FOOD SAFETY LATEST

Mar 12, 2018

Gutka: TN oppn flags crores, fine’s just ₹55k

Chennai: A paltry ₹55,000 has been collected for illegal manufacturing and sale of gutka — which triggered a huge political controversy in the state, with the opposition alleging kickbacks being paid to several top ministers — in the last one year in Chennai, shows data provided by the state food safety department.

While more than ₹3 crore-worth gutka products were seized from retailers in Chennai, only a few of them have been held guilty by court, shows an RTI reply by the department.

A letter allegedly written by the then Chennai police commissioner, S George, to the principal secretary claiming that health minister C Vijayabaskar and other top cops had received huge sums of money to allow the sale of tobacco products in the state has kicked up a huge furore in the assembly, pushing the government imposed a complete ban on the sale of gutka products.

MONEY SPINNER: Sale of gutka products is banned in TN

Only 5 retailers convicted, no manufacturers nailed by state food safety dept since 2016

From 2016, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration department has lifted 43 samples of chewable tobacco and gutka from retailers across the city. Of these, legal proceedings have been initiated against 26. Only five ended in conviction. Those found guilty were let off with a fine of ₹10,000.

In the same period, 970 cases were registered in police stations across Chennai under various sections of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act (COPTA). Of this only 245 ended in conviction and ₹50,400 collected as fine, all in the range of around ₹100-₹500.

The outcome of the leniency: “Almost all the vendors we initiate action against are habitual offenders. The fine means nothing. Their profit is much more,” said a senior food safety official.

According to Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, any person who manufactures, sells, stores or distributes food for human consumption which is unsafe – causing non-grievous injury --can be imprisoned for a term of up to a year and be fined a sum of up to ₹3 lakh. If the injury is grievous, the jail sentence may extend to six years and up to ₹5 lakh in fine.

However, when D Kumar, an activist in Coimbatore, filed an RTI to source the actiontaken details, his intention wasn’t to find how many retailers were prosecuted. “They are only the small fish. I wanted to find out how many manufacturers have been nailed. The reply said none,” he said.

Officials said initiating action against the manufacturers is tough as all of them are based outside Tamil Nadu. Food safety commissioner P Amudha recently wrote to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) urging officials to take action in the source states. “Most of the manufacturers are either based out of Delhi or Haryana. Every time we have a seizure here, we intimate FSSAI,” she said. In 2013, Tamil Nadu had joined several other states in banning the manufacture, storage and sale of gutka, paan masala and other carcinogenic chewable forms of tobacco by invoking the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

Despite the ban, the banned products continue to find their way into the state through its porous borders – mostly by rail or road. Last month, the food safety department had received a tip-off on a consignment of gutka arriving at Madurai railway station. “We wrote to the Railway police asking them to intercept the contraband. They were reluctant,” said Amudha, who had to seek FSSAI’s intervention. “It turned out that the officials were not aware of gutka being banned in the state,” she said.

The RTI is not the only document reflecting the rampant sale of tobacco products. A study released by Adyar Cancer Institute in 2017, based on interviews with over a lakh people, found that that more than 90% of smokeless tobacco users in the state have no difficulty in procuring banned gutka products, although they pay double the price to buy it. “The products have just moved from the shelves to beneath the vendors’ clothes,” said R Kathiravan, designated food safety officer, Chennai. Tobacco control advocate Cyril Alexander said, manufacturers and distributors of banned tobacco products often slip through the state’s radar owing to poor coordination between various departments.

Five tonnes of artificially ripened fruits destroyed

24 shops out of 136 in Koyambedu found using chemicals

A total of five tonnes of artificially ripened fruits including a tonne of mangoes were seized from the Koyambedu fruit market and destroyed on Sunday.

A team of officials belonging to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) along with a posse of police conducted raids through Saturday night and Sunday early morning to seize 3.25 tonnes of sapotta and 750 kg of banana.

A total of 136 shops were inspected and 24 were found to be using chemicals to ripen the fruits artificially. The seized fruits, worth ₹2.5 lakh, were disposed at the Koyambedu bio-methanisation plant, sources said.

Based on a tip-off

The raids were conducted based on a tip-off that fruits were being ripened on trucks that were bringing them to the market. “Though we could not catch any truck, we did find the fruits in the shops. A week ago, we conducted an awareness programme about the health risks of artificially ripened fruits,” an official said.

Under the Food Safety Act 2006 and Regulations 2011, the sale of fruits artificially ripened using acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas, is prohibited.

The sapottas and mangoes were ripened using carbide gas emitted by calcium carbide stones.

According to the officials, the bananas were doused in ethylene gas to ripen them.

Don’t give in to tobacco lobby, Tata Hospital doctor tells CM

Letter seeks cancellation of licence if shops are found selling tobacco products

Mumbai: A head and neck surgeon from Tata Memorial Hospital has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not to succumb to the pressure of the tobacco lobby. Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi, an anti-tobacco activist, in his letter, has also appealed to the CM to ban the sale of tobacco to minors and allow its sale only through licensed vendors.

Dr. Chaturvedi said tobacco shops are mushrooming and freely available to the future generation. “The public health community was thrilled to know that the Maharashtra government is planning to make sale of gutkha a non-bailable offence. Recently, the government issued a notification banning sale of tobacco at shops selling chocolates and candies. However, I bring to your notice that the tobacco lobby will do everything to subvert this pro-public step. Please do not succumb to their pressure,” Dr. Chaturvedi wrote in his letter sent to Mr. Fadnavis on Saturday.

Early this year, the State had announced that general stores selling chips, biscuits, and chocolates cannot sell tobacco products. Officials from the Food and Drug Administration said such shops are frequented by minors and youngsters, who have easy access to such products.

But the move has definitely not gone down well with tobacco companies. “It has come to our notice that almost all outlets in Mumbai are trading in tobacco products in violation of the Cigarettes and other Tobacco products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulations of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003 and Rules, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations, and the Legal Metrology Act, thereby causing danger to our kids,” he said.

The tobacco lobby, Dr. Chaturvedi said, targets kids and youth as their new consumers. “They strategically aim to lure kids into this deadly addiction,” he said, and requested the government to take stringent action like cancellation of licence of shops found selling tobacco products.

