Achievement of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India during 2008-2012

With the objective to consolidate the laws relating to food and for laying down science based standards for articles of food, the Food Safety and Standards Act was enacted and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was established in 2008.

The following FSS Regulations have been notified in 2011.

·                   Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food businesses) Regulations, 2011

·                   Food Safety and standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011

·                   Food safety and standards (Food product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011

·                   Food safety and standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011

·                   Food safety and standards (Contaminates, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011

·                   Food Safety and Standards (Laboratory and sampling analysis) Regulations, 2011

The enactments and orders mentioned in the Second Schedule of the Act (including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act) and the Milk and Milk Products Regulations, 1992 have been repealed w.e.f. 5.8.2011. FSS Act has been made operational from 5.8.2011. The food regulatory framework has now moved from limited prevention of food adulteration regime to safe and wholesome food regime.

Operationalizing the Enforcement structure at the Centre and State level:

All the States have operationalized the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food businesses) Regulations, 2011. About 2,77,801 licenses and 8,60,119 registrations have been issued by the State Governments till date.At the Central level, 9,348 licenses have been issued till 11.3.2013.

Initiatives taken by FSSAI for fixing of standards of food articles:

1.     Draft standards for caffeinated beverages have been formulated and are under notification for seeking public comments. 

2.     Draft notification for fixation of limit of Trans Fatty Acid in partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, has been notified for seeking public comments.

3.     Draft notification for fixing standards for Antibiotics in Honey, has been notified for seeking public comments.

4.     Draft standards for Olive Oil have been notified for seeking public comments.

5.     Regulations of Alcoholic Drink- Alcoholic Drink has been defined as Food under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and the process of framing standards and regulation thereof has begun. After following the prescribed process of Standards setting, the same would be brought to the Food Authority for discussions.

6.     Draft regulations of Imported Food safety have been framed.

Surveillance of Food and Food Borne Diseases:

Surveillance action has been initiated on milk and iodized salt. The report of milk survey conducted by FSSAI has been released. FSSAI has also commissioned a nation–wide survey of schools to finalise guidelines regarding serving of food in the schools.

Framework on Food Safety Management System (FSMS):

Framework of FSMS has been finalized.

Harmonisation of Standards with Codex and other international standards:

FSSAI has begun the exercise of harmonizing the standards for the various food items.

Constitution of the Scientific Committee and eight Scientific Panels:

FSSAI has constituted and apex Scientific Committee to provide scientific opinion to the Authority on wide range of subjects that are within the mandate of the Authority. The Scientific Panels on Functional Foods, Food Additives, Method of Sampling and Analysis, Biological Hazards, Contaminants in Food, Pesticides and antibiotic residues, Genetically modified organisms and food and Labelling, claims/advertisements have been formed.

Food Import Clearance System (FICS):

Implementation of IT enabled Imported Food monitoring system at major entry points in the country i.e. Food Import Clearance System (FICS) has become operational at select ports of Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai including airports and importers are getting the food items tested, cleared using the IT enabled system.

On day two, more spurious drinks seized

Officials found 74 shops selling unhygienic products during the raids on Thursday

Food safety and drug administration department on Thursday found 74 shops selling unhygienic and spurious soft drinks in the city. Most of the shops were on Broadway, NSC Bose Road, Poonamallee High Road and near Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. As many as 275 bottles of spurious soft drinks, 650 packets of coloured drinks, 550 packets of unlabelled buttermilk, 400 litres of unhygienic fruit mix and 350 water packets were seized.

“We have also created awareness among the retail outlets on the impact of spurious drinks on the health of consumers,” said an official. Officials told the retail sellers that their activity was emerging as a major challenge to public health in the city. The officials explained to the retailers that the spurt in water-borne diseases was usually caused by consumption of unhygienic water and beverages.

“Many bottles with popular soft drink brand names had spurious products. This is a cause of concern,” said an official.

On Wednesday, the food safety department officials seized 200 bottles of misbranded soft drinks and 1,875 unhygienic water and buttermilk sachets from various shops in areas such as T. Nagar and Teynampet.

The licences issued under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 have expired. So, the food safety officials are focussing more on awareness creation instead of legal action against the violators.

Action against traders selling spurious soft drinks will now be taken as per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Dinamalar

With TN, Karnataka & WB planning ban, India set to be gutkha-free soon

India is all set to become gutkha-free with governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and West Bengal deciding to extend the ban in their respective states in about a month.

The three states would impose the ban under the Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, just like their counterparts - 23 states and five union territories - Bihar, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Goa, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Pondicherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Daman and Diu.

Informing this Yash Gupta, owner, M R Group (Delhi), said, “Gutkha has been banned in 23 states and five union territories and in coming month it will be banned in the three states, which have not banned it yet.”

Reacting to news regarding the Supreme Court order seeking compliance reports from all state governments that have banned the sale and manufacture of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco, he said, “Governments have taken a very good step by keeping in mind the health of crores of people of the country who consume gutkha. We appreciate the move and will not move any court.” The apex court gave the order on a petition filed by Ankur Gutkha with Indian Asthma Care Society as the respondent.

The bench comprising Justice G S Singhvi and Justice Kurian Joseph issued notices to the health secretaries of all the 23 states and five union territories to file the compliance reports on the implementation of the ban. The court also asked why the products have not been banned in others states and why regulation 2.3.4 of FSSA has not yet been implemented, according to Seema Gupta, regional director, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI).

“Additional solicitor-general Indira Jaisingh who was representing the Central government of India informed that gutkha was being manufactured and sold in states like Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh just violating the law. She also claimed that the rules are not implemented properly in many states,” informed Gupta.
 

Prashant Bhushan, advocate appearing for Health for the Million Trust and VHAI, said, “Gutkha in any form has been banned in 23 states and five union territories. But still the ban is not being properly enforced as there is no control over manufacturing units. The banned products are also easily available from the states where gutkha is not banned.”

