Duplicity regarding Legal Metrology Rules and FSS Act creating hurdles

New Delhi: The prevailing duality regarding the Legal Metrology Act, 2009/Legal Metrology Rules, 2011 and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006/Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, with specific reference to packaging and labelling requirements on processed foods, is creating difficulties and confusion in the food processing sector and will be a major roadblock in the minds of investors.

This was informed by the stakeholders of food processing industries to Harsimrat Kaur Badal, minister of food processing industries, at a meeting held to discuss the problems faced by the sector. The former wanted the ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI) to intervene to clear the confusion likely to arise due to the duality of regulations.

The announcement made by the legal metrology department of the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, which stated that the manufacturers of packaged commodities keep 40 per cent of the area of the pack for vital information such as the date of manufacturing, address and nutritional information, and the recently amended rules that give the competent authority the power to specify the rates and quantities of the commodities, has made the processed food industry worried about the future course.

It was stated that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, was perceived as an act to consolidate the laws relating to food. The objective was a part of the preamble to the Act. Subsequently the Act, and orders such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA), Food Products Order, 1955 (FPO), Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 (MMPO), Meat Food Products Order, 1973 (MFPO) and Vegetable oils, De-oiled meal and edible flour control order, 1967 (VPO) were subsumed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as per its Section 97 mentioned under the Second Schedule of the Act.

“However, the Standards of Weights and Measures Act and the related Packaged Commodities Rules, which regulate packaging and labelling aspects continue to apply on food products,” stated a memorandum submitted to the ministry.

“The provisions of these regulations should have been made in-operation to the extent they apply to food products, but the same has not been done as yet, despite repeated requests by the industry,” it added.

“These regulations are now titled Legal Metrology Act, 2009/Legal Metrology Rules, 2011, and continue to cover packaging and labelling aspects of food products and other items,” the memorandum said.

It added that both the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, prescribed regulations on packaging and labelling of food products and were a major irritant to the food industry.

“There are overlapping and conflicting provisions under the two regulations which cause serious harassment and impede growth. And therefore, it is strongly proposed that the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, should not be applicable on food products so as to avoid duality of regulations. Food products should continue to be regulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations thereof,” the memorandum added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution issued a notification on September 7, 2016 [amending the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodity) Rules, 2011 (LMR) and inserting provisions stating that the competent authority could fix standards quantity and retail sale prices of essential commodities prescribed under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (ECA).]

It was done to control the recent spurt in prices of several packaged commodities such as pulses. However industry sources felt that it could have a detrimental impact on the industry.

Said an industry representative, “The insertion of Proviso in Rule 6 of LMR relating to fixing of prices of essential commodities by the competent authority under ECA may impact the industry as the prices of essential commodities will be regulated by the competent authority of government leaving no power with the industry to have control on the pricing of their commodities/products, which, in turn, may have financial implications for the industry.”

“The industry will be bound to sell the products at prices prescribed by the competent authority as the contravention of it may lead to violation of ECA leading to a fine and even criminal prosecution under several circumstances,” he added.

“The insertion of Proviso is Rule 5 of LMR may not have a negative impact if the standard quantities prescribed by the competent authority are consistent with the standard quantities specified under the Second Schedule of LMR ass the industry is, in any case, complying the standard quantities prescribed in LMR for the commodities mentioned therein,” the representative stated.

“However, if the competent authority chooses to prescribe the standard quantity of essential commodities which differs from standard quantities under LMR, the industry may have to change the packaging of their products as the standard quantity fixed by the competent authority under ECA shall prevail. This may also put an additional financial burden on the industry,” he added.

Further, with regards to the rule that 40 per cent of the space on the package used for vital information, the industry has made several representations before the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, but no action has been taken as yet.

கிராம பகுதி கடைகளில் காலாவதி பொருள் விற்பனை கனஜோர்

தேவ தா னப் பட்டி, நவ. 3:

தேவ தா னப் பட்டி பகு தி யில் உள்ள கிரா மங் க ளில் கடை க ளில் காலா வ தி யான பொருட் கள் விற் பனை செய் வ தாக பொது மக் கள் குற் றம் சாட் டு கின் ற னர்.

தேவ தா னப் பட் டியை சுற் றி யுள்ள கிரா மங் க ளில் கடை க ளில் காலா வ தி யான உணவு பொருட் கள் மற் றும் அன் றாட தேவை க ளுக்கு பயன் ப டும் பொருட் கள் உள் ளிட் ட வை கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கி றது. பொம் மி நா யக் கன் பட்டி, குள் ளப் பு ரம், அ.வாடிப் பட்டி, முத லக் கம் பட்டி உள் ளிட்ட கிரா மங் க ளில் படிப் ப றிவு இல் லாத பொது மக் கள் கடை க ளுக்கு சென்று பொருட் கள் கேட் டால் இது போல் காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை விற் கின் ற னர். மேலும் திரு விழா காலத் தி லும், விஷேச நேரங் க ளில் இது போல காலா வதி பொருட் கள் விற் பனை படு ஜோ ராக நடப் ப தாக பொது மக் கள் குற் றம் சாட் டு கின் ற னர்.

இது குறித்து அப் ப கு தி வாசி ஒரு வர் கூறு கை யில், இந்த பகு தி யில் உள்ள கிரா மங் க ளில் படிப் ப றி வில் லாத மக் களை ஏமாற்றி காலா வதி பொருட் களை கடைக் கா ரர் கள் விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர். இது குறித்து உணவு, பாது காப்பு துறை அதி கா ரி கள் கடை க ளில் அதி ரடி சோதனை நடத்தி காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை விற் பனை செய் யும் கடைக் கா ரர் கள் மீது உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் க வேண் டும் என் றார்.

IFFI: first batch of certified food vendors to cater to crowds

PANAJI: Goa’s street food vendors could be sporting a smart, new look this IFFI 2016. About 40 food vendors will be attractively turned out in stylish uniforms with matching apron, caps and wearing gloves while preparing and serving food.

The well-groomed vendors, who are a far cry from the usual scruffy looks of a gaddo owner, will be trained in hygiene and sanitation and will be displaying on their carts a certificate of safe food practices issued by the FDA office.

Serve Safe Food@ Street Food, a food safety and hygiene training and certification programme for street food vendors kicked off at the FDA office in Bambolim on Wednesday and the new avatar of local food vendors is courtesy the programme. All the registered and unregistered street food vendors of the state are due for training with a completion time schedule of end-January 2017. There are an estimated 500 registered vendors currently while unregistered are likely to be in the 150 range.

Salim Veljee, director of FDA, said that certified and trained vendors during an international event of IFFI will send out a message that Goa is safe place for street food. “Participation is voluntary and FDA will not be playing the role of a regulator and force vendors to train,” he said, while appealing to all vendors present to be a part of the initiative.

Project ‘Serve Safe Food@ Street Food’ is an initiative of by the central government viz. FSSAI and Goa is the first state where it is launched as a pilot scheme. It will be gradually extended to other states, said Veljee. MNC food company, Nestle India, is supporting the project in the state as part of its CSR activities together with Delhi-based National Association of Street Food Vendors of India (NASVI).

Sanjay Khajuria, senior vice president, corporate affairs, Nestle India, said that street food is the tastiest but fear of getting ill is always in the mind while eating it. “Goa as a tourist state should aim in becoming like Thailand or some of the South East Asian countries where you can close your eyes and eat street food,” he said. About 90 per cent of illness can be avoided with clean food and water, added, Khajuria.

NASVI has sent six trainers to educate street food vendors on safe and hygienic food. Arbind Singh, national co-ordinator, NASVI, said that the programme is an opportunity for street food vendors to change and they must grab the chance and learn preparation and handling of food in a hygienic manner. NASVI is launched an app in Delhi giving the names of food cart operators and the app would also be launched in the state.

