ரசாயனம் கலந்த ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்திக்கு தடை முதல்வரிடம் கோரிக்கை

சேலம், டிச.18:

ரசாயனம் கலந்த ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி செய்வதை தடை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் தமிழக முதல்வரிடம் மனு கொடுத்துள்ளனர்.

சேலம் மாவட்ட ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் சங்க தலைவர் முத்துலிங்கம் தலைமையில் 6 நிர்வாகிகள் தமிழக முதல்வர் பன்னீர்செல்வத்தை நேரில் சந்தித்து ரசாயனம் கலந்த ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி செய்வதை தடை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று மனு கொடுத்துள்ளனர்.

அந்த மனுவில் கூறியிருப்பதாவது: கடந்த 10 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு மரவள்ளி கிழங்கை தோலுரித்து இயற்கையான முறையில் ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி செய்து வடமாநிலங்களுக்கு அனுப்பி வந்தனர். அதன் பிறகு மரவள்ளி கிழங்கை தோலுரிக்காமல் வெண்மை ஆக்குவதற்கு ரசாயன பொருட்கள் கலந்து ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி செய்து அனுப்பி வந்தனர்.

கடந்த ஆண்டில் மக்கா சோள மாவையும் கலந்து ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி நடந்து வந்ததால் மரவள்ளி கிழங்கின் விலை வீழ்ச்சி அடைந்தது.

இதனால் அனைத்து மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்களிடமும் ஜவ்வரிசி, மரவள்ளி கிழங்கின் விலை வீழ்ச்சியை தடுக்க முறையிட்டோம். உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையினரால் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட நெருக்கடியின் காரணமாக எந்த ரசாயன கலப்பும் இல்லாமல் கடந்த 6 மாதங்களாக ஜவ்வரிசி இயற்கையான முறையில் உற்பத்தி செய்யப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

இந்த ஜவ்வரிசி நுகர்வோரிடம் பெரும் வரவேற்பை பெற்று நல்ல விலை கிடைத் தது. தற்போது மீண்டும் வெண்மையான ஜவ்வரி உற்பத்தி செய்தால் மட்டுமே நல்ல விலை கிடைக்கும் என்ற சூழ்நிலை ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால் உற்பத்தியாளர்களில் பெரும்பாலானவர்கள் மீண்டும் ரசாயனம் கலந்த ஜவ்வரிசியை உற்பத்தி செய்யும் சூழ்நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.

சேலம் சேகோ சர்வ்வில் மிக கடுமையான தரக்கட்டுப்பாடு நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பதால் ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் ஜவ்வரிசியை வெளி மார்க்கெட்டில் விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். வெளி மார்க்கெட்டில் விற்பனை செய்வதால் ஜவ்வரிசி விலை வீழ்ச்சி ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.

எனவே ரசாயனம் கலந்த ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்தி செய்வதை தமிழக அரசு தடை செய்ய வேண்டும். ரசாயன கலப்பட உற்பத்தி பொருட்கள் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். அனைத்து உற்பத்தி பொருட்களும் சேகோசர்வ் மூலம் விற்பனை செய்ய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். இதன் மூலம் இயற்கையான ஜவ்வரிசி நுகர்வோர்களுக்கு கிடைக்கும். இவ்வாறு தமிழக முதல்வரிடம் கொடுத்த மனுவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

FORTUNE COOKIE: No escape from India's foolish food law

Pasta importers sometimes pay Rs 6 lakh for lab tests on a consignment that costs no more than Rs 10 lakh

It's been some months since the government announced its intention to sort out the confusion created by the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. 

The legislation is a classic case of a well-intentioned law failing the implementation test, simply because no one had mulled over the ways it needs to be implemented. 

And because the subject is food, all of us end up carrying the consequences of the shoddy Act that no one seems ready to refurbish. 

The law affects a critical building block of the nation – its health and nutrition – and yet it is so insufficient that India is being harangued by Canada because its canola oil exporters have to stop calling their product ‘canola oil’, in order for it to be allowed into India, just because the 2006 Act, which has mindlessly appended a listing of food products dredged out of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1955, doesn't recognise canola oil. 

Nor does it accept the existence (and rising demand for) gluten-free bread. How can bread be gluten-free, demanded a befuddled inspector from an importer who has never been asked this question in his life. And mayonnaise? It doesn't even know about it, so there are no product standards for it. 

The law doesn’t allow vegetable fat in chocolates (a common occurrence and accepted internationally); it has no standards for antibiotic residues in chicken; it lays downs that all wines must be described as 'fermented grape juice' on the label and provide an expiry date; it insists on 5 per cent salt content in the brine in which table olives are packaged (the global standard in a world moving away from excessive salt consumption is 1 per cent) ... such ludicrous examples can fill up this page. 

Yet, the government hasn't found the time to revisit the law, which has become the biggest impediment to entrepreneurial activity in the food and nutrition sectors. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the supreme authority on all matters concerning the Act, is like a general without an army. Its chief has been proclaiming to the world that the FSSAI has registered more than 3 million food business operators, but there's little it can do without an effective and efficient monitoring network in place. 

It cannot, for instance, physically verify if the oil in which your neighbourhood tikkiwallah cooks your favourite tea-time snack is releasing cancer-causing chemicals because of repeated frying, or if the slaughter houses where we get our supplies of mutton and chicken follow even the basic health and hygiene standards. 

True, India is the world's second-largest exporter of beef (even though it doesn't allow beef imports), and it couldn't have happened if the animals were slaughtered in appalling conditions - but no one ensures that the same hygiene standards must apply to abattoirs across the country. 

To implement the standards laid down by the Act, the FSSAI requires a national network of labs certified by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), but it is woefully under-equipped and, despite a generous budgetary allocation, it has been busy outsourcing the work to private agencies. 

Combine this infrastructure handicapped by a minuscule number of authorised labs with the complicated system of sampling laid down in the rules, and you have a time bomb that is ticking away. 

Take the case of pasta. The sampling rules require laboratories to pick up a packet for each shape and production batch from a container of pasta that has landed at a port. You don’t have to be a Michelin three-star chef to know the ingredients that go into making pasta and the production technique don't change, whether it's a spaghetti or a penne, or whether it was made yesterday and today. But our officials love the letter of the law, so, as an importer was explaining to me, he has to spend Rs 6 lakh on tests for consignment of Rs 10 lakh. 

So, the next time you complain about your pasta being too expensive, remember, there’s an Act that is in dire need of an overhaul. 

Nationwide survey to check food adulteration begins in January

NEW DELHI: With growing instances of adulteration of food items in recent years, particularly items like milk and milk products, packaged drinking water, edible oil, ground spices, tea and coffee, the consumer affairs department and food safety authority will now conduct a nationwide survey and testing of food samples. The drive will start in January and will continue for six months. 

Sources said that the ministry and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have worked out a strategy to carry out this massive task to assess the real extent of the menace and to come out with policy interventions to curb adulteration and contamination. 

"The focus of the joint effort will be on detecting the adulteration and identifying the adulterants, disseminate the finding and to create awareness among people. Another major thrust is to work out strategies to improve and strengthen testing facilities in partnership with educational institutions," said a government official. 

Eight categories of daily use items that are most prone to adulteration and contamination have been identified as targets of the survey. These include milk products such as khoya, butter, ghee, milk-based sweets, pulses (arhar and rajma), mustard oil, groundnut oil, poultry and meat to detect use of oxytocin. Fruits and vegetable samples will also be checked to detect use of carbide for ripening and pesticides, besides materials used for colouring. 

