Chinese develop colour-coded gel-like smart tag to detect spoiled food

Chinese scientists developed a colour-code-based gel-like smart tag to detect the freshness of such food items as milk, juices and canned meat even without opening the containers. It could be customised for other food and beverages products also.

Chao Zhang, the study’s lead researcher, is a Peking University scientist. She and other researchers had been working on the system for the last three years, and presented the report on the colour-changing food deterioration tags at the recent meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Consumers can find whether a carton of milk has turned sour or has spoiled without opening the containers with the colour code-based tag. The colours signify a range between 100% fresh and 100% spoiled. 

If the tag is red or reddish-orange in colour, it means the food item is fresh. Over time, its colour changes to orange, yellow and finally green, which indicates that the food is spoiled. The tag is inexpensive and safe.

It could be widely programmed to mimic almost all ambient-temperature deterioration processes in foods. The use of the tags could potentially solve the problem of knowing how fresh packaged perishable foods remain over time. 

“Even if manufacturers, grocery-store owners and consumers do not know whether the food has been unduly exposed to higher temperatures (which could cause unexpected spoilage), the tag still gives a reliable indication of the quality of the product,” the report said. 

Technology 

“The whole idea is to use a chemical reaction to track, mimic and indicate the deteriorative processes (like microbial growth) in perishables.” Zhang said. 

“The kinetics of both microbial growth and chemical reactions are temperature sensitive, so if we could somehow manage to make them parallel to each other, then you could tell the quality of the perishables by checking how far the chemical reaction has proceed,” she added.

”And some information about this particular chemical reaction we used for the tag, namely silver overgrowth on gold nanorods. Metallic nanostructures can impart very intense colours, which are affected by their chemical composition, size and shape,” Zhang stated. 

“The gold nanorods we used here are red in colour. During the reaction, silver is deposited on their surface, changing their composition, size and shape. As the silver layer thickens, the tag evolves from the initial red colour to orange, yellow, green, and even blue and violet,” she added. 

”We found simple methods to control the kinetics of this reaction. For example, the red-to-green duration at room temperature can be widely tuned from minutes to months, covering the kinetic features of a wealth of perishables,” Zhang said. 

She added, “So for a specified perishable, we could customise a tag by altering the recipe to make sure it has the same kinetic features as the perishable.”

“We hope to put this smart tag into real-world applications. This technique has been patented in China, and we are seeking possible collaborations with people in the industry. And quite excitingly, we have got a few contacts since the ACS meeting,” Zhang added.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food labelling requirements for declaration of Veg & Non-Veg : Module 5

Declaration of Veg Non veg 

India has a large audience for both Veg & Non-Veg food, but some of the communities are restricted by religion where Non-Veg food is not entertained, also there are people who have their personal preference for ‘Veg only’ food items. To safeguard the interests and the sentiments of such people a food product label must have the identification mark “Veg” or “Non-Veg” for the category of food. 

It is mandatory for all food manufacturers to indicate as to whether the food item contains any non-vegetarian ingredients or not. To enable the consumer to know whether any packaged food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, this will be indicated in the form of a brown circle in square or green circle in a square on the package. A brown circle is to indicate the presence of non-vegetarian ingredients in the food item, while a green circle indicates that the food item is vegetarian. The green circle and brown circle in a square are indicated as veg & non-veg logos respectively. 

Let us first understand as per food laws what is a non-vegetarian food and what is vegetarian food. 

“Non- Vegetarian Food” means an article of food which contains whole or part of any animal including birds, fresh water or marine animals or eggs or products of any animal origin, but excluding milk or milk products, as an ingredient. 

“Vegetarian Food” means any article of Food other than Non- Vegetarian Food. 

The Veg , Non veg logo should be placed near the product name so that consumer can easily identify the product that the product is vegetarian or contain any non-vegetarian content. 

(i) The size of the logo depends upon the size of the product. The size of the logo i.e. the diameter of the circle and side of the square shall be in accordance to the size of the label. 

(ii) The package of “Non Vegetarian” food shall have a symbol and color code as given below to indicate that the product is Non-Vegetarian Food. The symbol shall consist of a brown color filled circle having a specified diameter at the centre of the brown square. 

BROWN COLOR 

Logo for Non veg 

If any article of food contains egg only as Non-Vegetarian ingredient, the manufacturer, or packer or seller has to mention the same along with the said symbol. 

The package of Vegetarian Food shall bear a symbol and color code as given below to indicate that the product is Vegetarian Food. The symbol shall consist of a green color filled circle, having a specified diameter not less than the minimum size inside the square with green outline having specified size. 

GREEN COLOR 

Logo for Veg 

There are some products like carbonated water and liquid milk which are exempted from this provision, hence these markings are not required on these products. 

So, it is mandatory that labeling of every food product should indicate “Veg” or “Non-Veg” element in the ingredients through recommended marks on the label enabling the user to make a choice.

Local players take on cola big boys

Guwahati-based company launches range of carbonated soft drinks 

Guwahati, March 23: Local aerated drinks will share shelf space with multinational brands this summer. 

Less than a year after a local beverage company forayed into the aerated drinks market for the first time in the Northeast, Guwahati-based New Era Food and Beverages today launched its range of carbonated soft drinks in Assam. 

“We have come up with four flavours — Coke Star, Orange Splash, Lemon Pie and Lichi Punch — in 170ml to 2-litre pet bottles. The products have been launched in the Assam market and very soon we will expand our operations to Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh,” Narendra Sharma, chief executive officer of New Era Beverages, told The Telegraph. 

Assamese singer Bornali Kalita unveiled the products here today as the brand ambassador. 

Amingaon-based Sakshi Agro Beverage, a sister concern of Silver Drop Foods and Beverages Private Ltd, had in May last year entered the non-cola segment with three varieties — Jeera Masala, Clear Lemon and Orange — under its Ohlay brand. 

New Era, which launched its operations this year, said more varieties are in the pipeline. “In April we are coming up with mineral water while a mixed fruit beer and a digestive drink, Fusion Bull, will be launched in May,” Sharma said. 

The company has a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant near Rangia on National Highway 31, about 50km from here. The plant has a production capacity of 10,000 litres per day. “We have invested Rs 3 crore on equipment procured from Gujarat,” Sharma said. 

The company said it would rely on product quality and a sustained marketing strategy to penetrate the market. 

“We have laboratories approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and appointed a team of experienced chemists and microbiologists to conduct tests on the raw materials. The Changsari-based Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology helps us with advice as well,” he said. “We will step up our marketing campaign in the run-up to Rongali Bihu and during June-July.” 

The processing of water is carried out in a reverse osmosis plant that has advanced technologies such as dual media filter, anthracite filter, iron remover, softener, micron cartridge filter, ultraviolet systems and EMF (electro-magnetic field). 

