DINAMANI & INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS

உடல் எடையை குறைப்பதாக நூதன மோசடி ஹெர்பல் மையங்களில் தரமற்ற உணவு பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறிமுதல்

நெல்லை, நவ. 7:
நெல்லை யில் உள்ள ஹெர்பல் மையங்களில் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் திடீர் சோதனை நடத்தினர். இதில் ரூ.1 லட்சத்து 30 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் மதிப்பிலான தரமற்ற ஹெர்பல் உணவு பாட்டில்கள், டீத்தூள், ஹெர்பல் மாத்திரைகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
நெல்லை மாவட்டத்தில் மக்கள் கூடும் முக்கிய இடங்களில் ஹெல்த் கேம்ப் என்ற பெயரில் குடைகளை விரித்து மருந்து பாட்டில்களை பலர் விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். உடல் எடையை குறைக்க வேண்டுமா? கடின உடற்பயிற்சி தேவை யில்லை எனும் கவர்ச்சிகரமான வாசகங்களுடன் முகாமிலே உடல் எடை, உயரம் ஆகியவற்றை கணக்கெடுத்து, தீர்வாக உணவு மற்றும் மருந்து பாட்டில்களை ஆயிரக்கணக் கான ரூபாய்க்கு விற்கின்றனர்.
இம்மருந்து பாட்டில்கள் தரமற்றதாக இருப்பதாக உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறைக்கு பல்வேறு புகார் கள் சென்றன. இதையடுத்து, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் ஜெகதீஷ் சுபாஷ் சந்திரபோஸ் தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் சங்கரலிங்கம், காளிமுத்து தலைமையிலான குழுவினர் நேற்று நெல்லை மாநகரில் அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.
டவுன் ஆர்ச் அருகே ஒரு எல்ஐசி பாலிசி பிரி மியம் செலுத்தும் அலுவலகத்தில் ஹெர்பல் உணவு மற்றும் மருந்து பாட்டில் கள் மொத்தமாக வைத்து விற்பனை செய்யப்பட்டு வந்தன. அவற்றில் உணவு அல்லது மருந்துக்கான எவ்வித முத்திரையும் இல்லை. இவற்றை ரூ.1,000 வரை பேரம் பேசி அவர்கள் விற்பனை செய்தது தெரியவந்தது. அங்குள்ள ஹெர்பல் லைப் உணவு பாட்டில்கள், ஹெர்பல் டீ பாக்கெட்டுகளை அதிகாரிகள் கைப்பற்றினர்.
இதேபோல, பாளை பெருமாள்புரம் பகுதியில் இயங்கி வந்த ஒரு ஹெர்பல் மையத்திலும் தரமற்ற உணவு பாக்கெட்டுகளை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் இப்ராகிம், கலியனாண்டி, சிங்கராஜ் ஆகியோர் கைப்பற்றினர். உடல் எடையை குறைக்க உதவும் இத்தகைய மாவு பாக்கெட்டில் மக்காச்சோளம், பட்டாணி, கடலை மாவு கலந்திருப்பதாக அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர். 500 கிராம் உணவு டப்பாக்கள் 35ம், 200 கிராம் உணவு டப்பாக்கள் 25ம், ஹெர்பல் மாத்திரை 10 டப்பாக்கள் என மொத்தம் ஒரு லட்சத்து 30 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் மதிப்பிலான உணவு மற்றும் மருந்து பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
இதுகுறித்து உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை நியமன அலுவலர் ஜெகதீஷ் சுபாஷ்சந்திரபோஸ் கூறுகையில், “நெல்லையில் ஹெல்த் கேம்ப் என்ற பெயரில் முகாம் நடத்தி தரமற்ற ஹெர்பல் உணவுகளை விற்று வருகின்றனர். உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையின் அனுமதியின்றி விற்கப்படும் தரமற்ற உணவுகளை தற்போது கைப்பற்றி உணவு மாதிரிக்காக பகுப்பாய்வு கூடத்திற்கு அனுப்பி வைத்துள்ளோம். ஆய்வு முடிவுக்கு பின், சட்டப்படி ஹெர்பல் மையங்களை நடத்தியவர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்.
உடல் எடையை குறைக்க விரும்புவர்கள் தினமும் உடற்பயிற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டாலே போதும். உணவு பழக்க வழக்கங்களுக்கு தகுந்த மருத்துவரை தேடி ஆலோசனை பெற வேண்டும். அதை விடுத்து போலி விளம்பரங்களை கண்டு ஏமாந்து, கண்ணில் காணும் உணவுகளை வாங்கி சாப்பிட்டால் ஆரோக்கியம் கெடும்,” என்றார்.
நெல்லை டவுனில் உள்ள ஒரு ஹெர்பல் மையத்தில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை நடத்தினர்.
உடல் எடையை குறைக்க விரும்புவர்கள் தினமும் உடற்பயிற்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டாலே போதும். உணவு பழக்க வழக்கங்களுக்கு தகுந்த மருத்துவரை தேடி ஆலோசனை பெற வேண்டும். அதை விடுத்து போலி விளம்பரங்களை கண்டு ஏமாந்து, கண்ணில் காணும் உணவுகளை வாங்கி சாப்பிட்டால் ஆரோக்கியம் கெடும்,” என்றார்.

DINATHANTHI NEWS

Health drink products seized from godown

A team of officials of the Department of Food Safety conducted raids on two places here on Wednesday and seized Rs.1.30 lakh-worth “weight management and health drink products” being marketed by Herbalife.

“Since Herbalife, the company marketing a range of products as weight management and health drink products, has not obtained the mandatory approval from the Food Safety Standards Authority of India, New Delhi, for selling them as food in the Indian market, we’ve seized them,” said Jegadish Chandra Bose, Designated Officer, Department of Food Safety, who led the raid.

In the raid conducted in a godown near Rathna Theatre, the officials seized Rs.1 lakh-worth Herbalife products while another raid conducted at Pioneer Kumarasamy Nagar in Perumalpuram led to the confiscation of Rs.30,000-worth products.

Dr. Bose, who is holding additional charge of Tirunelveli district along with Tuticorin district, said the products were being sold to the public under multi-level marketing system.

As the officials had collected samples of these products to be sent for analysis, further action could be taken based on the results.

Dr.Bose said regular brisk walking and a diet chart designed by a qualified physician alone could prove to be a credible weight management regimen.

“There is no shortcut for weight loss as being promised by a few companies,” he said.

The Designated Officer also informed that Herbalife, by regularly organising meetings in luxury hotels, was enticing the public to sell its products. “All the products being marketed by this company have been priced at thousands of rupees and hence the company follows multi-level marketing strategy to push the products,” Dr.Bose added.

Food Safety Officers A.R. Sankaralingam, Kalimuthu, Ibrahim and Kaliyanandi conducted the raids.

