Dinakaran

போலியான மற்றும் கலப்பட உணவு பொருட்களை தயாரிக்கும் நிறுவனங்கள் தங்களது உற்பத்தி பொருட்களில் முழுமையான முகவரி மற்றும் தொலைபேசி எண்களை வெளியிடுவதில்லை. முகவரிக்கான பகுதியில் ஏதாவது ஒரு நகரத்தின் பெயரை மட்டுமே பிரிண்ட் செய்கின்றனர். இதனால் உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் பலர் மீதும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முடியாத நிலை உள்ளது. உற்பத்தி செய்த பொருட்களை வாங்கி இருப்புவைப்போர் மற்றும் விற்பனை செய்வோர் மீது மட்டுமே தற்போது அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை எடுத்து வருகின்றனர்.

மனித வாழ்வின் அன்றாட அங்கம் என்று கருதும் அளவிற்கு டீ ஆதிக்கம் அதிகரித்துள்ளது. டீ குடிக்கவில்லையென்றால் எதையோ இழந்தது போன்ற மனநிலைக்கு பலரும் செல்வது இயல்பாக மாறியுள்ளது. வேலை பளு, சோர்வு, பசி போன்ற காலங்களில் பலரும் டீ குடிப்பதை வழக்கமாக கொண்டுள்ளனர். குறைந்த விலையில் கிடைக்கும் உற்சாக பானமான டீயை பெரும் செல்வந்தர்களில் துவங்கி, தினக்கூலி தொழிலாளர்கள் வரை அதிகளவில் பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர்.

நுகர்வு அதிகமாக உள்ளதால் போலியான டீ தூள் விற்பனையும் அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. தமிழகம் முழுவதும் பரவலாக போலி டீ தூள் விற்பனை நடக்கிறது. சாலையோர டீ கடைகள், சிறிய வணிக நிறுவனங்களில் இந்த டீ தூளை அதிகளவில் சந்தைப்படுத்துகின்றனர். பிரபல நிறுவனங்களின் பெயரில் விற்கப்படும் இந்த டீ தூளை வாங்கி, தொடர்ந்து பயன்படுத்துவோர் நோய் பாதிப்புக்கு உள்ளாகின்றனர். போலி டீ தூளை எளிதில் அடையாளம் கண்டுபிடிக்க முடியும். நல்ல டீ தூளை சுடு தண்ணீரில் போட்டால் மட்டுமே தண்ணீர் நிறம் மாறும். ஆனால் போலியான டீ தூளை சாதாரண தண்ணீரில் போட்டாலே பிரவுன் கலராக தண்ணீர் மாறிவிடும்.

முந்திரி தோல், மரத்தூள், புளியங்கொட்டை போன்றவற்றை தூளாக மாற்றி, அதில் துணிக்கு பயன்படுத்தும் சாயப்பொடியை கலந்து டீ தூள் என்று விற்கப்படுவது அதிகரித்துள்ளது. இந்த முறையில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் டீ தூளை தொடர்ந்து பயன்படுத்துவோருக்கு வயிற்று புண்ணில் துவங்கி, கேன்சர் வரை பல்வேறு பாதிப்புகள் ஏற்படுகிறது. கல்லீரலை பாதித்து பல்வேறு நோய்கள் தாக்குவதற்கு வழிவகுக்கிறது.

இதுகுறித்து சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அனுராதா கூறியதாவது:

தங்களை நாடும் நுகர்வோருக்கு தரமான பொருட்களை மட்டுமே வழங்க வேண்டும் என்பதில் வியாபாரிகள் உறுதியாக இருக்க வேண்டும். மக்களை பாதிக்கும் உணவு பொருட்களை பயன்படுத்தக் கூடாது. டீ கடைக்காரர்கள் மற்றும் பொதுமக்கள் டீ தூளை வாங்கும் போது பேக்கிங்கை கவனமாக பார்க்க வேண்டும். வியாபாரிகள் தாங்கள் வாங்கும் டீ தூளுக்கு கண்டிப்பாக பில் வாங்க வேண்டும். இந்த நடைமுறை மூலம் போலி பொருட்கள் சந்தைக்கு வருவதை தடுக்க முடியும். நிறுவனங்கள் தங்களது உற்பத்தி பொருளின் விபரங்களை பேக்கிங்கில் தெளிவாக குறிப்பிட வேண்டும். உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் முழுமையான முகவரி, தொலைபேசி எண், தயாரிப்பு தேதி, பெஸ்ட் பிபோர் தேதி, உற்பத்தி பொருளில் என்னென்ன மூலப்பொருட்கள் கலந்துள்ளது, வெஜிடேரியன், நான் வெஜிட்டேரியன் குறித்த தகவலுக்கான சிம்பல், உணவில் உள்ள கலோரி உள்ளிட்ட சத்து விபரங்கள் ஆகியவற்றை தெளிவாக பிரின்ட் செய்திருக்க வேண்டும். இந்த தகவல் இல்லாத உணவு பொருட்கள் போலியானவை, கலப்படமானவை என்பதை பொதுமக்கள் எளிதில் கண்டுபிடித்துவிடலாம்.

போலியான மற்றும் கலப்பட உணவுப் பொருட்கள் குறித்து பொதுமக்கள் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கலாம். அதிகாரிகள் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட கடைகள் மற்றும் நிறுவனங்களில் சோதனை நடத்தி, தரம் குறைந்த பொருட்களை சந்தைப்படுத்துவோர் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பார்கள். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

கேன்சருக்கு வழி வகுக்கும்

பண ஆசை வேண்டாம்

தரமான உணவு பொருட்களோடு ஒப்பிடும்போது, போலியான மற்றும் தரம் குறைந்த உணவு வகைகளை விற்பனை செய்வதால் வியாபாரிகளுக்கு கூடுதல் லாபம் கிடைக்கிறது. இதற்கு ஆசைப்பட்டு வியாபாரிகள் சிலர் இந்த உணவு பொருட்களை சந்தைப்படுத்துகின்றனர். பில் இல்லாமல் வாங்கினால் விலை குறையும் என்று கருதி வியாபாரிகள் பலரும் போலியான உணவுப்பொருள் என்பது தெரியாமலேயே கொள்முதல் செய்கின்றனர். இதுபோன்ற நடைமுறைகளால் அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை நடத்தும் போது வியாபாரிகள் மட்டுமே தண்டனைக்கு உள்ளாகும் நிலை தொடர்கிறது. கூடுதல் ஆதாயத்துக்கு வியாபாரிகள் ஆசைப்படாமல் இருந்தாலே போலியான பொருட்கள் நடமாட்டத்தை முடிவுக்கு கொண்டு வரலாம் என்று அதிகாரிகள் கூறுகின்றனர்.

போலி டீ தூள் நடவடிக்கையில் இடைவெளி

தரம் குறைந்த, கலப்படம் மற்றும் போலியான உணவு பொருட்களை தயாரிப்போரை அதிகாரிகள் பிடித்து, பொருட்களை பரிமுதல் செய்த போதும், அவர்கள் மீது உடனடி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முடியாத நிலையே உள்ளது. பறிமுதல் செய்த உணவு பொருட்களை பரிசோதனைக்கு அனுப்புகின்றனர். அதன் முடிவு 15 நாட்களுக்கு பின்னர் வருகிறது. இந்த முடிவின் அடிப்படையில் சென்னையில் உள்ள ஆணையர் அலுவலகத்துக்கு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கப்படுகிறது. அங்கிருந்து மாவட்ட அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டு, பொதுமக்களுக்கு பாதிப்பு ஏற்படுத்தும் உணவு பொருளை விற்பனைக்கு வைத்திருந்த வியாபாரிகள் மீது கைது மற்றும் நீதிமன்ற நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படுகிறது. இந்த நடைமுறைகளுக்கு இடையே தரம் குறைந்த உணவு பொருள் தயாரிப்பாளர்கள் தங்களது உற்பத்தி இயந்திரங்களுடன் தலைமறைவாகி, வேறு பகுதியில் உற்பத்தியை துவங்குகின்றனர்.

