Sep 13, 2016
Why so many food product imports get rejected
In the aftermath of the Welspun controversy, Business Standard gets deeper into the issue of global scrutiny facing Indian businesses across key sectors, in a three-part series. Today, we look at the
Monthly data on import refusals by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year paint a grim picture of Indian food products. India consistently ranked among the top three countries whose products were rejected for import by the regulator.
An average of the first eight months of 2016 puts India's tally of rejects at 220, second after China's 253. Mexico is third at 189.
India topped the list of import refusals by the FDA in August with 202 products, including soaps, detergents and food products. Food products constituted nearly 60 per cent of the refusal list for August, with salt, rice, edible oils, instant noodles, snacks, bakery products, and carbonated drinks and juices being rejected.
Violations include mislabelling and products containing allergens. Among the manufacturers were Hindustan Unilever, Mondelez India and Nestle India.
The three companies insisted they complied with all the norms and these were not legitimate exports by them.
"Our direct exports to the US take into account quality, safety, labelling and packaging requirements for that market. There is a possibility that the products referred to, which are meant for sale in India, are entering the US through parallel imports. Since the labelling requirements for India are different, it is not surprising that the products do not fulfill the FDA requirement," a Nestle India spokesperson said.
"In 2016 (including August), HUL has not received any refusal from the FDA for any of the products it exports to that market through its authorised distributor. The stocks refused import into the US by the FDA in 2016 have not been exported by HUL," a company spokesperson said.
A Mondelez India spokesperson said the company did not export to the US. "Quality and safety is our highest priority and our products meet all regulatory standards in India," the spokesperson added.
Where lies the problem then
While grey imports could be an issue, the problem of Indian food products not matching up to global standards is an old one for big players.
Food importers and exporters Business Standard spoke to said a key issue was India's inability to fully comply with international norms, such as the Codex Alimentarius.
"There is a variance in food standards, resulting in persistent import refusals by regulators such as the FDA. This is a concern and companies need to look at this closely," said Ashwin Badri, chief executive officer of Equinox Labs, a Mumbai-based laboratory specialising in food, water and air testing.
While the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has attempted to bring some parity with international norms by introducing an ingredient-based regulatory regime in place of a product-based approval system that was scrapped last year by the Supreme Court, there is still much work to be done.
"The problem also is that there is no traceability down the supply chain for domestic manufacturers, which results in products suffering from quality issues when exported," said a food importer.
"Apart from Indian food standards coming up to global norms, there is a need to look into manufacturing and supply-side constraints that companies face. The big ones may have some control on quality, but as you go down the line, smaller manufacturers may not, resulting in sub-standard products," he added.
A decade ago, when the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had brought up the issue of pesticide in colas, it had raised similar concerns.
In recent years, CSE has focused on the presence of salt, sugar and trans-fat in junk food, among the key causes of obesity.
Following a hard-hitting study two years ago by the CSE, the FSSAI had issued guidelines on sale of junk food in schools.
Food importers allege lack of action on new guidelines
New guidelines take into account some key concerns of food importers on single-window clearance & random sampling of products
The Forum of Indian Food Importers (Fifi) has rapped the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on implementation of the import guidelines issued by the latter 10 days earlier.
The new guidelines take into account some key concerns of food importers on single-window clearance and random sampling of products. However, the importers forum, consisting of almost 5,000 companies, says implementation is yet to happen on the ground.
The guidelines were overhauled after widespread criticism last year that products were being held up at ports for extended periods due to archaic processes, resulting in delays of months. The country imports about $3 billion of packaged food products a year.
FSSAI subsequently issued new draft guidelines in April and operationalised these earlier in this month.
Amit Lohani, convenor of Fifi, says documents uploaded under the Pre-Arrival Document Scrutiny, the single-window clearance under the new guidelines, is resulting in further red tape, since departments such as animal husbandry are also notified for clearance, in addition to FSSAI. "These are teething issues, which ideally should be resolved. Delays can be avoided if the principle of single-window clearance is followed on the ground," he says.
On random sampling of products, Lohani says the regulator has assured the body it will ensure on-ground implementation shortly. Under the old guidelines, 100 per cent sampling of consignments would be undertaken at ports, resulting in backlogs. The new guidelines have attempted to correct that, industry sources said.
FSSAI chief esecutive Pawan Kumar Agarwal said the changes were aimed at improving transparency and speed. "The guidelines do take into account what stakeholders have been saying. If there are issues, that is a matter of discussion," he said, without specifying timelines for implementation of the new norms.
Alcoholic Beverages Standards 2016: For every alcoholic beverage, a govt definition
The government is ready with its first official document laying down the standards of alcoholic beverages in the country.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has drawn up the Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages Standards) Regulations, 2016. It is the first time alcohol has been categorised and standardised as a consumable beyond the realms of excise tax. The authority has invited stakeholder comments on the draft standards by October 9, following which they will be notified.
The draft regulations define an alcoholic beverage as a “beverage or a liquor or brew containing more than 0.5% ethyl alcohol (ethanol) by volume/volume as the active agent. The ethyl alcohol used in the production of alcoholic beverages shall be of agricultural origin.” It can be either a distilled alcoholic beverage or an undistilled one.
Everything from a brewery to a distillery have been laid down in the 16-page document that also defines various kinds of alcohol such as brandy, cognac, whisky (bourbon, Irish whisky, single malt, blended malt, Scotch etc are defined in great detail) gin, vodka fenny, arrack, even laying down standards for various grades of country spirits.
Though the standards have been in the works for some years now, the timing is interesting, with politicians waking up to the political opportunities of prohibition. While Gujarat has been a dry state for years, Bihar has banned alcohol sale since April this year. Prohibition was an election issue in Tamil Nadu, while Kerala is going dry in a phased manner. And during his recent poll speeches in Punjab, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has promised to crack down on alcohol.
FSSAI officials say like any other standards, once the regulations are notified any product sold under a particular label without abiding by these regulations can face action like Maggi did last year when its noodles showed high levels of monosodium glutamate and lead content. New products will also need approval based on these standards.
The regulations, without getting into the licence classifications for excise purposes where stores selling wine and beer are categorised differently, lay down standards for both varieties commonly not included under the “hard liquor” head. Apart from the generic definition of wine, other categories include table wine, red wine, white wine, rose wine, dry wine, sweet wine, fortified wine and dessert wine. Beer gets a similar treatment with categorisation into lager, pilsner, ale beer, draught beer, wheat beer etc.
Labelling requirements include declaration of alcohol content by volume with geographical designation or names allowed to be used only for products originating strictly from that geographical region. There is also mandatory allergen warning.
