9 products of top firms found to be substandard by food regulators, says report

The products include Mirinda, Cerelac Wheat, Saffola Gold, Frooti among others.

The food regulators of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Assam have reportedly found nine products of major companies to be “substandard” after they failed quality tests conducted between April 2016 and January 2017, The Indian Express said on Monday.

The products include Pepsico India Holdings Private Ltd’s Mirinda, Nestle India Ltd’s Cerelac Wheat, Adani Wilmar Ltd’s Fortune oil, Marico India’s Saffola Gold oil, Parle Agro’s Frooti and a cheese spread used by the Subway chain among others, according to information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the Express.

“The RTI replies show that Herbalife’s energy drink, Murugappa group’s Parry packaged drinking water and Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia are among the products reported to have failed the quality tests during this period,” the newspaper said.

“In a number of cases, the companies have either questioned the test procedure or have asked for re-analysis of the samples,” it added.

Mirinda

The Express said five reports found Mirinda to be “misbranded, substandard and unsafe”.

According to the newspaper, in a report dated January 12, 2017, Gurgaon’s food safety officer found batches of Mirinda to be “unsafe as well as substandard”. The state food lab of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Haryana Haryana also found “Mirinda” to be “misbranded” in 3 probe reports in April, May, and October last year and it found the drink to be “misbranded, substandard and unsafe” in October 2016.

“According to an RTI reply, the lab did not have the information regarding the action taken in last four cases because the matter was ‘not related’ to its ‘office’,” it said.

The food safety officer said the newspaper in an RTI reply that a “letter (has been) sent for permission for prosecution to commissioner of FDA”.

“PepsiCo operates in the state of Haryana through its franchisee. The franchisee has received only one of the reports (18th May 2016) referred to by you and has requested for a reanalysis of the sample mentioned in that report. No other notice referred by you has been received by our franchisee … All products, including Mirinda, comply with the food regulations and are completely safe and hence pulling out Mirinda is unwarranted,” a PepsiCo spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Express.

Cerelac Wheat

Nestle India Ltd’s infant food Cerelac Wheat was found to be substandard by the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of Rajasthan’s Rajasmand district in a report dated October 14, 2016.

In one RTI reply, the CMHO told the Express that Cerelac failed at the quality parameter of “total protein”.

Asked what action has been taken against the company, the officer’s RTI reply stated: “Anusandhan jaari (Investigation is ongoing).

The company did not respond to requests seeking comment from the newspaper.

Fortune oil

In an RTI reply, the CMHO of Bundi in Rajasthan said that the acid value of Fortune, a refined rice brand oil from Adani Wilmar Ltd, was found to be 0.67, which must not be higher than 0.5, in test results on July 15, 2016.

The officer told the Express that the matter is under investigation when it asked if any action has been taken against the company.

“So far we have not received a notice on Refined Rice Bran Oil from Bundi, CMO. As regards the acid value on Rice Bran Oil, the permitted limit is 0.50, However, due to the faulty procedure (wrong indicator) adopted by many public analysts, the result may show acid value on higher side … There is no question of withdrawing the product from Indian Market as Rice Bran Oil is one of the healthiest oils available in the market and our product meets the standards as provided under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” an Adani spokesperson told the newspaper.

Saffola Gold oil

A sample of Saffola Gold, blended edible vegetable oil, was picked up on May 9 last year by food safety officer Naresh Kumar Chenjara in the western state’s Sawai Madhopur.

The Expres said the probe results came on May 27, 2016, and said the product was substandard as its acid value was 1.12 instead of the permitted limit of 0.50.

The results also said Saffola Gold does not conform to the prescribed provisions of food safety and standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additive) Regulation, 2011.

“Under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (we are) submitting chargesheets in court against the firms/manufacturers,” Umesh Sharma, CMHO, Sawai Madhopur, told the newspaper in an RTI reply.

Marico Limited did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Processed cheese spread

Similarly, a sample of the processed cheese spread used by Subway Systems Indian Private Ltd picked up by the food safety officer of Faridabad on July 21, 2016, was found to be substandard as it was “misbranded”, according to the newspaper.

The Express said when asked about the action taken, the food safety officer, in an RTI reply, said: “Case pending to launch”. But Subway denied using processed cheese spread.

“We would like to place on record that Subway does not use ‘Processed cheese spread’ as an ingredient in any of its products,” a Subway spokesperson told Hindustan Times in its response on Monday morning.

Frooti

The Express reported Parle Agro’s mango drink, Frooti, was found to be “substandard” as it failed on the “physical” parameter by the state public health laboratory of Assam in 3 probe reports between June 13, July 14 and August 2, 2016.

The samples were manufactured by Padmesh Beverages, which has been given a contract by Parle Agro, at its plant in Satgaon, Guwahati, Assam.

“The action against samples which have been declared substandard by the food analyst to the government of Assam are being taken and are at different stages of adjudication in the court of the adjudicating officers in the district headquarters of the state,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Assam told the Express in an RTI reply to the Express.

The newspaper said Parle Agro did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Parry packaged water

The food safety wing of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu found that the aerobic microbial count in the sample of Parry packaged water was 32 colony forming units (CFU)/ml, which must not be more than 20 CFU/ml, in samples of Parry Enterprises India’s packaged drinking water taken on July 20, 2016.

A microbial limit test checks the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mold in a sample is exceeding the limit or not.

The Kanchipuram wing stated in an RTI reply that “adjudicating process will be started against the concerned food business operators”.

The Murugappa group company said: “Please note that we are unable to refer to the Probe Report you have referred above, as we have not received this report. However, we were made aware of a test report (which reported the numbers mentioned by you above) by Kings Institute dated 20th July which was an enclosure to a letter from FSSAI dated 29th July 2016, on a matter relating to labelling. We understood that this observation made by the Test house was in itself inaccurate and based on inadequate and perfunctory analysis as per the Act.”

Haldiram aloo bhujia

The newspaper said the state food lab of FDA Haryana found the aloo bhujia produced by Haldiram Foods International Private Ltd in a probe report of July 2016 to be “misbranded” or not compliant with rules in Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011.

“The state food lab did not comment on the action taken in this probe report and said that the matter is ‘not related to this office’,” it said.

Haldiram did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Fresh energy drink mix

The Express reported that Haryana’s food lab picked up a sample of fresh energy drink mix by Herbalife International India Private Ltd from a shop in Model Town, Sonipat in Haryana and the test results came on May 30, 2015, which stated that the product was found to be “substandard”.

It said the food safety officer of Sonipat said in an RTI reply that a case has been “filed in ADC (Additional Deputy Commissioner) court, Sonipat”.

“With respect to your queries kindly be informed that the matter is sub judice and it would not be appropriate to make any comments at this point of time,” the company told the newspaper.

Food quality in shops: onus on shopkeepers

Following the death of a four-year-old boy due to suspected food poisoning after he reportedly ate jelly candy from a bakery in the city, food safety officials have asked shopkeepers to ensure the quality of food items being sold through their outlets.

“The Food Safety and Standards Act wants shopkeepers to check if the manufacturers have the mandatory food safety licence. The 14-digit licence number should be displayed in the packet, container or bottle in which the food item is stored. It should also have the customer care number and address of the manufacturer,” O. Sankaran Unni, Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said on Monday.

He said that most of the food items being sold through bakeries and small shops in the city often don’t meet these standards and buying food from them is unsafe. Government and semi-government organisations, private organisations, street vendors, Kudumbasree units, home-based food manufacturers, mess houses, and canteens in educational institutions are supposed to apply for the licence. It is also illegal to sell curd, milk, edible oil, and masala powder in low-quality plastic covers, according to a directive brought out by the FSSAI.

Meanwhile, Mr. Unni said that it is yet to be confirmed if Yosuf Ali, the four-year-old from Kappad, died after he ate jelly candy. “According to his family members, they had also eaten other food. We are awaiting the post-mortem report and the report from the regional analytical lab to reach a conclusion,” he said. The bakery from where the jelly candy was brought had been asked to produce their food safety licence. The Kasaba police questioned the wholesale dealer from Tirur in Malappuram district from where the sweet was purchased. They are also awaiting the lab report.

