Burgers contain rat and human DNA, study finds

A study of 258 burgers in the US finds unexpected additional – and lack of – ingredients 

Clear Labs did not name the 79 brands that sold the burgers in the study

Upon ordering a burger in a fast food chain, diners might have already come to terms with the fact there is a very slim chance ofhorse meat lurking under that tomato. 

But the additions of rat and human DNA could be harder to swallow.

A new study from US-based food testing company Clear Labs has discovered, from a sample of 258 burgers, two cases of meat in vegetarian products, three burgers with rat DNA and one case of human 

“The most likely cause is hair, skin, or fingernail that was accidentally mixed in during the manufacturing process,” it read, referring to the human DNA.

“What many consumers don't know is that some amounts of human and rat DNA may fall within an acceptable regulatory range,” the report added.

It also found that there are “gaps” in food safety and quality standards, but overall the beef industry has “benefited from stringent regulation and aggressive testing requirements”.

Of larger concern than the “unpleasant” DNA findings was that almost a quarter of vegetarian burgers have different ingredients to those on the label. Two veggie burgers contained beef, and one black bean burger contained no black beans.

Although Americans are unlikely to mix up their bison from their ground lamb patties on the barbecue, it seems the burger industry is making that mistake. Around 6 per cent of the burgers substituted one product for another. A common finding was that, for meat burgers, chicken or turkey was unexpectedly added in.

Another problem is that 4.3 per cent of burgers contained pathogenic DNA, which can cause food outbreaks and food poisoning. 

Certain pathogens found in the products can cause tuberculosis-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, foodborne illness and E. coli.

Pathogens in four vegetarian burgers, considered a low risk category for food poisoning, was “troubling”, the report said. 

Mixed-up meats, possible illness and rats aside, for those watching their weight, it is worth noting that 12 burgers in the study contained at least 100 more calories than on the label

Delhi schools soon to replace junk food with nutritious and healthy food in canteens

Delhi schools soon to replace junk food with nutritious and healthy food in canteens
New Delhi, May 11 (ENA) After ensuring that the private schools across Delhi do not hike the school fees beyond the prescribed limit, Delhi Government is now taking steps to ensure that the students eat only nutritious and healthy food at schools canteens.
The Delhi Food Safety department along with the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on a policy regarding what food should be given to students studying in the city's schools.
A meeting was held between the food authority and the city food department where the need to serve nutritious food to kids was discussed considering that health issues of students was of high priority.
"We will be working on the policy regarding the food served in the school canteens. The health of the students will be kept on high priority. Food items with high nutrition value will be majorly served to the students," said Dr Mrinalini Darswal, commissioner, Department of Food Safety, Delhi government.
"We will be speaking to various experts to understand the need of the students and will work on the policy accordingly," added Darswal.
In October 2015, the Food authorities had issued guidelines to schools, making it compulsory to serve only wholesome and nutritious food in their canteens.
The guidelines would, reportedly, be converted into a regulation in due course, after the prescribed process of inviting comments and suggestions from various stakeholders. (ENA Bureau)

Nearly 30% FBOs rate FSSAI average; overall 70% rate it avg. and above

New Delhi

In a survey conducted by FSSAI amongst food business operators participating in the recently-held international food and hospitality event Aahar 2016, the apex food regulator was rated average in terms of operations by the participants.

Around 30% FBOs participating in the event rated FSSAI as an average organisation based on six questions that were put to them with regard to various aspects of FSSAI’s operations.

With regard to questions related to FSSAI’s operations, the FBOs were asked to rate FSSAI on a scale of 1 to 5 wherein 1 being the best.

The questions pertained to aspects such as whether FSSAI Act, 2006, was easy to understand, whether licensing regulations were easy to understand, whether packaging labelling regulations were easy to understand, how do you rate FSSAI product standards?, how do you rate FSSAI Act/ Regulations vis-à-vis international regime? And how do you rate your interaction with our food safety officer/department?

According to the results, 21% FBOs found FSSAI’s working “good” and gave it the highest rating of 1, 18% gave it the rating of 4 while 11% gave it the rating of 5 (which is the lowest).

Most of the participants (68%) at Aahar 2016 were food manufacturers wherein, total 71% people have rated FSSAI average and above, according to the survey.

The survey also found that there is lack of awareness about Schedule 4 of Licensing and Registration Regulations, 2011, filing an application for pre-arrival document and import NOC, tracking licensing application online, helpline number to seek software(FLRS/FICS) related assistance, launch of MobileApp, nearest food safety officer’s name and contact details.

According to the officials of FSSAI it was decided that an awareness campaign should therefore be conducted to make the FBOs aware of the facts about FSSAI. The survey also found that most of the FBOs were filing the licences and import through third party.

It was also decided to conduct more surveys in order to draw precise inference as the number of FBOs participating in the event was very less, said an official with FSSAI.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Govt 'non-serious' in implementation of FS&S Act

SRINAGAR, May 10: Despite the High Court directions to implement all provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, the state government has over the years failed to act in this regard.

Sources told Early Times that two qualified doctors and 14 food inspectors were first notified for Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). They were designated as Health Officers and Food safety Officers respectively, and then de-notified forthwith.

"There is a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and its proceedings have been stayed by the Supreme Court. Though High Court gave its judgment in the interest of public health, but the government machinery is least bothered about it," said sources.

Sources quoting the Food Safety Commissioner (FSC) said that there is a dearth of well-trained, educated and well qualified persons which is a requirement for the implementation of Food Safety Standard (FSS) Act provisions, adding that there is a lack of funds and infra-structure for the operation too.

"The first step of the Commissioner Food safety was that he divested two Health Officers (Qualified doctors) deputed for Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) of their function as designated officers," said sources.

Sources said that instead of two qualified officers, two less qualified Food Inspectors (turned Assistant Commissioner and designated officers) were given the big responsibility to function.

"These two were previously working as Food Inspectors and later they were given the title of Assistant Commissioner Food, and then Designated Officer accordingly which is a sheer injustice with the professionals," sources said.

Sources said that there are 14 Food safety Officers who have rendered their services as Food Inspectors and are active from past 20 years in Srinagar and Jammu urban locality. Time and again they were de-notified which means that they will be no more able to perform any duty under FSS Act for checking Food adulteration etc.

Sources said that after analyzing from every point it seems that injudicious decision has been taken place, because there is lack of man power as averred by Commissioner Food himself. Making 14 experienced food safety officers/food Inspectors as functionless and replacing professional Doctors (Health Officer) was never in the interest of public health.

While as it has also come to fore that such step is prejudiced and biased because Health & Medical Education Department has connived with the food inspectors of his own department, sources added.

FSSAI taking steps to check quality of imported food

NEW DELHI,

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has taken various steps to ensure quality of imported food products, including developing a risk-based import prioritisation system.

In reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Health Shripad Yesso Naik said FSSAI had also implemented pre-arrival document scrutiny (PADS) in online food clearance system from February this year.

This is operational in ports of Chennai, Kolkata and Tuticorin.

The other steps taken to check the quality of imported food products include development of an integrated declaration form by the Customs department based on FSSAI inputs, and framing regulations for different food categories and machinery for their enforcement.

On the issue of an international alert on import of ‘plastic’ rice that the government received last year, the Minister said there have been no instances of import of plastic or synthetic rice in the Food Import Clearance System and no such incidence of import had been reported by State governments, too.

On issue of usage of calcium carbide for ripening fruits, the Minister informed the House that various steps had been taken to increase awareness among food commissioners on the harmful effects of these practices and the methodology for detection of Acetylene in godowns and storage chambers.

How can restaurants and food safety body work together to ensure safe food?

