Aug 24, 2016
FSSAI worked quietly for years till Maggi noodles happened
It has been nearly 10 years since the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) came into being, but it largely worked behind the scenes till it came into public focus only last year over the lead and monosodium glutamate content in Maggi noodles.
The authority came into being following the passage of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
It has since registered over 38 lakh food businesses. It tests food samples through 184 notified primary testing labs and 14 referral labs and also decides on food labels and claims.
Officials said FSSAI sought to make people aware about food adulteration, which alone claims the lives of 2.2 million people across the globe every year.
"The FSSAI has made positive contribution to the Indian food industry. Initially, people were less aware about food safety, but now many of them will not buy a food product if does not have a mention of FSSAI," Bimal Dubey, Director (Regulatory Compliance/Vigilance), FSSAI, told IANS.
The FSSAI has been entrusted with the task of laying down scientific standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Food Ministry officials said the food safety and standards law was enacted to create a single statutory body for food laws, standards and enforcement so that there is no confusion in the minds of consumers, traders, manufacturers and investors.
Officials said FSSAI's responsibilities also include training and certifying food safety supervisors and food handlers, ensure safety of food imported at 142 points across the country, as well as promote safe food management practices in processing, transportation, storage and distribution.
It is also mandated to enhance consumer choice and building consumer engagement through effective complaints redress mechanism.
At a function organised by FSSAI here on Monday to commemorate 10 years of the enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda advised FSSAI to be aware of the concerns of small food businesses.
He noted that during the past 10 years, considerable work had been done in laying down scientific standards and regulating manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food items.
After the controversy over the lead and MSG content of Maggi noodles erupted last year, the FSSAI had ordered its manufacturer Nestle to "withdraw and recall" all Maggi noodle variants, halt their production and also stop exports, saying the samples were found to be "unsafe and hazardous" for humans.
Nestle then announced the withdrawal of Maggi across India but maintained that the product was "safe".
Later, the Bombay High Court lifted the ban on Maggi noodles and ordered fresh tests on the samples. The noodles subsequently made a re-entry in the Indian market.
FSSAI announces initiatives to promote safe food culture
NEW DELHI: With an aim to promote safe and nutritious food across the country, the food regulator is set to launch a bouquet of initiatives to improve quality of food not only at schools and eateries, but also at homes, religious places and railway stations.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is engaging with management of different religious places, and releasing guidelines to improve quality of food and ensure it is not high in fat, sugar and salt.
"Food safety is a very important health and economic issue. It has high employment potential, can boost exports of agro-products out of the country, and also provide better returns to farmers for their produce. Provisions of safe food should become a part of ingrained culture in our country," health minister JP Nadda said, commemorating the 10th anniversary of enactment of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
FSSAI said it will launch ten new initiatives that seek to connect people of all age groups for ensuring safe food through an integrated approach. The regulator has also launched a national survey for assessing milk quality.
The regulator will also provide a green book to every household and create a dedicated website for safe and nutritious food at home.
Similarly for schools, it will prepare a negative list of producrs high on fat, sugar and salt. Sale and availability of such products will be restricted in schools and their vicinity.
The regulator also plans to make licence from FSSAI compulsory for food businesses involved in mid-day meal scheme.
For offices, FSSAI said the canteens and cafeterias should be registered or licenced with the food regulator. The establishment should also ensure monthly testing of kitchens, water and equipment.
As far as religious places are concerned, FSSAI said it is engaging with the management of places of worships to help them implement the Food Safety Management System (FSMS).
Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai has already adopted FSMS, while Saibaba temple in Shirdi is in the process of doing so for their kitchens.
FSSAI to allow import of food for special medical purposes
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 23:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on a mechanism to allow imports of products for consumers, especially children, who suffer from IEM (inborn errors of metabolism) disorders. This will be done through a special import notification in a bid to meet the nutritional needs of children who suffer from metabolism disorders.
As part of its “Diet4Life initiative”, the regulator will facilitate the import of Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMP) products soon. These products are made by companies such as Nestle, Danone and Abbott.
These disorders, which impact a small section of consumers, especially babies, occur due to single gene defect leading to abnormalities in the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The regulator has identified 15 IEM conditions under this project.
Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said that the regulator is taking speedy action to create a platform and allow imports of such products in collaborations with companies and health professionals. Under this project, four leading hospitals have been identified and the regulator is collaborating with doctors and dieticians to train them to be able to prescribe these products since diagnosis of these disorders is difficult.
“Companies have also agreed to offer some of these products at subsidised rates for the next two years especially for poor patients. We are in the process of finalising this mechanism that will allow patients suffering from IEM disorders to have access to these products and this will pave the way for saving thousands of lives,” he added.
Under this programme, the food regulator will also collaborate with other partners to conduct workshops to train health professionals from across the country, so they can diagnose these disorders during preliminary check-up stage and refer them for screening.
Tapping quality
The poor in India often fall sick by drinking contaminated water; many even die. The middle classes are over-cautious, even paranoid, installing sophisticated water purifiers, while water continues to be non-potable. The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standard Authority of India) is exploring the possibility of making municipal corporations and state water supply boards accountable for the quality of water. About time. At least 32 per cent of households which have access to treated tap water can be assured of safe drinkable water.
The CCPC (Central Consumer Protection Council) supports the FSSAI’s move on monitoring the quality of water; one hopes a well-intended move doesn’t end up in jurisdictional tussles. Regulations for packaged water are in place; the FSSAI is the licence-giving body; the certification comes from the Bureau of Indian Standards. Despite this, several cases of violation of standards have come before the Green Tribunal. Though standard procedures are prescribed for water supply under different Jal Nigams, contamination persists in the absence of monitoring. Even in the capital city, water is found to be non-potable. There are reports of water getting mixed with sewage at several points. About 21 per cent of the communicable diseases are related to unsafe water; diarrhoea alone causes 1,600 deaths daily.
The source of water — rivers — is blamed for causing contamination in potable water. For the first time, the CCPC is advising the government to standardise the quality of water supplied through pipelines, irrespective of its source. This should make several agencies accountable, including those involved in storage, treatment and supply. Lack of accountability of Jal Nigams has promoted a 25 per cent annual growth of packaged water; bottled water alone does business worth Rs 3,000 crore and the sale of water purifiers exceeds Rs 7,000 crore a year. By 2012, about 15 million units of water purifiers were sold in India. The FSSAI Act is undergoing amendments; standardising and monitoring water quality should be its priority, regulated prasad can wait.
