Civic body launches major drive against milk adulteration in Jammu city

Collects samples from Roop Nagar, Bantalab after complaints of sub-standard milk being sold
Jammu, April 27
In a major drive against adulteration of milk, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) today took samples from milk suppliers and dairies in the Roop Nagar and Bantalab areas.
The civic body had earlier received reports of adulterated milk being sold in these localities.
Adulteration has become a major issue for residents who are concerned about the quality of milk and other milk products being supplied to the consumers.
A team led by JMC Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma conducted a surprise visit in the area and checked quality parameters which were reportedly found below the standards marked by the civic body.
“Sudden appearance of municipal team was a shock for many suppliers and shopkeepers as they were caught unaware. Many of them were seen pleading before the MC and health officials,” said Kishore Sharma, a local resident.
In absence of modern equipment and manpower, the fight against adulteration has been losing sheen of late. However, fine has been imposed on a number of people and dairy owners for playing with the health of the people in the past months.
There was a proposal to buy computerised mobile testing labs to check samples on daily basis but the same has been pending for want of funds with the government.
JMC Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma said, “Fine has been imposed and vendors have been directed not to accept sub-standard milk which could endanger the health of citizens. Further orders have been passed that no person can supply milk without mandatory license.”
In a survey conducted by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2012, it was found that 83 per cent of milk sold in urban centres and district headquarters of the state is not safe for consumption.
The study had found that most common types of adulteration in the state was glucose and skimmed milk products (SMP).
“The Health Wing of the Municipal Corporation has repeatedly sent a proposal to the government to buy mobile labs but no decision was taken in this regard nor any funds have been released so far. This has been hampering our drive against milk adulteration,” said an official.
Surprise check
A team led by JMC Health Officer Dr Vinod Sharma conducted a surprise visit in the area and checked quality of milk
The quality parameters were reportedly found below the standards marked by the civic body
Residents have been complaining about the quality of milk and other milk products being supplied to them
Govt apathy mars drive
A proposal was sent by JMC to government to buy computerised mobile testing labs to check samples on daily basis
The proposal has been pending for want of funds with the government for long
In absence of modern equipment and manpower, the fight against adulteration has lost tooth

கார்பைட் கற்கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்த 2 1/2 டன் மாம்பழங்கள் பறிமுதல்

திருச்சி,ஏப்.27-

 

திருச்சி மாநகராட்சிப் பகுதிகளில் மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்க வைப்பதற்கு கால்சியம் கார்பைட் கற்கள் பயன்படுத்துவதாக தெரிய வந்ததை அடுத்து, மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் ஜெயஸ்ரீ உத்தரவின் பேரில் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் ஏ.இராமகிருஷ்ணன் தலைமையில், மாநகராட்சி உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் டேவிட் முத்துராஜ், செல்வராஜ் மற்றும் பாஸ்கரன் ஆகியோரால் திடீர் ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது.

 

இந்த ஆய்வில் காந்தி மார்க்கெட் நெல்பேட்டை தெருவில் உள்ள இரண்டு மொத்த விலை விற்பனை நிறுவனங்களில் மாம்பழங்கள் கார்பைட் கற்கள் கொண்டு பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது கண்டறியப்பட்டது,

 

இந்நிறுவனங்களிலிருந்து சுமார் 2.6 டன் (2600 கிலோ) மாம்பழங்கள் மற்றும் கால்சியம் கார்பைட் பவுடர் பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறி முதல் செய்யப்பட்டு மாநகராட்சி ஊழியர்கள் மற்றும் மாநகராட்சி வாகனங்களின் உதவியுடன் மாநகராட்சி உரகிடங்கிற்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டது.

 

மாம்பழங்களை இயற்கை முறையில் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்ய வேண்டும் அல்லது வேளாண்மை மற்றும் தோட்டக்கலை துறையால் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட முறைகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி பழுக்க வைக்க வேண்டும்.

 

கால்சியம் கார்பைட் கற்கள் உபயோகித்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்கள் உட்கொள்ளும் பொழுது வயிறு சம்பந்தப்பட்ட கோளாறுகள், தலைவலி, வயிற்றுப் புண், நரம்பு மண்டல கோளாறுகள் போன்ற உபாதைகள் ஏற்படும். கால்சியம் கார்பனைட் கற்கள் பயன் படுத்தி மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்க வைத்தாலோ மற்றும் இப்பழங்களை விற்பனை செய்தாலோ உணவு பாதுகாப்பு தர நிர்ணய சட்டம் 2006-ன் படி பறிமுதல் செய்வதோடு கடைகளின் உரிமையாளர்கள் மீது சட்ட விதிகளின்படி மேல் நடவடிக்கை மேற் கொள்ளப்படும் என அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.

Public warned not to consume two brands of synthetic litchi drinks

Deputy Food Safety Commissioner of Directorate of Health Services, Tekcham Brojendro Khaba has issued an advisory to the public  to stop consuming two brands of synthetic litchi drinks, namely,         Swaad Litchi Drink and I Cool Litchi Drink.
He also stressed the need for disseminating information to the public on the contents of common beverages available in the state.
Brojendro was speaking at a press meet held at the Directorate on Friday.
He stated that with the gradual rise in temperature, people irrespective of ages are depending on beverages and cold drinks to refresh themselves and beat the heat. But they appear to show a complete lack of knowledge on the health aspects of the different drinks stacking the store shelves.
He disclosed that a team from the department visited various areas of Imphal to investigate the qualities of the beverages being sold.
Two products were found to have violated the mandatory requirements for packaging and labelling, he stated and identified the products as Swaad Litchi Drink (synthetic) and I Cool Litchi Drink (synthetic) manufactured by Arham Beverages, Assam.
A report was sent on the matter to the Food Authority of India and Directorate of Health, Assam to seal the manufacturer and their units but they reported back that they were unable to find the offices.  Moreover, the above products were not found in Assam.
“The people of the state need to be aware of the mandatory requirements for packaged foods and beverages available in the market. As per sub-regulation (General Requirements) of Labelling and Packaging of pre-packaged foods of the Food Safety and Standards Labelling Regulations 2011, contents on the label must be clear, prominent, indelible and readily legible by the consumer under normal conditions of purchase and use.  The nutritional information or nutritional facts per 100 gm or 100 ml per serving of the product must be given on the label containing energy value in Kcal and the amounts of protein, carbohydrate and fat in gram or millilitre. Every packaged food item should be clearly indicated as  ‘non vegetarian’ and ‘vegetarian’ by a symbol and color code.
The symbol shall consist of a brown or green color filled circle inside a square with brown or green outline having sides double the diameter of the circle indicating brown color as non vegetarian and green color as vegetarian respectively, “ he informed.

Moreover the additives permitted for use in foods, the class titles must be used together with specific names or recognized international numerical identifications e.g. Acidity Regulator (330), Antioxidant (300), Citric Acid (E-330), Sodium citrate (E-331), Permitted Class II Preservative (202) or Sodium Benzoate (E-211)/202/224 etc. “CONTAINS ADDED FLAVOUR” (NATURAL/NATURE IDENTICAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURING SUBSTANCES) in capital letters must be displayed on the following combined statements beneath the ingredients on the label attached to any package of food so colored and flavored. As per sub-regulation no 6 (i) of 2.2.2 of Food Safety and Standards Regulation 2011, the name and complete address of the manufacturer, manufacturing unit, packing or bottling unit must be declared on every package of food. Fourteen digit license number allotted by Food Products Order (FPO) or Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSA) must also be also be marked at the package. The Swaad Litchi Drink and I Cool Litchi Drink did not fulfil any of the mandatory requirements of the Food Safety and Standard Regulations 2011. The bottle is totally unhygienic, improperly sealed, did not provide added ingredients, expiry date and complete address of the manufacturer etc.

