World Street Food Congress Meeting

On the eve of World Street Food Congress beginning on 31 May in Singapore, Singapore tourism acknowledges acumen of Indian street food vendors and gives food safety and hygiene certificates to 8 Indian street food masters

Indian  food vendors get training on food safety and hygiene policies and procedure

“Yakeen kijiye, yahan bhee litti chokha aur litti mutton ka dhoom machega”, Ashok Sah tells NASVI representatives over phone from Singapore

Singapore/New Delhi, 30 May:  The touring Indian street food vendors on Thursday got another feather in their caps in Singapore with the Singapore tourism acknowledging their grit and  acumen of street food vending.  On the eve of the World Street Food Congress (WSFC) beginning there from 31 May, the Singaporean authorities announced to honour the team of Indian street food vendors  with food safety and hygiene certificates.
“We are all set to make thunder here during the ten day long international street food carnival.  The ice breaking is over. The team is upbeat and forward looking”, said Sangeeta Singh, street food programs manager of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) who is leading the Indian team in Singapore.
The WSFC  would have 40 street food stalls of 32 countries. The maximum stalls would be from India.
Alongside the ten day long WSFC, the World Street Food Dialogue would also take place in Singapore on 3-4 June. The dialogue would have presence of more than 50 key speakers including NASVI national coordinator Arbind Singh. Mr. Singh would be speaking on ‘India’s Quest to Legitimize Five Million Street Food Vendors, Future Potentials & Vision of NASVI’. The speakers would share, discuss and present on the ways to preserve, professionalize and create new opportunities for street food vendors across countries.
On Thursday, hygiene training took place at Shetoc Institute for the participating street food vendors. The Indian team comprising of Gulab Singh and Rajan (Delhi), Ashok Sah and Vijay Chaudhary (Patna), Bhaskar Urs and Ashok (Mysore)  and Narayanswami and Akbar (Dharwar) was clubbed with American,Thai and Malasian groups. The training progressed in three sessions.
In the first session, the  facilitator and trainers made a power point presentation on Microorganisms, Food borne illness and Food contamination.  Initially the participating vendors got nervious hearing words like Bacillus cerus,salomonella and vibro parahaemolyticus.  Gulab singh said “pahle thoda padhne me dhyan diya hota to aaj aur maja aata”. When it was translated, all laughed and made Gulab Singh relaxed. Holding pencils and chart papers, the vendors took part in the training in a very serious manner  as they had to pass the test for fetching certificates.
All the topics were explained nicely by the instructor. The funny moments also came.  Once  when  Mr. Narayan swami of Dharwar  failed to answer a paticular question, he  told the trainer, “ Why do you speak so meekly, I do not hear the question. Without hearing loud, how can I answer the question?”
Most serious was the youngest member of the team ,Vijay chaudhary from Patna. He could understand English words.  he read the guidebook and answered most of the questions.
The issues discussed in the training include importance of good personal hygiene, medical legislations and guidelines. water management, preparation of food,  safe servicing and safe storage. The most interesting session was on HACCP(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point).  Not a single participant was aware of  the issue.  A short quiz was also conducted to check the understanding of the vendors.  In the third session, the participants had to go for written test which was multiple choice test.Before test,  they were given 60 minutes to revise. Gulab singh, Narayan swami and Akbar were nervous . Tthey started having stomach cramps and sweating. The instuctor cooled them.  It was an awesome scene. The street food masters of holding knife, scoop and daddle puzzled out the question papers with pencils in hands.
Sangeeta Singh translated the questions and their options and the vendors circled the right options in their answer sheets. It contained 48 questions to be done in 55 minutes.  The Indian team finished it in 50 minutes.All of them did well except Narayanswami who made more than 10 mistakes.To passs the test,  it was compulsory to have 100 marks. An oral test was again taken and in that all the vendors passed.
The final was the practical test in the laboratory.  To test the hygiene understanding of the participants,  they were asked to make butter sandwich. They were observed closely by the trainers. All did well in the practical test.
After the training based tests, Ashok Sah of Patna told NASVI representatives over phone from Singapore, “ Yakeen kijiye, yahan bhee litti chokha aur litti muttion ka dhoom machega ( Stay assured, ltti chokha and litti mutton would be a big hit here also)”.

Govt wants checks for pesticides in food

NEW DELHI: A Central government panel has recommended stringent checks for pesticides in fruits and vegetables, including imported ones.
Submitting a report before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath on Wednesday, the panel — led by a health ministry official — is for intensive monitoring of pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables sold in Delhi. The experts committee, chaired by Sandhya Kulshrestha, was set up by the government at HC's behest to suggest ways to remove presence of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.
"No fruit or vegetable consignment should be allowed to enter into the country without a pre-dispatch pesticide testing report by the exporter. Samples of imported fruits and vegetables should be drawn at international arrival points and monitored for pesticide residues. For this, guidelines may be drafted on a priority basis," the panel said.
It added that the state government can establish a cell to handle issues related to pesticide residues on food articles. HC will now consider the suggestions.

Authorities act against poor quality food

LUDHIANA: A drive has been launched in the city against manufacturers, who are violating norms of the Food and Safety Act. An ice cream parlour in Model Town, Rawat Ice Cream, was recently slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 for not complying with the sub-standards of the Food and Safety Act. Another person from Machhiwara was fined Rs 50,000 as milk powder also did not meet the laid out standards.
Food and Safety Inspector Harpreet Kaur said the parlour was not following the specifications laid in the Act as the ice creams contained 5.35% of milk solids content as against the required 10%.
Neeru Katyal Gupta, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Adjudicating Officer (Food Safety), has demanded a strict action against shopkeepers and manufacturers who violate the sub-standards for various eatables such as ice creams, cheese and butter among others.
"Maintaining a standard in food items is very important because even little adulteration can lead to greater health hazards. As far as fines and punishments are concerned, the maximum fine that can be imposed on a defaulter is Rs 5 lakh," she said.
Rameshwar Das, owner of Rameshwar Bateesa Factory, Tajpur Road, was handed a fine of Rs 30,000 as three worms were found dead in the sweets prepared at his unit. Another bateesa maker Anil Kumar was also slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 due to presence of a 4-metre long plastic thread in his produce.
Dr Aasheesh Ahuja, a senior medico from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said, "Casual approach towards food especially milk products can cause some serious health ailments. If a milk product does not have the prescribed amount of milk (calcium) that means it would have an excess amount of carbohydrate or some other mineral which would be very harmful."
The doctor further said that adulteration in food is quite common these days and often hampers children's mental and physical growth. "Further, it is one of the reasons why kids these days suffer from stomach diseases and allergies," he pointed out.

