How to read food labels

Do you know what all those complicated nutrition facts on food labels mean? Taking the time to find out will allow you to make informed, healthy choices and avoid health problems later.

Nutrition facts: This panel provides information about the energy, protein, carbohydrates, fat and sodium the food item contains. Choose foods that have low fat, sugar and sodium content.

Serving size: Check the serving size and the number of servings on the package. The number of servings you have determine the calories and nutrients you have consumed.

Check the calorie content: If the total calories per serving is 170 and calories from fat 60, two servings of this food item means you consumed 340 calories with 120 of the calories coming from fat.

Watch out: Try your best to limit the intake of fat (saturated and trans fat), sodium and cholesterol. Trans fats are oils which have been chemically modified to increase a product's shelf life. They are harmful as they increase the levels of bad cholestrol while reducing good cholestrol.

0% trans fat: This may not be true. Indian laws allow for .5gm trans fat to be printed as 0%. If a packet of namkeen says one serving size is 20gm, one serving may have .5 trans fat, but in reality you would eat close to 100gm.

Wise decision: Choose food items that have more of these nutrients.

The per cent Daily Value: The per cent DV component tells you about the percentage of each nutrient in one serving of the food product. If you want to eat less of say sodium, then choose foods with a lower per cent DV (5% or less is low)

Three types of fatty acids: Avoid consuming too much saturated fatty acids as they are manufactured naturally by the body. Mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fatty acids are comparatively healthier; mono is preferable to poly as it protects your cardiovascular system.

Nutrition information per 100g of biscuits (Approx)
Carbohydrates 70g
Sugar 38g
Proteins 4.6g
Fat 20g
Saturated fatty acids 10g
Mono unsaturated fatty acids 7g
Poly unsaturated fatty acids 2g
Trans fatty acids 0g
Cholestrol 0mg
Energy 470kcal

Nutrition facts
Serving Size: 1/6 pkg. (30g mix)
Serving Per Container: 16
Amount Per Serving:                    Mix          Baked
Calories                                            110            170        

 Calories from Fat                            5                60

                                                         % Daily Value**
Total Fat 0.5g*                                  1%           11%
Saturated Fat Og                               0%           21%

Trans Fat Og
Cholesterol Omg                            0%           13%
Sodium 85mg                                 4%            4%
Total Carbohydrate 24g                  8%            8%
Dietary Fibre 2g                             8%            8%

*Amount in a general chocolate cake mix.
** Per cent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet. Your DV may be higher or lower depending on your specific calorie needs.

Food Jargon Explained
Reduced sodium: Not reliable as though the product may have cut down on salt, you still don't know what salt substitutes have been used. Keep in mind that an average person needs just 5gm of salt per day. Also, many products (such as jams, biscuits) use salt as a preservative even though it doesn't taste salty.

This can up your salt intake. Calcium fortified/Vitamin D fortified: Check the degree of fortification. If it is a very miniscule quantity then it doesn't really help. It makes sense to know what your daily vitamin or calcium requirements are and choose those products that deliver. Avoid locally made, unlabelled products and those that do not mention a use-by date.

With inputs from Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, chief nutritionist, Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru and Dr Ritika Samadhar, chief dietician, Max Healthcare.

FSSAI buckled under pressure on tea!

Even as the outcome of Government-ordered toxicological tests for iron filings in tea is awaited, the country’s top food watchdog has gone ahead allowing the maximum limit of 150 mg iron particles in a packet of one kg tea. “Intense pressure” from the tea industry is said to have worked.
Interestingly, the Food Regulations 2011 too do not permit any extraneous materials including iron fillings and pesticides in the tea. However, justifying the move to limit the levels, CEO of the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) SN Mohanty said that it was an interim step pending the finalisation of the assessment report being prepared by the National Institution of Nutrition (NIN) to quantify the total iron content that can be allowed in the tea.
The Tea Board, which represented to the FSSAI recently, had argued that even the best of technologies cannot remove these iron filings which get mixed up with the tea because of the wear and tear of machinery. The tea lobby also claimed that several countries even allow such iron filing-contained tea giving prescribed limits. The logic behind is that tea is not consumed raw but after brewing. The brewed tea does not contain filings or in extreme limitation which is completely safe.
Agreeing with the industry’s views, Mohanty termed the “zero permissible limit” defined in the FSSAI regulation as a technical error and that it was a gaping loophole that needs to be plugged. Moreover, the limit is at its lowest currently when compared a few years back when it was 250mg/kg, he further said and maintained the 150mg/kg was a permissible limit being followed by the UK as well. But, it is high as 500mg/kg in Sri Lanka, he added.
The FSSAI advisory issued on November 23, says: “It is concluded that pending completion of the detailed study on the presence of iron fillings in tea, which the National Institute of Nutrition is doing and the assessment by the Food Authority’s specific panel, the maximum limit of iron particles in tea may be adhered to 150 mg/kg.” The FSSAI has also asked its enforcement departments to not to launch the prosecution against the tea producer in case their items are found to contain the specified limit of iron particles.
According to the food regulations, pesticide residue, insecticides, common heavy metals, micro-biological and foreign matters counts should not be in excess of such tolerance limit and quantity stipulated by it. There have been cases when the tea manufacturers were found to be adding the iron fillings to increasing the weight of the product while ignoring its harmful health impacts.

Now govt wants states to ban pan masala, zarda

The Union Health Ministry, in its efforts to push for a countrywide ban on edible products containing tobacco, has written to all states and Union territories pointing to a 1982 Allahabad High Court order and an executive order issued by the Mizoram government last August banning pan masala and zarda.
The move comes at a time when the Rs 8,000-crore gutkha industry has unleashed an advertising blitzkrieg protesting against the ban.
The letter dated November 21 from Special Secretary Keshav Desiraju is a follow-up to a similar letter sent earlier to states on gutkha following which several states including Delhi banned it. It states that the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 has laid down that tobacco and nicotine cannot be used as ingredients in food products and that the 1982 court order and an earlier one in 1981 had categorised zarda and tobacco as food.
A copy of the Mizoram order has been enclosed with the letter for necessary action. The letter also quotes Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) figures to point out that 206 million Indians were using smokeless tobacco in 2010. It is believed to be responsible for 80-90 per cent of all oral cancers in India and is also thought to play a major role in cancers of the stomach, foodpipe also the urinary bladder.
Earlier the Health Ministry had pushed for a ban on gutkha following an SC observation that pan masala, gutkha or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment and that they are all food items within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the PFA Act. It would imply that they cannot contain a harmful substance like tobacco. But this is for the first time that the ministry has extended its opposition to pan masala and zarda.
Tobacco control officials say that since health is a state subject, the ministry cannot ask the states to ban pan masala and zarda. But given the clear judicial position on the matter, a clear stand on the issue is long overdue. “Since Mizoram has already set a precedent, we thought it fit that other states should be informed about the legal position,” a senior official said.
Officials said the ban on gutkha has led to its surreptitious trade and black marketing in states where there is a ban with huge quantities being smuggled in from neighbouring states. “We are pushing for a countrywide ban,” an official said.

The big fat lies: Food regulator exposes adverts' bogus claims over nutritional value as it prepares to prosecute 19 cases

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated proceedings in 38 cases involving leading brands, including Kellogg's Special K

You are being led up the garden path by manufacturers of food and health products making tall claims in advertisements.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) - which put many products under its scanner over the misleading claims - has initiated proceedings in 38 cases involving leading brands.

The food regulator, which has received complaints against the products, has begun prosecution proceedings in 19 cases under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act.

Show-cause notices have been issued in the other 19 cases. The advertisements of the products, which are popular with most Indian households, promise quick results from slimming to healthy heart and faster growth for children.

The food regulator, which has presented a report to Parliament on the action taken in these cases, found that the companies manufacturing the food and health products not only made misleading claims in the advertisements but also carried similar pictures on the packaging. For instance, Complan is currently facing prosecution for claiming one can 'grow two times faster'. Complan Memory is in trouble over claims of boosting memory.

