‘Food, beverage firms need to improve nutritional quality of products in India’

Kamal NarangPawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, and Inge Kauer, CEO, Access to Nutrition Foundation, at the launch of the Access To Nutrition-India Spotlight Index, in New Delhi on Wednesday

Access to Nutrition Foundation unveils index to nudge companies to provide healthy products

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 14: 

Food and beverage manufacturers in India need to put in a lot of effort to improve the nutritional quality of their products to combat malnutrition in India, according to Access to Nutrition Foundation, which launched India Access to Nutrition Spotlight Index here on Wednesday, based on an product analysis of the 10 key players in the sector in India.

As per a report by the Netherlands-based non-profit organisation: “Only 12 per cent of the beverages and 16 per cent of the foods sold by these companies were estimated to be of high nutritional quality in the product profile analysis.”

Based on the total sales in 2014, the 10 food and beverage manufacturers selected for assessment for the index included Amul (GCMMF), Britannia Industries, Coca-Cola India, Mondelez India, Mother Dairy, Nestle India, Parle Products, PepsiCo India, Ruchi Soya Industries and Hindustan Unilever.

Inge Kauer, Executive Director, Access to Nutrition Foundation, said: “India faces the serious and escalating double burden of malnutrition, with a large undernourished population as well as growing numbers of overweight and obese people who are developing chronic diseases. Food and Beverage (F&B) manufacturers in India have the potential, and the responsibility, to be part of the solution to this double burden of malnutrition.”Selling healty products

The study ranked Mother Dairy, Hindustan Unilever, Amul and Britannia Industries as the top four companies that sell the largest proportion of healthy products. The product profile score assessment was based on the nutritional quality of products weighted by retail sales.

On the corporate profile score, which assesses the companies’ nutrition commitments, practices and disclosure, Nestle India, Hindustan Unilever, PepsiCo India, and Mondelez India ranked among the top four.

The report said while nine of these companies had made commitments to combat under-nutrition, most companies either did not produce or produce very few fortified packaged foods.Fortification standards

Speaking at the launch of the index, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said the government was committed to address issues related to malnutrition and the regulator had recently come out with fortification standards for staples.“Fortification can be made mandatory in some areas but in many areas making it mandatory is not feasible,” he added.

On a query regarding making companies more accountable for product labels, Agarwal said the regulator was examining Codex norms and the labelling norms were currently under revision, adding that the regulator would look at the best global practices.

Food must not be packed in newspapers

Printing inks, colours and impurities harmful to health.

Nutritionists back a warning given by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that food must not be packed in newspapers.

Hyderabad: Nutritionists back a warning given by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that food must not be packed in newspapers. Packing in or serving food on newspaper could be hazardous to health. The FSSAI has warned that eating such food could cause slow-poisoning because of cancer causing agents and microbes in newsprint and directed Commissioners of Food Safety in all states to launch awareness drives and discourage street vendors from packing cooked foods in newspapers.

On its website, the FSSAI has said, “Wrapping food in newspapers is an unhealthy practice. Consuming such food is injurious to health even if it has been cooked in a hygienic atmosphere.” Senior nutritionist Madhu Lata said, “Newspapers have printing inks and harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives. These can have an effect on the body. It is harmful for a person to regularly consume food supplied in newspapers. Often, mirchi bhaji, samosa, idli, vada and other snacks are delivered in newspapers. Even if they are clean and healthy in preparation, the packaging makes them harmful.”

The presence of pathogenic micro-organisms is also a cause of concern since the newspapers go through various channels before reaching the vendor and hence poses a potential risk to human health. Another nutritionist, S Usha, said, “The increasing problems of the digestive track like indigestion, ill-effects on endocrine system and deficiency of vitamin B 12 are linked to presence of chemicals in the body. What foods we have and how we take it are important.

Food firms slow in addressing nutrition crisis: study

Only around 12% of beverages and 16% of food items sold by companies that Access to Nutrition Foundation studies are of high nutritional value

The India Access to Nutrition Spotlight Index 2016, a study by Netherlands-based Access to Nutrition Foundation, noted that while some of the largest food and beverages companies in India have made strategic commitments to grow businesses with focus on health and nutrition, the industry as a whole is moving very slow in addressing nutrition challenges in India. 

New Delhi: India’s largest food and drink companies are far from the fight against obesity and malnutrition, a new report said.

The India Access to Nutrition Spotlight Index 2016, a study by Netherlands-based Access to Nutrition Foundation (ATNF) released on Wednesday, noted that while some of the largest food and beverages companies in India have made strategic commitments to grow businesses with focus on health and nutrition, the industry as a whole is moving very slow in addressing nutrition challenges in India, which is “home to the world’s largest number of stunted children”.

The study, which scores leading multinational firms on corporate strategy, availability of appropriate, affordable and accessible products, and positive influence on consumer choice and behaviour, studied top 10 food and beverages companies in India, including the multinationals.

Nestle India Ltd topped the ranking with a score of 7.1 out of 10 in overall terms, followed by Hindustan Unilever (6.7). ATNF studied 7 companies for the listing.

In terms of product profile, Mother Dairy topped the list with a score of 5.6 out of 10, followed by Hindustan Unilever (4.6) and Amul (4.4).

According to the study, only around 12% of beverages and 16% of food items sold by companies that ATNF studies are of high nutritional value. Domestic companies need to adopt and disclose their nutrition strategies and policies, while multinationals need to improve the nutritional quality of their portfolios, the ATNF study added.

“India faces the serious and escalating double burden of malnutrition, with a large undernourished population as well as growing numbers of overweight and obese people who are developing chronic diseases. Food and beverages manufacturers in India have the potential and the responsibility to be part of the solution to this double burden of malnutrition,” said Inge Kauer, executive director, ATNF.

According to the National Family Health Survey (2005-06) conducted by ministry of health & family welfare, government of India, 42.5% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 48% are stunted.

The ATNF report suggested the government should enable and encourage food and beverages companies to introduce fortified packaged products to address “specific widespread micronutrient deficiencies”, and should use more fortified staple ingredients compulsory in government programmes, such as mid-day meal schemes in schools.

The country’s food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has already proposed making fortified food mandatory for public food programmes, including public distribution scheme (PDS), mid-day meals and other schemes such as integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme and scheme for adolescent girls.

“We are in discussions with various ministries and industry and working on setting up standards and how to make large-scale food fortification a reality,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, who officially released the ATNF report on Wednesday.

Patanjali fined Rs 11 lakh for misleading ads

HIGHLIGHTS

• A Haridwar court imposed fine of Rs 11 lakh on Yoga guru Ramdev's company, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
• Fine was imposed on charges of misbranding and misrepresentation of its products.

HARIDWAR: A fine of Rs 11 lakh has been imposed on Yoga guru Ramdev's company, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, by a city court on charges of misbranding and misrepresentation of its products.

In its order, the court of Lalit Narain Mishra, Haridwar's additional district magistrate, found the company, which is currently eyeing at doubling its revenues from the current Rs 5,000 crore to almost Rs 10,000 crore by the next financial year, guilty of "releasing misleading advertisements by selling certain products with its labels although they were being manufactured by some other firm."