And in order to meet basic necessities food safety body FSSAI is working together with the representatives of food business operators to provide healthy and hygienic food to the masses

Food hygiene and food safety forms an integral part of every catering industry and high standards are needed to protect health of consumers. When a food service opens its doors, a responsibility to serve “safe food” is incurred. According to the food business operator to assure long term success, it is imperative to value quality of the food and service being provided to the customers. And, in order to meet basic necessities, food safety body FSSAI is working together with the representatives of food business operators to provide healthy and hygienic food to the masses.

Ensuring food safety

To make the scene more accessible, food safety watchdog is bringing guidelines for all the food operators wherein they need to abide by certain parameters to serve health food under a hygienic and neat environment. In a recently held meeting where FSSAI has called food operators to discuss the way forward to deliver best foods to customers.

There are two major documents that need to be shown once a customer visit a restaurant or has asked owners to show it.

FSSAI license: the government is planning to make it mandatory to show the food safety license given to a restaurant by the safety body to make sure people are satisfied with what they are eating.

Customer Feedback: Customer feedback is always welcomed by the top restaurants in the country. Top brands that are running under the lines of global parameters are already taking care of certain feedback.

New Endeavours to Overcome These Challenges

And, with growing business food safety is becoming a major concern in the society. With lack of awareness about health and hygienic food, lack of adequate workforce, India being one of the top most countries in terms of food business is facing the hygienic issue. And, to overcome the lacunae, FSSAI is aiming to revise standards providing detailed requirements of food hygiene and safety in the food for various categories of FBOs. The hygiene standards will be classified into three categories.

Basic: These standards will cover the minimal basic food hygiene and food safety requirements that are mandatory for anyone working in the arena of food. These requirements will be suffice for FBOs such as retailers, storekeepers, transporters, petty business operators, etc.

“We can co-create the process wherein every food operator should come and abide by it,” shared Prakul Kumar, Secretary General NRAI which represents over 1400 restaurants in India.

Advanced: These standards will provide a detailed specification of food hygiene and food safety standards and GHP’s for the small restaurants and FBO’s involved in food manufacture/ preparation. Also, retailers, storekeepers, transport systems, etc. handling perishable food items frequently.

Adding to the same lines, Shivan Khanna of Taj Hotels shared,” We are already ISO 2200 certified hotels. We have regular internal as well as external audits on food safety hygiene training.”

Global: These standards will be at power with the international standards. These will be more detailed and stringent than other two groups. These standards will be mandatory for star rated restaurants and hotels, bigger chains of restaurants, FBO’s into export. Also, small restaurants and FBO’s can voluntarily opt for these standards to improve their overall hygiene and food safety.

Sharing his view on the food safety, Khurshid Alam Khan of ITC shared that ITC was one of the few hotels in India which followed all the global parameters in meeting the needs of food safety in India. “We are 5 per cent ahead of global average of food safety,” shared Khan who looks after the food safety issues at ITC.

Going forward, FSSAI is also planning to have one person at all restaurants and food outlets that are trained by FSSAI on meeting the best practices when it comes to food safety and hygiene.

No formal intimation about milk adulteration: Govt

No formal intimation has been received regarding adulteration of any major brand of packaged milk in the recent past, Government today told the Rajya Sabha even as it listed out a number of measures to check the sale of spurious milk across the country. 

"The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) has informed that it has not received any formal intimation regarding adulteration of any major brand of packaged milk in recent past," Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Shripad Yesso Naik said. 

He was responding to a question whether recently some top brands of packaged milk have been found to be adulterated and steps being taken by the government to check packaged milk adulteration. 

Naik said the government has launched a pilot project in three states to check spurious milk by providing them an advanced machine, which can check 90 to 100 samples per hour. 

"This machine has so far been given only to three states (Delhi, UP and Chandigarh) on pilot basis. If it gives good result, we will consider to give it to all states," the minister said. 

He was apparently referring to the Advanced Electronic Milk Adulteration Tester (EMAT), which can test fat, protein content, SNF (solid not fat), water content, presence of glucose and electrodes in milk. 

"Under the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006, the responsibility of FSSAI mainly concerns laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availablity of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. 

"The implementation of enforcement of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and regulations thereunder primarily rests with the state and union territory governments," he said.

(Reopen PAR29) 

Naik said that the FSSAI regularly takes up the issue of enforcement of provisions of the Act and regulations thereunder the state/UT authorities. 

"A surveillance plan for states has been prepared by a Working Group of Food Safety Commissioners taking into account various parameters including consumption pattern for cultural and festival occassions," the minister said. 

In order to pay focussed attention to the adulteration of milk and milk products, a special cell has been created in the FSSAI, he said. 

He informed the House that the FSSAI has recently organized an interface between wholesale consumers of milk and producers of milk products. 

"In pursuance of such initiatives, FSSAI in April this year distributed EMAT to three states---Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Union Territory of Chandigarh on pilot basis," Naik said. 

The minister also told the House that Secretary of Health Department had on February 13 written to Chief Secretaries of all states and union territories requesting them to issue instructions to administrative and police authorities to extend all cooperation to the food safety authorities in carrying out surveillance activities to check food adulteration and manufacture or sale of substandard food items.

Duty-free shops outside food safety ambit: FSSAI

Regulator overrules internal view on ensuring protection against bio-terrorism and food safety

Ignoring internal warnings about the potential threat of bio-terrorism and general safety of consumers, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to stop regulating imported food and beverages sold at duty-free shops across the country.

Business Standard reviewed internal FSSAI documents, dated between January and April 2016, showing the authority’s chairperson overruling his subordinate officials’ opinion that the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) Act, 2006, requires the authority to regulate imported food, regardless of whether it is sold at duty-free stores or in other parts of the country. The internal advice made a persistent case for continued regulatory oversight of duty-free shops to ensure imported food products are generally safe for consumption and particularly to address potential bio-terrorism.

The internal decision comes at a time when FSSAI faces a case in the Delhi High Court, filed by Hyderabad Duty Free Retail, a 100% subsidiary of GMR. The firm, which runs the duty-free operations at Hyderabad International Airport, has contended that FSSAI has no power to regulate the food and beverage products being sold at different international airports. So far, FSSAI had argued in court that it did.

FSSAI did not respond to detailed queries sent by Business Standard. But the Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, said: “The issue that you mentioned has been resolved in favour of what people wanted.”

When asked if duty free shops would be outside the purview of FSSAI and the FSSA Act now, he said: “Yes, because you cannot regulate what has not come in to the country. It’s taking something for personal consumption, whether you buy it from duty free shop here or abroad it does not really matter. If they (food and beverage products) do not come out of the custom bounded area then technically they have not come in to the country.”

The market for duty-free goods sold in India was estimated at $215 million annually in 2012 by the CAPA Centre for Aviation. According to industry experts, more than 70% of the food and beverages that comes under the purview of FSSAI regulations. The total business of retail, food and beverages at duty-free shops in India was estimated to have a potential of $3.5 billion by 2021.

Now, FSSAI chairperson Ashish Bahuguna has ordered that the Authority lay off regulating this industry entirely.

“I’m not sure whether pursuance of this matter would be judicious deployment of our resources, given that this affects only a minuscule number of people (who are, in any case, carrying similar food articles purchased from abroad in their personal luggage),” he wrote in January.

FSSAI’s legal experts and officials objected to the chairperson’s recommendations.

Its legal advisor wrote: “To fulfill our legal obligation under the Act, we cannot afford to bypass any group of food business operators under the legal boundary of India. If such food is brought into the country, even if it is at duty-free shops, it could pose a risk to the life of millions (even minuscule quantities if they have trace levels of the above bacterial and viral agents), if we don’t even bring it in our ambit and follow the basic procedures of inspection and sampling. It is appreciated that our resources are limited at present, but the same will need to be provided to ensure all areas concerning food are addressed as per enacted legislation.”

The advice came appended with an 11-page note on the threat of bio-terrorism from even small quantities of virus and bacterial agents could be used through food to cause grievous injuries to many.