On pricing, Sharma said they have kept the rates lower than the multinational brands by at least Rs 4 to Rs 6. 

New Era has recruited over 40 local workers in its Rangia plant. “All of them are from Assam and have been trained in manufacturing and allied processes,” he added. 

The bib cola companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have a combined market share of over 95 per cent in the Northeast. So, the entry of local companies into the carbonated beverages industry can be considered a bold yet calculated step. 

Sakshi Agro, for instance, has in the past 10 months made “slow and steady” progress. “The progress so far has been slow and steady. This month, we forayed into the cola segment with Cola Cool and came up with another variety, Cloudy Lemon,” K.K. Bajaj, the managing director of Sakshi Agro Beverage, told this correspondent today. 

SPARKLING STATISTICS 

The Rs 60-billion carbonated soft drinks industry in India is growing at 5% annually 

Consumption is the highest in the cola segment, followed by the non-cola and energy drinks segment 

According to industry body Assocham, the non-carbonated drinks industry in India is growing at a compound annual growth rate of about 35% and the market is likely to touch Rs 54,000 crore by 2015 

Greater disposable incomes, particularly in urban areas, and health consciousness are factors fuelling the growth of the non-carbonated drinks segment

ASCI reduces average complaint processing time to 12 days

It has also achieved over 90 per cent compliance of its decisions. This achievement has come even though the number of complained against ads has increased more than 10 times

The advertising content self-regulatory body, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), now delivers its Consumer Complaints Council’s (CCC) decision on a complaint against an objectionable advertisement within an average of just 12 days from the date complaint is received.

With the public and regulators demanding that ads which are a) misleading or make false claims, b) indecent , c) showing hazardous activities and d) unfair to competition should be promptly removed or modified, ASCI has taken effective action to reduce the complaint processing turnaround time from 45 days two years ago to just 12 days currently. Some of the actions taken by ASCI to achieve this drastic lowering of the turnaround time are:

1) From monthly meetings two years ago, CCC now meets weekly by having two CCCs instead of one earlier and total number of CCC members going up from 21 to 28;

2) The turnaround time taken at ASCI to process a complaint and time provided to the advertiser to respond to the complaint has been significantly reduced with the use of email and technology;

3) Intra-industry complaints among ASCI members are being resolved in just seven days via Fast Track Complaint (FTC) process which was introduced in 2012. FTC, which handled 30 complaints in 2013-14, has been very popular among ASCI members who are seeing real time and cost savings by not taking the matter to the courts on intra industry ad content disputes;

4) In the recent past ASCI also introduced ‘Suspension Pending Investigation’ (SPI) by which ASCI can order an extremely objectionable ad to be removed immediately pending investigation and CCC decision.

Under its National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS), ASCI has started tracking in print and TV all ads against which complaints have been upheld. The results show that over 90 per cent of such “upheld complaints” ads do not reappear or are appropriately modified. ASCI has now started reporting non-compliant upheld ads (i.e., upheld ads which reappear) to regulatory authorities such as the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), the Medical Council of India (MCI), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for taking action as per the law of the land.

The faster complaint turnaround time and improved compliance upheld complaint decisions by ASCI has taken place at the same time when the number of complained against ads processed by ASCI has increased more than 10 times. In 2011-12, the number ads processed by ASCI were 176 which, post the NAMS initiative in 2012-13, increased to 784 and for April 2013 to February 2014 (11 months), ASCI has handled complaints against 1,833 ads.

Commenting on these developments, ASCI Chairman Partha Rakshit said, “ASCI’s effectiveness and credibility as an advertising self-regulatory organisation has increased several fold with speedy redressal of complaints and high compliance of CCC’s decisions by advertisers. Regulatory bodies like MIB, DCA, FSSAI and FDA now recognise and support our self-regulation work with the inclusion of ASCI in the Inter-Ministerial Monitoring Committee formed to review misleading ad content.”

State regulators asked to boost efforts to monitor drug quality

India's drug regulator has asked state-level watchdogs to increase efforts aimed at monitoring the quality of medicines sold in the country, a top official has said.

"We have told the state drug controllers to keep a close watch on the quality of medicines being made and marketed in India," G.N. Singh, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), told Business Today recently. "They (the state drug controllers) are taking extra care and I am in touch with them on this on a regular basis."

Singh, who heads the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, said that efforts were being made to increase monitoring across the country and wherever required, the DCGI would get involved and support state regulators. He said that 2014 will be dedicated to "patient and animal safety". He added that all drug manufacturers have been told that if at any time, a watchdog in a highly regulated market like the US flags any concern over the practices of a company, the manufacturer should bring it to the notice of the concerned state drug controller and the central regulator.

The remarks gain significance in the light of some leading Indian drug companies such as Wockhardt and Ranbaxy coming under the scanner of the US Food and Drug Administration over manufacturing practices at several factories. FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, in her recent visit to India, had also announced plans to work closely with Indian drug regulatory authorities.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration of Maharashtra has issued three show-cause notices to Wockhardt between February 11 and March 14. The notices relate to issues such as handling and storage of raw material, data integrity and possible violation of some provisions of the Indian Drugs and Cosmetics Act and licencing conditions, Viraj T. Paunikar, Joint Commissioner at the state regulatory agency, told BT. 

The notices were issued to the company's three units in Aurangabad-two at Waluj and one at Chikalthana. Wockhardt Chairman Habil Khorakiwala, when contacted over the phone, said he was not aware of any such development, though Paunikar pointed out that the company had responded to some of the earlier notices, which were being examined.

R.L. Meena, the drug controller in Andhra Pradesh, said that, six months ago, a committee on good manufacturing practices had been formed under the initiative of the DCGI with some drug controllers like those in Orissa, Chandigarh and Hyderabad as its members. This committee, he said, had last month submitted its recommendations to the DCGI.

Declaration of “Nutritional Facts” on food labels : Module 4

Nutritional Facts

The Nutritional Information labeling is a description intended to inform the consumer of the nutritional properties of the food. The Nutritional Facts on the label provides detailed information about a food’s nutrient content, such as the amount of Protein, carbohydrates, Sugar, fat and Calories.

This information available on the label enables the consumer to compare the nutritional value of similar food products and on comparing the relevant nutritional value of different food products, the consumer can make the healthy choice of food.

The growing children or the sports person who need high calorie, diet rich in proteins and other nutrients or the people who are obese or suffering from diabetes or high blood lipid, need to follow a special or restricted diet. In such conditions the label declaration regarding nutritional facts makes it easier to select the appropriate food and can also help to compare similar foods to decide which is a healthier choice.

From the manufacturer point of view the relevant Nutritional Value helps to attract the consumers towards the product and requirements for nutrition information on food labels would encourage improving the nutrient profile of their product.

