This World Food Day: Hope is Brewing in your cuppa!

Let me take you to the peace and quiet of the tea gardens of Assam, Nilgiris, Darjeeling and Meghalaya, where every tea leaf is brimming with life of its own. Here reside some of the people who care and nurture for your tea leaf before it gets processed, packaged and finally brewed to perfection
A Woman picking tea leaves in Munnar, Kerala. By Neha Saigal

Ever wondered what the person looks like behind your perfect cup of tea?
I don’t think many people do, as chai is all about making one’s own physical and mental state better. But what if I tell you that the person behind your tea is thinking about you, would you be surprised. I bet you would be!
But here is how I know this for a fact as I was fortunate enough to be part of a Greenpeace campaign that was all about making the future of Indian tea better. It started with a report release in Mumbai called Trouble Brewing, in August, which revealed the extent of pesticide residues in tea of our favourite brands globally and nationally. This was of course shocking to us as it was for the thousands of consumers who became aware about the issue. Nobody expects a beverage that you consume like water, daily, to be contaminated with pesticides like DDT, Endosulphan and Monoscrotophos.
But here we had 46 samples across major tea brands testing positive for a toxic cocktail of pesticides!
We took the results of the study along with the voices of thousands of Indians who came along with us on this journey of clean chai, to these tea companies. We were not surprised when most of them did the right thing and committed their support and investment in phasing out pesticides in tea cultivation, starting from next year. This was not only a huge boost to people power but a reassurance that tea companies had a commitment to keep their tea drinkers safe and happy everywhere.
The fact that a tea brand would go the extra mile to satisfy its consumer wouldn’t surprise most of us urban folk. But that’s not the end of the story. The best part is coming up!


Tea is well-known for the broad spectrum of medicinal benefits it provides to its daily drinkers. However, this hot cup of delicacy can become a part of your first aid kit owing to its many other .If for a few seconds I could take you away from your noisy and busy spaces to the peace and quiet of the tea gardens of Assam, Nilgiris, Darjeeling and Meghalaya, where every tea leaf is brimming with life of its own. Here reside some of the people who care and nurture for your tea leaf before it gets processed, packaged and finally brewed to perfection.
I am referring to the tea growers, the chances are that you will never get to know these people. But I am going to introduce you to a few that Greenpeace had come across in our quest to find ecologically grown, sustainable tea.
First there is Tenzing Bodosa who is from the Kachibari village of Assam, small tea grower who stopped using chemical pesticides to grow his tea, as he witnessed the impacts of these pesticides in the surrounding environment. He then decided that he didn’t want to poison people who finally drink his tea and stopped using chemicals in his tea cultivation. Then there is Ramesh Babu another small tea grower from the jewel like hills of Nilgiris. Everyone including his wife thought he was crazy when he decided to grow tea without chemicals. But determination and a love for his surrounding environment kept him going and today he advocates that ecological tea cultivation is not only environment friendly but also economically viable.
There are many tea growers large and small who are using a variety of practices and alternative pest control methods from neem leaves to cow urine to grow their tea in tune with the ecosystem without any chemicals to ensure they serve us good and clean tea. And if there is one thing we have learnt from these growers is that, like there is no single way to make your favourite cup of tea, there is no one way of growing safe and sustainable tea, there are a variety of them, some of which have been documented by Greenpeace in our report “Hope Brewing: Kotagiri to Kachibary: Case Studies on Ecological tea cultivation.”
The tea companies and tea growers who are thinking about the people who consume their tea symbolise that hope is truly brewing and there is a way out of this pesticide treadmill for the tea sector in India.
From this World Food Day (Oct 16th), the theme of which is about farmers this, I do hope your cuppa is not only about you but all those faces behind your tea, that are striving to make the future of Indian tea pesticide free.
Neha Saigal is a Senior Campaigner with Greenpeace India. Tweet your feedback to@NehaSaigal24

Rally to mark World Food Day on Oct 16

As much as 18 per cent of cooked food gets wasted in the city, a research by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, revealed. The figure could be higher now considering the study was undertaken two years ago, according to Karnataka Lekakiyara Sangha president Vasundhara Bhupathi.
Highlighting the research findings at a press conference here on Tuesday, she spoke about the programmes lined up for World Food Day which is observed on October 16. The day would be used to underscore the significance of not wasting food, she said, adding that the programme is being organised by the Food Conservation Campaign Committee, Madikeri, in association with the Karnataka State Science Council and the Karnataka Lekakiyara Sangha.
A public rally on the theme ‘Right to eat, not to waste’ will be organised. The rally, led by freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, includes people from all walks of life such as writers G. Ramakrishna, M.R. Nagaraj, S.D. Siddaramaiah, Marulasiddappa, environmentalist Suresh Heblikar, former Minister B.T. Lalitha Nayak, women’s organisations, college and school students and art troupes. It will commence from Malleswaram Grounds at 10 a.m. and will reach Freedom Park on Seshadri Road, where a public programme would be held after 12 p.m., Ms. Bhupathi added.
Elaborating on the study findings, Ms. Bhupathi said that 75 marriage halls in Bangalore were part of the research. Out of the 17.48 per cent food that goes wasted a year, 8 per cent is not even served. The value of the total wasted food could be a staggering Rs. 140.15 crore.
Former Minister Lalitha Nayak said that the awareness programme on food wastage may help curb wastage. “When large number of people are starving for food, each grain of rice is of utmost importance,” she said.

ILLEGAL FACTORY 100 quintals of unhygienic sweets seized

Dr Shivcharan Kahlon, district health officer, along with other members of his team inspects the sweets during the raid in Amritsar on Wednesday.

Amritsar, October 15
While the festive season is underway, the Health Department has seized around 100 quintals of sweets that were being prepared in unhygienic conditions in an illegal factory in the Mustafabad area on the Batala road during a raid last evening.
According to information, the owner of the factory did not have the requisite license under the Food Safety and Standard Act for storing and preparing such huge quantities of sweets. Health officials revealed that the sweets were being prepared and stored in highly unhygienic conditions where rats were roaming freely and the sweets were not even covered to prevent dust and dirt from falling on these.
The sweets were to be distributed in Gurdaspur, Dinanagar, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur and other adjoining areas of Amritsar, including the Jalandhar and the Tarn Taran areas. The department took samples of the sweets, which were sent to Chandigarh for examination.
Dr Shivcharan Kahlon, district health officer, said the factory was owned by Naresh Kumar of the Jawahar Nagar area, who also reached the site later on. Kahlon said the department had sealed the factory and 100 quintals of sweets stored there. Further action would be initiated after getting the report.
“It would have taken more than a day to prepare such a huge quantity of sweets. That means it was several days old and hence could be dangerous for the health of the people,” Kahlon pointed out.
He further said that according to the Food Safety and Standard Act, it was mandatory to have medical examination of all persons, be it owners or employees involved in preparing food items, done. But no one in the factory here had the documents regarding their medical examination. He reinforced the fact that sweets were being prepared in a filthy environment.

FDA to food biz operators: Ensure quality

Stating that food business operators are food ambassadors, health secretary Dr Sharat Chavan urged them to ensure safety standards are maintained while preparing sweets.
“Prepare the sweets the same way that you would prepare for your family,” he added.
Chavan was speaking at a workshop conducted on Wednesday by the Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on good sanitation and hygienic practices to be adopted by food business operators. The workshop was held at the FDA premises at Bambolim.
Speaking further, Chavan said consumers buy sweets from the vendors as they have trust and faith that it would be safe for their health.
“To retain this trust and faith, it is important that vendors ensure that quality and safety along with taste and nutrition are maintained,” he opined.
Speaking on the occasion, FDA Director Salim Veljee said the aim of the workshop is to impart knowledge on how to run business of sweet mart and Farsan in a safe manner. “Put into practice whatever knowledge you gain at the workshop,” he appealed to the vendors.
Drive to check adulterated food
OLD GOA: Directorate of Food and Drugs Administration will begin a drive, from Friday, to keep a check on adulterated food in view of the forthcoming Diwali festival.
FDA Director Salim Veljee informed that the department will form special squads for inspection.
“The consumer should ensure that they buy food products which have proper label, identification of product, packed date, best before use date, etc,” he informed.
He informed that from January 1, 2015, it is mandatory for every food product to contain the food safety license number of the manufacturer.
Veljee said if the consumers have any doubt they should lodge a complaint with the FDA on 2459226 or 2459230.

