அயோடின் இல்லாத உப்பை விற்க எதிர்ப்பு!

திருவாரூர்: அயோடின் கலக்காமல் உப்பு உற்பத்தியில் ஈடுபடுவோரின் குத்தகை உரிமைத்தை உப்புத்துறை ரத்து செய்ய நுகர்வோர் அமைப்பு கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளது.

திருவாரூர் மாவட்ட தமிழ்நாடு நுகர்வோர் பாதுகாப்பு மையம், தமிழகம் முழுவதும் உள்ள நுகர்வோர் ஆர்வலர்களை ஒருங்கிணைத்து, அயோடின் உப்பு உற்பத்தி மற்றும் விற்பனை குறித்து ஆய்வு பணியை தமிழகம் முழுவதும் செய்து வருகின்றது. இந்த ஆய்வுக் குழு உறுப்பினர்களின் கலந்தாய்வு கூட்டம திருவாரூர் ஹோட்டல் செல்வீஸ்-ல் தலைவர் பிறை. அறிவழகன் தலைமையில் நடைபெற்றது.

Micronutrient Initiative India நிறுவன திட்ட மேலாளர் சையத் முன்னிலை வகித்தார். ஃபெட்காட் தலைவர் பிரபாகரன் சிறப்புரை ஆற்றினார். பயிற்சியை திருவாரூர் மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் மோகன்ராஜ் துவக்கி வைத்து விழிப்புணர்வு சுவரொட்டியை வெளியிட்டார். திருவாரூர் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் பாலுசாமி மற்றும் அன்பழகன் ஆகியோர் பயிற்சியில் கலந்து கொண்டவர்கள் கேட்ட கேள்விகளுக்கு பதில் அளித்தனர்.

இதில் பேசிய அதிகாரிகள், ''உப்புத்துறைக்கு சொந்தமான இடங்களை குத்தகைக்கு எடுத்து தனியார் நிறுவனங்கள் உப்பை உற்பத்திச் செய்து வருகின்றனர். அயோடின் இல்லாமல் உப்பு தயாரிப்பில் ஈடுபடும் தனியார் உப்பு நிறுவனங்களின் உரிமத்தை ரத்து செய்ய வேண்டும்.

தரம் குறைவான உணவுப்பொருட்கள் தயாரிக்கும் நிறுவனங்களுக்கு ரூபாய் 5 லட்சம் வரை அபராதத் தொகை விதிக்க உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தர நிர்ணய சட்டம் வழி வகுத்திருக்கின்றது. ஆனால், தரமற்ற உப்பு தயாரிக்கும் தயாரிப்பாளர்களுக்கு அபராதத் தொகை வெறும் ரூ.500 முதல் ரூ.5000 வரை விதிக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றது. இந்த விதிமுறை மாற்றம் காண வேண்டும்'' என்றனர்.

மேலும், ''மாவட்டந்தோறும் மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் தலைமையில் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ள உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு ஆலோசனைக் குழுவில் உணவு உற்பத்தி மற்றும் விற்பனையாளர் சங்கங்களின் பொறுப்பாளர்கள் இருவர் இடம் பெற்றுள்ளனர். அதுபோல நுகர்வோர் சங்கங்களின் பொறுப்பாளர்களுக்கும் இரண்டு பிரதிநிதித்துவம் வழங்கி உத்திரவிட வேண்டும்

தோல் பதனிடுதல், மீன் பதப்படுத்துதல் போன்றவற்றிற்காக விற்கப்படும் உப்பில் அயோடின் சேர்க்க வேண்டியதில்லை. இதனைப் பயன்படுத்தி உப்பு விற்பனையாளர்கள் 'பதப்படுத்துவதற்கான உப்பு' என்ற போர்வையில் உணவிற்கான உப்பை அயோடின் சேர்க்காமல் விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர். எனவே, பதப்படுத்துவதற்கான உப்பு 2 கிலோ அல்லது அதற்கு மேல் உள்ள அளவில் மட்டுமே விற்பனை செய்யப்படல் வேண்டும் என்று உத்தரவிட வேண்டும்.

சரியான முகவரி இல்லாமல் போலியான பெயர்களில் அயோடின் சேர்க்காத உப்பு மாநிலம் முழுவதும் விற்பனை செய்யப்பட்டு வருகின்றது. இவ்வாறு விற்பனையில் ஈடுபடும் வியாபாரிகளின் மீது கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உணவுப்பாதுகாப்புத்துறை மற்றும் எடையளவு அலுவலர்கள் முன்வர வேண்டும்.

2009–ம் ஆண்டு முதல் சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர்களுக்கு உப்பில் உள்ள அயோடின் அளவை கண்டறியும் பரிசோதனை கிட் வழங்கப்படாமல் உள்ளதால் சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர்கள் அயோடின் அளவை பரிசோதிக்க இயலாமல் உள்ளது. பொது சுகாதாரம் மற்றும் நோய் தடுப்புத்துறை இயக்குநர் உடனடியாக இந்த பரிசோதனை கிட்டை வழங்க நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

இந்த நுகர்வோர் அமைப்பு குழு பிரதிநிதிகள் தமிழகம் முழுவதும் கடந்த 9 மாதங்களில் கடைகளில் 2305 உப்பு மாதிரிகளும், 297 நியாயவிலைக் கடைகளில் உப்பு மாதிரிகளும், 480 அங்கன்வாடி மையத்தில் உப்பு மாதிரிகளும், 92 உப்பு மாதிரிகள் உப்பு உற்பத்தி பகுதியிலும் எடுத்து ஆய்வு செய்ததில் 56 சதவீத உப்பு மாதிரிகளில் மட்டுமே போதுமான அளவு அயோடின் கலக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது ஆய்வில் அறியப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதில் கடைகளில் எடுக்கபட்ட உப்பு மாதிரிகளில் 50 சதவீதத்தில் மட்டுமே போதுமான அளவு அயோடின் உள்ளது. கடைகளில் எடுக்கப்பட்ட 1332 கல் உப்பில் 33.4 சதவீத அளவில் மட்டுமே அயோடின் உள்ளது. இந்த கல் உப்பினைதான் பெரும்பாலான கிராமப்பகுதி கடைகளில் விற்பனைக்கு உள்ளது. இந்த கல் உப்பினை உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புத்துறை தொடர்ந்து ஆய்வு செய்து மக்களுக்கு தரமான அயோடின் உப்பு கிடைப்பதை உறுதி செய்திட வேண்டும்.

மாவட்டங்களில் ஒரு சில நியாயவிலைக் கடைகளில் மட்டுமே தரமான உப்பு குறைந்த விலையில் கிடைக்கின்றது. தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள அனைத்து நியாயவிலைக்கடைகளிலும் இந்த உப்பு கிடைக்க தமிழ்நாடு அரசு உப்பு நிறுவனம் நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ள வேண்டும்'' போன்ற தீர்மானங்கள் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்டன.

நிகழ்ச்சியில் கலந்து கொண்ட மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் மோகன் ராஜ் அயோடின் உப்பின் அவசியத்தை விளக்கும் சுவரொட்டியை வெளியிட்டு அதன் முக்கியத்துவத்தையும் எடுத்துரைத்தார்.

Maggi noodles likely to face ban in India, FSSAI orders sample examination

New Delhi: All the Maggi lovers will now have to bear this bad news. Reports suggest that Nestle Maggi is likely to face ban in the country because of the harmful chemicals found in it.

According to reports, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered to examine the samples of Maggi in the country. FSSAI took the action after the state food department reported about the presence of harmful chemicals in the noodles.

The two-minute 'Maggi' noodles came under regulatory scanner after samples collected in some parts of Uttar Pradesh were tested in the lab and results showed that it contains high amount of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead.

Shockingly, it has been found that Maggi contains 17 parts per million lead, while the permissible limit is only 0.01 ppm. Even the content of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in it was found at levels above the dangerous mark.