The national organisation of street vendors is planning to hold a street food festival around January-February on the lines of similar festival in Delhi. “Street food melts in the mouth, is popular and everyone loves it,” said Singh.

Anupama removed as Food Safety Commissioner

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: P V Anupama was today removed as Food Safety Commissioner and she has been transferred to Social Justice Department as its director. 

P Balakiran, who was the Social justice department director, has been appointed as Panchayat director.

FSSAI finalizes norms for fruit content in fizzy drinks

FSSAI has notified that drinks with fruit juice quantity below 10% but not less than 5%, and 2.5% in case of lime or lemon, should be called carbonated beverage with fruit juice

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released a definition for carbonated fruit beverages.

It has notified that beverages with fruit juice quantity below 10% but not less than 5%, and 2.5% in case of lime or lemon, should be called carbonated beverage with fruit juice.

This is part of the 11th amendment of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) regulations, 2016. “… in such cases the requirement of TSS (total soluble solids) shall not apply and the quantity of fruit juice shall be declared on the label,” the FSSAI notification, which came through The Gazette of India dated 25 October and was uploaded on FSSAI’s website on 1 November, read. TSS determines the quality of fruit juice content in beverages.

Before this, FSSAI guidelines on aerated beverages did not define carbonated fruit beverages and there was no set standard that the industry could have followed. In June, the food regulator had released a draft notification, defining ‘carbonated fruit beverages or carbonated fruit drinks’, seeking views from industry within two months.

The prescribed fruit content level, however, is much higher than what the industry had asked for. Indian Beverages Association, an industry lobby that bats for beverages companies, had asked the regulator to lower the fruit juice content threshold in carbonated beverages from 10% (minimum) to 3%.

The definition of fruit-based carbonated beverages came more than two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged multinational carbonated beverages companies like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to mix natural fruit juice (at least 5%) in aerated beverages to help augment fruit sales for Indian farmers. “Millions of people buy Pepsi and Coke. I have asked these companies if they can put 5% natural juice in their drinks,” Modi had said in September 2014.

Some of the beverages makers have already launched carbonated beverages with fruit content during the past one year.

Coca-Cola India, the local arm of American beverage maker Coca-Cola Co., already sells Fanta Green Mango, a carbonated drink that has 10.4% fruit content. Rival PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd, the local arm of American food and beverages company PepsiCo Inc, sells Nimbooz Masala Soda, a juice-based (5% lemon juice) aerated beverage.

While Coca-Cola started piloting with Fanta Green Mango about a year after Modi’s speech, PepsiCo had launched Nimbooz Masala Soda nationally in the summer of 2015.

Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been working on more fruit-based carbonated beverages and were waiting for FSSAI to come out with clear guidelines. Both the companies have plans to launch more products in the category over the next few years, Mint reported on 22 July.

Not just Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, in July home-grown Dabur India Ltd entered into the fizzy drinks market by launching a range of fruit juice-based aerated drinks under the brand—Réal VOLO, which the company claims has 20-25% fruit juice content.

Mumbai-based Parle Agro Pvt. Ltd sells Appy Fizz. In February, Bisleri International launched Bisleri Pop, an aerated fruit-based drink, to re-enter the carbonated beverages market that it exited in 1993 after its promoter Ramesh Chauhan sold five popular brands—Thums Up, Limca, Gold Spot, Maaza and Citra— to Coca-Cola. Chauhan had a non-compete agreement with Coca-Cola that expired in 2008.

During the past few years, cola companies have seen sales of carbonated beverages being impacted with consumers opting for juices and fruit-based drinks. In 2015, juices saw a volume growth of 20.06% and a value growth of 25.78% over the previous year. Fizzy drinks, in the same period, grew 8.42% by volume and 10.82% by value, according to market research firm Euromonitor International.

Nestle, FDA, Goa and NASVI join hands to raise awareness on Food Safety Practices and Hygiene among Street Food Vendors

The training of street vendors will be conducted by NASVI and will comprise subjects such as health, hygiene, food handling, waste disposal and entrepreneurship.

Nestle India, Food and Drugs Administration, Goa and National Association of Street Food Vendors of India (NASVI) have joined hands to begin training about 500 street vendors, expanding to about 1,000 in the coming months.

The training of street vendors will be conducted by NASVI and will comprise subjects such as health, hygiene, food handling, waste disposal and entrepreneurship. The participants will also be certified at the end of the training.

Praising the initiative, Adv. Francis De Souza, Deputy Chief Minister & Minister for Health, Government of Goa said, "It is an occasion of great pride to be associated with the event that the Directorate of Food & Drugs Administration, Goa is organizing." As a part of the 10 @ 10 initiatives, the State FDA has taken the movement forward to launch the training of the food street vendors under the "Project Serve Safe Food @ Street Food" on 2nd November 2016 involving the CSR participation of Nestle India limited in co-ordination with National Association of Street Food Vendors of India (NASVI). Goa is the first State to adopt the 10 @ 10 initiatives launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, to commemorate the completion of a decade of the enactment of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. I wish all the stakeholders engaged in this project success."

Highlighting this further, Mr. Sudhir Mahajan, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary (Health), Government of Goa said, "As a way forward in this 10@ 10 initiative, it is encouraging to learn that hands-on practical training to around 500 street food vendors will be conducted with the support and active participation of Nestle India and NASVI. I wish the State FDA as well as their associate Corpor ate CSR Partners all the success in this exercise."

Mr. Salim A Veljee, Director, Food & Drugs Administration, Commissioner, Food Safety, Goa said, "The Goa State FDA realises the tremendous scope available to uplift the overall quality of food available in the State, especially when the State is internationally identified as one of the best tourist destinations. Post the Master Trainer Training Program on 23rd October 2016 to selected identified volunteers and officials to assume the responsibility of imparting training to all the beneficiaries engaged in the food business, the State FDA is now in position to launch the formal training to around 500 street food vendors. This unique private public partnership with Nestle India will provide the necessary impetus both in terms of capacity building as well as perception and confidence in the minds of the consumers. I am confident that with this joint collective initiative the State shall be in position to declare itself as another destination for safe food to the consumers."

Sanjay Khajuria, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Nestle India further added, "Ensuring clean, wholesome and hygienic food for the public is of utmost importance today. We are happy to partner with NASVI and FDA, Government of Goa in training over 500 street food vendors in Goa and extend it to 1,000 in the coming months. We would sincerely like to thank Adv. Francis De Souza, Deputy Chief Minister & Minister for Health, Government of Goa and Shri Sudhir Mahajan, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary (Health), Government of Goa for their encouragement and Salim A Veljee, Director, Food & Drugs Administration, Commissioner, Food Safety, Goa for participating in the event and motivating all the attendees. This is our first step in this direction and we hope to expand the programme in the future. We hope the training will encourage the micro and small food business operators to use the knowledge shared during the training in their everyday business."

While Street Food Vending is an import ant source of employment for a large number of population, a variety of constraints including lack of knowledge and skills in business, limited training opportunities, and restricted mobility have prevented street vendors from improving their capacities to sustain their livelihoods and enter into strategic employment opportunities in new market conditions.

Elaborating on this further, Arbind Singh, National Coordinator at NASVI said "Goa being an attractive tourist destination of India, this project will add to the fame of Goa by enabling the food vendors to serve hygienic food. It would thus serve to increase the variety available in the platter for tourists and residents while increasing the income of street food vendors."

GE food samples were unsafe: SFL

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Nagaland has beef with Delhi for bid to ban dog meat

Guwahati

Nagaland attacked Union minister Maneka Gandhi over a move to ban consumption of dog meat — like beef elsewhere in India — in the North-east.

Dog meat is a delicacy among many Naga tribes in Nagaland and adjoining states as well as some communities in Mizoram.

In a letter to department of north eastern region minister Jitendra Singh a few days ago, Gandhi cited the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011, that does not allow dogs, cats and other animals to be slaughtered for food. She said consumption of dog meat was both illegal and cruel.

