The ‘myth’ological ban on beef

Karan Sehgal / The Goan March 14, 2015

Beef shops are all shut in the markets of Goa. At the same time, Maharashtra government has recently banned the slaughter of bull and bullocks. Put together, it paints an extremely grim picture for beef lovers in the state of Goa. The whole issue of beef not available in Goa is riddled has so many myths circulating around it that we at The Goan felt it is only appropriate that we will de-mystify those myths and bring some facts to the table

Beef shops are all shut in the markets of Goa. At the same time, Maharashtra government has recently banned the slaughter of bull and bullocks. Put together, it paints an extremely grim picture for beef lovers in the state of Goa. A number of restaurants in Goa have few days of beef stored in their cold storage which means unless supply of beef is resumed in the state they will be forced to change their menu. Besides, beef-lovers are returning empty-handed from the market as beef traders have shut their shops.

Beef traders have shut their shops as a protest against unreasonable business scenario in the state. They alleged that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are not allowing trucks with cattle or beef to enter Goa from Karnataka using one pretext or the other. The NGOs allege that the beef traders are indulging in illegal business practices such as not having required certificates or having fake certificates; they even allege that beef traders slaughter cows, calves, which isn’t allowed under the law. The net result of all these factors is beef traders are finding it very difficult to carry on with the business in Goa.

The situation is so complex that if the law is followed in its true spirit most meat traders (which includes all kinds of meat and not just beef) will be found to be violating it since this industry has gone more or less unregulated in Goa just as in larger India. There are roadside stalls, there are shops without proper air-conditioning, sometimes without even a water supply, and there are questionable business practices like meat-sellers don’t clean the knife and other equipment properly. There are then lapses in terms of not getting required approvals from administrative bodies like panchayats and municipal corporations. It is these factors which have brought a halt on the beef trade in Goa and not the recent ban in Maharashtra.

Naturally, the consumers are complaining and Goa Meat Complex is perturbed. Lyndon Monteiro, chairman of Goa Meat Complex, “We had given a deadline to all beef traders to open their shops by Wednesday, March 11, 2015, but they didn’t open their shops. Due to this, we have decided to make fresh certified beef available to consumers in Goa”. However, Goa Meat Complex is not in the business of selling beef; it is a slaughterhouse and a government undertaking.

Monteiro’s job becomes complex because his objective is to make beef available to beef starved people of Goa. He may choose to get into beef retailing in the short run but in the long run the trade will have to sort out its business model itself. Monteiro’s initiative of making beef available are likely to send panic waves to the already grieving beef traders as they will see them being replaced for the task of beef selling. Monteiro will have to walk a very fine line here.

But, Goa Meat Complex’s isn’t the only government body which will have to find a way out of this mess as even food and drugs administration (FDA) department will have to work extremely hard to sensitise various stakeholders in the beef trade as to what the regulations actually require because the situation at present is miserable. In many cases, municipalities haven’t even provided a basic infrastructure to sell not just beef but any kind of meat.

The entire administration will have to improve drastically. Panchayats, municipal corporations, animal husbandry department and FDA will all have to consolidate their databases on beef traders and iron out anomalies. The task is going to be herculean. As of now, FDA has just visited meat shops in municipalities in Goa and has found out a very high number of irregularities. FDA is planning to visit villages soon to inspect and it is likely that it will find irregularities there too.

The need of the hour is long-term solution and not a short-term fix. Unfortunately, there are no short-cuts here. The process of improvement must start here and only in few years’ time that one can expect that various government departments will have consolidated database about beef-traders, beef-traders will know what exactly the regulations are, consumers will know what kind of product they should buy and where from.

In the meanwhile, the issue is becoming contentious with every passing day. The whole issue of beef not available in Goa is riddled has so many myths circulating around it that we at The Goan felt it is only appropriate that we will de-mystify those myths and bring some facts to the table.

Myth 1: All beef is cow meat

The Goan opinion: This wrongly held belief is at the centre of any kind of debate on the ban on beef. By definition, beef is cattle meet, which means the meat of cow, bull, ox, male buffalo and female buffalo are all termed as beef. What is loosely being described as a ban on beef in Maharashtra is actually a ban on the slaughter of bull and bullocks (also termed as ox). Maharashtra still doesn’t have ban on the slaughter of male buffalo and female buffalo. Interestingly, Maharashtra has a ban on the slaughter of cows since 1976. Goa too has the ban on the slaughter of cows. As per the law in Goa, there is a ban on the slaughter of female buffalos too. However, Goan law allows bull, ox and male buffalo of more than twelve years of age can be slaughtered if they can’t be used for economic purposes like agriculture.

Myth 2: The recent ban on the slaughter of bull and bullocks in Maharashtra will have adverse impact on the tourism industry in Goa

The Goan opinion: It is true that Goa hardly makes its own beef, which is mostly because the number of cattle in the state is just too low for it to be self-sustainable for its beef consumption. Besides, Goa has a large Christian population and a small Muslim population too, which means a good portion of its overall beef demand comes from its own local population. Then, Goa is an international tourist destination and travellers from all parts of the world come to the state every year. In fact, a number of tourists spend a part of their year, sometime stretching upto six months, in Goa. All this, put together, shows that the demand for beef in Goa is quite high. And, since Goa doesn’t produce its own beef, it has to come from neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. But, Goa gets most of its beef from Karnataka and not Maharashtra as confirmed by JafarBepari, president of Qureshi Meat Traders Association of Goa. And, since the ban pertains to Maharashtra, it per se has no impact on Goa and hence no impact on tourism industry

Myth 3: Beef makes up for a large part of sales at all hotels and restaurants catering to tourists

The Goan opinion: This is not entirely true. However, this is not entirely incorrect either. Shridhar Nair, general manager, The Leela Goa, said, “Not even 5% of our hotel’s food sales are on account of beef. Most of the international tourists in Goa like to have seafood for which Goa is extremely famous”. However, there is a counter-point to this. Lloyd Braganza owner of House of Lloyds in Saipem said, “My place is famous for pork chops and beef steaks and therefore for me the combined share of pork and beef sales of my total sales is a lot higher than for most restaurants”. Lester Remedios, owner of Angaara restaurant in Candolim, said, “We are basically a bar-be-cue and grill restaurant and therefore the share of beef is very high in our overall food sales. Beef accounts for 70% of our food sales. We realised couple of weeks back that supply of beef was going to get affected, so we bought extra beef and stocked it, which will run out in a week’s time. We were actually thinking in the morning what to replace beef with in our menu”. Overall, there are restaurants which get a high share of their sales from beef; however, it is not true for all.

Myth 4: Goa Meat Complex is shut and hence beef can’t be produced in Goa.

The Goan opinion: This is the mother of all myths in Goa. Goa Meat Complex is government undertaking. By law, all animals, which can be slaughtered in Goa, have to be taken to Goa Meat Complex. Most meat traders have complained that Goa Meat Complex has been shut for the last two years due to renovation work and therefore cattle can’t be taken there for slaughter. Lyndon Monteiro, chairman of Goa Meat Complex, said, “We are not shut. Traders are not bringing cattle for slaughter and hence we aren’t able to produce meat”. To understand why cattle are not being brought to Goa Meat Complex, one has to understand the nuts and bolts of this complicated business. As discussed already, only bull, ox and male buffalo of more than 12 years of age can be slaughtered in Goa and that too when it can’t be used for economical purposes, which means not all cattle can be slaughtered. When a cattle is brought to Goa Meat Complex, an ante-mortem is done to make sure that the animal is fit for human consumption. For this purpose, a competent authority is posted by the government. If the authority feels that the animal is not fit for human consumption, then the slaughter is not allowed. On the same lines, post killing the animal, a post-mortem is performed to ascertain that the animal is fit for consumption or not. Obviously, the government has put controls in place following which is a complex process which not every trader is willing to do.

Gaurav Yadav, an animal rights activist, said, “In 2013, when non-governmental organisations (NGOs) raided Goa Meat Complex, they found 19 calves there while it is illegal to slaughter young cattle. Surprisingly, the doctor at Goa Meat Complex had given approval for their slaughter. In another instance, traders had brought pregnant cows for slaughter. These cows later delivered calves when they were brought to goshalas”. Clearly, the law was not being followed. The combined impact of all these factors affected the activities of Goa Meat Complex.

However, it must be realised that a very complex legal structure in India is also to be blamed for this to an extent. The slaughter of cow is banned in Maharashtra. But, the slaughter of buffalo is not banned there. Suppose, a truck is coming from Maharashtra to Goa with beef, an issue can always be raised as to what kind of beef that is. For this purpose, police at check-post should be equipped enough to check. It requires very high efficiency in law enforcement which more often than not is not the case in India.