Kerala: Liquor quality on check
KOCHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has issued a draft notification fixing quality standards for liquor in the country. The FSSAI published the notification in the government gazette on September 5 and invited objections or suggestions to be submitted within 30 days from the date of publication of the guidelines. The notification for the first time authorises food safety officials to check the quality of the liquor sold in the country in terms of the ingredients used, manufacturing process and storage.
The FSSAI officials will have the power to examine liquor like any other product when the notification is incorporated into the law. Currently, only the excise department officials in the state are responsible for checking the quality of liquor and their examination is confined to finding whether the liquor is spurious or not. The notification by FSSAI brings the entire gamut of quality into the ambit of the food safety, including the flavours and pigments used for colours. For instance, if a liquor manufacturer labels the product as grape brandy, the manufacturer will be mandated to make it using grape.
"The grape brandy is the alcoholic distillate obtained solely from the fermented juice of fresh, ripe and sound grapes. The distillation shall be carried out to a suitable strength in such a way that the spirit possesses the distinct aroma and taste characteristics derived from grapes and the natural volatile principle already present in grapes or constituents formed during fermentation. In case of brandy made from any fruit other than grapes, the name of the fruit shall pre-fix the word 'brandy' in the definition."
A similar definition is also made of various categories of whisky, gin, rum, vodka, beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages sold in the country. The guidelines also stipulate that the liquor should be free from chemicals such as chloral hydrate, ammonium chloride, diazepam, paraldehyde or any other types of narcotic and psychotropic substances, including caffeine which when mixed with alcohol is injurious to health. The notification also contains specific standards for the claims made by the liquor makers. For instance, a brandy when labelled as "matured" shall be matured for a period of not less one year in oak vats or barrels.
Blended grape brandy, when labelled as "matured", should use grape brandy which is matured for a period of not less than one year in wooden vats or barrels.
The water used for dilution to bottling strength should be as per IS-10500. Similar definitions have also been given in the case of maturity for whisky, rum, gin, vodka and other alcoholic beverages. Beer has been classified as light, standard, strong and super strong as per the ethyl alcohol content. Light has 0.5-4 per cent content, standard 4-5 per cent, strong 5-6 per cent and super strong 6-8 per cent.
Allergen warning for wine
If the wine contains more than 10 mg Sulfur Dioxide per litre, the label must declare that “contains Sulfur Dioxide or Sulfite”
If egg white, milk or isinglass is used as fining, clarifying agents in wine and treated with casein, ovalbumin or tartrazine, use of these materials should be mentioned on the label.
Toddy categorised as palm wine
Palm wine is a sweet or sour fermented and vinegary alcoholic beverage. Palm wine, also called palm toddy or 'kallu' or simply toddy, is an alcoholic beverage made from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra and coconut palms.
All wine shall be free from chloral hydrate, ammonium chloride, diazepam, paraldehyde or any other types of narcotic, psychotropic substances including caffeine which when mixed with alcohol are injurious to health.
It shall be bottled or canned and effectively pasteurized or preserved. Wine shall be clear and shall have characteristic colour, taste and foam of its type.
Suppliers seek rate hike soon
Almost all supplier of liquor has sought price hike of about 10 percent, which is being considered by the government. A decision on the matter is likely to come soon after the Onam holidays. It has been five years since the government allowed a hike in liquor prices.
“Over the last many years, we have been pressing for a hike considering the steep increase in raw material costs. The previous UDF government also allowed only around six percent price hike, even as we demanded 10 percent,” Kerala Distillers and Brewers Federation president T.R. Vijaykumar said. The excise policy of the new government is also may be announced soon, industry sources said.
Few mandals seek nod to distribute food
AURANGABAD: Though the food and drug administration (FDA) has appealed to all Ganesh mandals in the city to register with it if they are distributing food items to devotees, only 15 of the more than 1,600 registered and around 4,000 non-registered mandals have done so.
Food adulteration being one of the dangerous trends associated with festivals as huge quantities of food articles, particularly sweets, are sold and distributed during such events, the FDA is keeping a vigil, said Anant Pardhi, deputy joint commissioner (food), FDA Aurangabad division.
The customers, shop-keepers and mandal representatives also need to exercise caution, he said.
If we find sub-standard food being distributed or sold, we will send samples to the laboratory for investigation, he said, adding that action will be taken if the reports show adulteration or poor quality.
The Ganesh mandals have been appealed to register with the FDA in case they are organising 'bhandara' (distribution of food). Mandals have also been asked to keep details of food items they have purchased for 'prasad', ensure hygienic conditions where the prasad is prepared and use clean water. They were also advised to check if the milk and milk products being used in sweets are fresh and store them in a cool place, Pardhi said.
Sep 12, 2016
Centre's notification on liquor: Kerala to abide
The notification has been issued by the Centre after dismissing strong opposition from the liquor producers.
The central food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has issued stringent guidelines to ensure the quality of liquor produced in the country.T
he notification dated September 9 lists out the quality criteria for production and storage of alcoholic beverages. Once the regulation comes into force, the Food Safety Authorities in the states have to conduct regular checks and raids at distilleries.
The notification has been issued by the Centre after dismissing strong opposition from the liquor producers.
The document states regulations for all types of alcoholic beverages including beer and wine.
Food or poison? Ten food items you need to stop eating!
Zee Media Bureau/Udita Madan
New Delhi: We often tend to consume certain foods without thinking whether they are good for our health or not.
Especially in present times, when adulteration is at an all-time high, it becomes important to know what is hazardous to consume and what isn't.
Packaged food sometimes gives us the advantage of providing information on the ingredients that have been used to produce the edible goods, however, there are a few big food manufacturers who are also introducing new hazards in our food supply.
Unfortunately, there are certain food stuffs that contain harmful compounds and ingredients, which actually act as poison for the body and can have a bad effect in the long term.
These are the ones that need an immediate ouster from your everyday diet, irrespective of whether you're following a strict regime or not.
You'll be surprised to learn, when you do, about the following ten food items. Have a look!
1. Margarine:
Similar to butter, many people choose margarine over the former. The truth, however, is slowly beginning to reveal itself. Now, most people have readily begun to swap their margarine with butter, since margarine is full of cholesterol increasing compounds like trans-fats, artificial flavors, artificial colors and most importantly, calories, which makes it more dangerous than butter and you prone to many health-related issues.
