FSSAI extends deadline for licensing, registration to February 4, 2014

After getting the notification from the health ministry, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has further extended the licensing and registration deadlines to February 4, 2014. This is the third time the country's apex food regulator has granted an extension to the FBOs.

Even after a two-year time frame, which included a six-month extension, FSSAI was able to register 11 lakh out of the country's 5 crore FBOs and given license to only 3 lakh FBOs so far agaisnt the target of 50 lakh. Even though FSSAI was not in a mood to extend the deadline the pressure from the health ministry compelled them to extend the deadline for registration and licensing for one more year.

The first deadline to obtain licensing and registration was extended from August 4, 2012 to February 4, 2013 under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and now the deadline has been extended to February 4, 2014.

As per the new rules, anybody who are engaged in selling anything edible – roadside tea stalls, dhabas, fruit and vegetable hawkers, grocery shops, milk vendors, canteens, caterers, restaurants, hotels and food processors failing to get license and registration by February 4, 2013, were to be penalised by the food regulator.

A Madhavan, assistant director, enforcement-I, FSSAI, informed, “The deadline for registration and licensing for all the FBOs in the country has been extended by one year. I am sure that this year we will be able to complete our targets. The health ministry will help us in getting more man power in order to complete the job on time.”

When quizzed whether a year would be enough for FBOs or whether it will further be extended on February 4, 2014, it will further extended to which he replied, “No, we will be coming up with technologies and infrastructure will be developed in order to complete the procedure on time.”

One of the objectives of enforcement is to ensure that registration/licensing provisions are fulfilled and food items are hygienic, wholesome and free of contaminants.

Tejinder Singh Renu, honorary secretary, Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA), Nagpur said, “FSSAI shown the haste in introducing the new regulation without adequate consultation with the states. With the poor awareness, now the regulators are finding it difficult to convince the food business operators, particularly middle and smaller ones, to get themselves registered under the new regime.”

He added, “Many bodies of food business operators have been opposing the regulations from the day it was implemented, because the new regulations will result into the harassment of the small vendors, who will also have to take registration in addition to all other licenses required from state government agencies.”

“They should set regulations not only by taking scientists, advisors and people from the health ministry into confidence, but also traders and leaders of the bodies for food business operators,” said Renu.

Stautory Advisory

Reconsider some provisions of Food Act

DMK President M Karunanidhi, whose party is a key ally of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, today urged it to reconsider certain provisions in the Food Safety Act as it would affect small traders. In a statement here, he said though the intentions of the Act, which has come into force after being ratified by Parliament, was lofty, certain provisions were not practically possible as it would affect the small traders. Claiming that the Food Safety and Standards Act had contained several provisions that would harm the interests of small traders and consumers, he said making the specifications of the items in the pack either in English and Hindi mandatory, was practically not possible.

 

Noting that consumers, especially the poor, were at present purchasing unpacked items, he said the Act makes packing of all commodities mandatory before selling. "If the packing is made mandatory, small and retail traders will face several difficulties and also result in consumers end up paying more", he noted.
"The Act cannot be wholeheartedly accepted as there are chances of intrerferences of officials as licences has to be compulsorily obtained by manufacturers and even street vendors", he said, adding, the hefty fine imposed under the Act, including jail terms, were not acceptable. Pointing out the opposition from small traders, the DMK Chief urged the Centre to take this into consideration and take effective steps to assist the small traders.

FSSAI deadline for registration, licence extended again

Even after a two-year timeframe, including a six-month extension, just 11 lakh out of the country’s 5 crore food business operators registered themselves with the apex food regulator and only around 3 lakh food licences have been issued so far against the target of 50 lakh.

This has compelled the Food and Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) again to extend the deadline for registration and licence for the food industry by six months, to August 2013.
The first deadline was extended from August 2012 to February 4, 2013 under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.
As per rules, anybody engaged in selling anything edible — roadside tea stalls, dhabas, fruits and vegetable hawkers, grocery shops, milk vendors, canteens, caterers, restaurants, hotels, food processors — failing to get licence and registration by February 4 were to be penalised by the food regulator.
One of the objectives of the enforcement is to ensure that registration/licensing provisions are fulfilled and food items are safe, hygienic, wholesome and free of contaminants.
However, given the haste shown by the FSSAI in introducing the new regulation without adequate consultation with the States and the poor awareness, the regulator is finding it difficult to convince the food business operators, particularly middle and smaller ones, to get themselves register under the new regime.
In fact, various food business associations have been opposing the regulation alleging that it will result into harassment of the small dhabas and vendors who will also have to take registration in addition to all other licences required from State Government agencies.
The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) said though the process would help vendors get some legitimacy, it would open doors for widespread harassment. “It is supposed to ensure that street food vendors observe better hygiene standards, but the deadline is unrealistic. Failure to obtain registration certificate would entail closure of operations,” Arbind Singh, national coordinator of the association, said.
Tamil Nadu Foodgrain Merchants Association Ltd (TFMA) in Madurai has appealed Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to not to implement the Act till its defects and shortcomings were removed.
Sources said the States too are not keen in implementing the legislation in view of shortage of staff and poorly equipped laboratories to test food samples.
As per the regulations, all food business operators have to be registered with the local authorities. And those having an annual turnover of above Rs 11 lakh have to procure a food licence to operate their services in the absence of which their business would become illegal.

Food safety licence: State seeks more time

Last date for registration ends today
The State government has appealed to the Centre to extend the deadline for securing licences or registrations by Food Business Operators (FBO), a mandatory requirement under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, by another six months.
The deadline fixed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) of India ends on Monday, February 4.
Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said that he had written to the Centre seeking an extension of the deadline as an estimated one-and-a-half lakhs or more traders in the State were yet to be brought under the umbrella of the Food Safety wing through the registration/licensing process.
The Commissioner of Food Safety had earlier indicated that any person found to be engaging in food-related businesses without a licence or registration after the set deadline would have to face legal action as prescribed in the FSSA. This included a fine of up to Rs.5 lakhs and imprisonment of up to six months.
Till date over 25,000 FBO licences and over one lakh FBO registrations have been issued. Since January 15, the Food Safety wing has been organising licence/registration melas in all 69 taluks across the State. The process has been made online.

Dinakaran

Cigarette packs may show nicotine levels

In what would bring Indian cigarette companies on a par with their global peers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has proposed to make it mandatory for companies to specify the amount of nicotine and tar on cigarette packs.

FSSAI officials told Business Standard the authority would soon issue a notification in this regard.

Citing the absence of adequate research facilities to verify the amount of nicotine and tar in cigarettes, companies in India have resisted the move for some time.

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003, which regulates trade, as well as advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco-related products, has a provision for declaration of cigarette contents. However, owing to the lack of research laboratories, the government hadn’t notified the rule. “This anomaly will now be corrected,” said FSSAI officials. Six tobacco research laboratories were being set up in Chandigarh, Gujarat, Noida, Ghaziabad, Chennai and Kolkata at a cost of Rs 57 crore, the officials said, adding the World Health Organization would help establish these.

