Jun 21, 2017
Tobacco Is Not A ‘Food Product’, No Action Can Be Taken Against Manufactures Under FSSAI Act
The Madras High Court has observed that tobacco is not a food product for the purpose of Food Safety and Standards Act and no proceedings can be initiated against the manufacturers under the Act.
Justice M. Duraiswamy referred to a decision of Madurai Bench of the High Court wherein it held that persons who are manufacturing Gutkha and Pan Masala cannot be proceeded under the FSSAI. Tobacco is covered under the COTA (Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act, 2003).
The High Court of Kerala has also ruled in the same lines. It had (in facts of that case) held as follows:
- Tobacco or tobacco products are not food as defined under Section 3(j) of the FSS Act and it is not a food product as specified in the Regulation 2.3.4 of the Regulations.
- Tobacco and tobacco products are to be manufactured and sold strictly in accordance with the provisions of the CTP Act and the Rules framed thereunder.
- The Food safety authorities have no right take any action against tobacco or tobacco products by virtue of Government Order dated 22.05.2012.
A firm which has been manufacturing tobacco products since the year 1972, had assailed the action taken by Food Safety officer wherein, tobacco products manufactured by the petitioner was collected by the Food Safety Officer from their shop.
The High Court has set aside the proceedings against the firm. “The petitioner is manufacturing fine quality tobacco with prior licence obtained without violating any provisions of law, the ratio laid down by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court squarely applies to the present case.”, the Bench observed.
Six food business operators fined Rs 60,000 in Srinagar
Srinagar
Six business operators were fined Rs 60,000 for selling and processing food articles in unsanitary condition in Srinagar, an official spokesman said here this evening.
He said a team of officers of Food Safety headed by Assistant Commissioner Food Safety inspected various areas of Srinagar district today.
During the inspection, on the spot tests of milk and milk products were conducted by virtue of mobile testing laboratory. On the basis of results of samples ten quintals of milk was destroyed on spot.
The milk suppliers and vendors were warned not to supply substandard milk to consumers.
The adjudicating officer Srinagar imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on six food business operators for selling and processing food articles in unsanitary condition.
DON’T FEAR A DELHI BELLY
Health consciousness goes beyond hitting the gym every single day; it’s about what goes into your stomach. Team Viva explores the different aspects of food safety with experts
In these days of social media, the consumer response to food determines how well or badly a restaurant does. Feelings are vented by showering praises or heaping scorn on a food item and one bad review, even if uninformed, on a platform can make or break a business. During a talk on food safety at the Oxford Book Store, corporate chef at The Roseate, Nishant Choubey, talked about the perilous impact of instant noodles-type opinionating and how once he was at the receiving end himself when a customer threatened him with a bad review. But he insisted his method of preparation was safe and proper and he wouldn’t bend his ways to compromise food quality.
Bad reviews are just one aspect of the food business, food safety being one of the primary things that has to be looked at. Delhi is known for a lot of reasons; its infamous Delhi Belly, which even inspired a movie, is one of them. Cleanliness, hygiene and food safety are ways to ensure one doesn’t suffer from it. “When it comes to relying on the quality of our food, be it the ones on sale in the supermarkets, the one we buy from our local sabzi mandis or the food that we eat in restaurants is based on trust”, says Saurabh Arora, founder of Foodsafetyhelpline.com.
What constitutes food? We constantly worry about the nutritional value of our food, we selectively pick and choose the things we fill our shopping baskets with. Arora clarifies, “There is a very thin line that separates what can be classified as food and what can’t be. Ayurvedic medicines, protein supplements and vitamin supplements fall outside the category of food, whilst water, beverages, honey and chips are all considered to be food.” Food does not fall under the food regulation guidelines that exist in India during the period in which it remains under the farmer’s control. However, as soon as it enters the processing stage, it is subject to regulations.
The Food Safety and Standards Association of India (FSSAI) was introduced in 2006. Arora explains that in between the producer and consumer, exists the Food Business Operator (FBO). “This refers to any individual who comes after the farmer in the supply chain and is involved in processing, manufacturing or selling food. This could be a transporter, the canteen wala or the golgappa vala. On the other hand, multinational companies such as Nestle, Heinz or Coca Cola are also FBO. A licence is essential for an FBO to operate.”
Excessive use of impurities like pesticides and heavy metals are always in the news and an area of concern. However, Arora feels that the eminent danger at microbiological level is that pathogens, crop-contaminating elements and antibiotics will make their way to our food. There have been instances where antibiotics have been found in honey. The regulations that existed before the FSSAI was put into place had neglected the microbiology of foods. He further adds that adulteration, although not as big a problem, is still rampant. Adultration refers to the addition of a food item in order to increase the quantity of food item in raw form or prepared form, which may result in the loss of actual quality of food item. Nowadays, even the non-intentional addition of extraneous substances to food is becoming a worry. With regard to packaged foods, the problem lies in using too many food additives. These are substances added to food in order to preserve flavour or enhance its taste, thereby making it fizzier, tangier or even last longer. At the end of the day, these are all chemicals. Fortunately for us, the FSSAI closely monitors the levels of these in all food substances.
The food business has the responsibility of ensuring that safe and healthy food is distributed to its customers. The regulating authorities such as FSSAI, the consumers and food businesses all have to work together towards a successful and self-regulating supply chain of food.
Thankfully, the people in charge of processing our food know the drill. They’re able to best judge what is healthy for us and what is not. According to Choubey, “There is ample awareness about food safety laws.” He says his restaurant does not compromise on the quality of raw material provided by the suppliers. “The chicken that we receive must be refrigerated rather than stored floating in water. I’m not sure how hygienic or pure that water is, so why should I accept chicken that’s been stored in it?”
Choubey advises his staff to follow certain rules. The first is ‘clean’. Upon his insistence, his team members keep washing their hands for as long as it takes them to sing the ‘happy birthday’ song. The song is an indicator of how long they should wash and rinse their hands. “Ideally, we should wash our hands every twenty minutes. Neither our workplace, nor our homes should be dirty. Keep disinfectants close at hand. Secondly, separate your food items. Don’t cut fish with meat, or fish with vegetables,” he says. Choubey advises against shortcuts. Butchery should be done separately. He says that even when you go shopping, you should carry two baskets — one for dry grocery and the other for vegetables.
There are precautions to be taken while cooking as well. “You must have heard of the food poisoning incident that took place in a very reputed hotel. The staff had been served food from the buffet. This had raised a lot of eyebrows because we had presumed the debate over preserving food for as long as possible in order to lower food costs was a thing of the past. Apparently not. Now, it is mandatory for any hotel or restaurant to throw away food that’s been kept for longer than four hours in a buffet,” he says.