2. Artificial sweeteners:
Artificial sweeteners undoubtedly provide you with the satisfaction of consuming less calories, but is it really safe? Saccharine as a low-calorie substitute for sugar surely gives consumers a ray of hope where weight loss is concerned, which now has been introduced as a part of many foods and beverages and advertised as 'diet' food. However, the fact is that these sweeteners actually promote and encourage weight gain and not the reverse. There’s also the issue of the potential damage they can do to your health, such as increasing the risk of diabetes or damage to the kidneys.
3. Tomato sauce:
We can literally sense the shock with this. Unfortunately, it's true. Your good old tomato sauce can also be harmful, unless you have purchased organic tomato sauce or one made of 'real' tomatoes or made it at home. The store-bought tomato sauce that we normally consume on a daily basis with eggs or sandwiches or fast food, etc., contains all sorts of additives like artificial colour, refined sugar, corn syrup, sodium, et al, which promote health issues like hypertension or high blood pressure, obesity and also increase risk of heart disease.
4. Frosting:
Your love of cakes and pastries could be making you lose out on your health, specially because of the frosting. Of course, it has sugar, which means calories, which means weight gain – it's a never-ending cycle. But were you aware that frosting, especially the canned ones use ingredients sugar, trans-fats, corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial flavors and preservatives? In fact, some of the food coloring used in these products is actually banned in other countries!
5. Strawberries:
No, this is not a mistake. It's terrifying, actually, how something that's naturally grown could be harmful. Don't get us wrong, though. We're talking only about non-organic strawberries. Those that are produced by big agricultural businesses are most likely contaminated with pesticides. As per thinkingabouthealth.com, a recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that some strawberries contained residue from as many as 13 different pesticides. Buying certified organic strawberries or growing your own is the only way to avoid those potentially dangerous pesticides.
6. Sprouts:
Another healthy food item makes the list. Of course, many dieticians swear by them and a research has also stated that it helps wash out toxins from the body. However, that is not the case with commercially-produced sprouts, which are very prone to contamination by germs and bacteria. The best option is to grow your own at home, which is probably easier than you think.
7. Packaged cookies:
They're delicious, they make your mouth water, they're melt-in-your-mouth yummy and they're also loaded with hydrogenated oils, which are one of the worst things you can eat if you value your health. Of course, butter and sugar are evident ingredients, but they also contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives and bleached white flour. We suggest baking your own cookies at home. They'll be much healthier even if you burn them.
8. Frozen pizza:
Don't we all just love pizza? Be it a party or a I'm-home-alone movie marathon, pizza has always saved the day. But, if we talk about frozen pizza, which makes life simpler by a huge margin, is it safe? Well, going by the high levels of sugar, salt, MSG and nitrates, we don't think so. Oh and we can't overlook the calories, can we? Say hello to kilos!
9. Soda:
Whether it's diet soda or the normal soda, both are equally harmful. Why? They're basically liquid sugar. You'll only be piling on the kilos, not to forget making yourself prone to many diseases in the future. Many soda brands contain sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners like aspartame as a substitute for sugar. It also contains phosphoric acid, which inhibits your body’s ability to absorb calcium.
10. Fast food:
You were wondering when this would come, weren't you? This addition is pretty obvious for various reasons, which we're sure you're already aware of. They may taste amazingly good, however, they have the opposite effect on our health. Including high levels of sodium, MSG, sugar, and trans-fats, fast food does nothing to improve one's health and also contains all sorts of food colorings, artificial sweeteners and preservatives, which are an invitation to long term diseases and conditions.
Adulterated food products worth Rs 36 lakh seized
In an ongoing drive against the shops selling sub-standard sweets and adulterated food products, the Maharashtra Food and Drugs administration (FDA) have seized barfi and other raw materials used for preparing mithai (Indian sweets), worth nearly Rs 36 lakh from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai since the outset of Ganesh Chaturthi.
''Ten flying squads, deployed specifically on the occasion of festive season, raided different shops and factories, drew samples of different types of mithai and in doubtful cases seized the stock of sweets. Some of the samples are being tested in our laboratory at Bandra in Mumbai, while some samples have been sent to our laboratory in Pune," Chandrashekhar Salunkhe, Joint Commissioner (Food) told the media here.
"The seized items are being tested to find out whether they are in conformity with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The "food safety" means assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use," Salunkhe said.
Under the act, 'food business operator' means a person by whom the business is carried on or owned, is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules and regulations, Salunkhe added. By and large, raw material like mawa is being brought at cheaper rate from outside Maharashtra in large quantities, since it is in much demand in the cities and towns including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune.
"Our officers will also be visiting Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals to carry out random checks of the Prasad and food served. The intention is to avoid any untoward incident due to the inadvertent mistake by the sweet/food supplier or the organisers," Salunkhe said adding that the drive will continue till January, since many festivals including Navratri, Dussera, Diwali will be celebrated by people on massive scale in the coming months
Eating food off the floor is not safe at all
Sep 11 (IANS) Food, once dropped on the floor, is not safe to eat, however quickly you pick it up, warns a new study that debunks the widely accepted notion that it is all right to scoop up food and eat it within a "safe" five-second window.
Moisture, type of surface and contact-time all contribute to cross-contamination. In some instances, the transfer begins in less than one second, the study said.
"The popular notion of the 'five-second rule' is that food dropped on the floor, but picked up quickly, is safe to eat because bacteria need time to transfer," said Donald Schaffner, Professor at the Rutgers University at New Jersey, in the US.
"We decided to look into this because the practice is so widespread. The topic might appear 'light' but we wanted our results backed by solid science," Schaffner noted.
The researchers tested four surfaces -- stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood and carpet -- and four different foods -- watermelon, bread, bread and butter, and gummy candy.
They also looked at four different contact times -- less than one second, five, 30 and 300 seconds.
They used two media -- tryptic soy broth or peptone buffer -- to grow Enterobacter aerogenes, a nonpathogenic "cousin" of Salmonella naturally occurring in the human digestive system.
Transfer scenarios were evaluated for each surface type, food type, contact time and bacterial prep; surfaces were inoculated with bacteria and allowed to completely dry before food samples were dropped and left to remain for specified periods.
All totalled 128 scenarios were replicated 20 times each, yielding 2,560 measurements. Post-transfer surface and food samples were analysed for contamination.
Not surprisingly, watermelon had the most contamination, gummy candy the least, showed the findings published online in the American Society for Microbiology's journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
"Transfer of bacteria from surfaces to food appears to be affected most by moisture," Schaffner said.
"Bacteria don't have legs, they move with the moisture, and the wetter the food, the higher the risk of transfer," Schaffner explained.
