Jun 11, 2017
Crush plastic bottles after use
Bhubaneswar: We often ignore this warning: Crush bottle after use. We keep reusing drinking water bottles and soft drink bottles for long. But, we should abandon them once they develop scratches inside. The reason: Bacteria grow in scratches of bottles after prolonged use.
“Daily wear and tear from repeated wash and reuse can lead to breakdown of plastic as it thins or cracks. Faults in plastic harbour bacteria posing grave health hazard to the users,” said an expert quoting the Journal of Practical Gastroenterology, US (2007).
Normally, plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Significantly, food safety agencies like US Food and Drug Administration consider PET as safe for single and repeat use. However, scientists suggest cleaning bottles to prevent accumulation of bacteria and repudiating their use once scratches develop.
Researchers from University of Calgary, Canada, collected 76 samples of water from bottles used and reused by elementary schoolchildren. They found nearly two-thirds of the samples had bacteria that exceeded prescribed limits for safe drinking water. Hence, it is advisable to clean the bottles regularly and avoid their use when they develop scratches.
Significantly, several soft drink manufactures make use of bottles for single use and follow a unique coding pattern – Resin Identification Code (RIC) – indicating the required frequency of their reuse. But, many are unaware of the restrictions and use the bottles frequently.
“The plastic bottles are easy to handle and I get it free when I buy soft drink. Since I have not faced any issue for a long time, I will continue to use it,” said Sumitra Sahoo, a homemaker.
Interestingly, bottle manufacturers in the city do not follow the standard practice. The city’s food safety officer informs Orissa POST that she had informed her higher-ups on the issue.
“We have issued licence to the manufactures as they have BIS certification. So, we will take necessary action once we get a response from the higher-ups,” assures Food Safety Officer Pratiksha Mohapatra.
Environmentalists have expressed concern on the issue. “The government has generated awareness and come up with healthy alternatives. The increasing plastic waste is a matter of concern and we have to find out solutions,” said environmentalist Sunder Narayan Patro.
After reading this you will think twice before eating on street
Adulteration activities are on a higher level than ever before in Hyderabad city especially due to lack of proper enforcement. The Food Adulteration Department hardly conducts any raids as they are facing a staff crunch.
Hyderabad local food products have become so deadly these days with food adulteration rackets expanding their business by mixing fakes with anything and everything sold in the city. They mix masala powders with sawdust and brick powder and ice-cream and cool drinks with glycerol monostearate and caraway seeds with sodium hydrosulphite.
Sources report that even highly toxic materials like papaya seeds mixed with synthetic gum and red and black iron oxide are sold as pepper. Investigations have revealed that they took the cue from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Low-income consumers, who can't afford branded materials is the most affected as adulterated food is sold for a cheaper price. However, a majority of Hyderabad is not aware of the issue, a senior police officer said.
Food safety officials say they have only three officials and it is not humanly possible to cover every nuke and corner of the city, sources said.
With this issue, the job of raids has been left to the police, who bust food adulteration rackets occasionally. The police officials have now taken up the task and are asking for support from food inspectors. "With the adulteration so widespread, we will have to conduct raids regularly. Another drawback is that offenders get bail too easily," Commissioner's Task Force DCP B. Limba Reddy said.
Suggested ban on momos
We get celebrities to give their take on a current issue each week and lend their perspective to a much-discussed topic.
As bizarre as it may sound a BJP legislator, Ramesh Arora, has been campaigning for a ban against momos in slums across Jammu.
As bizarre as it may sound a BJP legislator, Ramesh Arora, has been campaigning for a ban against momos in slums across Jammu. However, his food activism is not limited to the popular succulent street savoury. The lawmaker is against “cancer-causing” Chinese cuisine laced with monosodium glutamate, sold under the brand name Ajinomoto, a chemical flavour enhancer. We speak to food experts, chefs and celebrities on the ill effects on harmful additives like Ajinomoto, whether the ban is justified and if it can be fixed in any way.
‘Shouldn’t we ban the ingredient instead?
Rakhee Vaswani, Celebrity Chef
I understand the health consequences, but I also feel that there is always a possibility of getting healthier substitutes and natural taste enhancers. And if the problem was Ajinomoto, shouldn’t we be banning the ingredient rather than the food dish? Let’s accept it, momos are not the only dish that has Ajinomoto. I feel the problem is deeper than just momos. Let’s make wiser decisions and focus on other things that need attention.
‘Ajinomoto is present in natural foods too’
Soju Philip, Executive Chef at Ramada Cochin Resort
A ban against momos is no way a justifiable proposition since it is a typical ethnic food of the North East. The street food is, in fact, part of our heritage in the same way as vada pav is a part of the culinary heritage in Mumbai.
Only good ingredients and hygienic kitchens can ensure food safety. There have been no definitive scientific studies to establish that monosodium glutamate is harmful. In my view, limited usage is not going to cause any harm. What Ajinomoto achieves is to bring a sixth dimension of taste called umami. This taste is naturally present in several food substances anyway.
The need of the hour is to ensure that the food we eat is safe for consumption and free of adulteration. This is where the authorities can contribute a lot by implementing laws already in existence.
‘The scientific evidence against MSG is hardly conclusive’
Anoothi Vishal, food expert, and columnist
If this is the case, then I would have to say that our lawmakers have gone absolutely overboard. The scientific evidence against MSG is hardly conclusive.
Adding MSG to your food in moderate quantities as a taste enhancer is hardly cancer causing. This is a myth because glutamate is the same substance even found in tomatoes!