FSSAI to regulate sale of high fat food to schoolchildren
New food safety guidelines in the offing for packaged water, dairy products and unorganised food sector
On the occasion of completing 10 years as the food safety regulator, Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday set out a volley of new guidelines to ensure food safety in the country.
It was in 2006 that the Food Safety and Standard Act was passed by Parliament and the food safety regulator FSSAI was born.
“This integrated food safety law has been an important milestone in the history of food safety in India. This has brought about a paradigm shift in our focus on ensuring food value and nutrition from limited focus on curbing adulteration. It is a much wider canvas of safe and nutritious food we are working on,” said, Pawan Agarwal, FSSAI CEO.
The FSSAI chief, who had recently called for fresh guidelines for packaged and bottled water, has said that the new food safety guidelines will look to ensure health safety in food for children first.
"To realise the dream of a healthy and capable India, FSSAI is formulating regulations to promote and administer food safety at the school level to enable children to inculcate healthy eating habits that will last them a lifetime," said Agarwal.
Speaking at the occasion, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda, under whom the food regulator functions, said that there is a need for wider responsibility sharing on food standards.
He insisted that FSSAI promote food safety habits among children. "The FSSAI should be preparing a negative list of products that are rich in fat, salt and sugar in order to restrict availability of these items in schools," the minister said.
"The list will also have those food items which are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and are not desirable for young people," Agarwal said.
Delhi High Court had ordered regulation of junk food consumption by school children last year and restricted the sale of foods high in fat, salt and sugar such as chips, fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages in and around school premises.
States like Kerala, too, have slapped extra levies on sale of unhealthy snacks and high fat food.
Soon FSSAI will make it mandatory for schools to have wholesome and nutritious food available in school canteens.
"Canteens in the schools should not be treated as commercial outlets," he said, on the sidelines of the event. Schools should develop a canteen policy to provide nutritious, wholesome and healthy foods.
"Children are not the best judge of their food choice", Agarwal said, "Schools are not the right place to promote foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) and so we will restrict their sale within 50 m of any school."
The food safety regulator is also working on fresh guidelines for dairy products and food produced by the unorganised sector.
Junk food to be out of schoolsSushmi Dey
Pizzas, burgers and aerated drinks may soon be out of the palate of school canteens.
In order to restrict consumption of junk food by children, the food safety regulator is preparing a negative list of products that are high on salt, sugar and fat to prevent their availability in schools and their vicinity.
"The list will have those food items which are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and not desirable for young people," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) chief executive Pawan Kumar Agarwal said.
The list is expected to include an array of food and beverages like chips, pizzas, burgers, ready-to eat noodles, sugar-sweetened carbonated and non carbonated drinks, potato fries etc. The move comes in the wake of rising burden of diabetes and obesity, among youngsters.Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
Aug 23, 2016
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India launches colour coded food safety display boards for food businesses involved in Milk, Meat, Retail Restaurants, fruits and Vegetable. This will ensure consumers connect easily with #FSSAI. Food Safety Display Boards are being displayed at about 1,300 outlets pan India, by 12 volunteering food businesses.
FSSAI announces initiatives to promote safe food culture
Aiming to create a culture of food safety in the country, regulator FSSAI today announced a host of initiatives to promote safe food at homes, schools, offices, eateries and religious places, besides a national survey for assessing milk quality.
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of enactment of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the FSSAI said it will launch ten new initiatives that seek to connect people of all age groups for ensuring safe food through an integrated approach.
"This bouquet of 10 initiatives focused on safe and nutritious food at home, school, workplace, religious places, in trains and railway stations, in restaurants and other places," Health Ministry said in a statement.
FSSAI will provide a green book to every household and create a dedicated website for safe and nutritious food at home.
Similarly for schools, it will prepare a negative list of high fat, sugar and salt foods (commonly referred as junk food), seeking to ensure food safety and nutrition in and around schools, including lunch box and canteens.
It plans to make licence from FSSAI compulsory for food businesses involved in mid-day meal scheme.
For offices, FSSAI said the canteens and cafeterias should be registered/licenced with the food regulator. The establishment should also ensure monthly testing of kitchens, water and equipment.
As far as religious places are concerned, FSSAI said it is engaging with the management of places of worships to help them implement the Food Safety Management System (FSMS).
Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai has already adopted FSMS, while Saibaba temple in Shirdi is in the process of doing so for their kitchens.
Noting that food safety is an important health and economic issue, Health Minister J P Nadda said, "Provisions of safe food should become a part of ingrained culture in our country."
He said the adoption of global food safety standards would boost exports of agro-products and also provide better returns to farmers for their produce.
Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said all these 10 initiatives have been developed collaboratively over the past few months along with other stakeholders and partners.
"States would be facilitated to implement them on pilot basis over the next few months and thereafter national roll out of these initiatives would be done possibly by next year," Agarwal said.
Apart from these initiatives, FSSAI also announced plans to conduct national milk quality survey and frame standards for food fortification, organic food. It will also simplify the registration and licencing regulations.
FSSAI will also take steps to bridge standards divide from farm to trade and to rediscover the rich culinary heritage of India.
It also launched food safety display board that would help connect consumers directly with food safety officers. Twelve corporates including Mother Dairy, Haldiram, StarBucks, BurgerKing, among others, have already volunteered to display this board at their 1,300 outlets.
Addressing a FSSAI conference late last evening, Health Minister J P Nadda had said the Centre will support the state governments in capacity building and setting up high quality labs for proper enforcement of food safety standards.
"We are all for capacity building not only at the national level...We are working to have high quality labs. We are working to support states (in setting up) high quality laboratories," Nadda said.
The government will finetune the food safety standards to make it more meaningful, Nadda said. "It is (finetuning) a continuous process. We will be doing it," the Minister said.
He emphasised on more awareness programmes to promote safe food at home, schools, offices and eateries.
Nadda said the food standards act is a paradigm shift from regulatory regime under the provisions of Food Adulteration Act to self-regulatory and facilitatory regime.
"Now, basic groundwork is done. We are ready for a big leap forward," Nadda said.
The minister emphasised upon two-way communication between the food businesses and the regulator. He advised that the authority should be fully aware of the need and concerns of small food businesses as well in its work of standard formulation and compliance.
FSSAI Chairperson Ashish Bahuguna said, "We have completed 10 formative years of this act and are now striving to work towards a collective approach for building safe food culture in India because food safety cannot be ensured by enforcement alone".
Safe food provisions should become part of ingrained culture: Nadda
NEW DELHI: Appreciating the unrelenting efforts of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in upholding food safety standards in India, Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda has called for making safe food provisions a part of the country’s ingrained culture.