He further made an appeal to buy ice creams only from those sellers who displayed their registration certificates and identity cards at their vehicles. He urged the public to report to the Directorate of Health Services, Lamphel if they find unhygienic products during consumption and not dispose them beforehand.

Workshop for food vendors

A workshop on safe food preparation was organised here recently for food vendors by the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), and the Consumer Association of India, a non-profit group that promoted consumer awareness.

R. Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing), urged the vendors to avoid using artificial food colours and refrain from selling products in the vicinity of toilets. The vendors were also requested to desist from using the same oil repeatedly and to buy only packaged quality oil for cooking. Further, they were also told not to hang chicken or fish from iron rods for display in their shops.

Around 50 vendors took part in the programme in which they were educated on the kind of locations they could sell food products, how to use water safely, and ensure hygienic conditions while preparing food items.

Food Safety Officers S.R. Gerald Sathiapunithan and K. Sakthivel handled the technical sessions. The participants were also given free aprons, supplied by the Central Government, besides a booklet containing the requirements for food operators as mandated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The vendors were also given certificates.

K.K. Chockalinkam, Coimbatore regional coordination, Citizen Consumers Club, said that adulteration of food products was leading to food poisoning. Pointing out that the shops located on the roadsides were covered with dust rising from frequent movement of vehicles, he urged the vendors to cover the products.

Focus on hygiene to safeguard health of tourists

Food safety officials inspecting a hotel near the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday

Beginning Tuesday, officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department have started going round various parts of Ooty to enhance awareness about the role of hygiene and sanitation in enhancing the prestige of this popular holiday destination.

Objective

The Officer-in-Charge of Food Safety, R.V. Ravi, told The Hindu here on Wednesday that the objective of the exercise was to ensure that hoteliers and dealers of various kinds of food items do not give any room for complaints from the tourists who have started arriving here in droves.

Adverting to instructions issued by the district administration to enlist the cooperation of the trading community in safeguarding the health of the tourists, Dr. Ravi said that no one should exploit the tourist season to make a fast buck.

During the surprise inspections carried out since Tuesday some of the shopkeepers were found to be selling various items, including cooking oil and water bottles, which were time barred.

Stating that they have been cautioned, he said that vigil has also been stepped up to prevent sale of artificially ripened fruits. He added that surprise checks would also be carried out in residential schools, colleges, hostels, marriage halls etc. Erring establishments would be referred to the appropriate authority for action.

The campaign would in a phased manner be extended to other parts of the district.

Industry awaiting July 22 hearing on junk food ban in & around schools

The food industry is eagerly awaiting July 22, 2013, the date fixed by the Delhi High Court for hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking ban on the sale of junk food and aerated drinks in and around schools in the country, because the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) would be presenting the guidelines for and definition of junk food.
And now, since the High Court has directed the country's apex food regulator to release a paper on the definition of junk food, it is said to be working with a private agency on defining junk food, which it would present before the court at the aforesaid hearing.
Speaking at a recent function, K Chandramouli, chairman, FSSAI, voiced his concern about junk food. He said, “We are going to take the issue of food safety to schools. We would consult the education ministry to include the subject of food safety in the curriculum. Children are most affected and ill-informed about the choices regarding food habits. And a food-related disease like obesity is a huge problem.”
The industry raised its concerns too. “I feel the right way is to educate and guide people about what they should eat and in what quantity,” said D V Malhan, executive secretary, All India Food Processors' Association (AIFPA). He added that awareness was the key and the role of FSSAI would be vital in correcting the situation by means of regulations and making informed choices.
“Industry experts stressed on the need to maintain a balance, because that could affect the employment of people involved in manufacturing. The problem is people's eating habits. There are many items, which are prepared with a lot of oil and in-house. For example, parathas are heavy, but parents give the kids these items,” they said.
The High Court also directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to consult the All India Food Processors' Association while framing the guidelines, but AIFPA officials said that they are yet to be approached by the authorities.
Meanwhile, the Uday Foundation's Rahul Verma, who filed the PIL, emphasised that anything that is high on sodium and low on nutrition should not be sold in and around schools.
He raised four suggestions, namely guidelines be framed on what should be sold in schools; a comprehensive canteen policy be implemented in schools; the sale of junk food be banned in the peripheries of schools, and children be prohibited from endorsing junk food in advertisements.
Verma said the court’s ruling would have an impact on three of the four recommendations, the only exception being the one concerning advertisements. He added, “Kids need nutritional food when the first recess happens around 11am in schools, because the last nutritional food they had would have been the previous night and most of the school-goers do not have much time for a proper breakfast in the morning.”

The fruit you eat may not be so sweet

As supply does not meet the demand, traders artificially ripen mangoes

Come summer and the sales of fruits, especially mangoes, increases exponentially. People see it as the safest and the tasty way to beat the intense heat of the season, and the dehydration that accompanies it.
A large district such as Coimbatore consumes, according to a conservative estimate, over 15 tonnes of mangoes every single day during peak summer.
However, the supply does not always meet this huge quantum of demand for a multitude of reasons and unscrupulous traders, intent on making a quick buck, resort to illegal measures to artificially ripen not only mangoes, but a whole gamut of fruits that sell well now.
More than 3.5 tonnes of artificially-ripened chikoo (‘sapota’) were seized from just two shops last year, indicating the scale of the problem, says R. Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing).
Explaining the process behind artificial ripening, he says ethylene gas initiates the ripening process in a fruit. Normally, several other processes follow this step, including the conversion of starch to sugar, the crucial step which makes mangoes so mouth-wateringly tasty.
However, in an artificially ripened fruit, only the chlorophyll (green pigment) changes colour and none of the other natural processes take place. This results in a seemingly ripe fruit tasting very sour.
The process
Among the most common method for artificial ripening, he says, is the use of calcium carbide - primarily due to its easy availability and cheap cost - which emits acetylene gas when mixed with water. Calcium carbide is predominantly used in arc welding.
Just one kilogram of this substance, brought for as little as Rs. 30, can ripen around 10 tonnes of fruits. For example, he says raw fruits of the much-sought after Imam Pasand mango can be procured for half its market price, ripened using a kilogram of carbide and sold for the market price, resulting in a 100 per cent profit.
The calcium crystals, Dr. Kathiravan says, are kept among the stones for 12 hours, mostly during the nights making it difficult to catch the errant traders.
Other less-common methods include the use of Ethiphon, a pesticide in liquid form which is diluted and sprayed on the fruits, and Oxytocin, a hormone injected into the fruits.
Health hazard
The major health hazard is the acetylene gas emitted by calcium carbide. This targets the neurological system and reduces the oxygen supply to the brain.
While short-term effects include sleeping disorders and headaches, he says the long term effects are memory loss, seizures, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, renal problems and possibly, even cancer.
Any one having information on artificial ripening of fruits could mail the information todofssacbe@gmail.com. All information will be kept in confidence and action taken, assures Dr. Kathiravan.

Artificially ripened mangoes seized

About 2.6 tonnes of mangoes being ripened using calcium carbide stones at two wholesale outlets at Nelpettai Road near Gandhi Market were seized by Food Safety officials on Friday.
The mangoes were seized during surprise inspections conducted by a team of officials led by A.Ramakrishnan, Designated Officer, TN Food Safety and Drug Administration (Food Wing), on the orders of the District Collector Jayashree Muralidharan following complaints from the public.
The seized mangoes were later destroyed.
An official press release issued later warned traders against using calcium carbide to ripen mangoes as it was hazardous to health. Stern action would be taken against traders indulging in such practice, the release said.