The next hearing of the case will be on May 3, 2013.

Manipur bans sale of poor quality canned fish

The Manipur government has banned the sale of a canned fish manufactured in Karnataka and mineral water bottles manufactured in Thoubal district, Manipur under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Ram Muivah, the Commissioner of Food Safety, issued the orders.

Officials said there was no manufacturing date on the cans. The fish was often found to be rotten and the can full of fungus. A Karnataka company has been marketing these products in Manipur through an agent here.

The Commissioner said the sale of ‘S packaged drinking water’ was banned since it was of poor quality and posed a health hazard.

Canned fish, mineral water bottle banned in Manipur

Imphal, April 4, 2013: The Manipur government has banned the sale of a canned fish manufactured in Karnataka and a “mineral water” bottle manufactured in Manipur. The ban order was issued by Ram Muivah, the Commissioner of Food Safety in accordance with the existing law.
The Karnataka company produces the Sea Cherry Mackerels, a canned fish. There is a sole agent in Manipur. However, there have been complaints from many sections of consumers about the safety of this canned fish. Because there is no manufacturing date and other trade details required by the law governing the consumer items.
It was alleged that in many cases the fish and gravy were found to be putrid and foul smelling. Besides there were fungus inside the cans. Though there have been complaints, the company and the agent were not interested.
It is reported that the canned fish of this particular brand is injurious to health. The government also found that the mineral water bottle manufactured at Yairipok in Thoubal district of Manipur is sub standard and is violative of the Act.
The samples of the water were analyzed in laboratory. The government notification says that the sale and consumption of these two edible items are banned. Anyone violating the government notification is punishable under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

City anchor: A strict no to use of calcuim carbide on mangoes

In the season of the king of fruits, the FDA is getting ready to crack the whip on mango traders who use calcium carbide, an inorganic compound that is known to cause cancer, for hastening the ripening of the fruit.
FDA has started inspections to detect any calcium carbide use by mango traders. Besides, around 16 traders selling mangoes have been issued show cause notices for not obtaining licence under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act.
FDA has warned of strict action including prosecution if calcium carbide is found to be used by traders to ripen mangoes. "So far, we have not found any defaulter but a strict warning has been issued at our workshop held with 80 traders recently," Shashikant Kekare, Joint Commissioner, FDA, (food) told Newsline.
While issuing the fiat, they have allowed the use of ethylene to speed up ripening the mangoes. Ethylene, an organic compound that can be synthesised, is found naturally in gaseous form in plants and is responsible for ripening of fruits.
Last year, Satara had reported three instances of calcium carbide being used to ripen mangoes. In a recent case in Nashik, artificially ripened Alphonsos worth Rs 1.25 lakh were destroyed by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) at a fruit market. Around 1,400 kg Alphonsos worth Rs 1.25 lakh were seized from a shop at Sharadchandra fruit market as they were being ripened using calcium carbide, Kekare said.
FDA sent four kg of calcium carbide seized in Nashik to Pune for laboratory tests.
On Thursday, a meeting was held at FDA's Pune office where assistant commissioners from various districts including Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Solapur submitted their reports and decided on strategies to conduct random checks at vegetable and fruit markets to prevent use of calcium carbide.
S M Deshmukh, Assistant Commissioner, Satara said most traders either sprinkle the powder or keep some pouches of calcium carbide in the room where mangoes are stored. It usually takes four-five days for mangoes to ripen naturally. It is done in just a day or two using calcium carbide, Dilip Sangat, Assistant Commissioner, FDA said.
Pune division of FDA is gearing up to conduct random inspections at fruit stalls. Shivlal Bhosale, president of the Fruit Merchants Association, told Newsline the Association has 250 fruit vendors and instructions have been issued against use of calcium carbide.
According to FDA officials, there has been a sizeable impact of awareness programmes do drive home the point.
"We have allowed the use of ethylene gas," Kekare added.

Ban on gutka goes for a toss

• 
    A man selling gutkha at the shop in Hyderabad.
• 

The Supreme Court order on Wednesday seeking a compliance report from State governments about the ban on tobacco products is certain to draw a blank from Andhra Pradesh.

Ours is one among the 23 States and five Union Territories which banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of these products, following a regulation by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The ban came into force in January this year, and began to be violated almost immediately!

The only difference it has made is to the open visibility of the products, and their price. The festoons of gutka and pan masala sachets earlier hanging over the façade of myriad kiosks in the city merely went in to hiding now. In fact, the ban has only proved to be a boon for the retailers who are selling the products at higher prices on the pretext of short supply.

“Earlier, I would get the sachets at Re. 1 each if bought in bulk. Now they are being sold at arbitrary prices, some times even Rs.6 per sachet,” complains M. Krishna, a consumer. Manikchand RMD, Sagar, Goa, RR, Raj Darbar, Joda Bail and Shikar are a few brands available in the black market here. One sachet of Manikchand, with MRP at Rs. 5 apiece, is now being sold at anywhere between Rs.10 and Rs.20.

Other brands are available at prices ranging between Rs.3 and Rs.6 per sachet, and Rs.100 to Rs.120 for a package of 60.

It is interesting to note that the production activity of major brands has shifted to the States where gutka is not banned as yet. Manikchand has one facility in Bangalore, and Sagar, another brand, has its manufacturing unit in Bidar district of Karnataka where gutka is yet to be banned. A few brands arrive from Tamil Nadu too, sources inform.

“The merchandise arrives in the early morning trains hidden under bundles of clothes, and distributed stealthily,” informs one retailer from Chikkadpally. Some major brands ensure that the merchandise is dumped at one centralised location, from where retailers collect them.

Tobacco chewing products are more carcinogenic than cigarettes, as they are orally consumed, informs B.Nehru, a Radiation Oncologist from the MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre.

