotting dates seized in city

விருதுநகரில் கலப்பட "டீத்தூள்' : பதுக்கி வைத்தவர் வீட்டிற்கு "சீல்'

விருதுநகர் : விருதுநகர் எரிச்சநத்தத்தில் வீட்டில் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்ட,1000 கிலோ கலப்பட டீத்தூளை கைப்பற்றிய, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் , வீட்டிற்கு "சீல்' வைத்தனர். மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி எம். கவிக்குமார் தலைமையில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் ராஜேந்திரன் மற்றும் அலுவலர்கள், விருதுநகரில் உள்ள கடைகளில் நேற்று சோதனை நடத்தினர். அப்போது ஒரு டீக்கடையில் , கலப்பட டீத்தூள் இருப்பது கண்டுபிடித்தனர். கடைகாரரிடம் விசாரித்தபோது, எரிச்சநத்தத்தை சேர்ந்த பாண்டியனிடம் "டீத்தூள்' வாங்கியது தெரிய வந்தது. இதை தொடர்ந்து,அவரது மொபைல் போனுக்கு தொடர்பு கொண்ட அதிகாரிகள், 300 கிலோ டீத்தூள் தேவைப்படுவதாக கூறி, விருதுநகருக்கு வரவழைத்தனர். அங்கு வந்த , அவரிடம் டீத்தூளை பறிமுதல் செய்து,அவரது வீட்டிற்கு சென்று சோதனை செய்தனர். அங்கு, போலி பெயர்களில், ஒரு லட்சம் ரூபாய் மதிப்புள்ள, 1000 கிலோ போலி டீத்தூள் இருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது.அதன்படி, டீத்தூள் வைத்திருந்த வீட்டின் அறையை "சீல்' வைத்தனர்.