Also, he elaborates on the need for serving food at the right temperature. “Hot food must be served hot and cold be served cold. For food to be served cold it needs to be lower than five degrees Fahrenheit and hot food is characterised by being above sixty-three degrees,” he says.
Choubey’s last rule is regarding “chill.” This refers to the process of refrigeration. “Chicken and fish must be kept in separate, vacuum-packed shelves,” he says.
Dr Pawan Vats, vice-president at Auriga Research, explains the concept of making claims on food. “Food claims are a sensitive issue and must be substantiated in the form of scientific data. The total number of calories per 100 gm of the substance, total protein, total carbohydrate, sugars, and total fat content must be stated before any claim can be made.” Even the langar and prasad distributed in gurudwaras and temples have to follow FSSAI regulations.
Clearly, the need to obsessively worry over the contents of our food is a thing of the past. If things weren’t going so smoothly, there would have been calamities every other day. This is not the case right now. So, we are in safe hands.
Drive against substandard milk suppliers in Srinagar
Mobile food testing lab introduced to assess quality of milk
Srinagar: Drugs and Food Control Organisation Tuesday organised a drive against selling of substandard milk in Srinagar.
The drive saw introduction of mobile food testing van to test the quality of milk supplied and sold the city.
Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Measures, Hilal Ahmad Mir told Kashmir Reader that they had complaints about milk sellers selling substandard milk to people in the city.
He said that they held inspection of milk at Srinagar-Jammu highway near Sempora, Panthachowk, Dalgate, Khayam and Alamgari Bazar areas of Srinagar. He assured that the mobile food testing laboratory would help them to maintain standard of food items and people would get quality eatables in the city.
50 people taken ill owing to suspected food poisoning in Kolar district
Tension gripped Nukkanahalli village in Kolar taluk after around 50 people took ill owing to suspected food poisoning at a marriage reception on Monday night.
Some of the people, who attended the marriage reception and consumed meals on Monday night in the village, started vomiting and experienced stomach pain after returning home. They initially took treatment from local hospitals.
Later, a team of doctors and other Health Department staff led by , rushed to the village. They set up a camp at the government school in the village and treated the patients. Some were treated at Sri Narasimha Raja District Hospital and discharged. “It was a case of mild food poisoning and there is no need to panic,” the DHO told The Hindu. said. The condition of the victims is is stable, the DHO added . An ambulance has been stationed in the village. Also, food samples have been sent to the laboratory concerned for tests, he said.
Jun 20, 2017
187 milk samples were found ‘substandard’, TN tells court
CHENNAI,
The Tamil Nadu government told the Madras High Court that 187 milk samples were found to be either ‘substandard’ or ‘misbranded’.
It had launched 143 cases, convicted 81 and imposed a penalty of ₹10.26 lakh. The milk samples were taken from all the 32 districts with 886 samples analysed.
Substandard could be dilution of milk with water or addition of vegetable fats while misbranded could be labelling mistake or ingredients not mentioned.
With regard to milk products, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said in a status report submitted to the Court today that out of the 338 samples taken from all the districts, 11 were found ‘unsafe’ and 132 were found to be ‘substandard’ and ‘misbranded.’ The State government had launched 83 cases, convicted 56 and imposed a penalty of ₹6 lakh.
Out of 11 unsafe samples of milk products, six were due to presence of colours (Tartrazine, Rhodamnine and Carmoisine) while in the remaining five, there were presence of micro organisms like Coliform, detergent, yeast and mould-1.
The survey was done between August 2011 and May 2017, the State government said in the report.
Radhakrishnan filed the report on behalf of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Department in response to the Court seeking a status report on steps taken for the implementation the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 particularly in relation to allegation of adulteration of milk meant for children.
Early this month, the first Bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar sought the status report while hearing a PIL filed by Congress advocate AP Suryaprakasam on allegations of adulteration in milk by private milk companies. The PIL also referred to recent statements made by Dairy Development Minister Rajendra Balaji that private milk producers indulged in adulteration, and that samples were sent to various labs for testing.
Radhakrishnan said that the State government has reconstituted state-level steering committee/district level steering committee to ensure availability of safe milk.
The Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration has been directed to check the menace of adulterated milk and take stringent action against dairy owners, dairy operators and retailers if chemical adulterants like pesticides or caustic soda were found in the milk.
The Food Safety and Drug Administration has been asked to identify high risk area where there is greater presence of petty food manufacturer/ business operator.
886 milk samples tested in 32 districts, safe: TN govt to HC
The Tamil Nadu government today informed the Madras High Court that 886 samples of milk taken from 32 districts were examined and found safe.
However, 11 of the 338 samples of milk products tested were found unsafe for consumption.
The Health and Family Welfare department stated this in its report filed in the court with regard to the action taken on complaints of adulteration of milk.
The department filed its report on the high court's direction issued during the hearing of a lawsuit filed by an advocate, Suryaprakasam, seeking a CBI probe into the reports of adulteration in milk by various private producers in the state.
Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary J Radhakrishnan in his affidavit submitted that none of the 886 samples lifted and analysed between August 5, 2011 and May 31, 2017, were found unsafe.
As many as 187 samples were found sub-standard and misbranded, following which 143 cases were registered and a penalty of Rs 10,26,300 was collected, he submitted.
The affidavit added that the department had on June 15 formed a state-level steering committee headed by chief secretary and district-level steering committees under the chairmanship of district collectors for smooth operation of regulatory provisions of the 'Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.'
On analysing the milk products, the counter stated, out of the 338 samples tested in 32 districts, 11 were found unsafe and 132 samples were found sub-standard and misbranded.
As many as 83 cases were lodged and a penalty of Rs 6,00,500 was collected, it said.
Elaborating on sub-standard milk products, Radhakrishnan said dilution with water, addition of vegetable fats, less fat are treated as sub-standard.
The official further submitted that a communication had already been sent on November 1, 2016 to authorities concerned to adhere to the directions and observations made by the Supreme Court on the issue.
Report on milk adulteration finds 11 samples unsafe
56 convicted and Rs. 6 lakh penalty imposed, Health Secretary tells HC
The State government has informed the Madras High Court that out of the 338 milk/ milk product samples lifted from 32 districts in the State between August 5, 2016 and May 31, 2017, eleven were found to be unsafe, 132 substandard and misbranded.
Micro organisms
“Out of the 11 unsafe samples, six are due to the presence of colours Tartrazine – 3, Rhodamine – 2 and Carmoisine – 1. The remaining five samples were found with micro organisms like Coliform-3, Detergent-1, Yeast and Mould-1. Totally 83 cases were registered in which 56 were convicted and penalty imposed to the tune of Rs. 6 lakh,” the report field by the J. Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department said.