Gutka chewing has high addiction rate among young people from poorer sections, as the products are much cheaper than cigarettes. Even adolescents, boys as well as girls, are no exception.

The present ban is imposed under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Food Safety Commissioner should work in tandem with various departments such as police, health, commercial taxes, vigilance, transport and municipal administration to enforce the ban completely.

Daily Thanthi

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Maalaimalar News

International Food Safety News - Expired food case accused held guilty

The Muscat Primary Court yesterday issued its verdict convicting those accused of selling expired food products. The accused were sentenced to a term of imprisonment, ranging from one to two years; fines; and deportation.

The judgments are as follows:
1. Jiartna Cindrella George, Jai Singh Dwarkadas, Ranjit Kumar Dwarkadas, and Ratan Singh Dwarkadas Kalyanji, all Indian nationals, were charged with selling expired and rotten food products that are harmful to human health. They were aware of the condition of the food products and the fact that they were violating the provisions of the Consumer Protection Law and its executive regulations.

The court sentenced them to two years of imprisonment and fined them OMR400 each, upon convicting them of storing food products in inappropriate conditions that were contrary to the requirements of the FoodSafetyLaw. It also convicted them of violating the Omani Labour Law for hiring non-Omani labourers without a licence, for which the court charged them OMR4,000 each and demanded that they pay the travel expenses for deporting the 8th and 9th convicts—Shandan Kumar Teluk, Bangladeshi national, and Mohammad Na'eem Abdulqadir, Pakistani national—to their home countries.

The penalties for each crime were combined, and the convicts will be deported from Oman after they have served their prison terms. While the rotten food products have been confiscated, their shops will be closed. The accused have been pronounced innocent of the offence criminalised by Article 294 of the Penal Law.

2. Of the remaining five accused in the case, Samir Sen Sunil Sen, Bangladeshi national; Nirmal Kumar Baliwal, Indian national; Pigo Balet Milan, Bangladeshi national; Shandan Kumar Teluk, Bangladeshi national; and Mohammad Na'eem Abdulqadir, Pakistani national, were charged with participating in the crime of selling expired and rotten food products and violating the provisions of the Consumer Protection Law and its executing regulations.

The court sentenced Samir and Mohammad to one year of imprisonment and fined them OMR400 each; Nirmal, Pigo, and Shandan were sentenced to two years of imprisonment and were fined OMR400 each. Shandan and Mohammad were found guilty of violating the Omani Labour Law by illegally working for an employer other than their sponsor and were sentenced to one month of imprisonment—a penalty that will be combined with that of their other crime before they are permanently deported along with Samir, Nirmal, and Pigo.

The group was pronounced innocent of the other charges brought against them.
The judgements were pronounced in the presence of all the accused except for Jiartna Cindrella George, who received his judgement separately.

Dealers selling packed water bottles on double rates without BSI mark; posing threat innocent lives

Nagpur faces the brunt of scorching heat right from the month of March which decreases only in the month of July with the onset of rains. During summer, not only heat but scarcity of water bothers Nagpurians and with this the sale of bottled water had increased with a rocket speed in past few years. Thus, it has attracted a large number of investors in the business. But, Shiv Sena City Vice President Ashok Zinghare claimed that most of the packed water is sub-standard and have no BSI (Bureau of Indian Standards) marks on them. He claimed that most of the companies do not attain permission from BSI and continue selling this packed water playing with the lives of innocent people. These bottles, which actually cost Rs 5.50 and after including cooling and electricity charge which costs Rs 7.50 are sold in the market with double or triple the actually cost.
Zinghare said that there was no authorized dealer of bottled water in Orange city. There are seven to eight companies active in this business in Nagpur but how many of them have authorization is a question still unanswered. He further said that the procedure to get permit certificate from BSI is a lengthy procedure and it includes many rules and then the verification process is very intense which may not offer immense profit from the business. Thus, these companies opt for the easier option and do not apply for permit certificate.
He said that seeing tons of profit in this business, even retailers never question about the BSI mark and sell this bottled water without bothering for the lives of people. It is to be mentioned that a dozen of these packed water bottles cost Rs 65 to the retailer which means Rs 5.50 per bottles and after adding the cooling and electricity cost the prices goes to Rs 7.50, but the bottles are sold at the cost of Rs 20 which goes unnoticed by the consumers.
He wronged consumers and said even buyers fail to check the BSI mark on the bottles and indirectly causing threat to their own lives. This inattentive and irresponsible behavior from consumers provokes the retailers and these companies to continue their money at the cost of innocent lives. Zinghare further zeroed Food and Safety Department on its working and allowing to continue this business.
Consumers to note
Zinghare said that consumers should check the BSI mark before buying any of the packed water bottles. They should also check the company name on the bottle. Retailers should check whenter their has permit certificate from BSI or not. This packed water include 10 ltr jars, 5 ltr, 1 ltr water bottles or even the waters packets available. Every item must contain BSI mark on them otherwise they are considered an unhealthy to use. Any dealer selling packed water without the permit certificate is liable for punishment. He appealed consumers to complaint with Food and Safety Department if they find such bottles.

Corporation to issue licence to soft drink vendors in Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Wayside vendors turning up with make-shift stalls for selling cool drinks this summer will have to go through a licensing procedure soon. The health wing of the city corporation will issue a directive making licence mandatory for those vending cool drinks like butter milk, lemonades, water melon and other chilled, sweetened liquid concoctions.

The decision comes in the wake of reports from health inspectors of various circles about appalling hygienic standards maintained by most of the street vendors. "It has come to our notice that the vendors pay scant regard to the sources from where they collect water. Already the city is facing a severe drought and clean, natural reserves are a rarity these days. So, we need to find out the places from where they source the water," a senior health official said.