To ban something on hearsay, because of an inconclusive mythic belief that has been discredited even in the West is ridiculous. Even earlier in America, MSG was only linked to headaches, nausea, etc. but not cancer. A safe and permitted brand can be used in limited quantities. Better still, you can use glutamate in anything from natural sources like tomatoes and cheese!
‘Ajinomoto has proven to cause adverse health effects’
Sneha Chandrashekar, Food & Technology entrepreneur, The Chef Post
I think the ban should be more focused on the use of Ajinomoto, which is primary ingredient, in momos. This particular ingredient has proven to cause adverse health effects in children and adults alike, but it’s not just used in momos, but various other food products. The stringency should be centered around the foodmaking process, hygiene standards of street food and banning of such an ingredient as against a complete ban on popular street food.
‘No plastic rice in Coimbatore’
Rice samples collected from various shops sent for analysis
Amid rumours on the presence of plastic rice in the State, officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) here collected samples of rice from shops.
FSSAI officials said that 19 samples of rice, each amounting to 500g, were lifted on Friday and Saturday from wholesale and retail shops.
Officials said that the samples will be sent to a Government-run laboratory for examination.
“The 19 samples were lifted after conducting inspections in more than 200 shops in the district. The samples were collected based on a directive from the Commissioner of Food Safety,” said O.L.S. Vijay, Designated Officer, FSSAI, Coimbatore.
Dr. Vijay said that no instances of plastic rice sold or detected have been reported in Coimbatore so far.
“We have not received any complaints related to plastic rice here,” said Dr. Vijay.
According to officials, plastic or synthetic rice can be identified through simple methods if people are doubtful about the genuineness. Unlike normal rice, plastic or synthetic rice are likely to float if put in a glass of water. Similarly, synthetic grains will easily burn like plastic if set on fire. If the grains are not natural, the cooked rice will have longer shelf life too according to officials.
While normal rice gets fried when heated in a pan, plastic rice will is easily melted due to the heat.
Similarly, the colour of the batter made of synthetic rice will be slightly yellowish while the one made out of natural rice will be whitish.
In case of suspicion over the quality of rice, public can contact FSSAI at 0422-2220922, 94440-42322.
Scare over plastic rice spurs inspection across 74 outlets
CHENNAI: Two days after claims of plastic rice being sold in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh started doing the rounds, the food safety department here undertook inspections at retail stores across the city on Friday. Officials say they found no trace of plastic grains.
Following a directive from the state food safety commissioner, officials inspected rice sold at 74 outlets across the city, including in Anna Nagar, Mylapore and Parry's corner. Fourteen samples were elected and sent for testing.
"They turned out to be real rice grains," said R Kathiravan, designated food safety officer for Chennai. The department had undertaken similar inspections two months ago in parts of North Chennai following concerns raised by the public after a video showing plastic rice being sold in markets started doing the rounds."We did not find anything amiss then too. However, we will continue our checks if and when we get complaints," said Kathiravan.
While food safety officials fanned out to conduct inspections on Friday, a group of people at the bus depot in Ayanavaram claimed they had found plastic rice in the government canteen there. Some rolled the rice into balls and threw them at passing buses. Officials collected nine samples from the canteen alone.
The directive was given in the wake of a complaint lodged by a man from Hyderabad alleging the biriyani he had bought was made of plastic grains.
Two day later, another customer from another part of the city approached the police with a similar complaint. He said that when he had rolled the rice into balls, "it bounced off like it was made of rubber". Following these incidents, social media was abuzz with videos of plastic rice being imported in from China. The videos put the spotlight on how polythene inserted into machines create noodle like plastic sticks which are finally cut into the shape of rice. This is not the first time videos have triggered panic among the public, pushing food safety officials to conduct checks. In April, officials undertook inspections looking for eggs made of plastic.
1,000 kg of mangoes seized
In a surprise check made in houses of mango growers and merchants in Mooduvaarpatti near Alanganallur, officials found calcium carbide stones were allegedly used to ripen the fruits.
Speaking to reporters, the officials from food safety department said that following a specific input, the teams swung into action at the village, where many farmers had raised mangoes in their farms. Investigations revealed many merchants had encouraged the farmers to use carbide stones for speedy ripening, as there was a good demand for mangoes in the markets now. Close to 1,000 kilograms of mangoes were seized.
Jun 10, 2017
Jun 9, 2017
Traces of detergent found in milk sample
108 samples tested as part of an awareness campaign on food adulteration
Traces of detergent were found in one of the 108 milk samples tested by Food Safety and Drug Administration department as part of an awareness campaign on food adulteration organised here on Thursday.
Speaking to the media, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao, who inaugurated the campaign earlier in the day, said that the sample was collected by a Field Officer of FSDA from a consumer, although he did not elaborate on where the consumer had bought the milk.
Sources in FSDA department, however, said that the consumer, who resided in Kochadai, had bought the milk from a neighbourhood vendor, who supplied raw milk (not pasteurized).
Stating that the testing equipment used by FSDA indicated that further tests were required to confirm presence of soda, bicarbonate or detergent, Mr. Rao said that a ‘legal sample’ would be collected from the place where the consumer had bought the milk.
“By ‘legal sample,’ we mean that the sample will be collected as per specifications and without contamination. The sample will be sent to a laboratory with necessary infrastructure,” he said. If adulteration was confirmed, he added, criminal proceedings would be initiated against those involved.
Officials from FSDA indivitedthat the sample that was tested being a contaminated one was also a possibility. “For instance, if the consumer had kept the milk in a vessel that was not rinsed properly, the detergent present in the vessel may show up in the milk sample,” an official said.