Mr. Radhakrishnan made the submissions on a PIL filed by advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam seeking proper action by the authorities concerned on the allegations of milk adulteration in the State.
Survey conducted
The Health Secretary filed the detailed status report on the action taken to curb milk adulteration across the State. The report added that as per the instructions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, New Delhi, a survey was conducted in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi, Salem, Ambattur, Tirunelveli, and Hosur for the period from November 2016 to December, 2016.
Out of 106 milk samples tested, two were reported unsafe, 22 substandard, and 82 as conforming to standards, he added.
Out of a total of 32 fresh samples lifted from Vellore, Thiruchi, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Madurai and Ramanathapuram between February 1 and March 31, none was found to be unsafe, eight turned out to be substandard due to dilution with water and addition of vegetable fats, the report said.
The government further informed the High Court that through a government order dated June 15, State and district-level steering committees to check adulteration had been reconstituted by including the Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries Department, Director of Milk Production and Dairy Development, and the Deputy Registrar (Dairy).
Food traders warned against operating without licence
The district administration has warned operation of businesses in food commodities without the requisite licence mandated by the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulation, 2011.
All traders in food commodities, grocers, hotel owners, tea stalls, sweet and savoury manufacturers and retailers, roadside shopkeepers, bakeries, meat sellers, vegetable and fruit stalls milk producers, and traders, canteens running in schools, college, industrial units, caterers to wedding halls, wholesale and retailers among others are now required to be licensed with permit to operate under the Act.
According to the administration, enough time had been accorded since the coming into force of the Act in May 2011.
Therefore, it is illegal to operate business without permits. Businesses with an annual turnover of Rs. 12 lakh shall pay Rs. 100 per annum in the district treasury and register on www.foodlicencing.fssai.gov.in along with a photo and valid identity.
The affidavit may be downloaded and submitted to the Food Safety Officer in person or through post.
Alternatively, business operators may take the assistance of Common Service Centres.
Further, for those with an annual turnover exceeding Rs. 12 lakh, the annual fee towards permit is Rs. 2,000. Details regarding registration may be obtained from the District Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Collectorate; 04342-230385.
Those already with existing permits are required to verify the validity and renew their licence before their validity expires. Renewal of licences before the expiry of validity will prevent levy of penalty and also enable the manufacturers to retain the same registration number printed on the packets of their food products.
Any complaints on food standards may be forwarded to the Food Safety Department’s whatsapp 94440 42322.
Packaged food firms will soon have to disclose GM content: FSSAI
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is working on the final guidelines on the labelling of GM foods
New Delhi: Soon, packaged food companies will have to disclose details of genetically modified (GM) ingredients used in processed food on the labels. The country’s food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is working on the final guidelines on the labelling of GM foods, its chief executive officer Pawan Kumar Agarwal said.
“Genetically modified items are being used in a lot of processed foods. Consumers have the right to know which products may have GM items. The scientific panel has already started work on this, and we’ll soon finalise the labeling norms,” said Agarwal.
Earlier this month, officials of FSSAI and members of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), which regulates GM foods in India, had a meeting on the issue. FSSAI has the responsibility of regulating GM products used in processed food but those GM products have to be approved by GEAC, according to the Food safety and Standards Act, 2006.
At present, companies are not required to declare presence of GM ingredients in a food item in India, and a lot of imported processed foods have GM items. GEAC had, in April, expressed concern on the absence of regulations on processed GM foods, Mint reported on 9 May.
Last month, GEAC had approved commercial cultivation of GM mustard in India which the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change will have to clear. To date, India allows commercial production of GM crop Bt cotton only. While Bt brinjal has the approval, the government did not introduce this due to widespread protests against the technology.
Till recently, India did not allow import of GM foods. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha last July, Nirmala Sitharaman, minister of state, ministry of commerce and industry, had said that the customs can clear GM food products after necessary approval by FSSAI, and the food regulator had not cleared import of any GM food. According to norms, import of GM foods requires prior approval from the GEAC.
In an unrelated development, FSSAI allowed import of 72 special food items meant for children with ‘Inborn errors of Metabolism’ last week. These food items, which can only be consumed under the supervision of healthcare professionals, are manufactured by only a handful of companies worldwide. The makers of these products include the local arm of US-based baby food maker Mead Johnson Nutrition Company, French Dairy firm Danone SA-owned Nutricia International Pvt. Ltd, American healthcare firm Abbott Healthcare Pvt. Ltd and Swiss packaged food company Nestle SA’s local entity Nestle India Ltd. FSSAI has allowed import of these products for two years, or till it comes out with standards for them.
Beware, The King of Fruits Can Be Tainted With Carcinogens
As a kid, I used to get excited about the summer holidays for two reasons. One, because it meant not having to wake up early for school and two, it meant a near unlimited supply of mangoes (courtesy my extremely indulgent father). At the time, I had no idea that mangoes were often artificially ripened with calcium carbide, and even if I did, I wouldn't have been able to tell the artificially ripened mangoes apart from the naturally ripened ones. Thankfully, my dad knew the difference and it's a really good thing that he did because eating artificially ripened fruit can have some really nasty side effects. According to news reports, large quantities of artificially ripened fruits are being sold in the market.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has noted that calcium carbide is a carcinogen, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules prohibit the use of carbide generated gas for ripening fruits.
Calcium carbide when mixed with water, releases acetylene gas which speeds up the ripening of the fruit. A study linked calcium carbide to a whole host of side effects, ranging from dizziness to memory loss and seizures. The study noted that these effects occur because calcium carbide contains traces of arsenic and phosphorous. The study also pointed out that calcium carbide can cause irritation in the eye and skin rashes. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has noted that calcium carbide is a carcinogen, and the Food Safety and Standards Rules prohibit the use of carbide generated gas for ripening fruits.
So, how do you tell the difference between delicious, naturally ripened mangoes and potentially toxic artificially ripened mangoes? One way is just by looking at them. Naturally ripened mangoes don't look as good as their artificially ripened counterparts and are not uniformly coloured. Another way to tell the difference is by the smell. Naturally ripened mangoes generally have a stronger aroma than artificially ripened ones. According to the FSSAI, artificially ripened fruits are also overly soft, and inferior in taste and flavour.
Despite being aware of the signs which indicate that a mango has been artificially ripened, it is still quite likely that many people will end up buying it. In that case, the FSSAI recommends that the fruit be washed thoroughly before it is consumed.
They also have a shorter shelf life.
Despite being aware of the signs which indicate that a mango has been artificially ripened, it is still quite likely that many people will end up buying it. In that case, the FSSAI recommends that the fruit is washed thoroughly before it is consumed. It also recommends that, as far as possible, its skin should be peeled off. For mangoes and apples, the FSSAI advises that they should be cut, rather than eaten as a whole (something I've been guilty of doing quite often).