இறைச்சி கடைகள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பதில் சிக்கல்

சென்னை:மாநகராட்சியில் உள்ள நிர்வாக குளறுபடிகளால், விதிமீறல் இறைச்சி கடைகள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முடியாமல், சுகாதார பிரிவு திணறி வருகிறது. உரிமம் வழங்கும் பணியை, வருவாய் துறைக்கு மாற்றியதே சிக்கலுக்கு காரணம் என்று கூறப்படுகிறது. மாநகராட்சி நோட்டீஸ்சென்னையில் உள்ள பெரும்பாலான இறைச்சி கடைகள், மாநகராட்சியின் சுகாதார விதிகள் படி அமைக்கப் படவில்லை. 
கடந்த மாதம், சுகாதாரமற்ற இறைச்சி விற்பனை பிரச்னை வெளிச்சத்திற்கு வந்ததும்; மாநகராட்சி பகுதியில் உள்ள, 1,963 இறைச்சி கடைகளுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் அனுப்பப்பட்டது.அதில்,"விதிமுறைப்படி, கடைகளில் சுகாதாரமானதாக இருக்க வேண்டும். அதற்கான கட்டமைப்புக்கள் இல்லாவிட்டால், மூன்று நாட்களுக்குள் சரி செய்ய வேண்டும். இல்லாவிட்டால், நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்' என தெரிவிக்கப் பட்டு இருந்தது.இந்த நோட்டீஸ் வினியோகிக்கப் பட்டு, 20 நாட்களுக்கு மேலாகிவிட்டது. இடையில், கெட்டுப்போன இறைச்சியை விற்றதாக சில கடைகளை மாநகராட்சி அதிகாரிகள் மூடினர்.அதன் பிறகு, நோட்டீசில் அறிவித்து இருந்தவாறு எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கப் படவில்லை. இதற்கு, மாநகராட்சியில் இருந்த நிர்வாக குளறுபடியே முக்கிய காரணம் என, கூறப்படுகிறது.
சிக்கல் என்ன? 
இது குறித்து, மாநகராட்சி அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறியதாவது:சென்னையில், இறை ச்சி கடைகள் மற்றும் ஓட்டல்களுக்கு அனுமதி வழங்குவது, மாநகராட்சியின் சுகாதார பிரிவின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் இருந்தது. உரிமம் கோரும்போது, சுகாதார அதிகாரிகள் அந்த இடத்தை ஆய்வு செய்து விதிமுறைப்படி சரியாக இருந்தால் உரிமம் வழங்கி வந்தனர்.ஆனால், 2007ம் ஆண்டில், உரிமம் வழங்கும் அதிகாரம் வருவாய் பிரிவுக்கு மாற்றப்பட்டது. இதனால், சுகாதார அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு இன்றி, மாநகராட்சி வருவாய் பிரிவு நேரடியாக உரிமம் வழங்கி வருகிறது.கடைகளில் சுகாதார பிரிவு ஆய்வு நடத்தினாலும், நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வருவாய் பிரிவிற்கு தான் பரிந்துரைக்க வேண்டி உள்ளது. அவர்கள் சரியான நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பதில்லை. நிர்வாக குளறுபடிகள்தான் இதற்கு காரணம்.இவ்வாறு அதிகாரி கூறினார். 
இறைச்சி கடைகள் மற்றும் உணவகங்களுக்கு உரிமம் வழங்குவது சுகாதார பிரிவிடம்தான் இருக்க வேண்டும். அப்போது தான், ஆய்வு, நடவடிக்கை என, மாநகராட்சியால் உடனுக்குடன் செயல்பட முடியும்.ஐகோர்ட் உத்தரவுமாநகராட்சிகளில், சுகாதார அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு செய்யாமலேயே, வருவாய் பிரிவினர் உரிமம் வழங்குவது குறித்தும், இதை தடுக்க வேண்டுமென, சேலத்தை சேர்ந்த தங்கராஜூ என்பவர், 2011ம் ஆண்டு ஜூலை மாதம், சென்னை ஐகோர்ட்டில் பொதுநல மனு தாக்கல் செய்தார்.இந்த மனுவை விசாரித்த, தலைமை நீதிபதி இக்பால், நீதிபதி சிவஞானம் அடங்கிய டிவிஷன் பெஞ்ச், மாநகரில் தரமான, சுகாதாரமான உணவு கிடைக்கும் வகையில், வழிவகைகளை மேற்கொள்ள மாநகராட்சி ஆணையருக்கு உத்தரவிட்டது. இந்த உத்தரவு, 2011 ஆகஸ்ட் 4ம் தேதி பிறப்பிக்கப் பட்டு உள்ளது. ஐகோர்ட் உத்தரவிட்டு ஓராண்டுக்கு மேலாகியும், அதை அமல் படுத்த சென்னை மாநகராட்சிமுன்வரவில்லை.மக்களின் சுகாதாரம் சார்ந்த விஷயத்தில், மாநகராட்சி உறுதியான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என, பொதுமக்கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத்து உள்ளனர்.
இறைச்சி கடைக்கான விதிமுறைகள் என்ன? 
கடையின் தரை மற்றும் சுவர்கள், எளிதில் சுத்தம் செய்யும் வகையில் இருக்க வேண்டும்.
கழிவுகளை சேகரிக்க, மூடியுடன் கூடிய குப்பைத் தொட்டி வைக்க வேண்டும்.
கழிவு நீரை வெளியேற்ற, முறையான இணைப்பு பெற்றிருக்க வேண்டும்.
ஈ, பூச்சித் தொல்லை ஏற்படாத வகையில், கம்பி வலையுடன் கதவுகள் இருக்க வேண்டும்.
பணி செய்வோருக்கு, தொற்று நோய் ஏதும் இல்லை என்று மருத்துவச் சான்று பெற்றிருக்க வேண்டும்.
மாநகராட்சி இறைச்சிக் கூடத்தில் வெட்டிய, இறைச்சியையே விற்க வேண்டும்.
இறைச்சிக் கூடத்திலிருந்து இறைச்சியை எடுத்துச் செல்ல, மூடியுடன் கூடிய அலுமினியப் பெட்டிகளை பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும். 
திறந்த நிலையில், சைக்கிள் அல்லது வேறு வண்டிகளை பயன்படுத்தல் கூடாது.