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை நியமன அலுவலர் அதிரடி மேட்டூரில் பலகாரம் தயாரிப்பு கூடங்களில் சோதனை

மேட்டூர், அக்.16:
சேலம் மாவட்டம், மேட்டூரில் ஸ்வீட் கடைகள் மற்றும் பலகாரங்கள் தயாரிக்கப்படும் திருமண மண்டபங்களில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர் அனுராதா நேற்று அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினார்.
தீபாவளி பண்டிகையையொட்டி, ஸ்வீட் கடைகளில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் இனிப்புகளின் தரம், பேக்கிங் பாக்கெட்டுகளில் தயாரிப்பு தேதி ஆகியவற்றை ஆய்வு செய்தார். இதையடுத்து, திருமண மண்டபங்களில் தயார் செய்யப்படும் பலகாரங்களின் தரம், பயன்படுத்தப்படும் எண்ணெய் ஆகியவற்றை ஆய்வு செய்து, இனிப்புகளை தயாரித்து பேப்பர்களில் வைக்க கூடாது என எச்சரித்தார்.
பலகாரங்களின் நிறம் கூடுவதற்காக, வண்ணப்பொடிகள் சேர்க்க கூடாது எனவும் அறிவுறுத்தினார். ஆய்வின்போது சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில் பண்டங்கள் தயாரித்தவர்களுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது. அப்போது, மேட்டூர் நகராட்சி உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர்கள் மாரியப்பன், இளங்கோவன், சிவானந்தம் உள்ளிட்டோர் உடனிருந்தனர்.

Food safety officials conduct raids across city

Danaraju, Food Safety Officer, inspects a sweet stall on Bharathi Street in Puducherry on Wednesday.
Food safety officials conducted raids across the city on Wednesday to check purity of sweets during the festive season.
The team, led by I. Danaraju, Food Safety Officer, took over 20 samples of sweets from various outlets in Bharathi Street in Puducherry, Mudaliarpet, Ariyankuppam and Villianur to check the quality of raw materials. Owners were instructed to maintain hygiene and quality as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Mr. Danaraju said that some made use of used palm oil with refined oil and offered discounts to meet the high demand. Sweets are also prepared in advance and sold in bulk. The samples would be tested at the Food and Drugs Testing Laboratory here. If any adulteration was found, stringent action would be taken under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Public can send messages to 94435 36146 on adulteration in sweets, he added.

18 tonnes of adulterated pepper seized in Chennai

The food safety department on Wednesday seized 18 tonnes of adulterated pepper coated with cancer-causing mineral oils.
CHENNAI: The food safety department on Wednesday seized 18 tonnes of adulterated pepper coated with cancer-causing mineral oils such as liquid paraffin and burnt diesel oil in Broadway.
A team of officials raided the godown of a wholesaler on Varadha Muthaiappan Street and seized adulterated pepper worth 1.50 crore and 400 litres of mineral oil. "We sealed the godown of Venkateswara Traders and took samples for checks. The adulterated pepper will be destroyed with the consent of Spices of India," said an official.
The department received a tip about the illegal trade from a retailer in Old Washermenpet. "We seized adulterated pepper from him and traced the origin of the illegal trade after enquires," the official said adding that more raids would be initiated in the next few days.
"The mineral oil was used as a fungicide and polishing agent. We had seized it for the first time even though the practice had been in place for long. The use of any mineral oil in pepper is prohibited according to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act," the official said.
Sources say mineral oils are used to give more weight and dark black colour to pepper. "It is one of the methods to preserve the spice. But black pepper coated with mineral oil gives out a kerosene like smell," said a trader.
Experts say pepper coated with mineral oil is considered carcinogenic.
Santhana Rajan of the Consumer Association of India said few customers checked spices. "Adulterated pepper will have a shiny look due to addition of mineral oils but it can easily be identified by the colour."
He said traders engaged in the malpractices were not aware of the health risks. "No awareness campaigns are conducted to sensitise them."

DAILY THANTHI NEWS

பாலமலையில் புகையிலை பாக்கெட் பறிமுதல்

மேட்டூர்: உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர், மேட்டூரில் நேற்று நடத்திய ஆய்வின்போது, புகையிலை பாக்கெட்டுகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. தீபாவளி ஸ்வீட்கள் மாதிரி எடுத்து ஆய்வுக்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டது.சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதா மற்றும் அலுவலர்கள் மேட்டூர் தாலுகாவில், நேற்று மேச்சேரி, மேட்டூர், கொளத்தூரில் தீபாவளிக்காக திருமண மண்டபங்களில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் ஸ்வீட்களை ஆய்வு செய்தனர்.

ஆய்வின்போது, ஸ்வீட்களை, வெண்ணெய் காகிதத்தில் மட்டுமே அடுக்கி வைக்க வேண்டும், சாதாரண காகிதங்களில் வைக்க கூடாது. ஸ்வீட் மற்றும் கார வகைகளில் நிர்ணயித்த அளவு கலர் மட்டுமே சேர்க்க வேண்டும் என, அறிவுரை வழங்கினார். மேச்சேரி, மேட்டூர் மண்டபங்களில் கலர்பொடி அதிகம் கலந்து தயாரித்த ஸ்வீட் வகைகளை ஆய்வுக்காக எடுத்து கொண்டனர்.
மேட்டூரில் விற்பனைக்காக ஆட்டோவில் எடுத்து சென்ற, "சீல்' மற்றும், "பில்' இல்லாத தண்ணீர் கேன்களை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். பின்பு கொளத்தூர் அடுத்த பாலமலை பஞ்., ராமன்பட்டியில் இரு பெட்டிகடைகளில் சட்டவிரோதமாக விற்பனை செய்யப்பட்ட, புகையிலை பாக்கெட்டுகளும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது.

கலப்பட எண்ணெயில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டதா புதுவை ஸ்வீட்ஸ் கடைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி சோதனை

புதுச்சேரி, அக். 16:
கலப்பட எண்ணெயில் இனிப்புகள் தயாரித்து விற்கப்படுகிறதா? என புதுவை ஸ்வீட்ஸ் கடைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.
தீபாவளியை முன் னிட்டு ஸ்வீட்ஸ் கடை களில் இனிப்பு வகைகள் அதிகளவில் விற்பனை யாகும். இந்த வாய்ப்பை பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டு சில கடைகளில் உடல்நலத்திற்கு கேடு விளைவிக்கும் காலாவதியான பொருட் கள், கலப்பட மற்றும் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட எண்ணெய் மூலம் இனிப்பு வகைகள் செய்து விற்கப்படுவதை தடுக்க உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதி காரி தனராஜ் தலைமையில் ஊழியர்கள் நேற்று அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.
பாரதி வீதி, முதலியார்பேட்டை, ரெட்டியார்பாளையம் பகுதிகளில் 50க்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஸ்வீட்ஸ் கடைகளில் இச்சோதனையை மேற்கொண்டனர். பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட சமையல் எண்ணைகளை மீண்டும் பயன்படுத்தி இனிப்பு வகைகளையோ, தின்பண்டங்களையோ தயாரித்து விற்கக் கூடாது, எந்த எண்ணெய் பயன்படுத்தி இனிப்புகள், தின்பண்டங்கள் தயாரிக்கப்படுகின்றன என்ற விவரத்தை வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் அறியுமாறு எழுதி வைக்க வும் அறிவுறுத்தினர்.
மேலும், ஸ்வீட்ஸ் கடைகளில் விற்கப்படும் இனிப்பு வகைகளை ஆய்வக சோதனைக்காக எடுத்துச் சென்றனர்.
பெட்ரோலியம் ஈதர் இயந்திரம் மூலம் பரிசோதனைக்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டு, அது எந்த எண்ணெயில் செய்யப்பட்டது, கலப்படமா போன்றவற்றை அறிய முடியும். இதுபற்றி அதி காரி தனராஜ் கூறும்போது, இனிப்பு வகைகள் பாமா யில், சுத்திகரிக்கப்பட்ட சூரியகாந்தி எண்ணெய், நெய் ஆகியவனவற்றில் எதில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டது என தெளிவாக வாடிக்கையாளர்கள் அறியும் வகை யில் எழுதி வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும். இதன் மூலம் அதிக விலை கொடுத்து வாங்குவது தவிர்க்கப்படும். சூரியகாந்தி எண்ணை யில் செய்யப்பட்டதை நெய்யில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டது என கூறி விற்பது உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டப்படி குற்றமாகும். பொதுமக்கள் குறைந்த விலையில் விற்கப்படும் இனிப்பு பண்டங்களின் தரம் அறிந்து கவனமாக வாங்க வேண்டும். தாங்கள் வாங்கும் இனிப்பு பண்டங்கள் தொடர்பாக ஏதேனும் புகார் இருந்தால் 94435&36146 என்ற எண் ணில் தொடர்பு கொள்ள லாம், அல்லது எஸ்எம்எஸ் அனுப்பலாம் என்றார்.