Fruit is an important part of people's diets, and mangoes aren't called the 'king of fruits' for no reason. They are extremely popular and every summer, people, myself included, tend to eat a lot of mangoes. Given their popularity, it is crucial that we take the time to ensure that we only buy naturally ripened mangoes. Do your taste buds and your health a favour!
Modern slaughterhouses mooted in 12 local bodies
THRISSUR: The state government is planning to set up 12 modern slaughterhouses under urban local bodies across the state, apart from reviving about 20-odd slaughterhouses, which are remaining unused. The urban local bodies selected for implementing the project are Kanhangad, Kannur, Kozhikode, Perinthalmanna, Kondotty, Palakkad, Kunnamkulam, Chalakudy, Aluva, Thiruvalla, Punaloor and Thiruvananthapuram.
Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) is likely to invest Rs 100 crore for the project. According to minister for local self-government K T Jaleel the ensuing board meeting of the KIIFB would accord sanction to project.
The slaughterhouses would be equipped with modern facilities for slaughtering as well as for waste processing, he said.
The urban local bodies which have been selected for the setting up of the project, have been asked to submit willingness within a week.
The local bodies have to provide land for the project.
Suchitwa Mission has already invited companies to submit expressions of interest for empaneling the agencies for the execution of the project.
The KIIFB project evaluator Dr P V Mohanan said now only one modern slaughter house located at Brahmagiri in Wayanad was available for the public. Meat Products of India (MPI) has set up a modern slaughterhouse at Koothattukulam for the company's own use.
This is despite the fact that the 3.3 lakh cattle, 6.54 lakh buffaloes, and 3.38 lakh goats are being slaughtered in the state annually. Similarly, at least 15 lakh birds including chicken are also being slaughtered in the state per each day.
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"About 15,680 slaughtering centres are functioning in the state, with the registration given by the local bodies. However, as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, the slaughter houses must have licenses issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, from 2016. But none of these slaughtering centres have those licences," Mohanan said.
"Similarly, around 9,600 tonnes of meat waste is being generated at the poultry slaughtering centres alone in the state," Mohanan said. "Currently, most of the waste is being purchased by some illegal agents, who then dump it on the roadside and uninhabited areas at night hours. With the setting up of modern slaughtering units, the issue of waste treatment will also be over, which might, in turn, reduce the stray dog menace as well," he said.
Jun 19, 2017
Jun 18, 2017
‘RO filter producers not following dissolved salts rule’
BIS rules mandate that any product sold in India, which relates to the safety of the consumer needs the ISI mark. The BIS in its wisdom has omitted to include ROs from its list, though many big bottled water companies have got the necessary ISI certification.
Acting on a petition from an NGO, ‘Friends’, the National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Ministry of Water Resources and other concerned bodies. RO companies, which aggressively market their products with celebrities offering 100 per cent pure water, do not state the water does not meet the approval of the certifying authority.
On the RTI question whether the RO companies have applied for certification, BIS said that queries on the matter have been sent to various departments.
The petition said that though the BIS has failed to set the minimum level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), it has specified the maximum level.
TDS is the dissolved ionized solids, such as salts and minerals in water. BIS has stipulated the upper limit of TDS in drinking water at 500 ppm. The lower level is 30 ppm to keep the mineral content at safe levels. De-mineralised water is mostly used in batteries and various industrial works.
The petition points out RO manufacturers are blatantly flouting the statutory BIS rules which state that “all RO manufacturers should write on their products that ‘RO system is not recommended for Arsenic level above 0.01 mg/l and flouride level above 8.0 mg/l’.”
With water in Indian homes coming from questionable sources and containing various toxic substances and chemicals, there is no guarantee that ROs have the capability to treat it to meet health safety standards, thanks to BIS.
Think before you drink
NEW DELHI: The country is facing a serious water crisis of a different nature. RO (reverse osmosis) filter machines available in India are sold without the mandatory certification of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), making the water they treat potentially dangerous to health. BSI rules mandate that any product sold in India, which relates to the safety of the consumer, needs the ISI mark.
The BIS in its wisdom has omitted to include ROs from its list, though many big bottled water companies have procured ISI certification—most trusted safety stamp for Indian consumers. Acting on a petition from an NGO, ‘Friends’, the National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Ministry of Water Resources and other concerned bodies. RO companies, which aggressively market their products with celebrities offering 100 per cent pure water, do not declare whether their water meets the approval of the certifying authority.
On a RTI question whether the companies have applied for certification, BIS said all queries have been sent to various departments. Moreover, though the BIS has failed to set the minimum level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)—the dissolved ionized solids, such as salts and minerals in water—it has specified the maximum level at 500 ppm. The lower TDS level is 30 ppm at which the mineral content in water are kept at safe levels. De-mineralised water is mostly used in batteries and various industrial works.
The petition points out RO manufacturers are blatantly flouting the statutory BIS rules which state that “all RO manufacturers should write on their products that ‘RO system is not recommended for Arsenic level above 0.01 mg/l and Fluoride level above 8.0 mg/l’.” With water in Indian homes coming from questionable sources and containing various toxic substances and chemicals, there is no guarantee that ROs have the capability to treat it to meet health safety standards, thanks to BIS.
In places where arsenic and fluoride levels exceed the said prescribed limits of water, people who use Reverse osmosis (RO) filters do not realise they are drinking poisonous water. “They are misled into believing they are drinking so-called safe water purified by their RO filters because of marketing gimmicks by the filter companies,” the petition alleged.
RO companies are blatantly flouting the National Water Policy 2012. BIS has allowed up to 80 per cent wastage of pre-treated potable water or ground water for point-of-use RO water filters, contrary to the water policy.
“The RO system was originally invented to create potable water from otherwise unusable sea water and was never meant for filtering ground water. At present, lakhs of people are buying RO systems, meaning that lakhs of people will waste around 80 per cent of potable water,” the plea said, seeking restraint on the sale of ROs that are selling without mandatory ISI certification.
FSSAI plans labelling of GM foods
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is planning a regime of labelling genetically modified (GM) foods, which do not exist in India as of now.
The move comes after India's apex regulator for GM foods, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), approved India's first transgenic food crop GM Mustard for commercial cultivation last month. The environment ministry has to take a final call.
FSSAI, though responsible for testing food standards, is passing the buck on independent testing of the impact of GM foods on human health. Its officials said that the environment ministry should look at it.
"We had a meeting with FSSAI two weeks back and requested it to take over the approvals of processed GM foods. But they asked GEAC to continue appraising proposals for processed foods until they are ready to take over the entire regulation of GM foods and imported processed foods. Meanwhile, they will handle the labelling process," said Amita Prasad, additional secretary of the Environment Ministry.