போலியான மற்றும் கலப்பட உணவுப் பொருட்கள் குறித்து பொதுமக்கள் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கலாம். அதிகாரிகள் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட கடைகள் மற்றும் நிறுவனங்களில் சோதனை நடத்தி, தரம் குறைந்த பொருட்களை சந்தைப்படுத்துவோர் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பார்கள். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

Food safety and standards act Camps to expedite registration work

Bathinda, January 12
District health authorities will be holding camps in various parts of the district from next week onwards in order to speed up the work of registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA).

With the last date for registration under the Act nearing (February 4) very few have got themselves registered and applied for licences with the health department. “Now we have decided to convene a meeting with all these people after Lohri so that they can be appealed to speed up the registration procedure. As soon as the meeting is held, we will chart out strategy to hold a series of camps in various areas wherein the licensing authority will be nearer to people to get the work done,” said the district health officer Dr Raghubir Singh Randhawa.

At these camps, emphasis would be laid on providing on-the-spot registration to save the shopkeepers from going to the health department for the work.

He added that during a recently conducted state-level meeting, there was no indication of increasing the deadline for registration and obtaining licences.

Sources in the health department said the government was not emphasising on the procedure even as the time was running out, as most of the traders are associated with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), a partner in the ruling alliance in state.

“With the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) elections and the MCB elections round-the-corner, the government does not want to spoil the mood of its ruling partner. No one is being forced to get the registration done and the government is working at slow pace,” confided a health official.

No chemists, rice-miller registered with health department as yet

No chemist shop, rice-miller, flour mill or transporters who supply food items, have applied either for registration or license with the health department, even as the deadline for doing so under the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSA) has been fixed at February 4.

The department plans to launch a campaign from the next week to create awareness on the act. It has also announced that firms and businesses not registered or licenced under the act would be fined heavily.
The department has set a target of issuing 7,000 registrations and 800 licences; but it has issued only 805 registrations and 90 licences so far, 17 months after the act was notified. 
District health officer Dr Garja Singh said that the department will start an awareness campaign from Monday. He added that chemists, rice-millers, flour mills, transporters, bakery and all those who deal with food items need to be registered under Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.
He said that chemists also sell certain categories of eatables and need to apply under this Act. He added that the government also planned to bring alcohol dealers under the Act, but as of now alcohol dealers had been kept out of this act.

Dinakaran

Trade seeks more time to implement Food Safety Act

Madurai, Jan. 11:

Trade and industry bodies have voiced their concern, yet again, over the implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act ( FSS Act), relating to registration and obtaining of licence and sought extension of time. The last date has been fixed as February 2.
A delegation from Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association led by its president S.P. Jeyapragakasam met the Governor of Tamil Nadu K. Rosaiah , during his visit to the city on Thursday and submitted a memorandum, urging him to insist on Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad to consider and extend the date, for a period of another two years.
Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, in an appeal to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has sought an extension of time by a period of another one year, up to February 0, 2014. In a statement here it said that following representations made by various associations including the Chamber, the FSSAI, by a Statutory Advisory dated July 25, 2012, extended the time period granted to Food Business Operators for applying for registration/licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 up to February 4, 2013. According to the new Act, all those engaged in food products related trade and industry including packers, transporters, hotels, sweet stalls, marriage halls, etc., must register or obtain licence based on their turnover.

Lift food samples on daily basis: Qasba

Rising Kashmir News
Srinagar, Jan 10: Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), G N Qasba has emphasized on proper and effective implementation of provisions of Food Safety and Standard Act 2006. In a meeting with all Food Inspectors of the Corporation along with Health Officer, Qasba expressed concern over food safety measures.
He instructed Food Inspectors to ensure lifting of samples every day from food establishments and also from such units where food items are imported from outside the country, which shall be sent to the concerned laboratories for test results.
On finding any adulterated food item the offender shall be prosecuted under law. Food Safety officers shall conduct the random check of milk throughout the city on daily basis and substandard milk shall be destroyed on spot.
The meeting was attended by Joint commissioner Fayaz Ahmed Balla, Secretary SMC Hilal Ahmed Deewani, Senior Law Officer Qazi Ashraf, Senior Standing Counsel  Bashir Ahmed Khan.

Gutkha-maker moves HC over seizure

Court asks govt to state stand on release of consignment that was meant for export. Gutkha manufacturing company Dhariwal Industries has moved Bombay High Court against action taken by the Customs department to seize gutkha worth Rs 2.5 crore at Nhava Sheva port. The consignment was meant for export.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Anoop Mohta on Thursday asked the Maharashtra government if it was willing to release the consignment so that Dhariwal Industries can take it back to Gujarat and export it from there. The court, however, clarified the release would be subject to an undertaking by the company that it would export the goods directly from Gujarat henceforth.
Dhariwal Industries’ petition states that the Food Safety Commissioner had in a November 2012 letter directed the Commissioner of Customs to stop export and import of tobacco products from any port in the city. This was after a July 9, 2012 notification under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, that banned manufacture, distribution and sale of gutkha and paan masala in Maharashtra.
Company’s counsel Milind Sathe argued that the notification does not impose a ban on export of the products from Maharashtra. However, appearing for the state government, Advocate General Darius Khambata said the absence of the ban in the notification would not matter, as under the Food Safety Regulations, the commissioner can prohibit the export or import of any food product if it is found to be dangerous for consumption.
The court has now asked the state government to clarify its stand on the issue and has kept the matter for hearing on Friday.
Banned substances worth Rs 1.7 cr seized in Mumbai to be destroyed in Pune
Six months after state FDA began seizing illegal gutkha and paan masala, Rs 1.7 crore worth of banned substances confiscated in Mumbai will be ferried to Pune to be destroyed. The goods will be loaded in trucks from the FDA headquarters in Bandra Kurla Complex Friday and taken to the solid waste management plant in Pune where it will be burnt and the energy emitted will be used to generate electricity. The decision was taken after months of deliberations on how the seized substances could be disposed of. “We had thought of destroying the stock at the incinerator in Mankhurd. However, we were being charged Rs 26/kg by the incinerator company, which was not feasible. Moreover, if the stock had to be destroyed, it would be better to do so in a productive manner,” said G V Jagtap, assistant commissioner (food), FDA.

Kerala challenges order on ‘chewing tobacco’

The state government on Thursday approached the Kerala High Court challenging a single judge’s order which held that ‘chewing tobacco’ is not an item of food coming within the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The Single Judge found that since under the Regulation of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales) Regulation, 2011, prohibits only the storage, sale or distribution of food products containing tobacco as an ingredient, so the authorities have no right to ban the sale of ‘chewing tobacco’. The court had also observed that tobacco and tobacco products are not food as defined under section 3 (J) of the Act, and it is not a food product as specified in the Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation, 2011.
Appearing for the state, Special Government Pleader Tom K Thomas submitted that the findings of the Single Judge are contrary to the provisions of the law and principles laid down by the Supreme Court. “Chewing tobacco is not a food product is an incorrect finding. It is a food item containing tobacco, which is prohibited under the Food Safety Act. The quantity of tobacco, lime, aromatic spices are not specified in the label,” he submitted.
It further submitted that the person who eats ‘chewing tobacco’ consumes the essence derived out of chewing to get the desired result. Therefore, ‘chewing tobacco’ is essentially a food product and the findings by Single Judge is unsustainable.