Citing Section 52 (misbranding) and Section 53 (misleading advertisement) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as well as Section 23.1 (5) of Food Safety and Standard (Packaging and Labelling Regulations, 2011) Act, it ordered Patanjali to pay the fine within a month. It also directed the district food safety department to "take appropriate action if there is no improvement in the products in future."

A case against the company was filed at the ADM's court in November 2012 after samples of products, including honey, salt, mustard oil, jam and besan (gram flour) picked up for sampling on August 16, 2012, allegedly failed quality tests.

The tests were conducted at Uttarakhand's only FSSAI-certified drugs and food testing lab located at Rudrapur. The case had been ongoing ever since. The order regarding the fine imposed on the company was given by the court on December 1, but became public a day ago.

Watin manufacturing bakeries to be banned, says FSOs

IMPHAL, Dec 14 : After five bakeries located at Kakwa Laiphrakpam Leikai were reportedly found violating food safety norms in manufacturing Watin, local name for gram flour Bhujia, Food Safety Officers today said that the bakeries will be banned from manufacturing any edible items.

Food Safety Officers including M DInesh, Th Nelson and P Nongallei of Imphal West district today conducted a drive at bakeries lcoated at Laiphrakpam Leikai (Pukhri Maning) wherein Sushila Bakery Kakwa Watin, Thoibi Bakery Kakwa Watin, Memchouba Bakery and Selungba Kakwa Watin were found violating the norms under Food Safety Standard Act in manufacturing various food items like Watin, Bhujia, Namkeen and Khajur.

The officers informed that the team had inspected the bakeries on October 14.

The bakery owners were also instructed to adhere to the food safety norms and obtain licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The food packets have no information like the manufacturing date and expiry date. The bakery owners have failed to pay heed to the instruction. If the same continues, the five bakeries will be banned.

The team informed that shopkeepers have been accepting such food items to earn profit. However, one must not forget that consuming food items that have no information given on the food packets can cause major health problems.

Make reading labels a habit!

Amongst the other important habits we have been sharing on #readinglabels , always spot #FSSAI Logo and #license No. on the packet before you purchase a #food item

Perform a quick check on declaration regarding #Veg or Non vegetarian ingredients. #Label must have the proper identification mark i.e., brown circle in a square for “Non-Veg” and green circle for “Veg”

Never miss reading about list of #ingredients used in the #food item as it helps in checking information around any #allergic substances

It is advised to check info related to date of manufacturing/ packaging and best before. #Label must display these components as the date inform us about the shelf-life of the food product

Indore: FDA soon to launch drive to sensitise people, shopkeepers

I

Indore: Following the advisory released by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) recently to advise people not to use newspapers for wrapping edibles, officials of the Food and Drug Administration department will soon launch a campaign to spread awareness among people about the dangers of having edibles in paper.

The department will soon launch a campaign to make people aware and will also warn shopkeepers who use newspaper for packing edibles.

In the advisory, the FSSAI stated that wrapping food products in newspapers, even if it were manufactured hygienically, is harmful for health as the newspaper ink contains various bioactive materials. Inks also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives.

Along with harmful effect of newspapers, the FSSAI also directed all the food safety officers to discourage the practice of using newspaper for packing food products.

Senior Food Safety Officer Manish Swami said, “We use to check the usage of papers at all the shops during inspection and direct them not to use newspapers for wrapping food items. We will soon launch an awareness campaign to say ‘no’ to newspapers for wrapping food products.”

“Older people, teenagers, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications, if they are exposed to food packed in such material,” the advisory suggested.

Meanwhile, senior physician Dr Mahendra Jha said, “Consumption of food products wrapped in newspapers is dangerous for health and it may lead to cancer as well.

Newspaper ink is potentially carcinogenic and its usage in wrapping food products is like taking slow poison.”

Highest consumption of poha in Indore, 90% supplied on newspapers

Swami said, “Indoreans consume poha daily and most of the shopkeepers use newspapers to serve poha. The FSSAI has not banned usage yet but we have directed the shopkeepers to use good quality paper for the purpose.”

He said that many shopkeepers use quality paper and increase in awareness will help them to use quality paper for serving edible.

Public Reaction

“It is a good move by FSSAI to spread awareness about the bad practices which are harmful for health. We should also start informing people about the hazards of using newspaper for wrapping food products.”- Mukesh Chopadkar, Professional

“We are taking slow poison through taking food products in newspapers. It is harmful for our health and the practice must be stopped.”- Yashvardhan Ojha, Businessman

“It is good move by FSSAI but they must also inform people about other options for the same purpose so that small vendors would not be hit after banning usage of newspapers.”- Deepak Kunjeer, Professional

“People should take initiative by themselves for not using newspapers. It is not only at eateries but we also wrap food products in newspapers at our houses.”- Diksha Shukla, Interior Designer

“Usage of newspaper should be banned immediately as people understand the language of ban only. Action on shops will spread awareness than requesting people not to use it.”- Rahul Saini, Professional

AG questions Horticorp’s claim of safe vegetables

Pesticide level of vegetables may be higer than permissible limit

‘Safe-to-eat vegetables’ sold by the Kerala State Horticultural Development Corporation (Horticorp) may not be as safe as the company’s promotional flyer claims.

The Accountants General, Kerala, has told the government that the pesticide level of vegetables sold through Horticorp outlets labelled thus may be much above the legally permissible limit.

In September this year, the AG’s auditors had partnered with food safety inspectors to randomly gauge the pesticide residue in common place vegetables such as cucumber and green chilli sold through Horticorp outlets. The results sent by the AG to the Agriculture Department recently showed a shockingly high content of toxic chemicals (acephate, profenophos and thiamethoxam) that are incrementally detrimental to public health when consumed over a sustained period.

The auditors found that the vegetables were procured from middlemen and not from farmers as the company claimed. They termed the sale of farm produce of questionable quality through the statutory corporation’s outlets as “an attempt to deceive the public”. The AG also found that the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) adopted in principle by the government to prevent the indiscriminate use of chemicals and fertilizers were “yet to be implemented”.

Importantly, the AG found lapses in the settlement of vegetable purchase bills. “The purchases were made from one person and payment made to another,” the auditors told the government. Competent authorities rarely authorised payment vouchers. Stock registers and purchases details were not properly maintained. The possibility of accounting procurement based on bogus bills could not be ruled out.

In at least one case, Horticorp had recorded the names of the supplier and the amount paid to them. But its managers did not mention the quantity procured or the name of vegetables bought.

Horticorp draws huge subsidies from the government annually to ostensibly stabilise vegetable prices during festival seasons. Some such dubious transactions are already under Vigilance scrutiny.

Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Raju Narayanaswamy told The Hindu that the government was aware that vegetables cultivated using pesticides were often mislabelled and sold as organic produce at high rates. The government will ban pesticide companies from demonstrating their products in farms, he said.