FDA collects 61 sweet samples, two adulterated

AURANGABAD: Out of 61 food samples procured to assess quality by officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Aurangabad, two have been found to be of substandard quality.
FDA officials had collected these samples of various types of sweets and other ingredients from Aurangabad district for a special quality check drive during Diwali.
Chandrashekhar Salunke, FDA joint commissioner, Food, Aurangabad division, told TOI that the drive against food adulteration was launched in October. Samples were collected till November 3. A total of 61 samples of sweets and milk products such as khoya and ingredients used in making sweets, such as rawa and maida, were sent to the FDA's Mumbai laboratory for tests. Of the 61 samples sent for the tests, the Aurangabad FDA authorities have received reports of 20, of which two have been found to be substandard. The reports of 41 samples are still awaited.
Food safety inspector Varsha Rode said that out of the 61 samples collected, 27 were samples of mithai and farsan, five of khoya, three of mithai made with silver foil, five of chocolates, 18 oil samples and three besan, rawa and maida samples.
"Out of the 20 reports of the samples, 18 were found to be of standard quality. Two oil samples were found to be substandard," Rode said. She said that edible oil worth Rs 11.5lakh has been seized on the suspicion of being adulterated over the festive period.
The FDA joint commissioner said that food safety officers look into the colour used in sweets. "Permitted colours are used in items like biscuits, ice-cream and some sweets. Though not injurious to health, these can only be used to a certain allowed limit," Salunke said, pointing out that the use of non-permitted colours is considered as food adulteration.
Speaking about the use of mawa or khoya, which is basically dried milk used for making a lot of mithai, Salunke said that if the fat content in mawa is not as per the prescribed, standard limit -- if it is too high or too low -- such mawa cannot be allowed to be used in sweets. "As per the standard, mawa needs to have a minimum of 30 per cent milk fats. It is difficult to just recognise pure mawa. It can be adulterated using sugar and even substances like starch. This is why the registration or licensing of mawa shops has been made mandatory," Salunke said.

Safety in food security

AP SAFE AND HEALTHY: An empowered force of trained food safety personnel must be formed to ensure that adulteration or contamination is detected scientifically.

While making grain available to all is important, it is equally essential to ensure that all food supplied for consumption remains unadulterated and uncontaminated.

When India became independent, the Constitution declared it to be a socialist, secular, democratic Republic. The first fundamental right under the Constitution sets down that every citizen has a right to life. This has been interpreted by the highest court as every citizen’s right to a life in dignity, good health and free speech in a fraternity of communal harmony and national integrity. These rights are possible only if you are not starving, in the first place.

India has, according to some sources, some 400 million people living below the poverty line. Unless poverty is eradicated, our socialist credo will remain just a pretence. Medical facilities being made accessible to every little Indian is also an imperative. In a letter to Union Minister for Food, K.V. Thomas, I had underscored the importance of the recently enacted legislation that is meant to ensure food security, bringing crores of Indians within its ambit. Food security is one of the most important measures that should make the Indian socialist Republic a reality in the true sense of the term. Indeed, the enforcement of the Food Safety Bill will constitute a perspective plan for the making of this socialist Republic.

Challenge of contamination

Still, food security, which seeks to end starvation, does not abolish food adulteration. Virtually all items of food in India have chemicals or adulterants added to them, which make them unsafe to various degrees. Therefore, every public institution where food is served must ensure that what is served is chemically safe, nutritionally healthy and makes for the health of the nation.

This means an organised system of inspecting the quality of food offered in public places. We should be under no illusion that even godowns where grain is kept for easy distribution have enough safety features incorporated in them.

The business of making food appear appealing and attractive often spoils the quality of what we eat. To make the nation healthy, every citizen must be able to buy food that is free from contamination. This will involve a comprehensive process involving testing facilities or laboratories even in the villages. We must have a food safety project that makes what we eat wholesome. Food security cannot be guaranteed merely by the provision of a certain quantity of grain to each family but by ensuring that every grain that is distributed is wholesome and nourishing, and not noxious. The ideology of food safety is a composite one, beyond merely making grain available physically.

Needed measures

We must have a state-sponsored food safety foundation that has branches all across each State, with equipment that can test food safety. An empowered force of trained food safety personnel should visit eateries, food stores, even festival venues where food is served, and take action where adulteration or contamination is detected through scientific means. The food safety police must have suitable powers conferred on them under legislative sanction. There should be an Act that provides statutory instrumentality to thus ensure the health of the people. A safety police force operating under the Health Ministry with powers of seizure is a new concept that will require an amendment to the Food Safety Act. Policing the process is a fundamental obligation of the state.

The destiny of India is as yet uncertain. Jawaharlal Nehru said in a celebrated speech: “The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.”

The Food Safety Bill has a serious shortcoming, and this must be corrected by means of suitable amendments and policy reformation. The prices of vegetables and other necessary commodities for food consumption keep rising and it is still not clear what the government is doing to control the trend.

To end starvation, the prices of all food commodities must be regulated. Real food safety is the have-not humanity’s instrument of contentment.

(V.R. Krishna Iyer is a former Judge of the Supreme Court of India.)

Health officials find it hard to enforce food safety Act

Jalandhar, November 6
The district health authorities are finding it hard to enforce the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, in the district even after seven years. Thought the Union Government had made it mandatory that every petty food manufacturers and big houses had to get themselves registered with the health department under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, there are a few businessmen coming forward in this regard.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has laid down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Under the provisions of the regulations, the cottage food manufacturing industry, with an annual turnover not exceeding Rs 12 lakh, will have to get registered with the health department, while the big food manufacturing having an annual turnover over Rs 12 lakh must obtain licence from the department.
Sources in the department said that a majority of the owners running petty food industry were reluctant to get themselves registered with the department.
Moreover, the department has failed to come down heavily on roadside vends and eateries as they are of migratory nature.
There are thousands of hotels, dhabas, taverns, roadside vends and rehris catering to lakhs of needy people across the district who are hardly interested in getting them registered with the department, a senior official in the health department said.
Talking to The Tribune, district health officer (DHO), Dr Balwinder Singh said that 3,400 units of cottage food industry had been registered, while 1,050 big food manufacturing units from across the district had obtained licences from the department so far.
The registration fee is Rs 100, while licence seekers have to pay Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 as per the provisions, he added.
The DHO, however, revealed that the owners of petty food industry and of big food manufacturing houses were showing least interest even though the department had held different meeting to educate them.

Smokeless Tobacco, expired food products destroyed in Chandel

Smokeless tobaccos and expired food products worth Rs 5 lakhs in the local market were burned at the premises of CMO Office in Chandel district. The products were seized from shop keepers of Japhou Bazaar during a raid conducted under the supervision of the district’s Food Safety Officer (FSO) in association with Association for Voluntary Blood Donation (ABVD) Chandel Branch.
On Wednesday, FSO Chandel Elvison Thouman with the help of the district police, volunteers of ABVD and Analphung raided certain shops on receiving information about the open sale of the illegal products that included scented Khaini, Raja Chap Khaini, Saajan in addition with banned food products imported from Myanmar.
During the foray, volunteers also came across a drug store that was selling expired drugs and injection as well and immediately reported the matter to concerned officials.
Talking to The People’s Chronicle, President ABVD Rd Everjoy informed that the sale of expired food items came into light much earlier than Wednesday’s raid when he and his friends bought an expired soft drink (Fanta) from a shop owned by one Rekha Devi. Further checking of the shop led to the discovery of other items that were on sale even though the products were well beyond its expiry date. The items included of Lays Potato chips, Kukere, Stop not Namkeen, Lays, Haldiram’s Bhujia, Sweet Toast, Sugar free organic cream and Bikano (Kashmiri Bhujia).
Rd Everjoy further informed that after being tipped off by the shopkeepers, they raided other four or five stores during which expired soft drinks (Coca-cola, Sprite), biscuit (Parle-G), Papads were openly kept for sale.
Later, Elvinson informed the media that the raid was the third following the first and second conducted in October. The district FSO also cited the Food Safety Standard Act 2006 to inform shopkeepers to avoid selling of tobacco products and banned food products especially those imported from Myanmar. Elvinson, while appealing all to avoid the sale of illegal items also cautioned that penalty of one to upto ten lakhs could be imposed on those violating the Act.