TODAY PAPER NEWS

SALEM FOOD SAFETY DEPT. NEWS

No follow-up action after gutkha ban

The ban on sale and manufacture of gutkha in the State has come as boon for the traders who are demanding double the price for such tobacco products in the North Odisha region.
 Though many shops have taken off colourful gutkha pouches from their stands in the heart of towns like Balasore, Bhadrak and Baripada, such packets are still found hanging in front of the shops in rural markets.
 Besides, traders seem to have adopted back door practices to continue their business and avoid action. Consumers alleged the shopkeepers, citing the recently enforced law, were demanding ` 5 per pouch against the cover price of ` 1.
 Despite repeated allegations, the tobacco products are being sold near schools, colleges, temples and all other barred places in broad daylight, poking fun at the State Government’s ban.
 A habitual consumer Manas Biswal said the traders are, in fact, cashing in on the ban.
“They charge almost double the actual price for each pouch. Nobody is complaining. The customers are happy to shell out the money as long as they get their favourite brand to chew,” he said.
Small vendors selling tea and snacks also stack their counters with popular gutkha and paan masala brands. According to sources, Balasore town consumes more than 50,000 pouches of gutkha and paan masala, everyday.
Following the notification of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the Union Health Ministry to handle food-related issues, the State Government has banned gutkha, paan masala and tobacco products in Odisha from January 1.
The FSSAI regulation says food products will not contain any substance, which may be injurious to health. Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product.
Social activist Dilip Parida said just banning the sale of gutkha is of no use. The companies preparing these products should be targeted first.
It seems people are also not aware of the ban and its consequences. They say the law is not so stringent for which the shopkeepers are taking its advantage.
Surprisingly the district administration, which is supposed to execute the ban is yet to receive the guidelines prescribed by the Health Department. CDMO Saraswati Behera said they had only received one letter about the ban on the sale and manufacturing of tobacco products.
“We have not received the guidelines on how could we enforce the ban and what are the procedures to impose fines or initiate action against the offenders. We hope the guidelines will reach us soon,” she added.

How safe is the milk Valleyites drink?

SRINAGAR:  The tons of milk acquired from various sources in or outside the Kashmir Valley does not undergo systematic daily testing for purity, risking the health of around 70, 00,000 population.
Around 30 lakh litres of milk produced locally reaches consumers daily without any testing by the state authorities. Similarly, two to three tankers of milk imported from neighboring states each day reach the suppliers without any inspection by the authorities.
“The milk from local producers or from outside state reaches the market after being tested by the producers or suppliers themselves,” sources told Kashmir Reader. “The state authorities pick up samples from the market randomly or whenever there are complaints. But there is no system for daily sampling and testing of milk or milk products.”
The situation reflects the health risk Valley’s populace may be up against considering that more than 80 per cent of milk produced in the state contains adulterants as was revealed by a Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) survey last year.
The Valley has just one laboratory for testing of milk and other food samples, which is acutely short of staff and equipment.
According to the sources, the recent tests have revealed that 20 percent of the milk in Kashmir is adulterated.  “The samples we receive and test show 20 percent milk and 30 percent oil and spices used in Kashmir are adulterated.  The milk is mostly contaminated with starch or has low fat quantity in it,” they said.
The sources, however, expressed fear that the milk and milk products could be containing harmful contaminants too.
“The large quantity of milk imported from the neighboring states could have synthetic adulterations, but it reaches suppliers without any testing or inspection. Similarly, the packaged milk could be containing harmful preservatives,” they said.
Kashmir is still following 1956 Prevention of Food Adulteration Act unlike other states where Food Safety Standards Act (FSSA) 2006 warrants stern action against violators of the norms, besides proper sampling and testing of food items.
Recently, the J&K High Court, in response to a PIL seeking implementation of FSSA, had also expressed dissatisfaction over performance of government authorities including Srinagar Municipal Corporation in checking food adulteration. The court issued six directions to authorities as a track “to ensure people of the state are provided safe food items and eatables”.
The Drug Controller of the state, Satish Gupta, admitted that testing is done randomly and not on a daily basis.
“We are dependent on the field staff for sampling. They do it randomly or whenever complaints are received from anywhere,” Gupta told Kashmir Reader.
About the testing of the packaged milk supplied by private suppliers, he said, “They have their own testing mechanism. They test the milk before sending it to the market. They do not have to submit any reports.”
The Health Officer of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Dr Rubeena, however, said milk and milk products were routinely tested.
“Not on a daily basis, but we routinely go to the market and test the milk and milk products. Any contaminated or sub-standard material is destroyed on the spot,” she said.

Ban on gutkha, pan masala in AP

The government on Wednesday imposed a ban on gutkha, pan masala and other such chewable products in the State as they are found to contain harmful ingredients of tobacco and nicotine which will cause cancer and other diseases.

By an order issued on Wednesday through Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department, the government banned with immediate effect, manufacture, storage, sale, transportation and display of these products.

The step has been taken under various sections of the Food Safety & Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations of 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, conceding a long-standing demand of anti-tobacco organisations and activists.

The ban brings to halt, the indiscriminate sales of gutkha, pan masala and other such chewable products at thousands of roadside bunks and other retails outlets in the State. These are invariably used by drivers, particularly those on long-distance journey, besides others. They are preferred by them to get the necessary ‘kick” and keep them awake.

The government, at the same time, asked the Commissioner, Food Safety, and the Departments of Police, Health, Vigilance & Enforcement, Commercial Taxes, Transport, Labour, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj to take immediate steps to ensure enforcement of the ban from day one.

Ban welcomed

Hailing the ban , Director, Apollo Cancer Hospital, Dr. P. Vijayanand Reddy said it would save millions of lives.

In a statement here, he said there were over 3,095 chemical components in chewing tobacco products and 28 among them proved to be carcinogens. He said that over 90 per cent of oral cancer was directly associated with tobacco use and India has the highest prevalence of oral cancer globally -- with 75,000 to 80,000 new cases being reported every year.

He thanked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for taking bold step.

Informers to be rewarded, helpline soon

Bhubaneswar, Jan 8: Taking its fight against gutkha menace a step further, the State Government that recently banned chewing tobacco and ‘paan masala’ has decided to act tough on the violators by rewarding people sharing information on the illegal traders and manufactures of gutkha.
Makaranda Beura, Nodal Officer of Food Safety, said, “A special 24×7 helpline, with a Data Entry Operator and a Programme Assistant on duty, would be set up in all the 30 districts in the State to receive calls from the informers. Shops or manufacturing units would be raided by a special squad following tip-offs in this regard while the informers would be rewarded without disclosing their identity.”
He said the setting up of a helpline has been necessitated after reports of tobacco still being manufactured and sold came in. “Cautious after the ban, the traders have been selling gutkha to the known customers but this should be curbed to make the ban a success.”
Sources in the Health Department echoed the seriousness expressed by the Government in enforcing the ban as the State has the second highest number of oral cancer patients in the country.
Meanwhile, the recent raids on two shops – one at Berhampur and another in Cuttack – have only embarrassed the Health officials as they are clueless about the police action. Moreover, the “over-enthusiasm” of policemen has only surprised them.
“The gusto is understandable but police have started carrying out raids on their own without any guidelines being issued by the Health Department in this regard. Only a squad led by a Food Safety Officer (FSO) and consisting of policemen, not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector, and a Drug Inspector should conduct the raid under Clause 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation 2011,” a Health official said.
But some ‘zealous’ policemen, driven by the news of ban published in the media, have started coming down hard on the violators of law without following the proper procedure, he explained. “Interestingly enough, the Railway Police who raided a shop at the railway station in Behrampur actually had no authority to do so as the agency is controlled by the Centre,” he added.
He said the recruitment of FSOs, who are presently in dearth, would be done first followed by the issuing of guidelines. Many official formalities needed to be completed before finally implementing the ban, he added, pointing out that Uttar Pradesh, which also announced the restriction a few months back, would execute the same only by April.
Orissa is the 18th State to implement the ban and not the 15th one as reported by a section of the media, he observed. PNN

DINAMANI

Adulterated tea packets seized - THE HINDU

In a drive against food adulteration, a team of health officials seized about 250 kg of adulterated beverages from a godown at Karuppur on the city outskirts on Monday.
A team led by T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Salem District, raided a godown and found 250 kg of adulterated tea packets, meant for distribution to tea shops. Enquiry revealed that the buyer had purchased tea packets from Chennai.