As Maggi goes off menu, Nestle gears up for damage control

India is Maggi's biggest market in the world

All hands are on deck at Nestle India as it grapples with possibly its biggest crisis in three decades. Maggi, India's best known comfort food after staples such as rice, dal and wheat, has been on a downward sales spiral after the Food & Drugs Administration of Uttar Pradesh said it contained lead andmono sodium glutamate (MSG) beyond the permissible limit.

Since then, three state governments - Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka - have said they too will test samples of the product, which gives Nestle India almost 30 per cent of its revenues. The central government has said it will look into the matter and so will the country's apex food regulator, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India.

Maggi sales are estimated to have been hit severely since the news of the contamination broke out ten days ago. Some retailers say there has been a 5-10 per cent drop, while others put it to as high as 35-40 per cent. Most of this fall has been in organised retail - a key channel frequented by Maggi's core target group of the middle and upper-middle income consumers. Retailers attribute this to the heightened awareness about the product's quality concerns among consumers who are on social media, watch TV and read newspapers.

INSTANT TROUBLE

India is Maggi's biggest market in the world

30 per cent of Nestle India's revenue is from Maggi

For 32 years, Maggi has dominated India's instant noodle market

Maggi has been pitched as a healthy food option

A senior executive from Spencer's Retail says, "Till the 14th of this month, there was no impact on sales. But after that, we are seeing a 5 to 10 per cent drop. Maggi is important for us as 70 per cent of what we buy from Nestle is this product." Devendra Chawla, group president (food & FMCG), Future Group, says he would have to assess the loss to business because of the issue, while executives at Reliance Retail and Aditya Birla Retail were not immediately available for comments.

"Our analysis shows that there has been an impact on brand trust as a result of this crisis. You have to understand that it is a government body that has come out with these findings and it's not a random allegation made by an aggrieved consumer on social media," says N Chandramouli, chief executive officer, Trust Research Advisory, a Mumbai-based company which comes out with the annual Brand Trust Report.

While an email sent to Nestle India elicited no response , people in the know say that the company is likely to launch an advertising campaign in the next few days to counter the findings of the Uttar Pradesh Food & Drugs Administration.

The campaign will use all outlets - social media, print and TV - to assuage consumer concerns over the product's quality. Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit, who already endorses Maggi's Aata Noodles, is likely to helm this campaign, in the way Amitabh Bachchan did during Cadbury's worm-in-chocolate controversy, or Aamir Khan did when Coca-Cola was hit by the pesticide-in-cola issue a decade ago.

Many say that Dixit is suited for this task since she is a wife and mother of two, and appeals to the middle class. "What is needed is a strong rebuttal from Nestle. So far, it has initiated phase one of its damage control exercise by engaging with regulatory authorities to convey its viewpoint, speaking to retailers and conducting an internal probe. But it will have to move to the second phase since it is a perception battle at the end of the day," Amit Lohani, convener of the Forum of Indian Food Importers, says.

When the crisis first broke out, Nestle had said, "We use hydolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make Maggi Noodles, which contain glutamate. We believe that the authorities' tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods." It also said that in its routine tests done over the years, it never found Maggi containing more than 0.03 ppm of lead, adding that the batch that was tested was an old one (February 2014).

Not everyone is convinced by Nestle's arguments though. Chandra Bhushan, deputy director-general of Delhi-based Centre for Science & Environment, says, "Whether samples are of the current batch or an old batch, high levels of lead and MSG are simply not acceptable. Why should we have products such as these? It's high time stringent action was taken because packaged food consumption is on the rise in India. Authorities as well as consumers should know what is going into these food products."

While high level of lead in food is known to be harmful, MSG is a flavour enhancer commonly added to Chinese food. To most Indians, it is known as Ajinomoto, because of the Japanese company of the same name that has been manufacturing it for over 100 years.

Bhushan of CSE says that MSG is a non-essential salt that should not be added to food at all. However, food processing as well as catering industries have for long used MSG to enhance the flavour of food. "If the regulatory authorities get serious, there will be so many more violations that will be detected. While the Food Safety & Standards Act is stringent, enforcement of it has been weak," Bejon Misra, a noted consumer activist, says.

Noodles' samples tested for lead contamination in Bahrain

MANAMA

Tests are being conducted on Maggi noodles in Bahrain following claims of lead contamination.

Samples of the two-minute noodles were collected by the Health Ministry's public health laboratory after reports surfaced that dangerous levels of lead were found during routine tests on two dozen packets in India, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN),our sister publication.

Health Ministry Public Health and Primary Healthcare assistant under-secretary Dr Maryam Al Jalahma told the GDN yesterday (May 26) that the products would be recalled if the tests were positive for lead contamination.

“As soon as we received the news about concerns over high lead content in Maggie noodles, samples were collected from the market, which is currently under investigation at the public health lab,” she said.

“The main concern is the suspected high level of lead in the product which could have harmful health effects.

“If this is true all necessary action will be taken to withdraw the product from the market immediately according to health policies.”

The result of the investigation is expected to be revealed today.

According to reports, Nestle India was ordered to recall a batch of Maggi noodles from shops across the country following the tests conducted in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Initial tests also found high levels of added monosodium glutamate, a taste enhancer.

However, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India denied ordering a recall.

Dubai authorities also conducted tests on the noddles, reassuring consumers in the UAE of the safety of the product.

Nestle Middle East, which owns the brand, also confirmed the safety of its products.

“All Maggi products in the Middle East are compliant with the highest quality standards and are safe for consumption,” said Nestle Middle East media relations manager Lynn AlKhatib.

“We are so far not aware of any concerns raised from Bahrain or any other countries other than in Dubai.

“Our products are the same for the entire Middle East region including Bahrain and other Arab countries like Iran and Iraq.”

FDA seizes stock of adulterated soybean, sunflower oil

PUNE: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized edible oil of a particular brand in Pune district suspecting adulteration. The traders blended cheap edible oil with sunflower and soybean oil and misled people to earn extra profit, said the officials. 

The officials have now intensified surveillance across Pune to nab the offenders involved in oil adulteration. 

"We got a tip off about the adulteration, following which our food safety officials seized stock of refined edible oil worth Rs 1.53 lakh from a trader in Baramati on May 16. We have drawn samples and sent them for tests to the designated government laboratory. Further action will be initiated based on the report, which is expected in the next few days," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune. 

S B Naragude, assistant commissioner, FDA who guided the raid said, "The primary report we received was about blending of cheap form of edible oil with sunflower and soybean oil. We directed our officials to raid the shops of the oil distributor in Baramati." 

Food safety officials Vikas Sonawane and Avinash Dabhade conducted the raids under the guidance of senior officials from FDA, Pune. 

State FDA's vigilance department in the past raided several oil mills, took samples and found packets of sunflower, soybean, groundnut oil, refilled with cotton seed oil. 

"There are instances where miscreants removed oil from tins of reputed brands and mix it with ordinary palm oil or any other cheap variety of oil or a cheap form of oil blended with a good quality one," said Dipak Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune. 

At present, 80% of the edible oil in the country is sold in loose form, which according to trade sources, is in the blended form. For example, refined sunflower oil or soybean oil in loose form is a blend of the respective oil and palm oil in a ratio of 65:35. 

According to experts, such impurities are difficult to identify, as the blending of palm oil does not change the physical property or taste of the product. 

But it changes the chemical property, which affects the consumers' health in the long run. Selling of loose edible oil is not permitted in developed countries.

Maharashtra FDA busts milk adulteration racket

On Tuesday, FDA officials had raided slums in Pathanwadi area of Malad (East) and stumbled upon milk pouches of reputed brands being tampered with. One accused, Pandu Vitya, was arrested. An FIR has been lodged.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Maharashtra has come down heavily on the milk adulteration racket in the state, including Mumbai. In a massive crackdown, up to 935 litres of milk were seized in the city alone from two milk adulteration dens in the western suburbs. Also, FDA officials intercepted a milk truck in Goregaon (East), seizing allegedly adulterated milk samples.