Consider this. The high court few years back had said that a NGO representative should be present at Goa Meat Complex to make sure that nothing illegal happens while slaughtering of cattle. The question to be asked is why the court had to rely on a non-government body to make sure that the laws made by the government are implemented? The question to be asked is why the state government is failing so badly to implement the law in the matters pertaining to slaughter of animals. Only when the high court realised that illegal activities were happening despite the rules and procedures prescribed by the government that it ordered for the presence of an NGO representative. The question to be asked then is how people should know whether the representative and the NGO are genuine or not. Clearly, this is not a simple case of Goa Meat Complex being alleged to be shut. It is a case of unscrupulous elements in meat trade; it is a case of extremely weak implementation of law; it is a case of law itself being extremely complicated.

Myth 5: Traders aren’t in the wrong and all of them are victims of NGO actions

The Goan opinion: Traders complain that NGO activities create problems at Goa-Karnataka border when they try bringing cattle or beef from the other side of the border. To this Gaurav Yadav, an animal rights activist, replied, “There are regulations which govern the movement of cattle and beef. For instance, beef should be in ice-box. But, such regulations are flaunted on a regular basis. Then, a certificate has to be issued from the slaughter-house that the meat is indeed of a bull and not of a cow. We have found cases wherein these traders had fake certificates. It is only when such cases have been found that NGOs have raised their voice”.

Moreover, it is clear that not any and everyone had problems at check-post. Shridhar Nair, general manager, The Leela Goa, said, “We get our supply of beef from Karnataka. We have a supplier who supplies beef to us at our door-step. We have never had such problems”. Traders are on the receiving end of NGO actions also because the regulations governing the trade of all kinds of meat aren’t strongly enforced in India. So, the blame goes to both administrators and people practicing the trade. However, this is not to suggest that all traders are not following the rules. But those who are not following it are high in number. For instance, meat shops are required to have a water heater as per food and drugs administration (FDA) guidelines so that they have hot water to clean the meat. A number of meat shops use heating rods to boil the water, which is not as per the guidelines. Sometimes, municipalities haven’t given the water connection. The regulations even require all shops to be in a structurally sound structure but often that is not the case. This is not specific to Goa as it is a pan India phenomenon. There are many other regulations as per food and drugs administration too. For instance, walls of meat-shops should be easily washable, which also is not followed in most cases. A source on the condition of anonymity informed, “Majority of meat traders in Margao were operating on Sopo, which is one day tax”. This shows that they don’t have long-term permissions from municipality. Again, this is not just a lapse on the part of trader but even on the part of municipality. But, the point remains that it will be reductive to say that all traders are being troubled at Goa-Karnataka border by NGOs 

Myth 6: Suddenly FDA department has woken up to implement rules, while not much was done earlier

The Goan opinion: This again is a misunderstanding of the situation. It should be taken into account that ‘Food Safety & Standards Act’ (FSSA) came into being only in 2011. Besides, beef isn’t the only item which is covered by this act. All meats and other food items and even drugs are covered by this act. FSSA shook the entire food industry in India as they all had to comply with a new act. Moreover, the other laws which governed these industries are still applicable. Besides, it was only in 2014 that the Government of India issued advisories saying that items which weren’t brought under the ambit of FDA should be brought under it. As a result, slaughter-houses, meat-traders and even liquor were brought under FDA only in 2014. But there were other lapses too. For instance, meat traders are governed by panchayat rules and also municipality regulations. Reliable sources said that before FDA department came into being no government agency had updated information about number of meat-traders, their names, their shop details as to what kind of facility they operated in. FDA officials have been going to different municipalities in Goa and finding out irregularities in meat-trade. The sequence of all these events from 2011 to 2014 shows that FDA hasn’t suddenly woken up to implement the rules. Besides, FDA standards will be applicable to other varieties of meats like chicken, mutton and pork as well, which means that beef traders aren’t the only one who will have to comply with the guidelines. Besides, this paper visited a prominent importer of various kinds of frozen meats who supplies to major hotels and restaurants in Goa who said that he has faced no problems from any government department ever because he has got all the approvals and he follows all laws. This again shows that people who are following law aren’t facing any problems. 

Quotes:

“Post the inspections carried out by FDA, I am writing to all municipalities in Goa to look into the feasibility of providing bare minimum infrastructure at market places for the sale of meat”

-Salim A. Veljee, director, Food and Drugs Administration

“The situation indeed is very serious. I have been getting calls from other restaurants asking me if I can give them beef since they have totally run out of stock. I must also add that the quality of beef, when it is available, is also very bad. Since my restaurant is known for beef steaks, all these factors adversely affect us”

-Lloyd Braganza, owner, House of Lloyds

“The kind of cruelty towards cattle we have seen when it is brought from Karnataka to Goa is unspeakable. There have been cases wherein cattle which can be used for economical purposes is brought for slaughter, which is not allowed. In the past, first information report (FIR) was filed against people indulging in illegal activities in beef business but no concrete action was taken”

-Amrut Singh, animal rights activists

“We had given deadline to all beef traders to open their shops by March 11, 2015, which they failed follow. As a result of which, we have decided to make fresh beef available to people of Goa, even though beef selling isn’t our business”

-Lyndon Monteiro, chairman, Goa

DINAMALAR NEWS

Advertisement of Tobacco Products

New Delhi: March 13,2015

As per the Report of the Tobacco Control in India (2004), tobacco advertising, in direct or indirect form, boosts consumption. There are independent studies that have been conducted to determine the impact of advertising and promotion of tobacco products on the consumption of these products by Indians. Evidence suggests that exposure to promotional activities for tobacco leads to initiation and progression of tobacco use. Research also corroborates that exposure to tobacco advertisements and receptivity to tobacco marketing are significantly related to increased tobacco use among students. Further, tobacco use in Indian movies has been independently associated with ever tobacco use among adolescents in India. Brief of the key studies on impact of advertising and promotion on youth uptake is annexed.

Section 5 of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003(COTPA, 2003), prohibits all direct and indirect advertisements of the tobacco products. The said prohibition also extends to any activity that promotes the use or consumption of cigarettes or any other tobacco products.

The advertisement of Pan Masala is regulated by section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which states that every package of Pan Masala and advertisement relating thereto, shall carry the warning, “Chewing of Pan Masala is injurious to health”.

Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 dated 1st August 2011, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), lays down that tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products. Therefore, Gutkha is a prohibited product, under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 dated 1st August 2011, issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and hence its advertisement is also prohibited.

The Health Minister, Shri J P Nadda stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha here today.

Centre seeks information on checks on slaughterhouses

PUNE: The urban development ministry has sought information from all state governments about the functioning of slaughterhouses and if the enforcement standards laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards regarding disposal of animal waste and slurry, as well as ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of meat animals, are being complied with. The ministry has also sought information whether the state governments have formed the state committees to oversee the functioning of slaughterhouses.

The Supreme Court had in August 2012, in response to a writ petition, directed state governments to form committees. The apex court had issued the directions for effective implementation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Establishment and Registration of Societies for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Rules 2000, provisions of the Environment Protection Act, and Solid Wastes (Management and Handling Rules) 2000.

Among the functions of the state committees would be to identify and prepare a list of slaughterhouses located within municipal corporations, councils or other local self government bodies, call for reports from the district magistrate, deputy commissioners or district food safety inspectors on the compliance of applicable laws, recommend modernisation of old slaughterhouses, relocation of slaughterhouses that are located near residential areas and recommend measures to deal with solid waste as well as water and air pollution.

The committees would also have to carry out surprise and random inspections of slaughter houses and issue directions, check child labour, and continuously identify and crack down on unlicensed slaughter houses, and unlawful establishments where animals are being slaughtered howsoever on a small scale. The committees would have to as well as send bi-annual reports on the state of slaughter houses to the central committee.

The committees would be headed by secretary of the state urban development department and would have members from the departments of health, animal husbandry, labour, food safety commissioner representing Central Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, state pollution control board, animal welfare board, state police, as well as other officers and experts. Secretary of the ministry of urban development department would be the nodal officer who will coordinate with the state committees and get information about the functioning of slaughter houses.

