Adulterated tea dust, dal sold during Onam

KOCHI: A special drive by the food safety department in Ernakulam found adulterated dal and tea dust sold through shops during Onam. The team also found poor quality clove and coriander in markets.
The two-week-long drive was conducted as part of a statewide initiative to ensure quality of food items sold during Onam.
The food safety department had collected 62 samples of various products from the district during the season. According to officials, four of the six samples taken were found to be unsafe and substandard.
While laboratory tests showed presence of iron filings in tea dust, dal was found mixed with ?kesari' dal, both injurious to health. According to sources, dal came from Maharashtra.
The samples were tested in the regional analytical laboratory at Kakkanad.
"The department will soon initiate action against suppliers of dal and tea dust. In two other cases, fines will be imposed," said a food safety officer.
However, all products were sold freely in the district during the season. "We could not ban the sale of the product earlier as results took two weeks. A report will be submitted to the food safety department soon," said the official. He added that the products are likely to be banned.
In the pre-Onam drive last year, the department had found adulterated ghee and milk.
The products had come from Tamil Nadu. The department had banned the products and imposed fines on suppliers.

Inspection by Food Safety Authorities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Food Safety authorities conducted inspections in around 2,000 locations in the state as part of ensuring food safety during the Onam season.
During the inspection, a tanker transporting edible oil from Tamil Nadu through Meenakshipuram check-post was found to contain adulterant in preliminary tests. The tanker was seized and statutory samples sent for confirmation tests, the food safety authorities said. The food safety authorities had checked around 580 milk samples and 12 coconut oil samples.
They said that prosecution steps would be initiated based on the result of analysis from the laboratory which may take between 14 and 30 days. As part of ensuring food safety during the Onam season, squads were formed in all the districts under the supervision of Assistant Food Safety Commissioners. Temporary mobile laboratories were also set up at border districts, including check-posts.

Tobacco products freely available: AAP

Aam Aadmi Party members came to meet District Collector G. Govindaraj on Monday carrying different brands of banned tobacco products.
“We brought the packets of at least a dozen of brands just to show that the same are freely available. The drives conducted by corporation officials, the police, and health officials are mostly been an eyewash. Most of the seizures were from petty shops or some small scale shops. Unless raids are carried out at wholesale distributors, and stockists sales of tobacco products are not going to stop,” said AAP district convener S. Sundarapandian.
AAP activists said the products were available in shops situated close to education institutions.
Authorities were being very selective while carrying out raids on shops, the activists said.

Eateries violate rules as GHMC faces staff shortage

Great Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is suffering an acute staff crunch in the food safety wing of the health department which is severely hampering inspection of the restaurants and other food joints in the sprawling city, reported a national daily.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Act 2011, local bodies should have adequate number of food safety officers to monitor food quality in hotels and collect samples for examination on a regular basis. The Act also suggests that the licences of food caterers be given only after a standard quality test and permits be regularly revised.
It is shocking to know that there are just four food inspectors for all the 18 circles of GHMC. And they are over 20,000 eateries in the city. Despite the growing work, there has been no recruitment for several years. Considering the vast area of the twin cities, it is nearly impossible for the four officials to visit every eatery to collect food samples. Taking advantage, eateries are violating the Food Safety Act.
Worse, the skeletal staff has been assigned additional duties for Intensive Household Survey and Ganesh Immersion. “Now, all the food safety officials are busy with the idol immersion work and there won’t be any inspection until immersion is over,” said T.Damodar, an official of the health and sanitation wing of GHMC.
Recently, GHMC officials sealed a poultry farm at Ramnagar for supplying rotten chicken. Many fast food centres in the city are allegedly using expired meat in food preparations. Even big hotels are culprits in this regard. “We can’t blame just petty small food stalls as star hotels too violate the rules. But the punishment is the same irrespective of their status,” said Damodar.
The food quality testing team is finding it very difficult to cover the entire city. Besides, the GHMC does not have a well-equipped lab to conduct an accurate analysis of the quality.

Ensuring Food Safety

Off and on, we hear of various instances in the state with regard to impurities being found in packaged drinking water and other forms of processed food like biscuits, cakes and bakery items. These reported cases are but a small fraction of the tough reality that the food we eat is not safe. Earlier, the state government sent out public notifications over the ban of various food products entering the state from Myanmar and followed it up with raids on shops selling such items as canned fish with no indications of contents and ingredients used. However, things have turned right back to square one with the banned articles making their appearance in the consumable food market. There is no denying that a whole lot of unsavory practices continue in the food market sector all across the country with buyers putting in a range of additives that are not meant to be added at all to food consumable products and using underhand practices to make food more appealing to consumers. To cite an example, a report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) a few years back found that most of the country’s milk was being watered down or adulterated with products ranging from fertilizer, bleach and detergent which were being used to make milk thick and give it a white, frothy look that would entice consumers to buy them.
Incidentally, the FSSAI was only instituted in 2006 to look into and take action over matters related to the quality of food products in the country and is still plagued with an acute shortage of human resources and technical apparatus needed for the task at hand. While the FSSAI has undertaken various studies and drives at times, they are far too less with more attention on the macro level rather than tackling what happens at the micro level in the numerous eating joints and markets that dot the country. To start with the issue of food safety at the micro level, it is a known fact that road-side hotels use left-over oil or mix in used tea leaves with new ones to cut their costs all over the country. Graduating a bit further, fruits and vegetables are often laced with calcium carbide to make them appear shining and fresh. With the transportation process of vegetables and fruits taking a long haul on roads and sometimes crossing numerous states and region, it is an open secret that when starting out, raw fruits and vegetables are loaded in along with chemicals to keep them from rotting. Once they reach their intended destination, another round of chemical brush up takes place to make them appear fresh and colorful.
In Manipur, the revelations of substandard quality food products or those being sold against their shelf life have been brought to public notice by an array of vigilante cum social groups. While the overall message on food safety concern is laudable, it would be wise to be suspicious of the ‘go back outsider’ agenda for many who have been targeted, happen to be non-locals selling the said goods. This is not to condone the practice of selling products beyond their shelf life but to point out that such drives should be not on the identity of people selling them but to put a plug on unsafe items being sold to the public. After all, there is yet to any action being taken up with regard to how fish are being fermented to give the staple ingredient of every Manipuri household: Ngari, when it is common knowledge yet again that the procedures involved are not hygienic or quality controlled. If food safety is to be the core issue as it should be, there needs to be a serious attempt with the Government agency leading from the front and supported by various stakeholders including civil society groups. The Government agencies would have to spread awareness among the general public and sensitize shopkeepers and warehouse staff that food products that have reached their shelf life or expiry dates should not reach the public and keep a check on food items are being stored as unscientific storage systems can also harm food and food products. The public on their part should not take the matter of raiding shops and godowns and seizing items but be alert by checking manufacturing information, expiry dates and notify the authorities.