FOOD SAFETY

Though already late, it is good to know that the Government of Manipur has finally woken up to giving due importance to the cause of general health and hygiene of the people, and decided to act tough against shops selling eatable items and other food manufacturing units being operated in the State without possessing the required registration certificates and license.  After being passed by the Indian Parliament on August 23, 2006, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 has been implemented as a law with effect from August 5, 2011 throughout the country including Manipur. Under this Act, owners of shops and other business establishments selling eatable items as well as companies manufacturing food items need to register themselves and possess the required registration certificates and licenses from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which has been mandated under the provisions of the Act to ensure availability of wholesome safe food for human consumption. At the State level, the Commissioner of Food Safety is the highest regulatory and implementing authority of the Act. It is unfortunate to learn that people of the State in general and the owners of shops and other business establishments dealing in food items in particular do not understand the significance of the Act.

As some of the Food Safety Officers in the State have themselves admitted, lack of awareness has been at the root cause of total neglect of the Act and its provisions in Manipur, and consequently, the failure of the shop-keepers and proprietors of food manufacturing units to register and possess the required registration certificates and licenses from FSSAI. So, the authorities concerned need to find out ways and means to generate awareness among the people. Here, we should understand the simple fact that for successful implementation of any legislation or developmental scheme/project, mass publicity campaign out in the field is imperative. Organising a couple of workshops or seminars within the confined of an air-conditioned conference hall of some classy hotels and then claiming that publicity campaigns have been carried out to convey the message to owners of shops and other business establishments dealing in food items or extending deadline for registration wouldn't simply work. One needs to be more sincere and dedicated towards ensuring availability of wholesome safe food for human consumption. Let's be clear that unsafe food not only causes many acute and life-long diseases, but also pose a growing threat to public health. So, when it comes to the question of life and death, do we need time to wait for an answer?

Squads to check price rise

V.S. Sivakumar reviews Sabarimala arrangements
The government will step up market-intervention activities to contain the prices of fruits and vegetables during the Mandalam and Makaravilakku festivals, Minister Devaswom V.S. Sivakumar has said.
Special squads comprising the police, Revenue, Civil Supplies, Health, and Legal Metrology Departments would be constituted to arrest prices and ensure the quality of commodities during the festival season, the Minister said during a video conference with District Collectors here on Tuesday.

Civil Supplies Corporation, Consumerfed, and Horticorp would open outlets. Food Safety officials would intensify inspections. Road maintenance was being completed in a time-bound manner. More medical facilities would be in place. KSRTC would operate more services. The police would take steps to ensure the safety of pilgrims and prevent their exploitation at the hands of traders, he said.
Devaswom Secretary K.R. Jyothilal and Travancore Devaswom Board Commissioner P. Venugopal were present.

Sample taken from sago factories in Salem

70 samples sent to laboratory in Chennai  - Food safety officials inspect factories

Officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India inspected sago factories across the district and took samples on Tuesday.
This comes following samples drawn from six companies manufacturing sago in the district were found to be adulterated. On Tuesday, four teams inspected companies in Attur, Panamarathupatti and Pethanaickenpalayam and took samples.
A team led by T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, inspected a company on the Salem – Bangalore National Highway and took samples. Samples would be sent to Food Analysis Laboratory in Chennai to check for possible adulteration in the food samples .

DINAMALAR NEWS

FDA to check 100 samples of Diwali sweets

PUNE: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have drawn over 100 samples of sweets and milk products such as khoya, besides other ingredients used in making sweets such as rawa, maida and other flours between October 24 and November 2 to check for adulteration during the Diwali festival.
The officials also seized ghee, vanaspati (hydrogented vegetable oil) and edible oil worth Rs 3.85 lakh, suspecting they were adulterated, during this period.
"We have drawn a total of 117 samples of sweets containing silver foil, khoya, chocolate and ingredients such as rawa, maida, besan and vegetable oil, that are commonly used to make homemade sweets during Diwali. We have sent the samples for testing to the State Public Health Laboratory. The reports are awaited," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.
Officials said the checks were important as adulteration can cause serious health problems. Presence of harmful starch, urea-mixed milk, caustic soda, artificial sweetening chemicals, non-approved colored sweets (such as heavy metals incorporated malachite green) and unhygienic conditions in the kitchen can cause acute gastritis, serious diarrhoea, dysentery, dehydration and kidney inflammation. Silver foil ('varakh') used for decorating sweets and tobacco is not always silver foil, but could also be aluminum, the consumption of which can pose serious health problems.
"We have drawn total 27 samples of sweets containing silver foil and eight samples of silver foil only to rule out adulteration," said Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune
According to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, silver foil should be 99.9% pure to be used in edible form. Aluminium foil is whitish gray and is readily soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid while silver foil is not. "Knowing this simple thing can avert unhealthy impact on body," an official said.
Test your food
* Ghee or butter: Vanaspati, if adulterated, would turn red when sugar and hydrochloric acid is mixed with it
* Edible oil: If adulterated with argemone oil, it will turn red when treated with nitric acid
* 'Pithi' sugar: Adulteration with washing soda can be detected if there is effervescence when a few drops of hydrochloric acid is added to it
* Honey: A cotton wick dipped in pure honey would burn when lit with a match stick. If adulterated with sugar solution, the presence of water will not let it burn. If it does, it will produce a cracking sound
* Silver foil: Aluminium foil is whitish gray in colour and is readily soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid while pure silver foil is not
Protection from adulteration
The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 makes adulteration punishable by fine and imprisonment. In Maharashtra, food safety officials collect samples of various foods from time to time. These are analysed in government public health laboratories. If the samples are found to be adulterated, legal action is taken against the vendors
Dial FDA
Consumers who suspect that a food article is adulterated, can inform the assistant commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, in their area who will at once look into their complaint. For assistance, call FDA office on 020-24470276

Adulteration test results declaration likely in 2 days

Sweets shop owners are anxiously waiting for the results of adulteration test which is likely to be declared after two days. Sources reveal that looking at the present scenario authorities are expecting majority of sweet-makers to be found guilty.

To ensure selling of healthy sweets during festive season Food and Drug testing laboratory authorities had collected food samples from all across the State few days back. As many as 211 food samples were collected from the entire Jharkhand, out of which 51 food samples, were from Ranchi.

Director-in chief of Food and Drug testing laboratory TP Barnwal said, “Provision gives the authorities two weeks time to present the result of adulteration test but we are trying to produce it within two days. The concerned officers are trying their best to present it on the decided time.”

The testing work is being carried out in the laboratory situated at Namkom.  Ranchi Additional chief manager Officer (ACMO) of Food and Drug testing laboratory MM Sengupta said, “We are finding that adulteration in Besan (gram flour) and Arhar dal is prevalent. Khesari dal is found mixed with gram flour in large quantity which is considered harmful for human digestive system and a lead based, carcinogenic dye called metanil yellow are been found in Arhar dal, harmful for brain and kidney.”

According to Sengupta if any sweet-maker is found guilty, he will be punished under provisions of Food Safety and Standard Act 2006. Under this act guilty have to pay fine upto Rs one lakh and one’s license can also be cancelled. He further added that in case of minor adulteration the file is forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Guilty sweet-makers get bail after paying fine. If the case is major then after seeking permission from Food Safety Commissioner the file is forwarded to Chief Judicial Magistrate. In this process, the guilty gets life time imprisonment.  The guilty has the provision of filing his petition in upper court or in food tribunal. If the decision remains same there they have to obey the punishment.

Meanwhile, Sweet-makers whose food samples have been collected are keeping their fingers crossed. Owner of Sweet India Pawan Tekhriwal said, “At this point of time we are just waiting for the results and hope that we come out clean as we have adhered to all safety measures.”