Mar 10, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

Poultry farming needs safety regulations: HC

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court asked the state government on Friday to increase awareness on use of pesticides and measures for food safety while observing the need for a regulatory mechanism for animal feed.

A bench of Justices Naresh Patil and Anuja Prabhudesai was hearing a PIL that highlighted excessive use of pesticides by farmers and 20 farmer deaths in Vidharbha. The PIL, argued by advocate Shehzad Naqvi, sought orders for a policy to be framed to prevent growth or ripening of fruits with chemicals and to prohibit poultry farmers from using growth harmones or antibiotics.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) joint commissioner and other senior officers appeared in court on Friday.

The high court said the state must spread more awareness among farmers by sending pamphlets and other material to gram panchayats on proper use of pesticides and growth of poultry.

After dismissing a communication presented by the state as ‘typically bureaucratic’’, the court sought more information on how inspections can be carried out to find if excessive probiotic feed was being used to fatten chicken and whether antibiotics were being used in violation of rules.

The bench said, “Give public interest awareness ads against food adulteration in theatres. We believe there must be some regulatory law... Abroad there is much research done on growth of food. Put advertisements in theatres on food safety as is done for anti-smoking and other public places.”

An animal husbandry department officer present in court said, “No antibiotics were given to chicken, except when they were sick.’’ But he pointed out that “permitted probiotics were given in feeds”. The state’s contention is that probiotics can be given to poultry; antibiotics are given for three days when sick.

An affidavit by joint commissioner (food), submitted by government lawyer Deepali Patankar, stated there was only one NABL-accredited FDA laboratory in the state but action is taken for food safety.

The bench told the BMC, “Your concern should be what people are eating in the city of Mumbai. Are you vigilant?’’

The bench further said: “What prevents you from checking what food is being given as feed?... We want to know if supervision is falling short.”

The court also wants the FDA to consider proposals to check on labelling of unpacked fruits and vegetables sold in malls. The court said FDA should consider increasing the number of mobile vans to check milk adulteration too, and study proposals to check if meat sold in malls is safe for human consumption.

Temporary closure notice served on six eateries

Food safety authorities conduct suprise raid on Technopark campus

Temporary closure notices were served on six restaurants on the Technopark campus after a surprise raid conducted by a special squad of the Food Safety Department on Friday. The restaurants are Tasty Six in Bhavani building, Arabic Paradise at the Technopark main gate, Gafoor Ka Dosth, Zabardast Fusion and Table Cafe in Tejaswini building and Thoughtline Private Ltd in Ganga building.

Fifteen special squads consisting of food safety officials from Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram conducted inspections at various restaurants on the Technopark campus on Friday morning. Of the 92 hotels and restaurants inspected, notices were served on 63 for improvement of facilities and implementation of extra measures to ensure food safety.

In addition, a total fine amount of ₹1.94 lakh has been imposed on 30 restaurants for violation of various guidelines. Food Safety Commissioner Veena N. Madhavan said stringent inspections would be conducted in the coming days to ensure food safety in the district.

The public can register complaints regarding food safety on the following numbers — 8943346181, 8943346195, 8943346198, 18004251125 (Toll free). The identity of the complainants would be kept confidential.

STATE GETS FIRST MOBILE LAB TO CURB FOOD ADULTERATION

The State on Friday entered into the elite club to own a mobile vehicle (van), allocated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), well-equipped with laboratory devices facilitating on-the-spot testing of food samples at a nominal cost.

Minister, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Ramchandra Chandravanshi in the presence of other dignitaries inaugurated the first State of the Art ‘Mobile Lab’ on Friday at RCH Campus, Namkum.

To curb the rising adulteration level, two lab assistants will test food samples as per FSSAI guidelines. The mobile van will be functional for 20 days in a month and besides collecting food samples from hotels, confectionery shops, it will also test the chemical contents for milk and milk products, PH level of drinking water including high content of starch in sweets, confectionery items etc on public request instantly.

State Food Analyst, Chhaturbujh Meena present on the occasion, said, “At present merely 8 to 9 States by far owns a mobile van lab. At present, we have one mobile lab; later on requisition will be made to allot some more mobile labs considering its requirement and success rate. The mobile van is decked with milkoscan machine, sugar testing apparatuses, PH meter sensor etc.”

“For elaborate tests, depending on the significance of the contamination level, officials will send the samples to the State lab in Namkum. According to the rules, two lab technicians, two lab assistants, one attendant and one driver will be appointed for smooth functioning of mobile lab. The mobile lab service at present will be restricted to only urban areas,” added Meena.

No more Aashirvaad Atta Videos, Court issues restraining order

Guwahati, March 9: Following the uploads of the multiple videos claiming the presence of plastic in ‘Aashirvaad Atta’, the Court of City Civil and Sessions Judge in Bengaluru on Friday issued a notice for all online media platforms to stop publishing any irrelevant report regarding the matter.

The company in a press statement released today clarified that a thorough scientific test at NABL accredited laboratory in Mumbai assured that on testing Aashirvaad Atta as well as other popular atta brands recently, has confirmed the presence of gluten in the samples of all these atta in the range of 7 to 12 percent of atta.

The report of the laboratory also confirmed that when atta dough is washed with water, starch and fibre gets removed and a residue is obtained which is gluten and not plastic.

It may also be mentioned that Aashirvaad Atta was the subject of several homemade videos on internet platforms alleging that the atta contained plastic.

Also, the said videos claimed that if the dough made from ‘Aashirvaad atta’ was washed several times it resulted in a gum-like substance, which was alleged to be plastic.

Even the FSSAI regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, require that all atta must contain a minimum of 6% wheat protein.

Meanwhile, the Court has issued summons in the Suit to the said internet/social media platform providers.

Online inspector, food sampling system bring transparency in food safety dept : Brahm Mohindra

Chandigarh, Mar 9 (UNI) To bring transparency in the food safety department, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra here on Friday, launched an online inspection and sampling system to expedite the procedure of food sampling and testing.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mohindra said that it is essential that food safety inspections is be conducted diligently and reports made available to all stakeholders in short span of time with quick response provision.

He also ordered the food safety officials to clear backlog of licenses/ registration by March 31, 2018.