FHRAI & HRAWI launch first non-commercial food testing lab in Vadodara

The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and its counterpart in the western region, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), inaugurated their first non-commercial food testing laboratory in Vadodara, Gujarat, recently.
With this, HRAWI became the first hospitality industry association in the country to establish its own food testing laboratory. It would not only adhere to the global food safety and hygiene standards, but would also conduct the tests at 40-50 per cent lower costs than its commercial counterparts.
“It is our objective to encourage food business operators (FBO) and our members to follow international standards of hygiene,” stated Nirav Gandhi, chairman, Gujarat Region, HRAWI. He added that the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 mandated self-declaration from FBO for food items.
“To do that, scientific testing on microbiological and chemical parameters would become a must,” Gandhi said. The facility would be supplementary to the Act. Speaking at its launch, D S Advani, president, HRAWI said, “With the introduction of FSSA, 2006, it has become mandatory for food business operators (FBO) to test their food products.”
“The number of labs currently existing is grossly insufficient, and would not be able to cope with the sheer volume of service-seekers. Our lab would benefit thousands of FBO, including bakery federations, catering associations, food retail traders and mithai associations,” he added.
The HRAWI-owned lab is equipped with national and international-standard equipment. Managed by a team of qualified and experienced technologists, it would have the proficiency to test almost all Indian culinary samples.
In addition, unlike other labs, it would send technologists personally to collect food samples from hoteliers and other FBO. Such samplings would reflect the truth without ambiguity.
Besides setting up the lab, HRAWI would also make provisions for the training and education of hoteliers. The training programme would help hoteliers put up systems and procedures in place to make them independent in maintaining food safety norms.
“The training would include setting up of a documented system on cutting, handling and preservation of food and other raw materials. Proper information and training would be provided on temperatures in which different types of food need to be preserved along with other defined parameters,” said Kamlesh Barot, immediate past president, HRAWI.
“The system would take into consideration such factors as hygiene stations, receiving raw material stations, pre-production, post-production, serving stations and setting up of standard operating procedures for each of them,” he added.
“Food handlers’ habits change from one hotel to other. This new arrangement would provide a one-of-a-kind service that would help hoteliers maintain standardised practices,” Barot stated.
Only upon maintaining a system for six months to a year would the hotels be accorded certifications. Other aspects of the training programme would include providing guidance to hoteliers on adherence to FSSAI laws.
It would explain complex procedures in simple implementable formats. The training would be provided at the hotel property, be tailor-made for each property, and adhere to International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 22000 and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Certification norms.
FHRAI’s knowledge partner, Parikshan, would undertake tests and risk analysis at the newly-instituted lab. Parikshan runs a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-audited lab in Chennai, and would bring its vast experience to the Vadodara facility.
Nobody would be allowed inside the lab except for the technologist/food analyst. “Since its inception, HRAWI has been working towards achieving international standards of food safety among its members,” said Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, the western India hotel body’s vice-president.
“It has been one of our key objectives to establish internally a compliance framework that is transparent yet flexible, and one that maintains the highest standards of hygiene. The setting up of the new lab will bring us a step closer to achieving this objective,” he added. In the pipeline is the establishment of several such facilities across the nation.

DINAMALAR NEWS

உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை கெடுபிடியால் ஆயிரம் டன் வெல்லம் உற்பத்தி நிறுத்தம்

சேலம், செப்.7:
சேலத்தில் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறையின் கெடுபிடியால் ஆயிரம் டன் வெல்லம் உற்பத்தி நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால் பல லட்சம் ரூபாய் வர்த்தகம் முடங்கியுள்ளதாக வியாபாரிகள் வேதனை தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
சேலம் செவ்வாய்பேட்டையில் வெல்லம் ஏல மண்டி பல ஆண்டாக செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது. இந்த மண்டிகளுக்கு ஓமலூர், தேக்கம்பட்டி, வட்டக்காடு, கருப்பூர், மூங்கில்பாடி, காமலாபுரம், தின்னப்பட்டி, தீவட்டிப்பட்டி உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு பகுதிகளை சேர்ந்தவர்கள், தாங்கள் உற்பத்தி செய்யும் வெல்லத்தை இங்கு கொண்டு வந்து ஏலத்தில் விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர்.
சேலம், மதுரை, தேனி, திண்டுக்கல் உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு மாவட்ட வியாபாரிகள் இங்கு வந்து வெல்லத்தை வாங்கி செல்கின்றனர்.
இந்த மண்டியில் தினந்தோறும் லட்சக்கணக்கான ரூபாய்க்கு வர்த்தகம் நடைபெற்று வருகிறது. இந்நிலையில், சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையிலான அதிகாரிகள், செவ்வாய்பேட்டை பகுதி வெல்ல வியாபார கடைகளில் கடந்த சில நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு திடீர் ஆய்வு நடத்தினர்.
அங்கு விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த வெல்லத்தில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளதை விட, அதிக ரசாயனம் கலந்துள்ளதாகவும், வெல்ல தயாரிப்பிற்கு சர்க்கரை பயன்படுத்தியிருப்பதாகவும் கூறி வெல்லத்தை பரிசோதனைக்கு எடுத்து சென்றனர். இதனால் கடந்த 28ம் தேதி நடைபெற இருந்த வெல்ல ஏலத்தில் வியாபாரிகள் யாரும் கலந்து கொள்ளவில்லை.
ஏலத்திற்காக கொண்டு வரப்பட்ட சுமார் 150 டன் வெல்லம் விற்பனையாகாமல் தேக்கமடைந்தது. அந்த வெல்லம் அனைத்தும் வாகனங்களிலேயே வைக்கப்பட்டன. இந்நிலையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையின் கெடுபிடியால், வெல்ல உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் வெல்ல உற்பத்தியை நிறுத்திவிட்டனர். ஒரு வாரமாக மண்டிக்கு ஏலத்திற்கு வெல்லம் வரவில்லை. இந்த வகையில் ஆயிரம் டன் வெல்ல உற்பத்தி தடைபட்டு, லட்சக்கணக்கான ரூபாய் மதிப்பில் வர்த்தகம் முடங்கியுள்ளது.
இது குறித்த வெல்ல மண்டி வியாபாரிகள் கூறுகையில், ‘‘சேலம் செவ்வாய்பேட்டையில் தினசரி காலையில் நடக்கும் வெல்ல ஏல மண்டியில் 150 முதல் 200 டன் வெல்லம் விற்பனை நடக்கும். கடந்த வாரத்தில் சேலம் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள், மண்டிகளில் ஆய்வு நடத்தி, சோதனைக்காக வெல்ல மாதிரி எடுத்துச்சென்றார். வெல்லத்தில் கலப்படம் இருந்ததால், வியாபாரிகள் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்று எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளனர்.
இதனால் கடந்த வாரத்தில் நடந்த ஏலத்தில் வியாபாரிகள் யாரும் பங்கேற்வில்லை. வியாபாரிகள் தரமுள்ள வெல்லத்தை விற்பனை செய்ய தயாராக உள்ளோம். அதற்கு உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் ஒத்துழைக்க வேண்டும்’’ என்றனர்.
இது குறித்து வெல்ல உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் கூறியதாவது: காலங்காலமாக தற் போது உள்ள முறைகளின்படிதான் வெல்லம் தயாரித்து வருகிறோம். இது வரை எந்த பிரச்னையும் வரவில்லை. வெல்லம் உற்பத்தியில் ஒரு சிலர் எடை வரவேண்டும் என்பதற்காக சிறிதளவு அஸ்கா சர்க்கரை கலக்கின்றனர். இதனால் அனைத்து வெல்ல உற்பத்தியாளர்களும் பாதிக்கின்றனர். உணவுத்துறையின் கெடுபிடியால் வியாபாரிகள் வெல்லம் கொள்முதல் செய்ய தயக்கம் காட்டி வருகின்றனர். அதிகாரிகளின் இந்த நடவடிக்கையால், ஒரு வாரத்தில் ஆயிரம்டன் வெல்ல உற்பத்தி நிறுத்தப்பட்டு, லட்சக்கணக்கான ரூபாய் வர்த்தகம் முடங்கியுள்ளது. இவ்வாறு வெல்ல உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் கூறினர்.
லட்சக்கணக்கில் வர்த்தகம் முடக்கம் விலையேறும் அபாயம்
கடந்த ஒரு வாரமாக வெல்ல உற்பத்தியை நிறுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதால், மண்டிக்கு வெல்லம் வரத்து இல்லை. இந்நிலையில் வரும் அக்டோபரில் ஆயுதபூஜை, அதைத் தொடர்ந்து தீபாவளி, பொங்கல் பண்டிகை வருகிறது. தற்போது உற்பத்தி நிறுத்தி இருப்பதால், ஆயுதபூஜை, தீபாவளிக்கு வெல்லத்திற்கு தட்டுப்பாடு ஏற்படும் என்றும், இதனால் விலையேற வாய்ப்புள்ளது என்றும் வர்த்தகர்கள் தெரிவித்தனர்.

