Even imported chocolates are contaminated

Chocolate is regarded as the world’s most popular snack food or gift. An average American consumes over 4 kg of chocolate annually, while in Switzerland, the world’s leading chocolate producer, a Swiss consumes over double this amount. Indians also have a sweet tooth, and consume considerable amount of sweets, including chocolates.

However, it has recently come to light that chocolates can become contaminated, in spite of the fact that they have been consumed for centuries without any complaint or apparent ill-effect. Some of these contaminants are discussed in the article.

In fact chocolates hold a special place in celebrations as they are not only eaten but are gifted to a whole lot of friends and relatives. Corporates have special chocolate packages made to gift to employees, associates and clients especially for festive season. However, not everyone is aware that chocolates can be contaminated or adulterated just as easily as other food stuff. In fact adulteration in chocolates has a long history and since they are a very popular food item, they have been adulterated by unscrupulous manufacturers for profits for centuries. 

Imported chocolates have unique problems

Branded chocolates as well as the homemade chocolates have seen a spurt in sale in the recent years because of rising incomes. The market for chocolates is one of the fastest-growing in India. Urban populations prefer them over traditional Indian sweets. India has a few chocolate manufacturers but a lot of chocolates are imported. Imported chocolates most often are intolerant to India’s heat and with lack of cold storage conditions they melt and deteriorate which could then become a source of microbiological contamination, if not stored in the right temperature.

Some leading brands in the US had their products contaminated with cadmium and/or lead. The products that were contaminated with cadmium alone included the following: Scharffen Berger Semisweet Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate; Scharffen Berger Extra Dark Fine Artisan Dark Chocolate; Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Bar; See’s Candies Premium Extra Dark Chocolate; and Ghiradelli Intense Dark 72% Cocoa Twilight Delight Chocolate Bar.

Lead was the only contaminant in Godiva Chocolatier 50% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Sea Salt.

Both lead and cadmium were present as contaminants in the following products: Dagoba Organic New Moon Rich Dark Chocolate; Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa Excellence Extra Dark; Ghiradelli Chocolate Premium Baking Bar 100% Cocoa Unsweetened Chocolate; Godiva Chocolatier 85% Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate; Godiva Chocolatier 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate; and 365 Everyday Value Organic Dark Chocolate.

Although the above list is not exhaustive, it is evident that lead and cadmium combination is the leading contaminant in these chocolate products.

Source: http://www.asyousow.org/our-work/environmental-health/toxic-enforcement/lead-and-cadmium-in-food/

According to FSSAI standards, chocolates are not permitted to contain any vegetable oil and fats except cocoa butter. However, Codex permits 5 per cent vegetable fat in chocolates but a lot of chocolate manufacturers allegedly add more than 20 per cent vegetable fat in the chocolates. Recently, FSSAI has published a proposed draft that will regulate sugar, salt and fat content in food products which would be applicable to beverages as well as confectionery items like chocolate to prevent health hazards like obesity in children.

Contamination in homemade chocolates

A lot of people make chocolates at home as a home-based industry. These chocolates are particularly favoured during festive season. While homemade chocolates are very popular in some cities, they might not be regulated unlike chocolates made by leading chocolate manufacturers. There is no way to determine if those making chocolates at home have the licence to make these products. Since they come under the unorganised sector there is no way to determine if they are following the hygiene requirements as laid down in the FSSAI regulations.

These chocolates could be subject to bacterial contamination like salmonella unless the raw materials like skim milk powder, milk, eggs, and cocoa have been adequately heat-treated, pasteurised and handled to keep them free from bacterial contamination.

Personal hygiene is a major problem, especially since many chocolate products are finished by hand-dipping.

Cocoa beans, nuts and other ingredients can be contaminated by insects, rodents, and mycotoxins unless stored properly.

If the machinery is not cleaned and washed thoroughly and sanitised it could lead to infestation by insects or microbial contamination.

Lead and cadmium contamination of chocolates

Contamination can result from heavy metals such as lead and/or cadmium. Scientific studies indicate that lead present in the air can be absorbed by the cocoa plant which is the main ingredient of chocolate and chocolate products. Lead can cause serious health problems in young children, as studies by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has found. Cadmium can also be a serious health hazard as it can have cardiovascular effects, renal damage, developmental defects in foetus, as well as cause skeletal lesions.

Contamination of cocoa, the major ingredient of chocolates and chocolate products

Since cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate it has been a subject of study. Cocoa when dried loses its volume by about half. Therefore unscrupulous chocolate manufacturers mix cocoa shell powder, hazelnut shell powder or soya flour into cocoa powder to add bulk. This product is inferior or substandard as it has been intentionally been adulterated. An unintentional contaminant in cocoa comes from iron. Modern cocoa processing causes this iron contamination because of the grinding tools of the hammer, agitator blades and ball fillings which make up the rotating ball cocoa mills. Though the iron is removed with the help of magnet separators yet iron can remain in the cocoa powder which contaminates products made from cocoa including cocoa powder and chocolates. Sometimes cocoa beans can become mouldy during fermentation, incorrect drying and storage in humid conditions because fungi can grow on them. The cocoa beans can also be infested by pests which can lead to microbiological contamination and these get processed into the chocolate.

Other unintentional ways of contamination of chocolates and chocolate products

Unintentional contamination of chocolates can also arise from carelessness and lack of hygienic practices during Manufacture; Packaging; and Storage.

In each of the above stages, contamination can occur through insect body parts; rodent hair; and rodent droppings.

These modes of contamination can lead to serious health consequences. Therefore, stringent quality control measures need to be in place during the entire process from cultivation of beans to manufacture into chocolates and chocolate products.

Intentional adulteration of chocolates and chocolate products 

Intentional adulteration is done by unscrupulous businessmen for financial gain. These can occur in the following ways:

• Sugar & Cocoa: Inferior quality sugar and cocoa for making chocolates.
• Starch: Sometimes starch is used during the manufacture of chocolates.
• Minerals: These are often added to increase the bulk and weight of the final product.
• Artificial Colours: Sometimes, non-permitted artificial colouring can be used to impart an attractive colour to the chocolates, but which can cause serious health consequences.

In Conclusion

It is quite clear that the all-time favourite – chocolates can also be contaminated which is a real threat to our health. Since, young children consume large quantities of chocolates it is important to safeguard their health. Therefore, chocolate manufacturers should take the utmost care in maintaining high standards of quality. Moreover, standards and regulations must be followed so consumers can be provided with safe chocolates and chocolate products.

Food Safety & Hygiene- Key to Good Health

Food Safety and Hygiene broadly mean taking essential precautions throughout the food chain, to ensure that food is safe for human consumption. This requires precautions to be taken at every level from farm to fork. 

Storage: To maintain quality of food, store it in a manner that it remains fresh when used in different recipes. 

Dry goods, such as sugar or flour should be stored in airtight containers to keep them clean and dry. Such containers when placed into a pantry or reside on a kitchen counter are relatively safe from humidity and extreme temperatures.

Perishable food items must be stored properly in a freezer in order to preserve them for later use. Freezing helps to slow the process of decay, thus minimising the chances for food poisoning, when for example meat is used at a later date.

Prepared food should not be left on the table or counter, but stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Cooked refrigerated food typically does not last longer than a week. It is therefore necessary to check and verify that it is still safe to eat.

Cooking: Practicing proper food safety and hygiene protocols, while cooking or preparing food, reduces the risk of illnesses. 

Handling & Transportation: Handling & transportation of raw or prepared food should conform to best hygiene practices with regard to storage, segregation, temperature control and so on that have been mentioned above.

Be Safe than Sorry - Simple Rules to follow for Safer Food

-Wash hands properly & frequently with antiseptic soap before & after handling food

-Wash & clean utensils with good quality detergent after every use

-Use clean hand gloves and cap while cooking

-Purchase food commodities from a trusted source and in case of packaged products check the “Best Before” date and packaging defects

-Keep food on clean surfaces, e.g. cutting board, knives, implements, equipment, etc., should be thoroughly washed & cleaned before and in between two usages

-Isolate raw meats & fish from other food items during storage in refrigerator and even before cooking. Make sure they are sealed in containers and located in such a place where they cannot drip down onto other stored food

-Do not allow cooked food and raw food to come into contact with each other 

-Maintain food at proper temperature, for the correct time to kill any bacteria or pathogens. The only way to kill food-borne pathogens is by thoroughly cooking the food. Temperature In between 50C to 630C is considered as ‘Danger Zone’ as at that temperature bacteria thrive and multiply very fast. Recommended cooking temperatures, critical points, SOPs, and times for different foods may be found online

-Do not leave foods out on the counter to thaw, and certainly do not run them under warm water, which can cause bacterial growth. Instead, thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator, run them under cold water, immediately before cooking 

Compromising with the simple rules mentioned above could impose risk of cross contamination and food poisoning, which can be dangerous or even deadly.

