Dec 22, 2017
Citizens can trust food they get: FSSAI on CAG report
Responding to the CAG's audit finding, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it is committed to raise the bar of food safety and hygiene for which it is investing Rs 480 crore to modernise state food testing labs.
Food safety regulator FSSAI today assured citizens that they can trust food they get, a day after government auditor CAG pulled up the sectoral watchdog over licensing process and poor testing labs.
Responding to the CAG's audit finding, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it is committed to raise the bar of food safety and hygiene for which it is investing Rs 480 crore to modernise state food testing labs.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said the regulator has requested the government to recruit 600 people in the central authority to help meet manpower shortage and discharge its function of framing standards as well as ensuring compliances.
He said the regulator is reviewing the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and will make recommendation to the health ministry in the next 3-4 months.
"We assure citizens that they can trust food they get. The FSSAI is confident that the country's food safety ecosystem is well on the way to become more robust and globally benchmarked in the years to come," he told reporters.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had yesterday pulled up the FSSAI for issuing licences to food business operators without complete documents and questioned it on the quality of testing with 65 out of 72 state labs not being accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The auditor found "systemic inefficiencies, delays and deficiencies in the framing of various regulations and standards, amendments to regulations in violation of the Act and the specific direction of the Supreme Court".
Reacting to the CAG report, the FSSAI said it "appreciates the inputs from CAG to improve performance of food safety."
"The CAG report should, however, be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that the FSSAI is new an evolving organisation and it faces severe constraints of manpower and resources," he said.
Stressing that the regulator has over the past couple of years taken several steps to improve food safety in the country, he said, "The FSSAI continues to be committed to raise the bar for food safety and hygiene in the country so that citizens can trust food they get in the marketplace."
Elaborating on food labs, Agarwal said the Centre is making an investment of Rs 480 crore for strengthening of the state food laboratories and referral laboratories. Overall 45 labs across States/UTs would be supported.
The FSSAI is also upgrading its own two labs and will set up two new laboratories, he said, adding that the regulator will also soon finalise reference labs to deal with inconsistency.
There are currently 240 labs across the country, of which 152 are private accredited with NABL.
On framing of standards, Agarwal said barring few products, norms and regulations have been framed for all the products, including organic food, specified under the Act.
Asked about the CAG's findings on the licensing process, he said the FSSAI is reviewing the document list and doing away with those which are not needed for getting its registration and licences.Welcoming CAG's performance audit, Agarwal said: "This report will help us in sensitising those states which are not doing enough on the food safety front."
Doubts raised on food safety in India
CAG report reveals gaps in the working of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
An audit of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s premier watchdog on the food, by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) reveals gaps in the working of the body. FSSAI is responsible for implementing the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and CAG found that though it has been more than a decade since the enactment of the act, FSSAI is yet to frame regulations and guidelines to govern different procedures.
Neither FSSAI nor the state food authorities have documented policies and procedures on risk based inspections and the FSSAI does not even have a database on food businesses in the country. Other than this, FSSAI has failed to set up well equipped food labs in the state too. Only seven out of 72 states laboratories passed the standards issued by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). CAG pointed out that as the laboratories are not well-equipped, there is a possibility that unsafe food articles continue to be manufactured and sold due.
The audit report also found that the there is an acute shortage of licensing and enforcement officers in the states which severely affected food safety measures. In case of renewal of the license too, FSSAI did not adhere to regulations. For example, in 49 cases pertaining to Central Licensing Authority (CLA), Kolkata and Guwahati, food business operators (FBOs) applied for renewal of licenses after their expiry.
Despite the fact that the licenses had already expired at the time of application, instead of issuing fresh licenses as stipulated by law, CLAs renewed the licenses. The gap between the expiry of the licenses and their irregular renewal ranged from one year to five and a half years. CLAs thus, irregularly legitimized the gap period of food business during which FBOs, operated without valid licenses in violation of section 31 of the Act.
For the performance audit, CAG examined FSSAI along with its regional and sub-regional offices in the nine selected states and one union territory between the time period from August 2011 and March 2016. The report was tabled in the Parliament on December 19, 2017.
CAG has recommended that FSSAI should expedite the notification of regulation on areas that have been specified in the FSS Act, but are yet not covered. FSSAI would also have to ensure that all licenses issued are reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, before issuing. FSSAI and the state food authorities have to conduct surveys of food business activity under their jurisdiction to ensure a comprehensive and reliable database of FBOs and ensure better enforcement and administration of the FSS Act.
CAG has also recommended that the authority may frame standard operating procedures on the formulation and review of standards, and ensure that these are being followed in the near future. Ministry of Health and Family and Welfare should ensure accreditation of all state food laboratories, pertaining to equipment and functionality of the lab.