கலப்படமற்ற வெல்லம் தயாரிக்க உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை சார்பில் விழிப்புணர்வு கூட்டம்

பரமத்திவேலூர், செப்.6:பிலிக்கல்பாளையத்தில், கலெக்டர் தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியின் உத்தரவின் பேரில், மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை சார்பில், கபிலர்மலை வட்டார வெல்ல உற்பத்தியாளர்கள், வியாபாரிகள், மண்டிக்கடைக்காரர்கள் ஆகியோருக்கான ஆலோசனை கூட்டம் நடந்தது.
கூட்டத்திற்கு மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை நியமன அலுவலர் தமிழ்செல்வன் தலைமை வகித்தார். இதில் வெல்லம் தயாரிக்கும் போது, சர்க்கரை கலக்க கூடாது, ரசாயன பொருட்கள் எதையும் கலக்காமல் இயற்கையான முறையில் மட்டுமே வெல்லம் தயாரிக்க வேண்டும் என அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டது. கலப்படம் செய்து தயாரிக்கப்படும் வெல்லத்தை வியாபாரிகளோ, மண்டிக்கடைக்காரர்களோ வாங்கி விற்பனை செய்யக்கூடாது என வலியுறுத்தப்பட்டது.
மேலும் இப்பகுதியில் உள்ள வெல்ல ஆலைகளுக்கு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர்கள் நேரடியாக சென்று ஆய்வு செய்து, வெல்ல உணவு மாதிரியை பகுப்பாய்வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்து, அறிக்கையின்படி சட்டப்பூர்வ நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என எச்சரிக்கை விடுக்கப்பட்டது.
கூட்டத்தில் வெல்ல உற்பத்தியாளர்கள், வியாபாரிகள், மண்டிக்கடைக்காரர்கள் நூற்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்டோர் கலந்து கொண் டனர். இதற்கான ஏற்பாடுகளை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் சிவசண்முகம், சிவநேசன், இளங்கோவன் ஆகியோர் செய்திருந்தனர். வெல்ல மண்டி சார்பாக ராசு, தெய்வநாயகா, ரவிச்சந்திரன், சேகர் மற்றும் பொறுப்பாளர்கள் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.

Highlights of the FSSAI’s Fifteenth Authority Meeting

Lecithin Granules 

In a recent fifteenth Authority meeting held on 20th August 2014, FSSAI adopted the minutes of the 14th meeting with a few amendments in the ‘supplementary agenda’ as regards the use of lecithin and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate in biscuits 

Other items approved in the Supplementary Agenda are 

Use of synthetic colour in thermally-processed bell pepper, okra and spinach 

Approval of Sodium Alginate as a food additive in ice cream 

Finalization and adoption of draft FSSAI manuals on method of analysis of food

Chairperson Mr. K Chandramouli appreciated the work that the various Scientific Panel expert groups were presently undertaking to “strengthen the process of standard setting”. He said that the increase in the number of proposals of standardization that are going to the panels would be effective in implementation of the Act and safety of the consumers. He also informed the members that the proposed Amendment of the Act, to simplify the notification process (as approved by the Union Cabinet) had been presented in the Rajya Sabha in February 2014. He hoped that once the Amendment was passed setting standards would become faster. 

Most ‘Agenda Items’ were approved except couple of items where comments were invited. Microbiological standards of Milk and Milk products were approved but the technical suggestions would be taken up at the time of compilation of comments on draft notification. Approval for microbiological standards for fruit and vegetable products was held up and comments were invited due to biological hazards. 

Microbiological standards that were approved during this meeting are 

Standards for meat and meat products 

Standards for water used in food during its manufacture, preparation or treatment (water as an ingredient in food). 

Standards of lactic acid – food grade 

Standards of malt extract as recommended by Scientific Committee 

Adoption of ICMR/DBT guidelines for probiotics with minor modification in the title as ICMR/DBT guidelines, evaluation of probiotics in food 

Members were also informed about the ICMR guidelines for the safety assessment of foods derived from genetically engineered plants. 

The revised title for salted fish/dried salted fish was approved as ‘Dried/Salted and Dried fishery products’. Permitted additives as approved in Appendix A could be added, while chemical and microbiological requirements are to conform to regulations. A revised list of fish species with the potential to cause histamine fish poisoning was also approved and approval was given to revise the limits in levels of histamine, pharmacologically active substances, heavy metals, biotoxins and contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in fish and fishery products 

Final approval was made of the following draft notifications – 

Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Second Amendment Regulations, 2013 (No 1-83/Sci Pan – Noti/FSSAI-2012 dated May 16, 2013) 

Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Second Amendment Regulations, 2013 dated September 10, 2013 (No 1-83/Sci Pan – Noti/FSSAI-2012 dated May 16, 2013) 

The draft amendment for Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 w.r.t fixation of MRLs of 24 pesticides were recommended by the Scientific Panel on Pesticides and Antibiotic Residues of FSSAI and approved by the Scientific Committee in its meeting held in March 2014. 

The ingredients approved by the scientific committee on Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals and Dietetic Products and other similar products were also listed and approved at the meeting. 

The following Agenda items were also put forward for consideration and were approved 

Draft regulation on gluten-free and low gluten-food products 

Noted status on harmonisation of India’s food standards with Codex standards and other international best practices 

Considered manuals on adjudicating officer, designated officer and food safety officer 

Considered and approved harmonization of horizontal standards for 

microbiological contamination (mycotoxins) in food 

heavy metals for all food product categories 

naturally-occurring toxins (NOTS) for all food product categories 

FSSAI also confirmed the minutes of the 13th meeting held in January 2014. Director Codex informed the members that 

The papers submitted by two members on Areca nut have been sent to the concerned Director. 

FSSAI had sent its reply on May 2014 to the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI) on the issue of product approval process. 

Agmark was denotifying their standards, and the Bureau of Indian Standards was in the process of adopting them. Thereafter, the issue would be taken up. 

Comments regarding degumming would be referred to the concerned expert group for oils and fats.

How to keep water & ice free from contamination to ensure food safety?

Ice made of potable water 

Consumption of contaminated water is extremely dangerous and can lead to serious illness. A large number of diseases nowadays are waterborne. Water used for the following purposes needs to be safe and free of any contamination. 

Water for drinking 

Water for cooking as an ingredient 

Water for processing of food 

Water for washing of equipment, utensils, containers, kiosks etc. 

Water for hand washing 

While selection of foods is of great importance so as not to introduce hazards, which may be carried through the rest of the chain, it is equally or even more important to follow correct preparation and processing techniques, when water is used as an ingredient. From time to time carry out a chemical and bacteriological examination of the water from a NABL accredited/FSSAI notified laboratory. Water testing helps in designing a suitable treatment processes though the proper selection of filters and filtration techniques. 

According to FSSAI regulations water used for drinking, manufacturing, processing, cooking and washing. 

It must be potable, in continuous supply, of sufficient quantity, accessible and at a close distance or on one’s own premises 

Must have adequate storage arrangement and stored in a sanitary state in closed containers with taps for withdrawal 

Water used in beverages must be of an equivalent standard as that of drinking water 

Containers and water dispensers should be regularly emptied, cleaned and dried (by turning upside down) 

Clean the water storage tanks periodically and keep records of the same in a register 

Water used for food handling, washing, should be of such quality that it does not introduce any hazard or contamination to render the finished food article unsafe 

Ice and Steam 

Ice and steam can contaminate the food. Even though ice is in a frozen state but that does not remove chemical & biological hazards. Ice which is not made from the potable water, when added to food and beverages can introduce hazards into food. Both ice and steam that is produced, handled and stored must not contaminate food. The following precautions need to be followed: 

Prepare ice only with potable water 

Store and transport the ice in a sanitary manner 

Do not store food or beverages in the same container that was used for storing ice 

Non potable water can be used but only for cleaning of equipment not coming in contact with food. Non-potable water must not come in contact with food steam production, firefighting and refrigeration equipment. The pipes installed for this purpose must not carry water for other purposes and should not present any direct or indirect risk of contamination of the raw material, dairy products or food products so processed, packed and kept in the premise. 

Non potable water pipes 

Must be clearly distinguished from those in use for potable water 

Containers & Systems should be identified and labeled 

Must not connect with, or allow re fluxing into potable water supply.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food testing lab opens in Vadodara

VADODARA: The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and the Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) have set up a non-commercial food testing laboratory in the city.

The laboratory has been set up in accordance with global standards and is equipped to carry out microbiological and chemical testing. Restaurateu-rs, caterers, retail food traders, bakers, confectioners and othe-rs connected with the industry will be able to get their products tested at the laboratory.

"Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act (2006) makes it mandatory for food business operators (FBOs) to get their food products tested and accredited. The laboratories that currently exist are not sufficient for the present bakery federations, catering associations, food retail traders and mithaaiwala associations," said HRAWI president D S Advani.

"FBOs will have the advantage of testing their food products according to international standards at 40% to 50% lower costs than other commercial laboratories," said Advani.

The laboratory will be managed by a team of technologists trained to test Indian culinary samples. "FSSAI mandates self-declaration of food items from FBOs. But unlike other laboratories, we will send technologists to collect food samples personally to maintain transparency," said HRAWI Gujarat region chairman Nirav Gandhi.

HRAWI will also provide training to hoteliers to set up systems and procedures to make them independent in maintaining food safety norms.

Hotels will be accorded certifications upon maintaining proper safety levels for a year.

"The training programme will include setting up of a documented system on cutting, handling preservation of food and other raw materials. It will include training on temperatures at which different types of food articles need to be preserved and other defined parameters," said former HRAWI president Kamlesh Barot.

"The training programme will be tailor-made for each hotel according to ISO 22000 along with hazard analysis and critical control points certification norm. It will provide guidance in implementing FSSAI laws and procedures," added Barot.

Adulterant in edible oil

A tanker truck of edible oil from Tamil Nadu was found to contain adulterants, the office of the Commissioner of Food Safety has said. Its inspectors intercepted the consignment at Meenakshipuram check-post in Palakkad early on Saturday. Preliminary tests conducted in a mobile laboratory revealed the presence of adulterants. More samples had been sent for detailed analysis, sources said.

Food Safety Guidelines for thawing Food Prior to Cooking or Consumption

Frozen Corn
Dogs
To thaw the food means to bring food products from a freezing point to room temperature. Another name for thawing is defrosting. Food is frozen so that microorganisms do not grow and so no degradation or contamination takes place as long as the food remains frozen. However, bacteria begin to multiply when the temperature of food is above 4°C. Therefore when defrosting frozen food it is important to maintain temperatures even while it is thawing.
Food Business Operators must maintain a defrosting chart in their kitchens which states the time a particular quantity of food or a particular food may take to completely thawed. This will help to begin the defrosting process well in time so foods can be thawed at the right time for either cooking or consumption.
FSSAI guidelines for thawing foods so food safety is maintained:
FBOs must label all food packets being thawed with defrost date and time to indicate 2nd shelf life. Secondary shelf life is the time limit within which the food can be used safely once the original packaging is opened.
Temperature of thawed foods that have to be cooked should not be warmer than 5°C
Only thaw that much portion of food that is required
After thawing, food products must be used within 12 hours
Thawed food products should not be refrozen or kept in the chiller for use beyond 12 hours
DO NOT thaw foods in hot water
Meat, poultry and fish should be thawed in controlled temperatures of 5°C
Thawing containers must be marked green for vegetarian food and red for non vegetarian foods
The following methods can be used for thawing or defrosting food:
Refrigerator: Thawing in the fridge may be the easiest and the safest as there is minimum handling. Refrigeration thawing takes long and time varies, depending on the temperature inside the fridge.
Cold water: Sealed packets of food are easy to thaw in cold water. Place the package in covered water in a bowl or sink and change the water every 30 minutes till the food is thawed.
Running cold water Temperature of the cold water must be 15°C or less. Defrosting by this method should not be for more than 90 minutes. There must be an air break between tap and water. Food must be placed only in sanitised food grade utensil. Do not use kitchen sink for any other purpose while food is being thawed in the sink. This method is good for thawing shellfish and other sea foods.
Microwave thawing should be used if the thawed food is going to be cooked or consumed immediately or microorganisms could multiply. This is not recommended for meats as it leaves the food unevenly thawed.

Minutes concerning lecithin amended at 15th authority meeting of FSSAI

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s apex food regulator, convened its fifteenth authority meeting recently. It adopted the minutes of the 14th meeting after amending the minutes which respect to supplementary agenda number one, which concerns the use of lecithin and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate in biscuits.
Confirming the development, Pradip Chakraborty, director (zone/training), FSSAI, said, “The authority considered and approved the recommendation of the scientific committee and its subsequent draft amendment notification with respect to the use of lecithin in biscuits.”
K Chandramouli, chairman, FSSAI, chaired the meeting. Welcoming those present, he said, “After the last meeting, a number of scientific panel and expert group meetings were held, so that several important scientific matters regarding standard setting could be brought to this meeting.”
He drew the attention of the members of the authority to the various scientific panel, expert group and scientific committee meetings being held on a continuous basis to strengthen the process of standard-setting, and placed on record his appreciation for the work being undertaken by these bodies.
Chandramouli said, “The number of proposals for standardisation going to panels has increased. This would ultimately help in the effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and provide safety to the consumers as laid down in Section 16 of the Act.”
He stated that the proposed amendment to the Act, which was approved by the Cabinet for simplification in the notification process, was introduced in Rajya Sabha in February 2014. “That would help simplify the process, so that standard-setting is faster,” he added. D K Samantaray, FSSAI’s then chief executive officer, conducted the proceedings.
Item I: Disclosure of interest by members
All the members present during the meeting signed the Specific Declaration of Interest in respect of the agenda items to be considered in the meeting, before the proceedings of the meeting.
Item II: Confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held on January 31, 2014
FSSAI confirmed the minutes of its 13th meeting, held on January 31, 2014, While adopting the meeting, Vinod Kotwal, director, Codex, FSSAI, informed that the papers related to areca nut, submitted by two members of the authority, have been forwarded for considered to the concerned director.
With regard to the agenda item pertaining to the product approval process, it was informed that the issues raised by the joint secretary, ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI), were replied to by FSSAI in a letter dated May 2014.
Regarding agenda item number 12 of the 13th Authority meeting, it was informed Agmark was denotifying their standards, and the Bureau of Indian Standards was in the process of adopting them. Thereafter, the issue would be taken up.
Further, it was informed that the comments regarding degumming would be referred to the concerned expert group for oils and fats.
Item III: Action taken report - 13th authority meeting
As decided and recorded in the minutes of FSSAI’s 13th authority meeting, the action taken report on the agenda items of the meeting was enclosed as information to the authority’s members. The action taken reports of the previous meetings were also circulated.
Item IV: Chief executive officer’s report
Samantaray briefed those present about the activities undertaken by FSSAI after the last authority meeting with respect to:
Enforcement activities, including the number of Central licences and state registration/licences issued by the states;
Surveillance activities;
Training and capacity-building;
Information, education and communication (IEC) activities;
Scientific committees’/scientific panels’ meetings and the progress in the work of standard setting;
Harmonisation of standards with Codex, and
Codex activities and financeIt was informed that around 30 meetings of the scientific panels, expert groups and scientific committees have been held since the last authority meeting. FSSAI’s chief executive officer thanked the chairs and the members of the committees, panels and expert groups.
The details of participation in various Codex Committee meetings was given, and it was also informed that the first meeting of the Codex Committee meeting on spices and culinary herbs was held in Kochi in February 2014.
Samantaray also drew the attention of all the members towards important cases going on in the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court.
In the case of Virender Kumar Yadav versus the Union of India, which is pending before Lucknow High Court and is on the appointment of whole-time designated officers in Uttar Pradesh, FSSAI has initiated the process to amend Rule 2.1.2 (b) of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR), 2011, wherein it has been proposed that the period for appointment of designated officers has been amended from one year to five years.
Further, as per the High Court order dated April 25, 2013, FSSAI appointed Lucknow’s State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) as the training institute under the provisions of Rule 2.1.3 of FSSR, 2011.
A communication is being addressed to the governments of all the states and Union Territories for the appointment of full-time designated officers.
The expenditure finance committee (EFC) meetings were held on January 3, 2014 and March 24, 2014 to discuss the Central sector and centrally-sponsored schemes.
Agenda items
Approval for revised standards for salted fish or dried salted fish
Approval of revised list of fish species having potential to cause histamine fish poisoning
Approval for revision of limits oof histamine level for fish and fishery products
Approval for revised pharmacologically active substances prohibited for fish and fishery products
Approval for revised heavy metals in fish and fishery products
Approval for limits of biotoxins in fish and fishery products
Approval for limits of contaminants: Polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in fish and fishery products
Approval of microbiological standards for milk and milk products
Approval of microbial standards for fruit and vegetable products
Approval of microbial standards for meat and meat products
Approval for standards for water used into food during its manufacture, preparation or treatment (water as an ingredient in food)
Approval for standards of lactic acid - food grade
Approval for standards of malt extract
Approval for adoption of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)/Department of Biotechnology (DBT) guidelines for probiotics
Adoption of ICMR guidelines for the safety assessment of foods derived from genetically-engineered plantsDraft amendment to Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 with respect to the fixation of maximum residue limits of 24 pesticides recommended by the scientific panel on pesticides and antibiotic residues of FSSAI and approved by the scientific committee in its eleventh meeting, held on March 25, 2014.
Final approval of the following draft notifications - (a) Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Second Amendment Regulations, 2013 (No 1-83/Sci Pan - Noti/FSSAI-2012 dated May 16, 2013) and (b) Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Second Amendment Regulations, 2013 dated September 10, 2013 (No 1-83/Sci Pan - Noti/FSSAI-2012 dated May 16, 2013)
Ingredients approved in the meetings of the scientific panel on functional foods, nutraceuticals and dietetic products and other similar products and the scientific committee
Draft regulation on gluten-free and low gluten-food products
Status note on harmonisation of India’s food standards with Codex standards and other international best practices
Manuals on adjudicating officer, designated officer and food safety officer
Harmonisation of horizontal standards for microbiological contamination (mycotoxins) in food
Harmonisation of horizontal standards for microbiological contamination (mycotoxins) in food
Harmonisation of horizontal standards for microbiological contamination (mycotoxins) in food
Harmonisation of horizontal standards for microbiological contamination (mycotoxins) in food
Harmonisation of horizontal standards for heavy metals for all food product categories
Harmonisation of horizontal standards for naturally-occurring toxins (NOT) for all food product categories
Agenda arises from authority meeting held on January 31, 2014Supplementary agendas
Use of lecithin and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate in biscuits
Use of synthetic colour in thermally-processed bell pepper, okra and spinach
Approval of sodium alginate as a food additive in ice cream
Finalisation and adoption of draft FSSAI manuals on method of analysis of foodBesides Chandramouli and Samantaray, the following members of the authority participated in it:
Dr Arun Kumar Panda, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Utpal Kumar Singh, joint secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC)
Anuradha Prasad, joint secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Dr Lalitha Ramakrishna Gowda, chief scientist, Department of Protein Chemistry and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Mysore, Karnataka
Salim A Veljee, commissioner, food safety, Goa, and director, Food and Drug Administration, Goa
K S Rana, designated officer, Food Safety Cell, Chandigarh
Dr A R Sharma, chairman and managing director, Ricelaa Health Foods Ltd, Sangrur, Punjab
Vasudev K Thakkar, president, V Care Right and Duty non-government organisation, Vadodara
Shreya Pandey, All India Food Processors’ Association
Meetu Kapur, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Thanglura, Mizoram Consumers’ Union, Aizawl
Abukalam, Madina Munavara Coffee Estate, Chikmagalur, KarnatakaBesides Chakraborty and Kotwal (who is also FSSAI’s establishment and IEC director and financial advisor), it was attended by the following FSSAI officers:
Sanjay Dave, advisor
Sandhya Kabra, director, quality assurance, product approval and imports
Dr Meenakshi Singh, scientist, standards
Dr Bimal Kumar Dubey, director, enforcement and surveillance
Rakesh Kulshreshtha, joint director, management
Anil Mehta, designated officer, northern region
P K Karthikeyan, assistant director, regulation
Sanjay Gupta, assistant director, enforcement
B G Pandian, assistant director, imports
Dr Rajesh Kumar, scientist IV (1)