The Tobacco Institute of India, an industry body, did not respond to a mail seeking comment.

Healthy industry officials said earlier, manufacturers had resisted the move, as they felt when consumers saw the amount of nicotine and tar in cigarettes, business would be hit.

While nicotine is addictive, tar can cause cancer.

Health experts say the amount of nicotine and tar in Indian cigarettes is above the global permissible levels of one mg and 10 mg a cigarette, respectively. Indian cigarettes contain about 13-14 mg of tar and 1.3-1.8 mg of nicotine.

Experts add besides putting in place a system to determine the amount of nicotine and tar in cigarettes, FSSAI would also have to determine the permissible levels of these substances, something not yet mandated by law. “Once that is done, it would go a long way in streamlining the process,” says Monika Arora, head (health promotion and tobacco control), Public Health Foundation of India.

Indian manufacturers have graphic, as well as text warnings such as ‘smoking kills’ and ‘tobacco causes cancer’ on cigarette packs. Arora said the move to disclose the contents of a cigarette was the next step towards weaning smokers off the habit.

At 274.9 million, India had the second-highest number of tobacco users after China (300.8 million), according to a study released last year by The Lancet, a medical journal. The number of smokers in India stands at 138 million. Analysts say this number is growing rapidly.

Health experts have also pitched for other steps to check the growing tobacco consumption in the country. These include indicating the levels of carbon monoxide emitted when a cigarette is smoked.

Warning against food safety Act violation

The extended deadline for securing licences or registrations by Food Business Operators (FBO) will end on February 4. Any person found to be engaged in food-related businesses without a licence or registration after February 4 will have to face legal action as prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, Food Safety Commissioner Biju Prabhakar has said. This includes a fine of up to Rs.5 lakh and imprisonment of up to six months. Till date over 2,500 FBO licences and over one lakh FBO registrations have been issued.— Special Correspondent

Instant Noodles: Are They A Treat Or A Trick?

 

Instant noodles is a popular snack that regularly claims to be ‘fortified with vitamins’, ‘high on fibre’, ‘a source of calcium, proteins and iron’. But guess what? Thats not true!

0Comments Read MoreCalcium [2], Fats [3], Healthy Life Style [4], Instant Noodles [5], Maggi [6], Noodles [7]

Noodles—yummy, instant and very contemporary! Today, if you are not fond of noodles, you would be considered an anomaly. The Indian noodles market stands at a whopping Rs 1,000 crore — and it’s growing.

The manufacturers want us to believe that noodles are ‘taste bhi, health bhi’, a nutritious snack that may be served to kids any time they demand. Promoted to the young and the old during the last few years, a lot of new varieties have entered the market.

This most popular snack now regularly claims to be ‘fortified with vitamins’, ‘high on fibre’, ‘a source of calcium, proteins and iron’, so that you don’t feel guilty every time you reach out for a pack of noodles. If these tall claims are not enough, some brands are even endorsed by sport celebrities implying that they are good for health.
In a user survey, Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) found that many consumers have instant noodles more than once or twice a fortnight and that too of big pack sizes. To check the manufacturers’ claims, 15 widely sold brands of noodles were tested in CERS’ in-house laboratory. The tests focused mainly on the nutritional content of instant noodles.

It was found that...

All 15 brands were high on sodium (salt), one of the banes of modern lifestyles. Many of the claims made by the manufacturers were far from the actual results shown in the lab. Most brands did not list the amount of sodium on their packets although it is the most important ingredient for consumers to know, besides the fat and sugar content.
Worse, where the brands did mention the sodium content, it was revealed that the actual content was higher than that claimed. For example, the label of Tasty Treat New Instant Schezwan Noodles mentioned a sodium content of 1.92mg/100g, whereas the tests revealed a shocking value of 1185mg/100g! The claims on proteins, calcium and iron made by various brands were also found to be at variance with the information on the label.
If you think that at a higher price you get a healthier option, you may want to think again. Knorr Soupy Noodles priced at Rs 25/100gm (the costliest among the 15 brands tested) was found to have the highest amount of salt.
This is not all. The brands claiming to have ‘oat flour’, ‘multigrains’, or just plain ‘atta’ did not fare any better in the tests than those having only ‘wheat flour’. If you are allergic to wheat flour and thought Top Ramen [8] Oat Noodles was the answer, you will be disappointed as it showed only 6.8 per cent of oat flour. The same was true for most claims in terms of vegetables, proteins and calcium. Lastly, don't be fooled into believing that they all have the same shelf life. It ranged from 6 months to 12 months.

How We Tested

There are no Indian Standards for instant noodles. CERS tested 15 brands for their nutritional characteristics. The parameters tested were moisture, total ash, acid insoluble ash, fat, crude fibre, protein, sodium, calcium, iron, carbohydrate and energy.
CERS invested around 1,725 man-day-hours and Rs 22,500 (sample cost and consumables) to test a total of 30 samples (two composite samples each of 15 brands, as explained below) of instant noodles.
Test protocol: The analysis was carried out as per the standard test protocols given in the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Manual of Meth- ods and Analysis of Food published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare [9], Government of India.
The labelling information on the sample packets was checked against the requirements as laid down under the FSS (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011. A sample of five packets, belong- ing to the same batch, of each brand was procured for testing. Out of these, three packets were opened and mixed properly to make a composite sample. This pooled sample was divided into two, the second one for a repeat test. These were then coded and tested. The remaining two pack- ets of each brand were kept as ‘counter samples’.

Key Findings

• All 15 brands tested were high in sodium content, being in the range of 821mg/100g to 1,943mg/100g. The UK FSA Standards consider 130 mg/100g to 600 mg/100g as acceptable. Knorr Soupy Noodles contained the highest sodium content of 1,943mg/100g. The lowest sodium content was in Maggi Meri Masala, at 821mg/100g.
• Only five brands – Ching’s Secret [10] Schezwan Instant Noodles, Knorr Soupy Noodles, Tasty Treat New Instant Schezwan Noodles, Tasty Treat Multigrain Noodles and Smith & Jones Masala Noodles – mentioned the amount of sodium.
• The fat content in almost all the brands was on the higher side, in the range of 14.7 per cent–18.4 per cent. As per UK FSA, 3g/100g to 20g/100g of fat is considered acceptable. Fat content was the highest in Foodles from Horlicks at 18.4g/100g and the lowest in Maggi Meri Masala at 14.7g/100g. In Maggi New Vegetable Atta Noodles the fat was found to be 17 per cent against the 13.4 per cent claimed, and in Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles it was 16.1 per cent instead of the labelled value of 13.9 per cent.
• Maggi Meri Masala had the lowest amounts of fat and sodium, and the highest amount of proteins.
• Top Ramen Oat Noodles had less than 6.8 per cent of oat fibre and about 91 per cent of wheat flour. Tasty Treat Multigrain Noodles showed about 72 per cent of wheat flour and Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles 82 per cent, with the rest containing ragi, rice, jowar and corn.
• Wai Wai X-press Instant Noodles Jain Masala and Wai Wai X-press Instant Noodles Masala Delight did not contain iron as claimed. They recorded 2.5mg and 2.6mg, respectively, against the labelled 7mg/100g.
• The average net weight of Top Ramen Super Noodles Masala and Tasty Treat Multigrain Noodles was less than the net weight declared.
• The mandatory label declaration of food additives was missing in Tasty Treat New Instant Schezwan Noodles, Foodles and Top Ramen Super Masala.