Boost and Horlicks, popular nutrition food for children made by Glaxo Smithkline, claimed they were better for stamina building than regular chocolate drinks and made children taller, stronger and sharper. The FSSAI said these claims were 'misleading, and no study has been submitted' to back the claims.

On Kellogg's Extra Muesli, the food regulator said the 'label showed a number of fruits thus making a misleading claim that product contained too many fruits'. Others products under the food regulator's scanner are Emami Soyabean Oil, Saffola, Nutri Charge Men, Engine mustard oil, Kellogg's Special K, Britannia NutriChoice biscuits, Today Premium Tea, PediaSure drinks, Real Active Fibre +, Nutrilite, Kissan Cream Spread, Rajdhani Besan and Britannia Vita Marie. These were found to have promised higher health benefits, higher nutritional value, or faster benefits like losing weight or ensuring growth.

The report presented to Parliament by FSSAI showed it had rejected some of the replies to the notices given by the companies saying they 'cannot be accepted'.

No comments

Boost and Horlicks claimed they were better for stamina building than regular chocolate drinks and made children taller

When contacted by Mail Today, officials from various companies like Kellogg's, Glaxo SmithKline that manufactures Horlicks and Nestle which makes Maggi declined to comment immediately.

However, the officials were aware of the show-cause notices issued to their firms by FSSAI. Chandra Bhushan, deputy director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, 'Only notices have issued but no action has been taken. Still, it's good that notices have been issued. Misbranding is a huge problem in the country. The companies target especially children and the health conscious, which is a very emotive issue.'

He said the Advertising Standards Council of India is ineffective in putting curbs on such misleading ads. He added that under the current provisions of the FSS Act, a fine of Rs 10 lakh is very small. He suggested that penalty should be proportionate to the turnover. 'Major reforms are needed in the sector to save people,' Bhushan said.

Neelanjana Singh, consultant nutritionist at PSRI Hospital said, 'Our children cannot just become taller with that special drink. Height, for example, is largely dependent on genes and nutrition. Just a drink might add to the nutrition but cannot solely be given credit for it. If we are to believe the manufacturing companies' claims, all health woes will just disappear.'

Deceptive ads

Singh described the ads as deceptive. She said some drinks boast of being magic potions which can strengthen a child's immune system, protect them from cold and cough but have almost no medicinal content. 'There is no scientific evidence to back their claims,' she said. For special health drinks, dieticians said that their nutrition value, in fact, is low. 'In almost all these health drinks in the market, you would find from their labels that less than 6-7 per cent of their total content actually has proteins and vitamins vital for growth. The rest of the drink has processed ingredients, with 30 per cent sugar and 30 per cent carbs. The different flavours too are processed, rendering them in certain cases, unhealthy,' said Shilpa Thakur, chief dietician at the Asian Institute of Medical Sciences.

A range of products under the scanner

Ishi Khosla, clinical nutritionist and founder, Whole Foods on breakfast cereals, said,'Breakfast cereals which are said to be storehouses of energy, are marketed as fat free but they are high in sugar content. The advertisers are simply riding high on the health bandwagon which everyone seems to have joined.'

In March this year, CSE had lab tested many of the popular brands and found that most of them had higher quantity of trans fats, sugar and salt than claimed in the labels. The misleading advertisements come under the purview of the FSSAI and the Information and Broadcasting ministry. Consumers often write to these bodies against products making big claims.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry, on its part, claimed that it had issued an advisory to all channels in May 2010 warning against advertising products promising special and miraculous cure. Khosla said that a "health fear" had gripped people. 'These companies are simply playing on the fear factor by making fat claims.

'The competition is too stiff and that has led to the spurt in the health products and their claims are getting bigger and bigger. Consumers should read the fine print carefully before falling for them.'

Dinamalar

Cooking up policy for street food vending

The need for a policy to safeguard the interests of street food vendors was expressed at a workshop held for women street food vendors by Sannihita, an NGO, along with the Institution of Cultural Geography at the Indian Medical Association Hall on Tuesday.

More than 25 women street food vendors shared the challenges they face. Through a series of such workshops, various NGOs seek to come up with solutions for general problems being faced by street food vendors. A draft of their proposals would be presented to the government as an aid to policy making.

Despite the fact that street food vending meets the needs of a considerable section of society and provides employment to thousands of families, as yet there is no policy that can give legal or infrastructural support for those who are involved. There is immediate need for the services of street food vendors to be acknowledged and they should be given clear, transparent and fair orientation concerning their rights and responsibilities.

Street food contributes to urban food security to various sections, including students, office goers, bachelors and particularly weaker section of society. According to a survey conducted in 2009, it generates regular income for more than 15,000 families who do not fit in the formal economy. The number has gone up considerably over the years.

It is one of the major elements of highly decentralised urban food distribution system. Street food holds great potential to foster sustainable development in mega cities. Unlike in Chennai and Bangalore, no data collection the regarding number of street food vendors, their caste, class, family background was done for Hyderabad. So, the question of policy advocacy never came up.

There is a draft policy on street vendors, though not specifically for food vendors. A rough policy regarding street food vending has been under process for many years. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has implemented the policy, but it lacks appeal to be utilised universally.

There is no legal security like licences or a single grievance cell where vendors can voice their opinions. Street vendors do not know where to go when they get caught in problems like eviction by government authorities. Also, the government does not provide any infrastructural support or spaces in master plans for them.

Regular discussions should be held for potential policy making to contribute towards settling disputes and integrating the street vending sector in urban planning activities. Initiatives like regular food festivals that have potential to highlight street food as part of the city’s cultural heritage can be helpful. Doubts regarding hygiene and health standards regarding street food are always raised, but food safety trainings can improve standards.

Food Safety and Standards Act armed with stringent provisions: JC

N. Yuvaraj

The Food Safety and Standards Authority India has recently come out with a stringent Act imposing hefty penalty against erring manufacturers and has sections under which the guilty could be imprisoned for a period of one year.

Joint Collector N. Yuvaraj who addressed a meeting of traders organised by the Department of Civil Supplies at A.C College here on Tuesday warned that the new Act was having stringent quality control provisions and license protocols and urged the traders to take corrective measures. Under the act, manufacturers of food items below the standard quality norms, would be imposed a maximum penalty of Rs.5 lakh. Those who might have manufactured food materials which caused death or serious illness would be levied a hefty penalty of Rs.5 lakh.

Unprotected food items can invite even imprisonment up to six months.

Dr. Yuvaraj further said that vendors should maintain a clean environment around their stalls and shops. The act has stringent provisions under which violators would be punished severely.

Assistant Public Prosecutor, T. Madhusudana Rao explained the basic features of Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

District Civil Supplies Officer K. Raviteja Naik, District Manager, Civil Supplies, Krishna Rao and Medical Health Officer of Guntur Municipal Corporation, Lakshmi Naik were also present.