Antibiotics in the chicken we eat

APTHE THREAT: The antibiotics used in poultry are the same as the ones used for humans and will lead to resistant strains of bacteria.

It is imperative that the government takes urgent steps to deal with the growing misuse of antibiotics in the poultry industry

The road from Hyderabad to Bangalore is full of history. On the way is Banganapalli in Rayalaseema, a place with legendary history. Until the late 1700s it was a major area for diamonds. Quarried from there, diamonds were brought over to the Nizam’s Hyderabad, where thousands of merchants marketed it across the world. Strip-mined to the last carat by the late 1800s, we lost out to South Africa and South America both in production and sales of this king of gems.

Banganapalli has also been known for another king, mango — the king of fruits. Even today the Banganapalli mangoes (also called Benishan or spotless) give the much overrated Alphonso a run for the money. But alas, over the last decades, traders’ greed has led to a crisis. In their bid to ripen the fruit quickly and in the godown, they have resorted to using calcium carbide, which generates the fruit ripening gas ethylene, to do so. Result, the fruit is unevenly ripe and not as sweet as the tree-ripened ones. The residual carbide poses health hazards as well. The government appears to have finally woken up but has only issued warnings to the fruit sellers so far.

These days, as we drive from Hyderabad to Bangalore, what hits the eye is row after row of poultry farms. These are the chicken factories owned and operated not by the villager who may breed a few in his home, but by industrial hatcheries. These and similar ones elsewhere across the country have led to a “chicken and egg” revolution in India, somewhat similar to the green and white revolutions. The midday meal scheme in Tamil Nadu has introduced eggs as an occasional part of the meal for school children, with the admirable idea of better nutrition.

But there is a danger here. Just as with chemicals in the mango, or oxytocin in milk (a hormone that supposedly increases milk output in cows and buffalos), we now have a health hazard looming large in commercially produced chicken. The hazard here is the use of antibiotics in the feed given to the chicken for faster growth and to prevent any infection during hatching. Famous hatcheries such as Venky’s, Vetline India and Skylark Hatcheries regularly use antibiotics in order to reduce feed conversion ratios.

The environmental science journal Down to Earth, in its 1-15 August, 2014 issue, has highlighted the problem by analysing the antibiotic content in the chicken meat obtained from various markets in its labs, and the results are alarming. Typical antibiotics found in the chicken liver, muscles and kidney are the tetracyclines (such as doxycycline), fluoroquinolones (such as enrofloxacin) and aminoglycosides (such as neomycin).

Why are these dangerous? Repeated and prolonged exposure will lead to the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria. And these resistant strains will be passed on to the humans who consume them. Even the un-mutated bacteria in the meat can directly unleash an assault on the microbes in our guts. And note too that the antibiotics used in poultry are the same as the ones used for humans.

What about the inedible parts of the chicken that we throw away or bury in the ground? Resistant strains from the feather, bone and such are now transferred to soil, ground water, ponds and streams. In effect, as Down to Earth points out as a microbe becomes resistant, it influences other microbes present in the gut of the chicken and then those in the environment, making them resistant to a wide range of antibiotics.

It is thus imperative that government takes urgent steps to deal with this growing misuse of antibiotics in the poultry industry. Dr Chandra Bhushan of Down to Earth has come up with a set of recommendations. Some of these are: (i) Ban the use of antibiotics for growth promotion, (2) Do not allow the use of antibiotics in feed and improve the regulations of the Bureau of Industrial security (BIS) accordingly, (3) Do not allow the use of antibiotics critical for humans in animals, (4) Train veterinarians on the judicious use of antibiotics, (5) Set pollution standards and install pollution control systems to limit transfer of resistant bacteria and antibiotics from poultry farms to the environments, (6) Encourage development, production and use of alternative antibiotic-free growth promoters such as herbal supplements and better farm management practices, and (7) Develop an integrated surveillance system to monitor antibiotic-resistant trends in humans, animals and the food chain.

In all this, time is of the essence. Why? Microbes grow fast. Their generation time is in minutes and hours. The chances of mutation, and the time involved in generating newer strains are thus far, far lesser than in animals. In fighting microbes with newer and newer antibiotics, we are fighting a hard-to-win battle, rather reminiscent of the myth of the Corinthian king Sisiphus. His punishment for his deceitfulness was to roll a boulder uphill, only to watch it roll back down, and repeat it. Shall we therefore be wiser, since win we must?