Hygiene Testing

Several food hygiene tests and a thorough evaluation of food handling procedures, help to determine whether all applicable guidelines and regulations are being followed. A food hygiene test is typically performed by a trained professional, certified lab, known food inspector/officer/auditor, to ensure that a restaurant or facility meets the local and regional safety requirements for food handling.

Training courses are typically offered by different institutes, study centres and also online through distance-learning programmes. Envirocare Labs under its Center for Continual Education provides regular training on Food Safety Hygiene, basics of Good Hygiene and Manufacturing practices, HACCP and FSMS 22000.

Testy Way is a Healthy Way

Biochemical processes taking place inside food tell us what is safe to eat and help determine if the quality is consistent or not. Scientific developments have allowed a better understanding of the nutritional qualities of foods and their health implications. This has led consumers to become more discriminating in food matters, who now expect that domestic and imported foods will meet basic quality and safety standards and requirements related to food hygiene, labelling and certification, use of food additives, limits for pesticide residues and so on

Quality and safety of food has to be ensured throughout the food production, processing, storage and distribution chain. This being a multi-sectoral activity, its objectives cannot be reached without the active cooperation of producers, traders, industry and government, as also the involvement of the scientific community. Thus, involvement of various recognised labs such as Envirocare Labs to generate analytical data helps in the development and successful operation of the food control system as per regulatory safety standards. While it may not be economically feasible for an FBO to set up and operate a fullfledged food testing laboratory, outsourcing laboratory testing to accredited, competent & authorised labs is a viable & preferred option.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as a statutory body for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Chapter 2-Food Product Standards of FSSR 2011 elaborates 13 food categories and gives the guideline values for the quality and safety of various raw materials and processed food. As per the regulations - mentioned in Schedule II, Annexure 3-Conditions of Licensing, Clause No. 12, every food business operator needs to get their food and water tested from NABL accredited / FSSAI empanelled lab. Envirocare Labs is one of the first private ‘Indian’ laboratories to be recognised by the Authority and has been working towards safe food since past 33 years.

It is important to remember ‘What Tastes Good Should First Test Good!’

JOHNSON & JOHNSON baby powder for lab tests

Months after a 62-year-old woman in the US died of ovarian cancer linked to prolonged use of Johnson & Johnson baby powder, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has slapped a notice on the company.
  

J&J, the world’s biggest maker of healthcare products, was found liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy in an American civil suit last month.
Months after a 62-year-old woman in the US died of ovarian cancer linked to prolonged use of Johnson & Johnson baby powder, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has slapped a notice on the company. It has also sent for lab tests eight samples of the baby powder it has acquired from across the state.
Additionally, the FDA will also get talcum powder of other brands such as Shower to Shower, Dermicool, Ponds and Nycil tested to ensure no heavy metal is present in the products.
A US court last month directed Johnson & Johnson to pay a compensation of $72 million to the family of Jacqueline Fox, who died due to ovarian cancer after using Johnson & Johnson baby powder for feminine hygiene for over 35 years. She also used another powder, Shower to Shower, which is now owned by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International.
Maharashtra FDA commissioner Dr Harshdeep Kamble said, “We have sent a notice to J&J company and had called its officials for a discussion. We have requested the company to present a study data on the talcum powder.”
According to the US court verdict that came on February 24, J&J was charged with “fraud, negligence and conspiracy” with links established between talcum powder and cancer.
“There needs to be a scientific validation of the cancer causing agents, if any, in the powder,” said FDA Joint Commissioner Omprakash Sadhwani, adding that information on the
composition of the product had been taken from the company. While no decision on prohibiting sale of the baby powder has been taken yet, Sadhwani said even the US FDA was holding deliberations on the product.
The testing of all top talcum powder brands will be conducted at the government-run laboratory in Bandra-Kurla Complex to check if they comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards rules laid down under the Drug and Cosmetics Act. While FDA officials claimed they were “not jumping to the conclusion of carcinogenic properties” of the powder, a check on presence of heavy metals would be done.

Maggi samples found ‘sub-standard’ in UP, Nestle disagrees

According to tests conducted by Lucknow-based state-owned laboratory, ash content in Maggi Masala was found to be 1.85 per cent, which is higer than the permissible limit of one per cent.
District authorities of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh have found fresh samples of instant noodles ‘Maggi’ “sub-standard”, a claim rejected by its manufacturer Nestle India. The samples of Maggi collected from Safedabad in Barabanki district on February 5 “were found sub-standard” District Chief Food Safety Officer Manoj Kumar said.
According to tests conducted by Lucknow-based state-owned laboratory, ash content in Maggi Masala was found to be 1.85 per cent, which is higher than the permissible limit of one per cent.
Notices would be sent to the retailer and the company and, if they are dissatisfied with the report, they can send it to a referral lab at their own expense, Kumar said. However, refuting the findings, Nestle India said, “The quality and safety of our products are non-negotiable priorities for us as we adhere to strict food quality and safety procedures at all times.”
It is apparent from the media reports that standards for ‘Macaroni products’ are being applied for ‘Instant Noodles with seasoning’ which is “erroneous and misleading”, a Nestle India spokesman said.
“We categorically reiterate that testing of ‘Instant Noodles’ against norms set for ‘macaroni products’ will reflect in incorrect results and wrong interpretations.” Industry members, including Nestlé India, have made a representation to the FSSAI to remove this confusion, which is unwarranted, the company said.
Kumar, meanwhile, said if no application was receieved either from the retailer or the company within a month, a case would be lodged in the court of additional district magistrate. “A penalty of upto Rs five lakh could be imposed in this case,” he added.

Maggi faces more scrutiny in Uttar Pradesh

Barabanki food safety officer Manoj Kumar claims samples of Maggi collected from Safedabad on 5 February were found sub-standard
Barabanki/New Delhi: The district authorities of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh have claimed to have found fresh samples of instant noodles Maggi “sub-standard”, a claim rejected by its manufacturer Nestle India.
The samples of Maggi collected from Safedabad in Barabanki district on 5 February “were found sub-standard”, district chief food safety officer Manoj Kumar said.
According to tests conducted by a Lucknow-based state-owned laboratory, ash content in Maggi Masala was found to be 1.85%, which is higher than the permissible limit of 1%.
Notices would be sent to the retailer and the company and, if they are not satisfied with the report, they can send it to a referral lab on their own expense, Kumar said.
Refuting the findings, Nestle India said, “The quality and safety of our products are non-negotiable priorities for us as we adhere to strict food quality and safety procedures at all times.”
It is apparent from the media reports that standards for “macaroni products” are being applied for “instant noodles with seasoning” which is “erroneous and misleading”, a Nestle India spokesman said.
“We categorically reiterate that testing of Instant Noodles against norms set for macaroni products will reflect in incorrect results and wrong interpretations,” the company said.
Industry members, including Nestlé India, have made a representation to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to remove this confusion, which is unwarranted, the company said.
Kumar said if no application was received either from the retailer or the company within a month, a case would be lodged in the court of the additional district magistrate. “A penalty of up to Rs.5 lakh could be imposed in this case,” he added.

Milk adulteration rampant in India

A startling six per cent of the samples tested in 2015 by the Ministry of Health had presence of ‘detergents’ in them confirming that ‘synthetic milk’ is a huge problem.

More than two thirds of the milk in India does not meet the food safety standards.
India is today the world’s largest producer of milk thanks to the white revolution. Yet more than two thirds of the milk in India does not meet the food safety standards. Adulteration of milk is rampant; a startling six per cent of the samples tested in 2015 by the Ministry of Health had presence of ‘detergents’ in them confirming that ‘synthetic milk’ is a huge problem.
For a lay person trying to differentiate between contaminated and pure milk is a tall order and only specific chemical tests can reveal the truth. Contaminated milk can be a huge health hazard especially when it has been laced with urea, detergents and other toxic chemicals. Now a cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru, which is a part of the gigantic Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This kit, which even an untrained person can use at home, helps within minutes detect contamination of six common adulterants in milk.
The kit uses just a few chemicals and strips of paper dipped in a different chemical. A change in colour of the milk or a change in colour of the paper indicates the presence of a contaminant. When detergents are present in the milk, the colour of test turns to green, yellow or blue.
Recently as part of another initiative, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan unveiled another dedicated system for the detection of adulteration and analysis of milk, developed by Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani.
The ‘Ksheer-Scanner’ instantaneously detects the adulterants in milk. It is a low-cost portable system with user-friendly features. It enables detection of contaminants in just 40-45 seconds at the per sample cost of less than 50 paise.
A lot of milk during the festival season is made using detergents and urea. Called 'synthetic milk', it resembles milk but can be very harmful.Every day washing powder and refined oil are mixed and then diluted to make it look and have the consistency of real milk.