"Bacteria can contaminate instantaneously," Schaffner warned.
Sep 11, 2016
Trucks with Nepali gigner allowed to enter India
Permanent lifting of ban, however, not certain
Sep 11, 2016- Even as the Indian customs office allowed trucks loaded with Nepali ginger to enter its territory on Friday, it is not certain whether the move heralds a permanent end to the ban placed on entry of the Nepali spice to India.
On Friday, 16 trucks containing Nepali ginger entered India through the Kakadbhitta-Panitanki border point.
Indra Budhathoki, general secretary of Nepal Ginger Producers and Traders Association (NGPTA), claimed Indian customs officials informed him that the trucks were allowed to pass through the border, as the ban on the entry of Nepali ginger had been lifted by India.
But neither Nepali nor Indian government officials could confirm whether the ban had been permanently lifted. Nepali officials, who were following developments on the matter, could not be contacted on Saturday.
An Indian government official, who did not want to be named, on the other hand, acknowledged Friday’s entry of Nepali ginger to India,but could not confirm whether the move marked an end to the ban.
Indian customs had prevented Nepali ginger from entering its territory 13 days ago after the Indian Food Safety and Standards Authority said Nepali agro products were laced with pesticide called Aldicarb.
Indian authorities also said the ban was imposed to counter growing infiltration of Chinese ginger in Nepal, which were then finding their way to India.
Following the incident, the government had also formed a seven-member taskforce to prepare a detailed report on the problems encountered in ginger exports and make appropriate recommendations for their resolution.
India is the major market for Nepali ginger. Almost 94 percent of the shipments to India consist of fresh ginger and the rest are processed ginger. Ginger is grown on more than 23,826 hectares across the country. As per the statistics of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, the country produced 242,546 tonnes of ginger last fiscal year, 60 percent of which was exported.
Globally, Nepal is the third largest ginger producer after China and India. According to Nepal Ginger Profile 2016, which was produced jointly by the UK Aid-funded Samarth-Nepal Market Development Programme and the NGPTA, the ginger grown in Nepal is high in oil and oleoresin, and it can be sold to large industrial buyers in India and other countries if output is increased and quality is ensured.
காலாவதியான குளிர்பானம் அழிப்பு தேசிய நெடுஞ்சாலையோரம் காலி பிளாஸ்டிக் கப்புகள் குவிப்பு பொதுமக்கள் அதிர்ச்சி
தர் ம புரி, செப்.11:
தர் ம புரி அருகே சாலை யோ ரத் தில் காலா வ தி யான குளிர் பா னங் களை கொட்டி அழித் த வர் கள், காலி பிளாஸ் டிக் கப் பு களை அங் கேயே வீசி விட்டு சென் ற னர். இது தொ டர் பாக உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அதி காரி எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ளார்.
தர் ம புரி அருகே பழைய தர் ம புரி வழி யாக பெங் க ளூரு தேசிய நெடுஞ் சாலை செல் கி றது. இந்த சாலை யை யொட்டி குண் ட லப் பட் டிக்கு செல் லும் சர் வீஸ் ரோடு செல் கி றது. இந்த சாலை யோ ரத் தில் குவி யல் குவி ய லாக குளிர் பான கப் பு கள் கிடந் தது. இத னைக் கண்டு அந்த வழி யாக சென்ற பொது மக் கள் மற் றும் வாகன ஓட் டி கள் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந் த னர். அரு கில் சென்று பார்த் த போது அனைத்து காலி யாக இருப் பது தெரிய வந் தது. காலா வ தி யான குளிர் பா னங் களை சாலை யோ ரம் கொட்டி விட்டு, காலி பிளாஸ் டிக் கப் பு களை உரிய முறை யில் அப் பு றப் ப டுத் தா மல் அங் கேயே போட்டு விட்டு சென் றி ருப் ப தும் கண் டு பி டிக் கப் பட் டது. ஒரு சில கப் பு க ளில் குளிர் பா னம் இருந் தது. அதன் மீது வாக னங் கள் ஏறிச் சென் ற தால் சாலை யில் குளிர் பா னம் பீய்ச்சி அடித் தது.
இது கு றித்த தக வ லின் பே ரில், தர் ம புரி மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அலு வ லர் கள் கோபி நாத், கந் த சாமி, நாக ராஜ் ஆகி யோர் நேரில் ெசன்று விசா ரித் த னர். இதில், தர் ம பு ரி யைச் சேர்ந்த முக வர் ஒரு வர், காலா வதி குளிர் பா னத்தை அங்கு கொண்டு வந்து அழித் தி ருப் ப தும், காலி யான கப் பு களை பாது காப் பாக எடுத் துச் செல் லா மல் குவித்து வைத் தி ருப் ப தும் தெரிய வந் தது. இதை ய டுத்து, குளிர் பான நிறு வ னத் தின் முக வ ருக்கு எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுக் கப் பட் டது. உடனே, அவர் விரைந்து வந்து சாக்கு பைக ளில் கப் பு களை சேக ரித் துச் சென் றார்.
இது கு றித்து தர் ம புரி மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் பிருந்தா கூறி ய தா வது:
காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை பொது இடத் தில் வைத்து அழிக் கக் கூ டாது. நீர் போன்ற காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை கழி வு நீர் கால் வாய் பகு தி யில் வெளி யேற்றி அழிக்க வேண் டும். பிளாஸ் டிக் பாக் கெட் மற் றும் கப் பு களை தனி யாக சேக ரித்து அதற் கான இடத் தில் வைக்க வேண் டும். இவ் வாறு அவர் கூறி னார்.
வந்தவாசியில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை சோதனை 1 லட்சம் மதிப்பு குட்கா, புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் 2 குடோனுக்கு சீல்
வந் த வாசி, செப்.11:
வந் த வா சி யில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட குட்கா, புகை யிலை பொருட் கள் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்டு குடோன் க ளுக்கு சீல் வைத்து உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யி னர் அதி ரடி நட வ டிக்கை மேற் கொண் ட னர்.
திரு வண் ணா மலை மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் க ளுக்கு நேற்று முன் தி னம் வந் த வா சி யில் உள்ள ஒரு கடை யில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட குட்கா உள் ளிட்ட பொருட் கள் அதிக அள வில் வைத் தி ருப் ப தாக ரக சிய தக வல் கிடைத் தது. அதன் பே ரில், நேற்று மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் ராஜா தலை மை யில் வட் டார அலு வ லர் கள் சுப் பி ர மணி, ஏகாம் ப ரம் ஆகி யோர் கொண்ட குழு வி னர் அச் ச ர பாக் கம் சாலை யில் உள்ள ஒரு மொத்த விற் பனை கடை யில் திடீர் சோதனை மேற் கொண் ட னர். அப் போது, அந்த கடை யில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட குட்கா, ஹான்ஸ் உள் ளிட்ட போதைப் பொருட் கள் பதுக் கி வைத்து விற் பனை செய் யப் பட் டது கண் டு பிடிக் கப் பட் டது.