J-K govt approves creation of Commissioner of Food Safety
The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved the creation of Commissioner of Food Safety and supporting staff in the state, an official spokesperson said.
The Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, approved the creation of one post of Commissioner of Food Safety along with supporting staff for proper implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations, 2011, he said.
Food samples during Diwali raids show presence of carcinogens
Meerut: The results of some food samples, that were sent to the food testing laboratory in Lucknow and which arrived on Thursday, have revealed shocking amounts of carcinogenic chemicals and non-permitted food colours. The samples were sent by officials of the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) after a raid at several sweet shops during Diwali.
Sudan, a colouring dye that is prohibited under law, was used in food colour and Rhodamine B, a carcinogenic element, was used for making sweets at a local shop in Meerut. “As many as 102 food items were sent for testing. It was found that 31 items were substandard, one was misbranded, 11 violated regulations and eight were found unsafe for consumption,” said Archana Dheeran, designated officer, FSDA Meerut.
The laboratory reports of the eight unsafe items included a sweet sample that used Rhodamine B and which was taken from the shop of one Mohd Aslam in Kithore. Meanwhile, a sample of food colour taken from Bhagat Ji Sweets in Pallavpuram had Sudan II – a banned dye.
A laddoo manufacturing shop belonging to one Salman in Jamuna Nagar on Hapur road used the non-permitted Metanil yellow colour. Experts said that this colour is neurotoxic, which can damage the central and peripheral nervous system in human body, and hepatotoxic, which can cause liver damage.
Meanwhile, silver vark used in sweets taken from the shop of one Randhava in Meerut’s Mussourie area was found to be toxic aluminium.
“A case will be filed against all the sweet shops which flouted norms under the Food Safety and Standards Act and action will be taken against them,” said Dheeran.
Poori Daal kaali hai: Can you even trust the food you eat?
There is a lot we expect from our politicians and leaders whom we have sent to Parliament based on their promises to us. More often than not, these promises are either half-met or not fulfilled at all.
However, the least we can expect from the people in power is that they ensure that the food we eat is safe. As prices skyrocket, it has become increasingly difficult to meet our nutritionary needs but what is one to do if the food you buy is also unsafe?
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has released an audit report where it has come down strongly on The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for their ill-equipped food laboratories and for following poor testing standards.
"The audit revealed systemic inefficiencies, including delays and deficiencies in the framing of various regulations and standards. Audit also observed amendments to regulations in violation of the Act and specific directions of the Supreme Court. Most of the state foods laboratories entrusted with food testing and certification functions, were not only ill-equipped but also did not possess accreditation of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Further, enforcement activities relating to licensing, registration, inspection, sampling and prosecution were inadequate. FSSAI has failed to finalise the recruitment regulations. Irregularities were also observed in the appointment of contractual employees," the damning report said.
You can read the entire report here.
A part of India’s ministry of health and family welfare, the FSSAI was set up in 2011. Its job is to regulate the transport, manufacture, and sale of food apart from the all-important function of laying down scientific standards for food.
"Possibility that unsafe/declared unsafe food articles continued to be manufactured and sold is not ruled out due to failure of the Authority to monitor and cancel licenses issued under the product approval system declared unlawful by the Supreme Court," is yet another damning statement from the CAG report.
Reacting to the CAG report, the FSSAI said it "appreciates the inputs from CAG to improve performance of food safety," reports TOI.
"The CAG report should, however, be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that the FSSAI is new an evolving organisation and it faces severe constraints of manpower and resources," the body added.
The paper also reports that the FSSAI CEO, Pawan Agarwal has said that the regulator has requested the government to recruit 600 people in the central authority to help meet manpower shortage and discharge its function of framing standards as well as ensuring compliances.
"We assure citizens that they can trust food they get. The FSSAI is confident that the country's food safety ecosystem is well on the way to become more robust and globally benchmarked in the years to come," he told reporters.
Dec 21, 2017
FSSAI finalises recruitment norms, proposes to create 600 posts
Most concerns raised by CAG being addressed, says CEO
NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 20:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is in the process of finalising its recruitment regulations, is looking to create 600 posts to strengthen its workforce.
The food safety regulator has sent its proposal to the Ministry of Health. It also said that the Central government was investing ₹480 crore to strengthen State food laboratories and referral laboratories.
“We have finalised the recruitment regulations and have made a suggestion to create 600 posts. Discussions and deliberations are going on to finalise this proposal with the ministry,” Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, told reporters on Wednesday.
Agarwal was reacting to the CAG report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, which raised various issues around the functioning of FSSAI, the existing inadequate lab infrastructure, delay in formulation of standards and regulations and lack of recruitment regulations among others.
