Arabian chicken dishes under lens in Kerala

Food Safety awaits results of samples from 35 eateries to take action

Shawarma being prepared in a hotel. 

KOZHIKODE: After complaints of unhygienic shawarma, tandoori and alfaham chicken sold at some of the food joints here, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India officials are closely monitoring shops selling these Arabian delicacies. They are awaiting results of samples taken from 35 eateries to take action. “It was few days’ back we fined Rs 1 lakh on a bakery for using old and tainted meat in Arabian dishes including shawarma,” said food safety assistant commissioner Sankaran Unni.

“The samples we collected the other day from this bakery were not fit for consumption. We have received complaints from the public that some eateries in the city are discreetly providing this." Despite having strict norms, food joints do not adhere to standards of safety and hygiene. “They prepare food and keep it in open areas, open to dust along the roadside. Though the sale of shawarma is not banned entirely, only those eateries which follow strict sanitation and food safety guidelines are allowed to sell it,” he said.

Human rights panel gets food safety audit report

KOCHI: The food safety department handed over a report to the Human Rights Commission on food adulteration on Tuesday. Over a two-year period, the food safety department had collected around 4,927 samples of which around 650 were found to be adulterated or substandard for consumption.

The reports and data regarding the same was handed over to the Human Rights Commission by the secretary of the food safety department at the behest of the commission following a complaint from human rights activist in Kochi.

Over 15 cooking oil brands, which were found to be adulterated, were banned. The report states that necessary legal actions had been taken against guilty parties. The report seeks to form a special squad to conduct regular raids at hotels, bakeries, juice stalls and thattukadas to ensure food safety .

The procedures for upgrading the analytical labs, under the food safety commissioner, to national standard and attaining accreditation are in the final stages of completion. As soon as the labs are fully equipped to national standards, analytical laboratories in the state would be able to independently analyse the samples collected in and around the jurisdiction of the department.

FSSAI to release packaged food fortification norms in 2 months

In talks with industry bodies and players

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 17: 

In a bid to promote large-scale food fortification in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on standards for packaged food such a biscuits, curd, bread, which are likely to be released in the next two months.

The regulator had last month released the standards for staples such as milk, rice, oil, salt, wheat flour along with the logo, which companies can use in their labelling to indicate fortification.

“We are consulting with various industry bodies and industry players and working on for setting up standards for packaged food. It is a wide industry. We are in the process of understanding how fortification is defined internationally,” said Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI. He said the regulator is likely to come out with these standards in the next two months.

Resource centre opened

The FSSAI launched its Food Fortification Resource Centre (FFRC) in the presence of Bill Gates, along with secretaries of eight key Central ministries and other development partners.

The centre will provide technical support, advocacy and expertise on the supply side for industry players and demand side for consumers.

An online portal for FFRC was also launched. Tata Trusts and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have committed their support to the food fortification initiatives.

Under FFRC, the food regulator, in partnership with development partners like Tata Trusts and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will look at taking up demonstration projects to understand the costs and impact of fortified food in smaller regions, added Agarwal.

Joint awareness campaign

FSSAI is also looking to partner with industry players to create a joint campaign to create awareness about fortified food among consumers.

The CEO recently held meetings industry at Goa, Chandigarh, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

“Already the industry is very enthused and looking to come out with fortified products, which will be key to tackle malnutrition due to lack of micronutrients,” he added.

While Mother Dairy is the first company to launch fortified token milk, other companies such as Cargill, Tata Global Beverages, Future Group have also expressed their intentions to bring fortified products.

Agarwal said setting up standards and providing resources through FFRC is expected to help encourage industry players to bring in changes in food processing to be able to make fortified foods.

The Centre and its various departments as well as State governments are mulling to make fortification mandatory for procuring food staples and products for various public programmes such as mid-day meals.

“It’s an apt time for promoting large-scale fortification especially in staples. We are hoping that steps such as setting of standards and launching the logo will help encourage companies to come out with fortified foods as well as make consumers aware about the benefits. We are hoping these steps will help develop and encourage a supply side ecosystem and logistics, for suppliers and companies to come out with fortified food,” Agarwal added.

Meanwhile, FSSAI is also working out on standards for packaged spring water.

Food tech companies keen on fortification, says FSSAI

NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday said that companies like Cargil, Future Group and Tata Global Beverages have shown interest in launching fortified food items to fight malnutrition.

Fortification means deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in food to improve its quality.

FSSAI, which has released standards for fortification of milk, salt, edible oil, wheat flour and rice as well as logo to be used by the food companies, is now making draft standards for packaged food items and the same will be released in the next two months. The standards have been set for fortification of salt with iodine and iron; of vegetable oil and milk with Vitamin A and D; wheat flour and rice with iron, folic acid, zinc, Vitamin B12, and other micronutrients.

Speaking on the steps taken to promote food fortification, FSSAI CEO Pankaj Kumar Agarwal said a special meeting on large scale food fortification was held in the presence of Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and eight secretaries from various ministries, including health, food, HRD, food processing and women and child development.

The Gates Foundation and the Tata Trusts have jointly committed their support to this programme, Agarwal said, adding that a new website was launched on Thursday.

“I am encouraged by the government’s new initiatives to advance India’s nutrition goals... The foundation is committed to working with the government and other partners to help scale nutrition interventions that advance India’s nutrition goals,” Gates was quoted as saying in an FSSAI release.

Stating that the Ministry of Women and Child Development is considering making food fortification mandatory, Agarwal said this would “accelerate the process” but should be done in a phased manner with different timeline for each products. However, he emphasised that supply side needs to be strengthened, otherwise it would be difficult to enforce.

“Mother Dairy is fortifying its token milk. They are the first to use logo. While Cargill will launch its fortified edible oil, Tata Beverages has shown interest in fortified tea,” he said.

Having said that several states are at advanced stages of adopting fortified foods in government programmes, Agarwal said that the Future group will soon set up a food park near Bengaluru city and is also “very keen on fortification.”

Surprise inspection by FSO team, large quantity of contraband seized

Port Blair, Nov 17: As part of surprise inspection by a team of Food Safety officials constituted exclusively to search contraband products made surprise visits to various parts of Municipal area to check the sale of tobacco and/or nicotine products.

The inspection team led by Shri. Mammen Abraham, Designated Officer, Shri. A. Khalid, Shri. Tahseen Ali, Shri. R.V. Murugaraj and Shri. S.S. Santhosh, Food Safety Officers alongwith Shri. S. Rajendran and Shri. Ravi Kumar, Helpers attached to Food Safety Unit, South Andaman searched upon on certain Food Business Operators(FBOs) on clear vigilance inputs received on 16/11/2016.