It is yet to be confirmed if Yosuf Ali, the four-year-old from Kappad, died after he ate jelly candy.

Street food vendors have poor knowledge of FSSA

Chandigarh:A majority of the street food vendors working at various places in City Beautiful working at the tertiary care hospital have a very poor knowledge of Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) guidelines.

This fact has been highlighted in a study conducted by researcher Meenakshi from the School of Public Health, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER).

The study was conducted on various street food vendors in different sectors of Chandigarh. Around 100 street food vendors from different sectors of Chandigarh, including Sectors 27, 24, 23, 22, 19, 16, 15 and 11 were sampled.

The study highlighted the status of conformance of selected street food vendors of Chandigarh of the Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011. The findings showed that about 98 per cent of the vendors never underwent any health checks for communicable diseases.

Only 6 per cent of vendors were trained on the aspects of safety and food handling. While only 8 per cent used hand gloves and zero per cent used head gears. The study findings further highlighted that only 11 per cent of thwe vendors had the licence to sell food.

Recently, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation did the survey of around 24,000 street vendors and soon they will be getting the licences from the department. The Haryana Nav Yuvak Kala Sangam under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, conducted the survey.

However, In its first, the Food and Safety Department is also planning to ensure that the city roadside vendors got themselves registered with the UT Food Safety and Standards Department, Chandigarh.

FSSAI develops rapid test kit to detect adulterated milk, oil

New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday said that it has developed a rapid test kit to check quality of milk and edible oils.

"We have started developing variety of rapid test kits for variety of products. But the focus is on milk product and edible oil. We are looking for potential investors and entrepreneurs for bulk production," FSSAI Chairman Ashish Bahuguna told media after a meeting of the Central Consumer Protection Council here.

One test kit cannot be used for all products and it poses a challenge, he said.

"We are trying to distinguish between safety and substandard. A product can be substandard without impacting the health," Bahuguna said, noting that milk adulteration was more in North India compared to that in South India.

Since the previous survey to check adulteration threw up surprising results, the government will hold another set of survey in summer when "reportedly mid-term inflation is on peak because production is lower".

After getting the reports, the government will decide a strategy and focus on hotspots.

Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan urged the FSSAI to come up with test kits for Rs 10-12 for customers to use it to check adulteration.

Bahuguna said that a company in West Bengal had manufactured an edible oil vending machine, which can be used for buying small quantity.

Milk adulteration more in North India: FSSAI

The regulator has already developed a testing kit to check the quality of milk.

New Delhi: Milk adulteration is more in north India compared to southern states, food safety regulator FSSAI said today. To address this issue, the regulator has already developed a testing kit to check the quality of milk and is looking for investors for its bulk production.

However, more detailed and focused strategy to tackle the menace of adulteration will be developed after conducting one more survey, it added. "A survey conducted three months ago showed in general that milk adulteration was low in southern India, more in north India," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chairman Ashish Bahuguna told media after a meeting of the Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) here.

A survey with a sample size of about 2,500 had "some surprising" results as some states reported no adulteration at all, which "I personally cannot believe", he said. Stating that there is no question on the integrity of the results of the recent survey, Bahuguna said, "But we will conduct another survey to get the accurate picture so that to decide a strategy and focus on hotspots."

He also said, testing kits to check quality of milk has already been developed and the FSSAI is negotiating with investors for mass production and marketing of the kit. The regulator is in the process of developing a testing kit for edible oil as well.

The issue of adulteration was discussed in the CCPC meeting, in which Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan asked the FSSAI to come up with testing kits which consumers can buy at Rs 15-20.

FSSAI wants edible oil manufacturers to make small packs for rural India

“We are speaking with manufacturers to reduce the package size of edible oil,” Ashish Bahuguna, chairman of FSSAI said.

NEW DELHI: The food regulator wants edible oil manufacturers to bring out their products in smaller packs which daily wagers and rural buyers can afford. 

Ashish Bahuguna, chairman of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), told reporters that the regulator mandates that edible oils be sold in packaged form, but in rural areas these oils are being sold in smaller quantities from opened packs. For people earning their wages on a daily basis, it is difficult to afford oil packages of larger quantities, he said. 

"We are speaking with manufacturers to reduce the package size of edible oil," Bahuguna said, adding that his department has also proposed a differential duty on smaller packages. 

"We are also requesting the government to see if there could be a differential duty on smaller packages. That, however, seems to be unlikely because the GST regime is trying to push a common duty structure. But nonetheless we have made this proposal to the government."

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

RTI: 1,707 abattoirs registered under FSSA; most in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

Uttar Pradesh, in news recently over closure of illegal slaughterhouses, has only 58 which are registered under the Act.

A query under the Right to Information has revealed that only 1,707 slaughterhouses in the country are registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006.

There are no abattoirs registered under the 2006 Act in Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Further, these states/Union Territories do not have a single slaughterhouse which has a license issued by either the state or the Central authority.

Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP government is clamping down on illegal slaughterhouses, is not in the top three states where the highest number of slaughterhouses registered under FSSA are located.

These top three states are Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Chandrashekhar Gaud, an RTI activist, obtained this information under RTI from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“These figures show that there are large number of illegal slaughterhouses in the country,” he said.

FSSAI data showed that Tamil Nadu has the highest number of slaughterhouses registered under the Act (425), followed by Madhya Pradesh (262) and Maharashtra (249).

In other words, 55 per cent of abattoirs registered under FSSA are located in these three states.

Uttar Pradesh, in news recently over closure of illegal slaughterhouses, has only 58 which are registered under the Act.

Meanwhile, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in a press release here has said that there are an estimated 30,000 unlicensed slaughterhouses in the country.

Leather industry has no system in place to ensure that the skins used as raw material are not sourced from illegal slaughterhouses, it said, and appealed for closure of all unlicensed slaughterhouses.

No way out, meat sellers open shops sans licence

LUCKNOW: Several muttonand chicken retail shops in the city were found to be open even after expiry of licences on Sunday. Meat sellers said they had no other option because shops were their only source of livelihood.

Licences of all meat shops in the city had expired on March 31. They had a grace period of 15 days during which licences were to be renewed. However, Lucknow Municiapal Corporation (LMC) refused to renew licences saying they would act only after receiving guidelines from the state government. The 15-day grace period expired on Saturday midnight. As a result, now all the raw meat shops in the city selling meat are 'illegal'.

With no way out, many meat sellers have opted to work without licences. A reality check by TOI found that meat shops were running in Aliganj, Mahanagar, Indiranagar, Chowk, Nakkhas, Maulviganj and Thakurganj. Sellers said they had opened shops to sell stored stocks, hoping that licences will be renewed.

"I opened my shop today to exhaust the stock. I will shut it from Monday," said Halim Quereshi, a meat seller on Victoria Street. A seller in Nishatganj said he needed money for admission of his child and the shop was his only source of income.

Lucknow Bakra-Gosht Vyapar Mandal has said it will organise a protest march on Monday from Shaheed Smarak to Vidhan Bhawan.

Meat sellers are struggling since March 20 when the state government ordered crackdown on unlicensed slaughterhouses and meat retail shops. They approached the high court which asked LMC to submit its action plan on renewal of licences and construction of modern slaughterhouses.

The next hearing is on April 19.

Meat shop prohibition around mosques too: FSDA

BAREILLY: One of the 17 points in the guideline issued by the Uttar Pradeshgovernment to meat sellers mentions that such shops are prohibited within a 50-metre radius of religious places and should be at least 100 metres from the main entrance of these places. Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) department officials have now clarified that a 'religious place' includes a mosque as well. The restriction is despite the fact that caretakers of mosques have not objected to meat shops in the vicinity.

The designated officer of FSDA for Bareilly, Mamta Kumari, said that as a mosque was also a religious place, following the directions issued by the government no one would be given licence to run a meat shop near any mosque. This rule, she said, would be enforced even if mosque caretakers had given permission to the shops to be run in the area.