“We appreciate the inputs we have got from CAG to improve performance of food safety. However, over the past one-and-half-year, we have addressed most of these areas of concern. We remain committed to raise the bar for food safety standards in the country,” he said, adding that FSSAI wanted to assure citizens that they could trust the food they get.
Agarwal said that over the past few years, several steps had been taken to strengthen and improve food safety. “The CAG report should be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that FSSAI is a new and evolving organisation that faces severe constraints of manpower and resources,” he added.Delays and deficiencies
On concerns raised by the government auditor around the delays and deficiencies in formulation of standards and regulations, FSSAI said over the past two years, it had focused on expediting the process of developing new regulations and food standards. These include regulations on health supplements and nutraceuticals, food ingredient regulations, import regulations, and approval for non-specified food, among others.
Talking about food testing infrastructure, Agarwal said FSSAI was already in the process of upgrading its existing lab in Ghaziabad through a public-private partnership, and was also looking to set up its new labs in other metro cities, including Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.
Talking about efforts to support State laboratories, he said hand-holding was being done to States to support them in getting NABL accreditation. “Just like the developed markets, we are also in the process of identifying and setting up a network of reference labs, which will be involved with setting benchmarks and methodology for testing for other laboratories,” he added.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had 261 unauthorised contractual employees: CAG
NEW DELHI: The FSSAI has on its roll unauthorised 261 contractual employees who perform routine functions, defeating the intention that employees should perform specific tasks, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has said.
The audit body has observed that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not, prior to the engaging the 261 employee, identified their specific work, expected output and time frame for completion of the work.
"FSSAI has on its roll (as of December 2016), 261 contractual employees in the technical, scientific, administrative and general categories. Audit observed that these contractual employees were performing routine functions, defeating the intention of appointing contractual employees only for specific tasks of defined duration," the audit report says.
Of the total, 51 were appointed in 2016 alone, it said. "Further, 61 contractual employees have been working in FSSAI for more than five years (as of December 2016)," said the report.
The FSSAI admitted (May 2017) that the contractual staff had been engaged for even more than five years and they have been working like regular staff and not in any time-bound specific activity. This supports the audit observation.
FSSAI stated that an internal committee had been set up to review all contractual appointments including their remuneration, increment and tenure.
The audit body also found that there was irregular grant of higher grade to a category of contractual employees.
"In terms of sanction orders (September 2010) of the Ministry, Assistance and Accounts Assistants/Administration cum Accounts Assistants in the FSSAI are only entitled to grade pay of Rs 4,200.
"However, without the approval of the food authority, Ministry, the CEO, FSSAI approved (March 2015) fixation of remuneration payable to contractual employees based on the grade pay of Rs 4,600 against the post of Assistant and Accounts Assistants/Administration cum Accounts Assistants," said the report.
According to the audit body, FSSAI accepted the facts and stated that the rationale for this has not been found on records so far.
"In case there is no good reason, this would be reverted to Rs 4,200," said the report.
Citizens can trust food they get: FSSAI on CAG report the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Food safety regulator FSSAI today assured citizens that they can trust food they get, a day after government auditor CAG pulled up the sectoral watchdog over licensing process and poor testing labs.
Responding to the CAG's audit finding, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said it is committed to raise the bar of food safety and hygiene for which it is investing Rs 480 crore to modernise state food testing labs.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said the regulator has requested the government to recruit 600 people in the central authority to help meet manpower shortage and discharge its function of framing standards as well as ensuring compliances.
He said the regulator is reviewing the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and will make a recommendation to the health ministry in the next 3-4 months.
"We assure citizens that they can trust the food they get. The FSSAI is confident that the country's food safety ecosystem is well on the way to become more robust and globally benchmarked in the years to come," he told reporters.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had yesterday pulled up the FSSAI for issuing licences to food business operators without complete documents and questioned it on the quality of testing with 65 out of 72 state labs not being accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The auditor found "systemic inefficiencies, delays and deficiencies in the framing of various regulations and standards, amendments to regulations in violation of the Act and the specific direction of the Supreme Court".
Reacting to the CAG report, the FSSAI said it "appreciates the inputs from CAG to improve performance of food safety."
"The CAG report should, however, be seen in the context of the huge and complex task at hand and the fact that the FSSAI is new an evolving organisation and it faces severe constraints of manpower and resources," he said.
Stressing that the regulator has over the past couple of years taken several steps to improve food safety in the country, he said, "The FSSAI continues to be committed to raise the bar for food safety and hygiene in the country so that citizens can trust food they get in the marketplace."
Elaborating on food labs, Agarwal said the Centre is making an investment of Rs 480 crore for strengthening of the state food laboratories and referral laboratories. Overall 45 labs across States/UTs would be supported.