The label of nutritional value creates ideal conditions for both the consumers and food business operators.

The Indian Food law, The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling ) Regulations ,2011, notified by the FSSAI, requires to mention nutritional value or Nutritional Information or nutritional facts per 100 gm or 100ml or per serving of the product is required to be given on the label as mentioned below :

(i) Energy value in kcal;

(ii) The amounts of protein, carbohydrate (quantity of sugar), and fat in gram (g) or ml;

(iii) If a special claim is made regarding nutritional value or health benefit then the amount of other nutrient according to which the claim has been made shall also be mentioned on the label.

If a claim is made regarding the amount or type of fatty acids or the amount of cholesterol, the amount of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in gram (g) and cholesterol in milligram (mg) and the amount of trans fatty acid in gram (g) shall be mentioned in addition to the other requirement mentioned above.

If the food product contains less than 0.2 gram/serving of trans fat/serving, then it can be mentioned as trans fat free. In case of saturated fat if it is less than 0.1/100gm or 100ml of food it can be mentioned as saturated fat free.

It is better; the nutritional facts are mentioned in a tabular form. If a consumer has health conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and need to follow a special diet , it is convenient for him to read and compare the nutritional facts of similar foods when given in the tabular form.

Nutritional facts per 100 gm
Energy	k.cal
Protein	g
Carbohydrate	g
Sugar	g
Fats	g
Saturated Fatty Acids	g
Monounsaturated Fatty Acid	g
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids	g
Cholesterol	mg

Some of the food articles like wheat, rice, pickles etc. and the single ingredient foods are exempted from this provision.

A food label with facts on nutritional value may serve as an important source of information to the consumers especially in case of children or people seeking a food product to fulfill their specific needs. Nutritional facts on the label may serve as a competitive edge while proposing a food product for sale.

Food laws are not tools of harassment, says official

320 herbal water manufacturing units had been ordered to be closed 

The Food Safety and Standards Act was essentially aimed at protecting the interests of consumers and not intended to harass traders engaged in food business, said B. Vasakumar, Additional Food Safety Commissioner, Tamil Nadu, here on Saturday.

The Act is applicable not only to private traders but also to all government agencies, including ration shops and anganwadi centres. Of the five lakh food business operators in the State, about 2.22 lakh operators have been registered and another 33,000 issued licences under the Act accounting for 52 per cent coverage, he said.

Food business operators with a turnover of up to Rs. 12 lakh a year are required to register under the Act and those with more than Rs. 12 lakh turnover should obtain licence. The registration could be done online.

Speaking at a seminar on Food Safety and Standards organised by the Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, in association with the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection and Tamil Nadu State Society for Consumer Protection and Empowerment here, Mr. Vasakumar said the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration has established six food labs across the State to conduct checks of food samples collected from traders. 

About 950 packaged drinking water units have been inspected and the report has been submitted to the government. Around 320 herbal water manufacturing units had been ordered to be closed and asked to obtain permission from the Union government.

The department was organising various awareness initiatives to persuade the food business operators to register and obtain licences under the Act before the deadline of August 4. A training programme for cooks of hotels and tea shops was under way in Tiruchi and Chennai. Six batches of cooks would undergo the training on food safety and hygiene. 

Collector Jayashree Muralidharan said about 16,000 food business operators were required to register in Tiruchi district and so far 7,000 have done so. Of the 3,500 operators who require licences, 1,500 had obtained the same. 

As consumers were becoming increasingly dependent on packaged food products, the implementation of the Act assumed importance to protect the interests of the poor, she said.

S. Pushpavanam, Secretary, Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, emphasised on creating awareness about the Act and its provisions as even members of consumer organisations did not know much about it. The Act has an essential role in ensuring hygiene and safety and in preventing adulteration of food products, he said.

Name & trade of the Food product and the List of Ingredients : Module 3

Name of Food and List of Ingredient

Name of Food: The name and trade name of the food shall be mentioned on the label.

List of the Ingredients: The list of all food articles i.e. ingredients added in the manufacture of food products are to be mentioned on the label with the title “Ingredients”.  Any substance including food additives, color, preservatives added in the manufacture of food product shall be added in the list of ingredients.

The name of ingredients shall be given in descending order that means the ingredient used in higher quantity will be mentioned first than the substance used in lower quantities. Specific name of each ingredient shall be mentioned on the label.

However in some cases the class name of the food ingredient is allowed to be mentioned in place of specific name of the ingredient .For example,.if turmeric powder or chilles powder or both or any other single spice or more than one spices in combination have been used in the preparation of any food product then in place of mentioning the names of all spices used ,the class name as “spice and condiments” may be mentioned in the list of ingredients.

The ingredients falling in the respective classes, the class title as mentioned in the table may be used.

Table containing the Ingredients and Class Title

Classes	Class Titles
Edible vegetable oils/Edible vegetable fat Animal fat / oil other than milk fat Starches, other than chemically modified starches All species of fish where the fish constitutes an ingredient of another food and provided that the labelling and presentation of such food does not refer to a species of fish	Edible vegetable oil/ Edible vegetable fat or both hydrogenated or Partially hydrogenated oil Give name of the source of fat. Pork fat, lard and beef fat or extracts thereof shall be declared by specific names Starch Fish
All types of poultry meat where such meat constitutes an	Poultry meat
ingredient of another food and provided that the labeling
and presentation of such a food does not refer to a specific
All types of cheese where cheese or mixture of cheeses	Cheese
constitutes an ingredient of another food and provided that
the labelling and presentation of such food does not refer to
a specific type of cheese
All spices and condiments and their extracts		Spices and condiments or mixed spices/ condiments
		as appropriate
All types of gum or preparations used in the manufacture of	Gum Base
gum base for chewing gum
Anhydrous dextrose and dextrose monohydrate	Dextrose or Glucose
All types of Caseinates		Caseinates
Press, expeller or refined cocoa butter		Cocoa butter
All crystallized fruit		Crystallized fruit
All milk and milk products derived solely from milk	Milk solids
Cocoa bean, Coconib, Cocomass, Cocoa press cakes,	Cocoa solids
Cocoa powder (Fine/Dust)

If the ingredient used in the product, itself is the product of one or more ingredients then such a compound ingredient shall be mentioned in the list of ingredients with a list of its ingredients in descending order within the brackets.

In some cases percentage of the ingredients added has to be mentioned. Where a food product is a mixture of two food products or the ingredient of food product, is shown as present on the label or through words or pictures then the percentage of the ingredients shown in the picture have to be mentioned.

The ingredients need not to be mentioned in a single ingredient food.

To summarize, the brand name should clearly appear on the label along with the information about all classes of ingredients and their percentage quantity used in the manufacturing of the product.