Speaking at the function organised by the FSSAI to commemorate 10 years of the enactment of the FSSAI Act, here recently, the minister said, ”Food safety is a very important health and economic issue. It has high employment potential, can boost exports of agro-products out of the country, and also provide better returns to farmers for their produce. Provisions of safe food should become a part of ingrained culture in our country.”
Describing the FSSAI Act as a paradigm shift from regulatory regime under the provisions of Food Adulteration Act to self-regulatory and facilitatory regime, he pointed out that ”now, basic ground work is done. We are ready for big leap forward.”
Commemorating a decade of integrated food law in the country, and marking ten years of FSSAI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his congratulatory message underscored the ‘need for the Authority to focus on empowering the consumers so that the manufacturers and suppliers of food products become responsive to consumer needs, demands and expectations.’ He added that ”safe and wholesome and hygienic food will create a ‘Swasth Bharat’. And this has to be cornerstone of the efforts of FSSAI.”
In his address, the minister emphasised upon ‘two-way communication’ between the food businesses and the regulator. He advised that the Authority should be fully aware of the need and concerns of small food businesses as well in its work of standard formulation and compliance.
During the past decade, considerable ground has been covered in terms of achieving the goals of laying down scientific standards and regulating the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and import of food items for the people of India.
On the occasion, Mr Nadda released the special commemorative volume a compilation of the history and more than 50 invited articles from scientists, experts, industry people and consumer organisations. Health Secretary C K Mishra, who was the special guest, also addressed the audience with inspiring messages on the need for collaborative efforts towards setting up of food standards.
FSSAI should be fully aware of need and concerns of small food businesses: J P Nadda
FSSAI should be fully aware of need and concerns of small food businesses: J P Nadda
New Delhi, Aug 23 (KNN) J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has advised that the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) should be fully aware of the need and concerns of small food businesses as well in its work of standard formulation and compliance.
He also said that during the last 10 years, considerable ground has been covered in terms of achieving the goals of laying down scientific standards and regulating the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and import of food items for the people of India.
FSSAI stands for trust and compliance and the synergy between the industry and the authority will ensure that this trust is well placed.”
Speaking at the function organised by FSSAI to commemorate 10 years of the enactment of Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSAI Act), here on Monday, Nadda, stated that “Food safety is a very important health and economic issue. It has high employment potential, can boost exports of agro-products out of the country, and also provide better returns to farmers for their produce. Provisions of safe food should become a part of ingrained culture in our country.”
He further added that the FSSAI Act is a paradigm shift from regulatory regime under the provisions of Food Adulteration Act to self-regulatory and facilitatory regime.
“Now, basic ground work is done. We are ready for big leap forward,” Nadda said.
Nadda appreciated the unrelenting efforts of FSSAI towards food safety in India. In his address, he emphasized upon ‘two-way communication’ between the food businesses and the regulator.
Commemorating this milestone, FSSAI announced 10@10 – 10th anniversary with 10 initiatives. The primary focus of the 10@10 initiative is to engage with stakeholders and consumers to create food safety culture in the country.
This bouquet of 10 initiatives focused on safe and nutritious food at home, school, workplace, religious places, in trains and railway stations, in restaurants and other places. The event also saw launch of Food Safety Display Boards that would help to connect the consumers directly to food safety officers. Under the Corporates4FoodSafety initiative, the corporates committed themselves to collaborate, educate and inspire other stakeholders towards food safety as responsible food businesses.
Referring to the 10@10 initiatives, CEO, FSSAI, Pawan Agarwal said that all these initiatives have been developed collaboratively over the past few months along with other stakeholders and partners.
He informed that States would be facilitated to implement them on pilot basis over the next few months and thereafter national roll out of these initiatives would be done possibly by next year.
He also referred to other initiatives of the FSSAI such as on national milk quality survey, food fortification, farm to trade - bridging the standards divide, rediscovering the rich culinary heritage of India, standards for organic food, eLearning Portal and simplification of registration and licensing regulations.
There were two panel discussions prior to the main event. One on “Food Safety in unorganized sector – Challenges & Opportunities” focused around mass training programme for small and petty food businesses like street food vendors, fruits and vegetable vendors and other in partnership with Skill India and sustaining these efforts with corporate participation. The second panel discussion on “Food Safety a shared responsibility” dealt with need for taking joint responsibility by all stakeholders in assuring food safety.
Govt wants visible, readable details on packed food items
Changes on the anvil
- The government plans to adopt the US system of using 1.6 mm font size to specify name, address, weight, date of manufacturing and retail price on packaged food
- The size may increase from current 1 mm to 1.5 mm for 200 grams/ml pack. For 200-500 grams/ml packs, it will be 4 mm and for 500 grams/ml or bigger packs, the size will be 8 mm
- Bar-code or a similar mark to identify the country of origin on food products may be introduced
- The maximum quantity of packaged food items may be increased up to 50 kg/litres from the existing 25 kg/litres
New Delhi, August 22
The government is planning to amend the 2011 commodities packaging rules to ensure the details on the packaged food items are more visible and readable and also wants to incorporate barcode-kind of system to protect consumers from spurious products.
The Consumer Affairs Ministry has held several rounds of discussions to amend the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 in the interest of consumers. Even the industry and public have demanded changes to the rules.
“Rule 7 specifies about the font size of the declaration but most companies do not follow strictly. In smaller packs, the font size is too small for consumers to read. So, we have decided to adopt the US standard on font size,” a senior Consumer Affairs Ministry official told PTI.
Right now, the font size of the declaration such as name, address, net commodity, date of manufacturing and retail price is less than 1 mm. “The US follows 1.6 mm size. But we are planning to keep 1.5 mm for a pack of 200 grams/ml.”
The font size for a packed food item containing more than 200 grams/ml up to 500 grams/ml would be increased from 2 mm to 4 mm and for above 500 grams/ml, the font size would be doubled to 8 mm, he said. Besides, the ministry is considering introducing bar-code or any such mark to identify food products are made in India or other country to curb sale of fake food items in the country. That apart, the ministry is considering increasing maximum quantity of packaged food items up to 50 kg/litres from the existing 25 kg/litres.
“For smaller packs, consumers have to pay more. So, we are thinking of allowing some commodities like rice, atta and others to be packed up to 50 kg/litres. This will bring down the cost on consumers,” the official explained. The ministry had last amended the rule in 2015.