The FSSAI is also upgrading its own two labs and will set up two new laboratories, he said, adding that the regulator will also soon finalise reference labs to deal with inconsistency.
There are currently 240 labs across the country, of which 152 are private accredited with NABL.
On framing of standards, Agarwal said barring few products, norms and regulations have been framed for all the products, including organic food, specified under the Act.
Asked about the CAG's findings on the licensing process, he said the FSSAI is reviewing the document list and doing away with those which are not needed for getting its registration and licences.Welcoming CAG's performance audit, Agarwal said: "This report will help us in sensitising those states which are not doing enough on the food safety front.
Food safety regulator to ensure clean street-food hubs
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is in the process of designating popular street food localities across the country as ‘clean street food hubs’
To ensure street food available in India is safe and hygienic has been on top of FSSAI’s agenda.
India’s top food regulator could soon certify popular street-food places, assuring quality for those in love with street food but wary of hygiene.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is in the process of designating popular street food localities across the country as ‘clean street food hubs’, if they fulfil certain food safety and hygiene criteria.
“Street food is popular among people and there already are streets and cluster of shops in different states that are known for their street food. What we are planning is to ensure that the food served at these places is safe and hygienic,” said Pawan Agarwal, CEO- FSSAI.
The food regulator currently is in the process of formulating guidelines for certification.
“The parameters that we are considering include best practices for garbage disposal, maintaining personal hygiene, demarcating cooking and non-cooking area, working street lights, pest control and overall cleanliness among other things,” he said.
Once the guidelines are formed, the food regulator will write to states to get local authorities involved in the project.
“Many of the parameters go beyond FSSAI mandate so we will have to rope in various departments locally to see to it that this project is implemented successfully.”
Eating unhygienic food , especially street food, can lead to serious health conditions.
“Eating contaminated food or water can lead to diarrhoea, typhoid fever, viral hepatitis or even cholera. We frequently get patients who get sick after eating street food or taking contaminated water,” says Dr MP Sharma, chairman, gastroenterology, Rockland Hospital.
To ensure street food available in India is safe and hygienic has been on top of FSSAI’s agenda.
It started project clean street food earlier this year that involves training and capacity building of the street food vendors and ensures proper regulatory oversight over them under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Close to 20,000 street food vendors have been trained in best hygiene practices in the national Capital already, and the training will be extended to other states in coming months.
Dec 20, 2017
FSSAI to check quality of food in hospitals, healthcare facilities
FSSAI wants hospitals and to follow food safety standards prescribed by the regulator
New Delhi: India’s food safety regulator has turned its sights towards hospitals and other healthcare facilities to ensure they serve safe and nutritious food.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which already has oversight of food consumed in households, offices and even places of worship, wants public health institutions to follow safety standards prescribed by the regulator.
In the first step, the FSSAI will organize a round-table meeting of health ministers from the states. The event will be chaired by Union health and family welfare minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, said FSSAI chief executive officer (CEO) Pawan Kumar Agarwal.
“Next month, we are holding this round table,” Agarwal said, adding that research by regulator has identified food served in hospitals as “potentially hazardous.”
According to FSSAI, people visiting hospitals are more susceptible to food-borne illnesses than the general population. Food contamination by pathogens could be particularly harmful. In fact, small numbers of enteric pathogens that may be innocuous to most healthy people can cause disease and even death in susceptible patients, especially immune-compromised subjects, the food regulator recently said in a note.
India has 35,416 government hospitals with around 1.37 million beds, according to directorate general of state health services data. Of these, 26,604 government hospitals are located in rural areas. Each of these hospitals has a canteen that serves food to patients.
Agarwal said food handlers at hospitals should be trained on food hygiene and hazard analysis and critical control points to ensure food safety.
As part of its agenda of ensuring safe and nutritious food at hospitals, the food regulator has already partnered with industry bodies such as the Indian Medical Association, Indian Dietetics Association, Nutrition Society of India, Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers, the National Health Mission, and some government health organisations.
This is not the first time FSSAI is trying to ensure food safety and nutrition in a public system. In February, FSSAI said it had teamed up with the ministry of women and child development and drafted a plan to make supply of fortified food mandatory in government-supported schemes such as mid-day meals, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and the Public Distribution System (PDS), in an attempt to fight malnutrition, Mint reported on 2 February.
CAG: Quality of food testing laboratories suspect
India's food certification process came under the scanner on Tuesday with the Comptroller and Auditor General showing that as many as 65 of the 72 testing laboratories are functioning without an accreditation from the official agency.
The same is true for eight of the 16 referral laboratories that operate without a certificate from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration.
"The quality of testing by 65 out of 72 state food laboratories and 8 of the 16 referral laboratories can't be assured," the CAG said in its report tabled in Parliament. Most of these laboratories are state-level units.