பாலில் கலப்படம் பால் வியாபாரிக்கு 3 மாதம் சிறை

சாத்தூர், அக். 16:
பாலில் கலப்படம் செய்து விற்ப னை செய்த வழக்கில் பால் வியாபாரிக்கு 3 மாதம் சிறை தண்டனை விதித்து சாத்தூர் கோர்ட் தீர்ப்பளித்தது.
சாத்தூர் நகராட்சி பகுதிகளில் நகராட்சி உணவு ஆய்வாளர் நாராயணன் கடந்த 2010ம் ஆண்டு ரோ ந்து பணியில் ஈடுபட்டார். அப்போது பொதுமக்களு க்கு விநியோகிக்கப்படும் பால் தரத்தை ஆய்வு செய்துள்ளார். இதில் சின்னகொல்லபட்டியை சேர்ந்த பால் வியாபாரி சோலை ராஜ் கொண்டு வந்த பசும்பாலில் கலப்படம் செய்யப்பட்டிருந்தது தெரிய வந்தது.
உணவு கலப்பட தடைச்சட்ட இணை இயக்குநர் மற்றும் விருதுநகர் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் கவிக்குமார் ஆலோசனையின் பேரில் பால் வியாபாரி சோலை ராஜ் மீது சாத்தூர் கோர் டில் வழக்கு தொடரப்பட்டது.
வழக்கை விசாரித்த நீதிபதி மாரியப்பன், பால் வியாபாரிக்கு 3 மாதம் சிறை தண்டனையும், ஆயி ரம் ரூபாய் அபராதமும் விதித்து தீர்ப்பளித்தார்.

Vendor jailed for selling adulterated milk

A 40-year-old milk vendor of Kollapatti village near here was convicted for selling adulterated milk.
Magistrate K. Mariappan of Judicial Magistrate (II) Court, Sattur sentenced him to undergo simple imprisonment for three months and imposed a fine of Rs. 1,000.
According to prosecution, during a surprise inspection carried out in 2010, the accused identified as Solairaj (40) was found guilty of selling adulterated milk deemed unfit for consumption.
S. Narayanan, the Food Safety Officer, Sattur Municipality conducted a raid on November 05, 2010 and seized the milk, which was sent for analysis at a laboratory in Madurai.
Later, tests revealed that the SNF (Solid Not Fat) content was below eight per cent and it was adulterated.
A case was registered against the milk vendor under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
Tests revealed that SNF (Solid Not Fat) content was below eight per cent and it was adulterated

Food safety, testing standards for midday meal from Jan 1

A protocol for standards in food safety and testing to ensure quality of the meals and appropriate nutrition standards under the Mid Day Meal Scheme will be rolled out in the coming New Year.
This was decided at a meeting of the empowered committee for the Mid Day Meal Scheme under the chairpersonship of Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani here today, an official release here said.
The committee reviewed the implementation of the Mid Day Meal Scheme and decided to strengthen the monitoring system as also ensure community participation in its execution.
Another decision taken was regarding introduction of the practice of 'Tithi Bhojan' across the country, based on its success in Gujarat where community members contribute to improve quality of the school mid day meals on a happy occasion/event in the family be it a birthday or festival.
Representatives of state governments, food and nutrition experts and senior officers of the Central Government took part in the meeting.

Midday meals: Food safety measures, testing standards to be introduced

NEW DELHI: After several postponements, the empowered committee on midday meal headed by HRD minister Smriti Irani met on Wednesday.
Though several decisions were taken, HRD ministry did not say anything about increasing the remuneration of cook-cum-helpers who get paltry Rs 1000 per month. Cabinet note proposing monthly salary of Rs 2000 was rejected by the new government and since then has been gathering dust in the ministry. Considered crucial to the MDM operation, poor state of cook-cum-helpers has been pointed out by several independent studies. After last year's tragedy in Bihar that led to the death of more than 20 children, poor working condition of cook-cum-helpers was highlighted. Increasing the salary could have led to additional expenditure of Rs 2000 crore per annum.
Irani asked state governments to resolve the issue of payment to Food Corporation of India which supplies foodgrains for MDM throughout the country. Since HRD ministry releases fund for food grains in advance, state governments were asked not to keep arrears. Bihar government that owes over Rs 100 crore to FCI was told to clear the arrears.
Bihar education minister Brishen Patel told the meeting that centralized kitchen be made at the block level so that teachers do not get involved in the task of cooking. It is unlikely that Patel's suggestion will be accepted.
Meeting stressed on increasing safety measures in cooking and regular testing of cooked food. In order to ensure quality of the meals and appropriate nutrition standards under MDM, it was decided to introduce a protocol for standards in food safety and testing. It will be rolled out from next year.

But it is Tithi Bhojan scheme on which a lot of time was spent in the meeting. Initially started in Gujarat , the scheme envisages contribution from community members to mid-day meal on occasions like festivals, birthdays or any happy occasion. Even those whose children do not go to school can contribute by getting something special to eat for children. Variants of Tithi scheme is found in other states. Now it will be expanded at the national stage.

HC bans import of food additive Allura Red

The Delhi High Court today banned import of food additive Allura Red AC, also a colouring agent, after the country's food safety authority admitted it was a prohibited chemical.
A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul, however, questioned how the additive was being permitted to be imported according to guidelines issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) Chairman.
"If it is prohibited, it is prohibited. How is he (FSSAI Chairman) permitting it," the court asked the lawyer appearing for the authority.
While the FSSAI Chairman had allegedly allowed import of food items having chemicals permitted in the Codex Alimentarius - a collection of internationally recognised standards relating to foods, food production and food safety - which has not banned Allura Red, the authority in its affidavit had admitted that the additive was prohibited.
The court questioned how FSSAI is authorising labs for testing food items in general as well as imported eatables and how the jurisdiction of the laboratories is being determined.
It also expressed its dissatisfaction with the affidavit of FSSAI with respect to authorising of labs for testing food items in general and imported food articles according to FSSAI regulations.
"Proper affidavit be filed indicating compliance of the regulations and also specifying the manner of notification and area of jurisdiction of each lab," the court said and listed the matter for hearing on December 3.
FSSAI in its affidavit had said there are around 68 private accredited labs which have been tasked with testing safety of food items.
However, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner - NGO Lok Jagriti - questioned the accreditation of the labs as well as their authorisation to test food items, especially those that are imported, saying no notification to that effect has been issued by FSSAI.

WHO raises red flag against energy drinks

The global health watch dogs have announced that energy drinks are all set to become a significant public health problem if their use among young people is not addressed.

LONDON: For the first time, the World Health Organization has raised the red flag against energy drinks.
The global health watch dogs have announced that energy drinks are all set to become a significant public health problem if their use among young people is not addressed.
They have called for a cap on caffeine levels and restrictions on their sale and marketing.
Energy drinks are known to contain high caffeine levels, which cause palpitations, hypertension, vomiting, convulsions and in extreme cases heart failure leading to death.
It said that in 2006, almost 500 new brands of energy drinks were released worldwide. The energy drink industry is booming, with sales of energy drinks estimated to be over $ 12.5 billion in 2012, an increase of 60% from 2008 to 2012.
Energy drinks are relatively new to the wider soft drinks market, with the first energy drink launched in Japan in 1960. Energy drinks first appeared in Europe in 1987 before quickly expanding throughout the rest of Europe and appearing in the US in 1997.



While no standard definition of an "energy drink" is used in the scientific literature, it is commonly understood to be a non-alcoholic drink that contains caffeine (usually its main ingredient), taurine and vitamins marketed for its perceived or actual benefits as a stimulant, for improving performance and for increasing energy.taurine and vitamins marketed for its perceived or actual benefits as a stimulant, for improving performance and for increasing energy.
A WHO study said "Although energy drinks are a relatively new class of beverage, they are quickly becoming as a central part of the partying subculture, particularly among young people who commonly mix energy drinks with alcohol. The aggressive marketing of energy drinks targeted at young people combined with limited and varied regulation have created an environment where energy drinks could pose a significant threat to public health ".
In 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) commissioned a study to gather consumption data for energy drinks in 16 countries of the European Union. They found that 68% of adolescents (aged 10-18 years old), 30% of adults, and 18% of children consumed energy drinks. Among adolescents, consumption varied from 48% in Greece to 82% in the Czech Republic. Among children, consumption varied from 6% in Hungary to 40% in the Czech Republic.EFSA) commissioned a study to gather consumption data for energy drinks in 16 countries of the European Union. They found that 68% of adolescents (aged 10-18 years old), 30% of adults, and 18% of children consumed energy drinks. Among adolescents, consumption varied from 48% in Greece to 82% in the Czech Republic. Among children, consumption varied from 6% in Hungary to 40% in the Czech Republic.
Joao Breda from WHO Europe said that over 70% of 18- to 29-year olds who drink energy drinks mix them with alcohol. The study authors said research has shown this is more risky than drinking alcohol alone, possibly because energy drinks make it harder for people to notice when they are getting drunk even though there is no reduction in intoxication.Breda from WHO Europe said that over 70% of 18- to 29-year olds who drink energy drinks mix them with alcohol. The study authors said research has shown this is more risky than drinking alcohol alone, possibly because energy drinks make it harder for people to notice when they are getting drunk even though there is no reduction in intoxication.