"Approximately 1,340 persons have submitted the licence fee at government treasury so far to run meat shops while several hundred are still in queue. Among them around 250 applicants have shops near mosques. All of them have brought no-objection letters from the respective caretakers of the mosques. However, unless the government decides otherwise, these people can't be issued licences," Kumari said.

Members of a social service organisation, Aman Committee, have met FSDA officials seeking relaxation of this rule. They have also said that there were several examples from the city of meat shops running in rooms given on rent by mosques.

Responding to them, FSDA officials clarified that any change in the rule could come only from the government and they were authorized only to execute instructions, not make changes in them.

Qadir Ahmed, member of Aman Committee, said, "It is quite unfair to prohibit one from running a meat shop close to a mosque. Like someone running a dairy shop near a temple, it is not considered objectionable to run a meat shop near a mosque. Moreover, if the locals as well as the caretaker of the mosque don't have any objection to the meat shop, there should be no hurdle to issuing licence to the applicant."

Meanwhile, the FSDA officials also clarified that there was no restriction to transporting meat in bulk for weddings. One can purchase as much meat as required from a slaughterhouse after taking prior permission from the department, officials said.

Soft drink to oil, state food monitors find 9 products of top firms ‘substandard’

In a number of cases, the companies have either questioned the test procedure or have asked for re-analysis of the samples.

The RTI replies show that Herbalife’s energy drink, Murugappa group’s Parry packaged drinking water and Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia are among the products reported to have failed the quality tests during this period. 

THE FOOD regulators of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Assam have reportedly found nine products of major companies to be “substandard” after they failed quality tests conducted between April 2016 and January 2017.

According to information accessed by The Indian Express under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, these products include Pepsico’s Mirinda, Nestle’s Cerelac Wheat, Adani’s Fortune oil, Marico India’s Saffola oil, Parle Agro’s Frooti and a cheese spread used by the Subway chain.

The RTI replies show that Herbalife’s energy drink, Murugappa group’s Parry packaged drinking water and Haldiram’s Aloo Bhujia are among the products reported to have failed the quality tests during this period.

In a number of cases, the companies have either questioned the test procedure or have asked for re-analysis of the samples.

* Mirinda, soft drink, Pepsico India Holdings Private Ltd

Five reports found Mirinda to be “substandard”. In the first report dated January 12, 2017, the food safety officer of Gurgaon found batches of Mirinda to be “unsafe as well as substandard”. Asked about the action taken against the company, the officer stated in an RTI reply: “Letter (has been) sent for permission for prosecution to commissioner of FDA (Food and Drug Administration of Haryana).” In three probe reports — April, May and October last year — the state food lab of FDA Haryana found “Mirinda” to be “misbranded”. In the fifth probe report of October 2016, the lab found “Mirinda” to be “misbranded, substandard and unsafe”. According to an RTI reply, the lab did not have the information regarding the action taken in last four cases because the matter was “not related” to its “office”.

A PepsiCo India spokesperson said: “PepsiCo operates in the state of Haryana through its franchisee. The franchisee has received only one of the reports (18th May 2016) referred to by you and have requested for a reanalysis of the sample mentioned in that report. No other notice referred by you has been received by our franchisee… All products, including Mirinda, comply with the food regulations and are completely safe and hence pulling out Mirinda is unwarranted.”

* Cerelac Wheat (Infant Food), Nestle India Ltd

In a report dated October 14, 2016, this product was found to be substandard by Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Rajasmand district in Rajasthan. In one RTI reply, the CMHO told The Indian Express that Cerelac failed at the quality parameter of “total protein”. Asked what action has been taken against the company, the officer’s RTI reply stated: “Anusandhan jaari (Investigation is ongoing)”. The company did not respond to requests from The Indian Express seeking comment.

* Fortune, refined rice brand oil, Adani Wilmar Ltd

The test results were received by the CMHO of Bundi at Rajasthan on July 15, 2016. “Acid value (of Fortune oil) was found to be 0.67, which must not be higher than 0.5,” the officer stated in an RTI reply. Asked about action taken against Adani Wilmar, the officer’s RTI reply stated: “Anusandhanrat (Under investigation)”. An Adani spokesperson said: “So far we have not received a notice on Refined Rice Bran Oil from Bundi, CMO. As regards the acid value on Rice Bran Oil, the permitted limit is 0.50, However due to the faulty procedure (wrong indicator) adopted by many public analysts, the result may show acid value on higher side….There is no question of withdrawing the product from Indian Market as Rice Bran Oil is one of the healthiest oils available in the market and our product meets the standards as provided under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.”

* Saffola Gold, blended edible vegetable oil, Marico Ltd

This product sample was picked up on May 9 last year by food safety officer Naresh Kumar Chenjara in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. The probe results came on May 27, 2016, wherein the product was declared substandard as its acid value was 1.12 instead of the permitted limit of 0.50. “The sample of Blended Edible Vegetable Oil (Saffola Gold) Loose bearing code number and serial number H-875 of designated officer cum the CMHO of Sawai Madhopur is substandard as it does not conform to the prescribed provisions of food safety and standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additive) Regulation, 2011,” said the probe report.

In an RTI reply, Umesh Sharma, CMHO, Sawai Madhopur, told the newspaper: “Under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, (we are) submitting chargesheets in court against the firms/manufacturers.” Marico Limited did not respond to requests seeking comment.

* Processed cheese spread, Subway Systems Indian Private Ltd

On July 21, 2016, the food safety officer of Faridabad picked up the sample of “processed cheese spread” from “Subway, SCF-78, Sector -15, Faridabad”. The product has been found to be substandard as it was “misbranded”. Asked about the action taken, the food safety officer, in a RTI reply, said: “Case pending to launch”. The company did not respond to requests seeking comment.

* Frooti, mango drink, Parle Agro

In three probe reports — June 13, July 14 and August 2, 2016 — the state public health laboratory of Assam found “Frooti Mango drink” to be “substandard” as it failed on the “physical” parameter. These samples, which were found substandard, were manufactured by Padmesh Beverages at its plant in Satgaon, Guwahati, Assam. Parle Agro has given a contract to Padmesh Beverages for Frooti manufacturing.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Assam said in an RTI reply: “The action against samples which have been declared substandard by the food analyst to the government of Assam are being taken and are at different stages of adjudication in the court of the adjudicating officers in the district headquarters of the state.” Parle Agro did not respond to requests seeking comment.

* Packaged drinking water, Parry Enterprises India

On July 20, 2016, the food safety wing of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu found that the aerobic microbial count in the sample of Parry packaged water was 32 colony forming units (CFU)/ml. As per food safety rules, the maximum limit of aerobic microbial count in packaged water must not be more than 20 CFU/ml. A microbial limit test checks if the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and mould in a sample is exceeding the limit or not. Asked about action taken against the company, the Kanchipuram wing stated in an RTI reply that “adjudicating process will be started against the concerned food business operators”.

The Murugappa group company said: “Please note that we are unable to refer to the Probe Report you have referred above, as we have not received this report. However, we were made aware of a test report (which reported the numbers mentioned by you above) by Kings Institute dated 20th July which was an enclosure to a letter from FSSAI dated 29th July, 2016, on a matter relating to labelling. We understood that this observation made by the Test house was in itself inaccurate and based on inadequate and perfunctory analysis as per the Act.”

* Aloo bhujia, Haldiram Foods International Private Ltd

In a probe report of July, 2016, the state food lab of FDA Haryana found “Haldiram Aloo Bhujia” to be “misbranded”. The state food lab did not comment on the action taken in this probe report and said that the matter is “not related to this office”. A product is called “misbranded” when it is not compliant with rules in Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulations, 2011. The company did not responded to requests seeking comment.

* Fresh energy drink mix, Herbalife International India Private Ltd

The sample for this product was picked up from a shop in Model Town, Sonipat, Haryana. The test results from the state food lab came on May 30, 2015, which stated that the product was found to be “substandard”. Asked what action was taken against the company, the food safety officer of Sonipat stated in an RTI reply that a case has been “filed in ADC (Additional Deputy Commissioner) court, Sonipat”.