But Nagas say Gandhi has no business telling them what they cannot eat or wield rules that are not applicable in Nagaland.

“Indian laws, related to religion or food habits, cannot be imposed in Nagaland because the state’s special status ensures preservation of social customs. We have been eating dog meat, as therapy too, for generations and we cannot stop eating now just because someone feels we should not,” Chuba Ozukum, president of Nagaland’s apex social organisation Naga Hoho, said.

Nagas, he added, will oppose strongly if the ban on sale and consumption of dog meat is imposed.

Officials of Nagaland’s health department said they were looking into the cruelty aspect. “We have asked traders and butchers to follow proper procedures on treating dogs and other animals for consumption,” Abhijit Sinha, commissioner-secretary in the department, said.

The state’s additional chief secretary, RB Thong, said enforcing a dog meat ban would be very difficult.

Fearing public backlash, the Nagaland government went slow on a legal notice that an Assam-based petitioner had sent in March against illegal trade of dogs for consumption. Though the demand for dog meat is high — a kilo sells for `300-500 depending on availability — the animal is not farmed for consumption. The dogs for most kitchens and ethnic restaurants are thus smuggled from neighbouring states, mainly Assam.

Packaged Goods: Do Labels Tell The Truth?

In the fast paced world we consume a wide range of packaged goods. Some brands we consume based on trust built on the brand rather than checking the labels. Even for being an “informed customer”, the labels don’t provide all the information including some of the basic information such as sugar, fat, nutritional value, freshness and purity, etc.

Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (the “Act”) which also establishes the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the chief regulatory authority for laying down scientific standards for articles of food and regulate manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import, to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Reading through the labels, it is hard to find any common style of presentation and in some cases the exact quantum of the contents. We just started reading through some ingredients:

Sugar:

Sugar is one such ingredient which has a lasting repercussion on our health and if not consumed in a regulated manner it may cause several health problems including diabetes, metabolic diseases, obesity, etc. Therefore, to be able to read sugar content in your product becomes all the more imperative.

Sugar free products have become quite popular these days and are preferred by many calorie conscious people. But simply knowing that a product is sugar free is not enough, because in place of naturally occurring sugar, several artificial sweeteners are added which are more harmful for the body. Regulation 3.1.3 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, specifies the name of artificial sweetener, article of food in which it can be used and a maximum limit of artificial sweetener allowed. (Source: x)

While we may read the first phrase “Contains Artificial Sweeteners” in certain cases, reading the rest of the details is also very crucial. Permitted artificial sweeteners under the above-mentioned Regulations include Saccharin Sodium, Aspartame (methylester), Acesulfame Potassium etc. which if not read and mentioned properly in the product might be harmful for children and fatal for Phenylketonurics patients, having a genetic disorder involving impaired metabolism of phenylalanine, one of the amino acids.

According to Regulation 2.4.5 of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011, (“FSSPLR, 2011”) under the title “Specific Labeling Requirements for certain Additives used in foods”, it is mandatory for the manufacturers to mention all of these:

This contains …………….. (Name of the artificial sweeteners).

Not recommended for children.

(a) *Quantity of sugar added …………… gm/100 gm. (*mentioned if applicable)

(b) No sugar added in the product.

*Not for Phenylketonurics (if Aspertame is added)” (Emphasis provided)

However, the FSSPLR, 2011, does not mandate mentioning the prescribed maximum quantity of the artificial sweetener that may be used on the label and therefore, the consumers are at a loss when it comes to knowing whether the mentioned quantity is within the prescribed maximum limit or not.

Nutritional Information:

Rule 3 of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011 states that for every 100 gm or 100 ml or per serving of a product the following information have to be given:

“(i) energy value in kcal;

(ii) the amounts of protein, carbohydrate (specify quantity of sugar) and fat in gram (g) or ml;

(iii) the amount of any other nutrient for which a nutrition or health claim is made:

Provided that where a declaration is made on a label regarding the amount or type of fatty acids or the amount of cholesterol, the amount of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in gram (g), cholesterol in milligram (mg) shall be declared, and the amount of trans fatty acid in gram (g) shall be declared in addition.” (Emphasis provided)

As per the above mentioned regulation, Food Business Operators (FBO) have been allowed to claim that their product is “trans fat free”, when trans-fat, is less than 0.2 gm per serving of food and, also that their product is ‘saturated fat free’, in cases where the saturated fat does not exceed 0.1 gm per 100 gm or 100 ml of food. Therefore, most of the times, information on trans fat and saturated fat is depicted to be “zero”. It is important for the consumers to know that this means the trans fat and saturated fat levels are below the above-mentioned limits and may not be zero in reality. As such, consumption in large quantities may prove to be harmful.

Further, a consumer needs to understand that daily requirement of a particular nutritive value is different for different group of consumers. Suggested trans fat for 18 plus years of an individual must not exceed 0.39 gram per serving and for children of 4-6 years, it must not exceed 0.23 gram per serving. So consumers, while buying products, need to be careful about the end consumers and their nutritional requirements. But how should the consumer know about these facts?

Purity and freshness:

With 2011 Regulations, FSSAI has tried to accommodate all the essential needs of a buyer in mind. One such need is that of “pure” and “fresh” consumer products. FSSPLR, 2011 states the conditions for using specific words or phrases as part of claims/brand or fancy name/ trademark. The regulation clarifies that the term “pure” shall only be used to describe a single ingredient food, to which nothing has been added and which is free from avoidable contamination. The levels of unavoidable contaminants need to be significantly below the levels, as mentioned in these Regulations on contaminants and toxins or Food Standards. For e.g- Milk sourced from single variety of milch cow/ buffalo can be called as pure, however, if the cheese that we consume is a by-product of both cow’s & buffalo’s milk, it cannot be said that the cheese so obtained is a “ pure milk cheese”. Similarly, item 3 of this Annexure speaks about using of the term “fresh” on the packaged food label. Under the law, the term “fresh” can only be used on products which have not been processed in any manner except, washed, peeled, chilled, trimmed or cut. The term “fresh” or “freshly” shall have no other connotation than the immediacy of the action being described. A food subjected to packaging, storing or any other supply chain processes that control freshness shall not be termed as “freshly stored”, “freshly packed” etc.

Imitations:

Further, FSSPLR, 2011 under the heading “Labelling of Fruits, Vegetables & their Products” states that labels on the food products cannot contain words or pictures that imply or give the wrong impression to the consumer that the product contains the specified amount of fruit. However, often we see a picture of lemon on our popular soda brand followed by the caption that the product contains no fruit and merely the fruit flavour. This is certainly as per the provisions of the Regulation which mandates clear mentioning on the label “Added (Name of the Fruit) Flavour” on the product or, else it will be seen as deceiving or misleading the consumer.

Even the milk consumed as cow milk, is not cow milk at all.

Similarly, if a fruit or vegetable product is fortified with Vitamin C then, it has to contain 40mgms of ascorbic acid per 100 gm (as per FSSPLR, 2011) of the product or it cannot be mentioned that it is fortified with Vitamin C. Therefore mere mention of Vitamin C is not enough on a product, till the time other distinguished information is not given.

Can we do anything before things go wrong?

With the recent debacle about the non complied lead and MSG level in a well known noodle brand, the debate regarding safety parameters of packaged foods have become a burning issue and it is high time that this issue is addressed with all the attention that it deserves. As an informed consumer, knowing about labels of the products, is important. But what should be done when we feel that something is wrong in a product. Do we wait for the government and its authorities to do something about it or can we take some action?

Under Section 40 of the Act, the purchaser after informing the FBO can give any product for product analysis to government assigned food analyst, by paying a nominal fee. After the analysis of that product, if non-compliance is discovered, then, the nominal fee will be refunded and a complaint will be filed by the Food Inspector against the manufacturer as per the Act. The entire procedure for addressing such applications submitted by the purchaser has been laid in the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011.