KFC statement on worms found in fried chicken at its outlet in Thiruvananthapuram

New Delhi: Fast food chain Kentucky's Fried Chicken (KFC) has come under scrutiny in Kerala after a family reportedly found worms in their fried chicken. The incident was reported from an outlet in Thiruvananthapuram.
On a complaint, the Food Safety Authority conducted an inspection and found that the outlet didn't maintain adequate sanitation guidelines. Some seized chicken was allegedly as much as five months old. The outlet has been temporarily shut and other KFC outlets are being inspected.
KFC has issued a statement saying it is committed to serving the highest quality products to its customers across each of our restaurants. Following is the statement issued by KFC:

We are aware of a recent inspection conducted by the local authorities at our restaurant in Trivandrum. As a responsible brand, we are committed to following international standards and serving the highest quality products to all our customers across each of our restaurants. All KFC chicken is sourced from the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities which comply to the most stringent food safety standards. These facilities are certified to international quality standards and are audited frequently. Our Chicken is freshly prepared several times a day in the most hygienic conditions in ovens at 250 degrees or fryers at 170 degrees. We are very proud of our quality and welcome consumers to take a tour of the kitchen any time any day. We have a great degree of confidence in our product, as millions of consumers across India do, and will continue to provide complete cooperation to the concerned authorities.

Ghosts of the past came to haunt Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) when officials from the food safety department in Kerala raided a Thiruvananthapuram outlet yesterday following complaints of worms in the chicken being served.
KFC's tryst with India began in 1995, when it first set up a base in the country, an outlet in Bangalore. Food safety inspectors soon raided the outlet, finding chicken served to contain 2.8 per cent monosodium glutamate (MSG), said to cause nausea and headaches, retardation and birth defects. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act sets the ceiling for MSG at one per cent.
With KFC exceeding the MSG limits, its licence was revoked and the outlet had to be closed. The situation was no different in Delhi, when a fly was found in its kitchen and the food safety department under the Madan Lal Khurana-led BJP government in the capital ordered its closure.
Eventually, KFC exited the country following protests by health and animal rights activists, returning only a few years ago to set up shop in India. The food joint, now part of Yum! Restaurants, an American company that operates quick-service restaurants (QSR) such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, has 183 outlets in 35 cities. It is the leading player in the QSR space that specialises in chicken in India.

KFC: Worms in served chicken could batter brand

While the Kerala government is raiding KFC outlets as part of its drive to crack down on unhygienic joints, a spokesperson for the company said it was committed to following global standards.
"All KFC chicken is sourced from state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, which comply with the most stringent food safety standards. These facilities are certified to international quality standards and audited frequently. Our chicken is freshly prepared several times a day in the most hygienic conditions in ovens at 250 degrees or fryers at 170 degrees," the spokesperson said.
But, food experts said the issue of worms being found in chicken was likely to hit the brand hard, as consumers are likely to grow cautious. The company declined to indicate how they proposed to deal with the negative publicity following the controversy.
In the past, Cadbury had launched an extended campaign with brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan explaining how the firm had strengthened procedures to root out issues of contamination following the detection of worms in its chocolates.
Companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, meanwhile, lobbied hard to change perceptions following the pesticide-in-cola controversy a few years ago.

After meat, food safety officials hunt for rotting dates

DINAMALAR NEWS

Raid at KFC outlet in Kozhikode

• Food and Safety Officials seal a chicken sample for further investigation at the KFC outlet on Mavoor Road in Kozhikode on Monday

Food and safety officials conducted a raid at the Kozhikode outlet of the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) here on Monday.
The raid came in the aftermath of a worm being found in a chicken piece at a KFC unit in Thiruvananthapuram. Officials took away samples from the restaurant. Restaurant general manger Najeeb said that the way they prepared the chicken made it impossible for a live worm to be found in a piece. “We heat the chicken to a temperature of 260 degree Celsius and it is impossible for a worm to survive at such high temperatures. The incident in Thiruvananthapuram was probably a deliberate attempt by people with vested interests to defame our establishment,” he said.
Food Safety Officer, Mobile Vigilance Squad Kozhikode, C T Anil Kumar said that there was no need of scare as the food product had a shelf life of nine months. “We have taken a chicken sample dated 01/09/12 and further information about the tests will be revealed within  two weeks,” He said.
Meanwhile, KFC customers gave out mixed responses to the incident that happened in the capital. Pradeeksh Vishnudas, a native of West Hill said that the incident came as a shocker. “I will be going to KFC again only if the test results prove that the chicken is safe,” he said.
However not all were pessimistic in their views.
“This news is really disturbing but I do not think that an international brand like KFC will not be careless so as to leave a live worm behind in their chicken,” said Nakul Sudhakar of Palayam.