On Tuesday, FDA officials had raided slums in Pathanwadi area of Malad (East) and stumbled upon milk pouches of reputed brands being tampered with. One accused, Pandu Vitya, was arrested. An FIR has been lodged.

"The accused was cutting open packets, removing the milk, adding water and resealing them," said Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner (Food), FDA. The accused was operating from a 10×10 sqft shanty. When FDA officials swooped down on his den, they stumbled upon his family members helping him. Up to 197 litres worth Rs7,486 were seized from the accused's shanty.

Officials said most adulteration dens are operated in remote slum areas which are hard to reach. The modus operandi includes accused purchasing milk from distributors, adulterating it and then supplying it to households.

In another instance of a parallel raid in Jeetnagar on Versova Link Road, milk packets of Amul, Gokul, Mahananda and Govardhan were found to be tampered with, said FDA officials.

Similar action was carried out in the districts of Thane, Solapur, Sangli and Satara, where over 30 samples of cow and buffalo milk being sold in pouches and cartons, and even loose milk from canisters, were collected from dairy farms, milk stalls, cooperative dealers and distributors, and sent for testing.

"We will test the samples for adulteration through additives, chemicals or water," said Annapure. The results are expected in under two weeks.

Also, in a dairy in Sangli, up to 1,879 kg cream worth Rs2,63,060, which was stored in unhygienic conditions, has been seized and destroyed.

Up to 16 teams of four to five food inspectors were formed across Maharashtra, including three teams in Mumbai, to bust the racket. The teams kept a watch on adulterators for up to eight days in a bid to track down their movements, before swooping down on them.

FDA officials have appealed to the citizens to purchase milk only from those vendors who are either registered or obtained a licence for operation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

"We are continuing action against milk adulteration on a routine basis consistently," said Harshadeep Kamble, state FDA commissioner.

Eat healthy: How to keep food safe in summer

Contaminated and unsafe food, especially in summers, causes more infections and diseases that range from diarrhea and cramps to severe infections like jaundice and typhoid. More than 200 diseases are spread through contaminated food or water. Still, most of us don't always know what went into our last meal.

"Not many would know that the most dangerous bacteria that cause food poisoning do not affect food's look, smell, or taste. The food may look perfectly alright to eat yet could be contaminated, especially in the hot weather" says Dr Anil Kumar, head of epidemiology division, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

These bacteria, viruses and parasites invade and multiply in the lining of the intestines and other tissues, even reaching the intestinal tract and releasing harmful toxins.

At the household level, food safety starts from buying things from the market and extends to how one stores things at home and ultimately how the food is cooked.

As for storing food, raw and cooked food needs to be stored separately to stop cross-contamination.

Maintaining temperature is important; hot foods should be eaten hot and cold food should be maintained under adequately cold temperature. Food should not be stored in a refrigerator for very long. Just because food is kept in refrigerator does not mean it won't spoil. 

Here are some steps to help readers know how they can make their food safe.

Keep clean

*Wash hands before handling food and often during food preparation.

*Wash your hands after going to toilet, handling pets etc.

*Wash and sanitise all surfaces and equipment used in food preparation.

*Protect kitchen areas and food from insects, pets and other animals.

Why? While most microorganisms do not cause disease, dangerous microorganisms are widely found in soil, water, animals and people. These organisms are carried on hands, wiping cloths and utensils, especially cutting boards and the slightest contact can transfer them to food and cause food-borne diseases.

Follow basic hygiene. Always keep your hands clean to avoid contamination. (Shutterstock)

Separate raw and cooked food

*Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods to stop cross-contamination.

*Use separate equipment and utensils such as knives and cutting boards for handling raw foods.

*Store food in containers to avoid contact between the raw and the cooked foods.

Why? Raw food, especially meat, poultry and seafood, and their juices contain dangerous microorganisms which may be transferred onto other foods during food preparation and storage.

Cook thoroughly

*Cook thoroughly especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood.

*Bring foods like soups and stews to boiling to make sure that they have reached 70 degrees Celsius.

*For meat and poultry make sure the juices are clear and not pink.

*Reheat cooked food thoroughly.

*Ideally use a thermometer to check temperature.

Why? Proper cooking kills almost all dangerous microorganisms. Studies have shown that cooking food to a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius can help ensure it is safe for consumption. Foods that require special attention include minced meats, rolled roasts, large joints of meat and whole poultry.

Keep food at safe temperatures

*Keep food at safe temperature: Danger zone is between 5 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius.

*Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

*Refrigerate cooked food and all perishable items as quickly as possible as bacteria can develop in foods within 2 hours at room temperature.

*Refrigerate all cooked and perishable foods preferably below 5 degrees Celsius.

*Do not store food too long even in the refrigerator. Consume it quickly.

*Do not thaw frozen food at room temperature as it causes bacteria to grow rapidly.

*Keep cooked food piping hot (more than 60 degrees C) prior to serving.

Why? Microorganisms can multiply very quickly if food is stored at room temperature. By holding at temperature below 5 degrees Celsius or above 60 degrees Celsius, the growth of microorganisms is slowed down or stopped. Some dangerous microorganisms still grow below 5 degrees Celsius.

Use safe water and raw materials

*Use safe water or treat it to make it safe for use.

*Select fresh and wholesome foods.

*Choose foods processed for safety such as pasteurised milk.

*Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water, especially if eaten raw.

*Do not use food beyond its expiry date.

Why? Raw materials, including water and ice, may be contaminated with dangerous microorganisms and chemicals. Toxic chemicals may be formed in damaged and mouldy foods. Care in selection of raw materials and simple measures such as washing and peeling may reduce the risk.

Maintain food safety, hygiene

Take extra care to protect food in summer and keep bacteria at bay. Saurabh Arora, founder of www.foodsafetyhelpine.com, shares tips on food safety and hygiene with IANS:

Maintain hygiene: Wash hands before cooking and after handling raw meat, fish and poultry. Dry hands with a clean towel. Make a habit of wearing an apron in the kitchen. Avoid cooking and touching food items if you have cold, runny nose or fever. Before handling food, make sure that all cooking surfaces are spotlessly clean. Wash all utensils with soap and water. Preferably use a separate chopping board for meat.

Clean your produce: With the growing concern about pesticide residues remaining on the surface of fruits and vegetables, it will be a good idea to soak them in lukewarm water with some salt and vinegar for two hours. Before eating (fruits) or cooking (vegetables), wash them under running tap water toget rid of any last traces of pesticides.

Maintain correct temperature: This is the most relevant tip for maintaining food safety during the hot summer months. The temperature of the refrigerator must be maintained at four degree celsius and the freezer at -15 to -18 degree celsius. Store away raw meat and poultry in the freezer compartment.

When required, thaw out in the refrigerator compartment itself, but separate from other items of food. Make sure to thaw the meat thoroughly. Marinate the meat in the fridge; use the sauce only for cooking, and not for serving. Never serve cooked meat on the same plate used for marinating. Once served, food should not be kept outside for more than two hours. If eating outdoors, use a chiller box with plenty of ice packs. Use separate boxes for food and beverages. Avoid opening the box too often to maintain the cool temperature inside. Also, avoid exposure of the chiller box to direct sunlight.

Safety tips for outdoor picnics: Food safety begins with proper hand cleaning - including outdoor settings. Before you begin setting out your picnic feast, make sure hands and surfaces are clean. If you don’t have access to running water, simply use a water jug, soap, and paper towels; or consider using disposable wet wipes for cleaning hands.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Raids on hotels and restaurants in Nagercoil

Food Safety officials and municipal authorities conducted a surprise raid on hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries in Meenakshipuram here on Tuesday.

The officials, headed by Deputy Food Safety Officer Salodisan, seized and destroyed food items prepared and kept in unhygienic condition.

Expired packets of food ingredients, found in the kitchens of some hotels, were destroyed.

The officials also seized food items that did not have proper labels and adulterated tea powder.

An investigation was launched to find out the origin of adulterated tea powder.

A few hotels were given two weeks’ time to improve the hygiene standard of the kitchens.