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200 கிலோ கலப்பட டீ தூள் பறிமுதல்

சேலம், ஜன.9:

சேலம் அருகே உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் நடத்திய ஆய்வில் பிரபல நிறுவனத்தின் பெயரில் போலியாக தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட 200 கிலோ கலப்பட டீ தூள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது.

சமீபகலமாக பிரபல நிறுவனங்களின் பெயரில் போலியாக பொருட்களை தயாரித்து பொதுமக்களிடம் அதிக விலைக்கு விற்கும் சம்பவங்கள் தொடர்ந்து வருகின்றன. மக்களின் அத்தியாவசிய தேவைப் பொருட்கள் மற்றும் உணவுப் பொருட்களும் இந்த வகையில் தயாரிக்கப்படுவதாக தொடர்ந்து புகார் எழுந்தது. இந்நிலையில் சேலத்தை அடுத்த கருப்பூர் நடுபதி கிராமத்தில் உள்ள ஒரு குடோனில் பிரபல நிறுவனத்தின் பெயரில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட போலியான டீ தூள் பாக்கெட்டுகளை பதுக்கி வைத்திருப்பதாக சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அனுராதாவிற்கு ரகசிய தகவல் கிடைத்துள்ளது. 

இதையடுத்து உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் சிங்காரவேல், ராஜாமணி ஆகியோருடன் சம்பவ இடத்திற்கு சென்ற அனுராதா அதிரடி ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டார். இந்த ஆய்வின் போது பிரபல நிறுவனத்தின் பெயரில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டு விற்பனைக்கு தயாராக வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்த 200 கிலோ டீ தூள் சிக்கியது. அதிகாரிகளின் ஆய்வில் இது கலப்பட டீ தூள் என்பதும், சென்னையில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டு, நடுபதியில் உள்ள குடோனுக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டதும் தெரியவந்தது. இதையடுத்து டீத்தூளை பறிமுதல் செய்த அதிகாரிகள், குடோன் ஊழியர்களிடம் தொடர்ந்து விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர். 

இது குறித்து அதிகாரிகள் கூறுகையில், இந்த குடோன் யாருக்கு சொந்தமானது? சென்னையிலிருந்து கலப்பட டீ தூளை அனுப்பி வைத்தவர்கள் யார்? என்பது குறித்து விசாரணை நடத்தி வருகிறோம். டீ தூளின் மாதிரியை சென்னைக்கு அனுப்பி, அங்கிருந்து வரும் பரிசோதனை முடிவுகளின் படி கலப்பட டீ தூள் விற்றவர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்றனர்.

It’s mandatory for marriage halls and caterers to get food safety licence

Dishing a clean fare:J. Suguna, Designated Officer for Food Safety, Madurai district, addressing the owners of marriage halls and caterers at an awareness meeting in the city on Sunday.— Photo: R. Ashok 

 

“Cleanliness of kitchens in marriage halls is a top priority”

The scope of Food Safety and Standards Act has been extended to marriage halls and caterers also.

It is mandatory for every ‘kalyana mandapam’ and those who are engaged in food catering business to register and get proper licence from the food safety wing. At the same time, the cooks employed by catering units should obtain medical fitness certificate to ensure hygiene.

An awareness meeting about the need to get food safety licence was conducted here on Sunday for the owners of marriage halls in the city.

J. Suguna, Designated Officer for Food Safety, Madurai district, told The Hindu that marriage halls should have food safety licence as they have a kitchen to prepare food for marriages and other functions.

“This was the first meeting we had officially organised for this target group of ‘kalyana mandapams’ and catering people.

Cleanliness of kitchens in marriage halls is a top priority since it concerns general public who consume food there,” she said.

The marriage halls were asked to make enquiries whether the catering contractor booked by customers has the mandatory food safety licence.

“Normally, a family books marriage hall well in advance and so there is plenty of time available for the caterer to get the licence if it is not obtained already. We told the marriage hall owners to instruct their staff that they should verify the food safety licence of the caterer,” Dr. Suguna said.

The phone numbers of Food Safety Officers in Madurai district were given to the marriage halls association and the officer in each area could be contacted for clarifications, registration and to get food safety licence.

Dr. Suguna said that a ‘Food Safety Licence Mela’ will be conducted at Chellam Saraswathi Mahal on Kamarajar Salai in Madurai on January 20 for the benefit of those involved in food business.

Spot registration will be done on that day and all doubts will be clarified.

Those who want to know more about registration and licence can contact Dr.Suguna on mobile number 98423-03625.

Dinamalar

Halal products must be certified

Hyderabad: With the annual global halal food market pegged at Rs 33,00,000 crore, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has now proposed that manufacturers, who want to label their products as ‘Halal’, should invariably get the necessary certification from an authorised religious agency.

The new draft rules framed by the FSSAI on food labelling claims has set a separate section in the proposed legislation for a provision to be made for claims related to religious or ritual practices like ‘halal’ or ‘jhatka’ so that the food conforms to the requirements of the appropriate religious or ritual authorities. It should also be certified by authorised agencies concerned.

Halal certification is gaining popularity worldwide and many manufacturers in India label their product ‘Halal’. But often such claims are not backed by certification, leaving scope for misuse. Section 12 of the draft Bill on food labelling claims states, “The Food Authority may at any time ask a manufacturer and/or brand owner of any food on which claims are being made to substantiate the claim…”

India has about a dozen major Halal certification agencies. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind Halal Trust certifies Halal foods all over the country, including Hyderabad. According to the Jamiat, Halal certification is recognition that the products are permissible under Islamic law. “These products are, thus, edible or usable by Muslims. Halal certification from an established Islamic organisations helps to build consumer’s confidence without suspicion or doubt over the consumption of the products,” the Jamiat says.

Kerala HC strikes down ban on sale, supply of chewing tobacco

MANGALORE: The Kerala high court has struck down a ban on supply and sale of chewing tobacco and tobacco products by invoking the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006.

Justice AM Shaffique ordered that state and commissioner of Food Safety had no right to take action against tobacco or tobacco products as chewing tobacco was not a food product.

Allowing the petition, the court observed that tobacco and tobacco products were not food as defined under section 3(J) of the Act and it was not a food product as specified in the regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (prohibition and restrictions on Sales) Regulation 2011.

The Food Safety regulation permitted state governments to impose any restriction on any food products containing tobacco or nicotine, counsel for the petitioners stated.

Although it cannot prohibit the manufacture and sale of tobacco and tobacco products which cannot be considered as a food product, the judgement said.

The petitioners had alleged that while transporting chewing tobacco from Delhi, the vehicles were intercepted at the excise check-post at Walayar on June 2 last on the allegation that the sale of pan masala was prohibited in the state of Kerala and this move by the officials concerned was not correct as per law.

Though the dealers had represented that the ban on pan masala does not apply to chewing tobacco, the goods were not permitted to be brought to Kerala.

The traders had also contended that banning the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or ingredients invoking the FSS Act, the prohibition does not apply to chewing tobacco, banned in Madhya Pradesh as well. The FSSAI regulation was issued on August 1, 2011.