Will monitor langars in holy city: SGPC Perneet Singh

Amritsar, November 5

 The death of a devotee, Amarjit Singh of Jabalpur (MP), after consuming langar near Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai here on Diwali has brought to the fore the SGPC's failure to have a mechanism in place to keep a check on the food being served near gurdwaras.
A number of stalls are put up near historic gurdwaras or on approach roads, serving langar to thousands of devotees thronging the holy city on auspicious occasions. But neither the SGPC nor the local administration cares to monitor these stalls.
The SGPC seems to have woken up to the issue and has ordered an inquiry into the incident, besides deciding to monitor langars and chhabeels set up around the Golden Temple complex on various occasions.
The SGPC has directed assistant secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhurakohna to probe the incident. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said it was a serious incident and appeared to be a conspiracy as others who also partook of langar from the same spot were fine. He said once the probe was over they would initiate a legal action.
No private organisation seeks permission from the MC authorities before holding langar, which is a violation of the norms. Admitting to this, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said he would direct the authorities to implement the norm and ensure that a medical team was sent for sampling as well.
Meanwhile, the police is investigating the matter and the officials say the exact reason behind Amarjit Singh's death will be ascertained only after receiving his viscera examination report.
Registration a must
As per the law, it is mandatory for all langar committees to get themselves registered under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. The Act has become operational in the state with effect from August 8, 2011.
Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon, District Health Officer, said: "The deadline for getting registered under the Act has been extended to February 2014. We will approach all religious and social organisations organising langars to get themselves registered."
He said: "We had sent our team to collect the samples yesterday after the incident was reported. But by the time the team reached there, the organisers had left the spot".
Waking up to reality
A number of stalls are put up near historic gurdwaras to serve langar to devotees on auspicious occasions
The SGPC has so far failed to keep a check on food being served near gurdwaras run by it
On Sunday, Amarjit Singh of Jabalpur (MP) died after consuming langar near Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai
The SGPC, which has ordered a probe into the incident, says it could be a conspiracy as not all who ate langar fell ill
Officialspeak

It is mandatory for all langar committees to get themselves registered under the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. Not a single body has been registered so far — SS Kahlon, Health Officer

Gutka seized from train at Ernakulam Junction Station

Thirty kg of gutka was seized from the Millennium Express on Monday at the Ernakulam Junction Station. According to officials of Food Safety Department, the gutka was found in an unidentified baggage inside a train compartment.
“Since there were no claims made to the bag, we destroyed the gutka packets,” an official said.The Railway Protection Force (RPF) had found the baggage lying unattended inside the train. When they examined it, they discovered the gutka packets.Food Safety officers added that they have begun state-wide raids to trace the flow of gutka packets. On Sunday,over 50 kilos of gutka were discovered from Alappuzha railway station.Though gutka and pan masala have been banned in the state, RPF officials said the packets keep arriving in trains. Most of them arrive from northern parts of the country. The RPF is taking strict measures to counter this, they said.

Govt may rope in NSS volunteers to streamline mid-day meal scheme

HRD ministry exploring possibility to involve National Service Scheme volunteers to monitor welfare programme 

After the Bihar incident, parents, administrators and experts have blamed poor monitoring mechanisms, not enough kitchens and a huge shortage of cooks for repeated irregularities.

New Delhi: After 23 children died of eating pesticide-laced lunch in a Bihar school on 16 July, the human resource development (HRD) ministry is scrambling to streamline its mid-day meal scheme.
The ministry may involve volunteers of the National Service Scheme (NSS), run by the youth affairs ministry, to monitor the welfare programme aimed at ending classroom hunger and lowering dropout rates.
“We should explore the possibility of involving the youth in the mid-day meal scheme,” HRD minister M.M. Pallam Raju said. The NSS has more than 3.2 million volunteers from 298 educational institutions.
Raju on Thursday held a meeting with officials from the ministries of health and family welfare, rural development, tribal affairs, youth affairs, minorities affairs, and drinking water and sanitation departments to discuss ways to smoothly operate the mid-day meal scheme and prevent incidents such as the one in Dharmasati Gandaman village of Saran district in Bihar.
The health ministry suggested involving accredited social health activists (Asha) to monitor the nutrition and hygiene aspects of the food scheme.
“A mechanism should be explored to utilize over 800,000 Asha workers in villages to get their support for monitoring the quality and hygiene of the meal,” health secretary K. Desiraju suggested in the meeting. Ashas are the foot soldiers of the National Rural Health Mission, a welfare programme to provide access to healthcare in rural India.
Nearly half the students enrolling in class I drop out before reaching class X, owing mostly to poverty and hunger. There are more than 133 million students in primary schools. The mid-day meal programme is largely funded by a 2% education cess on income tax payers. In the 2013-14 national budget, the central government allocated Rs.13,215 crore for the scheme.
After the Bihar incident, parents, administrators and experts have blamed poor monitoring mechanisms, not enough kitchens and a huge shortage of cooks for repeated irregularities. In the past two years, 116 cases of students falling ill after eating lunch in schools have been reported from across the country, official data show.
There have been recent demands for a dedicated cadre to oversee the school lunch programme.
“I think the government needs to rope in external monitors and relieve teachers from the mid-day meal scheme,” Raghavendra Prasad Singh, a teacher in a government school in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. “Once you have a dedicated cadre, it will help both education and the scheme.”
The key concerns for the mid-day meal programme are its poor supply chain and supply of poor quality cereals, according to N.C. Saxena, a Supreme Court-appointed commissioner who monitors programmes that seek to eliminate hunger.
Saxena, who is a member of the National Advisory Committee that sets the social agenda of the United Progressive Alliance government, pointed out that late payments to school management committees also impede the scheme.
Reacting to the observation, school education secretary R. Bhattacharya said his ministry might make electronic payments to cut down the time lag, a method already used in Kerala.
On the monitoring of quality and hygiene, K. Chandramouli, chairman of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, suggested in the meeting that the HRD ministry could utilize its 300 accredited labs to periodically test the food served to the children.
The anger and apprehension of parents over the welfare scheme may have negative implications for the ruling coalition in New Delhi.
“When you spend over Rs.13,000 crore on a scheme, you expect a better result, but the situation indicates otherwise,” an independent education consultant said, requesting anonymity.

FSSAI labeling issue hits packaged food imports hard

Categories across the board from chocolate to cheese, olive oil to biscuits have been impacted as a result of stand off between importers, food safety regulator

It is not just your favourite imported chocolate that went missing from shop shelves this festive season. Crispies such as Pringles, gourmet cheese, olive oil, biscuits, noodles, pasta, jams, honey, oats, sauces... you name it... were hardly to be found this Diwali as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex regulator, came down heavily on importers over labeling issues.
Government sources indicate that packaged foods worth over Rs 750-1,000 crore were stuck at various ports and airports across the country as the food safety regulator insisted that importers desist from using stickers on food products to indicate crucial details such as the product type, price and nutritional value.
What's worse? The stand-off, on for the last three months, shows no signs of abating, as FSSAI refuses to budge from its position. “FSSAI’s move is in line with the law, and all companies – be it Indian or foreign – should comply with it. Stickers are temporary measures. When our norms are clearly laid out, companies must print them on the packs that are to be shipped to India,” an FSSAI official when contacted said. He declined to be quoted given the sensitivity of the matter.
But importers, irked by the lacklustre Diwali sales, say that if the issue is not sorted out soon enough could impact business during Christmas and New Year too. Almost 50-55% of packaged food imports in India happen during the festive season, since it is utilised mainly for gifting purposes besides consumption.
Amit Lohani, convenor, Forum of Indian Food Importers, a body of food importers in the country, says FIFI has already made numerous representations to FSSAI in a bid to resolve the issue. "On October 31, FSSAI came out with a notification agreeing to one of our demands, which is to allow the food safety logo on a sticker. This is with immediate effect," Lohani, who imports Danish cookies, meats, beer and coffee among other products, said.
Lohani points to other issues worrying importers. "Such as 100% sampling of containers coming into the country," he says. "Earlier sampling was to the extent of 5-10% not more. This was to give an idea of what the consignment was made up of. With 100% sampling of each and every container now, this is obviously leading to a huge delay. Containers are hardly getting cleared," says Lohani.
Slower product approvals are another issue bogging importers for a while now. Lohani says there are almost 11,000 applications pending approval from the FSSAI, with the body clearing just about 8-10 applications a day. "At this rate, the regulator will take about two to three years to clear the backlog," he says.
However, there are voices that speak in favour of the food safety regulator's recent moves. Says Saloni Nangia, president, Technopak Advisors; "The FSSAI's move to enforce labeling standards is a step in the right direction. India for long has been a dumping ground for products that are well past their sell-by-date. At least now there will be some accountability. Product quality is compromised with the use of stickers. FSSAI is attempting to stop that."