Panel gets more time for report on banned pesticides

The Delhi High Court Wednesday granted more time to an experts' committee to submit a report suggesting guidelines to prevent rampant use of banned pesticides in vegetables and fruits. A division bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Vipin Sanghi was told by counsel Meera Bhatia, appearing for the central government, that the draft report was ready and was with the panel head for consideration. Bhatia said the report would be filed in the court Nov 2, the next date of hearing. The court Aug 17 sought a report from the committee for framing a policy for periodic checks to detect pesticide residue in vegetables that pose health hazards. The court directed the government to constitute the committee after it took suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging use of banned pesticides. The seven-member committee includes Sandhya Kulshrestha, secretary, central insecticide board and registration committee, and Sarita Bhalla, joint director of the agriculture ministry, as the committee's chairperson. Other members are Dhir Singh, director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, N.K. Sharma, principal scientist in the agriculture ministry, S.M. Bhardwaj, food analyst at Delhi's department of food safety, Vipin Bhatnagar, joint director at plant protection quarantine and storage, and senior advocate V.K. Rao. NGO Consumer Voice's report found that 35 varieties of vegetables and fruits, picked from Delhi markets and tested for pesticide content, had toxins beyond the permissible limits. It told the court that vegetables and fruits sold in the city's markets contained poisons capable of causing cancer and harming the nervous system and liver. The NGO said that the amount of pesticides used by farmers in India was as much as 750 times higher than European standards.

Delhi govt to go strict against food adulteration

Delhi Health Minister A K Walia has instructed the department of food safety to go strict against the food adulteration. Keeping in view last year's incident of adulteration in kutu atta affecting number of persons, the Minister has asked the department to lift samples in ample quantity to enhance level of confidence of consumers as far as quality of the goods including eatables is concerned.
He has taken pro-active measures by taking cognizance of last year's incident and has also instructed the Department Of Food Safety to pull up its socks and get ready to lift maximum number of samples from various markets.
The department has been asked to lift samples of kutu atta, milk, cheese, khoya, ghee, oil and maida and atta from different markets.
Further it has been decided to keep a close eye on the use of colours in sweets during Dussehra and Diwali.
The market associations are being advised to avoid food adulteration. The adulteration in food items will not be tolerated and the adulterators would be booked under the Food Safety & Standards Act. Dr Walia further instructed the department to keep their laboratories in working condition. It is need to acquire all testing material and kits to meet the rush of collected samples. The results must be made available within shortest possible time. The adulterators would be fined and punished at the earliest to discourage any further adulteration in food items in all times to come, a statement said today.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Marketing of vitamins as food supplements: Ministry to amend D&C Rules

The union health ministry will amend Item No. 1 of the Schedule K of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules (D&C Rules) to control marketing of vitamin preparations as food supplements and also to ensure that the drug substances manufactured for non-medicinal use should be with the permission of the concerned licensing authority under the D&C Rules.

The ministry's decision in this regard stems from the fact that a fairly large number of non-pharmaceutical units have been manufacturing and selling products containing vitamins in quantities which fall either into prophylactic category or therapeutic category as specified under Schedule 'V' of the D&C Rules, 1945, but such products are being indiscriminately licensed under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as dietary supplements / nutritional supplements / nutraceuticals. Many such products carry inserts wherein medicinal claims are also being made.

The issue was discussed by the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC), which held its 44th meeting on July 20. In the meeting, members raised the issue that many of the vitamin products being manufactured and marketed under licence granted under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, contain vitamins in quantities much higher than the daily allowable quantities in gross violation of Section 22(1)(a)(ii) of the FSS Act, 2006, and are according to Schedule 'V' of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

The Item No. 1 of the Schedule 'K' of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, provides exemption from all provisions of Chapter IV of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules to the drugs falling under Clause [b][i] of Section 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act which are not intended for medicinal use and such products are conspicuously labelled with the words 'NOT FOR MEDICINAL USE.'

The DCC, headed by drugs controller general of India (DCGI), Dr G N Singh, after deliberations agreed for the amendment of Item No. 1 of the Schedule 'K' of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, to ensure that the drug substances manufactured for non-medicinal use should be with the permission of the concerned licensing authority under the D&C Rules.