Manufacturers’ Response

As a policy, CERS conveyed the test results to all the manufacturers, irrespective of whether their brands had passed or failed. All nine manufacturers of the 15 brands of instant noodles received the results of their own products only and were given two weeks from the date of receipt to respond.
None of the manufacturers had responded till the time of going to press.

Areas of Action

CERS recommends that:

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) take note of the salt minimization efforts recommended by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of UK, and suggest limits of salt and sodium
• The labelling requirements for the declaration of the fat and sodium content in instant noodles be made more specific and the same should be prominently displayed
• Manufacturers make a conscious effort to reduce the level of sodium and increase the amounts of calcium and iron to maximize the nutritional benefits
• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) seriously focus on advertisements and promotions addressed to children

Note: The tests of instant noodles reported here were carried out in CERS’ independent in-house test laboratory – the only one of its type run by a consumer organization in the country. The samples purchased for testing were bought incognito from reputed shops. No samples were accepted from manufacturers.

• This test report courtesy: INSIGHT – The Consumer Magazine (test published in September-October 2012)
• Instant noodles tested by Testing Organization for Research in Chemicals and Health Hazards (TORCH)

Street vendors whip up a recipe for success

Street food joints cater to a majority of people in the city and if these outlets are removed the cost that one has to bear and the effort that one has to put in scouting for affordable food would be huge. 

Street food joints cater to a majority of people in the city and if these outlets are removed, the cost that one has to bear and the effort that one has to put in scouting for affordable food would be huge.

Most family outings in the city usually end up on a rendezvous with roadside stalls either for a ‘chat-pata chaat’ or a quick delicious snack. Indeed, the city is famous for its culinary dishes and street food vendors play a major role in the city’s eco-system.

In spite of this role of catering to many people on a daily basis, the street food vendors are the most neglected lot in the city, Anne Dahmen, coordinator for Sustainable Hyderabad Project (SHP) observes. Anne, a German research scholar, has been working on the problems and issues faced by the street vendors in Hyderabad since 2009.

Street vendors have a very peculiar condition in the city, Anne points out. “Street food joints cater to a majority of people in the city and if these outlets are removed, the cost that one has to bear and the effort that one has to put in scouting for affordable food would be huge,” she points out.

Unlike restaurants, where people go to eat, street food vendors identify a place where there is an unfulfilled demand and open their stall, hence these entrepreneurs are very important for the city, she explains.

Suspect quality

Some people are suspicious of the quality of food that these food vendors provide, while others, particularly government officials, view them nothing less than a nuisance in the public space. This, Anne says, is because of lack of legal sanction for this profession.

“From the moment a person starts a street food counter he has to face many troubles and one of the most important problems he faces is lack of knowledge about the policy provisions available for them along with the legal issues they have to follow,” she says.

On one hand, street food vendors face the threat of eviction on a daily basis because of a lack of legal recognition to their profession. On the other, vendors are also not aware of following legal requirements like Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, she explains.

“When compared to smaller hotels and restaurants, street food is safer as the customers can see the process of food preparation. With proper training, street food can be a source of sustenance for many families in the city,” she says.

As a pilot project, SHP, in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Foundation, trained four street vendors from four categories of street food – Chaat, ‘mirchi’ based snacks, Chinese fast food and ‘tiffins’. They in turn trained about 80 vendors in their own categories.

According to M. Vijay Kumar, one of the initial four food vendors who were trained under the ‘Aarogya’ scheme, his sales have gone up by an average of Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 per day after he implemented the training lessons.

“There are about 18,000 street food vendors in the city and if these results can be replicated for all these vendors, the economic benefit accruing to these many families will be phenomenal,” Anne explains.

To achieve this objective, there is a need to change the way street food vending is viewed among the people, she says. “Currently officials view the issue more as a regulatory problem, whereas to improve the sector there is a need for them to make the process more participatory,” she adds.

Last date for food safety licence: February 4

The Food Safety Wing has set a deadline for food sellers and manufacturers to obtain licences before February 4. There are around 10,000 business establishments in the district.
Designated officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration, Dr M S Sampathkumar said to implement the rules laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, officials are involved in registering and licensing food manufacturers.

Rally to sensitise traders to need to register under food safety Act

Carrying forward:Students taking out a rally in the city on Wednesday

Even as the February 4 deadline for food business units to register themselves under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 is fast approaching, the district administration organised a rally in the city on Wednesday to sensitise traders to the need to register under the Act immediately.

All food business operators with a turnover of Rs.12 lakh should obtain licence from the designated officer and those with turnover of below Rs.12 lakh should register themselves with the respective food safety officer as per the provisions of the Act.

Licence

Apart from hotels and restaurants, roadside eateries, grocers and departmental stores selling food products, and meat stalls would have to register or obtain licence depending on the turnover.

However, many traders in the district were yet to register themselves under the Act.

Collector Jayashree Muralidharan who flagged off the rally by students pointed out that the stay obtained by traders in this connection has been lifted and hence it was essential for them to register or obtain licences before February 4.

Failure to do so would attract penal action.

The rally was taken out through the city’s commercial areas from the Gandhi market via the Big Bazaar Street, NSB Road and Nandhikovil Street before culminating at Chathram Bus Stand.

V.P.Thandapani, Corporation Commissioner, and A.Ramakrishnan, designated officer for the district, TN Food Safety and Drug Administration (Food Wing), participated in the rally.