The note said the FSSA Act is concerned with any food within the geographical territory of India and if any untoward event occurs at the duty-free shops, it is also covered by the laws of the country. “In the developed world, every imported food consignment is subject to careful scrutiny, especially addressing the capability of food as a tool for bio-terrorism,” said the advisor.

Section 1(2) of the FSSA Act says: “It extends to the whole of India.” In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — FSSAI’s equivalent — is the regulatory agency entrusted to “take steps to protect the public from a threatened or actual terrorist attack on the US food supply and other food-related emergencies”.

The FSSAI chairperson responded to the warning from his subordinate about bio-terrorism and said: “A very interesting and informative treatise, which has little or no relevance to the case at hand. We have to address basics of food safety, not of bio-terrorism or disease control which are within the mandate of other agencies. We must recognise that the aim of our Act is to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food and cannot be the instrument to prevent acts of bio-terrorism, which, in any case will operate outside the confines of the legal system of the country. The measures adopted by us have to be no more restrictive of trade than is required to achieve an appropriate level of health protection.”

He added that passengers arriving in the country from abroad were allowed to carry food for personal consumption and these goods were not for commercial purposes and “hence cannot pose risk to public health under normal circumstances”.

“I reiterate that we should not contest this matter any further,” he concluded, referring to the court case where petitioners have contended that FSSAI does not have any powers to enforce food safety at duty-free shops.

The issue of regulating duty-free shops arose in the FSSAI as an overarching recommendation from the FSSAI chairperson that the central authority should move out of enforcement of the law and leave it to the states. Under the law, FSSAI is the sole agency in India authorised to ensure the safety of imported food and beverages.

Talking to Business Standard, the officiating secretary and member of the National Disaster Management Authority, which has guidelines on biosafety, RK Jain, said: “NDMA has no direct role in regulating food at the airports for bio-safety and bio-terrorism. If the food is coming to India at duty-free shops, for consumption in India, it is the responsibility of FSSAI.” Jain, a retired IAS officer, has earlier served in the Union health ministry, the nodal ministry for FSSAI.

The legal advisers and officials of FSSAI did not concur with the chairperson and noted that even the food sold in airlines and restaurants at airports by caterers was subject to FSSAI approval and the point was not whether outbound or inbound consumers had it but that “the plausibility remains that any person may get affected by substandard and/or unsafe food items available in duty-free shops and has no redress against erring food business operators”.

The officer said: “Is there going to be a blanket exemption for them (operators running duty-free shops)? In such cases, end-use may also go to the open market in the absence of any regulatory regime, which affects human health, no matter how small the magnitude.”

The documents record the officials also protesting when decision was taken at the highest level in the FSSAI to inform the FSSAI council not to contest the matter in the high court.

“At the cost of repetition, it is submitted that above stand is reneging on previous stand taken in this matter (also taken by the competent authority) and this stand is averse to the Delhi HC order. This may lead to adverse judicial pronouncements, including contempt of court for not complying with earlier directions ex-parte not only for FSSAI but also for Union of India.” Subsequently, a meeting of all concerned officials was held in the chamber of the CEO of FSSAI on the matter, but the decision remained to stop regulating the sale of food and beverages at duty-free shops.

The decision by the FSSAI is expected to bring relief to the duty-free retail sector, which has often lobbied against bringing its business under the purview of FSSAI. The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA), an industry body, noted on its website on April 6, 2016: “APTRA is now working alongside the International Spirits & Wine Association of India to further discuss the regulations and exemption for duty free with the FSSAI chairman. At a meeting last month with India’s Central Board of Excise and Customs, the joint secretary expressed his understanding of the industry position and said they would be taking the issue up with the FSSAI.”

It said it had ‘joined forces’ and ‘coordinated action’ on Indian food safety authority’s guidelines with other industry bodies and “has met and engaged with several foreign trade delegations in New Delhi, including the British, French, the US and the EU” on the new proposed regulations of FSSAI that impact duty-free retail sector as well as other imports.

The dispute with the GMR subsidiary over regulation of duty-free shops by FSSAI is to be heard again this month in the Delhi High Court.

Avoid this packaged Poison

The trap of trans fats

The Indian population is genetically predisposed to cardiovascular diseases. Consumption of ‘vanaspati’ compounds this risk

There is no way of verifying the presence of trans fats in street food items. 

The US food and drug administration (FDA) issued a press release in June stating that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of trans fats, are “not generally recognized as safe” for human consumption. The federal agency gave food manufacturers in the US three years to completely remove PHOs from their products.

Trans fats are noxious for heart health and this single action by the FDA is likely to reduce both the incidence of heart disease and the number of heart attacks by the thousands in the US.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), however, is yet to issue any directive on this issue.

The reason trans fats have been used traditionally by the food industry in India and abroad is because they increase taste, add texture, increase the shelf life of regular food products and reduce the cost of production. Medical research, however, shows that consuming trans fats significantly increase the risk of heart disease.

A review of the medical literature, titled Health Effects Of Trans-fatty Acids: Experimental And Observational Evidence, on the effects of trans fats on heart health—published in the European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition in 2009—found that “among dietary fats, trans fats leave a unique cardio-metabolic imprint”, contributing significantly to an increased risk of heart disease. The review by cardiologist D. Mozaffarian and his colleagues shows that trans fats produce the cardio-toxic effect in a number of ways: They increase the blood levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, while reducing blood levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Trans fats also increase the amount of C-reactive protein in the blood, increasing the inflammation of the arteries while interfering with the proper functioning of the immune system. 

Ram Rajasekharan, director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysuru, says in an email interview: “The Indian population is already identified as genetically predisposed to cardiovascular diseases. In addition, epidemiological data points to greater risk of coronary heart disease from an increase in dietary trans fats. Hence, consumption of  vanaspati (a source of trans fats) compounds the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the Indian population.”

Trans fats are found in many popular foods, including cakes, biscuits, cookies, potato chips, French fries and fried food. In the US, food manufacturers are required to state the amount of trans fat in their food product if the level exceeds 0.5mg per serving—as prescribed by the FDA. This isn’t required of the Indian food manufacturer.

Only one Indian brand, a bakery, issued a press release in 2009 saying that it was removing trans fats from its baked products. And though an industry source says that more branded Indian food manufacturers are following suit, the only way of knowing that a processed food product doesn’t have trans fats, or has minimal trans fats, is when the manufacturer voluntarily puts such information on the label.

In India, the uncertainty is even greater in street food. One can at least find out if trans fats are being used or not in labelled products, but there is no way to verify its presence in the food that one eats outside.

While there is no question that trans fats are best avoided, one also needs to understand that dietary fats are important for good health. Dietary fats are a major source of energy for the body, keep us feeling full longer and aid in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K. So choose to cook and bake with liquid oils like canola and olive (that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids) while using sources of saturated fat like ghee and butter sparingly, and eliminate vanaspati from your diet.

The good news is that the Indian government, too, is moving to mandate a reduction. “In 2015, the FSSAI had issued a notification to reduce the maximum permitted amount of trans fats to 5% in hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarine and fat spreads and interesterified vegetable fat. This regulation will be effective on and from 27 August this year,” says Rajasekharan.

In other words, the amount of trans fats in PHOs will soon be reduced by the Indian oil industry.

Sujata Kelkar Shetty, PhD, is a wellness expert and a certified life coach. She has formerly worked as a clinical scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, US.

1.5 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized

Officials from the Food Safety and Standards Department on Monday seized 1.5 tonnes of mangoes that were artificially ripened using carbide stones.

Complaint

The seizure was based on a complaint received by Designated Officer (for Coimbatore District), of the department O.L.S. Vijay three days ago.

Food Safety Officer K. Suruli, who conducted the raid, said that the persons who had complained over phone alleged that wholesale and retail fruit traders, at Karuppanna Gowder Street and Pavizham Street were artificially ripening the fruits.

Despite their visit to the places the officers could not find such incidents till Sunday.