He said that food businesses have a legal and moral obligation to ensure they are not contributing to the statistics of food borne illness and other diseases.

He said that at the same time the food safety team must be equipped well to address to such issues concerning the food security which directly protect the healthy life of State’s population.

Mar 9, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

Mar 8, 2018

Vijayawada: Out of around 400 food outlets only 80 have valid FSSAI licences

VIJAYAWADA: Think twice before consuming food at the hotels and restaurants across the city as only 20 percent of the owners have obtained valid licence from the authorities of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), while others have given a go-by to food safety and quality.

In all, the city has around 400 hotels and restaurants including small and medium. Recently, the FSSAI officials in a joint operation with Vigilance and Enforcement department conducted surprise checks at Dolphin and 11 to 11 Restaurant and seized stale chicken and biryani from the respective restaurants. As part of the inspection, the officials also came to know that the Dolphin Restaurant did not have a valid licence from FSSAI for the past five years.

“Several hotels and restaurants are failing to maintain hygienic atmosphere in their kitchens. Consumption of such food items will cause water and food-borne diseases to the public. Some of the ailments include gastroenteritis (food poisoning), cholera, Hepatitis A jaundice, viral and fungal infections, typhoid etc. It is better not to eat food in unhygienic atmosphere,’’ said Ch Hari Kumar, a general physician.

‘’The next time if you witness any unhygienic atmosphere in a hotel kitchen or even if the hotel premises is filthy, just click a photo and share it with the Food Safety Department officials,’’ assistant food safety controller N Purnachandra Rao told TNIE.

Disclosing the procedure to be followed by the traders in obtaining the licence, he said traders whose annual turnover is below Rs 12 lakh, should register with FSSAI. Traders whose annual turnover is between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 20 crore, should obtain State licence and traders whose annual turnover is above Rs 20 crore, should obtain Central licence. Traders who belong to the aforementioned categories can apply for licences either through www.fssai.gov.in or by visiting E-seva centres, Rao informed.

The assistant food controller asked traders to register with food safety officers to obtain licences from the food department. Severe action will be taken against those who sell food items without registration and licences from the department, he said. “Only 20 percent of the hotel and restaurant owners obtained licence from the department, which is a serious violation as per the FSSAI guidelines. As per Section 63 of FSSAI Act, a fine of Rs 5 lakh would be imposed and six months imprisonment would be awarded,’’ Rao added.

In all, the city has around 400 hotels and restaurants including small and medium

As per Section 63 of FSSAI Act, a fine of J5 lakh will be imposed and six months imprisonment will be awarded against the traders who fail to obtain licence

Recently, the FSSAI officials in a joint operation with Vigilance and Enforcement department conducted surprise checks at Dolphin and 11 to 11 Restaurant and seized stale chicken and biryani from the respective restaurants

Food, drug adulteration: It’s time Telugu States act tough to end the evil

Hyderabad, March.7 : One famous Telugu poet had said long back that a match stick, a cake of soap, a puppy and nothing is ineligible to be the subject matter of poetry. In the present day scenario, this can be applied to adulteration –nothing is free from this worst type evil which is playing with the lives of the people, including children and women.

Reports are appearing in the media, frequently since long years about raids by officials and detecting the scourge of adulteration of milk, baby foods, almost all types of food stuffs, vegetables, fruits and even drugs. Whenever such reports appear, the Government (Ministers and Chief Minister) hurls warnings to the manufacturers and dealers of such adulterated items about stern action, cancellation of license, etc. In some cases, some sort of action is taken against the culprits, but such action is not deterring neither the manufacturers nor the dealers, and the game goes on uninterrupted, even while the medical experts are repeatedly warning about the ill-effects of adulteration and the health hazards involved.

Recently, the Minster for Health and Medical Dr C Lakshma Reddy has warned that those who indulge in adulteration of food stuffs would not be tolerated at all, their licences would be cancelled and Preventive Detention (PD) Act would be invoked against the culprits; and the dealers, eating establishment owners should be held responsible for supply of unadulterated food stuffs to the citizens. The Minister, who is a Doctor, said that adulteration of food stuffs is causing serious ailments like cancer, kidney and liver diseases. People will be very happy if the Minister (Government) really takes the matter very seriously and acts tough against the defaulters, to stop the evil and save the people from diseases.

It may be pointed out, however, that adulteration of food stuffs and medicines is going on for several years now and both the Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have failed to curb the evil with an iron hand, in spite of repeated high-sounding warnings and threats. This journalist vaguely remembers a grandiose threat hurled by the Health Minister of the united Andhra Pradesh (K Rajamallu, if my memory is correct) some four decades ago in the State Legislature that, given to himself, he would like to hang drug adulterators to the nearest lamp post, and hit the headlines. Unfortunately enough, no such action is seen till now, and not even deterrent Laws were made to stop the social evil of adulteration.

People in general and medical professionals in particular feel there is urgent need to stop adulteration of food stuffs and drugs enacting a Law providing for highly deterrent by punishment for the culprits, appointment of adequate staff in the departments empowered with enforcement of the laws relating to food safety and also to provide a mechanism to prevent collusion of officials with adulterators. It is said that already States like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha have enacted stringent Laws providing for deterrent punishments including life imprisonment, very high fines for adulteration of food stuffs and drugs. Both the Telugu States would do well to enact such Laws and enforce them strictly to save the people from health hazards. (NSS)

Special teams to inspect hotels

Rajamahendravaram: East Godavari Collector Karthikeya Mishra has directed the officials of food safety, revenue, police, municipality and panchayat raj departments to check the quality of food items in hotels and restaurants by forming special teams across the district.

Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, the collector said the decision was taken as 32 daily wagers suffered sickness due to food contamination after consuming breakfast in Ramavaram village near Jaggampeta on Tuesday.

Of the total, 11 persons were sent to community health centre in Jaggampeta and five were shifted to government general hospital in Kakinada and two persons undergoing treatment in private hospital, he said and added a medical camp was posted in Ramavaram village and hotels and restaurants in the village were seized. The collector said stern action will be initiated against the respective hotels and restaurant managements if they compromise on quality food.