Sources said that the extent of adulteration of milk is high and an FSSAI study in 2011 had pegged adulteration of milk at 68.4% and in the case of packaged milk it was as high as 33% in urban areas. The authority had collected random samples from 33 states totaling a sample size of 1,791. While 565 samples confirmed to the standard, the rest failed. 

Detergent was found in 103 samples while the second highest parameter of non conformity was the skim milk powder in 548 samples. The study had concluded that addition of water to milk is most common adulterant and that powdered milk is reconstituted to meet the demand of milk supply.

RTI query reveals pesticide residues in organic produce

Between January 2012 and October 2014, out of 150 samples of organic vegetables, 50 samples were detected with pesticide residues

According to the ministry of agriculture, total organic production in the country is estimated at 1.24 million tonnes grown in an area spanning 723,000 hectare. 

New Delhi: A Right to Information (RTI) query filed with the ministry of agriculture has revealed the presence of pesticides—in some cases above permissible limits—in vegetables sold as organic or free of chemicals. But the Delhi retailer named in the RTI information protested that the vegetables came from a supplier endorsed by a government-approved certifier.

The RTI query reveals that between January 2012 and October 2014, 150 samples of organic vegetables were analysed for pesticide residues—of these, 50 samples, or 33%, were detected with pesticide residues, while 10, or 6.6%, were found to have residues above the maximum residue level.

The information provided under the RTI is based on samples collected and analysed by the All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues (AINPPR) under the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi. However, all 150 samples were collected from The Altitude Store, a Delhi-based retailer of organic produce.

According to information revealed under the RTI, the most commonly detected pesticides are acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, cepermethrin, flubendiamide and profenofos. Samples of cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum, brinjal, green pea, bitter gourd and okra were found to have residues above the maximum residue level.

The information raises concern regarding the quality of organic produce in India, which remains largely unregulated. Retailers often depend on private certifiers or trust their suppliers’ word that the produce is chemical-free. However, the fact that all samples were collected from a single shop in the National Capital points to a non-representative sample.

“We are in the process of collecting data on pesticide residues through 15 laboratories across the country. In Delhi, since there aren’t many organic retailers, we collected samples from one store,” said K.K. Sharma, network coordinator of AINPPR.

The RTI was filed by the Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), an association of agrochemical industries such as pesticide manufacturers.

“The presence of pesticides in produce sold as organic means there is no regulatory check. Customers are being cheated and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has not punished a single violator for selling fake organic products,” said S. Ganesan, an adviser to CCFI. “We also asked the ministry for details of pesticide residues in imported agricultural produce, but the RTI reply states that no such information is available,” he added.

According to the ministry of agriculture, total organic production in the country is estimated at 1.24 million tonnes grown in an area spanning 723,000 hectare. Currently, 12 states are engaged in organic farming, and two—Sikkim and Mizoram—are likely to become fully organic in a few years.

“The organic vegetables with pesticide residues were sourced from a certified supplier in Sonipat, Haryana,” said Ayesha Grewal, owner of The Altitude Store. “The supplier had a certification from Ecocert, one of the largest organic certifiers in the country approved by Apeda (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority). As a retailer or consumer, if I cannot trust a government-approved certifier who do I fall back on?” asked Grewal.

She said that AINPPR had not bothered to share the results on pesticide residues with the store. “Some months back, we stopped sourcing from the supplier in Haryana—but due to lack of quality and consistency; we were unaware of the presence of pesticide residues,” added Grewal.

On use of oxytocin in milk, HP High Court directs authorities to reply

The Himachal Pradesh High Court recently directed the state food and civil supplies director; the drug controller, the drug controller-general of India, the health secretary of the Central government and the state health safety and regulations director to submit their replies on the issue of the large-scale use of harmful oxytocin vaccine in milk, fruits and vegetables. 

A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, passed these orders on a petition taken up suo moto by the Court as a public interest litigation (PIL) on a report published in a Hindi daily on the misuse of the vaccine.

In the reply submitted before the Court, the state government submitted that oxytocin was a drug covered under Schedule H of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and sold strictly on prescription of a registered medical practitioner only. 

There is a proper check on the sale of the injection, and regular inspections of chemists and drug manufacturers are conducted through regulatory mechanisms. 

The government submitted that there were 14 manufacturers of the injection in Himachal Pradesh. It was being manufactured for human use and not for veterinary use, and no contravention with respect to its manufacture, sale and distribution was reported.

It was alleged in the newspaper report that the large-scale use of the oxytocin vaccine was on the rise in Himachal Pradesh in milk, vegetables, fruit and non-vegetarian products, and it was the source of a number of harmful side effects. 

The vaccine was used to increase the milk production of milch cattle, and enlarge the size of vegetables and fruit and to improve their colour and shine.

It could have a wide range of side effects, including brain damage, blood cancer, low blood pressure, silent heart attack, cardiac arithemia, pelvic hematoma and impaired uterine blood flow. 

The news item had also reported that there was large-scale production of oxytocin in the state’s pharmaceutical hubs, Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh, and illegal production in the industrial areas of District Sirmour.

The Court has appointed Advocate Satyen Vaidya as Amicus Curiae in the case and posted the matter for December 22, 2014.

பால் கொள்முதலில் முறைகேடு? குளிரூட்டும் நிலையத்தில் ரெய்டு

ஆத்தூர் : ஆத்தூர் அருகே, ஆவின் பால் குளிரூட்டும் நிலையத்தில், ஆர்.டி.ஓ., தலைமையிலான குழுவினர், அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.

ஆத்தூர் அருகே, அம்மம்பாளையத்தில், ஆவின் நிறுவனத்தின், பால் குளிரூட்டும் நிலையம் உள்ளது. இங்கிருந்து, பாக்கெட் பால், நெய், வெண்ணெய் உள்ளிட்ட பால் பொருட்கள் தயார் செய்து, வெளியூர்களுக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டு வருகிறது.இந்நிலையில், பால் குளிரூட்டும் நிலையத்தில், தனியாரிடம் கொள்முதல் செய்த பாலை, பால் உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் வழங்கும் பாலுடன் கலக்கின்றனர். அதனால், தாங்கள் வழங்கும் பாலின் தரம் குறைந்து விடுவதாக, பால் உற்பத்தியாளர்கள், மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் மகரபூஷணத்திடம் புகார் தெரிவித்தனர்.

அவரது உத்தரவுப்படி, நேற்று காலை, 11 மணியளவில், ஆத்தூர் ஆர்.டி.ஓ., ஜெயச்சந்திரன், தாசில்தார் தேன்மொழி, ஆர்.ஐ., சுப்ரமணி, வி.ஏ.ஓ.,க்கள், திடீர் சோதனை நடத்தினர்.