New Bureau of Indian Standards law revolutionary: Paswan

New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) The Bureau of Indian Standard Bill, passed by Parliament, empowers the government to make hallmarking of gold and silver mandatory and provides for jail up to two years and fine up to 10 times of the goods value in case of violation related to misuse of standards.
Parliament yesterday passed a bill to replace the 30 year- old Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act. The Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha yesterday after getting the nod of Lok Sabha on December 3, 2015.
Terming the new bill as "revolutionary", Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said the proposed law empowers BIS to recall products not conforming to standards.
In case of offence committed by any company, he said every director, manager and secretary responsible for the conduct of the business would be liable, irrespective of the fact that the offence has been committed with or without their consent or connivance.
"It is a revolutionary bill. There are various provisions in this bill which are in consumers interest and at the same time manufacturers also have the option for self-declaration," Paswan said while highlighting the main features of the Bill.
The Bill would help consumers to get quality products and would also help in preventing import of sub-standard products, he said, adding that the new law would give a boost to the governments Make in India programme.
"In this Act, there is a provision empowering government for mandatory hallmarking of gold," the minister said.
Stating that there have been complaints about hallmarking of gold that 9 carat gold is being sold as 22 carat gold, Paswan said he has called a meeting of jewellers tomorrow to address this issue.
"This act also make companys top officials liable for the poor quality of goods having BIS standards. For ease of doing business, companies can also self declare that there are goods as per BIS standards," he said.
The minister said the new Bill empowers government to make standards for any product mandatory in national interest or in consumers interest or in interest of environment.
On food products, Paswan said the BIS would now recognise the standards framed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
"Stringent penalty provisions have been made for violation of compliance to the standards which include imprisonment up to two years or with fine up to ten times of the value of goods produced or sold, or with both," an official statement said.
The Bill empowers the government to bring any article, process or service, which it considers necessary from point of view of health, safety, environment, prevention of deceptive practices, security etc, under the mandatory certification regime, it added.

Flexible packaging: All wrapped up to ensure food safety

With FSSAI focusing on quality and nutritional standards, big brands are giving packaging prominence on their food processing quality checklist
Our practices with respect to consuming food and beverages have been changing over time. In today’s day and time, one of the most important aspects of food safety is packaging. The rapid urbanisation and pace, rising population, and growing purchasing power of consumers have led to changes in the consumption patterns of buyers. These factors have in turn led to consumers progressively relying on convenient, ready-to-eat food products.
The amount of packaged food and beverages we consume is startling. Thus, it is about time we focus on figuring out the finer aspects of packaging to ensure safe food. Today, safe food is accorded the highest priority by end consumers. Consequentially, appropriate packaging, which preserves the nutritional value of food, is the need of the hour.
Nowadays, consumers are well informed, socially connected and are very discerning when it comes to consumption of food products. One such consumer-influenced trend which is gaining importance in the packaging industry is the need to espouse ‘sustainability’.
With consumers becoming increasingly aware of global environmental issues, it is imperative to understand the importance of communicating your brand’s commitment towards sustainability in an engaging way, on the packaging. This will enable the brand to attract and retain consumers.
Secondly, being health conscious, these days, consumers demand that health credentials of the product be displayed on the package; thus, allowing them to make informed choices about their food. Thirdly, with today’s increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers seek smaller, lighter and easily disposable packaging; thus, making their consumption easier.
Innovations such as flexible packaging have led to a remarkable shift in the food packaging industry. It is durable, lightweight - hence, reduces transportation costs - and occupies less space as compared to the other packaging products. Flexible packaging products are made of flexible materials such as plastic, aluminium and paper. There is a detailed conversion process that they have to undergo including printing, lamination, coating and extrusion. In order to produce high quality flexible packaging materials, the adhesive used is a key factor. The film composition, the printing ink as well as the adhesive need to be aligned to deliver the required properties of modern flexible packaging.


Henkel India's S Sunil Kumar With ever-changing consumer preferences, organised retail chain formats and the changing dynamics of the population, there is significant growth being predicted in the Indian packaging industry, and the consequent upsurge in demand for modern packaging methods. The Indian packaging industry, which is growing at an approximate rate of 15 percent annually, is estimated to become the fourth-largest packaging market in the world, with revenues of $ 43.7 billion in 2016. The market research reports have also estimated the flexible packaging market in India to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 15-16 percent over the next 5 years.
Some recent events have been very critical for the food industry. With the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) getting more focused on promoting a consistent nutritional standard, big brands are giving packaging prominence on their food processing quality checklist. How does packaging affect food safety? Flexible laminates comprises of different layers and each of these layers has a different role to play. Among others, a flexible pack mainly contains films, inks, adhesives and coatings, and each of these components contribute to food safety.

Image courtesy: Henkel Let us take the example of adhesives, one of raw materials used in flexible packaging, which are used to bond the different layers together. On the one hand, there is a possibility of food getting contaminated with substances used for packaging, such as adhesives, while on the other hand, losses from food could take place through migration into packaging. Migration could lead to quality loss of the packaged food, health hazard due to the transfer of dangerous substances from the packaging into the food, or sometimes even make the packaged food inedible. This might result in a withdrawal of the packaged foodstuff from the market. Thus, packaging is a vital part of food safety. Therefore, it is crucial for the existing players and the upcoming enterprises in the packaging and adhesive industries to come up with solutions that can help the brand owners to ultimately deliver the best quality product to the end consumer.
Food safety needs to be considered by all stakeholders of the value chain. All the components used to make the packaging material need to fulfil requirements of the relevant regulation (like for example FDA, EU framework). Moreover, we should have more communication among all stakeholders so that knowledge is shared and alignment is ensured. Lastly, it is important to use right tools for risk assessments and conduct regular product safety audits.
In conclusion, as the need of the industry today is to reduce the pressure on bottom lines, each stakeholder of the flexible packaging value chain needs to focus on safety, quality and productivity.

தோல் பதனிடும் உப்பை சமையலுக்கு பயன்படுத்தும் ஓட்டல்கள்

கம் பம், மார்ச் 10:
கம் பம் மற் றும் அதன் சுற் றுப் புற பகு தி க ளில் ஒரு சில ஓட் டல் க ளில் தோல் பத னி டும் உப்பை சமை ய லுக்கு பயன் ப டுத் து வ தாக குற் றச் சாட்டு எழுந் துள் ளது. எனவே, உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என பொது மக் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.
கம் பம் மற் றும் அதன் சுற் றுப் புற பகு தி க ளில் உள்ள ஓட் டல் க ளில், சமை யல் எண் ணெயை மீண் டும், மீண் டும் பயன் ப டுத் து கின் ற னர். ஆடு, மாடு க ளின் தோல் மற் றும் மீன் பதப் ப டுத்த பயன் ப டும் அயோ டின் இல் லாத உப் பை பயன் ப டுத் து கின் ற னர். மேலும், சில ஓட் டல் க ளில் அடுப்பு எரிக்க கொட்டை முந் திரி ஓடு களை பயன் ப டுத் து கின் ற னர். எரிக் கும் போது கொட்டை முந் திரி ஓட் டில் இருந்து வெளி யே றும் புகை யா னது புற் று நோய் வர கார ணம் என தெரிந் தி ருந் தும், விலை குறைவு என் ப தால் பயன் ப டுத் து கின் ற னர்.
கடந்த சில மாதங் க ளுக்கு முன் உணவு பாது காப்பு திட்ட அலு வ லர் கள் இப் ப கு தி யில் சோதனை நடத்தி, ஓட் டல் க ளில் இருந்து கெட் டுப் போன உணவு வகை கள், இறைச்சி, பல முறை பயன் ப டுத் தப் பட்ட சமை யல் எண் ணெய், அயோ டின் இல் லாத உப்பு, காலா வ தி யான தண் ணீர் பாட் டில் கள், தின் பண் டங் கள், உண வில் சேர்க் கும் கலர் பவு டர் ஆகி ய வற்றை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். பின் னர் கடைக் கா ரர் களை எச் ச ரித் த தோடு விட் டு விட் ட னர். ஆனால், இன் ன மும் சில கடை க ளில் அடுப்பு எரிக்க கொட்டை முந் திரி ஓடு க ளை ப யன்படுத்தி வரு கின் ற னர். தவறு செய் யும் கடைக் கா ரர் கள் மீது உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என பொது மக் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

உணவால் பக்தர்கள் பாதித்தால் கடும் நடவடிக்கை சமயபுரம் கோயில் பூச்சொரிதல் விழா ஓட்டல், அன்னதானம் வழங்குவோருக்கு எச்சரிக்கை