Chhattisgarh food commissioner promises to crack down on extortionists

Following a case of extortion by P L Sakshi, a food inspector posted at Narharpur development block in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, the state food commissioner M K Raut promised that action would be initiated against those found to be involved in the malpractice.
Officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) nabbed Sakshi – who recently demanded Rs 12,000 from Deepak Kumar Jain, who owns a grocery shop – from his residence, and arrested him. Raut said Jain was not Sakshi's sole victim.
“He would extort money from 24 other food business operators (FBOs) in Rani Dongri Village in Charama tehsil. The amount he demanded was about Rs 500 per FBO per month. Jain was, in fact, his point of contact for the nefarious deed,” the food commissioner added.
Raut said, “Recently, Sakshi called Jain and asked him to collect Rs 12,000 from all the shopkeepers and hand the money over to him without informing the police. But Jain registered a complaint against Sakshi. Upon its verification, the ACB arrested him.”
“The ACB officials have recovered the extorted amount from Sakshi, and cases have been registered against him under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, has been registered against him,” he said.
“Earlier, we asked all the food inspectors not to get involved in malpractices, but they turned a deaf ear to our order. Now strict action would be taken against food inspectors who would be involved in any malpractice.”

FSSAI holds up imported foods over labelling violations

Large consignments of food products including that of chocolate maker Lindt have been lying in government warehouses for not conforming to the labelling requirements as laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to industry sources.
Given the huge quantity, embassies of the US and European nations have made representations to the authority and the health ministry for releasing the consignments.
However, the FSSAI has asked the companies to take back the consignment and conform to the labelling requirement in the interest of consumers, an official told The Indian Express.
The cases pertain to labelling of food products that have stickers according to the source, which is not permitted by the FSSAI.
Even as the FSSAI refuses to budge, the EU has said that it has taken up the matter with the Indian authorities. When contacted, an EU spokesperson said, "The alleged reason provided by custom authorities is that all labelling information should now be printed on the packaging itself and that an affixed sticker is no longer permissible. ... this could seriously affect the import of food products into India."
The spokesperson said the EU has sought reasons for the change in the interpretation of the rules, and if FSSAI maintains the same position on labelling, except for large exporters, the Indian market will become largely inaccessible. "This could constitute a serious trade barrier for European food imports."
The industry source said that the argument on permitting stickers is based on a Madras High Court order in Foodlever case in March 2012, which permitted declaration of necessary information by way of a sticker on the package. The judgement was also quoted by the embassies they met the FSSAI.
However, as per the rule, "the label must be inseparable one". An FSSAI official said the motive is to cash in on the festive season. "The regulations are for safety of consumers. There are stickers in languages including Japanese and Chinese, which Indian consumers can't understand. We are responsible for stopping such products until they comply with the law."

DINAMANI ARTICLE

FDA to launch drive against food caterers without licences

NASHIK: After food caterers across the city responded poorly to acquire licences to carry out their businesses, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to launch an inspection drive against them after Diwali. As part of the drive, legal action will be taken against food caterers, who have not taken licences from the FDA.
As per the new Food Safety and Standard Act, acquiring licence is mandatory for food caterers with a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh. However, those having a turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh need not get a licence, but are required to get themselves registered.
The food businesses, which have been included under the act with effect from August 5, 2011, include pan stalls, fruit/vegetable vendors, those selling food items on hand carts, grocery shops, bakeries, food makers, professionals in packaging foods, caterers, inns, dhabas, tea stalls, onion/potato traders, meat shops and other such businesses.
Speaking to TOI, Chandrakant Pawar, joint commissioner (food), Nashik division of FDA, said, "Our major objective is to register all food businesses and issue them licences. Accordingly, we are also focusing on food caterers and have already appealed them to get licences from us. We have not yet received good response for the past six months from food caterers. Only 15 of the total 300 food caterers across the city, who serve food at weddings and other social and household functions, have taken licences so far. We conducted a meeting with food caterers and appealed them to get licences six month ago."
"We are planning to take legal action against food caterers, who are serving food without licences, once Diwali is over. We will raid wedding halls, lawns and social functions where food is being served by caterers. Food items will be seized if they are served by the caterers without licences," he added.

Foods that help you sleep better

(Foods that help you sleep…)

Sleep deficiency is one of the most common problems faced by people of all ages these days. Popping pills is dangerous, so why not try something natural and healthy? Go from being a nocturnal creature to a sound sleeper by making some small changes in your diet
Bananas
Bananas contain potassium, which relax the muscles. Vitamin B6, which bananas are loaded with, increases your body's melatonin levels, thereby helping treat chronic insomnia
CherryDrinking cherry juice in the morning aids in sleeping as it contains large amounts of melatonin, which helps regulate the body's sleep and energy cycles. Grape is another fruit that has high levels of melatonin.
Cereal
Snacking on a bowl of low-sugar, whole-grain cereal is a good idea. Complex carbohydrate-rich foods up the amounts of tryptophan in the bloodstream, which in turn helps you sleep.
Almonds
Almonds, which are high in magnesium, promote sleep and relax the muscles. They also supply proteins that help maintain a stable blood sugar level while one is asleep, and promote sleep by switching from an alert adrenaline cycle to the rest-and-digest cycle.
Sweet potatoes
High in potassium and complex proteins, sweet potatoes relax muscles and induce sleep. Consuming them on a daily basis has shown to lead to better sleep.
Warm milk
A good ol' glass of warm milk actually does work wonders. Research has found that combining milk with a carbohydrate-rich food like oatmeal, granola or toast makes it much more effective. It's also high in calcium and other minerals, known to have a relaxing effect.
Honey
Glucose, which is found aplenty in honey, tells your brain to shut off orexin, which is a chemical that is known to trigger alertness. But, don't overdo it; just one tablespoon of honey is enough for a good night's sleep. Dark chocolate
Ditch milk chocolate and nibble on some dark chocolate instead, as it contains serotonin, which relaxes your body and mind, and induces sleep.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India collects suspected spurious food samples