As part of the campaign, which was organised near K. Pudur bus stand, samples brought by the public and those collected by field officers of FSDA were tested. Mr. Rao said that 11 samples were found to be sub-standard since the fat content in them was less than 3.5 %.
The testing, for which a sample of 300 ml was needed, was a two-step process, FSDA officials said. The samples were first tested for fat, solids-not-fat (SNF) and water, followed by another test for adulteration. The tests were conducted using a kit, named electronic milk adulteration testing (EMAT) unit.
Karnataka Food safety commissioner pushes for fortified food
BENGALURU: With food fortification likely to become mandatory in the near future, Food Safety Commissioner Subodh Yadav met representatives of bulk manufacturers of wheat flour, edible oil, milk and biscuits on Saturday. This was to encourage them to make fortified food.
Around 4.5 lakh children of the 59.5 lakh beneficiaries of the mid-day meal scheme in the state consume fortified rice in seven districts. This rice is packed with multiple micro-nutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamins.
The state government was honoured at a recent national summit of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) where early adopters of food fortification were recognised.
According to the Food Fortification Resource Centre, an online portal run by FSSAI, the cost of food fortification is miniscule. It costs as much as Rs 30 to Rs 100 per metric tonne which works out to just about 3 to 10 paisa per kg of food, depending on the type and number of micronutrients added and the staple food that is being fortified.
“Fortified milk with vitamin A and D costs 2 or 3 paisa more per litre. Similarly, rice with folic acid costs 50-80 paisa more per kg and edible oil costs 8 to 10 paise more per litre. Except the initial investment on blenders and feeders, it is not expensive,” Srinivas Gowda, in-charge joint commissioner of the state FSSAI, said.
He said, “A few PDS outlets used to distribute fortified rice they had procured from Tamil Nadu. This was stopped as it led to misconceptions that it changes the colour of rice. In fact, it helps reduce malnutrition and anaemia. The Food Processing Ministry is giving loans at subsidised rates to help those who want to adopt this technology.”
Yadav said, “Unless food fortification is mandated, it cannot be enforced. Food manufacturers raised some concerns. They said if the raw material comes from other countries, it cannot be fortified at the primary processing level. For example, palmolien oil comes from Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries.”
FSSAI makes food safety experts must in eateries
The trained and certified food safety supervisor will ensure providing safe and nutritious food to consumers.
Kolkata: The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for hotels and restaurants to have at least one person trained in food safety in order to check adulteration in food.
“A two-month training module has been conceived to impart the knowledge essential for maintaining hygiene standards in hotels and restaurants in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer of FSSAI, at an interactive session on food safety at Bharat Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
The trained and certified food safety supervisor will ensure providing safe and nutritious food to consumers. The person who will be trained will pass on his lessons to the other staff.
Mr Agarwal said that the FSSAI had launched a food safety training and certification programme (FoSTaC), with 19 short courses, from basic to advanced and specialised courses for street food vendors, restaurants chefs, caterers, food business operators as well as the general public.
Mr Agarwal said that they had prepared guidelines on what is required at home, work place, and schools to ensure safe and nutritious food.
“The FSSAI will soon come out with new regulations related to labelling of packaged food products,” he added.
Stressing the need to strengthen the food testing infrastructure in the country, Mr Agarwal said: “Canada, with less than three per cent of India’s population, has 6,000 food inspectors but the figure is much low here.”
Lack of food safety officers in West Bengald, only 42 out of 180 slots filled: FSSAI
At an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI said there is a shortage of food analysts and safety officers in several states including West Bengal.
West Bengal is among several states in the country plagued by a shortage of food safety officers, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said here on Thursday. At an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI said there is a shortage of food analysts and safety officers in several states including West Bengal.
“The state government has to create more posts. The problem is not only with West Bengal, but with several states. The number is far from adequate.
Besides, there is no proper manual for officers to follow. We are talking with the state government about this,” the chief executive officer said. “We have identified two laboratories in the state, which will be upgraded with equipment and expertise,” the chief executive officer added. Food safety officers present at the occasion said that the requirement was to have 180 safety officers in Bengal, but at present, there are only 42 officers.
“Of them, 23 are working under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), while the other 19 were to take care of the 23 districts. Some officers have to be in charge of more than one district,” said a food safety department official. Sources said there were three private (NABL-accredited) and two public food laboratories in the state. There are two food analysts under whom the food safety officers work.
During the session, Agarwal said that food safety in India is primarily the responsibility of those in the business. “It is primarily the responsibility of those engaged in food business. We have to trust them, but we also need to verify certain factors.
“As we move to a stricter regime, one of the conditions that needs to be fulfilled is that in every establishment under the food business, there has to be at least one person trained in food safety who will supervise other food handlers,” Agarwal said.
How did plastic rice make its way into Karnataka? Food safety just an illusion?
Plastic rice has been found in malls, private shops and even in fair price shops at various places in Karnataka is a matter of serious concern as an unseen mafia is making people consume 'poison' in the form of food.
Praveen from Bengaluru, Ullal Road brought six kg rice from the Reliance Mart. The family members suffered from stomach ache after eating the rice. As there were rumours about plastic rice, the family members made balls from the cooked rice and threw it on the wall and ground. To their shock, the balls started bouncing back, making it clear that they had eaten plastic rice.
Praveen returned to Reliance Mart with the rice, but not finding the staff there has expressed his anger with the media.
Similar kind of development was noticed at Ramanagar Taluk. Some people who had taken rice under the Annabhagya Scheme from a fair price shop in Ramanagar also had complained of stomach ache. When they too made balls of the cooked rice, it was found that the balls were bouncing back and had plastic content in it.