Food Safety AppellateTribunal mooted

Bhubaneswar, Jan 30: The State Government has put enforcement of food safety standards under single authority of Food Safety Commissioner and is mulling to set up a Food Safety Appellate Tribunal in the State. The legal and executive issues relating to the matter came up for discussion at a high level meeting here Tuesday.
Previously, the food standards were being enforced by several authorities. Now, the Commissioner will be assisted by Food Safety and other designated officers. The Government also proposes to have accredited and referral laboratories soon to intensify implementation of food safety standards in the State. It has also been proposed to declare the Additional District Magistrates as Adjudicating Officers.
Presently, Director of Public Health has been designated as Food Safety Commissioner. The existing Food Inspectors have been designated as Food Safety Officers. Twelve new posts have been created. It was decided in the meeting that there will be 38 Food Safety Officers in the State. While 30 of them will be posted at each district, the rest eight officers will be posted in urban local bodies (ULBs).
Meanwhile, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India has also started functioning as a regulatory body under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The implementation of the Standards will be governed as per the Food Safety and Standard (FSS) Act-2006, which envisages developing an effective enforcement machinery to ensure safety in sale and consumption of food.
The new Act has integrated eight different Acts and Government Orders (GOs) like Prevention of Food Adulation Act-1954, Fruit Products Order-1958, Meat Food Products Order-1973, Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order-1947, Edible Oil Packaging (Regulation) Order-1988, Solvent Extracted Oil and Edible Flour (Control) Order-1967, Milk and Milk Products Order-1992 and other GOs relating to food under Essential Commodities Act-1955.
According to B K Panda, Food Safety Commissioner-cum-Director of Public Health, the business units, which have licence under Food Adulteration Act, will have to now renew their licence under FSS Act at the district level. The Additional District Medical Officers (Public Health) of the respective districts have been designated for the purpose.
All food dealing business units with an annual turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh will have to avail licence while shops with turnover less than that will have to be registered. No shop can carry on food business without valid licence or registration. The concerned department has been told to facilitate the process of the registration by making provisions at Common Service Centres.
It was also decided in the meeting that the State-Level Steering Committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary and the District Committees will be constituted under the respective Collectors. At the district level, the District Medical Officer will function as the Member-Conveyer.
It was also decided that five Cluster Food Testing Laboratories will be set up in the State. Each cluster will cover 4 to 5 districts. Mobile food testing laboratory will be set up to cover remote areas, large public congregations and disease outbreak areas. The clusters will be developed in urban areas like Berhampur, Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, Rourkela.
While Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) will be involved in implementation of the Act with technical support from Primary Health Centres, the collected licence and registration fees will be used for awareness generation and grievance redressal activities.
Multimedia campaigns will be under taken to generate awareness among common masses and stakeholders about the new food law, institutions created for implementation, provisions relating to licensing and registration.
Accredited activists at field level will be trained and engaged in inspecting the food dealing shops on incentive basis. The department has been asked also to develop a pro-active self-compliance machinery, which will check the standards through application of science and technology.

Food and drug administration to keep 'mess' safe for students

Are you being served substandard and unsafe food in your canteen? The food and drug administration (FDA) department could provide some respite. It has taken up the cause and will crackdown on such mess across the city.

"FDA would proactively inspect and collect samples from canteens and mess in colleges and hostels. Quality of food has to be safe". Complaints can also be made through it's call centre which is supervised by its joint controller. FDA action comes nearly a year after the enactment of food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) Act which provides that hostels and canteens on campus have to be registered. Selling unsafe food items carries a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, said Agarwal. Off-campus hostel canteens would be a priority for the FDA inspectors. A private engineering college student residing in a hostel said, "Most of us avoided eating in the canteen during examinations. It is too risky. Complaints about food quality often go unheard and we are instead told to vacate the premises. Eating elsewhere means we have to shell out more."

Enforcement squads to ensure food quality

The State Government on Tuesday decided to intensify the implementation of food safety standards. “All food products manufacturing and selling units having annual turnover of more than Rs.12 lakh will have to obtain licence. Registration of units having less than Rs 12 lakh turnover will be made mandatory,” official sources said after a meeting here.
The legal and executive issues relating to food safety standards were discussed at the meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik on Tuesday.
Health and Family Welfare Secretary PK Mohapatra told the meeting that implementation of food safety standards will be governed as per the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006, which envisages developing an effective enforcement machinery to ensure safety in sale and consumption of food.
Food Safety Commissioner-cum-Director, Public Health, BK Panda said the business units having licence under the Food Adulteration Act will have to renew their licence under the FSS Act by February 4. The renewal of licence will be done at district level.
The additional district medical officers (ADMOs), public health, of the respective areas designated officer for registration. No shop can carry on food business without valid licence or registration. The food inspectors have been designated as food safety officers and 12 new posts have been created, he said.
The State will have 38 Food Safety Officers with one in each district. The remaining eight officers will be posted in urban local bodies. It was proposed to declare the ADM as adjudicating officers.
Food testing laboratories will be set up in five clusters and each cluster will cover four or five districts. Mobile food testing laboratories will be set up to cover remote areas. The cluster testing laboratories are likely to come up in Balasore, Berhampur, Cuttack, Puri and Rourkela.
Patnaik advised the members to involve PRIs in the implementation of the Act with technical support from PHCs. Multimedia campaigns will be undertaken to create awareness about the new food laws, institutions created for implementation, provisions relating to licensing and registration.
The meeting also discussed the feasibility of engaging accredited organisations at field level for inspection of food products at manufacturing level and sale outlets on incentive basis.
Previously the food standards were being enforced by several authorities. Now it will be enforced under a single authority.
Food Safety Standards Authority of India, a regulatory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has started functioning.

Focus on food safety in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 29: From now, shops and business establishments selling food materials and having an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh and above will require a licence from the Odisha government. The ones with a turnover below Rs 12 lakh will be required to register themselves with the Odisha commissioner of food safety. But business establishments with an annual turnover of Rs 20 crore and above will have to obtain a licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. A full-fledged commissioner of food safety will be appointed in Odisha soon. The commissioner will be an officer not below the rank of a commissioner-cum-secretary charged with monitoring enforcement of rules and regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, which came into force across the country from August 5, 2011. Food safety officers will assist him. At present, the director of public health is acting as the food safety commissioner. A decision was taken today at the level of the chief secretary to intensify enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act which envisages development of an effective enforcement machinery to ensure safety in sale and consumption of food. The Act has amalgamated eight existing acts and orders dealing with food adulteration, fruit products, meat products, vegetable oil products, edible oil packaging, solvent extracted, edible flour and dairy products. The meeting, which was presided over by Odisha chief secretary B.K. Patnaik, today decided that there would be 38 food safety officers in the state to enforce food safety laws. The existing 26 food inspectors have been designated as food safety officers. Besides, 12 new posts have also been created. Out of the 38 food safety officers, 30 will be posted at the district level while the rest eight will have to be posted in urban local bodies. It has been proposed that the additional district magistrates of all districts will be declared as the adjudicating officers for the purpose of the Act. A steering committee will also be constituted under the chairmanship of the chief secretary and district level committees will be headed by their respective collectors. Earlier, several authorities were enforcing food standards. Now, it will be done by a single authority. Food safety commissioner –cum-director B.K. Panda said business units, which had licence under the Food Adulteration Act, would have to renew their licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Extension of Proviso to regulation 1.1.2 of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation 2011

1.1: Title and commencement
1.1.1:These regulations may be called the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.
1.1.2: These regulatiions shall come into force on or after 5th August, 2011, except the regulations 2.1.7.(1)(2)(3)(4), 2.1.8 (1)(3), 2.1.11 (1)(2), 2.1.12(1), including table 14 of Appendix A and table 2 of Appendix B which shall come in to force after six months from that date.
Provided that wherever the standards given in these regulations are at variance with any of the provisions of the licenses already granted, Food Business Operator shall comply with the provisions of these regulations within six months from the date of commencement of the regulations.