The government auditor also pulled up the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for its failure to stop import of unsafe food.
The CAG said it found licences were issued on the basis of incomplete documents in more than 50% of cases.
A test check of five state licensing authorities and three central licensing authorities found that in 3,119 out of 5,915 test checked cases, licences had been issued to the food business operators on the basis of incomplete documents. As many as 15 out of the 16 test checked food laboratories did not have qualified food analysts.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 came nearly a decade ago in order to consolidate multiple laws related to food safety and to put in place an effective regulator.
But even after a decade of enactment of the legislation, the Union Health Ministry and FSSAI failed to finalise the recruitment rules, leading to acute shortage of regular staff at various levels because of which the FSSAI made unauthorised appointments on contract.
The ministry sanctioned 356 posts for FSSAI at various levels, out of which there are only 115 regular staff as on December 2016. FSSAI appointed 261 contractual staff who run the lion's share of the food regulator's regular work.
To test whether the penalty is collected from violators, the auditor test checked 10 cases between 2011 and 2016 in which nearly Rs 13 crore penalty was imposed on the food business operators. Around Rs 7 crore was deposited by the operators to the FSSAI, but the agency failed to retrieve the balance Rs 6 crore.
CAG raps FSSAI over licencing process, poor food testing labs
The CAG report said FSSAI issued licences to food manufacturers on the basis of incomplete documents in more than 50% of cases checked in the audit
The CAG report said that neither FSSAI nor the state food authorities had documented policies and procedures on risk based inspections, and the FSSAI does not have any database on the food business. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint
New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has slammed the food safety regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) in a performance audit report released on Tuesday.
The CAG performance audit report said FSSAI issued licences to food manufacturers on the basis of incomplete documents in more than 50% of cases checked in the audit.
The audit on food safety was taken up to assess the performance of the ministry of health and family welfare, FSSAI and food regulatory authorities in 10 selected states.
The report said that neither FSSAI nor the state food authorities had documented policies and procedures on risk based inspections, and the FSSAI does not have any database on the food business. FSSAI has failed to ensure that the customs authorities follow up on the non-conformance reports issued by the FSSAI itself and take appropriate action to ensure that unsafe foods do not enter the country, it said.
The CAG held that food safety covers the entire food chain, and includes the stages of manufacturing or preparation, handling, transportation and storage of food in ways that prevent contamination and food-borne diseases. Any relaxation of food safety standards and their enforcement may lead to proliferation of illegal, dishonest manufacturers and suppliers, which is detrimental to public health.
“At least 65 out of the 72 state food laboratories to which FSSAI and state food safety authorities sent food samples for testing do not possess National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation. Consequently, the quality of testing by these laboratories cannot be assured,” the CAG report said.
The report highlighted that FSSAI has no data on public analysts declared eligible under the erstwhile Prevention of Food Adulteration Act who continue to function under the FSS Act. FSSAI also has no data on whether all the notified empanelled food laboratories have qualified food analysts. Audit test checks found that 15 out of the 16 test checked food laboratories did not have qualified food analysts, it said.
“Shortage of qualified manpower and functional food testing equipment in state food laboratories and referral laboratories resulted in deficient testing of food samples. There were significant delays in finalization of cases by Adjudicating Officers. Further, a significant portion of the penalty imposed remained uncollected,” the report said.
Slack food safety could be risking public health: CAG
Audit report says most food testing labs in country are ill-equipped.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), India’s constitutionally mandated federal auditor, has cited serious lapses in enforcing food-safety norms in the country, which, it said, could be putting public health at risk.
A majority of the country’s food-testing laboratories were poorly managed, the report said. It found that 65 of the 72 state-wide food laboratories were not accredited to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), as required. “Consequently, the quality of testing by these laboratories cannot be assured,” the CAG report said. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the national regulator, relies on these laboratories to confirm safety of food items.
Over 50% of licenses granted to manufacturers were issued on the basis of incomplete documents, which suggests they may not be fully complying with safety standards. From popular snacks to savouries, all foods found in stores possess the FSSAI’s licences.
In 2014, a state-level food laboratory in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur had found Swedish food giant Nestlé SA’s popular instant noodles brand, Maggi, to be unsafe. Nestlé SA had, at the time, claimed its product was safe and that there were “issues of interpretation” by Indian food inspectors. Samples tested were found to contain monosodium glutamate or MSG in Maggi.
The samples were then sent to the Kolkata-based Central Food Laboratory in June 2014. The Kolkata lab took almost a year to come out with a verdict, which said the samples not only contained MSG but also lead. This prompted the FSSAI to order a recall of Maggi in June 2015.
“Most of the state food laboratories entrusted with food testing and certification functions, were not only ill-equipped but also did not possess the NABL accreditation,” the CAG report states.