Mangoes’ ripening: Raids on, but calcium carbide still used in Maharashtra

Unscrupulous traders continue to use calcium carbide to ripen fruits such as mangoes and apples despite the fact that the carcinogenic chemical was banned under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 and Regulations (FSSR), 2011.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra, the state food regulator, took strict action against the mango traders in the past by seizing and destroying over 100 kg of mangoes, which were ripened using calcium carbide. But now it is difficult to tour the state and raid the premises of every fruit trader who allegedly uses the chemical.
Therefore, the practice is still rampant in many parts of the state, because the traders no longer fear being noticed by the authorities. Besides mangoes (the state's favourite summer fruit), calcium carbide is used to ripen such vitamin-rich fruit as papaya, bananas and watermelon.
On the condition of anonymity, a top food official from FDA Maharashtra informed FnB News that they had issued a circular to all the food safety officers (FSOs) across the state, instructing them to roll up their sleeves and make sure no amount of artificially-ripened mangoes make their way to markets across the state this year.
Navi Mumbai
It has been learnt that traders at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, are still using calcium carbide to ripen mangoes. The fruit, which has been ripened artificially, arrives in the wholesale market earlier than that ones ripened naturally.
The weather plays a key role in the yield, and according to Sanjay Pansare, director, fruit market, APMC, this year's crop was good because the weather was good. He said, “APMC, Vashi receives around 55,000 boxes of mangoes every day. Each box contains between four and eight dozen mangoes, depending on the quality.”
Mangoes are normally priced at Rs 1,000 per dozen during the season, but the early arrivals are priced between Rs 100 and Rs 400 at the APMC market. These prices tempt many to buy the artificially-ripened fruit. Unaware of the method used to ripen the fruit, they consume them and become susceptible to a number of ailments.
The Thane division of FDA Maharashtra recently raided APMC, Vashi, to check the use of calcium carbide, which hastens the ripening of mangoes unnaturally. The FDA officials said that they did not have any evidence to prove the allegation that the traders use the banned chemical on the market premises.
The traders at the APMC fruit market, on their part, claimed that calcium carbide is no longer used on its premises, adding that all the mangoes sold there have ripened naturally. However, the reality is different. The stench emanating from the fruit lingers in the air, putting visitors off.
On a recent visit to APMC, FnB News discovered that despite the ban on calcium carbide and the action the authorities are taking against the traders, workers hailing from states like West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand make small pouches of the banned chemical and put these inside the boxes containing the fruit.
Sohail Shah, a fruit agent at APMC, informed, “The excess mango supply and the slowdown in prices have been worrying traders a lot. Traders fear that the fruit may get spoilt if not sold on time. That is why they have been adopting unfair means to ripen the fruit and sell it in the market.”
Aalam Khan, who hails from Bihar's Madhubani district and is a worker at the APMC market, said, “We secretly use calcium carbide after the official raids, not in the front of market.” But a trader, on the condition of anonymity, informed, “Calcium carbide has been used to ripen the fruit for years, and the process will continue forever.”
However, Pansare refuted the allegation and blamed the media for maligning the market. He added, “The practice of using calcium carbide stopped long ago. Not even a single fruit trader in the APMC market uses calcium carbide. They only use ethylene as a catalyst to ripen the fruit nowadays. The use of this gas is permitted.”
Dr Jayashree Sharad, managing director, Skinfiniti, said, “The excessive use of calcium carbide to ripen fruit can cause cancer in the long run. The mangoes normally ripen at the end of April, therefore all mangoes which are available before Gudi Padwa in the market are ripened through acetylene gas produced from calcium carbide.”
“Mangoes cannot be ripened in just 12 hours. Only the skin of the fruit turns yellow when acetylene gas is used as the catalyst to ripen it, but it doesn't ripen. Industrial-grade calcium carbide contains traces of arsenic and phosphorous, which are harmful to the body. It damages the skin, kidneys, heart and liver, and causes ulcer and gastric problems,” Sharad said.
Nashik
At a recent meeting, the Nashik division of FDA Maharashtra created awareness among mango traders about the adverse impact calcium carbide could have on the health of the consumers, and warned them that strict action would be taken against them if they did not stop using the chemical.
Chandrakant Pawar, joint food commissioner of the state food regulator's Nashik division, said, “At the meeting, we explained to them about the ill-effects of using calcium carbide to ripen the fruit. It was also suggested that the traders adopt the safer methods of ripening fruits – using ethylene gas or keeping the fruit in a box containing hay.”
“But if the use of calcium carbide is still in vogue, nothing can be done with the shortage of manpower,” he said. A fruit trader from Nashik, on the condition of anonymity, said, “One kg of calcium carbide costs only Rs 80, and it can ripen one tonne of mangoes overnight. Thus without thinking about the ill-effect of it on consumers, we take the opportunity to cash on it.”

Dharmapuri Food Safety Dept. News

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Unhygienic snacks destroyed - Tirunelveli Food Safety Dept. News

IN ACTION:Unhygienic eatables being destroyedby officials at Tirunelveli on Friday

Official attached to the Department of Food Safety raided tea and sweet stalls at the Vaeinthaankulam new bus stand on Friday and seized Rs.50,000-worth snacks as they had been prepared and sold in an unhygienic manner.
Following complaints from the public, a team of officials, led by Dr.Devika, Designated Officer, Department of Food Safety, conducted surprise checks on all the stalls selling snacks, and water and soft drink packets.
The team seized halwa and mixture packets that did not carry mandatory information such as the date of manufacturing, best before date, date of expiry, vegetarian logo, etc.
When the team members and Food Safety Officers A.R.Sankaralingam, Kaliyanandi, Kalimuthu and Ibrahim checked Aavin products such as milk kova and mysurpa, the packets carried the manufacturing details and hence those products were spared.
On seeing eateries preparing parotta and chapathi by keeping the LPG stoves on platform, Dr.Devika asked the cooks to keep a protective shield to preserve the food stuff from being polluted by the harmful emission from buses.
“Six teams have been formed across the district to conduct surprise checks and to seize unhygienic food stuff. The drive will continue,” said Mr.Sankaralingam.
The seized food stuffs were destroyed on the spot by sprinkling phenyl on them.

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Central Govt. G.O for DA

Quality Standard for Indian Traditional Sweets

The Sweets and Snacks Products (Traditional Sweets) for which the standards have not been prescribed fall under the category of “Proprietary Food”. These products should comply with the regulatory provisions like FSS (Contaminants, Toxins & Residues) Regulation, 2011 and Table 2 of Appendix A and Appendix B of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. Codex has prescribed some standards for Sweets and Snacks under Table 2 of General Standards for Food Additive (GSFA).

Sweets and Snack Products are required to comply with the above mentioned Regulations. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated the process of revision/harmonization of standards for food products with those of Codex and other international best practices and to develop new standards in respect of those food products where there is a need to develop standards taking into account the Codex and other international best practices.

Export promotion of Indian traditional sweets and snack products is looked after by Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, under the Ministry of Commerce. The products have to comply with the standards of the importing countries.

This information was given by Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Shri Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

High lab fee hampers food safety tests

The “high fee” charged by laboratories for testing food samples is deterring Food Safety officials from extensively collecting them, complain food safety officials.
Though the Food Safety Authority of India has suggested that samples should be tested at Rs.1000, many labs are charging a much higher fee, said K. Ajithkumar, district Food Safety Officer.
The agency has to spend a huge amount for testing even a few sardines procured from the open market.
“The labs are charging unaffordable fee, which forces the department to limit the collection of samples. The directorate of Food Safety may take up the issue of lab fee with the authorities,” he said.
This week, the agency had ordered the closure of a few ice plants in the district following the use of chemically contaminated water for making ice.