Awareness campaign by Food Safety Unit

The District Food Safety Unit, South Andaman, in association with Andaman Chamber of Commerce & Industry organized an awareness campaign on the enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act 7 Rules in South Andaman District. The program was held at Hotel TSG Grand, Dollygunj on Mar 12, 2015, in which the officials of Food Safety department and District Administration sensitized the food business operators and other stakeholders on various aspects of enforcement of the new Act and Rules during the program. They explained the Do & Don't of the food and explained how to keep veg and non-veg food articles separately, besides maintenance of hygiene in surrounding while preparing food and serving it. The Inspection is done by the Food Safety department and the samples, if any, are sent to mainland for testing.

The queries and doubts of the food business operators were answered at the interactive session that followed the awareness generation programme. All food business operators, directly or indirectly associated with food manufacturing/distribution and sale of food articles have been attended the program.

The Food Safety Unit started operation in August 2011 at State level and Regional level from Campbell to Diglipur.

WHO links food safety and nutrition

New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) Linking food safety and nutrition, the World Health Organisation on Friday said food and water borne diseases kill an estimated two million people across the world annually.

"Globally, every year, millions of people die of food contamination. Food borne illness is a serious cause of concern. Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked," said Asheena Khalakdia, the team leader for communicable diseases at WHO country office for India.

She said that from production to consumption, there were several potential areas of food contamination and safe and healthy food should be the prime focus.

"Food safety is a big issue so this year we have come up with a theme on food safety on the occasion of World Health Day on April 7, 2015," she said, during a technical session on the theme for the World Health Day.

The WHO experts enumerated five key points for safer food.

These include cleanliness, keeping the raw and cooked food separate from other foods, cooking thoroughly especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood at 70 degrees Celsius, keeping food at safe temperatures, using safe water and raw materials.

"Food safety is a shared responsibility. It is important to work all along the food production chain - from farmers and manufacturers to vendors and consumers. We want these five keys for safer food to be made accessible to every consumer. All the stake holders should come forward on a joint platform to share this responsibility," she added.

2 years after Bihar tragedy, schools still flout midday meal rules: Study

The study found most children come to school on an empty stomach.

Nearly two years after the midday meal tragedy at a Bihar school where more than 20 children died after eating pesticidelaced lunch, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive review of the scheme's implementation has revealed that food safety norms are still not followed in schools serving the noon meal.

There are no systems for buying and storing of raw material, those responsible for buying raw ingredients have no knowledge of quality parameters and possibilities of contamination still loom large.

That apart, the recent report also points out how most children come to school on an empty stomach and nearly 60 per cent suffered nutritional deficiencies.

The findings have emerged after a year-long project on a 'Comprehensive Investigation and Intervention in Mid-Day Meals' in two blocks of Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Commissioned by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development for creating templates for systemic improvements of the Midday Meal Scheme, the project was carried out by the Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute (SSMI), a Delhi-based non-profit institution.

The report emphasises the need for reinventing the midday meal according to local needs and ground realities, and calls for greater sympathy for the cookcum-helpers who prepare the meals in less than satisfactory conditions.

"If during the study in Faizabad, it is noticed that a large number of children are coming hungry, it is just common sense that a hungry child cannot pay attention to what is being taught, obviously the relationship between hungernutrition and cognition needs to be investigated..." writes K. Ashok Ram, SSMI general secretary, in the report.

The study has recommended that the midday meal scheme be split so that there are two components to the meal - a snack as soon as the child comes to school followed by the full-fledged meal.

They have also recommended health checks and better remuneration for cooks, nutrition surveys on eating habits of children over a 24-hour cycle and rapid food safety surveys and overall, more investment in food safety. That apart, it has recommended smokeless chulhas and kitchens with separated cooking, washing and storage area.

Interestingly, this report also indicates that a hot cooked meal made at the school was better than the kind delivered and served in some areas by a centralised kitchen.

The December 2014 report was recently submitted to the HRD ministry.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Poor hygiene, stale food at St Joseph’s, finds raid

NAINITAL: St Joseph's College in Nainital, a prestigious residential school run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers that also runs St Columba's in New Delhi, was found to be lacking in ensuring hygiene and food safety standards during an inspection conducted by the food inspector and the Nainital sub-divisional magistrate on Thursday. 

Deepak Rawat, district magistrate, Nainital, said, "We decided to inspect the school after receiving some complaints. The inspection team has sent me a detailed report and recommended a fine of Rs 2 lakh for violation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006." 

The team that conducted the inspection reportedly found 90 packets of milk products past the use-by date. At least 40 packs of cold coffee, three bottles of mineral water and a bottle of green chili sauce too were meant for use, despite being well past expiry date. 

A member of the inspection team told TOI that garbage disposal and hygiene were also concerns at the institution, established more than a century ago. 

"The canteen and cooking facilities did not appear like they belonged in a reputed school. School authorities had done little to improve conditions since the inspection last year," sub-divisional magistrate Ashish Chauhan of Nainital, who led the inspection team, said. 

Irregularities and discrepancies have been observed in many instances in the past in conditions at some residential schools in the Lake City. Teams of inspectors who conducted checks in December last year on instructions from the district magistrate had found food and lodging arrangements wanting, and medical facilities scant at some schools. 

Peter Emmanual, principal of St Joseph's, said, "I was not in the school when the inspection happened. I was at the bank for question papers of the ongoing board exams. We will see the notice when it comes, and make an appropriate response."

KFC faces pressure after McDonald's says no antibiotics in chicken

KFC is owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands Inc, which has no publicly stated policy on antibiotic use in the production of meat it buys. There are concerns that use of the drugs in meat production has exacerbated the rise of deadly "superbugs" that resist treatment.

KFC, the world's largest chain of fried chicken restaurants, may face pressure from consumer and environmental groups to change how its poultry are raised after McDonald's Corp said it would switch to chicken raised without human antibiotics. McDonald's will phase out chicken raised withantibiotics that are important to human health over two years to allay concern that use of the drugs in meat production has exacerbated the rise of deadly "superbugs" that resist treatment, Reuters reported last week. Within days, retailer Costco Wholesale Corp told Reuters it aims to eliminate the sale of chicken and meat raised with human antibiotics.

KFC is owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum Brands Inc , which has no publicly stated policy on antibiotic use in the production of meat it buys. Chick-fil-A, another chicken restaurant chain that competes with KFC, says about 20% of the chicken it serves is raised without any antibiotics, and that its entire supply chain will be converted by 2019. Both McDonald's and Yum are stepping up efforts to win back younger and wealthier diners lured away by chains such as such as ChipotleMexican Grill Inc and Panera Bread Co , which boast antibiotic-free meats and other high-quality ingredients.

Yum's KFC restaurants in China two years ago suffered a massive sales hit following local media reports that a few poultry farmers supplying KFC fed excessive levels of antibiotics to their chickens. "The train has left the station," Bob Goldin, a food services company consultant at Technomic in Chicago, said of McDonald's influence on US chicken production standards. Yum, which also owns the Taco Bell and Pizza Hut chains, declined to discuss its standards for antibiotic use in meat production. "The chicken served in our US restaurants is USDA high quality, and free of antibiotics," the company said in an emailed response to Reuters queries.

The antibiotic-free statement refers to a lack of residue in the meat served at its restaurants and not the practice of delivering antibiotics to chickens before they are slaughtered, said Steven Roach, food safety program director at Food Animal Concerns Trust in Chicago. The US Department of Agriculture has three classifications for poultry, A, B, and C, and doesn't have a "high quality" designation for chicken. Poultry rated A is what's typically found at retail, while poultry rated B or C is usually used in further-processed products where the meat is cut up, chopped, or ground, according to a USDA website.

Not Part of the Conversation

McDonald's told Reuters it worked with a wide range of stakeholders, including environmental group Friends of the Earth, to develop its US chicken guidelines. Yum and its brands have ignored requests for information regarding its antibiotic policy, said Kari Hamerschlag, senior program manager for Friends of the Earth's food and technology program. "They have so far not answered any of our emails or phone calls," said Hamerschlag, who is working with other advocacy groups to persuade food companies to change their supplier standards to exclude animals raised with the routine use of antibiotics. By contrast, McDonald's was "very responsive" to the groups' requests, she said. 

Other groups working with Friends of the Earth to cut antibiotics from chickens and other meats include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union and the Center for Food Safety. Friends of the Earth said its interest in antibiotics has to do with animal agriculture's connection to the environment and human health. KFC supplier Tyson Foods Inc did not comment. Other US chicken producers that have supplied Yum either declined to comment or could not be reached. It's not known who KFC's biggest supplier is or how many chickens KFC buys a year. 