How the past gives food for thought about quality

During the French period, government doctor would inspect the kitchen and the staff

At a time when the Government of India is encouraging food business owners to register with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India till 1973, the eateries in Puducherry had a completely different set of rules to abide by to ensure food quality.

The municipality permit issued by the French still hangs on the walls of the Café Lune on Suffren Street, almost 50 years after it was issued.

In those days, the rules were different and the people were willing to obey them. Now, very few of the restaurants and cafes that were run during the French time are still open, and even if they are, the original owners have passed away and the people who run it now do not remember how things were back then, owner of the café G.M. Anwardeen says. 

Until 1973, the Pondicherry Municipality under the mayor was in control of the issue of licences to the various restaurants, bars and cafes. It was only after 1973 that the Union Territory started following the Indian Government’s rules, retired municipality official Rajkumar Gupta said. 

Medical certificate

Unlike what is required today, during the French period, if one wanted to run a hotel establishment, they would have to get a medical certificate from a Government doctor who would not only inspect the kitchen but also the staff.

These doctors would check the eyes, finger and toe nails, hair and skin of the employees. If anyone on the staff had filariasis, which was very common during the time, the entire premises would be sealed. 

Similarly, the establishment would not get a permit if the employees had skin problems, and many times if the nails of the employees were too long, the doctors would have to conduct another visit before issuing the permit. 

According to Ramani, who used to run a tea stall during the French period on M.G. Road said, the rules were different for roadside stalls and for restaurants. 

For roadside restaurants, even if they served food, they would only have to pay tax for the area and there were no special inspections, he said.

Keep your kids away from nicotine gums

BANGALORE: Padma M (name changed), a resident of Koramangala and banker by profession, was shocked to see some children from her son's school walk with a nicotine chewing gum packet, which they had bought from a small shop near the institution. She later checked with her son studying in class 6, and to her horror, learnt that he too had consumed it once. It tasted like any other gum, the 11-year-old said.

Padma further asked some parents who said that their children had complained of dizziness after consuming the gum and had been warned not to have it again. Later, Padma took the help of a few child rights activists and lodged a complaint with the food safety commissioner.

After authorities banned the gutka, manufacturers are now pushing nicotine in the form of chewing gum. This despite food safety laws in India clearly prohibiting the sale of nicotine or tobacco in the form of food products. And the most vulnerable consumers of these illegal products happen to be kids.

Various brands of gum with attractive packaging are being sold in malls, super bazaars and even paan shops. Many such outlets are in the vicinity of schools. Gums are available at Rs 30 for a pack of 6 and Rs 50 for a pack of 10 chewing gums. And since they look similar to normal chewing gum, unsuspecting kids get hooked to them.

In fact, food authorities have received six such public complaints and related memoranda by child welfare activists seeking to keep nicotine-based chewing gum away from children. Following such complaints, the public health institute (a body under the directorate of health and family welfare) on March 3 issued an order to field officers to collect samples of such products and take necessary action against those violating the law.

The department order, dated March 3, 2014, a copy of which is with TOI, says they have received complaints against some organizations about the sale of chewing gums containing nicotine. "There is possibility of children consuming it and getting addicted to this food substance, resulting in ill-effects on children's health," adds the order.

Speaking to TOI, Dr Jaya Kumar, joint director (public health institute), said they have already warned the manufacturers against production. "We will also do random raids on shops and other outlets to ensure there is no sale of such products," he added.

A reality check by TOI in and around MG Road areas showed that nicotine gums were easily available in most shops. Also, shop owners had no idea that it could not be sold to kids.

Turning kids into addicts

Sindhu Naik, member, Karnataka State Council for Child Welfare, an NGO, said, "Consumption of nicotine gums can push children to nicotine addiction. Long-term use of such products can lead to regular cold, flu, shortness of breath, lung diseases and heart problems as well. Since gums don't emit the cigarette smell, parents or teachers may not be able to detect that the child is using it," she added. Dr S Raghu, a nutritionist, said parents should closely monitor what children eat outside school. "Effects of nicotine gum differ from one kid to another and age factor also matters. If the children complain about dizziness, vomiting sensation and so on, more questions should be asked about what they eat. Awareness among teachers and school authorities about the sale of such products within school zones is also a key factor," he added.

Banned but blatantly sold

Chewing gum is considered as food material under Column 3 j of Food Safety and Quality Act 2006. As per Sections 2.3.4 of the Rules of the said Act 2011, any food material containing nicotine and tobacco is banned in the state. Pramodini K, a child welfare activist, says the problem is with monitoring. "A single department like health can't implement such rules. A multi-departmental approach, including education and police wings, is the need of the hour. And manufacturing companies too have found many ways to violate the law. In case of nicotine gums, even though the literature inside some packets warn of the adverse effects on children, there are no statutory warnings and pictures on these chewing gum packs unlike on cigarette packs.

TIMES VIEW

Children are most vulnerable to substance abuse and addiction. It's appalling that after the gutka ban, manufacturers are resorting to seemingly innocuous methods to trap kids by selling nicotine-laced chewing gum. The health department's move to conduct regular raids on manufacturers and shops selling such products in the vicinity of schools is welcome but not enough. Schools must team up with parents and alert children on such negative influences. Authorities must also realise that without strong deterrents in place, manufacturers will find more inventive methods to make and peddle their products.

Govt regulator paves way for field trials of GM food crops including wheat, rice and maize

NEW DELHI: Taking a major step forward to scientifically assess 'risk' and 'safety' aspects of transgenic crops, the government's top regulator — Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) — on Friday revalidated 10 varieties of GM crops including wheat, rice, maize and cotton and allowed multi-national seed companies to go for "confined field trials" of these varieties. 

Companies like Monsanto, Mahyco and BASF whose applications got revalidation will, however, be able to go for field trials only after getting the state's mandatory nod. 

Revalidation of these varieties was required as their "validity period" lapsed due to state government's stand of not allowing them to go for field trial. The GEAC had given its clearance in those 10 cases way back in 2011 and 2012. 

The committee, which met under the chairmanship of additional secretary in the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) Hem Pande, however, did not take decision on any new cases in its meeting on Friday. It will meet again on April 25 to take a call on the fate of 70 fresh applications. 

The revalidation of 10 cases on Friday would allow the seed companies, which developed these varieties, to go for "confined field trials" (called Phase-II trial) in bigger area as compared to their tests in a very small tract of land during Phase-I. 

The move comes barely a month after the ministry had given its nod to "confined field trials" of over 200 transgenic varieties of GM crops which got GEAC's clearance in its 117th meeting in March last year. 

Though the regulatory body had given its go ahead to those 200 varieties, the then environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan had kept this in abeyance. The ministry had then felt that the companies should not be allowed to go for field trials unless the Supreme Court takes a final view on a pending PIL on the contentious issue of GM crops. 