He said Horticrop would soon retail only farm produce sourced from government-backed 14 agro parks to come up in Kerala soon. For instance, the proposed one in Thrissur would farm organic honey, Kozhikode and Ernakulam pesticide-free coconuts and paddy. Farms in Idukki and Palakkad would focus on organic cultivation of vegetables.

The company’s stalls would display GAP-approved vegetables and those sourced from the open market separately.

Tirupati laddu also needs safety licence, says food safety authority

The RTI applicant had alleged that the laddus are made in an unhygienic manner. 

RTI application by Bengalurean turns spotlight on the famed ‘prasadam’

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) now has to obtain a food safety licence like any other Food Business Operator (FBO) for the famed Tirupati laddu.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Food Safety, Andhra Pradesh, the director of Food Safety Management System (FSMS), Suneeti Toteja, stated that the ‘laddu’ is food as per definition of food under the Food Safety Standards Act of India, 2006. Also, TTD is an FBO and has to adhere to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“The applicability of the Act is not affected whether the food is purchased or distributed free of cost. TTD therefore has to obtain a licence and fulfil all responsibilities of an FBO as stipulated in Section 23 of the FSS Act,” the letter said.

This was pursuant to a RTI application filed by Bengaluru-based T. Narasimhamurthy on adherence of food safety norms by the TTD while making laddus and whether it possess an FSSAI licence.

Mr. Narasimhamurthy filed a complaint with FSSAI in July alleging that laddus were being made in an unhygienic manner. “The deficiencies are noticed at every stage, including manufacture, storage, distribution and sale. Materials such as bolts, nuts, key chains and gutka covers have been found in the laddus,” he alleged.

According to Mr. Narasimhamurthy, the FSSAI Act states that only those with clean clothes and devoid of infections shall be involved in the manufacture and packing of food items. “Regular reports on the health condition of the cooks should be submitted to the health officer and a fitness certificate should be obtained,” he said, adding that a bill should be provided upon purchase of the product and the packing should carry details about the ingredients and date of manufacture and expiry.

Subsequent to the application, the Joint Food Controller and other officers, including the food inspector, contacted the Joint Executive Officer of TTD to inspect the ‘potu’ (kitchen) where the laddus are prepared. However, permission was denied on the grounds that the ‘potu’ is an ‘auspicious place’ where outsiders are not allowed.

Besides, according to a letter sent by the Director of Public Health Labs and Food Administration, Andhra Pradesh, to the RTI activist, the TTD officer claimed that the laddus cannot be considered as food as they are a holy offering and pilgrims cannot be termed as consumers. “After discussion with the Executive Officer of TTD, a reply will be submitted regarding inspection of the premises and obtaining FSSAI licence,” the letter said. Necessary action will be taken after the Commissioner of Food Safety issues orders.

FSSAI notifies caffeine level for energy drinks

FSSAI caps caffeine content of non-alcoholic beverages at 300mg per litre

FSSAI has also prescribed how much vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 beverages companies can add.

New Delhi: India is set to limit caffeine content in energy drinks, a product category that countries like the US do not regulate.

Starting 1 July, companies selling beverages that have caffeine will have to abide by norms defined by the food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to a government notification published on Tuesday.

Non-alcoholic beverages with more than 145mg of caffeine per litre will be labelled as ‘caffeinated beverage’ and caffeine content in these beverages should not cross 300mg per litre irrespective of the source of the caffeine, the notification said. Earlier, the regulator had suggested an upper limit of 320mg.

Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Tzinga, Cloud 9 and Monster fall in this category. These products will have to make certain disclosures, including the quantum of caffeine content, on the labels.

Carbonated beverages, including colas, will not fall in the category unless the caffeine content crosses 145mg per litre. Carbonated beverages do not disclose the quantum of caffeine on the labels but state that the beverage contains caffeine.

Besides disclosure of quantum of caffeine in the beverage, companies will have to mention on the labels that one should “consume not more than 500ml per day”. This is to limit how much of a caffeinated beverage a consumer can have in a day.

A 250ml cup of coffee contains 80-150mg of caffeine; a similar quantity of tea has 60mg. Colas usually have 8mg of caffeine per 100ml, according to a 7 November 2013 report by The Guardian. The report added that Red Bull has 30mg of caffeine in 100ml.

FSSAI has also prescribed how much vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 beverages companies can add.

“In respect of ingredients, flavours, sweeteners, food additives, contaminants and microbiological requirement the product shall conform to the standards for carbonated water,” the FSSAI added.

On the labels, companies will have to write “high caffeine”, with details of the quantum, and FSSAI has made it mandatory that they prominently display a cautionary note that says: “Not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women, persons sensitive to caffeine.”

In 2015, FSSAI banned a few variants of Monster energy drink sold by US-based Monster Beverage Corp., and ordered the recall of Restless Energy Drink sold by Pune-based Pushpam Foods and Beverages Pvt. Ltd. FSSAI also banned a few variants of Cloud 9 sold by Goldwin Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, and Tzinga, a product by Hector Beverages Pvt. Ltd, for compliance issues. However, almost all products are available in the retail market.

Both Coca-Cola and its rival PepsiCo Inc. launched caffeinated beverages in India, but failed to attract consumers.

Coca-Cola first launched Shok in 2001, which failed to attract consumers; it subsequently launched Burn in December 2009. PepsiCo launched SoBe in 2008.

According to Coca-Cola website, Burn contains 0.03% of caffeine in a can of 300ml.

“We currently do not have any caffeinated beverage or energy drink in our portfolio,” said a spokesperson for PepsiCo India Pvt. Ltd, the local arm of the beverage maker.

Red Bull India marketing director Avinash Pant did not respond to a query.

Neeraj Kakkar, founder of Hector Beverages, which sells Tzinga energy drink, did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment.

According to a study by FSSAI, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates caffeine content in soft drinks but does not regulate caffeine content in energy drinks as it is considered safe under the US Code of Federal Regulations. The FSSAI study also stated the European Union does not set an upper limit for caffeine but requires only labelling of caffeine content greater than 150mg a kg with “high caffeine content”.

In the same notification, FSSAI has asked companies selling packaged drinking water to use “a blue tint in plastic containers of five litres and above made of poly carbonate and poly terephthalate”. The idea is to prevent the degeneration of the plastic under the effect of sunlight. Mint couldn’t immediately ascertain whether this would raise costs for bottled water companies, and if so, by how much.

GHMC slaps notice against Shah Ghouse hotel

HYDERABAD: The veterinary wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has slapped a notice against Shah Ghouse Hotel and Restaurant located opposite Biodiversity Park, Gachibowli, for not procuring meat for preparing non-vegetarian items from the GHMC recognised slaughter houses.

Meat has to be procured from the GHMC recognised slaughter houses only where the animals are slaughtered after thorough examination and hygienic meat is being provided under the supervision of the veterinary wing of the GHMC.

Meanwhile, GHMC directed the owner not to procure the unstamped (unsealed) meat from the illegally slaughtered animals, which may lead to to health hazards and it is against the provision of GHMC Act, 1955 and the provisions of Food safety and Standards Act 2006 and Rules 2011.