Awaiting results

The agency is awaiting the test results of ice samples from a few laboratories for follow-up action.
The future course of action would be spelt out after obtaining the lab results, he said.
At the same time, scientists of a Central institute in Kochi where chemical analysis of food and water samples were regularly held, said that they were collecting only a part of the expense incurred for such tests.
Most of the tests are carried out using high-end machines and costly chemicals. Quality test done for fish would cost Rs. 500 a sample.
If the fish samples are to be subjected for profiling of fatty acids and amino acids, the testing fee could be around Rs.7,000 for a sample.
There are high-end protocols fixed for chemical testing of samples. Some of the chemicals required for these experiments are highly expensive. Hence the high fee, said a scientist.
The lab charges around Rs.1,200 for performing potable water quality analysis where 44 parameters are assessed.
If the pesticide content in water samples is to be investigated, the fee would go up to Rs.3,500 per sample. An ampoule of the chemical used for such tests costs around Rs.12,000, he said.
The fee for testing various samples is fixed by price fixing committees of the institutions. It would be the cost of chemicals and expenditure on machines that would come up for consideration while fixing the lab fee, he said.

Spurious fruit drinks impounded

IMPHAL, Apr 26 : Litchi-based bottled fruit juice labelled 'Swaad' and I-cool' have been confiscated from Khwairamband Keithel shopkeepers for non-adherence to prescribed regulations.
According to Deputy Food Safety Commissioner Tekcham Brojendro Khaba Meitei, a team of Food Safety officials raided some shops in Khwairamband Keithel on April 25 and confiscated large quantity of the fruit juice bottles.
Speaking to newspersons at his office chamber attached to the Directorate of Health Services, Lamphel today Brojendro said both the fruit drinks had labels citing Asham Beverages, Assam as the production centre.
Maintaining that the fruit drinks were found to be substandard and unfit for consumption, he informed that on being contacted, an Assam State Food Safety official said there is no fruit juice manufacturing unit by the name of Asham Beverages.
Moreover, shopkeepers from whom the bottles were seized also conveyed that hawkers supplied both the fruit juice brands to them, said Brojendro.
Pointing out that as per guidelines of Food Safety Standard Authority every packaged or bottled food/fruit items should carry 'food product order' number, clearly specify the ingredients such as protein and carbohydrate contents, ensure the bottle caps are firmly sealed and covered, the Commissioner disclosed that none of these mandatory guidelines were found on the fruit juice bottles confiscated from the State's main commercial centre.
In addition to violation of the established norms, Swaad and I-cool litchi drinks were found to have solid particles inside the bottles with the exterior moist/sticky thereby suggesting that the seals were defective, he explained.
Cautioning that consumption of such sub-standard consumer goods poses threat to health and urging the general public to contact Food Safety office if they doubt authenticity of food items, Brojendro also warned shopkeepers of punitive action is case they continue to trade substandard goods.

Kashmir to get modern drug testing lab

Union Health Ministry Seeks Proposal Srinagar, Apr 26: The Union Health Ministry has sought proposal from the J&K Government for setting up a state-of-the-art drug testing facility in Kashmir, which is witnessing outrage over supply of substandard drugs to government hospitals. The Ministry assured that the proposal would be cleared on fast-track basis.
The Drug Controller General of India, Dr GN Singh, said he reminded the State Controller for Drug and Food, Satish Gupta, about the plans of the Union Health Ministry in a meeting at New Delhi today.
Gupta was in Delhi to attend a meeting regarding implementation of the Food Safety Act.
The present Drug Analyst Laboratory at Srinagar is ill-equipped to carry out tests of different medicines and is facing severe financial and manpower crunch.
In the past, many tests of various drugs including life saving medicines have taken months here to get the analytical reports due to lack of machinery, risking lives of patients.
Even the report of samples sent outside for quality tests get delayed by weeks and months.
Dr Singh said the Srinagar Laboratory would be equipped to undertake tests of chemical and biological drugs and herbal medicines.
At the same time the existing laboratory at Jammu would be upgraded to modern requirements.
“The Health Ministry has assured the state that the proposal will be cleared on fast-track basis,” Dr Singh said.
Though there was already financial provision for up-gradation of the infrastructure under 12th five-year plan in all states, Dr Singh said “special emphasis” would be given to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Central Drug Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has also issued direction to the authorities at two central laboratories in Kolkata and Chandigarh to entertain cases from J&K on special basis till the state gets fully equipped with the infrastructure.
“The directions were passed today,” Dr Singh said.
Dr Singh said the “recent development” in the state also came up for discussion during the meeting.
“He (Gupta) briefed me about the developments and the steps taken by the government,” Dr Singh said. “The Union Health Ministry is closely monitoring the developments,” he said.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Gupta said the Government of India has already agreed to support J&K for upgrading the infrastructure for testing quality of medicines.
For past many days, Kashmir is witnessing protests over supply of fake and spurious drugs to the government-run hospitals.

TNFS Dept News - Salem Districtt

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காலாவதியான, போலி குளிர்பானங்கள் அழிப்பு

சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் கடைகளில் விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த  காலாவதியான, போலி குளிர்பானங்களை உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தனர்.
கோடை காலங்களில் குளிர்பானங்கள் வாங்கும் நுகர்வோர்கள் அதிகம் என்பதால், சிலர் போலி குளிர்பானங்களை தயாரித்து கடைகளுக்கு விற்பனைக்கு அனுப்புகின்றனர். இதைப் பயன்படுத்தும் நுகர்வோர்களுக்கு பல்வேறு உடல் நலப் பாதிப்புகள் ஏற்படுகின்றன.
இந்த நிலையில், சேலம் மாவட்டத்தின் பல்வேறு இடங்களில் உள்ள கடைகளில் போலியாக தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட குளிர்பானங்கள், காலாவதியான பானங்கள், குடிநீர் உள்ளிட்டவை விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவதாக, மாவட்ட உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு துறைக்கு புகார்கள் சென்றன.
இதையடுத்து, மாவட்ட உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் மருத்துவர் அனுராதா தலைமையில் 26 உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் மாவட்டம் முழுவதும் சோதனையில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.
சேலம் மாநகரில் புதிய, பழைய பேருந்து நிலையம், ஓமலூர், மேட்டூர், ஏற்காடு, ஆத்தூர் உள்ளிட்ட பகுதிகளில் உள்ள குளிர்பானக் கடைகள், உணவுப் பொருள் விற்பனை நிலையங்கள் மற்றும் பழக் கடைகளில் நடைபெற்ற சோதனையில், பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட குளிர்பான பாக்கெட்டுகள், குடிநீர் பாட்டில்கள், குளிர்பான தயாரிப்புக்கான ரசாயன மூலப் பொருள்கள், மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்க வைக்க பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட கார்பைட் கற்கள் உள்ளிட்ட ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ரூபாய்கள் மதிப்புள்ள பொருள்களை அவர்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தனர்.
இதுகுறித்து மருத்துவர் அனுராதா கூறியது:
கோடைக் காலத்தில் தாகத்தைத் தணிப்பதற்காக, குளிர்பானங்கள், குடிநீர் பாட்டில்களை பொதுமக்கள் அதிகளவில் பயன்படுத்துகின்றனர். இந்த நிலையில், போலியான, காலாவதியான பொருள்களை தயாரித்து சிலர் விற்பனை செய்வதாகக் கிடைத்த தகவலின் பேரில். தொடர் சோதனை நடத்தப்பட்டது.
இதில், தயாரிப்பு தேதி குறிப்பிடப்படாத பல உணவுப் பொருள்களும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. ரசாயன முறையில் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களும் கைப்பற்றப்பட்டன.