In 2012, Chinese media reports about excessive antibiotic use by a few KFC chicken farmers hammered sales there. The country has more than 4,800 KFC restaurants and accounted for nearly half of Yum's 2014 operating profit. In response, Yum dropped some 1,000 small poultry farmers from its supply chain and launched a public relations campaign to reassure diners about the quality and safety of its food. Yum operates separate supply chains in China and United States.

While antibiotics have made for big headlines in China, the issue also has surfaced at home. A Reuters investigation last year found that KFC supplier Koch Foods Inc from November 2011 to July 2014 had given some of its flocks antibiotics critical to fighting human infections, even though its website stated otherwise. The Chicago-based chicken producer changed the language on its website after questions from Reuters about its use of virginiamycin, an antibiotic included in a class considered "highly important" to fighting infections in humans. At the time, Koch said it has no plans to discontinue the use of virginiamycin, which it says may be used to prevent a common intestinal infection in chicken. Koch did not respond to interview requests for this story. KFC US said at the time that its "supply partners must adhere to our strict standards and specifications, which in some cases are more stringent than the FDA's regulations." It declined to comment this week.

Strawberries top list of pesticide-laced food: EU report

Nearly half of food products in Europe contain residues of pesticides, with strawberries the most likely to exceed legal limits, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said on Thursday.

The official EU body also found traces of pesticides in organic foods, though it said its analysis of almost 81,000 food samples found the risk of any negative impact on health was low.

But campaign groups said the data was worrying, especially in the cases where residues of more than one pesticide were found. They said the pesticides were mostly fungicides, which are possible carcinogens, and more research was needed into the implications of exposure to more than one.

The latest EFSA report, for 2013, found that almost 55 percent of the samples of food products in European Union and neighboring countries were free from detectable traces of chemicals.

Of the rest, only 1.5 percent clearly exceeded legal limits, meaning that businesses responsible for them face action.

The highest rate of exceeding limits was for strawberries (2.5 percent of the sample). They are especially sensitive to disease and so undergo considerable spraying with pesticides.

EFSA said it had tested for 685 pesticides in the 27 nations that belonged to the EU for all of 2013 (Croatia joined in that year), plus Norway and Iceland, and had found multiple residues in 27.3 percent of samples.

"For short-term exposure, the risk of European citizens being exposed to harmful levels of residues via their diet was rated as low," the EFSA said in a statement.

"Exceeding the legal limit does not necessarily imply exceeding the safety limit," it said.

The Pesticide Action Network (PAN) advocacy group was sceptical, calculating that one out of every eight boxes of strawberries contained six pesticide residues.

"In general the pollution of European food with pesticide residues remains at a very, unhealthy high level and there is no real improvement visible in recent years," Martin Dermine of PAN Europe said.

For organic food, 15.5 percent of samples contained pesticides within legal limits and mostly of kinds permitted for organic farming, but 0.8 percent exceeded permitted levels.

Concern over pesticide residue in vegetables

The government has approached the Commissioner of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to convene a meeting of the Food Safety Commissioners of the southern States to discuss the issue of high pesticide residue in vegetables.
In a written reply to a question by I.C. Balakrishnan, about the steps taken to check the high levels of pesticide residue in vegetables being brought from neighbouring States, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar said the Chief Minister had convened an emergency meeting to address these concerns.
At present, facilities for checking pesticide residues using Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrophotometer were available only at the agricultural university.
Samples
Food safety officers had been asked to collect samples from markets and to send them to the university. Action would be taken if the pesticide levels were found to be high, he said. Tender process was on to set up this testing facility at the laboratories of the food safety wing in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, Mr. Sivakumar added.
Post-mortems
In reply to another question by N.A. Nellikkunnu, Mr. Sivakumar said that the government had issued orders allowing post-mortems to be held in the evenings too and that the process of creating physical infrastructure in hospitals to allow this was in the final phase. He said a recommendation to create additional posts in all five medical college hospitals to allow post-mortems in the evenings was under consideration.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Cooks, no painted nails or bangles, please

Over 1.17 lakh midday meal cooks and helpers, who serve food to 61.4 lakh children in government and aided schools in the State.

Over 1.17 lakh midday meal cooks and helpers, who serve food to 61.4 lakh children in government and aided schools in the State, have a rather unexpected advisory from the Centre: do not wear nail polish or artificial nails. While at work, they have to ensure that they do not wear watches, rings, jewellery and bangles.

The guidelines to be implemented from the next academic year also states that they should avoid certain “hand habits”, such as scratching their nose, running fingers through their hair, rubbing eyes, ears and mouth, or “scratching beard or any other part of the body that is potentially hazardous when associated with handling food products, and might lead to food contamination through the transfer of bacteria from the employee to product during its preparation”. They have also been prohibited from blowing nose, spitting, smoking and chewing food on the kitchen premises. The cooks will have to “neatly” tie and cover their hair at work.

These are part of the guidelines on food safety and hygiene for school kitchens under the midday meal programme for cooks and helpers that have been formed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. As per earlier State guidelines midday meal workers will have to undergo a medical examination once a year.

Amused by guidelines

Lakshmi Devi, a midday meal worker in a government school in Koppal, is rather amused by the guidelines about artificial nails.

“We do not have money to wear such fancy things,” says Ms. Devi, who earns Rs. 1,600 a month. “Let the government focus on increasing the budget allocation and procuring good quality vegetables and grains.”

State president of the Karnataka Rajya Akshara Dasoha Naukarara Sangha S. Varalakshmi concurs. “They should improve quality of infrastructure and utensils which are very old,” she says.

The guidelines have been framed following the Bihar midday meal tragedy in July 2013 where 23 children died. As many as 360 children of the Urdu Higher Primary School at D.J. Halli in Bengaluru were hospitalised owing to food poisoning in September 2014.

Midday meal workers, helpers are to follow an advisory on food safety and hygiene for school kitchens

No added colours: food laboratory

The samples of watermelons submitted to the Divisional Food Laboratory in Mysuru did not contain added colours.

Officials of the laboratory situated in Tilak Nagar in the city said six samples of watermelons were submitted to them by the Food Safety Officers of Mysuru during the last one week. “None of them contained any added colours,” a senior chemist told The Hindu .

Food Safety Officer M.S. Lokesh said that officers from different city divisions had submitted around 15 samples of watermelons after Chamaraja Assembly constituency MLA Vasu sought for a laboratory test in the wake of complaints that watermelons were being injected with chemicals and additives for lending a ripened colour.

“We subjected the samples for laboratory examination in view of the suspicion that unscrupulous persons were injecting additives to artificially ripen the watermelons and make quick money,” Mr. Lokesh said.

Onus on wardens to provide good food

MYSURU: Wardens serving in government hostels in the district have been asked to be extra vigilant while preparing food for the inmates. 

Zilla panchayat president Pushpa Amarnath on Monday directed wardens to ensure that food is cooked and served hygienically. 

"The quality of the food is also important and it is the responsibility of the wardens to ensure it," she said, addressing wardens at a meeting called following two incidents of hostel inmates falling ill due to food poisoning. 

Last week, 27 girl students of a residential school in Mysuru taluk took ill after a lizard was found in their food. 

Wardens attached to hostels managed by social welfare department, backward classes department, department of public instruction and other departments and agencies were informed of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act (2006). 

Pushpa said the recent cases should serve as a warning bell to authorities, especially wardens. "Ensure that such cases do not recur," she told them. Food Safety and Standards Act designated officer Dr Chidambaram said the law requires serving of quality food. Defaulters can be fined between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh and imprisoned.

Norms for free food at Kandoori fest

The traders and hoteliers should follow the rules and regulations stipulated in Food Safety and Standard Act – 2006 ahead of the 14-day-long annual Kandoori festival at the famous Nagore Dargah which will commence on March 23, said Food Safety Officer, A.T. Anbazhagan. 

He told The Hindu here on Monday that the district administration had directed the officials to intensify the check in hotels, mutton, and poultry stalls, wayside eateries, markets, lodges, and other places in and around Nagapattinam, particularly at Nagore in view of the kandoori festival. 

For details, call call 9442214055.

Sugar-free drinks: Are they safe for teeth?

Is it really safe to have sugar-free drinks? We spoke to Dr Shantanu Jaradi, aesthetic dentist for more on this...

Healthy eating is essential for your overall health. Choosing foods and beverages that provide the right amount of energy and nutrients goes a long way toward maintaining not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mouth. To prevent cavities and maintain good oral health, your diet -- what you consume and how often you consume -- are important factors. Changes in your mouth start the minute you eat certain foods.

Bacteria in the mouth convert sugars and carbohydrates from the foods you eat to acids, and it's the acids that begin to attack the enamel on teeth, starting the decay process. The more often you eat, drink and snack, the more frequently you are exposing your teeth to the cycle of decay.