No advice given regarding warning labels on fast food, says MoS Anupriya Patel

New Delhi, (IBNS): Centre's Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Anupriya Patel, in a written reply to the Lok Sbhha on Friday said that no advice has been given regarding warning labels on fast foods .

The minister said that ‘Fast Food’ has not been defined under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations there-under.

However, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft guidelines titled “Guidelines for making available wholesome, nutritious, safe and hygienic food to school children in India in October 2015, wherein the availability of most common HFSS (High in Fat, Salt and Sugar) Foods in schools and an area within 50 meters thereof has been restricted/limited.

The World Health Organization has recently developed guidelines on ‘Sugar intake for Adults and Children’ and the adverse impact of high sugar in foods, said the release.

The need to avoid food high in fat, salt and sugar; aerated beverages; promotion of healthy lifestyle and various other aspects of food safety are disseminated to all concerned through workshops, media campaigns, documentary films, educational booklets, stalls at fairs/melas/events, mass awareness campaigns,etc, the minister said in her reply

Did Tirupati temple violate FSSAI guideline as temple ladoos turn sour

Based on an RTI query filed by Bengaluru-based advocate T Narasimhamurthy, details have been sought on whether the laddu is being made under hygienic conditions.

The famous Tirupathi laddoo has left a sour taste in the mouth of the officials of the Thirupathi Thirumala Devasthana. Based on an RTI query filed by Bengaluru-based advocate
T Narasimhamurthy, details have been sought on whether the laddu is being made under hygienic conditions.

It is alleged by the RTI applicant that there have been deficiencies in manufacture, sale, distribution and storage of these laddoos. Narasimhamurthy claims that nuts, bolts and even ghutka covers have been found in these laddoos.

TTD is now faced with the dilemma whether to give in to the food safety and standards authority of India or adhere to their rituals of not allowing any outsider in the area where the 'prasadam' is made.

According to the FSSAI Act, any place serving or distributing food should follow the guidelines:

• Clean clothes to all those involved in manufacture and packing.
• Regular health reports of the cook
• Packaging should carry details of ingredients, date of manufacturing and expiry

Also mention the classification of food, whether vegetarian,non-vegetarian or egg basedThe RTI activist Narasimhamurthy has received a letter from the Director of Public Health and Food Administartion of Andhra Pradesh that the office of the TTD, has claimed that the laddoos cannot be defines as food as it is 'prasadam' for the pilgrims.

Tirupati temple may have to get FSSAI license to serve, make laddus

Soon, your Tirupati laddu may come with a food safety mark. A report published in The Hindu said that the Triumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which runs the renowned temple will have to obtain a license from the Food Safety Association of India (FSSAI).

Suneeti Toteja, director of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a central body which regulates manufacturing, processing, distribution and sale of food in India, has written to the food commissioner of Andhra Pradesh, stating that the temple authority must adhere to the safety standards prescribed the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006.

Since laddu is a "food" under the act, the temple administration has to buy a license to distribute it, the letter continued. TTD is officially a Food Business Operator (FBO), as per the Act and is bound to follow the safety standards, the letter added.

Toteja letter had come in response to a Right To Information (RTI) application filed with the FSSAI complaining about the alleged unhygienic conditions under which the laddus are made by the TTD, the board which runs the renowned temple, The Hindu report said. Bengaluru-based T Narasimhamurthy had submitted the application.

According to food safety act, only those wearing clean clothes and not suffering from any kind of infections shall be allowed to manufacture and pack food, a Bangalore Mirror report stated. Narasimhamurthy has said that the laddus must have a expiry date, while a bill must be provided when it is purchased.

The Tirupati laddu has a 300-year history behind it, and is believed to have been invented in the 18th century. The laddu, offered to devotees as prasadam, is known for its unique taste, the tabloid added.

However, according to latest reports, the TTD has refused entry to food inspectors on the grounds that the temple kitchen is an auspicious place. The board also refused to consider the laddu as a food, since it believed devotees cannot be considered customers.

Narasimhamurthy is waiting for a reply from the food inspectors regarding the hygiene conditions in the kitchen.

Cheese, butter is good for heart

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Hazardous chemicals found in chilli powder: Kamineni

Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas and Food Safety Commissioner Samuel Anand Kumar demonstrating how to detect adulteration of chilli powder at a press conference in Vijayawada on Friday.
During a major crackdown on adulterated chilli powder in the recent weeks, the Commissionerate of Food Safety (CFS) of Andhra Pradesh found eight out of 10 samples of misbranded packets to be hazardous. The remaining two were substandard.
A total of 3.09 tonnes of misleading or falsely-labelled chilli powder was seized.
A chemical analysis of the samples traced the presence of harmful chemicals Sudan, red oxide and Rhodamine-B, said Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas. Addressing a press conference along with Food Safety Commissioner Samuel Anand Kumar here on Friday, Mr. Srinivas said nearly 683 tonnes of the adulterated chilli powder was seized from 71 storage facilities in the last one month.
The value of these stocks was estimated to be Rs. 25 crore. Cases were booked against 50 companies and sellers that were doing the business, which was not only illegal but also detrimental to health.
Mr. Kumar said chilli stalks were ground and mixed with the actual chilli powder along with various chemicals on a large scale. Such chilli powder was blended with some pickles.
Raids by officials of the CFS, Revenue, Agriculture and Legal Metrology Departments would continue to bust this adulteration racket which posed serious health risk, he added.

Don’t use newspaper to pack food, says FSSAI

CHENNAI: If you are about to squeeze the oil out of a bajji at a roadside stall with a piece of newspaper, stop. Use of newspapers to wrap, pack or serve food is common in India. But the country’s top food safety authority has now drawn public attention to its dangers.
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a country-wide advisory, raising an alarm over the harmful effects of the printing ink that may get absorbed in food. The newspapers have harmful pigments and binders. Used papers poses the threat of containing harmful microorganisms too.
“There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper by creating an awareness,” the advisory stated.
While newspapers can harm, even cardboard boxes made of recycled paper are a no-no as it may be contaminated by carcinogens, toxic metals like lead, mineral oils or harmful chemicals such as phthalate which can cause digestive problems.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda tweeted, “I request public to dissuade the vendors from using newspapers in packing and serving food.”
There is yet no ban on use of newspapers and recycled cardboard for packing food. “Right now there is no penalty. The point is to create an awarenes. Eventually a ban maybe imposed,” said Dr B Vasu Kumar, director and additional commissioner of food safety, Chennai. He added that vendors should go back to using leaves for serving food.
Vendors are unhappy. “Leaves are expensive. Round-cut plantain leaf costs Rs 3 a plate. A dhonnai (cup made of dried leaves) is Rs 1.50. For a Rs 5 bonda, we can’t buy a Rs 3 leaf,” said Dhanalaxmi, a street food vendor. She added, “Hotels pack hot food in polythene bags that melt. Sweet shops use cardboard boxes lined with wax. Unless the Government subsidises clean packing material, we can’t run our business

Paper-wrapped food poses health risk’

Citing health hazards, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has launched a campaign urging vendors of roadside eateries to stop serving food items wrapped in newspaper.