அப்போது, தனியாரிடம் கொள்முதல் செய்த, 9,120 லிட்டர் பாலை, தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பிளாஸ்டிக் கேனில் எடுத்து வந்ததால், ஐந்து தனியார் மினி சரக்கு வேன்களை பறிமுதல் செய்த ஆர்.டி.ஓ., ஜெயச்சந்திரன், ஆவின் அலுவலர், விவசாயிகளிடம், விசாரணை நடத்தினார்.அப்போது, ஆவின் உதவி மேலாளர் கல்யாணராமன், ""உணவு பாதுகாப்பு தர நிர்ணய சட்டப்படி, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்களுக்கு மட்டுமே அதிகாரம் வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது,'' என, ஆர்.டி.ஓ.,விடம் கூறி, உத்தரவு நகலை காட்டினார்.அதையடுத்து, ஆர்.டி.ஓ., ஜெயச்சந்திரன், மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதாவுக்கு தகவல் தெரிவித்து விட்டு, அங்கிருந்து வெளியேறினார். அதையடுத்து, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு ஆய்வாளர் கோவிந்தராஜ் உள்ளிட்டோர், தனியார் பாலின் தரம் குறித்து, ஒவ்வொரு கேனிலும், ஆய்வு செய்து, மாதிரியை எடுத்தனர்.தனியார் பால் ஏற்றி வந்த, நான்கு வாகன உரிமையாளர் மற்றும் ஆவின் நிறுவனத்தில், அலுமினியம், சில்வர் கேன்களை தவிர்த்து, பிளாஸ்டிக் கேனில் பால் கொள்முதல் செய்தது, சுகாதார வசதிகள் இல்லாதது என, ஆவின் அலுவலருக்கும், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர் அனுராதா, தனித் தனியாக, நோட்டீஸ் வழங்கினார்.மாதிரி எடுத்துள்ள பாலில், தரம் குறைவு கண்டறிந்தால், கடுமையான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என எச்சரிக்கை விடுக்கப்பட்டது.

15 ஆயிரம் மதிப்பிலான புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

உளுந்தூர்பேட்டை, டிச. 18:

விழுப்புரம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நிலைய அலுவலர் ஆறுமுகம் உத்தரவின் பேரில் நேற்று காலை உளுந்தூர்பேட்டை பேருந்து நிலையம் மற்றும் கடை வீதியில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் முருகன், இப்ராகிம் ஆகியோர் தமிழக அரசால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பான்மசாலா, குட்கா உள்ளிட்ட பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறதா? என்பது குறித்து 10க்கும் மேற்பட்ட கடைகளில் தீவிர சோதனை மேற்கொண்டனர்.

அப்போது 2 கடைகளில் இருந்து ரூ 15 ஆயிரம் மதிப்பிலான தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

One-third of Capital’s organic veggies have pesticide residues: CCFI

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 16: 

Following up on its October investigation of data irregularities in the National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), the Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI) stated on Tuesday that it had found pesticide residues in one-third of the organic products retailed in New Delhi that are marketed as chemical pesticide-free.

The owner of a retail store mentioned in the response by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), to an RTI filed by CCFI, however, was unaware of the study conducted on its product but told Business Line that all its products had been organically certified by bodies recognised by the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The CCFI communicated to BL that the Government itself conducted tests on organic vegetables and fruits and that it had filed the RTI to learn specific details about the results.

It is not clear in the IARI response as to how many organic retail outlets were tracked by CCFI, an association of pesticides manufacturers, besides ‘The Altitude Store’ from where 150 samples across a range of vegetables, including cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, green pea and okra, were tested between January 2012 and October 2014.

Of these, 50 were found to have chemical pesticide residues while 10 were above the maximum residue level (MRL). Acetamiprid, Chlorpyrifos, Cypermethrin and Flubendiamide were among the pesticides detected.

“Of late, it has become a fashion to talk about organic agriculture in policy circles without knowing the ground reality right under their nose,” said Rajju Shroff, Chairman, CCFI, in a press statement which added “that the test results only proved long held suspicion that organic farms do use pesticides…and stealthily sell the products as organic to gain from premium price that people pay”.

The CCFI statement said that there was no specific regulation in India to punish such retailers and not a single violator had been taken to task for falling foul of the Food Safety and Standards Act (2006) that defined "misbranded food as an article of food offered or promoted for sale with false, misleading or deceptive claim upon the label of the package" and imposed a penalty of up to Rs 3 lakhs on fraudulent sellers.

Unfair report

Ayesha Grewal, who manages Altitude, stated that chances of the outlet’s products containing pesticides were low but did explain that the business model worked largely on trust with suppliers. With everything that is retailed being certified organic, Grewal felt that strengthening such regulatory checks could be a way to prevent such reports emerging in the future.

“We have to rely on the certifying agent and work as per their reports. If they’re telling us that our products our organic by international standards, we trust them. If it turns out that they are not doing their job properly, then it has a negative impact on us,” she said.

Altitude sources vegetables mainly from Uttarakhand (certified by the Uttarakhand Stated Seed Certification Agency), a group of farmers in Haryana’s Sonipat district (SGS India-certified), and from its own farm in Rajasthan’s Alwar district (certified by OneCert Asia Agri Certification Ltd). More than a hundred suppliers work with the company, providing meat and poultry, tea, coffee, cereals etc.

“We have now started moving into sourcing vegetables in a big way from our own farm where we have taken precautionary measures to keep out pesticides, including situating the patch in the middle of the 40 acres, planting trees which act as windbreakers and also getting the water tested regularly,” explained Grewal.

The firm recently snapped ties with two suppliers in the last three months since it was felt that they were not working as per organic norms.

“Even if I was to assume that my store did have produce that chemical residues why that should be used to execute the entire organic market. It doesn’t appear to be a fair report,” she added.

நெய் தயாரிப்பில் செயற்கை! விழிப்புடன் இருக்க அறிவுரை

கோவை : 'அண்ணனுக்கு ஒரு நெய் ரோஸ்ட்டேய்ய்...' என்று சர்வர் இழுத்து கூறும்போதே, ஆர்டர் கொடுத்து காத்திருப்பவர், சிறிது நேரத்தில் அழகாக சுருட்டி மொருகலாக வரப்போகும் நெய் ரோஸ்ட்டை கற்பனை செய்து பார்த்து விடுவார். சுடச்சுட சர்வர் கொண்டு வந்து வைக்கும் அந்த நெய் ரோஸ்ட், ஒரு 'பொய்' ரோஸ்ட் என்பதை அவர் அறிவதில்லை.

அறிவியல் கண்டுபிடிப்புகள் மூலம், குறைந்த முதலீட்டில் அதிக லாபம் சம்பாதிக்க, உணவுப்பொருட்களில் கலப்படம் செய்வது அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. இந்த வரிசையில் நெய்யும் எப்போதோ இணைந்து விட்டாலும், சமீபகாலமாக கலப்பட நெய் தயாரிப்பு நிறுவனங்களின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. தமிழகத்தில் தினமும் பல ஆயிரம் டன், சுத்தமான நெய் உற்பத்தி செய்யப்படுகிறது. அதைவிட அதிகமாக, செயற்கை நெய் உற்பத்தி செய்யப்பட்டு, புழக்கத்தில் விடப்படுகிறது. போதுமான விழிப்புணர்வு இல்லாததால், சந்தையில் அதிக இடத்தையும் பிடித்துள்ளது.

பிரபல நெய் உற்பத்தி நிறுவனங்களின் பெயரில், போலி 'அக்மார்க்' முத்திரையுடன், இந்த போலி நெய் புழக்கத்தில் விடப்படுகிறது. செயற்கை நெய் விற்பனையில் கிடைக்கும் லாபம் காரணமாக, பல்வேறு சிறு நிறுவனங்களும் நெய் தயாரிப்பில் ஈடுபட்டு வருகின்றன. இந்த செயற்கை நெய் தயாரிப்பதற்கு மாட்டுக் கொழுப்பு, சுத்திகரிக்கப்பட்ட பாமாயில், சணல் எண்ணெய் போன்றவை பயன்படுத்தப்படுவது தெரியவந்துள்ளது.இவ்வகை நெய்யை பரிசோதனைகள் வாயிலாக மட்டுமே கண்டறிய முடியும் என்பதால், நுகர்வோர் அவற்றின் பாதிப்புகளை அறிய வாய்ப்பில்லை.'நெய் வாசனைக்காக, இறக்குமதி செய்யப்பட்ட 'எசன்ஸ்' கலக்கப்படுகிறது; ஒரு சொட்டு எசன்ஸ் ஊற்றினாலே செயற்கை நெய், சுத்தமான பாலிலிருந்து தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட நெய்யை விட நறுமணம் மிகுந்து இருக்கும்' என்று கூறி பதற வைக்கிறார், கோவை மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து கட்டுப்பாடு நியமன அலுவலர் கதிரவன்.