It is learnt that the FBOs are selling contraband products illegally on exorbitant prices to select customers. The raiding team have seized large quantities of contraband products from the FBOs viz. S/Shri. Ashraf, M/s Majestic Pan Shop & Cool Drink, Aberdeen Bazar, A.M. Murugan, M/s Murugan Pan Shop, Bathu Basthi, P. Selvaraj, M/s Selvaraj Pan Shop, Garacharama, K. Ishaq, M/s Ishaq Pan Shop beside Majestic Pan Shop, Aberdeen Bazar and M. Devendar Rao, M/s Ananda Pan Shop C/o Ananda Restaurant, Aberdeen Bazar and legal proceeding have already been initiated under relevant Rules and Regulations under Food Safety & Standards Act’2006. The market value of the seized items are worth Rs.4000/- approximately.

The Food Business Operator(FBO) have violated by keeping the banned tobacco products in their custody under Food Safety Act’2006. The FBOs are being compounded u/s 26(2)(iv), 26(3) and 27(2)(e) which is punishable u/s 55 and 58 of FSS Act’2006.

Further all the food business operators are hereby once again warned not to stock, sale or distribute contraband products under ban throughout the A&N Islands and if seized/recovered from their possession action deemed fit under Rules shall be initiated under FSS Act.

Operationalisation of FSS (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2016 implemented from 16.10.2016

Bill Gates met delegation led by FSSAI and discussed the agenda of Large Scale #FoodFortification in India.

Flavours and Colours

Use by date

India’s food safety authority has not been sure-footed on the matter of issuing standards for fortified foods.

On Monday, the Food and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) announced that it is working on fortification standards for packaged food products such as cereals and biscuits. Fortification means bolstering the nutritional content of a food product by increasing essential micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins. The FSSAI has also issued draft guidelines for five fortified products — rice, wheat, salt, flour, milk and edible oil. For a country long beset by the lack of food safety standards, the new guidelines are a significant first step. However, the food safety authority has not been very surefooted about fortified foods. On the one hand, it is contemplating operationalising the guidelines for rice, wheat, salt, milk and edible oil, even before issuing a final notification. On the other hand, the agency has not specified a deadline for setting standards for packaged foods.

Such vacillation is unfortunate given that there is a growing body of opinion certifying the salience of fortified foods to combat malnutrition. In fact, the first documented evidence of food fortification was in the early 1900s in the US when vitamin B3 was added to coarsely ground corn — the staple of the poor in the country — to help combat the rise of pellagra, a disease caused by the deficiency of this vitamin. In Britain, after the First World War, the government ordered vitamins A and D to be added to margarine because butter had become a scarce commodity in the country. In India, food fortification began in the early 1960s when iodine was added to salt to combat goiter. But while the UK and the US and many other countries have stringent standards on food fortification, India has been slow to get its act together.

The FSSAI’s indecisiveness is especially troubling in view of the government’s recent emphasis on fortified food. In fact on October 16, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel announced that fortified food would be a key element in the government’s fight against malnutrition. Programmes such as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Scheme and the Public Distribution System would be mandated to buy and distribute fortified food, she had said. In a country where the unorganised sector plays a significant role in production, processing and packaging of food products, stringent standards are an elementary first step. It is unfortunate that the FSSAI has not been pro-active on the matter.

Going for frozen food? Here's what you need to know

Frozen snacks come as a saviour when it comes to pleasing the palate, but quality and safety are some of the things one should keep in mind while purchasing them, says an expert.

Chef Tushar from McCain Foods India has listed some of the reasons one can opt for frozen food:

Quality: Frozen produce is picked at the peak of its nutrition and flash frozen to maintain the flavours and nutrients. Flash freezing locks in all the product's goodness. 

Cost-effective: Frozen foods stay fresh for longer because the freezing process suspends enzyme activity that causes the food to rot. Depending on the type of food, you can store it for several months without losing quality, but always check for longevity of your purchase. 

Convenience: Manufacturers have refined preparation, storage and reheating techniques to create flavourful, gourmet-quality meals and entrees. Frozen meals also expose people to foods they might not otherwise eat, such as ethnic foods with long preparation times, or specialty foods that may be too expensive to obtain fresh.

Safety: Freezing suspends microbial and fungal activity in the food. As long as the food remains frozen, it is safe. Frozen ready-to-cook food can be prepared within the hygiene of the house. Add to it your own special touch. 

Reduce wastage: Frozen food helps reduce food waste as you use only what you need -- which means it's good for your pocket and the environment.

FSSAI to set up food safety standards review panel

FSSAI will also strengthen capacity building and training of food safety labs and master trainers in food safety standards, who can further train the stakeholders in the food value chain.

MUMBAI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) today said it is in the process of setting up a food safety standards review panel to identify gaps in the existing standards for safe and nutritious food against international standards. 

"FSSAI has formulated a three-pronged strategy for ensuring safe and nutritious food for the 1.3 billion people in India. We are in the process of setting up a food safety standards review panel to identify gaps in existing standards for safe and nutritious food against international standards," FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said here. 

"FSSAI will also look at ensuring that these food safety standards are complied by stakeholders in the food business through third party auditing and food inspections," he added. 

Inspections will become a norm as far as food safety is concerned, Agarwal said while speaking at a seminar 'Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan', a national mission on safe and nutritious food initiated by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Food & Agriculture Centre of Excellence (FACE). 

FSSAI will also strengthen capacity building and training of food safety labs and master trainers in food safety standards, who can further train the stakeholders in the food value chain. 

"Also, awareness will be create amongst consumers about food safety and nutritious foods, be it at home, schools, colleges, work place, street food, social and cultural centres," Agarwal said. 

Agarwal expressed optimism that India as a nation can address the food safety issues "if we create a brand and work on it whole-heartedly in a collective manner". 

Advocating a mass movement on food safety and nutritious food for all, he said, "For this, we have to build the right eco system in food safety." 

He also said that awareness should be created about fortified foods amongst consumers. 

"FSSAI has set up standards in fortified foods also. Hence, to ensure nutritious food for all, fortified foods have to be encouraged in production and demand," he said.

CMC launches crackdown on stale food

CUTTACK: Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has launched crackdown on stalls selling stale food items in the Baliyatra fair.

To ensure that revelers are served with good quality food in the fair, special squads of CMC on Wednesday conducted surprise raids on 182 food stalls in the fairgrounds and destroyed over 160kg of stale food. Besides, for the first time CMC also collected fine of over Rs 1000 from the stall owners, who were found selling stale food items. "Our aim behind collecting fine from food stall owners is to instill fear in their minds so that they will not sale stale or unhygienic food to the revelers," said CMC commissioner, Gyana Das.

Lip smacking food items like thunka puri, dahi bara alu dum, chilly chop, Mathura cake, chaat and kebabs are major attraction of the fair and some hot favorite among the revelers. Lakhs of people throng to the fair specially to relish the mouthwatering food stuff. "It is our top priority to ensure that hygiene and good quality food is served to people in the fair. Lakhs of people congregate every day in the week long fair and any leniency may lead to outbreak of gastrointestinal diseases," said a CMC officer. Along with stale food, the civic body is also targeting the stall owners who are using polythene packets in the fair. Use of polythene is completely banned in the fair. However, the directive has little impact on the fair ground.