Till now only one GM crop — Bt Cotton — is grown in Indian fields. The only other food crop to receive all approvals was Bt Brinjal. However, the government blocked its introduction. There has been widespread political and public opposition to the technology.
As per Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI has the responsibility to regulate GM organisms and products once they are approved by GEAC. FSSAI even submitted a status report before the Supreme Court, which is hearing a case against commercial cultivation of GM Mustard, and stressed that no regulation is yet framed to regulate GM foods. DNA has reviewed a copy of the status report.
The development comes after GEAC flagged in April the absence of any regulatory mechanism to deal with the import of processed GM foods.
India is dependent on imports to meet its demand for edible oils, including mustard oil. But there has been opposition from some farmer groups that the GM technology will lead to industrialisation of food production and compromise food security.
While the Environment Ministry had excluded approvals of processed GM foods from its mandate through a 2007 notification, the Union Health Ministry requested it to continue regulating GM processed foods till FSSAI is able to look into the matter in a scientific manner.
As a result, the Environment Ministry began keeping the 2007 notification in abeyance at regular intervals, till it last expired on March 2016.
Speaking to DNA, FSSAI's chief executive officer, Pawan Kumar Agrawal, said, "Regarding GM foods, we come into the picture when GEAC allows certain crops to be cultivated in India. After clearance, all GM foods would be subject to the same standards that apply to regular food."
"The only requirement will be to see if it is above a certain threshold of certain GM protein found, then that has to be declared and that is what we are working on...the categories of food for which the labelling requirement will be made mandatory," he said.
In its status report before the top court, FSSAI dwelt on the complexity of the labelling regime. "Any labelling regime... will have practical implications on trade as it will necessitate implementation of large-scale threshold testing regimes and traceability protocols with back up documentation, which would cause significant escalation of costs."
Activists said that FSSAI should go beyond simply labelling GM foods. "We are talking about rigorous independent health safety assessment, and FSSAI should not get away from that role and also look at edible oils derived from GM crops," said Kavita Kuruganti of the Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, a loose network of more than 400 organisations from 20 states working on farm issues.
Adulteration provides food for thought
From plastic rice to chemicals in milk, questions over food safety have become a recurrent theme in our everyday lives. As concerns mount in the wake of recent controversies, activists say a designated authority to enforce food safety norms and keep adulteration in check is the need of the hour.
Last week, the city witnessed a video of MTC staff purporting to show plastic rice being served in their canteen. The clip, showing men in khaki bouncing small balls of rice off the walls and tables at the canteen of the Ayanavaram bus depot, spread like wildfire on social media. The footage also came close on the heels of information shared on WhatsApp regarding the seizure of alleged plastic rice in other parts of the country.
In a State where its own Dairy Development Minister came out with the shocking allegation that private milk producers were adding chemicals to their products, similar claims pertaining to adulteration of rice with plastic seemed ever more probable. So, is there really plastic in rice and sugar, and are there chemicals in milk? Could eggs be made of plastic? Was there any truth to the messages circulating on WhatsApp or were they merely old wives’ tales that no one in the position of authority was prepared to debunk?
As one scare story after another finds prominence through social media platforms, questions are asked, and sometimes answered, with knee-jerk reactions. As adulteration has long remained a tool of choice for unscrupulous traders looking to make a quick buck, only the adulterants have varied with time. Consumer activists point to the need for a proper system capable of answering these questions in a scientific manner, and wherever necessary, allaying rumours and suspicions about food safety that arise periodically among the public.
The term ‘plastic rice’ came into being after a scandal was exposed in China in 2010, in which pellets were made by mixing sweet potato powder with poor quality rice. “A resin was found to have been used for the bonding. But this was banned.
“But in India, although there have been several complaints and allegations of rice being mixed with plastic, tests conducted on so-called ‘plastic rice’ have conclusively proved that there had been no plastic element in such rice samples,” said A. C. Mohan, secretary, Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners and Paddy-Rice Dealers Associations.
As regards the clips showing rice balls being bounced off the walls, Mr. Mohan said that gelatine, which is found naturally in rice, could make it bouncy if rolled into balls. “Boiled rice has more of gelatine, which retains more of its germinal matter. While raw rice varieties including Basmati are not sticky, varieties grown in Tamil Nadu such as Ponni, ADT 36 and Adhisiya Ponni are more sticky than the usual boiled rice. Rubber samba and Maappilai samba are rare varieties that have even more starch and gelatin and are suitable to make kall dosai. These varieties take longer to grow (in some cases six months) and are more healthy,” he explained.
Federation president D. Thulasingam said that rice merchants were also consumers in the first place, and that they will not sell such adulterated products. “Various government agencies had taken samples and conducted tests but so far, no plastic has been found in rice anywhere in the country. Plastic cannot be cooked, it will only melt in the heat. Rice will sink in water, whereas plastic will float. Any home-maker can differentiate between boiled and raw rice by mere feel, smell and sight,” he said.
It also does not make economic sense to mix plastic with rice, he said. Plastic pellets available in the market are costlier than rice. “A kilo of plastic costs anywhere between ₹80 and ₹100, whereas rice costs ₹30-₹60 a kilo. How can someone use a costlier item to make something cheaper? Also, we have at least six months worth of stocks of rice and there is no need for importing rice, let alone ‘plastic rice’,” Mr. Thulasingam added.
R. Kathiravan, designated officer, Food Safety department, Chennai, said that 20 samples of rice were collected and sent for analysis. While 16 of them were sent to the food analysis lab at the King Institute campus in Chennai, four samples were sent to a lab in Thanjavur . “Of the 15 results received till date, there has been no evidence of any plastic content in the rice in Chennai,” he said.
Chemicals in milk
Until a few days ago, milk vendors too had to ward off such queries from consumers after State Dairy Development Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji levelled allegations against certain private milk brands, saying they were adding chemicals to milk.
In the wake of the controversy, district administrations stepped in at places such as Madurai and Coimbatore and tested milk samples submitted by the residents. In Madurai, the electronic milk adulteration tests showed that out of 217 samples taken on three different dates in the city and two other locations in the suburbs, 25 samples were found to be of sub-standard quality, while another was found to be unsafe for consumption. District Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao said that awareness was high among rural people as well.
Maheswari of Jawahar Nagar, Thirumangalam, in Madurai, said she purchased milk from a vendor who supplied it in quantities of 100 ml and 150 ml. “Since it was not branded, we decided to provide a sample of it for testing and found that it was safe to consume,” she added.