இது குறித்து அவர் கூறியதாவது: கலப்பட நெய் உற்பத்தியாளர்கள், 10 சதவீதம் சுத்தமான நெய்யும், 90 சதவீதம் வனஸ்பதி உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு பொருட்களை பயன்படுத்தியும் நெய் தயாரிக்கின்றனர். இந்த கலப்படத்தை, பரிசோதனைகள் மூலம் மட்டுமே நிரூபிக்க முடியும். இதை பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டு, குறைந்த செலவில் அதிக லாபம் ஈட்டுகின்றனர்.கலப்பட நெய் தயாரிப்பு குறித்து புகார்கள் வந்தாலும், போலியான முகவரியில் இந்த உற்பத்தியாளர்கள் இருப்பதால், அவர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முடியவில்லை. இந்த நெய்யை உட்கொள்வதால், அல்சர், கேன்சர் உள்ளிட்ட நோய்கள் ஏற்பட வாய்ப்புள்ளது. பிரச்னைகளை தவிர்க்க, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையிடம் சான்று பெற்ற நிறுவனங்களின் தயாரிப்புகளை நுகர்வோர் பயன்படுத்தலாம்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

சுகாதார துறையினர் தூக்கம் கலையுமா? ஆலங்குளம் கடையில் வாங்கிய பக்கோடாவில் பல்லி

ஆலங்குளம் டிச. 17:

நெல்லை & தென்காசி மெயின் ரோட்டில் ஆலங்குளம் முக்கிய வியாபார ஸ்தலமாக திகழ்கிறது. வெளியூரில் இருந்து வருபவர்களுக்கும், உள்ளூர் பொதுமக்களும் வசதியாக பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட் அருகில் ஏராளமான ஓட்டல்கள் மற்றும் ஸ்வீட் கடைகள் உள்ளன.

அதே நேரத்தில், பெரும்பாலான கடைகளின் உணவு மற்றும் பண்டங்கள் தயாரிக்கும் சமையல் அறைகள் சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில் உள்ளது. கடந்த வாரம் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட் அருகில் உள்ள ஒரு ஓட்டலில் வழங்கப்பட்ட புரோட்டா சால்னாவில் தவளை கிடந்துள்ளது. பெரிய பிரச்னைக்கு பிறகு வாடிக்கையாளரை சமாதானம் செய்து அனுப்பி வைத்துள்ளனர்.

இந்நிலையில், நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு ஆலங்குளம் அருகே உள்ள காசிநாதபுரத்தை சேர்ந்த கதிரவன் என்பவர் ஆலங்குளம் பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட் அருகில் உள்ள ஒரு கடையில் தனது குழந்தைகளுக்கு பக்கோடா வாங்கி சென்றுள்ளார். வீட்டில் குழந்தைகள் பொட்டலத்தை திறந்தபோது, அதில் கருகிய நிலையில் ஒரு பல்லி கிடந் ததை கண்டு அதிர்ச்சியடைந்தனர்.

இது குறித்து கதிரவன் கூறுகையில், வழக்கமாக வேலை முடிந்து வீட்டிற்கு வரும் போது குழந்தைகளுக்கு ஏதாவது பண்டங்கள் வாங்கி செல்வேன். கார்த் திகை மாதம் என்பதால் முட்டை கூட சாப்பிடாத குழந்தைகளுக்கு நேற்று முன்தினம் இரவு சாப்பாட்டிற்கு தொட்டுக் கொள்வதற்காக பக்கோடா வாங்கி சென்றேன். பொட்டலத்தை திறந்து பார்த்தபோது இறந்த நிலையில் கருகி கருவேப்பிலை போன்று ஒரு பல்லி கிடந்தது. முதலிலேயே பார்த்தால் எனது குழந்தைகளுக்கு எந்த பிரச்னையும் இன்றி தப்பித்து இது குறித்து, சுகாதார துறைக்கு எனது நண்பர் மூலம் புகார் செய்துள் ளேன் என்றார்.

சுகாதார துறையின ரும் ஆலங்குளம் பகுதியில் உள்ள ஓட்டல்கள் மற்றும் ஸ்வீட் கடைகளின் சமையலறைகளை பார்வையிட்டு, அவற்றை சுகாதாரமான முறையில் பராமரிக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என இப்பகுதி மக்கள் வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளனர்.

Rampant food adulteration

Many states still without facilities to check it

Even though the country has the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in place, it is shocking that of the 72,200 food samples tested across the country in 2012-13, barely 13,571 cleared the laboratory test. This amounts to an alarming 87.3 per cent food consumed by Indians to be contaminated in various degrees. An unregulated use of pesticides and insecticides has been reported for years, as also antibiotics in poultry and milk adulteration with high levels of oxytocin, commonly known as love hormone. Medical studies have found that the presence of high levels of oxytocin in milk products can cause an early onset of puberty in girls and other complications. The adulteration of edible mustard oil with argemone mexicana seed oil has caused the dropsy epidemic in thousands of people near Delhi. 

Yet, no concrete action has been taken to prevent these health hazards. Every year around Diwali, in a knee-jerk reaction, food inspectors arrest a few sweets shop and dairy owners, fines are slapped and adulterers go back to the usual business. A profit-driven food industry and the corruption-ridden law-enforcing agencies have ensured that Indians remain shrouded in blissful ignorance about the levels of contamination of the food they consume. Now that Union Health Minister J P Nadda has shown concern by announcing amendments to the existing law to prevent food and milk adulteration, should this call for a cheer? 

The minister has set up a task force to review the Act with a provision for more stringent punishment for food adulterers. On ensuring the quality of food, the Centre says implementation of the law is in the hands of states. Several states are still without the required facilities and infrastructure. Does that mean people in such states do not deserve uncontaminated food? In states where some sort of infrastructure exists, several districts do not have a single food inspector! Before amending the law, the government would do better by putting the basic infrastructure in place to ensure basic food safety for the billion-plus people.

Food Safety Helpline: App for Food Business Owners in India

FoodSafetyHelpline.com has released their Food Safety Helpline mobile app for Food Business owners to allow them to have any information that complies to Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The app allows food business operators to get information, learn standards and implement them in their food business setup.

Food Safety Helpline app not only gives information on safety and standards but also allows food business owners to do self-inspection and learn if they are violating any of the standards under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. With the Food Safety Inspection tool, you can do audit via the mobile phone, generate reports, flexibility of doing audits at any suitable time, cover multiple locations of your food business, identify any gaps in your system and take corrective measures.

The app also gives you latest updates and notifications related to new or updated FSSAI regulations via the Articles section. The Webinar section provides you visual information via videos on various important topics. The app is also loaded with relevant help sections to help you learn how and why to do inspections.

The app is currently available for Android devices for free from Google Play Store. To use the app, you are required to sign-up using your email address, Facebook or Google+. If you are signing up using email address you will be required to enter FSSAI License No. for your food business to complete registration. If you sign-in using social network (Facebook or Google+) you will be able to use only informational sections. To access Inspection and Reports section you will be asked to complete your profile by providing FSSAI License Number.