No respite from drug menace:: Ephedrine worth Rs 50 lakhs seized

Imphal, May 29 2013: A team of Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) seized 25 kilograms of ephedrine used in the manufacture of various psychotropic drugs from three persons at Iroishemba near the gate of Central Agricultural University yesterday.
According to OC of NAB RK Bikramjit, a team of NAB led by himself, on receiving a tip-off, rushed to Langol Games Village area and remained vigilant there to check any suspicious vehicle.
The team saw a smoke grey coloured Maruti 800 car bearing registration number WB 02R/1221 speeding along Uripok-Kangchup Road at around 3 pm yesterday.
The team stopped and checked the car at Iroishemba near the gate of Central Agricultural University.
There were three persons inside the car and the drugs were found concealed in a fertilizer bag at the back seat.
The local market value of the seized drug has been estimated at around Rs.50 lakhs.

Ephedrine worth Rs 50 lakhs seized

The arrested persons have been identified as Md Latif Ali (27), s/o (late) Md Ahmed of Thoubal Moijing Thongkhong, Md Wahab Ali Firdos Khan (32), s/o Md Maniruddin of Thoubal Moijing Palli, presently staying at near Hatta Baptist Church and Md Abdul Wakil (28), s/o Md Amu of Hatta near Public Hospital.
The arrested persons have collected the ephedrine drugs from different places and they were about to smuggle the drug consignment to Moreh, the OC disclosed.
The police have registered a case in connection with the seizure.
Meanwhile, the banned tobacco products Zarda and Khaini worth over Rs.2 crores seized by 20 Assam Rifles from Chandel yesterday have been handed over to the custody of Food Safety Officer, Chandel.
It may be mentioned that the State Cabinet had passed a resolution on February 26 last to ban sale and consumption of non-smoking tobacco products in the State as per Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations, 2011 in the State with immediate effect.

Forum finds water samples unfit

 

Tests Done In 6 Districts; Samples From Govt Hospital, Rly Stations Substandard

Chennai: Water samples collected from taps and borewells in public and private places in six districts have been found to be contaminated. In Chennai, water from taps at Chennai’s Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital, Central railway station and Egmore railway station were also found to be unfit for consumption. 
    An assessment by Consumer Association of India for 2012-13 said half of 1,222 water samples tested in Erode, Nilgiris, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Trichy and Chennai were found to have microbial organisms, suggesting that they are unfit for human consumption. Nearly 44% of samples have total dissolved solids (TDS) count higher than the permissible limit of 500mg/litre (parts per million). The water samples lifted from industrial areas around Perunthurai SIPCOT in Erode, and Manali near Chennai, were found to be unfit for drinking. A consolidated report of results of drinking water samples tested in six districts was released on Monday. 
    Experts said a high TDS count may cause gastrointestinal irritation. A hydrogen sulphide test will indicate the presence of disease-causing microbial organisms. In Chennai, the tests covered Avadi, Sembium, Manali, Nazarethpettai, Iyyappanthangal, Mannivakkam and 15 zones of Chennai corporation. 
    Surprised by the results of water samples drawn from hospitals and railway stations, the volunteers of CONCERT, a centre for consumer education and research, retested the samples and found that they were unfit. 
    Noted consumer activist R Desikan said even packaged drinking water was not fit for human consumption. “People have to think of boiling water before consumption,” he said, recalling the recent findings of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board that said only 51 out of 85 private water packaging units in and around Chennai were supplying potable water. 
    With groundwater extraction being excessive, the water quality has taken a beating in neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts. Bureau of Indian Standards scientist H L Upendar said that poor sanitation was the core problem. 
    In Perunthurai, the water samples tested near SIPCOT dyeing units reveal the poor state of affairs. A resident of Kambuliampatti in Perunthurai block, T M Thangamani, said locals suffered from skin and eye conditions after the units started letting out untreated water into the ground five years ago. “More than 80 dyeing units in Perunthurai SIPCOT are causing problems, as a result of which nearly 21 village panchayats have poor ground water. The water is dark in colour,” she said.

Nagpur scientist selected on national panel for food standards development

NAGPUR: Sugandha Garway, the director of ANACON Laboratories Pvt Ltd from city has been selected as one of the members of the national panel of food standards harmonisation/development process. 

"We are expected to frame food safety standards and submit it to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) by July 31 this year. I have been working in the field of food standards for long. But being on national panel is a matter of real pride."

FSSAI was established under Section 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 with the mandate of laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. 

While developing these standards, it is proposed to cover products where we have domestic standards under Food Safety Standards Rules (FSSR) but these need a revision/harmonization with those of the 'codex' and other international best practices. 

The Act aims to make food safety a national movement. To meet this target, FSSAI is using an inclusive approach by utilising the wisdom of all stakeholders in the country, ensuring all relevant issues are discussed through a transparent consultative process and conflicting opinions reconciled on the basis of scientific evidence. 

Garway will be working as a team member for standardization of concentrates (liquid or solid) for water-based flavoured drinks or water based-drinks, which include powder, syrup, liquid and frozen concentrates for the preparation of carbonated or non-carbonated water-based non-alcoholic beverages by addition of water or carbonated water. Such as fountain syrups (e.g., cola syrup), fruit syrups for soft drinks, powdered glucose/sucrose based beverages, powdered isotonic beverages, frozen or powdered concentrate for lemonade, iced tea mixes, fruit-based drinks, water-based flavoured drinks etc.

Health Dept team seals two factories

While one was preparing substandard spices, the other was manufacturing pickles

The Health Department busted three factories preparing unhygienic food items during a raid today. The team, led by District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon, sealed two masala factories in Dhab Basti Ram area.
One of the busted factories, Kalia Grinders, was preparing spices locally but selling it as ‘packed in Denmark’.
Dr Kahlon said packets saying ‘packed in Delhi’ were also recovered from the godown. “The factory was grinding low-quality ingredients to make turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilly powder but was selling it as either imported or from renowned manufacturers,” he said. Five samples were collected from the factory and it was sealed.
The team sealed another grinding factory owned by Paramjit, who ran after shutting down the godowns. “The police even raided his residence but he could not be traced,” said Dr Kahlon adding that they had sealed the factory.
An unhygienic pickle factory, Titu Aachar Wala, was busted in Ram Bagh area. Dr Kahlon said lemons and other vegetables found at the factory were rotten and algae had grown in the drums in which pickle was being prepared. “We have collected three samples and few drums of pickle were destroyed,” said Dr Kahlon.
The team later raided a sweet shop and a general store in Ram Bagh area and collected samples. Panic gripped the shopkeepers in Dhab Basti Ram and Ram Bagh area after the news of health team’s visit reached them. Most of them fled from the market after shutting down their shops.
Dr Kahlon said the way shopkeepers ran established that there was something fishy about their businesses. He said they would conduct more raids in the area to check sale of substandard materials.

India - Global food safety violations

Food Sentry is continuing its analysis of international food safety violations.  Analyzing data from nearly 1,000 reported food safety violations from 73 countries over the past 15 months, our ­initial report showed that the top five countries that were found during laboratory testing to have the most food safety violations were China, the United States, India, Japan and Vietnam.