R. Kathiravan, designated officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Chennai district, pointed to the presence of chemicals including heavy metals in newspapers, which pose serious health risks. “They (vendors) are always in the habit of packaging items like vada and bonda in newspapers since they are cheap and easily available. But such practices cannot be tolerated as they pose a serious health hazard. They could use aluminium foil instead, which is also easily available and quite affordable,” he added.

Initially, the campaign is being conducted in Villivakam, Arumbakkam, Anna Nagar and Koyambedu. Food Safety Officer A. Sathasivam said that the officials were planning to extend the campaign across the city and conclude it by the end of the month. “Apart from newspapers, we have been asking the vendors to stop using plastic sheets too, which are widely used for cooking idlis,” he said.

The awareness programme has covered around 60 shops so far, said Mr. Sathasivam, adding that the officials were also conducting compliance checks.

Consumers should be aware about food adulteration

Adulterated fruits and vegetables are ubiquitous. Adulteration of food has assumed an ‘alarming proportion’ in our country. From milk to drinking water and fruits to edible oils and even meat are being adulterated. It goes on unabated and the incidence of incurable diseases like cancer becomes higher with time. This is a matter of grave concern because it directly pertains to public health, which cannot be compromised. Adulteration of food consists of substituting it wholly or in part by any inferior or cheaper substance or removing any sort of its constituents wholly or in part which affect adversely the nature or quality of the product.
Besides a ban, manufacturers should be punished for deceiving the public and violating food safety laws. Although the government has enacted several laws to curb food adulteration, they are far from properly enforced. Not least due to lack of trained manpower, and endemic corruption. As a consequence, public health is at the ‘mercy of the profiteers and adulterators’ poisoning our food.
With all this understanding and information known to authorities who can help in reducing the problem, are ‘nowhere in the picture’ to solve it. There is no mechanism to monitor such unscrupulous activities and punish the guilty who are posing a grave threat to our health. According to the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, if any person imports or manufactures for sale, or stores or distribute any adulterant, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, shall be liable for a penalty up to rupees two lakhs, if the adulterant is not injurious to health. Rupees ten lakhs penalty can be imposed upon him if the adulterant is injurious to health. However, adulterators are not scared of any legal or punitive action due to the various loopholes prevailing in the existing laws. The lives of the people are endangered and simple fines and small imprisonments are not enough to deter adulteration. There should be provision for stringent punishments like confiscation of property, life imprisonment etc. So long exemplary punishments are not given, this menace cannot be stopped.
An empowered force of trained food safety personnel should visit eateries, food stores, even festival venues where food is served, and take action where adulteration or contamination is detected through scientific means.
‘Consumer Awareness’ is the first step to eradicate food adulteration. People should start suing the shop owners who sell tainted food. And law should be impartial. Prevailing laws are stringent enough to work as a deterrent against those indulging in food adulteration but much more needs to be done to implement them in the right spirit. Consumers have to be aware of their rights, and non-profit organizations should play an active role in this regard. To make the nation healthy, every citizen must be able to buy food that is free from contamination.

Wrapping food in newspaper a health hazard: regulator

India’s food regulator has issued an advisory stating that the use of newspapers for wrapping and packing of food items, a common practice by street vendors, poses a health hazard.
The regulator on Wednesday expressed concern over “Indians being slowly poisoned” by cancer-causing agents in newspaper ink.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) restricted the use of newspapers and packaging material saying that consumption of food wrapped in newspapers was “injurious to health, even if the food had been cooked hygienically. Indians are being slowly poisoned due to newspapers being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper.”
‘Harmful pigments’
The food regulator said the chemicals in newspaper ink contain harmful colours, pigments, additives and preservatives. “Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic micro-organisms in used newspaper poses potential risk to human health. Older people, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications if they are exposed to food packed in such material,” said FSSAI in a press statement.
The FSSAI has stated that there is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness among businesses, especially unorganised food business operators, about the harmful effects. The regulator has instructed the commissioners of food safety across the country to initiate an awareness campaign to this effect.

Eating food wrapped in newspapers can invite cancer :FSSAI

New Delhi: Do you eat bhel or chat from a roadside hawkers who serve it in a cone made of newspapers? Do you buy foods packed in cardboard boxes? Well, you might be putting yourselves at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications. To discourage such practice, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in its latest advisory has asked the commissioners of food safety of all states to generate awareness amongst the stakeholders.

According to the food authority, consumption of food wrapped in newspaper is dangerous since the ink contains multiple bioactive materials with known negative effects. “Indian are being slowly poisoned due to newspaper being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper,” reads the advisory. Importantly, the printing ink also contains harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives, which pose potential risk to human health.

The FSSAI has also cautioned the usage of cardboard boxes made of recycled paper, which may be contaminated with metallic contaminants, mineral oils and harmful chemicals like “phthalates”, as it can cause digestive problems and also lead to severe toxicity,” it further said. Significantly, it added, “extra warning” for older people, teenagers, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems as according to FSSAI they are at greater risk of acquiring cancer related health complication, if they are exposed to food packaged in such material.

While the offenders do not face any penalty so far, the advisory calls for an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper being widely used as food packaging. “Newspapers should not be used to wrap, cover, serve food or to absorb excess oil from fried food. There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness among businesses especially unorganised food business operators and consumers on its harmful effects. Suitable steps need to be taken to restrict and control its use,” added the advisory.

Henceforth, the FSSAI has asked its commissioners of food safety of all states to initiate systematic campaign for generating awareness to discourage the use of newspaper for packaging, serving and storing of food items.

Ban manufacture and sale of pan masala containing tobacco: Govt to states

NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry has asked states to enforce ban on manufacture as well as sale of pan masala containing nicotine or tobacco irrespective of whether it is available as one product or sold by mixing with other ingredients.

"I request you to please get the necessary orders passed in compliance of the Supreme Court direction/order dated 23.09.2016 and ensure that the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutka and pan masala (containing tobacco or nicotine) and any other products marketed separately...

"...having tobacco or nicotine in the final product by whatever name called, whether packaged or un-packaged and/or sold as one product, or though packaged as separate products, sold or distributed in such a manner so as to easily facilitate mixing by the consumer is prohibited in your jurisdiction," Union Health secretary C K Mishra wrote in his letter to state governments.

He said that in this context that states such as Bihar, Karnataka, Mizoram, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have already issued orders in compliance of the Supreme Court order.

In his letter, he noted that tobacco use is the foremost preventable cause of death and disease globally as well as in lndia and said that as per the Global Audit Tobacco Survey - lndia (GATS) 2010, smokeless tobacco or chewing forms are the most prevalent forms with 206 million lndians using it.

"As such the consequent burden of mortality and morbidity due to consumption of smokeless tobacco is very high in lndia. Available evidence suggests that lndia shares the maximum burden of oral cancer in the World," he wrote.

He said that in order to circumvent the ban on the sale of gutka, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets'.

Often these sachets are sold together by the same vendors from the same premises, so that consumers can buy the pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco and mix them and consume the same.