CMC officials claimed that despite repeated warnings some food joints are using stale and low quality ingredients in the food. CMC will initiate strict action against the repeated offenders. "Now, we are collecting nominal fine but from repeated offenders we will collect more amount," said a CMC officer.

Over 600 kiosks are selling mouth watering food items in the fairground during the eight day long Baliyatra. The CMC will intensify the raids and each and every stall will be checked thoroughly. The civic body has launched crackdown on sale of water pouches in the fair ground.

Revelers have also welcomed the move. "It is a good initiative and the raids should be conducted properly during the fair," said Samir Ranjan Das, a reveler.

India’s on-going battle with poverty tugs along the grave issue of hunger and malnutrition as well. With the inaugural launch of National Fortification Summit, FSSAI has chalked out a plan of Scaling up #Foodfortification from just #policy to action with set of guidelines for the fortification of food that includes RICE, WHEAT FLOUR, MILK,SALT & EDIBLE OIL

FDA launches two apps for consumer benefit

PANAJI: The FDA on Monday launched two consumer apps related to food quality and prices of medicines. Food Safety Voice App allows the consumers to voice their concerns, know their rights and track food operators in a particular area. Whether it is packaged food or food served in an establishment, consumers are now empowered to know about the operators and get information on food safety. They can rate a food establishment.

The app for Android smartphone users has built-in functionalities to locate the consumer’s geographical location and they can forward any food-related issues witnessed along with the captured pictures.

Medicine Sahi Daam APP provides the consumer with the facility to check the prices of drugs as notified by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) vis-à-vis the prices charged by the chemist. Any instance of overcharge detected can be immediately reported to the FDA alongwith the copy of the cash memo for further action by the state regulatory authorities.

The above two apps can be downloaded on any smart phone and through it consumers can file their complaints or grievances relating to quality of prepared food or even pre-packaged food articles and medicines.

The apps were launched by the FDA during a consumer workshop attended by 51 representatives from various consumer clubs including GOACAN, representatives from the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and students from the Goa College of Home Science.

சேலத்தில் 4 உப்பு குடோன்களுக்கு சீல் கிலோ ₹130க்கு விற்பனை எதிரொலி வதந்தி பரப்பினால் கடும் நடவடிக்கை

சேலம், நவ.16:சேலத்தில் உப் புக்கு தட் டுப் பாடு என வதந்தி கிளம்பி கிலோ 130க்கு விற் பனை செய் யப் பட் ட தை ய டுத்து , அதிக விலைக்கு விற் பனை செய்த 4 உப்பு குடோன் க ளுக்கு அதி கா ரி கள் சீல் வைத் த னர்.

தமி ழ கத் தில் உப் புக்கு பெரும் தட் டுப் பாடு ஏற் பட் டி ருப் ப தா க வும், உப் பின் விலை பல மடங்கு உய ரும் என் றும், இன் னும் ஓரிரு நாளில் உப்பு அறவே கிடைக் காது என் றும் சேலம், நாமக் கல் மாவட் டத் தில் நேற்று மதி யம் தக வல் பர வி யது. இதை உண் மை யென நம்பி, சேலம், நாமக் கல், தர் ம புரி, கிருஷ் ண கிரி மாவட் டங் க ளில் உள்ள மளிகை கடை க ளில் மக் கள் திரண்டு, மூட்டை மூட் டை யாக உப்பு பாக் கெட் டு களை வாங் கிச் சென் ற னர். கல் உப்பு ஒரு பாக் கெட் கிலோ ₹130க்கு விற் கப் பட் டது.

சேலம் செவ் வாய் பேட் டை யில் உள்ள மொத்த வியா பார உப்பு குடோன் க ளில் அதிக விலைக்கு உப்பு மூட் டை களை வியா பா ரி க ளும், பொது மக் க ளும் வாங் கிச் சென் ற னர். அங்கு போலீ சார் சென்று, குேடான் களை மூடச் செய் த னர். உப்பு தட் டுப் பாடு என வதந் தி களை பரப் பி னால் கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என கலெக் டர் சம் பத் எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் தார்.

இதை ய டுத்து நேற்று காலை, கலெக் டர் சம் பத் தலை மை யில் மாவட்ட வழங் கல் அதி காரி ராம துரை முரு கன், கூட் டு ற வுத் துறை இணை பதி வா ளர் ராஜேந் திர பிர சாத் உள் ளிட் டோர் மளிகை கடை க ளில் ஆய்வு செய் த னர். அஸ் தம் பட்டி, முள் ளு வாடி கேட் பகு தி க ளில் மளிகை மற் றும் டிபார்ட் மென்ட் ஸ்டோர் க ளில் அதிக விலைக்கு உப்பு விற் கப் ப டு கி றதா என சோத னை யிட் ட னர்.

இத னி டையே செவ் வாய் பேட் டை யில் தனி யா ருக்கு சொந்த 3 குடோ னும், லீ பஜா ரில் ஒரு குடோ னும் என மொத் தம் நான்கு குடோன் க ளுக்கு சீல் வைக் கப் பட் டது. 4 இடங் க ளி லும் 7 டன் உப்பு பதுக்கி வைத் தி ருந் தது கண் டு பி டிக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது. இது தொடர் பாக கலெக் டர் சம் பத் நிரு பர் க ளி டம் கூறி ய தா வது:

சேலம் மாவட் டத் தில் உப்பு தட் டுப் பாடு ஏதும் கிடை யாது. குறிப் பாக மாவட் டம் முழு வ தும் உள்ள 1,541 நியாய விலைக் க டை க ளி லும் போதிய அளவு உப்பு இருப் பில் உள் ளது. இந்த உப் பின் விலை ஒரு கிலோ ₹8 மட் டுமே. மாவட்ட கூட் டு றவு பண் டக சாலை க ளில் 60 டன் உப்பு இருப் பில் உள் ளது. உப்பு தட் டுப் பாடு வதந் தியை பரப் பு வோர் மீது நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் க வும், அதிக விலைக்கு விற் பனை செய் வோரை கண் ட றி ய வும் மாவட்ட வழங் கல் துறை, உணவு பாது காப்பு துறையை சார்ந்த சிறப்பு குழுக் கள் அமைக் கப் பட் டுள் ளன. இது வரை 4 குடோன் க ளுக்கு சீல் வைக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது. மேலும், மாவட் டம் முழு வ தும் தாலுகா அள வில் குழுக் கள் அமைக் கப் பட்டு ஆய்வு மேற் கொள் ளப் ப டு கி றது. நிர் ண யிக் கப் பட்ட விலையை விட அதிக விலைக்கு உப்பு விற் பனை செய் வது, உப்பு தட் டுப் பாடு என்ற பொய் யான வதந் தி களை பரப் பு வது, உப்பு பதுக் கு வது போன் றவை தெரி ய வந் த தால் உணவு பாது காப்பு சட் டத் தின் கீழ் கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும். இது கு றித்த புகார் களை அந் தந்த பகுதி தாசில் தார் க ளி டம் மக் கள் தெரி விக் க லாம். இவ் வாறு கலெக் டர் சம் பத் கூறி னார்.