The health standing committee will convene a meeting of health inspectors from various health circles as part of issuing the directive. "Cool drink stalls are mushrooming in the city. We are not against the conduct of business or source of livelihood. We just need to make sure that they run their business without compromising on hygiene and health of their customers. The meeting will be held this week itself," said health standing committee chairperson S Pushpalatha.

According to the health officials, focus will be mainly on nine health circles spread around the city. As per the directive, the vendors will have to indicate their source of water, place of business and hygienic standards maintained by them and have to get it certified by the corporation's health wing. The licence will be issued on a temporary basis.

"There are a lot of people who have been conducting this business for the past few years. However, of late we have noticed emergence of new vendors. Everybody will be put under the scanner and those who fail to meet the standards will be asked to shut their business," a health official said.

Also, the civic body will conduct inspection drives among the eateries set up by the road side to ensure hygiene. The corporation had earlier directed the vendors to procure glass enclosures for food items and that they shouldn't keep the food open. An official admitted that the corporation failed to monitor the directive and resultantly the vendors have disregarded it. "All street vendors will be issued reminders to store food items in glass enclosures and they will be fined upon non compliance," the official said.

MCC drive to check hygiene at restaurants

Taking no chances:Mysore City Corporation authorities inspecting a restaurant on Wednesday

The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) on Wednesday conducted random checks at a few hotels and restaurants in the city to ensure hygiene.

The authorities also cracked down on roadside vendors selling cut fruits, as a precautionary measure to prevent the outbreak of gastroenteritis, which is common during summer.

Restaurant owners were pulled up for low standards of hygiene in storage and preparation of food. They were directed to supply boiled and cooled water to customers.

The MCC drive will cover the entire city over the next few days.

Eateries not complying with cleanliness and hygiene norms in storage, preparation and serving of food would risk penalty or cancellation of licenses.

Administration waits for official directive to enforce gutkha ban

The district administration is still waiting for an official directive for enforcing the ban on the sale and production of gutkha in the state capital. The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) department, which is supposed to enforce the ban, however said there was no need for a directive when the notification had already been issued six months ago.
“Unless we get a written directive from the government, there is nothing we can officially do about it. It’s only after the directive, which is expected any time in the next two days, we are certain that we will start implementing the ban,” said Arun Kumar, city magistrate, Lucknow.
On October 4, 2012, the UP government had issued a notification banning the sale of gutkha from April 1, 2013 after the Allahabad high court asked the state government whether it could ban the product on the central government’s directive prohibiting sale and distribution of gutkha across the state.
“The notification clearly says the ban would come into effect from April 1, 2013. So anyone found involved in sale or manufacture of gutkha would be booked under the IPC,” said Pravir Kumar, principal secretary, FDA.
On Monday, the Supreme Court deferred the state government’s plea seeking an extension of the March 31 deadline to April 8. While issuing the ban order on October 4, 2012, the government had said it had given six months’ time so that lakhs of employees and labourers engaged in the long existing industry could find alternative employment.
Amidst the ‘ban or no ban’ confusion, gutkha sale continued unabated in the city on Tuesday. Though most of the shops refrained from displaying the sachets, there was no check on the sale. Sources, however said, that the administration was geared up to enforce the ban in the city as soon as a formal directive comes. “We have identified seven/eight factories functioning in Lucknow. We will seal the units besides ensuring that gutkha is not sold in the market,” an official said.
The manufacturing and sale of gutkha is a major source of revenue for both UP’s commercial tax department and the central excise department. According to a rough estimate, in Lucknow alone, at least one lakh people earn their bread and butter from manufacture and sale of gutkha.

Day 1: Food safety wing raids 62 shops, seizes items worth 15,500

Chennai: Food safety department officials on Wednesday raided 62 shops in the T Nagar and Teynampet areas and seized spurious food and drinks worth 15,500. The officials seized 200 bottles of spurious soft drinks, 1,875 packets of coloured water and 66 kg of substandard food.
    A TOI report on Tuesday said fake soft drinks firms were flourishing in the city and duplicating several branded items.
    Officials said a special team would carry out inspections in shops across the city in the next few days. “We have found that several vendors are selling spurious drinks with label and logos of branded items,” said a senior official. The department is also planning to spread awareness among vendors about spurious drinks.
    “Raw material used in making these fake drinks is harmful to health. But many vendors are unaware about the hazards. So we are now planning to conduct awareness among the vendors instead of penalising them” said an official. Health experts say spurious soft drinks can cause hepatitis, stomach diseases and typhoid, especially in children.
    Consumer activists welcomed the department’s move, but urged officials to raid manufacturing units. “They should conduct frequent raids and publish the names of the violators. They should inspect the manufacturing units too,” said Consumer Association of India trustee R Desikan.
    Manufacture and sale of fake cold drinks are on the rise due to huge demand in summer. Complaints can be made to the food safety department at 044-23813095 or emailed to commrfssa@gmail.com.

Manufacture and sale of fake cold drinks are on the rise due to huge demand in summer

Spurious soft drinks, buttermilk seized

A team of officials from the food safety and drug administration department seized 200 bottles of misbranded soft drinks and 1,875 unhygienic water and buttermilk sachets on Wednesday.

The raid was part of the department’s attempt to crackdown on all kinds of spurious beverages, which generally surface in large numbers in the summer.

The items were seized from various shops in areas such as T. Nagar and Teynampet.

According to officials, the raids will be held in other areas of the city on Thursday, as several complaints have been received by the food safety department regarding spurious drinks.

“Many of the retail outlets in the city have been found selling spurious soft drinks. More raids will follow to identify the source of such beverages,” said an official.

“During the raids we observed that even the 20-litre drinking water cans are unfit for consumption. Such water is being supplied at affordable rates of Rs. 10 in some commercial areas and is used by many food business operators such as fruit juice outlets. We will organise another raid to prevent the sale of such cans soon,” the official added.

Officials said the spurt in water-borne diseases, seen during the summer months, is usually caused by consumption of such unhygienic water and beverages.