மேலும் அந்த கடைக்கு சொந் த மான 2 குடோன் களை சோதனை செய் த தில் அங்கு வைக் கப் பட் டி ருந்த ₹1 லட் சம் மதிப் பி லான போதைப் பொருட்களை பறி மு தல் செய்த அலு வ லர் கள் அந்த 2 குடோன் க ளுக் கும் சீல் வைத் த னர். பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்ட பொருட் களை திரு வண் ணா ம லைக்கு கொண்டு சென் ற னர்.
கடை உரி மை யா ளர் மீது சட்ட நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என தெரி விக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது. தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பொருட் கள் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட்டு குடோன் க ளுக்கு சீல் வைத்த சம் ப வம் வந் த வாசி பகு தி யில் பெரும் பர ப ரப்பை ஏற் ப டுத் தி யுள் ளது.
Milk quality control drive runs out of steam
Private dairies remain outside the ambit of dairy development department
Stripped of statutory powers for sampling and reprisal against quality compromises, the week-long intensive quality control drive being undertaken by the district dairy development department during Onam, when demand for milk and milk products surges, seems to have run out of steam.
Despite their depleted authority, dairy development officials in the district continue to collect on an average 30 milk samples from the market daily, test them at the department’s quality control lab at Kakkanad and sent the collated sample reports to the State Directorate of Dairy Development. These reports are in turn forwarded to the Commissionerate of Food Safety constituted under the Food Safety and Standards Act.
“Only food safety department is empowered to take action on those reports, which previously was the domain of dairy development department under the now defunct Milk and Milk Product Order and the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Now we can’t even collect milk samples statutory, which helped us to hold those compromising on quality and adulteration accountable for their act,” dairy department sources said.
Previously, multiple samples were collected with one sample kept sealed at the source and the second one sent for quality control tests. This way, if there were deviations from set standards, the violators could be taken to task as there was a sample of the same batch to prove it. With that authority taken away and given to food safety officials since 2011, dairy department officials now simply take samples from the market with no back up of sealed sample at source leaving room for those at fault to challenge the lab results easily.
Administration
The dairy department is now solely entrusted with the administration of primary milk cooperative societies registered under it and ensuring the quality of their milk which is collected and distributed by Milma. “Private dairies remain outside the ambit of the department as they cannot be visited by department officials,” the sources said.
Officials bemoan that despite having trained staff qualified in dairy technology unlike food safety officials and full fledged quality control labs, the department has been left with little authority to act. Repeated pleas to restore the past authority of the department had fallen on deaf ears.
The intensive quality control drive in the district will last till September 13. The department has also opened an information centre in association with the District Panchayat at Kakkanad from where the public can get milk samples tested within 20 minutes. Milk samples are mostly tested for fat and sugar and presence of adulterants and preservatives.
Sep 10, 2016
FDA keeps vigil on 'khoya'
NASHIK: The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has launched a drive to keep a check on 'khoya' (a milk product) coming from other states into Nashik.
Khoya is used on a large scale for preparing 'prasad' and other sweet food articles, which are often used during festivals. Sub-standard khoya often results in health hazards among people, who consume the products prepared from it.
The food safety officers said they were keeping watch on the khoya manufactured in the city and the district, and also maintaining vigil on the khoya coming from other states.
Khoya should be transported at a certain temperature in cold storage vehicles. The fluctuating or high temperature could spoil the product. So, strict vigil is maintained on vehicles coming into the city from other parts of the state, considering that khoya is produced on a large scale in other parts of the country.
The FDA has deployed teams at different parts of the city to keep an eye on private vehicles and ST buses coming from areas where khoya is likely to be procured.
The officials said they have started visiting shops which are selling food articles made from milk. Samples are being sent to the laboratory for further investigation. Action will be taken if the test reports were negative.
8,000 kgs of Barfi seized
Saturday, September 10, 2016
Adulterated food products worth Rs 36 lakh seized during the festive season
In an ongoing drive against the shops selling sub-standard sweets and adulterated food products, the Maharashtra Food and Drugs administration (FDA) have seized barfi and other raw materials used for preparing mithai (Indian sweets), worth nearly Rs 36 lakh from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai since the outset of Ganesh Chaturthi.
“10 flying squads, deployed specifically on the occasion of festive season, raided different shops and factories, drew samples of different types of mithai and in doubtful cases seized the stock of sweets. Some of the samples are being tested in our laboratory at Bandra in Mumbai, while some samples have been sent to our laboratory in Pune,” Chandrashekhar Salunkhe, Joint Commissioner (Food) told Afternoon D&C.
“The seized items are being tested to find out whether they are in conformity with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The “food safety” means assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use,” Salunkhe said.
Under the act, ‘food business operator’ means a person by whom the business is carried on or owned, is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules and regulations, Salunkhe added.
By and large, raw material like mawa is being brought at cheaper rate from outside Maharashtra in large quantities, since it is in much demand in the cities and towns including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune.
“Our officers will also be visiting Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals to carry out random checks of the Prasad and food served. The intention is to avoid any untoward incident due to the inadvertent mistake by the sweet/food supplier or the organisers,” Salunkhe said adding that the drive will continue till January, since many festivals including Navratri, Dussera, Diwali will be celebrated by people on massive scale in the coming months.
Meanwhile, to minimize the time required for analysis, the FDA is in the process of expanding the existing laboratories at Mumbai and Nagpur, and establishing new laboratories at Thane, Kolhapur, Nashik and Amravati.
SINFUL SWEETS
The seizure included - 8,000 kgs of Barfi worth Rs 23.55 lakh, 10,224 ltrs of edible oil worth Rs 12.80 lakh, 279 kgs of Khava (used for preparing 'Pedhas') worth Rs 61,380 and 313.4 kgs of pure ghee worth Rs 1.19 lakh.
Biryani samples from Mewat: Did officials exceed their brief?
CHANDIGARH: Under fire for policing biryani, the Haryana government appears to be distancing itself from samples drawn by the Mewat police to check beef consumption.