Branded eateries under food safety department radar

KOCHI: Though food safety officials raided around 300 hotels over the past two months, only one branded outlet was subjected to quality and sanitation checks.

But the scenario changed on Monday after officials sealed a KFC outlet in Thiruvananthapuram after a customer found worms in his dish.

Department officials inspected two outlets of the firm in Kochi - one on Monday, the other on Tuesday. They even collected samples from one outlet and sent it to the regional analytical laboratory for tests. Officials said that further inspections would be conducted after receiving the lab report.

An official said that staff shortage is one reason why they are unable to inspect more branded outlets.

"Most outlets use sophisticated equipment and it takes more time to inspect them and verify quality. We do not have enough officials and it is not possible to check them often. We have only one vehicle for the entire inspection squad," he said, adding that they did not unearth any serious problems at these outlets during previous inspections.

Kerala Hotel and Restaurants Association (KHRA) alleged that officials are not ready to inspect the outlets of prominent brands on the ground that they serve quality food.

However, district food safety officer Ajith Kumar rubbished the allegation and said: "We have inspected many such outlets. In some cases, we also examined their godowns."

And branded outlets are quick to point out that they do not compromise on quality.

"KFC products are sourced from manufacturing facilities that comply with the most stringent food safety standards. These facilities have international quality standards and are audited frequently. Our chicken is freshly prepared several times a day under hygienic conditions," said the company spokesperson in an emailed reply.

An official with Domino's Pizza said that to ensure good food, the quality assurance team has been randomly inspecting company outlets.

KFC outlet in Kerala shut down on worm complaint; could impact sales

1
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An outlet of Kentucky Fried Chicken has been shut down by the Kerala food safety authority after worms were found in a chicken dish.

NEW DELHI: An outlet of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Thiruvananthapuram has been shut down by the Kerala food safety authority after worms were found in a chicken dish even as the American restaurant chain swung to damage control mode.

KFC, owned by Yum Brands, had to down shutters after food safety officials searched the outlet acting on a customer compliant that worms were found in a KFC 'fiery chicken' dish. The authority ordered a temporary closure of the store.

A KFC India spokesman, however, denied the presence of the worm. "All KFC chicken is sourced from the state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, which comply to stringent food safety standards," he said.

If the row escalates, it could impact KFC's sales at least in the short term in the country.

"If proven, it could be in trouble," Prathish Nair, head of consulting firm Transcend Brand Consulting, said, adding that such a thing, however, would have gone unnoticed in an unorganised restaurant.

"In markets like the US, if such a thing happens, the brands risk getting sued for millions of dollars," he said.

This April, KFC was ordered to pay $8.3 million (about Rs 44 crore) to the family of an Australian girl left severely brain damaged after being poisoned by a chicken meal at a restaurant near Sydney in 2005.

In 2003, a few instances of worm-infested Cadbury chocolates led to its sales plunging. In 2003 and again in 2006, sales of cola firms PepsiCo and Coca-Cola plunged to half, following allegations of pesticide residue in their beverages by NGO Centre for Science & Environment.

KFC, which almost quit India due to protests from health and animal rights activists after its debut in 1995, has been riding on the country's increasing appetite for chicken. Yum! India plans to have 500 KFC outlets by 2015, up from about 160 currently.