On Monday morning, the officers after conducting a surprise check at nearly 15 shops spotted racks of mangoes in boxes with carbide stones in them, being sold to consumers in a retail outlet and in a godown.

Three varieties of mangoes worth Rs. 60,000 was seized and sent to the Corporation’s dump yard at Vellalore.

This is the first crackdown on artificially ripened fruits (using carbide) this summer.

Department personnel said that they were unable to conduct such drives earlier this year as have been deputed for election duty.

Officers said that some of the shops in that locality were closed and that such raids will continue in the coming days.

Why Do Kids Prefer French Fries Over Apple?

Keeping children away from junk food is a difficult task for almost every parent. It is important to feed children with the healthiest possible diet so that they grow up to become healthy adults. But, children prefer fries at restaurants and red meat at buffets over the regular healthy diet.

Researchers have recommended a way to keep children away from junk foods. Placing healthy food more visible and conveniently can help children eat it and stay healthy. 

‘Providing a smaller portion of the less healthy food and a larger serving of fruits and vegetables could be a realistic solution to prevent children eating junk foods.’

The findings of the study showed that most of the children chose French fries over apples when apples were presented as the default option. 

"We guessed that children would opt out of a healthier default when much-loved fries were an option," said David Just from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in the US.

"We were surprised that this was the case even for a relatively attractive healthy option like apple slices," added Just.

The researchers analyzed 15 children aged from six to eight. Chicken nuggets were ordered from a fast food restaurant to see if children would opt out of the healthy option. 

Half of the children were given fries with their meal and told they could exchange them for apples. The other half were given apples and said that they could exchange them for fries. 

The findings showed that 86.7 % of the children who were given apples opted to swap for fries.

"A more realistic solution would be to offer a smaller portion of fries with apples and in this way, children aren't forfeiting their favorite food; they are just eating less of it," said another researcher Brian Wansink.

New food regulations to ban sale of junk food in Delhi's school canteens

The Delhi Food Safety Department and the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) will soon chalk out a policy on what kind of food is best suited for the city's school students.

Schools will be given strict guidelines to promote nutritious and healthy food in their canteens, and to completely avoid the sale of junk food.

In a meeting held recently, officials from the Food Safety Department and the FSSAI discussed the need to serve nutritious food to children as the issue of students' health was a high priority.

Strict new regulations could soon ban junk food from Delhi's school canteens 

“We will be working on a policy regarding the food served in school canteens. The health of the students will be kept on high priority. Food items with high nutritional value will be majorly served to the students,” said Dr Mrinalini Darswal, Commissioner, Department of Food Safety, Delhi Government. 

The Food and Drug Department monitors the food policy in the city through random surprise inspections, and by raiding "suspicious" food establishments.

It also collects samples of food items that could be adulterated, sub-standard, or unbranded. On average, it receives 125 food samples in a month for testing. 

The department also carries out consumer awareness campaigns, and works to educate those in the food business about food safety management systems as prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

“We will also speak to the nutrition experts to understand the requirement of students and will work on a policy accordingly,” added Darswal. 

In October 2015, the Food authorities had issued guidelines to schools, making it compulsory to serve only wholesome and nutritious food in their canteens.

This guidance will be converted into a regulation in due course, after the prescribed process of inviting comments and suggestions from various stakeholders.

Officials said these guidelines will help control junk food consumption among pupils in India.

Prepared by an expert committee constituted by FSSAI, the guidelines give details of how consumption of junk food, which is high in fat, salt, and sugar, is linked with increasing cases of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension among school children.

The guidelines include the following principles: 

a) The benefits of balanced, fresh, and traditional food cannot be replaced.

b) Schools are not the right place to sell foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. 

c) Children are not the best judges of their food choices.

Obesity, diabetes and hypertension are rising alarmingly among school students, as they find it tempting to pick up packets of junk food in their canteens instead of eating the healthy, home-cooked food that might be packed in their lunch boxes.

Pulse import: FSSAI sets foreign matter limit at 3% by weight

FSSAI issues draft quality regulations.

In a bid to ensure quality of imported pulses, food safety watchdog FSSAI has issued draft quality regulations and fixed the foreign matter limit at a maximum 3% by weight.

"The limits for foreign matter (extraneous matter) shall be maximum 3% by weight, of which the maximum 0.5% by weight may be the inorganic matter and impurities of animal origin," Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a notification.

The food regulator has also invited suggestions from all stakeholders.

Foreign matter means anything extraneous other than food grains. It can be inorganic matter like metallic pieces, sand, stones and organic matter consisting of husk, straws, weed seeds and other inedible grains.

The presence of foreign matter in food grains is considered as adulteration and the grains could be found unsuitable for human consumption.

The move has come at a time when the government is turning to imports to keep pulse prices in check.

Food safety department launches mobile labs

Thiruvananthapuram: Two mobile laboratories of food safety department will become operational by next month. Making the functioning the department more effective. The department was facing difficulties in conducting on the spot checking food items. The two mobile labs - one for the northern and other for the southern part of the state - are being launched spending Rs 1.08 crore.

Food safety commissioner T V Anupama said that the mobile laboratories could be helpful in conducting inspections at check posts and market places. "Usually, we have to take large number of samples for testing at labs. However, with the preliminary testing conducted in mobile labs, the number of samples that has to be taken to labs can be reduced," she said.

The mobile labs will conduct preliminary inspection. The samples, if found to be adulterated, will be brought to analytical labs for further analysis. "With the use of mobile labs, entry of adulterated milk, water and other products can be denied at the check post itself," Anupama said.

Tea, sweets and more: The toxins on your plate you don’t know about

The number of contaminants and pollutants in our food has so ballooned that keeping track of what’s really on your plate has become an impossible ask
You think you know what you’re eating. But do you really?
The number of contaminants and pollutants in our food has so ballooned that keeping track of what’s really on your plate has become an impossible ask.
Whether chemical or biological, the adulterations can creep in at any stage from farm to fork — in some cases during agriculture, in others, during storage and transportation, or processing, packaging and marketing.
Read: Tinkering with the food supply chain
Eating organic and knowing the source of your produce is one way to ensure a clean diet, say food safety experts.
Meanwhile, here’s a look at contaminants in your everyday diet that you probably don’t know are there.
IRON FILINGS IN TEA


The effects of an iron overload can range from an upset stomach to organ damage.
Dried in a sieve fitted with mesh, tea leaves are cut using iron rollers — a process that tends to leave behind traces of iron filings in your tea powder. Manufacturers typically remove these filings using magnets, but particles often get left behind. Based on a 2014 report by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s draft notification has set the iron limit in tea powder to 150 mg per kg.
“An iron overload can cause something as minor as an upset stomach or as serious as organ damage and even death,” says Dr Rommel Tikoo, senior consultant for internal medicine at Delhi’s Max Healthcare.
The daily allowance of iron is 18 mg for women and 8 mg for men.
ANIMAL RESIDUE IN SILVER LEAF