FSSAI readies -ve food list for kids
- The food regulator is preparing a list of food items rich in fat, salt and sugar and high in energy, but contain low amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre
- The list will have food items that are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and not desirable for young people, said FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal
“To realise the dream of a healthy and capable India, the FSSAI is formulating regulations to promote and administer food safety at the school level to enable children to inculcate healthy eating habits that will last them a lifetime,” Food Safety and Standards Authority of India CEO Pawan Agarwal said today.
The regulator is working on the negative list of food items that are rich in fat, salt and sugar and high in energy, but contain low amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.
“The list will have those food items which are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and not desirable for young people,” he said.
Last year, the Delhi High Court had ordered regulation of junk food consumption among schoolchildren through restrictions on the sale of foods high in fat, salt and sugar such as chips, fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages on and around school premises.
Later, the FSSAI had come up with its draft guidelines on availability of wholesome and nutritious food in schools in order to check junk food consumption by children
Food safety law is decade old, but it’s a long road ahead
New Delhi, August 22
As the country’s food safety law completed a decade of operation today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the apex food regulator to empower consumers and work to build “Swastha Bharat” (Healthy India).
In his message to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India which was created to regulate the sector under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, the PM said: “The authority now needs to focus on empowering the consumers so that manufacturers and suppliers of food become responsive to consumer needs, demands and expectations. Safe wholesome food will create a Swastha Bharat. This has to be the cornerstone of FSSAI.”
While the PM asked the food regulator to work on consumer power, ground reality reveals the regulator is far from completing its basic goal of registering all food business operators of the country. An important mandate of the Act was to bring all food business operators under its ambit and ensure quality control.
Data, however, shows that out of India’s estimated 1.8 crore food business operators, the law has managed to cover only about 45,00000 (25 per cent) in the decade of its operation. This means it would take more than a decade more to cover the currently existing operators.
Insiders say India’s food regulator is suffering from severe shortage of trained officers with the entire country making do with just about 5000 food safety officers when food business operators are in crores.
An officer of the FSSAI says: “The estimate normally is that 4 per cent of the country’s population is into the food business. But we in India go by a conservative estimate and consider that around 3 pc are in the food business. That brings the number to 1.8 crore. We have covered only 25 pc of these.”
Health Minister JP Nadda in his address today at an event held to commemorate a decade of the integrated food law emphasised the need to improve registrations of operators to ensure safe food.
But FSSAI insiders say the sector is reeling under fund crunch and ad-hocism.
That explains several recent instances of unsafe food being sold in the country, such as nine variants of Nestle ready-to-eat foods, including Maggi and a range of breads which were found to be containing potassium bromate, a harmful additive.
“We need food safety experts to run the food safety organization but unfortunately, many critical divisions in the organization are currently headed by bureaucrats or non subject people. Professionals alone can ensure safe food. This has to be understood sooner than later,” an FSSAI official said.
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தொடர்ந்து கடை க ளில் தடையை à®®ீà®±ி புகை யிலை பொà®°ுட் கள் விà®±் ப னைக்கு வைக் கப் பட் டி à®°ுந் தால் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டுà®®் என்à®±ு அதி கா à®°ி கள் எச் ச à®°ிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர். புகை யிலை பொà®°ுட் களை விà®±் பனை செய் வதை தடுக்க அதி கா à®°ி கள் துà®°ித நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டுà®®் என்à®±ு பொது மக் கள் கோà®°ிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.
64 students fall sick after having govt hostel food
COIMBATORE: As many as 64 students of the Government Women's Polytechnic College were admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) on Sunday night and Monday morning after they complained of abdomen pain and diarrhoea. The health department suspects food poisoning and has shut down the hostel mess and cut-off potable water supply.
"On Sunday night, 30 students were admitted to the hospital in two batches and another 26 were taken to the CMCH on Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, a total of 64 students were hospitalised," said Edwin Joe, dean at CMCH.
"The students are in stable condition and responding to treatment. Had they been brought on Sunday afternoon when they began feeling sick, there was no need to hospitalise them," he added.
Meanwhile, two ambulances were stationed at college hostel to shuttle students to the hospital in case of emergency. "We have also deployed two doctors at the college hostel to take care of students. Around eight students have complained of abdomen pain and vomiting there," said the deputy director of public health and preventive medicine, S Somasundaram.
The food safety department has collected samples of potable water supplied at the hostel and lentils cooked at the college mess. "It is said that the lentils used to cook lunch on Sunday could have led to the problem. Food safety department has collected samples, and we can expect the reports in three to four days," Somasundaram said.
The students, however, feel that the potable water supplied at the hostel was the source of infection. "There are two water filters installed in the hostel. One of them was switched off on Sunday night after some of our friends were rushed to the hospital," said a student. The drinking water is supplied from overhead tanks, and when TOI asked when the overhead tanks were cleaned last, a teacher said it was done 10 days ago.
Health officials said it would be difficult to ascertain if the students were suffering from food poisoning. "We doubt the quality of lentils used for lunch on Sunday, but by the time we collected samples on Monday, there was no sample left. So, we had to collect raw samples. I'm not sure how much the test will help," Somasundaram said.
The hostel seems to have a history of water contamination. A similar incident was reported in July 2014, when 24 students of the college were admitted to CMCH after they complained of vomiting and diarrhoea. In 2012, 46 students were taken to Sri Ramakrishna Hospital complaining of illness after drinking water supplied in the hostel. "We have instructed the college to carry out regular cleaning of the water tanks and the mess kitchen," Somasundaram said.
KFC Is Giving Away Sunscreen That Makes You Smell Like Fried Chicken
The summer is drawing to a close, but there's still time to catch some rays, get a glowing tan, and smell like extra crispy fried chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken-or KCF as it likes to be called now-is giving away tubes of sunscreen that make you smell like you've slathered yourself in the Colonel's secret 11 herbs and spices. That's a good thing, right?
In addition to protecting its customers from the harmful effects of too much sun exposure, this bizarre promotion is clearly an effort by KFC to turn sunbathers, swimmers, and everyone at the beach into walking subliminal advertisements for the chain's fried fast food.
In one way, it's genius. In another way, it sounds utterly disgusting. But whatever you feel about the promotion, just make sure you don't lick your fingers after applying the sunscreen-it's not edible.
You don't need to buy anything to snag one of the limited edition tubes, you just need to head on over to KFC's website and cough up all of your personal details, including a shipping address. And if you miss out, you can probably have the same experience by just smearing real fried chicken all over your body before heading to the beach. It will also give you an opportunity to get real friendly with the local seagulls.
VMC officials crack down on eateries
Vadodara: Teams of the food safety department of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) conducted surprise checking on Sunday night in areas that are known for a large number of food joints.