Dinakaran

Now, food products need to seek approval from government-promoted FSSAI

Probiotic ice-cream, digestive biscuits or low-sugar jams may be flying off retail shelves, but food companies are no longer being allowed to sell new products without taking approvals from the government-promoted Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
According to a new and modified FSSAI advisory issued to all food companies last month, any new or existing product which is ‘proprietary’ – in other words not classified in the food act – will need to follow a regulatory ‘new product approval’ guideline, as laid down by the FSSAI. Even if food companies announce the ingredients on packs and in advertising, they will still need approvals.
According to guidelines, makers of all proprietary products will now have to submit applications to the central government for approval and can launch only after all the necessary approvals have been obtained.
For example, while cheese and butter are standard products, a low-fat ice-cream or dessert would be classified as proprietary. Another example — if the existing food law states that fruit-based jam can be made only with a specific amount of sugar, and if a company chooses to add more or less sugar than what is specified, the product becomes proprietary. Food companies say the move will delay new product development and product innovation, though it will help in filtering out incorrect product claims.
Piruz Khambatta, chairman of beverage concentrate and powder maker Rasna, called it a step backwards. “Such guidelines did not exist in the past… We welcome regulations but they should be conducive to growth instead of delaying both new product development and innovation – which is so important when the market is so competitive,” Khambatta said. Till now, proprietary food products could be approved at the state level, but with the new guidelines in place, companies need to seek approval from the central food authority.
RS Sodhi, MD of dairy giant Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, which makes the Amul brand of milk, cheese, butter and ice-cream, said: “It’s a good move from the consumer’s point of view… when you deal with food products, you have to be very sure of the claims you are making. But it’s also true that this may delay new launches.”
The move comes at a time when functional foods are growing at a rapid pace. While categories like muesli are growing at 40% a year and are estimated at 100 crore, the 200-crore-plus oats market is growing at about 30%.
“We are applying for fresh approvals even for existing products which are not listed in the existing food act,” said a top official of a leading multinational food company, requesting not to be named.
FSSAI declined comment on the matter, and an official from the authority said all relevant information had been posted on their website.
The FSSAI has also set up an exhaustive set of guidelines for self regulation in all advertising of foods and beverages, along with advertising monitoring agency Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). The guidelines state that ads of foods and beverages making claims like making children taller, helping people lose weight or curing hair-loss will need to prove their declarations scientifically.

FSSAI to conduct survey to study consumer apprehensions

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in its effort to spread awareness on the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has commissioned a survey in five districts of Tamil Nadu to study consumer apprehensions.

In order to understand the problems of the consumers, the FSSAI has asked the Consumer Association of India (CAI) to conduct a study amongst the people in five districts of Tamil Nadu to understand what their main concerns or apprehensions on food safety were, Director (Enforcement) of the FSSAI S.S. Ghonkrokta told The-Hindu , on the sidelines of the Workshop on the Food Safety and Standards Act here on Friday.

By understanding the needs of the consumer, it was possible to devise strategies to tackle these issues and make the implementation of food safety stronger.

The idea was for the people in the villages to have a say in food safety, since there were a number of concerns in terms of food standards and security in rural India, he said.

When contacted over the phone, founder trustee of CAI R. Desikan said they were currently working in Chennai, Vellore, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore and surrounding villages. Although they had not yet started work on the study, planning was underway, he said.

They had, in the meanwhile, launched a drive to check various shops if they were retailing expired foods.

The CAI was also training 546 food safety officers so that they understood the importance of their job and how to conduct proper checks, Mr. Desikan added.

Speaking on the auditing that was specified under the Act, Dr. Ghonkrokta said that one of the components of the food audit was the self audit, which would be conducted by all food handlers. To help with the food audit, there were 12 agencies appointed, with 500 people working on the food safety auditing.

FSSAI had approved 70 labs in the private sector with NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation, to conduct the food safety tests for the audits.

These laboratories were in addition to the 72 State laboratories that were present across the country, he said.

Consumer Association of India will conduct a study in Chennai, Vellore, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore

Claims in child food supplements should be scientifically proven

Claims to boost food supplement sales such as Complan improves memory or Boost provides three times more stamina or Horlicks helps your children grow taller will have to come with sound scientific proof before going public or else they would have to pay penalty of upto Rs. 10 lakh.

The government’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has asked the advertisers' self-regulating body, the Advertisement Standard Council of India (ASCI), to ask its members to refrain from making tall claims on television without “adequate scientific justification”.

Getting scientific justification would not be easy as per authority's prescription.

The companies would be required to test the product at the authority’s listed laboratories across India for the claim and get it peer reviewed by known scientific names in the field of food and nutrition. Only after that they can air the advertisement making the claim.

The authority in an advisory has also asked the supplement manufacturers to ensure that the product label provides right information to consumers about the scientific validity of the claim.

“All food business operators are advised to strictly follow provisions contained in Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 eschewing misleading claims which are not established by scientific evidence as proof beyond reasonable doubts,” the advisory issued on basis of number of complaints said.

The advisory covers all food and health supplements, nutraceutical (combination of nutrition and pharmaceutical) and risk reduction claims and has asked companies to be clean on this count.

Consumer Affairs secretary Pankaj Aggarwala said the consumers using these supplement can also approach Consumer Courts if they find that the product has failed to provide desired benefit. “There is a provision for claims and fact in the Consumer Protection Act,” he said, adding that the court can direct the manufacturer to correct the misleading advertisements.

Consumer right groups in India have made representations to the ministry and the authority stating that commercials exploit anxiety of parents for their children to do well in examinations and lead healthy life.

Food supplement companies, however, say that their claims have been scientifically validated but they failed to prove the same before the authority, which has initiated prosecution against 19 popular brands for making misleading claims in advertisements. The food safety law provides for penalty of up to Rs. 10 lakh for each misleading claim in any form.

Enforcement of food safety standards to be intensified in Odisha

Report by Pratap Pradhan; Bhubaneswar: Implementation of Food Safety Standards will be intensified in the State. The legal and executive issues  relating to the matter was discussed in a high level meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik in Secretariat conference hall today wherein Pr. Secretary Health & Family Welfare P.K.Mohapatra outlined different issues for discussion.