சேந் த மங் க லம்:

நாமக் கல் மாவட் டம் சேந் த மங் க லம் அருகே புதன் சந்தை செயல் பட்டு வரு கி றது. வழக் க மாக புதன் சந் தை யில் விற் ப னைக்கு பிறகு, அங் குள்ள திறந் த வெ ளி யில் உப்பு மூட் டை களை வியா பா ரி கள் அடுக்கி வைத்து விட்டு செல் வது வழக் கம். உப்பு தட் டுப் பாடு வதந்தி கார ண மாக, அங்கு அடுக்கி வைக் கப் பட் டி ருந்த 10க்கும் மேற் பட்ட உப்பு மூட் டை களை, நேற்று முன் தி னம் இரவு மர்ம நபர் கள் திரு டிச் சென் ற னர். இது குறித்த புகா ரின் பேரில், போலீ சார் மற் றும் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அதி கா ரி கள் விசா ரிக் கின் ற னர்.

DINAMALAR NEWS

INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS

Godowns sealed for selling salt at higher price

Traders preventing officials from sealing the godown at Shevapet in Salem on Tuesday where salt was sold at exorbitant price.

Adequate stock of salt available, says district administration

The district administration has said that 60 tonne of salt were available in the district cooperative warehouses and asked the people not to panic. Collector V. Sampath has also warned action against rumour mongers. He also warned traders selling the sale at exorbitant price. Rumours spread on Monday that salt would not be available from Tuesday forcing people to purchase salt in huge quantities. The price of salt in the city and in rural areas went up to Rs. 80 per kg while the actual price was Rs. 10. People thronged shops till late evening. Traders used the opportunity to sell salt at very higher prices as many shops went out of stock. Later in the evening, the Collector asked the people not to panic and said that sufficient stock of salt were available.

On Tuesday, the Collector inspected departmental stores at Hasthampatti and Mulvadi Gate and found sufficient stock of salt in the shops.

Speaking to reporters, he said that salt were available through 1,541 public distribution shops and were sold at Rs. 8 only. He said that 60 tonne of salt were available in the warehouses apart from salt available in shops. Following the spread of rumours on Monday, a team comprising officials from Civil Supplies Department and Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected godowns at Shevapet and sealed three godowns where salt was sold at higher price.

Hotel owner held guilty of food sale without licence

CHANDIGARH: A local court has held owner of Hotel City Plaza, Sector 7C, guilty of selling food without licence and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment till rising of the court and to pay fine of Rs 10,000 for the offence.The orders were issued by the court Of Chief Judicial Magistrate Akshdeep Mahajan. Accused Sham Sunder was booked for offence under sections 26(2) (iii), 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, punishable under Section 63 of the Act, and his bail application was accepted.

Additional public prosecutor (APP) for the complainant contended that the premises of accused was inspected on August 17, 2015 and at that time, it was found that accused had been preparing and selling cooked food articles like pulses vegetables, Chapatti without having food licence for public sale.

Accused denied allegations and alleged false implication. Accused was given opportunity to lead evidence in defence however no evidence was led by the accused. APP contended that mere flaw in investigation should not form the basis for acquittal of the accused, and efforts should be made by the court to see that criminal justice was salvaged despite such defects in investigation. On the other hand, defence counsel contended that no joint raid as alleged was ever conducted and the accused has been falsely implicated in this case. As per the prosecution version, raiding team comprised officials of various departments i.e. Estate Office, fire and other departments.

Upon inspection, Bharat Kanojia FSO, food safety officer, inspected the business premises and he was challaned for selling food articles for human consumption without having a food licence.

A plea has been taken on behalf of convict that he is sole bread earner of his family and is not a previous convict, therefore, lenient view may kindly be taken. After hearing arguments the judgment read, "The convict is sentenced to undergo imprisonment till rising of the court and to pay fine of Rs 10,000 for offence punishable under Section 63 of the Act. On default of payment of fine, convict shall undergo imprisonment for seven days."

COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST THE FAMOUS TIRUPATI LADDOO FOR UNHYGIENIC PREPARATION METHOD

The famous Laddu offered as prasadam in Tirupati is now being questioned for unhygienic preparation method.The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has asked the commissioner of...

The famous Laddu offered as prasadam in Tirupati is now being questioned for unhygienic preparation method.The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has asked the commissioner of Food safety to look into the certification and alleged violation of food safety norms by TTD in making of laddoos. This was followed by a petition filed by an activist who said he found nuts, bolts, key chain and Pan Parag in the laddoo. The laddoo will now be tested for quality and certification and other norms as specified by Food safety and standards act, 2006. This has created a sense of shock in many followers and worshippers as these tasty prasadams are a part of the Tirupati’s identity.

The licence act says only servants dressed in clean clothes can make or serve the laddoo. Murthy, who made the complaint, witnessed the process of making the laddoos in Tirupati.

‘The act states that such articles when exposed for sale, shall be kept in clean vessels or plates made of glass or metal covered with enamel or tin lining, placed in glass cases provided, if necessary, with a fly proof wire gauge at the top for ventilation and that no such articles shall be touched by hand and clean spoons or other accessories shall be used for serving them. But nothing of this is being practiced,” was the complaint registered by Murthy.

Tirupati laddoos are available in three types- Asthanam Laddu, Kalyanotsavam Laddu and Proktham Laddu. 200 people work together to get the laddoo prepared for the devotees and these people are a part of the Tirupati temple board. The Tirupati laddoo is one of the most sought sweets and it got its patent in the year 2009. These laddoos are made in large number, made of pure ghee but the complaint shows clearly that it is unsafe for consumption. The sweet goes through unhygienic processing method besides deficiencies at several stages including manufacture, storage, distribution and sale.

MAALAI MALAR NEWS

TAMIL MURUASU NEWS

 

Standardising: Packaged food products likely to get fortification norms soon

The FSSAI has already issued draft guidelines for five products — rice, salt, wheat flour, milk and edible oil.

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is likely to come up with fortification standards for packaged food products such as cereals and biscuits. Fortification means deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients such as iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Iodine, etc, in a food product so as to improve its nutritional quality with minimal risk to health.

“We are discussing with the industry to bring fortification norms for processed (packaged) food products. It is more of an afterthought. We do not have much clarity on it as of now,” said an FSSAI official on the condition of anonymity.

The FSSAI has already issued draft guidelines for five products — rice, salt, wheat flour, milk and edible oil. These guidelines, which were put in public domain on September 4 to invite comments and suggestions, set the minimum levels of micronutrients which should be added to these five products in order to be called ‘fortified’. FSSAI will issue the final guidelines for them once the 60-day time period for receiving public comments is over.