VMC officials had formed two teams to check eateries in Fatehgunj, Racecourse, Nyay Mandir, Mangal Bazaar, Padmavati Complex, Sursagar and Jubelibaug areas. The drive was organised in wake of the monsoon season when food and water related ailments are on a rise.
The teams checked 124 eateries during the drive. They collected 13 samples that were sent to the VMC's public health laboratory for analysis. The eateries were given strict instruction to maintain hygienic conditions.
During the drive, the officials disposed of 505litres of tamarind and mint water used for 'panipuris'. They also destroyed 145kg gravy, chutney and syrup. Officials also found 30kg chicken, 115kg cooked food and 35kg raw material unfit for consumption. Colours and sauces that were substandard were also destroyed.
Pizzas, burgers may soon be booted out of school canteens
NEW DELHI: Pizzas, burgers and aerated drinks may soon be out of the palate of school canteens. In order to restrict consumption of junk food by children, the food safety regulator is preparing a negative list of products that are high on salt, sugar and fat to prevent their availability in schools and their vicinity.
"The list will have those food items which are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and not desirable for young people," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) chief executive Pawan Kumar Agarwal said. The list is expected to include products like chips, pizzas, burgers, ready-to-eat noodles, sugar-sweetened carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, potato fries and confectionery items.
The move comes in the wake of rising burden of diabetes and obesity among children and youngsters. In October, the food regulator had also issued draft guidelines on wholesome and nutritious food availability in schools to control junk food consumption among children in India. The draft guidelines suggest restricting sale or availability of food items high in fat, salt or sugar within 50 metres of a school's premises.
The number of diabetics in India has doubled from 32 million in 2000 to 63 million in 2013. It is projected to increase to 101.2 million in the next 15 years. Globally, at least 41 million children under five years were estimated to be obese or overweight in 2014.
While the prevalence rate of obesity in this age group is still low in India at less than 5%, public health agencies have cautioned that the trend is fast catching up in low- and middle-income countries with companies targeting market space in developing countries like India.
FSSAI may monitor water supplied by municipalities
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is preparing draft regulations that may extend its purview to water supplied by municipalities and food cooked in places of worship.
"The central consumer council has suggested water served by municipalities be brought under a nodal agency. We are incorporating these recommendations," said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI.
The FSSAI is also planning to set up at least 100 corporate training centres by 2019 to provide training and certification programmes, and improve consumer awareness.
During last year's crisis over Maggi instant noodles, lack of coordination between the FSSAI and state Food and Drug Administration units was a concern. The FSSAI is in talks with state authorities to plug the holes.
"We are revisiting regulations on licensing and inspection. Issues related to local food vendors, for example, should be addressed by local authorities. We need to align our efforts so that safety of food at large can be achieved," Agarwal said. The FSSAI will issue guidelines for regulating local vendors soon.
Nestle India had argued that carcinogenic chemicals in Maggi noodles like monosodium glutamate may have been present in ingredients sourced from the farm. To address the issue, the FSSAI is in talks with the agriculture ministry so that farm produce is tested in wholesale markets.
"Traders want to stay out of the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Act. We are in talks with the agriculture ministry to sort out the issue," Agarwal said.
The FSSAI will soon come out with a new set of guidelines for instant noodles and pasta.
FSSAI wants to regulate quality of tap water
Food regulator FSSAI is examining possibility of holding municipal authorities, state water supply boards accountable for the quality of water they supply
About 32% of India’s households have access to treated tap water (supplied through pipelines) and around 11.5% households get untreated water, according to the 2011 Census.
New Delhi: Having exercised its will over private companies, both domestic and multinational, India’s food quality regulator has now set its eyes on regulating water utilities controlled by the government.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is examining the possibility of holding municipal authorities and other agencies such as state water supply boards accountable for the quality of water they supply.
“The Central Consumer Protection Council (an apex body that advises the government on the consumer-related issues) has expressed concern over the quality of drinking water supplied through the pipeline and has recommended mandatory standards for drinking water, irrespective of its source,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer at FSSAI.
The regulator is yet to take a call on how to bring water supplied by municipal authorities and other government authorities such as Delhi Jal Board under its purview. The Central Consumer Protection Council, in its recommendation, said FSSAI should formulate standards for water through the pipeline and should monitor quality.
“We’ll examine the recommendation and the complexities,” said Agarwal. At present, FSSAI only has standards for packaged drinking water.
Just about 32% of India’s households have access to treated tap water (supplied through pipelines) and around 11.5% households get untreated water, according to the 2011 Census.
About 62% of households living in urban areas, which constitute 31.16% of India’s total population, have access to treated tap water (mainly supplied by municipal corporations and other government agencies).
While Agarwal declined to divulge details, the regulator may follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) on drinking water quality to protect public health. The WHO guidelines, accepted worldwide, prescribe development and implementation of risk management strategies to ensure the safety of drinking-water supplies through control of hazardous constituents in water.
The safety and quality of drinking water supplied by Delhi Jal Board has been questioned. In April, Union consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said drinking water supplied by Delhi Jal Board was not safe for consumption.
Residents of New Delhi, the national capital city, do not think they can drink water supplied by Delhi Jal Board.
“Dirty water is a regular feature and we have to reach out to the authorities. We have to purchase purifying systems because the water is not fit for drinking. If it was brought under the food standard authorities, it would benefit us and would also ensure that the municipal authorities are brought under the scanner,” said Dashrath Sahu, a resident of Badarpur in Delhi, who works as an office clerk.
Photographer and communications professional Love Verma, a resident of south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, said: “Drinking? I even doubt if this water is okay for bathing. In rainy season, the piped water gets mixed with sewage. We use a purifier for drinking water. Even the bottled water that we get in the market, I have doubts if those are safe for consumption,” said Verma.
“I am not aware of anything that FSSAI may be doing. We already follow required standards to provide safe water,” said R.S. Tyagi, member (water supply), Delhi Jal Board. Its chief executive officer Keshav Chandra could not reached for comments before the time of going to press.
India’s water purifier market was estimated to exceedRs.7,000 crore or about 15 million units, in 2015, according to a 2012-study by the industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce of India.
From April onwards, FSSAI has been tough on companies selling drinking water in packaged form. Of the total 5,842 registered water packaging units in India, said FSSAI, 1,495 have both a licence from FSSAI and certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (the national standards body), while the remaining 4,347 units only have BIS certification.
FSSAI has asked all drinking water packaging units to procure a licence from FSSAI to continue operations.