Caution notices were issued to some shops for not maintaining hygiene on their premises.

10 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized

Artificially ripened mangoes that were seized by Food Safety officials from a godown at Kuniamuthur in Coimbatore on Wednesday.

In a major haul, the Food Safety Officers have seized as much as ten tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes from a godown here on Wednesday. This is said to be the single largest seizure in a raid in Tamil Nadu. District Collector Archana Patnaik has lauded the efforts of the Food Safety Officers.

Apart from mangoes, 250 kilograms of calcium carbide, used to ripen the fruits, in powder form and 50 kilograms of calcium carbide stones were also seized, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing) Designated Officer R. Kathiravan told The Hindu .

Surveillance

Food Safety Officers had seized such mangoes from several shops in Coimbatore earlier this summer, when demand peaks exponentially. Based on the information gathered in these raids, a godown at Kuniamuthur was placed under surveillance.

The godown was found to belong to a major fruit dealer. Investigations revealed that he had supplied artificially ripened mangoes to several shops, from which the earlier seizures were made.

The raid was conducted during the early hours by a team lead by Dr. Kathiravan and comprising Food Safety Officers K. Sakthivel, V. Raveendran, S.R. Gerald, R. Rajendran, and V. Krishnan. A Sub-Inspector and several constables from the Kuniamuthur Police also accompanied them.

They found over 15 tonnes of imam pasand, Senthuram and Banganapalli mangoes, of which ten tonnes were being ripened using calcium carbide stones. The artificially ripened mangoes and the calcium carbide were destroyed at the Corporation Compost Yard at Vellalore later in the day.

Cheap cost

Calcium carbide is the most commonly used ingredient primarily due to its easy availability and cheap cost. It emits acetylene gas when mixed with water, he said.

Just one kilogram of this substance, brought for as little as Rs. 30, can ripen around 10 tonnes of fruits. For example, he says raw fruits of the much-sought after imam pasand mango can be procured for half its market price, ripened using a kilogram of carbide and sold for the market price, resulting in a 100 per cent profit.

He warned the fruit vendors of more such raids in the future. Any one having information on artificial ripening of fruits could mail the information to dofssacbe@gmail.com or contact them at the following telephone no: (0422) 222 0922.

INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS

DINA THANTHI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

கோவையில் 10 டன் கார்பைடு கல் மாம்பழம் பறிமுதல் உணவுத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி

கோவை, மே28:

கோவை குனி ய முத் தூ ரில் உள்ள பழ குடோ னில் கார் பைடு கற் கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக் கப் பட்ட 10 டன் மாம் ப ழங் களை நேற்று உண வுத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

கோவை மாவட்டத் தில் கார் பைடு கற் கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக் கப் பட்ட மாம் ப ழங் களின் விற் பனை அதி க ரித் துள் ளது. பெரும் பா லான கடை களி லும், தள் ளு வண் டி களி லும் இந்த மாம் ப ழங் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றது. இதனை உட் கொண் டால் வயிறு, குடல் பாதிப்பு தொடர் பான பிரச்னை ஏற் ப டும். தற் போது, மாம் ப ழத் திற்கு அதி க ள வி லான வர வேற்பு உள் ள தால் விற் ப னை யா ளர் கள் மாம் ப ழத்தை பழுக்க வைக்க கால் சி யம் கார் பைடு கற் களை பயன் ப டுத்தி வரு கின் ற னர். இது தொடர் பாக அதி கா ரி கள் தொடர் ஆய்வு நடத்தி வரு கின் ற னர். அதன் படி, உண வுத் துறை அதி கா ரி களுக்கு குனி ய முத் தூர் பகு தி யில் உள்ள கடை யில் கார் பைடு கற் கள் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக் கப் பட்ட மாம் ப ழங் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு வ தாக தொடர் புகார் வந் தது.

இதனை தொடர்ந்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் பு துறை நிய மன அதி காரி கதி ர வன் தலை மை யில் ஆய் வா ளர் ரவீந் தி ரன், சக் தி வேல், கிருஷ் ணன், ராஜேந் தி ரன், ெஜரால்டு அதி கா ரி கள் குழு வி னர் கோவை குனி ய முத் தூர் பகு தி யில் உள்ள கனி பழ குடோன் சென்று நேற்று அதி ரடி சோதனை செய் த னர். இந்த சோத னை யில் குடோ னில் கால் சி யம் கார் பைடு கற் கள் மூல மாக மாம் ப ழங் கள் பழுக் க வைக் கப் ப டு வது கண் ட றி யப் பட்டது. இதனை தொடர்ந்து அங்கு இருந்த பத்து டன் மாம் ப ழங் களை அதி கா ரி கள் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். மேலும், மாம் ப ழங் கள் பழுக்க வைக்க பயன் ப டுத் தப் பட்ட 250 கிலோ கால் சி யம் கற் க ளை யும் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

இது குறித்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை நிய மன அதி காரி கதி ர வன் கூறி ய தா வது:

இந்த பழ குடோ னில் கற் கள் மூலம் மாம் ப ழங் கள் பழுக்க வைக் கப் ப டு வ தாக தக வல் கள் வந் தது. இதனை தொடர்ந்து கடந்த ஒரு வார கால மாக தனிக் குழு அமைத்து கண் கா ணித்து வந் தோம். இந் நி லை யில், இன்று(நேற்று) ஆய்வு பணியை மேற் கொண் டோம். இதில், பத்து டன் மாம் ப ழங் களை பறி மு தல் செய் துள் ளோம். இவர் களி டம் இருந்து 250 கிலோ கால் சி யம் கற் க ளை யும் பறி மு தல் செய் துள் ளோம். பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்ட பொருட் களின் மதிப்பு சுமார் ரூபாய் பத் து லட் சம் வரை இருக் கும். இதனை வெள் ள லூர் குப்பை கிடங் கில் குழி தோண்டி புதைத் துள் ளோம். குடோன் உரி மை யா ள ருக்கு எச் ச ரிக்கை நோட்டீஸ் அளித் துள் ளோம்.

இதில், கார் பைடு கற் கள் மூலம் மாம் ப ழங் களை பழுக்க வைப் பது சட்டப் படி குற் றம். தொடர்ந்து இந்த செய லில் ஈடு பட்டால் வியா பார லைசென்ஸ் ரத்து செய் யப் ப டும் என தெரி வித் துள் ளோம். மேலும், மாவட்டம் முழு வ தும் தொடந்து ஆய்வு பணியை மேற் கொள் ள வுள் ளோம்” என் றார்.

ரூ.10 லட்சம் குட்கா பறிமுதல்

திருநெல்வேலி: திருநெல்வேலி ரயில்நிலையத்திற்கு நேற்று வந்த ஜம்முதாவி ரயிலின் சரக்குபெட்டியில் 29 மூட்டைகள் கேட்பாரின்றி கிடந்தன. ரயில்வே போலீசார் சோதனையிட்டனர். ஒவ்வொரு மூட்டையிலும் இரண்டாயிரம் பாக்கெட்கள் வீதம் பான்பராக், குட்கா இருந்தன. இவற்றின் மதிப்பு ரூ.10 லட்சம்.

குட்கா தடை மேலும் நீட்டிப்பு !

பான்மசாலா, குட்காவுக்கு தமிழகத்தில் தடை நீட்டிப்பு

தமிழகத்தில் பான்மசாலா, குட்கா, புகையிலை மற்றும் நிகோடின் சேர்ந்த பொருட்களை தயாரிக்கவும் விற்கவும் விதிக்கப்பட்ட தடை, மேலும் ஓராண்டுக்கு நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதுகுறித்து தமிழக உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு ஆணையர் பிறப்பித்துள்ள உத்தரவில் கூறியிருப்பதாவது:

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தரநிர்ணய விதிகளின்படி, புகையிலை மற்றும் நிகோடின் சேர்க்கப்பட்ட எந்தப் பொருளாக இருந்தாலும் அது மனித உடலுக்கு தீங்கு விளைவிப்பதாகும். குட்கா, பான்மசாலா போன்ற பொருட்கள் தற்போது அதிகளவில் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன.