The MoEF had, however, under the present minister M Veerappa Moily, last month allowed the GEAC to hold its 118th meeting on Friday, taking in view demands of scientist community from across the country. 

Agriculture scientists from research institutions including IARI, ICAR and various Universities have been demanding "field trials" for GM crops for long, arguing that "confined field trials are essential for the evaluation of productivity performance as well as food and environmental safety assessment". 

A group of prominent scientists had met under 'father of green revolution' MS Swaminathan here at National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NASA) in February and issued a 15-point resolution in favour of GM crops. 

Pitching for the field trials, the resolution said, "The non-conductance of regular field trials is a handicap as well as disincentive in harnessing the benefits of a wide array of transgenic material available with different research organizations". 

Anti-GM activists have, however, taken strong objection to the GEAC's decision on Friday to revalidate those 10 cases of transgenic varieties which will pave the way for their field trials. 

Protesting field trials, convenor of Coalition for GM Free India, Rajesh Krishnan said, "The bio-safety tests can be done in a greenhouse or glass house. The field trials are mostly for agronomic purposes. The industry wants to reduce the period of regulation and hence wants to run these things simultaneously". 

He said, "It is, in fact, ridiculous to simultaneously do assessment of risks and open up the experiment for contamination, which often happens in the case of a field trial, before the risk assessment is done". 

The coalition as well as Greenpeace India had also requested the ministry not to take any decision on field trials of GM crops unless the Supreme Court takes its final call on the matter. The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter on April 14. 

The industry body — Association of Biotech Led Enterprises- Agriculture Group (ABLE-AG) — has, however, welcomed the GEAC's move, calling it "a progressive push to the march of GM technology in India". 

"We welcome this and hope that the rest of the applications too shall be expeditiously cleared," said Ram Kaundinya, chairman of the ABLE-AG.

European Food Safety Authority declares aspartame safe for consumption

Aspartame, one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners in the world, has been declared totally safe for human consumption at the current levels of exposure by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

The Authority based its findings on one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame and its breakdown products ever undertaken. It involved a rigorous review of all the available scientific research, including both animal and human studies.

After a detailed analysis and taking into consideration all available information, EFSA experts concluded that the current acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 40mg/kg of body weight daily does not pose any long- or short-term health concerns for people.

The ADI level is an estimate of the amount a person can consume each day over a lifetime without risking their health.

EFSA experts firmly ruled out the possibility of aspartame causing damage to genes and inducing cancer. They also concluded that the substance neither harms the brain or nervous system nor affects behaviour or cognitive functions in adults.

Dr Rajeev Chawla, senior consultant diabetologist and director North Delhi Diabetes Centre, New Delhi, said, “Safety concerns have been aired on and off about the consumption of aspartame in the 25 years since it was approved as a food additive.” 

“It has proved to be a boon to people who need to avoid table sugar. I hope that this comprehensive review of aspartame by EFSA experts would finally put the controversy about its safety to rest,” he added. 

“This should also strengthen the consumer confidence in the aspartame based products,” Dr Chawla said.

Aspartame is an intense low-calorie, non-saccharide sweetener, which is used in yoghurts, chewing gum, diet foods, soft drinks and other low-calorie or sugar-free foods across the globe. It is a white, odourless powder, approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar.

General Requirements of Food Labelling applicable to all products : Module 2

General Requirements of Food Labelling applicable to all products

The FSS Packaging and Labelling, Regulations intends, when a consumer buys any food product in pre-packaged containers, he gets all the necessary information about the food product on the label affixed on the container, so that the consumer can make his choice to buy it or not to buy it.

The information on the label should be clear, visible and in simple and understandable language to the consumer. To ensure that the labelling is not done just for compliance of the Regulations, but it actually serves its purpose to provide the necessary and correct information to the consumer, the Regulations prescribe the general requirement of labelling and manner of declaration on the labels to be followed by the concerned Food Business Operators.

2.1 General Requirements of Food Labelling

1. Every pre-packaged food shall carry a label containing the required information. The particulars of declaration on the label shall be in English or Hindi in Devanagari script.
2. The use of any other language in addition to English and Hindi languages is also allowed.
3. Pre-packaged food shall not be labelled in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character in any respect.
4. The Label in pre-packaged foods shall be applied in such a manner that they will not become separated from the container during transportage or other wise.
5. Contents on the label shall be clear, prominent, indelible and readily legible by the consumer under normal conditions of purchase and use.
6. Where wrapper covers the container, the wrapper shall carry the necessary information or the label on the container shall be readily legible through the outer wrapper.
7. As per the latest amendment, the license number has to be displayed on the principal display panel.
   
   

Manner of declaration:

1. Any information or pictorial device written, printed, or graphic matter may be displayed in the label, only if it is not in conflict with the requirements of these Regulations.

2. Every declaration, which is required to be made on package, shall be:

(i) definite, plain and unambiguous
(ii) the font size of the letters should be appropriate and in colour contrast with the background of the label.

3. No declaration shall be made so as to require it to be read through any liquid commodity contained in the package.

4. Labels should not to contain false or misleading statements: A label should not contain any statement, claim, design, device, fancy name or abbreviation which is false or misleading in any particular concerning the food contained in the package, or concerning the quantity or the nutritive value or in relation to the place of origin of the said food:

The established trade or fancy names of confectionery, biscuits and sweets, such as, barley, sugar, bull’s eye, cream cracker or aerated waters, such as, Ginger Beer or Gold-Spot or any other name in existence under the international trade practice are exempted from this clause.

5. The information required shall be given on the principal display panel /label of the package or container and such information may be grouped together and given at one place.

6.Area of the principal display panel or size of the label should be in proportion to the size of the packaging or the container.

(a) In the case of a rectangular container ,the area of principal display panel or the size of label shall not be less than forty percent of the product of height and width of the container.
(b) In case of cylindrical or , round or , oval or nearly oval container, , the area of principal display panel/ label shall not be less than twenty percent of the product of the height and average circumference of such container; or
(c) In the case of container of any other shape, it shall be not less than twenty percent of the total surface area of the container

7. The letters and numerals used in the label declaration should be of proper height and width in accordance to the size of the packaging. The minimum size of the letter prescribed for the smallest size of packaging of up to 50 g or 50 ml. is, height-1 mm. and minimum width 0.33 mm.

Overall purpose of this study is to make sure the information provided on the food label can easily be read and it is not too small to be properly recognized. No false or misleading claims are to be mentioned on the label.

Rs.14 lakh worth gutka seized

Food Safety officials of the GVMC on Wednesday seized two tonnes of gutka (chewing tobacco) sachets worth Rs.14 lakh from the One Town area of the city. The officials conducted raids in the Kobbarithota and Chaluvathota areas, seized the gutka, and booked cases against Yerribabu and Gowri.