The company stated: “With respect to your queries kindly be informed that the matter is sub judice and it would not be appropriate to make any comments at this point of time.”

Steps against illegal sale of food items

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will soon start legal action against individuals and units who engage in the manufacturing and sale of food items without the mandatory food licence.

FSSAI assistant commissioner O. Sankaran Unni said they would be given time till May 15 to get the licence.

“If they fail to do so, they will be sentenced to six months in prison and fined Rs. 5 lakh,” he added.

Boy’s death: inspection of city bakeries to continue

Police officers at the bakery in mofussil bus stand area in Kozhikode from where the boy had consumed jelly candy.

4-year-old suspected to have died of food poisoning after consuming jelly candy

Food safety officials are planning to continue their inspection of sweets and savouries sold through shops and bakeries in the city throughout the week. This follows the death of a four-year-old boy due to suspected food poisoning on Friday after he consumed jelly candy from a bakery here.

O. Sankaran Unni, Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said the bakery in the mofussil bus stand area had been asked to close down. The jelly candy was found to be manufactured by a Coimbatore-based confectionery. “We have sent a report to the district food safety official in Coimbatore. The sale of jelly candy and pudding manufactured by the company has been banned in the district,” he said.

To check if shops in the city are selling the banned food items, the officials inspected some shops in Palayam market and mofussil bus stand on Sunday. “The raids will continue for the whole week,” he said.

The health section of the Kozhikode Corporation too has come out against the sale of such sweets. The corporation is likely to take a decision soon.

Mr. Unni said bakeries and shops wee buying such food items from wholesale shops. “Most of them don’t have any manufacturing date or expiry date. Neither do they carry details about the ingredients,” he added.

Yusef Ali, the four-year-old from Kappad near here, reportedly started vomiting after consuming the jelly candy on Thursday. Though Ali was put under intensive medical care at the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, he did not survive. His mother too was found suffering from similar symptoms and was admitted to the Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.

Legal action

The FSSAI will soon start legal action against individuals and units who engage in the manufacturing and sale of food items without the mandatory food licence. Mr. Unni said they would be given time till May 15 to get the licence. “If they fail to do so, they will be sentenced to six months in prison and fined ₹5 lakh,” he added.

What India Eats

2 held, food insp suspended following raids on spurious milk

Two persons were arrested and a Food Inspector was suspended today after a spurious milk manufacturing unit was unearthed by the Food Safety Department officials at Shikarpur town here.

About 2,500 litre of spurious milk, ready to sell, huge quantity of milk powder and other materials used in making spurious milk were also seized by the police during the raid, a senior district administration official said.

"The owner of the unit and his son were arrested and booked under relevant sections of the IPC," District Magistrate A K Singh said, they were carrying on the business for a long time.

500 kg of beef seized, destroyed

Raid to continue to ensure quality

In a joint operation conducted by officials from three departments, over 500 kg beef, which was reportedly not fit for human consumption, was seized and destroyed on Saturday.

Following information that huge quantity of beef had been stored for Easter sale in a shop near Poobalarayarpuram fish market and a few more places, a team of officials from Thoothukudi Corporation, Department of Animal Husbandry and the Department of Food Safety raided the shop on Saturday. “Over 500 kg beef, which is not fit for human consumption, had been stored in the freezer of the shop. Hence, it was seized and destroyed,” the officials said.

They said the Corporation had made it clear that roadside slaughtering of goat, bull and pig would not be allowed as it should be done in the permitted slaughter house in the presence of Corporation officials. The raid will continue in the days to come to ensure quality of meat being sold to the public, particularly during festival seasons,” the officials said.

Sanitary Inspectors Rajasekar, Hari Ganesh, Rajapandian and Kannan, Food Safety Officers V. Sivabalan, T. Ramakrishnan and Shanmugasundaram and veterinarian of Department of Animal Husbandry A. Joseph Raj organized the raid.

Eggs feel like plastic after cooking, sent for testing

CUDDALORE: The residents of Kattumannarkoil in Cuddalore district have expressed apprehension over the sales of `plastic eggs' in their locality. They claimed that a resident identified as Vidhya from Sarvarajanpet near Kattumannarkoil bought eggs from a grocery shop in the village on Friday . When she attempted to make an omelette she noticed that the egg white looked abnormal and resembled plastic.

She brought the issue to the notice of her family members and neighbours. They tested the other eggs and also found that the white material in other eggs too looked like plastic. They alerted the district officials. A team led by district food safety officer Ravi reached the village and collected the egg samples. The officials sent the samples for testing to a government laboratory at Coimbatore.

"It is highly impossible (to manufacture plastic eggs). There is no need for such eggs as there is good supply of eggs in the state. However we have collected samples of the eggs and have sent it for analysis to a government laboratory in Coimbatore," said Ravi.

Eggs containing plastic-like material have been reported in a few places in the state and neighbouring Kerala. However, food safety officials dismissed it as rumours. They said the transparent protein member between the egg shell and egg white might have thickened due to prolonged refrigeration making it look like plastic when cooked.

Are you drinking poison this summer?

Cold drinks in Jammu & Kashmir adulterated, misbranded

Impure samples, convictions highest yet no blanket ban

JAMMU, Apr 15: Beware! You may be at risk. Food Safety and Standards of Authority of India (FSSAI) has placed Jammu and Kashmir among top ten states in the country where highest number of aerated or carbonated cold drinks have been found adulterated and misbranded.

28 percent of total samples analyzed by FSSAI were found adulterated and misbranded. According to the annual public testing laboratory report for the year 2015-16; 1354 samples were received from Jammu and Kashmir. Of these samples, 1215 were analyzed i.e around 89 percent of the samples received by the testing laboratory of FSSAI were tested. 334 samples of the carbonated/aerated cold drinks were found adulterated and misbranded.

This has been revealed by Ministry of Food Processing in its latest data on adulterated aerated/carbonated soft drinks for the year 2015-16. The above data is 27 percent of the total samples sent to the laboratory for testing from Jammu and Kashmir, thus, clearly indicating how bleak the scenario is yet the state government has preferred not putting a blanket ban on the manufacture and sale of cold drinks in the state. 

Though the state has launched highest number of convictions in the country yet it has desisted from following several other states in the country which have put a blanket van on the carbonated/aerated cold drinks. 

Jammu and Kashmir has launched just 1 criminal case and 335 civil cases against various internationally acclaimed soft drink companies for having violated the norms, manufactured and sold adulterated and misbranded cold drinks across the state but has preferred not to take required steps for ensuring that these companies conform to the norms. 

Of 336 cases launched by the state government, convictions have taken place in 225 cases, which is highest in the country. An amount of Rs. 22.15 Lakh was realized as penalty from various companies.

The data puts a question mark on the seriousness of the government in ensuring people do not face health hazards because of the cold drinks which are both adulterated. More serious is the silence of the state government in sharing the details of the companies who are playing with the lives of the commoners. State prefers keeping the details top secret, thus allowing cold drinks manufacturers to play with the lives of the commoners across the state.

Data of J&K being 9th state in the country from where adulterated samples were received increases health risk of the people since a government study had found five different toxins-heavy metals antimony, lead, chromium and cadmium and the compound DEHP or Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate-in cold drinks produced by two major multinational companies, PepsiCo and Coca Cola.

The study, commissioned by top Health Ministry body, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), had found that these toxins leached into five cold drink samples picked up for the study - Pepsi, Coca Cola, Mountain Dew, Sprite and 7Up - from the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles they were in. Mountain Dew and 7Up are owned by Pepsico, while Sprite is owned by Coca Cola. Results had further shown that there was significant increase in leaching with rise in room temperature.

Under the DTAB's instructions, the study was conducted by the Kolkata-based All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIH&PH), which comes under the Health Ministry. AIIH&PH had picked up four bottles (600 ml size) each of the cold drink brands as samples through the "stratified random sampling method". The institute had then handed over samples to the Kolkata-based National Test House (NTH), which falls under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, to perform the tests.