Under the act, manufacturers of food items below the standard quality norms, will be imposed a maximum penalty of Rs.5 lakh

Food safety measures: High Court directs JK Govt to furnish compliance report

‘If Report Is Not Furnished, Chief Secretary Shall Have To Appear In Person’

Srinagar, Nov 27:  The J&K High Court Tuesday directed the state government to file a report about the steps it has taken with regard to the mandate of the Food Safety and Standards Act in the state following the court directions on the issue from time to time. The Court said if the report is not furnished, the State Chief Secretary shall have to appear before it in person on the next date of hearing.
 A division bench of High Court comprising justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar passed the direction on a Public Interest Litigation by Advocate Muhammad Ayoub Sheikh seeking implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011.
 The court said in the interest of justice it was deemed proper to direct the government to comply with the directions passed from time to time and file a compliance report.
 The division bench also directed the government to file an affidavit indicating the measures taken for implementing the recommendations of the committee on implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011.
 The court also asked the respondents to take samples from the across the state, get them examined and submit the report of the experts to the court.
 The court directed the Commissioner of Food and Safety , Jammu and Kashmir, to appear in person before it on the next date of hearing.
 Earlier the court had expressed dissatisfaction over the reply the state filed to the PIL, saying it was not in sync with the court directions.
 Pertinently, the court on March 28, 2012 had directed the government to file compliance report vis-à-vis the steps taken by it to implement the Act and the Rules.
 The Court had directed the Divisional Commissioners Kashmir and Jammu, and Commissioner Food Safety J&K to file compliance report within two weeks while issuing notice to the government to file reply to the PIL. The PIL contends that the food safety issue has a pivotal importance and requires to be taken with seriousness.
 According to the PIL, Food Safety Act 2006 and Food Safety & Standards Rules of 2011 provide that the post of Commissioner Food Safety should be manned by a person of Commissioner/Secretary rank, while in J&K an In-charge Drug Controller has been assigned the job, who “lacks the basic eligibility and qualification.”
 According to the PIL, the present incumbent is “not competent” to hold the post and sanction any prosecution and he is not in a position to take any action against the person found guilty under the Act and Rules.
 The petition alleges that the adulterated food items are openly sold and many spices and edibles in the market are unsafe for consumption as the Act and Rules have not been implemented.
 Senior Additional Advocate General A M Magray represented the state .

Food adulteration: HC asks govt to examine samples across JK
Srinagar: Observing that food adulteration caused most diseases, Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to take samples of food items from entire state and get them examined by experts.
The directions were passed by a division bench of the high court comprising justices Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Muzaffar Hussain Attar while hearing a Public Interest Litigation, seeking implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 to check food adulteration in the state.
The bench also directed the government to submit the report of the experts to the court within two weeks.
On 1st June, the court had directed government to comply with the mandate of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. “They have failed to do as on date,” the bench said.
Thereafter, the bench said, the government constituted a Committee which has made some recommendations regarding the food safety measures.
“Consequently, in terms of order dated 31 June, the respondents were directed to file an affidavit indicating therein as to what measures have been taken for implementing the recommendations,” the bench said, adding, “The affidavit was required to be filed within two weeks but they failed.” 
In the given circumstance, the bench said: “In the interests of justice, we deem it proper to direct the State Government to comply with the Court directions passed from time to time and report compliance within two weeks.”
In default, the bench said Chief Secretary of the state shall appear in person before the court. “Further, we direct the Commissioner of Food and Safety, Jammu & Kashmir, to appear in person on the next date of hearing.”
In June, the court had given three months time to the government to implement the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.
The PIL, filed by a lawyer—Sheikh Muhammad Ayoub, states that non-implementation of the FSSA in the State is a grave issue and requires to be dealt with all seriousness.
According to the PIL, the Act provide that the post of Commissioner Food Safety should be manned by a person of Commissioner Secretary rank, while in J&K an in-charge Drug Controller has been assigned the job, who “lacks the basic eligibility and qualification.”
The petition alleges that the adulterated food items were openly sold and many spices and edibles in the market were unsafe for human consumption as the Act and Rules have not been implemented.
Advocates Tasaduq Khwaja and Javed Hameed appeared on behalf of the petitioner while government was represented by Additional Advocate General A M Magray, Government advocate Shah Aamir.

HC directs Govt to check food adulteration

Srinagar, Nov 27: In response to the Public Interest Litigation filed in High Court to curb food adulteration in the State, Jammu and Kashmir High Court Tuesday directed the government to take samples from the entire State, get them examined, submit the report to experts, file the affidavit and directed to comply with the court directions passed from time and time.
The directions were passed by the bench comprised of Justice Mansoor Ahmed Mir and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar.
The Public Interest Litigation filed in High Court to curb food adulteration in the State was listed today and would be listed again after two weeks.
The bench directed respondents to take the required steps, and asked Chief Secretary of the State to appear in person.
The bench directed the Commissioner of Food and Safety, Jammu and Kashmir to appear in person on the next date of hearing.
Previously, the court directed the State to comply with the mandate of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which they failed.
Thereafter the respondents constituted the committee and the committee made some recommendations.
Earlier, the court directed the State to file an affidavit indicating therein as to what measures had been taken for implementing the recommendations, which they had failed to file.

Big brands join Sahara Q Shop in deceptive advertisements!

Lucknow: Even as the Sahara Group enter into the packaged food item market, claiming serving best in the market with their pure and nutritious value catchword, the ad claims made by a few big companies in the market has come under the scanner of FSSAI(Food Standard & Safety Authority of India). FSSAI has served notice to leading companies for their deceptive advertisements.

Pardaphash has raked up the issue with Sahara joining the bandwagon to cash in on the flourishing market of healthy food. Sahara featured the cricketers in the ad to support their claim. Here, we discusses how such merchandise enterprises navigate the mentality of the common man and serve them their (commoner’s) own, with their slice of so called “perfection”.

Aao Kare Milawat Se Jung is the motto of ‘Sahara Q Shop’ that promises a subjugation over adulterated food but do the promises come in truce? It is big question that lays overhead when you witness a lineup of such companies promising the same. The Food Safety and Standards and Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notice to the companies which it finds to be ‘misleading and Deceptive’. Under mentioned products are flouting Food Safety and Standard Act.

Product(s)/Company
- Complan, Complan Memory/Heinz India Private Limited
- Horlicks, Boost/Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Healthcare Limited
- Pediasure/Abott India Limited
- Kellogs Special K, Kelloggs Extra Museli/Kelloggs India
- Maggie Multi-grainz Noodles/Nestle Group
- Saffola Active/Maico Limited
- Today Premium Tea/Today Tea Limited and other ample lots.

These corporation have drawn criticism and are being scanned for reality in promises made by the labels of their products. They are facing cases in several cities for misleading assurances like that of – body growth, increased stamina, turning slimmer, strengthening of memory, containing fruits. Simply, they have opted to sell their products in a boisterous manner and are clearly unreliable. Impeccability of such manufactured food products comes in question at large, as companies are not able to substantiate, what their product claims.

Nowadays, companies have found a way to fool people with new techniques. These syndicates innovate new styles of brand development and endorsements with strong advertisements gimmicks. The commoner falls prey to such hostile methods which are wrapped up with benefiting promises. This only adds to the finances of these companies making toll claims of health benefits.

The companies have turned rather smart then you can think them to be. They have literally out grown themselves because of some intelligent moves that an average person fails to understand. One should rush brain cells in order to understand the corruptive dealings of such companies which first manipulate things for their benefit and then later companies promising removal of those manipulations emerging in market.

One can see how contrasting are the modus operandi of these companies. The consumer suffering with adulteration goes in search of healthy benefitting products and is jolted again with high rated products, this is the moment where company strikes back in business.

On Monday, the government informed Lok Sabha that companies were unable to provide any base to the promises made by the advertisement of their respective products as there were no surveys and reviews that guaranteed their say. Evidently, there is a need to push such topics into mainstream discussion and serve them immediate warning to either provide an insightful argument towards the same or am effective shutdown of manufacturing products that ‘mislead’ the consumer.