J&K’s drug labs ill-equipped to check adulteration

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir lacks the infrastructure for proper testing of food items for adulteration.
The state has only two drug laboratories, one each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, for testing of food samples. But both the laboratories are seriously lacking in manpower and equipments required for effective testing.
Sources revealed to Kashmir Reader that the laboratories are short of staff by up to 90 percent while the government over the years showed no urgency in filling up the posts.
“We only have 10 percent of the required staff available. The condition is more or less same at both the laboratories,” the sources said.
“We have been pleading the government to fill the positions, but till date it did not show any urgency. Some posts were created recently, but the selection process has been put on the back burner,” they said.
The laboratories, according to the sources, have not been upgraded over the years. They said the laboratories are dependent on the traditional methods of testing due to unavailability of the modern machinery.
“We are capable of chemical testing the food samples brought to the laboratory, but the machinery available with us is not up-to-date. We are forced to follow the traditional methods of testing, which are inefficient,” the sources said.
The infrastructure deficit is affecting the efficacy of the laboratories.
“If, for instance, we get 10 samples in a day, we are only able to test two because of the poor machinery and lack of manpower,” the sources said.
When contacted, Drug Controller Satish Gupta admitted that the laboratories were unable to detect latest contaminants.
“Our laboratories are similar to the ones functioning in rest of the country. We do test the samples, but detecting the latest molecules or contaminants may not be always possible,” Gupta told Kashmir Reader.
He, however, said the posts were recently created for the laboratories.
Recently, a division bench of the J&K High Court directed the authorities to take necessary steps by providing all basic ‘paraphernalia’ for making the provisions of the Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 (FSSA) “effective and visible on the ground.” The court was hearing a PIL seeking implementation of the act to check food adulteration.

PACKAGED FOODS VS FRESHLY PRODUCED FOODS IN RESTAURANTS - THE SAFETY ASPECT

The debate between whether fresh food is better or packaged food is better is not new, even the professionals working in the elite kitchens of the country also hold different opinion for the same. In a very busy restaurant if an orders comes for French fries then no chef will want to cut out potato frits and fry them, rather they will open a frozen potato pack put it in deep fryer and carry on with the other work, chef doesn’t have to worry about the seasoning, nor the texture.

There is no doubt that the packaged food is being served in restaurants and they do end up saving valuable time , helps in multi-tasking and do cut down on labour cost but are they really safe, Common sense leads us to believe that anything with the word “fresh” in it must be better for us than anything “packaged”.

Processed or Packaged food
Processed foods have been altered from their naturalstate for safety reasons and for convenience.Processing methods include canning, freezing,refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

Packaged food comes in different ways for example:

Canned fruit
Canned fruits like peaches , pine apples etc and vegetables like asparagus, palm shoots etc. In fact, if you can’t go with fresh veggies some canned ones may be the next best thing. Most are packaged within a day or two so most of the nutrients stay in but there are some drawbacks. Research shows that some vitamin B and essential nutrients are lost in the process and typically these products have a much higher sodium level than fresh veggies.

Processed Food
When foods are processed much of their nutritional value is lost and replaced with manmade and unhealthy fillers that add taste but through empty calories, sugar and carbohydrates. Some of the most harmful ingredients in processed foods include, high fructose corn syrup, trans fat, salt and artificial colors and sweeteners.

Food safety concerns while using packaged food:
These food stuffs are not safe for human health because of the following reasons:
1. Extra trans and saturated fats.
2. Extra sodium and sugar.
3. Often nutrients are removed to make the food last longer or look better.
4. Higher ratio of calories to other essential nutrients.
5. Ingredients in processed foods are often of low quality, but disguised by use of the processing.
6. Food additives have little nutritional value.

Health risk associated with eating these products:
1.. Kidney and stomach cancer
2.. Excess sugar and salt intake can lead to high blood pressure
3. Weight gain and diabetes.
4. Plastic used forpackaging food may also cause adverse health effects. It's long been known that infinitesimal bits of plastic get into our food from containers. The process is called "leaching" or "migration." Heating food in plastic seems to increase the amount that's transferred to food. Migration also increases when plastic touches fatty, salty, or acidic food.

Although bisphenol A came to fame on the nightly news as a potential poison in our water bottles, our main exposure to this comes from the linings of canned foods.The BPA we ingest gets into our bloodstream. Regular monitoring by the CDC shows that more than 90% of us have detectable levels of bisphenol A in our bodies.Among all the other plastic substances that get into our food, BPA stands out, for its ability to disrupt the functions of hormones -- especially estrogen.One large, well-conducted study in humans showed that people who had high levels of BPA in the urine had a higher rate of diabetes, heart disease, and liver toxicity.

Freshly produced food
These are those food stuffs that have been produced in farm and harvested and are used seasonally in kitchen. Although these food stuffs are considered healthy as compared to packaged food stuffs , but the use of chemicals and urea have raised safety concerns. There are variety of forms by which freshly produced food stuffs are used in restaurants :

Raw Food Diet
While some may call it extreme, others simply call it the best choice and the raw food diet has been credited with lowering blood pressure, obesity and even the chance of developing diabetes.

Organic
Restaurants are also putting emphasis on organic products which are free of harsh chemicals and additives and are grown in rich, natural soil. Aside from the health benefits, the advantages to the environment are plentiful.

Nutritional Benefits
Fresh fruits and vegetables provide fibre, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs for normal functioning. Notable nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, and fruit and vegetables are the primary sources for them. Individuals eating diets higher in fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of chronic disease. In addition, diets rich in fibremay reduce the risk of coronary heart disease also.

Effect of cooking method on nutrient content of Canned and Fresh Produce

The cooking method employed to prepare the produce greatly affects the nutritional value of canned and fresh produce. Canned produce has already been subjected to high cooking temperatures and it is possible for the nutrient levels to be reduced compared to the fresh versions. Cooking the vegetables more may destroy the remaining nutrients. In addition, canned vegetables are often softer in texture and could seem bland, but seasoning with more salt or fat serves to greatly affect the nutritional value of the overall meal. Light, quick cooking, like steaming and stir-frying are preferred cooking methods, because they preserve the vitamins and minerals of the food and result in brightly-colored, crisper vegetables than boiling or stewing food.

In restaurants where only fresh produce is used and no canned products are used does not guarantees safe food. Restaurants and the chefs have to adhere to priniples of food safety like HACCP to ensure safety aspects. for example a restaurant serving fresh meat items rather than the packaged meat has to ensure that the meat is first heated to 60 degree Celsius and then cooled down to the 5 degree Celsius if it is stored for later use , this will not allow the bacteria to contaminate the food , but while using frozen food , they are already packaged and kept at a temperature of -17 degrees so the chances of the having food contaminating bacteria is less.

More over food safety principles like clean , separate , cook and chill should be maintained.

Clean:Hands and surfaces should be cleaned and sanitised

Separate:There should be separate storage space for raw and processed food and there should be different chopping boards for raw meat, poultry, and seafood and a separate one for other food.

Cook:Cooking should be done to safe temperatures.

Chill:Refrigerate promptly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food, and leftovers within 2 hours.

By following food safety principles having safe food is easily achievable, so getting canned food or fresh food for operations in restaurant is passable, depending on the size of operations and the tye of service a restaurant can opt for any of them. Still keeping in mind the health assumptions related to canned food or packaged food old fashioned idea of farm to fork still rules the palate.