D. BALASUBRAMANIAN

Stringent label rules choke city's sushi-to-Swiss chocolate supplies

Pune: 

Italian restaurant Dario's in the city has run out of ricotta salata, pecorino and goat cheese from France, and is having to adapt and substitute them in the cooking to keep patrons happy .

Like Dario's, several other fine-dining restaurants and their patrons are experiencing adearth of imported food products and upmarket food stores have almost no stocks of Swiss chocolates, cookies, canned fish, sushi ingredients, wasabi or Thai curry paste.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rules on product labeling has led to a shortage of imported food products from canned fish to condiments, sauces, vinegars, cheese, honey, pastas, and many other products.

Sources from the Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), a national body of food product importers, said the shortage across the country is over 50%, with close to 450 imported food products out-ofstock in Pune alone.

Over 4,000 containers are stuck at ports following the restrictions on labeling and may not arrive in time for the festive season (Diwali and Christmas). By this time, items like chocolates and biscuits used for gifting will be out of stock completely .

The forum has 127 corporate members, 45 associate members and 11,265 retailers.Amit Lohani, FIFI's national convenor, said, “The containers are stuck at Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata ports because of labeling deficiencies or because the imported food product labels do not match FSSAI rules. For instance, the green or red dot on labels to declare whether the item is vegetarian or non-vegetarian is not mandatory in other countries, but food products in India must have it.“ In addition, India has not updated its food standard procedures. “Officials do not have any standards to test an imported product. Food safety officials do not know what wasabi sauce is, and therefore do not accept the product. They also insist on labels in English, and do not allow stickers on labels either. But changing the entire label on the product is difficult for manufacturers for just one destination,“ said Lohani.

Industry sources said dairy products, sea food, meats, sauces, chocolates, fresh fruits, biscuits, olives, canola oil, canned fish, glutenfree products, apple cider vinegar and other products are out of stock or in short supply.

City-based restaurants cater to Italian, Chinese, southeast Asian, middle-eastern cuisines and are currently providing patrons with the nextbest substitutes to the missing ingredients.

The shortage has affected the clientele. A high-end res taurant in the city , specializing in sushi, said it has been out of tuna (from Norway) for days.

“Clients are not happy, but we are helpless,“ said a chef.

“Italian cuisine needs va riety, which under the circum stances, is tough to get. Each cheese has a typical flavour and substitution isn't a long term option. Ultimately , it af fects us as customers want their preferred flavours,“ said Rebecca Dezio, company di rector of Dario's.

The owner of another Ital ian restaurant in the city said they are dealing with a short age of meat, cheese, imported alcohol and sauces. “Quite a few dishes are off the menu be cause we do not have the ingre dients. We have had to compro mise on recipes too,“ she said. Praful Chandawarkar, owner of Malaka Spice, said they have been stocking up on the imported sauces. “Ready made sauces such as soy and fish sauce are scarce, so we pick them up in bulk when they come. Otherwise, there is no hope,“ he said.

Puru Gupta, chief execu tive officer and co-founder of healthyworld.in, a wellness so lution company , said, “A signif icant proportion of our portfo lio comprises imported health brands. But clearance from the Customs and the FSSAI for these health products faces a bottleneck. We have travelled to and shortlisted health prod ucts from ASEAN countries, but clearances at the port are an intimidating part for any brand to enter India.“

Label rules choke Pune’s sushi-to-Swiss chocolate supplies

PUNE: Italian restaurant Dario's in the city has run out of ricotta salata, pecorino and goat cheese from France, and is having to adapt and substitute them in the cooking to keep patrons happy. 

Like Dario's, several other fine-dine restaurants and their patrons are experiencing a dearth of imported food products. Upmarket food stores have almost no stocks of Swiss chocolates, cookies, canned fish, sushi ingredients, wasabi sauce or Thai curry paste. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rules on product labeling has led to a shortage of imported food products from canned fish to condiments, sauces, vinegars, cheese, honey, pastas, and many other products. 

Sources from the Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), a national body of food product importers, said the shortage across the country is over 50%, with close to 450 imported food products out-of-stock in Pune alone. 

Over 4,000 containers are stuck at ports following the restrictions on labeling and may not arrive in time for the festive season (Diwali and Christmas). By this time, items like chocolates and biscuits used for gifting will be out of stock completely. 

The forum has 127 corporate members, 45 associate members and 11,265 retailers. Amit Lohani, FIFI's national convenor, said, "The containers are stuck at the Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata ports because of labeling deficiencies or because the imported food product labels do not match FSSAI rules. For instance, the green or red dot on labels to declare whether the item is vegetarian or non-vegetarian is not mandatory in other countries, but food products in India must have it." 

In addition, India has not updated its food standard procedures. "Officials do not have any standards to test an imported product. Food safety officials do not know what wasabi sauce is, and therefore do not accept the product. They also insist on labels in English, and do not allow stickers on labels either. But changing the entire label on the product is difficult for manufacturers for just one destination," said Lohani. 

Industry sources said dairy products, sea food, meats, sauces, chocolates, fresh fruits, biscuits, olives, canola oil, canned fish, gluten-free products, apple cider vinegar and other products are out of stock or in short supply. 

City-based restaurants cater to Italian, Chinese, south-east Asian, middle-eastern cuisines and are currently providing patrons with the next-best substitutes to the missing ingredients. 

The shortage has affected the clientele. A high-end restaurant in the city, specializing in sushi, said it has been out of tuna (from Norway) for days. "Clients are not happy, but we are helpless," said a chef. 

"Italian cuisine needs variety, which under the circumstances, is tough to get. Each cheese has a typical flavour and substitution isn't a long-term option. Ultimately, it affects us as customers want their preferred flavours," said Rebecca Dezio, company director of Dario's. 

The owner of another Italian restaurant in the city said they are dealing with a shortage of meat, cheese, imported alcohol and sauces. "Quite a few dishes are off the menu because we do not have the ingredients. We have had to compromise on recipes too," she said. 

Praful Chandawarkar, owner of Malaka Spice, said they have been stocking up on the imported sauces. "Ready-made sauces such as soy and fish sauce are scarce, so we pick them up in bulk when they come. Otherwise, there is no hope," he said. 

Puru Gupta, chief executive officer and co-founder of healthyworld.in, a wellness solution company, said, "A significant proportion of our portfolio comprises imported health brands. But clearance from the Customs and the FSSAI for these health products faces a bottleneck. We have travelled to and shortlisted health products from ASEAN countries, but clearances at the port are an intimidating part for any brand to enter India." 

Going by the rules 

* Products must have a customized label just for India 

* All labels should bear the MRP, but this cannot be done separately for products coming to India 

* Labels must have the information in English, mention the manufacturer's name and ingredients

* Nutraceuticals and food products that do not meet India's standards cannot enter 

Out of stock 

Pasta sauces 

Gourmet sauces 

Quinoa flour 

Peanut butter 

Sushi ingredients 

Canned fish 

Sushi rice 

Thai curry paste

Regulatory Excess in Food Standards

Scant respect for the essential goal of regulation

Large consignments of premium whisky , wine, chocolates and other gourmet foods are stuck at ports, thanks to the efforts of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which says these do not conform to its labelling requirements. It is ridiculous that the food regulator insists that Indian consumers cannot feel secure till they know the precise ingredients of Johnnie Walker whisky , Château Latour wine and Lindt chocolate, never mind what goes into the making of mass-consumed varieties of local food and drink. Several sections of the food business have got together to challenge the appointment of the head of the FSSAI while the FSSAI threatens serious loss of revenue to the industry in the forthcoming festival season, with its obduracy and arbitrariness.

The most striking proof of the regulator's arbitrariness is its objection to use of the trade name canola for imports of this edible oil. It wants the trade to label imported canola packs `rape seed oil -low erucic acid', whi le the trade wants to call it canola oil, just as domestic bottlers of the oil imported in bulk do. The regulator's justification for its stance is that the Food and Agricultural Organisation's standards-setting Codex Alimentarius calls the oil by this name while listing canola as a synonym. The tra de points out that the same Codex has arachis oil as the main entry for groundnut oil but the regulator is happy to live with groundnut oil.