The WHO said "Consumption of energy drinks among adolescents is associated with other potentially negative health and behavioral outcomes such as sensation seeking, use of tobacco and other harmful substances, and binge drinking and is associated with a greater risk for depression and injuries that require medical treatment. Recent literature has also found an increasing number of problems with behavior modification and cognitive capabilities in adolescents who use energy drinks.

Further studies from the US found a positive association between energy drink consumption and high-risk behaviors including marijuana use, fighting, sexual risk taking, failure to use seatbelts, taking risks on a dare, smoking, drinking, problems stemming from alcohol abuse, and illicit drug use. Another study from the US military indicated that soldiers who consumed energy drinks had a higher prevalence of suicidality and soldiers who combined energy drinks with alcohol had an even higher prevalence.
The consumption of high amounts of caffeine contained within energy drinks reduces drowsiness without diminishing the effects of alcohol resulting in a state of "wide awake drunkenness," keeping the individual awake longer with the opportunity to continue drinking.
WHO adds that the review of the published literature on energy drinks identifies a number of policies that might be considered by policy makers as they move to minimize the potential for harmful effects from energy drink consumption.
"There should be an evidence-based, upper limit for the amount of caffeine allowed in a single serving of any drink. The restriction of sales to children and adolescents should be considered due to the potentially harmful adverse and developmental effects of caffeine on children. Energy drink manufacturers aggressively market their products to children, adolescents, and young adults. The absence of regulatory oversight in many countries has contributed to the aggressive marketing of energy drinks targeted primarily toward young males ". WHO added that even as little as 50mg of caffeine can induce tachycardia and agitation. In overdose, caffeine toxicity can mimic amphetamine poisoning and lead to seizures, psychosis, cardiac arrhythmias and potentially but rarely, death.

குழித்துறை, களியக்காவிளையில் ஓட்டல், பேக்கரிகளில் அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு-கெட்டுப்போன உணவு பொருட்கள் அழிப்பு

மார்த்தாண்டம், அக்.15:
குமரிமாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் சாலோடீசன் தலைமையிலான குழுவினர் நேற்று குழித்துறையில் உள்ள ஒருசில ஓட்டல்கள், பேக்கரிகளில் சோதனை நடத்தினர். அப்போது ஒரு ஓட்டலில் வீடுகளில் பயன்படுத்தும் கேஸ் சிலிண்டர் பயன்படுத்தியது தெரிய வந்தது. அங்கிருந்த 3 சிலிண்டர்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
மேலும் ஓட்டலில் விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த கெட்டுப்போன இறைச்சி, காலாவதியான எண்ணெய், பலநாட்களான தயிர் போன்றவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தனர். அந்த ஓட்டல்களுக்கு அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்தனர். மேலும் அந்த பகுதிகளில் உள்ள கடைகள், பேக்கரிகளில் சோதனை நடத்தினர். இதில் காலாவதியான உணவு பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது.
களியக்காவிளை:
இது போல் களியக்காவிளை பகுதியில் உள்ள மளிகை கடைகள், பேக்கரிகள், மளிகை அங்காடி போன்றவற்றில் அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று திடீர் ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர். இதில் காலாவதியான எண்ணைகள், மசாலா வகைகள், கேக் உள்ளிட்ட பேக்கரி பொருட்கள், அதிக நாட்களாக பதப்படுத்தி வைத்திருந்த மீன்கள் விற்பனை செய்வது தெரிய வந்தது.
அவற்றை அதிகாரிகள் கைப்பற்றி களியக்காவிளை சந்தைக்கு கொண்டு சென்று அழித்தனர். மேலும் காலாவதியான பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்தால் கடைகளுக்கு சீல் வைத்து, அபராதம் விதிக்கப்படும் என எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்தனர்.
பெயரளவுக்கு சோதனை
மார்த்தாண்டத்தில் ஏராளமான ஓட்டல்கள், பேக்கரிகள், டீக்கடைகள் உள்ளன. பெரும்பாலான ஓட்டல்களில் சுகாதாரமற்ற நிலையில் தான் உணவு பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. மார்த்தாண்டம் பகுதியில் உள்ள ஓட்டல்கள் மற்றும் உணவு பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்யும் நிறுவனங்களில் அதிகாரிகள் சரியாக சோதனை செய்வதில்லை. பெரிய ஓட்டல்கள், பேக்கரிகள் உள்ளிட்ட நிறுவனங்கள் அதிகாரிகளை சரிகட்டுவதாக கூறப்படுகிறது. இதனால் பெயரளவுக்கு மட்டுமே சோதனை நடத்தி விட்டு, பெரிய நிறுவனங்களை கண்டு கொள்ளாமல் செல்வதாக பொதுமக்கள் குற்றம் சாட்டி உள்ளனர்.

Reusing Cooking Oil? Not a Great Idea

Indian cooking is incomplete without the use of oil. Almost every recipe starts with a few spoons of oil. We use it for sautéing, for the quintessential tadka and not to forget for deep frying mouth-watering pakoras, bondas and vadas. Oil is an essential ingredient required to satiate Indian food palette.
Due to heavy usage of oil in restaurants and households oil is recycled for economic purposes. How safe is this practice of reusing cooking oil? The reused oil does not contain the nutritional benefits your body needs. “A study conducted by the students of Surgical Gastroenterology Department at the Madras Medical College (MMC) revealed that 90 percent of those suffering from food pipe cancer had been consuming food prepared with reheated or reused cooking oil.”
For all the street food lovers, here is an eye opener: The study mentioned above also stated that most street food is made with reused oil and contains food additives rich in saturated and trans fat that can be carcinogens or trigger cancer.
Reused oil can create free radicals, which can be carcinogenic. These free radicals attach themselves to healthy cells. This can result in an increase of bad cholesterol levels and block arteries as well. Spanish researchers found that people whose kitchens combined any type of oil that had been reused many times were more likely to have high blood pressure than people whose cooking oils were changed frequently.
Some other hazards of reusing cooking oil are: Acidity, heart diseases, alzheimers, parkinson’s disease and irritable throat. Nutritionists recommend using a fresh batch of oil each time to avoid diseases.
Also when you store used oil bacteria begins to feed on the food particles left in the oil. This can lead to fatal food poisoning. Very few people are aware of the dangerous effects of recycled cooking oil. It is now time to understand them and adapt ourselves to healthy cooking habits. Some bad cooking habits are difficult to break and most of the times we are also unaware of the hazardous effects of certain cooking practices.
Here are some bad cooking habits to get rid of:
Do not heat oil until it smokes: We often heat the oil in the pan until it becomes really hot. This is a bad practice- As heating oil until it smokes destroys the oil’s beneficial antioxidants and form harmful compounds.
Do not use non-stick pan on high heat: High temperatures cause the non stick lining to release PFCs (Perfluorocarbons) in the form of fumes. PFC’s can cause liver damage and also developmental problems.
Best oils to use: Extra virgin olive oil and Canola oil are considered as the best oils to use. Soybean oil and palm oil can be skipped due to their poor nutritional content.
Shop healthy: Healthy cooking starts with a healthy grocery list. Stock your refrigerator with fresh, organic foods. Try to include lean proteins and unrefined grains.
Watch your diet and protect your health. After all health is wealth!

Scotch shipment held up over non-compliance

1% of the shipments has been rejected so far this year, compared to under 2% last year.
NEW DELHI: For all the noise by foreign chocolate manufacturers and scotch and wine makers over the food safety regulator holding up consignments, it turns out that around 1% of the shipments has been rejected so far this year, compared to under 2% last year.
What's more, the maximum number of rejections was due to the absence of the date of manufacturing and the manufacturer's name — issues seen as critical from safety point of view — followed by labeling-related issues and the lack of ingredients list, official data accessed by TOI has revealed. There are several cases where goods with unpermitted ingredients were being imported into the country but were stopped at ports.
Over the past few months, chocolate, food and alcohol importers had created a lot of noise over shipments being rejected on various grounds, with some going to the extent of suggesting that several important ingredients used by specialty restaurants were not available due to Food Safety Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) crackdown. There have also been suggestions that it would be tough to find imported chocolates this Diwali. But data tells a different story. Between April and August this year, of the 304 consignments that were not issued the 'non-compliance certificate,' 26, which is the maximum number, related to flavours, which are added to various food products. This was followed by alcohol (17), beverages (16), chocolates (14) and confectionary (13). In case of chocolates, several consignments of global giants were rejected as they contained vegetable fat, which was as high as 70% in some cases and were being brought into the country as dark, white or milk compounds, said sources familiar with the development.