“If a company starts a category of biscuits which is called ‘fortified biscuits’, it is good for the general population only. In America, there is a focus of fortification in packaged food products which are consumed for breakfast, such as cereals. But our approach to fortification in packaged foods is going to be a little different than what we have done till date for five products,” the official added.

The FSSAI is expecting that the fortification of food products, which are consumed in the government programs, will be done within a year. “However, as the food industry is huge and largely unorganised, they will take a much longer time to fortify their food products,” the official said.

On October 16, Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, launched the logo for “fortified food product”. “Fortification requires neither changes in existing food patterns, habits nor individual compliance. It is socio-culturally acceptable and does not alter the characteristics of the food. It can be introduced quickly and can produce nutritional benefits for populations in a short period of time. It is safe and cost effective, especially if advantage is taken of the existing technology and delivery platforms,” she had said.

Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has earlier stated that if someone is using the “fortified food product” logo, and if they are not fortifying it as per the prescribed standards, then that company would be subjected to same penalty as for manufacturing unsafe or adulterated products.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

நெருங்கும் திருவிழா சீசன் பழநியில் திடீர் உணவுக்கடைகள் கண்காணிக்கப்படுமா?

பழநி, நவ. 15:

திரு விழா சீசன் நெருங் கு வ தால் பழ நி யில் முளைக் கும் திடீர் உண வுக் க டை களை கண் கா ணிக்க வேண் டு மென பக் தர் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

பழநி கோயி லில் கார்த் திகை மாதம் துவங்கி சித் திரை மாதம் வரை ஐயப்ப பக் தர் கள் வருகை, தைப் பூ சம், பங் குனி உத் தி ரம், கோடை விடு முறை தினங் கள் என 6 மாத காலத் திற்கு பக் தர் கள் கூட் டம் அதி க ளவு இருக் கும். இவர் க ளி டம் விற் பனை செய் வ தற் காக அடி வா ரம் பகு தி யில் ஏரா ள மான அள வில் பொம் மைக் க டை கள் மற் றும் தற் கா லிக உணவு கடை கள் ஏற் ப டுத் தப் ப டும்.

குறிப் பாக உண வுக் க டை க ளில் பக் தர் க ளுக்கு வழங் கப் ப டும் தட் டுக் க ளில் பிளாஸ் டிக் பேப் பர் வைத்து உண வு கள் வழங் கப் ப டு கி றது. சூடான உணவு பொருட் க ளால் பேப் பர் உருகி நோய் ஏற் ப டுத் தும் அபா யம் உள் ளது.

இவ் வாறு உணவு வழங் கு வது தடை செய் யப் பட் டி ருந் தும் அடி வா ரப் பகு தி க ளில் பிளாஸ்டி பேப் பர் க ளின் பயன் பாடு ஆண் டு தோ றும் தங்கு தடை யின்றி நடை பெ று வது வழக் க மாகி விட் டது. எச் சில் தட் டு களை முறை யாக கழு வா மால் அப் ப டியே மற் ற வர் க ளுக்கு வழங் கப் ப டு கி றது.

பக் தர் கள் சாப் பிட்டு விட்டு அந்த இடத் தி லேயே கைக ழு வு வ தா லும், எச் சில் இலை களை அதே இடத் தில் போட்டு விடு கின் ற னர்.

இதனை சாப் பி டு வ தற் காக அநேக இடங் க ளில் மாடு, ஆடு, நாய் உள் ளிட்ட விலங் கி னங் கள் சுற் றித் தி ரி வ தால் போக் கு வ ரத்து பாதிப் பும் அதி க ள வில் ஏற் ப டு கி றது.

மேலும் துர் நாற் றம் ஏற் பட்டு நோய் அபா ய மும் ஏற் ப டு கி றது. இது த விர, இட்லி போன் றவை வெண் மை யாக இருப் ப தற் கும், இல கு வாக இருப் ப தற் கும் வேதிப் பொ ருட் கள் கலப் ப தா லும் பக் தர் க ளுக்கு பின் வி ளை வு கள் ஏற் ப டு கி றது. எனவே நக ராட்சி நிர் வா கம் உணவு பொருட் க ளின் தரக் கு றை பா டு களை கண் ட றிந்து உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க கண் கா ணிப்பு பணியை தீவி ரப் ப டுத்த வேண் டு மென பக் தர் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

ARE TIRUPATI LADDUS REALLY SAFE TO EAT?

Activist alleges poor kitchen hygiene, presence of nuts and bolts in ‘prasad’

Are all delicious and very special Tirupati laddus safe? It has come under scanner as FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has asked the Commissioner of Food Safety, Andhra Pradesh, to investigate into certification and alleged violation of food safety norms by TTD in making of laddus following a petition by a city based activist detailing on alleged lapses - finding of nut, bolt, key chain, and pan parag covers in laddus.

This comes after a petition by one T Narasimha Murthy to FSSAI seeking an investigation. FSSAI directive to AP government has triggered a debate, if at all, the delicious and all-famous laddus are safe. It will be tested for quality and certification, and other norms as specified by Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Murthy states.

In a communique to the Commissioner of Food Safety and also Executive Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, on a complaint on non-adherence of food safety norms by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, on August 1 FSSAI had written, “I’m directed to enclose herewith a copy of complaint received from Shri T Narasimha Murthy regarding gross violation of food safety norms at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD). The complaint is self-explanatory. You are requested to investigate the matter and take action as deemed appropriate under intimation to this office.”

At a time when laddus as prasadam are synonym to Tirupati and lord Venkates­h­wara/Balaji, for the unique taste for having been made of pure ghee, and known worldwide, the petition has triggered the debate. 

In his complaint to TTD in June 2016 to FSSAI, Murthy had alleged unsafe and unhygienic processing method besides deficiencies at several stages including manufacture, storage, distribution and sale.

“The cooks who are in preparation of these laddus in large quantity are found wearing no proper dress. They are working in half naked dress and found sweating due to heavy heat at the kitchen. These cooks are not wearing any hand glove, apron and other safety norms..,” Murthy had alleged.

For any food, the food safety act specifies due certification by a concerned authority or a certified lab. The same has to be displayed at Tirupati and the licence and certification renewed every year has to be put on display. But nothing couldn’t be found, alleged Murthy.

“It is noticed that the place of manufacture of food ie, laddu is not upto the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The actual preparation method and employees status can be accesses by the authority at the link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= pEdGx23PD. TTD has also not displayed the licence at its premises, not complied with mandatory issuing of bills to devotees,” Murthy’s petition details.

Following this, FSSAI had sought investigation and action. Narasimha Murthy had sought information on the investigation. However, nothing has come yet. A communique to him from the joint food controller, AP in September has said that they had not received any reply had from executive director, TTD over FSSAI directive to commissioner for food safety and his directive inturn to TTD seeking their say. Following which Murthy has again moved FSSAI over inaction stating that the commissioner’s office had not initiated any action except calling for report last month. He has also filed first appeal in the case on October 26.