This is a matter of concern as the plastic rice has reached the fair price shops too. Most of the families in India depend on the low-priced rice from the fair price shops. As one cannot make out the difference between plastic rice and the original rice, the incidents are being reported after cooking and consuming the rice.
Such complaints were also heard from Hassan's Arasikere town, where the rice in the fair price shop was found to be plastic rice. People even staged a protest against the fair price shop at BG Hatti in Arasikere. Similar incidents were also reported from Koppal. Mobile phone clippings of videos people making balls off cooked rice and bouncing it were seen from Chikkamagalur and Kolar districts. These videos are going viral on social media.
Not differentiating between the shops, plastic rice is being sold at malls, small shops as well as in fair price shops. This is really a scary situation where people are forced to eat something which they cannot digest and might prove as hazardous for health.
Residents of these places have notified the authorities concerned about plastic rice being sold in the market even in the fair price shops run by the government. But the Food and Civil Supplies Department officers have told that after investigation, action can be taken against the fair price shops selling plastic rice, but other private shops do not come under the purview of the officers. The Health Department will have to conduct raids on these private shops to file a case against them, said Food and Public Distribution Minister UT Khader.
Thus with many food-related scares making the rounds, people are scared to buy anything from the market. There is news of plastic egg, plastic sugar and now plastic rice. Rice being the staple food of the South Indian people, the news of plastic rice in the market is scary.
But how did the plastic rice made its way into Karnataka? What about complying with standards set for food manufacturing and sale? Are there no checks before the rice makes it to the shops. Especially, the rice, sugar, grains and other items being sold at the fair price houses should go through the standard check.
But it is shocking that plastic rice is available in many districts in Karnataka and the Department concerned has no clue about it until it was telecast in the media.
The area of food safety and standard of food must be taken seriously. The root of plastic rice in Karnataka should be traced, and the government should take stern action against the people manufacturing and supplying it.
FSSAI reminds TTD about licence for ‘laddu’
According to the FSSAI, TTD manufactures more than 20 tonnes of laddus a day
The authority wants a reply to its queries by June 15
An RTI query has revealed that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) is yet to respond to letters sent a year ago by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asking why they had not taken a food licence or allowed authorities to inspect their kitchen.
Subsequently, the FSSAI sent two reminders on June 1, 2016 and on March 30 this year. After not getting any response, the FSSAI has asked the TDD to reply to its queries by June 15.
According to the FSSAI, TTD manufactures more than 20 tonnes of laddus per day, which are handed over to devotees as prasadam.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, this is considered a food business for which a licence should be obtained. M. Kannan, Deputy Director, Central Licensing Authority, FSSAI, Southern Regional Deputy Director, who sent the letter on May 18 seeking a response from the TTD, said, “They are not cooperating with us despite sending several reminders. We cannot enter their premises by force. If they do not reply by June 15, we will take advice from the central office for necessary action.”
The letter states that obtaining a licence is mandatory. The premises where the prasadam is prepared should be inspected by FSSAI officials as per instruction from the Regulatory Compliance Division wing, New Delhi. “Being a pilgrimage institution, this office is intending to inspect the premises at a convenient date, with the co-operation of the organisation. Hence, the TTD is requested to inform the date and time for inspection as early as possible,” says the letter.
T. Narasimhamurthy, a resident of Bengaluru who had filed an RTI in this regard, wants the temple, one of the biggest pilgrim centres in the world, to comply with the law of the land. “The TTD should set an example for others. Temples like Siddhi Vinayak in Mumbai and that of Sai Baba in Shirdi have taken a licence,” he said.
Food safety drive turns ugly in Manipur
Dimapur, June 8 (EMN): A team of food safety enforcement wing, Imphal East today conducted drive against sale of tobacco products and meat shops along the main road in Hatta Golapati in Manipur’s Imphal east district on Thursday.
The team also sealed shops which were selling meat without the FSSAI license and in hazardous conditions, reports said.
A group of women came out and tried to snatch the confiscated tobacco items around noon while the team was checking the shops. Scuffles ensued between the women and members of the Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal East. An additional police force was rushed at the site to control the situation.
The day’s incident happened a day after Imphal West district police seized tobacco products from a Tata Ace mini truck worth around Rs 12 lakh along with the arrest of two persons on tuesday.The arrested persons have been identified as Premchand Prajapati (37) from Uttar Pradesh presently staying in a rented house at Wahengbam Leikai and Khunjamayum Jhalajit (410 of Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai.The seized smokeless tobacco products were exhibited at Imphal West commando complex today evening in the presence of media persons.
At Churachandpur too, police seized a huge quantity of tobacco products estimated to be worth about Rs 5 lakh today from one non-local man who is involved in trading the banned item in and around the town.The seized tobacco products include two cartons of 50 gms Baba Black zarda, 56 boxes of Balmiki pan masala, 60 pouches of Signal pan masala, 9 cartons of Savera (Large), 2 cartons of Savera (Small), 2 big white cartons of Signal, 3 bags of Nevla chewing tobacco, and 1 bag of Talab pan masala.
People complain against ‘plastic rice’
Mild tension prevailed in Pendurthi area, when residents of Ekalavya Colony approached the local police alleging that plastic rice was being sold at a few shops, here on Wednesday.
The police forwarded the complaint to the Food Safety Department of the GVMC, who sent samples to the State Food Laboratory in Hyderabad.
According to Pendurthi Inspector J. Murali, residents approached them and complained that their children had been suffering from stomach pain and other health issues after consuming the rice of a particular brand. The Pendurthi police forwarded the complaint to the Food Safety department of GVMC.