As a consumer:

Awareness and protection always go hand in hand. Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is one such law which not only protects the Indian consumer but also states about consumer awareness campaigns. Such consumer awareness/education programmes should be propagated amongst the common buyers through effective campaigning, advertisements and government initiatives which inform the consumers about correct information, their rights and remedies available to them. Furthermore, such awareness programmes should be incorporated as a part of school curriculum to educate the upcoming consumers and making them aware about the choices they make and the repercussions.

A very large part of India is still illiterate and no matter how elaborate the labels of products are, they are of no use to them. The regulations and laws made by the government should be drafted considering this big sect of consumers as well. One of the many possible solutions would be that of making more pictorial references on the products, this makes it easy for such consumers to understand. Statutory warnings which are mentioned on the products like that of cigarettes etc, should also be mentioned on the products which contain ingredients which might be harmful if there is prolonged usage of the product.

The information being presented to the consumers through advertisements also plays a pivotal role which needs to be properly regulated. Only research based information should be reflected and not mere hoax promises about the products. The consumers should be informed enough to take a wise decision by distinguishing the correct information about products.

Meanwhile, BUYER, BE AWARE!

GM crops yield low, pesticide consumption high

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What causes addiction to Milk?

More than a decade ago, when the Government was putting green and red dots on vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, the milk industry, and hundreds of literate people, insisted that milk was vegetarian (even though it comes from an animal) and milk products should be listed with a green dot. We caved in. Even people with a plant based diet will often admit that cheese is their weakness. Considering that cheese smells like dirty socks, why? Cheese is a high-calorie product loaded with fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Typical cheeses are 70 percent fat. And the type of fat they contain is mainly saturated (“bad”) fat, which increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Cheese is the number-one source of saturated fat in the Western diet. About one-third of adults, and 12.5 million children and adolescents, are obese in America.

We should be very far behind – with a largely vegetarian diet and a penchant towards healthy meals at home – but we have also joined the ranks of obese nations. And obesity is a major cause of death through heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. In all three of these diseases we rank near the top. One-fourth of an average, 12-inch, cheese pizza contains nearly 13 grams of fat, including 6 grams of saturated fat and 27 milligrams of cholesterol. An ounce of cheese contains 9 grams of fat, including 6 grams of saturated fat. Partly skimmed milk versions of cheeses have just slightly lower amounts of fat.

But we will continue to drink milk and eat cheese/paneer. Now, many years later, I learn why people drink milk and eat paneer and cheese. Not because it is necessary for you, or because Krishna drank it (which he didn’t). No, the reason why people insist on it is because it is an opiate. You can get hooked onto cheese. There is a scientific reason. As milk digests, it produces mild opiates called casomorphins. In 1981, Eli Hazum, and his colleagues at Wellcome Research Laboratories, reported traces of the chemical morphine, an addictive opiate, in milk.

A casomorphin is a protein fragment derived from Casein, a milk protein. Casein is the major protein in the milk of all mammals. The distinguishing characteristic of casomorphins is that they have an opioid effect. Opioids are among the world’s oldest known drugs. Opioids are well known for their ability to produce a feeling of well-being, calm, intense feelings of pleasure, followed by a drowsy feeling. Opiates are addictive. Dependence can develop, leading to withdrawal syndromes if you stop at once. Concentrated milk products, like cheese, ice cream, and milk chocolate, contain concentrated quantities of these addictive narcotics. (Incidentally, Casein is sometimes even added to certain dairy-free and vegan cheeses.) It takes 10 lbs of milk to make 1 lb of cheese. As milk is turned into cheese, most of its water is removed leaving behind concentrated casein and fat. So, concentrated dairy products, like cheese, have especially high levels of opiates, so the pleasure effect is greater. That is why, for instance, many people take a glass of milk at night. And why it is given to bridegrooms on the wedding night!

Why would mammals evolve to have opioids in their milk? Dr Neal Bernard, founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, explains, “It appears that the opiates from mother’s milk produce a calming effect on the infant and, in fact, may be responsible for a good measure of the mother-infant bond. Psychological bonds always have a physical underpinning. Like it or not, mother’s milk has a drug-like effect on the baby’s brain that ensures that the baby will bond with Mom and continue to nurse and get the nutrients all babies need. Like heroin or codeine, casomorphins slow intestinal movements and have a decided antidiarrheal effect. The opiate effect may be why adults often find that cheese can be constipating, just as opiate painkillers are.”

The European Food Safety Agency, in response to a number of studies and public health concern, did a scientific literature review in 2009 to assess how addicting casomorphins are, and whether or not enough of the casomorphins cross the intestinal wall and get into the blood stream and ultimately cross the blood-brain barrier, etc. Do casomorphines play a role in autism etc.? They are still studying the matter, because they cannot come to a conclusion on how much is alright for the human body. However, this much we know: with opioid drugs, different people react differently to them and different amounts affect people differently. Further, it is generally accepted that binging on drugs on a daily basis is bad for us, even in sufficiently small quantities. Florida scientist, Dr. Robert Cade, has identified casomorphin as the probable cause of attention deficit disorder. Dr. Cade found Beta-casomorphin-7 in high concentrations in the blood and urine of patients with either schizophrenia or autism. Studies by Dr. Karl Riechelt, in Norway, indicate a very strong association between autistic behaviour, celiac disease, schizophrenia and ingestion of dairy. One research paper, from the University of Illinois, states, “Casomorphins possess opioid activity. The term, opioid, refers to morphine-like effects which include signs of sedation, tolerance, sleep induction, and depression.”

A recent case report entitled “Cow’s Milk-Induced Infant Apnea with Increased Serum Content of Bovine Beta Casomorphin 5″, published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition…”Infant apnea refers to when a baby stops breathing.” The researchers report “a case of a breast-fed infant with recurrent apnea episodes, which have always been preceded by his mother’s consumption of fresh cow’s milk.” Lab tests revealed a high level of casomorphin in the child’s blood, leading researchers to speculate that it was the “opioid activity that may have a depressive effect on the respiratory center in the central nervous system and induce a phenomenon called milk apnea.” “The aim of the present report,” the paper concludes, “is to draw researchers’ attention to the possibility of occurrence of a systemic reaction with an apnea seizure on the infant’s exposure to the proteins in cow’s milk. We are convinced that such a clinical situation occurs rarely; however, it is accompanied by a real threat to the infant’s life that can be avoided when applying a simple and not costly dietetic intervention…a dairy-free diet”.

As many as 1 in 10 infants, with recurrent apneic episodes, cannot be saved and die of SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome (also known as crib death). One in every two thousand babies dies this way. The researchers conclude: “Penetration of beta-casomorphins into the infant’s immature central nervous system may inhibit the respiratory center in the brainstem leading to abnormal ventilatory responses, hypercapnia [too much carbon dioxide], hypoxia [not enough oxygen], apnea, and death.” Casomorphins are also accused of participating in the cause of other conditions, including type I diabetes, postpartum psychosis, circulatory disorders, food allergies, and autism. ”In fact, gluten and dairy do act as drugs for many people” says immunologist and researcher Aristo Vojdani, PhD, MSc, MT, the CEO of Immunosciences Lab, Inc. in Beverly Hills, California. “Just as with the heroin or pain-pill addict, going off gluten or casein immediately can produce withdrawal symptoms”. Withdrawal symptoms include anger and depression.

By the way, as Casein breaks down in the stomach it also releases histamines. Histamine is a substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions, dilating blood vessels and making their walls abnormally permeable. Histamines are released when foreign allergens are present (cold medicines, for instance, have antihistamines), which is also why 70% of the world’s population is allergic to dairy products. Nature’s way is to make nursing pleasurable. That same mechanism is what also makes weaning so difficult. So many adults have never been weaned from the addictive effects of milk. Are you a drug addict?

By Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

15 food samples fail VMC's tests this festive season

VADODARA:: With 15 food samples collected by Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) during the festive season failing tests, the civic body will be filing cases against the food business operators soon. The VMC had collected the samples since August this year.

The drive to collect food samples, particularly those of sweets and savouries, began in Rakshabandhan in August. The process continued till Saturday on the eve of Diwali.

The period also included Ganpati festivities when 'modaks' and other sweets are prepared in large quantities as an offering to the Elephant God and Dussehra when 'fafda-jalebi' are a must have, officials said.

Besides summer, this is the period when they have to remain alert and ensure that the quality of food items is not compromised. The officials added that so far in the city, no major adulteration cases had come to light.

The 15 samples that failed tests include 10 food items that were found unsafe largely due to use of colours in them.

Five other samples were found to be substandard quality. These include raw material and cooking medium like pepper, gram flour and cooking oils.

Vadodara Municipal Corporation's additional health officer and designated officer for food safety, Dr Mukesh Vaidya said in case of unsafe samples, a nod will be sought from food safety commissioner in Gandhinagar to file cases in the municipal court against the erring food business operators.

In case of the substandard food items, a case can be filed with resident additional collector, who is the adjudicating authority for Vadodara district.

Repeal gutka ban in state: KSACSF

MANGALURU: The Karnataka State Areca Cooperative Societies Federation has urged the state government to rescind the ban on sale of areca and pan masala sachets separately besides lifting the ban on gutka.

The government's recent move has resulted in crash in areca nut prices leading to a distress among the growers of this horticultural crop, a delegation of the federation that called on minister for law and parliamentary affairs T B Jayachandra in Bengaluru recently, stated.

Asserting that the order has had a disastrous effect on the market price of areca nut, the delegation maintained that the Food Safety Agency of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has no authority to ban either areca or pan masala, deleatgion stated adding the ill-effects of this order has been brought to the notice of the commissioner of food safety as well.

The delegation that met Jayachandra after meeting the commissioner, urged him to immediately repeal the above order and ensure that the areca nut growers get a remunerative price for their produce.

Konkodi Padmanabha, president of the federation also urged the areca nut growers not to resort to distress selling of the crop and sell only as much as they require and sit on a buffer to sell when prices of areca nut go up.

The delegation said the minister responded positively to their plea and promised to take up the matter with the authorities concerned.

Campco vice-president Shankarnarayana Bhat Kandige, vice-president of Shivamogga-based Mamcos, Yadagere Subrahmanya, directors of Mamcos Suresh, Suresh Kumar and managing director of Tumcos N P Madhu were part of the delegation.

No ‘designated officer’ in FDA

Designated officer’s term ended about a month ago

Indore: Amid festivities, city officials of food and drug administration (FDA) department are in dilemma over official orders issued by their ‘designated officer’ – Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) as the extension of the post was ended about a month ago.

Food safety and standard authority of India (FSSAI) had given the responsibility of monitoring the work of food safety and drug officers of the state to the district CMHO.

In FSSAI notification issued in August 2012, an extension of four years was given to the CMHO as designated officer following the completion of one year.

According to sources, orders and actions taken by the department officials and the ‘designated officer’ are legally null and void. “Orders for the new designated officer or the extension of the responsibility of CMHO should be given by the commissioner of the department. The dilemma over the action will continue till clear orders are issued.”

District CMHO and incumbent designated officer Dr Shantilal Porwal said, “We have not received any orders for the post of designated officer in food and drug administration department. We are waiting for new orders and working as we were doing earlier.”

Senior food safety officer Manish Swami said they don’t worry about the extension of designated officer as the CMHO is by default the deputy director of the department.

“Problem will arise in case of any legal issue but we are sure that orders will be issued soon,” Swami said .

The food safety officers had acted against adulterated food products along with the team of district administration. They have collected samples from various famous eateries and the reports are awaited.

Officials raid sweet manufacturing units

Officials of the Food Safety and Standard Authority conducted surprise raids on sweetmeat manufacturing units and retail outlets here on Sunday in the wake of complaints that harmful substances and colouring agents were being used in large-scale manufacturing of sweets to meet the demand during the Deepavali season.

A team officials from the authority headed by District Food Safety Officer R.S. Biradar raided two sweetmeat manufacturing units in Station Bazaar and Sangameshwar Nagar and six retail outlets in other areas.

The teams seized samples of sweets in which harmful substances and colouring agents were allegedly used and sent them to laboratories for testing.

There had been complaints that sweetmeat manufacturing units were using harmful chemical substances which could cause cancer and other health complications including damage to the small intestine. The pasting on sweets were not original silver-coated paper too.

To continue

Mr. Biradar told The Hindu that the raids would continue on Monday too and the two manufacturing units and retail outlets had been warned not to sell sweets whose samples had been sent for testing.

He said that initial investigation had revealed that the silver-coated paper used by the units were substandard items not fit for human consumption. Cases would be registered against the units under relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standard Act.

The sweet manufacturing units were also not maintaining hygiene.

They had been told to maintain cleanliness as per the specifications of the Act, Mr. Biradar added.

SWEETS SHOPS, STREET VENDORS UNDER HEALTH DEPT RADAR

As the sale of adulterated food items, especially sweets hits a high during the festive rush, the Health Department has taken a several steps to ensure the safety of denizens. Besides collecting food samples from the hotels, sweet shops and confectioneries, the department has asked all the food safety officers (FSOs) to keep a tab on street food vendors too this season.

Notably, registration of the street food vendors has become mandatory as number of street vendors comparatively increases during the festivals within the city. In exercise of the powers conferred under section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI has proposed Draft of Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2010 under which Part 3.2 makes it mandatory for all Food Business Operators in the country to be registered or licensed in accordance with the procedures laid down in the regulation.

Still, lack of food analysts at State food laboratory can pose a big hurdle in examining the collected food samples before the festivities. However, Joint Food Safety Commissioner, Shakeel Jabbar said, “Within a week, all vacant posts will be filled up as all recruitment process has been completed until now by the department officials.”

Moreover, to check the supply of coloured food items, particularly milk products, instructions have been issued to all the Additional Chief Medical Officers (ACMOs) and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) in the rural pockets as well and have been ordered to remain vigilant and crackdown on all those shops that seems little apprehensive.

“A letter with proper guidelines has been issued recently to all the ACMOs, FSOs including all the DCs of all the respective districts to ensure regular inspections at sweet shops and collect samples of edible items. Inspection is also being carried out at interior areas this time. Street vendors are also being checked out since after April 2014, registration of all street food vendors has become mandatory now,” added Jabbar.

Presently, there are three food safety officers (FSOs) for all the 55 wards in Ranchi. The department has deployed few additional staffs from community health centers to keep a track record of food items sold out during the festivals.

“Until now, we have collected 11 samples from different shops located at Upper Bazaar, New Market and Kanke Road. As far as collecting samples from street vendors are concerned, we have sent approximately 700 samples from different wards to food lab till date. Last year, manually 1800 samples collected from street vendors were sent for assessment,” said Food safety officer, KP Singh, Incharge of ward number 25 to 35.

Tobacco trader jailed, fined for selling banned scented tobacco

NAGPUR: Wardha chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Saroj Mane Gadekar has sentenced a tobacco trader, Shyamlal Jaiswal, to six-month jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for selling banned scented tobacco. Jaiswal was caught selling scented tobacco in 2012 in his shop opposite Pulgaon railway station in Wrdha district. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filed a case against him in August 2013 in the court of the CJM at Wardha.

Food safety officer Raviraj Dhabarde, who had conducted the raid at Jaiswal's shop on October 3, 2012 made a strong presentation in the case in backdrop of ban on gutka, pan masala and scanted tobacco in Maharashtra since 2012, in accordance with the Food safety and Standard Act, 2006. Dhabarde told TOI that in case of failure of payment of the fine, Jaiswal will have to serve another three months of imprisonment.