Hence, instead of the earlier "ready to consume mixes", chewing tobacco companies are selling gutka in twin packs to be mixed as one, he said.

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulations, 2011 in exercise of power conferred under the Food Safety and standards Act, 2006.

According to its regulation, tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products and it bans sale of all food products where tobacco is present as ingredient in the final product, whether going by the name of gutka, pan masala or zarda.

Concerns of street food vendors

Garima Arora, Dec 08, 2016, DHNS
Food festival The fourth edition of the street food festival at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN Stadium) will soon to hit the grounds, and the festival this year is going to be bigger and better.
More than 300 regional cuisines from 25 states will be a part of the festival and there is nothing in the street food genre that has been “left out”.
“We wanted to highlight the concerns and issues of street food vendors. So instead of holding a conference or a seminar, we thought of organising a food festival and through that, attract policy makers so that they give these vendors the required space for setting up their stalls,” Arbind Singh, national coordinator, National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), tells Metrolife.
The festival, says Singh, has been taking place since the past nine years. Earlier, it was held at the Constitution Club of India, then at JLN Stadium and is now being implemented to be held in Goa.
Along with an extensive array of regional cuisines from across the country, the
festival will also include other informative events about street food and street food vendors, along with magic shows, performances by bands like Indian Ocean and meeting with celebrity chefs Sanjeev Kapoor and Kunal Kapur.
“The purpose of the festival is to bring street food vendors in the mainstream food scene so that they get their deserved space in the cities and respect by people,” adds Singh.
This year, the festival is organised by NASVI and Food Safety and Standards authority of India (FSSAI), which according to Singh is a “great achievement” for the member-based organisation (NASVI) and also “raises the bar of the festival”.
The organisation has around 6,52,000 members across India and these members work on the rights of these vendors, try to get zones for them.
“At the festival, we train vendors who are beginners or are not very skilled. We train them about how to take care of hygiene and sell in a way to attract more customers. When they receive good response from people, they get motivated to do better.
Most of these vendors go back with a changed mindset about street food and their livelihood through it,” says Singh adding that the festival also helps them learn skills of entrepreneurship and become role models for other vendors.
While hygiene is one of the main concerns why many are sceptical about street food, Singh says that all these vendors will arrive a day before the festival kicks off and will be trained for taking care of the same.
Additionally, every stall will be assigned one person each, who will be taking care of the cleanliness and hygienic conditions.
However, organising a festival in a makeshift place is one of the biggest challenges for organisers, reports Singh.
“In a makeshift place, everything from the setting up of the stalls to the stages for entertainment have to be done from the scratch. The festival is attended by people from all across country and serving them good and hygienic food is not easy.”
“But it's all worth the effort in the end because many of these vendors are able to get more visibility. The festival exposes their conditions and gives them more confidence about their livelihood. They all return with the motivation of getting better business,” says Singh.
The National Street Food Festival 2016 will be held from December 23 to December 25, at JLN stadium, from 12 noon to 10 pm.

Adani slammed for low quality edible oil sale

 

NAGPUR: Members from the treasury benches and Opposition took Adani Wilmer Ltd to task for making false claims on the packets of the blended vegetable oil sold by the company under brand name of Fortune Vivo. They demanded registering of FIR against the company and stringent action for misleading the consumers.
The matter was raised in question hour on Wednesday by ruling party members Sharad Sonawane, Sanjay Savkare and Tarasingh. They wanted to know what action was taken by the government against the oil manufacturer. A food and drugs administration (FDA) raid was conducted on the company's godown located at Ajivali in Panvel taluka of Raigad district in October. The angry members wanted strong action against the company as the said oil packets carried very unrealistic claims about the oil's qualities.
Responding to the volley of questions, minister of state for FDA, Madan Yearwar admitted that the raid was carried out and oil stocks worth over Rs94 lakh were seized. Later, from the lab reports it was established that the refined rice bran oil had acid value above the prescribed standards and that Vivo brand oil packets carried about claims that were misleading. 

Senior member Eknath Khadse demanded that a FIR be filed and the company be charged with criminal complicity. Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan raised some of the claims regarding the oil's ability to fight diabetes and heart ailments and wondered if the company was selling edible oil or medicine. Vijay Wadettiwar and Shashikant Shinde also sought stringent action against the oil manufacturer.
Yerawar informed the house that that notices under section 24 of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 were issued and necessary legal action would be taken against Adani company for selling substandard edible oil and misleading quality claims.

KFC, 2 other firms fined Rs 30K for wrong branding in Indore

The Indore city administration on Wednesday slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 on Yum Foods, the owners of popular fast food chain KFC, and two other companies for using bread with wrong nutritive information on the product.
City additional district magistrate Rakhi Sahay imposed the fine, saying that the company violated norms of the Food Safety and Standards Act-2006.
On May 23, 2015, the food safety team raided the KFC outlet in the city and collected samples and sent it for testing to a laboratory in Bhopal.
The result of the tests was submitted to the ADM, who took the decision to fine the outlet on Tuesday, said food safety officer Rajesh Jaiswal.
“There were certain irregularities of misbranding found on the packaging, including the nutritive value, calorie count, and ingredients were found to be different for what was mentioned on the packet,” he said.
A case was filed against the Yum Foods, owners of the KFC fast food chain, Baked Best food limited– a Maharashtra-based bread manufacturer and Radha Krishna Foodland Private Limited, distributor of the bread.
“Four people were made a party by the department, as it was decided that the blame cannot be completely put on one company,” said Jaiswal.
A case was also registered against the representatives of the bread distribution firm Sandeep Palay and manufacturer Ram Rajivan Verma, he said.
The ADM said that people who have been fined will have to pay the fine within a month’s time.

FSSAI decides to ban use of newspapers for packing food

FSSAI asked commissioners of food safety of all states and Union territories to take necessary steps to restrict the use of newspapers for packing and storing of food items
 

FSSAI issued an advisory saying it has decided to ban the use of newspapers for wrapping and packing of food items, a common practice by small corner shops and street vendors.
New Delhi: Having exercised its will over packaged food companies, the food regulator is now set to control kirana stores and street vendors to enhance food safety.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Wednesday issued an advisory saying it has decided to ban the use of newspapers for wrapping and packing of food items, a common practice by small corner shops and street vendors.
In its advisory, FSSAI asked commissioners of food safety of all states and Union territories to take necessary steps to restrict the use of newspapers for packing, serving and storing of food items as the newspaper ink can contaminate food items leading to serious health concerns.
“Older people, teenagers, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications, if they are exposed to food packed in such materials,” FSSAI noted in its advisory.
According to estimates by the Union housing ministry, in 2014 there were 10 million street vendors, mostly in cities. Consulting firm Boston Consulting Group estimated that there were around 12 million kirana stores in 2014-15.
“Newspapers should not be used to wrap, cover and serve food or to absorb excess oil from fried food. There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness among businesses, especially, unorganized food business operators and consumers, on its harmful effects. Suitable steps need to be taken to restrict and control the use of newspapers for packing food material,” the FSSAI advisory added.
The food safety regulator, however, is yet to declare imposition of penalty for non-compliance. An official at FSSAI did not want to speak on the financial implications related to the implementation of the decision on ground.
Printing ink, usually used for printing newspapers, may contain bioactive materials, harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives, preservatives, chemical contaminants and even pathogenic microorganisms that may pose potential risk to human health, according to the FSSAI advisory. “Newspapers and even paper or cardboard boxes made of recycled paper may be contaminated with metallic contaminants, mineral oils and harmful chemicals like phthalates which can cause digestive problems and also lead to severe toxicity,” it added.
Wrapping food in newspapers is an unhealthy practice and the consumption of such food is injurious to health, even if the food has been cooked hygienically. “Indians are being slowly poisoned due to newspapers being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper,” the regulator said.
This is the first time in recent years FSSAI is bringing a new rule relating to packaging of food items. So far, the regulator focused on setting standards for packaged food.
The Indian government has been trying to ban use of plastic bags for storage and transport of goods. The government had in October 2012 issued a notification declaring a blanket ban on use of plastic bags. But it has not been implemented as manufacturers of plastic bags moved the Delhi High Court against the order almost immediately, and the court is yet to rule on the issue.