Don’t believe in plastic rice rumours: Anand
Doubts galore:Residents of Goshamahal Arya Samaj showing the alleged Chinese plastic rice mixed with normal rice in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Samples sent to State Food Laboratory for chemical tests
Commissioner of Civil Supplies C.V. Anand on Wednesday advised citizens not to believe in rumours on plastic rice as tests conducted on samples collected from the complainant in the Corporation laboratory had shown it was not ‘plastic rice’.
Rice samples have been sent to State Food Laboratory for further chemical tests to totally rule it out and in the meantime, enforcement and vigilance officials were put on high alert.
Corporation officials have been given guidelines through video on how to recognise plastic rice and notice if it is mixed anywhere and carry out checks when there are doubts.
Rice millers too have been cautioned in this matter. Tests in Civil Supplies laboratory were conducted in the presence of quality control analyzer Osman Mohiuddin, general manager Jayadev Singh and assistant manager (technical) G. Saidulu.
Samples have also been collected from the mill on which the complaint was lodged in the Meerpet Police Station on Tuesday and from the complainant. Both the samples were sent to the lab for testing.
After conducting physical analysis and ‘D-husk’ test, the rice was soaked in water for some time.
Rice pastry jumps
Plastic rice would have floated but there was no such sign was seen during the tests. And after the rice samples were cooked, it became a paste as it usually does when normal rice is cooked. This rice pastry was also slightly jumping like a rubber ball.
When rice from the complainant and from the mill were cooked at the same time, the result was the same indicating that both are not plastic rice, clarified Mr. Anand.
After conducting physical analysis and ‘D-husk’ test, the rice was soaked in water for some time.
C.V. Anand
Civil Supplies Commissioner
FSSAI to launch draft regulations on food labelling, ads, packaging
Kolkata, June 8 (IANS) Draft regulations on food labelling, advertisements and packaging will be unveiled soon, India's food safety regulator FSSAI said here on Thursday.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will launch the draft regulations in a few weeks, said its CEO Pawan Agarwal.
"There will be three separate sets of regulations for labelling, claims and advertisements and third on packaging (materials used). The draft regulations will soon be released across all food groups," Agarwal told the media here.
He said constituents, such as salt, will be marked on a per serve basis in case of labelling.
Agarwal said the FSSAI also plans to empanel third party auditors to inspect facilities of the companies manufacturing food products.
Agarwal was speaking on the sidelines of a consultation on improving nutrition of tea garden workers through food fortification.
It involved the officials from West Bengal and Assam governments, Tea Board of India, India Tea Association, tea companies and industry.
"We have requested the state governments to draw up a road map for food fortification in tea gardens and we will connect them to suppliers of fortified staples," he added.
Jun 8, 2017
'Plastic rice' cooks up a storm in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
HIGHLIGHTS
- Rumours went viral on social media that plastic rice was being sold on a large-scale at various stores in Andhra Pradesh
- The department of weights and measures is planning to keep a tab on this novel method of rice adulteration
HYDERABAD / VISAKHAPATNAM: Rumours of alleged sale of plastic rice at some grocery stores caused jitters among the people+ of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday.
Two days after a customer found plastic rice being used in a biryani point in Saroornagar in Hyderabad, another customer, this time from Meerpet, approached the local police on Tuesday claiming that the rice which he bought from a grocery store turned out to be a plastic one. By the evening, task force officials of the civil supplies department raided the shop in Meerpet and seized samples which are now being examined. Meanwhile, rumours went viral on social media that plastic rice+was being sold on a large-scale at various stores in Andhra Pradesh triggering panic among the public.
Meerpet police said Ashok, a resident of Nandanavanam colony, complained that for the last several days, he and his family members have been suffering from various health problems like stomach ache, pain in hands and legs. It was on Monday night that when Ashok returned home from work in the night, he found that the rice served to him by his wife was mashed and unedible.
Rumours of plastic rice and the continuous flow of posts, videos and messages on social networking sites, particularly Facebook and WhatsApp, created panic on Tuesday in Andhra Pradesh too.
Even as the reports are yet to be verified, officials in the state are taking no chances. The department of weights and measures (W&M) is planning to keep a tab on this novel method of rice adulteration by forming a special enforcement team.
"We also came to know about plastic or fake rice through media and social networking sites. We have not received any instructions from our higher-ups so far on this issue, but locally I am sending four food inspectors to check rice with the main rice traders in Visakhapatnam," Srinivasa Rao, W&M assistant food controller, told TOI. Until then, he said, they had come across only cases of adulteration of red gram and other commodities.
If any citizen lodges a complaint with the department, they would take it seriously, examine the facts and take action under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, Rao added. Rice traders, however, rule out the possibility of plastic rice in the port city. "There is no sale of such plastic rice in the city. By God's grace, Andhra Pradesh does not have any rice shortage to leave space for fake or plastic rice," said K Bhima Rao, a rice trader.
Hyderabad: Task force raids on sweet shops, Ice-cream units
Adulterated Agra Petha, white wash cement, Alum stones and artificial food colors were seized from the accused’s possession.
Hyderabad: Continuing its crackdown on adulterated food products in the city, the Hyderabad Task Force on Wednesday raided several sweet shops and ice cream manufacturing units across the city and arrested two persons on charges of adulteration in two different cases on Wednesday.
In the first case, police arrested Ram Singh, 37, a sweet maker and resident of Jiyaguda. According to Task Force personnel, Ramsingh was indulging in preparing ‘Agra Petha’ in his sweet shop at Jummerat Bazaar in Shahinayathgunj without any valid certificate from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and was selling adulterated Agra Petha without any brand label.