Mar 7, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Here's why you should never, ever, order drinks with ice

Be it a cup of cola or a glass of alcohol that you are sipping on, more often than not, you ask for a few ice cubes to be added to your drink.

Do you know ordering drinks with ice can be harmful for your health?

According to an article by HuffPost, ice machines is restaurants tend to be contaminated with bacteria, mold or the germs on one's hands.

These contaminants can come from various places. Mold, for instance can build up in ice machines. On the other hand, if one uses an ice scoop without washing the hand and then drops the schoop back into the ice, the cubes become contaminated with the germs on the hands or on the scoop.

In the article, Dr Pritish Tosh, an infectious diseases physician and researcher at the Mayo Clinic, had also mentioned that the main issue was the threat of ice being cross contaminated if it touches the other foods being served.

How to avoid ice contamination

Martin Bucknavage, senior food safety extension associate at the Department of Food Science at Pennsylvania State University, suggested that ice contamination could be avoided with the same safety measures undertaken to treat food.

Cleaning and sanitising ice machines is also extremely important to avoid contamination.

One should always use a clean scoop and even wash one's hands before using it.

So, the next time you visit a bar or a restaurant, make sure to carefully evaluate the place's cleanliness before ordering your drink. The best way would be to avoid consuming ice completely.

Mar 6, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

Will new FSSAI rules undercut baby food law?

Does special infant food for certain rare medical conditions have to be kept out of the Infant Milk Substitute (IMS) Act — a law to prevent predatory marketing practices by baby foodcompanies — to ensure their availability? This question sparked a tussle between public health activists and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Ostensibly to deal with three very rare medical conditions in infants, FSSAI decided to exempt several products from the IMS Act. Baby food companies used this to sponsor doctors and market these special foods, which the IMS Act prohibits. Following protests from health activists, FSSAI clarified that the Act's provisions on marketing, promotion and sponsorship would apply to these special foods, but they would otherwise remain out of its ambit.

The Act is hailed globally as one of the most effective laws to protect breastfeeding against unethical marketing by baby-food companies. As a result, the sale of baby food formula in India is a tiny fraction of that in China, which does not have a similar stringent law.

So why is FSSAI keeping these special foods out of the Act? FSSAI says that since the Act says all baby food labels have to carry a statement "mother's milk is best for your baby" in capital letters, special foods for inborn metabolic errors have to be kept out of the legislation. However, according to the WHO and the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), there are only three inborn metabolic diseases in which breastfeeding can harm the baby. Of these, AAP says breastfeeding is an absolute no-no in just one, galactosemia. In the other two, phenylketonuria and maple syrup urine disease, breastfeeding is allowed along with special formula under medical monitoring.

FSSAI's other argument is that products under the IMS Act can be taken on the advice of a health worker, while these special diets need medical supervision.

The problem is that FSSAI has exempted all foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs). FSMPs include formulas for low birth-weight babies, hypoallergenic formulas for babies with cow milk allergy and lactose free formulas. These are already sold in India, regulated by the IMS and FSSAI Acts. They have labels saying that mother's milk is best, an advisory that they are to be used under medical supervision and a label clearly identifying them as infant milk substitutes.

Even before the draft regulation of exemption to these products got approved, FSSAI okayed labels of many of these special foods with a sticker, "This is neither an infant milk substitute nor an infant food". This is the key concern, pointed out Dr Arun Gupta of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India, one of four bodies responsible for reporting IMS Act violations. "Will violations under IMS Act attract penalties when the products are being kept out of its purview? The exemption will only create confusion that baby-food companies will take advantage of. The policy to exempt some baby foods from IMS Act is flawed and is the result of partnership with baby food companies," he charged.

NGT imposes environmental compensation on FSSAI

Over indiscriminate disposal of waste

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday imposed environmental compensation on the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) after a plea alleged that poultry farms were degrading the environment with “indiscriminate disposal of waste”.

₹25,000 compensation

A Bench headed by judicial member Jawad Rahim imposed environmental compensation of ₹25,000 on the authorities after they failed to reply to the notice.

The green panel had earlier issued notices to the authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

The petition, filed by social activist Gauri Maulekhi, claimed that “the level of waste is high as poultry farms have thousands of birds in intensive confinement in each farm. This waste is seldom disposed scientifically and in accordance with law”.

The plea further challenged the guidelines for poultry farms issued in 2015 by the CPCB and subsequent circulars issued by State pollution control boards.

CPCB directions

“Quash the Central Pollution Control Board directions dated February 29, 2016, to the extent as much as it categorises commercial poultry farming as a green industry. Further quash the circulars, guidelines and orders issued by the respective State pollution control boards,” the plea stated.

Poultry farms

The petition also urged the green panel to pass interim directions to “curtail the indiscriminate administration and use of antibiotics in the poultry industry and for their housing and environment.”

FSSAI issues testing methods for five food product types

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued approved methods for analysis of various food products. These are the standardised testing methods for five different food product types- methods of detection; analysis and estimation of melamine in milk and milk products; total polar compounds in edible oils and fats, estimation of coumarin content in cinnamon, parameters in sago and detection of acid value in oils and fats.

These methods are standardised and would be helpful in uniform testing methods across India, resulting in non-variable results. The country’s apex food regulator said that these methods were approved by the scientific panel on methods of sampling and analysis.

FSSAI may also add further product categories and list their testing methods. In the recent past, the regulators issued a notification which included the maximum levels of total polar compounds (TPCs) that should be present and the testing of the edible oils for the same. New inclusion of training for milk and milk products under the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme is another example.

Mar 5, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

Think before you eat: Vijayawada Roadside food stalls unhygienic

A food stall on the BRTS Road in Vijayawada

VIJAYAWADA: With day temperatures soaring in the city for the last few days, roadside refreshment stalls are mushrooming at every nook and corner in the city. Be it BRTS Road, One Town or Besant Road, most of the stall owners are ignoring basic hygiene, resulting in the spread of water-borne diseases in the city.

Even as raids by food and safety authorities are going on at restaurants, bakeries and tea shops across the city, the vendors of roadside refreshment stalls are making a fast buck by selling fruits and juices without any concern for safety. They are not taking measures to protect food items from files, insects or dust. Even the people are unmindful of the health complications these eatables can cause and are consuming them to beat the scorching heat.