While there are no permissible limits for heavy metals in cold drinks, the tests found 0.029 milligrams per litre (mg/L), 0.011 mg/L, 0.002 mg/L, 0.017 mg/L and 0.028 mg/L of antimony, lead, cadmium, chromium and DEHP, respectively, in Pepsi. In Coca Cola, 0.006 mg/L, 0.009 mg/L, 0.011 mg/L, 0.026 mg/L and 0.026 mg/L of the aforesaid heavy metals, respectively, were found. The results were similar for Sprite, Mountain Dew and 7Up.

The leaching of these heavy metals-from PET bottles in which the drinks were packaged-increased with the rise in room temperature. For example, at normal room temperature, the tests found 0.004 mg/L and 0.007 mg/L of lead in 7Up and Sprite, respectively. However, when it was kept at 40 degree Celsius for 10 days, the lead increased to 0.006 mg/L and 0.009 mg/L, respectively. The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers lead and cadmium two of the top ten chemicals of "major public health concern".

According to the WHO, children are particularly vulnerable to harmful effects of lead. "Lead can have serious consequences for the health of children. At high levels of exposure, Lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with mental retardation and behavioural disorders," the WHO has noted.

For cadmium, the WHO said, "Cadmium exerts toxic effects on the kidney, the skeletal system and the respiratory system and is classified as a human carcinogen." Chromium, antimony and DEHP are also known to cause serious side effects on the body.

Kozhikode boy dies of ‘food poisoning’

KOZHIKODE: The department of food safety department on Saturday banned the sale of Cuckoo-brand pudding in the district after a four-year-old boy from Kappad died of suspected food poisoning.

Yusufali, son of Palodayil Basheer and Surabhi, died on Friday night a day after he had consumed jelly-candies and the pudding bought from a bakery at the Moffusil bus stand.

The boy's mother has been undergoing treatment at the Medical College Hospital. They had bought the candy and pudding from Royal Bakery before boarding a bus on Thursday. The child later complained that the candy was bitter, and the mother, after tasting it, threw away the packet, police said. The boy and the mother complained of uneasiness and nausea on Friday morning, and the child was taken to a private hospital in Kappad, before he was referred to the medical college. Police said the boy died while being shifted to the medical college.

Police registered a case of unnatural death, and along with the food safety officials, inspected the bakery from where the candy was purchased. Samples collected would be sent for chemical analysis. Food safety officials said they had sealed the Royal Bakery which sold the candy. "We banned the Cuckoo-brand pudding in the district after it was found that the packet did not mention the manufacturing or expiry dates," O Shankaran Unni, assistant commissioner of the food safety department said.

The city corporation, meanwhile, banned the sale of Tiger Highcount jelly-candies in its area. A team led by corporation health standing committee chairman K V Baburaj also visited the bakery.

Health inspector P Abdhul Khader said both the mother and child had the candies and pudding from the bakery. The food safety department said it was not sure now if food poisoning had caused the boy's death. Police said they were waiting for the postmortem report.

Surprise raid: Unhygienic food,banned tobacco products seized

TTD against allowing food inspectors into its temple kitchen

TTD has been told to obtain a food safety licence for the laddu. 

Says it will hurt religious sentiments of devotees

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is totally averse to the idea of allowing food inspectors into its temple kitchen ‘Potu’, which it says is a “pious” place, where the food offered to the presiding deity as ‘Naivedhyam’ is prepared by cooks, particularly those belonging to the Sri Vaishnavite sect.

Of late, the TTD is confronted with the demand to obtain a food safety licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to its ‘laddu’ prasadam. The laddu has been defined as food under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. It is against this backdrop that the FSSAI, following a RTI application by a Bengaluru-based activist T. Narasimhamurthy, recently directed the Central Licensing Authority in Chennai to inspect the ‘potu’ at Tirumala where the laddus are prepared, and obtain a license to run the kitchen.

But the temple administration seems to be in no mood to yield to the demand, which it says will not only hurt religious sentiments of devotees, but also tantamounts to transgression of the ancient tradition. Outsiders are not allowed to walk into the kitchen of any Sri Vaishnavite temple.

TTD Health officer S. Sermista told The Hindu that the laddus at Tirumala are prepared in strict adherence to the stipulations laid down by the FSSAI. The raw materials are thoroughly tested. The TTD has a state-of-the-art laboratory to check the quality of the raw materials as well as all the prasadams being prepared in the temple kitchen. The quality of laddus and other prasadams are checked thrice before being distributed to the devotees. Utmost importance is being attached to hygiene and upkeep of the surroundings inside the kitchen. Steam is used in the cleaning of the vessels and containers used in the cooking.

The Mysuru-based Central Food Training and Research Institute undertakes periodical check-ups and offers technical advice in addition to the validation of digital instruments as well as their upgradation, Ms. Sermista said.

She said ultimately it is for the management to take a decision whether or not to apply for a license for the laddu. She reiterated that laddu is a prasadam which is also provided at subsidised price and that it cannot be defined as ‘food’.

When her attention was drawn to the materials such as bolts and gutkha covers being found in the laddus, she brushed them aside attributing it to the internal conflict between the two groups of potu workers, who she claimed, indulged in an ugly war of defaming each other.

New norms render salt laboratories irrelevant

Thoothukudi is largest salt-producing district in Tamil Nadu.

Central Salt Dept. closes down quality checking facilities

The Central Salt Department recently closed down all quality check laboratories in the State, excepting one in Tuticorin. The laboratories at Cuddalore, Vedaranyam, Marakanam, Veppalodai near Tuticorin and one at Tuticorin had been established to check the quality of iodised salt and quantity of salt produced.

Sources in the Department said the laboratories became irrelevant after quality control of salt came under the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). “We have no authority under any Act to penalise salt manufacturers if the salt is not of the prescribed quality. But the FSSAI can... so it made sense to shut down the labs,” explained an official. Another reason for the closure was that the country had become self-sufficient in production of salt and produced quality salt. Employees — three attached to each lab — have been redeployed by the Government of India, said an official.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh too laboratories at Ongole, Chinna Ganjam and Naupada have been closed. Only the one at Kakinada continues to function.

Tamil Nadu produces about 27 lakh tonnes of salt a year with Tuticorin being the highest producing centre. Tuticorin, Vedaranyam, Marakanam and Kovalam are the other big production centres. There are several small salt producing centres including Nagapattinam and Morekulam in the State. Andhra Pradesh produces 3 lakh tonnes of salt annually.

Salt manufacturers in the State say the move to close the labs is yet another step towards the closure of the department itself. “The government is not for continuing the present leases to salt manufacturers. They had planned to lease out through tender system. But that has been put on hold. They are not renewing leases and instead plan to convert the land as real estate, ” alleged a salt manufacturer.

Drinking iced tea may up cholera risk in endemic countries

Bangkok, Apr 14 (PTI) Consuming iced tea and not always boiling drinking water may increase the risk of cholera in endemic countries, a new study has found.

After over a decade of declining cholera incidence, Vietnam faced an increase in cases of the diarrheal disease during 2007-2010, researchers said.

Risk factors for contracting cholera in Ben Tre province of Vietnam include drinking iced tea or unboiled water and having a water source near a toilet.

Cholera transmission is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and is often spread through contaminated drinking water.

In the Ben Tre province of the Mekong Delta region in the southern part of Vietnam, no cholera cases were reported from 2005 until an outbreak in 2010.

In the new study, Thuong Vu Nguyen from the Pasteur Institute Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and colleagues interviewed 60 people who were confirmed to have been infected with cholera during the 2010 outbreak in Ben Tre.

Information about each persons eating and drinking behaviors and living environment was recorded.

The researchers also collected samples of nearby river water, drinking water, wastewater samples, and local seafood to test for Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria which spreads the disease.

The researchers found that drinking iced tea, not boiling drinking water, having a main water source near a toilet, living with other who have diarrhea and having little or no education were all associated with an increased risk of cholera, while drinking stored rainwater, eating cooked seafood or steamed vegetables were protective against the disease.

As much as 22 per cent of people with cholera reported drinking iced tea in the week prior to their disease, whereas only three per cent of controls had drank iced tea in the week before being interviewed.

Patients with cholera were also more likely to always put ice in their water and to use sedimented river water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and brushing their teeth.