“We found him selling sweets prepared using white wash cement, Alum, Sodium Hydrosulphide and other artificial food colors. He was selling the adulterated sweets to customers,” said B Limba Reddy, DCP, Task Force.
Adulterated Agra Petha, white wash cement, Alum stones and artificial food colors were seized from his possession. He was handed over to the Shahinayathgunj police for further action.
In the second incident, the Task Force raided Sindhu Food Lines, an ice cream manufacturing unit, at Bapuji Nagar in Musheerabad and arrested one person.
The arrested person, Pattala Ashok, 45, proprietor of Sindhu Food Lines and resident of Bapuji Nagar was allegedly making ice creams in different flavours by mixing non-ISI brand milk powder and local color emulsion and food colors.
Officials seized around 100 expired flavoured milk bottles and other incriminating material from his possession. He was handed over to the Musheerabad police for further action.
Food Frauds’ Free Run
If knife causes a bleeding cut on one’s finger or if fire causes burn injuries by setting oneself ablaze, is it prudent to curse the knife or fire? Similarly, if technology is (mis)used to manufacture plastic rice, artificial egg with toxic chemicals, produce mimic of cashew nut with an attractive price tag by using rejected pieces of groundnut from the confectionery industry, can one point the accusing finger towards technology and its inventors? Food technology, which earned Mysuru the rare distinction of hosting the nation’s and even the world’s biggest research institution some seven decades ago provides examples aplenty of generating knowledge for enterprising investors to establish food processing industries contributing substantially to their incomes as well as country’s wealth through value addition to raw materials. Further, if the street-smart entrepreneurs apply the knowledge generated through research to adulterate food and get away with their unlawful acts, one may hold the researchers responsible to a certain extent. Addition of so-called permitted colours to enhance the appeal of food products to consumers is a good enough example of the harm done to people’s health by researchers.
Buoyed by the propaganda being blared by western countries, the land’s researchers area also extolling the benefits of genetic modification of various food crops, fortification of commonly consumed foods with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients left, right and centre which do not stand scrutiny.
The original mandate, officially declared at the time of establishing the Mysuru-based food technology research institution was highly laudable and was simply stated as ‘To solve the problem of food shortages in the country through development of food technologies” or something of that order. The institute’s research teams have redeemed themselves by fulfilling that mandate through research to an appreciable extent, particularly by developing processes adding substantial value to spices, ready mixes for many traditional dishes, machinery for efficient milling of pulses, storage of food grains minimising losses and so on. The institute also invited flak from the public for developing curd from groundnut and synthetic rice from casava.
Now, the urbanites have got stumped by what has come to be described as Fast foods, a misnomer because there is no novelty about the dishes being gobbled at the roadside eateries all over the land. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for food business operators to obtain Food Safety Licence. If the authorities think that the measure would address the free run of food frauds, they are only day-dreaming. The operators are too smart.
Jun 7, 2017
Plastic sugar enters markets in Karnataka, probe ordered
June 6, 2017, 12:33 [IST]All that a family in Gadag wanted was a steaming cup of tea but what they were in for was a burnt mass of black residue. The culprit in the case, plastic mixed with sugar crystals. After plastic eggs and rice, plastic sugar has flooded markets in Karnataka. In a span of one week, two such incidents have been reported from Gadag and Tumkur.
"I added sugar to boiling water to make tea. I stepped out of the kitchen to take care of other errands but within minutes smoke started emanating from the kitchen, I rushed to see what had happened and I saw the vessel blackened with a mass stuck to the bottom. We checked the sugar and found that there were plastic crystals in it. We tested it multiple times and each time we added sugar to the water and brought it to a boil, particles would float and turn black," said a resident of Gadag who bore the brunt of plastic sugar.
The family has demanded that the sugar factory from where they bought the adulterated sugar be shut down. "What about the health of people? Sugar is an essential commodity and we use it every day. Why are the authorities mum over plastic being mixed in a commodity that is consumed by infants and seniors alike? We demand that the sugar factories be shut down and action initiated against those responsible for this," said an angry resident of Gadag.
A similar incident took place in Hassan of Karnataka a week ago. Sugar bought from a shop was adulterated with plastic crystals. Shocked consumers protested in front of the shop from where the adulterated sugar was bought. Karnataka Minister A Manju visited the spot and helped ease the situation after assuring action against the culprits.
Probe ordered
Taking cognizance of both incidents, the Karnataka government has sought a probe into the matter. The Food Safety Department has collected samples for verification while the Food and Civil Supplies department has ordered a probe to find out where and how the sugar was adulterated. "This looks like a massive racket. Plastic is being found in rice and sugar. We will look into the matter seriously. We have ordered a probe to find out where plastic was mixed with sugar if it was directly from the factory or from retail shop owners," said Karnataka's Food and Civil Supplies Minister, U T Khader.
Kuwait trying to mediate diplomatic rift, says Qatar Woman allegedly gang-raped, her infant thrown out of auto, dies Next President of India, Vice-President: Is it Sumitra Mahajan and Venkaiah Naidu Featured Posts Plastic crystals of various sizes were picked from sugar at a shop in Hassan much to the disbelief of consumers. Concerns have now been raised on public health and safety if these plastic-laden and adulterated food items continue to plague markets.
What we know about FSSAI’s Food Safety Display Boards?
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) puts in a lot of thought into the drafting and bringing into the picture the Gazettes which aim to reform our Food Industry towards providing healthy and safe products to the consumers.