Apart from the carts, some vendors are also selling refreshments and soft drinks made using machines attached to vehicles.

According to sources, most of these vendors are operating without permission. However, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials said that they are taking necessary measures to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases in summer. Health experts opine that people should avoid fruits exposed to dust and juices prepared in an unhygienic manner sold through roadside stalls.

‘’People should drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Natural refreshments like buttermilk and coconut water are always the best choice”, said Dr Ch Praveena, senior physician.

However, the vendors claim that refreshments are safe. “I have been serving refreshments in the city for more than a decade. I have never received complaints from any of my customers,’’ said K Nagarjuna Reddy, a vendor at Seetharampuram.

Eateries need to hire food safety officer to get licence

The draft regulations are being notified and the final regulations will be enforced subsequently.

The food regulator has drafted regulations for restaurants and eateries, requiring them to employ a food safety officer in order to obtain a licence.

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India also made it mandatory for companies that sell food online to get separate licences under the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business) Amendment Regulations, 2018.

Owners and vendors of food products sold on ecommerce platforms must display their licences or FSSAI registrations. The ecommerce firms will have to ensure that food articles have a pending shelf life of 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery to consumers. Such food products can be sampled at any point in the supply chain, the authority added.

While applying for a state or central licence, restaurants won’t have to submit blueprints or layout plans, names and lists of equipment and machinery, lists of food categories, copies of certificates obtained under Co-op Act, NOCs from manufacturers and recall plans.

“The revised condition prescribes that a Food Safety Display Board needs to be displayed at a prominent place in the premises and employment of at least one technical person or Food Safety Supervisor trained by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in case of restaurant,” the regulator said.

“Safety and standards are paramount in running any business which has food for human consumption,” said Rahul Singh, president of the National Restaurant Association of India. “The NRAI welcomes such initiatives as restaurants need to dedicate their resources towards food safety to successful execute measures and develop a culture within their premises to stay committed towards customer safety.”

The draft regulations are being notified and the final regulations will be enforced subsequently.

“All food companies will have to follow these revised regulations with immediate effect and the enforcement of these regulations will commence only after the final regulations are notified in the Gazette of India,” FSSAI said.

The regulator simplified rules for slaughter houses, making minimum sanitary and hygienic requirements mandatory because the earlier requirements were not compatible with the operation of small slaughter houses.

Rules have been laid down for catering companies, including those that provide services at eating houses, canteens at schools, colleges and other institutions, religious places, trains and flights, hospitals and events.

Mar 4, 2018

DINAMALAR NEWS

4 godowns stocking tobacco sealed

Trichy: In a much needed crackdown on the illegal sale of banned tobacco products, the food safety department in Perambalur has sealed 4 godowns that were found to have stocked tobacco products with high nicotine content. The action was taken based on a WhatsApp complaint lodged by locals, in just a week after the district administration and food safety department took up promotion drives to publicise the WhatsApp helpline (94440-42322).

According to food safety officials, they received a WhatsApp complaint alleging that banned tobacco products were sold in a many shops, particularly near the Perambalur bus stand. Acting on this, in a synchronised inspection carried out across the town on Friday evening, food safety officials found banned tobacco products in packets at 4 godowns in Pallivasal Street, Kamarajar Valaivu, Old bus stand and near NSB Road Housing.

Close to 70 kilogram of banned tobacco products were seized in the drive whose worth is said to be between Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 lakh. “We request people to register their complaints on compromises made in food safety using the WhatsApp helpline,” Dr M Sowmiya, designated office, food safety department, Perambalur told TOI.

Import of dressed chicken barred till March 15

Srinagar, Mar 02: Food Safety Department (FSD) has barred import and sale of dressed chicken till March 15 in view of the lack of refrigerated vans for transportation.

The Kashmir Monitor last week reported that tonnes of dressed chicken were imported to the Valley in thermocol boxes, against which FSD apprehended non-maintenance of hygiene in the absence of refrigerated vans.

Assistant Food Safety Officer, Hilal Ahmad Mir, told this newspaper that they have fixed March 15 as deadline for the procurement of refrigerated vans by the dealers.

“So, till March 15, no dressed chicken shall be sold or even imported to the Valley. This decision was taken after these dealers agreed to procure refrigerated vans within two weeks,” he said.

Mir said the department has also directed the dealers to set up their individual cold chains to prevent the chicken from turning unhygienic due to the rise in temperature.

“They will have to store the chicken under favourbale conditions, which is only possible when they set up their cold chain facilities,” he said.

Assistant FSD said that they would harden their stand against the violators including sealing of their outlets.

“Our teams would inspect the dealers regularly after the deadline. Those who are found violating the ruling would face closure of their outlets and legal action,” he said.

Mir earlier said his only apprehension towards dressed chicken was related to the hygiene, especially when the temperature rises.

“It takes these dealers enough time to transport the chicken from New Delhi to Srinagar. So, as temperature increases, there may be chances that it will be infected if it is not transported in refrigerated vans,” he said

Srinagar Wholesale Fish Dealers Association said that they would procure refrigerated vans, but demanded a specific market to ensure all these facilities.

The dealers said majority of their shops function in rented accommodations and require government allotted shops to set up their cold chains.

Mar 1, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

State labs in poor condition, working to strengthen them: FSSAI

New Delhi, Feb 28 () Food safety regulator FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal today said food testing labs at state level are in poor condition and serious efforts are being made to strengthen them by providing financial help and capacity building training.

At present, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has total 62 labs spread across the country. Out of which, only 10 are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL). The private sector has 150 labs which are all NABL accredited.

"Of course, we continue to face problems with the poor quality of state labs for good reasons perhaps. We are trying to improve these labs," Agarwal said after exchanging the memorandum of agreement (MoU) with AOAC International here.

As per the MoU, the AOAC International -- a globally recognised standards developing organisation -- will offer free access to the official method of analysis to the FSSAI. It will also support FSSAI in its capacity building programmes.

Sharing about the state labs, Agarwal said, "The condition of many of the government labs are not up to the mark as they are still working under transition position."

However, the regulator is closely working with state governments to ensure the labs are strengthened and they come up to the standards that the country deserves, he added.