The silver leaf or
Did you know that the silver leaf or chandi ka varq atop Indian sweets, spices such as cardamom and paan, is often made by rolling and hammering silver between sheets of animal intestines?
In February this year, the FSSAI proposed a complete ban on the use of animal parts in any stage of manufacturing silver leaf, and now insists on the use of modern machinery instead.
It has also fixed limits for thickness, weight and purity of silver to avoid toxic aluminum foil being used as silver leaf.
ANTIBIOTICS IN CHICKEN
As recently as last year, the Centre for Science and Environment found antibiotic residue in chicken samples collected from Delhi-NCR. Of the 70 samples tested, 17% had more than one drug, found the 2014 study.
Some antibiotics found to be present were tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, which are used to treat infections, including those of the urinary tract, eye and ear, blood stream and diarrhoea, and infections of the respiratory tract like pneumonia and tuberculosis.
Read: How antibiotics in meat could be hurting you
Exposure to these antibiotics in food can result in anti-microbial resistance (AMR), which is often impossible to treat, says Dr Chand Wattal, honorary consultant in clinical microbiology at Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
HORMONES AND CHEMICALS IN FRUIT
The most commonly used chemical, the banned calcium carbide, is often contaminated with dangerous arsenic and phosphorus elements. When converted into arsine and phosphine, these contaminants can cause cancer.
Despite chemical ripening of fruits being prohibited under the Prevention of Food Adulteration rules, carbide compounds are rampantly used to do so.
The most commonly used chemical, the banned calcium carbide, is often contaminated with dangerous arsenic and phosphorus elements. When converted into arsine and phosphine, these contaminants can cause cancer.
Meanwhile, oxytocin, a mammalian hormone used to induce childbirth and lactation, is being injected into pumpkin, watermelon, brinjal, gourd and cucumber plants to pump up their sizes. Ingested over time, high levels of oxytocin can cause headaches, dizziness, seizures, heart disorders, sterility and even memory loss.
“These chemicals are endocrine disrupters that interfere with gene expressions and lead to hormonal imbalances,” says Dr SV Madhu, head of the endocrinology department at Delhi’s government-run Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital.
COLOUR BLUE IN DRINKS

The two artificial colours Indigo Carmine and Brilliant Blue, if used in more than their permissible amounts, could damage your brain and kidneys.
That funky blue cocktail you love to order could be damaging your brain and kidneys, if the two artificial colours Indigo Carmine and Brilliant Blue added to it are above their permissible limits.
During a 2011 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Advisory hearing, experts testified that this blue colour behaves differently than others, as it is absorbed more and has been noted to cross the blood-brain barrier, which could lead to permanent damage over time.
Read: Living in Color: The Potential Dangers of Artificial Dyes
“The brain has a protective covering that doesn’t normally allow what a person normally eats or drinks in. However, substances like narcotics, that are known to cross this blood-brain barrier, have the potential to damage brain cells,” says Dr Deepak Agrawal, additional professor at the neurosurgery department of Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
In India, the permissible limit for these two colours has been set at 100 parts/million.
ALUMINIUM PHOSPHIDE IN RICE TABLETS

Aluminium phosphide tablets are commonly used as a fumigant in rice.
Rice tablets, as they are commonly known, contain aluminium phosphide, which can lead to poisoning if ingested, or if the tablet crumbles, says Dr Pratik Samdani, head of medicine units at Mumbai’s Breach Candy and Jaslok hospitals. “These tablets are commonly used as a fumigant across India,” he says. “When ingested, they are poisonous as they contain mercury. They also crumble if they are not manufactured according to stipulated rules and regulations. This can poison all the rice in a sack.”
CHALK AND WATER IN MILK

Some vendors add chalk dissolved in water to milk. This can cause a build-up of calcium, which can cause kidney stones.
A recent study by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration found that 20% of milk sold in the state continues to be adulterated. “Milk can get contaminated by chemicals and bacteria,” says Dr Anil Ballani, consulting general physician at Mumbai’s Hinduja Healthcare Surgical Hospital. “Some vendors add chalk dissolved in water, which results in a build-up of calcium, which can cause kidney stones.”
A lot of unpasteurised milk is sold too, which is a key cause of contamination. “I see about two cases a month of milk-related poisoning,” Samdani adds.

Testing gods’ food

FSSAI should know its limits
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has a knack for ending up with an egg on its face. It has now taken cudgels with gods’ many abodes. After tasting defeat from multinationals like Nestle, for the controversial high content of lead in two-minute Maggi noodles, India’s top food regulator has set its goals higher-heavenwards, to be precise. Only gods know if they would like to taste FSSI-standardised bhog and prasad. The food regulator is hoping to ensure the “safety” of prasad distributed in temples and at other religious places. Its approach is secular, however.
The FSSAI has a challenging task on its organisational hands. According to the 2001 Census, India has 2.4 million places of worship, visited by approximately 300 million people every day. These numbers must have grown since, by the grace of God! While the FSSAI has already begun standardising prasad at famous temples like Shri Siddhivinayak temple (Mumbai), Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple (Tirupati) and Sai Baba temple (Shirdi), the fate of its crusade would rest with millions of bhakts. Will they like to have the food, supposedly partaken by the gods, after it is sullied in the name of sanitising and standardising by the FSSAI?
Where faith is at work, even angels fear to tread! But the FSSAI assumes to straighten up complex socio-cultural issues. The organisation is in its infancy. Launched only in 2006, it has no judicial power to punish offenders and was told by the Supreme Court in the Nestle case to remove ambiguity about its food regulations. They would know — not all prasad is sold in sealed packets. There is no mention of the ingredients on a packet and having a date of expiry would be a blasphemy. Yet, the authorities of all religious institutions have been asked to take a licence from the FSSAI for providing any kind of prasad, bhog, langar etc, even when they outsource it. It will require a lot of ingenuity to standardise charnamrit, the consecrated water, and the Eucharist across the country.

Health officials check ice, packaged water at factories

Vadodara: Food safety officers of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) conducted checking at factories manufacturing ice and packed water as well as products of mango sellers in the city on Friday and Saturday.
The officials checked nine ice factories, six packed drinking water units, two ice depots and nine establishments selling or storing mangoes. Officials destroyed 8,000 drinking water pouches and 32kg mangoes during the drive.

ARE YOU DRINKING TO DEATH? THE SODAS AND COLAS…

Everything in excess is gradual death in disguise. Everybody likes fizzy drinks (blame hyped advertisements). But, when these fizzy drinks are taken in excess, added sugar can have disastrous effects on your health. Research on these artificial sweetened drinks over the years by health experts revealed that there is alarming rate of rise in health related problems among public that even led to death of many. Millions of us consume countless gallons of soft beverages every day.
The sodas and colas are proven to be demon drinks in disguise piling up loads of sugars into your body there by adding enormous amount of unwanted calories causing serious health problems. Soda is nothing but artificial sugar water.
It’s deficient of any nutritional value. It leads to obesity and diabetes. But we have the small list of disturbing facts about what soda does to your body, whether it’s the side effects of sucralose and other artificial sweeteners or ingredients that can lead to memory loss. . Slow but sure Side Effects of Soda
SODA INCREASES THICK FAT AROUND LIVER AND SKELETAL MUSCLES.
Honest health researchers discovered that regular drinking non-diet soda leads to increase in building up fat around liver and skeletal muscles, which contributes to insulin resistance and diabetes. A study on regular soda drinker for 8 months saw a 140 to 152 percent jump in liver fat, a 120 to 240 percent increase in skeletal fat, and about a 40 % increase in both triglyceride blood fats and other organ fat. Also, it led to a 11 % increase in cholesterol, comparatively with people who drank water or milk. This is all about non-diet soda. Diet soda is not doing anything great either. Even diet soda will make you pot belly.



Health Science experts from the University of Texas closely experimented and supervised 300 adults for 5 years, and observed that those who drank diet soda had a dramatic 80 percent change in waist diameter, compared to people who didn’t drink diet soda or any soda. People who took 2 diet sodas everyday without a miss saw a 300 percent increase in waist circumference! Intrigued by these facts, health science center experts conducted a separate test on mice and found that it was the aspartame, which raised blood glucose levels, that caused the weight gain; when your liver encounters too much glucose, the excess is converted to body fat. Now you know why you need a reason to break your soda addiction.
THE DANGERS OF DRINKING COLA
Cola is nothing but caramel coated drink that leads to cancer. In 2013, many Public Interest Litigation petitions were filed with Supreme Court Of India and with India’s food safety and standards regulation (FSSAI), to ban Coca Cola .
Unfortunately, Supreme Court declined to ban Coca-Cola and it’s Co. beverages, saying that the pesticides are present in the water used in the manufacturing and, hence, form a component of the drinks. The court said “soft drink bottles packaged or containers” may be ordered to have a declaration that “level of pesticide residue is well within the applicable standards”, as suggested by the Union government.