Deliberations made in the meeting reveal that implementation of Food Safety Standards will be governed as per the Food Safety and Standard Act,2006 which envisages developing an effective enforcement machinery to ensure safety in sale and consumption of food. The New Act has integrated 8 different Acts and Orders like Prevention of Food Adulation Act, 1954,  Fruit Products Order, 1958, Meat Food Products, 1973 ,Vegetable Oil Products (control) order, 1947, Edible Oil Packaging (regulation) Order 1988, Solvent Extracted Oil Deoilded Maal, and Edible Flour (control) order, 1967,  Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 and Other Orders relating to food under Essential Commodities Act, 1955. In the meanwhile Food Safety & Standards Authority of India has also started functioning as a regulatory body under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Previously the food standards were being enforced by several authorities. Now it will be enforced under single authority. The act will be enforced in the State under Food Safety Commissioner who will be assisted by designated officers and food safety officers. It has been proposed to have one food safety Appellate Tribunal, accredited laboratories and referral laboratories in the State. Chief Secretary Sri Patnaik has directed the department to develop proactive self compliance machinery which will check the standards through application of science & technology.

Presently Director of Public Health has been designated as Commissioner of Food Safety. The existing Food Inspectors have been designated as Food Safety Officers. 12 new posts have been created.  It has been decided in the meeting that there will be 38 Food Safety Officers in the state out of whom  30 will be posted at district level each district with one and  8  Officers will be posted in Urban Local Bodies. It has been proposed to declare the Additional District Magistrates of all districts as Adjudicating Officers.

Discussions in the meeting reveal that all food dealing business units having annual turnover of more than 12 lakhs will have to avail license; and, the shops having less than 12 lakh turn over will have to be registered.  Food Safety Commissioner –cum-Director Public Health Dr B.K.Panda has told that the business units who have license under Food Adulteration Act will have to renew their license under FSS Act within 4th February, 2012. This renewal will be done at district level. The  ADMO, Public Health of the respective districts have been designated for the purpose. No shop can carry on food business without valid license or registration.  Chief Secretary has advised to facilitate the process of the registration by making provisions for registrations in Common Service Centers.

It has been decided that the steering committee at the State level will be constituted under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary and the District Committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of respective Collectors. At the District level the District Medical Officer will function as the member Conveyer. It has also been decided that 5 Cluster Food Testing Laboratories will be set up in the State.  Each cluster will cover 4 to 5 districts. Mobile Food testing laboratory will be set up to cover remote area, large public congregations and disease outbreak areas. Chief Secretary has advised to develop the clusters in urban areas like Berhampur, Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, Rourkela. Chief Secretary Sri Patnaik has also advised to involve PRI Institutions in implementation of the Act with technical support from primary health centers. It has been decided in the meeting that collected license and registration fees will be used for awareness generation and grievance redressesal activities.

Multimedia campaigns will be under taken to generate awareness among common masses and stakeholders about the new food law, institutions created for implementation, provisions relating to licensing and registration etc. Chief Secretary Sri Patnaik has advised to specify and prescribe the safety standards to be followed by the food dealing business units. Chief Secretary has also advised to train and engage accredited activists at field level to inspect the food dealing shops on incentive basis. The Director, Public Health, Dr. B.K. Panda along with other senior officers participated in discussions.

Only 50,000 out of 6 lakh traders have food safety licence

Of the six lakh food traders in the City, only 50,000 have procured food safety licences. It is a stupendous task to ensure safety standards in food processing industry in a city teeming with 10 million people, said BBMP Special Commissioner K R Niranjan at National Food Safety Forum (NFSF) — 2013, here on Monday.

Another major problem the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is trying hard to tackle is waste disposal especially by bulk waste generators such as hotels, malls, shopping complexes. “We are trying to have a dialogue with all hotel associations on effective use of waste generated by them. The response has been affirmative till date,” he added. He said although the Centre has introduced food safety act and rules, there is no effective implementation as yet.

NDRI (National Dairy Research Institute) Principal Scientist & Head Dairy Technology Division Dr Satish Kulkarni stressing the need to set up Food Safety Management Cell in City to curb ill-food practices followed by few food vendors and hotels, said suggestions from government representatives from food safety sector, civic body and other experts for the proposed plan would be solicited.  The NFSF 2013, organised by Centre for Sustainable Development in association with Food Safety Commissioner, IIM Bangalore, NDRI and CFTRI Mysore, is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of implementation of Food Safety & Standards Act - 2006.

‘Change needed’

According to Bangalore Hoteliers’ Association President Vasudeva Adiga, certain clauses of existing Food Safety & Standards Act needs to be changed as it doesn’t apply to small hotels.

“Till date only 500 licences have been issued by BBMP to hotels coming under my association. BBMP just cannot issue licence to everyone, they have to check food sampling and take adequate steps. The civic body is just an implementation authority, the final decision to change the existing act lies in the hands of central government,” he said.

Need to create awareness on Food Safety Act stressed

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has roped in 12 agencies in which 500 people would work on the food safety auditing. Seventy private sector laboratories with  National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories accreditation would carry out the safety tests for the audits and these laboratories were in addition to the 72 State laboratories.
FSSAI director Dr S S Ghonkrokta said there was growing need for creating awareness of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, among the retailers, wholesalers, small vendors and transporters, who now exceed over five crore after the act was implemented.
Addressing the inaugural function of the five-day workshop on Food Safety Standards Act 2006, here on Monday, Dr Ghonkrokta said all these sections need to be registered and licensed following the implementation of the act and it was important for them to understand their liabilities and how they contributed to the safety of food.
Citing an example of transporters, who should know how to handle goods so that they are properly stored and that they reach their destination safely, he said this was not done to create panic but to make everyone accountable as per the provisions of the act.
He said the FSSAI had started a campaign to organise registration melas for vendors to handle food.
Later talking on the sidelines of the inaugural function, Dr Ghonkrokta said one of the important aspects of the  food audit sepcified in the act, was self-audit, which is expected to be done by all those who handle food.
Dr Ghonkrokta said the FSSAI has entrusted Consumer Association of India to conduct a survey in five districts of Tamil Nadu to study consumer apprehensions in the wake of the  implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The FSSAI director said the this was undertaken to identify the needs of the consumers and concerns of the rural people about the Act.
Dr Prathap Kumar Shetty, head of the Department of Food Science and Technology, Pondicherry University, and vice-chancellor J A K Tareen addressed the gathering at inaugural session of the workshop.

Traders find new food safety norms hard to digest

CHEW ON THIS: The stakeholders complained that adherence to all provisions would entail additional financial burden. File photo: S. Mahinsha

They want government to postpone deadline for licence renewal

Food vendors and traders in the State have opposed renewing of their licence from the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act to Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 in the face of State government’s revised February 5, 2013 deadline.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has directed the State governments to order those dealing food products to adhere to the provisions of the FSSA 2006, which has stringent provisions against food adulteration and quality among others. The government, which wanted the licence renewal six months ago, had set the fresh deadline.

Interactive meet

On Monday, traders and food vendors yet again expressed their discontent over the deadline at an interactive meet with the Jai Kumar, Joint Director, Public Health Institute, and Srinivasan, the Union government’s Designated Officer of the Central Licensing Agency, organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI).

Not only that, they sought an extension of deadline by citing some of the provisions could not be adhered to by small vendors, and pointed out it would entail additional financial burden.