இதுவரை சுமார் ரூ.5 லட்சம் பொருள்களை உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத் துறையினர் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்துள்ளனர். தொடர்ந்து இரண்டாம் கட்ட சோதனை விரைவில் தொடங்க உள்ளோம். ஏற்கெனவே, தவறு செய்த கடை உரிமையாளர்கள் மீண்டும் போலி பொருள்களை விற்பனைச் செய்வது கண்டறியப்பட்டால், அவர்கள் மீது சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்றார் அவர்.

Water, water everywhere, but how many brands are safe to drink?

Areas abutting the city are increasingly dotted with packaged drinking water industrial units. A minimum of 30 plants have come up over the last year in the neighbouring districts. The rising demand for water this summer has also paved the way for the sale of sub-standard quality of water and operation of unauthorised units.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Southern Region, cancelled the licences of 15 industrial units in and around the city in the past one year. The units lost their licenses for either not meeting the quality standard, unsatisfactory operation or misuse of the ISI mark.

Over the past decade, packaged drinking water has become an indispensable part of urban life. Even as Chennai Metrowater has stepped up its daily water supply to 830 million litres a day, packaged drinking water still continues to capture a large market. According to statistics of Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, the city and suburbs consume not less than 70 lakh litres of packaged water daily, which is 15 per cent more than last year's sales.

While some residents say that they prefer packaged drinking water for its quality, those in the fringes of the city deem it a boon as they are yet to be covered with piped water supply. At present, there are nearly 290 licensed industrial units functioning in localities rich in groundwater resources in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. Last year alone, the BIS sanctioned licences to 150 units, which is 35 more than the number of applications approved every year.

The growing demand for water has led to mushrooming of unauthorised units around the city, point out members of the Association.

While the BIS-approved units have to follow stringent norms to avoid cancellation of licence, those functioning without a licence do not have to spend on an elaborate filtration process or testing facilities, they added, alleging that there are about 100 such units operating in the city. “They function like a cottage industry and follow basic filtration process. They brand it as herbal or flavoured water to escape the purview of the BIS,” said A. Shakespeare, the association's general secretary.

Members also point out that unauthorised unit holders often fill water obtained from private tankers and sell them in the bubble-top 20-litre containers of popular brands. They take advantage of the system of reusing the containers after sterilisation in the industry. “We found several such containers bearing popular brand names, ready for despatch at Puzhal recently. The unit holder had obtained the containers through some retailers,” said Mr. Shakespeare.

Members said that most of them were BIS licensees who lost the licence for operation for not maintaining standards. V. Murali, patron of the association, said that the business of herbal water is growing as there is no specification or monitoring by government agencies. “People must also check for ISI mark. When they find difference in taste or distorted labels, they may contact the manufacturer,” he said.

BIS, Southern Region's deputy director general, K. Anbarasu said in the last one year, 52 industrial units have been warned for supplying low quality water as the random samples taken from them failed to meet the standards. Of this, 15 were in and around Chennai.

“We can only monitor those who have licenses. The containers are also checked for quality. However, there is no specified standard for herbal water,” he said.

Bottled water that claims to have added minerals and proprietary food are controlled by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, a newly established department in the city, he added. Officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said that they were awaiting formulation of standards for flavoured water by the Central government.

HC suggests framing separate FSSA rules for restaurants

The Bombay High Court today suggested the Maharashtra government to frame separate rules and regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) for food service providers like hotels and restaurants.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha was hearing a petition filed by the Association of Indian Hotels and Restaurants (AHAR), which has over 6000 members, challenging the constitutional validity of FSSA 2006 and the Rules and Regulations framed under the Act in 2011.

According to the petitioner association, the provisions of FSSA are not applicable to food service providers like hotels and restaurants as they do not manufacture food.

"The Act deals only with manufacturing of food articles and are mainly and substantially for manufacturing units. In hotels and restaurants food is cooked and served to customers. Cooking of food is not manufacturing," the petition states.

The petition further claims that the FSSA and its rules are ex-facie, ambiguous and unconstitutional and should be declared null and void. The association has sought direction to the government to create separate rules for food service providers and also declare that the FSSA is applicable to manufacturing units.

The bench while issuing notices to the union government, state government and Food Safety and Standards Authority suggested the Maharashtra government to frame new rules for hotels and restaurants.

Eateries raided, goods worth Rs 10,000 seized

Officials attached to the Food Safety and Drug Administration department conducted a surprise raid in bakeries and  roadside eateries located on the busy Gandhi Road, on Thursday. Water cans, bottles and packets of bread worth around Rs 10,000 were seized and destroyed, during the raid.
Officer of the Food Safety Wing, Vellore, Sampathkumar, said, “As many as three sacks of water packets, 20 water cans, each 25-litre capacity, and water bottles were seized and destroyed.” On the water cans that were seized, he said, they should be refilled with water only 40 times. However, the cans that were seized on Thursday had been used more than 40 times and the date of expiry was also not mentioned on them, he said. There was no date of expiry on the water bottles and water packets as well. A few packets of bread and chips, which did not bear the expiry dates, were also seized.
The officials of the department destroyed the food items that were cooked in the open, on the roadside.
Further Sampathkumar said, the public could complain about adulteration of food items by calling him at 9698938880.

One lakh fine imposed on Shimla sweetmeat seller

April 26 (IANS) A sweetmeat seller was fined Rs.one lakh, the highest ever penalty in the state, by a designated officer for selling sweets that failed to comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, an official said Friday.
Shimla Municipal Corporation health official Omesh Bharti fined the shopkeeper Thursday, after the samples of the sweets seized from his shop were found to be adulterated.
Government sources said the state government had recently delegated powers to all health officers under the food safety act to impose fines on vendors if food samples failed to meet standards set by law.

Misleading Advertisements of Tobacco Products

 Section 5 of “The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003” (COTPA 2003) prohibits all forms of advertisements (direct/indirect) of tobacco products including gutka, except at the points of sale or on the tobacco product packs. Moreover, under Food Safety Regulations, the production, sale, distribution and storage of food items such as gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine is prohibited. Litigation on these issues are pending before Hon’ble Supreme Court.

The advertisement of pan masala (without tobacco or nicotine) is regulated by the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, dated 1st August, 2011, notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Under sections 30 & 31 of this regulation, pan masala can be advertised subject to the condition that every package of Pan Masala and advertisement relating thereto, shall carry the warning, “Chewing of Pan Masala or Supari is injurious to health”.

In recent past, a few advertisements were published in leading national and regional dailies by a body named Smokeless Tobacco Association, raising questions on whether Gutkha was a food product and also implying that Gutkha was less harmful than smoking forms of tobacco and that Food Safety Regulations were discriminatory in nature. To counter the misinformation, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare published a public notice highlighting the medical and legal facts, the harmful effects of all forms of tobacco use and the desirability of quitting tobacco use for a healthy and long life.