This report focuses on India. Our reports on China and the United States uncovered some surprising data, as does our analysis here of reported Indian food safety violations.

As background, we collected data from multiple food testing laboratories around the world.  Most countries test a percentage of the foods that are being imported.  A violation occurs when some kind of contaminant is detected in a food in excess of the levels allowed by the inspecting country.

Testing regimes vary from country to country. Some countries test as much as 30 percent of the food they import.  If there is a particular problem that comes to light, that number can increase to 50 percent for certain categories of foods, or foods from countries for which there is particular concern.  In comparison, the United States inspects less than 2 percent of food being imported and actually does laboratory testing on less than 1 percent.

When we looked at contaminants discovered in Indian food exports, we found pesticides to be the number one problem, accounting for 47 percent of all reported food safety violations for that country (a more detailed version of the above infographic is here). Twenty-five different pesticides turned up in excess in laboratory testing.  Vegetables, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices were most likely to be contaminated with excessive residues.  We found several cases where a single product was contaminated with multiple pesticide residues, including one instance in which a single batch of curry leaves had residues from eight different pesticides (acephate, carbendazim, diafenthiuron, ethion, hexaconazole, methamidophos, monocrotophos and profenofos).

The next most common type of contaminants reported in Indian food exports were chemicals of various sorts.  Lab testing discovered calcium carbide, sulfur dioxide, Sudan IV dye, anthraquinone and ethoxyquin.  In our analysis, this data set is somewhat skewed by the fact that certain countries have issued a no-notice directive to India that they will no longer accept shrimp with levels of ethoxyquin in excess of 0.01 parts per million (ppm).  This resulted in a plethora of violations for Indian shrimp, which was previously held to a standard of 1 ppm for ethoxyquin.  The countries involved are currently in negotiation to resolve this issue.  Ethoxyquin is an anti-oxidant used in fish feed to keep it from going rancid. There is little scientific evidence one way or the other at this point about the risks of ethoxyquin to human health.

The third food safety violation of concern in Indian exports was mycotoxins, primarily in nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. These are toxins produced by fungi, most often by species of Aspergillus mold. Testing found instances of excessive aflatoxins B₁ and B₂ as well as ochratoxin. Mycotoxins can be quite toxic to humans; they are carcinogenic and have a good potential for causing both acute and chronic disease.

In the remaining categories we investigated (toxic metals, antibiotics, and pathogens) we found relatively few violations.  The toxic metal cadmium was found in excess in octopus and mud crabs; pathogens were limited to Salmonella in some vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs and spices; residues from the antibiotics malachite green (a dye sometimes used for its anti-fungal properties) and AOZ (3-amino-2-oxazolidinone, a metabolite of furazolidone, a broad-spectrum antibacterial), were found in a very small sample of seafood and in rapeseed meal.

In the groups of foods we encountered in this analysis, those most likely to come to the United States are herbs and spices, nuts and seeds, and shellfish.  India is a primary supplier of herbs and spices (worth $209 million in 2012), nuts and seeds ($549 million) and shellfish ($583 million). As you can see, you are quite likely to encounter these products in your shopping routine.

The question to be asked is, what is the likelihood of an uninspected shipment being in violation of U.S. food safety regulations? Note that this includes not only contaminated food, but also food for which the paperwork is incorrect and food which is not labeled correctly or misbranded. The data to answer this question with any precision are hard to come by, but we can estimate based on some statements by FDA.

To add a little bit more perspective, the United States imported about 54.5 million tons of food in 2012, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.  That translated to about 25 million individual shipments of food from foreign importers.  The Office of Regulatory Affairs at the FDA estimated that they inspected less than 1.5 percent of those shipments.

In 2011, Denise Williams, a supervisor in FDA’s import operations in southern California, indicated that out of 10 million food-related shipments, 16,000 were rejected by the FDA. If the FDA is inspecting only 1.5 percent of shipments (150,000 in this case) and it rejected 16,000, then we can figure a violation rate of about 11 percent. Eleven percent of the remaining uninspected shipments would be around 1.1 million shipments that could be expected to have some sort of food safety violation.

A “shipment” can be anything from a box to a crate to a shipboard container, so volume is difficult to assess.  Nonetheless, more than a million violative shipments making their way into U.S. markets are surely cause for concern.  With India making up such a large percentage of the imports in the categories identified above, you can see that your likelihood of encountering them is higher than you might like.

In addition to formal shipments, there are foods that come to the United States that are beyond the reach of the FDA. They arrive in the mail in smaller amounts, or are brought in illegally (“cheese mules” are an interesting example).  As we mentioned in a previous article, Spices – More Than a Matter of Taste, spices are very likely to be in this category.  Be wary of internet purchases and exercise caution when buying spices that have been repackaged in unbranded, unlabeled containers.

Supplyco to test rice, vegetables for toxic residue

Results of analysis will be made public for consumer awareness

The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) will start testing rice, vegetables, meat and fish for contaminants, including pesticide residue, and make the results public for consumer awareness, beginning next month.

It will be the first time in Kerala that vegetables, fish and meat will be extensively tested for poisonous residues and results made public.

A senior official of Supplyco, which has around 1,400 provisions stores and vegetables and fruits outlets across Kerala, said that the process for testing samples at the Council for Food Research and Development (CFRD) laboratory in Konni, had been set in motion.

He said that random sample collection will begin next month and that the results should be out within a fortnight of that. Broad-based testing of vegetables, fruits, fish and meat has been a long-standing demand, considering that Kerala depends on its neighbours for the bulk of its food requirements, including rice. Tests on rice samples will ensure that the customers get the best quality produce.

Kerala requires more than eight lakh tonnes of vegetables daily, of which nearly four lakh tonnes are produced within the State.

The rest of the supplies comes from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Director of CFRD M. K. Mukundan said that Supplyco had approached the laboratory with the proposal for testing vegetables and other samples and the laboratory at Konni, in Pathanamthitta district, is equipped to do all the tests. Testing of the major food samples is part of the corporation’s preparations to meet Food Safety and Standards Act stipulations.

The corporation is also building 63 new godowns with a combined capacity of three lakh tonnes at the district and taluk headquarters.

The godowns, expected to cost around Rs.180 crore, will be sufficient to store food items for three months. There will be 14 godowns at the district headquarters and 49 at the taluk levels.

The godown project has been handed over to the government-owned consultancy Kitco for implementation and most of the new facilities will come up on government land.

CAIT demands extension of one year for filing returns in FSS Act, 2006

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), in a representation to health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) chairperson K Chandramouli, demanded that that the due date for filing returns also be extended by a year.

“It is to be noted that the deadline to meet such obligations expires on May 31, 2013. It is estimated that nearly more than a crore food business operators (FBOs) in the country will be affected,” the communication by the traders' body added.

The last date for FBOs to register anew or obtain licenses under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, or renew the existing ones or transfer from the old registrations/licenses to the new ones has already been extended by a year (from February 4, 2013 to February 4, 2014).