LUCKNOW: A bitter fact for people with sweet tooth. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has collected more than 35 suspected spurious food samples in past five days from sweetshops, restaurants, general stores and khoya-mandi in the city.
Besides sweets, even dry fruits are under FSSAI's scanner this Diwali. Officials claim the majority of food adulteration complaints were related to khoya (condensed milk) and dry fruits.
"This time, there is a spurt in complaints pertaining to sale of infested and rotten dry fruits in various shops. Of the collected, around 7-8 were of dry fruits, suspected to be of inferior quality", said JP Singh, designated officer in FSSAI Lucknow.
The authority had started a massive drive 10 days before Diwali to keep a check on spurious sweets, khoya, gram flour, lentils, fruits, species etc. The officials raided most of the sweet-shops, restaurants, general stores, food-mandis, khoya-mandi and milk factories in the city.
Normally, FSSAI collects around 30 samples in a month, majority of which are based on individual complaints. But this year, more than 35 spurious samples were collected in five days over doubt on their quality. Since the consumption of sweets, snacks and food products increases during feativals, chances of traders selling spurious material also goes up. Out of the sweet samples collected, most were detected to be containing non-edible colours which are hazardous for health. A few packed products were reported to be violating packaging norms like complete labeling of ingredients, expiry and manufacturing date, nutritional value, company's name, manufacturing address etc.
Officials confirmed that the report of collected samples will come after two weeks after being verified by the laboratory, only then they can take some against the violators.
Meanwhile, the report of samples collected in September revealed that out of 33 samples sent, 18 were found to be spurious. Singh cautions, "This is a serious a matter, I ask people to be extra careful while purchasing sweets and food from outside. They should take care of hygiene around shops and be vigilant about food they are buying."
FSSAI had also raided few very famous super markets in the city this year over complaints about infested dry fruits and adulteration in packed products like besan etc. The authority said while presence of insects and stones are easily detectable in lentils, it is difficult to trace adulteration in grounded form.
"We have noticed that many samples of besan have been found to be mixed with pea flour which is cheaper in both price and quality. Shopkeepers mix it to earn profit margin", said Singh.
A very frequent adulteration complaint is regarding khoya. Officials say that while most samples of khoya were mixed with starch in the form of arrowroot, others were found to be too stale to consume. Some lentils were also noticed to be infested with worms.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI launched two major drives - one around Dussehra and Durga Puja and another during Dhanteras and Diwali to keep a check on rampant adulteration cases.

Adulteration threat and homemade sweets on Diwali

LUCKNOW: This Diwali, many housewives in the city are preparing sweets at home for the festival due to fear of adulteration in sweets available in markets.

"Around this time of the year, the worst quality of khoya is available in the market. In the past few months, the price of milk and other raw materials has increased which implies that adulterated sweets are flooding the market," said Nirmala Mishra, a housewife. She added, "After a gap of at least 10 years, I am making for the festival sweets at home. These are at least pure and of better quality besides being cheaper than the ones available in market."

The adulteration in sweets can be assessed from the fact that a litre of milk costing Rs 44-50 produces nearly 150-180 gram of khoya. It means that a kilogram of khoya would cost over Rs 280 but in the city markets, Khoya is available for Rs 240-260. As market price is less than the cost of production, it implies additives have been put into the khoya.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) receives about 8-10 complaints every month regarding food adulteration from residents of Lucknow. They are able to collect more than 30 samples every month; however around festivals the drive becomes more intensive and vigilant as the adulteration cases are on rise during this season. In October, FSSAI has sent about 25 samples to the laboratory till date for examination.

Homemaker Sarita Jaiswal, who is busy in preparing different varieties of sweets, said, "I had to recall the recipes of sweets my mother used to make during Diwali. Even the ghee used in my sweets is homemade." Another housewife, Sunita Goel said, "The sweets prepared at home have no match with the ones flooded in market. I have used good quantity of dry fruits, etc, but have gone easy on sugar."

HUNGER GAMES: That tricky glass of milk

It either runs a high risk of being adulterated or is presumably authentic but expensive

While an increasing number of friends claim to be suddenly “lactose intolerant” these days, there are ironically that many more options for milk.

In the small town in Madhya Pradesh where I grew up, there were two main domestic suppliers of milk. You bought from one or the other; there was no third option. This was before the era of tetra packs.

My childhood memories include going to the tabela at the crack of dawn, the vast, dusty grounds thick with the smell of cows, pollen and dung. People would queue up with their cans or any other utensils. A dairy employee would milk the cow and it would be poured into the customers’ can still frothing and warm, with an odd piece of hay floating on top.

Things have changed a bit by 2013. We get terta packs bought from the grocer (at Rs.55-60 a litre) that last upto six months when unopened or supplies in plastic packets that get dropped off at the doorstep (Rs.32-40) every morning, which go bad if they remain outside the refrigerator for more than three hours. There still are the milkmen who come home with their aluminium cans, but the numbers are fewer in big cities.

While an increasing number of friends and acquaintances claim to be suddenly “lactose intolerant” these days, there are ironically that many more options for milk (which, as a product, seems to have an equal number of fans and haters).

Just recently, we got a flyer for a home supply of milk in Mumbai from the Organic Garden, the chain of stores that supplies organic groceries. Priced at Rs.45 and starting early October, this will tie up with the local milk vendor for home deliveries.

This flyer was followed by an email a few days later from another farm that supplies “unadulterated, fresh milk”. Sarda Farms in Nashik has been delivering this milk in that city for a year now and have decided to spread their wings to Mumbai. Their deliveries will start next month to select locations but their website (saradafarms.com) already has elaborate details.

They do raw, pasteurized and skimmed milk, each costing Rs.80 a litre. The farm has, according to its website, besides an ultra-modern plant, bottled packaging, a Dutch farm manager, Holstein cows, “special hay beds for the cows to ensure they are comfortable while sleeping or resting” and “a designated ruminating area pre-defined to help the cows ruminate in leisure”.

About two years ago, Parag Milk Foods launched its brand Pride of Cows in South Mumbai. At Rs.75 a litre and served in PET bottles, this milk that came from a Holstein Freisian breed of cows at Bhagyalaxmi Dairy Farm near Pune was said to be untouched by humans. Their Facebook page gives out a list of celebrity clients. The Hindu Business Line reported then that some South Mumbai families or customers were selected for deliveries following a survey done by the company. Their European farm manager was quoted in the article saying that every cow went through an electronic health check every time it was milked to ensure it is at its peak health at that time.

According to a study by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) reported in 2012, 65% of the milk tested from Maharashtra did not meet the prescribed norms or was adulterated. So where does that leave an average consumer?

Pay Rs.34-40 a litre for milk that may be adulterated or Rs.75-80 for something that presumably is not? There’s no easy answer, but there is, obviously, a price to pay for anything that’s “authentic”.

This weekly series, which appears on Tuesdays, looks at what’s new with food and drink, and how we are interacting with it.

NAKEERAN NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Wish U And Your Family A Sparkling Deepavali !!!

Light A Lamp Of Love! Blast A Chain Of Sorrow!
Shoot A Rocket Of Prosperity!
Fire A Flowerpot Of Happiness!
Wish U And Your Family A Sparkling Deepavali !!!

Shakti, Modern, Mughal Darbar face closure for selling ‘unhygenic’ products

The action was taken following complaints by consumers and some NGOs that these outlets were selling low quality and unhygienic food to people in the city.