A range of issues afflicts these laboratories, including lack of trained manpower, which hampered “effective fixing of science based food standards and their enforcement”. The FSSAI’s office did not respond to queries on the CAG report, including an email sent to the CEO’s office.
“Governance lapses could mean a lot of ineligible and unsafe products could be floating around. The other aspect is technical, namely proper calibration of laboratories,” said Anurag Sharma, a former food-standards consultant to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation.
“Any relaxation of food-safety standards and their enforcement may lead to proliferation of illegal, dishonest manufacturers and suppliers, which is detrimental to public health,” the CAG said.
It said the enforcement aspects of the FSSAI were slack, including activities related to licensing, registration, inspection, sampling and prosecution. The FSSAI, according to the audit, had also failed to finalise recruitment regulations and there were irregularities in the appointment of contractual employees. Until the enactment of the Food Safety Act, 2006, the main legislation that governed food safety was the archaic Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
CAG slams FSSAI over lapses in enforcing food safety
New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has come down heavily on the Union Health Ministry and its body FSSAI for not framing regulations governing various procedures, guidelines and mechanisms in line with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
As per the top audit body's observations, there is a possibility that unsafe/declared unsafe food articles continued to be manufactured and sold due to the failure of the authorities to monitor and cancel licences.
"Audit observed that even after withdrawal of NOCs (no-Objection Certificates), there was no mechanism to ensure that the licences issued on the basis of the withdrawn NOCs were cancelled," said the report.
The audit body found that licences were issued on the basis of incomplete documents in more than 50 per cent of the cases test-checked in the audit.
"Neither FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) nor the state food authorities have documented policies and procedures on risk-based inspections, and the FSSAI does not have any data base on food business," said the audit report.
According to the CAG, 65 out of the 72 state food laboratories to which FSSAI and state food safety authorities sent food samples for testing do not have the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)'s accreditation, due to which the quality of testing by these laboratories could not be assured.
It observed that between January 2012 and May 2013, the FSSAI issued, without the approval of the ministry, a series of advisories covering the category of proprietary foods, which had been defined as articles of food and for which standards had not been specified.
The CAG has also questioned the continuation of licences issued in terms of flawed NOC procedure.
"Audit observed occasions where the NOCs issued by the product approval divisions had to be withdrawn because the application for product approval for a similar or identical product was denied by the scientific committees/scientific panels," said the audit report, adding that it was, therefore, evident that the FSSAI permitted possibly unsafe foods to be manufactured, distributed, sold or imported in the country.
The CAG observed that though the NOCs were valid only for a maximum period of one year, the FSSAI did not ensure that the licences issued on the basis of these NOCs were accordingly valid for the same period.
"Further, after withdrawal of the NOCs, FSSAI did not ensure that the Central Licence Authorities also cancelled the licences that had been issued on the basis of the now-withdrawn NOCs and also that the food business operators had stopped the manufacture, distribution and sale of such products."
Stating that there was a failure of the ministry and the FSSAI in framing the recruitment regulation even after a decade of the enactment of the act, the CAG observed that there was an acute shortage of licencing and enforcement officers in the states, severely affecting the food safety measures.
Parliament enacted the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to overcome the difficulties and to consolidate and subsume the existing acts and orders and establish a single-point reference system -- FSSAI.
The body was to lay guidelines, science-based standards and regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of food products.
The CAG also found matters pertaining to non-refund of product approval fees in the audit report.
"Audit observed that though 1,876 applications for product approval were pending with FSSAI after the Supreme Court judgment, FSSAI has not refunded Rs 4.69 crore to the applicants," the report said.
Among other issues related to the food regulatory, the CAG observed that there were deficiencies in the procedure by food safety authorities in sample handling and failure in monitoring the status of receipts of samples sent for analysis.
Dec 19, 2017
39 out of 297 food samples fail quality test
Pune: Of the 297 food samples drawn during Diwali and tested, 39 have fared poorly on various quality parameters at the state-run lab, the latest report of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has revealed.
FDA officials had drawn samples of 387 food items ahead of Diwali this year. "Of these, 297 samples have been analysed at the designated laboratory so far. After the testing, it was found that 39 samples did not conform to the quality standards set by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI)," SS Desai, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune, told TOI.
Among the 39 samples found substandard (lacking in quality but safe for human consumption), the maximum were of milk and edible oil. "Milk samples found substandard lacked the amount of fat and solids-not-fat (SNF) as per the norms laid down by the law. While purity of edible oil was compromised by mixing oils of lesser quality," Desai said, adding that excessive use of edible colour and milk powder affected the quality of milk products, sweets and farsaan.