Gutka, pan masala seized

The Static Surveillance Team (SST) on Wednesday seized banned gutka and pan masala items worth Rs. 4 lakh from a vehicle plying from Bangalore, on Keerambur Road here on Wednesday. The vehicle and the items were handed over to K. Tamil Selvan, District Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration Department. Officials said that if the items were to be sold in the State, they would be seized and action would be taken against the driver.

Albania's food safety boss sacked over 'moonshine' arrest

(Reuters) - Albania's prime minister sacked the country's food safety chief on Wednesday after it emerged that he had been arrested in 2012 for selling illicit home-made alcohol.

Aleksander Kalemaj was never prosecuted, but his arrest for involvement in a 'moonshine' operation has embarrassed Prime Minister Edi Rama.

"After checks requested by the prime minister, employee Aleksander Kalemaj has been relieved of his duties and no longer serves as Head of the Food Sector at the Risk Management Department of the National Food Authority," the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

Rama was forced to act after Albanian media revealed Kalemaj had been caught by police in October 2012 in possession of more than 500 litres of illicit alcohol including brandy and beer.

The interior ministry confirmed to Reuters that the arrest - 18 months before Kalemaj's appointment as food safety chief - had taken place.

The opposition said the affair showed weaknesses in the way the government appointed people to senior positions.

"Edi Rama talks at length about merit and professionalism and cites examples from Britain and France, but when it comes to delicate jobs with great public responsibility he lets the wolf guard the sheep," Democratic Party lawmaker Voltana Ademi told reporters. (Reporting By Benet Koleka; Editing by Matt Robinson and Robin Pomeroy)

Call for Ban on Consumption of Pan Masala, Gutkha in State

Taking a cue from the stand taken by Assam, which has banned consumption of harmful tobacco-based pan masala and gutkha products by law, a collective call has been made in the state for a similar legislation.

Kerala’s bureaucrats, health professionals, social activists and tobacco use victims, have made the call, reflecting popular sentiments and raising the point that the desired impact of the ban of reducing public health burden cannot be achieved unless consumption is also prohibited.

K Anil Kumar, Food Safety Department, the regulating authority for the effective implementation of the ban on pan masala and gutkha in the state, said, “Ever since our state banned these products in 2012, we have been taking stringent action against violators. However, the illicit smuggling of these products into our state has been a major challenge in implementing the effective ban of pan masala and gutkha containing tobacco and nicotine. As such, any positive step in addition to this ban order or strengthening this ban order would be highly desirable. This would also help in curbing use among children in their vulnerable ages.”

Kerala was the second state in the country after Madhya Pradesh to ban the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011. 

Superintendent, Regional Cancer Centre here, said that while oncologists and medical fraternity at large can treat and provide care to the cancer afflicted, a legislative reform, as has been effected in Assam, would have far-reaching positive implications.

“Chewing tobacco, whether it is pan masala or gutkha, is a major cause of cancers affecting the head and neck in Kerala. I have seen several youngsters who have lost their taste buds, parts of their tongue and jawbones due to use of these smokeless tobacco products. This sorry state can be corrected to a great extent if Kerala can also legislatively ban the consumption of chewing tobacco products,” Dr Ramadas said. K S Varghese, retired CI of Police , who is a tobacco-induced cancer survivor said, “I took to the habit of using chewing tobacco to keep away sleep during night patrolling, and its use made me a cancer patient. I am now disease-free but the cancer which afflicted me had shattered my wife and two children.”

“It is heartening that Assam has given us a worthy example to emulate and follow. As someone who has seen the suffering of cancer victims in palliative care, I feel that everything possible should be done to bring down cancer incidence in our state. Banning consumption of all forms of chewing tobacco products by law and imposing strict penalty on violators would be an effective move,” said Vimala Menon, social activist and Secretary, Cheshire Home here.

Assam has banned consumption of pan masala, gutkha, zarda etc containing tobacco and/or nicotine under the Assam Health (Prohibition of manufacturing, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of zarda, gutkha, pan masala, etc, containing tobacco and/or nicotine) Act, 2013. 

The Act prohibits ‘’consumption including possession of zarda, gutkha, pan masala etc., containing tobacco and/or nicotine and various types of smokeless and chewing tobacco or any of it derivatives in any form.’’ Further, the Act also makes specific reference to prohibiting ads of these products. Violators of the law are liable to be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. Consumption or possession of zarda, gutka and pan masala containing tobacco is punishable with a fine of Rs 1,000 for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for each subsequent offences.

Quality Norms by Food Safety Authorities Curtail on Trading in Black Pepper

Mar 20, 

According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), it requires that there shouldn’t be any mold (fungus) in the pepper stocks. As per trade sources, making completely mold-free pepper would involve additional costs which would come to Rs.10 -15 a kg. As per their view, even the US Asta allows 1 per cent mold in the pepper imports. So, traders activity reported declined due to strict quality guidelines.

Centre to issue final notification on use of plant stanols and sterols

Mar 20, 2014 

The Centre will issue the final notification on the use of plant stanols and sterols in foods. This is a move that is expected to give an impetus to the novel developments in the areas of nutraceuticals, functional foods and dietary supplements. 

A communiqué from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), an agency of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, stated that under the fortification category of food product standards and food additives, phyto or plant stanol esters and sterols may be added to fat spreads, milk products, milk-based fruit drinks, fermented milk products, soy and rice drinks, cheese products, yoghurt products, spice sauces, salad dressings, juices and nectars. This would allow consumers to easily their consumption to a maximum of 3g per day. 

The draft guidance also stated that either one portion of 3g or three portions of one gram each would be added under Sub-regulation 48 of Regulation 2.4.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. 

Products containing phyto or plant stanols and sterols could be sold in single portions containing either maximum 3g or 1g of phyto or plant stanols or sterols, calculated as free phyto or plant stanols. If the products do not contain these, there should be a clear indication of what constitutes a standard portion of the food, expressed in grams or millilitres, and of the amount of phyto or plant stanols/sterols, calculated as free phyto or plant stanols, contained in such a portion. 

In the proposed notification, the addition of Trehalose (a non-reducing sugar found in plants, which is now permitted as an ingredient in foods like biscuits, bread, cakes, breakfast cereals, carbonated water drinks, carbohydrate-based and milk-based sweets like gulab jamun, rosogolla, peda, khoya burfi, macaroni products, noodles, pasta, confectionery, candies, icing, savouries and snacks) is underway. 

Label declaration under Sub-regulation 49 of Paragraph 2.4.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, for both these additives being permitted in specific categories of foods would also be notified to aid consumers with proper information.