While all seven biryani samples have tested positive for beef at the laboratory of a state university, questions are being asked in the government about the district police and animal husbandry department officials exceeding their jurisdiction by drawing samples of biryani - a cooked food item - and getting them analysed.
The samples, especially cooked food, can be drawn by food safety officer and medical officers authorised by the local chief medical officer or food and drugs administration (FDA) department.
Besides, the legal validity of analysis or test done by laboratory other than those designated for the purpose is also under doubt.
FDA public anaylst Balbir Singh told Hindustan Times that only FSO, senior medical officer (SMO) or doctors in-charge of hospitals, primary health centres and community health centres have been notified to collect food samples Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
He said the government laboratories at Karnal and Chandigarh have testing facility for beef and their reports are valid. The biryani samples collected from Firozepur Jhirka in Mewat were sent at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar. KHATTAR CONVEYS ‘DISPLEASURE’
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is also learnt to be upset with the manner in which samples were drawn.
“He has made known his displeasure to Gau Seva Ayog and officials of animal husbandry and police departments. Collection of food samples is the responsibility of health staff,” a highly-placed officer said, requesting anonymity.
The district officials have also started passing the buck. Deputy commissioner Mani Ram Sharma said the campaign for collection of samples was run by Gau Seva Aayog chairman Bhani Ram Mangla.
“You should check with the chairman. We were not in the loop,” he said.
While the police said the samples were drawn by a veterinary doctor, director general, animal husbandry and dairying, Dr GS Jakhar said the police ran the campaign and the doctor was called only for packing and sealing the samples for analysis. Mangla, on being contacted, blamed the media for blowing the whole thing out of proportion. “It’s a simple issue, not a big one. We got some complaints. The police and the veterinary doctor drew the samples. You should ask the police about the test results,” he said.
HARYANA-Registration of food business made easier
Chandigarh, September 9
Food Security Officers (FSO) in the state will no longer be able to demand money for the registration of firms or delay the registration owing to their ulterior motives.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Haryana, today told the FSOs designated as the registration authority under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, that registration generated online by firms would become valid if they did not make objections in 30 days.
Rajiv Rattan, FDA Commissioner, who headed a meeting held today, clarified that the FSOs would no longer be in a position to delay the registration of food business operators (FBO).
Rattan said the move would help to know the exact number of FBOs in the state, besides ensuring their registration under the Act. The FBOs with business above Rs 12 lakh per annum need to get licences, while those with less than Rs 12 lakh need to get their firms registered.
Only 15, 341 FBOs are registered against nearly 2 to 2.5 lakh running across the state. Besides, there are 7, 626 licenced FBOs in the state.
Sources said that due to corruption and the delay tactics of some FSOs, those in food business were reluctant to get themselves registered under the Act, due to which the authorities were devoid of the data base regarding their exact number.
Sep 9, 2016
PIL on food adulteration
Govt apprises High Court about setting up of food testing labs
The government has apprised Jammu and Kashmir High court about the steps taken by it for procuring necessary equipments for setting up two food testing laboratories, one each at Srinagar and Jammu.
Yash Pal Sharma, Managing Director Medical Supplies Corporation informed the Court about the steps taken for procuring necessary equipments for setting up of two food laboratories.
“In view of the poor response to the earlier NIT, the Corporation has floated fresh NIT and last date for receipt of documents is 26th September, 2016,” Sharma pleaded.
The Controller Drugs, who was also present, submitted that the posts vacant in the labs have been referred to the Service Selection Board almost one year back saying they have not made any selection till date. The submission was made by the officer in light of the directions passed by the court on June 10.
Meanwhile, the court arrayed Chairman SSB as party to the PIL and deputy advocate general Hashim Hussain accepted notice on behalf of Board. The court directed the SSB to complete the selection process be the next date of hearing.
Hearing a PIL against food adulteration, a division bench of Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey, however, sought the latest status report by September 29.
On May 15 this year, Chief Secretary of J&K had admitted before High Court that government has failed to implement Food Safety and Standard Act 2006.
He had assured that without waiting for financial assistance from the central government, funds for setting up technologically advanced laboratories at Jammu and Srinagar would be immediately provided by the State.
He had also assured the court that mobile testing laboratories will be provided to the Food Safety Department and the authorities created in terms of Act of 2006 would also be put in place shortly.
In the report filed by the government it was then stated that two existing labs, one each in Jammu and Srinagar, were outdated and literally non-functional.
HC says camel slaughtering cannot be permitted in absence of dedicated abattoir
Taking note of the fact submitted by the State government that at present there are no special facilities available to slaughter camels, the Madras High Court on Thursday said that in such case, camel slaughtering cannot be permitted in the State.
“It is trite to say that slaughtering of camels cannot be the same as slaughtering of goats. There is thus no facility in Tamil Nadu for proper slaughtering of camels where it to be permitted,” the First Bench of Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan said.
The Bench made the observations on batch of PILs moved by Radha Rajan and others seeking to direct the authorities to ensure that no camel slaughtering takes place in Tamil Nadu.
When the PILs came up for hearing, the Central and State government submitted their responses to the series of quires on the legality of camel slaughtering and the Rules governing it.
Relying on section 28 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 the Central government submitted that the Act does not support sacrifice of animals for any reason. It further stated that slaughtering of animals is allowed only for the purpose of food.
“Camel meat as food has been already prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Food products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011,” the authorities said.
Meanwhile, the State government relying on the same provision of the PCA Act claimed that camel slaughtering is permitted as a special case, coupled with the fact that religious sermon permits the slaughtering of camel.
Recording the submissions, the Bench said, “We may only add here is that it is admitted position that there are no camels available in Tamil Nadu and thus a comparison cannot be made of area where camels are found easily. In fact camels are imported into Tamil Nadu from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra… Rajasthan is stated to have prohibited even the export of camels out of the State for the purposes of slaughtering by an enactment.”
Noting that the issue should be set-down for final hearing, but in the mean time in view of the stand of Central government and the provisions of the Central Act at present, we cannot have a situation where such camel slaughtering is permitted especially in the absence of any facility for it, the Bench posted the PILs for further hearing on October 17.
800 kg rotten tomatoes, onions found at food processing unit
NASHIK: Nearly 800kg of rotten tomatoes and onions along with other goods worth Rs 1 lakh have been destroyed by the Nashik Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) on Wednesday evening while conducting a raid at a food processing unit in the Nashik road area.
The food safety officers said that during a routine inspection of Mangalam Foods on Naigaon Raod in Shinde, that manufactures tomato sauce, pickles, noodles, mixed fruit jam, etc., it was found that the unit was in a shabby condition. The concerned owners or proprietors of the food processing unit have been violating all the conditions of the license acquired from the FDA.