"We have started taking action against the commercial establishments from where these 'substandard' samples were drawn," Desai said, adding, "As per the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the FDA officials can only fine them for such offences. A case is filed against a supplier only when the sample is found unsafe for human consumption."
Meanwhile, activists have questioned the state's approach towards ensuring food safety. "The state health laboratory in Pune, which is a referral lab for testing food samples in the state, has been overburdened. Many key positions of the staff are lying vacant for years. The government should fill up these posts," activist Sanjay Dabhade said.
Lab not yet set up to test food served to VVIPs at official functions
“The Microbiology Lab sanctioned two years ago, as part of the Public Health Laboratory project of the Drug and Food Control Organisation, couldn’t be established due to inordinate delay by the Health and Medical Education Department in buying the necessary testing equipment and supporting infrastructure,” officials told Kashmir Reader.
A Food Safety Officer (FSO), wishing anonymity, said that such callous approach has left officers in a dilemma over what to do about VIP security. He said that in the absence of testing equipment, it is nearly impossible to test the safety of food served at public events.
Sources said that the food analysts are left helpless when they are assigned the job of testing food served to VVIPs. “We can’t test the food for adulteration or poisoning due to bacteria as per the official protocol. Lack of infrastructure and equipment make us vulnerable to grave mistakes,” confided a food analyst.
He said that the analysts who are assigned the job of testing food usually follow a medieval practice of the times of royal courts.
“Analysts and technicians follow an old practice that was prevalent in royal courts, where royal cooks would taste the cuisine themselves in front of the king before he eats it,” the official said.
The food testing is also hampered due to the defunct mobile testing vans of the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO).
“There is no separate staff for the mobile testing vans, which make food testing even more difficult,” rued an administrator.
“The laboratory staff is forced to attend to VIP duty, despite the absence of equipment, which puts them in danger,” he said.
Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Suman Vikas, Assistant Professor at Department of Food Technology, Islamic University of Awantipora, said that a microbiology lab is vital for food safety and quality testing in a variety of food products, raw materials, and ingredients.
He said a simple microbiology lab with basic equipment would take Rs 8 lakh-10 lakh to start.
“The lab must have supporting infrastructure and basic equipment, like ovens for sterilisation, autoclave, incubators, refrigerators, colony counters, laminar flow chamber, microscopes, and computers,” Vikas said.
“It is not a big investment for the government. Many private food and spice companies in Kashmir have small labs. If they have it, why can’t the food department?” he said.
Controller, DFCO, Lotika Khajuria admitted that there has been a delay in setting up the microbiology lab. She, however, denied that any breach of security protocol occurs in her department.
“The police department usually calls us to send food analysts at functions attended by VVIPs. We are doing the best possible to make sure that the food is tested properly. If any of our officials are facing problems in their duty, he or she must give it in writing, so that we take up the issue with the quarters concerned. The issue may be taken up with the Food Safety and Standard Authority for necessary action,” she said.
According to her, the delay in the establishment of microbiology lab is due to the validation process. “We can’t start the lab right away because validation process takes time. We will start it soon because the funds have been sanctioned,” she said.
Dec 18, 2017
Hindus urge India Govt. to mandate listing of gelatin source on food, which many times is beef
Chandigarh,17.12.17-Hindus are urging India Government and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to mandate food manufacturers to mention the source of gelatin, if used in the product, on its “Ingredients” label.
When the source of gelatin is not listed and if it is beef, it is a serious non-disclosure affecting the Hindu devotees and would severely hurt their feelings when they would come to know that they were inadvertently consuming beef-laced popular food products, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed stresses.
Consumption of beef was highly conflicting to Hindu beliefs. Cow, the seat of many deities, was sacred and had long been venerated in Hinduism; Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out in a statement in Nevada (USA) today.
“…there is no requirement to declare the source of gelatin on the product label under our regulations”, P. Karthikeyan, FSSAI Assistant Director, wrote responding to an email query from Rajan Zed.
It would be shocking for the Hindu community to learn that some of the popular food products, which they might had been unknowingly eating for years, might contain beef as part of the gelatin while beef was not explicitly mentioned under the ingredients listed on the boxes/packages to caution them, Zed indicated.
Rajan Zed further said that it was hard to comprehend that why corporations, both domestic and international, many times were not transparent enough to mention beef explicitly under the ingredients on the box/package when, being constituent of gelatin, it was part of the product inside, so that an ordinary consumer could make right and appropriate choices.
Dutch-British transnational consumer goods company Unilever, which “has been in business since the 1880s” and which claims to have “developed a clear and global approach to nutrition labeling”, in a response to Zed, noted: Gelatin “is used in some of our products to provide a lower fat, lower calorie product with a pleasing texture and consistency…We cannot guarantee if the gelatin is derived from beef or pork”.