Eating a nutritious diet has many benefits. A well-balanced diet should include foods from the basic food groups and subgroups along with the right oils. Nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals are a staple of healthy diets, but it's also important to avoid eating too many or too few Your everyday table sugar, otherwise known as sucrose, has 16 calories per teaspoon and can be found in many foods and drink items. But as communities become more conscious of caloric intake and oral bacteria, many have turned to sugar free drinks as an alternative. Specialists often recommend that patients who are overweight or struggling from weight-related illnesses avoid drinking their calories. Still, store shelves and vending machines are introducing more sugar free drink choices to promote gentler diets.

Although several beverages on the market are naturally sugar free, others use scientifically altered sweeteners that replace sugar to maintain their appealing flavor. Some examples of naturally sugar free beverages include freshly brewed tea coffee, and both regular and carbonated water. Naturally occurring, no-calorie sweeteners such as the stevia plant can be added to certain products as well, in addition to naturally sweet items that have calories, such as agave nectar and honey.

The usual mindset of people

Many people choose sugar-free beverages because they believe they are safer for their teeth. However, a label of "sugar-free" should not automatically be taken to mean "safe for your teeth." The acidic flavorings and preservatives may in fact lead to dental erosion, even if they contain cavity-fighting and "tooth friendly" xylitol.

Unlike cavities, dental erosion is a process of incremental decalcification, which, over time, literally dissolves your teeth. Virtually any food or beverage that is acidic can contribute to tooth erosion, including carbonated beverages like soda, sports drinks, fruit juice, lemon juice and vinegar.

Benefits of Sugar Free Drinks

Weight control and the prevention of type-2 diabetes are the two main benefits of consuming sugar free drinks, or those that contain natural sweeteners. Sugar-laden drinks add unnecessary calories to the diets of those who consume them, leading to an increase in the risk for type-2 diabetes for these individuals. Sugar free drinks eliminate these empty calories, giving you the freedom to indulge in a sweet taste without the added caloric intake.

Potential Negative Effects of Sugar Substitutes

Although several surveys have raised concerns regarding the safety of consuming artificial sweeteners, no studies have confirmed that drinking products with artificial sweeteners added has a direct relationship with cancer diagnoses.

Nonetheless, seek out sugar free drinks in replacement of sugary sodas, sports drinks, juices and energy drinks to ensure both the oral and bodily well-being of your family. Natural alternatives such as plain tea, pure coffee or simply a glass of water remain the best choices when you're thirsty.

Protection of the teeth

Proper oral hygiene - including twice-daily tooth brushing, daily flossing and the use of fluoridated toothpaste - can help counteract the effects of acid de-mineralization.

Individuals who experience sensitivity from consuming too many sugary or acidic beverages can often find relief through the use of Colgate, Sensitive Pro-Relief, Enamel Repair toothpaste, whose additional active ingredient, potassium nitrate, helps to stop sensitivity at its source.Reducing or eliminating as many erosive beverages as possible from your diet is important if you want to protect your teeth from unnecessary damage. Keeping overall health in mind, it is important that individuals know different aspects of sugar free drinks and maintain good oral health.

‘Russia has no complaints with the quality of Indian tea’

COONOOR, MARCH 10: 

Russia’s response to quality of Indian tea besides its marketing has been encouraging, according to an Indian tea delegation which visited the former Soviet Bloc, under guidance from Tea Board’s Moscow office recently.

Russian retail chain major “7 Continent” submitted a proposal to Tea Board for promotion of exclusive Indian Tea brands at its Nash hypermarket in 156 outlets in 13 cities across Russia.

Following case studies, this may open up new opportunities for Indian teas to be regularly on the shelves of the major retail chain.

At the meeting with the officials of Russian Tea and Coffee Importers’ Association, both the countries strongly recommended for rupee-rouble trade for Indian tea exports. The delegation met the officials of Russian quality control department Rospotrebnazdor.

“The authorities informed the Indian delegation that so far they have not received a single complaint on quality or food safety aspects on Indian Teas and they are satisfied with the quality parameters and standards maintained for Indian Tea”, Tea Board sources told BusinessLine.

They also discussed regarding protection of trademarks and Geographical Indicators (GI) tags.

Russian authorities have agreed to extend the benefit for registration of Trademarks and GI for Indian tea as available to WTO member countries.

Maracana Stadium in food safety scare

Rio de Janeiro, March 10 (IANS) Authorities have seized more than 45 kg of expired food during a raid of the Maracana Stadium, the showpiece venue for next year's Olympics.

Agents from local consumer protection watchdog Procon found the products during Sunday's football derby between Fluminense and Botafogo, Procon said in a statement on Monday. Among the items confiscated were sausages, eggs, pork, chocolate and cheese, reports Xinhua.

The Maracana Stadium hosted last year's FIFA World Cup final between Germany and Argentina after undergoing a three-year, $500 million upgrade. The venue will also stage the opening and closing ceremonies, and football matches, at next year's Olympics.

Procon did not say if a penalty would be applied to the stadium's operator Consorcio Maracana. The government organ inspected the stadium after fans missed the start of the Flamengo-Botafogo match the previous week due to long queues to redeem tickets bought online. Consorcio Maracana could not be reached for comment.

It is not the first food scare to hit Rio's hospitality sector as it prepares for a major sporting event. Health inspectors found more than 50 kg of food deemed unfit for consumption at the England and Italy team hotels just weeks before last year's World Cup.

England stayed at the Hotel Royal Tulip and Italy at the Portobello Hotel in the city's outskirts.

Raw milk found to contain harmful bacteria – Food Safety Authority

Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria and therefore, the consumption of raw (unpasteurised) milk increases the risk of developing foodborne illness a new report published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) states.

The FSAI continues to recommend that the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption should be prohibited in Ireland and advises that the most effective way to protect public health is to ensure that all milk is effectively heat-treated (e.g. pasteurised or boiled), especially when served to infants, children, pregnant women, older people and those with a weakened immune system or those suffering from a chronic disease.

The report details the results of an FSAI microbiological survey confirming the presence of pathogens in raw milk and the in-line filters used in the milking equipment. For raw milk samples, detection rates of Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter were 7% and 3%, respectively.

However, detection rates in milk filter samples were considerably higher at 20% and 22% respectively, which suggests a greater potential for contamination of raw milk. In addition, Salmonella was detected in 1% of raw milk filters and 0.5% of raw milk samples, while E. coli O26 (VTEC) was detected in 6% of raw milk filter samples showing its potential to contaminate raw milk.

Dr Wayne Anderson, Director of Food Science and Standards, FSAI, states that almost all milk on sale in Ireland is pasteurised and pasteurisation is the simplest and most reliable method to ensure that milk is safe to drink.

“While the market for raw milk is small, it remains a serious concern given the well-documented public health risks posed by the presence of pathogens in raw milk. We are therefore recommending that raw milk should be avoided by consumers, but for those who still wish to drink it, they should, at a minimum, boil the milk before drinking it to kill any potentially harmful bacteria.”

Commenting on the ongoing risk to farm families who continue to consume raw milk in their own homes, Dr Anderson said that the FSAI is aware that any ban on the sale of raw milk would not affect those farm families who choose to consume raw milk.

“But farm families should be particularly aware of the risk to young children and pregnant women posed by drinking raw milk and also the fact that farm visitors may not be aware that they are consuming raw milk. We therefore continue to recommend the use of home pasteurisers to ensure milk is safe.”

Dr Anderson notes that, while on-farm hygiene and animal health on Irish farms have improved immensely over recent years, farms remain a significant reservoir for pathogens. Even under the best hygiene standards, it is possible that raw milk can become contaminated. Improving on-farm sanitation and hygiene will improve the quality of raw milk but will not always guarantee safety.

ஆர்கானிக் உணவு... அலைமோதும் கூட்டம்!

உண்மை நிலை என்ன?

'இயற்கையானது’ என்பதைக் குறிக்கும் 'ஆர்கானிக்' எனும் வார்த்தைக்கு மரியாதை பெருகிவருகிறது. 'இயற்கையான உரங்களைப் பயன்படுத்தி விளைவிக்கப்படும் உணவுப் பொருட்களை வாங்கி உண்ண வேண்டும். அதுதான் உடலுக்கு நல்லது’ என்கிற விழிப்பு உணர்வின் வெளிப்பாடுதான் காரணம். இது வரவேற்கத்தக்க விஷயமே! ஆனால், இவை பற்றி மக்களுக்கு சந்தேகங்களும் உள்ளன.