“The deadline for registration/licenses, renewal or transfer was extended appreciating the difficulties of the FBOs as well as those of the administrative machinery, but the position is the same today,” CAIT added.

“When the government extended the deadline, the last date for filing of returns should also have been extended, because registration is always the pre-condition for filing returns. Therefore, the date of filing returns must also be extended,” the traders' body added.

As per Regulation 2.1.13 of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing Business) Regulation, 2011, it is binding on every licensee to submit the returns in Form D-1, as provided in Schedule-2 in respect of each class of food at the end of the financial year before March 31 every year.

And if there is any delay in filing returns beyond May 31 each year, there is a provision for a penalty of Rs 100 per day of delay in Regulation 2.1.13 (3) of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing Business) Regulation, 2011.

City looks forward to rise in supply, dip in prices

The HinduThe cost of 20-litre bubbletop cans, which had risen by a minimum of Rs. 5 last week, will also come down once all the units resume operations

Manufacturers said water supply shortage would come down to 10% over next 2-3 days

At a time when the city is reeling under a water crisis, the reopening of many packaged drinking water units around Chennai is expected to significantly reduce the shortage in supply in the next few days.

Two weeks ago, 92 of the 309 private units manufacturing packaged drinking water were directed to be closed for not having valid licence to operate. Water samples from 51 of these units were then found to be satisfactory.

Ahamed Kasim, regional manager, Repute Water, one of the firms that will reopen soon, said that it would take 48 hours for the product to reach the market after the unit is reopened. “We already have food and safety licences and will soon apply to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for its consent. We are very happy about the order,” he said.

A. Shakespeare, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, said that the shortage in private water supply would reduce to 10 per cent from the current 30-40 per cent once the units begin functioning and distributing in the next two or three days.

The cost of 20-litre bubbletops, which went up by a minimum of Rs. 5 last week, is also set to come down. “But, there may be a marked dip only after all units start operations,” he said. Every year, about 50-100 units are opened to meet the growing water demand in the metropolitan area.

M. Gunasekaran, who runs a unit in Red Hills, said that he was confident that his unit would be allowed to operate as the water conformed to quality standards. “I produce 600 bubble tops and 50-100 water sachets every day under two brands ‘Real Fresh’ and ‘Bio Fresh’. I am planning to discuss the issue with association members before applying for the license issued by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. It also depends on the norms laid down by the TNPCB.”

Officials of the Bureau of Indian Standards, southern region, said that consumers could be assured of the quality of the water supplied to them. BIS would check the quality of the finished product and the hygiene practices of the units. TNPCB’s requisites for a license mainly have to do with aspects dealing with pollution. “We test the water samples for nearly 82 parameters, including pesticidal residue,” said a BIS official.

Sources in Commissionerate of Food Safety and Drug Administration said that water sachets without BIS certification were being destroyed all over the State. “We are issuing notices warning the manufacturers to apply for certification. Similarly cool drinks that have imitated popular brands are also being destroyed. Some time ago, we had issued notices to five drinking water units near Chennai asking them to close down. Those have been closed down by the TNPCB,” he said.

Only 34 of 85 Chennai samples safe

Chennai: Only 34 of the 85 samples picked up by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) from the packaged drinking water units in Chennai and tested by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) were found to be ‘satisfactory’.

The TNPCB produced this report before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday responding to the suo motu notice by NGT in March pertaining to the shutting down of 98 water units in the city by TNPCB for running without government permits. The NGT comprising Justice M Chockalingam and expert member R Nagendran has asked the TNPCB and FSSAI to collect samples for a second time from the units that allegedly supplied the sub-standard and non-potable water, as they pleaded that they were not given prior notice of the inspection.

TNPCB and FSSAI officials collected samples from 92 water units this May as six units had stopped functioning. The break up goes like this: Just 34 units among the 92 sell water which is in the ’satisfactory’ category and 17 firms sell sub-standard water but potable. Samples from 26 units were found to be unsafe and sub-standard and samples from eight other firms tested to be completely unsafe and not potable.

A senior TNPCB official explained to DC that potable water is tested for various parameters such as PH count, which should be neutral at seven as more than PH-7 would mean that the water is alkaline and a count less than seven would mean that it is acidic. The labs also tested the water for TDS (total dissolved solids) and for bacterial contents such as coliform and e-coli. “The major problem in many tested samples now was violation of bacterial content. They were unsafe for humans”, the officer said, requesting anonymity.

TNPCB to get full details on number of bottled water firms

Pramila Krishnan

For the first time, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) will find out how many bottled water firms are operating across Tamil Nadu.

The board was directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday to produce a full-fledged report on the packaged drinking water firms in the state and whether the units are functioning with or without license and BIS certification, on July 2, 2013.  While delivering orders on packaged water firms, justice M.Chockalingam asked the TNPCB to serve show cause notices to all the water firms in the state and prepare the report with their replies.

More than 860 private firms are the members of the Tamil Nadu packaged drinking water traders association. Now with the count by the TNPCB all the water firms will be found out and also their licenses will be checked. NGT judge M.Chockalingam and expert member R.Nagendran pronounced that all the firms could function as usual even if they were found to have shortcomings because closure of these firms might cause water scarcity in the state.

And firms, which got the clearance in the green court on Monday, might increase the prices exorbitantly and enjoy the trade. Earlier declaring verdict for 92 packaged water firms in Chennai, from which water samples were tested by the TNPCB and FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) and produced in the court, NGT panel said,” Electricity can be restored for 34 firms whose samples were proved to be of good standard.

For the other 51 firms, electricity will be supplied only during inspection by TNPCB to collect samples and should be suspended until further orders on July 2, 2013 by the court.”  The panel also said that all 92 firms have to pay for the tests conducted by the TNPCB and FSSAI.

Speaking to DC after the verdict TNPCB member-secretary S.Balaji said, “Finding out all the water selling firms in Tamil Nadu is a tedious project. But with the help of our district engineers we will come up with this report as ordered by the NGT.” He said that expenses amounting to Rs 1. 40 lakh will be borne by the Chennai based water firms.

Relief for 51 packaged drinking water units

National Green Tribunal asks pollution control board to analyse samples from 34 units again

Granting relief to 51 packaged drinking water units which met prescribed standards, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Bench, on Monday said these units could carry on packaging and selling water in the city until further orders.

The NGT, taking note of a report in The Hindu, had directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to look into allegations of packaged water units violating norms. The Board issued closure orders to 92 units in the city that lacked valid consent. The South India Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association challenged the closure orders.

Later, the Tribunal asked the TNPCB and Commissionerate of Food Safety and Drug Administration to inspect the closed units and submit a report after analysing water samples. Those units remained closed till Monday.

When the matter came up for hearing, they filed a report stating that out of samples collected from 85 units, only 34 met the prescribed standards, while 17 samples were classified as substandard, but not unsafe. The remaining 34 did not meet the necessary parameters.