“No person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit for sale, Natural Mineral Water and Packaged Drinking water, except under the BIS Standard Mark,” according to the FSSAI regulation.
In May, Mint reported the food regulator’s desire to bringplaces of worship under its ambit to ensure safety of food items served by temples.
Meanwhile, the Food Safety and Standards Act is undergoing amendments. “It will take time to finalize a holistic amendment. We expect to have a consolidated view based on recommendations and required legislations, may be in another six months,” said Agarwal.
The Act, after amendment, will include better “co-ordination mechanism amongst all stake holders, simplified standard-setting mechanism among other things”, added the FSSAI CEO.
FSSAI is also allowing imports of special food items meant for children with “Inborn errors of Metabolism”. These food items are manufactured by only a few companies such as Swiss packaged food company Nestle SA, American healthcare company Abbott Laboratories and French dairy firm Danone SA.
“Treatment of these metabolic disorders requires early intervention including dietary control. In view of the seriousness of the issue, FSSAI is taking expedient actions to provide a unique platform for parents to find timely medical support and treatment. We’ll engage leading hospitals like All India Institute of Medical Science and have asked these companies to offer these food products at a subsidized price,” said Agarwal. Together, the companies will offer a subsidy of Rs.5 crore a year for these food items. However, the government has no plan to bring these food items under its own subsidy schemes.
India’s food quality regulator is celebrating its 10th anniversary. “We have taken a 10-point agenda to ensure safe food across the country. We need to educate consumers, and the ones involved in production of food. We need to ensure safety at the point of manufacturing. We need to align our efforts to ensure safe food for our citizens,” said Agarwal. The regulator, said Agarwal, exists because there are food companies who are doing business. “It can’t act adversarial,” he added.
FSSAI was in the limelight last year for cracking down on Nestle India Ltd after the company’s popular Maggi noodles were suspected to contain excess lead. The food safety agency ordered a ban on the noodles in June 2015, but the Bombay high court lifted the ban in August after the product cleared court-mandated lab tests.
Pretika Khanna contributed to this story.
Centre to support states in setting up food testing labs:Nadda
New Delhi, Aug 22 (PTI) The Centre will support the state governments in capacity building and setting up of high quality labs for proper enforcement of food safety standards, Health Minister J P Nadda said today.
Addressing a conference of food regulator FSSAI, the minister said the adoption of global safety standards would boost domestic demand and exports of agro-based products, thereby generating huge employment opportunities.
"The safety and standard of food products is not only a health issue but its related to economic issue. If we have good safety standards and transparent system and if that is nationally and internationally recognised certainly the economic activity is going to go ahead," Nadda said.
The minister said that a decade has passed since the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 was enacted and it is the right time to take stock of the situation and chalk out future strategies. "We are all for capacity building not only at the national level...We are working to have high quality labs. We are working on to support states (in setting up) high quality laboratories," Nadda said.
Stating that the Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India has transformed into a facilitator from a regulator, Nadda said the government will fine tune the standards to make it more meaningful. "It is (fine tunning) a continuous process. We will be doing it," the Minister said. He emphasised on more awareness programmes to promote safe food at home, schools, offices and eateries. In an apparent reference to Maggie controversy, the Minister said there were certain issues last year, some confrontation, some communication gap, but "we have streamlined those issues".
FSSAI to realise dream of healthy and capable India
NEW DELHI: To promote food safety among children, regulator FSSAI is preparing a negative list of products that are rich in fat, salt and sugar in order to restrict availability of these items in schools.
"To realise the dream of a healthy and capable India, FSSAI is formulating regulations to promote and administer food safety at the school level to enable children to inculcate healthy eating habits that will last them a lifetime," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India CEO Pawan Agarwal said today.
The regulator is working on the negative list of food items that are rich in fat, salt and sugar and high in energy, but contain low amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre.
"The list will have those food items which are known to have negative impact on health if consumed regularly and not desirable for young people," he said.
Last year, the Delhi High Court had ordered regulation of junk food consumption among school children through restrictions on the sale of foods high in fat, salt and sugar such as chips, fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages on and around school premises.
Later, FSSAI had come up with its draft guidelines on availability of wholesome and nutritious food in schools in order to check junk food consumption by children.
Stating that "children are not the best judge of their food choice", FSSAI had said schools are not the right place to promote foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).
"Canteens in the schools should not be treated as commercial outlets," the regulator had observed, adding that schools should develop a canteen policy to provide nutritious, wholesome and healthy foods.Restrict/limit the availability of most common HFSS foods in schools and areas within 50 metres, the watchdog had said.
FSSAI: Turning a new page on food safety
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 22:
Food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is looking to widen the canvas of food safety as it rolls out several initiatives across the country.
Different initiatives, such as creating a negative list of foods served in schools that contain high fat, sugar and salt; a project to clean up street food; and ensure hygiene at corporate canteens, restaurants and religious places, are cooking up in its plate.
“As part of commemorating a decade of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006, the food regulator is set to roll out 10 key initiatives to ensure food safety and nutrition,” said Pawan Agarwal , CEO of FSSAI.
This will be done by launching a manual on safe food habits for households and formulating regulations to promote nutritious food at schools. FSSAI is also taking initiatives to improve safe food practices at workplaces, restaurants and street food vendors.
Key initiatives
“Integration of food standards to avoid ambiguity, strengthening food testing labs, training and certification as well as partnering with food companies to promote self-regulation among business are the other key initiatives the regulator is planning,” he said.
Agarwal said these initiatives are to ensure total alignment among the stakeholders and have the same vision to achieve the mammoth task of food safety.
He said some pilots will be run by States to ensure proper implementation of food safety initiatives at the State level.
As part of these initiatives, FSSAI will partner with leading companies to set up corporate training centres, embed food safety training in their entire value chain including marketing campaigns, besides participating in research, surveillance and survey activities.
Colour-coding
All food business including restaurants will be required to put up colour-coded food safety display boards on their premises, which will include FSSAI license number, instructions for food hygiene and safety practices along with a consumer feedback details, with a robust mechanism to process this feedback.
Meanwhile, FSSAI is also going to come out with guidelines on whether companies can use its name in advertisement campaigns. This move came after some companies have been highlighting the fact that their ads had been approved by FSSAI.
Agarwal said that a mechanism to revamp the FSS Act is already in process, with a performance audit of FSSAI being undertaken and a Parliamentary Standing Committee having been set up to give its views to the Centre.