Earlier, the Chennai Corporation was tasked with seizing unhygienic drinking water, fruit juice and buttermilk sachets from the city’s retail outlets.

Under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, the civic body had to take action against all retail sellers and manufacturers if the results of their analyses reveal any contamination in any of the food or beverage samples seized.

After the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 came into force on August 5, 2011, licenses issued to traders under the 1954 act expired. Action against traders selling spurious soft drinks will now be taken as per the provisions of the Food Safety Act.

However, many food businesses are still not aware that they need to acquire fresh licenses under the new Act. The task of issuing licenses is yet to be completed on account of resistance from most traders.

Food safety officers, whose responsibility it is to inspect outlets and look into complaints, are now focussing on information, education and communication campaigns.

Food safety dept. begins crackdown on unhygienic products sold in commercial outlets

Sea Cherry Mackerels Sowkar banned in state

Imphal, April 03 2013: The State Government has banned selling of Sea Cherry Mackerels Sowkar (In Brine) manufactured by M/s Sowkar Canning Company, Udyavara, which is being marketed in the state by its sole agent at Imphal, M/s Y Krishna Singh & Sons, Wahengbam Leikai.

According to an official order issued by Commissioner of Food Safety Ram Muivah, who is also the Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, on March 25, 2013, selling of the specific tin fish product has been banned in the whole state with immediate effect after finding it unsafe for human consumption.

The order mentioned that the particular brand of food was found rotten and unfit for human consumption as it contained high percentage of yeast and mould.

As it violates regulation no.2.6.1 (8) (Note II) (Fish & Fish Products) of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) regulations, 2011, the order said that the food item in question is unsafe and sub-standard under Section 3(1) (ZX) & (ZZ)(i)(ii) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 .

The order further mentioned that the food item does not follow the mandatory regulations of Lot/Code/Batch indentification as given under Regulation no.2.2.1 (8) (General Requirement of Labelling) under the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011 .

Citing the above reasons, the order restricted selling of the Sea Cherry Mackerels Sowkar (In Brine) food item in the state with immediate effect and until further order in the interest of public health under the provisions of Section 23 & 27 of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 .

The order further explained that violation of the order is liable to be punished as per the law of the land.

Talking to Hueiyen Lanpao in this regard, Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Tekcham Brojendro Khaba Meetei said that seizure of the particular food product started from January 17 after it was found being sold in violation of the norms of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.The seized products were sent to a notified laboratory under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on January 22 for necessary testing.

The laboratory, in its report on February 9, stated that the particular food product is unsafe for human consumption and it contain high percentage of yeast and mould.

Following the report, selling of the particular food product has been banned in the whole state.

He also appealed to the people of the state to report to the District Food Safety Officer, Designated Officers of Food Safety or Deputy Food Safety Officer at the Directorate of Health Services if they found anything suspicious in the food products available in the market.

Instead of discarding the unsafe food products, public should brought them to the authorities concerned for further necessary action, the officer informed.

Six eating joints raided

Jalandhar, April 3
To implement the Food Safety and Standards Act-2006 effectively, a team of the district Health Department conducted raids on six eating joints, including a newly opened restaurant-cum-bar, and collected samples.

Led by Dr Ashwani Sondhi, District Health Officer (DHO), the team paid a surprise visit to fast food joints in Model Town, Buta Mandi, Nakodar Road, near TV Tower, and a bakery in the city.

Dr Sondhi said the food quality in the restaurant was found to be good, while samples of raw and prepared food items were collected from other business establishments.

The samples were sent to a health laboratory in Chandigarh for test. He said the eating joint owners were not following the guidelines of the Act. Action would be taken against those found guilty.

Meanwhile, a team of the Health Department today raided a dairy located in Guru Nanak Pura and confiscated drugs being sold by its owner Davinder Singh in violation of the norms.

Dr Sondhi revealed that acting on a tip-off, a raid was conducted on Ghuman Daily and drugs (medicines) were recovered from its counter. He said the dairy owner was selling medicines without having any licence and qualification.

File compliance report on gutka ban, SC asks States

Centre’s order not being implemented effectively, says ASG

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed 23 States and five Union Territories to file a compliance report in four weeks on implementation of the ban on gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine.

A Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and Kurian Joseph directed the others to explain why they had not imposed the ban so far and to indicate a time frame for doing so. The Bench passed this order after Additional Solicitor-General Indira Jaising brought to its notice an August 12, 2012 circular issued by the Centre advising all States and Union Territories to ban gutka and pan masala. She said though 23 States and five Union Territories had imposed the ban, the order was not being implemented effectively.

Prashant Bhushan, who appeared for the HFM Trust, and Shri Vishnu Behari Tewari, appearing on behalf of the Indian Dental Association, demanded a nationwide ban on all forms of chewing tobacco products. Mr. Bhushan said the ban was not being properly enforced as there was no control over manufacturing units.

During the hearing, the Bench remarked that manufactures were misleading people and creating confusion, and selling gutka and pan masala in separate sachets.

Already 23 States — Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Delhi, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh — and five Union Territories including Chandigarh, Dadar Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Andaman & Nicobar have banned the sale, manufacture and distribution of gutka, khaini and pan masala containing tobacco, based on the regulation issued on August 1, 2011 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, a statutory body under the Health Ministry. In a connected matter, the Bench, after hearing Additional Solicitor-General Mohan Jain, issued notice to the Central and State pollution control boards seeking to know how they handled and disposed of plastic waste.

Justice Singhvi, after going through data, observed: “We are becoming a time bomb. When it happens, all valleys will go. The data is frightening and steps needed to be taken as plastic waste will affect not only this generation but generations to come.”

The Bench said it would first examine the disposal system in the cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Agra, Jaipur and Faridabad, and issued notice to their Municipal Commissioners asking them to file their responses.