Trans Fatty Acids Shall Be Not More Than 5 Percent By Weight: FSSAI

KJ News: The Government of India’s (GOI) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is planning to control excess trans fatty acid in food items. FSSAI has published draft regulations for public comment, which primarily focus on setting maximum limits for trans fatty acid. Comments are due by February 5, 2015.

On December 5, 2014, FSSAI published the draft Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2014, which primarily focused on setting maximum limits for trans fatty acid. The proviso, “Provided that the maximum limit of trans fatty acids shall be not more than 5 percent by weight, on and from the 27th of August, 2016”.

Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that behaves like a saturated fat because of its chemical structure. It increases our risk of heart disease by increasing the “bad” LDL cholesterol, while also lowering the “good” HDL cholesterol in our blood.

Naturally occurring trans fats are found in small amounts in dairy products, beef, veal, lamb and mutton. Artificial, synthetic, industrial or manufactured trans fats are caused by the way some fats and oils are processed. They are found in foods that use hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable fats, such as deep-fried and baked foods.

‘Enforce ban on plastic’

Thaneer, an organisation working for the cause of environment protection, has urged the Food Safety Department to prevent packaging hot food products in polythene bags. 

In a representation to the Chief Minister, the organisation secretary K.C.Neelamegam also demanded effective steps to enforce the ban on plastics below the thickness of 40 microns. 

Manufacturers of packaged water should also be forced to recollect the used bottles to destroy or recycle them. Steps to segregate plastic wastes should be streamlined.

For wines, the free run is ending

MUMBAI, DEC 16: 

Indian wine producers will have to confirm to new standards if they want to sell their products in the country after June 2015. The Indian Grape Processing Board (IGPB) has decided to formulate the food safety standards, which will be made mandatory by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Currently, there are no set product definitions for dry wine, sweet wine, liqueur wines and a whole range of other wines, which are either made locally or imported from major wine producing countries.

Chairman of IGPB, Jagadish Holkar told Business Line that as of now even the BIS standards are not mandatory on wine products. Therefore, the new standards have been formulated and have been sent to a scientific committee for scrutiny. Wine contains 70 ingredients, including heavy metals and salts in addition to grape juice.

The new standards will ensure that unreliably made wines and oxidised wines, which are of poor quality, are not sold in the market. “Dumping of sub-standard wines from overseas wine makers will also stop,” Holkar said.

The size of Indian market is pegged at about Rs 2,000 crore and Maharashtra and Karnataka are the largest wine producers and exporters in the country.

Director of Pune based Rhythm Winery, Akalpit Prabhune said that the proposed standards will be good. He however said that rules for proper handling of wines are also required. “Even if wineries ensure standards are met, once the bottles leave the winery, wine makers have very little control over the product. The quality can also deteriorate if the wines are not properly stored by the distributors and retailers,” he said.

Founder Director of Nashik based Rio Sparkling Wines, Ashwin Rodrigues said that though the wine industry definitely needs new standards it should not be “excessive”, which could result in harassment of wine makers.

He said that Indian could adopt systems put in place in France where checks and audits on wineries are conducted.

Street Food Festival 2014 Inauguration by Sanjeev Kapoor, the famous Indian chef

As the leading platform of street vendors of India, the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) has always tried to champion the causes of the street food vendors and help them assert with their acumen and brilliance of profession. For NASVI, promoting street food and cementing the identity of street food vendors is closely linked with preserving and promoting the social- cultural diversity of place and region.

Time and gain NASVI has demonstrated its proven capacities in organizing Street Food Festivals with a pool of efficient street food vendors and teams of committed staff and representatives. The managerial capacity and the outreach planning have always turned events highly successful. The Street Food Festivals organized by NASVI in the national capital Delhi in November 2011 and December 2012 evoked huge response of the citizenry and attracted a large number of crowds.

The Street Food Festival organized in Delhi on 20-22 December, 2013 saw footfalls of thousands of people from cross sections of society. It was inaugurated by the Union Urban Development Minister Mrs. Girja Vyas, Government of India. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of Delhi Government also put up the stalls and supervised the maintenance and hygiene of the stalls. Besides citizenry of Delhi, many parliamentarians, intellectuals, journalists and government officials also joined the festival. They all enjoyed the festival and eventually got charmed and conquered by the variety and aroma of the street foods. A team of Singapore Tourism also joined the festival and invited NASVI to participate in the World Street Food Congress.

Building on the experiences of last street food festivals held in Delhi over the last three years, NASVI is going to organize a grand Street Food Carnival in Delhi from 25 to 28 December, 2014. This winter delight set to attract thousands of foodies across India over three days will have master street food vendors of different regions of India and other countries with their signature dishes having age old stamps of culinary tradition and culture. Not just a unique battle of tastes, the carnival will be an advocacy event with a difference wherein the executives and functionaries of tourism, food processing, health, labour and employment departments and boards, and representatives of culinary institutes, development agencies, media and academic institutions would join together to share, acknowledge and celebrate the potentials and the possibilities of street food vending sector.

With the encouraging crowd in National Street food festival 2013 we are planning to have more stalls this year. This year we are putting more than 200 stalls from 25 states of India. This festival is unique initiative to present the diverse food culture served by street food vendors. The authenticity and peerless taste is proved by the stamping crowd across the society. Street food has great potential to attract national as well as international tourists. Indian food has always been a mode of attraction and street food being the best in taste can be a very good method to promote tourism .support from Government of India to take our initiative a step ahead by supporting us to make it a viable tourism prospect.

We would like to organize this year with tourism department as a major stake holder to give message that street food can be a very good source of attracting tourists who would carry a marvelous experience of gastronomic variety at low cost but healthy and hygienic.

In the last one year we had tried to mainstream street food vendors through various trainings and exposures. We are closely working with FSSAI (Food safety and standard Authority of India) to get them registered under food safety Act 2006. We are trying to mainstream street food vendors through our well defined vision PROFESSIONALISING, PROMOTING AND PROVIDING BETTER OPPORTUNITIES TO STREET FOOD VENDORS.

It will be an occasion to reassert that the grassroots street food entrepreneurs play a wonderful role in poverty reduction, employment generation and enterprise building, and they make cities charming for all.

Sanjeev Kapoor, the famous Indian chef and entrepreneur who stars in the TV show Khana Khazana, the longest running show of its kind in Asia, will inaugurate this year’s food festival.

Action against Adulterators of Milk

On the question whether adulteration of milk is increasing in the country, as per the information available from the State/UT Governments, 3814 samples were analyzed, of which 998 samples were found to be non-conforming to Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. As per available information, most of the samples were found to be non-conforming mainly due to addition of water, milk fat, Solid Not Fat, etc. The details of cases launched and prosecutions/ convictions during 2013-14 are as below:

No. of samples examined No. of samples found sub-standards  No. of prosecutions launched No. of  convictions/ penalties 3814 998 432 12 The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

Quality and Safety Measures in FPI

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 which prescribe the quality and safety standards, respectively for food products. 

The Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 prescribes the sanitary and hygienic practices to be followed by food processing industries under Schedule – IV thereof. 

Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Scheme for Quality Assurance, Codex Standards and Research & Development and Other Promotional Activities provides financial assistance in the form of reimbursement of expenditure for implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)/ International Organisation for Standards (ISO) 22000 / ISO 9000 / Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)/ Good Hygiene Practices (GMP) for food processing industries which helps in improving quality and safety of processed food. 