More work is needed to determine why iced tea boosts the risk of cholera, but the researchers hypothesise that the bacteria may be found in ice, which is often bought from street vendors.

"This present study has important implications for Vietnams cholera responses," researchers said.

"Along with traditional approaches that focus on enhancement of safe water, sanitation, and food safety, combined with periodic provision of oral cholera vaccines, a water quality monitoring system at ice-making plants should be established," they said.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Yogi Adityanath's crackdown on slaughterhouses: Despite licences, corrupt cops exploit meat-sellers

Editor's Note: A few days after Yogi Adityanath took charge as the new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and issued proclamations that his government would vigorously pursue and prosecute those "malfeasants" engaged in — variously — the running of illegal slaughterhouses, and harassing women on the streets, Firstpost asked Arpit Parashar to file ground reports documenting the doings of law enforcement forces deployed to shut meat shops, and apprehend "Romeos". This is the third in a multi-part series of stories Parashar sent us.

After the BJP government came to power in Uttar Pradesh and Yogi Adityanath took oath as the chief minister of the state, the police and the bureaucracy were asked to clamp down on the illegal slaughterhouses in the state, which they have duly done over the past few weeks with an iron fist. However, in the urge to implement the 'rules' by the book, the state government has ended up encouraging the bureaucracy to exploit the call for implementation for 'law and order' by forcing even regular and license-holding meat sellers to cough up exorbitant amounts of money in bribes to keep their shops open.

Riyaz Mohammad, who used to run his chicken shop in the Sector-9 area of Noida, which is also called the meat market because of the large cluster of meat shops in the area, was asked to deposit Rs 2 lakh with the officials of the Noida Authority to reopen his shop despite the fact that the license issued by the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration of the state government is valid till 2020. "They said this was a security deposit which had to be paid but that no receipt will be given for this. It will just be to ensure that no action is taken against us and our shops are allowed to remain open. We know this is just a bribe," he says.

UP government has encouraged bureaucracy to exploit the call for implementation for 'law and order' by forcing license-holding meat sellers to cough up exorbitant amounts of money in bribes to keep their shops open. Image courtesy: Arpit Parashar

Apart from the officials, the policemen also came calling on his shop asking him to shell out Rs 50,000 as bribe-cum-security deposit to keep his shop running. "Their argument was that the rate of bribe to be paid to the police has gone up and that it would now be implemented from 2014 when the BJP had come to power at the Centre." This entails a monthly payment of Rs 500-1000 per meat shop, which was only Rs 200 earlier.

The policemen have asked meat sellers to pay as per the revised rate, which means depositing 10,000-30,000 per shop depending on its size and sales, as well as deposit hefty amounts as security to ensure that no action is taken against them in the near future.

Junaid Ahmed, who represents many pockets of Noida and Ghaziabad in the loosely organised Uttar Pradesh meat sellers' union, says, "They have threatened that no shop will be allowed to open without paying these bribes. They have instilled fear in us that they would act against us on the smallest complaint received even if we managed to open our shops based on the legal paper work. Such complaints can even be concocted or politically motivated since the BJP workers want to see us suffer. It is blatant extortion." The meat sellers across the state, especially in the National Capital Region (NCR) districts of Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut have held many dharnas outside the offices of district magistrates as well as police headquarters and demanded that the extortion in the name of implementation of 'law and order' be stopped but to no avail.

A senior police official from Ghaziabad, speaking on the condition of anonymity, nonchalantly said that when the notebandi happened many of the policemen lost their savings, which were presumably their earnings from bribes received through various means. "Many of them even gave the money back to a lot of people and distributed it among various relatives or even shop owners from their areas. This opportunity now is the way to earn some of it back." And so the meat sellers simply have to compensate for the empty pockets of the policemen by coughing up hefty sums.

This move is politically motivated too.

Lokesh Mishra, a BJP worker from the Vijay Nagar area in Ghaziabad, says, "Under the previous (Samajwadi Party government) rule these meat sellers would openly side with the SP or BSP but not support the BJP. They would arm-twist the policemen too by opening shops all over the district without even procuring licenses. Now that the police are cracking down on them they are making all sorts of noises on exploitation. They deserve it."

This political patronage has allowed the police and administration officials to implement their own set of rules and terms of engagement on the ground. Most of the meat sellers did procure licenses from the state government, which were issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. Junaid Ahmed says, "Very few meat shop owners from among the people I know were running their shops without licenses. The police are working to extort money despite that." Among the shop owners from the meat market area in sector-9, for example, 47 shops have been forced shut despite the fact that all of them have licenses and required permissions valid till at least next year; many got licenses renewed only last year and so can run their shops freely till 2021, as per the law.

Riyaz Mohammad, who used to run his chicken shop in the Sector-9 area of Noida, was asked to deposit Rs 2 lakh to reopen his shop despite the fact that the license issued to him is valid till 2020. Image courtesy: Arpit Parashar

The plight of the meat shop owners whose licenses have recently expired is worse. They have been asked to deposit between Rs 3-5 lakh as 'security' which is non-refundable. Hearing a petition on the delay in issuing licenses to meat shop owners in the state, the Allahabad High Court has come down heavily on the Yogi government. Pulling up the state government for mal-administration in the civic bodies, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court issued an order on April 3 directing it to ensure that licenses of mutton and chicken shop keepers which expired on March 31 are renewed within a week. The bench also issued orders that within the administration must also provide facilities for a slaughter house for goats and chicken at the distance of every two kilometers within 10 days.

The two-judge bench of Justice AP Shahi and Justice Sanjay Harkoli, hearing a PIL filed by Saeed Ahmed and others from the Bahraich district, pulled up the state government acknowledging that the non-renewal of licenses has adversely affected the livelihood of lakhs of people in the state. The petitioners had pleaded that their shops had been rendered illegal simply because the administration had been acting in an unconstitutional manner. The bench has warned the government that it will be held accountable for implementation of its orders, fixing April 30 as the next date for hearing.

But the administration officials are in no mood to relent across the state. Leave along renewing licenses within a week, as per the HC orders, even the people holding valid licenses have not been allowed to open shop unless they have coughed up the exorbitant sums demanded by administration and police officials. The meat market in sector-9 only has a handful of meat shops open now while others are simply living off savings and hoping to borrow money from various sources to fill the pockets of the officials in return for 'permission' to resume their livelihoods.

Eatery owner sentenced till rising of court

Summary: According to the prosecution, Bharat Kanojia, Food Safety Officer, conducted an inspection on the business premises on December 14, 2015. “...The Food Safety Officer has categorically deposed regarding the factum of such an inspection. The accused was found preparing and selling food articles such as dal, rice, chapati and snacks without a food licence. No raid had ever taken place and the accused never sold any of the alleged food articles to any customer. Sandeep RanaTribune News ServiceChandigarh, April 14A 21-year-old college student, who runs Kelong (Joy Land Ventures) restaurant at Elante Mall, was sentenced till the rising of the court by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) for preparing and selling food articles without a food licence.

Sandeep Rana Chandigarh, April 14 A 21-year-old college student, who runs Kelong (Joy Land Ventures) restaurant at Elante Mall, was sentenced till the rising of the court by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) for preparing and selling food articles without a food licence. The convict, Amandeep Singh, an undergraduate student at a city college, was also fined Rs 20,000 by the CJM, Akshdeep Mahajan. According to the prosecution, Bharat Kanojia, Food Safety Officer, conducted an inspection on the business premises on December 14, 2015. 

The accused was found preparing and selling food articles such as dal, rice, chapati and snacks without a food licence. Kanojia prepared a memo and challaned the accused. It was signed by the accused and attested by witness Bipin Kumar Roy.