Mr. Mohan Jain, in a note submitted to the court, said the total quantity of plastics manufactured in the country as per a 2008 estimation was eight million tonnes per year. As per a survey conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board in 60 major cities, the average plastic waste generation was 843.2 tonnes out of the total municipal solid waste of 50,592 tonnes per day.

Toxic industry dyes found in Indian sweets

The illegal colours found in some Indian sweets are used in the paper, textiles and leather industry © Shutterstock

India has just celebrated Holi, its festival of colours, where brightly dyed sweets are handed out to children and adults alike. However, a nationwide study has discovered that many of the colourings used in those sweets and savouries contain illegal and toxic dyes not for use in food.¹
Mukul Das at the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, and colleagues found that while there has been an overall decline in the use of illegal colours in recent years, they are still widely used. The team detected illegal and potentially toxic colours in around 16% of sweets and savouries tested. They also found that even with sweets that contained safe colours, 58% exceeded the cap of 100 mg/kg determined by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The scientists found six banned dyes in the sweets tested: rhodamine B, orange II, metanil yellow, malachite green, quinoline yellow and auramine. These are mostly used by the paper, leather and textile industries. FSSAI rules allow only eight colours to be used in food, and all the others are classed as non-permitted colours (NPCs).
Das says that a major problem with vendors and shops selling sweets and savouries is that they're not aware of FSSAI standards, and end up using more of them than are permitted. ‘But they know which colours should not be used and are lured into buying the non-permitted dyes because they are cheaper than the approved ones,’ he says.
Rhodamine B – a tracer dye – was the most commonly used illegal colour, picked up in 30% of samples. Levels of the dye varied from 36.9 to 542mg/kg. For orange II, metanil yellow and malachite green, the ranges were 23.8 to 456mg/kg, 36.8 to 256mg/kg and 57.4 to 231mg/kg, respectively.
‘All these dyes are harmful and can cause diseases like cancer upon chronic consumption,’ says V Sudershan Rao, a food safety expert at National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India. ‘But since these quantities are not sufficient to cause any acute health problems, the real impact of these dyes on consumers' health cannot be assessed.’ Research at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, found that chronic exposure to metanil yellow causes neurotoxicity in rats.² The dye is commonly found in a popular Indian sweet dish called jalebi.
The survey was the largest of its kind in the country, and serves as a wake-up call to regulators. Rao says added vigilance is needed by the government to stop the use of illegal, toxic dyes. ‘The study should help policy makers revisit the quantities of permitted colours used in various foods,’ Rao says. ‘Right now, there's a uniform upper limit of 100mg/kg, and 200mg/kg in a few cases, for all permitted colours. The cap for food dyes should be reset according to their individual toxicity potential.’

Food Safety News in Today paper

COMPLAINTS UP - Fake soft drinks leave a bad taste in mouth

5% Of Fizzy Drinks Are Spurious, Pet Bottles Are Easiest To Copy

    With summer round the corner, the demand for soft drinks is set to rise. Food safety experts warn that at least 5% of soft drinks that come with a branded label are fakes.
    Sources said that several illegal soft drink manufacturing units are flourishing. They manufacture duplicates of brands such as Coke, Pepsi, 7Up and Mirinda, often filling other liquids in mostly 200ml used bottles of branded drinks. Some others print fake labels on bottles.
    Spurious soft drinks can cause hepatitis, stomach diseases and typhoid, especially in children, said health experts. “They undermine our brand value but the government does not check manufacture of fake drinks,” said the sales representative of a leading cola firm.
    A senior food safety official said: “We have been receiving several complaints about expired and fake soft drinks, but we are short of staff and cannot conduct raids.” The food safety department does not have any data on the number of complaints, raids conducted, samples collected, or test results on samples.
    Spurious drinks are usually sold outside schools and colleges, bus and railway stations, markets and in Tasma shops. Some of the 'filling units' are located in Medavakkam, Padur, Nanmangalam, Keelkattalai and Kovilanchery in Kancheepuram and Poonamallee, Chenerkuppam, Veetalathottam, Alapakkam, Padianallur and Red Hills in Tiruvallur. Sources said many such units start manufacturing soda and switch to cool drinks.
    Small shop owners say selling fakes is more profitable than the real thing. “If we sell a branded soft drink, we get only 30p to 1 per bottle as commission. Local manufacturers pay us Rs 1 to Rs 3,” said a retailer from Teynampet on condition of anonymity.
    “Authorities should regularly inspect both shops and manufacturing units,” said Consumer Association of India trustee R Desikan.
    Aravind Raj, who recently purchased a soft drink from a shop in Tambaram noticed that the cap of the bottle was damaged. “There was no mention of the MRP or expiry date on the bottle. It tasted different but the vendor refused to listen my complaint,” he said.
    Chennai food safety officer S Lakshmi Narayan said: “Action will be taken against violators based on complaints.” Complaints can be made to the food safety department at 044 -23813095 or emailed to commrfssa@gmail.com.

Even Small Indulgences in Junk Food can Negatively Affect Health

A new study conducted by researchers at University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) suggests that indulging in even small amounts of junk food could lead to significant changes in gene expression which can negatively impact physiology and health.

A.J. Marian Walhout, PhD, co-director of the Program in Systems Biology and professor of molecular medicine at UMMS, and team described how metabolism and physiology are connected to diet.

Using C. elegans, a transparent roundworm often used as a model organism in genetic studies, Dr. Walhout and colleagues observed how different diets produce differences in gene expression in the worm that can then be linked to crucial physiological changes.

Walhout said, "Worms fed a natural diet of Comamonas bacteria have fewer offspring, live shorter and develop faster compared to worms fed the standard laboratory diet of E. coli bacteria."

Walhout and colleagues identified at least 87 changes in C. elegans gene expression between the two diets. Surprisingly, these changes were independent of the TOR and insulin signaling pathways, gene expression programs typically active in nutritional control. Instead, the changes occur, at least in part, in a regulator that controls molting, a gene program that determines development and growth in the worm.