The Bench, comprising Justice M. Chockalingam and Prof. R. Nagendran, said there could be no impediment in allowing the 34 units that met the prescribed standards and 17 others that were not unsafe to carry on packaging and selling water as an interim measure until further orders. Regarding the remaining 34 units, the authorities were asked to redo the analysis of samples while they remained closed.

The Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association filed another application seeking to implead itself in the case. It claimed that its 869 members held Certificates of Manufacturing Licence (CML) of the Bureau of Indian Standards and also from the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI Licence). The association said unless packaged drinking water was allowed to be manufactured by existing manufacturers, it would lead to severe shortage of safe drinking water. Its lawyer, C. Seethapathy, said TNPCB had issued show-cause notices to around 300 units and rejected their replies. It had started issuing closure notices.

Following this submission, the Bench passed another interim order allowing the association’s members to carry on packaging and selling water until further orders, while allowing the TNPCB to continue issuing show-cause notices to erring units.

The Tribunal ordered the TNPCB to file another report by July 2 regarding units that did not have valid consent orders or certificates of the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Gutka worth Rs.13 lakh seized

GVMC officials on Monday seized gutka (chewable tobacco) worth Rs.13 lakh. The tobacco was being unloaded from a lorry belonging to a Kolkata company near Kanakamma temple at China Waltair.
Food Safety Officer Janardhan effected the seizure under the supervision of Designated Food Safety Officer S. Hanumantha Rao.
GVMC Chief Medical Officer (Health) warned of stern action against sale of gutka.

Pune Municipal Corporation lab gets ISO accreditation

PUNE: The food and water testing laboratory of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) received ISO:9001:2008 accreditation under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, said a press statement issued by the civic body .

Started at Salunke Vihar in Kondhwa a year back, the lab had limited use for nearly a year, but was opened to the public in January 2013, offering a bouquet of 99 types of tests. Officials said the lab was designed primarily for testing meat at the Kondhwa slaughterhouse. Since it is well-equipped, the lab can be used by common people.

The lab was upgraded by installing newer and advanced equipment to make it fit enough to get an accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories(NABL), an autonomous body under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The NABL grants accreditation to only those laboratories that conform to its stringent norms. The laboratory is located at the Kondhwa slaughterhouse on Salunke Vihar Road and accepts samples from Monday to Saturday during working hours. It has advanced equipment and machinery required for testing samples of water, food items and even sewage. The fee for testing food, which practically includes anything from grains to processed eatables to water samples, are equivalent to rates charged by any state government laboratory. Not just citizens, business establishments like hotels, warehouses, godowns can also avail of the lab's services, PMC officials said.

Shanghai sees biofuel gold in recycled cooking oil

Shanghai plans to turn recycled cooking oil, some of it seized by authorities, into an environmental asset by converting it into fuel for vehicles.

SHANGHAI: China's commercial hub Shanghai plans to turn recycled cooking oil, some of it seized by authorities, into an environmental asset by converting it into fuel for vehicles, state media said Monday.
 The country has been rocked by a series of food safety scandals including the re-use of waste oil recycled from restaurants and called "gutter oil" in Chinese.
 The Shanghai government plans to cooperate with a local university and six companies to produce biodiesel from used oil to power the city's buses, taxis and trucks, the China Daily newspaper reported.
 Tongji University, one of China's most prestigious, has been experimenting for the last three years to create the ideal mix, the report said, but did not detail the scale of the plan.
 In 2011 China arrested 32 people over the sale of "gutter oil", which is thought to contain carcinogens and other pollutants.
 Shanghai has also cracked down, in March implementing rules on proper disposal of waste oil and qualifications for collectors.
 "On the one hand, we emphasised cleaning up illegal oil collectors. On the other, we looked for ideal ways to use the recycled oil," Yan Zuqiang of the Shanghai Food Safety Committee was quoted by the China Daily as saying.
 When the gutter oil scandal emerged in 2010, experts estimated that people in China consumed two to three million tonnes of the illegally recycled oil every year.
 The revelation forced the nation's food safety watchdog to step up its inspections, but experts said the business was extremely profitable.
 China's food industry is notorious for safety problems despite regular government crackdowns.

Jaundice spreads in Kasargod

The district Health Department has confirmed hepatitis-A (jaundice) in as many as 330 persons in Madhur, Kumbala, Mogral Puthur, Kumbadage, Badiadukka and Puthige panchayats of the district. According to District Medical Officer Dr P Gopinathan, it has been identified that many of those who are affected with jaundice had attended an Uroos at Mogral Puthur Panchayat, last week. All of them had also consumed ice cream, which might have been prepared using unhygienic water.

Official sources said the Health Department has taken all steps possible to check the disease from spreading. “Health authority has taken the samples of well water from the jaundice-affected panchayats and chlorinated all wells.

“Besides, the Health Department officials are paying regular door-to-door visits in order to create awareness among public,” said DMO Dr P Gopinathan. “We have collected the samples of ice-cream which caused the disease and informed the Food Safety Department recommending appropriate actions,” he said.

Sources said Puthige Panchayat authority has taken action against the ice-cream making units and cautioned against the consumption of  ice cream till next directive is issued.

Food Safety Department sources said further steps will be taken soon to remove the contaminated food stuffs in the restaurants in the wake of the jaundice outbreak and monsoon.

According to the National Rural Health Mission district programme manager Dr B Muhammed Asheel, the people, especially in the hilly areas, are not much aware of the epidemics. “They do not report in government hospitals at the primary stage and often rely upon the private hospitals outside the state,”said Dr Muhammed Asheel, while he was talking at a press meet on Friday.

“Many vacant posts in various government hospitals in the district are yet to be filled. Compared to the other districts in the state, Kasargod has not been provided optimum number of doctors and medical staff,” he pointed out.

Citizens protest against GM food

As if in a spontaneous response to a call, as many as 30 citizens came out and participated in the March Against Monsanto on MG Road.

With mottos of “I don’t need Monsanto entering India” and “I don’t want to eat a genetically modified product”, supporters got together to protest against Monsanto, the American biotechnology corporation. Protest marches were held in six continents, 36 countries, totaling events in over 250 cities including Bangalore and New Delhi.

Fearing that the biotechnology-giant will monopolise food in the country, Rachita Taneja, a participant at the march, said that it was essential to keep the seed giant at bay to protect farmers. “When the wave of Bt cotton came about few years ago, our farmers went into agrarian distress and committed suicide. We don’t want that phenomenon repeating.”

She feared that the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2013 that was tabled in the Lok Sabha on April 22 would provide a single window clearance for GM crops to enter the country. “Monsanto has lobbied a lot for this kind of easy entry and monopoly on our foods,” Taneja said.

Arvind Shivakumar, a member of  Greenpeace India, an NGO, insisted on compulsory labeling of GM foods. “Some day, I might be eating GM rice without even knowing it because there is no label on it,” he said. “I don’t want such crops to be grown on our soil. It will only push our farmers into more debts.” Shivakumar further pointed at the lack of transparency in the testing methods followed by Monsanto.