திருச்சி, மார்ச் 10:
சம ய பு ரம் கோயில் பூச் சொ ரி தல் விழா வில் ஓட் டல், அன் ன தா னத் தால் வழங் கப் ப டும் உண வால் பக் தர் கள் பாதித் தால் கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று மாவட்ட நிர் வா கம் எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ளது.
திருச்சி சம ய பு ரம் மாரி யம் மன் கோயில் பூச் சொ ரி தல் திரு விழா வரும் 13ம்தேதி தொடங்கி நடை பெற உள் ளது. விழா வில் திருச்சி உள் ளிட்ட சுற் றுப் புற மாவட் டங் க ளி லி ருந்து லட் சக் க ணக் கான பகத் தர் கள் பங் கேற்க உள் ள னர்.
இதை யொட்டி தனி யார் ஓட் டல், விடு தி க ளில் பரி சோ தித்த தர மான உண வு களை வழங்க வேண் டும். சுத் தி க ரிக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீரை மட் டுமே வழங்க வேண் டும். உணவை வியா பார நோக் கத் து டனோ அல் லது அன் ன தா ன மா கவோ வழங் கு ப வர் கள் தர மாக வழங்க வேண் டும்.
அன் ன தா னம் செய் ப வர் கள் மற் றும் உணவு விடு தி கள் நடத் து ப வர் கள் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி ன ரி டம் அனு மதி பெற்ற பின்பே உணவு வழங் கு தல் வேண் டும். உணவு தயார் செய்ய பாது காப் பான குடி நீர், உணவு தயா ரிக் கும் இடம் மற் றும் விநி யோ கம் செய் யும் இடம் சுகா தார முறை யில் இருந் தி ட வும், உணவு தயா ரிக் கும் போது காலா வ தி யான, கலப் ப ட மான, தடை செய் யப் பட்ட உண வுப் பொ ருட் களை கொண்டு உணவு தயா ரிக்க கூடாது. தயார் செய் யப் பட்ட உணவை விநி யோ கிக் கும் முன் பும், விற் ப னைக்கு முன் பும், உணவு மாதிரி எடுத்து வைத்த பிறகு பாது காப் பான முறை யில் விநி யோ கிக் க வும், விற் பனை செய் ய வும் வேண் டும். உண வுத் தட்டு மற் றும் பேப் பர் கப் பு களை சுற் றுப் புற சீர் கேடு இன்றி பாது காப் பாக அப் பு றப் ப டுத்த குப் பைத் தொட் டி கள் அமைத் திட வேண் டும். அன் ன தா னம் செய் ப வர் கள் பிளாஸ் டிக் பைக ளில் அடைக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீர் மற் றும் உணவு பொருட் கள் வழங் கக் கூ டாது. உணவு தயா ரிப் ப வர் கள் மற் றும் பரி மா று ப வர் கள் தன் சுத் தம் பேணப் பட வேண் டும். உணவு வழங் கு ப வர் கள் வழங் கும் உண வி னால் ஏற் ப டும் உபா தை க ளுக்கு அவர் களே பொறுப் பா வார் கள். வழங் கப் ப டும் உண வி னால் பொது மக் க ளுக்கு பாதிப்பு ஏற் பட் டால் சட் டப் படி கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும். தர மற்ற உணவு குறித்த தக வல் களை டாக் டர் சுரேஷ் பாபு, மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ லர் உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் மருந்து நிர் வா கத் துறை, ரேஸ் கோர்ஸ் ரோடு, டி.வி.எஸ் டோல் கேட், திருச்சி 620021, என்ற முக வ ரி யில் தெரி விக் க லாம். மேலும் தொலை பேசி எண் 0431-2333330, 99654-61230 என்ற எண் க ளி லும் தொடர்பு கொண்டு தொிவிக் க லாம். இவ் வாறு மாவட்ட நிர் வா கம் தெரி வித் துள் ளது.

DINAKARAN NEWS

Union health minister informs Rajya Sabha about state food testing labs

New Delhi, Mar 8 : Union health minister J P Nadda, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, said that no funds have been provided for upgradation of state food testing laboratories from 2012-13 to 2015-16 as far as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is concerned.
He also informed that in addition to 14 referral laboratories, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified 82 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) as accredited private food testing laboratories for the purposes of carrying out analysis of food samples taken under section 47 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
FSSAI has initiated action to upgrade its food testing laboratories. There are 72 state food testing laboratories.
The upgradation and setting up of state food testing laboratories is the responsibility of state governments, said the minister.

Duo held with illegal grain consignment in Kashimira

Bhayandar : The Kashimira police have arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in pilfering and diverting in open market, a consignment of food grains meant for public distribution.
While a case under the relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and under section 16 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 has been registered in this context, the seizure is said to be the tune of more than Rs10 lakh which included food grains (wheat) and the impounded truck.
According to the police the action followed after a vigilance team from the rationing department intercepted a truck (MH:43:-U:4741) loaded with an illegal consignment of wheat on the Mumbai-Ahmadabad National Highway on Sunday. Being transported from Mumbai, the seized consignment was reportedly headed to Khopoli, officials said.

நாகூர் கந்தூரி விழா முடியும் வரை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் குழு ஆய்வு

 

நாகை, மார்ச் 9:
நாகூர் ஆண் ட வர் தர் கா வில் பெரிய கந் தூரி விழா நாளை (10ம் தேதி) கொடி யேற் றத் து டன் துவங் கு கி றது. இதை யொட் ்டி நாகூ ரில் உள்ள உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் க ளுக்கு உணவு பாது காப்பு குறித்த விழிப் பு ணர்வு கூட் டம் வணி கர் சங்க தலை வர் ராமச் சந் தி ரன் தலை மை யில் நடந் தது.
கூட் டத் தில் நாகை நக ராட்சி உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அன் ப ழ கன் பேசி ய தா வது: நாகூர் கந் தூரி விழா வுக்கு இந் தி யா வின் பல பகு தி க ளி லி ருந்து வருகை தரும் பக் தர் கள் மற் றும் உள் ளூர் மக் கள் பாது காப் பான உணவை பெற அனைத்து உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் க ளும் ஒத் து ழைக்க வேண் டும். ஓட் டல் கள், தேனீர் கடை கள் உள் ளிட்ட அனைத்து உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் க ளும் தங் கள் கடையை சுத் த மா க வும், சுகா தா ர மா க வும் பரா ம ரிக்க வேண் டும். கடை க ளில் பணி யாற் று ப வர் கள் தன் சுத் தத்தை பரா ம ரிக்க வேண் டும். சுத் த மான பாது காக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீரை மட் டுமே வழங்க வேண் டும். தர மான தேயிலை தூளை மட் டுமே பயன் ப டுத்த வேண் டும். பிளாஸ் டிக் கேரி பைக ளில் டி பார் சல் கொடுக் கக் கூ டாது. அரசு அனு ம தி யில் லாத தரத் தில் பிளாஸ் டிக் கேரி பைக ளில் பொருட் களை விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது. அர சால் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட புகை யிலை பொருட் களை விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது. காலா வ தி யான தயா ரிப்பு விவ ரம் இல் லாத எந் த வித அடைக் கப் பட்ட உணவு பொருட் க ளை யும் விற் பனை செய் யக் கூ டாது. இறக் கு ம தி யா ளர் விவ ரம் இல் லாத எந்த வெளி நாட்டு உணவு பொருட் க ளை யும் விற் கக் கூ டாது. ஆடு உண வுக் காக வெட் டும் போது நக ராட் சி யின் ஆட்டு தொட் டி யில் மட் டுமே வெட்ட வேண் டும். கந் தூரி விழா முடி யும் வரை 5 உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் களை கொண்ட குழு ஆய்வு பணி யில் ஈடு ப டும். அவர் கள் சந் தே கப் ப டும் உணவு மாதி ரி களை சேக ரித்து பகுப் பாய் வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைப் பார் கள். ஆய்வு முடி வின் அடிப் ப டை யில் வழக்கு தொட ரப் பட்டு நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என் றார். வணி கர் சங்க செய லா ளர் மன் சூர்ஷா, பொரு ளா ளர் சர வ ண பெ ரு மாள், முன் னாள் தலை வர் பிலிப் ராஜ், உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் மகா ரா ஜன், ஆண் ட னி பி ரபு மற் றும் வணி கர் கள் கலந்து கொண் ட னர்.