Cans carrying the beverages may have to carry a declaration that the level of pesticide residue is well within applicable standards. It is to note that “Presence of pesticide residue in food and beverages is not prohibited as per the current standards laid down by the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminant, Toxins and Residues) as per Indian Regulations, 2011. Permissible quantity of pesticides such as arsenic and D.D.T are mentioned in the regulation. The rules currently permit pesticide to the tune of 1 part per billion (ppb) in edible products. “These are norms that most large beverage manufacturers are following so it does not make sense (to) say that permissible levels are already present in a given product,” an official expressed on condition of anonymity.
It is now up to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Union government to decide on requiring soft drink companies to add information on pesticide levels on their containers Like in India, the Food and Drug Administration in USA saw petitions to ban the artificial caramel coloring used to make Coke, Pepsi, and other colas brown. Petitioners argued that 2 hazardous contaminants in the coloring, 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, have been found to cause cancer in animals, a big threat and the coloring is purely cosmetic.
As per California’s strict Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, just 16 micrograms per person per day of 4-methylimidazole is enough to pose a cancer threat, and most popular brown colas, both diet and regular, contain 200 micrograms per 20-ounce bottle It Leads To Fast Aging Diet cola or regular cola, have phosphates, or phosphoric acid, a weak acid that gives colas their tangy flavor and improves their shelf life.
Excess of phosphoric acid can lead to heart and kidney problems, muscle loss, and osteoporosis, and majorly it may accelerate aging. After tests it is proven that too much phosphate levels found in sodas caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels.
This is a serious and disturbing trend that these beverage industries have been jumping the levels of phosphoric acid in their drinks over the decades.
SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
The artificial sweeteners such as soda or cola don’t digest in our bodies easily, nor do wastewater-treatment plants catch them before they enter waterways. Indian and Swiss scientists experimented samples from wastewater-treatment plants, and samples from rivers and lakes in Switzerland and found components of acesulfame K, sucralose, and saccharin, all used in diet sodas.

Aerating Ponds, Sewage Treatment Plant
Not only drinks Even the Cans Are Dangerous
Do you think it’s just the soda or cola that’s causing all the health issues?. Almost all cola cans are made up of aluminum and coated with an epoxy resin called bisphenol A (BPA), used to keep the acids in soda from reacting with the metal. BPA is known to hamper hormones, and may cause infertility to obesity and diabetes and some forms of reproductive cancers. The most vulnerable are the restaurant, school, and fast-food meals, which are a major source of exposure to the chemical.
DO YOU CARE FOR BIRDS?
Birds, mistake the debris for food and eat large quantities of aluminum and plastics, which they can’t digest. Eventually leading them to starve and die. It’s estimated that thousands of sea animals and birds die eating debris every year. Here is the link to photographs of Chris Jordan, an environmentalist and photographer who visited the Midway Atoll area in 2009.

It’s near the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” a mass of plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean where things like soda caps and plastic fish nettings, float just beneath the surface of the water. Here is the video.
With so much bad effects, you seriously got to think whether you want to still drink to death or embrace life.
Time to do good
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MBL gets ISO17025 standards for food, water analysis

Mangaluru: National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration of Laboratories (NABL) has accredited Mangalore Biotech Laboratory (MBL) with ISO17025 standard for analysis of food and water for biological and chemical parameters. Currently there are less than 10 such NABL accredited laboratories in the state for analysis of food and water and these are in Bengaluru and Mysuru, P Tauro, founder director of Mangalore Biotech Laboratory said.

With companies such as Infosys, MCF, BASF, KIOCL availing services of MBL, this is mainly on account of establishment of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), he said.

Enforce ban on calcium carbide use to ripen fruits: PIL in HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today sought response of the Centre, AAP government, police, municipal corporations and the food safety authority on a PIL seeking enforcement of ban on use of calcium carbide to artificially ripen fruits.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said the plea contains good suggestions and issued notices to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Delhi government, Commissioner of Police, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) as well as the north and south MCDs and sought their replies by August 10.
The petition has sought directions to the authorities “to enforce the ban on using calcium carbide which is illegally being used for ripening of fruits and leads to health hazards in the general public and to the labourers engaged in mixing the calcium carbide in the fruits”.
It has said that use of the “carcinogenic” chemical to ripen fruits was a violation of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution and sought directions to the authorities to also “take necessary and appropriate action against the persons” who are indulging in such activities.
The petition by NGO Society Standing for All Youth Mass Awareness has contended that “calcium carbide has carcinogenic properties and is used in gas welding. Being cheap and easily available in the local markets, it is indiscriminately being used in preference to other recommended practices of inducing ripening in fruits”.
The PIL, filed through advocate Deepak Mahapatra, has also said that “ingestion of calcium carbide, popularly called ‘masala’ in the market, can affect the neurological system of a person and causes several side effects” apart from “arsenic or phosphorus poisoning”.
It has said that under food safety laws, use of calcium carbide can be prevented by strong implementation and enforcement of law.
It has also said that the fruits ripened out of calcium carbide are unsafe food as defined under the FSSA Act which prescribes punishment of imprisonment ranging from six months to life as well as penalty for use of calcium carbide.

FDA seizes artificially-ripened mangoes worth Rs 5 lakh

PANAJI: The officials of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on Friday, seized around 4000 kg of artificially-ripened mangoes worth Rs 5 lakh from a fruit vendor’s house at Siolim. The mangoes were destroyed at the Mapusa housing board.
“The mangoes were found to have been artificially ripened with ethopen/etheryl chemical which is a plant growth regulator commonly used by farmers. Through this treatment of chemical, mangoes get artificially ripened in 24 hours with a yellowish colour while the natural ripening process takes around four to five days,” said a senior food safety officer.
The raid was conducted following a tip-off regarding use of chemicals to artificially ripen the mangoes. During the raid, the FDA officials found artificially-ripened stocks of mangoes in the custody of S Banaulikar and several empty plastic bottles of ethopen/etheryl chemical in the backyard of the premises. Plastic buckets and tubs, that were used for preparing the chemical solution, were also found.
Officials said these methods make mangoes appear bright yellow and have a longer shelf life but are dangerous for consumption.
The person carrying out artificial ripening of fruits could get punishment upto 3 years of imprisonment or fine of upto Rs 5 lakh or both under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “We are in the process of conducting further investigation before initiating any final action as per the Act against the vendor,” director of FDA Salim Veljee said.
The official further informed that “we had also done a similar surveillance last month in Siolim but only found discarded empty chemical bottles.” Also the food safety analysis on mango, after lapse of several hours, does not show positive results, hence no action can be taken.
A special team of laboratory analysts of the FDA, which accompanied and assisted the enforcement officials at the site, conducted spot analytical identification tests of the chemical used for the artificial ripening.
With the mango season arriving in the state, the food safety department has tightened its noose on the sale of artificially-ripened mangoes and in last 15 days it has kept constant surveillance in Siolim area in the north, Gandhi Market, Malbhat, Zari waddo in South Goa and the area near Apollo hospital.
With use of calcium carbide not allowed to ripen the mangoes, the traders have now started using ethopen chemical to do the same, which is a plant growth regulator. The chemical is often used by wholesalers who want to offload large stocks before the arrival of the main season, so that they can capitalise on the initial demand.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

பழக்கடைகளில் திடீர் ஆய்வு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி அதிரடி

வானூர், மே 6:
வானூர் தாலுகா திருச் சிற் றம் ப லம் கூட் டு ரோட் டில் கோடை காலத் தை யொட்டி திடீர் பழக் க டை கள், குளிர் பானக் க டை கள் உத ய மாகி உள் ளது. குறிப் பாக சப் போட்டா மற் றும் மாம் பழங் கள் வரத்து தற் போது உள் ளது.
மாம் ப ழம் சீசன் தற் போது ஆரம்ப கட் டம் என் ப தால் நல்ல விலை போ கி றது. அத னால் ரசா யன கற் களை பயன் ப டுத்தி பழம் பழுக்க வைத்து விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றதா என் பதை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அதி காரி வர லட் சுமி உத் தர வின் பே ரில் அதி கா ரி கள் திடீர் ஆய்வு செய் த னர்.
திருச் சிற் றம் ப லம் கூட்டு ரோடு, புளிச் சப் பள் ளம் உள் ளிட்ட பகு தி க ளில் வானூர் உதவி பாது காப்பு அதி காரி சந் தி ர சே க ரன் ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் டார். அப் போது ரசா யன கற் கள் பயன் ப டுத்தி பழுக்க வைத்த 3 கூடை சப் போட்டா மற் றும் 1 கூடை மாம் ப ழம் ஆகி ய வற்றை பறி மு தல் செய்து அப் பகுதி யில் வைத்து அழித் த னர். மேலும் இது போன்ற செயல் க ளில் வியா பா ரி கள் ஈடு பட் டால் கடு மை யான நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என் றும் எச் ச ரித் தார்.