“GM food is not a solution to hunger in our country,” said Swati Mehta, a writer.

“Challenges facing FSSAI include licensing, registration”

The FSSAI has come under the scanner in recent times with regard to the implementation of food safety law in India and other pertinent issues. Keshav Desiraju, secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India, in a conversation with F&B news gives details. Excerpts:

The CEO and other top officials of FSSAI are either stepping down or seeking transfers. Some key posts are still vacant. Could you throw light on this? 
As you are aware, the FSSAI has been set up fairly recently and is an autonomous regulatory body under the health and family welfare ministry as per the guidelines laid down in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The chief executive officer is appointed by the government and other officers working in FSSAI are on deputation. The authority floated a vacancy notice in leading newspapers recently to fill the posts that became vacant because of the transfers or deputations on foreign service term or short-term contract basis.

Adequate steps are being taken to ensure that the authority is manned by well-qualified and experienced officers.

What steps is the ministry taking to implement food safety laws in India? What are the areas of focus and major concern with respect to food safety?
The passing of the FSSA, 2006 – which led to the creation of the FSSAI – led to the shift from multi-level to a single line of control with the focus on self-compliance rather than on the regulatory regime as far as food safety is concerned.

It also introduced uniform licensing and registration regime across the Centre and the states. One of the major roles of FSSAI is the setting up of science-based food standards by harmonising with the Codex standards, wherever possible.

Many steps have been taken to implement food safety laws in India like
- An online licensing portal and online food import clearance system are in place.
- The procedure for harmonisation of Indian food standards with those of the Codex Alimentarius has been initiated.
- Notified referral labs for purpose of food analysis.
- Creating awareness through mass media for various stakeholders on topics like licensing and registration, misleading claims made by companies, misbranding, adulteration, hygiene practices and safe food messages.
- Checking the safety of the food being imported into the country presently at select ports.

How is the government planning to cover all food business operators in India, after two extensions to the deadline for licensing and registration?
Under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011, FBOs are expected to obtain licences and registration under these regulations.
India is a vast country and the size of the FBOs ranges from small, petty ones with turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh to large ones. Depending upon their size in terms of production and turnover, licences are to be granted either by the Centre (i.e. by FSSAI) or by the respective state governments.
A majority of the licences and registrations are to be issued by the respective state governments. It is a challenge, and sensitising the state governments to the enormity of the task at hand would be taken up at all levels. We would also give them some assistance for strengthening the food safety infrastructure in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan.

What challenges do the authorities face while implementing the laws?
The challenges facing the Authority are primarily threefold: the sheer quantum of licensing and registration work to be undertaken by the state governments, upgradation/ strengthening of food testing laboratory infrastructure for monitoring and surveillance purpose and harmonisation of product standards with Codex, wherever feasible. Consumers are also important stakeholders and we are focussing on making them aware about the provision of the Act, its implementations and their role through various campaigns. A well-informed consumer can also help greatly in demanding safe food and spreading the message of food safety.

Are the authorities doing a satisfactory job of implementing the food safety regulations?
The six regulations that were notified by the authority on August 5, 2011, were all being implemented. The authority is also in the process of notifying some new regulations covering other areas.

What can the country expect from the health ministry in the coming years with respect to food safety?
The health ministry is aware about the importance of the food safety as an important lever of the national economy. Having an independent regulatory body such as FSSAI looking into these aspects will bring in focussed concerted action.

During the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, the ministry will strive to provide FSSAI with the requisite funds for it to focus on strengthening of enforcement structure in each state, creation of robust surveillance, upgrading of food safety laboratory infrastructure, capacity-building of the stakeholders in the food safety regulatory network, communication and awareness for consumers / FBOs / other stakeholders to help them make informed choices.

Is there any mechanism in place or proposed to look into complaints against FSSAI?
FSSAI has in place a well-defined process through which complaints against FSSAI can be made to them by logging on to their website, calling up the helpline or in writing to the senior officers of the Authority.

Treat your chicken the right way

The key to your family's good health lies in how you wash, cut and cook your poultry

 A recent report from Australia's Food Safety Information Council's chairman, Dr Michael Eyles, surprised many when it cautioned home cooks against washing chicken before cooking. Researchers pointed out that washing chicken puts you at a higher risk of food poisoning due to cross contamination as it leads to spreading of bacteria around the kitchen. Instead, doctors advised mopping up excess moisture with a paper towel.

 "Cooking poultry right through kills these bacteria, making it safe," Dr Eyles said in the report. We thought why not venture out and find out if there's more to cooking chicken the right way, and there were quite a few eye openers.

If you really have to wash your chicken
 Most home cooks in India don't pick up frozen or packaged chicken, but order for fresh poultry. In this case, washing off all the gore becomes necessary. Make sure that you don't have a cluttered counter to minimise contamination on clean utensils or food while you wash the raw chicken. Once you are done, transfer the chicken in a pan, wash your hands thoroughly, and wipe down your counter with hot soapy water.

Use a wooden cutting board
 A quick hand wash is all that's needed in case of a wooden cutting board. But if you place raw meats on a plastic cutting board, it needs to be sanitised.

You can't refrigerate forever
 You'll be forced to toss out your chicken in the bin if it's in the fridge for more than two days, as home fridges are warmer than the ones in stores. Deep freezing your chicken for longer is okay though.

Thaw it right
 Researchers suggest defrosting frozen poultry right through to the centre in the fridge or microwave in a sealed container before cooking. If you keep it out, bacteria are sure to have a field day multiplying.

Chicken fat is good
 Most home cooks snip every bit of fat off the chicken. However, chicken fat could be good for you. Firstly, poultry fat is low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, thus more stable than other fats at higher heat. And it's high in palmitoleic acid, an immune booster, and a source of oleic acid, which is good cholesterol.

PCB finds 34 water packaging units in Chennai unsafe

CHENNAI: In a significant development, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Food Safety and Drug Administration departments have found that only 51 private packaged drinking water units in Chennai supply potable drinking water. The samples from 34 units were found to be unsafe.

The agencies submitted the test report to the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Monday. The tribunal had taken suo motu cognizance of pollution in packaged drinking water in March, and ordered both agencies in its last hearing to conduct water sample tests in 92 units in and around Chennai, which did not have consent orders from PCB to operate. Of this, seven units were found already shut down.

Upon this submission, the bench, comprising judicial member M Chokkalingam and technical member 

R Nagendran passed an interim order on Monday, permitting the units, whose samples that were found satisfactory, to carry on manufacturing, packaging and distribution of packaged water until further orders. On the 'unsafe' units, the bench ordered the departments to conduct resampling tests giving sufficient time to sterlise the plant and posted the hearing to July 2.

The units falling in Chennai, Ambattur, Tiruvallur, Maraimalai Nagar and Sriperumbudur either draw water sourced from bore wells or through tanker supply by individuals. The counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Association, C Seethapathy argued that the units other than Bureau of Indian Standard licensees were messing up the system, with fancy names like 'herbal' and 'flavour.'