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

Clean season fruit of our efforts, say traders

  

Fruits on sale at a shop in Kochi on Thursday. Photo: H. Vibhu

Mango continues to rule Kerala’s fruit market and as the season for the local varieties draws to a close and the flow from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu begins, the question being raised is whether the flourishing market here is going through a cleaning up act.
The question comes up in what fruit sellers have claimed was a squeaky clean season during which no major cases of chemical or pathogenic contamination of fruits were registered. All Kerala Fruit Merchants’ Association claimed on Thursday that it was backing a State-wide campaign to educate sellers to ensure food safety and not to support wrong-doers.
The campaign has been on for two years, says P. V. Hamsa, president of the association. A conscientious effort is being made to ensure that buyers get what they want and not what harms their health, he says.
A food safety officer attributed the near-incident-free season to a general drive last year to detect contamination of fruits, especially of mangoes ripened using dangerous substances.
The fact remains that with the country’s food safety regime in a transitory phase, statutory samples are not being tested. However, random checks that do not enjoy legal backing are on as usual.
A food safety official says that only if statutory samples are collected, tested at public analysts’ laboratories and found wanting in any area, can cases be registered and action against erring vendors be taken.
The Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011 under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which replaced a bunch of Acts such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 and Fruit Products Order 1955, among others, is in its takeoff mode.
An entirely new system to ensure food safety is being established and it will take time to have a full fledged system in place, says food safety commissioner Biju Prabhakar. Meanwhile, random checks are being carried out, says the food safety officer, while pointing out that the mango season has been quiet, with no reports of contamination.
Questions have been raised about wax coating on apples, especially those imported from the United States. Food safety officers have said that wax coating is permitted. They have issued a warning against using stickers on the fruits, a practice that continues in the retail market.
A spokesman for the association of fruit sellers says that apple exporters have testified that the wax used on apples is natural and harmless. A similar claim has been made on the use of stickers, the spokesman adds.
Mr. Hamsa claims that the association has taken on the responsibility of checking the quality of fruits and the last two years have yielded good results on this front. He feels that consumers in Kerala are aware of the quality of the produce they buy and selling bad quality fruits is not a paying proposition for a vendor.

Eating at roadside food stalls could be a risky affair

INDORE: Student Ayush Jain, along with friends, tried a glass of fruit juice to beat the scorching summer heat at a shop at Janzeerwala crossing recently. One glass each of mango juice had them stay in bed for the next three days because of food poisoning. Since then, they eat only at proper restaurants with proper hygiene and environment.

You might get tempted to visit that roadside chat centre everytime you cross a particular street but chances are high that with palate tickling food, you are also served germs free of cost. A number of chat centres, juice shops and other roadside eateries in city are running without any valid licence or permission. Also they are hardly supervised by the officials concerned thus increasing the chances of sale of substandard food and risk to our health.

Raj Thakur owns a tea stall in Vijay Nagar where he also sells snacks and juice. When asked if he had to get a licence or permission for the stall, he said, "I have been running the shop for the past two years and no one ever enquired about the licence or permission. We pay Indore municipal corporation (IMC) a monthly amount of 3,000 with a receipt in return. That is all the documentation we go through. We make sales worth Rs 3,000 everyday."

Owner of another juice centre without licence at Rasoma Crossing , Rakesh Kumar said, "I am from Banaras and for past few years I have been coming to Indore in summers to set up a shop. None ever came to inspect the quality of food or check the availability of licence. We never faced any complication except that we have to pay a nominal fee to municipal corporation staff."

Although registration fee is nominal (Rs100) for registering such small food joints, ignorance about the procedure has led to such a scenario.

Food and drug safety officer, Indore, Manish Swamy said "These small food vendors are put in the category of petty vendors by the government; however the food quality standard guidelines are the same for them. Although we only have 4,000 registered petty vendors in the city, the total number of such food joints might exceed 15,000. Though running such a setup without licence is a punishable offence."

Designated officer, food and drug administration, Dr Ashok Dagaria said "Our department runs continuous checks regularly in different zones across the city. With summers approaching, we will be running thorough inspections around the city to have the situation under control."

Finally, state orders ban on gutka

KOLKATA: In a bid to cut down on the consumption of food products containing tobacco or nicotine in the state, the office of the commissioner of food safety under the state health and family welfare department has issued a notification, prohibiting manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutka, pan masala and other products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients for a period of one year with effect from May 1.

Ironically, just a day after the notification, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a 10% tax hike on cigarettes and asked people to smoke more so that more revenue is generated and the state is able to compensate the small and medium investors.

Minister of state for health, Chandrima Bhattacharya, however, later said that the prohibition was made only on gutka and pan masala and not on cigarettes.

The notification that was issued on Tuesday says that in "pursuance of regulation 2, 3, and 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (prohibition and restriction on sales) Regulations, 2011, the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients, by whatsoever name it is available in the market, is hereby prohibited for a period of one year with effect from the 1st day of May in the state of West Bengal in the interest of public health".

It was in September last year that a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed before the Calcutta high court by an NGO of doctors, seeking a ban on gutka and pan masala. The state government had been mulling the plea for the past seven months.

However, it is yet to be seen how effectively the ban is implemented. Earlier, the state had prohibited smoking in public places and an order was issued stating that anybody who is caught redhanded will be fined. However, the law enforcement has been very weak as so far not a single person in the city has been fined. Moreover, people can be regularly spotted smoking in areas that qualify as public places.

In an attempt to curb down the use of food products that contains tobacco or nicotine as its ingredient, the office of the commissioner of food safety under the state health and family welfare department has issued a notification, prohibiting manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and panmasala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients for a period of one year with effect from May 1 in the state.

Ironically just a day after the notification, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a 10% tax hike on cigarettes and asked people to smoke more to generate revenue to compensate the small and medium investors. Minister of state for health Chandrima Bhattacharya however later said that the prohibition was made on gutkha and pan masala only and not on cigarettes.

The state government was pondering to come out with the decision to probihit sale of food which has tobacco or nicotine as their ingredient for quite some time. A few other states have already prohibited tobacco produst like gutkha or pan masala from being sold and used.

The notification that was issued on Tuesday says that in pursuance of regulation 2, 3, and 4 of the Food Safety and Standards (prohibition and restriction on sales) Regulations, 2011, the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and panmasala containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients, by whatsoever name it is available in the market, is hereby prohibited for a period of one year with effect from the 1st day of May in the state of West Bengal in the interest of public health.

It was September last year that a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed before the Calcutta High Court by an NGO of doctors, seeking a ban on and pan masala.

It is however very much in doubt how much effective the government's effort to curb down use of tobacco products like gutkha or pan masala as the government had earlier come up with the ban of smoking in public places and an order was issued that anybody who would be caught red handed will be fined. However, the law enforcement have been very weak as so far not a single fine have been made in the city as people are seen to smoke everywhere which are termed as public places.

Panel to examine suggestions on sale of quality mutton in JK

Srinagar:The government on Thursday constituted a six-member committee to examine suggestions on slaughtering of animals and sale of quality mutton by the butchers in the Kashmir Valley.
The committee comprising Commissioner, Food Safety as its convener has also been tasked to consider setting up of livestock check posts at Lakhanpur, Lower Munda and Hirpora Shopian in state.
The members of the committee include administrative Secretaries of CAPD and Animal & Sheep Husbandry Department besides Special/Additional Secretary Finance Department (Incharge of taxation), Health Officers of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations.
“The Committee shall submit its report to the Health and Medical Education Department within a week’s time,” the government said.
The decision was taken apropos to the directions by a division bench of court comprising Justices Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Janak Raj Kotwal last month.
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation, seeking effective implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
The court had observed that there is deficient mechanism in place to check slaughtering of animals and sale of quality mutton by the butchers in the Valley.
Subsequently, the bench had asked advocate B A Khan, standing counsel Srinagar Municipal Corporation, about it.
The latter had produced a copy of suggestions as formulated by the Municipal Veterinary Officer, SMC, regarding the issue and court put it on record while terming it as apposite.
Accordingly, the court had directed Chief Secretary to constitute relevant committee, who shall examine the suggestions and asked the top bureaucrat of the state to file compliance by or before next date of the hearing.