'ஆர்கானிக் உணவுகளை எங்கு வாங்குவது?’, 'அவை இயற்கை விவசாயத்தில் விளைந்ததுதான் என்று எப்படி உறுதிபடுத்திக்கொள்வது?’, 'ஆர்கானிக் உணவுப் பொருட்கள் நமக்குச் செய்யும் நன்மைகள் என்னென்ன?’, 'அவற்றுக்கு நான் கொடுக்கும் விலை நியாயமானதுதானா?’  இப்படி பல சந்தேகங்களுக்கு பதில் அளிக்கும் விதமாகப் பேசுகிறார்கள், இந்தத் துறை சார்ந்த நிபுணர்களும், வணிகர்களும்!

ஏன் வேண்டும் ஆர்கானிக் உணவுகள்?

புகழேந்தி, பொதுநல மருத்துவர்: "ஆர்கானிக் உணவுப் பொருட்களில் செல் சிதைவு களைக் தடுக்கக்கூடிய ஆன்டி ஆக்ஸிடன்ட்ஸ் அதிகமாக இருக்கின்றன. இதனால், ஆயுளும் ஆரோக்கியமும் அதிகரிக்கும். ஆனால், ரசாயன உரங்கள் மற்றும் பூச்சிக்கொல்லிகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி விளைவிக்கப்படும் உணவுப் பொருட்கள் இதற்கு நேரெதிர்; வாழும் நாட்களை குறைக்கக் கூடியவை. ரசாயனத்தில் விளைவிக்கப்பட்ட பொருட்களை மட்டும் தொடர்ந்து சாப்பிடுவதால், உடலில் சத்துகள் சேர வாய்ப்பு இல்லாமல் போகிறது. இதனால், ஹார்மோன் பிரச்னைகள், தோல் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட வியாதிகள், கல்லீரல் மற்றும் கிட்னி தொடர்பான கோளாறுகள், நரம்பு மண்டல பாதிப்புகள், கரு கலைவது, புற்றுநோய் என பலவிதமான தீமைகள் வருகின்றன. இதனால்தான், இயற்கை முறையில் விளைவிக்கப்பட்ட உணவுப் பொருட்களை மட்டுமே உண்பதைப் பழக்கப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளுங்கள் என்கிற அறிவுரைகள் அதிகரித்து வருகின்றன.

இதைச் சொல்லும்போது, 'நாம் சுவாசிக்கும் காற்று, குடிக்கும் தண்ணீர், முகத்தில் பூசும் க்ரீம் என எல்லாவற்றிலும் ரசாயனம் கலந்துவிட்ட நிலையில், உணவை மட்டும் இயற்கையானதாக எடுத்துக்கொள்வது எந்த அளவுக்குப் பயன் தரும்?’ என்கிற கேள்வி எழக்கூடும். காற்றின் மூலம் குறைந்த அளவு நஞ்சே நம் உடலில் சேரும்; குடிக்கும் தண்ணீரைச் சுத்தப்படுத்திக் குடிக்கலாம்; ரசாயன க்ரீம்கள் சருமத்தில்தான் வினைபுரியும். ஆனால், உணவு என்பது, நம் உயிருக்கும் ஆரோக்கியத்துக்கும் அத்தியாவசியமானது. காற்று, தண்ணீர் போன்ற காரணிகளால் ஏற்படும் நோய்களுடன் மல்லுக் கட்டும் எதிர்ப்புச் சக்தியை நம் உடலுக்குத் தரவல்லது, உணவுதான்! எனவே, அதிலும் ரசாயனத்தைக் கலக்காமல் இயற்கையை நாடுவது, மற்ற பிரச்னைகளில் இருந்து நம்மைத் தற்காத்துக்கொள்ளக்கூடிய அரணாக அமையும்.''

இயற்கை விளைபொருட்களை எப்படிக் கண்டுபிடிப்பது?

கிருஷ்ணமூர்த்தி, டயட்டீஷியன்: "காய்கறிகள், பழங்களைப் பார்க்கும் போதே பளபளவென்று இருந்தால், அது ரசாயன விளைச்சல். இயற்கை விளைபொருட்களில் தோல் மென்மையாக இருக்கும், சீக்கிரம் வேகும். ரசாயன காய்கறிகளின் தோல் தடிமனாக இருப்பதுடன், வேகவும் நேரம் எடுக்கும். இயற்கை விளைபொருட்களில் இருக்கும் ருசி, ரசாயன உணவுகளில் இருக்காது. இயற்கையாக விளைவிக்கப்பட்ட உணவுப் பொருட்களில் பூச்சி அரிக்கும். கீரைகளில் சின்ன சின்ன ஓட்டைகள் இருக்கும். ரசாயனங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்ட விளைபொருட்களை பூச்சி அணுகாது. ஆனால், பூச்சி அரித்த காய்கறிகளை வாங்க மக்கள் தயங்குவார்கள். இதை எப்படிச் சாப்பிடுவது என்று கேட்கலாம். இதனால் எதுவும் தீங்கு இல்லை என்பதே உண்மை. பூச்சி இருக்கும் பகுதியை மட்டும் சுத்தம் செய்துவிட்டு, மற்ற பகுதிகளைப் பயன்படுத்தலாம். பொதுவாகவே, காய்கறிகளை சூடான நீரில் கழுவிவிட்டு, பின்னர் நறுக்கிச் சமைக்க வேண்டும். அதிலும் ரசாயன முறையில் விளைவிக்கப்பட்ட பொருட்களில் உள்ள நஞ்சுகள் நீக்கப்பட, இது அவசியம். காய்களை நறுக்கி பின் கழுவுவது தவறான முறை.''

இயற்கையை உறுதிபடுத்துவது எப்படி?

அனந்து, சமூக ஆர்வலர் மற்றும் பாதுகாப்பான உணவுக்கான ஆர்வலர் (safe food activist): "சென்னையில் ஆர்கானிக் ஃபார்மர் மார்க்கெட் (OFM) என்று ஒன்றை கூட்டு முயற்சியுடன் ஆரம்பித்திருக்கிறேன். விவசாயிகளுக்கு நியாயமான லாபமும், நுகர்வோருக்கு நம்பிக்கை யான பொருட்களும் கிடைக்க வேண்டும் என்ற கோட்பாட்டின்படி, நடுத்தர மக்கள் இருக்கும் பகுதிகளில், சென்னையில் 14 இடங்களில் இந்த மார்க்கெட் செயல்படுகிறது.

ஆர்கானிக் கடைகளில், அவர்கள் தரும் காய்கறிகள் உண்மையிலேயே இயற்கை விளைச்சலில் அறுவடையானவைதானா என்று உறுதிபடுத்திக்கொள்வது அவசியம்.கடைக்காரர் களிடம், 'அந்த உணவுப் பொருட்கள் எந்த ஊரில் இருந்து வருகின்றன? எந்த விவசாயியிடம் இருந்து கொள்முதல் ஆகின்றன? அந்த விவசாயி எந்த செக்கில் எண்ணெய் எடுக்கிறார்?’ இப்படிப்பட்ட கேள்விகளை அவசியம் முன்வையுங்கள். பதில் சொல்லத் தயங்கும் அல்லது மறுக்கும் கடைகளை நம்பாதீர்கள். அதேபோல, ஆர்கானிக்கில் பிராண்ட்களுக்கும் முக்கியத்துவம் தரத்தேவையில்லை. அதன் ஆரம்பப்புள்ளி நல்ல நோக்கத்துடன், நேர்மையாக இருந்தாலும், இடையில் கடந்து வரும் பாதையில் பிழை நேரலாம். முடிந்தவரை, விவசாயிகளிடம் இருந்து நேரடிக் கொள்முதல் செய்யும் அங்காடிகளைத் தேர்வு செய்யலாம். கடை நடத்துபவர் மீதான உங்கள் நம்பிக்கையே தரத்தை உறுதிபடுத்தும்.''

ஆர்கானிக் பொருட்களின் விலை அதிகமாக இருக்கிறதே?

ராமரத்தினம், ஆர்கானிக் அங்காடி உரிமையாளர், சென்னை:"இயற்கை விளைபொருட்களைப் பொறுத்தவரை கொள்முதல் விலையே அதிகம் என்பதால், சில்லறை விலையும் அதிக மாகிறது. வெளி மார்க்கெட்டில் இருக்கும் உணவுக்கும் ஆர்கானிக் உணவுக்கும் குறைந்தது 30 சதவிகிதம் விலை அதிகமாக இருக்கும். காரணம்... இயற்கை முறையிலான உற்பத்தி குறைவாக இருப்பதுதான். அதிகமான விவசாயிகள் இதில் ஈடுபடும்போதுதான் விலை குறையும். உற்பத்தி அதிகமாக வேண்டுமென்றால், அதன் தேவை அதிகமாக வேண்டும். அதாவது, வாங்குபவர்களின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகமாக வேண்டும்.''