In its order, the bench directed the pollution control board to issue show cause notices to all BIS units in the state. The board has already issued notices to about 300 units. "After obtaining the replies, the board can pass orders warranted under law. But implementation of the orders can be kept in abeyance until further orders." In the meantime, there is no impediment for these units to apply to the board for consent orders to operate.

The board has also been directed to find out the number of private drinking water units in the state, with or without consent of the BIS certification, and file a report in the next hearing. "We will take stern action against them," the bench observed.

உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிரடி சென்னை நிறுவனம் சிக்கியது தேங்காய் நார், ஆவாரம் பட்டை' டை’ கலந்து டீத்தூள் விற்பனை

சேலம், மே 26:

சென்னையை சேர்ந்த போலி டீத்தூள் நிறுவனம் மீது உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் வழக்கு தொடர முடிவு செய்துள்ளனர்.

சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் பேக்கரி, காபி பார்களில் உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் நடத்திய சோதனையில் பரவலாக போலி டீத்தூள் பயன்படுத்தப்படுவது தெரியவந்தது. விசாரணையில், ஓமலூரை சேர்ந்த முகவர் மூலம் சேலம் டீக்கடைகளுக்கு ‘கோல்டு ஸ்டார்’ என்ற பெயரில் போலி டீத்தூள் சப்ளை செய்யப்பட்டு இருப்பதை அதிகாரிகள் கண்டுபிடித்தனர்.

இதையடுத்து, ஓமலூரில் உள்ள முகவரின் அலுவலகத்தில் சோதனை செய்தபோது, அங்கு விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்த போலி டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. அவரிடம் நடத்திய விசாரணையில், சென்னை அயனாவரத்தில் உள்ள நிபுமா என்பவரிடம் இருந்து போலி டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டுகளை வாங்கி விற்பனை செய்து வந்தது தெரியவந்தது.

இதற்கிடையே, கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூள் மாதிரிகள் கிண்டியில் உள்ள உணவுப்பகுப்பாய்வு கூடத்திற்கு பரிசோதனைக்காக அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டது. பரிசோதனையில், இந்த டீத்தூளில் தேங்காய் நார், ஆவாரம் செடியின் இலை, பட்டை, ஏலக்காய் தோல், தலைக்கு பூசக்கூடிய டை, செயற்கை நிறமூட்டிகள் கலந்திருப்பது தெரியவந்தது.

பரிசோதனை அறிக்கையை உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூள் அதிபர் நிபுமாவுக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர். இந்த பரிசோதனை முடிவுகளை ஏற்க முடியாது என ஆட்சேபனை தெரிவித்ததால், டீத்தூளின் மற்ற மாதிரிகளை கொல்கத்தாவில் உள்ள தலைமை உணவுப்பகுப்பாய்வு கூடத்திற்கு மீண்டும் பரிசோதனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர். அங்கிருந்தும், அது கலப்பட டீத்தூள்தான் என்று அறிக்கை அளிக்கப்பட்டது.

இதையடுத்து, கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூள் அதிபரை முதல் குற்றவாளியாக சேர்த்து, சேலம் மாவட்ட நீதிமன்றத்தில் வழக்கு தொடர உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் முடிவு செய்துள்ளனர். இதற்காக ஒப்புதல் கேட்டு, தமிழ்நாடு உணவுப்பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாகத்துறை கமிஷனர் (பொறுப்பு) குமார் ஜெயந்துக்கு விரிவான அறிக்கையும் சமர்ப்பிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை சேலம் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதாவிடம் கேட்டபோது, ‘‘டீத்தூளில் எந்த வித செயற்கை நிறமூட்டிகளும் சேர்க்கக் கூடாது. ஆனால், பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட கோல்டு ஸ்டார் டீத்தூளில் மனித உடலுக்கு கேடு விளைவிக்கக் கூடிய வகையில் 1950 பிபிஎம் (பார்ட்ஸ் பெர் மில்லியன்) வரை செயற்கை நிறமூட்டிகள் கலக்கப்பட்டு இருந்தது.

இத்துடன் தேங்காய் நார் போன்ற பொருட்களும் கலந்திருந்தன. மேலும், டீத்தூள் பாக்கெட்டில் ‘சர்பத்’ என அச்சிட்டுக்கொண்டு, டீத்தூள் விற்பனை செய்ததும் குற்றம். இதனால் கோல்டு ஸ்டார் நிறுவனத்தின் மீது வழக்கு தொடர முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டு, இத்துறையின் கமிஷனரின் அனுமதிக்காக காத்திருக்கிறோம்,’’ என்றார்.

GNDU girls hostel in a ‘mess’

Algae infested cucumber, flour meant for chapattis covered with dirty cloth, cooked dal kept in unhygienic conditions alongside utensils lying for cleaning, cooks without any headgear or gloves, stinking vegetables in the refrigerators and inadequate and dirty water supplied from a tank without being purified.

Welcome to the girls hostel to the premier Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar.
In what raises serious question marks over the functioning of girls hostel at GNDU, Assistant Commissioner, Grievances, Amritsar, Lovejeet Kalsi observed the listed irregularities in the mess section of two blocks she inspected in the Mata Nanki Girls Hostel.
Overflowing and stinking dustbins added to the list among other things.
The inspection came after Amritsar Deputy Commissioner was sent an e-mail by the girl students about the prevailing sorry scenario in the hostel.
"The complaint was marked to me on Wednesday. And today I conducted a raid along with officers from the departments of food, safety and public health," Lovejeet said.
"Algae covered cucumbers meant to be served in lunch in salad to the students, rotten vegetables...everything was unhygienic," she added.
"They had fixed an RO plant near the water cooler. But, when we inspected in detail, the water was coming directly from the water tank without any purification. The RO system, apparently not working, was there just for show. Also, one water cooler is not enough for more than 400 girls who live on four floors in that particular hostel block," Lovejeet said.
"There was also this complaint that washrooms were dirty," Lovejeet added.
She said a number of samples had been taken and will be sent for testing and report expected in a fortnight's time.
Lovejeet also said that a hostel warden and Dean Student Welfare gave contrasting statements about a proposal sent for getting another water cooler for Block A. "While hostel warden said the proposal has been sent, Dean Student Welfare maintained that no formal proposal was in place so far," she said.
Lovejeet said administration would wait till the reports of samples come to initiate action in the case.