This connection provided one of the critical links between diet, gene expression and physiology detailed in "Diet-induced Development Acceleration Independent of TOR and Insulin in C. elegans."

Strikingly, Walhout and colleagues observed that even when fed a small amount of the Comamonas bacteria in a diet otherwise comprised of E. coli bacteria, C. elegans exhibited dramatic changes in gene expression and physiology. These results provide the tantalizing possibility that different diets are not "healthy" or "unhealthy" but that specific quantities of certain foods may be optimal under different conditions and for promoting different physiological outcomes.

"It's just as true that a small amount of a 'healthy' food in an otherwise unhealthy diet could elicit a beneficial change in gene expression that could have profound physiological effects," said Walhout.

Additional research by the Walhout Lab further explored the possibility of using C. elegans as a model system to answer complex questions about disease and dietary treatment in humans.

Detailed in the "Integration of Metabolic and Gene Regulatory Networks Modulates the C. elegans Dietary Response," Walhout and colleagues found that disrupting gene expression involved with C. elegans metabolism lead to metabolic imbalances that interfered with the animal's dietary response; a result that may have a direct correlation to the treatment of a class of human genetic diseases.

According to Dr. Walhout, it may be possible to use this genetic regulatory network in C. elegans to compare how certain dietary regimens can be used to mitigate these metabolic diseases. It may also be used to screen for drugs or other small molecules that can produce the same results as dietary treatments.

Though Walhout and colleagues started out asking a fundamental dietary question in the worm, what they got was an answer directly related to disease and treatment in humans, thus establishing C. elegans as a model system for elucidating the mechanisms for dietary responses, inborn metabolic diseases and the connections between them.

The findings are described in a pair of papers published in Cell.

Ban on smokeless tobacco products remains ineffective in Ambala

Ambala, April 1
A complete ban on manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of gutkha and other tobacco products imposed by the state government in July, last year, has hardly proved to be a deterrent for those involved in the trade.

The state government had issued strict instructions to the officials to implement and enforce a blanket ban on manufacture, stock, sale and use of all tobacco products in the state. The ban was imposed under the Food Safety and Standard Act of 2006. However, the sale of gutkha and other tobacco products still goes on unabated and these products can easily be bought at small vends operating on streets and outside the Ambala railway station.

Ironically, while the ban failed to bring down the sale of tobacco products, it helped sellers of these products earn handsome profit as the cost of one pouch of gutkha rose by almost five times after the ban. With the gutkha lovers not hesitating from paying dearer prices to get their daily dose of tobacco, the business seems to be flourishing like never before.

The officials, however, maintain that strict action was taken against the defaulters in the cases that were brought to their notice, but the reality is far from it. Balbir Singh, a local resident, said the officials concerned had failed to conduct regular surprise checks to keep a tab on the sale and purchase of gutkha. “If they had done so, there would have been no sale of any tobacco products in the district,” he said.

He said it was not without a reason that the country was topping the list of smokeless tobacco users in the world with nearly 83 per cent consumers.

Local retailers in the city said the ban had resulted in black marketing of the tobacco products and there had been no reduction in its use. One of the retailers, on the condition of anonymity, said the wholesalers were providing them with tobacco products at an inflated rate on the pretext that exorbitant prices was being paid to top officials to keep the business running.

While some retailers do not display the product for the fear of being caught by the authorities, there are others who show no fear of the law and display the tobacco products (see picture) openly. Another retailer said he continued to sell around 2,000 to 2,500 packs of gutkha per day and there was hardly any shortage of the stock.

Why say 'no' to GM

There are labelling requirement in several countries which gives the consumers information on whether the food item is made using genetically modified plant genes or not.  Some countries require that the commodities which have transgenic protein traces can be labelled as they had been genetically modified in origin.Some countries require that all genetically modified products (if GM origin elements had been used in production process) have to be labelled. This is to protect the consumer in making an informed choice. Genetically modified genes cause kidney damage and liver damage and cause high mortality rates. Genetically modified plants are toxic as they were designed to keep away insects. 

What is GM? Genes of plant species are genetically modified by crossing with another species to make a stronger species which is resistant to insects(pests) and plant diseases. This increases the toxicity of the genetically modifying the plant several times. The genetically modified plant becomes more and more robust, and gives bigger harvests. But the consumers suffer because of the toxicity of the products.Why were such foods made? Super bugs invaded big farms and to control them became impossible. To combat the super bugs(like locusts) monster seeds were invented by genetic engineering. And thus came GM. Instead of this we could have introduced insect eating birds and it would have been the ecologically correct  alternative. 

In India, only one GM crop has been is allowed to grow and that is 'bt cotton'. It was allowed as cotton is not used in food (as thought previously). But the cotton seed is used to extract oil which is combined in making other edible oils. And cotton seed cakes are fed to dairy animal(cows) whose milk has toxic content of the GM crops. Now legislation has to be made for this. Whether we label such products as GM or not, they have GM elements in them. Even if the consumer is given choice, is the consumer knowledgeable enough to understand what is GM ? It is up to the government to ban it, as it can cause damage to the health of the consumer. Now we are leaving up to the farmer to make the choice of using the genetically modified seeds or not. Farmers should debate on whether to use GM technology. The farming community may not be knowledgeable enough to understand the damage that GM can cause. Even consumers do not know "what is GM", whather we labe or not. There is no awareness of this. Imported pickles also have corn, canola, soybean which are grown from GM seeds, and these are used in exotic urban restaurants in India.Unknowingly people are consuming GM products, without realising the potential hazards.