During the inspection, officials had to destroy nearly 800kg of rotten tomatoes and onions.
An officer said that the flooring of the processing unit was damp and the quality of water used for manufacturing the food articles was also questionable. "About 20 workers had hung their they dirty clothes in the unit and their medical check up was also not done. There is also no provision for warm water to wash the utensils," he said.
Food safety officers Vivek Patil and Sayali Patwardhan who carried out the inspection under the guidance of joint commissioner FDA (Food), Nashik Division U S Vanjari, appealed to people to refrain from food articles like pickle, sauce and jam which are sold loose or even served in in restaurants.
"We have sent the food samples to our laboratory and action against the concerned owner will be taken after we get the lab reports," Vanjari said.
The food processing unit has not been closed down yet as it is not in the power of the FDA unit here. Although the concerned owners have been warned of being shut down if unhygienic conditions are continued.
Liquor Chocolates... Now the Safest, Cheapest Drugs For Youth in City
Hyderabad: Liquor chocolates... have become the easiest business channel for some chocolate manufacturing units in the city to make a fast buck. College goers and high school kids are falling prey for the ‘liquor chocolates’.
The makers are cashing in on the craze for chocolates in the market as they are the safest and cheapest drugs for especially under-aged youths that available in many chocolate cafes and shopping malls in the city.
Liquor chocolates are the candies in different shapes that taste like chocolate with the alcohol/whisky content mixed in it that gives mild intoxication to the consumer. It is difficult to smell the alcohol content in the liquor chocolates. Import of such chocolates is banned in India by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2005 and its sale is illegal in India.
Of late, mostly high school students and college goers are targeted for the business selling the ‘tipsy products’ ranging from Rs. 50 to 500 at chocolate cafes and high-end stores in twin cities.
According to a latest report, more than 100 small chocolate companies in GHMC limits have turned to making liquor chocolates illegally to make easy money.
The Excise officials revealed that the products are being sold in miniature bottles and many other shapes with weird names
Acting on a tip off, Excise Department Special Task Force and Enforcement officials conducted raids on a chocolate manufacturing unit in Old Mallepally in Hyderabad. The officials took two persons into their custody and seized 400 chocolates weighing 2kg and seven bottles of whisky and vodka from the unit. The samples have been sent to laboratory for testing.
Excise AES Anji Reddy said all the manufacturing units in the city would be served notices and the inspections will be conducted based on the reports of samples. Many chocolate cafes in the city are making money by selling the illegal products and the sales have been found high during the festive seasons of Dasara and Diwali, he said. Each pack is sold for Rs.1000 to 1600 and the price will be doubled during the peak time.
The officials also said that the liquor chocolates manufacturing units were also training persons for domestic business.
Mobile food testing labs launch today at Thycaud
The air-conditioned mobile laboratories were set up by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd.
Thiruvananthapuram: Two mobile food testing laboratories worth Rs 1.4 crore will be flagged off by Health Minister K.K. Shylaja at Food Safety Commissioner’s headquarters at Thycaud. Kerala will become the second in the country after Chandigarh to establish mobile laboratories. The laboratories along with two other static laboratories in the state are expected to curb adulterated food products particularly milk, edible oils, masala packets and spices.
The air-conditioned mobile laboratories were set up by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. Two laboratory officials and a driver will be deployed in each of the vehicles. The mobile laboratories will be anchored around check posts. On official requests, they will be routed to sources where adulterants are found on a largescale. Currently, there are only two Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) accredited laboratories in the state.
Naivaidya's sweet labelled 'sub-standard' by FDA
RAIPUR: In its latest sampling of a sweet product of Chhattisgarh's prominent sweet supplier chain of 'Naivaidya', Food and Drugs department has labelled one of its product as "substandard" as per provisions of food and safety standard Act.
Based on a complaint filed by Sanjeev Agrawal, a sealed box of 'anjeer barfi', purchased from Naivaidya food product at Shastri Market was received by the food and drugs department on August 23. After testing, the 'anjeer barfi' was found unfit for consumption as it contained fibres, vegetable stalks and sand particles.
Complainant Sanjeev said he had bought a packet of sweets which tasted bad and looked stale, following which he bought another box and submitted the sealed pack to the department.
"As the substandard product comes from one of the very prominent brands of sweet products in state, I am going to file a petition at court as well as a complaint in consumer forum," Sanjeev said.
Another application filed by Sanjeev on August 23 was of KLF Nirmal Pure Coconut Oil which looked creamy in appearance and was sent to food and drugs department.The department officials labelled it as 'sub-standard too as per the standards of food and safety standards Act.
Sweet samples collected
VADODARA: Food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation cracked down on shops selling varieties of sweets widely consumed during Ganpati festival.
On Thursday, officers collected six samples of sweets and one of edible oil from shops in Sayajigunj, Jubelibaug and railway station areas. The officers had checked shops on the New VIP Road, Karelibaug and Makarpura Road areas of the city on Wednesday. The samples will be sent to the public health laboratory of the VMC for analysis. The officers have been checking samples of 'boondi', 'motichoor laddus', and 'modaks'
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) food officers check eateries
VADODARA: The food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Wednesday night continued their drive to check eateries in the city.
The officers checked eateries in Manjalpur, Subhanpura, Badamdi Baug, Kirti Stambh and Ajwa Road areas of the city. The officers checked 132 roadside eateries, eightrestaurants, 13 shops and three cottage units selling food items.
The teams disposed of 460 liters mint and tamarind water used for 'pani puris'. They also destroyed 265kg of material as well as cooked food. Fifteen food business operators were issued notices for not maintaining hygienic conditions. As many as 31 others were issued notices for not having food licences.
VADODARA: The food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Wednesday night continued their drive to check eateries in the city.
The officers checked eateries in Manjalpur, Subhanpura, Badamdi Baug, Kirti Stambh and Ajwa Road areas of the city. The officers checked 132 roadside eateries, eightrestaurants, 13 shops and three cottage units selling food items.
The teams disposed of 460 liters mint and tamarind water used for 'pani puris'. They also destroyed 265kg of material as well as cooked food. Fifteen food business operators were issued notices for not maintaining hygienic conditions. As many as 31 others were issued notices for not having food licences.