The FSSAI has decided to strengthen 45 state government labs with financial and capacity building training.

"A significant headway has been made in that, though more rapid progress is required. We have already supported 22 labs and getting more states and more labs on board is now a challenge," he noted.

Since some of the states do not have private lab capacity, the FSSAI CEO said, "The lab capacity even in the private sector in most of North east, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttarkhand is very poor. That's why we are pursuing state governments to upgrade their labs."

The FSSAI is also pushing the balance 52 government labs to get the NABL accreditation in a year or so.

Besides strengthening primary testing labs, the FSSAI is making efforts to put in place a network of appellate labs or referral labs in the entire food testing ecosystem.

The referral labs are used for testing the samples in times of dispute. The regulator has supported providing equipment to six such labs and plans to support additional five labs, he said.

Also, the regulator has plans to put in place a dozen of them as national reference labs for doing proficiency testing and method development and validations. Basically, the reference labs would act as support structure.

"We have floated an expression of interest (EoI) calling both private and public labs. Over 30 labs have shown interest, we are in in the process of selecting them. May be 10-12 labs can be called as national reference labs."

The FSSAI is also encouraging mobile testing labs. Already 30 such labs are in the field. They do rapid testing and are creating awareness about food safety, he added.Agarwal said that a reasonable amount of work has been done in the area of food testing and analytics in the last one year despite limited human resources.

HC pulls up Govt for delaying appointment of food safety commissioner

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday pulled up State government for delaying the appointment of Commissioner, Food Safety Tribunal.

The state counsel, MI Dar submitted before the court that interim arrangement for the post of Commissioner has been made.

The division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said that the reason given by the state is not acceptable behind the delay of the appointment.

“Posting of Food Safety Commissioner still appears to be a distant dream. For the last eight months nothing has been done except creation of post of commissioner,” the court said.

The court further granted three week time to the authorities to take all necessary steps for filling up of the post along with strength of staff.

For making the food testing laboratories fully operational, the court was informed that the laboratories have been equipped with required machinery and necessary equipments have also been installed in the labs.

For checking the food vendors, Assistant Commissioner Food Srinagar who was present before the court submitted that special squad has been constituted and action has been initiated against the units’ holders, shopkeepers as also against the vendors for preparing and selling adulterated and unhygienic food.

“The squad is facing certain security concern during checking as they are being attacked by the offenders,” said Assistant Commissioner.

The court directed the SSPs of concerned districts to provide all assistance from their concern police lines wherever they require protection.

Further, the court directed the copy of the order be sent of all SSPs for compliance.

Hoteliers sensitised to good practices

FSSAI coordinator Mansi Thaker conducted the eight-hour session during which she spoke about various aspects of ensuring food quality and hygiene at the hotels and restaurants. Tribune News ServiceAmritsar, February 28The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organised a camp in association with the Amritsar Hotel and Restaurants Association (AHARA), Civil Lines, here today. Besides, issues such as best practices for cooking and food preservation were also discussed. She also discussed the issues of rodents and pests at the kitchen which is cause of concern from the hygiene point of view. The session was attended by representatives of around 40 well-known hotels and restaurants of the city.

Amritsar, February 28

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organised a camp in association with the Amritsar Hotel and Restaurants Association (AHARA), Civil Lines, here today. FSSAI coordinator Mansi Thaker conducted the eight-hour session during which she spoke about various aspects of ensuring food quality and hygiene at the hotels and restaurants. She also discussed the issues of rodents and pests at the kitchen which is cause of concern from the hygiene point of view. Besides, issues such as best practices for cooking and food preservation were also discussed. The session was attended by representatives of around 40 well-known hotels and restaurants of the city. AP Singh Chatha, president, AHARA, said, “The session was very informative for the local food industry.” He said the city was fast developing as a tourist hub and as such demand for hygiene and quality food is ever high. “With over two lakh passengers coming at the international airport, the local food industry needs to give the best quality food to its national and international customers,” said Chatha, adding that the session would help hoteliers in tackling day to day issues related to food safety and standards.

Food safety offenders to be booked under IPC

Food safety offenders will now be booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) with criminal charges while Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will continue to conduct food safety drives in collaboration with the Enforcement Branch (EB) and state police.

The KMC health department on Thursday held meeting with state police and food safety officers in a bid to stop the vendors from selling spurious water in packages using labels of registered and widely known companies.

The civic body has decided to crack down against such vendors with the help of state police and Enforcement Branch. Criminal charges will be slapped against the offenders for violation of food safety guidelines and misusing brand names of other companies, said Mr Atin Ghosh, member mayor-in-council (MMIC), health.

Mr Ghosh speaking on the matter said, “We conducted a joint meeting on Thursday in the presence of DG Enforcement Branch (EB) West Bengal and DC, EB, Kolkata along with food safety officers to decide on measures that could be taken against unlicensed vendors violating food safety norms and misusing brand names of other companies.

“A decision has been made that KMC health department will from now on conduct food safety drives along with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials and the collected samples will have to be submitted to the chief municipal health officer along with the concerned food safety authorities.

“The reports of the samples tested in the laboratories will then be submitted to the EB. Following which, the chief municipal officer will request the EB to begin criminal proceedings against the offenders and crack down on their production units to seal them” “The EB will then begin criminal proceedings under IPC sections 272 and 273 against offenders who are selling spurious water in packages using brand names of reputed companies.

The food safety officers in parallel will file cases against the offenders under the FSSAI Act 2006.Regular reports will be submitted to EB concerning food or water adulteration, ” the MMIC said. In addition to these measures, Mr Ghosh added, “The DG enforcement branch has also officially asked us to check for Pollution Control Board (PCB) clearance license for setting up factories. In order to set-up any factory, the PCB clearance is mandatory but it has come to light that several factories are functioning in the city without the clearance which is an illegal act.”

KMC, EB to initiate legal action against adulterated water, food manufacturers

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the Enforcement Branch have joined hands to act tough and crack the whip on spurious manufacturers and dealers of packaged water in the city and the state.