They have to get licence to sell it in Tirupati, and special licence to do it in Bengaluru and New Delhi too, but nothing is done, Murthy alleged.

“On every sale, they have to give bill. It should have quantity, quality, ingredients, date of manufacture and date of expiry. However, these bills have nothing of it. The food safety act gives exemption for push carts and petty shops temporary stall holder or tiny food business operator. But Tirupati is not so. Not providing information on certification even after two months only show they have none,” Murthy added.

Now an investigation will bring facts of Tirupati laddus – more on if they adhere to food act norms.

Experts feel failing to adhere to the norms specified under the food act including selling without licence may prove costly to those selling or dealing with food products.

“If any person or those in business other than those exempted manufactures, sells, stores or distributes or imports any article of food without licence can be punished with six months imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and fine that can extend to five lakh,” Dharaneesh an advocate told Bangalore Mirror.

Murthy who had visited Tirupati to witness the process in person before lodging his complaint added, “The act states that such articles when exposed for sale, shall be kept in clean vessels or plates made of glass or metal covered with enamel or tin lining, placed in glass cases provided, if necessary, with a fly proof wire guage at the top for ventilation and that no such articles shall be touched by hand and clean spoons or other accessories shall be used for serving them. But nothing of this is being practiced.”

Other specifications

The act also mandates that licence shall allow only servants, who are dressed in clean clothes, and that the licences shall purforth with report to the health officer on any case of dangerous, infectious or contagious disease occurring on the premises. The employer and employee should satisfy health requirements including certification of those in business - not infected with any disease and certification on free from infections/diseases if infected, and health compliance as specified in the act. But none of them are existing there, Murthy alleged. Several efforts to reach TTD executive officer over the charges went in vain as none responded.

The laddus

The Tirupati laddus has more than a 300-year-old history, and are believed to date back to early 18th century. Known for its unique taste, as prasadam offered to devotees visiting Tirupati, these laddus are now registered as Geographical Indications under the GI Act. Mainly three types – Asthanam Laddu (prepared for festivals), Kalyanotsavam Laddu (prepared during kalyanotsavam), Proktham laddu (distributed to devotees every day) are known for its unique taste made of pure ghee and offered to lord Balaji first as naivedyam. The prasadam’s first existence date back to times of Pallavas who offered prasadam to deities and then Devaraya II offered naivedyam to deity and remaining food was distributed to devotees. Prasadam, which was called Tiruppongam then was called Avasaram later during Vijaynagar rulers tims, and then sold as sweet boondi by Madras government before it took shape in 1940 as laddu with growing demand for prasadam ever since time immemorial. Laddu is offered with vadai, which are a hit as Srivari Prasadam at Tirupati.

Limit for iron particles in tea increased to 250 mg/kg: FSSAI

The continuous presence of iron filings in tea has raised safety concerns and there have been many demands to fix an upper limit

Food safety regulator FSSAI has raised the upper limit for iron particles in tea powder to 250 mg per kg from the existing 150 mg, with effect from current month.

Iron fillings enter tea due to wear and tear of the processing machinery. The continuous presence of iron filings in tea has raised safety concerns and there have been many demands to fix an upper limit.

In a circular, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI) said: "The revised limit of iron filings in tea up to level of 250 mg per kg has been approved by the Scientific Committee."

These standards of iron filings in tea have been made operational with effect from this month. They will supersede the earlier limit operationalised on April 22, 2016, it said.

The limit has been raised after taking into consideration the comments and suggestions received from various stakeholders, it added.

FSSAI had recently conducted a large-scale laboratory analysis of tea powder for determining the limit on iron filling.

The tea leaves are dried in a sieve fitted with mesh and leaves are cut using iron rollers. Factories use huge magnets to remove iron fillings from tea powder.

Tea production in India, the world's second largest tea producer after China, stood at 795.89 million kg during April-September period of this fiscal, while 101.04 million kg of tea was exported in the same period.

The country had produced 1,233 million kg in the entire 2015-16 fiscal, of which 232.92 million kg was exported.

Gold, silver leaves

Machines can make the varakh industry a clean, hygienic and well-managed sector

- MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI

The varakh industry is huge in India, with over 300 tonnes of silver leaves used in paan, chawanprash, tobacco products, ayurvedic medicines and mithais

Nov 13, 2016- For years and years the Indian government put off the decision to make varakh, any leaf composed of pure metals, typically silver and gold, by machine on the grounds that no machines were available. Finally, this year a historic decision has been taken and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has clearly notified that no varakh can be made except by machine.

The person responsible for this change (apart from me) is Surendra Karnavat, a diamond jeweller in America. He and his wife were members of the Rajasthan Association of America and came to India in Vasundhara Raje’s first term as Chief Minister, lured by the promise that they would get all the help required to start a machine-based varakh industry. He was given none of the promised assistance and could only start in a very small way. However, he did not give up hope and started by supplying to only a few shops in his own area. I heard of him, and met him, while campaigning to make varakh in a vegetarian way. Then, when the FSSAI started to take the matter seriously, he came was called to show them how it could be done properly.

The varakh industry is huge in India, with over 300 tonnes of silver leaves used in paan, chawanprash, tobacco products, ayurvedic medicines, mithais and temples. It is used in Germany on food (the food number is E 175) and in France on photo frames. In Japan it is everywhere—interiors, tea, instruments, frescos, temples. The whole of Southeast Asia uses varakh, to pay homage to Lord Buddha. It is used on chocolates, cocktails and liquors—German Goldwasser and the Swiss Goldschlager are examples—soups, salads, ice creams, coffees. Now, gold leaf has become a part of anti-ageing creams, facepacks and foundations. The use of the gilded leaf is endless.

Gold leaf has been used for jewellery, for art decorations, picture frames and gilded art. We have used it in our glass paintings. But we don’t export it, because we make it in a dirty—and now illegal—manner. The 300 tonnes of silver used in India means: one kilo of silver has 225 gaddis (bundles) and one gaddi is 150 sheets of silver varakh that means, 6.75 crore gaddis every year. The world market asks for 300kg of goldvarakh every day.

Silver in abattoirs

Till now, the varakh makers are in slaughterhouses. They are all a sect of Muslims called Pannigars. They select cattle by feeling their intestines while they are alive, and then having them cut and extracting the intestines while they are hot. These intestines are made into pouches, and silver is beaten in between them till it is thin enough to be sold. This method is filthy and certainly not pure silver. When you eat it, you place yourself at risk.

The second method that is used by most mithai sellers—who will pretend that they are getting the varakh from vegetarian sources and also what the president of the mithai association claimed to me)—is to beat the silver between plastic sheets. However, this is also a filthy meat-based method, as the plastic is coated with animal fat for lubrication and is also then covered with leather. The varakh that emerges is not only unhygienic but also unfit for eating.