DINAMANI

High Court asks TDB to ensure food hygiene

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to maintain good hygiene and manufacturing practices while preparing appam for the Sabarimala pilgrims.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice A V Ramakrishnapillai issued the directive while considering the report of Food safety Commissioner, laboratory reports and special commissioner’s report regarding the issue. “Kootu for the appams should  be made as per the traditional practice. It should not be diluted or changed without the permission of the court. It was deplorable to see that the appam was kept in open space, leading to fungus infection,” the HC said.
The technical assistant to Food Safety Commissioner found serious irregularities in preparing and packing appam during his visit after the controversy. The court ordered that the health of the pilgrims was more important. “No food times, including prasadam unfit for consumption, should be distributed to Sabarimala pilgrims,” the court said. That the prasadam being distributed for pilgrims is ‘’unfit for human consumption’’ is cause for anxiety, it added.
The court directed that the food safety  officials should have strict vigilance over the food being sold in Sabarimala and added that the objective was to prevent  passing of food unfit for consumption as prasadam. The food safety officers should inspect the premises every four hours so as to ensure hygienic condition.
The food safety official had directed destruction of the fungus-infested appams and cleaning the premises before storage. The court also pointed out the laboratory test reports confirming that the appam samples collected from the devaswom store were infested with fungus.
The court also directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to take effective steps  to ensure that appam was packed and distributed in  ‘first in first out’ method. A separate register should be maintained for entering the details of production, packing and distribution. The lab reports had stated that the shelf life of the appam had been reduced by storing huge quantities. The buffer stock of appam need not be kept for long days.
The court  said that the contractors who had been given the right to prepare the apppam should employ skilled and experienced labourers for making high-quality appams.
The cleaning operations should not be stopped based on the plea that the manufacture of the appam  would be affected. In fact, proper hygiene should be maintained at the manufacturing unit. The personal hygiene of the labourers should also be ensured, the court said.
The court further made it clear that former chief secretary K Jayakumar would exercise all authority in his capacity as chief coordinator.
He should be provided personal staff, police security and  other facilities as if he was the chief secretary. The court also made it clear that the rights of the board members to take decisions shall not be affected by this order.

திருவனந்தபுரம், நவ.28:

சபரிமலையில் பக்தர்களுக்கு பிரசாதமாக வழங்கப்படும் அப்பத்தை மிகவும் தூய்மையான முறையில் தயாரிக்க வேண்டும் என்று திருவிதாங்கூர் தேவசம்போர்டுக்கு கேரள உயர் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

சபரிமலை ஐயப்பன் கோயிலில் பக்தர்களுக்கு பிரசாதமாக அப்பம், அரவணை பாயசம் விற்கப்படுகிறது. 7 எண்ணம் கொண்ட ஒரு பாக்கெட் அப்பம்

கி25க்கு

விற்கப்படுகிறது. சில தினங்களுக்கு முன் பக்தர்கள் வாங்கிய அப்பம் கெட்டுப் போயிருந்தது. இதையடுத்து, தேவசம் போர்டு அதிகாரிகள் நடத்திய பரிசோதனையில் பல லட்சம் அப்பங்கள் கெட்டுப்போய் இருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டு,

கி41

லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள அப்பங்கள் அழிக்கப்பட்டன.

இதற்கிடையே, கெட்டுப்போன அப்பங்கள் பத்தனம்திட்டா மாவட்டம் கோன்னியில் உள்ள பரிசோதனை கூடத்துக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டது. அதில், அப்பம் கெட்டுப் போயிருந்தது உறுதி செய்யப்பட்டது. இந்த பரிசோதனை அறிக்கை, கேரள உயர் நீதிமன்றத்தில் நேற்று முன்தினம் தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டது. அதில், அப்பத்தில் கலப்படம் எதுவும் இல்லை. ஆனாலும் பரிசோதனைக்குஉட்படுத்தப்பட்ட அப்பம் சாப்பிட தரமில்லாதது. முறையாக தயாரிக்கப்படாததால் இந்த குறைபாடு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது என கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இந்த அறிக்கை மீதான விசாரணை, நீதிபதி ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் முன்னிலையில் நேற்று நடந்தது. அப்போது நீதிபதி பிறப்பித்த உத்தரவில், கெட்டுப் போன அப்பங்களை உடனடியாக அழித்தது பாராட்டுக்குரியது. இது போன்ற தவறுகள் இனிமேல் நடக்கக் கூடாது.

அப்பம், அரவணையை மிகவும் தூய்மையான முறையில் தயாரிக்க வேண்டும். அப்பம் தயாரிப்பதற்கான மூலப்பொருட்களில் மாற்றம் செய்யக் கூடாது. தேவசம்போர்டு அதிகாரிகளின் தீவிர கண்காணிப்பில்தான் இவை தயாரிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். அப்பம் தயாரிக்கும் அளவு குறைந்தாலும் தூய்மைக்கு முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுக்க வேண்டும் என்றார்.

பத்திரிகைகளுக்கு பாராட்டு

அப்பம் கெட்டுப் போனது பற்றி பத்திரிகைகள் தேவையின்றி பெரிதுபடுத்தி செய்திகள் வெளியிட்டுள்ளன. இதுபோன்ற செய்திகளை வெளியிட பத்திரிகைகளுக்கு கட்டுப்பாடு விதிக்க வேண்டும் என்றும் தேவசம்போர்டு வக்கீல் வலியுறுத்தினார். இதை ஏற்க மறுத்த நீதிபதி ராதாகிருஷ்ணன், “பத்திரிகைகள் மிகவும் பாராட்டத்தக்க வகையில் செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றன” என்ற அவர், “கெட்டுப்போன அப்பம் குறித்து கேரள அரசும், திருவிதாங்கூர் தேவசம்போர்டும் உடனடியாக அறிக்கை தாக்கல் செய்ய வேண்டும்” என்று உத்தரவிட்டார்.

Shelf to street, scanner on daily habits

New Delhi, Nov. 26: India's food regulatory agency has indicted several household brands, including Britannia biscuits, Horlicks health drinks and Kellogg's breakfast cereals, for what it says are misleading claims about some of their food products.

The Union government informed Parliament today that the health ministry's Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated prosecution in 19 cases where companies have been charged with making misleading claims about their food products in either labels or advertisements.

The authority has also sent notices in 19 other cases in which various companies appear to have either made false or dubious claims or released misleading advertisements about their food products, the information and broadcasting ministry said in a statement laid in the Rajya Sabha.

Several of the complaints had been reported earlier but they have now been put in the public domain through the official statement in the House.

The FSSAI is expected to first send notices to companies that it believes have violated rules and wait for their responses before initiating prosecution. During the hearings, both sides ' the FSSAI and the company ' would have opportunities to argue their cases. The 19 prosecution cases were all filed earlier this year and most hearings are yet to begin.

The country's food standards laws impose certain restrictions on nutritional and health claims on labels and in advertisements to ensure that products are not mislabelled or promoted through exaggerated claims.
The safety watchdog is prosecuting manufacturers of several children's health drinks, including Complan Memory, Boost, Horlicks and Bournvita Little Champs, for what it says are "violations" of food regulations.
The agency said Complan Memory, produced by Heinz India, comes with a declaration that it contains "memory chargers" and the product label shows pictures of students with books which, the FSSAI said, "will mislead the public" into assuming that the drink will improve children's performance in studies.
Last year, Jay Karan, a pharmacologist at the Government Medical College in Surat, had written in the journal Indian Pediatrics that the claims relating to the growth of children made by the makers of Complan were "exaggerated".

The food regulator has also objected to GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare's claim that its drink called Boost "provides three times more stamina than sadharan chocolate drink". The FSSAI said this claim was misleading and the producer had not submitted a specific study on this product to substantiate this claim.

The FSSAI has said that GlaxoSmithKline's claim that Horlicks helps children become "taller, stronger, and sharper", is "misleading and deceptive in nature".

The agency has described the claim made by Kellogg that people who eat low-fat breakfast like its Special K cereals tend to be slimmer than those who don't as "misleading and deceptive".

An expert in human nutrition said that while children's health drinks are designed to deliver concentrated levels of nutrients, they typically do not contain the mix of fibre and range of nutrients available from wholesome food.

"The labels always show what a product contains, not what is missing," said R. Hemlatha, a senior scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad.

Wholesome food, Hemlatha said, is available through a standard mix of cereals, pulses, vegetables and fruits.
The FSSAI is also prosecuting the producers of two brands of edible oil ' Saffola and Engine Mustard Oil ' for what it says are misleading claims in advertisements.
"A claim about a food product needs to be clinically proven, supported by research published in peer-reviewed scientific or medical journals," said Kamala Krishnaswamy, former director of the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.