Re-launch of pepper futures likely

Pepper futures contracts on commodity exchanges might be re-launched soon when the controversial mineral oil issue is resolved.

The issue had rocked the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and led to sealing of 8,000 tonnes of the commodity in Kochi and suspension of trade in December 2012. The Forward Markets Commission (FMC) had asked the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) to resolve the issue before granting permission to re-launch the contracts, temporarily suspended a few months ago.

Following this, NCDEX released the payment for testing the samples of pepper sealed by FSSAI, applying for new contracts afresh. As FMC didn't mention mineral oil testing in the contract, it chose to suspend the contract to avoid controversy. Meanwhile, the mineral oil issue related to the pepper stocks sealed by FSSAI in Kochi has gradually lost relevance.

Used to polish sub-standard pepper, mineral oil evaporates after three months. That FSSAI is in no hurry to release the sealed pepper is evident from the fact that a random check of two lots (of nine tonnes and 24 tonnes) in February found no trace of mineral oil.

The two lots were found deposited by farmers who, according to experts, did not have adequate resources and skill for mineral oil polishing.

However, now, FSSAI has changed the evaluation method. Against random checks earlier, it is now evaluating the stocks through the cleansing method---samples from all packets are taken for testing in an independent laboratory. "We are aware of the fact that pepper absorbs mineral oil and chances are the traces of mineral oil, if any, would evaporate over time.

Hence, instead of random checks earlier, we are carrying out the cleansing method of sampling, which would necessarily call for samples from every pack," said Anil Kumar, joint commissioner of FSSAI, Thiruvananthapuram.

FSSAI's Kerala unit had, on December 18, sealed about 8,000 tonnes of pepper, worth Rs 300 crore, in various warehouses registered with NCDEX.

Experts at the Spices Board have already started issuing the analytical report. "As soon as we get the analytical report from the Spices Board, we would release the quantity," said Kumar.

Mineral oil is banned in India, and it isn't used with edible commodities.

ஏற்காட்டில் உள்ள கடைகளில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு குழு ஆய்வு

ஏற்காடு: ஏற்காட்டில், ஒண்டிக்கடை, ஏரி பகுதியில் உள்ள கடைகளில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு குழுவினர், நேற்று ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர்.சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில், காலாவதியான உணவுப் பொருட்கள் அதிகளவில் விற்கப்படுகிறது. பொதுமக்களும், அவற்றில் அக்கறை கொள்ளாமல், பொருட்களை வாங்கிச் செல்கின்றனர். இதனால், உடல் உபாதைக்கு ஆளாகி மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை பெறும் நிலை உள்ளது.மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு குழு, சேலம் மாவட்ட பகுதிகளில், தொடர்ந்து ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டு வருகின்றனர்.நேற்று, ஏற்காட்டில் உள்ள கடைகளில் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். ஏரியை சுற்றிலும் உள்ள கடைகளில், காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள், உணவு பொருட்கள் இருப்பில் இருந்தது தெரியவந்தது. அவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். 60க்கும் மேற்பட்ட கடைகளில் ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது.மேலும், ஸ்டெர்லிங் ஹோட்டலில் ஆய்வு நடத்தியபோது, இறைச்சியையும், ஐஸ்கிரீமையும் ஒரே பிரீஸரில் வைத்து இருந்ததும், காய்கறிகள் அனைத்தும் பூஞ்சை காளான் படர்ந்து இருந்ததும் தெரியவந்தது. அதையடுத்து, சம்மந்தப்பட்ட ஹோட்டல் நிர்வாகத்துக்கு எச்சரிக்கை விடுக்கப்பட்டது.ஒரு வாரத்துக்குள், சுகாதாரமான முறையில் ஹோட்டலை அமைக்க வேண்டும் என உத்தரவிடப்பட்டது. ஆய்வில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் சரவணன், சிவானந்தன், சிரஞ்சீவி, ஆறுச்சாமி, ரவி உள்ளிட்டோர் பங்கேற்றனர்.

Dinakaran, Dinamalar & Daily Thanthi

Food vendors to be answerable to government

LUDHIANA: In a bid to improve the quality of food available in the city, additional district commissioner Neeru Katyal and district health officer Avinash Kumar held meetings with representatives of food associations at the mini secretariat.
They informed them that every food selling entity should have licenses and should also get them registered as soon as possible. "This will help ensure the health of people around the city," said Neeru Katyal, ADC, Ludhiana.
Punjab government has given food entities the deadline of February 4, 2014 to get themselves registered. Under the Food Safety and Standard Act, once the food vendor is registered, he will be authenticated to sell hygienic food.
The health department will keep a tab on registered entities by conducting surprise checks.
"The idea is to ensure that consumers get to eat hygienic food. If any entity is found unregistered, they will have to pay a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh or jail term for six months," said Avinash Kumar, district health officer.
For registration in the health department, food selling entities with an annual sales turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh will be charged up to Rs 100 while those with an annual sales turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh will have to pay between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000.
Taking strict note of the samples that failed in the city over the last two years, the department has made it compulsory for all organisations to get registration done as soon as possible. Around 5,000 applications for registration have been submitted, of which 950 have been passed.
Associations at the meeting on food safety included Ice cream Association, Bakery Association, Hotel and Restaurants Association, Confectionary association, Dairy association, Retail and Karyana Association.

Four ice plants get closure order

District Food Safety Officials checking the quality of the ice-blocks at an ice factory near Thoppumpady in Kochi on Wednesday

Against the backdrop of selling contaminated ice, the District Food Safety Authority has directed the shutting down of four such plants.

The authority has ordered four ice plants in Thoppumpady and Perumbavoor to close down after they were found using highly poisoned chemicals such as Ammonia and Formalin in the manufacture of ice on Wednesday. The authority has also identified the juice parlours and bars using adulterated ice in the city.

According to officials the plants that have been asked to close down are Mythri Ice plant owned by Ice Plant Owners Association state president Shenoy, Saroma Ice Plant and Simla Ice Plant, all in Thoppumpady, and Venkitesha Ice plant in Perumbavoor.

According to health experts, formalin which is commonly used in laboratories and mortuaries for preserving dead bodies and ammonia, a deadly poisonous substance, are being used in making ice.

Food Safety Officials said that most of the wayside kiosks where shake sherbeth (Kulukki Sarbath) is sold make use of such adulterated ice. Juice stalls and bars are also resorting to such ice. The district food safety officer said that following complaints regarding the poor hygiene of ice plants, the Food Safety Department has collected ice samples across the state. “We will initiate further inspections on Ice plants after getting reports from the regional analytical laboratory,” he said.

Reports on five ice plants in the district were received so far and four of them have been found to have flouted the prescribed norms. These plants have been directed to close down immediately.

The inspection squad was led by District Food Safety officer Ajith Kumar. Officials of Food Safety department Abdul Jaleel, Jacob Thomas, Sasi kumar, Biju Joseph were the others in the team.

The District Food Safety officer said that the raids were conducted after the authorities received complaints that some of the outlets selling juice in the city and ‘Kulukki Sarbath’ joints were using contaminated ice cubes and blocks. Following this, the Food Safety Department organised a drive and collected ice samples.

Contaminated ice: four plants closed down

Food Safety officials have closed down four ice plants in the district after the units were found using chemically contaminated water for making ice.
Officials have also sought police protection for the factories that were closed down following threats that the units would be forcibly opened the next day.
K. Ajithkumar, Food Safety Officer, Ernakulam, has filed a police complaint in this regard.