SRINAGAR — The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has served notices to four popular food joints in summer capital Srinagar for poor sanitation and selling unhygienic products.
The notices have been issued to Shakti Sweets, Modern Sweets and Hollywood Bakery, all located on Residency Road in Srinagar, and Mughal Darbar outlet of Karan Nagar. Dr Shafqat Khan, the health officer of the corporation directed the owners of these joints to improve their sanitary conditions within seven days failing which action might be taken against them which includes sealing of their premises.
“If these food establishments don’t abide by the law, action will be taken against them under Food Safety Standard Act 2006 which involved a fine of one lakh rupees or imprisonment including sealing of their premises,” he told Srinagar based KNS news agency.
The action was taken following complaints by consumers and some NGOs that these outlets were selling low quality and unhygienic food to people in the city. The public health wing of SMC is conducting a food safety audit in the city based on cleanliness and hygiene in food establishments, pest and rodent control, uniform and other related for workers, and medical and health fitness of the employees working in the food joints.
“We are inspecting hygienic condition of the premises and educating the food operators regarding the Food Safety Act. Whenever we have pointed out problems, owners of eateries have assured us that they will take corrective steps. But this time, we have served notices to these food joints and if they fail to comply with our directions within a week, they may face closure of their establishments,” Dr Khan told.

Notice issued to four top food joints

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has served notices to four popular food joints in the city for poor sanitation in and round their premises and the hygiene of their workers who serve the food.
Sources in the corporation said that taking an exception to the poor sanitation and hygiene in and round the food establishments in the city, Dr Shafqat Khan, the health officer of the corporation shot notices directing the owners of these food joints to improve their sanitary conditions within seven days or else action under the relevant provision of Food Safety Standard Act 2006 action shall be initiated against them.
Dr Khan when asked about the possible action in case of non compliance of corporation’s warning, said: “If these food establishments don’t abide by the law, action will be taken against them which means a fine of Rs. 1.00 lac or imprisonment including sealing of their premises.”
He said so far notices have been issued to Shakti Sweets (Residency Road Srinagar), Mughal Darbar Karanagar, Modern Sweets (Residency Road) and Hollywood Bakery (Residency Road).
It may be mentioned that workers at the food premises who come under direct contact with food have to demonstrate “fitness for work” certificate following concern shown by the many NGOs and government agencies that people are getting low quality and unhygienic food in the city.
Dr Khan said serving notices is a part of the already ongoing food safety audit which the public health wing of the SMC is conducting in the city. This programme, he informed is based on main four points which include cleanliness and hygiene in food establishments, pest and rodent control, uniform and other related for workers and medical and health fitness of the employees working in the food joints.
“We are inspecting hygienic condition of the premises but educating the food operators regarding the Food Safety Act is also necessary. Whenever we have pointed out the problems, owners of eateries have been assuring us that they will take steps. But this time, we have served notices to these food joints and if they fail to comply with our directions within a week, they may face closure of their establishments,” Dr Khan said.
He said it had been decided to ban the issuance or renewal of the licenses without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that these food sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo mandatory medical examination.

4 food joints served notices for poor hygiene; may face closure

Srinagar, Nov 1 (KNS): The Public Health Wing of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has served notices to four popular food establishments in the city for poor sanitation in and round their premises and the hygiene of their workers who serve the food.
Sources in the corporation said that taking a strong exception to the poor sanitation and hygiene in and round the food establishments in the city, Dr Shafqat Khan, the health officer of the corporation shot notices directing the owners of these food joints to improve their sanitary conditions within seven days or else action under the relevant provision of Food Safety Standard Act 2006 shall be initiated against them.
Talking to Kashmir News Service, Dr Khan when asked about the possible action in case of non compliance of Corporation’s warning, said: “If these food establishments don’t abide by the law, the action will be taken against them which means a fine of Rs. 1.00 lac or imprisonment including sealing of their premises.”
He informed KNS, that sofar notices have been issued to Shakti Sweets (Residency Road Srinagar), Mughal Darbar Karanagar, Modern Sweets (Residency Road) and Hollywood Bakery (Residency Road).
It may be mentioned that workers at the food premises who come under direct contact with food have to demonstrate “fitness for work” certificate following concern shown by the many NGOs and government agencies that people are getting low quality and unhygienic food in the city.
Dr Khan told KNS that serving notices is a part of the already ongoing food safety audit which the public health wing of the SMC is conducting in the city. This programme, he informed is based on main four points which include cleanliness and hygiene in food establishments, pest and rodent control, uniform and other related for workers and medical and health fitness of the employees working in the food joints.
“We are inspecting hygienic condition of the premises but educating the food operators regarding the Food Safety Act is also necessary. Whenever we have pointed out the problems, owners of eateries have been assuring us that they will take steps. But this time, we have served notices to these food joints and if they fail to comply with our directions within a week, they may face closure of their establishments,” Dr Khan told KNS.
He said it had been decided to ban the issuance or renewal of the licenses without production of the fitness certificate to ensure that these food sellers, regardless of the safety precautions they take at work, undergo mandatory medical examination.

Avoid fat in food to make Deepavali healthy

Amoga Laxmi Sukka/ Hyderabad: Cutting down on excess fats, preservatives and food color is the key for safe and healthy Deepavali, the nutrition experts say. They caution that many of the mouth-watering sweets available in the market during Deepavali may be adulterated and of substandard quality. “The bulk demand of sweets during festivals is one of the reasons for adulteration that can cause serious health hazards”, said Sujatha Stephen, the chief nutritionist at Global Hospitals.

"Silver and gold foils in sweets may look sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to the healthy body"

 

The unhygienic conditions in kitchens and usage of same oil repeatedly can lead to radical change in metabolism. “The ghee can be adulterated with mashed sweet potatoe or vanaspati which is generally not good for elderly people. The saturated fat in it may increase cholesterol levels causing ill health”, she said.The shelf-life of sweets can range between a few hours to a day, beyond the permissible limits it gives rise to fungus due to moisture and people do not notice as it is mixes with sweet color. Extreme care and precautions must be taken while preparing sweets and preserving it at right temperatures in sweet shops. The moisture levels present in the sweet box can change the nutritive and healthy values of it, the Nutritionist said.
Silver and gold foils in sweets may look pleasant and sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to your healthy body. According to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, silver foil with a purity of 99.9% can be used in edible form. Aluminum foil is whitish grey in color and is readily soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid while silver foil is not. Knowing this simple thing can avert unhealthy impact on body.
“The foils used in sweets within permissible limits directed by Food Standard Authority of India will be safe for consumption. The quality of foil differs a lot and it is not known if it is of standard or cheap quality that can affect primarily the children”, she cautioned.
Tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed that the silver foil used for coating sweets is increasingly being adulterated with aluminium. Aluminium is a hazardous metal and accumulates in body tissues, especially in the bones. It can also enter the brain. During pregnancy it can cause damage to the placenta and foetus. People with disturbed metabolism cannot digest and give rise to gastro disturbances and bladder stones.
Given the skyrocketing prices of sugar, khoya and permissive colors, most of the small and middle range sweet shops are compromising on the quality of sweets. Balaji S, vendor of a sweet shop said that cost of colors that was Rs 150 per packet last year has increased to Rs 200.
The shops that are not licensed tend to use cheap colors to make sweets look colorful which is carcinogenic in nature and can affect brain, Stephen warned. For preserving sweets, manufacturers use formalin, a chemical used for preservation of corpses.
Consuming formalin-mixed products can even damage kidneys and liver. It can cause asthma attacks and cancer. Pregnant women are most vulnerable to this chemical and if consumed during pregnancy there are chances of delivering a physically challenged baby. Sweets made from fruit extracts and dry fruits pack is more nutritious and healthier than sweets. Dark chocolates are the perfect option as anything based with cocoa and dry fruit are bounced with micro minerals and energy, the Nutritionist said.