The FSSAI has also indicted Abbott India for what it says is the company's misleading claim that its product, Pediasure, "helps in a child's growth and development".

Directives for food safety during Hornbill Festival

Dimapur, November 27 (MExN): Health & Family Welfare Department Kohima prohibit the preparation, sale, exposure for sale of unsafe food items, including imported foods during the annual weeklong celebration of Hornbill Festival at the Heritage Village (Kisama) and the State Capital Town scheduled from December 1 to 7, 2012.
This was stated in a press release issued by Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Addl. Food Safety Commissioner, RF Lotha, in exercise of the powers conferred under section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA) and in pursuance of Schedule 4(A) of Food Safety Regulations, 2011 the Commissioner and Secretary-cum-Commissioner of Food Safety to the Government of Nagaland.
Furthers, owners of hotels & restaurants at Kohima town, food and tea stalls at Kisama and street food vendors are directed to follow the given guidelines:
1.    Utensils for preparing and serving food items should be kept in clean, sanitized conditions free from contaminant, dirt and dust.
2.    Utensils containing food items intended for sale should have tight fitting lids / cover, free from the activity of insects and rodents.
3.    Fast food / fast perishable food items (Meat, poultry, fish products, ethnic food items) are to be stored at a temperature of 60˚C or kept frozen at 5˚C or below.
4.    Overnight perishable food items / fatty foods should not be reprocessed or sold.
5.    Kitchen and eating places should be kept clean and in hygienic conditions: free from pest and rodents.
6.    Ensure that workers should wear clean and proper clothing, apron, hand gloves ect.
7.    Ensure that workers do not have infectious disease, open sores, cut ect.
8.    Ensure that no smoking, chewing tobacco, pan masala, splitting ect in food preparation and serving place.
9.    Provide toilets separately.
10. Avoid foul smell in toilet and surrounding area.
11. To clean toilets regularly with proper disinfection.
12. Packaged drinking water or only filtered drinking water should be provided.
13. Baked / Packaged food items should be properly labeled ie, with date of manufactured, best before, place of productions and ingredients added.
14. Serve food in clean and intact utensils or use disposal plates, cup ect.
15. Serve hot foods hot, cold foods cold.
16. Use separate waste bins for bio degradable and non-degradable.
The general public is also requested to check the label and quality properly before purchase. Non-compliance to this notification would be an offence punishable and penalized under section 55 of FSS Act, 2006.

Ban on Gutkha

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 was enacted with the objective of ensuring availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. This Act, as well as the earlier Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954, gives a wide definition of ‘food’ and includes therein any article/substance which is intended for human consumption.The Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 dated 1st August 2011, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, lays down that tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products. The Hon`ble Supreme Court in Godawat Pan Masala Vs UOI, 2004 (7) SCC 68 has also held that “Since pan masala, gutka or supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food within the meaning of Section 2(v) of the (Prevention of Food Adulteration) Act.” As such, by virtue of the regulation dated 1st August 2011 issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, read with the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court on the issue, Gutkha products are food products containing tobacco and nicotine and their manufacture, sale or storage is not permitted under law. By virtue of the same regulation, Pan Masala, if it contains tobacco and nicotine, cannot be manufactured or sold. Enforcement of this regulation, however, lies with the Commissioners of Food Safety under the state govenments, as per the provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act 2006.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been regularly sending advisories to the states to implement and enforce the said regulation. The state governments which have so far issued orders/notification to enforce implementation of the ban in accordance with the above regulation are Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Punjab. In addition, Goa has enforced the ban through its State Public Health Act.

There is no question of compromising with the life of millions of people. This Ministry has repeatedly advocated with the state governments to strictly implement the ban onGutkha in letter and spirit. Further, the Ministry has also brought to the notice of the state governments the judgements of the Hon’ble Allahabad High Court in the cases of M/s. KhedalLal& Sons Vs. State of U.P. FAC 1981 (1) 262, and ManoharLalVs State of U.P. Criminal Revision No.318 of 1982, wherein the High Court have held that Chewing tobacco is a food article. In view of this, and the regulation dated 1st August 2011 issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, this Ministry has again written to the state governments to consider examining the issue for banning the sale of gutkha, pan masala, zarda or other chewable products having tobacco and nicotine, with immediate effect.

The Ministry is also trying to generate public awareness through media and outdoor campaigns.

This information was given by Minister for Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

Advisory on Iron Fillings in TEA

20 of 100 Diwali sweets fail test

LUDHIANA: Some of the sweet shop owners in the city who have been selling adulterated and substandard sweets during Diwali have come under the scanner of health authorities and may face prosecution soon.

Of the 100 sweet samples collected by the health authorities around Diwali, 20 have failed the test carried under Food Safety and Standard Act. What has got the health authorities worried is that of them, six have been found to be unsafe for human consumption.

"As per procedure, the sweet shop owners are being given one month's time to challenge the sample report in a referral laboratory, from where the report will come within 15 days. After that, we will start seeking prosecution of offenders in accordance to the relevant provisions," said Ravinder Garg, the food safety officer. The samples were collected from last week of October to November 9 and have been found to be either sub-standard or misbranded.

Regulator cracks down on food products

Parents continued to be swayed by health drink commercials that promise to make their children taller and healthier but 19 such products including Horlicks, Bournvita and Complan are facing prosecution in different States with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) finding them “misleading and deceptive”.

‘Maggie Multi-grainz Noodles’, which comes with claims of nutritional benefits, and Saffola cooking oil that promises “healthy heart” too have not been spared.

The food regulatory authority has issued notices to the producers in case of 19 such food items allegedly for making false and misleading claims in their advertisements. Two cases have been filed against the advertisements of ‘Horlicks’ and ‘Boost’, produced by Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Healthcare Limited, before Additional Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon for violation of the Food Safety and Standard Act.

While the advertisement for Boost claims that it provides three times more stamina than an ordinary chocolate drink, its producer has not come up with any specific study on the product that could substantiate its claims, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The claims by Heinz India Private Limited about its products—‘Complan’ and ‘Complan Memory’—in their advertisements have also been found misleading and in contravention with Food Safety and Standard Act. Separate cases have been filed against the two products by the authorities in Mumbai.

A claim made by Abott India Limited about its product Pediasure that its consumption helps in child’s growth has also came in question.

Its producer is facing a case under Food Safety and Standard Act in Mumbai since July 6 this year. Prosecution has been initiated against the advertisement of Kellogs Special K, manufactured by Kelloggs India, in Mumbai allegedly for making a “deceptive” claim that those consuming the product would become slimmer than those who do not. Authorities have brought the company’s another product—‘Kelloggs Extra Museli’—into the dock in Mumbai allegedly for using a “misleading” label on its pack that tend to show the product containing a number of fruits.

The claims by ‘Today Premium Tea’ has also drawn flak from the authorities, who have filed a case against the company in Delhi allegedly for misleading the consumers.