Adulteration: Dietitian for homemade sweets

PATNA: The state health department's food safety wing continued raids on sweetmeat shops in Patna on the third consecutive day on Friday in the run-up to Diwali. It raided five shops on Friday.

Sources said adulteration cases were detected in 'khoya' sweets. "Synthetic 'khoya' procured from neighbouring UP is being used in Patna," an official of the raiding team said, adding they also found 'khesari' mixed with 'besan' being used to prepare loaddoos and non-edible colours being used to give attractive look to sweets.

Doctors caution against consumption of adulterated sweetmeat. "Synthetic 'khoya' can cause gastritis, diarrhoea and liver and intestine complications. Vomiting and peptic ulcer are common fallouts while excessive use can damage kidney," dietitian Archana Mishra told TOI.

Excessive consumption of 'khesari'-mixed 'besan' spawns lethargy and, in some cases, even paralysis, the AIIMS-Patna dietitian said.

Though the layer of silver varakh on sweets is good for health, the food safety official said many traders were instead opting for aluminium layering, which costs less. Aluminium, medical experts, can cause havoc with the digestion process, damage intestine and, in extreme cases, even lead to intestine cancer. "If chemicals are used to colour the sweets, they are simply unfit for human consumption," the dietitian said.

The food safety officials were also aghast to see the sweet workshops operating in extremely unhygienic conditions. "Consumption of food items prepared in unhygienic conditions can result in bacterial infections that may take long to get rid of," said another doctor.

The raiding team on Thursday found a chameleon and a lizard in two separate sweet containers of a Bailey Road shop's workshop. They destroyed a large consignment of rasgulla as it was full of insects and ants.

They didn't find lapses during their raids on Sweet Plaza and Namkeen (Jagdeopath), New Pal Sweets Home and Sri Laddoo (New Dak Bungalow Road) and Madhuban Sweets and Pal Sons Treat (Dak Bungalow Road) on Friday. "Ten samples of laddoo, kaju barfi and rasgulla were collected from these shops for lab tests," said the food safety official.

The raiding team comprised of Mukesh Kashyap, Narayan Ram and Sudama Chaudhary.

Doctors, meanwhile, advocate use of homemade sweets. "Sweets or halwa of moong daal or chana dal, for instance, are full of proteins. If one can afford, ghee or refined oil can be used or else non-stick tawa can be used to prepare it," Dr Mishra said.

Sharing the recipe, the dietitian said the pulse should be soaked in advance for 24 hours. "Grind it, mix it with water and saute it in ghee with cardamom. Once it turns golden brown, add milk and sugar. Dry fruits can then be added as per requirement," she said.

Bottle gourd halwa can be equally delicious and nutritious as it is rich in fibres, vitamins and minerals, Dr Mishra said and added it also took no more than 15 minutes to prepare it. "Even laddoo of 'besan' mixed with flour can be prepared easily. 'Besan' is also rich in protein," she said.

How to select juices and soft drinks for Diwali gifting

How to select juices and soft drinks for Diwali gifting

We all are wary of adulterated and contaminated Diwali mithai that make way to shops. So with the 'sweet' old mithai under scanner, more people are opting for gifting beverages in Diwali gift hampers along with dry fruits, snacks and chocolates.

There is a vast variety of branded juice and soft drink options available in the market, which includes fruit juices, fruit drinks, milk-based drinks, carbonated drinks, water and soda based drinks and nectars. Here are some tips that will help you to select fruit juices and beverages that are healthy and safe to consume.

Fruit juices vs. Fruit drinks

In India, many sweetened drinks are marketed on a large scale but out of these some of them are erroneously labeled 'fruit juice.' The truth is that many of these drinks have only a small percentage of fruit content, some others contain only fruit flavors they should actually be called fruit drinks, fruit beverages, fruit nectars or flavored drinks and not called fruit juices. Here are some facts about fruit drinks you should be unaware of:

1) Fruit drinks have 5 -10 percent of fruit content, which could be pulp or juice and could contain added flavour, colour, preservative, sugar and water etc.

2) Carbonated fruit drinks are like fruit drinks, which also contain 5-10 percent of fruit content but with soda.

3) Fruit Nectars have 20 per cent fruit juice content.

4) Fruit Juices, on the other hand, are composed of hundred per cent fruit content but could either contain added sugar of up to 5 per cent or could have no added sugar.

5) Fresh juice means that it does not contain any additives, flavours or juices that have undergone a concentration process. Fresh juices may not have been pasteurised, stored frozen or contain frozen juice and have a short shelf-life.

Some juices like kiwi, lemon, lime, blackcurrant or other sour juice, generally do not have 100 per cent juice and are diluted with water and could contain added sugar of up to 20 percent so as to give a desired taste which will appeal to consumers.

Most of the fruit drinks contain added sugar, but 100 per cent fruit juices must contain only natural sugar. "When selecting the right drink, the best is 100 per cent fruit juice without added sugar, followed by a fruit drink with low sugar content and high quantity of fruit content and then the fruit drinks; lime & lemon with at least 5 per cent fruit content and others which would have atleast 10 per cent fruit content. Last in the order are flavoured drinks as they contain no fruit content but only fruit flavours. Avoid these as all they will do is quench your thirst and will only give you sugar and water," says Dr.P. K. Vats, Food Safety Expert and Vice-President at Auriga Research.

Are your fruit juices and drinks free of contaminants?

Most consumers are unaware of the kind of contaminants that can enter juices from agricultural practices, during handling, processing, storage and transportation. The truth is that contaminants that can enter fruits, if good manufacturing and hygiene and sanitation practices are not maintained all along the food chain from farm to consumer.

Microbial contamination in juices

Fruits have a short shelf life and harmful pathogens from contaminated fresh fruit can enter fruit juices at any time during handling, preparation and processing. Salmonella typhi, the pathogen that causes typhoid can reach apple and orange juices through cross-contamination and poor sanitation practices. Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium may cause outbreaks of gastroenteritis, if juices are not pasteurized. Moreover, improperly packaged fruit juices and soft drinks encourages growth of fungi and moulds.

Juice manufacturers normally pasteurise juices with a quick high-heat treatment so they are free from pathogens, yeast and moulds and which extends shelf life to between 9-12 months depending on the packaging. So, buying pasteurised juices will help prevent food borne illnesses. Now-a-days some juices are cold pressed and these need to be stored with temperature controls or they will get contaminated. Never buy cold pressed juices that are in the open unless they are from freezers and chillers.

Chemical contamination

Fresh fruits are susceptible to chemical contamination as insecticides are sprayed on them to prevent pest infusion. Aldrin, DDT, Dicofol, Malathion, Pyrethrinsare are some of the many pesticides that could be present in juices.

Tomato juice is particularly susceptible to lead contamination, while orange, grape, tomato, pineapple and lemon must be tested for copper, arsenic and tin. Apple juice and apple juice ingredients used in other beverages could contain patulin, which occurs because of mould growth. Exposure to excessive chemical contaminants can lead to some serious health issues and so Food Regulator FSSAI has fixed the maximum limits for chemical contaminants. Consumers must therefore buy fruit juices and other soft drinks only from FBOs who are licensed as they must be following the food safety guidelines. Licensed FBOs carry out regular testing of products, so chemical contaminants are within regulatory limits.

Food colours and preservatives

Most natural juices do not contain artificial colours, however, carbonated drinks, fruit drinks and fruit beverages could contain permitted colours, which are indicated on the labels. FSSAI has permitted the use of artificial colours like Canthaxanthin, Annatto, Ponceau 4R. Carmoisine, Erythrosine, Tartarzine, Sunset Yellow FCF, Indigo Carmine, Brilliant blue FCF and Fast green FCF. FSSAI has also permitted the use of preservatives called sulphites like sulphuric dioxide, Benzoites like benzoic acid and sorbates like sorbic acid in carbonated and other soft drinks. Since these artificial colours and preservatives are chemicals they can cause health problems when used in excess. Consumers must buy fruit juices and soft drinks only from licensed FBOs as they must be following the regulatory guidelines using only permitted colours and preservatives within specified limits and their use will be mentioned on labels.