DINAMALAR

Gutkha prices double in City

Bhubaneswar, Jan 5: In the wake of the gutkha ban in the State, pan masala and gutkha sachets hanging in all pan shops and kiosks across the city has vanished overnight. The Government ban on chewing tobacco came into effect Saturday.
The Government issued a notification to this effect Friday three days after the formal announcement.
Shop owners fearing strict action from the administration didn’t take the risk of displaying or selling guthka in their shops.
Shopkeepers at the Capital Hospital who openly sold gutkha and pan masalas a few days back couldn’t muster courage to defy the Government orders.
“We will not take the risk as the punishment could invite a fine up to Rs 10 lakh and six years of imprisonment. Earnings of the whole year don’t stand up to the amount,” said a kiosk owner at the utility complex in the Capital Hospital.
However, a reality check in the city revealed that though shopkeepers had been barred from showcasing guthka, a few of them continued to sale the articles illegally to regular customers at higher rates. A guthka sachet costing Rs 2 is being sold at Rs 4.
Regular guthka chewers said rather than banning it the Government should create awareness on the harmful effect of tobacco.
“It would be a Gordian knot for law enforcers to prevent guthka from being sold illegally in the market. The shopkeepers would rather turn careful and sell them to select customers,” said engineering student Prabhakar Senapati casting doubt on the effectiveness of the ban.
Meanwhile, officials of Public Health Services said a State-level crackdown would be launched soon against shopkeepers violating the law. “The Government is now chalking out a strategy for proper implementation of the ban,” said a senior Health Department official.
The notification made as per the Regulation 2, 3, 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulation, 2011, and enacted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India invites penal action for the violators of law.
The ban assumed significance in view of the State being home to the second largest oral cancer population of the country.   PNN

Wanowrie eatery fined Rs 20K for FDA breaches

  An eatery in Wanowrie has been fined Rs 20,000 for food hygiene offences by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday. Green Sampan was raided in October 2012 after a complaint by a local resident, but the hearing took place on Saturday. The FDA says the restaurant has breached the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) rules many times.
    S B Kodgire, food safety official, FDA, said, “One Deepak Shah had called us on October 14, 2012, after which we raided Green Sampan on October 15. The food was being cooked in an open area behind the restaurant in unhygienic conditions. The people cooking, handling or serving food were not wearing hand gloves, aprons, head gear or covering their mouth while at work.”
    “Other offences include illegal gas connection and encroachment, which do not come under our jurisdiction,” Kodgire added. Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, said, “Green Sampan at Wanowrie did not have an FDA licence. They had not displayed the type of cooking oil they use and their garbage was not covered. They have violated Schedule 4, part 2 licence condition, serial number 1, punishable under Section 56 of FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). Their hearing was scheduled on Saturday and they have been fined Rs 20,000.”
    The restaurant pleaded guilty to two offences and was ordered to pay a fine totalling Rs 20,000. Both offences related to “failing to maintain the food business in a clean, well-maintained condition” and “failing to manage the refuse store in a way that enabled it to be kept clean”.
    Taslim Yamin Ansari, owner of the restaurant, said, “The restaurant was shut at the time of the FDA raid. They are just playing on a caller’s complaints. These charges date back to October 2012. On being informed about the results of the inspection, we took immediate action to bring the restaurant back to our strict hygiene standards. But I had to pay the fine.”

Gutkha sale, storage, distribution banned

The State Government on Friday formally banned the manufacture, storage, sale  and distribution of Gutkha and Panmasala by invoking the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011 under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the notification of which had been issued on January 3 last.

 Odisha is the 15th State in the country to ban tobacco. The ban assumes significance as about 40 per cent of all cancer detected cases in the State are caused by chewing of tobacco.

 The January 3 notification had been issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department in pursuance of regulation 2, 3 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulation, 2011 enacted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Any violation of the law would draw penal action which ranges from Rs1 lakh to Rs10 lakh and a jail term from three months to ten years.

 Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Damodar Rout said the District Collectors would oversee the implementation of the law. The Government through the notification also banned the advertisement for sale of tobacco and authorised police officers not below the rank of Sub Inspectors, Drug Inspectors and Food Inspectors to implement the order in their respective jurisdiction. The District Collectors were asked to organise workshops and sensitise people about the law and the evils of consumption of tobacco related products, he added.

Just 27% food traders enrolled yet - Indian Express

Even as the deadline for food traders to register themselves under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSA) 2006  ends on February 4, hardly 27 per cent of food traders in the city have registered under the act, so far.
Dr S  Lakshminarayanan, Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Chennai district, said, of the 22,000 food traders in the city, around 6,000 have registered under the act.
“We would carry out an intensified inspection to identify the defaulters, after the deadline comes to a close. Fine amounting to Rs 100 would be imposed for the numbers of days that the defaulters had failed to register from February 4,” he added.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is a statute that integrates eight different existing food laws. Food traders including mobile food vendors, home-based canteens, petty retailers of snacks and tea shops, food stalls, milk producers, dhaba, meat sellers must register themselves under the act, official sources said.

மிட்டாய் முதல்... மிளகாய் வரை... உஷாருங்க உஷாரு!

மிட்டாய் முதல்... மிளகாய் வரை... உஷாருங்க உஷாரு!

மிட்டாய், பிஸ்கெட் முதல் சமையல் அறையில் அடிக்கடி பயன்படும் மிளகாய், மிளகு, வெந்தயம், கடுகு வரை எல்லாவற்றிலும் புகுந்து விட்டது கலப்படம்.

அடடா, டீ செம ஸ்ட்ராங்காக இருக்குதே என்று நினைப்பவர்கள் பலர். ஆனால், கலந்துட்டான்யா புளியங்கொட்டைய... என்று பளீச் என ஒதுங்குபவர்கள் சிலர் மட்டுமே.

கடையிலே வாங்குற பிஸ்கெட்டாகட்டும், மாத்திரையாகட்டும், அதன் எக்ஸ்பயரி (காலாவதி) தேதியை எத்தனை பேர் பார்த்து கடைக்காரரிடம் கேட்கின்றனர் என்றால் விரல் விட்டு எண்ணி விடலாம். அப்படியே கேட்டாலும், எத்தனை பேர் நுகர்வோர் நீதிமன்றத்தை நாடுகின்றனர் என்பதும் கேள்விக்குறியே.

உணவு

பாதுகாப்புங்கிற விஷயத்தில போதிய விழிப்புணர்வு இல்லாமதான் பெரும்பாலானவங்க இருக்காங்க. விழிப்புணர்வை ஏற்படுத்த அரசு பல்வேறு திட்டங்களை செயல்படுத்திட்டு வருது. அந்தவகையில், உணவுப்பொருட்களை சுத்தமாக தயாரித்து தரமாக விற்க வேண்டுமென அதை தயாரிப்பவர்களுக்கு அரசு அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளது.

இதற்காக உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தரச் சட்டம் & 2006 என்ற ஒன்றையும் கொண்டு வந்துள்ளது. இதுகுறித்து கல்லூரி மாணவர்களுக்கு பயிற்சி கொடுத்து, தெருமுனை கூட்டங்கள், நாடகங்கள், குறும்படம், பேரணி போன்றவை மூலம் விழிப்புணர்வு ஏற்படுத்தப்படுகிறது.

இந்தியாவில் இம்மாதிரி திட்டத்தை அரசு முதலில் தமிழ்நாட்டில் துவக்கியுள்ளது. நுகர்வோர் விழிப்புணர்வு குறித்து கடந்த வாரம் அடையார் யூத் ஹாஸ்டலில், கல்லூரி மாணவர்களுக்கான 3 நாள் பயிற்சியளிக்கப்பட்டது. இதற்கு திருவான்மியூரை சேர்ந்த நுகர்வோர் பாதுகாப்பு அமைப்பும், இந்திய உணவு பாதுகாப்பு தர நிர்ணய அமைப்பும் ஏற்பாடு செய்திருந்தன. இதில், எத்திராஜ், எம்ஓபி வைஷ்ணவா கல்லூரி மட்டுமின்றி பல்வேறு மாவட்டங்களில் உள்ள கல்லூரிகளை சேர்ந்த மாணவர்கள் பங்கேற்றனர்.

சட்டம் என்ன சொல்கிறது?:

தர நிர்ணயம், உணவு தயாரிப்பு, விநியோகம், இறக்குமதி மற்றும் விற்பனையை ஒழுங்குபடுத்தி நுகர்வோருக்கு பாதுகாப்பான உணவை வழங்க இச்சட்டம் வழிவகை செய்கிறது.

சட்டம் என்ன சொல்கிறது?:

தர நிர்ணயம், உணவு தயாரிப்பு, விநியோகம், இறக்குமதி மற்றும் விற்பனையை ஒழுங்குபடுத்தி நுகர்வோருக்கு பாதுகாப்பான உணவை வழங்க இச்சட்டம் வழிவகை செய்கிறது.