Replying to a query on gaps in the current legislation, Agarwal said: “Better co-ordination with States and various ministries; simplifying the process of setting up standards; setting up cleaning, sorting and grading mechanisms for raw products at mandis; are some of the critical issues that may be required to be built into the legislation. In the next six months, FSSAI will be able to firm up its views on the same.”
Aug 22, 2016
With law in place, FSSAI must now re-invent itself
P. I. Suvrathan
First Chairperson, FSSAI
The enactment of a law is no guarantee that it will be effectively implemented. As food safety regulation gets implemented, unforeseen developments call for creative interpretation of the provisions keeping in view the spirit of the law. It is natural in a sector characterised by fast pace of technological change for the regulator to find himself without clear tools to manage and respond to events. This calls for development of new ideas and options, some of which may even require amendment of the law. Therefore, it may be useful to periodically reiterate the original intentions of the law and review the emerging scenario so as to rededicate the organization to its basic objectives.
Background of the Integrated Food Law
The statement of Objects and Reasons appended to the Food Safety and Standards Bill 2006 refers to a multiplicity of food laws, standard setting and enforcement agencies, and the need for modernisation of laws which are non-responsive to technological developments, all of which hinder the growth of a modern food processing sector and fixation of safety standards. It was in 1998 that the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry recommended comprehensive legislation on food, with a regulatory authority as a means to modernise the food sector and ensure safety of food.
In 2004, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Pesticide Residues emphasised the need to converge all present food laws and to have a single regulatory body. The high level committee under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Venkatachaliah recommended the introduction of an integrated food law based on risk assessment, principles of modern food technology and associating the stakeholders, rather than through an adversarial approach and criminal action in all cases. The Standing Committee of Parliament, in its 12th Report submitted in 2005, urged that the much needed legislation on Integrated Food Law should be expedited.
Apart from this, several policy statements by the President of India and the budget speeches of the Finance Minister promised such an integrated food law in a time bound manner as a means to modernise the food sector, increase employment and ensure consumer safety. Many international assurances were also given by the government regarding the integrated food law. The Member Secretary of the Law Commission was asked to make a comprehensive study of the food safety laws in various countries and he recommended replacing the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 (PFA) with an integrated food law incorporating modern science and technology, responsibility of manufacturers to ensure safety, scientific determination of standards and a risk-based approach to food safety. Finally, the Group of Ministers appointed by the Government of India recommended enactment of the FSSA bill 2005 after extensive discussions, consultations with stake holders and forging a consensus on various contentious issues.
Change in Approach to Food Safety
The main issue raised against the PFA was its adversarial approach to food safety, considering all cases through the prism of adulteration, when the technology and regulatory practices worldwide have moved on to risk-based determination of standards, holding the food manufacturer responsible for safety through documented safety practices rather than solely by taking samples from the market and prosecuting.
Modern food safety regulation recognises that safety can be compromised not only at the stage of manufacture but at any link in the food chain, starting from the farm, ingredients, processing, packaging, transport, storage and sale. Each link in the food chain has to be held responsible for following safety practices and this can only be done through a risk-based approach identifying the critical points where contamination can occur and specifying the parameters to be kept in mind to ensure safety. Neglect of this basic fact resulted in the number of PFA cases in courts going up to more than one lakh in number, most of which could not be proven beyond any reasonable doubt.
Modern legal principles advocate discrimination in the prosecution of food safety cases, rather than seeking the highest jail punishment. Decriminalisation is suggested by modern jurists while drafting laws as a means to achieve effective implementation. The consensus was that the potential of the food processing sector and Indian agriculture cannot be utilised fully within the framework of the PFA, which discouraged innovation and value addition.
In the new act, contamination is defined so as to differentiate between deliberate and unintentional acts or as part of the normal process of manufacture or migration from ingredients so that responsibility can be fixed accordingly. It incorporates a graded penalty depending on the severity of the crime and awards the highest penalty only where life is threatened. The emphasis is on monetary penalties in the majority of cases, to be quickly adjudicated and imposed. Jail sentences are to be awarded only when the crime results in death or severe injury to consumers.
When India is hoping to achieve the position of a food basket to the world, exporting a wide range of food products based on its widely diverse climatic conditions, the essential requirement is the modernisation of the food industry and assurance of safety and quality of food to the consumer, both within the country and abroad. Each food manufacturer has to be fully involved in the safety of his product rather than depending only on food inspectors to establish safety. When we are looking for means to expand the number of people employed in the food sector, only a safe, modern food industry in which safety is well established and entry and exit are easy can meet the requirements of a changing market. There is no other sector of industry, either organised or unorganised, that can bring such a large number of unskilled and semi-skilled population into gainful employment. These were some of the factors that weighed in favour of an integrated food law rather than cosmetic changes to the PFA as was suggested by some quarters.
Points of Departure from PFA Act
The following are the critical areas where the FSSA departs from the PFA Act:
• Food safety is primarily the responsibility of the Food Business Operator (FBO). He knows best how the food is manufactured and how safety can be compromised. The moment a manufacturer decides to place the product in the market, he should be held squarely responsible for its safety.
Contamination can occur at any point in the food chain starting from the quality of ingredients, processing, technology, storage, transport, sale, and even at the consumer end. Each stage is required to follow specific safety practices for which the concerned entity can be held accountable. Certification of safety processes thus becomes an essential part of manufacture so that the FBO can ensure that by following such practices which are certified, he can protect himself from prosecution. The law, in fact, makes a specific provision that the courts will take note of the fact that the FBO has undergone a safety audit and taken necessary steps to ensure safety of his product. This is in line with safety practices in advanced countries where it is only after the FBO defaults after warnings that prosecution is resorted to. This is also in recognition of the fact that no regulator can inspect 100 per cent of the industries being regulated.
The law also recognises that food safety can only be ensured in collaboration with the various agencies in the field such as panchayats, health departments, homes, industry, agriculture, protection of water sources, waste management etc, all of which contribute to food being rendered unsafe. The task of the regulator, then, would be to monitor safety levels in various sectors and identify critical bottlenecks and agencies responsible for meeting them.
Risk assessment is the internationally established methodology to address food safety issues. The issues affecting food safety are so numerous and difficult to monitor that the regulator has to prioritise the safety issues and identify those which require immediate attention. Many issues are best left to be handled by the agencies directly responsible by giving appropriate guidance to them. The resources and skills available to the regulator put a limit on the number of safety issues which can be successfully handled.
The food safety regulator is specifically required to monitor the latest scientific developments in the food sector, emerging safety issues across the world and anticipate safety risks before they actually hit the country. With large scale movement of people and goods across borders, the food safety crisis in one country can reach another country in no time.