தமிழகத்தில் இந்தப் பொருட்களுக்கு தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதன்படி குட்கா , பான்மசாலா மற்றும் புகையிலை, நிகோடின் சேர்க்கப்பட்ட பொருட்கள் அனைத்தும் தமிழகத்தில் விற்க, தேக்கி வைக்க, தயாரிக்க, வினியோகிக்க தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்தத் தடை, கடந்த 23-ம் தேதியில் இருந்து மேலும் ஓராண்டுக்கு நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இவ்வாறு அந்த உத்தரவில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது. இது, அரசிதழிலும் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.

FSSAI rejects product approval applications; urges FBOs to stick to norms

New Delhi

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in a recent development, has rejected applications for product approval by Tata Starbucks, Ferrero, FieldFresh Foods, Kellogg’s, and Del Monte amongst others.

Around 32 applications by Tata Starbucks alone were disapproved. They included those for products such as puddings, sauces, mixes, syrups, tea and coffee. This was probably the single biggest set of product approvals request that was rejected by FSSAI at one go, so far.

McCain's battered pepper and cheese bites, Venky's chicken Arabic-style kofta and crispy chicken burger patty, Kellogg's Special K-red berries, FieldFresh egg mayonnaise/salad dressing variants, natural vinegar and a proprietary hot sauce, and Ferrero Rocher's proprietary milky and cocoa spreads with cereals and milk chocolate also stand rejected, according to a notification by FSSAI. 

The notification says, “The List of Applications, which were received in FSSAI for Product Approvals, and where the proposals have been rejected on assessment of risk/ safety of the proposed products by the Product Approval & Screening Committee, and/or the Scientific Panel, this list is updated as on 30.04.2015. Communications in individual cases, containing reasons for rejection of the applications, have been sent to the applicant FBOs by post/ email.”

Meanwhile, allaying the fears of FBOs (food business operators), chief executive officer of FSSAI Y S Malik, in an open letter, urged FBOs to adhere to food safety standards and not to push their products in the name of Make in India. 

Malik wrote, “The System of “Product Approval” has been projected as a highly contentious issue vis-à-vis the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India so far. There are a number of reasons for the industry’s anguish in this behalf, of which the most pressing could perhaps be attributed to the pendency of applications and the time taken in disposal thereof. I do not wish to be drawn into the debate about the merits of Product Approval, especially qua the ‘Proprietary Food’ at this stage. Most of the FBOs, especially the aggrieved ones, appear to be swearing by Prime Minister’s “Make in India” initiative conveniently forgetting that it is also accompanied by the words “Zero Defect and Zero Effect.” 

Be that as it may, the extent of unilateral condemnation of a sector regulator by the people whom it is meant to regulate has been unprecedented for some time in the past. Reasons could be very large, which I may like to share sometime in future in an open house with the industry. Accepting the position or presence of a regulator in a hitherto largely unregulated environment is difficult. Based on what one has seen till now, I am sure that the day FSSAI is able to emerge as an effective enforcement agency, issues like ‘Product Approvals’ will become non-issues. We often find it convenient to make references to and draw parallels with USFDA or EU regulatory system, little realising that self-regulation is rather compelling in those economies, thanks to a very conscious and aware consumer base, coupled with an effective and responsive legal system. Conversely, the Indian consumer is much less aware and largely gullible, and we carry the constraints of our legal system. We often see the misleading claims and advertisements but one is yet to see any visible signs of self-regulation. 

“I have perused a large number of applications submitted for Product Approvals and shown a few of these to some of the aggrieved FBOs. The response has been hugely mixed – some of them conceded that they were not aware of the details required to be submitted for safety/risk assessment, others apportioned the blame to their staff who committed the ‘silly’ mistakes and still others said that they needed proper advisory support. The quality of applications for Product Approvals leaves a lot to be desired. We are making an effort through this note to share the details of the complete journey and status of Product Approvals. We have also prepared Explanatory Notes for each of the points included the prescribed format of the application, which are given in Annexure-3 to this note. The stakeholders may feel assured that if they exercise due diligence in filling up the applications with all the relevant details, it will take much less time for the FSSAI to take a decision on the same. As a regulator, the FSSAI is committed to support the ‘ease of doing business’ but without ignoring its mandate of ensuring safe food for the millions of this country. Please help us to help you.”

நாகர்கோவிலில் பிரபல ஓட்டலில் விற்காத சிக்கன், மீன் பொரிப்புகள் பிரிட்ஜில் வைத்து மீண்டும் விற்பனை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் அதிர்ச்சி

நாகர் கோ வில், மே 27:

நாகர் கோ வி லில் உள்ள ஓட்டல் களில் நேற்று உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அதி கா ரி கள் திடீர் சோதனை மேற் கொண் ட னர். அப் போது ஓட்டல் ஒன் றில் விற் கா மல் இருந்த சிக் கன், மீன் பொரிப் பு களை மீண் டும் விற் பனை செய் யும் வகை யில் பிரிட் ஜில் வைத்து இருந் தது தெரிய வந் தது.

குமரி மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் சாலோ டீசன் தலை மை யில், அலு வ லர் கள் சிதம் பர தாணு பிள்ளை, பிர வீன் ரகு, குமார் பாண் டி யன், சங் கர நாரா ய ணன் ஆகி யோர் கொண்ட குழு வி னர் நேற்று மதி யம் நாகர் கோ வி லில் மீனாட் சி பு ரம், செட்டிக் கு ளம், கோட்டாறு உள் ளிட்ட பகு தி களில் இருக் கும் ஓட்டல் கள், டீக் க டை கள், பெட்டிக் க டை களில் திடீர் சோதனை மேற் கொண் ட னர். அண்ணா பஸ் நிலை யத் தின் பின் புற பகு தி யில் உள்ள பிர பல ஓட்ட லில் இருந்து சோதனை தொடங் கி யது.

சமை யல் அறை, உணவு பொருட் கள் வைக் கப் பட்டு இருக் கும் அறை உள் ளிட்ட வற் றில் சோதனை நடந் தது. ஓட்ட லுக்கு சொந் த மான சுவீட் கடை யில் நடந்த சோத னை யில், தயா ரிப்பு தேதி, தயா ரிப்பு நிறு வ னம் உள் ளிட்ட வற் றில் பெயர் கள் பொறிக் கப் ப டா மல் விற் ப னைக்கு இருந்த முறுக்கு மற் றும் தட்டை பாக் கெட்டு கள் அழிக் கப் பட்டன. திறந்த நிலை யில் இருந்த சுவீட் வகை களை மூடி வைக் கும் படி அறி வு றுத் தி னர். மற் றொரு ஓட்ட லின் சமை யல் அறையை பார்த் த தும் அதி கா ரி கள் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந் த னர்.

ஆங் காங்கே தூசி படர்ந்து இருந் த தோடு, கழிவு நீரும் சமை யல் அறையை சுற்றி தேங்கி நின் றன. அங்கு தான் உணவு வகை கள் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்டு வாடிக் கை யா ளர் களுக்கு சப்ளை செய் யப் பட்டு வந் தது. மேலும் அந்த ஓட்ட லில் இருந்த பிரிட்ஜை திறந்து பார்த்த போது உள்ளே சிக் கன், மீன் பொரிப்பு இருந் தன. நேற்று முன் தினம் விற் கா மல் இருந்த மீன் பொரிப்பு, சிக் கன் பொரிப் பு களை மீண் டும் எண் ணெ யில் போட்டு பொரித்து வாடிக் கை யா ளர் களுக்கு வழங்க வைத்து இருந் தது தெரிய வந் தது. அதை கைப் பற்றி அதி கா ரி கள் குப் பை யில் வீசி னர்.