Many products of Wrigley, said to be the largest manufacturer and marketer of chewing gum in the world, contain gelatin that is sourced from beef. Gelatin derived from beef is found in the many products of multinational Kellogg’s, which claims to be “world's leading cereal company”.
Gelatin/gelatine is procured from various animal body parts and is usually used as a gelling agent in food. It can be from cows, pigs, fish, chicken, etc.; but there are animal-free and plant-based alternatives to gelatin like seaweed extracts. Gelatin is an ingredient in some cereals, ice creams, candies, yogurts, desserts, marshmallows, aspic, trifles, dips, fruit snacks, sour cream, margarine, frosting, confections, gums, Chinese soup dumplings, puddings, nondairy creamers, cakes, cream cheese, lozenges, etc. It is also used for clarification of vinegar, juices and wine.
FSSAI, headquartered in New Delhi, “has been created for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption”. Ashish Bahuguna and Pawan Kumar Agarwal are Chairperson and CEO respectively of FSSAI, whose tagline is “Inspiring Trust, Assuring Safe & Nutritious Food”.
Dec 17, 2017
Now, an easy-to-use kit to detect fish contamination
The kit, developed by CIFT, helps in ascertaining chemical contents in fish
The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), under the Ministry of Agriculture, has developed a rapid detection kit that can be used conveniently by individual buyers to determine formalin and ammonia contents in fish. There are separate kits for formalin and ammonia contamination detection, and they comprise strips of paper and a small bottle of chemical solution that works as a reagent.
To detect contamination, one has to rub the strip over the fish and later apply a drop of the solution on the strip. The result will be known in two minutes. The kit comes with a colour code indicating the level of contamination.
CIFT Director C.N. Ravishankar told the media here on Saturday that the kits had been developed over a period of six months in the wake of reports of rampant use of chemical agents to preserve fish. Some of these chemicals are extremely harmful to humans, while formalin is a cancer-causing aldehyde.
Can cause health problems
Though ammonia is not a cancer-causing chemical, its repeated ingestion can lead to health problems including injury to the mucous membrane, throat, esophagus, and stomach.
Mr. Ravishankar said around 16% of fish samples brought in by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India officials from local markets had been found contaminated. CIFT was also actively encouraged by Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma, who had repeatedly asked the institute to come out with a test kit to detect chemical contamination of fish.
S.J. Lali and E.R. Priya, the scientists who were directly involved in developing the kit, said easily affordable kits were being made available for the first time.
The kits, when mass-produced, will cost less than ₹5 per test. CIFT will invite an Expression of Interest (EoI) to hand over the right for commercial production of the kit.
The team of scientists from CIFT had conducted detailed tests to ensure the reliability of the kit, said Mr. Ravishankar.
Meanwhile, the first of the fish vending units, designed and developed by CIFT scientists, was inaugurated in West Kochi on Saturday. The unit comprises a refrigerated storage and de-scaling and cutting units run on conventional power supply. The units cost between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000 each.
Caterer booked in food poisoning case
Chafai Mahila Sanstha’s office sealed; school decides to stop serving mid-day meals
An FIR has been filed against the organisation that supplied mid-day meals to a government-aided school in Jogeshwari, where 37 students were hospitalised after eating khichdi on Wednesday.
Meghwadi police said on Saturday that they had registered a case against Chafai Mahila Sanstha, a Bhandup-based women’s self-help group, three days after 37 Class V and Class VII students of Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir suffered from food poisoning. The students were rushed to Kokan Hospital in Jogeshwari for treatment when they began vomiting after having lunch.
Samples sent for tests
Senior Police Inspector Pandurang Patil said, “We have filed a case of endangering life or personal safety of others under the Indian Penal Code against Chafai Mahila Sanstha in connection with the incident. We have sealed the office and kitchen of the organisation in Kanjurmarg.”
Mr. Patil said samples of the khichdi served on Wednesday and samples of other food items prepared at Chafai Mahila Sanstha’s kitchen have been sent for analysis. Action will be taken after reports of the analysis are received on Monday.
Meanwhile, the school authorities decided to discontinue the mid-day meal scheme following a meeting with parents on Saturday. Archana Bhanushali, principal, Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir.
Archana Bhanushali, principal, Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir, said, “The parents and the management reached a unanimous decision to stop serving mid-day meals. We realise that it is mandatory to implement the mid-day meal scheme in all schools, but will do so only in consultation with parents.”
Parents’ consent sought
Sahdev Sawant, vice-chairman of the school’s management board, said, “We still haven’t received a new proposal from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for the mid-day meal scheme. No action will be taken without the involvement of parents.”
Mr. Sawant said inquiries were being conducted to find out how only students of Class V and Class VII suffered from food poisoning while over 600 students were served the same food.
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