Worms in chicken, KFC outlet in Kerala shut

Food safety officials shut the KFC outlet at MG Road Thiruvananthapuram on Monday evening after a customer found worms in the fried chicken served at the outlet.
When A Shiju, a resident of Palode and his family came to the KFC outlet he was in for a ‘wiggly’ shocker.
“We had ordered fried chicken. As my wife opened the cover to give chicken piece to our 18-month-old baby, we were shocked to see worms creeping inside. When we examined the chicken closely, we found more worms,” he told DC.
When Shiju told KFC staff about worms, the latter immediately promised to give fresh chicken. “I rejected the offer and told them that I will complain to food safety officials. The staff requested us not to complain. But I called up the officials on toll free number. In the meanwhile, two staff members tried to snatch our plate but I resisted the attempt,” Shiju said.
The staff behaved rudely when Shiju refused to budge. They threatened to throw his family out. But, by the time, other customers intervened and prevented them from tampering with the samples, he said.
D. Sivakumar, designated officer of food safety, who led a team to the outlet, said, “Initially one of our officers went there and found the complaint was genuine. Later I led a team and examined the food which was served. We spotted worms.''
The food safety officials collected samples of food products including raw chicken which were packed in April. “They are allowed to keep the raw chicken for longer periods provided it is refrigerated in proper temperature.
They can keep such products in freezer for nine months if the temperature is maintained at 18 degree Celsius,” he said.
He said the raw chicken came to the outlet from Chennai. Subsequently, KFC outlets in Kochi and Koz-hikode were also inspected.
Officials ordered the closure of the outlet till further orders and collected samples of food for laboratory examination.
KFC spokesperson said, “There has been an inspection conducted by the local authorities at our restaurant in Trivandrum.
We are providing full cooperation to the authorities. We are committed to serving the highest quality products to all our customers across all our restaurants.”
Following the incident, the food safety officials inspected KFC outlets in Kochi, Kozhikode and Trivandrum.
Penalties for Offence According to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006:
The government of India passed the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, to consolidate the laws relating to food and to establish the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to ensure quality of food and deal with matters relating to it.
Guidelines Acccording to the Act:
1)      Any person, who whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf, manufactures for sale or stores or sells or distributes or imports any article of food for human consumption which is sub-standard, shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to Rs.5 lakh.
2)      Any person whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf manufactures for sale or stores or sells or distributes or imports any article of food for human consumption containing extraneous matter, shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to Rs.1 lakh.
3)      If a food business operator or importer without reasonable ground, fails to comply with the  requirements of this Act (Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006) or the rules or regulations or orders as directed by the Food Safety Officer, he shall be liable to a penalty  which may extend to Rs.2 lakh.

Facilitation counter at ICCI from October 12 onwards

The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) will set up a facilitation counter for licensing for its members and constituents on October 12 at chamber premises.
Senior officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), including G Srinivasan, deputy director, FSSAI Chennai, and consultants will be at the venue to give clarification on licensing procedures and formalities.
For registration and details contact the chamber office before October 10.

Closure notice issued to KFC restaurant

Live worms found in fried chicken served at outlet

Food safety officials issued closure notice to the outlet of the multinational Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) at Pulimood in the city on Monday evening following a complaint about live worms inside the chicken served to a family.

Food safety officials said they had received a call on the toll-free line set up for the public to file complaints.

Family’s complaint

“A family which had come to eat at the KFC outlet had called saying that there were live worms in the fried chicken they had been served. They said that they had torn a piece of chicken apart to feed their toddler when they spotted scores of wriggly worms inside the meat. We were sceptical at first about finding live worms inside chicken which had been fried. But it turned out to be true,” a senior food safety official said.

A squad of officials, led by District Designated Food Safety Officer D. Sivakumar, reached the outlet and collected the samples of the incriminating food.

Scuffle

There was a scuffle at the outlet as the media were prevented from going inside the restaurant.

Storage suspect

Officials said the frozen chicken was brought in bulk from Coimbatore by the food chain, but obviously the cold-chain maintenance must have been poor, leading to the spoilage of the meat and worms starting to fester inside.

They said the method of frying adopted – quick frying in extremely hot oil – did not kill the worms as the heat had not penetrated inside.

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Food safety officials seize samples of incriminating food

Say frozen chicken brought in bulk from Coimbatore

Formalin found, sale of 3 milk brands banned

Commissioner asks Tamil Nadu to inspect dairy plants

The Food Safety Commissioner has banned the sale of three brands of milk brought into the State from Tamil Nadu for a month, after formalin or formaldehyde, a chemical preservative, was detected in the milk samples analysed at the Government Analysts Lab here.

The Food Safety Commissioner has written to his counterpart in Chennai to immediately inspect the dairy plants concerned and take “punitive action against the offenders as the public health of both States are involved”.

The milk brands which were found to contain formalin are Heritage-Padmanabha, pasteurised, homogenised, standardised milk from Heritage Food (India) Ltd. in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu; Jeshma Milk, from Sofia Raja Milk, Vadakkankulam, Tirunelveli; and Maima, from Maima Milk Plant at Arulvaimozhi, Kanyakumari.