Soft drinks may cause heart disease in kids

Children who consume soft drinks regularly may be at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, researchers including one of an Indian origin have warned.
In a study, precursory signs of cardiovascular disease could be seen in children as young as 12 who have a high intake of sugary drinks.
While narrowed blood vessels inside the eye are a known precursor to cardiovascular disease in adults, researchers from the Westmead Millennium Institute for medical research have for the first time looked at the link between carbohydrates, which includes sugars, and the retinal health of children.
Nearly 2000 12-year-olds had retinal images taken at the Centre for Vision Research at the University of Sydney. Narrowing of the retinal arteries was seen in those children with an intake of more than 274 grams of carbohydrate a day.
A major source of those carbohydrates was soft drinks or cordial, with high-risk children consuming one or more glasses a day, found the study.
The study leader, Bamini Gopinath, said the health of retinal blood vessels gave a "very accurate" indication of blood vessel health throughout the entire body.
"We need to carry out further studies, but it is definitely a warning to parents and children to cut down on carbohydrates and sugar," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dr Gopinath as saying.
Doing so could play a role in reducing overall cardiovascular disease rates and deaths in the long-term, she said, with the condition causing more deaths each year in Australia than any other disease.
There was a slightly higher association between high carbohydrate diet and narrowed blood vessels in girls than in boys. Even allowing for physical activity and screen viewing time, the results remained largely unchanged. The same children from the study would be followed throughout adolescence to see if the damage persisted beyond childhood.
The nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said the research added to evidence that consuming soft drinks was bad for overall health. "There are no advantages of soft drinks," Stanton said. The finding was published in this month's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Horlicks, Kellogs ads'misguide': Govt

New Delhi, Nov 26: 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued notices in 38 cases of dubious claims or misguiding advertisements on food items and prosecution has been launched in 19 cases, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

In a written reply, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari also said that apart from these 38 cases, other instances that came before the ministry were placed before an Inter-Ministerial Committee.

According to details given by the minister, complaints had been filed against advertisements of leading brands including one of Complan, which claimed that one can grow two times by using the product.

The cases have been filed for violation under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards (Packing and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, Tewari said.

Another matter that was filed pertained to the Horlicks advertisement over the claim that the children consuming the product were “taller, stronger and sharper”.

Another case was related to the Kellogs advertisement which claimed that “research shows that people who eat low fat breakfast like Kellogg’s Special K, tend to be slimmer than those who don’t”.

According to Tewari, cases had also been filed against advertisements promoting many other brands.

In response to another question, Tewari said that the Press Council had registered 532 complaints on charges of baseless and provocative news reports published in print media since April 1.

Solutions to maximize oil life

Three leaders in their fields (equipment, oils and sanitation solutions) show that effective oil management lies in the synergy between the oil, the filtration and the cleaning.

As health- and marketing trends drive the switch to (poly)unsaturated oils, fried food producers face new oil management challenges, including cost and processes optimization.
To address these challenges, three leaders in their fields (equipment, oils and sanitation solutions) showed that effective oil management lies in the synergy between the oil, the filtration and the cleaning.
Food fried in relatively saturated oils is no longer preferred as consumers require healthier products fried in liquid oils.
However, they are less stable under industrial frying conditions.
Cargill Refined Oils Europe said there are six “enemies” of oil – air, water, temperature, carbon, alkaline residues and salts as all are present in frying, it is critical to minimize the impact they have in order to prolong oil life.
The first aspect of oil management is choosing the right oil.
The second aspect is effective oil filtering.
GEA Food Solutions has developed its CFS EasyFry XL fryer with an integrated oil management that features a crosswise scraper belt, a lengthwise scraper belt and a slotted screen filter in combination with the Oberlin Oil Filter.
The system has a filter capability two to three times higher than other filtering technologies and removes both sinking and suspended sediment.
It removes particles down to one micron.
Cleaning is the third aspect of oil management.
Traditional cleaning with caustic soda and acid solutions is labor intensive, requires high chemical concentrations and excessive temperatures, involves high water consumption and potential waste water issues.
To combat this, sanitation solutions supplier Ecolab developed its Exelerate Fryer Cleaning Program.
This thoroughly removes oil and product residues thanks to an improved boil out mechanism and a unique open surface cleaning system that even removes the yellow/brown gummy-like residues.
Exelerate reportedly reduces the cleaning time, and is suitable for different fryer designs and oil types.

The former director of a Sydney bakery has been fined more than $12,000 over an outbreak of salmonella poisoning.

The NSW Food Authority has successfully prosecuted the former director of a the Bankstown Bakehouse over the foodborne illness outbreak which saw 83 people fall ill with salmonella food poisoning, 20 of them hospitalised, last January.
The matter was heard in the Chief Industrial Magistrates Court last month, with the magistrate finding the former director guilty of four charges including; selling unsafe food, unsafe handling of raw egg products, unclean equipment and the failure to ensure food handlers had adequate skills and knowledge about food safety.
As well as being fined the director was ordered to pay the prosecution’s costs.
NSW Food Authority chief executive officer Polly Bennett said the prosecution was a significant one for the Food Authority.
"And it sends a clear message to all retail food outlets that you will face enforcement action, and in some cases, prosecution, if you breach the Food Standards Code," she said.
"It is the responsibility of every food business to ensure that the food they serve is safe to eat.
"The charge of failing to ensure adequate knowledge and skills of food handlers is an important reminder that competent food handlers play an important role in preventing outbreaks of foodborne illness."
Bennett said the introduction of the requirement for Food Safety Supervisor certification by the NSW Government in October last year, aimed at addressing poor food handling practices, is a "significant step in the right direction".
"This means employees are adequately trained in safe food handling practices, including the importance of hygiene and sanitising equipment to prevent cross-contamination – the main ingredient for spreading foodborne illnesses," she said.
Bennett said the Bankstown Bakehouse foodborne illness outbreak led the Food Authority to work jointly with another local government to raise the level of food safety awareness at hot bread shops with encouraging results.
She said 93 per cent of businesses surveyed demonstrated adequate cleaning and sanitising at the end of the project compared to just 55 per cent at the beginning.
"The percentage of businesses that had a trained Food Safety Supervisor in place also went from only 31 per cent to 100 per cent compliance by the end of the project."

US ban fallout: Food regulator of India too issues alert on Gelatin

India's food regulator, Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued alert over Gelatin —derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products — after the US banned them for being contaminated with microbes.
“We are keeping a check on the Gelatin which has been refused by the US and is being brought back by the importers in India. We have asked our officials to test safety aspects of Gelatin consignments before they are allowed to be sold here,” FSSAI CEO SN Mohanty told The Pioneer.
The move follows after the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) claimed that samples of many Indians produced bulk Gelatin and raw products were found positive for bacteria 'clostridium difficile'. It said that though the contamination rate was low, the microbial species can pose serious health threat to the vulnerable patients and that the products are unfit for consumption.
Calling it a serious matter, Mohanty said that State food commissioners have been told to ensure that such items do not get mixed into the food chain in the country.“We are also keeping in touch with the Export Inspection Council to find out the quantity of the Gelatin being exported in the past few months to the US. Contamination can happen on the way to the shipment also,” he added. He said an advisory in this regard was issued on November 20
As a precautionary step, the FSSAI officials have also been asked to check the samples of the gelatin wherever it is stored for selling or export purpose, said its director Dhir Singh. Gelatin is commonly used as a gelling agent in food and pharmaceuticals besides in photography, and cosmetic manufacturing.

Ground water being sucked dry

That unscientific planning over the years has resulted in severe drinking water shortage in the City is no secret. What this lack of planning and over-dependence on water from Cauvery has also done is leave the water table on the brink of depletion.

In the last few years, many areas within Bangalore have depended on water supplied thro­u­gh tankers or are paying hefty sums to avail packaged drinking water. But is packaged drinking water safe for consum­ption? The answer is not in black and white.

While a good percentage of companies selling packaged water in Bangalore run without appropriate licences or approvals raise doubts about the quality, studies have shown that on an average, close to 90 per cent of packaged water circulating in the City, including that which is supplied by companies with approvals and certification, is adulterated/contaminated.

The Public Health Institute, a wing of the Department of Health and Family Welfare had, in June, analysed eight packaged drinking water samples. Of this, seven, about 87.5 per cent, were found to be contaminated. Similarly, in May, six packaged drinking water samples were tested, of which five samples turned out to be both adulterated and misbranded. (See table).

Raids conducted across the State have revealed that about 564 water packaging units across Karnataka are functioning without the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, which is a must under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, which was implemented in 2011.