அந்த ஓட்ட லுக்கு நோட்டீ சும் கொடுக் கப் பட்டது. அதே பகு தி யில் உள்ள டீக் க டை கள், பெட்டிக் க டை களில் சோதனை செய்த போது போலி தேயிலை, காலா வ தி யான குளிர் பான பாட்டில் கள் கைப் பற் றப் பட்டு அழிக் கப் பட்டன. பெரும் பா லான ஓட்டல் களில் கலப் பட மசாலா பொருட் கள் பயன் ப டுத் தப் பட்டு வந் தது கண் டு பி டிக் கப் பட்டு அவை அழிக் கப் பட்டன. இது குறித்து உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் சாலோ டீசன் கூறு கை யில், ஓட்டல் களில் இருந்த குறை பா டு களை சரி செய் யும் வகை யில் நோட்டீஸ் கொடுக் கப் பட்டு உள் ளது. 15 நாட் களுக் குள் இதை அவர் கள் சரி செய்யா விட்டால் மேல் நட வ டிக்கை இருக் கும் என் றார்.

விலை பட்டி யல் இல் லாத ஓட்டல் கள்

குமரி மாவட்டத்தை பொறுத் த வரை ஒரு சில ஓட்டல் கள் தவிர ஏனைய ஓட்டல் களில் விலை பட்டி யல் இல்லை. தாறு மா றான விலை யில் உணவு வகை கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு வ தாக குற் றச் சாட்டு உள் ளது. இது குறித்து உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அலு வ லர் ஒரு வர் கூறு கை யில், விலை பட்டி யல் வைப் பது, விலை நிர் ண யம் செய் வது போன்ற அதி கா ரம் மாவட்ட கலெக் ட ருக் கும், மாவட்ட வரு வாய்த் துறை அதி கா ரிக் கும் தான் உள் ளன. விலை பட்டி யல் வைப் பது தொடர் பாக அவர் கள் தான் முடி வெ டுக்க வேண் டும். இதில் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யின் பங்கு எது வும் இல்லை என் ற னர்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Explainer: If Maggi says it has no MSG and less lead, why is FSDA alarmed?

Every packet of Nestle’s Maggi Noodles says, “No added MSG”. Yet the Food Safety And Drug Administration (FSDA) in Lucknow says that it has found Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), and the metal lead, beyond permissible limits in the samples it tested. The FSDA also states that the amount of lead in it is beyond permissible limit. Nestle denies that too.

Nestle denies there is MSG in Maggi Noodles

How can this be possible?

Here is what we think is happening. 

First, what is MSG? MSG is a flavour enhancer that is added to food products to bring out the savoury taste. The "glutamate" part of MSG is the key element.

In several countries including India, there are strict controls over its permissible limits. Maggi Noodles has no MSG in it as such. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in its regulation says MSG cannot be used in pasta or noodles.

But if you look closely at your pack of Maggi Noodles, and you will find in the list of ingredients, “Hydrolysed groundnut protein”.

Hydrolysed Groundnut Protein in Maggi Noodles

Hydrolysed protein contains free glutamates in it, and it is known to be the same type as in MSG. Now since there is no 'added MSG', but there is hydrolysed protein which contains glutamates, Nestle could get away with saying “No added MSG”, and at the same time FSDA could have found traces of glutamates in the Maggi.

It’s not just hydrolysed proteins. Other flavour enhancers, like E635 which is present in Maggi Noodles, are also added to compliment food with existing glutamates. These other enhancers create the same flavour as that of MSG when combined with glutamates.

The FSDA lab results also showed an excess of the metal lead present in Maggi Noodles. A report by NDTV states that the lab results showed that Maggi Noodles contains 17 parts per million (PPM) of lead, whereas the permissible limit of lead in food in India is a mere 0.5 ppm. 

Nestle has denied these claims, and says that they continuously monitor levels of lead.

If Nestle is right, then where is the lead coming from? One possible answer to the mystery could lie in the packaging material used. A report by the New York State Department of Health states that lead can be present in wrappers and drinking water. Possibly, the wrappers used for packaging noodles have high lead content.

The US Food and Drug Association have set an action level of 0.5 ppm for lead in products intended for use by infants and children. In fact, the European Food Safety Authority states that dietary exposure for average adult consumer in 19 European countries ranged from 0.36 to 1.24 ppm per day. An excess in the exposure of lead can lead to many health hazards which include neurological effects like seizures and fatigue, gastrointestinal effects like nausea and constipation and can increase reproductive problems like stillbirth and reduction in sperm count.

Illegal sale of gutka flourishing

Vendors are selling gutkha pouches at a price higher than the MRP rates. 

Even though the Maharashtra government had imposed a ban on possessing and sale of gutka but the product is being sold illegally by paan stall vendors, bakery and general stores. A sting operation conducted by some social workers group revealed that a paan stall vendor was selling a popular gutka brand in Santacruz (E). When they asked for gutka from the vendor he readily sold them the product at inflated prices. Selling of gutka is a non-bailable offence in Maharashtra and there is provision to send the offender to 3 to 5 years imprisonment. However, the legislation is not effectively implemented in the state as gutka is easily procured from neighbouring states.

Social workers revealed that the Gutkha is illegally smuggled from Faridpur, Bangladesh and some regions of Nepal by a company named “Joya Food Products”.

Vakola residents said that youth are getting addicted to Ganja and ‘Meow Meow’ drugs. Since police accept bribe from small time drug mafia’s no action is taken against them.

A paan stall vendor spoke to AV on the condition of anonymity and said, “Some vendors are selling gutkha pouches two to three times more than the MRP rates which is illegal. Those vendors who bribe police men and have political contacts indulge in these activities.”

“Youngsters addicted to the ganja and Drugs are mostly daily-wage earners or unemployed persons. Most of them consume gutka due to peer pressure or financial problems force them to follow the wrong path. They also are responsible for committing crimes.” said another shopkeeper.

A paan vendor from Vakola Bridge said, “Police are aware about the illegal gutka business flourishing in the city. Since they accept bribes hence they are unwilling to take action against offenders. The rate of conviction in such offenses is very low.”

“We have strengthened our operations and the raids on the paan-bidi shops in last couple of days. Yesterday, we booked our 100th case pertaining to the illegal sale of Gutka and other paan-masala items. Charges are filed against offenders selling gutka under section 328 of the Indian Penal Code and also under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” said Avinash Chavan, Senior Police Inspector for Vakola Police Station.

After the demise of former Maharashtra Home Minister, RR Patil due to oral cancer, the state had taken strong measures to curb the sale of gutkha.

State Food and Drug Minister Girish Bapat had said that the government is taking steps to enforce the ban strictly.

“Directives have been issued to the police to book the accused under section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc, with intent to commit an offence) of the IPC which is non-bailable,” he reportedly said in the assembly.

Under the Food Safety & Standards Act, sale of items containing nicotine or tobacco (as in gutkha or paan masala) has been prohibited. As many as 26 states have so far banned gutkha and paan masala, besides five union territories.

“Why is the government turning a blind eye towards the smuggling of Gutkha products? Is it because the state will lose tax revenues due to the ban? The photo of the manufacturer and the establishment address is printed on the gutka pouch but no action is taken against them,” said Sahil Seth a Kandivali resident.

“Consumers addicted to gutka are willing to pay more for purchasing the product. Not only men but women too are consuming the product in large numbers,” he added.

Minister Promises Action in Maggi Masala MSG Controversy

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan addressing a press conference to brief about initiatives of his Ministry, during last one year, in Mumbai on May 25, 2015.

Minister Promises Action in Maggi Masala MSG Controversy

Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has finally stepped into the issue of the alleged presence of “higher” level of lead and a MSG in Nestle’s Maggi Masala noodles.

The reports of higher monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in Nestle’s Maggi noodles is already under scrutiny in several states such as UP and Maharashtra. “We will look into the matter and decide on a course of action after the investigation,” Paswan told reporters.

The famous 2-minute Maggi Noodles, nowadays advertised by Madhuri Dixit, was found to have contained monosodium glutamate (MSG) and ‘lead’ beyond the permissible levels by UP food and drug officials recently.