Madurai-based consumer activist Andrews pointed out that the government officials carried out tests only after the Minister for Dairy Development raised the issue of adulteration, adding that such tests should be conducted on a regular basis. “Not just milk, the officials should also carry out periodic tests on all items including oil and rice as there have been complaints of sub-standard goods coming in,” he added.
Adulteration of milk is being monitored on a monthly basis, said a senior Food Safety department official. “Of the samples we collected, only one from Madurai was found to be unsafe, as soap oil had been mixed with it. With regard to the other samples, some were found to be sub-standard — containing water, for instance, in milk, but they were not unsafe in terms of health,” he said. While sub-standard milk can attract a penalty, unsafe milk can lead to a case in court, a fine and imprisonment, he noted.
A milk industry expert said that so far, in samples lifted by the Food Safety department, only samples of unpackaged milk have been found to contain traces of detergent or soap oil.
“The soap element may have even been due to improper cleansing of utensils at homes. Private milk producers know that their customers are brand-conscious and loyal to their brands due to certain factors, the most important being quality. At times, when it comes to favoured brands, consumers won’t even bother about the cost. Companies will not compromise on quality and end up losing the loyalty of such consumers,” he said.
However, the Milk Commissionerate has stopped taking samples of milk ever since the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stepped in and began collecting samples.
Plastic eggs scare
In the wake of the recent plastic eggs scare, acting on a State-wide directive and complaints from consumers, checks were conducted on eggs in Coimbatore district. All of the 161 samples collected in April this year were found to be safe. Samples of popular White Leghorn were tested at the government laboratory in Madurai,” said O.L.S. Vijay, designated officer, FSSAI, Coimbatore.
Adulteration not new
With plastics and chemicals prevalent in pretty much everything we use, the adulteration scare is here to stay. In the 1980’s food adulteration was something that people had just begun hearing about — it used to mean stones in rice, water in milk, sawdust in tea and brick powder in chilli powder. But all that is passé now.
Adulteration has taken on a new avatar. It now comes in the form of non-permitted colours being added to snacks like bhajji and pakoda sold on the roadsides, maida bleached with chemicals, oil-soluble red colour added to chilli powder and cheap palm oil mixed with other cooking oils to reduce the price, says G. Santhanarajan of the Consumer Association of India (CAI).
“Even the word adulteration is not to be found in the Food Safety and Standards Act. The Act talks about safe foods, sub-standard and unsafe foods. You can simply pay a fine and get off the hook unless the product is deemed unsafe. We now have to be afraid of plastics, especially those that come in the form of food packaging. Packing hot food items in plastic bags is bad for health as the heat causes the plastic to react. Everything from oil to water to pulses that we buy comes in plastic packs. But since nobody has time for anything, people don’t even bother to carry their own bags to department stores to avoid plastic bags,” he rued.
Enforcement failure
After the Food Safety and Standards Act came into force, though a separate set-up came into being to check food standards, the very same officials of various local bodies have been implementing the norms. Consumer activists feel that the department is failing at enforcement.
Nirmala Desikan, chairman and managing trustee, CAI, said that the new Act was a detailed and more comprehensive one than the one that it replaced. “There are so many things that are adulterated, but the problem is that they (officials) are not strong enough in implementing the rules. We also don’t know how many complaints it (Food Safety department) receives or how many are dealt with. The department is not transparent,” she said.
Food Safety officials have refused to provide the exact data on adulteration of milk in the State to The Hindu. Only rough figures of complaints and samples collected were provided. Each laboratory gets around 500 samples a month. Just 100 samples are collected from milk products, said a source.
Many residents have registered complaints with the Food Safety department through its WhatsApp number 9444042322. “We will increase random sampling to study the trends. The analysis is done in three days. Samples are collected within 24 hours of receipt of complaints,” said an official.
But activist T. Sadagopan is far less optimistic. “The very few checks that are done hardy matter since very few people are penalised. And those who adulterate will continue to do so. For the consumer, this would only mean unchecked adulteration leading to an adverse impact on their health.”
(With inputs from Aloysius Xavier Lopez and Zubeda Hamid in Chennai, L. Srikrishna in Madurai and Wilson Thomas in Coimbatore)
Why food safety matters to our well-being
Medical practitioners blame adulterants for a host of health complications.
Over the years, doctors and researchers have found that the more toxins we expose ourselves to in our environment and our food chain, the greater the health complications we may face.
Take diabetes for instance – India has 69 million diabetics, as per the International Diabetes Federation’s Atlas 2015. A number of studies have shown, says endocrinologist Jayashree Gopal, that greater use of pesticides increases the prevalence of diabetes. “Acute pesticide exposure can lead to blood sugar shooting up, and chronic or long-term exposure can make an individual more prone to diabetes,” she says. And this is just one among a number of chemicals that we are being exposed to in our daily lives. From shampoos and car fresheners to the plastic boxes in which we store our food, our environment contains an ever-increasing number of what are known as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, Dr. Gopal says. “They enter our system at different levels – you could inhale the fumes of a scent, eat food wrapped in plastic or even have it enter your body through printed receipts that you handle. Even if disposed of, these chemicals leach into the groundwater and re-enter our food chain,” she says.
Pernicious effects
While there have been no long-term human studies as of yet, animal studies have shown that these endocrine-disrupting chemicals can cause a number of problems: thyroid disorders, low sperm count in men and even affect the developing foetus in pregnant women, she says.
Oncologists too say that long-term exposure to chemical carcinogens can lead to cancer, and at times, these chemicals can contaminate food and water.
In immediate cases, adulterants in food or drinks can cause gastric irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea and even jaundice, if they contain an infectious material, says S. Raghunandan, professor of medicine at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
In the case of adulterated tea for instance , regular intake of tea containing synthetic colour can lead to gastrointestinal diseases, said O.L.S. Vijay, designated officer, FSSAI, Coimbatore.
However, Dr. Raghunandan says how adulterants affect the body can be difficult to predict, as it depends on the substance used and how long a person is exposed to it.
Himachal Pradesh: Only one officer to monitor food safety and quality!
Himachal Pradesh which had 6,864,602 population as per 2011 Census has only one Food and Safety Officer to monitor food safety and quality in the State. Though the total number of sanctioned posts of such officer is 13 but at present there is only one officer for all the 12 districts of the State. This lone officer is posted in Chamba-Kangra district.
Jagdish Dhiman, Designated Officer in the Food Safety and Regulation department stated that there is serious shortage of food safety officers and consequently, food samples could not be collected for tests to check safety and quality aspects of various food items. Under Section 38 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, only Food Safety Officer can take food samples for tests to ascertain its quality and safety aspects.
Doctors and health experts say that consumption of adulterated food items cause vomiting, loose motions, fever, diarrhea and other digestive and intestinal ailments. Monsoon is about to commence and such food related ailments increase during the rainy seasons.