"The KMC is empowered to take action under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act 2006 against those dealing with adulterated water and food. However, there are some limitations of the FSSAI Act. So in a stride towards overcoming the limitations, the civic body will urge the EB to start criminal proceedings under Section 272 and 273 of IPC against those who compromise with the safety standards of food and water," Member Mayor-in-Council (Health) Atin Ghosh said after holding a meeting with Director General of EB Vijay Kumar and Deputy Commissioner (EB) Kolkata Police Debasis Sarkar along with other senior officials at the KMC headquarters on Wednesday.

The Chief Municipal Officer of Health (CMOH) on behalf of the KMC's food safety unit will now share the findings of all drives related to water and food safety with the EB and will urge the latter to take legal action against those producing packaged water without maintaining proper rules and regulations or indulging in misbranding.

According to Ghosh, apart from the BSI, trade license, fire license and other necessary certificates a manufacturing unit in the city or in the state needs to have a mandatory clearance certificate from the state Pollution Control Board.

"During our checks at production units of food or water, we didn't check whether they had certificates from the PCB as we were not aware of this," Ghosh said.

"This came up for discussion in the meeting and from now on, we will also take this as an integral part of our drive," he added.

It has been decided in the meeting that the KMC food safety officers and EB will be conducting safety drives jointly from now on.

"Wherever we will find any unhealthy activities associated with food and water on the part of any person, we will urge the EB to start criminal proceedings. This will involve sealing of illegal units, seizure of spurious items and legal action as per Section 272 and 273 of IPC that may entail six months imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1,000 or both," Ghosh reiterated.

Feb 28, 2018

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

Antibiotic use in poultry sector rampant: CSE

Delhi, Feb 27 A green body today slammed an advertisement highlighting that no antibiotics are used in chicken as an "eye wash" and alleged that the use of antibiotics in poultry sector is "rampant".

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) slammed the All India Poultry Development and Services Private Limited for its advertisement and said it is "complete misrepresentation".

The advertisement refers to the results of a 2014 study conducted by the CSE on chicken, it said while strongly rejecting the way the study results have been twisted to suggest that there is no misuse of antibiotics in the poultry sector and that the chicken produced is safe.

"This is complete misrepresentation of the facts and the antibiotic misuse practices adopted by the Indian poultry industry. Antibiotic use in poultry sector is rampant.

"They are even using life-saving drugs like colistin to fatten the chicken. There seem to be no genuine attempt by the industry to reduce antibiotic misuse and this advertisement is an eyewash,” the Deputy Director General, CSE, Chandra Bhushan, said.

The advertisement which said that chicken should be eaten as it has a lot of benefits, also went on to say that the Indian poultry industry has already adopted usage of prebiotics, probiotics, phytogenic additives, acidifiers and immuno stimulants as an alternative to antibiotics.

The deputy director general of CSE further said that the industry has ignored the results of its latest 2017 study, which show how poultry farms are breeding grounds of superbugs.

"They are misguiding the nation and trying to dilute their contribution to the problem of antibiotic resistance. This will not help the industry in the long-term. They must act responsibly,” Bhushan said.

Referring to the issue of maximum residue limits (MRLs) in the advertisement, Amit Khurana, a senior programme manager, Food Safety and Toxins team, CSE said that it is a "myopic" view as residue level in food is only one part of the problem.

"Resistant bacteria can also get transferred to handlers and consumers. Unabsorbed antibiotics as well as resistant bacteria in chicken droppings which enter into the environment are a big concern. The problem starts with antibiotic misuse," he said.

Chandra Bhushan further added that India does not have any standards on residue levels in chicken meat.

"Comparing residue results with the MRL of the European Union is meaningless. Our study was aimed at establishing the fact that banned, critical and highly prescribed antibiotics are being misused by the poultry industry – we did not make any comparisons with MRL as India does not have an MRL of its own," Bhushan said.

CSE researchers believe that even after so many years of the issue being highlighted, the government response to address the antibiotic resistance crisis has been inadequate so far.

"There is no legal ban on use of antibiotic growth promoters in poultry. The 2014 advisory from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has no legal binding.

"The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is yet to come up with final standards of antibiotic residues in chicken. We have a National Action Plan on AMR now, but unfortunately there are no funds allocated for it. The plan would have no real functionality without money put behind it," Bhushan added.

GOVT BEGINS DRIVE TO CURB FOOD ADULTERATION BEGINS BEFORE HOLI

In a bid to curb food adulteration here in Capital City, the Food Safety Officers (FSOs) have begun the task of food samples collection under the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. With significant increase in the sale of adulterated edible items (milk and milk products) during the festive seasons Holi and Diwali primarily, the FSOs have been ordered to conduct a massive drive to keep a tab on the defaulters ahead of Holi festival.

“Two teams have been formed to crack the whip on the defaulters. Under each team, three members are there to assist the team leader during the sample collection work and inspection task. The teams which was formed on February 24, through random inspection and survey are enquiring about the condition of edible items,” said, FSO, KP Singh who along with his team are conducting inspection as per the Department’s order here in State Capital.

The team-1 personnel are inspecting and collecting edible product samples from all such confectionery shops falling under the jurisdiction of wards (1 to 35 wards) while another team has been given the responsibility of collecting samples from the shops in wards 36 to 55. As per the FSSAI guidelines, food items sold out in open by the street vendors are supposed to be covered and checked on regular basis as well. However, Singh said that due to lack of trained human resources, they are unable to collect food samples from street vendors.

“In a short notice, we are just able to collect food samples from sweets and confectionary shops only. Besides milk and milk products, the teams are also enquiring about the condition of edible oils being sold ahead of Holi. By far, we have collected six samples from different shops; the checking drive is going on. Street vendors are not being covered.” added Singh.Meanwhile, State Food Analyst, Chatturbhuj Meena said, “All collected food samples are being assessed. At least, 14 days is required for the detailed report preparation. On the basis of the report prepared by lab technicians, actions will be taken accordingly.”Furthermore, the State Food Analyst added that the food safety division is gearing up to launch the first State-of-the-art mobile lab to curb adulteration by facilitating on-the-spot testing of samples at a reasonable price while ensuring timeliness in food samples collection and its assessment.

“The well equipped mobile van will felicitate the need of public in a broad way. The mobile van lab will serve all basic purposes like collecting survey samples, on the spot products verification etc. Soon, it will be formally launched by the State government’s personnel,” Meena further added.