Kudumbasree to clean up water sources today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

Members of Kudumbasree will clean 1,072 water sources as part of the launching of the Haritha Keralam project on Thursday.

A Kudumbasree Mission release said here on Wednesday that the members would clean the ponds and streams in various locales that have become stagnant over the years. The drive is being launched jointly by the mission officials, members of the neighbourhood groups of the mission and also local body members.

Steps would be taken for ensuring food safety by starting biofarming in 20,000 local body wards. It has been proposed to identify 50 cents fallow land in each ward and group farming would be extended to 10,000 acres for making the State self-reliant in fruits, vegetables and paddy. The mission would also publish a farm calendar comprising projects to be implemented in each panchayat during the year ahead.

Terrace farming would be popularised. Farming groups would supply seeds and manure to households. A cleaning drive would be launched on December 13 in association with the Suchitwa Mission. 

FSSAI asks states to check use of newspaper for food packaging

Concerned over food contamination from newspaper ink, food regulator FSSAI has asked food safety authorities of all states/UTs to take steps for restricting the use of newspapers for storage and packaging of food items. 

FSSAI also asked state authorities to create awareness among food business operators, especially unorganised ones, as well as consumers about harmful effects of using newspaper as food packaging material.

"Commissioners of Food Safety of all States/Union Territories are requested to initiate a systematic campaign for generating awareness amongst all stakeholders to discourage the use of newspaper for packing, serving and storing of food items," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a letter. 

The regulator said that the use of newspaper for wrapping, packing and serving food is common practice in India. "However, this is a food safety hazards." 

"Food contaminated by newspaper ink raise serious health concerns since the ink contains multiple bioactive materials with known negative health effects. 

"Printing inks may also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives. Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic microorganisms in used newspapers also pose potential risk to human health," it said. 

Stating that newspapers should not be used to wrap, cover and serve food or to absorb excess oil from fried food, FSSAI said that there is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness among businesses, especially unorganised food business operators and consumers on its harmful effects. 

"Suitable steps need to be taken to restrict and control the use of newspapers for packing of food material," the regulator said in a letter.

Strengthening Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Ecosystem for Consumer Delight

Confederation of Indian Industry as a part of its National Initiative Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan had organized the 11th CII Food Safety and Quality Summit. In the current global scenario where Scientific advances are increasing our ability to detect hazards and identify risks, new technologies and traceability combined with social media, are giving consumers unprecedented transparency into not only the food they purchase but also on the origins and ingredients of their food, thus resulting in food safety as one of the ‘Top of the Mind’ issues. With India emerging as the food basket for the globe, there is a need to continue to strengthen our strategies around food safety using Science based Risk Analysis principles to achieve global excellence in food safety.

Mr. Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO, Food Safety Standards Authority of India emphasized that one of the key activities that FSSAI is doing is to build an atmosphere of trust among various stakeholders to ensure food safety. The practices prevalent in other countries are being benchmarked by India to create a uniform regulatory environment which is a key to food safety. He mentioned an investment of Rs. 500 crores is being made for upgrading the laboratory infrastructure in the country.

Mrs. Awilo Ochieng Pernet, Chairperson, Codex Alimentarius Commission emphasized that to combat food borne diseases, food safety across the entire food value chain needs to be monitored effectively. She thanked CII’s Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence for bringing “Food Safety” in the spot light.

Mr. Sanjay Dave, Chairman, Steering Committee of Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan & Former Chairman, Codex Alimentarius Commission mentioned that lack of Food Safety always affects the economies of countries. He explained that as a part of “Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan” CII on one hand was creating awareness to increase demand of safe food and on the other hand building capacity in the country to produce Safe Food.

Ms. Geetu Verma, Chairperson, CII Task Force on Food Regulatory Affairs & Executive Director – Foods, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL) highlighted that in complex Food Supply Chains, Food Safety takes centre stage. She emphasized that food security, safety and nutritional security should be aligned to each other. She mentioned “the three pillars for a safe food value chain are education of consumers, accessibility to safe and nutritious food and practical legislations having risk based approach”.

Mr. Piruz Khambatta, Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Food Processing & Chairman & Managing Director, Rasna International emphasized that the country is witnessing a positive shift in Food Regulatory Ecosystem and thanked Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for strengthening the Food Regulatory regime in India to facilitate trade, to encourage ease of doing business and most importantly to ensure safe food for our consumers.

Mr. Ravi Mathur, Chairman, CII Expert Group on Food Safety & Quality & CEO, GS1 made mention of the work being done by GS1 for creating a recall portal along with FSSAI.

The industry CEO’s of HUL, Nestle, Cargill, Rasna and Mother Dairy emphasized the need of building a safe food value chain right from the source point to consumption point. The complex supply chain needs to be strengthened at all critical points to ensure that the safest food reaches the consumer. The industry captains also acknowledged the changing consumer patterns and shift towards safe and nutritious food.

The summit was addressed by eminent speakers including Mr. Paul Mayers, Vice-President – Policy and Program Branch, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Dr. Vele Pat Ila’ava – Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Papua New Guinea, Ms. Siew Moi, Regional Expert on Chemical Contaminants, Nestle Singapore, Dr. Jeffrey Lejeune, Consultant FAO, Mr. Rogerio Pereira Da Silva – Co-ordinator Codex Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, Dr. Arpad Ambrus, Chief Scientific Advisor and Chair for CCMAS National Food Chain Safety Office, Hungary, Mr. Dean Rugnetta, Deputy Director, USFDA - India Office.

During the 2 day summit there would be deliberations on Strengthening Farm Practices, Emerging Food Safety Risks and their mitigation, International Food Safety Regulatory regimes, Science behind Claims Validation & Substantiation and Best Practices from Farm to Fork and the Summit also provided extensive networking opportunities with industry peers and domain experts. The summit was attended by more than 200 Food Safety & Quality professionals and more than 50 speakers of national and international repute.