Is it really all doom and gloom for wine lovers in India?

 

"I cling to the belief that there are good times ahead for wine enthusiasts, but from what I hear these are sad days indeed for our young wine culture," writes Reva K. Singh in her Editor's Note. "Illogical, contradictory and vague government regulations have sent the industry into a tailspin."
The hospitality industry is facing a severe shortage of wine and other premium alcohol beverages. Speciality restaurants are finding it difficult to maintain a good wine list or offer their patrons authentic gourmet fare due to the paucity of imported ingredients.
I'm told containers of wine and luxury foods worth millions of rupees have been turned back or are languishing in our ports waiting for clearance. The root of the problem apparently is the heavy-handed strictures of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Wine importers say that the FSSAI's insistence on minutiae such as the format of manufacturing and expiry dates printed on labels even when they are in step with Codex - the global standard for such imports - has affected the supplies of premium alcoholic brands as well as luxury foods such as artisanal cheeses, foie gras, Swiss chocolates and so on.
But it's not all doom and gloom for us wine drinkers. After all, wine shops haven't downed their shutters and it's still possible to plan wine dinners and enjoy a meal with a glass of good wine at a restaurant. The Sommelier India Wine Circle is doing well and organised a spate of high-end wine dinners recently.
Many prominent international producers are staying the course and continue to export to India. I read an encouraging report the other day in the international wine press expressing confidence in the Indian consumer and Bordeaux-based American négociant, Jeffrey Davies who runs Signature Selections is actively looking to expand in India.
"We're sifting through the current wine & spirit importers and distributors to figure out who'd be the best fit for our range of wines," Davies asserts in the article, "Fine Wine Trade Eyes Up India" in The Drinks Business.
He believes that as Indian consumers learn more about wine, starting with drinking our own wines, the Indian wine market will continue to grow. What's more, he thinks others in Bordeaux feel the same way.
"With the tremendous slowdown in China, and a certain slowdown in America, they're looking to other markets within the BRICs. Russia's having embargo troubles, so India and Brazil are becoming areas of interest.
Let's hope our monumental import restrictions and complex procedures don't dampen his spirits (pardon the pun), even though Davies knows what he's up against.
"The current duty situation is a limiting factor, and I don't think it's going to change any time soon," he acknowledges. "We ran some cost analysis and found that a wine that left Bordeaux at say €5 ended up on a retail shelf in India at €25."

Check Milk & Milk Products for Adulterants with simple tests at Home

Milk & Milk Products
Festivals are always celebrated with sweets and various food products. However, since food adulteration is at its peak during the festive season, we have come up with a list of doable tests to detect some common adulterants in Milk & Milk Products which may help you keep safe. Merely inspecting milk or food visually may not be helpful enough to detect an adulterant as they are concealed very skillfully. Adulterants in food can pose a serious health risk. Carry out these simple tests at home to ensure that you are consuming safe and adulterant free food during the festive season. The following information is being shared with you as per the guidelines from FSSAI.
Home tests for adulteration in milk and milk products
Water in milk is easy to detect with this simple test. Place a drop of milk on a polished slanting surface. If water is mixed in the milk it will glide down swiftly. If the milk is pure it will glide down slowly and will leave a white trail behind.
Starch: Add a few drops of tincture of iodine or iodine solution to a little milk. If the milk turns blue it means it contains starch. Iodine solution is easily available in medical stores.
Starch like mashed potatoes in khoya and khoya products, chenna and paneer: Boil a small quantity of sample food product in water. When the heated mixture becomes cool, add a few drops of iodine solution. If the colour of the mixture turns blue it means there is starch in the food product.
Urea: Place a teaspoon of milk in a test tube or glass container. Add a teaspoonful of soya bean or arhar dal powder to it. Mix up the contents thoroughly. After five minutes, dip a strip of red litmus paper into the mixture. Wait for half a minute. If the red litmus paper has changed colour from red to blue it means there is urea in the milk.
Detergent: Take 5 to 10ml of milk and an equal amount of water in a container. Shake it up well. Lather formation indicates detergent in the milk.
Test for Glucose/Invert Sugar: This kind of sugar syrup is added to milk to increase the consistency and enhance the taste. Take a diabetic test strip and dip it in the milk for 30 seconds to 1 minute. If the test strip changes colour, then it shows that the sample of milk contains glucose. If there is no change in the colour of the strip it proves there is no glucose in the milk.
Synthetic milk: Synthetic milk contains white coloured water, paint, oils, alkali, urea and detergent. Synthetic milk tastes bitter, has a soapy texture when you rub it between your fingers and it turns yellowish on heating.
Synthetic milk-test for protein: Milk can easily be tested by Urease Strips. Urease Strip is a biostrip based on enzymatic assay and is available in medical stores. The colour chart of the Urease Strip test given below will show the quantity of urea present in milk.

No.	Urea in Milk (g/L)	Colour of the Strip
1	0-0.2	Yellow
2	0.2-0.7	Peach
3	0.7-1.20	Reddish Brown
4	1.20-1.70	Pink
5	1.7-14.00	Magenta

Laboratory Testing Procedures for Checking Adulterants in Milk and Milk Products

Laboratory Testing for Dairy Products

Milk is a product that is always in demand and when supplies cannot be met then adulterators indulge in dangerous techniques by using cheap alternatives to increase the volume of milk. Sometime back, The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had released a document which described the procedures that laboratories can use to analyze adulterants in food products.
The below information would be useful while testing Milk & Milk Products:
Vanaspati in milk: Place 3ml of milk in a test tube. Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid and one teaspoonful of sugar to the milk and mix thoroughly. If the mixture turns red after 5 minutes it means vanaspati is present in the milk.
Vanaspati in sweet curd: Place one teaspoonful of sweet curd in the test tube. Add 10 drops of hydrochloric acid. Gently shake the test tube to mix contents thoroughly. If curd changes colour and becomes red after five minutes it means vanaspati is present in the curd.
Vanaspati or margarine in ghee: Take a test tube with a stopper. Place one teaspoonful of melted ghee with an equal quantity of concentrated hydrochloric acid in the test tube and add a pinch of salt to this. Shake for one minute and let it stand for five minutes. The presence of vanaspati or margarine is indicated if the lower acid layer turns crimson.
Formalin in milk: Formalin is used by adulterators as a preservative. Test requires that you place 10ml of milk in test tube. Carefully add 5ml of concentrated sulphuric acid to the milk by pouring it along the side of the test tube. Ensure that the milk and sulphuric acid do not mix. The appearance of a blue or violet ring at the point where the two liquids meet indicates the presence of formalin in the milk.
Salt in milk:
Place 5ml of silver nitrate reagent in a test tube. Add 2-3 drops of potassium dichromate reagent to this. Further add 1ml of milk to this test tube and shake to mix thoroughly.
If the contents of the test tube turn yellow it means the milk contains salt.
If the colour of the mixture changes to chocolate or reddish brown it means there is no salt present in the milk.
Sugar is in milk: Place a 3ml sample of milk in a test tube. Add 2ml of the hydrochloric acid and after that 50mg of resorcinol. Sugar is present in the milk if the colour changes to red.
Ammonium sulphate in milk: Ammonium sulphate is used by adulterators to increase the lactometer reading of milk. Take 5ml of hot milk in a test tube. Add a suitable acid like citric acid. This will curdle the milk, now separate the whey by filtering it. Place the filtered whey in another test tube and add 0.5ml of 5% barium chloride. If there are precipitates, it indicates the presence of ammonium sulphate.
You can also check for ammonium sulphate through a second method. To 5ml milk in a test tube add
5 ml of 2% of sodium hydroxide
5 ml of 2% sodium hypochlorite
5 ml of 5% phenol solution
Heat this mixture for 20 seconds in a vessel of boiling water.
If the light blue mixture changes to a deep blue colour, it means ammonium sulphate is present in the milk.
However, if the colour changes to pink it means there is no ammonium sulphate in the milk.
Hydrogen peroxide in milk: Place 5ml milk in a test tube. Add 3 drops of paraphenylene diamine and shake well. Presence of hydrogen peroxide is confirmed if the colour of the milk changes to blue. In a second testing method place a 10ml milk sample in a test tube, add 10 -15 drops of vanadium pentoxide reagent and mix well. If the milk changes colour to pink or red it indicates the presence of hydrogen peroxide.
Sodium bi-carbonate/neutralize in milk: Place 3ml of milk in a test tube and add
5 ml of rectified spirit to it, now add 4 drops of rosolic acid solution. Sodium bicarbonate will be present if the colour of the milk changes to red/ rosy.
Boric acid in milk: Place 3ml of milk in a test tube. Add 20 drops of hydrochloric acid and shake the test tube to mix up the contents thoroughly. Dip a yellow paper-strip into this mixture and remove the same after one minute. If the colour of the strip changes from yellow to red, followed by a further change of colour from red to green it indicates the presence of boric acid in the milk. Yellow paper strips are prepared by dipping stripped pieces of filter paper in an aqueous solution of turmeric and then dried completely.
Blotting Paper in Rabri: Place a teaspoonful of rabri in a test tube. Add 3ml of hydrochloric acid and 3ml of distilled water. Stir the contents with a glass rod. Remove the rod and examine it. If fine fibres are seen on the glass rod it means there is blotting paper in the rabri.
Use of coal tar dyes in ghee, cottage cheese, condensed milk, khoya, milk powder: Add 5ml of dilute sulphuric acid or concentrated hydrochloric acid to one teaspoonful of food product sample in a test tube. Presence of coal tar dyes is indicated if the colour changes to
Pink in case diluted sulphuric acid is used for the test
Crimson in case concentrated hydrochloric acid is used. If using hydrochloric acid shows no change in colour then dilute it with water to see the colour result.
Fat removed from milk: If fat has been removed from milk then the lactometer will show a reading of above 26 but the milk will appear thick.