In their test, the authorities found that Maggi contained 17 ppm (parts per million) lead, which is harmful as against the permissible levels of 0.01ppm.

While the authorities are going gor further sampling to establish the contents of Maggi Noodles, the Lucknow Food Safety and Drug Administration said an enquiry has been ordered and the national Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in New Delhi has been inimated about the first round test results.

If the second round too confirms the conents of MSG and lead in higher permissible levels in Maggi Noodles, then the FSSAI will have to cancel the manufacturing and selling of Maggi Noodles in India. Swiss-based Nestle is the manufacturer of Maggi Noodles.

Uttar Pradesh FSDA confirmed the results and said further sampling has been ordered. Its Assistant Commissioner Vijay Bahadur Yadav told the media that the samples were tested at Kolkata lab. “The test results show that there are added monosodium glutamate and excess of lead.”

While the enquiry and further sampling is on, a Nestle spokesperson refuted the charges saying the company does not add MSG to MAGGI Noodles and glutamate, if present, may have come from naturally occurring sources. Nestle further defended that the lead content is insignificant and less than 1 % of the fixed limit.

Of late, several popular brands have come under scanner for their non-compliance with regulatory provisions. Even Colgate was found to have used excess chemicals in their Total toothpaste last year. Most of these events end up in courts or companies simply withdraw the brand with no long-term punitive action.

Otherwise, the general complaint against all noodles including Maggi, Top Ramen, Ching’s Secret and others is that they are high on salt and fat content too, which is harmful to children who love to eat and the targeted audience in TV commercials.

The Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) of Ahmedabad had complained to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) over Madhuri-promoted Maggi Oats Noodles and Maggi Atta Noodles disputing their claims of being healthy but so far no action has been taken, though the ASCI had upheld CERS’ complaint saying the ads contravened Chapter I.4 of the ASCI Code and also the Guidelines on Advertising of Foods & Beverages.

Food Safety Officers inspect Food Park at Industrial Estates Khunmoh

784 bottles of Kashmir Kissan mixed fruit jam seized

SRINAGAR, MAY 25: A team of Food Safety Officers headed by Assistant Commissioner Food Safety district Srinagar on routine inspection of Food Park Industrial Estates Khunmoh were surprised to notice that a manufacturer of Pickle, Jam and Jellies was relabeling mixed fruit jam bottles having net weight 500 grams with date of manufacture March 2014 and January 2015. The whole stock appeared to be flood contaminated.

The proprietor confessed that he had put himself, this whole stock in the muddy water so that his insurance claim is settled as victim of flood.

The whole stock which comprised 784 bottles of mixed fruit jams with Brand name Kashmir Kissan batch No's 0124 and A-0120 was seized and samples of the same were sent to food analyst Kashmir for analytical purpose.

Meanwhile, the department has received some complaints that in some areas of Srinagar City flood affected Juices and carbonated waters are being sold to the consumers.

The public at large is requested to check the date of manufacture and packing conditions of the product before purchase and in case of any suspected flood affected food article, inform department on the following No's: 0194-2490095 and 9419601090.

FSSAI ADVISORY ON IRON FILINGS IN TEA

GAZETTE NOTIFICATION OF BAN OF MANUFACTURE, STORAGE, SALE OF PANMASALA, GUTKHA

Maharashtra FDA chief urges scientists to help enforce FSS regulations

Mumbai

Food scientists and technologists have been urged to work closely with FDA to introduce new ideas and methods for the enforcement of FSS regulations in the state of Maharashtra. This call was given by Harshdeep Kamble, commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra, at the recently-held annual general body meeting of Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India) (AFSTI), Mumbai Chapter, and Prof. J V Bhat Memorial Lecture.

Speaking at the meeting, Kamble asserted that FDA is working not only as a regulator, but also as a facilitator and quality agent for food processing industry. Food scientists, technologists and regulatory experts from different parts of the city and state were present at the meeting. 

He further said, “Collaboration of the scientific community with the food safety authority could help the initiative of Make in Maharashtra and for the development of food processing industries with focus on quality and safety. Such a combined effort and proper regulations could bring down retail prices of many unregulated products including pharmaceuticals. AFST(I) can play a role in the technological and knowledge development of both food business operators and food safety officers.”

“FDA Maharashtra is one of the best food safety authorities in the country with a track record of strict control on quality and standards for public health and development of industries. We have ordered a testing on Maggi noodles from different parts of the state after serious quality concerns. We still need to develop proper methods of checking to ensure food safety and avoid unwanted panic in public about food products,” he said. 

Later, names of the new office bearers of the AFST(I) Mumbai chapter were announced. Prabodh Halde is the new president, while Nilesh S Amritkar and Vidyutt K Naram are vice- presidents. Nilesh Lele is the new secretary with Rashmi Kolhe as the treasurer. 

Halde stated, “We are grateful to the commissioner of FDA Maharashtra for his presence and notion to collaborate with the food scientific community and industries to better quality implementation and regulatory measures. Scientific community can contribute greatly to the innovation in products and simplification of various regulatory issues with combined efforts. The association will continue to strive for the advancement of all aspects of science and technology relating to the production, processing and distribution of food.”

Food safety officers to conduct surprise checks

Food safety officers are gearing up for surprise inspections at mango mandis in the city to book fruit merchants found using the banned calcium carbide to artificially-ripen mangoes.

Amid reports of continued use of calcium carbide, which has been banned under Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, owing to its harmful effects on health, Food Safety Officer (Mysuru urban) M.S. Lokesh told The Hindu that they had received instructions to conduct surprise raids at mango markets.

“If we find calcium carbide, we will seize the chemical and the fruits. After a mahazar, we will submit the evidence to the court along with photographs,” he said.

The Food Safety Officer said they were unable to begin the checks earlier as the State government lacked lab facilities to test samples of seized mangoes.

“But now, we have been given instructions to conduct surprise checks, book erring merchants and submit the evidence to the jurisdictional courts,” he said.

Earlier this week, about 45 mango merchants of Mysuru attended a training programme by the Department of Horticulture organised as part of the mango mela at Curzon, where they were trained to use of permitted ripening agents like ethylene spray.

However, a section of the merchants continued to use calcium carbide as ripening agent.

When asked, a trader at the mango mandi on Akbar Road affirmed this.

However, Farooq Pasha, president of Mango Merchants Association, Akbar Road, sought to clarify that only a section continued to use calcium carbide while most traders had begun spraying ethylene gas. He said the mangoes take about five days to ripen when treated with ethylene gas against the three days when calcium carbide is used.

Sources in the Horticulture Department pointed out that a section of the mango merchants used calcium carbide to earn a quick buck.

FDA seizes gutka worth Rs 7.34 lakh

PUNE: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized gutka and paan masala totally worth Rs 7.34 lakh from a grocery shop in Loni Kalbhor in Pune district on Monday afternoon. 

"We received a tip-off following which we kept a watch and raided the grocery shop in Loni Kalbhor. The shop owner had stocked a large amount of banned products in his shop and was selling them in a clandestine manner to his clients at a higher price," Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune. 

A team of food safety officials (FSO) comprising Avinash Dabhade, Sachin Aadhav and V R Sonawande conducted the raid under the guidance of assistant commissioner (food) Shivkumar Kodgire 

"A first information report (FIR) in this regard has been lodged with the Loni Kalbhor police station under section 328 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The state government has made the manufacture, sale and distribution of gutka a non-bailable offence now," said Kekare.

Beware! Are you consuming the right product???

According to a latest report revealed by the national food safety authority, brands like Fieldfresh, McCain, Venky’s, Starbucks and the Blue Bell Creameries which have an online presence in India are under the scanner.

Ever since Maggie has come into FDA’s trap, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has played a significant role in judging the food products that are being consumed generally. According to a latest report revealed by the national food safety authority, brands like Fieldfresh, McCain, Venky’s, Starbucks and the Blue Bell Creameries which have an online presence in India are under the scanner. 

Why the Hullabaloo?