திருவாடானை பகுதி ஓட்டல்களில் சுகாதாரம் கேள்விக்குறி

திரு வா டானை, மார்ச் 9:
திரு வா டா னை யில் செயல் ப டும் ஓட் டல் க ளில் சுகா தா ரம் என் பது கேள் விக் கு றி யாக உள் ளது. சுகா தா ரத் தைக் கண் கா ணிக்க வேண் டிய அதி கா ரி கள் மெத் த ன மாக செயல் ப டு வ தாக பொது மக் கள் புகார் கூறு கின் ற னர்.
திருச்சி- ராமேஸ் வ ரம் தேசிய நெடுஞ் சா லை யில் திரு வா டானை உள் ள தால் ஏரா ள மான வெளி யூர் பய ணி கள் இங்கு வந்து செல் கின் ற னர். தாலுகா அலு வ ல கம், நீதி மன் றம், ஊராட்சி ஒன் றிய அலு வ ல கம் உட் பட அனைத்து அலு வ ல கங் க ளும் இங்கு இருப் ப தால் தின மும் சுற் றுப் ப கு தி யைச் சேர்ந்த ஏரா ள மா னோர் வரு கின் ற னர். மக் கள் அதி கம் வந்து செல் வ தால் மற்ற கடை க ளை விட சிறிய ஓட் டல் கள், சாலை யோ ரக் கடை கள் அதி க ள வில் உள் ளன.
அவற் றில் பிரி யாணி, இட்லி, தோசை, புரோட்டா என காலை, மாலை, இரவு நேரங் க ளில் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றது. பல ஓட் டல் க ளில் சுத் தம் செய் ய ப டாத மேஜை, கழு வப் ப டாத கிளாஸ், தூசு க ளு டன் குடி நீர் தொட்டி, வாழை இலை இல் லா மல் பிளாஸ் டிக் பேப் ப ரில் உணவு, தர மற்ற சாம் பார், சட்னி, சால்னா என வழங் கப் ப டு கி றது. இதைச் சாப் பி டும் மக் கள் கடும் அதி ருப்தி தெரி விக் கின் ற னர்
இது போன்ற தர மற்ற உண வு க ளால் ஏற் ப டும் பாதிப் பு களை உணர்ந் தா லும் வேறு வழி யில் லா மல் இந்த ஓட் டல் க ளில் சாப் பிட வரு கின் ற னர்.
எனவே, மக் க ளின் நலன் க ருதி சுகா தா ர மற்ற ஓட் டல் களை அதி கா ரி கள் ஆய்வு செய்து நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என பொது மக் கள் வலி யு றுத் தி யுள் ள னர். இது குறித்து பொது மக் கள் கூறு கை யில், “இங் குள்ள ஓட் டல் கள், சாலை யோர கடை க ளில் சுகா த ரம் மிக மோச மாக உள் ளது. குறிப் பிட்ட சில ஓட் டல் கள் தவிர பல ஓட் டல் க ளில் உள்ளே நுழை யவே அரு வ ருப் பாக உள் ளது. தூசு படிந்த பாத் தி ரங் களை சரி யாக கழு வா ம லும், ஏற் கெ னவே வடை சுடு வ தற் குப் பயன் ப டுத் திய எண் ணை யையே மீண் டும் பயன் ப டுத் து கின் ற னர். சுகா தா ரம் மிக மோச மாக உள் ளது. சுகா தா ரத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் கண் டு கொள் வ தில்லை. மக் க ளின் நலன் கருதி நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும்” என் ற னர்.

நாகூர் கந்தூரி விழா காலாவதியான பொருள்களை விற்றால் நடவடிக்கை

காலாவதியான, தயாரிப்பு விவரமில்லாத எந்தவித அடைக்கப்பட்ட உணவுப் பொருள்களையும், இறக்குமதி உள்ளிட்ட தகவல் இல்லாத எவ்வித வெளிநாட்டு உணவுப் பொருள்களையும் விற்பனை செய்தால் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என நகராட்சி உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் ஏ.டி. அன்பழகன் தெரிவித்தார்.
நாகூரில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு குறித்த விழிப்புணர்வுக் கூட்டம் திங்கள்கிழமை நடைபெற்றது. கூட்டத்துக்கு நாகூர் வணிகர் சங்கத் தலைவர் ப. ராமச்சந்திரன் தலைமை வகித்தார். கூட்டத்தில் நாகை நகராட்சி உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் ஏ.டி. அன்பழகன் பங்கேற்றுப் பேசியது:
நாட்டின் பல்வேறு பகுதிகளிலிருந்தும் நாகூர் கந்தூரி விழாவுக்காக வரும் பக்தர்களுக்கு தரமான உணவு கிடைக்க அனைத்து உணவு விற்பனையாளர்களும் ஒத்துழைக்க வேண்டும்.
உணவு விடுதிகள், தேநீர் கடை உள்ளிட்ட அனைத்து உணவு விற்பனையாளர்களும், தங்களது கடையை சுகாதாரமாக வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும். கடைகளில் பணிபுரிபவர்கள் தங்களுடைய சுத்தத்தையும் பராமரிக்க வேண்டும். அதேபோல் சுத்தமான பாதுகாக்கப்பட்ட குடிநீரை மட்டுமே வழங்க வேண்டும். தரமான தேயிலை தூளை மட்டுமே பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும். பிளாஸ்டிக் கேரி பைகளில் டீ பார்சல் வழங்கக் கூடாது.
அரசால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலைப் பொருள்கள் விற்பனை செய்யக் கூடாது. காலாவதியான, தயாரிப்பு விவரமில்லாத எந்தவித அடைக்கப்பட்ட உணவுப் பொருள்களையும் விற்பனை செய்யக் கூடாது. அதேபோல் இறக்குமதி உள்ளிட்ட தகவல் இல்லாத எவ்வித வெளிநாட்டு உணவுப் பொருள்களையும் விற்பனை செய்யக் கூடாது. ஆடு, உணவுக்காக வெட்டப்படும் பொழுது நகராட்சியின் ஆட்டுத் தொட்டியில் மட்டுமே வெட்ட வேண்டும்.
ஆய்வுக் குழு அமைப்பு: 5 உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்களைக் கொண்ட குழு, கந்துரி முடியும் வரை ஆய்வுப் பணியில் ஈடுபடும். அவர்கள் சந்தேகப்படும் உணவு மாதிரிகளைச் சேகரித்து பகுப்பாய்வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைப்பர். ஆய்வு முடிவின் அடிப்படையில் வழக்குத் தொடரப்பட்டு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்றார்.
கூட்டத்தில் வணிகர் சங்கச் செயலர் எஸ். மன்சூர்ஷா, பொருளாளர் கே. சரவணப்பெருமாள், முன்னாள் தலைவர் கே. பிலிப்ராஜ், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் ஆர். மஹாராஜன் (நாகை வட்டாரம்), எஸ். ஆண்டனி பிரபு (தலைஞாயிறு வட்டாரம்) உள்ளிட்டோர் பங்கேற்றனர்.

37 food business operators penalised

During the Month of February, 2016 the Enforcement Officials of the District Food Safety Office, South Andaman under the Commissionerate of Food Safety has compounded 36 Food Business Operators for their 1st Offence and one Food Business Operator for 2nd Offence for violation of different sections of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and a sum of Rs. 41,000/- (Rupees Forty One Thousand only) was realised as fine.
Meanwhile, on 29-02-2016 a case against a Food Business Operator is admitted in the Court of the Additional District Magistrate, South Andaman, for adjudication for violation of Rule 3.1.1.6 of Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011. Yet, in another case at the Court of Additional District Magistrate, South Andaman, a case against a Food Business Operator has been disposed of without any fine and advised him that his premises will be re-inspected & discrepancies if any found will be viewed seriously in future, a communication from the District Food Safety Officer, (SA) said here today.

Suspect detergent in milk? DRDO's test kit will tell you in minutes

More than two thirds of the milk in India does not meet the food safety standards.

India is today the world’s largest producer of milk thanks to the white revolution. Yet more than two thirds of the milk in India does not meet the food safety standards. Adulteration of milk is rampant, a startling six per cent of the samples tested in 2015 by the Ministry of Health had presence of ‘detergents’ in them confirming that ‘synthetic milk’ is a huge problem.
For a lay person trying to differentiate between contaminated and pure milk is a tall order and only specific chemical tests can reveal the truth. Contaminated milk can be a huge health hazard especially when it has been laced with urea, detergents and other toxic chemicals. With the festival of Holi round the corner, it is time to be alert about the dangers of milk contamination.
Now a cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru, which is a part of the gigantic Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This kit, which even an untrained person can use at home, helps within minutes detect contamination of six common adulterants in milk.
Recently as part of another initiative, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan unveiled another dedicated system for the detection of adulteration and analysis of milk, developed by Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani.
According to Vardhan, “The gravity of the situation had been such that the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) identified the problem of detecting adulteration in the milk within three minutes at Rs 4 or less, as one of the grand challenge areas being considered under the ‘Atal Innovation Mission’.
In this backdrop, Vardhan appreciated the initiative of CSIR for developing and deploying this technology solution, ‘Ksheer-Scanner’, which instantaneously detects the above- identified adulterants in milk. It is a low-cost portable system with user-friendly features. It enables detection of contaminants in just 40-45 seconds at the per sample cost of less than 50 paise.
Earlier, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh while speaking at National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana said, “India stands first on global milk product scenario. Milk production has been increased from 137.68 million tonne in 2013-14 to 146.31 million tonne in 2014-15. For the first time there is a record enhancement of milk production as 6.3 per cent whereas on international scenario there is only an increment of 2.2 percent enhancement of milk production.”