Mixed with chemicals

Inspections held at the ice plants at Thoppumpady, Kochi Harbour and Perumbavoor revealed that water mixed with chemicals such as formalin and ammonia were used for making ice. Of the 24 ice samples tested earlier, four samples were found contaminated.
Samples of ice, collected during the first week of April, were tested at the Regional Analytical Laboratory, Kakkanad.
Raids were held in the factories on Wednesday from where the contaminated samples were obtained, he said.
Ice samples were provided to the factory owners for them to conduct tests.
The samples collected by the Food Safety officials would be tested at a lab shortly, said Mr. Ajithkumar.
The inspections held in Kochi were part of the State-wide drive against the use of contaminated ice.
Formalin is generally used as a preservative. Ice made with water containing formalin is used to preserve fish. Ammonia-mixed ice made the fish look fresh, said Mr. Ajithkumar.

Health hazards

M.K. Mukundan, director, Council for Food Development and Research, Konni, said the use of chemicals such as formalin and ammonia in ice could lead to health hazards. Formalin could arrest the digestive process. It kills bacteria and prevents bacterial spoilage. Ammonia is available in gas and liquid forms.
It can also suppress bacterial activities. Food contaminated with ammonia could also upset the digestive process, he said.

Traders briefed on Food Safety & Standards Act

Ludhiana, April 24
Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Adjudicating Officer Neeru Katyal has stated that getting a licence is mandatory for selling food items under the Food Safety and Standards Act. She has ordered for a full implementation of the Act in the district.

She met the representatives of different associations and told them about the provisions of the Act. She told them doing business without licence would attract a fine up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment up to six months.

Food samples collected

Ludhiana, April 24
A team of the Health Department collected samples of food items in the city. A sample of milk cream was collected from a dairy on the Haibowal Complex while a milk sample was taken from Durga Colony at Haibowal.

The team also collected "rasgulla" samples from a sweet shop located on the Jassian Road, a biscuit sample from a bakery situated at Hambran, a rice sample from a grocery store on the Jassian Road, a sample of sweetened carbonated water from Manna Singh Nagar and a grain sample from Moti Nagar.

New tech to detect food contamination more accurately

Washington: Scientists, including two Indian-origin researchers, have developed a new technique to detect food contamination more rapidly and accurately.

The technique was developed by researchers from University of Missouri led by Professor of Engineering Shubhra Gangopadhyay.
“Quickly stopping the spread of toxins saves lives, whether those toxins are from natural processes or enemy attacks,” said lead author Sangho Bok, postdoctoral fellow in MU’s College of Engineering.
“Our technique uses nanoparticles to make detection one hundred times more sensitive than the standard method now used, known as ELISA. We have also reduced the time needed to detect a threat to only one hour, compared to four to six hours for ELISA,” Bok said.
Currently, Bok’s testing method detects a toxin that causes food poisoning, a chemical known as Clostriudium botulinum neurotoxin A.
Engineers and biologists at MU now seek to adapt the test to detect many other dangerous chemicals.
“Science, employment and economic development are all tied together,” said study co-author and MU research professor, Keshab Gangopadhyay.
“Food safety testing presents a large market that is growing quickly in developing nations like China and India,” Gangopadhyay said.
The study was published in journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

Juicy mangoes Bright yellow could mean danger

Chennai: Agriculturists last month predicted a bumper mango harvest this season,but the first batches of the fruit,all a luscious yellow,could pose a serious health hazard.
Traders are using the carcinogenic compound calcium carbide to artificially ripen the fruit,food safety officials said after carrying out raids in the Koyambedu wholesale market on Tuesday.They raided 53 shops and seized two tonnes of mangoes that were ripened using calcium carbide.They seized 250kg of the chemical.
Officials said they would issue notices to fruit and vegetable shops in the city on Wednesday,cautioning them against the use of calcium carbide.
Experts say many traders use calcium carbide to artificially ripen the fruit early in the mango season.Many of the batches that arrive in the market early are artificially ripened, environmentalist V Arun said.Traders are exposing customers to serious health risks.
He said farm owners do not wait for the mangoes to ripen.They give contracts to traders early instead,looking to clear the fruit from the trees at one go.These mangoes look ripe because they are a bright yellow and have a shorter shelf life,but they are dangerous to eat, Arun said.
The recently set up commissionerate of food safety has made it clear to fruit traders that calcium carbide is banned under Section 44A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.But it is widely used by fruit merchants.
Gastroenterologist Dr J Sukumaran said industrial-grade calcium carbide may contain traces of the poisonous chemicals arsenic and phosphorous.Experts say it can damage the kidney,heart and liver and can also cause ulcer and gastric problems.Calcium carbide can also affect the brain and lungs.
He said people who consume artificially ripened fruit may develop diarrhoea,gastroenteritis and other stomach infections.

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

What is calcium carbide

A chemical compound used by traders to artificially ripen fruits It is cheap.One kg of calcium carbide costs 25- 30 and can ripen 10 tonnes of fruit

How to spot artificially ripened fruits

Mangoes will have black spots on the skin.They are soft and have a shorter shelf life.They are raw at the core and you may find bubbles around the seed Multi-coloured patches on skin.Mangoes develop red,yellow and green patches Do not buy fruits that arrive in the market before their normal season

Food safety officials raided 53 shops in Koyambedu on Tuesday and seized two tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes

After spurious drinks, it’s the turn of mangoes

Officials found sachets of calcium carbide among mangoes at Koyambedu —Photo: M. Vedhan

The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department on Tuesday commenced raids on wholesale outlets of mangoes in the city. Of the 52 shops raided in Koyambedu Market 36 were found to use chemicals such as calcium carbide for ripening of mangoes. The officials seized 250 kg of calcium carbide and destroyed two tonnes of mangoes.
According to Food Safety officials, the clinically proven carcinogenic chemical is being used across various wholesale and retail outlets to ripen mangoes and other fruits such as papayas. The Koyambedu Wholesale Fruit Market, which is the point of arrival of mangoes in the city, continues to see a lot of use of the chemical despite warning by civic authorities. The officials said they found labourers packing calcium carbide into small sachets on Tuesday so that they could be hidden within the mangoes for ripening. Use of the chemical to ripen mangoes is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
Calcium carbide is a hazardous chemical and contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride.
While inhalation of the chemical can cause unconsciousness, consumption of fruits ripened using the chemical may have serious health implications.
According to T. Jeyakumar, former joint director of public health and State health authority for food adulteration, the calcium carbide stones and powder can severely affect the stomach. “Often, people think that eating a few fruits during the season may not cause harm. The chemical irritates the mucous lining of the stomach and causes ulcers. Over a period of time, unhealed ulcers can cause cancer,” he said.
An even more worrisome trend is spraying of fruit-laden trees with organo phosphorous chemicals. The chemical, which has carcinogenic substances, can cause serious health problems to the persons who spray the chemicals too, Dr. Jeyakumar explained.

Apples that won't keep doctors away

The wax coating on apples that were immersed in water for three hours. The apples were brought by a Tripunithura resident from a shop there


The next time you buy exotic apples from the market, beware! The foreign apples, which may look tempting, are being coated with wax, according to health experts.

Most of the apples that arrive from the foreign market, especially from the US, are coated with wax to ensure that their colour is not lost during the export-import process. If the actual colour is maintained, the apples will look fresh when it is displayed at the retail outlets.

Based on the reports that such outer coatings are hazardous to the human body, the State Food Safety Department had conducted a drive to ensure that these apples are safe for consumption.

However, District Food safety Officer Ajith Kumar said that coating apples with wax was permitted as it has never been proved to be hazardous to health.