What to check for on the labels

A look at the list of ingredients and nutritional facts will give a true picture about the fruit content, quantity of sugar and other substances and additives used in the drinks like colours, preservatives and flavours.

List of ingredients: The ingredients are always mentioned in the descending order of their composition by weight or volume. There could be additives to the fruit juice like water, sugar, salt, herbs and other permitted additives.

Fruit juice or drink: The name of the juice and whether it is 100% fruit juice or fruit drink, as the fruit drink will only contain a percentage of fruit and the rest could be water or soda etc.

Nutritional Information for the percentage of sugar: Juices labelled beverage, drink, or cocktail often contain added sugars like high-fructose corn syrup. Fruits naturally contain sugar, so for 100 per cent juices; the sugar listed on the label should be shown as carbohydrate but not added sugar. If sugar content is more than 1.5 per cent then the word 'sweetened' has to be mentioned on the label.

Manufacturing/Packaging Date

'Best Before' date

Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian logo

The name and address of the manufacturer/packer along with the FSSAI Logo and License Numbers

Net quantity

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the Doctors are their independent professional judgment and we do not take any responsibility for the accuracy of their views. This should not be considered as a substitute for Physician's advice. Please consult your treating Physician for more details.

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL!!!

Make sure you don't end up eating cat meat biryani!

All the 16 cats, stolen from various residential areas, were kept in a single cage, and were deprived of water to drink.
CHENNAI: Biryani lovers, beware. If you have ordered mutton or chicken biryani at any roadside stall recently in Chennai, chances are that you might have been served cat.
Next time, when you order this non-vegetarian dish at any roadside eatery, make sure the pieces of meat in the rice are only chicken or mutton else you may end up eating cat meat.
Many ‘cheap’ roadside stalls in Chennai are serving cat meat in biryani touted as chicken or mutton.
Tamil Nadu Police and an animal welfare organisation, People for Animals (PfA), in a joint operation have rescued 16 cats, kept for their meat, from Pallavaram area on Friday.
“PfA received information that pet cats were trapped by the narikorvas tribe, who on weekends skinned them and sold the meat to roadside eateries in and around Pallavaram,” Times of India quoted PfA member as saying.
The meat is reportedly used in biryani at the roadside stalls.
According to the report, Two of the PfA volunteers went to the spot on Thursday and befriended youths of narikorava tribe.
The volunteers asked the tribesmen to demonstrate how the cats are trapped and then skinned and recorded the entire demonstration.
The footage was handed over to the police authorities, after which a team of cops rescued the cats and sent them to a PfA shelter.
All the 16 cats, stolen from various residential areas, were kept in a single cage and deprived of water to drink.

A Carcinogen Banned In Food,But Allowed in Water:How Does That Make-Sense?

Back in 2011, in my second year of law school, my father asked me to look up the packaged food labelling regulations in India. This was because he was attempting to get Hindustan Unilever to stop using potassium bromate (IN924a) in their bread (Modern Bread). He eventually succeeded in convincing Hindustan Unilever to stop using IN924a, which they did by 2012. This episode became my inspiration to start my food safety website, foodnetindia. Now, several years later, the Indian government has finally recognized the potential hazards of potassium bromate, and is in the process of banning its use as a food additive. 

This happened after a Centre for Science and Environment study recommended that the FSSAI ban it with immediate effect. The study noted that it is a carcinogen and is banned in most parts of the world, but most bread products in India contained it. The story exploded in the press, forcing the government to take quick action. After the CSE report made headlines, the All India Bread Manufacturers Association stated that they would voluntarily stop using potassium bromate in their products.

Potassium bromate has been shown to cause kidney, thyroid and gastrointestinal cancers in animals... there may be no "safe level" of exposure to this carcinogen.

A hazardous substances notification for potassium bromate by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services points out that it has been shown to cause kidney, thyroid and gastrointestinal cancers in animals. The notification also states that that there may be no "safe level" of exposure to this carcinogen. 

However, The Business Standard recently reported that, despite banning potassium bromate as a food additive, the FSSAI recently proposed to permit limited amounts of bromates in packaged drinking water. The proposal was put up for public comments in January 2016. This does not make any sense whatsoever. The existing regulations do not permit bromates in water in any quantity. The FSSAI, however, states that the proposed change to the regulations are in line with the best international practices. 

I personally believe that if the regulations are amended, the FSSAI would be making a mistake, irrespective of what international practices are. Potassium bromate is a known carcinogen and studies show that the regulations are being flouted anyway. Permitting it as a "contaminant" may just make the problem worse. I believe that this is an occasion where the FSSAI should ignore international practices. Banning potassium bromate in bread was the right thing to do. Allowing it in water most definitely is not! Why ask for trouble?

Roadside eateries use cheaper genetically engineered cotton oil

It is used at few bakeries and smalltime restaurants due to its low cost.

About 95 per cent of the cotton sown in AP and TS is of the BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) variety.

Hyderabad: Oil from the genetically modified BT cotton seed is widely used at roadside eateries, a few bakeries and smalltime restaurants due to its low cost.

About 95 per cent of the cotton sown in AP and TS is of the BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) variety. Ginning mills in Guntur and other parts in the state supply BT seeds to solvent or oil extractors who supply cotton seed cake meal for fish, poultry and animal feed to dairies and edible oil for general consumption.

Interestingly, none of them is labelled as GE derivative or BT based. Executive director of Solvent Extractors’ Association of India B.V. Mehta said, “We are not labelling imported GM oils or the BT cotton oil seed produced here. There is no requirement to label them as per the procedures.”

The oil extractors are located in Bahadurpura in the city and at Adoni in Kurnool and in Guntur. Food safety assistant controller Balaji Raju said, “Cotton oil is edible and allowed. It is mostly used by small roadside eateries and some mix it with other oils and use it. Adulteration has to be checked. As per the Act, the cover should denote what is inside. So it would be legal if they label them as BT cotton seed oil.”

A gazette notification from the ministry of consumer affairs has made it mandatory for packaged foods using genetically modified products as ingredients to carry such labels from January 1, 2013.

Experts say approval for cultivating BT cotton crop is deemed to be approval for all its products and by-products. Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee member Dr S.J. Rehman said, “When the government allows commercial cultivation of BT cotton based on the recommendation of GEAC, it means all the products of the crop are deemed to be allowed. Before approving, they might have done all safety studies including of the cake and oil. Here the question is whether BT or non BT cotton oil is good for health has to be answered by medical professionals. When the bakers and eateries are using this cheap oil they should let the consumer know about it.”

Scientists say that studies revealed that there was no change in composition in the BT and non BT cotton seeds with respect to proteins, carbohydrates, oil, calories and ash content. According to Dr O.P. Govila, retired professor of genetics at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute, the seeds have passed all toxicological tests.

Biggest consumer

In 2015-16, India imported edible oil worth Rs 70,000 crore. Of this, 30 per cent was GM mustard oil.

India is one of the largest producer of oilseeds, accounting 27.51 million tonnes of nine cultivated oil seeds during 2014-15, or six to seven per cent of the world’s oil seed production.

Food safety stds focusing on safety rather than adulteration prevention

Mumbai: The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has changed the manner in which the food industry was working. The focus has changed from prevention of adulteration (which was the focus of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954) to safety and quality.

This was stated by Pankaj Jaiminy, assistant vice-president (food, health and cosmetics), testing, certification and inspection, TUV SUD South Asia. He added that the regulatory framework governing foods was gradually evolving.