This is a spectacular achievement for the country which in 1950 was producing a mere 17 million tonnes of milk. An almost nine-fold increase in milk production in a little over 60 years.
However, what is most embarrassing for the country is a 2015 admission by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda that “the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had conducted a nationwide survey on milk adulteration in 2011. A total of 1791 samples were drawn from 33 states and were tested in the government laboratories. 68.4 per cent of the samples were found to be non-conforming to the prescribed standards. Out of these, in 46.8 per cent samples, milk found to be sub-standard in respect of fat and solid not fat (SNF) contents. Another 44.69 per cent of the samples (548) in respect of skim milk powder were found to be non-conforming to the prescribed standards where presence of glucose was detected in 477 samples. A total of 103 samples (5.75 per cent) were found to be adulterated with detergents.”
“Milk adulteration is particularly high during the festival season, when the demand peaks but production cannot be increased,” explains M C Pandey, a scientist at the DFRL who has helped develop the milk testing kit.
The kit developed by the defence institute uses just a few chemicals and strips of paper dipped in a different chemical. A change in colour of the milk or a change in colour of the paper indicates the presence of a contaminant. When detergents are present in the milk the colour of test turns to green, yellow or blue and Pandey says the test can detect as low a value as 0.5 per cent of the contaminant.
Especially in north India, a lot of milk during the festival season is made using detergents and urea. Called ‘synthetic milk’, it resembles milk but can be very harmful.
Every day washing powder and refined oil are mixed and then diluted to make it look and have the consistency of real milk.
Scientists at this nondescript lab in Mysuru developed the kit at a mere cost of Rs 9 lakh and the box containing 320 strips for testing 8 different contaminants with the cost of each test strip coming to just about Rs 2.

Pandey says all the other milk-testing kits require sophisticated laboratory settings but this simple strip based test helps Indian soldiers test supplies of fresh milk even at remote locations.
Occasionally to make milk look fresh, some ‘neutralisers’ are added using the strip test the contaminated milk becomes pink in colour. If the milk contains urea the test becomes yellow.
The technology for the milk testing kit has been transferred to a private company Pearl Corporation says Pandey who says the DRDO sold the technology at a royalty of Rs 1.25 crore annually, this according to him marks the success of this technology.
Pandey explains this kit should be very helpful to plug ingress of contaminated milk at source. He suggests if such tests become common then milk when it is collected by suppliers at the level of the households could be tested and if found contaminated it should be rejected right at the doorstep of a small dairy supplier.
Rather than a large consignment of milk being rejected for contamination at the level of a milk plant, where hundreds of tons of milk gets collected for further processing.
Singh says, “Dairy plays an important role in agriculture domain of the country with the 3.9 per cent contribution to the national gross product. It is not only a substantial source of livelihood but also most credible basis to ensure the national food requirement. It is the repercussion of the growth in dairying that the growth rate of agricultural sector has been 4 per cent unabatedly.
“Today we have been able to provide on an average 302 gm per person per day milk in the country which is more than the minimum required recommended by the WHO.”
So even as India feels proud of being the number one producer of milk in the world having outpaced US, China and Brazil, the large-scale contamination of milk remains a big blemish for the White Revolution.
Towards that Nadda says “the menace of food adulteration and particularly milk adulteration needs to be eliminated.”

Cops cannot take action on gutkha traders, rules HC

Only food inspectors have the right to take action against illegal retailers
A Bombay High Court (HC) order has effectively declared any police action against people possessing and storing gutkha as illegal, stating that only food safety inspectors have this right. Over the last three years, traders in Pune had come under the police scanner and cops, acting on tip-offs, have conducted raids and booked offenders under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Many traders had objected to this suo-motu action by police, with 45 cases filed against traders since 2013, when the state banned sale, manufacture and storage of gutkha.
The raids, however, showed that the ban remains mainly on paper and Pune continued to receive a huge stock via the Goa-Karnataka route.
The HC held that police action under various sections of the IPC, applied on people possessing and storing gutkha was illegal, and under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, only the food safety inspector had the powers to take action.
A division bench of justices AV Nirgude and Indira K Jain, while quashing criminal complaints against 21 people from Pune and other parts of the state, issued this order.
The court also objected to Section 328 of the IPC being applied in such cases, which states that retailing gutkha would amount to administering poison and is a non-bailable offence.
Advocate Rajesh Kavediya, who represented traders in the HC and sessions court, said, "The city police misused the law and arrested many traders, some of them faced police and judicial custody for several months. The sections applied by the police were stringent due to which judges did not risk granting immediate bail. With this HC order, misuse of power by the police will stop, else they are liable to face contempt."
Advocate Sujit Mundada said, "Over 45 cases were registered by the police and crime branch in the past couple of years. Police need to pay an attention towards the issue of law and order and trade of narcotic substance, but by conducting raids on small traders, which is not their job police only harass the community," said Mundada.
Talking to Mirror, joint commissioner (food) of FDA's Pune division, Shashikant Kekre, said, "We heard about the order and will conduct raids on illegal trade of gutkha. If required, we will take help from the police."
An officer attached to the crime branch, requesting anonymity, said, "It is true that police were taking arbitrary action against gutkha traders, but we will rectify this. Instead, we shall pass on information to the FDA officers to take appropriate action according to provisions in the law."

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DINAMALAR NEWS

Illegal plants boost water business in Telangana

6,000 illegal water plants function from GHMC limits.

Water cans must be made of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride or polypropylene which costs Rs 280 to Rs 400 apiece.

Hyderabad: The rising demand for purified water has led to the mushrooming of nearly 6,000 unauthorised manufacturing plants. These plants do business worth Rs 100 crore every month. According to records with the Bureau of Indian Standards, only 106 purified water plants across the state have licences, 47 in the city.

With many colonies suffering from poor supply, and middle-class families preferring to purchase purified water instead of the drinking water supplied by the Water Board, demand for bottled water is high. The board supplies water to nearly 1,500 colonies located on the city’s outskirts in three or four days, forcing residents to purchase the 20-litre cans paying Rs 20 to Rs 35 apiece.

As per an official estimate, nearly 30 lakh bubble cans are sold every month in the city, of which only five lakh are supplied by branded companies and another five lakh by water purification plants that meet ISI standards. The remaining cans are produced by illegal manufacturers. It is estimated that another 50 lakh 20-litre water cans are sold at bus stands, railway stations, canteens and hotels under GHMC limits. Only about half the water bottles that are sold in the city are from branded companies.

Sections 79 and 80 of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2006 state that all plants purifying water should be licensed by the BIS. It takes Rs 25 lakh to set up a water purification plant as per norms, including obtaining licence from the BIS, sophisticated equipment, microbiological lab to test samples and recruiting a chemist. It takes only about Rs 3 lakh to set up an unauthorised plant. BIS director M.V.S.D. Prasada Rao said the bureau had the authority to conduct raids and checks at the plants which have obtained licence to ensure that standards are maintained.

“As per the law and regulations, officials responsible for food safety, GHMC and revenue department officers and the Indian Institute of Preventive Medicine have to crack the whip on illegal water plants. If we identify illegal plants during our raids, we pass on the information to departments,” he said.

Not yet 'made', murabba finds way to shop shelves

1kg pack of Aawla Murabba, manufactured by Patanjali Ayurveda.

LUCKNOW: Officials of the Food Safety and Drug Administration department tumbled upon two 1-kg packs of Aawla Murabba (manufactured by Patanjali Ayurveda), which mentioned the date of manufacturing of the Murabba as October 20, 2016, while its expiry date has been mentioned as October 19, 2017. Interestingly, this sample of Murabba was available for sale in the market. 

The sample was taken from a retail shop located in Kalyanpur Ring Road.

கலப்பட பொருட்கள் விற்றால் நடவடிக்கை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் எச்சரிக்கை

தஞ்சை, மார்ச் 7:

கலப் பட பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் வோர் மீது கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று தஞ்சை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் ரமேஷ் பாபு கூறி னார்.

தஞ்சை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் மருந்து நிர் வாக துறை ( உணவு பிரிவு) மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ ல ராக பணி யாற் றிய தட் சி ணா மூர்த்தி நாகை மாவட் டத் திற்கு இடம் மாற் றம் செய் யப் பட் டார். இதைத் தொடர்ந்து திரு வா ரூர் மாவட்ட நிய மன அலு வ ல ராக பணி யாற் றிய ரமேஷ் பாபு தஞ்சை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ ல ராக நேற்று பொறுப் பேற் றர்.

இவர் தஞ்சை மாவட் டத் தில் கலப் பட பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் வோர் மற் றும் சுகா தா ரம் இல் லாத பொருட் கள், கலா வ தி யான பொருட் கள் ஆகி ய வற்றை விற் பனை செய் வோர் மீது கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று கூறி னார்.

Cops cannot prosecute people possessing gutkha: Bombay HC

Manufacture, sale and storage of Gutkha is banned in Maharashtra.

The Bombay High Court on Friday held that police action under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, applied on people possessing and storing Gutkha was illegal, and under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) only the food safety inspector had the powers to take action.