The food safety authority also mentioned that certain products sold under these brands, for example, Starbucks’ sauces, pudding, mixes, syrups and a set of tea and coffee were denied approval by the authority. Meanwhile, McCain, which is one of the largest food suppliers in India, was brought down by the food safety division for its cheese bites and battered pepper.

“Most of the food business operators, especially the aggrieved ones, appear to be swearing by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, conveniently forgetting that it is also accompanied by the words ‘Zero Defect and Zero Effect’,” said Y S Malik, CEO, FSSAI in an open letter posted on the group’s website dated 11th May.

At the same time, Nestle India, which has been selling the instant Noodle Maggi in India for more than a decade now, has seen a 20-40 per cent of drop in sales in major metro cities. Contributing to approximately 40 per cent of the business, the latest issue has affected the business and brand image of Maggi noodles in the country.

“The System of ‘Product Approval’ has been projected as a highly contentious issue vis- à-vis the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) so far. There are a number of reasons for the Industry’s anguish in this behalf, of which, the most pressing could perhaps be attributed to the pendency of applications and the time taken in disposal thereof. I do not wish to be drawn into the debate about the merits of Product Approval, especially the sine qua non of the ‘Proprietary Food’ at this stage, stated Malik in the letter further.

However, talking to industry experts, it was also noticed that the product approval and the process required for a company to go through it is a long-drawn process, making the industry vulnerable to trouble. The industry also held the view that the law is too stringent to be followed, for a simple approval that they need to have, as the company needs to go through certain follow ups and the procedure is so slow that they would rather end the whole process.

How ‘Meri Wali Maggi’ wave has hit the social media

From the day Maggi ban hit the Indian market, Maggi lovers have come up with a mix of reactions on the social media pages. On one hand, many were unhappy with the issue, while on the other hand, consumers were happy to accept the situation looking for a better replacement of it.

However, going through all these setbacks, Nestle India has assured its customers for a safe Maggie bite announcing that the product samples have been sent to the local authorities for quality check.

Boosting the confidence of its customers, a Maggi spokesperson shared, “We are confident that these packs are no longer in the market. The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities. In the meantime, it is important to note that there are no other orders to recall Maggi Noodle products in the market. People can be confident that Maggi Noodle products are safe to eat.”

Way ahead

FSSAI believes that the Indian consumer is less aware and largely gullible. As regards the constraints of our legal system, the organisation in a letter pointed out, “We often see the misleading claims and ads, but one is yet to see any visible signs of self-regulation."

However, it will be good news for other brands like MTR, Gitz, Yipee, Wai Wai noodles, and Bagrry’s among others to tap the market left by Maggi, if the government takes an initiative of banning it in India, as the replacement wave is already being witnessed on the social media platforms.

And to fix all these issues, both government and food regulators need to work together as this has a direct affect on the consumer who is going to consume these products. A more friendly law and a faster process will help in recovering these issues, which has been noticed time and again.

Maggi issue wake-up call for food cos: CSE

Activist body, best known for raising the pesticide in colas issue a decade before, say enforcement of food regulation must get stringent as consumption of packaged stuff grows

Nestle’s travails with regulatory authorities over its Maggi brand last week is a wake-up call for food & beverage companies, says Delhi-based activist body Centre for Science & Environment (CSE).

“I am happy that regulators are testing food products and taking action. As long as you don’t test, you will not know what is going into these. With packaged food consumption on the rise in India, law enforcement will have to get stringent,” said CSE Deputy Director-General Chandra Bhushan.

Last week, official agencies in Maharashtra and Gujarat collected samples of Maggi to test whether it contained more than the permissible amounts of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG). This was in response to findings by the Food & Drug Administration in Uttar Pradesh that Maggi contained lead and MSG was beyond the permissible limit. While high levels of lead in food are known to be harmful, MSG is a flavour enhancer, commonly added to Chinese food. To Indians, it is known as ajinomoto, thanks to the Japanese company of the same name that has been manufacturing it for over 100 years.

Bhushan of CSE says MSG is a non-essential salt that should not be added to food at all. However, food processing and catering industries have for long used MSG to enhance the flavour of food, say experts.

According to Nestle, there are no stated levels of MSG in India and since it does not add any artificial glutamate in Maggi, it never mentions the chemical on the packets. “We use hydolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make Maggi Noodles sold in India, which all contain glutamate. We believe that the authorities’ tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods,” the company said.

It also said that in its routine tests over the years, it never found Maggi containing more than 0.03 ppm of lead.

It was CSE that first raised the issue of pesticides in colas, 12 years earlier, prompting the then government led by Atal Behari Vajyapee to set up a joint parliamentary committee under Sharad Pawar to probe the matter. 

This was only the fourth JPC to be then constituted, a token of the matter’s seriousness. The issue didn’t end there. The second episode of pesticide in colas, in 2006 and raised again by CSE, prompted the then government, led by Manmohan Singh, to overhaul food regulation in the country altogether.

The Food Safety & Standards (FSS) Act, which mandates what should go into packaged foods and to what extent, was enacted in the same year. This was done in a bid to make food regulation relevant to the times, till then governed by the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.

There were also a series of commodity-specific laws such as the Fruit Products Order, 1955; Meat Food Products Order, 1973; Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992; and Vegetable Oil Products (Regulation) Order, 1998, which were all brought under the purview of the FSS Act.

Activists have repeatedly complained that enforcement of the FSS Act remains weak. However, in an open letter recently, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India, the apex regulator, said it was both protecting the interests of consumers and ensuring food safety standards were met.

Maggi is in a soup. But it won’t give up without a fight

Alike it's delicious variant of soupy noodles, Maggi noodles is in a concentrated soup and there seems no 2 minute respite anytime soon. A week later after reports detecting high content of lead in one batch of Maggi has stirred up a controversy, Nestle India has initiated a quick damage control. Asking the retailers not to panic, Maggi has been putting up logics to defend its move, a news report by The Economic Times has claimed.

"The order to recall the Maggi batch is for February 2014, which anyway would have got expired in November 2014," Nestle wrote to retailers. "This is an order from the state agency and no central agency has passed any orders," it said. reviewed a copy of the communication. 

The ET reviewed a copy of the communication where it has been further said, "This is an order from the state agency and no central agency has passed any orders."

"The news of lead is yet to be verified in the second test. The amount of any such substance is so small in any food product that even the slightest of error in test results might give incorrect results," the note said. In an email response to the ET, a Nestle India spokesperson said, "Some recent reports in the media about Maggi noodles are confusing people and we are working to clear the confusion as soon as possible. We are confident of our product and are sharing this confidence with our consumers and trade. It is too early to assess any impact on sales."

However, insiders' report to the financial daily has shown a significant drop in the sales of Maggi ranging from 10-40% since last week. Sales at stores in metros and bigger cities have been specially impacted because a lot of the current controversy has escalated on social media like Facebook and Twitter," sources have confirmed the ET.

The brand accounts for close to 30% of Nestle's sales in the country. National food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated sample tests of Maggi noodles across other parts of the country, including Kolkata and Mumbai and Nagpur. 

Defending its flagship brand strongly, Nestle said Maggi noodles comply with applicable food and safety laws as well as the company's own standards of quality and safety before they reach consumers. Its spokesman said Nestle has made a representation to the Uttar Pradesh authorities and has submitted large number of product samples to an independent accredited laboratory to independently evaluate the product. 

"We will share the initial results soon and will continue to update as new results are received," the spokesperson told ET. In its communication to retailers, Nestle urged them not to be defensive if any customer talks about the controversy. "Nestle is a big enough company and will come clean out of it. Please don't get into any sort of communication or opinion without legal guidance," it said. 

Industry experts, however, say the controversy could have a severe long-term impact on brand trust. "In a case of this magnitude, both parties should make their reports public. In case the authorities have proof that the product in the market is tainted and unsafe, then they will likely initiate a public recall and initiate a probe in the matter," said Ashwin Bhadri, food auditor and business relations head at Equinox Labs, which works closely with the FSSAI, on compliance issues.