சுண்டல் விற்பவர்கள், தள்ளுவண்டி கடைகள் முதல் பெரிய நிறுவனங்கள் வரை அனைவரும் பதிவு செய்யவேண்டும். (கடைசி நாள் பிப்.4). பதிவுக் கட்டணம் ரூ.100.

இதனால் பயன் என்ன?:

யார்? எங்கு? என்ன? விற்கிறார்கள் என்பதை கண்காணிக்க முடியும். உணவு சரியில்லை, கலப்படம் என்றால் சம்மந்தப்பட்டவர்கள் மீது புகார் செய்யலாம். அவர்களை சரியாக இருக்க அறிவுறுத்தவோ, தண்டிக்கவோ இயலும்.

பொருட்களை வாங்கும்போது கவனிக்க வேண்டியவை:

பேக்கிங் செய்த உணவில் இருப்பது வெஜ் என்றால் சிறியளவு கட்டத்தினுள் பச்சை நிறத்திலும், நான்வெஜ் என்றால் பிரவுன் கலரில் குறிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும்.

பிராண்டின் பெயர், வியாபார பெயர் இடம் பெற்றிருக்க வேண்டும்.

பேக்கிங்கில் என்னென்ன பொருட்கள் சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளது என்ற விபரம்

தயாரித்தவர் முகவரி, தொலைபேசி எண்கள் இருக்க வேண்டும். (பொருளை சாப்பிட்டு ஏதாவது பிரச்னையென்றால், அதில் என்ன மாதிரியான பொருட்கள் இருந்தது என்பதை தெரிந்து டாக்டரிடம் தெரிவிக்கலாம்)

பேக்கிங் பின்பக்கத்தில் பேட்ச் எண் உள்ளதா என்பதை கவனிக்க வேண்டும். (தயாரிப்பாளருக்கு புகார் வந்தால் அப்பெட்டி எப்போது தயாரிக்கப்பட்டது, எங்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டது என அறியலாம்)

உணவுப்பொருள் எவ்வளவு நாட்களுக்கு பயன்படுத்தலாம் என்ற தகவல் இடம்பெற வேண்டும். (உணவுபொருட்களில் கலாவதியாகும் நாள் என்பதற்கு பதிலாக பெஸ்ட் பிஃபோர் யூஸ் என்றே குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும்)

கலப்படம் ஒவ்வொன்றும் ஒருவிதம் விழிச்சுக்குங்க; புகார் கொடுங்க

உணவுப்பொருள் எவ்வளவு நாட்களுக்கு பயன்படுத்தலாம் என்ற தகவல் இடம்பெற வேண்டும். (உணவுபொருட்களில் கலாவதியாகும் நாள் என்பதற்கு பதிலாக பெஸ்ட் பிஃபோர் யூஸ் என்றே குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும்)

சத்துக்கள் விவரம், நறுமண பொருட்கள் ஏதேனும் சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளதா என குறிப்பிட்டிருக்க வேண்டும்

எந்த வெப்பநிலையில் வைத்து பாதுகாப்பது, பயன்படுத்துவது என்ற விவரம் இடம்பெற வேண்டும்.

எதில் கலப்படம்? இதோ பட்டியல்:

பாலில் சுகாதாரமற்ற தண்ணீரை கலந்து விற்பதால் வயிற்றுப்போக்கு ஏற்படுகிறது

உணவு எண்ணெயில் ஆர்ஜிமோன், கனிம எண்ணெய், ஆமணக்கு எண்ணெயை கலந்து சிலர் விற்கின்றனர். இதனால் பார்வையிழப்பு, இதய நோய்கள், வயிற்றுப்போக்கு ஏற்படும்

பருப்பு வகைகளில் கேசரி பருப்புகளை சேர்ப்பதால் முடக்குவாதம் வர வாய்ப்புள்ளது

மிட்டாய் போன்ற இனிப்புகளில் அனுமதிக்கப்படாத வண்ணங்களை கலப்பதால் கல்லீரல் பாதிப்பு, புற்றுநோய் வர வாய்ப்பு

மிளகாய் தூள், மல்லித்தூள் போன்றவற்றில் செங்கல்பொடி, மரத்தூள், மாவு வகைகளை கலப்படம் செய்கிறார்கள்.

தேயிலையில் முந்திரித்தோல், கலர் பவுடர்களை சோப்பதால் வயிற்று உபாதைகள் ஏற்படுகிறது

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Call for application for recognition of Food Testing Laboratories

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as a statutory body for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
There is requirement of large numbers of food testing laboratories for successful implementation of FSS Act, 2006 because all food testing has to be done in recognised laboratories. At present, the capacity is highly inadequate, both for testing food for regulation purpose or otherwise by FBO. Under the provision of Section 43(3) of FSS Act, 2006,  the Food Authority may frame regulations specifying the functions of food laboratory and referral laboratory The FSSAI intends to invite applications from NABL or other accredited Food Testing laboratories for recognition as FSSAI Recognised Food Testing Laboratories. The applicant’s lab must be accredited for the required scope of testing and should be well equipped in terms of manpower, equipment & other infrastructure for laboratories, requirements of analysis/ test requirements for food items as per FSS Regulation and should be able to offer consultancy/ advice to the concerned State Government/ Central Government / any other agency.
Background
Under the Section 43(3) of FSS Act, 2006, the Food Authority may frame regulations specifying the functions of food laboratory and referral laboratory and the local area or areas within which such functions may be carried out; the procedure for submission to the said laboratory of samples of articles of food for analysis or tests, the forms of the laboratory reports thereon and the fees payable in respect of such reports; and such other matter as may be necessary or expedient to enable the said laboratory to carry out its functions effectively. Food laboratories in public sector has very important role to play in food safety as all legal samples are tested in these laboratories. FSSAI intends to recognise NABL or other accredited  laboratories for the analysis of food samples sent by Authorized Officer/ Food Safety Officer/ consumer/ Food business operator.
The recognition scheme is applicable to laboratories, which are functioning independently irrespective of being an in-house laboratory or linked directly or indirectly to any of the manufacturing / processing unit /organization/ Institution to the satisfaction of FSSAI provided the laboratory demonstrates that there is no conflict of interest.
Scope of work
FSSAI has been mandated by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 for performing the various functions related to Food Quality and Safety. These functions in addition to others include “Laying down procedure and guidelines for recognition of laboratories and notification of the accredited laboratories”. Accredited laboratories before submitting their proposal should satisfy themselves on the following points:-
The laboratory shall follow the scientific protocols laid down for handling/testing the food samples.
Maintaining high standards of accuracy, reliability and credibility in the operation of the laboratory and achieving and maintaining the required levels of reliability.
Laying down mechanism for ensuring that personnel of the laboratory adhere to high professional standards and discipline.
Laboratory will gain International/ National recognition for its commitment to quality, competency and reliable results. It will help to assure customer that the laboratory has technical competence to provide reliable and accurate test or calibration results.
It will assure that the recognized laboratories are operating in accordance with its efficient management system
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Policy mechanism to deal with misleading ads soon: Thomas

Consumer Affairs Minister K.V Thomas (File Photo)

Kochi, Jan 5: 

Consumer Affairs Minister K.V Thomas today said the government will soon come out with a policy mechanism to curb the practice of misleading ads in print and TV media that distort competition and violate the basic rights of the consumers.

Expressing concern over a large number of misleading advertisements especially on health oils and tonics coming in print and TV media, he said the government is very serious about checking this menace.

“The influence of ads on consumer choice is undeniable. We have noticed that a lot of misleading ads especially on health tonics and oils are coming on print and TV media and this is a disturbing trend,” Thomas said here.

He was speaking at a seminar on consumer awareness, organised by the Consumer Affairs Ministry and Grand Kerala Shopping Festival here.