ஆகவே மக்களே... நம் கைகளில்தான் இருக்கிறது, நாளைய தலைமுறைக்கான நஞ்சற்ற உணவு!

நம்பி வாங்கலாம் சிறுதானியம்!

இன்றைய சூழலில் பெரும்பாலான விளைபொருட்களும் ரசாயன முறையில்தான் விளைவிக்கப்படுகின்றன. இதனால், இயற்கை என்று சொல்லி விற்கப்படும் பொருட்களை எதை நம்பி வாங்குவது என்கிற தயக்கமே பலரிடமும் இருக்கிறது. இதற்கு நடுவே, "சற்றும் தயங்காமல் சிறுதானியங்களை நம்பிக்கையோடு வாங்கலாம்... அவை முழுக்க இயற்கை முறையில் விளைவிக்கப்படுபவை என்பதால் எந்த பிரச்னையும் இருக்காது'' என்று சொல்கிறார், சென்னையைச் சேர்ந்த 'இயற்கைப் பிரியன்' ரத்தின சக்திவேல். இவர், சமைக்காமலேயே அனைத்துவிதமான உணவுகளையும் உருவாக்குவதில் புகழ்பெற்றவர்.

'சிறுதானியம் குறித்த விழிப்பு உணர்வு பரவலாகிக்கொண்டுதான் இருக்கிறது. ஆர்கானிக் உணவுகள் எனும்போது, அதில் கம்பு, கேழ்வரகு, வரகு உள்ளிட்ட சிறுதானியங்களுக்கு முக்கியமான இடம் உண்டு! இதில் முக்கியமாக கவனிக்க வேண்டியது இந்தப் பயிர்களுக்கு ரசாயன உரங்களையோ... பூச்சிக்கொல்லிகளையோ விவசாயிகள் பெரும்பாலும் பயன்படுத்துவது கிடையாது.

காலையில் இட்லி, மதியம் சாப்பாடு, இரவு தோசை என மூன்று நேரமும் அரிசி உணவுகளைதான் சாப்பிடுகிறோம். இந்தியாவில், அதுவும் குறிப்பாக தமிழ்நாட்டில்தான் இந்த நிலை. இதனால்தான் சர்க்கரை வியாதிக்காரர்கள் இங்கே அதிகம் இருக்கிறார்கள். இதற்காக சிறுதானிய வகைகளை மூன்று நேரமும் சாப்பிட வேண்டும் என்கிற அவசியம் கிடையாது. தினமும் ஒருவேளை மட்டும் சாப்பிடலாம். தாது உப்புகள், நார்ச்சத்து, புரதம், விட்டமின் என எல்லா சத்துகளும் இவற்றில் அதிகம் இருக்கின்றன. சிறுதானியத்தை கூழாகவோ, கஞ்சியாகவோதான் குடிக்க வேண்டும் என்பது கிடையாது. பிரியாணி, விதவிதமான ஸ்நாக்ஸ் எல்லாம் சிறுதானியத்தில் செய்யமுடியும்'' என்று நம்பிக்கையூட்டுகிறார் ரத்தின சக்திவேல்.

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அறிந்துகொள்வது எப்படி?

இயற்கையில் விளைந்த பொருட்களுக்கு, அவற்றுக்கென உள்ள பிரத்யேக மணம் இருக்கும். இதை வைத்தும் கண்டறியலாம். இவற்றின் சுவையும் அருமையாக இருக்கும். இதை வைத்தும் உறுதிபடுத்திக்கொள்ளலாம்.

அவல் வாங்கும்போது, பளீர் என்று பார்த்து வாங்காதீர்கள். இயற்கையான முறையில் விளைந்த அரிசியில் தயாரிக்கப்படும் அவல், பழுப்பு நிறத்தில்தான் இருக்கும்.

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இது நல்லெண்ணெய்தானே?!

ஆர்கானிக் பொருட்களின் தரத்தை எப்படி உறுதிபடுத்திக் கொள்வது என்று சென்னையில் ஞாயிறு சந்தை என்ற பெயரில் 14 ஆண்டுகளாக இயற்கை அங்காடி நடத்திவரும் முரளியிடம் கேட்டோம். மனிதர் அக்குவேறு ஆணிவேறாக விஷயங்களைப் புட்டுப் புட்டு வைத்தார்.

'நல்ல அனுபவம் இருந்தாதான் இயற்கையில விளைஞ்சதுக்கும் ரசாயனத்துல விளைஞ்சதுக்கும் உடனே வித்தியாசத்தைக் கண்டுபிடிக்க முடியும். குறிப்பா, விவசாயம் சாராத மக்களுக்கு இதைக் கண்டுபிடிக்கிறது கொஞ்சம் கஷ்டம்தான். இயற்கை பழங்களோ, காய்கறிகளோ அதுக்குனு உரிய மணத்தில் இருக்கும். உதாரணத்துக்கு ஆப்பிள், மாம்பழம்னா... அததுக்குரிய பிரத்யேக மணம் வீசும். காய்கறிகள்னா... நல்லா பச்சை வாசனை வீசும். சுவையும் மிகுதியா இருக்கும்.

இயற்கை முறையில தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட வெல்லம், தொண்டைக்குள் இறங்குற வரைக்குமே இனிப்பா இருக்கும். ரசாயன முறையில தயாரிச்ச வெல்லம்னா... கொஞ்சம் உப்பு கரிக்கும். இயற்கை முறையில் விளைவிக்கப்பட்ட பழம், காய்கறிகள்ல வெளிப்பகுதி பளபளப்பா இல்லாம, வடிவமும் ஒரு ஒழுங்குல இல்லாம இருக்கும். பூச்சிகள்கூட கடிச்சிருக்கும். ஆனா, உள்ள இருக்கிற சதைப்பகுதி பாதுகாப்பா இருக்கும். அதேசமயம், ரசாயனத்துல விளைஞ்ச பொருட்கள், வெளியில பார்க்க அழகா இருக்கும். உள்பகுதி அழுகிப் போயி, சுவையே இல்லாம இருக்கும்.

எண்ணெய் பொருட்கள் விலை குறைவா கிடைச்சா... அது கலப்படம்னு புரிஞ்சுக்கலாம். உதாரணத்துக்கு எள்ளோட விலை அதிகம். இதை செக்கில் ஆட்டி எண்ணெயாக கொண்டு வரும்போது, விலை அதிகமாத்தான் இருக்கும். ஆனா, எள் விலையைவிட குறைவான விலைக்கு நல்லெண்ணெயைத் தர்றாங்க. இது எப்படி சாத்தியம்? எண்ணெயைப் பொறுத்தவரை அதுக்கான இயற்கை குணங்கள் எல்லாத்தையும் சுவையூட்டிகள், ரசாயனம் மூலம் கொண்டு வந்து, கண்ட எண்ணெயிலயும் கலந்து விற்பனை செய்துட்டிருக்காங்க'' என்று அதிர வைக்கிறார் முரளி.

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"6 கிலோ... 10 கிலோவுக்கு இணை!''

"இயற்கை விளைபொருட்களின் விலை அதிகம் என்கிற ஒரு கருத்து நிலவி வருகிறது. இது தவறான கருத்து. நீங்கள் ரசாயனத்தில் விளைந்த அரிசியை 10 கிலோ வாங்க வேண்டியிருந்தால், இயற்கை முறையில் விளைந்த அரிசியை 6 முதல் 7 கிலோ வாங்கினாலே போதுமானதாக இருக்கும். இதுவே 10 கிலோ அரிசிக்கு இணையான சாதத்தைத் தரும். இதை ஒப்பிடும்போது, இயற்கை அரிசியின் விலையும் கிட்டத்தட்ட சரியாகத்தான் இருக்கும்'' என்கிறார் திருநெல்வேலி, முருகன் குறிச்சியில் இயற்கை அங்காடி நடத்திவரும் கோமதி நாயகம்.

Adulterated rice sold in state

Kozhikode: Adulteration in food items seems to be rampant in the state with the latest entrant being rice mixed with polymers. Food safety officials are concerned over the growing issue of adulterated rice entering the markets of Kerala. However, the state is not equipped to check this. 