Sweet shop vigil

A shop sells varieties of sweets in Ranchi on Friday

Creamy khoya or mawa may contain starch, mashed paper, urea, soda or even chalk powder. Kaju katli may have no cashews. Beaten silver varq or foil may have aluminium.
Sweets, the soul of festive sentiment, may be adulterated, National Consumer Helpline and state food and civil supplies department have warned.
And if you suspect the store from where you buy sweets is compromising on purity, don’t sit quiet with a bitter taste in your mouth.
National Consumer Helpline will register your complaints via phone on toll-free number 1800-11-4000 or SMSes with your name and city sent to 8800939717. You can also email your complaint to Raj Kumar Choudhary, deputy secretary of state food and civil supplies at food.secy@gmail.com.
“On Thursday, we alerted deputy commissioners of all districts and senior officials. A flying squad, which I personally head, will also check the validity of complaints and nab offenders,” Choudhary said.
Across all districts, deputy commissioners, subdivisional officers and district supply officers are on their toes to conduct food safety audits. Samples of adulterated sweets will be tested at Food Testing Laboratory, Namkum.
“If a complaint comes, we will depute the DC, food supply inspector and a team to raid the shop, seal it and collect samples of the alleged spurious edibles. The food inspector will send samples to the Namkum lab. If found adulterated, an FIR will be lodged at the respective thana and offending shop owners arrested. I’ll take personal interest in all cases,” Choudhary stressed.
He added health department officials and civil surgeons were also keeping close tabs on sweet shops.
According to Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a person who sells adulterated food “not in compliance with the provisions of this Act or quality demanded by the purchaser”, can be penalised with a fine upto Rs 5 lakh” and “imprisonment of three months to life”.
“We won’t take chances with people’s health during Diwali,” said Ranchi DC Vinay Kumar Choubey.
Consumers have also become more aware. “I’m purchasing dry fruits and sugar-free sweets. We are also avoiding sweets with foil. All that glitters may not be silver,” said Tejawasi Singh, an Ashok Nagar based homemaker.
Sweet shop owners, however, are claiming to use pure khoya, mawa and milk.

JMC conducts checks against adulteration

Jammu, November 1
Continuing its drive against the menace of adulteration in view of forthcoming festival season, an extensive tour of the Food Safety Officers, under the supervision of Dr Vinod Sharma, Health Officer, JMC, was initiated today. Various sweet shops were inspected at places like Pacca Danga, Canal Road, Trikuta Nagar areas etc. Five samples of milk products and sweetmeat items were lifted from the shops within the limits of JMC and sent to Food Analysts, Public Health Laboratories, for ascertaining their standards of purity. 

Officials said the drive would continue and the shopkeepers dealing with food items were strictly warned and directed to ensure supply of good quality of food to the general public, especially milk and milk products, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Any work done outside the Act would be dealt with strictly under the law. The last date of applying for licensing under the new Act had been extended up to February 4, 2014, by the Government of India, they added.

Source of rancid meat yet to be found

Investigation into the source of 1000 kg of rancid meat seized from an abandoned shed in West Kochi is yet to gather pace.

A court here had denied bail to Kochukoya, the person arrested in the case.

Neither the police nor the Food Safety Inspectors in the district have a clue on the network of supply of the rancid meat that had been finding its way into various hotels and bakeries as minced meat at a throwaway price. It is believed that the meat came from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The police told The Hindu that there were rumours that a person from Andhra Pradesh connected to the rotten meat supply will soon be surrendering before the court here.

A Food Safety inspector in the district told the Hindu that they had a strategy in place for inspection soon in a special drive.

The Bakers Association of Kerala (BAKE) has sought strict intervention by the Food Safety Commissioner in the case. The association had announced prize money of Rs. one lakh to anyone who would provide information in the case. The government had also announced a reward in the case, he said.

Open FDA office in Navi Mumbai, traders demand

NAVI MUMBAI: Tired of having to commute to Thane's Wagle Estate office of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to register their business, apply for licences or renew documents under the food safety rules , traders dealing in food and drug items are demanding an FDA office in the city.
Navi Mumbai has been a major contributor in terms of revenue collection due to the revenue generated by the APMC market. But FDA has failed to tap its major resource, feel traders, owing to absence of an office in the city. Currently, four FDA assistant commissioners (three of them from food and one from drug) are discharging their duties without a proper office address and 10 more food safety officers are struggling to find space in the city from where they could operate.
"An FDA office in a city having thousands of traders is the need of the hour. I have written to all concerned ministers and bureaucrats for setting up a separate FDA office in Navi Mumbai, but yet to receive a reply," said Manohar Totlani, a trader from APMC. "Without an FDA office here, we often skip the renewal dates and that invites a penalty and other charges," said another trader, Keshav Shetty.
Currently, Navi Mumbai is an important city in terms of volume of business, considering the presence of APMC, which supplies a number of staples to Mumbai, Thane and Raigad. Out of 10 FDA zones in Thane district, Navi Mumbai has three zones while its neighbouring Thane has only one.
While Thane is headed by an assistant commissioner, Navi Mumbai is covered by three for food related issues. One assistant commissioner has been assigned to the drugs wing.
All 14 officers are now being accommodated in the chaotic Thane office.
"The FDA wing is pursuing NMMC for allotment ofa 10,000 feet area in Vashi or Turbhe at a central location. Mayor Sagar Naik has assured to provide us with an appropriate place. We hope the ordeal of the 14 officers, who have to be in the city for work but go back daily to Thane to report, is resolved shortly. This will benefit the traders too," said S K Shere, joint commissioner , Konkan Division. When asked civic sources said "We have offered them a 4,000 square feet area in APMC for the time being."

Dispute over labelling norms: Imported chocolates rotting in warehouses across India this Diwali

 

Over 200 tonnes of imported gourmet chocolates from around the world, including brands such as Godiva, Guylian, Lindt and Mars, are rotting in dusty warehouses across Indian ports and airports.MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Over 200 tonnes of imported gourmet chocolates from around the world, including brands such as Godiva, Guylian, Lindt and Mars, are rotting in dusty warehouses across Indian ports and airports.
The reason? A seemingly arcane dispute between an arm of India's health ministry and food importers on whether it is sufficient to affix a sticker on imported food consignments to comply with Indiaspecific labelling products — such as brown and green dots to separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian items as well as nutritional information, source and product origin.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) — the regulatory agency under the health ministry that supervises import of food items to ensure quality — has blocked several consignments of packaged food, citing tougher labelling requirements arising from a new law, the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 that came into force in 2011. The nub of the problem is FSSAI's insistence that pasting of stickers is not allowed. Instead, it wants details printed on the product pack before they are shipped to India.
Till now, "stickering" was the prevalent trade practice, resulting in the stand-off. Chocolates are not the only items failing to make it past Indian Customs. Shipments of artisinal cheese from France, crisps from the US, spicy Thai condiments and Italian pasta sauces have also been held up. While FSSAI argues its zerotolerance policy is based on law of the land, manufacturers and importers call these actions arbitrary and illegal.
Officials Refute Charges
They are challenging the authority's interpretation of the law. The EU mission in Delhi as well as the embassies of Belgium and Switzerland have been approached by some of the affected companies.
"It's not about one or two categories, FSSAI's interpretation of the regulations is hampering all kinds of food imports. These are perishable goods and many are even getting reexported. This has crippled trade. Close to 30 food importers are shutting shop. More will follow or switch to other items," said Amit Lohani, convenor, Forum of Indian Food Importers, an industry body. Lohani's colleagues add that till date government officials have blocked over 1,100 containers.
Most are lying abandoned or are likely to be shipped back to their country of origin. The new norms have also ensured that packaged food and beverage imports into India have come down by half in recent months, unable to comply with FSSAI's diktat.
Says a leading importer of chocolates from South Asia and Europe, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, "The move (by FSSAI) is economically unviable. There was no grace period given to importers to implement the new labelling norms. This has just happened a few weeks before Diwali and is a matter of huge concern for industry."