“Food research, product and process innovation and changes in consumer behaviour have facilitated the adaptation of food regulations. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is providing guidelines for all the aspects to safeguard consumers’ interest and aims to establish a single reference point for all matters related to food safety,” he said.

This has led to a considerable change in the approach of consumers. Jaiminy added, “This is driven by consumer awareness, and to that effect, organisations are trying to provide the best products in the market.”

“A collaborative approach towards ensuring the safety of food is the key to ensuring the growth of food businesses in India. Most stakeholders currently operated independently, where the challenges in day-to-day operations and implementations are not considered,” he said. Besides, the role of independent agencies also has come to fore in ensuring the food safety standards.

Jaiminy added, “TUV SUD closely works with regulatory bodies as well as food manufacturers to help them achieve parity in their operations. Our experts help companies accurately interpret regulatioms, thereby helping them operate smoothly within the realms of the various laws that are mandated.”

“We work with companies to ensure that they adhere to supply chain regulations and their food products are delivered in the best possible quality to the end consumer. The need of the hour is for businesses, regulators and certification agencies like TUV SUD to come together and come to a consensus with regards to the effective implementation of food safety regulations mandated by FSSAI,” he said. And the efforts are lauded by international bodies as well.

FSSAI made more rapid progress in the last one year than it had in the previous years. Although the foundation was laid during the previous four years, progress with respect to the formation of standards and its harmonisation with the Codex standards was sluggish. Only in recent times did the work gather pace.

Sagar Kurade, president, All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA), stated, “The approach has been to align the standards in India with the global ones.”

“Consumers now are treated at par with any modern space globally. FSSAI has been good in putting guidelines and taking the industry perspective into the standards and regulations. The intent is good, and in recent times, the industry has been involved in the process of deliberations. In the last one year, there was regular interaction between FSSAI and the industry, and as a result, the work on standards was more focused,” he elaborated.

Moreover, Kurade felt that there needed to be more clarification on the subjects of novel food, energy drinks, genetically-modified (GM) foods and ready-to-use therapeutic foods amongst others.

It started with the release of the list of 8,000 additives approved for the food industry, based on which 90 per cent of the food industry would not require any pre-approval for its offerings. There were more additions to the list, taking the number close to 12,000.

Besides making the list operational, FSSAI also released frequently-asked questions (FAQs) on proprietary foods that remained a serious bone of contention between the industry and the regulator. Recently, FSSAI also made the guidelines for proprietary food operational. 

FSSAI also released draft notification on nutraceuticals, milk, edible oil, fat, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages containing fruit juice, standards for non-specified food and food ingredients, e-commerce, extraneous material in pulses and food import regulations, amongst others. 

More recently, the apex food regulator released the draft regulations on fortified foods, including atta, rice, edible oil, milk and salt. 

Prabodh Halde, president, Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India [AFST(I)], said, “Several regulatory amendments have taken place at FSSAI, which has offered the food industry a platform to operate smoothly and enabled it to comply with the regulations, formulation and operations.”

“Some of the major developments include quality standards for instant noodles, pasta, fortified atta, fortified maida, durum wheat maida, quinoa, fortified rice, instant noodles, tapioca and sago. Such categories as alcoholic beverages, food fortification, silver warq, frozen vegetables and fruits, which were not covered, were undertaken by FSSAI,” he added.

“Since November 2015, FSSAI released around 28 notifications, which is in itself a great achievement,” Halde said.

Ashwin Bhadri, chief executive officer, Equinox Labs, said that FSSAI’s unified efforts towards harmonisation with Codex under the leadership of Ashish Bahuguna, its chairperson, and Pawan Kumar Agarwal, its chief executive officer, were applauded by Japan. 

“Amendments regarding food additives, adulterants, bringing e-commerce entities under the FSSAI umbrella are major steps which will help achieve the aim of complete food safety in India,” he stated. 

“Sixteen scientific panels - eight horizontal and eight vertical - are enlisted for carrying out all the regulatory work efficiently. They control different sections, businesses, food products and operational procedures,” Bhadri added. 

“Apart from the advisory committees, there are others formed over the course of time for monitoring food imports, like the online food import clearance system (FICS), single-window integration for facilitation of trade (SWIFT), risk assessment cell, joint parliamentary committee on pesticide residues, etc.,” he said.

“One of the achievements in terms of international food safety was achieved in the last fiscal year. On October 5, 2015, a joint statement of intent was inked by FSSAI, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Germany, on cooperation in food safety,” he said.

Before the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, there were nine different laws under different ministries. That created a lot of confusion. With one centralised law and one governing authority (FSSAI), its understanding and implementation by the food business operators (FBOs) has become easier.

This transition has been a revolution in the food industry of India. These standards cover most of the consumer food products, which has eased the life of FBOs. In the forthcoming years, more such amendments will bridge the loopholes existing currently.

New initiatives like this by FSSAI has impacted Indian food businesses in a very positive manner and made things smoother. With slow and steady steps, India is becoming more food sensitive, while FSSAI is ensuring that we eat safe food.

The e-commerce market has understood the significance of the law and has also ensured compliant vendors on their portals. The list of additives and the limits are of a great help to FBOs as they can now follow specific guidelines. 

In a nation like India, which has more than one-third of the world’s stunted children, the rate has almost doubled in the past decade. India has one of the world’s highest demographics of children suffering from malnutrition as per the data provided by World Bank. 

Hence, India needs a lot more to be done to tackle the menace of malnutrition; FSSAI standards for fortified foods ensures compliance with essential nutrients, which improves the health of the children who are going to lead our nation in future. 

Also with FSSAI adding clarity over imports, experts feel that the ease of doing business is now more streamlined. 

“FSSAI cracked a crucial milestone of food imports and making regulations in this regard. The system of imports was streamlined to operate with a single window for fast tracking the process of the clearances and obtaining certifications,” said Amit Lohani, convenor, Forum of Food Importers of India (FIFI). 

“All the systems and allocations made in this regard are appreciated by the food industry as a whole, but at the ground level it is lacking implementation. A reality check or a review should be undertaken by the FSSAI that whether the system which was implemented by FSSAI is actually executed or not,” said Amit Lohani, convener, Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI).

“With regard to ensuring safety in imported foods at the points of entry, FSSAI authorised customs officials to carry out the work of the food safety officer (FSO). This led a positive dialogue between customs and FSSAI. At regular intervals, FSSAI and the customs department meet to spot issues on food safety at the point of entry,” he added.

Meanwhile, FSSAI set its roadmap to ensure safe food for all with its 10@10 initiatives launched on the occasion of completion of a decade of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. 

The regulator has not only set goals to ensure safe food, but it also took a step ahead, taking into consideration imparting nutrition among masses through its recent regulations on fortified foods. Several new initiatives like food concern and food safety app, which are in tune with the current digital boom of smartphones, were also well addressed.

Five quintal of adulterated Mawa seized

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Five quintal of adulterated Mawa manufactured for sale during the Diwali festival has been seized and two persons have been arrested in connection with it.

The duo Ramesh and Mukesh Kumar were arrested from Prem Nagar in Kirari on yesterday during a joint raid by police and food department. The raiding party including SDM Rohini Tapan Jha and ACP Sultanpuri Saurabh Chandra, seized over five quintals of adulterated Mawa prepared for sale during the festival of Diwali, said MN Tiwari, DCP(outer Delhi).

The raid at a house in Kirari, led to the recovery of Mawa and sweets being prepared in a very unhygienic and unhealthy conditions. Accused Ramesh was running the business of supplying sweets and Mawa to the local shops.

Prepared sweets were smelling stinky and seem to be adulterated. Sweets were being prepared using synthetic milk, cheap oil, harmful colours and other adulterants, said the officer.

Samples of material were taken by the Food Safety Officer SP Singh for further examination.

A case under relevant Sections of IPC has been registered at Aman Vihar police station in this regard, on a complaint by SDM Rohini and further investigation is underway, added the officer.