Commenting on these regulatory developments, Dr D B A Narayana, member of FSSAI’s scientific panel, said that the final notification was likely to be mandated with a specific advisory label indicating the presence of plant sterols/stanols as well as Trehalose, as applicable, especially for a certain section of the population like nursing mothers and pregnant women who need to be cautious with the intake of such products in the interest of consumer information and safety.

Packaged food firms ignore salt display rule leaving customers in the dark

Three out of four packaged foods available across the country fail to display salt levels despite regulations put in place by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defining the minimum requirements for labelling the nutritional content of such products. 

A survey conducted by the George Institute for Global Health India has revealed that large numbers of packaged food products available in stores fail to display data on the amount of sodium present, thus preventing consumers from making informed choices. 

The survey covering 7,124 products available in Indian supermarkets revealed that only 26 per cent of packaged foods displayed sodium content on the label, thus making them noncompliant with the minimum labeling requirements of Codex – the international body governing food labeling. 

Guess work: Customers are not being advised as to their food's salt content in shops

The study is part of a larger project that is gathering evidence to initiate a national salt reduction programme in India.

"The preliminary findings of the study are a matter of great concern as consumers are eating progressively more processed foods generally containing higher levels of salt. This is not good for people in a country which is already projected to have an even larger noncommunicable diseases (NCD) burden in the future," said Dr Vivekanand Jha, executive director of George Institute for Global Health India. 

The average across all categories of products, ranging from bread and bakery products to snacks foods, was 73.2 per cent "unlabelled" for sodium. 

People are supposed to consume no more than 5 gm of salt, or sodium chloride, and 2,000 mg of sodium a day. If the content of salt or sodium in any product is unusually high, for example 2.5 gm, then it should ring alarm bells that tell the consumer that e is consuming half of his daily intake allowance in one portion of the food item. 

The ongoing project, being run by the George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, will gather information on dietary salt intake levels among a sample of people in North and South India and collect nutrient information on packaged and other food available for purchase.

The George Institute for Global Health is an international medical research organization that has a wide-ranging programme of healthcare research and enterprise spanning over 50 countries.

ARORA SENT LEGAL NOTICE TO FOR STORING EXPIRED JUICE FOR CONSUMPTION BY MENTALLY RETARDED CHILDREN

Chandigrh :

Advocate H.C.Arora demaned D-Registration of Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular (Patiala)

City Advocate seeks action against Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular (Patiala) for storing expired juice for consumption by mentally retarded children. Advocate H.C. Arora has today sent demand notices to (i) Chairperson, National Trust for welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, New Delhi (via e-mail); (ii) Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi, and Deputy Commissioner, Patiala (Punjab),demanding de-registration of Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular (Patiala) with the “National Trust for Mentally Retarded”, and for recovering all the grants given to this School by “National Trust for Mentally Retarded”, with interest, for maltreatment of the mentally ill and mentally retarded children. Arora has referred to news reports of March 11th, published in almost all news papers to the effect that that on March 10TH, 2014, a team of District Health Department conducted a surprise raid at one of the organization registered with the ‘National Trust for Mentally Retarded”, namely Navjivini School of Special Education, Sular, District Patiala (Punjab) , and seized expired boxes of fruit juice from the store of the said School. As per news reports published in various newspapers, 150 cartons of expired juice were lying in the store. These cartons carried the date of manufacturing as June, 2013, and their expiry date had already lapsed about two months ago. Samples taken by the team have been sent to Chandigarh laboratory for testing. Remaining cartons of juice have been destroyed. It is worth noticing that, 175 students are studying, and 43 students stay in the Hostel, in this School. In a separate demand notice sent to DC, Patiala, and Civil Surgeon, Patiala, Arora has called upon them to take steps for prosecution of the Management of this School under the provisions of Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, for storing such huge quantity of unsafe food, for consumption by mentally ill and mentally retarded children. The aforesaid provision prescribes a sentence of imprisonment upto six months and also a fine of Rs. One lac for storing “unsafe food” by any person, for purpose of human consumption. Arora has stated in the demand notice that if the addressees do not take any appropriate steps for meeting his demand within 2 weeks, in that situation, he would be left with no other option except to file a PIL in the High Court, for redressal of his grievances.

Confused Food safety authorities have no policy against dry tobacco items

Srinagar, Mar 19: After becoming 15th state to ban Gutkha in 2012, food safety and security authorities have no policy against the dry tobacco items which are freely sold in market in other formats to disguise the order issued by department of Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir.

Exercising powers vested under clause (a) of sub-section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act., Commissioner of Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir issued a notification [HD/Drug/58/2012] and banned the sale, storage, manufacture and transportation of 'Gutkha' in 2012. However over the passages of at least two years, companies managed to doge the authorities and succeed in selling such products in the market in other forms like Khani which is a tobacco product.

Around 14% of Indian adults smoke cigarettes and "beedis" (hand-rolled cigarettes), but nearly 26% use smokeless tobacco, including chewing tobacco, according to the Government of India and World Health Organization Global Adult Tobacco Survey of 2009 - 2010.

India has the highest number of oral cancers in the world after a group of entrepreneurs known locally as "gutka barons" turned a 400-year-old tobacco product hand-rolled in betel leaves into a spicy blend sold for 2 cents on street corners from Bangalore to New Delhi. Sales of chewing tobacco, worth 210.3 billion rupees ($4.6 billion) in 2004, are on track to double by 2014, according to Datamonitor, a branch of the international research firm based in Hyderabad, India, now same is the sold in market from Kashmir to Kaniyakumari under new brands and as separate products other than food.

A campaign called 'Voices of Tobacco Victims' in 2008 advocates for more stringent tobacco control in India. The campaign empowers cancer survivors to tell their stories to influence policymakers and raise awareness among other tobacco users about the damaging effects of tobacco on health.

The campaign's greatest success has been to ban the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of "gutka," a form of chewing tobacco commonly consumed in India, including by children.

"Pure chewing tobacco and Paan Masala continue to be sold as two separate packets that users can mix themselves before consumption to disguise ban and they contains chromium, nickel, arsenic and lead as well as tobacco-related nitrosamines, all of which are known carcinogens. Tragically, 0.023% of orphans in Kashmir both girls and boys use such like products, which they usually call as gutka or Khani," Rao Farman Ali said, quoting his research carried on orphans of Jammu and Kashmir. 

An official in Food and Safety department whishing anonymity told early Times that after the ban in 2012, campiness manufacturing 'Gutkha' items have managed to disguise the department by changing the brand names while as the Gutkha continues to flood the market in other forms. "After PIL which later banned 'Gutkha' Companies just changed the brand names and are flooding the market with Khani name brand which is same as the Ghutka," he said.

What is Food Labelling? What guidelines a food business operator needs to follow?