Food Fraud: A Growing Global Evil

How often have you felt that the milk you consume seems to be more watery than usual? How often have you noticed the uncharacteristic red stain left behind on your fingers after the use of chili powder? How often have you bitten into a forlorn sand grain while consuming your staple? Food, which is our basic sustenance and fuel for our life force is now being contaminated and wasted in large proportions for the sake of personal monetary gain. Even the milk that we drink is not as pure as it may seem. For all we know it may contain adulterants that have been used as thickening agents.

Food fraud hasn’t just been a thing of the recent times but has its roots in times that date back to a millennium where the most commonly adulterated items included olive oil, tea, wine and spices. The most common food items and substances adulterated today however are honey, meat and other grain based food; fruit juices, organic foods, coffee and processed foods.

With the latest Maggi fiasco, it may seem as though India has suddenly woken up to the troubling problem of the lack of Food Quality and Safety, but in actuality this situation is not just for India to deal with but the world as food fraud is a global evil. Due to tough laws and weak regulation in matters concerning the Maggi situation, thousands of people have lost their jobs and many industries and companies that depended on the Maggi stock and shares have gone into a loss on their business worth more than several hundred crores. Nestle Maggi faced an estimated loss of up to ₨ 320 crores where instant noodles worth ₨ 210 crore were withdrawn from the market and destroyed and another ₨ 110 crore worth of finished and related material stock remained at its factory outlets and distribution centers.

It is very rare that food frauds are picked out as most of the cases go unnoticed adding to the growing losses affecting the nation’s GDP. The criminals generally use adulterants that do not cause drastic physical harm or public menace in order to go undetected by authorities. Consumers too, largely don’t pay much attention to the quality, allowing food fraud to go incognito.

India’s corruption rank out five in the Global Food Security Index is a staggering three when the world average is just a mere 2.6. This indicates that corruption has a major role to play in the likes of food adulteration. One of corruption’s many faces is food adulteration, which has caused people to compromise food quality and public health along with the nation’s economic growth for the sake of their voracious pockets.

According to the reports sent to the Union Health Ministry, milk and water too haven’t been left out in the race for the most adulterated goods. They too are adulterated along with instant noodles and pasta. Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu seem to be the worst offenders among other states in milk and water adulteration as indicated in the reports made to the Union Health Ministry. The production of milk was at an estimated 146 million tons in 2014-15 alone. Large scale importing of milk and milk products is also being done and food fraud in these sectors results in major losses to the government. Milk from cows have often milk from other animals added to it apart from chalk but also adulterated with reconstituted milk powder, urea, and rennet, among other products (oil, detergent, caustic soda, sugar, salt, and skim milk powder). Another common occurrence with milk is it’s watering down and then adding of a chemical, melamine, to hide the dilution.

As part of a 2009 public meeting, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adopted a working definition for Food Fraud as “fraudulent, intentional substitution or addition of a substance in a product for the purpose of increasing the apparent value of the product or reducing the cost of its production, i.e., for economic gain.”

Economically Motivated Adulteration, in the global sense has a much more devastating impact than in India alone. The Grocery Manufacturers Association estimates that food fraud may cost the global food industry between $ 10 billion to $ 15 billion per year, affecting approximately 10% of all commercially sold products. Food fraud occurs in a variety of forms ranging from replacement and addition to removal.

Food Adulteration will cause a loss of the consumer’s trust in the food supply chain, and a loss in trust among regulators, industry, and may result in market and trade disruptions causing economic injury to the nation’s economy. Economically motivated adulteration is often a significant financial and public relation crisis for food industries and companies.

So what has the world and India done to combat this growing evil?

The United States of America has formed two important agencies or associations in order to combat the problem of food security and fraud. The first being the Food and Drug Administration FDA, one of the principle federal agencies and the other being the United States Department of Agriculture USDA, the second principle agency that works to protect the food supply from food safety risks, unintentionally and intentionally introduced contamination as a part of its border inspections. These two agencies are the most noted and leading food regulatory authorities. The FDA is responsible for cross checking the safety of all the domestic and imported food products and the USDA is responsible for regulating most of the meat, poultry and egg products.

According to Commissioner of the Department of Food Safety in Delhi, the government of India has enacted and notified a new law namely, “Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006” and the “Food Safety and Standard Rule, 2011”. However, food safety laws for anti-adulteration of food have already been in place since 1954 in the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. Since the quality and safety of food is a major concern for the people, the FSSAI has strengthened its regulations towards domestic and imported goods to ensure no contamination or adulteration takes place.

Despite all the measures being taken to ensure safe consumption of food, this malevolence will not be eradicated unless one of its root causes is taken care off, that is corruption. As the years move on, it is our hope that we don’t end up drinking water as a substitute for milk.

கார்பைடு மாம்பழங்களை கண்டறிவது எப்படி...ஒரு உஷார் ரிப்போர்ட்

முக்கனி என்று அழைக்கப்படும் மா,பலா,வாழை யில் மாம்பழத்திற்கு மயங்காதவர்களே இருக்கமுடியாது. அந்த அளவிற்கு அதன் சுவை நம் நாவை சுண்டி இழுக்கும்.மேலும் மேலும்சாப்பிட வைக்கும்.

மாம்பழ சீசன் துவங்கிவிட்ட நிலையில் காணும் இடங்களிலெல்லாம் மாம்பழக்கடைகள் முளைத்துள்ளன. சீசனும் மாம்பழத்தின் மீதான மக்களின் ஆர்வமும் பல இடங்களில் மாம்பழக்கடைக்காரர்களை தடுமாற வைக்கிறது. விற்பனையை அதிகரித்து லாபம் ஈட்ட செயற்கையான முறையில் மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்கவைக்கின்றனர். மாம்பழ ஆசையில் அதை பரிசோதிக்காமல் வாங்கி உண்டுவிட்டு உடல்நிலையை கெடுத்துக்கொள்கிறார்கள் பலர்.

தற்போது தமிழகத்தின் சராசரி வெப்பநிலையே 100 டிகிரி ஃபாரன்ஹீட் என்று சொல்லும் அளவு வெயிலின் தாக்கம் அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. கோடையில் அதிகம் விளையக்கூடிய மாம்பழம் தற்போது விற்பனைக்கு வந்துள்ளது. கார்பைடு மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்கள்தான் அச்சுறுத்தலுக்கு உரியது. அதற்கு காரணம், கார்பைடு கல்லில் இருக்கக்கூடிய அசிட்டிலீன் வாயுவின் மூலம் மா, வாழை போன்றவைகளை 12 முதல் 24 மணி நேரத்துக்குள் பழுக்க வைக்க முடிகிறது. காய்களில் இயற்கையாக உள்ள எத்திலின் வாயு மூலம் சாதாரண ஒரு காய் 48 முதல் 72 மணி நேரத்துக்குள் பழுத்துவிடும். எனினும், அதிக விற்பனையை கருத்திற்கொண்டு பழ வியாபாரிகள் செயற்கையாக பழங்களை பழுக்க வைக்கின்றனர். 