Of the 564 units running without the required certification, 69 are in the Bangalore Urban district, second only to Bellary, which has about 78 such units. The Bangalore Rural district has about 32 such units.
The department found that only 224 units across the State were certified. Sources in the Health department said the Act not only makes it mandatory to have a quality certification for the water used, but also prescribes that it shall be packed in clean, hygienic, colourless, tran­sparent and tamperproof bottles/ containers made of polyethylene (PE) (conforming to IS:10146 or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) conforming to IS: 10151 or polyalkylene terephthalate (PET and PBT) conforming to IS: 12252 or poly­pro­pylene conforming to IS: 10910 or food grade polycarbonate or sterile glass bottles suitable for preventing possible ad­u­­l­t­eration or contamination of the water.

Following the revelations of the raids, official sources told Deccan Herald that notices have been issued to 538 such units and about 91 units have been closed. “About 19 of them have filed writ petitions in the court, against the department,” another official said.

The Karnataka High Court has also held that packaged drinking water comes within the purview of the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, and that the BIS certification is mandatory. Hearing a related petition, the court has directed the State government to take action so as to prohibit and prevent the manufacture and sale of packaged drinking water without the required certification.

“The State must take action against manufacturers who are found operating without certification from the BIS,” a Division Bench had noted in the order. The Bench said all manufacturers will have to submit applications for BIS certification in the prescribed format within 15 days and directed the authorities concerned to process the applications within three months and notify the deficiencies, if any.

This leaves the City with ground water as an option, and according to reliable sources almost 40 per cent of Bangalore’s needs are already being met by ground water. However, all is not well even here.

Recently, releasing a report on the quality of drinking water in Basaveshwarnagar, Vaman Acharya, chairperson, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), said that borewell water in many pockets of the City is highly contaminated with toxins and is not fit for direct consumption. He said it is advisable to not use borewell water for drinking in these areas.  This problem is not new. In April 2003, the State’s department of mines and geology collected 918 water samples from across 735 locations in the city.

And in over 370 locations (over 50 per cent), ground water was not suitable for domestic use - that is contamination exceeded levels laid down by the BIS for drinking water quality, a recent report of the Centre of Science and Environment (CSE) has noted.

“The key problem was nitrate pollution, indicating sewage-related pollution. In 262 samples, nitrate levels were found to be more than five times the permissible limit of 50 mg/per litre. In some samples, the nitrate values were as high as 666 mg/l, indicating a serious problem, for significant levels of nitrate pollution is known to cause the ‘blue baby’ syndrome in children,” the study said.

The problem in Bangalore is that its pollution management is still rudimentary. Although the City spends enormous amounts of money to supply water to its residents, its sewage network is found wanting and therefore, treatment remains inadequate. The City’s highly priced water is now leading to more sewage, which in turn, is contaminating its ground water.

Dinamalar

1 lakh packets of Appam destroyed at Sabarimala - The Hindu

State Food Safety team detects fungal infestation

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has destroyed a huge quantity of Appam, a major prasadom at Lord Ayyappa Temple, owing to fungal infestation.

As many as 1 lakh packets (each packet contains seven Appams) of the prasasom which were found unfit for human consumption have been burnt in the incinerator at the Sannidhanam, TDB sources said.

The State Food Safety inspection team detected the fungal infestation in random samples collected for examination from the Devaswom store two days ago.

The matter was brought to the notice of Special Commissioner appointed by the Kerala High Court K. Babu who, in turn, directed the Joint Commissioner of Food Safety to conduct a detailed examination of the entire Appam stock at Sabarimala.

Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Babu said an expert team led by the Joint Commissioner of Food Safety conducted a thorough examination of the Appam stock at the TDB godown at the Sannidhanam on Thursday. The team found as many as one lakh packets of Appam that had fungal infestation and were not fit for human consumption.

The Special Commissioner directed the TDB authorities not to supply the stale Appam to the devotees and to take steps for its safe disposal at the earliest.

Mr. Babu said the TDB Commissioner and the Joint Commissioner of Food Safety had informed him that the entire stock of the fungus-infested Appam was disposed of on Thursday night.

He said Devaswom executive officer K. Sankaranarayana Pillai had clarified that adding extra bananas to the rice flour for making the Appam soft on the recommendations of the Mysore-based Central Food Technological Research Institute might have affected the shelf life of the prasadom.

The Food Safety team had attributed the problem to the excessive water content in the Appam, Mr. Babu said.

Heavy loss

The TDB has incurred a loss of at least Rs.25 lakh owing to the Appam going stale, not to mention loss of goodwill and impact on devotees’ sentiments.

There were also allegations of indifference to ensuring the quality of Appam reportedly owing to difference of opinion among the board staff over the contract given for Appam preparation at Sabarimala this year.

The Special Commissioner said a detailed inquiry would be conducted soon into the circumstances leading to deterioration in the prasadom quality.

He said strict instructions had been given to the board authorities to ensure the quality of Appam.

Maalai Malar

Test kit developed to check milk adulteration: Agriculture Minister - THE HINDU

In a bid to check adulteration of milk, the government has developed testing kits, which can detect detergents, urea and other compounds in milk and dairy products, Parliament was informed on Friday.

“A kit has been developed for detection of starch, sugar, glucose, urea, ammonium compounds, pond water, common salt, neutralisers, hydrogen peroxide, formalin in milk,” Minister of State for Agriculture Tariq Anwar said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

The kit, developed by the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), also contains regents for detection of vanaspati in ghee, he added.

The Karnal—based institute has also developed a test for detection of detergent in milk. The test is sensitive to detect minimum levels of 20 mg detergent per 100 ml of milk.

It is simple and rapid and does not require laboratory equipment, the minister added.

“Presently, the kit is being used by several units in diary industries. NDRI has also offered the kit for commercialisation to the public/private sector companies,” Anwar said.

Last month, the government in an affidavit to the Supreme Court said that over 68 per cent of milk in the country does not conform to the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

According to the FSSAI’s 2011 survey, the most common adulterant was found to be the addition of water and the main reason for deviation from the standards was addition of glucose and skimmed milk powder. It also found that in some samples, detergent was mixed.

The affidavit was filed in response to the notice issued on a PIL by a group of citizens, led by Swami Achyutanand Tirth of Uttarakhand, seeking a check on sale of synthetic and adulterated milk and various dairy products.PTI

Court SC cracks whip on soft drinks 'toxins'

The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FDA) of India was today asked by the Supreme Court to file "records" of the proceedings of its various panels, set up on apex court's order, passed during hearing of a plea on harmful effects of chemicals and toxins in carbonated drinks.
"Produce records. Put up for hearing on December 3," a bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said.
The court gave its direction after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre For Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), alleged that instead of an expert panel,
another FSSAI panel on labelling and claims/ advertisement considered the grievance of additives in carbonated drinks.
"It should have been done by the expert committee which could have considered the issue of additives in carbonated beverages. The issue, however, was considered by a technical committee of FSSAI that is Scientific Panel on Labelling and Claims /Advertisement...
"It seems that this report was given by the cola industry people and an assistant director of FSSAI has simply submitted it," Bhushan alleged and sought a direction to FSSAI to submit the minutes of its various meetings on the issue.
The apex court had asked FSSAI on February 8, 2011 to set up independent scientific panels to examine harmful effects of chemicals in carbonated beverages.
FSSAI panel later passed an order on September 12 after examining various ingredients of carbonated beverages such as artificial sweetener, phosphoric, malic and citirc acid, carbon dioxide, colouring agents, benzoic acid and caffeine.
It said in its order that these ingredients, under prescribed limits, would pose no health hazards.
FSSAI's Scientific Panel On Labelling and Claims / Advertisement, in its order, said, "The expert group reviewed the scientific studies and FSS Regulations, 2011 and confirmed the following:
"All ingredients mentioned above are within the levels as prescribed in the FSS Regulations, 2011 as per the 'Analytical Data on Carbonated Beverages', produced by FRSL Ghaziabad.
"Based on updated scientific reviews, if these ingredients are consumed within the prescribed levels, no health hazard would be caused to humans."
Earlier, senior advocate K Venugopal, appearing for FSSAI, said the PIL, which was filed in 2004, be disposed of as all the reliefs claimed by CPIL have been given.
He said the Food Safety and Standards Act, a comprehensive legislation, came into effect subsequently in 2006 and it took care of all the issues raised in the plea.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also said its study concluded that no health hazard would be caused if the ingredients are within prescribed limits.
The PIL, however, had alleged that the ingredients used in carbonated drinks have "serious deleterious effects on human health" and no action has been taken to test and assess the risk posed by such beverages.
It had also sought the constitution of a committee to evaluate harmful effects of soft drinks and a proper label, giving details of ingredients, be affixed on them. It had also
sought to regulate "misleading" advertisements targeting children.