Before we discuss Food Labelling, first we have to understand the definition of label. A Label is the printed information on the package/container of the product which comprises the Product Name, Company Name & Address, logo, ingredients etc. “Food Labelling” is the set of legal requirements regarding the information of a food product which is securely affixed on the container/package accompanying a food. Food Labelling has to be in compliance to the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006. 

Food Labelling serves two purposes; one to sell a food product by informing the consumer to take decision whether to purchase or not and secondly to meet the legal requirements on Product name, Brand name, information about the manufacturer/importer, Batch No, Code No. Mfg. & Exp. Date, License No, Logo, Veg & Non-Veg marks etc. 

The information on the label has to be appropriately given for the convenience of the consumer. Any statement, claim, design etc., which is false or may mislead a consumer about the quality, nutrition value or quantity of a food product is strictly prohibited. Every food business operator dealing with the prepackaged food product has to follow the guidelines as per FSS (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Food Labelling becomes critical when people buy Infant Food Products or while they buy products to fulfill their special dietary needs or they may be looking to avoid food products with allergen ingredients in it.

Banned gutka worth Rs 10 lakh seized from arrested duo

In a joint operation, the Thane police and officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized banned gutka worth Rs 10 lakh and arrested two drivers who were allegedly transporting it in two different tempos, late last evening, the Thane police said here today. 

Police said that the two tempos were intercepted after which the stocks of Baba Saffron Tobacco, Chetna Tobacco-131, Baba Premium-120, Pancharatna Kimam Supari, Usha Kimam Number 30 and Ritik Sweet Supari were seized. 

These were packed in ten gunny bags, the police said, ading that the two of them were caught below the Saket bridge. 

Names of those arrested are Prashant Narayan Gadkar and Mohammad Rafique Mehaboob Khan. 

They have been charged under various sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

DINAKARAN ARTICLE

WHO says 24g of sugar a day is the safe limit

DRAFT GUIDELINES ISSUED IN BID TO COMBAT OBESITY AND RELATED ILLNESSES

The next time you order lunch, you may want to pass up on the can of soda. Or think twice about dousing your fries in ketchup. According to the latest World Health Organisation draft guidelines, a can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, and every tablespoon of ketchup 1 teaspoon of sugar, which pushes you over your recommended ‘sugar’ limit for the day. 

In a bid to combat obesity and related illnesses such as diabetes, WHO drafted ‘sugar intake’ guidelines, which recommend that the intake of free sugar in both adults and children not exceed 10% of total energy intake (around 50g or approx 12 tsp). And, says Francesco Branca, who presented the guidelines, a further reduction to less than 5% of total energy gives additional health benefits. Doctors recommend 12g or 3 tsp of sugar a day for children under 8, while pre-teens and teens can go up to 24g. 

WHO guidelines refer to the added sugar and the sugar naturally present in fruit juices, honey, syrup. Intrinsic sugar, present in fruit and vegetables, is not counted. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, say doctors, adding that the guidelines should have come sooner. 

Dr Nihal Tomas, Professor and Head, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Christian Medical College, Vellore, believes this is perhaps one of the most important guidelines WHO has drafted, considering that an estimated 101.2 million people in India will have diabetes by 2030. 

“The average Indian consumes anything from 6 tsp to 10 tsp a day of sugar. But in young adults I would say the amount of sugar consumed is much higher, perhaps even double on average,” says Dr Thomas. “While people may count the number of teaspoons they put into their coffee or tea it is the hidden sugars that are never taken into account. In some places they use sugar in certain gravies like a shahi kurma or a tikka masala,” he says. 

Dietitian Dharini Krishnan says the changing dietary habits of young adults are a cause for concern. “Most Indians don’t usually exceed the 6 tsp of sugar a day limit if they stick to regular Indian food — idlis, dosas and chapatis — which do not have free sugars. But when you begin eating something like breakfast cereals or use flavouring agents in milk, that is when you can tip over,” she says. 

The intake is more worrying for children. “If you take the sugary flavouring or fortified powders one adds to milk, a tablespoon, which is actually 3 tsps, contains approximately 12g of sugar. Give the child this kind of milk twice a day and they have already doubled their daily quota,” says Krishnan.

In a study in ‘PLOS Medicine’, researchers suggested adding a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in India, estimating it could prevent 11.2 million cases of overweight/obesity and 400,000 cases of type 2 diabetes between 2014 and 2023. 

“A taxation on SSBs could reduce the buying capacity and that in turn could mean fewer people buying those beverages,” says Sutapa Agrawal, population scientist at the Public Health Foundation of India who co-authored the study. 

“Governments have seen consumption of tobacco reduce because of taxation, so why not do the same with sugar-sweetened beverages?” she says. In fact, Branca refers to sugar as perhaps being the new tobacco in terms of public health action.

Keralites want ban on pan masala and gutka

Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 (IANS) Taking a cue from Assam, which has banned consumption of harmful tobacco-based pan masala and gutka products, a cross section of people in Kerala have called for a similar legislation in the state.

People say the desired impact of the ban - of reducing the public health burden - cannot be achieved unless consumption is also prohibited.

"Since our state banned these products in 2012, we have been taking stringent action against violators," said K. Anil Kumar, commissioner for food safety, the regulating department for the effective implementation of the ban on pan masala and gutka.

"The smuggling of these products into our state has been a major challenge in implementing the effective ban on pan masala and gutka containing tobacco and nicotine.

"As such, any positive step in addition to this ban or strengthening this ban would be highly desirable. This would also help in curbing use among children in their vulnerable years," he said.

Kerala was the second state in the country after Madhya Pradesh to ban the manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011.

K. Ramadas of the Regional Cancer Centre here said that while oncologists and the medical fraternity at large can treat and provide care to the cancer afflicted, a legislative reform, as has been effected in Assam, would have far-reaching positive implications.

"Chewing tobacco, whether it is pan masala and gutka, is a major cause of cancer in the head and neck in Kerala," he said.

"I have seen several youngsters who have lost their taste buds, parts of their tongue and jawbones due to use of these smokeless tobacco products. This sorry state can be corrected to a great extent if Kerala can also legislatively ban the consumption of chewing tobacco products."

Assam has banned consumption of pan masala, gutka etc under the Assam Health (Prohibition of manufacturing, advertisement, trade, storage, distribution, sale and consumption of zarda, gutka, pan masala, etc, containing tobacco and/or nicotine) Act, 2013.

Vimala Menon, secretary of charity organisation Cheshire Home here, said that as someone who has seen the suffering of cancer victims in palliative care, "I feel that everything possible should be done to bring down cancer incidence in our state".

"Banning consumption of all forms of chewing tobacco products by law and imposing strict penalty on violators would be an effective move," Menon said.