Food dept kicks off anti-adulteration drive ahead of Diwali

DEHRADUN: With the festival of lights barely a week away, the food safety and standards department has started keeping tabs on the quality of edibles being sold in the state, to keep adulteration of food products, especially sweetmeats, in check.
The department has started working earlier than usual this year, keeping in mind that they had collected over 95 adulterated food samples from all over Uttarakhand last year.
All the sweet manufacturing and processing units in the state have been identified and listed to make supervision easier. Initially, the hygiene standards of the units and their workers are being inspected.
"This time we have started the drive quite early. We have been issuing hygiene guidelines to sweet manufacturers as they are gearing up for the festive season," said Anoj Thapliyal, food security officer, Dehradun.
In the later stages, quality of food products and manufacturing techniques involved will also be reviewed. Manufacturing substandard products unfit for consumption will be considered quality violations, while irregularities in labels and packaging will be counted among technical violations.
The department plans to intensify field visits and sample testing from next week, prosecuting violators as per Food Safety and Standards Act (2006).

Beware of sweet adulteration, Diwali’s round the corner

With the onset of festive season, how can adulteration be far behind? Increased consumption of sweets means more demand for dairy products providing an opportunity to unscrupulous elements to make quick money by selling substandard stuff. Moreover, with a low conviction rate the repeated raids by the health authorities fail to act as a deterrent to check food adulteration.
Around Diwali every year at least 8-10 lakh sweet boxes (1 kg each) are sold in Chandigarh, but even after paying more customers are not sure of getting unadulterated food. The failure of health authorities to prove the allegations due to improper sampling have led to a high rate of acquittal. In the past four months, about 20 cases registered under prevention of food adulteration have been disposed of and only in one case allegations were proved and a person convicted. Around 250 cases are pending under the Prevention of Adulteration Act.
In June, a court held Anil Thakur hailing from Himachal Pradesh guilty and imposed rs15,000 fine on him. Thakur of AB foods situated in Sungal and Rampur Tea estates, Palampur, was convicted for misbranding. The health department had seized 20 bottles of orange squash from a shop in Manimajra. Setting the record straight, Dr KS Rana, designated officer under the Food Safety and Standards Act, said, “The low conviction has been an area of concern but with the new act - Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 - which replaces the prevention of food adulteration act, the conviction rate has improved. Most of the cases are still pending in the courts.”
Food adulteration cases registered under the prevention of food adulteration have been pending for more than two decades. After being pending for so long, all a person, if convicted, gets minimum sentence of one day of sitting in court and a maximum of imprisonment of a few months. Most of the cases registered in the city are for misbranding. “The cases of misbranding are more in the city as compared to food adulteration,” said Dr KS Rana, designated officer under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
No awareness on new Act
The lack of awareness among small vendors selling edible items about the Food Safety and Standards Act that provides for mandatory registration of shopkeepers dealing with sale of edible items is another area of concern. As per the Act, those associated with the food business and having turnover of `12 lakh per annum and above have to procure licence. Outlets having annual turnover less than `12 lakh have to get registration done under the act. “The awareness among resident is low but we hope that all vendors will be registered by February. The process of licensing is on and once done will definitely help check food adulteration,” said Dr Rana.
DC directs health dept to be vigilant
SAS Nagar DC Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu directed the health officials to keep a close watch on defaulters and initiate action against them. Approximately one quintal cream, which was in unwanted condition, was destroyed on the spot.

Expired food products are sold in Puducherry, alleges BJP

The Puducherry unit of the BJP has alleged that expired food products are being sold in large quantities across Union Territory in the absence of periodic inspections by officials of the Department of Food and Drug Administration.
BJP general secretary R.V. Saminathan said, “In most of shops, expired food substances such as soft drinks and biscuits are being sold freely. As there are no sufficient numbers of inspectors to conduct inspections and prevent sale of expired foods, all walks of people, including schoolchildren, buy only these foods.”
In a memorandum, he alleged that Chinese milk chocolates and crackers banned by the Union government were sold in super markets and shops. Packed water bottles without ISI marks were supplied to people at functions.

Health officials order closure of engineering college hostels

Two hostels and a canteen of an engineering college in the district have been ordered to be shut down in a raid conducted by Health officials on Tuesday.
District Medical Officer Haseena Mohammed passed the orders after health officials found that the hostels and canteen of Jai Bharat College of Management and Engineering, Vengola, Perumbavur, were functioning in an unhygienic condition.
The team also conducted checks at the Sree Narayana Gurukulam College of Engineering at Kadayiruppu, where a few students had complained of nausea after consuming food from the hostel mess on Saturday evening, said a communication. Health officials will carry out inspection at hostels and canteens of educational institutions in the district.

Officials wary of action against retailers in run-up to Deepavali

Abuse of electricity, adulteration major concerns
Sources in the Food Safety Department say that several shops protested when food samples were taken to test for adulteration.
A Food Safety Officer said that some of the shopkeepers questioned the timing of the raids and inspections, stepped up ahead of Deepavali.
The reason for taking samples, the officer added, was to crack down on adulteration during the festive season. Many shops resort to adulteration to meet the demand which increased exponentially. The officials are apprehensive that shopkeepers can term the raids as an attempt to “extort” money during the run-up to Deepavali.
D. Nandakumar, president of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, says that the festive season is the time when retailers are busy and expect a huge crowd.
Officials should issue prior notice to the traders before an inspection so that designated persons are deputed by the business establishments to answer queries by the officials.
Fear of corruption charge or complaints of extortion should not deter the official machinery from enforcing rules. Officials should conduct checks in a transparent manner so that it does not lead to complaints of demand for money. Traders should also comply with the norms, says K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Ahead of Diwali, govt cracks down on sweet traders

Ahead of Diwali, Department of Food Safety has stepped up enforcement activities, especially to keep an eye on sweet manufacturers who often use adulterated khoya. “As Diwali is nearing, the demands for sweets made from khoya will increase. 

To ensure safe supply of food items, VP Rao, Commissioner of Food Safety Department, has given directions to all designated officers to keep rigorous food safety surveillance by doing periodical inspections of food business operators for the proper implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” a senior official said. 

Meanwhile, the Department of Food and Supplies also inspected 1,825 traders in the last one month. Of them 731 were prosecuted for selling commodities in violation of the rules and a penalty of Rs 21.73 lakh was realised from the violators.

1 quintal of cream destroyed

Mohali, October 13

About one quintal of cream was destroyed and samples of paneer and ghee were collected for laboratory tests by a team of officials which carried out a check on a manufacturing unit in Jagatpura village here today. The team, comprising SDM Lakhmir Singh, District Health Officer HS Oberoi and Food Security Officer Navneet Kaur Bagga, conducted a surprise check on a paneer and ghee manufacturing unit.

It was found that paneer and ghee were being prepared in unhygienic conditions. As such, the officials destroyed around one quintal of cream on the spot.

Lakhmir Singh said the conditions were so bad that there were also rats and flies on the premises. The unit was said to be run by a resident of Chandigarh.

Workers at the unit told the officials that 10 to 12 qunitals of paneer made there was being supplied daily to Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali.