Sep 8, 2016
Poisonous Prasad
Recent incidents of food-poisoning during the Lord Ganesha celebrations at Thane and Borivali have raised pertinent questions as regards to food safety. The new FDA advisory guidelines to Ganesh Mandals as regards ‘prasad’ preparations is being seen as an apt move
The arrival of the elephant-headed God brings in joy and jubilation. And in some unfortunate cases, it also spells food-poisoning, recent incidents of which have been allegedly found at Thane and Borivali. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) reportedly raided Room No. 3 of the Namdev Chawl, located at Borivali East and seized nearly 6000 kgs. of spurious “mava” worth a whopping Rs 9.11 lakh, brought in from the neighbouring Gujarat for supplying to sweet shops in the city.
The seized ‘mava’ did not meet the norms stipulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and the Gujarat supplier did not have any license for the preparation and sale of ‘mava’ said an FDA official, adding that the perpetrator is being interrogated. In the meanwhile, the FDA has continued with its random checks of sweet shops in the city and the drive will go on till the ensuing Diwali.
With a view to avoid incidents of food poisoning during the ongoing Ganesh Utsav, the Food and Drugs Administration has prepared an advisory for Sarvjanik Ganeshotsav Mandals as regards the preparation and distribution of “prasad” (divine food offering to God) and the food served in “bhandaras” (food served as a worship offering or community feast).
As per the advisory, the ‘prasad’ should be prepared in a clean place and the raw material for it should be procured from a licensed supplier. The vessel carrying the ‘prasad’ should be closed properly with a lid so that the ‘prasad’ is not exposed to flies etc. The fruits for the ‘prasad’ should be purchased from the licensed fruit-vendors and the ‘prasad’ should not be made of over-ripened fruits. The ‘prasad’ should be made using clean potable water and those who prepare it should be provided with hand gloves and caps. Those who distribute the ‘prasad’ should not be suffering from contagious diseases. The milk and ‘mava’ used for preparing the ‘prasad’ should be stored in a cool place. When the food is prepared in a large quantity, the organisers should ensure that the raw material or ready food is purchased from suppliers that are known to them.Speaking to Afternoon D & C, Chandrashekhar Salunkhe, Joint Commissioner (Food) said, “This advisory has been issued so that the organisers of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals themselves take precautions from the point of food safety. The advisory is being served on the Mandals where the turn-out of devotees is very large. It is in no way an attempt to mar the festivity or put a damper on the enthusiasm of the Ganesh devotees. Even if the organisers purchase the food only from the reputed food supplier or the supplier known to them, it would go a long way in ensuing food safety.”
“The term ‘food safety’ means assurance that the food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use. It is also expected of the mandals organising ‘bhandaras’ to take adequate precautions while serving food to avoid any untoward incident”, he added.
Even if the food is served by social organisations like Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals, it attracts provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. which states that: “Food business” means any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution of food, import and includes food services, catering services, sale of food or food ingredients. Besides “food business operator” means a person by whom the business is carried on or owned and is responsible for ensuring the compliance of this Act, rules and regulations.
However most of the mandals in Mumbai seemed to be unaware of the FDA advisory. Milind Gole, President of the 29-year old “Bal Gopal Mitra Mandal Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav”, Vakola, Santacruz East said, “We have not received any such communication. We do organise a “bhandara” on a small scale,but we take all the precautions.”Sudhir Shenoy, Secretary of the “Shree Swami Samarth Nagar Ganeshotsav Mandal”, Andheri West said that the Mandal has not received any such communication. But regardless of anybody’s advice, all precautions are being taken to ensure food safety while organising “Mahaprasad”.
Caution! Sale of counterfeit food supplements on unchecked
Administration in deep slumber
JAMMU, Sept 7: Unauthentic and uncertified food supplements are being sold without any check or regulation to the city youth openly at exorbitant prices and the administration is in deep slumber despite a stringent Food Safety Act in place.
Attractive cartons of all sizes are put on display outside chemist shops, general stores and shops selling sports and fitness equipment, which are on sale for weight gain, muscle gain and also for weight loss and are being sold at astronomical prices to youth who aspire to have good physique. It is pity that they are not been prescribed by any physician or a qualified dietician, but most of the time, young boys and girls decide to take them on the advice of peers or unqualified gym instructors, most of whom have no professional qualification and have handsome commissions on the sales.
"In the contemporary world, everyone wants to look good and hence there is an urge amongst the youth to either gain muscle and look muscular or shed weight and look sleek; since exercising needs lot of effort and discipline, most people fall prey to short cuts as food supplements, which are on sale without any control or regulation" said Veena Trisal, a worried parent, whose son is taking such one such supplement he bought at an astronomical price from local market. "There was no price tag as the product was supposed to be imported" she added.
Besides the arbitrary rates at which these products are being sold, the major concern is the quality of the product and its effect on the user. "No one knows about the ingredients and the genuineness of the product being sold. You never know whether the product has steroids in it, which can have telling effect on the health of the user" said a renowned dietician, who did not want to be named. "These products need to be sold under a valid license and a regulatory mechanism as envisaged under the Food safety act which is overseen by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)" he added.
Despite a stringent act in place, it is pity that these food supplements are being sold in the open by all and sundry eyeing huge profits by individuals and firms which have no licenses as mandatory under the Act. The district administration, on whom lies the onus of regulating and checking the authenticity of these products has turned blind eye to the growing use of these uncertified products by the youth and their sale in violation of the provisions of the Food safety Act.
AMSU destroys large quantity of soft drinks
AMSU destroys large quantity of soft drinks
IMPHAL, Sep 7 : After the manufacturing dates of soft drinks were found tampered by some retailers, All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) destroyed large quantities of Sprite and Coca Cola this afternoon at its HQs located at DM College campus.
Alteration of manufacturing dates of the popular soft drinks came to light after the student body conducted a drive on August 29 following complaints from some of the consumers.
Commenting on the incident, AMSU secretary general Manjit Sarangthem said, “BSR Enterprises located at MG Avenue was found to have altered the manufacturing dates of the soft drinks. After they were asked to clarify the matter, only one Bedajit among the three owners of the enterprise (Bedajit, Sunil and Rajendra) came forward to give his statement.”
Stating that the State authorities concerned including the Food Safety Authority have failed to perform their duties, he expressed suspicion that there is an unholy nexus between some businessmen and the State authorities concerned.
General Secretary of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) Prakash Soraisam said that norms and regulations provided under the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) are being violated by the retailers of certain soft drinks in the State. These acts have raised a serious question about the illegal activities being carried out deliberately by the retailers.
Till today, the supplier of BSR enterprises is on the run and have failed to clarify the matter. Individual(s) involved in this illegal activity should clarify within September 15 to the public and also to the student body or else all kinds of soft drink will be banned in the State.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)