FSSAI to make third-party audits of food makers mandatory: Pawan Kumar Agarwal

Some food companies in India voluntarily hire laboratories to inspect safety of their products but it is not mandatory yet

FSSAI is collecting samples of honey and milk produced by major companies from 10 markets across the country, CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said. 

New Delhi: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will soon make third-party audits mandatory for food companies to ensure food safety, the authority’s chief executive Pawan Kumar Agarwal said.

“We are working on the regulations and final guidelines will be notified soon,” Agarwal said without disclosing further details. He was speaking at a programme organized by lobby group Confederation of Indian Industry here on Tuesday.

Some food companies in India voluntarily hire laboratories to inspect safety of their products but it is not mandatory yet. Such audits are common in most developed countries where self-regulation is the norm.

“We need to move towards self-regulation to ensure safe food for every Indian household. With the current strength and infrastructure, FSSAI alone would not be able to ensure surveillance at every corner. Surveillance is a big area. We are taking up surveillance in a few commodities. As we speak, the surveillance on honey and milk is going on,” added Agarwal.

The food regulator is collecting samples of honey and milk produced by major companies from 10 markets across the country, Agarwal said. The samples will be tested on 21 new parameters and more products will be added to the list soon, he said.

FSSAI, which came into the limelight after it announced a nationwide ban on popular snack Maggi instant noodles in June 2015 and asked its producer Nestle India Ltd to recall the products from the market, is also working on regulations for product recalls, Agarwal said.

As part of its efforts to ensure food safety across the country, the regulator plans to spend Rs482 crore to modernize its food testing infrastructure, including upgrading laboratories. FSSAI currently operates two food testing laboratories in Kolkata and Ghaziabad and state governments run 82 laboratories.

RESTRICTING THE USE OF NEWSPAPERS AS FOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL

National Street Food Festival 2016

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Madras HC criticises food safety authorities on Sago testing matter

"We do believe that such a request for a long period of time shows an amount of callousness towards the affected people at large", the bench said recently.

Madras High Court has criticised the Food Safety Standards Authority of India for seeking 18 months time for conducting scientific tests on the quality of sago produced in various factories. The First Bench Comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan, before which a batch of PIL’s seeking for scientific testing, in its order said “we fail to appreciate the stand which is now taken before us that the Food Safety Standards Authority of India needs 18 months more time to determine the tests, in view of the fact that the scientific panel has been re-constituted.

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“We do believe that such a request for a long period of time shows an amount of callousness towards the affected people at large”, the bench said recently.

“Be that as it may, since the whole thing cannot be at a stand-still for 18 months, we direct the respondent to place before us as to in the interregnum period, what test has to be followed”, the bench said.

The matter relates to several petitions by stating that the Tamil Nadu Tapioca Natural Sago Manufacturers Association of Salem, who is predominant manufacturers and suppliers of sago in India, added acid and other chemicals in order to make it attractive.

Noting that it is harmful for health, they said consumers in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat had even stopped consumption because of high presence of chemicals.

It indirectly affected the interests of tapioca farmers, they submitted and sought an interim direction to the authorities to conduct the prescribed test by the authorities of Referral Food Laboratory, Pune.

When it was brought to the notice of the First Bench by the designated officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department present in Court that there were various criminal original petitions and writ petitions pending in respect of the action taken by the Department, the bench in its order said “we consider it appropriate to list all these matters before a single court, for which necessary administrative orders may be obtained from the Chief Justice.

The bench then listed the matter for further hearing to January 24, 2017.

FSSAI rapped for asking 18 months to suggest tests on sago

The Madras High Court has slammed the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for seeking 18 months to spell out the tests that needs to be held to ascertain the addition of acid and other harmful chemicals to sago products.

Chennai: 

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan while directing FSSAI to place before it the test that has to be followed in the interregnum period, said “We fail to appreciate the stand which is now taken before us that FSSAI needs 18 months’ time to determine the tests, since the scientific panel has been re-constituted. We do believe that such a request for a long period shows an amount of callousness towards the affected people at large.” 

The issue relates to a plea moved by various farmers’ association from Namakkal district that the Tamil Nadu Tapioca Natural Sago Manufacturers Association of Salem, which remains a major suppliers of sago, added acid and other chemicals to make it white. Noting that this had resulted in consumers in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, UP and Gujarat stopping consumption the product owing to the high presence of chemicals, they submitted this had indirectly affected the interests of tapioca farmers. 

However, based on the submission of TN Food Safety and Drug Administration Department that various petitions were pending on the action taken, the bench held that it is appropriate to post these matters before a single court. The case has been posted to January 24.

Khan Market shops under scanner

Food Department says shops are selling sub-standard food products as food samples fail tests

Delhi’s luxury shopping hub Khan Market is under the scanner from the Food Department. Officials from the department say that end of October they had collected six food samples of cheese and ketchup from both Khan Market and INA market, out of which three have failed the quality test and found to be of sub-standard quality. They add that these samples also failed the labeling test.

Dr Mrinalini Darswal, commissioner, Department of Food Safety, Delhi government said that strict action would be taken against the offenders, which so far the department has refused to name. “We are sending a strict message to all the importers from where the products are used. We have issued them notices as the samples were found to be of sub-standard quality. These three samples flouted labelling guidelines and the information on these products was also misleading,” she said.

While the brands of these cheese and ketchup products — under the scanner — are not known, officials did confirm that all the food samples are from imported brands.

However, Sanjay Mehta, president, Khan Market Traders’ Association denied that there was any problem and said,“We have six such shops that sell imported food products. But all of them follow the required guidelines.”

The government’s food and drug department is responsible for ensuring that food policy complies with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Officials say that on average they receive 125 food samples a month for testing.

They add that they keep vigil that labelling and other norms are followed by way of surprise inspections and raids on food establishments.

Ask about the process that will be followed against the allegedly offending companies, AK Singh, designated officer, New Delhi district, Department of Food and Safety, said,“We have given a month’s time to the companies to respond to our notice. Once we have received the reply, we will go ahead with the process. If the companies will object to our results, the samples will be sent for testing again.”

As per the official process, the department receives a complaint about an adulterated food item after which a report is made. This report is then marked to the designated district officer, after which the officer, along with another safety officer, collects samples. The samples are then sent for testing where the food analyst supervises the work and sends the reports back to the concerned department.

Wardha CJM awards six-month jail to man for selling adulterated milk

NAGPUR: Wardha chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Saroj Mane Gadekar has sentencedRajendra Awathale, vendor and proprietor of M/S Rajendra Dhoodh Dairy, to six-month imprisonment for selling adulterated milk.

The accused has to pay a fine of Rs 1000. In case of failing to pay the fine, he faces one more month of imprisonment.

S R Kekare, assistant commissioner food and drugs administration (FDA), Nagpur told TOI that the punishment has been ordered under the Prevention of Food and Adulteration Act 1954.

Raviraj Dhabarde and L P Soyam, food safety officers, were following the case from the beginning. S D Sthool was the public prosecutor in the case.

S P Nandanwar, the then food inspector, FDA Wardha had drawn the adulterated milk sample and filed a case on May 19, 2010.