Sale/manufacture and storage of Gutkha has been banned in Maharashtra since 2013. A division bench of justice AV Nirgude and justice Indira K Jain, while quashing the criminal complaint against 21 people, said: "The food safety officers were not prohibited from proceedings against the applicants/petitioners under provisions of chapter X of the Food and Safety Standard (FSS) Act, 2006."

Appearing for one of the petitioners, advocate Rahul Totala said: "The court has quashed police action under sections 372, 373, 188 and 328 of the Indian Penal Code, but not prohibited the Food Safety Inspectors from taking appropriate action."

The accused had argued that as per the FSS Act, the authority can initiate police action. The court said: "By no stretch of imagination, manufacturing and possessing gutkha and pan masala would amount to administering poison."

The court, while passing the order, also took into consideration that the authority had not carried out any analysis on the seized products. The bench said: "Therefore, it cannot be said that gutkha and pan masala are stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug. Besides, offering these items of food would not amount to intention to cause hurt."

Health department fails to meet food safety targets

Health department officials continue to adopt a casual approach towards the monthly targets set by the food safety branch as all districts have completely failed to achieve targets.

Out of the state-wide target for collection of 1,740 samples set by the health department in January, only 816 samples were collected by authorities in the districts. Of these 46% collected samples, 25% tested ‘fail’ and were declared unfit for consumption.

Districts blatantly failing to achieve targets in January include Jalandhar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Patiala, Moga, Mansa and Muktsar.

Jalandhar health department was given a target of 150 food samples, but it collected only 75 samples, out of which 12 were found unfit. Ludhiana health department had a target of 250 food samples, but it collected only 87, out of which 40 failed to pass the food safety test. Similarly, 41 samples were collected by Bathinda health department out of a target of 100.

It is not the first time that of ficials are showing apathy towards food safety as in the period from January 1 to December 31, 2015, out of 15,560 target samples, Jalandhar had collected 9,936, out of which 28% samples tested failed.

Moreover, the Food Safety and Standards Act has the provision of compulsory registration for all food businesses to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption, but districts have been lagging behind in ensuring complete registration.

On March 6, 2014, online registration of food businesses was begun. Jalandhar food safety administration issued 434 licences and did 2,124 registrations of food businesses till February 26 this year. Businesses with a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh are issued licenses.

Sources in the health department said only milk, milk products, bakery products, sweets and other such samples were being collected as per guidelines issued by higher officials.

They further said even though senior officials had fixed a minimum target to be completed every month, apathetic officials failed to meet the targets.

They added that most drives were undertaken on the heels of Diwali only when the sale of sweets shot up and manufacturers prepared items in bulk with complete disregard of hygiene and food safety.

A health department official said the sampling drive against adulterated food products was being hampered due to interference of political leaders. He added that huge workload and shortage of staff were other reasons behind the failure in achieving targets.

Cop actions on gutkha illegal: High Court

Aurangabad: The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court has said raids and actions taken by the police against people possessing and storing gutkha were illegal.

Quashing the police action against some applicants and petitioners for possessing and storing gutkha after carrying raids under various sections of the IPC, the court on Friday observed, "The food safety officers were not prohibited from proceedings against the applicants/petitioners under provisions of chapter X of the Food and Safety Standard (FSS) Act, 2006."

It said, "Since all these criminal applications and criminal writ petitions are taken up for final hearing by consent of all the parties and as the point raised in all these cases is more or less similarly placed, they are disposed of by this common judgment. For the purpose of disposal of the cases, we the bench utilised facts of Writ Petition No. 1027 of 2015 as representative."

The petitioners had approached the high court through lawyers including R R Mantri, Rameshwar Totla and Rahul Totla, while the government was represented by additional public prosecutor Archana Gondhalekar.

As many as 13 criminal writ petitions and applications were filed in the Aurangabad bench of the HC, challenging the police actions such as conducting raids and seizing of gutkha and pan masala in different parts of the state.

The food security officials had subsequently initiated registration of offences against the petitioners under sections 372, 373, 188 and 328 of the IPC.

While passing the order, the bench of Justice A V Nirgude and Justice Indira K Jain said the police action in these cases were illegal. The bench observed, "By no stretch of imagination, manufacturing and possessing gutkha and pan masala would amount to administering poison."

It added, "The commissioner (FDA) opined that its sale is not in public interest. This opinion is based on various reports, but not the report of the food analyst appointed under the provisions of the FSS Act. Therefore, it cannot be said that gutkha and pan masala are stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug. Besides, offering these items of food would not amount to intention to cause hurt. The provisions of Section 328 of the Indian Penal Code to the present cases is therefore impermissible."

The bench noted the contention of the petitions that "on May 14, 2015, the petitioner was found transporting large quantities of pouches of tobacco, which is called 'gutkha' in common parlance, pouches of pan-masala in a truck. The truck was stopped by the food security officer, Osmanabad. The officer not only seized the goods but even lodged a police complaint, alleging that the petitioner had violated the government notification (dated May 15, 2014), prohibiting certain acts pertaining to gutkha/pan masala and thereby committed offence punishable under sections 26 and 30 of the Food and Safety Standards Act, 2006."

Five years after Fukushima nuclear disaster, India puts Japanese food imports off radioactive scanner

While India has decided to stop scanning Japanese food imports after five years of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, US, Germany, Turkey, Russia and Australia still scans all products coming in from Japan.

Food products from Japan that run the risk of being contaminated by radioactive substance will now get an easy access into India as the Centre has decided to discontinue the scanning of these items. Even after five years of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, reports indicate that food products from Japan carry the risk of radioactive contamination that can lead to various forms of cancer. Several other countries are still following a strict mechanism to keep a check on Japanese food imports, but the Indian government feels otherwise.

The imports' division of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Union Health Ministry has recently issued an order saying, "The advisory dated 15.03.2011 issued regarding monitoring of food articles imported from Japan for radioactive contamination, issued earlier as a temporary measure in 2011, is hereby withdrawn." The order has been conveyed to the customs department and the food safety commissioners of all states.

The abrupt end to the practice has, however, alarmed experts. "The Indian government should not have stopped the screening because the kind of nuclear disaster that happened in Japan can still have its effects. Five years is not enough time to decide that food products from Japan are free from radiation and will be safe in the future," said a senior radiation oncologist based in a government hospital in Delhi.

Items like sea food, vegetable seeds, confectionery, fruits and vegetables are imported to India from Japan.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), FSSAI, told Mail Today that the screening of food items was unnecessarily delaying the process of imports from Japan. "All the food products from Japan were under strict surveillance for the past five years for any radioactive contamination. However, no food product was found to be contaminated with any radioactive substance. So, we decided to stop the monitoring because it is not required anymore," Agarwal said.

The move by the Indian government can be seen as an attempt to bolster the already strong business and cultural ties with Japan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Japan in 2014 and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe returned the favour with a Delhi visit in 2015 - putting in place a new chapter of Indo-Japan ties.

The withdrawal of scanning of food items from Japan comes even as the United States Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor Japanese food imports for any likely radioactive presence. Along similar lines, countries like Germany, Turkey and Russia also scan all imports from Japan. There are also checks on vessels and containers from Japan for any radioactive contamination by the US, the Netherlands and the EU. Australia, which imports automobiles from Japan, also keeps a strict check on radiation. In March 2015, radiation was found in sample of green tea imported from Japan to the US. A study by Stanford University and Stony Brook University on radioactive levels in the Pacific Ocean found high levels of radioactive contamination in Bluefin tuna caught off the shores of California.

Recently, a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US stated that freshwater fish and ocean bottom dwellers around Fukushima are at a higher risk of radioactive contamination compared to most other types of ocean fish in the same area.

In 2011 a massive earthquake in Japan lead to radioactive leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants. Radioactive isotopes were released from the reactor containment vessels and discharged into the sea. Trace quantities of radioactive particles from the incident, including iodine-131 and caesium-134/137, have since been detected around the world.

Caesium-137 has a half-life of about 30.17 years and if enters human body it can cause cellular damage and potentially lead to cancer. "Half life of Caesium-137 is around 30 years which means it takes 30 years for the radioactivity of the Caesium-137 isotope to fall to half its original value," says a Delhi-based senior radiation specialist.

Fortification of Milk to Combat Malnutrition

The milk, which you buy off the shelves, is going to be fortified with Vitamin A and D to address the deficiencies among the Indian masses. Milk cooperatives across the country have agreed to the proposal and the standards will soon be notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The move, which the government says will help combat malnutrition, is part of the plan to fortify major food substances like wheat, rice, edible oil and other food products. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of an inter-ministerial group comprising the ministries of Health, Women and Child Development, Food and Civil Supplies, and Human Resource Development. “The milk cooperatives were given a presentation by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, and now the food ministry is preparing the detailed guidelines,” sources said. The FSSAI will now notify the standards. The proposal was made by a group of secretaries, working on health and education, before the Prime Minister’s Office in the beginning of January. Wheat is to be fortified with iron, rice with iron and vitamin D, milk and edible oils with vitamin A.