Clear and detailed labelling is desirable. But the trade needs to be given time to phase it in. Globally respected brands will not corrode the innards of Indians if they continue to come into the country bearing descriptions that satisfy, say, the US and the EU, till new labelling arrangements are complete. The larger point is about regulatory philosophy . The purpose of regulation is enlightened, sustainable growth of the sector. In food, this goal has given way to arbitrary assertion of the civil servant's power to cause damage. This is not acceptable. Both sides must abandon their mutual hostility between the regulator and the regulated, and work together.

Now, retrain your brain to crave healthy food

6-Month Diet Helps To Reverse Junk Food Addiction

Do you worry you're stuck craving chips even when you know you should be eating healthily? Fear not: new research has shown that it's possible to `retrain' the brain to be addicted to lowcalorie fare instead of junk food.

“We don't start out in life loving French fries and hating, for example, whole wheat pasta,“ said Susan BRoberts, co-corresponding author of the study published on Monday in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes.

“This conditioning happens over time in response to eating -repeatedly! -what is out there in the toxic food environment.“

The study put a group of obese volunteers through a six-month weight loss programme while gauging reactions to different foods, scanning the areas of the brain associated with learning and addiction using magnetic resonance imaging The researchers found that after a strict diet the participants' brains responded more actively to healthier food cues and showed a “decreased sensitivity to the unhealthy higher-calorie foods“.

“The weight loss program is specifically designed to change how people react to different foods, and our study shows those who participated in it had an increased desire for healthier foods along with a decreased preference for unhealthy foods, the combined effects of which are probably critical for sustainable weight control,” co-author Sai Krupa said in a press release.

“To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration of this important switch.” Details of the weight-loss regime are scarce but the researchers suggest that sev eral factors were key to `reversing' addiction including not only “highfiber, low glycemic“ foods but also “behaviour change education“. Coauthor Dr Thilo Deckersbach said: “Although other studies have shown surgical procedures can decrease how much people enjoy food generally , this is not very satisfactory as it takes away food enjoyment rather than making healthier foods more appealing.“

Unlicenced abattoirs in city stay put, Ambattur is top of the list with 90

The city is notorious for illegal slaughterhouses. Ambattur the list, with more illegal abattoirs than any other zone in Chennai, according to an actiontaken report on illegal meat shops, submitted to the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal.

According to the report, Ambattur zone is followed by Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar, Valasaravakkam, Sholinganallur and Adyar. Since March 2014, of 133 illegal shops closed, 51 were closed in Ambattur 25 in alsaravakkam and 15 in Adyar. Most applications for licences were from Sholinganallur, Valasaravakkam and Kodambakkam zones.

Meat shops in Ambattur, Alandur and Thiru-Vi-KaNagar received the largest number of licences. Prosecution was initiated against 37 shops in Thiru-Vi-Ka-Nagar and 11 each in Ambattur and Anna Nagar.

The deputy commissioner (health), who submitted the affidavit on behalf of the corporation commissioner, said: “Out of 421 unlicenced shops, we have closed 133 and issued licences to 179. Fifty shops have applied for licence and prosecution has started against 59 shops.“

Last year, People for Cattle in India (PFCI), a welfare organisation for animals, had moved the tribunal seeking a ban on illegal slaughterhouses in the city and suburbs.

In March 2014, the corporation's chief veterinary officer said there were 1,245 licensed and 421 unlicensed shops in the city and outskirts. Those without licences had been issued notices, he said.

When the matter came up for hearing last week, the civic body said it had “taken intensive public health measures to control illegal slaughter and sale of meat.“ It also “initiated constant surveillance“ through its 15 public health officers and 15 veterinary officials.

The PFCI counsel said 50 shops that had applied for licences, were carrying on business as usual. Also, according to a 1980 GO, meat shops and slaughterhouses across the state had to close on Mahaveer Jayanti, Vallalar day, Mahaveer Nirvan day and Thiruvallur Day .This is not being followed, he said.

A bench of judicial member M Chockalingam and expert member R Nagendran directed the civic body to “strictly comply with the GO“ and also ensure that meat shops are not open on October 5, Vallalar Day . “The tribunal fervently hopes to stop the functioning of unlicenced meat shops in the city,“ the bench said, posting the matter to November 11.

FSSAI appoints Sanjay Dave as Director (Enforcement)

In a major reshuffle of departmental work at the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the post of director (enforcement) has been handed over to Sanjay Dave. Dave is currently advisor to the apex food regulator, apart from being the chairman of Codex Alimentarius Commission, international food standards body, for two terms.

The decision was taken by the top brass of the FSSAI recently stated a report by Ashwani Maindola in FnB News.

The post of director (enforcement/surveillance) in recent times was held by Col. C R Dalal, who was an Army officer serving at FSSAI on deputation; and Vinod Kotwal, who after that went on to hold the position of director (Codex/FA/Estt) with the authority. The latest to hold that position was Bimal Kumar Dubey, from whom Dave would be taking over.

In another related move, Dr Sandhya Kabra, who is director (QA/PA), will not be looking after quality assurance (food imports) anymore. She will now be restricted to only product approval. With this change, rumours pertaining to Dr Kabra’s transfer have been laid to rest.

It is pertinent to mention here that in recent times, the issue regarding product approval of imported foods remained highly debatable and the Supreme Court, few days ago, stayed an order by the Bombay High Court, which had quashed issuing of advisories by FSSAI.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Two bakeries in Madhya Pradesh slapped FDA notices for using saccharin

Two bakeries in Chandan Nagar, Madhya Pradesh - Savera Bakery and New Bharat Bakery - were slapped notices by the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for selling bakery products containing chemicals that are unsafe for human consumption and could trigger cancer.

Manish Swami, Chandan Nagar’s food safety officer (FSO), informed, “We recently collected samples of bakery products from the production units of the two bakeries in Chandan Nagar and found that the products contained saccharin and were unsafe for human consumption.” 

“Saccharin is an artificial sweetner that blocks mental development, triggers stomach and liver disorders and is carcinogenic,” he added. He stated that officials from the department took action after receiving complaints from several consumers.

Swami said, “Samples of toasts were collected from the two bakeries last June, and sent them for testing to the laboratory in Bhopal, whose report revealed the use of saccharine as a sweetener and observed that it is not safe for human consumption.”

“After receiving the report from the laboratory, we issued the notice under Section 46 (4) of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 and asked both the establishments to get the samples retested at the Central Food Laboratory in Mysore,” he added. 

“If they fail to submit a detailed report within 30 days after the notice is issued, necessary action would be taken against them. We would be taking steps to prosecute them if they fail to furnish the requisite details in the given time,” stated Swami.

Speaking to FnB News about the comsumption of the toasts produced from bakeries informed, he said, “ The products produced in these two bakeries were largely sold at retail stores and also consumed at tea stalls in the cities.” 

“Both the establishments have an average production of 100kg, which are sold by retail outlets in Indore and nearby cities. We have issued notices. Once the notice period lapses, we would lodge prosecutions and shut their operations.”

Devendra Kumar Verma, senior food safety officer, Madhya Pradesh, said, “ Saccharin, if used in large quantities, is dangerous to health. It must be used in small quantities. It should not be used like food.” 

“The toasts made at the two bakeries against which our officials have taken action aganist and sent notices to contained large quantities of saccharin in their toasts,” he added

When quizzed about the maximum imprisonment for selling unsafe products, he said, “There is a fine that can extend upto Rs 5 lakh, along with a maximum prison term of three years for producing and selling unsafe products.”

In big food importers’ row with FSSAI, small businesses suffering most

THE deadlock over failure to obtain product approvals for imported foods by importers from authorities concerned, leading to holding up of several consignments at various ports and airports across the country, seems to have affected small-time F&B importers the most.

In fact, many of these small businesses have suffered such losses that they are on the verge of downing their shutters.

Best before date

For most of them, apart from stuck investment, the key issue is that F&B items being perishable they are of no use after the best before date. Mitesh Trivedi, who is based in Anand, Gujarat, and is managing director, Rands Multibiz Pvt Ltd, is facing a similar situation. Last September, he started importing Jaguar, an energy drink, from the United Kingdom. 

Stuck at Mumbai port

Since then, his consignment, worth Rs 6.5 lakh, is stuck at the Mumbai Port. Trivedi explains, “My product is still stuck at the Mumbai Port, and the reason they cite for it is product approval. FSSAI does not approve of the product I have imported from the United Kingdom.”