Supreme Court seeks FSSAI panels' records of proceedings on soft drinks
NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was today asked by the Supreme Court to file "records" of the proceedings of its various panels, set up on apex court's order, passed during hearing of a plea on harmful effects of chemicals and toxins in carbonated drinks.

"Produce records. Put up for hearing on December 3," a bench of justices K S Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra said.

The court gave its direction after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Centre For Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), alleged that instead of an expert panel, another FSSAI panel on labelling and claims/ advertisement considered the grievance of additives in carbonated drinks.

"It should have been done by the expert committee which could have considered the issue of additives in carbonated beverages. The issue, however, was considered by a technical committee of FSSAI that is Scientific Panel on Labelling and Claims /Advertisement...

"It seems that this report was given by the cola industry people and an assistant director of FSSAI has simply submitted it," Bhushan alleged and sought a direction to FSSAI to submit the minutes of its various meetings on the issue.

The apex court had asked FSSAI on February 8, 2011 to set up independent scientific panels to examine harmful effects of chemicals in carbonated beverages.

FSSAI panel later passed an order on September 12 after examining various ingredients of carbonated beverages such as artificial sweetener, phosphoric, malic and citirc acid, carbon dioxide, colouring agents, benzoic acid and caffeine.

It said in its order that these ingredients, under prescribed limits, would pose no health hazards.

SC seeks records of food safety panel on soft drinks

SC seeks food safety panel’s records

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought records of a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) committee which said carbonated beverages do not pose health hazard and there were no benzene residues in the soft drinks.
Justice KS Radhakrishnan and Justice Dipak Misra called for the records of the FSSAI's technical committee after counsel Prashant Bhushan said the authority's Sep 12 order was given by its committee on advertisement and labelling, not by the scientific panel on food additives. As Bhushan focused on the health hazards of carbonated beverages, Justice Radhakrishnan observed that the "best course is to educate people not to consume beverages."
"All cricketers are promoting soft drinks on television," he said.
Assailing the order which was submitted to the court, Bhushan said the order, issued Sep 12 by FSSAI assistant director Kamal Kumar, was like affixing the authority's stamp on a report by soft drink manufacturers.
Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Centre for Public Interest Litigation, told the court that the order said benzene residue in carbonated beverages was formed only under certain conditions when agents like benzoates and ascorbic acid were present together with heat, ultraviolet light and metallic ion mixture."However, in the absence of benzoic acid and ascorbic acid together, benezene residues are not generated (in carbonated beverages)," the order said.
It said that according to studies by Indian Council for Medical Research, the consumption pattern of the beverages was only 500 ml per day in a "worst case scenario which do not appear to pose any health hazard."
The order said Indian Beverage Association had confirmed to the FSSAI that in India, benzoic and ascorbic acids were not present together in the beverages.
Seeking the minutes of the technical committee which had a hearing for eight days, Bhushan asked if the FSSAI had itself done any test to determine the presence of benzoic acid in carbonated beverages. Bhushan told the court that the FSSAI was not accepting the findings of its own lab in Ghaziabad.
Senior counsel KK Venugopal, who appeared for one of the respondents, told the court that all the prayers made by the petitioner NGO have been satisfied after the union government enacted a law comprehensively addressing the issues raised in the petition. He told the court that it was nearly eight years since the court was seized of the matter.
Additional Solicitor General P.P. Malhotra, who appeared for the government, said the technical committee was authorised to look into the additives. He said Bhushan had appeared before the committee on five occasions but had never raised this objection.
However, Justice Radhakrishnan said the issue raised by Bhushan was serious and called for the records of the meetings of the committee.

FDA seizes khoya, oil, vanaspati worth Rs 37.72 lakh in festive season

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Mumbai, seized khoya, oil and vanaspati worth Rs 37.72 lakh during the festive season from October 1 to November 30 and also collected 33 samples as part of the drive.

Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner, FDA, Greater Mumbai, said, “We have conducted special raids against all those FBOs which have been involved in adulteration during the festive season. In order to curb the incidence of adulteration this drive was conducted all over Mumbai.”

Sahebrao V Mule, FDA, food safety officer, Zone 9, Mumbai, informed, “We conducted raids in all wards and zone of Mumbai and collected 33 samples. We are awaiting the results of the collected samples. We have seized khoya weighing 17,219 kg and worth Rs 27,86,776, and oil and vanaspati worth Rs 9,84,700 respectively.”

He added, “Vanaspati of First Class and Ruchera brands both from South India have been seized. First Class vanaspati 530 tins of 15 kg each and Ruchera 150 tins of 15 kg each have been seized whereas in oil, mustard oil 60 tins of 15 kg each and 2 tons loose, groundnut oil 2 tons and palmolein oil 40 tins of 15 kg each have been seized.”

Mule said, “We have sent all the samples to laboratory for testing on 8th November and we are awaiting the results. After the result is out and if the product is found to be injurious to health, complaint will be filed at court and the court will decide about the action taken on the culprits.”

Most of the khoya comes from Gujarat and Rajasthan, the groundnut oil comes from Gujarat, mustard oil comes from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while palmolein oil is imported from Malaysia.

Food adulteration cases in Jmu

Food adulteration cases in Jmu

Violators escape action in absence of testing facility
Arun Singh
Jammu, Nov 22: Due to the delay in getting results of food samples picked up by Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) from the restaurants and the shops in Jammu division, it gives enough time to the defaulters to escape from the legal action.
There is only one laboratory in the region to test the samples and due to the unprecedented increase in the cases of food adulteration in the winter capital of the State, it becomes extremely difficult to get the results in time.
Sources in the department told Rising Kashmir that as per the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) Act-2008, JMC failed to setup its own food-testing laboratory, the corporation has to depend on the Food and Drug Laboratory established within the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), which is the only laboratory in the region.
The laboratory is regulated by both Union Health Ministry and State Health Ministry, they added.
They further said that the laboratory is well equipped with the modern gadgets to test all kind of food items.  However, hundreds of samples are sent to this laboratory from across the Jammu region for testing on daily basis, which make it overburdened and consequently results are delayed and that also delays the legal action against the violators the JMC could initiate, they added.
“The maximum time which has been fixed by the laboratory for giving results has been fixed at 14 days which gives sufficient time to the violators to escape from the legal action,” said an inside JMC source.
Health wing of JMC is intensifying its anti adulteration drive at all the restaurants , sweetshops and other places where food is served, but due to the insufficient testing facilities in the region lots of efforts of JMC are wasted,  sources said.
They further added that Consumers Affairs Public Distribution (CAPD) Department also conducts anti adulteration drives and sends the samples to the same laboratory and they face the same problem of not getting the results in time.
Health Officer JMC, Dr Vinod Sharma, when contacted told Rising Kashmir that “Food and Drug laboratory at RRL has very small set up and cannot cater to the bulk of samples due to the inadequate staff and many others reasons well known to the concerned authority”.
“We have to face many problems to take legal action against the defaulters. However, we seize adulterated food items and impose heavy fine on the violators on the spot,” he added.
He further said that Additional Deputy Commissioner has an authority to impose the fine from Rs 5000 to Rs 5 lakh.