The recommendation also talks about double fortification of salt with iodine, as it was felt that the present standards were not enough. 

How safe is your milk to drink? Experts caution against contamination

A cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru. Express files A cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru. Express files

India is today the world’s largest producer of milk thanks to the white revolution. Yet more than two thirds of the milk in India does not meet the food safety standards. Adulteration of milk is rampant, a startling six per cent of the samples tested in 2015 by the Ministry of Health had presence of ‘detergents’ in them confirming that ‘synthetic milk’ is a huge problem.

For a lay person trying to differentiate between contaminated and pure milk is a tall order and only specific chemical tests can reveal the truth. Contaminated milk can be a huge health hazard especially when it has been laced with urea, detergents and other toxic chemicals. With the festival of Holi round the corner, it is time to be alert about the dangers of milk contamination.

Now a cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru, which is a part of the gigantic Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This kit, which even an untrained person can use at home, helps within minutes detect contamination of six common adulterants in milk.

Recently as part of another initiative, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan unveiled another dedicated system for the detection of adulteration and analysis of milk, developed by Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani.

According to Vardhan, “The gravity of the situation had been such that the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) identified the problem of detecting adulteration in the milk within three minutes at Rs 4 or less, as one of the grand challenge areas being considered under the ‘Atal Innovation Mission’.

In this backdrop, the Vardhan appreciated the initiative of CSIR for developing and deploying this technology solution, ‘Ksheer-Scanner’, which instantaneously detects the above- identified adulterants in milk. It is a low-cost portable system with user-friendly features. It enables detection of contaminants in just 40-45 seconds at the per sample cost of less than 50 paise.

Earlier, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh while speaking at National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana said, “India stands first on global milk product scenario. Milk production has been increased from 137.68 million tonne in 2013-14 to 146.31 million tonne in 2014-15. For the first time there is a record enhancement of milk production as 6.3 per cent whereas on international scenario there is only an increment of 2.2 percent enhancement of milk production."

Is your milk safe to drink? Containing contamination in milk

Now a cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru, which is a part of the gigantic DRDO

NEW DELHI: India is today the world's largest producer of milk thanks to the white revolution. Yet more than two thirds of the milk in India does not meet the food safety standards. Adulteration of milk is rampant, a startling six per cent of the samples tested in 2015 by the Ministry of Health had presence of 'detergents' in them confirming that 'synthetic milk' is a huge problem. 

For a lay person trying to differentiate between contaminated and pure milk is a tall order and only specific chemical tests can reveal the truth. Contaminated milk can be a huge health hazard especially when it has been laced with urea, detergents and other toxic chemicals. With the festival of Holi round the corner, it is time to be alert about the dangers of milk contamination. 

Now a cheap milk testing kit has been developed by the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) in Mysuru, which is a part of the gigantic Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This kit, which even an untrained person can use at home, helps within minutes detect contamination of six common adulterants in milk. 

Recently as part of another initiative, Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan unveiled another dedicated system for the detection of adulteration and analysis of milk, developed by Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CEERI), Pilani. 

According to Vardhan, "The gravity of the situation had been such that the National Institute for Transforming India ( NITI Aayog) identified the problem of detecting adulteration in the milk within three minutes at Rs 4 or less, as one of the grand challenge areas being considered under the 'Atal Innovation Mission'. 

In this backdrop, Vardhan appreciated the initiative of CSIR for developing and deploying this technology solution, 'Ksheer-Scanner', which instantaneously detects the above - identified adulterants in milk. It is a low-cost portable system with user-friendly features. It enables detection of contaminants in just 40-45 seconds at the per sample cost of less than 50 paise. 

Earlier, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh while speaking at National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana said, "India stands first on global milk product scenario. Milk production has been increased from 137.68 million tonne in 2013-14 to 146.31 million tonne in 2014-15. For the first time there is a record enhancement of milk production as 6.3 per cent whereas on international scenario there is only an increment of 2.2 percent enhancement of milk production." 

This is a spectacular achievement for the country which in 1950 was producing a mere 17 million tonnes of milk. An almost nine-fold increase in milk production in a little over 60 years. 

However, what is most embarrassing for the country is a 2015 admission by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda that "the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had conducted a nationwide survey on milk adulteration in 2011. A total of 1791 samples were drawn from 33 states and were tested in the government laboratories. 68.4 per cent of the samples were found to be non-conforming to the prescribed standards. Out of these, in 46.8 per cent samples, milk found to be sub-standard in respect of fat and solid not fat (SNF) contents. Another 44.69 per cent of the samples (548) in respect of skim milk powder were found to be non-conforming to the prescribed standards where presence of glucose was detected in 477 samples. A total of 103 samples (5.75 per cent) were found to be adulterated with detergents." 

"Milk adulteration is particularly high during the festival season, when the demand peaks but production cannot be increased," explains M C Pandey, a scientist at the DFRL who has helped develop the milk testing kit. 

The kit developed by the defence institute uses just a few chemicals and strips of paper dipped in a different chemical. A change in colour of the milk or a change in colour of the paper indicates the presence of a contaminant. When detergents are present in the milk the colour of test turns to green, yellow or blue and Pandey says the test can detect as low a value as 0.5 per cent of the contaminant. 

Especially in north India, a lot of milk during the festival season is made using detergents and urea. Called 'synthetic milk', it resembles milk but can be very harmful. Every day washing powder and refined oil are mixed and then diluted to make it look and have the consistency of real milk. 

Scientists at this nondescript lab in Mysuru developed the kit at a mere cost of Rs 9 lakh and the box containing 320 strips for testing 8 different contaminants with the cost of each test strip coming to just about Rs 2. 

Pandey says all the other milk-testing kits require sophisticated laboratory settings but this simple strip based test helps Indian soldiers test supplies of fresh milk even at remote locations.

Occasionally to make milk look fresh, some 'neutralisers' are added. Using the strip test the contaminated milk becomes pink in colour. If the milk contains urea the test becomes yellow. 

The technology for the milk testing kit has been transferred to a private company Pearl Corporation says Pandey who says the DRDOsold the technology at a royalty of Rs 1.25 crore annually, this according to him marks the success of this technology. 

Pandey explains this kit should be very helpful to plug ingress of contaminated milk at source. He suggests if such tests become common then milk when it is collected by suppliers at the level of the households could be tested and if found contaminated it should be rejected right at the doorstep of a small dairy supplier. 

Rather than a large consignment of milk being rejected for contamination at the level of a milk plant, where hundreds of tons of milk gets collected for further processing. 

Singh says, "Dairy play an important role in agriculture domain of the country with the 3.9 per cent contribution to the national gross product. It is not only a substantial source of livelihood but also most credible basis to ensure the national food requirement. It is the repercussion of the growth in dairying that the growth rate of agricultural sector has been 4 per cent unabatedly. 

"Today we have been able to provide on an average 302 gm per person per day milk in the country which is more than the minimum required recommended by the WHO." 

So even as India feels proud of being the number one producer of milk in the world having outpaced US, China and Brazil, the large-scale contamination of milk remains a big blemish for the White Revolution. 

Towards that Nadda says "the menace of food adulteration and particularly milk adulteration needs to be eliminated."

Colourful and Tasty but They can Bite You Back

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chilli has a special place in our food habits, saving some our favourite dishes from blandness. But there is an unnoticed and dangerous side. According to a report released by the Kerala Agricultural University, the chilli powder we get in attractive packets contains pesticides that harm our health.

The report discovered that various spices and condiments brands have been selling products with heavy pesticide residues. Pesticide Residue Analytical and Research Laboratory of the university found at least four different types of pesticides in samples taken from branded red chilli powder sold at various super markets in Kottayam, Changanassery, Alappuzha, Malappuram and Kasargod.

It was found that chilli powder, chilli long dry, crushed chilli, Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin seed , cumin powder, sambar powder, tea powder etc contain pesticide residue. The pesticide limits prescribed by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for food products is not enough to keep the menace away.

From the list mentioned in the university report, food safety officials can take action only against those selling contaminated cardamom because of the specific Maximum Residual Limit (MRL) prescribed for it in the spice and condiments category.

“There has been a delay in expanding the list. Many products we have analysed did not have a MRL prescribed. detailed study is required on poisonous residues found,” said Thomas Biju Mathew, professor and head, PRRAL. The report indicates widespread use of pesticides, finding its way into the food cycle. However, enforcement agencies find themselves helpless with no expansion of the list in the Safety and Standards Rules since 2011.

“MRL limit is fixed after a lot of process. Until the limit is fixed it would be difficult for food safety officials to take action,” said D Sivakumar, Joint Commissioner of Food Safety.

The report has found pesticide residue levels in fruits, vegetables and processed food products. In the vegetable category curry leaves continue to have high pesticide residue. The report found that fruits and cereals collected from market - organic and farm gates - have less pesticide residues.