As it is, soy oil (which is imported) has GM elements in it. In 2006, we tried to amend the Prevention of Food Adulteration(PFA) Act of 1955 to label GM mandatory. Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 was dealt under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) Bu still labelling of GM foods has not been done. After this came Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill which had said that all living modified organisms and foods derived from them had to be dealt by them. But even then GM remained under FSSAI. Food Safety Standards Regulation Act of 2011 covered even irradiated food which had to be labelled but GM was not covered(therefore labelling was not mandatory) When issue of 'bt brinjal' was discussed, it has been banned in India, but what about issue of  'bt cotton'? Whether banned or not GM has entered our food chain by' bt cotton'. Milk products like yogurt(curd)  butter, cheese, chocolate, cakes and milk sweets have GM elements in them. We have consumed them now. It is irreversible now, we cannot reverse food chain. We must do ecological farming for surviving now,so that native species can be grown and gene pool is protected. Only then India will have a future.We must learn more about the genetically modified genes and modify our laws to ban them.

Dinamalar

Students tackle milk safety

The safety of milk sold in developing nations, are topics of study for this year's recipients of the State Hygienic Laboratory's Student Mentorship award.
The Student Mentorship Program teams laboratory scientists with junior high and high school students who need lab assistance in completing a science project. Through previous mentorship projects, students measured levels of estrogen and other pharmaceuticals in ground water, tested for pesticides in plant roots, and assessed the amount of bacteria on toothbrushes.
This year's recipients worked with Hygienic Lab staff in Coralville, Ankeny and Lakeside Lab to complete projects that may benefit people in Iowa and around the world. The program also was supported by the Iowa local section of the American Chemical Society and the Friends of Lakeside Laboratory.
A safe system to remove dangerous adulterants
Ankita Chatterjee, an eighth-grader at Callanan Middle School, Des Moines, hopes to improve the safety of milk in developing nations where contamination from chlorine, iron and pesticides is a common problem.

Ankita Chatterjee with mentor Megan Mekoli, Ph.D.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India reported last year that more than two-thirds of milk in the country was adulterated by a variety of substances, including detergents.
Last year, Chatterjee designed a simple method to detect contaminants in milk. She applied to the Student Mentorship program for laboratory support to expand her method to include detection of melamine.
Melamine is an organic compound, used to create fire-resistant materials, that is sometimes used illegally to falsely elevate protein content in foods. In 2008, melamine-tainted infant milk sickened thousands of babies and spurred a World Health Organization investigation.
"I would like to experiment with various substances that could either filter or absorb the majority of these contaminants," Chatterjee said in her Student Mentorship application. "My ultimate goal is to create a low-cost, effective, and safe system to remove dangerous adulterants, including melamine, which could be utilized in developing countries."
Chatterjee's lead mentor is Megan Mekoli, Ph.D.

Nothing wrong with import of arecanut, says traders’ body

Mangalore, April 1:  

Refuting charges of importing arecanut at zero import duty, a trade association has said that Customs duty to the tune of Rs 245 crore was paid during 2012-13.

The Kolkata-based Calcutta Kirana (Spices) Merchants’ Association was reacting, in an e-mail sent to Business Line, on a report of 50 MPs seeking ban on arecanut import.

Kamalesh Kumar Gupta, Secretary of the association, said that an estimated import duty of approximately Rs 245 crore has been paid by importers at Petrapole land customs station during 2012-13 for imports of arecanut under SAPTA (SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement).

He said that “not a single kg of arecanut has been imported in India from Bangladesh under the SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) agreement.”

In one of the press conferences in February, K. Padmanabha, President of Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd, said that arecanut was being imported into India from Bangladesh, taking advantage of SAFTA.

On the allegations of MPs memorandum to the Union Agriculture Minister that inferior quality of arecanut was imported, Gupta said that the Centre has established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and has mandated it to draft rules for import of all food products.

“Authorised officers from plant quarantine, in presence of Customs officers, collect samples of the consignments of arecanut imported and send them for laboratory testing to the Central Food Laboratory and the Export Inspection Agency before clearing them for entry for consumption. Therefore, the claim of inferior quality of products flooding the markets does not stand,” he said.

On the demand MPs that minimum tariff price for import of arecanut be fixed at Rs 125 a kg, Gupta said that the cost of cultivation is a variable factor depending upon several things such as cost of land, fertilisers, labour, electricity, interest rates for loans to farmers, size of farm land, climatic conditions, the socio-economic living status of farming community, etc.

“Therefore, if the cost of cultivation of arecanut by farmers of the southern States is high as a result of culmination of these above-mentioned factors, the farming community elsewhere cannot be blamed,” he said.

Drive to ban gutkha, pan masala kickstarts

VARANASI: The drive to put a complete check on the sale of gutkha will be visible in the district from today. Speaking to TOI, district magistrate Prajal Yadav said, "The process of constituting teams of officials to carry out this drive effectively has started. Apart from officers of district administration, officials and staff of other departments including food, safety and drugs administration and police will be responsible for making this drive a success."

In October 2012, office of commissioner of food safety and drug administration department, UP, had issued a notification which said, "Whereas, Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulation, 2011, made by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, in exercise of the powers conferred by clauses of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006), prohibits articles of food in which tobacco and nicotine are used as ingredients as they are injurious to health."

In pursuance of the same regulation, manufacturing, storage, sale and distribution of gutkha and pan masala, containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, by whatsoever name it is available in the market, was prohibited in UP in the interest of public health from April 1, said the notification. It was expected that the gutkha and pan masala would be unavailable from betel kiosks and other shops from Monday morning but ground reality remained totally contrary to the notification of food safety and drug administration department.

When some staff members of this department's local office were contacted, they failed to tell the reasons for turning a blind eye to the order. Though, some of them revealed that guktha and pan masala manufacturers had taken shelter from court against this order. But now, the DM has made it clear that these manufacturers and traders have not got any stay order or relief from any court so far, hence, the drive is going to launch with immediate effect to ensure compliance of the notification issued in October 2012.