600 Kg Chilli Powder, 100 Kg Salt And 100 Kg Black Gram Seized

Food and Safety officials inspect chilli powder bags that were discarded by unknown persons in Guntur on Saturday.

600 Kg Chilli Powder, 100 Kg Salt And 100 Kg Black Gram Seized

Food safety officials along with Commissioner’s Task Force (CTF) and Bhavanipuram police raided an adulterated chilli manufacturing unit in Bhavanipuram and seized poor quality chilli powder prepared with chilli waste and sawdust. The proprietor was taken into police custody and criminal cases were registered against him.

The officials seized 600 kg chilli powder, 100 kg salt and 100 kg black gram.According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials, proprietor K Narayana Rao was selling adulterated chilli powder under the name Sudha Enterprises, in a rented house on St. Atkinson High School Road in Bhavanipuram, for the past few months.

Acting on a tip-off, assistant food controller N Purnachandra Rao led the raids and said that labels with brand names Krishna, Mango, Surya and a few others were found at the unauthorised manufacturing unit. They are misbranded and do not have permission, he said.

During the raids, food safety officials observed that the accused was mixing the powder derived after crushing the stems of chilli in a greater proportion than the permissible limits.

Food Safety Concerns

“Chilli powder usually is made by grinding chilli and mixing it with certain ingredients. Instead, Narayana was found using cheap quality chilli and chilli stems, procured from Guntur, and was selling them under various brand names. He had not obtained FSSAI licence to sell the products in the market,” said Purnachandra Rao.

Officials collected samples of chilli powder and sent them to the food analyst. Narayana Rao was also found preparing and selling adulterated coriander powder and curry leaves powder and supplying them to nearby hotels and eateries.

FSDA launches extensive checking of food times ahead of Holi

Meerut: To ensure that Holi is free from adulterated sweets, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) department has formed three teams which will swoop down on shops and pick up samples of edible items for testing. The department will send the samples for testing to a laboratory in Lucknow, and actions against the erring shops will be taken after the test results arrive.

Three teams of five health officials each have been formed, an official privy to the development said. The teams will conduct surprise inspections at shops in rural and urban areas to check adulteration and sale of adulterated items in the market.

With ‘gujhiya’, ‘namkeen’ and cooking oils on their target, the teams will conduct raids in all the busy markets to ensure that people don’t fall prey to adulterated items. The drive will continue till March 5.

“As many as three teams of five persons each have been formed, which will conduct regular checks and send suspicious food items to laboratory for testing. If any sub-standard food item is found, the person will be dealt with as per rules,” said Archana Dheeran, designated officer of FSDA.

The samples will not be sent to the city laboratory, which is situated within the campus of Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU). Rather, they are sent to a laboratory in Lucknow to “avoid any manipulation”.

“The food items are preserved and sent to Lucknow by courier. The result will reach us within 20 days of the courier. But, in some cases, the samples are also sent to local laboratory if they look evidently adulterated,” said Dheeran.

Buyers can also lodge complaints related to food adulteration with the department and their names are kept “under the wraps”, said the official.

“We are focusing mainly on ‘gujhiyas’, ‘mathris’ and other items which are made ahead of Holi,” Dheeran said.

The department officials have also warned people of bright-coloured sweets as they might contain harmful chemicals which cause food poisoning, stomach ache, vomiting and infection.

Petition on food sale without licence: Bombay HC seeks explanation on BMC’s approach to hawkers

The IHRA alleged they cook food without licence and without permission of the municipal corporation. The food is unhygienic and harmful to health and safety of the general public. The petition says it continues despite court orders

The IHRA alleged they cook food without licence and without permission of the municipal corporation

The Bombay High Court Monday directed the municipal commissioner or the assistant municipal commissioner to explain their approach towards hawkers selling food across the city. A petition by the Indian Hotel and Restaurants Association (IHRA) in 2016 had stated that while hotels and restaurant owners need to obtain licences and permissions from various departments of the municipal corporation — heath department, fire brigade and environment department – hawkers on footpaths, public places, roads, gardens or playgrounds prepare food and sell it without any licence and without following rules. The IHRA alleged they cook food without licence and without permission of the municipal corporation.

The food is unhygienic and harmful to health and safety of the general public. The petition says it continues despite court orders. The petition says that hawkers use cooking gas cylinders and electricity unlawfully. Pursuant to an order of the High Court, Neela Patange, Deputy Superintendent of Licence, filed an affidavit Monday stating that the petitioners had not made suppliers of gas cylinders and electricity as parties in the case. The grievance should have been redressed by the company supplying cooking gas to hawkers, said the petition.

A division Bench of AS Oka and RI Chagla said even after the court called these hawkars illegal, no action was taken by BMC officials. The court further said, “It is a complete violation of (rules for) cooking food.” The court pulled up BMC officials and said, “Instead of taking action, you have written to Hindustan Uniliver Limited (the gas cylinder supplier),” The court said it was the duty of BMC officials to go to the spot and inspect, instead of blaming the gas cylinder supplier. The court said, “We direct the municipal commissioner or the assistant commissioner personally to explain the approach of the Mumbai municipal corporation.

Street Food Vendors To Get A Lesson On Hygiene By The FDA

According to the report by the Asian Age, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun a food security campaign to keep hygiene of street food in check. This was done post the recommendation received by the FDA from several hospitals as there have been several cases of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and infections.

MAINTAINING STREET FOOD HYGIENE

The FDA plans to train all the hawkers from all the 24 BMC wards and teach them how to maintain personal and stall hygiene. The food co-commissioner of the FDA, Shailesh Adhav said that at a time, 20 hawkers will be trained about hygiene for 20 days. The hawkers will be trained to maintain food quality and hygiene during this period.

“FDA has initiated a food security campaign to educate roadside food sellers about what hygiene standards should be maintained by them,” said Adhav to Asian Age. “We will be training hawkers of all 24 civic body wards under this campaign. An inquiry of roadside sellers will be conducted across all the wards. FDA officials and inspectors will give them lessons such as wearing caps, aprons and maintaining personal and stall hygiene” The report further says that the campaign is currently going on in Mumbai and will later be stretched out to Navi Mumbai and Thane as well.