‘Penalise vendors selling unhygienic food’

With the onset of summer, diet plays an important role in keeping healthy. With many preferring street food to satiate their taste buds, it is important to focus on hygiene in order to stay fit. Here's what our readers have to say on what needs to be done to keep a check on street food vendors:

Consumers should avoid uncovered food

Come summer and you can see numerous roadside food vendors putting up temporary shops. As far as hygiene is considered, the standards are very poor. The concerned authorities are also turning a blind eye to this issue. The vendors do not cover the food items which attracts flies and germs. The least a vendor can do is cover the food items. Water is the next most important thing. The vendors use water from roadside taps which is not clean. This water is stored in bottles thus giving an impression that it is bottled water. Consumers should avoid drinking such water. GVMC should ascertain that all vendors big or small follow certain norms of hygiene. It should be compulsory to cover the food items so that they are not exposed to insects. Water can be supplied by GVMC to these vendors and the civic body should ensure that only such water is used. Consumers should also cooperate and consume only hygienically stored food.

M Suryanarayana, Retired govt employee

Use safe drinking water

Hygiene is the practice of keeping oneself and the surroundings clean to prevent disease. Roadside vendors, restaurants and star hotels should ensure that every food item they serve is hygienically prepared. Water is the main source of diseases. Therefore, clean and safe drinking water should be used for cooking purposes. Secondly, the surroundings of kitchens and food courts should be neat and clean. Thirdly, the chef and other cooking staff should use gloves and clean utensils. The food items and edible oils should be used fresh. The health department should also keep an eye on fruit juice shops and chaat centres. Any deviation in this regard must be punished and penalised.

V Ramesh, Retired employee

Prevent violators of food hygiene

With the early onset of summer this year, street vendors have already set up cold drinks and fruit juice centres across the city. But, many of the vendors do not follow hygienic and just focus on making profits. Even the public does not bother. Street vendors should voluntarily adopt hygienic measures to improve the quality of food served. GVMC authorities should also clean up the areas around these eateries. Proper waste management should be in place and the authorities should lay down regulations regarding food safety and cleanliness. Penalty should be imposed on vendors who flout rules.

NN Sindhuraveni, IT professional

Train roadside vendors

Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) as well as the municipal authorities must jointly organise hygiene training for street vendors where they should be taught techniques of food storage as well as handling and maintaining hygiene. Vendors must be made to appear for a test after the training and certificates should be given based on performance. An ID card, pocket book stating the guidelines, and a hygiene kit containing aprons, gloves and caps should be given to all the vendors after the rigorous training. This periodic training to vendors shall improve the hygiene standards.

Gajjarapu Sri Harsha, MBA student

Issue licences to vendors

Why only summer? The public expects hygienic food throughout the year, whether road-side or otherwise. Only a strong and determined administration can ensure the well-being of its citizens. Roadside vendors are a big risk to everyone. They do not pay any taxes to the local authority and cannot be traced in case people fall sick after consuming their food items. Visakhapatnam cannot be home to such businesses. The policy should be 'do business, but responsibly'. All roadside vendors should obtain a licence and told to operate at least 500 meters away from each other.

D Ravi, Retired executive

Buy from busy vendors

Today's life is busy and fast where there is no time for cooking. Both the husband and wife earn good money and depend on street food or restaurants for their meals. However, there is a dark side to this convenience. Depending on how busy a street food vendor is, food may be sitting around a while before we come along and buy it. Cold food attracts insects. When choosing street food, look for carts that are busy as this means the food is prepared on the spot. Health and food inspectors must examine and penalise errant vendors.

Choppa Rama Raju

Impose spot fines

With the summer heat leaving Vizagites dehydrated, roadside vendors are having a field day selling cut watermelons and mangoes which are exposed to germs and insects. GVMC should carry out surprise checks to ensure that the vendors keep their food items covered. Inspectors should impose spot fines if any vendor is found ignoring hygiene and also check the water being used for making fruit juices.

R Sekar, PSU employee

Regular inspections a must

Public health inspectors play an important role in ensuring that hygienic food is sold across the city. They must inspect all public establishments serving food items on a regular basis. Further, stakeholders should be trained on implementing minimum precautions about food safety. Street vendors should keep the food properly covered at all times to maintain hygiene.

Neeharika Annamreddi, Student

Raids carried out under COTPA

UDUPI: The district tobacco control unit with allied departments carried out raids in Kundapur and Karkalataluks and imposed fine on shops and commercial establishments selling tobacco in contravention of COTPA(Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act), 2003. Armed with directions given by additional DC and district health and family welfare officer, officials of the tobacco control unit registered 35 cases under various sections of COTPA in Kundapur taluk and 20 cases in Karkala taluk.

In Kundapur, fine amounting to Rs 6,610 was collected. Under Food Safety Act, the officials carried out raids on 20 shops and seized banned tobacco products and issued notices to 15 shop owners. Five advertisement hoardings in contravention of COTPA were removed. Shop owners were directed to display placards informing people about hazards of consuming tobacco products and also ensure no sale of tobacco within 100 metres of educational institutions.

In Karkala, the officials collected fine amounting to Rs 4,000 and raided 12 shops and establishments. Notices were served to eight shop owners and banned tobacco products were seized. Officials also removed five advertisement hoardings that violated provisions of COTPA.

The raids were also carried out with a view to ensure that Udupi district is adjudged the best district in terms of implementing COTPA on World Anti-Tobacco Day on May 31.

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

Kerala: Curb on bottled water splits doctors

Commission acting chairman P. Mohanadas has asked health secretary and food safety commission to submit a report within one month.

KOCHI: The recent order of the State Human Rights Commission against transporting packaged drinking water in open vehicles under the scorching sun has created widespread discussions on the topic and the medical fraternity in the state remains divided in its approach to the issue. While a section of oncologists welcomed the move, another group observed that such orders would create unnecessary panic. Based on a complaint submitted by a doctor, the Rights Panel banned carrying water in plastic cans and bottles in open vehicles during summer citing “serious health hazards”.

Commission acting chairman P. Mohanadas has asked health secretary and food safety commission to submit a report within one month. The Commission observed that though bottles were safe, it would be subjected to chemical changes when it became hot. It would release toxic substances which made packaged water unsafe, according to the Commission. However, questioning the decision’s scientific base, Dr. Narayanankutty Warrier, senior consultant, head of the oncology department, MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode said that extensive research and studies were needed to prove that hot plastic bottles of food grade quality, would release carcinogenic substances. “Similar to the controversy on mobile tower radiation, this also will create panic among people, especially those who consume packaged water every day,” he said.

Meanwhile, a few other medical experts observed that though scientifically not proven, such orders would help lessen the risks if any. “Though the disease is caused by multiple factors, every risk element even if it is less than point one per cent, should be avoided as a comprehensive clinical trial to prove the correlation is not feasible in the state,” said Dr. Arun R. Warrier, consultant, medical oncology at Aster Medcity, Kochi. Earlier, the health department authorities had issued a warning against drinking water from plastic bottles kept in vehicles parked under the sun for a long time.

Paan shops under scanner for food safety

VADODARA: For the first time in the recent past, the food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) checked 'paan' shops in the city. The officials checked 15 such outlets in the city including prominent shops as well as street vendors and destroyed a large amount of material kept at these shops.

The shops that were checked by the officers late on Wednesday evening include five very prominent ones located in the Alkapuri and Sayajigunj. It also came to light that 12 of the 15 outlets checked by the officers did not have food safety licences. Officials said that even pan shops were covered under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

The officers destroyed 56 packets of lime that is used in paan as well as 'masalas' prepared at the shops. They also destroyed 28 packets of catechu or 'kattha', 31 jars of 'chutney' used to add flavour to 'pans'. These packets did not have manufacturing or expiry dates as well as batch numbers.

Despite 15k eateries, city lacks standardized food safety tests

Surat residents are known for their street food habits

SURAT: It's an old saying, 'Surat nu jaman, ne Kashi nu maran' (eat in Surat and die in Kashi). However, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), which is preparing hard for the Smart City challenge, is yet to frame Standard Operating Procedure (SoPs) for food safety.

This was revealed by SMC's health and hospital department, while replying to an application by Rajesh Modi under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. He had sought details on the procedure being followed by the department for food safety and hygiene, critical for preparing and selling food in the restaurants, hotels and at roadside eateries.

Diamond City could well be called the 'Food capital of India'. Surat residents are known for their street food habits. This is the reason why the restaurants are not doing well compared to roadside eateries, which dish out delicious food to the customers starting from evening till late night.