In Himachal Pradesh, the State Government has left it to the people to look after their safety.
Jun 17, 2017
HUL wins ice cream ad lawsuit against Amul in Bombay high court
Bombay high court granted HUL’s plea for an injunction against advertisements that Amul began airing in March
A single-judge bench of the Bombay high court granted HUL’s plea for an injunction against the advertisements that Amul began airing in March.
Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Friday won a lawsuit it filed in the Bombay high court against the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), owner of the Amul brand, for airing ads that it said disparaged frozen desserts.
HUL, India’s largest packaged consumer products maker, produces the Kwality Wall’s brand of frozen desserts and ice-creams.
A single-judge bench comprising justice S.J. Kathawalla granted HUL’s plea for an injunction against the advertisements that Amul began airing in March. The court also denied GCMMF’s plea for a stay on the order.
The plea was granted on grounds that the ads disparaged the entire category of frozen desserts in which Kwality Wall’s is the leader.
“This court having come to the conclusion that defendant No. 1 is guilty of disparaging the rival product, i.e. frozen desserts by making false statements of facts with regard to the same and also indulging in a negative campaign and also asking the consumers not to have frozen desserts but instead have the product of defendant No.1, i.e. Amul ice-cream, which is not permissible in law, the question of granting any stay on the order does not arise. The application for stay is therefore rejected,” justice Kathawalla said.
“This would mean that the court has asked Amul to stop airing the advertisement effective immediately,” said Nishad Nadkarni, associate partner at Khaitan and Co. and advisor to HUL in the case.
Justice Kathawalla also refused to suggest changes to the ads, saying that “the disparaging manner in which the impugned TVCs are made/prepared, it is in any event not possible to direct/order/suggest any modification/s to the same”.
“We are pleased that the Honourable Bombay high court while injuncting Amul’s advertisement has agreed with HUL’s contention that Amul’s advertisement is false, misleading consumers and disparages frozen desserts,” Sudhir Sitapati, executive director-refreshments, HUL, said in an emailed statement.
“Kwality Wall’s products are made with milk/milk solids and do not contain vanaspati. In fact, our frozen dessert products use milk without cholesterol to offer healthy and exciting choices to consumers,” he added.
GCMMF managing director R.S. Sodhi did not respond to a request for comment.
In March, Amul launched an ad campaign for its Amul brand of ice-creams that emphasized the difference between ice-creams (made from milk fat) and frozen desserts (made from vegetable oil). These definitions based on ingredients are as per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India norms.
Amul’s ads urged customers to choose ice-creams over frozen desserts, claiming that the latter were made with vanaspati tel or vegetable oil.
Soon after, HUL filed a lawsuit in the Bombay high court asking that Amul be stopped from airing the ads and ordered to pay damages.
HUL argued that as Kwality Wall’s was the largest frozen dessert brand in India, it was directly hit by Amul’s advertisement even though the films did not refer to it by name.
CII holds workshop for food safety supervisors
Nagpur: The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) held a training programme for food safety supervisors in Nagpur on Friday.
Similar programmes on food safety training and certification schemes of FSSAI were held earlier in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi. The programmes are part of CII-Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, an all-India food safety campaign to strengthen action on 'safe food for all' through awareness and capacity building programmes.
It is being supported by Mission Health, the CSR initiative of GSK Consumer Healthcare. The programme held at Nagpur was aimed at small and medium industries, said a press release issued by CII.
The course facilitated knowledge and practical learning, in a highly interactive mode covering spects of hygienic and sanitary practices for food general manufacturing, under Schedule 4, Part II of Food Safety and Standard Act, Rule and Regulations, said the CII release.
Studies have shown that an appreciable percentage of food-borne diseases can be attributed to poor sanitation and food hygiene, including poor personal hygiene and contamination of equipment and environment.
As a result, training of personnel in food business is a pre-requisite for ensuring food safety and hygiene. The ultimate objective of the training programme was to fulfil the need of having at least one trained and certified food safety supervisor in every food business so that the individual in turn train others
CII Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan plans to complete 100 such training programs in partnership with industry across the country during 2017-18, said the press release.
Hostels checked for food quality
Vadodara: After a long time, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) food safety officers conducted extensive checking of food item at hostels and canteens of the M S University (MSU) and other institutes.
Teams of VMC officials conducted checks at the science and arts faculty canteens of the MSU in the main campus as well as the messes Sardar Patel and Vikram Sarabhai halls of residence in the hostel campus. A team also checked the mess of the new boys' hostel of the Baroda Medical College in the Kothi area of the city.
Officials said that samples of flour, 'khichdi', sprouts, lentils and semolina or 'suji' were collected from the eateries. These will be tested at the public health laboratory of the VMC. If found substandard, action will be taken against those operating the facilities. The contractors of the eateries were asked to ensure that hygienic conditions are maintained and inferior quality material is not used for preparing food items.
Fruit that looks too good to be true is often bad news, say nutritionists
Picture-perfect produce may be a result of injections of synthetic dye, coatings of inedible wax. Super-sweet flavouring could be sugar water.
Careful consumers are now starting to look for uneven shapes and spots on their apples, as a positive sign that the fruit hasn’t been tampered with.
Do you remember watermelons being as sweet when you were a kid as they are today? Some vendors are injecting sugared water into the fruit to make it sweeter, and heavier.
“They’re also injecting red dyes to make the flesh look brighter,” says nutritionist Tripti Gupta. “These colours can be toxic and cause diseases.”
Watermelons are not the only fruit being tampered with.
Apples are also coated in wax — not always the edible kind — to make them look glossier.
The perfectly ripe mango that you bought the other day may have been ripened artificially, using chemicals rather than sunshine. Eating it may just be a health hazard.
Since fruits that are harvested ripe have a shorter shelf life, some farmers or suppliers are known to artificially ripen them to stay looking fresh longer.
The most commonly used chemical is calcium carbide, and an ethylene that artificially ripens fruits.
Artificial ripening is most prevalent during the beginning of a fruit season, when the demand is high, driving prices up. Given that the sector is unorganised, there are fewer food inspectors doing checks, so many harvests go unexamined.
Nutritionist Arati Shah says that calcium carbide is also used to artificially ripen bananas, papayas and sometimes apples. “This is the same chemical used in the manufacture of firecrackers,” she says. “It contains phosphorous, and releases acetylene gas, which hastens the ripening of fruits. It is also toxic.”
QUALITY CONTROL
HOW TO TELL
To test for artificial colours: Rub the surface of the fruit or vegetable with a cotton ball soaked in water or vegetable oil.
Or place a piece of the fruit or vegetable in a glass of water and let it stand for about 30 minutes.
To detect wax polish, scratch the surface of the fruit or vegetable with a blade.