இதுபோன்று செயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட பழங்களை உண்பதன் மூலம் நரம்பு மண்டலம் பாதிக்கும். கல்லீரல், குடல், இரைப்பையும் பாதிக்கும். குழந்தைகள், முதியவர்கள் இதுபோன்ற பழங்களை அதிகம் உட்கொண்டால், அவர்களுக்கு கடும் வயிற்றுப்போக்கு, ஒவ்வாமை ஏற்படும். கார்பைடு மூலம் பழுக்கவைக்கப்பட்ட பழங்கள் நல்ல கனமாகவும், தோல் பகுதி வெளிர் மஞ்சள் நிறத்திலும், தோலை நீக்கிப் பார்த்தால் உள்ளே காய்வெட்டாக இருக்கும். காம்பு பகுதியில் லேசாக கீறினால் புளிப்பு சுவைக்கான மணம் வீசும். இதன்மூலம் செயற்கையாக பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட பழங்களை மக்கள் கண்டறிய முடியும். 

அவசர உலகத்தில் இதனை கண்டறியும் மனமோ,நேரமோ இல்லாத அப்பாவி மக்கள் ஏமாந்து வாங்கி உண்டு உடலை கெடுத்துக்கொள்கின்றனர். ஆனால் வியாபாரிகள் மத்தியில் கார்பைடு மூலம் பழுக்கவைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்களைப்பற்றி வேறுவிதமாக சொல்லப்படுகிறது.

“அந்தக் காலத்தில் பழங்களைப் பழுக்கவைக்க புகைமூட்டம் போடுவார்கள். அதற்கு அவசியமான காற்றுப் புகாத அறைக்கு வாய்ப்பில்லாததால் அதற்கு பதிலாகத்தான் நவீன முறையில் கார்பைடு கல் வைத்துப் பழுக்க வைக்கிறோம். இதனால், வயிற்றுப்போக்கு, வாந்தி ஏற்படும் என்பதெல்லாம் அப்பட்டமான பொய். மருத்துவ ரீதியாக கால்சியம் கார்பைடால் எந்த கெடுதியும் கிடையாது. கார்பைடு பழங்கள் பற்றி வருவதெல்லாம் பெரும்பாலும் வதந்திகள்தான்” என்று மறுக்கின்றனர். 

பழ வியாபாரிகள் மனசாட்சியோடு நடக்கவும், அதனை உண்பவர்கள் தங்களது குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்கள் என்று எண்ணி இது போன்ற செயலில் ஈடுபடுவதை தவிர்க்கவேண்டும். மேலும் சம்மந்தப்பட்ட அரசு சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் இப்படிப்பட்ட கடைகளை தொடர்ந்து இரவு பகல் பாராது திடீர் திடீரென்று ஆய்வு செய்து கண்காணித்து கார்பைடு பழங்களை அழித்து மக்கள் நலன் காக்கும் நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளவேண்டும்.

FBOs in Zbto asked to obtain license

Dimapur, May 5: In pursuance of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Licensing and Registration of Food business) Regulations, 2011, the District Media Officer, CMO Office, Zunheboto, Shekho Sophie has issued final reminder to the Food Business Operator (FBO's) within Zunheboto District to obtain FSSAI license or registration or renew on or before May 31 next from CMO Office Zunheboto.

Informing that operating food business without a license of registration is an offence as per Section 63 of the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, he warned that there will be surprise inspection/checking and defaulters will be penalised without further warning in the interest of the consumers.

FSSAI: The new ad censor board

People pray at Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai on Wednesday. ‘Prasada’ at this temple will now have to be approved by FSSAI. 

Just when the Maggi fiasco ended, Pawan Agarwal found himself in a whirlwind of challenges. In Decemeber, the newly appointed CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was lost. “I had never dealt with food,” he said, but on his mind were a bunch of reforms, some conventional and some radical.

Four months later, he is in control, and Agarwal is not making anything less than a statement – be it the role of large food companies, street food vendors, temples, mosques and churches, and even what should be right kind of food advertisement – there is no shirking from giving hygienic food. Soon, FSSAI’s whip can come cracking down on anyone. “There is a very thin line of what is unsafe and what is unhealthy,” said Agarwal.

FSSAI will soon ensure that consumers are not misguided by what they see, hear or read as advertisements. There are 167 million households with television sets. But, what is alarming is that the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) in January alone upheld 51 companies out of which 12 were food makers for misleading advertisements. Some of the companies were yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Atta Noodles, Coca-Cola and Perfetti Van Melle.

Patanjali failed to prove that Atta Noodles was oil-free, and Dabur didn’t substantiate how Chawanprash helps fighting pollution. According to Agarwal, health claims and nutritious claims are different. “In advanced countries there are systems in place for verification of every such claims. As we move forward, we would like to put in place very robust systems of verification of such claims,” he said.

The industry has a mixed reaction to this development. Ad-guru Prahlad Kakkar expects this move to bring discipline in the food business. “Consumer trust ads but this does not mean that ad makers can claim everything and anything under the wrap of creativity,” he adds.

Companies like Nestle, Coca-Cola and many others decided not to talk. However, Agarwal said that it is also the companies’ responsibility. So far, the Maggi ban has been FSSAI’s biggest success. But, if Agarwal is able to pull off these mega projects, FSSAI will be able to bring a lot more than 15% of India’s food consumption under its purview. “We want to increase our reach to the balance 85% of the business that’s not under FSSAI, now,” Agarwal said.

And, at the other extreme, Agarwal sees FSSAI’s role in ensuring that lakhs of people visiting the celebrated religious places shouldn’t fall sick after consuming “prasada” or the food for religious offering. “God will take care of you, but even the FSSAI is taking care of you,” Agarwal laughs.

To begin with, Shree Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai, Sai Baba temple in Shirdi and Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati will play the role of seeding good food practices into the religious system. “They are very forthcoming… the role of priests in serving lakhs of devotees is limited… it’s the role of the large kitchen, which are adopting food safety management systems,” Agarwal said.

He isn’t leaving it there. He will be talking to other prominent churches, mosques and gurudwaras, but, “we will have to move very cautiously.” Agarwal wants to impact large scale centres to spread awareness – more than 300 million people worship at these places every day.

Now, govt to crackdown on tobacco shops in state

Patna: After alcohol ban, the government is pulling its socks up to crack down on illegal tobacco shops mushrooming in the state.

At a workshop held here on Thursday, the state health brass announced a series of measures to rein in the tobacco traders. Executive director of State Health Society, Bihar, Jitendra Shrivastava admitted that despite the ban, smokeless tobacco products are being openly sold across the state. He said the food safety officers have been given a specific target of 10 raids per month on tobacco shops which sell smokeless tobacco products in violation of the ban order. "Action would be taken against anyone found guilty of not complying with the order," Shrivastava said.

He said the government is also planning to use the 38 alcohol de-addiction centres for tobacco cessation as well. "The modalities are being worked out. Anti-tobacco activists have hailed the move as they have been demanding setting up of such cessation centres for long," he added.

Shrivastava said all the cinema halls in the state would be instructed to play a five-minute movie on harmful effects of tobacco before screening of every movie show.

He added that all the district magistrates have been asked to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court's directive that 85% of space on cigarette packs and other tobacco products is covered with warnings.

Deepak Mishra, executive director of SEEDS, which jointly organised the workshop with the health department and IPRD, said, "The percentage of population consuming tobacco is much more than that of alcohol in Bihar. More than 50,000 people die of cancer every year in Bihar mainly due to tobacco consumption," he said.