The SDM said samples of milk, paneer and ghee had been collected from the unit. If these failed the laboratory tests, strict action would be initiated against the defaulters.

Food poisoning scare at college hostel in Kochi

A food poisoning scare hit the residents of the women’s hostel of Sree Narayana Gurukulam College of Engineering at Kadayirippu after a few students complained of nausea and other illnesses after consuming food from the mess late on Saturday evening.

A group of students held a protest at the college on Monday. Students had to go to hospitals and some returned to their homes on Sunday and Monday after they fell ill from the hostel mess food. One student was admitted to a medical college at Kolencherry on Monday. Police said that they would register a case if necessary after they received word from the hospital.

Officials of the Aikaranad grama panchayat and District Medical Office also visited the college to take stock of the situation. College officials have been asked to close the hostel mess for two days. “The students said that the water in the taps at the hostel was unclean and often cloudy. It was clear when we went to examine it. But college authorities have assured us that all steps will be taken to address the students’ concerns,” said panchayat member Reena Mathai.

College Principal Saji C.B. said that the incident could not be termed a case of food poisoning as only a few students who consumed a snack provided at the mess began vomiting.

“All students have been discharged. The food is cooked by an external contractor. Food inspectors looked into the issue and said that it may have originated from bad dal, ” Dr. Saji said.

A few students complained of nausea and other illnesses after consuming food from hostel mess late on Saturday evening.

DINAMALAR NEWS

புகையிலை பொருட்கள் விற்ற 3 வியாபாரிகள் மீது வழக்கு

திருப்பூர், அக். 13:

தடைசெய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலைப் பொருட்கள் பரவலாக விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவதாக கிடைத்த தகவலின் பேரில், திருப்பூர் வடக்கு போலீஸ் ஸ்டேஷனுக்கு உட்பட்ட பகுதியில் நேற்று முன்தினம் போலீசார் திடீர் சோதனையில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.

பி.என்.ரோடு, கொங்கு மெயின் ரோடு, 60 அடி ரோடு ஆகிய பகுதியில் உள்ள பெட்டிக்கடைகள் மற்றும் பேக்கரிகளில் சோதனை செய்ததில், 3 பேக்கரி கடைகளில், பான்மசாலா புகையிலைப் பொருட்களான ஹான்ஸ், சின்னி, கெய்னி, கூல்லிப், கணேஷ் புகையிலை, பதன்ஹெல்ப், சைனி உள்ளிட்டவற்றை தடையை மீறி விற்பனை செய்வது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது.

பான்மசாலா பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்து வந்த 3 கடை உரிமையாளர்கள் மீதும் வழக்கு பதிவு செய்து விசாரிக்கின்றனர். மேலும், விற்பனைக்காக வைத்திருந்த 370 பான் மசாலா பாக்கெட்டுகளை போலீசார் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

Food Safety Officers Keeping Strict Vigil to Check Adulteration

Gulab Jamun
The festive season has already begun and with ‘Diwali’ on the threshold food safety officers are leaving no stone unturned to prevent food adulteration. They are keeping a strict watch on sweet and food outlets. There have also been crackdowns on mawamanufacturers in almost all states and about 66 samples of mawa were collected from Maharashtra during the recently concluded Ganpati festival.
According to reports, food safety officers will be on the lookout for signs of adulteration in sweets and milk products right up to Christmas. Food safety officials are inspecting sweet manufacturing units as maximum adulterants are found in sweets during the festive season. They have also made some seizures which include substandard water packets. Another adulterant that can cause health concerns for the consumer is the poor quality of oil used in preparing foods.
Milk alone is one of the most adulterated food products during the festive season as the demand for milk increases and supply cannot be met. Milk adulteration is of various kinds and includes adulteration with water, starch, urea, detergent, synthetic milk, salt and various chemicals.
Besides mawa and milk, FSSAI food inspectors are also collecting samples of ghee, oil and paneer. Food products seized in raids are usually tested for the following kinds of adulterants:
- Presence of vanaspati in sweet curd
- Presence of vanaspati or margarine in ghee
- Presence of blotting paper in rabri
- Coal tar dyes in ghee, cottage cheese, condensed milk, khoya, milk powder
- Starch in khoya, cheena and paneer
Adulteration is a term that is used for a food product that fails to meet food safety standards and is rendered unsafe for human consumption as it is injurious to health because there is
- addition of inferior quality materials
- extraction of valuable and nutritious ingredients
- biological and chemical contamination during the period of growth, storage, processing, transport and distribution of the food products that lowers or degrades quality
Under the previous food laws any food product with lowered or degraded quality used to be defined as Adulterated Food but under the new law (FSS Act, 2006), the word adulterated food has been termed as substandard food, unsafe food or food containing any extraneous matter.
“Unsafe food” means an article of food whose nature, substance or quality is so affected that it becomes injurious to health. This can be result from
- the article itself, the package and if it is composed wholly or in part of poisonous or deleterious substance
- the article consisting wholly or in part of any filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal substance or vegetable substance
- unhygienic processing or the presence in that article of any harmful substance
- substitution of any inferior or cheaper substance whether wholly or in part
- addition of a substance directly or as an ingredient which is not permitted
- abstraction wholly or in part, of any of its constituents or by the article being so coloured, flavoured or coated, powdered or polished, in a manner as to damage or conceal the article or to make it appear better or of greater value than it really is
- the presence of any colouring matter or preservatives other than that specified
- the article being infected or infested with worms, weevils, or insects
- being prepared, packed or kept under insanitary conditions
- being mis-branded or sub-standard food or containing extraneous matter
- containing pesticides and other contaminants in excess of quantities specified by regulations.
According to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, anyone found manufacturing, selling or storing adulterated food would be liable to pay a penalty ranging from between Rs.1 lakh to Rs.10 lakh and could also be sentenced to imprisonment for a term ranging between six months to life.

Staff shortage smothers food safety act enforcement

The Act, aiming to ensure safe and quality food to the people, is still in its infancy with most people remaining unaware of its provisions and safeguards.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 was introduced by the Union Government in 2011. The Act, aiming to ensure safe and quality food to the people, is still in its infancy with most people remaining unaware of its provisions and safeguards. Although Kerala is much ahead in terms of implementing the Act in comparison with other states the awareness level amongst the large sections of the consumers needed to be improved. Even the government is yet to formulate a fool proof system to enforce the provisions of the Act. Excerpt from an interview with Commissioner of Food Safety Anupama T. V.
How consumer friendly is the rules and regulations linked with FSS Act?
The beneficiaries of food safety and standards act are the consumers and the food business operators. We have set up a mechanism which is easily accessible to common man. A toll free number is there and we are receiving lot many grievance calls relating to stale food and substandard eatables daily. We need to strengthen the department for more effective implementation of the act. Also, most of the people are still in the dark regarding the Act and still search for food inspectors like in old days to register their complaints. We have offices at all 140 constituencies and the consumers could easily drop in their complaints. It's definitely consumer friendly, since the Act was enforced there has been a seen change in the hotel industry.
It is said that information about the Act is mainly concentrated in urban areas and the vast majority of the rural habitat are unaware of the provisions of the Act. How the department is planning to tackle this situation?
Creating awareness among the public on the Act is one of the main components and we are giving top priority for that. A major challenge to enforce the Act is the severe shortage of the staff. The staff shortage is a stumbling block for enforcing the act in the state. Currently, our activities are limited in the urban circle because of this shortage. But we are planning to cover more rural constituencies soon. From this month onwards, I have given direction to our squads from each district to cover at least two rural constituencies. Also we have initiated steps to recruit more food safety officers through PSC (public service commission). May be within four to five months we would fill around 75 to 80 vacancies in the department. Right now we are managing with 79 personnel.
How consumer friendly is the toll free number?
We are receiving an average of 40 to 50 calls daily from consumers. But, due to minimal staff strength the department is unable to attend to the calls immediately. But, calls are prioritized based on the severity of the issue. If samples are needed to be collected our squad responds immediately even if its midnight. Once enough staff strength is there we would be able to provide round the clock services to consumers. Very soon we will make available our services 24*7. We are receiving complaints even in our email id.
The modifications if any needed in the Food Safety and Standards Act?
It's a new Act and came as a replacement to an existing system. Certain constraints are there as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is still bringing in revisions to the act. Acts are never fool proof and it has to be revised from time to time. The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is very quick in bringing in changes to facilitate practical execution of the act. We encounter certain issues while implementing the act. When the issue of antibiotic in chicken came, we had issues as the act doesn't provide any clarity on the amount of allowed antibiotic residues. Currently, efforts are on to bring all food business operators under the Act. There are around one lakh food business operators in the state. However, a majority of them are in the unorganised sector. We are expecting around 40,000 food business operators to avail the license and registration under the food safety act.
Though the act envisages strict action against violators, the Commissionerate of Food Safety here is unable to penalise them. Why there has been less action even after having enough proofs?
NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited lab is an obvious requirement for the proper execution of the act. Only samples that are scrutinized aty NABL accredited labs would be legally valid. Unfortunately, we don't have any in the state at present. Currently, we are depending on laboratories in other states. But efforts are in the final stages to upgrade the existing laboratories at Ernakulam, Trivandrum and Kozhikode with the minimum basic standards to avail the mandatory accreditation. Three consultants have come forward and we will start the works very soon.