FSSAI is in the process of harmonising the existing Indian standards with international Codex standards. 

There are 152 Food Testing Laboratories authorised by FSSAI for testing food products as per standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Rules / Regulations, 2011. 

The implementation of FSS Act / Rules/ Regulations largely rests with the State Governments/ Union Territories. Accordingly, samples are drawn regularly by States/ UT Governments and action is taken against the offenders in cases where samples are found to be non-conforming. 

A complaint may be lodged in the office of the Food Safety Commissioner of concerned State/UT.The name and address of States/UT-wise Food Safety Commissioners are available on FSSAI website i.e. www.fssai.gov.in(http://fssai.gov.in/Food_Commissioners.aspx). 

A consumer can also complain to the Food Safety Officer against any unsafe food product. In addition, there is a provision to lodge complaints online through Centralized Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) i.e.http://pgportal.gov.in/-. 

This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. 

Food companies voice 'Indian law too stringent'

Food regulation in India is commonly termed as a 'necessary evil' by restaurateurs, as they know regulation is good to improve quality and standardise Indian food to match up with international standards.

Food regulation in India has been a key issue in the restaurant industry, lately. Due to slack law and order, the food regulatory body was unable to pass any regulation which could meet international standards. But with foreign brands entering India and the local customers becoming more experimental and choosy with food, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had passed a bill, in which, all the food operators, including the restaurant owners, food packaging companies and other F&B companies had to get their license done before 4th February 2014, without getting any further extensions. Food regulation and safety is a scientific discipline encompassing handling, preparation and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illnesses.

Why there is a hullaballoo?

India is passing through a strategic development when it comes to food and beverages. Not only Indian home-grown brands, but also foreign brands are taking the Indian food and beverages segment to greater heights. However, according to industry experts, restaurants these days neglect hygiene of a particular product or offering when it comes to serving food. They only focus on taste and quality. To make sure that the end consumer is getting the right product ensuring the safety of their health, FSSAI, the top most body in the Indian food law is strictly trying to get all the food related retailers and restaurateurs to come under the jurisdiction. However, the FSSAI law, which the government has implemented, is still being debated as there are certain points that need to be taken into consideration. For example, the pesticide law that seeks to regulate the quality, manufacture, import, export and sale of pesticides to control pests, must ensure availability of quality pesticides and minimise contamination of agricultural commodities with pesticide residue.

Commenting on the same, S Dave, Advisor, FSSAI informed, “This labeling requirement is not new. This requirement was published in 2011, almost three years back. We are not creating any new law or regulations but we are implementing what has been created for the safety and betterment of end consumers.”

Expressing his thought on the subject, Amit Burman, Chairman, Lite Bite Foods said, “FSSAI guidelines instruct on how to run a food establishment by maintaining general hygienic and sanitary practices. The guidelines help restaurateurs to run their establishment efficiently with proper planning and ensuring that the food quality and safety is maintained.”

Also industry experts say food borne illnesses would come down by implementing these rules diligently. Regulation is required in the current scenario as eating out has increased manifolds. There are international clientele too who expect safe food while eating out.

What the industry is saying?

While the food regulation guidelines mostly appreciated and accepted by the restaurateurs, yet few feel procedures to follow such regulations can be made ‘user friendly’. For example, in May’14, four eateries were shut down and a total fine of Rs 1.64 lakh was collected by Food Safety officials, in a raid conducted by these inspectors at Kochi.

Sharing his opinion, Zorawar Kalra, Founder & MD, Massive Restaurants, said, “The food safety regulations is stringent and tough to be followed, but it will help in giving India global food parameters, where people will start preferring to eat three times a day because they know that the food being served to them is of high standards and it has all the essentials required in the diet.”

Arabind Das, COO, Godrej Tyson Foods shared, “Food regulation will only strengthen the product safety but how it is being implemented is the biggest challenge. We have to look how we are going to bring the unorganised sector into this and make the entire industry come under the policy purview.”

Local meeting the global parameters

With food being one of the main markets of growing opportunities, the international brands are giving much attention to the regulations and legalities in a bid to deliver high class, globally acclaimed products to their fussy Indian consumers. Brands like Carl’s Jr, Burger King and Sbarro, which have entered the Indian market are focusing on building a global food standards, which meets the demand of the local customer who is well travelled and experienced in choosing the right restaurants to eat from.

Sam Chopra, Chairman, CybizCorp, who has signed a master franchisee deal with Carl’s Jr to operate its brand in India, said, “Indian market due to the sensitive nature and religious sentiments is very stringent on food regulations. Carl’s Jr Restaurants in India will not offer any beef options on its menu owing to the same.”

Sharing his insights on the subject, Burman explained, in India breaking rules is a daily norm, because we have a ‘passing window’ in the form bribes. He said, “This can stop only if both the food business officials and FSSAI decide to implement the law in its true sense – neither giving nor asking/accepting bribe.”

Clearly, the government body and the restaurant association should find out a middle way to serve the purposes effectively.

Govt to make food adulteration law more stringent

NEW DELHI: Responding to concern expressed in the Lok Sabha over rampant food adulteration the government on Monday said that it would review laws to make them more stringent. Union health minister J P Nadda said that a task force had been set up to recommend changes in the Food Safety and Standards Act. The task force is expected to submit its report in 45 days. 

"We propose to comprehensively review the Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations to address the concerns of courts in matters relating to food adulteration and the numerous representation received from food business operators. It is also proposed to revisit the punishment stipulated for milk adulteration and make it more stringent," Nadda said, responding to Calling Attention by P V Midhun Reddy (YSR Cong) and Satyapal Singh (BJP). 

Amid concerns voiced by law-makers over the "slow poison" in the form of food adulteration, unregulated use of pesticides and antibiotics, especially in poultry products, Nadda termed it as a "serious health hazard" and said government will strengthen manpower and infrastructure to tackle the challenge. 

"Time has come to revisit current laws. Two days ago, we formed a task force. It will give its report in 45 days," he said, adding that a mechanism has to be developed which is continuous so that it could deal with the problem even as new means of adulteration are reported. 

Noting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD), he said contaminated food items are a reason behind it. 

The poor implementation of the existing Food Safety and Standards Act was also a problem, Nadda said, blaming state governments for it. 

Reddy and Singh said almost everything consumed by people from water to milk and food products were contaminated. They expressed concern over the use of oxytocin injection to make cows produce more milk and demanded swift action to curb the menace. 

Nadda said 13,571 out of 72,200 food samples analyzed in 2013-14 were adulterated, resulting in launch of 10,325 civil and criminal cases, and assured the House that the government was committed to curb what Singh described as a "crime with humanity."

Govt to revisit food safety law, make it more stringent: Nadda

Task force to submit suggestions in 45 days

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 15: 

The Government will revisit the food safety Act to make it more stringent to check growing instances of adulteration and contamination.

“Two days ago, we set up a task force, which will submit its suggestions in 45 days, which will be then be put up in public domain for inviting comments. Imported food items will also be covered by this,” Health Minister JP Nadda informed the Lok Sabha on Monday. Replying to a calling by PV Midhun Reddy of YSR Cong and Satyapal Singh of BJP, Nadda admitted that food adulteration and contamination were one reason for the rising burden of non-communicable diseases across the country.

“It is also proposed to revisit the punishment stipulated for milk adulteration and make it more stringent,” Nadda said, adding that the Government would focus creating infrastructure and manpower to face the challenge, such as setting up testing labs under public-private partnership.