“There is a need for the State government to educate all the stakeholders of the Act before pressing for the renewal of the licences. If there are no awareness programmes, it may lead to harassment of traders particularly the less educated and those from rural backgrounds,” said FKCCI president K. Shiva Shanmugam.

Practical difficult

K.L. Ramanatha Bhat, ex-president, Karnataka Pradesh Hotels and Restaurants’ Association, said that the government had not addressed practical difficulties. “Implementing the Act will increase our expenditure. We will have to measure the food ingredients and small enterprises cannot follow all these protocols,” he said.

Bharat Kumar R. Shah, chairperson, Internal Trade Committee, FKCCI, pointed out that the Act provides discretionary powers to food inspectors, which may lead to harassment to traders. In that case, he said, there is a need to bring in international standard safety practices to pesticides and insecticides manufactured by MNCs.

Responding to their concerns, Mr. Srinivasan was confident proper implementation of the Act. “There will be initial difficulties but traders should renew their licence to implement the Act.”

Dinamalar

Ban on tobacco products, an utter failure in state capital

• GHMC officials inspecting gutka packets during a raid on a general store in Hyderabad. | Express Photo

Though the state government has banned the sale of gutka, pan masala and other chewing tobacco products which are hazardous to health, the sale of these products is still rampant in most parts of Greater Hyderabad.
With authorities failing to strictly enforce the new rule, customers are getting their daily fix and are able to consume it in public places without any trouble.
The ban of gutka seems to be meeting the same fate as the prohibition on smoking cigarettes in public places. Though law forbids smokers to take a puff in public, it is a common sight to find many smokers violating the rule.
One can easily purchase these banned products in any paan shops and small vendors as shopowners are least bothered about the impending raids by officials.
They believe the authorities cannot take any stringent action them except to impose a fine of `50.
Unfortunately, tobacco control cell functioning under the directorate of public health and family welfare located in Koti, supposed to be enforcing the ban, lacks supporting staff.
State nodal officer T Geetha Prasadini, technical officer S Nagaraju, state consultant Heena, heading the TCC does not support staff and are the mercy of GHMC and police for enforcing the ban.
On few occasions, TCC staff had to face the wrath of vendors and make a hasty retreat in some areas while enforcing the ban. Vendors in huge numbers reportedly opposed the raids.
The state government on Jan 9 this year banned gutka and paan masala products and instructed authorities to strictly implement the prohibition and enforce a blanket ban on manufacture, stock, sale and use of all tobacco products in the state.
An investigation by Express revealed that it was very easy to get gutka sachets anywhere in the city just by shelling out additional bucks. The cost of each pouch has almost doubled but this is no deterrent to paan masala lovers.
In Ameerpet, a paan shop owner said a sachet of ‘Goa 1000’ brand with a printed price of `3 would cost `6 but he is willing to sell at the rate of `4 to `5 in case of bulk purchase.
The ‘Vimal’ brand, with an MRP of `5, are available at `8 in Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar while another vendor in Punjagutta said that he could arrange for a larger quantity of packets and promised regular supply in future as well.
Shop owners say they were able to sell the banned items as there is no strict enforcement of the rule.
Speaking to Express the TCC state nodal officer, T.Geetha Prasadini admitted to lack of enforcement in implementing the gutka ban.
“We would like to first create awareness about the ban before we start imposing it in full force. We will initially penalise violators and if they still continue to sell them, GHMC will be asked to cancel trade licenses of the shops and cases will be booked under COTP Act 2003. We have so far seized 5 lakh sachets from various shops in the city,” she said.
She further explained that the tobacco business in the state is to the tune of `10,000 crore per annum, while people consuming these products spend around `40,000 towards medical treatment for various ailments per year.
Though enforcement of the rule is currently slow in Hyderabad, it is expected to pick up pace soon after chief secretary Minnie Mathew holds a meeting with Health, Medical and Family Welfare (HM&FW), Vigilance and Enforcement, Commercial Taxes, Police, Transport, Labour, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) and Panchayat Raj Departments.
As per notification, the above eight departments should work in coordination and enforce the rule prescribed by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Section 2,3,4 that any food product which contains tobacco or nicotine is banned.
She said the TCC is implementing COTP Act 2003 in all districts with the coordination of various departments and is preparing an action plan.
“A monitoring system will be designed with the support of IPM the nodal agency for the ban on smokeless tobaccos products,” said the officer.
The officials also request the paan vendors to understand the health risks involved in consuming tobacco products. The advertisements displaying the tobacco products on the boards at pan shops are also banned under section 5 of COTP act 2003.
The TCC has reportedly listed out over a dozen firms involved in manufacture and supply of chewing tobacco, flavoured tobacco, royal, synthetic, aromatic spiced flavoured tobacco products etc.
“We will soon take action against them. The officials are also in the process of identifying those firms dealing with the sale of banned products,” said T Geetha Prasadini.

HRAWI to host FSSAI awareness workshop in Goa on Feb 7, 2013

The Hotels and Restaurants Association, Western India (HRAWI) will be hosting a workshop to educate the industry on the Food Safety and Standards Act of India 2006 (FSSAI) at the International Centre in Goa on February 7, 2013.

The seminar, which will be conducted by Dr V Pasupathy, a renowned Food Scientist & Consultant to FHRAI in FSSAI matters, is the last of a series of successful workshops held across Western India to create awareness for the industry of the new Food Safety & Standards Act. The seminar will also provide an overview of new licencing requirements such as the ‘Food Business Operator’ licence, as establishments have to now acquire this licence by February 2013.

Dr Pasupathy will delve into topics that include food safety management system, corrective and preventive action, sampling procedures, legal overview of the FSSAI as well as highlight matters relating to adjudication and prosecution under the act.

Mr Pradeep Shetty, Chairman, Legal Sub-Committee, HRAWI, said, “FSSAI was primarily created to lay down scientific standards to ensure the safe and healthy consumption of food in the country. HRAWI has welcomed the said new law which has subsumed all existing Food related laws, albeit with certain caveats that have represented to the Union Government. The implementation of FSSAI affects our members including millions of small businesses connected with food. As the industry body, HRAWI endeavours to enable member establishments to make the transition smoothly and meet the criteria laid down by the act. We are immensely pleased with the success of our seminars that have been attended by thousands of participants across Western India.”

The workshop is open to owners, general managers, operational heads, chefs, f&b managers, hygiene managers, engineers, quality control executives, materials managers, and housekeepers from hotels and restaurants.

Pasta to curtail heart disease risk? Foods with 'outrageous' health claims could soon flood the market

Biscuits with diabetes-lowering properties, pasta that can cut your heart disease risk, potato chips capable of reducing chances of stroke, fruit jam that can keep cancers at bay, cookies that tackle osteoporosis and a tea for pregnant women to ensure birth defect-free child.

Products with such wild health claims may flood Indian markets when labelling guidelines notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Food Safety Standards Act 2006 come into effect.