He adds, “One can of Jaguar costs me Rs 95. I placed an order worth Rs 6,50,000, and spent Rs 3,50,000 for transportation and other purposes. A consignment of the energy drink worth Rs 6,50,000 is stuck at the port.” Trivedi rues, “It would continue to be stuck unless the Supreme Court lifts the stay order on product approvals.

Expiry in Feb 2015 

The product is slated to expire in February 2015. In the fight between the regulator and bigger importers, I stand to lose Rs 10 lakh.” He concludes, “Running the business in these circumstances has become very difficult. Many small importers, including myself, have given up and wound up their businesses.”

Review is on

Meanwhile, a source at FSSAI, on the condition of anonymity, states, “The ministries of health and food processing industries are currently in the process of reviewing the role of the apex food regulator regarding the long delays in product approvals. It would take them some time to review it.”

He points out, “Earlier, Mumbai High Court quashed the FSSAI advisories, terming them unlawful. But later, FSSAI moved the SC, and obtained a stay order until October 2014.”

21 food outlets on AMC’s raid list

AHMEDABAD: AMC continued major raids on eateries in the city for the second day on Friday. The raids are among the few coordinated raids that the AMC has carried out on eateries in the recent past.

On Friday, the AMC’s health team raided Gurukripa lodge in Jamalpur and Ambika parotha house in Khadia and recovered raw material from the kitchens of these food outlets. Health authorities have warned that they would visit places in north and west zone on Saturday. The team has a list of 21 eating joints.

Meanwhile, AMC sealed 10 eating joints in the city as part of a food quality drive. Some prominent places included Fork and Knife and Hotel Palace, according to a release.

“We will continue similar health raids in the west, south and east zones. One of the reasons is that we are receiving cases at our urban health centres where patients have been complaining of stomach-related infections,” says a senior AMC health official.

Food Safety Guidelines For Foods With Gravy & Fried Food Products

Food with Garnishing

High Risk cooked and prepared foods need special handling to prevent the growth of microbiological contaminants. Food BusinessOperators have to maintain the right temperature for storing or heating. They have to also ensure that food is consumed within the specific time as mentioned in the FSSAI guidelines. Bacteria multiply very fast in food that is moist and which has the right acidity level for growth. To prevent the growth of bacteria all small and big food business establishments must remember the special precautions needed for foods with gravy. Special precautions have to be taken for high risk foods prepared in large quantities or prepared in advance such as for meetings, large social events, outdoor events or weddings.

Do not store food with gravy at room temperature for more than two hours during display or sale. Bacteria can easily double their numbers every 10 to 20 minutes.

Foods with gravy that need to be stored for longer periods should either be kept in

a) Refrigerators at 5°C or lower

b) Hot Holding at 60°C or higher

The hot holding equipment such as a slow cooker, Bain-marie or hot holding cart should not be used for cooking or reheating

Food products with gravy have to be reheated up to 70°C

No water should be added to gravy food after it has been cooked, reheated or boiled

Sometimes food needs to be garnished and so there is post cooked mixing but remember that ingredients and garnishing that are added to cooked food must be thoroughly washed and cleaned to prevent any cross contamination from handlers, water or kitchen surfaces.

Use only potable water for washing and clean thoroughly

Add ingredients only once food is ready to be served and serve food immediately if garnishing has been added to cooked food.

Prepare garnishing only from fresh, thoroughly washed and freshly cut vegetables 

Special requirements for fried foods 

FSSAI has set special guidelines for fried foods as oil that is not of the proper grade can degrade very fast. Using degraded quality of oil is a serious food safety hazard, so only good grade oil should be used and the oil sold in open form is strictly prohibited under the regulations. The repeated use of edible oil for frying can cause health problems as the concentration of toxic chemicals become worse. Food business establishments must remember

To use proper quality branded oils/fats for food preparation as well as for frying

Use only packaged oil

Avoid the use of oils with high trans fats

Avoid preheating and re-use of oil for food preparations especially in foods with gravy

Avoid having left over oil as far as possible

Use separate deep fryer utensils for potatoes and those for meats, chicken and fish

Re-use of cooking oil should be avoided and in case of reuse of cooking oil then it should not be used more than three times to avoid formation of trans fats.

What Is Food Adulteration?

Food Colors

Food adulteration is the process in which the quality of food is lowered either by the addition of inferior quality material or by extraction of valuable ingredient. It not only includes the intentional addition or substitution of the substances but biological and chemical contamination during the period of growth, storage, processing, transport and distribution of the food products, is also responsible for the lowering or degradation of the quality of food products. Adulterants are those substances which are used for making the food products unsafe for human consumption.

Under the previous food laws any food product with lowered or degraded quality used to be defined as Adulterated Food but under the new laws (FSS Act, 2006), the word adulterated food has been termed as Substandard Food, Unsafe Food or Food containing the extraneous matter.

Food products are said to be adulterated if their quality is adversely affected by adding of any substance which is injurious to health or by abstracting a nutritious substance.

A food item is said to be adulterated if:

A substance which is added is injurious for human consumption.

An inferior substance substitutes wholly or partly.

A valuable ingredient has been abstracted from the food product, wholly or in part.

Various types of adulterants found in the food products are as follows:

Intentional adulterants; like coloring agents, starch, Pepperoil, injectable dyes and others.

Incidental adulterants; like pesticide residues, larvae in foods, droppings of rodents.

Metallic contaminants; like lead, arsenic, effluent from chemical industries etc.

According to the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, if any person imports or manufactures for sale, or stores or distribute any adulterant, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, shall be liable

For a penalty up to Rupees two lakhs, if the adulterant is not injurious to health.

For a penalty up to Rupees ten lakhs, if the adulterant is injurious to health.

Further it is provided that, in a proceeding under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, it is not a defense that the accused was in possession of an adulterant on behalf of any other person.

Food Safety Guidelines for Water Based Chutneys and Sauces

Water Based Chutneys and Sauces

Water based chutneys and sauces served at the food establishments need to be processed and handled hygienically according to the food safety standards to ensure – they are safe for the consumers. Chutneys and Sauces are High Risk Foods as these are made of raw foods like fruits or vegetables like tomatoes, green onions and peppers; they can easily become contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Fresh chutney and sauce ingredients like green chilli, coriander, mint or raw mangoes must be thoroughly washed and cleaned. Personal hygiene and cleanliness of knives, chopping boards and grinders is very important as these chutneys are not cooked. Once prepared, they must be refrigerated if they are not being consumed immediately.

Water activity and pH level in chutneys and sauces 

Chutneys and sauces that are made for longer use must be processed properly even though they are naturally ‘preserved’ by acidity levels of these foods. Fruits have natural acids but to lower the pH level (acidity level) to about 4.6, vinegar or other acids are used. Low pH levels prevent the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeasts and other contaminants. Water activity is the water that is found in food which can cause bacterial growth. Chutneys and sauces that have water activity of less than 0.85 (vapor pressure is 85% of the pure water) are considered safe regardless of the acidity factor as there will be hardly any water to allow the growth of microorganisms. Proper heating also preserves chutneys and sauces and keeps them safe for longer shelf life.

Food Business Operators must follow these FSSAI guidelines to provide consumers with the safe water based sauces and chutneys:

Wash all fruits and vegetables properly before processing

Use only clean and disinfected chopping boards, grinding stones or mixing machines

Ensure personal hygiene of food handlers

Use only safe and potable water in the chutneys

Use only permitted food additives when required and they should be added in the recommended quantities only

Discard spoiled products that show signs of spoilage like change in colour, texture or odour

Store sauces and chutneys in fully intact glass or food grade plastic containers with proper lids

Refrigerate chutneys and sauces when they are not being used

Consume immediately those chutneys that are perishable or are not cooked

Moisture and oxygen are two factors that encourage the growth of bacteria and hence they must be reduced to minimum levels possible in sauces and chutneys that are being stored.

Cook the sauces and chutneys to reduce water concentration so water is not available for the growth of microorganisms

Use either water canning process or pressure canning to reduce the chances ofcontamination

Seal the glass and plastic storage jars properly so that minimal oxygen is left in the jar.