Nadda further added that 13,571 out of 72,200 food samples analysed in 2013-14 were adulterated, resulting in launch of 10,325 civil and criminal cases.

He also informed the House that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India was at present engaged in an exercise for harmonisation of the maximum residue limit of pesticides in food commodities.

Earlier, Reddy said the threat from adulteration and contamination of water, milk, oil, etc, was “greater than the threat from terrorism”, as it would take more lives in the long run.

Terming the unregulated use of pesticides and antibiotics as “slow poison” and the use of hormone injections on cows to increase milk yield, as a more “serious crime than cow slaughter”, Reddy particularly urged the Government to ensure “Shudh Bharat” (Pure India)” along with the initiative, “Swachch Bharat.”

SC asks for report on steps taken over adulterated milk

New Delhi, Nov 27: The Supreme Court has asked the Commissioners of Food Safety of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to be present in court Dec 5 and inform it about the steps taken by them to curb adulteration in milk in their states.

An apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice A.K. Sikri Tuesday directed the personal appearance of the Commissioners of Food Safety of the four states as the court was told that these states have not taken any steps to clamp down on large-scale milk adulteration.”We have perused the affidavits filed by the parties.”The various states have not explained what steps they have taken for the effective implementation of the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the rules framed thereunder,” the court said.”Non-implementation of the provisions of the Act violates the right to health and safety of the human beings guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” it said.

“In such circumstances, we are inclined to give directions to the concerned Officer In-Charge of the Food Safety and Standards in the States/NCT of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to be present on the next date of hearing and explain to the court how they are functioning and what effective steps they are taking to implement the provisions of the Act and the regulations and explain their accountability.”

It also said the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act must be done in a serious manner.Justice Radhakrishnan said: “If they are not taking any steps, it is the violation of Article 21.”The court’s observation came as Anurag Tomar appearing for PIL petitioner Swami Achyutanand Tirth told the court that these states were in a denial mode and have not taken any steps to check adulteration of milk.

In the course of the hearing, the court inquired as to what steps have been taken in the wake of the 2011 report of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).As the court was told that the report was forwarded to the concerned states, the court asked if the centre was aware what action was taken on the report forwarded by it.The counsel for the centre, Bina Tamta, sought time so that the centre could file a status report on the action taken by the state governments.The court directed the presence of the Commissioners of Food Safety of the four states as it did not get any satisfactory response from the counsel representing them.

In 2011, the FSSAI had taken 1,791 samples from 23 states, from both urban and rural areas, and found that 68.4 percent (1,226) samples of milk were non-conforming to FSSAI standards.The food safety and standards regulator told the court that its study also “indicated traces of detergent in some cases”.Even the centre had Oct 22, 2012, told the apex court that overwhelming quantity of milk being supplied in the market both in pouches and in loose form were not conforming to the quality standards laid under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The court was hearing a PIL by Swami Achyutanand Tirth, head of the Bhuma Niketan Ashram in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, contending that “apathy and inaction” of the central government and the state governments in taking “effective and necessary” measures in curbing the sale of synthetic (chemically prepared) and adulterated milk was violative of the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the constitution.

Chemicals on your plate

Doughnuts, fried chicken, butter popcorn—if any of these are your favourite, read this to know what toxins you are actually taking in with your food

Enough of trans fats and saturated fats bashing. We need to move beyond and pay attention to the many new toxins that are often on our plate nowadays.

Recently, there was a report that found harmful artificial colouring in rice preparations of some restaurants in the Capital. Random samples taken from these restaurants and tested between January 2013-October 2014 by the Union government’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) showed the presence of harmful artificial colouring tartrazine in rice (see “Yellow menace”). The report was presented to the Delhi high court earlier this month.

In March, the high court had announced some fruits and vegetables sold in the Capital as “unfit for human consumption” based on a report by an expert committee that said 5.3% of vegetables and 0.5% of fruits had pesticide traces above the maximum residue limit. The expert committee report listed the pesticides—chlordane, endrin, heptachlor, DDT, parathion—and mentioned that these can cause neurological problems, kidney damage, cancer and other diseases.

Manav Manchanda, senior consultant, respiratory medicine and critical care, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad, says there are too many new “baddies” around that we are not aware of. “It is time to get acclimatized with them—and be careful too. After all our health depends on it.”

Yellow menace

Tartrazine is a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye derived from coal tar and often used as a food colouring to make dishes look more appealing. It can be found in a range of foods, from sweets and orange drinks to cereals, chips and marmalades. It gives the food a bright lemon yellow colour and is also used in combination with blue and green dyes to give various shades of green. “Some of the reported health side effects include: anxiety, migraines, asthma attacks, blurred vision, skin rashes, thyroid cancer, clinical depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or hyperactivity, heart palpitations, sleep disturbances, general all-over weakness, hot flushes and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder),” says Dr Manchanda.

A 2007 study published in The Lancet journal, at the UK’s Southampton University, looked at the effects of six colour additives, including tartrazine, and the researchers estimated that banning these colours could prevent 30% of ADHD cases. They found that these artificial colours affect the behaviour of normal children as well as those diagnosed with ADHD. Tartrazine also interferes with the metabolism of vitamin B6 in the body. A 2011 study on mice and rats, published in the Journal Of Food Science, showed that tartrazine produced a few adverse effects in learning and memory functions.

Beta-carotene and turmeric can be used to achieve a similar colour, but these natural alternatives cost more. “In the absence of other means to identify tartrazine (unreliable labelling), it makes sense to keep a lookout for unnaturally bright colour in foods,” says Dr Manchanda.

Sweet devil

How often do you read the label, and on not spotting sugar, happily pick up the product? What you should also be looking for is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a common sweetener, which is highly processed and made using genetically modified ingredients. It is sweeter and cheaper than regular sugar, but “it is worse than sugar, as it is not natural and the body takes up to three times as long to digest it. It leads to health problems such as weight gain, dental cavities and poor nutrition”, says Ushakiran Sisodia, head of diet and nutrition department, Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, adding, “sodas, cereals, ketchups, salad dressings are common suspects which contain HFCS.”

Popcorn lungs

Butter-flavoured microwave popcorn gets its flavour from a harmful chemical flavouring agent known as diacetyl. It is a preservative used commonly to give buttery flavour and smell to microwave popcorn, margarine, candies and baked goods. “The problem with microwaving popcorn is that the heating process vapourizes the diacetyl in the bag, which can cause Alzheimer’s and damage the lungs. It can cause popcorn lungs—bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare life-threatening disease, which is irreversible. Plus, the chemicals in the bag produce perfluorooctanoic acid, which increases the risk of certain tumours,” says Pradip Shah, general physician, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, Mumbai.

Canned trouble

Canned foods—soups, tunas, gravies, tomato-based products—are convenient, especially after a long day at work. But metal cans, lined with bisphenol A (BPA), can pose risk of breast and prostate cancer as well as neurological disorders, infertility, and type 2 diabetes. Plus, BPA, a known endocrine disruptor, may also make you fat. A 2010 study published in Environmental Health News found that BPA influences fat cell development and fat storage.

A recent study, published in the journal Hypertension, found that BPA consumption leads to a temporary spike in blood pressure. The study reported a 

5 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure after drinking two canned beverages. “And a small increase could be a problem for people who already have high blood pressure,” writes senior study author, Yun-Chul Hong of Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea.

Another recently published study in The Journal Of Nutrition classifies instant noodles as a suspect, and among other issues lists BPA present in the Styrofoam packaging as a health deterrent. In the Hypertension study, Yun-Chul suggests avoiding exposure to BPA and says people should try to eat fresh foods or food packed in glass containers rather than canned foods. The US’ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences also advises reduced use of canned foods and avoiding microwaving food in polycarbonate plastic containers, because they contain BPA which can leach into food.