Instead of cracking down on companies making tall health claims, the new framework will not only legalise such assertions but will also let companies make even bolder "disease risk reduction" claims, which, experts say, is a step towards medicalisation of food.
Pseudo nutrition supplements which don't qualify to be called fully-fledged drugs hit markets as new-age foods. The list of diseases for which food companies will be allowed to make claims include coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis, neural tube defects and dental caries.

The difference between "risk reduction" and "prevention" is too technical for consumers to be interpreted in the right way, say experts.

"Risk reduction, even if it is one per cent, can't be considered a false claim. People may not understand the true meaning because of widespread illiteracy," pointed out Dr Chandra M. Gulhati, editor of Monthly Index of Medical Specialties.

"Ideally, claims should not be disease-oriented since people will blindly go for them. Claims regarding heart disease could be contentious but may still be allowed. But those for cancers should not be permitted since a linear relationship between dietary fat intake and cancers has still not been conclusively proven," pointed out Dr Anoop Misra, director, centre of internal medicine at Fortis Hospital.

The criteria for making disease-related claims have been left vague and confusing. For instance, products making a disease related claim should not contain more than 6.8 grams of total fat per 'serving' for consumers in the age group of four-six years, 11g for seven-17 years and 11.6g for those above 18.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/foods-with-health-claims-to-flood-the-indian-market/1/247933.html

 If a pack of chips is consumed by a family, then portions will have to be distributed as per age group, just as we do with a cough syrup or antibiotic.

All that food companies will have to do is produce "appropriate scientific research and clinical studies published in scientific journals".

But if such studies can't be produced, they can just cite "generally accepted authoritative statements" by expert bodies or even text book references.

Consumer rights activist Bejon Misra said the objective of food labels should be to clearly communicate the contents and not confuse consumers.

"There should be no room for misuse of labelling rules to masquerade drugs or supplements as food," he added.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/foods-with-health-claims-to-flood-the-indian-market/1/247933.html

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/foods-with-health-claims-to-flood-the-indian-market/1/247933.html

Workshop on Food Safety Standards Act 2006 today

Puducherry, Jan 28 : The Department of Food Sciences and Technology, School of Life Science of the Pondicherry University, will be organising a five day workshop on 'Food Safety Standards Act 2006' from today.
According to a university release here today, Dr Surendra Ghonkrokta, Director, Enforcement, FSSAI, New Delhi will inaugurate the workshop. Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 which come to effect from August 2011 is a science based futuristic policy, making it at par with the international standards and is aimed at ensuring safe food to consumers.
This act subsumes various central Acts like Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954, Fruit Products Order of 1955, Meat Food Products Order of 1973 etc and also any order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food. It will ensure prevention of fraudulent, deceptive or unfair trade practices which may mislead or harm the consumer, and unsafe, contaminated or sub-standard foods.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), established under the overarching legislation, have laid down science based standards for food items and regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Most of the States and Union Territories now have Food Commissioners in place as required under the Act.
During the five days of deliberations, the act is covered in detail by the experts in the field drawn from all over the country. The sessions covered are, Licensing and Registration Rules; Sampling and analysis,; Pesticide residues, contaminants, toxins; Food Safety Management Systems; Products and Standards; Labeling and claims; Key shifts in FSSA; Panel discussion and wrap up.

UN food safety consultant terms FSSAI's new rule a benchmark for India

The Distance Industries Centre, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, organised a two-day Technology Clinic for Agro-Food Processing Enterprises. It took place in the town's Hotel Elite Continental and was inaugurated by Mathew T Thomas, member of the legislative assembly, Thiruvalla.

The event had various sessions with experts speaking on a number of topics, including food safety, packaging, processing, etc. N Anandavally, the United Nations' food safety consultant shared her critical views on food safety rules and regulations in India.

Speaking on the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, she said, “The new rule given by FSSAI is a benchmark Act till date for India. The set of regulations is partly inspired by the international ones. The Indian set of safety standards is a very systematic, practical approach set by the experts.”

Commenting on the new rules set by FSSAI, she said, "Though the earlier regulations were good, it majorly focussed on the end product. The current set of regulations has taken care of food safety at every step, including the manufacturing and processing aspects”.

Anandvally, also a member of World Health Organisation (WHO), said the Indian regulations are in compliance with international standards. To make it work is now in the hands of manufacturer and consumers. The manufacturers need to implement it on their own on a daily basis, and the consumers should be aware of it.

As far as government education and training is concerned, she said, "It's not always the government's duty to educate and train. There are a lot of small-time manufacturers and producers. Training and educating them won't be possible always.”

“It is the producers and manufacturers who should take initiative for their own development. The only thing government should focus on is auditing, verifying the commodities as per the safety regulation enforcement and implementation standards,” Anandvally said.

She, however, said the government could appoint a core team in every state or area to train and educate them and ask them to share the techniques to small producers, manufacturers and traders. Through this, they can educate people in their local languages and even uneducated farmers will benefit from it, adding that the improved support system and infrastructure is a must for strong food safety mechanism in the country.

Flour manufacturer fined for misleading advertisement

In the first instance in the country, a Delhi-based leading manufacturer of flour has been slapped with a hefty penalty of `7 lakh for issuing misleading adverts for its brand product Rajdhani Besan. The maximum fine for such violation is `10 lakh.
Sources in the Union Health Ministry said that the adjudicating officer SS Parihar (Additional District Magistrate of Northwest Delhi) agreed with the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India’s (FSSAI) allegations that Rajdhani Flour Mills Ltd, had violated rules governing food advertising as per Section 24 of FSS Act, 2006 in its advertisement for its brand Rajdhani Besan.
The Section pertains to misleading advertisements and the Food Safety and Standards (Packing and Labelling) Regulations (FSSR), 2011.
The errant company reportedly couldn’t substantiate its health claim made in newspaper advertisements which had a heart logo with slogan kar lo dil se dosti.
“The imposition of fine is a major victory for the food regulator in the sense that it would send a message among many companies to not to make false claims about their products in their ads and packs at the cost of the health of the consumers. They must give scientific evidence to substantiate their claims,” a senior FSSAI official said.
“The FSSAI since last year after scrutinising the advertisements placed in the newspaper, television and other media has initiated proceedings in 38 brands spanning health drinks, biscuits, cereal and oil for violating rules governing food advertising.”
The FSSAI had in November started initiating prosecution proceedings against 19 brands such as Rajdhani Besan, Complan, Pediasure, Bournvita Little Champs, Maggie Noodles, Top Ramen, Nutrichoice biscuits, Horlicks Juniors and Heart Care among others. “We had given the promoters of the brands a fortnight’s deadline to respond to the allegations regarding various violations of code of advertisement for food items, supplements and propriety foods. But many have failed to do so,” the official added.
Chandra Bhushan, deputy director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, 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 said that a fine of `10 lakh is very small and penalty should be proportionate to the turnover.