Karnavat has replaced leather or animal fat with a specially engineered paper, which is translucent and smooth. This paper is fed into a machine and the process of making varakh is completely mechanised, without coming into contact with the sweaty human hand. The leaf has a thickness of 0.18 microns in silver and 0.1 microns in gold, making it of international standards even for gold fillings and ayurvedic medicines. The machine has taken 15 years to develop and meets the guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration.

The right way

He is one of the very few people in the world who has the knowledge of producing varakh paper (also known as interleaf paper or carbon coated paper). He wants to help low cost machines to be produced and installed, and train unskilled labourers—perhaps even the same people who have

been sitting for years at slaughterhouses and taking out the intestines of freshly killed buffaloes and cows. He believes there is scope for at least 2 lakh people to be employed, and that this is the only way for the varakh industry to become a clean, hygienic well- managed and organised sector, instead of being a filthy unorganised secretive sector that operates in the shadows of butcheries. This could also be a major employment area for women, as gold and silver leaf have to be transferred from interleaf paper to tissue paper, and this delicate exchange can be best handled by a woman. Gold and silver leaf can be major exports from India as well.

Karnavat was invited by the Chinese government to establish a unit and train their people. He refused because he wants to make India the silver/gold leaf hub of the world. This seems to me to be an excellent potential industry and, now that Mudra loans are available to small businessmen, this should be taken advantage of. In fact, if you are a large mithai maker, you should establish your own ancillary varakh leaf factory.

To join the animal welfare movement contact gandhim@nic.in, www.peopleforanimalsindia.org

Know these side effects of Pappaya!

Govt decides to order testing of edible oils over cancer link

Srinagar, Nov 12: With the reports that edible oils consumed in Jammu and Kashmir, contain cancer links, the government has decided to order state-wide testing of edible oils

One of the senior officials of the State Drug and Food Control Organization told, that raids will be held in all major outlets of edible oils in the state with the aim to identify and punish distributers and manufacturers producing adulterated cooking oil refined from low quality and discarded rapeseeds.

“I want to inform you that concrete steps have already been taken in this regard. We have taken open samples for lab testing from top brands. We will send the samples to referral laboratories in Kolkata and Ghaziabad for precise testing. If any of the brands are found adulterated with harmful and substandard oil, their outlets and industrial units will be immediately sealed,” said the official.

Sources said that most of the top oil brands available in the market are under scrutiny.

It is to mention here that in the recent past ,edible oils in Jammu and Kashmir were found containing recycled oils and oils extracted from discarded rapeseeds, which contain highly toxic carcinogenic substance including ‘dropsin’ and ‘aflatoxin.’

Sources said that apart from edible oils markets are flooded with the milk and milk products containing chemicals such as detergents—the trend that experts say is creating a health catastrophe.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in one of its reports, said detergents are a cause of food poisoning and gastro-intestinal complications. Other common additives to milk impair the functioning of various organs of the body, cause heart problems and cancer, it said.

It is to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir High Court had directed the Government to provide full particulars of outside companies supplying food items to Jammu and Kashmir.

“Commissioner Food Safety shall provide full information and particulars of those food manufacturers, suppliers, persons, companies who originate from outside the state and supply food items to Jammu and Kashmir,” a division bench of Justices Muzaffar Hussain Attar had said in its order.

The court had expressed displeasure over non implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act. “Money power has taken control of everything now. Few people have made empire out of food adulteration, they want quick buck and for it they can go (stoop) to any extent,” the court had observed. 

Harmful germs in country chicken

Experts blame indiscriminate use of antibiotics for problem.

A report published this month by researchers from the UoH, led by Dr. Niyaz Ahmed, found multiple drug resistant Helicobacter pullorum (H.pullorum) bacteria in samples of broiler chicken and free range chicken from the city. 100 samples were taken from various markets and areas across Hyderabad. 

Hyderabad: Country chicken or natu kodi, as it is popularly called in Telugu, is often looked at as a healthy alternative to broiler chicken. However, thanks to growing contamination, even natu kodi is having drug resistant bacteria.

A report published this month by researchers from the UoH, led by Dr. Niyaz Ahmed, found multiple drug resistant Helicobacter pullorum (H.pullorum) bacteria in samples of broiler chicken and free range chicken from the city. 100 samples were taken from various markets and areas across Hyderabad.

Dr Ahmed, a teacher of the biotechnology and bioinformatics department, UoH, is now serving as senior director at the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research in Dhaka.

The H.pullorum bacteria isolated from chicken samples by researchers was found to be resistant to four major classes of antibiotics, viz. fluoroquinolones, cephalo-sporins, sulfonamides and macrolides.

H.pullorum is a zoonotic bacterium, which means that it can be transmitted from animals to humans. This happens frequently through poultry birds.

H.pullorum is already known to be carrying a toxin that can interfere with the cell cycle causing damage to the DNA, leading to cancer.

The presence of multiple drug resistant bacteria in broiler and free range chicken points towards two major issues — indiscriminate use of antibiotics by humans on animals and unsanitary conditions in cities.

While broiler chickens are given high doses of antibiotics directly, free range chicken pick up antibiotic residues from the environment as they live in unsanitary human habitations and are exposed to human and animal waste containing antibiotic residues or resistant micro-organisms.

Dr Ahmed said, “With the risk of zoonosis and its ability to spread antimicrobial resistance, H.pullorum could be emerging a food borne human pathogen that needs to be deciphered at the genomic and molecular levels.”

He added, “There is no harm to public health as long as the chicken is cooked properly. It is better to avoid liver and intestines as H.pullorum is found mainly in these organs.”

No law yet to regulate antibiotic use in poultry

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics in poultry birds is a serious concern in the country, yet there is no legislation by the government to regulate the trend.

As of now, there are only two advisories by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), released in June and December 2014, which restrict the use of antibiotics in feed and feed supplements.

Apart from this, the FSSAI has also advised that any antibiotic use on animals must be carried out under veterinary supervision.

Last year, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India released draft rules in which the two advisories were made mandatory. However, there has been no change since and the rules continue to be in the draft stage.

Amit Khurana, programme manager with food safety and toxins division, Centre for Science and Environment, said: “Antibiotics have therapeutic and non-therapeutic uses in the poultry industry. While the therapeutic use is required for the healthcare of the birds, non-therapeutic use is where antibiotics are used as growth enhancers in chicken. It is a known fact that a major use of antibiotics in poultry industry is for non-therapeutic purpose, which needs to be curbed but there exists no rule against it till now.”

Dr Niyaz Ahmed, a teacher at the biotechnology and bioinformatics department, University of Hyderabad, who published a study recently regarding the finding of multiple drug resistant bacteria in chicken samples across the city, said, "Poultry farm owners should stop adding antibiotics to feed. Also, feed manufacturers should not use antibiotics as additives in feed formulae. There should be some regulation on feed composition."

Telangana is one of the top producers of poultry products in India. The monthly poultry output from Telangana is around 4 crore kg of chicken and 90 crore eggs.