Carcinogenic agents

“Acrylamide is formed in certain foods (particularly high-carbohydrate foods like potato chips, French fries and hash browns) when they are heated to high temperatures (above 120 degrees Celsius). It is a cancer-causing agent and also a potent neurotoxin, which adversely effects not only the brain, but also the reproductive system,” says Neelanjana Singh, chief clinical nutritionist, PSRI Hospital, New Delhi. Doughnuts and fried chicken are the other two common suspects for this toxic chemical as these are made at high temperatures. A 2013 study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, US, and published in the journal The Prostate, reported that regular consumption of certain deep-fried foods, including doughnuts and fried chicken, is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. “This type of cooking leads to the formation of potentially carcinogenic agents such as aldehydes, acrolein, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and acrylamide,” the study researchers wrote. They reported a 30-37% increased risk of prostate cancer among men who choose to eat fried chicken at least once a week. And if you like to order a serving of French fries along with it, then the risk multiplies. In the same study, the researchers mentioned that deep-fried foods contain high levels of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), associated with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress (i.e. body’s ability to detoxify free radicals). They gave the example of a chicken breast: when deep-fried for 20 minutes it contains more than nine times the amount of AGEs than a chicken breast boiled for an hour.

“Surely baking your fries at a low temperature sounds like a better idea. So does skipping doughnuts, fast food, even grilled food, that has been cooked over charcoal fire and which turns black due to high temperature cooking. Opting for baked home-cooked options is a better deal, and like always, as far as fast food is concerned, moderation is the key,” says Singh.

பிளாஸ்டிக் பார்சல் விஷமாகும் உணவு..

தொலைதூரப் பயணங்களின்போது அரிதாக ஓட்டல் உணவுகளைப் பயன்படுத்தியவர்களுக்குக்கூட, இன்று ஓட்டல் உணவு அத்தியாவசியமாகிவிட்டது. சட்னி, சாம்பார் தொடங்கி சாதத்தைக்கூட பிளாஸ்டிக் டப்பா, பாலித்தீன் கவர்களில் பார்சல் செய்துதான் தருகிறார்கள். ஒவ்வொரு வேளை உண்ணும்போதும் கொஞ்சம் பிளாஸ்டிக்கும் உள்ளே போவதுதான் அதிர்ச்சி.

நல்ல பிளாஸ்டிக்?

நல்ல பிளாஸ்டிக் என்கிற ஒன்று இல்லவே இல்லை. பிளாஸ்டிக்கை மோசமானது, மிக மோசமானது என்றே வகைப்படுத்த முடியும். ஒரு லட்சம் சிந்தடிக் கெமிக்கல்கள் பிளாஸ்டிக்கில் உள்ளன. அதில் ஆறாயிரத்தை மட்டுமே இதுவரை ஆய்வு செய்துள்ளனர். மீதம் உள்ளவை என்ன தீமைகளை ஏற்படுத்தும் என யாருக்குமே தெரியாது.

பொருளாதாரத்தில் வளமாக உள்ள, சத்தான உணவு உண்பவர்களின் ரத்தத்தை ஆய்வு செய்து பார்த்தபோது, அதில் 275 ரசாயனங்கள் இருந்திருக்கின்றன. அவர்களுக்கே இந்த நிலை என்றால் பிற மக்களின் நிலை இன்னும் மோசம்.

பிரஷ் முதல் பால் வரை...

நம் அன்றாட வாழ்வில் காலையில் பல் துலக்குவதில் தொடங்கி இரவில் பால் குடிப்பது வரை எங்கும் எதிலும் பிளாஸ்டிக்தான். பிளாஸ்டிக் பிரஷ், பிளாஸ்டிக் ப்ளேட், பாக்கெட் பால், லன்ச் பாக்ஸ், வாட்டர் பாட்டில் என எங்கும் பிளாஸ்டிக் மயம். பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்களில் சூடான உணவை வைக்கும் போது பிளாஸ்டிக்கில் உள்ள ரசாயனம் உணவோடு கலந்து விடும். இப்படி ஒவ்வொரு நாளும் தெரிந்தும், தெரியாமலும் ரசாயனங்கள் உணவு மூலமாக தினமும் நம் உடலில் சேர்கின்றன. இதனால் பலவிதமான நோய்களும், குறைபாடுகளும் ஏற்படுகின்றன. பிளாஸ்டிக்கில் உள்ள ரசாயனங்கள் உணவோடு கலந்து பின்விளைவுகளை எப்படி ஏற்படுத்துகின்றன

இணைய இறக்குமதி

பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்கள் தாலேட்ஸ் (Phthalates) இல்லாமல் உருவாக்கப்படுவது இல்லை. தாலேட்ஸ்தான் பிளாஸ்டிக்கை மென்மையாக்கவும் வளைக்கவும் உதவுகிறது. இதில் ஏழு வகையான தாலேட்ஸ்கள் மிக ஆபத்தானவை. நாம் வாங்கும் வாட்டர் பாட்டிலின் அடிப்பகுதியைப் பார்த்தால், முக்கோண வடிவில் எண் 1 என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும். அதே போல பாட்டிலின் லேபிளிலும் ஒருமுறை பயன்படுத்திய பின் தூக்கி எறியுங்கள் என்று குறிப்பிடப்பட்டிருக்கும். இதை நாம் கவனிக்காமல் பல நாட்களுக்கு அதே பாட்டிலைப் பயன்படுத்தி வருகிறோம். மலிவான விலையில் உற்பத்தியாகும் பாட்டிலில் இருந்து டி.இ.எச்.பி (Di2Ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) என்ற ரசாயனம் வெளியாகி நீருடன் கலக்கும். இது புற்றுநோய் உண்டாக்கும் காரணியாக மாறுகிறது.

தாலேட்ஸ் உள்ள பிளாஸ்டிக்கைப் பயன்படுத்துவதால் ஆண்களுக்கு இயல்புக்கு மீறிய பாலின உறுப்புகள் வளர்ச்சி, ஆண்மைக்குறைவு, குழந்தைகளுக்கு மார்பக வளர்ச்சி, பெண்களுக்கு அதிக மார்பக வளர்ச்சி, கருச்சிதைவு, குறைப்பிரசவம், ஆஸ்துமா போன்ற பிரச்சினைகள் ஏற்படுகின்றன. எனவே, முடிந்தவரை பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்களைத் தவிர்ப்பது நல்லது.

ஓட்டலில் 40 மைக்ரான்கள் கொண்ட கவர்களில்தான் உணவை பேக் செய்கிறார்கள் என்று உறுதியாகச் சொல்ல முடியாது. ஆவி பறக்க, சூடான சாம்பார், ரசம், பொரியல் என பேக் செய்யும் கவர்கள் நிச்சயம் அதிக மைக்ரான்களால் தயாரிக்கப்படுவது இல்லை. கவரில் உள்ள டயாக்சின் (DIOXINE) என்ற ரசாயனம் உணவோடு சூடாகக் கலக்கும்போது வயிற்றுக் கோளாறு, பசியின்மை, வயிற்றுப் போக்கு போன்றவை ஏற்படும். தொடர்ந்து ஓட்டல் உணவையே பார்சல் செய்து சாப்பிட்டுக்கொண்டிருந்தால் மலட்டுத்தன்மை வருவதற்கு வாய்ப்புகள் அதிகம்.

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