Formalin, a chemical used to preserve tissues for biological and histopathological examinations, is added to milk to retain its freshness and prevent it from spoiling. It is a human carcinogen listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The chemical was detected in the milk samples which were collected by the food safety officers from the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border check-posts, as part of an intensive drive by the food safety special squads to ensure the safety of various food items being brought into the State from Tamil Nadu during the festival season.

Public cautioned

The Food Safety Commissioner cautioned the public against using other milk products in the same brand names, without testing these properly.

The Commissioner also issued a directive to all food safety officers to collect samples of cotton candy (also known as Bombay Sweet) from across the State immediately and to send these for analysis, after an inspection conducted on the Shanghumughom beach here revealed that cotton candy was coloured with Rhodamine B, a chemical dye.

He said prosecution, levying of fine, and other legal measures would be adopted against those who tried to sell banned food items in the State.

The public should inform the Food Safety Commissioner’s office if they came across any food item with artificial colouring being sold openly.

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Chemical found during inspection at check-posts

Directive to collect samples of cotton candy

Manufacturers told to recall products containing lactic acid

PUNE: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has asked manufacturers and distributors to recall from market confectioneries that contain lactic acid, the use of which is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The issue came to the fore after FDA joint commissioner in Aurangabad  found the presence of the prohibited substance (DL lactic acid) in sugar boiled confectionery product 'Kaccha Mango Bite' in Nanded and Aurangabad. FDA officials across the state swung into action after the incident and seized the confectionery at manufacturing plants and from distributors across the state.
During the first raid conducted at the company's carrying and forwarding agent in Nanded, the FDA officials in Aurangabad seized confectionery worth Rs 4.90 lakh on October 1. A slew of raids and seizures followed soon after across the state.
"Two months ago, we took samples of the confectionery and sent them to the laboratory for testing. The lab report revealed the presence of DL lactic acid in sugar boiled confectionery," said Chandrashekhar Salunke, joint commissioner (Food), FDA, Aurangabad division.
Salunke raided a carrying and forwarding agent in Nanded on October 1, followed by another raid on a firm in Aurangabad and Parbhani, where he seized goods worth Rs 4.30 lakh and Rs 49,000 respectively.
"After I learnt about the use of the banned substance, I informed all FDA joint commissioners, following which a series of raids and seizures ensued across the state," Salunke said.
Nashik FDA officials confiscated confectionery worth Rs 60 lakh at an Igatpuri-based firm in Nashik district on October 4. The product was being manufactured using lactic acid.
The FDA sealed the company's godown after impounding raw material, lactic acid stock and stocks of the confectionery product samples of which have been sent to Pune for examination.
Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune, said, "We have seized confectionery worth Rs 91,000 in Pune division. We have asked all distributors of sugar boiled confectioneries to recall products containing DL lactic acid."
DL lactic acid is an acidulant. Acidulants are additive that give sharp taste to food. According to the Act, DL Lactic acid and L(+) Tartaric acid shall not be added to any food meant for children below 12 months (the lactic acid shall also conform to the specification laid down by the Indian Standards Institution).

More squads soon to ensure food safety

KOZHIKODE: Two squads formed by the food safety authorities raided several eateries here on Monday.
The squads were formed after a plus two student was hospitalized on Saturday with food poisoning after eating shawarma from a restaurant on Railway Station Link Road. The restaurant's licence was cancelled following the incident.
On a complaint by a city resident, food safety officials raided New Grill restaurant in Thadampatuthazham on Monday, and found that the eatery had flouted guidelines on hygiene. "Since no major violation of food safety norms was found, we issued a correction notice, asking the restaurant to improve its standards," an official said.
The complaint was received from a person who had consumed a non-vegetarian dish from the restaurant. The man had suffered food poisoning, which was confirmed by the food safety officials.
The two teams would continue raids on the eateries in the coming days. More squads would be formed to inspect food joints in other parts of the district.
Food safety inspector C T Anilkumar, who was part of the raiding team, said the food safety commissioner had directed them to act tough on eateries that flout safety norms.
Meanwhile, health standing committee chairperson of the city corporation Janamma Kunhunni said the civic body was yet to receive a report on Saturday's food poisoning incident.
"Once the report is received, we will take necessary action," she said.