How to Read Nutrition Labels - Top 10 Facts

 

More than ever before, most of us are spending more and more of our grocery bills on packaged foods, so it's time that we got to know what we're consuming. The easiest way to do that is to be able to read what our food label says.
Reading what the back of the box says about calories is not going to get you far. We should, ideally at a glance be able to tell if the food contains trans-fats, chemicals in the form of preservatives or if it is genetically modified. But these days it's becoming more of a challenge to decipher the nutrition labels as the fonts are becoming smaller, while the health claims are getting bigger. (More: 5 most shocking ingredients in your food)
Recently, our team during a taste test of chips, saw a packet that claimed bold and bright that they were made in olive oil, and then somewhere in the post script hidden at the back, it said traces of hydrogenated vegetable oil, other oils. Then another time, there was this juice packet that said - Natural, and then when we looked closer, it said it was an orange beverage and not even a juice! (More: Taste test - Orange drinks)
One way that grocery brands in UK are dealing with the food labeling crises is making the system more transparent. They have added a graphic label that resembles a traffic light. The traffic light label indicates the amount fat, saturated fats, sugar, and salt in your packaged food. Yellow means it's safe to consume, green means that it's actually good for your health and red of course is to be avoided. The traffic light label is the first step in ensuring that customers can make enlightened choices about the food that they buy. But in India, we are many moons away from such a system. (Quite apart, many don't even follow the real traffic signals!)
You can start your label reading adventure by looking at the "serving size" first. If a half-cup serving has 50 calories, but you usually eat a one-cup serving, you'll be getting 100 calories. Now that we have serving size out of the way, the next task in hand is to look out for 'key' words that will help you decode your food labels. Here's a list of the top 10 things to look out for.
1. Low Fat - The percentage of fat is given per serving. If it says 15 grams of fat per serving, the total fat that you eat depends on how many servings you end up consuming. You should start by comparing the 'portion size' (amount you eat) and 'serving size'. For instance, a company may pack two pastries in one package and the label reads 150 calories for one serving which means that this figure relates to only one pastry.
Also, be careful as 'low fat' may not always mean 'low calories'. More often than not, to make up for the fat, food manufacturers can add other ingredients to compensate for the flavour, like sugar, flour, thickeners, and salt. These can add to the total calorie count. (More: Type of fats)
2. Natural Flavours - Aren't we all attracted to labels that scream the word - Natural? It gives us this warm, fuzzy, wholesome feeling. But what you see is not what you get. (More: Food a as 'organic' or 'natural' might be unhealthy)
It's interesting to note that the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA does not define what is "natural". This is what it says. "FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances".
It's important to note that both artificial flavours as well as natural flavours have chemicals. The point is where do these chemicals come from. In natural flavours, the chemicals have to be derived from a plant or an animal (something that is eaten) whereas artificial flavours are derived from inedible sources. So even your natural flavor extracts have a complicated chemical makeup, it's just that they are more or less identical to the natural flavoring.
3. Stabilizers and Thickeners - These are added to improve the and stabilize the texture of foods. These are found in jellies, ready-to-eat foods, desserts, frozen foods and salad dressings and they neither stabilize your health nor preserve it. They are used to maintain the consistency of the food. For example, Agar agar is also used as a food stabiliser in food products like canned meat.
4. Preservatives - Preservatives prevent the growth of microbes such as bacteria or moulds in foods during storage. They are used to make the food last longer on the grocery shelf. Eg, Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are used as food preservatives.
Sodium nitrate helps prevent bacterial colonization of foods while sodium nitrite acts as an oxidizing agent and is usually used in preserving meat. You can find these chemical compounds hidden in bacon, ham, hot dogs and all processed meat. Preservatives also include fumigants on plants which control the browning of fruits and vegetables.
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup - This is a top favourite with the packaged food industry. You will find it everywhere, in ketchup bottles, biscuits, baked goods, dairy products, carbonated drinks, you name it! High fructose corn syrup is an artificial sweetener made from corn. It's popular because it is sweeter than sugar, is relatively cheaper, and helps in preserving the food longer. (More: The bittersweet truth - High fructose corn syrup)
6. Colouring Agents - Food colouring or colour additive is a pigment or substance that addscolour to your food. Vibrant colours make food more appealing. Even though synthetic colors do not add to the nutritive value of the foods, they are frequently added to restore the natural color lost on food processing. Due to health concerns of chemical dyes, some natural food dyes are now being used like beta-carotene, chlorophyll, saffron, curcumin (turmeric) etc. These maybe extracted from natural sources or produced synthetically.
But there are laws that guide you about what colours you can produce and in what products. According to Rule 28 of The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act in India, the colours that can be chemically produced are red, yellow, blue and green. Also, they can only be used in specific foods like ice-cream, frozen desserts, flavoured milk, yoghurt, biscuits, custard powders etc.
7. Emulsifiers - Emulsifiers are a group of substances that are used to obtain a stable mixture of liquids that would not mix or separate quickly. Emulsifiers are food additives found in salad dressings, margarine, mayonnaise etc. How do you look for them in a label? Your clue is the alphabet E followed by a number.
8. Artificial Sweeteners - Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes but may be derived from naturally occurring substances, or they could be synthetic. They are widely used in processed foods, including baked goods, soft drinks, candy, puddings, canned foods, jams and jellies, dairy products etc. Here are some names of sugar substitutes. Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, Sucralose, Neotame, Glycerol, Erythritol, Maltitol, Lactitol. (More: Top 10 must-know facts about Aspartame)
9. MSG or Monosodium Glutamate - It is used as a flavor enhancer and is found in salad dressings, ready-to-eat soups, canned vegetables and chips. It has been known to cause various side-effects like headaches, allergic reactions, nausea etc. Internationally, it is recognized as a food additive. Though in small quantities it may not harm you but experts say that it is best to avoid it.
10. Partially Hydrogenated Oils - Partially hydrogenated oils are full of trans-fats. You think it's partially hydrogenated but it actually means that the oil has been heated to stay longer and it's the worst form of cholesterol. They are basically vegetable oils whose chemical structure is changed to prevent spoilage and increase the shelf life of food products. Also, they are cost efficient for food manufactures. (More: The best cooking oils for your health)
After reading this, hopefully the next time you see a beverage which says naturally flavoured, you will not presume that it's full of natural fruits? You could also see a product which screams 'low fat' but is filled with calories that are nutritionally completely worthless. The trick is to learn to read between the lines.

FSSAI to Renew Licenses for Already Existing Product Approvals

Health Supplements – Natural Vitamin Pills

FSSAI in its office memorandum, dated 29 September 2014, has stated that licenses would be renewed for already approved food products. FSSAI had stated that PNOCs/NOCs already issued by theProduct Approval Division of FSSAI for food product(s) would be renewed if it has expired or for those product(s) where the risk assessment outcome is awaited.

However, the validity of the license will depend on the result of the final risk assessment by FSSAI.

The risk assessment outcome will also determine whether the issued license will be further renewed, suspended or cancelled.

NOCs for Imported food products

For important food products FSSAI has set up a mandatory food import clearance process. The process is lengthy and involves a number of procedures. In the first step Customs generates an examination order through the bill of entry. Only after sample testing fee and necessary documents have been submitted do the Custom House Agents (CHAs) seek an appointment for from the FSSAI-AO. Once the appointment for sampling is granted AO will

Visually inspect food products

Verify documents and labels

Randomly pick samples from the consignment at the CFS or from the vessels

Sealed and cooled samples are sent to the approved testing laboratories for analysis

In the approved laboratories tests on the food product samples are carried out according to the requirements set in FSS (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011. The laboratory sends the test report to FSSAI within the stipulated time. On the basis of this test report the AO gives NOC for clearance or Non Conformance to the CHA and customs.

The process may be lengthy nevertheless, between January and June 2014, FSSAI has awarded NOC for 35,008 samples out of the 37,124 sample collected for testing. Out of these the samples that did not get clearance were those that did not meet the safety and quality parameters of the Food Safety & Standards Regulations 2011 in compliance to Food Safety & Standards Act.