It has been found that adulterated rice is sold in Nadapuram in Kozhikode. When rice is put in boiled water, generally a white layer is formed on the starch water. If the cooked rice is strained, the thin layer becomes thick and looks like plastic. If this is kept under the sun, the thin layer becomes burning plastic. 

Officials have found that adulterants are added to the normal sack of rice and sold in the market. There were complaints from Singapore and Vietnam about adulterated Chinese rice. With concerns being raised from international circles, these kind of fake rice are seen in the state too.

Foods banned in different parts of India

The decision to ban beef in Maharashtra has received criticism from many quarters, especially foodies. But this isn't the first time a food item has been banned in India. Here's a look at all the food-related bans... 

A vegetarian town: The local government in Palitana in Gujarat, a major pilgrimage centre for Jains, has declared the entire town a 'vegetarian only' zone by banning the sale of meat, fish and eggs! In June last year, almost 200 Jain monks went on a hunger strike — threatening to fast unto death — for four days, demanding that non-vegetarian food should not be permitted for sale in the pilgrim town, after which the ban was implemented.

Say 'no' to junk food: To make it clear that fast foods are unhealthy, schools in states like Punjab and various colleges in Rajasthan have prohibited selling of foods like pizzas, burgers and aerated drinks, not just within their premises but also in their surroundings. People have criticised the move, citing that students would carry food from home and consume. Nonetheless, the Women and Child Development Ministry, who imposed the ban believe that with obesity amongst youngsters on the rise, it is essential to develop a habit of eating healthy from an early age. In a landmark judgment, Himachal Pradesh high court ordered a ban on chips, wafers, biscuits, namkeen, candy, chewing gum, ice-cream, chocolates, noodles, carbonated drinks, fruit beverages, cakes among other non-essential food items that are sold in non-biodegradable packs. 

Foie gras banned all over India: In July 2014, the government decided to ban the import of foie gras, usually eaten as pate or mousse, after animal rights activists protested against the cruel manner of its manufacture. This popular French delicacy, which feautred on gourmet menus in high-end European restaurants, put chefs in a fix.

Rabbit meat not allowed: After the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a strict ban on rabbit slaughtering in Kerala, hotels have stopped serving rabbit meat dishes, which was a popular meat in the state.

Workshop on food safety held for wardens

Zilla Panchayat President Pushpa Amarnath said, in the wake of recent food poisoning in Nanjangud Kusturba School and Doddahundi school, the heads and wardens of residential schools should take utmost care in the interest of the health of students.

She was speaking after inaugurating a workshop on Food Safety and Quality Act, organised for the wardens of residential schools under the Social Welfare department, Backward Classes department, department of Public Instruction and other departments, at the ZP Hall, here, on Monday.

Precautionary measures

She said, precautionary measures should be taken right from purchasing provisions and vegetables, transportation, food preparation and serving to the students.

Cleanliness and hygiene should be maintained at all stages as the children are left at the responsibility of the wardens, because the parents trust the respective hostels.

Food Safety and Quality Nodal Officer Dr S Chidambar said, the Act to tackle adulteration of food items was enacted way back in 1920, but law was given teeth in 2006 with the enactment of the new Act, which provides for imprisonment up to life term and a fine to a maximum of Rs 10 lakh.

He said, all those who deal with food products — from groundnuts vendors to restaurants — should register under the Act and should abide by the guidelines.

Health department Microbiologist Sheshagiri said, food items get contaminated in various ways, with physical, chemical and biological particles.

If vessels are not properly washed, chemicals used in soaps and cleaning agents may cause poisoning. Food may get contaminated even if the cook sneezes while cooking food, he added.

DINAMALAR NEWS

ARTICLE ON EDIBLE OIL

ARTICLE ON CORN

UCCI HOLDS WORKSHOP ON FOOD SAFETY

The Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) organised a workshop on the Food Safety and ISO-22000-2005 here on Saturday as part of its observance of the Entrepreneurs’ Week. MSME Secretary Panchanan Dash attended the event as chief guest. Director of the Institute of Quality and Environment Management Services Subrata Panigrahi gave a presentation on the Food Safety Management System and ISO 22000:2005. 

OUAT Dean Dr Khalid Khan spoke on the issues and concerns of farm products in preservation, logistics and storage. UCCI Food Processing and Agriculture Panel chairman S Acharya moderated the seminar while cochairman Rajiv Karnany gave a vote of thanks.

Insight - Chicken growers set to pay price for no-antibiotic McNugget

A McDonald's 10 piece chicken McNuggets box is photographed at the Times Square location in New York March 4, 2015.

(Reuters) - McDonald's Corp's decision last week to phase out human antibiotics from its U.S. chicken supply will add to costs of production in a tight-margin business that are likely to be borne mostly by poultry companies.

McDonald's, whose top chicken suppliers include giant Tyson Foods Inc, has given its producers two years to eradicate all antibiotics used on humans from barns and hatcheries. It's going to be expensive and may take longer than planned: switching to antibiotic-free chickens could increase on-farm costs by up to 3 percent. Perdue Farms, a supplier with about a third the volume of Tyson, told Reuters it's taken more than a decade and millions of dollars to make such a change.

McDonald's will use its purchasing muscle as the world's largest restaurant chain to avoid passing extra costs on to customers, increasingly lower income as more affluent diners prefer competitors like Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc, said analysts including Morningstar's R.J. Hottovy.

Marion Gross, McDonald's senior vice president of North America supply chain management, declined to say how much the company’s costs for chicken could rise. Rather, she told Reuters, the project is "an investment" to meet customer demand.

While veterinary use of antibiotics is legal, controversy has grown over routine feeding of antibiotics that are important to humans to otherwise healthy chicken, cattle and pigs in a bid to stave off disease and help the animals grow more quickly.

The risk is that overuse could spur the creation of so-called superbugs that develop cross-resistance to antibiotics used to treat humans. Reuters found last year that major U.S. poultry firms were administering antibiotics to their flocks on the farm far more pervasively than regulators realized.

The poultry industry maintains there is little evidence that bacteria which do become resistant also infect people. However, more restaurants and retailers are heeding the concerns of consumers, straining meat supplies.

Sandwich chain Chick-fil-A in 2014 gave its producers five years to meet its commitment to go antibiotic-free for chicken. Perdue is a major supplier to Chick-fil-A.

Costco Wholesale Corp., the nation's third-largest retailer that annually sells 80 million rotisserie chickens, told Reuters Thursday it has a "large" appetite for chicken free of these medically-important antibiotics.

The company is aware of the supply difficulties and won't commit to a timeline, said Craig Wilson, vice president of food safety for Costco.

WHO PAYS THE PRICE?

Some of the extra costs of cutting out antibiotics could be borne by franchisees, which could cut labour hours, waste and utility costs to offset higher meat prices.

But most analysts expect McDonald's to push the costs back onto its suppliers, who may not have the market power to resist. The top four U.S. chicken processors control about 53 percent of the domestic market, according to the National Chicken Council.

McDonald's "carries a lot of clout with suppliers," and some of them are dependent on the chain for survival, Hottovy said.

Tyson and Keystone Foods, part of Brazil-based Marfrig Global Foods SA, both told Reuters they have significantly reduced medically-important antibiotic use in their flocks and are positioned to meet McDonald's and other customers' needs. However, neither company would answer specific questions about how such drugs are used on-farm and in hatcheries.

SLOW CHANGES

Perdue, the fourth-largest domestic chicken producer, began removing antibiotics used for growth promotion in 2002 amid consumer questions about what was being put into the animal feed, said Bruce Stewart-Brown, senior vice-president of food safety, quality and live operations.

Now more than 95 percent of the chickens it produces are raised without antibiotics approved for human use, and more than half are raised with no antibiotics of any kind, according to the company.

The transition led to unexpectedly high bird mortality rates, a need for more chicken houses and spending at least $4 million more a year on vaccines than rivals who haven't made the switch, among other things. Birds raised without antibiotics also generally take three to nine days longer to reach their market weight, Stewart-Brown told Reuters -- or as much as 20 percent longer than conventionally raised birds.

McDonald's two-year deadline is "a really fast timeframe to do it right and be predictable to your customers and your supply," Stewart-Brown said.

Birds raised on farms without antibiotics take longer to reach optimal slaughter weight, resulting in higher feed costs and death rates, forcing companies to ramp up with more eggs at the hatcheries, said Tom Elam of FarmEcon, an agricultural consulting company.

"The ones that aren't quite as good with keeping up with their biosecurity, it's going to cause some issues," Elam said. "This change is not free."