Transparency becomes an essential requirement in the development of standards, with stakeholders being well apprised of proposed regulations and given reasonable time to give their suggestions. Hastily drafted and announced measures can equally quickly collapse, raising unexpected problems in execution and issues coming up which were not anticipated. Science itself can come up with discoveries and research findings which contradict current regulatory measures.
The FBO is now given a clear means to contest the findings of government food safety labs by appealing to certified labs that need to confirm the original findings. This provision was introduced on the basis of the widespread feeling that many laboratory results are unreliable, not based on scientific procedures and cannot be the basis of successful prosecution.
Determination of food safety standards will be initiated and finalised by FSSAI, the food safety regulator, so that there is no duplication of work or parallel determination of standards for the same items and there is some degree of harmonisation with international safety standards. The fate of Indian food exports is directly linked with such harmonisation across borders.
Uniform application of safety standards across the country is sought to be achieved by making FSSAI the sole agency to coordinate determination of such standards. The training and skilling of food safety employees will also be made uniform across the country to ensure professionalism, efficiency and predictability.
FSSA seeks to achieve a light-handed regulation of a fast changing sector in which technology plays an important role and the regulator does not need to second guess the FBO. A similar approach to the software industry has yielded intended results.
A Responsive Regulatory System
In a sector where technology moves at a pace that the regulator cannot hope to match, and which provides employment to millions without being tied down by bureaucracy, India has a lot to gain by adopting a light-handed regulatory system that holds the food manufacturer squarely responsible for food safety, and also provides the means to demonstrate compliance with such safety through simple, easily understood standards. The objective should be to build food safety as an integral part of how food is manufactured, processed, handled and sold as well as eaten, rather than being imposed by an external regulatory system.
It may be interesting to recall that during discussion in Parliament of the food bill, the view was strongly expressed that food manufacture in India is the only occupation where, for example, a widow with young children to support, without any means, can decide one day to start a business to sell idli or poha and launch the venture the next day without a license, inspection, payment of fees or any other formality. Which other regular employment can the state offer to a citizen struggling to make both ends meet?
The Way Forward
Keeping in view the original intentions of the FSSA and the experience till date, the most critical steps which FSSAI should put in place are:
• Build up its capability to undertake risk analysis and development of standards and professionalism among its cadres.
• Lay down and implement clear processes for utilising scientific advice while formulating regulations.
• Undertake regular food safety surveys to estimate and quantify the level of food safety across the country so that the impact of food regulation and its success or otherwise can be established.
• Train the food safety personnel in the states to high professional levels and establish networks with centres of excellence in various fields where FSSAI does not have specific expertise.
• Establish a wide network of accreditation and certification agencies to audit and certify food safety.
• Put in place a risk based mechanism for import of food.
• Upgrade the skills and reliability of food testing laboratories as the basis for estimating food safety levels.
Historically, regulatory systems have gone through phases of dormancy and activism, with the state, the consumer as well as science pushing for regulatory innovation to meet the emerging trends and crises in the sector. It is perhaps time for FSSAI to reinvent itself keeping in view the expectations of the nation.
உணவுப்பொà®°ுட்களில் கலப்படம் வியாபாà®°ிக்கு ₹45 ஆயிà®°à®®் அபராதம் விதிப்பு
சேலம், ஆக.22:
உண வுப் பொ à®°ுட் க ளில் கலப் ப டம் செய்த வியா பா à®°ிக்கு ₹45 ஆயி à®°à®®் அப à®°ா தம் விதிக் கப் பட் டது.
உணவு பொà®°ுட்களில் கலப்படம் செய்பவர்கள் à®®ீது உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துà®±ை சாà®°்பில் கடுà®®் நடவடிக்கைகள் எடுக்கப் பட்டு வருகிறது. உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின் கீà®´் அவர்களுக்கு அபராதம் விதிக்கப்படுகிறது. இந்நிலையில் சேலத்தில் உணவுப்பொà®°ுட்கள் à®®ொத்த விà®±்பனை செய்யுà®®் கடையில் கலப்படம் செய்த வியாபாà®°ிக்கு உணவுபாதுகாப்பு துà®±ை அதிகாà®°ிகள் ₹45 ஆயிà®°à®®் அபராதம் விதித்தனர்.
சேலம் à®®ூலப் பிள் ளை யாà®°் கோயில் தெà®°ுவை சேà®°்ந் த வர் கிà®°ிப். இவர், சோà®®்பு, கடுகு, சீà®° கம் மற் à®±ுà®®் à®®ிளகு உள் ளிட்ட உண வுப் பொ à®°ுட் களை வட à®®ா நி லங் க ளில் இருந்து கொள் à®®ு தல் செய்து, à®®ொத்த வியா பா à®°à®®் செய்து வந் தாà®°்.
இவ ரது குடோ னில், உண வுப்ெ பா à®°ுட் க ளில் கலப் ப டம் செய்து விà®±் ப தாக வந்த புகா à®°ின் பே à®°ில், கடந்த 2014à®®் ஆண்டு டிசம் பர் 23à®®் தேதி à®®ாவட்ட உண வுப் பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அனு à®°ாதா தலை à®®ை யில் மண் டல பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் திà®°ு à®®ூà®°்த்தி ஆகி யோà®°் ஆய்வு நடத் தி னர்.
அப் போது, 21 à®®ூட்டை சீà®° கம், à®®ிளகு மற் à®±ுà®®் கடுகு உள் ளிட் டவை இருந் தன. இந்த உண வுப் பொ à®°ுட் க ளில் இருந்து à®®ாதி à®°ி கள் எடுத்து ஆய் வுக்கு அனுப் பப் பட் டது. இதில், உண வுப் பொ à®°ுட் க ளில் கலப் ப ட à®®ுà®®், ரசா யன சேà®°்க் கை யுà®®் இருந் தது கண் ட à®±ி யப் பட் டது.
இது தொ டர் பான வழக்கு, சேலம் குà®±் à®± வி யல் நடு வர் நீதி மன் றம் எண் 4ல் நடந் தது. வழக்கை விசா à®°ித்த à®®ாஜிஸ் தி à®°ேட் லிà®™் கம், உண வுப் பொ à®°ுட் க ளில் கலப் ப டம் செய்த வியா பாà®°ி கிà®°ிப் பிà®±்கு à®’à®°ு நாள் நீதி மன்à®± காவ லுà®®், ₹45 ஆயி à®°à®®் அப à®°ா த à®®ுà®®் விதித்து தீà®°்ப் ப ளித் தாà®°்.
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