To brief the turning point in food safety last year, FSSAI did come up with a brilliant strategy in August 2016, commemorating its decade of existence. Since then, FSSAI did bring about revolutionary changes by implementing many changes and additions in the regulations. Standardization of Camel Milk for trade, removal of zinc from the list of Toxins, standardization of food products with high salt, sugar, and Fats, regulations for e-commerce websites – these have carefully stepped up the much-needed food safety awareness.
Food Safety Display Boards – how many of you’ll know about them? You might have seen the FSSAI License number whenever you must have visited any food premise?
Or maybe not! This is due to the Food Business Owners may or may not ‘CLEARLY’ display the license number in the premise. It might be hung up on the wall somewhere, but the proof of safety should be visible to people.
Hence, Food Safety Display Boards.
Now, what is a Food Safety Display Board?
Food Safety Display Boards (FSDBs) are basic information providers that came into practice replacing the previous requirements which mandate the display of FSSAI Registration/license that is not clearly visible to the consumers.
What are the features of Food Safety Display Boards?
1. FSSAI License/Registration No.
2. Important Food Safety and Hygiene Practices
3. Consumer Feedback Details
Where are these Food Safety Display Boards placed?
These FSDBs are introduced at various food units which interact with consumers directly like retail stores, milk and dairy units, restaurants and cafes, vegetable and fruits retail shops, street food hawkers, meat sellers, etc.
Important points to be considered?
1. There are 6 FSDBs in the picture – For Meat shops, Milk units, Restaurants, Retails shops, Fruits and Vegetables’ retail units and Street Food.
2. The FSDBs displayed should be pertaining to the type of business involved.
3. The size of the FSDB should be A4 for FSSAI Registered Food Business and A3 for FSSAI Licensed Food Business.
4. One has to display a minimum of one FSDB in the premise. You can display more than one, should the place be big and one board isn’t visible to all from a certain place.
5. Make sure the content or the design on the FSDB does not get blurred over time. The material used to print one should be of a durable material.
6. Follow the diagram below for the use of FSDB –
(Source – FSSAI Concept Note)
The uses?
FSDBs are brought into the regulation citing the need to improve the perception of the consumers towards FSSAI License/Registration and the organization.
These FSDBs will not only help the consumers with the FSSAI License of the place or product but will also guide the customers and the food handlers about the food safety hygiene practices that will help both the ends of the food industry help improve the overall standard of the food industry. The feedback numbers provided at the bottom will help FSSAI gain insights about the ongoing food safety practices and help improvise.
That is an important feature of FSDB. You can provide your feedback on the number provided below each Food Safety Display Board through WhatsApp, SMS or feedback through the FSSAI App. The feedbacks will be processed by the apex body to help implement compliance within the system. These feedbacks will be shared with the FBOs as well.
You can download the Open Files by visiting the Website Here.
Source – FSSAI Website.
TN govt sends milk samples to Pune lab
Chennai: In the wake of state minister KT Rajenthra Balaji's charge that private firms in the state were adulterating milk with toxic chemicals, the Tamil Nadu government has sent samples to the Central Food Laboratory in Pune for a detailed analysis.
The referral laboratory for the region received four samples from the office of the commissioner for milk production and dairy development in Madhavaram on May 31, lab director Suhas Bakre said. "It will take two weeks for us to test and send the report to officials in the state. We will be testing the milk for fat content, chemicals and other substances. The results will be sent by June 20," he said.
In May, dairy development minister Rajenthra Bhalaji said his department suspected that carcinogenic substances were being added to milk by private manufacturers. "These chemicals are available freely in cities like Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore. In Chennai, these chemicals can be purchased for Rs 20 from Flower Bazaar. They are mixed with milk to increase shelf life," he said.
Although Bhalaji stated last month that the government had sent samples to the Pune lab, officials at the lab told TOI on May 28 that the last time they received samples from Tamil Nadu was in June 2016. A sachet of whole milk produced by a private firm was sent to the laboratory by the designated officer in Erode for testing "fat" content. "The sample failed the test and we sent the report to the officer concerned. There were no toxic chemicals in it," Bakre said. Three days later, the lab received samples from the state government.
An official in the dairy department, who refused to speak on record, said some milk samples were tested by Aavin. "We detected the presence of chemicals in it but we can't file cases or initiate action against the manufacturers because these samples were tested in our lab. Besides being a conflict of interest, the food safety rules don't permit us to initiate action until they are tested in a central lab," he said.
Manufacturers told to fortify food products
It would mean adding key vitamins and minerals to staple foods
In the wake of guidelines issued by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), the Food Safety Commissioner of Karnataka has directed manufacturers in the State to fortify all food products.
The commissioner, who met representatives of bulk manufacturers of wheat flour and edible oil on June 3, discussed the cost effectiveness and benefits of fortifying staple foods for consumers and manufacturers.
Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A and D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing.
Representatives of Krishna Flour Mills, Sri Venugopal Flour Mills, Karnataka Oil Seeds Federation, Mother Dairy (KMF), Nilgiri Dairy Farm Pvt. Ltd., Pankaj Dairy Farm, Sri Krishna milk dairy farm, Britannia Industries, Variar Bakery, Jwalamala Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd., Sumathi Agro Industries, and Heritage Foods participated in the meeting.
India has a high burden of micronutrient deficiencies. While 70% of pre-school children suffer from anaemia caused by Iron deficiency, 57% have subclinical vitamin A deficiency. Neural Tube Defects are the most common congenital malformation with an incidence that varies between 0.5-8/1,000 births.