So how do you pick safe fruit? The country’s top food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has put together an online booklet called The Pink Book: Your Guide for Safe and Nutritious Food at Home’. It is aimed at Indian households and offers advice on buying, storing and preparing food. It also has details on how to determine if fruits, vegetables, grains, spices and condiments, milk and milk products are adulterated. The booklet is available for free download on the FSSAI site: foodsmart.fssai.gov.in/ PinkBook.pdf
“We have started many initiatives to ensure what people eat is safe. While we test edible items in our labs, there are certain ways with which a common person can figure out whether the food is adulterated or not. Our booklet will come in handy there,” says Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI.
Ritika Sammadar, regional head, dietetics, New Delhi’s Max Healthcare, says recommends picking seasonal, local fruits and vegetables as they are naturally fresh, nutritionally dense and cheap. “The problem with off season fruits and vegetables that are not locally available is that they are not fresh as they are kept in cold storage, could also be adulterated,” she says.
To remove surface chemicals at home, water and white vinegar is useful.
“Grapes can be soaked in salt water or vinegar solution and rinsed thoroughly to wash off chemicals. Apples can be soaked in hot water for a few minutes and wiped carefully to remove wax,” says Gupta.
Peeling fruit helps too. “Banana and papaya are the safest,” says Niti Desai, consultant nutritionist at Mumbai’s Cumballa Hill Hospital & Heart Institute.
MOUNTING SUSPICION
TO RID FRUITS AND VEGGIES OF CHEMICALS
Soak them in salt or white vinegar solution for a few minutes and wipe thoroughly.
Or scrub using baking soda and rinse with warm water.
Peeling fruits and vegetables is the best way to make them safe to eat.
Most consumers already sense that there’s something off about early-batch mangoes, and fruits that look photo-shoot ready. LocalCircles India, a citizen engagement platform, recently carried out an online poll to understand the extent of the problem. Of the 9,224 respondents who voted during first ten days of June, 32% said that they believed that mangoes they were eating were definitely artificially ripened. Half of them said these mangoes were most likely artificially ripened. Only 11% said they were confident that the mangoes had ripened naturally.
“Artificial ripening takes place most often during the beginning when the prices are high. These prices then ease out with the onset of monsoon as larger quantities hit the market,” says K. Yatish Rajawat, chief strategy officer, LocalCircles India.
So pick your fruit wisely at the store or market. If it looks too perfect, too uniform in shape, size and colour, it likely has been tampered with. This fruit will also be low on flavour, and often not be as sweet as it should be, since the artificial ripening means that flesh is not fully ripe inside.
Jun 16, 2017
Squads to check ‘plastic rice’
The Food Safety Department is taking immediate measures to check if there is any truth in the messages spreading in the social media about plastic-laced rice and sugar being sold in the market, an official press release said here.
The department has formed special squads in all districts to check the rice manufacturing centres, procurement centres, wholesale depots, packing centres as well as the open market to check for ‘plastic rice’ and to allay the apprehensions of the public regarding food safety.
On Thursday, inspections were held in 73 locations and 16 were served notices and Rs. 17,000 collected as fine.
Plastic rice: six samples sent for test
Officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department inspected wholesale shops selling rice and godowns and collected six samples of rice on Thursday.
A team led by Designated Food Safety Officer Dr. M. Kavikkumar along with food safety inspectors inspected shops at many parts of the town. The team also inspected godowns where gunny bags of rice were stocked. However, no plastic rice was found in these places.
Addressing mediapersons, he said that 181 shops and godowns were inspected in the district so far by four teams in the past four days and no plastic rice was found. However, six samples were taken and sent to laboratory in Chennai.
The officer said that to prevent adulteration in milk, 28 samples were taken of which seven were found to contain less fat. He said that case would be filed against those companies and action would be taken.
Food samples collected by FSDA fail test
Bareilly: Samples of edible oil and a namkeen collected by food safety & drugs administration (FSDA) from three different places in February were found to be substandard. Officials said that the food items have been seized and license of the accused traders would be cancelled.
Bareilly FSDA designated officer Mamta Kumari told TOI, “We had conducted raids in February across the district during the festive season of Holi. We collected over two dozen samples from various sources in the district to send them to laboratory. The reports of those samples have started coming now. On Wednesday, we got reports of samples of bran oil, palm oil and namkeen. Oil samples were collected from Rithora block, while namkeen sample from Bhabhora area. In lab reports all three samples are said to be substandard and highly injurious to health.”
The FSDA official said that in edible oil synthetic colour and acid was found, similarly in namkeen non-edible colour was mixed.
“Lab reports say that sample contain non permitted synthetic yellow colour which is highly harmful for consumption. We will file a case against the accused traders in the court of additional city magistrate. We have already sealed the premises and now their licences will be cancelled. The edible oil was produced in huge quantity nearly 2,000 to 3,000 litres per day to dispatch in the other district also. Similarly, namkeen was dispatched in the local market, especially in the rural area,” Kumari added.
Two fruit sellers caught
Imphal, June 14 2017:
A combined team of Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal West and City police, today, caught two fruit sellers along with two bottles of an unknown chemicals used to ripen bananas.
Speaking to media persons at his Lamphelpat office, Health Director Dr Karam Lokendro said that a combined team of Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal West and City police carried out inspection drives at various fruit stores and godowns in Imphal area and arrested two fruit sellers identified as Shaktinath Prasad s/ o Jagadis of Chhathu Saha Ward no 15, East Champaran district, Bihar presently staying at Majorkhul and Dost Mohammad Ansari s/o Samsuddin Ansari of Fulwari Tajpur, Bihar, presently staying at Nagamapal Singjubung Leirak.
The security team also seized two 400ml bottles filled with an unknown chemical.
The bottles had labels ‘Made in China’ and ‘Manufactured by Shandong United Pesticide Industry Co Ltd’ as well.
Expressing suspicion that the chemicals might contain carbide, Lokendro said that the contents of the said bottles cannot be confirmed due to the printed language but samples would be sent to laboratories for testing.
The security team also seized some (zehaji) bananas which had been dunk in a diluted solution of the chemical for ripening.
He also stated that with the help of the chemical, bananas which normally take around a week to ripen, can be ripened in only three days and further notified all fruit sellers to refrain from resorting to such illegal activities for profit and threatened to take up necessary legal actions against anyone caught resorting to such practices.
Lokendro urged the people to contact the Food Safety Enforcement Wing or the Directorate if they come across such illegal activities.
On the other hand, he expressed disappointment at the claims made by one United Meitei Pangal Association against the Department and clarified that the organisation had requested the Department to sanction funds for a medical camp but the Department refused as it only provides medical supplies and manpower for such camps.
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