Algae infested cucumber, flour meant for chapattis covered with dirty cloth, cooked dal kept in unhygienic conditions alongside utensils lying for cleaning, cooks without any headgear or gloves, stinking vegetables in the refrigerators and inadequate and dirty water supplied from a tank without being purified. Welcome to the girls hostel to the premier Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar.
In what raises serious question marks over the functioning of girls hostel at GNDU, Assistant Commissioner, Grievances, Amritsar, Lovejeet Kalsi observed the listed irregularities in the mess section of two blocks she inspected in the Mata Nanki Girls Hostel.
Overflowing and stinking dustbins added to the list among other things.
The inspection came after Amritsar Deputy Commissioner was sent an e-mail by the girl students about the prevailing sorry scenario in the hostel.
"The complaint was marked to me on Wednesday. And today I conducted a raid along with officers from the departments of food, safety and public health," Lovejeet said.
"Algae covered cucumbers meant to be served in lunch in salad to the students, rotten vegetables...everything was unhygienic," she added.
"They had fixed an RO plant near the water cooler. But, when we inspected in detail, the water was coming directly from the water tank without any purification. The RO system, apparently not working, was there just for show. Also, one water cooler is not enough for more than 400 girls who live on four floors in that particular hostel block," Lovejeet said.
"There was also this complaint that washrooms were dirty," Lovejeet added.
She said a number of samples had been taken and will be sent for testing and report expected in a fortnight's time.
Lovejeet also said that a hostel warden and Dean Student Welfare gave contrasting statements about a proposal sent for getting another water cooler for Block A. "While hostel warden said the proposal has been sent, Dean Student Welfare maintained that no formal proposal was in place so far," she said.
Lovejeet said administration would wait till the reports of samples come to initiate action in the case.
- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gndu-girls-hostel-in-a--mess-/1120406/0#sthash.9XQuHmEc.dpuf

Algae infested cucumber, flour meant for chapattis covered with dirty cloth, cooked dal kept in unhygienic conditions alongside utensils lying for cleaning, cooks without any headgear or gloves, stinking vegetables in the refrigerators and inadequate and dirty water supplied from a tank without being purified. Welcome to the girls hostel to the premier Guru Nanak Dev University at Amritsar.
In what raises serious question marks over the functioning of girls hostel at GNDU, Assistant Commissioner, Grievances, Amritsar, Lovejeet Kalsi observed the listed irregularities in the mess section of two blocks she inspected in the Mata Nanki Girls Hostel.
Overflowing and stinking dustbins added to the list among other things.
The inspection came after Amritsar Deputy Commissioner was sent an e-mail by the girl students about the prevailing sorry scenario in the hostel.
"The complaint was marked to me on Wednesday. And today I conducted a raid along with officers from the departments of food, safety and public health," Lovejeet said.
"Algae covered cucumbers meant to be served in lunch in salad to the students, rotten vegetables...everything was unhygienic," she added.
"They had fixed an RO plant near the water cooler. But, when we inspected in detail, the water was coming directly from the water tank without any purification. The RO system, apparently not working, was there just for show. Also, one water cooler is not enough for more than 400 girls who live on four floors in that particular hostel block," Lovejeet said.
"There was also this complaint that washrooms were dirty," Lovejeet added.
She said a number of samples had been taken and will be sent for testing and report expected in a fortnight's time.
Lovejeet also said that a hostel warden and Dean Student Welfare gave contrasting statements about a proposal sent for getting another water cooler for Block A. "While hostel warden said the proposal has been sent, Dean Student Welfare maintained that no formal proposal was in place so far," she said.
Lovejeet said administration would wait till the reports of samples come to initiate action in the case.
- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gndu-girls-hostel-in-a--mess-/1120406/0#sthash.9XQuHmEc.dpuf

How Srikumar Misra's Milk Mantra fights adulteration menace

Milk the staple in the Indian diet has been in news mostly for adulteration and lack of hygiene during packaging. Srikumar Misra, 36 year old is working to change that in the name of Milky Moo brand.
Milk the staple in the Indian diet has been in news mostly for adulteration and lack of hygiene during packaging. According to a national survey in 2011 by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), 70 percent of the samples collected did not meet the required standards of food safety.
Srikumar Misra, 36 year old is working to change that. His venture Milk Mantra launched in 2009 is a consumer dairy foods venture that sells ready to drink milk under the Milky Moo brand. Srikumar claims his USP is the unique packaging format that makes the milk truly pure without the need for boiling. Milk Mantra has grossed revenues of Rs 18 crore.
From developing a strong dairy supply chain in rural Orissa to ethical sourcing from farmers and innovative packaging, Milk Mantra is attempting to give the dairy industry a makeover. Launched in 2009 by Srikumar Misra Milk Mantra collects milk from more than 10,000 enrolled dairy farmers across 300 villages in state through its 175 milk collection points. The milk collected is chilled in bulk coolers and then taken to Milk Mantra’s plant in Puri.
On one end it works closely with rural dairy farmers, their needs and the quality of their products and on the other it has innovated on the packaging format for an urban population in eastern India.
Built in collaboration with global processing and packaging technology experts, Tetra pack, Multivac and DeLaval, the Milk Mantra plant offers ready to drink packaged milk under the Milk Moo label. With a capacity to process 75000 liters of milk daily, the venture currently supplies to Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and five other cities in Orissa.
Srikumar Misra believes that it is a first of its kind packaging innovation in India.  He explained that it is a three layer technology which prevents light exposure damage to milk and that is where it can credibly stand behind the whole proposition of being truly pure and no need to boil. “Consumers can take this fresh milk and just open it and have it from the packet straight. These are the differentiations and innovation in the packaging and product that we bring in consistently”, he said.
Not just milk, Srikumar has brought similar consistency to Milk Moo’s non frozen paneer that was launched in middle of 2012. With a shelve life of up to 21 days, Srikumar claims that it is not just the innovative packaging but also proper storage that helps retain the purity of this product. While setting up, raising capital and acquiring land were initial challenges, Srikumar tells us his current operational challenge is setting up cold chain infrastructure and educating retailers.
Srikumar feels that lack of cold chain that exists in the market is obviously telling. So he has to invest across the entire cold chain in terms of sales and distribution to reach the last pile. He finds it challenging. So, the company has to educate channel partners, retailers and everyone because this is a fresh dairy produce and it needs to be kept properly.
One of India's first agriculture food business start-ups to have raised venture capital, Milk Mantra has already racked in investments worth USD 5 million from angel investors in India and the UK. A major share came in from venture capital firm Aavishkaar, which has recently closed a second round of funding. Much of this investment Srikumar claims has gone into getting the plant up and running. The company is also looking to diversify its product portfolio and has recently entered the pro-biotic yogurt segment.
Srikumar has plans of developing this dairy based health drink with functional ingredients. “That is something which we have been looking at clearly developing in the next 18 months and then launching this product in major metros or other markets across India,” he said.
With an eye on getting the pricing right, Srikumar has a mark up of 10-20 percent over the prices offered by the state cooperative. He seems to be playing the right strokes with a brand generating Rs 3 crore a month. Betting high on the USD 40 billion dairy industry of which just USD 5 billion is currently organised, Srikumar is looking to increase his reach by partnering with more retailers in Orissa.

POLICY NOTE OF H&FW DEPT., TAMIL NADU