Expired items disposed
Senapati: The Food Safety and Standards Wing, Senapati district disposed seized unlicensed and unhealthy Myanmar products worth Rs 5 lakh near old district hospital today at 3 pm.
The seized products were burned in the presence of DO (FSSA) L Jonny, CMO Dr Loli Mao, NPO vice-president Adakho Mao, FSO S Pfokhrehrii, OC of Senapati police station S Hepuni Mao. The items were seized on June 2 at Senapati police check post. 10 bags of sunflower seeds, 100 boxes of tin-fish, 5 bags of Emily and 20 bags of Mikko were seized for violating the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Jun 6, 2017
Noida will not give nod for meat shops in slums
The Noida authority has written to the district magistrate to resolve the issue at their level
Meat sellers can only be issued licences if the shops are in areas where municipal services are provided
A group of meat sellers on Monday met Noida authority’s deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) Saumya Srivastava seeking his help in obtaining licences for meat shops in slum areas.
As per norms, the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) can issue a licence only if the applicant produces before them all required documents, including a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Noida authority.
However, the authority made it clear to the meat sellers that it will only issue NOC for a shop if it fulfils all requirements and is located on land where municipal services are provided.
“We can issue NOC to a shop if it is located in a sector or a village. We will not be able to issue NOC for a meat shop located in a slum because we do not provide municipal services there,” said the DCEO.
Following the meat sellers’ demand, the authority has written to the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate (DM) regarding the issue.
“I have written to the district administration and also spoken to the additional DM. We have requested them to deal with licence applications in slums at their own level on the basis of merits or demerits of the applications. The Noida authority will not issue NOCs, so the administration will exercise its powers and take a call as per law,” said Srivastava.
Among the norms set by the authority for an NOC, the shop will have to be located 100 metres from a place of worship, 50 metres from a residential area and have access to municipal facilities.
“We will issue NOC for five shops in a village if the population is less than 4,000 and 10 shops if the population is more than that. In urban areas, licence will be issued to a meat shop only if it was originally allotted for this purpose and is located in a commercial area,” said Raghunandan Singh Yadav, senior project engineer of the Noida authority.
Canned water under threat
Authorities accuse a few packaged water units of flouting norms to draw groundwater; manufacturers flag clearance certificates.
Chennai:
Though the Tamil Nadu packaged drinking water manufacturers have withdrawn their strike, authorities are said to be at loggerheads with them over depleting groundwater level, putting the availability of canned drinking water in question in the long run.
While the association members say that a total of 350 packaged drinking water manufacturing units operate in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, sources claim that around 200 illegal units are also run by people with political clout. However, V Murali, president of Greater Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, told DTNext that all the units have obtained the environmental clearance apart from certificates from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“In such a condition, why should the concerned officials pressurise us to close the units. Lakhs of people rely on canned water not only in the city, but across the state. Is curbing the availablity of a life essential to save groundwater level justified?” he asks. While the officials claim that they have only instructed some units that overexploit groundwater and flout the norms to abide by, the association members accuse officials of being discriminatory and claim that they are being threatened to shut down the units without a valid reason.
According to Murali, manufacturers draw water of about 300 million litres a day from 350 units in Chennai region. “Though we have necessary licences from all the departments, sometimes the officials try to close down units for reasons best known to them,” he says. However, Shankar, Chief Engineer of Ground and Surface Water Resources Wing, justifies the department’s action.
“There are some norms, which the drinking water manufactureres do not conform to. We have been periodically instructing such units not to overexploit groundwater beyond prescribed levels and it is monitored through a water meter. But some companies flout the rules and we along with Revenue officials insist the manufacturers to close such units,” he elaborates. He also adds that the PWD is preparing to monitor the units in Chennai region and would ask the manufacturers without a licence not to tap water anymore.
Shankar says the groundwater level can be maintained if such units located near lakes and rivers without licences are closed. R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, FSSAI, Chennai, says that there are 17 packaged water manufacturing units in the city alone. “We regularly monitor them and if we find the water to be unfit for consumption, we immediately ask the manufacturers to stop processing. After tapping the water, the manufacturers should do the purification process promptly. Some companies would not maintain the equipment properly and in such a scenario there is a possibility for water contamination. So, the manufacturers should be careful during the entire process of purification,” he says.
Kathiravan adds that regular inspections are conducted to check potability of canned water.
WATER COUNTS
7 to 10 lakh cans of water are supplied to Chennai households on a daily basis
Total number of units in Chennai region: 350
50% of drawn water goes waste in the purification
No of illegal unit: 200
Milk impure
The article on the adulteration of milk (‘Being’ page – “The milk you drink could be laced with detergents”, June 4) is a matter of concern. One only hopes that the random milk samples tested in Delhi did not include samples supplied by government-run dairies. Milk remains the most vital nutritional food of the nation, especially for growing children, and there can be no compromise on its purity and safety standards. The government must conduct nationwide sample tests at all milk producing units in coordination with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the respective State governments. In an environment where we are already being slow poisoned by air and water pollution, chemicals in vegetables and food items, adulterated milk should not be allowed to sneak in as an additional toxin. There needs to be another pure and healthy white revolution.
A. Mohan, Chennai
It is a common knowledge that milk vendors often add water to the milk they supply to households. Adding water to milk — a means of bridging the gap between supply and demand — can be tolerated as it is harmless. But the extent to which the adulteration of milk has been found in the study conducted in Delhi shows that the health authorities concerned could be hand-in-glove with milk suppliers. They deserve exemplary punishment. The adulteration of milk or for that matter any food item should not be permitted.
A. Jainulabdeen, Chennai
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