According to an estimated survey by the civic body, there are more than 15,000 roadside eatery stalls dishing out vegetarian, non-vegetarian and Chinese delicacies. Most of these eateries do their business only during night hours.

The roadside eateries, however, poses twin problems. The unhygienic environment exposes the food to open air. There are chances of dust on the road and insects settling down on the food. Throwing away of the leftovers on the roadside also creates an unhealthy atmosphere for the surroundings. The SoP, if at all framed by the civic body, would go a long way in ensuring quality at every stage of the food chain, so that the residents are served hygienic and quality foods. It will also facilitate scientific determination of quality of food.

When the civic body talks of smart city, it is yet to get smart by collaborating the manual data of the lab testing report of the food samples and water tested by the food safety officers. Even today, the old system of maintaining registers and there is no system of online data compilation.

As per the RTI reply, the health and hospital department has not conducted a single drive to spread awareness on food safety for the denizens in the city.

"There is no standard operating procedure for food safety and hygiene for a city having population of 55 lakh. The food safety officers conduct sample testing when they receive complaints — most of the complaints are done to harass the food stall owners," said Rajesh Modi, RTI activist.

FDA Crackdown On Gutkha Sellers After Mumbai Live Sting

The Food and Drug Administration has taken serious note of the sting operation carried out by the Mumbai Live team a few days ago on the illegal sale of gutkha right outside the Mantralaya.

A total of 12 stalls in the Mantralaya area which had been selling gutkha and pan masala sachets have been raided by the city unit of the FDA in the last two days. A large cache of Vimal pan masala, Rajnigandha, Miraj gutkha, Sagar Gutkha sachets were recovered from one vendor in the area, sources said. Action has been initiated against the vendor under the Food Safety Standards Act 2006.

A team comprising an assistant commissioner and five food officers from the FDA was involved in the raids.

FDA joint commissioner (food, Mumbai) Suresh Annapure told Mumbai Live that the team found sachets of pan masala and gutkha at one vendor from among the 12 raided.

Food and drug supplies minister Girish Bapat had assured Mumbai Live on Tuesday that a flying squad from the FDA would initiate action against offending vendors.

The Mumbai Live sting appears to have borne effect.

Banned Pan Masala, Gutkha Brazenly Sold Outside Mantralaya!

Mantralaya

This is something that promises to hit the politicians and bureaucracy where its hurts most.

While the sale of pan masala and gutkha was banned by Maharashtra in 2012, it appears to be openly sold right outside the state's centre of power in Mumbai - the Mantralaya.

The state claims that the items are not sold anywhere, these are quite openly available in most slum pockets of the city. However, Mantralaya, we feel, should be the last place where the banned items could be available so freely. 

In a sting operation conducted by Mumbai Live, it was witnessed, that how candidly these banned items are being sold right under the authorities' noses. This throws light on the audacity and apparently reckless attitude of the shopkeepers outside the Mantralaya and the laxity of the law enforcing authorities.

Will the government wake up now?

MILK ADULTERATORS TO FACE STRINGENT ACTION

 

The State Government has decided to take action against adulterators while ensuring supply of safe and quality milk and milk products to the consumers.

Fisheries and ARD Secretary Bishnupada Sethi recently held discussions with senior officials about the alleged adulteration of acetem into milk fat (ghee) and asked them to take stern steps against the culprits for the better interest of the consumers and poor milk producers, sources said.

The Government took this decision after Union Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Secretary Devendra Chaudhry informed it about about adulteration of RBD palm oil and acetem into milk fat recently.

The acetem is a food grade chemical used to maintain the RM (Reichert Meissel) value of milk fat in combination of palm oil. Acetem was earlier being used in chewing gums.

The Centre has asked all States to take action against the culprits under FSS Act-2006 and submit action taken report (ATR).

Such adulteration is becoming an unfair trade practices for making easy money, said Chaudhry.

As the issue of sale of quality milk to consumer comes under the purview of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which is implemented by FSSAI through the State Food Safety Commissioners, any sale of adulterated/synthetic milk is a market fraud and affects honest efforts of the milk producers.

The State Government machinery is equally responsible in controlling the menace of sale of adulterated/synthetic milk, pointed out Chaudhry.

How to check if your milk is adulterated

Some simple tests to check milk and milk products for common adulterants 

Many instances of milk adulteration have been reported

Reports of substandard and adulterated food frequent the front pages of newspapers. Samples of items we consume daily—milk, pulses, oils, vegetables, sugar, among many others—have been rated substandard.

While it is difficult to track the production process and locate the item’s source, simple tests can help you distinguish a pure sample from an adulterated one.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has released a list of tests to detect some common food adulterants using household ingredients. The book is a compilation of tests for Detecting Adulterants with Rapid Testing (DART) covers common adulterants like artificial and toxic colours, extraneous matter.

In the first article of a series, we look at some easy ways to test milk for adulterants.

Test 1: Water in milk

Put a drop of milk on a polished, slanting surface

Pure milk either stays or flows slowly leaving a white trail behind

Milk adulterated with flow immediately without leaving a mark

Credit: FSSAI

Test 2: Detergent in milk

Take 5-10 millilitres (ML) of milk sample and equal quantity of water

Shake the mixture thoroughly

If the milk is adulterated with detergent, it forms dense lather

Pure milk will have a thin layer of foam

Credit: FSSAI

Test 3: Detecting starch in milk and milk products

Boil 2-3 ML of the sample (milk, khoya, chenna or paneer) with 5 ML of water

For other ghee and butter, water need not be added

Add 2-3 drops of tincture of iodine after letting it cool

Formation of blue colour indicates the presence of starch

Credit: FSSAI

Tests and images sourced from FSSAI’s booklet “DART”.

Amul hits back at HUL in ice cream war in Bombay high court

Amul says that HUL can not claim Kwality Walls was disparaged because of its ice-cream ad unless it could show the brand name was intrinsically linked to frozen desserts

HUL sells both frozen desserts and ice-creams under the Kwality Walls brand.

Mumbai: The makers of Amul ice-creams told the Bombay high court on Thursday that in many cases when a company compares its product to a rival’s in an advertisement, some disparagement is “inevitable”.

The lawyers of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which has been sued by rival Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) over a contentious Amul advertisement, said this while pointing out several previous cases.

HUL, makers of the Kwality Walls range of frozen desserts and ice-creams, has accused GCMMF, makers of Amul ice-cream, of “disparaging” its product through an ongoing ad campaign that emphasizes the regulatory difference between ice-cream and frozen dessert.

“In comparing products, some showing down is inevitable,” GCMMF’s lead counsel senior advocate Ravi Kadam said. “Just saying ‘take my product’ is not disparagement,” he said.

Kadam cited several cases to show that advertisements comparing two rival products were legal as long as they only compared features to promote one product over the other, rather than denigrate either product or ask consumers to stop using them directly.

“Comparison is beneficial to the consumer to make an informed choice,” Kadam said. “The plaintiffs should not be hypersensitive,” he said, citing a ruling from a 2010 Delhi high court case between Dabur, makers of Odomos and Godrej Sara Lee, makers of Good Knight, both ranges of mosquito repellents.

Kadam also argued that HUL could not claim Kwality Walls was disparaged unless it could show the brand name was intrinsically linked to its category, frozen desserts.

“The public should associate the plaintiff (HUL) with frozen desserts,” Kadam said. “But the plaintiff has been trying to get as far away from frozen desserts as possible, trying to show that he makes ice-cream! HUL has the Kwality Walls ice-cream, so it is piggybacking on it to sell frozen desserts as ice-cream,” he said.

HUL sells both frozen desserts and ice-creams under the Kwality Walls brand. Under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations, ice-creams are made from milk or dairy fat while frozen desserts are those made with vegetable oil or vegetable fat.

GCMMF managing director R.S. Sodhi declined to comment, saying the matter is subjudice. An HUL spokeswoman said, “As the matter is subjudice, we have no comments to offer.”

The matter will be heard next on Monday, 17 April.