“Misleading ads distort competition and violate the basic rights of the consumers. We are in talks with stakeholders like corporate and media to come out with a policy mechanism to tackle this,” he said.

Echoing similar concerns, Consumer Affairs Secretary Pankaj Agrawal said the ministry through its various awareness programmes is sensitising consumers and business executives regarding consumer grievances and services.

“We are looking at the issue of misleading ads and are in talks with several stakeholders. The ministry will soon come out with an institutional mechanism to deal with such ads,” Agrawal added.

The government has drafted number of legislation that have provisions to deal with misleading claims and ads like the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1955, Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, etc., he said.

According to government data, the Food Safety Standards and Authority of India (FSSAI) has so far identified 38 food items with misleading claims. Manufacturer of these items were served show-cause notices and their replies were examined by FSSAI.

As per recommendations given by the 3-member committee at FSSAI on these 38 cases, prosecutions have been launched in 19 cases.

At present, the content of ads aired on television, radio and print media, is being regulated by private bodies like the Advertising Standards Council of India and News Broadcasting Association.

Currently, around 30-40 countries have self regulation on advertisement content. In some countries, there is an executive body or trade commission to monitor misleading advertisement.

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Look out for ‘GM’ label on packaged food from Tuesday

Starting Tuesday, consumers will get to know whether the packaged foods they are buying contain any genetically-modified (GM) ingredient, even as the food processing industry wants more clarity.

A Gazette Notification issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution mandates packaged food producers to disclose the GM ingredients, if used any, in their product.

The notification will come into effect from January 1, 2013, officials at the Food and Consumers Affairs Ministry said.

“Every package containing the genetically-modified food shall bear at top of its principal display panel the words ‘GM’,” the notification under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2012 said.

Such packaged commodity rules are applicable to some 19 products including biscuits, breads, cereals and pulses among others.

“The labelling will basically help inform the consumer about the presence of GM content in packaged food products,” said B.N. Dixit, Director, Legal Metrology, Department of Consumer Affairs.

It will help consumers make a choice as urban markets in the country are flooded with food products derived and processed in countries such as the US, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, where a majority of GM crops are cultivated.

India is still debating the regulation of GM crops and the only crop allowed to commercialise so far is Bt cotton. However, the implementation of such GM food labelling would be done by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Ministry of Health.

The FSSAI is yet to announce any rules for implementing the labelling exercise.

The processed food sector wants the Government to withdraw the notification till such time the implementation rules are formed by the FSSAI.

“The Government should withdraw the regulation till the rules are formulated by FSSAI,” industry sources said.

“Though the Government’s intention to label GM products is good, there is lack of clarity on the implementation part of it. The notification is too sketchy and does not mean anything,” said Rajesh Krishnan, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, GreenPeace.

The labelling notification does not specify the threshold limits nor does it talk of traceability or the liability aspects.

GreenPeace and other agencies such as Consumer Coordination Council (CCC) want the Government to make the GM labelling rules more stringent.

In a letter to the Food Minister K.V. Thomas, the CCC – the apex body of Indian consumer organisations that represents some 75 outfits - said setting a minimum threshold will strengthen the labelling initiative.

Besides, the notification should also make the role of the agencies involved in monitoring and regulation, clear and ensure there is strict punitive action in case of any violation, it said.

Further, CCC wants liability measures to be explicitly mentioned in the labelling rules.

Food samples collected from Mittal Avenue

Ujjain: Food department officials conducted a raid at Hotel Mittal Avenue on Wednesday and collected samples of packed items, spices and gram flour. City Magistrate Shyamendra Jaiswal led the first raid of 2013.

During the raid, the team found packed food items sans batch number, expiry and manufacturing dates. Even the kitchen of the hotel was unhygienic. Official directed the hotel manager to keep the ambiance of the kitchen hygienic.

Shailesh Gupta of food department and food safety officer Sachin Logariya said that samples would be sent to the laboratory at Bhopal under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Strict action will be taken against the hotel owner if the reports were found positive, one of the team members said. There are several hotels and eateries in the city that provides adulterated food materials and do not keep their establishment hygienic. Administration should also raid other such places to check adulteration and unhygienic surroundings.

Contain the poison

The High Court has taken a strong exception, and rightly so, to the inept performance of the government in checking food adulteration. In Srinagar, the court has apparently been informed, only four food samples have been taken for testing this summer. The court was hearing a PIL seeking implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 to check food adulteration. The petitioners have rightly pointed out that there is adulteration in all kinds of eatables, which in some case is life-threatening.
However, it’s not merely the so called life-threatening adulteration which is a cause of concern. The deteriorating quality of food stuff and the grave trend of increasing adulteration is a slow-poison that is wreaking havoc on the state of health in the valley. The shocking increase in the prevalence of various kinds of cancer is one of the direct results of this menace. One can imagine the state of general health and well being of people in Jammu and Kashmir. The government, however, seems to not bother.
The court has noted: “Before dealing with [the concerned authorities] in accordance with law, one more opportunity is given to them to discharge their duty honestly and with sincerity.” Leaving aside the question whether the authorities deserve “one more opportunity”, it is hoped that the court continues to maintain pressure on the government so that the people are saved from the “slow-poison” they eat and drink.

Blurb: The grave trend of increasing adulteration in food is a slow-poison that is wreaking havoc on the state of health in Kashmir. The shocking increase in the prevalence of cancer, for example, is one of the direct results of this menace. The government, however, seems to not bother

The government must follow the directions of the court on a priority basis. The court has directed the authorities to take necessary steps for making the provisions of the Act “effective and visible on the ground”. The authorities have been asked to take samples on weekly basis from all factories and industrial units which manufacture and produce spices of all kinds, ensure testing and initiate necessary action by law. The court also directed authorities to test the milk which is sold in the market and proceed in accordance with law wherever samples are found adulterated.
District Magistrates have been directed to closely monitor the functioning of the authorities responsible for maintaining food standards in their respective districts. The court has also demanded a report on the condition of slaughter houses in the districts, while asking the respondents to provide further information about the result of samples which have been already taken and referred for testing in past. The directions of the court regarding the issue are well taken and must be followed by the authorities without any delay.

FSSAI to fund states for developing infra facilities

Ahmedabad: Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) today said that of the Rs 4,500 crore cleared by NDC under the 12th Five Year Plan, 70 per cent would be given to states to develop infrastructure facilities.

"Around 70 per cent of the Rs 4,500 crore granted by the National Development Council (NDC) for five years period to us shall be given to states to set up infrastructure facilities," FSSAI Director Enforcement Dr Surender Singh Ghonkrokta said.

"We have 640 districts across the country, and fund allocation will be district wise. There is a plan to have at least one FSSAI accredited testing laboratory over five to six districts," he said on the sidelines of a seminar related to Vibrant Gujarat-2013 event.

The food sector regulator estimates that with the new Food Safety and Standard Act-2006 coming into effect, the number of licensees under its fold could go upto 40-50 lakh, from the current 3.5 odd lakh.

"The licenses issued have gone up from one odd lakh to 3 to 3.5 lakh. With change from old to new regime we expect 40-50 lakh licensees to be there as new food business operators shall join in," Ghonkrokta said.

He said effort is to have a self-compliant and participative enforcement structure like shown by few states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra.

According to Ghonkrokta, Gujarat's good governance model on ensuring street food safety is likely to be replicated in eight other cities like Bhubaneshwar, Delhi, among others.

Industry estimates say nearly 80 per cent of consumers are accessing street food.

"Gujarat is among the first few states to show good governance model to regulate street food vendors through a co-operative like movement. This model would be replicated in other states," he said.

"Eight cities have been identified where model of street food regulation shall be replicated," Ghonkrokta said, referring to food street at Law Garden area here.

The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) as joined hands with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to ensure food safety and implement hygiene standards at the street food stalls situated in Law Garden here.