The recently published Sample Registration System Baseline Survey 2014 data by Census of India said Telangana has the maximum non-vegetarians in the country, with 98.8 per cent of men and 98.6 per cent of women in the state being confirmed, frequent non-vegetarians.

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Government wants ban on smokeless tobacco

The monograph is India’s first comprehensive report on the impact of smokeless tobacco consumption in the country and a set of recommendations considering the situation in India.

There may soon be a complete ban on all forms of smokeless tobacco in India such as pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco following the already existing ban on gutkha.

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on Friday released a monograph on ‘Smokeless Tobacco and Public Health in India’ at ongoing 7th session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) that revealed a clear policy recommendation to enforce a countrywide ban on production, supply and distribution of all packaged smokeless tobacco products.

The monograph is India’s first comprehensive report on the impact of smokeless tobacco consumption in the country and a set of recommendations considering the situation in India. “India is the first country to prohibit the sale, storage and manufacturing of gutkha across all states. However, stronger measures are required for effective implementation of the law. We are also considering the key recommendations of this report,” Amal Pusp, Director, tobacco control, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare said. Available evidence suggests that India shares the maximum burden of oral cancer in the world which is directly associated with the smokeless tobacco products. Doctors claim that almost 90 per cent of these oral cancers are linked to tobacco use.

“The sale of pan masala and areca nut, which are strongly associated with smokeless tobacco use, should be banned because of their carcinogenicity and the increasing prevalence of oral pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions attributable to these substances, especially among youth,” the Health Ministry report said.

“Pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco are currently being sold separately to circumvent law and this should be strictly prohibited. Strict orders from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and court should restrict sale in this form. Policies should be implemented to prevent the sale of tobacco products in places that also sell basic food items or medicines,” it said.

Besides gutkha, 11 states, including Delhi, have over a period of time banned flavoured chewing tobacco, and three states — Maharashtra, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh — have banned flavoured areca nut too. For the smokeless tobacco products that are currently not banned, the subsequent recommendations apply, Health Ministry officials said.

The Ministry has also observed a trend of consumption of smokeless tobacco products among Indian women. Currently, 70 million women age 15 and older use smokeless tobacco products. The relative risk of oral cancer among women using smokeless tobacco products is eight times higher than that for men, and the relative risk of cardiovascular disease among women using such products is 2–4 times higher than in men.

Food safety, viability issues taken up at Gadvasu symposium

LUDHIANA: Various technical sessions were conducted on Friday during the ongoing international symposium and 7th conference of the Indian Meat Science Association at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University(GADVASU).

Dr S T Joo from the Republic of Korea underlined food safety issues related with different cooking techniques. He said cooking time and temperature should be selected with eating quality parameters and killing of pathogens. Experts unanimously agreed on the need to stop rampant slaughter of animals in lanes and bylanes of the city immediately.

They said animal welfare should be considered and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations should be followed in letter and spirit while transporting animals.

Besides effective utilization of slaughter house byproducts, participants also underlined the need to reduce environmental pollution. Dr R K Dhaliwal, director, student welfare, PAU advocated extension services for awareness, training and development of entrepreneurship in animal husbandry. Dhaliwal also suggested collaborative extension programmes between Punjab Agricultural University and GADVASU.

Professor Lee, a scientist from the University of Konkuk, Republic of Korea presented various methods of low-cost preservation techniques to reduce losses occurring during transportation and storage of livestock produce.

Dr Manish Kumar Chatli, organising secretary said valuable products can be developed from animal husbandry waste, such as biodegradable films, Bone Morphogenic Proteins (BMP) and collagen sheets, among others. He said BMP increases the rate of healing of fractures by 40% to 50%. Collagen sheets, he said, are being used in plastic surgery.

According to him, this would help young researchers interact with subject experts and set new ideas about priority research areas. National Research Centre (Meat) signed an MoU with GADVASU, which will open up new avenues for research and entrepreneurs exchange, sharing of knowledge and facilities. National Research Centre (Meat) welcomed research students from different universities to undertake research in the ongoing projects.

As you show, so shall you reap

How much can a celeb be held responsible for misleading ads?

Pierce Brosnan endorsing Pan Bahar

Pierce Brosnan created ripples last month when he appeared as an ambassador for an Indian paan masala brand. Further, he left everyone flummoxed when he admitted to not knowing what he was being the face of. The former Bond went ahead to express shock at how the brand had allegedly misled him. While the two are yet to clear the tangle, the government on its part is ensuring that consumers are not at the receiving end of an ambassador’s ignorance. On Wednesday, a Group of Ministers (GoM) made a proposal stating that celebrities could face a fine of Rs 10 lakhs, and a year’s ban on advertising any such products. For a subsequent “offence”, the celebrity could be fined a whopping Rs 50 lakh, and a three-year ban for supporting “unrealistic” claims. The proposal is yet to be cleared by the Union cabinet.

The advertising industry, however, isn’t gung-ho about the idea. Arun Iyer, chief creative officer at Lowe Lintas, asserts that it isn’t justified to discriminate against public figures if the brand isn’t fulfilling its promise. He says, “I find the proposal vague in its current form. How do you define ‘misleading’? How is the celebrity supposed to know the technicalities of the brand he/she is endorsing and do his/ her own research on the product? For instance, what would Madhuri Dixit know about the packet of noodles containing lead more than the permissible limits?”

Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachchan were in the line of fire too last year, when the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned the popular two-minute Maggi noodles. In April this year, M.S. Dhoni was forced to discontinue his services as a brand ambassador for realty firm after residents of the housing project asked him to dissociate himself from the brand. Filmmaker and ad man Vinil Matthew believes it isn’t fair to make the brand and the ambassador pay the same price. “If the claims made by the brand doesn’t stand true, then the brand shouldn’t be allowed to advertise in the first place. If paan masala is being advertised, you can’t blame the actor for spreading cancer. Celebrities shouldn’t be made the scapegoat, simply because they are easy targets,” he says referring to Brosnan’s campaign.

Speaking of celebrities, the last few days have had pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi splashed across ads of e-wallets. While it isn’t ‘endorsing’ in the traditional sense, it does associate itself with the PM, effectively the most powerful man in the country. “Tomorrow if I have a problem with either of these services, can I sue the Prime Minister given that he is the brand ambassador?” questions M.S. Gopal, creative director at Tailor.

There is a silver lining, however. As Amer Jaleel, chairman and chief creative officer at Mullen Lintas points out, “If the bill comes into force, agencies will be under pressure to ensure that the approvals are clean. The bigger and larger issue here is to target the companies/brands making false claims.”

But if the proposal must come into effect, it may need a little sharpening on the edges, suggests Sujoy Roy, senior creative director at Ogilvy and Mather. “Celebrities form an integral part of the brand and if such a bill comes into play, they might become wary of advertising certain brands. Celebrities may even increase their fees due to the risks involved. The bill needs to be sharpened to state terms on which kind of products can be endorsed. After all, what may be unrealistic for me, may not be unrealistic for the brand.”